The Times - 10.08.2026.pdf

首相顾问对工党财富税表示“担忧”

经济学家对担任 No 10 职务持保留态度

Steven Swinford 政治编辑

安迪·伯纳姆正难以说服他最亲密的盟友之一加入政府，因为该顾问对潜在的财富税表示担忧，并希望继续追求其商业利益。

《泰晤士报》获悉，前高盛经济学家、前财政部大臣加特利勋爵奥尼尔已获得重要的部长级和顾问职位邀请，但尚未与 No 10 达成协议。

据称，他担心将自己的商业利益放入盲信，其商业利益包括一家科技投资公司，以及在银行、风险投资公司和私募股权投资中的大量持股。

一名熟悉谈判的怀特霍尔消息人士表示，奥尼尔还对某些政策分歧表示担忧，例如潜在的财富税，而首相的其他一些亲密盟友一直主张实施该税种。

他此前曾表示，他“非常反对”财富税，因为这些税种“很容易被钻漏洞”，且无法筹集到大量资金。

关于职位的讨论正在进行中，但奥尼尔尚未被说服。据了解，他在谈判期间明确表示，如果政府推行他不同意的政策（如财富税），他将准备辞职。

伯纳姆还尚未确保安迪·霍尔丹的任命，后者是英格兰银行的前首席经济学家，原预计将加入他的 No 10 团队。据了解，霍尔丹一直以非正式方式提供建议。

这两项任命被视为在伯纳姆就任首相前，试图安抚市场的关键部分。

财政大臣约翰·希利面临着在 10月 28, 的首次预算案中进一步加税的可能性，以资助额外的国防开支和生活成本支持。

他表示，经济稳定是他的“根本”优先级，并要求政府部门削减开支，以帮助资助伯纳姆的支出承诺。然而，他上个月告诉《泰晤士报》，他不能排除加税的可能性，并明确表示他将遵守财政规则，这将限制他增加借款的能力。

他与伯纳姆承诺遵守工党竞选宣言中的承诺，即不增加增值税（VAT）、国民保险或所得税。伯纳姆的团队一直在考虑提高资本利得税的计划，该税种针对股票、投资和某些类型的房产利润征收，旨在帮助资助公共支出。

伯纳姆此前表示，劳动所得税过高，而资产税过低。这些言论引发了人们的猜测，认为他可能会提高资本利得税，使其与所得税持平，而政府高级官员曾警告他，任何对……的重大变更将 续见第 6 页

紧紧抱住 昨天在法国北部埃科（Ecault）海域，一名婴儿随移民登上了一艘小船 态度转变，见第 2 页

天气预报

大多数地区将迎来干燥温暖的一天，阳光充足，伴有一两场阵雨。完整预报请见第 43 页。

如果缺少任何一期《泰晤士报》，请致电 020 7711 1320 或发送电子邮件至 help@timesplus.co.uk，我们将根据供应情况为您补寄。

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过去十年英国人对移民的态度趋于强硬

奥利弗·赖特 (Oliver Wright) 政策编辑

《泰晤士报》的一项研究发现，十年以来小船横跨英吉利海峡的现象从根本上改变了英国对移民的态度。

YouGov 重新开展了一项曾在 2016 年进行的大规模调查，以观察英国公众对欧洲及更广泛移民观点的变化。

调查发现，认为移民对英国总体上产生负面影响的英国人比例已上升至 43%，高于 2016 年的 33%。仅有五分之一的选民认为移民对国家“总体上有利”。

对移民担忧程度的上升在 2016 年投票支持留在欧盟的人群中尤为明显。在该群体中，认为移民对国家产生负面影响的人数比例从 12% 上升至 22%。

该民调还询问了选民支持哪些国家的移民入境。

超过五分之一的选民表示英国不应接收来自尼日利亚的移民，四分之一的选民主张完全禁止巴基斯坦国民在英国定居。但同样比例（24%）的人会停止来自以色列的移民，而 34% 的人会停止来自俄罗斯的移民，这凸显了外国冲突对英国

不太受欢迎

您认为过去十年的移民水平对英国来说是好事还是坏事？

2,603 名成年人在 6 月 8-9 2026. 期间接受了调查。来源：YouGov

国内舆论。俄罗斯在 2016 年并非榜单末位，但在过去十年中，希望减少或停止来自该国移民的英国人数增长了 13 个百分点。

同样，希望减少或停止来自以色列移民的人数增加了 8 个百分点，从 2016 年的 39% 增加到现在的 47%。绿党选民最不倾向于表示希望减少进入英国的移民，但在涉及以色列时，他们的立场几乎与改革英国党（Reform UK）选民一样强硬。

当被问及在考虑经济移民是否应进入英国时，哪些因素最为重要时，排名首位的类别是确保其没有犯罪记录。

其次是他们是否在英国短缺的领域拥有技能，以及他们的英语水平（86% 的人表示这很重要）。

最不重要的因素是宗教，仅有 34% 的人提及，而 60% 的人表示其现有财富应作为一个考量因素。

然而，67% 的改革英国党（Reform UK）选民认为移民的宗教很重要，而绿党选民中这一比例仅为 12%。

YouGov 的数据新闻主管马修·史密斯（Matthew Smith）表示，该公司一直关注态度在十年间是如何转变的。

“我们发现，认为移民‘大部分是坏事’的人数增加了 10 个百分点（达到 43%），而认为‘既有好处也有坏处’的人数减少了 9 个百分点（降至 29%），这意味着在更广泛的公众中，对移民的负面看法已取代平衡观点，成为最普遍的看法，”史密斯说。

“脱欧派和留欧派中，认为移民对国家大部分是坏事的人数增加幅度相似。”

“即便如此，并非所有的变化都是反移民的。与 2016, 相比，希望减少波兰人进入英国的英国人数大幅下降，从 42% 降至 26%。”

内塔尼亚胡拒绝特朗普重建加沙计划

加布里埃尔·韦尼格 (Gabrielle Weiniger)

以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡已正式拒绝由特朗普总统的和平委员会（Board of Peace）提出的关于加沙地带的 15 点计划。

该文件旨在阐明去年 10 月一项停火协议的第二阶段，该协议结束了以色列与哈马斯之间为期两年的战争。根据该计划，哈马斯将解除武装，以色列将从该领土撤军。然而，目前尚不清楚哪一项将先执行。

内塔尼亚胡在昨天的内阁会议上表示：“以色列拒绝和平委员会提出的 15 点加沙文件。在哈马斯解除武装之前，以色列国防军（IDF）不会进行任何撤军。”

特朗普此前曾表示，以色列对这项“历史性”协议“非常满意”。该协议由他去年在女婿贾里德·库什纳（Jared Kushner）和前总理托尼·布莱尔爵士（Sir Tony Blair）的帮助下成立的组织促成。特朗普是该委员会的终身主席，执行成员包括国务卿马可·鲁比奥（Marco Rubio）、中东特使史蒂夫·威特科夫（Steve Witkoff）以及布莱尔。

内塔尼亚胡表示，以色列正与美国进行讨论，并且知道在这一问题上“如何坚持立场”，即使面对的是“我们最亲密的盟友”。自上周和平委员会协议公布以来，以色列增加了对加沙的袭击。根据与哈马斯有关联的当地卫生部数据，自 10 月以来，已有至少 1,214 名巴勒斯坦人在袭击中丧生。哈马斯呼吁在移交重型武器之前停止袭击。

以色列认为，该组织的解除武装对于防止 2023 年 10 月 7 日袭击事件再次发生至关重要。

以色列军队电台昨天报道称，今年竞选连任的内塔尼亚胡及其国防部长以色列·卡茨（Israel Katz）已悄悄批准在以色列控制下的拉法东部对加沙的部分地区进行开发和重建。内塔尼亚胡的办公室表示，该报道“歪曲了事实”。

和平委员会的计划旨在建立一个巴勒斯坦国，但内塔尼亚胡昨天表示，“只要我还是总理，就不会建立巴勒斯坦国”。

改革英国党将驱逐外国囚犯

奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）承诺将英国监狱中的所有外国罪犯遣返回原籍国或萨尔瓦多、科索沃等第三国服刑。

改革英国党（Reform UK）表示，这将腾出 10,000 个监狱名额。如果不能确保相关人员在“原籍国被安全监禁”，改革英国党政府将租赁萨尔瓦多等国家监狱的名额，该国拥有严苛的监狱系统。

这些计划可能会面临障碍，尤其是获得其他国家接受罪犯的协议。

内政事务发言人齐亚·尤苏夫（Zia Yusuf）表示：“改革英国党将把正义带回英国，确保那些犯下严重罪行的人……服满刑期。”

改革英国党表示，还将取消严重罪行的提前释放，恢复短期刑期，并推迟假释审查。该党承诺将建设 12,000 个“南丁格尔”监狱名额。关于 HMP Chequers 的信件，见第 20 页。

系统规则变更被指是一场“赌博”

电力网络的稳定性，且国家能源系统运营商（Neso）表示，这对于“电力系统的稳定运行至关重要”。

Neso尚未确认变更的时间表，但坚称风险不会有“实质性增加”，因为它可以利用快速响应电池来应对供应冲击。

尽管行业在去年的咨询中提出了担忧，但能源监管机构 Ofgem 仍在5月份批准了这一变更。

Neso 必须时刻保持供应与需求的平衡，使系统维持在安全频率。如果供应与需求出现突然失衡（例如发电站故障），电厂可能会跳闸，从而面临停电风险。

法国电力公司（EDF）表示，现在降低惯量还为时“过早”，且其正在建设的新核电项目将在提供系统稳定性（包括惯量）方面“在未来发挥至关重要的作用”。

因 6月23日 电力生成长时间下降而受到审查，当时的内部报告显示“系统安全性受到损害”。举报者称英国当时已接近停电。

表示：“英国电力系统的安全运行是 的最高优先级。分析表明，这些提案将在为消费者节省大量成本的同时，维持系统安全性。”

Ofgem 表示：“我们在考虑了利益相关者的担忧、进一步的证据以及独立技术建议，并设立保障措施后，才批准了 的修订计划。这并非是对在较低惯量下运行的全面批准。”

能源安全与净零排放部表示：“我们对供应安全安排非常有信心，且 拥有管理系统所需的工具。”

伯纳姆为净零计划带来了务实主义，社论，第21页

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《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月10日，星期一

1

新闻

激发 Jam 乐队灵感的地下密室

彼得·艾伦 (Peter Allen) 写道，保罗·韦勒 (Paul Weller) 在一个煤窖中创作了他的 1980 年流行经典之作，而这个煤窖就位于他所抨击的精英阶层附近。

《Going Underground》创作于伦敦市中心一座乔治亚风格排屋下方一个狭小、阴暗且寒冷彻骨的煤库中，后来它成为了有史以来最受喜爱和赞誉的抗议歌曲之一。

这首 1980 年的经典之作由 21 岁的保罗·韦勒在酒吧喝了一晚酒、兴致正高时执笔，以 Jam 乐队标志性的旋律愤怒演绎，是对玛格丽特·撒切尔担任首相第一年的尖锐指责。

该曲在当年 3 月直接登顶英国排行榜 No 1。随后，韦勒在同一个煤窖中继续创作了其他经典作品，从《A Town Called Malice》到《That's Entertainment》。

现在可以揭晓，韦勒创作部分最知名歌曲的那个煤窖位于皮姆利科 (Pimlico) 登比街 (Denbigh Street) 的一座乔治亚风格排屋之下——距离威斯敏斯特和唐宁街仅几步之遥。在韦勒那个时代的皮姆利科，大臣和贵族们住在宏伟的法定保护建筑中，而戴安娜·斯宾塞女士——未来的威尔士王妃——当时是马路对面“年轻英格兰幼儿园”的一名青少年助手。

当时每周收入 £100 的韦勒，受皮姆利科宏伟排屋的影响较小，而更多地受到伦敦 SW1 区那些犯罪频发的住宅区的启发。这位 Mod 复兴艺术家的歌曲中充满了警笛声、伦敦地铁上的恐惧、毫无前途的工作，以及充满挫败感和绝望的生活。

如今，韦勒的地下密室基本保持原样。这里依然没有窗户，就像 1979, 年那样，一只灯泡照亮了排屋下方堆积数十年的杂物。在这些年来的采访中，他将这个掩体称为“一个微小的凹陷状空间”，并补充道：“我就坐在那里，拿着吉他写歌。”

那套两居室的公寓为韦勒的诗意词句提供了充足的素材。在讨论提到“墙上渗水的冰冷公寓”的《That's Entertainment》时，韦勒在 2012 年告诉 BBC：“就是我周围的一切，你知道的。我在皮姆利科的小公寓墙上确实有渗水，而且他妈的冷极了。”

当时，英国

Jam 乐队的一些最大热门歌曲是由保罗·韦勒（右下）在伦敦市中心一个狭小的煤库中创作的

陷入了经济衰退，失业率飙升。韦勒从出生地、萨里郡的通勤小镇沃金 (Woking) 搬到伦敦后，围绕对英国衰落的 bleak 评论构建了他的音乐。

他在《Going Underground》中唱道：“你选择你的领导者，寄予你的信任，而他们的谎言将你冲走，他们的承诺生锈。”在指向撒切尔对国民医疗服务体系 (NHS) 的改革时，他继续唱道：“你会看到洗肾机被火箭和枪炮取代。”

这首歌的官方视频展示了从安东尼·伊登 (Anthony Eden) 到撒切尔的战后保守党领导人的照片被冲走，而有趣的是，视频中排除了温斯顿·丘吉尔，他也是另一位

前皮姆利科居民。

韦勒确实捕捉到了撒切尔时代的不平等，将焦点放在年轻人对阶级制度所有表现形式（包括公立学校）的愤怒上。前首相奇平诺顿的卡梅伦勋爵 (Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton) 将 Jam 乐队的《The Elon Rifles》——一首攻击卡梅伦母校的歌曲——描述为他最喜欢的歌曲之一。尽管歌中提到了那些比起国家状况更感兴趣于橄榄球和火炮的暴力上流社会人士。

尽管基调阴郁，韦勒也表达了一种可能会让撒切尔印象深刻的坚韧个人主义，他在《Going Underground》的开头写道：“有些人可能会说我的生活陷入了泥潭，但我对我所拥有的一切相当满意。”

菲奥娜在过去 25 年里一直拥有这套公寓，她要求仅以名义称呼，她表示：“这里是一个令人愉悦的居住地。凹室虽然小，但是一个非常安静的工作场所。我猜测对于音乐家来说，这里最大的吸引力在于它完全隔音，这样他就不会干扰到邻居。”

托马斯·库比特（Thomas Cubitt）是一位建筑大师，他从 1825 年起开发了皮姆利科（Pimlico），创建了数百个类似的砖砌桶形地窖，可以通过街道层级的煤孔进入。英国工业革命的主要燃料在 1956 年在伦敦变得过时，当时《清洁空气法》禁止了曾导致 1952 年大雾霾的燃煤行为。这使得这些地窖在很大程度上被忽视，直到后来通过富有想象力的改造才重新投入使用。

附近其他的音乐相关地址还包括 Vanilla Studios 的原址，The Clash 乐队在那里创作了一些最优秀的作品，包括他们在 1979 年推出的里程碑式专辑《London Calling》。该地区与音乐的联系比摇滚和朋克早了几个世纪：1764 年，八岁的莫扎特在埃伯里街（Ebury Street）创作了他的第一部降E大调交响曲。

韦勒总是迅速前行：他在 25 岁之前就解散了 Jam 乐队，与他的学校好友、贝斯手布鲁斯·福克斯顿（Bruce Foxton）以及鼓手里克·巴克勒（Rick Buckler）分道扬镳，随后在 Style Council 乐队以及作为一名独唱艺术家期间获得了进一步的成功。

他早已不再将皮姆利科作为住所，但在 2018 年的一次私人访问中回到了这里，当时有人看到他在旧煤箱上方摆拍拍照。

一位长期居住在登比街（Denbigh Street）的居民记得韦勒住在地下室时“看起来像个很年轻的小伙子”，他说：“人们总是会对那些助力其成功的场所感到怀旧，保罗显然也不例外——皮姆利科成就了他，以及他那些才华横溢的音乐。” 最佳歌曲可能诞生于奇特之地，社论，第 21 页

Banksy艺术品清理与安保费用令公众承担£150

夏洛特·雷克 (Charlotte Reck)

自出现在伦敦以来，街头艺术家兼政治活动人士 Banksy 的三件艺术品已令纳税人支付了近 £150k 的清理和安保费用，且这一数字预计还将上升。

BBC 表示，最高的一笔支出与去年 9 月在皇家法院绘制的一幅壁画有关，其清除工作和安保费用已累计超过 £100,000。

这幅壁画通过模板喷绘在位于威斯敏斯特市凯里街（Carey Street）的一栋 II 级保护建筑外墙上，描绘了一名身着传统法庭长袍、戴着假发的法官用法槌击打一名赤手空拳的抗议者的场景。

该作品在抗议者的标语牌上点缀着血红色喷溅，被解读为对政府根据《2000 年恐怖主义法》对抗议团体“巴勒斯坦行动”（Palestine Action）采取法律打击的评论。

司法部在回应一项信息自由请求时告诉 BBC，其在尝试剥离墙上油漆方面花费了 £70,000，另在安保费用上花费了 £30,000。

英国法院和法庭服务局（HMCTS）表示：“皇家法院是一栋保护建筑，HMCTS 有义务维护其原始风貌。”

围绕这位匿名艺术家的作品长期以来一直存在争议。虽然有些人将 Banksy 的创作视为每个人都能接触到的有价值的公共艺术，

皇家法院的一件 作品令纳税人承担了 £100,000 的费用

但其他人则认为这不过是破坏行为。

影子司法大臣尼克·蒂莫西（Nick Timothy）表示：“数万英镑——甚至更多——的纳税人之钱必须被用来清理 留下的烂摊子，这简直令人愤怒。他似乎认为自己有权肆无忌惮地毁坏公共建筑。”“应该制止 的破坏行为，并由他来支付账单。”

但艺术评论家埃斯特尔·洛瓦特（Estelle Lovatt）表示：“有些人参观白金汉宫，而另一些人则参观 的艺术品。他的作品以一种政治可能将我们分裂的方式将人们聚集在一起。他让艺术变得触手可及，因为不需要支付画廊门票。”

清除壁画的尝试此前以失败告终，承包商此后一直在使用激光技术。然而，如果威斯敏斯特市议会对结果不满意，将采用另一种清理方法。作为最终方案，受损的石材可能会被更换。

另一件 作品给威斯敏斯特市议会带来了近 £40,000 的费用。一座描绘一名男子紧握旗帜且旗帜遮挡其视线的雕像于 4 月出现在滑铁卢广场（Waterloo Place）。议会将这些费用归结为安全围栏、行政管理和安保。

2024, 年 8 月， 在伦敦市警察局的一个哨兵岗亭上绘制了食人鱼，该岗亭是 1990 年代作为针对 IRA 的安保措施而安装的。该岗亭随后被移除，花费了 £10,000。

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4

u Monday August 10 2026 / THE TIMES

新闻

精益求精 史蒂文·D·默里 (Steven D Murray) 在本周末为肯特郡利兹城堡举办的“护城河畔汽车展”（Motors by the Moat）准备他的 1953 年款劳斯莱斯。该活动还包括特技表演

催收公司获付数百万资金追讨居住在海外的毕业生

Aaliyah Ahmed

《泰晤士报》的一项分析发现，债务催收机构正获得数百万英镑的报酬，用于追讨未能偿还学生贷款的毕业生。

学生贷款公司（SLC）在今年前六个月在外部债务机构上的支出近 £180 万——几乎是去年同期支出的两倍。

作为政府的一个独立机构，SLC 表示，它已加大力度从无视还款义务的毕业生（其中许多人居住在海外）手中追回债务。

上周，《泰晤士报》报道称，目前五分之一的学生贷款发放给了非英国公民，这可能导致纳税人为未偿还债务承担数千英镑的损失。研究表明，外国学生偿还贷款的可能性比英国学生低约 25%。

在过去一年中，外国学生获得了约 40 亿英镑 billion 的学费和生活费贷款，约占该计划总贷款额的 20%。绝大多数贷款流向了欧盟公民——仅罗马尼亚人就占所有首次学生贷款的 20 分之一——政府内部对此计划存在被欺诈的担忧。

批评人士警告称，这种增长将加剧未偿还的学生贷款债务。数据表明，英国纳税人每年面临损失 12 亿英镑 billion 至 22 亿英镑 billion。

对 SLC 的分析显示

第一人称

我打开我的学生贷款账户，心想我的情况可能不算最糟糕的：自四年前毕业以来，我仍有 50,674 英镑 未偿还（如下文玛丽埃塔·马里诺娃 [Marieta Marinova] 所写）。

我为了本科和研究生学位借了 3.9 万英镑，而且可能永远无法还清。每月我的工资单中大约有 £40 消失，而我会思考这笔钱本可以花在其他什么地方。

这并不太困扰我——直到我想起那些像我一样从保加利亚来到英国大学留学，但现在已经搬回去并一直在逃避

还款的朋友。从无视信件和电话，到申报较低的收入，或者重新注册大学以维持“非盈利学生”的身份，他们找到了无数的漏洞。

他们是 370,000 名欠款近 130 亿英镑 billion 的海外毕业生中的一员，学生贷款公司（SLC）今年承认已失去对这些人的追踪。

当我回去时，这个话题不可避免地会被提起。我看到他们家里散落着未拆封的 SLC 信件，以及他们看向信件时脸上流露出的焦虑。我内心的一部分在评判他们，但我理解他们为何这么做。海外还款门槛是

根据当地价格指数计算的，因此保加利亚的收入门槛远低于英国：11,390 英镑，而英国为 29,385 英镑。

一位朋友的本科贷款每月偿还 £4，而我的则曾是 £1（在我的研究生贷款开始扣款之前），尽管我的收入要高得多。在 试图根据一份包含一次性奖金的工资单重新计算她的还款额后，她与 发生了争执。最终，她从账户中删除了借记卡详情。这让我感到愤怒，并且会考验友谊。但并不难看出为什么这么多人停止还款。

支出数据显示，今年 1 月至 6 月期间， 在被归类为“债务催收”的公司上花费了 £177 万。相比之下，2025 年前六个月的支出为 948,074 英镑。

从 2021 年到今年 6 月， 在 TDX Group 和 Experian 等外部债务催收机构上花费了 £1130 万。

大多数留在英国的毕业生通过“按赚还款”（pay-as-you-earn）计划自动偿还学生贷款。但移居海外的毕业生有责任将搬迁情况和收入详情告知 。随后，他们负责直接进行

还款。这些借款人可能是移居国外的英国出生毕业生，也可能是就读于英国大学的外国学生。

如果借款人未能告知 移居海外或还款滞后， 可以利用外部债务催收机构来追讨债务。

在 2024-25 财政年度， 从违规的海外借款人那里追回了 £7700 万，根据教育部部长乔什·麦卡利斯特（Josh MacAlister）今年在回答议会质询时公布的政府数据。他补充说，平均而言，债务催收机构每投入 £1 可带来 £5 的投资回报。

纳税人联盟（TaxPayers' Alliance）的活动总监威廉·亚伍德（William Yarwood）表示：“纳税人在支付两次费用，首先是为违约贷款买单，现在又要为私人债务催收公司创纪录的账单买单。外包执法不应该是开一张空白支票。”

一名 发言人表示：“作为 三年转型计划的一部分，政府正在投资 的债务追回能力。作为这项投资的一部分，在债务催收机构活动上的年度支出有所增加。”

一名教育部发言人表示：“公众理所当然地期望这些债务能够得到偿还，我们也一样。这就是为什么我们正在投资学生贷款公司追讨债务的能力，并与他们密切合作，进一步追回欠款。我们还在从源头上打击学生资助的滥用行为，堵住监管漏洞并防止系统被误用。”

被引渡的“卡特尔头目”被起诉

约翰·穆尼（John Mooney）、帕特里克·奥多诺休（Patrick O'Donoghue）

丹尼尔·基纳汉（Daniel Kinahan）从阿拉伯联合酋长国被引渡后，在都柏林一家非陪审团法院的特别庭审中，被指控指挥一个有组织犯罪集团的活动。

昨日晚上 8.09，49 岁的基纳汉在三名武装警员的陪同下进入特别刑事法院，并在简短的听证会上站在被告席上。

他被指控为基纳汉犯罪卡特尔（Kinahan crime cartel）的领导者之一，该爱尔兰组织涉嫌经营一个毒品和枪支走私网络。

基纳汉看起来很疲惫，留着胡茬，在向法院陈述时双手紧握。他戴着深色眼镜，穿着黑色连帽衫和运动裤。起诉书被宣读给他后，他被还押至波特洛伊（Portlaoise）监狱。

他面临一项单一指控，即在 2015 年 10 月 18 日至 2017 年 4 月 6 日期间指挥一个犯罪组织。

在听证会开始时，法院被告知基纳汉没有法律代表。当主审法官麦格拉思（Mr Justice McGrath）注意到他缺乏法律代表时，基纳汉在被告席上站起来说：“是的，没错，法官大人。我没有时间安排任何事情。”

基纳汉向三位法官解释他的情况，称他自周五以来一直被隔离在迪拜，原希望一名家庭成员能代表他联系法律代表，但并未实现。

在被法官席告知保释申请只能通过高等法院提出后，基纳汉回应道：“我想我们都知道我不会获得保释，但还是谢谢。”

在基纳汉表示一旦有时间就会安排代表后，法官决定继续进行听证。当法官建议他联系律师并安排代表时，基纳汉回答：“我全部明白了，谢谢您，法官大人。”

基纳汉计划于 10 月 5 日再次出庭。在被告知可以通过亲自出席或视频链接参加听证会后，基纳汉表示他将在稍后日期做出决定。

基纳汉于周末从迪拜被引渡，他在那里生活了过去十年。他于早晨乘坐一架爱尔兰政府专机离开，该飞机在下午 6 点后不久降落在都柏林郊外的鲍尔多内尔（Baldonnel）空军基地。侦探警长科林·戴维森（Colin Davidson）表示，他在下午 6.49 分逮捕了基纳汉，并向其解释了法院在 3 月份签发的逮捕令。戴维森随后在法院区域内对基纳汉提起诉讼。随后，书记员向基纳汉宣读了起诉书，基纳汉确认了自己的姓名。为迎接他抵达鲍尔多内尔所做的准备工作在过去一周的大部分时间里一直在进行。军方人员设置了金属围栏，一架警用直升机在空中盘旋。

武装士兵驻守在主入口，多辆警车在区域内巡逻。

这次大规模行动给周边地区带来了干扰。当地司机表示担心安全措施会阻碍他们回家，因为随后周边几条道路被封锁。

一架搭载丹尼尔·基纳汉的爱尔兰政府飞机在将其从迪拜引渡后，降落在都柏林附近的鲍尔多内尔空军基地。他随后乘车被送往法院。此前曾有人提供 500 万美元的奖金，以换取导致其被捕的信息。

作为将基纳汉送往特别刑事法院行动的一部分，道路被封锁。

周六，当专机飞往迪拜时，播客主持人詹姆斯·英格利什（James English）发布了基纳汉讨论其即将返回爱尔兰的录音。“安保工作将会非常疯狂。我坐在这里反思了一会儿，”他说。“然后我在想发生了什么，我是如何来到这里的，我生命中发生的所有事情，全部的事情，就在反思。这种感觉苦乐参半。能回去会很好。我一直为身为爱尔兰人而自豪。”

基纳汉出庭的情况

这紧随爱尔兰当局及其国际合作伙伴对其活动近十年的调查之后。

多年来，Kinahan 在迪拜过着奢侈的生活，将阿联酋作为避风港。然而，随着爱尔兰和阿联酋协商达成一项引渡条约，外交格局发生了变化，这实际上收紧了针对该涉嫌贩毒集团领导层的包围网。压力在 2022 年达到临界点，当时美国政府介入，对 Kinahan、其父亲 Christy 以及其兄弟

Christopher Jr 实施了严厉的金融制裁，冻结了他们的资产并将其排除在全球银行系统之外。与此同时，美国缉毒局（DEA）为提供关于这三人的信息提供 500万美元 (£370 万) 的奖励。

这次干预瘫痪了该组织涉嫌的大规模洗钱行动，并使其领导层与之前的合伙人隔离。

Kinahan 的律师此前曾表示，其当事人没有犯罪记录或定罪，且关于他是犯罪头目的指控是虚假的，没有证据基础。

男子因手机盗窃被拘押14年后“准备迎接死亡”

Sian Bradley

在距离曼彻斯特家乡近 160 英里远的地方，克拉拉·怀特（Clara White）彻夜难眠。她无法忘记在诺森伯兰郡的一家精神病院探望哥哥托马斯（Thomas）时，看到他哭泣的样子，他目前被拘押在该院。

“从他的眼神和坐姿中我能看出，他已经彻底崩溃了，”她说，“他已经准备好在里面死去了。”

2012 年，托马斯·怀特在严重醉酒状态下，因从两名基督教传教士那里盗窃一部手机而被捕。他承认有罪，

并被判处一项旨在保护公众的监禁（IPP）刑期，即两年固定刑期且无最高刑期限制。他至今仍没有出狱日期。在一次政治干预后，这名 43 岁的男子于九个月前被转移至医院。他被诊断患有偏执型精神分裂症，一名独立精神科医生得出结论，IPP 刑期可能是导致其患病的诱因。

安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）已呼吁对 刑期进行审查，将其作为解决监狱过度拥挤危机努力的一部分。 刑期于 2003 年引入，旨在保护公众免受那些犯罪行为虽不至于被判终身监禁但具有危险性的罪犯的侵害。

刑期在 2012 年被废除，但没有追溯既往。前内政大臣诺丁汉的克拉克勋爵（Lord Clarke of Nottingham）告诉《泰晤士报》广播电台，他“从未想象过”在废除 14 年后，仍有 2,329 人处于“无限期”拘押状态。

2016 年，被拘押在诺里奇监狱（HMP Norwich）的怀特被发现裹着床单在

托马斯·怀特与母亲玛格丽特（Margaret）及妹妹克拉拉（Clara）合影

监区内走动，“自称是耶稣基督”并承诺治愈人们。身为牧师的克拉拉·怀特表示，在他经历精神病发作期间被反复送入隔离区后，“他内心深处的一些东西死掉了”。“你必须记住他曾经是个正常人。是这个制度把他变成了这样。”直到去年，他一直被拘押在斯特兰格韦斯监狱（Strangeways）。他的家人收到报告称，他跳在安全网上，将脸撞向地板，并试图自焚。他被转移到了一家安全医院，但由于工作人员称他“不配合”治疗，他面临被送回监狱的风险。

司法部表示：“废除这些刑期是正确的，而且……针对这些罪犯的支持已显著改善，他们能够获得更多的康复和心理健康支持。我们目前正在研究还能采取哪些进一步措施。”

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6

新闻 政治

缓刑监督人员罢工威胁将导致提前释放计划陷入混乱

奥利·科尔 (Ollie Cole)

数千名缓刑监督人员可能会在未来几个月内举行罢工，这可能会在政府的提前释放计划生效时，使受害者的安全陷入不确定状态。

由国家缓刑官员协会（Napo）代表的工作人员正在就工作时间的工业行动进行一项指示性投票。结果预计将于今天下午公布，该工会预计成员将做出“强烈回应”，支持转向正式的工业行动投票。

《泰晤士报》获悉，Napo 将寻求在年底前采取工业行动，约 8,000 名成员可能会参与罢工。

将于 10 月起实施的提前释放计划将给本已处于极端压力之下的缓刑监督服务机构增加压力。据称，住房危机、重复转诊、应急规划以及大量隐形工作正将缓刑工作人员推向安全极限，且该行业“依赖加班”。

Napo 总书记伊恩·劳伦斯（Ian Lawrence）表示：“如果没有缓刑监督，这一切（提前释放）都无法实现，因此该服务机构需要成为此次讨论的核心。”

可能采取工业行动的时间表，为安迪·伯纳姆修订后的提前释放计划的安全运行带来了进一步的不确定性。监狱监管机构告诉《泰晤士报》，任何工业行动都将对确保该计划的安全管理产生“巨大的破坏”。

陛下缓刑首席监察官马丁·琼斯（Martin Jones）表示：“我确实认为（工业行动）是风险极高的事情，即使仅仅是按章工作（work to rule）。我怀疑之前的一些计划之所以能勉强运行，原因之一是人们在周末和

安德鲁·哈珀警官的遗孀莉西（Lissie）正反对杀害他的凶手被提前释放

晚上加班。如果人们表示他们将只在九点到五点工作，只在实际工作时间内工作，这类情况绝对是一种风险。”

缓刑监督服务机构雇佣了约 21,000 名全职员工，但短缺约 1,500 名全职缓刑监督员。12 月的最新政府数据显示，在职的全职缓刑监督员为 5,437 名，而目标水平为 7,110 名。

“如果这个（提前释放）计划奏效，公众，坦率地说，还有部长们，都将深深感激缓刑监督服务机构，”琼斯补充道。

Napo 的领导层对该计划预计产生额外工作量而导致部分案件被遗漏表示担忧。

该工会全国主席本·科克本（Ben Cockburn）表示，人员配备水平“极其危险”，已达到“过度扩张和精疲力竭”的程度。

“如果你在工作中经历了那种程度的倦怠，并且试图应对无法管理的工作量，

就会一直担心自己会遗漏某项特定任务，”他补充道。

“我认为可以公平地说，你知道，我们在尝试填补雇主允许出现的漏洞时，让自己陷入了职业风险之中。”

伯纳姆因允许两名杀害安德鲁·哈珀警官的凶手进入提前释放计划而面临强烈抵制。哈珀的遗孀莉西（Lissie），35, 将其描述为“来自政府的第二次沉重打击”。

前保守党司法大臣诺丁汉的克拉克勋爵（Lord Clarke of Nottingham）昨天告诉泰晤士电台，首相将“发现他必须面对一些艰难的决定，他会受到强烈的批评；而且当某些事情不可避免且必须执行时，就像在本案中一样，每当某个特定案例被抛给他时，仅仅是妥协是没有用的。”

伯纳姆表示，他希望在修订后的提前释放计划上走得更远，但这已经“被推到了可能实现的极限”。

司法部的一位发言人表示：“保护公众是我们的首要任务。《量刑法》正在为处于崩溃边缘的监狱系统恢复秩序，而我们在缓刑和社区惩罚方面投入的创纪录的 £7 亿 资金，正确保工作人员拥有管理社区罪犯所需的资源、权力及技术。”

“我们已经超过了 2025-26 年的招聘目标，去年有 1,389 人开始担任见习缓刑官，而目标人数为 1,300 人。”

尽管该部门引用了上述投资，但 Napo 警告称其“无法保证公众安全”。该组织表示，数千名家庭暴力犯罪者将有资格参与该计划并可能被释放，这意味着“更多的人，主要是女性，可能会受到伤害甚至被杀害”。

对司法系统的信心，读者来信，第 20 页

伯纳姆在招募盟友方面陷入困境

资本利得税率最终可能导致财政部亏损，因为人们为了避免缴税而会推迟出售资产。

“我非常反对财富税的普遍原则，”奥尼尔在伯纳姆就任首相前不久告诉 LBC。

“我认为这些税款很容易被规避，因此我认为它们不太可能筹集到大量收入。”

他表示，任何试图针对通过投资英国公司获利的金融家的尝试都会影响增长。

“作为一个深度参与风险投资的人，人们必须明白，这是极具风险的行为，”他说。“这不像来自工作的收入。大多数风险投资都会破产。你可能会损失所有资金……真正的创业精神和真正的冒险行为应当适用较低的税率。”

奥尼尔潜在的任命因其广泛的商业利益而变得更加复杂。他是 Northern Grilstone 的非执行主席，这是一家旨在帮助将大学科学技术研究转化为企业的投资公司。

他在上议院的利益登记表列出了 70 多项持股，其中包括大量风险投资。为了让奥尼尔担任政府职务，他所有的投资都需要被放入一个盲信托中，这意味着他将无法对这些投资如何管理发表意见。十年前，在戴维·卡梅伦担任首相期间，奥尼尔曾任财政部商业秘书。

在执政的第一周，伯纳姆宣布了一些尚未获得充分资金支持的让利措施。他透露计划在冬季降低消费者能源账单的增值税，成本为 £8.5 亿；引入 £2 cap 的巴士票价上限，成本为 £5 亿；并为酒吧和现场音乐场所提供 £1 亿 的援助。

希利除了之前由基尔·斯塔默爵士同意的削减现有部门预算之外，还必须筹集 VAT billion 来资助国防投资计划。

支持财富创造，读者来信，第 20 页 对银行征税将打击增长，社论，第 21 页

首相将目光锁定“敲诈式”折扣与订阅服务

斯蒂文·斯温福德 (Steven Swinford)

安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 承诺在开始一项聚焦生活成本的全国巡访之前，禁止“敲诈式”的虚假折扣。

在度假归来后，首相打算在 8 月剩余的大部分时间里在全国各地旅行，询问公众政府如何才能改善他们的生活。

官员们表示，他将处于“倾听模式”，并将重点关注生活成本和改善当地商业街。

预计伯纳姆将宣布一系列“日常修复措施”，承诺将“动用我们能动用的每一个杠杆，为人们在生活成本方面提供一定的喘息空间”。

政府将启动一项磋商，将欺骗性折扣优惠列入英国竞争与市场管理局 (CMA) 的禁令清单。

这将使监管机构更容易惩罚那些采取此类行为的公司，例如人为抬高价格，然后立即提供“折扣”，使产品看起来比实际价值更高。

去年，消费者杂志 Which? 对八家零售商（亚马逊、AO、Argos、Boots、Currys、约翰刘易斯、Richer Sounds 和 Very）销售的 175 个“黑色星期五”交易进行了研究。研究发现，83 per cent 的产品在促销前后的六个月内，至少有一次价格更低或持平。

伯纳姆还将加速解决“订阅陷阱”的计划，要求公司简化取消订阅的流程，并提供更多

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7

新闻

Sir Keir Starmer 周末被看到在伦敦北部与演员休·丹尼斯 (Hugh Dennis) 一起踢球，而安迪·伯纳姆则在与 YouTuber 埃利斯·普拉滕 (Ellis Platten) 一起选购复古足球球衣。尼格尔·法拉奇 (Nigel Farage) 在本周四的补选前，在埃塞克斯郡的克拉克顿 (Clacton) 进行拉票。根据 Flightradar24 的数据，他在这次竞选中的强劲对手——宾面伯爵 (Count Binface) 似乎得到了一个飞行员的支持，该飞行员花了一个小时在海岸线沿线之字形飞行，勾勒出一个垃圾桶的形状。

关于前期成本的信息，而不是悄悄以更高的价格自动续订。

这些于 4 月宣布的变更原预计在明年春天生效，但伯纳姆将将其提前至 1 月。

他表示：“我知道人们已经厌倦了敲诈式折扣和订阅陷阱。Westminster 已经习惯了告诉人们，这类日常烦恼只是生活的一部分。”

“我认为这不对，尤其是当生活成本继续沉重地压在如此多人的生活之上时。”

公民咨询局 (Citizens Advice) 首席执行官克莱尔·莫里亚蒂 (Dame Clare Moriarty) 对这些提案表示欢迎，称订阅陷阱和欺骗性折扣是“一个普遍存在的问题”。

公民咨询局此前发现，26 per cent 的英国成年人在一年内曾意外办理过订阅。政府表示，其行动每月可为家庭节省 £14。

预计夏季还将有更多公告，首相将周一宣布的提案描述为“仅仅是个开始”。

反对派人士批评他的夏季计划是“虚荣之行”，仅提供了“小修小补”，并敦促他实施更广泛的减税。

伯纳姆的此次巡访是他就任首日承诺给公众在账单上提供“喘息空间”后的后续行动。

在进入唐宁街的第一周，他宣布削减家庭能源账单的增值税 (VAT)，并将巴士票价上限设为 £2，以应对生活成本问题。然而，由于伊朗战争带来的影响导致通胀高于预期，物价上涨仍然是公众面临的一个重大问题。

影子财政大臣梅尔·斯特赖德 (Sir Mel Stride) 表示：“安迪·伯纳姆已经没主意了。生活成本并不是上周才变成问题的，所以你得问问，为什么工党花了这么长时间才执行前任政府通过的立法。”

“工党的加税举措导致勤奋工作的家庭成本飙升，并摧毁了就业机会。磋商和炒冷饭的措施无法弥补这一点。”

英国皇家海军无人机将数据发送至中国

Lara Bowman

国防部在发现数据被秘密发送回中国后，被迫切断了安装在皇家海军无人船上的所有摄像头的互联网连接。

这些摄像头安装在 K3 Scouts 上，这是一种可以通过远程控制的无人高速船。英国在“蜂巢项目”（Project Beehive）下购买了 20 艘，该项目是一项耗资 £1230 万的计划，旨在扩大无人机在常规军舰旁的运用。这些船只旨在由海岸部队中队（Coastal Forces Squadron）和 4 / 7 皇家海军陆战队突击队用于监视、训练和行动。

国防部坚决否认有任何敏感或行动信息被发送到国外，称一项调查发现“没有证据表明国防部的数据或系统被外部访问、破坏或传输”。一项安全评估发现

工会将从 900亿英镑 政府合同新规中获益

Steven Swinford 政治编辑

如果公司允许工会接触其员工、提供高于最低工资的薪酬并提供灵活工作制，工党将优先考虑将其纳入政府合同。

安迪·伯纳姆宣布，对于在竞标中央政府合同中能为当地社区提供“社会价值”的公司，政府将将其获得的信用分翻倍。

作为首相实现“每个邮政区都实现增长”承诺的一部分，这些公司将被要求展示他们如何支持人们就业以及如何解决当地的技能短缺问题。这代表了工作重点的转移，即转向创造就业而非达成绿色目标。此前，社会价值的部分衡量标准是达成环境目标。

内阁办公室公布的计划细节显示，雇主将因提供“公平的工作条件”和“公平的薪酬”而获得奖励。

根据这些变更，对于价值超过 £500 万 的合同，公司所交付的“社会价值”权重将从 10 per cent 翻倍至 20 per cent。这代表了对 900 亿英镑 billion 公共采购系统的重大改革。

内阁办公室建议，证明其具有“公平工作条件”并向员工提供“高于法定最低标准”待遇的公司应获得更多积分。该办公室表示，这可以包括“允许工会代表介入”和“灵活的工作安排”，以及推广“积极的职场文化”。

该办公室还表示，雇主应提供“公平的薪酬”，对于那些在每小时 £12.71 的最低工资基础上“更进一步”、提供“进步”薪酬政策并能“奖励和留住员工”的公司，将授予更多积分。

公司还将被要求证明他们正在创造并保留高质量的就业岗位，并在存在技能短缺的领域提供培训机会。

计划重点关注贫困地区，要求公司通过提供实习和学徒机会来解决年轻人的“准入门槛”问题。伯纳姆表示，他希望公司能提供 45 天的工作经验。

这一做法遭到了保守党的批评。兰开斯特公国影子大臣、国会议员亚历克斯·伯格哈特（Alex Burghart）表示：“工党正在推出一份工会制定的反增长政策清单，这将给企业带来更多的成本和繁文缛节。”

“在已经遭受工党提高国民保险、袭击商业税以及灾难性的《就业权利法案》打击之后，任何寻求承接政府合同的企业现在都必须听从工会大佬的指挥。首相虽然换了，但掌权的依然是那个老掉牙的工党，在执行其工会金主的指令。”

“增长如此缓慢，失业率如此之高，也就不足为奇了。只有保守党才会为企业提供增长环境，包括废除摧毁就业的《就业权利法案》，并为数千家公司取消商业税，让英国重新运转起来。”

伯纳姆上周表示：“我们正在改变规则。现在申请政府合同将有一个简单的测试：你是否在创造英国就业岗位？你是否在给年轻人提供他们未来所需的技能？这些新规则将确保每年通过政府合同支出的 900 亿英镑 billion 能够支持每个邮政区的英国就业、技能和人才。”

一名政府发言人表示：“本届政府致力于确保每一英镑的纳税人资金都能为社区带来切实利益，在全国每个地区培养技能并创造新就业机会。”

“这些变更将削减繁文缛节，并确保每家企业都专注于提供英国就业岗位。我们的优先级是让每个邮政区实现良性增长，我们正利用 900 亿英镑 billion 的公共合同来确保这一目标的实现。”

一名政府消息人士补充道：“保守党正在攻击一个由他们自己创建的框架。当时他们的党魁担任商业大臣，正是她通过了（关于社会权重）的立法。

‘本届政府的优先级非常明确：削减繁文缛节，并致力于在每个邮政区创造更多就业机会。’”

《每日电讯报》报道称，摄像头正向一个中国的互联网地址发送“心跳通信”。这些是由联网设备发送的自动消息，用于确认其在线且运行正常。

该报报道，一名国防消息人士指称，设备上记录了英国在海湾地区可能采取行动的准备情况。

该消息人士表示：“这是在检查组件来源方面的重大失败，我们对该平台失去了信心。”

然而，国防部表示，没有证据表明这些传输内容包含图片、声音、位置信息或军事计划。

K3侦察艇的行驶速度可超过60英里 / 小时，可在海上停留长达30天，并可携带600公斤的摄像头、传感器或武器。一名国防部发言人表示：“政府的首要职责是国家安全，我们极其严肃地对待设备、网络和数据的安全。一次常规的网络漏洞评估发现了一个影响皇家海军使用的 Kraken 无人水面艇子系统的问题。一项彻底的调查发现，没有证据表明国防部的数据或系统被访问、泄露或向外部传输。”

他们补充说，负责摄像头组件的第三方供应商此前曾对其安全性提供过保证。

提供这些船只的英国公司 Kraken 的一名发言人告诉《电讯报》：“我们意识到，一些符合 NDAA 标准的第三方摄像头有少量组件源自英国境外。

‘在 Kraken 和皇家海军共同完成全面审计后，我们确信没有任何敏感信息曾在预定渠道之外共享，且所有潜在漏洞均已被识别并关闭。’”

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8

新闻

地板展 The 位于利物浦圣乔治大厅（St George's Hall）的维多利亚时代瓷砖通常由木地板保护，但现在将揭开覆盖物直至9月2日。艺术教师加布里埃拉·埃尔南德斯（Gabriella Hernandez）是一名早期的参观者

运动量减少数分钟将“增加患癌风险”

Shayma Bakht

研究表明，每天即使减少几分钟的运动，也可能增加患癌风险。

专家发现，将剧烈运动改为更多的久坐行为——例如看电视或坐在办公桌前——会增加癌症的发病率。

发表在《BMC医学》（BMC Medicine）杂志上的研究发现，终身保持活跃的人应该尽一切努力维持运动，因为即使是活动量的轻微下降也可能影响健康。之前的研究也发现了强有力的证据，表明较高水平的活动与多种癌症风险降低相关，包括与膀胱、乳腺、肠道、肾脏和胃相关的癌症类型。

研究人员对来自英国生物样本库（UK Biobank，一个由50万名参与医学研究的志愿者组成的数据库）的59,218人进行了分析，利用模型研究运动与癌症风险之间的联系。该分析基于一个女性占比55%、平均年龄为61.7岁的人群。在为期八年的随访中，该组中出现了2,385例癌症。

研究人员观察了人们睡眠时间、看电视等久坐行为、站立以及随后的任何活动及其强度水平等领域。

他们发现，人们活动越多，患癌风险就越低。

案例研究显示，用15分钟的活动替代15分钟的睡眠或久坐行为，每项替代均与癌症风险降低2%相关。

用30分钟的久坐行为替代30分钟的活动，风险增加了8%，而用睡眠替代则使风险增加了7%。

伦敦大学学院（University College London）的首席作者约翰·米切尔（John Mitchell）博士表示：“我们的研究表明，对于那些花费大量时间坐着的人来说，患癌风险有所增加。”

“我们还探讨了如果过着活跃生活的人减少体力活动水平会发生什么，发现他们同样面临更高的癌症风险。”

“基于理论模型，我们的研究表明，即使每天减少两到三分钟的剧烈活动（例如为了赶公交车而奔跑），并将其替换为坐着、睡眠或轻微活动，也会增加他们的患癌风险。”

NHS指南指出，成年人每周应目标达成至少150分钟的中等强度活动，或每周75分钟的高强度活动。此外，他们每周应至少进行两天锻炼所有主要肌肉群的力量活动。

“剧烈活动的其他例子——即任何能提高心率并让你出汗的活动——包括体育运动、快速跑上楼梯以及拎着沉重的购物袋回家，”米切尔补充道。“核心信息是，对于那些已经过着体力活跃生活的人来说，随着年龄增长，维持这种活动水平至关重要。”

中等活动的例子包括时速4英里或更快的快走、时速10英里至12英里的骑行或羽毛球。剧烈活动还包括徒步旅行、时速6英里或更快的慢跑、快速骑行、篮球或网球。

服用叶酸的女性人数不足

人们对大量女性未服用有助于预防婴儿健康问题的孕前维生素表示担忧。

一份报告指出，除伦敦以外，英格兰所有地区在怀孕前服用叶酸的女性人数均出现了“令人担忧”的下降。

总体而言，在 2024 / 25. 年度，英格兰只有不到五分之一（19.8%）的女性在怀孕前服用过叶酸。发表在《BJOG：国际妇产科杂志》（BJOG: An International Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynaecology）上的一篇评论显示，这一数字自 2021 / 22 年度（当时有 26.2% 的女性在怀孕前服用该补充剂）以来稳步下降。

NHS 建议试图怀孕的女性每天服用 400 微克的叶酸。

叶酸有助于婴儿的大脑、颅骨和脊髓发育，服用叶酸可降低脊柱裂等神经管缺陷以及其他疾病的风险。南安普顿大学的研究人员警告称，这种下降正在削弱预防严重出生缺陷所取得的进展。

到 2026, 年底，法律将要求面粉商和面粉生产商在非全麦小麦粉中强化叶酸。虽然这一举措受到了欢迎，但专家表示，仅靠强化是不够的，不应取代计划怀孕女性所服用的补充剂。

该论文的第一作者、南安普顿大学及 NIHR 生物医学研究中心（南安普顿）的 NIHR 高级研究员丹妮尔·舒梅克（Danielle Schoemaker）博士表示：“在怀孕前服用叶酸是女性为确保婴儿健康起步所能采取的最简单且最有效的措施之一。”

国会议员称发现乳房肿块后反应冷淡

杰拉尔丁·斯科特（Geraldine Scott） 政治副编辑

一名部长透露，她曾对乳房肿块忽视了两个月，因为她认为自己太年轻且太健康，不会患癌。

47, 岁的克莱尔·休斯（Claire Hughes）表示，在偶然发现肿块后，她表现得十分“冷淡”，说服自己这可能只是一个无害的囊肿。

这位班戈-阿伯克罗姆里（Bangor Abercromry）的工党国会议员在成为政府党鞭和威尔士办公室部长仅几周后，被诊断出患有侵袭性 3 级三阴性乳腺癌。她表示，希望分享自己的经历能说服其他女性定期进行自我检查并迅速寻求医疗建议。

“我当时只是想，我还年轻，这种事不会发生在我身上，”休斯告诉《泰晤士报》。

这位发布了关于其治疗过程的 8 分钟纪录片的议员，去年在穿过威斯敏斯特宫时发现了肿块。“我当时在活动手臂，觉得腋下有点酸痛，你知道的，就像淋巴结肿大那样，”她说。“于是我开始戳……然后我想，‘噢，下面还有一个小肿块’。”

休斯决定等到议会休会后再去看她的全科医生（GP）。“我大概等了两个月，这很愚蠢——现在回想起来真的非常愚蠢。”

在被转诊到快速评估诊所后，她在一天之内完成了乳腺 X 光检查、超声波检查和活检。尽管医生没有立即确认诊断结果，但她说她从

克莱尔·休斯在推迟就肿块就诊后接受了癌症治疗

他们的表情中就知道了结果。“我内心深处立刻就明白了，‘糟糕，我得癌症了’，”她说。

外科医生曾尝试进行保乳手术，但随后建议进行乳房切除术——她对此决定心存感激，因为手术后发现了第二个肿瘤。随后她接受了化疗和放疗。拥有两个青少年的休斯在治疗期间继续担任部长并远程工作。她说她正在考虑切除剩下的那只乳房，因为她在其中发现了第二个无害的肿块。“为了让自己安心，我宁愿把它切掉，”她说。

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9

新闻

园艺中心转向耐旱植物

盖伊·泰勒 (Guy Taylor) 零售记者

为了应对今年夏天打破纪录的热浪，英国最大的园艺中心集团正转向采用原产于澳大利亚、非洲和地中海地区的植物。

据 Blue Diamond 称，从天蓝色的 Agapanthus“非洲百合”到南欧的 Santolina“棉花薰衣草”，这些植物具备耐旱特性，使其能够度过一个极具挑战性的夏季交易季。该公司一直在开发一个“繁荣而非生存”系列，以应对气温升高。

其他品种还包括来自澳大利亚的 Callistemon“瓶刷子树”，以及 Lagerstroemia“大花紫薇”——一种开白、粉或紫色花朵的落叶灌木或小乔木。

Blue Diamond 在英国和海峡群岛拥有 50 多家园艺中心，雇佣约 4,700 名员工。其总经理艾伦·罗珀 (Alan Roper) 表示：“在我 36 年的园艺中心零售生涯中，从未见过高温对一个季度产生如此深远的影响。”

英格兰的大部分地区以及整个威尔士都处于干旱状态，在经历了成本压力增加和销售持平的挑战性几年之后，这进一步加剧了当地园艺中心的压力。

炎热的天气缩短了植物的保质期，并导致某些日期的客流量大幅下降。由于受热枯萎品种的损耗增加和打折促销，盈利能力受到了影响。

上个月，代表种植者、园艺零售商和制造商的园艺贸易协会警告称，“天气模式日益不可预测”，并批评了围绕软管禁令的公共宣传。

6 月份的园艺销售额（该行业最新的数据）显示，同比下降了 5%，与 2024 年相比下降了 13%。

蓝色 Agapanthus，被称为非洲百合，可以在干燥条件下生存

罗珀告诉《泰晤士报》：“过去，受极端高温干扰的园艺季节大约十年一次。而现在，这种情况变得更加频繁且剧烈。过去六个夏天中有五个的温度高于平均水平，而最近两个夏天则打破了高温纪录。”

他将其描述为一种不能再“被忽视”的“新常态”。

除了调整产品范围外，Blue Diamond 还在重新设计销售植物的苗床，以加入蓄水池，并研发能够更好地保持水分的无泥炭堆肥。业内许多人过去依赖泥炭基堆肥，因为其保水效果更好，但由于对当地栖息地和碳排放的影响，这些堆肥正在英国被逐步淘汰。

鉴于近年来该公司日益关注餐饮、服装和家居零售业务，在面对天气相关的不利因素时，Blue Diamond 的表现可能会比许多较小的园艺中心集团更好。

监狱花园培育希望，第 14 页 热浪可能会改变食物，第 28 页

面对第五波热浪，英国担忧成为“火药桶”

本·克拉特沃西 (Ben Clatworthy) 怀特霍尔编辑 亚当·沃恩 (Adam Vaughan) 环境编辑

英格兰和威尔士上个月遭受了创纪录数量的野火袭击，官员们担心本周第五波夏季热浪到来时将造成更多破坏。

在截至 7 月 31, 的三周内，消防员处理了 395 起野火，使 2026 年的总数增加到 710. 起以上。由于担心“整个国家就像一个巨大的火药桶”，怀特霍尔的官员们正在监测相关数据。

一名消息人士表示：“2022 年和 2025 年的夏天很糟糕，但与今年相比根本不算什么。在萨福克郡火灾之后，国家韧性数据的监测有所增加，因为那次火灾需要全国范围内的资源支持。”

萨福克郡的这场大火烧毁了 257 英亩的国家信托基金会（National Trust）荒原。英国自然英格兰局（Natural England）的地图报告称，从今天起，英格兰和威尔士的大部分地区火灾风险为“极高”。周四，东安格利亚、南部和东南部地区的风险等级将升至“异常”，届时气温可能达到 36,000℃。

昨天，由于有 14 支队伍在曼斯菲尔德附近处理不同的火灾，当地宣布进入重大事故状态。周六，草莓山荒原（Strawberry Hill Heath）发生火灾，有 12 支队伍参与救援。约 36,000 平方米的林地和灌木丛受到影响。昨天，六辆消防车和一辆运水车被部署到舍伍德松林（Sherwood Pines）的一场大火中。

国家消防局局长菲尔·加里根（Phil Garrigan）表示，“野火不再是孤立事件”。他补充道：“今年我们已经应对了 700 多起野火，每一次都给消防员以及消防救援服务机构带来了额外压力。这些火灾可能会燃烧数日，面临地形挑战和极端高温。它们需要大量资源，使救援队伍长时间被占用，并减少了消防员在事故之间休息的机会。” 完整预报见第 43 页。

警告高温天气下猫咪坠楼可能致命

动物慈善机构警告居住在建筑物一层或更高楼层的猫主人，他们的宠物在高温天气期间可能面临致命的坠楼风险。

根据 Cats Protection 和 Blue Cross 的说法，“高楼综合征”（即猫在从高处坠落时受伤）的病例往往在夏季月份激增，因为室内宠物会被温暖的气温、鸟类和活动吸引到室外。

这些慈善机构警告主人不要在无人看管的情况下打开窗户和阳台。位于伦敦和格里姆斯比的 Blue Cross 动物医院今年已经治疗了 33 只因坠落受伤的猫。

Cats Protection 的兽医参与经理伊齐·霍金斯（Izzy Hocking）表示：“根据坠落高度的不同，猫可能会遭受严重的伤害，如肢体骨折、下颌骨骨折以及包括脑损伤在内的内部创伤。在某些情况下，坠落可能会导致死亡或需要实施安乐死。”

艾莉亚·西德（Alliah Seed）三个月大的小猫萨菲尔（Sapphire）从五楼窗台坠落后仅脚趾骨折，真是“非常幸运”。

航空考古学家在干旱土地上收获颇丰

杰克·布莱克本 (Jack Blackburn) 历史记者

在盛夏时节，英国的田野中出现奇怪的标记并不罕见。

曾几何时，一些古怪的人通过践踏庄稼试图说服我们外星人正迁往威尔特郡，但在如今酷热的夏天，这些图案揭示的是我们过去的秘密。气候变化助力了航空考古的繁荣，而每年日益干旱的天气正揭示出新的地貌特征。

该学科最繁忙的 11 个年份中，有 5 个发生在 2020 年代，新发现的遗址包括铁器时代的农场、第一次世界大战的战壕以及失传的乡村别墅花园。

“目前的情况简直太疯狂了，但这是一个不错的夏天，”威尔士皇家委员会的考古学博士兼高级航空调查员托比·德赖弗 (Toby Driver) 表示。他是英国领先的航空考古学家之一，今年夏天的大部分时间他都在威尔士上空飞行，拍摄那些仍被掩埋的过去遗迹的照片。

极端干旱天气与考古成功之间的联系显而易见。根据下方掩埋物的不同，枯萎的庄稼和草地的干燥速度也不同，这意味着掩埋在土壤中的墙壁、战壕、土丘和其他特征会再次变得清晰。

“你会看到一种 X 光效果，”德赖弗解释道。“如果这些遗址从未进行过任何地球物理调查或挖掘，那么在每十年的那一两周内，在雨季到来之前且干旱程度足够深时，就是我们记录这些标记的唯一机会。”

今年英国的重大发现是查茨沃斯庄园 (Chatsworth House) 一个失传的花园，而德赖弗拍摄的照片还包括康威 (Conwy) 的卡尔本 (Caerbun) 罗马堡垒、附近德甘威 (Deganwy) 的第一次世界大战演习战壕，以及卡雷迪吉昂 (Ceredigion) 和威尔什普尔 (Welshpool) 的史前遗址。航空考古-

航空考古学家托比·德赖弗在卡雷迪吉昂成熟的作物标记下揭示了一个古代农场遗址，他还拍摄了康威一座高尔夫球场下方的第一次世界大战演习战壕

-学过去在英国大约每十年才有一个大年，但现在情况不再如此。然而，气温升高同样损害了极具价值的冬季工作，因为积雪和霜冻已变得罕见。

新技术有助于寻找潜在遗址，包括业余无人机拍摄的照片和发布在社交媒体上的图片，但同时也带来了挑战。新发现的遗址需要进行伪装，且图像选择必须谨慎，因为人工智能可以识别它们并提醒恶意行为者（例如不负责任的金属探测者），但航空考古可以成为一种具有成本效益的方式，引导研究人员前往最佳挖掘地点。

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10

新闻

学生因发现网络漏洞被“视为反派”

马克·塞尔曼 (Mark Sellman) 科技记者

当 A-level 学生迈基·惠斯顿 (Mikey Whiston) 在一个国家教育平台中发现网络安全漏洞时，他原以为自己会被誉为英雄。然而，他说，他却被当作了反派对待。

来自伯明翰的 17 岁少年迈基在为计算机科学课程做研究时注意到了这个漏洞。该漏洞可能导致数百万份学生记录、银行对账单和学校信息泄露。但迈基并没有利用这一点，而是试图警告该公司。

由于无法通过正式渠道报告问题，迈基向该公司的帮助台发送了一段受密码保护的视频。几天后，对方回电了。“委婉地说，那次[电话]并不怎么友好，”迈基说。

他说，这家公司（迈基未透露其名称）态度威胁且轻视。该平台表示，他的行为可能会危及他就读的亚瑟·特里 (Arthur Terry) 学校所拥有的订阅服务，并暗示该漏洞并不严重。

“我只是想让他们说‘好的，我们会修复它’。我不需要任何回报。我只是想修复这个问题，”他说。

四个月后，问题仍未得到修复。于是迈基将其报告给了政府的网络安全协调中心 GC3，该中心确认这是一个关键漏洞。英国国家网络安全中心（NCSC）向他颁发了一枚挑战币奖章。

迈基在这次经历中深受打击，但他希望将其公开，以便其他机构能够鼓励伦理黑客（或称“白帽”黑客）来揭示漏洞。

“我最希望的是安全研究人员的才华……能够帮助保障基础设施的安全……但如果公司如此抵触，我们就无法真正实现这一点，”他说。

据 26 岁的康诺尔·弗里曼 (Conor Freeman) 称，迈基的故事很典型。弗里曼是来自爱尔兰的前黑客，曾因盗取加密货币于 2020 年入狱。他说：“我曾在爱尔兰最大的共享汽车应用中发现一个漏洞，让我能够公开其数据库中的每个用户。我发了三封电子邮件才有人在意，而当我联系到首席信息安全官时，甚至没有得到一声谢谢。这是一个大问题。”

儿童在线伤害政策智库 (Child Online Harms Policy Think Tank) 副主任露比·法尔 (Ruby Farr) 表示：“当正当的披露遭到怀疑、拖延或沉默时，那些本可以服务于公众利益的技能和好奇心将无处可去，非法途径可能会变得具有诱惑力。”

将年轻才俊引导至网络安全领域的 Hacking Games 联合创始人费格斯·海 (Fergus Hay) 表示：“我们必须停止将 17 岁的人视为无能之辈，而要意识到他们是强大的，尤其是如果他们是数字原住民的话。”

迈基在赢得一项“黑客马拉松”比赛并击败谷歌团队后，目前在国家铁路公司 (Network Rail) 实习。他即将完成数学和进阶数学的 A-level 学业（他提前一年完成了计算机科学课程），并希望构建和保障国家基础设施的安全。

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本周将有创纪录人数获得大学录取名额

Georgia Lambert

预计今年夏天将有创纪录数量的青少年获得大学录取名额，因为对高等教育的需求达到了新高，且政治、经济和法律 A-level 课程人数的激增表明他们选择的科目发生了转变。

根据 Ucas 的预测，他们将于本周获知 A-level 成绩，且 18 岁人群中规模最大的一个群体预计将获得其首选大学的录取名额。

Ucas 首席执行官 Jo Saxton 上周表示：“我们预计今年夏天的补录（clearing）阶段，不仅通过补录接受录取名额的人数将创纪录，而且直接申请补录的人数可能也将创纪录。”

Ofqual 的数据显示，A- 报考人数从去年夏天的 821,875 人增长了 2.9%，今年达到 845,485 人。政治研究是今年增长最快的主流 A- 科目，报考人数增长 13.1%，达到 23,560 名学生。法律紧随其后，增长 11.6% 至 16,090 人，经济学增长 10.7% 至 46,365 人。

数学仍然是最受欢迎的 A- 科目，报考人数近 110,000 人，比去年增长 3.9%。英语语言的报考人数也增长了 4%。历史增长了 5.4%，而心理学、生物学和化学均录得稳步增长。

西班牙语报考人数增长 1%。法语人数持平，德语增长 3.1%。英语文学报考人数下降 5.8% 至 32,890 人；戏剧和音乐人数也有所下降。

《泰晤士报》发现，在 315 所机构中，共有 29,731 门课程可通过补录获得。

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11

新闻

CEREMUTUAL

移居海外者在阿联酋建立新房地产公司

Jack Simpson 财经记者

由英国移居海外者设立的新买房出租（buy-to-let）企业中，有五分之一是在阿拉伯联合酋长国运营的。

房产中介 Hamptons 发现，今年由居住在国外的英国公民设立的公司超过 7500 家，其中 17% 位于阿联酋，如迪拜和阿布扎比等地。这一比例高于十年前的 11%，当时由移居海外者设立的买房出租公司为 2,157 家。

来自 Hamptons 的 David Fell 表示，由于税收优势，中东和远东地区通常是人们在继续持有英国房产的同时选择移居的吸引之地。他说：“这些地方往往是低税收环境，受到二十多岁和三十多岁高收入者的青睐。”

“虽然许多年长的房东仍以个人名义持有房屋，但移居海外的投资者通常开始在公司结构下构建他们的租赁组合。”

阿联酋不征收所得税或资本利得税，但对购买行为征收 5% 的增值税，并对企业利润征收 9% 的公司税。阿联酋拥有由英国公民运营的买房出租企业比例最高。美国以 9% 位居第二，新加坡以近 8% 位居第三。沙特阿拉伯是中东地区比例第二高的国家，为 5%。

在过去十年中，阿联酋一直位居榜首。

Fell 表示：“数据表明，许多向东迁移的移居投资者并非全职房东；相反，他们是在高薪日常工作之余构建投资组合。目的地名单还表明，这些投资者比平均房东更年轻，目前的平均房东年龄约为 60 岁，且与他们的房产组合紧密绑定。”

在边缘 位于东本恩（Eastbourne）附近的 Birling Gap 的游客被提醒保持安全距离，此前有人跨过边界绳在白垩岩悬崖顶上行走。

软顶车的落日？车道上充斥着 SUV

安德鲁·埃利森 (Andrew Ellison) 消费者事务记者

这个国家对敞篷驾驶的热爱正面临风险，可能最终仅成为一段怀旧的回忆。曾经那对无忧无虑的夫妇将车顶整齐地折叠进后备箱，驱车前往海岸线的画面，已被某种完全更高、更重且更实用的车型所取代：家庭 SUV。

最新数据显示，在过去二十年里，新型敞篷车的销量骤降了近 90%，使得曾经英国最受欢迎的驾驶享受之一陷入生存危机。

根据汽车制造商和贸易商协会（SMMT）的数据，去年英国仅有 11,484 辆新型软顶车注册，远低于 2005 年近 110,000 辆的峰值。自 2022 年（当时售出 18,500 辆敞篷车）以来，下降速度有所加快。去年英国售出的汽车中，只有 200 分之一是敞篷车，而 2005 年这一比例约为 20 分之一。

这种崩塌也反映在制造商的大规模撤退上。

欧宝 (Vauxhall)、丰田 (Toyota)、标致 (Peugeot)、雪铁龙 (Citroën)、本田 (Honda)、捷豹 (Jaguar) 和雷克萨斯 (Lexus) 均已退出该市场。即使是 A5 Cabriolet、TT Roadster 和 R8 Spyder 曾取得巨大成功的奥迪 (Audi)，现在也不再提供敞篷车型。

仍提供敞篷车的品牌也缩减了其产品线。梅赛德斯-奔驰 (Mercedes-Benz) 用 CLE Cabriolet 取代了原有的 C 级和 E 级独立敞篷车，而宝马 (BMW) 的产品线则主要局限于 4 系列敞篷车以及老旧的 Z4 roadster。

1990 年代定义汽车文化的标志性画面之一，也是推动软顶车热潮的因素之一，便是戴安娜王妃驾驶她的绿色奥迪 80 Cabriolet 的样子。如今，被拍到驾驶敞篷车的名人少之又少，尽管仍有一些爱好者，包括布鲁克林·贝克汉姆（他收到父亲大卫赠送的捷豹 XK Convertible 作为结婚礼物）；拥有法拉利 F50 的罗德·斯图尔特 (Rod Stewart)；以及驾驶劳斯莱斯 Dawn 的西蒙·考威尔 (Simon Cowell)。

对于那些仍坚持敞篷驾驶的买家来说，选择正变得越来越昂贵。入门级马自达 MX-5 的起售价约为 28,500 英镑。Mini Cooper Convertible 的价格约为 2.9 万英镑 起，而梅赛德斯 CLE Cabriolet 的起售价约为 5.5 万英镑。在市场的高端，保时捷 911 Cabriolet 的价格则高达六位数。

销量下降的原因之一是，这个国家的车道上反而充斥着 4x4 车型和跨界车。这些车型曾主要局限于农民和越野爱好者，现在已成为从年轻家庭到名人的默认选择，因为它们提供了更高的驾驶视野、更强的实用性，以及足以作为家庭唯一车辆的充足空间。

ALA 保险的创始人西蒙·英格兰 (Simon England) 表示：“高昂的生产成本加上疲软的销量，意味着这个细分市场几乎没有创新动力。”

更广泛的社会变革也在起作用。在 20 世纪 90 年代末和 21 世纪初的敞篷车热潮期间，它们在道路上随处可见。事实上，尽管我们的天气难以预测且多雨，但英国购买软顶车的数量始终高于几乎任何其他欧洲国家。它们代表了人们的向往且触手可及，通常被用作周末用车或由空巢老人购买。

但如今，驾驶者不太愿意拥有第二辆车。持续高昂的生活成本迫使家庭优先考虑实用性。

与此同时，向电动汽车的转型有利于 SUV，因为其较大的尺寸使得布置沉重的电池组比在低矮的跑车中要容易得多。

增加混合动力汽车充电频率以结束对汽油的依赖

Ben Clatworthy 怀特霍尔编辑

部长们将研究如何鼓励插电式混合动力汽车的驾驶员增加充电频率，而不再依赖传统燃料。

根据英国交通部（DfT）的数据，大约五分之一的插电式混合动力电动汽车（PHEV）车主无法在居家充电。插电式混合动力电动汽车结合了传统的汽油或柴油发动机与电动机及可充电电池。

英国交通部（DfT）将于本周就放宽电动汽车销售的严格规定启动一项磋商，其中包含一个关于插电式混合动力汽车的“重要章节”。

一名消息人士表示：“人们意识到插电式混合动力电动汽车将在向电池动力过渡的过程中发挥重要作用，但人们担心驾驶员实际充电的频率，以及它们在现实世界中的二氧化碳（CO₂）影响。”

欧盟委员会的研究发现，插电式混合动力电动汽车在现实驾驶中的二氧化碳（CO₂）排放量是官方数据的 3.5 倍，这主要是因为它们没有像假设的那样经常充电并以电力驱动。该研究分析了由 320,000 辆插电式混合动力汽车车载油耗监测系统自动收集的数据。

工党已承诺从 2030 年起禁止销售纯汽油和柴油汽车。混合动力汽车将被允许销售至 2035 年。虽然总体立场不会改变，但部长们正在考虑放宽零排放车辆指令，该指令规定了每年必须销售的电动汽车数量。该指令要求今年新售车辆中纯电动汽车的比例为 13%。这一比例将逐渐上升，到 2030 年达到 80%。

目前正在研究的一个方案是将该水平大幅降低，可能降至 50%，这意味着到本十年末，售出车辆的一半可能仍配备汽油发动机和电池。另一个方案是增加为无法达到销售阈值的制造商提供的灵活性。

今年 4 月发布的一项为英国交通部（DfT）开展的研究发现，21% 的插电式混合动力电动汽车驾驶员无法在居家充电，而依赖公共充电网络，这一比例高于 2024 年的 12%；46% 的车主拥有专用家用充电桩。

行业资深人士一致认为，需要采取更多措施鼓励插电式混合动力电动汽车的驾驶员增加充电频率，因为“只有在驾驶员了解如何使用该技术的情况下，该技术才能发挥预期作用”。

汽车制造商一直游说放宽相关规定，理由是电动汽车的自然需求低于制定指令时的预测。政府表示：“我们一直表示将审查该指令，以支持英国工业和投资。进一步的细节将在适当时候公布。”

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12

新闻

学生报对引发全球关注的 Arday 抄袭争议保持沉默

Georgia Lambert

尽管杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）引发的争议已成为国际新闻，但剑桥大学的学生报至今尚未对此进行报道。

该报纸《Varsity》还拒绝了一名学生就此问题撰写的评论文章。一份分享给《泰晤士报》的邮件链显示，20 岁的伊丽莎白·斯普林（Elizabeth Spring）在上周二提交了一篇题为“剑桥应对抄袭争议负有责任”的文章提案。该文章最初被接受，但随后被告知被拒绝，原因是《Varsity》的一名工作人员已经有一篇“准备发布”的文章，且观点相似。

然而，这家独立于大学且不受其财务控制的报纸，尚未发布任何关于阿尔代争议的报道——

杰森·阿尔代在利物浦约翰·摩尔大学的博士学位授予仪式上

阿尔代在 37 岁时被任命，成为了剑桥大学最年轻的黑人教授，任命时间为 2023 年。

阿尔代于周三辞去了剑桥大学教育社会学教授的职务。该大学上周开始对其学历和荣誉任命展开调查，他面临着抄袭博士论文及其他研究部分的指控。阿尔代否认学术欺诈。利物浦约翰·摩尔大学的一项调查此前已证明他没有违规行为。他还被指控夸大在体育和筹款成就方面的说法。

两场推广阿尔代回忆录《伟大而不幸之事》（Great and Unfortunate Things）的活动已被取消，该书预计将于 8 月 27 日在英国出版。阿尔代原定于下个月参加由皇家地理学会组织的一场“炉边谈话”活动。该学会的网站称，“应演讲者要求，该环节已取消”。

在爱丁堡 Topping & Company 书店举行的一场原定由阿尔代讨论其回忆录的活动也被取消。

格顿学院的神学系学生斯普林表示，《Varsity》决定不报道此次争议可能反映了“不愿撰写与极右翼相关的故事”。她暗示，这可能也受到了该报对内森·科夫纳斯（Nathan Cofnas）批评的影响，后者是一名对阿尔代提出抄袭指控的学者。

科夫纳斯自称为一名“种族现实主义者”，他在 2024 年被解雇出剑桥大学的职位，而《Varsity》曾发表过对其种族观点的批评。

《泰晤士报》已联系《Varsity》寻求评论。

斯普林将她的文章发表在 Substack 上。文章认为，剑桥大学处理这些指控的方式是“彻底的失败”，导致此事演变成一场更广泛的文化战争。

她写道：“事件的混乱展开揭示了大学整体在以深思熟虑的方式回应学术不端指控方面的彻底失败。特别是，对其学术工作的调查产生极其令人不安的滚雪球效应，进而波及到对其个人生活的质疑，如果剑桥在几年前首次提出指控时就进行迅速且彻底的调查，本可以避免这种情况。”她还批评剑桥在充分审查证据之前就为阿尔代辩护。

谄媚的自由主义者为阿尔代闹剧铺平了道路，特雷弗·菲利普斯，第 37 页

诺亚·里特（Noah Ritter）在多米尼克·库克（Dominic Cooke）执导的该电视剧舞台前传中饰演雷加王子（Prince Rhaegar）

冗长的维斯特洛马拉松仅适合最忠实的拥趸

剧评 克莱夫·戴维斯 (Clive Davis)

《权力的游戏：疯王》(Game of Thrones: The Mad King) (220分钟) 皇家莎士比亚剧院，斯特拉特福-upon-Avon

★★★☆☆

这部血腥王朝传奇的前传漫长得令人心累，以至于让克里斯托弗·诺兰对希腊神话的探索在对比之下都显得克制得像个典范。皇家莎士比亚剧团（RSC）没有理由不能将乔治·RR·马丁的史诗小说搬上舞台，但在《权力的游戏：疯王》中，尽管多米尼克·库克（Dominic Cooke）在皇家莎士比亚剧院的这部呆板作品给了《权力的游戏》死忠粉寻找“彩蛋”的机会，但它很少能接近电视剧集那种阴森的氛围。

如果你心思细腻，听到没有被砍下的头颅掉在你腿上的可能应该会感到欣慰。性爱场景也被淡化了。这部适合家庭观看的异教冒险采用了类似《战马》风格的木偶戏和程式化的战斗序列，暗示了混乱而无需诉诸于血海。如果你需要帮助，节目单提供了一份家族树，详细列出了血统的纠葛，此时各家族正聚集在哈伦霍尔大比武（Great Tourney of Harrenhal）上，而这一事件触发了残酷的报复循环。

你可以理解为什么马丁的崇拜者会从中发现与莎士比亚历史剧的平行之处。毕竟，这些小说借鉴了类似的内斗动态。遗憾的是，邓肯·麦克米伦（Duncan Macmillan）的剧本严重缺乏诗意。情节一个接一个地沉闷推进，虽然迈克尔·谢弗（Michael Shaeffer）饰演的残酷且长期不稳定的君主埃里斯（Aerys）极具吸引力，但其他演员的表演似乎缺乏细微差别。太多的台词仅仅是在咆哮。你对 RSC 的期待应当更高。

克洛伊·兰福德（Chloe Lanford）设计的十字形舞台由一个巨大的拱门主导，确实引人注目。然而，随着剧作的展开，这种非传统的形式开始限制戏剧效果。铁王座出现在一端，但极简的布景让你将注意力集中在看起来出奇廉价的服装，以及使用过于熟悉的慢动作技巧、很快就让人厌倦的战斗场景上。

也许在剧场较高位置观看会显得更有气势。我只能说，坐在靠近跑道的池座时，我被近距离看到的木偶操纵员分散了注意力，他们控制着由尼克·巴恩斯（Nick Barnes）和芬恩·考德威尔（Finn Caldwell）创作的、原本令人印象深刻的比武马。在战斗中看到技术人员挥舞着巨大的盔甲同样令人扫兴。

卡勒姆·伍德豪斯（Callum Woodhouse）在饰演罗伯特·拜拉席昂（Robert Baratheon）时展现了充足的狂傲。哈莫尼·罗斯-布雷姆纳（Harmony Rose-Bremner）为我们带来了一个倔强的莱安娜·史塔克（Lyanna Stark）。饰演年轻艾德（Eddard）的矮小演员迈克尔·阿布巴卡尔（Michael Abubakar）与小荧幕上由肖恩·宾（Sean Bean）饰演的那个忧郁、面如花岗岩的统治者形成了极大的反差。毋庸置疑，有足够多的《权力的游戏》拥趸能让票房在永恒的时间里持续运转，但只有其中最执着的粉丝才有精力完成这场马拉松。演出至9月5日，rsc.org.uk

节省 £288

无限流量 此外，在 49 个欧洲目的地使用您的数据，含 12GB 漫游流量

每月 £22 涨至： 27年4月1日起每月 £24.30 28年4月1日起每月 £26.60 24 个月合约计划 优惠于 02.09.26 结束

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13

新闻

煤价上涨导致蒸汽铁路转向柴油动力

Marieta Marinova

对于许多家庭来说，在遗产铁路（heritage railway）上进行一日游是英国夏季的常规活动。然而今年，许多人发现自己乘坐的是由柴油机车而非蒸汽机车牵引的列车，因为热浪和煤价上涨迫使运营商寻求替代方案。

由于排火引擎带来的山火风险以及对员工健康的担忧，遗产铁路线要么暂停蒸汽服务，要么运行蒸汽与柴油混合的时刻表。

对于多塞特郡斯旺吉铁路（Swanage Railway）的志愿者团队来说，用柴油动力替代其中一项蒸汽服务是一个艰难的决定。“这不是乘客想要的，”主席本·福特（Ben Ford）表示，“他们希望火车头是蒸汽机车，但我们难以负担。我们能获得的最便宜且高质量的蒸汽煤来自俄罗斯，但自从乌克兰战争爆发后，这已不再可能。”

从哥伦比亚和澳大利亚等遥远地方进口这种化石燃料，意味着在诺登（Norden）和斯旺吉（Swanage）之间运行铁路的成本几乎翻了四倍。“战争之前，我们的成本大约在每吨 £100 左右。现在则接近 £400，”福特说。根据里程的不同，斯旺吉的蒸汽机车每天消耗两到四吨煤。

该铁路依赖 32 名付费员工和 450 名志愿者，去年接待了约 200,000 名游客。为了维持运营的可行性，该线路目前运行分拆时刻表，即一列蒸汽火车与一项柴油服务并行。

包括西约克郡的基利与沃斯谷铁路（Keighley & Worth Valley Railway）、汉普郡阿尔雷斯福德的水芹线（Watercress Line）以及利兹南部的米德尔顿铁路（Middleton Railway）在内的多家遗产运营商也采取了类似措施或暂时停止了蒸汽服务。

虽然一些运营商在与煤价作斗争，但另一些人则对收到的煤炭质量感到失望。北安普顿蒸汽铁路（Northampton Steam Railway）主席亚当·吉尔斯（Adam Giles）表示：“这远不如我们以前从 Ffos-y-fran 获得的那样，那里的煤绝对出色。”位于南威尔士的 Ffos-y-fran 是英国最后一座露天煤矿，已于 2023 年停止运营。

“还有煤块尺寸的问题，”吉尔斯说，“太小的煤在引擎中无法运行，会直接从炉格中掉下去。”由于哥伦比亚煤通过船只运输数千英里，在到达北安普顿之前就会降级，并且“有时甚至可能只是粉尘”。

吉尔斯表示，“我们通常从 7 月初运行蒸汽列车直到 9 月，但过去一个月左右，每个周末都运行柴油列车”，因为员工的健康是 1 号优先级，驾驶室温度经常超过 40℃。“要求一个人在实际上相当于桑拿房的环境中铲一吨半的煤并坚持一整天，这是一个巨大的要求，”他补充道。

但即使是柴油动力也几乎无法提供财务上的避风港。水芹线首席执行官丽贝卡·达利（Rebecca Dalley）表示：“几乎每天我们都在思考，是否能覆盖我们这条可爱但相当昂贵的遗产铁路的成本。”

遗产铁路正越来越多地寻求附加项目。达利说：“我们安排了一列特别列车，用于 8 月 12 日观看日食……我们目前正在举办托马斯小火车（Thomas the Tank Engine）[活动]，之后还会有圣诞老人活动，以及提供餐饮体验。”

米德尔顿铁路信托基金（Middleton Railway Trust）副主席伊恩·史密斯（Ian Smith）表示，招募志愿者也变得更加困难。“铁路保护一直依赖于那些寻求活动项目的早退休人员。但现在我们找不到这些人，因为退休年龄一直在提高。”他补充说，“年轻人不再像以前那样被铁路吸引了”。

尽管今年夏天面临挑战，遗产铁路协会（Heritage Railway Association）首席执行官史蒂夫·奥茨（Steve Oates）表示，目前还没有遗产铁路运营商停止运营。他说：“要思考如何维持这一无价文化遗产的运行正变得越来越困难。但遗产铁路仍然是非常受欢迎的景点，而且所有运营商都在非常努力地思考吸引顾客的新方法。”

英格兰 RSPB 保护区首批鱼鹰雏鸟孵化

英国皇家鸟类保护协会（RSPB）正在庆祝鱼鹰首次在其位于英格兰的一处自然保护区内繁育后代。

今年 6 月，一对猛禽在坎普菲尔德沼泽（Campfield Marsh）成功孵化了三只雏鸟，该地是坎布里亚郡索尔韦湾（Solway Firth）岸边的一片湿地。

鱼鹰是一种大型食鱼鸟类，通常出现在河口或湖泊等大型水域上空，它们在西非过冬，随后在春季飞往欧洲繁育。

它们在 20 世纪初曾遭到迫害，但于 20 世纪 50 年代重返苏格兰，并重新殖民了

春季产下的卵于 6 月孵化

其他英国地区。坎普菲尔德沼泽设有鱼鹰平台以吸引这些鸟类，而在此筑巢的成年鱼鹰被认为是初为人父母。

雄鸟于 2021 年在邓弗里斯（Dumfries）被戴上脚环，但雌鸟没有脚环。卵在 4 月 30 日至 5 月 6 日之间产下，雏鸟于 6 月孵化。

RSPB 的 Mhairi Maclauchlan 表示：“从产卵到孵化，我们一直心悬在嗓子眼。当它们孵化时，大家集体松了一口气。尽管体型庞大，但鱼鹰父母出奇地温柔。”

她补充说，鱼鹰是忠诚的鸟类，经常回到同一个繁殖地。

机车正经过大曼彻斯特郡贝里（Bury）附近的布鲁克斯博顿高架桥（Brooksbottom Viaduct）。由于煤炭成本、山火风险以及热浪期间驾驶室的温度，一些遗产铁路线路已暂时停止蒸汽列车服务。

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新闻

伯明翰监狱（HMP Birmingham）为食物银行种植蔬菜，并为围栏种植花卉

监狱花园中的囚犯们迎来希望之花

Sanchez Manning 社会事务记者

修剪整齐的花坛里开满了色彩斑斓的万寿菊、天竺葵和玫瑰，其间点缀着郁郁葱葱的蕨类植物，上方则是苹果树低垂的枝条。一时间，人们可能会将其误认为邱园（Kew Gardens）某个田园诗般的角落。但只要瞥一眼巨大的钢制围栏，现实便随之而至——这个绿意盎然的绿洲就位于伯明翰监狱（HMP Birmingham）内部。

这是由囚犯创建的两座令人印象深刻的花园之一，属于英国皇家园艺学会（RHS）的一项计划，旨在为当地食物银行种植蔬菜。

对于囚犯来说，该计划也是一项关键的心理健康生命线。囚犯们表示，许多进入伯明翰监狱（一座曾关押过弗雷德·韦斯特、伯明翰六人组和奥兹·奥斯本的 B 类监狱）的男性在入狱前就患有严重的心理健康问题。囚犯们称，花园是少数几个可以获得喘息之地的场所之一。

负责组织工作的狱警阿明·法拉吉（Amin Faraji）表示，在花园中工作可以带来转变。他讲述了一名 29 岁的囚犯的故事，该囚犯患有严重的自闭症，心理年龄在四到六岁之间，在刚入狱时几乎失语，但在开始园艺工作后开始自由交谈。

“现在他的自信心增强了，一直在说话，”法拉吉说，“在外面，有一对拥有分配地的老夫妇照顾他，所以他习惯于在分配地工作，在这里工作对他来说很自然。”

一名种植了香豌豆、辣椒、番茄和黄瓜的 59 岁囚犯表示，花园对他治疗精神病和抑郁症有所帮助。“能在这里工作真的是上天的恩赐，”他说，“体制正在崩溃，像我这样的人没有统一的治疗方案。你可以在花园里放松，找到自己的空间。我现在比以往任何时候都更擅长园艺。最棒的部分是能走出牢房。被关起来就像被困在自己的思想中一样。”

一名来自巴西的 42 岁囚犯也种植了花卉和蔬菜，并制作了种植槽。“监区里乱得像疯人院，”他说，“来到这里，你才感觉重新活了过来。”在由 RHS 与司法部共同运行、且在曼彻斯特和利物浦监狱同样开展的监狱花园计划下，囚犯们种植蔬菜“插苗”——由种子培育的幼苗——然后将其移交给社区花园，由后者继续培育至成熟。收获的蔬菜随后被分发给慈善机构和食物银行。

囚犯们被允许在早晨工作几个小时，然后在几小时后再次工作几个小时，夏天有时每天如此。但为了获得这项“特权”，他们必须通过最高级别的安全审查。

“他们必须经过面试程序，”伯明翰监狱教育、技能与工作负责人克莱尔·苏拉韦（Clare Sulaway）说，“任何持有武器或正在戒毒的人员都不能参与，且不能有任何负面记录。”

在监狱花园担任“土地基础指导员”三年的法拉吉表示，他的目标是每年为 RHS 计划种植 1,500 棵蔬菜插苗。法拉吉承认，他从花园中获得的收获与囚犯们一样多。“我以前是监区的警员，但来到花园工作更有意义，不仅是对囚犯，对我自己也是如此，”他说。

苏拉韦补充道：“这是关于自然赋予这些男性有目的之活动的能力。如果一个人从事有目的的活动，他再次犯罪的可能性就会降低。”她表示，监狱计划建设第三座带有聚乙烯薄膜温室（polyfunnel）的花园。

RHS 国家社区项目负责人莎拉·加尔文（Sarah Galvin）表示，该计划是对所有人的共赢。“与当地监狱合作意味着社区花园可以快速启动种植，同时推广绿色技能，并帮助监狱社区的康复。”

飞航巡游与体育赛事

欧洲地标巡航与摩纳哥大奖赛

2027年5月26日

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升级至 T 看台（有顶棚）可获得更好的维修区和赛道视野，每人仅需 £299 起；或升级至两天体验行程，包含排位赛，每人 £399 起。

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意大利罗马（过夜） – 波托费赖奥 – 佛罗伦萨（过夜） – 波托韦内雷 – 尼斯 – 马赛 – 巴塞罗那 – 帕拉莫斯 – 尼斯（过夜） – 摩纳哥 – 巴塞罗那（过夜）

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TIMES Holidays

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令人尴尬的公开示爱是健康浪漫关系的标志

Victoria Allen

公开示爱在名人夫妇中非常流行，例如歌手杜阿·利帕（Dua Lipa）和她的演员丈夫卡勒姆·特纳（Callum Turner）。

一项研究表明，尽管有些人可能会皱眉，但这种公开的表达与关系中更高的幸福感相关。

研究人员要求 461 人对他们参与一系列公开示爱（PDA）行为的强度进行评分，这些行为包括在公共场合牵手、拥抱和接吻，以及在家人和朋友面前表达爱意。

研究发现，参与更多公开示爱行为的人，其关系满意度更高。然而，这项发表在科学期刊《Ploo One》上的研究还发现，在私下里更经常表达爱意的人，其关系满意度甚至更高。

该研究在波兰、印度尼西亚和尼泊尔的人群中发现了公开示爱与关系满意度之间的联系，而这些国家对公开示爱可接受程度的态度各不相同。这使研究人员得出结论，这种行为对于不同文化背景下人们的关系幸福感可能都很重要。

领导该研究的波兰西里西亚大学的达格娜·科库尔（Dagna Kocur）表示：“亲昵行为是人们传达亲密、爱和情感连接的方式之一。”

“即使是像牵手、拥抱或接吻这样简单的日常举动，也能帮助伴侣感受到被重视、情感上的安全感以及彼此之间的连接。”

有证据表明，缺乏关爱的人更容易患上抑郁症、焦虑症和健康问题。参与该研究的人员年龄在 18 至 49 岁之间。为了进一步研究爱是否会导致更幸福的关系，学者们接下来将在包括英国在内的九个国家、一个由 1,000 人组成的大规模群体中研究公开示爱行为。

之前的研究发现，女性表达爱意的频率高于男性，且男性通常更喜欢接吻，而女性更喜欢拥抱。

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新闻

艰苦的一天，骑士们用剑化解压力

萨姆·布莱克特 (Sam Blackett) 发现，穿着全套盔甲与朋友进行“中世纪式”格斗，成了下班后放松身心的新方式。

当阿利斯泰尔·迪恩 (Alistair Dean) 以树木管理官员的身份下班回家后，他会脱掉西装，换上钢制盔甲。

在周三晚上以及偶尔的周末，这位 37 岁的男子化身为一名现代骑士，参加一项名为 buhurt 的全接触运动——该词源自古法语动词 béhourd（意为“猛击”）——在这种运动中，由多达 150 名战士组成的队伍身着从头到脚的中世纪盔甲进行对决。

“我真心认为这比心理治疗更好，”他说，“当你的老板对你有点像个白痴时，没有什么比出来把你的好哥们打得遍体鳞伤更能起到周中治疗的作用了。这是一个很好的减压方式。”

Buhurt 只有一个目标：将对手击倒在地，无论是通过综合格斗，还是用沉重的钢剑、斧头或钉头锤猛击对手。

迪恩是 Invicta Medieval Combat 的顶尖战士之一，该团队是参加 8 月前三个周末在洛克斯伍德比武（Loxwood Joost）竞争的数十支队伍之一。

该活动是西萨塞克斯郡一个中世纪节日的一部分，32 岁的数字项目经理索菲·威尔斯 (Sophie Wills) 正是在这里第一次“爱上”了这项运动。她参加在伦敦举行的每周 Invicta 训练课。

“我经常带着一些淤青和其他伤痕来上班，”她说，“幸运的是，我的所有同事都知道我在做什么。”

虽然 buhurt 在 2013 年被正式认可为一项运动，并凭借其服装和新奇的形象在社交媒体上走红，但其代表人员渴望摆脱“戏剧化”的标签。

“人们看到盔甲，看到剑，就认为这要么是历史重演，要么是 Larp（实况角色扮演），认为一切都是假的且经过编排的。但事实并非如此，”迪恩说，“我们不是在玩假装游戏。当人们被击中并倒下时，是因为他们受伤了。”

这项运动在严格的规章制度下运行，武器必须符合“钝化”标准，而战斗规则由国际管理机构监管。除了身体上的代价——骨折和脑震荡很常见——buhurt 还可能需要大量的资金投入。一套符合比赛标准的完整盔甲成本高达 6,000 英镑。

迪恩认为，像洛克斯伍德这样的活动是 buhurt 获得大众认可的一步。“我认为更多的人需要参与到他们的历史中，”迪恩说，“如果这是一个让人们走进历史的入口，那么太棒了。”

Invicta Medieval Combat 团体的成员在西萨塞克斯郡的一个节日上格斗，并试图保持冷静。钢制武器虽然经过钝化，但骨折是真的。

惠特尼·休斯顿芭比娃娃提醒我们她曾经的样子

Lara Bowman

惠特尼·休斯顿（Whitney Houston）加入了被塑造成芭比娃娃的星光熠熠的歌手行列。

休斯顿的娃娃身着一件淡紫色紧身中长裙，配以白蓝相间的高跟鞋，面庞被一圈卷发环绕，戴着彩虹水滴耳环，与戴安娜·罗斯（Diana Ross）、斯蒂维·尼克斯（Stevie Nicks）和凯莉·米诺格（Kylie Minogue）并列。

这款娃娃于昨日发布，正值这位歌手 63 岁生日之日。娃娃模仿了她 1987 年《I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)》音乐视频中的装扮，该作品助力她跃升为全球巨星；娃娃还配有一个微型麦克风支架。

这是认可休斯顿 40 年音乐遗产的一系列荣誉中的最新一项，其中包括录音学院的特别功绩终身成就奖。

这款娃娃是在 Pat Houston 的帮助下创建的，她是这位歌手的嫂子兼遗产执行人。她表示，这款娃娃经历了数十年的筹备。“惠特尼从未真正代言过任何东西，我们开始讨论她的品牌……我们在 20 年前就讨论过美泰（Mattel）的娃娃，”她

这款娃娃在已故歌手的生日当天发布

告诉《People》杂志。她补充说，这位已故歌手“非常希望投入时间”打造一个能纪念她在 1992 年电影《保镖》（The Bodyguard）中角色及其经典演绎的《I Will Always Love You》的娃娃。

服装的选择是“无需多虑的”。Pat 表示，美泰精准捕捉了每一个细节，“从耳环、头发颜色、裙子颜色到鞋子的细节”。

美泰芭比副总裁兼负责人 Nathan Baynard 表示：“惠特尼·休斯顿的音乐一直是全球无数粉丝生命中无数时刻的背景音乐。芭比很荣幸能纪念她非凡的遗产。”他补充说，这款娃娃“赞美了（休斯顿）无可替代的风格、快乐与精神”。

这位歌手加入了一个签名系列，该系列还包括蒂娜·特纳（Tina Turner）、迈莉·赛勒斯（Miley Cyrus）、格洛丽亚·埃斯特凡（Gloria Estefan）、大卫·鲍伊（David Bowie）以及墨西哥歌手胡安·加布里埃尔（Juan Gabriel）。这份荣誉并非理所当然：米诺格在惊叹于自己的娃娃时表示，“小时候的凯莉绝对不会相信这件事现在竟然发生了”。

休斯顿曾获得六项格莱美奖，在全球范围内销售了近 2 亿 张唱片。她于 2012 年在浴缸中意外溺水去世，享年 48 岁。

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TIMES 活动

Caitlin Moran 谈如何保持希望

加入我们，度过一个极其幽默且令人振奋的夜晚。 《泰晤士报》专栏作家 Caitlin Moran 将在她的全国巡演伦敦站登台。Caitlin 将与她的朋友兼同事——《泰晤士报》广播主持人 Hugo Rifkind 对谈，剖析她重要的新书《How to be Hopeful: A Year of Attempting to Feel Less Awful About the World》的主题。

9 月 17 日，星期四 / 7.30pm

St Mary’s Church, Bryanston Square, London, W1H 1PQ

请在 thetimes.com / events 预订门票

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17

20mph speed limits 扰乱心神

Libby Purves

评论

谄媚的自由主义者为 Arday 闹剧铺平了道路

许多黑人专业人士现在将面临虚假的指控，称他们的晋升是靠肤色而非品格

@TREVORPTWEETS

1981年，《华盛顿邮报》的一名雄心勃勃的年轻职员报道了一个八岁海洛因成瘾者的故事，她将其称为“吉米”。她声称目睹了他注射药物，并描述了他“纤细棕色手臂”上的“针孔痕迹”。珍妮特·库克（Janet Cooke）的故事登上了该报的头版。该报的明星记者、以水门事件闻名的鲍勃·伍德沃德（Bob Woodward）将库克的报道提交申请普利策奖，而她也顺利获奖。

库克拒绝透露吉米的真实身份。几天之内，原因便真相大白。这个故事是伪造的。但让人们开始追踪她的并非是对故事本身的怀疑，而是库克对自己背景描述中的矛盾之处。例如，她声称能说四种外语，但无法用其中任何一种语言连贯地回答问题。库克最终承认伪造了该篇报道，并承认美化了个人简历，随后辞职。

她从公众视野中消失了，但这个故事太适合被小说化了，诺贝尔奖得主加夫列尔·加西亚·马尔克斯（Gabriel Garcia Márquez）打趣道，虽然她获得普利策奖可能不公平，但她没有获得诺贝尔文学奖则更加不公平。

杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）是否应该竞争布克奖，迟早会变得明朗。他可能是一个身在异乡的无辜者，被最激进的“觉醒派”操纵，从而讲述了一个他认为对方想听的故事。或者，事实证明他是一个世界级的骗子，敏锐地捕捉到了利用天真自由主义者同情心的机会。

在阿尔代和库克的案例中，显而易见的是，他们的虚构故事被一个绝大多数由白人组成的自由主义权势阶层过于轻易地接受了。他们两人都向所有人讲述了对方想听的故事。库克随后承认，她编造故事是因为她知道，除非她给老板们想要的东西，否则行业内潜在的偏见将确保她永远无法脱离“城市”类报道的岗位。阿尔代则显得很困惑，他告诉一名记者：“老实说，我以为你们会直接相信我。我为什么要撒谎？”

阿尔代在职业生涯上已经毁了，即便好莱坞介入并为他讲述陨落经历的版权支付丰厚的补偿金。人们的谴责已经

Arday 将使许多优秀的学者失去下一次晋升机会

对他而言是毁灭性的。但我发现很难对他产生太多的同情。他将改变雇主的风险计算方式，而且我相信，这将使许多优秀的学者失去下一次晋升机会。残酷的事实是，他一定知道，学术界、媒体界和政界对他平庸才华的热情拥抱，完全是因为他的肤色，而与他的能力无关。没有黑人想要成为一名“多样性雇员”，但当这种情况发生在我们身上时，我们都心知肚明。

他那一代最杰出的美国军事领导人、后来的美国国务卿科林·鲍威尔曾表示，如果他成为“黑人兄弟或心怀愧疚的白人自由主义者的海报男孩”，那他简直没法面对，但即便他本人在某种程度上也知道自己曾从种族中获益。许多人现在可能会在想，他们的同事是否认为，自己的晋升并非源于马丁·路德·金所称的“人格特质”，而是源于其“包装的颜色”。

真正的种族主义者将欣喜若狂。Arday 的首席检察官、前剑桥研究员内森·科夫纳斯（Nathan Cofnas）断言，在真正的精英管理体制下，黑人将“从除体育和娱乐之外的所有高知名度职位中几乎消失”。虽然不应阻止像科夫纳斯这样的偏执狂表达他们的想法，但没有任何大学应该被要求与这种胡言乱语产生关联。

而科夫纳斯关于对黑人存在种族偏见的暗示纯属错误。无数声称这种偏见在大学、军队、政治和其他领域被用来损害白人利益的故事，一直被常规性地证明是错误的。而且，如果这类做法被普遍采用，其效果也极其有限：在约 24,000 个教授职位中，只有约 270 个由黑人担任。然而，在非洲移民家庭学术卓越能力的推动下，约一半的 18 岁黑人青年进入大学，而白人的比例则低于 30%。这些孩子不需要平权行动，他们需要的是公平的机会，而 Arday 事件将剥夺许多人的这一机会。

Arday 涉嫌造假所造成的任何更广泛的损害都不会很快消除。最大的受害者将是剑桥大学的声誉：他的系主任希拉里·克雷明（Hilary Cremin）在镜头前对他这位新招募的人员大加赞赏，称他那薄薄的学术档案是“世界上最好的”，显然忽略了斯坦福大学的托马斯·索维尔（Thomas Sowell）、哈佛大学的劳伦斯·博博（Lawrence Bobo）、耶鲁大学的以利亚·安德森（Elijah Anderson）或芝加哥大学的威廉·朱利叶斯·威尔逊（William Julius Wilson）等人物的开创性研究，以及英国种族与教育研究权威、伦敦大学学院的海蒂·萨菲亚·米尔扎（Heidi Safia Mirza）的见解。或者，也许她从未听说过这些人，如果是这样，她自己又是如何被任命的？

如果 Arday 被证明撒了谎，那么这些谎言是那些非其种族的人要么看不出，要么不敢指出。即将由国家剧院上演的剧作《故事》（The Story）的美国作者特雷西·斯科特-威尔逊（Tracey Scott Wilson）——该剧灵感来自珍妮特·库克（Janet Cooke）丑闻——上周告诉我，华盛顿几乎每个黑人记者都能立刻看出库克小说中的破绽。“她提到他穿着非常昂贵的运动鞋和衣服。如果你住在毒窟里，你不会有昂贵的运动鞋和衣服，因为你会为了买药把所有东西都卖掉。这就是毒窟的全部意义所在。”

选拔 Arday 担任剑桥职位的评审小组显然完全相信了他的故事，他的出版商以及邀请他担任奖项和比赛评委的许多机构也是如此。但是

我一分钟都不会相信他关于逃学的说辞

他们中没有一个人拥有与他相似的背景，仅仅阅读关于他父母行为的描述，我想大多数黑人都会觉得事有蹊跷。这个族群在学术上除了印度和中国学生外表现最优秀是有原因的。他们对孩子的管教非常严格。阿尔代（Arday）的父母一定是英国唯一一对在儿子逃学去打斯诺克球时竟然没察觉到的加纳人。我一分钟都不会相信他的说辞。

那些一直想要让时钟倒转的人，必然会利用阿尔代来推进他们的种族论点，这一点无法阻止。我们会听到这样的声音：议会中、学术界、新闻播报甚至广告中，有色人种太多了；太多高职位的任命只是为了作秀，是虚有其表而非凭才而任。但事实是，在一个我们跨越种族界限地相互了解程度依然不足的社会中，如果你想识别伪装者，你可能需要更多的 DEI（多样性、公平与包容），而不是更少。决策过程中的多样性不是问题，而是解决方案。

今夏育儿指南

我们的作者和专家涵盖了所有年龄段和阶段，帮助您和您的家人在这个夏天生存并茁壮成长。

访问育儿中心获取专家建议和第一手故事

《泰晤士报》 《星期日泰晤士报》

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18

评论

给“新冠一代”多一点宽容

在他们努力寻找工作时，我们并未意识到封锁给大量青少年留下的创伤

@CINDYXIJADANYU

孩子们的情况并不乐观。有超过 100 万名青少年既没有工作，也没有接受教育或培训。许多这类“尼特族”（Neets）甚至根本没有在寻找工作。自去年以来，大学毕业生的就业岗位下降了 7%，而焦虑和抑郁的情况自 2000 年以来上升了 10%。

雇主们抱怨说，他们现在必须比以前更多地关注这一代人的心理健康。他们不喝酒，没有性生活，害怕接电话，尽管他们手机不离身。

责备被推到了各个方面。TikTok、智能手机、过度心理治疗、过度诊断、福利国家。或者是纵容的父母，或者是懈怠的教师，或者仅仅是因为孩子们本身太脆弱了。但在整个讨论中，有一个明显的缺失。奇怪的是，我们为什么不再谈论新冠了？

你知道的，我们生命中那两年在断断续续的封锁中度过的时光？PCR 检测、疫苗、社交泡沫、六人同行规则，以及苏格兰蛋在酒吧里是否算作一份正餐等等？六年前的这个时候，第一次封锁刚刚结束，我们通过外出就餐来提供帮助。五年前，“企鹅流行病”通过应用程序造成了混乱。直到四年前，夏季考试才在 2019 年之后首次回归。

每当回想起那段时光，我依然感到一阵恐惧的战栗。除了战争，什么时候人们的生活曾遭受过如此全面且波及如此之广的干扰？在那之后的几年里，常态恢复得异常迅速。但这种恢复的条件似乎是一项关于忘记大流行的默契协议。我们产生了集体失忆。

新冠并没有消失，但如今如果他们或他们认识的人感染了，谁还会眨一下眼睛？与此同时，广泛的新冠调查仍在缓慢进行，现在大约

在线聊天论坛取代了面对面社交——并使其陷入停滞

报告的发布已过半。它对从“检测与追踪”到个人防护装备（PPE）等方方面面进行审查的细致程度，无疑是我们所希望看到的一种清算，以便让我们在生活被颠覆后获得某种终结感。但我感觉你和我一样，一直不愿真正地面对它。因为这样做意味着必须再次回想起那些可怕的时光。

但这种记忆抹除也意味着，人们对留下的伤痕和淤青讨论得太少了。我认为对于孩子和青少年来说尤其如此，因为他们的成长关键期被中断了。成长是一个学习社交信号、形成自我认同、想象未来职业并开始准备离巢的阶段。对于一个 50 岁的人来说，三年的居家办公意味着什么？但对于一个 15 岁的人来说，这占据了他们生命中一个大得多的片段。

我的弟弟就是那些 15 岁孩子中的一个。他现在 21, 岁，刚大学毕业，从技术上讲，下一次封锁在他读 GCSE（英国中考）的第一年袭来。从一所学术要求极其严格的学校，突然变成在卧室里通过 Zoom 与老师交流，他说学校变得简单得多了。由于教师和考试委员会担心干扰，部分教学大纲被缩减；由于教师评估取代了真实考试，成绩被虚高；而在这个全新的、很大程度上是虚拟的世界里，作弊变得容易得多（他赶紧补充道，这是“假设性的”）。

在学习之外，那些典型的青少年恶作剧也消失了。没有派对，没有初次约会，没有在公园喝酒，没有在商业街闲逛。这些听起来可能微不足道，但所有这些社交活动都在潜移默化地塑造着一个仍在发育的大脑。它教会青少年如何与彼此相处，如何设定界限，以及他们作为一个人是谁。面对面的时间变成了在线时间——他和他的朋友们在 Discord 上进行所有社交，这是一个类似于虚拟公共休息室的语音聊天论坛。直到现在，这仍然是他们彼此交流的主要方式。

当我告诉他，在我 15 岁时，我的国立综合学校鼓励并帮助我们利用假期进行无薪工作实践时，他感到很惊讶。我去了一位当地国会议员的选区办公室，这对我来说非常有价值，因为这让我：a) 意识到我不想从政；b) 第一次接触到政治、哲学与经济学学位，而我在三年后最终选择了学习这个专业。

这种工作实践在 20 世纪 90 年代和 21 世纪初的英格兰学校中是常态。到了 2010 年代，提供此类支持的学校减少了，但新冠疫情才是致命一击。在 2019 和 2021, 年之间，大多数学生能进行某种形式工作实践的学校比例下降了三分之一。我弟弟的学校没有为那些被锁在卧室里的学生组织任何职业博览会，也没有鼓励任何工作实践。

当时，威斯敏斯特的智库们在关于“新冠一代”的问题上大费笔墨。他们警告说年轻人的心理健康、教育成果以及他们对职场准备不足的问题。他们当时警告的所有影响在今天都已成真。而且情况甚至更糟，因为经济停滞和 AI 的出现进一步削减了机会。

但似乎很少有成年人愿意明确地将其与新冠疫情联系起来。相反，我们嘲笑 Z 世代的脆弱，嘲笑他们古怪的禁欲习惯，并对那些抱怨找工作多么困难的年轻人反驳道：“在我那个年代……”但我们在那个年代认为理所当然的东西，却为了保护年长一代免受疾病侵害而被剥夺了。现在他们正在寻找自己在世界上的位置。让我们对他们宽容一些吧。

竞赛是推动英国初创企业发展的最佳途径 Tris Dyson

首相希望养老基金向英国初创企业投资 10 亿英镑 billion。正如人们所指出的，支持政府的增长议程并非养老基金的职责——它们的职责是确保成员的收益。这并不排除投资英国初创企业的可能性，但这种投资必须基于潜在回报，而非地理位置。

由于可用风险资本的规模较小，与美国和中国的竞争对手相比，英国创新者在获得资金方面面临巨大挑战。2024, 英国初创企业的融资额下降至 62 亿英镑 billion，而美国同行则筹集了超过 650 亿英镑 billion。英国较低的风险承受能力使得资本分散在许多较小的赌注中。大规模、激进的投资很少见，创新者在寻求资金上花费的时间可能比扩大突破性成果的时间还要多。

安迪·伯纳姆的 10 亿英镑 billion 基金旨在改变这一局面，效仿澳大利亚的养老金投资模式。在我看来，英国养老基金突然发现自己比风险投资公司具有更强风险承受能力的可能性很小。那么这该如何运作？我们需要识别赢家。一系列围绕国家工业和社会优先事项、由英国主导的“经度奖”（Longitude Prizes）应当首先成为识别和推进大量英国初创企业（及其技术）的机制。

与资助创新承诺的研发拨款不同，挑战赛通过分阶段的种子资金、业务支持以及在方案被证明有效后给予最佳方案的大额现金奖励，激励创新者解决问题。这意味着针对同一问题的多种方法将得到评判、推进和开发，从而将概念和想法转化为成功的企业。

“Open Up”挑战赛的竞争者在英国建立了开放银行技术的市场，从 Fluidly 到 Moneybox 的许多参赛者和获胜者，巩固了伦敦作为全球领先金融科技中心的地位。“动态需求挑战赛”（Dynamic Demand Challenge）的亚军从一个管理可再生能源间歇性的想法，成长为 Kraken Technologies——这是 Octopus 智能电动汽车充电基础设施背后的技术——该公司于今年分拆，估值达 60 亿英镑 billion。

初创企业需要投资，但养老基金需要确保他们挑选的是赢家。新一代的“经度奖”可以激励从先进材料、能源安全到神经退行性疾病等各个领域的进步，从而创建这样一个管道。识别经过压力测试、具有高潜力的英国企业，可以降低养老基金的选择风险，使其能够继续优先考虑成员收益。

Tris Dyson 是 Challenge Works 的创始人兼执行董事

萨特纳姆·桑格拉笔记本

这种对“舔手指美食”的痴迷是怎么回事？

前几天，我像往常一样在一家学校演讲，结束时，我做好了面对一堆离谱问题的准备。面对孩子时情况通常是这样的：你花一小时讲述历史、讲述新闻业，然后面对一连串完全无关的质询，比如你最喜欢的足球队、你的薪水、你开什么车。

不过这一次，审问比平时更加诡异，几乎每个问题都与我曾经为了写一篇关于该品牌的文章而在 KFC 工作八小时的经历有关。学生们看到了文中配的照片，这掩盖了他们可能对其他任何事情感兴趣的所有好奇心，并证实了我一段时间以来所担心的事情：鸡肉现在成了我们的文化。

它无处不在。政客们被问到他们“俏皮”的 Nando's 点餐单。“Chicken Shop Dale”和“Hot Ones”是社交媒体上最火的两个话题。炸鸡店已经殖民了大多数商业街。而莫·吉利根（Mo Gilligan）刚刚制作了一部关于英国每天 £1200 万 炸鸡产业的 Netflix 纪录片。在我成长过程中，我们会迷恋麦当劳和偶尔吃一次披萨。但我们没有把它当作生活的全部目的。那些笼养鸡里到底放了什么鬼东西？

Imax 体验过载

我在 Imax 影院看了《奥德赛》，因为每个人都告诉我，这就是克里斯托弗·诺兰规划的观看方式，但这次体验糟糕透顶。每个人都这么做，这意味着买爆米花的队伍比 Next 商店节礼日（Boxing Day）促销的队伍还要长，工作人员几乎没有时间在场场爆满的放映之间进行清理。声音太大了，大约 20% 的对话根本听不清。而且，除非你坐在影厅正中间的一排座位上，否则就像是通过客厅窗户看邻居家的电视一样。

在 E63 号座位上，我没有获得预期的沉浸式体验，我获得的是一种“看着坐在更好位置的人享受沉浸式体验”的体验。不过，尽管如此我依然喜欢这部电影，这足以证明电影本身的优秀。我只想在普通银幕上再看一遍，多看看马特·达蒙本人，而不是他的膝盖。

对 Fleet 的敬意

目前的英国政坛没有什么能给人带来启发的地方，但我对娜塔莉·Fleet 表示敬意。她最近辞去了保护部长（safeguarding minister）的职务，因为她发现这个角色让她感到“极度触发（triggering）”，并告诉 BBC 这让她生病了。这位工党议员在青少年时期曾遭受诱导和强奸，她告诉新任首相，她“遗憾地无法继续”担任该职。

听到有人出于完全可以理解的人性原因承认自己无法胜任一项工作，真是令人耳目一新。这让我想起了埃斯特尔·莫里斯，她在 2002 年辞去了教育大臣的职务，因为她承认自己无法应对管理一个庞大的政府部门。这也让我想起曾经在一家为严重精神疾病患者提供服务的慈善机构担任受托人的经历。由于我的家人中有两人患有此类疾病，我发现我们处理的问题与我的个人经历过于接近，因此没有延长任期。

这让我终身敬佩那些将自己遭遇的最糟糕的事情转化为动力，去帮助处于类似境地的人们。我也深切感激像 Fleet 这样尝试过但坦诚自己尚未准备好的人。我希望她这种罕见的诚实能让她很快在其他地方获得另一个机会。

高速公路之狂

在又一起令人愤慨的南方偏见案例中，一项调查将肯特郡的 M20 公路评为英格兰最好的主要道路，而汉普郡的 M27 公路则被评为最差。

诚然，M27 公路经历了长期的施工，但你最近去过 M1 公路吗？那里简直是一场噩梦：失效的“智能”功能、莫名其妙的道路工程、拥堵、不稳定的测速摄像头，以及那些看不见路或开不直车的人。相反，M40 的评分远低于 M20，但它拥有主要道路所需的一切：长距离没有测速摄像头、物理硬路肩、服务区里有一家 Pizza Express 分店，以及终点处西米德兰兹郡的辉煌。

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评论

从我们的打印画廊 timescartoons.com 购买《泰晤士报》漫画的打印件或签名副本，或致电 0800 912 7136

20英里时速限制扰乱心智

去年英国有超过200万人参加了速度意识课程——其中极少有人是飙车党

Libby Purves

@LIR_THINKS

收集超速违章的借口中蕴含着一种低沉而阴暗的幽默。这些借口各不相同，从“妻子的唠叨”或紧急如厕，到一名穿着冬季皮衣的摩托车手称其“需要风来冷却”，以及一名女性告诉警察她被风吹乱的发型让她看起来“速度很快”，即便她当时并没有超速。如果法庭上出现名人则更有趣：赶往拍摄现场的演员、带猫去看兽医的电视厨师，以及各种傲慢的足球运动员。

但最新的自我脱罪者是《首席嫌疑人》（Prime Suspect）的创作者琳达·拉·普兰特（Lynda La Plante）。她会赢得公众的同情，不仅因为她已经83岁且开车带狗去公园，还因为她兴奋地告诉法庭，她需要为了研究而与罪犯见面，因为这些人对“地点的选择非常挑剔”。而真正引发共鸣的原因将是，她反复违反的是20英里时速限制，其标志在指示从30英里降至20英里时令人“困惑”，且速度摄像头距离20英里标志仅10秒之遥，而且还有“骑行者在超车时几乎撞上保险杠”。一名骑行者在鲁莽的豁免状态下疾驰而过，以及摄像头与标志之间巧妙的近距离，这两者都充满了辛辣的讽刺。

此类20英里时速限制的激增——目前已覆盖伦敦的一半区域，且计划进一步扩大——并非仅是首都的项目。在过去的六个月里，英国有1,000英里的道路被限制在20英里时速，尤其是在格拉斯哥、康沃尔和索利哈尔。在威尔士，这是城市地区的默认限速。结果导致违章和罚款大幅增加。而且，由于想要了解驾照扣分情况的保险公司并不区分一名开着捷豹跑出85英里的混混，还是一个在自行车丛中开到24英里的焦虑猫女士

出租车司机抱怨伦敦现已成为全球最慢的首都

以及公交车道，速度意识课程的参与人数也同样在令人眩晕地增长。

去年，有 223 万 人为一场三小时的严肃研讨会付费——形式包括在线或面对面。随着限速范围的扩大，人数还会增加。有些人是因为常见的匆忙、沮丧或注意力不集中，但由于我们中许多人仍驾驶手动挡汽车，一些违章行为的发生是因为 20mph 恰好处于二档和三档之间一个尴尬的区间。如果你减速到 15mph，人们会对你鸣笛。

坦白说，我衷心赞同速度意识课程。这些课程于 2003 年推出，对降低伤亡水平产生了实际影响。我承认自己参加过三次，间隔时间很长：说实话，最高时速从未超过 36mph。这些课程有趣、引人入胜，且在礼貌上不带评判色彩；如果你足够幸运能参加面对面的课程，这还是结识新朋友的好方法。虽然这不完全是浪漫喜剧行业所称的“邂逅”，但确实产生过真实的婚姻。

你会学习统计数据，重新学习关于双车道护栏的冷门知识，讨论麻烦路口的视频。偶尔，从你桌旁那位“愤怒先生”或“愤恨女士”焦躁不安的神态中，你还能得到一个有用的提醒：某些同行司机是无可救药地危险。这让你在转弯时永远更加警觉。

在 20mph 限速问题上，我也是一名相当配合的公民，实际上偶尔还会顶着寒风或酷暑参加社区速度监测，因为我们这个终点站村庄确实需要这样做。但正如任何强制性法律一样，当局在制定速度限制时需要冷静、严肃的判断。在伦敦，市长萨迪克·汗爵士（Sir Sadiq Khan）对扩大低限速范围的热情，使得职业司机（尤其是出租车司机）

抱怨这里是全球最慢的首都，即使在最安静的时候，道路昼夜都处于拥堵状态。

有时，正如拉普兰特（La Plante）所指出的，限速的变化很突然，且在林立的街道设施中很容易被忽略。一位被称为“漏洞先生”的律师最喜欢的论点是，驾驶员的注意力不应过多放在速度表上，而应放在复杂的道路系统、公交车、行人以及那些闯红灯的骑行者身上，他们

对公民的任何限制都需要平衡与谨慎的节制

肆无忌惮且以鲁莽行为伤害他人。

与此同时，每年夏天都会发起一场声势浩大的运动，要求在乡村小路上实施 20mph 限速：毕竟，虽然农村人口不足五分之一，但死亡人数却占了三分之二。骑行者肯定会觉得生活不再那么恐怖，但这将大幅增加在线配送的时间和成本，并极大地妨碍贸易从业者。在这里，Sizewell C 和太阳能电站的道路工程导致超速违章数量激增了三分之一。

当然，安全至关重要；道路死亡事故是悲剧。但对公民的任何限制都需要谨慎的平衡和节制。人们需要出行。同样重要的是，这涉及更广泛的心理学、伦理学和社会凝聚力问题，因为人们需要被推定为（且被要求）做出负责任的决定。现代汽车的设计旨在呵护和安抚，发出哔哔声并发出警告，自行决定大灯和距离，如果你出于安全且必要的理由变换车道，它会焦虑地发出吱吱声。速度意识课程中最具教育意义的部分是展示前方道路的照片，并让参加者大声说出他们看到了什么，以及可能会发生什么。这是建设性的。

不具建设性的是，当（正如一名导师所承认的）局部限制显然极其荒唐时，这可能与教区边界的关系更大，而与任何居住地无关。在萨福克郡，有时你刚离开一段毫无意义的 30mph 直道，就进入了 50mph 限速区，而此时道路恰恰开始变得更加危险地弯曲。为什么？在其他地方，一个神秘的 20mph 标志和一个 30mph 标志仅相隔五步之遥：这种情况已经持续了 15 年。然后转入一条单车道小巷，发现那是完全取消限速的黑色对角线标志。

你知道即使尝试开到 50mph 都很疯狂，更不用说 60mph 了，但你也知道其他人很可能会这么做。因为该死的标志就在那里，而且他们刚刚因为完全无法理解的原因，在数英里空旷的开阔道路上一直以 30mph 的速度行驶。

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20

致编辑的信

NHS 与社会护理

先生，关于社会护理的辩论（见 8 月 6-8 日的来信）几乎完全集中在它如何支持 NHS 上。同样重要的问题是 如何支持社会护理。安迪·伯纳姆正确地强调了英格兰社会护理系统的不公平性，但这种不公正不仅限于谁为护理付费。

作为一名在社区和急性治疗环境中工作的 护士，我看到养老院的居民失去了获得 社区服务（如专科护理和组织活力评估）的机会。如果同样的患者留在自己家中，这些服务通常是可以获得的，这并非因为身体需求，而是因为过时的委托安排。人们给予了大量关注那些由等待社会护理的患者占据的医院床位，这说明了 对社会护理的依赖。然而，社会护理同样依赖于 的专业知识。拒绝养老院居民公平获得 社区服务，增加了护理提供者的压力，并导致了可避免的住院入院。

蒂娜·查尔顿 (Tina Charlton) RGN, RSCN, DN 前副首席护士， 白金汉郡医疗保健 信托基金，特林，赫特郡

伯纳姆的巡访

先生，我希望安迪·伯纳姆在英国巡访期间能访问德文郡，特别是伊尔弗拉科姆 (Ilfracombe)，该地是全国健康预期寿命最低的农村城镇。伊尔弗拉科姆中心被列为德文郡经济最贫困的社区之一，镇中心约 30 per cent 的居民面临收入困难。近四成儿童在贫困中成长。我还希望他能审视自己的权力下放提案，并思考这究竟能如何帮助伊尔弗拉科姆。

尼古拉·丹尼尔 (Nicola Daniel) 巴德利-索尔特顿，德文郡

垂直饮酒

先生：在贵报 8 月 7 日的社论《饮酒之乐》中，威斯敏斯特市议会关于禁止“垂直饮酒”（vertical drinking）的提议被称作一个“奇怪的新词”。这或许很奇怪，但很难说是一个新词，因为 125 年前，B·西博姆·劳恩特里（B Seebohm Rowntree）就曾引用过“垂直饮酒”（perpendicular drinking）一词，称其在约克服务于穷人的酒吧中十分普遍。就个人而言，无论是否愚蠢，我更喜欢旧式表述中那种哥特式教堂建筑的共鸣感。

劳拉·沃恩教授（Professor Laura Vaughan） 伦敦大学学院（UCL）巴特莱特建筑学院

更正与澄清

BGO 监管 / 《泰晤士报》严肃对待关于编辑内容的投诉。我们致力于遵守独立新闻标准组织（IPSO）的规则、条例以及 IPSO 执行的《编辑实践准则》。更正请求请发送至 feedback@thetimes.co.uk

巴德诺克阻挠夏普斯的参选

先生：保罗·古德曼（Paul Goodman）在他出色的综述中明确指出，要理解保守党党魁的思维方式，她禁止格兰特·夏普斯爵士（Sir Grant Shapps）党内参选的非凡决定至关重要（见 8 月 8 日《夏普斯禁令预示巴德诺克的“保守党”前景不妙》）。作为一名摇摆选民，我认为夏普斯在担任各项部长职务期间，其熟练、充满活力且得体的表现令人鼓舞。其中一些职务是在短时间内被强加给他的，但他处理得游刃有余。他现在面临的阻碍显得很奇怪，因为凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）想要“新面孔”，但却未与夏普斯沟通，似乎默认他还是之前保守党政府中的那个人，默认他的政治立场是过去的立场，且默认他参选的申请不可能源于可能对国家大有裨益的新信念和新信念。

古德曼以极具说服力的逻辑阐明了单纯追求“新”所带来的愚蠢——“新议员……对威斯敏斯特或怀特霍尔知之甚少……对错误没有记忆”。巴德诺克或许值得花点时间至少与夏普斯谈谈。

彼得·伍德（Peter Wood） 坎布里亚郡，斯坦顿

财富创造

先生，詹姆斯·卡纳加索尼亚姆（James Kanagasoniam）认为英国必须支持财富创造，这一观点是正确的（8月 5 日，信函，8月 6 日）。但他的分析低估了当前的财富不平等程度在多大程度上削弱了公众对这一目标的信心。1400万人拥有少于 £100 的储蓄，而少数人积累的财富水平则赋予了他们极大的优势。在那些能够建立安全感的人与那些在满足基本需求方面挣扎的人之间，这种日益扩大的差距使得财富创造的承诺让许多人感到遥不可及。在这种背景下，仅仅要求这些人相信财富创造是不太可能成功的。

公平基金会（Fairness Foundation）今年的研究发现，公众仍然支持真正的财富创造。当面对不同的例子时，64% 的人对真正的创新和创业持正面看法，而只有 28% 的人对私募股权持有相同看法。因此，政府支持财富创造有着明确的授权，但这必须是

先生，当保罗·古德曼（Paul Goodman）建议下议院将从更多有经验的议员中获益时，很难不表示赞同。事实上，拉沃伊勋爵（Lord Lavoie）也提出了完全相同的观点（信函，8月 5 日）。在这种背景下，格兰特·夏普斯爵士（Sir Grant Shapps）肯定有一种方式可以为其在旧保守党中的领导地位和成员身份表现出“真正的悔意”，其方式类似于最近被任命为该党反极端主义顾问的前新纳粹分子。最好的方式可能是效仿中国共产党的做法，出现在一个公开的星室法庭（star chamber）面前，长篇累牍地宣读他拒绝鲍里斯、利兹、特蕾莎、大卫以及他们所有的作品。我将露丝排除在外，因为他仍然是一名保守党议员，所以大概是可以接受的。

强尼·卡梅伦（Johnny Cameron） 威尔特郡，皮夫西

先生，作为一名在韦尔温-哈特菲尔德选区协助格兰特·夏普斯担任候选人和议员 24 年的活动人士，我认为他是议会中最优秀的竞选者之一。凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）拒绝了他的候选资格，从而失去了夏普斯的效劳以及他为党带来的经过验证的专业知识。经验似乎

成了申请者的不利因素。据报道，前保守党议员雅各布·里斯-莫格爵士（Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg）同样申请成为下次选举的保守党候选人。从时间上看，他的职业轨迹与夏普斯相差无几，因此，看看他的申请是否也会被拒绝将会很有趣。

迈克尔·利奇（Michael Leach） 赫特福德郡，莱奇沃思花园城市

先生，彼得·菲利普斯（Peter Phillips）（信函，8月 8 日）认为，凯米·巴德诺克允许约书亚·博恩希尔-佩恩（Joshua Bonehill-Paine）担任保守党的极端主义顾问，这“极有可能让她失去了犹太人的选票”。好吧，她没有失去我的选票。按比例计算，他已经脱离激进思想的时间占其生命的三分之一了。多久才算足够长？还有谁比前偷猎者更适合成为护林员呢？巴德诺克女士本可以通过拒绝让博恩希尔-佩恩成为地方当局候选人来选择简单的出路。相反，她做了正确的事，并且知道随后会面临的抨击。而那些（大多支持工党的）犹太领导层甚至拒绝会见博恩希尔-佩恩，这并没有让他们显得多么光彩。

乔纳森·霍夫曼（Jonathan Hoffman） 埃塞克斯郡，绍森德

不。那么“公众舆论”的下一步是否要比以下各方的权重更大：选择以过失杀人而非谋杀罪起诉的检察机关、审理此案的陪审团、决定量刑的法官，或是批准新法律的议员？如果我们要变成一个希望由公众舆论来决定震惊案件中罪犯命运的社会，我担心我们应该准备重新启用绞刑架。

约翰·杨（John Young） 布赖顿

20英里时速的接管

先生，您 8 月 8 日发表的《20英里时速如何接管城镇》一文忽略了一个简单的事实：汽车保险公司的牟利行为。他们经常利用这些处罚作为提高汽车保险保费的借口。因为我在 20 英里时速限速区被测速摄像头拍到行驶速度为 24 英里时速，我的汽车保险费增加了 11,439。我的事故记录显示，在 50 年多的时间里，我没有让任何一家保险公司损失一分钱。这是对年长且谨慎的驾驶员的残酷剥削。

马克斯·温伯格 (Max Winberg) 白金汉郡，杰拉兹十字 (Gerrards Cross, Bucks)

对学院的不安

先生，我同意弗朗西斯·鲍恩 (Francis Bown) 在 8 月 7 日的信中对他对剑桥大学耶稣学院日益担忧的大部分观点，但由于贝宁青铜器过去与奴隶制的关联，我认为将其归还是正确的。然而，这促使我询问耶稣学院院长索尼塔·艾琳 (Sonita Alleyne)，如果归还贝宁青铜器是正确的，那么她为什么认为耶稣学院接受中国政府的资金是可以接受的，而中国政府拘留了超过 100 万名维吾尔人。我通过附上国家报纸的文章，向她发送了中国奴役维吾尔人的证据。在多次催促后，我收到了一封充满陈词滥调的长信，完全没有回答这个问题。我再次写信要求她简单解释她在对待奴隶制问题上矛盾的做法。我没有收到进一步的回复。几个月后，我在媒体上读到，耶稣学院已停止为其中国中心接收来自中国的资金。鲍恩先生的担忧是正确的。我已经修改了我的遗嘱。

彼得·希金斯 (Peter Higgins) 牛津郡，斯蒂普尔·阿斯顿 (Steeple Aston, Oxon)

法庭上的狗

先生，德博拉·罗斯 (Deborah Ross) 的文章（《对你有好处？我的狗让我多活了几年》，8 月 8 日）让我大笑。我同意她所说的一切，但有一句话说得好：“没有坏狗，只有没训练好的主人。”所有新主人在养狗之前都应该参加一个课程。我的第一只拉布拉多非常可爱，但完全不听话。她吃掉能找到的一切东西，包括一个朋友孩子的生日派对食物、邻居花园里所有的鸟食，以及我的孩子们收到的每一个复活节彩蛋。这些年来，我学会了更好地训练它们。狗带来的快乐超过了所有缺点，而结局则是糟糕的（请阅读基普林的《狗的力量》）。但我觉得我无法在没有狗的情况下生活——那种忠诚、陪伴以及当你走进门时的纯粹喜悦，弥补了任何轻微的过错。

梅格·阿特金斯 (Meg Atkins) 伯克郡，亨格福德 (Hungerford, Berks)

切克斯监狱

先生，继格雷格·琼斯 (Greg Jones) 在 8 月 5 日的信中建议出售切克斯 (Chequers)、切文宁 (Chevening) 和多尼伍德 (Dorneywood) 等地之后，为什么不直接把它们变成监狱？现有的防止未经授权进入的安全措施可以被重新利用，用来防止未经授权的离开。

马尔科姆·伯曼格 (Malcolm Bermange) 赫特福德郡，拉德莱特 (Radlett, Herts)

令人厌烦的术语

先生，在安·特南曼 (Ann Tenenman) 寻找可怕短语的探索中（8 月 8 日），她发现了一个她喜欢的词——“from the get-go”（从一开始）。我收到了一封来自 O2 的信，开头写道：“你好，安。我们想就我们将要做出的一项更改给你一个 heads up（提前提醒）。”

那是关于费用增加的。我想使用这个短语是为了减轻打击，但这只会让我生气，因为我收到了一封包含术语的正式信函。

安·斯图尔特 (Anne Steward) 彼得伯勒 (Peterborough)

惊险电影

先生，在《波伊斯之最后探戈》（信件，8 月 8 日）之后，也许我们可以向南去看看《Merlby 的 Dad M》？

查理·拉普尔 (Charlie Rapple) 牛津 (Oxford)

西班牙思想的重大变革

摘自 1926 年 8 月 10 日《泰晤士报》

出自《泰晤士报》特刊《西班牙专号》

本特刊证明了英国人民对西班牙人民长久以来的关注，并试图通过两国作者就当今西班牙生活的各个主要方面撰写的文章，来告知并扩展这种情感。然而，无论描述多么真实生动，对于具有不同种族和历史的人们来说，都无法将另一种民族的思想和习惯传达得比模糊且不完整地更深刻。为了使这种认知更加精准和全面，人与人之间的交往是必要的。希望这些从比利牛斯山到直布罗陀海峡，从拉科鲁尼亚到巴塞罗那的西班牙风貌和习俗描绘，能够激发英国人日益增长的愿望，去访问这个地球上最著名且最令人愉悦的国家之一。

埃斯特拉侯爵（Marquis de Estella）荣幸地为本专号提供发表的致辞，将成为吸引许多读者关注的首要内容，因为他作为领导者展现出的罕见品质以及他所达到的独特地位。如果本专号不能让成千上万的同胞意识到西班牙思想正在经历的巨大变革及其带来的多种可能性，那么它就失去了目标。在这些可能性被充分开发或完全预见之前，还需要经过很多年，但浏览这些栏目便可见已取得的部分成果，以及在智慧和毅力的引导下可能实现的成果。

我们的特稿涵盖了非常广泛的利益领域。该国的财务和物质状况、丰富且多样化的自然资源、丰富的矿产资源；目前农业和采矿业、工业、制造业、商业、市场和国际贸易的发展情况；以及西班牙企业提供的审慎投资前景，这些都是在具备专业知识和理性的情况下被审视和讨论的物质因素与问题。这些研究给人的总体印象是，西班牙道德和物质生活中所渗透的变革之广度与强度，令人惊叹且欣喜。

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THE TIMES / Monday August 10 2026 50

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社论

每日通用登记

欧洲田径锦标赛在伯明翰的亚历山大体育场开幕。

自然笔记

艾草是一种常见的生长在路边、树篱和荒地的野生植物。它可以长到 1.5 米高，具有浓郁芳香且深裂的叶子，叶片背面覆盖着浅色绒毛，这些叶子可以被收集起来用来点火。几个世纪以来，在它生长的任何地方——从北非到乌克兰（切尔诺贝利市的名字便源于此）——它一直被用于传统医学和为啤酒调味。有些人认为用其叶子泡的茶能促进局部梦境；据说通过在枕头里填充干燥的艾草并吸入其香气也能获得类似效果。在英国，它很少通过种子传播，新植株通常从其根状茎的片段中生长出来。梅丽莎·哈里森（MELISSA HARRISON）

今日生日

托尼·罗斯 (Tony Ross)，如图所示，插画师，《长袜子皮皮》、《糟糕的亨利》，88岁；海法·曼苏尔 (Haifaa al-Mansour)，电影导演，《玛丽·雪莱》(2017)，沙特阿拉伯首位女性电影制作人，52岁；

伊恩·安德森 (Ian Anderson)，摇滚音乐家，杰斯罗·图尔 (Jethro Tull)，79岁；安东尼奥·班德拉斯 (Antonio Bandera)，演员，《佐罗面具》(1998)，66岁；尼古拉斯·伯格鲁恩 (Nicolas Berggruen)，投资者，伯格鲁恩研究所（智库）创始人，65岁；里迪克·鲍 (Riddick Bowe)，拳击手，无可争议的世界重量级冠军 (1992)，59岁；巴伦内斯（伊丽莎白）巴特勒-斯洛斯 (Baroness (Elizabeth) Butler-Sloss)，上诉法院最佳法官 (1988-99, 该法院首位女性成员)，家庭分庭院长 (1999-2005)，93岁；苏珊·柯林斯 (Suzanne Collins)，作家，《饥饿游戏》三部曲，64岁；罗伯特·克兰普顿 (Robert Crampton)，《泰晤士报》专栏作家，以及《如何成为一只Beta骡子》(2017) 作者，62岁；安迪·克雷斯韦尔-戴维斯 (Andy Cresswell-Davis)，音乐家，Stackridge 乐队，首届格拉斯顿伯里音乐节 (1970) 的开场乐队，77岁；劳伦斯·达拉格利奥 (Lawrence Dallaglio)，橄榄球运动员，英格兰 (1995-2007)，54岁；爱德华·吉尼斯 (Edward Guinness)，斯瓦格伯爵 (Earl of Swagh)，埃尔维登农场 (Elveden Farms) 主席，57岁；罗伊·基恩 (Roy Keane)，足球运动员，曼彻斯特联 (1993-2005) 及其教练，55岁；苏珊·刘易斯 (Susan Lewis)，小说家及回忆录作家，《不要相信一个字》(2025)，70岁；安妮塔·劳德布罗 (Anita Loudbrough)，游泳运动员，奥运金牌得主 (1960)，英国首位在夏季奥运会开幕式上担任旗手的女性（1964年东京奥运会），85岁；肖恩·墨菲 (Shaun Murphy)，斯诺克选手，世界冠军 (2005)，44岁；伊恩·默里 (Ian Murray)，爱丁堡南部工党国会议员，创意产业、媒体与艺术大臣，50岁；迈克尔·佩珀爵士 (Sir Michael Pepper)，物理学家，伦敦大学学院纳米电子学 Pender 教授，84岁；克里斯·里德 (Chris Read)，板球运动员，英格兰队 (1999-2007) 及诺丁汉郡 CTC (1998-2017)，48岁；胡安·曼努埃尔·桑托斯 (Juan Manuel Santos)，诺贝尔和平奖 (2016)，哥伦比亚总统 (2010-18)，75岁；约翰·斯宾塞 (John Spencer)，橄榄球运动员，英格兰队 (1969-71)，英格兰橄榄球联合会主席 (2017-18)，79岁；贾斯汀·特鲁多 (Justin Theroux)，演员，《穿普拉达的恶魔 2》(2026) 以及《佐罗兰德 2》(2016) 编剧，55岁；巴伦内斯（罗茜）温特顿 (Baroness (Rosie) Winterton of Doncaster)，唐卡斯特中心工党国会议员 (1997-2024)，副议长 (2020-24)，68岁；勋爵（克利夫顿）罗特斯利 (Lord (Clifton) Wrottesley)，英国冰球协会主席，前奥运选手（钢架雪车），58岁。

历史上的今天

2014年，雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安被选为土耳其首位由直接选举产生的总统。

最后一言

“不要轻视你的父母。毕竟，你是他们的儿子，你很有可能像他们一样。”——伊夫林·沃 (Evelyn Waugh)，作家，发表于《平板报》(The Tablet) (May 5, 1951)

净正值

安迪·伯纳姆为工党不切实际的净零计划注入了一剂受欢迎的务实精神。能源账单现在必须以一种可负担的方式实现稳定。

僵化地追求工党的净零目标在经济上从未合理过。在埃德·米利班德身上，净零议程拥有一个像他本人一样教条且不可撼动的拥护者。人们曾非常担心，现已接手该职责的工党新星穆塔·法恩布勒（Mutha Fahnbulleh）会成为另一个米利班德模式下的能源大臣。她曾担任他的高级经济顾问，并且在担任左翼智库“新经济基金会”（New Economist Foundation）主任期间，建议英国应通过征收财富税来加速实现净零目标的进程。

然而，法恩布勒在担任能源大臣的前几周里，反而引入了一种受欢迎的务实基调。在接受本报采访时，她透露打算大幅放宽政府最令人困扰的环境目标。在米利班德的清洁电力承诺下，无论会对家庭能源账单产生多大压力，英国都必须在 2030 年前几乎完全消除电力供应中的化石燃料。这一僵化的目标似乎很可能会推迟至少一到两年。这是明智的：监督英国能源结构的有效转型需要争取公众情绪的支持。而这反过来意味着家庭账单必须保持在可控范围内：而米利班德的战略似乎对此关注甚少。另一个注定会被缓和的承诺是工党关于电动汽车的指令。米利班德的零排放车辆指令要求到 2030 年，仅有 20% 的汽车可以使用柴油或汽油发动机。混合动力汽车仅被允许使用到 2035 年。在忽视市场力量现实的情况下追求这一目标从未合理过。电动汽车的需求成熟速度根本没有达到米利班德计划所要求的那样快——考虑到电动汽车基础设施出现的缓慢，这是可以理解的。上个月，新车销量中仅有 27.5% 是纯电动汽车。交通部现在正确地在就如何使目标更具可行性进行磋商：或许允许到 2030 年仍有半数汽车使用燃料运行。

这种更为审慎的方法并不代表失败。英国拥有值得自豪的气候遗产。迄今为止，英国的脱碳速度比许多同行快得多。2004 年，可再生能源仅占英国能源结构的 4%，而到 2024 年，这一比例已超过一半。工党政府有望意识到，强制执行僵化的气候相关期限可能弊大于利。向英国公众坦诚他们面临的妥协，会是更诚实且最终更聪明的政治做法。正是为了能源安全，法恩布勒应当允许在北海的 Rosebank 和 Jackdaw 油田进行石油钻探。这将提高国内产量，消除战争或其他动荡时刻出现实物短缺的风险。这是应对地缘政治不确定性的一种明智对冲。

类似的考量也支持放宽对净零目标的教条追求。匆忙冲向 2030 年清洁能源目标存在实际风险：将国内能源价格与离岸风电成本挂钩——而离岸风电的单位成本高于太阳能和陆上风电等替代方案。此外，几乎没有证据表明英国不稳定的电网能够适应向可再生能源的重新定向。英国国家能源系统运营商（Neso）的举报者透露，今年 6 月英国曾三次接近发生大规模停电。去年西班牙和葡萄牙也发生了类似的停电：这似乎是系统过于迅速地转向太阳能的结果。

使向净零的转型尽可能可控且可负担，并不是对净零未来的退缩，而仅仅是实现该目标的一种现实方式。

过度的税收

对银行征收新税将损害经济增长和英国的地位

当安迪·伯纳姆谈到要推翻四十年的经济共识时，他的心中有几个敌人。一个是玛格丽特·撒切尔，这位前任对他思想的影响超过了任何人。另一个是伯纳姆先生所抨击的“新自由主义”经济学，换句话说，就是那些将英国从依赖衰落的制造业转型为依赖金融服务的改革。在紧迫寻找新收入来源的过程中，银行很可能成为伯纳姆先生在10月28日公布的预算案中的目标。

担忧程度之高，以至于知名人士已经在就未来可能发生的情况发出警告。其中一位是花旗集团（Citigroup）首席执行官简·弗雷泽女爵士。她对英国可能出台的新银行税表示担忧，并警告称“资金会用脚投票”。简·弗雷泽女爵士是苏格兰人，也是美国第三大银行的掌门人，她表示，人们依然“渴望并希望英国取得成功”。然而，企业领袖们认为进一步征税将使这一目标更难实现，这一观点是正确的。

在最近一次访问伦敦期间，简·弗雷泽女爵士指出，伦敦金融城的银行税率高于其所有主要竞争对手：这里是 48%，而纽约是 27%，都柏林则是 28 到 29%。对银行利润征收某种形式的超额利润税——这是工党后座议员敦促伯纳姆先生考虑的想法——将会阻碍投资，降低利润，并最终使普通客户的借贷变得更加困难。

摩根大通（JP Morgan）首席执行官杰米·戴蒙也表达了同样的观点，他表示，如果首相为了更多税收而追讨银行，将会产生“不利后果”。与花旗一样，摩根大通正在英国建设一座规模巨大的新办公室，在金丝雀码头建设一座耗资 30 亿英镑 billion 的大厦，用于安置其在英约 21,000 名员工中的一半。戴蒙先生曾警告前财政大臣瑞秋·里夫斯，如果在上次预算案中针对银行，该项目将不会推进。她正确地听取了他的警告，伯纳姆先生也应当如此。

伯纳姆政府可能还处于初期阶段，但它必须意识到英国并非在孤岛中运行。用民粹主义的措辞谈论打击挥霍无度的资本主义会赢得工党忠实支持者的掌声，但这在现实世界中行不通。如果英国变得不再具有投资吸引力，像花旗和摩根大通这样的大雇主将简单地将重心转移到其他地方，转移到欧洲现成的替代方案中。

自就任以来，伯纳姆先生几乎没有表现出他意识到利润和运行良好的市场经济之重要性。金融服务是英国真正的成功故事之一。去年，该部门及相关服务贡献了所有经济产出的 11%，相当于 2900 亿英镑 billion。根据游说团体 TheCityUK 的数据，它们雇佣了 250 万 人，其中三分之二的工作岗位在伦敦以外。

得益于地理位置、广泛的技能和国际认可的法律体系，英国拥有巨大的发展优势。但这被其激进的税基所抵消。如果伯纳姆先生追讨银行，将会发生什么，已经有一个例子了。上个月，BP公司宣布将出售其北海石油资产，因为税收政策使其不再具有经济效益。对“金蛋”征税将确保它们无法在很长时间内继续作为金蛋存在。

地下轨道

Jam 乐队最著名的热门单曲并非唯一一首在奇特地点创作的歌曲

凭借其犀利的开场和弦，Jam 乐队的《Going Underground》被公认为 20 世纪 80 年代最具影响力的抗议歌曲之一。保罗·韦勒（Paul Weller）的这首热门歌曲，其创作方式正如其表达方式一样，是由一个愤怒的 21 岁青年在从酒吧踉跄走出并回到他的地下公寓时迸发而出的。这首歌写于伦敦高档的皮姆利科（Pimlico）区一栋乔治亚风格排屋公寓下阴暗的煤仓里。韦勒先生受其百万富翁邻居（他有一天也将加入其中）的影响较小，而受附近犯罪频发的住房区影响较大。

《Going Underground》绝非唯一一首在不寻常地点创作的流行热门歌曲。事实上，流行音乐史表明，地点越古怪——或越平凡——艺术灵感就越容易迸发。赛门与加芬克尔（Simon and Garfunkel）的《Homeward Bound》是由 21 岁的保罗·赛门（Paul Simon）在切希尔郡通风不良的威德内斯（Widnes）车站等待乘坐清晨前往赫尔（Hull）的“牛奶专列”时写下的。该地点现在由一块纪念牌匾标记。

几年后，大卫·鲍伊（David Bowie）来到赫尔——纯粹是因为他的鼓手告诉他在这里可以便宜地保养汽车——他被安置在布里斯班街（Brisbane Street）的一套市政公寓里。在城中期间，他遇到了吉他手米克·朗森（Mick Ronson），随后组建了“火星蜘蛛”乐队（Spiders from Mars），并为那些将开启华丽摇滚时代并将鲍伊推向超级巨星地位的曲目奠定了早期编曲基础——而这一切的背景，是一个海风凛冽的北方海港。

皇后乐队（Queen）同样在平凡的地点为填满体育场的摇滚乐寻找灵感。弗雷迪·默丘里（Freddie Mercury）在慕尼黑巴伐利亚酒店（Bayerischer Hof Hotel）洗澡时写下了《Crazy Little Thing Called Love》。与此同时，布赖恩·梅（Brian May）在洛杉矶一家酒店的厕所里坐着时，创作了其 1991 年个人热门单曲《Drivers by You》的大部分内容。相比之下，韦勒先生的煤仓听起来几乎具有吸引力。也许，创作过程中的某些元素，最好还是保持在地下不为人知的状态。

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22

世界

伊朗人与持续战争带来的创伤作斗争

伊朗

罗克珊娜·萨贝里 (Roxana Saberi), 法蒂玛·贾马尔普尔 (Fatemeh Jamalpour)

对于亚斯敏来说，伊朗政权将会垮台的希望支撑了她好几个月，即便在今年1月的德黑兰抗议活动中，她被安全部队殴打得如此严重，以至于连续数周无法工作。

但随着伊斯兰共和国在与美国的战争与停战的剧烈波动中依然屹立不倒，这位 44 岁的女性感到精神疲惫且心力交瘁。

“在实践中，一场不旨在改变政权的战争只会给普通人带来伤害，”她说。“另一方面，我也厌恶与那些杀害自己公民、让 9000 万 人的生活陷入痛苦的人达成协议。想到伊斯兰共和国继续掌权，真的让我感到沮丧和深切的悲哀。”

伊斯兰革命卫队（IRGC）昨天表示，在美国满足德黑兰的条件（包括赔偿战争损失）之前，将不会重新开放霍尔木兹海峡。

外交部长阿巴斯·阿拉格奇（Abbas Araghchi）否认伊朗人正在与美国谈判，称他们仅仅是通过中间人“交换信息”。

特朗普总统随后表示，美国正在与伊朗进行“半谈判”。他告诉 Assos：“我们正在低调处理。”

对于亚斯敏来说，漫长的谈判只是在经历了一系列苦难后的最新考验：去年6月以色列与伊朗的战争、政权对1月起义的残酷镇压（导致数千人死亡）、两次政权强加的网络封锁、处决人数激增以及经济崩溃。根据对心理健康临床医生及其客户、医疗服务提供者和其他伊朗人的采访，这场动荡导致了广泛的创伤，一名心理治疗师将其描述为“未解决的集体悲伤”。

临床医生表示，这种创伤跨越了世代和阶层。政治犯的亲属生活在恐惧之中，担心他们的挚爱随时可能被处决。总部位于华盛顿的伊朗阿卜杜勒拉赫曼·博隆曼德人权中心（Abdurrahman Boronmand Center for Human Rights in Iran）表示，在1月至7月期间，至少有 26 人因抗议活动被绞死。

许多伊朗人告诉《泰晤士报》，他们感到被抛弃了，认为世界在1月的屠杀及随后的处决期间在很大程度上袖手旁观。

“特朗普总统、欧洲以及‘所有那些声称捍卫人权的人’对伊朗闭上了眼睛，保持了沉默，”德黑兰一名三十多岁的心理治疗师吉拉（Jila）说道。上个月，她在伊朗中部城市伊斯法罕目睹了两名与1月抗议活动有关的年轻人被公开绞死。

尽管美国发动袭击且经济背景恶化，日常生活仍在继续

“我无法入睡，”她说。“我感到非常困惑和愤怒。”

吉拉与其他在伊朗境内接受采访的人一样，在化名条件下发表评论。她说，她正试图帮助她的客户忍受近期事件带来的痛苦，同时自己也在与关于政权残暴行为的记忆作斗争。她说她失去了跳舞和唱歌的兴致，但在上个月美国在“谅解备忘录”公布几周后恢复袭击后，她感到更有希望。

“我很高兴特朗普意识到伊斯兰共和国没有能力进行真正的谈判，”她说。“我希望战争继续下去，并最终导致伊斯兰共和国的毁灭。就我而言，我愿意为此付出代价——为了自由。”

然而，许多其他伊朗人表示，新一轮的冲突只会加剧痛苦。除了平民伤亡，基础设施遭到破坏，经济进一步下滑。

德黑兰一名 32 岁的心理治疗患者表示，她希望谈判最终能让再次爆发战争的威胁“完全消失”。

诺申·兰巴尔（Noshene Ranjbar）是一位常驻亚利桑那州的伊朗裔美国精神科医生，她与一个心理健康专业人员网络合作，为伊朗客户提供咨询。她表示，支持重启袭击的人与反对者之间的分歧正在引发内斗，甚至发生在家庭内部。

“伊朗人最终在互相争斗，因为他们的创伤被激活了，”她说，“他们无法与伊斯兰革命卫队（IRGC）或以色列和美国对抗，因此在潜意识中将愤怒、失望和恐惧发泄在彼此身上。”

许多伊朗人，比如亚斯敏（Yasmin），也描述了一种处于“生存模式”的感觉。她说：“我有太多大大小小的担忧，以至于我坦白说根本无法关注战争。最大的问题是对财务不稳定的感觉。”

帕尔瓦内（Parvaneh）是伊朗西南部设拉子的心理治疗师，她表示，对未来的不确定性和经济压力已成为许多人日常生活的现实一部分——但1月的镇压留下了最深的伤口。“这些死亡尚未被处理——甚至没有被哀悼，”她在随后立即删除的语音备忘录中说道，因为担心遭到政权的报复。

洛杉矶支持酷刑幸存者和前政治犯的组织“伊朗之家”（Iran House）创始人阿扎德·阿夫萨希（Azadeh Afsahi）表示：“伊朗人民所面对的情况，在任何关于疗愈的书籍中都从未被教授过。被[在监狱中]强奸的创伤、家人被处决[...]你如何能够生存下去？”

“伊朗之家”一直在为阿尔曼（Arman）提供咨询，他是一名在德黑兰西部的卡拉季市工作的 32 岁 LGBT 技术人员，一直深受失眠困扰。“我希望伊朗人民的声音能被听到，希望这个卑劣的政权没有让我们的生活变得如此艰难，”他说。他补充道，伊朗人正处于“财务危机和心理崩溃”之中。

设拉子的心理治疗师帕尔瓦内表示，伊朗设有免费的危机热线和干预中心，但许多人担心这些平台可能会被监控。不包含在保险范围内的私人心理治疗，对许多人来说已变得难以负担。

伊朗自杀预防科学协会负责人哈米德·亚古希（Hamid Yaghouhi）在5月警告称，抑郁和自杀可能会在接下来的几个月达到顶峰。

德黑兰的一名护士法尔扎内（Farzaneh）表示，她已经看到 25, 岁以下人群的自杀率大幅上升，其中许多人承受着严重的财务压力。

即使是那些能够寻求治疗的人也发现，抗抑郁药、抗焦虑药和抗精神病药已变得稀缺或价格昂贵。

在《泰晤士报》获得的一封日期为5月 24, 日的信函中，伊朗精神病学会主席赛义德·瓦希德·沙里亚特（Seyed Vahid Shariat）博士表示，关键精神药物的价格上涨引发了“关于患者获得基本治疗机会的严重担忧”。一名伊朗卫生部官员表示，短缺部分原因是外汇分配延迟和供应路线中断。

几位心理治疗师表示，他们也在采取措施管理自己的痛苦。吉拉（Jila）说，当当局切断互联网时，她陷入了最低谷并考虑过自杀。但当身在国外的伊朗朋友询问她的情况时，她意识到自己很重要。

吉拉说，她还受到想要向政权“复仇”的欲望驱动。为了坚持下去，她重复玛格丽特·阿特伍德（Margaret Atwood）在《使女的故事》（The Handmaid's Tale）中的一句台词：“不要让那些混蛋把你磨垮。”

塞纳河清理完成后，巴黎大胆尝试

特约记者报道

大卫·查赞（DAVID CHAZAN）发自巴黎

上周末，数千名巴黎人聚集在左岸，观看潜水员在埃菲尔铁塔前的一个20米跳台上翻腾跳水。这场在塞纳河举行的首届国际高空跳水比赛，是对这座城市耗资€14 亿美元的河流清理工程的一次壮观测试，但同时也暴露了其在污染面前依然脆弱。

在河流上游检测到碳氢化合物痕迹后，欧洲游泳锦标赛的组织者于周四暂停了训练跳水，引发了比赛可能被迫取消的担忧。但受影响区域很快得到了处理，活动照常进行。

河畔的气氛十分热烈。一名DJ在跳水环节之间播放拉丁和摇滚金曲。“女士们，先生们，准备好观看表演了吗？”他用英语大声喊道。“无聊！”人群齐声吼道。

当地铁火车在跳水塔后方比尔-哈基姆桥（Bir-Hakeim bridge）的高架路段呼啸而过时，观众们为每一次跳水鼓掌。“这些跳水动作如此优雅，”25, 岁的观众贾斯汀·帕切科（Justine Pacheco）说道。作为在塞纳河执行任务的巴黎消防队水上救援队的成员，她大多数早晨都在河中游泳。“这是为了训练，也是为了让我们熟悉河流的不同区域，”她说。

当被问及是否担心水中的病原体时，帕切科说：“我已经连续四个月几乎每天游泳了，从未生过病。我更担心鲶鱼。”

欧洲巨鲶——一种具有攻击性且外貌相当令人生畏的物种，体长可达约9英尺（2.7米）——于1980. 年左右首次在塞纳河流域被记录到。这种鱼最初是为了娱乐垂钓而引入的，现已广泛分布。去年德国有报道称鲶鱼咬伤游泳者，不过在塞纳河尚未有此类记录。

“我们还看到河边有很多老鼠，”帕切科说。“我们都接种了预防钩端螺旋体病的疫苗，[这是一种可以通过啮齿动物尿液传播的细菌感染]。”

56, 岁的网络安全工程师劳伦特（Laurent）表示，高空跳水“找回了一些巴黎奥运会的感觉”。在浑浊的河流被清理后，2024 年奥运会曾在塞纳河举行公开水域游泳比赛。为了防止暴雨期间污水溢入河中，当局建造了巨大的地下储水池，升级了处理厂，并将船屋连接到了下水道系统。

自此，在7月和8月期间，塞纳河和圣马丁运河（Canal Saint-Martin）共开放了五个公共游泳点。

在靠近巴黎圣母院的布拉斯-玛丽（Bras Marie）游泳区，周六有数十人下水。该区域由浮桥围成，看起来像一个露天游泳池。周围的浮动平台上还有数十人在晒太阳。

游泳者中包括31, 岁的亚历克斯·马什（Alex Marsh），他是一名来自伦敦的橄榄球裁判，去年搬到了巴黎。

当被问及是否担心水质时，他说：“我认为他们所做的一切太棒了。天气真的很热，我要去泡个澡。”

许多巴黎人在游泳点开放之初持怀疑态度，但游泳正稳步获得普及。54, 岁的让-皮埃尔（Jean-Pierre）说：“水看起来依然浑浊，刚开始在这里游泳时，我也觉得可能有点风险，但我还没听说有人生病。”

塞纳河的水质从19世纪末开始恶化，游泳于1923. 年被禁止。到20世纪70年代，科学家称流经巴黎的这段河流在“生物学上已死亡”。

新的处理厂逐渐改变了这条河。本周，这里将举办公开水域游泳比赛，与此同时，货船运载货物，游船载着游客经过巴黎圣母院和埃菲尔铁塔。塞纳河曾被主要视为一条运输航道，甚至有时被视为一个露天下水道，而现在它正被重新转化为休闲场所。

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23

马略卡岛努力扭转过度旅游的局面

党内忠诚者在政治领袖脚下顶礼膜拜

失踪4年的乌克兰少年现正为俄罗斯而战

俄罗斯 Marc Bennetts

2022年，俄罗斯军队跨越边境进入乌克兰，占领了位于赫尔松地区的克林基（Krynky）村，当时距离奥列克桑德尔·穆斯亚特塞（Oleksandr Mustyatse）15岁生日仅剩两天。

乌克兰政府在其“战争儿童”网站上正式将穆斯亚特塞列为失踪人员，该网站记录了数千名俄罗斯入侵行动中的未成年受害者。直到上个月才有了他的消息，当时披露现年 19, 岁的穆斯亚特塞已经加入了俄罗斯军队。乌克兰儿童权利最高官员米科拉·科莱巴（Mykola Koleba）表示，这是首例被基辅视为失踪的儿童在成年后拿起武器反抗乌克兰的已知案例。

在俄罗斯版Facebook——VK的穆斯亚特塞个人主页上的照片显示，他身穿俄罗斯军装，戴着一顶装饰有亲战争“Z”符号和俄罗斯国旗颜色的棒球帽。

这一发现是在泽连斯基总统指责克里姆林宫在被占领的乌克兰领土上对儿童进行洗脑，使其在年满 18. 岁后为俄罗斯而战之后出现的。据估计，有 160 万 名儿童生活在这些地区。

穆斯亚特塞的VK页面自去年以来未曾更新，目前尚不清楚他是否还活着。然而，上周，调查儿童军事化的组织“回到乌克兰”（Back to Ukraine）的活动人士发现他正在使用另一个在线账户。他告诉他们，他不认为自己是乌克兰的叛徒。“俄罗斯一直在我心中，”他说。他没有进一步发表评论，也没有回复《泰晤士报》的消息。

一名来自他所在部队的匿名士兵告诉活动人士，穆斯亚特塞在秋季一次对乌克兰阵地的进攻中受伤，并在莫斯科的布尔登科（Burdenko）军事医院接受治疗。“俄罗斯抢走孩子，摧毁他们，将其重塑为自己的工具，然后将他们投入战斗，” “回到乌克兰”在社交媒体上写道。

穆斯亚特塞在“乌克兰儿童”网站上仍被列为失踪。然而，他现在也被添加到了一个名为 Mynotvurets 的争议性乌克兰网站上，该网站将其描述为“俄罗斯针对乌克兰犯罪的共犯”。该网站列出了他的家庭住址以及他父母的名字，他的父母目前仍住在克林基。一些支持莫斯科的乌克兰人在被列入黑名单后成为了攻击目标。

基辅区域人权中心的法律专家卡特里娜·拉舍夫斯卡（Kateryna Rashevska）表示，像穆斯亚特塞这样的青少年男孩是政治灌输的受害者。据称，在家乡地区被莫斯科占领时未满 18 岁的乌克兰人中，约有 400 人在被强行征召入俄军后在战场上死亡。

“通过将服役于占领国武装力量呈现为乌克兰青少年的唯一可行路径，俄罗斯联邦的行为构成了战争罪，因为在这种语境下，宣传充当了强制征兵的伪装形式，”拉舍夫斯卡说。

根据俄罗斯国家媒体自身的报道，来自乌克兰的儿童被送往了“军事爱国”营地。

2023, 年，国际刑事法院就绑架约 20,000 名乌克兰儿童的指控，对普京总统和另一名官员发出逮捕令。莫斯科否认这些指控。

奥列克桑德尔·穆斯亚特塞被拍到戴着一顶带有Z标志的帽子

部长称德国每天面临破坏袭击

德国 Liz Cookman

德国内政部长表示，德国频繁成为来自海外的混合战争攻击目标。与此同时，欧洲报告了更多无人机事件，加剧了安全担忧。

“我们并未处于战争状态，但我们每天都是混合战争的目标，”亚历山大·多布林特（Alexander Dobrindt）告诉《周日图片报》（Bild am Sonntag）。“外国势力旨在破坏德国稳定或造成直接伤害的间谍活动、破坏行动、网络攻击或秘密行动，已成为常态。”

他补充说，德国正在建立一个新的无人机安全研究中心，以应对这些安全威胁。该设施将于本月在萨克森-安哈尔特州的德国航空航天中心测试机场启用，将用于开发和测试无人机防御技术。

德国武装部队表示，上周在靠近比利时边境的梅希尼希（Mechernich）的一处基地发现了两架无人机。该基地拥有一个存储军事设备和备件的高安全性地下综合体，同时也是美国“爱国者”防空系统进行维护和修理的地方。

上周在莱比锡机场还发现了一架携带爆炸物的无人机，其位置靠近一架装载军事弹药的乌克兰飞机。警方随后进行了受控爆破。

多布林特表示，这一发现表明危险已达到“新水平”。

德国政府尚未公开指责莫斯科参与其中。俄罗斯驻柏林大使馆称其为“捏造的挑衅”。

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24

世界

度假之岛正努力扭转过度旅游的局面

古朴的木制有轨电车每年将大批游客带到索列尔（Soller），但当地居民已对飙升的房价感到厌倦——这导致了本周末的抗议活动

数千人在马略卡岛游行，反对推高物价的游客“瘟疫”，大卫·沙罗克（David Sharrock）从索列尔发回报道

当来自邓巴（Dunbar）的鲍勃·博格尔（Bob Bogle）抵达马略卡岛最漂亮的广场，却发现这里已停止营业，露天平台空无一人，一场针对像他这样的人的嘈杂示威活动正在进行时，他无法掩饰自己的失望。

“我本期待在广场上喝杯咖啡，”他耸了耸肩，同时拍摄周六填满索列尔宪法广场的反旅游抗议者。在过去的20年里，他每年夏天都在马略卡岛度假。

“我在帕尔马（Palma）看到了麻烦，”他说道，指的是上个月警方发射橡胶子弹以驱散抗议人群的事件。“我的女儿看到有人向游客喷水。我的印象是，普遍的愤怒并非针对个人，但如果演变成那样就太遗憾了。”

根据在马略卡岛“黄金谷”这座风景如画的山城游行的示威者称，马略卡岛已经达到了极限。该地以橙园和往返于帕尔马与索列尔之间、直接穿过宪法广场的历史木制有轨电车而闻名。

在当地鼓手和四件套 seremonies（当地风格的风笛）的活泼节奏中，数千名抗议者沿着通常挤满游客的月亮街（Carrer de la Lluna）行进。“Miris en miris, tot son guiris”是他们的口号，意思是“无论你看向哪里，全是外国人”。抗议者挥舞着横幅，翻译过来是：“我们不是你们的纪念品”、“你们的面包我们连汤都喝不上”以及“旅游业是一场瘟疫”。

一些标语用英文写成，旨在嘲讽游客。其中一条写道：“唯一能回家的只有你”，这是在引用世界杯的梗。

警方保持距离，接到的指示是避免出现帕尔马那样的场景。尽管如此，仍有 14 辆防暴车在待命。

“我们生活在一个已经无法承受更多负担的城镇和岛屿上，”组织者之一索菲亚·扎姆尼克（Sofia Zamnik）告诉《泰晤士报》。“我们在几年前就达到了极限，我们已经示威多年，但仍然没有被听到。”

她坚称游客并非目标。“这是反对旅游业单一文化这种经济模式，它让我们和这座岛在自己的家园里感觉像外国人，这意味着我们无法获得体面的住房，这意味着每当一家店关闭，另一家专门为游客消费而设计的店就会开业，这使我们的语言和文化沦为装饰品，并导致我们失去社区感。”

无论是否刻意，抗议活动的气氛似乎对游客充满敌意。一条横幅将游客比作约旦河西岸的定居者，而一些参与者穿着印有“外国人滚出去”口号的衬衫。一名法国游客称这次抗议是“一个问题，因为我们游客带来了让当地人维持生计的资金”。

但九年前因脱欧将珠宝业务从剑桥搬到索列尔的安德鲁·鲍登（Andrew Bowden）承认，不断增长的游客数量是不可持续的。“我看到了很多变化，其中很多并不是好转。自从我们来到这里，人数增加了一倍。在过去的两年里，有时已经失控。镇议会试图解决这个问题，但问题对他们来说太大了，”他说。他现在只在早上六点去海滩以避开人群。

巴利阿里群岛去年记录了创纪录的 1900 万 名游客，而仅马略卡岛在六月份就接待了近两百万人。这种成功带来了就业和财富，但也带来了拥堵、住房压力以及居民日益增长的愤怒。

Xisca Comes 和 Miquel Palmes 从他们位于帕尔马的家中出发，参加了每一次反对旅游业的抗议活动。“我们在 1990 年以相当于 €60,000 的价格买下了这栋房子，以当地的薪水，我们能够相当快且轻松地还清这笔费用，”Palmes 说道。

“我们现在两边的邻居都是奥地利人和瑞典人，他们支付的价格是我们当时的十倍。现在的价格已经远远超出了我儿子的承受能力，尽管他有一份不错的薪水。”Comes 补充道：“所有的底线都被突破了。政客们决定，他们更希望游客到来而我们离开。他们正在驱逐我们。很多时候，你不再觉得这里有你的容身之所。”

不断攀升的生活成本正在影响公共服务。法院陷入了危机，因为月薪在 €1,600 到 €2,000 之间的法院助理、行政人员和书记员无法负担在岛上的生活。

巴利阿里群岛高等法院院长 Carlos Gómez Martínez 承认，这类员工即使在职业生涯中度过了 30 多年，仍不得不合租房屋。他希望在新的法院综合体内部为员工建设住房。

酒店业面临同样的问题，合租房的一个房间起步价每月 €700。西班牙的最低工资每月仅略高于 €1,221。

根据房产门户网站 Fotocasa 的数据，自 2015 年以来，马略卡岛的房价上涨了 97%，且未计算通货膨胀。根据房地产中介 Imperial Properties 的数据，在整个巴利阿里群岛，过去五年每平方米的价格上涨了 45-50%，外国买家目前约占所有房产交易的三分之一。

在索列尔（Soller）之外是特拉蒙塔纳山脉（Serra de Tramuntana）—— 60 英里的壮丽观景点，可以观察太阳缓缓沉入大海。然而，本周三该道路将被关闭。西班牙一个观看日食的最佳自然观测点已被宣布为游客禁区。这一公告在数周前发布，旨在阻止更多游客抵达该岛。

巨型山火蔓延，政府宣布进入紧急状态

加拿大 联邦政府昨日表示，由于山火迫使数千人撤离，政府将通过为居民提供避难所和住宿来协助不列颠哥伦比亚省。

鲍德山脉（Bald Range）山火已导致当地发布紧急状态并撤离约 18,000 人。随着消防员继续与大火搏斗，截至周末，火势已蔓延至 10,300 公顷以上。

加拿大应急管理与社区韧性部长埃莉诺·奥尔谢夫斯基（Eleanor Olszewski）在社交媒体发帖中表示：“昨晚，我批准了不列颠哥伦比亚省提出的联邦援助请求，旨在为那些因全省山火而被迫离开家园的人们提供避难所和住宿。”该部长还表示：“我已经指派由加拿大公共安全部政府运营中心领导的联邦官员与该省合作，确保支持能够触达最需要帮助的人群。”

不列颠哥伦比亚省山火服务局表示，在过去的 24 小时里，由于天气炎热干燥，不列颠哥伦比亚省南部火势继续蔓延。

目前有 10 架直升机和 1 架夜视直升机在执行任务，但受到了烟雾和湍流的干扰。该局表示，来自澳大利亚、新西兰和墨西哥的人员正在支持数百名当地消防员，预计额外的国际资源将很快抵达。

塞乌塔争端升级

西班牙 在与罗马就移民问题发生争端后，西班牙在实施边境管制的第一天，在六大机场对约 200 名来自意大利的访客进行了检查。针对航班和船只的管制将持续到 9 月 7 日，这是为了回应意大利采取的类似措施，此前有 72,000 名移民从摩洛哥抵达西班牙领土塞乌塔（Ceuta）。

台风袭击中国

中国 台风“海豚”（Dolphin）昨日袭击东海岸，给浙江省和福建省带来了 9.1 英里 / 小时的风速及降雨。超过 300,000 人从该地区撤离，上海的两座机场取消了 1,300 航班。在菲律宾，由于台风引发的山体滑坡，北部城市巴高（Baguio）有 7 人失踪。

船只被截获毒品

印度尼西亚 当局从一艘外国籍船只上缴获了 1.1 吨氯胺酮，价值数千万加元。周四，一艘海军舰艇在“金太阳号”（MV King Sun）进入印度尼西亚海域时将其拦截。国家缉毒局表示，官员们在 2 月份收到情报，称该船携带来自泰国的可疑货物。

禁止在厨房剥皮猎物

美国 纽约州的康奈尔大学已禁止在厨房内剥皮猎物。此前，亚伦·钦（Aaron Chin）及其一名朋友在一次狩猎旅行中射杀了一头熊，并在公共区域将其肢解。当时并没有禁止此类行为的规定。虽然有人提出了投诉，但他们被判定没有违规。一名发言人表示，新政策提供了“明确性”。

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25

世界

村庄救星的华丽谢幕

詹姆斯·伊曼 (James Imam) 圣潘克拉齐奥 (San Pancrazio)

当圣潘克拉齐奥这座小剧院的脚灯在半个世纪以来首次亮起时，观众席上的许多人都激动得流下了眼泪。直到不久前，这个仅有 150 名居民的村庄似乎注定会消失。然而现在，它正迎来一位备受赞誉的瑞典钢琴家，在一场门票售罄的演出中，外籍居民、富裕的游客和当地人齐聚一堂。

圣潘克拉齐奥坐落在托斯卡纳基安蒂 (Chianti) 葡萄酒产区附近的瓦尔达诺 (Valdarno) 山丘中，长期以来一直深受人口流失之苦。七年前，村里唯一的一家商店看起来肯定要关门了。而现在，这里迎来了一次出人意料的复兴，游客和居民纷纷涌向这座优雅的石砌剧院观看一系列现场音乐会，首场是由佩尔·滕斯特兰德 (Per Tengstrand) 带来的独奏会。

“当我们走进剧院时，我看到这么多人的眼中噙满了泪水，”在圣潘克拉齐奥长大、现年 58 岁的律师劳拉·南尼尼 (Laura Nannini) 说道。

复兴这座拥有 80 个座位的剧院的计划是由约翰·韦里希 (John Werich) 策划的，他是一位瑞典摄影师兼室内设计师。他决心让这个村庄重新站起来，此前他已经救活了那家商店，将一座 17 世纪的贵族宫殿改造为精品酒店，并将当代艺术引入了路边的一座小型中世纪教堂。

“有多少个只有 150 人的村庄拥有一个小剧院？” 40 岁的韦里希说道。

韦里希的父母通过生产宜家 (Ikea) 的塑料组件发财，他在哥德堡附近的乡村长大。20 年前，他搬到佛罗伦萨学习设计、时尚和艺术史，随后经营了一家英文书店。2010 年，他的父母买下了一栋俯瞰该村庄的别墅，他由此发现了圣潘克拉齐奥。

当时这里几乎没有什么吸引力。村里在 1990 年代拥有的几乎所有企业——第二家村店、肉铺、理发店、木工店和烟草店——早已关闭。“没有人真的会来这里，”韦里希说。

托斯卡纳许多山顶社区正在缓慢消亡，圣潘克拉齐奥的人口已从 1990 年代后期的约 230 人下降。

2019, 年，当村店面临关闭时，韦里希以 €20,000 的价格将其买下并永久搬到那里居住。他对其进行了翻新，在销售当地农产品的同时提供日常必需品，并增加了桌椅，让居民们可以聚在一起喝

上图为弗朗西斯·普林斯 (Francis Prins) 在重新开放的剧院舞台上，他与克劳迪娅·皮耶特雷利 (Claudia Pietrelli) 一起赞赏约翰·韦里希所付出的巨大努力

坎宁安 (CUNNINGHAM)，10.10.2026

咖啡或晚间开胃酒。“整个当地社区在晚餐前都会来这里喝一杯，”韦里希说。“它不仅仅是一家商店，它真的成了村庄的聚集地。”

随后，韦里希和他的伴侣（一名常驻斯德哥尔摩的图书出版商）买下了 Tiglio 宫殿，打算将其改造成酒店。在工人发现结构问题后，翻修成本从 €700,000 增加到了 €390 万。韦里希的伴侣提供了大部分资金。

这座宫殿于 2021 年重新开放，成为一家拥有七间客房的精品酒店，并附带一家餐厅。虽然尚未盈利，但它吸引了外国游客。在圣潘克拉齐奥及周边乡村的 30 户外国居民家庭中，有 7 户在酒店开业后购买了房产，其中 4 户曾是酒店客人。

该酒店为 15 人创造了就业机会，其中 9 人居住在村里。

“商店之前的状况非常糟糕，”协助经营商店的 61, 岁克劳迪娅·皮耶特雷利 (Claudia Pietrelli) 说，“我们真的让它焕然一新。”

现在，韦里希将注意力转向了村庄的文化生活。在教区将一座此前用于储藏的 13 世纪教堂的钥匙交给他在之后，他开始在那里举办当代艺术展。剧院是他接下来的、也是最雄心勃勃的项目。这座剧院由居民于 1916, 年建成，此前已关闭约 50 年。€80,000 的修复资金主要由村民通过筹款活动提供。

现年 64 岁的弗朗西斯·普林斯（Francis Prins）是一位现居住在圣潘克拉齐奥（San Pancrazio）附近的荷兰房地产经纪人，她表示这里现在变得更好了。“我会把客户带到这里，因为在酒店露台上，面对着绝美的景色，能给人留下很好的印象，”她说。

律师南尼尼（Nannini）表示，她起初对韦里希（Werich）的计划持谨慎态度。“但后来我真正支持起约翰的项目，因为它们很有趣，”她说。“现在这里有了艺术，有了音乐。重要的是为我们这个小社区拥有一个真正的愿景。”

并非所有人都对此感到热情。60 岁的西蒙内塔·萨巴（Simonetta Saba）在托斯卡纳生活了三十年，八年前搬到圣潘克拉齐奥是为了寻求一种更慢的生活节奏。“以前，这里是一个安静、平和的小村庄。现在这里到处都是外国人，”她说。

当被问及村庄的哪个区域可能会是下一个翻新目标时，韦里希回避了回答。

他将开展其他工作，但表示：“还没有真正经过深思熟虑。没有总体规划。我只是边做边想。”

再见，贝丝：参议员的古董吸尘器发出最后一声喘息

威尔·帕维亚 (WILL PAVIA) 纽约

周六下午 3.52pm，参议员查克·格拉斯利 (Chuck Grassley) 发布了一则关于吸尘器的死亡通知。这条消息在措辞上的突兀和语法上的古怪，似乎暗示着一种真实的心碎。

格拉斯利是美国历史上任职时间最长的共和党参议员。在他进入国会的 45 年里，在变幻莫测的政治时代，只有一位忠诚的仆人始终陪伴在他身边：他岳母那台旧吸尘器。

他以一名前工作人员的名字将其命名为“贝丝” (Beth)。贝丝是一台带有红色集尘袋的米色吸尘器，在 1992 年进入格拉斯利家之前，已经在他的岳母那里使用了 15 年。他称她为“忠实的老伙计” (OLD FAITHFUL)，“她从未让我失望”。在他的追随者看来，他提到贝丝的次数有时甚至超过了他结婚 70 年的妻子。而现在，她发出了最后一声喘息。

“你们再也看不到贝丝了，”他写道，“看到那些电火花产生的黑色痕迹了吗。它不再安全可用了。再见，贝丝。你一直是个真正的劳模。你的同名者依然是个勤奋的人。我会想你的。”

这篇悼词以其笨拙的方式，似乎镜像了其主体的特性。这简直像诗一样。

南卡罗来纳州共和党参议员蒂姆·斯科特 (Tim Scott) 是首批表达哀悼的人之一。他在 X 上写道：“对你的损失深表遗憾。现在的产品不再像以前那样耐用了。”

爱荷华州民主党人、州代表乔什·图雷克 (Josh Turek) 正在竞选参议员，与格拉斯利的共和党同事竞争，他表示：“听起来贝丝经历了一段非常精彩的时光。”

当然，有些人试图从一台胡佛 (Hoover) 吸尘器的离世中寻找更大的政治意义。格拉斯利的对手就任期限制和美国制造业的衰落发表了尖锐的评论。一名支持者则声称，贝丝的临终遗愿是希望格拉斯利和其他参议员立即通过由特朗普总统倡导的立法，要求选民在投票时出示护照或出生证明。

格拉斯利并不是第一个对机器产生强烈依恋的国会议员。前众议院议长约翰·博纳 (John Boehner) 经常与他的割草机一同出现。参议员约翰·肯尼迪 (John Kennedy) 在车库里有一台椭圆机，他将其命名为“玛格丽特” (Margaret)，“因为玛格丽特·撒切尔和这台机器一样都很有劲 (kick butt)”。他在今年发布的一段视频中说，他的妻子贝基 (Becky) “不让我把玛格丽特搬进屋里”。因此，他在车库里骑着玛格丽特，然后举重，在隐喻意义上，由他的“铁娘子”同伴守护着。

查克·格拉斯利在网上悼念他的“忠实老伙计”

格拉斯利的胡佛吸尘器贝丝通常会在感恩节前后的公开声明中出现。他在 2018 年宣布，他的妻子和女儿正在为 30, 人准备饭菜。“所以我的家务贡献开始了，”他说，“这就是我的机器。”

他以贝丝·莱文 (Beth Levine) 的名字为这台机器命名，莱文曾担任他的通讯顾问长达 20 年。每当他发布关于吸尘器的内容时，莱文都会收到来自朋友的消息。她告诉《泰晤士报》：“我一直很喜欢看每一条帖子，并且始终感激他用这种方式记得我为他以及爱荷华州人民所做的工作。”

“能让一名美国参议员用你的名字给吸尘器命名，这不仅有趣而且是一种荣誉（是的，我会称之为一种荣誉！），而且这也是与前同事和朋友保持联系的一种绝佳方式。”

格拉斯利在其他假期也会写关于这台吸尘器的内容。在 2022 年圣诞节，他写道：“忠实的贝丝大约还有 3 小时的清洁工作，为了给 25 / 30 做准备。”次年，贝丝的追随者们看到了一段吸尘器与参议员共同协作的视频，它们正在清理一块蓝色大地毯上的灰尘。“她从未让我失望，我很感激能依靠这个忠实的老伙计，”他写道。

但正如伊诺克·鲍威尔 (Enoch Powell) 所言，所有的政治生涯，除非在幸福的时刻半途而废，否则最终都将以失败告终。因为这就是政治、人类事务以及吸尘器的本质。

然而，在所有那些哀悼一个时代终结的人之中，也有人表示贝丝（Beth）尚未死去，她只需要一根新的电源线。“我在安肯尼（Ankeny）经营一家硬件和电子产品店，”其中一人在自己的公告下方写道，“我们将很荣幸能免费接回并修理贝丝。”

---

26

世界

特朗普的发型惊艳全场

特朗普总统在拉斯维加斯的一个舞台上，告诉支持者们药价正在下降，美国制造业很快将快速增长，出口正处于“火热”状态（Will Pavia 撰文）。但一些观众很难集中注意力听这些，因为他们无法停止盯着他的头发看。

在他的头顶，就在几天前还是一片稀疏且干硬的丛林，现在却变成了一块金色的、光亮的绒毯。那是他自己的头发吗？还是他从某位酒廊歌手或某种森林生物那里借来的？人们很快开始发布一周前特朗普的照片，询问他头皮上的深冬是如何变成如此灿烂的盛夏的。

特朗普总统在拉斯维加斯演讲时的金色卷发。上周末在新泽西州时，他的手臂上有淤青，手指上贴着创可贴。

“我们这位 80 岁的总统似乎一夜之间长出了一头新头发，”前奥巴马总统演讲撰稿人、现任 Pod Save America 主持人乔恩·法夫罗（Jon Favreau）说道。他的共同主持人丹·普法伊弗（Dan Pfeiffer）则认为，这与几天前的头发是“完全不同的颜色”。

但据白宫称，这种绝妙的新造型实际上是由红岩赌场（Red Rock Casino）的 LED 灯光造成的，特朗普当时正在那里演讲。“灯光决定一切，”特朗普的新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特（Karoline Leavitt）告诉《华尔街日报》。

特朗普的一位传记作者哈里·赫特三世（Harry Hurt III）声称，特朗普在 1989 年接受了一次痛苦的头皮缩减手术以消除秃斑；而特朗普第一任期内的两名医生则表示，他一直在服用生发药物非那雄胺（finasteride）。

今年 1 月，《纽约杂志》引用一名白宫助手的话称，特朗普允许自己的头发变灰，将其作为“对年龄的唯一妥协”。到那时，人们已经对他肿胀的脚踝（他的医生称这是某种常见循环系统疾病的症状）以及右手出现的淤青提出了质疑。“这只是因为握手，”特朗普告诉一名记者。当左手在达沃斯也出现淤青时，白宫表示他不小心撞到了桌子。

上周末，他被看到在新泽西州的一家高尔夫俱乐部，手臂上有淤青，手指上贴着几个创可贴。白宫坚称他依然健康状况极佳。

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党内忠诚者顶礼膜拜政治领袖

印度 Amrit Dhillon 德里

这位政治人物惬意地坐在扶手椅上，盯着手机。他并未屈尊看向那两名正用牛奶洗他双脚的下属。在祈祷和吟诵之间，他们将花瓣撒在老板身上。

最近的一张照片显示，印度国大党高级成员纳纳·帕托莱（Nana Patole）在孟买家中，两名员工为其洗脚。这一画面引发了愤慨，并凸显了印度政治文化中谄媚之风的根深蒂固。

帕托莱对此回应称，在古鲁节（Guru Purnima，一个人们向导师和教师致敬的节日）期间，他并不希望党工为他洗脚，但他们坚持这样做。“他们就像我的家人一样，”他告诉记者，“这只不过是他们表达的一份心意。”

国大党在印度独立后的很长一段时间内一直执政，因其对内赫鲁-甘地王朝成员表现出的卑躬屈膝而臭名昭著。贾瓦哈拉尔·内赫鲁是印度首任总理，任职 17 年，从 1947. 开始。他的女儿英迪拉·甘地在被刺杀前担任该职 15 年，随后由其子拉吉夫接任直至 1989. 。其妻索尼娅·甘地后来领导该党 20 年。

人们曾看到高级部长们触摸拉吉夫和索尼娅·甘地的子女——拉胡尔和普里扬卡——的双脚，且该党以该王朝成员的名字命名了机场、大学和体育场。

但这种谄媚之风贯穿于印度政治的所有光谱，更不用说公务员体系了。

私人助理们躬身弯腰，在官员下车时匆匆跟在身后，帮其携带公文包，并像对待小王子一样对“先生”嘘寒问暖。触摸或清洗被认为在社会地位上更高、更有权力或仅仅是

一张两名工作人员为纳纳·帕托莱洗脚的照片引发了印度的深刻反思。在印度，城镇中经常可以看到纳伦德拉·莫迪的纸板立牌，以便崇拜的公众可以拍照。

年长者的双脚，是一种根植于印度教传统的致敬行为。

然而，政治分析师帕尔萨·文卡特什瓦尔·劳二世（Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr）表示，这与一个认为人人平等的民主国家的现代观念相冲突。“令人反感的是，这种文化传统被延伸到了政治领域，在那里，仅仅下跪被认为是不够的，”劳说道，“但不要抱有幻想。这并不总是真诚的。通常是机会主义的。表现得卑躬屈膝的人通常是在寻求某种好处。”

这种谄媚有时会导致滑稽的结果。1991 年至 2016, 间担任泰米尔纳德邦首席部长的贾亚拉姆·贾亚拉利塔（Jayaram Jayalalithaa）的支持者，习惯在她面前俯伏在地，且经常竞争谁最谄媚。一名名为希尔万·侯赛因（Shilvan Hussain）的雕塑家粉丝，在 2004 年用自己的血液为她画了 56 幅肖像，以庆祝她的 56 岁生日。

2014, 年，该邦的手工织造和纺织部长戈库拉·英迪拉（Gokula Indira）称贾亚拉利塔为“圆月散发的明亮之乳”。党工在演讲开始时会祈求她的“金脚”。

当印度人民党（BJP）在 2014 年执政时，曾誓言要结束其所谓的“国大党文化”中的谄媚之风。但执政十多年后，该党似乎也陷入其中。围绕总理纳伦德拉·莫迪的个人崇拜如此之深，以至于内阁部长在谈论工作时，如果不将成就归功于莫迪的恩赐就无法开口。

各邦首席部长在报纸上刊登双页广告，对他领导能力的赞美之词溢于言表。他的形象被贴在政府提供的每一件福利物品或服务上，从大米袋到疫苗。莫迪的等身像装饰在许多火车站台上，方便旅客与他合影。

虽然没有出现他在古鲁节（Guru Purnima）期间被洗脚的照片，但这并非因为没有人愿意这样做。印度演员苏德什·贝里（Sudesh Berry）宣布他希望能够“为莫迪洗脚并喝下那盆水”。他说，尽管从未见过莫迪，但他依然尊敬莫迪，“就像我们虽然没见过上帝，但依然崇拜他一样”。

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27

商业

世界市场（周五收盘。本周涨跌）

大宗商品

货币

全职工作招聘自利兹·特拉斯以来首次企稳

杰克·巴内特 (Jack Barnett) 经济记者

一项备受关注的调查显示，劳动力市场开始出现“曙光”，全职招聘自利兹·特拉斯 2022 年短暂的首相任期以来首次企稳。

新数据表明，在企业承受了 250 亿英镑 billion 的工资单税收打击、最低工资大幅上涨以及多次外部经济冲击后，英国就业市场的长期低迷可能即将结束。由招聘与就业联合会 (REC) 和毕马威 (KPMG) 编制的永久全职招聘指数在 7 月达到 50 点，这是近四年来该指数首次没有低于这一数值——低于 50 点则表明人员安置处于收缩状态。

REC-KPMG 的就业报告显示，伦敦的企业招聘新全职员工的速度达到了 2022 年以来的最快水平，但英格兰北部的永久安置人数继续下降，这向安迪·伯纳姆凸显了伦敦在其振兴经济增长计划中所扮演的核心角色。

该联合会的首席会员官马克辛·布莱 (Maxine Bligh) 表示：“随着雇主重启招聘计划，就业市场开始出现曙光。值得注意的是，这是自 2022, 年利兹·特拉斯辞任首相以来，永久安置人数首次没有出现下降，这凸显了永久招聘的低迷期是多么漫长。”

在过去五年中，企业遭受了成本冲击的打击，从而抑制了招聘计划。2022 年俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后，能源价格飙升；2024 年，瑞秋·里夫斯将雇主的国民保险缴款增加了 250 亿英镑 billion；而中东战争则导致油价呈螺旋式上升。

然而，由于官方数据的质量较低，该调查被视为劳动力市场健康状况的替代指标，它信号表明企业正处于招聘复苏的边缘。

职位空缺指数为 471, 是 2024, 年 9 月以来的最高水平，尽管仍低于 50 点的增长阈值。兼职职位的空缺增长速度为 2023 年 8 月以来最快。

虽然这对劳动者和更广泛的经济而言是好消息，但 REC-KPMG 的数据可能会让英格兰银行感到不安。全职员工的薪资增长达到了六个月来的最高点。

这些数据与国家统计局 (ONS) 的官方数据形成对比，后者显示私营部门的薪资增长已降至六年来的最低点。

希思罗机场寻求 90亿英镑 跑道资金

乘客将为资金注入买单

Alistair Osborne

希思罗机场正要求乘客提供高达 90 亿英镑 billion 的额外早期资金，以帮助为其第三条跑道项目提供融资。

该机场对这笔巨额预付款的要求必然会激怒各航空公司。这一情况披露在英国民航局（CAA）网站上的一封信函中，该信函来自其最大的客户 IAG——英国航空、西班牙航空、伏林航空和爱尔兰航空的所有者。

航空公司此前已对监管机构上个月的决定感到愤怒。该决定允许希思罗机场为这项耗资 490 亿英镑 billion 扩建项目申请 £3.2 亿 的所谓“早期成本”，用于覆盖 2025 和 2026, 期间的规划费用。承运商认为，允许此类成本意味着乘客在跑道投入使用之前，甚至在跑道尚未建成的情况下，就必须通过更高的票价为跑道买单。

英国民航局（CAA）的这一举措将使 2028. 起每名乘客的起降费增加 30 便士。希思罗机场已经是全球最昂贵的机场，每名乘客的收费约为 £26。按照同样的计算方式，如果允许进一步增加 90 亿英镑 billion 的成本，每张机票的价格将增加近 £8.50。

希思罗机场在寻求获得该项目规划许可的同时，正寻求进一步的早期成本回收。该项目将包括建设一条 3,500 米的西北跑道和第六航站楼，并将年承运能力从去年的 8450 万 人提升至约 1.5 亿 人。

据认为，希思罗机场希望确保大幅增加预付成本，以便在为该项目寻求开发同意令（DCO）时，能够达成购买土地的协议。

这封写给英国民航局（CAA）的信函写于 5 月，早于其允许 £3.2 亿 早期成本的最终决定。信函由 IAG 企业发展总监 Raghbir Pattar 撰写。

他在信中提到英国民航局（CAA）之前的初步裁决，称：“自初步决定公布以来，我们收到希思罗机场有限公司（HAL）的通知，他们将在 2026, 期间寻求确保 90 亿英镑 billion 的财务承诺，用于未来与 DCO 相关的支出。至关重要的是，英国民航局（CAA）目前对 2025-26 年成本的处理方式，不能被视为 2027 起支出监管处理的先例。”

他还认为，“在授予 DCO 之前允许回收早期扩建成本，存在将投机性的、获得许可前的开发风险转移给当今乘客的风险，且缺乏足够的审查或有效的消费者保护”。

希思罗机场由一些全球最富有的投资者所有，他们共同管理着数万亿加元的基金。其中包括来自卡塔尔、沙特阿拉伯、新加坡和中国的主权财富基金；总部位于巴黎的基础设施基金 Ardian，以及澳大利亚退休信托基金（Australian Retirement Trust）。

希思罗机场的一位发言人表示，对于 IAG 给英国民航局（CAA）信函中的一个数字，该机场不予评论。该发言人重复了之前的言论，称跑道将为“国家的每个地区和每个民族带来真正的经济推动。我们从一开始就明确，释放能够带来这些利益的私人投资需要一个支持性的监管框架”。

90 亿英镑 billion 这个数字出现在希思罗机场自身的一份文件中。

What's the Story? Arena 公司在 2021 年因欺诈指控而崩溃，此前该公司曾拍摄过利亚姆·加拉格尔（Liam Gallagher）的格拉斯顿伯里音乐节演唱会等活动。该公司目前处于破产清算公司与劳埃德银行（Lloyds Bank）之间一场涉及 10 亿英镑 billion 的法庭之争的中心。Page 28

万事达卡诉讼费用耗资 4100万英镑

Jonathan Ames 法律编辑

在长达十年的万事达卡集体诉讼中，尽管消费者每人最高仅获得 £45 赔付，但律师费已累计超过 4100 万英镑 million。

在支持该诉讼的诉讼融资公司放弃对首席原告沃尔特·梅里克斯（Walter Merricks）提起仲裁程序的威胁后，新的赔付金额浮出水面。此前，该公司因梅里克斯决定以 £2 亿 达成和解而对其提出威胁。该索赔最初被估值为对英国消费者价值 140 亿英镑 billion。

据接近该索赔的消息人士告知《泰晤士报》，梅里克斯产生的“项目成本”——包括律师和专家的费用——总计 4100 万英镑.5 million。参与此案的律师来自多家美国顶尖律师事务所的伦敦办事处，包括 Quinn Emanuel 和 Willkie Farr & Gallagher。

竞争上诉法庭已授权发放拨给消费者赔付金的 £1 亿 中的一部分。曾任金融监察员的梅里克斯估计，在 4600 万 名符合条件的集体成员中，仅有 5 per cent 的人会费心申请分成。这意味着，每位消费者可能获得的最高赔偿额约为 £45。

在欧盟委员会裁定万事达卡违反竞争规则后，梅里克斯于 2016 年对这家美国信用卡公司提起了一项具有里程碑意义的诉讼。2019, 1 月，欧盟委员会对其处以相当于 £5.04 亿 的罚款。梅里克斯声称，在直到 2008, 的 16 年间，万事达卡在零售商接受信用卡付款时不正当地提高了费用。

该索赔最初被估值为 140 亿英镑 billion，但这一数字逐渐下降。梅里克斯与万事达卡同意在 2024, 年底以 £2 亿 达成和解，该公司强调其在未承认任何责任的情况下达成和解。该协议去年获得了法庭法官的批准。

到那个阶段，梅里克斯的索赔由 Innsworth Capital 提供资金，其 Continued on page 29

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28

必读

1 领先的发电企业发出警告，由于一项旨在节省资金并帮助实现政府绿色目标的电力系统规则变更，英国面临全国性停电风险增加的可能性。第 1 页

2 希思罗机场正要求乘客提供高达 £9 亿的额外早期资金，以帮助为其第三条跑道项目提供融资。航空公司认为，允许此类成本意味着乘客在跑道投入使用之前，甚至在跑道未建成的情况下，就必须通过更高的票价为跑道买单。第 27 页

3 今日发布的一项备受关注的调查显示，随着全职招聘自 2022, 年利兹·特拉斯辞任首相以来首次趋于稳定，劳动力市场开始出现“曙光”。第 27 页

4 在这场持续十年的万事达卡（Mastercard）集体诉讼中，尽管消费者每人最高仅获得 £45 的赔付，但律师们已赚取了超过 £41 的费用。第 27 页

5 劳埃德银行集团（Lloyds Banking Group）正面临两起高等法院的诉讼，指控其在涉及一项 12 亿英镑 贷款诈骗案中存在失职。这些由处理 Arena Television 破产案的破产管理人员提出的诉讼，可能会对银行业与企业的合作方式产生更广泛的影响。

6 英国政府债券有望从美国和日本波动的资产走势中获益，在秋季预算案出台前为安迪·伯纳姆的新政府提供助力。分析师预计，由于英国的通胀前景支持降息的可能性，债券收益率将在今年剩余时间内下降。第 30 页

7 随着新任首席执行官格雷格·阿贝尔（Greg Abel）启用公司巨大的现金储备，伯克希尔-哈撒韦公司在第二季度的买入股票金额比卖出金额多近 200 亿加元。这扭转了此前沃伦·巴菲特削减股票持仓的局面。第 32 页

在全球贸易转向反自由贸易之际，“购买英国货”运动并不像看起来那么愚蠢

西蒙·弗伦奇（Simon French），第 31 页

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干旱与高温是否会改变一切

随着气温飙升，将农产品上架的商业运作变得愈发困难，盖伊·泰勒（Guy Taylor）撰文指出

十多年前，当 Asda 绘制出气温升高如何影响其整个全球食品运营的蓝图时，其结果令人震惊。

在当时被认为具有开创性的《气候变化的挑战》（The Challenge of a Changing Climate）报告，是食品零售商首次尝试用具体数字量化这一威胁。报告发现，在未来几年中，该超市 95 per cent 的新鲜农产品系列可能会受到极端天气和水资源短缺的影响。

尽管该报告在很大程度上被遗忘了，但随着干旱席卷英格兰和威尔士，以及整个欧洲作物产量骤减，英国超市正面临着报告中所预测的大部分情况。

根据能源与气候情报局（Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit）的分析，英国今年的粮食收成预计将减少约 2500 万 吨。大麦、燕麦和油菜籽的产量预计将下降至 1950 万 吨，为 1984 年开始详细记录以来的最低水平。

从西兰花、豌豆等绿叶蔬菜到小麦、马铃薯和橄榄，各类种植者都感受到了压力，这引发了人们对供应短缺和价格上涨的担忧。

包括 Tesco、Sainsbury's、Aldi 和 Waitrose 在内的超市高管已致信安迪·伯纳姆，警告称英国的粮食安全正面临热浪和山火的威胁。

另一些人则批评多年来在水利基础设施方面的投资“极其匮乏”，因为英国在三十多年里没有建造过一座大型水库。“现实情况是，如果河流干涸且你没有任何水库，那么无论你是个多么优秀的农民，无论你做了多少计划，你都完蛋了，”一位英国大型食品零售商的前首席执行官说道。

在门店端，食品零售商被迫迅速适应热浪。在全英经营约 2,500 家食品店的互助社 Co-op，零售总监凯特·麦克雷（Kate McCrae）表示：“我们见到的高温峰值比我能记得的还要多。我们不得不

退一步，以一种截然不同的方式思考问题。”

在酷暑期间，水、冰、新鲜水果和沙拉的需求量很高，但供应量较少，这意味着需要削减在炎热天气中不太受欢迎的商品（如罐装汤）的货架空间。

虽然超市已开始从国外采购更多生菜和西兰花，但规模更小、适应性更强的蔬菜替代品也在帮助弥补供应不足。

根据 Co-op 的数据，由于整根黄瓜的收成停滞，且通常来自西班牙和摩洛哥的英国进口量大幅下降，小黄瓜的销售增长在近几个月激增。由于康沃尔郡的收成异常糟糕，该互助社还取消了对嫩西兰花 / 茎西兰花的促销活动，以维持供应。

即使在供应充足的情况下，为了防止过度损耗也展开了一场战斗。制冷和空调的成本正在增加，包括店内冰箱和冷冻柜，以及供应链下游的冷链物流。代表冷藏供应商的英国冷链联合会（Cold Chain Federation）负责人今年夏天警告称，该国供应新鲜食品的能力正承受着“严重压力”，仓库在某些时段已被推至极限。消费者报告称，超市的冷冻柜和配送系统出现了故障。

作为回应，Waitrose 宣布计划引入“地中海。

劳埃德银行因 10 亿英镑.2bn 诉讼面临贷款欺诈指控

詹姆斯·赫利 (James Hurley)

劳埃德银行集团 (Lloyds Banking Group) 正在应对两起高等法院的指控，这些指控涉及一项 12 亿英镑 billion 贷款诈骗案中的所谓失职行为。

这些指控可能会对银行业与企业的合作方式产生更广泛的影响，是由处理 Arena Television 破产案的破产管理从业人员提出的。其中一项索赔金额高达 11 亿英镑 billion，另一项为 £2.8 亿。

劳埃德银行否认相关指控，否认其拥有足够的信息来意识到不应处理与涉嫌欺诈相关的付款。

总部位于萨里郡的 Arena 公司曾为 BBC 制作包括格拉斯顿伯里音乐节在内的活动，该公司于 2021 年 11 月破产。当时有指控称，该公司利用不存在或已抵押给其他贷款人的电视设备进行借款。

根据来自 Kroll 的 Arena 清算人的说法，Arena 的所有者理查德·叶沃特 (Richard Yeowart) “挪用了超过 12 亿英镑 billion 的资产抵押贷款收益，涉及 5% 以上的不同贷款机构”，其中包括苏格兰银行 (Bank of Scotland) 和劳埃德银行。

清算人指称，叶沃特移除了广播设备的真实序列号，并用伪造的标签代替。据称，伪造的号码随后被提交给资产贷款机构，使 Arena 能够利用同一件设备获得多笔贷款。

清算人还指称，叶沃特及其共同董事罗伯特·霍普金森 (Robert Hopkinson) 将一家名为 Sentinel 的公司伪装成设备的买家，以便 Sentinel 能利用这些所谓的资产筹集资金。这些资金随后被转交给 Arena。

根据来自 Quantuma 的 管理人的说法， 向贷款机构“出售”不存在的设备，而贷款机构将这些虚构的设备租赁给 Arena。 将从贷款机构筹集的资金中约 11 亿英镑 billion 支付给了 Arena。破产管理从业人员指称，在 8,196 件所谓的设备中，实际上仅有 66 件存在。

严重欺诈办公室 (SFO) 在 2022. 宣布对该事件展开调查。叶沃特的下落不明，他已被宣布破产。霍普金森于 2023 在法国被发现，但目前下落不明，他同样已被宣布破产。

的管理人认为，由于数千笔交易的模式，银行已经收到通知，且应至少从 2012. 起停止付款。他们补充说，“劳埃德银行应当意识到”这些付款“表明或涉及违规行为”。Arena 的清算人指称，劳埃德银行及其子公司苏格兰银行在“未经授权的情况下‘处理了付款’”。

他们声称，存在“许多事实和事项，足以让一名具备合理技能且谨慎的银行家”质疑交易是否“真正获得授权”。

要求劳埃德银行用 10 亿英镑 billion，或者 £9.45 亿（即 自 2012, 5 月起支付给 Arena 的金额）来“重建” 的银行账户。原告方声称，银行从那时起就有“合理理由相信”这些付款是不合法的。如果原告胜诉，此次诉讼可能会迫使人们重新思考银行如何处理可疑的付款指令，以及在企业客户被诈骗时银行应承担的责任范围。

负责 索赔案的 Isadore Goldman 律师事务所董事尼克·奥利弗 (Nick Oliver) 表示：“本案的核心问题在于，当超过 10 亿英镑的资金通过其一个账户流转时，劳埃德银行是否应该察觉到预警信号。”

“允许此案进入全面审理是一个重大步骤，也将是对英国银行法的一次重要考验。”

审理计划于 2028. 10 月进行。劳埃德银行的一位发言人表示：“我们继续强力应对这些指控。我们认为，这些指控错误地试图让劳埃德银行为一场针对包括劳埃德银行在内的 50 多家贷款机构的复杂涉嫌欺诈行为承担财务后果。”

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29

商业

我们商店里的食物？

上周，在干旱席卷英格兰和威尔士之际，肯特郡佩勒姆（Pelham）正在收获磨制小麦，这导致超市负责人向首相表示粮食安全面临风险。对沙拉的高需求意味着汤类的空间减少

级冰箱，能够承受高达 48 摄氏度的温度。

Co-op 为其运营团队引入了每日天气和制冷更新，目前正将其部分啤酒和葡萄酒冰箱运行在比平时更高的温度下，以便为蔬菜和其他新鲜农产品节省能源。

此外，为了减轻配送中心的压力，还采取了减少其供应门店数量等措施。

---

十年纠纷带来 £45 赔付

高管们对以远低于评估价值的价格达成万事达卡（Mastercard）索赔和解的决定感到愤怒，但一名高等法院法官驳回了对该交易提出的司法复核申请。

梅里克斯（Merricks）为和解辩护，认为“投入了 £40 多万英镑的私人资本，从一家被认定违反竞争法的国际巨头公司那里追回了 £2 亿”。

“这几乎是投资额五倍的回报。大多数人会说这是一个非常好的回报。”

梅里克斯表示，该索赔由私人出资支持，除了法庭时间外，没有涉及公共资金。

他表示，今年的宣传活动将对索赔流程进行广告推广。符合条件的人员必须在 1997 年 6 月至 2008 年 6 月期间（苏格兰居民为 1992 年 5 月起）年满 16 岁，且在英格兰、威尔士或北爱尔兰居住至少三个月。他们必须在此时期内从英国的一家公司购买过商品或服务，并且在 2016 年 9 月 6 日时居住在英国。

麦克雷（McCrae）在解释时提到 Co-op 在英格兰东部的两个配送站点说：“当热浪袭击瑟罗克（Thurrock）时，强度非常大——那是一个非常、非常炎热的场区。将货车降温是一个额外的挑战，因此你可能希望通过将部分门店转移到比格尔斯韦德（Biggleswade）来缓解压力。”

热浪带来的压力在全球逆风日益增强的时刻，考验着英国的超市和食品生产商。在英国，食品

金融区金丝雀码头从混合办公的反弹中获利

杰西卡·纽曼 (Jessica Newman)

在最新一轮对混合办公的打击中，Hargreaves Lansdown 的员工被告知需返回办公室。

这家计划在布里斯托开设办公室的零售投资经纪公司已告知员工，从明年起，他们每周必须至少在办公室工作三天。该计划最早由《金融时报》报道。

Hargreaves 加入了越来越多实施更严格返回办公室指令的大型金融公司行列，其中包括摩根大通 (JP Morgan)、Revolut 和 TSB。

TSB 在今年早些时候被桑坦德银行 (Santander) 以 26.5 亿英镑 billion 的交易收购，该公司已告知其 5,000 名员工，从 2027. 4 月起，他们将被要求每周在办公室工作三天。然而，TBU 工会的员工代表正准备将相关案例提交至就业法庭，因为他们担心部分成员将

预计到 11 月，通货膨胀率将比 2021, 中期生活成本危机开始时高出 50 per cent，这主要受到伊朗战争爆发以来化肥短缺和油价上涨的推动。世界银行警告称，今年的“超级厄尔尼诺”天气周期可能会导致严重的全球食品价格冲击，并持续到 2028 年。

英国国内的食品生产多年来一直在下降。根据行业估计，蔬菜和水果的产量自 2015, 以来下降了约 16 per cent，这意味着进口占供应量的 78 per cent。

持有多家英国超市股份的投资基金 Rathbones 的伦理、可持续发展和影响研究员劳伦·奥莱利 (Lauren O'Leary) 表示，这使得英国在面对欧洲大陆更频繁的野火和热浪时日益“脆弱”。

她说：“英国在一些被野火摧毁的地区是巨大的食品进口国，例如西班牙和法国，我们从那里进口大量水果和蔬菜。现在就讨论这对全球供应链产生的影响还为时过早，但我认为可以肯定地说，很多 [收成] 已经受损。”

水库和供水也是一个反复出现的主题。一位前超市首席执行官表示：“你无法回避这样一个事实，即英国的供应链在最广泛的意义上需要更加稳健。你必须建设水库，建设存储设施，建设将水从北方引向南方的管道工程。现实情况是，如果你有阳光和水，这里就像西班牙南部一样，你将能够种植很多东西。”

奥莱利表示，在 ESG（环境、社会和治理）近年来淡出议程之后，她预计投资者将加大对食品公司提高绿色资质和气候韧性的压力。

“我们通过参与、参加年度会议和签署股东决议来实现。最后，如果我们觉得他们没有充分解决这些问题，就会采取撤资。那是比较极端的手段。”

她补充道：“当我们与零售商交谈时，他们表示，是的，极端天气冲击正变得更加频繁。我们只需要想想现在正在发生的厄尔尼诺现象以及野火带来的更广泛影响。我认为这不仅仅是一次性的情况。”

无法更改其安排。Revolut 已告知新入职的毕业生员工，他们必须在公司办公室工作。这家金融科技公司已搬入金丝雀码头一个更大的基地。

这些推动快速回归办公室工作的公司名单，使得伦敦等城市的企业在抢购优质办公空间。

汇丰银行 (HSBC) 的前首席执行官诺埃尔·奎因 (Noel Quinn) 曾推动将办公地点从金丝雀码头的一个庞大空间搬迁到伦敦金融城一个小得多的地点，但随后该公司又改变了方向。

这一趋势被证明对金丝雀码头集团（Canary Wharf Group）尤为有利，该公司已获得了一波大规模的租赁交易。普华永道（PwC）正签署一项协议，租赁 One Eden 的 350,000 平方英尺空间，而巴克莱银行（Barclays）则为其总部获得了一份为期 999 年的租约。摩根大通（JP Morgan Chase）则计划建造一座摩天大楼，这将成为欧洲最大的办公楼之一。

哈格里夫斯（Hargreaves）拒绝置评。

下周预告

由于美国与伊朗之间的冲突导致能源价格上涨，预计英国第二季度的经济增长将有所放缓。

英国国家统计局（ONS）周四公布的官方数据可能会显示，在1月至3月记录到0.6%的强劲增长后，季度GDP增长将出现减速。英格兰银行预计4月至6月期间经济增长为0.3%。

面对全球能源价格上涨，经济整体表现出韧性，通胀率低于英格兰银行的预测，且劳动力市场的数据显示失业率仅小幅上升。

除了涵盖第二季度的ONS数据外，还将公布6月份最新的月度GDP预估值。咨询公司Pantheon的英国首席经济学家罗布·伍德（Rob Wood）表示，5月的月度增长率为0.1%，但6月可能会萎缩0.1%。

英格兰银行预计季度增长率为0.3%

尽管近期表现出韧性，但英格兰银行认为第三季度的增长将停滞在0%。

该行在最新的展望报告中表示：“GDP增长部分反映了中东冲突前疲软势头的延续，这与家庭和企业信心的低迷相一致。”

明日

自Bellway负责人警告称，自中东战争爆发以来，住房市场变得“日益具有挑战性”，且对其新建房屋的需求已“有所缓和”以来，情况几乎没有改变。

首席执行官杰森·霍尼曼（Jason Honeyman）在6月表示，还出现了“建筑材料成本再次面临上涨压力，这是由于霍尔木兹海峡实际上关闭后能源价格突然跳升所导致的”。

不过，交易更新报告至少应显示该公司有望在截至7月的年度内交付9,100至9,500套新房，且基础营业利润在£1.2 亿至£1.3 亿之间。中期报告： Malaya Mining, Genuit, 洲际酒店（InterContinental Hotels）, International Workplace, Lion Finance, Spirax 交易更新： Bellway, Public Policy Holding

周三

Evoke的中期报告可能是这家博彩公司作为上市公司发布业绩的最后几次机会。这家背负债务且拥有William Hill的企业的在6月建议由希腊彩票公司Bally's Intralot（见右图）以£2.43 亿收购，该交易可能在今年完成。分析师的共识是，该集团今年的营收将达到18 亿英镑 billion，调整后税前利润为£4100 万。

中期报告： Balfour Beatty, CLS Holdings, Evoke, Hill Smith 交易更新： Tui

经济： 国际能源署（IEA）石油市场报告，美国月度通胀数据

周四

在7月获得令人印象深刻的更新后，Rank Group的投资者正期待年度业绩。这家运营Mecca Bingo的富时250指数公司在数字化业务方面实现了强劲增长，最后一季度的净游戏收入增长12%至£6390 万，而其Mecca场馆的销售额增长了4%。Rank预测截至6月的12个月营业利润至少为£7000 万。

中期报告： Antofagasta, Costain, Entain, PensionBee, Savills, Secure Trust Bank 年度报告： Rank Group 经济： ONS季度GDP初步预估值

周五

Aviva 半年度业绩的一个主要关注点将是关于 Direct Line 整合进业务的战略进展报告，该公司在去年 7 月完成了对这家保险公司价值 37 亿英镑 十亿的交易。

这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）成份股集团仍在推进两者的合并，旨在到 2028 年底实现 £225 万的成本削减。

与此同时，Aviva 首席执行官 Amanda Blanc 正在推进扩大公司在职场养老金领域地位的努力，希望向新收购的客户销售更多 Aviva 产品。城市分析师预测，营业利润将增长 17.5%，达到 13 亿英镑 十亿，高于一年前的 11 亿英镑 十亿，这主要得益于其通用保险业务（现包括 Direct Line）营业利润 40.5% 的增长。中期业绩： Aviva, Winking Studios

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10

商业

服务业的一线曙光

根据一项备受关注的调查（Jessica Newman 撰文），上个月温暖的天气和世界杯给英国的酒店业和零售业带来了推动，商业活动恢复增长。

专业服务集团 BDO 的最新商业趋势调查发现，7 月份的产出读数从 6 月的 93.41 上升至 95.29，超过了代表年度增长的 95 关口。

研究显示，这次反弹主要由服务业驱动，酒店业企业和零售商受益于世界杯的狂欢以及国内旅游业的增加，从而推动了消费支出增长。BDO 的报告还指出，上个月在新任首相任命后出现了初步的“伯纳姆反弹”（Burnham bounce），这为商业乐观情绪的适度回升做出了贡献。

英国公司的信心指数为 89.96, 较 6 月份五年低点 88.45. 略有上升。然而，信心水平仍远低于长期增长阈值，表明如果没有政府支持，复苏“不太可能持续”。

BDO 增长主管 Scott Knight 表示，虽然充满阳光和体育赛事的夏天确实提供了急需的经济推动，但“遗憾的是，

阳光明媚的天气和世界杯给酒吧和餐厅带来了推动，BDO 发布的最新商业趋势调查强烈表明

这不可能永远持续下去”。

他认为，如果在 10 月预算案出台前，政府的经济政策缺乏更高的透明度，且地缘政治背景不够稳定，那么企业信心的任何提升“都可能是暂时的、季节性的且短暂的”。

制造业信心在 7 月份有所减弱，因为自五个月前伊朗战争爆发以来，企业继续承受生产成本持续增加和供应链不确定性的压力。该行业的信心指数在上个月收缩至 91.83，低于 6 月份的 94.53。

由于 2 月 28. 日美以对伊朗进行初步打击后霍尔木兹海峡实际上关闭，能源、原材料和其他对商品生产至关重要的投入价格飙升。上周，英格兰银行警告称，中东冲突的长期化导致油气价格在更长时间内维持高位，可能会引发利率上升。该银行预测，通胀在今年剩余时间内将维持在 3% 以上，这意味着它将连续 2 年无法达到 2% 的目标。BDO 的研究表明，招聘意愿仍接近 15 年低点。BDO 衡量招聘意向、员工人数和劳动力需求的指数稳定在 93.08, 这是自 5 月以来首次未出现下降。该咨询公司认为，这带来了劳动力市场即将稳定的希望。

全球投资者将寻求国债避险

Mehreen Khan 经济编辑

英国政府债券有望从美国和日本波动的资产走势中获益，在秋季预算案出台前为安迪·伯纳姆的新政府提供助力。

分析师和投资者表示，由于英国的通胀前景支持降息的可能性，他们预计国债收益率将在今年剩余时间内下降。

对美国联邦储备委员会新任主席凯文·沃什（Kevin Warsh）公信力的担忧，以及日本更具扩张性的财政环境，是可能导致投资者选择国债而非其他资产的其他因素。

TS Lombard 的策略师丹尼尔·冯·阿伦（Daniel von Ahlen）表示，债券投资者在未来几个月应“加倍投资国债”，且英国债券价格相对于日本、美国和德国的同类债券将会上涨。

市场预计英格兰银行将在明年两次加息，但冯·阿伦表示，由于“劳动力市场依然低迷”，借贷成本下降的可能性更高。

在 10 月 28 日预算案出台前，国债收益率的下降可以为财政大臣约翰·希利争取财政缓冲空间。自 2 月底美伊战争爆发以来，国债收益率的上涨已使政府用于满足财政规则的余地减少了约 £10-120 亿英镑 billion。

十年期国债收益率每增加 1 个百分点，政府债务利息支出将增加 120 亿英镑-150 亿加元。

国债是今年表现最差的债券之一，因为英国经济受中东冲突引发的能源价格冲击影响最为严重。但过去三次

120 亿英镑-150亿

十年期国债收益率每增加 1 个百分点，政府债务利息支出增加的金额

的通胀读数均低于英格兰银行的预期，这表明高油价对经济其他部分的溢出效应有限。

德意志银行的数据显示，7 月份国债表现优于同类资产：英国债券的月度总回报率持平，而美国国债下降了 1.2%，德国债券下降了 0.7%。

RBC BlueBay 资产管理公司的首席投资官马克·道丁（Mark Dowding）今年对国债持悲观态度，他表示在英格兰银行最近一次会议后，他对英国政府债务的“短期前景”并没有变得更加“乐观”。

道丁表示：“货币政策委员会的鸽派倾向可能会鼓励投资者增加[国债]头寸。”

全球最大资产管理公司贝莱德（BlackRock）的分析师表示，他们对国债持“中立”立场，而对日本政府债务和美国长期政府债券则持低配（或减少）头寸。

日本政府债券是今年表现最差的主要债务类别，因为这个全球第三大经济体正准备将利率从历史低点提高，且新政府通过减税和投资支出维持扩张性财政政策。7 月 31 日，美国采取干预措施支持日元，并警告抛售可能会溢出到美国国债。

由于预计英格兰银行将降低将其资产负债表上的国债出售给投资者的速度，英国的借贷成本今年可能会进一步下降。美国银行的分析师表示，英格兰银行将从下个月起将其年度“量化紧缩”规模从 700 亿英镑 billion 降低至 500 亿英镑 billion。

今年三分之一的英国制造商遭到黑客攻击

技术商业记者

最新研究显示，在过去一年中，近三分之一的制造商受到了网络攻击的影响。

这些研究结果凸显了网络韧性在制造业中日益增长的重要性，因为企业越来越依赖联网设备、机器人和远程访问工具。

这些事件包括直接影响制造商的攻击，以及针对供应商的攻击。来自 Make UK 的研究表明，网络攻击带来的后果包括生产停工和运营成本增加。在那些受到供应商受攻击影响的公司中，31 per cent 的公司报告客户交付延迟，同样比例的公司报告产能下降。

制造商贸易团体 Make UK 的创新与数字化负责人 Nina Gryf 表示，对于制造商来说，网络攻击“不再是抽象的技术事件”。

她说：“它们正通过停工、成本增加、订单延迟以及供应链压力，直接体现在工厂车间中。在联网的工业经济中，数字漏洞会迅速演变成生产问题。”

Gryf 表示，网络韧性需要被视为基础业务韧性的一部分。“那些能正确处理这一点的企业，将能更好地保持生产运行，保护客户，并充满信心地投资于数字化技术，”她说道。

在一系列高知名度的攻击之后，网络风险迅速成为董事会议程上的重点。捷豹路虎（Jaguar Land Rover）是去年最著名的企业黑客受害者之一。在其 IT 系统遭到攻击后，其全球工厂在整个 9 月份全部关闭，据估计给经济造成了 20 亿英镑 billion 的损失。

2025, 马莎百货（Marks & Spencer）和 Co-op 均成为目标。由政府委托的研究表明，重大网络攻击给英国机构带来的年度成本约为 1470 亿英镑 billion。

人工智能的兴起预计将导致网络攻击变得更加频繁且复杂。Anthropic 表示，其 Mythos 工具在 4 月份测试时，能够在全球一些最重要的软件中发现数千个此前未被察觉的漏洞。

部长们一直在敦促英国最大的企业加强防御。网络安全部长埃夫拉的劳埃德男爵（Baroness Lloyd of Effra）今年致信近 200 位商业领袖，敦促他们接受一项新的“网络韧性承诺”以加强其安全性。

英国国家网络安全中心（NCSC）国家韧性总监 Jonathon Ellison 表示：“没有一家制造商能承受将网络安全视为非业务关键优先事项的后果。”

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31

商业

西蒙·弗伦奇 (Simon French)

“关于英国新政府经济政策的重大揭秘，必须等到 10 月 28 日的预算案。然而，在过去的三周里，工党新政府的一个显著特征已经显现——在采购和政府工业战略上采取了一种更为明确的国家利益导向方法。

新任财政大臣约翰·希利上周表示，将把‘支持英国产品'作为一项‘领先的优先事项，不仅是在可能的情况下，而且是通过设计实现，从而使采购能够支持英国的就业、英国的学徒制和英国的创新’。这些并非随口而出的评论，而是向公共部门领导者发出的明确信号，告知他希望他们如何利用国家的支出能力。

当然，这并非新鲜事。从 20 世纪 30 年代的拉姆齐·麦克唐纳，到 70 年代的哈罗德·威尔逊，再到 21 世纪 00 年代后期的戈登·布朗，以及现在由安迪·伯纳姆领导的政府，英国的领导人们都曾推行过不同版本的‘购买英国货’。所有这些领导人都面临着定义其任期的经济挑战，并试图将民族主义与商业融合以寻求慰藉。这种方法的狭隘经济学逻辑依然没有改变——它会对比较优势和贸易带来的利益造成破坏性的干扰。但有没有可能，全球政治已经发生了如此巨大的变化，以至于这种考量超过了（此处为双关语）经济考量？

经济理论的缺陷之一，在于它有时以过于狭隘的定义来界定市场失灵。如果定义狭隘，那么重启‘购买英国货’运动就是愚蠢之举。英国贸易伙伴提供的更便宜或质量更高的产品，可能会为了支持低劣的国内替代品而被拒绝。贸易摩擦意味着在任何一次交易中，买方最终获得的‘性价比’更低，或者在英国语境下更准确地定义为‘每一英镑买到的质量更低’。

那么，这个结论定死了吗？英国政府走错了路，并导致本就紧张的公共部门采购预算被更低效地支出？还没那么快。

对英国政府面临的经济问题进行更广泛的定义是

首相们发起‘购买英国货’运动并非新鲜事

近年来，全球贸易的背景已发生了决定性的转变。随着中国激增的出口产品向价值链上游移动（在电动汽车和前沿 AI 领域最为明显），中国限制了进口。美国采取了重商主义转向，这种转向将比特朗普总统任期更久，而英国与欧盟的贸易关系自脱欧以来已不可逆转地改变。这对于不受限制的自由公平贸易来说，绝非有利的背景。

具有明确国家利益目标的积极工业战略，是全球三大经济体的共同特征。正如加拿大总理、前英格兰银行行长马克·卡尼今年在达沃斯冷峻地观察到的那样，中等强国‘必须共同行动，因为如果我们不在餐桌旁，我们就在菜单上’。他接着指出，像加拿大和英国这样的中等强国‘必须在能源、食品、关键矿产、金融和供应链方面发展更大的战略自主权’。

‘更大的战略自主权’是达沃斯式的措辞，意指在基本和关键商品及服务方面，不再依赖那些不够可靠的贸易伙伴，即使这种方法会导致整体经济效率的损失。长期以来一直是无限制全球化代言人的卡尼，已经认识并定义了这一变化。伯纳姆和希利只是在沿用同样的理由。人们很容易攻击英国政府没有予以反击并成为自由贸易的制衡力量，但怀特霍尔——或者可能是北街 10 号所在的 Heron House——的判断一定是：英国在足够多的行业中缺乏足够的关联度，使得这种单边主义无法产生效果。

这种对主权经济的关注还有另一个方面。全球经济正处于一个极其剧烈的技术变革期，低碳经济和人工智能领域的初创产业正获得极高水平的公共和私人投资。世界贸易组织（WTO）及其前身——关税与贸易总协定（Gatt）一直设有允许

发展中经济体支持幼稚产业能力的条款。在美中两国几乎不理会 WTO 言论的世界里，Gatt 第十八条提供了一定程度的理论安全保障。

对于英国而言，从法律角度来看，旨在避免补贴进口产品倾销的第十九条为干预提供了依据。

已经可以看到证据表明，这一法律框架正在影响新政府所使用的措辞。值得注意的是，部长们谈论的是英国的就业和英国的影响，而非明确地偏袒英国公司。到目前为止，除了提及中国对英国钢铁公司（British Steel）的所有权之外，所有权问题一直是一个被忽略的话题。

新任商业大臣乔纳森·雷诺兹（Jonathan Reynolds）谈到了让企业“在英国规模化并留驻英国”的正确生态系统。工党已将自愿养老基金分配列为优先事项，包括由英国商业银行（British Business Bank）协调的新规模化基金（Scale-up Fund）、主权人工智能基金，以及国家财富基金、英国出口金融局（UK Export Finance）和国家住房银行的资产负债表，以支撑英国的投资。尽管做出了这些努力，英国资产仍以极快速度落入外国之手。可以自信地预测，当这些举措在公司税和资本利得方面的影响变得明显时，要求进一步干预的呼声将会增加。

这揭示了如何走出一个看起来日益昂贵的保护主义循环。如果这是一种降低昂贵的能源、劳动力、土地和资本成本（这些因素一直阻碍着竞争力）的方法，那么对于包括英国在内的中等强国来说，这可以被视为一种手段——这些国家在低利率和有利的人口结构时期，曾沉溺于其“奢侈信念”之中。然而，如果这被用来掩盖这些缺陷并使其持续存在，那么这将是一个代价高昂的错误，纳税人将再次为此买单。当伯纳姆在秋季阐述其十年愿景时，

金融市场将密切关注线索，以判断他将采取哪条路径。

西蒙·弗伦奇（Simon French）是 Panmure Liberum 的董事总经理、研究主管兼首席经济学家。

Pragmatic 寻求资金以扩大生产规模

克里斯·多雷尔 (Chris Dorrell)

一家希望成为全球最大半导体公司之一的英国公司在尝试扩大生产规模之际，正面临筹集资金的压力。

公司注册处 (Companies House) 的文件显示，Pragmatic Semiconductor 的现金储备仅能维持运营至 3 月，届时必须筹集新资金。因此，董事会就公司未来的“重大不确定性”发出了警告。

摩根大通 (JP Morgan) 已被任命领导 E 轮融资。据了解，该公司正寻求约 £1.5 亿 的资金。

董事会在公司账目中写道：“对于像 Pragmatic 这样处于规模化阶段的技术公司，融资轮通常每两到三年举行一次，因此 2026 年的融资是公司增长轨迹中计划内且预期中的一步。”

他们承认“无法确定是否能获得资金，尽管……他们没有理由预期无法做到这一点”。

今年上半年，该公司以可转换贷款票据的形式从现有投资者那里获得了一笔 £1600 万 的过桥贷款。

文件显示，由于行政成本增加，Pragmatic 的营业亏损从前一年的 £5500 万 扩大至 £6500 万。由于其 FlexIC Foundry 服务（该公司通过该服务接收客户的定制芯片设计）收入下降，营收从去年的 £1700 万 几乎减半至 90.1 万英镑。

于 2023, 年担任公司首席执行官的大卫·摩尔 (David Moore) 在 6 月表示，Pragmatic 将在今年首次产生“显著营收”。

该公司估计，一旦扩大生产规模，其潜在市场总量约为 300 亿美元 billion。摩尔曾表示：“我们的目标是成为全球最大的半导体公司之一。”

Pragmatic 成立于 2010, 年，设计并制造超薄且具有物理柔性的微芯片，这些芯片可用于追踪通过供应链的单个物品，以及向消费者传递信息。

该公司在将技术推向大规模生产的过程中遇到了阻碍。董事会承认存在“延迟”，但同时也认可“开发一种全新的颠覆性技术具有极高的复杂性”。

Pragmatic 拒绝置评。

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THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

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12

商业

伯克希尔在阿贝尔领导下改变策略，增加股票持仓

克里斯·多雷尔 (Chris Dorrell)

伯克希尔·哈撒韦公司在第二季度买入的股票比卖出的多近 200 亿加元 billion，其新任首席执行官格雷格·阿贝尔 (Greg Abel) 将公司巨大的现金储备投入了行动。

这些投资扭转了沃伦·巴菲特 (Warren Buffett) 削减该综合企业股票持仓超过三年的局面，标志着该公司采取了新方法。这些投资包括增持 100 亿加元 billion 的 Alphabet（谷歌母公司）股票，使其成为伯克希尔前五大持仓公司之一。

这家总部位于内布拉斯加州奥马哈的公司还花费了约 45 亿加元 回购自有股票，较第一季度回购所花费的 2.35亿美元 大幅加速。

阿贝尔在今年年初接替巴菲特担任首席执行官。投资者一直渴望看到他的投资策略将与巴菲特（目前仍担任董事长）所追求的策略有何不同。其最新的季度业绩显示，伯克希尔的现金储备从 3 月底创纪录的 3974 亿加元 下降至 6 月底的 3655 亿加元 。

被誉为“奥马哈先知”的巴菲特因其耐心且谨慎的投资方法而闻名。自从他于 1965, 接管以来，伯克希尔的年平均回报率为 19.8 per cent，使其成为全球最受关注的公司之一。

然而，在过去几年中，巴菲特在急剧上涨的股票市场中难以找到价值。上个月他告诉 CNBC，“当每个人都倾向于赌博时，很难找到价值”。

本月将满 96 岁的巴菲特表示，他在咨询阿贝尔后“启动”了对 Alphabet 的投资。在巴菲特于 2025. 开始买入其股票后，伯克希尔已经持有该公司的大量股份。他承认伯克希尔本应更早支持 Alphabet。

巴菲特表示，他与阿贝尔密切合作。“我没有做任何他不赞成的事情。他也没有做任何我不赞成的事情，”他上个月说道，“我们一直沟通，但他是决策者。”

Gabelli Funds 的投资组合经理麦克雷·赛克斯 (Macrae Sykes) 表示：“沃伦和格雷格都是极出色的投资者，他们回购股票让我对伯克希尔股票的当前价值以及未来内在价值的增长充满信心。”伯克希尔是其最大的持仓。

除了对 Alphabet 等公司的投资外，伯克希尔还拥有多种业务。由于其子公司在许多领域运营，其整体收益通常被视为美国经济的一个良好衡量标准。

最新的投资情况在公司周末公布的第二季度业绩中披露。在截至 6 月底的三个月中，伯克希尔的营业利润同比增长 16 per cent，达到 10 亿加元 ，高于分析师预期。

美国最大的铁路公司之一 BNSF 的营收增长了 15 per cent，因为该公司运输了更多的消费品、农产品和能源产品。伯克希尔的电子元件部门 TTI 的销售额增长了 26 per cent 以上，因为人工智能基础设施的建设推动了需求。

由于在科技股上的持仓相对不足，这意味着其今年表现逊于市场，股价仅上涨 3.5 per cent。该公司警告称，由于冲突和关税，宏观环境存在“相当大的不确定性”。

马克·尼尔 (Mark Neale)，最右侧，创立了

更好的信息团队，助力您的业务发展

《泰晤士报》企业合作伙伴团队致力于帮助机构吸引、留住并培养员工。

企业订阅是一项以定制价格提供的优质职场福利，让您的团队能够接触到权威且值得信赖的新闻报道，从而帮助他们提升决策水平，促进职业与个人发展——让您的公司成为一个更理想的工作场所。

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TIMES 企业合作伙伴

伯纳姆面临压力

随着关于是否允许新钻探的决定临近，安迪·伯纳姆在北海油气问题上面临着日益增长的压力。

关于 Jackdaw（一个位于阿伯丁以东 150 英里的气田）的咨询将于今日结束，而关于 Rosebank（位于设得兰群岛西北部的油田）的咨询将在一周后结束。

石油和天然气行业、反对党政治人物以及特朗普总统已呼吁伯纳姆批准这些项目，认为这将保护就业并降低家庭账单。

然而，环保组织已敦促首相拒绝批准生产，将其作为对抗气候变化斗争的一部分。

Jackdaw 和 Rosebank 的生产曾获得保守党的批准，但在绿色和平组织（Greenpeace）提出挑战后，法院于去年撤销了这些决定，使得工党政府必须决定是否继续推进。

咨询的结束使人们重新关注首相的决定。

特朗普也是北海钻探的坚定支持者，并表示在他们上个月的首次通话中，伯纳姆在该问题上的表现“听起来非常棒”。在通话中，伯纳姆告诉特朗普，英国“不能忽视”北海的资源，并表示他将对进一步钻探采取“务实的方法”。上个月，BP 宣布其希望

[图片]

Just Stop Oil 抗议 Rosebank 钻探活动

出售其北海石油业务。首席执行官梅格·奥尼尔（Meg O'Neill）表示，北海与其他世界地区相比根本不具备“竞争力”，而且即使降低英国高昂的油气税，也不会改变 BP 出售的决定。

如果首相批准支持——

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商业

HEARTAN 仓库

[图片]

这家零售商在全球 434 家门店销售防水服、徒步靴和露营装备

Mountain Warehouse 创始人卸任零售帝国之巅

Mountain Warehouse 的创始人将在担任首席执行官近 30 年后卸任，而这家户外零售商的年营收刚刚突破 5 亿英镑（Isabella Fish 报道）。

马克·尼尔（Mark Neale）自 1997 年创立该公司以来一直担任首席执行官，他将于 9 月 1 日将该职位移交给马库斯·沃德（Marcus Ward）。沃德已在公司工作近 20 年，最初担任财务总监，随后担任多个不同职务，并于 2018 年成为首席运营兼财务官。

尼尔告诉《泰晤士报》，他希望专注于扩大国际业务，以及 Animal——这家总部位于多塞特郡、受冲浪启发且于 2021 年从 H Young Holdings 收购的品牌。他将继续担任执行主席。

这位 Mountain Warehouse 的老板指出，他是“少数几位在职时间比 Simon Wolfson 更长的首席执行官之一”，后者在过去 25 年里一直领导 Next 公司。他补充道：“我还太年轻，不能退休。”

尼尔在近 30 年前创立了这家主打性价比的零售商，销售防水服、滑雪夹克、徒步靴和露营装备。该公司目前在全球 434 家门店中雇佣了 4,400 多名员工。

去年，尼尔和三位高级管理人员在集团贷款方 NatWest、HSBC UK 和 RBC Capital Markets 以及 Citi 和 Lloyds 的支持下，收购了 Inflexion 在这家英国户外零售商中近 20% 的股份。尼尔表示，他没有计划让内部买家重新进入业务。

根据最新的申报文件，在截至 2 月 22 日的一年里，营业额增长 13.4%，达到 5.092 亿英镑，使公司首次突破 5 亿英镑大关。该公司的目标营收为 10 亿英镑。营业利润增加了 1390 万英镑，达到 4760 万英镑。

作为领导层调整的一部分，玛莎·史密斯（Marsha Smith）将于 9 月 14 日加入公司担任全球零售总监，以协助领导其国际扩张。她曾在宜家（Ikea）和马莎百货（Marks & Spencer）担任高级领导职务。

Mountain Warehouse 是少数几家继续开设门店的零售公司之一。它计划在本财年于英国、美国、新西兰、加拿大和澳大利亚开设 60 家店铺。

“关于疫情后所有人都会在网上购物的整个论调根本没有实现。无论是在英国还是其他地方，实体店都强力回归并延续了这一趋势，”尼尔说道。

苹果公司在全球短缺压力下测试中国芯片

为了缓解由人工智能（AI）热潮引发的零部件短缺，苹果公司一直在 iPhone 和 MacBook 等产品线中测试来自中国的内存芯片。

据《华尔街日报》报道，苹果公司已与中国市值最大的芯片制造商长鑫存储（CXMT）进行了初步洽谈，讨论供应零部件，目标是将这些部件用于在中国销售的部分设备中。

据报道，笔记本电脑制造商惠普（HP）和宏碁（Acer）也已开始在非美国市场销售的设备中使用长鑫存储的内存芯片，以缓解短缺问题。

据路透社报道，该公司正考虑在北京建设第二座内存芯片工厂，以提高产量并满足需求。

这家芯片制造商在上市首日股价飙升 466% 后，成为了中国市值最高的公司。

其股价从发行价每股 8.66 元（当时公司估值为 855 亿加元 billion）跳升至每股 49 元，使其市值接近 5000 亿加元 billion，从而超过中国工商银行（ICBC），成为中国市值最高的公司。

长鑫存储是北京推动构建自给自足芯片产业的核心部分。中国政府在上市前持有长鑫存储 36.3% 的股份，目前正日益依赖国产硬件，以提升其在与美国的 AI 竞赛中的地位，而美国已限制中国获取先进芯片。

长鑫存储是全球第四大动态随机存取内存（Dram）芯片制造商，市场份额约为 8%。该公司旨在与韩国的三星电子（Samsung Electronics）、SK海力士（SK Hynix）以及美国巨头美光（Micron）竞争。由于构建驱动人工智能的数据中心需求增加，后三者的利润和股价在近几个月内均有所上涨。

智库布鲁金斯学会（Brookings Institution）的中国科技产业分析师陈凯（Kyle Chan）表示：“长鑫存储的迅速崛起缩影了中国作为高科技强国的整体崛起。中国这些芯片冠军企业最初旨在实现技术自立，最终将开始在全球市场与行业领导者竞争。”

关于油田

Jackdaw 和 Rosebank 的产量。工党内部有些人支持这一举措。苏格兰国会议员格雷姆·道尼（Graeme Downie）表示，英国应该“以一种能够保护工人、支持社区并构建将驱动英国未来的产业的方式，来管理北海的衰退”。

他补充道：“如果我们不推进 Jackdaw 和 Rosebank 项目，投资将离开英国，工作岗位将消失，专业技术也将流失。”

其他人则指出，工党在竞选宣言中承诺不再授予北海钻探的新许可证。工党一直表示将履行现有许可证，这为其批准生产留出了一定的空间。

一名政府发言人表示：“北海仍然是一项至关重要的国家资产，支持着就业、增长和英国的能源安全。我们明确，在未来的几十年里，石油和天然气将与可再生能源、核能和其他低碳技术一起，在我们的能源系统中继续发挥重要作用。”

Atlassian 敦促企业控制 AI 支出

Chris Dorrell

一家领先软件公司的首席执行官表示，企业需要加强对其人工智能支出的控制。

澳大利亚软件制造商 Atlassian 的创始人兼首席执行官 Mike Cannon-Brookes 表示，与 AI 相关的成本在“过去三到六个月中变得更加凸显”。

他表示：“当你花费 100 万加元时，作为一家大企业，你可能不太在意。一旦你花费 1亿美元，你就会开始关注成本。当你花费 10 亿加元时，你会非常仔细地考虑成本。”

他的言论反映了人们对日益增长的“Token”（令牌）消耗的担忧。Token 是指大语言模型读取和写入文本的基本单位。一家公司的 使用强度越高，消耗的 就越多，成本也就越高。

许多企业鼓励其

Mike Cannon-Brookes 表示 的成本已变得更加凸显

员工去“最大化使用 ”（tokenmax），但高管们正日益意识到成本问题。市场情报公司 AlphaSense 的数据显示，“tokens”一词在第二季度美国企业的 129 场业绩电话会议中出现，高于第一季度的 57 场。

的使用量预计仍将增加，这反映了在后台运行任务的自主 代理的增加以及更先进模型的出现。但公司将希望其投资能获得更明确的回报。

Cannon-Brookes 认为，Atlassian 帮助管理组织内工作流的工具，可以为 代理提供更相关的公司背景信息。他说：“ 模型每读取一个词或写入一个词，你都要付钱。我们能给代理提供越好的答案，它需要读取的词就越少。”

Atlassian 曾受到软件股抛售的沉重打击，而这种抛售是由人们担心 将颠覆软件行业所驱动的。该公司在 3 月不得不裁减 10 per cent 的全球员工，但该公司周四公布的最新业绩显示， 仍可能成为业务的助力。

营收同比增长 28 per cent，达到 18 亿加元 billion，高于预期。该公司 产品的采用率也给投资者留下了深刻印象。其股价在周五上涨超过 30 ，帮助抹平了今年几乎所有的损失。Cannon-Brookes 本人表示，他将花费 2.5亿美元 购买公司股票。

特别是，Atlassian 认为其 Teamwork Graph（该公司其他工具运行的基础数据智能层）能帮助 代理提供准确率提高 44 的答案，同时 消耗减少 48 。

Cannon-Brookes 认为，软件公司是企业采用 的关键中间环节，无论是通过为代理提供相关背景，还是将查询引导至最具成本效益的模型。

“很多问题并不需要最新模型所具备的那种计算能力。这就像雇佣一名牛津大学的数学教授来帮你的孩子做家庭作业，”Cannon-Brooks 说道。

他说：“我们承担成本并对其进行管理，然后为客户提供应用程序。就 而言，[为客户] 管理所有这些成本是我们工作的一大部分。”

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Monday, August 10 2026 / THE TIMES

Business Times Entrepreneurs Network

办公室内提供内衣试穿服务

成为最新的员工福利

一位创立了自己内衣品牌的时尚高管发现，她的服务受到了广泛欢迎，尼娅姆·库兰（Niamh Curran）报道

如果你询问任何女性关于她第一次试穿内衣的经历，很有可能她会给你讲述一个恐怖故事：在马莎百货（M&S）灯光刺眼的试衣间里，面对一个拿着皮尺的中年女性，以及她此后再也没有回去试过第二次。与这一过程相关的糟糕记忆让许多女性在寻求正确尺寸和款式的帮助时望而却步。

*英国免费数字银行意味着通过商业网上银行和汇丰英国商业银行（HSBC UK Business Banking）应用程序进行的日常标准电子转账是免费的。其他变更适用，例如支票和 CHAPS。详情请参阅商业价格表。需经申请、符合资格、信用检查并遵守条款与条件。 由 HSBC UK Book plc 出具，地址：1 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 1HQ, United Kingdom。©HSBC Group 2026. 保留所有权利。ACE7350

但现在，有一家公司通过派遣试穿师前往你的工作场所，为这个问题提供了解决方案。Peachaus 是一家总部位于伦敦的内衣公司，去年开始将办公室内的内衣试穿服务作为一项员工福利提供，目前已经获得了包括 Expedia、Michael Page 和 Reward Gateway 在内的客户。

为了紧跟趋势，《泰晤士报》创业者网络（Times Entrepreneurs Network）邀请该公司来到我们位于伦敦的办公室，以了解其具体运作方式。你的记者对此相当忐忑，尤其是因为她觉得有些同事认为这个想法并不恰当。

然而，Peachaus 的创始人吉莉安·里德利-惠特尔（Gillian Ridley Whittle）及其团队成功地将一间光线充足的小会议室变成了一个令人放松的内衣试穿体验区。玻璃墙被花卉图案的折叠屏风覆盖以保证隐私；房间角落还使用了额外的隔断，为试穿创造私人空间。

首次 Peachaus 内衣试穿活动是在伦敦的一家 WeWork 办公室举行的。在布置房间之前，雇佣她的公司工作人员告诉里德利-惠特尔，不要在任何标识中使用“内衣”（bra）这个词，因为“这可能会冒犯某些人”。

尽管出现了这个小插曲，但这次活动证明是成功的。里德利-惠特尔表示，她被想要试穿内衣的员工“淹没”了。

回到《泰晤士报》，在两小时后将用于编辑规划会议的房间里，蕾丝内衣挂在金色衣架上。里德利-惠特尔的助手们穿着公司销售的睡衣。房间里弥漫着喷雾带来的薰衣草香味。

“从你走进房间的那一刻起，我们就想让你感到安全——心理上、身体上的安全——这非常重要，”里德利-惠特尔说道。每次试穿环节都从询问客户之前的试穿经历开始。大多数时候，女性会分享内衣不合身的经历。会计软件公司 Xero 的一名员工表示，她买到的内衣总是太紧，导致整天坐在办公桌前感到不舒服。

下一步是对客户目前穿着的内衣进行“健康检查”。我发现我的内衣同时存在太大和太小的问题，面料与身体之间有空隙，且留下了红印。随后，里德利-惠特尔通过视觉评估了我的尺寸。Peachaus 不使用皮尺，而是依赖手感和视觉测量，不过试穿师确实将手放在我的侧腰处以确认她的判断正确。

里德利-惠特尔雇用了 20 名分布在布里斯托、伦敦和曼彻斯特的自由职业内衣试穿师。他们是“根据同理心以及与他人沟通的能力而精心挑选的”，并使用她编写的手册进行培训。该手册就语气和措辞提供建议，旨在让女性感到自在。

一件内衣的价格在 £30 到 £60 之间。我得到了两个试穿选项，尽管我已经十年多没有穿过这种款式了，但我离开时带走了一件有钢圈的内衣，而它现在已成为我衣橱里的必备单品。

每次试穿结束后，都会记录下测量数据，并提供一张带有二维码的卡片，该二维码指向乳腺癌慈善机构 CoppaFeel®，其中包含关于如何检查自身乳房的链接。Peachaus 每售出一件文胸，就会向该慈善机构捐赠 £1。

Peachaus 通过销售文胸和内衣获利，同时也向公司收取每位员工 £35 到 £39 的费用，具体取决于所提供的方案。员工在试穿期间购买的所有产品可享受 10% 的折扣。

然而，试穿服务并非一直以来都是其商业模式。里德利-惠特尔在 2022, 创立了该公司，最初是为了在线销售可持续的内衣和家居服。她在 30 年前进入时尚界，加入了马莎百货的毕业生计划，并一路晋升为德本汉姆的采购主管。

在生完第一个孩子后，她回到马莎百货负责内衣部门，在那里她因为“面料和外观”而首次“爱上了内衣”。在协助推出备受欢迎的罗茜·亨廷顿-怀特利系列后，她在该部门工作了近十年，随后在 2014 年被猎头挖掘到澳大利亚的塔吉特工作。

在澳大利亚，里德利-惠特尔工作

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《泰晤士报》 / Monday, August 10, 2026

35

商业

Peachaus 为其办公室服务聘请了 20 名自由试穿师，这些试穿师是根据同理心以及与他人沟通的能力而精心挑选的

时间很长，并且“遇到了一些瓶颈”。出于对该行业环境影响的担忧，她开始开发一个将“关怀与舒适放在首位”的可持续内衣品牌，但当她收到英国 Topshop 的工作邀请时，她搁置了这个想法。在 Topshop 的母公司 Arcadia 集团于 2020. 破产之前，她担任该品牌的时尚总监。里德利-惠特尔在 Topshop 的新所有者 Axos 工作，直到 2021, 被裁员，在业余时间里，她制定了 Peachaus 的商业计划书和投资者演示文稿。

她最初打算将品牌命名为 Beach House，以唤起一种轻松的澳大利亚氛围，但后来决定将其改为 Peachaus，因为这个名字“具有触感，女性化且柔软”。

她的第一位投资者是塞德里克·威尔莫特，他曾任迈克尔·科尔斯首席执行官以及范思哲临时首席运营官，在里德利-惠特尔被裁员六个月后进行了投资。该品牌随后获得了近 £200 万 的投资。

该公司最初仅通过电子商务销售，随后转向批发，但并未获得太多关注。在决定需要“在女性所在的地方与她们相遇”后，它于 2024. 3 月在 Covent Garden 开了一家弹出店。这家弹出店取得了成功，帮助该品牌开发了面对面的文胸试穿服务。

同年晚些时候，Peachaus 在多塞特郡的 Verve 健康节预订了一个小帐篷。“我真的以为没有人会脱掉衣服想要[试穿]文胸，但我们被淹没了，”里德利-惠特尔说。“有些女性直接在瑜伽服上面试穿，有些女性在非常简陋的屏风后面脱衣服……我想，‘如果女性愿意在田野中间脱衣服，她们也愿意在办公室里脱’。”

一位朋友帮助她与 WeWork 建立了联系，开展了第一次办公室文胸试穿活动。通过口碑传播，Peachaus 随后扩大了规模。里德利-惠特尔设定了到 2030 年为 100 万名女性提供文胸试穿的目标，并将正确的文胸试穿视为一个健康问题，认为雇主应该像提供视力或牙科检查一样提供这项服务。

竞争是提升英国初创企业的最佳方式，见 Thunderer 专栏，第 18 页

关于 TEN

● 请访问 Times Entrepreneurs Network 网站，获取面向创业者和商业领袖的每日新闻、见解与灵感

● 订阅每周一次的创业者时事通讯，在每周四早晨通过收件箱获取关于成长型企业所面临关键问题的内部资讯

我们应当更好地利用英国商业领袖

史蒂夫·里格比 (Steve Rigby)

人们很容易将经营一家大企业与治理国家等同起来，但实际上两者完全没有可比性。二十多个部门。不能在晚餐桌上透露的简报。由前任们扣紧的焦点枷锁。每周在议会发言席上遭受抨击，每一句话都被实时审视。没有人是无意中成为首相的，他们是通过奋斗才登顶的。

然后是内阁。在商业领域，董事会共享利润动机、一名主席和一套数据。而内阁则没有任何共同点。真正的权力分布在各部门中，而围坐在桌旁的人往往是各怀野心的竞争对手。想象一下经营一家公司，而你的财务总监在悄悄地竞选你的职位。这种情况发生过，但并不常见。

政治和商业是不同的学科，但这并不意味着我们不能相互学习。随着近年来我更深入地参与政治，我将许多想法带回到了我的商业生活中。同样，政治家必须对商业的积极影响持开放态度。

关于安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 政府缺乏商业经验的说法很多。在内阁全职成员中，没有人担任过企业高管，也没有人经营过自己的公司。

这件事比批评者意识到的更为重要，因为经济增长是摆脱我们目前困境的唯一途径。它是实现政策目标和改变生活的基石。挖掘我们最优秀的商业领袖的技能和知识，是实现这一增长使命的重要组成部分，但近期的记录并不令人鼓舞。

波比·古斯塔夫森 (Poppy Gustafsson) 在担任投资大臣期间未能取得突破。杰森·斯托克伍德 (Jason Stockwood) 是一个真正有能力的人，但在他有机会证明自己之前就离开了。詹姆斯·廷普森 (James Timpson) 担任监狱大臣两年，这在政府中担任高调商业人物的任期中算较长的了。但这让他八十多岁的父亲约翰爵士 (Sir John) 付出了代价，这位伟大的老人不得不重新回到家族企业的一线。此前在葛兰素史克 (GlaxoSmithKline) 担任高管的帕特里克·瓦兰斯 (Patrick Vallance) 曾是一位受欢迎且高效的科学大臣，但最近离开了政府。

有些环节出了问题。文化冲突在所难免。政府和企业是不同的物种，任何假装两者相同的人，要么没做过政府工作，要么没做过企业经营。但我所认识的那些曾在政府任职的商业领袖，在进入政府时并非盲目，尽管一些天真在所难免。

一个共同的问题是决策和行动的速度。当今国家面临的许多问题无法等待，人工智能就是一个典型的例子。我们的行动太慢了——而在这场竞赛中的迟缓，将是我们整整一代人需要支付的代价。任何经营过大企业的人都无法接受不采取行动。

这里的问题不在于为什么如此少的商业领袖选择进入政府——这个人数将始终相对较少——而在于为什么他们的任期如此之短。政治是残酷的，审视是严苛的：这一点我们都知道。但这种持续不断的批评速度，即使是对最成功的企业家或首席执行官来说，也可能是一个巨大的冲击。在这个国家，没有比治理国家更艰巨的工作了。

有时有人问我是否愿意任职。诚实的回答是，代价太高了。这意味着在离开我的企业的同时，接受一个没有固定任期的职位。在负责过数千人的多年经历之后，突然面对一个极小的团队且没有正式下属，这种冲击将是巨大的。

现实情况是，招募商业人士担任全职的初级部长职位是一个很难的要求，而且将一直如此。

但有一种行之有效的模式已经在运行。连续科技创业者亚历克斯·德普莱奇 (Alex Depledge) 被任命为财政部的创业顾问

每周工作两天。她保留了自己的外部利益，在被问到难题时能够直言不讳。亚历克斯带来了真正的改变，我希望她在新政府下能继续这样做。我们之中与她打交道的人，无论答案是否为“不”，都尊重这位女性及其工作方式。

这就是模板：不是几个在 18 个月内就销声匿迹的任命，而是一支由资深从业者组成的常设骨干队伍，每周抽出一天或两天时间，服务于最需要他们的部门。这对纳税人几乎没有任何成本，而带来的收益却是巨大的。

现在是招募的好时机。乔纳森·雷诺兹回归商务部，受到了我们这些与该部门打交道的人的欢迎；而约翰·希利作为财政大臣的稳健手段，在财政方面也令人安心。

怀特霍尔并不缺乏聪明人。它缺乏的是那些建立过企业、因此能够提供互补才干以及对经济持有不同视角的人。引入这种经验是该政府目前能获得的最廉价的胜利。

史蒂夫·里格比（Steve Rigby）是里格比集团（Rigby Group）首席执行官兼英国家族企业协会（Family Business UK）主席

“怀特霍尔并不缺乏聪明人。它缺乏的是那些建立过企业的人”

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16

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19

成为团史学家的廓尔喀士兵 丹尼斯·伍德上校 (Colonel Denis Wood)

讣告

威廉·奥比特 (William Orbit)

唱片制作人，在《Ray of Light》中为麦当娜的职业生涯注入了新动力，并用现代节拍重新构思了古典音乐

到 1990 年代后期，麦当娜的职业生涯处于十字路口。她的唱片销量在下降，流行音乐的口味正向一种融合了电子音乐、Trip Hop、迷幻舞曲（trance）和 Techno 元素的新风格舞曲过渡。

在快速变化的市场中，麦当娜在努力重塑自我，她取消了与 R&B 制作人 Babyface 的录音环节，正在寻找一位能为她提供全新、前卫声音的合作者。她在威廉·奥比特身上找到了救星，这位 40 岁的英国制作人在地下舞曲界小有名气，但在圈外几乎不为人知。

随着奥比特在麦当娜的歌曲中加入闪烁的合成器和轻快且具有推进力的节拍，他们 1998 年的合作专辑《Ray of Light》在全球售出 1600 万 份，并产生了《Frozen》、《The Power of Good-Bye》以及同名主打歌等热门单曲。

该专辑随后赢得了四项格莱美奖，被许多人认为是麦当娜职业生涯中最出色且最具原创性的专辑。“威廉是一个彻头彻尾的疯狂天才，”她说道。“我会带着一个想法去找他，哼唱旋律或朗读歌词，然后让他一个人留在‘实验室’里。”

她之前通过奥比特对她早期热门歌曲《Justify My Love》和《Erotica》的混音作品了解到他的工作，但直到她的经纪人在 1997 年 5 月给他寄了一张前往纽约的一等舱机票，他们才第一次见面。在她曼哈顿公寓的健身房里，她给他播放了一些歌曲的 Demo，他提出了自己的看法，尽管他承认当时“有点紧张，因为我已经把自己关在工作室里很长时间了。能出来我就很兴奋了——更不用说还是和麦当娜在一起，而且是在纽约。”

当她同意雇佣他时，奥比特回忆起当时他想道：“这潜在地将成为一个非常有趣的项目”，而事实证明这简直是极大的轻描淡写。

在接下来的六个月里，他们共同创作并制作了一张重新定义了麦当娜的专辑，并在实验舞曲与商业流行乐之间建立了一种独特的结合。“坚持下去，钻研你的东西，获得你的

“流行女皇”称他为“彻头彻尾的疯狂天才”

“把碎片拼接在一起，最终你会迎来一次好运，”奥比特（Orbit）后来回忆道。

两人的合作在她的后续专辑《Music》（2000年）的三首曲目中得以延续，以及为电影《奥斯汀·鲍尔斯：敢作敢为的特工》创作的热门单曲《Beautiful Stranger》，以及为她自己的电影《下一个最佳选择》创作的翻唱曲《American Pie》。十二年后，奥比特回归，共同制作了她 2012 年专辑《MDNA》中的六首歌。

《Ray of Light》的成功使奥比特成为了当时的宠儿。Blur 乐队渴望摆脱他们典型的英伦流行（Britpop）形象，向更具实验性的方向发展，于是聘请奥比特制作他们的第六张专辑《13》（1999年），这张专辑实际上宣告了英伦流行的死亡，以及戴蒙·阿尔本（Damon Albarn）作为自大卫·鲍伊（David Bowie）以来英国摇滚乐中最具想象力的创作者的崛起。

奥比特在 2022 年为发布其专辑《The Painter》时的照片；上方照片为他与麦当娜在 1999 年格莱美奖上的合影，当时由他制作的《Ray of Light》赢得了四个奖项。

其他寻求他服务的艺人还包括 Mel C、罗比·威廉姆斯（Robbie Williams）、Pink 和 All Saints，他为后者制作了登顶排行榜的单曲《Black Coffee》和《Pure Shores》。

与麦当娜的联系也给了他足够的商业影响力来发布自己的个人项目。尽管他没有受过正式训练，但他成长过程中几乎只听古典音乐，在 2023 年接受《泰晤士报》采访时，他提到贝多芬的一首弦乐四重奏是他最喜欢的音乐作品。

其成果便是 1999 年的专辑《Pieces in a Modern Style》，他在其中将维瓦尔第、亨德尔和贝多芬等人的古典作品，用合成的舞曲后拍节奏进行了重新演绎。纯粹主义者对此深恶痛绝，但该专辑在英国排行榜上达到了第 2 位，而奥比特版本的巴伯《慢板为弦乐》的舞曲混音版成为了一首热门单曲。

凭借奖金，他在贝兹沃特（Bayswater）买了一栋令人向往的房子，并花费巨资对其进行翻修。出于某种原因，他随后“不忍心搬进去”，于是花了三年时间住在伦纳德（the Leonard）——一家俯瞰海德公园的伦敦精品酒店，他在套房里搭建了一个录音室。

就在那里，他录制了 Bono 为 U2 歌曲《Electrical Storm》演唱的人声，该曲收录在他们的精选辑《The Best of 1990-2000》（2002年）中。他还制作了该乐队的《The Hands That Built America》，这是马丁·斯科塞斯 2002 年电影《纽约黑帮》的主题曲。

在厌倦了客房服务之后，他在洛杉矶生活了几年，并在后期在伦敦和威尼斯保留了住所。他将私人生活远离聚光灯，但众所周知，他与一段以离婚告终的早年婚姻中有一个女儿。在 1990 年代，他与歌手贝丝·奥顿（Beth Orton）有过一段短暂的恋情，他制作了后者的首张专辑。两人保持着友谊，她还客串出演了他的最新专辑《The Painter》（2022年）。

他于 1956 年出生在东伦敦的鲍（Bow），原名威廉·马克·温赖特（William Mark Wainwright），这使他成为一名真正的伦敦东区人（Cockney），尽管在他有教养的语调中毫无痕迹。他的父亲来自谢菲尔德，他的母亲（婚前姓 Ferrari）是意大利移民的女儿。他回忆说，他们是“工人阶级且贫穷”，但“努力想成为中产阶级”，并成为了学校教师。

他在北伦敦长大，就读于南盖特（Southgate）的 Minchenden 学校，并回忆起 14 岁时发现叔叔的录音机是他人生的转折点。“能捕捉声音并将其保留下来，这在世界上似乎是最不可思议的事情，于是我对录音产生了痴迷，”他说。他的父亲有一把破旧的旧吉他，就像录音机一样，他将其征用。

令父母失望的是，他在 16 岁时离开学校，在接连不断的临时工作中漂泊，包括在斯特兰宫酒店（Strand Palace Hotel）担任前台文员。

他曾尝试过更严肃的职业生涯，曾在一家润滑油公司担任绘图员实习生，也在公务员体系中工作过，但这两段经历都很短暂，且未能让他感到满足。“我知道我想从事创意工作，”他回忆道，“我只是不知道如何实现，这让我备受煎熬。”

在欧洲，他在街头流浪表演，在荷兰期间曾在驳船上工作，随后返回伦敦，在一家废弃维多利亚时代学校 grounds 内的一栋管理员小屋中占据了非法居住权，当时他每天靠“一块玛氏巧克力棒和一片酸液（LSD）”维持生活。大约就在这段时间，朋友们给他起名 Orbit，表面上是因为他对天文学感兴趣，不过酸液可能也在这个绰号的形成中起到了作用。

通过尝试二手合成器，他组建了一支名为 Torch Song 的乐队，该乐队在 1983 年与 Police 乐队的经纪人迈尔斯·科普兰（Miles Copeland）签约。“那感觉像是一个转折点，”他说，“我想，‘如果我足够聪明，我就永远不必离开这个能拿钱做音乐的绝妙之地。’”

他确实从未离开。在 Torch Song 期间发行了三张专辑后，他又以 Strange Cargo 和 Bassomatic 的名义发布了更多作品。他还搭建了自己的家庭工作室，在那里为 Prince、贝琳达·卡莱尔（Belinda Carlisle）以及当然还有麦当娜（Madonna）等人的曲目进行混音。

他的首次排行榜成功来自于共同创作并制作了哈里·恩菲尔德（Harry Enfield） 1988 年的搞怪热门单曲 Loadsamoney (Doin' Up The House)，在其中他使用了化名 Billy Beat。

在某个时间点，他骑摩托车游历了泰国、越南、老挝和柬埔寨，随后接到了麦当娜的邀请。到了新千年之初，正如一位评论家所言，他如此炙手可热，以至于“到处都是 Orbit 那种氛围流行乐的闪烁感”。

他再次被麦当娜召回参与 MDNA 的制作，但这张唱片在评论界和商业上都令人失望。他抱怨道，她似乎对“香水系列、青少年时尚比赛以及其他此类尝试”更感兴趣，不过他外交辞令地补充道：“我永远爱那个女人。真的。她成就了我的事业。”然而他们再也没有交谈过，后来关于两人共同录制另一张专辑的提议也未得到回应。

随着心境日益沮丧，他在六十多岁时陷入了享乐主义的药物滥用。“我一直对药物相当抵触，直到有一天在新年派对上，我想尝试一些可卡因，”他说，“然后我想，‘嗯，这还挺不错的。’” 2016 年，他经历了一次精神病发作，导致他被强制住院治疗。到那时，他几乎已经放弃了音乐。“我对自己的影响力产生了幻灭感。我甚至无法在不感到恶心的前提下看向我的工作室设备，”他说。

在清除体内的药物后，他重新回归音乐，学习了如何使用最新版本的 Pro Tools（行业标准的数字录音软件）。“一点一点地，我开始重新享受其中，”他说，其成果便是 2022 年的专辑 The Painter。专辑名称源于他晚年培养的一项新爱好：在内华达沙漠的一次静修期间，他偶然看到一张“葡萄酒与梵高”艺术课的传单。“你过去，喝醉，然后用廉价的丙烯颜料胡乱涂鸦，我就爱上了它，”他说。

那种让他很少感到满足的躁动感是他工作方式的核心。“你追求卓越，”他说，“你永远无法抵达那里，但在途中你会做出一些优秀的作品。”

威廉·奥比特（William Orbit），音乐家及唱片制作人，出生于 1956 年 12 月 15 日。于 2026 年 7 月 23 日因不明原因去世，享年 69 岁

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40

v 2026 年 8 月 10 日，星期一 / 《泰晤士报》

注册

丹尼斯·伍德上校 (Colonel Denis Wood)

曾在马来亚和婆罗洲随廓尔喀兵服役，后作为一名严谨的团史学家致力于保存其遗产的军官

1944年8月，在年满17岁时，丹尼斯·伍德志愿参军。出于行政方便，他被“临时安置”在女王皇家团（Queen's Royal Regiment）——这是英格兰最资深的一线步兵团，并被安置在领土军队预备役中，直到他年满17岁半，达到正式服役的年龄。

在战争的这个阶段，随着盟军推进至比利时，人们预期欧洲的战斗将在六到九个月内结束。军官招募的重点正转向远东，规划者预计那里的战斗将持续到1946年甚至更久。在参加印度事务部（India Office）的选拔委员会后，伍德获得了英属印度军队（IA）的见习军官职位。

1945年3月，他按要求前往肯特郡梅德斯通维多利亚军营的第63初级训练翼，加入了英属印度军队的待命连。在一次手臂受伤导致进度延迟两个月后，他于10月启程前往印度班加罗尔军官训练学校。在从孟买出发的途中，他在一个火车站遇到了一名来自第2国王爱德华七世专属廓尔喀步枪团（即西尔莫尔步枪团，The Sirmose Rifles）的军官。他深受触动并申请加入该团——这种军官招募方式看似随意，但在一个规模从战前的20万扩大到计划250万人的军队中，这种方式与任何其他方式一样有效。

英属印度军队的委任通常需要在英国团中经过六个月的试用期。1947年4月，伍德被委任进入皇家诺森伯兰燧枪团，那是他父亲曾经服役的团。然而，由于需求紧迫，伍德立即被派往西尔莫尔步枪团第一营（1 / 2GR）担任连级军官，最初在孟买，随后在德干高原的普纳。

他在车站的短暂邂逅被证明是双重的幸运。在1947年8月印度独立和分治后，在战争期间已扩充至40个营的10个廓尔喀团必须在英国军队和新独立的印度军队之间进行分配。第2廓尔喀步枪团（2GR）是加入英国编制的四个团（每个团两个营）之一。因此，这让伍德得以延长服役期；而那些被分配到印度团的人员则必须在其他地方寻找安置点。伍德被派往靠近尼泊尔边境的昆拉加特和大吉岭担任助理招募官，在那里他得以精进自己的廓尔喀语，多年后这被赞誉为第2廓尔喀步枪团中最出色的语言水平。1949年，随着共产主义起义爆发，他重新加入在马来亚的第1 / 2GR营。

他作为临时军官的时光是

他在车站结识一名军官后申请加入廓尔喀部队

然而，他的临时军官任期即将结束，且 2GR 并没有正规委任军官的空缺。因此，他在返回英格兰参加皇家陆军服务团（RASC）正规军官课程之前，在马来亚霹雳州的一家 RASC 运输公司附职了几个月。在经历过 1 / 2GR 之后，这在他看来一定像是一次相当大的

伍德 17 岁时参军

的降级。然而，他刚开始课程，原营级单位就出现了空缺。他立即重新加入，地点在马来亚的柔佛州，不久后成为了副官；为此，他在 1953 年被载入战报（mentioned in dispatches），这对于一名团级参谋军官来说是不常见的荣誉。

在接下来的两年马来亚紧急状态期间，他指挥了两个步枪连和一个行政连，并在一次丛林侦察的直升机坠毁事故中幸存。这一切都发生在他 28, 岁之前，早期的指挥机会正是廓尔喀部队服务的一大吸引力。

丹尼斯·罗兰·伍德（Denis Roland Wood）1927, 年出生于纽卡斯尔-upon-Tyne，当时他的父亲罗兰（Roland）在皇家诺森伯兰燧发枪团的仓库服役。他首先在附近的戴姆·艾伦学校（Dame Allan's School）就读，随后在温德米尔的圣安妮学校（St Anne's, Windermere）寄宿，在当时，那里是一所罕见的男女混校。1953 年，他与布里吉特·克里斯蒂娜（Bridget Christina (Chris) Flynn）结婚，两人在新加坡初识，当时她是在亚历山德拉女王皇家陆军护理团的一名护理姐妹。她于 2011. 年去世。他们的女儿卡罗琳（Carolyn）在世。

伍德的身高并不比他的廓尔喀士兵高多少，体格精干，并非运动员，但他的智力能力依然强大，且对细节的关注极其细致。他轻而易举地通过了坎伯利参谋学院的入学考试。随后，他被任命为战争部的情报参谋。1964 年，他回到 1 / 2GR 在香港担任副指挥官，在对抗时期（Confrontation，即印度尼西亚总统苏加诺试图瓦解新成立的马来西亚联邦的行动）期间，随部队在婆罗洲进行了三次为期六个月的作战部署。

伍德随后回到参谋学院任教，之后在 1968 年接管了文莱 1 / 2GR 的指挥权。作为一支旨在威慑任何进一步废黜苏丹企图的部队，该部队对英国利益至关重要，但文莱并不是一个能让指挥官大放异彩的地方。

在那里度过两年后，伍德加入新加坡的远东司令部总部，担任作战与计划参谋处处长。这是一项艰巨的工作，尤其是考虑到 1971 年英国军队从新加坡撤离。

随后他又从事了一项教学工作，在当时的联合服务参谋学院任职，之后被晋升为全额上校，进入怀特霍尔（Whitehall）的国防情报参谋部门。尽管他的职责涵盖远东地区，但这份工作并不令他满意，这也不奇怪，因为英国已经从苏伊士以东撤军，除了香港，而香港的时间也快到了。1973 年 10 月，他从军队退役，进入一家人寿保险和养老金公司工作，并在伊斯灵顿买了一栋房子。

他立即将对廓尔喀历史的热爱、强大的组织能力以及个人财富投入到一个项目中，这个项目在一定程度上成为了他的纪念碑，同时也纪念他的合作伙伴及同为“Sirmosri”的约翰·查普尔爵士（Field Marshal Sir John Chapple，讣告见 March 26, 2022）——即位于温彻斯特前半岛兵营的廓尔喀博物馆。那里现在是一个高档住宅广场，但仍是步枪团的精神家园。他从 1978 到 2003, 年担任信托基金主席，为此他后来被授予 MBE 勋章。

在早前发表过一项关于其父亲原团徽章的研究后，他在 2003 年出版了 2GR 历史的第四卷，涵盖战后时期。作为一名孜孜不倦且勤勉的团级档案历史学家，他还编写了一部汇编，记录了自 1815 年该团成立以来服役的 1,447 名 Sirmosri 军官的服务详情。

具有讽刺意味的是，他早年的服役经历是在为维护帝国而战，而其余的服役时间则是在帝国漫长且渐行渐远的余晖中度过的。他是最后几位在世的英属印度陆军军官之一。

丹尼斯·伍德上校（Colonel Denis Wood MBE），廓尔喀军官，出生于1927年8月19日。他于2026年6月22日去世，享年98岁

豪尔赫·梅西

阿根廷足球运动员利昂内尔·梅西的父亲兼经纪人，他引导儿子走上了成为世界最佳球员的道路。

即使是世界顶尖的人，为了实现梦想也必须经受苦难。豪尔赫·梅西将 13 岁的儿子利昂内尔从阿根廷带到巴塞罗那，以便这个孩子能开始他的旅程，成为这门“美丽游戏”史上可以说最伟大的球员。

父子两人都非常想家，以至于晚上会哭着入睡。“刚到巴塞罗那的时候，有时我会躲在房间里哭，或者我父亲在我不注意时，或者他以为我没看到他时，也会这样做，”利昂内尔·梅西在 2007 年接受 Radio del Plata 采访时回忆道。“我们假装彼此都很好，但实际上并非如此。当我们情绪低落时，我父亲甚至问我想怎么做，是想留下还是回去，我想留下，于是他就陪在我身边。”

这个孩子以其球技令众人惊叹，并在 2000. 年 9 月在该西班牙城市举行的一场试训赛中打入五球。巴塞罗那一线队主管卡莱斯·雷查克回忆说，在两分钟后他就想签下他。但由于生长激素缺乏症，利昂内尔在同龄人中非常矮小，而豪尔赫曾艰难地筹集儿子每月所需的 $900 治疗费。当时人们担心利昂内尔的身高不会超过 4 英尺 7 英寸，巴塞罗那董事会将投资一个 13 岁的“小不点”视为风险过高。无论如何，豪尔赫带着年幼的儿子出现在巴塞罗那的举动被认为是非常不寻常的，通常西班牙俱乐部会等到南美球员在母国证明了自己的职业价值后才会签下他们。

当豪尔赫向俱乐部发出最后通牒，表示“要么做决定，要么我们回家”时，僵局被打破了。雷查克采取行动，在一家餐厅的纸餐巾上迅速草拟了一份合同。交易达成，梅西全家一度搬进了俱乐部诺坎普球场附近的一套公寓里。

从那时起，豪尔赫很少离开儿子的身边，负责谈判他所有的合同，起初是与巴塞罗那，后来则是他转会至巴黎圣日耳曼和迈阿密国际。他还负责谈判梅西的肖像权使用，并将他的收入投入到各种房地产、酒店和餐厅投资中，为儿子管理资产；据彭博社估计，这些资产在今年已超过 10 亿加元 billion。

豪尔赫·梅西 1958 年出生于阿根廷城市罗萨里奥，家族拥有意大利和西班牙血统。他本可以成为一名职业足球运动员，因为他曾担任纽维尔旧童子青年队的中场球员，但后来被征召入伍，再也没有回来。1978, 年与塞莉亚·卡奇托结婚后，他放弃了成为足球明星的不稳定梦想，转而成为一名化学技术员。他后来管理了 Acordar 钢厂，而他的妻子在一家磁铁厂工作。

利昂内尔是他们的第三个孩子，出生于 1987 年，豪尔赫以利昂内尔·里奇的名字为其命名。利昂内尔 4 岁时加入了一支名为 Abanderado Grandoli 的社区球队开始踢球，由他的父亲执教。在利昂内尔上学的第一天，一名老师因为他太小而阻止他参加操场上的踢球活动，但他很快就盘球绕过了所有人。7 岁的利昂内尔被哥哥罗德里戈戏称为“跳蚤”，随后签约加入了父亲的老球队纽维尔旧童子。如果说豪尔赫是通过儿子在实现一个替代性的梦想，他坚称自己并没有像报道中所写的那样违背利昂内尔的意愿强迫他。“（利昂内尔）一直对这项运动充满热情。”在接下来的六年里，小利昂内尔在一支少年队中打入了 500 多个进球，这支球队因大多数球员的出生年份而被人们称为“87 机器”（Machine of '87），即 87 年。

豪尔赫为人低调，避讳公开露面。利昂内尔在 2019 年回忆道：“我父亲每天凌晨四点起床，晚上九点才回家吃晚餐。他从未责骂过我。我非常喜欢他，我会一直等着他，只为了能拥抱他。”

利昂内尔在 2004 年 17 岁时在巴塞罗那足球俱乐部一线队完成首秀。此后，管理他的个人品牌成了家族事务。豪尔赫的长子罗德里戈负责管理利昂内尔的广告和形象权合同，并监督利奥·梅西基金会。次子马蒂亚斯负责管理该基金会在阿根廷及海外的足球和社区项目。豪尔赫的第四个孩子玛丽亚·索尔经营自己的时尚品牌，并深度参与利昂内尔的公共关系运作。

2013 年，父子二人被指控涉嫌逃税，总额达 €409 万，涉及在 2007 年至 2009 年间被指转移至乌拉圭、瑞士和伯利兹离岸公司的赞助收入。他们在 2016 年被判定有罪，被判处 21 个月的缓刑，并被要求支付巨额罚款。利昂内尔告诉法官：“我只是踢球。我签署合同是因为我信任我的父亲和律师。”随着该球员在 2018 年的年收入超过 €1 亿，以及这位小大师在 2022 年为阿根廷捧起世界杯奖杯，豪尔赫始终是他儿子最亲密的心腹。

在今年夏天世界杯阿根廷对阵阿尔及利亚的首场比赛中，梅西在打入首球后明显情绪激动，但并未详细说明原因。人们普遍认为原因是他的父亲病重，无法参加此次赛事。豪尔赫留下了妻子和四个孩子。

为了纪念梅西先生，在周六国际迈阿密对阵蒙特雷的比赛前，全场进行了的一分钟默哀，球员们佩戴了黑色臂章。他们著名的 10 号球员缺席了比赛。

豪尔赫·梅西，利昂内尔·梅西的父亲兼经纪人，出生于 1958 年 4 月 24 日。他于 2026 年 8 月 8 日在长期患病后去世，享年 68 岁

obituaries@thetimes.co.uk

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注册

君主阅兵式

陆军总参谋长罗利·沃克（Sir 'Roly' Walker）骑士司令、卓越服务勋章获得者，于 2026 年 8 月 7 日在桑赫斯特皇家军事学院的君主阅兵式上代表国王陛下出席。

荣誉之剑授予高级准尉 William RF Stubbs，他将受委任进入皇家骑兵卫队近卫骑兵团（HCR (LG)）。

国王奖章授予见习军官 Joshua DM-R Lee，他将受委任进入皇家廓尔喀步枪团（RGR）。

国际之剑授予来自乌干达的 JUO A Bakira，国际奖授予来自德国武装力量的见习军官 M Finke。

以下人员在成功完成第 253 号委任课程后，被授予在所示团及军团中的委任职衔：

JUO Adeyeye, TOA, R ANGLIAN; OCd† Ali, TGH, COLDM GDS; OCd† Amphlett, KAR, AGC(ETS); OCd† Backhouse, TG, SCOTS DG; OCd† Barbour-Smith, RM, R WELSH; OCd† Barclay, SD, RLC; OCd† Barker, TL, R SIGNALS; OCd† Beckett, OJ, REME; OCd† Bedford, BEM, REME; OCd† Bell, WF, AAC (Pilot); JUO Bence-Trower, HN, SG; OCd† Betteridge, MFE, R SIGNALS; OCd† Biddulph, HP, KRH; OCd† Blackmore, EJ, R ANGLIAN; OCd† Bollard, SN, PARA; OCd† Boot, CD, R SIGNALS; JUO Botham, GGF, RE; OCd† Bowman, WGA, SCOTS; OCd† Boyer, AC, RIFLES; JUO Brennan, JD, RGR; OCd† Brophy, FT, RE; OCd† Buchanan, WE, SCOTS DG; OCd† Burgoine-Roth, MSC, RLC; JUO Carroll, JC, R IRISH; OCd† Cartwright, PRS, SCOTS; OCd† Chevalier Guild, ECT, HCR (LG); OCd† Clark, WA, R SIGNALS; OCd† Clarke, CTB, PWRR; OCd† Clayton, QIG, QRH; OCd† Coe, AJ, COLDM GDS; OCd† Coleman, OR, PARA; OCd† Connolly-Connell, AD, R SIGNALS; OCd† Cooper, HJ, REME; JUO Coughlan, KP, RTR; OCd† Crabtree, LO, AGC(ETS); OCd† Cross, HD, RLC; OCd† Dudley, BA, RLC; OCd† Dalton, TR, AGC(RMP); OCd† Daniels, RJC, SG; OCd† Darling, WJ, REME; OCd† Davidson, TJ, R IRISH; OCd† De Boehmster, WHM, WG; OCd† De Gale, LC, RE; OCd† Dennis, TJ, RE; OCd† Dennis, GG, RA; OCd† Devoir, MAJ, RIFLES; OCd† Duffield, JPT, SG; OCd† Dunning, WM, RE; OCd† Dyke, MJ, RA; OCd† Edmunds, NF, RA; OCd† Elviss, SM, PARA; OCd† Elwood, JW, RL; OCd† Elwood, BA, RIFLES; OCd† Fazel, S, R SIGNALS; OCd† Finch, WP, REME; OCd† Findlay, CD, RE; OCd† Finn-Kelcey, M, RDG; OCd† Fitz-Gerald, WAP, IG; OCd† Fogg, AE, RLC; OCd† Foreman, JR, REME; OCd† Forster, DS, R SIGNALS; OCd† Fowler, SL, RIFLES; OCd† Fraser, GF, SCOTS; OCd† Gaynor, JM, RA; OCd† Gilbert, MJ, INT CORPS; JUO Gilbertson, LC, R ANGLIAN; OCd† Grant, HAB, IG; OCd† Gioslin, OGM, RA; OCd† Harding, BC, R SIGNALS; OCd† Harris, OJ, REME; OCd† Harte, AAG, SCOTS; OCd† Haylett, JM, MERCIAN; OCd† Henderson, HM, PARA; OCd† Henry, GP, RAMS(M); OCd† Henshaw, MA, RA; OCd† Heishuorne, JC, RA; OCd† Hill, LJ, LANCS; OCd† Hoffman, SCB, AGC(SPS); OCd† Issa, YIM, INT CORPS; OCd† Jack, FHA.

RDG；军官学员† James, SP, PWRR；军官学员† Jennings, EB, QDG；军官学员† Johnson, HA, RE；军官学员† Jones, JA, RLC；军官学员† Joyce, RH, SCOTS DG；军官学员† Judd, SL, AGC(ETS)；军官学员† Kamyab, SN, RA；军官学员† Kelly, ML, AAC (飞行员)；军官学员† Kennedy, OPJ, RG；军官学员† Keogh, SJ, RE；军官学员† Kilgour, RA, RE；军官学员† Lake Coghlan, GJ, RLC；军官学员† Lee, JDM-K, RGR；军官学员† Lee, FC, KRH；军官学员† Lester, ABM, RGR；军官学员† Li, YER, RAMS(M)；军官学员† Lindsay, CR, RLC；军官学员† Littlewood, WJ, RA；军官学员† Livesey, JK, PWRR；军官学员† Lock, JH, RA；军官学员† Loder, EA, IG；军官学员† Louch, TJ, RRF；军官学员† Macaulay, HB, PARA；军官学员† Macdonald, IM, AGC(ETS)；军官学员† Mackle, E, AGC(RMP)；军官学员† Mackman, JRK, RE；初级军官学员 Makepeace, DRW, RIFLES；军官学员† Mangles, JSG, LD；军官学员† Mason-Phelps, KD, QRH；军官学员† Massey, DJ, REME；军官学员† Matthews, DJ, RE；军官学员† Mcardle, JMC, INT CORPS；军官学员† McArthur, GW, RE；军官学员† Mckenna, TO, RE；军官学员† Meenan, AM, AAC (ASO)；军官学员† Melmoth, ST, RE；军官学员† Mendonca, CG, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Millson, E, RLC；军官学员† Milner, JJ, RLC；军官学员† Mitchell, CR, RLC；军官学员† Moloney, OED, REME；军官学员† Moore, AT, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Moss Prout, FA, REME；军官学员† Murdoch, KEM, HCR (RHG/D)；军官学员† Murrin, NJ, INT CORPS；军官学员† Musgrave, CJ, AAC (飞行员)；军官学员† Naylor, AS, REME；军官学员† Neusinger, EF, RE；军官学员† Newton, OJ, RLC；军官学员† North, AW, AGC(RMP)；初级军官学员 North, B.E.M, R ANGLIAN；军官学员† O'neil Smith, AP, RA；军官学员† Parkes, WGM, RE；军官学员† Parmar, AA, RIFLES；军官学员† Paterson, AJB, AGC(RMP)；军官学员† Pattenden, MA, RA；军官学员† Piercy, JH, RE；军官学员† Pirzada, GR, AGC(ETS)；军官学员†

Preston, HTE, RA；军官学员† Price, JJS, RIFLES；军官学员† Pushman, AV, RA；军官学员† Pym, SMR, IG；军官学员† Reimus, AW, AGC(RMP)；初级军官学员 Richardson, JT, RYORKS；军官学员† Robinson, JP, RRP；军官学员† Rumball, WAH, RA；军官学员† Seaton, JK, RAMS(M)；军官学员† Shapland, AJ, AAC (飞行员)；军官学员† Short, ML, RA；军官学员† Simmonds, CH, RE；军官学员† Simpson, RW, RLC；军官学员† Sims, EB, REME；军官学员† Smeeton, AEK, RLC；军官学员† Smith, PJ, RLC；军官学员† Smith, BJ, RA；军官学员† Smith, MJH, SG；军官学员† Smyth, AM, INT CORPS；军官学员† Spalton, JF, AAC (飞行员)；军官学员† Sparkes, AGC, AAC (ASO)；军官学员† Stead, JH, RLC；军官学员† Stephens, AP, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Stephenson, HGI, LANCS；军官学员† Stingone, LJ, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Stott, CJ, REME；军官学员† Strong, TW, WG；军官学员† Stuart, JGO, SCOTS；高级军官学员 Stubbs, WRF, HCR (LG)；军官学员† Taylerson, ERR, RLC；军官学员† Taylor, AR, INT CORPS；初级军官学员 Teasdale, NG, INT CORPS；军官学员† Thomas, W, INT CORPS；军官学员† Thomas-Connolly, BS, SCOTS DG；军官学员† Thomson, HB, RA；初级军官学员 Thorne, TJA, RE；初级军官学员 Ticehurst, JM, PARA；军官学员† Trebickock, MD, RLC；军官学员† Trotman, RJ, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Turner, HPB, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Twiggs, WK, AGC(SPS)；军官学员† Vickerman, CJ, RE；军官学员† Vyse, HC, RYORKS；军官学员† Walwyn, AAB, SCOTS；军官学员† Warhurst, EJ, RE；军官学员† Webb, CJA, R SIGNALS；初级军官学员 Welch, CJ, RA；军官学员† Welsh, OP, R IRISH；军官学员† Westroom-Warr, CE, RA；军官学员† White, SD, RE；初级军官学员 Whitehead, GAD, IG；军官学员† Whittaker, RJ, RA；军官学员† Whitworth, HW, RYORKS；军官学员† Wilkins, MSP, AGC(RMP)；军官学员† Wilkinson, AL, RE；军官学员† Williams, CFJ,

RLC；军官学员† Williams, TVC, SCOTS；军官学员† Williams, SD, GREN GDS；军官学员† Willumsen, DJ, R SIGNALS；军官学员† Wright, GCS, INT CORPS。

以下国际军官学员也已毕业，旨在被委任至其本国武装部队：

OCd† A Hovsepyan，亚美尼亚；OCd† SMAl Al Khalifa，巴林；† SMAM Al Khalifa，巴林；† SMFMR Al Khalifa，巴林；† NAA Al Ajman，巴林；† MAJ Al-Baumain，巴林；† AR Lamiz，孟加拉国；† P Muthsolchhorpone，柬埔寨；† SMH Koffi，科特迪瓦；† SMMME Abdelrahman，埃及；† R Nokelainen，芬兰；† TAR Lucerne-Serrano，法国；† O Touray，冈比亚；† A Trechke，德国；JUO M Finke，德国；† A Adams，加纳；† JA Tangrebolon，印度尼西亚；† MGM Qalwawis，伊拉克；† M Williams，牙买加；† ZTK Alabdullah，约旦；† I Lenkume，肯尼亚；† K Derguti，科索沃；† MF Al Omar，科威特；† MA Ibrahim，马尔代夫；† R Bugeja，马耳他；† B-E Battimour，蒙古；† E Kurtanovic，黑山；† H Nepali，尼泊尔；† JT Adekunle，尼日利亚；† MBM Al-Azri，阿曼；† FMM Al-Maashani，阿曼；† SBF Khammash，巴勒斯坦；† F Kargho，塞拉利昂；† MFM Al Hababi，阿联酋；† MMR Al Mualla，阿联酋；† MAS AlNeyadi，阿联酋；JUO A Bakira，乌干达；† RK Kainerugaba，乌干达；† P Yeromin，乌克兰；† M Nicol，美国。

2027年3月

周四 18 从伦敦飞往印度尼西亚巴厘岛（过夜航班）

周五 19 印度尼西亚，巴厘岛

抵达后，接机前往酒店入住过夜

周六 20 印度尼西亚，巴厘岛

前往本诺阿（Benoa）港口，登上仅限成人的 Oceania Riviera 号，开启 16 晚豪华航程

周日 21 印度尼西亚，巴厘岛（Celukan Bawang）

周一 22 印度尼西亚，泗水

周二 23 印度尼西亚，爪哇，三宝垄

周五 26 - 越南，胡志明市（下午抵达 – 周六 27 过夜）

探索前西贡的丰富遗产和湄公河三角洲的乡村风光。参观这座城市迷人的宝塔、殖民时期建筑和宽阔的林荫大道；乘坐当地的人力车穿梭在繁华的街道；访问充满活力的市场、唐人街，甚至是令人着迷的古芝地道

周日 28 越南，金兰

周二 30 柬埔寨，西哈努克 ville

周三 31 泰国，曼谷（从林查班出发）（过夜）

2027年4月

周四 1 泰国，曼谷（从林查班出发）

周五 2 泰国，苏梅岛

周日 4 新加坡（过夜）

周一 5 新加坡

下船并前往机场，搭乘过夜航班返回伦敦

周二 6 抵达伦敦

未提及的日期为海上休闲时间

OCEANIA CRUISES® 的与众不同之处

私密且豪华的船只

您可以乘坐 Cruises® 私密且豪华的船只航行到全球的每一个角落，但您总会感觉像是回到了家人身边。 Cruises™ 的个性化服务意味着工作人员和船员会微笑着满足您的每一个要求。从您踏上船上的那一刻起，您就会感受到被照顾和被关怀，因为他们对服务的奉献源自内心。一旦您在这些豪华船只上航行过，您将再也不会满足于较低的标准，而在船只规模方面，您也不会再对更大的船只感到满意。大型船只根本无法提供 Cruises® 闻名遐迩的那种显著的私密感、舒适感和个性化的度假体验。

包含项目

全新降价 – 最高可节省 40%*

• 包含在印度尼西亚巴厘岛的邮轮前过夜酒店住宿

• 在优雅的 Riviera 号上享受 16 晚 5★ 豪华仅限成人航程，包括：

• 免费基础饮品套餐，包括午餐和晚餐时的香槟、葡萄酒和啤酒

• 或免费最高 $800 的岸上观光额度

• 所有预订均免费提供小费和 Wi-Fi

• 体验“海上最顶级的美食”**

• 免费软饮、瓶装水和特制咖啡

• 24 小时免费客房服务

• 船上免费洗衣设施和健身课程

• 伦敦往返机票（可根据要求提供区域航班和高端舱位航班*）及海外接送

每次预订均可节省

赚取专属邮轮里程*

价值数百英镑，可用于下次预订**

事实上，这些测试几乎没有产生任何降雨，柯蒂斯随后离开了。但团队中的另一名成员罗伯特·戴伦福斯（Robert Dyrenforth）是一名律师，他对利用爆炸制造降雨的兴趣源于他研究过的专利。戴伦福斯和团队其他成员声称，他们在美西南地区的多次测试中成功制造了降雨，但由于这些实验是在该地区的雨季进行的，因此大多被科学界所否定。

十年后，另一名美国人查尔斯·海特菲尔德（Charles Hatfield）声称，他可以使用一种由 20 英尺高的烟囱喷出的特制烟雾来召唤降雨。加拿大西北部克朗代克（Klondike）附近的金矿工雇佣他来制造降雨，但在两个月后，他的努力几乎没有取得成功，该行动随即停止。尽管遭遇挫折，但在 1915 年，圣迭戈雇佣海特菲尔德来打破一场长期的干旱。然而，在他启动烟雾操作后，一场暴雨淹没了街道、房屋和农场，道路和铁路被冲毁。最糟糕的是，一座大坝因蓄水过多而溃决，估计造成 20 人死亡。愤怒的城市居民要求海特菲尔德为这场洪水承担责任并支付赔偿费用，但最终法院裁定这场降雨属于“天灾”（act of God），海特菲尔德因此被免责。

[版面噪声，已略]

纪念牌表彰伍德考克的“失落世界”

《泰晤士报》首席板球记者艾瑟顿（Atherton）揭幕了一块纪念牌，以纪念其前任约翰·伍德考克（John Woodcock）的百岁诞辰。

伍德考克在 1954 年至 1987, 年期间担任该职务，于 2021 年去世，享年 94. 岁。他的署名文章在报纸上连续出现了 60 多年，最后的一篇作品发表于他去世前一年。

纪念牌位于汉普郡兰斯格罗夫（Lansgrove）圣尼古拉斯教堂的一扇彩色玻璃窗下方，旨在纪念他及其家人与这座教堂以及该村庄之间超过 250 年的渊源。

在上周的《泰晤士报》板球时事通讯中，艾瑟顿写道：“约翰是《泰晤士报》所有板球记者中最被铭记的一位，因为他从事这项工作超过三十年。他是通往一个失落世界的纽带——在他第一次参加灰烬杯巡赛时，即著名的 1954-55 巡赛，当时英格兰队在战后首次在南半球获胜，他当时是乘船前往的。”

“在约翰 90 岁生日时，我对他进行了一次长访谈，这仍然是我最喜欢的作品之一。我们聊了很多关于记者工作多年来如何变化的话题。”

（图注：艾瑟顿、特里·莫宁牧师、克里斯托弗·伍德考克（长侄）以及当地年轻板球运动员汉弗莱·罗巴克在约翰·伍德考克百岁诞辰纪念牌揭幕仪式上）

“他从未认为自己是受益者：那是干预之前的时代；只有纸质版；一个更温和、较少对抗的时代；球员与记者之间不存在隔阂，而且当时的比赛比现在简单得多。”

温莎雷鸣 (Windsor Thunderer)

5.45 Technological Star 7.15 King Of Light 6.15 Henry Knows (nb) 7.40 Princess's Honey Size 6.45 Thunderm 8.25 My Old Mule (mgt)

场地状况：好至坚实 抽签：6f, 高号最佳 Sky Sports Racing

---

46

体育

这是我对马勒用顶尖体育事业交换《角斗士》机会的建议

我曾撕裂前十字韧带并被制片人训斥，但别担心，乔，你会爱上作为“Mauler”的生活。莎伦·戴维斯 (Sharron Davies) 撰文

亲爱的乔，欢迎加入这个从世界级体育赛事跨越到《角斗士》(Gladiators) 的运动员俱乐部。你在代表英格兰队和英国与爱尔兰狮队在前锋争抢中展现的卓越表现，毫无疑问在担任“Mauler”时会派上用场！

如果这个名字不能让所有挑战者心生恐惧，那么你的拦截肯定可以。我想那感觉就像撞上了一堵砖墙。

我在节目中担任“Amazon”是在 1990 年代中期。《角斗士》当时是黄金时段的热门节目，周六晚上经常有 1400 万 人观看。孩子们被允许在就寝前观看，而父母则在出门前观看。

我很高兴看到它回归，激励孩子们积极参与体育活动——严肃地说，我们需要让他们放下手机，重新回归当下，所以我由衷地高兴看到它再次出现在我们的屏幕上，而且很大程度上保留了最初的形式。BBC 做得好。

我在节目中玩得很开心，我相信你也会的，乔——所以在你成为 Mauler 之前，这里有一些你可能会觉得有用的回忆。

让我们从年龄和伤病开始。我第一次以 Amazon 身份出现时 32 岁——而在那时，30 被认为是“过了巅峰期”。谢天谢地，现在情况有所改善，但在一个已经过度使用的身体上进行激烈的比赛，而且当时的安全健康环境与今天截然不同，导致我在参加《角斗士》期间受伤了。

在名为“金字塔”(Pyramid) 的游戏中，我们必须抓住参赛者并将他们扔下去，以防止他们到达顶端。经常会出现一些糟糕的纠缠。我与一名体能极佳的警察纠缠在一起，这结束了我的参赛经历：我的膝关节前十字韧带 (ACL) 断裂了。

类似的事故层出不穷，但通常发生在 BBC 尚未重启的游戏中，比如“Poleaxe”和“Tilt”。

在 36, 这个年纪，你还很年轻。即便如此，也要留意橄榄球时代留下的任何旧伤，尤其是职业生涯末期受的伤。这些伤势可能会累积，且恢复速度较慢。不过，嘿，你是橄榄球运动员，你懂这些。我当时只是个娇弱的水上运动爱好者。

严格的新健康与安全规则确实改变了

前英格兰队支柱马勒将成为 BBC 新剧集中的一名角斗士，正如戴维斯（左二）在 1995 年所做的那样

多年来的节目形式，这可能意味着你会避免我们曾经面对的一些噩梦。对我来说，挫败感更多来自于没有足够的练习时间。我记得第一次在直播中参加“Tilt”（一种拔河的变体）。

我当时在自己成长过程中形成的运动员心态中挣扎。在体育运动中你不需要表演，纯粹是为了完成任务。饰演“Nightshade”的朱迪·辛普森 (Judy Simpson) 是另一位将竞技心态带入游戏的顶尖运动员。你不会考虑娱乐效果，而是关注赢——而且整个过程组织严密，时间表紧凑。当时间一到，你就进入状态，完全专注于自己的表现。其他一切都不重要。

《角斗士》是一个节目。它是带有随行人员、铃铛和装饰的高能娱乐活动：发型、化妆，哦……还有那套服装。在我们的时代，我们在伯明翰的 NIA 录制。在动作之间有很长的间隙，因为巨大的 Hang Tough、Atlaspheres 和 Swingshot 设备需要由出色的工作人员移至到位。有大量的等待时间，需要极大的耐心。我们坐着与客串挑战者聊天，

建立友谊，会见粉丝并签名，与此同时那些巨大的布景正在更换。一小时的节目通常需要五个小时录制，而且我们一天至少录两集。

然后，灯光亮起，摄像机就位，开始拍摄——当你挑战“ gauntlet”（ gauntlet 挑战赛）时，节奏发生了巨大的变化。乔，我相信你一定会喜欢其中一个游戏：Powerball（动力球）。我们一直以极少有人能通过“ gauntlet”挑战赛而感到自豪。我想，可以说我们当时被允许比你们现在更加“激进”。

我对在我的第一场节目中，在 Atlaspheres 环节之后被制片人奈杰尔·利斯戈（Nigel Lythgoe）责备的经历记忆犹新。那是个人类仓鼠球游戏：我们必须在金属笼子里在竞技场中滚动，笼子会触发烟雾弹。我把一名参赛者挤在角落里并一直按在那里。对我来说，重点在于获胜。“把她推向环形赛道，”奈杰尔说，“这不是奥运会，莎伦——这是一个娱乐节目！”

从游泳运动员莎伦·戴维斯（Sharron Davies）转变为角斗士 Amazon，过程非常艰辛。

乔，Mauler 是你的角色。你可以成为一名演员。我觉得这并不容易。我想你会比我做得更好。我想象中会有另一个“Wolf”（迈克·范·维克，Mike van Wijk）。作为 Wolf，他的竞争心强得惊人——但作为迈克，他非常友善。

为了孩子们，无论做什么都不觉得麻烦。在镜头前，他讨厌输球，会大发雷霆，在竞技场里横冲直撞，并与裁判约翰·安德森（John Anderson）争论不休。你会享受到很多乐趣的。

你可能还想考虑为“Mauler”申请专利。你能想象如果我当时给 Amazon 申请了专利，我现在会过得多么成功吗。

尽情享受吧——但要准备好失去一部分你的橄榄球运动员身份。多年来，我一直拒绝奈杰尔的建议，很满足于继续做一名游泳运动员，而我当时的丈夫德里克·雷德蒙德（Derek Redmond）在节目组工作，我则与我的朋友戴利·汤普森（Daley Thompson）共同主持面向儿童的《角斗士》系列节目《Train 2 Win》。我记得有一天在超市里，一位女士走过来问我是否能在她儿子的签名本上签名。

“当然可以，”我满脸笑容地说道。但当她在冷冻鸡肉柜旁把本子递给儿子时，我听到他说：“妈？莎伦·戴维斯是谁？”

所以，祝 Mauler 顺利，我希望你能激励很多孩子参与体育运动，过上积极的生活——当你将名字写在他们的衬衫或书本上时，愿你永远听不到他们说：“妈，乔·马勒（Joe Marler）是谁？”

© 莎伦·戴维斯（Sharron Davies）是前英国奥运游泳运动员，曾在《角斗士》中饰演 Amazon。

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THE TIMES / Monday, August 10 2026

47

Athletics Sport

霍奇金森：我不会再次输给韦罗

马特·劳顿 首席体育记者

基莉·霍奇金森内心燃烧着竞争之火，而在两个月前的斯德哥尔摩被奥德丽·韦罗出其不意地击败后，这团火已演变成一场猛烈的烈焰。

当这位奥运冠军在那场两圈赛事的最后 300 米冲到领先位置时，她没有预料到自己实际上扮演了为这位天赋异禀的瑞士运动员领跑的角色；后者随后在最后的直道上反超她，跑出了历史第三快的时间。

“我不会让这种情况再次发生，”这就是霍奇金森对这次失败的反思，以及她突然意识到一名此前从未威胁到她的运动员已经取得了重大进步——在今年 3 月这位 24 岁的兰开夏郡人打破室内世界纪录时，该运动员在第二名位置上落后了近半个直道。

霍奇金森在 6 月 7, 的瑞典比赛中刷新了她自己的英国纪录，将时间缩短了 14.3 秒。但韦罗则跑进了 154.，并在三周后的巴黎跑出了 1:51.80，速度更快。

这一新动态使得女子 800 米成为了本周在伯明翰举行的欧洲锦标赛的焦点赛事，霍奇金森在重要程度上将其与两年前的奥运会相媲美。她有一笔账要算，并且要夺回世界第一的桂冠。

“坦白说，我认为这对我来说几乎和在巴黎获胜一样重要，”她说。

欧锦赛通常与英联邦运动会一样，被视为仅次于奥运会和世界锦标赛的次要赛事，但有时特定的情况会提升其重要性。

40 年前进入斯图加特比赛时，塞巴斯蒂安·科已经几乎实现了所有目标：两枚 1,500 米奥运金牌和多项世界纪录，其中他在 1981, 创下的 800 米 1:417s 纪录是最令人印象深刻的。

但在他最擅长的项目上，重大赛事的金牌一直难以触及。他曾两次获得奥运银牌，并在前两届欧锦赛中各获一枚铜牌和一枚银牌。

在 29, 时，斯图加特是科最后一次现实的机会，他必须发挥职业生涯中最出色的冲刺能力之一，才能击败汤姆·麦基恩和史蒂夫·克拉姆。“那枚让我渴望已久的金牌终于属于我了，”科在他 2013 的自传中回忆道。

传奇体育作家伊恩·伍尔德里奇曾将英国三人组进入主直道的那一刻比作“三架喷火式战斗机从太阳中冲出”。随着费姆克·布罗德斯-博尔也准备继续完成从单圈到双圈合成跑道的转型，如果这三位运动员都能晋级周五晚上的决赛，伯明翰将准备迎接另一场经典对决。

在 2025, 因伤势严重影响其全球统治地位后，霍奇金森今年遇到了进一步的困难。在斯德哥尔摩之后，一次训练中的摔倒导致她的膝盖严重受伤，这导致她在俄勒冈州遭遇了第二次失败，而这一次是输给了世界冠军莉莉安·扎赫拉。但霍奇金森在上个月的伦敦比赛中以一场巩固地位的胜利予以回应，且与她最亲近的人报告称，她在葡萄牙的一次季前训练营中状态极佳，是一名完全恢复状态的运动员。

周五在被问及是否认为自己能以世界第一的身份结束本赛季时，她显得有些激动。“是的，我仍然相信我完全有能力做到这一点，”她说。“我觉得我的状态很好。显然在 6 月和 7 月经历了一段艰难时期，但我现在很开心，也很期待比赛。我认为这将激发我最好的状态。”

当被问及对之前与22岁的韦罗（Werro）交手的看法时，她表示：“我不认为自己做错了什么。当时我并不了解她的能力。这恰恰说明你不能低估任何人。如果你回顾我们之前所有的正面交锋，你不会想到她能坚持下来。”

她似乎对某些方面的反应略有在意。“我认为人们试图让我觉得那是一次失败，但事实并非如此，”她说，“那是英国纪录。那是我有史以来最快的时间，我会提醒自己这一点，因为我为此感到自豪。我只是认为我们已经在那之后继续前行了。我经历了几周的艰难时期，但现在非常好。”

“我的膝盖已经痊愈了。之前只是个棘手的问题。跑步、走路、弯腰、站立都需要膝盖。我并没有错过任何训练或类似的事情。只是当时有很强的疼痛感和炎症。但当你在这个级别与这些女孩竞争时，这些微小的差距会影响你的表现。”

“那只是一场比赛，我认为人们评判得太快，并不真正完全了解发生了什么。也许在聚光灯下，我可能不应该在尤金（Eugene）参赛。但我期待将那件事抛在脑后。奥德丽（Audrey）状态提升得非常好，费姆克（Femke）跑得也很好。但我也状态不错，所以我认为这将是一场非常精彩的比赛。我们拭目以待。”

霍奇金森（Hodgkinson）似乎在这种竞争中茁壮成长。“这就是我训练的目的，”她说，“这是令人兴奋的部分。很多人来挑战我，而我一直都在。我在每一次锦标赛中都获得了奖牌。”

当他人敢于质疑她时，她会专注于此，尽管她偶尔觉得需要完全屏蔽外界的嘈杂。“有时我会删除 Twitter [X]，”她说，“那个应用太糟糕了。前几天我和乔治亚（亨特-贝尔 / Hunter Bell）在笑，因为我们看到一个 TikTok 视频说她付给我 £200k 让我不要参加英联邦运动会。我想，‘好吧，我没拿到那笔钱，那么那该死的钱去哪了？’人们在编造东西。我们有时生活在一个奇怪的世界里，但我们对此付之一笑，专注于我们要做的事情。”

霍奇金森此前已夺得 2022 年和 2024 年两次欧洲 800 米冠军。如果她能再次登上该洲赛事的最高领奖台，她将成为首位完成此类“帽子戏法”的英国女性。

“这将是我在室内和室外获得的第五个 [欧洲] 冠军，”她说，“那是五年的努力。那是五年里参加每一次锦标赛并获胜。要保持这种稳定性非常困难。但考虑到之前没有人做到过，那将非常酷。”

像跳羚队那样实验？博斯威克不够勇敢

斯图尔特·巴恩斯 (Stuart Barnes)

事实很简单，有些橄榄球比赛比其他比赛更重要。虽然没有所谓的“友谊赛”，但有时获胜的渴望之强烈，简直就如同生死攸关。一名球员在赛前的一周里，可能除了思考如何获胜之外别无他念。而失败在短时间内会带来一种令人心碎的挫败感，让所有的准备和梦想都显得毫无意义且痛苦。

这就是在失去欧洲决赛、国内决赛或大满贯冠军时所留下的糟糕感觉。此外还有狮队系列赛、南非对阵新西兰的系列赛，以及世界杯的每一个淘汰赛阶段，尤其是当你期望征服世界的时候。

对于精英而言，其他一切都只是通往橄榄球各项“喜马拉雅之巅”的必经之路。南非队在 2019 和 2023 年登顶了这项运动的“珠穆朗玛峰”，并被预期在 2027. 再次接近顶峰。在他们尝试前所未有地第三次连续捧起韦伯-埃利斯杯之前，他们还有一个小问题要处理：与他们最大的竞争对手新西兰队进行一场四场测试赛的系列赛。

这四场国际赛关乎的仅仅是获胜。无论过程是优美的、丑陋的、令人敬畏的还是幸运的。朋友，结果就写在计分板上。对于跳羚队来说，这就是成功或失败的唯一定义。新西兰队在去年两队最近的一次交锋中，在斯科特·罗伯逊 (Scott Robertson) 的指导下以 43-10 告负；而现在，他们在新任主教练戴夫·雷尼 (Dave Rennie) 的带领下，采取了一种乐观的策略。如果他的球队在系列赛中以微弱劣势落败，他可以理直气壮地声称这代表了通往悉尼之路上的进步。但对于南非队——世界冠军，全球排名第一的球队——而言，一切都取决于计分板。在 12 年内第三次赢得世界杯会减轻痛苦，但伤疤永远不会从拉西·埃拉斯姆斯 (Rassie Erasmus) 的跳羚队身上消失。

是的，有些测试赛确实比其他比赛更重要。在 2019, 南非队在小组赛中输给了全黑队，

但随后在在日本举行的世界杯中夺冠。谁还记得输给对手的那场比赛？周六晚上，他们在布宜诺斯艾利斯的压力下顶住攻势，记录了他们的第 12 场连续胜利。巧合的是，英格兰队最近在史蒂夫·博斯威克 (Steve Borthwick) 的带领下也取得了同样数量的胜利。

那么，当这段连胜在对阵苏格兰队时惨淡收场时，英格兰队处于什么境地？他们从山上滚落的速度比攀登时还要快。因为每一场比赛都被悄悄地记录为本身就是一种成就的证明。而这是错误的。这就像上个月为了在短期内战胜斐济而选人，其目的——不是为了针对澳大利亚队的阵容开发——而主要是为了一个承受压力的管理层。情况看起来确实如此。

埃拉斯姆斯解释了他周六以 17-10 击败阿根廷队的选人逻辑。“我们有七八个人在过去六七周里几乎没有上场时间，所以我一直认为球队会显得脱节，”这位主教练说，“我们只需要让很多球员通过比赛恢复体能。”

但在极具鼓舞力的队长西亚·科利西 (Siya Kolisi) 身上，这种做法产生了反效果，他在上场仅 25 分钟后就因腿筋受伤离场。他能否参加“最强宿敌”系列赛现在存疑，但这位 35 岁的球员描述挫折时那种豁达的方式提醒人们，受伤在所难免。对于他们这位巨人般的队长，球队有替代方案，这得益于他们创建了一支在跳羚队战袍下感到自在的大规模阵容。

埃拉斯姆斯需要一些核心球员——任何伟大球队总有核心——打满 80 分钟，而这些球员此前因伤或纪律禁赛而缺席。他正在康复的飞翼 (fly half) 萨沙·费恩伯格-姆戈梅祖卢 (Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu) 坚持打满了 80 分钟。

他经历了测试赛橄榄球生涯中最糟糕的下午之一，但并未被替换下场。相反，他被移至全卫位置，以便能打满全场。尽管这位飞翼在下午的表现不稳定，但常规全卫 Aphelele Fassi 还是为此让出了位置。这次选人旨在面向未来，而非解决教练面前的眼前问题。几分钟后，内中锋 André Esterhuizen 头部受伤，全卫回归，而这位具有标志性的 10 号球员则回到了他与 Handré Pollard 共同承担的 10 / 12 号角色。

在第二排，Eben Etzebeth 回到测试赛赛场并打满了 80 分钟。在卡迪夫的挖眼事件之前，这位老将的使用频率较低，但布宜诺斯艾利斯是他在对阵全黑队的首次测试赛前测试体能的最后机会。这些管理决策的主要目标是在两周后获胜，而不是在阿根廷蓝天之下勉强支撑。

有人认为，处于 Erasmus 这种位置的经理不必担心围绕在其他教练身边的嘈杂议论。也可以认为，这种始终面向长远目标而非下一个比分牌的混搭政策，正是为什么一方能够最大化其资源，而另一方在尝试攀登橄榄球巅峰时却似乎无法看到下一步的原因。

我们热爱测试赛是因为其伟大的传统，橄榄球也崇尚其传统，但无论是否有传统，某些国际赛事的权重都高于其他赛事。高得多。

搜索“Sky Essential TV”

E15 Essential TV 包含精选的 Sky 频道。

仅限新电视客户。Essential TV (E15 smooth) 和 Sports Banquet (E15 smooth) 要求 Oneonwark 最低 24 个月合约期。通常允许标准处理。E15 和 E15s smooth。Essential TV 包括 Alliance、News、Sports Mix 和 Sports Racing。Netflix Standard 包含 acts 和 Discovery —— Entertainment —— 需设置账户。必须发货最低限额，建议 25 Mbps。所有内容自 10 月 18- 30 日起可用。不要列出广告，仅限大量相同客户。适用进一步时间规定。

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49

足球体育

拉什福德回归……但他会留下吗？

夏洛特·邓克尔 (Charlotte Duncker)

去年夏天，当马库斯·拉什福德 (Marcus Rashford) 走出曼彻斯特联队的训练场，以租借身份加盟巴塞罗那时，许多人认为他在这家童年俱乐部的生涯就此结束了。

“我祝愿他们一切顺利，希望他们在未来取得成功，”这是他离队时留下的最后一句话。

表面上看，这是一个对已经恶化的局面较为圆满的结局，让双方都能重新开始。但足球总有某种奇妙的方式让人们重新聚在一起。

因此，尽管在 2024 年 12 月，当他在对阵维多利亚普尔岑的比赛中被前联队主教练鲁本·阿莫林 (Ruben Amorim) 换下并随后被冷落时，结局似乎已然注定，但现在他正准备与队友们重聚，并可能在周六联队与阿莫林的 AC 米兰进行一场友谊赛时，面对那个迫使他流亡的男人。

拉什福德今天将作为联队训练小组的一员回归基尔代尔郡梅努斯 (Maynooth, Co Kildare)，随后将在周三于都柏林的克罗克公园 (Croke Park) 参加一场对阵利兹联的季前赛。

最初的公开训练计划已被搁置，这意味着这位 28 岁的球员在重新融入团队时不会受到额外的关注，而这可能符合所有人的利益，因为他们需要研究他今后将如何适应。在过去的 18 个月的大部分时间里，这种情况是双方都未曾预料到的。

然而，由于巴塞罗那决定不支付租借协议中 €3000 万 的买断选项，而是签下安东尼·戈登 (Anthony Gordon) 和卡里姆·阿德耶米 (Karim Adeyemi) 来填补拉什福德在边锋位置上的空缺，他与汉西·弗里克 (Hansi Flick) 重聚的大门就此关闭。

“他是一名出色的球员，也是一个出色的人，”巴塞罗那主教练弗里克最近在谈到拉什福德时表示。“球队想念他，我也想念他，但这就是生活。这是我们必须接受的。”

目前，包括一些联队的英超竞争对手在内的许多其他俱乐部都表现出了兴趣，但还没有具体进展。

据了解，拉什福德不希望前往土耳其（费内巴切已表现出兴趣）或沙特阿拉伯，因为他仍有为英格兰队效力的雄心。

联队没有兴趣再次将他租出去，而他的每周 32.5 万英镑

拉什福德在爱尔兰与球迷见面，这是他自巴塞罗那租借回归后首次加入联队训练

当他担任何塞·穆里尼奥 (José Mourinho) 的助手时，以及在 2021 年 11 月奥莱·冈纳尔·索尔斯克亚 (Ole Gunnar Solskjær) 被解雇后他临时接管球队时。

但这次情况将如何发展，没人知道。他的球衣号码在去年夏天被交给了马特乌斯·库尼亚 (Matheus Cunha)，他不再被保证在首发 11 人名单中占有一席之地。一些支持者还认为，他在过去 18 个月租借期间的表现更好，因为他需要在其他地方重新开始，而他在联队的时间已经自然结束，但只有时间才能证明这是否正确。

如果他能复制在巴塞罗那展现出的状态（贡献 25 个进球 / 助攻），毫无疑问他能成为卡里克 (Carrick) 的资产。如果联队必须出去寻找替代者，他们将无法以 £2600 万 (€3000 万) 的标价找到同等级别的人才。

如果他留下，这将影响联队在转会窗最后几周的转会计划。他们此前一直在考虑签下一名左路进攻球员，以及潜在的另一名前锋，但拉什福德的回归可能会抵消加强这些位置的需求，因为他可以胜任这两个位置。

这个决定在赛季开始几周后会如何被看待仍有待观察，但各方都希望结果能向好的方向发展。

工资成了许多考虑永久转会的球队的绊脚石。目前没有迹象表明他愿意通过降薪来强行离队，而且他为什么要这么做？是俱乐部在 2023 年给了他那份合同，且合同仍有两年有效期。因此，在转会窗口仅剩三周的情况下，最可能的选项似乎是拉什福德将留在他的青训俱乐部并为自己的位置而战。当然，目前的主要障碍阿莫林已经离开，由迈克尔·卡里克接管，这应该会缓解部分紧张局势，但去年夏天决定将他排除在第一队训练之外的关键人物中，仍有一些留在俱乐部内。

据信拉什福德与卡里克关系良好。他曾在路易斯·范加尔麾下与这位前中场球员共同作战，并且此前已经接受过这位 45 岁教练的指导和管理，首先

凯恩预计将延长在慕尼黑的留任期

康斯坦丁·埃克纳 (Constantin Eckner)

哈里·凯恩预计将与拜仁慕尼黑续约至2029年，这家德国冠军球队计划在本周与这位英格兰队长进行谈判。

拜仁即将结束在亚洲的季前巡回赛返回，他们并不计划对凯恩的薪资做出任何重大调整。他是拜仁的最高薪球员，与德国中场贾马尔·穆西亚拉 (Jamal Musiala) 并列，两名球员的年基本工资约为2150万英镑。

31岁的凯恩并未参加拜仁在韩国和香港的季前巡回赛，拜仁在周五以2-1击败了阿斯顿维拉。相反，凯恩在英格兰于迈阿密举行的世界杯三四名决赛中以6-4战胜法国后返回家中，并将于本周晚些时候与俱乐部队友会合。

在罗伯特·莱万多夫斯基 (Robert Lewandowski) 离队加盟美国职业足球大联盟 (MLS) 的芝加哥之火队后，这位英格兰队长此前曾与巴塞罗那传出绯闻，但据了解

凯恩在离开托特纳姆热刺后，已随拜仁赢得了两次德甲冠军

拜仁近期并未收到任何严肃的询问。尽管他已进入现有合同的最后一年，但拜仁从未考虑过在今年夏天出售凯恩。

凯恩及其家人在慕尼黑感觉很舒适，且他继续保持高水平的表现。上赛季，他在拜仁参加的所有各项赛事中，在51场比赛中打入61球，使其自2023年从托特纳姆热刺转会以来在俱乐部的总进球数增加至146球。

凯恩在拜仁赢得了他职业生涯首批重要的奖杯，分别夺得了2024-25赛季和2025-26赛季的德甲冠军。然而，对于球员和俱乐部来说，最主要且尚未实现的野心仍然是欧冠冠军，这家德国冠军球队最近一次夺冠是在2020年。上赛季，拜仁在半决赛中被连续两届冠军巴黎圣日耳曼淘汰。

“现在很痛苦，但你不能仅凭一场比赛来评判，”凯恩在拜仁总比分6-5落败后表示。“从我们的角度来看，我们可以为目前所取得的成就感到自豪。我们一直在追求进步。”

虽然一度有预期认为凯恩可能会返回英格兰，并尝试打破艾伦·希雷尔 (Alan Shearer) 的英超进球纪录——凯恩有213球，而希雷尔有260球——但他渴望在拜仁赢得更多奖杯。

凯恩是今年金球奖的最热门人选。尽管在欧冠和世界杯中均止步半决赛而与冠军失之交臂，但凯恩再次证明了自己是足球界最致命的前锋之一。

阿斯顿维拉正洽谈签下拜仁 31 岁球员帕利尼亚

加里·雅各布，保罗·乔伊斯

阿斯顿维拉正就签下拜仁慕尼黑中场若昂·帕利尼亚进行洽谈，后者上赛季在托特纳姆热刺租借效力。

这家德国俱乐部更倾向于出售这名 31 岁的球员，他两年前以 £4700 万 的价格从富勒姆加盟。

帕利尼亚上赛季在热刺租借期间在各项赛事中出场 45 次，但这家北伦敦俱乐部决定不执行永久签下他的选项。

法国后卫卢卡斯·迪涅已同意一份为期三年的合同，以 £700 万 的转会费加盟巴黎圣日耳曼。迪涅自 2022 年从埃弗顿加盟阿斯顿维拉以来共出场 182 次，并在上赛季的欧联杯夺冠中发挥了关键作用。

埃弗顿和水晶宫在涉及德怀特·麦克尼尔和布伦南·约翰逊的交换交易上取得进展。此次转会不涉及任何额外资金，而是球员之间的直接交换。体检最早可能在今天进行。

26 岁的麦克尼尔本已准备在 1 月的截止日移师塞尔赫斯特公园球场，但一项包含 £2000 万 强制从埃弗顿买断条款的租借协议在最后一刻被取消。25 岁的威尔士国脚约翰逊在 1 月以 £3500 万 从托特纳姆转会至水晶宫，但在 26 场比赛中未能进球。

富勒姆已达成一项价值 £2600 万 外加 £400 万 附加费的协议，以签下南安普顿中场谢伊·查尔斯。由于查尔斯在 2023 年转会南安普顿时包含了一项分成条款，曼彻斯特城将从查尔斯预期的这次转会中获得部分资金。

科莫已从切尔西签下特雷沃·查洛巴，初始费用为 £25.700 万，外加 £509 万 的附加费。这名 27 岁的后卫已同意一份为期五年的合同。

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50

体育 足球

沃克誓言：我不会成为

英冠联赛的边锋们将把这位 36 岁的球员视为目标，但这位伯恩利后卫告诉保罗·乔伊斯 (Paul Joyce)，他不会让自己显得像个傻瓜。

Kyle Walker 一项接一项地列出了他对即将到来的赛季的雄心。有些侧重于集体，例如帮助伯恩利直接升级回到英超，而有些则更偏向个人。

这位右后卫在丰富的履历中拥有 96 场英格兰国家队出场记录和六次英超冠军等诸多荣誉，他知道自己将成为被针对的目标，因为英冠的边锋们将渴望在一名功勋卓著的对手面前大显身手，让他被甩在身后而感到尴尬。

沃克现在虽然已经 36, 岁，但在足球场上被弄得像个傻瓜的想法对他来说依然是不可接受的。

“我想他们现在试图创造，怎么说来着，表情包 (memes)？”他笑着说。“他们会试图把我做成表情包，但我可以向你们保证，我不会成为任何人的表情包。”

“所以当你面对我时，我会付出 100% 的努力。如果你在当天赢了我，你知道，比赛结束时握手，说这是一场精彩的比赛。但我不会成为一个表情包。”

最后这句话在空气中回荡，诉说着沃克对挑战持续的渴望，尽管他希望自己不必面对这种局面。

虽然伯恩利近年的生存模式是在第二级别联赛和顶级联赛之间像悠悠球一样起伏，但上赛季的降级让沃克回到了这一切开始的地方。

他在 2008 年在谢菲尔德联开启了职业生涯，渴望与精英球员并肩作战，但上一次在英冠比赛是在 2010-11 赛季，当时他在托特纳姆热刺的时光被一段在女王公园巡游者的租借经历所中断。

那段时期的美好回忆很多，因为他在升级战中发挥了作用，但现在情况已经发生了巨大的变化，因此他向一位前曼彻斯特城队友兼伯恩利主教练咨询了关于目前预期情况的建议。

“我和 Vinny，文森特·孔帕尼聊过了，”沃克解释道。当时他是曼彻斯特国家足球博物馆举办的 2026-27 赛季 EFL 启动仪式的嘉宾。

“我问他感觉如何。他说虽然困难，但也非常愉快。”

“你再次成为了大鱼，并且能掌控更多局面。这比我在曼彻斯特城时期习惯的比赛方式更接近这种感觉。”

“当 Vinny [带领伯恩利] 升级时，我想他们突破了 100 分，某种程度上横扫了英冠，所以我希望我们能像他们那个赛季 [2022-23] 所做的那样。”

“那次 [我最后一次在英冠比赛时] 非常棒，因为我们赢了每一场比赛。我会把它称作一次紧急租借。尼尔·沃诺克带了我，我参加了每一场

比赛，然后在赛季最后阶段去了阿斯顿维拉。我重新爱上了足球。”

“我不会说我之前不再热爱足球，但在 [2009 年加入托特纳姆热刺后]，我参加的比赛没有我想象中那么多。然后哈里 [雷德克纳普] 让我租借回 QPR，积累一些比赛经验。”

“我很喜欢。这是我在个人层面为了迈向英超而必须做的事情。”

在英冠比赛——它让你脚踏实地，但它也能教会你很多。它也会让你感到非常谦卑。

“那是其中很重要的一部分。身边有经验丰富的球员。Fitz Hall, Shaun Derry, Clint Hill, Paddy Kenny。那是一个很棒的更衣室氛围，我可以告诉你。”

“回想起 2010 年我在 QPR 时，我是否想过自己在足球领域能经历这些事情？绝不可能，那是不可能的！所以我绝对感到平静，但我对更多成就充满渴望，而这就是这个赛季在伯恩利的目标。”

本周日，伯恩利将在特夫穆尔球场迎来另一支降级球队西汉姆联，这场令人期待的揭幕战将拉开帷幕，而沃克现在正追随他列举的那些名将的脚步。他是那个拥有经验的人，是队友在陷入困境时会寻求依靠的人。

他很乐意承担这份责任。沃克致力于维持自己的高标准，即便聚光灯的强度已不再像他在曼城在佩普·瓜迪奥拉麾下争夺最高荣誉，以及代表英格兰参加欧洲杯决赛时那样强烈。

“外界的审视没有那么严苛，但我认为那时你可能会更多地审视自己，因为你已经习惯了取得成就并赢得更多比赛，”沃克说道。在周六的联赛杯点球大战中，伯恩利顶住压力击败诺丁汉郡，而沃克打入了制胜点球。“你会回顾自己并思考：‘我本可以怎么做？’”

“上赛季，最关键的是心理博弈。我能踢好足球，这一点并不会因为我去了伯恩利而改变。但在心理层面，情况有所不同，这是我必须投入精力去引导的部分。不过，现在我可以将这些传授给年轻球员，希望能分享我的经验。”

“任何事情的成功都取决于心态。天赋能让你走很远，但心态和渴望成功的意愿才是关键——不仅仅是在重大比赛中，不仅仅是在电视转播时，也不仅仅是在阳光明媚、有 30,000 名球迷在场为你的名字欢呼时——而是在下雨天，没有电视转播，在周二晚上七点四十五分，寒风凛冽的时候。”

“那就是挽起袖子，不怕弄脏衣服，确保我们能拿到三分。”

“我希望被视为一名领导者。我希望人们看着我，并效仿我的脚步以及我在训练场上的所作所为。我为自己设定了标准。”

“如果我还需要被激励才能踢球，那我早上应该留在床上睡觉。动力从来不是一个考量因素。我一直对自己承诺的唯一一点是，当我的脑海中那盏灯熄灭，足球变成一种负担时，我就会停止踢球，因为我不想毁掉这份热爱。”

显然，他还没有到那个地步。沃克从英格兰队退役了，就在上

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51

体育

一个模因

RICHARD SELIGMAN / PA WEISS / 泰晤士报摄影师 / BRADLEY OWEN / 2026

沃克（Walker）在周六通过点球大战击败诺丁汉郡队（Notts County）晋级 Candou 杯第二轮后，与伯恩利门将马克斯·魏斯（Max Weiss）共同庆祝（图为上方）。他在曼彻斯特城赢得了六次英超冠军（图为顶部），其职业生涯始于英冠联赛的谢菲尔德联队（Sheffield United）。

赛季，但在关于谁应该在世界杯上担任右后卫的风波中，韦恩·鲁尼（Wayne Rooney）依然在赞扬他的能力。

一个夏天的休息让他得以重启，这有点像伯恩利俱乐部本身——在斯科特·帕克（Scott Parker）于 4 月离职后，他们任命了原根克（Genk）主帅尼基·海恩（Nicky Hayen）为新任主教练。此前与威尔士主教练克雷格·贝拉米（Craig Bellamy）的接触以失败告终。

沃克形容海恩，45, 非常“直接”，但并没有试图用过多新想法让球队超负荷，并指出“有时过多的信息反而会毁掉一切”。

球队出现了一些重要的人员流失，例如杰登·安东尼（Jaidon Anthony）加盟布伦特福德，马克西姆·埃斯特夫（Maxime Esteve）加盟 RB 莱比锡，弗洛伦蒂诺（Florentino）加盟伊普斯维奇城，以及卢姆·查乌纳（Loum Tchaouna）加盟科文特里城，但沃克留了下来。

“上赛季以降级告终，对我来说并不理想，”他补充道。“我不喜欢那样，这让我感觉很糟糕。我想把它弥补回来，不仅是为了我自己，也是为了那些不得不面对上赛季情况的球迷，以及那些留下来一起奋斗的球员。”

“我们有义务将其弥补回来。这不仅是一项责任，更是我们的工作。事情并不总是能按计划进行。这个赛季可能也不会完全按计划进行，可能不会像我们所有人希望的那样一帆风顺。”

“但我感觉到，凭借更衣室里的球员质量，这就是我们应该做的事：实现升级并重返英超。”

“带领伯恩利升级将是我想要添加到收藏中的另一个奖杯。这是我想写在简历上的成就。”

伊拉奥拉承认：我们只能跑 30 分钟

保罗·乔伊斯 (Paul Joyce)

北方足球记者

安多尼·伊拉奥拉（Andoni Iraola）作为主教练在安菲尔德的首秀，伴随着那个熟悉的争论：亚历山大·伊萨克（Alexander Isak）和弗洛里安·维尔茨（Florian Wirtz）对利物浦的表现贡献了多少。

然而，这一次，他应该会很高兴能讨论这个问题。在昨天的比赛中，伊萨克率先为对阵摩纳哥的比赛破门，随后在利物浦艰难地打入第二球时，他与维尔茨均参与其中——这位瑞典球员在门线上倒地，帮助球队赢回球权，而维尔茨则利用客队阵型的混乱得分。公共广播系统将该进球归功于维尔茨，但回放显示其队友完成了最后一次触球。

“我们两个都触到了球，但老实说，我不知道谁触了第一下，谁触了最后一下，”伊萨克说道。随后，维尔茨也声称他同样不清楚。

利物浦的赛季将在很大程度上取决于这对组合能否开始更有效地配合。原计划一直是让伊萨克和维尔茨接替穆罕默德·萨拉赫（Mohamed Salah）的得分重担，而在这位埃及球员离队后，这已成为必然要求。

显而易见的是，伊萨克与被部署在 10, 位（No.10）的维尔茨配合得非常紧密。维尔茨的一些传球令人赞叹，他们似乎一直在磨合默契。利物浦希望这是一个积极的信号。

进攻迅速但防守缺陷再次显现

显然，利物浦本赛季的进攻速度将有所提升——例如，第一传通常是向前传球——但在防守方面，他们似乎依然脆弱。在这场比赛中，他们粗心地丢掉了两球的领先优势，最终以 3-2 落败；而上周末在芝加哥对阵利兹联时，他们同样在 2-0 领先的情况下以 4-2 输球。

在某些方面，他们将变得更具观赏性，这比上赛季有所进步。上赛季支持者与球队之间的脱节导致安菲尔德球场气氛死气沉沉。这最终导致阿尔内·斯洛特丢掉了工作，而伊劳拉现在的首要任务必须是恢复

球员与付费观众之间应有的和谐关系。

从奥萨苏纳以 £3450 万 签下的维克多·穆尼奥斯在左翼完成了首秀，而青少年球员里奥·恩古莫巴在右翼制造麻烦的景象也令人欣慰。

伊劳拉坦率地承认，他的球队在 30 分钟后就精疲力竭了，目前还没有足够的体能来维持他所要求的比赛强度。

“我们打了一个不错的前半场，尤其是前 30 分钟，”他说。“就目前而言，在维持这种打法所需的体能水平方面，我们可能没有更多储备了，而他们在下半场表现得好得多。他们配得上这场逆转。”

“我认为那些首场出战的球员，甚至包括第二次出战的球员，他们是有能量的。现在的问题是，他们无法在 90 分钟内保持能量。我们需要对他们进行更多训练。”

谁将成为范戴克搭档？

巴塞罗那的罗纳德·阿拉乌霍昨天开始进行体检，利物浦正致力于敲定他的租借转会。该协议包含一个选项（而非义务），允许利物浦以 £4700 万 的价格将其永久签下。

这位乌拉圭中后卫并未被明确视为潜在的长期签约目标。利物浦希望在其他后卫从体能问题中恢复期间，他能提供一个临时方案。

维吉尔·范戴克完成了季前赛的首秀，他是俱乐部目前唯一健康的、被认可的中后卫，

伊萨克在安菲尔德打入利物浦首球后庆祝

而乔·戈梅斯、乔瓦尼·莱奥尼和杰里米·雅凯均缺阵。雅凯预计将于本周恢复训练，但在四场季前赛中一分钟都没有上场，且他在雷恩的赛季因 2 月份的一次肩伤而提前结束。

范戴克造成了一次点球，摩纳哥的亚历山大·戈洛温借此得分，随后他与瑞安·格拉文贝赫出现配合失误，导致米卡·贝雷特扳平比分。当摩纳哥通过巴黎·布鲁纳的头球锁定胜局时，范戴克已经离场，此时的中后卫搭档是远藤航和卢克·钱伯斯。

如果两者都如此，那么即使雅凯能在周日面对意大利俱乐部科莫队，在利物浦的英超揭幕战——圣詹姆斯公园球场——让他首秀也将是一次冒险，这将使阿拉乌霍或远藤航成为范戴克可能的搭档。

定位球困扰依旧

摩纳哥的制胜球来自角球，布鲁纳在最高点抢点得分，这对利物浦来说已是熟悉的一幕。在输给利兹联的比赛中，他们两次在界外球中丢球，多米尼克·卡尔弗特-勒温在后点获益。

上赛季，利物浦与水晶宫以及伯恩茅斯（上赛季由伊劳拉执教）一样，在定位球中丢了 20 个球（不含点球），位居联赛最高。他的助手汤米·埃尔菲克和肖恩·库珀，以及曾是斯洛特助手团队成员的刘易斯·马奥尼，被委以重任来改善这一状况，而这至关重要。

拥有更多资深球员可用会有所帮助，但这种持久的缺陷让伊劳拉的重大日子从“美好”变成了“令人沮丧”。

接续背面

市长对体育场交易持开放态度

目前的纳税人。西汉姆联的租赁协议长期以来被描述为“世纪交易”，因为俱乐部的支付金额极低。当他们在英超联赛比赛时，该金额约为 £440 万，但降级到冠军联赛将导致本赛季该数字减半。与此同时，伦敦体育场有限责任合伙公司（London Stadium LLP，管理该设施的 GLA 子公司）的下一份账目将显示纳税人承担的成本为 £1900 万。

这就是为什么汗（Khan）愿意至少研究剥离这一本质上是不良资产的潜在财务收益。一名发言人在给《泰晤士报》的一份声明中表示：“市长欢迎任何关于伦敦体育场的讨论，只要能为伦敦市民带来更高的性价比。”

还有其他因素需要考虑。英国田径协会（UK Athletics）的一项特许协议还剩 40 年，该协议允许该组织在体育场举行活动，例如伦敦钻石联赛，该赛事已多次证明能售罄 60,000 张门票，并且现在由于 Athletics Ventures 的努力而开始盈利，后者是管理机构、伦敦马拉松和 Great Run 公司之间的新合作伙伴关系。

如果体育场收购涉及财务补偿（可能高达 £2000 万），田径协会肯定可以使用这笔钱，但汗可能仍会坚持要求任何结构现代化改造必须仍允许将其转换为田径场馆。尽管如此，汗也在支持水晶宫国家体育中心（National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace）价值 £1.3 亿 的改造项目，这可能为伦敦提供另一个顶尖田径赛事的场馆。消息人士暗示，斯塔夫利（Staveley）希望任何结构性更改仅针对足球量身定制。

在上周接受彭博社（Bloomberg）采访时，她暗示了可能的体育场收购。在彭博社《与 Francine Lacqua 共同领导》（Leaders with Francine Lacqua）的一集节目中（该节目在西汉姆联上周六确认她与 Gold 家族达成协议之前录制），斯塔夫利表示：“无论我们接手哪个俱乐部，都会伴随一项重大的房地产运作，”她此前也被认为可能竞购托特纳姆热刺（Tottenham Hotspur）：“我们不会只进行一次足球竞标。我只想要挑战，这才是让我兴奋的地方。这就是你获得价值提升的地方——当你接手一个雏形并让它成长时。”

当然，首先，斯塔夫利以及她与丈夫 Mehrdad Ghodousis 领导的财团必须应对克雷廷斯基（Kretinsky）的挑战，后者是英国皇家邮政（Royal Mail）的捷克亿万富翁所有者。在戴维·沙利文（David Sullivan）因涉嫌性不端行为（他对此继续否认）而辞去共同主席一职后，情况变得复杂。

正如《泰晤士报》率先披露的，克雷廷斯基似乎与戴维·科布（David Cobb）的女儿瓦妮莎·科布（Vanessa Cobb）达成协议，购买该家族 25% 股份中的 16%，从而将其总持股比例增加到 43%，使其在沙利文之前成为俱乐部的最大股东。但本月，53, 岁的斯塔夫利对全部 25% 的股份提出了更高的报价，并得到了 Gold 家族的接受，随后克雷廷斯基采取行动，行使对购买相同股份的优先购买权。

将此部分加入其现有股份将使其持股超过 50.1%，因此他将有义务发起正式的收购要约。但他通过将 2% 的股份转移给另一位捷克商人雅库布·哈夫兰特（Jakub Havrlant）来应对，尽管有迹象表明此类举措可能会面临某些法律挑战。

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THE TIMES

体育

我给“粉碎者”的建议

莎伦·戴维斯（Sharron Davies）告诉乔·马勒（Joe Marler）成为一名角斗士是什么感觉

吉马良斯（Guimarães）在完成从纽卡斯尔的高价转会后，在球队与多特蒙德的季前友谊赛前向阿森纳球迷介绍了自己。

斯塔夫利意向体育场交易

如果阿曼达·斯塔夫利（Amanda Staveley）成功收购西汉姆联足球俱乐部（West Ham United）的大量股份，她将探讨购买伦敦体育场（London Stadium）的可能性；伦敦市长萨迪克·汗爵士（Sir Sadiq Khan）对该事项的“任何讨论”持开放态度。

虽然斯塔夫利能否成功竞购已故的大卫·戈尔德（David Gold）家族持有的股份仍有待观察——她面临着共同所有者丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基（Daniel Kretinsky）的反对——但这位策划了沙特收购纽卡斯尔联队（Newcastle United）的英国女企业家渴望与大伦敦政府（GLA）探讨可能的交易。

《泰晤士报》获悉，任何交易都将附带某些规定。汗市长一直处于伦敦申办 2029 年世界田径锦标赛的前沿，如果伦敦在下个月获得该赛事举办权，那么对体育场的任何重大设计改动都必须推迟到该日期之后。

但考虑到其成本，这座为 2012 年奥运会而建的体育场，其成交价可能低至 £5000 万。。

布鲁诺将助力阿森纳“更进一步”

阿尔特塔称这位身价 7500万英镑 的中场球员是能帮助英超冠军达到新高度的签约

加里·雅各布（Gary Jacob）

米克尔·阿尔特塔（Mikel Arteta）认为，布鲁诺·吉马良斯（Bruno Guimarães）是那种能够帮助英超冠军攀登更高高峰的签约球员。

这位 28 岁的巴西中场在完成从纽卡斯尔联队 7500 万英镑 million 的转会后，在昨日与多特蒙德的季前友谊赛前于酋长球场亮相。

阿尔特塔在 3-2 告负后表示，吉马良斯的斗志、能够胜任后腰或进攻型 8 号位的能力以及他的雄心让他印象深刻。

“我很高兴能拥有他，”阿尔特塔说。“为什么？因为我们看得非常清楚，尤其是他立即给训练场带来的能量，那种渴望，以及来到这里并在俱乐部创造辉煌历史的欲望。”

“而这正是我们需要的一种雄心。我们想要进入下一个阶段，并且非常、非常确信，我们需要拥有这种个性、欲望和性格的球员，来推动组织内部的每一个人走得更高。”

阿森纳将在下周五对阵 newly promoted 科文特里城（Coventry City）的英超揭幕战中开始他们的卫冕之旅。阿尔特塔在承认尤里安·廷贝尔（Jurrien Timber）距离回归球队还需“数周”时间后，看来很可能在赛季开始时缺少两名关键后卫。

这位阿森纳主教练无法为这位在 6 月进行了腹股沟手术的右后卫提供更准确的时间表。阿尔特塔目前已经失去了威廉·萨利巴（William Saliba）至少几个月的时间，因为这位中后卫在代表法国队在世界杯半决赛对阵西班牙时遭受了背部受伤。

阿森纳一直在寻找一名也能胜任右后卫的中后卫，但一直不愿接受阿斯顿维拉对埃齐·孔萨（Eazi Konsa） £6000 万 的估值。在对阵多特蒙德的比赛下半场被替换上场的加布里埃尔·马丁内利（Gabriel Martinelli）和加布里埃尔·热苏斯（Gabriel Jesus）似乎都有可能离开阿森纳。加拉塔萨雷对马丁内利表现出兴趣，而那不勒斯则在关注热苏斯。

英格兰希望盖能及时恢复健康

伊丽莎白·阿蒙（Elizabeth Ammon）

英格兰队希望埃米利奥·盖（Emilio Gay）能在对阵巴基斯坦的第一场测试赛前恢复健康，因为扫描显示他的右肩没有严重受伤。

这位开局击球手在周五的一日杯（One-Day Cup）中代表达勒姆队对阵米德尔塞克斯队时，因伤退赛。

26 岁的盖需要进一步评估，以确定在击球或接球时是否仍有残留的疼痛或不适，但看来他很可能在 8 月 19 日于海丁利（Headingley）开始的巴基斯坦系列赛中，能够恢复与本·杜克特（Ben Duckett）的开局搭档关系。

泰晤士报填字游戏 29,617

横向

1 被操纵的马——试图将领导者掀翻的东西？(4,7) 7 在广播中被预期会成功的人的方式 (3) 9 清教徒掩盖了令人厌恶的极端优势之源 (9) 10 击败公司电力，最初确保了希望 (5) 11 靠近线条，围绕城堡扭曲 (7) 12 我被迫跟随的歌曲，受技术限制 (7) 13 黑王避开了对手的棋子？(5) 15 允许的软件使水厂在果园的一部分被修剪 (5,4) 17 缺乏知识？在受灾地区为学院开辟的通道 (9) 19 高尔夫球被可怕的悲痛之声困扰 (5) 20 来自盟友的声明，表明宗教立场 (7) 22 住宿费用中无尽的戏剧？搬到别处 (7) 24 圣经人物反映了一个哀歌 (5) 25 意外之财，俱乐部在周围携带？它在桌上 (5,4) 27 光束准备被周期性阻挡 (3) 28 我大部分是那个心怀恶意的人？(11)

纵向

1 联合付款安排包括一个 (3) 2 德国语言学家在广播中显得阴沉 (5) 3 小组的小规模出游？(7) 4 视力问题在受损的视网膜中显然可见 (9) 5 那位女性开始在女王的住所掌控一切 (5) 6 盐在库存中翻转 (7) 7 违背贸易规则的不诚实之辈 (9) 8 杯赛或许被缩短以更换替补 (11) 11 注意到被污染的铁质化妆品 (11) 14 每条记录上的信息与未知的家族史相关联 (9) 16 修复之前的账目，删除困境中的章节 (9) 18 实用方法根植于领域之中 (7) 19 一对图像：盆，然后是被掏空的微小教堂 (7) 21 随着球门倒下，阻挡轻触球 (5) 23 从一开始，并非完全因为爱而过于骄傲 (2,3) 26 修复杯赛 (3)

奖项答案 29,610

在午夜前拨打 0905 757 0143 检查今日答案。通话费用为每分钟 £1，另加您的电话公司网络接入费。SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390。

第 29,610 号奖项填字游戏的获胜者是：

L Dare, New Malden, Greater London

P Kelly, Antrim, Co Antrim

M Kerr, Newtownallley, Co Antrim

T Sutcliffe, London N4

J Venner, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

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TIMES2

8月10日

2026年

“我喜欢激光。我做肉毒杆菌。

但我把我的唇填充物溶解了”

奥利维亚·阿特伍德（Olivia Attwood）谈论她的良好、糟糕以及“怪诞的”

美容微调

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2

times2

梅根说“哈里热爱风笛”，那他为什么不在巴尔莫勒？

Shane Watson

你可能已经看到了萨塞克斯公爵夫妇在 Instagram 上发布的最新动态，那是一段哈里和梅根抵达不列颠哥伦比亚省参加一场慈善活动的视频。他们穿过一条由戴着软帽、穿着苏格兰裙的风笛手组成的迎接队列。风笛手们当时并没有演奏——那是后续娱乐环节的一部分——只是站在迎接队列中。除了公爵和公爵夫人特意将其上传到网上，以及视频中咯咯笑的梅根评论道“我丈夫热爱风笛！”之外，这个场景并没有什么特别之处。她说话的样子就像在透露一个调皮的小秘密，于是大家都笑了，随后哈里也加入了进来：“那么我的那套在哪儿？”他开玩笑地说道，指的是风笛。“准确地说，是风笛和鼓。”

嗯。再一次，我们这些关注萨塞克斯夫妇的公众被搞得摸不着头脑，并好奇……为什么？为什么哈里在不列颠哥伦比亚省与当地的一支风笛鼓乐队聊天，而他本可以在——而且本应该在——此时此刻身处风笛之乡的核心地带，从早到晚沉浸在真正的风笛文化中？

当他可以在今天早晨在风笛声中醒来，在布雷玛运动会（Braemar Games）上聆听大规模的风笛鼓演奏，在露台上啜饮鸡尾酒，听着风笛手在城墙上吹奏，并在准备晚餐时听着风笛手在浴室外吹奏时，他为什么要在慈善拍卖、魔术师和喜剧演员（或类似节目）之间，在那儿闲逛听一支普通的乐队演奏（肯定会演的）《阿肖肯离别曲》（Ashokan Farewell）和（很可能会演的）《金泰尔角》（Mull of Kintyre）？

现在是八月，国王和王后正在巴尔莫勒（Balmoral）主持接待。虽然这里可能不是每个人的心头好（切丽·布莱尔就曾公开表示难以适应，而《王冠》让我们相信玛格丽特·撒切尔穿错了鞋），但如果你热爱风笛，且你的父亲在风笛之乡的核心地带拥有一座庄园，并能接触到金钱能买到的最顶尖的风笛手（国王同样热爱风笛），那么现在就是你的时刻。你绝对不想错过它。这种情况一年只出现一次，而且正是哈里本人如此不体面地说过：“我不知道我的父亲还能支撑多久。”

有时你确实会怀疑，是不是我们在想象哈里在美国漂泊，像一条离开水的鱼，满脑子都是没人分享的俏皮话，除了那个制作了梅根有兴趣推广的珠宝的女人的丈夫之外，再无他人。有没有可能我们是在投射自己的想法，而哈里其实并不太想念英国，尤其是在夏天，除了也许想念夏季布丁、在迪河（Dee）钓鱼、甜黑褐啤酒（black and tans）、台球五号赛（billiard fives）和高地运动会？但就在我们快要认为哈里在加利福尼亚过得还行时，我们又瞥见了一些看起来非常像深藏心底的思乡之情。

对于那个他曾称之为家的地方，哈里有点像那种无法停止谈论一个他声称在多年前就已忘掉的女人的男人。你知道，梅根每天都在感谢上帝，她不必忍受那个狭窄的弗罗格莫尔小屋（Frogmore Cottage），更不用说前往那个充满塔楼、蚋虫和（陈旧霉味的）格子呢装饰的地方。你可以非常肯定，梅根在参加一场拥有精心策划的地位排座、雅致的桌面布置和从农场到餐桌的食材，且挤满了欣赏定制单肩连衣裙的同行活动家、企业家和女性创始人的盛会时，是最快乐的。她只去过一次巴尔莫勒，在 2018 年 8 月，也就是她婚礼后几个月，而且像许多在她之前去过的人一样，她会发现那座城堡很古怪、沉闷、寒冷，而且在很大程度上是一个过时的产物。

在《备胎》（Spare）中，他说这座庄园“简直就是天堂”

谁知道那里是否在伊丽莎白二世女王去世后就一直被像用果冻封存一样地维持原样；是否早餐依然提供熏鱼和腰子；是否无论天气如何，客人都被要求在山上散步；家中的男性在居住期间是否仍穿着苏格兰裙和石楠花色的毛衣？谁知道“踢罐子”游戏是否是强制性的，或者是否必须为季节性的拼图贡献一份力量，以及在享用黏糊糊的餐后甜点时玩猜词游戏或“那个游戏”？既然查尔斯现在入住，这里可能会少一些保鲜盒和涂在 Carr's 水饼上的绅士酱（Gentleman's Relish），而多一些芝麻酱、凋谢的菠菜和海鳟鱼柳。他可能已经修理了水管，所以你可以保证能连续洗两次澡。也许他甚至把马具房改造成了桑拿房，谁知道呢。但哈里——别忘了，他在 2023 年的自传《Spare》中将国王的苏格兰庄园描述为“简直是天堂”——并不需要皇家住所进行任何现代化改造才能诱使他回来。

诚然，他不得不放弃打猎——所以他无法参加“光荣的十二日”——而且他得给自己买一条新苏格兰裙，因为他在乘坐自由之航班逃离之前，肯定把所有东西都烧了，包括他的晨礼服（否则他为什么在父亲的加冕礼上穿着 Dior？）。但除此之外没有任何障碍，没有任何理由让萨塞克斯夫妇不去哈里最喜欢的地方；阻碍梅根享受这里的主要因素肯定曾是阴郁的苏格兰夏天，而那现在也成了历史。

我热爱风笛，如果我是哈里，听着不列颠哥伦比亚省的那帮人把《黑岛》（The Black Isle）演奏得惨不忍睹，我一定会坐在晚宴的桌旁，用手机给父亲发信息：“我想家了，请问我们可以回来吗……保证会乖乖的”，同时召唤私人飞机并寻找宠物看护人。巴尔莫勒尔只有一个，八月剩下的日子也屈指可数。

对我来说，说克里斯·帕克汉姆患有自闭症简直是荒谬至极

乌塔·弗里思曾助力构建“自闭症谱系”理论。而现在，她因称该理论已达到毫无意义的程度而遭到抨击。作者：安德鲁·比伦

1947年的一天早晨，在德国农村的深处，乌塔·弗里思独自走在前往小学报到的路上。一名学校督学在欢迎新一批学生时，询问谁是最聪明的。弗里思走上前去。所有人都笑了，但她的学术生涯证明了她是正确的。在六十年代风起云涌的伦敦，她在伦敦大学学院学习心理学，成为自闭症专家，并助力构建了针对影响沟通的神经发育变异的“自闭症谱系”理论。

在2012年被封为女爵一年后，她获得了更大的荣誉——成为《荒岛唱片》（Desert Island Discs）的嘉宾。在那里，她不仅因建立了一个名为“科学与购物”的女性科学家网络而受到赞颂，还因揭穿了由“冰箱母亲”的糟糕教养导致孩子患上自闭症的观念而受到称赞。她说，应该关注遗传学。

但才华横溢并不意味着永远正确。本周，弗里思因在《心理医学》（Psychological Medicine）杂志上发表的一篇论文而登上新闻，该论文坚持认为有太多人被诊断为自闭症。例如，初级保健记录显示，从1998年到2018年，新病例增加了近九倍。该领域的一些人士对此并不满意。国家自闭症协会的梅尔·梅里特称，将自闭症患者彼此对立是一个“毫无帮助且错误的抉择”。但当弗里思进一步表示，自闭症谱系已经变得如此宽泛，以至于已经“崩溃”到“诊断上毫无意义”的程度时，她似乎不仅是在反对共识，而且是在与早期的自己争论。

这位教授正与我在她那栋极具文化气息的房子里喝下午茶，屋内有令人眩晕的书架，她与丈夫、同样是神经科学家的克里斯·弗里思在这里共同生活了30多年。（他们本月庆祝结婚60周年。）如果真的存在一个谱系，她并不在其中：她直言不讳，但同时也热情、幽默且善良。她为我们烤了一个橘子酱蛋糕，并给了我一本《两个脑袋》（Two Heads），这是一本

人们说：“我被诊断出患病，但现在我认为那是错误的”

她在2022年与克里斯以及她的两个儿子之一共同编写的漫画书：四分之三是脑科学，四分之一是共同回忆录。我告诉她，13年前就在这里，她在接受之前的一次采访时提出了自闭症过度诊断的可能性。“真的吗？”她用带有淡淡德国口音的声音惊讶地说道，“我逐渐走到了现在的这个立场。这并非一夜之间发生，我也很久没有公开表态了，但我真的认为，这已经走得太远了。”

她会对2013年的观点做出唯一的一点修正，那就是：问题不在于过度诊断（这暗示完全正常的人被告知他们患有自闭症），而在于误诊：某些因素让这些人的生活变得艰难——但那并不是自闭症。

两年前，她在丹麦做了一次讲座，涵盖了她现在提出的许多观点。当时在英格兰有近190,000人在等待自闭症评估，这个

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队列将从伦敦一直延伸到布赖顿。但她问道，为什么人们如此渴望这种诊断？如果社会对多样性和包容性的更大认可、媒体对自闭症报道的增加、构建拙劣的在线诊断问卷、电视剧中极具吸引力的自闭症天才（从1988年达斯汀·霍夫曼在《雨人》中的角色到《桥》中的萨加·诺伦），以及坚持认为自闭症患者与神经典型人群一样“正常”的观点，促使了需求的激增，那会怎样？

毕竟，零到五岁儿童的自闭症诊断增长幅度要小得多，且不那么明显。但我注意到，她当时在阐述观点时将其表述为仅仅是可能性。她说她必须谨慎。“有些人会感到非常受伤，我不想那样做。如果我面对的是同事，我会没那么谨慎，但我知道很多同事不会同意我的看法。”

在 85 岁时，她早已退休。“我不再受限于某些资助机构，也不需要申请拨款或必须与慈善机构保持良好关系，这带来了巨大的不同。”她说，最近与她交谈的年轻同事表示，他们觉得在这个问题上无法发声。“这有点令人悲哀，不是吗？”

她会遭到社交媒体上的辱骂，但人们在给她写信时很有礼貌。“实际上我遇到过几个案例——虽然仍然很少——但有些非常有趣的人写信告诉我：‘我在成年后或在某个阶段被诊断为自闭症，但现在我认为那是错误的。’他们曾极度渴望得到诊断，感到非常宽慰，但随后在某个时间点觉得这不对，现在持有更加怀疑的态度。我想知道这样的人有多少。”

她确定的是，现在自称自闭症的青少年和成年人，与弗里思在职业生涯初期遇到的那些“美丽但如此不同”的自闭症婴儿几乎没有相似之处。那些孩子很难推测出

乌塔·弗里思（Uta Frith）。下图：克里斯·帕克汉姆（Chris Packham）

我会足够谦卑地意识到，科学永远是不确定的

他们正在交谈的人在想什么，因为用专业术语来说，他们缺乏“心智理论”。

我提到了自然主义者克里斯·帕克汉姆，我在几年前采访过他。他在 2005 年被诊断出患有当时被称为的亚斯伯格综合征。“在我看来，他不可能患有自闭症，”弗里思打断道，“对我来说，一个人能像他那样出色地沟通却被诊断为自闭症，简直是绝对荒谬——这就是我所说的明显的反向指标。”

但我说，在与他交谈时，我觉得他有点过于死板。如果你赞美他，他会信以为真。“这是他迷人个性的一部分。我的意思是，他可能确实有点强迫倾向，”她说。

他可能与动物的关系比与人的关系更好？“我想我们可以直接说，人也是动物。”（我后来发邮件给帕克汉姆，提醒他弗里思的评论。他感谢我的“预警”。）

我想知道，美国精神医学学会（APA）在 2013 年将其精神疾病目录中的亚斯伯格综合征（有时被视为“轻度自闭症”）删除，是否促进了自闭症诊断的增加。她说，APA 做出这一决定的主要原因是追求简化：“让我们只设一个类别。”从那时起，该病症不再按症状划分，而是根据患者似乎需要的支持水平来划分。

她认为该协会手册的下一版可能会将自闭症分为亚组。但现在被定义为自闭症的一些人可能不符合任何亚组？“好吧，如果它仍然被称为自闭症，那么它就得被归为 B 型或类似的类别，”她回答道，做出了一定程度的让步。

她认为，对许多人来说，自闭症被视为最不糟糕的诊断，因此受到欢迎。“有一种被称为边缘性人格障碍的诊断，被诊断出此病的人非常厌恶它。现在相当多的人被诊断为自闭症，他们会说：‘谢天谢地！’”

有些人经历过其他诊断——也许是厌食症，或者

强迫症——而对他们来说，被称作自闭症是一种解脱：这感觉更真实，且涵盖了他们的整个自我。“这真的非常像 19 世纪关于宗教皈依的描述。你知道的，就是人们说：‘我曾是一个迷失的灵魂，但现在我看到了光明。’”

所以这就像我在说，“我太开心了。我完成了性别转换，现在真正是一个女人”一样？“是的，有点像那样。如果这让你感到快乐，我为什么要反驳你？类似这样。但这不是科学。”

我想起了采访《极客女孩》（Geek Girl）系列丛书作者霍莉·斯梅尔（Holly Smale）时的情景。在被误诊为双相情感障碍后，她对后来被诊断为自闭症感到欣喜。她在《泰晤士报》中写道：“自闭症是我一生都在寻找的答案。它不是某种需要被‘修复’或‘治愈’的东西。我的大脑只是接线方式不同而已。”

自闭症是否能解释为什么斯梅尔感到抑郁且无法维持人际关系？“但这又如何能解释这一点呢？对我来说，这是一个巨大的谜团。但它确实带来了一些某种特权。他们可以告诉其他人‘给我这个残障人士留点面子’，只不过他们不想称之为残障。而是‘这是我的不同，你应该对我友善’。”

就个人而言，弗里思并不希望剥夺人们的诊断结果。“如果一个诊断结果的事实本身就能让你感到如此满足和快乐，我不想那样做。但这是需要研究的事情。我当然在想，这种感觉能持续多久。我们不得而知。”

弗里思认为，近几十年来戏剧作品中对自闭症的美化呈现，她也承担一部分责任。在她 1989 年出版的《自闭症：揭开谜团》（Autism: Explaining the Enigma）一书中，她提出夏洛克·福尔摩斯是一个自闭症患者的虚构原型。二十年后，BBC 拍摄了拥抱自闭症谱系的《神探夏洛克》（Sherlock）。现实生活中真的有优秀的自闭症侦探吗？“绝对没有。”

在我们交谈时，克里斯·弗里思坐在他的妻子身边，偶尔加入讨论。他们讨论了脑科学始于何时。在她看来，弗洛伊德是一个干扰项，一名因为所处时代缺乏相应工具而转向治疗理论的神经学家。“我们现在有三种（计算机）成像方法。但在神经科学方面，我们仍然多么无知？它追溯回去其实也就 150 年左右。你会认为它更早吗？”她询问丈夫。“嗯，我确定‘神经科学’这个术语出现的时间比那更晚。它是不是始于 1960 年左右的（大卫）胡贝尔（David Hubel）和（托斯滕）维塞尔（Torsten Wiesel）？”他回答道。

但我们至少知道——不是吗？——儿童自闭症具有遗传原因，是一种新发突变（de novo mutation，即新产生的，而非继承的）。“除了我们还没有证据证明这一点。这仍在研究中，”她坦承。

我们一致认为，心智依然是一个谜，而她是从研究了一辈子的立场上得出这一结论的。“我认为人们感兴趣是非常好的。进行讨论是一件好事，我不想说‘我是对的，事情就应该这样发展’。我想我足够谦卑，知道科学永远是不确定的。”

这位 85 岁的老人承认，她现在的自信程度仅比六岁时的自己略高一点，“我改变了想法。看待自闭症可能有更精细的方法：也许是一种更整体的方法。所以我会说：是的，我可能会被证明是错的。但事实就是这样。这就是科学。”

跑步带来的厌恶感：Strava 毁了我的感情

“你的 Strava 是多少？”在我喝今晚第三杯 Aperol 鸡尾酒时，他这样问我。“我可以关注你吗？”被你心仪的男生问这样一个问题很奇怪，现在回想起来，我应该将其视为一个危险信号。但当时他看起来很有趣，于是我把在这个健身追踪应用上的个人资料给了他，并允许他花剩下的整个晚上向我展示他的资料。

我是否考虑过与一个如此沉迷于 的男人约会可能会有负面影响？是的，我考虑过。但当时我唯一能想到的是：跑步真的会让人产生那么强的厌恶感（ick）吗？

拥有超过 2 亿 用户，已经成为了一个与 Instagram 和 TikTok 相当的社交媒体平台。你可以在上面发布照片、加入跑步小组并发送消息——这也是他最初约我出去约会的方式。然而，这个应用很快就成了我们关系中的“第三者”。他花好几个小时分析自己的动态，却厌恶看到朋友跑得比他快，反而更喜欢发现他们休息了几天。他痴迷于“kudos”（ 上的点赞，相当于 Instagram 的 likes）以及

打破他的个人最好成绩（PB）。有一次，他甚至把自己的 10 公里最佳成绩打印出来给了我。我试图用“所有关系都需要妥协”这个信条来宽慰自己，但我开始觉得他那种想要把我变成他众多 信徒之一的传教式渴望令人无法忍受。

坦白说，我也曾是一个 成瘾者，因此除了能理解从该应用多种形式的外部认可中获得的快感外，我也知道自己绝无意愿再次复发。我会问我们能不能不带 去跑步，但他总是拒绝。对他而言：如果没有记录在 上，就相当于没发生过。倒也不是说我们曾经“一起”跑步——他不想让我破坏他的 分数。至少这意味着我永远不必出现在他跑完步后的 自拍中。

我花了太长时间抱怨单身，并表达我想找一个对某件事充满热情的男生，以至于我很难从我的女性朋友那里获得任何同情。

当谈到分手时，我没法开口说这主要是（如果不是全部的话）因为 。相反，我求助于陈词滥调，告诉他我觉得我们没有朝着同一个方向前进，他走得太快了，而我实在跟不上。从某种角度来看，我认为这是我给出过的最诚实的分手演说。

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我学到了什么？不要把你的身体当成可以随意更换的衣橱

奥利维亚·阿特伍德（Olivia Attwood）被宣传为“新一代西拉·布莱克（Cilla Black）”，她将《恋爱岛》（Love Island）带来的名气转化为事业初创的电视生涯。但她与自身外貌的关系，就像她的感情生活一样复杂。作者：朱莉娅·卢埃林-史密斯（Julia Llewellyn Smith）

奥利维亚·阿特伍德和我蜷缩在梅费尔（Mayfair）一家五星级酒店套房卧室的洁净被褥之下。这里没有其他可以坐的地方；而且，

阿特伍德“总是觉得冷——我是唯一一个热爱热浪的人”。她正在沉思今年至今像过山车一样起伏的一年。

“讽刺的是，从一月以来，有这么多日子我想要崩溃，但在职业生涯上，这却是人生中最强劲的六个月，”她说。“就像《穿普拉达的恶魔》里的那句台词：‘当你的个人生活分崩离析时，这意味着你已经准备好升职了。’”

35岁的阿特伍德曾是萨里郡的一名公立学校女生。在《恋爱岛》获得第三名后的九年里，她成为了英国演艺圈最炙手可热的名字之一，被ITV描述为“未来的面孔”和“新一代西拉·布莱克”。她是《宽松女性》（Loose Women）的常驻嘉宾，主持多档真人秀以及两部热门纪录片系列：一部关于在线出售性服务的《奥利维亚·阿特伍德：发大财》（Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich），以及我们今天在这里讨论的节目——《奥利维亚·阿特伍德：完美的代价》（Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection）。

作为一名典型的千禧一代“女强人”（girl-boss），她还拥有许多（更赚钱的）副业：一个名为 Savano 的鸡尾酒品牌（“亚马逊上已售罄！”）；一个名为《奥利维亚之家》（Olivia’s House）的播客（过去六个月有 7000 万 听众）。

此外还有她的 Instagram，全年记录了她与丈夫、吉林汉姆（Gillingham）足球运动员布拉德利·达克（Bradley Dack）之间那种像伯顿-泰勒（Burton-Taylor）般起伏的关系。像所有顶尖的真人秀毕业生 / 网红一样，阿特伍德精通心理治疗术语，并明白自己有责任尽可能地保持“真实”，与她的 260 万 粉丝分享生活中每一个艰辛的细节。

“我的工作具有很强的表演性质。我有大量三十多岁的女性观众，她们正经历着和我一样的事情，我想对她们坦诚。有些时刻

[这]很艰难，但我知道自己选择了这条路。我真的不记得这一切之前的生活是什么样的了。”

自从 12 年前在网红最爱的伦敦 Libertine 俱乐部相识以来，她和达克之间一直处于一段动荡的分分合合关系中。阿特伍德曾因对方不忠而结束关系，随后在参加《恋爱岛》后宣布他已改过自新。2023 年，他们在伦敦骑士桥（Knightsbridge）一家豪华酒店举行了一场 20 万英镑 婚礼（理所当然），这场婚礼被记录在一部 ITV 真人秀中。后来披露，这场婚礼本身在法律上并不生效，因为酒店没有婚姻许可证。然而在今年一月，阿特伍德宣布她离开了达克。

我被要求不要过多纠结于这次分手，但当阿特伍德在经历了一次漫长的抽烟休息并最终爬回被窝时，这个聪明、幽默且非常讨人喜欢的女人首先提起的话题就是这个。“对不起，”她耸了耸肩说。“上次你见到我时，我还在谈论健康和养生。那些现在全搞砸了。为了在分手期间自我调节，我正在尝试任何可行的方法，而且我又捡回了所有这些坏习惯。”

我原以为阿特伍德会更加乐观。当我们去年最后一次见面时，

奥利维亚·阿特伍德在梅费尔 I 酒店。 上方：在《宽松女性》节目中与她的伴侣皮特·威克斯（Pete Wicks）在一起。 下方：与她的前男友布拉德利·达克（Bradley Dack）在一起

她曾热情地谈论她婚姻的“真实性”，但我感觉到她在谈论两人的事业时语气有些冷淡，这意味着他们经常长时间分开。然而——在经历了一个晚上在社交媒体上发布愤怒的吐槽后——她显然心碎不已。

“我的情绪起起伏伏，”她说。“这是一种奇怪的哀悼过程，一个巨大的转变。你以为你的生活会是某种样子，但它很快就改变了。”

阿特伍德正处于布里奇特·琼斯式的“滴答”年龄，在这个年纪，女性被告知她们的生育能力将会消失。“是的，这是一个沉重的年纪。我原以为在事业之余会有典型的家庭生活，可能还会有一个孩子。但谢天谢地没有。假设我没有签婚前协议，或者生了孩子？那情况会糟糕得多。所以一切结果都是最好的。”

这种压力“让我老了大约 15 岁”。但外表看不出来。刚从《泰晤士报》拍摄的化妆椅上走下来，阿特伍德看起来完美无瑕：身材高挑（5英尺10英寸），苗条，金发，皮肤无暇，双唇丰满。

她之前告诉我，她每月在“护肤、维生素、健身房会员以及所有的美容手术”上花费约 2,000 英镑。“这很疯狂，但这是我为自己选择的生活所支付的代价。”

“有些月份，我可能仅在头发和化妆上就会花这么多钱，”她现在说，“那玩意儿很贵。我喜欢做高质量的面部护理和激光治疗。我也打肉毒杆菌——当然不是每月一次。我喜欢维生素滴注，还有一点 HBOT。”什么？“高压氧治疗。而且通常我饮食健康并尝试睡眠，尽管目前这并不容易。”

这一切都与《完美的价格》（The Price of Perfection）相关，该节目讲述了人们为了美而采取的极端手段。

“我情绪起伏不定。这是一种奇怪的悲伤感——一个巨大的转变”

在即将播出的第三季中，阿特伍德先后访问了土耳其——那里（很大程度上不受监管的）美容手术产业年产值估计达 30 亿英镑 billion——并调查了溶脂针以及面部提升手术的飙升人气，她之前告诉我，她“可能”在 70 岁时会做这个手术。

“可能会更早，”她现在说。“面部提升文化已经发生了转变，以前它与六十多岁的女性联系在一起，做完后看起来像是在风洞里待过一样；而现代的面部提升做得非常保守，且由极具专业眼光的人操刀。现在很多四十出头的女性在一夜之间看起来年轻了十岁，周围充满了‘她们到底做没做’的猜测。”

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5

STORY JACKET AND TRACKERS: MAJORIE MERKIN, GARRISON, THEISANDERSTONE CO.,LTD.

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阿特伍德对这类手术没有异议；让她恼火的是名人推广治疗方案的“高度灰色伦理地带”。在其中一集里，她在伦敦的一家诊所遇到了 Netflix 真人秀《Selling Sunset》中的布雷·蒂西（Bre Tiesi），她是为了 ExoMind 而访问该诊所的，这是一种涉及在脑左侧放置磁铁的“非侵入性脑刺激治疗”。

蒂西接受免费治疗（通常六次疗程需 2,400 英镑）以换取在 Instagram 上的推广。“我想让你思考你希望从这次治疗中获得的正向事物，”医生说。“数百万的佣金，”阿特伍德插话道。蒂西笑了：“是的，钱。”

现在，阿特伍德谨慎地措辞。“我相信 [ExoMind] 非常安全，但这证明了仅仅因为有人在推广某样东西，并不意味着它适合你。人们在花钱时应该保持怀疑。这里有很多骗子。我有朋友免费或以极低价格做了手术，结果出现了并发症，但他们被噤声了，对方用条款压他们——‘好吧，是你签了字。’”

最令人不安的是访问阿特伍德的朋友、前艳模凯蒂·普莱斯（Katie Price）。根据谷歌的信息，她已经做了 17 次胸部手术和 9 次面部提升，并且没有停止的计划，尽管她（理所当然地）担心自己看起来会像个“怪胎”。

“凯蒂公开承认她永远不会对自己的身体感到满意。这非常可悲。我们坦诚地讨论了你给身体带来的压力。即便不考虑手术，短时间内连续接受这么多全麻手术也是非常、非常危险的。”

阿特伍德结合自身经验讲述：她的遗憾包括在 20 岁时做了一次 3,000 英镑 丰胸手术，导致她拥有与纤细身材不相称的 32E “西瓜胸”，并因此背痛。在 27 岁时，她将胸部缩小至 32DD，留下了终身疤痕。她还溶解了那些“怪异的”丰唇填充物。“我明白了不能把身体当成衣橱一样随意更换。社交媒体记录女性体型的变化，就好像这像换一件裙子一样简单，但事实并非如此。”

阿特伍德虽然警告这些手术，但她仍然在使用。她认为误导

“当然，基因彩票起到了作用，但我凌晨5点就起床锻炼”

女性关于她所付出的努力。“我很认真地对待这件事。如果你的一辈子都面对镜头，这就会成为一项优先任务。人们想看到的是那些看起来精致得体的人。”

“人们说，‘你太幸运了，’当然，基因彩票起到了作用，但我每天凌晨5点就起床锻炼。人们有时不想听这个，但如果我每晚坐在沙发上吃麦当劳，我穿比基尼时就不会是这个样子。”

作为一名金融翻译员和前模特的女儿，在就读于克兰利（Cranleigh）寄宿学校期间，阿特伍德曾与阅读障碍和未被诊断的 ADHD（注意缺陷多动障碍）作斗争。她在 16 岁时离校，成为一名赛车女郎和模特，随后凭借在《爱之岛》（Love Island）中快人快语的风格令全国观众着迷。

“那个节目给了我生活的方向，”她说。如今，她因为外貌而被邀请的机会越来越少，而因为她的观点而被邀请的机会则越来越多，她很享受颠覆人们对金发、真人秀刻板印象的感觉。“如果人们低估你，而你恰恰聪明且能言善辩，当你给人们带来惊喜时，那是相当愉快的。”

我们回到了阿特伍德的感情生活。最新的——且具有元属性的——进展是她与同样来自《埃塞克斯方式》（The Only Way Is Essex）的校友皮特·威克斯（Pete Wicks）正式公开了恋爱关系，两人共同主持一档 Kiss FM 的广播节目。

“这很出乎意料，我们很快就从纯友谊变成了非纯友谊。他极其聪明、富有同情心且有耐心，这些全是我极度需要但此前并未意识到自己需要的特质。”

她担心进展太快。“在我还在处理一些糟糕的事情时，是否正有美妙的事情发生？是的。人们告诉我应该保持单身，去约会。但如果我切断与皮特的联系，我约会只是为了寻找我与他之间那种连接感。”

她希望与“合适的人”拥有孩子。“但我也能预见到这可能不会成为我人生故事的一部分。我对此感到平静。你不可能拥有一切。我生活中的很多部分比我想象中的要好得多。”

《奥利维亚·阿特伍德：完美的代价》（Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection）于周二晚上 9 点在 ITV2 播出，所有剧集均可在 ITVX 观看

为什么我很高兴戴西·洛（Daisy Lowe）发布了她分娩时的照片

克莱尔·科恩（Claire Cohen）表示，虽然我不会把自己的分娩照片发到网上，但我们需要更频繁地看到分娩的真实情况

在一本小相册里，藏着几张我生儿子那一刻的拍立得照片。我告诉你这件事并不是为了炫耀（虽然，没错，我确实拥有这款文青最爱的相机，谢谢你注意到），而是因为能够随时接触到那个震撼人心的时刻，并偶尔像研究某幅血腥的文艺复兴时期绘画那样研究它，是一件相当特别的事情。

我会把它分享到社交媒体上吗？不会，但我也并不生活在名人的世界里，那里的规则有所不同。以 37 岁的模特戴西·洛（Daisy Lowe）为例，她发布了一张自己分娩第二个孩子时的黑白照片。

当时我正随意地浏览她的照片集——家人簇拥在刚出生的小宝贝身边，怀孕后期的洛拥抱着她的丈夫乔丹·索尔（Jordan Saul）——这时照片弹了出来。噢！头向后仰，双腿张开，腹部裸露，双眼紧闭，笑气就在手边，穿着一件漂亮的碎花文胸（很多女性为了舒适而选择穿这种文胸，而不仅仅是为了以防你刚好把照片分享到 Instagram 上，你懂的）。

“于是我们的 3 变成了 4，”洛在配文中写道。“欢迎来到这个世界，我们可爱的宝贝儿子埃迪·雷德（Eddie Red）。”没有看到任何“触发警告”或“不适宜在工作场所观看（NSFW）”的提示。

名人是不是在轮流做这类事情？我之所以这么问，是因为就在一年前的今天，DJ 卡尔文·哈里斯（Calvin Harris）在发布妻子（Radio 1 主持人维克·霍普 Vick Hope）的水中分娩照片时，引发了 Instagram 上的崩溃，因为在轮播图中，胎盘就那样静静地躺在那里。Instagram 对那张照片设置了年龄限制，大多数评论大致是“如果能有个免责声明就太好了”或者“这让我没胃口吃早餐了”。

如果三个例子能构成一种趋势，那么我们确实已经处于这种趋势之中了。去年 10 月，演员特蕾莎·帕尔默（Teresa Palmer）发布了一张她女儿洛特斯·布鲁姆（Lotus Bloom）通过水中分娩出生的动作快照。喜剧演员艾米·舒默（Amy Schumer）分享了一张她剖腹产后躺在手术台上的照片。演员希拉里·达夫（Hilary Duff）发布了一段视频（当然是黑白的），记录了她赤裸地坐在水池中抱着新生女儿的样子。“我长期以来一直在思考是否要分享这段视频，因为它极其私密，”她写道。

这一切让我想要说，谢谢，真的。在一年半前生下儿子后，我知道我们多么需要看到这些东西——尤其是考虑到研究发现，78% 的女性觉得自己在分娩方面准备不足。

一位善良的朋友给我看过一张她剖腹产的照片，这让我对腰部以下可能会发生什么有了一些概念（事先在 Google 图片中搜索感觉像是在玩一场危险的游戏）。但我的胎盘是我见过的第一个——除非你把国家分娩信托（National Childbirth Trust）课程中传阅的那个可爱的针织胎盘算在内，那个东西与我遇到的那个摇摇欲坠、血淋淋的器官毫无相似之处——而我并没有做好准备。事实上，我感到非常震惊，而这不应该是正确的反应。

是的，你可能会知道得太多。是的，名人的分娩照片背后可能有一个整个团队在决定最佳角度。但准父母需要对即将到来的事情感到准备，而流行文化中对分娩的描绘往往远非如此。一个女人仰面躺着，用力推几次，一滴汗珠顺着脸颊流下，然后一个异常干净的婴儿被放在她怀里，而她则在微笑大笑？再想想吧。或者像一位皇室女性，在分娩后不久站在医院台阶上，礼服洁净无瑕，发型和妆容精致？明白我的意思了吧？

名人走在前面，我们紧随其后。现在出现了像 Positive Birth Company（一个催眠分娩课程）这样的 Instagram 账号，专门分享真实女性分娩的照片和片段——血液、胎脂、体液。女性在哭泣、尖叫，躺在地上。一个婴儿被从剖腹产切口中拉出，这让我感受到在分隔开的屏幕背后我未曾见到的

将我与我的内脏器官隔开。这让我想要了解更多，而不是更少。

考虑到英国每 54 秒就有一个婴儿出生，这意味着我们错过了大量关于人体最令人惊叹之举的照片。这不需要触发警告或大惊小怪——只要现在先别让我打开我的相册就行。

从上至下：黛西·洛（Daisy Lowe）与丈夫乔丹·索尔（Jordan Saul）；她发布的一张自己怀第二个孩子分娩时的照片

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6

生活

咨询塔尼娅·拜伦教授

我父亲后悔离开我母亲。我可以干预吗？

十年前，在我父亲 64 岁时，在结婚近 40 年后，他为了他的秘书离开了我母亲，而那位秘书比他小近 20 岁。这是我们家人从未想象过会经历的陈词滥调。这让母亲心碎，几乎摧毁了我们的家庭。

令所有人惊讶的是，母亲重建了她的生活。她留在家庭住宅中，从未说过父亲的坏话。这些年来，父亲找理由来访的次数越来越多：有时是为了修理东西或取邮件，但不可避免地会留下喝茶。当我的妻子、孩子或我哥哥的家人在场时，气氛异常和谐。母亲和父亲一起欢笑、回忆，甚至一起做饭，并且是极好的祖父母。看着他们，你会以为他们从未分开过。

问题在于，父亲现在告诉我和我哥哥，离开母亲是他一生中最大的错误。他想念他们共同建立的生活，并太晚地意识到自己抛弃了什么。然而，尽管他深感不快乐，他仍然与第二任妻子生活在一起。

他的妻子极力想要移居海外，尽管父亲现在已经七十多岁了。他说他不想去，但感到压力很大，并担心为了维持和平而妥协。如果她知道他与母亲联系，她会变得愤怒（我们怀疑压力迫使他移居海外的原因之一就是为了阻止这种情况），因此他现在的生活很大程度上围绕着隐瞒展开。

我不知道母亲是否会重新接纳他。她可能会，但不能在他仍处于婚姻状态时。我哥哥认为我们应该置身事外。我认为我们正看着一个我们爱的人因为无法面对做出一个决定，而陷入犯第二个错误的境地。有什么我们可以做来帮助他的吗？Nathaniel

你的父亲在心理上悬浮在两种生活之间：一方面为他离开的家庭感到悲痛，另一方面却无法全心全意地投入到他选择的另一种生活中。他感到痛苦且矛盾，但离开或留在第二任妻子身边的决定只能由他自己做出。

心理学研究强调，我们在放弃那些投入巨大的决定时，表现得出奇地糟糕。行为经济学家将此称为“沉没成本谬误”：即使继续下去不再对我们有利，我们仍倾向于坚持，因为我们已经投入了太多（时间、金钱、精力）。

当我们经历认知失调——即同时持有两种相互冲突的信念、感受或欲望而产生的不适感——时，解决方式并不总是立即出现，因为我们极其擅长与矛盾共存。你的父亲似乎一只脚在过去，一只脚在现在。他寻求母亲以及他所怀念的家庭生活的安慰与熟悉感，同时继续生活在一段根据你的描述不再反映他所期望的未来的婚姻中。矛盾心理虽然痛苦，但往往比做出一个必然会伤害他人的选择感觉更安全。

加剧这些心理状态的，且可能是这种情况中最强有力的因素，是羞耻感。离开第二段婚姻不仅意味着结束另一段关系，还要求你的父亲面对这样一种可能性：多年前造成如此巨大痛苦的决定是他“一生中最大的错误”。这是一个极其难以承认的事实，不仅是对他人，更是对自己。

你想拯救他的本能是可以理解的。作为他的孩子，你有保护他的天然本能。请谨慎行事，因为区分“支持”与“拯救”至关重要。

如果你需要 Tanya Byron 教授的帮助，请发送电子邮件至 proftanyabyron@thetimes.co.uk

你不能替你的父亲做决定，无论从外界看来这个决定多么显而易见。

当你描述家人在一起并说“气氛非同寻常”时，我能感受到你的喜悦。这也表明你不仅仅是一个中立的观察者，而且非常在意结果。可以理解的是，你可能希望你的父亲选择留下，不仅是为了你自己，也是为了保护你的孩子们，因为他们很享受祖父母两人都能陪伴在他们生活中的感觉。

你能做的是提供一个冷静、不带评判的空间，让他能够思考。克制表达你的观点，而是鼓励他反思五年或十年后他想要什么样的生活，以及他的选择是在让他向那个目标靠近，还是在推迟一场不可避免的清算。有时人们之所以陷入困境，是因为他们认为避免做决定是一种中立的行为。事实并非如此。选择不做决定本身就是一个决定。

这里还有另一个人的自主权至关重要：你的母亲。你的父母能继续以祖父母的身份享受彼此的陪伴是很美好的，但怀旧并不等同于和解。你的母亲花了一十年的时间重建她的生活。她是否欢迎你的父亲回来，只有她自己知道，而且她绝不应该发现自己被置于等待他的角色之中。

至于移居海外的可能性，如果你的父亲不想要那样的未来，他不应该为了维持一段关系的完整而做出这种妥协。根据你的描述，他的妻子坚持要求他做出选择，加上在他不确定的情况下施压要求搬迁，这有变成胁迫的风险。最健康的决定是自由做出的，而不是在恐惧、愧疚或最后通牒的压力下做出的。

我也在想，这一切是否反映了一种长期存在的模式，

而非其中任何一段关系的具体细节。也许你的父亲难以忍受长期关系中不可避免的失望，于是他没有选择面对这种不适，而是被另一种替代方案中想象的满足感所吸引，就像他当年离开你母亲时那样。

心理学家将此称为“经验回避”——通过改变环境来逃避情感上的不适——并结合了“情感预测”，即我们倾向于高估一个不同的未来能让我们快乐多少。你的父亲可能在反向重复同样的模式：他曾经将家庭之外的生活理想化，现在他可能在将他离开的家庭理想化。共同的线索可能不在于任何一段关系，而在于一种信念，即满足感存在于其他地方。

如果你的父亲决定结束他的婚姻，不应该是由于他想回到你母亲身边，而应该是由于他认定他现在的关系已经走到了尽头，无论接下来会发生什么。从心理学上讲，这是两个独立的决定。当两者融合在一起时，就存在一种风险，即一段关系变成了逃离另一段关系的出口，而不是基于其自身价值而做出的选择。

家人经常希望能够解决彼此的困境。我们做不到，但我们可以支持我们爱的人，让他们获得能够独立解决问题的信心。你的父亲可能需要帮助来寻找决定所需的清晰度和勇气，或许可以通过朋友或治疗师，由他们协助他将遗憾与责任区分开来。他不需要的是由他的儿子们来承担一个始终属于他的选择的重量。

无论他决定什么，有一件事是他无法挽回的：时间。他必须问自己的问题不是哪个决定会带来最少的痛苦，而是他准备与哪种痛苦共存。

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适用条款与细则。

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7

生活

兄弟之死沉重无比。我弟弟的离世是对心脏的一次重击

当他的弟弟遭遇心脏骤停时，斯蒂芬·史密斯发现自己在悲痛中不知所措

今夏，我的弟弟迈克尔因呼吸困难入院，我们原以为这只是因为高温加剧了轻微的肺部感染。他 63 岁，是一名健身教练，一生几乎没有生过病。然而，在入院后短短几分钟内，他就陷入了心脏骤停——用医学术语来说，是对心脏的一次“灾难性打击”。

复苏室的住院医师召集了所有可调用的医护人员。由于迈克尔相对年轻，20 个人在复苏室里奋力抢救了 45 分钟——在复苏室里，这是一个很长的时间——但他最终未能苏醒。他的死因至今尚不明确，这将由验尸官处理，而由于与季节性热浪相关的发病率激增，验尸官的待处理案件已堆积如山。

在 BBC 的《新闻之夜》（Newsnight）担任记者期间，我曾在纽约的公寓里采访过像鸟一样瘦削的琼·迪迪恩。这位作家刚刚出版了《魔幻思维之年》（The Year of Magical Thinking），讲述她丈夫约翰·格雷戈里·邓在她面前死于心脏病发作的经历。“生活在瞬间改变，”她写道，“你坐下来吃晚餐，而你所熟知的生活就此结束。”

迈克尔留下了一个 21 岁的儿子。最沉重的打击落在孩子身上。他的家庭突然显得小了很多，成员还包括迈克尔的前伴侣以及他的兄弟姐妹——我的姐姐托尔和我。几十年前，我们和迈克尔一起经历了父母的离世。父亲去世快 30 年了，母亲去世 20 年。他们当时都病得很重，所以当他们的痛苦结束时，我们感到一种解脱。尽管痛苦，但失去父母是人生中不可避免的里程碑之一。但兄弟（或姐妹）的猝死是对心脏的另一种打击。我曾认为，父母的离世让我们三人处于火力线前，将我们推到了最靠近前线的战壕中。而现在，我们遭受了一次沉重的打击。

虽然由儿童丧亲网络（Childhood Bereavement Network）汇编的关于孩子和父母丧亲的数据非常全面，但目前还没有针对兄弟姐妹的类似数据。据估计，在任何一个时间点，英国可能有多达 600 万人经历过失去兄弟或姐妹的痛苦。

朱莉娅·塞缪尔（Julia Samuel）是畅销书《悲痛之作》（Grief Works）的作者，她将他们描述为“被遗忘的哀悼者”。可以理解的是，在悲痛的等级制度中，兄弟姐妹的地位往往低于逝者的伴侣、子女甚至年迈的父母。然而，丧亲辅导员表示，失去一个共同拥有亲密历史的守护者，其打击是巨大的。

当然，这也提醒了我们自身的终结。我是长子，比迈克尔大 18 个月，我成长过程中一直认为自己不必面对失去兄弟或姐妹的痛苦，因为我应该先走一步。毕竟，迈克尔才是健身专家。我的弟弟记得我们童年的冒险，而且他还是一个

迈克尔拥有主角光环。他是一个极具魅力的人

模仿长辈的高手。他没有过那种能让你登上讣告页的生活，但他拥有“主角光环”。他是一个拥有罕见且自然魅力的人。这种魅力并非来自那种圆滑世故的精致，而更像是一种人们觉得很有吸引力的、纯真坦率的开放。

他没有伪装，没有心机——或者用现在的说法，没有“套路”。他为人坦荡，没有城府。

他小时候，每隔五分钟似乎就会被一种新爱好占据：钓鱼、模型飞机、养兔子、气枪、对讲机……我们小时候，他是我形影不离的伙伴。

我们用装满水的 Fairy 洗洁精瓶互相喷水。我们说服最小的托尔去试驾我们那辆并不怎么合格的卡丁车，然后把它推下山坡，对她的尖叫充耳不闻。有一次，我们一起踢足球时，在尝试顶球时头撞在一起。我的鼻子骨折了，一颗牙齿的神经死掉了。我的嘴唇肿得像米克·贾格尔一样。而迈克尔甚至连一点擦伤都没有。

我以前总觉得我哥哥是个走运的家伙。他非常擅长地把自己从洗碗的任务中说脱身。圣诞节的一大亮点就是迈克在玩叠叠乐（Jenga）时作弊，用叉子的末端去轻敲那些木块。

他把这变成了一场精彩的表演，仿佛他是霍华德·卡特在探测图坦卡蒙坟墓的入口。长大后，他把头发染成金色，骑着摩托车在全国各地四处奔波。

乍一看，迈克似乎从我们的兄弟姐妹支持系统中索取的多于贡献的。他患有焦虑症，最终被诊断出患有亚斯伯格综合征——所以他其实并不算走运。

但他总是想知道托尔和我过得怎么样，在做什么，并且在没有嫉妒心的情况下分享我们的成功时刻。

作为一名私人教练，他拥有一批忠实的长期客户，与他们往来数十年。他不愿提高收费，担心会把他们吓跑。我曾怀疑他们之所以留在那里是因为不忍心取消预约；毕竟，他的费用并不贵。但那样想就低估了他们——以及他。迈克非常擅长

1974年斯蒂芬·史密斯和迈克在利物浦。左图：2022年

他当时63岁，是一名健身教练，一生几乎没有生过病

他的工作；他的客户们拥有足以证明此点的腹肌。偶尔他会给我看这些年长者的照片，他们穿着背心和慢跑裤。某某人已经94岁了，但竟然能卧推这么多——然后迈克会报出一个离谱的重量。

当他一大早去给他们上课时，他们或他们的妻子通常会给迈克提供早餐。他很少拒绝。这样一来，他一个上午可能会吃两三顿早餐。有一次，他到达时一名客户正准备坐下来吃晚餐。那个男人的妻子毫不犹豫地将餐食推到我哥哥面前，而那个男人就在他面前锻炼，我哥哥则清空了盘子。最终，他的客户们比他活得更久，我认为这对他来说是一种荣誉——他把他们送上了救生艇，而自己则随船沉没。他们说他们非常想念他。

至于兄弟姐妹去世给幸存者带来的关于死亡的预感，“预感”一词几乎不足以形容。它们表现出来的不是轻微的咳嗽或低语，而是一阵剧烈的敲门声。我哥哥很久以前就听到了这个声音。他病态地恐惧死亡——以及医院。他寻找中药和其他据说能增强健康和长寿的异域膳食补充剂，只要有人稍微鼓励，他就会滔滔不绝地谈论这些。但他从未学会自己做饭，一直靠即食餐生活。他是一个矛盾体：一个服用营养剂，然后用外卖咖喱将其冲下的健身爱好者。

还有另一件事。我的姐姐和我都有心脏问题：心律不齐。直到迈克心脏骤停，我们才知道他也存在问题。他的尸检结果一旦公布，可能会对我们两人产生严重影响。迈克的去世在多重意义上都是对心脏的一次重击。

当我到达医院的复苏室时，他已经去世大约一个小时了。在我还没来得及与医生交谈之前，一名慌张的护理员问我想不想见我哥哥。我当然想。医护人员拉开蓝色帘子，他就躺在那里。从毯子下面露出来的是他那双熟悉的、穿旧了的运动鞋的脚趾，那是一系列设计得像人脚一样的运动鞋。我抚摸他的前额，握住他的手说：“我很抱歉，迈克。”抱歉他以如此震惊且突然的方式离去，抱歉他失去了未来的岁月，以及他本可以与儿子及我们其他人共度的时光。

也许这其中仍有慰藉。对于迈克来说，迅速离世总好过在医院进进出出，过着病人的生活。随着我们年岁增长，他将永远不会变老；当然，前提是我们足够幸运。在我的记忆中，我的哥哥将永远是那个在帮自己拿早餐的同时，不断鼓励客户的人；他也是圣诞节聚会上的焦点，面对着摇摇欲坠的叠叠乐，迈克尔则在模仿一个面不改色的金库破解者。

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8

爱丁堡首演之夜

古典音乐

All Rise

爱丁堡，亚舍大厅（Usher Hall）

★★★★☆

目前，“多样性、平等与包容”这一时髦的口号正面临相当严苛的审视。因此，爱丁堡国际艺术节以一部现代合唱与管弦乐史诗开启其 2026 年的节目单，这显得清新且大胆，它证明了至少在音乐领域，对 DEI 的坚定信念能够产生令人兴奋的结果。

这部名为《All Rise》的作品是由美国小号手兼乐队领队温顿·马萨利斯（Wynton Marsalis）在 27 年前创作的。当时，在我看来，它是一个极具野心的熔炉，融合了约 20 种不同的音乐风格——从马勒和新古典主义时期的斯特拉文斯基，到新奥尔良葬礼乐队、拉格泰姆（ragtime）、灵歌、桑巴和萨尔萨——但由于其 12 个乐章的时长超过两小时，显得有些缺乏重点且过于冗长。而这一次，在组织能力出色的指挥詹姆斯·加菲根（James Gaffigan）带领下，200 名表演者挤在舞台上，我完全被其精彩的瞬间音乐灵感和主导的乐观主义所感染。

作品中只有约三分之一的部分涉及歌手——尽管爱丁堡艺术节合唱团（Edinburgh Festival Chorus）和杰森·马克斯·费迪南歌手团（Jason Max Ferdinand Singers）集体发出的磅礴之声带来了令人震撼的冲击力。在大多数乐章中，迷人之处在于林肯中心爵士乐团（Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra，马萨利斯已领导该乐团 40 年）的 15 位名手与皇家苏格兰国家管弦乐团（Royal Scottish National Orchestra）的古典乐手之间的互动。

爵士乐手们确实贡献了一些令人惊叹的独奏，马萨利斯本人的小号声直冲云霄。但皇家苏格兰国家管弦乐团的演奏者们也抓住了闪光的时机，使得爵士与古典风格并非简单的融合，而是在彼此之间神奇地共鸣并寻找灵感。

这部作品的主旨似乎更多是关于人类的不同族群在相互学习而非相互战争。根据艺术节总监尼古拉·贝内蒂（Nicola Benedetti）的说法，本届艺术节将探讨美国历史过去 250 年中的“自由、独创、偏见与伪善”，因此，以一部以喜悦和理想主义为核心的作品开场是极好的。

理查德·莫里森（Richard Morrison）

一场真正的法庭戏

克莱夫·戴维斯（Clive Davis）称，巴西之星瓦格纳·莫拉（Wagner Moura）在这部改编自易卜生的作品中表现出色

戏剧

《审判》——改编自《人民之敌》

爱丁堡 Lyceum 剧院（150分钟） ★★★☆☆

在《审判》（A Trial）这部改编自《人民之敌》（An Enemy of the People）的作品中，看到对《大白鲨》（Jaws）的引用并不令人意外。易卜生的这部剧作讲述了一位医生与自己社区产生分歧的故事。毕竟，史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格的电影在描绘一名警察局长试图说服一名不愿让鲨鱼吓跑游客的市长时，回收了同样的道德冲突。尽管如此，我还是没料到《艾琳·布罗科维奇》（Erin Brockovich）和《洛奇》（Rocky）也会被揉进其中。

《审判》的导演克里斯蒂安·雅塔希（Christiane Jatahy）及其共同编剧卢卡斯·帕赖佐（Lucas Paraizo）以及演员瓦格纳·莫拉（Wagner Moura）——这位曾出演获奖巴西荧幕惊悚片《秘密特工》（The Secret Agent）的明星——探索了一种法庭形式。故事设定在国家北部，莫拉饰演的托马斯·斯托克曼（Thomas Stockmann）打破了“第四面墙”与我们交谈。他的命运掌握在一个陪审团手中，而陪审员是从在演出开始前同意被选中的观众中挑选出来的。

这是一个精妙的概念，尽管这次与阿维尼翁艺术节（Festival d'Avignon）和阿姆斯特丹荷兰艺术节（Holland Festival）的合作并未解决一个明显的问题：剧作将胜算如此坚定地倾向于斯托克曼，以至于很难想象有人会判定他有罪。（令人惊讶的是，在这次爱丁堡国际艺术节的演出结束时，确实有三名陪审员这么做了。）

雅塔希营造出一种自发性的氛围。路易丝·伯克（Louise Burke）饰演一名犹豫不决的主持人，她仿佛是最后一刻从街头被随机抓来的，手里拿着写字板在舞台上徘徊，并与斯托克曼及其兄弟彼得（Peter，由达尼洛·格兰海亚 Danilo Grangheia 饰演）在程序细节上纠缠不清。彼得是这座小镇的市长，负责代表控方陈述。斯托克曼的女儿佩特拉（Petra，由朱莉娅·贝尔纳特 Julia Bernat 饰演）领导他的辩护。一段家庭聚会的视频成为了核心证据，而一名污染专家则通过屏幕提供证词。

剧本中一些关于虚假新闻的暗示相当明显。正如她在三年前改编拉尔斯·冯·特里尔电影《狗城》（Dogville）的《黄昏》（Dusk）中所展示的那样，雅塔希很少错过进行政治说教的机会。好消息是，莫拉塑造了一个极具吸引力的形象，尽管他表面上很有魅力，但无法完全掩饰他在作证时对镇民们的急躁之情。他知道自己是对的。

喜剧

Ahir Shah：《Golden》

爱丁堡 Pleasance Courtyard ★★★☆☆

在赢得爱丁堡喜剧奖后的三年里，Ahir Shah 经历了人生中最大的喜事——结婚、在伦敦买房——以及最大的忧虑——疾病，以及那套伦敦公寓的抵押贷款。再加上一次家庭成员的离世、抑郁症、身体的自我攻击以及一项非正式的自闭症诊断，这些困难足以成为挖掘笑点的素材。

我本以为这位 35 岁的演员能够成功地将这些素材转化为喜剧——他那部获奖作品《Ends》既私人又政治，既令人捧腹又催人泪下。但《Golden》却显得有些局促不安。Shah 指出了问题，却未能将其完全炼化为幽默。或许对他而言，这些事情目前还并不好笑。

有时，比如当他详细描述其白人爱尔兰妻子的移民身份，或解释财务审慎时，感觉这位曾经快口疾语的脱口秀演员正倾向于一种新的、伪天真的方式来博取笑声。有些台词打磨得非常精妙，但整体的稳健感显得犹豫而非成熟。

抵押贷款既是一项成就，也是一种考验，因为它唤起了他在温布利成长过程中那种明显的财务焦虑感。他以一种时而感人、时而过于伤感的方式向勤劳的印度教父母致敬。其中最有趣的部分是关于他最快乐的话题：他的婚姻。Shah 将自己视为英籍亚裔，而他的妻子则认为他是英国人，两人都认为自己“嫁 / 娶了压迫者”。他对自己“普通”背景的描述十分风趣，暗示大多数边缘艺术节（Fringe）的喜剧演员其实是百万富翁的共产主义子女。这感觉像是以前的 Shah：亲切但言辞犀利，带着一种讨人喜欢的拘谨。

他提到了慢性特发性荨麻疹，这让他的身体对自己的生活产生了过敏反应，但这以及他的抑郁症感觉仅仅像是在讲轶事。因此，笑点未能精准命中，而为了纪念已故祖母而新加入的结尾也显得混乱。随着边缘艺术节的进行，这一点肯定会得到改善，但目前，这位才华横溢的喜剧演员在处理关于接受成年生活（及其所有优点和局限性）的故事时，显得过于小心翼翼。

Dominic Maxwell 直至 8 月 30 日

戏剧

角色扮演 (Roleplay)

爱丁堡 Summerhall 剧院（70分钟） ★★★☆☆

这类作品通常会让那些过度兴奋的红顶报（小报）编辑们急于拟出诸如“爱丁堡上演性感惊悚剧”之类的标题。但说实话，汉娜·赖利（Hannah Reilly）这部备受期待的边缘艺术节（Fringe）单人剧《角色扮演》（Roleplay）讲述了一位女权主义播客主决定通过放纵与低俗来成为媒体现象级人物的故事，结果却显得出奇地可预测。

口碑效应确保了这部仅限成年人的演出在 Summerhall 已经售罄。（该剧由 Francesca Moody Productions 出品，该公司曾带来《伦敦生活》（Fleabag）和《驯鹿宝贝》（Baby Reindeer）。）而赖利——她在开场几分钟内就脱掉了上衣并开始扭动身体——拥有极其充沛的精力。但这出戏过于急于表现其违规性和挑衅感。

“我一直不明白为什么人们认为渴望关注是绝望的表现。”

赖利为我们呈现了一个角色，在多年产出正经内容后，她做出了一个经过计算的决定，将自己变成一个将卧室话题置于公众形象核心的妖妇，这令她的母亲——一位成功的记者——深感不安。

当我们的叙述者自称是荡妇，并开始询问诸如“掐脖子是企图谋杀还是仅仅是前戏”之类的问题时，收视率飙升。一位权势显赫的媒体企业家向她抛出大把大把的钱。可卡因让她感到亢奋，而她那位出身名门、举止文雅的男友也随之卷入其中。

然而在最后——惊喜地，

汉娜·赖利在关于女权主义播客主的边缘艺术节演出中显得沉着冷静

惊喜地——我们的女主角发现，不停歇的享乐未必是通往内心幸福的路径。作为一堂应用女权主义的课，这部剧并没有多少启发性。我想，我这一天是从观看另一部关于播客主的戏剧开始的，而那个角色恰好也有一位著名的记者母亲，这可能也影响了我的感受。世界真小，不是吗？

佩吉·拉特雷（Paige Rattray）的导演手法确实增强了感官刺激：灯光不断跳动，音效的使用也十分巧妙。赖利拥有不可否认的自信和沉稳。她真正需要的只是一个能配得上她的剧本。

克莱夫·戴维斯 (Clive Davis)

演出至 8 月 31 日，随后将在伦敦 Soho 剧院于 10 月 22 日至 11 月 21 日上演。

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如果你在 7 月初恰好在伦敦西区的 Lyric Hammersmith 剧院，你可能会在观众席中注意到一张名脸。好莱坞明星史蒂夫·卡瑞尔（Steve Carell）去观看 33 岁的英国女演员查莉·克莱夫（Charly Clive）出演的《遗物》（Relics），这是一部关于家庭遗产的剧作，萨莉·菲利普斯（Sally Phillips）同样主演。克莱夫说：“他为了温网而来，然后多留了两天来看《遗物》。他没有大张旗鼓，也没有告诉任何人……演出结束后他留了下来。我们一起喝了杯酒。他对我的父母非常友善。”

卡瑞尔和克莱夫认识是因为他们在 HBO Max 上的一部评价良好的温情校园喜剧《公鸡》（Rooster）中饰演父女，该剧刚刚获得第二季续订。本月，她将回到十年前开启职业生涯的爱丁堡边缘艺术节，表演一场素描喜剧以及《紧张》（Jitters）——这是一部关于同龄继母与继女的双人剧，由克莱夫从小最好的朋友艾伦·罗伯逊（Ellen Robertson）编写。你可能认得同样 33 岁的罗伯逊，她在《弗拉基米尔》（Vladimir）中饰演瑞秋·薇兹（Rachel Weisz）的女儿，并出演了莉娜·邓纳姆（Lena Dunham）在 Netflix 上的热门剧集《太多》（Too Much）。

“《紧张》（Jitters）源于一个速写剧的点子，当时我们觉得，如果在舞台上让查莉扮演我的继母，那将是我们能呈现的最有趣的关系，”罗伯逊说道。“我越陷越深，它逐渐不再像一个速写剧，而变成了一部 15 页的剧本。”她还对“我们这一代在经济上对父母的依赖程度……以及在我们被认为应该建立完整的成年生活时，‘依赖’意味着什么”感兴趣。罗伯逊并不回避去年在伦敦与女友——爱尔兰喜剧演员凯瑟琳·博哈特（Catherine Bohart）一起买公寓时得到了父母经济资助的事实。“我们在青少年时期曾想象，在快 40. 岁之前我们能够负担得起住房。我认为这对女性以及组建家庭的可能性产生了一种非常有趣的影响。”

《紧张》中的另一个主题是年龄差距大的关系——继母正准备与女儿那位年长得多的父亲结婚。“我觉得我们已经从年长男性的视角看到了很多关于[这一点]的内容，”罗伯顿说。“或者通常是以一个稍微成熟一点的年长女性的视角，带着事后回顾的口吻来写的，所以我想要从当下的视角写一些东西。”饰演继母的克莱夫有与年长男性约会的经历——当时她 26, 岁，而对方 38 岁。“我原以为在 26 岁时与一个年长得多的男人约会意味着我跳过了不成熟的阶段，”她说。“但我错了。如果非要说学到了什么，那就是有些男人永远像婴儿一样——而且，一个快 40 岁的男人决定与一个二十多岁的女性约会，也许是有原因的。”

罗伯逊说，她们作为双人组合表演的速写剧节目《我的天呐》（Holy Mackerel!）“是对友谊、社区以及与伙伴们共度欢乐时光的颂歌”。这两个女人在成长过程中都观看过道恩·弗伦奇（Dawn French）和詹妮弗·桑德斯（Jennifer Saunders）、梅尔·吉德罗伊克（Mel Giedroyc）和苏·珀金斯（Sue Perkins）、《拍马屁》（Smack the Pony）以及其他优秀的女性速写剧团体。她们发现，现在当她们出现在综合喜剧之夜时，人们有时会感到有些惊讶。“有时这很棒，因为观众会觉得，‘噢，有点不一样！’但有时这很糟糕”

认识 Britney：新一代的 French and Saunders

查莉·克莱夫（Charly Clive）和艾伦·罗伯逊（Ellen Robertson）在克莱夫被诊断出患有脑瘤时组成了一对喜剧搭档。“这很合理，”她们告诉布兰卡·斯科菲尔德（Blanca Schofield）。

“因为观众会觉得，‘为什么你们不做我们喜欢的单口喜剧？我们不喜欢这些古怪的小剧本，’”罗伯逊补充道。

得益于《周六夜现场》英国版（Saturday Night Live UK），素描喜剧（Sketch shows）重新流行起来。她们是否担心（正如许多媒体怀疑论者那样）这行不通？“唯一担心的是，我想美国会对这个节目介入到什么程度？如果想要成功，它必须具有英国特色，”克莱夫在 Joe Allen 说道，她正抿着一杯脏伏特加马提尼，那是西区深受演艺圈人士喜爱的一处场所。如果有机会，她会去试镜。但“我想我可能太老了。他们会想要新鲜的年轻人。”

克莱夫和罗伯逊在 13 岁时共同决定想要成为演员。她们在雷丁附近的一个村庄长大，在一次学校历史研学旅行后成为了最好的朋友。“我们放学后会互相打电话，在固定电话上浪费父母的钱，”罗伯逊在一次视频通话中说道。当克莱夫在 23 岁时发现自己失去了外周视觉并被诊断出患有脑瘤时，罗伯逊搬回了家中，以帮助她度过治疗期。“可爱的宝贝艾伦，”克莱夫在谈到这件事时这样称呼她。

克莱夫与史蒂夫·卡雷尔在《Rooster》中

查莉·克莱夫和艾伦·罗伯逊在爱丁堡 Summerhall 演出《Jitters》，在爱丁堡 Pleasance Courtyard 演出《Holy Mackerel!》，两场演出均持续至 8 月 21 日

为了帮克莱夫走出“这个阴暗的地方”，罗伯逊与克莱夫的父亲“密谋”，让她登上舞台。他们鼓励她在 2016 年带着一部素描喜剧参加爱丁堡艺术节（Fringe），这部剧是她和罗伯逊在康复期间共同创作的。剧名为《Britney》，讲述的是她的脑瘤，克莱夫用那位流行歌星的名字为肿瘤命名。“对很多人来说，这看起来很疯狂，但对我们来说完全合理，”克莱夫说。该剧获得了极高的评价，她们的事业随之起飞。2018 年，肿瘤复发，她必须接受放射治疗。与此同时，她得知自己获得了第四频道（Channel 4）剧集《Pure》的主演，该剧讲述了一名患有严重强迫症的女性，这种病症会导致侵入性性幻想。“我记得当时在想，我不在乎我会发生什么。我要成为一名演员。宇宙已经告诉我了。”

她推迟了治疗的开始时间，她的医生称这一决定“不负责任”，以便她能够拍摄《Pure》。“在生病之后很长一段时间里，我他妈的非常理智，因为你必须如此，而且每个人都告诉你必须如此。你的生活被‘理智’所主宰。我想，我不会在接下来的 11 周里保持理智。我要去实现我的梦想。”

克莱夫的肿瘤以另一种出人意料的方式影响了她的职业生涯。放射治疗“会让你的声带老化。所以我的声音变得低沉且沙哑。现在我已经录了 10 部有声书，因为人们觉得我的声音很性感。”

她现在的健康状况良好，并且尽可能地抓住每一个机会。“我想我比大多数人玩得更开心，因为我知道，当你拥有一个能够享受很多乐趣的身体，却被夺走了生命中的几个月，这意味着：死后再睡！你不会累到不能去参加派对。你不会。去吧。去寻找乐趣。亲吻你的朋友。告诉他们你爱他们。”说完，她便独自前往西区的一家高级餐厅享用牛排晚餐。“人生太短，不能错过。”

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每周一至周四，提供一页额外的谜题，让您的大脑进行深度锻炼

《与贝尔·格里尔斯共赴荒野：选民》 (The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls)

Prime Video ★★★★☆

如今，很难在听到贝尔·格里尔斯（Bear Grylls）的名字时，脑海中不浮现出他站在泰晤士河中，腰深的水位，拥抱着正在受洗的罗素·布兰德（Russell Brand）的画面。我希望不是这样，但一旦见过，就再也无法忘记。

格里尔斯为自己当天决定参与其中进行了辩护，尽管布兰德被指控曾实施历史性性侵（他对此予以否认），格里尔斯表示，他尽量不去评判他人，并遵循这样一个原则：“耶稣会怎么做？”

现在，他有机会找到了答案，因为在他的新系列节目中，他将与耶稣一起去冒险。好吧，我得澄清一下，对方并不是上帝之子本人，而是乔纳森·鲁米（Jonathan Roumie），他在《选民》（The Chosen）中饰演耶稣。这是一部极其受欢迎的美国历史剧，基于耶稣基督的生平与传道经历。它是史上最成功的众筹电视剧，全球估计有 2.8 亿 人观看（在英国可通过 Prime Video 观看）。

在这部标题起得并不精干的《与贝尔·格里尔斯共赴荒野：选民》的每一集中，他都会带一名演员前往犹他州的荒野进行探险，不过耶稣得等到第五集才轮到他。

格里尔斯表示，对基督的信仰是他一生中的“指路明灯”。他在第一集中与犹大·伊斯一个利（Judas Iscariot），或者更准确地说，是饰演该角色的卢克·迪米扬（Luke Dimyan）一起开始。他们被空投到摩押沙漠，不久后，格里尔斯就让迪米扬将尿液排入一个袋子中以加热晚餐，这绝对不能说能勾起食欲。

“真臭，”当迪米扬递过一个用来加热军用 MRE（即食餐）食物的尿袋时，格里尔斯说道。有点太刻薄了！沙漠会导致严重的脱水。耶稣会怎么说？

我过去对格里尔斯的一些节目持有异议，

贝尔·格里尔斯与卢克·迪米扬在犹他州的摩押沙漠

主要是因为我不赞成为了电视节目而杀掉动物。但这个系列真的相当不错，节奏更缓和，更有思考深度，且背景设定在真正壮丽的风景之中。第一集得益于迪米扬的魅力与机智，他是科普特埃及人（Coptic Egyptian），埃及原生的基督徒族群，其祖父曾是一名牧师。

他说，犹大是他最想扮演的角色，尽管这意味着陌生人会走过来对他说：“我们不喜欢你”（不得不佩服那些无法区分现实与电视的观众）。他说，犹大是一个复杂的人，他确实爱过耶稣，扮演这个角色很有趣，因为他的故事是一场“诗意的悲剧”。他“注定失败”，因为他“无法接受那些超出他控制范围的事物”。

随后，格里尔斯让迪米扬从一只汗涔涔的袜子里吸取水分。他们在岩石的阴影中发现了一些潮湿的沙子，一种生存方法是将沙子填入袜子，然后通过袜子吸取水分。我很欣慰地说，他们各自使用了自己的袜子。

在跳伞和穿越峡谷的滑索过程中，他们谈论了生活、信仰、即兴表演和失败。“大多数人都害怕失败，”格里尔斯说，但他们不应该害怕，因为“失败是垫脚石”。这是一个很好的公式，让节目变成了深思熟虑而非单纯追求刺激的电视内容。

人类智能 (Human Intelligence)

Radio 4, 1.45pm

小说家娜奥米·奥尔德曼（Naomi Alderman）带着该节目的新系列回归。该节目探讨历史上最伟大思想家的心智，探索他们的创造力来源，以及他们如何将其应用于至今仍影响我们的作品中。她以艾米莉·勃朗特（Emily Brontë）（见上图）开始，探讨其隐居的性格是否增强了她写作的强度。来自哈沃斯（Haworth）勃朗特博物馆的播客《玻璃背后：牧师住宅播客》（Behind the Glass: A Parsonage Podcast）审视了其馆藏物品，以及会影响该家庭的社会问题，包括铁路的发展以及食物在哥特小说中的重要性。克莱尔·伍德沃德 (Clair Woodward)

Times Radio

数字端、网页、智能扬声器、应用程序 5.00am Tom Nunan 主持 Early Breakfast 6.00 Rosie Wright 和 Stig Abell 主持 Breakfast 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Stephen Sackur 2.00 Fi Glover 和 Roys Nikkhah 4.00 Carolyn Quinn 主持 Drive 7.00 Kati Borsay 主持 The Evening Edition 10.00 Carole Walker 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am The Sara Cox Breakfast Show 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dommert 7.00 Edith Bowman's Shiny Happy Playlist 7.30 Edith Bowman 9.00 Cerys Matthews 主持 The Blues Show 10.00 Melvin Odoom 主持 The Good Groove 12.00 DJ Borg 2.30am DJ Borg 主持 One Hit Wonders 3.00 Sounds of the 90s (重播) 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans

Radio 3

FM: 92.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live 再次有机会聆听一场 Proms 音乐会，大提琴家 Maximilian Hornung 在肖斯塔科维奇的《第一大提琴协奏曲》中担任独奏。此外还有来自韦尔比耶音乐节的音乐会。韦尔比耶音乐节 —— 德彪西（Prélude à l'après-midi d'un favori），格拉纳达古乐节 —— Créciquillon（Missa – Mort mis privé – Kyrie, Gloria & Credo），韦尔比耶音乐节 —— 肖邦（Fantasy in F minor, Op 49），布鲁克纳（Symphony No 4 in E flat – Romantic）；以及 BBC Proms —— 肖斯塔科维奇（降E大调第一大提琴协奏曲）

4.00 本周作曲家：Montgerouil (1764-1836) Donald Macleod 探讨 Hélène de Montgerouil 的作品 (重播) 5.00 In Tune，来自爱丁堡的 Hub 7.00 2026年 BBC Proms 现场演出，由 Esa-Pekka Salonen 指挥伦敦皇家音乐学院和纽约茱莉亚学院管弦乐团，演奏斯特拉文斯基、贝尔格和巴托克的作品。由 Ian Skelly 在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅现场主持。斯特拉文斯基（Symphony in Three Movements），贝尔格（小提琴协奏曲），以及巴托克（管弦乐协奏曲） 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 Round Midnight 12.30am Through the Night

Radio 4

FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am 新闻摘要 5.84 Last Wool (重播) 5.34 航运预报 5.43 今日祷告 5.45 今日农业 6.00 Today 9.00 Across the Red Line 探讨大学教育的价值。系列最后一集 9.30 How Did We Get Here? No World Order 美国与俄罗斯之间的合作是如何破裂的 (3 / 6) 10.00 Woman's Hour Nuala McGovern 主持 11.00 Behind the Crime 一名来自德克萨斯州的女性在偷窃一台空调后生活被颠覆 (2 / 3) 11.45 本周之书：《广岛，8.15：失落的回忆录》 谷本清 (Kiyoshi Tanimoto) 对广岛和长崎被轰炸后情况的叙述 (1 / 5) 12.04pm You and Yours 1.00 The World at One

1.45 Choice Human Intelligence 聚焦于 Emily Brontë (11 / 15) 2.00 The Archers (重播) 2.15 Moray Hunter 的 Alone (5 / 6) (重播) 2.45 Opening Lines 两部分中的第一部分。探讨 Don DeLillo 1988 年的小说《天秤》(Libra) (重播) 3.00 Great Lives Derek Jacobi 和 Tim Walker 回顾 Laurence Olivier (1 / 9) 3.30 You're Dead to Me 罗马皇帝君士坦丁大帝的统治 (7 / 13) (重播) 4.00 Burnham's Pledge 关于安迪·伯纳姆解决露宿街头承诺的报道 (重播) 4.30 The Kitchen Cabinet 系列最后一集 (重播) 5.00 PM 6.00 六点新闻 6.30 Just a Minute 由 Tony Hawks, Desiree Burch, Cariad Lloyd 和 Julian Clary 主持 (4 / 6) 7.00 The Archers Lynda 将面临心碎 7.15 Front Row 艺术节目 8.00 The Briefing Room 讨论新闻中的故事 (重播) 8.30 BBC Inside Science 最新的科学研究 (重播) 9.00 Across the Red Line (3 / 3) (重播) 9.30 How Did We Get Here? No World Order (3 / 6) (重播) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 睡前之书： 《韦克菲尔德的牧师》 作者 Oliver Goldsmith (6 / 10) 11.00 Intimacy Liza 的私生活影响到片场，造成紧张局势 (3 / 4) 11.30 A Good Read (1 / 9) (重播) 12.00 新闻与天气 12.30am 本周之书：《广岛，8.15：失落的回忆录》 (1 / 5) (重播) 12.48 航运预报 1.60 切换至 BBC 全球服务

Radio 4 Extra

仅限数字广播 8.00am 《菲尔医生的床边谈心》(Dr Phil's Bedside Manner) 8.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》(Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years) 8.45 《小岛》(Small Island) 9.00 《就一分钟》(Just a Minute) 9.30 《追踪火星入侵》(Following the Martian Invasion) 9.45 《每日礼拜》(Daily Service) 10.00 《自然之声》(Sounds Natural) 10.30 《比利·邦特的生日派对》(Billy Bunter's Birthday Bash) 11.00 《等待游戏》(The Waiting Game) 11.30 《高级合伙人》(The Senior Partner) 12.00 《第六控制组》(Control Group Six) 12.30pm 《爸爸军队》(Dad's Army) 1.00 《菲尔医生的床边谈心》 1.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 1.45 《小岛》 2.00 《词痴》(Wordaholics) 2.30 《另一个故事》(A Whole 'Nother Story) 3.00 《文艺复兴人：乔尔乔·瓦萨里的最后审判》(Renaissance Man: The Last Judgment of Giorgio Vasari) 4.00 《自然之声》 4.30 《比利·邦特的生日派对》 5.00 《等待游戏》 5.30 《高级合伙人》 6.00 《第六控制组》 6.30 《爸爸军队》 7.00 《菲尔医生的床边谈心》 7.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 7.45 《小岛》 8.00 《词痴》 8.30 《另一个故事》 9.00 《文艺复兴人：乔尔乔·瓦萨里的最后审判》 10.00 《喜剧俱乐部：就一分钟》 10.30 《真挚、疯狂的布莱切利》(Truly, Madly, Bletchley) 10.45 《当，当，当》(Quando, Quando, Quando) 10.55 《喜剧俱乐部访谈》(The Comedy Club Interview) 11.00 《时事》(Current-ish) 11.30 《圈内人》(The In Crowd)

Radio 5 Live

中波 (MM): 692.905 5.00am 《金钱觉醒》(Wake Up to Money) 6.00 5 Live 早报 9.00 尼基·坎贝尔 (Nicky Campbell) 11.00 艾玛·瓦迪 (Emma Vardy) 2.00pm 马特·乔利 (Matt Chorley) 4.00 5 Live 驱动 7.00 5 Live 体育：周一之夜俱乐部：讨论周末足球赛 9.00 田径：Ed Harry 主持欧洲田径锦标赛报道 10.00 强尼·兰森 (Johnny l'Anson) 1.00am 多顿·阿德巴约 (Dotun Adebayo)

talkSPORT

中波 (MM): 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am 早期体育早报 6.00 杰夫·斯特林 (Jeff Stelling) 10.00 马克斯·斯科特与达拉·麦安东尼 (Max Scott & Darragh McAnthony) 1.00pm 霍克斯比与雅各布斯 (Hawksbee and Jacobs) 4.00 驱动 7.00 转会内幕 (The Transfer Insiders) 10.00 体育酒吧 (The Sports Bar) 1.00am 保罗·罗斯的额外时间 (Extra Time with Paul Ross)

Talk

仅限数字广播 6.00am 伊恩·柯林斯 (Ian Collins) 10.00 朱莉娅·哈特利-布鲁尔 (Julia Hartley Brewer) 1.00pm 大卫·布尔 (David Bull) 4.00 凯文·欧苏利文 (Kevin O'Sullivan) 7.00 彼得·坎特韦尔 (Peter Cantwell) 10.00 普赖姆·霍斯肯 (Prime Hosken) 1.00am 保罗·罗斯 (Paul Ross)

6 Music

仅限数字广播 5.00am 克里斯·霍金斯 (Chris Hawkins) 7.00 尼克·格里姆肖 (Nick Grimshaw) 10.00 劳伦·拉文 (Lauren Laverne) 1.00pm 克雷格·查尔斯 (Craig Charles) 4.00 史蒂夫·拉曼兹 (Steve Lamanz) 7.00 每日新音乐速递 (New Music Fix Daily) 9.00 莱利与科 (Riley & Coe) 11.00 驻场艺术家：Wolf Alice 12.00 The Smiths – 现场 1.00am The Smiths 录音室版 2.00 The Smiths 在 BBC 4.00 The Smiths 播放列表

Virgin Radio

仅限数字广播 6.30am 克里斯·埃文斯早报秀 (The Chris Evans Breakfast Show) 10.00 艾玛 II (Emma II) 2.00pm 本·琼斯 (Ben Jones) 6.00 杰夫·劳埃德 (Geoff Lloyd) 10.00 金发女孩 (Goldierocks) 2.00am 史蒂夫·丹耶 (Steve Denyer)

Classic FM

调频 (FM): 100-102 MHz 6.30am 蒂姆·利博雷奥 (Tim Liboreau) 9.00 名人之堂时间 (Hall of Fame Hour) 10.00 亚历德·琼斯 (Aled Jones) 1.00pm 安妮-玛丽·明霍尔 (Anne-Marie Minhall) 4.00 玛格丽塔·泰勒 (Margherita Taylor) 7.00 惬意之夜 (r) 9.00 约翰·布伦宁的作曲家轮播 (Composer Carousel with John Brunning) 10.00 宁静经典 (Calm Classics) 1.00am 比尔·欧弗顿 (Bill Overton) 4.00 早期早报

---

12

电视

今日推荐

《龙之家族》(House of the Dragon)

Sky Atlantic/Now, 晚上 9 点

这部《权力的游戏》前传在第二季结局中推迟了军事对抗，让所有人都对缺乏巨龙戏份感到沮丧。第三季预计（该集尚未开放观看）将在坦布尔顿之战 (Battle of Tumbleton) 达到高潮。坦布尔顿是被自认为能左右王位的人选奥蒙德 (Ormund，由 James Norton 饰演) 占领并作为权力基地的城镇，他在此宣布戴伦 (Daeron，由 Benjamin Evan Ainsworth 饰演) 为维斯特洛的正统统治者。他们的反叛事业得到了雷妮拉 (Rhaenyra) 作为女王时的失误和暴政的助力。但她与她的叔叔，呃，丈夫戴蒙 (Daemon，由 Matt Smith 饰演) 已开始采取行动对抗奥蒙德，引发了“黑党”与“绿党”之间的对决 —— 或者在某些人看来，这就像是《快乐谷》(Happy Valley) 中医生与反派的掩饰拙劣的版本。John Dugdale

James Norton 饰演奥蒙德

马丁与罗曼的爱尔兰公路之旅

Channel 4, 晚上 8点

马丁·肯普和罗曼·肯普此前经常在电视上搭档，但从未合作过旅游系列节目。令人惊讶的是，作为父子组合，他们的强劲对手布拉德利·沃尔什和巴尼·沃尔什自 2019 年以来已经制作了七季旅游纪录片《打破父亲》（Breaking Dad）。也许肯普父子认为爱尔兰是他们打破僵局、开启首秀的理想国家，因为这里是世界上少数几个沃尔什一家未曾到访的地方。他们的奥德赛之旅始于科克，涵盖了旅游路线景点（一个石圈）、一些神话（一位鞋带女王的当地联系）以及一些独特的习俗（讲故事、哀悼）。因此，节目全部聚焦于古老或永恒的爱尔兰，而对当前的音乐、电影、电视或体育则不感兴趣——尽管马丁是一名演员和歌手，罗曼是一名主持人，且两人都是足球迷。即便罗伊·基恩、基里安·墨菲和格雷厄姆·诺顿都成长于科克郡。JD

BBC1

6.00am 早报 (Breakfast) 9.30 动物公园 (Animal Park) (重播) (AD) 10.00 追踪、寻找，找回我的车 (Trace, Track, Get My Car Back) (重播) 10.30 欧洲田径锦标赛直播：伯明翰 2026。珍妮特·夸基在亚历山大体育场主持第一天开幕赛事的报道，包括东道主参加的女子 100 米和 400 米栏，以及男子 800 米和 400 米 1.15pm BBC 一点钟新闻；天气预报 1.40 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报 1.50 一点钟新闻；天气预报 2.00 免费之财 (Money for Nothing)。萨里郡 Wilfey 回收中心的盘子收藏 2.45 逃往乡村 (Escape to the Country)。乔尼·欧文帮助一对提前退休的人在威尔特郡或萨默塞特郡寻找新家 (重播) (AD) 3.30 修理铺 (The Repair Shop)。一匹摇摇马、一辆冰淇淋拖车和一本字典 (重播) (AD) 4.30 答案奔跑 (The Answer Run)。问答节目 5.15 无用之题 (Pointless)。问答节目 (重播) 6.00 六点钟新闻；天气预报 6.30 地区新闻；天气预报

BBC2

6.30am 淘宝猎人 (Bargain Hunt)：《One Show》20 周年。由《One Show》主持人主持 (重播) (AD) 7.15 免费之财 (Money for Nothing) (重播) 8.00 手语区：修理铺 (Sign Zone: The Repair Shop) (重播) (AD, SL) 9.00 新闻 10.30 古董公路之旅 (Antiques Road Trip) (重播) 11.15 房屋拍卖 (Homes Under the Hammer) (重播) (AD) 12.15pm 淘宝猎人 (Bargain Hunt) (重播) 1.00 理查德·奥斯马的游戏屋 (Richard Osmaris House of Games) (重播) 1.30 终点线 (The Finish Line)。问答节目 (重播) 2.15 你了解你的位置吗？ (Do You Know Your Place?) (重播) 2.45 农民乡村对决 (The Farmers' Country Showdown) (重播) 3.30 海洋间谍 (Spy in the Ocean) (重播) (AD) 4.30 经典古董路演 (Vintage Antiques Roadshow)。来自温斯顿·丘吉尔在肯特郡的前住所 (重播) 5.15 Flog tit 访问阿尔斯特交通博物馆和布莱切利公园 (重播) 6.00 理查德·奥斯马的游戏屋 (Richard Osmaris House of Games)。嘉宾包括克里斯·比森、丹妮尔·哈罗德、凯瑟琳·梅里和罗伯特·韦伯 (重播) 6.30 贝尔·格里尔斯：荒野清算 (Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning)。主持人帮助曾经的好友努力修复破裂的友谊 (重播) (AD)

ITV1

6.00am 英国早安 (Good Morning Britain) 10.00 此刻 (This Morning) 1.30pm ITV 新闻；天气预报 2.00 迪金森的真实交易 (Dickinson's Real Deal)。大卫·迪金森在布莱克本，在这里马特·泰勒偶然发现了一组出人意料的二重唱，艾丽斯·多比在衡量一件礼服，而蒂姆·霍加斯则大赚一笔 (重播) (AD) 3.00 成交或不成交 (Deal or No Deal)。斯蒂芬·穆尔恩主持该游戏节目，参赛者尝试按正确顺序打开 22 个盒子，以获得赢得现金奖金的机会 (重播) (AD) 4.00 倾斜点 (Tipping Point)。本·谢泼德主持这场以街机为主题的问答赛，参赛者将代币投入四个选定滑道中的一个，希望能赢得 1 万英镑 奖金 (重播) 5.00 追击 (The Chase)。布拉德利·沃尔什主持，参赛者与其中一名“追击者”斗智，希望能赢得现金奖金。他们以团队形式协作并采取策略回答问题，在游戏板上冲向出口而不被抓获 (重播) 6.00 地区新闻；天气预报 6.30 ITV 新闻；天气预报

[...OMITTED...]

Channel 4

6.30am 《女王之王》(The King of Queens) (重播) (音频描述) 7.45 《大家都爱雷蒙》(Everybody Loves Raymond) (重播) (音频描述) 9.10 《弗雷泽》(Fraser) (重播) (音频描述) 11.10 《拉姆齐的厨房噩梦：美国篇》(Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA) (重播) 12.05pm Channel 4 新闻摘要 12.10 《寻找、修复、出售》(Find It, Fix It, Flog It)。一项将旧水箱改造为披萨烤炉的计划 (重播) (音频描述) 1.10 《大屋赠送》(The Great House Giveaway)。一对夫妇与一名陌生人合作，在北威尔士的波特马丁 (Portmading) 购买一座房子 (重播) 2.10 《倒计时》(Countdown)。主持人：波琳·麦克林 (Pauline McLynn) 3.00 《阳光之所》(A Place in the Sun)。一对来自莱斯特的夫妇在西班牙莫哈卡斯 (Mojácaz) 寻找度假屋 (重播) 4.00 《与佩内洛普·基思一起拯救乡村住宅》(Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith)。在格洛斯特郡，查文纳奇 (Chavenage) 的阁楼模型铁路被揭晓 (重播) (音频描述) 5.00 《城堡DIY》(Château DIY)。在拉戈尔斯城堡 (Château Lagorce)，业主们争分夺秒地砍掉一棵巨大的无花果树，以免它将婚礼露台的墙壁撞塌 (重播) (音频描述) 6.00 《美国拾荒者》(American Pickers)。迈克 (Mike) 和弗兰克 (Frank) 遇到一个由姐妹们统治的投币式设备帝国，她们为了每一分钱都准备大打出手 (重播) (音频描述)

5

6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 杰里米·Vine (Jeremy Vine) 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 午间 5 News 12.50 马特·奥尔赖特 (Matt Allwright) 2.20 电影：《我的致命记忆》(My Fatal Memory) (12, TVM, 2022) 在一场严重的车祸夺走格蕾丝的记忆后，一名英俊的陌生人进入她的生活，坚称他们是恋人。由凯特·沃森 (Kate Watson) 主演的惊悚片 4.00 《城堡》(Castle)。当一名宇航员在一次火星任务模拟期间被谋杀时，贝克特和城堡展开调查，该任务是由一名互联网亿万富翁资助的私人项目 (r) 4.55 自然之爱 (Love Nature)。镜头聚焦于康沃尔海豹保护区 (r) 5.00 5 News at 5 6.00 撒丁岛：地中海之珠。探索意大利的撒丁岛及其无数的历史遗迹，以及旨在将撒丁红鹿从灭绝边缘拯救出来的雄心勃勃的保护项目 (r) 6.55 Dan Walker 主持的 5 News

7.00 《One Show》安吉丽卡·贝尔 (Angelica Bell) 从伯明翰现场报道，回顾《One Show》的开端 7.30 《东区东街》(EastEnders) 马克斯和辛迪将 1 月 1 日定为他们的婚礼日期。随后，当普里亚在汽车名单上进行表演时，他感到很惊讶 (AD)

8.00 欧洲田径锦标赛直播：伯明翰 2026 9.00 加比·洛根 (Gabby Logan) 在亚历山大体育场主持第一天晚间赛事的进一步报道。女子 100 米决赛是当晚的压轴项目。男子 5,000 米也将于今晚举行。男子铅球和混合 - 4 亿英镑m 接力也将颁奖。由格雷格·卢瑟福德 (Greg Rutherford)、杰西卡·恩尼斯-希尔 (Jessica Ennis-Hill) 和珍妮·米多斯 (Jenny Meadows) 进行分析，由史蒂夫·克拉姆 (Steve Cram)、史蒂夫·巴克利 (Steve Backley)、安德鲁·科特 (Andrew Cotter)、科林·杰克逊 (Colin Jackson) 和保拉·拉德克利夫 (Paula Radcliffe) 提供解说。见当日精选

7.00 欧洲田径锦标赛直播：伯明翰 2026 9.00 加比·洛根 (Gabby Logan) 主持第一天晚间赛事的报道，包括女子铅球决赛和女子 100 米栏预赛。报道将在 BBC1 继续。见当日精选

8.00 《只有连接》(Only Connect) “双重特写”环节对阵 Colorual Geese 8.30 《大学挑战赛》(University Challenge) 牛津大学马格达伦学院对阵华威大学 9.00 《进化》(Evolution) 克里斯·帕克汉姆 (Chris Packham) 在开启一场关于动物运动进化起点的潜行、游泳、冲刺奥德赛之旅时，揭示了马为何变得如此之快，以及这种运动能力是如何在地球上最优雅、最具运动能力的动物之一身上达到顶峰的 (5 / 5) (AD)

7.30 《弗莱彻家的家庭农场》(Fletchers' Family Farm) 弗莱彻一家专注于多元化经营，奶牛露比迎来了转机 (9 / 10) (r) ()

8.00 《艾默代尔》(Emmerdale) 一名村民的生活被彻底颠覆。与此同时，塞雷娜感到内心矛盾 () 8.30 《加冕街》(Coronation Street) 蒂姆敦促里奇努力经营他的婚姻，而莎拉与基特分手 () 9.00 《失散多年的家人：无迹可寻的出生》(Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace) 达维娜·麦考尔 (Davina McCall) 和诺伊齐·坎贝尔 (Noisy Campbell) 帮助被遗弃者揭开母亲抛弃他们的原因。见当日精选 ()

7.00 第 4 频道新闻 (Channel 4 News) 7.00 《高速公路警察：抓捕英国超速者》(Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders) 汉伯赛德警方收到多次关于一名疑似醉酒驾驶者在路上乱开的电话，因此一名警员飞速追赶，试图在对方发生严重碰撞前将其截获 (5 / 10) (r) 7.55 5 News 更新

8.00 马丁和罗曼的爱尔兰公路旅行 9.00 新剧集。马丁和罗曼·肯普 (Roman Kemp) 探索爱尔兰，从科克郡开始，他们在那里划皮划艇，参观前监狱斯派克岛，并加入一个社区故事讲述小组。见当日精选 (1 / 3) () 9.00 《名人被猎》(Celebrity Hunted) 一场大胆的逃脱计划在布赖顿酝酿。两名名人利用军事网络获取情报和支持。但猎人们已经捕捉到了他们的信号并正在逼近。几位内容创作者认为他们知道如何智胜追捕者 ()

7.00 《高速公路警察：抓捕英国超速者》(Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders) 汉伯赛德警方收到多次关于一名疑似醉酒驾驶者在路上乱开的电话，因此一名警员飞速追赶，试图在对方发生严重碰撞前将其截获 (5 / 10) (r) 7.55 5 News 更新

8.00 街头警察：抓捕混混 一名警员追捕一名电动自行车骑手，该骑手在逃避法律追捕时似乎向灌木丛中扔了某样东西；与此同时，一名因超速被 Weston Favell 警员拦下的司机得到了超出他预期的“待遇” 9.00 逃票者：与法律开战 伦敦交通局（TfL）的调查员在伦敦东北部的 Seven Kings 车站搜寻一名涉嫌逃票的惯犯，该人欠网络近 4,000 英镑 的未付票款

10.00 BBC 十点新闻 10.30 BBC 地区新闻与天气 10.40 电影：《布里奇特·琼斯的宝宝》(15, 2016) 布里奇特对单身生活和事业的专注在发现自己怀孕时被打断，但有一个麻烦——在两次一夜情之后，她对孩子父亲身份的确定程度仅为 50%。由 Renée Zellweger、Colin Firth 和 Patrick Dempsey 主演的喜剧续集 (AD)

10.00 Mortimer & Whitehouse：去钓鱼 Paul 和 Bob 在高地地区钓 ferox 鳟鱼 (3 / 6) (r) (AD) 10.30 新闻之夜 (Newsnight) Alex Forsyth 主持 11.05 电影：《沙夫》(15, 1971) 一名强悍的纽约私家侦探在被雇佣营救一名黑帮分子的被绑架女儿时，被卷入一场帮派战争。由 Richard Roundtree、Moses Gunn 和 Charles Cioffi 主演的 Blauplottation 惊悚片。见电影选择

10.00 ITV 十点新闻；天气；随后是地区新闻 10.45 冷案法医：尼罗河上的死亡 法医科学家 Angela Gallup 博士及其团队调查一名英国事务律师在埃及度浪漫假期期间神秘且突然死亡的案件 (2 / 3) (r) () 11.45 爱与死亡 Candy 继续聘请 Don Crowder 作为她的律师，而 Allan 承认了自己的外遇 (5 / 7) (r) ()

10.00 吉普赛妻子的秘密生活 Trewley 与她的姐姐们发生冲突，因为她们试图阻止她出去见朋友，声称她仍应遵守宵禁并由陪同人员监管。Tina 参加了 Trewley 新彩妆系列的发布派对 () 11.05 超富阶层的手术秘密 一位准新娘进行了非手术性的液态隆鼻，一位两个孩子的母亲利用激光技术解决多年的日晒损伤，而一位常驻切希尔的房地产投资者每月在美容微调项目中投入超过 1,000 英镑 (4 / 6) (r) ()

10.00 警察拦截者：打击盗窃团伙 切希尔的侦探们调查一个国际犯罪团伙，该团伙在 81 次突袭中从 Anda 盗窃了价值 16 万英镑 的高端商品 (r) 11.05 交通警察 在约克附近，一名偷了祖父汽车的年轻人引导警方进行了一场离奇且危险的追逐，最终导致驾驶员被送往医院。在郡北部，两名涉嫌偷油的人员被警方摄像头追踪并被逮捕 (r)

凌晨 12.40-6.00 BBC 新闻

凌晨 12.40 手语区：乡村生活 Adam Henson 会见新一代农民，他们正在应对生产食物的挑战与机遇。他从北威尔士开始 (r) (SL) 1.35-2.25 《Bergerac》。Chloe 发现了证明 John Blakely 的指控中含有部分事实的证据 (r) (, SL)

凌晨 12.35 电视购物 3.00 《阶梯》。2003 年，随着 Petersons 家的长子 Clayton 回家并无意中发现了一个关键线索，紧张局势升级，旧伤口被重新撕开 (r) (, ) 4.10 与 ITV 一起放松 5.10-6.00 《Dickinson's Real Deal》。David Dickinson 现身布莱克本 (r) (, )

凌晨 12.05 名人性爱录像带之秘 () 12.55 Ramsay 的酒店噩梦 (r) (, ) 1.50 谋杀案：数字侦探 (r) (, ) 2.40 电影：《Saba》(15, 2024) 由 Mehazabien Chowdhury 主演的剧情片。孟加拉语

4.20 寻找、修复、出售 (r) 4.40 《Hollyoaks》(r) (, ) 5.50-6.30 《倒计时》(r)

凌晨 12.05 扣车场警察 (r) 1.00 邮轮电视 (r) 2.00 娱乐新闻 2.10 全科医生：闭门之后 (r) 3.00 《Castle》(r) 3.50 《老友记》(r) () 4.35 与 Jane McDonald 共游约克郡 (r) () 5.25 娱乐新闻 5.35 《汪汪队立大功》(r) () 5.50-6.00 《帕丁顿的冒险》(r) ()

---

13

电视

欧洲田径锦标赛

BBC1, 8pm / BBC2, 7pm

国际赛事回到了它在 BBC 的正统位置，由 Gabby Logan 主持，Jess Ennis-Hill、Greg Rutherford 和 Jenny Meadows 提供协助，并由 Steve Cram、Steve Backley、Andrew Cotter、Colin Jackson 和 Paula Radcliffe 担任评论员。在伯明翰的亚历山大体育场（Alexander Stadium）有很多看点，包括 4x400 米混合接力决赛（晚上 9.40）以及 2025 年世界室内 60 米冠军 Jeremiah Azu 出战的 100 米项目（晚上 9.50）。 Helen Stewart

失散多年的家人：无迹可寻的出生 (Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace) ITV1, 9pm

“所以这就是当时包裹我的围巾，为了确保我不冷，因为那是一年中非常寒冷的时节，”迈克尔说道，他手里拿着一块深绿色的针织布料，自 1996 年被两名认为他的小手是万圣节恶作剧的狂欢者发现成一名婴儿以来，在过去的 30 年里，他一直将这块布料折叠又重新折叠。Davina McCall 一如既往地以谨慎和同情心引导，她和团队正试图寻找他的家人。HS

流媒体选择

贝尔·格里尔斯的荒野选民 (The Chosen In The Wild with Bear Grylls) Prime Video

在这部纪录片冒险系列中，贝尔·格里尔斯邀请了耶稣剧集《选民》（The Chosen）的演员，包括在剧中饰演抹大拉玛利亚的 Elizabeth Tabish，并让他们在美国最极端的景观中经历生存考验。演员们大多很有勇气，而格里尔斯则兴高采烈。“和犹大·伊斯一个起吸袜子水！”当 Luke Dimyan 在犹他州尝试通过他的徒步袜吸食棕色的径流时，格里尔斯欣喜地脱口而出。“等等，我们真的要这么做吗？”Dimyan 问道。噢，是的，我们要这么做。Andrew Male

电影选择

《沙夫特》(Shaft) (15, 1971) BBC2, 11.05pm

这部 197th blaspidulation 经典之作由 Richard Roundtree 带来精彩表演，他饰演一名强悍的纽约私家侦探，被一名黑帮雇佣去寻找其失踪的 teenage 女儿。然而，女孩被黑手党绑架，这意味着他很快陷入了一场争夺哈莱姆区控制权的地盘战。(100min) James Jackson

BBC4

7.00pm 铁路建筑 (The Architecture the Railways Built) (1 / 10) (AD) 7.40 飞行园丁 (The Flying Gardener) 8.00 西班牙艺术：西班牙绘画的黄金时代 (The Art of Spain. The golden age of Spanish painting) (AD) 9.00 智力大师 (Mastermind)。问答赛。始于 1977 年 9.30 猜我的谎言 (Call My Bluff)。游戏节目 10.00 夜空 (The Sky at Night)。布莱恩·考克斯教授加入团队探索黑洞之谜 10.30 西班牙绘画的黄金时代 (The Golden Age of Spanish Painting)。综合篇。1500 年至 1700 年期间的艺术作品 11.20 一百幅伟大绘画 (One Hundred Great Paintings) 11.35 英国失落的水域：逃往燕子与亚马逊之乡 (Britain's Lost Waterlands: Escape to Swallows and Amazons Country)。景观 () 12.35am 飞行园丁 (The Flying Gardener) 12.50 西班牙艺术 (The Art of Spain) () 1.50 西班牙绘画的黄金时代：综合篇 (The Golden Age of Spanish Painting: Omnibus) 2.40am-3.40 英国失落的水域：逃往燕子与亚马逊之乡 (Britain's Lost Waterlands: Escape to Swallows and Amazons Country) ()

Sky Arts

6.00am 太阳马戏团： Corteo 8.00 年度艺术家：大师课 (Artist of the Year: Masterclass) () 9.00 出人意料的故事 (Tales of the Unexpected) () 10.00 阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克呈现 (Alfred Hitchcock Presents) 11.00 发现：彼得·塞勒斯 (Discovering: Peter Sellers) () 12.00 电影艺术，与 Jan Nathan 共同探讨 (The Art of Film with Jan Nathan) () 1.00pm 出人意料的故事 (Tales of the Unexpected) () 2.00 阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克时间 (The Alfred Hitchcock Hour) 3.00 八十年代 (The Eighties) () 4.00 发现：罗伯特·肖 (Discovering: Robert Shaw) () 5.00 2022 年度肖像艺术家 (Portrait Artist of the Year 2022) () 6.00 出人意料的故事 (Tales of the Unexpected) () 7.00 阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克呈现 (Alfred Hitchcock Presents) 8.00 安德烈·里厄：生活之美 (André Rieu: La Vie Est Belle) 9.45 电影：《比利·埃贝尔——音乐剧》(Billy Ebel – The Musical) (12, 2014) 音乐剧 12.35am 与尼古拉·贝内蒂共度深夜 (Up Late with Nicola Benedetti) 2.10 LSD：帕帕诺指挥拉威尔、赛和拉赫玛尼诺夫 (LSD: Pappano Conducts Ravel, Say & Rachmaninoff) 3.50 Sky Arts 大使奖学金短片 (Sky Arts Ambassador Bursary Shorts) 4.00 Sky Arts 读书会 (Sky Arts Book Club) 5.00am-6.00 电影艺术 (The Art of Film) ()

More4

8.55am Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 10.00 Four in a Bed 12.40pm Come One with Me (AD) 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS. 修复一辆状况极差的 Piroutian () 6.50 Car SOS. 在郡德勒姆秘密修复一辆奥斯汀·希利 (Austin Healey) () 7.55 Grand Designs. 一对夫妇在赫里福德郡建造一座现代农舍 (4 / 7) () 9.00 24 Hours in A&E. 一名 85 岁男子因手部肿胀被送往圣乔治医院 () 10.00 24 Hours in A&E. 患者包括一名从 40 英尺高处坠落的 27 岁树艺师 () 11.05 999: On the Front Line. 周六凌晨服务极其繁忙 12.05am Emergency Helicopter Medics. 一起严重的头部受伤 () 1.10 24 Hours in A&E () 3.20am-3.50 A Place in the Sun

普利茅斯阿盖尔在主场公园对阵埃克塞特城

欧洲田径锦标赛直播 TNT Sports 3, 10.30am-1pm 赛事第一天

The Hundred 直播：特伦特火箭队女队 v 南方勇士队女队 Sky Sports Cricket, 2.45pm-6.00, Sky Main Event, 3pm-6.00 (开始时间 3.00)。特伦特桥球场比赛报道

The Hundred 直播：特伦特火箭队男队 v 南方勇士队男队 Main Event, 6pm-7.45, Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (开始时间 6.30)。特伦特桥球场比赛报道

EFL 杯直播：普利茅斯阿盖尔 v 埃克塞特城 Football, 7pm-10.30, Main Event, 7.45pm-10.30 (开球时间 8.00)。在主场公园

网球直播 v, Tennis, 9pm-11.00 加拿大公开赛。第九天

Talking Pictures

6.00am The Vise (黑白) 6.30 电影：《恶魔舞会》(Devil's Ball) (U, 1959) (黑白) 7.40 电影：《黑暗之路》(The Dark Road) (PG, 1948) (黑白) 9.10 : 《河岸拍击》(River Beat) (U, 1954) (黑白) 10.30 2 Cars 11.30 : 《霍恩利探长》(Inspector Hornleigh) (U, 1939) (黑白) 1.00pm Richard the Lionheart (黑白) 1.30 : 《巴黎夜车》(Night Train to Paris) (U, 1964) (黑白) 2.45 : 《舍伍德森林之男》(The Men of Sherwood Forest) (U, 1954) 4.20 : 《我没问题，杰克》(I'm All Right Jack) (U, 1959) (黑白) 6.25 Scotland Yard 7.00 The Footage Detectives 8.00 Maigret 9.50 : 《弱者与恶徒》(The Weak and the Wicked) (PG, 1954) 剧情片 (黑白) 11.35 : 《科努约的谋杀案》(Murders in Cornouaille) (15, TVM, 2018) 1.40am : 《加州套房》(California Suite) (12, 1978) 3.45 : 《一大堆麻烦》(A Hate Lot of Trouble) (PG, 1971) 4.20 Cinebox Memories 4.25am-5.00 The Veil (黑白)

Film4

11.00am 《玩火》(Playing with Fire) (PG, 2019) 喜剧 () 12.55pm 《钢铁木兰》(Steel Magnolias) (PG, 1989) 剧情片 () 3.15 《天堂允许的一切》(All That Heaven Allows) (U, 1950) 浪漫剧情片，由简·怀曼主演 5.00 《深海之敌》(The Enemy Below) (PG, 1957) 第二次世界大战惊悚片，由罗伯特·米彻姆主演 7.00 Film4 访谈节目：Talking . 电影制作 7.05 《狗》(Dog) (12, 2022) 喜剧，由钱宁·塔图姆主演 () 9.00 《天使陨落》(Angel Has Fallen) (15, 2019) 一名特勤局特工被陷害企图刺杀总统。动作惊悚续集，由杰拉德·巴特勒主演 () 11.20 《薄荷糖》(Peppermint) (15, 2018) 复仇惊悚片，由詹妮弗·加纳和杰夫·赫夫纳主演 () 1.20am-3.50 Lazy in the (15, 2019) 剧情片，由娜塔莉·波特曼和乔·汉姆主演

BBC3

7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60. 史蒂夫·巴克沙尔探索马达加斯加岛 7.30 Deadly 60. 史蒂夫·巴克沙尔了解乌干达的灵长类动物 8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee. 缝纫者们庆祝墨西哥时尚与纺织品 () 9.00 Top Gear: 缅甸特辑。主持人驾驶卡车穿越这个东南亚国家 11.05 Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. 汤米在布达佩斯迎接他的回归之战，压力倍增 (6 / 10) () 11.35 Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. 汤米遭遇重大挫折 (7 / 10) () 12.05am Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. 三集连播 () 1.35 Dougz Map of Britain () 3.35am-3.55 Disclosure

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 8.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 9.15 The Only Way Is Essex 10.15 Dawson's Creek 11.10 Charmed 12.10pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.10 Supermarket Sweep 2.10 The Floor USA () 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 本系列最后一集 5.00 The Real Housewives of Orange County 5.55 Celebrity Catchphrase () 7.00 The Floor USA () 8.00 The 1% Club () 9.00 The Only Way Is Essex 10.00 Family Guy () 11.35 American Dad! () 12.35am Bob's Burgers () 1.30 Plebs (, SL) 1.55am-2.20 Deep Fake Neighbour Wars (SL)

ITV3

6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale () 8.10 Classic Coronation Street () 9.10 Agatha Christie's Poirot () 11.35 Heartbeat () 1.35pm Midsomer Murders () 3.35 Classic Emmerdale () 4.40 Classic Coronation Street () 5.50 Heartbeat: Rural drama () 8.00 Midsomer Murders. Jones 潜入一次通话以调查一名女性的失踪 () 10.00 Grantchester. Geordie 和 Will 调查一名马戏团表演者的可疑死亡 (1 / 8) () 11.00 Grantchester. Geordie 听说 Will 考虑离开 (2 / 8) () 11.50 Trial & Retribution. 两部分中的第一部分。一名母亲回到家发现她的婴儿女儿死了 (7 / 10) 1.25am-2.20 Agatha Christie's Poirot. David Suchet 主演 ()

ITV4

6.00am Magnum, PI () 8.05 Robin of Sherwood 9.10 Boon 10.20 The Professionals () 11.25 Robin of Sherwood 12.35pm Magnum, PI () 2.40 Dempsey and Makepeace () 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals () 5.55 Minder () 7.00 River Monsters. 发生在蒙古偏远河流的一次暴力袭击 7.30 River Monsters. 美国旅游热点水域的死亡事件 8.00 The Motorbike Show. 一次前往东德文郡埃克斯茅斯的公路旅行 9.00 电影：Under Siege 2 – Dark Territory (1, 1995) 由 Steven Seagal 和 Eric Bogosian 主演的动作冒险续集 11.10 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 一个漫长的故事被一个贪婪的敌人困住 () 12.10am Lost 1.05 Motorsport UK 2.00am-2.50 BattleBots

U&Drama

6.00am Teleshopping 7.15 The Bill 8.05 Doctors 9.20 Classic Holly City 10.40 Casualty () 11.40 The Bill 12.40pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Classic Neighbours 3.00 Whitsstable Pearl () 4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 As Time Goes By 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 The Brokenwood Mysteries. 调查一名被箭射中的女性的死亡 (2 / 4) () 10.00 New Tricks. 团队重新调查一名富有的金融家的死亡 (1 / 10) () 11.20 Luther. 当 DSU Teller 采取残酷行动时，这位侦探被陷害谋杀，并与意想不到的盟友联手 (6 / 6) () 12.40am Lovejoy. 一个伪造的鼻烟盒 1.50 Sister Boniface Mysteries () 2.50 Hotel Portofino (SL) 4.00am-6.00 Teleshopping

Variations

BBC1 It Ireland 11.45pm Girl Fight. 本系列最后一集 (r) 11.10 电影：Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) 喜剧续集 1.05am-6.00 BBC News

BBC1 Scotland 12.35am Scotcast. 讨论 (r) 1.05 未来一周天气预报 1.10am-6.00 BBC News

BBC2 It Ireland 10.05pm-10.30 Kayak 0 Thuadh. 本系列最后一集 (r)

ITV1 Wales 10.45pm-11.45 Deal or No Deal: Celebrity Special. Adam 和 Ryan Thomas 对阵银行家

STV 12.35am-3.00 Shop on TV 4.10am-6.00 Night Vision

BBC Scotland

2.00pm-4.30 Sign Zone (r) 7.00 Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 The Great Food Guys (r) 8.00 The Mountain (r) 9.00 Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 Gary: Tank Commander (r)

S4℃ 6.00am Cyw 12.00 News; Weather 12.05pm Flame Death (r) 12.30 Heno (r) 1.00 Strawon Harri Parri (r) 2.00 ; Weather 2.05 Pynhawn Da 3.00 ; 3.05 Y Sioe 2026 (r) 4.00 Awr Fawr 5.00 Stwnsh 6.00 Arfordir Cymru: Sir Bierlho (r) 6.30 Rallo+ (r) 6.00 7.00 Heno 7.30 ; 8.00 Spent Care y Llonr (r) 8.25 Gaddio a Mwy 8.55 ; 9.00 Celh Gwlad 9.58 Y Tywydd 10.00 Y Deis (r) 10.30-11.35pm Y Fets (r)

PBS America

8.00am Weathered: Earth's Extremes 8.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 9.30 Planet of the Plates 10.45 1066: A Year to Conquer England 11.55 Inside Japan's War 1.00pm Weathered: Earth's Extremes 1.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 2.35 Planet of the Plates 3.50 1066: A Year to Conquer England 5.05 Inside Japan's War 6.10 Digging Up Britain's Past 7.10 Planet of the Plates. 科学家解析板块构造的地质过程 8.25 1066: A Year to Conquer England. 丹·斯诺（Dan Snow）探讨导致黑斯廷斯战役的事件 9.40 Inside Japan's War. 帝国日本的军事动机与文化 10.50 Planet of the Plates 12.00 1066: A Year to Conquer England. 丹·斯诺（Dan Snow）主持 1.15am-2.00 Weathered: Earth's Extremes

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.15 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 12.30pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.15 Billions (r) () 4.30 The Last of Us (r) () 6.45 The Penguin. 索菲亚有了惊人的发现 (7 / 8) (r) () 7.45 The Penguin. 奥兹与索菲亚的权力斗争达到顶峰。本系列最后一集 (r) () 9.00 House of the Dragon. 《权力的游戏》前传。本系列最后一集。见剧本要点 (r) 10.25 Possession. 由 Guga Mladha-Raw 和 Johnny Lee Miller 主演的超自然惊悚片 (r) () 11.25 Possession. 一名律师前往牙买加挑战一项遗产继承主张 (r) () 12.35am Dune: Prophecy. Velya 陷入挣扎 (r) () 1.45 Billions (r) () 4.05 Urban Secrets (r) 5.05am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) ()

Sky Docs

6.00am The 2000s (r) 7.00 Discovering: Richard Attenborough (r) () 8.00 The Directors (r) () 9.00 100 Foot Wave (r) () 10.00 Juan Carlos: Downfall of the King (r) 10.55 Celtics City (r) () 12.00 Faye (r) 1.45pm Schenectady (r) () 3.45 My Icon: Thierry Henry (r) () 4.00 The Directors (r) () 5.00 Discovering: Richard Attenborough (r) () 6.00 An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th (r) () 8.00 Libby, Are You Home Yet? 2019年利比·斯奎尔（Libby Squire）谋杀案 (r) () 11.00 电影：《Bowling for Columbine》（15, 2002） 探讨美国与枪械之恋的纪录片 1.20am The Great Horsehead Scandal (r) () 2.00 Savage Mountain: Following Kristin Narila () 4.00 The Directors (r) () 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Richard Attenborough (r) ()

英国昨日回顾

6.10am 被遗弃的工程 (AD) 8.00 破车换现金：修复经典车 (AD) 10.00 纳粹秘密基地 11.00 希特勒的战争倒计时 12.00 古董路演 2.00pm 破车换现金 () 4.00 纳粹秘密基地 5.00 希特勒的战争倒计时 6.00 古董路演 7.00 完美的星球 () 8.00 运河船日记 (3 / 5) 8.30 运河船日记：沿着罗奇代尔运河旅行 (4 / 5) 9.00 庞特菲尔斯的帝国之旅：探讨英国统治如何导致美国武装起义 (4 / 4) 10.00 破车换现金：萨博 96L 和沃尔沃 P1800ES () 11.00 破车换现金 () 12.00 破车换现金：修复经典车 () 1.00am 寻找、修复、出售 2.00 被遗弃的工程 () 3.00am-6.10 电视购物

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14

益智游戏

通识填字游戏 No 350

Actions

1 位于莫桑比克和马达加斯加之间的岛国 (7) 5 头部后方或颅骨的专业名称 (7) 9 曾担任 Specials 乐队主唱的冷面歌手 (5,4) 10 埃娃 —，1946 年至 1952 年的阿根廷第一夫人 (5) 11 2005 年与英国税务海关总署合并的税务机构 (6,7) 13 表示文本省略的三点系列符号 (8) 15 身体凹陷处，也称为腋下 (6) 17 加勒比海最大岛屿的居民 (6) 19 如《家庭财富》或《接话茬》之类的电视节目 (4,4) 22 将于 1 月转至 Radio 5 Live 的 BBC Breakfast 共同主持人 (4,9) 25 亚当斯一家的管家 (5)

上周答案

26. 以圣经女性命名的剑桥学院 (9) 27 — 薄荷糖，起源于利物浦的传统甜点 (7) 28 莱斯利 —，《裸枪》和《空中大危机！》等电影的明星 (7)

Down

1 拥有土耳其凡猫和康尼什雷克斯品种的动物 (4) 2 出生于现代西班牙的罗马讽刺诗作者 (7) 3 沙特阿拉伯和卡塔尔的货币 (5) 4 例如盘螺或海螺 (3,5) 5 埃德蒙顿的冰球队伍，或之前的休斯顿美式足球队 (6) 6 2026 年国际足联世界杯中规模最小的非洲参赛国 (4,5) 7 胡萝卜的近亲，具有浅色可食用根部 (7) 8 好莱坞的绰号 (10) 12 歌曲包括《Dignity》和《Real Gone Kid》的苏格兰乐队 (6,4) 14 尽管名称如此，但起源于厄瓜多尔的头饰 (6,3) 16 任何致病因子 (8) 18 迪克 —，《远桥》和《威尼斯之死》的演员 (7) 20 Dfb-century 的荷兰发明家，发明了摆钟并发现了卫星土卫六 (7) 21 日晷上的指针 (6) 23 在悲剧剧中，麦克白和麦克达夫共同拥有的爵位 (5) 24 具有叶状结构的植物 (4)

数字填字 No 5915

在这个填字游戏风格的网格中，每个字母都由 1 到 26 的数字表示。字母表中的每个字母在网格中至少出现一次。利用已提供的字母来推断其他字母的身份。在主网格和较小的参考网格中填入字母，直到 26 个字母全部找齐。专有名词除外。周六答案：right

数字填字卡住了？ 如需接收 4 个随机线索，请致电 0901 293 6262 或发送短信 TIME CODE 至 64343。通话费用为 £1 加上您电话公司的网络接入费。短信费用为 £1 加上您的标准网络费用。如需完整答案，请致电 0905 757 0142。如果您持有旧报纸并需要过去 7 天的线索，请致电 0905 624 0024。拨打 0905 的费用为每分钟 £1 加上您电话公司的网络接入费。SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (周一至周五, 9am-5:30pm)。

Lexica 简单版 No 9045

困难版 No 9046

将字母水平或垂直地滑回网格中，以完成填字游戏。字母允许在其他字母上方滑动。

轨道追踪 No 2940

Quintagram® No 2642

使用下方每个字母仅一次，解答所有五个隐喻谜题

1 Vulgarian is large and unfashionable (4) 2 Island society with very little warmth (6) 3 Comedian and gambler holding spades (7) 4 Internet phenomenon not bad souvenir (7) 5 Meeting ruined by measles, losing energy (8)

Winning Move

白方走子。 此局面出自 2026 年香港 Gao-Garcia Ramos 赛。

虽然白方在此拥有物质优势，但黑方的三个连贯兵是一个潜在问题。然而，正如白方迅速证明的那样，黑王在某种程度上是不安全的。你能看出怎么做吗？

KenKen Easy No 6907

所有 1 到 6 的数字必须在每行和每列中出现。在每个粗线“区块”中，左上角的目标数字是通过该区块内所有单元格的数字，使用符号所示的运算计算得出的。

Futoshiki No 5455

填充空白方格，使每行和每列仅包含 1 到 5 的每个数字一次。方格之间的符号表示一个数字比相邻数字大 (+) 还是小 (-)。

Kakuro No 4414

仅使用 1 到 9 的数字填充网格。每组水平或垂直白色方格的数字之和等于其左侧或上方的三角形中的总数。同一个数字在同一行或同一列中可以出现多次，但在同一组白色方格中不能出现。

© PUZZA MORA

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15

MindGames

times2 纵横填字 No 10.231

横向

1 Tachium, terse (7) 5 Powdered tobacco (5) 8 Astronomical start of spring (6-7) 9 Delicately skilful (4) 10 Evangelical minister (8) 13 The whole (of) (3) 14 First Greek letter (5)

纵横填字 10.230 解答

需要今日谜题的帮助？请致电 0905 757 0143 查询答案。通话费用为每分钟 £1，另加您的电话公司网络接入费。SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390（周一至周五 9am-5.30pm）。

桥牌 Andrew Robson

在团体赛中，很少见到 15 imps 或更多的分差波动，这相当于 1100 分或更多的得分差距：在里加举行的第 57 届欧洲桥牌国家队锦标赛公开赛系列赛的这个牌局中，15 场比赛中有 9 场出现了（至少）15-imp 的波动。英格兰对阵克罗地亚的比赛就是其中之一。

在 1 号桌，英格兰队在 5♠ 竞标中失利。南家领出最高黑桃。为了击败 5♠，南家必须在第二轮出牌时转向红心（其中任何一张）。当他继续出第二张最高黑桃时，庄家可以吃掉，抽掉王牌并运行方块 Q。北家赢得了 K 并转向红心。然而，庄家可以赢得 A，并且（在打完所有王牌后）得分 +A1（掉 +10）和 +9。他打掉了两张低红心，从而完成了局势。在 11 张合同为 5♠（一次加倍）的桌子中，仅有 3 次被击败。

在 2 号桌，英格兰队宣布 5♠。北家做出了关键决定，竞标第五张黑桃。只有低方块领出才能击败 5♠（想都别想），所有 13 位庄家都成功了。有趣的是，其中 12 位被加倍——只有在英格兰-克罗地亚的比赛中 5♠ 没有被加倍。

庄家，来自维也纳的 Tom Paxke，吃掉了梅花领出，抽掉王牌并逼出红心 A。他很快在哑牌的第三张红心上舍掉一张方块，并向方块 K 领出。

英格兰在 1 号桌获得 +600，在 2 号桌获得 +650，这意味着 15 Imps，超过了英格兰在该场比赛中的最终获胜幅度。

15 Place money (on) (3) 16 Quadrennial sports event (8) 17 Owls cry (4) 20 Repugnant, distasteful (13) 22 Hooligan (5) 23 Heavy cooking plate (7)

DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

THE TIMES

Monday August 10 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75107

£3.20 £2.35 to subscribers (based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription)

My Gladiators By Sharron Davies Sport advice for rugby star

Harry loves Bagpipes! Does he miss Balmoral? Times2

'Increased risk of blackouts' from plan to cut electricity bills

Emily Gosden Energy Editor

Britain will be at increased risk of nationwide blackouts because of an electricity system rule change designed to save money and help hit the government's green targets, according to leading power generators.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso) is preparing to operate the

grid with reduced levels of 'inertia', which acts as a 'natural shock absorber' to maintain stability in the event that a power plant fails.

The state-owned body, whose task is to keep the lights on, said the new lower minimum inertia threshold, which has been approved but not yet implemented, would save consumers £96 million a year. It said the rule change would also

give it 'the flexibility to run the system greener' and pave the way to hit the government's 2030 clean power target.

However, some of Britain's biggest electricity companies said the change would leave the country at greater risk of nationwide blackouts, like those that hit the Iberian peninsula last year, and a control room whistleblower described the policy as a 'massive gamble' and

'truly insane risk-taking'. Drax, the operator of Britain's biggest power plant, warned that the change could 'compromise safety and reliability' and the cost savings would be 'immaterial compared to potential costs of system failure that may arise as a result of reduced resilience from the tighter proposed operational inertia limits'.

EDF, which operates Britain's nuclear

reactors, warned that the change 'may impact system resilience'. It said: 'Resilience is crucial to support the UK economy. Any wider system issue that leads to countrywide or regional blackouts will incur an economic loss far greater than any stated saving of lower minimum inertia levels.'

Inertia is a crucial marker of the Continued on page 2

PM's adviser 'concerned' over Labour wealth taxes

Economist unconvinced about taking No 10 role

Steven Swinford Political Editor

Andy Burnham is struggling to convince one of his closest allies to join his government because the adviser has concerns about potential wealth taxes and wants to continue to pursue his business interests.

The Times has been told that Lord O'Neill of Gatley, a former Goldman Sachs economist and Treasury minister, has been offered significant ministerial and advisory roles but has yet to reach an agreement with No 10.

He is said to be concerned about putting his business interests, which include a science and technology investment company along with extensive shareholdings in banks, venture capital companies and private equity ventures, into a blind trust.

A Whitehall source familiar with the talks said O'Neill also had concerns about policy disagreements over issues such as potential wealth taxes, which have been advocated by some of the prime ministers' other close allies.

He previously said he was 'very opposed' to wealth taxes because they could be 'easily gamed' and did not raise a significant amount of money.

Discussions about a role are under way but O'Neill has yet to be convinced. He is understood to have made clear during the talks that he would be prepared to resign if the government pursued policies that he disagreed with, such as a wealth tax.

Burnham has also yet to secure the

appointment of Andy Haldane, a former chief economist at the Bank of England who was expected to join him in No 10. Haldane is understood to have been providing advice informally.

The two appointments were seen as a key part of attempting to reassure the markets before Burnham became prime minister.

John Healey, the chancellor, faces the prospect of having to raise taxes further in his first budget, on October 28, to fund additional defence spending and cost of living support.

He said economic stability was his 'fundamental' priority and asked government departments to make cuts to help fund Burnham's spending pledges. However, he told The Times last month that he could not rule out tax rises and was clear that he would stand by the fiscal rules, limiting his ability to increase borrowing.

He and Burnham committed themselves to Labour's manifesto pledge not to increase VAT, national insurance or income tax. Burnham's team has been considering plans to raise capital gains tax, which is paid on the profits from shares, investments and some types of property, to help fund public spending.

Burnham previously said that work was overtaxed while assets were undertaxed. The comments led to suggestions that he could increase capital gains tax, bringing it in line with income tax, that senior government figures warned him that any major changes to Continued on page 6

Hold tight A baby was among migrants boarding a small boat off Ecault, northern France, yesterday Attitudes shift, page 2

Burnham cannot block release of PC's killers

Steven Swinford, Ollie Cole

The prime minister has been told that it will be impossible to secure an exemption to prevent the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.

Andy Burnham was exploring 'every option' to block the release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers under plans to ease pressure on overcrowded jails.

However, The Times has been told that one potential solution — exempting the killers of emergency workers from early release — has been judged a 'complete non-starter'. Officials have said such a policy would prompt a legal

challenge that ministers would inevitably lose because there is no specific offence for manslaughter of an emergency worker. The only way to keep them in jail would be to block the early release of all inmates convicted of manslaughter, which numbers in the hundreds.

The government plans to release 5,000 criminals early over ten months from October. Burnham said last week that he had 'pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do' by preventing 1,000 rapists and child sex groomers from being released early. Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 after responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire and was

dragged for more than a mile after his ankle became caught in a strap trailing the getaway car.

Stuart Blaik, the detective superintendent who led the Harper investigation, suggested that those considered more culpable during sentencing could be barred from release. However, officials said the approach would not work because judges did not always include a culpability rating in their sentences.

'It's impossible,' a source said. 'There is no way to make an exception for them without extending it to everyone convicted of manslaughter.'

Probation strike fears, page 6

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Monday August 10 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Today's highlights

• 7am Chris McDonald, business minister
• 7.25am Dr Clare Bannon, chair of the BMA GPs committee for England
• 8.25am Richard Hammond, the former Top Gear presenter, right, on the end of the convertible car
• 10.30am The world affairs briefing with The Sunday Times's Mark Urban
• 1.20pm Graeme Downie, Labour MP in favour of North Sea drilling

TODAY'S EDITION

KING FEAR Our critic's verdict on the RSC's Game of Thrones

PAGE 12

OPEN ARMS Rashford is back with Man United but will he stay?

PAGE 49

BARING SCARS Olivia Attwood on her cosmetic surgery regrets

COVER

COMMENT 17 LETTERS 20 LEADING ARTICLES 21

WORLD 22 BUSINESS 27 REGISTER 39

SPORT 45 CROSSWORD 52 TV & RADIO TIMES2

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Britons' attitudes to migrants have hardened in past decade

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

A decade of small boats crossing the Channel has fundamentally changed Britain's attitudes towards immigration, research for The Times finds.

YouGov has returned to a large-scale survey it carried out in 2016 to see how the British public's views on European and wider migration have changed.

It found that the percentage of Britons who said that migration had been mostly bad for the UK has increased to 43 per cent, up from 33 per cent in 2016. Just one in five voters thought migration has been 'mostly good' for the country.

The rise in concern about immigration has been particularly marked for those who voted to remain in the European Union in 2016. Among this group the number who said migration had been bad for the country has risen from 12 to 22 per cent.

The polling also asked voters which countries they would support migrants to come from.

More than a fifth of voters said the UK should take no migrants from Nigeria and a quarter would have a complete ban on Pakistani nationals settling in the UK. But a similar number (24 per cent) would stop migration from Israel, while 34 per cent would stop migration from Russia, highlighting the impact of foreign conflicts on British

Less than welcome

Do you think the level of immigration over the past ten years has been good or bad for Britain?

2,603 adults polled between June 8-9 2026. Source: YouGov

domestic opinion. Russia was not bottom of the table in 2016 but it has experienced a 13 percentage point growth in the number of Britons wanting fewer or no migrants from the country in the past ten years.

Likewise, there has been an 8 percentage point increase in the number wanting to see fewer or no migrants from Israel, from 39 per cent in 2016 to 47 per cent now. Green party voters were the least likely to say they wanted less migration to the UK, but when it came to Israel they were almost as hardline as Reform voters.

When asked what factors were the most important when considering whether an economic migrant should come into the UK, the top category was to ensure they did not have a criminal record.

The next was whether they had skills in an area where the UK had a shortage and their level of English (86 per cent said it was important).

The least important factor was their religion, which was cited by just 34 per cent, while 60 per cent said their existing wealth should be a factor.

However, 67 per cent of Reform voters thought a migrant's religion was important, compared with only 12 per cent of Green voters.

Matthew Smith, the head of data journalism at YouGov, said the company had been interested in seeing how attitudes had shifted over the course of a decade.

'We found a ten-point increase in the number saying it has been mostly bad (to 43 per cent) and a nine-point reduction in the number deeming it 'both good and bad' (to 29 per cent), meaning the negative view of immigration has supplanted the balanced view as the most commonly held among the wider public,' Smith said.

'Both leavers and remainders had a similarly-sized increase in the number saying immigration has been mostly bad for the country.

'That said, not all the changes have been anti-immigration. There has been a stark drop in the number of Britons wanting to see fewer Poles coming to the UK than in 2016, from 42 per cent to 26 per cent.'

Netanyahu rejects Trump plan to rehabilitate Gaza

Gabrielle Weiniger

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has formally rejected a 15-point plan for the Gaza Strip put forward by President Trump's Board of Peace.

The document was supposed to lay out the second phase of a ceasefire deal last October that ended two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Under the plan, Hamas would disarm and Israel would withdraw from the territory. However, it was not clear which would come first.

'Israel rejects the 15-point Gaza document proposed by the Board of Peace,' Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting yesterday. 'The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed.'

Trump previously said that Israel was 'very happy' with the 'historic' deal, brokered by the organisation he set up last year with the help of his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Sir Tony Blair, the former prime minister. Trump is the board's chairman for life and executive members include the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the special envoy to

the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, as well as Blair.

Netanyahu said Israel was in discussions with the US and knew 'how to stand our ground' on the issue, even against 'our closest allies'. Since the announcement of the Board of Peace deal last week, Israel has increased its strikes on Gaza. At least 1,214 Palestinians have died in strikes since October, according to the local health ministry linked to Hamas. Hamas has called for an end to attacks before it turns over its heavy weaponry.

Israel considers the group's disarmament essential to prevent any repeat of the attacks on October 7, 2023.

Israel's army radio reported yesterday that Netanyahu — who is running for re-election this year — and his defence minister, Israel Katz, had quietly approved the development and reconstruction of a part of Gaza in east Rafah, inside Israel's control. Netanyahu's office said the report 'distorted the facts'.

The Board of Peace plan aims to create a Palestinian state, but Netanyahu said yesterday that 'as long as I am prime minister, a Palestinian state will not be established'.

Reform would deport foreign prisoners

Nigel Farage has pledged to send all foreign criminals in British prisons to their country of origin or a third country such as El Salvador or Kosovo to serve their sentences.

Reform UK said this would free up 10,000 prison places. If it were not satisfied that people would be 'securely incarcerated in their country of origin' a Reform government would rent places at jails in countries such as El Salvador, which has a hardline prison system.

The plans are likely to face obstacles, not least securing the agreement of other countries to accept offenders.

Zia Yusuf, home affairs spokesman, said 'Reform will bring justice back to Britain, ensuring those who commit serious crimes ... serve their full sentences.'

Reform said it would also abolish early release for serious crimes, reinstate short sentences and push back parole reviews. It has pledged to build 12,000 'Nightingale' prison places. HMP Chequers, letters, page 20

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

System rule change a 'gamble'

electricity grid's stability, and Neso says it is 'incredibly important to the stable operation of the electricity system.'

Neso, which has yet to confirm the timescale for the change, insisted there would be 'no tangible increase' in risk because it could use rapid-response batteries to respond to supply shocks.

Ofgem, the energy regulator, approved the change in May despite the industry concerns, which were raised in a consultation last year.

Neso has to keep supply and demand in balance at all times, maintaining the

system at a safe frequency. If there is a sudden imbalance in supply and demand, such as a power station failure, plants can trip and blackouts are risked.

EDF said reducing inertia now would be 'premature' and new nuclear projects such as those it was building would 'play a vital role in future' in providing system stability, including inertia.

Neso is under scrutiny over a prolonged drop in electricity generation on June 23, when internal reports showed that 'system security was compromised'. Whistleblowers claimed the country came close to blackouts.

Neso said: 'The secure operation of Great Britain's electricity system is Ne-

so's highest priority. The analysis shows these proposals will maintain system security while delivering significant savings for consumers.'

Ofgem said: 'We approved Neso's revised plan only after considering stakeholder concerns, further evidence and independent technical advice, and with safeguards in place. This is not a blanket approval to operate at lower inertia.'

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We are very confident in our security of supply arrangements, and that Neso have the tools they need to manage the system.'

Burnham has brought pragmatism to net zero plans, leading article, page 21

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THE TIMES | Monday August 10 2026

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News

Underground lair that fired up Jam

Paul Weller wrote his 1980 pop classic in a coal cellar close to the elites it railed against, Peter Allen writes

Written on a freezing cold night in a tiny, dank coal store beneath a Georgian terrace in central London, Going Underground would go on to become one of the most beloved and lauded protest songs ever written.

Delivered with their trademark melodic fury, the Jam's 1980 classic, penned by a 21-year-old Paul Weller freshly lubricated from a night in the pub, is a sharp rebuke of Margaret Thatcher's first year as prime minister.

The song went straight to No 1 in the UK charts in March of that year, as Weller continued to produce other classics in the same cellar, from A Town Called Malice to That's Entertainment.

It can now be revealed that the coal vault where Weller wrote some of his best-known songs lay beneath a Georgian terrace in Denbigh Street, Pimlico — just a short walk from Westminster and Downing Street. Ministers and peers lived in grand, listed houses in the Pimlico of Weller's day, while Lady Diana Spencer — the future Princess of Wales — was a teenage assistant at the Young England Kindergarten across the road.

Weller, who was earning £100 a week at the time, was influenced less by Pimlico's grand terraces than by the crime-ridden housing estates of London's SW1 district. The Mod-revival artist's songs were filled with police sirens, terror on the London Underground, dead-end jobs and lives marked by frustration and despair.

Today, Weller's subterranean lair remains largely unchanged. There are still no windows and, as in 1979, a single lightbulb illuminates decades of clutter beneath the terrace above. In interviews over the years, he has referred to the bunker as 'a tiny little recess-type thing', adding: 'I'd sit there writing songs with my guitar.'

The two-bedroom flat provided plenty of material for Weller's poetic lines. Discussing That's Entertainment — which refers to 'a freezing cold flat with damp on the walls' — Weller told the BBC in 2012: 'It was just everything that was around me, you know. My little flat in Pimlico did have damp on the walls and it was ***ing freezing.'

At the time, Britain was

Some of the Jam's biggest hits were written by Paul Weller, bottom right, from a tiny coal store in the heart of London

plunged into recession with unemployment soaring. Having moved to London from Woking, the Surrey commuter town where he was born, Weller built his music around a bleak commentary on Britain's decline.

'You choose your leaders, and place your trust, as their lies wash you down and their promises rust,' he sang in Going Underground. Pointing to Thatcher's reforms of the NHS, he continued: 'You'll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns.'

The song's official video shows photographs of postwar Tory leaders from Anthony Eden to Thatcher being swept away while — interestingly — excluding Winston Churchill, another

former Pimlico resident.

Weller certainly captured the inequalities of the Thatcher years, focusing on youthful fury at all manifestations of the class system, including the public schools. Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the former prime minister, has described the Jam's The Elon Rifles — an attack on Cameron's alma mater — as one of

his favourite songs. That's despite the references to violent toffs who are more interested in rugby and artillery guns than the state of the nation.

Despite the gloom, Weller also expressed a rugged individualism that would have impressed Thatcher, starting Going Underground with the words: 'Some people might say my life is in a rut, I'm quite happy with what I got.'

Fiona, who has owned the flat for the past 25 years and asked to be referred to by her first name only, said: 'It's a delightful place to live. The recess is small, but a very peaceful place to work. I suspect the main attraction for a musician was that it was entirely insulated, so he wouldn't annoy the neighbours.'

Thomas Cubitt, the master builder who developed Pimlico from 1825 onwards, created hundreds of similar brick barrel cellars, accessed through street-level coal holes. The main fuel of Britain's Industrial Revolution became obsolete in London in 1956, when the Clean Air Act banned the coal burning that had helped cause the Great Smog of 1952. This left the cellars largely neglected until imaginative conversions later brought them back into use.

Other musical addresses nearby include the site of Vanilla Studios, where The Clash wrote some of their finest work, including their landmark album London Calling in 1979. The area's musical connections predate rock and punk by centuries: in 1764, an eight-year-old Mozart composed his first symphony in E-flat major in Ebury Street.

Weller was always quick to move on: he broke up the Jam before turning 25, parting company with the bassist Bruce Foxton, his school friend, and the drummer Rick Buckler, before finding further success with the Style Council and then as a solo artist.

He has long since abandoned Pimlico as a home, but returned for a private visit in 2018 when he was seen posing for a photograph above his old coal bin.

A long-term Denbigh Street resident who remembered Weller 'looking like a very young lad' when he lived in the basement, said: 'People are always nostalgic about places that helped with their success, and Paul clearly isn't any different — Pimlico helped make him, and his brilliant music.' Best songs can emerge from curious places, leading article, page 21

Banksy artworks cost public £150k for clean-up and security

Charlotte Reck

Three artworks by Banksy, the street artist and political activist, have cost the taxpayer almost £150,000 in cleaning and security since appearing in London, with the figure set to rise.

The highest expenditure relates to a mural painted on the Royal Courts of Justice last September, where removal efforts and security have run up a bill of more than £85,000, the BBC said.

Stencilled on to the grade II listed building's exterior in Carey Street in Westminster, the mural depicts a judge in a traditional court gown and wig hitting an unarmed protester with a gavel.

The piece, with splatters of blood red

across the protester's placard, was interpreted as a comment on the government's legal crackdown on the protest group Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Ministry of Justice told the BBC in response to a freedom of information request that it had spent £50,000 attempting to strip paint from the wall and a further £35,300 on security costs.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service said: 'The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character.'

Debate has long surrounded the anonymous artist's work. While some esteem Banksy's creative output as valuable public art accessible to everyone,

A Banksy at the Royal Courts of Justice cost the taxpayer £85,000

others regard it as nothing more than vandalism.

'It's outrageous that tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money — maybe more — will have to be spent cleaning up after Banksy, who seems to believe he has a right to deface public buildings with impunity,' Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, said. 'Banksy's vandalism should be stopped and he should foot the bill.'

But Estelle Lovatt, an art critic, said: 'Some people visit Buckingham Palace and others visit Banksy's art. His work brings people together in a way that politics can divide us. He makes art accessible because there's no gallery fee.'

Attempts to remove the mural failed

and contractors have since been using laser technology. However, if Westminster city council is displeased with the result, another cleaning method will be employed. As a final option, the compromised stonework may be replaced.

Another Banksy resulted in almost £60,000 in costs for Westminster city council. The statue of a man clutching a flag obscuring his vision appeared in Waterloo Place in April. The costs were attributed by the council to safety barriers, administration and security.

In August 2024, Banksy painted piranhas on a City of London police sentry box installed in the 1990s as a security measure against the IRA. The box was removed, costing £2,200.

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u Monday August 10 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Spit and polish Steven D Murray prepares his 1953 Rolls-Royce for Motors by the Moat at Leeds Castle, Kent, at the weekend. The event also featured stunt displays

Debt collectors paid millions to chase graduates living abroad

Aaliyah Ahmed

Debt collection agencies are being paid millions of pounds to chase graduates who fail to repay their student loans, analysis by The Times has found

The Student Loans Company (SLC) spent almost £1.8 million on external debt agencies in the first six months of the year — nearly double the amount spent during the same period last year.

The SLC, an arm's-length government body, said it had increased efforts to recover debts from graduates flouting their repayment duties, many of whom were living abroad.

Last week The Times reported that one in five student loans were now being given to non-British citizens, which risked costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds in unpaid debts. Research shows foreign students are about 25 per cent less likely to repay loans than their British counterparts.

In the past year foreign students received about £4 billion in tuition fees and maintenance loans about 20 per cent of the total lending under the scheme. The vast majority went to EU citizens — one in 20 of all first-time student loans went to Romanians alone — and there are concerns within the government that the scheme is open to fraud.

Critics have warned the increase will fuel unpaid student loan debt. Figures suggest that UK taxpayers face losing between £1.2 billion and £2.2 billion each year.

Analysis of the SLC's

First person

I open my student finance account and think it's probably not one of the worst: £50,674 outstanding since I graduated four years ago (Marieta Marinova, below, writes).

I borrowed £39,000 for an undergraduate and postgraduate degree and will probably never pay it back. About £40 vanishes from my pay cheque every month and I think what else I could have spent it on.

It doesn't bother me much — until I think of friends who, like me, came from Bulgaria to study at English universities but have moved back and are dodging

repayments. From ignoring letters and calls to declaring lower incomes or enrolling in university to stay classified as non-earning students, they have found endless loopholes.

They are among 370,000 overseas graduates owing nearly £13 billion, whom the Student Loans Company (SLC) admitted losing track of this year.

When I go back the topic inevitably comes up. I see unopened SLC letters scattered around their places and anxiety on their faces when they look at them. Part of me judges them, but I understand why they do it. Overseas thresholds are

calculated based on local price indexes, so the earning threshold for Bulgaria is far lower than the UK: £11,390, compared with £29,385.

One friend was paying £4 a month for her undergraduate loan, while mine used to be £1 (before my postgraduate loan kicked in), despite me earning much more. She got into a dispute with the SLC after it tried to recalculate her payments based on a payslip including a one-off bonus. Eventually she removed her debit card details from her account. It makes me angry and can test friendships. But it is not hard to see why so many stop paying.

spending data showed that it spent £1.77 million on companies categorised as “debt collectors” between January and June this year. This is compared to £948,074 during the first six months of 2025.

Between 2021 and June this year the SLC spent £11.3 million

on external debt collection agencies such as TDX Group and Experian.

Most graduates who remain in the UK repay their student loans automatically through the pay-as-you-earn scheme. But graduates who move overseas are responsible for informing the SLC of their move and income details. They are then responsible for making

their repayments directly. These borrowers may be British-born graduates who move abroad or foreign students who went to British universities.

Where borrowers fail to inform SLC of a move abroad or fall behind on repayments, it can use external debt collection agencies to pursue the debt.

In the 2024-25 financial year, the SLC recovered £77 million from non-compliant overseas borrowers, according to government figures published via a parliamentary question answered by the Department for Education minister Josh MacAlister this year. He added that, on average, debt collection agencies delivered a return of investment of £5 for every £1 spent.

William Yarwood, the campaigns director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers are paying twice, first for defaulted loans, and now for record bills from private debt collectors. Outsourcing enforcement shouldn't be a blank cheque."

An SLC spokesperson said: “As part of SLC’s three-year transformation programme, the government is investing in SLC’s debt recovery capability. As part of this investment, the annual spending on debt collection agency activity has increased.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The public rightly expect these debts to be paid and so do we. That’s why we are investing in the Student Loans Company’s ability to collect debt and working closely with them to go further on getting back what is owed. We are also cracking down on abuse of student finance at its source, closing loopholes in regulation and preventing misuse of the system.”

Quintagram® No 2642

Solve all five concise clues using each latter underneath once only

1 Number of quarts in a gallon (4)

2 Multiplied by (5)

3 Signal fire or light (6)

4 Fire or police headquarters (7)

5 Dictated the movements of (10)

A	A	B	C	C	D	E	E
E	F	I	I	L	L	M	N
N	N	O	O	O	O	O	R
R	S	S	T	T	T	T	U

Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14

1994 murder appeal

Merseyside police are appealing for information about the 1994 murder of Julie Finley, 23, saying that people may not have come forward at the time out of loyalty or fear. Finley, from Liverpool, was strangled and her body was dumped in a field near St Helens. A witness reported seeing a man trying to force a woman matching her description into a white van.

Long driving test wait

Half of learner drivers in areas including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London are waiting more than four months to take their driving test, according to research by the RAC Foundation. It found that the longest wait was almost seven months at Forfar, in Angus. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's target is seven weeks.

Power to the house elf

Harry Potter fans successfully petitioned for a £430 million power link between the UK and Ireland to be diverted to avoid a memorial to Dobby the house elf. The 125-mile cable runs from Co Wexford to Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire, where Dobby's death was filmed. Simon Ludlam said his firm, Etchea Energy, got "hundreds of calls" from fans.

Wham! photos to go go

Gered Mankowitz, 80, whose photographs were used on album covers by Kate Bush, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Wham!, Jimi Hendrix and Duran Duran, is selling pictures of stars and other rock memorabilia because he will not have room for them in his new house. The auctioneer Gardiner Houlgate expects they will fetch £50,000 next month.

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5

News

Extradited 'cartel boss' charged

John Mooney, Patrick O'Donoghue

Daniel Kinahan has been charged with directing the activities of an organised crime group at a special sitting of a non-jury court in Dublin after his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.

Kinahan, 49, entered the Special Criminal Court at 8.09pm yesterday flanked by three armed officers and stood in the dock for the short hearing.

He is accused of being one of the leaders of the Kinahan crime cartel, an Irish group allegedly operating a drugs and firearms trafficking network.

Kinahan looked tired, had stubble and clasped his hands together as he addressed the court. He wore dark glasses, a black hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. The charge was read to him and he was remanded in custody to Portlaoise prison.

He faces a single charge of directing a crime organisation between October 18, 2015 and April 6, 2017.

At the outset of the hearing, the court was told that Kinahan was not legally represented. When the presiding judge, Mr Justice McGrath, noted his lack of legal representation, Kinahan stood up in the dock and said: 'Yes, that is correct your honour. I didn't have time to arrange anything.'

Explaining his situation to the three judges, Kinahan stated that he had been isolated in Dubai since Friday and had hoped a family member would contact a legal representative on his behalf but that had not been done.

Informed by the bench that a bail application could only be made through the High Court, Kinahan responded: 'I think we know I won't be getting bail but thanks for that.'

The judge decided to proceed with the hearing after Kinahan stated that he would organise representation once he had time. When advised by the judge to contact his lawyers and arrange representation, Kinahan replied: 'I understand everything, thank you, your honour.'

Kinahan is scheduled to appear before the court again on October 5. Informed that he could attend the hearing in person or via video link, Kinahan said he would make his decision at a later date.

Kinahan was extradited at the weekend from Dubai, where he has lived for the past decade. He left in the morning on an Irish government jet which landed at Baldonnel airbase on the outskirts of Dublin shortly after 6pm. Detective Sergeant Colin Davidson said he had arrested Kinahan at 6.49pm and explained an arrest warrant issued by the court in March. Davidson later charged Kinahan within the court precincts. The registrar then read the charge

to Kinahan, who confirmed his name. Preparations for his arrival at Baldonnel had been under way for most of last week. Military personnel set down metal barriers while a police helicopter flew overhead.

Armed soldiers were stationed at the main entrance while a number of police vehicles patrolled the area.

The extensive operation caused disruption in the surrounding area. Local drivers expressed concern that the security measures would prevent them returning home when several of the surrounding roads were later blocked

An Irish government aircraft carrying Daniel Kinahan landed at Baldonnel airbase, near Dublin, after he was extradited from Dubai. He was transported to court by car. A $5 million reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest

off as part of the operation to transport Kinahan to the Special Criminal Court.

As the jet made its way to Dubai on Saturday, the podcaster James English released audio recordings of Kinahan discussing his imminent return to Ireland. 'The security is going to be crazy. I am sitting here reflecting a little,' he said. 'Then I'm thinking of what happened, how I got here, all the stuff that's happened in my life, the whole lot, just reflecting. It's bittersweet. It's going to be nice to get back. I was always proud to be Irish.'

Kinahan's appearance at the court

follows a near decade-long investigation into his activities by the Irish authorities and their international counterparts.

For years, Kinahan lived a life of luxury in Dubai, using the UAE as a safe haven. However, the diplomatic landscape shifted when Ireland and the UAE negotiated an extradition treaty, in effect closing the net on the alleged cartel's leadership. The pressure reached a tipping point in 2022 when the US government intervened, imposing severe financial sanctions on Kinahan, his father, Christy, and his brother,

Christopher Jr, freezing their assets and locking them out of the global banking system. Simultaneously, the US Drug Enforcement Administration offered a $5 million (£3.7 million) reward for information about the three.

This intervention crippled the group's alleged vast money-laundering operations and isolated its leaders from former associates.

Kinahan's lawyer has previously stated that his client has no criminal record or convictions and that allegations he is a crime boss are false and have no evidential basis.

Man 'prepared to die' after 14 years in custody over phone theft

Sian Bradley

Nearly 160 miles from home in Manchester, Clara White lay awake. She could not shake the sight of her brother, Thomas, crying during her visit to the psychiatric hospital in Northumberland where he is being held.

'I can see in the way he looks, the way he sits, that there's absolutely nothing left in him to give,' she said. 'He's prepared to die in there.'

In 2012, Thomas White was arrested for stealing a mobile phone from two Christian missionaries while he was heavily intoxicated. He pleaded guilty

and received an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence, a two-year tariff with no maximum term. He still has no release date. The 43-year-old was moved to hospital nine months ago after a political intervention. He had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and an independent psychiatrist concluded the IPP term was the probable cause of his illness.

Andy Burnham has called for a review of IPP sentences as part of efforts to tackle the prison overcrowding crisis. Introduced in 2003 to protect the public from dangerous offenders whose crimes did not merit life sentences,

IPPs were abolished in 2012, but not retrospectively. Lord Clarke of Nottingham, the former home secretary, told Times Radio that he 'never imagined' that 14 years after abolishing IPPs, 2,329 people would remain 'indefinite' detained'.

In 2016, White, held at HMP Norwich, was seen walking around the

Thomas White with his mother, Margaret, and his sister, Clara

wing wrapped in a sheet, 'presenting himself as Jesus Christ' and promising to heal people. After he was repeatedly

sent to segregation while he was experiencing psychosis, 'something died inside of him', Clara White, a priest, said. 'You've got to remember that he was a normal person. It's the

system that's done this to him.' He was held at Strangeways until last year. Reports reached his family that he was jumping on safety netting, smashing his face against the floor and trying to set fire to himself. He was moved to a secure hospital but he faces being sent back to prison because staff say he is 'not engaging' with therapy.

The Ministry of Justice said: 'It is right that these sentences were abolished, and... support has significantly improved for these offenders, with greater access to rehabilitation and mental health support. We are now looking at what more can be done.'

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6

News Politics

Probation strike threatens chaos for early release

Ollie Cole

Thousands of probation staff could strike in the coming months, potentially putting victim safety in doubt when the government's early release scheme comes into force.

Workers represented by the National Association of Probation Officers (Napo) are voting in an indicative ballot for industrial action on working hours. The result is due this afternoon and the union is expecting a "strong response" from members backing a move to a formal ballot on industrial action.

The Times understands that Napo would seek to take industrial action before the end of the year and about 8,000 members would be likely to walk out.

The early release scheme, which will be implemented from October, will pile pressure on the probation service, which is under extreme strain. Accommodation crises, repeated referrals, emergency planning and hours of hidden work are said to be pushing probation staff beyond safe limits, and the sector is "reliant on overtime".

Ian Lawrence, the Napo general secretary, said: "Without probation none of this [early release] can happen, so the service needs to be front and centre to this discussion."

The timeline for possible industrial action creates further uncertainty about the safety of Andy Burnham's revised early release scheme. The prisons watchdog told The Times that any industrial action would be "enormously disruptive" to ensuring the safe management of the scheme.

Martin Jones, His Majesty's chief inspector of probation, said: "I can certainly see that [industrial action] as something that's very high risk, even if there were simply to be any work to rule. One of the reasons why I suspect that some of the earlier schemes have found a way through is because people are working into the weekends and into

PC Andrew Harper's widow, Lissie, is fighting the early release of his killers

the evenings. If people are saying they're just going to work nine to five, just going to do their actual work hours, that sort of thing is stuff that is certainly a risk."

The probation service employs about 21,000 full-time staff, but has a shortfall of about 1,500 full-time probation officers. The latest government data from December showed 5,437 full-time probation officers in post against a target level of 7,110.

"If this [early release] scheme works, the public and frankly the ministers owe the probation service a huge debt of gratitude," Jones added.

Napo's leadership has raised concern about cases falling through the cracks due to the extra workload the scheme is expected to generate.

Ben Cockburn, the union's national chair, said staffing levels were "incredibly dangerous" to the point of "overstretching and exhaustion."

"If you're in work and you experience that level of burnout and you're trying to cover an unmanageable workload,

there is an ongoing fear that you are not going to do a particular task," he added.

"I think it's fair to say that, you know, we're putting ourselves at risk professionally trying to fill the gaps that the employer is allowed to develop."

Burnham faces a backlash for allowing two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper to be included in the early release scheme. Harper's widow, Lissie, 35, described it as a "secondary gut punch that is coming from the government".

Lord Clarke of Nottingham, the former Conservative justice secretary, told Times Radio yesterday that the prime minister would "discover that he is going to have to face up to some difficult decisions, that he will get strong criticism and when it's inevitable and has to be done, as in this case, it's no good just giving in every time that some particular case is thrown at him."

Burnham said he wanted to go further on the revised early release scheme, but that it had been "pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do".

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Protecting the public is our top priority. The Sentencing Act is restoring order to a prison system left on the brink of collapse, while our record £700 million investment in probation and community punishment is ensuring staff have the resources, powers, and technology they need to manage offenders safely in the community.

"We have already exceeded our 2025-26 recruitment target, with 1,389 people starting as trainee probation officers last year against a target of 1,300."

Despite the investment cited by the department, Napo has warned it "cannot guarantee public protection". It says the potential release of thousands of perpetrators of domestic violence, who will be eligible for the scheme, means that "more people, largely women, are likely to be hurt or even killed".

Confidence in the justice system, letters, page 20

Burnham struggles to recruit ally

Continued from page 1

capital gains tax rates could ultimately result in the Treasury losing money because people would delay selling assets to avoid paying it.

"I am very opposed to the general rule of wealth taxes," O'Neill told LBC shortly before Burnham became prime minister.

"I think they are very easy to be gained and avoided, so I don't think they are likely to raise a lot of revenue."

He said any attempt to target financiers who made money by investing in British companies would affect growth.

"As someone who is heavily involved in venture capital, people have got to understand that this is

hugely risky stuff," he said. "It is not like income from a job. Most venture investments go bust. You can lose all your money ... Genuine entrepreneurship and genuine risk-taking deserve to be taxed at a lower rate."

O'Neill's potential appointment is further complicated by his business interests, which are extensive. He is non-executive chairman of Northern Grilstone, an investment company established to help convert science and technology research at universities into businesses.

His register of interests in the House of Lords lists more than 70 shareholdings, including a significant number of venture

Lord O'Neill of Gatley has extensive business interests

capital investments. For O'Neill to serve in a government role, all his investments would need to be put into a blind trust, meaning he would have no say over how they were managed. O'Neill was commercial secretary to the Treasury a decade ago when David Cameron was prime minister.

In his first week in power, Burnham announced giveaways that have yet to be fully funded. He revealed plans to cut VAT from consumer energy bills over the winter at a cost of £850 million, introduce a £2 cap on bus fares at a cost of £500 million and provide £100 million of help for pubs and live music venues.

Healey will have to find VAT billion to fund the defence investment plan on top of cuts to existing departmental budgets previously agreed by Sir Keir Starmer.

Backing wealth creation, letters, page 20 Levies on banks would hit growth, leading article, page 21

PM sets sights on 'rip-off' discounts and subscriptions

Steven Swinford

Andy Burnham has pledged to ban "rip-off" fake discounts ahead of beginning a national tour focused on the cost of living.

After his return from holiday, the prime minister intends to spend much of the rest of August travelling the country asking the public how the government can improve their lives.

Officials said he would be in "listening mode", and will focus on the cost of living and improving local high streets.

Burnham is expected to announce a series of "everyday fixes", promising to "pull every single lever we can to provide people with some room to breathe on the cost of living".

The government will launch a consultation on adding deceptive discount

offers to the Competition and Markets Authority's list of banned practices.

This would make it easier for the watchdog to punish companies that engage in practices such as artificially inflating prices and then immediately offering a "discount" to make a product appear to be of better value than it is.

Last year research by Which?, the consumer magazine, looked at 175 Black Friday deals sold by eight retailers — Amazon, AO, Argos, Boots, Currys, John Lewis, Richer Sounds and Very. It found that 83 per cent of the products were cheaper or the same price at least once in the six months either side of the sale.

Burnham will also accelerate plans to tackle "subscription traps" by requiring companies to make it easier to cancel subscriptions as well as provide more

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News

Sir Keir Starmer was seen having a kickabout with the actor Hugh Dennis in north London at the weekend, while Andy Burnham was shopping for retro football kits with Ellis Platten, a YouTuber. Nigel Farage was out canvassing in Clacton, Essex, before a by-election this Thursday. His big rival in the race, Count Binface, appeared to get an endorsement from a pilot, who spent an hour zigzagging the coast to mark out the shape of a bin, according to Flightradar24

information about up-front costs, rather than quietly auto-renewing them at a higher price.

The changes, announced in April, had been expected to come into force next spring, but Burnham will bring their introduction forward to January.

He said: 'I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps. Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life.

'I don't think that's right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many lives.'

Dame Clare Moriarty, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, welcomed the proposals, saying subscription traps and deceptive discounts were 'a widespread problem'.

Citizens Advice found previously that 26 per cent of UK adults had accidentally taken out a subscription in a year. The government said its action could save households £14 a month.

More announcements are expected over the summer and the prime minister described the proposals to be an-

announced on Monday as 'just the start'.

Opposition figures criticised his summer plans as a 'vanity tour' offering only 'tinkering' and urged him to implement broader tax cuts.

Burnham's tour follows his pledge on his first day in office to give the public 'breathing space' on bills.

In his first week in Downing Street, he announced cuts to VAT on household energy bills and a £2 cap on bus fares to tackle the cost of living. However, rising prices remain a significant issue for the public due to the fallout from the Iran war, which is keeping inflation higher than expected.

Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, said: 'Andy Burnham has already run out of ideas. The cost of living didn't become a problem last week, so you have to ask why it has taken Labour so long to enact legislation passed by the previous government.

'Labour's tax hikes have sent costs soaring for hardworking families and destroyed jobs. Consultations and re-heated measures won't make up for that.'

Royal Navy drones sent data to China

Lara Bowman

The Ministry of Defence was forced to remove all internet connectivity from cameras fitted to Royal Navy drone boats after discovering that data was being secretly sent back to China.

The cameras were installed on K3 Scouts, unmanned high-speed boats that can be controlled remotely. Britain bought 20 under Project Beehive, a £12.3 million programme intended to extend the use of drones alongside conventional warships. They are intended for surveillance, training and operations by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 4/7 Commando Royal Marines.

The MoD strongly denied that any sensitive or operational information was sent abroad, saying that an investigation found 'no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally'. A security assessment found that the

Unions set to gain from new rules on £90bn state deals

Steven Swinford Political Editor

Labour will prioritise companies for government contracts if they give trade unions access to their employees, offer higher pay than the minimum wage and provide flexible working.

Andy Burnham has announced that the government will double the credit given to companies bidding for central government contracts that provide 'social value' for local communities.

They will be required to show how they are supporting people into work and addressing local skills shortages as part of the prime minister's pledge to deliver 'growth in every postcode'. It represents a new focus on creating jobs rather than meeting green targets. Previously social value was measured partly by meeting environmental goals.

Details of the plans, which have been published by the Cabinet Office, show that employers will be rewarded for 'fair working conditions' and 'fair pay'.

Under the changes, the weighting for the 'social value' that companies deliver will be doubled from 10 per cent to 20 per cent for contracts worth more than £5 million. It represents a significant overhaul of the £90 billion public procurement system.

The Cabinet Office has proposed companies that demonstrate 'fair working conditions' and offer staff 'more than the statutory minimum' should be awarded more points. It said this could include 'access to trade union representation' and 'flexible working arrangements', along with promoting 'a positive workplace culture'.

It also said that employers should offer 'fair pay', with more points awarded for companies that 'go further' than the minimum wage of £12.71 an hour, offer 'progressive' pay policies and 'reward and retain staff'.

Companies will also be required to demonstrate that they are creating and retaining high quality jobs, and providing training opportunities in areas where there are skills shortages.

There is a focus in poorer areas, with companies asked to address 'barriers to entry' for young people by providing placements and apprenticeships. Burnham has said he wants companies to offer 45 days of work experience.

The approach has been criticised by the Conservatives. Alex Burghart MP, the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'Labour are rolling out a trade union checklist of anti-growth policies that will burden businesses with even more costs and red tape.

'Having already been hammered by Labour's national insurance hike, business rates raid and disastrous Employment Rights Act, any business seeking to take on a government contract will now have to dance to the union barons' tune. The prime minister may have changed, but it's the same old Labour Party in power, doing the bidding of their union paymasters.

'It's little wonder that growth is so sluggish and unemployment is so high. Only the Conservatives will give businesses the environment to grow, including by ditching the job-destroying Employment Rights Act and scrapping business rates for thousands of firms to get Britain working again.'

Burnham said last week: 'We're changing the rules. When applying for a contract from the government there will now be one simple test: are you creating British jobs? And are you giving young people the skills they need for their future? These new rules will ensure the £90 billion that is spent each year through government contracts supports British jobs, skills and people in every postcode.'

A government spokesperson said: 'This government is committed to making sure every pound of taxpayer money is delivering real benefits for communities, developing skills and creating new jobs in every part of the country.

'These changes will cut red tape and ensure that every business is focused on delivering British jobs. Our priority is good growth in every postcode and we're using £90 billion of public contracts to make sure it happens.'

A government source added: 'The Tories are attacking a framework they created. It was their leader who passed the legislation [on social weighting] when she was business secretary.

'This government is clear about its priority: cutting red tape and getting on with the job of creating more jobs in every postcode.'

cameras were sending 'heartbeat communications' to an internet address in China. The Daily Telegraph reported. These are automatic messages sent by a connected device to confirm that it is online and working normally.

A defence source alleged that preparations for possible British operations in the Gulf had been recorded on the devices, the newspaper reported.

The source said: 'This is major failure to check origins of components and we have lost confidence in the platform.'

However, there was no evidence that the transmissions contained pictures, sound, location information or military plans, the MoD said.

The K3 Scout can travel at more than 60mph, remain at sea for up to 30 days and carry 600kg of cameras, sensors or weapons. An MoD spokesman said: 'The first duty of government is national security, and we take the security of our equipment, networks

and data extremely seriously. A routine cybervulnerability assessment identified an issue affecting a Kraken unmanned surface vessel sub-system used by the Royal Navy. A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally.'

They added that a third-party supplier responsible for the camera component had previously given assurances about its security.

A spokesman for Kraken, the British company that supplied the boats, told The Telegraph: 'We are aware that some third-party, NDAA-compliant cameras had a small number of components originating from outside the UK.

'After a full audit by both Kraken and the Royal Navy we are confident no sensitive information has ever been shared outside of intended channels and any potential vulnerabilities have been identified and closed.'

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Floor show The Victorian tiles at St George's Hall in Liverpool are usually protected by wooden flooring but will be uncovered until September 2. Gabriella Hernandez, an art teacher, was an early visitor

Cutting exercise by minutes 'drives up the risk of cancer'

Shayma Bakht

Reducing exercise by even a few minutes a day can push up the risk of cancer, research suggests.

Experts found that swapping vigorous movement for more sedentary behaviour — such as watching television or sitting at a desk — increased the incidence of cancer.

Research, published in the BMC Medicine journal, found that people who had been active throughout their lives should do all they could to maintain exercise, as even minor drops in activity could affect health. Previous studies also found strong evidence that higher levels of activity were linked to a lower risk of several cancers including types relating to the bladder, breast, bowel, kidney and stomach.

Analysis of 59,218 people from the

UK Biobank, a database of half a million volunteers who take part in medical research, used modelling to see how exercise was linked to cancer risk. The analysis was based on a group that was 55 per cent female with an average age of 61.7. In an eight-year follow-up, there were 2,385 cancers in the group.

Researchers looked at areas such as how long people spent sleeping, sedentary behaviour such as watching TV, standing and then any movement and the level of intensity.

They found that the more people moved, the lower their risk of cancer.

Case studies that replaced 15 minutes of sleep or sedentary behaviour with 15 minutes of movement were each linked to a 2 per cent reduced risk of cancer.

Swapping 30 minutes of movement for 30 minutes of sedentary behaviour

increased the risk by 8 per cent, while swapping it for sleep increased the risk by 7 per cent.

Dr John Mitchell, lead author from University College London, said: 'Our study showed that there's an increased risk of cancer for those who spend a lot of time sitting down.

'We also explored what might happen if people leading active lives reduced their levels of physical activity and found that they also face a higher cancer risk.

'Based on theoretical modelling, our study showed even losing two to three minutes per day of vigorous activity, such as running for a bus, and replacing it with sitting down, sleep or light activity increased their cancer risk.'

NHS guidelines say adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of

moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. They should also do strength activities that work all the major muscle groups at least two days per week.

'Other examples of vigorous activity — that is, anything which elevates your heart rate and makes you sweat — include sport, rushing up the stairs and carrying home heavy grocery bags,' added Mitchell. 'The take-home message is that for people already leading physically active lives, it's really important to maintain that level of activity as you get older.'

Examples of moderate activity include very brisk walking at 4mph or faster, cycling at 10mph to 12mph, or badminton. Vigorous activity also includes hiking, jogging at 6mph or faster, fast cycling, basketball or tennis.

Not enough women take folic acid

Concerns have been raised that a large number of women are not taking a pre-pregnancy vitamin that helps prevent health problems in babies.

A report suggests there has been a 'worrying' fall in women taking folic acid before they get pregnant in all regions of England apart from London.

Overall, fewer than one in five (19.8 per cent) women in England took folic acid before becoming pregnant in 2024/25. The figure steadily declined from 2021/22 when 26.2 per cent took the supplement before pregnancy, a commentary published in the journal BJOG: An International Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynaecology shows.

Women who are trying to get pregnant are advised by the NHS to take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.

Folic acid helps a baby's brain, skull and spinal cord develop and taking it cuts the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, as well as other conditions. Researchers from the University of Southampton warned that the decline is undermining progress in preventing serious birth defects.

By the end of 2026, millers and flour producers will be required by law to fortify non-wholenal wheat flour with folic acid. While the move has been welcomed, experts have said that fortification alone will not be enough and should not replace supplements for women who are planning a pregnancy.

'Taking folic acid before pregnancy is one of the simplest and most effective steps women can take to support a healthy start for their baby,' said the lead author of the paper, Dr Danielle Schoemaker, NIHR advanced fellow at the university and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Southampton.

I was blasé after finding a breast lump, says MP

Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor

A minister has revealed that she ignored a breast lump for two months because she assumed she was too young and healthy to have cancer.

Claire Hughes, 47, said she had been 'blasé' after discovering a lump by chance, convincing herself that it was probably a harmless cyst.

The Labour MP for Bangor Abercromry, who was diagnosed with aggressive grade 3 triple-negative breast cancer just weeks after becoming a government whip and a minister in the Wales Office, said she hoped that sharing her

experience would persuade other women to check themselves regularly and seek medical advice quickly.

'I just thought, I'm young, it wouldn't happen to me,' Hughes told The Times.

The MP, who has released an eight-minute documentary about her treatment, found the lump last year while she walked through the Palace of Westminster. 'I was moving my arm around and I was like, under my arm feels a bit sore, you know, like when you've got a swollen gland,' she said. 'So I just started prodding... and then I was like, 'oh, there's a little lump further down.''

Hughes decided to wait until parlia-

mentary recess to see her GP. 'I probably waited like two months, which is stupid — really stupid looking back.'

After being referred to a rapid assessment clinic, she had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy in a day. Although doctors did not confirm the diagnosis immediately, she said she knew from

Claire Hughes was treated for cancer after she delayed seeing her GP about a lump

their expressions what was coming. 'I knew in my heart of hearts straight away, 'oh shit, I've got cancer,'' she said.

Surgeons attempted a lumpectomy but later recommended a mastectomy — a decision she is grateful for as a second tumour was found after surgery. She then underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Hughes, who has two teenage children, remained a minister and worked remotely during her treatment. She said she was considering having her remaining breast removed because she had found a second, harmless, lump in it. 'For my peace of mind, I would rather not have it,' she said.

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Garden centres switch to drought-resistant plants

Guy Taylor Retail Correspondent

Britain's biggest garden centre group is turning to plants native to Australia, Africa and the Mediterranean in response to this summer's record-breaking heatwave.

From the sky-blue agapanthus 'African lily' to southern Europe's santolina 'cotton lavender', these plants offer drought-resistant qualities that have enabled garden centres to weather a uniquely challenging summer trading season, according to Blue Diamond, which has been developing a 'thrive, not survive' range to cope with rising temperatures.

Others include the callistemon 'bottlebrush', a variety from Australia, and the Lagerstroemia 'crepe myrtle', a deciduous shrub or small tree with white, pink or purple flowers.

Alan Roper, the managing director of Blue Diamond, which employs about 4,700 staff across more than 50 garden

centres in the UK and Channel Islands, said: 'I've never seen heat have such a profound effect on a season in my 36 years of garden centre retailing.'

Large parts of England are in drought, alongside the entirety of Wales, compounding the pressure on local garden centres after a challenging few years characterised by mounting cost pressures and flattening sales.

Hot weather has shortened the shelf life of plants and led to a sharp decline in footfall on certain days. Profitability has been impacted by increased wastage and discounting on heat-exhausted varieties.

Last month the Horticultural Trades Association, which represents growers, garden retailers and manufacturers, warned of 'increasingly unpredictable weather patterns' and criticised public messaging surrounding hosepipe bans.

Gardening sales in June, the most up-to-date figures for the sector, showed a 5 per cent decline year on year

The blue agapanthus, known as the African lily, can survive dry conditions

and a 13 per cent drop when compared with 2024.

'Gardening seasons disrupted by extreme heat used to come around perhaps once a decade. Today they're becoming far more frequent and

intense,' Roper told The Times. 'Five of the last six summers had above-average temperatures and the last two broke heat records.'

He described it as a 'new normal' that could no longer 'be ignored'.

Alongside tweaking its product range, Blue Diamond is also redesigning beds where plants are sold to include water reservoirs and formulating peat-free compost that is better at retaining moisture. Many in the industry used to rely on peat-based composts, which are more effective at water retention, but these are being phased out in the UK due to their impact on local habitats and carbon emissions.

Blue Diamond will likely fare better amid weather-related headwinds than many smaller garden centre groups given an increasing focus on its hospitality, clothing and home retail offerings in recent years.

Prison gardens cultivate hope, page 14 Heatwaves could change food, page 28

'Tinderbox' Britain fears as heatwave five arrives

Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor Adam Vaughan Environment Editor

England and Wales suffered a record number of wildfires last month, and officials fear more devastation this week when a fifth summer heatwave arrives.

Firefighters attended 395 wildfires in the three weeks to July 31, bringing the 2026 total to more than 710. Whitehall officials are monitoring the figures amid fears the 'whole country is like one giant tinderbox.'

A source said: 'The summers of 2022 and 2025 were bad but not a patch on this year. There is increased monitoring of national resilience data especially after the Suffolk fire, which required resources from across the country.'

The blaze in Suffolk burnt 257 acres of National Trust heathland. Maps by Natural England report a 'very high' risk of fires in large parts of England and Wales from today. The level rises to 'exceptional' in East Anglia, the south and the southeast on Thursday, when temperatures may hit 36C.

A major incident was declared yesterday as 14 crews tackled separate fires near Mansfield. A fire broke out at Strawberry Hill Heath on Saturday, with 12 crews attending. About 36,000 square metres of woodland and undergrowth have been affected. Six engines and a water carrier were deployed to a blaze at Sherwood Pines yesterday.

Phil Garrigan, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said 'wildfires are no longer isolated events'. He added: 'We have responded to more than 700 wildfires this year, and every one places additional pressure on firefighters and fire and rescue services. These fires can burn for days, challenging terrain and extreme temperatures. They demand significant resources, tie up crews for prolonged periods and reduce opportunities for firefighters to rest between incidents.' Full forecast, page 43

Warnings over fatal cat falls in hot weather

Animal charities have warned cat owners living on the first floor of a building or above that their pets could risk fatal falls during the hot weather.

Cases of 'high-rise syndrome', whereby a cat suffers injuries in a fall from height, tend to spike during summer months as indoor pets are tempted outside by warmer temperatures, birds and movement, according to Cats Protection and Blue Cross.

The charities warned owners against leaving windows and balconies open and unattended. Blue Cross animal hospitals in London and Grimsby have already treated 33 cats this year for injuries suffered in a fall.

Izzy Hocking, a veterinary engagement manager at Cats Protection, said: 'Depending on the height it falls from, a cat could suffer severe injuries such as broken limbs, jaw fractures and internal trauma including brain damage. In some cases, falls can prove fatal or result in euthanasia.'

Alliah Seed's three-month-old kitten Sapphire was 'very lucky' to suffer only a fractured toe after falling from a fifth-floor window ledge.

Aerial archaeologists reap rich harvest from dry land

Jack Blackburn History Correspondent

In the middle of summer, it is not unusual for strange markings to turn up in Britain's fields.

Once upon a time, cranks trod down crops to try to persuade us that aliens were moving to Wiltshire, but in today's sweltering summers, patterns are revealing the secrets of our past. Climate change has helped create a boom in aerial archaeology, and new features are being revealed by the increasingly dry weather each year.

Five of the 11 busiest years for the discipline have taken place in the 2020s, with newly discovered sites including Iron Age farms, First World War trenches and lost country house gardens.

'It's just nuts at the moment really, but it's been a good summer,' said Toby Driver, a doctor in archaeology and senior aerial investigator with the Royal Commission in Wales. He is one of the country's leading aerial archaeologists and has spent much of the summer flying over Wales taking photographs of the still-buried remains of our past.

The link between extremely dry weather and archaeological success is clear. Parched crops and grass dry at different rates according to what is beneath them, meaning that walls, trenches, mounds and other features lost in the soil become apparent once again.

'You get this X-ray effect,' Driver explained. 'If these sites have never had any geophysical surveys or any excavations then it's our one chance, in a week or two of every decade, before the rain comes and when the drought's sufficiently deep, to get these marks recorded.'

The big discovery in Britain this year was a lost garden at Chatsworth House, but Driver's pictures have included the Caerbun Roman fort in Conwy, First World War practice trenches in nearby Deganwy and prehistoric sites in Ceredigion and Welshpool. Aerial archaeol-

An ancient farmstead was revealed under ripening crop marks in Ceredigion by Toby Driver, an aerial archaeologist who also photographed First World War practice trenches beneath a Conwy golf course

ogy used to have big years only once a decade or so in Britain but that is no longer the case. However, the increasing temperatures are harming equally valuable winter work, as snow and frost become rare.

New technologies help source potential sites, including amateur drone photographs and pictures posted on social media, but also pose challenges. Newly discovered sites need to be disguised and images selected carefully, as artificial intelligence can identify them and alert malicious actors, such as irresponsible metal detectorists, but aerial archaeology can be a cost-effective way of directing researchers to the best places to dig.

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Student ‘treated like villain’ over cyber-flaw

Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent

When Mikey Whiston, an A-level student, found a cybersecurity flaw in a national education platform, he thought he would be hailed as a hero. Instead, he says, he was treated like a villain.

Mikey, 17, from Birmingham, noticed the flaw while doing research for his computer science course. It threatened to expose millions of student records, bank statements and school information. But instead of exploiting this, he tried to warn the company.

Unable to report the problem, Mikey sent a password-protected video to the company's helpdesk. A few days later it

phoned back. "It wasn't exactly a very nice [call], to say the least," Mikey says.

The company, which Mikey is not naming, was threatening and dismissive, he said. The platform said his actions could jeopardise the subscription that his school, Arthur Terry, had and suggested the flaw was not too serious.

"I just wanted them to say 'OK, we'll fix it'. I didn't want anything in return. I just wanted to fix this," he said.

Four months later and the problem had not been fixed. So Mikey reported it to GC3, the government's cybersecurity co-ordination centre, which confirmed it was a critical flaw. The National Cyber Security Centre

Mikey Whiston, 17, said the company was threatening and dismissive

presented him with a challenge coin award.

Mikey was bruised by the experience but wanted to publicise it so other organisations encourage ethical, or white-hut, hackers to highlight vulnerabilities.

"The thing I most want is for the talents of security researchers ... to help secure infrastructure ... but we can't

really make that happen if companies are going to be so resistant," he said.

Mikey's tale is familiar, according to Conor Freeman, 26, a former hacker from Ireland who was jailed in 2020 for stealing cryptocurrency. He said: "I found a vulnerability in the largest car-sharing app in Ireland that allowed me to expose every user in their database. It took me three emails to get someone to care and when I got through to the chief information security officer I didn't even get a thank you. It's a big problem."

Ruby Farr, associate director of the Child Online Harms Policy Think Tank, said: "When legitimate disclosure is met with suspicion, delay or

silence, the same skill and curiosity that could serve the public good is left with nowhere sanctioned to go, and illegal routes can become tempting."

Fergus Hay, co-founder of the Hacking Games, which channels young talent into cybersecurity, said: "We have to stop looking at 17-year-olds as feckless and realise they are powerful, particularly if they are digitally native."

Mikey is on a Network Rail placement after winning one of their "hackathons", beating a Google team. He is set to finish A-levels in maths and further maths (he finished computer science a year early) and wants to build and secure national infrastructure.

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Record number will secure a university place this week

Georgia Lambert

A record number of teenagers is expected to win university places this summer as demand for higher education hits a new high, and a surge in politics, economics and law A-levels points to a shift in subjects they are choosing.

They will find out their A-level results this week, and the biggest ever cohort of 18-year-olds is predicted to win places at their first-choice university, according to Ucas.

"We're expecting this summer in clearing to see both record numbers accepting a place through clearing but also we probably will see record numbers applying direct to clearing," Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, said last week.

Ofqual data shows that A-level entries have increased by 2.9 per cent from 821,875 last summer to 845,485

this year. Political studies was the fastest-growing mainstream A-level this year, with entries jumping 13.1 per cent to 23,560 students. Law is close behind, climbing 11.6 per cent to 16,090, and economics rose 10.7 per cent to 46,365.

Mathematics remains the most popular A-level, with almost 110,000 entries, up 3.9 per cent on last year. English language entries have also increased by 4 per cent. History enjoyed an increase of 5.4 per cent, while psychology, biology and chemistry all recorded steady gains.

Spanish entries rose by 1 per cent. French was unchanged and German was up by 3.1 per cent. English literature entries fell by 5.8 per cent to 32,890; drama and music were also down.

There are a total of 29,731 courses available through clearing across 315 institutions, The Times has found.

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News

CEREMUTUAL

Expats build new property firms in UAE

Jack Simpson Money Reporter

One in five new buy-to-let businesses set up by UK expatriates are run from the United Arab Emirates.

The estate agency Hamptons found that more than 7500 firms have been set up this year by UK citizens living abroad, with 17 per cent based in the UAE, in places such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This was up from 11 per cent ten years ago, when 2,157 buy-to-let companies were set up by expats.

David Fell, from Hamptons, said the Middle and Far East were often attractive places to move to while still owning property in the UK because of the tax advantages. He said: "These tend to be low-tax environments favoured by high earners in their twenties and thirties.

"While many older landlords still own homes in their own names, expat investors have typically started building their rental portfolio under a company structure."

There is no income or capital gains tax in the UAE, but it does impose VAT of 5 per cent on purchases and corporate tax of 9 per cent on business profits. The UAE has the highest proportion of buy-to-let businesses run by UK citizens. The United States had the second-highest share at 9 per cent and Singapore third at nearly 8 per cent. Saudi Arabia was the Middle Eastern nation with the second-highest proportion at 5 per cent.

The UAE has been at the top of the list for the past decade.

Fell said: "The numbers suggest that many expat investors heading east aren't full-time landlords; rather, they are building a portfolio on the side of a high-earning day job. The list of destinations also indicates that these investors are younger than the average landlord, who is now about 60 and closely tied to their property portfolio."

On edge Visitors to Birling Gap near Eastbourne have been reminded to keep a safe distance after people crossed a boundary rope to walk on the chalk clifftop

Sunset for the soft-top? Driveways fill with SUVs

Andrew Ellison Consumer Affairs Correspondent

The country's love affair with open-top motoring is at risk of becoming little more than a nostalgic memory. The image of a carefree couple heading for the coast with the roof folded neatly into the boot has been replaced by something altogether taller, heavier and more practical: the family SUV.

The latest figures show that sales of new convertible cars have collapsed by almost 90 per cent in the space of two decades, leaving what was once one of Britain's favourite motoring indulgences fighting for survival.

Only 11,484 new soft-tops were registered in Britain last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, down from a peak of nearly 110,000 in 2005. The rate of decline has accelerated since 2022, when 18,500 convertibles were sold. Only one in every 200 cars sold in the UK last year was a convertible compared with about one in every 20 in 2005.

The collapse has been mirrored by a dramatic retreat from manufacturers.

Vauxhall, Toyota, Peugeot, Citroën, Honda, Jaguar and Lexus have all withdrawn from the market. Even Audi, which had huge success with its A5

Cabriolet, TT Roadster and R8 Spyder, no longer offers a drop top.

Brands that still offer convertibles have slimmed down their ranges. Mercedes-Benz has replaced separate C-Class and E-Class cabriolets with the CLE Cabriolet, and BMW's line-up is largely confined to the 4 Series Convertible alongside the ageing Z4 roadster.

One of the defining motoring images of the 1990s that helped drive the boom in soft-tops was of Diana, Princess of Wales, behind the wheel of her green Audi 80 Cabriolet. Today far fewer celebrities are photographed in convertibles, although some enthusiasts remain, including Brooklyn Beckham, who was given a Jaguar XK Convertible as a wedding present by his father, David; Rod Stewart, who owns a Ferrari F50; and Simon Cowell, who drives a Rolls-Royce Dawn.

For buyers still determined to drive with the roof down, the choice is becoming increasingly expensive. An entry-level Mazda MX-5 starts at about £28,500. A Mini Cooper Convertible costs from about £29,000 and a Mercedes CLE Cabriolet begins at about £55,000. At the higher end of the market, a Porsche 911 Cabriolet costs well into six figures.

One of the reasons for the decline in

sales is that the country's driveways are instead filling with 4x4s and crossovers. Once confined largely to farmers and off-road enthusiasts, they have become the default choice for everyone from young families to celebrities, offering higher driving positions, greater practicality and enough space to serve as the household's only car.

Simon England, founder of ALA Insurance, said: "High production costs, combined with weak sales, mean there's little appetite for innovation in this segment."

There are wider social changes at work too. During the convertible boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, they became familiar sights on the roads. Indeed, despite our unpredictable and rainy weather, the UK consistently bought more soft-tops than almost any other European country. They were aspirational but attainable, often bought as weekend cars or by empty-nesters.

But today, motorists are less willing to own a second vehicle. Persistently high living costs have forced households to prioritise practicality.

At the same time, the transition towards electric vehicles has favoured SUVs, whose larger dimensions make packaging heavy battery packs far easier than in low-slung sports cars.

Charge your hybrid cars more often to end reliance on petrol

Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor

Ministers will examine how to encourage drivers of plug-in hybrid cars to charge them more frequently and not rely on conventional fuels.

About one in five owners of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which combine a conventional petrol or diesel engine with an electric motor and rechargeable battery, have no access to home charging, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

The DfT will launch a consultation this week on relaxing strict rules on the sale of electric vehicles, including a "significant section" on plug-in hybrids.

A source said: "There is a recognition that PHEVs will play a major role in the transition to battery power but there are concerns over how often drivers are actually charging them and also about their real-world CO₂ impact."

Research by the European Commission found that PHEVs emitted 3.5 times more CO₂ in real-world driving than their official figures, largely because they were not being charged and driven electrically as often as assumed. It analysed data collected automatically by onboard fuel consumption monitoring systems in 320,000 plug-in hybrid cars.

Labour has pledged to ban the sale of pure-petrol and diesel cars from 2030. Hybrids will be permitted until

2035. While the headline position will not change, ministers are considering relaxing the zero-emission vehicle mandate, which stipulates how many e-cars must be sold each year. The mandate requires 13 per cent of new vehicles sold this year to be pure electric. It rises gradually to 80 per cent in 2030.

One option being examined is to cut that level significantly, potentially to 50 per cent, meaning half of vehicles sold by the end of the decade could still have a petrol engine and a battery. Another option is to increase the flexibilities available to manufacturers who are unable to fulfil the sales thresholds.

Research for the DfT, published in April, found that 21 per cent of PHEV drivers could not charge at home and relied on the public charging network, up from 12 per cent in 2024; 46 per cent had a dedicated home charger.

Senior industry figures agree that more needs to be done to encourage drivers of PHEVs to charge them more frequently because "the technology only works as intended if drivers understand how to use it."

Carmakers have lobbied for the rules to be relaxed, arguing organic demand for EVs is lower than forecast when the mandate was devised. The government said: "We've always said we'll review the mandate to support British industry and investment. Further details will be published in due course."

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News

Student paper silent on Arday plagiarism row that went global

Georgia Lambert

The University of Cambridge student newspaper has yet to cover the row surrounding Jason Arday despite it becoming an international news story.

The newspaper, Varsity, also rejected an opinion piece on the issue from a student. An email chain shared with The Times shows that Elizabeth Spring, 20, pitched an article titled “Cambridge is culpable for plagiarism row” last Tuesday. It was initially accepted but was later rejected, she was told, because a Varsity staff writer had a piece “ready to be published” that made a similar argument.

However, the paper, which operates independently of and free of financial control by the university, has yet to publish any coverage of the row surround-

Jason Arday at his PhD ceremony at Liverpool John Moores University

ing Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor when, aged 37, he was appointed in 2023.

Arday resigned on Wednesday as professor of sociology of education at Cambridge. The university began an investigation last week into his qualifications and honorary appointments, and he faces allegations that he plagiarised parts of his PhD thesis and other research. Arday has denied academic fraud. An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared him of wrongdoing. He is also accused of exaggerating claims about sporting and fundraising achievements.

Two events promoting Arday’s memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things,

which is due out in the UK on August 27, have been cancelled. Arday was due to take part in a “fireside chat” at an event organised by the Royal Geographical Society next month. The society’s website says the “session has been cancelled at the request of the speaker”.

An event at Topping & Company Booksellers in Edinburgh, where Arday was due to discuss his memoir, has also been cancelled.

Spring, a theology student at Girton College, said Varsity’s decision not to cover the row may have reflected “a reluctance to write about a story associated with the far right”. It may also have been influenced by the paper’s criticism of Nathan Cofnas, an academic who raised plagiarism allegations against Arday, she suggested.

Cofnas, who describes himself as a “race realist”, was dismissed from his Cambridge role in 2024 and Varsity has published criticism of his views on race.

The Times approached Varsity for comment.

Spring published her piece on Substack. It argues that Cambridge’s handling of the allegations was a “total failure” that allowed the matter to spiral into a wider culture war.

“What the chaotic unfolding of events has revealed is a total failure by the university at large to respond to allegations of academic misconduct in a thoughtful way,” she wrote. “In particular, the highly distressing snowball effect of the investigation into his academic work spilling into questions about his personal life could have been avoided if Cambridge had conducted a prompt and thorough investigation at the time when allegations were first raised several years ago.” She also criticised Cambridge for defending Arday before it had fully examined the evidence.

Fawning liberals laid ground for Arday farce, Trevor Phillips, page 37

Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar in Dominic Cooke’s stage prequel to the TV series

Plodding Westeros marathon is only for the most devoted

Theatre Clive Davis

Game of Thrones: The Mad King (220min) Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

★★★☆☆

This prequel to a blood-soaked dynastic saga wanders on for so long that it makes Christopher Nolan’s journey into Greek mythology seem a model of understatement. There’s no reason why the RSC shouldn’t bring George RR Martin’s epic books to the stage in Game of Thrones: The Mad King, but if Dominic Cooke’s stolid production at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre gives hardcore GoT fans a

chance to hunt for “Easter eggs”, it seldom comes close to matching the grim aura of the TV series.

If you’re of a sensitive disposition, you’ll be relieved to hear there’s no chance of a severed head landing in your lap. The sex, too, has been toned down. This family-friendly pagan venture has War Horse-style puppetry and stylised battle sequences that hint at mayhem without resorting to oceans of gore. And if you need a helping hand, the programme provides a family tree that sets out the tangle of bloodlines as the clans gather for the Great Tourney of Harrenhal, the event that sets off the remorseless cycle of retribution.

You can see why Martin’s admirers detect parallels with Shakespeare’s history plays. The novels, after all, draw on similar internecine dynamics. Sadly, Duncan Macmillan’s script is sorely lacking in poetry. Events plod forward, one after the other, and although Michael Shaeffer is utterly compelling as the cruel and chronically unstable monarch Aerys, other performances seem nuance-free. Too many lines are simply shouted. You expect better of the RSC.

Chloe Lanford’s cross-shaped set design, dominated by a huge arch, is undeniably eye-catching. As the piece develops, though, that unorthodox format begins to cramp the drama. An iron throne appears at one end, but the minimal scenery leaves you focusing on costumes that look surprisingly cheap and combat scenes which, using all too familiar slow-motion techniques, soon begin to pall.

Perhaps it all looks more imposing from higher up in the auditorium. All I can say is that, sitting in the stalls next to the runways, I was distracted by the close-up view of the puppeteers controlling the otherwise impressive jousting horses created by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell. It’s similarly off-putting to see technicians wielding larger-than-life suits of armour in battles.

Callum Woodhouse brings ample swagger to the role of Robert Baratheon. Harmony Rose-Bremner gives us a defiant Lyanna Stark. As the young Eddard, the diminutive Michael Abubakar could not form more of a contrast to the brooding, granite-faced ruler portrayed by Sean Bean on the small screen. It goes without saying that there are more than enough GoT devotees to keep the box office ticking over for the rest of eternity, but only the most dedicated of them will have the energy for this marathon. To September 5, rsc.org.uk

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13

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Steam railways switch to diesel as coal costs rise

Marieta Marinova

A day trip on a heritage railway is a staple of the British summer for many families. This year, however, many are finding themselves hauled by diesel locomotives rather than steam engines, as heatwaves and rising coal prices force operators to turn to alternatives.

Wildfire risks from spark-emitting engines and concerns for the wellbeing of staff have led heritage lines to either suspend steam services or run hybrid timetables blending steam and diesel.

For the volunteer-led team at Swanage Railway in Dorset, substituting one of the steam services for diesel was a difficult decision. "It's not what our passengers want," said Ben Ford, the chairman. "They want a steam engine at the front of their trains, but we are struggling to afford it. The cheapest, good quality steam coal available to us was coming from Russia, but since the Ukraine war that hasn't been possible."

Importing the fossil fuel from places as far as Colombia and Australia meant the cost of running the railway between Norden and Swanage almost quadrupled. "Before the war, we were looking at around £100 a tonne. Now it is closer to £400," Ford said. Depending on mileage, Swanage steam engines consume between two and four tonnes of coal a day.

The railway relies on 32 paid staff and 450 volunteers, who welcomed some 200,000 visitors last year. To keep operations viable, the line now runs a split timetable of one steam train alongside a diesel service.

A number of heritage operators, including Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in West Yorkshire, the Watercress Line in Alresford, Hampshire, and Middleton Railway in south Leeds, have implemented similar measures or halted steam temporarily.

While some struggle with the price of coal, others are disappointed by the quality they receive. Adam Giles, chairman of Northampton Steam Railway, said: "It is nowhere near what we used to get from Ffos-y-fran, which

was absolutely brilliant." Ffos-y-fran in south Wales, the UK's last opencast coal mine, ceased operations in 2023.

"It's the size of coal as well," Giles said. "Anything too small doesn't work in the engines, it will just fall through the grate." As Colombian coal travels thousands of miles on ships, it degrades before reaching Northampton and "sometimes may even just be dust."

Giles said that "we would normally run steam from the beginning of July until September, but the last month or so it has been diesel every weekend", with staff wellbeing the No 1 priority, as cab temperatures frequently pass 40C. "It is a massive ask expecting someone to shovel a tonne and a half of coal inside what is effectively a sauna for a whole day," he added.

But even diesel offers little financial refuge, Rebecca Dalley, chief executive of the Watercress Line, said: "Almost every day we think whether we would cover the costs of our lovely but rather expensive heritage railway," she said.

Heritage railways are increasingly looking at add-ons. Dalley said: "We've put on a special train to go and watch the solar eclipse on August 12... We have Thomas the Tank Engine [events] on at the moment, we'll have Santa events and we do dining experiences."

Ian Smith, vice-president of the Middleton Railway Trust, said it was also proving harder to recruit volunteers. "Railway preservation has depended on people who are early retirees looking for something to do. But we don't get those now as the pension age has been going up and up." He added that "younger people are not as attracted to railways as they used to be".

Despite the challenges this summer, Steve Oates, chief executive of the Heritage Railway Association, said that no heritage operator had ceased operations. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to think how we are going to keep this priceless cultural heritage operating," he said. "But heritage railways are still massively popular attractions, and they are all working very hard to think of new ways to attract customers."

First osprey chicks hatch at RSPB reserve in England

The RSPB is celebrating after ospreys bred at one of its nature reserves in England for the first time.

A pair of the birds of prey successfully hatched three chicks at Campfield Marsh, a wetland on the shores of the Solway Firth in Cumbria, in June.

Ospreys, which are a large fish-eating species typically seen over large bodies of water such as estuaries or lakes, overwinter in west Africa before flying to Europe to breed in the spring.

They were persecuted in the early 20th century, but returned to Scotland in the 1950s and have recolonised

Eggs laid in spring hatched in June

other parts of the UK. Campfield Marsh has an osprey platform to attract the birds and the adults who have nested there are thought to be first-time parents.

The male was ringed in Dumfries in 2021 but the female had no ring. Eggs were laid between April 30 and May 6 and the chicks hatched in June.

The RSPB's Mhairi Maclauchlan said: "We were on tenterhooks after the eggs were laid until they hatched. There was huge collective sigh of relief when they did. Osprey parents are surprisingly tender despite their large size."

She added that ospreys were loyal birds and often returned to the same breeding ground.

Locomotives cross the Brooksbottom Viaduct near Bury, Greater Manchester. Some heritage rail lines have halted steam services temporarily over the cost of coal, wildfire risks and the temperature in cabs during heatwaves

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14

News

HMP Birmingham grows vegetables for food banks and flowers for its fences

Hope blooms for inmates at work in prison garden

Sanchez Manning Social Affairs Correspondent

Manicured flowerbeds filled with colourful displays of mangolds, geraniums and roses are punctuated with lush green ferns and shaded by the overhanging branches of apple trees. For a moment one might mistake it for a bucolic corner of Kew Gardens. But a quick glance at the huge steel fences

and the reality sets in — this leafy oasis is inside HMP Birmingham.

It is one of two impressive gardens created by prisoners that are part of a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) programme to grow vegetables for local food banks.

For the inmates, the scheme is also a key mental health lifeline. A number of the men entering HMP Birmingham, a category B prison that has hosted Fred West, the Birmingham Six and Ozzy Osbourne, suffer from debilitating mental health problems that pre-date their imprisonment, the prisoners said. The gardens, the inmates stated, were one of the few places of respite.

Working in the gardens can be transformative, said the prison guard Amin Faraji, who organises the work. He told of how one prisoner, 29, who is severely autistic and has a mental age of four to six, went from being effectively mute when he first entered the prison to speaking freely after he began gardening.

“Now his confidence has come up and he talks all the time,” Faraji said. “On the outside an old couple looked after him who had an allotment, so he was used to being in the allotment and it made sense for him to be here.”

A 59-year-old inmate who had grown sweet peas, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers said that the garden had helped with his psychosis and depression. “It’s a godsend being in here really,” he said. “The system is crumbling and there’s no cohesive treatment for people like me. You can relax in the garden and find your own space. I’m more green-fingered now than I’ve ever been. The best part is getting out of the cells. Being locked up is like being trapped in your own mind.”

One prisoner, 42, from Brazil, had also grown flowers and vegetables, as well as building planters. “It’s bedlam on the wing,” he said. “You come out here and you’re living again.” Under the

RHS prison garden programme, which is run in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and also operates in prisons in Manchester and Liverpool, inmates grow vegetable “plugs” — young starter plants grown from seed — that are passed on to community gardens who continue the growing process to fruition. The harvested vegetables are then distributed to charities and food banks.

Inmates are allowed to work in the gardens for a few hours in the morning and then a couple of hours later on, sometimes every day in the summer. But to be given this “privilege” they must pass the highest level of security.

“They have to go through an interview process,” Clare Sulaway, head of education, skills and work at HMP Birmingham, said. “Anyone who’s been in possession of a weapon or is detoxing cannot be involved and they can’t have any negative marks.”

Faraji, who has worked as a “land-based instructor” in the prison garden for three years, said his aim was for prisoners to grow 1,500 vegetable plugs for the RHS programme per year. Faraji admitted that he got as much out of the garden as the inmates did. “I used to be an officer on a wing, but coming out to work in the garden has been a lot more meaningful, not just for the prisoners but for me as well,” he said.

Sulaway added: “It’s about the ability of nature to give the men purposeful activity. If a man is engaged in purposeful activity, he is less likely to reoffend.” She said the prison was planning a third garden with a polyfunnel.

Sarah Galvin, head of national community programmes at the RHS, said the programme was a win for everyone. “Working with local prisons means community gardens can jump-start their growing while also promoting green skills and helping in the rehabilitation of the prison community.”

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Cringeworthy public displays are sign of healthy romance

Victoria Allen

Public displays of affection are all the rage among celebrity couples such as the singer Dua Lipa and her actor husband, Callum Turner.

While some may frown, such overt displays are linked to greater happiness in relationships, a study suggests.

Researchers asked 461 people to rate how strongly they engaged in a list of public displays of affection (PDAs), which included holding hands, hugging and kissing in public, and declaring their love in front of family and friends.

People who engaged in more PDAs were found to have greater relationship satisfaction. However, the study, published in the scientific journal Ploo One, also found that people who were affectionate more often privately had even higher relationship satisfaction.

The study found the link between PDAs and relationship satisfaction across people in Poland, Indonesia and Nepal, which have different attitudes

towards the acceptability of PDAs. It led the researchers to conclude it may be important for people’s relationship happiness across cultures.

Dagna Kocur of the University of Silesia in Poland, who led the study, said: “Affectionate behaviour is one of the ways people communicate closeness, love and emotional connection.

“Even small everyday gestures like holding hands, hugging or kissing can help partners feel valued, emotionally secure, and connected to each other.”

There is evidence that people deprived of affection are more at risk of depression, anxiety and health problems. Those in the study were aged 18 to 49. To further investigate whether affection causes happier relationships, the academics will next examine PDA in a larger group of 1,000 people across nine countries, including the UK.

Previous research has found women show affection more frequently than men, and that men often prefer kissing, while women prefer hugging.

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Hard day’s knights put stress to the sword

Getting medieval on friends wearing full armour is the new way to unwind after work, Sam Blackett discovers

When Alistair Dean gets home from work as a tree officer, he changes out of his suit and puts on his steel armour.

On Wednesday evenings and the odd weekend, the 37-year-old is a modern-day knight, taking part in the full-contact sport buhurt — from the old French verb béhourd (“to wallop”) — where teams of up to 150 fighters face off in head-to-toe medieval armour.

“I genuinely believe this is better than therapy,” he said. “Nothing says midweek therapy, when your boss has been a bit of an idiot to you, like coming out and knocking seven lumps out of your best mate. It’s a good stress buster.”

Buhurt has one goal: take your opponent to the ground, be that by using mixed martial arts or smashing opponents with heavy steel swords, axes or maces.

Dean is one of the top warriors at Invicta Medieval Combat, one of the dozens of teams competing at Loxwood Joost over the first three weekends of August.

The event is part of a medieval festival in West Sussex, which is where Sophie Wills, a 32-year-old digital project manager, first “fell in love” with the sport. She joins weekly Invicta training sessions in London.

“I often come to work with some bruises and other bits,” she said. “Luckily all of my colleagues know what I do.”

While buhurt, which was officially recognised as a sport in 2013, gained social media fame through its costume and novelty image, its representatives are eager to shake off the theatrical label.

“People see the armour and they see the swords and they think it’s either re-enactment or Larp [live-action role play] where it’s all fake and it’s choreographed. And it isn’t,” Dean said. “We’re not out to make-believe. When people get hit and they go down, it’s because they are hurt.”

The sport operates under strict regulations, and weapons are required to meet “bluntness” standards while combat rules are policed by international governing bodies. Beyond the physical toll — broken bones and concussions are common — buhurt can demand large financial investment. A full set of competition-legal armour costs up to £6,000.

Dean thinks events such as Loxwood are a step towards buhurt gaining mass appeal. “I think more people need to be involved in their history,” Dean said. “And if this is a doorway to allow people into history, then that’s great.”

Members of the Invicta Medieval Combat group fight at a festival in West Sussex, and try to stay cool. The steel weapons are blunted but the broken bones are real

Whitney Houston Barbie doll reminds us how she used to be

Lara Bowman

Whitney Houston has joined the starry pantheon of singers who have been immortalised as Barbie dolls.

Clad in a lilac bodycon midi dress and white and blue heels, with her face framed by a halo of curls and rainbow drop earrings, Houston’s doll joins the ranks of Diana Ross, Stevie Nicks and Kylie Minogue.

Released yesterday, on what would have been the singer’s 63rd birthday, the doll mimics the singer’s outfit from the 1987 music video for I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), which

helped to catapult her to global stardom, and comes with a miniature microphone stand.

It is the latest in a series of honours recognising Houston’s 40-year musical legacy, including the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Award.

The doll was created with the help of Pat Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law and executor of her estate, who said that it had been decades in the making. “Whitney had never really endorsed anything, and we started having conversations about her brand ... we talked about a Mattel doll 20 years ago,” she

The doll was released on the late singer’s birthday

told People magazine. She added that the late singer had “really wanted to invest time” in a doll that celebrated her role in the 1992 film The Bodyguard and its towering rendition of I Will Always Love You.

The outfit choice was a “no-brainer”. Pat said, adding that Mattel had nailed every detail “down to the earrings, to the colour of the hair, to the colour of the dress, to the details on the shoes”.

Nathan Baynard, the vice-president and head of Barbie at Mattel, said: “Whitney Houston’s music has been the soundtrack to countless moments for fans around the world. Barbie is

proud to honour her extraordinary legacy.” He added that the doll “celebrates [Houston’s] unmistakable style, joy and spirit”.

The singer joins a signature series that also includes Tina Turner, Miley Cyrus, Gloria Estefan and David Bowie and the Mexican singer Juan Gabriel. The honour is not taken for granted: Minogue marvelled at her doll and said that “Baby Kylie would NOT believe this is happening right now”.

Houston won six Grammy awards and sold close to 200 million records worldwide. She died in 2012 aged 48 in an accidental drowning in a bathtub.

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TIMES Events

Caitlin Moran on How to be Hopeful

Join us for a brilliantly funny and uplifting evening as Times columnist Caitlin Moran hits the stage for the London instalment of her nationwide tour. In conversation with her friend and colleague – Times Radio presenter Hugo Rifkind – Caitlin will unravel the themes of her essential new book, How to be Hopeful: A Year of Attempting to Feel Less Awful About the World.

Thursday, September 17 | 7.30pm

St Mary’s Church, Bryanston Square, London, W1H 1PQ

Book your tickets at thetimes.com/events

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20mph speed limits play havoc with the mind

Libby Purves Page 19

Comment

Fawning liberals laid ground for Arday farce

Many black professionals will now face false accusations that they owe advancement to colour rather than character

@TREVORPTWEETS

In 1981 an ambitious young staffer on the Washington Post reported the story of an eight-year-old heroin addict, whom she called 'Jimmy'. She claimed to have watched him injecting and described the 'needle marks' in his 'thin brown arms'. Janet Cooke's story led the paper's front page. The Post's star reporter, Bob Woodward of Watergate fame, submitted Cooke's report for a Pulitzer prize, which she duly won.

Cooke refused to divulge Jimmy's true identity. Within days it became clear why. The story was fake. But it was the inconsistencies in Cooke's account of her own background that set the hounds on her trail, rather than any suspicions about the story itself. For example, she claimed to speak four foreign languages, but was unable to respond coherently to questions in any of them. Cooke eventually admitted to fabricating the piece, as well as to embellishing her CV, and resigned.

She disappeared from public life, but the story was begging to be fictionalised, the Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Márquez quipped that while it may have been unfair that she won the Pulitzer, it was even more unfair that she didn't win the Nobel prize for literature.

It will become apparent sooner or later whether Jason Arday should compete for the Booker prize. It may be that he is an innocent abroad, manipulated by wokest radicals into

telling a story he thought they wanted to hear. Or it could turn out that he is a world-class grifter who spotted the opportunity to exploit the compassion of naive liberals.

What is evident in both Arday's case and that of Cooke is that their fictions were far too readily accepted by a mostly white, liberal establishment. Both of them told everyone the story they wanted to hear. Cooke subsequently admitted that she concocted her story because she knew that unless she gave her bosses what they wanted, latent prejudice in the industry would ensure she never got off the 'urban' stories beat. Arday, apparently bemused, told a reporter: 'To be honest with you, I thought you would just believe me. Why would I lie?'

Arday is professionally ruined, even if Hollywood does step in with lucrative compensation for the rights to the tale of his downfall. The hue and cry will already have been

Arday will cost many worthy academics their next promotion

devastating for him. But I find it hard to be too sympathetic. He will have changed employers' risk calculus and will, I believe, cost many worthy academics their next promotion. And the brutal truth is that he must have known that the academic, media and political classes' gushing embrace of his mediocre talent owed everything to his colour and nothing to his capability. No black person wants to be a diversity hire, but we all know when it's coming our way.

The outstanding American military leader of his generation, Colin Powell, later US secretary of state, said that he'd be damned if he

would become 'the poster child for the brothers or for guilty white liberals', but even he, in part, knew when he benefited from his race. Many will be wondering whether their workmates now believe that they owe advancement, not to what Martin Luther King would have called the content of their character, but the colour of its packaging.

True racists will be cock-a-hoop. Arday's principal prosecutor, Nathan Cofnas, a former Cambridge researcher, averred that in a true meritocracy black people would 'disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment'. Though bigots like Cofnas should not be prevented from saying what they think, no university should be required to associate itself with such bilge.

And Cofnas's implication of racial bias towards blacks is simply wrong. Story after story asserting that it has been deployed to the disadvantage of white people in universities, the armed forces, politics and elsewhere have been routinely disproved. And if there are such practices being commonly adopted, they are strikingly ineffective, about 270 out of some 24,000 professorial posts are held by black individuals. Yet, powered by the academic excellence of African immigrant families, about half of black 18-year-olds go to university, compared with less than 30 per cent of whites. These kids do not need affirmative action, they need a fair chance, and the Arday affair will deprive many of that opportunity.

Any wider damage caused by Arday's alleged fictions won't be undone soon. The biggest casualty will be Cambridge's reputation: his departmental boss, Hilary Cremin, allowed herself to be filmed fawning over her new recruit, lauding his slim dossier of work as the 'best in the

Jason Arday's fictions will hurt the University of Cambridge's reputation

world', apparently ignoring the groundbreaking research of figures such as Stanford's Thomas Sowell, Harvard's Lawrence Bobo, Yale's Elijah Anderson or Chicago's William Julius Wilson, or the insights of the doyenne of race and education research in Britain, Heidi Safia Mirza of University College London. Or maybe she has never heard of them, in which case how is it possible that she herself had been appointed?

If Arday is proved to have lied, these were lies that people not of his race either could not see or else feared to point out. Tracey Scott Wilson, the American author of an upcoming National Theatre play, The Story, inspired by the Janet Cooke scandal, told me last week that pretty much every black reporter in Washington could see the truth of Cooke's fiction instantly. 'She talked about him

having very expensive sneakers and clothes. And if you live in a drug den, you don't have expensive sneakers and clothes because you sell everything for drugs. That's the whole point of having a drug den.'

The panel that selected Arday for his Cambridge job evidently bought his story lock, stock and barrel, as did his publishers and the many organisations that invited him to judge awards and competitions. But

I wouldn't have bought his story of school truancy for a minute

not one of them shared his background, just reading the account of, for example, his parents' behaviour. I think most black folks would have smelt a rat. There is a reason why that ethnic group outperforms all but Indians and Chinese students academically. They keep their children on a tight leash. Arday's Mami and Papa must be the only Ghanaians in Britain who somehow failed to notice when their son bunked off school to play snooker. I wouldn't have bought his story for a minute.

It will be impossible to stop those who have always wanted to turn back the clock from using Arday to prosecute their racial case. We will hear that there are too many people of colour in parliament, in academia, reading the news, even in advertisements and that too many appointments to high-profile roles are for show, meretricious rather than meritworthy. But the fact is, in a society where we still do not know each other as well as we might across the lines of race, if you want to spot the fakes, you may need more DEI, not less. Diversity in decision making is not the problem. It is the solution.

Your destination for parenting this summer

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Comment

Let's cut the Covid generation some slack

As they try to find jobs, we don't appreciate the scars lockdown left on swathes of teenagers

@CINDYXIJADANYU

The kids are not alright. More than a million of them are not in work, education or training. Many of those Neets aren't even looking for work. Jobs for graduates are down by 7 per cent since last year, while anxiety and depression are up 10 per cent since 2000.

Employers complain that they're having to look after the mental health of this generation more than they did before. They don't drink, they don't have sex, they're afraid of phone calls, even though they're never away from their phones.

The blame has been laid at various doors. TikTok, smartphones, over-therapising, over-diagnosing, the welfare state. Or it's indulgent parents, or tax teachers, or it's just that the kids themselves are simply too fragile. But in the entire discussion there is one conspicuous absence. Isn't it odd that we never talk about Covid any more?

You know, those two years of our lives spent in on-off lockdowns? PCR tests, vaccines, bubbles, the rule of six, whether a Scotch egg constitutes a substantial meal in a pub, and so on? This time six years ago, the first lockdown had just ended and we were eating out to help out. Five years ago, the "pinguemic" caused

chaos by app. It was only four years ago that summer exams returned for the first time since 2019.

I still feel a shiver of dread when I think back to those times. Short of war, when has there ever been such an all-encompassing disruption to so many people's lives? In the years since then, normality has returned remarkably quickly. But a condition of that restoration seems to be an unspoken agreement to forget about the pandemic. We've developed collective amnesia.

Covid hasn't gone away, but who would hat an eyelid these days if they or someone they knew had it? Meanwhile, the extensive Covid inquiry rumbles on, now about

Online chat forums replaced hanging out together — and stuck

halfway through publishing its reports. The detail with which it's looking at everything from test and trace to PPE is surely the kind of reckoning that we should want, to get closure for the way our lives were upturned. But I feel that you, like me, have been reluctant to properly engage with it. Doing so would mean thinking about those terrible times again.

But this memory wipe also means there is too little discussion of the scars and bruises that were left. I think this is particularly the case for kids and teenagers, whose formative years were disrupted. Growing up is a time when you learn social cues, form your own identity, imagine

your future career and start to make preparations to leave the nest. What's three years of working from home for a 50-year-old? But for a 15-year-old, it's a much bigger chunk of their life.

My brother was one of those 15-year-olds. He's now 21, fresh out of university, and technically a Next Lockdown hit in the first year of GCSEs, and from the rigorous demands of a very academic school to suddenly talking to his teachers on Zoom in his bedroom, he says that school became much, much easier. Some syllabuses were reduced, as teachers and exam boards worried about the disruption, grades were inflated as teacher assessments replaced real exams and, in this new, largely virtual world, it became much easier to cheat ("hypothetically", he hastens to add).

Outside of studying, there were none of the usual teenage antics. No parties, first dates, drinking in the park, loitering around the high street. These might sound trivial but all of this socialising quietly moulds a still-growing brain. It teaches teens how to behave with one another, how to set boundaries and who they are as people. Face-to-face time became online time — he and his friends did all their socialising on Discord, an audio-chat forum akin to a virtual common room. That's still the main way they talk to each other now.

He's surprised when I tell him that when I was 15 my state comprehensive encouraged and helped us to use our holidays for unpaid work experience. I went to a local MP's constituency office, which was invaluable for me to a) figure out

that I didn't want to go into politics but b) come across the degree of politics, philosophy and economics for the first time, which I ended up studying three years later.

Such work experience was the norm for schools in England in the 1990s and 2000s. Through the 2010s fewer schools offered the support, but Covid was the real clincher. Between 2019 and 2021, the proportion of schools in which the majority of students did some kind of work experience fell by a third. My brother's school didn't organise any careers fairs or encourage any work experience for the cohort locked down in their bedrooms.

At the time, much ink was spilt across the think tanks of Westminster about the "Covid generation". They warned about young people's mental health, about their educational outcomes, about their unpreparedness for the world of work. All the effects that they warned about then have come to fruition today. And it's even worse, because economic stagnation and the advent of AI have cut down even more opportunities.

But few grown-ups, it seems, want to explicitly make the link to Covid. Instead, we sneer at the fragility of Gen Z, their weird puritan habits, and retort, "In my day..." to the youngsters who complain about how hard it is to find a job. But the stuff we took for granted in our day was denied to this cohort, in the name of saving older generations from disease. Now they're finding their way in the world. Let's cut them some slack.

Competitions are best way to boost British start-ups Tris Dyson

The prime minister wants pension funds to invest £1 billion in British start-ups. As has been pointed out, it's not the job of pension funds to support the government's growth agenda — their duty is to member outcomes. That doesn't preclude investing in British start-ups but it must be based on the potential returns, not geography.

Thanks to smaller pools of available venture capital, UK innovators face big challenges securing funding compared with US and Chinese competitors. In 2024, UK start-up funding dropped to £6.2 billion, while US counterparts raised more than £65 billion. The UK's lower risk appetite spreads capital across many smaller bets. It's rare to see big, radical investments and innovators can spend more time chasing funding than scaling breakthroughs.

Andy Burnham's £1 billion fund aims to shift this, emulating the type of pension investments seen in Australia. It seems to me unlikely that UK pension funds will suddenly discover a greater risk appetite than venture capital firms. So how can this work? We need to identify winners. A series of UK-helmed Longitude Prizes built around national industrial and social priorities should become the mechanism for identifying and advancing a multitude of UK start-ups (and their technologies) first.

Unlike R&D grants, which fund a promise of innovation, challenge prizes incentivise innovators to solve a problem with staged seed funding, business support and a large cash reward for the best solution once it is proven to work. This means multiple approaches to the same problem are judged, progressed and developed, turning concepts and ideas into successful enterprises.

Competitors in the Open Up challenges established a market for open banking technologies in the UK, with many of the contenders and winners, from Fluidly to Moneybox, cementing London as the world's leading fintech hub. The runner-up in the Dynamic Demand Challenge grew from an idea to manage the intermittency of renewables to become Kraken Technologies — the tech that sits behind Octopus's smart EV charging infrastructure — which was spun off this year and valued at £6 billion.

Start-ups need investment but pension funds need assurance that they are picking winners. A new generation of Longitude Prizes, incentivising advances in everything from advanced materials and energy security to neurodegenerative diseases, can create that pipeline. Identifying stress-tested, high-potential British businesses de-risks the choice for pension funds so they can continue to prioritise member outcomes.

Tris Dyson is founder and executive director of Challenge Works

Sathnam Sanghera Notebook

What's with this finger lickin' food obsession?

The other day I spoke at a school, as I regularly do, and, at the end, braced myself for a bunch of wild questions. This is how it goes with kids: you speak for an hour about history, about journalism, and then face a barrage of entirely unrelated queries about your preferred football team, your salary, what car you drive.

Though this time, the interrogation was even more bizarre than usual for almost every query related to the eight hours I once spent working at KFC for an article on the brand. The students had seen the photograph that illustrated the piece, it drowned out any interest they might have had in anything else and it confirmed what I have feared for a while chicken is now our culture.

It is everywhere. Politicians are asked about their "cheeky" Nando's orders. Chicken Shop Dale and Hot Ones are two of the biggest things

on social media. Chicken shops have colonised most high streets. And Mo Gilligan has just made a Netflix documentary about Britain's £12 million-a-day fried chicken industry. When I was growing up, we would fetishise McDonald's and the occasional pizza. But we didn't make it our entire purpose in life. What the hell are they putting in those battery chickens?

Imax-ed out

I watched The Odyssey at an Imax because everyone kept telling me that is how Christopher Nolan planned for it to be seen, and the experience was terrible. Everyone is doing the same, which means the queues for popcorn are longer than those for Boxing Day sales at Next and staff barely have time to clean between packed end-to-end screenings. The sound is too loud, about 20 per cent of the dialogue was inaudible. And unless you are in a strip of seats down the middle of the room, it's like watching a film on your neighbour's TV through your living room window.

In seat E63 I didn't have the intended

immersive experience, I had the experience of watching people in better seats have an immersive experience. Though it's a sign of how good the film is that I still liked it. I'd just like to watch it again on a regular screen, and see more of Matt Damon than his knees.

Respect to Fleet

There isn't much to be inspired by in British politics at the moment, but respect to Natalie Fleet, who stepped down recently as safeguarding minister after finding the role "overwhelmingly triggering", telling the BBC that it was making her ill. The Labour MP, who was groomed and raped as a teenager, told the new prime minister that she "sadly couldn't stay" in the post.

How refreshing to hear someone admit they can't do a job, for entirely understandable human reasons. It reminded me of Estelle Morris, who resigned as education secretary in 2002 because she admitted she could not cope with running a massive government department. And it made me recall the experience of once taking a trustee role at a charity for people with severe mental

illness. With two people in my family suffering from such conditions, I found the issues we dealt with too close to home and didn't extend my tenure.

It left me with lifelong respect for people who take the worst thing that has happened to them and work to help others in a similar situation. And with deep appreciation for anyone, like Fleet, who tries but is frank about not being ready. I hope her rare honesty means she is given another chance elsewhere soon.

Motorway madness

In yet another case of outrageous southern bias, in a survey Kent's M20 was named England's best major road, and the M27 in Hampshire the worst.

Sure, the M27 has seen long-running work, but have you been on the M1 recently? It is a nightmare of "smart" features that don't work, inexplicable roadworks, congestion, erratic speed cameras and people who cannot see or drive straight. Conversely, the M40 was rated some way below the M20, when it has everything you could want in a major road: no speed cameras for long stretches, a physical hard shoulder, a branch of Pizza Express in one of its service stations and the glory of the West Midlands at the end of it.

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Comment

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20mph speed limits play havoc with the mind

More than two million people took speed awareness courses in Britain last year — very few of them were boy racers

Libby Purves

@LIR_THINKS

There is a low, dark humour in collecting excuses for speeding offences. They vary from “nagging wife” or urgent lavatory visit to the motorcyclist in winter leathers who “needed wind to cool him” and a woman who told police her windswept hairdo made her “look fast”, even when she wasn’t. Even better when it’s a famous name in court: actors heading for shoots, a TV chef taking a cat to the vet, assorted arrogant footballers.

But the newest self-exculpator is Lynda La Plante, the creator of Prime Suspect. She’ll win public sympathy, not just because she’s 83 and drives her dog to the park but, as she excitedly told the court, she needs to meet criminals for her research as they like to be “very choosy of the location”. The real surge of empathy will be because what she repeatedly broke was a 20mph limit with “confusing” signs to indicate a drop from 30 to 20mph, a speed camera only 10 seconds beyond the 20mph sign, and “cyclists

overtaking and almost hitting the bumper”. There’s bitter irony both in a cyclist shooting past in a reckless exemption and the artful closeness of the camera to the sign.

The surge in such 20mph limits, which now cover half of London, with plans for many more, is not only the capital’s project. In the past six months 1,000 miles of British roads were restricted to 20mph, notably in Glasgow, Cornwall and Solihull. In Wales it’s a default in urban areas. The result is a huge rise in offences and fines. And, since insurance companies wanting to know about licence points don’t differentiate between an 85mph hooligan in a Jag and an anxious cat lady hitting 24 in a tangle of bikes

Cabbies complain that London is now the world’s slowest capital

and bus lanes, there’s an equally dizzy rise in speed-awareness courses.

Last year, 2.23 million people paid for a three-hour solemn seminar — online or in person. As the limit spreads there’ll be more. Some for the usual reasons of haste, frustration or inattention, but since many of us still drive a manual car, a few offences will occur because 20mph happens to sit at an awkward gap

between second and third gear. If you drop to 15mph, people hoot at you.

Cards on the table, I heartily approve of speed-awareness courses. Launched in 2003, they have had real influence on casualty levels. I confess to attending three, at very long intervals: never for anything more thrilling than 36mph, honest. They are interesting, engaging, civilly non-judgmental and, if you’re lucky enough to get an in-person one, a great way to make acquaintances. It’s not quite what the rom-com industry calls a “meet cute” but there have been actual marriages.

You learn statistics, re-learn arcana about dual-carriageway barriers, discuss videos of troublesome junctions. Occasionally, from the restless demeanour of Mr Angry or Ms Resentful at your table, you also get the useful reminder that some fellow-drivers are incurably dodgy. It makes you forever more watchful at corners.

I am also a willing-enough citizen regarding 20mph, and actually stand the odd chill or sweltering hour taking part in community speedwatch because our end-of-the-line village really needs it. But authorities need calm, serious judgment over speed limits, as with any authoritarian law. In London, the mayor Sir Sadiq Khan’s passion for extending the low limit makes professional drivers (notably cabbies)

complain that it’s the world’s slowest capital city, with roads clogged day and night even at its quietest.

Sometimes, as La Plante points out, the change is sudden and easy to ignore amid the forest of street furniture. A favourite argument from the solicitor known as “Mr Loophole” is that drivers’ concentration should be less on the speedometer than on complex road systems, buses, pedestrians and cyclists who shoot lights with

Any restriction on citizens needs balance and careful moderation

impunity and injure others with their reckless actions.

Meanwhile, there is a vocal campaign every summer to impose 20mph limits on small country roads: after all, while less than a fifth of the population are rural, two thirds of fatalities are. Cyclists would certainly find life less terrifying but it would massively raise online delivery times and costs, and immensely hamper tradesmen. Here, Sizewell C and solar farm roadworks made speeding offences shoot up by a third.

Of course safety matters; road deaths are tragic. But any restriction on citizens needs careful balance and moderation. People need to get

about. And, equally importantly, there are wider matters of psychology, ethics and social cohesion because people also need to be presumed, and required, to make responsible decisions. Modern cars are designed to coddle and reassure, bleep and warn, make their own decisions about headlights and distances, squeak anxiously if you change lane for a safe and necessary reason. The most educational part of speed-awareness courses is showing photographs of roads ahead and making attendees say aloud what they see, and what might happen. That’s constructive.

What is not constructive is when (as one tutor admitted) a local restriction is patently nuts, maybe connected more to a parish boundary than any habitation. In Suffolk, sometimes you come off a straight, pointless 30mph into 50mph just as the road starts to twist more dangerously. Why? Elsewhere there’s a mystery 20mph sign and a 30mph five paces apart: it’s been like that for 15 years. Then turn into a single-track lane and find the black diagonal of total de-restriction.

You know it would be nuts to attempt even 50mph, let alone 60mph, but also that someone else probably will. Because the sign was there, dammit, and they’ve just done miles of empty open road at 30mph for utterly unfathomable reasons.

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Letters to the Editor

NHS and social care

Sir, The debate on social care (letters, Aug 6-8) has focused almost entirely on how it supports the NHS. The equally important question is how the NHS supports social care. Andy Burnham is right to highlight the unfairness of England's social care system, but the injustice extends beyond who pays for care.

As an NHS nurse working in both community and acute settings, I have seen nursing home residents lose access to NHS community services such as specialist nursing and tissue viability. These services would often be available if the same patients remained in their own homes, not because of physical need but because of outdated commissioning arrangements. Much attention is given to hospital beds occupied by patients awaiting social care, illustrating the NHS's reliance on social care. Yet social care is equally dependent on NHS expertise. Denying nursing home residents equitable access to NHS community services increases pressure on care providers and contributes to avoidable hospital admissions.

Tina Charlton RGN, RSCN, DN Ret'd deputy chief nurse, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Tring, Herts

Burnham's tour

Sir, I hope that on his journey around Britain, Andy Burnham will visit Devon and specifically Ilfracombe, which has the lowest healthy life expectancy of any rural town in the country. Central Ilfracombe ranks as one of Devon's most economically deprived neighbourhoods, with roughly 30 per cent of town centre residents facing income hardship. Nearly four in ten children grow up in poverty. I also hope he will look at his devolution proposal and ponder how this could possibly help Ilfracombe.

Nicola Daniel Budleigh Salterton, Devon

Perpendicular pint

Sir, In your leading article 'Pleasures of Drinking' (Aug 7), Westminster council's proposal to ban 'vertical drinking' is referred to as a 'curious neologism'. It may be curious, but it is hardly a neologism, considering that 'perpendicular drinking' was quoted 125 years ago by B Seebohm Rowntree as being common in public houses serving the poor in York. Personally, I prefer the resonance of gothic church architecture in the older formulation — foolish or otherwise.

Professor Laura Vaughan Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

Corrections and clarifications

BGO Regulated / The Times takes complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation 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 block on Shapps's candidacy

Sir, Paul Goodman makes clear in his superb overview how crucial to understanding the Conservative leader's mindset is her extraordinary decision to bar Sir Grant Shapps from party candidacy ('Shapps ban bodes ill for Badenoch's 'Tories', Aug 8). As a floating voter I found Shapps an encouraging presence during his adept, energetic and polished performance in his various ministerial roles. Some of these roles were forced on him at short notice but he dealt with them with aplomb. The bar he now faces seems odd in that Kemi Badenoch wants 'new brooms' but has not spoken to Shapps, appearing to assume that he is the same person who served in previous Tory governments, that his political positions are past positions and that his application to stand cannot be motivated by new beliefs and convictions that might serve the country well.

Goodman spells out with exemplary cogency the folly that attends mere newness — 'new MPs... with little knowledge of Westminster or Whitehall... no memory of mistakes'. It might be worth Badenoch's time to at least talk to Shapps.

Peter Wood Stainton, Cumbria

Wealth creation

Sir, James Kanagasoniam was right to argue that Britain must support wealth creation (Aug 5, letters, Aug 6). But his analysis underestimates how present levels of wealth inequality undermine public confidence in that goal. Fourteen million people have less than £100 in savings, while a small number accumulate levels of wealth that confer outsized advantage. This widening gap between those who can build security and those who struggle to meet basic needs makes the promise of wealth creation feel distant from the lives of many people. In that context, asking those same people simply to believe in wealth creation is unlikely to succeed.

Research by the Fairness Foundation this year found that the public remained supportive of genuine wealth creation. When presented with different examples, 64 per cent viewed genuine innovation and entrepreneurship favourably, compared with just 28 per cent who said the same of private equity. Hence there is a clear mandate for government to support wealth creation, but that must be

Sir, It is hard not to agree with Paul Goodman when he suggests that the Commons would benefit from more MPs with experience. Indeed, Lord Lavoie made exactly this point (letter, Aug 5). In that context surely there must be a way in which Sir Grant Shapps could show 'true contrition' for his leadership and membership of the old Conservative Party, in a manner similar to the former neo-Nazi recently appointed as the party's anti-extremism adviser. The best way might be to follow the Chinese Communist Party approach and to appear in front of a public star chamber and recite at length that he rejects Boris, Liz, Theresa, David and all their works. I exclude Ruth, on the basis he is still a Tory party MP so is presumably acceptable.

Johnny Cameron Pewsey, Wilts

Sir, As an activist who assisted Grant Shapps for 24 years as a candidate and MP in the Welwyn Hatfield constituency, I think he was one of the finest campaigners in parliament. In refusing his candidacy, Kemi Badenoch has lost Shapps's services and the proven expertise he brought to the party. Experience seems to

count against an applicant. The former Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has similarly been reported to have applied to be a Conservative candidate at the next election. He had a not dissimilar career trajectory to Shapps time-wise, so it will be interesting to see if his application is also rejected.

Michael Leach Letchworth Garden City, Herts

Sir, Peter Phillips (letter, Aug 8) suggests that in allowing Joshua Bonehill-Paine to be an extremism adviser to the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch 'has most probably lost the Jewish vote'. Well she hasn't lost mine. Proportionately he has been deradicated for a third of his life. How long is long enough? Who better than a former poacher to become a gamekeeper? Ms Badenoch could have taken the easy way out by refusing to let Bonehill-Paine become a local authority candidate. Instead she did what was right, knowing the flak that would follow. And by even refusing to meet Bonehill-Paine, the (mostly Labour-supporting) Jewish leadership haven't exactly covered themselves in glory.

Jonathan Hoffman Southend, Essex

not. Is the next step for 'public opinion' to carry more weight than that of the CP's, which chose the charge of manslaughter rather than murder, the jury that heard the case, the judge who decided the sentence, or the MPs who approved the new law? If we are to become a society that wants public opinion to decide the fate of criminals in shocking cases, I fear we should prepare to bring back the gallows.

John Young Brighton

20mph takeover

Sir, Your article 'How 20mph is taking over towns' (Aug 8) omits one simple fact: profiteering by car insurance companies. They often use these penalties as an excuse to jack up car insurance premiums. My car insurance increased by 11,439 because I was caught by a speed camera doing 24mph in a 20mph zone. My accident history shows that I have not cost an insurance company one penny in more than 50 years. This is a ruthless exploitation of elderly, careful drivers.

Max Winberg Gerrards Cross, Bucks

Unease over college

Sir, I agreed with most of Francis Bown's letter (Aug 7) about his increasing concern for Jesus College, Cambridge, save that I believe it was correct to return the Benin Bronze, given its past association with slavery. However, this caused me to ask Sonita Alleyne, the master of Jesus College, why, if it was right to return the Benin Bronze, she felt it acceptable for Jesus College to receive money from the Chinese government, which has detained more than one million Cighors. I sent her proof of China's enslavement of the Uighurs by attaching articles from national newspapers. After much chivvying I received a long reply full of platitudes which completely failed to answer the question. I wrote again asking her to explain simply her contradictory approach to slavery. I received no further reply. A few months later I read in the media that Jesus College had stopped receiving money from China for its China Centre. Mr Bown is right to be concerned. I have already changed my will.

Peter Higgins Steeple Aston, Oxon

Dogs in the dock

Sir, How I laughed at Deborah Ross's piece ('Good for you? My dog put years on me', Aug 8). I agreed with everything she said, but there is a saying: 'There is no such thing as a bad dog, only an untrained owner.' All new owners should go on a course before having a dog. My first labrador was adorable but totally naughty. She ate everything she could find, including birthday party food for a friend's child, all bird food in neighbours' gardens and every Easter egg my children ever received. Over the years I have learnt to train them better. The joy a dog gives surpasses all the faults and the end is awful (read 'Kipling's The Power of the Dog'). But I don't think I could live without one the loyalty, companionship and sheer joy when one walks in the door make up for any misdemeanours.

Meg Atkins Hungerford, Berks

HMP Chequers

Sir, Further to Greg Jones's letter (Aug 5) suggesting Chequers, Chevening and Dorneywood etc be sold, why not simply turn them into prisons? The security that exists to prevent unauthorised access could be repurposed to prevent unauthorised egress.

Malcolm Bermange Radlett, Herts

Irksome jargon

Sir, In Ann Tenenman's quest for ghastly phrases (Aug 8), she found one she liked 'from the get-go'. I received a letter from O2 starting 'Hello Anne. We wanted to give you a heads up about a change we are making.'

It was about an increase in charges. I suppose the use of this phrase was meant to soften the blow, but it just made me cross that I should receive an official letter containing jargon.

Anne Steward Peterborough

Thrilling movie

Sir, After Last Tango in Powys (letter, Aug 8), perhaps we could head south for Dad M for Merlby?

Charlie Rapple Oxford

BIG CHANGES IN SPANISH THOUGHT

FROM THE TIMES AUGUST 10, 1926

From Spanish Number, a special edition of The Times

This Special Number is a testimony to the secular interest which the British people feel in the Spanish people, and an attempt to inform and extend that feeling by articles from writers of both nationalities upon the chief aspects of the Spanish life of to-day. But descriptions, however truthful and vivid, cannot convey to men and women of one race and history more than a vague and imperfect conception of the mind and the

habits of another. To lend precision and fullness to this conception personal intercourse is necessary, and it is hoped that these pictures of Spain and of Spanish manners from the Pyrenees to the Straits, and from Corunna to Barcelona, will stimulate the growing desire of Englishmen to visit one of the most renowned and most delightful lands upon the earth.

The message with which the Marquis de Estella honours us for publication in this Number will be the first feature to attract the attention of many readers by reason of the rare qualities he has shown as a leader of men, and of the unique position to which he has attained. This Number will have missed its object if it does not bring home to thousands of our countrymen the great change which Spanish thought is undergoing and the manifold possibilities it brings. Years must pass before they can be fully developed or entirely foreseen, but a glance at these columns shows

something of what has been done and something of what may be done with wisdom and with perseverance.

Our special articles cover a very wide range of interests. The financial and material situation of the country, its rich and diversified natural resources; its wealth in many minerals; the present development of agriculture and of mining, of industry, manufacture, commerce, markets and international trade; and the prospects for judicious investment which Spanish undertakings afford are among the material factors and problems examined and discussed with knowledge and intelligence. The general impression made by these studies is wonder and pleasure at the extent and the intensity of the movement which is permeating the moral and material life of Spain.

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

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THE TIMES | Monday August 10 2026 50

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Leading articles

Daily Universal Register

European Athletics Championships begin at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

Nature notes

Mugwort is a common wild plant of verges, hedgerows and waste ground. It can reach 1.5m tall and has strongly

aromatic, deeply divided leaves with a pale fur on their undersides, which can be collected and used to light fires. For centuries it's been used in traditional medicine and to flavour beer wherever it grows, from north Africa to Ukraine, where it gave its name to the city of Chernobyl. A tea made from its leaves is thought by some to promote local dreaming; a similar effect can supposedly be obtained from stuffing a pillow with dried mugwort and inhaling its fragrance. In the UK it rarely spreads by seeds, new plants instead springing up from sections of its rhizomatous roots. MELISSA HARRISON

Birthdays today

Tony Ross, pictured, illustrator, Pippi Longstocking, Horrid Henry, 88; Haifaa al-Mansour, film director, Mary Shelley (2017), the first female Saudi Arabian film-maker, 52;

Ian Anderson, rock musician, Jethro Tull, 79; Antonio Bandera, actor, The Mask of Zorro (1998), 66; Nicolas Berggruen, investor, founder of the Berggruen Institute (think tank), 65; Riddick Bowe, boxer, undisputed world heavyweight champion (1992), 59; Baroness (Elizabeth) Butler-Sloss, best justice of appeal (1988-99, the court's first female member), president of the family division (1999-2005), 93; Suzanne Collins, author, The Hunger Games trilogy, 64; Robert Crampton, columnist, The Times, and author, How to Be a Beta Mule (2017), 62; Andy Cresswell-Davis, musician, Stackridge, the opening band at the first Glastonbury festival (1970), 77; Lawrence Dallaglio, rugby union player, England (1995-2007), 54; Edward Guinness, Earl of Swagh, chairman, Elveden Farms, 57; Roy Keane, footballer, Manchester United (1993-2005), and manager, 55; Susan Lewis, novelist and memoirist, Don't Believe A Word (2025), 70; Anita Loudbrough, swimmer, Olympic gold medallist (1960), UK's first female flag bearer at a summer Olympics opening ceremony (Tokyo 1964), 85; Shaun Murphy, snooker player, world champion (2005), 44; Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, creative industries, media and arts minister, 50; Sir Michael Pepper, physicist, Pender professor of nanoelectronics, University College London, 84; Chris Read, cricketer, England (1999-2007) and Nottinghamshire CTC (1998-2017), 48; Juan Manuel Santos, Nobel peace prize (2016), president of Colombia (2010-18), 75; John Spencer, rugby union player, England (1969-71), president, Rugby Football Union (2017-18), 79; Justin Theroux, actor, The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026), and screenwriter, Zoolander 2 (2016), 55; Baroness (Rosie) Winterton of Doncaster, Labour MP for Doncaster Central (1997-2024), deputy speaker (2020-24), 68; Lord (Clifton) Wrottesley, chairman, Ice Hockey UK, former Olympian (skeleton), 58.

On this day

In 2014 Recep Tayyip Erdogan was voted in as Turkey's first directly elected president.

The last word

'Don't hold your parents up to contempt. After all, you are their son, and it is just possible that you may take after them.' Evelyn Waugh, writer, in The Tablet (May 5, 1951)

Net Positive

Andy Burnham has brought a welcome dose of pragmatism to Labour's unrealistic net zero plans. Energy bills must now be stabilised in an affordable manner

The inflexible pursuit of Labour's net zero targets never made economic sense. In Ed Miliband, the net zero agenda had a champion as immovable as he was doctrinaire. There was every fear that Mutha Fahnbulleh, the rising Labour star who has now stepped into the brief, would be another energy secretary in Mr Miliband's mould. She once served as his senior economic adviser and, as director of the left-wing New Economist Foundation think tank, recommended that Britain should accelerate its journey towards net zero, paid for by wealth taxes.

Ms Fahnbulleh's first weeks as energy secretary have instead introduced a welcome note of pragmatism. In an interview with this paper, she revealed her intention to relax meaningfully the government's most troublesome environmental target. Under Mr Miliband's clean power pledge, the UK would have had to eliminate virtually all fossil fuels from its power supplies by 2030, regardless of the pressure that would exert on household energy bills. That rigid target appears likely to be delayed by at least one or two years. That is sensible: overseeing an effective transition in Britain's energy mix requires keeping public sentiment on side. That in turn means household bills must be kept manageable: a concern that Mr

Miliband's strategy appeared to give little heed. Another pledge that banks destined to be moderated is Labour's mandate on electric vehicles. Mr Miliband's zero-emission vehicle mandate required that by 2030 only 20 per cent of cars were to have engines running on diesel or petrol. Hybrid cars were to be allowed only until 2035. It never made sense to pursue that goal while disregarding the reality of market forces. Demand for electric vehicles has simply not matured with the rapidity Mr Miliband's plans required — understandable, given the slow emergence of EV infrastructure. Last month, only 27.5 per cent of new car sales were battery electric vehicles. The Department for Transport is now rightly consulting on how to make its target more feasible: perhaps permitting half of cars to run on fuel come 2030.

Nothing about this more measured approach is indicative of failure. Britain has a climate legacy to be proud of. To date, the UK has decarbonised much more quickly than many of its peers. In 2004, renewables made up only 4 per cent of Britain's energy mix by 2024 they were more than half. The Labour government has hopefully realised that enforcing inflexible climate-related deadlines can do more harm than good. It would be more honest, and ultimately smarter politics, to

level with the British public about the compromises they face. It is for the sake of energy security that Ms Fahnbulleh should allow drilling for oil to proceed in the North Sea in the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. It would boost domestic production, obviating the risk of physical shortages during wars or other moments of disruption. It is a sensible hedge against geopolitical uncertainty.

Similar considerations support easing the dogmatic pursuit of net zero. Racing ahead to 2030 clean energy targets risks effectively: pegging domestic energy prices to the costs of offshore wind power — more expensive per unit than alternatives, such as solar and onshore wind. There is little evidence that Britain's shaky grid is up to accommodating the reorientation towards renewables, either. Whistleblowers at the UK's National Energy System Operator revealed that in June the UK came close to widespread blackouts on three occasions. Similar blackouts occurred last year in Spain and Portugal: the result, it seems, of systems that had been too rapidly reorientated to solar energy.

Making the transition to net zero as manageable and affordable as possible is not a retreat from a net zero future, but simply a realistic way of getting there.

A Tax Too Far

New levies on banks would damage economic growth and the UK's standing

When Andy Burnham talks of overthrowing four decades of economic consensus, there are several enemies on his mind. One is Margaret Thatcher, the predecessor who dominates his thoughts like no other. Another is what Mr Burnham lambasts as 'neoliberal' economics, in other words the reforms that transformed the UK's reliance on declining manufacturing to financial services. In the urgent search for new sources of revenue, it is possible that banks may be Mr Burnham's target in the budget to be delivered on October 28.

Such is the level of concern that notable figures are already warning about what may be ahead. One is Dame Jane Fraser, chief executive of Citigroup. She has expressed fears about a new bank tax in the UK, warning that 'money votes with its feet'. Dame Jane, who is Scottish and boss of the third-largest bank in the United States, has said there remains 'a desire and want for the UK to succeed'. Yet business leaders are right to argue that further taxes will make this ambition harder.

On a recent visit to London, Dame Jane pointed out that the tax rate for banks in the City was higher than for all its major competitors: 48 per

cent here, compared with 27 per cent in New York and 28 to 29 per cent in Dublin. Introducing some form of windfall tax on bank profits — an idea Mr Burnham has been urged to consider by backbench Labour MPs — would deter investment, reduce profits and ultimately make borrowing for ordinary customers more difficult.

This sentiment was echoed by Jamie Dimon, the JP Morgan chief executive, who said there would be 'adverse consequences' if the prime minister pursued banks for more tax. Like Citi, JP Morgan is constructing a significant new office in the UK in its case, a £3 billion tower in Canary Wharf for about half its 21,000-strong workforce here. Mr Dimon warned the previous chancellor, Rachel Reeves, that the project would not go ahead if she targeted banks in her last budget. She rightly heeded his warning and Mr Burnham should too.

The Burnham government may be in its early days, but it must realise the UK does not operate in a silo. Speaking in populist terms about clamping down on profligate capitalism will garner applause from the Labour faithful, but it does not work in the real world. Major employers

like Citi and JP Morgan will simply move their focus elsewhere, to ready-made alternatives in Europe, if the UK becomes less desirable for investment.

Since taking office, Mr Burnham has shown little sign that he appreciates the importance of profit and a well-functioning market economy. Financial services are one of the UK's bona fide success stories. Last year this sector and related services were responsible for 11 per cent of all economic output, equivalent to £290 billion. According to TheCityUK, a lobby group, they were responsible for employing 2.5 million people with two thirds of those jobs outside London.

The UK has great strengths to build on, thanks to its geographic location, breadth of skills and internationally respected legal system. But that is offset by its aggressive tax base. There is an example of what will happen if Mr Burnham pursues banks. Last month BP announced it would put its North Sea oil assets up for sale because tax policies had made them uneconomic. Taxing golden eggs will ensure they do not remain golden eggs for very much longer.

Basement Tracks

One of the Jam's biggest hits is not the only song to be written in a curious place

With its slicing open chords, the Jam's Going Underground is instantly recognisable as one of the 1980s' most potent protest songs. Paul Weller's hit was spat out in the same manner it was written by an angry 21-year-old stumbling out of a pub and back to his basement flat. The song was written in a dank coal store beneath a Georgian terrace flat in London's upmarket Pimlico district. Mr Weller was less influenced by his millionaire neighbours — whose ranks he would one day join — than the crime-ridden housing estates nearby.

Going Underground is far from the only pop hit to be written in an unlikely location. In fact, pop

history suggests that the odder — or more mundane — the place, the more artistic inspiration will strike. Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel was penned at draughty Widnes station in Cheshire while 21-year-old Paul Simon was waiting to catch the early morning 'milk trawl' to Hull. The spot is now commemorated by a plaque.

Arriving in Hull a few years later — purely because his drummer told him he could get his car serviced cheaply — David Bowie was put up in a council flat on Brisbane Street. While in town he met the guitarist Mick Ronson, the Spiders from Mars were formed and the early arrangements

were laid down for tracks that would usher in glam rock and turn Bowie into a superstar — all to a backdrop of a windswept northern sea port.

Queen, too, found inspiration in mundane locations for stadium-filling rock. Freddie Mercury was in the bath in Munich's Bayerischer Hof Hotel when he wrote Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Brian May, meanwhile, composed most of his 1991 solo hit Drivers by You while sitting on the lavatory in a Los Angeles hotel. Such an image makes Mr Weller's coal hole sound almost appealing. Perhaps there are some elements of the creative process that are best kept in obscurity underground.

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World

Iranians wrestle with trauma of a relentless war

Iran

Roxana Saberi, Fatemeh Jamalpour

The hope that Iran's regime would fall sustained Yasmin for months, even after security forces beat her so badly during the January protests in Tehran that she was unable to work for weeks.

But with the Islamic Republic still intact through the whiplash of war and truce with the United States, the 44-year-old feels emotionally exhausted and torn.

"In practice, a war that isn't meant to change the regime only brings harm to ordinary people," she said. "On the other hand, I also hate the idea of an agreement with the people who have killed their own citizens and turned the lives of 90 million people into misery. The thought of the Islamic Republic remaining in power genuinely makes me feel depressed and deeply sad."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said yesterday it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the US met Tehran's conditions, including compensation for war damages.

Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister denied that the Iranians were negotiating with the US, saying they were merely "exchanging messages" via intermediaries.

President Trump said later that the US was "semi-negotiating" with Iran. "We are low keying it," he told Assos.

For Yasmin, the drawn-out negotiations are just the latest ordeal after Israel's war with Iran in June last year, the regime's brutal crackdown on the January uprising that left thousands dead, two regime-imposed internet blackouts, a surge in executions and a collapsing economy. The upheaval has led to widespread trauma and what one psychotherapist described as "unresolved collective grief", according to interviews with mental health clinicians and their clients, healthcare providers and other Iranians.

The trauma spans generations and classes, clinicians said. Relatives of political prisoners live in fear their loved ones could be executed at any moment. At least 26 people were hanged between January and July in relation to the protests, the Abdurrahman Boronmand Center for Human Rights in Iran, which is based in Washington, said.

Many Iranians told The Times that they felt abandoned, believing that the world had largely stood by during the January massacre and subsequent executions.

President Trump, Europe and "all those who claim to defend human rights closed their eyes to Iran and shut up", said Jila, a psychotherapist in Tehran in her thirties. Last month she witnessed the public hanging of two young men in connection to the January protests, in the central Iranian city

Daily life goes on despite US strikes and a worsening economic backdrop

of Isfahan. "I couldn't sleep," she said. "I was so confused and angry."

Jila, who like others interviewed inside Iran spoke on condition of using a pseudonym, said she was trying to help her clients endure the pain of recent events while struggling with her memories of the regime's brutality. She said she had lost her zest for dancing and singing, but she felt more hopeful after the US resumed its strikes last month, a few weeks after the "memorandum of understanding" was announced.

"I'm glad Trump realised the Islamic Republic isn't capable of genuine negotiations," she said. "I hope the war continues and ultimately leads to the destruction of the Islamic Republic. For my part, I'm willing to pay the price — for freedom."

Many other Iranians, however, said the renewed clashes only intensified the suffering. Alongside civilian casualties, infrastructure has been destroyed and the economy has declined further.

A 32-year-old psychotherapy patient in Tehran said she hoped negotiations would ultimately make the threat of another war "disappear completely."

Noshene Ranjbar, an Iranian-American psychiatrist based in Arizona who works with a network of mental health professionals counselling clients in Iran, said the divide between those who supported the renewed strikes and those who opposed them was causing infighting, even within families.

"Iranians end up fighting each other because their trauma is activated," she said. "They can't fight the IRGC, or Israel and the US, so they unconsciously take their anger, disappointment and fear out on one another."

Many Iranians, like Yasmin, also described a feeling of "survival mode". She said: "I have so many small and big worries that I honestly can't even focus on the war. The biggest problem is the feeling of financial instability."

Parvaneh, a psychotherapist in

Shiraz, southwestern Iran, said uncertainty about the future and economic pressures had become part of the daily reality of life for many people — but the January crackdown had left the deepest wounds. "These deaths have not been processed — not even mourned," she said in voice memos she deleted soon after, fearing regime reprisals.

Azadeh Afsahi, the founder of Iran House, a Los Angeles-based organisation supporting the survivors of torture and former political prisoners, said: "What the Iranian people are dealing with is nothing that was ever taught in books on healing. The trauma of being raped [in prison], having a family member executed [...] how are you able to survive?"

Iran House has been counselling Arman, a 32-year-old LGBT technology worker in Karaj, a city west of Tehran, who has been struggling to sleep. "I wish the voice of the Iranian people would be heard and that this vile regime had not made life so hard for us," he said. Iranians were "in financial crisis and psychological collapse", he added.

Parvaneh, the psychotherapist in Shiraz, said Iran had free crisis hotlines and intervention centres, but many people feared such platforms could be monitored. Private psychotherapy, not covered by insurance, has become unaffordable for many.

Hamid Yaghouhi, head of the Iranian Scientific Association for Suicide Prevention, warned in May that depression and suicide could peak in the following months.

Farzaneh, a nurse in Tehran, said she had already seen a sharp rise in suicides among people under 25, many under severe financial strain.

Even those able to seek treatment have found that antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs and antipsychotics have become scarce or unaffordable.

In a letter obtained by The Times, dated May 24, Dr Seyed Vahid Shariat, president of the Iranian Psychiatric Association, said price rises for vital psychiatric drugs had created "serious concerns regarding patients' access to essential treatments". An Iranian ministry of health official said that the shortages were partly due to delays in foreign currency allocations and disrupted supply routes.

Several psychotherapists said they were also taking steps to manage their own distress. Jila said she hit her lowest point when the authorities cut off the internet and she contemplated suicide. But when Iranian friends outside the country checked on her, she realised she mattered.

Jila said she was also driven by her desire to "take revenge" on the regime. To keep going, she repeats a line from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale: "Don't let the bastards grind you down."

Paris takes the plunge after Seine clean-up

From our correspondent

DAVID CHAZAN PARIS

Thousands of Parisians thronged the Left Bank at the weekend to watch divers somersault from a 20m platform in front of the Eiffel Tower. The first international high-diving contest in the Seine was a spectacular test of the city's €1.4 billion river clean-up, but it also exposed its continuing vulnerability to pollution.

After traces of hydrocarbons were detected upstream, organisers of the European Aquatics Championships suspended training dives on Thursday, prompting fears that the contest might have to be cancelled. But the affected area was swiftly treated and the event went ahead.

The mood on the river was festive. A DJ played Latin and rock anthems between dive sequences. "Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the show?" he called out in English. "Dull" the crowd roared back.

The spectators applauded each dive as Metro trains thundered across an elevated section of the Bir-Hakeim bridge behind the diving tower. "The

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Mallorca battles to turn tide against overtourism Page 24

Party faithful worship at feet of political masters Page 26

STEVEVE TIMES/ARACA/SPOTTRETTICK

dives are so graceful," said Justine Pacheco, 25, a spectator. As a member of the Paris fire brigade's water rescue unit, which operates on the Seine, she swims in the river most mornings. "It's for training and also so we get to know the different parts of the river," she said.

Asked if she was concerned about pathogens in the water, Pacheco said: "I've been swimming nearly every day for four months and I've never been ill. I'm more concerned about catfish."

The Wels catfish — a predatory and rather forbidding-looking species that can grow to about 9ft (2.7m) — was first recorded in the Seine basin around 1980. Introduced for recreational fishing, it has become widespread. There were reports of catfish biting swimmers in Germany last year, although none have been recorded in the Seine.

"We also see quite a lot of rats along the river," Pacheco said. "We're all vaccinated against leptospirosis, [a

bacterial infection that can be spread through rodents' urine]."

Laurent, 56, a cybersecurity engineer, said the high diving had "brought back some of the feeling of the Paris Olympics". Open-water swimming races were held in the Seine for the 2024 Games after the murky river was cleaned up. Vast underground tanks were built to prevent sewage overflowing into the water during storms, treatment plants were upgraded and houseboats were connected to the sewer system.

Five public bathing sites have since opened on the Seine and the Canal Saint-Martin during July and August.

At the Bras Marie swimming area, near the Notre-Dame Cathedral, dozens of people took to the water on Saturday. Enclosed by pontoons, the site resembles an open-air swimming pool. Dozens more people sunbathed on the floating platforms around it.

Among the swimmers was Alex Marsh, 31, a rugby referee from London who moved to Paris last year.

Asked if he was worried about water quality, he said: "I think it's awesome what they've done. It's really hot and I'm going to have a dip."

Many Parisians were sceptical when the bathing sites opened, but swimming is steadily gaining popularity. Jean-Pierre, 54, said: "It still looks murky, and I did think it might be a bit risky when I started swimming here, but I haven't heard of anyone getting ill."

The Seine's water quality began deteriorating at the end of the 19th century, and swimming was banned in 1923. By the 1970s, scientists said the stretch of the river passing through Paris was "biologically dead".

New treatment plants gradually transformed the river. This week it will host open-water swimming races, even as barges carry goods and boats take tourists past Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Once regarded mainly as a transport route and even at times as an open sewer, the Seine is now being reclaimed for recreation.

Ukrainian teenager missing for 4 years is fighting for Russia

Russia Marc Bennetts

It was two days before Oleksandr Mustyatse's 15th birthday when Russian troops poured across the border with Ukraine in 2022 and occupied his home village of Krynky, in the Kherson region.

Mustyatse was officially designated as missing by the Ukrainian government on its Children of War website, which lists the thousands of underage victims of Russia's invasion. Nothing was heard of him until last month, when it emerged that Mustyatse, by now 19, had joined the Russian army. It was the first known case of a child who had been considered missing by Kyiv taking up arms against Ukraine as an adult, said Mykola Koleba, Ukraine's top official for children's rights.

Photographs on Mustyatse's page on VK, Russia's version of Facebook, showed him dressed in a Russian military uniform and wearing a baseball cap decorated with the pro-war Z symbol and the colours of the Russian flag.

The discovery came after President Zelensky had accused the Kremlin of brainwashing children in occupied Ukrainian territories into fighting for Russia once they turn 18. An estimated 1.6 million children live in these areas.

Mustyatse's VK page had not been updated since last year and it was unclear if he was still alive. However, last week activists with Back to Ukraine, a group that investigates the militarisation of children, discovered he was using another online account. He told them that he did not consider himself a traitor to Ukraine. "Russia has always been in my heart," he said. He did not comment further. He did not reply to a message from The Times.

An unnamed soldier from

his unit told the activists that Mustyatse had been injured during an assault on Ukrainian positions in the autumn and treated at the Burdenko military hospital in Moscow. "Russia takes children, breaks them, remakes them for itself and throws them into battle," Back to Ukraine wrote on social media.

Mustyatse remains listed as missing on the Children of Ukraine website. However, he has also now been added to Mynotvurets, a controversial Ukrainian website, which described him as an "accomplice in Russia's crimes against Ukraine". It listed his home address, as well as the names of his parents, who are still in Krynky. Some Ukrainians who support Moscow have been targeted after being added to the blacklist.

Kateryna Rashevska, a legal expert at the Regional Centre for Human Rights in Kyiv, said that teenage boys such as Mustyatse were the victims of political indoctrination. About 400 Ukrainians who were under 18 when their home regions were seized by Moscow are said to have died on the battlefield after being forcibly mobilised into Russia's army.

"By presenting service in the armed forces of the occupying power as the only available path for Ukrainian adolescents, the Russian Federation commits acts amounting to a war crime, as propaganda in this context serves as a disguised form of coercive mobilisation," Rashevska said.

Children from Ukraine have been sent to "military-patriotic" camps, according to Russian state media's own reports.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for President Putin and another official on charges of abducting about 20,000 Ukrainian children. Moscow denies the allegations.

Oleksandr Mustyatse was seen with a Z-sign cap

Germany facing sabotage attacks daily, says minister

Germany Liz Cookman

Germany is frequently targeted by hybrid warfare attacks from abroad, the country's interior minister said as more drone incidents were reported in Europe, increasing security fears.

"We're not at war, but we are the daily target of hybrid warfare," Alexander Dobrindt told Bild am Sonntag. "Espionage, sabotage, cyberattacks, or covert operations by foreign powers aimed at destabilising Germany or inflicting direct harm are a constant reality."

He added that Germany was setting up a new drone security research centre to address these security threats. The facility, due to open this month, will be at the test airfield of the German Aerospace Centre in the state of

Saxony-Anhalt and will develop and test drone defence technology.

Germany's armed forces said two drones were spotted at a base in Mechernich, close to the Belgian border, last week. The base has a high-security underground complex that stores military equipment and spare parts. It is also where US Patriot air defence systems are serviced and repaired.

A drone carrying explosives was also found last week at Leipzig airport. Close to a Ukrainian aircraft loaded with military ammunition. Police later carried out a controlled explosion.

The discovery indicated a "new level of danger", Dobrindt said.

The German government has not publicly accused Moscow of involvement. The Russian embassy in Berlin said it was a "fabricated provocation".

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24

World

Holiday isle battling to turn the tide against overtourism

The quaint wooden tram brings crowds of tourists to Soller every year, but residents are fed up with soaring prices for housing — leading to protests this weekend

Thousands on Mallorca march against a 'plague' of visitors driving up prices, David Sharrock writes from Soller

When he arrived at the prettiest square in Mallorca to find it closed for business, with the terraces empty and a noisy demonstration against people like him taking place, Bob Bogle from Dunbar could not disguise his disappointment.

'I was looking forward to a coffee in the plaza,' he shrugged as he took photographs of the anti-tourism protesters filling Soller's Constitution Square on Saturday. He has holidayed in Mallorca every summer for the past 20 years.

'I saw the trouble in Palma,' he said, referring to last month when police fired rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of protesters. 'My daughter saw people spraying water at tourists. I have the impression that the general anger isn't aimed at individuals but it would be a shame if it went in that direction.'

Mallorca has reached its limit, according to demonstrators who marched through this picturesque mountain town in Mallorca's 'Valley of Gold', famed for its orange groves and historic wooden tram that runs between Palma and Soller, cutting right through Constitution Square.

To the lively rhythm of local drummers and a quartet of seremonies — the local style of bagpipes — several thousand protesters marched down Carrer de la Lluna, normally rammed with tourists. 'Miris en miris, tot son guiris'

was the cry, meaning 'Wherever you look, it's all foreigners'. The protesters waved banners that translated as: 'We are not your souvenir', 'From your bread we can't even eat soup', and 'Tourism is a plague'.

Some signs were written in English, aimed as jibes at tourists. 'The only thing coming home is you,' read one, in a reference to the World Cup.

Police stood hack, with instructions to avoid the scenes in Palma. Nevertheless, 14 riot vans were standing by.

'We live in a town and on an island that cannot take any more,' Sofia Zamnik, one of the organisers, told The Times. 'We reached the limit years ago, we have been demonstrating for years, and yet we still are not being heard.'

She insisted tourists were not the target. 'It is against the economic model of tourism monoculture, which makes us and the island feel like foreigners in our own home, which means we cannot access decent housing, which means that whenever a shop closes another one opens that is designed exclusively for tourist consumption, which relegates our language and culture to the role of decoration, and which causes us to lose our sense of community.'

By design or not, the atmosphere of the protest seemed hostile to tourists. One banner compared tourists to West Bank settlers, while some participants wore shirts bearing the slogan 'For-

eigners Out'. A French tourist called the protest 'a problem, because we tourists bring in the money that enables the local people to make a living'.

But Andrew Bowden, who moved his jewellery business from Cambridge to Soller nine years ago because of Brexit, recognises that ever-growing visitor numbers are not sustainable. 'I've seen a lot of change and a lot of it is not for the better. The numbers have doubled since we got here. The last two years, it has been out of control at times. The town council tries to solve it, but the problem's too big for them,' he said. He now only goes to the beach at six in the morning to avoid crowds.

The Balearic Islands recorded a record 19 million tourists last year, while Mallorca alone received nearly two million in June. That success has brought jobs and wealth, but also congestion, housing pressure and growing anger among residents.

Xisca Comes and Miquel Palmes, who travelled from their house in Palma, join every protest against tourism. 'We bought our house in 1990 for the equivalent of €60,000, a cost which we, on local salaries, could pay down reasonably fast and easily,' Palmes said.

'Our neighbours on both sides now are Austrians and Swedes who paid ten times what it cost us. These prices are now far beyond what our son can afford, even though he earns a good salary.' Comes added: 'All the limits

have been passed. The politicians have decided that they prefer that the tourists come and we leave. They are expelling us. A lot of the time you no longer feel as if you fit in.'

The spiralling cost of living is affecting public services. The courts are in crisis because court assistants, administrators and clerks on salaries of between €1,600 and €2,000 per month cannot afford to live on the island.

Carlos Gómez Martínez, the president of the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands, admitted that such employees would have to flat-share, even after more than 30 years in their careers. He wants housing to be built for staff inside a new courts complex.

The hospitality sector faces the same problem, with the entry price for a room in a shared flat at €700 a month. The minimum wage in Spain is just over €1,221 per month.

Since 2015, property prices in Mallorca have increased by 97 per cent, according to the property portal Fotocasa, not accounting for inflation. Across the Balearics, prices per square metre have risen by 45-50 per cent in the past five years, and foreign buyers now account for about a third of all property transactions, according to the estate agent Imperial Properties.

Beyond Soller lies the Serra de Tramuntana — 60 miles of spectacular viewpoints from which to observe the sun slowly sinking into the sea. However, this Wednesday the road will be closed. One of the best natural vantage points in Spain from which to view the solar eclipse has been declared off-limits to visitors. The announcement, made weeks ago, was intended to discourage even more tourists from arriving on the island.

Emergency declared as huge wildfire spreads

Canada The federal government said yesterday it would assist British Columbia by providing shelter and accommodation for residents as wildfires forced thousands of people to evacuate.

The Bald Range wildfire, which prompted a state of emergency to be issued and the evacuation of about 18,000 people, had spread to more than 10,300 hectares at the weekend as firefighters continued to battle the blaze.

'Last night, I approved a request for federal assistance from British Columbia to provide shelter and accommodations for people who have been forced to leave their homes due to wildfires across the province,' Eleanor Olszewski, Canada's minister of emergency management and community resilience, said in a social media post. 'I have tasked federal officials, led by the Government Operations Centre at Public Safety Canada, to work with the province to ensure support reaches those who need it most,' the minister said.

Over the past 24 hours, southern British Columbia continued to see fires spreading due to hot and dry weather, the province's Wildfire Service said.

Ten helicopters and a night vision helicopter were operating, but were hindered by smoke and turbulence. The province had personnel from Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico supporting hundreds of local firefighters and expects additional international resources to arrive shortly, it said.

Ceuta row deepens

Spain About 200 visitors from Italy were checked at Spain's six largest airports on the first day of border controls after a dispute with Rome over migration. The controls on flights and ships will remain until September 7 in response to similar measures imposed by Italy after 72,000 migrants arrived from Morocco in the Spanish territory of Ceuta.

Typhoon hits China

China Typhoon Dolphin hit the east coast yesterday, bringing 9.1mph winds and rain to the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian. More than 300,000 people were evacuated from the area and Shanghai's two airports cancelled 1,300 flights. In the Philippines, seven people are missing in the northern city of Baguio after a landslide caused by the typhoon.

Drugs seized from boat

Indonesia The authorities have seized 1.1 tonnes of ketamine, worth tens of millions of dollars, from a foreign-flagged vessel. A navy ship intercepted MV King Sun as it entered Indonesian waters on Thursday. Officials had received intelligence in February that it was carrying suspicious cargo from Thailand, the national narcotics agency said.

Skinning game banned

United States Cornell University in New York state has banned the skinning of game in kitchens after Aaron Chin and a friend shot a bear on a hunting trip and carved it up in the communal area. There were no rules that prohibited it. A complaint was lodged but they were cleared of wrongdoing. A spokesman said the new policy provides 'clarity'.

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World

Grand finale for village's saviour

James Imam San Pancrazio

When the footlights came on at San Pancrazio's small theatre for the first time in half a century, many in the audience were moved to tears. Until recently, the village of just 150 inhabitants had seemed destined to disappear. Yet here it was welcoming an acclaimed Swedish pianist for a sell-out performance attended by expats, well-heeled visitors and locals.

Nestled in the Valdarno hills near Tuscany's Chianti wine country, San Pancrazio had long been blighted by depopulation. Seven years ago the only shop in the village looked certain to close. Now it has celebrated an unlikely revival with visitors and residents flocking to the elegant stone theatre for a series of live concerts, starting with a recital by Per Tengstrand.

"When we entered the theatre, I saw so many eyes filled with tears," said Laura Nannini, a 58-year-old lawyer who grew up in San Pancrazio.

The plan to revive the 80-seat theatre was masterminded by John Werich, a Swedish photographer and interior designer. He is determined to get the village back on its feet, having already saved the shop, transformed a 17th-century noble palazzo into a boutique hotel and brought contemporary art to the small medieval church down the road.

"How many villages with 150 people have a little theatre?" said Werich, 40.

Werich's parents made their money producing plastic components for Ikea and he grew up in the countryside near Gothenburg. He moved to Florence 20 years ago to study design, fashion and art history, going on to run an English bookshop. He discovered San Pancrazio in 2010 when his parents bought a villa overlooking the village.

It had little to offer at the time. Almost all the businesses the village had in the 1990s — a second village shop, butcher, barber, carpentry and tobacconist — had long since closed. "Nobody really came here," Werich said.

Many of Tuscany's hilltop communities are slowly dying, and San Pancrazio's population has fallen from about 230 in the late 1990s.

In 2019, when the village shop faced closure, Werich bought it for €20,000 and moved there permanently. He refurbished it, stocking everyday essentials alongside local produce, and added tables where residents could meet for

Francis Prins, above, on stage at the reopened theatre, and Claudia Pietrelli have applauded the big efforts of John Werich

CUNNINGHAM, 10.10.2026

coffee or an evening aperitivo. "The whole local community comes here for a drink before dinner," Werich said. "It's not just a shop, it's really become a meeting place for the village."

Next, Werich and his partner, a book publisher based in Stockholm, bought Palazzo Tiglio, intending to turn it into a hotel. The cost of the renovation rose from €700,000 to €3.9 million after workers found structural problems. Werich's partner provided most of the money.

The palace reopened in 2021 as a seven-room boutique hotel with a restaurant. It has yet to make a profit, but has attracted foreign visitors. Of the 30 expat households in San Pancrazio and the surrounding countryside, seven have bought properties since the hotel opened. Four were former guests.

The hotel has created jobs for 15 people, nine of whom live in the village.

"The shop was in terrible condition," said Claudia Pietrelli, 61, who helps to run it. "We really turned it around."

Now Werich has turned his attention to the village's cultural life. After the parish handed him the keys to a 13th-century church it had been using for storage, he began staging contemporary art exhibitions there. The theatre was his next and most ambitious project. Built by residents in 1916, it had been closed for about 50 years. The €80,000 restoration was funded largely by villagers through fundraisers.

Francis Prins, 64, a Dutch estate agent who now lives near San Pancrazio, said it was now a better place. "I bring my clients here because you make a good impression on the hotel's terrace with its amazing view," she said.

Nannini, the lawyer, said she was initially wary of Werich's plans. "But then I really embraced John's projects because they're interesting," she said. "Now there's art. There's music. The important thing is to have a real vision for our small community."

Not everyone is enthusiastic. Simonetta Saba, 60, who has lived in Tuscany for three decades, moved to San Pancrazio eight years ago looking for a slower pace of life. "Before, it was a quiet, peaceful little village. Now it's full of foreigners," she said.

When asked which area of the village might be up for refurbishment next, Werich demurred.

He will do other things, but said: "Nothing has been really thought through. There's no master plan. I just make it up as I go along."

Goodbye, Beth: senator's vintage vacuum takes one last wheeze

WILL PAVIA New York

The death notice for the vacuum cleaner was posted at 3.52pm on Saturday by Senator Chuck Grassley in a message that seemed, in its abruptness and grammatical oddities, to hint at genuine heartbreak.

Grassley is the longest serving Republican senator in US history and for most of his 45 years in Congress, in a fickle age of politics, there had been one constant servant: his mother-in-law's old vacuum cleaner.

He named it Beth, after a former staffer. Beth, a beige vacuum with a red dust bag, had been with his mother-in-law for 15 years before joining the Grassley household in 1992. "OLD FAITHFUL," he called her. "She never lets me down." It sometimes seemed, to his followers, that he mentioned Beth more than his wife of 70 years. Now she had taken her last, wheezing breath.

"U will see BETH no more," he

wrote. "See black that's from electrical sparks. It's not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH. U he been a real workhorse. Ur namesake still is hard worker. I will miss u."

It was a enlogy that seemed, in its clunking manner, to mirror the characteristics of its subject. It was almost poetry.

Tim Scott, a Republican senator for South Carolina, was among the first to offer condolences. "Sorry for your loss," he wrote on X. "They don't build them like they used to."

Josh Turek, an Iowa Democrat and state representative who is running for the Senate against Grassley's Republican colleague, said: "Sounds like Beth had a heck of a run."

There were, naturally, those who sought to see, in the passing of a Hoover, a larger political point. Oppo-

nents of Grassley made pointed remarks about term limits and the decline of American manufacturing. One supporter claimed that it was Beth's dying wish that Grassley and other senators immediately pass legislation, championed by President Trump, requiring voters to show passports or birth certificates to vote.

Grassley is not the first member of Congress to develop a strong attachment to a piece of machinery. John Boehner, a former Speaker of the House, appears frequently with his lawn mower. The senator John Kennedy has a cross trainer in his garage that he has named Margaret, "after Margaret Thatcher because both kick butt". His wife, Becky, "won't let

Chuck Grassley eulogised his "old faithful" online

me bring Margaret in the house", he said in a video posted this year. So he rides Margaret in his garage and then lifts weights, watched over, metaphorically speaking, by his iron lady companion.

Grassley's Hoover, Beth, would generally appear in his public pronouncements around Thanksgiving. His wife and daughter were cooking for 30, he announced in 2018. "So my housework contribution begins," he said. "This is my machine."

He named the machine after Beth Levine, who served for 20 years as his communications adviser. Whenever he posted about his Hoover, Levine would receive messages from friends. "I have loved seeing each one of the posts and will always appreciate that that's how he remembers my work for him and the people of Iowa," she told The Times.

"Not only has it been fun and an honour to have a US senator name his vacuum after you (yes, I would call it an honour!), it's been a great way to keep in

touch with former colleagues and friends."

Grassley would write about the vacuum during other holidays too. "Faithful Beth has about 3 hours of cleaning to get ready for 25/30," he wrote on Christmas Day in 2022. The following year followers of Beth received some footage of the vacuum and the senator in action together, sucking the dust from a large blue rug. "She never lets me down & im grateful I can count on OLD FAITHFUL," he wrote.

But all political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, said Enoch Powell. For that is the nature of politics and of human affairs and of vacuum cleaners.

Yet for all those lamenting the end of an era, there were others who said that Beth was not yet dead, that she only needed a new power cord. "I manage a hardware & electronics shop in Ankeny," one of these said, beneath his announcement. "We would be honored to pick up and repair Beth free of charge."

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World

Trump's good hair day turns heads

President Trump was on a stage in Las Vegas, telling his supporters that drug prices were coming down, that American manufacturing would soon be growing fast, that exports were "on fire" (Will Pavia writes). But it was hard for some viewers to concentrate on any of this, for they could not stop looking at his hair.

On the top of his head, where only days ago there was a thin and wiry thicket, there was now a golden, glossy rug. Was it his own? Had he borrowed it from a lounge singer, or a woodland creature? People were soon posting images of Trump from a week earlier and asking how midwinter, on his scalp, had been turned into this glorious summer.

President Trump's golden locks while speaking in Las Vegas. In New Jersey at the weekend, he had bruises on his arms and plasters on his fingers

"Our 80-year-old president appears to have grown a new head of hair overnight," said Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Obama who is now the host of Pod Save America. His co-host, Dan Pfeiffer, felt it was "an entirely different colour than the one from a few days ago".

But, according to the White House, this fabulous new look was actually due to the LED lighting at the Red Rock Casino, where Trump was speaking. "Lighting is everything," Karoline Leavitt, Trump's press secretary, told the Wall Street Journal.

One of Trump's biographers, Harry Hurt III, claimed that Trump underwent a painful scalp reduction surgery

in 1989 to eliminate a bald spot, while two of Trump's doctors during his first term said he was taking the hair growth medication finasteride.

In January this year, New York Magazine quoted a White House aide who said Trump had allowed his hair to go grey as "his only concession to age". By then questions had been raised about his swollen ankles (a symptom, said his doctors, of a common circulatory condition), and bruises that had appeared on his right hand. "This is only from shaking hands," Trump told a reporter. When bruises also appeared on his left hand, in Davos, the White House said he had accidentally hit it against a table.

At the weekend, he was seen at a golf club in New Jersey with bruises on his arms and a couple of plasters on his fingers. The White House has insisted that he remains in excellent health.

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Party faithful worship at feet of political masters

India Amrit Dhillon Delhi

The politician relaxes in an armchair, peering at his phones. He does not deign to glance at the two underlings who are washing his feet with milk. Between prayers and chants, they shower petals over their boss.

The recent image of two employees washing the feet of Nana Patole, a senior member of India's Congress Party, at his home in Mumbai has aroused indignation and highlighted the persistence of sycophancy in Indian political culture.

Patole responded by saying he had not wanted party workers to wash his feet during Guru Purnima, a festival during which people honour gurus and teachers, but they had insisted. "They are like my family members," he told reporters. "It was nothing but a gesture offered by them."

The Congress Party, which governed India for much of the period after independence, is notorious for the servility shown towards members of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of India, for 17 years from 1947. His daughter Indira Gandhi held the same post for 15 years before she was assassinated, and her son Raju took over until 1989. His wife, Sonia Gandhi, later led the party for 20 years.

Senior ministers have been seen touching the feet of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi's children, Rahul and Priyanka, and the party has named airports, universities and stadiums after the dynasty's members.

But obsequiousness runs across the spectrum of Indian politics, not to mention the civil service.

Personal assistants, their bodies bowed, scurry after officials as they get out their car, carrying their briefcase and fussing over "sir" as though he were a princeling. Touching or washing the feet of someone seen as socially superior, powerful or merely

An image of two staff washing the feet of Nana Patole has led to soul-searching in India, where it is common to see a cardboard cutout of Narendra Modi around town as a chance for the adoring public to take a photo

elderly is an act of homage rooted in Hindu tradition.

However, it jars with modern sensibilities in a democracy where everyone is perceived to be equal, said Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr, a political analyst. "What is repulsive is the way this cultural tradition has been extended to politics where simply bending the knee is seen as insufficient," Rao said. "But be under no illusions. It's not always sincere. Often it's opportunistic. The person being obsequious is usually looking for a favour."

The fawning can lead to comic results. Supporters of Jayaram Jayalalithaa, chief minister of Tamil Nadu between 1991 and 2016, used to prostrate themselves in her presence, often competing to be the most fawning. One fan, Shilvan Hussain, a sculptor, painted 56 portraits of her in his blood to celebrate her 56th birthday in 2004.

In 2014, Gokula Indira, the state's handlooms and textiles minister, called Jayalalithaa "the milk of brightness from the circular moon". Party workers began speeches by invoking her "golden feet".

When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in India in 2014 it vowed to end the sycophancy of what it called "Congress culture". But, after more than a decade in office, it appears to have succumbed to it. Such is the personality cult around Narendra Modi, the prime minister, that cabinet ministers are unable to speak about their work without attributing their achievements to Modi's blessings.

Chief ministers take out double-page newspaper adverts heaping praise on his leadership. His image is pasted on every welfare item or service provided by the government, from sacks of rice to vaccines. Life-size images of Modi adorn many railway platforms to allow travellers to pose for photographs with him.

No pictures emerged of him having his feet washed during Guru Purnima, but not for want of offers. The Indian actor Sudesh Berry announced he wanted to "wash Modi's feet and drink that water". He said he respected Modi without having met him, "just as we have not seen God but still worship him".

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Business

WORLD MARKETS (Friday's close. Change on the week)

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Hiring for full-time jobs stabilises for first time since Liz Truss

Jack Barnett Economics Correspondent

"Rays of light" are beginning to show in the labour market with full-time hiring stabilising for the first time since Liz Truss's short-lived 2022 premiership, according to a closely-watched survey.

The new data suggested a long downturn in the UK's jobs market may be ending after firms withstood a £25 billion payroll tax raid, steep increases to the minimum wage and numerous external economic shocks. An index of permanent

ent hiring produced by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG hit 50 points in July, the first time it has not been below that mark — which indicates a contraction in staff placements — in nearly four years.

Businesses in London took on new full-time staff at the quickest pace since 2022, the REC-KPMG report on jobs showed, but permanent placements continued to decline in the north of England, highlighting to Andy Burnham the central role that London will play in

his plans to revive economic growth.

Maxine Bligh, the confederation's chief membership officer, said: "Rays of light are beginning to break through for the job market as employers revive hiring plans. Remarkably, this is the first month without a decline in permanent placements since Liz Truss resigned as prime minister in 2022, underlining just how prolonged the downturn in permanent hiring has been."

Companies have been battered by cost shocks over the past five years,

dampening recruitment plans. Energy prices surged after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Rachel Reeves increased employers' national insurance contributions by £25 billion in 2024 and the war in the Middle East has sent oil prices on an upward spiral.

However, the survey, which is viewed as a proxy for the health of the labour market because of the low quality of official data, signalled that businesses are on the cusp of a hiring revival.

The vacancies index, at 471, was the

highest since September 2024, if still below the 50-point growth threshold. Vacancies for part-time roles rose at the fastest pace since August 2023.

Although good news for workers and the wider economy, the REC-KPMG data may be a source of discomfort for the Bank of England. Pay growth for full-time staff hit a six-month high.

The figures contrast with official data from the Office for National Statistics, which showed private sector pay growth down to a six-year low.

Heathrow in bid for £9bn runway funds

Passengers will pick up tab for cash injection

Alistair Osborne

Heathrow is calling for as much as £9 billion in additional early funding from passengers to help finance its third runway project.

The airport's demands for the vast upfront sum, which are certain to infuriate the airlines, are disclosed in a letter on the UK Civil Aviation Authority's website from its biggest customer, IAG — the owner of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus.

Airlines are already angry at the regulator for its decision, last month, to allow Heathrow £320 million of so-called "early costs", covering planning expenses during 2025 and 2026, for the £49 billion expansion project. Carriers argue that permitting such costs leaves passengers paying for the runway through higher ticket prices long before it is in service and even if it is not built.

That move by the CAA will put 30p on landing charges from 2028. Heathrow is already the world's most expensive airport, levying charges of about £26 per passenger. On the same maths, allowing a further £9 billion of costs would add almost £8.50 to the price of each ticket.

Heathrow is seeking further early costs recovery as it looks to secure planning permission for the project, which would include the construction of a 3,500-metre northwest runway and sixth terminal, and lift annual capacity to about 150 million passengers, versus the 84.5 million it handled last year.

It is thought that Heathrow is looking to secure a big increase in advance costs so that it can strike deals to buy land as it seeks a development consent order (DCO) for the project.

The letter, written to the CAA in May before it took its final decision to allow £320 million of early costs, is from Raghbir Pattar, IAG's director of corporate development.

In it, he referred to the CAA's earlier draft ruling, saying: "Since the publication of the draft decision, we have been advised by HAL [Heathrow Airport Ltd] that they will be seeking, during 2026, to secure £9 billion in financial commitments for future pre-DCO related spend. It is critical that the CAA's current approach to the 2025-26 costs is not treated as establishing any precedent for the regulatory treatment of expenditure from 2027 onwards."

He also argued that "permitting recovery of early expansion costs prior to the grant of a DCO risks transferring speculative, pre-consent development risk on to today's passengers without adequate scrutiny or effective consumer protection".

Heathrow is owned by some of the world's wealthiest investors, together managing trillions of dollars of funds. They span sovereign wealth funds from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and China; Ardian, the Paris-based infrastructure fund, and the Australian Retirement Trust.

A Heathrow spokesman said it had no comment on a figure that was in a letter from IAG to the CAA. It repeated previous remarks that the runway would deliver "a real economic boost to every region and nation of the country. We have been clear from the start that unlocking the private investment that will deliver these benefits requires a supportive regulatory framework".

The £9 billion figure was in one of Heathrow's own documents.

What's the Story? Arena, which filmed events such as Liam Gallagher's Glastonbury concert before it collapsed in 2021 amid fraud allegations, is at the centre of a £1 billion court battle between insolvency firms and Lloyds Bank Page 28

Mastercard lawsuit cost £41m in fees

Jonathan Ames Legal Editor

Lawyers in the decade-long Mastercard class-action lawsuit have racked up more than £41 million in fees despite consumers getting a maximum payout of £45 each.

The new payout figures have emerged after the litigation funding company that backed the action dropped its threat to bring arbitration proceedings against Walter Merricks, the lead claimant, over his decision to settle the dispute for £200 million. The claim was initially valued at being worth £14 billion to British consumers.

The Times has been told by sources close to the claim that "project costs" incurred by Merricks — fees for lawyers

yers and experts — amount to £41.5 million. The lawyers involved in the case have worked for the London offices of a collection of leading US law firms, including Quinn Emanuel and Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

The competition appeal tribunal has authorised the release of a tranche of the £100 million that is allocated to consumer payouts. Merricks, a former financial ombudsman, has estimated that only 5 per cent of the eligible 46 million class members will bother to apply for a share. That means that the likely top amount of compensation will be about £45 for each consumer.

Merricks brought the landmark claim against the US credit card company in 2016 after the European Commission

mission ruled that Mastercard had breached competition rules. In January 2019, the commission fined it the equivalent of £504 million. Merricks claimed that for 16 years until 2008, Mastercard unfairly inflated its fees when retailers accepted credit card payments.

The claim was originally valued as being worth £14 billion, but that figure gradually fell. Merricks and Mastercard agreed to settle the dispute for £200 million at the end of 2024, with the company emphasising that it did so without accepting any liability. That agreement was approved by a tribunal judge last year.

By that stage, Merricks's claim was funded by Innsworth Capital, whose Continued on page 29

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Business

Need to know

1 Britain will be at increased risk of nationwide blackouts because of an electricity system rule change designed to save money and help hit the government's green targets, leading power generators have warned. Page 1

2 Heathrow is calling for as much as £9 billion in additional early funding from passengers to help finance its third runway project. Airlines argue that permitting such costs leaves passengers paying for the runway through higher ticket prices long before it is in service and even if it is not built. Page 27

3 "Rays of light" are beginning to show in the labour market as full-time hiring stabilises for the first time since Liz Truss resigned as prime minister in 2022, a closely watched survey released today shows. Page 27

4 Lawyers in the decade-long Mastercard class-action lawsuit have racked up more than £41 million in fees despite consumers getting a maximum payout of £45 each. Page 27

5 Lloyds Banking Group is battling two High Court claims over alleged failings in relation to a £1.2 billion lending scam. The claims, which could have broader consequences for how the banking industry works with businesses, have been brought by insolvency practitioners working on the Arena Television collapse.

6 UK government bonds are set to benefit from volatile asset moves in the United States and Japan, giving a boost to Andy Burnham's new government before the autumn budget. Analysts expect gift yields to fall over the remainder of the year, as the UK's inflation outlook supports the chances of interest rate cuts. Page 30

7 Berkshire Hathaway bought nearly $20 billion more in shares than it sold in the second quarter, as its new chief executive, Greg Abel, put the company's enormous cash reserves into action. This reverses a period in which Warren Buffett trimmed stock holdings. Page 32

As the world shifts against free trade, the Buy British campaign isn't as daft as it looks

Simon French, page 31

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Could drought and heat change

As temperatures soar, the business of getting produce on the shelves is getting even harder, writes Guy Taylor

When Asda mapped out how rising temperatures could affect its entire global food operations more than a decade ago, the findings were stark.

Considered groundbreaking at the time, The Challenge of a Changing Climate was the first proper attempt by a food retailer to put hard numbers on the threat. It found that 95 per cent of the supermarket's fresh produce range could be affected by more extreme weather and water scarcity in the years ahead.

Although the report was largely forgotten, British supermarkets are contending with much of what it predicted as drought grips England and Wales and crop yields plunge across Europe.

Grain harvests in the UK are set to shrink by about 25 million tonnes this year, according to analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Those of barley, oats and rapeseed are expected to fall to 19.5 million tonnes, the lowest since detailed records began in 1984.

Growers of everything from green vegetables such as broccoli and peas to wheat, potatoes and olives are feeling the pinch, raising the spectre of shortages and rising prices.

Bosses at supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi and Waitrose have written to Andy Burnham warning that Britain's food security is at risk from heatwaves and wildfires.

Others criticise years of "woeful" investment in water infrastructure after not a single big reservoir was built in the UK for more than three decades. "The reality is if the rivers dry up and you haven't got any reservoirs, then no matter how good a farmer you are and how much you've planned, you're going to be screwed," said one former chief executive of a big British grocer.

On the shopfloor, food retailers have been forced to adapt quickly to the heatwave. Kate McCrae, retail director at the Co-op, the mutual which runs about 2,500 food stores across the UK, said: "We have seen more high temperature peaks than I can remember. We've had

to stand back and think about things in a very different way."

Water, ice, fresh fruit and salads are high in demand but in shorter supply during sweltering temperatures, which has meant cutting back on shelf space for items less popular in hot weather, such as tinned soup.

While supermarkets have started buying more lettuce and broccoli from abroad, smaller and more adaptable vegetable alternatives are also helping offset shortfalls in availability.

Sales growth in baby cucumbers has surged in recent months, according to the Co-op, as harvests for whole cucumbers stall and British imports, typically from Spain and Morocco, decline sharply. The mutual has also removed promotions on tender/stem broccoli to maintain supplies amid a particularly weak Cornish harvest.

Even when supply is adequate, there is a battle to prevent excessive spoilage. Costs for refrigeration and air conditioning are increasing, including in-

store fridges and freezers and cold chain logistics further down the supply chain. The boss of Britain's Cold Chain Federation, which represents cold-storage suppliers, warned this summer that the country's ability to supply fresh food was under "severe pressure" and warehouses had been pushed to their limits at points. Consumers have reported failures of supermarket freezers and delivery systems.

In response, Waitrose has announced plans to introduce "Mediter-

Lloyds faces £1.2bn lawsuits over lending fraud

James Hurley

Lloyds Banking Group is battling two High Court claims over alleged failings in relation to a £1.2 billion lending scam.

The claims, which could have broader consequences for how the banking industry works with businesses, have been brought by insolvency practitioners working on the Arena Television collapse. One claim is worth up to £1.1 billion, and another is for £280 million.

Lloyds denies allegations that it had enough information to know it should not have processed payments related to the alleged fraud.

Arena, which was based in Surrey and worked on events including the Glastonbury festival for the BBC, collapsed in November 2021 amid allegations that it had been borrowing against television equipment that did not exist or was already pledged to other lenders.

According to Arena's liquidators, from Kroll, Richard Yeowart, Arena's owner, "misappropriated proceeds of asset-backed lending in excess of £1.2 billion

with over 5% different lenders", including Bank of Scotland and Lloyds.

Liquidators have alleged that Yeowart removed genuine serial numbers from its broadcasting equipment and replaced them with forged labels. Falsified numbers were then allegedly presented to asset-based lenders, allowing Arena to secure multiple loans on the same piece of equipment.

The liquidators also alleged that Yeowart and his co-director, Robert Hopkinson, presented a company called Sentinel as the buyer of equipment in order that Sentinel could raise funds against the supposed assets. The funding was passed to Arena.

According to Sentinel's administrators, from Quantuma, Sentinel "sold" non-existent equipment to lenders, which leased the fictitious equipment to Arena. Sentinel paid roughly £1.1 billion to Arena from funds it raised from lenders. Of 8,196 purported pieces of equipment, only 66 actually existed, insolvency practitioners alleged.

The Serious Fraud Office announced

an investigation into the affair in 2022. Yeowart's whereabouts are unknown. He has been made bankrupt. Hopkinson was found in France in 2023 but his whereabouts are unknown. He has also been bankrupted.

Sentinel's administrators are arguing that the bank was on notice because of the pattern of thousands of transactions and that it should have stopped the payments from at least 2012. They add that "it ought to have been apparent to Lloyds" that the payments "indicated or involved wrongdoing". Arena's liquidators have alleged Lloyds and its Bank of Scotland subsidiary 'processed payments' without authority".

They claimed there were "a number of facts and matters which would have caused a reasonably skilful and careful banker" to question whether transactions were "truly authorised".

Sentinel is asking Lloyds to "reconstitute" Sentinel's bank account with £1 billion, or alternatively £945 million, the sum Sentinel paid to Arena from May 2012, when it is claimed the

bank had "reasonable grounds for believing" the payments were not legitimate. If the claimants are successful the litigation may force a rethink on how banks handle suspicious payment instructions, and the extent of banks' duties when corporate customers are defrauded.

Nick Oliver, director of the law firm Isadore Goldman which is working on the Sentinel claim, said: "The question at the heart of this case is whether Lloyds Bank should have spotted the warning signs, as more than a billion pounds of funds were channelled through one of its accounts.

"Allowing this case to proceed to full trial is a significant step, and will be an important test of UK banking laws."

A trial is scheduled for October 2028. A spokeswoman for Lloyds said: "We are continuing to robustly defend the claims. We believe the claims wrongly seek to hold Lloyds liable for the financial consequences of a complex alleged fraud perpetrated against more than 50 lenders, including Lloyds."

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Business

the food in our shops?

Milling Wheat being harvested in Pelham, Kent, last week as drought gripped England and Wales, leading supermarket bosses to tell the prime minister food security was at risk. High demand for salad means less space for soup

ranean-level' fridges capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 48 degrees Celsius.

The Co-op, which has introduced daily weather and refrigeration updates for its operation teams, is running certain beer and wine fridges at warmer than usual temperatures to preserve energy for vegetables and other fresh produce.

There has also been a rush to alleviate strain on distribution centres by reducing the number of stores they supply,

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 Ten-year saga nets £45 payouts

executives were infuriated by the decision to settle the Mastercard claim for vastly less than it had been valued, but a High Court judge rejected an attempted judicial review of the deal.

Merricks justified the settlement, arguing that '£40-odd million in private capital has been spent to recover £200 million from a huge international corporate that was found to have breached competition law'.

'That is a return of nearly five times on what was invested. Most people would say that is a very good return.'

Merricks said the claim was backed privately and no public funds were involved, apart from the court time.

He said a campaign this year would advertise the claim process. Those eligible must have been at least 16 and lived in England, Wales or Northern Ireland for at least three months between June 1997 and June 2008 — or from May 1992 for those living in Scotland. They must have bought goods or services from a company in the UK during that time and must have been living in the UK on September 6, 2016.

among other measures. 'When the heat hits Thurrock, it is intense — it's a really, really warm yard. Getting the wogons to temperature is an additional challenge, so you might want to ease the pressure by moving some of the stores over to Biggleswade.' McCrae explained, referring to two of the Co-ops distribution sites in the east of England.

The pressures created by the heatwave have tested British supermarkets and food producers at a time of mounting global headwinds. In the UK, food

Canary Wharf cashes in on hybrid work backlash

Jessica Newman

Staff at Hargreaves Lansdown are being told to return to the office in the latest crackdown on hybrid working.

The retail investment broker, which is set to open offices in Bristol, has told employees that from next year they must come into the office at least three days a week. The plans were first reported by the Financial Times.

Hargreaves joins a growing chorus of large financial companies to roll out stricter return-to-office mandates, including JP Morgan, Revolut and TSB.

TSB, which was bought in a £2.65 billion deal by Santander earlier this year, has told its 5,000-strong workforce they will be required to work in an office for three days a week from April 2027. However, staff representatives at the TBU Union are preparing to take cases to the Employment Tribunal over concerns that some members will be

inflation is expected to be 50 per cent higher by November than at the start of the cost of living crisis in mid-2021, fuelled by shortages of fertilisers and rising oil prices since the start of the Iran war. The World Bank has warned that a 'super-EI Niño' weather cycle this year could cause a severe global food price shock lasting into 2028.

Domestic food production in the UK has been declining for many years. Vegetables and fruits are down by about 16 per cent since 2015, according to industry estimates, meaning imports account for 78 per cent of supply.

This has left the UK increasingly 'exposed' to the more frequent wildfires and heatwaves of mainland Europe, said Lauren O'Leary, ethical, sustainable and impact researcher at the investment fund Rathbones, which holds shares in several British supermarkets.

'The UK is a big food importer in areas which have been decimated by wildfires, such as Spain and France, where we import a lot of our fruit and veg,' she said. 'It's early to say what the repercussions are for the global supply chain around this, but I think it's safe to say that a lot [of the harvest] has been damaged.'

Reservoirs and water supply are also a recurring theme. 'You can't get away from the fact that the UK supply chain, in its broadest sense, needs to be more robust,' said the former supermarket chief executive. 'You have to build the reservoirs, you have to build the storage, you have to build the pipeworks to take water from the north to the south. The reality is, if you have sunshine and you have water it's like southern Spain. You'll be able to grow lots of stuff.'

O'Leary said she expected investors to dial up the pressure on food companies to improve their green credentials and climate resilience after ESG dropped off the agenda in recent years.

'We do it through engagement, attending annual meetings and signing shareholder resolutions. And then, finally, it's disinvestment if we don't feel they have adequately addressed the issues. That's at the more extreme end of it.'

She added: 'When we've been talking to the retailers they've been saying that yes, extreme weather shocks are becoming more frequent. We only have to think about the El Niño happening now and the wider implications of the wildfires. I don't think it's just a one-off situation.'

unable to change their arrangements. Revolut has told new graduate employees they will have to work from its offices. The fintech company has moved into a bigger base in Canary Wharf.

The list of companies pushing for a speedy shift back to office working has left businesses scrambling for prime office space in cities such as London.

Noel Quinn, HSBC's former chief executive, drove a move from a substantial space in Canary Wharf to a far smaller site in the City of London, only for the firm to reverse course.

The push is proving particularly beneficial for Canary Wharf Group, which has secured a wave of chunky lettings deals. PwC is inking a deal to rent 350,000 sq ft of space at One Eden, and Barclays has acquired a 999-year lease for its headquarters. JP Morgan Chase has plans for a skyscraper that will be one of the biggest offices in Europe.

Hargreaves declined to comment.

The week ahead

Britain's economic growth is expected to have slowed in the second quarter as a result of higher energy prices caused by the conflict between the US and Iran.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics on Thursday are likely to show a deceleration in quarterly GDP growth after a strong 0.6 per cent expansion recorded between January and March. The Bank of England expects the economy to have grown by 0.3 per cent between April and June.

The economy has generally proved resilient in the face of those higher global energy prices, with inflation underhooting forecasts from the Bank and data on the labour market showing only small increases in the rate of unemployment.

As well as the ONS data covering the second quarter there will also be the latest month-on-month GDP estimate for June. Monthly growth was 0.1 per cent in May but could shrink by 0.1 per cent in June, Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon, a consultancy, said.

The Bank of England expects to see quarterly growth of 0.3 per cent

Despite the recent resilience, the Bank thinks growth will stall at 0 per cent in the third quarter.

'GDP growth partly reflects a continuation of weak momentum prior to the Middle East conflict, consistent with subdued household and business confidence,' it said in its latest outlook.

TOMORROW

Little has changed since the boss of Bellway warned the housing market had become 'increasingly challenging' since the outbreak of war in the Middle East and that demand for its new-build homes had 'moderated'

Jason Honeyman, chief executive, said in June there had also

been 'renewed upward pressure on building material costs, resulting from the sudden jump in energy prices following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz'

The trading update should at least, however, show the company on track to deliver between 9,100 and 9,500 new homes

and an underlying operating profit of between £120 million and £130 million in the year to the end of July. Interims: Malaya Mining, Genuit, InterContinental Hotels, International Workplace, Lion Finance, Spirax Trading updates: Bellway, Public Policy Holding

WEDNESDAY

The interim report from Evoke could be one of the final times the gambling company issues results as a listed company. The debt-laden business behind William Hill recommended a £243 million

takeover by the Greek lottery firm Bally's Intralot, right, in June, which could complete this year. The consensus among analysts is for the group to deliver revenues of £1.8 billion this year and adjusted pre-tax profits of £41 million.

Interims: Balfour Beatty, CLS Holdings, Evoke, Hill Smith Trading update: Tui

Economy: IEA oil market report, US monthly inflation figures

THURSDAY

Investors in Rank Group are looking forward to annual results after an impressive update in July. The FTSE 250 company behind Mecca Bingo enjoyed strong growth

within its digital business, with net gaming revenues up 12 per cent in the final quarter to £63.9 million, while sales from its Mecca venues rose 4 per cent. Rank has forecast operating profit for the 12 months to the end of June of at least £70 million.

Interims: Antofagasta,

Costain, Entain, PensionBee, Savills, Secure Trust Bank Finals: Rank Group Economy: ONS first quarterly estimate of GDP

FRIDAY

One of the main points of interest in the half-year results from Aviva will be a strategic progress report on the integration of Direct Line into the business after completion of the £3.7 billion deal for the insurer in July last year.

The FTSE 100-listed group is still working through the merger of

the two as it seeks to deliver cost savings of £2.25 million by the end of 2028.

Meanwhile, Amanda Blanc, Aviva chief executive, is moving ahead with efforts to expand the company's foothold in workplace pensions, in the hope of selling additional Aviva products to their newly acquired

customers. City analysts forecast operating profit to rise by 17.5 per cent to £1.3 billion, up from £1.1 billion a year ago, led by a 40.5 per cent uplift in operating profit for its general insurance business, which now includes Direct Line. Interims: Aviva, Winking Studios

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10

Business

A ray of sunshine for service sectors

Business activity returned to growth last month after warm weather and the World Cup gave Britain's hospitality and retail sectors a boost, according to a closely watched survey (Jessica Newman writes).

The latest business trends survey from BDO, the professional services group, found output rose above the 95 mark that indicates annual growth to a reading of 95.29 in July, up from 93.41 in June.

The research showed that the rebound was largely driven by the services sector, with hospitality businesses and retailers benefiting from the World Cup revelry and increased domestic tourism

fuelling a rise in consumer spending. BDO's report also pointed to an initial 'Burnham bounce' last month after the appointment of the new prime minister contributed to a modest rebound in business optimism.

At 89.96, confidence among UK companies was up slightly from June's five-year low reading of 88.45. However, confidence remains well below the long-term growth threshold, indicating recovery is 'unlikely to be sustained' without government support.

Scott Knight, head of growth at BDO, said that while a summer full of sun and sport did provide a much-needed economic boost, 'sadly

The sunny weather and the World Cup gave pubs and restaurants a boost, the latest business trends survey released by BDO strongly suggests

it can't last forever'.

He argued that without greater clarity around the government's economic policies in the lead-up to October's budget, as well as a more stable geopolitical backdrop, any gain in confidence among businesses 'is likely to be temporary, seasonal and short-lived'.

Confidence in the manufacturing sector weakened in July as businesses continued to come under pressure from a sustained increase in production costs and supply chain uncertainty since the Iran war erupted five months ago. Confidence within the sector contracted to 91.83 last

month, down from 94.53 in June.

The price of energy, raw materials and other inputs crucial to goods production has soared owing to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Last week the Bank of England warned that a

prolonged Middle East conflict that keeps oil and gas prices higher for longer could trigger interest rate rises. Inflation is on track to stay above 3 per cent for the rest of the year, the bank predicted, meaning it will not have hit its 2 per cent target for two years. BDO's research indicated that hiring

appetite remained close to a 15-year low. An index that measures hiring intentions, headcount and labour demand by BDO held steady at 93.08, the first time since May in which it has not declined. The consultancy believes this offers hope that labour market stabilisation is on the horizon.

Global investors to seek safety in gilts

Mehreen Khan Economics Editor

UK government bonds are set to benefit from volatile asset moves in the United States and Japan, giving a boost to Andy Burnham's new government before the autumn budget.

Analysts and investors said they expected gilt yields to fall over the remainder of the year, as the UK's inflation outlook supports the chances of interest rate cuts.

Concerns about the credibility of Kevin Warsh, the new chairman of the US Federal Reserve, and a more expansionary fiscal environment in Japan are other factors that could lead investors to choose gilts over other assets.

Daniel von Ahlen, a strategist at TS Lombard, said that bond investors should 'double down on gilts' in the coming months, and that UK bond prices would rise relative to peers in Japan, the US and Germany.

Markets are expecting the Bank of England to raise interest rates twice over the next year, but Von Ahlen said there was a higher likelihood that borrowing costs would be cut 'as the labour market remains in the doldrums'.

Falling gilt yields before the budget on October 28 can help buy fiscal breathing room for John Healey, the chancellor. The rise in gilt yields since

the end of February, when the US-Iran war broke out, has wiped about £10-£12 billion from the government's headroom to meet its fiscal rules.

A 1 percentage point increase in the ten-year gilt yield adds £12-15 billion to the government debt interest bill.

Gilts were one of the worst-performing bonds this year, because the UK economy is the most severely exposed to the energy price shock caused by the Middle East conflict. But the past three

£12-15bn

Amount by which a 1 percentage point increase in the ten-year gilt yield adds to the government debt interest bill

inflation readings have undershot the Bank of England's estimates, suggesting that the spillover from higher oil prices into the rest of the economy has been limited.

In July, gilts outperformed peers: total monthly returns on UK bonds were flat compared with a fall of 1.2 per cent for US treasuries and a 0.7 per cent decline for German bonds, according to Deutsche Bank.

Mark Dowding, chief investment officer at RBC BlueBay Asset Manage-

ment, who has had a pessimistic view of gilts this year, said he was no more 'constructive on the near-term outlook' for UK government debt after the Bank of England's latest meeting.

'The dovish bias of the monetary policy committee may encourage investors to add exposure [to gilts],' Dowding said.

Analysts at BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, said they had a 'neutral' position on gilts, compared with underweight, or reduced, exposure to Japanese government debt and long-term US government bonds.

Japanese government bonds have been the worst-performing significant debt class this year as the world's third-largest economy prepares to raise interest rates from record lows and a new government maintains expansionary fiscal policy through tax cuts and investment spending. On July 31, the US intervened to support Japan's currency and warned that the sell-off could spill over into US treasuries.

UK borrowing costs could fall further this year as the Bank of England is expected to reduce the pace at which it sells gilts on its balance sheet back to investors. Bank of America analysts said the Bank would reduce its annual pace of 'quantitative tightening' from £70 billion to £50 billion from next month.

Hackers have hit a third of UK manufacturers this year

Technology Business Correspondent

Nearly one in three manufacturers have been affected by cyberattacks in the past year, new research shows.

The findings highlight the growing importance of cyber-resilience in the manufacturing sector as businesses increasingly rely on connected machinery, robotics and remote access tools.

The incidents included those that directly affected a manufacturer and those that hit a supplier. The consequences from the cyberattacks included production downtime and increased operational costs, the research from Make UK showed. For those companies affected by an attack on a supplier, 31 per cent reported delays to customer deliveries, and the same share reported reduced capacity.

Nina Gryf, innovation and digitalisation lead at Make UK, the trade body for manufacturers, said cyberattacks were 'no longer abstract technical events' for manufacturers.

'They are showing up on the factory floor through downtime, higher costs, delayed orders and pressure on supply chains. In a connected industrial economy, a digital weakness can quickly become a production problem,' she said.

Gryf said cyber-resilience needed to be treated as part of basic business resilience. 'The businesses that get this right will be better placed to keep pro-

production moving, protect customers and invest in digital technologies with confidence,' she said.

Cyber-risks have rapidly risen up the boardroom agenda after a series of high-profile attacks. Jaguar Land Rover was one of the best known corporate hacking victims last year. Its factories around the world were shut for the whole of September after an attack on its IT systems, costing the economy an estimated £2 billion.

In 2025, both Marks & Spencer and the Co-op were targeted. Research commissioned by the government suggests that the annual cost of significant cyberattacks to UK organisations is about £147 billion.

The rise of artificial intelligence is expected to lead to increasingly frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks. Anthropic said that its Mythos tool was able to find thousands of previously undiscovered vulnerabilities across some of the world's most important software when it was tested in April.

Ministers have been pressing Britain's biggest businesses to boost their defences. Baroness Lloyd of Effra, the cybersecurity minister, wrote to almost 200 business leaders this year, urging them to embrace a new 'cyber-resilience pledge' to shore up their security.

Jonathon Ellison, director of national resilience at the National Cyber Security Centre, said: 'No manufacturer can afford to treat cybersecurity as anything other than a business-critical priority.'

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31

Business

Simon French

“The big reveal on the new UK government's economics will have to wait for the budget on October 28. However, over the past three weeks, one defining characteristic of Labour's new administration has emerged — a more explicit national interest approach to procurement and the government's industrial strategy.

The new chancellor, John Healey, spoke last week of making it a 'leading priority to back British, not just if possible but by design, so that procurement supports British jobs, British apprenticeships and British innovation'. These weren't throwaway remarks. This was a clear message to public sector leaders on how he expects them to use the spending power of the state.

This is of course nothing new. Britain's leaders, from Ramsay MacDonald in the 1930s to Harold Wilson in the 1970s, Gordon Brown in the late 2000s and now the government led by Andy Burnham, have channelled various versions of 'Buy British'. All these leaders faced tenure-defining economic challenges and found solace in fusing nationalism with commerce. The narrow economics of this approach remain undimmed — a damaging disruption of the benefits of comparative advantage, and trade. But is it possible that global politics has changed to such a degree that this trumps (pun intended) the economics?

One of the failings of economic theory can be when it defines the market failure in overly narrow terms. And narrowly defined, a renewed Buy British campaign is folly. Cheaper or higher quality products provided by the UK's trading partners risk being rejected in favour of inferior domestic alternatives. Frictions to trade mean that in any given transaction the buyer ends up with 'less bang for their buck', or perhaps better defined in a UK context as 'less quality for their quid'.

So is this case closed? The UK government is on the wrong track and have set the conditions for stretched public sector procurement budgets to be spent even less efficiently? Not so fast.

A wider definition of the economic problem the UK government faces is

There is nothing new about prime ministers launching Buy British campaigns

that the backdrop to global trade has decisively shifted in recent years. China has curbed imports as its surging exports move up the value chain, most visibly in electric vehicles and frontier AI. The US has taken a mercantilist shift that will outlast President Trump, and the UK's trading relationship with the European Union has irrevocably altered since Brexit. This is hardly a favourable backdrop for unfettered free and fair trade.

Active industrial strategies with explicit national interest objectives are characteristics of the world's three largest economies. As Canada's prime minister, and former Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, wryly observed at Davos this year the middle powers 'must act together because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu'. He went on to note that middle power countries like Canada and the UK 'must develop greater strategic autonomy, in energy, food, critical minerals, in finance and supply chains'.

Greater strategic autonomy is Davos-speak for not being reliant on less reliable trading partners for

essential and critical goods and services, even if such an approach would lead to overall losses in economic efficiency. Carney — who for a long time was a poster child for unfettered globalisation — has recognised and defined the change. Burnham and Healey are simply channelling the same justification. It would be easy to take a swipe at the UK government for not pushing back and being a free trade counterweight, but the judgment in Whitehall — or perhaps in Heron House, the site of No 10 North — must be that the UK is insufficiently relevant across enough industries for such unilateralism to be effective.

There is another aspect to this focus on sovereign economics. The global economy is going through a period of extraordinary technological change in which nascent industries across the low-carbon economy and AI spheres receive extraordinary levels of public and private investment. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Gatt), have always had provisions to allow

developing economies to support infant industry capacity. Article XVIII of Gatt provides something of a theoretical safety blanket in a world where the US and China pay scant regard to the utterances of the WTO.

For the UK, from a legal standpoint Article XIX — designed to avoid dumping of subsidised imports — provides the basis for intervention.

You can already see evidence that this legal framework is influencing the language used by the new government. It was noticeable that ministers talked of UK jobs and UK impact, not an explicit favouring of UK firms. To date the ownership question, apart from in reference to Chinese ownership of British Steel, has been the dog that hasn't barked.

The newly restored business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, speaks about the right ecosystem for firms to 'scale and stay in the UK'. Labour has prioritised voluntary pension fund allocations, including the new Scale-up Fund co-ordinated by the British Business Bank, Sovereign AI fund, and balance sheets of the National Wealth Fund, UK Export Finance, National Housing Bank to backstop UK investment. Despite these efforts UK assets continue to fall into foreign hands at a rapid pace. It can be confidently predicted that when the corporation tax and capital gains implications of these moves become apparent the calls for more intervention will grow.

And this speaks to the route out of what looks increasingly like a costly protectionist cycle. If this is a way to bear down on costly energy, labour, land and capital that have hampered competitiveness then it can be seen as a means to an end for middle-power countries, including the UK, that got high on their 'luxury beliefs' during a period of low interest rates and favourable demographics. If, however, it is used to plaster over these failings, and allow them to endure, then it will be a costly mistake where taxpayers will again pick up the tab. When Burnham lays out his ten-year vision in the autumn,

financial markets will be watching for clues on which of these paths he will take

Simon French is managing director, head of research and chief economist at Panmure Liberum

Pragmatic seeks funds to scale up production

Chris Dorrell

A British semiconductor company with hopes of becoming one of the largest in the world is under pressure to raise funding as it tries to scale up production.

Companies House filings show that Pragmatic Semiconductor's cash reserves will fund operations only until March, by which point it must raise fresh capital. As a result, the directors warned of a 'material uncertainty' over the company's future.

JP Morgan has been appointed to lead a Series E funding round. The company is understood to be seeking about £150 million.

'For technology companies in the scale-up stage, like Pragmatic, funding rounds are typically held every two to three years, making the 2026 raise a planned and expected step in the company's growth trajectory,' the directors wrote in the company's accounts.

They acknowledged there was 'no certainty the funding will be received, although ... they have no reasonable expectation it will not be able to do so.'

The company secured a £16 million bridging loan from its existing investors in the form of convertible loan notes during the first half of this year.

The filings showed that Pragmatic's operating loss widened to £65 million from £55 million the year before, largely because of higher administrative costs. Revenue nearly halved to £901,000 from £17 million last year due to lower income from its FlexIC Foundry service, through which the company takes bespoke chip designs from customers.

David Moore, who became the company's chief executive in 2023, said in June that Pragmatic would generate 'significant revenues' for the first time this year.

The company estimates that its total addressable market once it has scaled up production is around $30 billion. 'Our goal is to be one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world,' Moore has said.

Founded in 2010, Pragmatic designs and manufactures ultra-thin and physically flexible microchips that can be deployed to track individual items as they pass through supply chains, as well as to convey information to consumers.

The company has faced hold-ups bringing its technology to mass production. The directors acknowledged 'delays' but recognised the 'deep complexity of developing an entirely new disruptive technology'.

Pragmatic declined to comment.

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12

Business

Berkshire lifts stock holdings in change of tack under Abel

Chris Dorrell

Berkshire Hathaway bought nearly $20 billion more in shares than it sold in the second quarter, as its new chief executive, Greg Abel, put the company's enormous cash reserves into action.

The investments reverse a period of more than three years in which Warren Buffett trimmed the conglomerate's stock holdings, signalling a new

approach for the company. The investments included buying $10 billion of additional stock in Alphabet, the owner of Google, making the company one of Berkshire's top five holdings.

The company, based in Omaha, Nebraska, also spent about $4.5 billion buying back its own shares, a sharp acceleration from the $235 million spent on buybacks in the first quarter.

Abel succeeded Buffett as chief exec-

utive at the start of this year. Investors have been eager to see how his investment strategy will differ from the one pursued by Buffett, who remains the chairman. Berkshire's cash pile fell from a record $397.4 billion at the end of March to $365.5 billion at the end of June, its latest quarterly results show.

Buffett, known as the sage of Omaha, garnered fame for his patient and prudent approach to investing. Since he

took control in 1965, Berkshire has averaged annual returns of 19.8 per cent, making it one of the world's most closely followed firms.

However, in the past few years Buffett struggled to find value in equity markets which have risen precipitously. Last month he told CNBC that "it's tough to find values when everybody is preferring gambling".

Buffett, who will turn 96 this month, has said that he "initiated" the Alphabet investment after consulting Abel. Berkshire already had a large stake in the company after Buffett started buying its stock in 2025. He admitted Berkshire should have backed Alphabet sooner.

Buffett has said that he and Abel work together closely. "I am not doing anything that he doesn't approve of. He's not doing anything I don't approve of," he said last month. "We talk all the time, but he is the decider."

Macrae Sykes, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, said: "Warren and Greg are terrific investors, and their repurchasing shares gives me confidence in the present value of Berkshire's shares and growth of intrinsic value going forward." Berkshire is its largest holding.

Alongside its investments in companies such as Alphabet, Berkshire owns a variety of businesses. Its wider earnings are often seen as a good gauge on the US economy because its subsidiaries operate in many sectors.

The latest investments were published in the company's second-quarter results at the weekend. Berkshire's operating earnings rose 16 per cent year-on-year to $1 billion in the three months to the end of June, ahead of analyst expectations.

Revenue at BNSF, one of America's largest railroad businesses, increased 15 per cent as the company shipped more consumer, agricultural and energy products. Sales at Berkshire's electronic parts division, TTI, rose more than 26 per cent as demand was boosted by the build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Its relatively underweight position on technology stocks means it has underperformed the market this year, its shares rising only 3.5 per cent. The company warned of "considerable uncertainty" in the macro environment because of conflicts and tariffs.

Mark Neale, far right, founded the

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Burnham under pressure

Andy Burnham is facing mounting pressure over North Sea oil and gas as a decision on allowing new drilling moves closer.

A consultation on Jackdaw, a gas field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, will close today, while a consultation on the Rosebank oil field, northwest of Shetland, closes in a week's time.

The oil and gas industry, opposition politicians and President Trump have called for Burnham to grant permission for the projects, arguing this would protect jobs and cut household bills.

However, environmental groups have urged the prime minister to refuse permission for production as part of the fight against climate change.

Production at Jackdaw and Rosebank was approved by the Conservatives, but a court quashed those decisions last year after a challenge from Greenpeace, leaving the Labour government to decide whether to go ahead.

The end of the consultations has brought renewed focus on the prime minister's decision.

Trump has also been a vocal supporter of North Sea drilling, and said Burnham "sounded terrific" on the issue in their first phone call last month. In that call, Burnham told Trump the UK "can't ignore" resources in the North Sea, and said he would take "a pragmatic approach" to further drilling. Last month BP announced it wanted

A protest by Just Stop Oil against drilling at Rosebank

to sell its North Sea oil business. Meg O'Neill, the chief executive, said the North Sea was simply not "competitive" with other parts of the world and that even cutting the high oil and gas taxes in the UK would not change BP's mind about selling.

The prime minister could face an internal battle if he does approve pro-

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33

Business

HEARTAN WAREHOUSE

retailer that sells waterproofs, walking boots and camping gear from 434 stores around the world

Mountain Warehouse founder steps down from retailer's peak

The founder of Mountain Warehouse is stepping aside as chief executive after almost 30 years, just as the outdoor retailer passes £500 million in annual revenue (Isabella Fish writes).

Mark Neale, who has been chief executive since launching the retailer in 1997, will hand over the role to Marcus Ward from September 1. Ward has been part of the business for almost 20 years, having joined as finance director before taking on various other roles and becoming chief operating and financial officer in 2018.

Neale told The Times that he wanted to focus on expanding the international business, as well as Animal, the Dorset-based surf-inspired brand it acquired from H Young Holdings in 2021. He will remain as executive chairman.

The Mountain Warehouse boss noted he was "one of the few serving chief executives who has been in post for longer than Simon Wolfson," the boss of Next for the past 25 years. "I'm still too young to retire," he added.

Neale founded the no-frills retailer almost three decades ago, selling waterproofs, ski jackets, walking boots and camping gear. It now employs more than 4,400 people across 434 stores worldwide.

Last year, Neale and three senior executives purchased Inflexion's near-20 per cent stake in the British outdoor retailer, with backing from the group's lenders NatWest, HSBC UK and RBC Capital Markets, as well as Citi and Lloyds. Neale said he had no plans to get internal buyers back in the business.

According to its latest filings, turnover rose 13.4 per cent to £509.2 million in the year to February 22, taking the company past the £500 million mark for the first time. The company is targeting revenue of £1 billion. Operating profit

increased by £13.9 million to £47.6 million.

As part of the leadership shake-up, Marsha Smith will join the company as global retail director on September

14 to help lead its international expansion. She has held senior leadership roles with Ikea and Marks & Spencer.

Mountain Warehouse is one of the few retail companies continuing to open stores. It has plans to open 60 shops in this financial year across the UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

"This whole narrative that everybody was going to shop online after the pandemic just didn't come true. Shops came back very strongly and are continuing that way, both in the UK and elsewhere," Neale said."

Apple tests Chinese chips as worldwide shortage bites

Apple has been testing memory chips from China in product lines including iPhones and MacBooks, to mitigate the AI boom-fuelled component shortage.

Apple held early talks with CXMT, which is China's largest chipmaker by market value, about supplying components with the goal of using them in some devices sold in the country, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

The laptop makers HP and Acer are also reported to have started using CXMT memory chips in devices sold outside the US to ease shortages.

It is considering building a second memory-chip plant in Beijing to boost production and meet demand. Reuters has reported.

The chipmaker became China's most valuable company after soaring 466 per cent on its market debut.

Shares jumped from a float price of 8.66 yuan a share, valuing the company at $85.5 billion, to 49 yuan a share, giving it a market capitalisation of nearly $500 billion and putting it ahead of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) as China's most valuable company.

CXMT is a core part of Beijing's drive to build a self-sufficient chip industry China's government, which held 36.3 per cent of CXMT before the float, is increasingly counting on home-grown hardware to boost its position in the AI race against the United States, which has restricted China's access to advanced chips.

CXMT is the world's fourth-largest maker of dynamic random-access memory (Dram) memory chips, with about an 8 per cent market share. It wants to rival South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and the US giant Micron, whose profits and share prices rose in recent months, boosted by the push to build data centres that power artificial intelligence.

Kyle Chan, an analyst of the Chinese tech industry at the Brookings Institution, a thank tank, said: "CXMT's rapid ascent epitomises China's broader rise as a high-tech powerhouse. Originally aimed at tech self-reliance, China's chip champions will eventually start to compete with industry leaders in global markets."

over oilfields

duction at Jackdaw and Rosebank. Some within Labour back the move. Graeme Downie, an MP in Scotland, said the UK should "manage the decline of the North Sea in a way that protects workers, supports communities and builds the industries that will power Britain's future".

He added: "If we do not proceed with Jackdaw and Rosebank, investment will leave the UK, jobs will disappear and expertise will be lost."

Others have pointed to Labour's manifesto commitment not to grant new licences for drilling in the North Sea. Labour has always said it would honour existing licences, giving it some room to approve production.

A government spokesman said: "The North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth and the UK's energy security. We are clear that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, alongside renewables, nuclear and other low-carbon technologies."

Atlassian urges companies to rein in AI spending

Chris Dorrell

Businesses need to gain greater control over their spending on artificial intelligence, according to the chief executive of a leading software company.

Mike Cannon-Brookes, the founder and chief executive of the Australian software-maker Atlassian, said the costs associated with AI had come into "much sharper focus in the last three to six months".

He said: "When you're spending a million dollars, maybe you care a lot less as a big business. Once you're spending $100 million, you start focusing on the cost. When you're spending a billion dollars, you're going to think very carefully about the cost."

His comments reflect growing concern over rising "token" consumption. Tokens refer to the basic units of text a large language model reads and writes. The more intensive a company's AI usage, the more tokens it consumes, and the higher the cost.

Many businesses encouraged their

Mike Cannon-Brookes said the costs of AI had come into sharper focus

employees to "tokenmax", but executives are increasingly conscious of the cost. Data from AlphaSense, a market intelligence company, shows that the word "tokens" appeared in 129 earnings calls across US businesses in the second quarter, up from 57 in the first quarter.

Token usage is still expected to rise,

reflecting the increase of autonomous AI agents that run tasks in the background, and more sophisticated models. But companies will want clearer returns on their investments.

Cannon-Brookes argued that Atlassian's tools, which help to manage workflows across an organisation, could feed AI agents with much more relevant company context. "Every time an AI model reads a word or writes a word, you're paying money. The better answers we can give the agent, the less words it needs to read," he said.

Atlassian was badly hit by the sell-off in software stocks, which was driven by fears AI would disrupt the software industry. The company had to lay off 10 per cent of its global workforce in March, but the company's latest results, released on Thursday, showed that AI could yet prove a tailwind for the business.

Revenue jumped 28 per cent, year on year, to $1.8 billion, above expectations. Adoption of the company's AI products also impressed investors. Its shares gained over 30 per cent on Friday, help-

ing to wipe out nearly all the losses this year. Cannon-Brookes himself said he would spend $250 million buying shares in the company.

In particular, Atlassian argued that its Teamwork Graph, the underlying data intelligence layer on which the company's other tools run, helped AI agents to give 44 per cent more accurate answers while consuming 48 per cent fewer tokens.

Cannon-Brookes argued that software companies were a crucial intermediary for businesses adopting AI, whether that was through providing relevant context to agents or directing queries to the most cost-effective model.

"A lot of problems don't need the amount of power the latest models have. It's like hiring an Oxford mathematics professor to solve your kids' homework," Cannon-Brooks said.

"We take the costs, and we manage them, and we provide customers with an application," he said. "In terms of AI, managing all those costs ourselves [for the customers] is a large part of our job."

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34

Monday, August 10 2026 | THE TIMES

Business Times Entrepreneurs Network

Bra fittings in the office

are latest perk at work

A fashion executive who founded her own lingerie label has found a receptive audience, Niamh Curran writes

If you ask any woman about her first bra fitting, the chances are she will tell you a horror story about a harshly lit M&S changing room, a middle-aged woman with a measuring tape and how she's not been back for another one since. The bad memories associated with the process puts a lot of women off

*Free UK digital banking means day-to-day standard electronic transfers made through Business Internet Banking and HSBC UK Business Banking app are free. Other changes apply e.g. cheques and CHAPS. See Business Price List for details. Subject to application, eligibility, credit check and T&Cs. Issued by HSBC UK Book plc, 1 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 1HQ, United Kingdom. ©HSBC Group 2026. All Rights Reserved. ACE7350

asking for help in finding the correct size and style. But now one company is offering a solution to the problem by having a fitter visit your place of work. Peachaus, a London-based lingerie company, started offering in-office bra fittings as an employee benefit last year and has already landed clients including Expedia, Michael Page and Reward Gateway.

Always on trend, the Times Entrepreneurs Network invited it into our office in London to see what it does. Your reporter was fairly apprehensive, not least because she had the impression some of her colleagues thought the whole idea was inappropriate.

However, Gillian Ridley Whittle, the founder of Peachaus, and her team managed to transform a small well-lit conference room into a relaxing bra-fitting experience. The glass walls were covered with floral-patterned folding screens for privacy; additional partitions were used in the corners of the room to create private spaces for fittings.

The first ever Peachaus Bra fitting took place in a London WeWork office. Before setting up the room, Ridley Whittle was told by staff at the company that hired her not to use the word "bra" in any of its signage, because "it might offend someone".

Despite this hiccup, the session proved to be a success. Ridley Whittle was "inundated" with employees wanting a bra fitting, she said.

Back at The Times, lacy underwear hung on golden rails in a room that was to be used for an editorial planning meeting two hours later. Ridley Whittle's assistants were dressed in the company's pyjamas, which it also sells. The room smelt of lavender, from a spray.

"From the moment you walk in the room, we want to make you feel safe — psychologically, physically safe — that's really important," Ridley Whittle said. Each fitting session starts with the client being asked how her previous one went. Most of the time, women share accounts of ill-fitting bras. One employee at the accountancy software firm Xero said she was always left with bras that were too tight and uncomfortable for sitting at a desk all day.

The next step is a "health check" for the client's current bra. I discovered that mine was simultaneously too big and too small, with fabric sitting away from my body and leaving red marks. Ridley Whittle then visually assessed my size. Peachaus does not use a measuring tape, instead relying on hand and visual measurements, although the fitter did place her hands on my sides to confirm she was correct.

Ridley Whittle uses 20 freelance bra fitters based in Bristol, London and Manchester. They are "hand-selected for empathy and how they connect with others" and trained using a manual she wrote. It offers advice on tone of voice and phrasing, to make women feel at ease.

The price for a bra ranges between £30 and £60. I was given two options to try on, and although I had not worn this style in over ten years, I left with an underwire bra that has now become a staple item in my wardrobe.

Each fitting is finished with measurements written down and a card with a QR code for the cancer charity CoppaFeel®, with links on how

Gillian Ridley Whittle says Peachaus

to examine your own breasts. Peachaus donates £1 to the charity for every bra sold.

Peachaus makes money from sales of bras and underwear, but also by charging the companies £35 to £39 per employee, depending on the package offered. Staff receive a 10 per cent discount on all the products they purchase during a session.

However, fittings were not always their business model. Ridley Whittle founded the company in 2022, initially to sell sustainable underwear and loungewear online. She started in fashion 30 years ago, joining the graduate programme at Marks Spencer, working her way up to become head of buying for Debenhams.

After having her first child, she returned to Marks Spencer to head up the lingerie department, where she first "fell in love with underwear" because of the "fabric and the face". Helping to introduce the popular Rosie Huntington-Whiteley range, she continued in the department for nearly ten years, before being headhunted to work for Target in Australia in 2014.

In Australia, Ridley Whittle worked

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THE TIMES | Monday, August 10, 2026

35

Business

uses 20 freelance bra fitters for its in-office service, hand-selected for empathy and how they connect with others

long hours and “hit a bit of a wall”. Concerned about the industry’s environmental impact, she began to develop a sustainable underwear brand that put “care and comfort at the forefront of everything”, but shelved the idea when she was offered a job at Topshop back in the UK, serving as fashion director for the brand before its parent company, Arcadia, went under in 2020. Ridley Whittle worked for Axos, Topshop’s new owner, until she was made redundant in 2021, and in her spare time worked on the business plan and investor deck for Peachaus.

She was originally going to call her brand Beach House, to evoke a relaxed Australian atmosphere, but decided to change it to Peachaus because it was “tactile, feminine, soft”.

Her first investor, Cedric Wilmotte, the former chief executive of Michael Kors and interim chief operating officer at Versace, invested six months after she was made redundant. The brand has gone on to receive nearly £2 million in investment.

The company sold only through ecommerce, then moved into wholesale but did not receive much

traction. Deciding it needed to “meet women where they are”, it opened a pop-up shop in Covent Garden in March 2024. The pop-up was a success, which helped the brand develop its in-person bra fitting service.

Later that year, Peachaus booked a small tent at the Verve Wellness Festival, in Dorset. “I really thought no one was going to take their clothes off and want a bra [fitting], but we were inundated,” Ridley Whittle said. “We had women trying less on top of their yoga tops, we had women stripping off behind very primitive screens ... I thought, ‘if women are willing to take their clothes off in the middle of a field, they are going to take them off in an office’.”

A friend helped her connect with WeWork for the first in-office bra-fitting session. Through word of mouth, Peachaus then expanded. Ridley Whittle has set the goal of fitting bras on one million women by 2030 and views a proper bra fitting as a health issue, one employers should provide as they might an eye or dental check.

Competitions are the best way to boost British start-ups, Thunderer, page 18

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thetimes.com/ten

We should make better use of UK business leaders

Steve Rigby

It is tempting to equate running a big business with running the country, but really there is no comparison. Two dozen departments. Briefings you cannot repeat at dinner. A focal straitjacket buckled by your predecessors. A weekly kicking at the dispatch box, with every word scrutinised in real time. Nobody drifts into the job of prime minister. They fight their way in.

Then there is the cabinet. In business, a board shares a profit motive, a chairperson and a set of numbers. A cabinet shares none of that. Real power sits out in the departments, and the people around the table are frequently rivals with ambitions of their own. Imagine running a company where your finance director is quietly campaigning for your role. It has happened, but not often.

Politics and business are distinct disciplines, but that does not mean we cannot learn from each other. As I have become more politically engaged over recent years, I have taken plenty of ideas back to my business life. Equally, politicians must be open to the positive influence of business.

Much has been said about the shortage of business experience in the Andy Burnham administration. Of the full cabinet members, none have held senior corporate positions and none have run their own company.

This matters more than the critics realise because economic growth is the only route out of our current bind. It is the foundation on which policy goals are achieved and lives are transformed. Tapping into the skills and knowledge of our most talented business leaders is a significant part of achieving this growth mission, but the recent record is not encouraging.

Poppy Gustafsson could not cut through as investment minister. Jason Stockwood, a man of real capability, was gone before he had a chance to prove himself. James Timpson managed two years as prisons minister, one of the longer periods in government for a high-profile business figure. It came at a cost to his father, Sir John, a wonderful man in his eighties, who stepped back into the breach at the family firm. Patrick Vallance, formerly a senior executive at GlaxoSmithKline, was a popular and effective science minister but recently left the government.

Something is not working. Inevitably, there is a culture clash. Government and business are different animals and anyone who pretends otherwise has done neither. But the business leaders I

know who have served in government do not go in with their eyes closed, even if some naivety is to be expected.

A common problem is the pace of decision-making and action. Many of the issues facing the country today will not wait, with artificial intelligence the prime example. We are moving too slowly — and slowness in this race is a price we will pay for a generation. Failure to act is something no one who has run a big business will accept.

The issue here is not why so few business leaders choose to enter government — that will always be a relatively small number — but why their tenures are so short. Politics is brutal and the scrutiny is intense: we all know that. But the relentless pace of criticism can come as a shock to even the most accomplished entrepreneur or chief executive. No job in this country is harder than governing it.

I am sometimes asked whether I would serve. The honest answer is that the price is too high. Doing so would mean accepting a post with no fixed term while leaving my business behind. Upon arriving, having spent years responsible for thousands of people, the shock of suddenly having a tiny team and no formal reports would be enormous.

The reality is that recruiting business people into full-time, junior ministerial roles is a hard ask and will remain one.

But there is a model that works and it is already running. The serial tech founder Alex Depledge was appointed entrepreneurship adviser to the Treasury

for two days a week. She has kept her outside interests intact and is able to speak her mind when asked a difficult question. Alex has made a genuine difference and I hope she will continue to do so under the new government. Those of us who engage with her respect both the woman and the method, including when the answer is “no”.

That is the template: not a handful of appointments that flame out inside 18 months, but a standing cadre of serious operators giving one or two days a week to the departments that need them most. It costs the taxpayer almost nothing. The upside is enormous.

Now is a good time to recruit. The return of Jonathan Reynolds to the business department is welcomed by those of us who deal with it and John Healey’s steady hand as chancellor is reassuring on the fiscal front.

Whitehall is not short of clever people. It is short of people who have built businesses and can, therefore, provide complementary talents and a different perspective on the economy. Bringing that experience in is the cheapest win available to this government.

Steve Rigby is chief executive of Rigby Group and chair of Family Business UK

“Whitehall is not short of clever people. It is short of people who’ve built businesses

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16

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.

Mix cap (million)	Company	Price Wkly bpl +1	Ytd%	P/E

Automobiles & Part

357.39	Auton Martin Lay	55%	-	1/2	-	-0.7

Banking & Finance

4,649.72	Alberdeen Group	252%	+	12	5.0	12.7
2.08	Ascot 10W	0%				-1.4
11,390.88	Admiral	1065	+	114	1.7	21.0
6,696.28	A1-Ball	615%	+	23	2.4	23.5
56,445.18	ACM Corp	2669%	+	0.05	0.9	-
139.88	Arbuthnot	831%	+	75	4.4	7.6
2,449.82	Amherst Group	210%	+	131	5.5	10.5
59,562.86	Australia & NZ	1970%	+	275	5.0	39.6
31,180.38	Admiral	712%	+	191	5.5	36.5
166,990.40	Basco Sastander	104%	+	46	5.5	34.1
69,698.58	Banclaure	51%	+	75	2.2	11.0
3.17	Blue Star Capital	0%	-	1	-	-2.2
242.55	BP Busch & Plass	67%			5.4	5.1
3,013.51	Bridgeport Inc	34%	+	215	2.5	45.4
787.35	Cheyenne	54%	+	4	4.4	67.3
249.34	Cite of London Inc	49%	+	16	4.7	16.5
662.96	Chris Bros	432%	+	25	-	-4.5
1,306.73	CMC (Nobles)	69%	+	23	2.6	25.1
51,827.68	Deutsche Bank	2016%	+	92%	5.0	36.4
1,064.53	CTA Access (Wbp)	19%	-	5	4.5	-
51.68	CPC Special Slips	11%				-0.7
7.99	Fulmer	67%			1.7	5.9
97.79	Freundin Partners NCT	0%			4.3	31.5
1,487.81	Georgia Capital	440%	+	60%	-	2.7
73.33	Harvard Global	5%	+	1	5.6	40.0
133.62	Hobos S/NW	22%			4.5	7.7
5,858.14	Hibiscus	162%	+	29	2.3	11.7
262,771.66	HIGEC	1519%	-	46%	1.6	17.0
4,463.27	IG Group	114%	+	117	1.2	5.1
145.38	Ingeco Asset (Type 8)	112%	+	31	2.9	7.1
5,437.29	ICSI	354%	+	154	4.3	12.2
2,567.27	Indi Public Policy	143%	+	15	4.1	12.9
6,688.22	Innovator	637%	+	29%	5.7	0.7
19.13	Investment Co	7%
425.93	IP Group	33%	+	35	1.5	9.7
5.59	Jurals Securities	0			4.0	1.5
107.25	Jupiter Fund (Spain)	341%	+	35	1.7	8.0
1,447.96	Jurvality & Hips	1997%	+	31	2.2	4.7
17,480.58	Legal & General	116%	+	16	4.5	11.7
5,339.94	Lion Finance Group (UK)	0%	+	0.08	0.5	0.7
192.06	Interstate Asset (Spain) 20%	-	2%	4.2	29.0	-
61.39	Lawrence Insu Co	37%	+	5	4.4	16.0
66,495.18	Liquids (Banking)	121%	+	5	5.5	16.4
12.35	LME Capital	23%	+	36	2	-
65,525.96	London Stock Exchange (UK)	0%	+	0.03	1.0	17.6
9,758.82	MAAS	36%	+	15	5.6	28.0
5,564.14	Mass Group	111%	+	95	4.1	27.1
29.51	Mass Financial Co	0%	-	1	1.1	4.4
12.22	Manchester Capital	0%	-	-	-	-14.0
1,179.75	Metro Bank	173%	-	31	-	22.3

Construction & Property
39.98	Montana	10%	+	7% 5.0 0.5
11.96	Nuova Properties	0%	-	- 1.2
5.98	S&P International	1%	-	- 10.6
6,296.78	Rafford Realty	10%	+	10% 1.6 16.7
4,544.84	Barratt Redman	115%	+	19% 5.3 23.0
2,399.58	DeBaay	111%	+	13% 3.4 16.0
1,326.71	DeSoto	362%	+	13% - 10.9
1,272.27	Big Indian City	96%	+	12% 5.2
56.67	Billingsize-Magaz	42%	+	12% 2.6 40.9
211.32	Bank (Naira)	15%	+	5 5.0 0.9
1,225.83	Brookin	355%	+	22% 4.1 24.6
4,542.62	British Land	445%	+	5% 5.7 -
27.25	Cardiff Property	1755%	-	1.1 20.7
2,222.14	Denver London	230%	+	4 3.9 -
42.67	DIS Saksam	0%	-	- 2.7
10.48	First Report by	12%	+	2 2.0 6.9
4.56	Friction Group	42%	+	5 5.0 20.7
110.81	Fremen Group	37%	+	5% 1.1 0.7
624.67	Gulfland Try-Whip	61%	+	29 1.2 10.4
196.11	Gerald Group	312%	+	42% 4.1 17.2
166.26	Glucose (M)	23%	+	4 4.0 20.2
1,994.78	Grafton By-Smith	1043%	+	77% 3.6 16.5
1,267.66	Grainger	33%	+	11 4.6 4.4
1,463.34	Good Portland Ltd	317%	+	35 2.3 0.6
2,191.43	Interterrit	57%	+	75 4.9 -
591.29	Harwich Group	10%	+	19% 1.0 42.5
6.96	North General	25%	-	1 0.3
236.84	Indusil	36%	+	5 1.2 42.2

Mix cap (million)	Company	Price Wkly bpl +1	Ytd%	P/E
66,948.64	National Australia	2316%	+	52% 4.6 39.1
56,795.29	NorthWest Group	112%	+	8% 4.9 19.3
392.58	Hyatt	404%	+	5% 5.6 20.2
26,158.46	Prudential	3049%	+	71% 1.9 9.1
5.71	Spainstar (Boulevard)	0%	-	- 5.9
2,794.69	Spiller	35%	+	8% 1.2 22.5
1,956.43	Stallstone Group	172%	+	12% 10.9 29.9
193.91	Standard Strategic	31%	-	0.6
235.72	S & S	100%	+	5 5.9 0.9
12.69	Seaco London	1%	-	1.2
221.32	Silvester BGT	45%	+	5 5.9 -
5,066.55	Stambridge	53%	+	6% 1.6 17.1
5,955.68	St James's Place	112%	+	9% 1.6 11.5
48,602.69	Standard Court (E)	12%	+	18 2.3 25.3
9,499.83	Standard Life	99%	+	18% 5.9 29.9
32,558.84	Sun Life Canada	6029%	+	11% 1.4 -
33.46	Tianzian Inc	0%	-	1.4 1.6
1,778.67	TIC Cook Co	491%	+	12% 5.3 6.9
11.05	Turret	1%	-	- 1.6
48.11	Time France	5%	+	1% - 4.2
2.22	Tussie	0%	-	- 1.6
2.84	Yukofu	3%	+	5% - 4.9
209.84	Yonago Banking Co	31%	+	3% - 25.5
49.99	Yokos	210%	-	11%
104,553.80	Wells Cargo	4433%	+	9% 2.2 -
67,996.76	Windsor (Big City)	3900%	+	8 4.1 10.9
9.58	Winston Investors	33%	-	-
52,277.18	Zurich Insurance	5443%	-	2159% 5.1 20.5

Construction & Property

39.98	Montana	10%	+	7% 5.0 0.5
11.96	Nuova Properties	0%	-	- 1.2
5.98	S&P International	1%	-	- 10.6
6,296.78	Rafford Realty	10%	+	10% 1.6 16.7
4,544.84	Barratt Redman	115%	+	19% 5.3 23.0
2,399.58	DeBaay	111%	+	13% 3.4 16.0
1,326.71	DeSoto	362%	+	13% - 10.9
1,272.27	Big Indian City	96%	+	12% 5.2
56.67	Billingsize-Magaz	42%	+	12% 2.6 40.9
211.32	Bank (Naira)	15%	+	5 5.0 0.9
1,225.83	Brookin	355%	+	22% 4.1 24.6
4,542.62	British Land	445%	+	5% 5.7 -
27.25	Cardiff Property	1755%	-	1.1 20.7
2,222.14	Denver London	230%	+	4 3.9 -
42.67	DIS Saksam	0%	-	- 2.7
10.48	First Report by	12%	+	2 2.0 6.9
4.56	Friction Group	42%	+	5 5.0 20.7
110.81	Fremen Group	37%	+	5% 1.1 0.7
624.67	Gulfland Try-Whip	61%	+	29 1.2 10.4
196.11	Gerald Group	312%	+	42% 4.1 17.2
166.26	Glucose (M)	23%	+	4 4.0 20.2
1,994.78	Grafton By-Smith	1043%	+	77% 3.6 16.5
1,267.66	Grainger	33%	+	11 4.6 4.4
1,463.34	Good Portland Ltd	317%	+	35 2.3 0.6
2,191.43	Interterrit	57%	+	75 4.9 -
591.29	Harwich Group	10%	+	19% 1.0 42.5
6.96	North General	25%	-	1 0.3
236.84	Indusil	36%	+	5 1.2 42.2

Mix cap (million)	Company	Price Wkly bpl +1	Ytd%	P/E
267.27	British	5%	+	1.2 -
539.58	James Kattowski	112%	+	35% 6.9 21.3
2,131.29	Keller	367%	+	5% 3.6 20.2
12,758.76	Mayague Group	3000%	-	0.7 22.4
5,525.58	Land & General	714%	+	5 0.3 -
4,584.42	Landoral/Arctic Prop (E)	0%	-	1 0.4 -
7.79	Macau-Play (Sp A)	0%	-	5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
458.88	Marlboro	101%	+	14% 1.7 11.0
74.31	McAfee/Arctic B-Style	74%	-	5 - 6.0 29.0
2.29	MacKite	0%	-	- 1.3
2,181.47	Always Sealed	444%	+	14% 3.6 11.1
349.22	American Eckard (B)	0%	+	18% 10.9
591.26	Needham (B1)	0%	-	5 0.3 -
27.97	Palace Capital	11%	+	4 3.2 39.1
51.22	Peatier Soundman	29%	-	4 1 12.1
3,747.43	Paranowman	2116%	+	39% 5.1 12.1
5.09	Place Cutters	14%	-	- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2,483.75	Primary Health Project	0%	-	1 1.6 -
59.63	Real Estate	0%	-	5 - 6.0 42.3
1,368.84	Salvation	626%	+	11 4.9 -
1,489.42	Smith	0%	+	5% 3.0 20.0
0.65	Seaco Pkg Dev & Nc	0%	-	- 6.1 -
12,993.46	Segura	950%	-	1% 1.1 -
2,063.92	Stallstone Capital	14%	+	1% 1.0 7.0
530.88	SK	0%	-	- 1.6 -
1,360.85	Uppalot	13%	+	1 1.5 - 20.5
1,317.26	Silica Seal Estate	99%	-	5% 5.3 0.6
69.93	Smart (C)	112%	-	2.9 0.6
48.13	Stappe General	2%	-	- 29.7
2,949.29	Tyler Whipps	39%	+	6% 4.9 30.2
1,111.43	Trans-Centre	1220%	+	2 0.9 -
1,454.44	Trans-Parties	67%	+	1 20% 1.7 41.1
4,514.21	Triton Big-Base	1846%	+	5% 5.0 -
2,757.34	Delta Group	532%	-	5% 1.1 -
641.24	Trans-Centre	222%	-	5% - 6.7
609.79	Workspace Group	1616%	+	12% 7.2
24.12	Alberton Prune	30%	+	3% 1.2 12.3

Consumer Goods

675.34	ATP Regulations	173%	+	25%	3.4 20.3
19.96	Wrox®	25%	+	1%	0.3 0.4
3,150.48	ASI Foods	313%	+	4%	0.0 10.0
609.92	Sam (AA)	65%	+	4%	1.1 14.4
95,823.84	British Amer Pub	463%	+	14%	5.5 22.6
4,260.97	Embassy Group	1104%	+	22 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
264.23	C&C Group	59%	+	2%	5.9 -
20.68	Capital Markets	0%	-	-	- 25.4
42.09	Churchill China	16%	+	5	5.4 5.0
18,477.48	Coca-Cola (MD)	456%	+	6%	1.1 20.4
73.64	Goldman	145%	+	25%	0.4 20.3
2,861.94	Cosmopolitan	525%	+	8%	2.1 17.0
39,896.38	Shapiro	179%	+	116%	1.1 14.9
1.17	Wolfe®	0%	-	-	- 0.6
927.68	Cons (M.P.)	367%	+	5%	3.6 20.4
72.25	France	159%	+	1%	1.7 6.0
4,250.87	Wolse Westphal	1020%	+	18%	5.0 30.3
4,992.43	Ghelley	3932%	+	9%	1.0 30.2
2,117.42	Genocore	1035%	+	1%	20 20.0
15.93	Heathen	12%	+	7%	- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
795.43	Wine Food	61%	+	1%	9.7 17.5
31,496.56	Imperial Brands	219%	+	3%	6.0 11.1
11,326.06	Kerry Group	7143%	+	9%	1.7 20.0
100.72	McBride	304%	+	1%	1.6 0.4
115.51	Malbary Group	17%	+	17%	- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
108.32	McIntosh	304%	+	2%	1.7 17.7
318.41	Navco	11%	+	1%	1.4 -
399.66	Inkjet (S)	36%			6% 0.6 6.6
0.29	PM USA	0%			- 6.0

Mix cap (million)	Company	Price Wkly bpl +1	Ytd%	P/E
136,511.40	AutraZeneca	1109%	+	73% 2.0 24.3
4.28	Leedsridge Bush Sca	1%	-	- 0.6
4,543.88	Camelus	252%	+	8% 3.4 36.5
16.18	Petter & Hoover	25%	+	1 3.3 7.7
66.79	Fin (Amro) Health	38%	-	1% - 20.2
111.41	BP (Deposits)	2%	-	- 59.1
1.98	Fulica (Bolida)	0%	-	- 0.1
1,331.36	Genes	216%	+	11% 1.4 36.6
79,326.30	ICSK	2966%	+	29% 3.6 13.9
1.95	Sarasota	0%	-	- 0.1
10,568.68	Hoburn	945%	+	6% 2.0 29.9
3,524.68	Merra Pharma	167%	+	5% 2.0 12.4
1,649.18	Montreal Group	13%	+	1% - 4.7
24.96	Innes/Norres	6%	-	- 10.8
16.04	Inspiredon Health	18%	-	- 20.0
17.92	Jiffri	6%	-	- 0.3
11.99	Thale Therapeutics	0%	-	- 0.0
266.78	WPS Group	62%	+	1% 3.5 36.6
100,333.00a	Novartis	2813%	+	8% 8.6 12.2
611.27	British Columbia	50%	-	5% - 10.8
2.11	Portsmouth	0%	-	- 7.7
6.31	Portsmouth Sca	0%	-	- 5.2
10,497.98	Health Branch	158%	+	6% 4.1 11.1
14.09	RCA (Ch) Sca	2%	-	- 10.5
31.37	Samara Kattow	2%	-	- 9.6
9,201.58	Smith & Maple	111%	-	- 45% 1.6 30.0
942.46	Saint Healthcare	25%	+	5% 0.6 57.1
4.17	Talisman (Mela)	6%	-	- 1.8
2.11	Yoffee	0%	-	- 0.0

---

37

Business

Mkt cap (million)	Company	Price Mkt (g)	+1	+1	Y/N	F/E
25.69	Eppard Reposers	0.1	-	-	9.1
170.025 M	EMF Group	3346	-	212	1.1	25.4
0.00	Exeter & Mira Rota	265	-	-	-	95.1
43.00	Baugemello	207	-	-	-	16.0
31.222 M	IBP	5175	-	551	4.8	-
1.76	Encounter Energy	0	-	-	4.6
22.24	Cabarrus Minerals	5.5	-	-	9.2
9.42	Cabayan Energy	21	-	-	11.2
112.26	Calcutta Mining	1627	-	225	2.4	7.7
44.77	Cappar Sanitary	21	-	-	1.9
234.76	Cash Asia Metals	2043	-	71	52	-4.9
42.29	Chintal Ltda	11	-	-	-	-
1.56	Chintal Energy	0	-	-	4.3
16.42	Cohen	0.1	-	-	2.1
7.52	Crisio Therapeutics	9.1	-	-	1.9
1,545.44	DBS Gold	177	-	141	2.3	10.3
5.10	ECB Minerals	0.1	-	-	3.3
3.33	Emporium Energy	0	-	-	4.4
9,776.81	Emblecom	4946	-	510	1.3	39.5
427.09	Erdbeil	215	-	1	3.5	-
67.00	Escada Mining	21	-	-	25.3
33.70	Europe Oil & Gas	11	-	-	9.0
170.95	Ferroport	203	-	-	4.9
21,349.44	Frederick	2864	-	309	1.9	28.4
234.99	Galabose Sable	241	-	4	4.4
12.75	ECM Resources	75	-	-	4.9
5.60	Gen Chemicals	4	-	-	4.1
4.71	Geisel	31	-	-	7.4
45,300.56	Glencore	937	-	34	1.1	-
5.06	Geo Exploration	0.1	-	-	4.5
27,224.66	Gold Fields	30411	-	6271	1.2	-
11.76	Goldside	101	-	1	2.1	36.3
11.74	Goldstone Bore	0.1	-	-	4.9
4,324.62	Great Seal Resources	641	-	125	-	26.3
567.73	GAPex Mining	243	-	2	12.7
239.46	GAP Research	1341	-	31	1.3	31.6
3,421.17	Hechclitil	5091	-	351	4.9	17.6
674.62	Hechite	443	-	1	2.2	22.6
4.39	Innovate	0	-	-	2.1
759.06	ITM Power	2097	-	71	-	16.9
20.77	Jadima Metals	71	-	-	3.4
1.55	Karol Diamond Rock	0.1	-	-	1.9
173.50	KEM Gold and Copper	11	-	-	11.1
107.28	Kemura Bio	230	-	12	-	4.0
6.79	Landora Rock	21	-	-	1.8
2.64	Landmark Resources	0.1	-	-	1.9
12.91	Leckington Gold	21	-	-	29.6
430.02	Medal Exploration	14	-	11	-	26.1
1.45	Marion Resources	0.1	-	-	4.1
5.05	Montreal Oil & Gas	71	-	-	4.0
16.00	Oktis Resources	0.1	-	-	17.2
	Osmonds Mining	-	-	-	-
64.01	Owner Mining	16	-	11	-	-
3,675.47	Pan African Res	3491	-	171	2.4	26.7
361.77	Portibone Rock	0.1	-	15	-	49.1
23.49	Portwood Group	211	-	-	3.2
33.00	Prickz Business	61	-	-	4.2
1.77	Prickz Resources	0.1	-	-	4.0
39.90	Prickz Metals	31	-	-	4.0
5.64	Prince Redding	31	-	-	1.9
419.27	Peruvian	900	-	50	4.2	22.9

Mkt cap (million)	Company	Price Mkt (g)	+1	+1	Y/N	F/E
43.47	PTLPM	40	-	0	-	-
6.22	Pictard	101	-	-	15.3
0.40	PMCA	71	-	-	2.4
11.27	Powerhouse Energy	0.1	-	-	1.1
67.50	Forest	14	-	5	12.1	17.6
731.47	Ernest Holdings	510	-	27	2.2	10.6
9,036.27	Randcliff	1021	-	151	2.4	26.1
405.59	Fortune	3011	-	91	2.4	44.1
4.47	Elam Global Inc.	21	-	-	4.3
26.30	Football Food Group	16	-	-	4.0
297.96	FCF Gold	1921	-	42	1.2	22.3
11.10	FCF Group	90	-	-	7.5	6.4
437.87	JDRI Holdings	110	-	215	3.4	4.4
237.04	Sunoco Group	920	-	-	1.7	5.0
1,509.68	Serra	1071	-	241	1.7	20.5
1,636.06	Starks News	711	-	111	1.9	4.1
67.45	Software Crest	10	-	-	25.1
50.69	Starks Group	415	-	-	11.1
349.18	STrain	2011	-	56	14.0	36.0
32.92	Starks	20	-	2	8.4
2.00	Starks	10	-	-	1.9
10.76	Visorist	66	-	-	1.6	46.2
1,000.00	STKIP	467	-	45	5.8	23.9
Retailing
560.52	All World	901	-	15	-	25.5
1,546.82	EMR Company	239	-	125	4.1	14.4
207.87	Gen Factory	561	-	1	4.4	8.5
269.25	CVS Group	2300	-	40	8.7	27.6
362.26	JRT Solutions	2511	-	17	4.7	34.6
1,004.23	Quader	895	-	251	2.9	11.6
3,427.23	Travers Assoc	3001	-	2	-	9.3
1,956.26	Greggs	2920	-	55	5.6	36.0
150.07	Oktisat	166	-	2	1.7	36.2
4,502.87	Houston January	160	-	121	2.4	27.1
1,929.24	Indraport	1075	-	1	4.4	11.6
1,969.91	Imaging Elementary	95	-	-	4.4
4,368.14	JD Sports	95	-	55	1.1	11.0
9,450.62	Prisofisher	1271	-	19	3.2	15.4
6,945.88	Markit & Spencer	4901	-	35	1.9	32.2
5.53	Midwest	1	-	-	4.9
85.63	Robert Wheeler	731	-	11	-	4.0
10,782.05	Markit	2900	-	100	1.7	29.6
1,011.36	Oasis	2141	-	3	-	6.5
920.55	Pink at Home	2121	-	11	5.9	20.1
494.95	Provincial Tech Comp	430	-	-	89.6
1,679.62	Seas	730	-	66	-	-
7,817.82	Subrobury's	2131	-	61	5.9	26.4
600.82	SW Smith	4921	-	19	-	4.1
20.23	Scranton	13	-	-	92.9
29,766.60	Tracos	4761	-	145	1.1	27.3
71.59	Team Tiles	501	-	5	8.4	21.0
Technology
496.26	Alfa Financial	3441	-	25	5.2	36.3
107.95	Wheeler Software	295	-	2	2.7	27.1
48.16	Enough	615	-	4	-	6.6
35.61	WITM Life Care	121	-	-	4.0
111.57	Berkeley Res	25	-	-	65.4
7.20	Washford	11	-	-	3.4
46.00	Goldman Tech	1041	-	2	2.2	10.7
21.73	Grubbs	121	-	15	-	6.0
1.50	Goodfellow	95	-	-	4.4
1,129.66	Campalaceon	4111	-	20	1.5	31.6
107.53	General Tech	280	-	121	4.5	42.1
44.31	Groove	95	-	-	10.3
44.15	Groovese	1110	-	150	1.5	31.6
5.75	Grinnat Tiles	871	-	-	26.8
29.13	CanCormick Hldgs	95	-	-	4.4
3.90	Elkhartan Group	11	-	-	-

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Mkt cap (million)	Company	Price Mkt (g)	+1	+1	Y/N	F/E
20,418.56	JB Group	2667	-	2	2.0	5.1
5,946.44	JS Infrastructure	3041	-	45	1.9	11.0
1,191.49	ManTech Sdnl	2731	-	28	2.0	27.1
5,136.63	Alliance Writan	1304	-	39	2.1	34.6
115.46	Adams UK Coors Lead (M)	4	15	19	12.1
2.96	WinTech Trust	4	-	6.2	10.5
1,059.28	JWI Global	396	-	125	1.7	32.5
374.19	JWI Japan	1701	-	61	1.3	56.0
175.75	Baillie Offnet Inc	1231	-	71	4.6	-
350.55	Baillie Offnet Inc	125	-	5	4.6	-
702.15	Baillie Offnet Inc	2670	-	42	4.9	-
335.48	Baillie Offnet Inc	272	-	105	4.4	-
344.15	Baillie Offnet Inc	130	-	10	2.7	36.9
1,396.29	Bankers Invests Tel	2121	-	55	1.9	47.6
1,150.00	JWI Micro Sdn	4395	-	25	-	29.6
321.62	JWI Micro Sdn	3403	-	90	-	38.5
191.19	Bilattler Inter Inc	207	-	5	5.2	-
189.59	Bilattler Exelblec Inc	2871	-	65	1.1	51.6
317.66	Bilattler Fin Inc	1951	-	51	4.6	25.6
931.25	Bilattler Fin Inc	634	-	26	1.2	39.1
42.40	Bilattler Exelblec Inc	229	-	2	3.4	12.7
609.28	Bilattler Exelc	203	-	10	2.0	32.3
1,100.40	Bilattler Mkt Mkt	962	-	99	2.4	40.0
379.22	Brewer Mkt US Inc	16121	-	40	-	22.5
671.31	Blumen	2964	-	104	2.7	36.1
1,975.28	Colostone Inc	366	-	2	2.0	36.1
1,077.67	City of Lee IT	597	-	4	1.7	27.7
	Crystal Motion Tel	805	-	-	44.1	-
300.19	CT Pro Ta Del	512	-	12	5.5	-
330.61	CT Mr Co & Inc	363	-	5	1.7	29.9
34.02	CT Mr MTI	110	-	2	5.1	28.1
107.25	CT Mr MTI	110	-	2	5.1	28.1
	Danville Envl	475	-	4.0	-	-
1,074.88	Edinburgh IT	861	-	17	1.1	31.4
856.06	Eds Wende	2471	-	15	-	22.0
6,481.41	FAC Pro Trust	2421	-	125	1.2	36.4
300.99	FedEx Global Val	612	-	19	1.3	27.2
1,217.98	FedEx Group	2671	-	5	1.4	29.0
550.45	Altruford	1412	-	62	1.4	42.3
2,100.07	FedEx Group	5448	-	145	2.2	39.2
1,340.23	FedEx Group Val	475	-	111	2.2	38.7
826.26	Fox Smith & Inc	616	-	12	2.4	41.7
643.17	GSP Investment	615	-	15	8.4	30.0
95.49	Global Opco Tel	230	-	5	2.1	42.3
	Golden Prospect	905	-	-	10.7
	Greenwood Worm	661	-	62	6.4	-
2,484.82	Greenwood BC Wind	114	-	25	9.4	12.1
229.76	Heinz Investment Co	154	-	2	1.3	75.9
404.82	Heinz Co Co & Inc	121	-	3	1.4	73.0
2,300.76	Harvest G&P Co	1450	-	115	-	18.2
355.39	Hard High Inc	230	-	5	5.3	26.6
530.96	Hard Unit	991	-	78	1.9	30.0
579.19	Hard Unit Trust	3035	-	30	-	-
1,793.06	Hybrathal Trust	396	-	6	1.3	-
1,598.19	HFC Mkt	199	-	5	6.1	30.1
890.78	HI I H II	1670	-	35	2.0	43.0
174.98	Hayes Inc Mkt	440	-	3	1.2	39.1

Exchange rates

Australia $	1.9166 (-0.00208)
Canada $	1.8005 (-0.00371)
Denmark Kr	0.72746 (+0.00076)
Euro	1.1671 (-0.0001)
Hong Kong $	10.507 (+0.039)
Germany	424.31 (-3.21)
Indonesia	24151.93 (-75.07)
Israel	4.045 (-0.0144)
Japan Yen	212.50 (-0.501)
New Zealand $	2.2912E (-0.00107)
Norway Kr	12.0072 (-0.0242)
Poland	0.8104 (+0.00394)
Burma	113.502 (-1.107)
S Africa	33.8262E (-0.3336)
Sweden Kr	12.706 (-0.00207)
Switzerland Fr	1.0900E (-0.00209)
Turkey Ursi	64.3696 (+0.2649)
USA $	1.3496 (+0.0045)

Gold/precious metals

(61 dollars per ounce)
Balloon: Open $4229.55
Close $4341.425 High $4371.09
Low $4229.75
AM $4391.15 PM $4395.55
Platinum $1747.9
Silver $65.3241
Palladium $1371.732

Money rates %

Asian Notes Clearing Banks: 3.75%ECB Bell 2.40%Fed Fund 3.5.1.75%Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVR) 7.24%
Sterling spot and forward rates
Mkt Rates for Range	Range Close 1 month 3 month
Copenhagen	8.7275 0.7272 -150.04E-426.212
Euro	1.1671 1.1670 -14.97 -42.7
Montreal	1.0005 1.8842 -25.22 -77.48
New York	1.3496 1.3451 -0.51 -0.49
Oslo	12.0076 12.8343 42.94 192.97
Tokyo	212.5560 213.1130 -55.72 -154.82
Zurich	1.0900 1.8927 -76.75 -111.7

Other sterling

Argentina price	2022.67749-2022.67944
Australian dollar	1.9166(2.1)9202
Bahrain dinar	0.50700-0.50900
Brazilian rand	6.30600-6.36200
Euro	1.16710-1.16790
Hong Kong dollar	10.59700-10.59500
Indian rupee	120.42030-120.50031
Indonesian rupiah	24251.32969-24191.50969
Kuwaiti dinar	0.41970-0.41770
Malaysian rimpit	5.51910-5.52110
New Zealand dollar	2.29892-2.29252
Singaporean dollar	1.72496-1.72501
South African rand	21.83844-21.83000
UAE dirham	4.95830-4.95830

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19

Gurkha who became his regiment's historian Colonel Denis Wood Page 40

Obituaries

William Orbit

Record producer who gave fresh impetus to Madonna's career on Ray of Light and reimagined classical music with modern beats

By the late 1990s, Madonna's career was at a crossroads. Her record sales were in decline and tastes in pop music were in transition to a new style of dance music incorporating elements of electronica, trip hop, trance and techno.

Struggling to recreate herself in a rapidly changing marketplace, she had scrapped sessions with the R&B producer Babyface and was searching for a collaborator who could give her a new, cutting-edge sound. She found her saviour in William Orbit, a 40-year-old British producer who was a name on the underground dance scene but almost unknown outside it.

As Orbit sprinkled shimmering synths and skittering, propulsive beats over Madonna's songs, their 1998 collaboration Ray of Light sold 16 million copies worldwide and spawned hit singles in Frozen, The Power of Good-Bye and the title track.

It went on to win four Grammy awards and is regarded by many as the finest and most strikingly original album of Madonna's career. "William is a complete madman genius," she said. "I'd come to him with an idea, hum melodies or read lyrics, and then leave him alone in the laboratory."

She had been aware of Orbit's work from his remisses of her earlier hits Justify My Love and Erotica but they had never met until her manager sent him a first-class air ticket to New York in May 1997. In the gym of her Manhattan apartment, she played him demos of some songs and he offered her his views, although he admitted to being "a bit nervous because I'd been closeted away in my studio for a long time. I was excited just to be out — let alone with Madonna and in New York."

When she agreed to hire him, with what turned out to be epic understatement Orbit recalled thinking: "This is potentially going to be a really interesting project."

Over the next six months they co-wrote and produced an album that redefined Madonna and forged a unique marriage between experimental dance music and commercial pop. "Just hang in there, work on your stuff, get your

The 'queen of pop' called him a 'complete madman genius'

chops together and eventually you get a stroke of luck," Orbit later reflected.

Their collaboration continued on three tracks on her follow-up album Music (2000), and on the hit singles Beautiful Stranger, written for the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and her cover of American Pie, created for her own movie vehicle The Next Best Thing. A dozen years later Orbit returned to co-produce six of the songs on her 2012 album MDNA.

The success of Ray of Light made Orbit the flavour of the moment. Blur, who were keen to shed their cherry Britpop image and move in a more experimental direction, recruited Orbit to produce their sixth album, I'd (1999), which in effect announced the death of Britpop and the emergence of Damon Albarn as perhaps British rock's most imaginative auteur since David Bowie.

Orbit in 2022 to launch his album The Painter and, top, with Madonna at the 1999 Grammys where Ray of Light, which he had produced, won four awards

Others who courted his services included Mel C, Robbie Williams, Pink and All Saints, for whom he produced the chart-topping singles Black Coffee and Pury Shores.

The Madonna connection also gave him the commercial weight to release his own pet project. Although he had no formal training, he had grown up almost exclusively on a diet of classical music and in The Times in 2023 he cited a string quartet by Beethoven as his favourite piece of music.

The result was the 1999 album Pieces in a Modern Style, in which he reworked classical pieces by the likes of Vivaldi, Handel and Beethoven with a synthesised

sized dancefloor backbeat. Purists hated it but the album reached No 2 in the UK chart and a dance remix of Orbit's version of Barber's Adagio for Strings became a hit single.

Awards with cash, he bought a desirable house in Bayswater and spent a fortune on renovating it. For some reason he then "couldn't bear to move in" so spent three years living in the Leonard, a boutique London hotel overlooking Hyde Park, where he set up a recording studio in his suite.

It was there that he recorded Bono's vocals for the U2 song Electrical Storm, which appeared on their compilation album The Best of 1990-2000 (2002). He al-

so produced the band's The Hands That Built America, the theme for Martin Scorsese's 2002 film Gangs of New York.

Once he had tired of room service he spent several years living in Los Angeles and in later years maintained homes in London and Venice. He kept his private life out of the spotlight but it was known that he had a daughter from an early marriage that ended in divorce. During the 1990s he was in a short-lived relationship with the singer Beth Orton, whose debut album he produced. They remained friends and she guested on his most recent album, The Painter (2022).

He was born William Mark Wainwright in 1956 in Bow, east London, which qualified him as a genuine Cockney although there was no trace of it in his cultured tones. His father came from Sheffield and his mother, whose maiden name was Ferrari, was the daughter of Italian immigrants. They were "working class and poor", he recounted, but "struggled to be middle class" and became school teachers.

Growing up in north London, he was educated at Minchenden School in Southgate and recalled discovering an uncle's tape recorder when he was 14 as the turning point in his life. "It seemed like the most incredible thing in the world that you could take a sound and retain it and I became obsessed with recording," he said. His father had a battered old guitar and like the tape recorder he requisitioned it.

To his parents' disappointment, he left school at 16 and drifted through a succession of casual jobs including as a desk clerk at the Strand Palace Hotel.

There were more serious career attempts as a trainee draughtsman with an oiling company and in the civil service but both were short-lived and left him unsatisfied. "What I knew is that I wanted to be creative," he recalled. "I just didn't know how and it burnt me up."

In Europe he busked on the streets and while in the Netherlands worked on a barge before returning to London and taking up squatters' rights in a care-

care-taker's cottage in the grounds of an abandoned Victorian school where he lived on "a Mars bar and an acid tab a day". It was around this time the name Orbit was conferred on him by friends, ostensibly because of his interest in astronomy, although the acid may also have played its part in the soubriquet.

Experimenting with second-hand synthesizers, he formed a band called Torch Song, who in 1983 were signed by Miles Copeland, manager of the Police. "It felt like a turning point," he said. "I thought, 'If I'm smart about it, I'm never going to have to leave this wonderful place of being paid to make music.''

He never did. Three albums with Torch Song were followed by further releases under the names Strange Cargo and Bassomatic. He also built his own home-made studio where he remixed tracks by the likes of Prince, Belinda Carlisle and, of course, Madonna.

His first chart success came co-writing and producing Harry Enfield's 1988 novelty hit Loadsamoney (Doin' Up The House) on which he used the pseudonym Billy Beat.

At some point he travelled by motorbike through Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia before the call came from Madonna. By the start of the new millennium, as one critic put it, he was so hot that "you couldn't move for Orbit's ambient-pop twinkliness".

He was summoned back by Madonna to work on MDNA, and the record was a critical and commercial disappointment. She had seemed more interested in "perfume ranges and teen fashion contests and other such endeavours", he complained, although he diplomatically added: "I will always love that woman. For real. She made my career." Yet they never spoke again and a later proposal that they should record another album together went unanswered.

Increasingly dispirited, in his sixties he threw himself into hedonistic drug abuse. "I'd always been quite drug-averse, then one day at a new year's party I thought I'd try some cocaine," he said. "Then I thought, 'Hmm, this is rather nice.'' In 2016 he suffered a psychotic episode that resulted in him being sectioned. By then he had almost given up music. "I'd become disillusioned with my ability to be relevant. I couldn't even look at my studio gear without feeling sick," he said.

After getting the drugs out of his system he made his way back to music, taking a course in how to use the latest edition of Pro Tools, the industry-standard digital recording software. "Bit by bit, I started to enjoy it again," he said, and the result was the 2022 album The Painter. The title referred to a new passion he took up late in life when, on a retreat in the Nevada desert, he chanced upon a flyer for "vino and Van Gogh" art classes. "You turn up, get drunk and mess around with cheap acrylics and I fell in love with it," he said.

The restlessness that meant he was seldom satisfied was central to his modus operandi. "You strive for excellence," he said. "You never get there, but you do some good work on the way."

William Orbit, musician and record producer, was born on December 15, 1956. He died of undisclosed causes on July 23, 2026, aged 69

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40

v Monday August 10 2026 | THE TIMES

Register

Colonel Denis Wood

Officer who served with the Gurkhas in Malaya and Borneo and later preserved their legacy as a meticulous regimental historian

In August 1944, on reaching 17, Denis Wood volunteered for the army. He was 'hadged' for administrative convenience to the Queen's Royal Regiment, the senior English infantry regiment of the line, and placed in the Territorial Army Reserve until he was old enough for regular service at 17 and a half.

At this stage of the war, with the Allies pushing into Belgium, the expectation was that the fighting in Europe would be over in six to nine months. Priority in officer recruiting was shifting to the Far East. the planners expecting the fighting to continue there into 1946 and perhaps beyond. After attending an India Office selection board, Wood was offered a cadethip in the Indian Army (IA) — the army of British India.

In March 1945 he duly reported to No 63 Primary Training Wing at Victoria Barracks in Maidstone, Kent, joining the IA holding company. After an arm injury set him back two months, in October he embarked for India and the Bangalore Officer Training School. En route from Bombay he met an officer of the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmose Rifles) at a railway station. He was impressed and applied to join them a seemingly haphazard method of officer recruiting, but as good as any in an army expanding from its prewar establishment of 200,000 to a planned figure of 2.5 million.

Commissions in the IA were normally subject to six months' probation in a British regiment. In April 1947, Wood was commissioned in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, his father's old

regiment. Such was the need, however, that Wood was at once attached to the Sirmosris' first battalion (1/2GR) as a company officer, initially in Bombay and then Poona in the Deccan.

His brief encounter at the station would prove doubly fortunate. After independence and the partition of India in August 1947, the ten regiments of Gurkhas, swollen to 40 battalions during the war, had to be divided between the British Army and the army of newly independent India. 2GR was one of the four regiments (each of two battalions) to join the British establishment. This therefore gave Wood an extension of service; whereas those in regiments allocated to India had to find a billet elsewhere. Wood was posted as assistant recruiting officer to Kunraghat and Darjeeling near the border with Nepal, where he was able to polish his Gurkhas, praised years later as the best in 2GR. In 1949, he rejoined 1/2GR in Malaya as the communist insurgency erupted.

His time as a temporary officer was

He applied to join the Gurkhas after meeting an officer at the station

coming to an end, however, and there was no vacancy for a regular commission in 2GR. Instead, he was attached for a few months to a Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) transport company in Perak State, Malaya, before returning to England to attend the RASC regular officers' course. After 1/2GR, it must have seemed a consider-

Wood signed up for the army aged 17

able comedown. Yet no sooner had he begun the course than a vacancy arose in his former battalion. He immediately rejoined them, in Johor State, Malaya, and shortly afterwards became adjutant, for which in 1953 he was mentioned in dispatches, an unusual accolade for a regimental staff officer.

Over the next two years during the Malayan Emergency he commanded two rifle companies and the administrative company, surviving a helicopter crash on a jungle reconnaissance, all before he was 28, early command being one of the attractions of Gurkhas service.

Denis Roland Wood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1927, where his father, Roland, was serving at the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers' depot. He was educated first at nearby Dame Allan's School, before boarding at St Anne's, Windermere, unusually for the time a mixed school. In 1953 he married

Bridget Christina (Chris) Flynn, whom he had first met in Singapore where she was a nursing sister in Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. She died in 2011. Their daughter, Carolyn, survives him.

Wood was not much taller than his Gurkhas, compact of build and no athlete, but his intellectual powers were formidable nevertheless, and his attention to detail meticulous. He passed the entrance examination to the staff college at Camberley with evident ease. An appointment on the intelligence staff at the War Office followed. In 1964 he returned to 1/2GR in Hong Kong as second-in-command, deploying with them on three six-month operational tours in Borneo during the Confrontation, the Indonesian president Sukarno's campaign to break up the new federation of Malaysia.

Wood then returned to the staff college to teach, before in 1968 assuming command of 1/2GR in Brunei. As a deterrence force against any further attempts to depose the sultan, it was crucial to British interests, but Brunei was not a place for a commanding officer to shine.

After his two years there, Wood joined Far East Command headquarters in Singapore as chief of the operations and plans staff. It was a demanding job, not least because of the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore in 1971.

A further teaching job followed, at the then Joint Services Staff College, and then promotion to full colonel on the defence intelligence staff in Whitehall. Even though his responsibilities

covered the Far East, the job did not please him, though hardly surprisingly as Britain had withdrawn from east of Suez, except Hong Kong whose time was approaching too. In October 1973 he retired from the army to work for a life insurance and pensions company, and bought a house in Islington.

He at once turned his love of Gurkha history, his formidable organisational skills and his personal wealth to the project that stands in part as his memorial, as well as to his co-collaborator and fellow 'Sirmosri' Field Marshal Sir John Chapple (obituary, March 26, 2022) — the Gurkha Museum in the former Peninsula Barracks, Winchester, now an upmarket residential square but still the spiritual home of rifle regiments. He was chairman of the trustees from 1978 to 2003, for which he was latterly appointed MBE.

Having earlier published a study of the insignia of his father's old regiment, in 2003 he published the fourth volume of the history of 2GR, covering the postwar years. A tireless and assiduous historian of regimental arcans, he had also compiled a compendium of the service details of 1,447 Sirmosri officers who had served since the regiment's raising in 1815.

It was ironic that his own early service had been in the fighting to preserve empire, and the rest of it in empire's long, withdrawing roar. He was one of the last surviving British Indian Army officers.

Colonel Denis Wood MBE, Gurkha officer, was born on August 19, 1927. He died on June 22, 2026, aged 98

Jorge Messi

Father and agent of the Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi who guided his son's journey to becoming the best player in the world

Even the best in the world have to suffer to realise their dreams. Jorge Messi had uprooted his 13-year-old son Lionel from Argentina to Barcelona so that the child could start his journey towards becoming arguably the greatest who ever played the beautiful game.

Both father and son were so homesick that they would cry themselves to sleep at night. 'Sometimes I would look myself in my room to cry when we arrived in Barcelona, or my dad would do the same without me seeing him, or thinking I didn't see him,' Lionel Messi recalled in a 2007 interview with Radio del Plata. 'We pretended we were both OK, but we weren't. My dad even asked me what I wanted to do when we were feeling down, if I wanted to stay or go back, and I wanted to stay, and he stayed with me.'

The child dazzled with his ball skills and scored five goals in the trial match that took place in the Spanish city in September 2000. The Barcelona first-team director, Carles Rexach, recalled wanting to sign him after two minutes. But Lionel was very small for his age owing to growth hormone deficiency and Jorge had struggled to find the $900 a month required for his son's treatment. There were fears that Lionel would grow no taller than 4ft 7in and the Barcelona board viewed an investment in a 13-year-old 'pipsqueak' as too risky. In any case, Jorge's gambit to turn up in Barcelona with his tiny son was seen as highly irregular, normally Spanishepsilon-wated until South American players had proved their worth as professionals in their home countries before signing them.

The impasse was broken when Jorge issued an ultimatum to the club to the effect of 'make a decision or we go home'. Taking matters into his own hands, Rex-

Messi remained his son's closest confidant while he became a global celebrity

ach rapidly sketched out a contract on a paper napkin in a restaurant. The deal was done and for a time the whole Messi family moved into an apartment near the club's Camp Nou stadium.

From that point on Jorge rarely left his son's side, negotiating all his contracts, first with Barcelona and later his moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He also negotiated the use of

Messi's image rights and directed his earnings into various property, hotel and restaurant investments, managing assets for his son that this year were estimated by Bloomberg to have surpassed $1 billion.

Jorge Messi was born in the Argentinian city of Rosario in 1958 into a family with Italian and Spanish heritage. He might have become a profes-

sional footballer himself having played as a midfielder for Newell's Old Boys youth team, but was called up for military service and never returned. Having married Celia Cacchitto in 1978, he abandoned the precarious dream of footballing stardom and would go on to forge a career as a chemical technician. He later managed the Acordar steelworks, while his wife worked in a magnet factory.

Lionel, their third child, who was born in 1987 and Jorge named after Lionel Richie, started playing football aged four when he joined a neighbourhood team called Abanderado Grandoli, who were coached by his father. On Lionel's first day at school, a teacher blocked him from taking part in a playground kickabout because he was so tiny, but he was soon dribbling around everyone. Nicknamed 'the flea' by his elder brother Rodrigo, seven-year-old Lionel signed for his father's old team Newell's Old Boys. And if Jorge was living out a vicarious dream through his son, he insisted he did not push Lionel against his will, as has been written. '[Lionel] always had a passion for the sport.' Over the next six years little Lionel scored more than 500 goals in a boys' team that became known as the 'Machine of '87' after the year of most of the players' birth.

A quiet figure, Jorge eschewed publicity. Lionel recalled in 2019: 'My old man would get up at four in the morning and get back home at nine at night for dinner. He never scolded me. I enjoyed him so much, I would wait for him just to hug him.'

Lionel would make his first-team debut for Barcelona aged 17 in 2004. Thereafter, managing his brand was a family affair. Jorge's eldest son, Rodrigo, manages Lionel's advertising and image rights contracts and also over-

sees the Leo Messi Foundation. His second son, Matias, manages the foundation's football and community projects in Argentina and abroad. Jorge's fourth child, Maria Sol, runs her own fashion brand and is heavily involved in Lionel's public relations operation.

In 2013 father and son were charged with tax evasion totalling €4.1 million in relation to sponsorship earnings that were allegedly funnelled into offshore companies in Uruguay, Switzerland and Belize between 2007 and 2009. They were found guilty in 2016, given suspended 21-month prison sentences and ordered to pay substantial fines. Lionel told the judge: 'I just played football. I signed the contracts because I trusted my dad and the lawyers.' Jorge remained his son's closest confidant as the player's annual earnings reached more than €100 million in 2018 and the little maestro lifted the World Cup for Argentina in 2022.

During Argentina's first game of this summer's World Cup against Algeria, Messi was visibly emotional after scoring the first goal, but would not elaborate about the reasons why. The illness of his father, who was unable to attend the tournament, was widely thought to be the reason. Jorge is survived by his wife and four children.

In honour of Messi Sr, there was a minute's silence before Inter Miami's game against Monterrey on Saturday, while the players wore black armbands. Their celebrated No 10 was absent.

Jorge Messi, father and agent of Lionel Messi, was born on April 24, 1958. He died after a long illness on August 8, 2026, aged 68

obituaries@thetimes.co.uk

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Register

The Sovereign's Parade

General Sir 'Roly' Walker KCB DSO, Chief of the General Staff, represented His Majesty the King at the Sovereign's Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on August 7, 2026.

The Sword of Honour was awarded to Senior Under Officer, William RF Stubbs who is to commission into the Household Cavalry Regiment Lifeguards (HCR (LG)).

The King's Medal was awarded to Officer Cadet Joshua DM-R, Lee, who is to commission into the Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR).

The International Sword was awarded to JUO A Bakira from Uganda, and the International Award was awarded to Officer Cadet M Finke from the Armed Forces of Germany.

The following have been granted commissions in the Regiments and Corps shown, having successfully completed Commissioning Course No. 253.

JUO Adeyeye, TOA, R ANGLIAN; OCd† Ali, TGH, COLDM GDS; OCd† Amphlett, KAR, AGC(ETS); OCd† Backhouse, TG, SCOTS DG; OCd† Barbour-Smith, RM, R WELSH; OCd† Barclay, SD, RLC; OCd† Barker, TL, R SIGNALS; OCd† Beckett, OJ, REME; OCd† Bedford, BEM, REME; OCd† Bell, WF, AAC (Pilot); JUO Bence-Trower, HN, SG; OCd† Betteridge, MFE, R SIGNALS; OCd† Biddulph, HP, KRH; OCd† Blackmore, EJ, R ANGLIAN; OCd† Bollard, SN, PARA; OCd† Boot, CD, R SIGNALS; JUO Botham, GGF, RE; OCd† Bowman, WGA, SCOTS; OCd† Boyer, AC, RIFLES; JUO Brennan, JD, RGR; OCd† Brophy, FT, RE; OCd† Buchanan, WE, SCOTS DG; OCd† Burgoine-Roth, MSC,

RLC; JUO Carroll, JC, R IRISH; OCd† Cartwright, PRS, SCOTS; OCd† Chevalier Guild, ECT, HCR (LG); OCd† Clark, WA, R SIGNALS; OCd† Clarke, CTB, PWRR; OCd† Clayton, QIG, QRH; OCd† Coe, AJ, COLDM GDS; OCd† Coleman, OR, PARA; OCd† Connolly-Connell, AD, R SIGNALS; OCd† Cooper, HJ, REME; JUO Coughlan, KP, RTR; OCd† Crabtree, LO, AGC(ETS); OCd† Cross, HD, RLC; OCd† Dudley, BA, RLC; OCd† Dalton, TR, AGC(RMP); OCd† Daniels, RJC, SG; OCd† Darling, WJ, REME; OCd† Davidson, TJ, R IRISH; OCd† De Boehmster, WHM, WG; OCd† De Gale, LC, RE; OCd† Dennis, TJ, RE; OCd† Dennis, GG, RA; OCd† Devoir, MAJ, RIFLES; OCd† Duffield, JPT, SG; OCd† Dunning, WM, RE; OCd† Dyke, MJ, RA; OCd† Edmunds, NF, RA; OCd† Elviss, SM, PARA; OCd† Elwood, JW, RL; OCd† Elwood, BA, RIFLES; OCd† Fazel, S, R SIGNALS; OCd† Finch, WP, REME; OCd† Findlay, CD, RE; OCd† Finn-Kelcey, M, RDG; OCd† Fitz-Gerald, WAP, IG; OCd† Fogg, AE, RLC; OCd† Foreman, JR, REME; OCd† Forster, DS, R SIGNALS; OCd† Fowler, SL, RIFLES; OCd† Fraser, GF, SCOTS; OCd† Gaynor, JM, RA; OCd† Gilbert, MJ, INT CORPS; JUO Gilbertson, LC, R ANGLIAN; OCd† Grant, HAB, IG; OCd† Gioslin, OGM, RA; OCd† Harding, BC, R SIGNALS; OCd† Harris, OJ, REME; OCd† Harte, AAG, SCOTS; OCd† Haylett, JM, MERCIAN; OCd† Henderson, HM, PARA; OCd† Henry, GP, RAMS(M); OCd† Henshaw, MA, RA; OCd† Heishuorne, JC, RA; OCd† Hill, LJ, LANCS; OCd† Hoffman, SCB, AGC(SPS); OCd† Issa, YIM, INT CORPS; OCd† Jack, FHA,

RDG; OCd† James, SP, PWRR; OCd† Jennings, EB, QDG; OCd† Johnson, HA, RE; OCd† Jones, JA, RLC; OCd† Joyce, RH, SCOTS DG; OCd† Judd, SL, AGC(ETS); OCd† Kamyab, SN, RA; OCd† Kelly, ML, AAC (Pilot); OCd† Kennedy, OPJ, RG; OCd† Keogh, SJ, RE; OCd† Kilgour, RA, RE; OCd† Lake Coghlan, GJ, RLC; OCd† Lee, JDM-K, RGR; OCd† Lee, FC, KRH; OCd† Lester, ABM, RGR; OCd† Li, YER, RAMS(M); OCd† Lindsay, CR, RLC; OCd† Littlewood, WJ, RA; OCd† Livesey, JK, PWRR; OCd† Lock, JH, RA; OCd† Loder, EA, IG; OCd† Louch, TJ, RRF; OCd† Macaulay, HB, PARA; OCd† Macdonald, IM, AGC(ETS); OCd† Mackle, E, AGC(RMP); OCd† Mackman, JRK, RE; JUO Makepeace, DRW, RIFLES; OCd† Mangles, JSG, LD; OCd† Mason-Phelps, KD, QRH; OCd† Massey, DJ, REME; OCd† Matthews, DJ, RE; OCd† Mcardle, JMC, INT CORPS; OCd† McArthur, GW, RE; OCd† Mckenna, TO, RE; OCd† Meenan, AM, AAC (ASO); OCd† Melmoth, ST, RE; OCd† Mendonca, CG, R SIGNALS; OCd† Millson, E, RLC; OCd† Milner, JJ, RLC; OCd† Mitchell, CR, RLC; OCd† Moloney, OED, REME; OCd† Moore, AT, R SIGNALS; OCd† Moss Prout, FA, REME; OCd† Murdoch, KEM, HCR (RHG/D); OCd† Murrin, NJ, INT CORPS; OCd† Musgrave, CJ, AAC (Pilot); OCd† Naylor, AS, REME; OCd† Neusinger, EF, RE; OCd† Newton, OJ, RLC; OCd† North, AW, AGC(RMP); JUO North, B.E.M, R ANGLIAN; OCd† O'neil Smith, AP, RA; OCd† Parkes, WGM, RE; OCd† Parmar, AA, RIFLES; OCd† Paterson, AJB, AGC(RMP); OCd† Pattenden, MA, RA; OCd† Piercy, JH, RE; OCd† Pirzada, GR, AGC(ETS); OCd†

Preston, HTE, RA; OCd† Price, JJS, RIFLES; OCd† Pushman, AV, RA; OCd† Pym, SMR, IG; OCd† Reimus, AW, AGC(RMP); JUO Richardson, JT, RYORKS; OCd† Robinson, JP, RRP; OCd† Rumball, WAH, RA; OCd† Seaton, JK, RAMS(M); OCd† Shapland, AJ, AAC (Pilot); OCd† Short, ML, RA; OCd† Simmonds, CH, RE; OCd† Simpson, RW, RLC; OCd† Sims, EB, REME; OCd† Smeeton, AEK, RLC; OCd† Smith, PJ, RLC; OCd† Smith, BJ, RA; OCd† Smith, MJH, SG; OCd† Smyth, AM, INT CORPS; OCd† Spalton, JF, AAC (Pilot); OCd† Sparkes, AGC, AAC (ASO); OCd† Stead, JH, RLC; OCd† Stephens, AP, R SIGNALS; OCd† Stephenson, HGI, LANCS; OCd† Stingone, LJ, R SIGNALS; OCd† Stott, CJ, REME; OCd† Strong, TW, WG; OCd† Stuart, JGO, SCOTS; SUO Stubbs, WRF, HCR (LG); OCd† Taylerson, ERR, RLC; OCd† Taylor, AR, INT CORPS; JUO Teasdale, NG, INT CORPS; OCd† Thomas, W, INT CORPS; OCd† Thomas-Connolly, BS, SCOTS DG; OCd† Thomson, HB, RA; JUO Thorne, TJA, RE; JUO Ticehurst, JM, PARA; OCd† Trebickock, MD, RLC; OCd† Trotman, RJ, R SIGNALS; OCd† Turner, HPB, R SIGNALS; OCd† Twiggs, WK, AGC(SPS); OCd† Vickerman, CJ, RE; OCd† Vyse, HC, RYORKS; OCd† Walwyn, AAB, SCOTS; OCd† Warhurst, EJ, RE; OCd† Webb, CJA, R SIGNALS; JUO Welch, CJ, RA; OCd† Welsh, OP, R IRISH; OCd† Westroom-Warr, CE, RA; OCd† White, SD, RE; JUO Whitehead, GAD, IG; OCd† Whittaker, RJ, RA; OCd† Whitworth, HW, RYORKS; OCd† Wilkins, MSP, AGC(RMP); OCd† Wilkinson, AL, RE; OCd† Williams, CFJ,

RLC; OCd† Williams, TVC, SCOTS; OCd† Williams, SD, GREN GDS; OCd† Willumsen, DJ, R SIGNALS; OCd† Wright, GCS, INT CORPS.

The following International Officer Cadets also passed out with a view to being commissioned into the Armed Forces of their countries:

OCd† A Hovsepyan, Armenia; OCd† SMAl Al Khalifa, Bahrain; OCd† SMAM Al Khalifa, Bahrain; OCd† SMFMR Al Khalifa, Bahrain; OCd† NAA Al Ajman, Bahrain; OCd† MAJ Al-Baumain, Bahrain; OCd† AR Lamiz, Bangladesh; OCd† P Muthsolchhorpone, Cambodia; OCd† SMH Koffi, Cote D'Ivoire; OCd† SMMME Abdelrahman, Egypt; OCd† R Nokelainen, Finland; OCd† TAR Lucerne-Serrano, France; OCd† O Touray, The Gambia; OCd† A Trechke, Germany; JUO M Finke, Germany; OCd† A Adams, Ghana; OCd† JA Tangrebolon, Indonesia; OCd† MGM Qalwawis, Iraq; OCd† M Williams, Jamaica; OCd† ZTK Alabdullah, Jordan; OCd† I Lenkume, Kenya; OCd† K Derguti, Kosovo; OCd† MF Al Omar, Kuwait; OCd† MA Ibrahim, Maldives; OCd† R Bugeja, Malta; OCd† B-E Battimour, Mongolia; OCd† E Kurtanovic, Montenegro; OCd† H Nepali, Nepal; OCd† JT Adekunle, Nigeria; OCd† MBM Al-Azri, Oman; OCd† FMM Al-Maashani, Oman; OCd† SBF Khammash, Palestine; OCd† F Kargho, Sierra Leone; OCd† MFM Al Hababi, UAE; OCd† MMR Al Mualla, UAE; OCd† MAS AlNeyadi, UAE; JUO A Bakira, Uganda; OCd† RK Kainerugaba, Uganda; OCd† P Yeromin, Ukraine; OCd† M Nicol, USA.

Births, Marriages and Deaths

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Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society

Deaths

STUBBS Michael Lawrence Edward died peacefully on 22nd June 2026 at Home, Fuzuway, Residential Care, Admission, Devon. Private family service held in July 2026. Born in Co-Wakefront in 1938, much loved. Survived by three children, Catherine, Elizabeth and William

WATTS Christopher John died suddenly on 29th July. He will be much missed. Cremation will be held at Romsey Crematorium on 27th August at 3.30pm. No flowers. Donations through AH Chester, Romsey. In the Salvation Army.

There is no Court Circular for August 8 and 9, 2026.

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43

Weather

Today A dry and warm day for most with plenty of sunshine and one or two showers. Max 28C (82F), min 7C (45F)

Around Britain

Max 28C (82F), min 7C (45F)
Max 28C (82F), min 7C (45F)

	Temp. F		Rain mm	Sun hr( ^{a} )
	middle seconds		Jones in feet	seconds
Aberdeen	18	R	2.6	4.4
Alloquium	19	PC	0.0	10.4
Anderley	20	PC	0.0	13.0
Andernes	16	R	0.2	9.4
Barnstaple	26	S	0.0	++
Bedford	20	S	0.0	++
Bolton	16	C	0.0	0.1
Birmingham	26	PC	0.0	++
Beavenworth	30	S	0.0	11.2
Bridlington	27	PC	0.0	++
Bristol	27	S	0.0	6.5
Canberra	21	PC	0.0	9.7
Cardiff	25	PC	0.2	8.7
Edinburgh	14	S	0.4	4.5
Edinburgh	14	R	5.6	0.7
Glasgow	15	C	12.0	1.7
Haverford	27	S	0.0	++
Northaveness	25	C	0.0	10.6
Ryneby	20	S	0.0	11.4
Isle of Man	17	R	5.0	10.3
Isle of Night	27	S	0.0	++
Jersey	21	S	0.0	11.1
Kentrick	16	C	1.6	++
Malden	16	C	0.0	0.9
Leeds	20	C	0.0	++
Lonsdale	13	C	0.4	0.0
Liverpool	17	C	0.4	2.4
Lincoln	26	S	0.0	12.0
Liverpool	21	C	0.0	++
London	29	C	0.0	12.3
Lynchum	27	C	0.0	9.3
Manchester	26	C	0.0	10.6
Maryville	25	PC	0.0	12.5
Milford House	23	S	0.0	++
Newcastle	20	PC	0.4	++
Nottingham	25	S	0.0	11.0
Orkney	16	C	5.0	++
Oxford	20	S	0.0	++
Plymouth	24	S	0.0	++
Portland	23	PC	0.0	++
Salts, St Mary's	22	M	0.0	++
Shenleon	26	C	0.0	12.3
Strasbourg	25	PC	0.0	10.1
Seawalwia	19	PC	0.0	++
Southend	24	C	0.0	13.1
South End	15	PC	0.0	++
Shrewsbury	16	C	5.4	0.6
St. John's	16	C	5.9	0.0
Wichitawan	16	R	0.0	5.9
Wick	++	C	0.0	++
Yewellton	20	C	0.0	9.7

The world

All readings with multiple similarities

Allicarba	34	S	Madonna	26	PC
Anchorage	29	T	Wright	32	S
Athens	32	PC	Wallace	27	S
Auckland	31	C	Madonna	30	S
Edinburgh	30	S	Malta	34	PC
Essobah	31	R	Melbourne	11	R
Essohans	30	PC	Monaco City	22	S
Barcelona	34	S	Miami	33	R
Buffalo	+++	++	Wilson	34	S
Beirut	+++	++	Mombasa	29	PC
Belgrade	30	S	Westford	27	C
Berlin	29	R	Monaco	25	R
Bermuda	30	PC	Munshal	31	++
Bonthaya	32	PC	Munich	32	S
Brussels	29	S	Nahvitt	21	R
Bucharest	27	S	Dublin	26	S
Budapest	26	S	New Orleans	32	PC
Buenos Aires	+++	++	New York	31	PC
Calu	31	C	Malo	32	PC
Calcutta	31	++	Nicosia	34	S
Canberra	7	DD	Oslo	19	PC
Cape Town	14	PC	Paris	27	S
Chicago	20	PC	Perth	16	PC
Cameluspen	26	PC	Prague	11	PC
Carib	27	PC	Rodriguez	13	PC
Delhi	34	++	Rice	22	PC
Dubai	44	S	Rio de Janeiro	31	R
Dublin	19	PC	Riyadh	45	PC
Fare	25	S	Rome	5	++
Florence	27	PC	San Francisco	19	PC
Frankfurt	26	S	Santiago	11	PC
Geneva	28	S	São Paulo	25	PC
Gibraltar	30	S	Sanal	31	S
Helsinki	22	PC	Scotchitico	27	PC
Hong Kong	34	PC	Singapore	13	R
Honshills	+++	++	St Petersburg	21	R
Istanbul	25	DC	Stockholm	25	S
Jerusalem	33	PC	Sydney	10	S
Johannesburg	16	S	Till Aviv	33	PC
Kuala Lumpur	25	PC	Yamaha	30	PC
Kyle	+++	++	Tokyo	31	PC
Lancaster	30	PC	Vancouver	23	PC
Los Patinos	29	PC	Venice	+++	++
Lima	23	SP	Vienna	29	S
Lübeck	20	PC	Marysee	23	S
Los Angeles	26	PC	Washington	32	R
Luxor	26	S	Zurich	+++	++

Five days ahead

Patchy cloud and a few spots of rain across Ireland and Scotland, dry and hot elsewhere

Tomorrow

Dry and hot with the best of the sunshine in southern Britain through the afternoon.

Max 28C, min 13C

Wednesday

A day of bright periods and one or two spots of rain across Ireland, Dry, sunny and hot in England, Wales and Scotland.

Max 28C, min 15C

Thursday

Patchy cloud and showers outbreaks of rain across Scotland and Ireland, Dry and sunny hot with sunny spots elsewhere.

Max 34C, min 25C

Friday

Clearing dry and hot in southern England and Wales, Bright intervals and outbreaks of rain elsewhere, however in northern Ireland.

Max 34C, min 15C

Saturday

A day of bright spots and scattered showers across Scotland and northern England, Dry elsewhere with sunny spots.

Max 35C, min 4C

The Times weather page is provided by

WeatherQuest

General situation: Dry for most with long sunny spots and the odd shower in northern and eastern Britain. Republic of Ireland, N Ireland: Early mist, fog and low cloud clearing to leave a dry day with a mixture of sunny spots and patchy cloud. Light and variable winds, perhaps moderate along the coast later. Maximum 21C (70F), minimum 10C (50F). NW Scotland, NE Scotland, N Isles, Morny Firth: Dry with sunny intervals through the morning. Bright periods

and a few spots of light rain or drizzle by the afternoon, most widespread in the Northern Isles. Light to moderate west to northwesterly winds, fresh in the far north at first. Maximum 17C (63F), minimum 7C (45F). Edinburgh and Dundee, Can Highland, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Argyll, Dordon, SW Scotland, NE Eng: A dry day with the best of the sunshine in the morning. Light to moderate west to northwesterly winds. Maximum 21C (70F), minimum 9C (46F).

Lake District, Can N Eng, NW Eng, Ialdi, E Eng, W Mills, Wales: Dry and warm with sunshine turning increasingly hazy later. Light to moderate north to northwesterly winds. Maximum 25C (77F), minimum 9C (48F). London, E Anglia, E Mids, Can S Eng, SE Eng, SW Eng, Channel Is: A largely dry and hot day with sunny spots and the odd isolated shower in eastern Norfolk. Light to moderate north to northwesterly winds. Maximum 28C (82F), minimum 10C (50F).

Tides

Tidal predictions, weights in metres, 40 times in local time

Today		HI		HI
Aberdeen			12:18	3:0
Weymouth	29:30	10.7	19:18	11:5
Belfast	09:46	3.1	22:84	3.3
Cardiff	09:27	10.1	17:59	10:6
Donnaart	08:09	4.6	16:57	4:9
Dover	09:54	5.9	22:26	6:0
Dublin	10:16	3.7	22:37	3:9
Edinburgh	10:40	4.3	16:12	4:7
Greenock	11:20	2.9	23:26	3:1
Haverhill	10:11	3.4	22:44	3:6
Holth640	09:05	4.9	21:38	5:2
Hull	08:30	6.3	21:33	6:6
Leeds			12:25	5:0
Liverpool	09:45	8.2	22:14	8:6
London Bridge	+++	++	12:24	6:0
Lowestoft	07:40	2.3	20:36	2:4
Milford House	06:00	5.9	17:12	6:2
Monrovia	09:57	6.1	22:26	8:5
Newtown	09:44	5.8	22:09	6:0
Newspay	08:35	5.7	16:06	6:1
Olen	09:06	3.3	17:37	3:5
Pequines	10:07	6.6	22:39	4:5
Portsmouth	10:11	4.2	22:29	4:4
Shenham	10:00	5.4	22:24	5:6
Southampton	09:12	4.8	21:33	4:2
Swansea	04:46	7.9	17:18	8:3
Toes	01:54	4.8	14:33	5:0
Weymouth	05:09	1.5	17:34	1.0

Synoptic situation

A cold front associated with a low-pressure system near Scandinavia will bring some patchy cloud over southern England and Wales through the morning with a chance of the odd isolated shower in East Anglia. High pressure will lead to a mainly dry day elsewhere with plenty of sunshine and one or two spots of drizzle in northern Scotland.

Highs and lows

2Hies in farm yesterday
Warswab (Scartwood, Surrey, 21.5)
Edinbelt (Calcepore, 4.5C)
Whitfield (Arlington, 0.09F)
Swanwell (Jennings, North Yorkshire, 2.5Ps)

Sun and moon

For Greenwich
Sun rises 25.38
Sun lifts 20.22
Moon rises 15.55
Moon lifts 14.48
New moon, August 12

Hours of darkness

Aberdeen	23:52-04:57
Belfast	23:37-05:02
Birmingham	23:13-05:13
Cardiff	23:25-05:22
Exeter	23:24-05:26
Glasgow	23:35-05:11
Liverpool	23:25-05:15
London	23:03-05:18
Manchester	23:18-05:12
Newcastle	23:25-05:04
Norwich	23:35-05:06
Pequines	23:20-05:35
Sheffield	23:14-05:09

Weather Eye Paul Simons

Prayers for rain have gone unanswered in the drought-stricken areas of Britain, even though downpours have battered western and northern parts of Scotland. But there is nothing new about trying to conjure up wet weather.

For a long time it was believed that loud noises could set off rain. During the American Civil War cannon fire was thought to cause downpours in the days after a battle, as the noise of the explosions was believed to agitate clouds. In 1891, the US government funded a study to test whether dynamite could trigger rain. Among the researchers was a meteorologist, George Curtis, although he faced a great deal of scepticism from others in his field.

Indeed, the tests produced hardly any rain and Curtis left. But another member of the team was Robert Dyrenforth, a lawyer whose interest in rainmaking using explosions came from patents he had studied. Dyrenforth and the rest of the team went on to, they claimed, successfully create rain in a number of tests around southwest America, although the experiments were done during the area's rainy season so were mostly dismissed by the scientific community.

A decade later another American, Charles Hatfield, claimed he could conjure rain using a special smoke he had invented, belched out from 20ft-tall chimneys. Gold miners around Klondike in northwestern Canada hired him to make rain but after two months his efforts met with little success and the operation was shut down. Despite this setback, in 1915 Sun Diego hired Hatfield to break a long-running drought. But after starting up his smoke operation, a deluge of rain flooded streets, homes and farms, and roads and railways were washed away. Worst of all, a dam broke when it overfilled with water and an estimated 20 people were killed. Furious residents used the city, who demanded that Hatfield take responsibility for the deluge and pay the damage costs, but eventually a court ruled that the rain was an act of God and Hatfield was exonerated.

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

Uncover the history, culture and elegant architecture of Poland's former royal capital, and pay a moving visit to Auschwitz.

Discover one of only a handful of major Central European cities to have survived the centuries unscathed. Kraków is a colourful university city

buzzing with life and post-Communist enthusiasm that is becoming one of Europe's must-see destinations. Our escorted break lifts the veil on this great visual masterpiece, whose Unesco-listed treasures rival any found across the continent, and also pays a respectful visit to the preserved remains of infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau.

• Same as the 15th day of the year. The following marks by September 30, 2026 and a report for applied retrospective to localities already confirmed. Other applies to select tours only and cannot be combined with any other offer. Exclusions apply. Prices shown include discount. Single supplements apply. Prices cannot at the end of the 1st day of the year. Subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. These statistics are organized and operated by Westminster Nishkan Ltd, a company wholly independent of News UK. 48/937 9509. 4356; protected 2527. 48/54 V7022. Unrested places always apply.

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From teams and tactics to ownership and scandals, listen to the full picture on and off the pitch in our football podcast.

Find The Game wherever you get your podcasts

THE SUNDAY TIMES

---

45

CHILL

Woodcock 'lost world' celebrated by plaque

Like Atherton, The Times chief cricket correspondent, has unveiled a plaque commemorating his predecessor John Woodcock on what would have been his 100th birthday.

Woodcock, who held the role from 1954 to 1987, died in 2021 aged 94. His byline appeared in the paper for more than 60 consecutive years with his last piece published a year before his death.

The plaque sits beneath a stained-glass

window in St Nicholas church, Lansgrove, Hampshire, which celebrates his and his family's connection to both the church and

village that stretches back more than 250 years.

In The Times' cricket newsletter last week, Atherton wrote: "John is

the best remembered of all The Times' cricket correspondents, since he did the job for more than three decades. He was a link to a lost

world on his first Ashes tour, the famous 1954-55 tour when England won down under for the first time since the war, he travelled by boat.

"On John's 90th birthday, I did a long interview with him which remains one of my favourite pieces. "We chatted a lot

Atherton, the Rev Terry Morning, Christopher Woodcock (elder nephew) and Humphrey Roebuck, a local young cricketer, at the plaque unveiling that marked what would have been the 100th birthday of John Woodcock, above

about how the correspondent's job had changed over the years.

"He was never he had the best of it: pre-intervent; paper edition only; a gentler; less combative time; the barriers between players and journalists non-existent, and a game that was much simpler then than now."

Windsor Thunderer

5.45 Technological Star 7.15 King Of Light 6.15 Henry Knows (nb) 7.40 Princess's Honey Size 6.45 Thunderm 8.25 My Old Mule (mgt)

Going: good to firm Draw: 6f, high numbers best Sky Sports Racing

---

46

Sport

Here's my advice for Marler as he trades elite sport for Gladiators

I tore my ACL and got told off by the producer but don't worry, Joe, you'll love life as 'Mauler', writes Sharron Davies

Dear Joe, welcome to the club of athletes who made the leap from world-class sport to Gladiators. Your stellar days in the scrum for England and the Lions will doubtless come in handy as 'Mauler'!

If the name doesn't strike fear into the hearts of all challengers, your block surely will. I imagine it would be like hitting a brick wall.

It was the mid-1990s when I was 'Amazon' on the show. Gladiators was a prime-time hit, often with 14 million watching on a Saturday night. Kids were allowed to watch before bedtime and parents watched before going out.

I'm really glad to see it back, inspiring kids to be physically active — and, being serious for one moment, we need to get them off their phones and back living in the moment, so I'm genuinely delighted to see it on our screens again, very much in its original format. Well done, the BBC.

I had fun in the show, as I'm sure you will too, Joe — so here are a few memories you may find useful before you become the Mauler.

Let's start with age and injury. I was 32 when I first appeared as Amazon — and back then 30 was considered 'past your prime'. Less so today, thank goodness, but the rough and tumble of the games on an already well-used body, and at a time of a very different health and safety environment to what's around today, led to me being injured during Gladiators.

In the game called Pyramid, we had to grab contestants and throw them down to prevent them from getting to the top. There were often some bad tangles. I got tangled up with a super-fit police officer, and it ended my run: snap, went the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in my knee joint.

There was a plethora of similar accidents, but often on games that the BBC hasn't resurrected yet, like Poleaxe and Tilt.

At 36, you're a spring chicken. Even so, take care with any residual injuries from rugby days, especially anything sustained towards the end of your career. They can be accumulative and recovery can be slower. But hey, you're a rugby player, you know all this. I was a soft water-baby.

Rigorous new health and safety rules have definitely changed the

Marler, the ex-England prop, will become a Gladiator for the new series of the BBC show, as Davies, second row left, did in 1995

show down the years and probably means you'll avoid some of the nightmares we faced. For me, the frustration was more about not getting enough time to practise. I remember doing Tilt, a version of tug of war, for the first time live on air.

I struggled with the athlete mindset I'd grown up with. You don't act in sport, it's purely about doing a job. Judy Simpson, as 'Nightshade', was another world-class athlete who brought her performance mindset to the game. You're not thinking about the entertainment. It's about winning — and it's highly organised and runs to a tight schedule. And come the hour, you're in the zone, completely focused on your performance. Nothing else matters.

Gladiators is a show. It's high-octane entertainment with entourage, bells and whistles: hair, make-up, and oh... the outfit. In our day, we recorded at the NIA in Birmingham. There were a lot of big breaks between the action, as huge sets of equipment for Hang Tough, Atlaspheres and Swingshot were moved into place by brilliant roadies. There's a lot of hanging around, lots of patience required. We sat and talked to the guest contenders,

formed friendships, met fans and signed autographs, while those huge sets were changed. One-hour shows often took five hours to record, and we did at least two a day.

Then, it was lights on, cameras, action — and a huge change of pace as you took on the Gauntlet, and one of the games I'm sure you'll enjoy, Joe: Powerball. We took great pride in the fact very few got through the Gauntlet. I think we were allowed to be rather more aggressive, so to speak, than you are today.

I have fond memories of being told off by producer Nigel Lythgoe after Atlaspheres on my very first show. It was the human hamster-ball game: we had to roll around the arena in metal cages that set off smoke pods. I'd put a contestant in the corner and held her there. For me, it was about winning. 'Push her round the ring,' Nigel said. 'It's not the Olympics, Sharron — it's an entertainment show!'

It was tough going from Sharron Davies the swimmer to Amazon the gladiator.

Mauler is your character, Joe. You get to be an actor. I didn't find that easy. I think you'll do better than me. I envisage another 'Wolf' (Mike van Wijk). He was shockingly competitive — as Wolf. Very pleasant as Mike.

Nothing was too much trouble for the kids. On camera, he hated losing, lost his rag, tore up the arena and argued the toss with referee, John Anderson. You're going to have so much fun.

You might also want to think about patenting 'Mauler'. Can you imagine how well I'd be doing if I'd only patented Amazon.

Enjoy — but be prepared to lose some of your rugby identity. For years I gave Nigel the brush off, happy to remain the swimmer, while my husband at the time, Derek Redmond, worked on the show and I co-presented the kids' Gladiators series Train 2 Win with my friend Daley Thompson. I remember being in the supermarket one day and a lady came up to me and asked if I'd sign her son's autograph book.

'Of course,' I said, all smiles, but as she handed the book to her son over by the frozen chicken cabinet, I heard him say: 'Mum? Who's Sharron Davies?'

So, here's to Mauler, and I hope you inspire lots of kids to take up sport and lead an active life — and, as you scribble your name on their shirt or book, may you never hear them say: 'Mum, who's Joe Marler?'

© Sharron Davies is a former British Olympic swimmer who appeared as Amazon in Gladiators

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THE TIMES | Monday, August 10 2026

47

Athletics Sport

Hodgkinson: I won't lose to Werro again

Matt Lawton Chief Sports Correspondent

There is a competitive fire that burns inside Keely Hodgkinson and it grew into a raging inferno after being caught off guard by Audrey Werro in Stockholm two months ago.

When the Olympic champion went to the front with 300m of that two-lap race稍稍ចចេញ, she did not anticipate she would essentially perform the role of pacemaker for a gifted Swiss athlete; who then came back past her in the closing straight to record the third-fastest time in history.

"I won't let that happen again," was how Hodgkinson reflected on the defeat, and the sudden realisation that an athlete who had never previously threatened her, who was almost half a straight back in second when the 24-year-old Lancastrian broke the world indoor record in March, had taken a significant step forward.

Hodgkinson improved her own British record in Sweden on June 7, checking from 14.3 Sec. But Werro dipped under 154. running faster still in Paris with 1:51.80 three weeks later.

This new study has made the women's 800m the box-office event of this week's European Championships in Birmingham, and a contest Hodgkinson compares to the Olympics two years ago on terms of how much it matters to her. There is a score to settle, and a mantle, as the world's best, to reclaim.

"I think it would almost mean as much to me as winning in Paris, to be honest," she said.

The Europeans is often regarded

alongside the Commonwealth Games as a secondary event to the Olympics and the World Championship but sometimes the specific circumstances elevate its importance.

Seb Coe had achieved just about everything going into Stuttgart 40 years ago; two Olympic titles over 1,500m and a number of world records, with his 800m mark of 1:417s set in 1981, the most impressive of the lot.

But gold at a major championship in his strongest event had proved beyond his reach. He had twice taken Olympic silver, and a bronze and a silver in the previous two Europeans.

At 29, Stuttgart was Coe's last realistic chance, and he had to produce one of the finest finishing kicks of his career to overcome Tom McKean and Steve Cram. "The gold medal that had eluded me for so long was finally mine," Coe recalled in his 2013 autobiography.

It was someone The legendary sports writer Ian Wooldridge had likened the night of the British trio entering the home straight to "three Spitfires coming out of the sun". And with Femke Broeders-Bol also set to continue her transition from one to two circuits of a synthetic oval, Birmingham is preparing for another classic should all three athletes advance to Friday night's final.

After injury severely disrupted her place for global dominance in 2025, Hodgkinson has encountered further difficulties this year. A fall in training

Werro overtakes Hodgkinson to win in Stockholm in June on her way to recording the fastest women's 800m time for 43 years

that left her with badly injured knees after Stockholm led to a second defeat in Oregon, on that occasion to the world champion, Lilian Zahra. But Hodgkinson responded with a mantle-bonding victory in London last month and those closest to her report she was going extremely well on a mal-season training camp in Portugal, an athlete very much back to her feet.

She bristled a little on Friday when asked if she thought she could converge from this season as she world No1. "Yes, I still believe I'm very much capable of that," she said. "I feel in a good place. Obviously there was a bit of a tough patch in June/July, but I'm happy and

I'm excited to compete. I think it will bring out the best in me."

She was asked for her verdict on that previous encounter with 22-year-old Werro. "I don't really think I did anything wrong," she said. "I didn't know what she was capable of at that point. That just shows you can't underestimate anybody. If you look at all our other head-to-heads, you wouldn't have thought she was going to hang on."

She appeared a little raised by the reaction in some quarters. "I think people are trying to make me feel like it was a failure and it really wasn't," she said. "That was a British record. It was my fastest time ever and I'm going to remind myself of that because I'm proud

of it. I just think we've gone on since there. I had a tricky few weeks but it's really good.

"My knees are healed. It was just a sticky one. You need your knees to run, to walk, to bend down, to stand up. I didn't miss any training or anything. There was just a lot of pain and inflammation. But when you're running at this level against these girls, these little fine margins can affect your performance."

"It was one race and I think people are very quick to judge, and don't really fully know what has happened. Maybe, in limelight, I probably shouldn't have run in Eugene. But I'm looking forward to putting that behind me. Audrey's come on really well. Femke's running well. But I'm going well too, so I think it's going to be a really good race. We'll just see what happens."

Hodgkinson does seem to thrive on such competition. "This is what I train for," she said. "This is the exciting bit. I've had lots of people come and challenge me and I've always been there. I've medalled at every single championship."

She focuses on that when others dare doubt her, even if she occasionally feels the need to shut out the noise completely. "Sometimes I delete Twitter [X]," she said. "That app is awful. Georgia (Hunter Bell) and I were laughing the other day because we saw a TikTok that said she'd paid me £200k not to do the Commonwealth Games. I thought, 'Well I didn't get that money so where the F***s it gone?' People make up stuff. It's a strange world we live in sometimes but we just laugh about it and focus on what we've got to do."

Hodgkinson has claimed the two previous European 800m titles, in 2022 and 2024. If she does arrive at the summit of another continental podium, she will become the first British woman to complete such a hat-trick.

"It would be my fifth [European] title, indoors and out," she said. "And that is five years of work. That is five years of turning up to every championships, and winning. It's really hard to stay that consistent. But given that nobody's done it before, that would be really cool."

Results

Football

Carabao Cup first round
Mansfield	(0) 0 Sheffield Utd (1) 3
6,908	Bansford 4 McGuinness 71 O'Hare 89

William Hill Scottish Premiership

Hearts	(2) 4	Dundee Utd	(0) 0
Renault 4		16,602
Miller 10 (pen)
Stage 56, McFale 67
Kilmarnock	(0) 1	Celtic	(3) 5
St/Hermitage		High 2, 33, 35
Larsen 56		Huguen 47
8,353		McGowan 75
Motherwell	(0) 0	Falkirk	(0) 0
7,028
Rangers	(0) 1	Hibernian	(1) 2
Chase's 85 (top)		Campbell 12 (pen)
		Weight 69 (4)
	P W D L F A GDPs
Celtic	2 0 0 0 1 5 6
St Mirren	2 2 0 0 1 0 3 6
McMaxwell	2 1 0 0 2 1 1 4
Hearts	2 1 0 0 1 5 2 3 3
Dundee	2 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 3
St Johnstone	2 1 0 1 1 2 4 4 1 5
Hibernian	2 1 0 1 3 2 3 0 3
Aberdeen	2 1 0 1 2 2 1 1 3
Aberdeen	2 0 1 1 1 2 1 1 3
Falkirk	2 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1
Dundee Utd	2 0 1 1 1 5 4 1 5
Kilmarnock	2 0 0 2 4 9 5 0

Cricket

The Hundred

Summers Leeds v Welsh Fire: Men
Headlegacy (Wald) Fire-menhood: Summers Leeds (Apts) Dead Welsh Fire by 7? runs
Summers Leeds (balls)
M'Alonin v Wodkes & Ferguson 50 (34)
Hi Rocketton v Ferguson & Wodkes 40 (22)
H Brooks v Rhodes & Clark 23 (19)
*2 Cowley v Cook & Wodkes 34 (12)
O'Lannness not out 29 (10)
Rancho 12 (7) (7)
Extros (b 1.10, 1.10, 1.10) 12
Total (4 wks, 100 balls) 225
D' Core & P'Prins N Ellis, T' Lawes and A Ahmed did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:00, 2:19, 3:12, 4:134
Bowling Jorsen 20-9-36-0; Wodkes 20-9-43-2; Cook 20-5-50-0; Clark 10-9-27-1; Ferguson 20-10-22-1; Rancho 10-2-11-0

Welsh Fire	(balls)
1 Salt v Boos & Crane	13 (14)
M Short v Brown & Crane	43 (29)
J Short v Braddon & Ellis	20 (22)
J Cole & Cobb v Cole	12 (13)
R Rounds & Ellis	2 (2)
T Kichler-Cadmore Not Out	13 (15)
M Jansen v Lawes & Crane	1 (2)
C Wodkes not out	13 (16)
Extros (w 2)	1 (1)
Total (4 wks, 100 balls)	130
J Cook v Ferguson and S Cook did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:24, 2:73, 3:99, 4:101, 5:104, 6:103
Bowling Ahmed 20-5-33-0; Crane 20-10-24-3; Potts 20-5-26-1; Ellis 20-9-18-2; Lawes 20-8-29-0
Women's
Headlegacy (Summers Leeds won toss)
J Brooks Leeds (Apts) beat Welsh Fire by six wickets
Welsh Fire (balls)	(balls)
G A Vell Boo & Sharma	16 (18)
S J Boose Boos & Crane	4 (4)
F G Kacey not out	72 (45)
*G L Washburn v Littlefield & Baker	3 (8)
O P Pheetsinger & Baker	2 (4)
H L Graham v Cross & Sharma	2 (7)
G J Thompson not out	2 (4)
M P Kelley & Sharma	1 (1)
1R M Southby not out	1 (1)
S A E Dixon not out	0 (0)
Extros (b 1.4, 5.10, 1)
Total (4 wks, 100 balls)	121
G A Vellon, did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:9, 2:51, 3:61, 4:61, 5:70, 6:73, 7:102, 8:103
Bowling Josephy 10-3-17-0; Cross 10-4-16-1; Sutherland 20-9-40-0; Jorsen 10-4-19-0; Baker 20-10-15-2; Sharma 20-8-19-2
Summers Leeds (balls)	(balls)
E F Givens v Thompson & Potts	0 (0)
P B Hargreaves & Graham	0 (0)
S Washburn	55 (25)
H L Winfield Hill & Smale	17 (14)
A J Catterton v Graham & Smale	6 (18)
*D K Gibson not out	10 (9)
J L Jorgensen not out	5 (5)
Extros (b 2.4, 4)	1 (1)
Total (4 wks, 74 balls)	162
D' Volley v J Overton, J Moores, M Crane, A Miller and H L Roanette did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:9, 2:51, 3:61, 4:61
Bowling Potts 10-3-15-1; Pheetsinger 10-4-14-0; Green 20-9-37-2; Graham 10-5-24-0; Sharma 20-8-19-2

London Spirit v Birmingham Phoenix
Man
Lord's (London Spirit won toss) London Spirit (Apts) beat Birmingham Phoenix by seven wickets
Birmingham Phoenix (balls)
LJ Clarke v Livingstone
A Crocombe
M Owen & Miller
J Weatherley v Phettman & Crane
L Green & Barcelona & Coles
S Jackson not out
*D Forrests not out
Extros (b 2.4, 1)
Total (4 wks, 100 balls)
J Thompson & Ahmed, T Helm, S Mahmood and J Faris did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:9, 2:51, 3:61, 4:61
Bowling Wiltington 10-3-17-0; Cross 10-4-16-1; Sutherland 20-9-40-0; Jorsen 10-4-19-0; Baker 20-10-15-2; Sharma 20-8-19-2
Summers Leeds (balls)
E F Givens v Thompson & Potts
P B Hargreaves & Graham
S Washburn
H L Winfield Hill & Smale
A J Catterton v Graham & Smale
D' E Gibson not out
J L Jorgensen not out
Extros (b 2.4, 4)
Total (4 wks, 74 balls)
D' Volley v J Overton, J Moores, M Crane, A Miller and H L Roanette did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:11, 2:43, 3:146
Bowling Potty 10-3-15-1; Pheetsinger 10-4-14-0; Green 20-9-37-2; Graham 10-5-24-0; Sharma 20-8-19-2
London Spirit v Birmingham Phoenix
Man
Lord's (London Spirit won toss) London Spirit (Apts) beat Birmingham Phoenix by seven wickets

Birmingham Phoenix (balls)
LJ Clarke v Livingstone
A Crocombe
M Owen & Miller
J Weatherley v Phettman & Crane
L Green & Barcelona & Coles
S Jackson not out
*D Forrests not out
Extros (b 2.4, 1)
Total (4 wks, 100 balls)
J Thompson & Ahmed, T Helm, S Mahmood and J Faris did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:9, 2:51, 3:46, 4:118
Bowling Wiltington 10-3-17-0; Miller 10-4-14-1; Coles 10-4-16-1; Crane 10-5-24-1; Ahmed 10-5-24-0; Tairis 10-5-24-0; Sutton 10-5-24-0
London Spirit (balls)
L P Hargreaves & Weatherley
A Thompson
J B Brawham
H L Winfield Hill & Smale
A J Catterton v Graham & Smale
D' E Gibson not out
J Coles not out
Extros (b 2.4, 4)
Total (4 wks, 74 balls)
D' Volley v J Overton, J Moores, M Crane, A Miller and H L Roanette did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:11, 2:43, 3:146
Bowling Mahmood 10-4-42-1; Helm 10-3-31-1; Forrests 5-14-0; Thompson 10-3-24-1; Ahmed 10-3-31-0; Tairis 10-11-10-0; Owen 5-9-17-0
Women
Lord's (Birmingham Phoenix won toss)
London Spirit (Apts) beat Birmingham Phoenix by 32 outs
London Spirit (balls)
G M Henry v Ciponey & Khan
F G J Jones v Khan & King
M Kelly v Khan & Capsey
M Kopp not out
*C E Green & King
N A H Kirk not out
Extros (b 3.4, 4)
Total (4 wks, 100 balls)
D J S Gotlin, C R Pavely, K L George, J F Higham and P Rievers did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:9, 2:51, 3:71, 4:110
Bowling Khan 20-12-25-1; Filer 20-10-26-0; King 20-8-18-2; Gotlin 10-4-18-0; Capsey 20-4-16-1; Davidson 5-1-5-0
Birmingham Phoenix (balls)
D S T Harris v George & Dean
F G M Spencer v James & Kopp
*E A Perry v George & Dean

E L Lamb & de Klerk	36 (26)
A R Ciponey v Higham & Pavely	10 (7)
A Beckstein v Jones & Rianey	1 (5)
T T Beaumont v James & Dean	5 (6)
F S Khan not out	14 (11)
A M King Boi & de Klerk	1 (2)
Extros (w 4)
Total (4 wks, 100 balls)	108
L C N Smith and L L Filer did not bat
Fall of wickets 1:10, 2:29, 3:47, 4:58, 5:62, 6:79, 7:102, 8:108
Bowling Kopp 10-9-10-1; Rianey 20-5-22-1; George 20-3-32-0; Dean 20-6-17-3; Pavely 10-7-6-1; de Klerk 10-3-31-2
P W L T NR Pts NRR
Trent Rockets 7 6 1 0 0 24 (10)
Leeds Summers 7 5 2 0 0 20 (10)
Manchester SG 7 4 2 0 0 16 (10)
Welsh Fire 7 4 2 0 0 16 (10)
Welsh Fire 7 4 2 0 0 16 (10)
London Spirit 7 2 4 1 0 10 (10)
MI London 7 1 5 1 0 6 (12)
B7ham Phoenix 7 1 5 0 1 6 (18)
Metro Bank Cup: Group A Challanham Nottinghamshire 279; Gloucestershire 282-6-1; Bravie 1072; Gloucestershire (Apts) won by four wickets; Beckingham Leicestershire 261-7; Kent 262-4-0; D Hall-Drummond 133 not out; Kent (Apts) won by six wickets; Northamptons Somerset 165; Northamptonshire 169-5; Northamptonshire (Apts) won by seven wickets; Rugby Lancashire 311-5; Warwickshire 314-8; Warwickshire (Apts) won by four wickets
P W L T NR Pts NRR
Leics 8 3 2 0 0 20 (10)
Notts 7 4 3 0 0 16 (10)
Lancashire 7 4 3 0 0 16 (10)
Surrey 7 4 3 0 0 16 (10)
Kent 7 4 3 0 0 16 (10)
Northants 7 2 4 0 0 12 (10)
Somerset 7 4 4 0 0 12 (10)
Welsh 7 2 4 0 0 12 (10)
Glouce 7 2 5 0 0 8 (12)
Group B Derby Middlesex 227-6-28 Geddles 1051; Darlington 280; Middlesex (Apts) won by 87 runs; Darlington Durham 229-5; Essex 209; Durham (Apts) won by 20 runs; Sophia Gardens Worcestershire 279-9 (J L Baby 105)

Glamorgan 281-8; Glamorgan (Apts) won by two wickets; Haws Hampshire 263-9; Mayes 181-4; Dm 1051; Sussex 322-12; Tsar 1111; Hampshire (Apts) won by 37 runs
P W L T NR Pts NRR
Middlesex 7 6 1 0 0 24 (12)
Yorkshire 7 5 2 0 0 0 20 (10)
Durham 7 5 2 0 0 0 20 (10)
Hampshire 7 5 2 0 0 0 16 (10)
Worcs 7 4 3 0 0 0 16 (10)
Essex 7 3 6 0 0 12 (10)
Darlington 7 5 2 0 0 0 8 (10)
Glamorgan 8 2 6 0 0 8 (10)
Sussex 7 2 5 0 0 0 2 (12)

Cycling

Tour of Finland

Leading final positions: Stage 7 (time trial, Wisticoke, U.Sked, I.S.Kong) Swiss, Turbo Pro Cycling) (time): 25sec; 2, F Fisher-Back, 342; Rockhill 8000s Haringtons) at 4sec; Vartens 2, C Thorsley (GB, Red Bull 8000s Haringtons) same time Overall 1:45 then two (GB), Turbo Pro Cycling) 24hr 3/8min 4/8sec; 2, Fisher-Back at 10sec; 3: Hannes (Sp, Mivistox) 16.

Golf

USFGA Tour Windham Championship

Greensboro, North Carolina: Leaders after three rounds (United States unless stated) 194 8; Houston 61, 67, 66; M Bowman 64, 65, 63, 189; T Kerr, G Kerr 65, 67, 62, 196; A Noren (Seal) 64, 65, 65, 4; Bradley 67, 66, 65; 197 C Thompson 64, 68, 65, 198 K Yu (Tausco) 59, 68, 65, 199; Zimmill (Eng) 63, 64, 70; H Hall (Eng) 69, 66, 64; NE (Oswami) (Col) 68, 69, 62.

Women's FIP London Championship

Cheleston Club, Northamptons Leading final scores (Great Britain and Ireland unless stated) 278 6; Huang (Carr) 67, 68, 65, 70; 273 1/4-67, 74, 62, 67, 69; 278 5; Tim (Sing) 70, 70, 71, 64; 277 F Tavolenski (Thai) 74, 69, 66, 68; 278 K (Kuwait) (Aust) 68, 71, 71, 68; 280 C (Ireland) (Sp) 71, 70, 70, 69; A (Hanna) 74, 69, 73, 67; 281 L Hall 71, 67, 71, 72; E (Italy) (Austria) 68, 70, 72, 68; Other 282 G Hall 74, 71, 70, 67.

R&D/Cycling

Metrolif Grand Prix of Great Britain

Birmingham Leading positions: 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1; 1

Rugby league

Betfred Super League Bradford 4
Warrington 40; Hucklefield 42; Caldston, Dragons 20; Wigan 48; Toulouse 18.
	P W D L F A Pts
Leeds	Wigan 22 37 0 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Wigan	22 37 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Wikelfeld	22 36 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Warrington	21 36 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Hull AR	21 34 0 7 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
St Helms	22 32 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
St Helms	22 32 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Colatson	22 32 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Glasgow	22 32 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Bradford	22 32 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Bradford	22 32 0 5 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Tennis

ATP National Bank Open

Montreal, Fourth round 9; Jinder (Sp) 10; J Lefkotka (Sp) 6-3, 6-3, A File (F) 1-8; C Nornia (GB) 6-2, 7-6, 10-06, D Merthe (Sp) 10; T Godejsov (Nort) 6-3, 6-3, L Tom (US) 10; T Stranie (Aug) 6-4, 6-4.

WTA International Open

Toronto Fourth round 5; Alexandrina (Ruta) 10; A. Galasmus (Ruta) 7-6, 7-5, 10, 4-6, 4-6, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5, 2-5

Fixtures

Football

Cardano Cup first round Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City (9-0)

Athletics

Alexandri Ibrahim, Birmingham European Championships.

Cricket

The Hundred. Trent Bridge Trent Rockets v Southern Brave (women 3-0, men 6-30).

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48

Sport Rugby union

Experiment like Boks? Borthwick isn't brave enough

Stuart Barnes

The plain truth is that some rugby matches are more important than others. There is no such thing as a friendly but occasionally it feels that the need to win isn't that far from life and death. A player can spend the week before a game in contemplation of nothing but how to win. Defeat, for a little while, is a gut-wrenching deflation that makes all the preparation, all the dreaming, seem pointless and painful.

That is the sick sense left when a European or domestic final or a grand slam is lost. Then there is a Lions series, a South Africa versus New Zealand series and every knockout stage of the World Cup, especially if you expect to conquer the world.

For the elite, everything else is part of the process en route to rugby's various Himalayan peaks. South Africa scaled

the sport's Everest in 2019 and 2023 and are expected to be somewhere near the summit in 2027. Before their unprecedented attempt to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a third consecutive time, they have the small matter of a four-match Test series against their greatest rivals, New Zealand.

These four internationals are just about winning. Beautiful, ugly, awesome or lucky. It's on the scoreboard my friend. That's the only definition of success or failure for the Springboks. New Zealand, who lost 43-10 under the guidance of Scott Robertson in the most recent encounter between the sides last year, are playing with an optimistic approach under Dave Rennie, their new head coach. Should his team lose the series narrowly, he could justifiably claim that it represents progress on the road to Sydney. But for South Africa — the world champions, the top-rated team on the planet — it's all on the scoreboard. A third World Cup win in 12 years would ease the pain but the scar would never disappear from Rassie Erasmus's Springboks.

Yes, some Test matches are more important than others. In 2019, South Africa lost to the All Blacks in the pool

Feinberg-Mngomezulu was not substituted despite a fraught game on Saturday

stage but went on to win the World Cup in Japan. Who remembers the loss to their rivals? On Saturday night they held out under pressure in Buenos Aires to record their 12th consecutive win. Coincidentally, the same number of victories England ran up recently under Steve Borthwick.

And where did that leave England when the run came to its crashing end against Scotland? Tumbling down the mountain faster than their ascent. Because each and every game was quietly notched up as proof of achievement in its own right. And that's wrong. As wrong, say, as selecting a side for no other purpose than winning in the short term against Fiji last month, for the sake — not of squad development for Australia — but primarily for a management under pressure. That is certainly how it seems.

Erasmus explained the selection of his side who beat Argentina 17-10 on Saturday. "We had seven or eight guys who had played almost no minutes over the last six or seven weeks, so I always thought it was going to be disjointed," the head coach said. "We just had to get a lot of players through some match fitness."

It backfired in the case of the inspirational captain, Siya Kolisi, who left the field after just 25 minutes with a hamstring injury. His participation in the "Greatest Rivalry" series must be in doubt now but the philosophical manner in which the 35-year-old described his setback is a reminder that injuries occur. There is cover for their colossus of a captain, which comes from having created a large squad comfortable in Springbok colours.

Erasmus needed 80 minutes from a

number of core players — there's always a core in any great team — who had been absent either through injuries or disciplinary bans. His recovering fly half, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, lasted 80 minutes.

He endured one of his ugliest afternoons in Test rugby yet wasn't substituted. Instead he was shifted to full back where he could play out the entire game. Aphelele Fassi, the regular full back, made way despite the fly half's flaky afternoon. This was a selection geared towards the future and not the immediate issues in front of the coach. When André Esterhuizen, the inside centre, suffered a head injury minutes later the full back returned and the talismanic No.10 reverted to the 10/12 role that he shared with Handré Pollard.

In the second row, Eben Etzebeth's return to the Test arena was for a full 80 minutes. Before the gouging incident in Cardiff, the veteran was being used a little more sparingly but Buenos Aires was the last chance to test his fitness before the first Test against the All Blacks. These were managerial decisions geared primarily towards winning in a fortnight, not hanging on under the blue Argentine skies.

It can be argued that a manager in Erasmus's position doesn't have to worry about the noise that circles other coaches. It can also be argued that this mix-and-match policy, geared ever towards distant priorities and not the next scoreboard, is the reason why one side can maximise their resources while the other seems to be attempting to climb the rugby peaks incapable of seeing beyond the next step.

We love Test matches for their great traditions and rugby adores its traditions but, traditions or not, some internationals are more important than others. Much more.

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49

Football Sport

Rashford's back ... but will he stay?

Charlotte Duncker

When Marcus Rashford walked out of Manchester United's training ground last summer, to sign on loan for Barcelona, many thought that was the end for him at his boyhood club.

"I wish them all the best and hope they are successful in the future," were his parting words.

On the face of it a happy end to a situation that had turned sour, allowing both parties to move on. But football has a funny way of bringing people back together.

So while the writing looked on the wall in December 2024 when he was substituted, and subsequently ignored, by the former United head coach Ruben Amorim against Viktoria Plzen, he is now preparing for a reunion with his team-mates and a potential game against the man who forced his exile as United play Amorim's AC Milan on Saturday in a friendly.

Rashford will make his return as part of United's training group in Maynooth, Co Kildare, today before a pre-season game against Leeds United at Croke Park in Dublin on Wednesday.

Initial plans for open training were shelved which means there will be no added spotlight on the 28-year-old as he beds back into the group, and that is likely to suit everyone as they work out how he is going to fit in going forward. For much of the past 18 months this is a situation that neither side would have expected to be in.

But, with Barcelona deciding against paying the €30 million option-to-buy clause in the loan deal and instead signing Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi to cover Rashford's position on the wing, the door was closed on a reunion with Hansi Flick.

"He is a fantastic player and a fantastic person," Flick, the Barcelona head coach, said recently about Rashford. "The team miss him, I will miss him, but it is life. This is what we have to accept."

As it stands there has been interest from numerous other clubs, including some of United's Premier League rivals, but nothing concrete.

It is understood Rashford would prefer not to move to Turkey, where Fenerbahce have shown interest, or Saudi Arabia as he still has ambitions to play for England.

United have no interest in loaning him out again and his £325,000-a-week

Rashford meets fans in Ireland as he joins up with United training for the first time since his Barcelona loan

when he was assistant to José Mourinho and then when he took temporary charge after Ole Gunnar Solskjær was sacked in November 2021.

But how things are going to pan out this time, nobody knows. His shirt number was given to Matheus Cunha last summer and he is no longer guaranteed a place in the starting XI. There is also a feeling among some supporters that he has performed better in the past 18 months while on loan because he needed a fresh start elsewhere, and that his time at United had come to a natural end, but only time is going to tell if that is correct.

If he can replicate the form he showed in Barcelona (25 goal contributions) there is no doubt he can be an asset for Carrick. United would not be able to find someone of that calibre for the £26 million (€30 million) price tag that was put on his head if they were to have to go out and find a replacement.

Should he stay, it is set to impact United's transfer plans going into the final few weeks of the window. They had been looking into signing a left-sided attacker and potentially another forward but Rashford's return would likely negate the need to strengthen there because he can play in both of those positions.

What this decision will look like a few weeks into the campaign remains to be seen but all sides will be hoping it works out for the better.

wages are a stumbling block for a number of teams who have looked at a permanent transfer. There is no indication he would be willing to take a pay cut to force a move, and why should he? It was the club who handed him that contract in 2023 and it still has two years to run. So with three weeks remaining of the

transfer window the most likely option appears to be that Rashford will stay and fight for his place at his boyhood club. Of course the main obstacle in Amorim has now departed, with Michael Carrick taking charge, which should ease some of the tension, but there are still some key figures involved in the de-

cision to ostracise him from first-team training last summer who remain at the club.

Rashford is believed to have a good relationship with Carrick. He played with the former midfielder under Louis van Gaal and has already been coached and managed by the 45-year-old, first

Kane expected to extend stay in Munich

Constantin Eckner

Harry Kane is expected to extend his contract with Bayern Munich until 2029, with the German champions planning talks with the England captain this week.

Bayern, who are due to return from their pre-season tour in Asia, are not planning to make any significant change to Kane's wages. He is Bayern's top earner alongside the Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala, with both players earning a base salary of about £21.5 million per year.

Kane, 31, was not part of Bayern's pre-season tour to South Korea and Hong Kong, where they beat Aston Villa 2-1 on Friday. Instead, Kane returned home after England's 6-4 win over France in the World Cup third-place play-off match in Miami and will meet up with his club team-mates later this week.

The England captain was previously linked with Barcelona, after the departure of Robert Lewandowski to MLS side Chicago Fire, but it is understood

Kane has won two Bundesliga titles with Bayern since leaving Tottenham

that Bayern have not received any serious inquiries recently. They never entertained the idea of selling Kane this summer, even though he has entered the final year of his present deal.

Kane and his family feel comfortable in Munich and he continues to perform at a high level. He scored 61 goals in 51 games across all competitions for Bayern last season, increasing his club tally to 146 goals since his move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023.

Kane has won his first significant pieces of silverware with Bayern, claiming

the Bundesliga title in 2024-25 and 2025-26. However, the main outstanding ambition for player and club remains the Champions League, which the German champions most recently won in 2020. Last season, Bayern were eliminated in the semi-finals by the back-to-back winners Paris Saint-Germain.

"It hurts now but you can't be judged on just one game," Kane said after Bayern's 6-5 loss on aggregate. "From our perspective, we can be proud of what we've achieved so far. We're always striving for improvement."

While the expectation at one point was that Kane may return to England and attempt to break Alan Shearer's Premier League goal record — Kane has 213 to Shearer's 260 — he is keen to win more silverware with Bayern.

Kane is the odds-on favourite to win this year's Ballon d'Or. Despite losing out on the Champions League and World Cup, with semi-final exits in both competitions, Kane has proved once again that he is one of the deadliest strikers in football.

Aston Villa in talks to sign Palhinha, 31, from Bayern

Gary Jacob, Paul Joyce

Aston Villa are in talks to sign the Bayern Munich midfielder João Palhinha, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur.

The German club would prefer to sell the 31-year-old, who joined from Fulham for £47 million two years ago.

Palhinha played 45 times in all competitions while on loan at Spurs last season but the north London club decided against exercising an option to sign him permanently.

Lucas Digne, the France full back, has agreed a three-year deal to join Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £7 million. Digne made 182 appearances for Aston Villa since joining from Everton in 2022 and played a key part in last season's Europa League triumph.

Everton and Crystal Palace are progressing on a swap deal involving Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson. The transfer would not involve any

additional money and is a straight exchange of the players. Medicals could take place as early as today.

McNeil, 26, had looked set to move to Selhurst Park on deadline day in January only for a loan deal, which included a £20 million obligation to buy the player from Everton, to be aborted at the 11th hour. Johnson, 25, the Wales international, only moved to Palace from Tottenham for £35 million in January but failed to score in 26 games.

Fulham have agreed a deal worth £26 million, plus an additional £4 million in add-ons, to sign the Southampton midfielder Shea Charles. Manchester City will be due some money from Charles's expected move due to a sell-on clause included when he moved to Southampton in 2023.

Como have signed Trevoth Chalobah from Chelsea for an initial £25.7 million plus £5.1 million in add-ons. The 27-year-old defender has agreed a five-year contract.

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50

Sport Football

Walker vows: I won't become

Championship wingers will target 36-year-old but Burnley defender tells Paul Joyce he's not going to be made to look a fool

Kyle Walker reeled off a list of ambitions for the forthcoming season one by one. Some centred upon the collective, such as helping Burnley to earn promotion straight back to the Premier League, and others were a little more personal.

The right back, with 96 England caps and six Premier League titles among the many accolades on a packed CV, knows he will have a target on his back, as wingers in the Championship will be desperate to run rings around a decorated rival and leave him embarrassed in their slipstream.

Walker may now be 36, but the idea of being made to look foolish on a football pitch remains anathema to him.

"I think they try to create, what is it called, memes now?" he says with a chuckle. "They'll try and create memes out of me and I can assure you that I am not becoming anyone's meme."

"So when you come against me, I'll give it 100 per cent. If you beat me on the day, you know, you shake hands at the end of the game and you say it's a good game. I'm not going to become a meme."

The last line lingered and spoke of Walker's continued appetite for a challenge, albeit one he hoped that he would not have to embrace.

While the pattern of Burnley's recent existence has been yo-yoing between the second tier and the top flight, relegation last season left Walker back where it all began.

He started his senior career at Sheffield United in 2008 yearning to rub shoulders with the elite, but last played in the Championship in 2010-11 when his time at Tottenham Hotspur was punctuated by a loan spell at Queens Park Rangers.

Happy memories of that period abound as he played his part in a promotion campaign, but so much will have changed that he has sought advice from a former Manchester City team-mate and Burnley manager about what to expect now.

"I've spoken to Vinny, Vincent Kompany," explained Walker, who was a guest at the EFL 2026-27 season launch at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

"I asked how did he find it. He says it's difficult but it is also very enjoyable.

"You become a big fish again, and you get a little bit more of the hall. It's a bit more of the game that I'm used to playing from my time at Manchester City.

"When Vinny went up [with Burnley] I think they broke 100 points and kind of tore the Championship apart, so I'm hoping we can do the same as what they went and did that season [2022-23].

"It was fantastic [when I last played in the Championship] because we won every game. It was an emergency loan, I'm going to call it. Neil Warnock took me and I played every

game and then went to Aston Villa for the last part of the season. I fell back in love with football a bit.

"I wouldn't say I'd fallen out of love, but I didn't play as many games as I wanted [at Tottenham after joining in 2009]. And then Harry [Redknapp] let me go back on loan to QPR and get some games under my belt.

"I loved it. It was something that I needed to do personally to make that step up to the Premier League.

Playing in the Championship — it grounds you, but it also teaches you. It can be very humbling as well.

"That was a big part of it. Having experienced players around me. Fitz Hall, Shaun Derry, Clint Hill, Paddy Kenny. It was a good dressing room to be around. I can tell you that.

"Would I have ever thought that I would experience the things I have in football back when I was at QPR in

2010? Hell no, it was not possible! So I definitely am at peace, but I'm so hungry for more, and that's this season with Burnley."

Burnley host another relegated team in West Ham United at Turf Moor on Sunday in a mouthwatering opener and Walker now walks in the shoes of those names he has listed. He is the one with the experience, the one a team-mate will look towards when the going gets a little tough.

He is comfortable with accepting that responsibility. Walker is intent upon trying to maintain his own high standards even if the glare of the spotlight will no longer be as harsh as when he was challenging for the biggest honours under Pep Guardiola at City and playing in European Championship finals with England.

"The scrutiny is not as big, but I think then you probably scrutinise

yourself more because you're so used to achieving and winning a lot more games," said Walker, who scored the winning penalty as Burnley held their nerve to beat Notts County in a Carabao Cup shoot-out success on Saturday. "You look back at yourself and think, 'What could I have done?'"

"Last season, most of all, it was about the mental game. I can play the game of football, that didn't stop just because I went to Burnley. But mentally it was different and something that I had to channel into. But then that's something I can pass on to the younger players now and hopefully give my experience.

"Success in anything is about mentality. Talent gets you so far, but mentality and wanting to do well — not just in big games, not just when it's on TV, not when it's sunny and the fans are there in their 30,000s

cheering your name — it's when it's raining, it's not on TV, it's a quarter to eight on a Tuesday night and the wind's swirling around.

"That's about rolling your sleeves up, getting dirty, and making sure that we can get the three points.

"I hope I am looked at as a leader. I hope people look at me and follow in my footsteps and things I do around the training ground. I set standards for myself.

"If I have to get motivated to play football, I should stay in bed in the morning. Motivation has never been a factor in it. The only thing that I've always promised myself is that when the lightbulb switches off in my head, and that football becomes a burden, I'll stop playing football because I don't want to ruin that."

Clearly, he is not at that point yet. Walker retired from England last

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51

Sport

a meme

RICHARD SELIGMAN/PA WEISS / TIMES PHOTOGRAPHIST/BRADLEY OWEN/2026

Walker, celebrating with the Burnley goalkeeper Max Weiss after they beat Notts County in a penalty shoot-out to reach the Candou Cup second round on Saturday, won six Premier League titles with Manchester City, top, having started his senior career with Sheffield United in the Championship, above

season but still found Wayne Rooney championing his qualities amid the saga over who should play right back at the World Cup.

A summer off has allowed him to reset, a little like Burnley themselves who have appointed Nicky Hayen, formerly of Genk, as their new head coach following the departure of Scott Parker in April. Overtures to Craig Bellamy, the Wales head coach, collapsed.

Walker describes Hayen, 45, as being "direct" but someone who has not tried to overload the squad with new ideas, pointing out "too much information sometimes kills it".

There have been significant departures, such as Jaidon Anthony to Brentford, Maxime Esteve to RB Leipzig, Florentino to Ipswich Town and Loum Tchaouna to Coventry City, but Walker has remained.

"How it ended last season, getting relegated, wasn't ideal for me," he added. "It's something I didn't like and it left a sour taste in my mouth. It's something I want to put right, not just for myself but for the fans who had to deal with last season and for the players who have stuck around.

We have an obligation to put it right. It's not just a responsibility, it's our job. Things aren't always going to go as planned. This season might not go as planned. It might not be as plain sailing as we all want it to be.

"But I feel with the quality we have in the dressing room, that's what we should be doing: getting promoted and going back to the Premier League.

"Getting Burnley promoted is another trophy that I want to add to my collection. It's something that I want to put on my CV."

We can only run for 30 minutes, admits Iraola

Paul Joyce

Northern Football Correspondent

Andoni Iraola's Anfield bow as head coach came amid the familiar debate of just how much Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz contributed to Liverpool's performance.

On this occasion, however, he would have been happier to have the discussion. Isak opened the scoring against Monaco yesterday and then he and Wirtz were involved as Liverpool scrambled a second, the Swede lying by the goalline having helped to win the ball as Wirtz profited from the confusion in the visiting ranks. Wirtz was credited with the goal over the PA system but replays suggested his teammate had the final touch.

"We both got a touch on the ball, but honestly I don't know who got the first one or the last one," Isak said. Afterwards, Wirtz claimed he was none the wiser either.

Liverpool's season will be heavily shaped by whether the duo can start to dovetail more effectively. The plan was always for Isak and Wirtz to take over the scoring burden from Mohamed Salah and that is a necessity now given the Egyptians exit.

It was noticeable how close Isak and Wirtz, deployed as a No.10, played together. Some of Wirtz's passing was a delight and they appear to have been working on their understanding. Liverpool will hope this was a sign of things to come.

QUICK IN ATTACK BUT DEFENSIVE TRAILTIES ON SHOW AGAIN

It is clear Liverpool will attack more quickly this season — the first pass is often forward, for example — but it looks as though they will be susceptible from a defensive viewpoint. Here, they sloppily threw away that two-goal advantage to lose 3-2, following on from last weekend's 4-2 loss to Leeds United in Chicago when they had also led 2-0.

That they will be entertaining to watch is in some respects a step forward after last season, when the disconnect between supporters and the team made for a moribund atmosphere at Anfield. Ultimately that cost Arne Slot his job and Iraola's priority has to be restoring

the harmony that should exist between the players and the paying public.

Victor Muñoz, the £34.5 million signing from Osasuna, made his debut on the left wing and the sight of teenager Rio Ngumoba making a nuisance of himself on the right bodies well.

Iraola candidly conceded his side ran out of steam after 30 minutes and do not have the energy levels at present to play with the intensity that he wants.

"We played a good first half, especially a good 30 minutes," he said. "Right now we probably don't have much more, in terms of the levels required to play like this, and they were much better in the second half. They deserved to turn around the game.

"I think the ones [for whom] it was their first game, and even the ones who are playing the second game, they had energy. The problem right now is they don't have the energy for 90 minutes. We need more training with them."

WHO WILL PARTNER VAN DIJK?

Barcelona's Ronald Araújo was beginning his medical yesterday as Liverpool worked towards finalising his loan move which contains an option, rather than an obligation, to sign him permanently for £47 million.

The Uruguay centre back has not been pinpointed as a potential long-term signing. Liverpool hope that he will provide a sticking planter as the rest of their defenders recover from fitness issues.

Virgil van Dijk made his first appearance of pre-season and is the club's only fit, recognised centre back at

Isak celebrates after scoring Liverpool's opener at Anfield

present, with Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet all missing. Jacquet is expected to resume training this week, but has not played a minute of the four pre-season games and his season with Rennes was curtailed by a shoulder injury in February.

Van Dijk conceded a penalty from which Monaco's Aleksandr Golovin scored and was involved in a mix-up with Ryan Gravenberch that led to Mika Bereth equalising. Van Dijk had departed by the time Monaco claimed a headed winner via Paris Brunner and the centre-back partnership by then was Wataru Endo and Luke Chambers.

If both like it would be a leap of faith to blood Jacquet at St James' Park in Liverpool's Premier League opener even if he is able to face the Italian club Como on Sunday, which leaves Araújo or Endo as possible partners for Van Dijk.

SET-PIECE WOES PERSIST

Monaco's winner came from a corner, with Brunner rising highest, and it has been a familiar sight for Liverpool. In the loss to Leeds, they conceded twice from throw-ins, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin profiting at the back post.

Liverpool conceded a league high 20 goals (excluding penalties) from set pieces last season along with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth — who were coached by Iraola last term. His assistants, Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, have been entrusted with improving matters, along with Lewis Mahoney who was part of Slot's backroom staff, and it is imperative that they do so.

Having more senior players available will help but such a persistent shortcoming determined Iraola's big day went from "lovely" to "frustrating".

CONTINUED FROM BACK

Mayor open to stadium deal

taxpayers at present. West Ham's tenancy agreement has long been described as the "deal of the century" because of how little the club pay. It was about £4.4 million when they were playing in the Premier League but relegation to the Championship will result in that figure being halved this season. Meanwhile, the next accounts of London Stadium LLP, the GLA subsidiary that runs the facility, will show a cost of £19 million to the taxpayer.

It is why Khan would be open to at least examining the possible financial benefit of offloading what is essentially a distressed asset. In a statement, a spokesman told The Times: "The Mayor would welcome any discussions regarding the London Stadium that would deliver greater value for money for Londoners."

There are other factors to consider. UK Athletics has 40 years left on a confusion agreement deal that gives the organisation access to the stadium for events such as the London Diamond League, which has consistently proven to be a 60,000 sell-out and is now turning a profit thanks to the efforts of Ath-

letics Ventures, the new partnership between the governing body, the London Marathon and the Great Run Company.

Athletics could certainly use the money if a stadium purchase involved financial compensation, perhaps as much as £20 million, but Khan may yet insist that any structural modernisation still allows for a conversion to an athletics arena. That said, Khan is also backing the £130 million regeneration project at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace, which could yet offer London an alternative venue for elite athletics. Sources have suggested Staveley would want any structural changes to be tailored only to football.

In an interview with Bloomberg last week, she hinted at a possible stadium purchase. "Whatever club we take, there'll be a big property play as well," Staveley said, having also been linked with a possible bid for Tottenham Hotspur, in an episode of Bloomberg's Leaders with Francine Lacqua that was recorded before West Ham confirmed her agreement with the Gold family last Saturday: "We won't just do a football-bid. I just want a challenge, and that's what excites me. That's where you get value uplift — when you take some-

thing from seedling and allow it to grow."

First, of course, Staveley and the consortium she is fronting with her husband, Mehrdad Ghodousis, have to see off the challenge of Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire owner of Royal Mail. It is a complex situation in the wake of David Sullivan's resignation as co-chairman, after allegations of sexual misconduct that he continues to deny.

As The Times first revealed, Kretinsky appeared to have struck a deal with Vanessa Cobb, David Cobb's daughter, to purchase 16 per cent of the family's 25 per cent stake, increasing his overall stake to 43 per cent to make him the club's majority shareholder ahead of Sullivan. But this month Staveley, 53, made an improved offer for the full 25 per cent stake that was accepted by the Gold family, with Kretinsky then manoeuvring himself to take up his first refusal on purchasing the same shares.

Adding that to his present stake would take him beyond 50.1 per cent, therefore leaving him liable for a formal takeover offer. But he countered that by shifting two per cent to another Czech businessman, Jakub Havrlant, even though there are suggestions such a move could face certain legal challenges.

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THE TIMES

Sport

My advice to 'Mauler'

Sharron Davies tells Joe Marler what it's like to be a Gladiator

Page 46

Guimarães introduced himself to Arsenal fans before his new side's pre-season friendly against Dortmund having completed a big-money move from Newcastle

Staveley eyes stadium deal

Amanda Staveley would explore purchasing the London Stadium if she is successful in buying a significant stake in West Ham United, with the mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, open to "any discussions" on the matter.

While it remains to be seen if Staveley is successful in her bid to buy the shares that belong to the family of the late David Gold — she faces opposition from co-owner Daniel Kretinsky — the British businesswoman who masterminded the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United is keen to explore a possible deal with the Greater London Authority (GLA).

The Times understands any deal would come with certain stipulations. Khan has been at the forefront of the London bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships and any major design alterations to the stadium would have to be delayed until after that date, should the capital be awarded the event next month.

But the stadium, built for the 2012 Olympics, could be available for as little as £50 million given how much it costs Continued on page 51.

Bruno 'next level' for Arsenal

Arteta says £75m midfielder is signing that will help Premier League champions reach new heights

Gary Jacob

Mikel Arteta believes Bruno Guimarães is the type of signing who can help the Premier League champions scale even greater heights.

The Brazil midfielder, 28, was presented at the Emirates Stadium before yesterday's pre-season meeting with Borussia Dortmund having completed his £75 million move from Newcastle United.

Arteta said after the 3-2 defeat that he is impressed by Guimarães's fighting

spirit, the fact he can play either as a deep-lying midfielder or as an attacking No 8 and his ambition.

"I'm delighted to have him," Arteta said. "Why? Well, we see very clearly, especially the energy that he brought immediately to the training ground, the hunger, the desire to come here and create a big history at the club.

"And that's the ambition that we need. We want to go to the next level and are very, very much convinced that we're going to need players with such a personality, desire and character to

push everybody inside the organisation to go even higher."

Arsenal begin their title defence in the Premier League's curtain-raiser against newly promoted Coventry City a week on Friday. Arteta looks likely to begin the season without two key defenders after admitting that Jurrien Timber is "weeks away" from returning to the side.

The Arsenal manager was unable to provide a more exact timescale for the right back, who had a groin operation in June. Arteta is already without William

Saliba for several months at least after the centre back suffered a back injury while playing for France against Spain in the World Cup semi-final.

Arsenal have been looking for a centre back who can also operate at right back but have been unwilling to meet Aston Villa's £60 million valuation for Eazi Konsa. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus, second-half substitutes against Dortmund, both appear likely to leave Arsenal Galatasaray have shown interest in Martinelli while Napoli are tracking Jesus.

England hope Gay will be fit

Elizabeth Ammon

England are hopeful Emilio Gay will be fit for the first Test against Pakistan after a scan revealed no serious injury to his right shoulder.

The opener retired hurt while batting for Durham against Middlesex in the One-Day Cup on Friday.

Gay, 26, will need to be assessed further to ascertain any residual pain or discomfort while batting or fielding but it appears likely that he will be able to resume his opening partnership with Ben Duckett when the Pakistan series begins at Headingley on August 19.

Times Crossword 29,617

ACROSS

1 Nobbled horse – a thing attempting to unseat leader? (4,7) 7 Manner of one expected to succeed on radio (3) 9 Puritan concealing disgusting source of extreme advantage (9) 10 Beat corporation power, securing hope initially (5) 11 Drew near to line twisting around castle (7) 12 Song I'm obliged to follow that is limited by technique (7) 13 Black king evading opponent's piece? (5) 15 Software permitted water plant to be trimmed in part of orchard (5,4) 17 Lack of knowledge? An opening for college in blighted region (9) 19 Golf beset by dreadful sound of woe (5) 20 Statement from ally indicating religious position (7) 22 Endless drama in accommodation cost? Move elsewhere (7) 24 Biblical character reflected one lament (5) 25 Unexpected money club's carrying round? It's on the table (5,4) 27 Beam of light ready to be periodically blocked (3) 28 I am mostly the person that's ill-disposed? (11)

DOWN

1 Joint payment arrangement includes one (3) 2 German linguist dour in broadcast (5) 3 Small group's small outing? (7) 4 Optical issue certainly apparent in damaged retina (9) 5 That woman starts to boss all in queen's place (5) 6 Salt turned up in stock (7) 7 Untrustworthy sort breaking trade rule (9) 8 Cup match perhaps cut short to fix substitute (11) 11 Noticed iron tainted cosmetic (11) 14 Information on each record linked to unknown family history (9) 16 Fix earlier account, deleting chapter in distress (9) 18 Practical approach is entrenched in field (7) 19 Pair of images: basin, then tiny gutted church (7) 21 With wicket falling, blocks snicks (5) 23 From the outset, not entirely too proud for love (2,3) 26 Fix cup match (3)

Prize solution 29,610

Check today's answers by ringing 0905 757 0143 by midnight. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390.

The winners of Prize Crossword No 29,610 are

L Dare, New Malden, Greater London

P Kelly, Antrim, Co Antrim

M Kerr, Newtownallley, Co Antrim

T Sutcliffe, London N4

J Venner, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

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August 10

2026

'I like a laser. I do Botox.

But I had my lip filler dissolved'

Olivia Attwood on her good, bad and 'grotesque'

cosmetic tweakments

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Meghan says 'Harry loves bagpipes' so why isn't he at Balmoral?

Shane Watson

You may have seen the latest post on the Sussexes' Instagram is a video of Harry and Meghan arriving at a charity do in British Columbia and passing through a passage lined with pipers in bonnets and kilts. The pipers aren't playing — that's part of the entertainment to come — just standing in a receiving line, and there's nothing remarkable about the scene other than that the duke and duchess have taken the trouble to put it online and it features a giggling Meghan remarking that 'my husband loves bagpipes!' She says this as if it's a bit of a naughty secret, so everyone laughs and then Harry joins in: 'So where are mine?' he jokes, referring to the pipes. 'Pipes and drums, to be clear.'

Hmm. Once again we, the Sussex-watching public, are left scratching our heads and wondering... Why? Why is Harry in British Columbia chatting up a local pipes and drums band when he could be — when he would have been — at this very moment in the heart of bagpipe country immersed in the real thing from morning to night?

What's he doing fanying about listening to an average band play Ashokan Farewell (guaranteed) and Mull of Kintyre (probably), in between a charity auction, a conjuror and a comedian, or whatever, when he might have woken to the sound of pipes this morning, listened to massed pipes and drums at the Braemar Games, sipped a cocktail on the terrace with a piper piping on the ramparts, and had a piper piping outside his bathroom while he got ready for dinner?

It's August, when the King and Queen are hosting at Balmoral, and while it may not be everyone's cup of tea (Cherie Blair famously struggled, The Crown led us to believe that Margaret Thatcher brought the wrong footwear) if you love pipes and your father owns an estate in the heart of piping country with access to the best pipers money can buy (the King loves bagpipes too) then now is your moment. You definitely don't want to miss it. It only comes around once a year, and it was Harry himself who so tactlessly said: 'I don't know how much longer my father has.'

You do wonder sometimes if it's us imagining that Harry is cast

adrift in the US, a fish out of water with a tank full of banter and no one to share it with but the husband of the woman who makes jewellery that Meghan has shown an interest in promoting. Could it be that we're projecting and there's really not much Harry misses about the UK, especially in summer, other than maybe summer pudding and fishing on the Dee and sweet black and tans and billiard fives and Highland Games? But just when we're coming round to thinking Harry might be sort of OK in California, we get a glimpse of something that looks a lot like buried homesickness.

When it comes to the country he used to call home, Harry's a bit like the man who can't stop talking about the woman he claims to have got over years ago. Meghan, you know, thanks God every day that she doesn't have to put up with that cramped Frogmore Cottage, let alone head to the place of turrets and midges and (old, musty) tartan upholstery. Meghan, you can be pretty sure, is never happier than at a gala with status-curated placement, tasteful table-scaping and farm-to-table foodstuffs, crammed with fellow activists, entrepreneurs and female founders who appreciate a

In Spare he said the estate was 'simply paradise'

bespoke one-shoulder dress. She only visited Balmoral once, in August 2018, a couple of months after her wedding, and like many before her will have found the castle to be peculiar, stuffy, cold and more than a bit of an anachronism.

Who knows if it's been preserved in aspic since QEII's death; if they still have kippers and kidneys for breakfast, if guests are expected to walk on the hill in all weathers, if the men of the family wear a kilt and a heathery coloured sweater when in residence? Who knows if kick the can is compulsory, as is contributing something to the seasonal jigsaw and

playing charades/The Game while nursing a sticky after dinner? Now that Charles is in the house it may be less Tupperware and Gentleman's Relish on Carr's water biscuits and more tahini and wilted spinach with a sea trout fillet. He's probably fixed the plumbing so you can guarantee more than two consecutive baths. Maybe he's even converted the tack room into a sauna, you never know. But Harry — who, let's not forget, described the King's Scottish estate in his 2023 autobiography Spare as 'simply paradise' — would not have required any modernisation of the royal residence to tempt him back.

True he's had to forswear shooting — so no Glorious Twelfth for him — and he'd have to get himself a new kilt since he surely burnt everything before he escaped on the freedom flight including his morning coat (why else was he wearing Dior to his father's coronation?). But otherwise there's no impediment, no reason on earth for the Sussexes not to be in Harry's favourite place; the main thing standing in the way of Meghan's enjoyment will surely have been the miserable Scottish summer and that's now history too.

I love the pipes and if I were Harry listening to the British Columbian lot massacre The Black Isle I would have been on my phone, at the gala function table, messaging Papa, 'I miss home, please can we come... swear we'll behave' while simultaneously summoning the jet and finding a dog sitter. There's only one Balmoral, there are only so many days left in August.

It's absolutely absurd to me to say Chris Packham is autistic

Uta Frith helped to build the theory of the 'autistic spectrum'. Now she's under fire for saying it's reached the point of being meaningless. By Andrew Billen

One morning in 1947, deep in rural Germany, Uta Frith walked herself to her first day at primary school. A school inspector welcomed the new cohort by asking who among them was the cleverest. Frith stepped forward. Everyone laughed but her academic career would prove her right. Arriving in London in its full Sixties swing, she studied psychology at its University College, became an expert on autism and has helped to build the theory of the 'autistic spectrum' for the neurodevelopmental variation that affects communication.

A year after becoming a dame in 2012, she received the greater honour of being a guest on Desert Island Discs. There she was hymned not only for setting up a network for women scientists called Science and Shopping but for debunking the notion that bad parenting by 'refrigerator mothers' caused their children's autism. Look instead, she said, at the genetics.

But being brilliant does not make you always right. This week Frith hit the news for an essay in Psychological Medicine that insisted far too many people are being diagnosed with autism. Primary care records, for instance, clocked an almost ninefold increase in new cases from 1998 to 2018. Some in the field were not happy. The National Autistic Society's Mel Merritt called it an 'unhelpful and false choice to pit autistic people against each other'. But when Frith also said that the autism spectrum had become so wide that it had 'collapsed' to the point of 'diagnostic meaninglessness', she appeared to be arguing not merely against the consensus but with her earlier self.

The professor and I are having afternoon coffee in the exquisitely cultured house with vertiginous bookshelves she has shared for more than 30 years with her husband, Chris Frith, a fellow neuroscientist. (They celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this month.) If there is a spectrum, she is not on it: she is outspoken but also warm, funny, kind. She has baked us a marmalade cake and gives me a copy of Two Heads, a

People say, 'I was diagnosed and now I think that was wrong'

2022 comic book she wrote with Chris and one of her two sons: three quarters brain science, one quarter joint memoir. It was here 13 years ago, I tell her, that she raised with a previous interviewer the possibility of autisms overdiagnosis. 'Really?' she says, surprised, in her distantly German accent. 'It has been very gradual for me to get onto this line that I am on now. It has not come overnight and I've not spoken out publicly for a long time but I really thought, this has gone too far.'

The only thing she would qualify from 2013 is this: the problem is not so much overdiagnosis, which suggests perfectly normal people are being told they are autistic. It is misdiagnosis: something is making life hard for these people — it is just not autism.

Two years ago she gave a lecture in Denmark that covered many of the points she is making now. Then there were nearly 190,000 people in England awaiting an autism assessment, a

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queue that would stretch from London to Brighton. But why, she asked, did people crave this diagnosis? What if society's greater appreciation of diversity and inclusion, the increased media coverage of autism, poorly constructed online diagnostic questionnaires, attractive autistic savants in dramas (from Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man in 1988 to The Bridge's Saga Noren), and the insistence that autistic people were as 'normal' as neurotypicals had prompted the leap in demand?

After all, the diagnosis of autism in children aged zero to five was showing a much less noticeable rise. But, I noticed, she phrased her points then as mere possibilities. She says she had to be cautious. 'There are people who would feel really hurt. And I don't want to do that. If I had just my colleagues to talk to, I would be less cautious, but I know that many colleagues would not agree with me.'

At 85, she is long retired. 'It makes an enormous difference that I'm no longer beholden to certain funding agencies or need to get grants and need to be in with the charities.' She says her younger colleagues who have talked to her recently say they feel they can't say anything about it. 'Which is sort of sad, isn't it?'

She gets social media abuse but people are polite when they write to her. 'Actually I've had a few cases — still very few — but very interesting people who have written to me and said, 'I've been diagnosed in adulthood or whatever as autistic and now I think that was wrong.' They were desperately wanting diagnosis, felt very relieved and then at some point afterwards felt it wasn't right and now have a much more sceptical outlook. I wonder how many such people exist.'

What she knows for certain is that the teenagers and adults who now call themselves autistic barely resemble the 'beautiful but so different' autistic infants Frith first encountered in her career, children who would struggle to surmise what a

Uta Frith. Below: Chris Packham

I would be humble enough to know that science is always uncertain

person they were talking to was thinking because, in the jargon, they lacked 'a theory of mind'.

I mention the naturalist Chris Packham, whom I interviewed a few years ago. He was diagnosed in 2005 with what was then called Asperger's syndrome. 'He cannot be autistic in my opinion,' Frith interrupts. 'It is just absolutely absurd to me that somebody who can communicate as brilliantly as he does — that is what I call a blatant contra-indication.'

But talking to him, I say, I found him a bit literal-minded. If you pay him a compliment, he takes it at face value. 'It's part of that charming personality. I mean, he probably is a bit obsessive,' she says.

He may relate better to animals than people? 'I think we could just say people are animals too.' (I later email Packham to warn him about Frith's comments. He thanks me for the 'heads-up'.)

I wonder whether the American Psychiatric Association removing Asperger's syndrome — sometimes seen as 'autism life' — from its catalogue of mental conditions in 2013 encouraged the rise of autism diagnoses. The main reason for the APA's decision, she says, was a drive towards simplicity: 'Let's have just one category.' From then on the condition was divided not by symptom but by the levels of support those who live with it seemed to need.

She thinks the next edition of the association's manual will probably divide autism into subgroups. But some now defined as autistic may not fit any subgroup? 'Well, if it was still called autism, it would have to be type B or something,' she replies, conceding a little ground.

For many, she argues, autism is welcome as the least worst diagnosis. 'There is a diagnosis known as borderline personality disorder and it's really hated by people who get it. Quite a lot of them are now diagnosed autistic and they say, 'Thank God!''

Some have wheeled through other diagnoses — anorexia, perhaps, or

obsessive compulsive disorder — and for them being called autistic instead is a relief: it feels authentic and addresses their whole selves. 'It really is quite reminiscent of 19th-century accounts of religious conversions. You know, where people say, 'I was this lost soul but now I've seen the light.''

So it's like me saying, 'I am so happy. I have transitioned and really am a woman?' 'Yes, a bit like that. If it makes you happy, why should I contradict you? That kind of thing. But it's not science.'

I am reminded of interviewing Holly Smale, the author of the Geek Girl books. Having been misdiagnosed as bipolar she was delighted with the later diagnosis of autism. 'Autism is the answer to the question I have been asking my entire life,' she wrote in The Times. 'It is not something to be 'fixed' or 'cured'. My brain is simply wired differently.'

Might not autism explain why Smale felt depressed and was unable to sustain relationships? 'But how would it explain this? This is to me a big mystery. But it does give some kind of privileges. They can tell other people to 'jolly well take account of my disability', except they don't want to call it a disability. It's 'my difference, and you should be nice to me.'

Individually, Frith would not wish to strip people of their diagnoses. 'I don't want to do that if the pure fact of a diagnosis can make you feel so satisfied and happy. But that's something that needs to be studied. I'm of course wondering how long that feeling lasts. We don't know.'

Frith takes part responsibility for drama's flattering representations of autism in recent decades. In her 1989 book Autism: Explaining the Enigma, she proposed that Sherlock Holmes was a fictional prototype of an autistic person. Twenty years later came the BBC's spectrum-hugging Sherlock. Are there any good autistic detectives in real life? 'Absolutely not.'

As we talk, Chris Frith sits by his wife, occasionally joining in. 'They have a discussion about when brain science began. In her view Freud was a diversion, a neurologist who turned to therapeutic theory because his era lacked the tools to do the job. 'We now have three [computer] imaging methods. But how ignorant we still are in relation to neuroscience? It really doesn't go much further back than 150 years or so. Would you date it further back?' she asks her husband. 'Well. I'm sure the term neuroscience is even more recent than that. Doesn't it start with [David] Hubel and [Torsten] Wiesel in around 1960?' he replies.

But we do at least know — don't we? — that childhood autism has a genetic cause, a de novo mutation (a new one, not inherited). 'Except that we don't have the proof of it. It's a work in progress,' she confesses.

The mind remains a mystery, we agree, she from a position of having studied it all her life. 'I think it's very good that people are interested. A discussion would be a good thing and I'm not wanting to say, 'I'm right and that's the way things should be going.' I think I would be humble enough to know that science is always uncertain.'

And she admits, as an 85-year-old only marginally less assured than her six-year-old self, 'I have changed my mind. There might be more refined ways of looking at autism: a rather holistic way, perhaps. So I would say: yes, I might be proved wrong. But there we are. That's science.'

The running ick: Strava ruined my relationship

What's your Strava?' he asked as I sipped my third Aperol of the night. 'Can I follow you?' Strange question to be asked by the guy you fancy and, in retrospect, I should have interpreted it as a red flag. But he seemed fun, so I gave him my profile details on the fitness tracking app and allowed him to spend the rest of the evening showing me his.

Did I think there may be downsides to dating a man this invested in Strava? Yes, I did. But at the time all I could think was: is running really that much of an ick?

With more than 200 million users, Strava has become a social media platform on a par with Instagram and TikTok. You can post photos, join running groups and message on it — which was how he first asked me out on a date. The app, though, very quickly became the third person in our relationship. He spent hours analysing his feed, yet despised seeing his friends run faster than him, preferring instead to spot them taking days off. He was fixated on 'kudos' (the Strava equivalent of Instagram likes) and

beating his PB. Once, he even printed out his best 10km time and gave it to me. I tried to channel the mantra that all relationships involve compromise but I started finding his evangelical desire to turn me into one of his many Strava disciples unbearable.

In honesty, I too had been a Strava addict, so in addition to understanding the high you get from the app's many forms of external validation, I also knew I had no intention of relapsing. I would ask if we could run without Strava but he always refused. For him: if it's not on Strava it didn't happen. Not that we ever ran 'together' — he didn't want me to spoil his Strava score. At least it meant I never had to be a part of his post-run Strava selfie.

I'd spent so long complaining about being single and expressing my desire for a guy who would be passionate about something that I struggled to get any sympathy from my girlfriends.

When it came to breaking up I couldn't bring myself to say that it was mainly, if not entirely, because of Strava. Instead, I fell back on clichés, telling him I didn't feel we were going in the same direction, that he was moving too fast and that I just couldn't keep up. From a certain perspective, I think it was the most honest break-up speech I've ever given.

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What I’ve learnt? Not to treat your body like a wardrobe change

Promoted as ‘the new Cilla Black’, Olivia Attwood parlayed Love Island fame into a budding TV career. But her relationship with her appearance has been as complicated as her love life. By Julia Llewellyn Smith

Olivia Attwood and I are tucked under a crisp duvet in the bedroom of a five-star Mayfair hotel suite. There’s nowhere else to sit; anyway.

Attwood is “always cold — I’m the only person who loves the heatwave”. She’s musing on her rollercoaster year to date.

“Ironically, since January there’ve been so many days when I’ve wanted to fall apart, but professionally it’s been the strongest six months of my life,” she says. “It’s like that quote from The Devil Wears Prada: ‘When your personal life’s falling apart, it means you’ve ready for promotion.’”

Attwood, 35, is a former public schoolgirl from Surrey who, in the nine years since she finished third in Love Island, has become one of British showbusiness’s hottest names, described by ITV as “the face of the future” and “the new Cilla Black”. She’s a regular on Loose Women and hosts various reality shows as well as two hit documentary series, Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich, about selling sex online, and the show we’re here to talk about today. Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection.

As an archetypal girl-boss millennial she also has numerous (more lucrative) side hustles: a cocktail brand, Savano (“Out of stock on Amazon!”); a podcast, Olivia’s House (70 million listeners over the past six months).

Then there’s her Instagram, which all year has charted her Burton-Tayloresque relationship with her husband, the Gillingham footballer Bradley Dack. Like all top reality-show graduates/influencers, Attwood is fluent in therapy speak and understands her duty to be as “authentic” as possible, sharing every gritty detail of her life with her 2.6 million followers.

“My job is very performative. I have a big audience of women in their thirties who are going through stuff like mine and I want to be honest with them. There are moments when

[that’s] tough but I know what I signed up for. I don’t really remember life before all this.”

She and Dack had a turbulent on-off relationship since meeting in the influencer-favourite London club Libertine 12 years ago. Attwood ended things, complaining of infidelities, then, after Love Island, declared him reformed. In 2023 they married in a £200,000 wedding at a luxury London hotel in Knightsbridge (naturally), documented in an ITV reality show. It later emerged that the wedding itself was not legally binding because the hotel didn’t have a marriage licence. Yet in January Attwood announced she had left Dack.

I’ve been requested not to dwell on the split, yet it’s the first subject Attwood, who’s smart, funny and very likeable, brings up when she finally crawls under the duvet, having disappeared for a lengthy cigarette break. “I’m sorry,” she says with a shrug. “Last time you saw me it was all health and wellness. That’s all gone to shit. I’m doing anything I can to self-regulate through the break-up and I’ve picked up all these bad habits again.”

I had assumed Attwood would be more sanguine. When we previously met last

Olivia Attwood at the I Hotel, Mayfair. Above: with her partner Pete Wicks on Loose Women. Below: with her former boyfriend Bradley Dack

year she had gushed about her marriage’s “authenticity”, but I sensed some coolness in the way she spoke about their careers, meaning they often spent long chunks apart. Yet — after a night posting furious social-media rants — she’s visibly distraught.

“I’m up and down,” she says. “It’s a weird grieving thing, a huge shift. You thought your life was going to be one thing and it’s very quickly changed.”

Attwood is at the Bridget Jones “tick-tock” age at which women are taught their fertility will evaporate. “Yeah, it’s a heavy age. I thought there’d be a stereotypical home life alongside the career, probably a child. But thank God there wasn’t. Suppose I hadn’t had the prenup, or had a baby? That would be so much worse. So everything’s played out for the best.”

The stress “has aged me about 15 years”. It doesn’t show. Fresh out of the make-up chair for the Times photoshoot, Attwood looks immaculate: tall (5ft 10in), slender, blonde, with flawless skin and cushioned lips.

She previously told me she spends about £2,000 a month on “skincare, vitamins, gym membership, all my aesthetic procedures. It’s mental but that’s the tax I pay for the life I’ve put myself into.”

“I’d probably spend that much some months on hair and make-up alone,” she says now. “That shit’s expensive. I like a good facial, a laser. I do Botox — not monthly, obviously. I like a vitamin drip, a bit of HBOT.” Sorry? “Hyperbaric oxygen. And normally I’m eating a good diet and trying to sleep, although that’s not easy at the moment.”

It’s all relevant to The Price of Perfection, about the lengths people go

“I’m up and down. It’s a weird grieving thing — a huge shift

to for beauty. In the third, forthcoming series, Attwood — variously — visits Turkey, where the (largely unregulated) cosmetic surgery industry is worth an estimated £3 billion a year, and investigates fat jabs and the soaring popularity of facelifts, something she previously told me she’d “probably” have by 70.

“It’ll probably be sooner,” she says now. “Facelift culture’s shifted from something associated with women in their sixties, who’d come out looking as if they’d been in a wind tunnel, to modern facelifting that’s done very conservatively, with a very skilled eye. There’s all this ‘have-they-haven’t-they?’ speculation around these

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women in their early forties when they come out looking ten years younger overnight.”

Attwood has no issues with such work; what gets her goat is the “highly grey ethical area” of celebrities promoting treatments. In one episode she encounters Bre Tiesi of the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset in a London clinic she’s visiting for ExoMind, a “non-invasive brain stimulation treatment” involving placing a magnet on the brain’s left side.

Tiesi’s receiving the complimentary treatment (normally £2,400 for six sessions) in return for an Instagram plug. “I want you to think of positive things you would like from this treatment,” the doctor says. “Millions in commission,” Attwood interjects. Tiesi laughs: “Yeah, the money.”

Now, Attwood chooses her words carefully. “I’m sure [ExoMind] is very safe, but it’s an example of just because someone’s promoting something, it doesn’t mean it’s for you. People should be cynical with their money. There are a lot of charlatans. I’ve had friends that have had surgeries for free or very cheap, who’ve had complications and they’ve been very silenced, the book has been thrown at them — ‘Well, you signed this.’”

Most disturbing is a visit to Attwood’s friend, the former glamour model Katie Price, who — according to Google — has had 17 breast surgeries and nine facelifts, with no plans to stop, despite her (justified) fears of looking “freaky”.

“Katie’s open she’ll never be happy with her body. It’s very sad. We spoke candidly about the strain you’re putting on your body. Even if you take away the surgery, to have all those general anaesthetics in quick succession is very, very risky.”

Attwood speaks from experience: her regrets include a £3,000 boob job at 20, which left her with back pain from 32E “watermelons” disproportionate to her slender frame. At 27, she had them reduced to 32DD, leaving scars for life. She also had her “grotesque” lip filler dissolved. “I’ve learnt not to treat your body like a wardrobe change. Social media documents changes in women’s physiques as if it’s as simple as changing a dress, and it’s just not.”

Attwood may warn about procedures, but she still uses them. She argues it’s immoral to mislead

“Of course a genetic lottery is involved but I work out at 5am

women about the effort she puts in. “I take it seriously. If you spend your whole life in front of cameras it’s going to be a priority. People want to look at people that look well put together.

“People say, ‘You’re so lucky,’ and of course a genetic lottery is involved but I work out at 5am every day. People sometimes don’t want to hear it but if I sat on the sofa every night eating McDonald’s, I wouldn’t look like this in a bikini.”

The daughter of a financial translator and former model, at her boarding school, Cranleigh, Attwood struggled with dyslexia and undiagnosed ADHD. She left at 16, became a motorsport grid girl and model, before entrancing the nation with her gobbiness on Love Island.

“That show gave my life direction,” she says. Today, she’s booked less and less for her appearance, more for her opinions, and enjoys subverting the blonde, reality stereotype. “If people underestimate you, and you are smart and articulate, when you get to surprise people it’s quite joyful.”

We return to Attwood’s love life. The latest — meta — development is a newly “hard-launched” relationship with fellow The Only Way Is Essex alumnus Pete Wicks, with whom she co-hosts a Kiss FM radio show.

“It was unexpected, we went from platonic to non-platonic very quickly. He’s extremely intelligent and compassionate and patient, all the things I desperately needed but didn’t know I needed.”

She frets things have moved too quickly. “Is something amazing happening while I’m still processing something awful? Yes. People are telling me to be single, to go on dates. But if I shut things down with Pete I’d only be dating people to find the connection I have with him.”

She’d like children with “the right person. But I could also see it not being part of my story. I’m at peace with that. You can’t have everything. So many parts of my life have worked out so much better than I could ever imagine.”

Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection is on ITV2 on Tuesdays at 9pm with all episodes on ITVX

Why I’m glad Daisy Lowe posted a photo of herself in labour

Would I put my own birth pictures online? No. But we need to see the reality of birth more often, says Claire Cohen

Tucked away in a small photo album are some Polaroids of the moment I gave birth to my son. I don’t tell you this to brag (although, yes, I do have the hipster

camera of choice, thanks for noticing) but because it is quite a thing to have ready access to that earth-shattering

moment and be able to study it, on occasion, like some gory Renaissance painting.

Would I share it on social media? No, but then I don’t live in the world of celebrity and the rules are different there. Take the model Daisy Lowe, 37, who has posted a black-and-white photograph of herself in labour with her second child.

There I was, swiping casually through her gallery of pictures — the family huddled around their new little arrival, a heavily pregnant Lowe embracing her husband, Jordan Saul — when up it popped. Oh! Head thrown back, legs skimbs bare stomach, eyes closed, gas and air close at hand, pretty floral bra (which many women choose to wear for comfort, not just in case you happen to share the photo on Instagram, you understand).

“And then our 3 became 4,” Lowe wrote in the caption. “Welcome to the world our sweet baby boy Eddie Red.” Not a “trigger warning” or “NSFW” in sight.

Are famous people on a rota for this sort of thing? I ask because a year ago to the day, the DJ Calvin Harris caused an Instagram meltdown when he posted water birth photos of his wife, the Radio I presenter Vick Hope, and there, nestled in the carousel, was the placenta. Instagram slapped an age restriction on that one, and most of the comments were along the lines of “A disclaimer would have been nice” or “That put me off my breakfast”.

If three’s a trend, we are well and truly there. In October last year the actress Teresa Palmer posted an action shot of her daughter, Lotus Bloom, emerging via a water birth. The comedian Amy Schumer shared a photograph of herself on the operating table post-casarian section. The actress Hilary Duff published a video (in black and white, of course) of her sitting naked in a pool holding her newborn daughter. “I’ve been wondering for a long time if I would

ever share this video as it is extremely personal,” she wrote.

All of which leads me to say, thank you, Really. Having had my son a year and a half ago, I know how much we need to see this stuff — especially given that studies have found that 78 per cent of women feel unprepared for their birth.

A kind friend had shown me a photograph from her C-section, which

gave me some idea of what might happen below my belt (searching Google Images beforehand felt like a dangerous game). But my placenta was the first I’d seen — unless you count the cutesy knitted one passed around my National Childbirth Trust class, which bore zero resemblance to the wobbly, bloody organ I encountered — and I wasn’t prepared. Actually I was really shocked, and that can’t be right.

Yes, you can know too much. Yes, celebrity birth pictures have probably had an entire team behind them deciding on the best angle. But parents-to-be need to feel ready for what’s coming, and the depictions of birth in popular culture tend not to come close. A woman lying on her back, a few pushes, a single bead of sweat trickling down her face before a strangely clean baby is put in her arms as she smiles and laughs? Think again. Or how about a royal woman, standing on the hospital steps shortly after giving birth, immaculate dress, hair and make-up? See what I mean?

Where celebrities tread, we follow. There are now Instagram accounts, such as the Positive Birth Company (a hypnobirthing course), dedicated to sharing pictures and clips of actual women giving birth — blood, vernix, fluids. Women crying, screaming, on the floor. A baby being pulled through a C-section incision that gave me a sense of what I hadn’t seen behind the screen separating

me from my internal organs. It made me want to understand more, not less.

Given that a baby is born in the UK every 54 seconds, that’s a lot of photos we’re not seeing of the most jaw-dropping thing the human body can do. That doesn’t need a trigger warning or pearl clutching — just don’t ask me to open my photo album quite yet.

From top: Daisy Lowe with her husband, Jordan Saul; the picture she posted of herself in labour with her second child

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6

life

Ask Professor Tanya Byron

My father regrets leaving my mother. Can I intervene?

Ten years ago, when he was 64, my father left our mother after nearly 40 years of marriage for his secretary, who is

almost 20 years younger than him. It was the cliché our family never imagined we'd live through. It devastated Mum and nearly destroyed us as a family.

To everyone's surprise, Mum rebuilt her life. She stayed in the family home and never spoke badly about Dad. Over the years, Dad has increasingly found reasons to visit: to fix something or collect post, but inevitably stays for tea. When my wife, children or my brother's family are there, the atmosphere is extraordinary. Mum and Dad laugh, reminisce, even cook together and are wonderful grandparents. Watching them, you'd assume they had never separated.

The problem is that Dad now tells me and my brother that leaving Mum was the biggest mistake of his life. He misses the life they built together and realises too late what he threw away. Yet he remains with his second wife, even though he's deeply unhappy.

His wife desperately wants to move abroad, despite Dad now being in his seventies. He says he doesn't want to but feels under pressure and worries he'll give in to keep the peace. She becomes angry if she knows he's been in contact with Mum (we suspect one of the reasons for the pressure to move abroad is to stop this), so much of his life now revolves around concealment.

I don't know whether Mum would ever take him back. She might, but not while he's married. My brother thinks we should stay out of it. I think we're watching someone we love drift into making a second mistake because he can't face making one decision. Is there anything we can do to help him? Nathaniel

Your father is psychologically suspended between two lives: grieving for the family he left while remaining unable to commit wholeheartedly to the life he chose instead. He is distressed and conflicted, but this decision to leave or stay with his second wife is his alone.

Psychological research highlights that we are surprisingly poor at abandoning decisions into which we have invested heavily. Behavioural economists call this the sunk-cost fallacy: the tendency to persist because we have invested so much (time, money, energy), even when continuing no longer benefits us.

When we experience cognitive dissonance — the discomfort of holding two conflicting beliefs, feelings or desires at the same time — resolution is not always immediate because we are remarkably adept at living with contradiction. Your father appears to have one foot in his past and one in his present. He seeks comfort and familiarity with your mother and the family life he misses while continuing to live in a marriage that, by your account, no longer reflects the future he wants. Ambivalence, although painful, can often feel safer than making a choice that will inevitably hurt others.

Compounding these psychological states, and probably the most powerful aspect of this situation, could be shame. To leave a second marriage would not just mean ending another relationship but would require your father to confront the possibility that the decision that caused such pain all those years ago was "the biggest mistake of his life". This is an extraordinarily difficult admission to make, not just to others but to oneself.

Your instinct to rescue him is understandable. As his child, you have a natural instinct to protect him. Proceed with caution because it is important to

If you would like Professor Tanya Byron's help, email proftanyabyron@thetimes.co.uk

distinguish support from rescue. You cannot make your father's decision for him, however obvious it may seem from the outside.

When you describe the family together and say "the atmosphere is extraordinary", I can feel your joy. It also suggests that you are more than a neutral observer and are invested in the outcome. Understandably, you may hope your father chooses to stay, not only for yourself but to protect your children, who are enjoying having both grandparents together in their lives.

What you can do is provide a calm, non-judgmental space in which he can think. Resist expressing your opinion and instead encourage him to reflect on the life he wants to be living five or ten years from now, and whether his choices are moving him towards it or postponing an inevitable reckoning. Sometimes people remain trapped because they believe that avoiding a decision is a neutral act. It isn't. Choosing not to decide is a decision.

There is another person whose agency matters here: your mother. It is lovely that your parents continue to enjoy one another's company as grandparents, but nostalgia is not the same as reconciliation. Your mother has spent a decade rebuilding her life. Whether she'd welcome your father back is something only she can know, and she should never find herself cast in the role of waiting for him.

As for the prospect of moving abroad, if your father does not want that future, it is not a compromise he should make to keep a relationship intact. From what you describe, his wife's insistence that he choose, coupled with pressure to relocate despite his uncertainty, risks becoming coercive. The healthiest decisions are made freely, not under the weight of fear, guilt or ultimatums.

I also wonder whether all this reflects a longer-standing pattern

rather than the specifics of either relationship. Perhaps your father struggles to tolerate the inevitable disappointments of long-term relationships and instead of staying with that discomfort, becomes drawn to the imagined fulfilment of an alternative, as he may have done when he left your mother.

Psychologists call this experiential avoidance — escaping emotional discomfort by changing circumstances — combined with affective forecasting, our tendency to overestimate how much happier a different future will make us. Your father may be repeating the same pattern in reverse: having once idealised life beyond his family, he may now be idealising the family he left. The common thread may not be either relationship but the belief that fulfilment lies somewhere else.

If your father does decide to leave his marriage, it should not be because he wants to return to your mother but because he has concluded that his present relationship has run its course, regardless of what happens next. Psychologically, these are two separate decisions. When they become fused there is a risk that one relationship becomes an escape from the other rather than a choice made on its own merits.

Families often wish they could solve one another's dilemmas. We cannot but we can support our loved one to find the confidence that they are capable of doing so. Your father may need help finding the clarity and courage to decide, perhaps through friends or a therapist who can work with him to disentangle regret from responsibility. What he doesn't need is for his sons to carry the weight of a choice that has always been his.

Whatever he decides, there is one thing he cannot recover: time. The question he has to ask himself is not which decision will cause the least pain but which pain he is prepared to live with.

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7

life

A sibling's death hits hard. My brother's was a blow to the heart

When his younger brother suffered a cardiac arrest, Stephen Smith found himself at a loss with his grief

When my younger brother Michael went into hospital with breathing difficulties this summer, we put it down to a mild lung infection exacerbated by the heat. He was 63, a fitness coach and had hardly had a day's sickness in his life. Yet within minutes of being admitted he went into cardiac arrest, a "catastrophic insult" to his heart, in medical jargon.

The registrar in Resuscitation summoned every available medic. Twenty people strove to save Michael's life for 45 minutes — a long time in "Resus" — because of his relative youth, but he never recovered. His death is as yet unexplained, a matter for the coroner, whose in-tray is bulging after a spike in morbidity linked to our seasonal heatwaves.

As a reporter at the BBC's Newsnight, I once interviewed a birdlike Joan Didion at her New York apartment. The writer had just published The Year of Magical Thinking about the loss of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, who died of a heart attack in front of her. "Life changes in the instant," she wrote. "You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends."

Mike leaves a son of 21. The hardest blow falls on him. His family, which seems much smaller all of a sudden, also includes Mike's ex-partner and his siblings, my sister Tor and me. Together with Mike we went through the loss of our parents decades ago. Dad has been dead for nearly 30 years, Mum for 20. They'd both been ill and there was relief that their suffering was done. As painful as it is, the loss of your parents is one of life's unswervable milestones. But the sudden death of a brother — or sister — is another kind of insult to the heart. I used to think that the loss of Mum and Dad put the three of us in the firing line, moved us up to the trench nearest the front. Now we've taken a grievous blow.

Although there's comprehensive data for child and parent bereavement, compiled by the Childhood Bereavement Network, there's nothing similar for siblings. Estimates suggest that, at any one time, as many as six million people in the UK will have suffered the loss of a brother or sister.

Julia Samuel, the bestselling author of Grief Works, describes them as "the forgotten mourners". Understandably, in the hierarchy of grief, siblings tend to be outranked by the loved one's partner, children and even elderly parents. Yet, bereavement counsellors say, the death of one of the keepers of your intimate shared history hits hard.

Of course, it's also a reminder of our own mortality. I'm the eldest, older than Mike by 18 months, and I grew up assuming that I wouldn't have to face up to the loss of my brother or sister because I wouldn't be around. Mike was the fitness expert, after all. My brother remembered our childhood adventures and was a

Mike had main character energy. He was a man of rare charm

perfect mimic of our older relatives. He didn't lead the kind of life that gets you into the obit pages but he had main character energy. He was a man of a rare and unaffected charm. It wasn't the polish of a smoothie-chops, more like a guileless openness that people found winning.

He was without front or stratagem — or game, as they say now. There was no angle or side to him.

When he was a boy a new craze seemed to seize him every five minutes: fishing, model aircraft, a rabbit, air rifles, walkie-talkies... He was my constant companion when we were little.

We squirted each other with Fairy Liquid bottles filled with water. We talked Tor, the youngest, into test-driving our less than roadworthy go-

kart and pushed it down a hill, deaf to her screams. Once, while playing football together, we clashed heads while trying to head the ball. I broke my nose and killed the nerve in a tooth. My lips blew up like Mick Jagger's. Mike wasn't even scratched.

I used to think my brother was a jammy so-and-so. He was brilliant at talking himself out of doing the washing-up. A highlight of Christmas Day was Mike cheating at Jenga, tapping the wooden bricks with the end of a fork.

He turned this into a bravura performance, as if he was Howard Carter probing for the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb. When he was older he dyed his hair blond and tore round the country on a motorbike.

At first glance it might seem as though Mike took more from our sibling support system than he put in. He suffered from anxiety and was eventually diagnosed with Asperger's he wasn't jammy, really.

But he always wanted to know how Tor and I were, what we were up to, and he shared in our moments of success without jealousy.

As a personal trainer he had a stable of devoted regulars whom he saw over a number of decades. He didn't like to put his rates up in case it scared them off. I suspected that they stayed with him because they didn't have the heart to cancel; after all, he didn't cost a fortune. But that was to underestimate them — and him. Mike was good at

Stephen Smith and Michael in Liverpool in 1974. Left: in 2022

He was 63, a fitness coach and had hardly had a day's sickness in his life

what he did; his clients had the abs to prove it. Occasionally he showed me pictures of these oldsters in their vests and joggers. So-and-so was 94 and yet could bench so much — and Mike would name a preposterous weight.

When he called on them for a session first thing, more often than not they or their wives would offer Mike breakfast. He seldom declined. In this way he might consume two or three breakfasts in a morning. He once arrived as a client was about to sit down to dinner. Without demur the man's wife slid the meal in front of my brother instead and he cleared the plate as the man worked out in front of him. In the end his clients outlived him, which I think it is to his credit — he put them in the lifeboats but he went down with the ship. They say they miss him very much.

As for the intimations of mortality that the death of a sibling provokes in the survivors, "intimations" scarcely does them justice. They don't present like a discreet cough and a murmur but a loud knocking. My brother heard it a long time back. He had a morbid fear of death — and of hospitals. He sought out Chinese herbs and other exotic dietary supplements said to boost health and longevity and would talk about them given the least encouragement. But he never learnt to cook for himself and lived on a diet of ready-made meals. He was a paradox: a fitness enthusiast who dosed himself with nutrients and chased them down with a takeaway curry.

There's something else too. Both my sister and I have heart issues: an irregular heartbeat. We didn't know Mike had an issue as well, until he suffered his cardiac arrest. His post-mortem examination, when the results are known, could have serious ramifications for the pair of us. Mike's death is a punch in the ticker in more ways than one.

By the time I got to resus at the hospital, he'd been dead for an hour or so. Before I'd even spoken to a doctor a flustered orderly asked me if I wanted to see my brother. Of course I did. The medic pulled back blue drapes and there he was. Poking out from under a blanket were the toes of his familiar, well-worn trainers, a range of sports shoes designed to resemble human feet. I stroked his brow and held his hand and said, "I'm so sorry, Mike." Sorry he had gone in such a shocking and sudden way, sorry for the years he wouldn't have, and for the time he might have spent with his boy and the rest of us.

Perhaps there are consolations. Better a swift exit for Mike than a life in and out of hospital, an invalid's lot. He won't get any older as we age; that's if we're lucky, of course. In my memory my brother will always be encouraging his clients between helping himself to their breakfasts, and the star of the show at Christmas, with the Jenga wobbling in front of him and Michael doing his impersonation of a nerveless safe-cracker.

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8

edinburgh first night

classical

All Rise

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

★★★★☆

The trendy mantra of 'diversity, equality and inclusion' is under pretty savage scrutiny right now. So it was refreshing and

bold of the Edinburgh International Festival to open its 2026 programme with a modern choral and orchestral epic demonstrating that, in music at least, a fervent belief in DEI can produce exciting results.

The work, All Rise, was composed by the American trumpeter and bandleader Wynton Marsalis 27 years ago. Back then it struck me as a wonderfully ambitious melting-pot of about 20 different musical styles — from Mahler and neo-classical Stravinsky to New Orleans funeral bands, ragtime, spirituals, sambas and salsas — but rather unfocused and overextended, with its 12 movements running to more than two hours. This time, with 200 performers crammed onto the stage under the admirably organised conductor James Gaffigan, I was simply swept along by its brilliant moment-by-moment musical inspirations and overriding optimism.

Only about a third of the work involves the singers — though what a spine-shuffering impact the massed lungs of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and Jason Max Ferdinand Singers made. In most of the movements, the fascination lies in the interaction between the 15 virtuosos of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (which Marsalis has led for 40 years) and the classical instrumentalists of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

The jazzers certainly supplied some incredible solos. Marsalis himself sending his trumpet spiralling through the stratosphere. But the RSNO players also seized their chances to shine, so that jazz and classical styles didn't so much fuse as magically echo and find inspiration in each other.

The work seems to be mostly about humanity's tribes learning from each other rather than warring. In a festival that will, according to its director Nicola Benedetti, explore 'freedom, ingenuity, prejudice and hypocrisy' in the past 250 years of American history, it was good to start with a piece with joy and idealism at its heart.

Richard Morrison

A real courtroom drama

The Brazilian star Wagner Moura shines in this rewrite of Ibsen, says Clive Davis

theatre

A Trial — After An Enemy of the People

Lyceum, Edinburgh (150min) ★★★☆☆

It didn't come as a huge surprise to see a reference to Jaws in A Trial, this update of An Enemy of the People. Ibsen's drama about a doctor at odds with his own community. After all, Steven Spielberg's film recycles the same moral conflict in its depiction of a police chief trying to win over a mayor who doesn't want a shark scaring away holidaymakers. Still, I didn't expect to hear talk of Erin Brockovich and Rocky thrown into the mix.

A Trial's director, Christiane Jatahy, and her co-writers Lucas Paraizo and the actor Wagner Moura — star of the award-winning Brazilian screen thriller The Secret Agent — explore a courtroom format, set in the north of the country, in which Moura's version of Thomas Stockmann breaks the fourth wall to chat to us. His destiny is placed in the hands of a jury picked from members of the audience who agreed to be put up for selection before the play began.

It's an ingenious concept, even though this collaboration with Festival d'Avignon and Amsterdam's Holland Festival doesn't solve an obvious problem: the drama stacks the odds so firmly in Stockmann's favour that it's

hard to imagine anyone finding him guilty. (Surprisingly, three jurists did just that at the end of this Edinburgh International Festival performance.)

Jatahy conjures up a spirit of spontaneity. Louise Burke is cast as a hesitant moderator who, as if plucked from the streets at the last moment, wanders the stage with a clipboard in her hand and gets tangled up in procedural details with both Stockmann and his brother Peter (Danilo Grangheia), the small-town mayor who is presenting the case for the prosecution. Stockmann's daughter Petra (Julia Bernat) leads his defence. A video of a family gathering becomes a central piece of evidence, while an expert on pollution adds her testimony via a screen.

Some of the script's allusions to fake news are fairly obvious. As she demonstrated three years ago in Dusk, her version of Lars von Trier's film Dogville, Jatahy seldom misses a chance to dish out a political lecture. The good news is that Moura cuts a compelling figure who, for all his surface charm, can't quite suppress his testimony and impatience with the townspeople. He knows he is right.

comedy

Ahir Shah: Golden

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh ★★★☆☆

In the three years since he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Ahir Shah has had both the biggest causes for cheer in his life — marriage, a London flat — and the biggest causes for alarm — illness, the mortgage on that London flat. Mix in a family death, depression, a body at war with itself and an unofficial autism diagnosis, and you've a fair chunk of difficulty from which to find the fun.

I would have backed this 35-year-old to pull it off — his prizewinning show, Ends, was personal and political, hilarious and tear-jerking. But Golden is uncomfortable with itself. Shah identifies the issues without quite alchemising them into humour. Maybe, to him, they still aren't funny.

Sometimes, as when he spells out his white Irish wife's immigrant status, or explains financial prudence, it feels as if this formerly motormouthed stand-up is edging towards a new faux-naive way to land a laugh. Some lines are beautifully crafted, but the steadiness of it feels tentative rather than mature.

The mortgage is both a triumph and such a test because it brings back memories of growing up in Wembley amid a palpable sense of financial worry. He pays tribute to his hard-working Hindu parents in a way that is sometimes touching, sometimes mawkish. Some of the funniest stuff is about his happiest subject: his marriage. Shah sees himself as British Asian, she sees him as English, they both think they 'married the oppressor'. He's amusing about his 'normal' background, suggesting that most Fringe comics are the communist children of millionaires. That feels like the old Shah: genial but sharp-toothed, endearingly uptight.

He mentions the chronic idiopathic urticaria that has made his body allergic to his life, but that and his depression feel only anecdotal. So the laughs don't land and a recently added ending, in honour of his late grandmother, is muddled. That will surely improve as the Fringe goes on, but for now this brilliant comedian is handling his tale about accepting adulthood — with all its virtues and limitations — with kid gloves.

Dominic Maxwell To Aug 30

theatre

Roleplay

Summerhall, Edinburgh (70min) ★★★☆☆

This is the kind of piece that normally has overheated red top editors reaching for 'sexy shocker opens in Edinburgh' headlines. But if truth be told Roleplay, Hannah Reilly's much-anticipated Fringe solo drama about a feminist podcaster who decides that being down and dirty is the way to become a media phenomenon, turns out to be a strangely predictable affair.

Word of mouth has ensured that the adults-only run is already sold out at Summerhall. (The show comes from Francesca Moody Productions, the company that gave us Fleabag and Baby Reindeer.) And Reilly — who gets her top off and begins gyrating in the opening minutes — possesses lots and lots of energy. But it's a venture that's much too eager to be transgressive and in-your-face.

'I've never understood why people think it's desperate to want attention.'

Reilly presents us with a character who, after years of turning out worthy content, makes a calculated decision to turn herself into a vamp who puts bedroom talk front and centre of her public image, much to the dismay of her mother, a successful journalist.

Ratings shoot up when our narrator calls herself a slut and starts asking questions such as whether choking is attempted murder or just foreplay. An all-powerful media entrepreneur throws bundles of money at her. Cocaine gives her a rush, and her posh, drawing boyfriend comes along for the ride.

In the end, though — surprise,

A poised Hannah Reilly in her Fringe show about a feminist podcaster

surprise — our heroine discovers that non-stop hedonism may not necessarily be the path to inner happiness. As a lesson in applied feminism, it's less than revelatory. I suppose it didn't help that I had started my day watching another play about a podcaster who happened to have a mother who was an acclaimed journalist. Small world, isn't it?

Paige Rattray's direction certainly pumps up the juices: the lighting throbs away, and there's dextrous use of sound effects. Reilly possesses undeniable confidence and poise. All she really needs is a script that does her justice.

Clive Davis

To Aug 31, then at Soho Theatre, London, Oct 22 to Nov 21

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9

If you happened to be at the Lyric Hammersmith theatre in west London in early July, you may have noticed a famous face in the stalls. Steve Carell, the Hollywood star, went to see the 33-year-old British actress Charly Clive in Relics, a family inheritance drama also starring Sally Phillips. “He came for Wimbledon and stayed on two extra days to see [Relics],” Clive says. “He made no fanfare, he didn’t tell anyone... He stuck around after. We had a drink. He was lovely to my parents.”

Carell and Clive know each other because they play father and daughter in Rooster, a well-reviewed soft-hearted campus comedy on HBO Max that has just been renewed for a second series. This month she is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe — the place where her career started ten years ago — for a sketch show and Jitters, a two-hander about a stepmother and stepdaughter who are the same age, written by Clive’s best friend since childhood, Ellen Robertson. You might recognise Robertson, also 33, from Vladimir, in which she played Rachel Weisz’s daughter, and from Lena Dunham’s hit Netflix show Too Much.

“Jitters came out of a sketch idea where we were, like, the funniest relationship we could have on stage is if Charly played my stepmum,” Robertson says. “I was getting deeper and deeper into it and it was becoming less of a sketch and more of a 15-page play.” She was also interested in “how reliant our generation is on their parents financially... What it means to be dependent when we’re assumed to be forming full adult lives.” Robertson doesn’t shy away from the fact she had financial help from her parents to buy her flat in London with her girlfriend, the Irish comedian Catherine Bohart, last year. “We imagined when we were younger, in our teens, that we’d be able to afford housing before we were nearly 40. And I think it’s doing a really interesting thing to women and the potential of family-making.”

The other theme in Jitters is age-gap relationships — the stepmother is getting married to the daughter’s much older father. “I feel like we’ve seen quite a lot about [this] from the perspective of the older man,” Robertson says. “Or often written with hindsight from the perspective of a slightly wiser older woman, so I wanted to write something from a present perspective.” Clive, who is playing the stepmother, has experience of dating an older man — when she was 26 and he was 38. “I thought at 26, going out with a much older man meant I was bypassing immaturity,” she says. “How wrong I was. It was, if anything, a lesson that some men just stay infant — and maybe there’s a reason that a man nearly 40 has decided to date a woman in her mid-twenties.”

Holy Mackerel!, the sketch show they’re doing as their double act, Britney, “is an ode to friendship and community and just having fun with your mates”, Robertson says. Both women grew up watching Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, Smack the Pony and other excellent female sketch groups. They find now that people can be a bit taken aback when they appear on mixed-bill comedy nights. “Sometimes that’s great because the audience is like, ‘Oh, something different!’ And sometimes it’s terrible

Meet Britney: the new French and Saunders

Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson formed a double act when Clive was diagnosed with a brain tumour. ‘It made sense,’ they tell Blanca Schofield

because the audience is like, ‘Why aren’t you doing stand-up comedy, which we like? We don’t like these weird little plays,’” Robertson adds.

Sketch shows are back in fashion thanks to Saturday Night Live UK. Were they worried (as was the case among many media sceptics) that it wouldn’t work? “Only because I thought, how involved is America going to be with it? If it’s going to be good it’s got to be British,” Clive says, sipping a dirty vodka martini at Joe Allen, a West End spot favoured by luvies. She would audition if the opportunity came around. But “I think I’ll probably be too old. They’ll want new, young people.”

Clive and Robertson decided together at 13 they wanted to be actors. They grew up in a village near Reading and became best friends after a history school trip. “We would ring each other after school and waste our parents’ money on the landline,” Robertson says over a video call. When Clive was diagnosed with a

Clive with Steve Carell in Rooster

Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson star in Jitters at Summerhall, Edinburgh, and Holy Mackerel! at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, both to Aug 21

brain tumour at 23 after noticing she had no peripheral vision. Robertson moved into her family home to help her through the treatment. “Sweet baby Ellen,” Clive calls her when she talks about this.

To help Clive out of “this dark place”, Robertson “conspired” with Clive’s father to get her on the stage. They encouraged her to go to the Fringe in 2016 with a sketch show she and

Robertson had written together during her convalescence. It was called Britney, and was about her brain tumour, which Clive named after the pop star. “For a lot of people that seems bonkers but for us it made total sense,” Clive says. It received great reviews and their careers took off. In 2018 the tumour came back and she had to have radiotherapy. She found out at the same time that she had got the lead role in the Channel 4 series Pure, about a woman with a form of severe obsessive compulsive

disorder that leads to intrusive sexual thoughts. “I remember being like, I don’t care what happens to me. I’m going to be an actor. The universe has told me.”

She delayed starting her treatment, a decision her doctor called “not responsible”, so she could film Pure. “I was so f***ing sensible for such a long time after being ill because you have to be and everyone tells you you must be. Your life is dictated by sensible. I thought, I’m not going to be sensible for 11 weeks. I’m going to live my dream.”

Clive’s tumour has influenced her career in another, unexpected manner. Radiotherapy “ages your vocal cords. So my voice got deep and raspy. Now I’ve done ten audiobooks because people think my voice is sexy.”

Her health is fine now and she takes advantage of opportunities wherever she can. “I think I have more fun than most people do because I know that having months of your life taken away from you while you have a body that’s capable of lots of fun means that: sleep when you’re dead! You’re not too tired to go to the party. You’re not. Go. Have fun. Kiss your friends. Tell them you love them.” With that, she is off to have a steak dinner on her own in a posh restaurant in the West End. “Life’s too short not to.”

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10

times2

Your weekday brain boost

More puzzles

Pages 14-16

Every day, Monday to Thursday, a page of extra puzzles to give your brain an extended workout

Samurai easy

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.

9		8		5	1
4	7	2	5
	8	5	1	9
		8	1	9	7
3	1	5	8	9	2
	9	7	4	2	8
		9	3
			2	1
1	2		4	5	3

2	6			3	1
		9	3	6	7
	1	2		5		4
6			3	9		4
	2	4	8	5		6
	4	1	6			7
				7	1
		3		4
8					9	3

			9	7	2
		4	7	3	9	6
		3		8	4

		5	6	5		2
1				1	2
	3				3	7

6			5	2	7
	7	6	8	1	2
	8	7	3		5
9	3		5	6
	2	6	9	3
	4	5			3	9

		6	7	4	9	2
4	3	9	2	1	7
	2	7	1	6	4
			3	6	8	5
			8	5	9	1
8	9		1			4

Sudoku super fiendish

	6		9		4
				6	5	1
		9	1			8
			4			6
	9	6			2	8
	7		5
6				3	8
	1	8	5
		7		6		9

Killer deadly

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.

23	27			11		21
	9	10		10
			25		8		22
	4			11		1
17		15		23		9	18
	16	16		13		20
		21		4	15		18
12

Train Tracks

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.

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

Play Mini Sudoku every day Monday-Sunday online at thetimes.com and on Live app

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.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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

4	6
		2	6
	1			6
6				2
			3		1
		1			6

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
		N						U		F

Thursday's solutions

SAMURAI

8	6	9	7	2	5	3	4	1		3	5	7	1	4	2	8	8	6
3	2	1	6	9	4	5	7	8		6	8	2	9	7	3	5	1	4
4	5	7	8	3	1	6	2	9		9	1	4	6	5	8	2	3	7
2	9	6	5	7	8	4	1	3		5	7	9	3	2	4	1	6	8
5	4	8	3	1	2	9	6	7		2	6	1	5	8	9	7	4	3
1	7	3	9	4	6	8	5	2		8	4	3	7	1	6	9	2	5
6	1	4	2	8	3	7	9	5	1	6	2	4	3	8	2	9	7	6
8	3	5	1	6	7	2	8	4	5	7	3	1	9	6	8	3	5	4
7	8	2	4	5	9	1	2	6	4	8	9	7	2	5	4	6	1	3
					5	2	8	7	1	6	3	4	9
					6	4	7	3	9	5	8	1	2
					9	1	3	2	4	8	5	6	7
3	6	6	5	1	2	4	7	9	6	5	1	2	9	9	5	6	1	9
4	2	5	8	9	7	3	6	1	8	2	7	9	5	4	3	7	2	1
7	1	9	6	3	4	8	5	2	9	3	4	6	7	1	6	9	4	5
5	6	3	7	4	9	1	2	6			5	3	6	1	2	8	4	7
6	4	1	2	5	8	9	3	7			4	9	8	7	5	3	2	1
2	9	7	3	6	1	5	4	9			7	1	2	6	4	9	8	5
8	5	6	1	2	3	7	9	4			8	4	5	9	3	7	6	2
9	7	2	4	8	5	6	1	3			1	6	7	2	8	5	3	9
1	3	4	9	7	6	2	8	5			3	2	9	4	1	6	7	8

TRAIN TRACKS

FUTOSHIKI

4	1	2	6	3
3	6	>4	>2	1
2	4	3	1	5
5	3	1	4	2
1	<2	5	3	4

SUDOKU

6	3	1	8	4	5	2	7	9
5	9	2	7	1	6	3	8	4
7	4	8	2	3	9	6	5	1
2	6	7	9	5	1	8	4	3
1	8	9	4	7	3	5	6	2
4	5	3	6	2	8	9	1	7
8	1	6	3	9	4	7	2	5
9	2	4	5	8	7	1	3	6
3	7	5	1	6	2	4	9	8

KILLER

8	1	2	3	9	4	7	6	5
6	7	5	1	2	8	4	3	9
4	9	3	5	7	6	8	1	2
1	6	9	7	8	3	2	5	4
5	2	7	4	1	9	6	8	3
3	8	4	2	6	5	1	9	7
2	5	6	8	3	7	9	4	1
7	4	8	9	5	1	3	2	6
9	3	1	6	4	2	5	7	8

CODEWORD

GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT	GOVERNMENT

---

11

television & radio

Grylls takes on the desert with... Judas Iscariot

Carol Midgley

TV review

The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls

Prime Video ★★★★☆

It is difficult to hear Bear Grylls's name these days without mentally conjuring up that image of him standing waist-deep in the River. Thames hugging Russell Brand during the latter's baptism. I wish it wasn't so but once seen, never forgotten.

Grylls has defended his decision to take part that day despite Brand being accused of historical sexual assaults (which he denies), saying that he tries not to judge others and to live by the principle: "What would Jesus do?"

Well now he has the chance to find

out because in his new series he gets to go on an adventure with Jesus. OK, I should clarify that it's not actually the son of God himself but Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays him in The Chosen, a stonkingly popular American historical drama series based on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is the most successful crowdfunded TV series of all time and has been seen by an estimated 280 million people worldwide (it's on Prime Video in the UK).

In each episode of the unsnappily titled The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls, he takes one member of the cast on an expedition in the wilds of Utah, though Jesus has to wait until episode five for his turn.

Grylls, who says his faith in Christ has been his "guiding light" throughout his life, kicks off in episode one with Judas Iscariot, or rather Luke Dimyan who plays him. They are dropped into the Moab desert and before long Grylls is making Dimyan urinate into a pouch to warm up his dinner, which wouldn't exactly whet the appetite.

"That stinks," Grylls says as Dimyan hands over a bag of pee that helps to heat their military MRE (meal ready to eat) food. A trifle harsh! The desert can be very dehydrating. What would Jesus have said?

I have had my beef with some of Grylls's programmes in the past,

Bear Grylls and Luke Dimyan in the Moab desert in Utah

mostly because I don't agree with killing animals for TV shows. But this series is really rather good, more gently paced, thoughtful and set amid truly spectacular scenery. The first episode is helped by the charisma and wit of Dimyan, who is Coptic. Egyptian, a native Christian ethnoreligious group of Egypt, and whose grandfather was a priest.

He says Judas was the character he wanted to play the most, even though it means strangers come up to him and say, "We don't like you" (got to love viewers who can't distinguish between reality and the telly). Judas, he says, is a complex individual who did love Jesus and is interesting to play because his story is a "poetic tragedy". He was "doomed to fail" because he "wasn't able to accept what was out of his control".

Grylls then has Dimyan sucking moisture out of a sweaty sock. They find some damp sand in the shadow of a rock and a survival method is to fill a sock with the sand and suck the moisture through it. I'm pleased to say they each used their own socks.

Amid the parachuting and the zip-wiring through canyons they talk about life, faith, improv and failure. "Most people are terrified of failure," says Grylls, but they shouldn't be because "failure is a stepping stone". It's a good formula which makes for considered, non-shooty TV.

Human Intelligence

Radio 4, 1.45pm

The novelist Naomi Alderman returns with a new series of the programme that examines the minds of history's greatest thinkers and discovers where their creativity came from and how they applied it to work that still influences us today. She begins with Emily Brontë, above, and asks if her reclusive nature contributed to the intensity of her writing. The Behind the Glass: A Parsonage Podcast from the Brontë Museum in Haworth takes a look at items in its collection, plus social issues that would have affected the family, including the railway's development and the importance of food in gothic fiction. Clair Woodward

Times Radio

Digital, web, smart speaker, app 5.00am Tom Nunan with Early Breakfast 6.00 Rosie Wright and Stig Abell with Breakfast 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Stephen Sackur 2.00 Fi Glover and Roys Nikkhah 4.00 Carolyn Quinn with Drive 7.00 The Evening Edition with Kati Borsay 10.00 Carole Walker 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am The Sara Cox Breakfast Show 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dommert 7.00 Edith Bowman's Shiny Happy Playlist 7.30 Edith Bowman 9.00 The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews 10.00 The Good Groove with Melvin Odoom 12.00 DJ Borg 2.30am One Hit Wonders with DJ Borg 3.00 Sounds of the 90s (r) 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans

Radio 3

FM: 92.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live Another chance to hear a Prom in which cellist Maximilian Hornung is the soloist in Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto. Also there are concerts from the Verbier Music Festival. Verbier Festival – Debussy (Prélude à l'après-midi d'un favori), Granada Festival of Early Music – Créciquillon (Missa – Mort mis privé – Kyrie, Gloria & Credo), Verbier Festival – Chopin (Fantasy in F minor, Op 49), Bruskner (Symphony No 4 in E flat – Romantic); and BBC Proms – Shostakovich (Cello Concerto No 1 in E flat)

4.00 Composer of the Week: Montgerouil (1764-1836) Donald Macleod explores the work of Hélène de Montgerouil (r) 5.00 In Tune From the Hub in Edinburgh 7.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 London's Royal Academy of Music and New York's Juilliard School orchestras conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen in Stravinsky, Berg and Bartók. Presented by Ian Skelly, live from the Royal Albert Hall. Stravinsky (Symphony in Three Movements), Berg (Violin Concerto), and Bartók (Concerto for Orchestra) 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 Round Midnight 12.30am Through the Night

Radio 4

FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.84 Last Wool (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Across the Red Line Exploring the value of university education. Last in the series 9.30 How Did We Get Here? No World Order How cooperation between the USA and Russia broke down (3/6) 10.00 Woman's Hour Nuala McGovern presents 11.00 Behind the Crime A woman from Texas whose life is upended after stealing an air conditioner (2/3) 11.45 Book of the Week: Hiroshima, 8.15: The Lost Memoir Kiyoshi Tanimoto's account of the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1/5) 12.04pm You and Yours 1.00 The World at One

1.45 Choice Human Intelligence A focus on Emily Brontë (11/15) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Alone By Moray Hunter (5/6) (r) 2.45 Opening Lines Part one of two. Examining Don DeLillo's 1988 novel Libra (r) 3.00 Great Lives Derek Jacobi and Tim Walker reflect on Laurence Olivier (1/9) 3.30 You're Dead to Me The reign of Roman emperor Constantine the Great (7/13) (r) 4.00 Burnham's Pledge A reports on Andy Burnham's pledge to tackle rough sleeping (r) 4.30 The Kitchen Cabinet Last in the series (r) 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Just a Minute With Tony Hawks, Desiree Burch, Cariad Lloyd and Julian Clary (4/6) 7.00 The Archers Heartbreak is in store for Lynda 7.15 Front Row Arts programme 8.00 The Briefing Room Discussing a story in the news (r) 8.30 BBC Inside Science The latest scientific research (r) 9.00 Across the Red Line (3/3) (r) 9.30 How Did We Get Here? No World Order (3/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of Wakefield By Oliver Goldsmith (6/10) 11.00 Intimacy Liza's personal life spills onto set, creating tension (3/4) 11.30 A Good Read (1/9) (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Book of the Week: Hiroshima, 8.15: The Lost Memoir (1/5) (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.60 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra

Digital only 8.00am Dr Phil's Bedside Manner 8.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Just a Minute 9.30 Following the Martian Invasion 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Sounds Natural 10.30 Billy Bunter's Birthday Bash 11.00 The Waiting Game 11.30 The Senior Partner 12.00 Control Group Six 12.30pm Dad's Army 1.00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner 1.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 1.45 Small Island 2.00 Wordaholics 2.30 A Whole 'Nother Story 3.00 Renaissance Man: The Last Judgment of Giorgio Vasari 4.00 Sounds Natural 4.30 Billy Bunter's Birthday Bash 5.00 The Waiting Game 5.30 The Senior Partner 6.00 Control Group Six 6.30 Dad's Army 7.00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner 7.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 7.45 Small Island 8.00 Wordaholics 8.30 A Whole 'Nother Story 9.00 Renaissance Man: The Last Judgment of Giorgio Vasari 10.00 Comedy Club: Just a Minute 10.30 Truly, Madly, Bletchley 10.45 Quando, Quando, Quando 10.55 The Comedy Club Interview 11.00 Current-ish 11.30 The In Crowd

Radio 5 Live

MM: 692.905 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 5 Live Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Emma Vardy 2.00pm Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport: The Monday Night Club: debate the weekend's football 9.00 Athletics: Ed Harry presents coverage of the European Athletics Championships 10.00 Johnny l'Anson 1.00am Dotun Adebayo

talkSPORT

MM: 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 Jeff Stelling 10.00 Max Scott & Darragh McAnthony 1.00pm Hawksbee and Jacobs 4.00 Drive 7.00 The Transfer Insiders 10.00 The Sports Bar 1.00am Extra Time with Paul Ross

Talk

Digital only 6.00am Ian Collins 10.00 Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm David Bull 4.00 Kevin O'Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cantwell 10.00 Prime 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 Steve Lamanz 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 Artist in Residence: Wolf Alice 12.00 The Smiths – Live 1.00am The Smiths in Session 2.00 The Smiths at the BBC 4.00 The Smiths Playlist

Virgin Radio

Digital only 6.30am The Chris Evans Breakfast Show 10.00 Emma II 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am Steve Denyer

Classic FM

FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Tim Liboreau 9.00 Hall of Fame Hour 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evenings (r) 9.00 Composer Carousel with John Brunning 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 Early Breakfast

---

12

television

PICKS OF THE DAY

House of the Dragon

Sky Atlantic/Now, 9pm

The Game of Thrones prequel deferred a military confrontation in its second series finale, leaving everyone frustrated by the lack of dragon action. Series three is expected (the episode was not available to view) to climax with the Battle of Tumbleton. Tumbleton is the town taken over as a power base by the would-be kingmaker

Ormund (James Norton), and where he proclaimed Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as Westeros's rightful ruler. Their rebel cause has been assisted by Rhaenyra's blunders and tyrannical ways as queen. But she and her uncle and, er, husband Daemon (Matt Smith) have started to move against Ormund, setting up a showdown between blacks and greens — or, as some may see it, thinly disguised versions of the Doctor and the villain in Happy Valley. John Dugdale

James Norton as Ormund

Martin and Roman's Irish Road Trip

Channel 4, 8pm

Martin and Roman Kemp have often teamed up on TV before, but not for a travel series. What makes that surprising is that their big rivals as a father-and-son double act, Bradley and Barney Walsh, have made seven series of their travelogue Breaking Dad since 2019. Maybe the Kemps saw Ireland as the ideal country to break their duck, as it's one of the few parts of

the world unvisited by the Walshes. Their odyssey begins in Cork with tourist trail sites (a stone circle), a bit of myth (a bandshoe queen's local links) and some distinctive customs (storytelling, mourning). So it's all about old or timeless Ireland, with no interest shown — although Martin is an actor and singer. Roman is a presenter, and both are football fans — in current music, movies, TV or sport. Even though Roy Keane, Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton were raised in Co Cork. JD

BBC1

6.00am Breakfast 9.30 Animal Park (r) (AD) 10.00 Trace, Track, Get My Car Back (r) 10.30 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026. Jeanette Kwakye presents coverage of the opening session on day one from Alexander Stadium, including hosts in the women's 100m and 400m hurdles and the men's 800m and 400m 1.15pm BBC News at One; Weather 1.40 BBC Regional News; Weather 1.50 BBC News at One; Weather 2.00 Money for Nothing. A collection of plates at Wilfey recycling centre in Surrey 2.45 Escape to the Country. Jonnie Irwin helps a pair of early retirees find a new home in Wiltshire or Somerset (r) (AD) 3.30 The Repair Shop. A rocking horse, an ice cream trailer and a dictionary (r) (AD) 4.30 The Answer Run. Quiz show 5.15 Pointless. Quiz show (r) 6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

BBC2

6.30am Bargain Hunt: 20 Years of The One Show. With One Show presenters (r) (AD) 7.15 Money for Nothing (r) 8.00 Sign Zone: The Repair Shop (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC News 10.30 Antiques Road Trip (r) 11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (r) (AD) 12.15pm Bargain Hunt (r) 1.00 Richard Osmaris House of Games (r) 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz show (r) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (r) 2.45 The Farmers' Country Showdown (r) 3.30 Spy in the Ocean (r) (AD) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow. From Winston Churchill's former home in Kent (r) 5.15 Flog tit Visits to the Ulster Transport Museum and Bletchley Park (r) 6.00 Richard Osmaris House of Games. With panelists Chris Bisson, Danielle Harold, Katharine Merry and Robert Webb (r) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning. The presenter helps former best friends work to repair their broken friendship (r) (AD)

ITV1

6.00am Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.30pm ITV News; Weather 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal. David Dickinson is in Blackburn, where Matt Taylor happens upon an unlikely duet, Alys Dobbie sizes up a dress, and Tim Hogarth coins it in (r) (AD) 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts the game show as a contestant tries to open the 22 boxes in the right order for the chance to win a 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. Bradley Walsh presents as contestants pit their wits against one of the Chasers in the hope of winning a cash prize. They work as a team and play strategically to answer questions and race down the game board to the exit without being caught (r) 6.00 Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather

Channel 4

6.30am The King of Queens (r) (AD) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD) 9.10 Fraser (r) (AD) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (r) 12.05pm Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It. A plan to turn some old tanks into a pizza oven (r) (AD) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway. A couple team up with a stranger to buy a house in Portmading, north Wales (r) 2.10 Countdown. With Pauline McLynn 3.00 A Place in the Sun. A Leicester pair seek a holiday home in Mojácaz, Spain (r) 4.00 Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. In Gloucestershire, an attic model railway is revealed at Chavenage (r) (AD) 5.00 Château DIY. At the Château Lagorce, owners race to bring down an enormous fig tree before it can bring the wall of their wedding terrace crashing down (r) (AD) 6.00 American Pickers. Mike and Frank encounter a coin-op empire ruled by sisters ready to rumble for every penny (r) (AD)

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: My Fatal Memory (12, TVM, 2022) After a violent car accident robs Grace of her memory, a handsome stranger enters her life, insisting they are lovers. Thriller starring Kate Watson 4.00 Castle. Beckett and Castle investigate when an astronaut is murdered during a simulation for a mission to Mars, a private venture funded by an internet billionaire (r) 4.55 Love Nature. Cameras focus on the Cornish Seal Sanctuary (r) 5.00 5 News at 5 6.00 Sardinia: Jewel of the Med. Exploring the Italian island of Sardinia, its countless historic sites and their ambitious conservation project that aims to save the Sardinian Red Deer from extinction (r) 6.55 5 News with Dan Walker

7.00 The One Show Angelica Bell reports live from Birmingham with a look at the beginning of The One Show 7.30 EastEnders Max and Cindy set January 1st for their wedding. Later, he is surprised when Priya makes a performance at the car list (AD)

8.00 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 9.00 Gabby Logan presents further coverage of the evening session on day one from Alexander Stadium. The women's 100m final is the concluding event of the night. The men's 5,000m also takes place this evening. Medala are also awarded in the men's shot put and the mixed - £400m relay. With analysis by Greg Rutherford, Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Jenny Meadows, and commentary from Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson and Paula Radcliffe. See picks of the day

7.00 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 9.00 Gabby Logan presents coverage of the evening session on day one, including the women's shot put final and the women's 100m hurdles heats. Coverage continues on BBC1. See picks of the day

8.00 Only Connect The Double Features take on the Colorual Geese 8.30 University Challenge Magdalen College, Oxford takes on Warwick 9.00 Evolution Chris Packham reveals why the horse became so fast as he sets out on a slithering, swimming, sprinting odyssey that explores the evolutionary beginnings of animal movement and how it reached its peak in one of the most elegant and athletic animals on Earth (5/5) (AD)

7.30 Fletchers' Family Farm The Fletchers focus on diversification, and Ruby the cow turns a corner (9/10) (r) (AD)

8.00 Emmerdale A villager's life is turned upside down. Meanwhile, Serena is left feeling conflicted (AD) 8.30 Coronation Street Tim urges Richie to make a go of his marriage, while Sarah finishes with Kit (AD) 9.00 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace Davina McCall and Noisy Campbell help foundlings uncover why their mothers abandoned them. See picks of the day (AD)

7.00 Channel 4 News 7.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders Humberside Police gets multiple calls about a potential drink driver all over the road, so a PC races to try to catch up with him before he has a serious collision (5/10) (r) 7.55 5 News Update

8.00 Martin and Roman's Irish Road Trip 9.00 New series. Martin and Roman Kemp explore Ireland, beginning in County Cork, where they go kayaking, visit the former prison Spike Island and join a community storytelling group. See picks of the day (1/3) (AD) 9.00 Celebrity Hunted A daring escape plot is hatched in Brighton. Two of the celebs tap into a military network for intel and support. But the Hunters have picked up their signal and are closing in. A couple of content creators reckon they know how to outsmart their pursuers (AD)

7.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders Humberside Police gets multiple calls about a potential drink driver all over the road, so a PC races to try to catch up with him before he has a serious collision (5/10) (r) 7.55 5 News Update

8.00 Street Cops: Catching the Yobs An officer hunts down an e-biker who appears to chuck something in the bushes while running from the law, while a driver pulled over by Weston Favell officers for speeding gets more than he bargained for 9.00 Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law Transport for London investigators are at Seven Kings Station in north-east London to hunt for a suspected fare model owing the network almost £4,000 in unpaid fares

10.00 BBC News at Ten 10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.40 FILM: Bridget Jones's Baby (15, 2016) Bridget's focus on single life and her career is interrupted when she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch — she can only be 50 per cent sure of the identity of her baby's father after a pair of one-night stands. Comedy sequel starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Patrick Dempsey (AD)

10.00 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Paul and Bob fish for ferox trout in the Highlands (3/6) (r) (AD) 10.30 Newsnight Alex Forsyth presents 11.05 FILM: Shaft (15, 1971) A tough New York private eye is drawn into a gang war when he is hired to rescue a mobster's kidnapped daughter. Blauplottation thriller starring Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn and Charles Cioffi. See film choice

10.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed by Regional News 10.45 Cold Case Forensics: A Death on the Nile Forensic scientist Dr Angela Gallup and her team investigate the mysterious, sudden death of a British solicitor while on a romantic holiday in Egypt (2/3) (r) (AD) 11.45 Love & Death Candy retains Don Crowder as her attorney, while Allan admits his affair (5/7) (r) (AD)

10.00 Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives Trewley clashes with her older sisters when they try to stop her going out to meet a friend, claiming she should still be subject to curfews and chaperones. Tina attends the launch party for Trewley's new make-up range (AD) 11.05 Surgery Secrets of the Super Rich A bride-to-be has a non-surgical liquid nose job, a mum-of-two tackles years of sun damage with laser technology, and a Cheshire-based property investor is investing over £1,000 a month in a programme of tweakments (4/6) (r) (AD)

10.00 Police Interceptors: Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs Detectives in Cheshire investigate an international criminal gang responsible for stealing £160,000 worth of premium goods from Anda over 81 raids (r) 11.05 Traffic Cops Near York, a young man who has stolen his grandfather's car leads the police on a bizarre and dangerous pursuit that ends in a trip to hospital for the driver. To the north of the county, two suspected fuel thieves are tracked by police cameras and arrested (r)

12.40am-6.00 BBC News

12.40am Sign Zone: Countryfile Adam Henson meets a new generation of farmers navigating the challenges and opportunities of producing our food. He starts in North Wales (r) (SL) 1.35-2.25 Bergerac. Chloe finds evidence proving there is some truth in John Blakely's accusations (r) (AD, SL)

12.35am Shop on TV 3.00 The Staircase. In 2003, tensions rise and old wounds reopen as the Petersons' eldest son Clayton returns home and unwittingly makes a critical discovery (r) (AD, SL) 4.10 Unwind with ITV 5.10-6.00 Dickinson's Real Deal. David Dickinson is in Blackburn (r) (AD, SL)

12.05am Secrets of the Celebrity Sex Tapes (AD) 12.55 Ramsay's Hotel Hell (r) (AD, SL) 1.50 Murder Case: The Digital Detectives (r) (AD, SL) 2.40 FILM: Saba (15, 2024) Drama starring Mehazabien Chowdhury. In Bengali 4.20 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (r) 4.40 Hollyoaks (r) (AD, SL) 5.50-6.30 Countdown (r)

12.05am Car Pound Cops (r) 1.00 Cruise TV (r) 2.00 Entertainment News on 2.10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 3.00 Castle (r) 3.50 Friends (r) (AD) 4.35 Yorkshire with Jane McDonald (r) (SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5.35 Paw Patrol (r) (SL) 5.50-6.00 The Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL)

---

13

television

European Athletics Championships

BBC1, 8pm/BBC2, 7pm

International competition returns to its rightful place on the BBC with Gabby Logan ably assisted by Jess Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford and Jenny Meadows, and with commentary from Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson and Paula Radcliffe. Lots to watch out for at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, including the 4x400m mixed relay final

(9.40pm) and the 2025 world indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu taking on the 100m (9.50pm). Helen Stewart

Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace ITV1, 9pm

"So this is the scarf I was wrapped in to make sure I wasn't cold, because it was a very cold time of year," says Michael, holding up a knitted piece of dark green fabric that he has folded and re-folded

over the 30 years since 1996 when he was found as an infant by two revellers who thought his little hand was a Halloween prank. Davina McCall, as ever, treads with care and compassion as she and the team try to find his family. HS

STREAMING CHOICE

The Chosen In The Wild with Bear Grylls Prime Video

In this documentary adventure

series, Bear Grylls takes the stars of the Jesus drama The Chosen, including Elizabeth Tabish, who portrays Mary Magdalene in the series, and puts them through their survival paces in the US's most extreme landscapes. The stars are game, mostly, and Grylls is cock-a-hoop. "Sock-sucking with Judas Iscariot!" he blurts with glee as Luke Dimyan attempts to slurp brown run-off water through his hiking hosiery in Utah. "Wait, are we actually doing this?" Dimyan asks. Oh yes we are. Andrew Male

FILM CHOICE

Shaft (15, 1971) BBC2, 11.05pm

This 197th blaspidulation classic has a great performance from Richard Roundtree as a tough New York private eye hired by a gangster to find his missing teenage daughter. However, the girl has been kidnapped by the mafia, meaning he's soon in the middle of a turf war for control of Harlem. (100min) James Jackson

BBC4

7.00pm The Architecture the Railways Built (1/10) (AD) 7.40 The Flying Gardener 8.00 The Art of Spain. The golden age of Spanish painting (AD) 9.00 Mastermind. Quiz. From 1977 9.30 Call My Bluff. Game show 10.00 The Sky at Night. Professor Brian Cox joins the team to explore the mysteries of black holes 10.30 The Golden Age of Spanish Painting. Omnibus. The artwork of the period between 1500 and 1700 11.20 One Hundred Great Paintings 11.35 Britain's Lost Waterlands: Escape to Swallows and Amazons Country. Landscapes (AD) 12.35am The Flying Gardener 12.50 The Art of Spain (AD) 1.50 The Golden Age of Spanish Painting: Omnibus 2.40am-3.40 Britain's Lost Waterlands: Escape to Swallows and Amazons Country (AD)

Sky Arts

6.00am Cirque du Soleil: Corteo 8.00 Artist of the Year: Masterclass (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Peter Sellers (AD) 12.00 The Art of Film with Jan Nathan (AD) 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 3.00 The Eighties (AD) 4.00 Discovering: Robert Shaw (AD) 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2022 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 André Rieu: La Vie Est Belle 9.45 FILM: Billy Ebel – The Musical (12, 2014) Musical 12.35am Up Late with Nicola Benedetti 2.10 LSD: Pappano Conducts Ravel, Say & Rachmaninoff 3.50 Sky Arts Ambassador Bursary Shorts 4.00 Sky Arts Book Club 5.00am-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 One with Me (AD) 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS. Restoring a Piroutian in terrible condition (AD) 6.50 Car SOS. An Austin Healey is secretly fixed up in Co Durham (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. A couple build a contemporary farmhouse in Herefordshire (4/7) (AD) 9.00 24 Hours in A&E. An 85-year-old man is brought to St George's with a swollen hand (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in A&E. Patients include a 27-year-old tree surgeon who fell 40ft to the ground (AD) 11.05 999: On the Front Line. The service gets exceedingly busy in the early hours of Saturday morning 12.05am Emergency Helicopter Medics. A nasty head injury (AD) 1.10 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.20am-3.50 A Place in the Sun

Plymouth Argyle take on Exeter City at Home Park

Live European Athletics Championships TNT Sports 3, 10.30am-1pm The first day of the event

Live The Hundred: Trent Rockets Women v Southern Brave Sky Sports Cricket, 2.45pm-6.00, Sky Sports Main Event, 3pm-6.00 (Start-time 3.00). Coverage of the match at Trent Bridge

Live The Hundred: Trent Rockets Men v Southern Brave Men Sky Sports Main Event, 6pm-7.45, Sky Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (Start-time 6.30). Coverage of the match at Trent Bridge

Live EFL Cup: Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City Sky Sports Football, 7pm-10.30, Sky Sports Main Event, 7.45pm-10.30 (Kick-off 8.00). At Home Park

Live Tennis Sky Sports v, Sky Sports Tennis, 9pm-11.00 The Canadian Open. Day nine

Talking Pictures

6.00am The Vise (b/w) 6.30 FILM: Devil's Ball (U, 1959) (b/w) 7.40 FILM: The Dark Road (PG, 1948) (b/w) 9.10 FILM: River Beat (U, 1954) (b/w) 10.30 2 Cars 11.30 FILM: Inspector Hornleigh (U, 1939) (b/w) 1.00pm Richard the Lionheart (b/w) 1.30 FILM: Night Train to Paris (U, 1964) (b/w) 2.45 FILM: The Men of Sherwood Forest (U, 1954) 4.20 FILM: I'm All Right Jack (U, 1959) (b/w) 6.25 Scotland Yard 7.00 The Footage Detectives 8.00 Maigret 9.50 FILM: The Weak and the Wicked (PG, 1954) Drama (b/w) 11.35 FILM: Murders in Cornouaille (15, TVM, 2018) 1.40am FILM: California Suite (12, 1978) 3.45 FILM: A Hate Lot of Trouble (PG, 1971) 4.20 Cinebox Memories 4.25am-5.00 The Veil (b/w)

Film4

11.00am Playing with Fire (PG, 2019) Comedy (AD) 12.55pm Steel Magnolias (PG, 1989) Drama (AD) 3.15 All That Heaven Allows (U, 1950) Romantic drama starring Jane Wyman 5.00 The Enemy Below (PG, 1957) Second World War thriller starring Robert Mitchum 7.00 Film4 Interview Programmes: Talking Film. Movie making 7.05 Dog (12, 2022) Comedy starring Channing Tatum (AD) 9.00 Angel Has Fallen (15, 2019) A Secret Service agent is framed for an assassination attempt on the President. Action thriller sequel starring Gerard Butler (AD) 11.20 Peppermint (15, 2018) Revenge thriller starring Jennifer Garner and Jeff Hephner (AD) 1.20am-3.50 Lazy in the Sky (15, 2019) Drama starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm

BBC3

7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall explores the island of Madagascar 7.30 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall learns about primates in Uganda 8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee. The sewers celebrate Mexican fashions and textiles (AD) 9.00 Top Gear: Burma Special. The presenters drive lorries through the South East Asian country 11.05 Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. Tommy faces his comeback fight in Budapest, and the pressure is on (6/10) (AD) 11.35 Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. Tommy hits a major setback (7/10) (AD) 12.05am Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. Triple bill (AD) 1.35 Dougz Map of Britain (AD) 3.35am-3.55 Disclosure

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 8.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 9.15 The Only Way Is Essex 10.15 Dawson's Creek 11.10 Charmed 12.10pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.10 Supermarket Sweep 2.10 The Floor USA (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Last in the series 5.00 The Real Housewives of Orange County 5.55 Celebrity Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 The Floor USA (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club (AD) 9.00 The Only Way Is Essex 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) 8.10 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 Agatha Christie's Poirot (AD) 11.35 Heartbeat (AD) 1.35pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat: Rural drama (AD) 8.00 Midsomer Murders. Jones infiltrates a call to investigate a woman's disappearance (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. Geordie and Will investigate the suspicious death of a circus performer (1/8) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester. Geordie hears Will is thinking of leaving (2/8) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Part one of two. A mother arrives home to find her baby daughter dead (7/10) 1.25am-2.20 Agatha Christie's Poirot. David Suchet stars (AD)

ITV4

6.00am Magnum, PI (AD) 8.05 Robin of Sherwood 9.10 Boon 10.20 The Professionals (AD) 11.25 Robin of Sherwood 12.35pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.40 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.55 Minder (AD) 7.00 River Monsters. A violent attack in a remote Mongolian river 7.30 River Monsters. Deaths in the waters of America's tourist hotspots 8.00 The Motorbike Show. A road trip to Exmouth in East Devon 9.00 FILM: Under Siege 2 – Dark Territory (1, 1995) Action adventure sequel starring Steven Seagal and Eric Bogosian 11.10 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. A landlong story is stranded with a ravenous enemy (AD) 12.10am Lost 1.05 Motorsport UK 2.00am-2.50 BattleBots

U&Drama

6.00am Teleshopping 7.15 The Bill 8.05 Doctors 9.20 Classic Holly City 10.40 Casualty (AD) 11.40 The Bill 12.40pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Classic Neighbours 3.00 Whitsstable Pearl (AD) 4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 As Time Goes By 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 The Brokenwood Mysteries. Investigating the death of a woman struck by an arrow (2/4) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. The team reinvestigates the death of a wealthy financier (1/10) (AD) 11.20 Luther. The detective is framed for murder, and teams up with unlikely allies when DSU Teller takes ruthless action (6/6) (AD) 12.40am Lovejoy. A forged snuff box 1.50 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 2.50 Hotel Portofino (SL) 4.00am-6.00 Teleshopping

Variations

BBC1 It Ireland 11.45pm Girl Fight. Last in the series (r) 11.10 FILM: Bridget Jones's Baby (2016) Comedy sequel 1.05am-6.00 BBC News

BBC1 Scotland 12.35am Scotcast. Discussion (r) 1.05 Weather for the Week Ahead 1.10am-6.00 BBC News

BBC2 It Ireland 10.05pm-10.30 Kayak 0 Thuadh. Last in the series (r)

ITV1 Wales 10.45pm-11.45 Deal or No Deal: Celebrity Special. Adam and Ryan Thomas go up against the Banker

STV 12.35am-3.00 Shop on TV 4.10am-6.00 Night Vision

BBC Scotland

2.00pm-4.30 Sign Zone (r) 7.00 Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 The Great Food Guys (r) 8.00 The Mountain (r) 9.00 Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 Gary: Tank Commander (r)

S4C 6.00am Cyw 12.00 News; Weather 12.05pm Flame Death (r) 12.30 Heno (r) 1.00 Strawon Harri Parri (r) 2.00 News; Weather 2.05 Pynhawn Da 3.00 News; Weather 3.05 Y Sioe 2026 (r) 4.00 Awr Fawr 5.00 Stwnsh 6.00 Arfordir Cymru: Sir Bierlho (r) 6.30 Rallo+ (r) 6.00 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News; Weather 8.00 Spent Care y Llonr (r) 8.25 Gaddio a Mwy 8.55 News; Weather 9.00 Celh Gwlad 9.58 Y Tywydd 10.00 Y Deis (r) 10.30-11.35pm Y Fets (r)

PBS America

8.00am Weathered: Earth's Extremes 8.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 9.30 Planet of the Plates 10.45 1066: A Year to Conquer England 11.55 Inside Japan's War 1.00pm Weathered: Earth's Extremes 1.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 2.35 Planet of the Plates 3.50 1066: A Year to Conquer England 5.05 Inside Japan's War 6.10 Digging Up Britain's Past 7.10 Planet of the Plates. Scientists unpack the geologic process of plate tectonics 8.25 1066: A Year to Conquer England. Dan Snow explores events leading up to the Battle of Hastings 9.40 Inside Japan's War. Imperial Japan's military motives and culture 10.50 Planet of the Plates 12.00 1066: A Year to Conquer England. With Dan Snow 1.15am-2.00 Weathered: Earth's Extremes

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.15 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 12.30pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.15 Billions (r) (AD) 4.30 The Last of Us (r) (AD) 6.45 The Penguin. Sofia makes a shocking discovery (7/8) (r) (AD) 7.45 The Penguin. Oz's power struggle with Sofia comes to a head. Last in the series (r) (AD) 9.00 House of the Dragon. Game of Thrones prequel. Last in the series. See point of the play (r) 10.25 Possession. Supernatural thriller starring Guga Mladha-Raw and Johnny Lee Miller (r) (AD) 11.25 Possession. A lawyer travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim (r) (AD) 12.35am Dune: Prophecy. Velya struggles (r) (AD) 1.45 Billions (r) (AD) 4.05 Urban Secrets (r) 5.05am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) (AD)

Sky Docs

6.00am The 2000s (r) 7.00 Discovering: Richard Attenborough (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 100 Foot Wave (r) (AD) 10.00 Juan Carlos: Downfall of the King (r) 10.55 Celtics City (r) (AD) 12.00 Faye (r) 1.45pm Schenectady (r) (AD) 3.45 My Icon: Thierry Henry (r) (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Richard Attenborough (r) (AD) 6.00 An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th (r) (AD) 8.00 Libby, Are You Home Yet? The 2019 murder of Libby Squire (r) (AD) 11.00 FILM: Bowling for Columbine (15, 2002) Documentary exploring America's love affair with firearms 1.20am The Great Horsehead Scandal (r) (AD) 2.00 Savage Mountain: Following Kristin Narila (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Richard Attenborough (r) (AD)

UK Yesterday

6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash. Restoring Classics (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 Hitler's Countdown to War 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 Hitler's Countdown to War 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 A Perfect Planet (AD) 8.00 Canal Boat Diaries (3/5) 8.30 Canal Boat Diaries. Travelling along the Rochdale Canal (4/5) 9.00 Portfils' Empire Journey. Exploring how British rule led to armed rebellion in America (4/4) 10.00 Bangers & Cash. A Saab 96L and a Volvo P1800ES (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

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14

MindGames

General Knowledge Crossword No 350

Actions

1 Island nation located between Mozambique and Madagascar (7) 5 Technical name for the back of the head or skull (7) 9 Deadpan singer who fronted the Specials (5,4) 10 Eva —, first lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952 (5) 11 Taxation body that merged with HM Customs and Excise in 2005 (6,7) 13 Series of three dots indicating a textual omission (8) 15 Bodily hollow also known as an oxter (6) 17 Citizens of the largest island in the Caribbean (6) 19 TV programme such as Family Fortunes or Catchphrase (4,4) 22 BBC Breakfast co-host moving to Radio 5 Live in January (4,9) 25 The Addams family's butler (5)

Last week's solution

26 Cambridge college named after a biblical woman (9) 27 — mint, traditional sweet that originated in Liverpool (7) 28 Leslie —, star of the films The Naked Gun and Airplane! (7)

Down

1 Animals with Turkish Van and Cornish Rex breeds (4) 2 Roman author of the Epigrams born in modern-day Spain (7) 3 Currency of Saudi Arabia and Qatar (5) 4 Whelk or conch, eg (3,5) 5 Edmonton's ice hockey team or, formerly, Houston's American football team (6) 6 Smallest African qualifier at the 2026 Fifa World Cup (4,5) 7 Relative of the carrot with a pale-coloured edible root (7) 8 Nickname for Hollywood (10) 12 Scottish band whose singles include Dignity and Real Gone Kid (6,4) 14 Headwear item of Ecuadorian origin despite its name (6,3) 16 Any disease-causing agent (8) 18 Dick —, A Bridge Too Far and Death in Venice actor (7) 20 Dfb-century Dutch inventor of the pendulum clock who also discovered the moon Titan (7) 21 Pointer on a sundial (6) 23 Rank shared by Macbeth and Macduff in the tragic play (5) 24 Frond-bearing plant (4)

Codeword No 5915

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. Saturday's solution: right

Clockless Stuck on Codeword? To receive 4 random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text TIME CODE 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 9045

Hard No 9046

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 2940

Quintagram® No 2642

Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Vulgarian is large and unfashionable (4) 2 Island society with very little warmth (6) 3 Comedian and gambler holding spades (7) 4 Internet phenomenon not bad souvenir (7) 5 Meeting ruined by measles, losing energy (8)

Winning Move

White to play. This position is from Gao-Garcia Ramos, Hong Kong 2026.

Although White has a material advantage here, Black's three connected pawns are a potential problem. However, the black king is somewhat insecure as White quickly demonstrated. Can you see how?

KenKen Easy No 6907

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.

Futoshiki No 5455

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 4414

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.

© PUZZA MORA

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15

MindGames

times2 Crossword No 10.231

Across

1 Tachium, terse (7) 5 Powdered tobacco (5) 8 Astronomical start of spring (6-7) 9 Delicately skilful (4) 10 Evangelical minister (8) 13 The whole (of) (3) 14 First Greek letter (5)

Solution to Crossword 10.230

Need help with today's puzzles? 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

You seldom see a swing of 15 imps or more in a team match, equating to a score difference of 1100 points or more: On this board from the Open series of the 57th European Bridge National Team Championships in Riga, there was (at least) a 15-imp swing in nine of the 15 matches. The England v Croatia match was one of those nine.

At Table One, England bought it in 5♠. South leading a top spade. To defeat 5♠. South has to switch to a heart (either of them) at trick two. When he continued with a second top spade, declarer could ruff, draw trumps and run the queen of diamonds. North won the king and switched to a heart. However, declarer could win the ace and (after playing out all his trumps) score the +A1 (dropping +10) and +9. Away went his two low hearts and that was game made. At the 11 tables in which the contract was 5♠ (once doubled), it was defeated only three times.

At Table Two, England declared 5♠. North making that key decision to bid a fifth spade. Only a low diamond lead defeats 5♠ (dream on) and all 13 declarers made it. Interestingly, 12 were doubled — only in England-Croatia was 5♠ undoubled.

Declarer, Tom Paxke of Vienna, ruffed the club lead, draw trumps and forced out the ace of hearts. He was soon shedding a diamond on dummy's third heart and leading towards the king of diamonds.

England going +600 at Table One and +650 at Table Two meant 15 Imps, more than England's final margin of victory in the match.

15 Place money (on) (3) 16 Quadrennial sports event (8) 17 Owls cry (4) 20 Repugnant, distasteful (13) 22 Hooligan (5) 23 Heavy cooking plate (7)

Down

1 Enraged (5) 2 In a cautious manner (9) 3 Genesis beat-builder (4) 4 Selecting the best items only (6-7) 5 Confine out of sight (4,4) 6 Vase-like receptacle (3) 7 Phonetic codeword for "F" (7) 11 Chatted socially (9) 12 Spanish soup served cold (8) 13 Expression of remorse (7) 16 The ones here (5) 19 Against (4) 21 Short straight punch (3)

Dealer: East, Vulnerability: Both
Teams	♠ 1087 32
	♥ KJ45
	♦ KJ43
	♠-
♠ 05	W	♠ 4
♥ 1087 4	W	♥ A93
♦ A797	W	♦ Q2
♠ 776	W	♠ A KQ 1D 642
	♠ A KJ 96
	♥ Q2
	♦ 1D45
	♠ A53

Table One (England £ #8)

S	Wilts(4x)	N	E(bmw)
1♠	DM(1)	4♠	1♠
end			5♠(2)

(1) Negative double from Kieran Dyke of London, showing hearts.

(2) Michael Byrne of Manchester is seldom backward in coming forward — although this 5♠ bid was pretty clear.

One (bmw bid) loved from another match was overcutting. ♦♥ over a 5♠ special building. ♠AJoc, ♥ARQL, ♦- ♠AADocs. Four others found the (making) ♦♥ game — facing partner's near-Varborough with five hearts.

Contract: 5♠ (by E), Opening Lead: ♠ K

Table Two (England $ 6)

S/(m3x)	W	N/(old)	E
1♠	DM	4♠	1♠
Pass	Pass	5♠ (1)	5♠

(1) Key decision to bid Five over Five by David Gold of Watford, housed by the void. If either 5♠ or 5♠ is making, it's a big winner to bid on. And if both are making, it's massive.

Contract: 5♠ (by E), Opening Lead: ♠ 7

andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk

Brain Trainer

Polygon

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 LV, comparatives and superlatives. How you rate 8 words, average; 11, good; 15, very good; 19, excellent

Saturday's answers

amount, atom, auto, autonomous, mason, moan, moat, mono, moon, moot, moot, mount, muon, muso, nao, notam, nous, nutso, oast, onomast, onto, onus, oust, santo, snoot, snot, snout, soma, soon, soot, stoa, stoma, sumo, tons, toon, tosa, unto

Cell Blocks No 5798

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.

Set Square No 4417

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 Gentle No 10.858

Killer Tricky No 10.869

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.

Clockless 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 Crypto: 3374

Tredoku 1954

Cell Blocks 5797

Sudoku 17/212

Killer 10.867

Codeword 5914

Square Routes 369

Kokuro 4412

Train Tracks 2939

Set Square 4415

KenKen 6906

Lexica 9039

Lexica 10/40

Today's solutions

Concise	Crypto-
Quintagram	Quintagram
1 Four	1 Lost
2 Smear	2 Sash
3 Beacon	3 Pender
4 Nation	4 Momento
5 Controlled	5 Assembly

Word watch

Sodium (a) A song performed by banquet guests (Collier): Altitudinarian (b) A person with grand ideals (Chambers) How (a) The scale outer part of tree bark (COLD)

Chess – Winning Move

1 Shift is sport but deadly. The threat to check on hit can be met only by 1... Run hot then the further regrouping 2 Qs7 creates a decisive threat against 67

Quiz

1 Big Ben or Elizabeth

Tower 2 A gun

3 Declaration of Independence 4 Percy Bysshe Shelley 5 Earth

6 The Birds 7 Sainsbury's

8 Robert 9 Kennedy

9 Tomato 10 Science

Museum 11 Robert Boyle

12 Virginia Evans

13 Maarten Tromp

14 Poland 15 HG Wells

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THE TIMES

10.08.26

MindGames

For extra puzzles See page 10

Word watch

David Parditt

Scolion

• a A song performed by banquet guests
• b A spring onion or shallot
• c A contemptible person

Altitudinarian

• a An obsessive mountaineer
• b A person with grand ideals
• c Continually changing one's mind

Russ

• a The scaly outer part of tree bark
• b A man's ponytail
• c A red mark or patch on the skin

Answers on page 15

Sudoku Easy No 17013

Difficult No 17014

Fiendish No 17015

			9	6
	7	5			1
3		1			4	2
7	8		2	5
3		7			2	5
1		3				4	6
9	1		6		5	8
	5		3	2	6
				1

						7
4	2			9	3
3		1			4	5
	4		1	8
		7	3		2	9
5		9				8
2	1		8		9
6	7		5	1

	2			3
1					8		7
		5	1			4
	7	9			6	2
							9
	5	4			8	7
			2	5			7
9						3	2
	1			8

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

The Times Daily Quiz Clav Bjortomt

1 The Little Ben miniature clock tower in Victoria was inspired by which more famous London landmark? 2 Mao Zedong said: "Political power grows out of the barrel of ..." which weapon? 3 "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are "unalienable Rights" mentioned in which 1776 US document? 4 Which Romantic poet was played by Douglas Booth in the 2017 film Mary Shelley? 5 What is the densest planet in the solar system? 6 Which 1995 collection by Alexander McQueen

• was inspired by ornithology and a 1963 Hitchcock film?

• 7 Which supermarket has agreed a £120m deal to sell Argos to Swift Partners?

• 8 On June 5, 1968, which New York senator was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles?

• 9 Bombón Colorao is a prized Spanish variety of which fruit?

• 10 Imax: the Ronson Theatre is part of which London museum?

• 11 Which 17th-century chemist discovered that the volume of a gas decreases with increasing pressure and vice versa?
• 12 The Correspondent is a 2025 epistolary novel by which American author?
• 13 Who commanded the victorious Dutch Republic fleet at the 1652 Battle of Dungeness?
• 14 The Tour de Pologne is which country's biggest cycling event?
• 15 Which English writer (1866-1946) is pictured?

Answers on page 15

Sakuro No 4816

For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com

The Times Quick Cryptic No 3376 by Teazel

Across

• 4 Manage to hear end of story, easy to remember (6)
• 7 Horror regularly in recess for library user (8)
• 8 A right grim passion (6)
• 9 That sly European suspect is trying to escape notice (8)
• 10 One marsh turns into desert (4)
• 12 Pushes away — don't touch! (5,3)
• 15 Secure small whisky, for example, in provincial capital (9)
• 18 People naming hospital? (4)
• 20 Plan gets a try, disastrously (8)
• 22 Mean to be camping? (6)
• 23 No teaser managed to receive sympathetic response (8)
• 24 Left inside like a cat in light snowfall (6)

Down

• 1 Fit for boxing match (4)
• 2 Reaction when Charlie comes right up in striking garment (8)
• 3 False hair singular on hag (6)
• 4 Minimum of check fabric in drawer (6)
• 5 Orderly is fairly big (4)
• 6 From shelf you moved domestic pest (8)
• 11 Unexpurgated novel (8)
• 13 Expert participant in tea ceremony (3)
• 14 Expressing disappointment about time for rare viewing (8)
• 16 Eclair for one finished extremely readily (6)
• 17 Gaudy decoration, not new (6)
• 19 Clothes that may be changed in car (4)
• 21 Barrier that often puts end to scandal (4)

Friday's solution on page 15

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