The Times - 12.08.2026.pdf

《泰晤士报》——年度最佳日报

泰

晤 士 报

2026年8月12日 星期三 | thetimes.com | 第75109期

售价3.20英镑 订阅用户2.35英镑 （基于7日纸质及数字版订阅）

时尚淘宝最佳去处

我为何公开谈论冷冻卵子 索菲娅·曼尼-库茨

伯纳姆誓言“持续行动”直至英吉利海峡偷渡终结

戴维·沙赞 阿里·米提布 政治新闻主编 史蒂文·斯温福德

在法国警方对遏制所谓“超级橡皮艇”能力发出警告之际，英国首相安迪·伯纳姆誓言“根除”英吉利海峡偷渡现象。

周一，一艘载有创纪录230名移民的充气船抵达多佛后，首相誓言将“改变策略”打击偷渡团伙，并“持续行动”直至偷渡终结。

“看到昨天的画面，我知道民众会感到担忧，”他表示，“这表明偷渡团伙正在改变策略，我们也会如此。我们将调整策略，并无情地追击他们。”

伯纳姆称，尽管与法国达成的“按效果付费”协议已加强了法国海岸的执法力度并减少了偷渡人数，但仍需进一步努力。

“民众会对我说：‘我们不希望看到任何偷渡。’我理解这种担忧。我们正在采取更多措施，并将持续推进这项工作，直至实现民众期待的根除目标，”他在接受GB News采访时表示。

首相拒绝透露终结偷渡的时间表，称他更愿意“向民众承诺我知道能做到且能兑现的事”。

法国当局对越来越多搭载数百人的“超级橡皮艇”表示担忧，认为这将增加执法难度，并加大营救溺水风险移民的难度。

一名法国警方消息人士告诉《泰晤士报》：“如果出海的船只更大但数量更少，我们在岸上发现它们的难度会更大。我们无法对约200公里的海岸线进行逐厘米巡逻，因此下转第2版”

干涸的池塘 伦敦东部莱顿斯通附近的霍洛池塘干涸的河床，今夏水位大幅下降 洗车禁令将至，详见第9版

十分之一的全科医生合伙人年收入至少25万英镑

奥利弗·赖特 政策编辑 埃莉诺·海沃德 健康编辑

数百名家庭医生通过英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）每年至少获得30 万英镑的收入，其实际到手收入在过去十年间增长了超过20%。

英国税务海关总署（HMRC）的数据显示，十分之一经营自家诊所的全科医生年收入至少达到25万英镑，而二十分之一的收入超过30 万英镑。这一数字高于绝大多数管理医院的NHS首席执行官的薪酬，也比NHS医院顾问医师的最高薪资高出三分之一。

尽管自2013年以来，全科医生合伙人的实际收入有所增长，但他们仍在进行“按章工作”的集体行动，以抗议政府对全科医疗服务的资金不足。

自5月以来，英国医学会（BMA）鼓励全科医生采取措施减少工作量，包括拒绝接受医院转诊的前列腺癌和心脏病患者的护理请求。BMA威胁称，除非政府承诺为全科医疗服务额外提供150亿英镑的资金，否则将继续升级集体行动。

这份薪酬统计数据来自健康基金会智库的一份报告，该报告还指出，全科医疗服务实际上已成为一个两级体系，其中受薪全科医生的平均收入仅为合伙人同行的一半。

近一半的全科医生是合伙人，这意味着他们拥有自己的诊所，并以私营企业的形式运营。他们与NHS签订合同提供服务，并以受薪形式雇佣其他全科医生。

报告发现，2023-24年度全科医生合伙人的平均收入为163,751 英镑，而受薪全科医生的平均收入为74,498 英镑。超过80%的受薪全科医生收入低于10 万英镑，而合伙人中这一比例为21%

天气预报

英国中部和南部天气炎热晴朗。北部和西部有阵雨。完整预报详见第51页。

如缺少新一期《泰晤士报》，请致电020 7711 1320或发送电子邮件至help@timespac.co.uk，我们将在有存货的情况下为您寄送。

© TIMES MEDIA LIMITED, 2026。由泰晤士传媒有限公司印刷并发行所有衍生版本，地址：伦敦伦敦桥街1号，SE1 9GF；电话020 7782 5000。由Newsgoldiers Holdings Ltd印刷，印刷地点：Great Cambridge Rd, Waltham Cross, EN8 8DY；Kittling Rd, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 9HN；以及Byransmuir Road, Holytown, Matherwell, ML1 1NP。Medprint，2023 Blancard Avenue, Citywest Business Campus, 都柏林，爱尔兰。69 Services，地址：La Rue Martel, La Rue des Pres Trading Estate, 34 Saviour, 泽西岛，JE2 7QR。如需复制文章或标题用于内部信息目的，请联系NLA media access，邮箱copy@nla.co.uk；电话01892 525273。如需其他复制和授权事宜，请联系授权部门，地址：伦敦伦敦桥街1号，SE1 9GF；电话020 7711 7888；邮箱enquiries@newslicensing.co.uk。

工党民调反超改革英国党 18个月来首次领先 2026年选民回流

奥利弗·赖特 政策编辑

工党在民调中首次超越改革英国党（Reform UK），时隔18个月后再次领先，部分2026年选民回归。

《泰晤士报》委托YouGov进行的调查发现，24%的选民支持工党，领先奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）领导的改革英国党2个百分点，后者支持率为22%。这是改革英国党自2025年3月以来的最低支持率。

然而，工党支持率的上升主要以绿党和自由民主党为代价。绿党支持率下降1个百分点至12%，自由民主党也下降1个百分点至11%，与2026年8月2-3日的数据相比。

与此同时，保守党支持率上升2个百分点至21%，仅落后改革英国党1个百分点。

工党民调上升的主要动力来自2026年选民中表示如明天举行大选将再次投票给工党的人数显著增加。

2026年6月，基尔·斯塔默（Sir Keir Starmer）辞职时，49%的选民表示仍支持工党，这一比例在最新民调中上升至60%。

同时，表示将支持绿党的工党选民比例从2026年6月的19%降至本周的8%。

改革英国党近期支持率有所下滑，流向保守党。2026年6月初，34%的2026年保守党选民表示将支持法拉奇的政党，这一比例现已降至22%。

伯纳姆（Burnham）似乎特别成功地吸引了年轻选民回流工党。约四分之一的18至24岁选民表示将投票给工党，而2026年6月斯塔默辞职时这一比例为14%。

该年龄段的绿党支持率从46%降至最新民调的41%。

YouGov的调查结果近日得到其他民调机构的呼应，部分机构发现工党领先幅度更大。综合多家民调显示，斯塔默离任后，工党支持率从19%上升至25%。改革英国党支持率降至24%，低于2026年1月的29%。

YouGov政治与选举事务主管安东尼·韦尔斯（Anthony Wells）表示，伯纳姆部分重新团结了左翼选民。“从数据中可以看到，不仅工党的得票率有所上升，绿党和自由民主党的支持率也大幅下降，此前这些支持率因工党选民流失而有所提升，”他说。

“同时，有迹象表明，至少目前改革英国党已达到支持率峰值，并正在失去部分从不满保守党选民中获得的支持，这些选民现正回流至凯米·巴德诺赫（Kemi Badenoch）。

“然而，更广泛地看，民调显示公众仍然严重分裂，前3大政党的支持率仅相差3个百分点——这在误差范围之内。”

首相必须抓住“金发女孩”时刻

詹姆斯·约翰逊评论

博彩公司预测的下届大选年份仍是2029年。今年举行大选被视为最不可能的结果，赔率约为16比1。

首相已排除提前举行“大选”的可能性。但我认为，多重因素的结合意味着安迪·伯纳姆应在今年或最迟2025年初举行大选。

正如《泰晤士报》今日发布的YouGov民意调查所示，伯纳姆已获得民调提振，工党自2025年初以来首次领先于改革英国党。右翼选民的分裂程度甚至超过当年基尔·斯塔默仅凭34%的得票率赢得压倒性胜利时的局面。

剩余的保守党选民不认同改革英国党，反之亦然。奈杰尔·法拉奇与凯米·巴德诺赫矛盾重重，这意味着在竞选期间难以调和。改革英国党还在向鲁珀特·洛的“恢复英国党”流失选票。这一局面意味着工党可能仅凭30%的得票率轻松赢得可观多数席位。

正是左翼团结在伯纳姆身后，助其达成目标。他在绿党和自由民主党选民中的支持率远高于斯塔默。而左翼动摇选民最惧怕的对手不是任何保守党人，而是法拉奇。最近的YouGov民调显示，伯纳姆在“谁最适合担任首相”一项上以12个百分点领先巴德诺赫，而在与法拉奇的对比中，伯纳姆的优势则扩大至26个百分点。

伯纳姆可能认为自己面临绝佳机遇的另一个原因是：他或许认为与法拉奇对决的窗口期正在关闭。我猜测法拉奇能挺过这场风波，但近期改革英国党的捐款风波及两场补选的前景，让唐宁街10号有理由认为法拉奇能否在整个议会任期内保住党魁之位尚不明朗。

伯纳姆应善用这一“刚刚好”的时机。法拉奇既不过强，也不过弱——他足够强大，让伯纳姆能将选举塑造为两强对决，同时又有被击败的可能。

若举行这样的选举，结果会如何？我预计改革英国党将成为最大赢家，席位增至逾百席。保守党则将跌破100席。这将使改革英国党成为右翼唯一政党，但距离执政仍遥不可及。在当前形势下，这对工党而言将是一次重大胜利，并可能带来超过90席的多数优势。伯纳姆应满足于40。

若他在全国范围内押注，他有很大机会赢得自身的大多数优势，摆脱其面临的宣言陷阱，并击溃对手。

由于右翼的分裂，他面临着独特的机遇。他不仅迎来夺取政权的最佳时机，还可能将保守党推向近乎消亡的境地。对于一个植根于工党传统的人而言，还有什么诱惑比这更强烈呢？詹姆斯·约翰逊是政治咨询公司JL Partners的创始人

英吉利海峡偷渡承诺

“我们依赖无人机、直升机和侦查工作来判断偷渡船只的出发地点，但并非总能成功，尤其是当多地同时发起偷渡时。”

超大型橡皮艇的使用被认为是对法国海岸线加强检查的应对。根据法国英吉利海峡海事警备区的数据，今年已有15艘载有超过100人的船只和1艘载有超过200人的船只试图穿越海峡。

今年抵达人数总体大幅下降。截至目前的临时统计数据为15,472人，较去年同期下降42%，较2024年同期下降12%。上月，有2,316人乘坐小船从法国偷渡至英国——这是自2020年以来7月份的最低纪录。

然而，在伯纳姆担任首相的前22天内，已有超过3,000名移民穿越英吉利海峡。其中，自8月8日以来已有超过900人。由于预报天气晴朗、风力适中，预计还会有更多偷渡事件发生。

英国政府表示，自上次大选以来，与法国的联合行动已阻止超过47,000次偷渡，并缴获1,100艘船只和发动机。英吉利海峡海事警备区告诉《泰晤士报》：“蛇头正试图适应安全部队建立的防控体系，但他们最主要的动机仍是利润。通过在每艘船上安排更多人，他们试图最大化每次出发的收益。”

法国全国海上救援协会布洛涅分会主席热拉尔·巴龙告诉《北方之声》报：“我们担心最坏的情况，因为没有人能在同一时间救出200人。这至少需要半小时，期间可能会有人员死亡。”

一位英国政府消息人士表示：“执法部门持续施压，使蛇头越来越难以发动船只，因此被迫在每艘船上安排更多人。”

英国内政部发言人表示：“这一最新事件表明了犯罪团伙采用的鲁莽和危险手段。我们正在取得进展……但必须进一步加强，因此我们与法国签署了按绩效付费的协议，在法国海滩上增加40%的地面警力。”

首相必须在移民问题上拒绝接受“拒绝”的回答，社论，第25版

---

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月12日 星期三 51

1

新闻

澳大利亚总理拒绝为“黄色笑话”道歉

罗杰·梅纳德 报道

如果不是紧随凯莉·米洛性别歧视风波之后，日本首位女首相的“瓜果”可能不会给安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯带来这么多麻烦。但这位澳大利亚总理在播客上对女性做出看似粗俗的影射已有前科。

上个月，当被问及在同一档播客节目中想与谁“上床”时，他提到了米洛的名字，随后为此道歉。

本周，他再次陷入被动，这次是因为有指控称，他在迎接高市早苗（Sanae Takaichi）正式访问堪培拉时，收到一份瓜果外交礼物后，对其身体部位进行了影射。

争议的焦点是阿尔巴尼斯在《丛林深处》（Bush Deep）播客中的露面。该播客跟随“极不得体的记者”布什（Bushie）穿越澳大利亚，寻找精彩故事。尽管如此，像阿尔巴尼斯这样的资深政客，尤其是在米洛事件之后，本应意识到一档承诺“轻松闲聊”的播客可能会让他陷入尴尬。

在节目中，63岁的阿尔巴尼斯被问及日本赠送的皇冠瓜。他形容这些礼物“相当奇怪”，但最终“味道相当不错”。他提到“她带来了两个”，

安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯被指在谈论高市早苗赠送的瓜果时做出粗俗手势。此前他已因对凯莉·米洛的言论而陷入争议

同时用双手在胸前比划。

在5月的访问中，高市早苗表示，她向阿尔巴尼斯赠送了两个皇家瓜，这种产自静冈县的瓜果作为外交礼物备受推崇，每个售价高达150英镑。她表示，这是为了庆祝两国出口许可的批准。

反对党领袖要求阿尔巴尼斯道歉——尽管东京官员对此一笑置之——但这位总理昨日态度强硬。在议会质询时间，一名反对党议员质疑其言论是否不当，他回应称：“我否认问题中的断言。”“澳大利亚和日本的关系从未如此紧密……我的政府已将我们的特殊战略伙伴关系提升到新的高度。”

反对党领袖安格斯·泰勒（Angus Taylor）称这些言论“有辱总理身份”。自由党副领袖简·休姆（Jane Hume）则形容其“低俗”。她说：“如果你冒犯了一位女性，就应该道歉。”

不过，阿尔巴尼斯的一些女性同僚为他辩护。交通部长凯瑟琳·金（Catherine King）称该播客应被视为“讽刺性节目”，而社会服务部长塔尼娅·普利贝塞克（Tanya Plibersek）则表示高市早苗的访问“非常成功”。她补充道：“我们与日本的关系非常出色。”

然而，日本前驻澳大使山上信吾（Shinzo Yamagami）指责阿尔巴尼斯轻率地嘲讽了高市早苗。他在《澳大利亚人报》（The Australian）撰文指出，高市早苗作为日本首位女首相，曾遭受包括中国官员在内的性别歧视言论。他写道：“她最不希望的，就是被日本特殊战略伙伴的可靠领导人如此轻率地嘲弄。”

不过，日本政府试图避免事态升级。在一份日期为7月13日的外交电报中，日方“注意到澳大利亚媒体对阿尔巴尼斯播客言论的‘耸人听闻的报道’。”

罗纳尔多的最新"赛事"是他的婚礼

Marieta Marinova

克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多与其长期伴侣乔治娜·罗德里格斯在订婚整整一年后，于私人仪式上完婚。

这位41岁的足球运动员与32岁的模特在葡萄牙卡斯凯什举行了婚礼。这对育有两个孩子——阿拉娜（8岁）和贝拉（4岁）——的夫妇的民事仪式被形容为"私密而温馨"。罗纳尔多的其他孩子——双胞胎伊娃·玛丽亚和马特奥（9岁），以及16岁的克里斯蒂亚诺 Jr.——也出席了仪式。

这对夫妇昨日宣布了这一消息，在Instagram上发布了一张双手交握、佩戴婚戒的照片。戒指的中心镶嵌了一颗估计重达25至30克拉的椭圆形钻石，专家估价约为500万美元。

两人的恋情始于2016年，当时罗德里格斯在马德里的一家古驰店担任销售助理。此后，他们经历了国际名声带来的巨大压力和个人悲剧，最令人心碎的是在2022年4月，贝拉的双胞胎兄弟安赫尔在分娩时夭折。

近年来，这家人经历了生活方式的变化，包括在罗纳尔多高调转会至沙特职业联赛后移居沙特阿拉伯。他们的家庭生活在Netflix系列纪录片《我是乔治娜》中展现无遗，该片向粉丝们展示了罗德里格斯从零售助理成长为全球网红的历程。

罗纳尔多此前曾表示，他认为罗德里格斯是一个"非常有趣的女孩，比同龄人成熟得多"，但他从未想过这段恋情会持久。

他在纪录片的自白镜头中告诉观众："一开始我没想到（这段关系）会这么牢固，会爱上她。我真的没料到。但过了一段时间，我意识到她就是我生命中的那个女人。"

此前外界预计这对夫妇会在周末于罗纳尔多的家乡马德拉岛举行婚礼，当地已有民众聚集等待。他们预计将返回沙特阿拉伯，罗纳尔多在那里担任沙特职业联赛冠军球队阿尔纳斯尔的队长，年薪高达1.65亿英镑。

---

黑手党阴谋？别想了，朋友被指策划炸弹事件

Tom Kington 罗马报道

去年，罗马一条宁静街道上的一枚炸弹炸毁了意大利头号调查记者的两辆汽车，这一事件在意大利政坛引发了强烈震动。

电视节目《报告》主持人西格弗里多·拉努奇多年来一直在警方保护下生活，此前他因一系列关于意大利黑手党的独家报道而受到威胁。这起爆炸事件表明黑手党已决定让他噤声。

一份基于窃听和短信的法官调查报告现已表明，这起爆炸可能是一场炒作，旨在提升拉努奇的知名度。一份长达198页的报告（被《泰晤士报》获悉）称，策划这起袭击的并非黑手党，而是拉努奇的一位朋友，且并无意杀害他，而是试图将拉努奇塑造成英雄，并说服他从政。"两年内你将成为总理，"这位名叫瓦尔特·拉维托拉的朋友说道，他因涉嫌计划潜逃而被捕。

调查人员认为64岁的拉努奇对这一阴谋并不知情，但许多人质疑他为何会与拉维托拉交友，后者是一名曾与西尔维奥·贝卢斯科尼关系密切的已定罪敲诈犯。

拉努奇的律师罗伯托·德维塔为这段友谊辩护称："我们总是被朋友和商业伙伴背叛。但谁能想到拉维托拉会做出这种事？"

---

4

新闻

穿越时空的飞行 布鲁克兰博物馆（位于萨里郡韦布里奇）的遗产工程师乔希·韦尔奇正在检查一架20世纪30年代霍克"愤怒"战斗机的驾驶舱

剑桥大学试图压制举报人，仲裁庭裁定

尼古拉·伍尔科克 教育版编辑

剑桥大学为保护自身声誉而压制举报人，一名雇佣仲裁庭裁定，该举报人曾就校内欺凌和厌女行为提出担忧。

副校长德博拉·普伦蒂斯（Deborah Prentice）被指领导失职，因该校在一起案件中败诉，该案由一名天体物理学教授提起，他声称因揭露女性同事受到不公对待而遭到打击报复。此次败诉使普伦蒂斯面临更大压力：剑桥大学此前已因杰森·阿代（Jason Arday）抄袭丑闻而饱受学术诚信质疑。

举报投诉由尼尔·温·埃文斯（Neil Wyn Evans）提出。他指控高层管理者存在“团体思维”，仲裁庭认定，校方曾试图通过人力资源部门代笔的声明来压制他，以维护大学声誉。

普伦蒂斯担任剑桥副校长已三年，在仲裁庭裁决中受到直接批评。

埃文斯的14项投诉中有11项被裁定成立。他表示，在揭发大学天文学研究所女性员工受到不公对待后，自己遭到打击报复。理查德·麦克马洪（Richard McMahon）曾于2017年至2022年担任该研究所所长，他对埃文斯及另外两名教授提出不满申诉。埃文斯介入试图保护同事，并向一名资深学者发送电子邮件称，有压倒性证据表明麦克马洪对该女性怀有“个人恩怨”。

他在邮件中写道：“研究所高层对女性管理人员存在厌女历史。我担心历史会在这里重演。”

仲裁庭发现此事调查存在惊人拖延，并认定埃文斯遭受不利对待，尽管其举报属于《雇佣权利法》所保护的“受保护披露”（即举报行为）。

在今夏于伯里圣埃德蒙兹（Bury St Edmunds）举行的听证会上，被告方律师指责埃文斯“流下鳄鱼的眼泪”，并称他“利用”一名已故同事自杀事件“为己所用”。

仲裁庭小组表示，尽管该律师“按委托人指示行事”，但“这些针对原告的指控极为严厉，我们并未被说服其属实”。

仲裁庭称，研究所和大学未能说明其决策过程，并描述了一种“代笔模式，人力资源部门替他人做决定”。

仲裁庭还指出，普伦蒂斯的角色缺乏监督或审查。“我们看不出采取了多少措施来理解这一……问题，”仲裁庭补充道。

埃文斯在回应裁决时表示，普伦蒂斯应考虑其职位，并暗示其处理阿代抄袭指控的方式，加之此次事件，使其职位“难以维系”。

剑桥大学表示正“仔细审阅”裁决结果。后续将举行听证会以确定赔偿金额。《阿代事件表明我们相信自己愿意相信的东西》，丹尼尔·芬克尔斯坦，第21页

称西方教育为对穆斯林的威胁的学者

阿里·米蒂布

一名曾称“西方教育”是对穆斯林的“威胁”，并谴责民主和融合的前“解放党”（Hizb ut-Tahrir）成员，被任命至杰森·阿戴（Jason Arday）所在的同一学院。

法拉·艾哈迈德（Farah Ahmed）于2024年被剑桥大学教育学院任命为助理研究教授，此前她已在该学院担任研究助理和研究员近6年。

艾哈迈德专注于伊斯兰教育研究，曾担任一所伊斯兰小学的校长。她在该被禁组织于2002年出版、并在2017.再版的一本小册子中撰写了一章。据《旁观者》杂志（The Spectator）看到的这本小册子，她写道：“英国的整个穆斯林社区需要认识到，西方教育对我们的信仰和价值观构成威胁。”

她还抨击学校教授“一夫多妻制或16岁以下结婚”是“过时且对女性歧视性”的观点。她称民主为“腐败的传统”，并表示如果“决策者决定将轰炸伊拉克或同性恋合法化……任何人都无能为力”。

2010,艾哈迈德告诉慈善委员会（Charity Commission），尽管她曾是“解放党”成员，但已多年未参与该组织活动，且并不认同其作为“政治组织”的所有“观点”。

该委员会当时正在调查伊斯兰沙赫西耶基金会（Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation）——该基金会在斯劳（Slough）和哈林盖（Haringey）运营小学，艾哈迈德曾担任其中一所学校的校长。调查发现，该慈善机构已不再与“解放党”有关联。

“解放党”于2024年被取缔，因其对哈马斯10月7日袭击以色列的回应被认定越过了宣扬和鼓励恐怖主义的界限。

艾哈迈德被要求置评。

剑桥大学教育学院表示：“学院致力于在法律框架内维护学术自由和言论自由。我们鼓励社区所有成员行使其言论自由权利，包括挑战他们不认同的观点或理论。”

Quintagram® 第2644期

使用下方每个字母仅一次，解答全部5条简明线索

1 沼泽密布的美国南部支流（5个字母）

2 欢呼声（6个字母）

3 低频扬声器（6个字母）

4 明显的错误（6个字母）

5 美国酒类服务员（9个字母）

A / B / E

E / F / H / I / K / L O / P / R R / U / W / Y

答案见T2 MindGames 第15页 密码线索见T2 MindGames 第14页

多动症纪录片“危及生命”

慈善机构“英国多动症”（ADHD UK）表示，第四频道（Channel 4）在一部纪录片中将多动症称为“神话”，警告一代儿童正在被过度用药，此举“危及生命”。《伟大的多动症神话？》（The Great ADHD Myth?）将于周二播出，该片制作背景是过去5年转诊人数激增200%。第四频道表示，其职责是提供“另类观点”。

警察被车拖行

一名有4个孩子的母亲在试图以酒驾罪名逮捕她时，用其路虎揽胜（Range Rover）将一名警察拖行致其受伤，37,岁的坎迪斯·德席尔瓦（Candace De Silva），来自安菲尔德（Anfield），昨日在利物浦刑事法庭被判处28个月监禁，缓期执行。她于14, 2024的行为导致警员西蒙·沃德（PC Simon Ward）终身伤残。

腰围比BMI更准确

研究显示，一个人的腰围比单纯的体重指数（BMI）更能准确反映心脏病风险。一项发表于《美国心脏病学会杂志》（Journal of the American College of Cardiology）的美国研究，对260,000人进行了调查，发现BMI正常或超重但腰臀比较高的人，大多数心血管问题的风险高出15至50%。

围绕风车的争议

威尔士唯一一座仍在运转的风车的主人被要求重新粉刷后，引发了争议。33岁的理查德·霍尔（Richard Holl）为参加一个节日，将安格尔西岛上这座有250年历史的二级保护建筑梅林·利西翁（Melin Llyison）漆成了威尔士国旗的颜色。市议会要求将其恢复为白色，但他表示公众的反响“太强烈，无法忽视”。

《泰晤士报》广播早餐节目：6:00 - 10:00

我们的免费广播电台每天早晨提供最新头条、访谈和辩论。

每周七天收听

通过DAB、500网站及智能音箱收听

---

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月12日（星期三）

5

新闻

19岁法学院学生死因与减肥针相关，验尸官认定

波比·科隆卡 健康记者

一名法学院学生在服用减肥药后死于伦敦的大学宿舍，验尸庭上周获悉。

东伦敦验尸官法庭获悉，约瑟芬·纳斯尔（Josephine Nasr）被开具了tirzepatide药物，商品名为Zepbound，尽管她并不肥胖。

医生告诉验尸官格雷姆·欧文（Graeme Irvine），这种药物在英国也以Mounjaro的名称出售，可能引发了致命的心律失常。

《泰晤士报》上周的一项审计发现，自减肥药获准使用以来，英国已有超过100例死亡与之相关。

这名19岁的学生来自加利福尼亚州科罗纳市，去年9月23日被工作人员破门进入房间检查时发现。她身旁有一个空的减肥药药瓶。

验尸庭获悉，纳斯尔是东伦敦大学二年级法学院学生，当晚约8.30与家人通话，但两个多小时后被发现死亡。

纳斯尔告诉家人她感到恶心并呕吐，这是这种药物已知的副作用，家人敦促她出去呼吸新鲜空气。她的姐姐阿纳斯塔西娅（Anastasia）担心纳斯尔因呕吐脱水，安排了一家私人医疗机构为她输注静脉液体。

她试图联系妹妹，但未得到回应，于是联系了大学保安队。

保安人员进入纳斯尔的房间，发现她倒在浴室地板上。救护车赶到后，这名学生被宣布当场死亡。警方搜查房间时发现了一个空的tirze-

patide药瓶。来自加利福尼亚的纳斯尔是由美国的医生为她开具的这种药物。她的体重指数（BMI）超重但未达到肥胖标准，并于2025年夏天开始服用这种药物。

病理学家艾伦·贝茨（Alan Bates）进行的尸检发现，纳斯尔患有先天性心脏病——心肌桥，可能导致她出现致命性心律失常。

贝茨补充说，tirzepatide引起的呕吐可能导致低血糖。这反过来可能导致电解质失衡，进而引发心律失常。他还表示，纳斯尔的潜在心脏病可能使情况恶化。“她原本是一个健康的年轻女性，”他补充道。

她的母亲洛林·曼苏尔（Lorin Mansour）在得知噩耗时正准备与全家飞往埃及度假，当场晕倒。

家人改飞伦敦而非埃及，以辨认纳斯尔的遗体。她的父亲乔治·纳斯尔（George Nasr）说：“她充满欢乐，总是先人后己。她热爱旅行和大海。”

她的母亲说，虽然女儿性格内向，但对家人非常忠诚。

她补充道：“我们是科普特教会的一员，约瑟芬乐于助人的方式表明她践行了自己的信仰。”

在他的叙述性结论中，欧文表示，死因是心律失常，由心肌桥和tirzepatide引发的低血糖导致的电解质失衡所致。

《泰晤士报》的分析发现，减肥药物患者报告了约150,000例药物不良反应，并有超过1例死亡与该药物相关。

这些数据由英国药品和保健品监管局（MHRA）发布，显示已有数千份关于通过NHS提供的所有GLP-1类减肥药物的报告。其中包括利拉鲁肽（Liraglutide，商品名Saxenda）、司美格鲁肽（Semaglutide，商品名Wegovy）和tirzepatide（商品名Mounjaro）。

来自加利福尼亚的约瑟芬·纳斯尔就读于东伦敦大学。她被发现时身旁有一瓶减肥药tirzepatide

通过英国药品和保健品监管局（MHRA）的“黄卡计划”收集数据，该计划允许患者和医疗专业人员报告他们怀疑由某种药物引起的副作用。

数据显示，针对替尔泽帕肽（tirzepatide）的不良反应报告超过100,000例，其中约10,000例被归类为“严重”。MHRA已将98例死亡事件与该药物潜在关联。

根据黄卡计划，每位患者可提交多份副作用报告，因此该数字并不反映遭遇副作用的患者总人数。

黄卡计划中报告的致命后果并不一定由药物引起，也可能由潜在或未确诊的疾病导致，与治疗无关。该计划允许患者亲属或医疗专业人员报告其认为或担忧药物可能产生影响的情况。

产科医生接受“速成培训”应对产科病房关闭

埃莉诺·海沃德 健康版编辑

德文郡一家乡村医院因“医护人员配备水平不安全”暂时关闭了产科病房，迫使孕妇需长途跋涉55英里前往其他医院分娩。

位于巴恩斯特普尔的北德文区医院的分娩服务于周二因人手短缺而暂停。孕妇被转诊至55英里外的埃克塞特市医院。

已有超过300名怀孕34周及以上的孕妇被联系，讨论“个人情况、护理计划以及可提供的交通支持”。

在该医院急诊科工作的医生接受了应对分娩紧急情况（如大出血）的“速成培训”，以应对无法及时前往其他医院的孕妇。

孕妇们表示，她们担心无法及时赶到医院，或考虑在分娩前搬迁至其他地区。

怀孕34周的哈丽雅特·奈特告诉《卫报》：“最近的产科病房也有整整1小时车程，而我们家族有分娩从开始到结束不足2小时的历史。

“所以我们面临的选择是：要么在前往医院的途中，在北德文连接公路的路边分娩，要么选择在家中自由分娩，且无法获得产科护理。”

一位医院医生表示：“这段时间非常紧张。我们有能力应对，但他们将我们置于一个潜在的极其严重的局面。公众面临着身体风险。”

英国皇家助产士学会表示，北德文区医院暂停分娩服务应“敲响警钟”。尽管医院托管方称此次暂停是临时性的，但无法确定产科服务何时能恢复。

负责运营该医院的皇家德文大学医疗保健NHS基金会托管方首席执行官萨姆·希金森表示：“这一决定并非轻率做出。经过对医护人员配备的全面审查，发现未来几周产科医护人员存在严重短缺。

“因此，我们做出了暂停服务的艰难决定。这是一次临时性暂停。”

全科医生收入超越首席执行官和医院顾问医师

接第1版

是其诊所的合伙人。在过去十年间，全科医生合伙人的平均工资增长了超过18%，而全科医生雇员的工资仅增长了不到4%。

即使在调整工作时间后，各类全科医生的薪酬仍存在较大性别差异。例如，五十多岁的男性合伙人平均收入为184,594 英镑，而同龄女性合伙人平均收入为148,996 英镑。

最新的NHS员工数据（截至6月）显示，英格兰共有17,831名全科医生合伙人。其中约1,000人的收入超过30 万英镑，近4,000人的收入超过20 万英镑。

政府已承诺雇用数千名全科医生，并将更多医疗服务从医院转移至社区，作为“社区医疗服务”的一部分。

健康基金会的报告分析了全科医疗服务的现状，发现尽管政策屡次承诺增加投入，但该领域在NHS预算中的占比已从2015年的8.8%降至去年的8.3%。报告发现，政府为每位患者每年拨款约£219用于全科医疗服务，远低于单次救护车出诊或急诊护理的平均成本。

健康基金会高级政策研究员路易莎·佩蒂格鲁博士表示，薪酬差异只是问题之一，此外还有需求上升、工作量增加以及资金模式未能跟上政府期望其发挥的作用。

“尽管政府多次承诺将医疗服务转向社区，但全科医疗服务在NHS预算中的占比在截至2024-25年的十年间仍有所下降，”她表示。“如

背后的故事

1948年，英国医学会中超过八成的全科医生投票反对建立英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）（埃莉诺·海沃德报道）。

他们对失去经济独立和自主经营诊所的前景感到愤怒。

因此，工党卫生大臣奈·贝文允许医生继续购买自己的诊所，以小企业主的身份运营。

这种合伙人模式沿用至今。这意味着大多数全科医生与其他医生不同，并非由NHS直接雇佣。相反，全科医生合伙人（亦称承包商）是自雇人士，拥有其诊所的部分股份，并与NHS签订合同。

他们雇佣包括全科医生在内的其他员工。然而，在过去二十年间，全科医生合伙人的比例一直在下降——目前约有半数为合伙人，而2015年这一比例为三分之二。原因在于诊所数量减少、规模扩大，且许多年轻医生不愿承担购买合伙人股份的财务风险。

“如果政府认真对待改善社区医疗服务并将更多护理服务从医院转移出来，就需要明确承诺在多年内增加全科医疗在NHS总支出中的份额。”

英国医学会全科医生委员会主席克莱尔·班农博士表示：“报告显示，仅有约十分之一的全科医生收入超过20 万英镑。绝大多数医生收入显著低于这一水平。根据报告，过去20年间，全科医生的实际收入有所下降，这表明任何额外资金都被用于服务而非全科医生薪酬。”

NHS英格兰表示：“6月份提供的全科医生预约数量较2009年同期增长了近50%。超过四分之三的患者对其全科诊所的服务体验评价为良好。”

---

6

新闻 政治

伯纳姆命令司法大臣

史蒂文·斯温福德 报道

司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯周一晚正准备启程度暑假，却接到了消息。首相要求他在假期期间“找到解决方案”，以阻止PC安德鲁·哈珀的三名凶手中的两人——杰西·科尔和阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯——提前获释。

诺里斯目前正在假期中投入大量时间工作，与司法部官员共同制定方案，以避免无意中破坏政府缓解英国监狱过度拥挤的努力。

这标志着安迪·伯纳姆初掌首相大权后的首次重大考验，此前他曾强硬表态，坚决阻止科尔和鲍尔斯提前获释。

首相表示，他决心让这两名于2020年因过失杀人罪被判11年监禁的男子服满刑期。他称完全理解哈珀家人的“痛苦”，并越来越有信心能阻止二人获释。

伯纳姆的干预——最早由《泰晤士报》报道——标志着唐宁街立场的重大转变，并引发了白厅内部的紧张情绪。

据称，司法部内部存在不满情绪，部分官员认为自己只是在履行职责，向首相详细说明每项政策选项的利弊，却遭到不公平指责。

一位政府消息人士称，伯纳姆似乎在“试图取悦所有人”，却未能理解其中的权衡取舍。

“司法部士气完全低落，”该消息人士表示，“他们从未说过任何事是不可能的——他们只是阐明了其中的风险。”

另一位政府消息人士否认了这一说法，称司法部官员正“低头努力工作”。

但唐宁街对提交给伯纳姆的选项确实感到失望，并指责官员在提出解决方案时缺乏创意。

伯纳姆表示，他“从不接受‘不’作为答案”，并“对公众关切有信心能采取更多措施”。具体如何操作尚未确定。

就在10天前，伯纳姆在度暑假前不久，做出了迄今为止其首相任期内最具影响力的决定之一。

这位新任首相决心限制基尔·斯塔默爵士的计划——该计划拟提前释放数千名严重罪犯，以缓解英国监狱系统的过度拥挤压力。

官员们提出了三个选择：禁止刑期超过10年的罪犯提前获释；禁止刑期超过7年的罪犯提前获释；以及第三种基于罪行类型的选项。

每个选项都有弊端。官员们表示，前两个选项能让哈珀的凶手继续服刑，但许多严重罪犯——包括强奸犯——将被提前释放。

伯纳姆选择了第三种选项，使他能够宣布强奸、儿童性侵或诱拐罪犯将继续关押。官员明确指出，这意味着哈珀的凶手将被释放。

伯纳姆表示，这是他能做到的极限。“我可以坦然地告诉民众，我已经竭尽所能，若再进一步，监狱系统将在数月内达到极限并崩溃，”他说道。

此举迅速引发强烈反对，哈珀的家人和警方高层均谴责这一决定“荒谬”。数十万人签署请愿书，要求凶手继续服刑。

伯纳姆本人也对此不满。上周五，唐宁街10号提出了另一替代方案：将紧急工作者杀手排除在提前释放计划之外。

官员们对此深表怀疑。周日，《泰晤士报》披露，他们警告伯纳姆，这种豁免在法律上行不通。这将不得不扩展至所有被判过失杀人且符合提前释放条件的人，约有450人。

次日早晨，首相官方发言人表示，仅将科尔和鲍尔斯排除在该计划之外是“不可能的”。发言人称：“要豁免一名因杀害应急人员而被判过失杀人的罪犯，就必须将整个过失杀人罪名排除在外。”

然而，当天下午，伯纳姆决定动用唐宁街10号的全部影响力，承诺将这两人继续关押。唐宁街在《泰晤士报》发布消息前联系了哈珀的母亲黛比·阿德拉姆，告知她首相的新立场。

伯纳姆的承诺已无退路，但政府将采取何种行动仍不明朗。

首相正采取双轨策略：首先，尝试寻求某种法律上的例外安排；其次，在10个月内释放首批5,000名囚犯之前，腾出更多监狱空间以缓解压力。

伯纳姆表示希望采取三项措施缓解监狱容量压力，但每一项都面临挑战。第一项是释放部分被判不定期刑的2,271名囚犯，伯纳姆认为这是“长期存在的不公”。被判不定期刑的囚犯面临无限期关押的可能。

官员们正逐一审查每个案例，以确定谁有资格获释，但这一过程远非易事。一名政府消息人士称，许多被判不定期刑的囚犯被关押在精神病院，对公众构成真正威胁。决定谁有资格获释是一个激烈讨论的议题。

第二项措施是将女子监狱改造为适合男性囚犯的空间，同时释放部分女性囚犯。但这可能导致女性囚犯被关押在远离家人的地方，且政府消息人士称此举可能仅释放出极少空间。改造监狱也需要时间，而政府已无时间可等。

第三项措施是加快释放英国监狱中10,114名外籍罪犯，其中6,000人有资格被遣返。但存在一个障碍：他们的原籍国必须同意接收，且许多国家的刑期标准与英国不同。

受害者也担心罪犯可能被提前释放。

政府尚有一定时间缓冲，因为科尔和鲍尔斯预计要到明年5月才会获释。政府希望届时伯纳姆的策略能奏效——要么已腾出足够空间，避免释放包括科尔和鲍尔斯在内的囚犯批次，要么已争取到例外安排。

伯纳姆的多位前任都曾表示，他们入主唐宁街10号后发现了同一个问题——他们推动权力杠杆，却发现毫无作用。伯纳姆即将验证这一情况是否依然存在。来函，第24页

!

!

安迪·伯纳姆与社区大臣安吉拉·雷纳在德比郡伊尔克斯顿会见公众和警方，推动民众对高街未来发展的发言权。首相还在努力阻止杀害PC安德鲁·哈珀的凶手提前获释。图为哈珀与遗孀莉西。

[...OMITTED...]

“不确定性让受害者家属陷入混乱状态”

---

他表示，自己已“竭尽所能”，阻止大多数强奸犯和儿童性侵者获得提前释放资格。政府计划在10个月内（从10月开始）提前释放数千名罪犯，以腾出监狱空间。

伯纳姆昨日表示，正推动一揽子措施，包括加快遣返外籍罪犯、释放服无期徒刑的低风险囚犯，并将女性监狱部分设施用于男性囚犯，以便将最严重的罪犯排除在提前释放计划之外。

然而，伯纳姆被受害者专员指责在司法系统中制造“混乱和不确定性”，因其在该计划上“反复无常”。克莱尔·瓦克斯曼（Claire Waxman）对《泰晤士报》表示，她对首相未能就哪些囚犯可提前释放做出明确决定感到失望和愤怒。瓦克斯曼称，这一犹豫不决让哈珀（Harper）的家人及所有受过失杀人案影响的家庭始终处于不确定和混乱的状态，这种情况“正在延长他们的痛苦”。

哈珀的母亲黛比·阿德拉姆（Debbie Adlam）在BBC《早餐》节目中表示，她并非为儿子寻求“特殊待遇”，而是希望所有杀害应急工作者的凶手都不得提前释放。

司法部发言人表示：“我们正竭尽全力保护公众、打击犯罪——推行自维多利亚时代以来最大规模的监狱扩建计划，启动史上最大规模的电子监控扩展以强化社区惩罚，并加大对受害者的支持，让他们在罪犯严格的许可条件中拥有发言权。”

部长们削减囚犯数量的选项

女性囚犯

英格兰和威尔士共有约3,500名女性囚犯，占囚犯总数的4%。女性因非暴力、财产犯罪入狱的比例高于男性。

“一位消息人士表示：“有讨论称将女性监狱空间用于男性囚犯，但这将面临困难。‘让少数女性囚犯回归社区相对容易，但要腾出整座监狱则是一项更艰巨的任务。’‘考虑到他们讨论的数字规模，可能需要腾出两座女性监狱。’”

外籍公民

加快遣返已定罪罪犯可能会给安迪·伯纳姆带来最大的公众批评：“问题不仅在于能否将他们遣返回国，还在于是否希望他们继续在本国服刑，”消息人士称。

“今年夏天，这一问题成为焦点。23岁的幼儿园工作者罗克萨娜·莱卡（Roksana Lecka）因虐待21名婴儿被判8年监禁，但仅服刑14个月后即被遣返回波兰。受害者家属表示，如果莱卡在祖国不再受到进一步惩罚，将是‘骇人听闻’的。”

“我们是否也能接受这样一种方式，即让已定罪的外籍罪犯在不再抗议的情况下，例如给予他们1英镑，就能将其遣返回国？”消息人士问道，并补充道：“政府已提高了外籍囚犯的遣返率……许多‘低垂的果实’已被摘除，但他们能否遣返足够数量的外籍囚犯以腾出所需空间？”

公众保护性监禁

公众保护性监禁（IPP）判决于2012年被废除，但该变更不具有追溯力。这类判决适用于被认为具有危险性、但罪行不足以判处终身监禁的人。目前仍有超过2,000名IPP囚犯被关押在狱中。

“目前最可信的提议是对他们重新判决，”消息人士表示。“如果当时的法官没有IPP判决的选项，这些人会被判处什么刑罚？法官可以在此基础上做出合理决定。”

政府反对这一选项，原因是刑事法院积压案件高达80,000起。消息人士补充道：“司法系统没有能力处理这类案件，即便有能力，也不知道需要多长时间才能全部审理完毕。”

---

7

新闻

平息提前释放引发的民愤

《泰晤士报》

首相坚称富裕地区必须分担收容难民的责任

杰拉尔丁·斯科特 助理政治编辑

在村民威胁就新的难民安置计划举行脱离英国的公投后，首相表示，英国较富裕的地区必须“承担起责任”，分担收容移民的负担。

安迪·伯纳姆表示，仅由英国最贫困地区承担收容寻求庇护者的责任是不公平的，并坚称“全国各地”都必须分担这一责任。

牛津郡皮丁顿的居民已投票决定就一项潜在的庇护者安置计划举行脱离英国的公投，该计划拟使用比斯特的一处前军事基地。

教区议会主席蒂姆·麦克纳利在LBC电台表示：“将250人安置在一个只有350人的环境中，相当于一夜之间向伦敦增加3200 万人。”

在被问及该基地时，伯纳姆对GB新闻台表示：“这显然会带来挑战，但我始终愿意倾听民意……我必须指出，我们不能让最贫困的社区……独自承担所有难民和寻求庇护者的安置工作。我认为全国各地都需要……承担起自己的责任。”

影子内政大臣克里斯·菲尔普在X平台上写道：“安迪·伯纳姆就是不明白民众的反对。我们不应在任何地方——无论是否富裕——安置非法移民。所有非法移民都应在抵达后7天内被遣返。”

政府正考虑使用更多前军事基地来安置寻求庇护者，以结束使用酒店的做法。伯纳姆营在萨福克郡也在考虑范围内。

上周末，抗议者聚集在前皇家空军基地外，附近诺福克郡塞特福德镇还发生了骚乱，民众试图冲击与寻求庇护者相关的住所。

多人合住房屋

雷纳的“电子烟炼狱”

杰拉尔丁·斯科特

安吉拉·雷纳承认，由于尼古丁成瘾，她已陷入“终生炼狱”，无法戒掉电子烟。

这位正在打击电子烟商店的社区大臣表示，她的孩子们对这一习惯感到“厌恶”。雷纳曾表示，孩子们称她为“电子烟龙”，她在LBC电台节目中坦言自己未能完全戒掉电子烟。她表示，使用电子烟是为了避免重新吸烟，因她在青少年时期就对尼古丁上瘾。

（多人合租房屋（HMO），即三个或以上来自不同家庭的无关租户共享厨房或浴室等基本设施，也成为关注焦点。）

伯纳姆在6月赢得梅克菲尔德补选后承诺终结“HMO Britain”，并表示将改革庇护申请者的住宿制度。

伦敦的HMO数量在英国居首，但负责安置分散住房的承包商通常选择租金较低的低收入地区。HMO标签也适用于私人租赁市场的房屋。由于租金比酒店便宜，HMO成为庇护承包商的热门选择，但近年来部分地方议会已对HMO租赁实施更严格的规划要求。

伯纳姆必须以热忱应对非法移民问题，社论，第25页

村民抗议将废弃军事用地用于安置移民

阿里·米利布

在牛津郡的皮丁顿村，当地居民因附近一处废弃军事用地计划用于安置寻求庇护者而成为焦点。

这个村庄居民不足400人，村民象征性地投票考虑脱离英国，以抗议政府计划在未征求居民意见的情况下，在一处旧国防部仓库安置L250名成年男性寻求庇护者。

《泰晤士报》上月走访皮丁顿时发现，持不同政治观点、不同年龄和背景的当地人在反对该计划上团结一致。

26岁的建筑测量师乔·马歇尔去年偶然发现了这个村庄，并意识到这正是他和未婚妻梦寐以求的定居之地。村里随处可见修剪整齐的茅草屋和树篱，敞开的大门、无人看管的孩子四处奔跑，以及母亲们在一天中的任何时间推着婴儿车。与许多居民一样，马歇尔担心该计划会让村庄陷入危险，而该计划尚未获得规划许可。

“政府只是宣布要对我们这么做，但我们没有收到任何关于他们将如何维护安全的沟通，”他说。

39,岁的三个孩子母亲维多利亚·哈巴克斯表示，她担心孩子们的安全：“这与他们来自哪里或如何来到这里无关。而是L250名身份不明的男性。即使他们来自苏格兰，我们也会有问题。”

许多村民对寻求庇护者表示同情，但担心该地点过于偏远，缺乏支持他们的设施。皮丁顿没有商店、咖啡馆或酒吧。社交生活围绕教堂和村民活动中心展开。

自1969年以来一直居住在村里的80,岁老人伦·伍德豪斯说：“他们是人。如果他们是合法的，就需要得到照顾，但把他们安置在这样一个完全偏远的地区是错误的。”

7月4, 96%的居民投票支持就该计划缺乏咨询举行脱离英国的公投。这一脱离行为纯属象征性，因为村庄在未经议会和政府同意的情况下无法合法宣布独立。

这次投票由教区委员会主席蒂姆·麦克纳利策划，引起了村庄的关注，并获得了埃隆·马斯克的支持。马斯克在X平台上发文称：“像小小的皮丁顿村这样无辜的城镇所遭遇的事情，将会发生在整个英国，除非政策发生根本性改变。”

意识到可能成为极右翼的导火索，以及移民辩论的分裂性质，村民们誓言保持努力的非政治性。

作为教区议员的马歇尔表示：“我们不偏袒任何一方。我们实际上是在努力阻止某些类型的人来这里。我们可能很快就会让汤米·罗宾逊出现在这里，但我们完全不希望那样。我们在其他地方看到过抗议活动，极右翼可能会出现，当地人可能会失去控制。”

自由民主党比斯特和伍德斯托克选区议员卡勒姆·米勒表示，他在计划宣布前12小时首次听到消息时，对安置规模和“政府完全缺乏预警”感到震惊。

政府回应称：“社区的关切是我们移民改革的核心，这正是我们与地方当局及其他机构合作，通过在基本住所（包括前军事用地）安置寻求庇护者，使体系更加公平的原因。”

---

8

新闻

历史的切片 工作室3D Joe & Max的艺术家们花费了三周多时间，在伦敦东部金丝雀码头地铁站外打造了一处仿佛直坠恐龙时代的视觉幻象，同时融入了解剖后的电话亭和黑色出租车，作为宣传新科幻电影《橡树街终结》的噱头。

警队实习生被控强奸

一名见习警员被控强奸和绑架，昨日在法庭出庭。

现年23岁的穆罕默德·哈桑（Mohammad Hassan）供职于大曼彻斯特警察局（GMP），在斯托克波特治安法院的被告席上由两名保安人员陪同。他在五分钟的庭审中仅确认了自己的姓名和出生日期。

控方律师尤安·库珀（Ewan Cooper）称，涉案事件发生在周六晚间，受害人为一名20多岁的女性。

库珀表示：“他下了车，将手放在她的脖子上，将她强行推入车内。”

“他随后驾车载着她，开到曼彻斯特的一个区域，对其实施性侵犯和强奸，之后以120英里 / 小时的速度驾车逃离。”

大曼彻斯特警察局称，哈桑来自大曼彻斯特费尔斯沃斯（Failsworth）的黑尔巷（Hale Lane），事发时不当值。警方在M62高速公路上展开追捕，最终在西约克郡将其逮捕。

晚上10点20分前不久，警方接到一通999报警电话，电话中可听到一名女性在曼彻斯特地区的一辆车内处于痛苦状态。

警方追踪嫌疑人的私家车，随后以涉嫌强奸、绑架和危险驾驶为由将该警员逮捕。

哈桑已被警队停职，并被控口交强奸、绑架、扼喉、性侵犯、盗窃手机及危险驾驶。

哈桑未作抗辩，被还押候审，将于9月15日在曼彻斯特皇家刑事法院出庭。

国防高层面临重启莫斯科热线压力

拉里萨·布朗 国防记者

上一次俄罗斯总参谋长瓦列里·格拉西莫夫与英国同行通话，还是四年前——当时他的一名飞行员试图在黑海上空击落一架英国皇家空军侦察机。

据一位消息人士称，2022年9月，时任国防参谋长的海军上将托尼·拉达金与格拉西莫夫进行了一次“非常坦率”的交谈后，英俄两国军方高层便再无联络。据悉，拉达金随后的通话请求均被俄方以“总参谋长太忙”为由婉拒。

去年9月，理查德·奈顿爵士空军上将接替拉达金后，也曾尝试联系这位“旷日持久且代价高昂的战争”的设计师格拉西莫夫，但对方未接听。

如今，在英吉利海峡、挪威海等地近期发生的事件后，新任国防大臣韦斯·斯特里廷及其军方高层面临重启沟通渠道的压力，以防止“意外升级”。

《泰晤士报》获悉，英方高级官员和外交官对双方缺乏沟通感到紧张，担心公海上的误解可能成为引发与俄罗斯更大冲突的导火索。

前国防官员约翰·福尔曼表示：“没有直接沟通渠道，就存在意外升级的风险。重大误解最终可能导致人员伤亡。”

“与俄罗斯人打交道，必须面对面沟通才能有所进展……在私下与对手清晰直接地交谈并非软弱。”

福尔曼称，如果英国未来要在北极高纬度地区行动——该地区可能成为西方盟友与俄罗斯紧张关系加剧的潜在战场——则亟需重启对话。

他补充道：“如果国防参谋长认为‘这是我穿军装30年来最危险的时期’，那么或许是时候进行一些新的思考了。”

6月，一艘俄罗斯军舰在英吉利海峡向一艘英国游艇鸣枪示警。71岁的艾伦·凯尔维及其69岁的妻子简在海峡上遭遇了护卫舰“格里戈罗维奇海军上将”号。俄方水兵先是鸣笛示警，随后从甲板上发射“齐射”小型火器驱离游艇，后者随即调转方向，继续驶向法国北部目的地。

上月，一架俄罗斯军机在挪威海危险接近英国皇家海军旗舰，并向其周围水域投放了大量海上跟踪器。这架“熊-F”大型远程海上巡逻机多次对航母“威尔士亲王”号进行“不安全且不专业”的逼近。

2022年1月，拉达金在接受《泰晤士报》采访时表示，他在圣诞节前两天与格拉西莫夫通话，当时乌克兰局势高度紧张，外界担忧俄方可能发动全面入侵。

他还提到国防部内部有一条通往俄罗斯“局势中心”的“热线”，由一名退役军官每天测试，以确保在需要紧急对话缓解事件时能随时启用。尽管这条热线仍然存在，但据信其使用频率已低于乌克兰战争爆发前。

已知的最后一次英国国防大臣与俄方同行通话发生在2022年10月，当时本·华莱士接到了谢尔盖·绍伊古的电话，后者声称基辅正准备使用“脏弹”——这一说法被英、法、美三国斥为虚假。

自2024年5月起，此类通话通常通过莫斯科的国防武官安排，但英国以涉嫌间谍活动为由驱逐了驻伦敦的俄罗斯国防武官。作为报复，英国驻莫斯科国防武官阿德里安·科格希尔上校（Captain Adrian Coghill）也被驱逐。

一位政府消息人士表示：“只要俄方不愿接听电话，沟通渠道的问题在某种程度上就无从谈起。”

政府发言人称：“我国驻莫斯科大使馆使我们能够直接向俄罗斯政府传递明确而强硬的信息，以保护英国利益并管控升级风险。”

“作为负责任的军事强国，我们长期以来一直希望与俄罗斯保持高层军事对话，我们对俄方不愿参与这一对话表示遗憾。”

布莱尔之子瞄准北约资金

查理·帕克

随着欧洲各国为威慑俄罗斯而增加军事开支，前英国首相托尼·布莱尔之子创办了一家国防科技初创企业。

据称，前教师兼足球经纪人尼基·布莱尔正在与投资者洽谈，为Pyra集团筹集2亿加元（148万英镑）资金。该集团承诺“服务于英国及其盟友的安全利益”。

英国公司注册处（Companies House）的文件显示，40岁的布莱尔于去年11月悄然在伦敦注册了这家公司。一位消息人士告诉《金融时报》，该公司正在开发一项技术，能“让用户将不同系统整合到单一平台”。

Pyra集团简陋的官网仅表示将于今年夏天推出，并告知访客“敬请期待”。

北约盟国正在增加国防开支，以应对来自俄罗斯日益增长的威胁。英国政府已承诺到2035年将核心国防支出提高至国内生产总值的15%。

投资者押注财政大臣约翰·希利将比前任更快提升军费开支。在安迪·伯纳姆领导下，希利曾因未能妥善为军队提供资金而在基尔·斯塔默政府辞去国防大臣一职。

布莱尔是前工党首相及其夫人彻丽·布莱尔的次子。谁将保卫冰岛安全？

罗杰·博伊斯，第22版

---

9

新闻

救火员将继续在新森林火灾现场工作“数日”

拉拉·怀尔登伯格

由于面临供水问题和风向变化，救火员将继续在新森林火灾现场工作“数日”。

火灾已影响相当于224个足球场大小的区域（近400英亩），靠近东向A31公路，该路段目前仍处于封闭状态。

虽然无需当地居民疏散，但许多人对森林中的野生动物表示担忧，这些动物包括珍稀爬行动物、鸟类和新森林本地矮种马。

英格兰林业局表示，负责照看5,000匹自由放养矮种马的“公共放牧人”已获悉此次事件，并补充称动物可以“在森林中自由迁徙至未受影响的区域”。

当局已警告公众远离该区域。汉普郡和怀特岛消防救援服务处表示，火灾对道路造成了“严重影响”。伯恩茅斯机场建议度假者预留额外的出行时间。

国家公路局表示，一旦安全条件允许，将对路面、安全护栏和边界围栏进行大规模修复。

周日，消防部门在接到160起报警电话称一辆货车起火后，最初向东向A31公路派出了26辆消防车和四辆水罐车。消防部门表示，火势从车辆蔓延至中央隔离带，随后扩散至附近的荒地。消防车、水罐车和越野车连夜“疲惫作战”，通过从附近湖泊铺设的数英里管道抽水灭火。

昨日，消防部门表示，在警方无人机的协助下，他们正“设法控制火势”，并优先处理高温点。

78,岁的伊恩·休表示，周日火灾一度逼近其住所半英里范围内，当时他和妻子特蕾西正在收拾行李。

“我们可能是离火灾最近的住户之一，”他说道，并补充称一名消防员曾建议他们做好疏散准备。“我们坐着无所事事，看了几个小时无聊的电视，直到凌晨三点接到电话，说我们暂时安全了，才上床睡觉。”

休对紧急服务部门和森林护林员的通报表示感谢。

新森林国家公园管理局首席护林员吉莉·莫兰德表示，受影响区域包括受保护的荒地，这里是“许多国家级和国际级珍稀物种的家园——包括英国全部六种爬行动物——以及昆虫、植物和鸟类，如达特福德莺和欧夜鹰”。

针对野生矮种马的担忧，英格兰林业局表示：“所有这些动物均由公共放牧人拥有和照料，他们已获悉此次事件。动物可以在森林中自由迁徙至未受影响的区域。”

焦土 一场野火在埃布韦尔附近的兰格尼德水库燃烧，右上为新森林火灾现场，右下为约克郡贝林斯水库露出的驮马桥

数万人面临洗车和游泳池禁令

亚当·沃恩 环境版编辑

一家供水公司表示，如果不批准一项罕见的公共游泳池注水及其他非必要用水禁令，将有超过10万人面临缺水。

南方水务公司表示，在最坏情况下，若持续缺雨且需求未减，南安普敦、伊斯特利及周边地区供应的165,000人用水可能受到影响。

英国政府正在审查该公司申请的干旱令，可能在汉普郡和怀特岛部分地区实施非必要用水禁令（NEUB）。此类禁令极为罕见，上次批准是在2006年，之前一次是在1996年。

若禁令获批，企业将被禁止洗车、清洗窗户和浇灌花园，同时禁止注水和维护非家庭用游泳池。

安迪·伯纳姆出任首相后任命的环境大臣安吉拉·伊格尔有28天时间批准或拒绝该申请。

目前已有超过2700万人面临软管禁令。然而，此次申请的禁令将是应对破纪录干旱夏季的严厉升级。

南方水务在申请中表示，需要禁令是因为监管要求与异常环境压力的双重影响。

该公司依赖泰斯特河（一条全球罕见的白垩溪流）为南安普敦和怀特岛供水，该地区没有大型水库或进口水源。自2018年起，环境署要求其维持泰斯特河更高水位，以保护这一独特生态环境。

若泰斯特河取水量达到限制，服务水库可能仅能提供“一两天”用水，随后部分管网将难以维持供应。该公司表示：“南安普敦西部供水区约165,000人口可能很快面临严重的供水限制。”

泰斯特河部分河段流量仅为平时的一半或更低，且今夏五轮热浪导致用水需求高企。南方水务通常日供水量为5.5亿至5.6亿升，但目前已增至6.6亿升以上。

去年7月干旱期间，南方水务曾申请NEUB，但随后降雨使禁令未获实施。

该公司表示：“我们的申请仅为预防性措施。监管流程耗时，我们需确保在极端干旱持续时有应对方案。申请并不意味着措施必然实施，而是预防性步骤，以便在仍有时间有效规划时进行必要审查和批准。”

英国气象局昨日表示，今夏有望超过去年成为有记录以来最热的夏季。即使本月剩余时间气温保持平均水平，纪录仍将被打破。

环境、食品和农村事务部发言人表示：“本届政府已准备好采取行动，在必要时确保供水安全。我们正与环境署、供水公司、农民和环保组织密切合作，保护水资源并将环境损害降至最低。在这前所未有的时期，我们每个人都有责任节水，任何干旱令都必须在权衡对自然和民众影响后谨慎实施。”

研究人员反对北海石油开采

超过50名英国科学家敦促大臣们拒绝在北海的两个油气田进行钻探，警告这将加剧全球变暖。

在能源大臣米亚塔·凡布勒即将对距离阿伯丁以东150英里的杰克道（Jackdaw）天然气田和距离设得兰群岛西北80英里的罗斯班克（Rosebank）油田作出决定之前，研究人员已致信她。

关于杰克道的咨询已于周一结束，而罗斯班克的咨询将于8月17日截止。这两个项目可能为经济贡献287亿英镑，并创造多达3500个建筑就业岗位。

包括来自剑桥、牛津和利兹大学的科学家在内的研究人员表示，新的钻探活动与政府的气候承诺不相容。他们的干预发生在他们认为的“一个充满毁灭性野火和干旱的夏季”。

工党的竞选宣言曾承诺阻止新油田的许可证发放，但据业内消息人士透露，首相安迪·伯纳姆倾向于在杰克道和罗斯班克项目上“迅速行动”。

---

10

新闻

公务员仍在家办公每周三天

奥利弗·赖特 政策编辑

一项新的分析发现，尽管规定公务员每周至少有60%的时间必须在办公室办公，但一些公务员每周在办公室的时间不足两天。

高级官员多次声称公务员正在达到这一目标，并公布数据显示白厅各部门的员工办公室占用率在60%至100%之间。

但这些数据存在误导，因为大多数政府部门没有足够的办公桌位容纳所有员工。实际上，真实的办公室占用率远低于此，部分部门的公务员平均每周在办公室的时间仅为一天半。

唯一达到60%目标的政府部门是科学、创新和技术部（DSIT），该部门现已被安迪·伯纳姆撤销。

这项分析由政府改革中心智库进行，通过信息自由请求和议会质询，确定了白厅各部门伦敦总部的办公桌位数量，以及以该办公室为主要工作地点的公务员总数。

随后，该智库能够计算出真实的出勤率——而非仅仅统计某一天被占用的办公桌数量。

例如，商务和贸易部声称其办公室占用率为80%，但其位于卡克斯顿大楼和老海军部大楼的伦敦办公室仅能容纳1,058名员工，而该部门总员工数为3,699人。这意味着实际占用率仅略高于20%——这意味着大多数员工主要在家办公。

教育部的情况也类似。其位于桑克图厄里大楼的总部有1,023个办公桌位，但总员工数为2,176人。这意味着该部门声称59%的员工到部门办公，实际上仅有604名公务员，即27%。

即使负责确保纳税人资金物有所值的财政部，其占用率也仅为44%。

政府高级官员指出，这些数据并未考虑到外出访问、参加外部会议或在部门相关的其他白厅办公室办公的公务员。

然而，该智库首席执行官阿米尔·科特查表示，部长们需要“公开真相，向公众坦诚真实数据，而不是隐藏在站不住脚的数字背后”。

他补充道：“公务员领取薪水却不去办公室上班。部长们大谈提高生产力，但我们的数据显示，普通公务员每周去办公室的时间不足两天。

“这简直是丑闻。政府发布空洞的目标毫无意义……必须开始真正追究各部门的责任。”

代表高级公务员的FDA工会负责人戴夫·彭曼表示，随着越来越多的员工被调离伦敦到地方办公室工作，员工实际所在地的问题已变得不那么重要。

“绝大多数会议现在都是混合形式，参会者可能在伦敦办公室、其他地区的办公室或在家办公，”他说。

内阁办公室表示，从数据得出的结论“具有误导性且不正确……员工经常在政府各地的办公场所工作，而不仅仅是其指定的总部办公地点。

“我们明确表示，至少60%的办公室出勤率仍然是对我们的员工和公众最有利的选择。”

奇妙世界 无数银河系的星星照亮了多塞特郡穆德福德色彩斑斓的海滩小屋上方晴朗的夜空 天气，第51页

戴维斯将因“标志不清”对超速罚单提起诉讼

比尔·柯蒂斯

莎伦·戴维斯将于明年就一起超速罚单案接受审判，她将责任归咎于“标志过于不清，极易被忽略”。

现年63岁的德文波特女男爵、前奥运游泳运动员戴维斯去年10月15日在从威尔士的一次演讲活动返家途中，在M4高速公路上被测速摄像头拍到超速。

巴斯治安法院周二获悉，她当时驾驶着自己的Mini汽车，时速为65英里，而该路段的临时限速已降至50英里。

戴维斯获准未出席预审听证会，她否认了这一指控，并选择接受审判。

在书记员宣读的文件中，戴维斯表示自己“一直以成为一名优秀且安全的司机为傲”。

她称：“当时是晚上11点30分，标志非常不清晰，我完全没有看到明确的限速降低标志……路上仍有三条车道，车流量非常小，而且最重要的是，没有工人在场。”

她补充道：“如果我意识到限速降低，我肯定会减速。在45年的驾驶生涯中，我从未对超速罚单提出过异议。但我坚信标志过于不清，极易被忽略，这正是发生的情况。”

来自威尔特郡的戴维斯由律师劳拉·辛格尔顿代理。辛格尔顿表示，能见度是本案的核心问题，已指派专家准备报告。

控方律师马克·索普表示，将向法庭提交证据证明标志设置充分。

主审法官盖尔·布拉格表示：“本案现延期至10月21日进行案件管理听证会。在此期间，控方将向辩方全面披露证据。”

审判预计将于明年进行。戴维斯是奥运会银牌得主，去年由保守党领袖凯米·巴德诺赫提名为终身贵族。在长达三十年的游泳生涯中，她赢得了两枚英联邦运动会金牌，并打破了200多项英国纪录，于1994年退役。

美国单一投资信托持有英国约5%的养老院

波皮·科龙卡 健康事务记者 杰克·巴内特 经济事务记者

《泰晤士报》审计发现，一家美国房地产投资信托持有英国约5%的养老院。

Welltower Inc持有五家营利性养老院运营商的房产，这些运营商共经营数百家养老院。据估计，英国共有18,000家养老院，其中85%为营利性机构。Welltower持有约920家。

安迪·伯纳姆已宣布社会护理改革计划，包括打击营利性养老院，他将其称为“在弱势群体身上牟利”。

各地方议会每年在社会护理服务上支出145亿英镑，但研究人员警告称，大部分资金“从体系中流失，被提取为利润和投资者回报”，而非用于改善服务。

Welltower是一家房地产投资信托（Reit），即其拥有养老院连锁机构用于住宅服务的房产。养老院通过租赁方式从Welltower回租这些房产。

努菲尔德智库政策副主任娜塔莎·柯里表示，在营利性养老护理行业，很难确切了解资金的具体流向。虽然85%的养老院为营利性运营，但许多由家族经营，可能产生积极影响。

“令人惊讶的是，当你查看护理质量委员会的数据时，很难发现哪些[养老院]有私募股权支持。这些机构的所有权结构相当不透明，”柯里在谈及营利性养老护理行业时表示。“存在将利润转移至离岸账户的可能性——这正是问题所在，我认为这也是安迪·伯纳姆希望重点关注的地方，”柯里补充道。

像Welltower这样的房地产投资信托从投资者处筹集资金，主要将资本投入建筑或土地以产生利润，然后将利润重新分配给原始投资者。它们不通过杠杆或债务投资房地产，也不是短期私募股权投资者。它们不直接控制养老院的日常运营，也不拥有或经营养老院业务，或为住户设定费用。

根据市场情报提供商Lottie的数据，Barchester Healthcare在英国经营约260家养老院，自费住户的平均周费用为住院护理11,426英镑，专业护理11,636英镑。Welltower去年以52亿英镑收购了该公司。该信托还持有HC-One、Care UK、Aria Care和Danforth Care的房产。

Welltower表示：“我们为能成为英国的长期投资者感到自豪，通过专业资本为当地运营商提供医疗保健基础设施，助其在全国范围内发展并提供护理服务。通过我们对长期投资和创新的承诺，Welltower持有的房产中85%被评为‘良好’或‘优秀’，远高于72%的全国平均水平。”

Barchester Healthcare、HC-One和Care UK已被联系置评。

---

11

新闻

干旱助高尔夫球手打出破纪录一杆进洞

一位业余高尔夫球手打出了411码（376米）的一杆进洞，高尔夫管理机构认为这可能创下英格兰纪录（马克·勒德洛报道）。

来自伍斯特郡德罗伊特威奇的马修·维格斯表示，7月25日在伯明翰大巴尔高尔夫俱乐部的四杆洞第三洞发现球落入洞中后，感觉“如梦似幻”。

这一纪录尚待英格兰高尔夫确认，正值业余高尔夫球手表示今夏英国炎热干燥的天气为开球距离增加了不少米数。

虽然球场可以为果岭浇水，但许多球场无法为球道浇水，导致球反弹更硬，从而创造了破纪录的开球距离。

维格斯的超远一杆距离世界纪录仅一步之遥，该纪录由罗伯特·米特拉保持，他于1965年在海拔助力的内布拉斯加州“奇迹山”高尔夫球场打出了447码（408米）的一杆进洞。

英格兰高尔夫估计，高尔夫球手在单洞打出低于标准杆三杆（信天翁）的概率约为六百万分之一。一杆进洞通常出现在较短的三杆洞。

32岁的维格斯此前已有过三次一杆进洞的经历，当天他与三位朋友一同打球。

“我们都打出了好球，找到了其中三个球。然后我们开始找我的球，”他说。

维格斯先在果岭前约50码处的球道上寻找，随后又检查了果岭后方。

“那时我有点尴尬，于是想不如看看球洞——结果球就躺在洞底。

“我看了两三眼才相信。朋友们直到我把球从洞里拿出来才相信，然后我们就疯狂庆祝。”

维格斯是迈凯伦公司的产品和培训经理，他承认自己无法集中精力打下一洞。

这位伍斯特郡一队球员（+1差点）自2月结束海外八年工作重返高尔夫球场以来状态出色。他赢得了德罗伊特威奇俱乐部锦标赛（期间也打出一杆进洞）和伍斯特郡县锦标赛。英格兰高尔夫锦标赛总监詹姆斯·克兰普顿告诉维格斯尽情享受他的“巅峰时刻”。

“我们都梦想着一杆进洞，但411码的一杆进洞——这简直是高尔夫球手的终极梦想，”他说。“信天翁的概率是六百万分之一，而他的一杆距离如此之远，概率想必更低。”

五分之一汽车延迟进行年度车检引发警示

安德鲁·埃利森 消费事务记者

数百万驾车者无视年度车检规定，警方执法力度难以跟上。

向英国驾驶员和车辆标准局（DVSA）提交的信息自由申请显示，在过去三年中，每五辆送检车辆中就有一辆的车检证书已过期。

这意味着每年平均有超过 240 万 辆汽车在无有效车检证书的情况下行驶，其中部分车辆长达数月。

公开披露执法数据的 8 个警方部门在 12 个月内共记录了 2,370 起无有效车检证书驾驶的案件。这相当于每个警方部门每年平均不到 300 起。若推及英格兰和威尔士的 43 个警方部门，每年仅约 12,700 起，即每 650 辆车中不足一辆。

这一对比并不精确。DVSA 的数据记录的是车检逾期送检的车辆，但并不一定意味着这些车辆非法上路。部分车辆可能未上路行驶，另一些可能正前往预约的车检地点，这在法律允许范围内。

然而，数据表明车检逾期已成为普遍现象。在 2023 至 2025 年间，近 900万 辆逾期车检超过一个月，近 240 万 辆超过六个月。平均延迟时间从 2023 年的 79 天增至去年的 85 天。

这些发现可能重新引发关于随着车辆可靠性提高，年度车检制度是否仍然合适的讨论。

汽车经销商 cinch（其提交了信息自由申请）的本·威瑟姆表示：“逾期车检绝不应被视为小事。无有效车检驾驶可能面临最高1,000 英镑的罚款，而安全风险同样不容忽视。”

电动滑板车致儿童伤亡事件

劳伦斯·斯莱索 交通事务记者

雅各布·卡兰德去年 3 月骑行电动滑板车时与一辆宝马相撞，年仅 14 岁。他被甩到路上，头部受重伤，8 天后在医院不治身亡。

这名曼彻斯特男孩的死是研究人员强调的 59 起事件之一。研究人员呼吁政府审查电动滑板车相关立法，因近期事故频发。

由谢菲尔德大学名誉临床研究员丽莎·萨比尔博士领导的研究发现，自 2019 年以来，利物浦、曼彻斯特和谢菲尔德的创伤中心接诊了近 500 名与电动滑板车相关的儿童伤者。

受伤者平均年龄为 12 岁，一半年龄在 10 至 13 岁之间。受伤者中不足 2% 佩戴了头盔。

研究发表于《急诊医学杂志》，称：“电动滑板车相关伤害正在上升。需要加强公众意识、明确公共卫生信息，并审查政府立法，以防止更多伤亡。”

雅各布的母亲卡莉·卡兰德表示，这些数据让她流泪。“一个人受伤就已经太多了，”她说，“我为这些人奔走，但政府不听，生命正在逝去。”

儿子去世后，她成立了名为“雅各布之旅”的倡议组织，呼吁修改私人电动滑板车的法律。

目前，电动滑板车仅在通过政府支持的试点项目租赁时合法上路，这意味着骑行者必须持有有效驾照，且车辆限速。

私人电动滑板车在公共道路上使用属违法，警方有权查扣街头发现的此类车辆。

然而，据估计英格兰有多达 120 万 人拥有电动滑板车，且许多由知名零售商销售。

雅各布当时坐在一名青少年的

上升的数字

按年龄组和性别划分的电动滑板车伤亡人数

朋友的电动滑板车——由其母亲购买，最高时速可达28英里——发生碰撞时，雅各布正坐在车后。由于法律原因，这位朋友的姓名不能公开，并被判处非监禁刑罚。

36岁的卡兰德希望电动滑板车能够合法化，以便实施更严格的规定，如带有车牌的牌照制度、强制佩戴头盔、保险以及年龄限制。

“我向政府和安迪·伯纳姆传达的信息是：要抓紧管控，”她说，“我不希望其他人经历我所经历的一切。我是在为这些人争取，但政府不听，生命正在流失。”

英国议会交通安全咨询委员会记录了2019年7月至2025年7月期间与电动滑板车相关的59起死亡事件。其中10起为18岁及以下人员，最小的受害者仅9岁。

英国交通部（DIT）最近的统计数据显示，去年有10人在涉及电动滑板车的碰撞中丧生，而2024年为6人。

去年涉及电动滑板车的伤亡人数为1,477人，而2024年为1,390人。其中43起涉及10岁以下儿童。最可能受伤的群体是10至19岁的男孩。

记录的伤情包括4例穿刺伤、73例头部受伤和9例颈部或背部骨折。

上周，英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）的一项重大创伤数据研究显示，与骑自行车或摩托车的人相比，电动滑板车骑手遭受严重脑部和器官损伤的风险显著更高。

切尔西和威斯敏斯特医院NHS基金会信托的手部、创伤和骨科顾问医师戴维·博丹斯基表示，电动滑板车的小轮子容易卡在坑洼中，可能导致骑手突然翻过车把。

自由民主党交通事务发言人奥利·格洛弗表示：“中央政府是时候结束电动滑板车的试点，为地方议会和用户提供明确的监管框架，并辅以显而易见的警方执法。”

交通部表示：“这些发现令人担忧，我们向所有在道路上受伤的人表示慰问。”

“私人电动滑板车在道路、人行道或其他公共场所（包括16岁以下人员）使用是非法的，我们正在推进新法律，使其使用合法且安全，包括就头盔等要求进行咨询。”

---

12

新闻

极度危险 一名少年冒着生命危险站在多塞特郡西湾一处180英尺高的悬崖边缘。这处有1.8亿年历史的悬崖曾在ITV犯罪剧《布罗德丘奇》中出现，易发生岩崩，过去一年已记录9起岩崩事件。最终，这名少年坐下观看日落。

科特雷尔将公司迁入改革党大厦

马克斯·肯迪克斯 华盛顿记者 乔治·格林伍德 调查记者 埃莉诺·泰特

这名曾秘密资助奈杰尔·法拉奇的定罪欺诈犯，将其公司地址迁至改革英国党总部所在的同一栋大楼，此举引发了外界对其与该党关系密切程度的质疑。

改革英国党表示，乔治·科特雷尔在党内没有任何职务，并称其为法拉奇支付的私人安保、员工、交通及住宿费用均属“纯个人”性质。

上月，科特雷尔曾在威斯敏斯特米尔班克大厦的改革英国党总部现身，一名办公室内线人士称他“被发现时似乎毫不在意”。

科特雷尔去年创立的“地缘战略国际无限公司”（Geostrategy International Unlimited）已将注册地址从伦敦金融城一家公司注册服务商的地址变更为米尔班克大厦。

该公司网站也将“联系我们”页面的地址更新为米尔班克大厦，同时保留了一个特拉华州的地址。网站称公司提供民意调查、“市场情报与竞争对手研究”及“品牌定位与人口统计分析”等服务。

改革党发言人表示，该党与科特雷尔并未共用办公空间，称米尔班克大厦是一栋“巨大的建筑”，有“充足的办公空间可供出租”。米尔班克大厦的一名代表则表示，地缘战略公司在大厦内并无办公空间。

当《泰晤士报》记者前往询问时，大厦前台接待员表示不认识该公司名称，且公司名称未出现在租户名单上。

改革英国党一再声称，无需在2024年大选前公开科特雷尔向法拉奇提供的实物福利，因根据下议院规定，这些被归类为“纯个人礼物”。法拉奇则表示，自2024年6月以来，他“未从科特雷尔处获得任何东西”。

科特雷尔的律师未回应关于其公司新地址的置评请求。

下议院标准专员正在调查这些实物礼物，以及2024年一笔未申报的£5捐款——捐款人为身处泰国的加密货币亿万富翁克里斯托弗·哈伯恩向法拉奇提供的500万英镑。

法拉奇辞去议员职务并参加克拉克顿选区补选，使调查暂时中止，但若如预期般在明天的补选后重返下议院，调查将恢复。

若下议院标准委员会建议暂停其议员资格十天或以上，且该决定获得议员批准，克拉克顿选民可能被迫再次举行补选。

科特雷尔曾于2016年在俄亥俄州参加共和党全国代表大会后，因电汇欺诈罪在美国认罪，并在亚利桑那州和伊利诺伊州的最高戒备监狱服刑八个月。他一直向特朗普总统请求赦免，但迄今未获成功。

一名白宫官员告诉《泰晤士报》：“特朗普总统是任何赦免相关决定的最终裁决者。目前没有与此请求相关的公告。任何人均有资格申请赦免，个人选择提交申请不应被解读为任何其他含义，仅代表其选择提交申请。”

工党议员克里西在地铁上遭“精神病患者”骚扰

玛丽埃塔·马里诺娃

一名63岁男子因在地铁上“辱骂并具有攻击性”地骚扰工党议员斯特拉·克里西，被判有罪。

威斯敏斯特治安法院昨日获悉，家住伦敦东部的克利福德·威尔比（Clifford Wilby）于去年7月15日在维多利亚线地铁上看到沃尔瑟姆斯托选区议员克里西，当时列车正行驶在沃尔瑟姆斯托中央站与芬斯伯里公园站之间。

克里西在法庭上表示，威尔比曾自称是精神病患者，在地铁上阻止她下车。威尔比与她谈论刀具犯罪及其“作为议员的失职”，并对她进行拍摄。

有乘客出面干预。一名男子试图挡在克里西与威尔比之间，一名女子则要求威尔比停止行为，并称其行为属于骚扰。克里西随后从另一扇车门离开。

法庭获悉，克里西于2024年首次通过Zoom与威尔比会面，当时她以议员身份接待了他，因其就一名选民的事务提出投诉。她告诉威尔比，她无法讨论他人的案件。

会面因威尔比言语辱骂而被迫中断。克里西表示，威尔比“提出了一系列非常严重的指控”，并“提到自己被诊断为精神病患者”。

副首席治安法官坦·伊克拉姆（Tan Ikram）判定威尔比使用威胁、辱骂或侮辱性言语或行为造成骚扰、惊恐或痛苦的罪名成立。

伊克拉姆表示：“他的行为显然不仅给斯特拉·克里西造成了惊恐，也明确表明这是他的意图。”

威尔比将于9月8日被判刑。

斯特拉·克里西是沃尔瑟姆斯托选区议员

---

13

新闻

《办公室》中饰演唐恩的女演员透露患有无法治愈的癌症

玛丽埃塔·马里诺娃

在《办公室》中饰演秘书的演员露西·戴维斯（Lucy Davis）透露自己患有无法治愈的乳腺癌，但承诺将继续工作，因为“表演是我生命中最大的乐趣之一”。

现年53岁的戴维斯因在BBC情景喜剧《办公室》中饰演唐恩·廷斯利（Dawn Tinsley）而闻名，

她在社交媒体上发文称，一年半前被诊断为四期乳腺癌，癌症此后“已转移至骨骼”，具体部位为“脊柱、右髋及肋骨”。她表示：“癌症已无法治愈，化疗也为时过晚。”

她承认自己“差点没去检查”最初的肿块。“所以我想说，不要忽视任何异常，一定要去检查。”

帖子写道：“如你们所知，疼痛有时真的难以忍受。长时间站立或行走会变得困难，有时我需要使用轮椅（所以如果你看到我坐着轮椅四处走动，请随意帮我推一把！）”

尽管疼痛难忍，戴维斯表示她正努力“以尽可能有趣的方式度过余生”。

戴维斯是喜剧演员贾斯珀·卡罗特（Jasper Carrott）的女儿，也是动物权益和素食主义活动家。2007年，她曾为善待动物组织拍摄海报宣传活动。她表示将继续从事动物权益和表演工作。

乡村生活魅力不再，乡村小屋需求降温

汤姆·霍华德 地产记者

干砌石墙与茅草屋顶。薰衣草沿着通往玫瑰花门框的小径排列。对许多人来说，英式乡村小屋是理想的家。但如今果真如此吗？

疫情封锁期间，人们为追求空间和新鲜空气而迁往乡村，或购置第二居所，乡村小屋的需求激增。这一趋势与“城堡核”（cottagecore）社交媒体潮流不谋而合——TikTok上的网红将田园诗般的乡村小屋生活浪漫化，推崇《美好生活》（Good Life）式的简朴生活。

德文郡、康沃尔郡和彭布罗克郡等最田园风光的地区房价飙升。然而，随着生活逐渐恢复常态，雇主开始——

税收政策变化影响了科茨沃尔德等地的乡村小屋销售

乡村小屋堆积

■ Value one year ago / ■ Value now

North Devon / % change £350,494 / £320,119 -6.4% | Isle of Wight | | £292,262 / £340,004 -5.1% | Cotswolds | | £444,192 / £425,478 -4.2% | South Lakeland | | £310,213 / £266,434 -3.8% | Dorset | | £300,255 / £348,213 -3.3% | East Suffolk | | £311,564 / £324,610 -2% | Seoul, Spain | |

随着雇主要求员工重返办公室，海滨或乡村的吸引力正在减弱。

根据房产搜索网站Zoopla的数据，与三年前相比，积极寻找购买乡村小屋的人数已减少三分之一。这一变化反映了更高的抵押贷款利率和针对第二套房业主的额外税收。

根据Moneyfacts的数据，2020年夏季，平均两年期固定抵押贷款利率约为2%，而目前已超过5%。

自去年以来，购买额外房产的人需额外支付5%的印花税，地方当局现在还可对第二套房业主征收双倍的市政税。

潜在买家的询盘减少正转化为乡村小屋销量下降，进而导致价格走低。Zoopla的数据显示，2026年迄今乡村小屋的销量较去年同期减少了13%，而市场上的乡村小屋数量也减少了9%。

目前英国乡村小屋的平均价值为121,641 英镑，较一年前下降了0.3%。这一降幅与整体市场形成对比，后者房价在过去一年中平均上涨了1.3%。

在Zoopla分析的24个“第二套房热点地区”中，有18个地区的乡村小屋价值跌幅超过同一邮编区内的标准住宅。与疫情封锁期间推动的“空间争夺战”相反，最大的价格跌幅出现在北德文郡，当地乡村小屋的价值较一年前下降了6.1%。在威尔士的锡尔迪金，乡村小屋价格在过去12个月中下跌了6%，而在包括林肯郡斯凯格内斯在内的东林赛地区，价格则下降了5.7%。

即使在康沃尔——这一特色小屋和第二套房的最大单一市场——乡村小屋价值自去年夏天以来也下降了1.3%。

Connells集团首席分析师尼克·莫德表示：“部分原因在于疫情后出现的非凡涨幅正在回落。在广为人知的‘空间争夺战’期间，风景如画的乡村地区需求和价格激增。

买家以创纪录的价格购买他们认为能带来更高生活质量、更便捷接触自然和私人户外空间的房产。然而，通胀压力和更宽松的劳动力市场带来了日益增长的不稳定感。与此同时，特定政策——如提高第二套房的印花税和市政税附加费——也降低了乡村避风港对特定买家的吸引力。这意味着许多在过去几年购房的潜在卖家发现，他们的房产已不再值当初的购买价格。”

“始祖鸟”靠跳跃飞越恐龙时代

它们可能拥有翅膀和羽毛，但1.5 亿年前出现的第一批鸟类仍保留着“明显的恐龙特征”（卡娅·伯吉斯报道）。那么，它们究竟是如何飞上天空的呢？

科学家们认为，始祖鸟要飞上天空需要几次“信念的跳跃”，并将其技巧描述为“跳跃、跳跃，然后起飞”。

研究人员在一项探讨“从地栖恐龙向鸟类动力飞行过渡”的研究中，解开了一个曾让专家困惑的谜团。

该研究的作者之一、南安普顿大学古生物学家尼尔·戈斯特林博士表示，始祖鸟是“第一种真正的鸟”，并补充道：“它全身覆盖羽毛，拥有翅膀，但同时保留了许多明显的恐龙特征，如长长的骨质尾巴、分开的指爪，以及无喙下颌中的牙齿。”

6600 万年前的小行星撞击消灭了非鸟类恐龙。但鸟类恐龙因体型较小、能摄食多种食物且具备飞行能力而幸存下来。

始祖鸟的体型与喜鹊或乌鸦相当，但与现代鸟类不同的是，它的活动能力有限，且没有胸骨作为强大胸肌的支点。南安普顿大学生物力学教授马库斯·海勒表示：“我们知道（始祖鸟）无法依靠翅膀起飞——它没有龙骨突的胸骨，肩部也无法将翅膀抬过背部——因此我们探讨了它的双腿能起到什么作用。结果发现，起飞的关键在于腿部：腿部产生力量，翅膀随后接管。”

研究人员分析了从海鸥、喜鹊到乌鸦和燕雀等现代鸟类的起飞技巧。他们检查了髋关节、膝关节和踝关节的运动，并估算了始祖鸟离地所需的速度。

该研究的主要作者、南安普顿大学前博士研究员埃里克·梅拉克博士在《发育生物学》期刊上发表的研究中表示：“一只体重400克的中型始祖鸟，通过7次双足跳跃，或6次双足跳跃加上跳跃间的向下扑翼，能达到每秒7米（16英里 / 小时）的持续飞行速度。”

戈斯特林解释道：“始祖鸟可能通过跳跃、跳跃，然后大量扑翼起飞，或者[...OMITTED...]。”他表示，许多现代鸟类（如乌鸦、喜鹊和海鸥）仍在使用这种技巧：“它们在受惊、紧张或受到威胁时会使用一次跳跃，或者——像它们的祖先一样——在节省能量时使用8次或更多次跳跃。”

学会飞行

现代鸟类能通过一次跳跃，然后强有力的扑翼离地——这种方式非常耗能

一只体重400克的始祖鸟由于缺乏胸骨来利用胸肌的力量，可能通过一次跳跃加扑翼，再跳跃一次并继续扑翼，达到16英里 / 小时的稳定飞行速度

现代鸟类（如乌鸦或海鸥）在节省能量时仍会使用这种起飞方式

---

14

新闻

2027 / 6-12 P.7 / 8

六对双胞胎和一对三胞胎昨天在格拉斯哥的米勒小学展示了他们的新校服。这6对双胞胎是今天将在该市入学的56对双胞胎中的一部分

电脑不行：Spotify 将降级 AI 生成的“垃圾”内容

马克·塞尔曼 科技记者

Spotify 将对 AI 艺术家进行标注，并降级其音乐，以应对“垃圾”内容的最新举措。

这家音乐流媒体平台表示，从 9 月起，将把此类艺术家标识为“ 人物”，并将其音乐排除在编辑和算法推荐之外。

称：“听众明确告诉我们，他们不喜欢看到一个看似真人的艺术家资料，结果却发现这个人物是 生成的。”

自 Suno 和 Udio 等音乐平台出现以来，流媒体平台一直在应对 生成内容的激增，这些平台允许用户通过文本提示创作音乐。

去年，一个名为 Velvet Sundown 的 乐队在 上走红，引发了关于透明度的争议。

今年 1 月，虚构的民谣流行歌手 Jacob 在 瑞典榜单上登顶，但被排除在该国官方榜单之外。

R&B 艺术家 IngaRose 于 4 月在 iTunes 上凭借一首由 Suno 生成的歌曲登上榜首。

上月，法国流媒体平台 Deezer 表示，完全由 生成的音乐已占每日上传量的大多数，每天高达 90,000 首。该平台将此类音乐标注为 生成，并将其排除在推荐之外。Deezer 称，去年高达 85% 的 生成音乐流量被用于欺诈。机器人被用来播放音乐以获取版税。

另一家流媒体平台 Tidal 则对单个 生成的曲目进行标注，并不对此类音乐支付版税。

超过三分之一上传至 Apple Music 的曲目为“100 per cent ”，并按照行业自愿计划进行标注。

的政策似乎针对的是艺术家的身份，而非单个 生成的曲目。

该平台表示，将审核艺术家，并在“艺术家资料中呈现的身份（包括姓名和图像）看似为逼真 生成的人物”时，将其标注为 人物。这意味着人类创作的 音乐可能仍会出现在推荐列表中。 近期宣布与环球音乐达成协议，允许高级用户使用 工具重混喜爱的曲目。

音乐行业一直在推动流媒体平台采取更一致的方法来识别 内容。上月，该行业宣布了两个标签——“ 生成”和“ 辅助”，希望各平台采用。唱片公司还呼吁榜单机构制定规则，仅允许在实质上由人类创作且合法的 生成歌曲进入榜单。

艾美奖得主作曲家迈克尔·普赖斯表示：“任何恢复 与听众之间信任的努力都值得欢迎，但流媒体服务中充斥着 垃圾音乐，这让人感觉更像是‘克努特国王’而非‘深红之王’。”

他补充道：“我希望首页有一个大按钮，可以按下‘永远不给我播放 曲目’。”

公平训练（Fairly Trained）首席执行官埃德·牛顿-雷克斯表示：“标注 人物是一种干扰…… 仍拒绝标注真正重要的东西——一首歌曲是否由 制作。”

一个名为 SlopTracker 的网站由瑞士音乐制作人尼克拉斯·塔尔创建，声称可帮助用户在 上识别 曲目。

上月，慕尼黑一家法院支持了欧洲版权诉讼，该诉讼由一家德国集体管理组织针对 Suno 提起，理由是未经授权使用了《Boney M》的《Rasputin》和《Alphaville》的《Forever Young》等歌曲。

罗素集团大学将三门B成绩设为最低录取标准

一所罗素集团大学首次引入A-level成绩三门B（即26分）的最低录取标准，旨在维护教学水准。

伯明翰大学副校长表示，部分院校浪费公共资金，向不太可能从中受益的学生发放贷款，因这些学生未能获得足够支持。

亚当·蒂克尔（Adam Tickell）称，伯明翰大学的新要求适用于除社会工作和护理专业外的所有课程，后两者将考虑申请者的生活经历。该政策将于21日正式生效。

数十万名高中毕业生将于明日收到A-level及同等资格考试成绩，预计创纪录数量的应届毕业生将进入大学。

部分院校为弥补国际学生短缺（归咎于更严格的签证政策和不友好的言论），甚至在热门专业上降低录取要求。然而，蒂克尔表示：“我们去年开始提高录取门槛，但我们清楚地认识到，所有学生都应茁壮成长。拥有最优秀的学生对所有人都更有利。如果结果是录取人数减少，我们也愿意接受。”

根据英国下议院图书馆数据，截至2025学年末，英格兰学生贷款债务将达到3000亿英镑，是2020-21学年债务的两倍。预计到2040年代晚期，按当前物价计算，债务将达到5000亿英镑。蒂克尔称：“如果你没有A-level或同等考试成绩，我认为你无法进入大学并取得成功。录取成绩最低的学生中，有些确实很有天赋，但其他人则是‘糟糕的交易’。”他表示，成绩优秀的学生往往需要大量昂贵的“支架式”支持。

数字水印追踪使用AI写作的作者

马克·塞尔曼

将AI写作冒充为个人作品将变得更加困难。

领先AI公司Anthropic宣布，将在其Claude聊天机器人的文本输出中嵌入隐藏水印，以标识其为AI生成或处理的内容。该水印肉眼不可见，复制粘贴时将随文本传输，并可能在部分编辑后保留。

Anthropic引入水印是为了响应欧盟一项新法律的要求，该法律规定AI输出内容必须标注，此前有出版商被指控将AI内容冒充为原创。学校和大学也在努力评估学生是否在作业中使用了AI。

不过，Anthropic警告称，该水印“提供了内容由Claude处理的信号，但并非完全确凿的证据”。即使Claude仅用于编辑或校对，文本中也会添加水印。

反之，缺少水印并不意味着未使用Claude，因为大幅修改或格式转换可能会移除水印。

谷歌已为其AI输出引入类似水印SynthID，OpenAI也在ChatGPT生成的图像和音频中使用该技术。OpenAI于2023年放弃了自家的文本水印尝试，因其面临诸多困难。

一款流行的AI生成文本识别工具Pangram声称其整体误报率约为10,000。该工具曾被用于识别米娅·巴拉德（Mia Ballard）小说《Shy Girl》中的AI文本，该书随后被书店下架。然而，当其被用于指控英联邦短篇小说奖得主使用AI时，英联邦基金会驳回了这些指控。

最近的争议围绕作家杰里·法拉德（Jerry Falade）展开，其处女作犯罪小说《Call Me, I'll Hide the Body》的出版协议因被指控使用AI而告吹。他否认使用该技术，称指控带有种族动机，并强调AI检测器存在误报问题。

---

15

远程办公时代年轻成年人比老年人更孤独

桑切斯·曼宁 社会事务记者

孤独和隔离曾是主要与老年人相关的社会问题。

但新研究显示，如今年轻成年人比老一辈更容易感到孤独。

特别是年轻男性，独处的时间越来越多。

智库决议基金会（Resolution Foundation）的一项名为《独自一人》的研究分析了日记数据，探讨过去十年间不同年龄段每日独处时间的变化模式。

研究发现，2023年，18至29岁的男性在清醒时间中有超过两 fifths 的时间是独处的，相当于每天6个半小时。

与十年前相比，这一群体每天独处的时间增加了两小时。

同样，在同一时期，年轻女性每天独处的时间也增加了一个半小时，总计约五小时。

但相比之下，老年人现在独处的时间减少了。研究发现，60岁以上的女性和70岁以上的男性每天独处的时间比十年前减少了约一到一个半小时。

年轻人也比老年人更容易感到孤独。

18至29岁的成年人报告感到孤独的时间占14%，是60至69岁人群的两倍。

虽然年轻成年人独处时间增加的部分原因是转向单人屏幕活动，如玩电脑游戏和刷手机，但研究人员得出结论，年轻人日益孤立的最大推动因素是居家办公的兴起。

最显著的是，18至29岁的男性现在每天独自工作的时间比2000年代中期多了一个半小时。

决议基金会研究员、该报告作者帕尔特·潘迪亚（Parth Pandya）表示：“在讨论年轻人孤独感上升时，屏幕时间通常是首要怀疑对象。

“但独自从事有偿工作的时间才是导致独处时间增加的最大因素，而居家办公——这一新冠疫情的遗留影响——占了其中的大部分。

“如果政策制定者真的希望改善年轻人的福祉，那么工作与屏幕时间一样需要纳入讨论。”

潘迪亚表示，虽然“独处时间”可能具有“恢复性”，但也可能对健康和福祉产生负面影响。研究显示，经常上网的18至29岁年轻人感到孤独的可能性比不上网的人高近4个百分点（16% vs 12%）。

2023年报告健康状况不佳的这一年龄段人群，与2014-15年间同龄年轻人相比，每天独处时间多了三小时。

这一模式在老年群体中并未发现。“随着年轻人现在更容易独处和感到孤独，时间利用方式将成为未来代际不平等讨论的关键，”研究指出。

18至29岁男性清醒时间的两 fifths 用于独处

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk / @timesdiary

杰斯在爱丁堡艺穗节的争执

杰斯·菲利普斯（Jess Phillips）在爱丁堡艺穗节上获得了不少掌声，不过主持人伊恩·戴尔（Iain Dale）指出，他之前的嘉宾扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）获得了更多“欢呼”。菲利普斯对此不以为然：“我认为他并没有真正做自己。”这一观察不无道理，因为波兰斯基甚至不是他出生证明上的名字。然而，她的主要问题在于波兰斯基过去曾是一名催眠治疗师，声称能通过意念让乳房变大。“新冠期间我做了缩胸手术，我担心如果和扎克·波兰斯基相处太久，我的胸可能又会变大，”菲利普斯坦言，并透露她的背部“非常感激”手术。为了缓解术后恢复，“我婆婆在手术当天送了我两张切尔西的禁赛通知单”。

审计尼古拉斯的账单

戴尔随后将话题转向爱丁堡艺穗节的饮酒文化。菲利普斯承认宿醉对议员来说是个棘手问题，并补充道：“你必须考虑去过的每一个地方。”当戴尔调侃称深夜外出是因为与尼古拉·斯特金饮酒时，菲利普斯回避道：“我们并没有出去喝酒——不过如果她请客，我倒想知道钱是从哪儿来的。”

贾森·阿尔迪的处境并不孤单。就连西蒙·沙玛爵士也承认曾为晋升而抄袭。这位历史学家在《广播时报》中透露，自己青少年时为追求《犹太纪事报》前主编威廉·弗兰克尔的女儿，遭遇了挫折，因为弗兰克尔坚持要求沙玛为获得父母认可而撰写古典音乐评论。“这实在太客气了，弗兰克尔先生，但我对此几乎一无所知，”沙玛抗议道。尽管如此，他还是接下了这份差事，并从内维尔·卡达斯在《曼彻斯特卫报》上的评论中借用了“抒情、温柔且充满激情”等形容词。沙玛在即将于下周末播出的《关键变奏：BBC第三电台古典音乐史》（Key Changes: Radio 3's Essential History of Classical Music）中的贡献，自然是他自己的作品。

自我提神剂

在我的报道提到已故约翰·伍德科克——他对乡村善意的信任让他的汽车总是不上锁——后，《泰晤士报》日记栏目的琐事达人马克·梅森指出了一个鲜明对比：传奇板球作家 EW·斯旺顿。历史学家罗兰·鲍恩给他起了个绰号“斯旺顿·庞波尼乌斯·自我”，这个称号在现实中确有依据。已故雷·伊林沃思回忆道，斯旺顿每次踏足板球场时都期待着立刻有杜松子酒补剂奉上，而且他过于势利，绝不会与司机同乘一辆车。

唐纳德·特朗普的前顾问罗杰·斯通在推出时尚网站前，本应咨询一位英国校对员。该网站的网址——stonezwank.com——在没有空格的情况下读起来颇为尴尬。正如《大西洋》作家海伦·刘易斯所言：“即便对美国人来说，掌握英国英语的基本知识也是一项优势。”

“蠢材”的完美角色

昨天的报道提到安迪·伯纳姆最喜欢的俱乐部“工厂”，让一位读者想起了其已故联合创始人托尼·威尔逊。威尔逊于 2007 年去世时，史蒂夫·库根因身在美国而错过了葬礼。他在《曼彻斯特晚报》的讣告中表示，自己最大的荣誉是贝斯手彼得·胡克对其在《24 小时派对人群》中扮演威尔逊的评价：“曼彻斯特最大的蠢材由第二大蠢材扮演。”可能这番话的措辞已经过一定程度的调整。

埃德·哈尔福德

邮轮巡游与体育赛事

与摩纳哥大奖赛同游欧洲地标

2027 年 5 月 26 日

与 Imagine Cruising 一同体验奢华与 F1 的终极融合。搭乘阿扎玛拉邮轮，享受地中海精华目的地的全包式豪华邮轮之旅，包括 3 个港口的沉浸式过夜体验。随后，您的旅程将迎来激动人心的高潮——2027 年传奇摩纳哥 F1 大奖赛，含看台门票及接送服务。

升级至 T 看台（有顶棚）即可从仅 £299 起享受更佳的维修区和赛道视野，或升级至两日体验，包含排位赛，仅需 £399 起。

行程安排：

罗马，意大利（过夜）——波托费拉约港——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）

[...OMITTED...]

价格包含

• 伦敦往返机票
• 邮轮出发前在罗马的四星级酒店一晚住宿
• 乘坐“阿扎玛拉前进号”（Azamara Onward）邮轮的12晚全包式邮轮游
• 船上饮品、小费及港口过夜
• 船上礼宾服务，提供个性化指导及预订
• 摩纳哥大奖赛比赛日大看台门票
• 摩纳哥赛道往返接送
• 《泰晤士报》Times+会员可节省100英镑*。获取专属优惠码请访问 thetimes.com / timesplus

致电 0808 239 8380 或访问 thetimes.com / th-flmonaco

《泰晤士报》假期

适用条款及细则。所示价格为每人价格，基于两位成人共享，截至2026年8月5日的正确报价，如有变动，恕不另行通知，并视供应情况而定。价格包含发布时所示的所有不可选税费 / 附加费。500英镑优惠。Times+会员优惠适用于2026年12月31日前预订《泰晤士报》假期产品，使用专属Times+优惠码且最低消费2,000 英镑。完整条款及细则请访问 thetimes.com / timesplus。优惠及预订视供应情况而定，详细条款请参阅供应商网站。此包含航班的度假产品由《泰晤士报》假期作为Imagine Cruising（AT01）的代理商销售，代理商编号11070，并受AT01计划的财务保障。付款后将签发AT01证书。完整预订条款请访问 thetimes.com / holidays / terms-and-conditions。有关财务保障及AT01证书的更多信息，请访问 cau.co.uk。

---

16

新闻

日食期间勿使用洗碗机

赫比·拉塞尔 埃米莉·戈斯登 能源编辑

英国最大的能源供应商呼吁客户避免在今晚日食“导致”该国部分太阳能发电中断期间运行家用电器。

为超过800万户家庭供电的Octopus Energy表示，在傍晚6点至8点期间减少用电量将降低启动污染性燃气发电站的需求。

预计将是2081年前最壮观的日偏食，覆盖率将在当地时间约7点至7.15分达到最高96%。日食将于爱丁堡当地时间6.08分开始，数分钟后覆盖英国其他地区，并降低太阳能电池板的发电量。

Octopus Energy表示，日食将发生在“数百万人回家且用电需求正在上升”的时段。该公司呼吁客户“延迟使用洗碗机，将洗衣留到稍后，不要使用烤箱”。作为在日食期间减少用电的回报——将通过智能电表数据进行监测——Octopus Energy为加入其奖励计划的客户提供周日一小时免费用电。

此次日食恰逢英国今夏第五次热浪，可能会增加空调、风扇和冰箱的用电需求。

今夏的热浪给英国电网带来了前所未有的压力，英国国家电力系统运营商（Neso）被迫在6月下旬首次发布夏季电力供应紧张预警。

不过，Neso表示已为日食的影响筹备了一年，并指出可能损失的太阳能供应是“九牛一毛”。

英国太阳能发电峰值约为16.3吉瓦，但由于日食发生在傍晚时分——且全国各地阳光被遮挡的程度和时间不尽相同——预计最大发电损失将达1.3吉瓦。其最佳估计是影响约为700兆瓦。

近期傍晚的用电需求约为30吉瓦，但在6月下旬的热浪期间，部分时段的需求曾超过35吉瓦。

Neso预计，由于许多人会外出观看日食，今晚的用电需求将低于预期。

Octopus Energy首席客户官丽贝卡·迪布-辛金表示：“通过将洗衣机或洗碗机等日常任务推迟到稍后，家庭可以帮助减少对燃气发电站的需求——并因尽一份力而获得奖励。”

Neso正面临审查，此前英国电网在6月23日因供应不足出现异常持续的频率下降。据《泰晤士报》看到的一份泄露的内部报告显示，当时安全限值被突破，“系统安全受到威胁”。举报人称英国曾濒临大规模停电。

英国太阳能行业贸易机构Solar Energy UK的首席执行官克里斯·休伊特表示：“我们预计日食不会对电网造成任何不当影响，尤其是因为它发生在通常太阳能发电量较少的时段。”

英国西南部将见证最壮观的日食：在兰兹角，95.8%的太阳将被遮挡；利泽德角为95.6%；锡利群岛的主教岩则为96.5%。加的夫和贝尔法斯特的遮挡率约为93%，而伦敦、伯明翰、曼彻斯特和爱丁堡约为91%。

Neso发言人表示：“周三的日食是我们一直在规划并已做好充分准备的事件。当数百万英国人放下手头的事外出欣赏这一奇观时，我们的控制室将专业地管理电网。”

西班牙借天文奇观大赚人气

巴塞罗那机场已无一辆租赁车可租（戴维·斯特拉克报道）。道路拥堵不堪，火车票售罄，酒店客房全满。

西班牙正陷入日食热潮。数百万游客昨日已争先恐后涌向该国北部地区，与冰岛西海岸一道，成为欧洲唯一能观测到日全食的地方。

在距巴塞罗那以南约120英里的埃布罗河三角洲，游客今晚将欣赏到壮观景象：日食悬停海面，仿佛渐渐融入其中。那些财力雄厚且提前至少一年预订的游客，已选择了诸如谢尔塔镇的维拉·雷蒂罗酒店等高端住宿，该酒店主厨弗兰·洛佩斯掌管着其米其林星级餐厅。

“这一天将非常特别，”洛佩斯告诉《泰晤士报》，“我们一年前就收到了美国游客的预订……我们总会给客人准备礼物，本周他们将获得一副日食眼镜。这里所有人都在谈论的只有这件事。”

这些客人应当感到幸运，因为沿日食路径的药店已售罄防护眼镜。

来自华盛顿的安雅·舒尔曼希望能看到她的第三次日食。“身处全食带的感觉真的很神奇，”她说。

防护眼镜在药店售罄，游客和研究人员（如上图）涌向西班牙北部，包括塔拉戈纳的罗马圆形剧场，只为一睹日食奇观。

科学家们甚至从马来西亚远道而来记录这一事件。旅游官员认为，这场日食——未来三年三次日食中的首场——将使西班牙成为欧洲的“逐日之都”。

然而，在巴利阿里群岛，公众情绪正转向反对过度旅游，当地对这一事件的宣传有所低调。马略卡岛已宣布关闭特拉蒙塔纳山脉的道路，那里遍布绝佳观景点，但交通将被禁止。

在教堂仰望天空，或在屋顶酒吧尽情欣赏

卡娅·伯吉斯 科学与宗教事务记者

屋顶酒吧、城堡、河上游轮和拥有摩天大楼总部的企业正在为今天的日食观赏活动做准备，而教堂则被鼓励利用这一罕见的天文现象作为讨论上帝的契机。

自1999年以来，英国可见的最壮观的日食将于傍晚6点后不久开始，根据所在地区的不同，最完整的日食将出现在约19:05至19:16之间。月球将遮挡太阳圆盘的96%。下一次类似的深度日食要到2050年才能在英国看到，而下一次英国可见的日全食则要等到2090年。

日食结束后数小时，英仙座流星雨将达到极大期。

天文学家和眼科医生警告人们不要直接观看日食，昨天人们继续争相寻找日食观赏眼镜，大多数在线零售商已售罄。

在伦敦东部的斯皮塔菲尔德市场，一家摊位以每副5英镑的价格出售日食眼镜，排队人潮长达300人。

卫理公会鼓励其数千座教堂为当地社区举办观赏活动，以“欣赏造物之美”，并鼓励“关于生命和信仰的有意义的对话”。牧师米凯拉·扬森（Michaela Youngson）的一段冥想词说：“这次日食提醒我们上帝的可靠性，让我们确信光明终将驱散黑暗。”

布里斯托尔的伊斯顿·贾米亚清真寺将举行包括“萨拉特·阿尔-卡西尔”（日食祈祷）在内的仪式。

伯明翰的Subside摇滚酒吧将举办派对，提供“日食鸡尾酒”；伦敦的屋顶场地Roof East将举办“黑暗面见”派对，赠送日食眼镜与饮品。CityCruises游船公司将在伦敦泰晤士河上举办日食游轮活动，提供水上观赏视角；位于伦敦东南部的塞文德鲁格城堡将在其屋顶举办观赏活动。

诺森伯兰郡的班堡城堡也将举办一场“百年一遇的日食盛事”聚会，门票已售罄。

在办公室拥有良好视野的上班族正准备下班后的观赏派对。位于碎片大厦的企业财务咨询公司Arma Partners将为员工举办观赏活动。

格林尼治皇家天文台也在举办观赏活动的天文台和天文馆之列，门票已售罄。

---

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月12日 星期三 11

17

新闻

骑手在赛事中坠马身亡，死因调查听证会举行

拉腊·怀尔登伯格

死因调查听证会获悉，一名曾骑乘过已故伊丽莎白女王马匹的马术选手在越野赛中坠马身亡。

据悉，34岁的索菲·富拉克（Sophie Fouracre）于7月18日在牛津郡斯沃尔克利马术公园（Swalcille Equestrian Park）的一场赛事中，从她五岁的母马“鲁巴布斯福斯不列颠”（Rhubarbsfos Britannia）上坠落。这位职业马术选手刚与丈夫贾尔斯（Giles）、两个年幼的孩子及母亲从意大利度假归来。

上周，牛津郡验尸官尼古拉斯·格雷厄姆（Nicholas Graham）在该地区验尸法庭开启了对她死亡的调查。他表示，这名经验丰富的骑手坠马后“受到严重创伤”，当场被宣布死亡。一名病理学家得出结论，富拉克死于“重度创伤”。

富拉克是一名技艺精湛的骑手，曾受托骑乘已故女王的四匹马，并三次参加被该运动管理机构认定为世界顶级赛事之一的伯利马术三项赛（Burghley Horse Trials）。这项为期三天的赛事每年在林肯郡举行。

富拉克原姓詹曼（Jenman），原籍肯特郡，去世时居住在贝辛斯托克附近。她经营一家晚间公司，提供教学服务，并为客户调教马匹。2023年伯利官网的一份个人简介称，富拉克在汉普郡的姻亲农场拥有10个马厩。简介写道：“她专门负责调教和训练幼马，尤其是来自爱尔兰的马匹。她曾为已故女王骑乘四匹马，最近刚从温莎接手了一匹由‘高速公路’（Speedway）配种的未经调教的三岁马，该马由国王陛下（HRH The King）所有。”

死因调查将于11月21日继续。

富拉克去世数小时后，马术界再次遭受重创——42岁的前护士凯丽·多诺霍（Kerry Donoghue）在坎布里亚郡彭里斯（Penrith）参加越野赛时，从16岁的马匹“卡尼豪·鲁阿”（Carneyhaugh Rua）上坠落身亡。

她在去世前一个月曾出现在《马术表现心态》播客节目中，表示自己在目睹一匹马压伤一名同行骑手后，曾考虑退出这项运动。她说：“你会想，天哪，这一切值得吗？你真的还想继续吗？”

她的丈夫马修·多诺霍（Matthew Donoghue）在她去世后撰写了悼词：“此刻的心情无法用言语形容。我们彻底崩溃了，凯丽将永远留在我们的思念和心中。如果你爱一个人，请告诉他们你爱他们，亲吻他们，拥抱他们……我们的生活再也回不去了。”

英国马术协会（British Eventing）当时表示：“在两个赛场，赛事医疗团队立即响应并提供了紧急治疗。尽管全力抢救，但两名骑手均未能获救。两匹马经现场兽医团队检查，确认未受伤。”

两场比赛均被取消。

英国马术协会首席执行官罗茜·威廉姆斯（Rosie Williams）表示：“英国马术界悲痛万分。我谨代表英国马术协会全体成员，向凯丽和索菲的家人、朋友及亲人致以最深切的哀悼。同一天失去两位马术界的成员，这种悲痛几乎无法言表，我们深知这份哀伤将在很长一段时间内深深影响整个马术界。”

英国马术协会表示，将对两起事故进行“全面审查”。

克拉彭公交车司机遭枪击身亡案嫌犯被捕

塞伦·休斯 杰西卡·沙基 犯罪事务记者

一名因枪伤前往医院就医的男子，在一名25岁公交车司机于伦敦一家酒吧附近遭枪击身亡后，被警方以涉嫌谋杀罪名逮捕。

周一晚近10时，紧急服务部门接到位于伦敦南部克拉彭一条道路上传出枪声的报告。遇害者身份尚未公布，在兰多酒吧附近的案发现场被宣布死亡。

嫌疑人，22岁，随后不久被捕，目前仍在医院接受治疗。

一位朋友表示，遇害者是在“错误的时间出现在错误的地点”。

35岁的桑莎·弗里茨告诉《泰晤士报》，遇害者当时正准备送女友回家，不料发生了这起事件。居住在枪击案发生地惠灵顿路的弗里茨说：“我从未见过他大喊大叫、失态或与人厮混。他就是个好人，总是面带微笑，笑容很美。”

弗里茨说，她在听到枪声后赶到现场，看到遇害者的女友，后者告诉她有一名男子靠近他们后“开了枪”。弗里茨说：“她一直在说‘他中枪了，他中枪了’。然后我看见他妈妈赶来。我们跑向他，看到他倒在地上。”

另一位不愿透露姓名的邻居表示，遇害者已担任公交车司机一年多。这位邻居说，遇害者的姐姐和母亲在事发后立即赶到现场，其母亲被听到大喊：“那是我儿子！那是我儿子！”

一位自称海伦的女子说：“我确实听到了大约三声枪响。我们大多数人一开始还以为‘只是摩托车声’……安静了几秒钟后，我们都听到了叫喊和哭声。”

昨天，兰多酒吧对面的道路上搭起了法医帐篷。现场已摆放鲜花，酒吧入口附近点燃了一支蜡烛。

伦敦警察厅侦缉总警司艾玛·邦德表示：“我们呼吁任何知情人士或目击者尽快与我们联系，协助正在进行的调查。”

司法系统“为利维的罪行负责”

塞伦·休斯

一名八年前遭西蒙·利维性侵的女性指责司法系统纵容他袭击并杀害更多女性。

现年40岁的利维于上周五被判谋杀去年遇害的卡门扎·巴伦西亚-特鲁希略（51岁）和谢里尔·威尔金斯（39岁）。他还被判今年早些时候对另一名不具名女性犯下两项强奸罪、严重人身伤害罪和故意窒息罪。他将于今日被判刑。

一名化名“劳拉”的前受害者在接受BBC采访时表示，利维本可能被阻止实施进一步袭击，并称警方让她的噩梦“成真”。

2018年8月，劳拉与朋友乘坐伦敦地铁前往诺丁山狂欢节时，利维尾随并对她实施性侵。直到一群男子将其赶走，他才离开。

2021年，利维因性侵劳拉及另一名一个月前被其盯上的女性被定罪，判处三年监禁，但尽管他在狱中性侵了一名狱警，仍获假释。

今年早些时候，利维因在2023年10月至2025年5月期间对11名年龄在18至32岁的女性实施性侵被判六年监禁。

由于警官“失职”、性犯罪者管理人员监管不力，以及未能在其罪行不断升级的情况下对这名部分失明的袭击者实施羁押，利维得以逍遥法外。

当劳拉得知利维今年早些时候将因两起谋杀案受审时，她形容自己的心“沉到了胃里”。

“报案时，我以为自己是在保护其他女性，”她说，但意识到自己“一直做噩梦的事情”真的发生了——他仍在外面猎杀弱势女性。

劳拉表示，她对整个刑事司法系统感到失望，包括伦敦警察厅、法院和对利维予以保释的法官，以及英国皇家检察署。

她说：“他们都应为纵容他继续犯罪而负有罪责。他们本可以阻止两名女性失去生命。”

她补充道：“我希望未来的其他受害者能被相信，能得到不同的对待，能被立即倾听，我只希望能有所改变。”

伦敦警察厅一位发言人告诉BBC：“我们对受害者在这起案件中感到未获支持深表歉意，并充分认识到这一事件对她造成的影响。

“案发次日即立案展开调查，并开展了广泛的侦查工作。利维被识别、逮捕并最终定罪。”

“一群白痴！”愤怒的苏格尔遭遇信用额度上限

阿莉娅·艾哈迈德

作为英国最富有的人之一，身家约11亿英镑的苏格尔勋爵竟然要依赖信用卡，这让人难以置信。然而，《学徒》明星却发现自己与美国运通公司陷入了一场网络争吵，因该公司拒绝了他提高信用额度的请求。

现年79岁的苏格尔称，即使工作人员认出了他和他的“财务状况”，仍拒绝了他的请求。

他在X上发文称：“我打了一个小时电话……被转接了4次。我要求提高信用额度。最终与英国布莱顿的一位工作人员通话，对方知道我是谁，也了解我的财务状况。但我的请求仍因‘系统原因’被拒绝。”

这番抱怨引来了网友的调侃。一位关注者写道：“你在向谁抱怨？为什么你觉得自己应该享受皇家待遇？”

苏格尔回复道：“我不是在抱怨，只是在揭露美国运通是一群白痴！”

苏格尔勋爵在2026年《星期日泰晤士报》富豪榜上排名第146位

另一位网友问：“如果你身家11亿英镑，为什么还需要信用额度？”

他回应道：“练习当个白痴吧。我不会随身携带一袋袋现金。我需要信用卡来买东西。”

美国运通公司尚未回应置评请求。

--。

3503

百万英镑*

30年辛苦付出，终于赢得头奖。

头奖金额为估算值。领奖后将根据汇率变动调整，并可能在特定情况下征收相关税费。适用规则、游戏具体规则及程序。参与者必须年满18周岁。

---

请保持冷静。

截止时间：本周三晚11.55前参与

---

20

新闻

丢弃的£12彩票或仍有望中奖

Marieta Marinova 报道

一名女子的1200 万英镑 million彩票被店主以“机器没有发出提示音”为由扔进垃圾桶，现获得新的希望。

来自南威尔士阿伯西农的46岁女子凯丝·梅因（Kath Main）沿用了她20年来一直使用的号码，参加了6月6日的抽奖。

她请母亲菲奥娜（Fiona）在当地的Londis超市核对彩票，但店主将其扔进垃圾桶，称彩票未中奖。

该店店主卡兰·库马尔（Karan Kumar）告诉《太阳报》：“这位女士来核对号码时，机器没有发出提示音，屏幕上也没有显示任何信息，所以我们就把彩票扔了。”

菲奥娜·梅因确认自己同意店主“把彩票扔进垃圾桶”，但随后被女儿责备。

凯丝·梅因后来在新闻中看到，她所在的朗达卡嫩塔夫（Rhondda Cynon Taf）地区有一张1200 万英镑 million的头奖彩票无人认领。中奖号码与她的彩票一致：8、10、26、30、35和42，一组基于她和丈夫的生日、他们开始购买彩票时的年龄，以及另外两个随机数字。

她说自己感觉像是“中了彩票却最倒霉的人，因为我拿不到钱”。

目前，国家彩票运营商Allwyn已完成对梅因案件长达30天的调查。梅因解释了事情经过，提供了购买凭证并提交了——

凯丝·梅因的彩票被阿伯西农Londis超市店主卡兰·库马尔扔进垃圾桶，因其机器未能识别出中奖号码

索赔申请。Allwyn表示，这是“唯一一家即使彩票遗失仍能向中奖者支付奖金的大型彩票运营商”。

该运营商称：“我们的调查旨在确保任何索赔均来自合法的彩票持有人。在开奖后180天的索赔期结束后，我们有权自行决定向该玩家支付奖金。”

梅因是一名橄榄球俱乐部秘书，育有两个孩子，她希望用部分奖金在2029年前往新西兰观看不列颠及爱尔兰雄狮橄榄球巡回赛。

她说，等待这笔改变人生的奖金在12月到账让她“一直感到恶心”。

她的母亲此前表示，如果无法证明彩票属于梅因，这笔中奖金将“用于公益事业”。

调查期间，阿伯西农Londis超市的彩票销售被暂停，彩票机关闭，刮刮卡也从货架上撤下。

三星

全新 Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra / Fold8 Galaxy AI

部分AI功能需登录三星账户。

最高可节省 1,550 英镑

以旧换新符合条件的手机。全新Galaxy折叠屏时代已至。

活动截止至 19.09

适用条款：codefone.co.uk / terms；沃达丰DVD；设备计划；搭配通话计划的信贷协议。您可提前结清设备计划，并保留通话计划的30天合约或租赁。适用可接受使用政策。最高可节省 £1550-£576，或选择新的30个月合约（详见24个月合约，现41Qam，受4月年度价格风险影响），设备节省 £152（原 £1550，现 £1000），以旧换新符合条件且状况良好的手机最高可节省 £612。条款：codefone.co.uk / trade-in；分期付款需通过信用审核，189，需使用直接借记。（由沃达丰有限公司重印，FCA编号：7722 / 10，地址：沃达丰大厦，The Connection，纽伯里，BS14 3TN）

犹太学校安全隐忧引发关注

尼古拉·伍尔科克 教育版主编

一项独立评估发现，犹太学校校长花在处理安全问题上的时间超过了教育事务。

戴维·贝尔爵士正主持一项政府委托的学校和学院反犹太主义评估。贝尔是桑德兰大学副校长，曾任教育部常务秘书，预计将于秋季发布报告。报告将调查英格兰犹太学生和教职员工的经历。

他表示，安全问题已成为许多犹太教会学校的首要关切，甚至超越了教育本身。

贝尔称，他发现学生经常遭受骚扰和辱骂，犹太儿童和青少年面临的压力——“甚至可以说是一场危机”——是英国其他社群未曾经历的。

他听取了来自公立和私立学校的学生、教师、社区组织、校董和家长的证词，并参考了大学和学院招生服务中心（Ucas）对 5,000 名儿童的调查结果。调查发现，约 20% 的受访者在学校和学院中经历或目睹过反犹太主义行为。

贝尔在接受BBC采访时表示：“谈到反犹太主义，人们通常认为它针对的是成年人。但令人震惊的是，儿童和青少年遭遇反犹太主义的程度。”

一位校长表示：“近年来，[安全问题]已成为压倒性的优先事项，且显著增加……[它]可能是让我夜不能寐的原因之一。”

社区安全信托（CST）提供的数据显示，今年上半年，学校中的反犹太主义事件达到了有记录以来同期最高水平。报告事件从去年上半年的 112 起上升至 178（预计 2026 年）。

教育大臣露西·鲍威尔表示，她将认真考虑评估的结论，并补充道：“反犹太主义在我们的社会中没有立足之地，更不用说在教育体系中。犹太儿童和教职员工绝不应面临仇恨或偏见。”

来自柴郡的乔纳森·弗里舍是其学校唯一的犹太学生。他曾遭受反犹太主义欺凌，包括被告知应被送进毒气室。“一堂关于现代反犹太主义的课程确实帮助很大，”他说，“态度立刻发生了变化，有人向我道歉。我遭遇的反犹太主义明显减少。如果这在我的学校有效，那么在每所学校都应该有效。”

科学家称警惕“真正的木乃伊诅咒”

科学记者 卡娅·伯吉斯

学者们将日益兴盛的木乃伊化人类和动物遗骸交易称为“真正的木乃伊诅咒”，因其携带的休眠细菌和真菌可能复活，构成健康风险。

数十年来，木乃伊化遗体部位一直受到热衷收藏者的追捧。一些游客在参观西西里的嘉布遣会地下墓穴等地时，甚至会折断手指或偷走整只手作为纪念品。

一篇发表于《国际文化财产杂志》的论文警告称，如今存在“半地下、常为非法的木乃伊化遗骸交易和销售市场”，交易主要通过社交媒体、网站和拍卖行进行。

历史上许多木乃伊制作过程中使用了砷、汞、铅等有毒重金属以减缓尸体腐烂，这些物质在遗骸被防腐处理数十年或数百年后，仍可能对接触者构成健康威胁。

论文警告称：“大多数细菌、真菌和酵母菌能够存活，并在遗体有机物质充足时重新定殖和繁殖，尤其是当遗骸被不当处理或存储条件不佳时。这可能对生者造成额外的生物危害。”

学者们调查了128条出售遗骸的在线帖子，其中一些展示了遗骸被公开摆放在起居室或无温控设施的家中。运送遗骸的邮政工作人员也可能面临风险。

吸入曲霉菌（一种霉菌）孢子曾导致1970年代开启波兰克拉科夫卡齐米日四世国王墓的十名科学家死亡，而同类孢子可能也是1922年图坦卡蒙墓开启一年后卡纳冯勋爵死亡的诱因。

---

21

早餐时我看到了名人生活的两面 汤姆·惠普尔

评论

我们相信自己愿意相信的东西

从希特勒日记到假洛克菲勒，欺骗聪明人总是轻而易举

丹尼尔·芬克尔斯坦

@DANNYTHEFINK

人人都迫切希望这些日记是真的

他精明老练，经验丰富，是一位成熟的人物，也是一颗冉冉升起的新星。2011年，卡尔-特奥多尔·祖·古滕贝格（Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg）在学术和商业领域都取得了成功，政治前途似乎也一片光明。这位默克尔内阁中的保守派国防部长，被视为默克尔之后的总理候选人，并肯定会继续担任高级职务。然而，一切在瞬间崩塌。

一位从事常规研究项目的法学教授偶然发现了古滕贝格2006年博士论文中的异常之处。很快，整个大厦轰然倒塌。不仅是博士学位，还有这位部长作为精英法律学者的声誉以及他的政治生涯。他抄袭了论文中的大段内容，直接粘贴到自己的作品中。

在他实际辞职后，人们立刻意识到这是唯一可能且正确的选择。然而，在揭露与辞职之间的那段时间里，离职的决定遭到了强烈抵制。不仅古滕贝格本人如此，他的保守派支持者，包括媒体支持者，也竭力动员读者支持这位右翼魅力领袖。他们声称这只是一场微不足道的学术争议，与德国紧迫的安全优先事项无关。直到证据变得无法反驳，他们才不得不让步。

现在提起这件事的原因在于，

围绕贾森·阿戴（Jason Arday）的争议中缺少了某些东西。而古滕贝格丑闻正好提示了这一点。

几乎所有关于阿戴行为、学术生涯及其辩护者的批评都是正确的。虽然抄袭可能需要一两分钟才能发现，但他关于个人经历的离奇说法，本应比其雇主和出版商更值得怀疑。即使他的学术成果没有问题，但如此明显空洞的作品竟被视为具有学术价值，实在令人震惊和沮丧。正如语言学教授约翰·麦克沃特（John McWhorter）在曼哈顿研究所的《城市杂志》中所言，阿戴“仅凭采访熟人关于他们经历的种族主义，然后大致呈现他们的说法……就成为剑桥大学的正教授。阿戴被视为天才，因为他那种自我沉迷、缺乏重点、信息不足的努力！”

当这项工作被揭露不仅毫无价值，而且实际上是精心编造的幻想时，阿戴在学术界内外找到了辩护者，其中不乏那位不可避免且荒谬的律师乔利恩·莫姆（Jolyon Maugham），他总是寻找新的方式让自己出丑。这种辩护带有攻击性，暗示指出阿戴的诸多不实之处是种族主义行为。

可以正确地指出，这种辩护显然站不住脚，且被事实所削弱，但之所以会出现，是因为他的辩护者希望他值得拥有这些成就，因此认定他必须如此。他们如此强烈地认同他关于歧视和去殖民化课程的所有观点，以及他所象征的克服劣势的一切，以至于无论是他学术工作的浅薄，还是彻头彻尾的不良行为，都无法阻挡。

因此，阿戴的灾难性事件让人们对其辩护者、雇主，以及所有认真对待他不严肃工作的人提出了合理批评。然而，这种批评中仍然缺少了某些东西。那就是，所有这些人犯下的错误并不局限于左翼“多元化、公平与包容”（DEI）的自由派学者和活动家。这是一个几乎普遍存在的错误，由来自不同职业背景和政治观点的人所犯。

如果古腾堡的例子对你还不够，不妨想想你正在阅读这篇文章的报纸，它曾经宣称希特勒日记的存在及其真实性。这些日记实际上是拙劣的伪造品。在其妙趣横生且令人瞠目结舌的著作《出售希特勒》（Selling Hitler）中，记者（后成为小说家）罗伯特·哈里斯讲述了一个又一个严肃人士——包括一位著名历史学家——如何相信并公开作证，称希特勒确实写过一部日记，这部日记在东方隐匿数十年后重现西方。《泰晤士报》也曾参与其中，对一件完全不靠谱的事推波助澜，只因所有人都迫切希望它是真的。

希特勒日记让一些极其精明的人成了欺诈的受害者。这种能力正是欺诈如此常见的原因，除了受害者本人，所有人都对有人会上当受骗感到困惑。上当受骗并不需要愚蠢，

小费迪南德·沃尔多·德马拉曾冒充外科医生、监狱长和院长

实际上，欺诈者往往依赖于目标的智力。他们需要一个有足够智力看到参与计划好处的人，而这个计划的虚假性要到后来才会暴露。

拥有绝妙名字的玛丽亚·康尼科娃在其著作《信任游戏：我们为何每次都会上当》（The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It ... Every Time）中，列举了从小费迪南德·沃尔多·德马拉（曾冒充海军外科医生、土木工程师、大学校长和监狱长）到克里斯蒂安·格哈特施特赖特（数十年来以克拉克·洛克菲勒的身份示人，自称富豪家族成员），再到那些说服艺术专家相信其赝品为真迹的街头艺术家等形形色色的骗子。

我们都认为容易受骗、轻信荒谬言论或信任背叛我们的人是别人，而不是自己。例如，民主党领袖一边摇头叹息共和党选民忽视唐纳德·特朗普的谎言，一边坚称乔·拜登在身体和精神上都适合再任一届总统。我毫不怀疑奈杰尔·法拉奇对剑桥大学及其天真抱以鄙视，但有一天在芝加哥机场，他最亲密的助手突然被捕，面临敲诈未遂、洗钱、勒索和欺诈等指控，他也大感意外。

我们或多或少都有信任他人的倾向。如果没有这种倾向，社会交往将变得极其困难。但与此同时，我们还有一种特殊的倾向，即相信那些对我们有利的事情，以及那些其故事、想法和提议对我们最有利的人。我们极易被那些方便相信或去做的事情所蒙蔽。

阿戴丑闻的讽刺之处在于，他的名声大噪恰恰是因为他的崩溃成了许多人既有看法的绝佳佐证。他们早就认为他那类工作带有偏见，且之所以受到青睐，并非基于其价值，而是因为提拔他能显示其赞助者在种族问题上的进步性。因此，整个事件让自由派学术的批评者感到极为满足。

这一次，批评者是对的，我认为现在对阿戴的评价是公正且真实的。但真正的教训在于，我们所有人——即使在并不正确的情况下——都容易被方便的事情冲昏头脑。这对大学和自由派来说是一个教训，但对我们其他人来说，也有值得借鉴的地方。

daniel.finkelstein@thetimes.co.uk

与作家面对面：与安·帕切特和梅格·梅森的夜晚

我们做出的选择。我们为生存而讲述的故事。人类联结的美好。安·帕切特和梅格·梅森将与《泰晤士报》和《星期日泰晦士报》副文学与小说编辑劳拉·哈克特一同探讨她们的新小说及更广泛的作品。当晚将探讨作为一名作家的意义——对这些畅销书作家而言，这在许多方面也是作为人类的意义。

9月2日，星期三 / 7.30pm 伦敦布赖恩斯顿广场圣玛丽教堂，W1H 1PQ

《泰晤士报》活动 请访问 thetimes.com / events 预订门票

---

22

评论

谁将保护冰岛的安全：美国还是欧洲？

考虑到俄罗斯在北极地区日益增长的威胁，雷克雅未克的困境与我们所有人息息相关

罗杰·博伊斯

@ROGERBOYES

一个拥有400,000人口的战略要地岛国将于本月下旬举行公投，决定是否恢复与欧盟的全面成员国谈判。冰岛的公投本不应成为悬念——它已相当“欧洲化”，是申根边境协议成员国，位于欧洲经济区内，也是北约的早期成员国，尽管它没有常备军。然而，民调显示政府仅有50%的机会通过公投。冰岛领导人已在考虑，如果强势的布鲁塞尔在正式加入其俱乐部时提出过多要求，是否应举行第二次决定性的“留欧 / 脱欧”公投。

若这听起来像维京人酒角中的一场过境风暴，请再思考。冰岛人生活在欧洲与美洲之间的地质断层上，自视为欧洲文明的奠基者，同时也是美国拓荒精神的化身。在2008年金融危机导致该国破产前的富裕时期，周末购物常常在曼哈顿进行。冰岛寡头们收购了美国航空和萨克斯第五大道的大量股份。

如今面临正式抉择：冰岛是否仍能依赖美国提供的安全保护？抑或与欧盟更深度结盟才是更安全的选择？一个贸易岛国必须保持对世界开放；没有严肃的保护主义选项，也没有自给自足的前景。在危机时刻，身处相互依存世界的小国注定脆弱。

本月公投背后的危机源于对特朗普政府稳定性的信任崩溃。讨论吞并格陵兰——美国和冰岛的邻居——令雷克雅未克不安。格陵兰仍在努力应对丹麦资金不足的自治，而冰岛早在1944.就从哥本哈根赢得了完全独立。即便如此—。

近期在冰岛附近水域发现俄罗斯间谍船

白宫的朋友和家人将冰岛视为矿产开采的便利投资地，这一能力令冰岛感到震惊。

安全保障会变得多么交易化？冰岛需要多努力地讨好华盛顿才能维持关系的稳定？正如冰岛亲欧盟阵营（包括外交部长索尔盖尔杜尔·卡特琳·贡纳尔斯多蒂尔）所主张的那样，至少与布鲁塞尔结盟可以形成人多势众的优势。许多欧盟国家已向格陵兰派遣了象征性的部队。法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙也曾到访。如果冰岛拒绝全面加入欧盟，他们是否也会为冰岛做同样的事？

马克龙甚至会愿意起床吗？这是一个早于特朗普时代的困境。2008年，我在撰写一本关于冰岛和金融危机的书时，曾住在雷克雅未克一位强势的房东希尔杜尔·黑尔加·西于尔扎多蒂尔家的地下室，并在一场罕见的暴风雪中被困了三天。她书架上的读物包括诺贝尔奖得主哈尔多尔·拉克斯内斯的一部讽刺小说，该小说写于20世纪40年代，当时冰岛正在讨论是否加入北约，并决定在凯夫拉维克设立美军基地。他的问题在于：接纳外国军队是否能保障国家安全，还是会放弃国家主权？

接下来的阅读清单是埃纳尔·卡拉索尼的《魔鬼岛》，故事背景设定在冷战时期的一个废弃盟军军营，描绘了美国消费主义与冰岛民族传统之间的冲突，并提出了一个问题：对外部军事保护的依赖是否最终会导致社会的原子化？

然后是一堆冰岛黑色小说，它们提出的问题是：如果北极的未来防务是在冰岛人不知情的情况下秘密谈判的，既无透明度也无监督，会发生什么？这是一个通过各种虚构情节展开的辩论，核心在于：当外部大国的保护导致控制权和身份认同的丧失时，会发生什么。

所有这些主题仍然是冰岛国内讨论的活跃议题，不仅限于冰岛，也不仅限于小国，更不仅限于一个难以预测的超级大国的近邻。而当北极海冰水平急剧下降时，这些问题变得尤为紧迫。

俄罗斯的威胁也是真实存在的。它正在重新启用苏联时代的海军基地，在俄罗斯北极港口部署先进的防空系统，扩充科拉半岛的北方舰队。近期在冰岛附近水域发现了俄罗斯间谍船，潜艇正在北大西洋寻找通道，俄罗斯显然有兴趣破坏横跨大西洋的光纤数据电缆，以及新北约成员国芬兰和瑞典之间的电缆。

因此，美国和欧洲自然有兴趣说服冰岛不只是另一个潜在的21世纪海上战场的被动观察者。例如，芬兰正在建造一批破冰船，供美国海军在北极使用。冰岛没有这种重型军用造船能力；它拥有一支曾在20世纪70年代鳕鱼战争中试图吓退英国船只的海岸警卫队，但借助美国或欧洲的帮助，这支警卫队可以被现代化为一支强大的反潜探测力量。

然而，首先需要确立政治背景。欧盟委员会及其政治领导人对吓跑冰岛选民、导致他们投出反对票感到紧张。他们似乎认为，与其与特朗普正面交锋或涉足浑浊的地缘政治水域，不如含糊地承诺未来在渔业配额上做出让步。他们错了。亚北极的冰岛清楚地知道北极高纬度地区正在发生的事情，并理应从欧洲和美国那里得到一个直接的答案：谁会帮助我们保持安全？

以色列希望和平，但哈马斯必须完全解除武装 —— 乔纳森·康里克斯

和平委员会为加沙提出的计划，在47年流血与绝望中带来了一线罕见的希望。其核心是一个直接的提议：分阶段解除哈马斯及其他巴勒斯坦恐怖组织的武装，以换取以色列军队最终撤出。以色列人和加沙人都迫切希望哈马斯的武器被收缴。加沙实现非军事化，并建立一种新的领导形式——基于相互尊重的共存，而非无休止的圣战。

许多以色列人仍未从10月2日的恐怖中恢复过来，他们认为这是恢复加沙边境基布兹和城镇安全的唯一可靠途径。他们不愿进行无限期的军事行动。撇开民间言论不谈，无论是以色列公众还是军方，都不希望无限期留在加沙。

他们想要的是简单的目标：围栏另一侧不再存在一个持有火箭弹、地道和灭绝意识形态的种族灭绝恐怖组织。加沙人同样有充分理由支持这一目标。多年来，一个将地道和火箭弹置于学校、医院和繁荣之上的黑帮式统治，已造成了惨重代价。

然而，历史教训告诫我们要谨慎。哈马斯有着善于策略性停火的记录。伊斯兰教中的哈德纳（hadna，暂时停火）概念，常在圣战武装处于劣势时被援引，一旦实力恢复便会被打破。如果当前的和平协议仅仅是另一个哈德纳，它将注定失败。真正需要的是彻底的解除武装：每一枚远程火箭、每一支AK-47、完整的地道网络地图以及武器制造点的位置，均需在独立的国际核查下移交。

以色列的行动将完全取决于这一核查是否发生。在当前的政治氛围下，以色列官方未立即表态支持是可以理解的。随着2017年选举临近，任何政府都会警惕接受可能将平民置于危险的国际指令。但一旦加沙地带得到可核查的非军事化，以色列便有充分动力撤军。

加沙的巴勒斯坦人拥有自主权。他们可以选择繁荣、尊严与共存，而非屡屡招致毁灭的意识形态。这一选择始于交出那些使和平政治无法实现的武器。

责任现在落在持枪者身上：交出武器，允许核查程序进行，让共存的可能性最终生根。任何不彻底的做法都将使所有人重回已夺走太多生命的致命循环。

乔纳森·康里克斯曾于2017年至2021年担任以色列国防军国际发言人。

汤姆·惠普尔手记

早餐时我见识了名人生活的两面

每当我想到成名，想到在街上被认出——被陌生人当作朋友般搭讪，意识到自己最微不足道的遗忘瞬间将成为他们永久的餐桌谈资——我就会想起两次酒店早餐自助餐。一次是几周前，另一次，也就是第一次，则是十年前。

如今回想起来，我记得那位略有名气的女士下楼吃早餐时的头饰。通常人们不会在二月早晨八点的威尔士酒店餐厅戴着甜点造型的帽子。我没理她，继续吃我的吐司。

但那顶甜点帽显然不是用来被忽视的。它的主人坐在桌前，调整椅子角度，面向整个餐厅。然后她等待着。接下来的五分钟里，她对我们这些普通人露出勉强的微笑，而我们则安静地喝着普通的咖啡。

不知怎的，她改变了餐厅的氛围，让人觉得忽视她似乎不太礼貌。直到尴尬达到极点，我旁边的可怜男士终于忍不住开口：“您不是……那个歌手吗？”

话音刚落，早餐的宁静便被打破——她成了女王，整个餐厅都是她的宫廷。我们听到了每一个经过多年打磨的轶事。这些故事都很精彩，但依然让人觉得有些奇怪。尽管已有20年的名气，她仍无法被忽视，哪怕是在吃早餐时。

安静地吃鸡蛋

第二次早餐发生在这个夏天。当时我主持了一场对话，对话嘉宾是一位绝对的A级明星。走回酒店的路上，我稍微体会到了这意味着什么。有人上前要求自拍，有人试图通过牵强的联系或模糊的共同熟人来拉近关系。他礼貌地回应：“不，他不记得那个人。”“好的，他可以拍照。”每个人都出于好意，没有人咄咄逼人。但整体感觉却像是一种侵扰。

第二天早上，我们一起吃早餐，这种情况仍在继续。不时有人走近拿羊角面包，看到他后便告诉他自己有多喜欢他。他始终彬彬有礼，但显然也明显感到不自在。他经历这种情况已有40年，却依然没有找到应对之道。他只是想安静地吃完他的班尼迪克蛋。换句话说，他和普通人没什么两样。

我不会说出他的名字，因为我猜他不希望我这么做。我也不会说出那位歌手的名字，因为我猜她可能也不希望。

我何时会过期？

该换新护照了。办理新护照的过程让人非常满意——我绝不是第一个注意到这一点的人：这是政府运作得非常好的一个环节。高效、便捷、说到做到。负责这项工作的人应该被调去管理NHS或公务采购，甚至是核威慑系统。即便如此，我还是有点舍不得旧护照。它的页面以舒适的官僚风格记录了十年来的冒险经历。我还记得当初拿到它时，2026年看起来遥不可及。如今回首，我已走过这么多。尽管经历了这些冒险，我自欺欺人地认为，自己看起来与2016年照片中的那个人并没有太大不同。

但现在我有了新护照，也有了新的有效期。这一次，2036年又显得遥不可及——尽管2016年仿佛就在昨天。我想，如果运气好的话，在我有生之年，我还会再经历三次对有效期与签发日期的困惑。不免让人感到有些不祥。距离我自己的“过期”还有三次护照更新。不过，至少网站运行良好。

幸福掌握在我们手中

在2008年金融危机期间，一篇新闻报道下方有一条评论，我至今仍记忆犹新，却再也未能找到。因此，我将其转述如下。评论说：“大家都在说这可能会像1970年代那样。但我记得1970年代。我住在海边，每天都会带着蹒跚学步的孩子在沙滩上散步。1970年代很美好。”

我常常想起这条评论。诚然，国家层面的状况——经济、政治、地缘政治——都很重要。但我们的幸福大多掌握在自己手中。

马修·帕里斯外出

---

23

评论

购买《泰晤士报》漫画的印刷品或签名版，请访问我们的印刷画廊timescartoons.com，或致电0800 912 7136

警方厌女痼疾致西蒙·利维逍遥行凶

连环袭击者强奸杀人的明显迹象被忽视，尽管已有莎拉·埃弗拉德遇害的教训

索尼娅·索德哈

@SONIASODHA

阅读关于西蒙·利维的报道，人们很快就会数不清警方有多少次失职，让他从在地铁上性侵升级到谋杀两名女性。距离伦敦警察厅警员韦恩·库曾斯谋杀莎拉·埃弗拉德已过去五年多，此人曾多次因暴露癖被举报，同事们甚至给他起了“强奸犯”的绰号。这一案件再次引发疑问：情况究竟改变了多少？

利维于2017年首次因性侵被警方登记在案，但直到他再犯两起性侵后，才于2021年被判入狱。服刑不足一年，他又袭击了一名女性狱警，尽管有监控录像且当天即被举报，伦敦警察厅却在一年后才对他进行讯问，而此时他已因服刑期满一半获假释出狱。

获释数月后，他在地铁上袭击了一名女性，但英国交通警察直到两年后才将其识别。随后，他因一起强奸指控被送回监狱，但仅服刑三个月便刑满释放。出狱后，伦敦警察厅做出了一个不同寻常的决定，将其从高风险性犯罪者降级为中风险。

此后，他又实施了多起性侵，并在2025年初暴力强奸了一名弱势女性，警方几乎未跟进调查。同年，他残忍杀害了卡门萨·巴伦西亚-特鲁希略（Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo）和谢里尔·威尔金斯。在两起谋杀之间，他还在地铁上实施了多起性侵，每次都被准予保释，尽管他此前曾违反保释条件。

并非所有猥亵者都会成为杀人犯，但像利维和库曾斯这样的男性，总是会从轻度侵犯升级到强奸和谋杀。除了亲自上门自首，利维已无法更明确地展示他所构成的风险。然而，警方一次又一次未能以应有的严肃态度对待他的罪行，任由他从性侵升级到强奸再到谋杀，始终未受执法机构阻拦。

利维的案例提醒我们，在政府因监狱床位短缺计划提前释放14,000名家暴者回社区之际，警方和缓刑机构在追踪危险男性方面究竟有多糟糕。而他的罪行也并非警方未能解决埃弗拉德遇害所暴露的制度性问题的唯一表现。

去年年底，妇女司法中心就性犯罪调查长期拖延提交了一份超级投诉：当时有近14,000起调查已开展

警队中太多警员对同僚中的家暴者视而不见

超过三年的未结案件中，有1,700多起已拖延七年以上。这对受害者而言显然是灾难性的，同时也意味着下一个利维可能仍逍遥法外，继续恐吓女性。

这种制度性的松懈态度不仅源于警队内部的厌女情绪，还根植于一种文化——警员对同僚中的家暴者视而不见，甚至包庇纵容。一些被指控家暴的警员不仅未被追责，反而被提拔负责强奸和家暴案件的执法工作；而报告男性警员施暴的女警员则面临打击报复。

从警职业不仅吸引希望服务公众的正直公民，也吸引了那些以支配和暴力为乐的恶劣之徒：这类人不仅可能轻视针对女性的暴力，甚至亲自实施暴力。这使得严格的背景审查和鼓励同僚举报可疑行为变得至关重要。然而，避难所（Refuge）的研究显示，在2022-23年度，仅有四分之一（23%）被指控对女性施暴的警员和工作人员在调查期间被停职。最近，BBC《全景》栏目的卧底调查才揭露了查令十字警察局警员中长期存在却无人问津的严重厌女和种族主义行为。

令人震惊的是，诺森伯兰郡警方对待雷切尔·弗莱彻（Rachel Fletcher）的方式与上述情况形成了鲜明对比。弗莱彻是一名探员，负责调查男性罪犯，包括一名多次实施儿童性侵的惯犯。上周，她因同僚指控其发表“所有男人都是强奸犯”和将自称女性的男性称为“穿裙子的鸡巴”等言论，被严重失职听证会立即开除。

她否认上述指控，称自己实际说过“所有强奸犯都是男人”，并开玩笑说应对男性实施宵禁以防止强奸，还批评了一项由其所在警队警监制定的非法且已修订的全国性政策——该政策要求女警员对自称女性的男性进行脱衣搜查。弗莱彻相当可信地认为，她是因不愿配合这项厌女政策而受到惩罚，并发现自己与韦恩·库曾斯（Wayne Couzens）被列入同一禁入警务名单。她将在法庭上对开除决定提出异议。

我感到震惊的是，警方在驱逐一名帮助将性侵犯绳之以法的资深女警员时如此雷厉风行，仅因几句在工作中有争议的言论，而对清除内部虐待女性的男性警员却表现得如此糟糕，并继续犯下致命错误，让利维这样的暴力罪犯得以强奸和杀人。这暗示了一种文化：警方对涉嫌冒犯男性的言论采取不同的处理标准，而对针对女性的真实暴力却轻描淡写，也表明警队在解决制度性厌女问题上仍有很长的路要走。

爱丽丝·汤姆森休假中

---

24

读者来信

对PC杀手提前释放的法律斗争

先生： 关于贵报《伯纳姆要求制定计划，将PC杀手继续关押》（8月11日）的报道，获准假释的囚犯并非“提前”释放。假释是刑事判决的一项特征，旨在平衡监禁惩罚与社区康复，以减少再犯。若政府认真对待监狱过度拥挤问题，必须解决数千名服刑期限（现已属非法的）不定期徒刑囚犯的安全释放问题，这些囚犯已多次服满刑期。此外，近期披露的数据显示，被召回监狱的囚犯人数现已超过获释囚犯人数。

或许这位最优秀的大法官应将精力投入这些系统性问题，而非设计精巧的借口，将2名特定囚犯继续关押在现有地址。

奥利弗·佩特南 大律师，5纸楼，坦普尔

先生： 约翰·扬（8月10日来信）似乎认为所有谋杀或过失杀人案件性质相同，公众舆论的呼声不应影响对这些罪行定罪者的提前释放决定。尽管任何涉及他人死亡的刑事犯罪均应受到谴责，但涉及一线应急人员的案件对社会造成的影响有所不同。警察、消防员和救护人员代表我们冲向危险。他们遭非法杀害与普通公民被害不同，因为他们为我们服务。若期望他们保护我们，就必须有严厉的威慑手段，尽可能阻止对保护者的杀害。

迈克尔·福普博士 白金汉郡，索尔伯里

先生： 难以置信的是，被判过失杀人或危险驾驶致人死亡等杀人罪的囚犯，其释放时间竟比判决时预期的更早。没有一位接受采访的部长能说明将有多少此类囚犯获释。我们的监狱是否真的如此拥挤，以至于必须如此提前释放这些杀人犯？

布赖恩·奥尼尔御用大律师 2哈尔庭，坦普尔

先生： 首相表示，他越来越有信心找到解决方案，防止杰西·科尔和阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯提前释放，尽管目前尚未想到任何对策。显然，一个可行的选项是以公众愤怒为由阻止其提前释放，因为一旦获释，将构成对公共秩序的威胁，且无法保障其在狱外的安全。我记得，当迈拉·欣德利开始争取假释时，曾提出过类似的理由。

APM·里斯 卡菲利

先生： 尽管科尔和鲍尔斯可能不应提前释放（900,000多人联署请愿持相同观点），但为使监狱系统“正常运转”而需释放的其他5,000名囚犯的劣迹，并未向公众公开。既然首相热衷于受公众舆论影响（因而可被贴上民粹主义标签），或许可说服BBC举办一档电话参与节目，让观众对每名囚犯进行投票表决，若出现平局，由伯纳姆投下决定性一票。

托尼·齐米特罗维奇 克罗伊登

20英里时速限制在减少伤害中的作用

先生，对于您的读者（8月11日）因家人以22英里和23英里时速驾驶而导致汽车保险费用增加500英镑的遭遇，我难以不感到同情。然而，车速是导致儿童行人伤亡的主要因素，任何在急诊室或创伤服务部门工作的人都会有更糟糕的故事。行人被以30英里时速撞击时，受重伤或死亡的风险为45%，而以20英里时速撞击时仅为5%。

在所有车辆都安装自动紧急制动系统之前，我们或许应当采纳奥地利格拉茨的政策，即在80%的居民区将30公里 / 小时（30英里 / 小时）设为默认限速，从而消除驾驶员以“限速变化导致混淆”为借口的无力辩解。

理查德·科尔博士 FRCS 索尔兹伯里

先生，利比·普维斯（8月10日）特别提到了“捷豹中的流氓”。我驾驶一辆捷豹，但在限速20英里的路段会严格遵守限速。我所在的街道及其连接的主干道均实行这一限速；我的捷豹在这种速度下行驶得很平稳。我小时候在建成区被一辆超速行驶的汽车撞倒，如今行走困难，47年后仍会因此做噩梦。 珍妮弗·休赖特 约克郡韦克菲尔德

先生，与利比·普维斯一样，我参加过三次速度意识课程。奇怪的是，没有一门课程提到现代汽车——尤其是电动汽车——惊人的初始加速度。汽车制造商总是引用0-60英里时速的加速时间作为性能指标，但0-30英里时速的加速时间更为重要。在交通灯前起步时，20英里或30英里的限速可能在几秒钟内就被超过。 约翰·阿什顿 萨福克郡格莱姆斯福德

先生，询问任何急诊室工作人员，他们更愿意被以20英里还是30英里时速行驶的车辆撞击。汽车变得越来越重，对车内人员也越来越安全，但这是以牺牲车外人员的安全为代价的。 汤姆·德恩（骨科医生） 伯克郡斯特拉特菲尔德莫蒂默

身份政治

先生，尽管我同意贾尔斯·科伦（专栏，8月11日）的观点，即我们该停止讨论安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎了，但我认为这不适用于贾森·阿代。正如奈杰尔·比格在其《雷霆报》（8月11日）中所言，此事引发了关于大学中身份政治的重要问题。这些问题值得讨论。 约翰·牛顿 北约克郡瑟斯克

声音奇旅

先生，我对蒂姆·姚（来信，8月11日）深表同情。我建议打算观看《奥德赛》的朋友，尤其是IMAX版本，戴上眼罩以遮挡血腥场面，并戴上耳塞以抵挡刺耳的高分贝配乐。除此之外，这部电影还是相当不错的。

吉莉·亨德里 东洛锡安郡古伦

致《泰晤士报》的信件必须为独家投稿，并可能经过编辑

涉嫌贩运可卡因

《泰晤士报》1926年8月12, 1926

本杰明·怀特（Benjamin White），43，在马尔伯勒街警察法庭受审，被控在丹麦街非法持有可卡因。此外，他还面临与22支鸦片烟枪及一定数量吗啡有关的指控，据称这些物品是在其住所发现的。

一名侦探称，他看到一名女子将一张国库券递给被告，被告将其放入口袋后，取出某物交给该女子。侦探拦下两人，抓住女子的手腕。女子张开手，

证人从中取得一个纸包，内装白色粉末。女子告诉他，怀特刚刚以10先令的价格将其卖给了她。被告则称不认识该女子，也未给过她任何东西。被告掉落一个火柴盒，内装与前述相似的白色粉末。证人在警察局搜查被告时，在其口袋中发现一张10先令纸币，钱包中还有一张10先令纸币。他前往被告位于剑桥台的住址，发现了与被告掉落的火柴盒相似的盒子。

一名来自苏格兰场的探长称，在逮捕被告后，他前往其住址。在一个上锁的抽屉柜中，他发现了三个纸板盒，内装22支标有“盐酸吗啡”的试管，以及大量同样标签的空药瓶。在卧室外的一个房间内，他发现了两支鸦片烟枪，

用一套睡衣裹着。还有一个罐子，内装类似鸦片的黑色物质，以及两根鸦片针。

在被告房间内发现的物品中，有两张银行收据，对应两个密封包裹。7月29日，他前往银行，根据收据领取了两个包裹，并在被告在场的情况下打开。

一名政府化验师提供证据称，他分析的两个纸包中的物质含有50%可卡因。他还表示，他分析了三盒白色药片试管，这些药片含有盐酸吗啡。

被告辩称“无罪”，被还押候审，保释金为其本人具结1,000 英镑及£100的担保人。

水之争

先生：当我在贵报上看到泰晤士水务公司给其首席财务官一笔100万英镑的“入职”奖金（8月11）时，以下情况应予记录。在过去的48小时内，我家对面的街道上一直有自来水涌出，现已形成两股水流流入排水沟。我和附近的一些建筑工人向泰晤士水务公司发出了紧急投诉（这一过程本身似乎复杂得令人难以置信）。最终结果：无任何行动。截至我写这封信时，水仍在涌出。与此同时，我的植物正在枯萎。 主啊，这要持续到何时？ 罗宾·贝尔德-史密斯 伦敦NW3

医学骗局

先生：我妻子在长期担任全科医生职业生涯的后期，曾收到一个咖啡杯，上面印着：“请勿将你的谷歌搜索结果与我的医学学位混为一谈。”

或许特朗普总统和罗伯特·F·肯尼迪 Jr.也应收到同样的提醒（“特朗普签署命令限制儿童疫苗，因未经证实的自闭症关联”，8月10）。

安德鲁·科尔曼 伦敦E11

敞篷车犯罪

先生：贵报列举了敞篷车受欢迎程度下降的多种原因，但忽略了最明显的一点——软顶车篷容易被小偷和破坏者划破（《软顶车的落幕：车道上满是SUV》，新闻，8月10）。我对此深有体会，曾10次遭遇此类事件，如今改开一辆乏味但更安全的轿车，车顶坚固让人安心。

吉莉安·内森 赫特福德郡，申利

支持艺术

先生，《皇家芭蕾舞团与歌剧院》宣布需要6000万英镑才能继续开放（《资金紧张的场馆警告称除非升级建筑，否则歌剧将面临恐慌》，8月2日）。为何我们的博物馆和画廊能够对所有人免费开放，而表演艺术却没有足够的资金？或许应该设立一个类似于艺术基金的特别表演艺术基金。

特里斯坦·汉布尔顿 歌手，伦敦SE23

富有韵味的威尔士类型片

先生，我相信在威尔士更名电影市场中（读者来信，8月6-8、10及11日）还有空间容纳《三鱼大叔》（Dai of the Trifish）。

奈杰尔·丹多 波蒂斯黑德，萨默塞特

先生，对于有圣经情怀的人来说，《十蒂戒》（The Tethy Commandments），对于间谍片爱好者来说，《伊德里斯档案》（The Idris File），而对于浪漫主义者来说，《当巴里遇见普尔赫利》（When Barry Met Pwllheli）。

玛丽·罗比 伦敦N7

先生，《飞天万能车邦戈》（Chitty Chitty Bangor）？ 安德鲁·泰特 泰晤士河畔戈林，牛津郡

深受喜爱的狗

先生，我的岳父是荷兰人，他说在来世最想成为一只英国人的狗（读者来信，8月10及11日）。

爱德华·伍兹 托斯特，北安普敦郡

---

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月12日，星期三

25

社论

每日环球纪事

库克群岛： 举行大选。 挪威： 公布主权财富基金半年业绩。 世界： 联合国国际青年日。

自然笔记

随着干旱将生命从北约克郡挤压殆尽，即使是深根的草甸植物也开始枯萎。沟渠、溪流、河流、山塘和沼泽成了绿洲。在巴尔克村，以其命名的溪流穿过松软的泥土，柳兰仍设法茁壮生长，形成高逾2米的茂密群落。野生蜜蜂欣然接受其花粉和花蜜；大象天蛾在夜幕降临后造访这种植物——其叶片是它们幼虫的食物。柳兰是夏季的标志性植物之一。在《柳林风声》中，它占据了中心舞台，当鼹鼠和河鼠回顾他们共度的夏日时，这些花朵被形容为“柔和而惆怅，宛如粉红色的落日云霞”。乔纳森·图洛赫

今日生日

马克·诺普夫勒（Mark Knopfler），歌手兼词曲作者，Dire Straits 乐队，《罗密欧与朱丽叶》（1981），《生命之路》（1985），77 岁；凯西·阿弗莱克（Casey Affleck），演员，《海边的曼彻斯特》（2016），《奥本海默》（2024），51 岁；迈克尔·布伦森（Michael Brunsom），广播员，ITN 政治编辑（1986-2000），86 岁；卡拉·迪瓦伊（Cara Delevingne），模特兼演员，《纸上城市》（2015），《星际特工：千星之城》（2017），《狂欢之城》（2019-23），34 岁；阿瑟·爱德华兹（Arthur Edwards），《太阳报》王室摄影师（自 1977 年起），86 岁；布拉德利·弗里德爵士（Sir Bradley Fried），金融家，Partners Capital（投资公司）董事长，高盛国际及高盛国际银行董事长（2023-24），英格兰银行法院主席（2018-22），61 岁；泰森·富里（Tyson Fury），拳击手，前多届世界重量级冠军，38 岁；乔治·汉密尔顿（George Hamilton），演员，《佐罗：同志刀锋》（1981），《助理主教：第三部》（1990），87 岁；弗朗索瓦·奥朗德（Francois Hollande），

法国总统（2012-17），72 岁；萨姆·J·琼斯（Sam J Jones），演员，以主演《飞侠哥顿》（1980）闻名，72 岁；戴维·金爵士教授（Prof Sir David King），剑桥大学气候修复中心创始人兼主席（2019-23），英国气候变化特别代表（2013-17），英国政府首席科学顾问（2000-07），87 岁；戴维·李（David Lee），爵士钢琴家兼作曲家，曾为诺曼·威兹登和朱迪·加兰等明星编曲，100 岁；迈克尔·莱特斯（Michael Leiters），保时捷股份公司首席执行官，55 岁；罗恩·梅尔（Ron Mael），音乐家，Sparks 乐队，《这个镇容不下我们俩》（1974）；《赶在时钟前》（1979），81 岁；阿曼达·雷德曼（Amanda Redman），演员，《与布拉思韦特一家同住》（2000-03），《新侦探》（2003-13），69 岁；皮特·桑普拉斯（Pete Sampras），网球运动员，13 届大满贯冠军，其中包括 7 届温布尔登男子单打冠军，55 岁；乔治·索罗斯（George Soros），索罗斯基金管理公司创始人（1970），96 岁；塔妮娅·蒂卡拉姆（Tanita Tikaram），歌手兼词曲作者，《忧伤的缠绕》（1988），57 岁；格雷厄姆·怀利爵士（Sir Graham Wylie），Sage 软件集团联合创始人兼技术服务集团创始人，67 岁。

布伦森（Brunsom），广播员，ITN 政治编辑（1986-2000），86 岁；卡拉·迪瓦伊（Cara Delevingne），模特兼演员，《纸上城市》（2015），《星际特工：千星之城》（2017），《狂欢之城》（2019-23），34 岁；阿瑟·爱德华兹（Arthur Edwards），《太阳报》王室摄影师（自 1977 年起），86 岁；布拉德利·弗里德爵士（Sir Bradley Fried），金融家，Partners Capital（投资公司）董事长，高盛国际及高盛国际银行董事长（2023-24），英格兰银行法院主席（2018-22），61 岁；泰森·富里（Tyson Fury），拳击手，前多届世界重量级冠军，38 岁；乔治·汉密尔顿（George Hamilton），演员，《佐罗：同志刀锋》（1981），《助理主教：第三部》（1990），87 岁；弗朗索瓦·奥朗德（Francois Hollande），法国总统（2012-17），72 岁；萨姆·J·琼斯（Sam J Jones），演员，以主演《飞侠哥顿》（1980）闻名，72 岁；戴维·金爵士教授（Prof Sir David King），剑桥大学

气候修复中心创始人兼主席（2019-23），英国气候变化特别代表（2013-17），英国政府首席科学顾问（2000-07），87 岁；戴维·李（David Lee），爵士钢琴家兼作曲家，曾为诺曼·威兹登和朱迪·加兰等明星编曲，100 岁；迈克尔·莱特斯（Michael Leiters），保时捷股份公司首席执行官，55 岁；罗恩·梅尔（Ron Mael），音乐家，Sparks 乐队，《这个镇容不下我们俩》（1974）；《赶在时钟前》（1979），81 岁；阿曼达·雷德曼（Amanda Redman），演员，《与布拉思韦特一家同住》（2000-03），《新侦探》（2003-13），69 岁；皮特·桑普拉斯（Pete Sampras），网球运动员，13 届大满贯冠军，其中包括 7 届温布尔登男子单打冠军，55 岁；乔治·索罗斯（George Soros），索罗斯基金管理公司创始人（1970），96 岁；塔妮娅·蒂卡拉姆（Tanita Tikaram），歌手兼词曲作者，《忧伤的缠绕》（1988），57 岁；格雷厄姆·怀利爵士（Sir Graham Wylie），Sage 软件集团联合创始人兼技术服务集团创始人，67 岁。

本日历史

1908 年，亨利·福特的首辆 Model T 汽车驶下流水装配线，定价 $850。

最后的话

“现代思想的伟大准则不仅是包容一切，更是审视一切。正是通过审视那些极为简陋、极为乏味、极无前景的事物，科学才得以发展至今。” ——沃尔特·白芝浩，《英国宪制》（1894）

说到做到

安迪·伯纳姆运用其职权阻止了杀害哈珀警员的凶手获释。他必须以同样的热忱应对非法移民问题

部长们做决定。这一简单的事实是英国宪政的基石，但近年来却被刻意遗忘。基尔·斯塔默表现得过于被动，而他的保守党前任们也好不到哪去——他们用无人问责的附属机构束缚自己的手脚，将权力拱手让给了面目模糊的官员。

因此，安迪·伯纳姆值得一些赞誉。本周的表现表明，他理解自己职位的权威。基尔·斯塔默曾多次同意提前释放囚犯，包括一些被判犯有严重罪行的囚犯，理由是官员们告诉他别无选择。伯纳姆意识到公众的道德愤怒既紧迫又合理，于是推动公务员寻找方法，将强奸犯、严重儿童性犯罪者和诱拐者排除在提前释放之外。伯纳姆似乎在这一努力上取得了成功，但他自己也承认，这还不够。

近日，围绕2019年残忍且无意义地杀害安德鲁·哈珀警员的凶手的愤怒仍在持续，其中两人有资格于明年提前获释。当《泰晤士报》问及首相是否会介入以将他们继续关押时，唐宁街的回答斩钉截铁：他会介入。伯纳姆面临着与前任相同的严峻选择，

但他拒绝接受更好的解决方案不可能存在。他认为，在困难时期执政并不意味着宣布自己无能为力。

当然，伯纳姆可能最终无法兑现承诺。但看到他抵制近年来常被视为治国之道的有害失败主义和习得性无助，令人耳目一新。他证明了政府在面对争议或挑战时仍有能力采取行动。部长们确实做决定，而伯纳姆决定回应公众的正当愤怒，而不是置之不理。他应在未来的其他斗争中保持这一态度。

如果首相要证明自己在以不同方式从政，那么他必须以对待司法部的热忱来掌控内政部。没有什么比非法移民危机更能体现伯纳姆所抨击的“无人问责的国家”。他留任了理解强大边境对一个有效运转的国家至关重要的莎哈萨·马哈茂德为内政大臣，这是正确的决定。

小船偷渡人数较去年已大幅下降。但良好的意图和渐进式的改善，无论多么可喜，都还不够。伯纳姆知道这一点。他昨天谈到减少后的数字时说：“这还不够。人们会对我说，他们不希望看到任何偷渡。”他是对的。选民告诉民调机构，移民仍是他们最关心的问题。此外，在现代注意力经济中，有前景的统计数据无法回应上个月70,000名移民涌入休达的画面，或本周230人乘坐“超大型橡皮艇”穿越英吉利海峡的景象。

伯纳姆指出，他自己的选民希望看到行动。他承诺要“改变关于非法移民的对话”，并采取不懈行动改变英国应对这场危机的“策略”。但首相需要的是一个大胆的新战略。在他对提前释放囚犯的勤勉回应中，他让选民有理由相信他言出必行。

首相应拒绝在非法移民问题上接受任何拒绝的答复。英国需要切实有效的威慑手段——包括在海外设立遣返中心（如福克兰群岛，用于接收未经授权入境者）——并严厉打击那些维持英吉利海峡小船致命偷渡活动的不合理福利激励机制。机会之窗已经开启。《YouGov》最新调查显示，工党仅以微弱优势领先于改革英国党。伯纳姆无法承担浪费公众脆弱信任的后果，也无法错失修复英国开放边境的机会。

选举闹剧

俄罗斯唯一正式反对乌克兰战争的政党已被取缔

如今，俄罗斯人已无合法途径在投票箱前表达对乌克兰战争的反对。本周，应一个亲普京的小型顺从政党提出的莫须有指控，俄罗斯最高法院禁止“亚博卢科”党参加下月的议会选举。“亚博卢科”是一个成立于鲍里斯·叶利钦时代的自由派政党，尽管屡遭打压，仍能在一定程度上表达对普京总统的反对，并呼吁结束战争。该党约40名活动人士面临起诉，其副领导人正在服刑七年。警方威胁在法院外抗议的人群，将以“涡流清除”手段将其送往征兵中心。

普京最初允许“亚博卢科”参选，试图为国家杜马选举增添些许可信度。但随着反战情绪日渐低沉却不断增长，以及乌克兰对军营、炼油厂、配送中心和关键经济目标的打击愈发有效，公众士气受损，普京开始担忧。其支持率已降至66%——这是自战争开始以来的最低点（尽管专家认为，这一数字仍远高于其实际支持率）。为安抚选民，普京昨日飞抵新西伯利亚——西伯利亚最大的城市，也是他三周内到访的第六座大城市。而在另一场近乎闹剧般的“波将金村”重演中，伊尔库茨克和克拉斯诺亚尔斯克两座西伯利亚城市的地方当局在普京访问期间降低了汽油价格，待其离开后又立即上调。

普京的行程或许也旨在提振自身士气。俄罗斯的国际地位正遭受围攻。在叙利亚总统阿萨德倒台后，其在中东的影响力大幅削弱；在非洲萨赫勒地区，前瓦格纳集团雇佣兵未能巩固驱逐法国的行动，俄罗斯的影响力同样受挫。在国内，经济因所有投资转向军事领域而陷入困境，民用经济举步维艰，物价上涨，关键高科技产业停滞不前。许多精英人才选择移民。毫无疑问，统一俄罗斯党——这个主导软弱无能的杜马的执政党——将赢得选举。但选举活动仍然重要，它是公众舆论的晴雨表，也是官员唯一必须倾听民众对当地生活条件不满的时刻。尽管没有政党能质疑战争本身，但其影响已开始显现：燃料短缺导致加油站排起长队，黑海和克里米亚的度假胜地对习惯夏日海滩度假的人来说变得危险，为招募足够士兵而愈发绝望的努力正扭曲着人们的生活。最重要的是，任何官方宣传都无法掩盖损失——根据西方情报来源，已有约50万人死亡——以及日益猖獗的贿赂、腐败和残酷的生存条件。

拥有450个席位的杜马中有五个政党，与普京独裁统治的其他机构一样，披着合法的外衣。统一俄罗斯党——普京的政党——占据绝对多数。新一届议会将任职至2031年，即普京当前总统任期结束一年后。因此，若普京届时卸任，议会可能发挥关键作用。普京已通过将强硬派前总统德米特里·希瓦列夫排除在党内高层名单之外，将其边缘化。类似的政治操作可能还会增多。难怪普京对这场选举闹剧如此认真。

建筑之美

俗艳的店面让商业街失去吸引力

保守派哲学家罗杰·斯克鲁顿爵士（Sir Roger Scruton）曾在其最著名的观点之一中表示：“如同友谊带来的愉悦，对美的愉悦也是奇特的：它旨在理解其对象，并珍视所发现的价值。”这一引语被用于装饰《与美同行》（Living with Beauty）这份报告，该报告是2020年政府委员会的最终成果，也是斯克鲁顿爵士的遗作。斯克鲁顿爵士呼吁政府将美视为规划许可的必要条件而非可选项；拒绝破坏任何场所感的丑陋；并推动对自然和建成环境的更大程度的管理。这些都是明智的原则。

工党此前对美的欣赏鲜有兴趣。在斯克鲁顿报告发布后成立的“地方办公室”（Office for Place）——旨在倡导全国更优的建筑设计——在两年前被不明智地关闭。然而，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）已暗示他认识到拥有吸引人商业街的重要性。首相宣布将对俗艳的电子烟和快餐店采取整治措施。其政府将与地方议会及规划咨询服务机构合作，就店面的设计和外观发布更严格的指导意见。此类小变化能带来显著改观。

一个成功的例子来自斯塔福德郡的利奇菲尔德（Lichfield），该区议会于5月发布了店面设计规范，旨在提升品质感和繁荣感。仅靠更好的店铺无法拯救衰落的商业街；地方议会还必须为个体商户提供有针对性的资金支持，同时改善公共空间。但遏制庸俗的店面是激发活力的前提。这些都是明智的原则。我们希望伯纳姆先生能进一步认识到美在建筑和场所自豪感中的重要性。正如斯克鲁顿委员会所正确指出的，这是让场所更宜居的唯一途径。

---

26

国际

英吉利海峡偷渡：政府誓言“彻底根除”偷渡活动

政府承诺采取“毫不留情”的行动，打击英吉利海峡偷渡活动

政府誓言将“彻底根除”英吉利海峡偷渡活动，并表示“理解”公众对这一问题的担忧。

[注：译文超长截断]

婴儿从废墟中获救，但地震死亡人数达250

前海军陆战队员获释出狱

马克·贝内茨

美国前海军陆战队员在俄罗斯入狱后，因其濒临死亡的说法，莫斯科昨日以人道主义理由将其释放，特朗普总统表示。

罗伯特·吉尔曼于2022年俄罗斯入侵乌克兰前不久，在火车上涉嫌踢伤一名警察后被捕。他的父亲（从俄罗斯移民至美国）称，当时32,岁的吉尔曼突发疾病，不慎撞到警察。警察并未受伤且撤销了指控，但吉尔曼仍被判处四年半监禁。

俄罗斯媒体报道称，吉尔曼后来因涉嫌袭击狱警被加判十年。他是已知被关押在俄罗斯的十名美国公民之一。

“在与弗拉基米尔·普京总统讨论后，俄罗斯同意以人道主义为由释放他。我们对此决定表示感谢，俄罗斯未要求交换任何人，”特朗普在社交媒体上写道。他表示吉尔曼正由家人和美国官员陪同乘飞机前往华盛顿。

支持吉尔曼及其家人的美国倡导组织称，他在距莫斯科340英里的沃罗涅日监狱期间遭受了极其严酷的对待。吉尔曼的姐姐莱克茜·哈德森上周表示，她担心他的生命安全。

帮助在海外被不当拘留的美国人的组织“全球触达”的埃里克·莱布森上周告诉路透社，吉尔曼遭到狱警折磨，并被注射了精神类药物。他称吉尔曼被转移至监狱医院时处于类似紧张症的状态，无法交流，只能通过管道进食和补液。莱布森补充说，吉尔曼于6月被转移至一家民用精神病房。

特朗普表示，他与吉尔曼通话时，吉尔曼要求“着陆后吃一个超级大芝士汉堡”。

“我会满足他的！”总统补充道。

一名与吉尔曼交谈过的美国官员表示，他能行走和交谈。“考虑到所有情况，他看起来状态不错，”该官员说。

吉尔曼曾于2019年至2020年间在美国海军陆战队服役，被捕时任教师。特朗普发布的照片中，他看起来十分消瘦。

特朗普表示，包括国务卿马可·卢比奥在内的官员一直在为吉尔曼的获释进行游说。

---

一名母亲和她六个月大的婴儿在哥伦比亚发生的7.4级地震中从一栋建筑的废墟中获救，地震已造成至少250人死亡（斯蒂芬·吉布斯报道）。

救援人员昨日仍在继续搜寻幸存者，数百人仍下落不明。这场强烈地震震中位于偏远的西部圣何塞德尔帕尔马尔市，于当地时间周一上午7.发生。它在拥有5000万人口的哥伦比亚及邻国厄瓜多尔、巴拿马和委内瑞拉均有强烈震感。

在一片废墟中，幸存者的故事令人称奇。在南部城市卡利，救援人员在一栋屋顶设有游泳池的五层公寓废墟中听到生命迹象。他们挖掘进入废墟后，发现了一名年轻母亲和她六个月大的婴儿，两人仅受轻伤。社交媒体上分享的视频显示，这名满身灰尘的婴儿被小心翼翼地从废墟中抱出。

“这一发现给了我们继续工作的巨大希望；我们目前已救出7.人，并正在搜寻更多幸存者。我们收到了一对老年夫妇和他们7.岁孙子的生命迹象，”现场专家之一卡洛斯·奥尔蒂斯告诉当地媒体。

---

27

科学家庆祝大堡礁恢复

特朗普为转移视线藏身食品货车

CHRISTIAN ESCANAMORAL / BESTERS JAMIE SALDABISAG / APPOSTTY IMAGES

阿萨德兄弟缺席被判死刑

叙利亚 萨默·阿尔-阿特鲁什 中东记者

叙利亚法院昨日缺席判处巴沙尔·阿萨德及其弟弟马希尔死刑，距这位倒台独裁者于2011年被推翻并逃往俄罗斯已近两年。

阿萨德的表弟阿泰夫·纳吉布也被判处死刑。与阿萨德兄弟不同，纳吉布在2024年12月叛军逼近大马士革时未能逃离该国。宣判时他身着囚服出庭。

“巴沙尔·阿萨德利用国家机构犯下战争罪和反人类罪，”主审法官法赫尔丁·阿尔-阿里安在宣判时表示，该过程通过国家电视台进行了现场直播。

纳吉布被判犯有监督2011年德拉省残酷镇压的罪行，该镇压引发了起义，并最终导致一场估计造成50万叙利亚人死亡的内战。

代表政权受害者家属的律师阿德南·马斯拉迈对判决表示赞赏。

“今天是所有受伤者、烈士、被拘留者和被迫离开祖国的叙利亚人的正义之日，”马斯拉迈说，“今天是正义战胜非正义的胜利，是叙利亚人民战胜被推翻政权的胜利。”

巴沙尔·阿萨德目前流亡俄罗斯，俄方拒绝引渡

地震强度

周一，上午7:34（英国夏令时下午1:34）

在哥伦比亚高海拔咖啡种植区中心马尼萨莱斯，已有5人遇难，600栋房屋被报告完全或部分损毁。该市地标性建筑——建于20世纪初的新哥特式大教堂的一座塔楼倒塌。

在与太平洋接壤、居住着大量非裔哥伦比亚人和多个原住民社区的乔科省，灾情规模的消息正缓慢传出。"我家的房子受损了，楼梯也坏了，"约兰达·莫拉莱斯在该省首府基布多告诉《泰晤士报》。"附近的足球场损毁严重。这里有很多人在寻找家人和亲人。"

基布多确认的首批遇难者之一是当地市长6岁的儿子贾尔松·莱昂内尔·巴伦西亚。他的遗像被摆放在市长办公室外，周围点着蜡烛。

周一晚间，在以萨尔萨舞俱乐部闻名的旅游城市卡利，市长亚历杭德罗·埃德尔宣布实施宵禁。市政府表示，此举是为了保障紧急机构的救援工作，并"维护城市安全"，因有抢劫事件的报告。

据西班牙外交部长称，目前仍有数百人失踪或下落不明，其中包括164名西班牙人。

哥伦比亚第二大城市麦德林躲过了最严重的破坏，但许多居民被数十年来该地区遭遇的最强地震震撼。地震发生后的几分钟内，成千上万人涌上街头，许多人怀抱宠物，有些甚至还穿着睡衣。

这场地震对哥伦比亚总统阿韦拉多·德拉·埃斯普列利亚来说是一次早期考验。这位保守派前律师此前从未担任过政治职务，他于周五刚刚在卡利（而非首都波哥大）举行的就职典礼上宣誓就职，此举是其将权力下放至地方的努力之一。

昨天，他与妻子安娜·露西亚·皮内达一同飞往佩雷拉。由于德拉·埃斯普列利亚的一项政治承诺是消灭贩毒集团头目，一支包括手持防弹盾牌的安保人员在内的安保团队始终紧随其后。"我对每一位受灾家庭的承诺不变，"他在X平台上写道。

他的政府已宣布为所有失去家园的人提供紧急租房补贴。

此次地震发生在6月24日委内瑞拉北部发生7.2级和7.5级双地震之后。本周委内瑞拉的死亡人数已上升至6,301人。数万人无家可归。

受灾最严重的是安第斯山脉周边的一系列人口中心。在距震中35英里的佩雷拉市，至少有79人遇难。市长毛里西奥·萨拉萨尔·佩拉埃斯在向记者通报仍有遗体从废墟中被挖出时泣不成声。

来自佩雷拉的25岁网约车司机哈科沃·布兰东·皮内达告诉《泰晤士报》："有很多我熟悉的建筑现在完全变成了废墟。街上有很多人茫然不知所措，不知道该去哪里。"

皮内达说，在地震最初几秒钟，他看到母亲"惊恐的表情"时，就意识到地震的严重性。

在哥伦比亚第三大城市卡利，有95人遇难，至少20栋建筑倒塌或严重受损，其中包括巴耶大学医院的儿科病房。

---

28

国际

珊瑚时尚热潮引发非法采集

一伙在希腊被捕的潜水员被指控采集红珊瑚，因高端珠宝商推崇其古老魅力，红珊瑚价值飙升（汤姆·金顿报道）。

这群意大利人在斯科派洛斯岛附近抛锚了一艘休闲船，假扮游客，在海底岩石上切割稀有珊瑚。他们将珊瑚装在仅有模糊描述的包裹中运输，引起了希腊警方的怀疑。警方采取行动后发现，船上装满了切割珊瑚的工具。

据希腊媒体报道，当局称，这伙潜水员在被捕时已采集了价值€800,000的珊瑚。红珊瑚被称为“红金”，每公斤售价€5,000，需数十年才能形成群落。希腊水域的红珊瑚采集受到监管，但自梵克雅宝等珠宝商将其重新带入时尚界后，需求激增。

意大利时尚品牌杜嘉班纳今年也在推崇这种材料，在面料上使用海洋元素图案。该品牌还在珠宝中使用雕刻的珊瑚玫瑰和小天使，

以致敬意大利南部数百年来使用的红珊瑚。

地中海采集的大部分珊瑚被运往那不勒斯附近的南部意大利小镇托雷德尔格雷科，由专家进行雕刻。

地中海沿岸国家已采取措施规范采集活动，联合国对意大利撒丁岛附近受控的红珊瑚潜水采集给予了赞扬，当地政府与渔民合作确保资源可持续利用。相比之下，阿尔及利亚据报道是大量非法采集珊瑚的来源地。

希腊海洋研究中心专家玛丽亚·萨洛米迪对欧洲新闻台表示，珊瑚群落如今面临风险，斯科派洛斯岛近期的逮捕事件是一个警示信号。

“如果发现了一起案件，那么肯定还有更多未被发现的案件，”她说，并补充称潜水员总是领先一步，因为希腊专家并不清楚所有珊瑚礁的位置。

“希腊的海床尚未被完全绘制，”她说。

大堡礁迅速恢复，科学家赞叹天公作美

澳大利亚 罗杰·梅纳德 悉尼报道

大堡礁的韧性超出了科学家的担忧。

根据澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（Aims）的最新数据，大堡礁的珊瑚覆盖率已从去年报告的大规模白化中基本恢复，并保持在接近历史最高水平。

科学家表示，今年年初的季风可能是促成恢复的部分原因。季风增加了昆士兰海岸的云层覆盖，降低了海水温度，从而限制了珊瑚白化的严重程度和范围。

海洋科学家彼得·里德表示，数据显示，过去五年中大堡礁的原始珊瑚覆盖率均高于此前35年中的任何时期。里德称，过去几十年导致珊瑚暂时性损失的主要原因是飓风和长棘海星灾害，这两者均属完全自然现象。"没有证据表明这些灾害比过去更为严重，"他说道。

他还表示，Aims收集的数据显示大堡礁目前状况良好。"2026年大堡礁拥有大量珊瑚，是因为过去五到十年间没有发生重大珊瑚死亡事件，"他告诉《澳大利亚人报》。"自2016年以来的五次白化事件在媒体上广泛报道，但如果这些事件造成了大量珊瑚死亡，2022-2026年的统计数据就不会如此乐观。"

Aims对这一乐观评估表示欢迎，但同时强调不应忽视气候变化的威胁。"大堡礁再次展现了其非凡的恢复能力，"该机构表示。"但我们不能对此掉以轻心。相反，我们必须紧急采取行动减少碳排放，最大限度减缓气候变化。"

环保人士特别关注的是快速生长的鹿角珊瑚，这类珊瑚对白化高度敏感。Aims的调查显示，以这类物种为主的珊瑚礁仍处于"脆弱状态，恢复成果可能迅速逆转"。2024年的大规模白化导致大堡礁南部边缘的深水栖息地出现珊瑚死亡，这表明"深水区提供的热庇护作用比之前假设的更为有限"。

联合国教科文组织（Unesco）上月拒绝将这一水下奇观列入濒危世界遗产名录，进一步印证了对大堡礁前景的评估。

然而，绿色和平组织表示，大堡礁正面临"气候变暖失控、破坏珊瑚的森林砍伐径流、海洋酸化和珊瑚白化等多重压力，加之即将到来的创纪录厄尔尼诺现象，保护大堡礁的行动从未如此紧迫"。

中国快速发展的太空任务因火箭发射爆炸受挫

中国 理查德·斯宾塞 北京报道

中国的太空计划遭遇罕见挫折，一枚主力运载火箭在升空后不到2分30秒发生爆炸。

长征七号A运载火箭搭载着中星4B通信卫星进入轨道，但卫星也随之被毁。中国官方媒体报道了此次事故，但未说明这颗双用途卫星是用于民用还是军用。

周一晚间，在海南文昌观看发射的人群——这里相当于中国版的美国佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角——目睹火箭在升空95秒后略微偏离轨道，随后化为火球。残骸坠入南海。

“火箭在飞行过程中出现异常，发射任务失败，”官方通讯社新华社表示，爆炸画面随即在社交媒体上传播。

中国的太空计划已超越俄罗斯，成为仅次于美国的世界第二大太空计划。其标志性项目刻意效仿美国的计划，包括在2030年前实现载人登月，并在2040.年前建立永久性月球基地。中国目前已拥有一个与美国相当的在轨空间站。

登月计划使用的是长征五号火箭，这是长征七号及七号A的更大型姊妹版本，三者共享部分发动机技术。科学家需等待此次长征七号A失败原因的调查结果，才能判断是否会产生更广泛的影响。

中国的太空计划此前被认为安全且标准较高。此前长征七号A唯一一次失败发生在2020年的首飞。

自那以后，该型火箭已被使用16次。

与美国类似，中国也引入私营企业参与太空领域，以加快发射速度，尤其是商业用途。今年1月，2次发射失败发生在同一天。其中一次是由一家名为星际荣耀（Galactic Energy）的私营公司发射的谷神星二号火箭，搭载着商业卫星。中国于7月实现了首次可重复使用火箭的着陆。

---

29

国际

模仿游戏：人类模仿者击退讨厌猴群

印度 阿姆里特·迪隆 新德里报道

模仿长尾叶猴的尖叫声或许看起来不是一项能赚钱的技能，但对于一些印度人来说，这已经成为一份工作，甚至是一种使命。

这些声音专业人士专门从事害兽控制，正被雇佣来驱赶其他不受欢迎的灵长类动物，因为德里即将举办羽毛球世界锦标赛。

长尾叶猴的叫声是唯一能有效吓退在德里大量出没的较小恒河猴的手段，这些猴子会偷窃食物并制造混乱。官员们决心避免重蹈今年1月印度羽毛球公开赛期间的尴尬局面，当时运动员们惊讶地看到猴子在英迪拉·甘地室内体育馆的观众席上大摇大摆地走动。一只猴子甚至坐在观众旁边的座位上观看比赛，看起来相当入迷。

在野外，猴子一看到长尾叶猴靠近就会逃跑。考虑到这一点，在下周赛事开始前，四名擅长模仿的男子正在采取预防措施。

过去，人们曾使用经过训练的灰色长尾叶猴及其驯兽员来驱赶公共场所的恒河猴。但这一做法在长尾叶猴被法律列为保护物种后被叫停，禁止私人圈养、拥有或雇佣它们担任警卫。

这催生了对人类长尾叶猴叫声模仿者的需求。一位只知其名为贾巴尔的男子在体育馆外用洪亮的假声展示了他的技能。贾巴尔说，他此前曾在德里市中心的政府大楼周围驱赶猴子，

每次任务的报酬在20,000至25,000卢比（1155-194）之间，不过他表示这份工作只是断断续续的。

"工作机会并不稳定，但我们确实时不时会接到活儿。做这行的人不少，"他补充道。贾巴尔对这份工作既感到自豪又有些尴尬。"这项技能是家族世代相传的，我是从父亲那里学来的……但我不希望儿子也做这个，"他说。

长尾叶猴会根据情绪和处境发出不同的叫声，从展示统治地位时的响亮呼叫，到被激怒时发出的短促、刺耳的喉音。2023年新德里举办G20峰会时，一些场地安装了真人大小的长尾叶猴剪影，并配备了能模仿其叫声的人员。

体育馆的16个入口还安装了自动关闭的门，以防止猴子和流浪狗进入。但最受关注的还是长尾叶猴叫声模仿者。

"你可以嘲笑这个解决方案，但你不得不佩服这份努力，"印度羽毛球冠军普萨拉·文卡塔·辛杜在X平台上写道。

带磁铁的绳底帆布鞋为滚球玩家助力

法国 大卫·沙赞 巴黎报道

今年夏天，滚球玩家迎来了好消息。这种通常伴随着傍晚开胃酒的温和仪式——既是社交活动，也是一项运动——如今对腰背的负担减轻了不少。

玩家无需再弯腰近九十度去捡拾钢球，只需穿上特制的绳底帆布鞋，便能最大限度减少弯腰动作。

帆布鞋侧面的小口袋内装有一块磁铁，磁力足以从地面吸起滚球。玩家只需将脚靠近球，磁铁便会吸住它，然后抬脚至球在伸手可及的范围内。

听起来像天方夜谭？这款特制滚球绳底帆布鞋的发明者奥利维耶·热利（Olivier Gelly）承认，这个想法最初只是个玩笑。

“一天晚上，我和几个朋友喝着玫瑰酒开玩笑，”41岁的热利说，他是法国南部城市佩皮尼昂一家绳底帆布鞋店的老板。“我们当时在胡乱出主意，我说：‘要是我做一双带磁铁的绳底帆布鞋用来玩滚球，岂不是很酷？’”

“我们只是闹着玩，但我还是做了一双，纯粹为了好玩。我甚至没想过要卖。磁铁装在鞋底，走路时地上的金属物件——螺丝、螺栓——都会吸在鞋上。”

热利并未气馁，他开始设计更实用的款式，在侧面加了一个可插入磁铁的口袋，还有一个用来放小猪（即木制目标球，或称“母球”）的口袋。他还加入了卷尺，用来解决关于哪个球离母球最近的常见争议，以决定胜负。

“我们开始销售这款鞋，还发布了一段展示其功能的视频，”热利说，“即便如此，这也只是个小玩笑。”这段视频被社交媒体算法捕捉，并被翻译成多种语言。没想到，这个玩笑竟然有市场。自去年推出以来，这款海军蓝绳底帆布鞋已售出超过40,000双。

“我们大吃一惊，这完全出乎意料，”热利说，“我们甚至卖出了超过100双给英国顾客，从名字判断，他们是英国人，而不是住在英国的法国人。”

英国估计有40,000名常规滚球玩家，其中许多人参加酒吧团队比赛。

更令人惊讶的是，约40%的销售来自美国顾客。滚球运动在美国虽小众，但拥有一批忠实追随者，主要集中在加利福尼亚、纽约和佛罗里达。推广该运动的网站“Pétanque America”估计，约有30,000名美国人定期参与这项运动。

在法国，一些顾客表示他们购买这款鞋是作为礼物送给祖父，因为滚球最常与这一年龄段的人群联系在一起，而他们可能最不愿反复弯腰。

“我给爷爷买了一双，因为他腰不好，”30岁的软件工程师让-皮埃尔说，他正在巴黎埃米尔-肖唐广场的栗树荫下与朋友玩滚球。

“我告诉他别喝太多，否则他可能站不稳，没法用一只脚把球从鞋上取下来。他说，那样的话，他可能不该穿这双鞋。”

39岁的救世军工作人员克里斯托夫·布朗皮耶在一旁玩球时表示赞同。“这个主意不错，”他说。

“我的膝盖已经开始疼了。这对老年人可能很有用。”不过，他也发现了一个潜在问题：“在比赛中，你可能会用磁铁移动别人的球来作弊。”

![詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜捕捉到狮子座星云的新景象，这是一团由垂死恒星塑造的气体和尘埃云。科学家认为，该星云将继续向太空扩散，直至约10,000年后消散。](

)

吉娃娃死亡事件后缩短牵狗绳

大卫·沙赞

法国对法棍的形状和男性在公共游泳池必须穿着的泳裤类型都有规定。在一些海滨度假胜地，男性若在街上赤膊行走也可能被罚款。

如今，法国北部的一个城镇将监管重点转向了牵狗绳。

圣康坦市（Saint-Quentin）已开始对使用超过两米长牵狗绳遛狗的行为处以150欧元的罚款。此举是在6月该市香榭丽舍公园（Parc des Champs-Élysées）内，一只被长绳牵引的哈士奇攻击并咬死一只吉娃娃后推出的。

市议会表示，此规定旨在让公众放心，潜在危险的犬只将被严格控制，但一些狗主人质疑这一措施是否能防止攻击事件。

“毫无意义，”正在公园遛两只狗的纪尧姆（Guillaume）说，“如果你的狗有35、50或60公斤重，只要它决定挣脱，无论牵绳是否两米或更短，它都会挣脱。”他告诉BFM电视台。

另一位狗主人尼古拉（Nicolas）表示将无视这项规定。“你不能把狗限制在两米以内。狗也有权享有更多自由。”

不过，也有人对这一举措表示欢迎。一位遛着獒犬的女士拒绝透露姓名，她说：“我的狗曾三次被放养的狗咬伤。这是一条好规定。”

另一位公园使用者表示，她在遛狗时会随身携带胡椒喷雾。“有些狗很凶，我感觉不安全，”她说。

圣康坦市保守派市长弗雷德里克·马卡雷兹（Frédérique Macarez）表示，吉娃娃的死亡证明了采取行动的必要性。

“袭击的那只狗当时被长绳牵着，我们看到主人无法控制它，”她说，“我们需要确保每个人——包括人和狗——的安全。”

特朗普藏身食品运输车充当空中诱饵

美国

乔治·格里尔斯 华盛顿 萨姆·拉克尔 纽约

在安卡拉埃森博阿机场的暮色中，一辆餐饮卡车与原本应搭载特朗普总统的飞机并排停靠。

上月北约峰会结束后，特朗普在镜头前挥手告别，随后登上"空军一号"的舷梯，消失在关闭的舱门后。

然而，机上的记者们并不知情，特朗普并未与他们同机飞行。当记者们从飞机后门登机时，总统已被秘密转移至一辆餐饮卡车内。利用卡车的液压升降平台，总统被送至地面，随后驶向附近一架待命的美国军用飞机。全世界以为特朗普乘坐旧"空军一号"返航，实则他搭乘一架C-32A飞机前往英国萨福克郡的皇家空军米尔登霍尔基地。

据《华盛顿邮报》报道，这一计谋由特勤局策划，因收到针对总统生命的可靠伊朗威胁。在特朗普被悄然转移的同时，记者们——

![特朗普离开旧"空军一号"时的画面](

)

![在安卡拉将他转移下飞机的卡车](

)

特朗普离开皇家空军米尔登霍尔基地的旧"空军一号"。上图为在安卡拉将他转移下飞机的卡车

——无论总统如何声称放弃卡塔尔赠送的飞机是为了让驻英美军首次目睹其风采，此次改道使他比战争开始以来的任何时刻都更接近冲突地区。

安卡拉改道仍有一个谜团未解。

离开土耳其后，三架飞机——卡塔尔赠送的飞机、运送记者的旧"空军一号"以及搭载特朗普的C-32A——均安全抵达英国。

然而，在皇家空军米尔登霍尔基地的停机坪上，特勤局似乎再次上演了障眼法。

不知何故，特朗普在无人察觉的情况下重新登上了旧"空军一号"，得以在镜头前走下飞机舷梯，维持他与记者同机飞行的假象。

白宫新闻办公室参与了这场欺骗，发布了一张特朗普抵英的照片，配文称总统"乘坐前‘空军一号’降落在皇家空军米尔登霍尔基地"。

走下旧"空军一号"后，特朗普与记者们继续乘坐卡塔尔赠送的飞机横跨大西洋。

特朗普在出访时经常在飞行途中与记者交谈。在大西洋上空，他回答了约15分钟的提问。当被问及为何在安卡拉停机坪上要求记者关闭舷窗遮光板时，特朗普暗示了来自伊朗的生命威胁。"因为你们可能正在搭乘一趟危险的航班，都是因为那些我们不得不应付的卑鄙小人，"他说道。

或许意识到记者们并未完全安心，特朗普罕见地与媒体站在同一战线，称至少大家都面临伊朗的威胁。

"但如果我完了，你们也完了，对吧？"他说道，"也许有一天你们会想换个职业。"

![特朗普与记者交谈画面](

克罗地亚亚得里亚海滨精品分时度假

2026年8月至2027年6月

在克罗地亚充满活力的海滨明珠斯普利特，探索古老历史与亚得里亚海美景的完美融合。从联合国教科文组织认定的地标到充满生机的海滨咖啡馆，再到清澈见底的海水，这个迷人目的地为每一位旅行者提供独特体验。无论是探索罗马遗迹、在海边放松，还是前往附近岛屿冒险，斯普利特都将带来充满文化、风景与阳光的难忘地中海度假体验。

刊登时价格准确无误。首发价格基于2026年8月至2027.期间不同时间出行。所列价格基于两位成人共享双人 / 标准间 / 餐桌，并从伦敦机场出发。单人出行及地区出发需额外支付附加费。旅行由Travelabout Ltd ABTA 99297 4700, (1160)运营，该公司与News UK完全独立。每人需在当地支付£50小费。

我们值得信赖的合作伙伴

travelodeal

@ABTA

价格包含

• 从英国多个机场往返航班
• 入住四星级Brig精品酒店七晚
• 每日早餐
• 克尔卡瀑布之旅，含游船及斯克拉丁小镇游泳体验

每月价格参考

8月每人起价£1,139 • 9月每人起价£939 • 10月及11月每人起价£799 • 2027年3月、4月及5月每人起价£939 • 2027年6月每人起价£1,099

立即致电 0808 303 8549

报价时请说明《泰晤士报》

记者们被带上空军一号的后舱，座位上摆放着印有总统印章的零食。刚刚落座，一名特勤局特工便提出了一个不同寻常的要求：他希望记者们拉下舷窗遮光板。

对于这趟航班的异常安排，记者们早已心存疑虑。在安卡拉峰会期间，特朗普宣布将乘坐空军一号的旧版机型“怀旧”离开土耳其，先飞往米尔登霍尔。

他在Truth Social上的发帖立即引发质疑。总统刚刚收到卡塔尔捐赠的一架价值$400的波音747-8i，机舱内配有豪华座椅和镀金内饰，几天前刚用这架飞机从美国飞抵土耳其，但返程却未使用。

为了让这场戏更逼真，旧版蓝白相间的空军一号在部分航程中使用了专为总统专机保留的AF1呼号。而搭载特朗普的C-32A则使用了通用呼号RCH18。

自随行人员离开华盛顿以来，中东局势变得更加危险。美伊停火协议已破裂，双方在该地区相互发射导弹。

特朗普宣布将乘坐旧版空军一号返回美国，引发外界猜测：卡塔尔赠送的飞机是否配备了应对伊朗袭击的必要安全改装。

总统的所有专机

新空军一号 定制波音747-8i

Length / 76.2 metres (250ft)

Wing span / 68.4 metres Range / 7730 nautical miles Max altitude / 13,300

旧空军一号 定制波音747-200

Length / 70.7

Wing span / 59.6 Range / 6,800 nautical miles Max altitude / 13,746

空军C-32A 波音757的军用版

Length / 47.3 Wing span / 38 Range / 5,500 nautical miles Max altitude / 12,727

旧版空军一号可部署干扰箔条等反制措施以拦截导弹。许多人怀疑特朗普是否接到建议，选择乘坐他信赖的旧机型，因为土耳其与伊朗接壤，而总统当时

德国 希特勒位于柏林总理府遗址下方的一个地堡可能因新住宅项目而消失。柏林地下世界遗产协会（Berliner Unterwelten）表示，该地堡是纳粹在勃兰登堡门周边地区修建的众多地堡中幸存的3个之一。该组织称，占地约13,450平方英尺的地堡“是一个绝对不能被摧毁的历史遗址”。相邻的地堡是希特勒于1945年自杀的地方。

---

社交媒体审核在休达危机后受到敦促

西班牙 欧盟委员会已要求Meta和TikTok加强事实核查，此前虚假社交媒体帖子助长了摩洛哥向西班牙飞地休达的移民潮。这些措施旨在阻止犯罪分子利用虚假信息鼓励危险偷渡。上月约有80,000人进入该飞地，超过100人丧生。平台需识别并移除鼓励此类偷渡的内容。

---

顾客购买€300龙虾后放生

法国 一名顾客在该国东南部阿尔卑斯滨海省的一家餐厅以€300（约1250元人民币）购买了一只活龙虾，随后将其放生地中海。动物福利协会主席斯特凡·拉马尔（Stéphane Lamart）对法国3号蓝色海岸频道表示：“我听说价格是每克€10。有人认为动物的生命只值€300，这让我深感震惊。”他不确定龙虾是否存活，“但我给了它第二次机会。”

31

商业

全球市场（当日变化）

大宗商品

汇率

缺乏熟练年轻农场工人“威胁英国粮食安全”

盖伊·泰勒 零售记者

生产Larpak和Cravendale品牌的乳业巨头警告称，熟练年轻工人的短缺威胁着英国的粮食安全。

为英国最大超市供货的乳业合作社Arla Foods表示，由于缺乏合格的求职者，其农场主难以填补职位空缺。超过一半的受访者表示，自英国脱欧和新冠疫情以来，留住员工变得更加困难。

根据该公司的一项调查，在有职位空缺的乳品农场主中，82%的人表示，只有“极少数”或“没有”求职者具备所需技能。

Arla在英国雇用约3,700人，并与1,900名农场主合作，警告称招聘问题已从“劳动力短缺演变为更广泛的技能挑战，若不加以解决，可能对英国食品生产的长期韧性产生影响”。

这一问题因劳动力老龄化而加剧，在受访的440名农场主中，48%年龄超过55,，近五分之一超过65。最新政府数据显示，英格兰仅有5%的农场主年龄在35岁以下。

这些发现将加剧对英国食品供应长期韧性的担忧，今年夏天的大范围干旱进一步加剧了这一压力，威胁着收成。

Shore Capital的分析师警告称，英国正面临几十年来最接近粮食安全危机的时刻。蔬菜和水果种植者“尤其脆弱”，因其依赖灌溉和稳定的土壤湿度，而乳品农场主则面临牛奶产量的严峻压力，因高温胁迫影响奶牛群，全国草地干涸。

英国农民还面临补贴大幅削减，并应对眼前的宏观经济逆风，包括更高的雇佣成本和伊朗战争背景下潜在的化肥短缺。

Arla表示，政府的提案……

科技巨头在人工智能革命竞争中面临巨额债务负担

科技商业记者

分析人士警告称，全球五大科技集团为推动人工智能革命，已累计产生高达$1万亿加元的表外支出承诺，可能掩盖了支撑此轮繁荣的长期债务负担。

高盛集团（Goldman Sachs）计算显示，由于会计处理方式，这些所谓“超大规模科技公司”（hyperscalers）的负债规模可能被“低估”。

数据凸显了全球争夺人工智能所需计算能力的竞赛中动用的巨额资金规模，部分租赁协议甚至提前十年签订。

根据高盛集团的数据，谷歌母公司Alphabet、亚马逊、Meta、微软和甲骨文的数据中心租赁空间的现有及未来支出总额已达$1.3万亿加元。其中约$1万亿加元的支出与尚未开始的租赁相关，这意味着这些支出无需纳入财务报表。

高盛分析师在报告中写道：“这些‘未开始’的租赁承诺不会反映在财务报表中，尽管它们将在未来几年内产生租赁付款（或其他义务）。”

“这种处理方式可能低估杠杆率和未来流动性需求，因为这些义务最终将被确认，并产生合同付款。”

根据美国会计准则，租赁产生的负债仅在租赁开始时才予以确认。已签订但尚未开始的租赁仅在财务报告的脚注中列示。

微软披露的租赁管线规模最大，达3291 亿加元亿加元，租赁将于2027年至2033.年间开始。甲骨文披露的承诺金额为2600 亿加元亿加元。Meta在今年上半年披露了2790 亿加元亿加元的义务，涵盖数据中心和网络基础设施，租赁将持续至2036.年。上月，这家Facebook母公司又签署了680 亿加元亿加元的数据中心租赁协议。

Alphabet报告了852 亿加元亿加元的未开始租赁，而亚马逊披露的金额为1372 亿加元亿加元，该数字还包括

CoreWeave 超出分析师预期

罗伯特·米勒

CoreWeave 昨晚公布的季度收入略微超出分析师预期，得益于其为人工智能系统提供动力的计算服务需求强劲。

这家云基础设施技术公司报告称，截至6月底的第二季度总收入为25.8 亿加元亿加元，而根据伦敦证券交易所集团汇编的数据，分析师平均预期为25.6 亿加元亿加元。

今年早些时候，芯片制造商英伟达（Nvidia）向CoreWeave投资了20 亿加元亿加元购买其股票，并在最新的季度更新中，该公司表示已从Jane Street获得了10 亿加元亿加元的战略投资。

CoreWeave与英伟达的紧密联系使其成为英伟达人工智能芯片的关键供应商，今年迄今已吸引了多家知名客户。该公司已与Meta Platforms和Claude的创建者Anthropic签署了云容量协议。

为满足激增的需求，CoreWeave一直在加大基础设施投资，这

给其利润率带来了压力。该公司表示，其技术和基础设施支出在本季度飙升了125%，达到10 亿加元.51亿加元。

联合创始人兼首席执行官迈克尔·因特拉托（Michael Intrator）表示：“CoreWeave的建立基于一个信念，即人工智能是每个行业的基础，而实现其全部潜力需要一个专门构建的平台。本季度的表现进一步强化了这一信念。”

该公司股价在华尔街盘后交易中上涨了$6.56，涨幅达71%，至$95.56，公司估值略高于490 亿加元亿加元。

包括仓库、办公室、飞机和车辆在内的支出。

虽然这些承诺不能简单地计入公司的债务监狱，但其规模仍反映出人工智能建设中有多少尚未出现在公司账目中。

评级机构对租赁的处理方式不同。惠誉（Fitch）和穆迪（Moody's）在租赁开始后，将经营性租赁纳入调整后的杠杆指标。尚未开始的租赁则被视为“定性覆盖”的一部分。

标普（S&P）则将租赁纳入其调整后的债务指标。该公司解释称：“尽管这些租赁可能尚未在资产负债表上确认，但它们反映了不可避免的承诺义务，除非付出巨大成本或造成重大干扰。”

这些数据出炉之际，投资者对大型科技公司巨额支出承诺的担忧日益加剧，这些支出越来越多地通过债务融资。

除了从第三方租赁计算能力外，超大规模运营商还大幅增加了自身的资本支出。今年，这五家公司将在芯片、发电和数据中心建设上投入7450 亿加元亿加元，是去年的两倍多。

资本支出的规模给自由现金流带来了压力，上季度自由现金流降至十年来的最低水平，并推动科技巨头进入债务市场。根据高盛的数据，今年迄今，它们已合计发行了1940 亿加元亿加元的债务，高于去年的1080 亿加元亿加元。

高盛的阿曼达·莱纳姆（Amanda Lynam）表示：“他们正在抢占一个为期多年的投资周期。我们将其视为资本的瀑布，几乎耗尽了这些资本市场的深度——债务、股权、内部现金流——以使自己能够在这一业务中进行投资。”

其他公司也在寻求创新方式为人工智能建设提供资金。英伟达周一表示，已与华尔街六家最大的金融机构签署协议，调动一项5000 亿加元亿加元的资金包，为前沿人工智能实验室、企业和新兴云服务商提供资本，帮助它们获取英伟达的芯片。

---

12

商业

须知

1 全球五大科技巨头已累计承诺投入1万亿美元的表外支出用于人工智能，分析师警告称，这一会计做法可能掩盖了支撑此轮繁荣的长期债务负担。高盛表示，所谓的“超大规模运营商”的负债情况可能因此被低估。第31页

2 旗下拥有Larpuk和Cravendale品牌的乳业巨头警告称，年轻技术工人的短缺正威胁英国的食品安全。Arla Foods表示，由于缺乏合格的求职者，其农场主难以填补空缺岗位。第31页

3 英国最大的开发商之一敦促政府重启“购房援助计划”并削减印花税，以刺激住房市场。Bellway已告知政府必须“现在就采取行动，改善各类住房的可及性”。

4 食品和饮料供应商警告称，随着创纪录的高温天气席卷英国，该国将面临更高的杂货成本和潜在的短缺。降雨不足可能导致水果和蔬菜短缺，从而对2027年的食品通胀构成上行压力。第34页

5 洲际酒店集团（旗下拥有假日酒店、皇冠假日酒店连锁以及Six Senses度假村）的客房收入增长超出上半年预期，得益于美国和中国市场的强劲表现，抵消了中东地区的下滑。第37页

6 已有超过3名客户签约，以每月高达$100,000的价格获取特朗普总统Truth Social帖子的高速访问权限。该服务可让交易员比其他人更早获取特朗普发布的可能影响市场的帖子。第39页

7 工厂正放弃电气化运营计划，因无法确定接入电网的成本或所需时间。2个低效的系统正在主动阻碍经济脱碳进程，ADE Demand（能源用户行业组织）表示。第40页

伊朗战争是经济韧性的1大风险。十月预算案则是另1大风险

戴维·史密斯，第35页

[订阅《泰晤士报》商业通讯 thetimes.com / newsletters，获取专家商业分析]

好莱坞巨头拟进军剧院业

一位好莱坞超级经纪人计划以约45 亿英镑亿英镑收购伦敦莱塞姆剧院和萨沃伊剧院背后的公司，以及布里斯托尔大剧院。

拥有英国数十家剧院的ATG Entertainment已签署最终协议，将被阿里·伊曼纽尔的Mari集团收购。Mari集团经营着伦敦的“冬日仙境”、迈阿密公开赛网球赛，以及汉普顿宫和布莱尼姆宫的音乐节。

Mari集团由伊曼纽尔于1994年创立，3十年后的2016年，该集团获得了包括阿波罗全球管理公司、5家资本合伙公司和卡塔尔投资局在内的财团支持。Mari的首笔收购是全球艺术博览会Frieze，该博览会从伊曼纽尔3十年前共同创立的娱乐和人才集团Endeavour手中收购。

Mari集团表示，收购ATG反映了公司对“现场体验日益增长的影响力及其所汇聚的热情观众”的信心。

该集团承诺将成为ATG旗下70家剧院的“长期守护者”，称将投资保护和现代化这些场馆，并改善观众体验。

总部位于沃金的ATG由夫妻搭档霍华德·潘特爵士和罗斯玛丽·斯夸尔女爵士于1994年创立，当时名为大使剧院集团。二人于2016年离开公司。

贝尔韦呼吁削减印花税并恢复“购房帮助”计划

英国最大的开发商之一贝尔韦（Bellway）敦促政府恢复“购房帮助”（Help to Buy）计划并削减印花税，以刺激低迷的住房市场。

贝尔韦已向政府表示，必须“现在就采取行动，改善各类住房的可及性”，因近几个月来较高的抵押贷款利率、伊朗战争及国内政治动荡导致新建住房需求减弱。

首席执行官贾森·霍尼曼（Jason Honeyman）希望立即撤销去年针对首次购房者的印花税上调，并呼吁恢复“购房帮助”首付支持计划，以“缓解可负担性压力并刺激需求”。

“我们是现实主义者，明白政府在抵押贷款利率方面无能为力，但他们确实可以帮助年轻人，”他说。

“我们需要削减[针对首次购房者的]印花税，以扭转本届政府在2025年4月新增的额外税负，同时需要首付支持计划来帮助年轻人。”

58岁的霍尼曼表示，需求端的刺激措施对于提振住房市场至关重要，自伊朗战争推高抵押贷款利率以来，该市场已“停滞”。在低迷的背景下，贝尔韦的订单总额较去年同期减少了五分之一，为12亿英镑（12 亿英镑 billion）。然而，政府发言人昨日表示，目前“没有计划”重新推出“购房帮助”计划。

所有房地产开发商都在寻求充实现金储备。

分析

声称提高印花税会导致税收减少，因为更高的税率会抑制买家并压低房产交易量，这种说法充其量是可疑的（杰克·巴内特撰文）。

英国税务海关总署（HMRC）计算了房产买家对印花税上调或下调的负面或正面反应程度，这些计算被英国预算责任办公室用来预测此类变化对税收收入的影响。

基于这些模型，去年4月的印花税调整本应在未来12个月内将房产交易量拉低约3%。

然而，同样基于HMRC的模型，税收收入仍会高于未调整印花税的情况，部分原因是截止期限前几个月交易量激增。

实际情况是，房产交易量和税收收入均超出预期。销售量比预期高出85,000笔，税收收入增加了约£20亿。

在随后几年，交易量将受到约3%的拖累，相当于约30,000笔未完成的交易。

这一分析表明，尽管印花税存在种种弊端，但对于希望增加税收收入的政府来说，它仍是一个相当稳妥的选择。

不过，批评印花税的人不应只关注其增加税收的效果，而应关注其对社会和经济造成的损害。

它阻碍劳动力流动，妨碍房屋缩减，并严重阻碍首次购房者登上房产阶梯。对房产征税还有更好的方式。

该公司在上一财年贡献了£303.5万英镑，但比分析师预期的少了约£4万英镑。"这是一个可信的表现，但可以看出我们为了创造现金流而大力推动销量，却牺牲了利润率，"霍尼曼表示。

贝尔韦（Bellway）股价上涨38便士，涨幅1.8%，至£21.38，但较年初下跌了22%。

英国开发商近年来面临诸多不利因素。大多数开发商都曾表示，政府需要介入并支持首次购房者，因为他们在负担能力方面尤其困难，开发商只会建造他们能卖出的房屋。

去年春季，政府全面下调了印花税起征点。此前，首次购房者购买低于42.5 万英镑的部分无需缴纳印花税，但这一门槛已降至30 万英镑。贝尔韦希望恢复旧的起征点，并认为这将"立即推动市场运转"。从长远来看，该公司认为需要政府支持的存款援助计划，如"购房援助计划"（Help to Buy）。

"购房援助计划"在2011年至2023年间实施，政府向首次购房者提供股权贷款，这意味着他们需要借贷的金额更少，从而能够获得更低的利率。批评者认为，该计划只是推高了开发商的利润和薪酬。

"我认为[恢复购房援助计划]不必引发争议，"霍尼曼表示。"开发商应支付费用以参与[该计划]，且应仅针对首次购房者并设置价格上限。我认为这是健康的。"

在经历又一个交易低迷期之际，开发商们正在加强资产负债表。在截至7月底的财年中，贝尔韦完成了9,695套住宅的建设——比上一财年增加了11%，部分原因是向机构房东进行了更多的"批量销售"。新建住宅数量比城市分析师的预期多出几百套，这意味着贝尔韦在财年末的现金流达到了£158万英镑，而2023年同期为£42万英镑。

然而，额外的批量销售通常以略低的价格进行，这意味着年度利润率为10%，比去年同期下降了近一个百分点。因此，贝尔韦预计刚过去的财年基础利润为£320万英镑；超过了

---

33

商业

莱西姆剧院（The Lion King的演出地）和萨沃伊剧院等将归入安·伊曼纽尔的Mari集团旗下，此举距离普罗维登斯股权合伙公司（Providence Equity Partners）以3.5亿英镑收购该集团已过去三年。在普罗维登斯的管理下，ATG通过收购迅速扩张至美国，目前在百老汇拥有七家剧院，包括上演《哈利·波特与被诅咒的孩子》的Lyric剧院，同时在伦敦西区拥有十家剧院，并在西班牙和德国设有剧院。

ATG声称每年举办约1.6万场演出，接待逾1000万名观众。

伊曼纽尔在数十年间通过收购将Endeavour打造成庞大的企业帝国，堪称好莱坞最成功、最具影响力的幕后人物之一。

Endeavour去年被私募股权集团银湖（Silver Lake）以130亿美元的价格收购。

伊曼纽尔除了领导Mari集团外，还担任WME经纪公司的董事长，其明星客户包括希里安·墨菲、比莉·艾利什和奥普拉·温弗瑞。

“整个职业生涯都在娱乐行业……我见证了这个行业多次自我革新，但它的影响力只增不减，”伊曼纽尔表示。

“ATG围绕这一经验打造了全球顶尖的剧院业务。”

ATG Entertainment全球首席执行官梅拉妮·史密斯表示，Mari集团“是我们下一阶段的理想归宿”，因为它“深谙现场娱乐，并理解ATG的核心所在：我们的剧院、幕后团队，以及与制作人、艺术家和观众建立的关系”。

她补充道：“我们期待这一新篇章，并感谢普罗维登斯在过去13年间给予的坚定支持。”

哈罗兹在支付阿尔·法耶德受害者赔偿后复苏

伊莎贝拉·菲什 零售编辑

在向数百名前所有者受害者支付赔偿后，哈罗兹重新实现盈利，此前这些赔偿曾导致其年度亏损。根据最新财务报告，这家百货商店在截至2023年1月底的财年中录得税前利润£84.9百万英镑。此前一年，由于向穆罕默德·阿尔·法耶德长达25年的性侵受害者支付了£62.5百万英镑赔偿，哈罗兹曾录得略高于£34百万英镑的税前亏损。

近年来，数百名女性站出来指控阿尔·法耶德在其拥有哈罗兹的25年间对她们实施强奸或性侵。阿尔·法耶德于2023年去世，BBC在次年播出的纪录片及后续调查促使更多受害者发声。这些女性正通过多种途径寻求赔偿。哈罗兹为声称在店内遭受侵害的前员工设立了专门的赔偿计划。

其他索赔者，包括阿尔·法耶德私人雇佣的保姆、私人助理和空乘人员，则通过不同的律师事务所向其遗产追讨赔偿。今年，哈罗兹加大了从阿尔·法耶德家族手中夺取遗产控制权的力度，原因是对其财务状况和管理方式的担忧。据悉，遗嘱执行人包括其遗孀Henri Walben及两个女儿贾丝明和卡米拉·法耶德。

英国高等法院已定于11月举行听证会，审议这家骑士桥百货商店提出的“移交”申请，该申请旨在将阿尔·法耶德家族成员从遗嘱执行人职位上撤下，并由专业人士接替。

哈罗兹于1849年创立，最初是骑士桥一家不起眼的税务和杂货店。员工曾遭穆罕默德·阿尔·法耶德性侵。哈罗兹已发展成为英国最知名的奢侈品百货商店之一。尽管全球高端零售支出放缓，但国际游客的强劲消费和高净值客户的忠诚度弥补了这一不足。

在最新财年，哈罗兹营业额增长1.2%，达到11 亿英镑十亿英镑。扣除例外项目前的营业利润为£72.1百万英镑，较上一财年的£1777百万英镑有所下降，哈罗兹表示这反映了持续增加的薪资投入和配送成本。哈罗兹称，员工平均加薪3.2%耗资£8.5百万英镑，而增加的国民保险缴纳额则增加了£5.7百万英镑。

© 哈维·尼克斯百货作为哈罗兹的竞争对手，警告称若无法达成救助协议，公司可能面临倒闭，因迈克·阿什利的弗雷泽集团正逼近收购这家连锁百货。在本周提交的财报中，哈维·尼克斯表示，若无法找到买家且无额外资金注入，公司将“停止运营”。

芬威克转型计划减少亏损

伊莎贝拉·菲什

芬威克的年度亏损随着其为期三年的转型计划开始见效而有所减少

这家英国最大的家族所有百货公司在截至1月底的财年内报告税前亏损为£2200 万，而前一年亏损为£3500 万。营业亏损缩窄40%至£2340 万。

营业额略增至£1.792 亿，而前一年为£1.77 亿。同店毛销售额增长了2.5%，芬威克将其归因于其门店和网站业务的“持续势头”。

芬威克表示，“尽管零售环境持续充满挑战，但取得了进展，标志着集团使业务恢复可持续盈利能力战略的第一年成功完成”。

芬威克由前布商约翰·詹姆斯·芬威克于1882年创立，该零售商经营着八家百货商店及其电子商务业务。其门店分布在泰恩河畔纽卡斯尔、泰晤士河畔金斯顿、布伦特十字、约克、坎特伯雷、科尔切斯特、滕布里奇韦尔斯和布拉克内尔。公司雇佣约2,000人。

2022年出售其邦德街门店，标志着芬威克在这条全球最负盛名的购物街上长达130年历史的终结。

出售所得资金被用于数字化投资和翻新其剩余门店，作为使业务现代化并适应不断变化的消费者习惯计划的一部分。

芬威克表示，还在降低其固定收益养老金计划风险方面取得了“实质性”进展，与Aviva完成了买入交易，以确保两项基金的所有剩余养老金负债。

芬威克董事长西安·韦斯特曼表示，最新的年度业绩“证明我们的战略正在奏效。芬威克目前的状况比多年来更为强劲，我有信心我们的三年战略将使业务恢复可持续盈利能力”。

花哨的店面让商业街失去吸引力，社论，第25页

对Fern公司费用的质疑与日俱增

商业评论 阿利斯泰尔·奥斯本

有些人认为只有财政大臣能从遗产税中大赚一笔。这些人未免太天真了。Octopus Group的联合创始人兼首席执行官西蒙·罗杰森（Simon Rogerson）又如何呢？

在其无数关于“人类和地球理应得到更好”的演讲中，他不知何时创建了一家名为Fern Trading的私人企业，通过巧妙利用遗产税（IHT）漏洞，从纳税人身上牟取暴利。事实上，自Fern于2010年成立以来，其管理方Octopus Investments已从中抽取超过9亿英镑的费用。

罗杰森的手法颇具启发性。他看准了利用英国企业减免税收优惠的机会：该政策适用于符合条件的资产，如私营交易公司股份或Aim市场股票，若持有至少两年并在去世时仍持有，可减免或免除40%的遗产税。

于是，他创建了Fern：这家企业如今拥有约18,000名年长但富有的投资者，持有300多项符合条件的资产，涵盖风能和太阳能发电场、零风险贷款、住房及宽带光纤。在其截至2025年6月的最新年度报表中，Fern净亏损4.37亿英镑，经营现金流出1.17亿英镑。

然而，谁会在意这些呢？Octopus的费用多年来一直基于Fern“市值”的2.5%。你可能会问，私人公司的市值如何计算？哦，Octopus自行决定。或者如其所言，依据“国际私募股权和风险投资估值指引”进行评估。无论如何，截至2024年，基于内部股价，其估值已连年上涨至35亿英镑，足以让Octopus在过去两年每年提取超过1亿英镑的费用。

诚然，自《泰晤士报》开始揭露这些问题后，Fern的市值已被下调至31.7亿英镑，Octopus的收费比例也降至1.85%。但试问，在公开市场上，有哪家拥有Fern这类资产的企业能以如此巨大的溢价（相对于其21.6亿英镑的净资产）交易？更何况其净负债高达10.4亿英镑，且未产生任何现金流。

当然，只要能获得税收减免，Fern的投资者或许并不在意财务状况、费用或仅3%的目标回报率（近期甚至未能实现）。但也许他们现在开始更加关注——因为自上月起，Fern已暂停股票交易，同时推进一项“潜在并购交易”。请勿称其为“封闭式管理”（gating），否则Octopus会撰文坚称这并非伍德福德式流动性问题。但无论如何，投资者无法撤资，Fern的下一次股东更新将于8月18日进行。

这项并购交易是什么？Fern试图以“数亿英镑”的模糊价格收购TalkTalk的批发宽带网络PlatformX Communications。无论结果如何，此举对Fern而言都将是一个决定性时刻。该交易无法在不凸显其自身光纤业务估值的情况下完成。该业务占Fern总资产的38%，但去年Fern将其减记了225万英镑，此前两年累计亏损达2.77亿英镑。若暗示其仍被高估，将引发对Octopus对Fern其他资产估值的新一轮质疑。

另一个问题：Fern将如何支付TalkTalk的收购款？增加债务？配股？诚然，管理规模达146亿英镑的Octopus Investments有能力承担。但若其注资，是否会稀释Fern投资者的权益？

为解释暂停交易的原因，Octopus零售投资主管克里斯蒂·巴尔（Kristy Barr）表示：“该交易可能对价值产生重大影响，我们认为让部分投资者以无法反映其持有资产真实价值的价格买卖股票是不公平的。”

然而，章鱼基金（Octopus）已经让我们见识了一场估值灾难——旗下Titan VCT基金较峰值缩水超过7亿英镑。正如N2资产管理公司董事尤金·尼亚古（Eugen Neagu）所言，Fern公司股价下滑及交易暂停已令投资者不安，这凸显出商业减税计划“存在估值风险、集中风险和流动性风险”，在他看来，“最好避而远之”。政治风险亦不容忽视。对于章鱼基金Fern项目的高额收费盛宴，质疑声正变得愈发尖锐。

空想的航班

希思罗机场老板托马斯·沃尔德拜（Thomas Woldbye）又在大放厥词。在他为机场斥资490 亿英镑亿建造第三跑道的豪华计划——顺便说一句，其亿万富翁所有者指望乘客买单——的竞选活动中，他突然兴奋地表示：“扩建的理由从未如此明确，因为希思罗机场在7月被伊斯坦布尔机场超越，失去了欧洲最繁忙枢纽的地位。”这简直是奇耻大辱。

不过，伊斯坦布尔机场7月处理了£15的中转量，而希思罗机场为2.86亿次，其中一个关键原因是俄罗斯航空（Aeroflot）——伊斯坦布尔机场的主要航空公司之一，而该机场由土耳其航空主导。沃尔德拜是否希望英国解除对俄罗斯国有航空公司的禁令，让普京及其亲信入境，或许还能在手提行李中夹带一点“诺维乔克”？与其说这些似是而非的论调，沃尔德拜更应该专注于将项目成本减半。这种论调简直就是一场闹剧。

迪斯科炼狱

幸运的是，欣克利角C核电站斥资£700万英镑，包括一个“鱼类迪斯科”装置，以防止鱼群被吸入核电站。但随着海水升温，这笔投入是否足够？法国Growlines核电站的14座反应堆刚刚因担心大量水母堵塞冷却水系统而关闭。

显然，水母没有耳朵，听力也不太好。因此，即使鲍勃·马利的《番石榴果冻》循环播放，它们可能也不知道自己身处迪斯科现场。

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

---

14

商业

16岁少年开发农场应用，让管理不再繁琐

当大多数等待GCSE成绩的青少年在暑假里晒伤、看电视和玩电子游戏时，16岁的本·奥康纳（Ben O'Connor）却在160多个农场测试他的软件工具（尼娅姆·柯伦撰写）。

这位来自唐郡的少年开发的FarmFlow应用，帮助农民进行人力资源规划管理。该应用在5月至8月期间进行了试点，吸引了来自英国、爱尔兰和德国的农场参与。

“试点让我们学到了很多。一开始我们有很多功能，试图满足所有人的需求，”奥康纳说，“他们使用一段时间后发现并不适合自家农场，因为很多农场没有员工需要管理，或者不需要我们软件提供的某些功能。于是我们大幅精简了功能，他们现在非常喜欢。”

奥康纳在卡斯尔维兰的一个四代同堂的家庭农场长大，他一度不确定自己是否想留在农业领域。但去年他在学校参与了一个项目——

他和同学们饲养并出售了五头小牛。这个由爱尔兰农业食品集团ABP Food组织的项目让他意识到，虽然自己可能“不太适合”全职从事农业工作，但仍希望以其他方式继续参与。

他的家庭两年前从肉牛养殖转型为奶牛养殖，奥康纳注意到他们面临的新时间管理问题，于是去年10月开始开发这款应用。

“我开始在自家农场看到问题，并尝试解决，因为市面上有很多农场管理软件，但很少有能真正管理农场业务中的人员的，”奥康纳说。去年10月，他在唐帕特里克的莱卡莱三一文法学校备考GCSE的同时，仍在晚上帮忙挤牛奶。这需要大量“平衡”时间和熬夜，而他的表哥则帮助进行应用的编码和开发。

FarmFlow旨在帮助畜牧和奶牛农场每周节省3至5小时的行政工作。应用的主要功能是任务管理，农场主可以为员工分配任务，并标记完成情况。该应用还允许农民跟踪文档，如牲畜的医疗记录。

不过，奥康纳强调了应用中“农场信号”（Farm Signals）功能的重要性，该功能允许员工通过交通灯系统突出健康和安全问题，显示紧急程度。这些问题可能包括奶牛场地板上的破损板条，或跟踪奶牛的跛行情况。

本·奥康纳在学校项目中出售小牛后，决定从事农业相关事业

该应用采用“免费增值”模式，核心功能如“农场信号”免费提供，而额外功能则需付费，“因为农场，尤其是奶牛场的现金流可能非常紧张”。

这并非奥康纳首次涉足创业。他9岁时就开始销售柴火，11岁时创立了Gifery，一家邮购礼品篮公司，三年内售出了200,000个礼品篮。

奥康纳表示自己喜欢“解决问题和尝试新事物”，并认为年轻是尝试创业的最佳时机。

“你没有太大压力要独立生活之类的，”他说。随着GCSE成绩即将揭晓，他表示“希望一切顺利”，但尚不确定是否会继续读A-level。

他曾被联合利华的市场营销学徒项目录取，但最终拒绝了，因为觉得“年纪太小”不适合搬到伦敦。

奥康纳正致力于扩展FarmFlow，并计划在人力资源领域建立“一系列业务”。他正在开发针对人力资源公司的跟踪软件和面试培训聊天机器人。

热浪“将影响食品供应并推高物价”

杰克·巴尼特 经济记者

食品和饮料制造商警告称，随着创纪录的高温天气席卷英国，该国将面临更高的食品杂货成本和潜在的供应短缺。

专家表示，降雨不足和干旱的气候条件可能导致水果和蔬菜价格上涨、供应减少，从而对2027年的食品通胀构成上行压力。

英国本土种植的多种农作物（如西兰花和樱桃）供应已面临压力，而粮食歉收正推高动物饲料成本，可能导致肉类价格上涨。

英国食品和饮料联合会（FDF）发出这一警告之际，英国民众正准备迎接今夏的第五波热浪，预计明天气温将高达18度。本周，英格兰超过三分之二的地区已被宣布进入干旱状态。

FDF首席经济学家莉莉安娜·达尼拉博士表示：“英国不仅正经历有记录以来最炎热、最干旱的夏季之一，整个欧洲的热浪和严重干旱也正在影响水果、蔬菜和粮食的供应。资源竞争加剧将进一步推高制造商的原料成本。

“英国的食品和饮料制造商努力吸收成本，但已因乌克兰和伊朗的战争而面临成本上涨，因此我们预计，作物减产带来的额外上行压力将在明年反映到零售价格中。”

自2022年以来，英国生活成本上涨的主要原因是日常必需品价格飙升。2023年，食品通胀率达到19.2%的峰值，而四年前俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后，家庭账单迅速上涨。

英国央行在上月的利率会议上警告称，今年预测的强厄尔尼诺天气现象将导致“多个农产品出口地区出现更炎热、更干旱的气候条件，可能降低作物产量，并对全球食品价格构成上行压力”。

英国农业和园艺发展委员会表示，极端高温已影响牛奶生产，奶牛因高温压力和草场放牧条件恶化导致产量下降。

国民西敏寺银行（NatWest）已制定计划，为面临作物减产前景的逾40,000名农业借款人提供贷款还款假期和透支服务。

该行警告称，影响可能持续超出当前热浪，因高温会增加疾病暴发风险并损害牲畜生产力。

该行农业主管伊恩·伯罗表示：“英国农民越来越被迫应对极端天气的后果，从一个季节的洪水到下一个季节的干旱。

“对许多企业而言，挑战不再仅仅是从单一事件中恢复，而是为未来这些情况日益频繁的未来构建韧性。

“由于部分地区收割进度早于往常，而牲畜养殖户已因草场生长不良而依赖冬季饲料储备，现金流和饲料供应可能面临越来越大的挑战。”

Shore Capital的分析警告称，随着热浪损害小麦产量、蔬菜作物和牛奶生产，英国正面临数十年来最严重的粮食安全危机。

干旱与技能缺口下的农业“需要更多支持”

包括农业路线图和帮助年轻人就业的举措在内的措施受到欢迎，但“力度还不够”。

英国农业总监保罗·多佛表示：“多年来，食品供应链一直面临着劳动力挑战的日益加剧的压力，而我们农民的最新数据显示，这一情况并未好转。如果不采取行动，这一挑战将超出农场范围产生影响。”

“政府提出的农业路线图以及通过学校课程帮助年轻人就业的努力是有益的，将在一定程度上支持农民，但现实是我们需要更早介入。”

Arla Foods英国公司董事总经理巴斯·帕德伯格表示：“如果我们希望建立一个能够养活子孙后代的韧性食品体系，就必须在技能、教育和职业发展路径上进行投资，以培养未来的劳动力。”

根据调查，约五分之一的农民表示需要帮助招聘、培训和培养未来的劳动力。

约14%的农民将优先考虑开展“全国性营销活动”，以吸引更多人才。

政府表示：“吸引优秀的新人才进入农业领域，对英国食品和农业的未来至关重要。”

“正在进行的技能体系改革，包括农业、环境和动物护理的V级资质，将加强培训途径，改革学徒制，并改善进入农业的职业发展路径，为年轻人提供他们所需的实践、动手学习机会，以取得进步。”

“我们的25年农业路线图为未来描绘了清晰的愿景，使我们的农民能够再次满怀信心地投资，并自豪地养活一代又一代国民。”

---

35

商业

大卫·史密斯

英国经济韧性十足，但希利的财政部仍是未知数

“本周晚些时候，我们将获得官方数据，显示英国经济在6月以及更重要的今年第二季度的表现。经济学家对6月单月GDP数据是会略有上升还是略有下降存在分歧。不过，他们一致认为第二季度将实现增长，可能在0.3或0.4%。

在官方数据发布前夕（明天）预测具体数字，违反了预测的一条规则：你可以预测数值，或预测日期，但绝不能同时预测两者。不过，让我们拭目以待。经济学家对第二季度GDP增长的信心，很大程度上源于4月和5月的单月GDP比第一季度平均水平高出0.4%。除非6月出现极为不利的情况，否则这一增长势头难以被扭转。

诚然，第二季度的GDP增长可能无法匹敌第一季度0.6%的强劲反弹，但若能实现，将值得庆祝。在伊朗战争引发的能源冲击背景下，英国经济仍能保持稳健增长，实属不易。三四个月前，局势看起来远不如此乐观。霍尔木兹海峡关闭时，情况一度相当严峻。

假设GDP数据符合预期，这并非英国经济在最新冲击下展现韧性的唯一证据。最新的招聘与就业联合会（REC）就业报告在标题中写道：“招聘形势改善，永久岗位招聘趋稳，临时岗位账单进一步上升。”

永久岗位招聘已连续四年疲软，其低迷态势早于蕾切尔·里夫斯提高雇主国民保险之前。因此，这一趋稳迹象让人略感乐观。

英国经济对外部冲击的抵御能力超出预期。去年，在特朗普总统对美国贸易伙伴及盟友（包括英国）发起关税战的背景下，英国经济仍实现增长。今年以来，尽管美国总统对伊朗发动的战争导致能源冲击，英国经济依然保持增长。

美国的主要战争目标似乎是重新开放霍尔木兹海峡

看似显著上涨的汽油和柴油价格已被驾车者消化。英国交通部数据显示，上月上半月的汽车使用量略高于去年同期，当时油价要低得多。一度预计将大幅上涨的家庭能源价格上限，最坏情况下也仅会在10月小幅上调，政府暂时取消国内电费增值税的决定起到了抑制作用。

不过，我们不应过早乐观。前方仍有风险。我不会详细探讨干旱对经济活动的限制及其推高物价的影响，尽管或许应该提及。

在伊朗问题上，美国的战争目标现已收窄至重新开放霍尔木兹海峡，恢复导弹袭击前的状态。

然而，是否重新开放海峡的决定权似乎已落入伊朗手中。作为西方的死敌，这一局面并不乐观。不仅如此，若非各国动用战略石油储备向市场供油，战争和海峡关闭对油价的影响将大得多。目前，各国正通过动用战略储备向市场供应石油，从而限制了冲突对油价的影响。

问题在于，这种情况能持续多久。美国能源部的官方数据显示，美国战略石油储备上周已降至3亿桶以下，为1983年以来的最低水平。

中国拥有规模更大的战略石油储备，介于1.3和1.4亿桶之间，已为市场供应发挥重要作用。

在能源冲击后稳定市场方面，该国比任何其他国家都更为积极，通过限制石油进口和动用储备来应对海峡关闭。但即使如此，其能力也有局限。

与伊朗的战争及持续的能源冲击是经济韧性面临的风险之一。另一个风险则是10月的预算案。尽管经济学家们已开始猜测约翰·希利（John Healey）可能在10月28日的预算案中需要加税多少，但此类猜测目前尚无依据。我无法代表所有同事发言，但我并未察觉到内部人士向他们透露过任何预算动向。毕竟，当外界普遍猜测将在沙巴娜·马哈茂德（Shabana Mahmood）和埃德·米利班德（Ed Miliband）之间展开竞争时，希利的任命让大多数人措手不及。

不仅如此，首相和财政大臣所接收的经济建议——除了来自公务员的建议外——仍是一个未知数。

正如本报此前报道，当安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）入主唐宁街10号时，外界曾热议的经济“梦之队”——卡特尔的奥尼尔勋爵（Lord O'Neill）、安迪·霍尔丹（Andy Haldane）以及前预算责任办公室主席理查德·休斯（Richard Hughes）——至今尚未组建，甚至可能永远不会实现。虽然没有人会介意被视为向新首相提供建议（近期的几位首相显然除外），但任何正式职位迄今仍未落实。

好消息是，预算猜测尚未像一年前那样疯狂，当时它是夏秋两季的重大新闻之一。但可以预见，随着时间推移，猜测将在下月升温，一如既往。需要避免的是，由于不确定性导致投资、招聘和支出决策陷入有害的停滞。

迄今为止，经济展现出了韧性，但要将其击垮并不需要太多冲击。这种情况曾经发生过，也可能再次发生。

在新政府的诸多优先事项中，避免经济再次受挫应是其中之一。

戴维·史密斯（David Smith）是《星期日泰晤士报》经济版编辑 david.smith@sunday-times.co.uk

“AI意味着企业需要灵活的办公空间”

汤姆·霍华德

全球最大的服务式办公空间供应商声称，由于企业对人工智能对未来员工规模的影响一无所知，它们正在寻求更灵活的办公空间。

运营Regus和Spaces品牌的IWG表示，人工智能的迅速崛起意味着“对于大多数企业领导者来说，仅仅两年后需要多少办公空间都是无法预知的”。

“在这种背景下，企业越来越多地寻求能够快速扩展或缩减的工作场所策略，”IWG新任首席执行官克里斯蒂安·施密茨（Christian Schmitz）表示。

“在技术不断变化的环境中，组织需要灵活应变的能力。”

IWG由前热狗销售员马克·迪克森（Mark Dixon）于1989年创立，当时他在布鲁塞尔开设了第一间办公室，发现了移动中的高管对临时办公空间的需求。如今，IWG在全球拥有超过2,200个中心，可按天、周、月或年租用。

IWG并未购买或租赁自有办公空间用于出租，而是越来越多地与房东合作，由房东将其建筑中的空间交给IWG运营为服务式办公室。由于企业对人工智能如何影响其运营尚不明确，IWG上半年业绩创下纪录，收入增长6%，达到20亿加元，较2025年上半年的190亿加元有所增长。

然而，IWG在同期税前亏损2,000万加元，而去年同期则为盈利1,200万加元。这一亏损归因于12.5亿加元债务的利息成本上升，以及一般及行政费用增加6500万加元。IWG在上半年现金流出5500万加元，而2025年上半年则为现金流入5100万加元，杰富瑞（Jefferies）行业分析师艾伦·韦尔斯（Allen Wells）称其表现“疲软”。

IWG今年迄今已回购了1亿加元的自家股票，并承诺在2026年底前再回购5000万加元。不过，市场原本希望管理层能扩大回购计划，但韦尔斯表示，较弱的现金流“可能会降低市场对进一步回购公告时机的信心”。

IWG股价昨日下跌2.6便士，跌幅1.4%，至183.5便士，较年初已下跌五分之一。

为墙壁增添些许智慧

寻找我们漫画家的签名镶框版画，包括彼得·布鲁克斯（Peter Brookes）、莫滕·莫兰（Morten Morland）、彼得·施兰克（Peter Schrank）等人的精品作品。

起价58英镑。请访问timescartoons.com订购。

《泰晤士报》 《星期日泰晤士报》

---

36

商业

酒吧监管机构瞄准Stonegate

监管机构在审查英国最大的酒吧集团时面临审视。杰西卡·纽曼与詹姆斯·赫利报道

对于多年来一直敦促英国酒吧监管机构采取更强硬立场以保护租户的人来说，对Stonegate展开调查的举措令人惊喜。

酒吧业行为准则仲裁员（PCA）菲奥娜·迪基上月邀请酒吧经营者、行业顾问以及Stonegate现任和前任员工提供证据，对英国最大的酒吧集团如何对待其租户展开调查。作为回应，许多租户公开讲述了他们声称在接手Stonegate酒吧后遭遇的财务和个人灾难性后果。

那些长期以来一直要求迪基对涉嫌高昂定价、误导性财务交易以及酒吧状况恶劣等问题采取更强硬行动的人，其反应可以概括为“早该如此”。但鲜为人关注的是，这项对Stonegate的调查——自监管机构成立以来仅第二次展开——正值该准则及仲裁员面临生存危机的审视之际。

该准则于2016年设立，规范“附属”酒吧租户与大型酒吧业主企业之间的关系，后者将酒吧出租给租户并向其出售啤酒。其目的是解决数百年来“啤酒附属”制度下的权力失衡问题，根据该制度，酒吧租户在合同约束下必须从酒吧公司（pubco）房东处购买特定供应品。这通常以远高于公开市场的价格进行，以换取酒吧公司收取的较低租金。

这一新制度的有效性，以及是否仍适用于已发生巨大变化的酒吧行业，正在接受审查。每三年进行一次法定审查。此外，政府还委托对该监管机构进行全面的“实施后审查”。

去年启动这项工作时，时任就业权利、竞争和市场部长的贾斯汀·马德斯表示：“现在是时候问问当前模式是否仍然有效”，以及“PCA是否仍有必要、应保持现状、进行改革或与其他公共机构合并”。该审查于去年8月结束。一年后，政府仍在权衡下一步行动。

公平地说，有许多因素需要考虑。自准则实施以来，酒吧行业格局发生了显著变化，包括受准则约束的酒吧数量减少、由酒吧公司雇佣酒吧经营者而非与半独立租户合作的“直营”模式增加，以及立法未涵盖的其他模式的兴起。

被Stonegate称为“行业专家”的资深酒吧顾问菲尔·迪克森表示：“仲裁员的初衷是好的，但最终并未产生太大影响。它只是一个走过场的准政府机构。”

与其他行业监管机构相比，PCA的管辖范围有限。它仅覆盖英格兰和威尔士六家拥有500家或以上附属酒吧的大型酒吧业主公司：Stonegate、Marston's、Admiral Taverns、Greene King、Star Pubs & Bars和Punch Pubs。且仅涵盖这些企业内部的特定交易。在2016年准则推出时，约有11,500家酒吧适用该准则。到2024年，这一数字已降至8,000家以下，但到2025年又回升至约8,500家。

仲裁员表示，其“在赋予附属租户权力、保护附属业务关系公平性方面发挥了关键作用，有助于在英格兰和威尔士建立一个更公平、透明的受监管酒吧行业”。该机构称，尽管自准则实施以来行业已发生变化，“但过去五年的变化并不明显”，且受监管酒吧的规模已趋于稳定—。

斯派拉克斯强劲业绩难安投资者

夏洛特·本德

英国一家领先的工业工程企业在发布中期业绩时未上调全年业绩指引，令投资者失望。

斯派拉克斯集团（Spirax Group）为石油天然气、化工和矿业等多个行业提供热能和流体控制技术，其截至6月底的六个月税前利润同比增长54%，至135.4万英镑。营收同比增长5%，达863.8万英镑。

然而，斯派拉克斯在强劲中期业绩和每股股息增长3%至50.便士的情况下，未上调全年业绩指引，股价随即大跌。该股下跌425便士，跌幅5.6%，报72.25英镑，成为富时100指数中跌幅最大的个股。

杰富瑞（Jefferies）分析师表示，对股价大跌“深感意外”，并重申“买入”评级，认为此次下跌提供了“更具吸引力的入场点”和“良好的买入机会”。

斯派拉克斯的主要收入来自欧洲、中东和非洲地区，尽管中东冲突导致供应链中断，该地区六个月收入仍达181.5万英镑。美洲地区收入为135.1万英镑，亚太地区为147.2万英镑。

斯派拉克斯成立于1888年，总部位于切尔滕纳姆，业务遍及70个国家。

首席执行官尼梅什·帕特尔（Nimesh Patel）表示：“半导体和生物制药等终端市场持续增长，加之订单强劲，支撑我们对下半年营收和利润增长的预期，我们重申全年业绩指引。”

普惠保险有限公司（公司注册号5454）受英国审慎监管局授权并监管，同时受英国金融行为监管局（FCA）监管，隶属于M&G集团。

---

17

商业

为自身未来而战

![图片](

)

在其旗下“约翰·巴尔科姆爵士”（Sir John Balcombe）酒吧，Stonegate集团正接受酒吧业法规仲裁员菲奥娜·迪基（Fiona Dickie）的调查。

迪基已告知政府，该法规的核心原则之一——即“附约酒吧租户”的待遇不应劣于无附约状态——面临被削弱的风险。她警告称，租户获得“市场租金制”（MRO）安排的渠道“受限且日益萎缩”。MRO是法规赋予租户的选择权，允许其在公开市场采购啤酒和供应品。迪基表示，这“可能限制”法规实现“待遇不劣于”原则的“能力”。租户代表认为，若法规赋予租户足够的议价权和权利，将有更多租户选择脱离附约。迪克森（Dixon）表示，仅有少数酒吧经营者转向MRO，“尽管这至少促使人们在附约下争取更优惠的价格”。他指出更大的问题是，“整个行业的定价依然令人震惊，尤其是对最忠诚的租户而言。真正需要的是租户有能力挑战酒吧公司给出的价格”。租户和酒吧业界均指出监管机构行动不足，尽管出发点不同。在启动对Stonegate的调查前，业内普遍认为该法规可能即将被废除。一位业内人士表示：

啤酒业的困境？

截至每年3月31日的酒吧业行为准则协议总数

一家“六大”公司之一表示，他们认为“有真正的可能性”会对该准则进行“缩减”。行业组织英国啤酒与酒吧协会在去年对该审查的回应中表示，这一审查“令人振奋”，因为它体现了减轻“行业急剧成本负担”的愿望。

如今，行业情绪已不再乐观，这不仅是因为备受瞩目的“Stonegate 事件”。此次审查还发生在一位热爱酒吧的新首相和一位新财政大臣上任之际，后者在监管机构既鼓励增长又执行规则的立场——如雷切尔·里夫斯所倡导的——尚不明确。

另一家酒吧公司的老板表示，业内对“Stonegate 事件”可能对其他企业造成负面影响的“担忧日益加剧”。“没有人希望被一概而论，”他们说。英国酒吧论坛（一家租户团体）前主席伊恩·卡斯表示，这些规则并未奏效。“它本应阻止酒吧公司的不公平行为，并提供一种公平的替代交易选择，即仅按市场租金（MRO）的方式，这种方式本应简单、廉价且快捷。

“而实际上，酒吧公司找到了一系列全新的不公平行为，[且] MRO 选项被证明成本高昂、耗时且难以实现，因为酒吧公司使其变得如此。现在的解决方案是废除该准则和仲裁机构，并取消所有酒吧的‘捆绑销售’协议。[这种捆绑销售]已变成一头‘弗兰肯斯坦怪物’式的协议，”卡斯说。

仲裁机构指出，在2022年4月至2025年3月期间启动的453起 MRO 流程中，超过三分之一最终达成了无捆绑协议——这一比例与前三年期间相近。但……

迪克森警告称，目前行业正将大多数协议与运营商的结构设计在《房东与租户法》的保护范围之外。“没有权利的地方，优秀的企业家不会靠近你。如果一份协议只有傻瓜才会签，那么这个行业最终会充斥太多傻瓜。”

他表示，拥有少于500家门店的绝大多数酒吧公司（不受监管约束）已签署了一份自愿准则，以公平对待捆绑租户，包括租金审查服务以及仲裁和调解机制。

迪克森认为，这一准则的强化版本——他认为应对任何拥有超过10家酒吧的运营商强制实施——应取代现行准则。“自律的优势在于，如果出现问题，行业可以灵活调整并解决。而有了准则，你就只能被2015年写下的条款所束缚。”

Campaign for Real Ale首席执行官汤姆·斯泰纳认为，尽管酒吧业行为准则仲裁机构（PCA）发挥着必要作用，但其职权范围过于狭窄。他认为，对该监管机构的大部分批评源于此，人们期望它“拥有并不具备的权力”，斯泰纳认为仲裁机构需要“更多执法权”和“显著更广泛的授权”。

政府已表示，此前的审查显示该准则实现了其两大主要目标：公平合法的待遇和“不比无捆绑更差”的原则。一位政府发言人表示，将“尽快”公布审查结果。

Stonegate 公司表示，他们“完全致力于”遵守该准则，并称“酒吧老板是我们业务的核心”。该公司表示正在配合调查，但同时指出“正在对我们的物业进行创纪录的投资，租户申请数量创下历史新高，酒吧老板的任期也达到了历史最长水平”。

世界杯助力洲际酒店集团业绩超预期

杰西卡·纽曼

作为假日酒店（Holiday Inn）和皇冠假日酒店（Crowne Plaza）连锁品牌以及六善度假村（Six Senses）背后的酒店公司，洲际酒店集团（InterContinental Hotels Group）上半年客房收入增长超出预期，得益于美国和中国市场的强劲表现，抵消了中东地区的大幅下滑。

拥有超过 7,100 家酒店、覆盖 100 多个国家的洲际酒店集团报告称，截至6月底的六个月内，每间可售房收入（revspar）——行业关键指标——同比增长 4.1%，高于分析师预期的 3.3% 增长。

在洲际酒店集团最大的美洲区，revspar增长 4.8%，受益于“强劲”的美国经济和世界杯比赛举办城市的稳定需求。

在中国，revspar增长 3.1%，得益于“尤其强劲”的第一季度表现，以及春节期间“优异”的休闲需求。洲际酒店集团表示，其旗下 21 个品牌均实现增长，但六善、丽晶（Regent）、金普顿（Kimpton）和Vignette Collection等奢华品牌

“继续交出最强劲的业绩”。

“非常富裕的人群依然非常富裕……他们从未真正停止消费”，洲际酒店集团首席执行官埃利·马卢夫（Elie Maalouf）表示。“人们更倾向于体验而非商品，尽管存在地缘政治紧张局势和高温天气，他们仍然愿意在旅行上花钱。”

这家富时100指数成分股公司在欧洲、中东、非洲和亚洲的表现参差不齐。整体而言，该地区revspar增长 3.1%，但第二季度增速放缓，原因是伊朗战争爆发。

英国第二季度revspar增长 3.1%，欧洲大陆增长 2.3%，而中东地区的表现则显著恶化。该地区占洲际酒店集团全球客房总数的约 5%，revspar从第一季度下降 2% 转为第二季度下降 19%。马卢夫表示，公司在该地区的

酒店“自3月和4月冲突高峰期以来，每个月的经营状况都在改善”。

洲际酒店集团在中东的酒店项目管线约 90% 位于埃及、土耳其和沙特阿拉伯，马卢夫补充称，这些国家受冲突影响相对较小。

洲际酒店集团上半年总收入为 26 亿加元 十亿。尽管营业利润增长 10% 至 $665 百万，但低于分析师预期的约 $6.7 百万。这一差距与一家酒店火灾导致的 1500 万 保险费用有关。

美国银行分析师表示，洲际酒店集团第二季度业绩在“艰难的酒店业财报季”中表现“稳健”。本月，其竞争对手万豪（Marriott）和凯悦（Hyatt）均下调了全年净客房增长预期。

杰富瑞（Jefferies）分析师表示，“关键资金仍在可控范围内，全年展望得到重申”。

洲际酒店集团股价收盘上涨 25 美分，涨幅 0.2%，报 $155.80。

交易员每月支付10万加元提前获取特朗普帖子

格雷厄姆·拉迪克 副商业版编辑

已有超过十家客户签约，通过每月支付高达10万加元的费用，获得提前访问特朗普总统Truth Social帖子的高速通道。

特朗普媒体与科技集团（TMTG）临时首席执行官凯文·麦格恩证实了这些签约情况，当时该公司正发布季度业绩。

该服务备受争议，因其可能让交易员比其他人更早获得特朗普可能影响市场的帖子。批评者称这存在利益冲突，并成为总统利用其职位牟利的工具。

TMTG拥有Truth Social平台，以及Truths流媒体服务和其他一系列资产。根据Factset数据，TMTG的最大股东是唐纳德·J·特朗普可撤销信托，持股41%。该信托持有总统在任期间的资产。其他投资者包括贝莱德和先锋集团。

1.64亿加元

特朗普媒体与科技集团第二季度亏损 数据来源：TMTG

TMTG表示，Truth API服务提供“一种企业对企业的数据订阅服务，授权用户以低延迟访问来自特定Truth Social顶级账户的公开帖子，预计将为公司带来新的收入来源”。

该公司补充道：“TMTG在8月1日推出前已吸引多家机构客户，尽管受到其认为不实的Truth API批评，仍在继续吸纳新合作伙伴。”

麦格恩证实迄今已签署“超过十份客户协议”。客户使用该服务的月费在6万至10万加元之间。高频交易公司是签约客户之一。

TMTG报告截至6月底的三个月亏损2.38亿加元。第二季度数据显示，公司因加密货币持仓账面价值损失而受到冲击。若不计入这些账面损失，公司亏损1.64亿加元，而去年同期亏损为4400万加元。

公司计入了进军媒体行业以外业务的成本，如加密货币、在线博彩、金融甚至核能等领域。公司表示将放弃许多新业务，重新聚焦于其社交媒体平台，并作为用户发布观点的论坛。

麦格恩表示：“我们做出了审慎的选择，转向投入更多时间和资源到最重要的项目上。我们会对不合适的事说不，或在必要时调整方向。”

他还为Truth API服务辩护：“通过商业API（应用程序编程接口）提供授权的实时公开数据，是科技、金融信息和媒体行业中普遍存在的商业惯例。这并无不同。”

他证实，TMTG的核聚变业务将在新战略下继续推进，目标是在年底前完成此前宣布的与能源公司TAE Technologies的合并。

TMTG股价昨日持平，报9.39加元，公司估值为25亿加元。

工厂因电网接入排队问题放弃电气化计划

能源编辑 艾米莉·戈斯登

由于无法获得接入电网的成本估算或时间预期，工厂正在放弃将其运营电气化的计划。

英国低效的电网接入系统正在主动阻碍经济脱碳进程，能源用户行业组织 ADE: Demand（能源用户行业团体）在一份报告中指出。

报告称，工业场地通常在炉具或锅炉等资产接近使用寿命末期时决定是否进行电气化改造，此时可在“同类化石燃料替代品与电气化方案之间”进行选择。

报告发现，工厂“选择用天然气而非电力替换老旧设备，因为在必须做出投资决策前，无法确定接入成本和时间表”。报告指出，企业甚至无法在投入时间和资金前获得可信的初步估算来支持商业论证。“面对模糊的时间表和无法预测的账单，许多企业在填写一份表格前就已放弃。”

报告还指出，早期非正式指导有时足以劝退申请者，用户被告知接入等待时间可能超过其所需时限。

“如果设备将在两年内到期，而接入需要八年，那么无论报价如何，场地都无法等待，”报告指出。

相关设备的化石燃料替代品可能持续使用二十年，之后场地才会再次考虑电气化，因此这一问题将使英国长期锁定更多碳排放。

ADE: Demand 认为，这一问题正在被忽视，因为“这些放弃的项目从未出现在官方统计数据中，这意味着电网运营商、监管机构和政府正在基于不完整的数据评估系统”。

报告聚焦于寻求接入区域配电网的企业。这一过程复杂，因为这些接入可能对输电网产生连锁影响，而配电网公司因此通常需要与输电网运营商及国家能源系统运营商（Neso）协调，后者负责协调输电层面的各项流程。

过去几年，Olgem、政府和 Neso 已开始实施改革发电和储能电网接入排队流程，此前曾因可再生能源和电池接入电网等待时间过长而广受诟病。

监管机构还将注意力转向电网需求接入排队问题，特别是来自数据中心的申请激增。目前正在对电网接入流程进行“端到端审查”，ADE: Demand 希望这一审查能提出解决方案，以应对报告中描述的透明度缺失问题。

报告作者菲尔·尼科尔森表示：“多年来，各机构一直专注于发电排队问题，忽视了英国工业。它们的不透明、不一致和监管不力已造成一场自酿的隐性危机。如果企业探索电气化后决定不继续，该项目将永远不会被统计。排队人数保持较少，积压看似可控，而损失的投资则无迹可寻。我们正在衡量错误的指标，只有统计那些从未申请的项目，才能了解系统是否真正有效。”

代表电网运营商的能源网络协会电力系统总监戴维·博耶表示：“改善客户接入是电网的核心工作重点，目前正在按时限加快接入进度。我们正竭尽所能加快进程，使系统更加公平。”

阿内索发言人表示：“我们认识到，为企业在电气化投资规划中提供更大的确定性至关重要，因此我们正与政府和奥尔格姆密切合作，推动进一步改革，以满足电网连接需求。”

奥尔格姆表示：“我们同意ADE的观点——现行系统无法应对电网容量需求的规模。我们已与企业详细合作，从头到尾全面改革系统，最终决定将在数周内公布。改革直击企业反映的核心问题：成本不明、时间表不确定、出现问题时缺乏问责。”

水母入侵导致核电站混乱

法国一座核电站的三座反应堆已作为预防措施关闭，原因是担心大量水母可能堵塞冷却水系统（西蒙·弗里曼报道）。

由国有电力公司法国电力公司（EDF）运营的格拉沃利讷核电站启动了去年引入的安全协议，此前类似的水母入侵曾迫使该电站（位于法国北部敦刻尔克附近）全面停运十天。

这座滨海核电站是西欧最大的核电站，通过连接北海的运河进行冷却。其六座机组各产生900兆瓦电力，总发电量达5.4吉瓦，足以为多达500万户家庭供电。

法国电力公司表示，由于水母群的影响，2号、3号和4号反应堆已被关闭，1号反应堆则被限制在半功率运行作为预防措施。5号反应堆因维护停运，6号反应堆正常运行。

去年因水母入侵导致的全面停运促使运营方采取了新的监测和拖网技术，以尝试预防或减轻未来类似事件的影响。法国电力公司在进水运河和滤鼓筛网上安装了固定摄像头，以尽早发现可能的堵塞。

该公司还与一家法国渔业组织和一家海上救援团体合作，后者负责监测水母群并可发出警报，启动有针对性的拖网作业，在水母群抵达电站前降低其密度。周六，在发出初步警报后，渔船已被部署，从而限制了水母群的影响。现场工程师表示，正在使用真空吸尘车清除现场水母。

工程师补充称，由于没有新的水母到来，清理工作即将完成，这将有助于反应堆迅速重启。法国电力公司表示，此次事件“对设施安全、员工安全或环境均无影响”。

科学家警告称，由于全球变暖、入侵物种到来、捕食者栖息地丧失及过度捕捞等因素，此类事件可能会变得更加频繁。水母在温暖月份最为活跃，因为高温会增加水面浮游生物的数量，将它们从深海吸引上来。

热浪和干旱正影响着欧洲各地的核电站。本月，匈牙利宣布因多瑙河水位过低而关闭其唯一的核电站。这是该电站44年来首次被有意停运。

国家统计局将于2027年启动劳动力调查

杰克·巴尼特

国家统计局（ONS）认为，2027年11月是最可能放弃现有劳动力市场数据并过渡到新数据集的日期，新数据集应能更准确地反映英国劳动力市场的趋势。

该统计机构昨日宣布，将于2024年7月决定“我们及用户是否已准备好”开始向新的劳动力市场数据过渡，该数据被ONS称为“转型劳动力调查”（TLFS）。

彭博社此前报道称，ONS已将2027年5月定为新统计数据的目标推出日期，但其初次发布已多次推迟。ONS最初宣布启动TLFS项目时，曾将首次发布日期定为2024年春季。

ONS劳动力市场数据的全面改革是由新冠疫情后基础调查回复率急剧下降引发的，导致最终数据输出不准确。回复率曾降至12.7%，但此后已有所恢复。

ONS周二表示，2027年11月“仍是最可能的路径，且平衡了数据驱动的方法”。

一位参与TLFS开发的人士表示，尽管此前多次推迟，但对按时完成仍有信心，但并未完全排除在必要时将发布时间推迟至2028年的可能性。

ONS表示：“我们正竭尽全力确保2027年安全过渡。”

该统计机构还表示，由于将参与者的代金券价值从£10提高至£20，其试行TLFS的回复率在截至6月的三个月内有所上升。ONS还称，在简化问卷后，受访者的参与度有所提高。

回复率在最近一个季度上升至近40%，而截至3月底的季度仅为3.71%。ONS表示：“第一波调查的家庭中位完成时间约为17分钟，而[旧劳动力调查]的中位完成时间为40至45分钟。”

政策制定者表示，缺乏准确的劳动力市场数据阻碍了决策。英格兰银行行长安德鲁·贝利曾表示，数据问题对央行决定是否降息、加息或维持利率是一个“重大问题”。

---

41

市场商业

威廉·凯 Tempus 买入、卖出还是持有：今日最佳股票建议

隐秘世界带来丰厚回报

凯勒集团

市值 £21亿 / 预期市盈率12

从悉尼鱼市场到佛罗里达州的硬石赌场，凯勒集团的工作往往隐藏于视线之外，或深埋地下，或支撑着世界知名建筑的柱基。建筑公司依赖凯勒这样的专业公司为其多姿多彩的创意项目奠定基础。在过去一年左右的时间里，凯勒的名声不断扩大，其股价已从£13飙升至£34，且估值仍然偏低。这是否已达顶峰，还是仅仅是一个中转站？

19世纪60年代，约翰·凯勒开始在斯特拉斯堡以东12英里的伦茨勒恩为附近的村庄和农场钻井、安装水泵和铺设水管。由于需要应对不同的土壤层和地下水位，他成为最早开发现代地下钻探技术的人之一。

时光快进至1972年，该公司被英国工程师GKN收购，1990年通过管理层收购独立，并于1994年在伦敦证券交易所上市。

作为全球最大的专业岩土工程承包商，该集团拥有专有技术能力、专业设备和规模优势，这是大多数较小的土木工程同行无法匹敌的。其在北美的收入占比超过60%，该地区对复杂地基工程的需求正在激增，因

坚实的根基

建议 买入 原因 随着市场对该公司潜力的认知扩散，股价将进一步上涨

用于建设数据中心、能源转型设施及大型基础设施项目。该集团迄今最大的单一项目是飓风后重建田纳西州与北卡罗来纳州交界处的40号州际公路，项目价值达3.8亿加元。

值得注意的是，凯勒（Keller）处于建筑行业的前沿，这一行业是全球周期性最强的行业之一，易受高利率、房地产低迷及经济衰退的影响。但公司指出，其业务主要集中于地下工程，可在零售、道路、数据中心等多个行业间灵活切换。

一项关键技能是设计能保护凯勒免受意外风险的合同，如未预见的土壤条件、地下水问题、巨石及其他技术难题——这在平均利润率仅约7.5%的情况下至关重要。2025年自由现金流为1.759亿英镑，来自30亿英镑的营收，接近税前利润1.973亿英镑。

上周公布的中期业绩显示，营收增长11.1%至16亿英镑，基础营业利润增长17%至1.179亿英镑，利润率略微提升至7.3%。基础摊薄每股收益增长22%至20.1便士。中期股息从18.3便士跃升至28.7便士，预计将占全年总股息的约35%。净债务从6150万英镑降至1590万英镑。首席执行官詹姆斯·罗思（James Wroath）表示：“我们有望在2026年剩余时间及未来持续交出亮眼成绩。”

北美地区表现最为突出，营业利润增长18%至约9400万英镑，在佛罗里达州南部住宅市场放缓的情况下，通过基础设施及数据中心项目实现平衡。罗思已在当地高度分散的市场中锁定数百个潜在收购目标。

欧洲及中东地区上半年增长略快，营收下降但利润增长29%。斯堪的纳维亚及中欧地区的强劲表现抵消了西欧（包括英国）的疲软，后者受HS2项目即将完工的影响。

亚太地区利润下滑1%至1400万英镑，但澳大利亚国防及能源项目推动营收增长。因此，集团面临全球汇率波动风险。上半年汇率变动带来760万英镑收益，而去年同期则亏损3470万英镑。

皮尔·亨特（Peel Hunt）表示：“今年以来，该股表现强劲。根据我们当前的预测，其2026年全年市盈率约为12倍，2026年将降至约11倍，2027年企业价值 / 息税折旧摊销前利润（EV / EBITDA）倍数分别为6倍和5.8倍。”

伊斯坦布尔超越希思罗机场

尽管希思罗机场在7月19日创下今年迄今最繁忙的一天，当天有267,000名乘客通过，因许多学校开始放暑假，但上个月该机场失去了欧洲最繁忙机场的地位，被伊斯坦布尔取代。

这座国际机场自1996年至2019年一直是欧洲最繁忙的机场。2020年因新冠疫情旅行限制失去这一头衔后，于2023年重新夺回，并保持至今。国际机场协会（Airports Council International）的年度数据显示，上个月，这座位于伦敦西部的机场有7.85 亿名乘客通过其四座航站楼。土耳其伊斯坦布尔机场的乘客数量则为815万。

希思罗机场仍在寻求政府批准建设第三条跑道，机场所有者声称这将使其年接待能力达到1.5亿人次。上个月，多家新航空公司开始在该机场运营，包括ITA航空、阿拉斯加航空和利雅得航空，7月共运送超过136,000名乘客，希思罗机场称这表明对额外运力存在“明确需求”。

首席执行官托马斯·沃尔德拜（Thomas Woldbye）表示：“扩建希思罗机场将有助于确保英国继续拥有欧洲领先的枢纽机场，并持续从贸易、投资和旅游业中受益。”货运业务也迎来了今年迄今最繁忙的一天，7月12日有5,000吨货物通过该机场。

派拉蒙“迷失方向”

加州总检察长罗布·邦塔（Rob Bonta）正领导一个由12个州组成的联盟，起诉阻止派拉蒙与天空之舞（Skydance）以100亿加元收购华纳兄弟探索（Warner Bros Discovery）的交易。他对派拉蒙首席执行官大卫·埃里森（David Ellison）的威胁予以回击，后者扬言除非邦塔同意谈判，否则将把派拉蒙迁出加州。邦塔在X平台上发文称：“在短短几周内，派拉蒙同意在法院作出裁决或2027年6月之前暂停合并，要求在11月开庭审理，现在又试图以此要挟州政府放行一桩非法交易。派拉蒙已经迷失了方向……这种手段第一次没有奏效，这次也不会成功。”

中国汽车销量下滑21%

在激烈竞争和更广泛的经济放缓背景下，中国汽车销量连续第十个月下滑。根据中国乘用车协会（CPCA）的数据，7月乘用车总销量同比下降21%，至147万辆，尽管出口量同比大幅增长88.2%，达到923,000辆。中国汽车制造商正迅速扩张至欧洲市场，通过低价电动车型对大众（Volkswagen）和Stellantis等巨头构成压力。上个月，中国电动汽车和插电式混合动力汽车出口同比激增1478%，而国内销量下降了3.9%。

史密斯菲尔德面临困境

全球最大的猪肉生产商下调了销售和利润预期，以反映“充满挑战的外部环境”，尽管其二季度销售略超华尔街预期。史密斯菲尔德食品公司（Smithfield Foods）生产包装肉类和新鲜猪肉，旗下品牌包括Eckrich和Nathan’s Famous。该公司将调整后的营业利润指引从13.3亿至14.8亿加元下调至12.1亿至13.8亿加元，并将原因归咎于消费者支出疲软和更高的投入成本。这家总部位于弗吉尼亚州的公司收入下降了3.2%，至37亿加元。

摩羯座被迫独自承担后果，追求者纷纷退场

市场报告

苏格兰的卡普里康能源（罗伯特·米勒报道）的计划往往会出现偏差。

卡普里康能源成立于1980年，前身为凯恩能源（Cairn），曾成为至少三家潜在收购方的目标。然而，昨天有两家突然退出。在下午5点“收购委员会”规定的最后期限前不久，卡塔尼集团成员Alamadiyai al-Masiyyah率先表示不会继续收购，随后Sanos能源也确认不会提出收购要约。

不过，Genel Energy仍在坚持。这家同样在伦敦上市的公司已提出一项建议的2.88亿英镑现金收购交易，股东投票将于8月18日举行。在两家收购方退出后，交易员不无道理地押注Genel将赢得这场竞争，其股价上涨15便士，涨幅2.8%，至65½便士，而卡普里康能源股价则大跌28便士，跌幅高达76%，至138便士，因看不到更好的报价。

在能源产业链上游，石油公司的表现则要乐观得多。全球基准布伦特原油价格在早盘时段一度飙升至接近每桶889加元，此前美国向伊朗提出赔偿要求，但随后收盘时回落至约88.35加元。在巴基斯坦外交渠道暗示美伊可能达成某种安排后，涨幅有所收窄。英国石油（BP）和壳牌均为富时100指数中表现最佳的个股，前者上涨11½便士，涨幅2.2%，至536便士；后者上涨58便士，涨幅1.8%，至£33.56。

这一涨幅不足以挽救富时100指数连续第二个交易日收跌，下跌18.31点，跌幅0.2%，至10,844.19点。圣詹姆斯广场（St James's Place）则在积极面表现突出，以36½便士的涨幅（3.2%）领涨，至£11.77，因其1.281亿英镑的股票回购计划受到市场青睐。拖累指数的最大个股是斯派拉克斯（Spirax），下跌42½便士，跌幅5.6%，至£72.25，因这家工业工程公司未能在发布一份尚可的中期业绩报告时上调全年业绩指引。

华尔街报告

投资者担心美伊冲突可能演变为一场旷日持久的消耗战，导致市场指数下跌。科技股再次成为重灾区，因人工智能支出过高，亚马逊下跌2.1%，谷歌母公司Alphabet下跌3.6%。标普500指数下跌24.91点，跌幅0.3%，至7,728.20点；纳斯达克指数下跌159.91点，跌幅0.6%，至26,445.45点。道琼斯工业平均指数下跌184.13点，跌幅0.3%，至53,791.85点。

当日最大波动股

Company / Ours

St James's Place / 3.2% Compass Group / 2.8% Endowour Mining / 2.7% Entain / 2.4% IG Group / 2.2% Prudential / -2.9% Legal & General / -1.1% Standard Life / -3.3% MSG / -1.3% Spirax Group / -5.6%

Myprotein运动饮料制造商THG是富时250指数中跌幅最大的个股之一

富时250指数最终收涨，上涨55.21点，涨幅0.2%，至24,799.75点，其中亨廷（Hunting）表现最佳，上涨23便士，涨幅5.1%，至4745便士。跌幅最大的个股之一是THG，下跌15便士，跌幅4.9%，至32½便士，此前分析师下调了其股价预期。

---

42

商业

科技峰会

AI代理时代，谁才是真正的掌控者？

2026年11月10日，星期二

演讲嘉宾包括

凯瑟琳·费舍尔（Kathleen Fisher）

ARIA 首席执行官

艾丹·戈麦斯（Aidan Gomez）

Cohere 联合创始人兼首席执行官

凯蒂·普雷斯科特（Katie Prescott）

《泰晤士报》科技播客联合主持人 《泰晤士报》科技商业版编辑

唐·布洛克斯维奇（Dawn Bloxwich）

谷歌 DeepMind 负责任开发与创新总监

罗斯·哈珀博士（Dr. Ross Harper）

Limbic 联合创始人兼首席执行官

朱迪思·达达（Judith Dada）

Langdock 联合首席执行官 Visionaries 高级合伙人

主赞助商

Adobe

支持赞助商

树莓派（Raspberry Pi）

访问 thetimes.com / events 或扫描二维码立即预订

---

45

已故女王的“马语者”好友 蒙蒂·罗伯茨（Monty Roberts）

讣告

贾斯汀·哈迪

导演《异教徒》的儿子，尽管其人生因父亲的邪典经典作品而留下创伤，但他仍成为了一名电影制作人

2021年，贾斯汀·哈迪收到了一批被遗忘的文件，这些文件由他的父亲——导演罗宾·哈迪留下。罗宾·哈迪以1973年的邪典电影《异教徒》闻名。该片由爱德华·伍德沃德、布丽特·艾克兰和克里斯托弗·李主演，讲述了一名清教徒警察在虚构的苏格兰岛屿萨默维尔寻找失踪女孩的故事。岛上居民信奉异教，最终他被困在巨大的柳条人中，在五朔节献祭仪式上被活活烧死，这一幕令人难忘。

影片上映时反响惨淡，但在随后的几年里，《异教徒》被视为英国电影的里程碑，成为学术会议和论文的主题，还催生了2006年由尼古拉斯·凯奇和艾伦·伯斯汀主演的美国翻拍版，以及舞台和广播改编作品，甚至是一支电台司令的音乐录影带。

受到这批档案的启发，哈迪和同父异母的哥哥多米尼克决定撰写一本书，并制作一部纪录片，记录他们父亲这部电影复杂的遗产。然而，最终呈现的却是一个更加私人且动人的故事，他们在其中探讨了自己对父亲的感受，以及《异教徒》如何影响——甚至可以说是伤害——了他们的生活。“他们称它为邪典经典，《惊悚片中的公民凯恩》，有史以来最伟大的英国电影之一，”贾斯汀说，“但对我来说，它始终是毁掉我家庭的那部电影。”

贾斯汀是一名历史纪录片制作人，其2007年的作品《贝尔森的解放》曾获英国电影学院奖提名。1973年《异教徒》上映时，他只有九岁，影片的观众反应冷淡，而他的声音在片中未被署名。“我记得父亲把我和几个表兄弟叫到录音棚，录制萨默维尔岛上孩子们的声音，当时爱德华·伍德沃德正追着玩具马四处奔跑，”他说，“我们都被要求说‘我们把死亡带进村庄’，我记得当时还在想我们在说什么。不过我们得到了一杯茶和一个小圆面包，还能逃一天学，挺不错的。”

《异教徒》的拍摄过程困难重重。哈迪与编剧安东尼·谢弗之间存在摩擦，剧组也问题不断，资金更是捉襟见肘。为了让《异教徒》得以完成，贾斯汀的母亲、哈迪当时的妻子卡罗琳——一位成功商人的女儿——实际上成了这部电影未署名的执行制片人，她借钱给丈夫，最终却因此破产。她的回报是，影片上映一年后，哈迪抛弃了她和他们的儿子贾斯汀及小女儿贝拉，她被迫卖掉了家。哈迪五年未与子女见面，也从未偿还过前妻的钱，卡罗琳最终于1984年死于酗酒。

在童年时期，他们每周都会——

![贾斯汀·哈迪（右）与同父异母的哥哥多米尼克于2023年在一次纪念放映活动上；左图为他们的父亲罗宾·哈迪（右）与制片人彼得·斯内尔（左）及编剧安东尼·谢弗；下图为克里斯托弗·李在《异教徒》中饰演萨默维尔勋爵]

“心碎，”他告诉《泰晤士报》，“我们不知道的是，她一次又一次为了《异教徒》的事业放弃了金钱。”在与同父异母哥哥合作的纪录片中，他表达得更为愤怒，斥责父亲“背叛了我们的母亲，留下了一片狼藉”。

哈迪于2016年去世，享年86,，即便《异教徒》后来被奉为同类电影的经典，他也从未从中赚到一分钱。“这部该死的电影后来为其他人赚了那么多钱，简直是个笑话。爸爸当时同意只拿五千英镑。所以他从未从中获利，”他的儿子说道。

贾斯汀长期以来对《异教徒》（The Wicker Man）感到如此苦涩，以至于无法观看。然而，与此同时，他父亲的这部如今被誉为杰作的代表作，却始终散发着一种奇特的魅力。当他接到前家族住宅的新主人来电——对方在阁楼中发现了六袋尘封数十年、从未被动过的父亲遗失档案时，他的第一反应是让她“把那些该死的东西烧掉”。

不过，他最终还是心软了。当他和多米尼克打开这些袋子时，惊讶地发现其中不仅有分镜脚本、法律文件、信件和揭示《异教徒》背后真实故事的遗失创作素材，还包括父亲从未拍摄的续集提案——《诸神之怒》（Wrath of the Gods）。这部作品与《异教徒》同样设定在扰乱人心的民俗恐怖氛围中，罗宾·哈迪原计划在设得兰群岛拍摄。经过反复思考，贾斯汀决定将父亲的艺术构想变为现实。

基于父亲的剧本草稿和遗失已久的笔记，他构思了一个情节：一位年轻的寡妇在丈夫自杀后回到苏格兰的一个岛屿安葬亡夫，“在过去的幽灵与当下的诸神之间挣扎”，最终被迫面对“潜藏在阴影中的黑暗家族秘密”——这正是影片预告片的描述。

如父亲所愿，他选择在设得兰群岛拍摄并执导了这部影片，主演包括《权力的游戏》（Game of Thrones）中的弗朗西斯·马吉、挪威女演员克里斯蒂安·沙尔德莫斯，以及一众设得兰群岛的本地演员。影片原定于本月晚些时候在伦敦首映，哈迪将《诸神之怒》献给了母亲的记忆，但如今这部作品也成了对他自己的纪念。

“贾斯汀在《诸神之怒》中完成了一项极为出色的工作，”他的同父异母兄弟多米尼克——魁北克大学的艺术史学家——说道，“当他向我展示最终版本时，我说：‘现在你拍出了一部真正的电影。这是你的电影，是你的视野；它了结了我们父亲的遗产，他曾创造了一个同名的宏大作品，而贾斯汀则创作了人文主义的、讲述重要故事的作品。’”

他身后留下了妻子拉丽莎，两人居住在牛津郡乡村的一座改建谷仓中，育有4个孩子：萨姆、卢多、尼科和萨默。

贾斯汀·圣克莱尔·哈迪生于1964年，就读于父亲的母校布拉德菲尔德学院，其风流韵事也如父亲般如出一辙。“我因与一位英国保姆偷情而被停学，有趣的是，这种事竟会重演，”他曾说，“但因为我是牛津剑桥的候选人，他们在最后一刻决定不开除我，对此我永远心存感激。”

在牛津大学莫德林学院攻读历史期间，戴维·卡梅伦和鲍里斯·约翰逊是他的同窗。“《故园风雨后》（Brideshead Revisited）刚刚播出，我们完全沉迷于重现那段历史，喝着大量香槟，自以为是伊夫林·沃，”他回忆道。

牛津大学毕业后，他前往美国加州南部的加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）学习电影，并于1994年执导了首部电影《午夜盛宴》（A Feast at Midnight）。这部喜剧剧情片以寄宿学校为背景，灵感来自他在布拉德菲尔德的亲身经历，主演包括克里斯托弗·李、罗伯特·哈迪、爱德华·福克斯，以及另一位牛津同窗迈克尔·戈夫——后者在片中饰演校牧。哈迪形容这位未来内阁大臣的表演“堪称喜剧金矿”。

此后，他为BBC、第四频道和CNN执导了多部历史题材电影和纪录片，包括《塔中的王子》（Princes in the Tower）、《特拉法尔加战役外科医生》（Trafalgar Battle Surgeon）、《西班牙流感：被遗忘的坠落》（Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen）和《韦伯船长》（Captain Webb），讲述了首位横渡英吉利海峡的泳者的故事。他还曾在伦敦大学学院教授编剧。

他父亲遗失的档案在其前住宅的阁楼中被发现

尽管这部电影对他的家庭造成了毁灭性的影响，他最终还是对《异教徒》（The Wicker Man）这部英国电影的开创性地位表示钦佩。“我不仅与它和解了，而且作为一名电影制作人，我能看到它的激进主义，”他在2026年对《泰晤士报》说道，“我能看到那些曾经看起来相当糟糕的选择，实际上是非常有趣的选择，我为自己有一个激进的父亲而自豪。”

电影制作人兼学者贾斯汀·哈迪（Justin Hardy）于1964年10月30日出生，2026年7月31日因心脏病发作去世，享年61岁

贾斯汀和他的妹妹曾强迫母亲戒酒，将她锁在房间里不让她接触酒精。“你觉得把一个11岁的男孩和一个9岁的女孩留给一个酗酒者是可以的吗？”贾斯汀在自己的电影中反问父亲，这部电影原定名为《异教狂热！》（Wickermania!），但最终于2024年以《异教徒之子》（Children of the Wicker Man）的名字发行。

最终，在心脏病发作并担心自己性命不保后，哈迪给贾斯汀写了一封信。在纪录片中，他朗读了这封信，信中父亲为自己是一个“脾气暴躁、不负责任的无赖”道歉，并表达了对这个几乎不了解的儿子的自豪之情。然而，贾斯汀拒绝陷入“他其实是爱我们的”这种陷阱，并暗示父亲夸大了情感，“这样他就可以去别的地方再找人发生关系”。最终，罗宾·哈迪与六个不同的女人生育了八个孩子。

贾斯汀花了多年时间才揭开这场家庭悲剧的全部真相。“我们知道父亲抛弃了母亲，而她相对而言是死于

46

注册

蒙蒂·罗伯茨

一位驯马师，以其非暴力训练方法赢得了怀疑者的认可，并与伊丽莎白二世女王建立了深厚的友谊

1988年的一天，蒙蒂·罗伯茨收到了一条意外的消息。伊丽莎白女王在杂志上读到了关于这位53岁的加利福尼亚驯马师的报道，并渴望与他见面。震惊的罗伯茨随后收到了温莎城堡的邀请，前去展示他的非暴力训练方法。

他于次年4月抵达温莎城堡，当时女王正与米哈伊尔·戈尔巴乔夫共进午餐，现场戒备森严，武装警卫在城垛上巡逻。马厩里也存在着某种“冷战”——马夫们对这位后来被称为现实版“马语者”的美国牛仔态度冷淡，因为他采用的“驯服”马匹的方法基于微妙的肢体语言信号，与众不同。

在欣赏了皇家马厩中的四条腿的“成员”后，罗伯茨检查了他安排运到骑术学校的圆形金属网围栏，以便向包括女王、菲利普亲王和王太后在内的观众展示他的技巧。他与女王见面时，女王瞥了一眼围栏，开玩笑说这东西看起来像马戏团驯狮员的装备。“看起来像是需要带着鞭子和椅子才能进去的那种东西。”

罗伯茨年轻时在美国西部常见的鞭子和其他会造成疼痛的工具，对他来说是绝对禁止的。他通过一种名为“Equus”的非语言交流方式与马匹沟通，强调温和的手势、眼神接触和尊重，以“与马匹建立联系”，赢得它们的信任，从而能够首次为它们装上马鞍并骑乘。当其他人谈论“驯服”马匹时，罗伯茨解释说，他可以在30分钟左右“启动”一匹马，而不需要三四周的时间。

他的任务是“启动”一匹属于王太后的年轻纯种小母马。尽管他和这匹马一样紧张，但他成功地在大约25分钟内说服这匹胆小的马接受骑手，随后打破皇家礼仪，给了情绪激动的王太后一个拥抱。

大部分疑虑被打消——尽管一些传统主义者和怀疑者在他的职业生涯中始终质疑他的方法——而皇室的支持则巩固了他的地位。罗伯茨与女王成为了朋友。他说他们经常见面，并在电话中交谈了两百多次。皇室的关系为他打开了国际大门，他开始在英国和爱尔兰巡回演示。罗伯茨发现伊丽莎白女王非常关心马匹的福利：“她认为，任何人都不应该对人类或动物说‘你必须按我说的做，否则我会伤害你’。”他在2022年告诉《纽约时报》。有一次，他被邀请到温莎城堡，他们在草坪上喝茶，通过一根电缆末端的按钮向室内工作人员发出信号，表示女王准备好享用茶点。

在女王的坚持下，罗伯茨于1996年出版了自传《倾听马语的人》（The Man Who Listens to Horses）。该书在全球售出了约六百万册。在书中和采访中，这位和蔼、感性但务实的罗伯茨给人的印象，正如一位记者所形容的那样，是“温和的詹姆斯·赫里奥特与直言不讳的约翰·韦恩的混合体”。这一时机对于公关来说也是梦寐以求的，因为当时所谓的“自然马术”兴趣激增，英国作家尼古拉斯·埃文斯1995年的处女作小说《马语者》（The Horse Whisperer）大获成功。这部小说主要受到美国驯马师“巴克”·布兰纳曼的启发，并于1998年被改编为由罗伯特·雷德福执导并主演的电影。

人类是“争斗动物”，会寻求建立支配地位，而马则是本能的“逃跑动物”，天生胆怯——罗伯茨如是主张。为了弥合这一差异，他强调有效的沟通和富有同情心的接触。“简而言之，”他写道，“我希望对待年轻的马时，不是命令它们‘你必须’，而是问它们‘你愿意吗？’”在他看来，马应该是朋友，而非奴隶。

马文·厄尔·罗伯茨二世（Marvin Earl Roberts Jr）祖籍威尔士，1935年出生于加利福尼亚州萨利纳斯——斯坦贝克笔下的土地。父母马文和玛格丽特在当地竞技场经营一所骑术学校并饲养马匹。蒙蒂三岁时便能骑马行走、小跑和慢跑，并能完成各种动作，四岁时赢得了一项16岁以下组别的比赛，声名鹊起。此后，他成为好莱坞电影中的儿童特技替身。他在加州理工州立大学攻读动物科学专业。原本梦想成为职业美式橄榄球运动员，却因膝伤梦碎，转而成为竞技牛仔冠军，闲暇时则热衷于干式飞蝇钓鱼。

1956年，他与高中时便相识的帕特（娘家姓伯登）结婚。帕特是一位雕塑家兼骑手，始终与他并肩工作，现仍在世。他们育有两个女儿——黛比（经营家族生意）和劳雷尔（马术设施设计师兼顾问），以及一个儿子马蒂（前职业斗牛骑手）。罗伯茨表示，他与帕特还在35年间收养了47名寄养儿童。

在1996年出版的著作中，他写道，少年时期前往内华达州的旅行具有转折意义，他通过观察野生野马学会了马的“沉默语言”。同样关键的，还有父亲的残酷。罗伯茨称，父亲曾对他和马匹施以残暴殴打，这坚定了他寻求另一种道路的决心。这一说法遭到包括已故兄弟拉里（前职业竞技牛仔）在内的多名家庭成员质疑。罗伯茨否认了部分书中内容被某报头条斥为“无拘无束的虚构”。

20世纪60年代中期，他在圣巴巴拉附近建立了一座大型纯种马设施——旗帜升起农场（Flag Is Up Farms）。其中最辉煌的成就之一是名为“Alleged”的赛马，他将其从一岁马买入，并以可观利润卖给了赛马巨头罗伯特·桑斯特。在爱尔兰由文森特·奥布莱恩训练后，“Alleged”在1977年和1978年连续赢得法国凯旋门大奖赛，骑手为莱斯特·皮戈特（讣告见2022年5月29日）。

晚年，罗伯茨继续掌管家族马术中心，并推广其理念和品牌，环游世界开设课程、撰写书籍，包括一本自助指南《人类的马性智慧》（Horse Sense for People）。

2011年，他因“对女王陛下赛马事业的贡献”被授予维多利亚皇家勋章荣誉会员。另一项更为轻松的致敬是，女王以他的名字为一只柯基犬命名。蒙蒂这只狗曾在2012年伦敦奥运会开幕式的詹姆斯·邦德短剧中与女王同框出镜。同年，女王成为罗伯茨慈善组织“国际加入”（Join-Up International）的赞助人，该组织旨在推广其非暴力原则，并将其应用于应对创伤的退伍军人和一线救援人员。

罗伯茨出席了2022年女王的国葬，两人的关系在2023年的纪录片《牛仔与女王》（The Cowboy and the Queen）中得到探讨。“若非伊丽莎白二世女王的认可，我绝无可能影响全世界，”他回忆道，“她彻底改变了我的一生。”

马术训练师蒙蒂·罗伯茨于1970年从业，1935年5月14日出生。因自身免疫性疾病并发症于2026年7月31日去世，享年91岁

克拉拉·埃斯特

民权活动人士，在孟菲斯徒劳地试图挽救马丁·路德·金的生命后，放弃了激进倾向

1968年4月4日傍晚，20岁的黑人学生克拉拉·埃斯特与一位朋友驱车前往田纳西州孟菲斯的洛林汽车旅馆。她去那里与其说是为了见正下榻于此的伟大民权领袖马丁·路德·金，不如说是为了享用当晚的特价晚餐。“我只是想吃点鲶鱼，”她说道。

埃斯特最终没能吃上那份特价晚餐。傍晚6点，她正站在旅馆的停车场，抬头望着她称之为“英雄”和“我们的希望”的那位人物，当时他正在一楼房间外的走道上向几位支持者问好。她回忆道：“他当时像云雀一样快乐——聊着天，笑着。”就在这时，他们听到一声像卡车回火般的巨响。那是一声枪响。她看到金博士被抛向空中，然后又摔了下来。

她和朋友冲上楼梯，来到阳台。“他还有呼吸，但非常微弱。我解开他的皮带想帮他。他的眼睛睁着。头部和颈部一侧有一摊血。”她试图用毛巾止血，但无济于事。“我猜因为他刚刚还在愉快地交谈，脸上带着最为舒适、放松的表情，”近50年后她回忆道。除了后来成为美国驻联合国大使的安德鲁·杨，埃斯特被认为是金遇刺事件的最后一位在世目击者，这一事件改变了她的一生。

她接受了金非暴力抗争的信条，并在此后的半个世纪里致力于种族正义与和解事业。她将金的死视为一种受难，而她的角色则是“收拾十字架并背负它”。

克拉拉·简·埃斯特1948年出生于孟菲斯。父亲是一名铁路工人，母亲是厨师兼清洁工。她在种族隔离严格的时代长大，但父母设法让她在七岁前免受其影响。七岁时，她目睹白人官员因母亲在一座空无一人的火车站使用白人专用厕所而对她大加斥责。“我从未见过有人那样对待我母亲。我父亲都不会那样对她说话。从那一刻起，我开始看到这些不公正，”她说道。

她在全黑人高中表现优异，并获得了孟菲斯一所全黑人学院的小学教育专业录取资格。到1968年第三年时，她积极支持该市黑人垃圾清运工的长期罢工，此前有两名工人在垃圾车的压缩机中被压死。她的支持不仅限于游行、纠察和组织学生罢课。有时她会借用父亲的汽车，载着更激进的活动人士去焚烧白人拥有的商业场所，甚至亲手投掷过几枚燃烧瓶。

随后金来到孟菲斯。遇刺前一晚，她在自己所在的全黑人梅森圣殿教堂聆听了他最著名的演讲之一。“我已到达山巅，”他宣告，“我看到了应许之地。也许我无法与你们同行，但今晚我希望你们知道，我们作为一个民族，终将抵达应许之地。”仅仅24小时后，他被狂热的种族隔离主义者詹姆斯·厄尔·雷枪杀。

事发后，警方将埃斯特和其他目击者留在旅馆盘问至凌晨1.30am。“你们为什么要审问我们？不是我们干的。是你们干的，”她愤怒地对他们说。

她最终于1969年毕业，但不久后搬到了阿拉巴马州莫比尔市的一个贫困地区。在那里，她成为一家社区中心的执行主任，并担任联合卫理公会的女执事。

1970年，她的未婚夫在一场车祸中丧生，此后她再未结婚。1985年，她在驾车返回孟菲斯参加父亲葬礼的途中，汽车被一辆铰接式卡车碾压，她因此在医院住了数月。1988年，她收养的一个四岁男孩在成长过程中患上严重精神疾病，最终不得不被送入专门机构。

直到生命的最后阶段，埃斯特才公开谈论她目睹金遇刺的经过，以及这件事如何改变了她。其中一个原因是缺乏确凿证据证明她确实在场目睹了金的最后时刻。但在2011年，《孟菲斯商业呼声报》从联邦调查局档案中找到一张当时拍摄的照片并予以发表，无可置疑地证明了埃斯特当时在场。她说：“从那以后，我才觉得有了些证据。”

克拉拉·埃斯特，民权活动家，生于1948年2月17日，卒于2026年7月9日，享年78岁

---

47

伊芙·威尔金森

可能是最后一位在温斯顿·丘吉尔地下战时内阁会议室编解密团队中工作的幸存成员

1942年，20岁的伊芙·马斯特斯（当时的姓名）被派往战时内阁办公室，该办公室设在唐宁街附近的一系列地下掩体中。

她此前已被委任并随后被送去参加密码课程，成为为首相温斯顿·丘吉尔编解密团队的一员。她发现他“以一种老派的方式”彬彬有礼。每当团队中的女性成员送来信息时，他总会起身，直到她们离开房间。如果他经过她们的办公室，总会说“早上好，女士们”。

在工作于地下办公室期间，她能通过感受到震动和灰尘落在身上，判断出正在进行空袭。她递交给首相的许多绝密信息对她而言“非常令人兴奋”，尤其是当她意识到英国有能力解密德国信息时——尽管当时她并不知道布莱切利园正在进行的恩尼格玛解密工作。

甚至在10年后，她仍对自己处理过的内容讳莫如深，但她确实透露曾解密过一条关于美国一项“非常新颖、非常机密且极具破坏性”的实验的信息。这指的是原子弹。

1944年9月，她作为丘吉尔密码团队的一员，乘坐玛丽王后号前往加拿大，参加被称为魁北克会议的活动。航程持续了十天。有时他们被允许上甲板，但由于船只不断变换航线以躲避潜艇，“一旦找到一个温暖的位置，船就会改变航向，温暖的位置也就不复存在”。

玛丽王后号抵达新斯科舍省的哈利法克斯后，首相及其团队乘火车前往魁北克参加会议，与会者包括美国总统富兰克林·罗斯福和加拿大总理威廉·麦肯齐·金。

马斯特斯发现战火纷飞的英国与加拿大的生活形成了巨大反差——那里似乎没有人听说过战争。在第一晚的晚宴上，他们上了一道开胃菜，她以为这就是全部的餐食，因为国内的配给制度使食物供应短缺。幸好还有更多食物。

伊芙·西奥多拉·马斯特斯于1922, 年出生于埃及，是查尔斯和马森·沃尔顿-马斯特斯的次女。她和姐姐、哥哥度过了她所形容的“田园诗般的童年”。她的父亲是英国行政机构的一名律师，在亚历山大港，他们过着“侨民”家庭的海外生活，住在海边，学习法语和“厨房”阿拉伯语。

这一切在1932, 年戛然而止，当时父母的婚姻破裂，在他们回到英国度过两年一次的休假结束时，

威尔金森在1940年18岁时立即入伍；下图为她95岁生日时坐在战时内阁会议室丘吉尔的椅子上

马森告诉她，他们不会返回埃及，父亲也不会与他们团聚。当时马森没有收入，也没有固定住所，但幸运的是，她的哥哥卢——一位在萨默塞特郡温坎顿的律师—。

她发现丘吉尔对女性员工“以一种老派的方式”彬彬有礼

在家人的帮助下，他们一家得到了救助，借住在伯恩茅斯附近南伯恩的一所房子。这让伊芙得以进入一所名为韦斯特米斯的学校就读，她在法语和历史方面表现出色，同时还擅长体育，成为无挡板篮球和长曲棍球队的队长。

16岁时，她参加了学校证书考试，之后又多留了一年，随后在伯恩茅斯的一所秘书学院学习了12个月。之后，她开始在费恩当附近的皇家工程兵副司令部工作，离家足够近，可以每天骑自行车往返。

1939年9月，战争爆发，她的姐姐安吉拉立即入伍，最终在布莱切利园从事恩尼格玛密码破译工作。她的哥哥查尔斯则加入了萨默塞特和康沃尔轻步兵团。伊芙当时只有12岁，但在1940年1月她18岁生日时，她也加入了WAAF（妇女辅助空军）。完成基础训练后，她被问及希望被派往何处。“英格兰南部的任何地方，”她请求道。结果她被派往因弗内斯以北的埃文顿训练机场。

1942年初，她被选中担任军官，并前往牛津的赫斯金顿接受军官培训，随后在辛尼诺萨完成了密码课程。课程结束后，她被派往战时内阁办公室，那里已经有一位名叫伊芙的工作人员，因此她被称作西奥，这是她的第二个名字。

有关某种“极具破坏性”的信息指的是原子弹。

战争爆发前，伊芙结识了一位名叫彼得·威尔金森的年轻人。他们关系亲密，彼得在伍尔维奇的皇家炮兵军官训练学校学习期间，两人一直保持联系。战争爆发时，彼得被委任为军官，不久后被派往亚丁，随后在第八集团军服役。他们四年多未曾见面，直到1944年12月底彼得被调回英国。

这段恋情再次确认，他们于1945年3月结婚。短暂的蜜月后，两人都回到了工作岗位，伊芙回到伦敦，彼得则前往林肯郡接受空降部队再训练，第一空降师驻扎于此。伊芙知道该师将被派往挪威，但她无法也未曾告诉他。战争结束后，她在解密了三年重要信息后退役。

战后，彼得继续留在军队，两次被派往埃及。1963年退役后，他先后从事商业工作，后来成为牧师，在肯特郡的雅克林教区服务多年。

伊芙和彼得育有七个孩子：弗朗西斯（前伞兵和公司董事，已故）、盖伊（退休的欧盟委员会官员兼牧师）、西蒙（退休警察兼牧师）、安德鲁（退休公司董事）、曼达（皇家芭蕾舞团和荷兰皇家芭蕾舞团退休芭蕾舞演员）、莎拉（退休助产士）和爱丽丝（执事）。这对夫妇有19个孙辈和37个曾孙辈。

他们多次搬家，但在雅克林居住了19年后，退休后搬到了东萨塞克斯的弗林韦尔，随后又搬到肯特郡的布伦奇利，以便离伊芙的姐姐更近。1999年彼得去世后，伊芙继续住在布伦奇利，直到2015年，之后她先是与次子同住，后来与幼女住在伦敦南部的珀利。

在她95岁生日时，有人安排她参观战时内阁办公室，这勾起了她大量的回忆。经过特别许可，她获准坐在丘吉尔的椅子上——这在她为丘吉尔工作的那三年里，自然是从未有过的事。

伊芙·威尔金森，丘吉尔的信息编码员，生于14, 1922。卒于11, 2026，享年104岁

出生、婚姻与讣告

如需在《登记栏》刊登出生、婚姻或讣告，请访问 newsokadvertising.co.uk 寻求帮助，或致电 020 7782 7553，或发送电子邮件至 BMOs@thetimes.co.uk

AHD 当时 2 雾气从地上腾起 5，滋润遍地 7。耶和华神用地上的尘土造人，将生气吹进他的鼻孔里，这人就成了有灵的活人。——《创世记》2:5-7（EDV 译本）

圣经经文由圣经公会提供

出生

加德福德-威廉斯 2026,年7月22日，维多利亚·加德福德与布林·威廉斯喜得一女，伊莎贝拉·安赫

近期婚讯

空军少尉 A·D·奥尼尔与 E·B·乔利夫小姐 兹宣布安德鲁（伦敦纳兰加鲁，戴维·奥布赖恩夫妇之独子）与迪恩（诺福克郡萨希沙姆索普，罗斯·乔利夫上尉夫妇之长女）订婚。

讣告

福斯特 奥利弗·查尔斯， 于 2026,年8月6日逝世，享年 61 岁。 在以色列埃格隆的家中安详离世。一位慈爱的父亲、丈夫、兄弟和真挚的朋友。 葬礼将于 9月1日（周二）下午2时在埃格隆圣希尔达教堂举行。 谢绝鲜花，如有意捐赠，请支持埃格隆圣希尔达教堂及英国河流行动组织，联系人：罗伯特·哈里森父子，地址：惠特比吉斯尔登卡尔恩德，邮编：1923 2QH，电话：01347 897249 电子邮箱：info@overtherrisone.co.uk

法律公告

以资本支付购买一股股份的拟议通知 D M A GROUP LTD 公司编号：1057 / 6 / 27 注册地址：9 Beaufort House, Beaufort Court, Mulbray City Estate, Burbank, United Kingdom, 862 4PB 根据《2006年公司法》（CA 2006）第719条，D M A Group Ltd（公司）特此发布通知： 公司已于2026年8月6日通过特别决议，批准以资本支付方式购买其5,240,570股每股面值£1.00的优先股。 相关股份的允许资本支付金额（定义见《2006年公司法》第720条）为£570。 根据《2006年公司法》第704条要求的（账目）或“报表及细节”可在上述公司注册地址查阅。 公司任何债权人均可在上述特别决议通过之日起五周内，依据《2006年公司法》第312条向法院申请阻止该资本支付的命令。

CR-2026-005050 法院听证会通知 英格兰及威尔士高等法院 商业及财产法院 公司法庭（CHD） 关于 NCC GROUP PLC 及 《2006年公司法》

特此通知，NCC Group plc（公司）已于2026年8月3日通过第二部分申请表向英王陛下高等法院申请确认注销其股本溢价账户中的£2.25 亿。 因未缴纳费用，该申请定于2026年8月12日在伦敦Felton Lane 7号劳斯大厦（Rolls Building）的破产及公司法庭法官面前进行听证。 任何希望反对确认注销命令的公司债权人或股东，应亲自或委托律师出席听证会。任何此类人士均可向下述律师支付规定费用后获取申请表副本。 听证日期：12 August 2026 DLA Piper UK Ltd 240 Aldergate Street London, EC4M 7LP 电话：020 7589 0296 上述公司的代理律师 案号：PAV / 72254 / 120116

朗曼 David Martin Hubert，aged 97，于2026年7月31日在家中去世。深受所有亲人爱戴的丈夫、Edens、Sides Harriet、Ruth和Lothar的父亲，18个孙辈及grand-grandfather of 3。葬礼将于2026年9月1日星期二中午在科尔韦尔的圣詹姆斯大教堂举行，次日举行私人家庭仪式。All may be sold in the business general directors, Malvern, ON84 892777。

奥博鲁姆 Timothy Patrice于7th August 2026在家人陪伴下安详离世，深爱的儿子，Paddy和Jane的爱子，慈爱的父亲，Bringer和Patrick的父亲，亲爱的兄弟，Susie和Winky的兄弟，众多亲友的挚爱叔父和朋友。私人追思会将于2026年8月21日星期五下午2点在萨默塞特郡东科克的圣迈克尔暨诸天使教堂举行。No flowers please, donations in lieu to the River Crew Hatchery & Habitat Trust SCID。

法律公告

案件编号：CR-2026-003359 于 高等法院 司法 商业及财产法院 英格兰及威尔士 破产与公司法庭 （大法官法庭） 关于 FLEXION MOBILE PLC 及 《2006年公司法》 特此公告，英王陛下高等法院于2026年7月28日作出的命令确认，上述公司Flexion Mobile plc的股本溢价账户中27,374 英镑546的金额已被注销，法院批准的资本报表显示了公司资本变更后的各项细节，该报表已于2026年7月30日提交公司注册处备案。 落款日期：2026年8月12日 Stephenson Harwood LLP律师事务所 L'Flesbury Group 伦敦 EC2M 7LP 电话：+44 (0)20 7329 4422 文件编号：0145 00137 上述公司的代理律师

《1975年受托人法》第27条项下的公告 安捷伦科技英国有限公司（Agilient Technologies LDA UK Limited）退休福利计划 安捷伦科技英国有限公司退休福利计划（"计划"）于2024年8月发布，此前安捷伦科技英国有限公司与Kaycight Technologies Limited完成分拆。本公告可能与任何自认为对该计划享有索赔权或养老金 / 福利权益的人士相关，包括任何此类索赔源自其本人或他人参与优先计划的成员资格。优先计划包括：（i）2005年11月1日至2024年7月期间的安捷伦科技英国有限公司退休福利计划；及（ii）2001年11月1日之前的霍华德-佩兰有限公司（Howard-Payland Limited）退休福利计划安捷伦分部。特此公告，

依据《1975年受托人法》第27条，任何自认为对该计划享有索赔权或养老金 / 福利权益的人士（包括任何此类索赔源自其本人或他人参与一项或多项优先计划的成员资格），须于2026年10月12日前以书面形式提交其索赔或权益详情（连同其全名、地址及60位数字）。就本公告而言，养老金或福利权益的索赔包括与保证最低养老金平等化要求相关的任何索赔。请将详情发送至： 安捷伦科技英国有限公司退休福利计划 安捷伦科技英国有限公司退休福利计划（档案编号5843 AJ） 或通过电子邮件发送至：a / c (a / c) 或 a / c (a / c) @agilent@agilent.com

计划现任受托人已由计划代理人书面授权，其并非计划资产，仅用于确保有权获得福利的人士获得相应权益，且仅考虑受托人已知的索赔和权益人士。任何已由受托人或其代表联系过的个人，关于计划福利和 / 或保证最低养老金平等化事宜，无需回应本公告，因受托人已掌握其索赔详情及权益。 代表安捷伦科技英国有限公司退休福利计划受托人发布 2026年8月12日

---

MotoNovo

2007年至2024年间汽车金融协议

MotoNovo Finance的客户已通过我们的合作律师事务所获得超过£87*的退款。

您只需不到60秒即可找到可能符合退款条件的旧协议。

输入您的基本信息即可开始。

CLUB LINE

找到的协议数量：2 平均退款金额：£87*

查找我的协议*

扫描二维码

或访问：makeapcpclaim.co.uk / times

Fountain Finances是一家理赔管理公司。您可以免费直接向贷款方、金融申诉专员服务机构或通过英国金融行为监管局（FCA）的免费汽车金融补偿计划进行投诉。如果您选择继续，我们将从合作律师事务所获得转介费。£87为截至2025年7月31日，我们的合作律师事务所HD Law处理的MotoNovo协议平均理赔金额。我们的免费核查将确认您的信用搜索中是否发现汽车金融协议及找到的数量。在HD Law接受委托后，将提供任何协议的进一步详情。

---

广告

HALO CAPSULE无线吸尘器

有其他品牌能提供比Halo更轻盈、吸力更强、吸尘量超过任何无线竞品的吸尘器吗？†

“该吸尘器在我们所有测试中获得100%满分”

超轻量 2.6公斤

Good Housekeeping Institute

您可能已经注意到了。大多数无线吸尘器承诺很多……但在日常使用中，它们可能会感觉沉重，吸力很快减弱，清空时又脏又不方便。因此，它们非但没有让清洁变得更轻松，反而常常让清洁变成更麻烦的事。这正是Halo Capsule被设计得与众不同的原因。

1. 比竞品更轻盈 首先，它超轻。仅重2.6公斤，您可以轻松地从一个房间提到另一个房间，提起它清洁楼梯，或清洁高处区域，而不会对手臂或背部造成负担。

高性能无线 其次是性能。Halo Capsule的强劲吸力可与大型有线吸尘器媲美，能一次性吸走更多灰尘、尘土和宠物毛发——无需反复清洁同一区域。

更清洁的清洁与清空 清空时，不会有灰尘飞扬，也无需接触污物。高容量集尘袋系统将所有污物密封收纳，让您能快速、干净、卫生地处理。

1.6 升超大集尘袋容量 其容量远大于大多数

超轻量 2.6公斤

无与伦比的1.6升集尘袋容量

一键启动

可壁挂

轻松清洁

全方位操控

多功能配件

低位清洁

无线吸尘器——意味着更少的垃圾桶往返次数，带来更不间断的清洁体验。

持久动力与性能 再加上可持续使用长达140分钟的长效电池，您将拥有一款无线吸尘器，真正兑现其比竞品更清洁、更轻盈、更强劲的承诺。

今日节省超过£300！ 仅需£199,即可购买Halo Capsule，节省超过50%。

亲身体验差异

大多数无线吸尘器难以一次性吸净所有污物——这意味着需要多次清洁、更多努力和更多时间。

Halo Capsule则不同。其强劲吸力与高容量集尘袋系统协同工作，能一次性捕获更多灰尘、尘土和宠物毛发——而非仅仅将其移动。结果如何？更明显的深度清洁效果、更少的垃圾桶往返次数，以及每次使用时更少的麻烦。今日下单即可节省超过£300！

Halo

其他无线吸尘器

超大1.6升清洁容量意味着更少的垃圾桶往返次数

全包套餐包含内容**：

• 从皮尼亚科拉达和迈泰鸡尾酒，到您喜爱的知名品牌烈酒，P&O独家的Marabelle金酒和Golden Tide朗姆酒，以及喜爱啤酒的人士的选择——喜力、Birra Moretti或John Smith's，应有尽有
• Costa咖啡、无酒精饮品及鸡尾酒、瓶装果汁及汽水、调酒配料、瓶装水和现制软饮
• 精选烈酒、啤酒、苹果酒、鸡尾酒、葡萄酒及普罗塞克起泡酒
• 本套餐未包含饮品享受20%折扣
• 基础Wi-Fi
• 价值高达每人£55的特色餐饮额度
• 此外，如您与17岁或以下儿童同行，可获赠免费茶点套餐

rolcruise.co.uk / times

安心出行

B

ABTA ABTA for PCCS

拨打我们的邮轮专家免费电话

0808 239 2473

报价参考号 644705

我们每周7天开放

时间为上午8:30至晚上8点

★

Trustpilot

★★★★★

值得信赖的优质服务奖领先者

价格和可用性以2026年8月11日签发时为准。价格为每人基准，基于两位成人共享，单人舱除外，可能随时上调或撤销。优惠仅适用于新预订。船上消费按舱位计算，并根据预订等级分级。†视供应情况而定。代理至ATOL持有人P&O Cruises（美国）。‡将收取额外费用。††邮轮里程条款及细则适用。P&O邮轮条款及细则适用。$&DE

---

51

天气

周六

阳光和零星阵雨，北部地区阵雨较为频繁。西南部大部分地区保持干燥，阳光普照，持续较为凉爽和清新，西部和北部尤甚。

!

周日

云层和降雨将经过爱尔兰及英格兰西南部部分地区。其他地区阳光时现，云量多变，苏格兰部分地区有微风。

最高气温28℃，最低气温16

!

周一

天气多变，局部地区有阵雨风险，但仍有阳光时段。最高气温28℃，最低气温16

《泰晤士报》天气版由WeatherQuest提供

天气概况。南部和中部地区炎热、干燥且阳光充足。北部和西部边远地区有阵雨或降雨。威尔士、中部地区、东盎格利亚、英格兰中南部、伦敦、英格兰东南部、西南部、海峡群岛：酷热，阳光几乎不间断。东南风微弱，沿海地区风力稍强。最高气温35℃（95°F），最低气温14℃（57°F）。西北部、英格兰中北部、湖区、马恩岛、东北部、东部：时有少量云层，北部尤甚，其余地区炎热干燥，阳光充足。南风微弱，东海岸风力稍强。最高气温32℃（98°F），最低气温14℃（59°F）。苏格兰西南部、爱丁堡和邓迪、边境地区、格拉斯哥、阿盖尔、阿伯丁、默西湾、苏格兰中部高地：北部和西部偶有阵雨。其余地区温暖干燥，南部阳光最为充足。西南风微弱。最高气温27℃（81°F），最低气温14℃（57°F）。苏格兰西北部、苏格兰东北部、北部群岛：西部地区初期有大雨，其他地区雨势较弱。下午降雨转为阵雨，伴有阳光时段。西南风微弱至中等。最高气温23℃（79°F），最低气温15℃（59°F）。爱尔兰共和国、北爱尔兰：上午偶有短时强阵雨，下午局限于北部和西部。南部和东部感觉炎热，阳光充足。南风微弱。最高气温26℃（82°F），最低气温14℃（57°F）。

天气形势

波罗的海附近的高压向西延伸，使英格兰、威尔士及爱尔兰和苏格兰部分地区保持干燥和晴朗。受南至东南气流影响，来自欧洲的暖空气将使天气炎热。缓慢移动的锢囚锋将给苏格兰和爱尔兰的北部和西部带来阵雨或间歇性阵雨。

高低压

截至昨日17时的24小时数据

沃伍德：城镇风速， 多菲尔德，29. 爱德华：全降水量，8. 沃尔弗兰特：半通道，6.6 萨梅尔：克劳德利， 西沃尔弗兰特，10.

日月升落（格林尼治）

日出：25.31 日落：20.29 月出：24.56 月落：20 上弦月：8月20 上弦月：8月20

夜间时长

阿勒顿：23.07-05.01 达菲尔德：23.10-05.26 伯明翰：23.09-05.17 加的夫：23.10-05.25 卡莱尔：23.10-05.29 格拉斯哥：23.10-05.15 利物浦：23.07-05.18 伦敦：20.94-06.13 曼彻斯特：23.14-05.15 纽卡斯尔：23.17-05.07 纽波特：20.97-05.06 彭赞斯：23.17-05.08 谢菲尔德：23.10-05.02

天气瞭望

保罗·西蒙斯

英仙座流星雨预计将在今夜达到高峰。这是一年中最活跃、最明亮的流星雨之一，每小时可达150颗流星。今年尤为壮观，因为它恰逢新月，夜空将从黄昏到黎明格外黑暗，使得大部分流星更易被观测到。

这种情况大约每十年才会发生一次。最佳观测地点是远离人造光源的最黑暗天空。而英仙座流星雨的特别之处在于其绚丽多彩——部分流星极为明亮，甚至在城市上空也能看到。

英仙座流星雨以其进入地球高层大气时留下的极速光迹而闻名。最佳观测时间是从午夜到黎明。今年，美国和欧洲的观测可能会受到野火烟雾的影响。

英仙座流星雨由斯威夫特-塔特尔彗星的碎片产生，这颗冰岩块绕太阳运行，并在身后留下一串碎片。当地球穿过这片碎片最密集的区域时，便会形成流星雨的高峰。

这些碎片颗粒仅有沙粒大小，但当它们以极高速度撞入地球大气层时，会加热至数千摄氏度并燃烧，形成明亮的光迹。最壮观的是当较大的流星爆炸成更大、更亮的火球时。

巧合的是，今天还将发生一次日偏食，在英国可于约7.05pm至7.15pm观测到。但由于太阳位置较低，日偏食的景象可能会被数英里外的云层遮挡。

日全食的路径将穿过东格陵兰、冰岛西北部、7.10pm时葡萄牙的极东北部、7.10pm至8.31pm间的西班牙北部，最终于8.33pm在巴利阿里群岛日落西沉时结束。

直接联系我们的预报员：09065 777675

每日8am至5pm（通话费用为£1.55，另加网络附加费）

WeatherQuest

weatherquest.co.uk

一览匈牙利首都最具历史意义的景点，并有充裕时间探索蓝色多瑙河的鲜为人知的瑰宝

这趟迷人的短途旅行将优雅的布达佩斯首都与蜿蜒的多瑙河及三座迷人的匈牙利小镇相结合。游览城堡山、繁华的佩斯区和世界闻名的多瑙河滨水区，随后前往埃斯泰尔戈姆圆顶大教堂、维谢格拉德中世纪城堡和迷人的圣安德烈。您还可选择通过参观壮丽的巴拉顿湖、薰衣草农场游和风景如画的游船之旅，为您的匈牙利之旅画上圆满句号。

在30, 2026前预订并确认最多135个景点的短途旅行，可追溯享受领先城堡、手工邮件优惠。此优惠仅限短期有效，不可与其他优惠叠加。部分折扣项目不适用。需支付额外费用。印刷时价格可能有变。视供应情况而定，可能随时撤销。这些假期由Newsmaster Holdings Ltd提供和运营，该公司隶属于金融英国（Finance UK）集团。关于条款，4 / 26页（至）2129页。以上内容，2人起标准电话费用适用。

我们值得信赖的合作伙伴

Newmarket INDUSTRIES

ABTOT AUSTIN

ABTA AUSTIN

---

52

体育

79英镑冒雨观看巴斯比赛

威尔·凯莱赫

本赛季，巴斯橄榄球俱乐部将为加拉格尔英超联赛（Gallagher Premiership）的顶级门票定价超过100英镑，而坐在无顶看台上的球迷需支付79英镑，这意味着他们可能会在雨中观赛。

位于娱乐场（Recreation Ground）的巴斯主场将从5月起开始重建，本赛季将成为英格兰观看俱乐部橄榄球比赛最昂贵的场地，紧随其后的是埃克塞特酋长队的桑迪公园球场、哈勒奎恩队的特威克纳姆斯图普球场和萨拉森斯队的斯通X球场。

在巴斯对阵埃克塞特的首场主场比赛中，西看台中线位置的座位价格为109英镑。成人球迷若选择露天看台，需支付近80英镑，这意味着他们可能会在雨中观赛，或选择支付55英镑购买视野受限的门票。

巴斯俱乐部为其票价辩护称，他们经常售罄门票。上赛季英超联赛的平均上座人数为14,509人。

“我们将在整个赛季提供多种票价选择，确保所有支持者都能负担得起，青少年票起价仅1英镑，成人票起价9英镑，”巴斯俱乐部发言人表示。

威利斯浪费合同后，博斯维克面临重大合同决策

查理·摩根 高级橄榄球记者

!

英格兰实施混合合同两年来的主要教训，再次印证了所有相关人士早已知晓的事实：橄榄球联盟是一个充满变数的世界，再周密的计划也可能出错——有时甚至是灾难性的。

无论公平与否，汤姆·威利斯（Tom Willis）都成为了这一理念的化身。一年前，这位活力四射的8号球员凭借在英格兰首发阵容中的出色表现，以及在对阵阿根廷的2-0系列赛胜利中大放异彩，被提拔进入扩大的25人精英球员阵容（EPS），并获得了增强版EPS合同。

这些合同价值约35 万英镑英镑 / 赛季，于2024年作为新职业橄榄球合作伙伴关系（PGP）的旗舰政策推出，旨在让英格兰队对球员的医疗保障拥有更大控制权。史蒂夫·博斯维克（Steve Borthwick）似乎已从威利斯身上看到了足够的潜力——他在国内赛场表现出色，在英格兰队的发挥也日益影响深远——因此决定将威利斯视为未来的核心球员。

然而，不到11周后，英格兰橄榄球协会（RFU）便遭遇尴尬：威利斯将在2026-27赛季及以后回归波尔多-贝格勒联盟（Union Bordeaux Bègles）。此外，这一决定还带来了经济上的损失。由于博斯维克立即将威利斯排除在秋季赛选阵之外，其核心合同成为了沉没成本，且不会续约。

增强版EPS合同可用于多种目的：主动说服球员从法国俱乐部回归、管理资深球员的上场时间，或培养年轻人才。从罗布·巴克斯特（Rob Baxter）等国内人士到其他地区的观察者，普遍认为这一概念仍在完善中。合同期限未公开，迄今仅西奥·丹（Theo Dan）在12个月后被解约，且合同没有强制性的位置分配要求。例如，首批合同中仅埃利斯·根奇（Ellis Genge）一名支柱前锋。

尽管存在诸多细节问题，但由于世界杯临近，博斯维克实际上将在本周确认下一批增强版EPS合同时，揭晓其2027年澳大利亚世界杯阵容的核心。他已填满了25个名额的上限，因此将采取“一进一出”的调整方式。

若审视当前阵容，九名前锋（tight-five forwards）的阵容相当稳固。根奇、威尔·斯图尔特（Will Stuart）、芬·巴克斯特（Fin Baxter）、乔·海斯（Joe Heyes）、杰米·乔治（Jamie George）、卢克·考恩-迪基（Luke Cowan-Dickie）、马罗·伊托杰（Maro Itoje）、奥利·切瑟姆（Ollie Chessum）和乔治·马丁（George Martin）中任何一人被淘汰都将令人意外。斯图尔特和巴克斯特将在英格兰队的密切协调下恢复全面健康，此前考恩-迪基和马丁也经历了类似的7月赛程调整。

2025-26精英球员阵容

支柱前锋 埃利斯·根吉、威尔·斯图尔特、芬·巴克斯特、乔·海斯 钩球前锋 杰米·乔治、卢克·考恩-迪基 二排锁 马罗·伊托杰、奥利·切瑟姆、乔治·马丁 后排前锋 汤姆·柯里、本·柯里、本·厄尔、亨利·波洛克、汤姆·威利斯 传接锋 亚历克斯·米切尔 外飞锋 乔治·福特、芬·史密斯、马库斯·史密斯 中锋 亨利·斯莱德、奥利·劳伦斯 后三区 伊曼纽尔·费伊-瓦博索、汤姆·罗巴克、乔治·弗班克、埃利奥特·戴利、汤米·弗里曼

后排阵容变得更加复杂。威利斯将离开，至少腾出一个位置。亚历克斯·科尔斯和盖伊·佩珀——两人在上赛季全部12场测试赛中均有出场——必须成为下一批候选人，且可能有空间同时纳入两人。

尽管感觉已是陈年往事，本·柯里在2025年六国赛中表现出色，随后获得精英球员计划（EPS）合同。然而，腿筋问题困扰了他，导致他2024,25赛季未能为英格兰出战，除非签下多年合约，否则他面临风险。留住本·柯里将是对其防守破坏能力的极大认可，这正是英格兰自2026年初以来在承压时所缺失的。

萨姆·安德希尔从未持有英格兰合同，尽管他在重大比赛中始终受到信任，并在11月时对这一话题含糊其辞。

或许他的伤病记录令人担忧。他错过了夏季巡回赛，进行了肩部手术，并在与巴斯队续约后，渴望在即将到来的赛季强势开局。此前转投布里夫的考特尼·劳斯已重返英超，加盟塞尔沙克队，进一步增强了博斯维克的选择。

至于其他三名现有EPS合同后排球员，本·厄尔和亨利·波洛克在2025-26,赛季的全部12场测试赛中均有出场，而汤姆·柯里则在南非首发，彰显了博斯维克对他的信任。但向更强壮的盲侧边锋转变——而非后排三人均为较小的清道夫——可能会影响EPS阵容。

进入后场，亚历克斯·米切尔的位置无可撼动。他是唯一签约的传接锋，考虑到阿奇·麦克帕兰德等黑马的存在，这一位置的排序似乎相当灵活，他很可能继续保持这一地位。博斯维克在过去两年内锁定了三名外飞锋——乔治·福特、芬·史密斯和马库斯·史密斯。作为首发的芬·史密斯看似最稳固，尽管其他两人各有价值：福特作为准教练，马库斯·史密斯则以多面性和灵感著称。

中场的不确定性使得两名签约中锋——奥利·劳伦斯和亨利·斯莱德——被忽视并不完全出人意料，塞布·阿特金森、本哈德·扬塞·范伦斯堡和乔·马钱特也在竞争之列。在11月战胜新西兰的比赛中表现抢眼的劳伦斯，在六国赛惨败于爱尔兰后被弃用。

英格兰显然希望内中锋具备控球能力，同时外中锋具备速度和敏捷性，这对劳伦斯构成了挑战。

斯莱德需要前方多名球员受伤才得以在秋季赛中出场一次，与马克斯·奥约姆斯基一同对阵阿根廷，随后在六国赛期间担任专项训练员。他的回归在7月得益于乔治·弗班克的阑尾炎。

即便如此，一旦进入英格兰阵容，他便能延续埃克塞特酋长队的习惯，让身边的队友看起来更加稳健。无论是否合规，斯莱德在圣地亚哥-德尔埃斯特罗对阵巴乌蒂斯塔·德尔吉的扑救铲球挽救了胜利。博斯维克能否将他、福特和马库斯·史密斯同时纳入世界杯阵容？这一批核心合同将提供线索。

伊曼纽尔·费伊-瓦博索和汤米·弗里曼的入选毋庸置疑，后三区剩余的三个位置颇具看点。弗班克在2024,和2025,签约，仅参加了三场测试赛，均在2024,秋季，且为混合合同。留住他将证实外界猜测，即他被视为这条后防线的关键缺失拼图。

73.20 / SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1 / 8 8 6 4 6 / 74.20 / SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 75.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 76.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 77.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 78.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 79.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 80.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 81.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 82.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 83.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 84.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 85.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 86.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 87.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 88.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 89.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 90.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 91.20 / 92.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 93.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 94.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 95.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 96.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 97.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 98.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 99.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 / 100.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 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. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54.

1.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6

2.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 3.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 4.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 5.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 6.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 7.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 8.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6

1.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6

2.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 3.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 4.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6 5.20 / 1 / 8 6 / 4 6

54

体育 欧洲田径锦标赛

“完全统治”：格拉夫与

马特·劳顿 首席体育记者

昨晚在亚历山大体育场，现场出现了更多空座位，甚至有尘土从周围干旱的园地吹来。

然而，在又一场观众稀少的欧洲田径赛事引发更多抱怨的氛围下，英国队在短短两晚内诞生了第二位100米冠军。

“这是完全的统治，”罗梅尔·格拉夫（Romell Glave）宣称。在男子项目中，英国队更进一步，超越了前一晚艾米·亨特（Amy Hunt）的表现，包揽了领奖台前两名，这要归功于杰里迈亚·阿祖（Jeremiah Azu）同样出色的短跑表现。

格拉夫早就有能力取得这样的成就。这位牙买加出生的短跑选手15岁时移居南诺伍德（South Norwood），在抵达英国后的两年内便成为全球最快的青少年选手，但他的进步却因两次背部骨折而受阻。“第一次是在新冠疫情期间，”他昨晚解释道，“我们一段时间无法进入克罗伊登（Croydon）的跑道，所以只能在草地上训练。”

然而，在本赛季，这位26岁的选手——甚至喜欢在夜间戴着太阳镜跑步——将个人最好成绩提升至9.97秒，并在本次比赛中将两年前在罗马获得的欧洲铜牌升级为首个重大锦标赛冠军。“我是欧洲之王，”他在胜利者的桂冠下宣称。

在微弱逆风的情况下，格拉夫以10.09秒的成绩冲过终点，阿祖以10.16秒获得银牌，完成了该项目历史上第三次英国选手包揽前两名的壮举。

季军则由一位在另一种“阴云”下参赛的德国选手获得。尽管欧文·安萨（Owen Ansah）否认任何不当行为，但其国家反兴奋剂机构正要求对他因错过药检进行禁赛。

当然，这一切都有些出人意料。赛前的最大热门是马塞尔·雅各布斯（Marcèlf Jacobs），这位2021年奥运冠军、意大利短跑选手正在冲击欧洲锦标赛三连冠。这位31岁的选手在资格赛中表现最为抢眼，但起跑反应迟缓，约50米后便放慢了速度，最终以12.26秒的成绩排名第七。

这位意大利警官原本被寄予厚望。毕竟，五年前在东京封城期间，他曾在戴着口罩的记者、教练和官员面前夺得奥运金牌，而本届锦标赛第二晚场次略显沉闷的氛围，想必对这位明星选手而言是熟悉而安心的。

公平地说，本场观众人数略超16,000人，较之见证亨特英勇表现的场次有所提升。但当100米决赛通常是全城最抢手的门票之一时，这座可容纳23,000人的体育场内仍有如此多空荡区域，不免令人遗憾。

不过，格拉夫似乎并不在意。“这种感觉太棒了，”他告诉BBC。“我为来到这里并完成比赛所付出的努力。我们一直在改进我的起跑，今天我成功做到了。从2022年的铜牌升级，这种感觉太棒了。”

阿祖表示，英国队原本希望包揽前三名，但路易·欣奇利夫（Louie Hinchliffe）未能进入决赛。“我们仍然拿下了前两名，”阿祖说，“我们牢牢掌控了欧洲。”

基莉·霍奇金森（Keely Hodgkinson）昨天在锦标赛预赛中跑出了个人最快成绩，看起来轻松自如，还穿着一双时尚的新

拉姆齐-皮蒂第五名终结16金连胜，但沙纳汉锁定金牌

克雷格·洛德 巴黎报道

如果说凯蒂·沙纳汉在打破一项保持了17年的英国纪录后，以“欣喜若狂”的心情赢得巴黎欧洲游泳锦标赛女子200米仰泳金牌，那么亚当·拉姆齐-皮蒂在男子100米蛙泳决赛中的第五名则让他有截然不同的感受。

这对英国队队友的竞技状态正朝着相反的方向发展：拉姆齐-皮蒂在其招牌项目中表现失常，先是获得第五名，随后又在4x100米混合泳接力中位列第四。而沙纳汉则以“疯狂”的2:06.13轻松夺冠。

拉姆齐-皮蒂在100米蛙泳中的成绩为59.10，比他在英联邦运动会上夺得银牌时快了0.55秒，但与他2019.年创造的56.88的世界纪录相比则相形见绌。这位31岁的老将将自己的表现描述为“无聊透顶”，并补充道：“车子就是不够快。感觉就像，你知道的，我开车的技术还行。对，就是速度不够。我们得看看为什么。”

直到昨晚，他从未在预赛、半决赛或决赛中失手，此前已斩获16枚欧洲金牌，但这次他落后冠军尼科洛·马丁内吉0.5秒，后者正是两年前在这里以令人心碎的0.02秒优势击败他夺得奥运金牌的选手。他的英国队友菲利普·诺瓦茨基仅以0.01秒之差位列第六。

“我对成绩感到失望，因为我没能再次提速，”拉姆齐-皮蒂补充道，“我的大脑现在就只想着时间，而以前想的是奖牌。这很让人沮丧，因为我的成绩就在59,上下，我知道原因。就是，车子还是不够快。”

不过，他对扭转局面仍然充满信心：“我们只有12周的时间（与新教练丽莎·贝茨合作）来真正提升，我显然在耐力上冒了险，但效果不佳。这就是为什么我觉得无聊。我投入了大量努力，却没看到一点成果。说到底，你就像个工匠，每天都在打磨技艺。目前，它的进展还不如我预期的那么快，不如我希望的那么快。”

沙纳汉表示，她的胜利需要一段时间才能真正消化。这位在青少年时期就屡获金牌的选手。

阿祖的100米辉煌

亚历克斯·林德利 迈克尔·斯特德林顿 田径 / JOTTY IMAGES，迈克·科皮廷 / PA

墨镜，完成了她更休闲的造型。“外面阳光很大，”她轻松地说，“我尽量不让自己长皱纹，也避免过早需要注射肉毒杆菌。”

无论在赛场内外，这位奥运冠军在锦标赛最受期待的项目——女子800米决赛前夕，状态看起来都很好。

在赢得室内世锦赛冠军后

格拉夫（左）庆祝赢得100米冠军，领先英国队友阿祖（上），但对意大利选手雅各布斯（右）来说，这是一个悲惨的夜晚，他在试图赢得该项目的第三个欧洲冠军时中途退赛。与此同时，霍奇金森（左下插图）在800米预赛中轻松晋级

并在3月创下室内世界纪录后，霍奇金森对奥黛丽·韦恩斯的突然崛起感到震惊。6月在斯德哥尔摩，霍奇金森被这位瑞士选手击败，后者跑出了历史第三快的成绩。

但这位24岁的选手来到这里时声称，她在葡萄牙的一次近期训练中跑出了个人最好成绩，她和教练特雷弗·佩因特用这个成绩来衡量她的状态。

她对自己在争夺周五决赛金牌的首轮表现感到非常满意，如果她能夺冠，这将是她室内和室外连续第五个欧洲冠军。

她将在决赛中摘下墨镜。“比赛将在85pm进行，我想看清一切，”她说，“我兴奋地想展示自己的状态，并希望发挥出我所能达到的水平。”

“疯狂”的胜利

作为奥运会青年组和欧洲青年组仰泳及混合泳的冠军，她在成年组的四年间收获了一系列银牌。

最近的一枚是在英联邦运动会上代表苏格兰参加200米仰泳比赛时获得的。

而这一次，她的速度快了许多。该项目的全国纪录已保持了17年零10天，自2009年罗马世锦赛杰玛·斯波福思跑出 2:06.66的成绩以来，这一纪录一直未被打破。

“我盯着这个英国纪录已经有一段时间了，我知道自己有能力打破它，”沙纳汉说，“但过去几年，自从我还是青少年时起，就有103件事阻碍了我，比如伤病之类的。所以最终能打破纪录，我真的非常高兴。是的，这非常特别。”

球迷花18英镑买猪肉卷

续前页

成为一个问题。观众需支付£22.50使用停车换乘服务，而停车步行选项则需花费£1750，且需步行45分钟到达体育场。此外，还有关于食物的投诉，一份烤猪肉卷售价£18.50。

伯明翰2026年组委会的一位发言人为定价辩护，称已售出7 万英镑张门票，本周晚些时候预计将接近满座。与足球比赛相比，观看这个国家几十年来最优秀的运动员的比赛价格相对便宜。

组织者强调，50%的门票定价在£30及以下，成人票起价为£10。“伯明翰2026年对锦标赛的门票销售情况感到非常满意，远超我们的预期，”他们表示。

“周五、周六和周日晚上的场次即将售罄，其他多个场次也接近满座。仍有机会以极具性价比的价格参与锦标赛。”

电台主持人索尼娅·麦克劳克兰在社交媒体上表达了她的担忧，最后三天的最高票价将上涨至£150。

“实际上对收取的价格类型感到有些震惊，”她写道，“这对运动员来说是一种遗憾，他们值得更好的待遇。这项运动拥有这个宝贵的窗口期，没有足球比赛，可以在免费电视上曝光，但由于观众稀少，看起来气氛平淡。”

18岁的罗基·弗林托夫像父亲一样挥杆创造历史

伊丽莎白·阿蒙

罗基·弗林托夫在陶顿举行的梅特罗银行一日杯兰开夏郡对阵萨默塞特的比赛中，以76球击出123分，成为该郡有史以来最年轻的百球得分者。

这位18岁的前英格兰全能球员安德鲁·“弗雷迪”·弗林托夫之子是一名进攻型右手击球手，他在周二主宰了比赛，猛击10个四分球和7个六分球，帮助兰开夏郡创下443分的六人出局成绩，这是他们在一级A板球比赛中的最高总分。在球队138分三人出局时登场的他，与队长基顿·詹宁斯展开了一场凶猛的214分合作，仅用65球便完成了个人的百球成就。

阿奇·沃恩——另一位灰烬英雄迈克尔·沃恩之子——是弗林托夫及其队友们痛击的投球手之一，兰开夏郡最终以174分的优势获胜，为周五在主场对阵达勒姆的四分之一决赛奠定了基础。

弗林托夫于2024年签约兰开夏郡，并在同年夏季的一日杯比赛中以16岁零113天的年龄完成首秀，成为该郡最年轻的球员。同年，他还在英格兰U19对阵斯里兰卡的系列赛中成为英格兰U19最年轻的百球得分者；2025年初，他又以16岁零291天的年龄在对阵板球澳大利亚XI的比赛中成为英格兰雄狮队最年轻的百球得分者，打破了其父亲的纪录。

他在萨默塞特的百球成绩是其为兰开夏郡一队打出的首个职业百球，这意味着他以18岁零126天的年龄成为该郡一队最年轻的百球得分者，超越了阿奇·麦克拉伦1890年8月在霍夫对阵萨塞克斯时以18岁零256天打出108分的纪录。

弗林托夫因背部受伤错过了2025年夏季的大部分比赛和去年冬季的U19世界杯，并在被北部超级充电器队签下后退出了去年夏季的“百球赛”，其父安德鲁当时担任该队主教练。

今年夏季，他重返赛场，主要为兰开夏郡二队出战，并在上月英格兰U19对阵南非的青年ODI和青年测试系列赛中连续三场打出半百成绩。

在兰开夏郡的一日杯赛事中，他一直是一队的常规球员，此次为球队打出的首个百球成绩是在对阵沃里克郡时以51球未出局的61分奠定基础。

他的父亲安德鲁在过去四年担任英格兰雄狮队主教练，但最近卸任以投身其他项目，包括执教澳大利亚的大爆炸联赛以及非板球相关的电视事业。在任期间，安德鲁曾数次选拔罗基参加系列赛，包括去年冬季在澳大利亚的比赛。如今，在克服背伤问题后，他有望继续参加即将到来的雄狮系列赛，同时继续为英格兰U19效力。

在其职业生涯中，他已参加了五场一级赛事——四场为兰开夏郡，一场为雄狮队——并在15场一级A比赛中保持39.41的平均得分。他尚未参加任何T20板球比赛。曾有报道称他可能转投其他郡队，但他于3月签署了为期两年的续约合同，将留在老特拉福德球场直至至少2028年。

罗基的击球风格被形容为其父亲的翻版，尤其是在中外野区域。

弗林托夫以76球击出123分，这是他为兰开夏郡打出的首个百球成绩，不可避免地让人联想到其父亲——灰烬英雄安德鲁·弗林托夫，同时也为球队赢得了梅特罗银行一日杯四分之一决赛的主场资格。

盖伊证明健康状况的努力

[...OMITTED...]

特伦特在皇马蓬勃发展的最佳机会是转型中场吗？

伊恩·霍基

皇马的新任队长结束假期归来，与新任主教练会面，并表示看到所有人在何塞·穆里尼奥的带领下朝着正确的方向努力，他感到非常欣慰。一切都有了新的开始。就在三个月前，费德·巴尔韦德还因在训练场与队友发生冲突而接受治疗，他与对手奥雷连·楚阿梅尼一同被罚款50万欧元（约合42.7 万英镑）。

对巴尔韦德来说，更幸运的是，他在与穆里尼奥的初步交流中并未听到任何暗示，即在即将到来的赛季中，这位乌拉圭中场球员将被要求客串右后卫——这正是穆里尼奥的前任们常对巴尔韦德提出的要求，而新队长对此曾流露出不加掩饰的不满。

皇马的右后卫位置有时仿佛被诅咒一般。在过去15个月经历了四位主教练的动荡时期，这一位置可能比场上任何其他位置都更让人焦虑，且在不止一个案例中，管理层与球员之间持续存在摩擦。

这一角色也并未显著提升球员的国际声誉。上赛季的两位竞争专家——特伦特·亚历山大-阿诺德和丹尼·卡瓦哈尔——发现自己被各自国家队排除在2025年夏季世界杯大名单之外，这对亚历山大-阿诺德来说无疑是一次明确的冷落。去年夏天离开利物浦后，他仅在34场英格兰国家队比赛中出场一次，甚至在托马斯·图赫尔的球队中其他右后卫退出时也未获征召。对卡瓦哈尔来说，这同样是一次打击，他为西班牙出场54次。

卡瓦哈尔在2025-26赛季下半段被亚历山大-阿诺德在皇马的地位所取代，如今已离开皇马。他与这家俱乐部的长期合作始于近四分之一个世纪前，当时他还是一名十岁的孩子。

他的离开让队长一职空缺，并因资历原因传给了巴尔韦德。他的离去也为右后卫位置的地位竞争开启了新的篇章。亚历山大-阿诺德不再面临来自一位好斗且深受爱戴的老将的挑战，而是来自一位强力火车头般的球员。穆里尼奥被确认为主教练后不久，皇马便在繁忙的季前引援中支付了首笔重大转会费——向国际米兰支付2000万欧元（€2000 万），签下荷兰飞翼邓泽尔·邓弗里斯。

我们期待穆里尼奥如何看待这一位置的层级关系，或他在多大程度上能想象一支同时容纳27岁的亚历山大-阿诺德和30岁的邓弗里斯的皇马。皇马即将进行的热身赛将提供线索。迹象表明，尽管他欣赏像亚历山大-阿诺德和邓弗里斯这样技能组合截然不同的边后卫所能提供的广泛选择，但选择并不一定是非此即彼。

刚刚代表荷兰参加完世界杯归来的邓弗里斯，在8月1日对阵佛罗伦萨的首场友谊赛中首次为新东家亮相。他所扮演的角色更像是一名边锋。亚历山大-阿诺德也首发出场，但位置更靠后、更靠中，并在皇马控球时被要求前插至中场。

对邓弗里斯来说，作为在国米出场200多场比赛的主力边翼卫，这一选择是对他的信任投票，让他在仅与穆里尼奥合练5次后便进入首发阵容。对亚历山大-阿诺德而言，这让人想起他在利物浦效力时的部署，尤其是在尤尔根·克洛普手下，当时他只有20出头，被鼓励利用其精准传球能力，而不仅仅是右路斜传或边路直塞。在2-2战平的比赛中，亚历山大-阿诺德以辅助中场的身份，在皇马第二粒进球的组织中发挥了关键作用。

杜姆弗里斯有过一些精彩瞬间，但并非每一次触球都展现出最细腻的控球。在对阵费伦茨瓦罗斯的下一场皇马热身赛中，杜姆弗里斯继续首发，位于更传统的四后卫阵型右侧，下半场被亚历山大-阿诺德换下。关于特伦特式实验的进一步打磨——即如何在同一阵容中融合两人不同的优势——则被留待日后解决。

无论穆里尼奥在未来几个月内如何频繁地在亚历山大-阿诺德与杜姆弗里斯之间切换，这都绝非简单的同位置替换。从这位默西塞德球员身上，皇马球迷已经领教过——即便在他磕磕绊绊的首个赛季——作为边后卫，他能带来远高于常规的关键传球产量，同时也会因身后留下大片空当而让对手反击时心生忧虑。杜姆弗里斯在进攻时将令众多西甲左后卫在正面对抗中感到压力，但在传球质量上却无法与亚历山大-阿诺德相提并论。

两人的职业生涯核心数据便说明了一切。在亚历山大-阿诺德为利物浦和皇马出战的400多场俱乐部高级比赛中，他场均贡献的助攻数超过每四场1次。

而即将迎来500场出场纪念的杜姆弗里斯（效力过鹿特丹斯巴达、海伦芬、埃因霍温和国际米兰），这一数据则远低于前者。但他进球更多——在国际米兰的三个赛季中打入27球——且进球方式多样。他擅长接应进攻定位球，正如亚历山大-阿诺德在主罚定位球时几乎无可匹敌。

皇马球迷已零星见识过亚历山大-阿诺德的最佳表现。2025-26赛季，两次伤病缺阵将他的出场次数限制在28场，而卡瓦哈尔也频繁遭遇伤病困扰，且常与亚历山大-阿诺德同时缺阵。巴尔韦德不得不在右后卫位置上临时顶替，尽管心有不甘。他通常能以充沛的体能和活力完成任务。但到了1月26日，当阿尔瓦罗·阿韦洛亚成为亚历山大-阿诺德在皇马的第二任主帅（哈维·阿隆索在执教八个月后于2024年8月22日被解雇）时，人们意识到这位英格兰球员是一名特殊的后卫。

“并非那种总是活跃在边路的典型边后卫，”阿韦洛亚说，“他能内收、游弋、变换位置，根据当时的需求开合自如。”而引入一名能如此精准传球的球员，对于一支围绕维尼修斯·儒尼奥尔和基利安·姆巴佩的突破速度打造的球队而言，极具意义。

在新的西甲赛季中，皇马将比大多数球队晚一周开赛，于8月22日揭幕。届时，球队前场还将迎来另一位超级速度型球员。扬·迪奥曼德以可能上涨至1.4亿欧元的俱乐部纪录转会费从RB莱比锡加盟，这位19岁的小将被穆里尼奥钦点为前场三叉戟的右路人选，渴望与负责其侧翼的边后卫建立紧密的合作关系。

皇马未能签下的一名目标球员是西班牙队长罗德里，他已明确拒绝加入穆里尼奥的项目。皇马原本希望他能为球队带来自托尼·克罗斯2024年夏天退役后一直渴求的中场控制力。

伯纳多·席尔瓦的加盟或许能部分解决这一问题。穆里尼奥暗示，诱导亚历山大-阿诺德在更多区域发挥创造力，或许是另一条出路。

---

57

体育

---

57

切尔西瞄准刘易斯-斯凯利 阿森纳考虑套现

加里·雅各布

如果阿森纳决定在今夏套现一名本土培养的天才球员，切尔西有意签下迈尔斯·刘易斯-斯凯利。

这位19岁的中场球员从阿森纳青训学院毕业，已被推荐给切尔西和曼联。刘易斯-斯凯利希望留在阿森纳，他去年夏天刚与俱乐部签下长期合同，但如果收到报价，他和俱乐部将需要做出决定。

如果恩佐·费尔南德斯今夏离队，切尔西可能需要一名中场球员。阿森纳希望在转会市场回笼资金，出售本土培养的球员有助于俱乐部遵守财务规定。刘易斯-斯凯利似乎在8周前对关于自己未来的猜测做出了回应，当时他在社交媒体上发布了一张手捧英超联赛冠军奖杯的照片，并配文“纯利润”。

刘易斯-斯凯利此前主要司职左后卫，上赛季大部分时间处于边缘位置，在赛季末的争冠阶段曾在中场表现出色，并最终在欧冠决赛对阵巴黎圣日耳曼的比赛中首发登场。

然而，这位伦敦球员在阿森纳的排位可能再次下滑，因为阿森纳上周以£7500 万签下了布鲁诺·吉马良斯。阿森纳的其他防守型中场选择包括德克兰·赖斯、马丁·苏比门迪，以及潜在的米克尔·梅里诺。阿森纳的进攻型中场选择则包括马丁·厄德高和埃贝雷奇·埃泽。

阿森纳方面获悉，切尔西有意签下拥有6次英格兰国家队出场纪录的刘易斯-斯凯利。不过，刘易斯-斯凯利需要考虑切尔西众多的中场选择，以及本赛季切尔西无缘欧洲赛事，机会可能有限。

曼联也曾被试探过。今年年初，一名中间人曾向包括曼联在内的多家俱乐部推荐刘易斯-斯凯利，称其转会费约为£6000 万——这一价格令曼联望而却步。

刘易斯-斯凯利最初是从左后卫位置打出来的，但他在第二个赛季表现挣扎。

刘易斯-斯凯利帮助阿森纳赢得上赛季冠军，但吉马良斯的到来可能会限制他的机会

他在5月初仅首发2场联赛后，曾向主教练米克尔·阿尔特塔表达过对机会有限的不满。

但他的命运在5月对阵富勒姆的3-0胜利中迎来转机，当时他首次以左路8号位的身份首发登场。阿尔特塔承认，此前他并不确定这位少年是否已为这一位置做好准备，但称他的表现“令人难以置信”。

刘易斯-斯凯利随后又以该角色首发3场比赛，包括欧冠半决赛次回合对阵马德里竞技的胜利。

在阿森纳伊斯灵顿夺冠游行上，刘易斯-斯凯利被看到与俱乐部体育总监安德烈亚·贝尔塔进行了长时间的交谈。他的经纪人是其母亲玛西娅·刘易斯，一名国际足联注册经纪人，同时也是No1Fan俱乐部的创始人，该平台旨在帮助家长们应对青训足球。

如果阿尔特塔认为对刘易斯-斯凯利的兴趣是为了试探他在俱乐部的未来——以及适合的位置——他可能会感到不快。刘易斯-斯凯利表示，他现在将自己视为一名中场球员。他在英格兰成年队首秀对阵阿尔巴尼亚的比赛中以左后卫身份出场，并在比赛第20分钟进球，还曾入围2025年英格兰职业足球运动员协会年度最佳年轻球员提名。

如果刘易斯-斯凯利留队，他可能只会在赖斯和苏比门迪需要休息时获得首发机会，两人在上赛季末均显露出疲态。赖斯，27，在世界杯期间一直带着腿筋伤病。

阿尔特塔自2022年以来已在签约上净支出£6.5 亿，俱乐部的长期目标是实现财务自给自足。

阿森纳内部正在讨论是否出售19岁的进攻型中场埃坦·恩瓦内里，他与刘易斯-斯凯利一同从青训营升入一线队，但同样难以获得出场时间。恩瓦内里今年1月租借至马赛后表现不佳，目前有来自德国俱乐部的兴趣。但俱乐部内部也有声音认为，他应继续以租借方式离队，等待阿森纳逐步淘汰27岁的厄德高和28岁的埃泽。

巴萨再次报价5100万英镑求购罗德里

保罗·赫斯特，保罗·乔伊斯

巴塞罗那准备加大对罗德里的兴趣，将向曼城中场提交第二份报价，金额超过5100 万英镑百万英镑。

自上周曼城拒绝巴萨为这位世界杯冠军球员提出的£38.5百万英镑报价后，两家俱乐部的谈判仍在继续。巴萨现准备再次报价，保底金额为6000万欧元（约合5100 万英镑百万英镑），外加附加条款。

曼城是否会接受这份报价尚不得而知。他们此前一直坚持要求为这位30岁的西班牙中场支付£60百万英镑。但巴萨的第二份报价表明，他们决心继续追逐这位2024年金球奖得主。

《泰晤士报》周一报道称，西甲冠军希望在未来几天内签下罗德里，以便他能在新赛季开始前融入球队。目前仍有五名球员尚未报到参加季前训练——朱尔·孔德、丹尼·奥尔莫、保·库巴尔西、拉明·亚马尔和佩德里——他们将于今日返回巴萨总部。巴萨将在周日与巴塞尔进行一场友谊赛，一周后将在对阵埃尔切的比赛中开始卫冕之旅。

在世界杯决赛中攻入制胜球的费兰·托雷斯原定今日归队训练，但这位边锋似乎将转会至巴黎圣日耳曼。此前巴黎圣日耳曼的首次报价为£34百万英镑，外加£8.5百万英镑附加条款，遭到拒绝，预计他们将提高报价。

与托雷斯一样，罗德里的合同还剩一年，且尚未表现出续约意愿。

---

58

体育 欧超杯

埃梅里面临严峻早期考验

夏洛特·邓克

在执教阿斯顿维拉的第四个完整赛季开始之际，乌奈·埃梅里正准备迎接职业生涯的又一个“新时代”。

这位54岁的主教练一向明确表示自己不惧挑战，而这确实是件好事。他的首场考验便是今日在欧洲超级杯上与前东家巴黎圣日耳曼的对决，欧冠和欧联杯冠军将为又一座奖杯展开较量——但更大的考验还在后头。

对于维拉而言，这又是一个充满变革的夏天，而转会窗口尚余两周多时间。今晚的阵容中将缺少世界杯国脚奥利·沃特金斯、埃兹里·孔萨和埃米利亚诺·马丁内斯，但即便考虑到他们的缺席，这支球队与5月举起欧联杯的那支已大不相同。

上赛季为俱乐部出场时间最长的核心球员摩根·罗杰斯以1.17亿英镑的身价转投切尔西，中场主力尤里·蒂勒曼斯加盟曼联，而首发左后卫卢卡斯·迪涅也重返巴黎圣日耳曼。

不过，随着维拉的新篇章开启，队长约翰·麦金对未来的重建工作并不担忧。

“这八年来，球队发生了很多变化，”队长表示，“我们已经建立了体系，确立了标准和规则，这些让我们在过去几个赛季取得了成功。我们的任务就是让新球员融入其中，让他们像过去几个赛季的球员一样相信这套体系。我们对这支新的阿斯顿维拉感到非常兴奋。”

新援方面，亚历杭德罗·加纳乔（从切尔西租借加盟）、从狼队签下的中场若昂·戈麦斯，以及俱乐部标王约翰·曼赞比均已加入，不过后者因膝伤无法出战。

埃梅里警告称，他的球队在对阵巴黎圣日耳曼时“不会处于最佳状态”，这场比赛的表现也难以达到2025年4月维拉公园那场著名的3-2胜利时的水准。但考虑到现在是8月初，球队缺少三名核心球员，且转会窗口尚未关闭，这也是情理之中。

这场由索马里裁判奥马尔·阿尔坦执法的比赛——他原本应执法世界杯，却在边境被拒——是维拉自1983年以来首个欧洲冠军的奖励。这将为球队带来£14的财务收益，但在球场上，这更像是一场免费的热身赛。在欧洲超级杯中，仅有20%的欧联杯冠军能战胜欧冠对手，而这一数据在本场比赛中为39%。赢球将极大提振球队信心，迎接一个充满变数的赛季；输球则只是一场友谊赛，让这支全新的球队在欧洲顶级球队面前得到检验。

对于埃梅里而言，这又是一次在超级杯上与路易斯·恩里克交手的机会。这位维拉主帅曾在比利亚雷亚尔和塞维利亚执教时三次在超级杯中失利，他渴望与这位对手一较高下——

维拉在5月20日对阵弗赖堡的欧联杯决赛首发阵容中，有三名关键球员如今已不在队中——迪涅已加盟今晚的对手巴黎圣日耳曼，罗杰斯转投切尔西，蒂勒曼斯则加入了曼联

维拉的夏季转会

引进球员 / 来自 / 转会费

J·曼赞比 / 弗赖堡 / 5950 万英镑m J·戈麦斯 / 狼队 / 3800 万英镑m M·凯巴·西塞 / LASK / 400 万英镑m A·加纳乔 / 切尔西 / 租借 离队球员 / 前往 / 转会费 M·罗杰斯 / 切尔西 / 1.17 亿英镑m Y·蒂莱曼斯 / 曼联 / 3500 万英镑m D·马伦 / 罗马 / 2160 万英镑m E·巴雷内切亚 / 本菲卡 / 1030 万英镑m L·多宾 / 南安普顿 / 900 万英镑m L·迪涅 / 巴黎圣日耳曼 / 850 万英镑m J·高奇 / 林肯城 / 租借 A·加西亚 / 赫塔菲 / 租借 O·齐赫 / 维多利亚 / 租借 总支出 / 1.015 亿英镑m 总收入 / 2.014 亿英镑m

他在2015年的同场较量中击败了埃梅里。

这是因为这位西班牙教练认为恩里克“给他提出了很高要求”，无论他派出什么样的阵容，因此这或许是维拉主帅真正考验自己的绝佳开场。

孔萨可能在转会截止日前加盟阿森纳，埃梅里的3名核心幕僚已经离队——定位球教练奥斯汀·麦克菲前往切尔西，2名助理教练帕洛·阿耶斯塔兰和个人教练安东尼奥·罗德里格斯·萨拉维亚也已离开——因此这对维拉来说确实是一个全新的时代。

“我们必须保持步调一致。即使有变化，”埃梅里说，“当他们还在英冠联赛时，以及此后的每1年，都有变化，但俱乐部仍在进步。”

阿斯顿维拉 vs 巴黎圣日耳曼

欧洲超级杯 开球时间：萨尔茨堡红牛竞技场，晚上8点 电视转播：TNT体育 裁判：O·阿尔坦（索马里）

阿斯顿维拉（可能阵型 4-2-3-1）

![维拉阵容图]

巴黎圣日耳曼（可能阵型 4-3-3）

前锋。如果我们与曼城、切尔西、曼联、阿森纳和利物浦等其他俱乐部相比，我们正在与他们竞争。我们还没有他们的实力……但我们正在逐步以自己的方式前进。

“我们不与其他俱乐部比较。有时他们在我们之上，有时在我们之下。现在我们正在进行变革，是的，但我们工作得很好。我对我们的应对方式感到满意。”

自近5年前到来以来，埃梅里应对了所有挑战，球队相信他能再次做到这一点。

那么维拉球迷本赛季可以期待什么？他们是否应该因为这个夏天的变化而降低期望？

“我们将面临挑战，”麦金说，“变化很多，但当你看看英格兰其他俱乐部时，那里也有很多变化。4名教练在更换，2名球员在更换。但我们仍然保留了核心——同样的主教练、同样的方法、同样的渴望去取得更多成就。

“很多人认为我们在几个赛季前已经达到了极限，但我们证明了他们是错的。我们仍然保持着同样的饥饿感和渴望去取得更多成就。只要我们保持这种饥饿感和渴望，阿斯顿维拉的球迷就可以期待尽可能多的收获。”

纽卡斯尔陷入困境

马丁·哈迪

纽卡斯尔新任主教练马蒂亚斯·雅伊斯勒承认，在布鲁诺·吉马良斯和桑德罗·托纳利今夏离队后，他接手的球队存在领导力真空。

这位38岁的德国教头昨日在圣詹姆斯公园球场的正式亮相仪式上表示，上周他刚带领球员在拉曼加进行了训练营，并远赴瓦伦西亚进行了一场友谊赛。

雅伊斯勒谈到上月底纽卡斯尔首次联系他接替埃迪·豪时的兴奋之情，并坚称球队仍然雄心勃勃。

然而，他承认今夏吉马良斯转会阿森纳、托纳利加盟托特纳姆热刺，以及此前安东尼·戈登转投巴塞罗那和基兰·特里皮尔合同未获续约，已对球队的经验值造成影响。

纽卡斯尔已向31岁的前托特纳姆热刺中场皮埃尔-埃米尔·霍伊别尔发起报价，但目前尚未达成协议。他们还在关注同样31的若昂·帕利尼亚，但不太可能与阿斯顿维拉竞争这名球员，拜仁慕尼黑对其开价£2600万。纽卡斯尔今夏迄今已签下五名球员，其中最年长的仅24岁。

“每个人都知道那些离开俱乐部的球员，”雅伊斯勒说，“他们都是优秀的人物、优秀的球员、经验丰富的球员。这确实如你所说，形成了一个真空。但这意味着其他人必须站出来。要么我们通过签约这类球员来调整阵容，要么其他人必须挺身而出，填补这些位置和领导角色。

“我对这两种情况都相当乐观，我的工作就是尽力而为。我们清楚自己需要什么，也清楚想要什么样的阵容。我们相信目前拥有的球员。在对阵瓦伦西亚的比赛中，我们对年轻球员获得的机会感到非常满意，这也是俱乐部的方针。”

纽卡斯尔向阿尔阿赫利支付了15-400 万英镑的补偿金，雅伊斯勒于周日签下四年合同后首次参观圣詹姆斯公园球场，并于周一在城市中漫步。

当被问及在纽卡斯尔的职责时，他回答说：“我们有雄心壮志。这是最重要的。这也是我决定来这里的原因，但这不会一蹴而就，尤其是在经历如此重大的过渡期后。

“我们需要明确目标，明确希望达到的方向。这始于决策者、管理层和董事会。然后，如果能与球迷、球员和工作人员形成合力，我相信这将是一个成功的故事。但我们现在需要时间。”

雅伊斯勒曾在前东家阿尔阿赫利和RB萨尔茨堡的技术区域表现强势，他表示：“我不会改变自己的风格，因为这是我的个性。在场边，我会情绪激动，但需要更尊重教练区。

“在沙特阿拉伯时，我跑动的距离很长，如果当时佩戴GPS设备，数据可能会相当惊人！”

纽卡斯尔将于今日下午在穆雷菲尔德与埃弗顿进行一场友谊赛。

维尔茨坚称在艰难的首个赛季后将“更加闪光”

保罗·乔伊斯

弗洛里安·维尔茨认为，在吸取了英超联赛首个赛季的艰难教训后，他已准备好在利物浦发挥更大的影响力。

这位23岁的球员满怀热情地谈及即将在新任主教练安德尼·伊劳拉麾下，以10号位身份推动球队迈向新高度的挑战。

维尔茨去年夏天以1.16亿英镑的身价从勒沃库森加盟利物浦。然而，他的赛季表现平平，与大多数一线队球员一样，利物浦的卫冕之路崩溃，最终仅排名第五，导致阿尔内·斯洛特被解雇。

维尔茨展现出了些许亮点，在49场比赛中贡献了7个进球和10次助攻，但过于频繁地受困于英超联赛的独特要求，以及笼罩全队的集体低迷。如今，这位德国国脚亟需展现最佳状态，而季前赛中他传球的眼光和积极冲击六码区寻找进球机会的意愿已初露端倪。

他不再面对未知的挑战，在回顾上赛季时表示：“我确实学到了很多。我只是学会了英超联赛的踢法，现在对第二个赛季更有准备，因为我已经了解了这里的一切。我对下个赛季真的非常期待。

“我已经在英格兰踢了一年，也经常说这里的足球风格与德国不同。你只需要适应比赛和对手。

“（评价我的首个赛季）是个困难的问题，但当然，有些比赛我对自己不满意，但也有很多比赛我感觉在场上表现不错。上赛季对整个俱乐部来说都很艰难，但希望我们本赛季能拥有正确的能量和心态，这样每位球员都能更加闪光。”

维尔茨与前锋亚历山大·伊萨克的搭档将是利物浦的希望核心，两人必须承担起曾由穆罕默德·萨拉赫提供的进球重任。

伊萨克在从纽卡斯尔联以1.25亿英镑加盟后，与维尔茨经历了类似的挣扎，未能达到预期，尽管一条腿骨折让他缺阵近五个月，影响了他的表现。

在季前赛后半段，伊劳拉有意将维尔茨和伊萨克在场上紧密部署，两人的默契也因此开始提升。

问题出现在球场的另一端，利物浦的防线漏洞频出。

“我们有过一些不错的配合，”维尔茨在谈到与伊萨克的合作时说，“我们一起创造了一些机会。他是一名非常非常出色的球员，我喜欢与他搭档。我们需要加强默契，但现在还在季前赛阶段，目前一切都还不错。”

斯洛特曾将维尔茨作为10号位使用，有时也安排在左路或其他位置，但始终未能找到有效的阵容配置。伊劳拉计划继续让维尔茨在伊萨克身后出任10号位，而利物浦相信，如果他们能在边路引进速度型球员——

巴黎圣日耳曼的布拉德利·巴尔科拉仍是目标——维尔茨在比赛中施展魔力的机会将会增加。

“我们讨论过这一点，因为了解自己将踢哪个位置很重要，”维尔茨补充道，“我知道自己可能踢不同的位置，但10号位是我最喜欢也是最擅长的位置。

“我们期待与他（伊劳拉）合作。我喜欢他对足球的理念。”

特朗普力挺“了不起的”因凡蒂诺

接上页

詹尼·因凡蒂诺。他非常了不起，刚刚主持了史上最成功的世界杯，其成功程度是其他世界杯的四倍。如果他离开，世界杯将再也不会如此成功或有利可图。”

因凡蒂诺目前面临来自挪威足协的道德投诉，指控其涉嫌政治干预，与国际足联（FIFA）决定解除对美国前锋福拉林·巴洛贡的禁令有关，该决定是在特朗普致电后作出的。他还因与特朗普的关系受到国际足联道德委员会的投诉，原因是他设立了一个和平奖项并授予了这位美国总统。

特朗普声称2026年世界杯的成功程度是其他世界杯的四倍，这一说法并不准确——其收入仅为2022年世界杯的两倍。

因凡蒂诺今年对同事表示，64支球队的扩军提议不会被采纳，但上个月他又表示这一提议“肯定”会被考虑。国际足联已向多家机构发送了一份关于该提议的研究简报，称希望委任一家机构对该计划进行分析。这份日期为7月30日的简报由《泰晤士报》获悉，其中指出分析“不应为预设结果辩护”。

简报还提到：“64支球队的赛制可能带来更广泛的代表性、新的国家市场切入点及额外的优质内容。但同时也可能影响赛事质量、晋级路径、球员工作负荷、国际赛程、媒体经济、赞助商激活、球迷关注度以及其他足球和体育赛事的定位。

“分析应能支持明确的战略判断：64支球队的赛制是否能以增强足球经济的方式扩大全球影响力和参与度，抑或稀释、赛程拥堵、执行复杂性和饱和度会削弱这一提议。”

---

《泰晤士报》

体育

何塞为特伦特制定的计划

为何这名右后卫可能转战皇家马德里中场

刘易斯-斯凯利待售？

若阿森纳出售这名青少年球员，切尔西将领跑竞购

因凡蒂诺支持64队世界杯

● 国际足联主席寻求南美洲支持

● 特朗普警告不要罢免陷入困境的主席

马丁·齐格勒 首席体育记者

据消息人士透露，面临压力的国际足联（Fifa）主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺已向南美洲足球领导人表示，他将支持将2030年世界杯扩军至64队的提议。

因凡蒂诺正试图四处寻求支持，以在欧洲足联（Uefa）、中北美及加勒比海足球协会（Concacaf）和亚洲足球联合会呼吁其辞职的情况下保住职位，希望能撑到明年的选举。迄今为止，Concacaf的35个国际足联成员中，只有墨西哥公开表示支持。

南美洲足球协会（Conmebol）提议将世界杯从48队扩军至64队，以便能够主办超过三场比赛，而国际足联仅分配了三场比赛以纪念首届世界杯在乌拉圭举办100周年。因凡蒂诺周五访问了哥伦比亚，出席该国新任右翼总统阿韦拉多·德拉·埃斯普列亚的就职典礼，后者得到了唐纳德·特朗普的支持。美国前总统特朗普昨日表示，如果国际足联在世界杯出售股权的丑闻后罢免因凡蒂诺，将是一个“可怕的错误”。

因凡蒂诺此行还陪同了来自巴拉圭的Conmebol主席亚历杭德罗·多明格斯，后者对哥伦比亚媒体表示，“不能忽视因凡蒂诺所做的伟大工作”。消息人士称，64队扩军计划在此次访问中被讨论。国际足联拒绝置评，但指出任何决定将由国际足联理事会而非因凡蒂诺本人做出。

2030年世界杯主要由西班牙、葡萄牙和摩洛哥主办，阿根廷、巴拉圭和乌拉圭各安排了一场比赛。

《泰晤士报》上周报道称，据知情人士透露，因凡蒂诺将支持摩洛哥主办决赛而非马德里，但国际足联表示“声称国际足联主席已就决赛做出任何承诺的说法是虚假且误导性的”，并称决定将由国际足联法定机构做出。

与此同时，墨西哥媒体报道称，墨西哥足协对因凡蒂诺的支持是基于预期其将支持墨西哥退出Concacaf并加入南美洲，这意味着墨西哥将能更频繁地与阿根廷和巴西等球队比赛。

尽管因凡蒂诺与特朗普关系密切，《泰晤士报》两周前率先披露了世界杯向私人投资者出售股权的计划——这一丑闻使因凡蒂诺陷入生存危机，但特朗普此前一直未公开谈论因凡蒂诺。如今他打破沉默，在其Truth Social平台上发文，提及2026年世界杯的财务成功。

特朗普写道：“如果国际足联以任何理由考虑罢免主席……（续59页）”

格拉夫是欧洲短跑之王

罗梅尔·格拉夫在欧洲锦标赛上夺得100米金牌，杰里迈亚·阿祖获得银牌，这是英国队在当晚取得的辉煌成绩，详见54-55页

基利教练抨击150英镑门票

马特·劳顿 首席体育记者

欧洲田径锦标赛组织者因前三个比赛日的低上座率受到批评，基利·霍奇金森的教练及艾米·亨特的经纪人均指出高达150英镑的门票价格过高。

亨特在周一晚女子100米决赛中夺得欧洲金牌，但现场观众稀少，BBC解说员史蒂夫·克拉姆对此表示失望。“在观众人数方面有点令人失望，我不得不这么说，”他在亨特夺冠后说道。“尤其是在后直道那边，看台上几乎没什么人。”

由英国田径协会高层主导的伯明翰2026组委会坚称周一晚有13,000名观众入场，但可容纳23,000人的亚历山大体育场看起来不足半数座位被填满。这一时机颇为不巧，因伦敦申办团队将于周五向世界田径主席塞巴斯蒂安·科及其同僚提交2029年世界田径锦标赛的申办陈述。

在早期比赛日，主看台A类门票定价£110，B类门票定价£90。奇怪的是，这些座位的上座率反而高于£40和£60的D类和C类门票。“疯狂的价格，”亨特的经纪人尼克·哈维尔在X平台上发文称。“太遗憾了。”

与丈夫特雷弗·佩因特共同执教奥运800米冠军霍奇金森及女子1500米夺冠热门乔治娅·亨特·贝尔的珍妮·梅多斯在同一平台上表示：“听到球迷反映高票价、停车问题，以及有人不知道比赛正在进行。”

伯明翰市中心的宣传力度似乎不足，前往亚历山大体育场的交通也显得

《泰晤士报》填字游戏 29,619

横向

1 Fl司机离开酒店在鲍街，或伦敦其他地方？（8） 5 巴黎城的勤奋工作者（6） 8 经纪人定期冒犯（3） 9 弗朗西丝的空虚日子揭开戏服（5,5） 10 省时之物是铜的建议？（5,3） 11 据说是人们渴望的荣誉（6） 12 农民无尽的束缚（4） 14 机会西部必须给予新开端（10） 17 那些回归的成员选择发言（10） 20 特蕾莎不确定地约束多毛男子（4） 23 性在法庭案件中扭曲（6） 24 受辱并被打低分，我听到（8） 25 失去理智，与波兰无赖私奔（10） 26 大副从不脱外套（3） 27 小家伙一开始真的让查理紧张（6） 28 狡猾的亚洲人破坏调查（8）

纵向

1 旧杂志关于时尚的行为举止（9） 2 联邦的状态？（7） 3 力量迄今未避难（6） 4 主持人的文章论及新共和党人，分量不足（9） 5 理发师动摇并步履蹒跚（7） 6 命令欧洲人支持岛屿政党以示尊重（9） 7 法院绕着美国州转（7） 13 烹制美味的达尔及另一道菜（9） 15 大多在海上（2,3,4） 16 医生诽谤大学洗衣妇（9） 18 我为子女的事务烦恼（7） 19 脱帽后，一开始在峡谷中感到过热（7） 21 女儿起床在中午前登上英式船只的心痛（7） 22 梦魇般的考试阻碍米利班德？（6）

昨日答案 29,618

查看今日答案请致电0905 757 0148，截止时间为午夜。通话费用为每分钟£1，另加您的电话公司网络接入费。服务提供商：Spoke 0332 202 3395。

报纸支持回收

2024年英国报纸的再生纸含量为34.7%

---

TIMES2

2026年8月12日

我公开了冷冻卵子的经历 （就像亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯一样）

作者：索菲娅·莫尼-库茨

---

2

times2

酒吧里不该禁止站着喝酒——该禁止的是鸡尾酒

卡罗尔·米德格利

我无意失礼，但究竟是哪个蠢货想出了禁止伦敦酒客站着喝酒的主意？我很想知道，但既然我在威斯敏斯特市议会毫无影响力，只能猜测。我敢打赌，这人要么几乎不去酒吧，要么去了也会厚颜无耻地占着一张黄金位置的桌子整晚，只点一杯寒酸的黑加仑汽水，然后说：“酒吧生意怎么越来越差，真奇怪，不是吗？”

我听起来是不是有点暴躁？抱歉。可能是因为我昨晚喝了几杯——就站在那些长在腿末端的叫“脚”的东西上。《纽约邮报》注意到了这股荒唐劲儿，其记者写道：“这个消息你可能得坐下听……伦敦市中心的英国议会正推动一项疯狂的新政策，禁止酒客站着喝酒。”报道称这是一项“怪异”的举措，旨在减少醉酒行为。

当连美国人——他们几乎在你伸手拿第二杯酒时就会递上戒酒诊所的电话号码——都开始教我们如何正确喝酒时，事情已经发展到某种地步了。但他们确实说得对，这很怪异。这完全忽视了酒吧最初被发明的目的，试图一笔勾销几代人文化习惯的深刻烙印。

仿佛他们看到一群人在索霍街头阳光下站着微笑，就想：“他们看起来很开心，得立刻制止！”在一份关于许可政策的草案声明中，威斯敏斯特市议会提议取消“站立饮酒的机会”，引入“固定座位”，甚至——最可怕的——只允许服务员点单。何不像新冠时期那样竖起有机玻璃屏障，彻底抽干生活的乐趣呢？

别误会，我其实很喜欢在酒吧坐着，尤其是和女性朋友一起，或者穿着高跟鞋的时候——不过现在我再也不穿高跟鞋了。但我也喜欢站着。站着的群体有一种强烈的情谊，这种氛围一旦所有人都坐下就会被冲淡。

这意味着你可以四处走动，和不同的人交谈，远离任何变得无聊的醉鬼（我敢打赌几十年来已经有不少人从我身边跳着踢踏舞溜走了，哦是的）。至于服务员点单——那会彻底扼杀酒吧的氛围。它不再是酒吧，而变成了法国式的酒吧，你得花30分钟被完全无视。

如果他们非要禁止什么，那就先从二维码开始吧，那些疫情时期遗留的可恶产物，它们扼杀了对话，因为每个人都得手忙脚乱地掏出手机扫描一个毫无灵魂的小方块。

从数据矩阵点单将是酒吧的末日。还有，请禁止年轻人群体单独点单和付款。轮流请客，小气鬼们！你可能会亏90便士，但这不会要你的命。也别排成一条直线，你们又不是在等82路公交车。

禁止超大声的咖啡机和撕扯啤酒杯垫，让任何想点需要花20分钟调制的鸡尾酒的人去单独排队。最好排到街那头去。

但如果你想让酒吧生存下去，千万别禁止站着喝酒。或者禁止座位。两者的混合一直是，也永远是完美的配方。

对常客来说，一张心爱的桌子可能很重要。比如已故的巨蟒剧团成员格雷厄姆·查普曼，他是个酒量惊人的酒鬼，他对海格特天使酒吧里自己最喜欢的桌子情有独钟，如果有人坐了他的位置，他会走过去拉开裤子拉链，把阴茎浸到对方的酒里，直到他们起身让开。公平地说，我敢打赌这种策略的成功率是零。

梅根可以留着她的岛

你家有两个厨房岛台吗？我连一个都没有。但萨塞克斯公爵夫人有两个，所以现在这成了“身份的象征”。

真的是这样吗？还是说这只是意味着你的厨房大到不知道该用什么来填满它？梅根还有一个拱形气球装饰的手工艺谷仓，但《美丽家居》是在暗示我们也该弄一个吗？

我怪罪电视剧把岛台物化了。它传递的信号是：“我是个中产阶级角色，我的岛台有缓降抽屉，藏着恶心的厨房垃圾桶，这样我扔掉Spans时就不会显得恶心，好为必不可少的性爱戏码做准备。”而两个岛台对我来说只意味着：“更多需要清洁的表面。更多杂物。”

我以前其实有个小岛台，或者说我以为自己有，直到一位客人不屑地说那是“半岛”（这下我被说教了！）。我并不怀念它。

所以我并不羡慕梅根整天在她的岛台间穿梭。在我看来，它们和那些其他“必备品”一样没用，比如百吉饼切片器、蛋清分离器、香草剪刀和香蕉保护套——上帝在告诉你，你的钱太多了。

像AOCI一样冷冻了我的卵子。这值得吗？

国会女议员亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯在Instagram上发布了自己注射的照片。索菲娅·莫尼-库茨为她感到自豪

这场面相当引人注目：一位被誉为未来总统候选人的女性，坐在沙发上，正在注射。她用食指和拇指捏起腹部的一块赘肉，针头轻松刺入，如同刀切黄油。

纽约国会女议员亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯（Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez）称自己的注射行为“很酷”，但我们说的可不是海洛因。民主党人并没有完全失去理智。相反，她最近宣布将开始一轮冷冻卵子的过程，并将在网上记录每一个步骤，包括给自己注射合成激素。

“这是我为掌控自己生活所做的选择，”她在Instagram上说道。“作为女性，我们普遍没有被教导过如何了解自己的身体，”36岁的AOC继续解释她为何要如此公开地记录这一经历。“我想让你们看到，因为女性无所不能。而且，我要在绿色房间里给自己打针，我觉得这很酷。”

每当我看到知名女性谈论冷冻卵子时，我都想挥拳欢呼（有时我真的会这样做）。因为在2020年，我也经历了这一过程，并制作了一档日记播客系列。如今，潜在的总统候选人以及丽塔·奥拉（Rita Ora）、弗洛伦斯·普（Florence Pugh）和克里斯汀·斯图尔特（Kristen Stewart）等名人都会在采访中谈论这一痛苦过程。但仅仅在2014年（即六年前），这种坦诚还不太常见。

我决定公开讨论自己的卵巢，因为不久前，我帮助一位朋友也经历了同样的过程。她问我是否可以在她取卵后去医院接她，因为她没有告诉任何家人自己正在经历这件事。作为一名三十多岁的单身女性，她觉得难以启齿。我们早已不生活在简·奥斯汀笔下的英国，但有时感觉依然如此。我这位才华横溢、勇敢无畏、事业有成的朋友，只是在努力保护自己的生育能力。然而，冷冻卵子却让她觉得羞耻，仿佛这是一种承认——自己与那些“正常”结婚生子的人不同，因此她选择保密。

当时我35岁，刚刚恢复单身，决定效仿她。但我想大声谈论这件事。我想探索这一过程，部分出于好奇，但也为了帮助处于同样境地的人减少“老处女”的感觉。我为自己的11集播客《冻结时间》（Freezing Time）记录了整个过程——将药物存放在冰箱里，旁边是侄女的Frubes（当时我和姐姐住在一起），在治疗室里哭泣，因为独自经历这一切，在卧室里流泪，因为针头无法刺入我那针垫般的腹部。

为了减少对冷冻卵子的尴尬，我大声而频繁地谈论它。在一次酒会上，一位好心的家庭朋友问我是否有“帅哥”在追，我指了指自己的骨盆部位，说自己正在冷冻卵子。在烧烤聚会上，我因疼痛而皱眉，姐姐的朋友问我是否还好，我回答说卵巢又肿又痛。这让他对自己的香肠失去了兴趣。

过去五年里，冷冻卵子的比例激增。根据英国生育管理局（HFEA，人类受精与胚胎学管理局）最新统计数据，2020年英国有2,500例冷冻卵子周期，而2024年则为2,000例。接受冷冻卵子的英国女性人数有所增加，这一过程已变得更加主流。在地铁上看到诊所广告或社交媒体上推送的相关广告已不足为奇。包括Meta、亚马逊和高盛在内的公司，如今可能将其作为员工健康福利的一部分。

这是一个昂贵的骗局，专门针对脆弱的女性，旨在让她们继续被束缚在办公桌前——那些坚称卵子冷冻成功率依然很低的人如是说道。在我接受注射疗程的几个月前，生育权威温斯顿勋爵在英国广播公司第四电台（Radio 4）上表示，最终能够实现“活产”（可怕的措辞）的卵子数量仅约为1%。

Zoom的自然呼唤

你会在内衣挂在头后晾干的情况下参加工作Zoom会议吗？新西兰政客乔·盖勒（Jo Galer）就这么做了。如今已疯传的视频显示，她在浴室里参加市议会会议，洗好的衣物一览无余。“我们能看到你的衣服，”市长说道。但盖勒是否“在乎”（用Z世代的话说）？她并不在乎。

她耸耸肩，继续开会。有人说这表明个人界限正在消失，但我认为：a）有时很难找到一个安静的房间；b）这与“珍妮弗”相比根本不算什么——那位员工在工作Zoom会议中忘记了自己，把笔记本电脑带进了厕所，然后自顾自地解决生理需求。

在2021年，秘鲁一名律师在Zoom庭审中未意识到自己仍在镜头内，被拍到与一名赤身裸体的女性发生性关系，据信该女性是他的当事人。好吧，至少她总能说自己得到了一次全面的情况说明。

---

3

times2

这一说法遭到HFEA（人类受精与胚胎管理局）的反驳，该机构称实际数字更接近20%，但即便如此，如果你正在考虑是否要花这笔钱（我的一轮治疗花费近5,000 英镑；AOC尚未透露具体金额，但表示她已为此攒钱一段时间，因为医保不包含这项费用），这些数据可能仍令人沮丧。

听着，冷冻卵子并不能保证未来能生育，但所有信誉良好的诊所都应明确指出这一点。我的诊所——利斯特诊所——就多次强调过。计算成功率时的部分问题在于，不同年龄段的女性往往被混为一谈，从而扭曲了数据。

如果你有兴趣，并且和任何严肃且昂贵的医疗程序一样，你需要考虑自己的年龄并查看统计数据。HFEA建议患者参考使用自身卵子进行IVF周期的成功率，“因为每年新鲜胚胎移植的数量远高于卵子冷冻”。此外，我制作播客时了解到一个冷知识：如果你是一名三十五六岁的女性，尝试自然受孕，10到20%的几率每月都有。简而言之，怀孕比我们在学校时老师告诉我们的要难。

我算幸运的——35,岁时，经过几周的注射和像米其林轮胎人一样肿胀后，我取到了22颗卵子，这意味着如果我想使用它们，有70-90%的几率“至少”拥有一个孩子。AOC比我当时大一岁，如果她能取到相近数量的卵子，成功率大致相同。一直以来，人们普遍认为应该冷冻胚胎而非卵子，因为胚胎解冻后效果更好，成功率也更高。也许她会这么做，因为她有未婚夫。而作为单身女性，我无法接受在网上选择陌生人的精子这一在财务和情感上的巨大挑战。我的医生耐心地向我解释了第93次：胚胎并不一定更成功。“如果不是这样，我不会坐在这里推荐卵子冷冻。”

AOC因在有伴侣的情况下仍选择冷冻卵子而受到批评。她与Riley Roberts在大学相识，已订婚四年。他们尚未“准备好”要孩子的想法令一些人感到恼火，我知道我们对生育的犹豫不决会让许多比我们年长的人翻白眼：赶紧行动吧，直接去做，从来没有合适的时机等等。我听过所有这些话。她可能也听过。但事实是，卵子冷冻能为女性在艰难的决定上提供喘息空间。记住，这并不保证成功，但能提供一些喘息空间。

[...OMITTED...]

如果你确定自己想要孩子，那你很幸运。如果你一直知道自己不想要，那也一样。我从来都不确定自己是哪一种。亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯（AOC）从未明确表示过自己想要孩子，因此我们只能假设她做出这个决定是为了给自己争取一些时间。未来几年她可能会有重大发展，即使在这个更加平等的世界里，生孩子也会——可以理解且理所当然地——影响她的政治生涯。与此同时，公开这一过程是一种进步且慷慨的举动。不过，在取卵后不久，她可能不太愿意立即分享感受，因为便秘可能会让人感到烦恼。我在播客中也谈过这个阶段，如果你感兴趣的话。《冻结时间》（Freezing Time）由索菲娅·莫尼-库茨主持，可在所有播客平台收听。

汉普斯特德池塘的夜间秘密

这里曾是凯特·莫斯和玛格丽特·德拉布尔的游泳胜地，但到了夜晚，女士池塘却吸引着截然不同的人群。

在这个热浪频发的夏季，伦敦的绿地变得焦枯，汉普斯特德荒野的池塘如同塞伦盖蒂水坑对斑马般具有吸引力。我的父母会一丝不苟地预约游泳时段，当票被抢光时便怨声载道。这让我感到困惑：我这个年纪的人不会使用预约系统——他们去池塘是为了免费的夜间游泳。

我第一次这么做时才17。几个朋友和我在荒野边缘的乐购快递店外闲逛。一个我有点认识的校友，姑且称他为马克斯，正大声轰着车的油门。“哟，兄弟，给我们弄点啤酒，”他喊道。“算了，不用了，我自己有。你要去池塘吗？”

“嗯，听说可以翻过围栏进男士池塘，”我答道。

“别，别，你不想去那儿，那里有蓝绿藻，简直就是剧毒。所有人都去女士池塘。”

对于北伦敦的女性而言，肯伍德女士池塘自1925年以来一直是一个神圣的女性专属空间。它的常客包括埃丝特·弗洛伊德、凯特·莫斯、玛格丽特·德拉布尔，而现在……还有我们。

当我进入池塘时，我感到了一种根本性的“在做坏事”的感觉。音乐从两片修剪整齐、橡树环绕的草坪对面传来。池塘里挤满了人。男孩和女孩们坐在水边，腿浸在水里，喝着啤酒和鸡尾酒罐；

还有人设法解开了小划艇的缆绳，一群女孩尖叫着，两个男孩轮流站起来摇晃小船。最吸引人的场景发生在我认为是更衣室的屋顶上：一大群人在屋顶上奔跑，然后从屋顶跳入下方的水中。

“哟，兄弟们，上这儿来，”马克斯喊道。“用长凳。”那张长凳被翻过来当作临时梯子。我躲开生锈的螺丝和一个觉得摇晃长凳很有趣的醉酒少年，爬了上去，目睹了整个纵欲场景：跳水、喝酒、划船，所有的一切。

屋顶上覆盖着一种黑色的密封剂，滑溜溜的。我向边缘探头望去，看到下方有一个看起来坚硬无比的浮台。我站在那里，一脸担忧，身后响起了起哄声：“跳，跳，跳！”很快，下方的人也跟着起哄。“跳，跳，跳！”我跳了下去。

我看到一团模糊的形状和色彩在旋转，然后一头扎进冰冷的黑暗中。浮出水面后，我吐出水，怀疑地尝了尝——有股蓝绿藻的味道。接着我听到了喊声。两个穿着荧光背心的男人在大喊：“喂，你们！别游了！我们是伦敦市警察，特此通知你们，你们都在非法侵入。”

少年们像受惊的潮虫般四散奔逃。我朝衣服游去，匆忙套上运动鞋，却忘了钥匙就塞在里面。当我一瘸一拐地朝出口走去时，满脑子只有一个念头：我早该在网上预约的。作者选择匿名

男孩和女孩们坐在水边，腿浸在水里，喝着啤酒和鸡尾酒罐

---

4

时尚

连衣裙，£110，nobodyschild.com

街头风格，巴黎

街头风格，哥本哈根

吊带背心，£85，meandem.com

胸罩，不穿上衣：你会尝试吗？

斯堪的纳维亚人将内衣（undertoj）穿上街头。安娜·墨菲表示，这一潮流也已来到英国

Sept aside, hygge。让位吧，undertoj。十年前丹麦馈赠给世界的舒适新信条，如今似乎被一种截然相反的东西所取代，说来奇怪。

欢迎来到“寒冷教派”。因为在上周的哥本哈根时装周上，许多与会者的穿着方式正是内衣外穿。如果说hygge的指路明星是羊毛衫——还记得那些吗？——最好是自己在炉火旁的漫漫长夜里编织而成，那么undertoj的代表可能就是胸罩上衣、紧身胸衣、吊带裙或背心式内裤。

当然，在当前的气温下，穿着上述服装外出并不会让人感到寒冷。不仅如此，对于男性旁观者而言，这一景象可能会让他们比平时更加热血沸腾——如果还有人穿着衣领的话。

多年来，女性的衣橱中早已出现过类似内衣的点缀——这里一点蕾丝，那里一抹腰腹——但最近这一趋势已升级到另一个层次。至于这个层次是更高还是更低，取决于你的保守程度有多“玛丽·怀特豪斯”（Mary Whitehouse）。

如今，三件套西装可能指的是西装外套、长裤和胸罩。短裤看起来像是带褶边的内裤（英国款），连衣裙像是衬裙，而紧身胸衣在某些邮政编码区——哥本哈根的1255区或伦敦的E1区——已变得如同白色T恤般无处不在。

英国婚纱品牌Halfpenny London的凯特·哈夫彭妮表示，越来越多的新娘在婚礼后会继续穿着婚礼装束中的紧身胸衣部分——她专门定制模块化款式。“大多数人会保留原有的婚纱色调，但我们也收到越来越多改造的请求。目前正在与一位新娘合作，她希望在婚礼后将胸衣染色并手绘。”

受《创世记》语言的影响，数千年来，服装如同“缝制的无花果叶”，其存在理由——除了实用性——在理论上被认为是为了遮羞。想想简·坎皮恩的电影《钢琴课》，其中霍莉·亨特饰演的艾达黑色长袜上的一小块破洞露出的肌肤，对哈维·凯特尔饰演的贝恩斯而言，是一种越界的挑逗。

当然，遮掩并不一定等同于羞涩，紧身胸衣对曲线的夸张效果就是一个例子，更不用说男性的阴茎套了。

英国时尚史学家詹姆斯·拉弗在1969年曾一针见血地指出，羞涩是“自信与诱惑的敌人”，前者通常被归于男性，后者则属于女性。我认为我们现在看到的是两者的全新结合。蕾丝、缎子和整体的暴露无疑是诱惑的最佳定义。

然而，如今的街头穿搭却带着自信，常与其他偏男性化的单品搭配，无论是西装还是运动服，且总是配以一种态度——与其说是“来呀”，不如说是“看招”，我指的可不是那个男孩乐队。这些造型以女性视角为核心，同时又吸引着大量男性目光。

自20世纪80年代薇薇安·韦斯特伍德和让-保罗·高缇耶首次将其呈现以来，这种内衣外穿的潮流背后一直存在着一个有趣的矛盾。原本部分关于女性物化的服装，不知何故[...OMITTED...]5

内衣外穿风潮？

颠覆了这一观念，同时又保留了其原本的特质。这是双赢？还是双输？由你来决定。

高尔捷为麦当娜1990年《金发野心》（Blonde Ambition）巡演设计的那款胸部夸张的紧身胸衣，堪称这一悖论的终极典范——将原本类似女性紧身衣的设计，变成了风靡全球的铠甲。这位设计师后来形容麦当娜是“一位解放的女性，她依然玩弄女性气质的游戏，但同时又强悍到近乎男性化”。《金发野心》（Blonde Ambition）的名字本身就透露了玄机。麦当娜为打造那副钢铁般的身材付出了众所周知的艰辛，这种努力在当时堪称开创性，也确实为此后一类女性树立了标杆——她们不仅要追求并保持巅峰体态，还要兼顾其他方方面面的事业。（美国文化评论人贾佳·托伦蒂诺曾指出，“理想女性……总是在不断优化自己。”）

衣着暴露是为了展示这份苦心塑造的体魄。这背后是否也有同样的逻辑？

感谢上天，充气式胸衣并未卷土重来。但如何才能恰到好处地驾驭这一风格的其他元素？Nobody's Child推出了一款优质吊带裙，图中这款巧克力棕与黑色的版本还有墨绿色可选（£110，nobodyschild.com），此外（别告诉那些爱露肉的丹麦人）还有一款更为收敛的短袖版（£40，原价£99）。

想营造这种氛围又不想惹上麻烦？吊带裙搭配上衣或T恤是个绝佳选择。L'Agence提供了一款糖果粉色的吊带裙，配有同色系的背心上衣（分别为£500和£315，lagence.com），此外还有更为大胆的蕾丝胸罩式上衣。Nobody's Child也推出了同款墨绿色缎面与蕾丝材质的吊带裙（£65）。

Me+Em的蕾丝镶边奶油色针织背心，勇敢者可单穿，对我们其他人来说则可隐约露出衬衫或西装外套下（£85，meandem.com）。Reiss的棉质紧身胸衣上衣，带有高尔捷式的设计风格，有豹纹（£128，原价£190，reiss.com）和淡雅的热带花卉图案（£128，原价£180）两种款式，更为大胆前卫，但也很时髦。就连我也可能会穿，搭配高腰裤遮挡羞处（这款上衣有点短）。灰色野心？麦当娜，靠边站吧。@annagmurphy

玛莎·斯图尔特在85岁时将头发染成了“玫瑰金”粉色。我知道为什么

我尝试过亮色调，并且爱上了它。作者：安娜·墨菲

当（如果）你想到玛莎·斯图尔特时，脑海中会浮现什么颜色？是她著名的厨房橱柜用色“贝德福德灰”——她曾将其作为已停产的油漆系列推广？还是“阿劳卡纳蓝”，并非普通的鸭蛋蓝，而是精确模仿她自家鸭子产物的颜色？（因为斯图尔特，85，当然是那种拥有自家鸭子的人。）

或者是“玛莎绿”？据说这个色调的灵感来自她收藏的1930年代玉石玻璃器皿，而非她在2006年因内幕交易民事指控和解时支付的195,000英镑罚款。

我敢打赌，你想不到的是斯图尔特的新发色。这位美国家政女王周日在Instagram上向她的三百万粉丝展示了这一变化：粉色！或者，用她的发型师克里斯·阿普尔顿的话来说——这位发型师恰好是一本名为

粉色头发让你永远处于聚光灯下

你的发根并不能定义你——她更愿意称之为“玫瑰金”。

得了吧，克里斯，别遮遮掩掩了。显然，从此以后这必须被称为“玛莎粉”。毫无疑问，考虑到斯图尔特的商业嗅觉，它很快就会出现在我们附近的美妆货架上。

“玛莎粉”不如芭比粉那么张扬，也不如我称之为“肖迪奇粉”的英国版本——以伦敦的那个区域命名，那里这种颜色随处可见。几年前我自己尝试过“肖迪奇粉”，虽然只是假发，但出乎意料地喜欢上了它。不过，要长期与之相处，而不是只玩弄一两天，那就是另一回事了。

我不介意被关注，但我喜欢自己选择何时被关注、何时不被关注。粉色头发会让你永远处于聚光灯下。更别提它——尤其是像我这样喜欢穿彩色衣服的人——会让你的衣橱变得一团糟。但即便如此，它确实让我步伐轻快了不少。

几十年来，斯图尔特的个人风格一直像是直接从南希·迈耶斯的电影里走出来的：住在美得离谱的房子里，烤着美味得离谱的蛋糕。在南希·迈耶斯的世界里，人们不会染粉色头发。这位电影制作人的色彩基调——与她影片中所描绘的收入水平形成鲜明对比——通常是低调的。

然而，用迈耶斯自己的话来说，有些东西必须让步。如今，一个到了一定年纪的女性未必还想躲在白色高领毛衣后面——尤其是像斯图尔特这样的人，她的品牌（以及她估计约£300万英镑的巨额财富）正是建立在像拉小提琴一样操纵注意力经济的基础上。

斯图尔特从不畏惧上述的聚光灯——事实上，她一直在主动追求它。

你不需要看到她2023年以81岁高龄登上《体育画报》泳装特辑封面，就知道她绝非羞涩内敛之人。

此外，从审美角度来看，变老的意义几乎每年都在变化。“当我老了，我要穿紫色衣服”，珍妮·约瑟夫在1961年发表的著名诗歌《警告》中写道（当时她28岁）。如今，穿紫色衣服已不足以挑战年龄歧视的陈规。

你得把头发染成粉色。或者，在极端情况下，换一副全新的发网。“对我来说，这就是优雅地变老”，70岁的克里斯·詹纳在2025年接受拉皮手术后说道，那次手术让她看起来像女儿金·卡戴珊的奇特版本。“这是我的方式。”

斯图尔特声称自己没有做过整形手术，但在2024年与她的皮肤科医生丹·贝尔金在播客中的对话中，她“承认”了肉毒杆菌、填充物，以及用贝尔金的话说，“用超声波设备进行了一点皮肤紧致”。“我并不太在意年龄”，她说，“但我一点也不想看起来和我的年龄相符。”她显然做到了。

![玛莎·斯图尔特与她的发型师克里斯·阿普尔顿](

)

![玛莎·斯图尔特](

)

---

6

时尚

大卫·麦克梅伦 为《泰晤士报》供图

我的平价时尚贴士：从Zara的新姊妹店到优衣库和阿斯达

Lefties本月将在英国开设首家门店。

时尚编辑哈丽雅特·沃克亲身体验其风格，并分享她最喜爱的其他平价购物地点

定制桶形裤售价22.99英镑，巴伯风谷仓夹克39.99英镑，方跟凉鞋19.99英镑。如果你有逛Zara的习惯，请做好准备：这家西班牙连锁品牌（更）便宜的小妹妹即将登陆英国。

Lefties计划于8月27日在利物浦One中心开业，随后秋季将在埃塞克斯的湖畔购物中心和盖茨黑德的Metrocentre开设分店。因此，今年1月，我搭乘易捷航空飞往巴塞罗那，一探这家即将进驻英国高街的新品牌有何看点。

"Lefties"是"leftovers"（剩余物）的简称，这个名字听起来可能有些奇怪，但其服装却并不陌生：Lefties最初是为了重复利用Inditex旗下大品牌（如Zara和Massimo Dutti）生产后剩余的面料而诞生。在西班牙，Lefties已发展成为一个成熟的购物目的地，尤其在生活成本高涨的地区扩张迅速。

我看到各个年龄段的顾客在其明亮宽敞的店铺中浏览：货架整齐摆放，衣架满而不乱，绝非拥挤的廉价地下室风格。与许多阴暗的竞争对手不同，Lefties门店充满自然光线，这让购物体验大不相同。此外，自助结账和整理库存的科技机器人也为店铺增添了更为高端的氛围。

总体而言，我对其夹克和牛仔裤印象最为深刻。前者虽为合成材质，但性价比极高——一件29.99欧元的仿麂皮衬衫夹克足以穿过多个季节；后者则采用100%纯棉而非弹力面料，质地坚固耐用，剪裁时尚，且以当下流行的深棕色为主。

西班牙的Z世代告诉我，他们会在这里购买工作装，而我也发现了一些低调却不失时尚的剪裁：一件肩线利落、长度适中的西装外套仅售29.99欧元，一件蝴蝶结衬衫则为17.99欧元。青少年则青睐9.99欧元的卫衣和12.99欧元的运动裤，这些单品看起来比Primark的同类产品更简洁且质感更佳（不过店内也有不少印有迪士尼角色或美国城市名称的T恤）。

世界是否需要更多廉价服装尚存争议，但当前物价持续上涨，这类产品确实有其受众。以下是我推荐的其他几个性价比高、经久耐穿的购物好去处。

优衣库

你之所以总能听到人们谈论这个日本品牌，是因为它在设计巧思与高性价比上占据了市场优势。其产品由前纪梵希设计师克莱尔·韦特·凯勒、迪奥的JW·安德森以及巴黎时尚圈名人克里斯托夫·勒梅尔等打造，风格简约耐看，价格亲民。趁天气尚热，不妨试试其34.90英镑的无袖分层连衣裙（带口袋和可调节腰部的束带，可改变廓形），或去年几乎瞬间售罄、现已重新上架的复古白色拉链开衫（39.90英镑，uniqlo.com）。

M&S

其食品区如今感觉像是奢侈享受，但时尚区却充满了平价惊喜：摩登方头皮革芭蕾平底鞋、泡泡袖系扣上衣，以及黑色褶皱尼龙单肩包均已上架，每件仅售36英镑（marksandspencer.com）。

George at Asda

我开始在这里购买童装，是因为发现这里能以不多的钱买到大量天然纤维的衣服——而且比其他地方少了许多俗气的logo。现在，这一理念也延伸到了女装：看看Erica Davies最新推出的胶囊系列，将于8月17日上市，包括售价18英镑的学院风橄榄球衫和42英镑的实用夹克。我的建议是：尺码选大一号，低温洗涤，穿到坏为止。我那双8英镑的黑色人字拖看起来和Birkies的橡胶凉鞋没什么两样，经过无数次海滩、公园和咖啡店之行，至今仍坚挺如初。

凉鞋，19.99英镑，lefties.com

乐福鞋，20英镑，

tucklothing.sainsburys.co.uk

Omnes

这家可持续时尚品牌仅使用库存面料和再生面料，打造既时尚又耐穿的服装。我喜欢它的59英镑卡普里牛仔裤和49英镑的红色抽褶上衣，它的婚礼宾客礼服也做得特别好，价格均低于100英镑（omnes.com）。

F+F at Tesco

直接去看它所谓的“F+F精选”系列，这是一个由简约时尚、低调潮流单品组成的胶囊系列，目前包括19.99英镑的气球裤和一件令人印象深刻的可双面穿着的格纹 / 米色风衣（55英镑，tesco.）。几年前我在这里买了一件45英镑的绿色风衣，至今看起来依然很棒。

Tu at Sainsbury's

又是一家超市，但他们已经

---

7

times²

从主图顺时针方向：夹克，39.99英镑，lefties.；衬衫夹克，28英镑，tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk；上衣，18英镑，direct.asda.；上衣，14.90英镑，裤子，34.90英镑，uniqlo.；上衣，6英镑，裤子，19.50英镑，tesco.

全面升级，因为消费者开始勒紧裤腰带。如果你在“大采购”时还没注意到它那件28英镑的格纹学院风衬衫夹克，或许你该换个地方购物了。时尚圈（好吧，是我）将其称为“平价圣罗兰”，因为它的20英镑皱头乐福鞋（tuclofting.sainsburys.co.uk）。

Nobody's Child

这家英国品牌的连衣裙价格稍高，为79英镑，但我总是对其剪裁质量印象深刻，在这个价位区间内，它在监测环境影响方面也比大多数品牌做得更多（nobodyschild.）。

Decathlon

我最近迷上了露营，这让我发现了这家法国运动仓储店的优质产品。39.99英镑的优质羊毛衫、17.99英镑的瑜伽裤和12.99英镑的必备徒步短裤，所有产品品牌标识极简、做工精良、实用性强。如果你对泳衣挑选感到困扰，迪卡侬的泳衣设计令人耳目一新，简单实用（decathlon.）。@_harrywalker1

无论“谱系”专家怎么说，我的自闭症诊断拯救了我

作者：弗洛伦斯·莱斯利

乌塔·弗里思坚称许多人被误诊为自闭症，这一观点可能会让像我这样的人受到污名化。

21岁时，我的人生充满了无限可能。但在自闭症诊断十年后回首往事，我却为当时的糟糕状态感到难过。

和许多谱系女性一样，我的自闭症在童年时期被忽视，人们只称我为“古怪”。随着年龄增长，我开始掩饰自己的自闭特质以融入社会，但依然感到孤独，难以与他人建立联系，或在日常需求面前应对自如，最终总会崩溃。

直到有一天，我卧床不起。曾经热爱英国文学的优等生，开始逃课，直到停止提交学位课程作业，一次次延长截止日期。焦虑让我的胃肿胀不堪，一旦开始呕吐，便数小时无法停止。真相再也无法压抑，最终以愤怒的牛皮癣斑块爆发在我的皮肤上。

我找回了生存的意志，重返大学完成最后一年学业，并预约了学生支持办公室。在问卷中，我勾选了“是否难以解读面部表情”一项；脑海中浮现出无数次因在错误的时间说错话而惹上麻烦的情景。我的诊断——这场改变我人生的催化剂——就此启动。

本周，自闭症谱系理论的重要奠基人、知名专家乌塔·弗里思教授在《泰晤士报》的采访中表示，自闭症存在误诊现象。她还引发了对《心理医学》期刊一篇文章的争论，该文章称自闭症“面临过度诊断的风险”。

我认为，否定一个经过严格问诊程序的自闭症诊断，只会加剧这一群体本已普遍存在的被误解感。

不过，我认同弗里思关于应更明确区分“能像博物学家克里斯·帕克汉姆（已确诊自闭症）那样出色交流”的人，与需要高度支持的自闭症患者的观点。2013年，美国《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》移除了阿斯伯格综合征的标签，将自闭症统一归为一个类别；英国国家卫生与临床优化研究所（NICE）也随之更新了指南。

![Florence Leslie](

)

弗洛伦斯·莱斯利

我的评估师并没有挥动魔法棒解决我的问题

和弗里斯一样，我认为亚型划分能够更清晰地描述自闭症在我身上的表现——比如我对《神秘博士》有着强烈的热情，却会因为计划临时变动而惊慌失措，但同时我能够独立生活——这与那些无法言语、需要终身照护的自闭症人士截然不同。讽刺的是，我认为这也能减少自闭症群体内部的分裂，无论是自闭症人士本身，还是照顾高需求自闭症儿童的护理者，双方都认为自己常常得不到倾听或足够的支持。

弗里斯还质疑，获得自闭症诊断后的幸福感能持续多久。当我最终在大学里遇到一位同样有自闭症谱系障碍的导师时，他对我说的一句话至今让我记忆犹新：你每天都会发现关于自闭症的新认知。他说得没错：十年后的今天，我仍在探索自闭症对他人的意义，或分析自己为何会以某种特定方式做出反应。

在成为记者之前，我甚至曾在英国国家自闭症协会的新闻和公关团队工作，采访过人们的亲身经历。

弗里斯还指出，人们谈论自闭症诊断的方式“让人联想到19世纪的宗教皈依叙事。你知道的，就是那种‘我看见了光’的说法”。虽然十年前我还在独自摸索诊断的意义，但如今我只需打开TikTok，就能看到无数人分享类似的经历；“neurodivergent”这个标签下已有超过210 万条帖子。我认为这种内容鼓励了更多人思考自己是否可能也是自闭症。是的，这导致了创纪录的——

我认为社会对自闭症的羞耻感减少是件好事，尤其是对于那些一直觉得自己与众不同的人来说。这也向政府传递了一个信号：迫切需要提供更多支持。

虽然弗里斯说将自闭症称为“差异”已成为一种时尚，但我更愿意称其为残疾，因为它确实让我的生活变得更加艰难。我的评估师并没有挥动魔法棒解决我的问题。在31岁时，当我与一群人交谈时，仍然感觉自己仿佛透过一层玻璃在观察这场互动。我仍然会有严重的情绪崩溃，最终演变成无法控制的哭泣，可能持续数小时。但诊断同样给了我极大的帮助。

我学会了预判什么会引发情绪崩溃，并注意到自己何时开始表现异常——对我来说，这可能表现为强迫性的计划安排，因为我无法应对突发情况。它让我有能力表达自己在挣扎什么、为什么挣扎，并减少因此感到的尴尬，从而让他人能够帮助我。我尝试避免让自己置身于那些让我极度不适的环境中，比如嘈杂的酒吧，即使其他人觉得那里还能忍受。它给了我重建生活的信心，让我能按照自己的方式生活，而不是觉得自己是个失败者。

最重要的是，自闭症诊断让我学会了接纳自己。

---

8

艺术

“现在取笑安迪·伯纳姆还为时过早，给他一个机会”

从奈杰尔·法拉奇到皮夫斯这只捣蛋鬼，彼得·塞拉菲诺维奇喜欢保持多样性，他告诉本·道威尔

彼得·塞拉菲诺维奇在我们的屏幕上已经如此常见，以至于人们很容易认为他的生活一直无忧无虑。这位54岁的演员履历丰富，包括在《环顾四周》（Look Around You）中扮演拿腔拿调的主持人，这部BBC出品的杰出讽刺剧模仿了《明日世界》；在《星球大战：幽灵的威胁》中饰演邪恶的达斯·摩尔；出演过《我是艾伦·帕特里奇》、《南方公园》、《小不列颠》和《公园与游憩》；以及众多惟妙惟肖的名人模仿（他的特里·沃根模仿得如此出色，以至于这位爱尔兰人在2009年邀请他参加了自己在BBC广播二台最后一档早间节目之一）。

最近，他在《阿曼达之地》中饰演约翰内斯·范德维尔德，即露西·庞奇饰演的同名角色那位极度自恋的南非男友。他们的关系点亮了这部BBC喜剧的第一季，该剧由他的妹妹海伦联合创作。

“尤其让人开心的是，我妹妹在《阿曼达之地》中为约翰内斯的剧集写了很多剧本，”他在伦敦北部瑞士小屋的家中告诉我。“所以她也在片场和我在一起。能第一次和妹妹一起表演，我感到非常自豪。”

他的早年生活听起来确实很幸福。1972年出生于利物浦郊区，父亲是脚手架工人，母亲是邮局职员，他说自己有一个充满欢笑的幸福家庭。他记得全家人一起观看《蒙提·派森》和亚历克谢·塞尔的喜剧。三个兄弟姐妹都进入了演艺圈；他的哥哥詹姆斯是编剧和制片人。

他的履历如此广泛，甚至读起来都让人感到疲惫。他开玩笑说，当他在街上被认出来时，他完全不知道是因为什么（“我脑子里有一个命运之轮，上面写着‘他们会因为什么认出我？’结果总是出人意料”）。他的才华即将在霍华德·奥弗曼执导的新锐惊悚片《命中目标》中进一步展现，他在片中饰演一名心怀不满的前警察。

14年前，也就是他40岁时，他被诊断出患有多动症（ADHD），这解释了他内心的许多挣扎，但或许也部分解释了他惊人的工作效率。“我靠，这辈子都这样。我之前都没意识到，”他回忆起确诊时的想法。

那么，多动症这些年来是帮助还是阻碍了他的创造力？他表示，药物治疗确实对他有所帮助。“它给了我精力和一些视角。以前，我总觉得自己像是陷在糖浆里快要淹死。吃药后，我感觉能浮上来一些。”

去年，他与结婚23年的妻子、演员莎拉·亚历山大离婚（他们有两个十几岁的孩子）。他不想谈论此事，也成功避免了过多卷入前妹夫格雷厄姆·莱恩汉的争议——这位《神父特德》的编剧后来成为跨性别议题中的活跃人士，也是海伦的前夫。他们还保持联系吗？“没有，我已经好几年没见过他了，”他说。

他更愿意谈论自己在HBO新推出的大型《哈利·波特》电视剧中饰演皮夫斯这只捣蛋鬼的角色。皮夫斯是一个在霍格沃茨作祟的调皮捣蛋鬼，曾在电影中由里克·梅奥尔饰演，但令粉丝失望的是，最终剪辑版中完全删除了这个角色。

“我真的不知道该怎么描述我做了什么。我只是尽力按照剧本去演绎，而且必须说，这些剧本是我读过和表演过的最有趣的作品之一。能参与其中真的非常开心和愉快，所以我只希望这种感觉能在表演中体现出来，让观众喜欢。”

《命中目标》将于明晚9点在U&Dave、U&Drama和U&W频道首播

他还计划在2024年推出一场新的舞台秀，在其中展现他惊人的模仿天赋，并做出创意人士罕有的尝试——拥抱人工智能的优势。这场演出是其2023年在索霍剧院演出的《猫王2023回归特辑》（The Elvis 2023 Comeback Special）的延伸，当时他以猫王造型登台，通过人工智能将猫王的面孔投射到自己脸上，演唱非猫王的歌曲，如AC / DC的《Back in Black》和伊基·波普的《Last for Life》（塞拉菲诺维奇热爱猫王，但觉得他的歌单“略显无聊”）。新一轮演出将包含更多模仿角色，包括凯文·史派西和阿尔·帕西诺。

尚不清楚他的“泼辣特朗普”是否会再次亮相。2016年，他的短剧以夸张风格重新配音特朗普走红，源于他对特朗普被视为“七八十年代的普通政客”而非“完全不同的存在”的愤怒。

“我不知道讽刺是否真能起到作用，它可能反而会美化特朗普的形象。当时唯一来自美国的反特朗普喜剧是亚历克·鲍德温在《周六夜现场》中的表演，我却觉得相当沮丧……特朗普重写了讽刺的规则。数千年来，我们通过夸大当权者的怪癖和缺陷来嘲讽他们。

“但他却以‘大男子’形象示人，实则是最小气、最挑剔、最刻薄、最娘娘腔的家伙。我用一种粗犷的1970年代利伯雷斯式嗓音，原封不动地复述他的话，这……让你真正去听他到底在说什么，这也是他的另一件武器。你会对反复听到这种声音感到疲惫。”

今年，他被“临时通知”在《周六夜现场英国版》（Saturday Night Live UK）中模仿奈杰尔·法拉奇，这档天空电视台的英国版喜剧节目颇为成功。他的短剧之一是坐在唐宁街10号一张配有酒吧啤酒泵的桌子后，由副手肯·巴德诺赫（由阿约德·班博耶扮演）递上一块早餐约克郡巧克力棒。

“在那个节目中的体验非常棒……如果再有机会，我希望……他身边围着朋友，让他感到尴尬。”他尚未被邀请在第二季中再次出演改革党领袖，他甚至有点希望“法拉奇变得无足轻重，让我无需再模仿他”。考虑到他的利物浦口音，我提到他可能还会被要求模仿安迪·伯纳姆。

“要找到他的特点来开玩笑还为时过早，”他谈及这位新首相时说，“作为一名政客，他看起来直率、正常，甚至有点酷。你会想给一个人机会，不想一上来就狠狠抨击他。”

---

9

永远不要和创作型歌手约会。也不要和创作型歌手的前任约会。当然，你可以随心所欲——但前提是你能接受当歌手发布一首极可能是写给你的歌时，卷入铺天盖地的网络讨论。

格蕾西·艾布拉姆斯（Gracie Abrams）如今就处于这种境地。这位26岁的音乐人创作了《That's So True》等播放量达数十亿的热门歌曲，她是《星际迷航》和《星球大战》导演JJ·艾布拉姆斯的女儿，目前正与爱尔兰演员保罗·梅斯卡尔（30.）交往。梅斯卡尔曾与另一位音乐人菲比·布里杰斯（31.）订婚。布里杰斯将于周五发布六年来的首张个人专辑《Lost Weekend》，该专辑已获得《泰晤士报》威尔·霍奇金森等评论人的五星好评，也引发了网络对其中一句歌词的争论——《The Governor's Waltz》中的这句歌词：“And she can pretend to be me / Since she took my place in my bed on that stage / I have not lost any sleep.”

这不是一句隐喻的歌词。歌词指向的对象毋庸置疑。艾布拉姆斯曾提到布里杰斯是她的灵感来源。两位女性都曾在床上表演过（布里杰斯于2020年在詹姆斯·柯登的节目中；艾布拉姆斯则在2024-25巡演期间的舞台上），且据推测都曾与梅斯卡尔同床共枕。无需任何侦探工作。但为何粉丝（甚至非粉丝）会如此在意？

对大多数人而言，他人的情感生活总是有趣的。八卦很重要——它是人类进化过程中建立社群的工具。但这种痴迷如今却带有一种现代的歇斯底里。我们生活在一个社交媒体让我们自以为洞悉名人生活的时代——我们与他们建立了"单向亲密关系"。然而，他们比以往任何时候都更封闭，其形象也更精心策划。

像布里杰斯和艾布拉姆斯这样的一线明星很少接受采访。即便接受采访，也往往是令人眼花缭乱的视频片段或光鲜杂志中经过消毒的人物专访。2022年碧昂丝登上《Vogue》封面的采访中，她仅有两句直接引语。难怪粉丝会为《Sorry》中"他只在我不在时想要我 / 他最好打给贝基，那个有好头发的女孩"一句歌词里的"贝基"身份而苦恼不已。这首2016年的歌曲据称影射其丈夫Jay-Z的不忠。粉丝们只能抓住他们能得到的一切。布里杰斯和艾布拉姆斯的追随者们也是如此。

当然，在音乐中影射他人的大师非流行乐坛最受欢迎的女性——泰勒·斯威夫特莫属。有时她的影射是晦涩的"复活节彩蛋"——斯威夫特的粉丝（Swifties）热衷于解读的隐藏线索（如《All Too Well》中"你还留着我第一周时的旧围巾"，指向她的前男友演员杰克·吉伦哈尔），而有时则毫不隐晦。她与哈里·斯泰尔斯约会后发布了歌曲《Style》。布里杰斯和艾布拉姆斯都曾与斯威夫特合作，三位音乐人在关于心碎的自白式创作中有着一脉相承的风格。

斯威夫特上一次长篇采访是2023,《时代》杂志将其评为年度人物时，如果不算去年她在当时的男友、现任丈夫特拉维斯·凯尔西播客中的露面的话。和

TAPONE / IF4.COM / SHUTTERSTOCK

BLENT AWARDS

2024.菲比·布里杰斯与保罗·梅斯卡尔。上图：格蕾西·艾布拉姆斯与梅斯卡尔（2月）

艺术

“quick / 'cause I couldn't even be her if I tried”（快速 / 因为我哪怕尝试也无法成为她）被认为是暗指斯威夫特与1975乐队主唱马蒂·希利的关系，该乐队鼓手乔治·丹尼尔与查莉·XCX结婚。

斯威夫特的反驳并未得到好评。她被指责“向下攻击”：攻击一位商业上不如她成功、且通过表达自身不安全感展现脆弱的对象。斯威夫特的粉丝（Swifties）在社交媒体上表达了失望。但这并未阻止《The Life of a Showgirl》登顶排行榜。愤世嫉俗者可能会说，布里杰斯、斯威夫特等人写下这些歌词的部分原因是为了制造话题，从而增加流媒体播放量。

这对夏奇拉来说确实奏效了。“她可以假装成为我，因为她取代了我在床上的位置，”她唱道。2023年，她发布了《Barp Music Sessions, Vol 53》，一首针对前夫杰拉德·皮克及其涉嫌出轨的23岁女友的嘲讽歌曲。这位哥伦比亚明星毫不克制，唱道：“你用法拉利换了Twingo / 用劳力士换了卡西欧。”这首歌的播放量已超过10亿次，并登顶Billboard排行榜。这又是一次“向下攻击”吗？或许皮克的女友不该成为目标，但当你与夏奇拉的丈夫有染时，风险就是她可能会写歌提到你。

毕竟，这些女性只是长期以来通过音乐书写失去的爱情和伤害过她们的人的最新代表，从《You're So Vain》——卡莉·西蒙在歌曲中对沃伦·比蒂等人的绝妙讽刺——到如今。玛丽亚·凯莉最洗脑的热门歌曲之一《Obsessed》据信是关于埃米纳姆坚称与她有过恋情——她在歌中反驳道：“你妄想了，小子，你快疯了。”

随后，埃米纳姆以《The Warning》这首恶毒的回应歌曲证明了这一点，他在其中加倍强调了自己的主张。制作人Timbaland证实，贾斯汀·汀布莱克的《Cry Me a River》是在他2002年与布兰妮·斯皮尔斯争吵后创作的。20年前，乔治·哈里森在与帕蒂·博伊德的婚姻因传闻她与埃里克·克莱普顿有染而破裂时，写下了《So Sad》。归根结底，有爱就有痛苦。有痛苦就有艺术。而有艺术的地方，就有人在网上聚集一群八卦者，试图弄清你唱的是谁。

菲比 vs. 格蕾西：为何复仇歌曲仍主宰流行乐

菲比·布里杰斯在最新专辑中将矛头指向格蕾西·艾布拉姆斯，这位流行歌手是她前男友保罗·梅斯卡尔的现任女友。布兰卡·斯科菲尔德认为，这并不新鲜

碧昂丝严格控制着自己公开言论的内容。在这个快速评判的时代，这样做出错的空间更小。

而在音乐中，自由度更高。毕竟，有人真的会因为一句歌词而被“取消”吗？斯威夫特在2025年用《The Life of a Showgirl》专辑中的一首歌《Actually Romantic》验证了这一点，这首歌是针对一个痴迷于她的女性的嘲讽，她形容对方是“一只吉娃娃玩具 / 从小包里冲我吠叫”。许多人认为这是对查莉·XCX的攻击，后者有一首名为《Everything Is Romantic》的歌曲，并在《Sympathy Is a Knife》中似乎唱到了自己习惯与斯威夫特比较的倾向。“不想在男友的演出后台见到她 / 背后交叉手指，希望他们分手”

---

10

times2

每日大脑加油站

更多谜题

第14-16页

每天（周一至周四）提供一页额外的谜题，让你的大脑得到更充分的锻炼

本·多威尔电视评论

《侦探雷克》 Prime Video ★★★★☆

“十万年前，有人守在篝火旁，有人四处游荡。我几乎可以肯定，我是游荡者的直系后代。这就是我的本性。”

以上是杰克·雷克最新冒险的开场，改编自李·查尔德的小说《明天消失》，也是艾伦·瑞奇森第4次在Prime Video系列中勇敢尝试将他鼓胀的二头肌塞进最紧身的T恤。与电影中5英尺7英寸的汤姆·克鲁斯相比，他显然更符合角色形象，而且他那意味深长的凝视也更到位。

我们都有自己的“罪恶快乐”，这就是我的。没错，我是个“雷克迷 / soir”，一个不可救药地被好人、坏人和大量拳脚相加的故事所吸引的灵魂。也许是天气太热，但这感觉就像是这个酷暑时节所需要的那种不费脑筋的剧集。

正如我们所料，热爱蓝调的雷克可能是个流浪者，但他绝不是孤独者。事实上，他结交盟友的速度和他收集恶棍的脸准备揍一顿一样快。这一切都要归功于一个出人意料的复杂情节（至少与暴力和简洁、断续的对话相比），他在地铁上目睹了一名女子开枪自杀，随后揭开了一张充满秘密的网络，包括闪存盘、可疑政客和一名需要骨髓移植治疗白血病的女子。

愚蠢吗？当然。这部剧由节目主理人尼克·桑托拉巧妙编剧，他用铲子给我们端上愚蠢，一个道德复杂性堪比超级英雄漫画的世界，以及某种类似的戏剧架构。当雷克面对一群从黑窗面包车里跌跌撞撞出来的无赖时，你老远就能看到“砰砰”的拳头声即将到来。

我们的主人公经常采用“雷克一言不发”的姿态，这在书中已经成为一个经典笑话，

艾伦·瑞奇森在李·查尔德小说改编剧中饰演主角

但这里也有一些不错的文字游戏。“夏洛克·不是·福尔摩斯”，一名看起来傻乎乎的警察这样称呼他，因为他说自己无家可归。

他的同伴包括那名地铁自杀女子的警察哥哥和白血病女子莉拉（阿格尼丝·莫饰）。这让人莫名想起彼得·戴维森时代的《神秘博士》，当时这位时间领主突然发现自己带着一整个教室的同伴穿越时空。和博士一样，你多少希望他能独处，但你知道可怜的杰克需要陪伴，而且总得有人见证他的机智和拳脚功夫。

看完第一集，你会怀疑莉拉投向他的渴望眼神意味着他们很快会在浪漫意义上彼此靠近。但可能没有时间，而且你知道后面还有更多转折。此外，西德尔·诺埃尔饰演的精明侦探塔玛拉·格林也有出色表现。

倒不是我对他有好感。哦不。但杰克·R是你希望在身边的人，是你在学校操场上打架时渴望的那个人。他就像一个没有超能力的超级英雄，但拥有全部的道德力量。见鬼，他甚至对小猫和无家可归者都很友善。这并不复杂，也不是普鲁斯特。但它真的很有趣。

《格林汉姆效应》 Radio 4 Extra，上午10点

在《格林汉姆效应》中，丽贝卡·莫丹回顾了1981年在伯克郡皇家空军基地（美国巡航导弹驻地）建立的女性和平营。莫丹小时候曾在那里，她是收集参与抗议活动女性口述历史团队的一员。她采访了安·佩蒂特和卡门·托马斯，她们是发起向格林汉姆进军并最终促成数百名女性抗议活动的倡议者。莫丹探讨了这一经历如何改变了她们的生活，以及格林汉姆抗议活动如何为“反抗灭绝”等团体提供了蓝图。克莱尔·伍德沃德

Times Radio

数字、网络、智能音箱、应用 5.00 汤姆·努南（Tom Nunan）《早间早餐》 6.00 萨尔玛·埃尔-沃达尼（Salma El-Wardany）和斯蒂格·阿贝尔（Stig Abell）《泰晤士广播早餐》 10.00 雨果·里夫金德（Hugo Rifkind） 1.00 《泰晤士报午间时刻》：斯蒂芬·萨克（Stephen Sackur） 2.00 菲·格洛弗（Fi Glover）和罗娅·尼卡（Roya Nikkhah） 4.00 卡勒姆·麦克唐纳（Calum Macdonald）《泰晤士广播驾车时刻》 7.00 阿尔比·阿曼科纳（Albie Amankona）《晚间版》 10.00 辛迪·余（Cindy Yu） 1.00 《泰晤士广播精选》

Radio 2

调频：88-90.2 MHz 6.30 《萨拉·考克斯早餐秀》（The Sara Cox Breakfast Show） 9.30 弗农·凯（Vernon Kay） 12.00 杰里米·瓦因（Jeremy Vine） 2.00 DJ斯普尼（DJ Spoony） 4.00 乔尔·多梅特（Joel Dommett） 7.00 伊迪丝·鲍曼（Edith Bowman） 9.00 《马克·拉德克利夫民谣秀》（The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe） 10.00 《美妙旋律》（The Good Groove with Melvin Odoom） 12.00 OJ·博格（OJ Borg） 3.00 《90年代另类之声》（Alternative Sounds of the 90s with Dermot O'Leary） （重播） 4.00 欧文·温·埃文斯（Owain Wyn Evans）

Radio 3

调频：92-2-92.4 MHz 6.30 《早餐》 9.30 《经典必听》 1.00 《古典现场》 伊丽莎白·阿尔克（Elizabeth Alker）展示来自英国及其他地区的演出，包括BBC逍遥音乐会的斯特拉文斯基、韦尔比耶音乐节的梅特纳，以及格拉纳达的肖邦。 肖斯塔科维奇《节庆序曲》； 梅特纳《C大调钢琴五重奏》； 肖邦《两首夜曲，Op 62》； 斯特拉文斯基《三乐章交响曲》； 贝多芬《G大调第四钢琴协奏曲，Op 58》 3.00 《晚祷合唱》 来自奇切斯特大教堂的南方大教堂音乐节，曲目包括阿什菲尔德、拉布拉和豪威尔斯的作品 4.00 《本周作曲家：蒙特格鲁伊（1764-1836）》 唐纳德·麦克劳德（Donald Macleod）与钢琴家克莱尔·哈蒙德（Clare Hammond）探讨埃莱娜·德·蒙特格鲁伊如何用音乐才华拯救自己的生命（重播） 5.00 《旋律时刻》 克莱奥四重奏（Kleio Quartet）的音乐 7.00 《2026年BBC逍遥音乐会现场》 洛杉矶爱乐乐团与指挥家古斯塔沃·杜达梅尔（Gustavo Dudamel）演奏贝多芬《第七交响曲》及加布里埃拉·奥尔蒂斯的《钻石革命》（Revolución diamantina，英国首演）。演出地点：伦敦皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅。 贝多芬《A大调第七交响曲》 7.35 中场休息 7.35 加布里埃拉·奥尔蒂斯《钻石革命》（英国首演） 11.30 《午夜轮盘》 《来自Wonky Logic的新声音》 12.30 《通宵之夜》

Radio 4

调频：92-4-94.6 MHz 5.00 新闻摘要 5.04 《BBC科学内幕》（重播） 5.34 航运预报 5.43 《今日祈祷》 5.45 《今日农业》 6.00 《今日》 9.00 《侧面观察》 马修·赛义德（Matthew Syed）探讨塑造个人生活的理念（5 / 8） 9.30 《打破循环》 科林和D决定关闭他们的毒品帝国（3 / 4） 10.00 《女性时刻》 11.00 《EncroChat之后》 丹尼·肖（Danny Shaw）调查EncroChat行动是否减少了毒品供应（重播） 11.40 《本周历史》 11.45 《本周图书》：《广岛，8.15：谷本清与近藤幸子的遗失回忆录》（3 / 5） 12.00 《你与你的》 1.00 《世界午间时刻》 1.45 《人类智慧》 法国哲学家米歇尔·德·蒙田的工作 2.00 《弓箭手》（重播） 2.15 广播剧：《联合王国》（4 / 5）（重播） 3.00 《詹姆斯·赫顿与不安的地球》 卡琳·波尔沃特（Karine Polwart）思考深远的地质时间（重播） 4.00 《罪恶的力量》（4 / 5）（重播） 4.15 《媒体秀》 5.00 《PM》 6.00 《六点新闻》 6.30 《最佳医学》 马术治疗与在Instagram上寻找诊断（3 / 6） 7.00 《弓箭手》 莉莉交了一个朋友 7.15 《前线》 8.00 《反社交》（重播） 8.45 《希望咖啡馆》 一个供LGBTQ+群体享受自然的团体（7 / 7）（重播） 9.00 《无形之手》 中央情报局的故事（3 / 6）（重播） 10.00 《今夜世界》 10.45 《睡前图书》：《威克菲尔德的牧师》 奥利弗·哥德史密斯（Oliver Goldsmith）著（8 / 10） 11.00 《苏尼尔·帕特尔：傻瓜长生指南》 未能实现永生后，苏尼尔思考下一步该何去何从。本系列最后一集 11.15 《跟随兔子》 克里斯寻找外星生命（3 / 5）（重播） 11.30 《好书共读》（4 / 9）（重播） 12.00 新闻与天气 12.30 《本周图书》：《广岛，8.15：谷本清与近藤幸子的遗失回忆录》（重播） 12.48 航运预报 1.00 BBC国际频道

Radio 4 Extra

仅数字平台 8.00 《布丽奇特·克里斯蒂：凡人》 8.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 8.45 《小岛》 9.00 《最佳医药》 9.30 《追踪火星入侵》 9.45 《每日礼拜》 10.00 《选择：绿汉姆效应》 11.00 《远方的狼》 11.30 《资深合伙人》 12.00 《亨利之后》 12.30 《汉考克半小时》 1.00 《布丽奇特·克里斯蒂：凡人》 1.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 1.45 《小岛》 2.00 《终极选择》 2.30 《快速无为》 3.00 《文艺复兴人：乔尔乔·瓦萨里的最后审判》 4.00 《绿汉姆效应》 5.00 《远方的狼》 5.30 《资深合伙人》 6.00 《亨利之后》 6.30 《汉考克半小时》 7.00 《布丽奇特·克里斯蒂：凡人》 7.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 7.45 《小岛》 8.00 《终极选择》 8.30 《快速无为》 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：最佳医药》 10.30 《米奇·本恩的罪行：反对音乐》 11.00 《欢迎来到你所在的地方》 11.30 《拨M叫披萨》

Radio 5 Live

中波：693、909 5. 《唤醒金钱》 6. 《早餐》 9.00 尼基·坎贝尔 11.00 萨曼莎·西蒙兹 2.00 马特·乔克利 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport 8.00 5 Live Sport: 巴黎圣日耳曼对阿斯顿维拉（开球时间 8.00） 10.30 约翰尼·兰森 凌晨1.00 多伦·阿德巴约

talkSPORT

中波：1053、108.9 万赫 5.00 《早间体育早餐》 6.00 《艾伦·布拉齐尔早餐秀》

10.00 谢邦·阿赫恩 1.00 马克斯·拉什登和查理·贝克 4.00 Drive 7.00 Kick Off: 巴黎圣日耳曼对阿斯顿维拉（开球时间 8.00）：UEFA超级杯解说 10.00 《体育酒吧》 凌晨1.00 保罗·罗斯《加时》

Talk

仅数字平台 6.00 伊恩·柯林斯 10.00 朱莉娅·哈特利-布鲁尔 1.00 大卫·布尔 4.00 凯文·奥沙利文 7.00 彼得·卡德威尔 10.00 佩特里·霍斯肯 凌晨1.00 保罗·罗斯

6 Music

5.00 克里斯·霍金斯 7.00 尼克·格里姆肖 10.00 劳伦·拉弗恩 1.00 克雷格·查尔斯 4.00 豪伊·斯蒂芬斯 7.00 《每日新音乐修复》 9.00 赖利与科 11.00 6 Music Artist in Residence: Wolf Alice 12.00 《怪区播放列表》 凌晨1.00 《收紧：特洛伊唱片的故事》 2.00 《收紧：特洛伊唱片的故事》 3.00 《现场时间》 4.00 《点唱机》

Virgin Radio

6.30 《克里斯·埃文斯早餐秀》 10.00 艾玛·B 2.00 本·琼斯 6.00 杰夫·劳埃德 10.00 戈尔迪罗克斯 凌晨2.00 史蒂夫·德尼尔

Classic FM

调频：100-102兆赫 6.30 蒂姆·洛罗 9.00 《名人堂时间》 10.00 阿莱德·琼斯 1.00 安妮-玛丽·明霍尔 4.00 玛格丽塔·泰勒 7.00 《约翰·布鲁宁轻松晚间》 9.00 《作曲家旋转木马》 10.00 《平静古典》 凌晨1.00 比尔·奥弗顿 4.00 《早间早餐》

---

4,

电视

今日精选

《隔壁的间谍：安娜·查普曼的故事》 第四频道，晚9点

如今看来，这似乎不可思议地古朴，但在21世纪初，人们开始相信冷战已经结束。然而，情报专业人士仍对间谍网络保持警惕。这部两集纪录片讲述了俄罗斯间谍安娜·查普曼的故事——她通过与一名英国男子结婚，潜入英国高端金融界，随后于2009年移居曼哈顿。联邦调查局特工描述了他们如何通过纽约的咖啡馆和百货商店追踪她，其他受访者包括前英国驻俄罗斯大使罗德里克·莱恩和被毒杀的异见人士亚历山大·利特维年科的遗孀玛丽娜·利特维年科。地缘政治线索强有力地牵动着当前的全球局势；然而，将查普曼描述为“诱人”或“绝色美人”的说法，似乎真的是另一个时代的遗物。维多利亚·西格尔

谋杀审判 BBC2，晚上9点

2024年2月，前乡村庄园园丁布莱恩·洛（Brian Low）在珀斯郡乡村遛狗时被枪杀。主要嫌疑人是洛的邻居、前猎场看守人大卫·坎贝尔（David Campbell），他与洛曾在同一庄园工作。本期《谋杀审判》（Murder Trial）重返苏格兰高等法院，追踪坎贝尔的审判过程。由于法医证据遗漏，检方的案件仅依赖于间接证据。案发当晚，坎贝尔家中部分监控录像被删除，案发当天早晨其门铃摄像头被胶带遮盖。此外，当地监控录像显示，有一名骑电动自行车（ebbie）的人携带形似猎枪的袋子，沿着从坎贝尔家通往犯罪现场的路线行进。陪审团是否会相信骑电动自行车的人就是坎贝尔？乔·克莱（Joe Clay）

---

BBC1

6.00 早餐 9.30 动物园（重播）（AD） 10.00 追踪、定位、找回我的车（重播） 10.30 2026年欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰现场直播。珍妮特·夸莱耶（Jeanette Kwaleye）主持第三日开幕式报道，包括十项全能的前三项比赛 1.15 BBC新闻一时；天气 1.40 BBC地方新闻；天气 1.50 BBC新闻一时；天气 2.00 变废为宝。JJ·查默斯（JJ Chalmers）拯救一批唱片收藏 2.45 逃离至乡村。玛格丽塔·泰勒（Margherita Taylor）帮助一对退役军人夫妇在诺福克寻找新家（重播）（AD） 3.30 修理店。专家修复一双靴子和一台印刷机（重播）（） 4.30 答题竞赛 5.15 无意义问答（重播） 6.00 BBC六时新闻；天气 6.30 BBC地方新闻；天气

---

BBC2

6.15 房产拍卖（重播） 7.15 变废为宝（重播） 8.00 手语时段：伟大的日本铁路之旅（重播）（，SL） 8.30 伟大的欧洲大陆铁路之旅。撒丁岛与科西嘉岛（重播）（，SL） 9.00 BBC新闻 10.30 古董寻宝之旅（重播） 11.15 房产拍卖（重播） 12.15 寻宝猎人（重播）（） 1.00 理查德·奥斯马尼的游戏屋（重播） 1.30 终点线。问答节目（重播） 2.15 你了解自己的位置吗？（重播） 2.45 农民乡村秀（重播） 3.30 海洋间谍（重播）（） 4.30 古董寻宝路演（重播） 5.15 卖！卖！卖！节目在伦敦北部亨顿的皇家空军博物馆录制（重播） 6.00 理查德·奥斯马尼的游戏屋。与克里斯·比森（Chris Bisson）、丹妮尔·哈罗德（Danielle Harold）、凯瑟琳·梅里（Katharine Merry）和罗伯特·韦伯（Robert Webb）一同参与（重播） 6.30 贝尔·格里尔斯：野性清算。一对疏远的兄妹重聚（重播）（）

ITV1

6.00 早安英国 10.00 今日秀 1.30 ITV新闻；天气 2.00 迪金森的真实交易。团队前往格里姆斯比，西蒙·施耐德（Simon Schneider）爱上了一条项链，卡伦·达尔梅尼（Karen Dalmeny）面临噩梦般的挑战，大卫·福特（David Ford）重温记忆（重播）（） 3.00 交易与否。斯蒂芬·马尔赫恩（Stephen Mulhern）主持，另一位参赛者尝试按正确顺序打开22个红盒子，挑战臭名昭著的“银行家”，争夺改变人生的现金大奖（重播）（） 4.00 临界点。本·谢泼德（Ben Shephard）主持这档以街机为主题的问答节目，参赛者将代币投入四个滑槽之一，争夺1 万英镑头奖（重播） 5.00 追逐。来自伦敦、伊利、林肯郡和格拉斯哥的参赛者组队挑战全国顶尖问答高手。布拉德利·沃尔什（Bradley Walsh）主持（重播） 6.00 地方新闻；天气 6.30 ITV新闻；天气

第四频道

6.30 《皇后之王》（重播）（听障辅助） 7.45 《人人都爱雷蒙德》（重播）（听障辅助） 9.10 《欢乐一家亲》（重播）（听障辅助） 11.10 《地狱厨房（美国版）》（重播） 12.05 第四频道新闻摘要 12.10 《寻宝、修复、出售》。亨利·科尔与西蒙·奥布莱恩在格洛斯特郡寻找独特物件（重播）（听障辅助） 1.10 《大房改造》。一名裁缝助理与建筑工人联手翻新西约克郡的一处房屋（重播） 2.10 《倒计时》。主持人：波琳·麦克林 3.00 《海外置业》。来自莱斯特的购房者尝试在西班牙阿尔梅里亚海岸寻找梦想度假屋（重播） 4.00 《佩内洛普·基思拯救乡村庄园》。四位访客在英国闹鬼最严重的城堡进行夜间猎鬼（重播）（听障辅助） 5.00 《城堡DIY》。爱意弥漫在索日城堡（重播）（听障辅助） 6.00 《美国淘宝客》。弗兰克·弗里茨在加州一位收藏家的庄园中对一辆哈雷戴维森“拳击手”摩托车一见倾心（重播）（听障辅助）

5

6.00am 奶昔！ 9.15 杰里米·瓦因 11.30 斯托姆与亚历克西斯 12. 12.45pm 《午间5新闻》 12.50 马特·奥奈特 2.20 电影：《致命秘密》（PG级，电视电影，2023） 当杰德发现母亲的财务问题后，她实施了一系列高调入室盗窃，以偿还母亲的债务。惊悚片，主演莉齐·博伊斯 4.00 《城堡》。侦探瑞安在为一位魅力十足的国会议员担任安保工作时，卷入了一场暗杀阴谋（重播） 4.55 《自然之爱》。北爱尔兰好莱坞的一座可食用森林花园（重播） 5.00 《5新闻》，丹·沃克主持 6.00 《西西里：地中海明珠》。镜头聚焦地中海最大的岛屿，这里有埃特纳火山和壮丽的海岸线。节目还将展示一项雄心勃勃的修复项目（重播） 6.55 《5新闻最新动态》

7.00 《一周秀》 继续庆祝20周年

7.30 《东区人》 切尔西的家人在她需要时团结一致，伊芙则发现了乔尔事件的真相（音频描述）

8.00 欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰2026（直播） 第三日晚间赛事的进一步报道，来自亚历山大体育场。预计今晚男子400米决赛将有英国选手参赛，包括2024年银牌得主查理·多布森和2018、2022年冠军马修·哈德森-史密斯。女子400米栏决赛将决出费姆克·布勒德斯-博尔的接班人，女子链球决赛也将落幕，晚间赛事以男子110米栏决赛收官

7.00 欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰2026（直播） 加比·洛根主持第三日晚间赛事报道，来自亚历山大体育场，包括女子链球决赛的开场。报道将在BBC1继续

7.00 季前热身赛（直播）：曼联 vs 利兹联（开球时间7.30） 休·伍曾克罗夫特主持在都柏林克罗克公园的友谊赛报道。这座可容纳80,000人的场馆通常用于盖尔运动，这是首次举办职业足球俱乐部比赛。尽管名为友谊赛，但考虑到两队的历史宿怨，比赛预计将异常激烈。约翰·奥谢和迈克尔·布朗担任分析，萨姆·马特费斯和露西·沃德解说，加布里埃尔·克拉克报道。请关注今日精选

7.00 《第四频道新闻》

8.00 《非凡扩建》 蒂尼·坦帕跟随一对夫妇翻新坎特伯雷的一家老旧民宿，他们在花园中意外发现了一个战时防空洞。请关注今日精选（音频描述）

7.00 《扣车警察》 跟踪记录因各种违法行为被扣押的车辆，独家进入扣车场、警察部门、地方议会执法机构及国家组织（第7集 / 共8集，6） 7.55 《5新闻最新动态》

8.00 《急诊24 / 7：分秒必争》 新一季。一名82岁老人在厨房摔倒后被送往巴恩斯利急诊室，一名79岁的看门人出现胸痛和危险的低氧水平

9 10.00 《BBC十点新闻》

10.30 BBC地方新闻及天气 10.40 《英超集锦：欧洲超级杯》 巴黎圣日耳曼 vs 阿斯顿维拉

10.45 《寻亲记：无迹可寻》 达维娜·麦考尔和尼基·坎贝尔帮助弃婴迈克尔和克里斯汀寻找母亲遗弃他们的原因（重播）（音频描述）

11.10 电影：《红眼航班》（12级，2005） 一名在飞往迈阿密的航班上的酒店经理发现，她结识的乘客意图让她卷入一场政治暗杀。惊悚片，主演瑞秋·麦克亚当斯和希里安·墨菲（音频描述）

10.00 《9号秘事》 谢恩和克利福德策划绑架一名对冲基金经理的妻子（第4集 / 共6集）（重播）（音频描述）

10.30 《新闻之夜》 凯蒂·拉扎尔主持头条分析

10.00 《ITV十点新闻》；天气；随后为地方新闻

11.45 《死因》 名人接受神经多样性人士采访（重播）

10.00 《24小时急诊室》 女王医院的患者故事，他们如何激励亲人共同面对人生最大的挑战（3 / 10）（重播）（AD）

11.05 《999：前线救援》 救护人员计划将一名临产孕妇送往医院，但羊水突然破裂，他们不得不重新考虑。一名糖尿病患者出现尿路感染疼痛，一名14个月大的婴儿呛噎且拒绝进食（重播）

10.00 《救护车：红色警报》 医护人员救治一名在驾车时晕倒的男子、一名72岁开放性骨折患者及一名22岁癫痫持续发作的患者（重播）（AD）

11.05 《死因调查》 一名无家可归的男子被发现死于布莱克本的临时住所，救护人员被叫到一名女子的公寓，她在抱怨胸痛后被发现死亡（9 / 10）（重播）

12.25 《热门歌曲大挑战》名人特辑 主持人克里斯·休斯与《加冕街》明星杰克·P·谢泼德、喜剧演员萨拉·帕斯科和里斯·詹姆斯，以及演员加里·拉蒙特和蕾妮·贝利参加快节奏音乐问答竞赛（重播） 1.15-6.00 BBC新闻

12.05 电影：《星火》（12, 2023） 得知朋友身患绝症后，一群好友回到家乡帮他实现最后的愿望。根据真实事件改编的成长题材剧情片，主演乔治·萨姆纳和康拉德·汗 1.35-2.25 手语节目：《阿米蒂维尔：起源》（重播）（，SL）

12.10 《电视购物》 3.00 《爱与死》 侦探加紧审问（重播）（，SL） 3.55 《朗廷酒店内幕：英国首家豪华酒店》 酒店总经理监督威尼斯朗廷酒店的进展（重播）（，） 4.20 《放松时刻》 5.35-6.00 《汤姆·克里奇烹饪意大利》（重播）（，）

12.10 《名人逃亡》 布莱顿策划大胆逃脱计划（重播）（，） 2.00 《拉姆齐的酒店地狱》（重播）（，） 2.50 《多佛24 / 7：英国最繁忙港口》（重播）（，） 3.45 《毛茸茸的宝贝》（重播）（，） 4.40 《柯丝蒂的手工之家》（重播） 4.55 《情侣来用餐》（重播） 5.50-6.30 《倒计时》（重播）

12.05 《急诊室午夜档》（重播）（） 1.00 《邮轮电视》（重播） 2.00 《全科医生：幕后故事》（重播） 2.50 《城堡》（重播） 3.40 《老友记》（重播）（） 4.35 《苏珊·卡尔曼邮轮之旅》（重播）（，） 5.25 《5频道娱乐新闻》 5.35 《汪汪队立大功》（重播）（） 5.45-6.00 《帕丁顿熊历险记》（重播）（）

---

13 电视节目

赛季前直播足球

ITV1，晚上7点

世界杯是一回事，但ITV是否已经达到足球转播的巅峰，竟将整个晚上用于一场季前热身赛？英超联赛将于8月12日开赛，但今晚曼联与利兹联将在都柏林可容纳82,300人的克雷克公园体育场进行比赛（下午2点30分开球）——这是该场馆自2009年爱尔兰以1-0不敌法国以来的首场足球赛事。JC

非凡扩建

Channel 4，晚上8点

接下来是说唱歌手Tinie Tempah的另外2个扩建项目，首先是一家坎特伯雷民宿的“激进混搭”改造。项目融入了挪威和韩国元素，反映了业主的国籍。施工过程中还挖出了一个二战防空洞，他们将其改造成了一个地下酒吧。第二个扩建项目则是一场怀旧风潮，一位“英国复古小姐”决赛选手将她位于诺丁汉的平房打造成了1947年代的好莱坞时光胶囊。JC

流媒体精选

执法悍将（Reacher）

Prime Video

这部根据李·查尔德小说改编的第4季讲述了一位前军事警察调查员转型为打击犯罪的流浪者——有着更发达肌肉的《最小流浪汉》。杰克·雷彻（艾伦·里奇森饰）本季开篇于费城，在目睹一名女子自杀后卷入了一场阴谋罗网。随着情节展开，雷彻展现了他强大的推理能力，以及以非同寻常的方式将人碾压致死的本领。评论见第II版。VS

影片精选

布莱顿硬糖（PG级，1947）

Talking Pictures TV，晚上8.点35分**

年仅24,岁的理查德·阿滕伯勒塑造了英国影史上最令人不寒而栗的反英雄之一：娃娃脸的变态杀手平基·布朗从施虐和冷酷无情中获得令人不安的满足感。年轻女服务员罗斯·布朗（卡罗尔·马什饰）为此付出了代价。当平基发现她可能成为将自己与最近一起谋杀案联系起来的“漏洞”时，他做出了符合逻辑的举动：娶她为妻，然后开始毁掉她的人生。约翰·博尔廷的硬汉式导演手法使这部影片成为格雷厄姆·格林小说的最佳版本。（89分钟）温迪·艾德

BBC4

7.00pm 《海滨村庄》（1 / 10） 7.30 《韦恩赖特漫步》（AD） 8.00 《古罗马珍宝》。阿拉斯泰尔·苏克探索古罗马艺术（3 / 3） 9.00 《玛丽·比尔德的终极罗马：无限帝国》。学者探索罗马帝国的物质世界（2 / 4）（AD） 10.00 《我，克劳迪亚斯》。皮索及其妻子普兰西娜被控谋杀日耳曼尼库斯（5 / 12） 10.50 《我，克劳迪亚斯》。洛塔无法忍受被提比略侵犯的记忆，自杀身亡（6 / 12） 11.45 《古罗马珍宝》。本系列最后一集 12.45am 《蝙蝠洞内幕》（） 1.45 《韦恩赖特漫步》（） 2.15 《海滨村庄》（SL） 2.45am-3.45 《玛丽·比尔德的终极罗马：无限帝国》（，SL）

天空艺术台

6.00am 《经典FM电影之夜现场》 8.00 《年度艺术家：大师班》（） 9.00 《意想不到的故事》（） 10.00 《希区柯克剧场》 11.00 《发现：雷克斯·哈里森》（） 12.00 《伊恩·内森的电影艺术》（） 1.00pm 《意想不到的故事》（） 2.00 《希区柯克时间》 3.00 《八十年代》（） 4.00 《发现：尤尔·布林纳》（） 5.00 《年度肖像艺术家》（CD） 6.00 《意想不到的故事》（） 7.00 《希区柯克剧场》 7.30 《希区柯克剧场》 8.00 《山谷之声》 9.00 《爱尔兰舞蹈大赛》 10.00 《八十年代》（） 11.00 《建筑艺术》 12.00 《吉尔伯特与乔治的朝圣之旅》。艺术二人组的人物志（） 2.00am-4.00 《雕像重塑》

More4

8.55 《找到它，修好它，卖掉它》（AD） 10.00 《四人同床》 12.40 《跟我来》（AD） 3.20 《四人同床》 5.50 《汽车 SOS》（） 7.55 《宏伟设计》。凯文·麦克劳德探访一对在林肯郡 16 英亩土地上建造巨型新居的夫妇（2 / 7）（） 9.00 《乘火车游览罗马帝国》与爱丽丝·罗伯茨。爱丽丝前往那不勒斯以南 7 英里的赫库兰尼姆（） 10.00 《警察拘留所 24 小时》。贝德福德郡警方调查一起发生在男子家门口的刀枪袭击事件（） 11.05 《急诊室 24 小时》。一名建筑工人从棚屋跌落导致颈部骨折（2 / 8）（） 12.10 《紧急直升机医疗队》（） 1.15 《警察拘留所 24 小时》（） 2.15 《急诊室 24 小时》（） 3.20-3.50 《阳光下的家园》

直播 The Hundred：威尔士火焰队 女子队 vs 伦敦精神女子队 天空体育板球频道，11.15am-2.30pm，天空体育主频道，11.30am-2.30pm （开赛时间 11.30）。来自加的夫索菲亚花园的报道

直播 The Hundred：伯明翰 凤凰男子队 vs 山地伦敦男子队 天空体育主频道、天空体育板球频道，6pm-9.30 （开赛时间 6.30）。来自埃德巴斯顿的比赛报道

直播 欧超杯：巴黎 圣日耳曼 vs 阿斯顿维拉 TNT 体育 1 台，7pm-10.30 （开球时间 8.00）。来自奥地利红牛竞技场的报道

直播 MLB：圣路易斯红雀 vs 费城费城人 TNT 体育 2 台，7.15pm-10 （开赛时间 7.15）。来自布施体育场的国家联盟比赛报道

直播 网球 天空体育网球频道，11pm-4am 加拿大公开赛。来自蒙特利尔 ATP 1000 赛事第 11 日以及多伦多 WTA 1000 赛事的报道

Talking Pictures

6.00 电影：《选择的问题》（PG 级，1963 年）（黑白） 7.40 电影：《死亡降临校园》（U 级，1953 年）（黑白） 8.55 电影：《黑色帐篷》（U 级，1956 年） 10.45 电影：《长决斗》（U 级，1967 年） 1.00 《海盗》（黑白） 1.30 《嘉莉的战争》 3.20 《看生活》 3.45 《拨打 999》（黑白） 4.15 电影：《武装劫掠》（U 级，1957 年） 6.15 《墨尔本清洁工》 6.30 《给我们线索》 7.00 《城外人》 7.20 《旅行者》（7 / 7） 8.35 电影：《布莱顿硬汉》（PG 级，1948 年）理查德·阿滕伯勒主演的惊悚片。详见电影推荐（黑白） 10.25 电影：《贞洁带之上》（ 级，1971 年）弗兰基·霍华德主演的中世纪喜剧 12.15 电影：《四根羽毛》（U 级，1939 年） 2.30 电影：《无男女》（ 级，1956 年）（黑白） 4.00-5.00 《驿马车西部》（黑白）

Film4

11.00 电影：《秘密总部》（ 级，2022 年）欧文·威尔逊主演的喜剧冒险片 1.05 电影：《异教徒的标志》（U 级，1954 年）杰克·帕兰斯主演的历史剧 2.55 电影：《科曼切人》（ 级，1961 年）约翰·韦恩主演的西部片 5.05 电影：《他们向西骑行》（U 级，1954 年）罗伯特·弗朗西斯主演的西部片 6.50 电影：《渔夫之友2：同舟共济》（12, 2022）詹姆斯·普雷福伊主演的喜剧续集（） 9.00 电影：《碟中谍5：神秘国度》（12, 2015）不可能任务情报局特工为摧毁暗杀者影子组织而成为逃犯。汤姆·克鲁斯主演的间谍惊悚片续集（） 11.40 电影：《节奏杀机》（15, 2020）布蕾克·莱弗利主演的惊悚片 1.50-3.45 电影：《神圣的牛》（15, 2024）克莱芒·法沃和马尔韦纳·巴泰勒米主演的喜剧剧情片

BBC3

7.00 《追赶时光》 7.05 《致命 60》 7.30 《致命 60》。两集中的第一集。史蒂夫·巴克肖在菲律宾遭遇一只装甲捕食者 8.00 《顶级交易》。理查德·哈蒙德探访一支由截肢者组成的非凡拉力车队 9.00 《疯狂汽车秀》。主持人挑战澳大利亚同行 10.00 《盖伊·蒙哥马利的拼字比赛》。新一组喜剧演员参赛 10.50 《盖伊·蒙哥马利的拼字比赛》。盖伊挑战喜剧演员戴上并拼写他们的帽子，亚伦·陈首次展示他的新副业 11.35 《这个乡村》（） 12.00 《这个乡村》（） 2.00 《恐龙》（） 3.25-3.45 《我妈是个坏约会》（重播）

ITV2

6.00 《后院改造》（SL） 6.30 《盛装出席》（AD, SL） 7.30 《波托马克的真实主妇》 8.20 《橙县的真实主妇》 9.15 《唯一出路是埃塞克斯》 10.15 《道森的小溪》 11.10 《圣女魔咒》 12. 《一掷千金》（AD） 1.10 《超市大扫荡》 2.10 《地板》（） 3.10 《唯一出路是埃塞克斯》 4.10 《波托马克的真实主妇》。凯特与米娅会面 5.00 《比佛利山的真实主妇》。埃丽卡在丈夫被起诉后试图重建生活 6.00 《名人猜词》（） 7.00 《地板》（） 8.00 《1%俱乐部》（） 9.00 《恶搞之家》（） 11.35 《美国老爹》（） 1.30 《欠债》（, SL） 2.00-2.25 《交易》（, SL）

ITV3

6.00 《乔治与米尔德丽德》 7.05 《经典艾默戴尔》（） 8.10 《经典加冕街》（） 9.10 《阿加莎·克里斯蒂的波洛》（） 11.30 《心跳》（） 1.35 《米德萨默谋杀案》（） 3.35 《经典艾默戴尔》（） 4.40 《经典加冕街》（） 5.50 《心跳》（） 8.00 《米德萨默谋杀案》。一名农民在米德萨默莫被发现死亡（） 10.00 《格兰切斯特》。埃斯梅办公室发生谋杀案，震惊基廷家族，阿尔菲与主教的会面也未按计划进行（5 / 8）（） 11.00 《格兰切斯特》（6 / 8）（） 11.50 《审判与报复》。第一部分（共两部分）。一名警司被谋杀（9 / 10） 1.25-2.35 《阿加莎·克里斯蒂的波洛》。大卫·苏切特主演（）

ITV4

6.00 《天龙特攻队》（） 8.00 《侠盗罗宾汉》 9.10 《布恩》 10.15 《职业特工队》（） 11.20 《侠盗罗宾汉》 12.30 《天龙特攻队》（） 2.35 《福尔摩斯探案集》（） 3.45 《布恩》 4.50 《职业特工队》（） 5.50 《闲人免进》（） 6.55 《澳洲囚犯》 8.00 《道路之王》。更多来自军团传奇赛的精彩内容 9.00 电影：《机械战警2》（2 (18, 1990)） 　　这位半机械执法者与一名精神错乱的毒枭展开较量，却不知创造他的公司正计划取代他。由彼得·威勒和南希·艾伦主演的科幻惊悚片续集（） 11.15 《全精英摔角：碰撞》。激烈的摔角对决 1.15 《职业特工队》（） 2.15-2.40 《好汉两个半》

U&Drama

6.00 电视购物 7.15 《警务风云》 8.10 《医生》 9.20 《经典霍利城》 10.40 《急诊室》（） 11.40 《警务风云》 12.40 《经典东区人》 2.00 《经典邻居》 3.00 《惠特斯特布尔珍珠》（） 4. 《洛夫乔伊》 5.20 《似水流年》 6.00 《最后的夏日葡萄酒》 8.00 《切尔西探长》。一家水果蔬菜配送公司老板在自家被残忍刺死（7 / 9）（） 9.00 《切尔西探长》。调查显示凯闯入了杰克的住宅（8 / 9）（） 10.00 《新神探》。一名跳伞运动员承认25年前谋杀了一名儿童（3 / 10）（） 11.20 《路德》（2 / 4）（） 12.40 《洛夫乔伊》 1.50 《邦尼菲斯修女探案》（） 2.50-4.00 《波托菲诺酒店》（SL）

节目表

BBC1 北爱尔兰 10.45pm 《史蒂夫·麦戈文的大交易》 11.40 《MOTD：欧洲超级杯精华》 12.10am 电影：《红眼航班》（2005年） 1.30am-6.00 BBC新闻

BBC1 苏格兰 12.25am 《苏格兰播报》（重播） 12.55 《命中名单：名人特辑》（重播） 1.45am-6.00 BBC新闻

BBC1 威尔士 11.15pm 《卧底：癌症治疗还是骗局？》（重播） 11.30 电影：《红眼航班》（2005年） 12.45am-6.00 BBC新闻

UTV 11.05pm 《UTV在弗莱亚音乐节》。世界最大的爱尔兰音乐文化庆典登陆贝尔法斯特 11.20pm-11.45 《朗汉酒店内幕：英国第一家豪华酒店》。纪录片（重播）

BBC 苏格兰 7.00pm 《苏格兰报道：七点新闻》 7.30 《2024年苏格兰年度最佳住宅》 10.00 《岛屿管家》。多起渡轮故障或致复活节期间岛民滞留（重播） 9.00 《黑金》（重播） 10.00 《河城》。汤米被诊断出脑震荡后晕倒 10.30 《足球偶像》（重播） 11.00 《苏格兰播报》 11.30pm-12.00 《震惊苏格兰的审判》（重播）

S4℃ 6.00pm 《丹·多》（重播） 6.30 《阿德拉迪乌 / 弗罗伊杜格：西部露营》（重播） 6.59 新闻 7.00 《今夜》 7.30 新闻；天气 8.00 《波科尔·伊·库姆》。埃莱里为简策划惊喜 8.25 《卡梅尔·卡姆鲁》（重播） 8.55 新闻 9.00 《锡安·蒙 2026》。安格尔西郡农业展精华 10.00 《Y Deis》（重播） 10.30-11.35pm 《Ty Ff8》（重播）

PBS America

8.00am 《极端天气：地球的极端气候》 8.35 《发掘英国的过去》 9.35 《雅典：民主的诞生》 10.40 《1066年：征服英格兰的一年》 11.55 《走进日本的战争》 1.00pm 《极端天气：地球的极端气候》 1.35 《发掘英国的过去》 2.35 《雅典：民主的诞生》 3.50 《1066年：征服英格兰的一年》 5.05 《走进日本的战争》。纪录片（重播） 6.10 《发掘英国的过去》 7.15 《雅典：民主的诞生》。2.500年前希腊民主的起源 8.25 《1066年：征服英格兰的一年》。威廉公爵率领入侵舰队横渡海峡 9.40 《走进日本的战争》 10.50 《雅典：民主的诞生》 12.00 《1066年：征服英格兰的一年》 1.15am-2.00 《极端天气：地球的极端气候》

Sky Atlantic

6.00am 《鱼镇》（重播） 8.00 《亿万》（重播）（AD） 10.15 《龙之家族》（重播）（AD） 12.35pm 《杀戮：街头生涯》（重播） 2.30 《亿万》（重播）（） 4.40 《最后生还者》（重播）（） 6.35 《龙之家族》（重播）（） 7.45 《龙之家族》。拉姆纳亚继续寻找合适的伴侣（重播）（） 9.00 《龙之家族》。《权力的游戏》前传，讲述坦格利安家族的故事，由马特·史密斯主演。本季终（重播）（） 10.25 《车站十一号》：伊丽莎白、泰勒和克拉克面临更加不确定的未来（5 / 10）（重播） 11.25 《车站十一号》。柯尔斯滕离开巡回交响乐团，追踪先知（6 / 10）（重播） 12.25am 《龙之家族》。双集连播（重播）（） 2.45 《亿万》。双集连播（重播）（） 5.05am-6.00 《客房》（重播）（）

Sky Docs

8.00am 《导演们》（重播）（） 9.00 《百尺浪》（重播）（） 10.00 《胡安·卡洛斯：国王的陨落》（重播） 10.55 《凯尔特之城》（重播）（） 12.00 《游艇摇滚：纪录片》（重播） 2.00pm 《美国爆炸案：通往1999年4月之路》（重播）（） 4.00 《导演们》（重播）（） 4.55 《发现：汤姆·克鲁斯》（重播）（） 5.50 《佛尔的重负：谁杀了珍妮弗·潘多斯？》（重播）（） 8.00 《六起无声谋杀：爱尔兰失踪三角》（重播）（） 9.00 《六起无声谋杀：爱尔兰失踪三角》（重播）（） 10.00 《被操纵：谎言背后的真相》。纪录片（2 / 3）（重播）（） 11.00 电影：《揭秘山达基：信仰的牢笼》（15, 2015年） 纪录片 1.15am 《埃塞克斯谋杀案》（重播）（） 4.15 《导演们》（重播）（） 5.05-6.00 《发现》（重播）（）

英国昨日

6.10 荒废的工程（AD） 8.00 《经典车修复：香肠与现金》（AD） 10.00 纳粹秘密基地 11.00 希特勒的战争倒计时 12.00 《古董巡回秀》 下午2.00 《经典车修复：香肠与现金》（） 4.00 纳粹秘密基地 5.00 希特勒的战争倒计时 6.00 《古董巡回秀》 7.00 《完美星球》。探讨全球淡水资源分布不均的影响（） 8.00 迈克尔·帕尔姆：毕生之旅。迈克尔·帕尔姆回顾《极地之旅》的拍摄历程 9.00 西蒙·里夫斯的南美之旅。玻利维亚广袤的白色盐沼 10.00 《经典车修复：香肠与现金》（） 11.00 《经典车修复：香肠与现金》（） 12.00 《经典车修复：香肠与现金：修复经典》（） 凌晨1.00 《找到它，修好它，卖掉它》 2.00 荒废的工程（） 3.00-6.10 电视购物

---

14

益智游戏

扑克 拜伦·雅各布斯

继续无视

前两篇文章聚焦于在线扑克室的一个现代特色。在现金游戏中，经常会出现一名玩家全押（all-in）的情况，此时无法再进行下注，只需发完剩余的牌，然后将底池奖励给获胜者。此时，每位玩家在底池中都有一定的权益。可能接近50-50的概率，也可能一方是极大的热门，拥有95%的胜率。

网站引入的这一功能是，在此时刻，它们会提议按你在底池中的权益向你支付。因此，当底池为100加元，而你拥有62%的权益时，你可以选择获得有保障的62加元，而不是让运气决定你是得到100加元还是零。然而，一如既往，这里有个陷阱。网站（通常）会收取1%的“管理费”。因此，你拿到的不是“公平”的62加元，而是61.38加元（0.62加元归网站）。用扑克的术语来说，是否接受这笔交易是显而易见的。你不应该接受。通过接受，你将价值62加元的资产变成了价值61.38加元的资产。这不是好的扑克策略。

然而，许多玩家（包括我自己）——尽管完全明白自己在做什么——有时仍会在弹出这个提议时点击“接受”按钮。为什么？通常是因为本场游戏至今运气不佳，我们遭遇了一些倒霉的厄运。在这一手牌中，我们是大热门，可能在一个可观的底池中拥有90%的权益。赢下这个底池将极大提振我们的心理平衡，而被更多厄运夺走则会让人难以承受。我们相信这会触发我们的情绪，导致本场后续的发挥远低于“最佳状态”。因此，我们认为支付一小笔费用来避免这种“必然的退步”从长远来看是件好事。这个理由是否合理？

很难对此武断下结论，但可能并不合理。不想说得过于戏剧化，扑克就像拳击。你可能赢，也可能输，但如果你走进拳击场，可能会受伤。当然，除非你决定参加地下比赛，否则不太可能真的被打脸，但你（绝对不可避免地）会在某个时刻遭受心理上的痛苦。与其试图完全避免，不如学会承受打击，因为正如那句老话所说，那些没有击垮你的，会让你更强大。

那么，当我在玩牌时发现自己强烈想按“接受”按钮，甚至真的按下时，我会怎么做？很简单。我会整理思绪，决定时间不早了，我累了，真的该睡觉了。然后继续玩下去……

更多益智游戏，包括迷你数独、额外密码字谜、火车轨迹和数和谜题

请见第10页

制胜一招

Down

1 辛辣的（3） 2 与水平面成直角（13） 3 奇怪的反常现象（6） 4 建筑物的地板（6） 5 地方法庭（8.5） 6 爆炸性混合物（9） 10 深棕色（9） 11 禁用动物产品的人（5） 14 再次共鸣（2-4） 15 延迟更少（6） 19 下午或晚上的一餐（3）

需要今天谜题的帮助？请拨打 0905 757 0143 查询答案。通话费用为每分钟 £1，另加电话公司的网络接入费。SP: Spoke，0333 202 3390（周一至周五 9am-5.30pm）。

桥牌 Andrew Robson

现代叫牌发展

32. 第四花色逼叫（FSF）

默认回应

当前三次叫牌为不同花色时，叫第四花色即建立逼叫进局，并要求更多信息。开叫方优先考虑牌型，而非第四花色的止张。

然而，假设开叫方既无额外牌型，也无第四花色的止张。例如，叫牌过程为 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦（FSF）。持以下这手牌该如何应对？

♠B2 ♥AQ642 ♦61 ♣AQ32

答案是叫 2♠。其逻辑我们上节课已讨论过。如果开叫方多一张黑桃和一张更小的方块（♠B32, ♥AQ642, ♦4, ♣AQ32），她会将 1♠ 加叫至 2♠。而如果她的牌力足够强，无法仅加叫至 2♠（例如将方块升级为 ♠A，即 ♠A82, ♥AQ642, ♦4, ♣AQ32），她会否定 2♦，但在 2♣ 后跳叫至 3♠。。

回到主牌例。在现代风格中，回到 2♠ 始终表示黑桃双张——且不一定包含大牌。这是在无额外牌型可展示，且第四花色无止张时的叫品。

应叫方如何应对 1？假设叫牌过程为 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦-2♣。持以下 FSF 牌例该如何应对？

♠A882 ♠A1643 ♠KJ7532 ♥32 ♥A42 ♥3 ♦K72 ♦AK4 ♦A74 ♣AQ32 ♣A4 ♣AQ3

第一手牌叫 3♣——通过 FSF 支持梅花的第二阶段，建立逼叫进局。

叫 3♥。继续执行通过 FSF 加叫红心进局的计划。不要被黑桃干扰——开叫方仅持双张。

叫 4♠——但需持六张（或五张极强牌）才能如此叫牌。

发牌方：北 ♠68

发牌方：南 ♠68

局况：无局 ♠76

♠A162 ♠105 W ♠Q398 ♥108 W ♦A1083 8 ♦K95

♠A8732 ♠A8732 ♥73 ♦Q14 ♣K104

S / W / N / E

1♥ / Pass 1♠ / Pass / 2♦ 2♦(1) / 2♠(2) 2NT / 3NT / End

(1) FSF——建立逼叫进局并要求更多信息（优先考虑牌型）。 (2) 默认回应，仅表示双张。

西家首攻 ♦1 至 ♦5，东家回攻 ♦9（双张顶张），西家让 ♦12 赢墩。庄家需要四墩梅花（唯一希望）并出 ♣5。若防守双方均跟小梅花，她会继续出 ♣4 至 ♣7（应对西家持 ♣Q）。

然而，东家跟出 ♠8。这促使庄家下一轮出 ♠10（关键计划）。她原计划飞牌，但西家盖上 ♠Q，至 ♠A 及东家的 ♠9。庄家随后转至 ♥A 并出 ♣4 至（♣5 及）♣6。砰——东家垫牌，庄家得以兑现 ♣1 并声称赢得九墩。andrew.robsin@thetimes.co.uk

脑力训练

多边形

用以下字母组成四个或以上字母的单词，必须包含中心字母。答案需符合《简明牛津词典》标准，不包括专有名词、复数、动词变位（过去式等）、以 -ly 结尾的副词、比较级和最高级。评分标准：9 个单词为一般；13 个为良好；21 个为优秀；30 个为卓越。

昨日答案

adult（成人）、auld（古老的）、daft（愚蠢的）、dal（扁豆）、dale（山谷）、date（日期）、deaf（聋的）、deaf（聋的）、def（绝佳的）、default（默认）、deft（灵巧的）、deft（灵巧的）、delta（三角洲）、dual（双重的）、due（到期的）、duel（决斗）、duet（二重奏）、eld（古老）、fad（一时的风尚）、fade（褪色）、feud（世仇）、feodal（封建的）、flicted（受折磨的）、fad（一时的风尚）、lade（装载）、laud（赞美）、lead（领导）、lud（卢德分子）、tad（少量）、ted（翻晒）、udal（土地所有权）

Cell Blocks No 5800

!

将网格划分为正方形或矩形区块，每个区块仅包含一个数字。每个区块必须包含其内部数字所指示的单元格数量。

Set Square No 4419

!

将数字1到9分别填入网格，使六个求和运算成立。我们已为您预先填入两个数字。每个求和运算应从左至右或从上至下计算。

注意：不适用BODMAS规则

Killer Tricky No 10,872

Killer Deadly No 10,873

与标准数独相同，填满网格，使每列、每行和每个3x3宫格内均包含数字1到9。每组由虚线连接的单元格必须相加等于其左上角的目标数字。在每组由虚线连接的单元格内，数字不能重复。

时钟失灵？数独、Killer或KenKen卡住了？ 请在午夜前拨打0901 293 6263，即可获得今日任一谜题的四条提示。通话费用为£1，另加您的电话公司网络接入费。SP: Spoke，电话0333 202 3390（周一至周五9.至5.30）。

解答

Quick Cryptic 3377

Sudoku 17J16

Sudoku 17J17

Sudoku 17J18

Killer 10,870

Killer 10,871

Codeword 5916

Tetoror 699

Cell Blocks 5799

Fulcolink 5456

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Set Square 4418

KenKen 6908

Kakuro 4415

Train Tracks 2941

Lexica 9047

Lexica 9048

今日解答

Concise

Quintagram

1. Epoyo
2. Tejpoyo
3. Miracle
4. Miracle

5. Banker

6. Banker

词语观察

Turnhalle b 体操馆 c d e

Aglet b 鞋带末端的金属或塑料包头 c h e

Doryphore b 自以为是的迂腐批评家 d f

国际象棋——制胜一招

1. NALP 2 Kgl（2 Kcl）Ruffs无望，因... Spt4即将到来！现在是一场竞速赛。2. NILP 3 QuJS（3 Ruff）遭遇相同GtrU 3. RhlP 4 KxSE Qh2将死

Sakuro 4818

问答

1. 冰淇淋
2. 西西里
3. 阿兰·休格
4. 毛毛雨
5. 阿瑟·C·克拉克
6. 大卫·爱登堡，如RRS Sir David Attenborough号
7. 蝙蝠
8. 史学
9. 《冬天的故事》，指角色安提戈努斯
10. Your Love is King
11. 莫杰斯特·穆索尔斯基
12. 玛丽-安托万·卡雷姆
13. 下唇
14. 赫尔城
15. 卡林顿勋爵

---

《泰晤士报》

12.08.26

益智游戏

更多谜题请见第10页

词语观察

大卫·帕菲特

Turnhalle

a 低等北欧诸神的居所 b 体操馆

Aglet

a 苍鹭幼鸟 b 鞋带末端的金属或塑料包头 h

Doryphore

a 气味标记中释放的化学物质 b 自以为是的迂腐批评家 f

答案见第15页

数独 困难 No 17019

极难 No 17020

DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

THE

TIMES

Wednesday August 12 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75109

£3.20 £2.35 to subscribers (based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription)

Best places to bag a fashion bargain

Why I went public about freezing my eggs Sophia Money-Coutts

Burnham 'will keep going' until Channel crossings are stopped

David Chazan, Ali Mitib Steven Swinford Political Editor

Andy Burnham has vowed to 'eradicate' Channel crossings as French police warned about their ability to stop so-called mega-dinghies.

After an inflatable vessel carrying a record 230 migrants arrived in Dover on Monday, the prime minister vowed

to 'change our tactics' to tackle smuggling gangs and 'keep going' until the crossings stopped.

'I know people will have been worried to see that image yesterday,' he said. 'It shows that the gangs are changing their tactics but so will we. We will now change our tactics and we will be relentless in chasing them down.'

Burnham said that while the pay-

ment-by-results deal reached with France had resulted in heightened law enforcement on French shores and a reduction in crossings, there was more work to be done.

'People will say to me, 'We don't want any crossings.' I understand that concern. There are further things that we are doing and we will keep going at this issue until we deliver that eradication

that people are looking for,' he told GB News.

The prime minister declined to give a timeline for stopping crossings, saying he would rather 'promise to people what I know I can do and what I know I can deliver'.

The increasing use of mega-dinghies carrying hundreds of people has caused concern among the French authorities,

who fear they will be harder to police and make it more difficult to rescue migrants at risk of drowning.

A French policing source told The Times: 'If there are bigger but fewer boats putting out, we'll have more trouble detecting them on the shore.

'We can't police every centimetre of some 200 kilometers of coastline, so we Continued on page 2

Cracking up The dried bed of Hollow Pond, near Leytonstone in east London, where the water levels have fallen dramatically this summer Car wash ban looms, page 9

One in ten GP partners earn at least £250k a year

Oliver Wright Policy Editor Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

Hundreds of family doctors are earning at least £300,000 a year from the NHS, their take-home pay having increased by more than 20 per cent in real terms over the past decade.

Figures from HM Revenue & Customs show that one in ten GPs who run their own practice are paid at least a quarter of a million pounds a year, while one in 20 earn more than £300,000. That figure is higher than the pay earned by the vast majority of NHS chief executives running hospitals and a third more than the highest NHS salary for a hospital consultant.

Despite their earnings rising in real terms since 2013, GP partners are holding 'work to rule' collective action as part of a formal dispute with the government over what they describe as underfunding.

Since May the British Medical Association (BMA) has encouraged GPs to take steps to reduce their workload, including refusing requests from hospitals to take on the care of patients with prostate cancer and heart conditions. The BMA is threatening to keep escalating collective action unless the government commits itself to providing an extra £15 billion for GP services.

The pay statistics were published in a report by the Health Foundation think tank that also highlighted how general practice has in effect become a two-tier service in which salaried GPs earn on average half the amount made by their partner-level colleagues.

Nearly half of GPs are partners, meaning they own their own practices, which they run as private businesses. They are contracted to provide services to the NHS and employ other GPs on a salary.

The average income of a GP partner in 2023-24 was £163,751, compared with £74,498 for salaried GPs, the report found. More than 80 per cent of salaried GPs earned less than £100,000, compared with 21 per cent of those who Continued on page 5

Extra safeguards needed for early release, say police

Chief constables write to PM over 'collective concern' as thousands of offenders set to leave prison

David Woode, Steven Swinford Jessica Sharkey, Oliver Wright

Police chiefs have told Andy Burnham that he must ensure the public are protected from thousands of violent and serious offenders who are set to be granted early release from prison.

All 43 chief constables in England and Wales said they were concerned that an approach which did not 'sufficiently distinguish' the gravest offending 'risks undermining public safety, victim confidence and wider confidence in the criminal justice system'.

The prime minister promised yester-

day to prevent the killers of PC Andrew Harper being freed early. However, other criminals convicted of manslaughter are still due to be released early, along with domestic abusers and stalkers, under a government scheme to address prison overcrowding.

In the letter published last night, the police chiefs urged Burnham to establish an 'additional public protection safeguard' in cases involving violent and dangerous offenders.

They said: 'Where an offender has caused a death, committed exceptionally serious violence, or presents an ongoing risk to individuals or communi-

ties, there should be explicit consideration of public protection, victim impact and community safety before release arrangements are amended. This principle should also apply to serious offences where there is a continuing risk of harm to victims or the public, including serious violence against women and girls, stalking and harassment.'

The letter added that the public 'should be able to trust that when a court passes sentence for the most serious crimes, victims, public protection and confidence in the justice system remain at the heart of any subsequent decisions about release'. The group said

the intervention was made in the memory of Harper, a Thames Valley police officer who was killed in 2019, aged 28, after responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire. The police chiefs said it was also made in support of Harper's 'family, friends, colleagues and the communities he served'.

Burnham also addressed concerns about migration yesterday, saying that it was wrong for the burden of housing asylum seekers to fall only on the poorest areas and insisting that 'all parts of the country' had to take their share.

The prime minister said last week Continued on page 6

---

2

Wednesday August 12 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Today's highlights

• 7am Immigration minister Anna Turley
• 10.30am Ruben Andersson, professor of social anthropology at the University of Oxford and author of Age of Security
• 10.45am Palaeontologist Steve Brusatte
• 1.30pm Evan Roth Smith, pollster and political consultant
• 3.35pm Singer Pixie Lott, right, discusses playing Marilyn Monroe in Who Killed Marilyn?

TODAY'S EDITION

COMMENT 21 LETTERS 24 LEADING ARTICLES 25

WORLD 26 BUSINESS 31 REGISTER 45

SPORT 52 CROSSWORD 60 TV & RADIO TIMES2

The impossible dilemma of early release

Andy Burnham faces the first big test of his premiership. With jails reaching a crisis point, the government has announced an emergency early prisoner release scheme, but there has been outcry from victims. What options are left?

Available on the Times Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts

OFFER

Save up to 30% with a subscription to The Times and The Sunday Times

THETIMES.COM/SUBSCRIBE

THE WEATHER

Hot and sunny in central and southern Britain. Showers in the north and west. Full forecast, page 51

If a carton of new Times is missing, please call 020 7711 1320 or email help@timespac.co.uk and we will send it to you, subject to availability.

© TIMES MEDIA LIMITED, 2026. Published in print and all other derivative formats by Times Media Ltd, 1 London Bridge St, London, SE1 9GF; telephone 020 7782 5000. Printed by Newsgoldiers Holdings Ltd, Great Cambridge Rd, Waltham Cross, EN8 8DY; Kittling Rd, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 9HN; and Byransmuir Road, Holytown, Matherwell, ML1 1NP. Medprint, 2023 Blancard Avenue, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin, Ireland, 69 Services, La Rue Martel, La Rue des Pres Trading Estate, 34 Saviour, Jersey, JE2 7QR. For permission to copy articles or headlines for internal information purposes contact NLA media access at copy@nia.co.uk; telephone 01892 525273. For all other reproduction and licensing inquiries contact Licensing Department, 1 London Bridge St, London, SE1 9GF; telephone 020 7711 7888; email enquiries@newslicensing.co.uk.

Labour overtakes Reform in poll as wavering voters return

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

Labour has overtaken Reform UK in the polls for the first time in 18 months as some of the party's 2024 voters return to the fold.

A YouGov survey for The Times found that Labour were backed by 24 per cent of voters, two points ahead of Nigel Farage's party on 22 per cent. It is Reform's lowest score since March last year.

However, the rise in support for Labour has come primarily at the expense of the Greens, who were down one point on 12 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats who were also down one point on 11 per cent compared with August 2-3.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, were up two points on 21 per cent, putting them a point behind Reform.

Labour's poll increase is driven by a marked rise in its 2024 voters who said they would vote for the party again if a general election were held tomorrow.

In June, when Sir Keir Starmer stood down, 49 per cent of the voters who gave him his landslide victory said they were still supporting the party. This rose to 60 per cent in the latest poll. At

Voting intention

the same time the number of Labour voters who said they would back the Greens has fallen from 19 per cent in June to 8 per cent this week.

Reform has lost ground to the Conservatives in recent weeks. At the start of June, 34 per cent of 2024 Tory voters said they would back Farage's party — a figure that has now dropped to 22 per cent.

Burnham appears to have been particularly successful at attracting younger voters back to Labour. About a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would vote Labour, compared with 14 per cent when Starmer stood down.

Green support in that age group has fallen from 46 per cent to 41 per cent in the latest poll.

YouGov's findings have been echoed in recent days by other pollsters, some of whom have found even bigger Labour leads. A "poll of polls" suggests Labour's support has increased from 19 to 25 per cent since Starmer left office. Reform has dropped to 24 per cent, down from 29 per cent in January.

Anthony Wells, head of politics and elections for YouGov, said Burnham had partially reunited the left. "What you see in the numbers is not only that Labour has increased its vote share but both the Greens and the Liberal Democrats have seen a substantial drop in their support, which had been boosted by Labour defectors," he said.

"At the same time there are signs that, for the moment at least, Reform has peaked and is now losing some of the support it picked up from disaffected Tory voters who are now returning to Kemi Badenoch.

"However, more broadly the polls shows that the public are still deeply divided, with just three points separating the top three parties — which is within the margin or error."

PM must seize his Goldilocks moment

James Johnson Comment

The bookies' favourite for the year of the next election is still 2029. An election this year is priced as by far the least probable outcome, with odds of about 16-1.

The prime minister has ruled out calling an "early election". But I believe a combination of factors mean Andy Burnham should go for a general election this year or, at the latest, early next.

As the latest YouGov voting intention survey for The Times shows today, Burnham is already getting a polling bounce, putting Labour ahead of Reform UK for the first time since early 2025. Right-leaning voters are even more split than when the same dynamic allowed Sir Keir Starmer to win a landslide while only claiming 34 per cent of the vote.

Remaining Conservative voters disapprove of Reform and vice versa. Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are at loggerheads, meaning it is hard to see this resolving itself in the

course of a campaign. Reform is also losing votes to Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain. Such a picture means Labour could quite easily win a sizeable majority on 30 per cent of the vote.

It is the left uniting behind Burnham that would get him there. He has far higher approval ratings than Starmer did among Green and Liberal Democrat voters. And there is one man wavering voters on the left fear more than any Tory: Farage. A recent YouGov poll found that while Burnham has a 12-point advantage over Badenoch for who would make the best prime minister, Burnham is seen as a better choice than Farage by a 26-point margin.

There is another reason why Burnham may think he faces a golden opportunity: he may believe the window is closing for such a match-up with Farage. I suspect Farage will weather this storm but with his recent travails over donations to Reform and the prospect of two by-elections, you can see why No 10 may feel the chances of Farage being in post for the whole parliament are dimming.

Burnham would do well to use his Goldilocks moment. Farage is not

too strong nor too weak — he is strong enough for Burnham to engineer a two-horse race but he can be beaten.

What would happen in such an election? My best bet is that Reform would be a big beneficiary, moving up to more than a hundred seats. The Conservatives would fall to below one hundred. That would set Reform up to be the sole party of the right but it would be far from government. Given the circumstances, it would also be a stonking result for Labour and could lead to a majority of more than 90 seats. Burnham should be content with 40.

If he throws the dice nationally, there are good odds he will win a large majority of his own, escape the manifesto trap he faces and scatter his opponents.

Given the split on the right, he faces a unique set of circumstances. He would have not only his best shot at power but could relegate the Conservatives to a state of near-extinction. For a man built on Labour traditions, is there any stronger temptation than that? James Johnson is the founder of the political consultancy JL Partners

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Channel crossing promise

rely on drones and helicopters and detective work to determine where the launches are going to happen, but we're not always successful, especially if there are simultaneous launches from different places along the coast."

The use of the mega-dinghies is believed to be a reaction to the greater number of checks on the French coastline. According to the French maritime prefecture of the Channel, 15 boats carrying more than 100 people and one carrying more than 200 have attempted to cross this year.

The overall number of arrivals has fallen sharply this year. The provisional total so far is 15,472 — 42 per cent lower than the number recorded by this time last year and down 12 per cent on the same period in 2024. Last month, 2,316

people crossed the Channel from France to England in small boats — the lowest July total since 2020.

However, more than 3,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in the first 22 days of Burnham's premiership. This includes more than 900 since August 8. More crossings are expected as clear skies and moderate winds are forecast.

The government said joint operations with France had prevented more than 47,000 crossings and led to the seizure of 1,100 boats and engines since the last election. The maritime prefecture for the Channel told The Times: "The smugglers are trying to adapt to the systems put in place by the security forces, but they are driven by the lure of profit above all. By putting more people on each boat, they are trying to maximise the amount they make from each departure."

Gerard Barron, the president of the

Boulogne-sur-Mer branch of France's National Sea Rescue Society, told La Voix du Nord newspaper: "We fear the worst because no one is equipped to get 200 people out of the water at the same time. It would take at least half an hour and there would be deaths."

A UK government source said: "Sustained pressure from law enforcement means the gangs are finding it harder to launch boats, and are therefore being forced to place more people onto them."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "This latest incident demonstrates the reckless and dangerous tactics employed by the criminal gangs. We are making progress ... but we must go further, which is why we have signed a payment-by-results deal with the French to put 40 per cent more boots on the ground on French beaches."

PM must refuse to take no for an answer on migrants, leading article, page 25

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday August 12 2026 51

1

News

Australian PM refuses to apologise for fruity 'joke'

Anthony Albanese denies he made an inappropriate comment about Japan's leader, writes Roger Maynard

Perhaps if it had not come hot on the heels of a Kylie Minogue sexism storm, the melons of Japan's first female prime minister might not have caused Anthony Albanese so much trouble. But the Australian prime minister has form when it comes to apparently crass references to women on podcasts.

Last month he apologised for having named Minogue when asked on the same podcast about whom he would like to 'shag'.

This week he has found himself on the back foot again, this time over claims that he referred to Sanae Takai-

chi's anatomy when presented with a diplomatic gift of melons as she arrived in Canberra on an official visit.

The furore centres on Albanese's appearance on the Bush Deep podcast, which follows Bushie, a 'wildly inappropriate journalist as she tears her way across Australia in search of a good yarn'. Still, a veteran politician such as Albanese, particularly after the Minogue affair might have known that a podcast that promises loose banter could put him in a tight spot.

During his appearance, Albanese, 63, was asked about Japanese gifts of crown melons. He described them as 'pretty strange' presents that ended up being 'quite good'. He said 'she brought two',

Anthony Albanese was accused of making a crass gesture talking about melons gifted to him by Sanae Takaichi. He was already in hot water for remarks about Kylie Minogue

while gesturing with his hands in front of his chest.

On her visit in May, Takaichi said she had given Albanese two royal melons, prized as diplomatic gifts, grown in Shizuoka prefecture and costing up to £150 each. This was, she said, in celebration of

approval of their export licence.

Opposition leaders demanded that Albanese apologise — despite Tokyo officials laughing the matter off — but the prime minister was unrepentant yesterday. Challenged by an opposition MP during question time in parliament, he rejected suggestions that his comments had been inappropriate. 'I reject the assertion in the question,' he said. 'Australia and Japan have never been closer ... and my government has taken our special strategic partnership to new heights.'

Angus Taylor, the opposition leader, said the remarks were 'beneath the office of the prime minister'. The deputy Liberal leader, Jane Hume, described them as 'grubby'. She said: 'If you offend a woman you should apologise.'

But there was support from some of Albanese's female colleagues. Catherine King, the transport minister, said the podcast should be treated as 'satirical', while the social services

minister, Tanya Plibersek, described Takaichi's visit to Australia as 'very successful'. She added: 'We have an excellent relationship with Japan.'

However, a former Japanese ambassador to Australia, Shinzo Yamagami, accused Albanese of casually mocking Takaichi. Writing in The Australian newspaper, Yamagami highlighted Takaichi's position as Japan's first female prime minister, noting she had suffered derogatory comments about her gender, including from Chinese officials. 'The last thing she expected was to be so casually mocked by the trusted leader of Japan's special strategic partner,' Yamagami wrote.

However, the Japanese government sought to prevent damage. In a diplomatic cable dated July 13, it 'noted' the 'sensationalised reporting in the Australian media' of the Albanese podcast.

The note said the belief in Tokyo was that there was no 'ill intention' in Albanese's appearance.

Ronaldo's latest match is his wedding

Marieta Marinova

Cristiano Ronaldo has married his long-term partner Georgina Rodriguez in a private ceremony, exactly a year after the couple were engaged.

The footballer, 41, married the 32-year-old model in Cascais, Portugal. The civil ceremony for the couple, who share two children, Alana, eight, and Bella, four, was described as 'private and intimate'. It was also attended by the footballer's other children — twins Eva Maria and Mateo, nine, and 16-year-old Cristiano Jr.

The couple announced the news yesterday, posting on Instagram a photo of their hands intertwined wearing their wedding rings. The centrepiece ring features an oval-cut diamond estimated at 25-30 carats and has been valued by experts at about $5 million.

The couple's romance dates back to 2016, when they first met while Rodriguez was working as a sales assistant at

The image confirming the couple were married was posted online

a Gucci store in Madrid. Since then, they have navigated both intense international fame and devastating personal heartbreak, most notably in April 2022, when Bella's twin brother, Ángel, died during delivery.

In recent years, the family have embraced lifestyle changes, including relocating to Saudi Arabia after Ronaldo's high-profile transfer to the Saudi Pro League. Their family dynamics

have been showcased in the Netflix series I Am Georgina, which offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at Rodriguez's journey from retail assistant to global influencer.

Ronaldo has previously said that he thought Rodriguez was a 'very interesting girl, so much more mature for her age', but he had not expected the romance to last.

He told viewers in confessional footage that he 'didn't think at the beginning that [the relationship] would be this strong, that I would fall in love with her. I didn't expect it, honestly. But after a while, I felt that she was the woman of my life.'

The couple had been expected to marry on Ronaldo's home island of Madeira over the weekend, where crowds had gathered in anticipation. They are expected to return to Saudi Arabia, where Ronaldo is the captain of the champions Al-Nassr, with a record £165 million-a-year deal.

Mafia plot? Forget about it, as friend accused of stunt

Tom Kington Rome

When a bomb in a quiet street near Rome last year destroyed two cars belonging to Italy's top investigative reporter, shockwaves reverberated through Italian politics.

Sigfrido Ranucci, host of the TV show Report, had lived with a police escort for years after a series of scoops about Italian mobsters. The bombing suggested the mafia had decided to silence him.

A magistrates' investigation, based on wiretaps and text messages, now suggests the bombing was a stunt to boost Ranucci's profile. A 198-page report, seen by The Times, claims that a friend of Ranucci, rather than the mob, was behind the attack and had no intention of killing him, instead aiming to turn Ranucci into a hero and convincing him to enter politics. 'You will be

The TV journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, who exposes mafia criminality

prime minister in two years,' said the friend, Valter Lavitola, who was arrested amid suspicions he planned to flee.

Investigators suggested Ranucci, 64, was unaware of the plot but many people have questioned why he became friends with Lavitola, a convicted extortionist once close to Silvio Berlusconi.

Ranucci's lawyer, Roberto De Vita, justified the friendship, saying: 'We are constantly being betrayed by friends and business partners. But who could have imagined Lavitola would have stooped to something like this?'

---

4

News

Flying back in time Josh Welch, heritage engineer at the Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey, inspects the cockpit of a Hawker Fury fighter plane from the 1930s

Cambridge tried to shut down whistleblower, tribunal finds

Nicola Woolcock Education Editor

Cambridge University shut down a whistleblower to protect its reputation after he raised concerns about bullying and misogyny, an employment tribunal has found.

Deborah Prentice, the vice-chancellor, was accused of a failure of leadership after it lost a case brought by an astrophysics professor who claimed he was victimised for highlighting the poor treatment of female colleagues. The loss heaps pressure on Prentice: Cambridge already faces questions about academic integrity after the Jason Arday plagiarism scandal.

The whistleblowing complaint was brought by Neil Wyn Evans. He accused senior managers of “groupthink” and the tribunal concluded that they had rubber-stamped statements ghost-written by human resources staff in an

attempt to silence him and protect the university’s reputation.

Prentice, who has been Cambridge’s vice-chancellor for three years, was directly criticised in the tribunal findings.

Wyn Evans had 11 of his 14 complaints upheld. He said he had been vic-

Neil Wyn Evans suggested the vice-chancellor’s position was now “untenable”

timised after flagging unfair treatment of female staff members at the university’s Institute of Astronomy. Richard McMahon, who was its director from 2017 to 2022, raised a grievance against Wyn Evans and two other professors. Wyn Evans intervened to try to protect

his colleague and emailed a senior academic saying there was overwhelming evidence that McMahon had a “personal vendetta” against the woman.

He wrote: “There is bad history of misogyny to female administrators at the top of the loA. I am terrified of history repeating itself here.”

The tribunal found staggering delays in investigation of the matter and said Wyn Evans had suffered detrimental treatment, despite making “protected disclosures”, ie whistleblowing, under the Employment Rights Act.

During the hearing, at Bury St Edmunds this summer, lawyers for the respondents accused Wyn Evans of “shedding crocodile tears” and said he “weaponised” the death of a former colleague who took her own life to “use for his own purposes”.

The tribunal panel said that while the lawyer was “acting on her client’s

instructions”, “these were very strong accusations to have levied against the claimant and we have not been persuaded that they were true”.

The institute and the university failed to show how they reached their decisions, the tribunal said. It described a “pattern of ghost-writing and HR making other people’s decisions for them”.

The tribunal said Prentice’s role lacked oversight or scrutiny. “It did not appear to us many steps were taken to understand the . . . matter,” it added.

Responding to the judgment, Wyn Evans said Prentice should consider her role, suggesting it, together with her handling of plagiarism claims against Arday, made her position “untenable”.

Cambridge said it was “carefully reviewing” the judgment. There will now be a hearing to decide compensation. Arday shows we believe what we want to believe, Daniel Finkelstein, page 21

Academic called western education a threat to Muslims

Ali Mitib

A former Hizb ut-Tahrir member who called “western education” a “threat” to Muslims and condemned democracy and integration was appointed to the same faculty as Jason Arday.

Farah Ahmed was made an assistant research professor at Cambridge’s faculty of education last year after working as a research associate and fellow there for almost six years.

Ahmed, who focuses on Islamic education and was head teacher at an

Islamic primary school, wrote a chapter in a pamphlet by the proscribed group, published in 2002 and republished in 2017. In the pamphlet, seen by The Spectator, she wrote that “the Muslim community as a whole in Britain needs to recognise that western education is a threat to our beliefs and values”.

She also attacked schools for teaching that “polygamy or marriage under the age of 16” was “archaic and discriminatory to women”. She called democracy a “corrupt tradition” in which if “decision makers decide to

make bombing Iraq or homosexuality legal . . . there is nothing anyone can do”.

In 2010, Ahmed told the Charity Commission that although she had been a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, she had not been involved for a few years and did not agree with all of its “views as a political organisation”.

The commission was investigating the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation, which runs primary schools in Slough, where Ahmed was a head teacher, and Haringey. It found that the charity no longer had links with the group.

Hizb ut-Tahrir was proscribed in 2024 after its response to Hamza’s October 7 attack on Israel was found to have crossed the line into promoting and encouraging terrorism.

Ahmed was asked for comment.

Cambridge University’s faculty of education said: “The faculty is committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law. All members of our community are encouraged to exercise their rights to freedom of speech, including to challenge ideas or theories they disagree with.”

Quintagram® No 2644

Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Swampy Deep South tributary (5)

2 Cry of delight (6)

3 Low-frequency loudspeaker (6)

4 Conspicuous error (6)

5 US server of liquor (9)

A	A	B	B	E	E	E	E
E	E	E	F	H	I	K	L
O	O	O	O	P	P	P	R
R	R	R	U	W	W	Y	Y

Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14

ADHD doc ‘risking lives’

The charity ADHD UK has said Channel 4 is putting lives at risk by labelling the disorder a “myth” in a documentary warning that a generation of children is being medicated. The Great ADHD Myth?, which airs on Tuesday, was made after a 200 per cent increase in referrals over five years. Channel 4 said it had a remit to offer “alternative views”.

PC dragged by car

A mother of four who injured a police officer by dragging him down the street with her Range Rover as he tried to arrest her for drink driving was spared jail at Liverpool crown court yesterday. Candace De Silva, 37, of Anfield, got a suspended sentence of 28 months in prison after she left PC Simon Ward with life-changing injuries on September 14, 2024.

Belly size beats BMI

The size of a person’s waist gives a better picture of heart disease risk than body mass index alone, research shows. A US study of 260,000 people, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that those with a normal or overweight BMI and a high waist-to-hip ration had a 15 to 50 per cent higher risk of most cardiovascular problems.

In a spin over windmill

A row has broken out after the owner of Wales’s only working windmill was ordered to repaint it after a makeover. Richard Holl, 33, painted the 250-year-old grade II listed Melin Llyison on Anglesey in the colours of the Welsh flag for a festival. The council wants it returned to white but he said the response from the public “was too much to ignore”.

TIMES Radio Breakfast: 6am to 10am

Our free radio station has all the latest headlines, interviews and debates every morning.

Listen seven days a week

On DAB, 500 website and smart speaker

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday August 12 2026

5

News

Coroner links death of law student, 19, to obesity jab

Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent

A law student died in her university halls of residence in London after taking a weight-loss drug, an inquest has heard.

Josephine Nasr was prescribed tirzepatide, under the brand name Zepbound despite not being obese, the East London coroner's court heard last week.

Doctors told Graeme Irvine, the coroner, that the drug, which is also sold in the UK under the name Mounjaro, may have triggered a fatal heart rhythm.

An audit by The Times last week found that weight-loss drugs had been implicated in more than 100 deaths in the UK since they were approved for use.

The 19-year-old student, from Corona, California, was found on September 23 last year when staff broke in to her room to check on her. She was found with an empty vial of the weight-loss drug next to her.

The inquest was told that Nasr, a second-year law student at the University of East London, had spoken to her family members at about 8.30pm that evening but was found dead a little over two hours later.

Nasr had told them that she had been feeling nauseated and was vomiting, known side-effects of the drug, and they had urged her to go outside for some fresh air. Her sister, Anastasia, became worried that Nasr would become dehydrated from vomiting and arranged for a private healthcare provider to administer IV fluids.

She tried to call her sister and, when she did not respond, called the university security team.

Security staff let themselves into Nasr's room and found her collapsed on her bathroom floor. An ambulance was called but the student was pronounced dead at the scene. Police searched the room and found an empty vial of tirze-

patide. Nasr, who is from California, was prescribed the medication by her doctor in the United States. Her BMI was overweight, but not obese, and she had begun taking the medication in the summer of 2025.

A post-mortem examination by a pathologist, Alan Bates, found that Nasr had a congenital heart condition called myocardial bridging, which could have contributed to her going into a fatal arrhythmia.

Bates added that vomiting caused by tirzepatide could cause hypoglycemia. This could in turn cause an electrolyte imbalance leading to arrhythmia. He added that Nasr's underlying heart condition could have made it worse. 'She was an otherwise healthy young woman,' he added.

Her mother, Lorin Mansour, was about to fly to Egypt for a holiday with the rest of the family when she heard the news, and fainted.

The family flew to London instead of Egypt to identify Nasr's body. George Nasr, her father, said: 'She was full of joy and always helped others before herself. She loved travelling and the ocean.'

Her mother said that while her daughter was quiet, she was committed to her family.

She added: 'We are part of the Coptic church and the way Josephine was willing to help people showed that she lived her faith.'

In his narrative conclusion, Irvine said that the death was due to a cardiac arrhythmia, which was caused by myocardial bridging and an imbalance of electrolytes caused by hypoglycemia, triggered by the prescribed tirzepatide.

Analysis by The Times found that weight-loss medication patients filed about 150,000 reports of adverse side-effects from the drugs, and more than 100 deaths have been linked to the medication.

The figures, published by the

Josephine Nasr from California was studying at the University of East London. She was found dead with a vial of the weight-loss drug tirzepatide beside her

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), show that thousands of reports have been made about all of the GLP-1 weight-loss drugs available through the NHS. They include liraglutide, also known as Saxenda; semaglutide, offered as Wegovy; and tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro.

The data is collected through the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme, which allows patients and medical professionals to report side-effects they suspect were caused by a certain drug.

There were more than 100,000 reports of adverse effects from tirzepatide, including about 10,000 classed as

'serious', the figures show. The MHRA has potentially linked 98 deaths to the medication.

More than one report of side-effects can be made per patient under the Yellow Card scheme, meaning the figure does not reflect the total number of individuals complaining of side-effects.

Fatal outcomes reported on the scheme are not necessarily caused by the medicine and could be caused by underlying or undiagnosed illnesses, unrelated to the treatments. The scheme allows relatives of patients or medical professionals to report their belief or concern that the medication may have contributed.

Doctors given 'crash course' as maternity unit shuts

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

A hospital in rural Devon has shut its maternity unit temporarily because of 'unsafe levels of medical staffing', forcing pregnant women to travel two hours to give birth.

Birthing services at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple were closed on Tuesday because of staffing shortages. Women have been diverted to a hospital 55 miles away in Exeter.

More than 300 women who are 34 weeks pregnant or more have been contacted to discuss 'individual circumstances, care plans and the travel and transport support available'.

Doctors working in the hospital's A&E unit have been given a 'crash course' in dealing with birth emergencies, such as haemorrhage, for women who do not have time to travel to a different hospital.

Pregnant women said that they are afraid they will not make it to the hospital in time, or are considering relocating to a different part of the country until they give birth.

Harriet Knight, who is 34 weeks pregnant, told The Guardian: 'The next closest maternity unit is a full two hours away and we have a family history of labour taking under two hours from start to finish.

'So we have the option of potentially giving birth in a layby on the North Devon link road as we try to get there or opting for free-birthing at home with no access to maternity care.'

A doctor at the hospital said: 'It's been an intense time. We're capable but they've thrown us into a potentially very serious situation. There's a physical risk to the public.'

The Royal College of Midwives said that the suspension of births at North Devon District Hospital should 'ring alarm bells'. While the trust has described the suspension as temporary, it cannot put a date on when maternity services at the hospital may return.

Sam Higginson, chief executive at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said: 'This decision was not taken lightly. It has been made following a thorough review of our medical staffing, but this has shown a significant shortage of obstetric medical staff over the next few weeks.

'We've therefore taken the difficult decision to suspend the service. This is a temporary suspension.'

GPs out-earning chief executives and hospital consultants

Continued from page 1

were partners in their practices. In the last decade the average salaries of GP partners has increased by more than 18 per cent, while the wages of GP employees has gone up by less than 4 per cent.

There are also big gender disparities in pay for all types of GPs, even after adjusting for working hours. For example, male partners in their fifties earn £184,594 on average, while women in their fifties earn £148,996.

The latest NHS workforce data, for June, showed there were 17,831 GP partners in England. About a thousand earn more than £300,000, while nearly 4,000 earn more than £200,000.

The government has pledged to hire thousands more GPs and shift more care from hospitals to them as part of a 'neighbourhood health service'.

The Health Foundation's report looked at the state of general practice and found that the sector's share of the NHS budget declined from 8.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent between 2015 and last year, despite repeated policy commitments to increase it. It found that government funds GPs to the tune of about £219 per patient each year — substantially below the average cost of a single ambulance or emergency care episode.

Dr Luisa Pettigrew, senior policy fellow at the Health Foundation, said pay disparities were one of a number of problems, alongside rising demand, growing workload and a funding model that had not kept pace with the role governments expected it to play.

'Despite repeated commitments to shift care into the community, general practice's share of the NHS budget fell in the decade to 2024-25,' she said. 'If

Behind the story

In 1948 more than eight in ten GPs in the British Medical Association voted against the founding of the NHS (Eleanor Hayward writes).

They were furious at the prospect of losing their financial independence and ability to run their own surgeries.

As a result, Nye Bevan, the Labour health minister, allowed doctors to

continue to buy their own practices, operating as small business owners.

This partnership model remains today. It means the majority of GPs, unlike other doctors, are not employed directly by the NHS. Instead, GP partners — also known as contractors — are self-employed and own a share of their practices, which hold contracts with the NHS. They

employ other staff including GPs. For the past two decades, however, the proportion of GPs who are partners has been falling — about half are partners, compared with two thirds in 2015. This is because there are fewer, larger practices and a high proportion of young doctors who are reluctant to take on the financial risk of buying into a partnership.

the government is serious about improving neighbourhood health services and shifting more care out of hospitals, a clear, multi-year commitment to increasing general practice funding as a share of overall NHS spending is required.'

Dr Clare Bannon, chair of the BMA GPs committee, said: 'The report shows only around one in ten of all GPs are on incomes over £200,000. The vast majority earn significantly less. Real-term earnings have dropped over the last 20 years, according to this report, which confirms any additional funding is going into services, not GP pay.'

NHS England said: 'The number of GP appointments delivered in June was up almost 50 per cent on the same period in 2009. More than three quarters of people rate their experience of their GP practice as good.'

---

6

News Politics

Burnham orders justice minister

Alex Norris must spend his summer holiday 'finding a solution' to the prisons crisis, writes Steven Swinford

Alex Norris, the justice secretary, was jetting off for his summer holiday on Monday evening when the news came through. The prime minister had tasked him with finding a 'solution' to stopping the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, two of PC Andrew Harper's three killers.

Norris is now spending much of his break working as he and Ministry of Justice officials try to devise a plan that will not inadvertently undermine the government's efforts to relieve pressure on Britain's overcrowded prisons.

It represents the first big test of Andy Burnham's nascent premiership after he staked his authority on blocking the early release of Cole and Bowers.

The prime minister said he was determined the two men, who were jailed for 11 years in 2020 for manslaughter, should serve their full sentences. He said he fully appreciated the 'anguish' of Harper's family and was increasingly confident he could stop the release.

Burnham's intervention, first reported by The Times, represents a significant shift in Downing Street's position and has raised tensions in Whitehall.

There is said to be anger within the Ministry of Justice, where some officials feel they have been unfairly blamed for simply doing their jobs in spelling out the pros and cons of each policy option to the prime minister.

One government source claimed that Burnham appeared to be 'trying to be sure to everyone' and failing to understand the trade-offs involved.

'The Ministry of Justice is totally demoralised,' they said. 'They never said anything was impossible — they simply spelt out the risks involved.'

This characterisation was rejected by another government source, who said that officials at the Ministry of Justice were 'getting their heads down and getting on with the job'.

But the frustration in Downing Street with the options presented to Burnham is real, with accusations that officials were not creative enough in coming up with solutions.

Burnham said he had 'never taken no for an answer' and was 'confident

that there's more that can be done' in response to public concerns. Precisely what that is has yet to be decided.

Just over a week ago, shortly before he went on his summer holidays, Burnham made one of the most consequential decisions of his premiership so far.

The new prime minister was bent on limiting the impact of Sir Keir Starmer's plans to release thousands of serious offenders early to relieve pressure on Britain's overcrowded prison system.

Officials presented three choices: barring the release of those sentenced to more than ten years; those sentenced to more than seven years; and a third option based on the type of offence.

Each option had drawbacks. The first two, officials said, would keep Harper's killers behind bars but many serious offenders, including rapists, would be released early.

Burnham decided to go for the third option, enabling him to announce that those who had committed rape, child sex or grooming offences would stay locked up. Officials were explicit that this would mean that Harper's killers were released.

It was, Burnham suggested, as far as he could go. 'I can look people in the eye and say to them there is nothing more I could have asked without risking the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing within months,' he said.

The backlash was swift, with the move condemned by both Harper's family and police chiefs, who branded the decision perverse. Hundreds of thousands signed a petition demanding the killers should stay in prison.

Burnham was also unhappy. On Friday, No 10 alighted on an alternative option: exempting killers of emergency workers from the early release scheme.

Officials were deeply sceptical. On Sunday, The Times disclosed that they warned Burnham such an exemption would not be legally possible. It would have to extend to all those convicted of manslaughter and eligible for early release, thought to be about 450 people.

The next morning, the prime minister's official spokesman said it was 'not possible' to exclude only Cole and Bowers from the scheme. 'To exempt someone who's been convicted of manslaughter for killing an emergency worker, you'd need to exclude the whole manslaughter offence,' they said.

That afternoon, however, Burnham decided to use the full weight of No 10 to commit to keeping the two men in prison. Downing Street contacted Debbie Adlam, Harper's mother, to tell

her of the prime minister's new stance just before The Times broke the story.

There is no going back from Burnham's commitment, but it remains unclear what the government will do.

The prime minister is taking a twin-track approach, first by trying to pursue some kind of legal carve-out and second by freeing up more prison spaces to relieve pressure before the first tranche of the 5,000 prisoners is freed over a ten-month period from October.

Burnham has said he wants to take three measures to ease capacity, but all of them pose challenges. The first is to release some of the 2,271 prisoners on indeterminate sentences, which Burnham views as a 'long-running injustice'. Those on such sentences face the prospect of being detained indefinitely.

Officials are combing through each individual case to establish who is eligible to be freed, but it is far from straightforward. A government source said many people on indeterminate sentences were in psychiatric units and posed a genuine risk to the public. Deciding who qualifies for release is a subject of intense discussion.

The second measure is to convert women's prisons to spaces suitable for male inmates, releasing some female prisoners in the process. But there is a risk that this would lead to female convicts being jailed far from their families and a government source said it would be likely to free up relatively few places. Converting prisons will also take time, which the government does not have.

The third measure is speeding up the release of the 10,114 foreign-citizen offenders in Britain's jails, of whom just above 6,000 are eligible for removal. There is a catch, however, in that their countries of origin must agree to take them back and that many do not have comparable sentences.

Victims have also raised fears that perpetrators could be released early.

The government does have some time on its side, with Cole and Bowers not expected to be released until May next year. The hope is that, by then, Burnham's approach will have paid off — either enough space will have been freed to prevent the release of the tranche that includes Cole and Bowers or an exception will have been secured.

Burnham's many recent predecessors have all said they noted the same problem when they got to No 10 — they pushed the levers of power only to find nothing happened. Burnham is about to discover whether that is still the case. Letters, page 24

Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner, the communities secretary, met members of the public and police in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, on their mission to give people a say over the future of their high streets. The prime minister is also working on preventing the early release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper, left, with his widow, Lissie

'Uncertainty leaves victims' families in state of chaos'

Continued from page 1

that he had 'pushed to the very limits of what is possible' by preventing most rapists and child sex groomers from being eligible for early release. The government plans to release thousands of criminals early over a period of ten months from October to free up places.

He said yesterday that he was pushing a package of measures including faster deportation of foreign criminals, releasing lower-risk prisoners serving indefinite sentences and using parts of the female prison estate for male offenders, which would allow the exemption of the most serious criminals from the early release scheme.

However, Burnham was accused by the victims' commissioner of creating 'chaos and uncertainty' in the justice system by 'flip-flopping' on the plan. Claire Waxman told The Times she was disappointed and appalled by the prime

minister's failure to take a clear decision on which prisoners would be released from jail early. Waxman said that the failure to take a clear decision had left Harper's family and all other families affected by manslaughter in a constant state of uncertainty and chaos that was 'prolonging their torture'.

Debbie Adlam, Harper's mother, told BBC Breakfast she was not looking for a 'special case' for her son but wanted the killers of all emergency workers to be exempt from early release.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'We are pulling every lever to protect the public and cut crime — undergoing the largest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era, launching the biggest ever expansion of tagging to toughen community punishment and increasing support to victims, giving them a say in the strict licence conditions of offenders.'

Ministers' options for cutting prisoner numbers

Female prisoners

At least 3,500 prisoners are female, representing about 4 per cent of the total in England and Wales. A greater proportion of women than men are imprisoned for non-violent, acquisitive crimes.

'There is talk of creating space in women's prisons for male inmates but this will be difficult. 'Putting a few female prisoners back into the community is relatively easy. But doing enough to free up an entire prison is a much bigger task,' a source said. 'Given the sort of numbers they're talking about, you'll probably have to free up two female prisons.'

Foreign citizens

Speeding up deportations

for convicted criminals could bring the biggest public criticism for Andy Burnham: 'The issue is not simply about if you can get them back to their own country, it's also a question of whether you want them to continue serving their sentences,' the source said.

'This was brought into focus this summer when it emerged that Roksana Lecka, 23, a nursery worker convicted of abusing 21 babies, had been deported to Poland after serving just 14 months of an eight-year prison sentence. The families of her victims said it would be 'horendous' if Lecka did not face further punishment in her homeland.'

'Are we also happy with

the idea that one way in which we get convicted foreign criminals to return home is giving them, say £1,000, to go without further protest?' the source asked, adding: 'The government has improved the rate at which foreign national prisoners have been deported... A lot of the low-hanging fruit has already gone but can they deport more in sufficient numbers to create the space they need?'

Imprisonment for public protection

Imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences were abolished in 2012 but the change was not retrospective. The sentences were intended for people considered

dangerous, but whose offence did not merit a life sentence. More than 2,000 IPP prisoners remain behind bars.

'The most credible proposal on the table is to re-sentence them,' the source said. 'If the judges at the time didn't have the option of an IPP sentence, what would these guys get? They could make sensible decisions on that basis.'

The government has resisted this option because of the crown court backlog, which stands at 80,000 cases. The source added: 'There isn't the judicial capacity to do it, and if there was, who knows how long it would take to get through them all.'

---

7

News

to quell rage over early release

THE TIMES

Wealthy areas must share the asylum burden, PM insists

Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor

Wealthier areas of Britain must "play their part" in housing migrants, the prime minister has said after villagers threatened to hold a referendum on leaving the UK over plans for new asylum accommodation.

Andy Burnham said it was wrong for the burden of housing asylum seekers to fall only on the UK's poorest areas and insisted that "all parts of the country" had to take their share.

Residents of Piddington in Oxfordshire have voted to stage a referendum on leaving the UK in protest against the potential use of a former military site in Bicester.

Tim McNally, the parish council chairman, had told LBC: "To have L250 people brought into an environment where there's 350 people — that's like adding 32 million people into London, as an example, overnight."

Asked about the site, Burnham told GB News: "It's obviously going to be challenging, but I am prepared always to listen to people... I do have to say, we cannot have a situation where it's only the poorest communities... that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers. I do believe all parts of the country need to... play their part."

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said that Burnham did not understand public opposition, writing on X: "Andy Burnham just doesn't get it. We shouldn't be housing illegal immigrants anywhere — wealthy or not. Illegal immigrants should all be deported within a week of arrival."

The government is looking at using more former military sites to accommodate asylum seekers as it tries to end the use of hotels. Burnham Camp in Suffolk is also under consideration.

Protesters gathered outside the former RAF base at the weekend and unrest broke out in nearby Thetford, Norfolk, where people tried to storm homes linked to asylum seekers.

Houses in multiple occupation

Rayner's vape 'purgatory'

Geraldine Scott

Angela Rayner has admitted she cannot give up vaping because her nicotine addiction has plunged her into a "lifetime of purgatory".

The communities secretary, who is cracking down on e-cigarette shops, said that her children were "disgusted" by the habit. Rayner, who has said in the past that her children call her "the vape dragon", told the radio station LBC she had failed to quit vaping completely. She said she used e-cigarettes to stop herself returning to smoking after becoming addicted to nicotine as a teenager.

(HMOs), in which three or more unrelated tenants from separate households share basic facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom, have also become a focus of attention.

After winning the Makerfield by-election in June, Burnham promised to end "HMO Britain" and said that he would change the asylum accommodation system.

London has the highest concentration of HMOs in the UK, although contractors responsible for setting up dispersal housing usually choose lower-income areas where rent is cheaper. The HMO label can also be applied to houses in the private rented sector. They have become a popular choice for asylum contractors because they are cheaper to rent than hotels, although some councils have imposed stricter planning requirements on HMO rentals in recent years.

Burnham must bring zeal to tackling illegal migration, leading article, page 25

Villagers protest against plan to use military site for migrants

Ali Milib

In the Oxfordshire village of Piddington locals have been thrust into the spotlight over plans to house asylum seekers at a disused military site nearby.

The village, which is home to fewer than 400 people, voted symbolically to consider seceding from the UK in protest against a plan to accommodate L250 single adult male asylum seekers in an old Ministry of Defence storage depot without consulting residents.

When The Times visited Piddington last month, it found locals of varying political opinions, ages and backgrounds united in opposition to the plan.

Joe Marshall, a 26-year-old building surveyor, came across the village last year, and knew that he had found the spot that he and his fiancée had dreamt of settling down in. Thatched cottages with meticulously kept hedges are a common sight, as are open front doors, children running around unattended

and mothers pushing prams at all hours of the day. Like many residents, Marshall fears that the village has been placed in peril by the plan, which is yet to receive planning permission.

"The government just announced they're going to do this to us, but we've had no contact about what they are going to do to maintain safety," he said.

Victoria Hubbocks, 39, a mother of three, said that she was worried about her children's safety: "I don't think it's about where they're from and how they got here. It's about L250 unknown men. Even if they were from Scotland, we'd have a problem."

Many locals expressed sympathy for asylum seekers but voiced concerns that the site was too rural and lacked the amenities to support them. Piddington has no shops, cafés or pubs. Social life centres on the church and the village hall.

Len Woodhouse, 80, who has lived in the village since 1969, said: "They are human beings. They need looking after

The government is planning to house L250 asylum seekers at a disused Ministry of Defence site in the idyllic village of Piddington, Oxfordshire, without consulting the 400 people who live there

if they're legitimate but to put them here in a totally rural area is wrong."

On July 4, 96 per cent of Piddington's population voted in favour of holding a referendum on whether to secede from the UK in protest at a lack of consultation on the plan. The secession would be purely symbolic as there is no legal mechanism by which a village could declare independence without the consent of parliament and the government.

The vote, masterminded by the parish council chair Tim McNally, drew attention to the village and garnered support from Elon Musk, who posted on X: "What has happened to towns who did nothing to deserve it, like little Piddington village, will happen to all of Britain unless there is a fundamental policy change."

Aware of the potential to become a lightning rod for the far right and of the

divisive nature of the immigration debate, the villagers have vowed to keep their efforts apolitical.

Marshall, a parish councillor, said: "We're not taking any sides at all. We're actually trying to discourage certain types of people from coming here. We could get Tommy Robinson to rock up here very quickly, but we don't want that at all. We've seen in other places that protest, the far right may turn up and locals can lose control."

Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, said that he was shocked by the scale of the housing and the "complete lack of warning from government" when he first heard about the plan 12 hours before it was announced.

The government said: "The concerns of communities are central to our immigration reforms, which is why we are working with local authorities and others to make the system fairer by housing asylum seekers in basic accommodation, including ex-military sites."

---

8

News

Slice of history Artists from the studio 3D Joe & Max have spent more than three weeks creating the illusion of a sheer drop into the dinosaur age outside Canary Wharf station in east London, also incorporating a dissected phone box and black cab, in a stunt to promote the new science fiction film The End of Oak Street

Police force trainee on rape charge

A student police officer has appeared in court accused of rape and kidnap.

Mohammad Hassan, 23, serving with Greater Manchester police (GMP), stood in the dock at Stockport magistrates' court yesterday flanked by two security guards. He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth in the five-minute hearing.

Ewan Cooper, for the prosecution, said that the alleged incident involved a woman in her 20s on Saturday evening.

Cooper said: 'He got out of the car, placed his hand on her neck and bundled her into the car.'

'He then drove with her in the car, drove to an area of Manchester where he sexually assaulted and raped her and drove off at speeds of 120mph.'

Hassan, from Hale Lane, Failsworth, Greater Manchester, and who was off duty at the time, was arrested after a police pursuit on the M62 which ended in West Yorkshire, GMP said.

A 999 call had been received shortly before 10.20pm in which a woman could be heard in distress in a vehicle in the Manchester area.

Officers traced the suspect's personal vehicle which led to the arrest of the officer on suspicion of rape, kidnap and dangerous driving.

Hassan, who has been suspended by the force, has been charged with oral rape, kidnap, strangulation, sexual assault, theft of a mobile phone and dangerous driving.

No pleas were entered and Hassan was remanded into custody for a hearing at Manchester crown court on September 15.

Defence chiefs under pressure to 'reboot' hotline to Moscow

Larisa Brown Defence Editor

The last time General Valery Gerasimov, Russia's chief of the general staff, picked up the phone to his British counterpart was four years ago, after one of his pilots tried to shoot down an RAF spy plane over the Black Sea.

After what was described by one source as a 'very frank' conversation with Admiral Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff at the time in September 2022, there has been no communication between British and Russian military chiefs since. Subsequent requests by Radakin were turned down by the Russians with a 'polite note' stating the general was 'too busy' to take the call, it is understood.

After Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton took over from Radakin in September last year, he too attempted to reach out to Gerasimov, the architect of the long and costly war. Gerasimov didn't pick up.

Now, after recent events in the Channel, the Norwegian Sea and elsewhere, Wes Streeting, the new defence secretary, and his top military man are under pressure to attempt to 'reboot' lines of communication amid fears of an 'unintended escalation'.

The Times has been told senior officials and diplomats are nervous about the lack of communication between the two sides and the risk that a misunderstanding in the high seas could be the trigger for a wider conflict with Russia.

John Foreman, a former defence

General Valery Gerasimov, Russia's chief of the general staff, with President Putin in Moscow last December

attacked in Moscow and Kyiv, said: 'Without a direct line there is a risk of unintended escalation. A major misunderstanding could ultimately lead to people dying.'

'You need to talk face to face to get any traction with the Russians... talking clearly and directly with your adversary in private isn't weakness.'

Foreman said there was an urgent need for talks to be rebooted if the UK was to operate in the High North in future, which could become a potential battleground amid rising tension between western allies and Russia.

'If the chief of the defence staff thinks 'this is probably the most dangerous time in the last 30 years that I've been in uniform', then maybe it's time for some fresh thinking,' he added.

In June, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British yacht in the

Channel. Alan Kelvey, 71, and his wife Jane, 69, came across the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. Russian sailors blasted their horn before launching a 'salvo' from the deck with small firearms to deter the yacht, which manoeuvred away and continued on to their destination in northern France.

Last month, a Russian warplane flew dangerously close to the Royal Navy's flagship in the Norwegian Sea and dropped a large number of sea trackers into the water around it. The Bear-F, a large long-range maritime patrol plane, repeatedly performed 'unsafe and unprofessional' approaches towards the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.

In January 2022, Radakin told The Times that he had spoken to Gerasimov two days before Christmas, when tensions were high, with fears of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He also spoke of a 'hotline' inside the Ministry of Defence to Russia's situation centre. It was tested by a retired military officer every day to make sure that if urgent talks were needed to de-escalate an incident the option would be there. Although the line still exists, it is thought to be used less frequently than before the Ukraine war.

The last known call between a British defence secretary and his Russian counterpart was in October 2022 when Ben Wallace received a call from Sergei Shoigu who wanted to voice his concerns that Kyiv was preparing to deploy a dirty bomb—a claim rejected by Britain, France and the US as false.

Such calls were typically arranged via Moscow's defence attaché but in May 2024, the UK expelled the Russian defence attaché from London for alleged espionage. In a tit-for-tat, Captain Adrian Coghill, the UK's defence attaché in Moscow, was expelled.

A government source said: 'The question of comms channels is somewhat moot whilst the Russians don't want to answer the phone.'

A spokeswoman for the government said: 'Our embassy in Moscow enables us to deliver clear and robust messages directly to the Russian government, helping to protect UK interests and manage risks of escalation.'

'As a responsible military power, we have a longstanding position of wanting to have senior military dialogue with Russia, we regret that Russia is unwilling to take part in this.'

Blair's son sets sights on Nato cash

Charlie Parker

Sir Tony Blair's son has founded a defence technology start-up as European nations increase their military spending to deter Russia.

Nicky Blair, a former teacher and football agent, is said to be speaking to investors about raising $200 million (£148 million) for Pyra Group, which promises to 'serve the security interests of the UK and its allies'.

Companies House filings show that Blair, 40, quietly incorporated the London-based firm in November. It is building technology that will 'allow users to integrate different systems into a single source', a source told the Financial Times.

Pyra's sparse website says only that it is launching this summer, and tells visitors to 'stand by'.

Nato allies are increasing their defence spending to address the growing threat from Russia. The British government has pledged to increase core defence expenditure to 15 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035.

Investors are betting that chancellor John Healey will boost military spending faster than his predecessors did. Before taking charge of the Treasury, under Andy Burnham, Healey had quit as defence secretary in Sir Kéir Starmer's government in a row over the failure to properly fund the military.

Blair is the second child of the former Labour prime minister and Cherie Blair. Who will keep Iceland safe?

Roger Boyes, page 22

---

9

News

Firefighters to tackle New Forest blaze for ‘several more days’

Lara Wildenberg

Firefighters will remain at the New Forest fire “for several more days” as they face water supply issues and changing wind directions.

An area equivalent to 224 football pitches (nearly 400 acres) has been affected near the eastbound A31, which remains closed.

There has been no requirement for locals to evacuate, although many are concerned about the forest’s wildlife which includes rare species of reptiles, birds and native New Forest ponies.

Forestry England said that the Commoners — local people who look after the 5,000 free-roaming ponies — were being kept informed of the incident and added that animals could “roam freely across the forest to unaffected areas”.

The public has been warned to avoid the area. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said there was “significant impact” to the roads. Bournemouth airport advised holiday-makers to factor in extra travel time.

National Highways said that significant repairs would be required to the road surface, safety barrier and bound-

ary fencing once it was safe to do so.

The fire service initially sent 26 fire engines and four water carriers to the eastbound A31 on Sunday after receiving 160 emergency calls reporting that a van had caught fire. The service said that the blaze spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland. Fire engines, water carriers and off-road vehicles have worked “tirelessly” overnight, pumping water through miles of pipes laid from a nearby lake.

Yesterday, the fire service said that it was “managing to contain the fire” with

the help of a police drone to prioritise hotspots.

Ian Thew, 78, said the fire came within half a mile of his home on Sunday as he and his wife Tracy packed their bags.

“We are probably one of the closest properties to the fire,” he said, adding that a firefighter suggested they prepare to evacuate. “We sat twiddling our thumbs and watching mundane television until three in the morning when we received a phone call saying that we were fairly safe so we went to bed.”

Thew thanked the emergency services and forest rangers for updates.

Gillie Molland, the lead ranger for the New Forest National Park Authority, said that the affected area included protected heathland, home to “many nationally and internationally rare species — including all six of the UK’s reptiles — insects, plants and birds such as Dartford warblers and nightjar”.

Addressing concerns about the wild ponies, Forestry England said: “All of these animals are owned and looked after by Commoners who are being kept informed regarding the incident. The animals can roam freely across the forest to unaffected areas.”

DANTRIS LILANDS/ATHIRE FUTURES

Scorched earth A wildfire at Llangynidr reservoir near Ebbw Vale as firefighters tackle the New Forest blaze, top right, and a packhorse bridge is revealed in Bailings reservoir, Yorkshire, bottom right

Thousands face ban on car washes and swimming pools

Adam Vaughan Environment Editor

More than 100,000 people will face water shortages if a rare ban on filling public swimming pools and other non-essential uses is not granted, a water company has said.

Southern Water said that, in a worst-case scenario, with a continued lack of rain and without reductions in demand, supplies to 165,000 people in Southampton. Eastleigh and the surrounding areas could be compromised.

Ministers are reviewing a drought order requested by the company that could impose a non-essential use ban (NEUB) across parts of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It is extremely rare for such bans to be granted. The last time was in 2006 and before that in 1996.

If the ban is approved, businesses will be barred from washing vehicles, cleaning windows and watering gardens. Filling and maintaining non-domestic swimming pools will also be banned.

Angela Eagle, who was appointed environment secretary when Andy

Burnham became prime minister, has 28 days to approve or reject the request.

Hosepipe bans are already in place for more than 27 million people. However, the requested ban would be a sharp escalation to cope with the record-breaking dry summer.

In its application, Southern said it needed the ban because of a combination of regulatory requirements and exceptional environmental pressure.

The company relies on the River Test, a globally rare chalk stream, to ensure supply to Southampton and the Isle of Wight. It has no big reservoirs or capacity to import water to the area. Since 2018, it has been required by the Environment Agency to maintain flows of the Test at higher levels, to protect the unique environment.

If limits on how much water can be drawn from the Test are reached, a service reservoir may provide water for a “day or two”, the company said, but parts of its network would then struggle to maintain supply. “The approximate 165,000 population of the Southampton West supply area could soon be

Walter Shute, four, keeps cool by the River Hamble in Southampton

significantly affected by a restricted water supply,” it said.

Parts of the Test are at half of their usual flows or less and demand from customers has been high thanks to five heatwaves this summer Southern usually supplies 550 to 560 million litres a day but this has jumped to more than 660 million.

Southern applied for a NEUB in July last year during drought, but rainfall then meant the ban was not needed.

“Our application is a precautionary

measure only,” it said. “The regulatory process takes time and we need to ensure options are available if exceptionally dry conditions continue. Applying does not mean the measures will be used. It’s a precautionary step that allows the necessary scrutiny and approvals to take place while there is still time to plan effectively.”

The Met Office said yesterday that this summer was on track to beat last year as the warmest summer yet. Even if temperatures are average for the rest of the month, the record will be broken.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said: “This government is ready to take action to help secure water supplies if required. We are working closely with the Environment Agency, water companies, farmers, and environmental organisations to protect water supplies and minimise environmental damage. We all have a role to save water in these unprecedented times, and any drought order must weighed up carefully against impacts to nature and people.”

Researchers push back on North Sea oil

More than 50 British scientists have urged ministers to reject drilling at two North Sea oil and gas fields, warning that it would worsen global warming.

The researchers have written to Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, before she makes decisions on the Jackdaw gas field, 150 miles east of Aberdeen, and Rosebank oil field, 80 miles northwest of Shetland.

A consultation on Jackdaw closed on Monday and one on Rosebank closes on August 17. The projects could contribute £28.7 billion to the economy and create up to 3,500 construction jobs.

The scientists, including those from Cambridge, Oxford and Leeds universities, said new drilling was incompatible with the government’s climate commitments. Their intervention comes amid what they called “a summer of devastating wildfires” and drought.

Labour’s manifesto promised to block licences for new fields, but Andy Burnham, the prime minister, is inclined to “move quickly” on Jackdaw and Rosebank, according to industry sources.

---

10

News

Civil servants still work from home three days a week

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

Some civil servants are spending fewer than two days a week in the office; despite rules requiring them to be at their desks at least 60 per cent of the time, a new analysis has found.

Senior mandarins have repeatedly claimed officials are meeting the target, publishing figures showing Whitehall departments have a staff occupancy rate of between 60 and 100 per cent.

But the figures are a sleight of hand, because most government departments do not have enough desk space for all staff. In fact the true occupancy rate is far lower, with civil servants in some departments spending an average of as little as one and a half days a week in the office.

The only government department to have hit the 60 per cent target was the

The government has set a target of an occupancy rate of 60 to 100 per cent

Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which has now been abolished by Andy Burnham.

The analysis, carried out by the Centre for Government Reform think tank, used freedom of information requests and parliamentary questions to establish the number of workspaces in each Whitehall department's main London office, as well as the total number of civil servants for whom that office is their primary workplace.

It was then able to calculate the true attendance figure — rather than simply the number of desks that were occupied on a given day.

The Department for Business and Trade, for example, claims it has an occupancy rate of 80 per cent, but its London offices in Caxton House and the Old Admiralty building only have space for 1,058 of its allocated 3,699

staff. This suggests a true occupancy rate of just over 20 per cent — meaning that the majority of staff are primarily working from home.

It was a similar story in the Department for Education. It has 1,023 desks in its Sanctuary Buildings headquarters but employs 2,176 staff overall. This means its claims that 59 per cent of its staff come into the department to work actually represents just 604 civil servants, or 27 per cent.

Even the Treasury, responsible for giving the taxpayer value for money, only has a rate of 44 per cent.

Senior government officials point out that the figures do not account for officials who are carrying out visits, taking part in external meetings, or spending part of their time working from other Whitehall offices associated with their department.

However Ameer Kotecha, chief executive of the think tank, said ministers needed to 'come clean and start being straight with the public about the true numbers, rather than hiding behind figures that don't stand up'.

He added: 'Civil servants are being paid to work in offices they aren't turning up to. Ministers talk tough on productivity, but our data shows that the average civil servant goes into the office fewer than two days a week.

'That is a scandal. It is pointless the government issuing hollow targets ... It must start holding departments properly to account.'

Dave Penman, head of the FDA Union, which represents senior civil servants, said that with more and more staff being moved out of London to work in regional offices, the question of where people were physically based had become less important.

'The vast majority of meetings will now be a hybrid of people working in office in London, offices in other parts of the country, or working from home,' he said.

The Cabinet Office said the conclusions drawn from the data were 'misleading and incorrect ... Staff regularly work across the government estate, not just from their assigned HQ location.

'We are clear that a minimum 60 per cent office attendance remains the best option for our staff and the public.'

Out of this world The countless stars of the Milky Way light up a crystal-clear night sky over the colourful beach huts at Mudeford in Dorset Weather, page 51

Davies will fight speeding ticket over 'poor signage'

Bill Curtis

Sharron Davies will stand trial next year over a speeding ticket, after blaming a sign 'so poor it was easy to miss'.

Baroness Davies of Devonport, 63, a former Olympic swimmer, was driving home from a speaking event in Wales on October 15 last year when she was caught by a speed camera on the M4.

She was driving her Mini at 65mph when the speed limit had been temporarily dropped to 50mph. Bath magistrates' court was told Tuesday.

Davies, who was excused from attending the pre-trial hearing, denied the offence and has opted for a trial.

In documents read out by the clerk, Davies said she prided herself on being 'a good driver, but also a safe one'.

She said: 'It was 11.30pm at night, the signage was very unclear and I absolutely did not see clear signage to show the limit had gone down. ... There was still three lanes of very, very light traffic and, most importantly, no workmen.'

She added: 'I most definitely would have dropped my speed if I had been aware of the reduction. In 45 years of driving I have never contested a s-

Sharron Davies said she was a 'good driver, but also a safe one'

peeding fine. But I am adamant that the signage was so poor it was easy to miss, which is what must have happened.'

Davies, from Wiltshire, was represented by Laura Singleton, a solicitor, who said visibility was the issue of the case and that an expert had been instructed to provide a report.

Mark Thorpe, for the prosecution, said evidence would be put before the court to show that the signage was sufficient.

Presiding justice Gail Bragg, said: 'This matter is now going to be adjourned for a case management hearing on October 21. In the meantime, there will be full disclosure by the prosecution to the defence.'

A trial is likely to take place next year. Davies, an Olympic silver medallist, was nominated for a life peerage last year by the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. In a swimming career that spanned three decades, she won two Commonwealth Games gold medals and broke more than 200 British records before she retired in 1994.

Single US investment trust owns one in 20 British care homes

Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent Jack Barnett Economics Correspondent

An American property investment trust owns about 5 per cent of all care homes in Britain, a Times audit has revealed.

Welltower Inc owns the property of five profit-generating care providers, which run hundreds of homes between them. Estimates have suggested there are 18,000 care homes in Britain, 85 per cent of which are for-profit. Welltower owns about 920.

Andy Burnham has announced reforms to social care, including a crackdown on for-profit care homes,

which he branded as 'profiteering' off the 'backs of vulnerable people'.

Councils spend £14.5 billion a year on social care services, but researchers have warned that much of this cash is 'leaking out of the system, extracted as profit and investor returns', rather than being used to improve services.

Welltower is a real estate investment trust (Reit), meaning it owns properties that care home chains use for the residential offerings. The care homes lease back these estates from Welltower.

Natasha Curry, deputy director of policy at the Nuffield Trust think tank, said it was often hard to find out exactly where the money in the for-profit care

sector was going. While 85 per cent of care homes are run for profit, many are family-run practices that can have a positive impact.

'It's surprisingly difficult, when you look at the Care Quality Commission data, to find which [homes] are private equity backed. The ownership of these organisations is quite opaque,' Curry said, speaking about the for-profit care sector generally. 'With the potential to funnel profit to offshore accounts — that's where the problem is, and I think that is where Andy Burnham wants to focus,' Curry added.

Reits such as Welltower collect money from investors and mostly

channel this capital into buildings or land to generate profits, which are then redistributed to the original investors. They do not invest in property via leverage or debt and are not short-term, private equity investors. They do not directly have control over day-to-day operations of care homes, and do not own or operate the care home business or set fees for residents.

Barchester Healthcare runs about 260 care homes in Britain, where fees for self-funding residents average 11.426 per week for residential care and 11.636 per week for nursing care, according to Lottie, a market intelligence provider. Welltower acquired the

company last year for £5.2 billion. The trust also owns HC-One, Care UK, Aria Care and Danforth Care.

Welltower said: 'We are proud to be a long-term investor in the UK, using specialist capital to deliver healthcare infrastructure for local operators to grow and provide care throughout the country.

Through our commitment to long-term investing and innovation, 85 per cent of Welltower-owned properties have been rated good or outstanding, far above the national average of 72 per cent.'

Barchester Healthcare, HC-One and Care UK were contacted for comment.

---

11

News

Drought helps golfer hit record hole-in-one

An amateur golfer has hit a 411-yard (376-metre) hole-in-one, which golfing authorities believe could be an English record (Mark Ludlow writes).

Matthew Vigurs, from Droitwich, Worcestershire, said it was “surreal” after finding his ball in the hole at the par-four third hole at Great Barr Golf Club in Birmingham on July 25.

The record, which has yet to be confirmed by England Golf, comes as amateur golfers say the UK’s hot and dry conditions have added many extra metres to their tee-shots this summer.

While courses can water their greens, many have been unable to water the fairways, with the resulting harder bounce of the ball producing record drives.

Vigurs’s monster drive was just short of the world record for a hole-in-one which is held by Robert Mitera, who achieved a 447-yard (408-metre) shot at the altitude-assisted Miracle Hills golf course in Nebraska in 1965.

England Golf estimated the odds of an albatross, in which a golfer records a stroke three under par on a single hole, was about one in six million. Hole-in-ones are normally recorded on shorter par-three holes.

Vigurs, 32, who had previously achieved three hole-in-ones, was playing with three friends.

“We all hit good drives and we found three of them down there. Then we were looking for mine,” he said.

Vigurs checked the fairway about 50 yards short of the green and then checked behind the green.

“At that point I looked a bit silly, so I thought I might as well check the hole – and there it was, nestled in the bottom.

“I had to take two or three looks. I couldn’t believe it. They [his friends] didn’t believe me till I pulled it out of the hole and we just went mad.”

Vigurs, a product and training manager for McLaren, admitted he could not concentrate on the next hole.

The Worcestershire first-

team player, who plays off a +1 handicap, has been in form since he started playing golf again in February after eight years abroad. He won the Droitwich Club Championship, where he

also notched a hole-in-one, and the Worcestershire County Championships. James Crampton, championships director at England Golf, told Vigurs to enjoy his “purple patch”.

all the time, but a 411-yard one — it’s the stuff of golfers’ dreams,” he said. “At the odds of six million to one for an albatross, the fact his [shot] was from such a distance has to be even greater.”

Warning as one in five cars are late for MoT tests

Andrew Elison Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Millions of motorists are flouting the annual MoT rules as police enforcement struggles to keep pace.

A freedom of information request to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has found that more than one in every five cars taken for an MoT over the past three years already had an expired certificate.

This means an average of more than eight million cars every year are being driven without a valid MoT, some of them for many months at a time.

Eight police forces that have publicly disclosed enforcement figures recorded a combined 2,370 motorists caught driving without a valid MoT over a 12-month period. That equates to fewer than 300 cases per force each year on average. If replicated across England and Wales’s 43 police forces, it would amount to only about 12,700 motorists a year, fewer than one in every 650.

The comparison is not exact. The DVSA figures record vehicles that arrived with a late MoT, and this does not necessarily mean the cars were driven illegally. Some may have been kept off the road, while others may have been travelling to pre-booked MoT appointments, which is permitted.

However, the figures suggest allowing an MoT to lapse has become commonplace. Between 2023 and 2025, almost nine million overdue MoTs were more than a month late, while almost 2.4 million were more than six months overdue. The average delay rose from 79 days in 2023 to 85 days last year.

The findings are likely to reignite debate over whether the annual system remains appropriate as vehicles become more reliable.

Ben Witham, of the car dealer cinch which conducted the FO3 request, said: “An expired MoT should never be treated as a minor admin issue. Driving without a valid MoT can lead to a fine of up to £1,000, and the safety risks are just as important.”

Children hurt and killed by e-scooters

Laurence Slesor Transport Correspondent

Jacob Calland was 14 years old when the e-scooter he was riding collided with a BMW in March last year. Hung onto the road, he suffered catastrophic head injuries and died in hospital eight days later.

The Manchester schoolboy’s death is one of 59 highlighted by researchers who have called on the government to review the legislation on e-scooters after a spate of incidents.

Researchers led by Dr Lisa Sabir, honorary clinical research fellow at the University of Sheffield, found that since 2019 in Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield almost 500 children have reported to trauma centres with e-scooter related injuries.

The average age of those affected was 12, and half were aged between 10 and 13. Fewer than 2 per cent of those who were injured had been wearing helmets.

“E-scooter related injuries are rising,” the research, published in the Emergency Medicine Journal, said.

“There is a need for greater public awareness, clear public health messaging and review of government legislation to prevent further injuries and deaths.”

Carly Calland, Jacob’s mother, said the figures had made her cry. “One person injured is one person too many,” she said. “I’m fighting for these other people but the government is not listening, lives are being lost.”

After her son’s death, she set up the campaign group Jacob’s Journey to call for changes to the law on private e-scooters.

At present, e-scooters are legal on British streets only if rented through companies taking part in government-backed trials, meaning that riders must hold a valid driving licence with the speed of the vehicles capped.

Use of private e-scooters on public roads is banned and the police are expected to seize any found on the streets.

However, up to 1.2 million people in England are thought to own e-scooters, and many are sold by popular retailers.

Jacob was on the back of a teenage

Rising numbers

E-scooter casualties by age group and sex

friend’s e-scooter, bought for him by his mother and capable of reaching speeds of up to 28mph, when the collision happened. The friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a non-custodial sentence.

Calland, 36, wants e-scooters to be legalised so that tougher rules can be put in place such as a licence scheme with registration plates, mandatory helmets, insurance and an age limit.

“My message to the government and Andy Burnham is to get a grip of it,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to go through what I have been through. I’m fighting for these other people but the government is not listening and lives are being lost.”

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety recorded 59 fatalities in the UK related to e-scooters between July 2019 and July 2025. Ten of the deaths were people aged 18 age or under. The youngest was only nine years old.

Recent statistics from the Department for Transport (DIT), said that ten people were killed in collisions involving e-scooters last year, compared with six in 2024.

There were 1,477 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters last year, compared with 1,390 in 2024. Of these, 43 involved children aged under 10. The group most likely to be involved was boys aged between 10 and 19.

The injuries recorded included four puncture wounds, 73 head injuries and nine broken necks or backs.

Last week, an NHS study of major

trauma data showed that e-scooter riders have a significantly higher risk than cyclists or motorcyclists of severe brain and organ injuries.

David Bodansky, a consultant hand, trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster hospital NHS foundation trust, said that the small wheels were easy to jam onto potholes, potentially sending riders suddenly over the handlebars.

Olly Glover, transport spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said: “The time has come for central government to move on from trials of e-scooters and give local councils and users a clear regulatory framework, backed up by visible police enforcement.”

The DIT said: “These are concerning findings, and our thoughts are with anyone who has been injured on our roads.

“It is illegal for private e-scooters to be used on roads, pavements or in other public spaces, including by under-16s, and we’re bringing forward new laws to make their use safe and legal, including consulting on requirements like helmets.”

---

12

News

Highly dangerous A teenage boy risks his life by standing on the edge of a 150ft cliff at West Bay, Dorset. The 180' million-year-old cliffs, which featured in the ITV crime drama Broadhunch, are prone to rockfalls and nine have been recorded in the past year. The boy eventually sat down to watch the sunset

Cottrell moves

his business into Reform's tower

Max Kendix Washington Correspondent George Greenwood Investigations Reporter Eleanor Tait

The convicted fraudster who secretly bankrolled Nigel Farage has moved his company's address to the same building as Reform UK's headquarters, amid questions over how close he remains to the party.

Reform UK has said George Cottrell has no role in the party and that he paid for Farage's private security, staff, transport and accommodation in a purely personal capacity.

Cottrell was seen in Reform UK's headquarters in Millbank Tower, Westminster, last month, with a source in the offices claiming he was "seemingly unfussed about being spotted".

Geostrategy International Unlimited, set up by Cottrell last year, changed its registered address from the address of a company formation provider in the City of London to Millbank Tower.

The company's website also updated its address to Millbank Tower on its "Contact" page, alongside an address in Delaware. The website says the company provides opinion polling, "market intelligence and competitor research" and "brand positioning and demographic analysis" among its services.

A spokesman for Reform said the party did not share an office space with Cottrell, saying the tower was a "huge building" with "plenty of office free space to rent". A representative of Millbank Tower said Geostrategy did not have an office space in the building.

When approached by a Times reporter, the building receptionist did not recognise the company's name, which was not listed on a board of occupants.

Reform UK has consistently claimed it did not need to declare benefits in kind given to Farage by Cottrell ahead of the general election in 2024, as they were classified as "purely personal

gifts" under House of Commons rules. Farage said he had "taken nothing" from Cottrell since June 2024.

Cottrell's lawyers did not respond to a request for comment on his company's new address.

The Commons standards commissioner was investigating the gifts in kind as well as an undeclared donation of £5 million to Farage in 2024 by Christopher Harborne, a crypto billionaire based in Thailand.

Farage's decision to resign as an MP and stand in the subsequent by-election in his Clacton seat put the investigation on pause, but it will resume if, as predicted, he returns to the Commons after tomorrow's by-election.

If the Commons standards committee recommends a suspension of ten days or longer, and that decision is upheld by MPs, voters in Clacton could force another by-election.

Cottrell pleaded guilty to a charge of

George Cottrell was spotted "unfussed" in Reform's HQ

wire fraud in the US after attending the Republican National Convention in Ohio in 2016, and served eight months in maximum security prisons in Arizona and Illinois. He has been petitioning President Trump for a pardon, which has so far been unsuccessful.

A White House official told The Times: "President Trump is the ultimate decider on any clemency-related actions. We have no announcements related to this request. Anyone is eligible to apply for a pardon and an individual's choice to submit an application should not be interpreted as anything other than an individual has chosen to submit an application."

Labour's Creasy harassed on Tube train by 'psychopath'

Marieta Marinova

A 63-year-old man has been found guilty of harassing the Labour MP Stella Creasy after he was "abusive and aggressive" on a Tube train.

Clifford Wilby, of east London, saw the MP for Walthamstow on July 15 last year on a Victoria line train between Walthamstow Central and Finsbury Park stations, Westminster magistrates' court was told yesterday.

Creasy told the court that she had been blocked from getting off the train by Wilby who had previously described himself as a psychopath. Wilby talked to her about knife crime and her "failings as a member of parliament", and filmed her.

Members of the public intervened. A man tried to get between Creasy and Wilby, and a woman told Wilby to stop and that what he was doing was harassment. The MP was able to leave the

train later through another door.

The court was told that Creasy first met Wilby via Zoom in 2024, in her capacity as an MP, when he started to make a complaint about a constituent. She had told him that she could not discuss another person's case.

The meeting had to be ended because Wilby became abusive. Creasy said that he had "made a series of very serious allegations" and "referred to the fact he had been diagnosed as a psychopath".

Tan Ikram, the deputy chief magistrate, found Wilby guilty of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

"His actions clearly were such that [they] were not only causing alarm to Stella Creasy but also demonstrated clearly that that was his intent," Ikram said.

Wilby will be sentenced on September 8.

Stella Creasy is the MP for Walthamstow

---

13

News

Actress who starred as Dawn in The Office reveals incurable cancer

Marieta Marinova

Lucy Davis, who played the secretary in The Office, has revealed that she has incurable breast cancer but promised to keep working as 'acting is one of the biggest joys in my life'.

Davis, 53, who is best known for her role as Dawn Tinsley in the BBC sitcom,

shared a social media post saying that she had stage four breast cancer diagnosed a year and a half ago. The cancer had since 'metastasised to my bones', she said. 'Specifically to my spine, right hip and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.'

She admitted she 'almost didn't bother' getting the initial lump checked. 'So

I guess I'm saying don't ignore anything, get everything checked out,' she urged.

The post read: 'As some of you will know, the pain can really be something

Lucy Davis says her cancer has spread to her spine

else. Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard, and I need to use a wheelchair sometimes (so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!) Despite the pain, Davis said that she was trying to 'live out whatever

might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can'.

Davis, daughter of the comedian Jasper Carrott, is an animal rights and vegan activist. In 2007 she featured in a poster campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She said she intended to continue her work for animal rights and as an actress.

Country living loses appeal as demand for cottages fades

Tom Howard Property Correspondent

A dry-stone wall and thatched roof. Lavender lining the pathway to a doorway framed by roses. An English countryside cottage is, for many people, the dream home. Or is it?

Demand for cottages soared during the pandemic lockdowns when people moved to the countryside for the space and fresh air, or bought second homes. It coincided with the emergence of 'cottagecore', a social media trend led by influencers on TikTok who romanticised simple, Good Life-style living in picturesque cottages.

Property prices in the most bucolic parts of the country, such as Devon, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire, surged. But with life having returned to something like normal and employers order-

Tax changes have affected cottage sales in the Cotswolds and elsewhere

Cottage pile-up

■ Value one year ago	■ Value now
North Devon	% change
£350,494	£320,119 -6.4%
Isle of Wight
£292,262	£340,004 -5.1%
Cotswolds
£444,192	£425,478 -4.2%
South Lakeland
£310,213	£266,434 -3.8%
Dorset
£300,255	£348,213 -3.3%
East Suffolk
£311,564	£324,610 -2%
Seoul, Spain

ing their staff back into the office, the pull of the coast or countryside is weakening.

Compared with three years ago, the number of people actively looking at buying a cottage has fallen by a third, according to data from Zoopla, the property search website. This reflects a combination of higher mortgage rates and extra taxes on second homeowners.

ers. In summer 2020 the average two-year fixed mortgage rate was about 2 per cent, according to Moneyfacts. Now it is above 5 per cent.

Since last year, people buying an additional property have had to pay an extra 5 per cent in stamp duty, and local authorities are now also able to charge second homeowners double the local rate of council tax.

Fewer inquiries from prospective buyers are translating into fewer sales of cottages, which is leading to lower prices. Zoopla's data shows that there have been 13 per cent fewer cottage sales so far in 2026 compared with the same period last year, while the number of cottages on the market has fallen by 9 per cent.

The average UK cottage is worth £121,641 at present, which is 0.3 per cent lower than a year ago. This decline contrasts with the wider market, where house prices have increased by an average of 1.3 per cent over the past year.

In a reversal of what occurred during the lockdowns-induced 'race for space', the biggest price drops have been seen in north Devon, where cottages are worth 6.1 per cent less than they were a year ago. In Ceredigion in Wales, cottage prices have fallen by 6 per cent over the past 12 months, while in East Lindsey, an area that includes Skeyness, Lincolnshire, prices are down 5.7 per cent.

In 18 of 24 'second-home hot spots' that Zoopla analysed, cottage values have dropped faster than standard residential properties in the same post-codes. There was a similar trend even in Cornwall, the largest single market for character cottages and second homes, where cottage values have declined by 1.3 per cent since last summer.

Nick Maud, lead analyst at Connells Group, said: 'Part of the story is the unwinding of extraordinary gains made in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. Demand and prices in picturesque, rural locations surged during the widely publicised 'race for space'.

Buyers paid record prices for what they perceived as a better quality of life with greater access to nature and private outdoor space. However, inflationary pressures and a looser labour market have created a sense of growing precarity. Meanwhile, specific policies, such as the increased stamp duty on charge and council tax premium for second homes, have also reduced the appeal of country boltholes for a certain kind of buyer. This means many would-be sellers that bought in the last few years are finding out their home is no longer worth what they paid for it.'

'First bird' used hops to fly over dinosaurs

They may have had wings and feathers, but the first birds that emerged 150 million years ago still retained 'distinctly dinosaur' features (Kaya Burgess writes). So how on earth did they get off the ground to fly?

Taking to the air required several leaps of faith for the archaeopteryx, according to scientists who described its technique as 'hop, hop and away'.

The researchers have addressed a mystery that had puzzled experts in a study examining the

'transition from ground-dwelling dinosaurs to powered flight in birds'.

One of the study's authors, Dr Neil Gostling, a palaeobiologist at the University of Southampton, said the archaeopteryx was 'the first real bird', adding: 'It was covered in feathers and possessed wings, but also retained a number of distinctly dinosaur features, such as a long

bony tail, claws on separate fingers, and teeth in a beakless jaw.'

An asteroid strike wiped out non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago. But the avian dinosaurs survived thanks to their smaller size, ability to eat a wide range of different foods and capacity for flight.

The archaeopteryx was about the same size as a magpie or raven, but

The archaeopteryx dates back about 150 million years. Its lack of mobility compared with modern birds prompted a study to discover how it took off

unlike modern birds it had limited mobility and no breastbone to act as an anchor for powerful chest muscles. Markus Heller, a professor of biomechanics at Southampton, said: 'We know [it] couldn't rely on its wings to take off — with no keeled sternum, and a shoulder that couldn't lift the wing above the back — so we asked what its legs could contribute. It turns out that is where take-off is won — the legs generate the force, and the wings take over afterwards.'

The researchers analysed the take-off technique of birds from gulls and magpies to crows and finches. They examined joint movements at the hip, knee and ankle, and estimated the velocity the archaeopteryx would have needed to leave the ground.

Dr Erik Meilak, a former PhD researcher at Southampton and the lead author of the study published in the journal Developmental Biology, said: 'A mid-sized, 400g archaeopteryx could have achieved a sustainable flight speed of 7 metres per second [16mph] with three bipedal leaps, or with two bipedal leaps with a downward flap between jumps.'

Gostling explained: 'Archaeopteryx would have either taken off with a leap, leap, leap and then lots of flapping, or a leap, a flap, another leap and more flapping.' Many birds, including crows, magpies and seagulls, still use the technique, he said: 'They use one leap if startled, stressed or threatened, or — like their ancestors — two or three or more if they are saving energy.'

Learning to fly

Modern birds can leave the ground with a single leap, followed by powerful wing strokes — very energy intensive

A 400g archaeopteryx, which lacked a breastbone to harness the power of its chest muscles, could have become airborne by making a jump with a flap, followed by another jump and subsequent flapping to achieve stable flight at 16mph

This take-off is still used by modern birds such as crows or seagulls if they are saving energy

---

14

News

2027/6-12P.7/8

Multiplication class Six sets of twins and a set of triplets gave their new uniforms an airing at Miller Primary School in Glasgow yesterday. The twins are among 56 sets due to start school in the city today

Not OK, computer: Spotify to downgrade AI-generated 'slop'

Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent

Spotify will label AI artists and downgrade their music in its latest move against "slop" content.

The music streamer said that from September it would identify such artists as "AI personas" and exclude their music from editorial and algorithmic recommendations.

Spotify said: "Listeners have been clear in telling us that they don't like seeing an artist profile that seems human, only to find out that the persona is AI-generated."

Streamers have been grappling with a surge of AI-generated content since the emergence of music platforms such as Suno and Udio, which enable tracks to be created using text prompts.

Last year an AI band called Velvet Sundown went viral on Spotify, generating controversy about transparency.

Jacob, a fictional folk-pop artist, topped Spotify's chart in Sweden in January but was excluded from the country's official chart.

IngaRose, an AI R&B artist, reached

No 1 on iTunes in April with a song generated on Suno.

Last month Deezer, a French streamer, said fully AI-generated music was the majority of daily uploads, reaching 90,000 per day. The service labels tracks as AI-generated and excludes them from its recommendations. It said up to 85 per cent of the streams created by fully AI-generated tracks were used for fraud last year. Bots were created to play music to generate royalties.

Tidal, another streamer, labels individual AI tracks and does not pay out royalties for them.

More than a third of tracks uploaded to Apple Music are "100 per cent AI" and they are labelled as such as part of a voluntary industry scheme.

Spotify's policy appears to target the identities of the artists rather than individual AI-generated tracks.

The platform said it would review artists and label them as AI personas when "the identity an artist presents on their profile, including name and imagery, appears to represent photorealistic AI-generated identities". This suggests AI music from humans could continue

Velvet Sundown is an AI-generated band that went viral on the streamer

to find its way into recommended lists. Spotify recently announced a deal with Universal that allows premium users to use an AI tool to remix their favourite tracks.

The music industry has been pushing streamers to adopt a more consistent approach to identifying AI content. Last month it announced two labels, "AI-Generated" and "AI-Assisted", which it hopes the services will use. Record labels also called on chart orga-

nisters to introduce rules that would only allow AI-generated songs to be included if they are substantially human-made and lawful.

Michael Price, an Emmy-winning composer, said: "Any efforts to restore trust between Spotify and its listeners are really welcome, but the fact that streaming services are so awash with AI slop music makes this feel more King Canute than King Crimson."

He added: "I'd love a big button on the home page that you could press to say 'never play me AI tracks'."

Ed Newton-Rex, chief executive of Fairly Trained, said: "Labelling AI personas is a distraction... Spotify continues to refuse to label the thing that really matters if a song is made with AI."

A website called SlopTracker, created by Swiss music producer Niklas Thal, claims to allow users to identify AI tracks on Spotify.

Last month a court in Munich upheld a European copyright lawsuit against Suno brought by a German collecting society over the unauthorised use of songs such as Rasputin by Boney M. and Forever Young by Alphaville.

University to seek three Bs as minimum

A Russell Group university is introducing a minimum standard of three Bs at A-level for the first time in a move intended to protect standards.

The University of Birmingham's vice-chancellor claimed public money was being wasted at some institutions on loans for students who were unlikely to benefit because they were not given enough support.

Adam Tickell said Birmingham's new requirement applied across all courses apart from social work and nursing, where life experience would be taken into account.

Hundreds of thousands of sixth-formers will receive A-level results and equivalent qualifications tomorrow and record numbers of school leavers are expected to go to university.

Some institutions are lowering entry requirements, even on popular courses, to make up for a shortage of international students, which they blame on stricter visa rules and unwelcoming rhetoric. However, Tickell said: "We started bringing in tougher requirements last year but it's really clear to us that we need our students all to thrive. It's better for everybody if we've got the best-qualified students we can get. And we'd rather have fewer numbers if that's the outcome."

Student loan debt in England will hit £300 billion by the end of this academic year (2025-26), according to the House of Commons Library, double the amount owed in 2020-21. It is forecast to reach £500 billion in today's prices by the late 2040s. Tickell said: "If you've got no A-levels or equivalents in other exams, I don't see how you can get into university and thrive. The students who come in with the lowest qualifications, some of them are really talented and the rest are a poor deal." Those who did well were often given a lot of costly "scaffolding" and support, he said.

Digital watermark to catch writers who use bots

Mark Sellman

Passing off AI writing as your own is about to get a little bit harder.

Anthropic, a leading AI company, has said that it will embed a hidden watermark in the text output of its Claude chatbot to identify it as AI-generated or processed. The mark will be invisible to the human eye, will travel with the text when it is copied and pasted and could survive some editing.

Anthropic is introducing the mark as a result of a new European Union law

that requires AI output to be labelled as such after publishers were accused of passing off AI content as their own. Schools and universities are also grappling with how to assess whether students have used AI in their work.

However, Anthropic warned that the watermark "provides a signal that content was processed by Claude, but is not fully conclusive". The mark will be added to text even when Claude is used to edit or proofread.

Conversely the lack of a mark does not mean that Claude was not used, as

substantial changes can remove it, as could changing formats.

Google has introduced a similar watermark, SynthID, for its AI output, which is also used by OpenAI for images and audio generated by ChatGPT. OpenAI abandoned its own attempt for a text watermark in 2023 because of the difficulties attached to it.

A popular tool to identify AI-generated text is Pangram which claims to have an overall false-positive rate of about 1 in 10,000. It was used to identify AI text in the novel Shy Girl by Mia

Ballard, which was subsequently withdrawn from bookshops. However, when it was used to accuse the winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize of using AI, the Commonwealth Foundation rejected the claims.

The latest controversy centres on the author Jerry Falade, whose publishing deal for his debut crime novel Call Me, I'll Hide the Body collapsed amid claims of AI use. He denied using the technology, said the claims were racially motivated and highlighted that AI detectors had well-known false-positive problems.

---

15

News

Young adults lonelier than elderly in WFH era

Sanchez Manning Social Affairs Correspondent

Loneliness and isolation used to be social problems that were primarily associated with the elderly.

But new research has revealed it is now young adults rather than older generations who are more likely to be lonely.

Young men in particular are spending increasing amounts of time on their own.

A study by the think tank the Resolution Foundation, entitled "All By Myself", analyzed diary data to explore how daily patterns of time spent alone had changed by age over the past ten years.

It found that men aged 18 to 29 spent more than two fifths of their waking time alone in 2023. That is the equivalent of six and a half hours a day.

This figure marks a two-hour increase in the time this group are on their own during the day compared with a decade earlier.

Similarly, over the same time period, young women were found to be spend-

ing an additional one and a half hours a day alone — about five hours a day in total.

But, in comparison, older people are now alone less, with women over 60 and men over 70 spending about one to one and a half fewer hours a day on their own than a decade earlier, the study found.

Young people are also more likely to feel lonely than their older counterparts.

Adults aged 18 to 29 reported feeling lonely 14 per cent of the time, twice the rate of 60 to 69-year-olds.

While the surge in young adults spending more time alone is partly due to the move towards solo screen-based activities such as playing computer games and scrolling on smartphones, researchers concluded that the biggest driver of young people's increasing isolation was the rise in working from home.

Most significantly, men aged 18-29 now spend one and a half hours more a day doing work alone than they did in the mid-2000s.

Parth Pandya, a researcher at the

Resolution Foundation and author of the paper, said: "Screen time is the usual suspect in conversations about the rise in loneliness among young people.

"But time spent doing paid work by themselves was the biggest driver of rising hours spent alone, with working from home — a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic — accounting for the majority of this.

"If policymakers are serious about improving young people's wellbeing, then work needs to be part of the debate as much as screen time."

Pandya said that while "alone time" could be "restorative", there could also be negative implications for health and

wellbeing. The research showed that 18 to 29-year-olds who were frequently online were nearly four percentage points more likely to be lonely (16 per cent) than those who were not (12 per cent).

The people in this age group who reported being in bad health in 2023 were

Men aged 18 to 29 spend two fifths of their waking time alone

also found to spend three more hours a day alone compared with young people in the same age range in 2014-15.

This pattern was not found to be replicated for the older age groups. "With young people now more likely to be alone and lonely, time use is key to conversations about intergenerational inequality going forward," the study said.

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary

Jess's bust-up at the Fringe

Jess Phillips received much applause at the Edinburgh Fringe, though host Iain Dale pointed out his previous guest, Zack Polanski, got more "whoops". Phillips was unimpressed: "I don't think he is actually being himself." A reasonable observation, given that Polanski, below, isn't even the name on his birth certificate. Her main issue, however, is his past career as a hypnotherapist who claimed to enlarge breasts using mind power. "During Covid I had my boobs reduced, and I worry if I spent any time with Zack Polanski, they might get bigger again," Phillips confessed, revealing that her back is "very grateful." To sweeten the post-op recovery "my mother-in-law gave me two Chelsea bans on the day".

AUDITING NICOLAS ROUND

Dale then steered their chat to the Fringe's drinking scene. Phillips admitted hangovers are tricky for MPs, adding, "you have to think about everywhere you go." When Dale teased that a late night with Nicola Sturgeon was to blame, Phillips demurred: "We were not out drinking — though if she paid for a round, I'd want to know where the money came from."

Jason Ardey is in good company. Even Sir Simon Schama admits to a spot of plagiarism to advance himself. The historian tells the Radio Times that his teenage attempts to court the daughter of William Frankel, the former editor of The Jewish Chronicle, hit a snag when Frankel insisted Schama write classical music reviews for parental approval. "That's extremely kind, Mr Frankel, but I know next to nothing about this," Schama

protested. He took the gig anyway and lifted adjectives such as "lyrical, tender and passionate" from Neville Cardus's reviews in the Manchester Guardian. Schama's contributions to Key Changes: Radio 3's Essential History of Classical Music — broadcast next weekend — are, of course, his own work.

A TONIC FOR THE EGO

After my story about the late John Woodcock — whose trust in village goodwill left his car always unlocked — Mark Mason, the diary's trivia guru, points to a stark contrast: the legendary cricket writer EW Swanton. The historian Rowland Bowen dubbed "Swanton Pomponius Ego", a moniker with a firm basis in reality. As the late Ray Illingworth recalled, Swanton expected a gin and tonic on cue the moment he graced a cricket ground, and was far too snobbish to ride in the same car as his chauffeur.

Donald Trump's former advisor Roger Stone should have consulted a British proofreader before launching his fashion website. Its URL — stonezwank.com — reads awkwardly without spaces. As the Atlantic writer, Helen Lewis, observed: "Even for Americans, a working knowledge of UK English is an asset."

PERFECT PART FOR A 'PRAT'

Yesterday's story mentioning Andy Burnham's favourite club, the Hacienda, reminded a reader of its late co-founder Tony Wilson. When Wilson died in 2007, Steve Coogan missed the funeral while in the US. In a Manchester Evening News obituary, Coogan said his greatest accolade was the bassist Peter Hook's verdict on his part as Wilson in 24 Hour Party People: "The biggest prat in Manchester was played by the second biggest prat in Manchester." It's possible that the language has been slightly moderated.

ED HALFORD

FLY-CRUISE AND SPORTS EVENT

European icons cruise with Monaco Grand Prix

May 26, 2027

Experience the ultimate blend of luxury and F1 with Imagine Cruising. Enjoy a breathtaking all-inclusive cruise with Azamara to highlights of the Mediterranean, including immersive overnights in port. Then the thrilling climax of your journey awaits at the legendary 2027 Monaco F1 Grand Prix with grandstand tickets and transfers included.

Upgrade to Grandstand T (covered) for enhanced views of the pit-lane and track from just £299pp, or upgrade to a two-day experience to include qualifying too from £399pp.

Itinerary:

Rome, Italy (overnight) – Portoforrasio – Florence (overnight) – Porto Venere – Nice – Marseille – Barcelona – Palamós – Nice (overnight) – Monaco – Barcelona (overnight)

Price includes

• Return flights from London
• Overnight four-star pre-cruise stay in Rome
• 12 nights' all-inclusive cruise aboard Azamara Onward
• Onboard drinks, gratuities and overnights in port
• Onboard concierge services for personal guidance and reservations
• Grandstand Ticket to Race Day at the Monaco Grand Prix
• Transfers to and from the Monaco Circuit
• Times+ members save £100*. Get your unique code at thetimes.com/timesplus

Call 0808 239 8380 or visit thetimes.com/th-flmonaco

TIMES Holidays

Terms and conditions apply. Price shown is per person, based on two adults sharing, correct as of August 5, 2026 and subject to change and availability. Price includes all non-optional taxes/fees/champs shown at time of publication. £500 off. Timers offer applicable to each Times Holidays booking made by December 31, 2026 with a minimum speed of £2,000 when quoting your unique Times+ code. Visit thetimes.com/timesplus for full terms and conditions. Offers and bookings are subject to availability, see supplier website for full TACS. This flight-inclusive holiday is sold and payments accepted by Times Holidays as an agent for Imagine Cruising, AT01, 11070 and financially protected by the AT01 scheme. An AT01 Certificate will be issued on payment. For full booking conditions, visit thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions. For more information about financial protection and the AT01 Certificate go to cau.co.uk.

---

16

News

Don't use the dishwasher during eclipse

Herbie Russell Emily Gosden Energy Editor

Britain's biggest energy supplier has urged customers to avoid running appliances while the eclipse "knocks out" some of the country's solar power generation this evening.

Octopus Energy, which supplies more than eight million households, said that cutting back on electricity usage between 6pm and 8pm would reduce the need to fire up polluting gas power stations.

The partial solar eclipse, expected to be the most spectacular until 2081, will peak at up to 96 per cent coverage between about 7pm and 7.15pm, depending on location. It will begin as early as 6.08pm in Edinburgh, then minutes later across the rest of the

country, reducing power output from solar panels.

Octopus said the eclipse would hit when "millions of people are getting home and electricity demand is climbing". It urged customers to "delay the dishwasher, save the laundry till later, don't bother with the oven". In return for cutting their electricity usage during the eclipse — which will be monitored using smart meter data — Octopus is offering customers who are signed up to its rewards programme a free hour of electricity on Sunday.

The eclipse coincides with the UK's fifth heatwave of the summer, which is likely to increase electricity demand for air conditioning, fans and fridges.

Heatwaves have placed unprecedented strain on Britain's power grid this summer with the National Energy

System Operator (Neso) forced to issue its first ever summertime warnings of tight electricity supplies in late June.

However, Neso says it has been planning for the eclipse's impact for a year and indicated that it regards the probable loss of solar supplies as a "drop in the ocean".

Britain has peak solar generation of about 16.3 gigawatts, but because the eclipse is late in the day — and sunlight will not be blocked to the same degree at the same time across the country — it estimates that the maximum impact of lost generation will be 1.3 gigawatts. Its best estimate is that the impact will be about 700 megawatts.

Demand on recent evenings has been around 30 gigawatts, although during the late June heatwave it exceeded 35 gigawatts on some evenings.

Neso expects that demand this evening will be lower than it would otherwise have been as many people are expected to head out to watch the eclipse.

Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, the chief customer officer at Octopus Energy, said: "By shifting everyday tasks like the washing machine or dishwasher until later, households can help reduce the need for gas power stations — and earn rewards for doing their bit."

Neso is facing scrutiny after Britain's power grid experienced an unusually prolonged drop in frequency owing to scarce supplies on June 23, when a leaked internal report seen by The Times shows that safety limits were breached and "system security was compromised". Whistleblowers claim the country came close to blackouts.

Chris Hewett, the chief executive of

Solar Energy UK, an industry trade body, said: "We do not expect any undue effects on the grid from the eclipse, not least as it will happen when relatively little solar generation normally occurs."

The southwest will witness the greatest eclipse: 95.8 per cent of the sun will be covered at Land's End. 95.6 per cent at Lizard Point and 96.5 per cent at Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly. Cardiff and Belfast will experience about 93 per cent, while London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh will have about 91 per cent.

A Neso spokesman said: "Wednesday's solar eclipse is something we've been planning and are fully prepared for. So as millions of Britons drop what they're doing and head outside to enjoy the spectacle, our control room will be expertly managing the network."

BIN WEISS 3A83 17CRU1T79

Spain cashing in on astronomical demand

Not a single rental car is left at Barcelona airport (David Sturrock writes). Roads are choked, train tickets have sold out and hotels are all full.

Spain is in the grip of eclipse fever. Millions of visitors were already racing yesterday to nab the best seats in the northern swathe of the country which, along with the western coast of Iceland, is the only

place in Europe that will see a total solar eclipse.

In the River Ebro delta, about 120 miles south of Barcelona, visitors will get a spectacular view this evening: a solar eclipse hovering over the sea before seemingly dissolving into it. Those with deep pockets and the foresight to book at least a year in advance have

taken exclusive options such as the Hotel Villa Retiro, in Xerta, where Fran López is head chef of its Michelin-starred restaurant.

"It is going to be a very special day," López told The Times. "We've had reservations made by Americans for over a year now ... We always give our guests gifts and this week they are getting a pair of eclipse

glasses. Everyone here is talking of nothing else."

Those guests should count themselves lucky, as protective glasses have sold out in pharmacies along the route of the eclipse.

Anya Schoolman, from Washington, is hoping to see her third eclipse. "There really is something magical about being in the totality," she said.

Protective glasses have sold out in pharmacies as tourists and researchers, top, flock to northern Spain, including the Roman amphitheatre in Tarragona, for a view of the solar eclipse.

Scientists have flown from as far as Malaysia to record the event. Tourism officials believe this eclipse — the first of three in three

years — will establish Spain as Europe's eclipse-chasing capital.

However, in the Balearic islands, where the public mood is turning against overtourism, the event has been played down. Mallorca has announced that the Serra de Transuniana, where the roads are littered with spectacular viewpoints, will be closed to traffic.

Look to the heavens from church, or drink it in at a rooftop bar

Kaya Burgess Science and Religious Affairs Correspondent

Rooftop bars, castles, river cruises and businesses with skyscraper HQs are gearing up for eclipse viewing events today, while churches have been encouraged to use the rare celestial phenomenon as an opportunity to talk about God.

The most spectacular eclipse to pass over Britain since 1999 will be visible from shortly after 6pm, reaching its fullest extent between about 7.05pm

and 7.16pm depending on where you are in the country. The moon will cover up to 96 per cent of the sun's disc. The next similarly deep eclipse will not be seen over Britain until 2050 and the next total eclipse over the country is not until 2090.

Just hours after the eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower is set to peak.

As astronomers and eye doctors warn people not to look directly at the eclipse, the scramble to find eclipse-viewing glasses continued yesterday, with most online retailers sold out.

Queues of up to 300 people were seen snaking around Spitalfields Market in east London where a stall was selling them for £5.

The Methodist Church encouraged its thousands of churches to host viewing events for local communities as a way of "delighting in the beauty of creation" and encouraging "meaningful conversations about life and faith". A meditation by the Rev Michaela Youngson says: "This eclipse reminds us of the reliability of God, reassures us that light will follow darkness."

The Easton Jamia mosque in Bristol will be holding a service including the Salat al-Kassil, a prayer for eclipses.

The Subside rock bar in Birmingham is hosting a party offering "eclipse cocktails" and Roof East, a rooftop venue in London, is hosting a "see you on the dark side" party offering free eclipse glasses with drinks. The CityCruises boat company is hosting an eclipse cruise along the River Thames in London, offering a view from the water, and Severndroog Castle in southeast London is holding a viewing event from

its rooftop. Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland is also hosting a sold out gathering for the "once-in-a-generation solar event".

Those who work in an office with a view are preparing for after-hours viewing parties. Arma Partners, a corporate financial advice firm, based in the Shard, will be holding an event for its employees to witness the eclipse.

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich is among observatories and planetariums to host viewing events, with tickets already sold out.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday August 12 2026 11

17

News

Inquest hears equestrian fatally injured in fall at event

Lara Wildenberg

An eventer who had ridden the late Queen Elizabeth's horses died during a cross-country competition, an inquest was told.

Sophie Fouracre, 34, died at Swalcille Equestrian Park in Oxfordshire on July 18 after falling from her five-year-old mare, Rhubarbsfos Britannia, during an event. The professional eventer had just returned from a holiday in Italy with her husband, Giles, two young children and mother.

An inquest into her death was opened at Oxfordshire coroner's court last week by the area coroner Nicholas Graham. He said that the experienced rider had fallen from her horse and suffered 'significant injuries'. She was declared dead at the scene. A pathologist concluded that Fouracre died of 'massive trauma'.

Fouracre was a skilled rider, who was trusted to ride four of the late queen's horses, and she had competed three times at the Burghley Horse Trials, which is classified by the sport's governing body as one of the world's leading events. The three-day event takes place every year in Lincolnshire.

Fouracre, nee Jenman, was originally from Kent but was living near Basingstoke at the time of her death. She ran an evening company where she offered her services as a teacher and would break in client's horses. A profile from 2023 on the Burghley website said that Fouracre had ten stables on her in-laws' farm in Hampshire. It read: 'She specialised in backing and producing young horses, particularly from Ireland. She rode for the late Queen, evening four of her horses, and has just picked up an unbacked three-year-old by Speedway, owned by HRH The King, from Windsor.'

The inquest is set to resume on November 21.

Hours after Fouracre's death, the equestrian world was 'hearthroken' by another fatality Kerry Donoghue, 42, a former nurse, died after a cross-country accident riding 16-year-old Carneyhaugh Rua at Penrith, Cumbria.

She had appeared on the Equestrian Performance Mindset podcast in the month before her death, and said that she was considering quitting the sport

after seeing a horse crush a fellow rider. She said: 'You're thinking to yourself, goodness, is this all worth it? Do you really want to do this?'

Her husband Matthew Donoghue wrote a tribute after her death: 'No words can describe how we are feeling at the moment. We are totally broken and Kerry will forever be in our thoughts and hearts. If you love someone, tell them you love them, kiss them, hug them... Life for us will never be the same again.'

British Eventing said at the time: 'At both venues, the event medical teams

Sophie Fouracre fell from her horse during an event in Oxfordshire. The experienced rider, pictured above on a different horse in 2023, had suffered 'massive trauma', an inquest was told

responded immediately and provided emergency treatment. Despite their best efforts sadly neither rider could be saved. Both horses were examined by the attending veterinary team and were found to be uninjured.'

All competition was abandoned at both fixtures.

Rosie Williams, chief executive of

British Eventing, said: 'The British Eventing community is hearthroken. On behalf of everyone at British Eventing, I want to extend our deepest condolences to Kerry and Sophie's families, friends and loved ones at this devastating time. The loss of two members of our eventing family on the same day is almost beyond words, and we know the sadness of these events will be felt profoundly across the sport for some time to come.'

British Eventing said that it would undertake 'comprehensive reviews of both accidents'.

Arrest over bus driver shot dead in Clapham

Seren Hughes

Jessica Sharkey Crime Correspondent

A man who went to hospital with a gunshot wound has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 25-year-old bus driver was shot dead near a London pub.

Emergency services were called to reports of gunshots on a road in Clapham, south London, just before 10pm on Monday. The victim, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene near the Landor pub.

The suspect, 22, was arrested shortly afterwards and remains in hospital.

A friend said the victim was in the 'wrong place [at the] wrong time'.

Sansha Fritz, 35, told The Times the victim had been about to take his girlfriend home when the incident took place. Fritz, who lives in Wellington Road, the site of the shooting, said: 'I've never even seen him shout, get out of character, hang around no one. He's just a good person. He's always smiling. He's got a beautiful smile.'

Fritz said she went to the scene after hearing gunshots and saw the victim's girlfriend, who told her a man had approached them before 'shots were fired'. Fritz said: 'All she's saying is, 'He's been shot, he's been shot.' And then I saw his mum come down. We ran to him. We saw him on the floor.'

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the victim had been working as a bus driver for more than a year. The neighbour said the victim's sister and mother were on the scene immediately afterwards, and his mother was heard shouting: 'That's my son! That's my son!'

A woman who gave her name as Helen said: 'I did hear a gunshot, like, three gunshots around. I think the majority of us thought, 'It's just a motorcycle'... it was quiet for about a few seconds. Then we all heard shouting and crying.'

A forensics tent was in place across the road from the Landor yesterday. Flowers had been laid at the scene and a candle was lit near the pub entrance.

Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, of the Metropolitan Police, said: 'We are asking anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to please contact us as soon as possible and support the ongoing investigation.'

Justice system 'guilty for Levy's crimes'

Seren Hughes

A woman who was sexually assaulted by Simon Levy eight years ago has accused the justice system of allowing him to attack and kill more women.

Levy, 40, was found guilty on Friday of murdering Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 51, and Sheryl Wilkins, 39, last year. He was also convicted of two rapes, grievous bodily harm and intentional suffocation against another woman, who cannot be named, earlier this year. He will be sentenced today.

A previous victim, named only as Laura by the BBC, believes that Levy might have been prevented from carrying out further attacks and said that the police made her nightmare 'real'.

In August 2018, Laura was travelling on the London Underground with a friend when Levy followed them to Notting Hill Carnival and sexually assaulted her. He left only when chased off by a group of men.

In 2021, he was convicted of sexually assaulting her, as well as another woman he had targeted a month before Laura. He was jailed for three years but released on licence despite sexually assaulting a prison officer.

Levy was jailed for six years earlier this year after being found guilty of 11 further sexual assaults on women aged 18 to 32 between October 2023 and May 2025.

He slipped under the radar after a combination of police officer 'incompetence', weak monitoring by sex offender managers and failures to remand the partially blind attacker despite his escalating crimes.

When Laura found out that Levy was going to be on trial for two murders earlier this year, she described how her heart 'dropped in my stomach'.

'When I reported it, I thought I was doing it to protect other women,' she said, but realised what she would 'have nightmares about was actually

happening — he was actually still out preying on vulnerable women'.

Laura said that she felt let down by the whole criminal justice system, including the Metropolitan Police, the courts and judges who hailed Levy and the Crown Prosecution Service.

She said: 'They're all as guilty for allowing him to continue to do what he was doing. They could have prevented two women from losing their lives.'

She added: 'I hope that other victims in the future will be believed, will be dealt with differently, will be listened to straightaway, and I just hope that there's change.'

A spokesperson for the Met told the BBC: 'We are sorry the victim felt unsupported in this case and don't underestimate the impact this incident had on her.

'A crime report was created the following day with a wide range of inquiries carried out. Levy was identified, arrested and later convicted.'

'Bunch of idiots!' Furious Sugar hits his credit limit

Aaliyah Ahmed

As one of the richest men in the UK, with a reported net worth of about £1.1 billion, it is hard to believe Lord Sugar would be reliant on his credit card. Yet The Apprentice star has found himself in an online row with American Express after the company refused his request for a higher credit limit.

Sugar, 79, said he was denied the increase even after staff recognised him and his 'financial status'.

He posted on X: 'I spent a hour on the phone... I was past (sic) to 4 different people. I was asking for an increase in my credit limit. Finally I got to speak to a person in the UK at Brighton who knew who I was and my financial status. However my request was refused due to their system.'

The complaint attracted amused responses. One follower wrote: 'Who are

you moaning to? And why do you expect royal treatment for yourself?'

Sugar replied: 'I AM NOT MOANING JUST EXPOSING WHAT A BUNCH OF IDIOTS AMEX ARE!'

Lord Sugar was ranked 146th in the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List

Another user asked: 'If you're worth £1.1 billion why do you need credit?'

He responded: 'DO PRACTICE BEING AN IDIOT. I DON'T WALK AROUND WITH BAGS FULL OF CASH. I NEED A CREDIT CARD TO BUY THINGS.'

American Express has been contacted for comment.

---

3503

MILLION*

GOOD JOB WE PAY THE JACKPOT OVER 30 YEARS THEN.

*Estimated jackpot. Jackpot will vary based on exchange rates after claim validation and may be subject to applicable taxes in certain scenarios. Rules, Game Specific Rules & Procedures apply. Players must be 18+.

---

EVERYBODY REMAIN CALM.

PLAY BY 11.55PM THIS WEDNESDAY

---

20

News

Binned £12m lottery ticket could still win

Marieta Marinova

A woman whose £12 million lottery ticket was thrown away by a shopkeeper who claimed “there was no beep on the machine” as he checked her winning numbers has been given new hope.

Kath Main, 46, from Abercynon in south Wales, played the June 6 draw with the same numbers she has used for 20 years.

She asked her mother, Fiona, to check the ticket at their local Londis supermarket, but the shopkeeper binned it saying that it was not a winner.

Karan Kumar, the shop’s owner, told The Sun: “The woman came in to check the numbers and there was no beep on the machine, nothing came up on the screen, so we just binned them.”

Fiona Main confirmed that she agreed the shopkeeper could “put them in the bin”, but was soon told off for this by her daughter.

Kath Main later read in the news that an unclaimed £12 million jackpot had been won in her area, Rhondda Cynon

Taf. The winning numbers matched hers: 8, 10, 26, 30, 35 and 42, a combination based on her and her husband’s birthdays, their ages when they started playing, and two other random numbers.

She said she felt like the “unluckiest

person to win the lottery because I don’t have the money”.

Now, the operator of the National Lottery, Allwyn, has concluded a 30-day investigation into Main’s case after she explained what happened, provided proof of purchase and submit-

Kath Main’s ticket was put in the bin by Karan Kumar, who owns the Londis in Abercynon, south Wales, after his machine failed to register her winning numbers

ward to claim it before then. Allwyn said it is the “only major lottery which is able to look to pay a winner even if they have lost their ticket”.

The operator said: “The investigation we conduct is designed to ensure any claim is from the rightful ticketholder. We are then able, at our discretion, to pay that player once the claim period has expired 180 days after the draw.”

Main, a rugby club secretary with two children, is hoping to spend some of the money on a trip to New Zealand for the British and Irish Lions rugby tour in 2029.

She said that waiting for the life-changing payout in December was making her feel “sick all the time”.

Her mother previously said that if they could not prove the ticket was Main’s, the winning money would have gone “back to good causes” through charity donations.

Lottery play was suspended at the Londis in Abercynon while the investigation was carried out, with the ticket machine switched off and scratchcards removed from the shelves.

SAMSUNG

The all-new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra | Fold8 Galaxy AI

Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.

Save up to £1,550

when you trade in an eligible phone. A new era of Galaxy foldables is here.

Ends 19.09

Terms apply: codefone.co.uk/terms; Vodafone DVD; Device Plan; Credit Agreement with an Airtime Plan. You can pay off your Device Plan early and if you do, keep your Airtime Plan on a 30-day contract or lease. Acceptable Use Policy applies. Save up to £1550-£576, either saving or having a new 30 months (see 24 months (see 24Qam, now 41Qam subject to April Annual Price Risk), £152 device saving (see £1550), now £1000) and saving of up to £612 achieved when you trade in an eligible phone in good working condition. Terms: codefone.co.uk/trade-in; Finance subject to status and credit checks, 189, Direct debt required. (To be reprinted by Vodafone Limited, FCA Number: 7722/10, Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, BS14 3TN)

Safety fears consume Jewish schools

Nicola Woolcock Education Editor

Heads of Jewish schools are spending more time dealing with security than on education matters, an independent review has found.

Sir David Bell is leading a government-commissioned review of antisemitism in schools and colleges. Bell, vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland and a former permanent secretary at the Department for Education, is due to publish his report in the autumn. It will examine the experiences of Jewish pupils and staff in England.

He said security was the primary concern, trumping education, for many Jewish faith schools.

Bell said he had found that pupils were subjected to regular harassment and abuse and that Jewish children and young people were facing pressure — “and indeed one might say even a crisis — that is not the experience of other communities in this country”.

He has heard evidence from pupils, teachers, community organisations, governors and parents across the state and independent sectors and drawn

Police patrol Stamford Hill in London, which has a large Jewish population

evidence from a survey of 5,000 children by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). It found that about 20 per cent had experienced or observed antisemitic behaviour in schools and colleges.

Bell told the BBC: “When you think about antisemitism, you assume that it’s going to be directed towards adults. What’s been quite shocking is the extent to which antisemitism is encountered by children and young people.”

One head teacher said: “In recent years [security] has become an overwhelming priority and increased a

significant amount ... [it] can be among the things that keep me awake at night.”

Figures from the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security for the Jewish community, show that, in the first half of this year, antisemitism in schools reached the highest level recorded for the first six months of any year. It rose from 112 reported incidents in the first half of last year to 178 in 2026.

Lucy Powell, the education secretary, said she would carefully consider the conclusions of the review, adding: “Antisemitism has no place in our society, let alone our education system. Jewish children and staff should never face hatred or prejudice.”

Jonathan Frisher, from Cheshire, was the only Jewish student at his school. He experienced antisemitic bullying, including being told he should be in a gas chamber. “One single lesson about modern-day antisemitism really did help,” he said. “Attitudes changed immediately and people did apologise to me. I experienced a lot less antisemitism. If it works in my school, there’s no reason that it can’t work in every school.”

Beware the real curse of the mummy, say scientists

Kaya Burgess Science Correspondent

The growing trade in mummified human and animal remains has been called the “real mummy’s curse” by academics because of the health risks posed by dormant bacteria and fungi that can spring back to life.

For decades, there have been keen collectors of mummified body parts, with some tourists to sites such as the Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily even snapping off fingers or stealing whole hands as mementoes of their visits.

Today there is a market for the “semi- clandestine, often illicit, trade and sale of mummified remains” that mostly takes place via social media, websites and auction houses, warns a paper published in the International Journal of Cultural Property.

In many mummification processes throughout history, toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead were used to slow the decomposition of the bodies, and they can still pose a

health danger to those handling the remains decades or centuries after they were embalmed.

“Most bacteria, fungi and yeasts survive, recolonise and multiply by using the body’s available organic material, especially when remains have been manipulated and subjected to sub-optimal storage conditions. These can result in additional biological hazards to the living,” the paper warns.

Academics examined 128 online posts offering remains. Some showed them out in the open, in living rooms and in homes with no evidence of temperature control. Postal workers who deliver the remains may also be at risk.

The inhalation of spores of Aspergillus, a form of mould, was implicated in the deaths of ten scientists who opened the tomb of King Casimir IV of Krakow in modern-day Poland in the 1970s, while spores of the same mould may have contributed to the death of Lord Carnarvon a year after the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt in 1922.

---

21

At breakfast I've seen two sides of the celebrity life Tom Whipple Page 22

Comment

Arday shows we believe what we want to believe

From the Hitler diaries to a fake Rockefeller, it has always been easy to pull the wool over intelligent people's eyes

Daniel Finkelstein

@DANNYTHEFINK

He was savvy, seasoned, a man of experience and a rising star. In 2011 Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg had academic and business success in his past and, it seemed, political success in his future. The conservative defence minister in Angela Merkel's cabinet was a plausible candidate to be chancellor after Merkel and a certainty for continued high office. And then it all came crashing down.

A law professor engaged in a routine research project stumbled across anomalies in Guttenberg's 2006 doctoral thesis. Soon the whole edifice had collapsed. Not just the PhD, but the minister's reputation as an elite legal scholar and his political career. He had copied whole sections of his thesis from other work and pasted them into his own.

Once he had actually resigned it was instantly obvious that no other course was possible or right. Yet there was a period between revelation and resignation when departure from office was vigorously resisted. Not just by Guttenberg himself, but by conservative supporters, including media backers who tried their best to rally their readers to support this charismatic leader of the right. They claimed that it was a minor academic dispute and an irrelevance, distracting from urgent German security priorities. They yielded only when the evidence became too overwhelming to overcome.

The reason for raising this now is

that there is something missing from the fuss about Jason Arday. And the Guttenberg scandal gives a clue about what that is.

Almost everything critical that has been written about Arday's behaviour, his academic career and his defenders has been correct. While plagiarism might have taken a moment or two to spot, his extraordinary claims about his life story certainly demanded a more sceptical eye than his employers and publishers ever cast upon them. And even if his scholarship had not been suspect, it is astonishing and dispiriting that work so obviously vacuous was regarded as having academic value. As the linguistics professor John McWhorter put it in the Manhattan Institute's City Journal, Arday became "a full professor of Cambridge based on doing interviews with acquaintances about the racism they experienced, and then largely just presenting what they said... Arday was treated as

Everyone involved so desperately wanted the diaries to be true

brilliant for his self-involved, unfocused, under-informed drive!"

When this work was exposed as not merely without merit but actually part of an elaborate fantasy, Arday found defenders inside and outside academe, led by the inevitable and ludicrous barrister Jolyon Maugham, forever seeking a fresh way to make a fool of himself. The offensive suggestion is that it was racist to point out Arday's numerous untruths.

And it is correct to observe that this defence, so obviously unmerited and undermined by the facts, was mounted because his defenders wanted him to be meritworthy and

therefore concluded that he must be. They agreed so strongly with all his stuff about discrimination and decolonising the curriculum, and for all that he seemed to symbolise about overcoming disadvantages, that neither the thinness of his academic work nor out-and-out bad practice could get in the way.

So the Arday disaster has exposed to reasonable criticism his defenders and his employers and, indeed, everyone who took his unserious work seriously. Yet something is nevertheless missing from this criticism. It is that the mistake all these people have made is not confined to left-wing "DEI" liberal academics and activists. It is a near universal error, made by people of diverse professional backgrounds and political opinions.

If the Guttenberg example was not enough for you, consider that you are reading this article in a newspaper that once proclaimed the existence and validity of Hitler's diaries. These were in fact a sloppy forgery. In his hilarious and jaw-dropping book Selling Hitler, the journalist (and later novelist) Robert Harris tells the story of how one serious person after another, including a famous historian, came to believe, and publicly attest, that Hitler had written a diary which had resurfaced in the West after spending decades hidden in the East. The Times was among those who went along with something thoroughly unlikely, because everyone involved so desperately wanted it to be true.

The Hitler diaries made fraud victims out of some very hard-headed people. The ability to achieve that is what makes fraud such a common crime, leaving everybody except the victims baffled that anyone could have fallen for the trick. It is not necessary to be stupid to be taken in by fraud,

Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr posed as a surgeon, prison warden and dean

indeed fraudsters often rely on the intelligence of their mark. They need someone with the intellectual ability to see the advantage of going along with a scheme that only later is revealed as fake.

The fantastically named Maria Konnikova was able to fill her book The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It ... Every Time with examples of impostors ranging from Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr, who posed as a naval surgeon, a civil engineer, a college dean and a prison warden, to Christian Gerhartstreiter, who presented himself for decades as Clark Rockefeller, a member of the wealthy dynasty, to the street artists who persuaded art experts that their fakes were real masterpieces.

Being vulnerable to fraud or to absurd claims or to trusting people who betray our trust is something we

all think is true of other people but not of ourselves. Democrat leaders, for instance, shook their heads at how Republican voters overlooked Donald Trump's lies, while simultaneously asserting that Joe Biden was physically and mentally fit for a further term as president. I don't doubt that Nigel Farage views Cambridge University and its naivety with contempt. Meanwhile he was surprised one day at Chicago airport when his closest aide was suddenly arrested, facing charges of attempted extortion, money laundering, blackmail and fraud.

We are all, to a greater or lesser degree, trusting. If we were not, then social interaction would become hugely difficult. But we accompany this by a particular tendency to believe things that it is convenient for us to believe and people whose stories, ideas and offerings are most advantageous to us. We have a strong temptation to be taken in by things that are convenient to believe or to do.

One of the ironies of the Arday scandal is that he has become so famous precisely because his collapse is a glorious vindication of something many people already thought. They already thought that his sort of work was tendentious and that it found favour not on its merits but because advancing him showed his sponsors to be racially progressive. So the whole affair is profoundly satisfying for critics of liberal academia.

On this occasion the critics are right and what is now said about Arday is, in my view, fair and true. But the real lesson is that we are, all of us, vulnerable to being carried away by what's convenient even when we are not right. It's a lesson for universities and liberals, sure. But there's a message there for the rest of us too.

daniel.finkelstein@thetimes.co.uk

Meet the Writer: An evening with Ann Patchett & Meg Mason

The choices we make. The stories we tell to survive. The beauty of human connection. Ann Patchett and Meg Mason will join Laura Hackett. The Times and Sunday Times' deputy literary and fiction editor, to talk about their new novels and wider body of work. The evening will explore what it is to be a writer, which is, in many ways for these bestselling authors, what it is to be human.

Wednesday, September 2 | 7.30pm St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, London, W1H 1PQ

TIMES Events Book your tickets at thetimes.com/events

---

22

Comment

Who will keep Iceland safe: the US or Europe?

Reykjavik's dilemma matters to all of us given the growing threat of Russia in the High North

Roger Boyes

@ROGERBOYES

A strategically important island of 400,000 goes to the polls later this month to decide whether to resume talks with the European Union aimed at full membership. The referendum in Iceland should not be much of a nail-biter — it's already pretty 'European', a member of the Schengen border agreement, inside the European Economic Area, and an early member of Nato, although it doesn't have a standing army. Yet pollsters give the government only a 50-50 chance of getting the vote through. Icelandic leaders are already pondering a second, definitive in/out referendum if a pushy Brussels demands too much in return for formal entry to their club.

If that sounds like a passing storm in a Viking drinking horn, think again. The Icelanders live on the geological faultless between Europe and America and regard themselves as both a founding European culture and as an embodiment of the American pioneering spirit. In the well-heeled times before the 2008 financial meltdown, which bankrupted the island, weekend shopping was often done in Manhattan. Icelandic oligarchs bought up chunks of American Airlines and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Now comes the formal choice: can Iceland continue to count on the

security shield provided by the United States? Or would a deeper alignment with the EU be the safer option? A trading island must stay open to the world; there is no serious protectionist option, no prospect of autarky. To be a small state in an interlocked world is to be vulnerable at a time of crisis.

The crises informing this month's referendum stem from a collapse of trust in the solidity of the Trump presidency. The talk of annexing Greenland, a neighbour of both the US and Iceland, rattled Reykjavik. Greenland was still struggling with underfunded home rule from Denmark whereas Iceland had won full-on independence from Copenhagen in 1944. Even so the

Russian spy ships have been spotted recently in waters off Iceland

capacity of White House friends and family to eye up the place as a handy investment in mineral mining came as a shock.

How transactional would the security blanket become? How hard would Iceland have to flatter Washington to keep the relationship stable? As the pro-Europe lobby in Iceland, including the foreign minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, argued, a pre-Brussels alignment could at least create strength in numbers. Many EU countries had sent symbolic troop units to Greenland. French president Emmanuel Macron flew in. Would they do the same for Iceland if it rejected full-blooded membership?

Would Macron even get out of bed? This is a dilemma that pre-dates Trump. When I was writing a book about Iceland and the financial crisis in 2008 I lived in the basement of our formidable Reykjavik stronger Hildur Helga Sigurdardóttir and was holed up there for three days during a rare snowstorm. The reading matter on her shelves included a satirical novel by the Nobel prizewinner Halldór Laxness, written in the wake of the 1940s decision to station a US base in Keflavik as Iceland debated whether it should join Nato. His question: does hosting a foreign military guarantee national security, or does it surrender national sovereignty?

Next on the reading list was Einar Karasoni Devils Island, set in the Cold War in an abandoned Allied military barracks. It featured a clash between American consumerism and Icelandic national traditions and framed the question: does dependence on external military protection end up atomising society?

And then there was a pile of Iceland-noir thrillers which posed the problem: what happens if the future defence of the Arctic is negotiated over the heads of Icelanders, with no transparency or scrutiny? That's a debate, played out through various fictional plots, which centres on what happens when protection from an external power results in a loss of control and identity.

All these themes are still live-wired and part of the national discourse, not just in Iceland, not just in small states and not just in the immediate neighbourhood of an unpredictable superpower. And they become urgent when Arctic sea ice levels

are dropping so drastically.

The Russian threat is real too. It's re-opening Soviet-era naval bases, deploying advanced air defence around Russian Arctic ports, expanding the Northern Fleet on the Kola peninsula. Russian spy ships have been spotted recently in waters off Iceland, submarines are finding paths through the North Atlantic, and there is an obvious Russian interest in disrupting fibre-optic data cables across the Atlantic as well as between new Nato members Finland and Sweden.

There is thus a natural interest for both the US and Europe to persuade Iceland to be more than a passive observer of another potential 21st-century maritime battlefield. Finland for example is building part of a fleet of ice-breakers designed for use by the US navy in the Arctic. Iceland does not have that heavy-duty military shipbuilding capacity; it has a coast guard that once tried to scare off British vessels in the 1970s Cod War but which, with US or European help, could be modernised into a potent anti-submarine detection force.

The political context has to be established first, however. The European Commission and its political leaders are nervous about scaring the Icelandic voters into a negative vote. They seem to think it wiser to vaguely promise future concessions on fish quotas rather than go up against Trump or tread in murky geopolitical waters. They're wrong. Sub-Arctic Iceland knows what's going on in the High North and rightly wants a straight answer from Europe and the US: who will help us stay safe?

Israel wants peace but Hamas must disarm completely Jonathan Conricus

The Board of Peace's plan for Gaza offers a rare glimmer of hope amid years of bloodshed and despair. At its core is a straightforward proposition: the phased disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian terror organisations in exchange for the eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israelis and Gazans alike desperately want Hamas's weapons taken away. Gaza demilitarised and a new form of leadership to take root — one based on respectful coexistence rather than endless jihad.

Many Israelis, still reeling from the horrors of October 2, see this as the only reliable way to restore security to the kibbutzim and towns that face Gaza. They have no appetite for indefinite military operations. Popular rhetoric aside, neither the Israeli public nor the military wants to remain in Gaza indefinitely.

What they want is simple: the absence of a genocidal terror organisation on the other side of the fence, armed with rockets, tunnels and an ideology of annihilation. Gazans, too, have every reason to support this. Years of rule by a mafia that prioritises tunnels and rockets over schools, hospitals and prosperity have exacted a terrible toll.

Yet history teaches caution. Hamas has a well-documented record of tactical pauses. The Islamic concept of hadna, a temporary cessation of hostilities, has been invoked when jihadi forces find themselves at a disadvantage, only to be broken once strength is regained. If the current peace deal amounts to nothing more than another hadna, it will fail. What is required instead is genuine, complete disarmament: every long-range rocket, every AK-47, maps of the entire tunnel network and the locations of weapons manufacturing sites, all handed over under independent international verification.

Israel's actions will hinge entirely on whether that verification occurs. The absence of an immediate official Israeli endorsement is understandable in the present political climate. With elections approaching, any government is wary of appearing to accept international dictates that place civilians at risk. But once the Strip is verifiably demilitarised, Israel has every incentive to withdraw.

Palestinians in Gaza possess agency. They can choose prosperity, dignity and coexistence instead of the ideology that has repeatedly invited destruction. That choice begins with the surrender of the weapons that make peaceful politics impossible.

The responsibility now rests with those who hold the guns: hand them over, allow the process to be verified and let the possibility of coexistence finally take root. Anything less returns everyone to the same deadly cycle that has already claimed too many lives.

Jonathan Conricus was international spokesperson of the IDF, 2017-2021.

Tom Whipple Notebook

At breakfast I've seen two sides of the celebrity life

When I think of fame, of what it is to be recognised in the street — approached by strangers as if they are your friend, aware that your smallest forgotten interaction will be their forever dinner party anecdote — I think of two hotel breakfast buffets. One was a couple of weeks ago. The other, the first, a decade ago.

What I remember, now, when the famousish lady came down to breakfast, was her headwear. People don't normally wear trifles at 8am in February in the dining room of a Welsh hotel. I ignored her and returned to my toast.

But the trifles was not meant to be ignored. Its owner sat at her table and angled her chair to point in to the room. Then she waited. Over the next five minutes she smiled scrappily at the normals like me, drinking our normal coffee in peace.

Somehow she changed the dynamic, so it seemed impolite to ignore her. Until, the awkwardness too great, the poor man beside me cracked. 'Aren't you the singer from...?' he asked.

And with that the breakfast peace was shattered — she was the queen, the whole room was her court. We heard every anecdote, polished and re-polished over the years. They were good anecdotes. It still felt a little odd. Despite 20 years of fame, she could not go unacknowledged. Even at breakfast.

Eating eggs in peace

The second breakfast was this summer. I had been chairing a talk with someone of definite A-list fame. Walking back to the hotel, I gained the slightest insight into what that meant. People approached for selfies. They tried to connect by citing tenuous links, vaguely shared acquaintances. No. he said politely, he couldn't remember that person. Yes, he said, he would pose for a photo. Everyone meant well. No one was aggressive. But collectively, aggressive was how it felt.

The next morning, we had

breakfast together and it was still going. Periodically, someone would move in for a croissant, spot him, and tell him how much they liked him. He was never less than meticulously polite, never anything other than pretty obviously awkward. He must have had this for 40 years. It felt like he still hadn't figured out how to make this situation work. He just wanted to have his eggs Benedict in peace. He was, in other words, a normal person.

I won't name him, because I suspect he wouldn't want me to. And I won't name the singer, because I suspect she might.

When will I expire?

It is time for a new passport. Getting a new one has been very satisfying — I am far from the first to note that this is a bit of the state that works very well. Efficient, easy, does what it says. Whoever runs it should be shifted to the NHS or civil service procurement. Or maybe the nuclear deterrent. Even so, I'm sorry to see the old passport go. Its pages record, in comfortably bureaucratic

fashion, a decade of adventures. I remember when I got it, how 2026 seemed unimaginably far away. Now look at all I've done. And despite those adventures I look, I deludedly think, not that different from the man in the 2016 photograph.

But now I have my new passport, and a new expiry date. This time, it is 2036 that seems unimaginably far away — even though 2016 feels like yesterday. I guess, if I'm lucky, before I die I'll experience that befuddlement about expiry dates versus issue dates three more times. It's difficult not to feel a little morbid. Three passport renewals until my own expiry date. Still, at least the website works.

Happiness is up to us

During the 2008 financial crash, there was a comment beneath a news article that I remember to this day but have never found again. So I will paraphrase. It said: 'Everyone keeps talking about how this could be like the 1970s. But I remember the 1970s. I lived by the sea, and I walked my toddler on the beach every day. The 1970s were great.'

I think about that comment a lot. Of course the national picture — economy, politics, geopolitics — matters. But most of our happiness is in our own hands.

Matthew Parris is away

---

23

Comment

Buy prints or signed copies of Times cartoons from our Print Gallery at timescartoons.com or call 0800 912 7136

Police misogyny left Simon Levy free to kill

Clear signs that serial attacker would rape and murder were ignored, despite lessons from death of Sarah Everard

Sonia Sodha

@SONIASODHA

Reading about Simon Levy, one quickly loses count of the number of police failures that allowed him to escalate from perpetrating sexual assaults on the Tube to murdering two women. We are now more than five years on from the murder of Sarah Everard by the Met officer Wayne Couzens, a man who had already been reported multiple times to the police for indecent exposure, and whose red flags led colleagues to nickname him “the rapist”. This case prompts the question: how much has actually changed?

Levy was first reported to the police for sexual assault in 2017 but it took two more assaults for him to be sent to prison in 2021. Less than a year into his sentence he assaulted a female prison officer but, despite there being video and her reporting it the same day, the Met did not interview him for another year, and only after he was released from prison on licence after serving just half his sentence.

Months after he was released, he

assaulted a woman on the Tube, but was not identified by the British Transport Police until two years later. This was followed by a rape allegation, which led to him being returned to prison for just three months until the end of his sentence. On his release, the Met took the extraordinary decision to downgrade him from a high to a medium-risk sex offender.

He went on to commit several further sexual assaults, then the violent rape of a vulnerable woman in early 2025 that was barely followed up by the police. He brutally murdered Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins that same year. In between these murders, he committed further sexual assaults on public transport and was granted bail each time, despite having previously breached his conditions.

Not all gropers become murderers but men like Levy and Couzens invariably commit lesser assaults before progressing to rape and murder. Save knocking on the door of a station and giving himself up, Levy could not have made it more obvious what a risk he posed. Yet time and again, the police failed to treat his offending with the appropriate gravity, allowing him to move from assault to rape to murder unimpeded by law enforcement.

Levy serves as a reminder of just how bad the police and probation services can be at keeping track of

dangerous men, at the very moment the government is proposing the early release of hundreds of domestic abusers into the community because of a shortage of prison places. And his crimes are not the only symptom of police failures to grip the institutional problems revealed by Everard’s murder.

At the end of last year, the Centre for Women’s Justice submitted a super-complaint about the long delays in investigating sexual offences: there were almost 14,000 investigations that had been open for

Too many officers look away from domestic abusers in their ranks

more than three years, and over 1,700 for more than seven years. That is clearly terrible for the victims but also means it is likely that the next Levy is being left out there to terrorise women.

This institutionally lax approach continues to be underpinned not just by misogynistic attitudes in the police but cultures in which police officers look the other way from — or even cover for — domestic abusers within their own ranks. Some officers who stand accused of domestic abuse have been promoted to take on responsibility for policing

rape and domestic abuse; female officers who report their male police partners for abuse have faced victimisation for doing so.

A career in policing attracts not only decent citizens who wish to serve but bad men who get a thrill out of domination and force: the kind of men who may not only minimise violence against women but perpetrate it themselves. This makes both vetting and encouraging fellow officers to flag worrying behaviour vital. Yet research by Refuge highlights that in 2022-23 just a quarter of police officers and staff accused of violence against women were suspended from duty pending the outcome of an investigation. It recently took an undercover investigation by BBC Panorama to uncover gross misogyny and racism by police officers at Charing Cross police station that had been left to flourish unchecked.

The mind boggles at how starkly this contrasts with the way Northumbria police have pursued Rachel Fletcher, a detective constable who handled difficult and complex investigations into male offenders, including a prolific child sex offender. Fletcher was last week summarily dismissed by a gross misconduct panel after fellow officers alleged she commented that “all men are rapists” and referred to men who identify as female as “cocks in frocks”.

She denies both; she says she actually made the accurate comment “all rapists are men”, joked about imposing a curfew on men to prevent rape, and complained about an unlawful and since-revised national police policy — developed by her force’s chief constable — that female officers should strip-search men who claim to be female. Fletcher quite credibly believes she has been punished for not falling in line with a misogynistic policy, and finds herself on the same banned policing list as Wayne Couzens. She will be challenging her dismissal in the courts.

I find it extraordinary that the police could be so ruthlessly efficient at ejecting an experienced female officer who has helped bring sex offenders to justice, and over a handful of disputed comments at work, when they have such a dreadful track record of rooting out men who abuse women from within their own ranks, and continue to make the devastating errors that allow violent offenders like Levy to rape and murder. It hints at a culture in which alleged offensive remarks about men are treated on a different scale to real violence against women, and suggests the police have a long way to go yet in addressing their institutionalised misogyny.

Alice Thomson is away

---

24

Letters to the Editor

Subscriptions plea

Sir, The prime minister's pledge to crack down on bad actors who mislead consumers is absolutely right but rushing ahead with a subscriptions regime without proper consultation with responsible businesses — which were never the intended targets of the new system — risks undermining this objective ('PM sets sights on 'rip-off' discounts and subscriptions', Aug 10). If responsible businesses are not given the proper time to prepare, as they were repeatedly promised, it will ultimately be to the detriment of the many millions of consumers who enjoy and rely upon the services and products these companies provide. The Competition and Markets Authority has successfully used an adjustment period to support businesses with compliance efforts for similar changes to consumer law. This must now be set out as a matter of urgency. Theo Bamber, CEO, News Media Association; Matthew Evans, chief operating officer and director of markets, techUK; Sajeeda Merali, CEO, Professional Publishers Association; Simon Newman, CEO, Online Dating and Discovery Association

Airports rail link

Sir, Gatwick will have its second runway in a few years' time (letter, Aug 11), and Heathrow will eventually have its third. Both have good rail links into central London. But what if you need to transfer between them? There was a visionary proposal about 15 years ago for a high-speed rail link (known as Heathwick) that would have connected Heathrow and Gatwick, allowing them to function in effect as a single hub. The journey time between them would have been about 15 minutes. Unless any thought is being given to reviving the idea, it seems that driving, with a journey time of an hour or more, will remain the only realistic transport option between the two airports.

David Pennie Cottingham, E Yorks

Sir, We are accustomed to paying for flights at the time of booking, often months in advance. However, your report about the additional charge to help finance the new runway at Heathrow takes advance to a whole new level ('Heathrow in bid for 19bn runway funds', Aug 10): payment toward flights I haven't yet booked on a runway that doesn't yet exist.

Andrew Watts Great Munden, Herts

Corrections and clarifications

1500 Regulated The Times takes complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation ('IPSO') rules and regulations and the Editors' Code of Practice that IPSO enforces. Requests for corrections or clarifications should be sent by email to feedback@thetimes.co.uk or by post to Feedback, The Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

Legal struggle over early release of PC's killers

Sir, Further to your report 'Burnham demands plan to keep PC's killers in jail' (Aug 11), prisoners released on licence are not released 'early'. The release of prisoners on licence is a feature of criminal sentencing and is designed to balance punishment behind bars with community rehabilitation to reduce reoffending. If the government is serious about dealing with overcrowding in prisons, it must address the safe release of thousands of prisoners on (now unlawful) indefinite sentences, who have served their sentence many times already. It was also recently revealed that the number of prisoners recalled to prison now exceeds the number of prisoners released from prison.

Perhaps the best chancellor could direct his energies towards these systemic problems rather than finding elaborate ruses to keep two particular prisoners at their present address.

Oliver Patenan Barrister, 5 Paper Buildings, Temple

Sir, John Young (letter, Aug 10) seems to believe that all cases of murder or manslaughter are the same and that an outcry of public opinion should not sway decisions regarding early release of those convicted of these

crimes. While any criminal offence involving the death of another human being is despicable, there are different repercussions for society in cases involving first-responders. Police officers, firefighters and ambulance workers run towards danger on our behalf. Their unlawful killing is different to that of the ordinary citizen, for they serve us. If we expect them to protect us we must have a serious deterrent to stop as many killings of our protectors as possible.

Dr Michael Fopp Soulbury, Bucks

Sir, It beggars belief that prisoners convicted of homicide offences such as manslaughter or causing death by dangerous driving are to be released even earlier than it was anticipated that they would have been at the point of sentence. Not a single minister rolled out for interview has been able to identify the number of such prisoners who are going to be released. Are our prisons really so full that such killers have to be released so early?

Brian O'Neill KC 2 Hare Court, Temple

Sir, The prime minister says he is increasingly confident that a solution

will be found to prevent the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, even if one does not appear to have occurred to him yet. Surely one option is to prevent their early release on the grounds that given the public outrage that greeted the news, their being set free would constitute a threat to public order and their safety on the outside could not be guaranteed. As I recall, it was an argument mounted when Myra Hindley started her campaign for parole.

APM Rees Carephilly

Sir, Although Cole and Bowers may not deserve early release (a view shared by 900,000-plus petitioners), the demerits of the other 5,000 prisoners required to be released to enable the prison system to 'function' have not been put to that cohort of the public. Given that the prime minister is keen to be swayed by public opinion (and as such can be labelled populist), perhaps the BBC could be persuaded to have a phone-in show whereby viewers could vote on each of the prisoners, with Burnham having a casting vote in the event of a tie.

Tony Dzimitrowicz Croydon

Role of 20mph limit in reducing injuries

Sir, It is difficult not to feel sympathy for your correspondent (Aug 11) whose family members driving at 22mph and 23mph led to a £500 increase in her car insurance premium. However, speed is a major factor in child pedestrian casualties and anyone working in accident and emergency departments or trauma services will have much worse stories. The risk of serious injury or being killed is 45 per cent if a pedestrian is hit at 30mph compared with 5 per cent at 20mph.

Until all vehicles are fitted with autonomous emergency braking we should perhaps adopt the policy of Graa in Austria, where 30km/h (30mph) is the default speed limit in 80 per cent of residential areas, removing the feeble excuse of drivers being 'confused' by changes of speed limit from one area to the next.

Dr Richard Cole FRCS Salisbury

Sir, Libby Purves (Aug 10) singles out the 'hooligan in a Jag'. I drive a Jag but keep religiously to 20mph where that is the speed limit. I have such a limit on my own street and the main

road that it joins; my Jag happily cruises at such a speed. As a child I was hit by a speeding car in a built-up area. I now struggle to walk, and after 47 years still have nightmares about it. Jennifer Siewright Wakefield, W Yorks

Sir, Like Libby Purves, I have been on three speed awareness courses. Oddly, none has raised the extraordinary initial rate of acceleration of modern cars, especially electric ones. Car makers always quote the 0-60mph time as a measure of performance but the 0-30mph time is more significant. When you pull away from traffic lights a 20mph or 30mph-speed limit can easily be exceeded within seconds. John Ashton Glemsford, Suffolk

Sir, Ask any casualty staff member whether they would rather be struck by a vehicle travelling at 20mph or 30mph. Cars are getting heavier and safer for those inside, at the expense of those outside. Tom Dehn (ref'd surgeon) Stratfield Mortimer, Berks

Identity politics

Sir, Although I agree with Giles Coren (Notebook, Aug 11) that it is about time we stopped talking about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I don't think the same applies to Jason Arday. As Nigel Biggar argues in his Thunderer (Aug 11), this affair has raised important questions about identity politics in our universities. These questions are worth debating. John Newton Thirsk, N Yorks

Sound odyssey

Sir, I commiserate with Tim Yeo (letter, Aug 11). My advice to friends contemplating going to see The Odyssey, particularly Imax screenings, is to wear an eye mask for the gory hits and ear plugs for the horribly loud, discordant soundtrack. It's quite a good film otherwise.

Gilly Hendry Gullane, East Lothian

Letters to The Times must be exclusive and may be edited

ALLEGED TRAFFIC IN COCAINE

FROM THE TIMES AUGUST 12, 1926

Benjamin White, 43, appeared on remand at Marlborough-street Police Court, charged with being in unauthorized possession of cocaine at Denmark-street. Further charges were made against him in relation to two opium pipes and a quantity of morphine, alleged to have been found at his lodgings.

A detective stated that he saw a woman pass a Treasury note to the prisoner, who, putting it in his pocket, took something out and gave it to the woman. The detective stopped them and seized the woman by the wrist. She opened her hand,

and the witness took possession of a paper packet containing a white powder. The woman told him that White had just given it to her for 10s. The prisoner replied that he did not know the woman and had not given her anything. The prisoner dropped a match-box, which contained a white powder similar to the other. The witness searched the prisoner at the police station, and in his pocket he found a 10s note and in his wallet another 10s note. He went to the prisoner's address at Cambridge-terrace and found match-boxes similar to that dropped by him.

A detective-inspector from New Scotland-yard stated that after the arrest of the accused he went to his address. In a locked chest of drawers he found three cardboard boxes containing 22 tubes labelled 'Morphine hydrochlor' and a large number of empty phials, similarly labelled. In a room leading out of the bedroom he found two opium pipes,

wrapped in a pair of pyjamas. There was also a tin containing a black substance which resembled opium, and two opium needles.

Among the property found in the prisoner's room were bank receipts for two sealed parcels. On July 29 he went to the bank and was handed two parcels to which the receipts referred. They were opened in the presence of the prisoner.

Evidence was given by a Government analyst that the contents of two paper packets which he had analysed were composed of 50 per cent cocaine. He had also, he said, analysed three boxes of tubes of white tablets. The tablets contained morphine hydrochloride.

The prisoner, who pleaded 'Not Guilty', was remanded, bail being granted in his own recognizances of £1,000 and a surety of £100.

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

Water of strife

Sir, As I read in your columns that Thames Water has given its chief financial officer a million-pound 'sign-on' payment (Aug 11), the following should be recorded. For the past 48 hours, opposite my house, fresh water has been pushing out into the street and is now flowing into the gutter in two streams. Some nearby builders and I sent an urgent complaint to Thames Water (this itself seemed an unbelievably complicated process). Net result: nothing. As I write, it is still pushing. In the meantime my plants are withering. How long, O Lord, how long? Robin Baird-Smith London NW3

Medical hoax

Sir, Late in her long career as a GP my wife was presented with a coffee mug on which was emblazoned: 'Please do not confuse your Google search with my medical degree.'

Perhaps President Trump and Robert F Kennedy Jr might benefit from receiving the same ('Trump signs order to limit child vaccines over unproven autism link', Aug 10).

Andrew Colman London E11

Convertible crime

Sir, You give various reasons for the decline in popularity of convertible cars but omit to mention the most obvious one that soft tops are likely to be slashed by thieves and vandals ('Sunset for the soft-top' Driveways fill with SUVs', news, Aug 10). I know this to my cost from two such experiences and now drive a boring but much safer saloon car with a reassuringly sold roof.

Gillian Nathan Shenley, Herts

Supporting the arts

Sir, The Royal Ballet and Opera has announced that it needs £60 million to stay open ('Cash-hit venue warns of frights at the opera unless building upgraded', Aug 2). How is it that our museums and galleries are able to remain free for all and yet there is not enough money in the coffers for the performing arts? Perhaps there should be a special Performing Arts Fund akin to the Art Fund.

Tristan Hambleton Singer, London SE23

Rich Welsh genre

Sir, I trust there is room in the Welsh retitled movie market (letters, Aug 6-8, 10 & 11) for Dai of the Trifish.

Nigel Dando Portishead, Somerset

Sir, For the biblically minded The Tethy Commandments, for lovers of espionage The Idris File and for romantics When Barry Met Pwllheli.

Mary Robey London N7

Sir, Chitty Chitty Bangor? Andrew Tate Goring on Thames, Oxon

Much-loved dog

Sir, My father-in-law, who was Dutch, said that in the next life he would want above all else to be an Englishman's dog (letters, Aug 10 & 11).

Edward Woods Towcester, Northants

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday, August 12 2026

25

Leading articles

Daily Universal Register

Cook Islands: General election is held. Norway: The half-year results of the sovereign wealth fund are announced. World: UN's International Youth Day.

Nature notes

As the drought crushed the life out of North Yorkshire, even deep-rooted meadow plants began to wilt. Ditches, streams,

rivers, tarns and bogs became oases. In the village of Balk, where its eponymous beck parts through soft mud, great willowherb still managed to thrive, forming thick stands over two metres tall. The wild bees gratefully accepted the pollen and nectar; elephant hawk-moths visited the plant after dark — the foliage feeds their caterpillars. Great willowherb is one of the signature plants of summer. In The Wind in the Willows, it takes centre stage when Mole and Ratty look back on their summer together. The flowers are recalled as 'tender and wistful, like a pink sunset cloud' JONATHAN TULLOCH

Birthdays today

Mark Knopfler, pictured, singer-songwriter, Dire Straits, Romeo and Juliet (1981), Walk of Life (1985), 77; Casey Affleck, actor, Manchester by the Sea (2016), Oppenheimer (2024), 51; Michael Brunsom, broadcaster, political editor, ITN (1986-2000), 86; Cara Delevingne, model and actress, Paper Towns (2015), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), Carnival Row (2019-23), 34; Arthur Edwards, The Sun royal photographer (since 1977), 86; Sir Bradley Fried, financier, chairman, Partners Capital (investment firm), Goldman Sachs International and Goldman Sachs International Bank (2023-24), chairman of the Court of the Bank of England (2018-22), 61; Tyson Fury, boxer, former multiple world heavyweight champion, 38; George Hamilton, actor, Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981), The Coadjutor: Part III (1990), 87; Francois Hollande, president of France (2012-17), 72; Sam J Jones, actor best known for starring in Flash Gordon (1980), 72; Prof Sir David King, founder and chairman (2019-23), Centre for Climate Repair, University of Cambridge, UK special representative on climate change (2013-17), UK government's chief scientific adviser (2000-07), 87; David Lee, jazz pianist and composer, arranger for stars including Norman Wisdom and Judy Garland, 100; Michael Leiters, chief executive, Porsche AG, 55; Ron Mael, musician, Sparks, This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (1974); Beat the Clock (1979), 81; Amanda Redman, actress, At Home with the Brathwaite (2000-03), New Tricks (2003-13), 69; Pete Sampras, tennis player, seven-time Wimbledon men's singles champion, 55; George Soros, founder (1970), Soros Fund Management, 96; Tanita Tikaram, singer-songwriter, Twist in My Sobriety (1988), 57; Sir Graham Wylie, co-founder of Sage software group and founder of Technology Services Group, 67.

Brunsom, broadcaster, political editor, ITN (1986-2000), 86; Cara Delevingne, model and actress, Paper Towns (2015), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), Carnival Row (2019-23), 34; Arthur Edwards, The Sun royal photographer (since 1977), 86; Sir Bradley Fried, financier, chairman, Partners Capital (investment firm), Goldman Sachs International and Goldman Sachs International Bank (2023-24), chairman of the Court of the Bank of England (2018-22), 61; Tyson Fury, boxer, former multiple world heavyweight champion, 38; George Hamilton, actor, Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981), The Coadjutor: Part III (1990), 87; Francois Hollande, president of France (2012-17), 72; Sam J Jones, actor best known for starring in Flash Gordon (1980), 72; Prof Sir David King, founder and chairman (2019-23), Centre for Climate Repair, University of Cambridge, UK special representative on climate change (2013-17), UK government's chief scientific adviser (2000-07), 87; David Lee, jazz pianist and composer, arranger for stars including Norman Wisdom and Judy Garland, 100; Michael Leiters, chief executive, Porsche AG, 55; Ron Mael, musician, Sparks, This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (1974); Beat the Clock (1979), 81; Amanda Redman, actress, At Home with the Brathwaite (2000-03), New Tricks (2003-13), 69; Pete Sampras, tennis player, seven-time Wimbledon men's singles champion, 55; George Soros, founder (1970), Soros Fund Management, 96; Tanita Tikaram, singer-songwriter, Twist in My Sobriety (1988), 57; Sir Graham Wylie, co-founder of Sage software group and founder of Technology Services Group, 67.

On this day

In 1908 Henry Ford's first Model T came off a moving assembly line, priced at $850.

The last word

'The great maxim of modern thought is not only the toleration of everything, but the examination of everything. It is by examining very bare, very dull, very unpromising things, that science has come to be what it is.' Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution (1894)

Just Do It

Andy Burnham has wielded the power of his office to stop the killers of PC Harper being released. He must bring the same zeal to tackling illegal migration

Ministers decide. That simple truth is the cornerstone of the Britain constitution, but in recent years it has been wilfully forgotten. Sir Keir Starmer was a model of passivity, and his Conservative predecessors were little better — tying their own hands with the strictures of unaccountable opanages and surrendering power to faceless officials.

Andy Burnham therefore deserves some credit. This week has shown that he understands the authority of his office. Sir Keir repeatedly agreed to the early release of prisoners, including some convicted of heinous offenses, after officials told him there was no alternative. Recognising the public's moral outrage as urgent and legitimate, his successor pushed civil servants to find a way of exempting rapists, serious child sex offenders and groomers from release. Mr Burnham appears to have succeeded in this endeavour, but, by his own admission, has not gone far enough.

There has been continued outcry in recent days over the killers convicted of PC Andrew Harper's brutal and senseless manslaughter in 2019, two of whom are eligible for early release next year. Asked by The Times if the prime minister would intervene to keep them detained, Downing Street's answer was unequivocal: he will. Mr Burnham faces the same grim choices as his predecessor,

soe, but refuses to accept that better solutions are impossible. He believes that to govern in difficult times need not mean declaring oneself incapable.

Of course, Mr Burnham might yet fall short of his promises. But it is refreshing to see him resist the pernicious defeatism and learnt helplessness that has too often passed for statecraft in recent years. He has shown that it is still possible for a government to exercise agency when confronted with controversy or challenge. Ministers do decide, and Mr Burnham has decided to respond to justified fury rather than ignore it. He should maintain this approach in other fights to come.

If the prime minister is to prove he is doing politics differently, then he must grip the Home Office with the zeal with which he has confronted the Ministry of Justice. There is no worse indictment of what Mr Burnham lambasts as the 'unaccountable state' than the crisis of illegal migration. He was right to keep Shahasa Mahmood, who understands that strong borders are existential for a functional state, as home secretary.

Small boat crossings are significantly down on last year. But good intentions and incremental improvements, however welcome, are not enough. Mr Burnham knows it. Of those reduced numbers, he said yesterday: 'That's not good

enough. People will say to me they don't want any crossings.' He is right. Voters tell pollsters that migration is still the problem that most concerns them. Nor, in the modern attention economy, are promising statistics any rejoinder to images of 70,000 migrants storming the shores of Ceuta last month, or 230 crossing the English Channel on a 'mega-dinghy' this week.

Mr Burnham noted that his own constituents want action. He pledged to 'change the conversation' on illegal immigration, along with relentless actions to change the 'tactics' of Britain's response to the crisis. But what the prime minister needs is a bold new strategy. In his industrious response to early prison releases, he has given voters reason to believe he means what he says.

The prime minister should refuse to take no for an answer on illegal migration. Britain needs serious deterrents — including overseas return hubs such as the Falkland Islands for unauthorised arrivals — and a crackdown on the perverse welfare incentives that sustain the deadly traffic of small boats across the Channel. The window of opportunity is open. YouGov's latest survey reports that Labour is just ahead of Reform UK. Mr Burnham cannot afford to squander that tentative public trust, nor his chance to fix Britain's open borders.

Election Charade

The only party officially opposed to the Ukraine war has been banned in Russia

There is now no legal way for Russians to express opposition to the war in Ukraine at the ballot box. This week, in response to a trumped-up objection by a small, servile pro-Putin party, Russia's Supreme Court banned the Yabloko party from contesting parliamentary elections next month. Yabloko, a liberal party founded in Boris Yeltsin's time and still able to channel limited opposition to President Putin despite repeated harassment, has called for an end to the fighting. Some 40 party activists are facing prosecution and its deputy leader is serving seven years in prison. Police threatened those protesting outside the court with swirl removal to military recruitment centres.

Mr Putin originally allowed Yabloko to run in an attempt to give the Duma elections some credibility. He has since become concerned by the muted but growing anti-war sentiment and the damage to public morale caused by Ukraine's increasingly effective attacks on barracks, refineries, distribution centres and key economic targets. Mr Putin's popularity ratings have fallen to 66 per cent — the lowest since the start of the war (though, according to experts, still far higher than the true measure

of his popularity). In the belief that his presence can reassure voters, yesterday he flew to Novosibirsk, the biggest city in Siberia and the sixth big city he has visited in under three weeks. And in an almost furcical re-enactment of the Polemkin deceptions, the local authorities in two other Siberian cities, Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk, lowered petrol prices during his visits — and raised them again on his departure.

Mr Putin's trips may also be intended to bolster his own morale. Russia's standing is under siege. Its global influence has been severely reduced in the Middle East after the fall of Syria's President Assad, and in Africa after former Wagner group mercenaries failed to solidify their ousting of the French in the Sahel. At home, its economy is suffering from the switch of all investment to the military, leaving the civilian economy struggling, prices rising and vital high-tech sectors languishing. Many of the best brains have decided to emigrate. There is no doubt that United Russia, the ruling party that dominates the spineless Duma, will win. But the election campaign still matters. It is a barometer of public opinion and the only time that

officials are obliged to listen to complaints about local living conditions. Though no party can question the war itself, its effects are beginning to hurt: fuel shortages have led to queues at the pumps, the Black Sea and Crimean resorts are becoming dangerous for those used to summer holidays on the beaches, and the increasingly desperate attempts to recruit enough soldiers are distorting lives. Above all, no official propaganda can hide the losses — some half a million dead, according to western intelligence sources — along with rising bribery, corruption and brutal conditions.

The 450-seat Duma, in which five parties are represented, has, like all the Putin dictatorship, a veneer of legality. The absolute majority is held by United Russia, Mr Putin's party. The new parliament is due to sit until 2031, a year after the end of Mr Putin's current presidential term. It could therefore play a key role if he leaves office then. Already Mr Putin has sidelined Dmitry Shchivalev, the hardline former president, by denying him former top status in the party list. More such manoeuvings are likely. Little wonder Mr Putin is taking this election charade seriously.

Building Beautiful

Garish shopfronts make high streets less compelling to visit

In one of his most famous sentiments, the conservative philosopher Sir Roger Scruton said, 'Like the pleasure of friendship, the pleasure in beauty is curious: it aims to understand its object, and to value what it finds.' It is this quote that adorns 'Living with Beauty', the concluding report from a 2020 government commission that was his final work. Sir Roger urged the government to see beauty as an essential condition, not an option, for planning permission; to refuse ugliness that destroyed any sense of place; and to promote greater stewardship of the natural and built environment. All of these are wise principles.

Labour has previously shown little interest in the appreciation of beauty. The Office for Place, which was set up after Sir Roger's report to champion better building design across the country, was unwisely closed two years ago. Andy Burnham, however, has hinted that he appreciates the importance of having high streets people want to visit. The prime minister has announced a clampdown on garish vape and fast food shops. His government will work with councils and the Planning Advisory Service to issue stricter guidance on the design and appearance of shopfronts. Such small changes can make all the difference.

An example of success can be found in Lichfield in Staffordshire, where the district council published a design code in May for shopfronts with a greater sense of quality and prosperity. Better shops alone will not rescue ailing high streets; councils must also provide targeted funding to individual businesses as well as doing their bit to enhance the public realm. But curtailing vulgar fronts is a precursor to vibrancy. We hope Mr Burnham will further discover the importance of beauty in building and pride in place. As Sir Roger's commission rightly argued, this is the only way to make places more livable.

---

26

World

Fallout from war drives Putin out to meet his people

Russia Marc Bennetts

Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, has not looked so good for a long time. Roads have been resurfaced, pavements repaired and grass trimmed.

Work was finished frantically before President Putin's visit yesterday. "They're practically rebuilding the city in three days," a resident said on social media. "Dann, I wish he'd visit more often, maybe then we'd see a whole new city built in a year."

The Russian leader rarely left Moscow at the start of the year, possibly for fear of assassination, but he has visited six cities in less than three weeks. Analysts say he may be making an effort to boost his declining popularity.

Putin's approval ratings fell in July to 66 per cent, a historic low since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, according to FOM, a Kremlin-affiliated pollster. Critics said his true support was lower.

The war is hitting home in Russia. Ukrainian drone and missile attacks have caused fuel shortages, internet blackouts and deaths. During Putin's recent visits to Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk, petrol prices were reduced — apparently on official orders — before rising again as soon as he left.

Although elections are rigged in favour of Putin and his ruling party, and the security services stamp out signs of dissent, the Kremlin is known to monitor public opinion. Putin's ratings are high in comparison with those of western leaders, but the national media is controlled by the Kremlin.

Farida Rustamova, an exiled opposition journalist who runs Vlast, an English-language website about Russian domestic politics, said: "For a long time

President Putin talking to students and young scientists during his visit to Novosibirsk yesterday

now, [Putin's] own approval rating has been the primary indicator of the state of affairs in the country for him.

"It is unlikely he is overly concerned about his personal standing at this very moment, yet the system is so fixated on him as an individual that he is compelled to keep it running at peak performance. He genuinely believes that his public appearances reassure people. It's long been proven [by opinion polls] that they don't, but he believes it."

Less than 24 hours before Putin's trip to Novosibirsk, the Supreme Court barred Yabloko, Russia's oldest surviving liberal party, from next month's parliamentary elections. Only days earlier, Yabloko had been allowed on to ballots by a Kremlin-loyal committee.

Police told a group of Yabloko supporters outside the Supreme Court that they would be taken to military enlistment centres unless they dispersed, according to a video on social media.

The rapid U-turn suggests that Putin is unsure about the level of public support for the war, according to Mikhail Fishman, a Russian opposition journalist and author.

"Someone got through to Putin,"

Fishman wrote in an article published by TV Rain, an opposition media outlet outlawed by Moscow. "It was likely someone from the FSB [security service], it is hard to imagine who else it could have been. Putin gave the nod and Yabloko was removed."

He said it was difficult to think that Yabloko could have appeared on the ballot without approval from Putin. "This indicates that the system is in a state of severe internal discord... where, on one hand, Putin is convinced that everything is fine and that everyone supports him and his war, while on the other, he is not so sure."

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Kremlin critic who was once Russia's richest man, argues that Putin has a problem. "If his ratings go down, he has to rely more on the FSB [to tackle dissent]," Khodorkovsky told The Times. "But the FSB are not Putin's people. They consider him a weakling. And if he is forced to rely on them too much, they will happily start treating him like a puppet. And Putin understands this perfectly."

Mute but growing anti-war sentiment is alarming Putin, leading article, page 25

Baby pulled from rubble but quake toll hits 250

Ex-marine freed from Russian jail

Marc Bennetts

A former American marine who was in prison in Russia has been released by Moscow on humanitarian grounds after claims that he was close to death, President Trump said yesterday.

Robert Gilman was arrested after allegedly kicking a police officer during a disturbance on a train shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. His father, who emigrated from Russia to the US, said that the incident took place when Gilman, 32, fell ill and accidentally struck the officer. The officer was not hurt and dropped charges but Gilman was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Gilman was later given an extra ten years for allegedly attacking prison staff, Russian media reported. He was one of ten US citizens known to be behind bars in Russia.

"After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis. We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return," Trump wrote on social media. He said that Gilman was being accompanied on a plane to Washington by his family and US officials.

US-based advocacy groups that supported Gilman and his family said that he had been subject to extremely harsh treatment while in prison in Voronezh, a city 340 miles from Moscow. Lexie Hudson, Gilman's sister, said last week that she feared for his life.

Eric Lebson of Global Reach, a group that helps Americans who are wrongfully detained abroad, told Reuters last week that Gilman had been tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs by prison guards. He said that Gilman was moved to a prison hospital in a

catatonic-like state, was unable to communicate and was receiving food and fluids through a tube. He was transferred in June to a civilian psychiatric ward, Lebson added.

Trump said that he had spoken to Gilman and he had asked for 'a GREAT cheeseburger when he lands' in the US.

"I will take care of that!" the president added.

A US official who spoke to Gilman after his release said that he was walking and talking. "All things considered he seems to be in good shape," the official said.

Gilman, who served in the US marines for a year between 2019 and 2020 and was working as a teacher when arrested, looked gaunt in a photograph posted by Trump.

Trump said that officials including Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, had been lobbying for Gilman's release.

A mother and her six-month-old baby were rescued from the rubble of a building after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Colombia killed at least 250 people (Stephen Gibbs writes).

Rescue workers were continuing their search for survivors yesterday, with hundreds still missing. The massive tremor, with an epicentre near the remote western municipality of San José del Palmar, struck on Monday at 7.14am local time. It was strongly felt across the country of 50 million people and in neighbouring Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

Amid the destruction were extraordinary stories of survival. In

southern Cali, rescuers heard signs of life in the rubble of a five-storey apartment building that had a swimming pool on the roof. After tunnelling into the remains, they discovered a young mother and her six-month-old baby, both of whom were only slightly injured. Video shared on social media showed the dust-covered baby being gingerly extracted from the ruins.

"If gave us a lot of hope to continue working; we have now rescued seven people and are currently searching for more. We have received signs of life from an elderly couple and their seven-year-old grandson," Carlos Ortiz, one of the experts on the site, told local media.

---

27

Scientists celebrate Great Barrier Reef recovery Page 28

Trump hid in food lorry as part of decoy flight Page 30

CHRISTIAN ESCANAMORAL/BESTERS JAMIE SALDABISAG/APPOSTTY IMAGES

Absent Assad and brother given death sentences

Syria Samer Al-Atrush Middle East Correspondent

Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher were sentenced to death in absentia by a Syrian court yesterday, almost two years after the fallen despot was overthrown and fled to Russia.

Assad's cousin, Atef Najib, was also sentenced to death. Unlike the Assads, Najib was unable to flee the country when rebels closed in on Damascus in December 2024. He was in court when the sentences were read.

"Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity," the presiding judge, Fahreddine al-Aryan, said during the sentencing, which was broadcast live on state television.

Najib, who wore a prisoner's uniform, was found guilty of overseeing the brutal 2011 crackdown in the southern province of Dezaa, which prompted an uprising and then a civil war that killed an estimated half a million Syrians.

Adnan al-Masalmeh, a lawyer representing the families of regime victims, praised the verdicts.

"Today is the day of justice for all the wounded, martyrs, detainees and Syri-

Bashar al-Assad is in exile in Russia, which has refused to extradite him

ans who were forced to leave their country," said al-Masalmeh. "Today marks a victory of right against injustice, a victory of the Syrian people against the ousted regime."

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the new Syrian president and former rebel leader, has promised to hold the former regime to account and the trial represented a measure of justice for the many victims of the former regime, even though it was mostly symbolic.

Sharaa has pressed Russia to hand over former regime officials, led by the Assad brothers. He has agreed to maintain a Russian military presence in Syria, although its bases will not be jointly run by the Syrians.

But President Putin, who provided military backing to Assad until his removal from power, has refused. Although the Kremlin is invested in supporting the new government, handing over the Assads would risk sending the wrong message to its other allies.

Sharaa, a one-time al-Qaeda commander who has distanced himself from his past, has struggled to unite the country and is negotiating with Israel to withdraw its forces from Syrian territory after it seized land in the south in the days following Assad's flight.

Turkey also maintains a large military presence in the north, at the government's request. Syria was gutted by years of corruption and civil wars.

Sharaa has won strong backing from Gulf states and President Trump, who has lifted sanctions on Syria and praised the former militant, even giving him Trump-branded perfume.

Earthquake's intensity

Monday, 734am (134pm BST)

In Manizales, the centre of Colombia's high-altitude coffee-growing region, five people were killed and 600 houses were reported destroyed or partially destroyed. One of the towers of the city's landmark early 2005-century neo-gothic cathedral collapsed.

In the Chocó department, which borders the Pacific and is home to a

Rescue workers call for silence so they can listen for the sounds of survivors in the city of Cali, where victims were mourned, below. Top, assessing the damage in Pereira

large Afro-Colombian population and several Indigenous communities, news of the scale of the damage was only slowly filtering out. "My home is damaged, the stairs," Yolanda Morales told The Times from the regional capital, Quibdó. "The football field nearby is heavily damaged. There are a lot of people looking for family members and loved ones here."

One of the first deaths confirmed in Quibdó was that of Jairson Leonel Valencia, the six-year-old son of a local mayor. His portrait was placed outside the mayor's office, surrounded by candles.

On Monday night in Cali, a tourist destination famed for its salsa clubs, the mayor, Alejandro Eder, decreed an overnight curfew. His office said it was necessary to guarantee the rescue efforts being carried out by emergency agencies and "to preserve security in the city" after reports of looting.

Hundreds remain missing or unaccounted for, including 164 Spaniards, according to Spain's foreign minister.

Medellín, the second-largest city in Colombia, was spared the worst of the damage, though many of its residents were shaken by the scale of the biggest quake to hit the area in decades. Thousands poured on to the streets in the minutes after the tremor struck, many with pets in arms and some in their bedclothes.

The earthquakes are proving an early test for Abelardo de la Espriella, the Colombian president. The conservative former lawyer, who has never previously held political office, was inaugurated only on Friday, in a ceremony that was held in Cali, rather than the capital Bogota, as part of his efforts to devolve power to the regions.

Yesterday he flew to Pereira, accompanied by his wife, Ana Lucia Pineda. Given one of de la Espriella's political pledges has been to eliminate cartel leaders, a security operation, including staff carrying a ring of bullet-proof shields, shadowed their every move. "My commitment is to each and every one of the affected families," he wrote on X.

His government has announced an immediate emergency rent subsidy for all those who had lost their homes.

This earthquake follows twin earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck northern Venezuela on June 24. The death toll in Venezuela this week rose to 6,301. Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless.

Hardest-hit was a ring of population centres fringing the Andes. In the city of Pereira, 35 miles from the epicentre, at least 79 people died. The mayor, Mauricio Salazar Peláez, broke down in tears as he told reporters bodies were still being pulled from the rubble.

Jacobo Blandón Pineda, a 25-year-old rideshare driver from Pereira, told The Times: "There are lots of buildings that I was used to seeing now completely reduced to rubble. There are so many people in the streets just wondering what to do and where to go."

Pineda said he realised the earthquake was serious in its first seconds when he saw his mother's "face of terror" as their home shook.

In Cali, Colombia's third-biggest city, 95 people were killed and at least 20 buildings collapsed or were seriously damaged, including the paediatric wing of the de Valle University Hospital.

---

28

World

STEPHEN Z N CUMMERY/WRENNIE GETTY MAKES

Fashion for coral fuels illicit harvest

A gang of divers arrested in Greece have been accused of harvesting red coral, which has soared in value as high-end jewellers champion its ancient allure (Tom Kington writes).

The Italian group were caught after anchoring a leisure craft off the island of Skopelos and pretending to be tourists while cutting the rare coral

from rocks on the sea bed. It was shipped in packages with only vague descriptions, raising suspicions of Greek police, who moved in, discovering the vessel was packed with coral-cutting tools.

Authorities said the divers had harvested €800,000 worth of the coral by the time they were arrested, Greek media reported. Known as "red gold", and costing €5,000 a

Coral featured at Paris Fashion Week, far left, and with Dolce & Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week. Above, a jeweller polishing coral at a workshop in Corsica

kilo, red coral forms in colonies over several decades. Its harvesting from Greek waters is regulated, but demand has soared since jewellers such as Van Cleef & Arpels brought it back into fashion.

Dolce & Gabbana, the Italian fashion house, is also celebrating the substance this year, using marine-inspired patterns on fabrics. The label is also using carved coral roses and cherubs

in its jewellery, a tribute to the red coral used in southern Italy for centuries.

Most coral harvested in the Mediterranean is taken to the southern Italian town of Torre del Greco near Naples, where it is carved by experts.

Countries around the Mediterranean have taken strides to regulate harvesting and the UN has praised the controlled diving for red coral off the Italian island of Sardinia, where authorities and fishers work together to guarantee stocks are sustained. Algeria, by contrast, is reported to be a source of large quantities of illegally harvested coral.

Maria Salomidi, an expert at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, told Euronews that colonies were now at risk and the recent arrests in Skopelos had been a warning sign.

"If one incident has been detected, there have certainly been many more," she said, adding that divers were one step ahead because Greek experts did not know where all coral beds were.

"The sea beds of Greece have not been mapped," she said.

Scientists praise the skies above for Great Barrier Reef's quick recovery

Australia Roger Maynard Sydney

The Great Barrier Reef is proving more resilient than scientists had feared.

Coral cover on the reef has largely recovered from a mass bleaching reported last year and remains at near-record levels, according to latest data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims).

Part of the reason for the recovery may have been the monsoon at the beginning of the year, scientists suggested. This increased the amount of cloud cover off Queensland, reducing sea temperatures, which limited the severity and extent of coral bleaching.

Peter Ridd, a marine scientist, said the results indicated that raw coral cover on the reef had been higher in each of the past five years than at any

Raw coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef has been higher in each of the past five years than at any time in the previous 35

time during the previous 35 years. Ridd said the data showed the principal causes of temporary coral loss over the past decades were from cyclones and crown of thorn starfish plagues, which were

both entirely natural. "There is no evidence that these are any worse than in the distant past," he said.

He also said the data collected by Aims indicated that the reef was in

good shape. "It happens to have a great deal of coral in 2026 because there have been few major mortality events over the past five to ten years," he told The Australian newspaper. "The five bleaching events since 2016, which have been widely reported in the media, could not have killed much coral otherwise the 2022-26 statistics would not be so good."

The optimistic assessment was welcomed by Aims, but it said the threat from climate change should not be ignored. "The Great Barrier Reef has again shown its remarkable ability to recover," it said. "But we can't take this for granted. Instead we must urgently act to reduce our carbon emissions and minimise climate change."

Of particular concern to environmentalists are the fast-growing Acropora corals, which are highly sensitive to

bleaching. The Aims survey showed reefs dominated by these species remained in a "delicate state where gains can be rapidly reversed" Mass bleaching in 2024 led to coral death in deeper habitats than previously at the southern edge of the reef, suggesting that "deeper waters offer less thermal refuge than previously assumed".

The evaluation of the reef's prospects was reinforced by Unesco, which declined to place the underwater phenomenon on the world heritage in danger list last month.

However, Greenpeace said the reef was "in deep danger from runaway climate heating, coral-killing deforestation run-off, ocean acidification and coral bleaching. With these compounding pressures and a record El Niño around the corner, action to protect the reef has never been more urgent."

Rocket launch explosion slows China's fast-developing space mission

China Richard Spencer Beijing

China's space programme has suffered a rare setback after one of its workhorse launch rockets exploded less than a minute and a half after take-off.

The Long March 7A rocket was carrying a ChinaSat-4B communications satellite into orbit. That too was destroyed. Chinese state media reported on the accident but did not say whe-

ther the dual-purpose satellite was intended for civilian or military use.

Crowds watching the launch on Monday night, from Wenchang on Hainan island, the Chinese equivalent of Nasa's Cape Canaveral in Florida, gasped as the rocket diverted slightly and then turned into a fireball after 95 seconds. The wreckage crashed into the South China Sea.

"The rocket experienced an anomaly during the flight and the launch mis-

sion failed," Xinhua, the state news agency, said as footage of the explosion started to circulate on social media.

China's space programme has overtaken Russia's to be the second-largest in the world after that of the United States. Its showpiece projects are deliberately modelled on US plans, including ambitions to put a man on the moon by 2030 and set up a permanent station there by 2040. It already has an operational space station to match America's.

The moon programme uses the Long March 5 rocket, a larger sister version of the Long March 7 and 7A, which share some engine technology. Scientists will have to wait until the results of an investigation into why this Long March 7A failed before they will know whether there are wider consequences.

The Chinese programme had been thought to be safe and of a high standard. The only previous Long March 7A failure was its maiden flight in 2020.

Since then, the rocket has been used 16 times.

Like the US, China has brought private companies into the space sector to speed up launches, particularly for commercial use. In January, two launches failed in a single day. One was a private launch by a company called Galactic Energy, whose Ceres-2 rocket was carrying a payload of commercial satellites. The Chinese landed their first reusable rocket in July.

---

29

World

Game, set, macaques: human mimics outpoint pesky monkeys

India Amrit Dhillon Delhi

An ability to mimic the shrieks of langur monkeys may not seem like a bankable skill, but for some Indians it has become a job, if not a calling.

These vocal professionals specialise in pest control and are being employed to keep out other unwanted primates as Delhi prepares to host the badminton world championships.

The sound of the langur is the only effective deterrent to the smaller rhesus macaques that roam Delhi in large

numbers, stealing food and causing havoc. Officials are determined to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment India suffered in January at the India Open badminton tournament, when players were dismayed to see monkeys striding around freely in the spectator stands of Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. One occupied a seat next to spectators and watched the game, appearing quite engrossed.

In the wild, monkeys flee the moment a langur approaches. With this in mind, precautions are being taken before the event next week by four men

skilled in the art of mimickry. In years gone by, trained grey langurs and their handlers were used to repel rhesus macaques from public spaces. The practice was discontinued when langurs became a protected species by law and could not be held captive, privately owned or hired for guard duty.

That created a demand for human langur callers. One, known only by his first name, Jabbar, gave a sample of his talent in a resonant falsetto outside the stadium on Mondar. Jabbar said he had previously warded off monkeys around government buildings in central Delhi,

for between 20,000 and 25,000 rupees (1155-194) per assignment, though he said the work was only sporadic.

"Getting employment is not consistent, but we do keep getting work from time to time. There are many of us who do it," he added. Jabbar expressed a mixture of pride and embarrassment at the role. "The skill has been passed down generations in my family. I learnt it from my father ... but don't want my son to do it," he said.

Langurs use different calls depending on their mood and circumstances, ranging from loud whoops during dis-

plays of dominance to short, sharp and guttural sounds when agitated. When New Delhi hosted the G20 summit in 2023, lifesize cutouts of langurs were installed at some sites and paired with men capable of reproducing their calls.

Automatically closing doors have also been installed at the stadium's 16 entry points to deter monkeys and stray dogs. But it is the langur callers who have attracted the most interest.

"You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort," PV Sindhu, the Indian badminton champion, wrote on X.

Espadrilles with magnets give pétanque players a lift

France David Chazan Paris

There is good news this summer for pétanque players. The gentle ritual of a game of boules — often accompanied by an early-evening spéritif and as much a social occasion as a sport — has just become a little easier on the back.

Instead of bending almost double to pick up the steel balls, players can minimise stooping by wearing specially designed espadrilles.

A small pocket on the side of the canvas shoes holds a magnet powerful enough to pick up a boule from the ground. The player places a foot beside the ball so that the magnet catches it, then raises it until the boule is within easy reach.

Sounds far-fetched? Olivier Gelly, the inventor of the espadrilles spéciales pétanque, admits that the idea began as a joke.

"I was having a laugh with some friends over a glass of rosé one evening," said Gelly, 41, the owner of an espadrilles shop in the southern French city of Perpignan. "We were coming out with all kinds of crazy ideas and I said, 'Wouldn't it be cool if I made an espadrille with a magnet for pétanque?'

"We were just larking around but I made a pair anyway, just for fun. I didn't even try to sell them. The magnet was in the sole so when you walked around, anything made of metal on the ground — screws, bolts — stuck to the shoe."

Undeterred, Gelly set about designing a more practical pair with a side pocket into which a magnet can be inserted, and another for the cochonnet, the small wooden target ball, or jack. He also added a tape measure to settle the inevitable disputes over whose ball is nearest the jack, which determines the winner.

"We put them on sale and I posted a video showing how they worked," Gelly said. "Even then, it was only

The shoes have sold 40,000 pairs worldwide

meant as a bit of fun." The video was picked up by social media algorithms and translated into several languages. The joke, it turned out, had a market. Since their launch last year, more than 40,000 pairs of the navy-blue espadrilles have been sold.

"We were astonished. It wasn't calculated," Gelly said. "We've even sold more than 100 pairs to British customers and judging by their names they're British, not French people living in Britain."

The UK has an estimated 40,000 regular pétanque players, many competing in pub teams.

More surprising still, about 40 per cent of sales have been to US customers. Pétanque has a small but devoted American following, mainly in California, New York and Florida. Pétanque America, a website that promotes the game, estimates that about 30,000 Americans play with some regularity.

In France, some customers have said they bought them as gifts for their grandfathers, the demographic most closely associated with pétanque, and perhaps the one most grateful to avoid repeated stooping.

"I got my grandad a pair because he's got a bad back," said Jean-Pierre, 30, a software engineer who was playing boules with friends under the shade of chestnut trees in the Square Émile-Chautemps in Paris.

"I told him not to drink too much otherwise he wouldn't be able to stand on one leg long enough to take the boule off his espadrille. He said, in that case he probably shouldn't wear them."

Christophe Blanpied, 39, a Salvation Army worker playing beside the bone, was more receptive. "It's not a bad idea," he said.

"My knees are already starting to hurt. This could be useful for older people." He did see a potential flaw, however. "You might be able to use the magnet to cheat by moving someone else's ball during the game," he said.

Out of this world The James Webb Space Telescope captures a new view of the Lion Nebula, a cloud of gas and dust shaped by a dying star. Scientists believe the nebula will keep spreading into space until it disperses in about 10,000 years

Shorter leads after chihuahua's death

David Chazan

France has rules for the shape of a baguette and the type of trunks men must wear in public swimming pools. In some beach resorts, men may also be fined for walking bare-checked in the street.

Now a town in northern France has turned its regulatory attention to dog leads.

Saint-Quentin has introduced a €150 fine for walking a dog on a lead longer than two metres. The measure has been introduced after a husky on a long lead attacked and killed a chihuahua in the Parc des Champs-Élysées in the town in June.

The council said the rule was intended to reassure the public that potentially dangerous dogs would be kept under control, but some dog owners questioned whether it would prevent attacks.

"It's pointless," said Guillaume, walking his two dogs in the park. "If you've got a dog weighing 35 or 50 or 60 kilos, the dog will break away if he decides to, even if the lead is two metres or less," he told BFM TV.

Nicolas, another owner, said he would ignore the rule. "You can't keep a dog imprisoned within two metres. Dogs have the right to a bit more freedom."

Others welcomed the move, how-

ever. A woman walking her mastiff, who declined to give her name, said: "My dog has been bitten three times by dogs that were let loose. This is a good rule."

Another park user said she carried pepper spray on walks. "There are aggressive dogs and I don't feel safe," she said.

Frédérique Macarez, the conservative mayor of Saint-Quentin, said the death of the chihuahua had demonstrated the need for action.

"The dog that attacked was on a long leash and we saw that the owner couldn't control it," she said. "We need to keep everyone safe — people and dogs."

---

10

World

Trump hid in food lorry for air decoy

United States

George Grylls Washington Sam Rucker New York

With the light fading over Ankara's Esenboga airport, a catering truck drew level with the plane supposed to be carrying President Trump.

Waving farewell to the cameras after attending the Nato summit last month, Trump ascended the stairs to Air Force One and disappeared behind a closed door.

Unbeknown to the journalists on board, however, Trump would not be joining them on the flight. As they boarded the aircraft via the rear door, the president was smuggled off the aircraft in a catering lorry. Using its hydraulic lift, the lorry lowered the president to the ground and drove him to a US military aircraft waiting nearby. While the world believed Trump was flying home on the old Air Force One, he was travelling on a C-32A to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.

The ruse was orchestrated by the Secret Service following a credible Iranian threat to the president's life, The Washington Post reported. As Trump was spirited away, journalists

President Trump leaves the old Air Force One at RAF Mildenhall. Above, the lorry that took him off the aircraft in Ankara

geographically closer to the conflict than at any point since the war began — regardless of the president's claims that he was ditching the Qatari jet so American troops stationed in Britain could see it for the first time.

One element of mystery over the Ankara diversion remains.

After departing Turkey, the three planes – the Qatari-donated jet, the old Air Force One transporting the journalists and the C-32A carrying Trump – arrived in the UK safely.

However, on the tarmac at RAF Mildenhall, the Secret Service appeared to have pulled off another sleight of hand.

Somehow, Trump seemed to have reboarded the old Air Force One without anyone noticing, meaning he could walk down the aircraft's stairs in front of the cameras and maintain the illusion that he had travelled on it with the journalists.

The White House press office took part in the deception by publishing a picture of Trump arriving in the UK with a caption stating that the president had landed at RAF Mildenhall 'aboard the former Air Force One'.

After disembarking the old Air Force One, Trump and the journalists continued their journey across the Atlantic on the Qatari jet.

The president often comes to speak to journalists mid-flight when he travels abroad and, over the Atlantic, he answered questions for around 15 minutes. Asked why journalists had been instructed to close their window shades on the tarmac in Ankara, Trump alluded to the threats on his life from Iran. 'Because you're probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with,' he said.

Perhaps realising that the journalists were not entirely reassured, in a moment of rare solidarity with the press, Trump said that at least everyone was at risk from Iran.

'But if I go, you go, right?' he said. 'Perhaps some day you want to change professions.'

BOUTIQUE SPLIT ESCAPE ON Croatia's Adriatic Coast

August 2026 to June 2027

Discover the perfect blend of ancient history and Adriatic beauty in Split, Croatia's vibrant coastal gem. From Unesco-listed landmarks to lively waterfront cafés and crystal-clear waters, this captivating destination offers something for every traveller. Whether you're exploring Roman heritage, relaxing by the sea or venturing to nearby islands, Split promises an unforgettable Mediterranean escape filled with culture, scenery and sunshine.

*Prices are correct at the time of going to print. The lead price is based on travel in various dates between August 2026 to June 2027. Prices listed are based on two adults sharing a double / twin room / table and departing from a London airport. Single travellers and regional departures are available at a supplement. Tour is operated by Travelabout Ltd ABTA 99297 4700, (1160), a company wholly independent of News UK. Tips of £50 per person are to be paid locally.

Our trusted partner

travelodeal

@ABTA www.abta.org

Price includes

• Return flights from various UK airports
• Seven nights at the four-star Brig Boutique Hotel
• Daily breakfast
• Krka Waterfalls tour with boat ride and swimming in Skradin town

Prices from per month

August from £1,139pp • September from £939pp • October and November from £799pp • March, April and May 2027 from £939pp • June 2027 from £1,099pp

CALL TODAY ON 0808 303 8549 thetimes.com/td-croatia QUOTE TIMES

were herded into the back of Air Force One, where snacks emblazoned with the presidential seal were waiting on their seats. As they settled down, a Secret Service agent made an unusual request: he wanted the journalists to lower their window shades.

The reporters were already suspicious about the unusual build-up to the flight. During the summit in Ankara, Trump had announced he would leave Turkey on a former version of Air Force One 'for old time's sake', flying first to Mildenhall.

His post on Truth Social immediately provoked questions. The president had recently received a $400 million Boeing 747-8i donated by Qatar. The jet, renovated with plush seats and golden interiors, had taken the president from the US to Turkey a few days before, but would not be used for his departure.

To make the charade more plausible, the old blue-and-white plane flew for part of the journey with the call-sign AFI, which is reserved for aircraft transporting the president. The C-32A carrying Trump apparently used the generic call-sign RCH18.

The situation in the Middle East had become more dangerous since the entourage set off from Washington. The ceasefire between the US and Iran had collapsed and both sides were firing missiles at each other across the region.

Trump's announcement that he would travel back to the US on the old Air Force One had prompted many to speculate whether the aircraft given by Qatar was equipped with the security modifications necessary to deal with an Iranian attack.

All the president's planes

New Air Force One

Customised Boeing 747-8i

Length	76.2 metres (250ft)
Wing span	68.4 metres
Range	7730 nautical miles
Max altitude	13,300 metres

Old Air Force One

Customised Boeing 747-200B

Length	70.7 metres
Wing span	59.6 metres
Range	6,800 nautical miles
Max altitude	13,746 metres

Air Force C-32A

Military version of Boeing 757-200

Length	47.3 metres
Wing span	38 metres
Range	5,500 nautical miles
Max altitude	12,727 metres

The old Air Force One could deploy counter-measures such as chaff to thwart a missile. Many suspected Trump had been advised to travel on his old, trusted aircraft because Turkey shares a border with Iran and the president was

Campaigners demand Nazi bunker be preserved

Germany A bunker underneath the site of Hitler's chancellery in Berlin could be lost to a new housing project. The Berliner Unterwelten heritage association says the bunker is one of four that have survived from the many built by the Nazis in the district around the Brandenburg Gate. The group said the bunker, covering about 13,450 sq ft, is 'a historic site that absolutely must not be destroyed'. The neighbouring bunker was where Hitler committed suicide in 1945.

Social media checks urged after Ceuta crisis

Spain The European Commission has ordered Meta and TikTok to step up fact-checking after false social media posts contributed to an influx of migrants from Morocco to the Spanish territory of Ceuta. The measures aim to stop criminals using misinformation to encourage dangerous crossings. About 80,000 people entered the enclave last month, while more than 100 people died. The platforms will be expected to identify and remove content encouraging such crossings.

Diner buys €300 lobster then returns it to sea

France A customer at a restaurant in the Alpes-Maritimes region in the southeast of the country bought a live lobster for €300 (about 1250) and then released it into the Mediterranean. Stéphane Lamart, president of an animal welfare association, told France 3 Côte d'Azur: 'I was told it was €10 per gram. I was deeply shocked that anyone could decide that an animal's life is worth €300'. He does not know if the lobster survived. 'But I gave it a second chance.'

---

31

Business

WORLD MARKETS (Change on the day)

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Lack of skilled young farmworkers ‘threatens UK food security’

Guy Taylor Retail Correspondent

The dairy giant behind Larpak and Cravendale has warned that a shortage of skilled young workers threatens Britain’s food security.

Arla Foods, a dairy co-operative which supplies British largest supermarkets, said its farmers were struggling to fill vacancies because of a lack of qualified candidates. More than half

reported that keeping employees had become harder since Brexit and Covid.

According to a survey by the company, 82 per cent of dairy farmers with a vacancy said that either “very few” or “no” job applicants had the right skills.

Arla, which employs about 3,700 people in the UK and works with 1,900 farmers, warned that hiring problems had grown from a “labour shortage to a wider skills challenge that could have

implications for the long-term resilience of British food production if left unaddressed”.

This had been compounded by an ageing workforce, with 48 per cent of the 440 farmers surveyed over the age of 55, and nearly a fifth over 65. The most recent government figures showed that only 5 per cent of farm-holders in England were under 35.

The findings will fuel concerns about

the long-term resilience of Britain’s food supply, which is under further pressure this summer as the widespread drought threatens harvests.

Analysts at Shore Capital warned that the UK was the closest it had been for many decades to a food security crisis. Vegetable and fruit growers were “particularly exposed” given their dependence on irrigation and consistent soil moisture and dairy farmers were

facing acute pressure on milk yields as heat stress affected cow herds and grass dried up across the country.

British farmers have also suffered dramatic subsidy cuts and are grappling with immediate macroeconomic headwinds, including higher employment costs and potential shortages of fertiliser amid the Iran war.

Arla said that government proposals, Continued on page 34

Tech giants’ hidden $1trn leases

Hyperscalers on the hook for huge debt liabilities in drive to compete in AI revolution

Technology Business Correspondent

Five of the world’s biggest tech groups have racked up $1 trillion in off-balance sheet spending commitments to drive the AI revolution, potentially masking long-term debt liabilities underpinning the boom, analysts have warned.

Goldman Sachs has calculated that the indebtedness of the so-called hyperscalers could be “understated” as a result of the accounting practice.

The figures highlight the vast scale of cash being mobilised in the global scramble for the computing capacity needed to power AI, with leases sometimes agreed a decade in advance.

Google’s owner Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Oracle’s combined active and future spending on leasing space in data centres hit $1.3 trillion, according to Goldman Sachs. About $1 trillion in spending is tied to leases that have not yet started, meaning they do not have to be included in financial statements.

“These ‘uncommenced’ lease commitments are not reflected in the financial statements, even though they will result in future lease payments (or other obligations) in upcoming years,” analysts at the bank wrote.

“This treatment can understate leverage and future liquidity needs as these obligations are eventually recognised and contractual payments come due.”

Under US accounting rules, the liability from a lease is only recognised when the lease starts. A lease that has been agreed but not commenced is listed as footnotes in financial reports.

Microsoft had the largest disclosed pipeline, at $329.1 billion, with leases set to commence between 2027 and 2033. Oracle disclosed $260 billion of commitments. Meta disclosed obligations of $279 billion for the first six months of the year, covering data centres and network infrastructure, with leases scheduled to begin out to 2036. Last month the Facebook owner signed another $68 billion in data centre leases.

Alphabet reported $85.2 billion of uncommenced leases, while Amazon disclosed $137.2 billion, a figure that also

CoreWeave beats analysts’ expectations

Robert Miller

CoreWeave edged past analysts’ estimates for quarterly revenue last night, driven by strong demand for its computing services that power artificial intelligence systems.

The cloud infrastructure technology company reported total revenue of $2.58 billion for the second quarter to the end of June, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $2.56 billion, according to data compiled by the London Stock Exchange Group.

Earlier this year Nvidia, the

chipmaker, invested $2 billion in CoreWeave stock and in its latest quarterly update the company said it had received a $1 billion strategic investment from Jane Street.

CoreWeave, whose close ties with Nvidia have made it a key supplier of Nvidia’s AI chips, has attracted several high-profile customers so far this year. It has signed cloud capacity agreements with Meta Platforms and Claude creator Anthropic.

To meet the surging demand, CoreWeave has been ramping up infrastructure investments, which

has put pressure on its profit margins. The company said its technology and infrastructure expenses jumped 125 per cent to $1.51 billion in the quarter.

Michael Intrator, co-founder and chief executive, said: “CoreWeave is built on the conviction that AI is foundational to every industry and that realising its full potential requires a purpose-built platform. This quarter reinforced that conviction.”

The shares rose $6.56, or 71 per cent, to $95.56 in after-hours trading on Wall Street, valuing the company at just over $49 billion.

include spending on warehouses, offices, aircraft and vehicles.

While the commitments cannot simply be added to the company’s debt jails, their scale still reflects how much of the AI buildout does not yet appear in the company’s accounts.

Ratings agencies treat the leases differently. Fitch and Moody’s incorporate operating leases into the adjusted leverage metrics after the lease has commenced. Leases that have not yet started are considered as part of a “qualitative overlay”.

S&P does incorporate the leases into its adjusted debt metrics. “Although these leases may not yet be recognised on the balance sheet, they reflect committed obligations that are unlikely to be avoided without significant cost or disruption,” the company explained.

The figures come as investors grow increasingly uneasy about Big Tech’s huge spending commitments, which are increasingly funded by debt.

As well as leasing out computing capacity from third parties, the hyperscalers have vastly increased their own capital spending. The five companies will spend $745 billion this year on chips, power generation and constructing data centres, more than double last year.

The scale of capital spending has put pressure on free cashflow, which fell to its lowest level in a decade last quarter, and has pushed the tech giants to tap debt markets. So far this year they have issued a combined $194 billion in debt, according to Goldman, up from $108 billion last year.

Amanda Lynam, at Goldman, said: “What they’re doing is getting ahead of a multi-year investment cycle. We think of it as a waterfall of capital, almost exhausting the depth of these capital markets — debt, equity, internal cashflows — to position themselves to be able to invest in this business.”

Other companies are also seeking innovative ways to fund the AI buildout. Nvidia said on Monday it had signed agreements with six of the largest finance houses on Wall Street to mobilise a $500 billion package that will provide capital to help frontier AI labs, enterprises and neoclouds access Nvidia’s chips.

---

12

Business

Need to know

1 Five of the world's biggest tech groups have racked up $1 trillion in off-balance sheet spending commitments to invest in AI, potentially masking long-term debt liabilities underpinning the boom, analysts have warned. Goldman Sachs says the indebtedness of the so-called hyperscalers could be understated as a result of the accounting practice. Page 31

2 The dairy giant behind Larpuk and Cravendale has warned that a shortage of skilled young workers threatens Britain's food security. Arla Foods, said its farmers were struggling to fill vacancies because of a lack of qualified candidates. Page 31

3 One of Britain's largest developers has urged the government to bring back Help to Buy and cut stamp duty to stimulate the housing market. Bellway has told the government it must "act now to improve access to housing across all tenures".

4 Food and drink suppliers have warned that the UK faces higher grocery costs and potential shortages as record hot weather grips the country. The lack of rainfall is likely to lead to shortages of fruit and vegetables, putting upward pressure on food inflation going into 2027. Page 34

5 Room revenue growth at InterContinental Hotels Group, the company behind the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza chains and Six Senses resorts heat first-half expectations after strong trading in the US and China offset falls in the Middle East. Page 37

6 More than ten customers have signed up to get high-speed access to President Trump's Truth Social posts by paying as much as $100,000 a month. The service could give traders early access to market-moving posts from Trump before others. Page 39

7 Factories are abandoning plans to electrify operations because they are unable to find out how much it will cost to connect to the grid or how long it will take. An inefficient system is actively deterring progress on decarbonising the economy, says ADE. Demand, a trade body for energy users. Page 40

The Iran war is one risk to the economy's resilience. The October budget is another

David Smith, page 35

For expert business analysis subscribe to the business newsletter thetimes.com/newsletters

Hollywood big beast set to pounce on Theatreland

A Hollywood super-agent is set to buy the company behind the Lyceum and Savoy Theatre in London as well as the Bristol Hippodrome for about £4.5 billion.

ATG Entertainment, which owns dozens of theatres across the UK and has produced recent versions of Cabaret and Pretty Woman, has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Ari Emanuel's Mari Group, which runs London's Winter Wonderland, the Miami Open tennis tournament and festivals at Hampton Court Palace and Blenheim Palace.

Mari, which Emanuel founded last year, is backed by a consortium of investors including Apollo Global Management, RedBird Capital Partners and the Qatar Investment

Authority. Mari's first purchase was the Frieze global art fair, which it bought from Endeavour, the talent and entertainment group Emanuel co-founded three decades ago.

The ATG acquisition reflects the company's confidence in the "growing power of live experience and the passionate audiences it brings together", Mari said.

It pledged to act as a "long-term custodian" of ATG's 70-strong portfolio of theatres, saying it will invest in preserving and modernising the venues as well as improving the audience experience.

Woking-based ATG was founded by the husband-and-wife team Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 1994 as the Ambassador Theatre Group. The pair left the company in 2016,

Cut stamp duty and revive Help to Buy, urges Bellway

One of Britain's largest developers has urged the government to bring back Help to Buy and cut stamp duty to stimulate the moribund housing market.

Bellway has told the government it must "act now to improve access to housing across all tenures", with demand for new-build homes having weakened in recent months amid higher mortgage rates, the war in Iran and political upheaval closer to home.

Jason Honeyman, the chief executive, wants to see last year's stamp duty increase for first-time buyers reversed immediately and also called for a return of the Help to Buy deposit support scheme to "case affordability constraints and stimulate demand".

"We're realists, we understand that the government can't do much about mortgage rates, but they can certainly help young people," he said.

"We need a stamp duty cut [for first-time buyers] to reverse the extra taxes put on by this government in April 2025 and we need a deposit support scheme to help young people."

Honeyman, 58, said demand-side stimulus was needed to boost the housing market, which has "paused" since the war in Iran drove mortgage rates higher. Reflecting the subdued backdrop, Bellway's order book is a fifth smaller than at this point last year at £1.2 billion. However, a government spokesman said yesterday that at present "there are no plans" for a reintroduction of Help to Buy.

All the housebuilders have been looking to top up their cash piles and

Analysis

It is at best dubious to claim that increases to stamp duty lead to lower tax revenues because the higher tax rate discourages buyers and pushes down property transactions (Jack Barnett writes).

HM Revenue & Customs calculated how negatively or positively property buyers would respond to a stamp duty increase or cut, calculations used by the Office for Budget Responsibility to predict how such changes would affect tax income.

Based on these models, the stamp duty changes of April

last year would have been expected to have pushed down property transactions by about 3 per cent over the next 12 months.

However, also based on the HMRC models, revenues would still be higher than if there had been no stamp duty increase, in part because of a steep spike in transactions in the months leading up to the cut-off period.

In reality property transactions and revenues exceeded expectations. Sales were 85,000 higher than anticipated and revenues were about £2 billion larger.

In following years, there is a drag of

about 3 per cent on transactions, equating to about 30,000 missed sales.

What this exercise illustrates is that, for all its faults, stamp duty is a pretty safe bet for a government looking to increase its tax income.

People criticising stamp duty should not, however, focus on its efficacy to raise revenue, but focus on the damaging social and economic impacts it has.

It stymies labour mobility, prevents downsizing and is a big hindrance to first-time buyers getting on the property ladder. There are better ways to tax property.

£303.5 million it delivered in its previous financial year but £4 million or so less than what analysts had pencilled in. "It's a credible performance, but you can see we've driven volume hard to generate cash but at the expense of margin," Honeyman said.

Bellway shares rose 38p, or 1.8 per cent, to £21.38, although that is 22 per cent below where they began the year.

British developers have faced a number of headwinds in recent years. Most have said at some point that the government needs to step in and support first-time buyers, who are particularly struggling with affordability, because they will only build what they can sell.

In spring last year the government lowered stamp duty thresholds across the board. Previously, first-time buyers did not have to pay stamp duty on any portion of the purchase below £425,000, but that has been reduced to £300,000. Bellway wants the old threshold restored and believes that would "get the market moving" right away. Longer-term, it thinks a government-backed deposit support scheme, like Help to Buy, is needed.

With Help to Buy, which ran between 2011 and 2023, the government provided equity loans to first-time buyers, meaning they needed to borrow less and so could access cheaper rates. Critics argued the scheme only served to inflate builders' profits and pay packets.

"I don't think [a return of Help to Buy] needs to be controversial," Honeyman said. "Developers should pay fees to access [the scheme] and it should be focused simply on first-time buyers and have a price cap. I think that's healthy."

strengthen their balance sheets as they weather another lean period of trading. In the year to the end of July, Bellway completed 9,695 homes — 11 per cent more than in its previous financial year, partly owing to more "bulk sales" to institutional landlords. The new-home builds were a couple of hundred more than City analysts had expected and meant Bellway ended its financial

year with £158 million compared with £42 million at the same point in 2025.

However, the extra bulk sales, usually done at slightly cheaper prices, meant the annual profit margin, at 10 per cent, was almost a full percentage point lower year-on-year. As a consequence Bellway expects an annual underlying profit of £320 million for the year just gone; more than the

---

33

Business

Theatres including the Lyceum, home to The Lion King, and the Savoy will come under An Emanuel's Mari Group

three years after Providence Equity Partners took it over in a £350 million deal. Under Providence's ownership, ATG expanded rapidly in the United States through acquisitions and now operates seven venues on Broadway, including the Lyric, which is home to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, ten venues in London's West End, as well as theatres in Spain and Germany.

ATG claims to host about 16,000 performances and welcomes over 10 million theatregoers a year.

After decades expanding Endeavour through acquisitions into a sprawling corporate empire, Emanuel is arguably one of the most successful and influential behind-the-scenes figures in Hollywood.

Endeavour was bought in a $13 billion deal by Silver Lake,

the private equity group, which completed last year. As well as leading Mari, Emanuel is chairman of WME, a talent agency whose star-studded client list includes Cillian Murphy, Billie Eilish and Oprah Winfrey.

"I've spent my whole career in entertainment... I've seen the industry reinvent itself many times, but I've has only grown more powerful," Emanuel said.

"ATG has built one of the world's great theatre businesses around that experience."

Melanie Smith, global chief executive at ATG Entertainment, said Mari was "the right home for our next chapter" as it "understands live entertainment and what matters most to ATG: our theatres, the people behind them and the relationships we have built with producers, artists and audiences".

She added: "We look forward to this new era and thank Providence for their unwavering support over the past 13 years."

Harrods recovery after Al Fayed payouts

Isabella Fish Retail Editor

Harrods has bounced back into the black after abuse payouts to hundreds of victims of its former owner drove it into an annual loss.

The store recorded a pre-tax profit of £84.9 million in the year to the end of January, according to its latest accounts. It is an improvement on the previous year's pre-tax loss of just over £34 million, caused by £62.5 million in payouts to the victims of Mohamed Al Fayed's decades-long abuse.

Hundreds of women have come forward in recent years alleging Al Fayed raped or sexually assaulted them during his 25-year ownership of Harrods.

Al Fayed died in 2023 and a BBC documentary the year after, and subsequent inquiries, prompted more victims to speak out. The women are pursuing compensation through multiple routes. Harrods has its own redress scheme for former employees who say they were abused while at the store.

Other claimants, including nannies,

private assistants and air stewards employed by Al Fayed personally, are seeking damages from his estate via separate legal firms.

This year Harrods increased its efforts to wrest control of Al Fayed's estate from his family amid concerns about its finances and administration. The executors are understood to include his widow, Henri Walben, and two of their children, Jasmine and Camilla Fayed.

A High Court hearing has been scheduled for November to consider the Knightsbridge stores "passing-over" application that would see members of Al Fayed's family removed as executors of his estate and replaced by professionals.

Founded in 1849 as a modest Knightsbridge tax and grocery shop.

Staff were abused by Mohamed Al Fayed

Harrods has grown into one of Britain's best-known luxury department stores. Despite a global slowdown in high-end retail spending, strong international tourism and the loyalty of high-net-worth customers has compensated.

In the latest financial year, turnover rose 1.2 per cent to £1.1 billion. Operating profit before exceptional items was £72.1 million, a fall on the prior year's £1777 million, which Harrods said reflected ongoing investment in salaries and increased distribution costs.

Harrods said an average 3.2 per cent pay rise for employees had cost it £8.5 million, while increased national insurance added £5.7 million.

© Harvey Nichols, a rival to Harrods, has warned it could collapse without a rescue deal, as Mike Ashley's Frasers Group closes in on the store chain. In accounts filed this week it said it would "cease trading" if it were unable to find a buyer and no additional funding was provided.

Fenwick's turnaround plan reduces losses

Isabella Fish

Annual losses at Fenwick have reduced as its three-year transformation plan begins to bear fruit

The UK's largest family-owned department store reported a pre-tax loss of £22 million in the year to end of January, against a deficit of £35 million the prior year. Operating losses narrowed by 40 per cent to £23.4 million.

Turnover increased slightly to £179.2 million, from £177 million in the previous year. Like-for-like gross sales rose by 2.5 per cent, driven by what Fenwick described as "continued momentum" across its shops and website.

Fenwick said "progress was achieved despite continued challenging retail

conditions and marks the successful completion of the first year of the group's strategy to return the business to sustainable profitability".

Founded in 1882 by the former draper John James Fenwick, the retailer operates eight department stores alongside its ecommerce business. Its portfolio includes sites in Newcastle upon Tyne, Kingston upon Thames, Brent Cross, York, Canterbury, Colchester, Tunbridge Wells and Bracknell. It employs about 2,000 people.

The sale of its Bond Street store in 2022 marked the end of Fenwick's 130-year presence on one of the world's most prestigious shopping streets.

The proceeds were used to fund digital investment and refurbishments

across its remaining stores as part of a plan to modernise the business and adapt to changing consumer habits.

Fenwick said it had also made "substantial" progress in de-risking its defined benefit pension schemes, completing buy-in transactions with Aviva to secure all remaining pension liabilities across both funds.

Sian Westerman, Fenwick's chairwoman, said the latest annual results "demonstrate that our strategy is delivering. Fenwick is now in a stronger position than it has been for many years, and I am confident our three-year strategy will return the business to sustainable profitability".

Garish shopfronts make high streets less compelling, leading article, page 25

Questions mount over Fern's fees

BUSINESS COMMENTARY Alistair Osborne

Some people think it's only the chancellor who makes a killing out of inheritance tax. More fool them. How about Simon Rogerson, the co-founder boss of Octopus Group?

Among his myriad lectures on how "people and the planet deserve better", he's somehow found the time to create a less-making private outfit, Fern Trading, that's been milking it at the expense of the taxpayer from a nice inheritance tax (IHT) wheeze. Indeed, it's been so lucrative, that since Fern's inception in 2010, its manager — Octopus Investments — has siphoned off more than £900 million in fees.

How Rogerson has done it is instructive. He saw a chance to exploit loopholes around UK business relief: a tax incentive on qualifying assets, such as shares in private trading companies or Aim stocks, that reduces or eliminates 40 per cent IHT if held for at least two years and at the time of death.

So, he built Fern: a business today with about 18,000 elderly, though wealthy, investors, holding shares in 300-plus qualifying assets, spanning wind and solar farms, risk-free lending, housing and broadband fibre. In its latest annual accounts — to June 2025 — Fern lost a net £437 million, with an operating cash outflow of £117 million.

Still, who cares about that? Octopus's fees are largely based on what for years was 2.5 per cent of Fern's "market cap". How is the market cap in a private company calculated, you ask? Oh, Octopus makes it up. Or, as it prefers to put it, evaluates it according to "international private equity and venture capital valuation guidelines". Whatever, until 2024, based on an internal share price, its value had gone up every year to hit £3.5 billion: enough for Octopus to take out more than £100 million of fees in each of the past two years.

True, since The Times started pointing all this out, the market cap's been cut to £3.17 billion, while Octopus is now levying a 1.85 per cent fee. Still, where in the public markets would you ever find a business with Fern's assets trading at such a vast premium to its £2.16 billion net assets? And not least one with £1.04 billion net debt that's not generating any cash.

Sure, as long as they get the tax relief, maybe Fern's investors don't care — about the finances or the fees or the mere 3 per cent target returns, which aren't even that lately. But perhaps they're paying a bit more attention now — because, since last month, Fern has suspended trading in the shares, while it pursues a "potential M&A transaction". Please don't call this "gating" or you'll get an essay from Octopus, insisting there are no Woodford-style liquidity issues. But either way investors can't get their money out, with Fern's next update to shareholders due on August 18.

The M&A deal in question? Fern trying to buy TalkTalks's wholesale broadband network PlatformX Communications for what's vaguely put at "hundreds of millions" of pounds. And, whatever happens, this looks a decisive moment for Fern. No way could it do this deal

without highlighting the valuation of its own fibre wing. It accounts for 38 per cent of total assets. But Fern wrote it down by £2.25 million last year after two years of losses totting up to £277 million. Any implication that it's still overvalued would raise fresh questions over Octopus's valuations of Fern's other assets.

Then, another question: how does Fern pay for the TalkTalk business? Higher debt? A rights issue? Yes, Octopus Investments, with £14.6 billion under management, can afford it. But if it puts up the money won't that dilute Fern investors?

Justifying the suspension, Kristy Barr, Octopus's retail investments chief, says the "transaction could have a material impact on value" and "we don't believe it would be fair for some investors to buy or sell at a price that doesn't reflect the true value of what they hold".

Yet, Octopus has already given us one valuation disaster with Titan VCT, down £700 million-plus on its peak. And as Eugen Neagu, director of N2 Asset Management, puts it, Fern's sliding shares and trading suspension have rattled investors, underlining that business relief schemes "carry valuation risk, concentration risk, and liquidity risk" and, in his opinion, "are better avoided". Political risk, too. The questions are getting more taxing for Octopus's Fern fee bonanza.

Flights of fancy

More hot air from Thomas Woldbye. In his campaign for the airport's £49 billion third runway extravaganza that, incidentally, its trillionaire owners expect the passengers to pay for, the Heathrow boss has got all revved up about this: "The case for expansion has never been clearer, as Heathrow was overtaken in July by Istanbul airport as the busiest hub in Europe". What a humiliation.

Still, a key reason for Istanbul handling £15 million transfers in July versus Heathrow's 286 million? Aeroflot — one of Istanbul's leading carriers at an airport dominated by Turkish Airlines. Would Woldbye prefer things if Britain lifted the ban on Russia's state-backed airline and let Putin and his cronies in, perhaps with a nice bit of novichok in the hand luggage? Instead of specious stuff like this, Woldbye should focus on halving the price of his project. This sort of argument is a turkey.

Disco inferno

Luckily, Hinkley Point C spent £700 million, including a "fish disco", to stop the finny flotilla being sucked into the nuclear plant. But, with the seas warming up, will that be enough? Three reactors at the Growlines plant in France have just been shut down over fears that a titanic swarm of jellyfish could clog the water cooling systems.

Apparently, jellyfish don't have ears and are a bit hard of hearing. So, they may not even know they're at a disco — even with Bob Marley's Guava Jelly on repeat.

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

---

14

Business

Teen's farm app takes the toil out of admin

While most teens waiting for their GCSE results have spent the summer getting sunburnt, watching TV and playing video games, 16-year-old Ben O'Connor was testing his software tool on more than 160 farms (Niamh Curran writes).

A Co Down native, O'Connor's FarmFlow app helps farmers to administer their human resources planning. It ran a pilot between May and August, enlisting farms from across the UK, Ireland and Germany.

"The pilot has taught us a lot. At the start we had lots of features, we were trying to accommodate everyone," O'Connor said. "They used it for a while and then realised it's not right for their farm, because a lot of them didn't have any staff to manage or didn't have certain things that our software was providing. So we scaled back a lot of the features and they're loving it."

O'Connor, who grew up on a fourth-generation family farm in Castlevellan, was not convinced he wanted to stay in agriculture. But last year he worked on a project in school where

he and classmates raised and sold five calves. The project — organised by the Irish agri-food group ABP Food — made him realise that although he may not be "really suited" to working in agriculture full time, he wanted to continue in other ways.

His family switched to dairy farming two years ago, after being beef

farmers. O'Connor had noticed the new time-management issues they were facing, so he started working on the app last October.

"I was starting to see problems on our own farm and I was just trying to solve it because there's lots of farm management software out there, but there's not many that actually

manage the people in the business side of the farm," O'Connor said. He started working on the idea last October while studying for his GCSEs at Lecale Trinity Grammar School in Downpatrick, while still helping milk cows in the evenings. It took a lot of "balancing" and late nights, while his older cousin helped with

coding and developing the app itself.

FarmFlow aims to save livestock and dairy farmers three to five hours a week of administrative work. The app's main feature is task management where a farm owner can assign a worker tasks which are then marked as complete. The app also allows farmers to keep

track of documentation, such as their livestock's medical records.

However, O'Connor emphasised the importance of the app's Farm Signals feature, which allows workers to highlight health and safety issues, using a traffic light system to show their urgency. These can include a broken slat in the dairy

Ben O'Connor realised he wanted an agriculture career after his class sold calves in a school project

floor or tracking the lameness of a cow.

The app is being offered on a "freemium" model, keeping the core features such as Farm Signals free, while charging for extra ones "because cashflow on farms, especially dairy farms, can be so tight".

This is not O'Connor's first foray into entrepreneurship. He started a business selling firewood when he was just nine, and founded Gifery at the age of 11, a mail-order gift basket company that sold 200,000 baskets across three years.

O'Connor said he liked to "solve problems and experiment" and thought his young age offered the perfect time to try entrepreneurship.

"You don't have as much pressure to live on your own and stuff like that," he said. With his GCSE results looming, he said they "hopefully should go OK" but he is not sure yet if he will carry on to A-levels.

He had been accepted on to a marketing apprenticeship at Unilever, but turned it down after deciding he was "too young" to move to London.

O'Connor is working on expanding FarmFlow and setting up a "group of businesses" in the human resources sector. He is building tracking software for HR firms and interview training chatbots.

Heatwave 'to affect food supply and push up prices'

Jack Barnett Economics Correspondent

Food and drink manufacturers have warned that the UK faces higher grocery costs and potential shortages as record hot weather grips the country.

The lack of rainfall and arid conditions were likely to lead to higher prices and lower supplies of fruit and vegetables, putting upward pressure on food inflation going into 2027, experts said.

The supply of a number of UK-grown crops, such as broccoli and cherries, has already come under pressure, while poor grain harvests are driving up the cost of animal feed, which could lead to more expensive meat.

The warning from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) comes as Britons brace for the fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 18 degrees tomorrow. More than two thirds of England has been declared to be in drought this week.

Dr Liliana Danila, chief economist at the FDF, said: "Not only is the UK experiencing one of its hottest and driest summers on record, but across most of Europe heatwaves and severe droughts are impacting fruit, vegetable and grain supply. Competition for fewer resour-

ces will in turn push up the price of ingredients for manufacturers.

"The UK's food and drink manufacturers work hard to absorb costs where they can, but are already grappling with rising costs as a result of war in Ukraine and in Iran, so we expect the additional upward pressure of reduced crops will be reflected in retail prices into next year."

Britain's rising cost of living since 2022 has been primarily caused by a surge in the price of everyday essentials. Food inflation climbed to a peak of 19.2 per cent in 2023 and household bills went up rapidly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

At its interest rate meeting last month, the Bank of England warned that an especially strong El Niño weather phenomenon, as has been predicted this year, would lead to "hotter and drier conditions across several agricultural-exporting regions [which] could reduce crop yields and put upward pressure on global food prices".

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has said that milk production has already been affected by the extreme heat, with production yields affected by heat-stressed cows and poor conditions for grass grazing.

NatWest has drawn up plans to offer loan repayment holidays and overdrafts to its more than 40,000 farming borrowers who face the prospect of lower crop yields.

The bank warned that the impact could outlast the immediate heatwave, with warmer weather increasing the risks of disease outbreaks and damaging livestock productivity.

Ian Burrow, head of agriculture at the lender, said: "British farmers are increasingly being forced to manage the consequences of weather extremes, from flooding one season to drought the next.

"The challenge for many businesses is no longer simply recovering from a single event but building resilience for a future where these conditions are becoming more frequent.

"With harvests progressing earlier than usual in some areas and livestock farmers already relying on winter feed stocks due to poor grass growth, cashflow and feed availability could become increasingly challenging."

Analysis at Shore Capital have warned that Britain is facing its worst food security crisis in decades as heatwaves damage wheat yields, vegetable crops and milk production.

Agriculture 'needs more help' amid drought and skills gap

Continued from page 31

including the farming roadmap and initiatives to help young people into work, were welcome but had "not gone far enough".

Paul Dover, UK agriculture director, said: "The food supply chain has been facing increasing pressure from workforce challenges for a number of years, and the latest data from our farmers shows the picture is not improving. This is a challenge that will impact beyond the farm, if action isn't taken.

"Government proposals like the farming roadmap and its efforts to help young people into work through courses in schools are helpful and will go some way to supporting farmers, but the reality is we need intervention much earlier."

Bas Padberg, managing director of Arla Foods UK, said: "If we want a resilient food system capable of feeding future generations, we must invest in the skills, education and pathways that will build the workforce of tomorrow."

Roughly a fifth of farmers said they needed help to recruit, train and develop the future workforce, according to the survey.

About 14 per cent would prioritise a "nationwide marketing campaign" to help attract more talent.

The government said: "Attracting bright new talent into agriculture is

Dairy cattle herds have been hit hard by the lack of rainfall this summer

vital for the future of UK food and farming.

"Ongoing reforms to the skills system, including a V Level in agriculture, environmental and animal care, will strengthen training routes, reform apprenticeships and improve careers pathways into farming, giving young people the practical, hands-on learning they need to progress.

"Our 25-year Farming Roadmap sets out a clear vision for the future so our farmers can have the confidence once more to invest and feed the nation with pride for generations to come."

---

35

Business

David Smith

UK economy is resilient but Healey's Treasury is an unknown quantity

“Later this week we will get official figures showing how the economy did in June and, more importantly, in the second quarter of the year. Economists are split on whether the June monthly GDP figure will be up a little or down a little. They are, however, united in the belief that there will have been growth in the second quarter, probably of 0.3 or 0.4 per cent.

Anticipating official figures so close to their release date (tomorrow) breaks one of the rules of forecasting, which is that you should predict a figure, or a date, but never both at the same time. But hey, let us see what happens. Economists' confidence in a second quarter rise in GDP is in large part because monthly GDP in April and May was 0.4 per cent above the first quarter average. Something really bad would need to have happened in June to upset the applecart.

True, the second quarter rise in GDP is unlikely to match the brisk 0.6 per cent jump in the first quarter, though if it did it would be a cause for celebration. But to have maintained decent growth in the context of the energy shock generated by the war on Iran is quite an achievement. Things did not look nearly so promising three to four months ago. When the Strait of Hormuz closed, they looked pretty desperate.

The GDP figures, assuming they follow the script, are not the only evidence of a UK economy that has been resilient in the face of the latest shocks. The latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) report on jobs showed, as it put it in its headline: “Recruitment landscape improves as permanent placements stabilise and temp billings rise further.”

Permanent job placements have been weak for four years, their weakness pre-dating Rachel Reeves's raising of employer national insurance. These signs of stabilisation are thus a cause for mild optimism.

The UK economy has proved more resilient to external shocks than feared. Last year it grew through President Trump's tariff war with America's trading partners and allies, including Britain. So far this year it has grown even through the energy shock caused by the US president's

America's main war aim appears to be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

input and ill-conceived war with Iran. Significantly higher petrol and diesel prices have, it seems, been absorbed by motorists. Department for Transport figures show that car use in the first half of last month was slightly higher than a year earlier, when fuel prices were much lower. The household energy price cap, at one stage predicted to rise sharply, is heading for a small increase in October, at worst, kept down by the government's decision to scrap VAT, for now, on domestic electricity bills.

We should not, though, count our chickens before they are hatched. There are still dangers on the horizon. I won't go into detail on the drought as a constraint on economic activity and driver of higher prices, though perhaps I should.

On Iran, America's war aim now appears to be limited to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, returning to the

position we were in before the missiles started flying.

Whether to reopen or not, however, now appears to be in the hands of Iran, a sworn enemy of the West, which is not good. Not only that, but the impact of the war and the closure of the strait on oil prices would have been a lot bigger if countries had not drawn on their strategic reserves to supply the market. Countries have been supplying the market from these reserves, limiting the effect of the conflict on prices.

The question is how long this can continue. Official figures from the US Department of Energy show that America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve dropped below 300 million barrels of oil last week, the lowest since 1983.

China, with a much larger strategic reserve of between 1.3 and 1.4 billion barrels of oil, has done a lot to

stabilise the market in the wake of the energy shock, more than any other country, by restricting oil imports after the strait's closure and drawing down its reserve. But there are limits to even China's ability to do this.

The war with Iran and the ongoing energy shock is one risk to the economy's resilience. The October budget is another. Though economists are already speculating about how much John Healey may have to raise taxes in his October 28 budget, such speculation is, at this stage, unanchored. I can't speak for all my colleagues, but I don't get the impression that budget musings are being whispered to them by those in the know. After all, most were wrongfooted by Healey's appointment when all the speculation was that it was a fight between Shabana Mahmood and Ed Miliband.

Not only that, but the economic advice that the prime minister and chancellor are receiving, apart from that they get from civil servants, is something of an unknown quantity.

As this newspaper has reported, the economic “dream team” talked of when Andy Burnham was on his way to No 10 — Lord O'Neill of Cattle, Andy Haldane and the former Office for Budget Responsibility chairman Richard Hughes — is yet to be assembled and may never be. Nobody ever minds being associated with providing advice to a new prime minister (some recent prime ministers clearly excepted) but any formal role as yet seems so far unconsummated.

The good news is that budget speculation is not yet as frenzied as it was a year ago, when it was one of the big stories of the summer and autumn. But it can be expected to gather pace next month, as it always does. What needs to be avoided is a damaging freeze on investment, recruitment and spending decisions because of the uncertainty.

The economy has proved resilient so far but it would not take too much to knock it back. It has happened before and it could happen again.

Amid the many priorities of the new administration, avoiding that should be one of them.

David Smith is Economics Editor of The Sunday Times david.smith@sunday-times.co.uk

‘AI means firms need flexible office space’

Tom Howard

Companies are seeking more flexible office space because they have no idea what artificial intelligence means for their future headcounts, the world's largest supplier of serviced offices has claimed.

IWG, which operates the Regus and Spaces branch, said the rapid rise of AI had meant that for most business leaders it was “impossible to know how much office space they will need in just two years’ time”.

“Against this backdrop, businesses are increasingly seeking workplace strategies that allow them to scale up or down quickly,” Christian Schmitz, IWG's new chief executive, said.

“In an environment of constant technological change, organisations need the agility to adapt.”

IWG was founded by Mark Dixon, a former hotdog seller, in 1989 when he opened his first office in Brussels, having spotted a need for temporary office space for executives on the move. It now has more than 2,200 centres around the world, which can be rented out for a day, week, month or year.

Rather than buying or leasing its own office space to rent out, IWG is increasingly partnering with landlords, who hand over space in their buildings for IWG to run as a serviced office. Reflecting the extra demand from companies not fully knowing how AI will affect their operations, IWG enjoyed a record first half as its revenues climbed 6 per cent to $2 billion, up from $19 billion in the opening six months of 2025.

However, IWG felt to a $20 million loss before tax during the period, compared with a $12 million profit a year earlier. This was blamed on higher interest costs on its $1.25 billion debt pile and a $65 million rise in general and administrative expenses. IWG suffered a cash outflow of $55 million over the six months compared with cash inflow of $51 million in the first half of 2025, which Allen Wells, an industry analyst at Jefferies, called “weak”.

IWG has bought back $100 million of its own shares so far this year and committed itself to another $50 million before the end of 2026. The market, however, had hoped that management might expand the buyback programme, but Wells said the weaker cashflow “may reduce confidence in the timing of further buyback announcements”.

IWG shares fell 2.6p, or 1.4 per cent, to 183.5p yesterday and are now a fifth below where they started the year.

Get some wit for your walls

Find your own signed and framed print of our cartoonists' finest work, featuring Peter Brookes, Morten Morland, Peter Schrank and more.

Prices start at £58. Order from timescartoons.com

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

---

36

Business

Pub regulator targeting Stonegate

The adjudicator faces scrutiny as it examines the UK's largest pubs group. Jessica Newman and James Hurley write

For those who have spent years urging the UK's pubs regulator to take a tougher stance to protect tenants, the launch of an investigation into Stonegate came as a welcome surprise.

Fiona Dickie, the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA), last month invited publicans, industry advisers and Stonegate's current and former staff to contribute evidence to an investigation into how the UK's largest pubs group treats its tenants. In response, many tenants have spoken publicly about what they claim have been the disastrous financial and personal consequences of taking on a Stonegate pub.

The reaction of those who have long been demanding tougher action from Dickie — on alleged issues such as exorbitant pricing, misleading financial

dealings and the poor condition of pubs — could be summarised as 'about time'. What has received less attention is that the Stonegate investigation, only the second since the regulator was created, comes as the code and the adjudicator are facing existential scrutiny.

Established in 2016, the code regulates the relationship between 'tied' pub tenants and the large pub-owning businesses that rent pubs to them and sell them beer. It was intended to address an imbalance of power under the centuries-old 'beer tie', under which pub tenants are contractually obliged

to buy certain supplies from a pub company (pubco) landlord. This is typically at considerably higher prices than available on the open market, in return for lower rent charged by the pubco.

The extent to which this new regime has worked, or remains a good fit for a much-changed pubs sector, is being examined. A statutory review takes place every three years. Alongside this, the government has also commissioned a full 'post-implementation review' of the regulator.

Launching this work last year, Justin Madders, then minister for employment rights, competition and markets, said: 'The time is now right to ask if the current model still works' and 'whether the PCA is still required, should be retained in its current form or should be reformed or consolidated with another public body'. The review closed last August. A year on, the government is still weighing up what to do.

In fairness, there is plenty to consider. Since the code was introduced, the pubs landscape has altered markedly, with changes including a reduction in pubs covered by the code, an increase in 'managed' operations, where the pub company employs the pub operator instead of working with semi-independent tenants; and a rise in other models not covered by the legislation.

Phil Dixon, a veteran pubs adviser described by Stonegate as an 'industry expert', said: 'The adjudicator has been well-meaning, but ultimately it hasn't made much difference. It is a quango going through the motions.'

Compared to other industry watchdogs, the PCA's jurisdiction is limited. It covers six big pub-owning companies in England and Wales that operate 500 or more tied pubs: Stonegate, Marston's, Admiral Taverns, Greene King, Star Pubs & Bars, and Punch Pubs. It also only covers particular dealings within those estates. At the time of the code's introduction in 2016, it applied to about 11,500 pubs. By 2024, this had dropped below 8,000, but there was an increase to about 8,500 by 2025.

The adjudicator said it had 'played a pivotal role to empower tied tenants and protect fair-

David McDowall, chief executive

ness in the tied business relationship, helping to create a fairer and more transparent regulated pub sector in England and Wales'. It said while the sector had changed since the code was introduced, 'changes in the last five years have been much less pronounced' and the size of the regulated estate had stabil-

Spirax spooks investors despite its strong results

Charlotte Bend

One of the Britain's leading industrial engineers disappointed investors after failing to upgrade its full-year guidance with the interim results.

Spirax Group, which provides thermal energy and fluid control technologies for a broad range of industries, including oil and gas, chemicals and mining, reported a 54 per cent rise in per-tax profit to £135.4 million in the six months to the end of June. Revenue was 5 per cent higher at £863.8 million over the half year against a year earlier.

However, Spirax stock fell sharply after the company failed to lift its full-year guidance on the back of the strong interim results and a 3 per cent rise in the dividend to 50.4p per share. The shares were down 425p, or 5.6 per cent, at £72.25, making it the biggest faller on the FTSE100.

Analysis at Jefferies said they were

'very much surprised' by the large fall and reiterated their 'buy' recommendation, viewing the share price drop as a 'more attractive entry point' offering a 'good buying opportunity'.

Spirax's main revenue came from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which accounted for £181.5 million in the six months despite supply chain disruptions from the conflict in the Middle East. Spirax reported £135.1 million in revenue from the Americas and £147.2 million in the Asia Pacific region.

Spirax was founded in 1888 and has its headquarters in Cheltenham with operations in 70 countries.

Nimesh Patel, the chief executive, said: 'Continuing momentum in end markets such as [semiconductors and biopharmaceuticals] as well as strong order books, underpin our expectations for second-half revenue and profit growth and we are reiterating our full-year guidance.'

The Prudential Assurance Company Limited (company regime #5454) is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Part of M&G.

---

17

Business

faces a fight for its own future

of Stonegate, at its Sir John Balcombe pub. The company is being investigated by Fiona Dickie, the pubs code adjudicator

lised. But Dickie, has told the government one of the core tenets of the rules — that tied pub tenants should be no worse off than if they were not subject to any tie — risks being undermined. She has warned of “limited and diminishing access” for tenants to enter a “market rent only” (MRO) arrangement, the term for the option provided under the code to buy beer and supplies on the open market. She said this “may place restrictions on the

ability” of the code to deliver the “no worse off” principle. Tenants’ representatives argue that far more tenants would be going free-of-tie if the code gave them sufficient bargaining power and rights to do so. Dixon said that only a small proportion of publicans have moved to MRO, “although it has at least been a catalyst for people to negotiate better pricing under the tie”. He said the bigger issue was that “much of the pricing across the

industry remains shocking, particularly for the most loyal tenants. What is really needed is the ability for tenants to challenge the prices they get from their own pub company.” Tenants and the pubs industry have highlighted a lack of activity from the regulator, albeit from different perspectives. Before the launch of the Stonegate investigation, there was a growing feeling in the industry that the code might be on its way out. A source within

Ale-ing?

Total number of pubs code agreements at March 31 each year

one of the “big six” companies said they believed there was a “genuine chance of having it [the code] curtailed”. The British Beer & Pub Association, the industry body, said in response to the review last year that it was “heartening” it was happening amid a desire to reduce “the acute cost burden on our sector”.

The industry is now in a less optimistic mood, and not only because of the high profile of the “Stonegate debacle”, as one industry source called it. The review also comes in the context of a new pub-loving prime minister and a new chancellor whose stance on regulators encouraging growth as well as enforcing rules — as championed by Rachel Reeves — is not yet clear.

Another pub company boss said there was a “growing nervousness” that the alleged Stonegate issues may reflect badly on other businesses. “No one wants to be tarnished with the same brush,” they said. Ian Cass, former chairman of the Forum of British Pubs, a tenants group, said the rules had not worked. “It was supposed to stop unfair behaviours from the pub companies and provide a fair alternative deal option of a market rent only, which was supposed to be easy, cheap and quick.

“In reality, the pub companies found a whole new range of unfair behaviours, [and] the MRO option proved to be costly, time consuming and difficult to achieve because the pub companies made it so. The solution now is to scrap the code and the adjudicator and to remove the tie from all pubs. [The tie] has turned into a Frankenstein’s monster of an agreement,” Cass said.

The adjudicator notes that of the 453 MRO processes launched between April 2022 and March 2025, more than one in three resulted in a free-of-tie agreement — a similar proportion to the previous three-year period. But

Dixon warned that the industry was now structuring most agreements with operators outside the protection of the Landlord and Tenant Act. “Where there are no rights, good entrepreneurs won’t go near you. If you have an agreement only a fool will sign, you will end up with too many fools in the industry.”

He said the vast majority of pub companies with fewer than 500 sites, which are outside the regulation, signed up to a voluntary code to treat tied tenants fairly, including a rent review service and arbitration and conciliation.

Dixon said a beefed-up version of this, which he believes should be mandatory for any operator with more than ten pubs, should replace the code. “The beauty of self-regulation is that if an issue crops up, the industry can adapt and resolve it. With the code, you are stuck with what was written in 2015.”

Tom Stainer, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, believes that while the PCA serves a necessary function, it is hampered by a narrow scope. He believes much of the criticism of the regulator stems from this, with people expecting it to “to act with powers that it doesn’t have”, and Stainer thinks the adjudicator requires “more teeth” and a significantly broader mandate.

The government has indicated that previous reviews have shown the code is achieving its two main requirements: fair and lawful treatment and the “no worse off” principle. A government spokesman said it would publish the review as “soon as possible”.

Stonegate has said it is “completely committed” to the code and that “publicans are at the heart of our business”. It has said it is co-operating with the investigation but noted it is “investing record amounts in our properties, tenant applications are at record highs and publican tenures are at record lengths”.

World Cup helps IHG beat forecasts

Jessica Newman

Room revenue growth at the hotel company behind the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza chains and Six Senses resorts beat first-half expectations after strong trading in the United States and China offset sharp declines in the Middle East.

InterContinental Hotels Group, which has over 7,100 hotels in more than 100 countries, reported revenue per available room (revspar), a key industry metric, 4.1 per cent up in the six months to the end of June, above analysts’ forecasts of 3.3 per cent growth.

In the Americas, IHG’s biggest region, revspar was up 4.8 per cent, boosted by a “strong” US economy and solid demand in cities where World Cup matches took place.

In China, revspar grew 3.1 per cent as a result of a “particularly strong” first quarter supported by “excellent” leisure demand over Chinese new year. IHG said there had been growth in all of its 21 brands, but its luxury chains

such as Six Senses, Regent, Kimpton and the Vignette Collection continued to deliver the strongest results.

“The very affluent are very affluent ... and they never really stopped spending”, Elie Maalouf, IHG’s chief executive, said. “People are really preferring experiences over goods, they are spending on experiences despite geopolitical tensions, despite temperatures — people still want to travel.”

The FTSE 100 company’s performance in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia was mixed. Overall, the region registered revspar growth of 3.1 per cent, as growth slowed in the second quarter after the start of the Iran war.

While the UK recorded growth of 3.1 per cent in the second quarter and continental Europe 2.3 per cent, trading in the Middle East deteriorated significantly. The region, which accounts for about 5 per cent of IHG’s global hotel room numbers, moved from a revspar decline of 2 per cent in the first quarter to a drop of 19 per cent in the second quarter. Maalouf said the company’s

hotels in the region were “trading better with every going month since the peak of the conflict in March and April”.

About 90 per cent of IHG’s hotel pipeline in the Middle East is in Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which Maalouf added were countries slightly more sheltered from the conflict.

IHG reported total revenues of $2.6 billion in the first half of the year. While operating profit rose 10 per cent to $665 million, the number was below analysts’ expectations of about $6.7 million. The miss was related to a 15 million insurance expense at a hotel damaged by a fire.

Analysts at Bank of America said IHG’s second-quarter results looked “solid in this tough hotels reporting season”. This month, its rivals Marriott and Hyatt lowered their full-year forecasts for net room growth.

Analysts at Jefferies said that “key money remains under control and the full-year outlook is reiterated”.

IHG’s shares closed up 25 cents, or 0.2 per cent, at $155.80.

Building supplier’s Dubai unit victim of war scam

James Hurley

A FTSE 250 buildings supplier has said that fraudsters exploited the war in Iran to steal money from its Middle East operation.

Genuit, which provides ventilation and energy and water-saving products, said it had been hit by a “social engineering fraud” which had resulted in a claim on its crime insurance policy.

The company released few details about the scam but said that it had cost it £600,000 in excess costs on its insurance policy. It did not disclose how much the insurer had paid out.

Social engineering is a term for when scammers trick people, such as company employees, into giving away sensitive information or into processing fraudulent payments.

Its understood that Genuit’s Middle East division, based in Dubai, was targeted shortly after the Iran war began

in a scam said to be designed to exploit concerns about the conflict, and that funds were transferred in error. Genuit indicated there had been no breach of its IT systems but it is understood it has implemented measures to prevent a repeat of the issue.

In interim results for the six months ended June 30, the company said revenue had edged up 3.4 per cent compared with a year earlier, to £30.9 million. However, pre-tax profits slid by almost 40 per cent to £19.1 million, partly because of a £1.5 million provision for “slow-moving stock” and a supplier quality failure. Both issues were at Adey, its water treatment arm.

Underlying pre-tax profit fell 9.5 per cent to £10.5 million. Genuit said trading in the first four months of the year was affected by the Middle East conflict and wet weather.

Shares in Genuit fell 17½p, or 5.6 per cent, to close at 288p.

---

18

Wednesday, August 12 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

The Times unit trust information service

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
ALLIAR2 GLOBAL INVESTORS
Inv Serv: 020 7800 1400 Hujaboo: 0800 317 573
Strategy Fund Fund	129.95		-6.49	0.11
UK Equity A I	4006.82		-1.75	3.95
UK Growth I	38204.85		-76.67	2.22

ARTEMIS FUND MGRS

0800 692 2051

Authorized Inv Funds

Global Income Fund B Inc / 1802.82	-	-1.59	—
Net Income Fund B Inc / 1222.71	-	-0.39	—
Global Income Fund B	1782.83	-0.39	—
High Income Fund B Inc /	16.00	-0.14	—
Income Fund A Inc /	4000.96	-7.20	—
Income Fund B Inc /	313.86	-2.02	—
Monthly Bch A B Inc /	92.37	-4.31	—
Great Euro Exp Equity A / 1801.28	-	-2.41	—
Great Euro Gold Equity A / 1813.13	-	-4.1	—
Great Euro UK Equity A / 4307.93	-	-1.47	—
Strategy Assets A Inc /	94.6	-4.18	—
Strategy Assets A Inc /	116.26	-8.31	—
Strategy Bch B Inc /	52.56	-0.14	—
Strategy Bch B Inc /	116.01	-6.32	—
Strategy Bch B Inc /	52.42	-0.15	—
UK Select B A Inc /	1500.36	-11.13	—
UK Smaller Co A Inc /	2743.24	-20.69	—
UK Special Sdn A Inc /	1139.3	-5.91	—

AXA FRANKINGTON UNIT MGMT

Diag: 0800 602 1951 Priv. Clients:0800 777 9511

Health I	2012	-13.66	—
UK Select Daps Inc I	2336	-13.60	1.30
UK Select Inc I	332.7	0.17	—
UK Spot Exps B Dis I	236.3	-1.60	1.30

AXA FUND MANAGERS

Admin: 6 Key 0117 989 8000

365 Global Investment Companies

Global Fund A Inc I	200.1	0.52
Japan A/c A I	166.3	2.51

CIG UNIT MANAGERS

0907 46 46-46

European Growth I	294.90	1.14
Sec London I	1300	-0.19
UK Growth I/P	802.90	1.69
UK Income I/P	259.90	2.63

CLOSE FUND MANAGEMENT

Dealing: 029 7426 6232

Winchester I	5662.22	0.40

COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE INVESTMENTS

Emps:0679 601 4183 Dealing: 0570 6803

Share Class 2 Retail

Euro Exch B Inc I	1620	-7	0.10
FTSE All Dis Trust I	590.7	-0.3	2.70
Global Fund A/C I	484.7	-0.4	—
Strategy Bcl I	228.2	-0.5	2.90

EIGHTHSE INV MGMT

0800 350 3018

Said Zar Expts A Dis I/P	492.8	-2.92	1.77
Said Zar Expts A Dis I/P	464.1	-0.40	0.93
Said Washington Inc I	195.4	-0.85	4.72
Said Starkey Bank A Dis I	1805.84	-0.33	0.98
Said A/C Expts B Dis I	254.4	-2.90	2.43
Said UK Exps Daps A Dis I	1079.8	-1.40	1.42

FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL

Private Certs:0800 414501 Broker Dips:0800 414501

Retail Type I	2960
Revenue I	5890
Gas Exps I	581.9
European I	4655
Global Focus I	2728
Global High Income Fund B Dis I	12.17
Global Special Sdn I	9980
Japan I	976.0
Minneapolis Bcl I	40.21
Minneapolis Bcl I	28.27
Minneapolis Bcl Bcl I	202.6
Special Sdn I	7980

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
UK Opportunities Fund B Dis I	100.9	—	3.41	—

HALIFAX INVESTMENT FUND MGRS

01J79 386 306

Authorised Inv Funds

Share Class C

Corporate Bond I	37.39	—	-5.50
Intl Exch I	37.7	—	-0.60
UK FTSE All I/IT I	100.9	—	—
UK FTSE All I/IT I	123.0	—	—

HSBC GLOBAL ASSET MGMT (UK)

Empl:0697 576 6123 Dip:0800 745 6126 Misc-Find:0-6

HSBC Index Traders Investment Funds (IDEC)

Amer Ind A/c I	1643	-1	0.77
Euro Ind A/c I	1670	-3	2.27
Euro Ind Inc I	1884	-2	2.12
FTSE 100 Ind A/c I	442.2	-2.0	2.49
FTSE 100 Ind Inc I	579.5	-0.6	2.64
FTSE 250 Ind A/c I	404.1	-3.1	2.66
FTSE 250 Ind Inc I	222.3	-1.7	2.05
FTSE 50% A/c I	1110	-1	2.40
FTSE FTSE 50% Inc I	568.6	-0.5	2.79
Japan Ind A/c I	275.1	-1.2	1.44
Japan Ind Inc I	179.1	-0.8	1.47
Pac Bc Ind A/c I	1466	-5	1.56
Pac Bc Ind Inc I	940.8	-0.8	1.61

HSBC Investment Funds (IDEC) Retail Share Class

Cap Bcl A/c I/P	311.4	-1.2	4.20
Income A/c I	1462	—	5.20
Income Inc I/P	492.8	—	3.31
Monthly Inc A/c I/P	313.4	—	3.75
Monthly Inc Inc I/P	139.9	—	4.02
UK 50% Bc A/c A/c B Inc I	1820.2	-0.3	3.97
UK 50% Bc A/c A/c B Inc I	1307.66	-0.09	3.04

HSBC Specialist Investment Pds (IDEC)

American Index Retail Inc I	1264	0.76

INVESCO FUND MGRS LTD

Diag:0800 005 0371 Inv Serv:0800 003 0677

Bdr: Serv:0800 028 2121

Invesco Funds

Cap Bond I	231.89	—	4.00
High Income Dis I	243.27	—	3.14
Income & Growth Dis I	926.44	—	3.00
Income Inc I	1679.0	—	3.05
Memo A/c I	147.85	—	3.64
Monthly Inc Pds Dis I	92.20	—	5.75
UK Exps I/B B/c I	1458.85	—	3.46
UK Smt Cos Exps A/c I	1375.33	—	3.20

INVESTEC FUND MGRS LTD

Broker Support and Dealing: 220 7597 2900

ODC Series I, IUE & IV

American A A/c I	506.78	-0.03
Cashless Managed A A/c I	1472.88	-0.65
Cashless Managed A Bc I	1270.46	-0.36
Direct/Bud Growth A/c I	1352.34	-0.05
Direct/Bud Growth Bc I	122.31	-0.02
Direct/Bud Income A A/c I	1576.63	-0.38
Direct/Bud Income A B/c I	1412.81	-0.67
Energy Mix Brand (60) A/c I	141.19	-0.41
Energy Mix Brand (60) I	16.18	-0.19
Energy Mix Capital A Bc I	1059.00	-1.00
Investors Mix Leases A Bc I	1215.94	0.63
Global Equity A A/c I	304.83	-0.40
Global Franchise A A/c I	488.3	-0.8
Global Franchise B A/c I	1229.85	-1.47
Global Exid A A/c I	568.95	-0.74
Global Special Situations A Bc I	1333.62	-0.01

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
Global Special Situations A Bc I	—	—	-0.41	—
UK Special Situations A B/c I	—	—	-24.42	1.69
UK Special Situations A B/c I	—	—	-0.4	1.69

For DDS Asset Mgmt: see FSC Fit Mgmt Ltd (ODC) JANUS HENDERSON INVESTORS

Investor Serv: 0800 832 811 Diag:0845 946 4646

All Smt. Good A Inc I	12.24	—	4.50
Asian Dts Inc II Total A/c I	98.26	—	5.40
Cashless Managed A B A/c I	86.7	—	3.00
Cashless Managed A B/c I	132.6	—	3.00
China App Bond A B/c I	2.09	—	0.10
Free Mkt's App A B/c I	296	—	—
Free Mkt's App A B/c I	30.6	—	—
Free Mkt's App A B/c I	26.7	—	—
Global Equity Income A B/C I	1.81	—	0.20
Global Exch A B/c I	7.00	—	—
Said All Int. Daps A A/c I	100.99	—	2.20
Mr Asset, Mrs Dts A B/c I	1.87	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mrs Dts A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mrs Dts A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mrs Dts A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mrs Dts A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mrs Dts A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mkt's App A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mkt's App A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mkt's App A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mkt's App A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30
Mr Asset, Mkt's App A B/c I	1.82	—	2.30

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT

ODC

UK Exch. Fund Bcl A/c I	1872.600	0.4000	2.52

JUPITER UT TRUST MANAGERS LTD

020 7585 3010

Brentford Ave & Growth I	129.94	-0.6627	2.93
Euro Special Sdn I	695.25	-0.2111	0.71
European I	4627.77	-0.2121	0.61
Financial Mgr I	2556.89	-0.0609	1.01
Global Micro Mkt I, GDP Mkt I	437.49	-0.7106	1.67
Marble Mkt A/c I	567.9	-0.3693	2.26

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
Storting Class A Investment Funds 2
Extra Income A/c I	327.19	—	5.10
GM A/Ind Int Inc I	66.91	—	6.00
GM W/Ind Int Inc I	39.27	—	6.25
Index Global Del Inc I	108.92	—	3.57
Index Fedr Inc I	109.99	—	-0.05	3.00
Short Brand Cap Bcl A/c I	25.34	—	4.26
UK Select A A/c I	1013.68	—	2.64

Storting Class A Investment Funds 3

Cap Bcl A/c I	32.77	5.10
Brentford Inc I	16.57	5.17
Brentford A/c I	142.9	2.04
Said Gas Inc I	165.62	2.00

Storting Class A Investment Funds 4

Ephash Allocation A Inc I	162.6	3.79

MARKS & SPONSOR UNIT TRUST

0800 005 9500
High Income I	87.39	—	4.60
High Income A/c I	29.12	—	4.60
UK 100 Exps A/c I	72.6	—	3.10
UK 100 Exps A/c I	103.4	—	2.10
UK Select Prof. I	185.5	—	2.90
UK Select Prof. A/c I	112.9	—	2.90
UK Exch. Mgt A/c I	1301	—	8.20
Worldwide Mgt A/c I	746.6	—	6.20

MORGAN STABLET INVESTMENT MGMT

Empl: Inc: 0800 0961 962

The Morgan Stanley Funds (UK)

Class A Shares Equity

Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	3049.86	1.54
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	935.81	1.55
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	936.49	1.49
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	3036.52	1.47
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	3036.48	1.47
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	949.80	1.66
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	3034.12	1.57
Gold Bal Int F F A/c I	949.45	1.69
Gold Bc Ex Fdtd A/c I	1111.72	0.29
Gold Bc Ex Fdtd A/c I	1776.36	4.26
Gold Bc Ex Fdtd F/A/c I	2179.31	0.92

Marble Growth A/c I	328.54	-0.2105	0.20
Marble Inc A/c I	476.4	-0.2011	5.80
Marble Wasted Inc I	613.66	-0.2195	—
UK Business Equity B/c I	297.85	-0.3051	2.75
UK Growth I	203.45	-0.2162	3.63
UK Income Trust I	3018.36	-1.2049	4.50

LEGAL & GENERAL (UT MANAGS) LTD

Empl:0675 0500 0955 Dealing: 0679 050 0956

Euro Ind A/c I/P	820.0000	-260.0000	190.00
Euro Ind Inc I	485.0000	-160.0000	190.00
Fixed Int A/c I	201.0000	-60.0000	460.00
Fixed Int B/d I	61.9900	-27.0000	460.00
Global Equity A	1.071	-1.1	0.50
Global Exch. A/c I/P	230	-1.3	—
High Inc A/c I/P	201.0000	-10.0000	570.00
Japan Ind A/c I	121.0000	-20.0000	130.00
Pac Bc Ind A/c I	422.0000	-160.0000	140.00
UK Exch. Trust A/c I	540.1000	-70.0000	250.00
Brent Food Unit I	234.0000	-10.0000	150.00
UK Ind A/c I	1433	-5.50	—
Worldwide A/c I	472.0000	-80.0000	90.00

M&G SECURITIES

Empl:0800 290 990 Dealing Line: 0800 320 3246

Authorised Inv Funds

CharITInd Inv I/P	2000.87	-0.95	5.22

Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1429.57	0.32
Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1162.02	0.95
Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1191.75	0.45
Gold Ex Fund Inc (P/E) 1304.1	0.12
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (P/E) 259.29	0.49
Gold Ex Exch Fund I Inc (T/C) 35	0.51
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/A) 25	0.54
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/A) 25	0.24
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/P) 25	0.51
Sty Cap Exch F F A/c I	144.27	4.00
Sty Cap Exch F F A/c I	97.83	4.91
Sty Cap Exch F F A/c I	1107.25	4.74
Sty Cap Exch F F A/c I	3052.82	4.74
US Ass F F A/c I	2462.39	—
US Ass F F A/c (P/E) I	2479.29	—
US Ass F F A/c I	2350.41	—
US Ass F F A/c (P/E) I	2101.30	—

Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1429.57	0.32
Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1162.02	0.95
Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1191.75	0.45
Gold Ex Fund I Inc (P/E) 1304.1	0.12
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (P/E) 259.29	0.49
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/C) 35	0.51
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/A) 25	0.54
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/P) 25	0.24
Gold Ex Exch Fund A/c (T/P) 25	0.51

SANTANDER UNIT TST MGRS

0800 279 9001

Equity Inc Inc I	243.5
Stimati 100 B/c I	230.0000
UK Growth I A/c I	657.1
UK Growth I A/c I	315.5

SCOTTISH MUTUAL INV MNGRES LTD

0161 244 6100

For Excisive Inc	1217.0790	649.0780	—
Mutual For Excisive	1351.2180	1434.4300	-0.57

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
Mutual Mkt Ex	1429.0900	1530.7600	—	7.01
UK Equity Inc	562.2300	593.0000	—	7.01

SCOTTISH WIDONS UNIT TRUST MNGRS

0940 388 2244

Overseas Growth Investment Funds

Tracker A Special Investment Funds

UK Smt A Inc I	686.3	-1.00	2.50
UK Smt A Inc I	279.9	0.50	2.50

UK & Income Investment Funds

Gas Bond A A/c I/P	328.6	-1.30	4.00
Gas Bond A A/c I/P	147.9	-0.40	4.00
Japan Ind A/c I	473.0	-1.20	2.10
Mr Int Exch A/c I/P	1.00	-1.60	6.00
Mr Int Exch A/c I/P	79.76	-0.37	6.00
R Bsc A A/c I	561.1	-1.60	3.70
R Bsc A A/c I	132.2	-0.40	3.00
Straf Int A A/c I/P	258.6	-0.60	4.50
Straf Int A A/c I/P	36.20	-0.24	4.50
Stf Exch A/C I	136.6	-0.30	2.50

ODC & Class

UK Smt B Inc I	671.6	-1.20	2.60
UK Smt B Inc I	274.4	-0.40	2.60

ODC C Class

UK Eq Pre C I	120.6	0.39	2.60

STANDARD LIFE INVESTMENTS

0940 279 9001

Investment Funds (ODC)-Retail Shares

---

19

Business

Traders pay $100k a month to get Trump posts earlier

Graham Ruddick Deputy Business Editor

More than ten customers have already signed up to get high-speed access to President Trump's Truth Social posts by paying as much as $100,000 a month.

Kevin McGurn, the interim chief executive of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), confirmed the sign-ups to the Truth API service as the company posted quarterly results.

The service has been controversial because it could give traders access to market-moving posts from Trump before others. Critics claim it is a conflict of interest and a vehicle for the president to profit from his role.

TMTG owns Truth Social as well as the Truths streaming service and a collection of other assets. The largest shareholder in TMTG is the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust with 41 per cent, according to Factset. This trust holds the president's assets while he is in office. Other investors include Blackrock and Vanguard.

$164m

The second-quarter loss suffered by Trump Media and Technology Group Source: TMTG

TMTG said the Truth API service offered "a business-to-business data feed subscription that provides licensed, low-latency access to publicly available posts from certain top Truth Social accounts and is expected to provide the company with a new revenue stream".

It added: "TMTG onboard a number of institutional customers prior to its August 1 launch and, despite receiving what it believes to be factually inaccurate criticism of Truth API, is continuing to onboard additional partners."

McGurn confirmed there had been "more than ten customer agreements signed to date". Customers are being charged between $60,000 and $100,000 a month for the service. High-frequency trading firms are among those to have signed up.

TMTG reported a $238 million loss

President Trump's Truth Social platform is owned by Trump Media and Technology Group which is offering privileged access

for the three months to the end of June. The second-quarter figures showed the company had taken a hit from paper losses on the value of its crypto holdings. With those paper losses excluded, it suffered a $164 million loss, compared with a $44 million loss a year earlier.

The company counted the cost of branching out into businesses outside of the media sector, such as cryptocurrencies, online betting, finance and even nuclear energy. It said it would

ditch many of the new ventures and refocus efforts on its social media platform and acting as a forum for users to post their views.

McGurn said: "We made the disciplined choice to pivot in order to invest more time and resources in our most important initiatives. We will say no to things or change course as warranted."

He also defended the Truth API service. "Providing licensed real-time public data through commercial APIs [application programming interfaces] is

a well-established business practice across the technology, financial information and media industries," McGurn said. "This is no different."

He confirmed that TMTG's nuclear fusion business would continue under the new strategy, with the aim of completing a previously announced merger with the energy company TAE Technologies by the end of the year.

Shares in TMTG were flat at $9.39 yesterday, valuing the company at $2.5 billion.

Federer loses millions from his stake in shoes brand

Guy Taylor

Tens of millions of dollars were wiped off the value of Roger Federer's stake in a Swiss running shoes brand after it reported weaker than expected quarterly sales.

The US-listed shares of On Holding had tumbled more than 19 per cent to $31.32 by lunchtime in New York yesterday as net sales of SwFr850.3 million (£776 million) over the three months to the end of June came in well below the SwFr881.4 million forecast by analysts.

Federer is reported to hold a stake of roughly 3 per cent in the company which would be a loss of about $65 million by the market close on Wall Street, which Forbes estimated would be enough to bring the former tennis player's net worth below $1 billion.

On Holding said it was contending with a "heavily promotional environment" in some markets but would not compromise on pricing. This has meant restricting volumes shipped to certain wholesale retailers before the launch of new "breakthrough innovations" leading into 2027.

It said it expected sales to be in the "low 20 per cent range" for the year ahead, having previously forecast "at least 23 per cent growth". This implies net sales of between SwFr3.47 billion and SwFr1.56 billion this financial year.

David Allemann, co-chief executive, said: "We are proving that a brand can achieve global scale without compromising its premium brand positioning."

Quarterly net sales were still up 13.5 per cent despite missing expectations, however sales through wholesale channels rose by only 4.8 per cent to SwFr461.9 million. Sales in direct-to-consumer were up sharply by more than a quarter to SwFr388.4 million.

On was founded in the Swiss Alps in 2010. Federer first invested in 2019, with the company releasing a limited-edition lifestyle shoe named The Roger the following year. On listed on the New York Stock exchange in September 2021, raising roughly $746 million.

Gross profit this quarter increased by 20.6 per cent year-on-year to SwFr555.7 million.

EIGHT DAYS FROM

£2,829

PER PERSON

Return flights plus transfers

Seven nights in four-star accommodation with daily breakfast and 1 dinner at a local restaurant

The services of our experienced and insightful tour manager

Five guided tours and visits including Oslo, Bergen, Heddal and Rjukan

Travel on the Oslo to Bergen railway line, the Flam railway and the Flothaven funicular

Cruise across the Unesco-listed Naeroyfjord

On our tour of Norway, you will enjoy two of Europe's most breathtaking rail journeys: the Oslo to Bergen, plus celebrated Flam railway, one of the world's steepest, operating without cogs or cables. You will visit the most majestic fjords and take a boat trip on one of the finest. And finally, you will see typically Nordic Bergen, a member of the medieval Hansonix League, crammed with charming, cobbled streets and colourful buildings lining its delightful quayside.

Selected departures May to September 2027

RIVIERA TRAVEL Call now to book 0808 291 3238 thetimes.com/riviera-no7 TIMES Travel Partner

Prices based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms available at a supplement. Additional entrance costs may apply. Travel insurance is not included but is strongly recommended. This holiday is operated by and subject to booking conditions of Riviera Travel, ABTA V4744 ATEX, SASP, protected, a company independent of News UK. Subject to availability. Images used in conjunction with Riviera Travel. For further information please write to Riviera Travel, New Manor, 520 Wetmore Road, Burton upon Trent, Salth, EC4V 6V quoting The Times.

ABTA ABTA Top WOMEN

---

40

Business

SAMIEN & EXAM / AFFIDETTY IMAGES

Factories are abandoning queue for grid connections

Emily Gosden Energy Editor

Factories are abandoning plans to electrify their operations because they are unable to obtain any indication of how much it will cost to connect to the grid or how long it will take.

Britain's inefficient grid connection system is actively deterring progress on decarbonising the economy, according to a report by ADE. Demand, a trade body for energy users.

Industrial sites typically decide whether to electrify when an asset like a furnace or a boiler is nearing the end of its life and they can choose "between a like-for-like fossil replacement and an electrified alternative", the report said.

It found that factories were "choosing to replace ageing equipment with gas rather than electricity because connection costs and timescales were impossible to pin down before investment decisions had to be made". Companies cannot even get a credible early estimate to inform a business case without first committing time and money, it said. "Faced with vague timelines and unpredictable bills, many walk away before filling in a single form."

Early informal guidance can also be enough to deter applications, it said, with users being told the connection wait times are likely to be longer than the timeframe they require.

"If equipment expires in two years and the connection takes eight, the site cannot wait regardless of the quoted price," the report noted.

The fossil fuel replacement for the relevant equipment may last for two decades before the site next considers electrification, so the issue locks Britain into more carbon emissions for longer.

ADE: Demand argues that this problem is going under the radar as "these abandoned projects never appear in official statistics, meaning network operators, regulators and government are judging the system on incomplete data".

The report focuses on businesses seeking to connect to the regional power distribution networks. The process is complex because these connections may have knock-on impacts on the transmission network, from which they draw power. The distribution network companies therefore often need to liaise with both the transmission network operators and the National Energy System Operator (Neso), which

co-ordinates various processes at the transmission level.

Olgem, the government and Neso have over the past few years been implementing a process to reform the grid connection queue for generation and storage after widespread complaints about long wait times to connect renewables and batteries to the grid.

The regulator has also turned its attention to the queue to connect demand to the grid, focusing in particular on the huge surge in applications from data centres. It is carrying out an "end-to-end review" of the grid connections process and ADE. Demand hopes this could propose solutions to address the lack of transparency it describes.

Phil Nicholson, the report's author, said: "Institutions have spent years focused on the generation queue, neglecting British industry. Their opacity, inconsistency and inadequate oversight have created a hidden crisis of their own making. If a business explores electrification and decides not to proceed, that project is never counted. The queue stays short, the backlog looks manageable and the lost investment remains invisible. We are measuring the wrong thing, until we count the projects that never apply, we won't know whether the system is delivering."

David Boyer, director of electricity systems for the Energy Networks Association, which represents electricity network operators, said: "Improving customer connections is a core focus for electricity networks, with connections being delivered at pace to their timelines. We're doing all we can to speed things up and make the system fairer."

A Neso spokesman said: "We recognise the importance of giving businesses greater certainty when planning investment in electrification, which is why we are working closely with government and Olgem to deliver further reforms to demand connections."

Olgem said: "We agree with ADE — the current system isn't fit for purpose to deal with the scale of demand for grid capacity. We've worked in detail with businesses on overhauling the system from end to end — with the final decisions out within weeks. It tackles exactly the issues which businesses tell us matter most: unclear costs, uncertain timelines, no accountability when things go wrong."

Jellyfish cause chaos at nuclear power plant

Three reactors at a French nuclear power station have been shut down as a precautionary measure over fears that a swarm of jellyfish could clog water cooling systems (Simon Freeman writes).

Gravelines nuclear power plant, operated by the state-owned power company EDF, activated a safety protocol introduced last year after a similar invasion forced the entire plant, near Dunkirk in northern France, to be taken offline for ten days.

The coastal facility, which is western Europe's largest nuclear plant, is cooled from a canal

connected to the North Sea. Its six units produce 900 megawatts of power each, or 5.4 gigawatts in total, enough electricity to supply up to five million homes.

Reactors 2, 3 and 4 were taken offline due to the swarm and reactor 1 was limited to half its output as a preventative measure. Reactor 5 was offline for maintenance and reactor 6 is fully operational, EDF said.

The complete outage last year prompted the operator to implement new monitoring and trawling techniques to try to prevent or limit the impact of future events. EDF has installed fixed cameras at the intake canals and on the filter drum screens to detect any incoming blockages as soon as possible.

The company has also partnered with a French fishing organisation and a sea rescue group, which

The Gravelines nuclear plant is in partial shutdown as a precaution against jellyfish clogging its filters

monitor for swarms and can raise an alert to launch targeted trawling operations to reduce the swarm's density before it reaches the plant. Fishing boats were deployed on Saturday after an initial alarm was raised, limiting the impact from the swarm. The jellyfish that are on site are being removed with vacuum trucks, an engineer said.

No new jellyfish were arriving, so the clean-up was finishing, which should lead to a quick

restart of the units, they added. EDF said that the situation "has no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of staff or on the environment".

Scientists have warned that such events could become more common due to factors including global warming, the arrival of invasive species, habitat loss of predators and overfishing. Jellyfish are at their most active in the warmer months, as hot weather increases plankton levels at the water's surface, drawing them up from the depths.

Heatwaves and drought are affecting nuclear power stations across Europe. This month Hungary announced it was shutting down its only nuclear power plant because water levels on the Danube were too low. It was the first time in 44 years that the plant had been deliberately taken out of service.

Office for National Statistics to launch labour survey in 2027

Jack Barnett

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) believes that November 2027 is the most likely date when it will ditch its existing labour market figures and make the transition to a new dataset that should better capture trends in the UK workforce.

The statistics agency announced yesterday that it will decide in July next year whether "we and our users are ready" to begin to move over to the new labour market figures, which the ONS

has dubbed the "transformed labour force survey" (TLFS).

It had previously been reported by Bloomberg that the ONS had earmarked May 2027 as the target rollout date for the new statistics, the initial publication of which has been delayed numerous times. When it first announced it was undertaking work on the TLFS, the ONS set a target first publication date of spring 2024.

A total revamp of the ONS's labour market figures was triggered by a sharp drop in responses to the underlying

survey after the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to inaccuracies in the final data outputs. Response rates dropped as low as 12.7 per cent, but have since recovered.

The ONS said on Tuesday that November 2027 "remains the most likely path and balances a data-led approach".

A person close to the development of the TLFS said that they were confident in meeting this deadline despite the previous delays, but they did not completely rule out kicking back the publication to 2028 if needed.

The ONS said: "We are doing everything possible to enable a safe transition in 2027".

The statistics agency added that response rates to its trial TLFS had increased over the three months to June thanks to an increase in the value of vouchers it gave to participants to £20 from £10. It also said that people were more engaged with the survey after the ONS simplified the questionnaire.

Response rates rose to nearly 40 per cent over the most recent quarter from 3.71 per cent in the quarter to end of

March. The ONS said: "The median household completion time for Wave 1 is approximately 17 minutes, compared with the [old labour force survey] median completion time of 40 to 45 minutes."

Policymakers have said a lack of accurate labour market data hampered their decision making. Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, has said that issues with the data are a "substantial problem" for the central bank when it is deciding whether to cut, raise or hold interest rates.

---

41

Markets Business

William Kay Tempus Buy, sell or hold: today's best share tips

Hidden world yields bright rewards

KELLER

Market cap £2.1bn | Prospective p/e ratio 12

From Sydney Fish Market to Florida; Hard Rock Casino, Keller Groups work is often hidden from view, underground or in the pillars and foundations that support some of the world's best-known buildings. Construction firms rely on specialists like Keller to prepare the ground for their many-splendoured creations. As Keller's name has spread in the past year or so, its shares have jumped from £13 to £34 and they are still modestly rated. Have they peaked, or is this merely a staging post?

In the 1860s, Johann Keller began drilling wells, installing pumps and laying water pipes for nearby villages and farms at Renzlern, 12 miles east of Strasbourg. As he had to grapple with varying soil strata and water tables, he became one of the first to develop modern underground drilling techniques.

Fast-forward to 1972 and the firm was taken over by the British engineer GKN, and after a management buyout in 1990 it was independently floated on the London stock market in 1994.

As the world's largest specialist geotechnical contractor, the group holds proprietary technical abilities, specialised equipment and scale advantages that most smaller civil engineering peers cannot match.

It generates over 60 per cent of its revenue in North America, where demand for complex ground engineering is booming in the rush

Strong foundations

ADVICE Buy WHY As word spreads about this company's potential, the share price will go further

to build data centres, energy transition facilities and large-scale infrastructure projects. The reconstruction of the Interstate 40 motorway across the Tennessee-North Carolina border after a hurricane is the group's biggest single project, worth $380 million so far.

It is worth bearing in mind that Keller is at the sharp end of construction, one of the world's most cyclical industries vulnerable to higher interest rates, property downturns and economic recessions. But the company points out that it is

H1 2026 revenue	% change year-on-year
North America	▲ 13%
Europe/ Middle East	▼ 3%
Asia-Pacific	▲ 25%
Group	▲ 10%
H1 2026 profit
North America	▲ 14%
Europe/ Middle East	▲ 32%
Asia-Pacific	▼ 1%
Group	▲ 15%

Source: Keller

largely concerned with what is going on underground, and can switch between industries, from retail to roads, data centres and much else.

A key skill is designing contracts that protect Keller from the unexpected, such as unforeseen soil conditions, groundwater issues, boulders and other technical problems — vital where profit margins average only about 7.5 per cent. Free cash flow in 2025 was just £175.9 million out of revenue of £3 billion, not far short of pre-tax profits of £197.3 million.

Last week, the interim results showed an 11.1 per cent rise in revenue to £1.6 billion, taking underlying operating profit up 17 per cent to £117.9 million for a slightly improved 7.3 per cent margin. Underlying diluted earnings per share rose 22 per cent to £20.1p. The

half-year dividend jumped from 18.3p to 28.7p, and that is slated to be about 35 per cent of the year's total. Net debt shrank from £61.5 million to £15.9 million. James Wroath, the chief executive, said: "We are well positioned to deliver another strong performance through the remainder of 2026 and beyond."

North America was the star performer, delivering an 18 per cent increase in operating profits to about £94 million as it balanced a slowdown in south Florida's residential market with strong infrastructure and data centre work. Wroath has identified hundreds of potential takeover targets in a highly fragmented market there.

Growth in Europe and the Middle East was slightly faster in the first half, driving profits up 29 per cent on lower revenue. Strength in Scandinavia and central Europe offset a weaker western Europe, including the UK, thanks to the pending completion of work on the truncated HS2.

Asia Pacific profits slipped 1 per cent to £14 million, although Australian defence and energy work boosted revenue. So the group is exposed to currency movements around the globe. In the last half-year changing exchange rates produced a £7.6 million profit but a year ago there was a £34.7 million loss.

Peel Hunt says: "The shares have performed very strongly so far this year. On our current forecasts, they are trading on about a 12 times p/e ratio for full-year 2026, dropping to around 11 times for 2027, while the enterprise value/ebitda multiples are 6 and 5.8, respectively."

NEWS IN BRIEF

Istanbul eclipses Heathrow

Heathrow lost its position as Europe's busiest airport to Istanbul last month, despite recording the busiest day of the year so far with 267,000 passengers on July 19 as many schools broke up for summer.

The international airport was Europe's busiest from 1996 to 2019. Having lost the title in 2020 amid Covid travel restrictions, it regained it in 2023 and has held it ever since. Annual figures from Airports Council International show the west London airport had 785 million passengers noted as having passed through its four terminals last month. Turkey's Istanbul airport recorded 8.15 million.

Heathrow continues to seek government permission to build a third runway with the airport's owners claiming it would be able to accommodate 150 million passengers a year. Several new airlines began serving the airport last month with ITA Airways, Alaska Airlines and Riyadh Air carrying more than 136,000 passengers in July, with Heathrow claiming "clear demand" for additional capacity.

Thomas Woldbye, chief executive, said: "Expanding Heathrow will help ensure the UK remains home to Europe's leading hub and continues to benefit from the trade, investment and tourism." Cargo traffic also had its busiest day of the year so far, with 5,000 tonnes of cargo passing through the airport on July 12.

Paramount has 'lost plot'

Rob Bonta, the California attorney-general leading a 12-state coalition lawsuit to block the $10 billion Paramount Skydance bid for Warner Bros Discovery, has hit back at boss David Ellison's threat to take Paramount out of the state unless Bonta agrees to talks. Writing on X, Bonta said: "In a span of weeks, Paramount agreed to halt the merger until a court decision or until June 2027, asked for a November trial, and is now back with another attempt to blackmail the state into letting an illegal deal through. Paramount has lost the plot... It didn't work the first time and it won't work this time."

Car sales in China fall 21%

Car sales in China fell for a tenth month in July amid strong competition and a wider economic slowdown. Total sales of passenger cars fell 21 per cent year-on-year to 1.47 million in July, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), even as exports rose 88.2 per cent to 923,000. Chinese carmakers have been expanding rapidly across Europe, piling pressure on giants such as Volkswagen and Stellantis with cut-price electric models. Electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid exports from China rose by 1478 per cent year-on-year last month as sales at home fell 3.9 per cent.

Smithfield faces lean spell

The world's largest producer of pork has downgraded its sales and profit forecasts to reflect a "challenging external environment", despite second-quarter sales slightly beating Wall Street's expectations. Smithfield Foods, which makes packaged meats and fresh pork sold under brands including Eckrich and Nathans Fannon, blamed canines consumer spending and higher input costs for its decision to lower its adjusted operating profit guidance to between $1.21 billion and $1.38 billion, down from $1.33 billion to $1.48 billion. Revenues at the Virginia-based firm fell 3.2 per cent to $3.7 billion.

Capricorn left holding the baby as suitors quit

MARKET REPORT

The best laid plans can oft go awry and so it is the case for Scotland's Capricorn Energy (Robert Miller writes).

Founded in 1980, and formerly known as Cairn, Capricorn had become a target for no less than three suitors. Yesterday, however, two of them dropped out abruptly. Shortly before a 5pm Takeover Panel deadline to make a firm offer, first Alamadiyai al-Masiyyah, a member of the Catani Group, said it would not proceed, followed by Sanos Energy confirming it would not make an offer to acquire Capricorn.

Still there's always Genel Energy standing. Capricorn's fellow London-listed company has made a recommended £288 million cash acquisition deal with a shareholder vote due on August 18. With the double drop out, traders not unreasonably bet that Genel will win the day, lifting its shares 15p, or 2.8 per cent, to 65½p, while Capricorn shed a mighty 28p, or 76 per cent, to 138p with no better offer in sight.

Higher up the energy chain, it was an altogether brighter picture for the oil companies as Brent crude, the global benchmark, spiked close to 889 per barrel early in the day, after the US made compensation demands to Iran, before

Wall Street report

Fears that the conflict between the US and Iran was in danger of turning into a long, drawn-out war of attrition spooked investors and pushed indices lower. Tech stocks were again among the biggest fullers over spending on AI with Amazon down 2.1 per cent and Google-owner Alphabet 3.6 per cent lower. The S&P 500 slid 24.91 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 7,728.20 while the Nasdaq fell 159.91 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 26,445.45. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 184.13 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 53,791.85.

The day's biggest movers

Company	Ours
St James's Place	3.2%
Compass Group	2.8%
Endowour Mining	2.7%
Entain	2.4%
IG Group	2.2%
Prudential	-2.9%
Legal & General	-1.1%
Standard Life	-3.3%
MSG	-1.3%
Spirax Group	-5.6%

THG, maker of Myprotein sports drink, was one of the biggest FTSE 250 losers

pulling back to around $88.35 by the close of trading in London. The gains were pared after diplomatic channels in Pakistan signalled a potential arrangement between the US and Iran. Both BP and Shell were among the top losers on the FTSE 100, with the former up 11½p, or 2.2 per cent, at 536p, while the latter was 58p, or 1.8 per cent, higher at £33.56.

This was not enough to save the senior index from closing lower for a second session, down 18.31 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 10,844.19. St James's Place also did its bit on the positive side, topping the leaderboard with a rise of

36½p, or 3.2 per cent, to £11.77 as the wealth manager's £128.1 million share buyback found favour. The biggest drag was Spirax, down 42½p, or 5.6 per cent, to £72.25 after the industrial engineer failed to upgrade its full-year guidance with a decent set of interim results.

The FTSE 250 did end higher, with a gain of 55.21, or 0.2 per cent, to 24,799.75 with Hunting producing the best performance, up 23p, or 5.1 per cent, at 4745p. One of the biggest losers was THG, down 15p, or 4.9 per cent, at 32½p after a recent downward revision on the share price by analysts.

---

42

Business

EQUITY PRICES

Dividend yields Please note dividend yields are supplied by UCE 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.

12-month High Low Company		Price b/d	Forecast YrR%	P/E

Automobiles & Part

1011	1921	Robert Martin Lay	595,-	-	1, -	-0.7
Banking & Finance
1011	1771	Alderman Group	2495,-	-	1	5.9
	51	By North 1994	45,			-1.6
4968	2629	Admiral	3330	-	78	5.9
6401	4001	By North	610	-	2	2.9
10763	10570	Atte Corp	26933,1	-	132	0.9
2189	799	Almahawa	810	-	29	6.6
2562	1182	Alderman Group	2395,-	-	1	5.3
21662	1487	Australia & NZ	39145,-	-	25	5.9
1725	1992	Anhui	697	-	16	5.4
11211	677	Baura Satsukin	8094	-	2	5.3
5945	1951	Barrister	516	-	2	2.2
715	4	Alta One Limited	45,			-2.2
710	613	BP North & Pines	699	-	14	5.3
9635	212	Shilpanthi Inc	349	-	45	2.8
817	1945	Fininvest	330	-	6	4.7
442	104	Cite of London Inc	400	-	1	6.0
5465	1182	Chen Bros	4311,-	-	31,	-4.3
751	262	CMC (Nobles)	500	-	8	2.6
29171	2067	Deutsche Bank	26345,-	-	25	5.0
10	14	USA Access (Nbp)	54	-	1	6.9
3405	136	ETC Special Slips	111			-0.7
89	52	Filtrate	675			1.7
90	86	Freundin Partners NCT	10			4.0
4360	2213	General Capital	4810			-2.7
17	401	General Estate	52			6.6
230	194	Hobos S/NW	225			4.5
2860	1267	Altoc	1500	-	27	2.3
3410	5001	MS&C	31345,-	-	25	1.6
2016	1016	IG Group	1390	-	30	1.1
304	981	Japan Asset Hype	112	-	1	1.0
2360	1420	ICSI	2010	-	28	4.2
1892	1170	Intl North Pines	143	-	1	5.4
499	499	Invested	635	-	6	5.7
16	58	Investment Co	35	-	1	-
155	48	IP Group	111,-	1	1.0	9.0
24	61	Jayra Securities	9	-	41.0	1.5
2142	1132	Jaybar Fund (Nps)	141	-	1	1.0
304	104	Jamaalink (Nps)	5002,-	-	45	2.0
1101	1171	Legal & General	3001,-	-	91	5.3
1239	1000	Lion Finance Group (US)	119	-	15	5.0
899	1221	Interest Asset Nps	113	-	95	4.1
41	39	Currency Inv. Co	375,-	-	1	6.9
1177	771	Liquids Banking	1135,-	-	1	5.5
12	14	US Capital	235			0.8
8104	6604	London Stock Exchange	-	32	1.5	36.9
1021	247	MiAS	2505,-	-	12	5.9
1171	1341	Alta Group	1125,-	-	25	4.1
195	29	Alta Financial Co	34			3.1
10	11	Domestic Capital	45,-	-	1	-0.4
1095	981	Metro Bank	175	-	1	-21.2

12-month High Low Company		Price b/d	Forecast YrR%
26111	10645	National Australia	23501,-
730	5985	Northwest Group	9575,-
8402	4002	Portland	599,-
1218	1816	Prudential	16125,-
11	45	Standard Electric	45,-
209	1595	Jadior	2995,-
2500	1500	Baltimore Group	2762,-
120	249	National Exchange	310,-
24501	1629	UK	1000,-
1	91	Green London	1.1
595	401	London BGT	445,-
5905	1001	Scholarship	5201,-
10751	1030	St James's Place	11765,-
2119	1200	Standard Court II	110,-
1400	1211	Standard Life	930,-
63471	4220	San Erie Group	6009,-
45	21	National Issue	1.0
5200	963	TIC Bank Grp	4060,-
11	91	Yorak	1.1
64	401	Yorak Finance	525,-
45	81	Yorak	91,-
8	11	Yorak	91,-
132	771	Avonet Banking Gr	795,-
2800	2000	Valence	2110,-
72305	5400	Wells Cargo	4500,-
10791	1670	Windsor War Corp	10445,-
115	29	Windsor Investors	205,-
5700	4947	Zwick Insurance	57007,-

Constituent & Property

1001	1001	Worcester	101	-	1	5.0	0.5
451	451	Avonet Properties	45			-	1.2
151	151	US Gold Securities	11			-	0.6
900	541	Balfour Realty	8845,-	-	35	5.6	16.5
4105	2295	Barratt Redman	1195,-	-	35	5.6	15.5
2000	1153	Balfour	1118,-	-	38	5.4	16.1
4442	2796	Baldaire	2016,-	-	22	-	10.7
1200	1000	Big Indian Grp	9005,-	-	5	5.2
460	210	Billeridge Wages	4175,-	-	25	5.6	40.1
237	1101	Bank (Nnen)	159			-	5.1
1025	2351	Brooks	3400,-	-	5	4.4	14.4
4511	3181	British Land	4101,-		3	5.3
2900	2500	Cardiff Property	1750,-			2.1	20.7
2300	1400	Derwent London	2000,-	-	15	4.0	-
1	91	US Balance	45,-			-2.7
195	11	First Property	125,-			2.0	6.9
75	29	Fletcher Group	425,-			5.5	20.7
62	252	Fletcher Group	375,-			1.1	5.7
622	4025	Gulfland Try Hlps	620,-	-	9	1.2	10.4
3495	246	Gerald Group	200,-	-	175	4.5	10.8
410	221	Glucose (Mt)	1725,-	-	35	4.0	30.1
2647	1001	Gulfland By-Doits	1059,-	-	35	5.6	14.7
2121	1401	Garage	1772,-	-	5	4.6	6.3
177	276	Good Portland Oil	3121,-	-	1	2.7	0.6
3651	2635	Northwest	1195,-	-	91	4.0	-
103	1141	Harwich Group	1795,-	-	15	1.0	41.9
400	220	North Somerset	200,-	-	5	5.0	32.5
241	1184	Ardco	167,-	-	1	1.2	43.9

12-month High Low Company		Price b/d	Forecast YrR%
250	1071	British	899,-1.2
1611	112	James Battsville	1151,-1.5
3110	1238	Adler	3048,-1.2
1500	1067	Stuyvesant Group	1011,1.5
1316	1221	Land Insurance	932,-1.0
2141	1151	London Electric Prop (1)	-1.4
1301	81	Altoia-Way Bank (1)	45,-
2095	124	Alondade	1725,-1.2
107	66	McKibbin's & Grille	795,-1.0
1	81	Allied Bank	45,-
5710	1953	Revoys GmbH	4450,-1.2
2000	1058	American Eckhard	1974,-1.0
89	695	Needham NBT	815,-1.5
150	104	Palace Capital	100,-1.4
100	261	Peatier Sureshwar	295,-1.4
1992	9475	Paranivore	1163,-1.0
24	19	Plaza Celeste	190,-1.0
1000	1271	Revoys Health Prop (1)	-1.5
1101	28	Red Echelon Inc	850,-1.0
6495	1593	Johnston	6200,-1.4
1126	1561	Smith	959,-1.1
55	81	Leaun Pay Dev & Inc	30,-1.0
9875	665	Saigon	952,-1.7
1255	1261	Northwest Capital	100,-1.1
125	61	UK	81,-1.6
150	104	Oganide	1025,-1.5
113	565	Silica Steel Estate	975,-1.5
100	104	Sean Co II	1125,-1.0
235	16	Stupor Limited	22,-1.0
1115	795	Taylor Whipps	390,-1.5
100	104	Trans Centre	132,-1.0
7220	9891	Trans Prothos	661,-1.0
175	1122	Trifon Big Bear	1625,-1.5
791	4921	Delta Group	5250,-1.5
7400	200	Delta Group	2595,-1.5
4540	312	Weshopor Group	161,-1.5
420	730	Alberton Group	105,-1.5

Consumer Goods

229	98	ASP Portations	1190,-	-	15	1.5	10.2
39	175	Bruss	250,-			1.0	10.4
1599	1179	All Funds	2075,-	-	9	3.0	14.6
7335	589	San 1001	606,-	-	2	1.1	14.3
5320	3677	British Amer Pub	4200,-	-	26	5.8	23.0
11592	976	Banbury Group	1170,-	-	1	-	-
1001	895	CAE Group	980,-	-	1	5.0	-
55	25	Capital Africa	91,-			-0.5
460	275	Churchill China	100,-			5.4	9.0
5195	3279	Coca-Cola 1002	4614,-	-	110	3.2	30.9
10115	321	Goldman	1455,-			6.4	10.3
5210	4775	Comalish	5200,-	-	38	3.2	17.6
2142	1290	Stagpo	1766,-	-	26	3.1	30.5
55	4	Wolse	1000,-				-0.5
2910	1164	Costs 10.7	1650,-	-	18	3.6	10.2
2411	1134	Foods	102,-	-	4	1.7	4.1
1504	1007	Harvey Wharfinger	1700,-	-	20	3.0	30.0
11055	1020	Gleaks	20675,-	-	5	1.0	30.2
3077	1511	Domestic	2000,-	-	15	1.0	29.9
995	45	Medlar	105,-	-	1	-0.1
1182	4972	Wine Pool	1000,-	-	5	5.7	5.9
5122	2613	Imperial Brands	2620,-	-	36	6.3	10.5
9440	5567	Kerry Group	9020,-	-	1105,-	1.8	20.5
1174	1061	Millville	1605,-	-	15	1.0	5.4
199	28	Malvern Group	100,-	-	15	-	-14.6
1207	100	Windsor	1035,-	-	9	1.7	10.0
256	252	Narves	110,-	-	1	1.4	-
159	108	Argus Oil	366,-			6.0	5.6
1	81	PMCOA	95,-			-0.0

12-month High Low Company		Price b/d	Forecast YrR%
150	671	Antsoo Inc	50
15	81	National	15
110	681	NTG Europe	110
110	88	WIA	110
2101	101	Tradesa	1001
100	228	The Charcoal One	315
10	5	Bransall Inc	85
5542	3644	Unilever	6696
925	129	Arbitr	59

Engineering

504	10	Bank & Bt Inc	28	-	-	-0.9
2100	1498	Avon Technologies	2959	-28	10	9.9
1517	9425	Baltecch	1191	-5	6.6	10.3
2100	1109	AS&E Systems	2100	-14	12	12.4
2100	500	Barron & N/W	1200		1.4	5.4
1599	1376	Alstom Group	1500		6.7	12.5
500	306	Caltech	400	-88	3.0	9.0
95	81	Up Dt Ltd	95			-3.6
1099	1092	Castleys	500	-12	6.0	17.7
27	125	ChebiW	21			-0.1
4500	4965	Chetting Group	4500,-	-15	1.3	10.8
99	281	Churchill Spec Mkt	1000			-30.2
1500	1001	Caltech	1502	-10	13	10.5
1100	115	Medlar	1000			-
15	91	Northside	6			-0.2
1370	4825	Sears & Assays	1200	-3	1.1	89.1
9000	9028	Seaboo	20530	-150	1.4	41.6
4902	3194	Halmos	2716	-12	6.7	17.7
2200	1990	MS & Tech	2000	-25	1.7	30.0
25	1	Imag Inc	25			-12.4
1162	2156	BR	1116	-18	1.1	15.1
8000	3000	Argus Inc	4300	2.2	50.0
99	94	CPW	925			-35.2
600	4895	Montana	4875,-	-2	1.5	16.8
261	1290	Marcon Abstract	2950,-	-15	6.0	10.8
409	290	Wine	350			-10.4
1000	1178	MS USA	1500		1.6	13.5
3310	1642	Global Instruments	2410	-86	6.0	14.5
24120	11790	Philips Dis	20000,-	-105	1.6	46.9
1	1	Portland	1			-5.9
5000	2965	Interless	5370	-28	1.5	43.7
2500	990	Radio-Equity	2310	-7	6.7	22.1
4995	2861	Behr	4000,-		1.7	19.2
100	60	DB Group	99	-1		-19.1
3100	146	Center	2000,-		6.7	26.0
20370	20670	Off Group	20370,-		3.0	35.2
15540	2980	Smiths	2640,-	-30	1.0	30.0
215	135	Safe Gas	106		1.5	25.8
349	1176	James Color	340,-	-25	2.2	17.1
8000	9996	Market Group	7225,-400	-2.4	12.5
75	35	Turboid	45,-	-5	-4.0
150	246	Topps Inc	250,-3	3.2	22.3	19.0
1825	67	American Tech	5			-5.2
9075	336	America	400,-	-25	5.9	39.1
750	326	Sales	166,-4	6.6	21.7
2000	2254	Wier	2700,-28	1.5	20.5	15.5
2000	300	OP Power	1790,-28	-	-42.0

2572	9892	AutraZeneca	11044	-106	3.0	10.2
35	15	Conbridge Inds Co	15			3.6
2595	195	Comalish	2595,-	-5	3.4	36.9
16	28	Palco & Hones	235,-		3.3	7.7
1161	37	Tel & Direct Health	49,-		20.8
32	251	OP Dispers Inc	251,-	-5		53.4
105	81	Valco Multis	95,-			-0.1
12100	1981	Sens	2206,-	-22	1.4	50.4
1202	12000	GSK	2006,-	-311	1.7	11.4
95	81	Sarcos	95,-			-0.1
4565	2725	Holmes	4465,-	-5	3.0	39.6
1000	1127	Micro Pharma	1638,-	-11	1.9	12.2
1051	4525	Automotive	5285,-	-85		2.2
1600	1000	Automotive	1100,-	-1	1.3	10.4
1500	1176	Intertech	1500,-	-5		-0.1
1500	1000	Intertech	1500,-	-5		-0.1
1500	1000	Intertech	1500,-	-5		-0.1
1500	1000	Intertech	1500,-	-5		-0.1
1500	1000	Intertech	1500,-	-5		-0.1

Engineering

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday, August 12, 2026

43

Business

12-monthHigh	Low	Company	Price(yr)	ForwardV	YRS	F/E
0%	0	Eppard Reposers	0%	-	-	36.5
3495	2912	EMF Group	3314	-	17	1.1 25.1
14	7%	Ex-Dollar & Misc Rate	10%	-	-	- 69.5
1215	19%	Reynolds	20%	-	-	- 16.0
4995	39%	BIP	5393	-	115	4.6 -
0	0	Requiner Energy	0	-	-	4.6
0%	1%	Cabarrus Minerals	4%	-	-	- 8.0
5%	2	Cabarrus Energy	3%	-	-	- 11.2
2960	1270	Calvary & Mining	1070	-	23	3.5
3%	1%	Capstan Services	1%	-	-	3.9
244	12%	Carl Asia Metals	203	-	1	3.5 - 4.9
2%	1%	Quincy Ltd	1%	-	-	- -
0	0	Quincy Energy	0	-	-	- 4.3
0%	0%	Qincy	0%	-	-	- 2.1
10%	0	Crime Therapeutics	10	-	-	- 2.0
3405	16%	DBS Gold	1373	-	5	2.3 26.6
4%	4%	CCS Minerals	4%	-	-	- 3.9
0%	0	Empower Energy	0	-	-	- 4.4
7609	19%	BioBiosmax	1337	-	109	1.2 26.2
28	9%	Erdbeck	14%	-	5	3.2 -
0	2	Evansia Mining	2%	-	-	25.7
2%	0%	Evansia Oil & Gas	1%	-	-	- 9.5
875	17%	Finnegan	20%	-	-	- 4.9
4473	1617	Prepardis	2948	-	10	1.8 22.2
90	3	Calabrian Gold	14%	-	-	- 4.8
12%	2%	CCM Resources	3%	-	-	- 4.9
7%	2%	Core Chemicals	4	-	-	- 4.1
2%	1%	Caltech	3%	-	-	- 3.9
7675	21%	Glencore	5341	-	55	2.2 -
0%	0%	Gas Explanations	0%	-	-	- 4.5
49672	11515	Gold Fields	29661	-	335	3.9 -
21	4%	Goldstone	10	-	1	2.9 36.6
2	0%	Goldstone Res	0%	-	-	- 4.9
800	128	Great Seal Resources	4471	-	25	- 26.5
3573	1%	Griffie Mining	290	-	35	- 32.4
156	16%	Coal Requiner	5391	-	25	1.5 36.6
656	19%	Hochchild	5211	-	75	4.6 36.1
563	19%	Hoching	4341	-	23	2.8 28.5
0%	0	Innovate	0	-	-	- 2.1
1295	5%	ITB Power	1115	-	5	- 13.1
5%	2%	Jelline Metals	2%	-	-	- 3.6
2%	0%	Kauf Diamond Res	0%	-	-	- 3.9
2%	0%	KPH Gold and Copper	1%	-	-	- 10.0
390	13%	Kemura Res	230	-	0	- 4.0
5%	1%	Landon Res	1%	-	-	- 1.8
0%	0%	Landonco Resources	0%	-	-	- 1.6
4%	2%	Lechman Gold	2%	-	-	- 25.6
39%	6%	Whole Explanations	121	-	5	- 17.9
4%	0%	Whole Resources	0%	-	-	- 4.1
4%	1	Wolman Oil & Gas	4	-	-	- 4.6
4%	0%	Whole Resources	0%	-	-	- 16.0
		Innovate Mining
41	1%	Oscar Mining	14%	-	-	- -
3905	9%	Pro-Wilson Res	1311	-	15	2.4 25.9
11%	4%	ProWilson Res	0%	-	-	- 46.7
27	12%	Prowood Group	26%	-	1	- 3.1
4%	5%	Pr-Pine Chemicals	1%	-	-	- 4.2
1%	0%	Pr-Pine Resources	0%	-	-	- 4.0
2%	0%	Pr-Pine Metals	1	-	-	- 4.7
2%	2%	Pr-Pine Res	3%	-	-	- 1.4
930	112	Powers	800	-	12	4.8 22.4

12-monthHigh	Low	Company	Price(yr)	ForwardV	YRS	F/E
0%	0	Purpura Energy	2%	-	-	- 0.4
3%	0%	Quadrine	1	-	-	- 4.2
160	0	Product Resources	627	-	1	- 70.1
0	0	Purfield Res	0	-	-	- 4.3
24611	11545	Pur Res	14541	-	525	1.7 17.7
9117	41061	Mar Tinto	7497	-	13	4.6 26.5
0%	0%	Rates Resources	0%	-	-	- 12.4
975	2240	Smith Gold	4571	-	45	1.4 5.6
3021	146	Swiss Energy	246	-	42	4.5 25.6
3760	1015	Shell	1004	-	50	4.3 19.4
7	2%	Shale Minerals	2%	-	-	- 2.0
11	1%	Sunset Energy	1%	-	-	- 1.5
0%	1%	Chow Energy	11	-	1	- 3.9
4%	0%	Sands Energy	1%	-	-	- 1.4
0	0	Sundra Resources	0	-	-	- 1.2
0	0	Sunwest Energy	0	-	-	- 4.5
0%	0	Terbanz Minerals	0%	-	-	- 6.9
0%	0%	Pur Energy	0%	-	-	- 4.6
7666	42035	Total Eng Oil	45441	-	905	4.6 10.8
0	0	Total Resources	0	-	-	- 4.6
30%	2%	Teflon Oil	14%	-	5	- 49.7
0	0	VA Oil & Gas	0	-	-	- 4.1
11	2%	UBS Metals	4%	-	-	- 2.8
0%	0%	Vinyl Resources	0%	-	-	- 4.5
1%	0%	Prowood Energy	3%	-	-	- 4.3
1%	0%	Vinyl Resources	1%	-	-	- 5.4
0%	1%	Zaplar Energy	2%	-	-	- 7.6

12-monthHigh	Low	Company	Price(yr)	ForwardV	YRS	F/E
64	42	PTLPM	63	-	25	-
12%	7	Potato	10	-	-	- 19.9
12%	7	PMCA	7%	-	-	- 2.4
0%	0%	Powerhouse Energy	0%	-	-	- 1.1
64	4%	Payne	65%	-	5	3.9 11.7
650	772	Erwin Holdings	512	-	6	2.3 24.8
567	1070	Reynolds	1605	-	5	2.6 26.3
110	122	Fortune	369	-	2	2.4 66.0
7	1%	Elon Global Inc.	2%	-	-	- 4.3
30	123	Footland Food Group	26	-	-	- 4.0
7765	1935	CCS Inc.	711	-	4	2.1 21.1
150	10	CCC Group	90	-	7.5	6.4
130	10	CRN Holdings	1101	-	1.5	3.4 - 4.4
412	520	Sunset Energy	577	-	1	1.7
1375	1125	Serva	1095	-	5.5	1.7 28.7
9%	0%	Sniffra News	31%	-	5	3.7 6.6
30	13%	Software Credit	16%	-	-	- 75.6
525	961	Office Group	44	-	1	- 12.0
2691	1125	Ultree	267	-	45	3.4 26.9
250	436	Storite	260	-	9	2.9 5.1
0	0%	Wisconsin Group	1%	-	-	- 1.3
0	0%	Wisconsin	64	-	1	2.6 26.2
0%	0%	Visorite	66%	-	5	4.6 46.5
490	1595	ZHEP	4665	-	1	5.8 23.8
Retailing
1175	625	All World	90%	-	-	- 25.5
3695	140	EBM Company	2395	-	45	4.1 26.5
1175	1145	Gen Factory	74%	-	5	4.7 8.3
1640	1062	CVS Group	2362	-	12	4.7 17.7
1640	1125	HTV Investors	257%	-	5	4.6 20.0
1240	747	Geosite	86%	-	55	2.9 11.5
1440	598	Evansia Group	390	-	2	- 9.2
2646	1497	Greggs	1892	-	11	5.6 25.8
1125	1125	Cellars	161%	-	5	3.7 36.0
961	112	Houston January	114	-	7	2.7 36.7
995	6405	Indusart	8275	-	4	4.1 11.4
1045	0%	W. Douglas Elementary	0%	-	-	- 4.1
1045	64	JD Sports	92%	-	2	1.1 36.7
1725	1045	Amplifier	1315	-	25	3.8 23.1
4305	3015	Martin & Spencer	4315	-	15	3.9 21.6
0%	0%	W. Mather	0%	-	-	- 4.8
91%	61	Robert Wheeler	72%	-	-	- 3.9
1990	1097	Mark	2000	-	10	1.1 20.5
1975	1445	Ovalk	2305	-	7	- 4.7
2425	1675	Pink at Home	2685	-	5	3.6 20.1
575	200	Provincial Tech Comp	400%	-	1%	- 89.7
761	1176	Saga	460	-	10	- -
1065	2925	Salembury's	1495	-	65	4.4 28.9
1120	2735	Witt Smith	4341	-	9	- 3.9
0%	0%	Scranton	13	-	-	- 92.9
5365	4585	Times	4615	-	75	1.1 36.0
0%	0%	Team Time	95%	-	5	8.8 21.5
Technology
252	1405	Alta Financial	1625%	-	15	5.9 33.9
107	107	Fairfield Software	203	-	5	2.7 27.0
119	13	Europe	62%	-	1	- 4.6
0%	12	GEEM-Lab Genes	12%	-	-	- 4.0
13	119	Berkeley Res	24%	-	-	- 64.2
0%	1%	Elamite	1%	-	-	- 3.4
184	74	Advance Tech	104	-	25	2.3 16.1
28	123	Crusak	12%	-	-	- 3.0
0%	0%	Overfield	0%	-	-	- 3.0
4963	2110	Computacenter	4550	-	2	1.5 21.1
0%	0%	Group/Invest Tech	240	-	25	4.4 20.5
17%	75	George	0%	-	-	- 21.3
1644	900	Greenwood	1100	-	10	1.5 32.3
110	74	Grinnet Tinto	87%	-	-	- 26.8
0%	0%	Coal/Comedy Hinge	9%	-	-	- 4.5
15%	0	Fillmore Group	11%	-	-	- 3.9

12-monthHigh	Low	Company	Price(yr)	ForwardV	YRS	F/E
0%	0	Farpura	0	-	-	- 4.0
1625	794	ECM Group	1125	-	15	6.2 21.9
480	114	Primesa	2595	-	15	- -
160	1095	All Group	2365	-	2	1.9 - 3.7
51	26	TEGA	21	-	-	- 4.2
130	56	Ingesta	67	-	2	5.6
170	73	Interstate	3115	-	35	- 29.9
20%	115	Comet	13%	-	-	- 1.7
71%	45	TEA	46%	-	-	- 12.6
44615	9125	LG Electronics	34545	-	15	1.7 -
79	37	HTV Resources	62%	-	2	2.3 24.4
14%	2	Ramca Group	2%	-	-	- 0.1
130	945	Amplifier	110	-	4.6	40.2
36	22	Northstar	34%	-	2.4	- 1.7
60%	375	Oxford Motors	39	-	5	6.3 - 70.0
31	17	Provent Tech	20%	-	-	- 9.7
447	153	Playtech	175%	-	15	- 6.9
0%	0%	Orion Group	34	-	-	- 4.3
5791	1005	Opelid	5711	-	8	1.9 28.4
117	88	PM	99%	-	-	- 30.2
0%	0%	Sunrise Motors	5%	-	-	- 11.6
49%	101	Greenland Group	61	-	-	- 5.5
2818	1003	Softset	2021	-	14	1.5 29.7
90	5	Sehat Group	9	-	-	- 9.2
36385	5645	Tele Ericsson	7495	-	35	1.1 11.3
1281	1551	Time-Scope-Gap	36395	-	45	2.2 23.5
91%	525	Touchstar	82%	-	1.9	- 4.2
410	200	Trusick	1271	-	25	4.2 -
430	230	Total Group	430	-	10	2.2 43.3
130	216	Water-Sale	36%	-	-	- 24.4
290	746	Yout	116%	-	-	- 27.6
17	85	Jim Byrd	17%	-	-	- 4.4
Telecoms
4365	206	Almat Africa	114	-	11	1.6 21.5
2625	175	BT Group	106	-	1	4.2 17.9
1495	106	Corral	160%	-	5	1.9 20.3
1286	407	Gamma Looms	97%	-	25	2.1 24.6
2975	118	Jedes Severn	202%	-	3	6.9 24.6
0%	0%	Gene World	0%	-	-	- 3.3
2920	630	Telecom Plus	650	-	1	5.9 8.4
1311	505	Valdrone	1101	-	11	3.4 40.9
Transport
360	1595	Finanica	212	-	2	1.2 26.7
5400	1565	Clintons	4950	-	46	1.1 21.1
4835	1525	EasyJet	4735	-	15	2.0 20.2
2375	1525	ProEvan	1025	-	15	1.9 8.9
554	329	Elder (Jones)	469	-	6	- 10.9
4925	1525	Intl Core Air	446	-	25	1.5 7.2
685	458	Intel Cent	669	-	2	1.6 3.7
97	17	Phillips Group	25%	-	-	- 1.1
1	15	Softset Helicore	4%	-	-	- 4.4
1452	632	Wizz Air	1636	-	4	- -
Utilities
2305	1515	Centrica	1545	-	5	3.7 10.9
9375	6125	Elon Group	7465	-	12	4.1 20.6
485	426	Jones Electricity	431	-	-	5.0 12.1
34285	3100	Medicard Grid	13891	-	10	4.1 32.1
466	4395	Provent	4615	-	25	6.3 21.9
1110	1100	Severn Trust	1662	-	16	4.1 25.6
27675	1097	EEE*	2360	-	20	1.9 13.7
1497	1072	Verbal Utilities	1409	-	6	5.8 24.4

---

THE TIMES

THE SUNDAY TIMES

Tech Summit

The Age of the AI Agent, Who's Really in Control?

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Speakers include

Kathleen Fisher

CEO at ARIA

Aidan Gomez

Co-founder & CEO at Cohere

Katie Prescott

Co-host of The Times Tech Podcast and Technology Business Editor at The Times

Dawn Bloxwich

Director of Responsible Development and Innovation at Google DeepMind

Dr. Ross Harper

Co-Founder & CEO at Limbic

Judith Dada

Co-CEO, Langdock and Senior Partner at Visionaries

Headline Sponsor

Adobe

Supporting Sponsor

Raspberry Pi

Go to thetimes.com/events

or use the QR code to book now

---

45

Horse whisperer and friend of the late Queen Monty Roberts Page 46

Obituaries

Justin Hardy

Son of the director of The Wicker Man who became a film-maker himself despite his life being scarred by his father's cult classic

In 2021 Justin Hardy was sent a trove of forgotten documents left by his father, the director Robin Hardy, best known for the 1973 cult film The Wicker Man. Starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, and Christopher Lee, the folk horror film told the story of a puritanical police officer searching for a missing girl on the fictional Scottish island of Summerville where the inhabitants practise a form of paganism, memorably culminating in him being burnt to death in a May Day sacrificial ritual inside a giant wicker man.

The film bombed on its release but in the intervening years The Wicker Man came to be regarded as a landmark in British cinema, the subject of academic conferences and papers, a 2006 American remake starring Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn, stage and radio adaptations and a Radiohead video.

Inspired by the discovery of the archive, which threw fresh light on the making of The Wicker Man, Hardy and his half-brother Dominic decided to write a book and make their own documentary film chronicling the complicated legacy of their father's movie. However, what emerged was a far more personal and poignant story in which they explored their own feelings about their father and how The Wicker Man had affected — and indeed scarred — their own lives. 'They called it a cult classic, the Citizen Kane of horror, one of the best British films ever made,' Justin said. 'But for me it was always the film that I***ed up my family.'

Justin, a historical documentary maker whose 2007 film The Relief of Belsen was nominated for a Bafta, was nine when The Wicker Man was released to a largely unrecaptive cinema audience, and his uncredited voice is heard in the film. 'I remember my father calling me and various of my cousins to a sound studio in order to record the voices of the children of Summerville when Edward Woodward is running around trying to follow the hobby horse,' he said. 'We were all required to say, 'We bring death into the village,' and I remember wondering what we were talking about. But we got a cup of tea and a bun and it was a day out from school.'

The making of The Wicker Man was troubled in every way. There was friction between Hardy and his screenwriter Anthony Shaffer, trouble with the crew and the financing was precarious. To get The Wicker Man made, Justin's mother, Hardy's then wife Caroline, the daughter of a successful businessman, effectively acted as the film's uncredited executive producer, lending her husband the money and bankrupting herself in the process. Her reward was that a year after the film was released, Hardy walked out on his wife and their son Justin and his younger sister Bella and she was forced to sell the family home. Hardy did not see his son and daughter for another five years and never paid back their mother, who died of alcoholism in 1984.

Once a week during their childhood,

Justin Hardy, right, and his half-brother Dominic at an anniversary screening in 2023; left, their father Robin Hardy, right, with the producer Peter Snell, left, and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer; below, Christopher Lee as Lord Summerville in The Wicker Man

a broken heart,' he told The Times. 'What we didn't know was that she had given up money again and again for the cause of The Wicker Man.' In the documentary he made with his half-brother he put it somewhat more angrily, fulminating that his father had 'betrayed our mother and left everything behind in absolute tatters'.

Hardy, who died in 2016 at the age of 86, never made any money from The Wicker Man, even after it had found acclaim as a classic of its kind. 'The bloody film has gone on to make so much money for other people. It's beyond a joke. Dad agreed to take five grand. So he never received any of the upside,' his son noted.

For a long time, Justin felt such bitterness that he couldn't watch The Wicker Man. Yet at the same time his father's magnum opus, now acclaimed as a masterpiece, continued to have a strange fascination. When he was contacted by the new owner of his former family home who had found six sacks of his father's lost archives hidden in the attic and untouched for decades, his initial reaction was to tell her to 'burn the bloody things'.

However, he relented, and when he and Dominic opened up the sacks, he was astonished to discover that they included not only storyboards, legal documents, letters and lost creative materials revealing the true story be-

hind The Wicker Man but also his father's proposal for a sequel that was never made titled Wrath of the Gods. Set in the same disturbed folk horror milieu as The Wicker Man, Robin Hardy had planned to shoot the film in Shetland and after much deliberation, Justin decided to realise his father's artistic vision.

Based on his father's draft script and long-lost notes, he worked up the plot involving a grieving young widow returning to a Scottish island to bury her late husband after his suicide, 'torn between the ghosts of the past and the gods of the present' before being forced

His father's lost archives were found in the attic of his former home

to confront 'dark family secrets lurking in the shadows', according to the film's trailer.

As his father had intended, he shot and directed the film in Shetland starring Francis Magee of Game of Thrones fame, the Norwegian actress Christiane Schaldemose and with a supporting cast of Shetlanders. Due to have its premiere in London later this month, Hardy dedicated Wrath of the Gods to his mother's memory but it now stands as a memorial to his own.

'Justin did an incredibly beautiful job with Wrath of the Gods,' his half-brother Dominic, an art historian at the University of Quebec, said. 'When he showed the final version to me, I said, 'Now you have made a film with a capital F. It is your film. It is your vision; It settles the legacy of our father, who had invented a massive thing of the same name, but Justin made something humanist, telling an important story.'

He is survived by his wife, Larissa, with whom he lived in a converted barn in rural Oxfordshire, and their four children, Sam, Ludo, Nico and Summer.

Justin St Clair Hardy was born in 1964 and educated at his father's alma mater, Bradfield College, where his amorous exploits echoed paternal weaknesses. 'I was suspended for making love to an English nanny, so, funny how these things repeat themselves,' he said. 'But because I was an Oxbridge candidate they chose at the last minute not to expel me for which I am forever grateful.'

At Oxford where he read history at Magdalen, David Cameron and Boris Johnson were contemporaries. 'Brideshead Revisited had just come out and we were absolutely committed to repeating that piece of history, drinking plenty of champagne and thinking that we were Evelyn Waugh,' he recalled.

Oxford was followed by film studies at UCLA in southern California and his first film, 1994's A Feast at Midnight. A comedy drama set in a boarding school and drawing on his own experiences at Bradfield, it featured Christopher Lee, Robert Hardy, Edward Fox and another Oxford contemporary, Michael Gove, who played the school chaplain. Hardy described the future cabinet minister's performance as 'comedy gold'.

He went on to direct historical films and documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4 and CNN, including Princes in the Tower, Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen and Captain Webb, recounting the story of the first man to swim the English Channel. He also taught screenwriting at University College London.

Despite the ruinous impact the film had on his family, he came to admire The Wicker Man as a groundbreaking landmark in British cinema. 'Not only have I made peace with it but as a film-maker myself I can see the radicalism,' he told The Times in 2026. 'I can see what previously looked like quite bad choices are really interesting choices and I'm proud that I've got a radical for a dad.'

Justin Hardy, film-maker and academic, was born on October 30, 1964. He died of a heart attack on July 31, 2026, aged 61

Justin and his sister would force their mother to detox, locking her in a room without access to alcohol. 'You thought it was OK to leave an 11-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl with an alcoholic?' Justin asked his father rhetorically in his own film, which had the working title Wickermania! but was released in 2024 as Children of the Wicker Man.

Eventually, after having a heart attack and fearing for his life, Hardy wrote to Justin. In the documentary he read out the letter in which his father apologised for being 'a bad-tempered feckless rascal' and expressed his pride in the son he barely knew. However, he refused to fall into the trap of believing 'he loved us all really' and suggested his father had piled on the sentimentality 'so he could go and have some more sex somewhere else'. In the end Robin Hardy fathered eight children with six different women.

It took Justin years to discover the full story behind the family tragedy. 'We knew Dad had left our mother and that she had, relatively speaking, died of

---

46

Register

Monty Roberts

Horse whisperer who won over sceptics of his non-violent training methods and forged a deep friendship with Queen Elizabeth II

One day in 1988 Monty Roberts received an unexpected message. Queen Elizabeth had read about the 53-year-old Californian horse trainer in magazines and was keen to meet him. A stunned Roberts duly received an invitation to Windsor Castle to demonstrate his non-violent methods.

He arrived in April the following year while the Queen was having lunch with Mikhail Gorbachev amid intense security, with armed guards patrolling the ramparts. There was also a cold war of sorts in the stables, with grooms standoffish towards the American cowboy who would later be dubbed a real-life horse whisperer for his unconventional method of 'breaking in' horses based on subtle body language signals.

After admiring the four-legged royal collection, Roberts examined the round wire-mesh pen that he had arranged to be delivered to the riding school so he could illustrate his technique to an audience that included the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother. He met the Queen, who glanced at the cage and joked that it bore a resemblance to a circus lion-tamer's equipment. 'It appears to be the sort of thing you need a whip and a chair to enter with.'

Whips and other pain-inflicting instruments common in the American west of his youth were out of the question for Roberts, who communicated with horses using a non-verbal language he called Equus, emphasizing gentle gestures, eye contact and respect as he sought to 'join up' with young horses, gaining their trust so he could saddle up and ride them for the first time. While others talked of 'breaking' horses, Roberts explained that he could 'start' them in 30-odd minutes rather than three or four weeks.

He was tasked with 'starting' a young thoroughbred filly owned by the Queen Mother. Though he was almost as nervous as the steed, he persuaded the skittish horse to accept a rider in about 25 minutes, then broke royal protocol by giving an emotional Queen Mother a hug.

Doubts quelled for the most part — some traditionalists and sceptics questioned his tactics throughout his career — and royal support secured, Roberts and the Queen became friends. He said that they met frequently and spoke

Roberts, at his ranch in 2005, was once described as a 'hybrid of gentle James Herriot and straight-talking John Wayne'

more than two hundred times on the telephone. The royal connection opened international doors and he embarked on tours of Britain and Ireland. Roberts found Elizabeth to be deeply concerned about equine welfare: 'She believed that no one should ever say to any human being or animal, 'You do what I tell you to do, or I'll hurt you,' he told The New York Times in 2022. On one occasion when he was invited to Windsor they took tea on the lawn, ordered via a button at the end of a cable that signalled to staff indoors that the monarch was ready for refreshments.

At the Queen's insistence, Roberts said, he published his 1996 autobiography, The Man Who Listens to Horses. It has sold about six million copies worldwide. In print and interviews the affable, sentimental but practical Roberts came across, as one reporter put it, as a 'hybrid of gentle James Herriot and straight-talking John Wayne'. The timing was also a publicist's dream given

the surge in interest in so-called natural horsemanship when The Horse Whisperer, the 1995 debut novel by the British author Nicholas Evans, became a smash hit. Primarily inspired by the American trainer 'Buck' Brannaman, the book was turned into a 1998 film directed by and starring Robert Redford.

Humans, Roberts contended, are 'fight animals' who seek to establish dominance, while horses are instinctively fearful 'flight animals'. To bridge that gap he emphasised effective communication and compassionate contact. 'In short,' he wrote, 'instead of telling young horses 'you must', I wanted to ask them a question, 'Will you?' A horse, he believed, should be a friend, not a slave.

Of Welsh descent, Marvin Earl Roberts Jr was born in 1935 in Salinas, California — Steinbeck country — to Marvin and Marguerite, who bred horses and ran a riding school at the local rodeo grounds. Monty could walk,

trot and canter a horse and perform manoeuvres from the age of three, and gained renown when he won an under-16s competition at the age of four. He then became a child stunt double in Hollywood films. He studied animal science at California Polytechnic State University. Dreams of a professional American football career were scuppered by a knee injury but he became a rodeo champion, dry-fly fishing in his spare time.

In 1956 he married Pat (née Burden), whom he had known since high school. A sculptor and horsewoman who worked by his side, she survives him along with two daughters, Debbie, who runs the family business, Laurel, an equine facility designer and consultant, and a son, Marty, a former professional bull-rider. Roberts said that he and Pat also raised 47 foster children over 35 years.

In his 1996 book he wrote that trips to Nevada as a teenager were transforma-

tive as he learnt the 'silent language' of horses by observing wild mustangs. Also pivotal, he wrote, was the cruelty of his father. Roberts said that his father dealt brutal beatings to both him and their horses, deepening his resolve to pursue an alternative path. This was disputed by several family members including Roberts's late brother, Larry, a former professional rodeo competitor. Roberts rejected accusations that parts of his book were, as one newspaper headline put it, 'unbridled fiction'.

In the mid-Sixties, he was forced to establish a large thoroughbred facility near Santa Barbara, Flag Is Up Farms. Among his greatest successes was Alleged, bought as a yearling and sold at a considerable profit to the racing titan Robert Sangster. Trained by Vincent O'Brien in Ireland, Alleged won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1977 and 1978 with Lester Piggott (obituary, May 29, 2022) in the saddle.

In later life Roberts continued to oversee what became the family's equine centre and promoted his philosophy and his brand, embarking on tours around the world, teaching courses and writing more books, including a self-help guide, Horse Sense for People.

In 2011 he was made an honorary Member of the Royal Victorian Order for 'services to Her Majesty's racing establishment'. In another, more informal tribute, the Queen named one of her congs after him. Monty the dog appeared alongside the sovereign in the James Bond sketch for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. That year the Queen became a patron of Roberts's charitable organisation, Join-Up International, which seeks to promote his non-violent principles, also applying them to military veterans and first responders dealing with trauma.

Roberts attended the Queen's state funeral in 2022 and their relationship was explored in a 2023 documentary film, The Cowboy and the Queen. 'In no way could I have reached the entire world without the endorsement of Queen Elizabeth II,' he reflected. 'She completely changed my life.'

Monty Roberts 1970, horse trainer, was born on May 14, 1935. He died of complications from an autoimmune disease on July 31, 2026, aged 91

Clara Ester

Civil rights activist who abandoned her militant tendencies after trying in vain to save Martin Luther King's life in Memphis

Early on the evening of April 4, 1968, Clara Ester, a 20-year-old black student, drove with a friend to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. She did so less to see Martin Luther King, the great civil rights leader who was staying there, than to enjoy the special it was offering for dinner that night. 'I just wanted some catfish,' she said.

Ester never ate the special. At 6pm she was standing in the motel's car park and looking up at the man she called her hero and 'our hope' as he greeted a few wellwishers from the walkway outside his first-floor room. He was 'happy as a lark — laughing about stuff,' she said. 'Just then, we heard a blast like a truck backfiring. It was a gunshot. I saw Dr King thrown up in the air and then back down.'

She and her friend rushed up the stairs to the balcony. 'He was breathing, but very slowly. I unbuckled his belt to help. His eyes were open. On the side of his head and neck was a pool of blood.' She tried to stanch the bleeding with towels, but to no avail. 'I guess because he'd just been involved in such pleasant

Ester graduating in 1969; by chance she witnessed King's assassination

conversation, there was a most comfortable, relaxed expression on his face,' she recalled nearly 50 years later. Except for Andrew Young, who later became the US ambassador to the United Nations, Ester was believed to be the last surviving witness to King's assassination, and it changed her life.

She embraced his creed of non-violent struggle, and spent the next half-century working for racial justice and reconciliation. She regarded King's death as a crucifixion, and her role was to 'pack up the cross and carry it'.

Clara Jean Ester was born in Memphis in 1948. Her father was a railway worker; her mother a cook and cleaner. She was raised in an era of rigid racial segregation, but her parents managed to shield her from its effects until she was seven. She then witnessed white officials berating her mother for using a bathroom for white people at an empty railway station. 'I'd never seen anybody talk to my mother like that. My dad didn't talk to my mother like that. That's when I started seeing the injustices,' she said.

She did well at her all-black high school, and gained a place to study elementary school education at an all-black college in Memphis. By her third year — 1968 — she was actively supporting a protracted strike by the city's black rubbish collectors after two of them had been crushed to death in a

garbage truck's compactor. Her support consisted of more than marching, picketing and organizing student boycotts. On occasion she borrowed her father's car to drive more militant activists to burn down white-owned business premises, and even threw a few Molotov cocktails herself.

Then King arrived in Memphis. The evening before his assassination, she watched him deliver one of his most famous speeches at the all-black Mason Temple church that she attended. 'I've been to the mountaintop,' he declared. 'I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.' Scarcely 24 hours later he was shot by James Earl Ray, a fanatical segregationist.

In the immediate aftermath, the police held Ester and other witnesses at the motel until 1.30am. 'Why are y'all questioning us? We didn't do it. Y'all did,' she told them in her fury.

She did go on to graduate, but soon after moved to a deprived area of Mobile, Alabama. There she became

executive director of a community centre and a deaconess at her United Methodist church.

In 1970 her fiancé was killed in a car crash, she never married. In 1985 she spent months in hospital after her car was crushed by an articulated lorry while she was driving back to Memphis for her father's funeral. A four-year-old boy she adopted in 1988 suffered from severe mental illness as he grew up and had to be institutionalized.

Only towards the end of her life did Ester talk openly about her presence at King's assassination, and how it changed her. One reason was a lack of irrefutable evidence that she really did witness King's final moments. But in 2011, the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper published a contemporaneous photograph retrieved from FBI files which demonstrated beyond doubt that Ester was present. 'After that,' she said. 'I felt there was some proof.'

Clara Ester, civil rights activist, was born on February 17, 1948. She died of a stroke on July 9, 2026, aged 78

---

47

Eve Wilkinson

Probably the last surviving member of the team that coded and decoded Winston Churchill's secret messages in his underground Cabinet War Rooms

In 1942, 20-year old Eve Masters, as she then was, was posted to the War Cabinet office, housed in a series of underground bankers, close by Downing Street.

Having already been commissioned and subsequently sent on a cypher course, she became part of the team coding and decoding for the prime minister, Winston Churchill. She found him courteous, "in an old-fashioned way." He would stand up whenever one of the female members of the team brought in a message until they left the room. If he was passing by their office, he would always say "Good morning, ladies."

While working in the underground offices, she would know when a bombing raid was taking place as she could feel the tremors and dust would fall down on her. Many of the most secret messages that she passed to the prime minister were, to her, "very exciting", the more so when it was clear that Britain had the ability to decode German messages — although at that time she had no knowledge of the Enigma decoding being carried out at Bletchley Park.

Even 10 years later she was hesitant to talk about what she had handled, but she did reveal that she decoded a message about an experiment in America that was "very new, very secret and very destructive". This was a reference to the atomic bomb.

In September 1944 she sailed on the Queen Mary across to Canada, as part of Churchill's cypher team, for what was called the Quebec Conference. The voyage took ten days. Sometimes they were allowed on deck, but as the ship was constantly zig-zagging to avoid submarines, "as soon as you found a warm spot, the ship changed course and your warm spot was lost".

The Queen Mary arrived at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, whereupon the prime minister and his team travelled by train to Quebec for the conference, attended by the US president Franklin Roosevelt and the Canadian prime minister William Mackenzie King.

Masters found that the contrast between war-torn Britain and life in Canada was huge — it seemed as if no one there had heard about the war. At dinner on their first evening they were served a starter and she assumed that this was the whole meal, as rationing back home made food in short supply. Happily there was plenty more.

Eve Theodora Masters was born in Egypt in 1922, the second daughter of Charles and Marson Walton-Masters. She and her elder sister and brother had what she described as "an idyllic childhood". Her father was a lawyer with the British administration, and in Alexandria they lived the life of an "expel" family abroad, close by the sea, learning French and "kitchen" Arabic.

This all came to an end in 1932, when the marriage broke down and, at the end of their bi-annual leave back in England,

Wilkinson joined up as soon as she turned 18 in 1940; below, in Churchill's chair in the Cabinet War Rooms on her 95th birthday

Marson told her that they were not going back to Egypt, nor was their father joining them. At that point Marson had no income and no permanent home, but fortunately her brother, Lew, a solicitor in Wincanton, Somer-

She found Churchill to be courteous 'in an old-fashioned way' to female staff

set, came to their aid, lending them a house in Southbourne, near Bournemouth. This enabled Eve to go to a school called Westmeath, where she excelled at French and history. She was also good at sports, becoming captain of the netball and lacrosse teams.

At the age of 16 she took her school certificate, staying on for a further year, followed by 12 months at secretarial college in Bournemouth. She then worked

for the deputy commander of the Royal Engineers in Ferndown, close enough to home to be able to cycle daily.

In September 1939, when war was declared, her sister, Angela, immediately joined up, eventually working on Enigma decoding at Bletchley. Their brother, Charles, joined the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry. Eve was still 12, but on her 18th birthday in January 1940, she too joined the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force). Having completed basic training she was asked where she would like to be posted. "Anywhere in the south of England," she requested. She was sent to a training airfield at Evanton, north of Inverness.

Early in 1942 she was selected for commissioning and attended officer training at Heskington, Oxford, followed by a cypher course in Cinnesota. On completion of the course she was posted to the War Cabinet

offices, where there already was an Eve, so she was known as Theo, after her second name.

In the lead-up to the war Eve had met a young man called Peter Wilkinson. They became close and stayed in touch while Peter was attending the Royal Artillery officer training school at Woolwich. He was commissioned at the outbreak of war and soon sent out to Aden, subsequently serving in the Eighth Army. They were not to see each other for more than four years, until Peter was sent back to the UK at the end of December 1944.

The romance was sealed once more and they were married in March 1945. After a short honeymoon they both went back to work, Eve to London and Peter to be retrained with the Airborne forces in Lincolnshire where the 1st Airborne Division was stationed. Eve knew where the division was to be sent. Norway, but she could not and did not tell him. When peace was declared she was demobilized after three years decoding those vital messages.

After the war Peter stayed on with the army twice being sent to Egypt. He left in 1963, first taking jobs in the commercial world and then becoming a priest, serving in the Kent parish of Yakling for many years.

Eve and Peter had seven children, Francis, a former paratrooper and company director (now deceased), Guy, a retired European Commission administrator and priest, Simon, a retired policeman and priest, Andrew, a retired company di-

A message about something 'very destructive' referred to the atomic bomb

rector, Manda, a retired ballerina with the Royal Ballet and Royal Dutch Ballet, Sarah, a retired midwife, and Alice, a deacon. The couple had 21 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.

They moved house many times, although they remained in Yakling for 19 years before retiring to Flimwell, East Sussex, and subsequently moving to Brenchley, in Kent, to be closer to Eve's sister. When Peter died in 1999, Eve remained in Brenchley until 2015 and after that she lived first with her second son and latterly with her youngest daughter in Purley, south London.

On her 95th birthday a visit to the Cabinet War Rooms was arranged, which for her brought back a flood of memories. By special agreement she was allowed to sit in Churchill's chair, something that of course she had never done in those three years working for him.

Eve Wilkinson, Churchill's message coder, was born on January 14, 1922. She died on August 11, 2026 aged 104

There is no Court Circular for August 11, 2026

Births, Marriages and Deaths

To book a Birth, Marriage or Death announcement in the Register, visit newsokadvertising.co.uk for help, please call 020 7782 7553 or email BMOs@thetimes.co.uk

AHD a next was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground — then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:5-7 (EDV)

Bible verses are preceded by the Bible Society

Births

GADFORD-WILLIAMS on 22nd July 2026 to Victoria Gadford and Bryn Williams, a daughter, Isabella Anhe

Forthcoming Marriages

AIR A. D. O'NEIR AND MISS E. B. JOLLIFFE The engagement is announced between Andrew, only son of Mr and Mrs David O'Brien of Narangaloo, London, and Deane; asked daughter of Capt and Mrs Rose Joliffe of Sushigham Thorpe, Norfolk.

Deaths

FOSTER Oliver Charles, on 6th August 2026, aged 61. Why died at his National Eglon, beyond Israel, A download father, husband, brother and a true friend. Funeral at 2pm on Tuesday 1st September at St Hilda's Church, Eglon. No flowers by request but donations if received by St Hilda's Church Eglon and River Action UK c/o Robert Harrison & Sons, Carr End, Ghisledon, Whitby, 1923 2QH, 01347 897249 info@overtherrisone.co.uk

Legal Notices

Notice of proposed payment out of capital for purchase of one share. D M A GROUP LTD Company number: 1057/6/27 Registered office: 9 Beaufort House, Beaufort Court, Mulbray City Estate, Burbank, United Kingdom, 862 4PB Pursuant to section 719 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006), D M A Group Ltd (Company) hereby gives notice that: The Company has approved, by special resolution passed on 6 August 2026, a payment out of capital for the purpose of acquiring 5,240,570 of its own preference shares of £1.00 each by purchase. The amount of the parmissible capital payment (as defined in section 720 of the CA 2006) for the shares in question is £3,240,570. The (in a/c) or "statement and the particulars" required by section 704 of the CA 2006 are available for inspection at the Company's registered office as stated above. Any creditor of the Company may at any time within the five weeks immediately following the date of the said special resolution apply to the court under section 312 of the CA 2006 for an order preventing the payment out of capital.

CR-2026-005050 NOTICE OF COURT HEARING IN THE HIGH COURT OF NOTICE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES COMPANIES COURT (CHD) IN THE MATTER OF NCC GROUP PLC and IN THE MATTER OF

THE COMPANIES ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an application was made by Part II claim Form on 3 August 2026 to His Majesty's High Court of Justice for the confirmation of the cancellation of £225 million standing to the credit of the share premium account of NCC Group plc (the "Company") AND NO FEE IS NOT PAID GIVEN THAT the application is directed to be heard before the insolvency and Companies Court Judge at the Rolls Building, 7 Rolls Building, Felton Lane, London, EC4M 7LP, 12 August 2026. ANY creditor or shareholder of the said Company desiring to oppose the making of an order for the confirmation of the cancellation should appear at the time of the hearing in person or by counsel for that purpose. A copy of the claim form will be furnished to any such person requiring the same by the undermentioned solicitors upon the payment of the regulated charge for the same. Debit 12 August 2026 DLA Piper UK Ltd 240 Aldergate Street London, EC4M 7LP Tel: 020 7589 0296 Solicitors for the above-named Company Ref: PAV/72254/120116

LONGMAN David Martin Hubert, aged 97, died at home on 31st July 2026. Much loved by all Husband of Clare, father to Edens, Sides Harriet, Ruth and Lothar. Grandfather of 18 and grand-grandfather of three. Funeral service at St James the Great, Colwell, on Tuesday 1st September at noon, with a private family house the next day. All may be sold in the business general directors, Malvern, ON84 892777.

O'BORBUM Timothy Patrice on 7th August 2026. Peaceful, at home with his family, around him, clearly loved son of Paddy and Jane, believed father of bringer and Patrick, much-loved brother of Susie and Winky, and dear uncle and friend to many. Private, convicted kidnapping a service of celebration at St Michael's and All Angels Church, East Coker, Somerset at 2pm on Friday 21st August. No flowers please, donations in lieu to the River Crew Hatchery & Habitat Trust SCID.

Legal Notices

Claim No. CR-2026-003359 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND & WALES INSOLVENCY AND COMPANIES LOT (CHANCERY DIVISION) IN THE MATTER OF FLEXION MOBILE PLC AND IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Order of His Majesty's High Court of Justice dated 28 July 2026 confirming the cancellation of the amount of £27,374,546 standing to the credit of the share premium account of the above-named Company, Flexion Mobile plc, and the Statement of Capital approved by the Court showing with respect to the capital of the Company as altered the several particulars as required by the Companies Act 2006 were required by the Registrar of Companies at 30 July 2026. Dated this 12th day of August 2026 Stephenson Harwood LLP L'Flesbury Group London EC2M 7LP Tel: +44 (0)20 7329 4422 Ref: 0145 00137 Solicitors for the above-named Company

NOTICE UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTED ACT 1975 THE AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES LDA UK LIMITED RETIREMENT BENEFITS PLAN Impartiality Policy That Agilient Technologies LDA UK Limited Retirement Benefits Plan (the "Plan") was issued and Policy August 2024 following the demerger of Agilient Technologies LDA UK Limited and Kaycight Technologies Limited. This notice may be relevant to any person who believes they have a claim against, or entitlement to a pension or any benefit from the Plan, including any such claim deriving from any person's membership or another person's membership of a Preference Plan. The Preference Plans are (i) between 1 November 2005, and (ii) July 2024, the Agilient Technologies UK Limited Retirement Benefits Plan; and (iii) before 1 November 2001, the Agilient Section of the Howard-Payland Limited Retirement Benefits Plan. Before it hereby given, pursuant to Section 27 of the Trustee Act 1975, that any person who believes that they have a claim against, or entitlement to a pension or any benefit from the Plan (including any such claim which derives from their membership or another person's membership of one or more of the Preference Plans) is hereby required to send and pay in writing by 12 October 2026 of their claim or entitlement (together with their full name, address, and address on the unit (a/c) characters of your 60 number) for this purpose, a claim or entitlement to a pension or any benefit includes any claim arising in connection with the requirement to equalise guaranteed minimum pensions. Please send details to: The Agilient Technologies LDA UK Limited Retirement Benefits Plan Agilient Technologies LDA UK Ltd Retirement Benefits Plan (underland 5843 AJ) Alternatively, please email a/c (a/c) or a/c (a/c) @agilent@agilent.com The current Trustees of the Plan are written by the Plan's agent and are not assets of the Plan to secure benefits for persons entitled thereto having regard only to these persons of whose claims and entitlements they have not to pay for the part of the other person. Any individuals who have already been contacted by or on behalf of the Trustees about the benefit of the Plan and/or the equalisation of guaranteed minimum pensions should not respond to this notice as the Trustees already have details of their claims and their rights to be issued by one on behalf of the Trustees of the Agilient Technologies LDA UK Limited Retirement Benefits Plan, 12 August 2026

---

MotoNovo

Car Finance Agreements Between 2007 & 2024

Customers of MotoNovo Finance have been refunded over £2,260.87* using our partner law firm.

In less than 60 seconds, you could locate your old agreements that might be eligible for a refund.

Enter your basic details to get started.

CLUB LINE

Agreements found: 2 Average refund: £2,260.87*

Find My Agreements*

Scan the QR Code

Or visit: makeapcpclaim.co.uk/times

Fountain Finances is a claims management company. You can complain for free directly to your lender, the Financial Ombudsman Service, or through the FCA's free motor finance redress scheme. We receive a referral fee from our partner law firm if you choose to proceed. £2,260.87 is the average claim value per MotoNovo agreement of our partner law firm, HD Law as of July 31st 2025. Our Free Check confirms whether motor finance agreements have been identified from your credit search and the number found. Further details of any agreements will be provided once HD Law is instructed.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

THE HALO CAPSULE CORDLESS VACUUM

Can anyone else offer a lighter, more powerful vacuum which collects more dirt and dust than any cordless competitor?†

“This vacuum scored 100% in all our tests”

ULTRA LIGHT 2.6Kg

Good Housekeeping Institute

YOU’VE probably noticed it yourself. Most cordless vacuums promise a lot... but in everyday use, they can feel heavy, lose suction too quickly, and make emptying a messy, unpleasant job. So instead of making cleaning easier, they often turn it into more of a chore. That’s exactly why the Halo Capsule has been designed differently.

Weighs less than competitors First, it’s super lightweight. At just 2.6kg, you can carry it easily from room to room, lift it to clean stairs, or reach high-up areas without strain on your arms or back.

High performance cordless Then there’s the performance. With powerful suction that rivals full-size corded vacuums, Halo Capsule picks up more dirt, dust and pet hair first time — so you’re not wasting time going over the same spots again and again.

Cleaner cleaning & emptying And when it comes to emptying, there’s no cloud of dust and no need to touch the dirt. Instead, the high-capacity bag system seals everything neatly away, so you can dispose of it quickly, cleanly and hygienically.

Huge 1.6 litre bag capacity It holds far more than most

Ultra lightweight 2.6Kg

Unrivalled 1.6L bag capacity

One touch power

Wall mountable

Easy clean-ups

Full manoeuvrability

Versatile tools

Low profile cleaning

cordless vacuums — meaning fewer trips to the bin for more uninterrupted cleaning.

Lasting power & performance Add in a long-lasting battery with up to 140 minutes of runtime, and you have a

cordless vacuum that delivers on its promise to be cleaner, lighter and more powerful than its competitors.

Save over £300 today! Buy the Halo Capsule for just £199, saving over 50%.

Experience the difference for yourself

Most cordless vacuums struggle to pick up everything in one go — meaning more passes, more effort, and more time spent cleaning.

Halo Capsule is different. Its powerful suction and high-capacity bag system work together to capture more dust, dirt and pet hair first time — not just move it around. The result? A visibly deeper clean, fewer trips to the bin, and far less hassle every time you vacuum. Save over £300 when you order today!

Halo

Other cordless vacuums

Huge 1.6L cleaning capacity means fewer trips to the bin

Halo Capsule

What the experts are saying:

“Enter the Halo Capsule; slimmer, younger, sexier. A dazzling new cordless contender...” Evening Standard

“We were blown away by how well it picks up from different types of floors...” The Independent

“...a superb vacuum worth considering over Dyson or Shark.” Mighty Gadget

“One of the most performant cordless vacuums...impressive battery life”. TechSpy

“An excellent vacuum... great design details and features.” Tech Advisor

“The Halo is nothing short of fantastic at cleaning!” Which?

Capsule

The Capsule Advantage

	HENRY QUICK	HALO CAPSULE	SHARK CORDLESS	DYSON V15
Weight	3.2Kg	2.4Kg	4.1Kg	3.1Kg
Dirt Capacity	1 Litre	1.6 Litres	0.7 Litres	0.77 Litres
Bag Material	Plastic	Paper/Card	Bagless	Bagless
Voltage	25.2V	32V	25.2V	25.2V
Wattage	300W	380W	350W	660W
Run Time	Over 60 mins	Over 60 mins	Under 60 mins	Over 60 mins
Recharge Time	2.5 hrs	2 hrs	3.5hrs	4.5hrs
Main Material	Plastic	Carbon Fibre	Plastic	Plastic

OVER 50% OFF

The Halo Great Value Bundle

RRP €22.94 Save over £300

Now just £199

Get a FREE Mini Power Brush, worth £44.99

Quote offer code T826A2

✓ Fast Free Delivery ✓ 2 Year Warranty ✓ 30-Day Guarantee

Your HALO CAPSULE package: Capsule Vacuum Cleaner, Wall Dock, Crevice Tool, Upholstery & Dusting Combo Tool, Power Floor Tool & Flex Hose, and a full year’s worth of Halo Dust Pouches

ORDER TODAY BY PHONE OR ONLINE

Call free 0800 046 3022

Visit halocapsule.com or scan QR code

2 year manufacturer's warranty including battery. When compared to other UK market available large capacity cordless vacuums based on independent tests to IEC60806-2:2016 Dec 5.5. Run times quoted may vary depending on surfaces desired. *Hygienic emptying measured to IEC60805-2:2016 Dec 5.1† Filtration efficiency and dust re-emission of the dry vacuum cleaner - Modified for cordless samples. Halo Capsule vs Loading Bagless competitor in independent tests. †Combined performance across weight, cleaning performance and dust collection capacity versus leading UK cordless stick vacuum competitors. Free Delivery to UK mainland addresses (including Highlands). Halo Appliances Ltd. Warwickshire, England.

---

P&O CRUISES

PRICES WILL INCREASE - PLEASE DO NOT DELAY

ROL

CRUISE

30

TRUSTED FOR OVER 30 YEARS

THE UNMISSABLE 2026/27

BARBADOS & CARIBBEAN SALE

15 NIGHTS FROM ONLY £1,399PP

15 NIGHTS DEPARTING 4TH DECEMBER 2026, 1ST & 30TH JANUARY AND 26TH FEBRUARY 2027

ON BOARD ARVIA

OTHER DATES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST - PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS

Day 1 Fly from London to Barbados

Upon arrival, transfer to the port in Bridgetown and embark Arvia for your 14 night cruise, beginning with an overnight stay on board

Day 2 Bridgetown, Barbados

Day 4 Fort-de-France, Martinique

Day 5 Bassetere, St. Kitts & Nevis

Day 6 Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Day 8 Road Town, Tortola

Day 9 St. John's, Antigua (overnight)

Day 10 With over 365 beaches, there is a slice of white sand heaven for every day of the year on this idyllic Caribbean island. St. John's is a vibrant hub for shopping as well as being within easy range of some of the best beaches – at Fort James, Deep Bay, Galley Bay and Hawksbill

Day 12 Castries, St. Lucia

Day 13 St. George's, Grenada

Day 15 Bridgetown, Barbados

Disembark and transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to London

Day 16 Arrive in London

Days not mentioned are spent relaxing at sea. Itinerary is based on 4th December 2026 departure and ports of call may vary on other dates

YOUR ROL CRUISE SALE PRICES

CABIN	GRADE	FULL BOARD PRICE (PP)	ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICE (PP)
Inside	PF	£1,399	£2,059
Sea View	LF	£1,749	£2,399
Balcony	GF	£1,949	£2,599
Deluxe Balcony	EF	£2,299	£2,979
Conservatory Mini-Suite	CY	£2,969	£3,599
Suite	B6	- SOLD OUT -
Solo prices are available from £2,499
Prices are based on 4th December 2026 departure
REGIONAL FLIGHTS AVAILABLE - PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS

SERVICE, QUALITY & TRUST WITH ROL CRUISE

• ☑ 5% SERVICE, WE'RE HERE WHEN YOU NEED US
• ☑ THE UK'S NO.1 INDEPENDENT CRUISE SPECIALIST
• ☑ ABTA & ATOL PROTECTED
• ☑ UNBEATABLE VALUE

WHAT'S INCLUDED

ALL BOOKINGS SAVE 5%* ONLY WHEN YOU BOOK WITH ROL CRUISE

PREMIUM FLIGHT UPGRADES AVAILABLE FROM £499PP*

ON BOARD SPENDING MONEY OF UP TO £400*

DIRECT FLIGHTS & OVERSEAS TRANSFERS INCLUDED – HASSLE-FREE TRAVEL

EARN EXCLUSIVE CRUISE MILES* WORTH EEE: OFF YOUR NEXT BOOKING††

Arvia

ARVIA - THE SUNSHINE SHIP

Life On Board

30 Bars & Restaurants

8 Entertainment Venues

4 Swimming Pools

15 Guest Decks

A world of culinary delights

On Arvia, your every craving is catered to. From family favourites to world-class cuisines inspired by your voyage, with so many restaurants included in the price, you'll be spoilt for choice. There are also chic speciality restaurants for those who want that wow-factor dining experience.

Dazzling entertainment day and night

Experience world-class entertainment on Arvia. From big-name acts to dazzling acrobats, there's a show, performance or activity to suit everyone. Laugh, sing and dance under the retractable SkyDome, catch captivating performances in the Grand Atrium or enjoy live music and have a drink in the 710 club.

Your serene sanctuary at sea

Unwind and recharge in Arvia's serene spaces. Treat yourself to a luxurious pampering session at the Oasis Spa*, or find peace under the open sky at The Retreat.

WHAT'S INCLUDED WHEN YOU GO ALL-INCLUSIVE**:

• From Piña Coladas and Mai Tais to your pick of popular branded spirits, P&O's exclusive Marabelle Gin and Golden Tide Rum, and a choice of Heineken, Birra Moretti or John Smith's for the beer-lovers, you're spoilt for choice
• Costa Coffee, non-alcoholic drinks & cocktails, bottled juices & sodas, mixers, bottled water and soft drinks on tap
• Selected spirits, beers, ciders, cocktails, wine & Prosecco
• 20% discount on drinks excluded from this package
• Essential Wi-Fi
• Speciality dining credit worth up to £55pp
• PLUS, if you're travelling with children aged 17 years or under receive a Complimentary Refresh package

rolcruise.co.uk/times

TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE

B

ABTA ABTA for PCCS

CALL ONE OF OUR CRUISE SPECIALISTS FREE ON

0808 239 2473

QUOTE OFFER REF 644705

WE ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

FROM 8:30AM – 8PM

★

Trustpilot

★★★★★

Premium Trusted Service Award leader

Prices and availability correct at time of sign off 11/08/2026. Prices are per person based on two adults sharing, except single cabins, may increase or be withdrawn at any time. Offer applies to new bookings only. On board spend is per cabin and tiered depending on grade booked. † Subject to availability. Agent to ATOL holder P&O Cruises (USA). ‡ An extra charge will apply. †† Cruise Miles T&Cs apply. P&O Cruises T&Cs apply. $&DE

---

51

Weather

Today Hot and sunny in central and southern Britain. Showers in the north and west. Max 35C (95F), min 14C (57F)

Around Britain

Max 34mphs, 1st max, 1mphs, 2m275h study de-visit, Friday, Friday, Initial, 4mvisit, 1mph, 1st showers, 2nd max, 2mphs, 3mps, 1rdunder 1mprovide day 1st showers and available

	Temp. 4mphs andmin	Max min	Max hr( ^{1} )
Allenbank	19	5	0.0
Alleghany	26	5	0.0
Ankhurst	22	5	0.0
Andernes	16	5	0.0
Barnclayde	27	5	0.0
Bedford	24	5	0.0
Bolton	21.1	PC	0.0
Birmingham	25	5	0.0
Bearnsmoeth	25	5	0.0
Bridlington	21	5	0.0
Bristol	26	5	0.0
Camberne	24	5	0.0
Cardiff	25	5	0.0
Edinburgh	20	PC	0.0
Edinburgh	20	R	0.0
Glasgow	20	PC	0.0
Horsford	25	5	0.0
Northaveness	25	5	0.0
Ryomile	22	PC	0.0
Isle of Man	19	5	0.0
Isle of Wight	26	5	0.0
Jersey	26	5	0.0
Kensick	21	5	0.0
Malden	24	5	0.0
Leeds	27	PC	0.0
Lincoln	14	5	0.0
Lynchart	17	PC	0.0
Lincoln	25	5	0.0
Liverpool	25	5	0.0
London	25	5	0.0
Longview	25	5	0.0
Manchester	25	5	0.0
Memphis	21	PC	0.0
Milford Haven	23	5	0.0
Monroville	25	PC	0.0
McDonham	26	5	0.0
Orleans	15	PC	0.0
Oxford	25	5	0.0
Plymouth	27	5	0.0
Portland	22	PC	0.0
Salts, St Mary's	22	PC	0.0
Shamokin	25	5	0.0
Shrewsbury	25	5	0.0
Seawalwin	24	5	0.0
Southend	22	PC	0.0
South Silet	17	5	0.0
Shrewsbury	13	PC	0.0
Stiles	16	5	0.0
Wichitawan	21	5	0.0
Wick	17	5	0.0
Yewellton	27	5	0.0

The world

All meetings and analysis underlies
Allicarita	35	S	Madonna	27 PC
Alvehbridge	22	PC	Bladell	31 S
Althens	24	S	Malawa	30 S
Auckland	31	PC	Maldives	30 PC
Edinbria	25	S	Mafta	33 PC
Farnham	32	PC	Melbourne	11 C
Barbados	21	PC	Mexico City	25 D
Barcelona	32	S	Miami	33 R
Bulova	31	S	Milton	34 S
Bolivia	***	***	Mombasa	29 PC
Bulgaria	35	S	Montreal	26 S
Berlin	24	S	Moscow	29 PC
Bermuda	35	R	Mumbai	26 D
Bonthaya	16	S	Munich	26 S
Brussels	24	S	Nahvlet	24 PC
Budapest	32	S	Radon	33 S
Budapest	16	S	New Orleans	21 PC
Buenos Aires	17	R	New York	29 R
Calva	35	S	Niue	30 R
Calcutta	31	S	Nicosia	33 PC
Canberra	13	PC	Oslo	10 S
Cape Town	28	PC	Paris	30 S
Chicago	29	S	Perth	14 PC
Copenhagen	13	PC	Prague	20 S
Corfu	26	PC	Rudspeth	15 R
Delhi	24	R	Ripe	19 PC
Dubai	42	PC	Rio de Janeiro	27 C
Dublin	27	PC	Riyadh	30 PC
Faro	25	S	Rome	26 S
Florence	26	S	San Francisco	22 PC
Frankfurt	16	S	San Diego	6 S
Geneva	23	S	São Paulo	16 C
Gibraltar	29	S	Sanal	31 S
Helsinki	14	S	Scandellos	29 PC
Hong Kong	34	PC	Singapore	32 R
Hannikku	25	S	St.Petersburg	20 S
Istanbul	29	PC	Stockholm	16 PC
Jerusalem	29	S	Sydney	20 S
Johannesburg	6	S	Tel Aviv	30 S
Kyoto, Leningrad	28	PC	Newell's	28 PC
Kyle	24	S	Tokyo	30 R
Lancayevis	29	PC	Vancouver	22 PC
Los Pinosos	29	PC	Venice	34 S
Lima	22	S	Vienna	30 S
Lübeck	29	PC	Marquee	21 R
Los Angeles	28	PC	Washington	33 PC
Luxor	40	S	Zurich	31 S

Five days ahead

Very hot in central and southern areas over the next few days, but rain or showers in the northwest

Tomorrow

Friday

All weather becomes more confined to southeastern Britain, and remains dry with sunny spells, A little cooler and cleaner of the north and west with sunflowers shown.

Saturday

Sunshine and scattered showers, most frequent in the north. Mostly dry in the southwest, sunny spells, and continuing to find hot.

Sunday

Cloud and rain moving across Ireland and parts of southwest England. Elsewhere a mixture of sunny spells, variable cloud with airshoes, mainly across Scotland.

Max 28C, min 16

Monday

Delta sleeps with the risk of showers in places, but some spells of sunshine. Max 28C, min 16

The Times weather page is provided by

WeatherQuest

General situation. Hot, dry and sunny in southern and central areas. Showers or rain in the far north and west. Wales, Midlands, E Anglia, Cen S Eng, London, SE Eng, SW Eng, Channel Is: Very hot with near undroken sunshine. Light southeasterly winds, a little broader near the coasts. Maximum 35C (95F), minimum 14C (57F). NW Eng, Cen N Eng, Lake District, IofA, NE Eng, E Eng: A little patchy cloud at times, especially in the north, otherwise hot and dry with plenty

of sunshine. Light southerly winds, broader on the east coast. Maximum 32C (98F), minimum 14C (59F). SW Scotland, Edinburgh and Dundee, Borders, Glasgow, Argyll, Aberdeen, Mersey Firth, Cen Highland: Occasional showers, mainly in the north and west. Otherwise warm and dry with the best of the sunshine in the south. Light southwesterly winds. Maximum 27C (81F), minimum 14C (57F). NW Scotland, NE Scotland, N Isles: Outbreaks of heavy rain in the west at

first, patchier elsewhere. Rain turning more showery in the afternoon with some sunny spells. Light to moderate southwesterly winds. Maximum 23C (79F), minimum 15C (59F). Republic of Ireland, N Ireland: The risk of occasional sharp showers in the morning, becoming confined to the north and west in the afternoon. Feeling hot in the south and east, with plenty of sunshine. Light southerly winds. Maximum 26C (82F), minimum 14C (57F).

Synoptic situation

High pressure control near the Baltic Sea extends a steep westwards, keeping England. Wales and parts of Ireland and Scotland dry and sunny. It will be hot as well with a south to southeasterly flow drawing up air from Europe. Slow-moving occluded fronts will bring showers or spells of showery rain to northern and western parts of Scotland and Ireland.

Highs and lows

24hrs to 5pm yesterday

Warwood: Townspeed,

Dofield, 29.8C Edward: Fulldown, 8.4C

Wolfrant: Halfpasses, 6.6

Sammell: Crowdry,

West Wolfrants, 10.9ys

Sun and moon

for Greenwich

Sun rises: 25.31

Sun loths: 20.29 Moon rises: 24.56

Moon rises: 24.56 Moon loths: 20.29 First quarter: August 20

First quarter: August 20

Hours of darkness

Allentions 23.07-05.01

Duffield 23.10-05.26

Birmingham 23.09-05.17

Cardiff 23.10-05.25

Carrier 23.10-05.29

Glasgow 23.10-05.15

Liverpool 23.07-05.18

London 20.94-06.13

Manchester 23.14-05.15

Newcastle 23.17-05.07

Newnock 20.97-05.06

Pretzance 23.17-05.08

Sheffield 23.10-05.02

Weather Eye

Paul Simons

The Perseid meteor shower is due to peak overnight. It is one of the year's most active and brightest meteor showers with up to 150

meteors an hour. And this year it will be particularly spectacular because it coincides with a new moon, when the night sky will be especially dark from dusk to dawn, making it much easier to see the majority of the meteors.

This happens only roughly once a decade. The best views of all are found in the darkest skies possible, well away from artificial lights. But what makes the Perseids extra special is their bestfulness — some of the meteors are so vivid they can even be seen in the skies over cities.

The Perseids are known for the exceptionally speedy streaks of light they leave in the night sky as they hit the Earth's upper atmosphere. The best viewing conditions are from midnight to dawn. This year the views in the US and Europe may be affected by smoke from wildfires.

The Perseids are produced from the debris shed by the comet Swift-Tuttle, a block of ice and rock that orbits the Sun and leaves a stream of debris in its wake. When the Earth passes through the densest part of this debris it produces the peak of the meteor shower.

The particles of debris are only the size of a grain of sand but when they slam into the Earth's atmosphere at such speed they heat up to thousands of degrees celsius and burn up in bright trails of light, although most spectacular is when larger meteors explode into bigger, brighter fireballs.

By coincidence, a partial eclipse of the sun also happens today and can be seen in the UK from about 7.05pm to 7.15pm. But because the sun will be low in the sky, views of the partial eclipse could be obscured by clouds many miles away.

The total eclipse will follow a path through eastern Greenland, northwestern Iceland, the extreme northeastern part of Portugal at 7.10pm, northern Spain between 7.10pm to 8.31pm and finally the Balearic Islands at 8.33pm as the sun sets to the west.

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

A snapshot of the Hungarian capital's most historic sights, with ample time to explore the lesser-known treasures of the blue Danube

This captivating short break combines the elegant capital of Budapest with the winding Danube River and three delightful Hungarian

towns. Explore Castle Hill, bustling Pest and the world-famous Danube waterfront, before visiting Esztergom's domed Basilica, Visegrád's medieval citadel and charming Szentendre. Choose to complete your Hungarian adventure by visiting the magnificent Lake Balaton, with a lavender farm tour and a scenic cruise.

*Time up to 135 sights in short time leading mark by September 30, 2026 and stand to applied retrospectively in leading citadel, craftmail. Offer applies to short time only and cannot be combined with any other offer. Exclusions apply from a dozen include discount. Goods supplement: apply. Prices cannot at time of print. Subject to availability and may be withdrawn at less time. These holidays are expected and operated by Newsmaster Holdings Ltd, a company which is dependent of finance UK. ABOUT THINK. 4/26 prints (to) 2129. ABOVE YOU, 2 Standard phone charges apply.

Our trusted partner

Newmarket INDUSTRIES

ABTOT AUSTIN AUSTIN

ABTA AUSTIN

---

52

Sport

£79 to watch Bath in rain

Will Kelleher

Bath will charge more than £100 for top-priced tickets to Gallagher Prem matches this season, and £79 for seats in their uncovered stands which are exposed to rain.

The Recreation Ground, which will be rebuilt from May, will be the most expensive place to watch club rugby in England this season, closely followed by Exeter Chiefs' Sandy Park, Harlequins' Twickenham Stoop and Saracens' StoneX Stadium.

For their opening home game against Exeter, Bath will charge £109 for a seat on the halfway line in the West Stand. Adult fans will pay just shy of £80 to sit in the open stand, meaning they could watch in the rain, or up to £55 for a restricted-view ticket at the Rec.

Bath justify their prices by pointing out they regularly sell out. Their average crowd for Prem games last season was 14,509.

"We will be offering a wide range of ticket prices across the season to ensure accessibility for all supporters, with tickets starting at £1 for juniors and £9 for adults," a Bath spokesman said.

Borthwick's big decision on contracts after Willis waste

Charlie Morgan

Senior Rugby Writer

The major lesson from two years of hybrid contracts in England is a reinforcement of what everyone involved will have already known: rugby union is a world where best laid plans often go awry — sometimes spectacularly so.

Fairly or unfairly, Tom Willis personifies this notion. A year ago, having forced himself into England's starting side and starred in an impressive 2-0 series win over Argentina, the rambunctious No.8 was rewarded by being promoted into an expanded cohort of 25 players to hold an enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) deal.

Worth about £350,000 a season, these deals were introduced in 2024 as a flagship policy of the new professional game partnership (PGP) and are designed to give England greater control over an individual's medical provision. Steve Borthwick had seemingly seen enough from a player who was complementing exceptional domestic form with increasingly influential England displays to make Willis a key figure moving forward.

Less than 11 weeks later, in an awkward setback for the RFU, it emerged that Willis would be returning from Saracens to Union Bordeaux Bègles for the 2026-27 season and beyond. There was a financial sting in the tail too. Because Borthwick immediately ruled

Willis out of selection for the upcoming autumn, his central contract represented a sunk cost. It will not be renewed.

Enhanced EPS contracts can be used in different ways: to proactively persuade a player back from a French club, to manage the game-time of a veteran or to develop a younger talent. The consensus around the country, from figures such as Rob Baxter and further afield, seems to be that the concept is a work in progress. Lengths of the deals are undisclosed, with Theo Dan the only individual so far to have been released after 12

months, and there is no mandatory positional spread. Ellis Genge was the only prop in the first batch, for example.

For all the nuances at play, the proximity of the World Cup means Borthwick will effectively be revealing the core of his squad for the 2027 tournament in Australia when the next batch of enhanced EPS deals are confirmed this week. He has filled the agreed maximum of 25 slots, so will be working on a one-in, one-out basis.

If you audit the current party, the nine tight-five forwards seem sturdy. It would be a shock to see any of Genge, Will Stuart, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes, Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Maro Itoge, Ollie Chessum and George Martin drop out. Stuart and Baxter will be guided back to full health in close correspondence with England, as Cowan-Dickie and Martin were before the July schedule.

2025-26 Elite Player Squad

Props Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Fin Baxter, Joe Heyes Hookers Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie Locks Maro Itoge, Ollie Chessum, George Martin Back-row forwards Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Ben Earl, Henry Pollock, Tom Willis Scrum half Alex Mitchell Fly halves George Ford, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith Centres Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence Back three Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Tom Roebuck, George Furbank, Elliot Daly, Tommy Freeman

The back row becomes trickier. Willis will go, leaving at least one spot. Alex Coles and Guy Pepper, both of whom also featured in all 12 Tests last season, must be the next cabs off the rank, and there may be scope to include both.

While it feels like ancient history, Ben Curry enjoyed an excellent 2025 Six Nations before picking up an EPS deal. However, hamstring issues hampered him and he did not feature for England at all last season, putting him at risk unless he signed a multi-year arrangement. Retaining Ben Curry would be a huge endorsement of his defensive breakdown disruption, something England have missed when absorbing pressure since the beginning of 2026.

Sam Underhill has never held an England contract, despite being continually trusted in the biggest games, and was coy on the subject in November.

Perhaps his injury profile has been off-putting. He missed the summer tour to have shoulder surgery and, having extended terms at Bath, will be itching to begin the coming campaign strongly. Courtney Lawes, who left for Brive before they came in, is back in the Prem with Sale Sharks as well, enhancing Borthwick's options.

As for the three other existing back-rowers on EPS contracts, Ben Earl and Henry Pollock played in all 12 Tests in 2025-26, and Tom Curry started in South Africa as testament to Borthwick's trust in him. But the pivot to a burlier blindside flanker, rather than three smaller scavengers across the back row, could affect the EPS group.

Into the backs, Alex Mitchell will not shift. He is the sole contracted scrum half and could well stay that way given the pecking order seems rather fluid with room for a bolter in Archie McParland. Borthwick has tied down three fly halves — George Ford, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith — for the past two years. Fin Smith, the front-liner again, would appear to be the safest, though the other two are valued in different ways; Ford as a quasi-coach and Marcus Smith for versatility and spark.

Befitting the uncertainty in midfield, it would not be a total surprise to see both contracted centres. Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade, overlooked, with Seb Atkinson, Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Joe Marchant in the mix. The explosive Lawrence, outstanding in November's victory over New Zealand, was dropped like a stone after the gruesome Six Nations loss to Ireland.

England clearly want a ball-player at inside centre, alongside speed and

agility at outside centre, which makes it difficult for Lawrence.

Slade needed multiple injuries to those ahead of him to see a single game in the autumn, alongside Max Ojomski against Argentina, and then spent the Six Nations as a specialist trainer. His return in July was indebted to George Furbank's appendicitis.

That said, once part of England's line-up, he has translated his Exeter Chiefs habit of making those around him look assured. Legal or otherwise, Slade's scrambling tackle on Bautista Delguy rescued a win in Santiago del Estero. Can Borthwick squeeze him, Ford and Marcus Smith into the same World Cup squad? This crop of central contracts will provide a clue.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman are no-brainers, leaving three interesting places among the back three. Contracted for 2024 and 2025, Furbank has played just three Tests, all of them in the autumn of 2024, on a hybrid contract. Keeping him on would confirm the suspicion that he is regarded as a crucial missing piece in this back division.

Finally, Tom Roebuck and Elliot Daly were added to the enhanced EPS group after eye-catching summers for England and the British & Irish Lions, respectively, in 2025. Daly battled back from a broken arm and refractured it in April. In between times, he was picked in three Test matches. Daly is now 33. Retaining him would signal how much Borthwick covets experience.

Roebuck, meanwhile, seemed to struggle for rhythm over the second half of 2025-26 and was apparently overtaken by Saracens' teenage tyro Noah Caluori. Only when Cadan Murley withdrew from the summer tour party, sending Freeman back to the wing, was he called up.

Hit the ground running for Sale Sharks in September and Roebuck, a strapping athlete, will push hard for more caps. But Borthwick must make a call on his enhanced EPS group before that. He may feel that his World Cup plans — as adaptable as they will have to be — will be better served with someone else.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday August 12, 2026

53

Racing Sport

Salisbury

Thunderer

2.30 Forbidden Fire	4.00 Guns Max (nb)
3.00 Impaired Rock	4.30 Miss Scott
3.30 Quick For Stars	5.00 Loudon
Going good to firm	Racing TV
Draw: no advantage

2.30 Novice Stakes

(2 = O. ESARD. 6/1 (N))
1 (7)	SI ARCTIC TARE IS 1/16 6"	2 Jams
2 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6"	3 Claypool
3 (5)	SI FIRST MATE 1/2 1/16 6/4 6"	4 Warpund
4 (5)	SI ONE MATE 1/2 1/16 6/4 6"	5 Pindari
5 (5)	SI ONE BEST CITY 1/8 6/4 6"	6 Pindari
6 (5)	SI GOODHOOD HITTOR 1/8 6"	7 Pindari
7 (5)	SI WHEATERS HILL 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	8 Sherman
8 (5)	SI GROUNDED 4/4 6/4 6/4 6"	9 Pooley
9 (5)	SI LESSER STAR 1/8 6/4 6"	10 Pindari
10 (5)	FOREIGNED FIRE 1/8 6/4 6"	11 O'Keefe
11 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	12 Pindari
12 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	13 Pindari
13 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	14 Pindari
14 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	15 Pindari
15 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	16 Pindari
16 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	17 Pindari
17 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	18 Pindari
18 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	19 Pindari
19 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	20 Pindari
20 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	21 Pindari
21 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	22 Pindari
22 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	23 Pindari
23 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	24 Pindari
24 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	25 Pindari
25 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	26 Pindari
26 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	27 Pindari
27 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	28 Pindari
28 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	29 Pindari
29 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	30 Pindari
30 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	31 Pindari
31 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	32 Pindari
32 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	33 Pindari
33 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	34 Pindari
34 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	35 Pindari
35 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	36 Pindari
36 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	37 Pindari
37 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	38 Pindari
38 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	39 Pindari
39 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	40 Pindari
40 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	41 Pindari
41 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	42 Pindari
42 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	43 Pindari
43 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	44 Pindari
44 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	45 Pindari
45 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	46 Pindari
46 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	47 Pindari
47 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	48 Pindari
48 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	49 Pindari
49 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	50 Pindari
50 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	51 Pindari
51 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	52 Pindari
52 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	53 Pindari
53 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	54 Pindari
54 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	55 Pindari
55 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	56 Pindari
56 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	57 Pindari
57 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	58 Pindari
58 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	59 Pindari
59 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	60 Pindari
60 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	61 Pindari
61 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	62 Pindari
62 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	63 Pindari
63 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	64 Pindari
64 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	65 Pindari
65 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	66 Pindari
66 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	67 Pindari
67 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	68 Pindari
68 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	69 Pindari
69 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	70 Pindari
70 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	71 Pindari
71 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	72 Pindari
72 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	73 Pindari
73 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	74 Pindari
74 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	75 Pindari
75 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	76 Pindari
76 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	77 Pindari
77 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	78 Pindari
78 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	79 Pindari
79 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	80 Pindari
80 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	81 Pindari
81 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	82 Pindari
82 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	83 Pindari
83 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	84 Pindari
84 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	85 Pindari
85 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	86 Pindari
86 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	87 Pindari
87 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	88 Pindari
88 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	89 Pindari
89 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	90 Pindari
90 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	91 Pindari
91 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	92 Pindari
92 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	93 Pindari
93 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	94 Pindari
94 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	95 Pindari
95 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	96 Pindari
96 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	97 Pindari
97 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	98 Pindari
98 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	99 Pindari
99 (5)	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6"	100 Pindari

Beverley

2.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2024.10.2
1.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
2.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
3.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
4.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
5.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
6.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
7.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
8.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
9.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
10.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
11.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
12.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
13.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
14.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
15.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
16.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
17.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
18.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
19.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
20.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
21.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
22.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
23.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
24.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
25.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
26.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
27.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
28.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
29.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
30.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
31.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
32.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
33.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
34.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
35.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
36.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
37.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
38.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
39.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
40.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
41.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
42.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
43.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
44.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
45.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
46.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
47.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
48.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
49.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
50.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
51.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
52.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
53.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
54.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
55.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
56.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
57.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
58.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
59.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
60.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
61.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
62.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
63.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
64.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
65.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
66.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
67.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
68.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
69.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
70.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
71.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
72.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
73.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
74.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
75.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
76.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
77.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
78.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
79.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
80.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
81.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
82.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
83.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
84.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
85.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
86.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
87.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
88.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
89.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
90.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
91.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
92.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
93.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
94.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
95.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
96.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
97.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
98.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
99.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
100.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 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. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99.

1.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
2.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
3.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
4.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
5.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
6.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
7.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
8.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6

1.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
2.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
3.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
4.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6
5.20	SI EAST MOUNTAIN 1/8 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6/4 6

---

54

Sport European Athletics Championships

‘Total domination’: Glave and

Matt Lawton

Chief Sports Correspondent

There were more empty seats and there was even dust blowing in from the scorched earth of the surrounding parkland here at the Alexander Stadium last night.

But from under a cloud of yet more complaints about another poorly attended session of European athletics, a second British 100m champion in as many nights emerged.

“It’s total domination,” declared Romell Glave, with the men going one better than Amy Hunt the previous evening by claiming the top two spots on the podium thanks to a similarly impressive display of sprinting by Jeremiah Azu.

Glave has long had the ability to achieve something like this. The Jamaican-born sprinter moved to South Norwood at 15 and had become the world’s fastest teenager within two years of landing in the UK, only to have his progress stalled by twice fracturing his back. “It first happened during Covid,” he explained last night. “We couldn’t access the track in Croydon for a spell so I was training on a different surface, on grass.”

By this season, however, the 26-year-old who even likes to run in sunglasses at night, had lowered his best time to 9.97sec and he followed that on this occasion by upgrading the European bronze he claimed in Rome two years ago with a first major championship title. “I’m the king of Europe,” he declared from beneath his victor’s crown.

Racing into a slight headwind, Glave crossed the line in 10.09, with Azu taking silver in 10.16 to complete the third British one-two in the history of this event.

In third came a German sprinter competing under a different kind of cloud. While Owen Ansah denies any wrongdoing, his national anti-doping agency is calling for him to be banned for missing a drugs test.

Of course, it was all a little unexpected. The hot pre-race favourite was Marcèlf Jacobs, the 2021 Olympic champion and an Italian sprinter chasing a third consecutive European title. The 31-year-old certainly looked the sharpest in qualifying but he was slow out of the blocks and pulled up after about 50m, eventually trailing home in seventh in 12.26.

So much more was expected of the Italian police officer. This, after all, was

a man who had snatched Olympic gold before an audience of masked journalists, coaches and officials in a locked down Tokyo five years ago, and the rather muted atmosphere must have been reassuringly familiar to the star attraction of the second evening session of these championships.

In fairness to the organisers, an attendance of just over 16,000 was an improvement on the crowd that had

witnessed Hunt’s heroism. But it was still a pity to see so many sparsely populated areas of this 23,000-seat arena when the 100m final is usually among the hottest tickets in town.

Not that Glave seemed bothered. “It is an amazing feeling,” he told the BBC. “Just the work I put in to come here and execute my race. We have been working on my start, and I was able to execute that today. Upgrading from a

bronze medal from 2024 is an amazing feeling.”

Azu said it was the British team’s hope to take all three medals, only for Louie Hinchliffe to fail in his bid for a place in the final. “We still got one-two,” said Azu. “We have Europe in a choke hold.”

Keely Hodgkinson ran her fastest time in a major championship heat yesterday and made it look remarkably easy, sporting a smart new pair of

Ramsay-Peaty’s fifth place ends 16-gold run but Shanahan seals

Craig Lord Paris

If Katie Shanahan was “so delighted” at breaking a British record that had stood for 17 years to claim European 200m backstroke gold in Paris last night, then Adam Ramsay-Peaty had quite a different take on his fifth place in the 100m breaststroke final.

The form guides of the Great Britain team-mates are racing in opposite directions as Ramsay-Peaty followed a disappointing fifth in his signature event by finishing fourth in the 4x100m mixed medley. Shanahan, meanwhile, romped home in a “crazy” 2:06.13.

Ramsay-Peaty’s 59.10 in the 100m breaststroke was 0.55sec quicker than when he won silver in the Commonwealth Games but paled in comparison

to his world record of 56.88 set in 2019. Describing his dip as being “as boring as shit” the 31-year-old added. “The car just isn’t as fast. It’s almost like, you know, I’ve got— I’m driving the car really well. Yeah, it’s just the speed isn’t there. We just have to look at why.”

Until last night he had never lost a heat, semi-final or final while collecting 16 European golds but this time he finished half a second behind Nicolo Martinenghi, the same man who had beaten him by an agonising 0.02sec to Olympic gold here two years ago. Filip Nowacki, his fellow Briton, was just 0.01sec away in sixth.

“I’m disappointed with the time because I didn’t get faster again,” added Ramsay-Peaty. “That is literally where my brain goes. It’s about the time now,

Ramsay-Peaty, 31, finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke final — his first loss ever at a European Aquatics Championships. He labelled his form as “boring”

whereas before it was about the medals. It’s frustrating because I’m either side of that 59, and I know why. It’s just, again, the car just isn’t fast enough.”

He was, though, confident that he would turn things around: “We’ve only had 12 weeks [working with new coach Lisa Bates] to really improve it,” he added. “I obviously look a gamble on endurance, and it hasn’t really paid off. That’s why it’s boring for me. I put a lot of work in. You want to see a little bit of an outcome for that. You’re just like a craftsman at the end of the day. You can see the craft and you build it day by day. At the moment, it’s not building as I want it to, as fast as I want to.”

Shanahan said it would take a while for her victory to sink in. A prolific gold medal-winner in her junior days, with

---

55

Sport

Azu's 100m glory

ALEX LINDLEY MICHAEL STEDLINGTON ATHLETICS/JOTTY IMAGES, MIKE KOPITIN/PA

shades to complete her more casual look. "It's sunny out there," she said breezily. "I'm trying not to get wrinkles and stop the need for Botox too early."

On and off the track, the Olympic champion appeared to be in good form before the most eagerly anticipated event of the championships: the women's 800m final.

After winning the world indoor title

Glave, left, celebrates winning the 100m, ahead of GB team-mate Azu, above, but it was a miserable night for Italy's Jacobs, right, who pulled up while attempting to win a third European title at the distance. Meanwhile, Hodgkinson, inset left, cruised through in the 800m heats

and setting an indoor world record in March, Hodgkinson was left stunned by the sudden emergence of Audrey Werns. Hodgkinson was beaten in Stockholm in June by the Swiss, who ran the third-fastest time in history.

But the 24-year-old has come here claiming to have run a personal best in a recent training session in Portugal that she and her coach, Trevor Painter, used to measure her fitness.

She seemed extremely happy with her first-round performance in pursuit of what, indoors and outdoors, would be a fifth successive European title if she claims gold in the final on Friday.

She will lose the shades for that race. "It's going to be nearly 85pm and I want to see everything," she said. "I'm excited to showcase where I'm at and hopefully have the performance I know I'm capable of."

'crazy' win

Olympic youth and European junior titles in the backstroke and medley, she had a collection of silvers from her four years as a senior.

The latest of them came in the 200m backstroke for Scotland at a home Commonwealth Games.

Here she was much faster. The national standard had stood for 17 years and ten days, since Gemma Spofforth clocked 2:06.66 at Rome 2009.

"I've had my eye on that British record for quite a while now, and I knew that I was capable of it," said Shanahan. "But I feel like for the past few years, since I was a junior, I've kind of had 103 things that have got in my way, injuries and illnesses and that sort of thing. So to finally get it, I'm just so delighted. And yeah, it's, it's very special."

Fans charged £18 for pork roll

CONTINUED FROM BACK

an issue. Spectators are being charged £22.50 to use the park-and-ride, while it costs £1750 for a park-and-walk option that involves a 45-minute hike to the arena. There have also been complaints about the food, with a barbecued pork roll costing £18.50.

A spokesperson for Birmingham 2026 defended the pricing, with £70,000 tickets sold and close to full capacity expected later in the week. Compared with football, it is cheap to see some of the most talented athletes this country has produced in decades.

The organisers stressed that 50 per cent of tickets were priced at £30 and lower, with adult tickets starting at £10. "Birmingham 2026 is delighted with

ticket sales for the championships, which have far surpassed our targets," they said.

"Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening sessions are approaching sell-out, with several other sessions close to capacity. There are still opportunities to be part of the championships at incredibly good value."

Radio presenter Sonja McLaughlan cited her concerns on social media, with the top price due to rise to £150 for the last three days of competition.

"Actually a bit shocked at the type of prices being charged," she wrote. "It's a shame for the athletes, who deserve better. The sport has this precious window without football, free to air television exposure and it looks flat with such a sparse crowd."

Rocky Flintoff, 18, bats like dad to make history

Elizabeth Ammon

Rocky Flintoff became Lancashire's youngest ever centurion by smashing 123 from 76 balls in the county's Metro Bank One-Day Cup match against Somerset at Taunton.

The 18-year-old son of former England all-rounder Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff is an aggressive, hard-hitting right-handed batsman and dominated with the bat on Tuesday, crashing ten fours and seven sixes as Lancashire racked up 443 for six, their highest total in List A cricket. Coming in with his side 138 for three, he was the aggressor in a brutal partnership of 214 with captain Keaton Jennings and reached his century from only 65 balls.

Archie Vaughan, son of another Ashes hero in Michael Vaughan, was among the bowlers that Flintoff and his team-mates put to the sword as Lancashire ran out 174-run winners to set up a quarter-final at home to Durham on Friday.

Flintoff signed for Lancashire in 2024 before becoming their youngest player when he made his debut aged 16 years and 113 days in the One-Day Cup that summer. He also became England Under-19's youngest centurion during their series against Sri Lanka that year and, in early 2025, was the youngest century maker for England Lions aged 16 and 291 days, beating his father's record, in a match against a Cricket Australia XI.

His hundred against Somerset, his first professional ton for Lancashire, means he is their youngest first XI centurion at 18 years and 126 days, beating Archie MacLaren, who scored 108 against Sussex at Hove in August 1890 when he was 18 years and 256 days.

Flintoff missed most of the 2025 summer and last winter's Under-19 World Cup because of a back injury and had to withdraw from last summer's Hundred having been signed by Northern Superchargers, where his father was head coach.

He has returned this summer, playing mostly for Lancashire's second XI in early season, and scored three consecutive half-centuries for England Under-19 last month during their Youth ODI and Youth Test series against South Africa.

He has been a regular in Lancashire's first team during their One-Day Cup campaign and his maiden century for the county followed an unbeaten 61 from 51 balls against Warwickshire.

His father, Andrew, has been England Lions head coach for the past four years but has recently stepped down to take on other projects, including coaching in Australia's Big Bash League as well as non-cricket television endeavours. During his time in charge, Andrew selected Rocky for a couple of series including the one in Australia last winter. Now, having overcome his back issue, he is in line to be part of upcoming Lions series as well as continuing to play for England Under-19.

He has played five first-class matches in his career — four for Lancashire and one for the Lions — and averages 39.41 in 15 List A games. He is yet to play any T20 cricket. There were reports that he may move away from Lancashire to another county but he signed a two-year contract extension in March which keeps him at Old Trafford until at least 2028.

Rocky's batting style has been described as a mirror image of his father's, particularly through mid-wicket.

Flintoff's 123 off 76 balls, his first hundred for Lancashire, drew inevitable comparisons with his father, Andrew Flintoff, the Ashes hero, while earning his county a Metro Bank One-Day Cup quarter-final home tie

Gay's bid to prove fitness

Elizabeth Ammon

Emilio Gay will play in a three-day match against Pakistan starting tomorrow to test his fitness after sustaining a shoulder injury.

Scans over the weekend showed that the England opener had not suffered a serious injury but playing in this tour match will provide time to further assess whether there is any residual pain after he retired hurt while batting for Durham in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup last Friday.

England's first Test against Pakistan begins a week today at Headingley. England are confident that Gay will be fit and have not called anyone into the 16-man squad as cover. Ollie Pope is already in the squad as a spare batsman, although he would be unlikely to open the batting.

Shoaib Bashir is also in the Professional County squad that will play against Pakistan at Beckenham.

The game was due to be a four-day match starting today but in agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board it was reduced to a three-day game to allow the ECB to pick the strongest squad they could, based on which counties had qualified for the One-Day Cup quarter-final matches which will be played on Friday.

Bashir is the only specialist spinner in England's 16-man squad for the first two Tests although he isn't guaranteed to be in the final XI. The retirement of Ben Stokes means England must rethink how to balance their side and they may pick four frontline seam bowlers with the part-time spin of Dan Lawrence, who will bat at No 6, and captain Joe Root instead of selecting Bashir.

---

56

Sport Football

ARTHUR KILLALBA REAL HAZARD/GETTY IMAGES

Two types of right back

The differences in their styles are obvious from these maps of their open-play touches for their clubs last season. Alexander-Arnold comes further inside far more than Dumfries, who stays wider and also tends to be more involved in the attacking third of the field.

Alexander-Arnold open-play touches Real Madrid 2025-26

0% 0.2*	0% 0.0	0% 0.0	0% 0.1	1% 0.4	0% 0.2
0% 0.0	0% 0.0	0% 0.1	1% 0.4	0% 0.3	0% 0.1
1% 0.9	2% 1.3	1% 0.9	1% 0.9	1% 0.9	0% 0.1
1% 0.9	5% 3.5	6% 4.3	7% 5.2	6% 4.2	2% 1.4
3% 2.5	9% 6.8	13% 10.1	18% 13.7	16% 11.8	6% 4.2

Dumfries open-play touches Inter Milan 2025-26

0% 0.0	0% 0.0	0% 0.0	0% 0.0	1% 0.2	0% 0.1
0% 0.1	0% 0.1	0% 0.0	0% 0.0	0% 0.1	1% 0.3
2% 0.9	1% 0.2	0% 0.1	1% 0.2	1% 0.3	5% 1.8
1% 0.5	3% 1.2	3% 1.4	3% 1.2	2% 0.8	7% 2.8
3% 1.0	9% 5.5	14% 8.7	15% 8.8	19% 7.6	9% 3.7

*open-play touches per 90

Attacking Direction

Alexander-Arnold, left, has been joined in Madrid by Dumfries, right, and upcoming friendly matches will offer clues as to whether Mourinho, below, believes he can accommodate the pair in the same side

Is Trent's best chance of thriving at Real Madrid to switch to midfield?

Ian Hawkey

Real Madrid's new club captain returned from his holidays, met the new head coach and reported how glad he felt to see everybody pulling in the right direction under Jose Mourinho. Fresh starts all round, then. It is only three months since Fede Valverde was having treatment in hospital after a training-ground fight with a team-mate, and being fined, along with his combatant Aurélien Tchouaméni, €500,000 (about £427,000) for the fracas.

Better still for Valverde, his initial conversations with Mourinho have included no suggestion that, in the season ahead, the Uruguay midfielder will be asked to fill in at right back, as Mourinho's predecessors have tended to demand of Valverde, to barely veiled irritation from the new skipper.

The Madrid right-back position can sometimes feel cursed. It has probably generated more angst than any other on the pitch through a turbulent period of four head coaches in 15 months and, in more than one case, sustained friction between management and players.

It's not been a role that much enhances an individual's international reputation either. Last season's pair of jousting specialists, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, found themselves excluded from their countries' summer World Cup squads, as clear a snub for

Alexander-Arnold, who won the last of his 34 England caps just after he left Liverpool last summer — and was not invited to add to them even when other right backs dropped out of Thomas Tuchel's party — as it had been for Carvajal, who has 54 caps for Spain.

Carvajal, having been eclipsed in the Madrid hierarchy by Alexander-Arnold in the second half of 2025-26, has now left Real. He had begun his long association with the club as a ten-year-old almost a quarter of a century ago.

His departure vacated the captaincy, passing it on, by dint of longevity, to Valverde. His leaving also sets up a fresh duel for status on the right side of the back four. Alexander-Arnold no longer faces a challenge for a place in the starting XI from a feisty, popular veteran but from a powerful locomotive of a footballer. No sooner had Mourinho been confirmed as head coach than Madrid paid the first significant transfer fee – €20million to Inter Milan – of a busy pre-season of recruitment on Denzel Dumfries, the Dutch flyer.

We await clues about how Mourinho sees the hierarchy, or how far he can imagine a Madrid that accommodates both Alexander-Arnold, 27, and Dumfries, 30, in Madrid's upcoming warm-up games. Indications are that while he appreciates the broad range of options that full backs of such distinct skill sets as Alexander-Arnold and Dumfries can offer, the choice need not always be an either/or.

Dumfries, fresh from his break after representing the Netherlands at the World Cup, made his first friendly appearance for his new club against Fiorentina on August 1. He did so in a

role more like that of a winger. Alexander-Arnold started too, playing deeper, more centrally and briefed to advance into midfield when Madrid were in possession.

For Dumfries, a wingback for the majority of his 200-odd matches for Inter, the selection was a vote of confidence, propelling him into the line-up after only five training sessions with Mourinho. For Alexander-Arnold, there were shades of past deployments, notably under Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, when the player was in his early twenties and encouraged to utilise his precise passing more broadly than right-to-left diagonals or channelled right-flank through-balls. Alexander-Arnold, acting as auxiliary midfielder, contributed vitally in the build-up to Madrid's second goal of a 2-2 draw.

Dumfries had his moments, not all of them displaying the most velvet of first touches. Against Ferencváros, in the next of Madrid's warm-ups, Dumfries retained his starting place, on the right of a more orthodox back four, replaced by Alexander-Arnold for the second half. Further work on the Trent-set experiment, a game plan that dovetails their different strengths in the same side, had been left for another day.

Alexander-Arnold for Dumfries, Dumfries for Alexander-Arnold however often Mourinho makes that switch in the months ahead, it is never going to look a like-for-like swap. From the Merseyvider, Madridristas have already

learnt, even from his stop-start debut year, that you get an unusually high yield of decisive passes from a full back along with one or two moments of anguish at how much space may be left open behind him for an opponent to counterattack. Dumfries, going forward, will alarm plenty of La Liga left backs in direct confrontations but offer fewer guarantees than Alexander-Arnold with the quality of his delivery.

Their essential career statistics tell the story. Over the course of Alexander-Arnold's 400-plus senior club matches for Liverpool and Madrid, he's contributed well over one assist every four games on average.

Dumfries, closing in on 500 outings from his combined stints at Sparta Rotterdam, Heerenveen, PSV Eindhoven and Inter, is well down on that. But he scores more goals — 27 across three seasons at Inter — and different sorts of goals. He's useful at meeting an attacking set piece, just as Alexander-Arnold can look almost peerless at delivering them.

Madrid supporters have glimpsed the best of Alexander-Arnold, but sporadically. Two lay-offs with injury restricted him to 28 appearances in 2025-26, and with Carvajal also suffering fitness issues, often at the same time as Alexander-Arnold. Valverde was obliged, with undisguised reluctance, to fill in for

periods at right back. He generally does so with energy and vigour. But by January, when Álvaro Arbeloa became the second head coach of Alexander-Arnold's Madrid career, Xabi Alonso having been sacked after eight months, there was recognition that the England player was a special sort of defender.

'Not your typical full back who is always on the wing,' Arbeloa said. 'He can play inside, shift around, change positions, open up or close in according to what's needed at that moment.' And that the acquisition of a player capable of such accuracy with a pass made great sense in a team built around the breaking speed of Vinicius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.

For the new La Liga season, which Madrid will start a week later than most, on August 22, there will be another super-sprinter up front. Yan Diomande, bought from KB Leipzig for a club-record fee that could rise to €140million. Diomande is earmarked for the outside right role of Mourinho's front three, a 19-year-old eager to establish a strong working relationship with whichever full back is assigned to his flank.

One targeted signing not coming to Madrid is Rodri, the Spain captain, who has said 'no' to joining the Mourinho project and who the club had hoped would give them some of the midfield authority that a series of Real coaches have longed for since Toni Kroos retired in the summer of 2024.

The hiring of Bernardo Silva may be part of the solution. Coaxing Alexander-Arnold into territories where he can be a go-to creative conduit, Mourinho has hinted, may just be another.

---

57

Sport

Chelsea eye Lewis-Skelly as Arsenal ponder cashing in

Gary Jacob

Chelsea are interested in signing Myles Lewis-Skelly if Arsenal decide to reap the profit from a homegrown talent this summer.

The 19-year-old midfielder, who graduated from the Arsenal academy, has been offered to Chelsea and Manchester United. Lewis-Skelly wants to stay at Arsenal, where he signed a long-term contract last summer, but he and the club would have a decision to make if they receive a bid.

Chelsea could need a midfielder if Enzo Fernández leaves this summer. Arsenal want to recoup money in the transfer market and selling homegrown talent helps clubs comply with financial rules. Lewis-Skelly appeared to make reference to the speculation about his future II weeks ago when he posted a photo of himself holding the Premier League trophy accompanied by a caption that read “pure profit”.

Lewis-Skelly, who has played mostly at left back, was peripheral for much of last season and seemed likely to leave before he impressed in midfield in the title run-in, going on to start in the Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the Londoner has surely fallen down the pecking order again after Arsenal signed Bruno Guimarães for £75million last week. Their other defensive midfield options are Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and potentially Mikel Merino. Arsenal’s attacking midfield options include Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal have been led to believe that Chelsea are interested in signing Lewis-Skelly, who has six England caps. However, Lewis-Skelly would have to factor in Chelsea’s numerous midfield options and opportunities could be limited as they are not in Europe this season.

Manchester United have also been sounded out. An intermediary offered Lewis-Skelly to the club, among others, at the start of the year, saying that he would cost about £60million — a price at which United balked.

Lewis-Skelly broke through at left back but had a tough second campaign.

Lewis-Skelly helped Arsenal win the title last season but his chances may be limited after the arrival of Guimarães

He expressed frustration about his limited opportunities to the manager Mikel Arteta after starting only two league games by the start of May.

But his fortunes changed after he was given a first senior start playing as a left-sided No 8 in the 3-0 win over Fulham in May. Arteta admitted he had not been sure previously if the teenager was ready for the position but described his performance as “incredible”.

Lewis-Skelly started four more games in that role, including the victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, second leg.

At Arsenal’s title parade in Islington, Lewis-Skelly was seen having a lengthy chat with Andrea Berta, the club’s

sporting director. He has been represented by his mother, Marcia Lewis, a Fifa-registered agent and the founder of the No1Fan club, a platform to help parents navigate academy football.

It is likely Arteta would be annoyed if he thought the interest in Lewis-Skelly had been engineered to determine whether he had a future at the club — and in which role. Lewis-Skelly has said he now sees himself as a midfielder. He played as a left back when he scored 20 minutes into his senior England debut against Albania and was a PFA young player of the year nominee in 2025.

If Lewis-Skelly stays, it is likely he would only start games to give a breather to Rice and Zubimendi, who both

looked fatigued at the end of last season. Rice, 27, was carrying a hamstring issue during the World Cup.

Arteta has spent a net £650 million on signings since 2022 and the club’s target is to become self-sustaining in the long term.

There is a similar discussion about whether to sell Ethan Nwaneri, 19, the attacking midfielder who came through the ranks with Lewis-Skelly and also struggled for minutes. Nwaneri had a disappointing loan at Marseille starting in January and has interest from clubs in Germany. But there is a case for him only to move on loan and wait for Arsenal to phase out Odegaard, 27, and Eze, 28, in time.

Barça make new £51m Rodri offer

Paul Hirst, Paul Joyce

Barcelona are set to step up their interest in Rodri by submitting a second offer, worth more than £51 million, for the Manchester City midfielder.

Talks between the clubs have continued since City rejected Barcelona’s bid of £38.5 million for the World Cup winner last week. Barcelona are now ready to come back with a second offer worth a guaranteed €60 million (about £51 million) plus add-ons.

It remains to be seen whether City will accept it. They had been holding out for £60 million for the 30-year-old Spain midfielder. But Barcelona’s second bid demonstrates that they are determined to push on with their pursuit of the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.

The Times reported on Monday that the Spanish champions were hopeful of signing Rodri in the next few days so he can integrate himself into the squad for the upcoming season. The five players who are yet to report for pre-season

Barça are in a hurry to seal Rodri deal

training — Jules Koundé, Dani Olmo, Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal and Pedri — are set to return to Barça’s headquarters today. Barcelona face Basel in a friendly on Sunday, a week before they begin their title defence against Elche.

Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, was also due to return to training today, but it appears the winger will move to Paris Saint-Germain, who are expected to come back with an improved offer after their opening bid of £34 million, plus £8.5 million in add-ons, was rejected.

Like Torres, Rodri has a year left on his contract and has not shown any desire to extend his deal.

---

58

Sport Uefa Super Cup

Emery faces fierce early test

Charlotte Duncker

As he enters his fourth full season at Aston Villa, Unai Emery is preparing for yet another “new era” in his career.

The 54-year-old has always made it clear he is not afraid of a challenge, and it is a good job, really. His first is a meeting against his former side Paris Saint-Germain in today’s Super Cup as the Champions League and Europa League winners go head to head for another piece of silverware — but on the horizon is a bigger test.

It has already been another summer of transition for Villa, and that is still with more than two weeks of the transfer window remaining. Tonight’s team will be without World Cup contingent Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez, but even taking their absences into consideration this is going to be a very different team from the one who lifted the Europa League trophy in May.

The most influential player, Morgan Rogers, who played the most minutes for the club last season, made a £117 million move to Chelsea, midfield regular Youri Tielemans signed for Manchester United while first-choice left back Lucas Digne returned to PSG.

But as a new dawn begins at Villa there is no concern from their captain, John McGinn, about the rebuilding job ahead.

“A lot has changed in the eight years that I’ve been here,” the captain said. “We’ve got a structure in place, we’ve got standards and rules that have made us successful over the past few seasons and our job is just to integrate the new players and try to make them believe, the same way the players of the last few seasons have believed, and we’re really excited by this new Aston Villa.”

There have been arrivals in the shape of Alejandro Garnacho (on loan from Chelsea), midfielder João Gomes, who signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and club-record signing Johan Manzambi, though he is struggling with a knee injury and isn’t available.

Emery warned that his team “won’t be in our best moment” against PSG and this is unlikely to be the same level of performance witnessed at Villa Park in that infamous 3-2 victory in April 2025. But that is only natural given it is the start of August, they are missing three key players and they have yet to complete their transfer business.

The game, which will be refereed by Omar Artan, the Somali referee who was supposed to officiate at the World Cup but got turned away at the border, is a reward for Villa’s first European title since 1983. It will help them financially, earning them £14-million, but on the pitch it’s a free hit. Only 39 per cent of Europa League winners have emerged victorious against their Champions League rivals in this fixture. Win and it’s a great confidence boost heading into a season of change and the unknown, lose and it is really just a friendly to test this new-look team against the best in Europe.

For Emery it is another chance to face Luis Enrique in this competition. The Villa boss, who has lost three times in the Super Cup with Villarreal and Sevilla, relishes the opportunity to face the man

Villa’s XI for the Europa League final against Freiburg on May 20 featured three key players who are no longer at the club — Digne has signed for tonight’s opponents PSG, Rogers went to Chelsea and Tielemans joined Man United

Villa’s summer transfers

In	From	Fee
J Manzambi	Freiburg	£59.5m
J Gomes	Wolves	£38.0m
M Kéba Cissé	LASK	£4.0m
A Garnacho	Chelsea	Loan
Out	To	Fee
M Rogers	Chelsea	£117.0m
Y Tielemans	Man United	£35.0m
D Malen	Roma	£21.6m
E Barrenechea	Benfica	£10.3m
L Dobbin	Southampton	£9.0m
L Digne	PSG	£8.5m
J Gauci	Lincoln City	Loan
A Garcia	Getafe	Loan
O Zych	Vitoria	Loan
Spent		£101.5m
Received		£201.4m

who beat him in the 2015 version of this fixture.

It is because the Spaniard believes Enrique “demands a lot of him” with the teams he puts out, so perhaps is it the perfect curtain-raiser for the Villa head coach to really test himself.

It is possible Konsa could leave for Arsenal before the deadline, and three of Emery’s trusted backroom staff have already departed — set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, to Chelsea, assistant manager Palo Ayestarán and individual coach Antonio Rodríguez Saravia — so this really is a new era for Villa.

“We must all be on the same page. Even with the changes,” Emery said. “When they were in the Championship and every year since, there have been changes and still the club has moved

Aston Villa v PSG

UEFA Super Cup Kick-off 8pm, Red Bull Arena, Salzburg TV TNT Sports Referee O Artan (Somalia)

Aston Villa (probable 4-2-3-1)

(probable 4-3-3) PSG

forward. If we compare ourselves to other clubs like Man City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, we are competing with them. We don’t have their power … yet. But progressively we are doing [it] our way.

“We don’t compare with other clubs. Sometimes they are above us, sometimes below us. Now we are making changes, yes, but we are working well. I am happy with how we are responding.”

Emery has responded to everything that has been thrown at him since he arrived nearly five years ago and there is belief from the squad he can do it again.

So what can Villa fans expect this season? Should they temper their expectations because it has been a summer of change?

“We will have our challenges,” McGinn said. “There is a lot of change, but when you look at other clubs around England there is a lot of change there as well. A lot of coaches changing, a lot of players changing. But what we have still is our main core — same manager, same methods, same desire to achieve more.

“A lot of people thought we had reached our ceiling a couple of seasons ago, and we proved them wrong. We have still got the same hunger and desire to go and achieve more. And as long as we’ve got the hunger and desire to do that, the Aston Villa fans can expect as much as possible.”

Newcastle are suffering

Martin Hardy

Newcastle’s new head coach Matthias Jaisle has conceded that he has inherited a leadership vacuum at the club after the summer sales of Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali.

The 38-year-old German was speaking at his official introduction at St James’ Park yesterday after leading the players through a training camp in La Manga last week and a friendly away to Valencia.

Jaisle spoke of his excitement after the first call from Newcastle at the end of last month about the possibility of taking over from Eddie Howe and insisted there was still huge ambition.

However, he admitted the sales this summer of Guimarães to Arsenal and Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur, which followed Anthony Gordon’s move to Barcelona and the decision not to renew Kieran Trippier’s contract, had had an impact on the experience of his squad.

Newcastle have moved for the 31-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hopfjerg, although so far they have failed to agree terms. They are also monitoring João Palhinha, also 31, although it is unlikely that they will compete with Aston Villa for the player, for whom Bayern Munich are demanding £26 million. Newcastle have so far bought five

---

59

Football Sport

of new Villa era

NOX POTTO/PA JASMIN WALTON/ATAL/GETTY MAKES: NEALLE WILLIAMS/ATOM WILLA FOX/ETTY MAKES

McGinn, left, leads the Villa training session yesterday in preparation for meeting Dembele, above, in a game that will be refereed by

Omar Artan, the Somali official who missed the chance to referee at the World Cup after being denied a visa by the US

from a leadership vacuum – Jaissle

players this summer, with the oldest being 24.

“Everyone knows the players that left the club,” Jaissle said. “They were great characters, great players, experienced players. This is now a vacuum as you call it. But that just means that other players have to step in. Either, we have to adjust something in the squad by signing these profile of players, or other players need to step up and fill these positions and these leadership roles.

“I am quite optimistic that we can work with both scenarios, and my job is to do the best out of it all. We are aware of what we need and the squad that we want. We believe in the players we have now. Against Valencia we were really

happy [with] the young lads getting the chance, so that’s also the approach from this club.”

Jaissle, for whom Newcastle paid Al-Ahli 15-4 million in compensation, was shown around St James’ Park for the first time since signing his four-year contract on Sunday and walked through the city on Monday.

He was asked what his remit is at Newcastle. “That we are ambitious,” he replied. “That is the most important thing. It is why I decided to come here, but this will not happen overnight, especially when you have such a big transition phase now.

“You need to have a clear goal and wish of where we want to go to. That

starts from the decision-makers, the management and the board. Then, if you have that synergy with the fans, the players and the staff to go there, then I’m pretty sure it will be a successful story. But we need time now.”

Jaissle, who was confrontational in the technical area at his previous clubs, Al-Ahli and RB Salzburg, said: “I will not change my style because that’s my personality. On the touchline, I am emotional, but I need to respect a bit more the box [manager’s area].

“I had a long line in Saudi Arabia, so I think the GPS would be quite high if I had worn it!”

Newcastle face Everton in a friendly at Murrayfield this afternoon.

Wirtz insists he’ll ‘shine more’ after tough first season

Paul Joyce

Florian Wirtz believes he is primed to make a greater impact at Liverpool after absorbing the lessons of a difficult debut campaign in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old spoke with renewed enthusiasm about the looming challenge of propelling the club to fresh heights under the new head coach Andoni Iraola, who intends to play him as a No 10.

Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a £116 million deal last summer. However, his season was underwhelming, just as it was for the vast majority of first-team players as Liverpool’s title defence crumbled and they finished fifth, leading to the dismissal of Arne Slot.

Wirtz offered moments of promise and ended with seven goals and ten assists in 49 appearances, but too often appeared inhibited by the unique demands of the English top flight coupled with the collective malaise which engulfed the team. Much rests on the Germany international now showcasing his best and there have been glimpses in pre-season of his eye for a pass and his willingness to attack the six-yard box in search of goals.

He is no longer taking a step into the unknown and, reflecting on last term, he said: “I definitely learnt a lot. I just learnt how Premier League football is played and I am more ready for my second season because I know how it is now. I am really excited for my next season.

“I’ve played one year now in England and I’ve said often enough that it’s a different style of football than in Germany. You just get used to the games and your opponents.

“[It is a] difficult question [to assess my first season] but, of course, there were some games when I wasn’t happy with

Wirtz describes No 10 as his “favourite and best position”

myself, but also a lot of games when I felt good on the pitch. Last season was difficult for the whole club but, hopefully, we have the right energy and mentality this season, so every player can shine more.”

Wirtz’s partnership with the striker Alexander Isak will be central to Liverpool’s hopes and the pair must take on the burden of scoring the goals Mohamed Salah once provided.

Isak endured similar struggles to Wirtz after his £125 million move from Newcastle United, and failed to meet expectations, although a broken leg, which ruled him out for almost five months, did not help his cause.

It has been noticeable during the latter part of pre-season that Iraola has stationed Wirtz and Isak close together on the pitch and their understanding is starting to blossom as a result.

The problem has been at the other end of the field, where Liverpool have leaked goals.

“We had some good combinations,” Wirtz said about playing with Isak. “We created some chances together. He is a very, very good player and I enjoy playing with him. We have to work on the connection but we are still in pre-season and until now it is good.”

Slot deployed Wirtz as a No 10 but also off the left at times and in other roles as he searched in vain for a convincing formula. It is the intention of Iraola to persist with Wirtz behind Isak, while Liverpool believe that if they recruit pace in wide areas

— Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola remains a target — opportunities for Wirtz to cast his spell during matches will improve.

“We spoke about this because it is important to know which position you are going to play,” Wirtz added. “I know I can probably play different positions but No 10 is my favourite and my best position.

“We are looking forward to working with him [Iraola]. I like the idea of football he has.”

Trump throws his support behind ‘fantastic’ Infantino

CONTINUED FROM BACK

Gianni Infantino. He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again.”

Infantino is the subject of an ethics complaint from the Norwegian FA about alleged political interference relating to Fifa’s decision to lift the suspension of the USA striker Folarin Balogun, which occurred after a phone call from Trump. He is also facing complaints to Fifa’s ethics committee about his relationship with Trump over his creation of a peace prize awarded to the US president.

Trump’s claim that the 2026 World Cup was four times more successful than any other is not accurate — its revenues were twice those of 2022.

Infantino told colleagues this year that the 64-team expansion proposal would not be taken up but said last

month it would “definitely” be considered. Fifa has sent a research brief on the proposal to agencies saying it wants to appoint one to analyse the plan. The brief dated July 30, seen by The Times, said the analysis should “not advocate for a predetermined outcome”.

It added: “A 64-team format could create broader representation, new national market entry points and additional premium content. It could also affect tournament quality, qualification pathways, player workload, the international calendar, media economics, sponsor activation, fan attention and the positioning of other football and sports properties.

“The analysis should enable a clear strategic judgment: does a 64-team format expand global relevance and participation in a way that strengthens the football economy, or do dilution, calendar congestion, execution complexity and saturation undermine the proposition.”

---

THE TIMES

Sport

José's plan for Trent

Why the right back could be set for Real Madrid's midfield

Page 56

Lewis-Skelly for sale?

Chelsea at front of queue if Arsenal cash in on teen

Page 57

Infantino to

back 64-team World Cup

● Fifa president seeks South American support

● Trump warns against removing embattled chief

Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter

Fifa's under-pressure president Gianni Infantino has indicated to South American football leaders that he will support their proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, according to sources.

Infantino is trying to rally support wherever he can to hold onto his position in the face of calls from Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian football confederation for him to resign, in the hope of surviving until next year's election. Mexico is the only one of Concacaf's 35 Fifa members to come out in support so far.

Conmebol, the South American confederation, has proposed the expansion from 48 to 64 teams in order to be able to host more than the three games it has been awarded by Fifa to mark the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay. Infantino visited Colombia on Friday for the inauguration of the country's new right-wing president Abelardo de la Espriella, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump. The U5 president said yesterday that Fifa would be making a "terrible mistake" if it got rid of Infantino following the World Cup sell-off debacle.

Infantino was accompanied by the Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez, from Paraguay, who told Colombian media that "one cannot ignore the great work" done by Infantino. Sources said the 64-team expansion plan was discussed during the trip. Fifa

declined to comment but pointed out any decision would be made by Fifa's Council rather than Infantino himself.

The 2030 World Cup is being mainly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco with a match each scheduled for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The Times reported last week that, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions, Infantino will support Morocco's desire to host the final ahead of Madrid, but Fifa said it was "false and misleading to claim the Fifa president has made any promise" in relation to the final and that a decision would be made by Fifa's statutory bodies.

Meanwhile, reports in Mexico have said the Mexican federation's endorsement of Infantino was as a result of expected support for its bid to leave Concacaf and join South America, which would mean more regular matches against the likes of Argentina and Brazil.

Trump had not spoken about Infantino, despite their close connections, in the two weeks since The Times broke the news about the scheme to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors — which plunged the Fifa president into a desperate fight for survival. He has now broken his silence and writing in a post on his Truth Social platform he referred to the financial success of the 2026 World Cup.

Trump wrote: "Fifa would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Continued on page 59

Glave is Europe's sprint king

Romell Glave raced to 100m gold and Jeremiah Azu took silver on a fantastic night for Britain at the European Championships, pages 54-55

Keely coach

hits out over £150 tickets

Matt Lawton Chief Sports Correspondent

The organisers of the European Athletics Championships have come under fire for low attendances in the first three sessions, with Keely Hodgkinson's coach and Amy Hunt's agent among those citing high ticket prices of as much as £150.

Hunt won European gold in the women's 100m on Monday night in front of half-empty stands, with BBC commentator Steve Cram expressing his dismay. "A little disappointing in terms of spectators, I have to say that," he said in response to Hunt's triumph. "Particularly down the back straight there. There's not very many people at all in those stands."

The Birmingham 2026 organising committee, run principally by British athletics chiefs, insists there were 13,000 fans in the stadium on Monday night but the 23,000-capacity Alexander Stadium looked less than half full, with the timing unfortunate given the London bid team are due to make their pitch for the 2029 World Championships to Lord Coe and his colleagues at World Athletics on Friday.

For the early sessions, category A tickets in the main stand have been priced at £110, with category B tickets costing £90. Strangely, there has been a better occupancy of those seats than the £40 and £60, category D and C tickets. "Crazy prices," wrote Hunt's agent, Nick Harwell, in a post on X. "Such a shame."

Jenny Meadows, who with her husband, Trevor Painter, coaches Olympic 800m champion Hodgkinson and the favourite for the women's 1500m, Georgia Hunter Bell, said on the same platform: "Hearing from fans re high ticket prices, parking issues and people not knowing it was taking place."

Birmingham city centre does feel a little light on promotion, with access to the Alexander Stadium also seemingly Continued on page 55

Times Crossword 29,619

ACROSS

1 Fl driver leaving hotel in Bow, or somewhere else in London? (8) 5 Hard worker from city of Paris (6) 8 Agent regularly offends (3) 9 Frances's empty day unravelling costume (5,5) 10 What saves time is suggestion of copper? (5,3) 11 Distinction one craves, reportedly (6) 12 Bondage of peasant never-ending (4) 14 Chance western must be given new beginning (10) 17 Those returning members choose to speak (10) 20 Teresa uncertainly restraining hairy man (4) 23 Sex twists in court case (6) 24 Humiliated and given low mark, 1 hear (8) 25 Losing head, run off with Polish rascal (10) 26 First mate never taking jacket off (3) 27 Little one really making Charlie nervous at first (6) 28 Sly Asian sabotaged investigation (8)

DOWN

1 Magazine of old on chic way of conducting oneself (9) 2 State of the Union? (7) 3 Force as yet skipping shelter (6) 4 Presenter's article on new Republican carrying little weight (9) 5 Barber swayed and walked unsteadily (7) 6 Order European to support island party in show of respect (9) 7 Courts going round American state (7) 13 Cook a nice dahl and another dish (9) 15 At sea mostly (2,3,4) 16 Doctor slanders university washerwoman (9) 18 I am troubled about offspring's affair (7) 19 Dispensing with hat, initially get too hot in gorge (7) 21 Heartache of daughter when getting up before noon on English boat (7) 22 Nightmare examination holding back Miliband? (6)

Yesterday's solution 29,618

Check today's answers by ringing 0905 757 0148 by midnight. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke 0332 202 3395.

Newspapers

support recycling

The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 34.7%

9 771742 498735

---

TIMES2

August 12 | 2026

I went public with my egg freezing (just like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)

by Sophia Money-Coutts

---

2

times2

It's not vertical drinking that should be banned in pubs — it's cocktails

Carol Midgley

I don't mean to be rude, but which lummox dreamt up the idea of banning drinkers in London from standing up while enjoying a pint? I'd love to know, but since I have zero clout at Westminster city council I can only guess. And I bet it's the type of person who barely goes to pubs, but if they do, shamelessly occupies a prime table all night having bought one poxy blackcurrant and soda then says: 'Isn't it strange how pubs are dying on their arnes?'

Do I sound tetchy? Sorry. It's probably because I had a few last night — while standing on those things at the end of my legs known as 'feet'. The New York Post has caught on to this madness, its reporter writing: 'You'll have to sit down for this one... The UK council for the heart of London is pushing a bonkers new policy that would ban drinkers from standing up while having a drink.' It calls it a 'bizarre' bid to cut down on drunkenness.

It has come to something when Americans, who practically offer you the number of a detox clinic if you reach for a second glass of wine, are schooling us in how to drink properly. But they're right that it's bizarre. It ignores why pubs were invented in the first place and seeks to reverse generations of cultural hardwiring at one joyless stroke.

It's as though they have seen groups of smiling people standing in the sunshine in the streets of Soho and thought, 'They look happy. Let's put a stop to it immediately!' In a draft statement on licensing policy Westminster council suggests removing 'opportunities for vertical drinking', introducing 'fixed seating' and, the absolute horror, waiter service only. Why not erect Perspex screens like in Covid times, thereby sucking the pleasure out of life entirely?

Don't get me wrong, often I love sitting down in pubs, especially with female friends or if I'm wearing high heels, which these days is never. But I also love standing up. There is an intense camaraderie to be found in standing groups, a vibe that is diluted the minute everyone sits.

It means you can move around and talk to different people and away from anyone who is becoming a drunken

bore (I bet a few have tap-danced away from me over the decades, oh yes). As for waiter service — that would kill the atmosphere stone dead. It stops being a pub and becomes a French-style bar where you spend 30 minutes being completely ignored.

If they must start banning things they should start with QR codes, those heinous overhangs from lockdown that kill conversation because everyone must scramble for their phones to scan a soulless little square.

Ordering drinks from a data matrix will be the death of pubs. And please ban groups of young people from ordering and paying for their drinks individually. Buy in rounds, tightwads! You might end up 90p down, but it won't kill you. And don't queue in a straight line. You're not waiting for the 82 bus.

Ban very loud coffee machines and tearing up beer mats, and make anyone who wants a cocktail that takes 20 minutes of falling to concoct queue in a separate place. Preferably down the street.

But if you want pubs to survive, never ban stand-up drinking. Or seats. A mixture of both is, and always has been, the perfect formula.

A favourite table can be important to regular drinkers. Such as the former Python Graham Chapman, a seismically heavy drinker, who was so fond of his preferred table at the Angel Inn, Highgate, that if anyone else sat there he would walk over, unzip his fly and dunk his penis in their drink until they moved. To be fair I bet that strategy had a zero failure rate.

Meghan can keep her islands

Do you have two kitchen islands? I don't even have one. But the Duchess of Sussex has two so now it's a 'status symbol'.

Is it? Or does it just mean your kitchen is so colossal you can't think of anything else to fill it with? Meghan also has a balloon-arched crafting barn, but is House Beautiful telling us to get one of them?

I blame TV drama for fetishising the island. It signals: 'I'm a middle-class character whose island has soft-close drawers that hide the disgusting kitchen bin so it doesn't look gross when I drop my Spans for the obligatory sex session.' Two islands says only this to me: 'More surfaces to clean. More clutter.'

I used to have a little island actually, or thought I did until a guest sniffily said it was a 'peninsula' (that was me told!). I don't miss it.

So I'm not jealous of Meghan slaloming around hers all day. They seem to me about as useful as those other 'must-haves' such as bagel slicers, egg separators, herb scissors and banana guards — God's way of telling you you have too much money.

Like AOCI froze my eggs. Will it be worth it?

The congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has posted an image of herself injecting on Instagram. Sophia Money-Coutts is proud of her

It's quite the sight: a woman touted as a potential future president, on a sofa, shooting up. She pinches a roll of her stomach between forefinger and thumb; the needle slides in like a knife into butter.

The New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called injecting herself 'badass', but we're not talking heroin. The Democrats haven't totally lost the plot. Instead, she recently announced that she was embarking on a round of egg freezing and will be documenting every step online, including stabbing herself with synthetic hormones.

'This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,' she said on Instagram. 'As women in general, we are not taught about our bodies,' AOC, 36, went on, explaining why she wanted to document her experience so publicly. 'I want you all to see that, because women can do anything. And I think it's badass that I'm gonna be giving myself shots in the green room.'

Whenever I see a high-profile woman talk about egg freezing it makes me want to punch the air and cheer (and sometimes I do). Because in 2020 I went through the process and made a diary podcast series about it. Nowadays, potential presidential candidates as well as celebrities including Rita Ora, Florence Pugh and Kristen Stewart talk about their experience of the grisly process in interviews. But a mere six years ago such transparency was less common.

I decided to witter openly about my ovaries because, not long before undergoing my round of egg freezing, I helped a friend to do the same. Could I possibly pick her up from hospital after her egg retrieval, she asked, because she hadn't told any of her family that she was going through it. As a single thirtysomething my friend felt too embarrassed to tell them. We no longer live in Jane Austen's Britain, though doesn't it sometimes feel as if we do? My brilliant, brave, highly successful friend was trying to protect her fertility. Yet egg freezing felt like something shameful, an admission

that she was different from everyone getting married and having babies 'normally', so she kept it a secret.

I was 35, newly single and emboldened to do the same. Except I wanted to shout about it. I wanted to investigate the process, partly out of curiosity but also to help others in the same situation to feel less like an old maid themselves. I recorded the process for my 11-part podcast Freezing Time — storing my drugs in the fridge beside my niece's Frubes (I was living with my sister), crying about going through it alone in a therapy session, weeping in my bedroom when the needle wouldn't sink into my pin-cushion stomach.

In my determination to be less embarrassed about egg freezing I talked about it loudly and often. At a drinks party, when a well-meaning family friend asked if I had a nice 'chap' on the go, I gesticulated towards my pelvis and said I was undergoing egg freezing. When I winced during a barbecue a friend of my sister's asked if I was OK and I replied I had sore and swollen ovaries. Put him right off his sausage, that did.

In the past five years egg-freezing rates have soared. According to the most recent statistics from Britain's fertility authority, the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) there were 2,500 rounds in the UK in 2020 and 2,000 in 2024. The number of British women undergoing egg freezing has nearly tripled as the process has become more mainstream. It's not unusual to see clinics advertising on the Tube or pushing ads on social media. Companies including Meta, Amazon and Goldman Sachs may now offer it as part of an employee's health package.

It's an expensive con trick that preys on vulnerable women and is designed to keep them chained to their desks, cry those who insist egg-freezing success rates remain low. A few months before I went through my round of injections the fertility king Lord Winston went on Radio 4 and stated that the number of eggs that resulted in a 'live birth' (horrid phrase) hovered at about 1 per cent.

Zoom's call of nature

Would you join a work Zoom meeting with your underwear drying behind your head? Jo

Galer, a New Zealand politician, did. Footage, now viral, shows her joining a council meeting from a bathroom, her laundry displayed for all to see. 'We can see your washing,' said the mayor. But did Galer 'give AF', to quote Gen Z? She did not.

She shrugged, and carried on. Some say it shows personal boundaries are eroding, but I say a) it's sometimes hard to find a quiet room and b) this is nothing compared to 'Jennifer', the employee who forgot herself during a work Zoom, took her

laptop to the lavatory and wazzed freely.

In Peru in 2021 a lawyer, not realising he was still in view during a Zoomed court hearing, was seen having sex with a naked woman, believed to be his client. Well, at least she can always say she got a full debriefing.

---

3

times2

This was disputed by the HFEA, which claimed that the figure was closer to 20 per cent, but still, they may seem depressing stats if you're wondering whether to spend all that money (my round cost nearly £5,000; AOC hasn't revealed how much it will cost but said she'd been saving up for some time since it's not included in her health insurance).

Look, egg freezing is no guarantee of a baby down the line, but all reputable clinics should clearly point that out. Mine, the Lister, did multiple times. Part of the problem when computing success rates is that women of all ages tend to be lumped in together, distorting the numbers.

What you need to do, if interested, and as with any serious and expensive medical procedure, is take your age into account and look at the statistics. The HFEA advises that patients look at the success rates for IVF cycles with patients using their own eggs, "as there are much, much higher numbers of fresh embryo transfers each year compared to egg freezing". Also, here's a nerdy fact I learnt while making my podcast: if you're a woman in your mid to late thirties trying to get pregnant naturally, the chances are between 10 and 20 per cent each month. In short, it's harder to get knocked up than our teachers at school had us believe.

I was lucky — aged 35, after a couple of weeks of injecting and blowing up like the Michelin Man. I got 22 eggs, which would give me a

70-90 per cent chance of "at least" one baby should I want to use them. AOC is a year older than I was, so should she get a similar number of eggs, her chances would be roughly the same. There persists a belief that you should freeze embryos, not eggs, because embryos thaw better and are much more likely to prove successful. Perhaps she will, seeing as she has a fiancé. For me, as a single woman, the financial and emotional idea of choosing a stranger's sperm off the internet was a step too far. Embryos aren't necessarily more successful, my patient doctor insisted when I clarified this for the 93rd time. "I couldn't sit here and recommend egg freezing were it otherwise."

AOC has attracted criticism for undergoing freezing given that she has a partner. She and Riley Roberts met at college and have been engaged for four years. The idea that they're still not "ready" to have a baby has exasperated some, and I know that our deliberation over having a baby will make many of those older than us roll their eyes: just get on with it, just do it, there's never a right time and so on. I've heard all of those. It's likely she has too. But the fact is, egg freezing can offer women breathing space when it comes to a tricky decision. No guarantee, remember, but some breathing space.

If you knew you definitely wanted children, lucky you. If you've always known you don't, ditto. I've never known either way. AOC has never explicitly said she wants children, so we can only assume she has taken this decision to potentially give her some time. She could have a big few years ahead, and even in this more equal world, having a baby would, understandably and rightfully, affect her political career. In the meantime, being transparent about the process is a progressive and generous move. Although she may feel less keen to share immediately after the egg retrieval, when constipation can be a real bore. I've talked about that stage on my podcast too, if you fancy it. Freezing Time by Sophia Money-Coutts is on all podcast platforms

Hampstead ponds' after-dark secret

It's been the bathing spot of Kate Moss and Margaret Drabble, but at night the ladies' pool attracts a wildly different crowd

In this summer of heatwaves, with London's green spaces turned to scorched earth, the Hampstead Heath ponds exert the sort of pull that a Serengeti watering hole has on zebras. My parents diligently book slots to swim there and complain bitterly when the tickets run out. This bemuses me: people my age don't use the booking system — they go to the ponds for a free, nocturnal swim.

The first night I did this I was 17. A few friends and I loitered outside the Tesco Express on the edge of the heath. Someone I vaguely knew from school, whom I'll call Max, was loudly revving his car. "Yooo mate, get us a beer," he yelled. "Actually, never mind, I've got some. Are you going ponds?"

"Yeah, apparently you can get into the men's pond over a fence," I replied.

"Nah, nah, you don't want to go there, it's got blue green algae, it's like bare poisonous. Everyone is going to the women's pond."

For the women of north London, the Kenwood Ladies' Pond has been a sacred female-only space since 1925. Its patrons have included Esther Freud, Kate Moss, Margaret Drabble and now... us.

As I entered the pond, I felt a fundamental sense of doing something wrong. Music was blaring from across two well-manicured lawns lined by oak trees. The pond itself was packed. Boys and girls sat with legs in the water drinking beers and cocktail cans;

others had managed to unmoor a small rowing boat and a group of girls were screaming as two boys took turns standing up and rocking it. The biggest attraction was what was happening on top of what I assumed to be the changing rooms: a large group were running and diving from the roof into the water below.

"Yo lads, up here," Max called out. "Use the bench." Said bench had been flipped for use as a makeshift ladder. Dodging rusty screws and a drunk teen who thought it was funny to shake it, I scrambled up, and witnessed the whole hedonistic scene: the jumping, the drinking, the boating, all of it.

The roof was slick with a kind of black sealant. Peering over the edge, I saw the large, unyielding-looking pontoon below me. As I stood there, looking worried, a chant rose up behind me: "Jump, jump, jump!" Soon it spread to the people down below. "JUMP, JUMP, JUMP!" I jumped.

I saw a spinning mass of blurry shapes and colours, then plunged into cold darkness. Resurfacing, I spat out water, suspiciously tasting of blue-green algae. Then I heard shouts. Two scary-looking men in hi-vis were yelling. "Oi you! Stop swimming! We're here on behalf of the City of London police force and we wish to inform you that you are all trespassing."

Teens scuttled like disturbed woodlice. I dived towards my clothes and shoved on my trainers, forgetting that I'd stuffed my keys inside. As I hobbled towards the exit all I could think was, I should have booked online. The writer has chosen to be anonymous

Boys and girls sat with legs in the water drinking beers and cocktail cans

---

4

fashion

Dress, £110, nobodyschild.com

Street style in Paris

Street style in Copenhagen

Camisole, £85, meandem.com

Bra, no shirt: would you try the

The Scandis are wearing their undertoj — underwear — out on the street. The trend is here too, says Anna Murphy

Step aside, hygge. Step forward, undertoj. The newfangled religion of cosy that Denmark bestowed on the world a decade ago would appear to have been supplanted by, oddly, the precise opposite.

Introducing the creed of chilly. Because lingerie as outerwear was the modus operandi for many of the attendees at Copenhagen Fashion Week last week. If hygge's lodestar was the woolly jumper — remember those? — ideally knitted oneself on long nights by the fire, undertoj's might be the bra top, corset, slip dress or cami knickers.

Not that, in present temperatures, there is anything chilly about going out clad in the above and not much else. What's more, when it comes to straight male onlookers, a sighting may make them even hotter under the collar than they are already, if anyone is still wearing a collar at the moment, that is.

There have been lingerie-like flourishes in some women's wardrobes for years, of course — a bit of lace

here, a sliver of midriff there — but things have gone to another level recently. Whether you consider that level to be higher or lower depends how Mary Whitehouse you skew.

A three-piece suit can these days refer to a blazer, trousers and bra. Shorts can look like frilly pants (the British variety), dresses like underslips, and the bustier has, in certain postcodes — 1255 in Copenhagen or El in London — become akin to the white tee in its ubiquity.

Kate Halfpenny from the British bridal brand Halfpenny London says that an increasing number of her brides are donning the corset bit of their wedding-day get-up — she specialises in bespoke modular styles — after the event. "Most wear their piece in the original bridal palette, but we are receiving more requests to transform them. We are currently working with a bride who wants hers dyed and hand-painted afterwards."

Shaped by the language of Genesis, clothes were for millennia akin to "sewed fig leaves", their raison d'être, alongside practicality, considered to be about modesty, at least in theory. Think of Jane Campion's The Piano, in

The actress Monica Barbaro

Street style in Copenhagen

which a glimpse of a tiny circle of flesh through a hole in the black stocking of Holly Hunter's Ada is transgressively erotic for Harvey Keitel's Baines.

Though, of course, covering up didn't necessarily equate to modesty, the curve-exaggerating propensities of the corset being a case in point, not to mention, for men, the codpiece.

Modesty, the British fashion historian James Laver famously opined in 1969, is "the enemy... of swagger and seduction", the former quality usually attributed to a man, the latter to a woman. I think what we are seeing now is a newfangled combination of both. Lace, satin and general skimpiness are indubitably the very definition of seduction.

Yet today's out-and-about iterations are worn with swagger, often paired with other items that skew masculine, be that tailoring or sportswear, and always accessorised with an attitude that might be characterised not as come-hither but take-that, and I don't mean the boy band. These are ensembles that are female gaze-focused while pulling in plenty of the male gaze at the same time.

This is the funny contradiction that has been at the heart of this underwear-as-outerwear business since its first manifestations in the 1980s at the hands of Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier. Garments that were in origin partly about the objectification of women somehow

---

GETTY IMAGES

5

fashion

lingerie look?

turned that on its head, while at the same time remaining what they always were. A win-win? Or a lose? You decide.

Those torpedo-bosomed corsets that Gaultier made for Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour in 1990 remain the ultimate exemplification of the paradox, taking what amounted to a female straitjacket and turning it into globe-bestriding armour. The designer later described Madonna as a "liberated woman who still played the game of femininity while being so strong she was almost macho". Blonde

These are ensembles that are female gaze-focused

Ambition. The clue was in the name. Madonna worked famously hard for that steely body, to a degree that felt groundbreaking at the time, and that, indeed, broke ground when it came to a certain sort of woman henceforth endeavouring to acquire and maintain peak physicality along with keeping the other aspects of her show on the road. (The American cultural commentator Jia Tolentino has observed that "the ideal woman... is always optimising.")

To be scantily clad is to surface that grafted-for physique. Could that also be what is going on?

Blimp bodices are not back, praise the lord. But how best to embrace the rest of it? Nobody's Child gives a superior slip dress, the chocolate brown and black one pictured also available in a mid-green (£110, nobodychild.com), as well as in (don't tell all those flesh-flashing Danes) a more restrained short-sleeved iteration (£40, reduced from £99).

A great way to conjure the mood while not getting arrested is via a slip skirt paired with a shirt or tee on top. L'Agence offers a candy pink style with a matching cami top if you are game (£500 and £315 respectively, lagence.com), as well as a more full-throttle world of lacy bra tops. Nobody's Child has that same green satin and lace in skirt form too (£65).

Me+Em's lace-trimmed cream jersey cami could work as a standalone for the brave, or peeping out under a shirt or blazer for the rest of us (£85, meandem.com). Reiss's cotton bustier top, with its school-of-Gaultier styling, in leopard print (£128 from £190, reiss.com) or a pale tropical floral (£128 from £180), is a more full-on take. But it's also chic. Even I might wear it, which is saying something, with modesty-protecting high-waisted trousers (it's a tad cropped). Grey ambition? Step aside, Madonna. @annagmurphy

Martha Stewart has dyed her hair 'rose gold' pink at 85. I know why

I tried a bright hue and loved it. By Anna Murphy

What colour do you think of when (if?) you think of Martha Stewart? Is it Bedford Gray, a mid-grey she

famously uses in her kitchen cabinets and which she used to flog as part of her now-defunct paint range? Or is it Araucana Blue, not just any old duck-egg blue but one precisely modelled on the, erm, output of her very own ducks? (Because Stewart, 85, is, of course, the kind of person to have her very own ducks.)

Or is it Martha Green? This shade was inspired by her collection of 1930s jadeite glassware, apparently, not by the 195,000 greenducks she had to pay in penalties when settling civil insider trading allegations in 2006.

I'll wager it's not Stewart's new hair colour, which America's pre-eminent domestic goddess unveiled to her three million Instagram followers on Sunday. Pink! Or, as her hairstylist, Chris Appleton — the author, aptly enough, of a book called

With pink hair the follow spot is permanently on you

Your Roots Don't Define You — preferred to put it, "rose gold".

Come on, let's not pull our punches, Chris. Obviously this has to be known henceforth as Martha Pink. And no doubt, given Stewart's propensity for monetisation, it will be appearing in a beauty aisle near us shortly.

Martha Pink is less full-throttle than Barbie Pink, or its British equivalent, Shoreditch Pink, as I like to call it, after that area of London, where it's a dime a dozen. I gave Shoreditch Pink a try myself a few years ago, albeit in wig form, and to my surprise I loved it. But to live with it, as opposed to flirt with it for a day or two, would be another matter.

I don't mind attention, but I like to choose when I have it and when I don't. With pink hair the follow spot is permanently on you. And don't get me started on how — especially if,

like me, you wear a lot of colour — it plays havoc with your wardrobe. But still. It definitely put a spring in my step.

Stewart's shtick for decades has been to live a life that looks to have come straight out of a Nancy Meyers film, living in preposterously beautiful houses and baking preposterously

good cakes. People don't have pink hair in Nancy Meyers world. The film-maker's palette generally is — in marked contrast to the income levels she depicts — low-key.

Yet, to quote Meyers herself, something's gotta give. These days a woman of a certain age doesn't necessarily want to hide behind a white turtleneck — certainly not a woman like Stewart, who has built her brand (and her immense fortune, estimated to be about £300 million) on playing the attention economy like a violin.

Stewart has never been afraid of that aforementioned follow spot — has sought it out, in fact.

You don't need to have clocked her appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimwear edition as a whippersnapper of 81 in 2023 to know she is the opposite of shy and retiring.

There's also the fact that what it means to grow older is changing almost year to year, aesthetically speaking. "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple," Jenny Joseph wrote in her famous poem Warning in 1961. (She was 28 at the time.) To wear purple is not enough to take on the shibboleths of ageism these days.

You have to dye your hair pink. Or, in extreme cases, get yourself a whole new lace. "For me, this is ageing gracefully," Kris Jenner, 70, said after the 2025 facelift that turned her into a peculiar version of her daughter Kim Kardashian. "It's my version."

Stewart claims not to have had plastic surgery, though in 2024, in conversation with her dermatologist Dr Dan Belkin on her podcast, she "fessed up to Botox, fillers and, in Belkin's words, 'a little bit of skin-tightening' using an ultrasound device. 'I don't think a lot about age,' she said, 'but I don't want to look my age at all.' She definitely doesn't.

Above: Martha Stewart with her hairstylist Chris Appleton

---

6

fashion

DAVID MCMERON FOR THE TIMES

My cheap fashion tips: from Zara's new sister shop to Uniqlo and Asda

Lefties is opening its first British store this month.

The fashion editor Harriet Walker tries it on for style — and picks her other favourite bargain spots

Tailored barrel legs for £22.99, a Barbouresque barn jacket for £39.99, block-heeled sandals at £19.99. If you have a Zara habit, gird yourself: the Spanish chain's (even) cheaper little sister arrives on these shores at the end of the month.

Lefties is due to open in the Liverpool One centre on August 27, with branches in Lakeside, Essex, and Gateshead's Metrocentre to follow in autumn. That's why, in January, I jumped on an easyJet flight to Barcelona to find out what the high street's latest arrival had in store.

Short for "leftovers", the name may seem strange but the clothes are familiar: Lefties began life as a way of re-using fabrics lying around after the production runs of Inditex's bigger brands, such as Zara and Massimo Dutti. In Spain Lefties has become a fully fledged shopping destination, expanding into areas where the cost of living has hit hardest.

I saw people of all ages browsing its bright and roomy shops: shelves neatly stacked, rails full but not in an overcrowded bargain-basement way. Lefties stores stream with actual daylight where many of its dingier competitors do not: it makes a difference. As do automated checkouts and techy robots that sort stock. This adds up to a calmer, more upmarket vibe than you might expect.

Overall I was most impressed with the jackets and the jeans. The former, while undeniably synthetic, punched above their price tags — a €29.99 suede-look shacket that would last far beyond a single season — and the latter, which were 100 per cent cotton rather than reliant on stretch and reasonably sturdy, in modern cuts and an au courant shade of dark brown.

Spanish Gen Zers told me they bought their work clothes there, and I found anonymous tailoring that was smart and not too trend-faddy: a good, sharp-shouldered and long-line blazer for €29.99 and a pussybow blouse for €17.99. Teenagers came in for the €9.99 sweatshirts and €12.99 trackies, which seemed plainer and more plush than the

Primark alternative (though there were plenty of Disney character T-shirts and tops with the names of American cities on them too).

It's debatable whether the world needs more cheap clothes, but there is certainly an audience for them right now, as the price of everything continues to rise. Here are my other best spots for well-priced buys that will stand the test of time too.

Uniqlo

The reason you keep hearing people talk about this Japanese brand is because it has cornered the market in thoughtfully designed and well-made clothes that won't date or break the bank. Think cool and minimalist cult pieces created by the former Givenchy designer Clare Waight Keller, Dior's JW Anderson and the cognoscenti Parisian name Christophe Lemaire. While it's still hot, try its £34.90 sleeveless tiered dress with pockets and a drawstring waist to alter the silhouette, or the retro white-zipped cardigans that sold out almost instantly last year and have just arrived again for autumn (£39.90, uniqlo.com).

M&S

Its Foodhall may feel like a luxury right now, but the fashion floor is full of budget-friendly treats: leather ballet pumps with a modish square toe; a puff-sleeved knot-button top; and black ruched nylon sling bag have all just landed at £36 each (marksandspencer.com).

George at Asda

I started buying childrenswear here after I realised you got a lot of natural fibres for not a lot of money — and far fewer naff logos than elsewhere. Now it has extended that ethos to the womenswear too: see Erica Davies's latest capsule, which launches on August 17, for preppy £18 rugby tops and a great £42 utility jacket. My advice is to size up, wash low and wear to death: my £8 black slides easily pass for rubber Birkies and are still going strong four years on after numerous beach, park and coffee-shop trips.

Sandals, £19.99, lefties.com

Loafers, £20,

tucklothing.sainsburys.co.uk

Omnes

This sustainably minded brand uses deadstock and recycled fabrics only to create clothes that feel current but will last. I like its £59 capri jeans and £49 smocked scarlet top, and it does wedding guest dresses particularly well for sub-£100 (omnes.com).

F+F at Tesco

Head straight to what it calls "the F+F Edit", a capsule of sleek-looking and fashionably low-key pieces, which right now includes balloon trousers (£19.99) and an impressive reversible check/beige trench (£55, tesco.com). I bought a £45 green trench from here a few years back and it still looks great.

Tu at Sainsbury's

Another supermarket but they have all

---

7

times2

Clockwise from main: jacket, £39.99, lefties. com; shacket, £28, tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk; top, £18, direct.asda.com; top, £14.90, and trousers, £34.90, uniqlo.com; top, £6, and trousers, £19.50, tesco.com

upped their game as consumers tighten their belts. If your eye hasn't already wandered to its £28 checked preppy shacket during the Big Shop, perhaps you need to change where you do yours. The fashion pack (OK, me) are calling it Sains Laurent for its £20 crinkle-toed loafers (tuclofting.sainsburys.co.uk).

Nobody's Child

Its dresses are a little pricier, at £79, but I'm always impressed by the quality of the cuts at this British brand, which does more than most in this price bracket to monitor its environmental impact too (nobodyschild.com).

Decathlon

My recent conversion to camping has opened my eyes to the quality on offer at this French sports warehouse. Decent fleeces for £39.99, yoga pants for £17.99 and the must-have hiking shorts at £12.99, all minimally branded, well made and pleasingly can-do. And if you struggle with swimwear, Decathlon's is refreshingly uncomplicated (decathlon.com). @_harrywalker1

Whatever the 'spectrum' expert says, my autism diagnosis saved me

By insisting many are being misdiagnosed with its characteristics, Uta Frith risks stigmatising people like me. By Florence Leslie

Your life is gleaming with possibility when you're 21 years old. But looking back a decade after my autism diagnosis, I feel sad about the wretched state that I was in.

Like many women on the spectrum, my autism was overlooked as a child, and I spent my life being called 'quirky' instead. As I grew older I started masking my autistic traits to fit in, but I still felt lonely and found it hard to connect with others or cope with everyday demands without eventually having a meltdown.

Then one day I took to my bed. Once a top student with a genuine love for English literature, I skipped lectures until I stopped handing in coursework for my degree, extending deadline after deadline. My stomach was swollen with anxiety and once I started being sick, I couldn't stop for hours. The truth could no longer be suppressed, erupting from my skin in angry patches of psoriasis.

I found the will to live and returned for my final year of university, making an appointment at my student support office. I ticked a box asking if I struggled to read facial expressions; my mind cast back to the endless trouble I'd been in for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. My diagnosis, the catalyst for transforming my life, was set in motion.

This week Professor Uta Frith, a leading autism expert who helped to conceptualise the theory that autism is a spectrum, was interviewed in The Times, saying that autism is being misdiagnosed. She also sparked debate over an essay in the journal Psychological Medicine that said autism 'risks sliding into overdiagnosis'.

I would argue that to invalidate someone's autism diagnosis, which includes rigorous questioning, creates even more stigma around a condition where people feel fundamentally misunderstood.

I do, however, agree with Frith's assertion that there should be a firmer differentiation between 'somebody who can communicate as brilliantly' as the naturalist Chris Packham, who has an autism diagnosis, and autistic people with high support needs. In America the label of Asperger's was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013 to streamline autism into one category and in Britain the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has since updated its guidance too.

Florence Leslie

My assessor didn't wave a magic wand and fix my problems

Like Frith, I believe subgroups would clarify what being autistic is like for me — having an intense passion for Doctor Who and panicking over last-minute changes of plan, yet living independently — versus someone who is non-speaking and requires lifelong care. Ironically, I feel that this would also create less division in the community among autistic people themselves and carers of autistic children with high-support needs, who both argue that they don't always feel listened to or have enough support.

Frith also questions how long the feeling of happiness after receiving an autism diagnosis really lasts. When I was eventually paired with a mentor at my university who was also on the spectrum, he said something that has stayed with me ever since: you find out something new about autism every day. It's true: ten years later, I'm still finding out what autism is like for others, or analysing why I've reacted

to something in a particular way. Before I became a journalist I even worked for the National Autistic Society in the press and PR team, interviewing people about their experiences.

Frith also argues that people speaking about their autism diagnosis is 'reminiscent of 19th-century accounts of religious conversions. You know, where people say... 'I've seen the light.' While I felt alone grappling with my diagnosis a decade ago, today I need only turn to TikTok to find others recounting similar experiences; the hashtag 'neurodivergent' has more than 2.1 million posts. I believe that this content encourages more people to consider whether they might be autistic too. Yes, it has led to record

I think that less shame in society is positive, especially around a condition where people report feeling different. It also signposts to the government that more support is urgently needed.

While Frith says it's become fashionable to call autism a difference, I am happy to call it a disability, as I feel that it does make my life harder. My assessor didn't wave a magic wand and fix my problems. At 31, when I'm chatting with a group of people, I still feel as though I'm watching the interaction through a pane of glass. I still have epic meltdowns that culminate in uncontrollable crying that can go on for hours. But my diagnosis has helped me just as much.

I've learnt to anticipate what can cause meltdowns and notice when I'm starting to behave erratically — which for me can look like compulsive planning, as I grapple with the unexpected. It's given me the tools to communicate what I am struggling with and why, and to be less embarrassed about it, which allows others to help me. I've tried to stop putting myself in environments that I find intensely difficult, like noisy pubs, even if other people find them bearable. It's given me the confidence to rebuild my life and live it on my own terms, rather than feeling like a failure.

Most importantly, my autism diagnosis has allowed me to accept myself.

---

8

arts

‘It’s too soon to make fun of Andy Burnham, give him a chance’

From Nigel Farage to Peeves the poltergeist, Peter Serafinowicz likes to keep it varied, he tells Ben Dowell

Peter Serafinowicz has been such a fixture on our screens it would be easy to assume that his life has been unerringly carefree. The 54-year-old’s CV includes his turn as the plummy presenter in Look Around You, the superb BBC satire of Tomorrow’s World; the vicious Darth Maul in the Phantom Menace Star Wars film; appearances in I’m Alan Partridge, South Park, Little Britain and Parks and Recreation; and many pitch-perfect celebrity impressions (his Terry Wogan was so good that the Irishman invited him onto one of his final Radio 2 morning shows in 2009).

More recently he was in Amandaland playing Johannes Van der Velde, the hideously vain South African boyfriend of Lucy Punch’s titular character. Their relationship lit up the first series of the BBC comedy, which was co-created by his sister, Helen.

“It was particularly enjoyable because my sister wrote a lot of the Johannes episodes in Amandaland,” he tells me from his home in Swiss Cottage, north London. “So she was on set with me. To be performing something with my sister for the first time, I was so proud.”

His early life certainly sounds contented. Born in suburban Liverpool in 1972 to a scaffolder dad and post office worker mother, he had, he says, a happy family full of laughs. He remembers a shared love of comedy with family viewings of Monty Python and Alexei Sayle. All three siblings have gone into showbusiness; his brother James is a writer and producer.

His CV is so wide-ranging that even reading it feels exhausting. He jokes that when he gets recognised in the street he has no idea what it may be for (“I’ve got a little wheel of fortune in my head with ‘what are they going to recognise me for?’ And it’s always surprising”). His talents are about to be stretched further in Howard Overman’s sharp new heist thriller Hit Point, in which he plays a disgruntled ex-police officer.

Fourteen years ago, when he was 40, he received an ADHD diagnosis which made sense of many inner struggles but may also partly explain that formidable work rate. “F***ing hell,

JAY L. CUNNINGHAM ANGELS TIMES/CENTURY BY BETTY BINGER

Peter Serafinowicz. Below: with Lucy Punch in Amandaland

Hit Point begins on U&Dave, U&Drama and U&W tomorrow at 9pm

I’ve had this my whole life. I didn’t realise it,” he remembers thinking when it came.

So did his ADHD help or hinder his creativity over the years? Medication has certainly aided him, he says. “It gave me the energy and a bit of perspective. Before, I had this propensity to kind of feel like I was drowning in treacle. On medication it felt like I could come up quite a bit.”

Last year he split from the actress Sarah Alexander, his wife of 23 years (they have two teenage children). He doesn’t want to talk about it and he has also managed to avoid being drawn too much into the controversy surrounding his former brother-in-law, Graham Linehan, the Father Ted writer turned activist in the debate over trans issues, and ex-husband of Helen. Are they still in touch? “No, I haven’t seen him for years,” he says.

He is happier to talk about taking on the role of Peeves the poltergeist in the mammoth new Harry Potter TV series for HBO. Peeves, a mischievous spirit of chaos that haunts Hogwarts,

was played by Rik Mayall in the movies but, to the dismay of fans, was removed entirely in the final cut.

“I don’t really know if I could describe what I did. I just interpreted the script as best I could and I have to say the scripts were some of the funniest things I’ve ever read and performed. It was really such a joy and a pleasure to do this so I just hope that translates into the performance and that people dig it, you know.”

He is also planning a new stage show next year in which he will exercise his astonishing gift for impersonation and do a rare thing for creative types — embrace the benefits of AI. It has evolved from his 2023 Soho Theatre show, The Elvis 2023 Comeback Special, in which he appeared as Elvis with AI projecting the King’s face onto his as he performed non-Elvis songs such as AC/DC’s Back in Black and Iggy Pop’s Last for Life (Serafinowicz loves Elvis but finds his song choices “a little bit boring”). The new run will feature many more impersonations, including Kevin Spacey and Al Pacino.

Whether his “Sassy Trump” will appear is not clear. In 2016 his

Serafinowicz doing his “very short notice” Nigel Farage impersonation on SNL UK

sketches redubbing the president in camp style went viral. It was driven by Serafinowicz’s anger that Trump was being treated like a “normal politician from the Seventies, Eighties or Nineties” rather than as someone who is not really like that at all.

“I don’t know if satire ever really does anything, there’s a danger of it softening Trump’s image. Alec Baldwin doing Trump on Saturday Night Live was the only anti-Trump comedy coming out of the States [at the time] and I found it quite depressing... Trump has rewritten the rules of satire. For thousands of years we’ve lampooned those in power by identifying their quirks, their flaws, and exaggerating these traits to absurd extremes.

“He presented himself as an alpha male and he’s the pettiest, prissiest, bitchiest, campest guy. By giving him this crude kind of 1970s Liberace voice but saying exactly what he said, it... made you listen to what he was actually saying, which is another weapon of his. You’re so fatigued by hearing this voice again and again.”

This year he was asked “at very short notice” to do a Nigel Farage impersonation for Saturday Night Live UK, Sky’s successful British iteration of the American sketch show. His skits included one where he sat behind a desk at 10 Downing Street that had been fitted with a pub beer pump while being served a morning Yorkie bar by his deputy, Kenn Badenoch (played by Ayoade Bangboye).

“I had a fantastic experience on that show... If I do it again [I hope]... he’s got his friends around and it embarrasses him.” He hasn’t yet been asked to reprise the Reform leader for the second series and part of him rather hopes, he says, that “he becomes so irrelevant that I won’t need to”. Given his Liverpool accent, I suggest there’s a chance he may also be called on to do Andy Burnham.

“It’s too early to figure out what’s his thing that we can latch on to and make fun of,” he says of the new prime minister. “For a politician he seems straightforward and normal and kind of cool. You want to give someone a chance, you don’t want to lay into them straight away.”

---

9

Never date a singer-songwriter. Nor a singer-songwriter's ex. Well, obviously do what you want — but only if you are fine with getting caught up in a deluge of online conversation when the singer-songwriter releases a song with lyrics that are most likely about you.

This is where Gracie Abrams finds herself. The 26-year-old musician behind hits with billions of streams such as That's So True — and daughter of the Star Trek and Star Wars director JJ Abrams — is dating the Irish actor Paul Mescal. 30. Mescal used to be engaged to another musician, Phoebe Bridgers, 31. And Bridgers is due to release her first solo album in six years on Friday. Lost Weekend has had five-star reviews from critics who had early access to it, including The Times's Will Hodgkinson. It has also sparked an online debate around this line on the track The Governor's Waltz. 'And she can pretend to be me/ Since she took my place in my bed on that stage/ I have not lost any sleep.'

This is not a line couched in metaphors. There is little doubt as to whom this is about. Abrams has cited Bridgers as an inspiration. Both women have performed in a bed (Bridgers on James Corden's show in 2020; Abrams on stage during her 2024-25 tour) and presumably shared a bed with Mescal. No detective work required. But why do fans (and some non-fans) care so much?

For most of us, other people's love lives are interesting. Gossiping is important — it's a human evolutionary tool that builds community. But there's a modern hysteria to this fascination. We live in a time when social media makes us believe we have an insight into celebrities' lives — we have a parasocial relationship with them. But they're more closed off, and their presence more curated, than ever.

A-listers such as Bridgers and Abrams don't give many interviews. If they do, they will often be giddy video snippets or sanitised profiles in glossy magazines. The 2022 Beyoncé cover interview in Vogue had two direct quotes from her. No wonder fans agonise over the identity of 'Becky' in 'he only want me when I'm not there/ He better call Becky with the good hair', a lyric from her 2016 song Sorry, allegedly about her husband Jay-Z's infidelity. They take what they can get. Likewise with the followers of Bridgers and Abrams.

Of course, the master of alluding to others in her music is the most popular woman in pop. Taylor Swift. Sometimes her references are obscure 'Easter eggs' — hidden clues that Swifties love to toil to decipher ('You keep my old scarf from that very first week' in All Too Well, about her ex-boyfriend the actor Jake Gyllenhaal) — while others are anything but. She released the song Style after she dated Harry Styles. Bridgers and Abrams have worked with Swift, and there is a through-line in the three musicians' confessional writing about heartbreak.

Swift's last longform interview was with Time magazine when it named her person of the year in 2023, if you don't count her appearance on her then boyfriend, now husband Travis Kelce's podcast last year. Like

TAPONE/IF4.COM/SHUTTERSTOCK

BLENT AWARDS

Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal in 2024. Above: Gracie Abrams and Mescal in February

arts

quick/ 'cause I couldn't even be her if I tried' is thought to be a reference to Swift's relationship with Matty Healy, the lead singer of the 1975, whose drummer, George Daniel, is married to Charli XCX.

Swift's rebuttal didn't go down well. She was accused of 'punching down': attacking

someone less commercially successful than her who had shown vulnerability by articulating her insecurities. Swifties went on social media to express their disappointment. It didn't stop The Life of a Showgirl topping the charts. A cynic might say that part of the reason Bridgers, Swift and co put these lines in is to court drama and drive up their streams.

It certainly worked for Shakira in

'She can pretend to be me since she took my place in my bed,' she sings

2023 with Barp Music Sessions, Vol 53, a diss track about her ex-husband Gerard Piqué and the 23-year-old woman he allegedly cheated on her with. The Colombian star did the opposite of holding back, singing, 'You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo/ You traded a Rolex for a Casio.' It has been streamed more than a billion times and topped the Billboard chart. Another example of punching down? Arguably Piqué's girlfriend should not have been a target, but surely when you have an affair with Shakira's husband the risk is that she may write about you.

After all, these women are only the latest in a long line of musicians writing about lost loves and those who have wronged them, from You're So Vain — Carly Simon's excellent dismemberment of Warren Beatty and others in song — to the present day. One of Mariah Carey's most infectious hits, Obsessed, is believed to be about Eminem's insistence they were in a relationship — a claim she refuted, singing, 'You're delusional, boy you're losing your mind.'

Then, proving that it's not just women who do this, Eminem released a vicious response in the shape of The Warning, in which he doubled down on his claims. The producer Timbaland confirmed that Justin Timberlake's Cry Me a River came after he had a fight with Britney Spears in 2002. Twenty-eight years earlier George Harrison wrote So Sad when his marriage to Pattie Boyd was collapsing amid rumours she was having an affair with Eric Clapton. Ultimately, where there is love there is pain. Where there is pain there is art. And where there is art there is someone online amassing an army of gossips to figure out who it is you are singing about.

Phoebe v Gracie: why revenge songs still rule pop

Phoebe Bridgers takes aim at Gracie Abrams, fellow pop star and girlfriend of her ex Paul Mescal, on her latest album. It's nothing new, says Blanca Schofield

Beyoncé she rigidly controls what she is heard to say publicly. That way there is less room for error in this age of quick judgment.

In music there is more freedom. After all, can someone really be cancelled for a lyric? Swift put this to the test in 2025 with a song on The Life of a Showgirl titled Actually Romantic, a diss track about a woman who is obsessed with her, whom she describes as 'a toy chihuahua/ barking at me from a tiny purse'. Many saw this as an attack on Charli XCX, who has a song called Everything Is Romantic and appeared to sing about her tendency to compare herself to Swift on Sympathy Is a Knife. 'Don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show/ Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up

---

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 difficult

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.

6				5			8				1			9	3	2	4
	1	8			4						5		4
5				1	8	3					4		3		1	7
		1	5	2			7						5	3		2
	6	5				1	8						2		4		5
	3			8	7	5					1			6		5	2
		4	8	5					2				2			6
			6			8		6							3		5
3			4					1				8	9				7
	7		4
5	1	4	2		8	9	7	3
		6			3
	3			7		9				4					8		5
	6		9							6		4			3
7		9		2				7						7	6	3
		7	6	1			4					8	5	1			2
		6		7		9					2	9				4	5
1			4		9	3					7			3	2	8
4		5	1			2		7				1	7	8			4
					5		1						6			1	8
9	1	3	7				4				4		3				7

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.

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

5		2			1
1				2
				4	6
4	2
	4				2
2			1		4

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

1	2E	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17T	18R	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Sudoku easy

						2
				3	7		4
			9	4		8	5
		7		1		9	8
	6	4	3		8
	1			9	6
3							4 6
		8	1			9
	5	9	7			8

Killer gentle

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.

13	7		17	3	14		7
	22				15	4		17
4		8	13	21		16	5
17	8	11	8		15			4
					20	15
6	12	3				5	11
		14	14				16
12				13		11

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.

Yesterday's solutions

SAMURAI

5	9	3	2	1	4	6	8	7		3	6	1	5	9	8	7	2	4
6	7	1	9	8	3	4	2	3		4	7	2	6	1	3	5	8	9
4	8	2	7	3	6	5	1	9		9	5	8	4	7	2	1	8	3
3	1	9	5	6	2	7	4	8		6	3	4	2	8	5	9	1	7
8	2	5	4	7	1	3	9	6		5	8	9	1	6	7	4	3	2
7	4	6	3	9	8	2	5	1		2	1	7	3	4	9	8	5	6
2	3	7	1	5	9	8	8	4	9	5	1	7	2	3	8	5	4	6
9	6	4	8	2	7	1	3	5	2	4	7	8	9	6	7	2	1	3
1	5	8	6	4	3	9	7	2	3	8	6	1	4	5	9	3	6	2
					2	4	6	5	1	8	9	3	7
		4	6	5	7	24	14			10	13	11	8	1
17			4		7		24			24		16
18	2	25	24	2			6	2	6	6	6	11	10	8
2		10		22		2						8		1
12	11	13	11		4	22	23	24	22	1	2

TRAIN TRACKS

FUTOSHIKI

3	1	4	<	5	2
5	3	>	2	4	>1
1	5	3	2	4
2	4	1	3	5
4	2	5	1	<3

SUDOKU

7	3	2	8	4	1	6	9	5
1	4	5	3	9	6	8	7	2
9	6	8	7	2	5	4	3	1
2	1	9	6	5	4	3	8	7
8	7	6	1	3	9	2	5	4
4	5	3	2	8	7	9	1	6
3	2	4	5	1	8	7	6	9
5	8	7	9	6	2	1	4	3
6	9	1	4	7	3	5	2	8

KILLER

9	5	7	3	2	1	8	4	6
4	3	6	8	7	5	1	2	9
8	1	2	4	9	6	3	7	5
3	2	5	7	1	8	6	9	4
1	6	4	9	5	3	7	8	2
7	9	8	2	6	4	5	1	3
5	4	3	1	8	2	9	6	7
2	7	1	6	3	9	4	5	8
6	8	9	5	4	7	2	3	1

CODEWORD

GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER
GOODWILL	POWER

---

11

television & radio

Reacher returns for round four of baddie-bashing

Ben Dowell TV review

Reacher Prime Video ★★★★☆

“A hundred thousand years ago there were people who stayed by the campfire and people who wandered. I'm pretty sure I'm the direct descendant of the wandering type. It's just who I am.”

So begin the latest adventures of Jack Reacher, an adaptation of Lee Child's book Gone Tomorrow and the fourth Prime Video series of Alan Ritchson's courageous attempts to squeeze his bulging biceps into the tightest of T-shirts. He certainly looks more the part than 5ft 7in Tom Cruise in the movies, and he does an even better line in meaningful stares.

We all have our guilty pleasures and this is mine. Yes, I am a Reacher/soir, a lost soul drawn irresistibly to the stories of goodies, baddies and lots of biffing. Maybe it's the heat, but this feels like the kind of unchallenging drama these sweltering times demand.

As we have come to expect, blues-lovin' Reacher may be a wanderer, but he's no loner. In fact, he acquires allies as quickly as he collects villainous faces to punch. And it's all thanks to a surprisingly complex plot (at least compared with the violence and spare, staccato dialogue) in which he witnesses a woman shoot herself in the head on a subway train before uncovering a web of secrets, including flash drives, dodgy politicians and a woman who needs a bone marrow transplant for her leukaemia.

Silly? Why, of course. It's niftly scripted by the showrunner Nick Santora, who serves us silliness with a spade, a world with the ethical complexity of a superhero strip cartoon and something of its dramatic architecture. When Reacher faces a group of ne'er-do-wells stumbling out of a van with blacked-out windows you can see the kapows coming a mile off.

Our man often adapts his “Reacher says nothing” position, which has become a running joke in the books,

Alan Ritchson in the title role of the Lee Child adaptation

but there is some decent wordplay here. “Sherlock no Holmes,” one dumb-seeming cop calls him when he says he is homeless.

His compadres are the subway suicide woman's cop brother and the leukaemia woman, Lila (Agnez Mo). It feels oddly reminiscent of Peter Davison-era Doctor Who, when the Time Lord suddenly found himself hurtling through time and space with a whole classroom of companions. As with the Doctor, you sort of want him to be alone, but you know poor Jack needs the company, and it's always good to have witnesses to his smarts and his niftiness with the fists.

After the first episode you suspect the longing looks he gets from Lila mean that they will soon be, or, reaching for each other in a romantic sense. But there probably isn't time, and you know there are plenty more twists ahead. There's also a neat turn from Sydelle Noel as the sharp detective Tamara Green.

Not that I have a crush on him. Oh no. But Jack R is the one you want by your side, the person you yearned for in the school playground when things got tasty and fists were flying. He's like a superhero without the supernatural powers but with all the moral strength. Hell, he's even nice to kittens and the homeless. It's not complex. It's not Proust. But boy it is fun.

The Greenham Effect Radio 4 Extra, 10am

In The Greenham Effect, Rebecca Mordan looks at the women's peace camp established in 1981 at the RAF base in Berkshire that was the home of US cruise missiles. Mordan was there as a child, and is part of a team who collected an oral history of women who took part in the protest. She speaks to Ann Pettitt and Karmen Thomas, the originators of the idea of a march on Greenham that led to the protest by hundreds of women. Mordan examines how the experience changed their lives, and how the Greenham protest provided a blueprint for groups such as Extinction Rebellion. Clair Woodward

Times Radio

Digital, web, smart speaker, app 5.00am Tom Nunan with Early Breakfast 6.00 Salma El-Wardany and Stig Abell with Times Radio Breakfast 10.00 Hugo Rifkind 1.00pm The Times at One: with Stephen Sackur 2.00 Fi Glover and Roya Nikkhah 4.00 Calum Macdonald with Times Radio Drive 7.00 The Evening Edition with Albie Amankona 10.00 Cindy Yu 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 Dommett 7.00 Edith Bowman 9.00 The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe 10.00 The Good Groove with Melvin Odoom 12.00 OJ Borg 3.00am Alternative Sounds of the 90s with Dermot O'Leary (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 Elizabeth Alker showcases performances from the UK and beyond, including Stravinsky from the BBC Proms, Medtner from Verbier and Chopin from Granada. Shostakovich (Festive Overture); Medtner (Piano Quintet in C); Chopin (Two Nocturnes, Op 62); Stravinsky (Symphony in Three Movements); Beethoven (Piano Concerto No 4 in G, Op 58) 3.00 Choral Evensong From Chichester Cathedral during the Southern Cathedrals Festival, featuring music by Ashfield, Rubbra and Howells

4.00 Composer of the Week: Montgrouil (1764-1836) Donald Macleod and pianist Clare Hammond discuss how Hélène de Montgrouil used her musical talents to save her own life (r) 5.00 In Tune Music from Kleio Quartet 7.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 The Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel perform Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and Gabriela Ortiz's Revolución diamantina. From the Royal Albert Hall, London. Beethoven (Symphony No 7 in A) 7.35 Interval 7.35 Gabriela Ortiz (Revolución diamantina — UK premiere) 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 Round Midnight New Sounds from Wonky Logic 12.30am Through the Night

Radio 4

FM: 92-4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 BBC Inside Science (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Sideways Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape individuals' lives (5/8) 9.30 Breakin' the Cycle Colin and D decide to shut down their drug empire (3/4) 10.00 Woman's Hour 11.00 After EncroChat Danny Shaw investigates whether the EncroChat operation reduced the supply of drugs (r) 11.40 This Week in History 11.45 Book of the Week: Hiroshima, 8.15: The Lost Memoir Written by Kiyoshi Tanimoto and Koko Kondo (3/5) 12.04pm You and Yours

1.00 The World at One 1.45 Human Intelligence The work of the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: United Kingdoms (4/5) (r) 3.00 James Hutton and the Restless Earth Karine Polwart contemplates deep geological time (r) 3.30 TBA 4.00 The Power of Guilt (4/5) (r) 4.15 The Media Show 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Best Medicine Horse therapy and finding a diagnosis on Instagram (3/6) 7.00 The Archers Lily makes a friend 7.15 Front Row 8.00 AntiSocial (r) 8.45 Café Hope A group for LGBTQ+ people to enjoy nature (7/7) (r) 9.00 Invisible Hands The story of the CIA (3/6) (r) 9.30 Inside Health (6/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of Wakefield By Oliver Goldsmith (8/10) 11.00 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide to Living Forever Having failed to become immortal, Sunil ponders where to go from here. Last in the series 11.15 Follow the Rabbit Chris goes in search of extraterrestrial life (3/5) (r) 11.30 A Good Read (4/9) (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Book of the Week: Hiroshima, 8.15: The Lost Memoir By Kiyoshi Tanimoto and Koko Kondo (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra

Digital only 8.00am Bridget Christie: Mortal 8.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Best Medicine 9.30 Following the Martian Invasion 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Choice The Greenham Effect 11.00 The Wolf Far Hence 11.30 The Senior Partner 12.00 After Henry 12.30pm Hancock's Half Hour 1.00 Bridget Christie: Mortal 1.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Ultimate Choice 2.30 Getting Nowhere Fast 3.00 Renaissance Man: The Last Judgment of Giorgio Vasari 4.00 The Greenham Effect 5.00 The Wolf Far Hence 5.30 The Senior Partner 6.00 After Henry 6.30 Hancock's Half Hour 7.00 Bridget Christie: Mortal 7.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Ultimate Choice 8.30 Getting Nowhere Fast 9.00 Renaissance Man: The Last Judgment of Giorgio Vasari 10.00 Comedy Club: Best Medicine 10.30 Mitch Benn's Crime: Against Music 11.00 Welcome to Wherever You Are 11.30 Dial M for Pizza

Radio 5 Live

MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Samantha Simmonds 2.00pm Matt Chocley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport 8.00 5 Live Sport: Paris Saint-Germain v Aston Villa (Kick-off 8.00) 10.30 Johnny l'Anson 1.00am Dolun Adebayo

talkSPORT

MW: 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 Breakfast with Alan Brazil

10.00 Shebahn Aherne 1.00pm Max Rushden & Charlie Baker 4.00 Drive 7.00 Kick Off: Paris Saint-Germain v Aston Villa (Kick-off 8.00): Commentary on the UEFA Super Cup 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 Cardwell 10.00 Petrie Hosken 1.00am Paul Ross

6 Music

Digital only 5.00am Chris Hawkins 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 How Stephens 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 6 Music Artist in Residence: Wolf Alice 12.00 Freak Zone Playlist 1.00am Tighten Up: The Story of Trojan Records 2.00 Tighten Up: The Story of Trojan Records 3.00 Live Hour 4.00 Jukebox

Virgin Radio

Digital only 6.30am The Chris Evans Breakfast Show 10.00 Emma B 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am Steve Denyer

Classic FM

FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Tim Lhoreau 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evening with John Brunning 9.00 Composer Carousel 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 Early Breakfast

---

12

television

PICKS OF THE DAY

Spy Next Door: The Anna Chapman Story Channel 4, 9pm

It seems unbearably quaint now, but in the early 2000s people started to believe that the Cold War was over. Yet intelligence professionals remained alert to the spy networks. This two-part documentary tells the story of Anna Chapman, a Russian spy who — via a marriage with a British

man — embedded herself in the world of UK high finance before a 2009 move to Manhattan. FBI agents describe how they tracked her through New York's coffee shops and department stores, while other contributors include Roderic Lyne, the former British ambassador to Russia, and Marina Litvinenko, the widow of the poisoned dissident Alexander Litvinenko. The geopolitical threads tug powerfully on the current global moment; yet descriptions of Chapman as 'seductive' or 'a

Anna Chapman (Channel 4, 9pm)

stunner' seem like true relics of another age. Victoria Segal

Murder Trial BBC2, 9pm

In February 2024 Brian Low, a former country estate groundsman, was shot dead while walking his dog in rural Perthshire. The chief suspect was Low's neighbour and former gamekeeper David Campbell, who worked on the same estate as Low. This edition of Murder Trial returns to the Scottish High Court

to follow Campbell's trial where missed forensic opportunities mean the prosecution case rests on circumstantial evidence. A section of Campbell's home CCTV was deleted on the night in question and his doorbell camera was covered with tape on the morning of the crime. There is also CCTV from the area revealing a figure on an ebbie carrying a shotgun-shaped bag on the route from Campbell's house to the crime scene. Will the jury be convinced the man on the ebbie was Campbell? Joe Clay

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 Kwaleye presents coverage of the opening session on day three from Alexander Stadium, including the first three disciplines of the decathlon 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. JJ Chalmers rescues a record collection 2.45 Escape to the Country. Margherita Taylor helps a retired Army couple to find a new home in Norfolk (r) (AD) 3.30 The Repair Shop. The experts restore a pair of boots and a printing press (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

6.15am Homes Under the Hammer (r) 7.15 Money for Nothing (r) 8.00 Sign Zone: Great Japanese Railway Journeys (r) (AD, SL) 8.30 Great Continental Railway Journeys. Sardinia and Corsica (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC News 10.30 Antiques Road Trip (r) 11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (r) 12.15pm Bargain Hunt (r) (AD) 1.00 Richard Osmaris's House of Games (r) 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz (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 (r) 5.15 Flog It! From the RAF Museum in Hendon, north London (r) 6.00 Richard Osmaris's House of Games. With Chris Bisson, Danielle Harold, Katharine Merry and Robert Webb (r) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning. An estranged brother and sister reunite (r) (AD)

ITV1

6.00am Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.30pm ITV News; Weather 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal. The team heads to Grimsby, where Simon Schneider falls in love with a necklace, Karen Dalmeny faces her worst nightmare and David Ford takes a trip down memory lane (r) (AD) 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts as another contestant tries to open the 22 red boxes in the right order, taking on the infamous Banker for the chance to win a life-changing cash prize (r) (AD) 4.00 Tipping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r) 5.00 The Chase. Contestants from London, Ely, Lincolnshire and Glasgow work together as a team to face one of the country's finest quiz brains. Bradley Walsh hosts (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. Henry Cole and Simon O'Brien find unique items in Gloucestershire (r) (AD) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway. A tailor's assistant and builder join forces to renovate a West Yorkshire house (r) 2.10 Countdown. With Pauline McLynn 3.00 A Place in the Sun. A house hunter from Leicester tries to find her dream holiday home on Spain's Costa Almería (r) 4.00 Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. Four visitors go on a night-time ghost hunt in Britain's most haunted castle (r) (AD) 5.00 Château DIY. Love is in the air at Chateau de Sauge (r) (AD) 6.00 American Pickers. Frank Fritz falls hard for a Harley-Davidson 'knucklehead' at a collector's California compound (r) (AD)

5

6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt O'Knight 2.20 FILM: Deadly Secrets (PG, TVM, 2023) When Jade finds out about her mother's financial problems, she commits a series of high-profile burglaries to pay off her mother's debts. Thriller with Lizzie Boys 4.00 Castle. Detective Ryan ends up in the middle of an assassination plot when he is on the security detail of a charismatic congressman (r) 4.55 Love Nature. An edible forest garden in Hollywood, Co Down (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Sicily. Jewel of the Meil. Cameras focus on the largest island in the Mediterranean, home to Mount Elna and stunning coastlines. There's also a look at an ambitious restoration project (r) 6.55 5 News Update

7.00 The One Show The 20th birthday celebrations continue

7.30 EastEnders Chelsea's family rally together in her time of need, and Eve a truth comes to light about Joel's incident (AD)

8.00 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Further coverage of the evening session on day three from Alexander Stadium. There is expected to be British involvement in the men's 400m final this evening, with 2024 silver medallist Charlie Dobson and 2018 and 2022 champion Matthew Hudson-Smith in the squad. The successor to Femke Broeders-Bol is also crowned in the women's 400m hurdles, the women's hammer final reaches a conclusion, and the evening draws to a close with the men's 110m hurdles final

7.00 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Gabby Logan presents coverage of the evening session on day three from Alexander Stadium, including the start of the women's hammer final. Coverage continues on BBC1

7.00 Live Pre-Season Football: Manchester United v Leeds United (Kick-off 7.30). Hugh Woozencoft presents coverage of the friendly at Croke Park in Dublin. Normally used for Gaelic sports, this is the first time this 80,000 capacity venue has hosted a club association football match, and while a friendly in name, it is likely to be a highly competitive contest given the historic rivalry between the teams. With analysis from John O'Shea and Michael Brown, commentary by Sam Matterface and Lucy Ward, and reports from Gabriel Clarke. See picks of the day.

7.00 Channel 4 News

8.00 Extraordinary Extensions Tinie Tempah follows a couple as they renovate an old Canterbury B&B by adding an extension — only to find a wartime bomb shelter in the garden. See picks of the day (AD)

7.00 Car Pound Cops Tracking cars as they are seized for a variety of offences with exclusive access to car pounds, police forces, local council enforcement agencies and national organisations (7/8) (r)

7.55 5 News Update

8.00 Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts New series. A 82-year-old is brought to Barnsley Casualty after suffering a fall in her kitchen, and a 79-year-old caretaker has chest pains and dangerously low oxygen levels

10.00 BBC News at Ten

10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.40 MOTD: Uefa Super Cup Highlights Paris Saint-Germain v Aston Villa

11.10 FILM: Red Eye (12, 2005) A hotelier on a flight to Miami realizes a passenger she has befriended is intent on involving her in a political assassination. Thriller with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy (AD)

10.00 Inside No 9 Shane and Clifford come up with a plan to abduct the wife of a hedge fund manager (4/6) (r) (AD)

10.30 Newsnight Headline analysis presented by Katie Razzall

10.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed by Regional News

10.45 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell help foundlings Michael and Christine uncover why their mothers abandoned them (r) (AD)

11.45 Cause of Death Celebrities are interviewed by neurodivergent individuals (r)

10.00 24 Hours in A&E The stories of Queen's patients who are an inspiration to their loved ones and how they have jointly faced some of the biggest challenges of their lives (3/10) (r) (AD)

11.05 999: On the Front Line The paramedics plan to take a woman in the advanced stages of labour to hospital, but when her waters suddenly break, they have to think again. A diabetic man has a painful urine infection, and a 14-month-old is choking and will not feed (r)

10.00 Ambulance: Code Red Medical professionals treat a man who has collapsed at the wheel of his car, a 72-year-old with an open fracture and a 22-year-old suffering from a prolonged epileptic seizure (r) (AD)

11.05 Cause of Death A homeless man is found dead in his temporary accommodation in Blackburn and paramedics are called to the flat of a woman who has been found dead after complaining of a bad chest (9/10) (r)

12.25am The Hit List Celebrity Special Presenter Chris Hughes and Coronation Street star. Jack P Shepherd, comedians Sara Pascoe and Rhys James, and actors Gary Lamont and Renee Bailey compete in the quickfire music quiz (r) 1.15-6.00 BBC News

12.05am FILM: Kindling (12, 2023) Upon learning their friend has a terminal illness, a group of mates return home to fulfil his final wishes. Coming-of-age drama, inspired by true events, starring George Somner and Conrad Khan 1.35-2.25 Sign Zone: Amityville: An Origin Story (r) (AD, SL)

12.10am Shop on TV 3.00 Love & Death. Detectives intensify their questioning (r) (AD, SL) 3.55 Inside the Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel. The hostel's MD oversees progress on the Langham Venice (r) (AD, SL) 4.20 Unwind 5.35-6.00 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy (r) (AD, SL)

12.10am Celebrity Hunted A daring escape plot is hatched in Brighton (r) (AD, SL) 2.00 Ramsay's Hotel Hell (r) (AD, SL) 2.50 Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port (r) (AD, SL) 3.45 Fur Babies (r) (AD, SL) 4.40 Kirstie's House of Craft (r) 4.55 Couples Come Dine with Me (r) 5.50-6.30 Countdown (r)

12.05am A&E After Dark (r) (AD) 1.00 Cruise TV (r) 2.00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 2.50 Castle (r) 3.40 Friends (r) (AD) 4.35 Cruising with Susan Calman (r) (AD, SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5 5.35 Paw Patrol (r) (SL) 5.45-6.00 The Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL)

---

13

television

Live Pre-Season Football

ITV1, 7pm

The World Cup was one thing but have we reached peak football as ITV devotes an evening to a pre-season warm-up match? The Premier League season starts on August 12, but tonight Manchester United and Leeds United meet (kick-off 2:30pm) at the 82,300-capacity Creke Park stadium in Dublin — the first football fixture at this venue since 2009 when Ireland lost 1-0 to France. JC

Extraordinary Extensions

Channel 4, 8pm

Two more extensions for the rapper Tinie Tempah to follow, starting with a 'radical mash-up' of a B&B in Canterbury. There are Norwegian and Korean influences in the project, reflecting the nationalities of the owners. And the dig unearths a Second World War bomb shelter, which they turn into a speakeasy. The second extension is a blast from the past as a Miss Vintage UK finalist transforms her

bungalow in Nottingham into a 1960s Hollywood time capsule. JC

STREAMING CHOICE

Reacher

Prime Video

This fourth series based on Lee Child's novels is about a former military police investigator turned crime-fighting drifter — The Littlest Hobo with bigger muscles. Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) begins this season in Philadelphia, where he is

drawn into a conspiratorial web after witnessing a woman's suicide. The plot that unravels allows Reacher to showcase his formidable powers of deduction and his ability to crush a man to death in unusual ways. See review, page II. VS

FILM CHOICE

Brighton Rock (PG, 1947)

Talking Pictures TV, 8.35pm

Richard Attenborough, aged only 24, creates one of the most chilling

antiheroes in British cinema: baby-faced psychopath Pinkie Brown takes an unsettling satisfaction in his capacity for cruelty and ruthlessness. Young waitress Rose Brown (Carol Marsh) discovers this to her cost. When Pinkie finds she might be the loose end that could tie him to a recent murder, he does the logical thing: marries her, then sets about ruining her life. Tough-as-nails direction from John Boulting makes this the definitive version of Graham Greene's novel. (89min) Wendy Ide

BBC4

7.00pm Villages by the Sea (1/10) 7.30 Wainwright Walks (AD) 8.00 The Treasures of Ancient Rome. Alastair Sooke explores ancient Roman art (3/3) 9.00 Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit. The scholar explores the physical world of the Roman Empire (2/4) (AD) 10.00 L'Claudius. Piso and his wife Plancina are charged with Germanicus's murder (5/12) 10.50 L'Claudius. Lotta is unable to live with the memory of being abused by Tiberias and commits suicide (6/12) 11.45 The Treasures of Ancient Rome. Last in the series 12.45am Inside the Bat Cave (AD) 1.45 Wainwright Walks (AD) 2.15 Villages by the Sea (SL) 2.45am-3.45 Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit (AD, SL)

Sky Arts

6.00am Classic FM Live at the Movies 8.00 Artist of the Year: Masterclass (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Rex Harrison (AD) 12.00 The Art of Film with Ian Nathan (AD) 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 3.00 The Eighties (AD) 4.00 Discovering: Yul Brynner (AD) 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year (CD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 7.30 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 Voices of the Valleys 9.00 Battle of the Irish Dancers 10.00 The Eighties (AD) 11.00 The Art of Architecture 12.00 The Pilgrimage of Gilbert & George. A profile of the art duo (AD) 2.00am-4.00 Statues Redressed

More4

8.55am Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 10.00 Four in a Bed 12.40pm Come Over with Me (AD) 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. Kevin McCloud meets a couple who are building a giant new home on a 16-acre plot in Lincolnshire (2/7) (AD) 9.00 The Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts. Alice heads seven miles south of Naples to Herculaneum (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in Police Custody. Bedfordshire Police investigate a knife and gun attack on the doorstep of a man's house (AD) 11.05 24 Hours in A&E. A builder breaks his neck after falling off his shed (2/8) (AD) 12.10am Emergency Helicopter Medics (AD) 1.15 24 Hours in Police Custody (AD) 2.15 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.20-3.50 A Place in the Sun

Live The Hundred: Welsh Fire Women v London Spirit Women Sky Sports Cricket, 11.15am-2.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event, 11.30am-2.30pm (Start-time 11.30). Coverage from Sophia Gardens in Cardiff

Live The Hundred: Birmingham Phoenix Men v Mt London Men Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (Start-time 6.30). Coverage of the match at Edgbaston

Live Uefa Super Cup: Paris Saint-Germain v Aston Villa TNT Sports 1, 7pm-10.30 (Kick-off 8.00). Coverage from Red Bull Arena in Austria

Live MLB: St Louis Cardinals v Philadelphia Phillies TNT Sports 2, 7.15pm-10 (Start-time 7.15). Coverage of the National League match from Busch Stadium

Live Tennis Sky Sports Tennis, 11pm-4am The Canadian Open. Coverage from day 11 of the ATP 1000 event in Montreal and the WTA 1000 event in Toronto

Talking Pictures

6.00am FILM: A Matter of Choice (PG, 1963) (b/w) 7.40 FILM: Death Goes to School (U, 1953) (b/w) 8.55 FILM: The Black Tent (U, 1956) 10.45 FILM: The Long Duel (U, 1967) 1.00pm The Buccaneers (b/w) 1.30 Carrie's War 3.20 Look at Life 3.45 Dial 999 (b/w) 4.15 FILM: Robbery Under Arms (U, 1957) 6.15 Melbourne Cleaners 6.30 Give Us a Clue 7.00 Out of Town 7.20 Travelling Man (7/7) 8.35 FILM: Brighton Rock (PG, 1948) Thriller starring Richard Attenborough. See film choice (b/w) 10.25 FILM: Up the Chastity Belt (PG, 1971) Medieval comedy starring Frankie Howard 12.15am FILM: The Four Feathers (U, 1939) 2.30 FILM: Women Without Men (PG, 1956) (b/w) 4.00-5.00 Stagecoach West (b/w)

Film4

11.00am Secret Headquarters (PG, 2022) Comedy adventure starring Owen Wilson 1.05pm Sign of the Pagan (U, 1954) Historical drama starring Jack Palance 2.55 The Comancheros (PG, 1961) Western starring John Wayne 5.05 They Rode West (U, 1954) Western starring Robert Francis 6.50 Fishermans Friends: One and All (12, 2022) Comedy sequel starring James Purefoy (AD) 9.00 Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (12, 2015) The agents of the Impossible Mission Force become fugitives in order to bring down a shadowy society of assassins. Spy thriller sequel with Tom Cruise (AD) 11.40 The Rhythm Section (15, 2020) Thriller starring Blake Lively 1.50am-3.45 Holy Cow (15, 2024)** Comedy drama starring Clément Faveau and Malwene Barthelemy

BBC3

7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60 7.30 Deadly 60. Part one of two. Steve Backshall encounters an armoured predator in the Philippines 8.00 Top Deal. Richard Hammond meets an extraordinary rally team made up of amputees 9.00 Top Gear. The presenters take on their Australian counterparts 10.00 Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee. A fresh panel of comedians take part 10.50 Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee. Guy challenges the comedians to wear and spell their hats as Aaron Chen debuts his new side hustle 11.35 This Country (AD) 12.00 This Country (AD) 2.00am Dinosaur (AD) 3.25am-3.45 My Mator's a Bad Date (r)

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Potomac 8.20 The Real Housewives of 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 (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Potomac. Kater meets with Mia 5.00 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Erika seeks to rebuild her life after her husband's indictment 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 The Floor (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club (AD) 9.00 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bot's Burgers (AD) 1.30 O'wed (AD, SL) 2.00am-2.25 Transaction (AD, 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) 11.30 Heartbeat (AD) 1.35pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat (AD) 8.00 Midsomer Murders. A farmer is found dead in Midsomer Mow (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. A murder at Esme's office sends shockwaves through the Keating family, and Alphy's meeting with the Bishop fails to go as planned (5/8) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester (6/8) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Part one of two. A police commander is murdered (9/10) 1.25am-2.35 Agatha Christie's Poirot. David Suchet stars (AD)

ITV4

6.00am Magnum, PI (AD) 8.00 Robin of Sherwood 9.10 Boon 10.15 The Professionals (AD) 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.30pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.35 The Casabooik of Sherlock Holmes (AD) 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.50 Minder (AD) 6.55 Aussie Pritsers 8.00 King of the Roads. More action from the Army Race of Legends 9.00 FILM: RoboCop 2 (18, 1990) The cyborg law enforcer battles a deranged drug lord, unaware the corporation that created him is planning to replace him. Sci-fi thriller sequel starring Peter Weller and Nancy Allen (AD) 11.15 All Elite Wrestling: Collision. Hard-hitting wrestling action 1.15am The Professionals (AD) 2.15am-2.40 Two and a Half Men

U&Drama

6.00am Teleshopping 7.15 The Bill 8.10 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) 4.10 Lovejoy 5.20 As Time Goes By 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 The Chelsea Detective. The owner of a fruit and vegetable delivery company is found brutally stabbed in his own home (7/9) (AD) 9.00 The Chelsea Detective. Investigations reveal that Kai had broken into Jack's house (8/9) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. A parachipite confesses to the murder of a child 25 years previously (3/10) (AD) 11.20 Luther (2/4) (AD) 12.40am Lovejoy 1.50 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 2.50-4.00am Hotel Portofino (SL)

Variations

BBC1 It Ireland 10.45pm The Big Deal with Steph McGovern 11.40 MOTD: Uefa Super Cup Highlights 12.10am FILM: Red Eye (2005) 1.30am-6.00 BBC News

BBC1 Scotland 12.25am Scotcast (r) 12.55 The Hit List Celebrity Special (r) 1.45am-6.00 BBC News

BBC1 Wales 11.15pm Undercover: Cancer Cure or Con? (r) 11.30 FILM: Red Eye (2005) 12.45am-6.00 BBC News

UTV 11.05pm UTV at the Fleadh. The world's largest celebration of Irish music and culture heads to Belfast 11.20pm-11.45 Inside the Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel. Documentary (r)

BBC Scotland 7.00pm Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 Scotland's Home of the Year 2024 10.00 Island Concierge. Multiple ferry breakdowns threaten to maroon islanders over Easter (r) 9.00 Black Black Oil (r) 10.00 River City. Tommy collapses after being diagnosed with a concussion 10.30 Icons of Football (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 The Trials That Shocked Scotland (r)

SAC 6.00pm Dan Do (r) 6.30 Adeladiu/Freudduyg: Camp Out West (r) 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News; Weather 8.00 Pokol y Cwm. Eleri plans a surprise for Jan 8.25 Carmel Cymru (r) 8.55 News 9.00 Sion Môn 2026. Highlights from the Anglesey County Show 10.00 Y Deis (r) 10.30-11.35pm Ty Ff8 (r)

PBS America

8.00am Weathered: Earth's Extremes 8.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 9.35 Athens: Birth of Democracy 10.40 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 Athens: Birth of Democracy 3.50 1066: A Year to Conquer England 5.05 Inside Japan's War. Documentary (r) 6.10 Digging Up Britain's Past 7.15 Athens: Birth of Democracy. The origins of democracy in Greece 2.500 years ago 8.25 1066: A Year to Conquer England. Duke William leads his invasion fleet across the Channel 9.40 Inside Japan's War 10.50 Athens: Birth of Democracy 12.00 1066: A Year to Conquer England 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) 12.35pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) (AD) 4.40 The Last of Us (r) (AD) 6.35 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 7.45 House of the Dragon. Rhamnaya continues her search for a suitable match (r) (AD) 9.00 House of the Dragon. Game of Thrones prequel following the story of House Targairym starring Matt Smith. Last in the series (r) (AD) 10.25 Station Eleven: Elizabeth, Tyler and Clark confront an even more uncertain future (5/10) (r) 11.25 Station Eleven. Kirsten leaves the Traveling Symphony behind to track down the Prophet (6/10) (r) 12.25am House of the Dragon. Double bill (r) (AD) 2.45 Billions. Double bill (r) (AD) 5.05am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) (AD)

Sky Docs

8.00am 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 Yacht Rock: A Documentary (r) 2.00pm An American Bombing: The Road to April 1999 (r) (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 4.55 Discovering: Tom Cruise (r) (AD) 5.50 Burden of Phool: Who Killed Jennifer Pandos? (r) (AD) 8.00 Six Silent Killings: Ireland's Vanishing Triangle (r) (AD) 9.00 Six Silent Killings: Ireland's Vanishing Triangle (r) (AD) 10.00 Groomed: The Truth Behind the Lie. Documentary (2/3) (r) (AD) 11.00 FILM: Going Clear – Scientology and the Prison of Belief (15, 2015) Documentary 1.15am The Essex Murders (r) (AD) 4.15 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.05-6.00 Discovering (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. The impact of the uneven distribution of fresh water around the globe (AD) 8.00 Michael Palm: Travels of a Lifetime. Michael Palm looks back on the making of Pole to Pole 9.00 Simon Reeves's South America. The vast white suit flats of Bolivia 10.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Flog It 2.00 Abandoned Engineering (AD) 3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping

---

14

MindGames

Poker Byron Jacobs

Carry on regardless

The previous two articles focused on a modern feature of online poker rooms. In cash games there often arise situations where one player is all-in, so no further betting can be made. It is simply a matter of dealing out the remaining cards and awarding the pot to the winner. At this point each player has a certain equity in the pot. It may be that it is close to 50-50 or maybe one player is a huge favourite with 95 per cent.

The feature the sites have introduced is that, at this moment, they offer to pay you your equity in the pot. So, when the pot is $100 and you have 62 per cent equity, you can take a guaranteed $62 instead of letting luck decide whether you get $100 or zero. However, as always, there is a catch. The site (usually) charges a one per cent "admin fee". So you don't get your "fair" $62, you get $61.38 instead ($0.62 goes to the site). In poker terms whether or not you should accept this deal is a no-brainer. You shouldn't. By taking it, you are turning an asset worth $62 into one worth $61.38. This is not good poker.

Nevertheless many players (myself included) who understand exactly what they are doing, will – occasionally – hit the “accept” button when this offer pops up. Why? Usually it’s because things haven’t gone our way so far in the session and we’ve been the recipients of some ugly misfortune. In

this particular hand we are a big favourite, maybe having 90 per cent equity in a sizeable pot. Taking this pot down will do a lot for our mental equanimity, while having it snatched away by yet more horrible luck will be hard to ride psychologically. We believe that this will trigger us and our subsequent play in the session will be some way off our “A game”. So, we reason that making a tiny payment to avoid this “inevitable deterioration” is, in the long run, a good thing. Is this a reasonable argument?

It's hard to be dogmatic about this, but probably not. Without wishing to sound overly dramatic, poker is like boxing. You may win or you may lose but if you step into the ring you are probably going to get hurt. Of course, unless you decide to play in an underground game, you aren't likely to actually get punched in the face but you will (with absolute inevitability) suffer psychological pain at some point. It is better that you learn to roll with the punches (rather than trying to avoid them altogether) because, as the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

So, what do I do when I'm playing and find myself being seriously tempted to hit the "accept" button or even actually doing so? Easy. I gather my thoughts and decide that it's getting late. I'm tired and I really ought to go to bed. And then carry on playing anyway...

For more puzzles, including Mini Sudoku, extra Codeword, Train Tracks and Futoshiki

go to page 10

Winning Move

Black to play.

This position is from Ferey-Arslanov, Titled Tuesday, chess.com 2026.

Black has given up a piece to expose the opponent's king. White, now lacking any pawn cover, has enlisted the services of the queen, rook and bishop to provide alternative arrangements. However, this proved inadequate and Black now crushed through in fine style with a sacrificial cascade. Can you see how?

Codeword No 5917

A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Every letter in this crossword-style grid is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. Yesterday's solution, right

Cluelines: Stuck on Codeword? To receive 4 random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text TIMECODE to 64343. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. For the full solution call 0905 757 0142. If you have an old newspaper and need clues from the past 7 days, call 0905 624 0024. Calls to 0905 cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5:30pm).

Lexica Easy No 9049

Hard No 9050

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 2942

Quintagram® No 2544

Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Maybe Adelaide's wine (4)

2 Best about to enter river (5)

3 Register German worker in wood (6)

4 Chuckling wobbled large hut (8)

5 Immersed vertical barrier unsettled (9)

A	A	A	C	E	E	E	G
G	G	G	H	I	L	L	L
L	M	N	O	O	O	P	R
R	R	R	T	T	U	W	W

Challenge your mind with puzzle books from The Times

Solve Ponder crossword on Wednesdays and Fridays at thetimes.com/puzzles and on the Live app

KenKen Medium No 6909

All the digits 1 to 6 must appear in every row and column. In each 'lock-one' '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 5457

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 4416

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.

---

15

MindGames

times2 Crossword No 10,233

Across

1 Induced trance-like state (8)

7 Pacific island nation (6)

8 Diatribe (6)

9 Contact by telephone (4,2)

10 Artistic (8)

12 Step of hair raised when

surprised or suspicious (7)

13 Mythical hybrid creature (7)

Solution to Crossword 10,232

16 One ensuring that rules are strictly adhered to (8)

17 Roguish (6)

18 Wrongful (6)

20 Cover (a roof) with reeds or straw (6)

21 Light musical drama (8)

Down

1 Very spicy (3) 2 At right angles to the horizontal (13) 3 Curious anomaly (6) 4 Floor of a building (6) 5 Makshaft tribunal (8.5) 6 Exploive mixture (9) 10 Deep brown colour (9) 11 Person who abstains from using animal products (5) 14 Resonate once more (2-4) 15 With less delay (6) 19 Afternoon or evening meal (3)

Need help with today's puzzle? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).

Bridge Andrew Robson

Modern Bidding Developments

32. Fourth Suit Forcing (FSF)

The default reply

After the first three bids are in different suits, a bid of the fourth suit sets up a game-force and asks for more info. Opener prioritises shape before a stopper in the fourth suit.

However, say opener has neither extra shape, nor a stopper in the fourth suit. Say the auction has begun ( 1\text{♥}-1\text{♣}-2\text{♣}-2\text{♣} ) (FSF). What now with this hand?

▲B2

♥AQ642

♦61

▲AQ32

The answer is to bid 2▲. Here's the point, the logic of which we discussed last lesson. If opener had one more spade and one lower diamond (▲B32, ♥AQ642, ♦4, ▲AQ32), she'd have raised 1▲ to 2▲. While if she were too good to raise to 2▲ eg make a diamond into ▲A (▲A82, ♥AQ642, ♦4, ▲AQ32), now she would rebut 2▲ but she'd jump to 3▲ over 2★. (NB opener should jump to FSF with 16 or more points).

Back to our main hand. Going back to 2▲ is always (in the modern style) a doubleton spade — and it needn't contain an honour. It's what you bid with no extra shape to show, nor a stopper in the fourth suit for Netronnye.

How should responder react to 1? Say the auction has started ( 1\text{♥}-1\text{♣}-2\text{♣}-2\text{♣}-2\text{♣} ) . What now with these FSF hands?

▲A882 ▲A1643 ▲KJ7532

♥32 ♥A42 ♥3

♦K72 ♦AK4 ♦A74 ▲AQ32 ▲A4 ▲AQ3

With the first, bid 3▲ — stage two of your plan to support clubs via FSF to set up a game-force.

Bid 3♥. Go ahead with your plan to raise hearts game-forcing via FSF. Don't be deflected into spades — opener has only two.

Bid 4▲ — but you need six cards (or five really good ones) to do that.

Dealer: North ▲68

Dealer: South ▲68

Val: Neither ▲76

▲A162

▲105 W ▲Q398

♥108 W ♦A10831 8 ♦K95

▲A8732 ▲A8732

♥73

♦Q14

▲K104

S	W	N	E
		1♥	Pass
1▲	Pass	2▲	Pass
2♦(1)	Pass	2▲(2)	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	End

(1) FSF — setting up a game-force and asking for more information (shape prioritising). (2) The default reply, showing only two cards.

West led ♦1 to ♦5, East returning ♦9 (top of two) and West letting ♦12 win. Declarer needed four club tricks (her only hope) and led ♣5. If both opponents had played tiddly clubs, she'd have continued with ♣4 to ♣7 (catering to West's ♣Qs holding).

However, East followed with ▲8. This caused declarer to lead ▲10 next (key plan). She planned to run it but West covered with ▲Q, to ▲A and East's ▲9. Declarer now crossed to ▲A and led ▲4 to (▲5 and) ▲6. Boom — East discarded, so declarer could cash ▲1 and claim nine tricks. andrew.robsin@thetimes.co.uk

Brain Trainer

Polygon

From these letters, make words of four 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 9 words, average; 13, good; 21, very good; 30, excellent

Yesterday's answers

adult, auld, daft, dal, dale, date, deaf, deaf, def, default, deft, deft, delta, dual, due, duel, duet, eld, fad, fade, feud, feodal, flicted, fad, lade, laud, lead, lud, tad, ted, udal

Cell Blocks No 5800

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 4419

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.

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Killer Tricky No 10,872

Killer Deadly No 10,873

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 Cryptic 3377

Sudoku 17J16

Sudoku 17J17

Sudoku 17J18

Killer 10,870

Killer 10,871

Codeword 5916

Tetoror 699

Cell Blocks 5799

Fulcolink 5456

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Set Square 4418

KenKen 6908

Kakuro 4415

Train Tracks 2941

Lexica 9047

Lexica 9048

Today's solutions

Concise

Quintagram

1 Epoyo

2 Tejpoyo 3 Miracle

4 Miracle 5 Banker

5 Banker

Word watch

Turnhalle (b) A building for gymnastics (c) (d) (e) Aplet (b) The tag on the end of a thumbs (c) (h) (e) (e) Derythorn (b) A soft right-handly podantic critic (c) (d) (f)

Chess — Winning Move

1. NALP 2 Kgl (2 Kcl) Ruffs is hopeless as ... Spt4 is coming! And now a console of raceShow. 2. NILP 3 QuJS (3 Ruff) meets the same GtrU 3. RhlP 4 KxSE Qh2 mate

Sakuro 4818

Quiz

1 Ice cream 2 Sicily 3 Alan Sugar 4 Drizzle 5 Arthur C Clarke 6 David Attenborough, as in the RRS Sir David Attenborough 7 Bat 8 Historiography 9 The Winter's Tale, referring to the character Antigonus 10 Your Love is King 11 Modest Mussorgsky 12 Marie-Antoine Carême 13 Labrum 14 Hull City 15 Lord Carrington

---

THE TIMES

12.08.26

MindGames

For extra puzzles See page 10

Word watch

David Parfitt

Turnhalle

a The abode of the minor Norse gods b A building for gymnastics c A sunflower

Aglet

a A heron chick

b The tag on the end of

a shoelace

c A fiery particle or spark

Doryphore

a A chemical released in scent marking b A self-righteously pedantic critic c A story of dubious authenticity

Answers on page 15

Sudoku Difficult No 17019

Fiendish No 17020

Super fiendish No 17021

		1					7
		7			8			9
					4		3	2
	4			5	1	6
	8	5					2
	3			9	7	1
					2		4	8
		4			3			1
		8					6

			2
				1	4		8	9
					5	6		2
4				7
	2		8	9			7
	3	7					1
		6					3
	8			6	7	9
	4	5

		7	8			2
4	8		1			3
	5				8		9	1
	1	4		3		5	6
8	6		4				3
		6			5		7	3
		8			7	1

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 Mr Whippy is a "soft-serve" brand of which dessert food? 2 Corleone is a town of about 11,000 people on which Italian island? 3 Which businessman said: "You couldn't sell a bone to Battersea dogs' home" on The Apprentice? 4 In aviation weather forecasts, DZ is an abbreviation for what type of rain? 5 Which English science fiction author wrote the 1997 novel 1001: The Final Odyssey? 6 Launched in 2018, the UK's state-of-the-art polar research ship is named after which naturalist?

7 The soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) is one of the UK's most common species of what animal? 8 What is the study of history and how it is written? 9 Which Shakespeare play features the famous

stage direction "Exit, pursued by bear"?

10 Reaching No 6, which 1984 song is Sade's only UK Top 10 hit single? 11 Which Russian composer's opera Khavanishchina was almost finished in

piano score when he died in 1881? 12 Which "architect of French cuisine" wrote the culinary work Le Pittissier royal parisien (1815)? 13 Which London menswear brand was founded in 2014 by Foday Dumbaya? 14 Acun Ilicali, known as the "Turkish Simon Cowell", owns which newly promoted Premier League football club? 15 Which foreign secretary, who became Nato secretary general, is pictured?

Answers on page 15

Sakuro No 4818

For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com

The Times Quick Cryptic No 3378 by Joker

1		2		3		4			5	6		7
8						9		10
11				12
13		14					15					16
					17
18										19
20								21
22					23

Across

1 Vehicle days on station? This may be sent home (8) 5 Massage following last of fattening food (4) 8 Ship's back badly set by Royal Navy (5) 9 Standard form of Laos sunshade (7) 11 A representative unit used in grids (3) 12 Control police stress (9) 13 Versace regularly copy — avoid (6) 15 One good in open flying? (6) 18 What's glued into altered map can show this (9) 19 Catch burbot and gurnard to begin with (3) 20 Fall in support for person learning on the job (7) 21 Concerning blood type forbidden (5) 22 Sign me on working (4) 23 An insect protecting unusual nest — one not here (8)

Down

1 Father's green-coloured in sea voyage (7) 2 Drop off some letter entailing extra postage initially (5) 3 Device, something to stop pregnancy shunned by church (11) 4 Restore theatre song (6) 6 Book place to watch game (7) 7 Rubbish for instance library turned up (5) 10 Seek to preserve rare fig tree that's damaged (11) 14 Depressed on being in cold underground chamber (7) 16 Garment close to neckwear (7) 17 Excellent first two-thirds of US football championship match (6) 18 See about excessive style of bingo (5) 19 Inflate vessel outside lock (5)

Yesterday's solution on page 15

Subscribe for more puzzles

• Puzzles updated daily
• Play against the clock
• Compete in our leaderboard
• Play offline and online

To try a digital subscription, visit thetimes.com/subscribe

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES