The Times - 03.08.2026.pdf星期一 2026年8月3日 / thetimes.com / 第 75101 号 年度日报
新任教育大臣今日声称，强迫学校优先考虑学术学习直接导致一百万名年轻人未在接受正式学习、培训或工作，与此同时，她暗示计划对课程进行重大改革。在给《泰晤士报》发表的一篇文章中，露西·鲍威尔表示，学校陷入了被强迫仅优先考虑英语、科学和历史等学术科目的“束缚”之中，这导致数百万儿童被“一次又一次地贴上失败者的标签”。她表示，作为撤销迈克尔·高夫（现为高夫勋爵）教育改革行动的一部分，她打算“重新审视我们教给孩子的内容，以及我们是否在为他们未来的生活提供必要的准备”。
政府正在考虑对课程进行修改，这是贝基·弗朗西斯教授的一项审查建议的一部分。弗朗西斯报告在很大程度上维持了高夫勋爵的改革不变，但建议青少年参加较少的普通中等教育证书考试（GCSE），因为担心他们压力过大，且教学侧重于应试而非理解学科。据了解，鲍威尔希望进一步允许学生在更早的年龄专注于更多技术性科目。
鲍威尔写道：“我们不能再忽视太多（儿童）被遗弃，或者被一个变得过于单一的教育系统所排斥。我们也不能忽视现代经济或社会需求，要求我们重新审视我们教给孩子的内容，以及我们是否在为他们未来的生活提供必要的准备。
‘一刀切’的方法根本不适合所有孩子。对于某些人来说，这已成为一种束缚。这种束缚导致太多人被贴上失败者的标签——一次又一次——而不是能够发挥他们的潜力。”
鲍威尔表示，她的变革并非“对抱负的攻击”，并补充说这些改革将全面提高标准。但这些举措在教育界部分人士中可能会引发争议，因为这些人认为高夫勋爵提高了学校标准。在15岁人群的数学表现国际排名中，英格兰从2009年的第27位上升到2023年的第11位。在科学方面，英格兰从第16位上升到第13位。高夫勋爵改革的支持者表示，在拥有分权教育系统的北爱尔兰、苏格兰和威尔士并未看到类似的提升。
位于温布利米凯拉社区学校的校长、工党改革的著名批评者凯瑟琳·比尔巴尔辛指责部长们降低了预期。她说：“我们在教育中说的最大的谎言就是事情‘太学术化’了。”她认为，学生在普通中等教育证书考试（GCSE）数学科目中仅需获得大约 20% 的分数即可及格。她补充道：“30%的孩子甚至没能达到这个分数。这怎么能叫‘太学术化’？支持工党的教师们正在抗议安迪·伯纳姆和露西·鲍威尔对学术标准的攻击。工党需要倾听他们的声音。”
前英国教育标准局（Ofsted）负责人、保守党贵族施皮尔曼男爵夫人表示，工党面临着在学术教育和技术教育之间制造虚假选择的风险。她指出，那些职业教育体系最受推崇的欧洲国家“并不会放弃学术方面”，因为学生会一直学习包括科学、历史和外语在内的科目直到 18 岁。
“有一种简单的二元论想法，认为一旦你到了 14 岁，一点英语、数学和技术 [知识] 就是大多数人应该做的所有事情，而我——”
奥利弗·赖特 政策编辑 代价 第 1 页
V2 周一 2026年8月3日 / 《泰晤士报》新闻
由于一个透明度法庭维持了怀特霍尔 (英国政府机关所在地) 试图对审查程序保密的做法，选民被剥夺了得知是否有任何部长在过去申报过刑事犯罪记录的权利。初级法庭上个月裁定，出于数据保护原因，不允许通过《泰晤士报》的请求来获取基尔·斯塔默爵士政府中在审查程序中申报过刑事记录的部长人数。
该请求是由露易丝·海格的辞职所引发的。海格在被曝出未能公开披露一项欺诈罪定罪后，被迫辞去交通大臣一职。此次请求旨在确认是否有其他在任部长在任命审查期间做出过类似的申报。随后，海格被斯塔默的继任者安迪·伯纳姆重新任命为兰开斯特公国大臣。
法庭承认，鉴于部长的刑事记录需保持秘密，这种公共利益是巨大的，法庭规则指出“该请求涉及公共生活的标准以及担任部长职务人员的廉正”，且“部长行使巨大的公共权力，公众对旨在确保其胜任职务的系统进行审查具有合法的公共利益”。然而，法庭认为，该信息“不应被披露，因为所寻求的信息构成刑事犯罪数据。议会已赋予此类信息增强的保护”。
法庭接受了内阁办公室正当性与伦理团队主任西蒙·马登提供的证据，认为披露可能会产生影响，因为“该过程部分依赖于在预期保密的情况下做出的坦率披露”。法庭甚至认为，即使披露“没有部长申报过刑事记录”这一事实，也可能构成对内阁每位现任成员“刑事犯罪数据”的非法披露。
这一决定并非一致通过。专家组中的少数反对者认为，该请求寻求的是关于任命过程中“披露行为”的信息，而非刑事定罪本身，且这种坦率程度理应受到民主监督。该成员写道：“意向部长需自行判断哪些信息应当被妥善披露。该过程依赖于坦率。并没有法定披露特定事项的义务，也不要求报告每一个潜在的相关问题。”
“所寻求的信息涉及个人在面对广泛的胜任能力调查时选择披露的内容。它不涉及个体是否实际上具有刑事定罪这一底层问题。”
政府拒绝在信息自由法之外告知伯纳姆政府中申报过刑事定罪的部长人数，并拒绝就其认为为何该信息不应公开披露发表任何评论。
“我认为这从根本上就想错了，”她补充道。在她的文章中，鲍威尔直接将大量年轻人未接受教育、培训或未就业的情况归咎于高夫，称他们被他的改革所辜负。
“100万。这就是在迈克尔·高夫主政的教育体制中，现在被留在教育体系之外、没有就业且没有接受培训的年轻人数量，”她写道。“这不是巧合——而是一个结果。这就是他的遗产。”她补充道：“来自……”
迈克尔·高夫 (高夫勋爵) 正在做的事情。露西·鲍威尔是教育大臣，根深蒂固的劣势群体以及那些有特殊教育需求的群体受到了特别的冷落。同样如此的还有那些天赋和技能在学术之外——在创意科目、技术或熟练工作或更实际应用领域——的人。一刀切的方法根本不适合所有儿童。对于某些人来说，它已变成一件“束缚衣”。这种束缚衣导致太多人一次又一次地被贴上失败者的标签，而不是能够发挥他们的潜力。教育应该是一本护照。一本进入职场、进入生活、迈向下一阶段的护照。就目前情况而言，太多人没有获得这本护照。修复这一点需要我们大胆行动。它要求我们在学术、技术和创意路径上，与我们辛勤工作的教师一起，不断提高我们所做每一件事的标准。与此同时，我们必须扩大教育的雄心，使其适用于每个孩子。这意味着无论孩子们的激情所在何处，都要给更多的孩子提供一本成功的护照，并且，是的，创建高质量的职业选择。
哈米德·帕特尔爵士（Sir Hamid Patel）对此表示赞同，高夫勋爵曾对他所管理的学校给予公正的赞扬。他与亚德利的一位莫里斯男爵夫人共同主持了关于白人工人阶级教育成果的独立调查。他们呼吁学校、学院、雇主和社区之间建立更强有力的联系，从而使高标准与进入进一步学习的高质量路径相匹配。高夫勋爵留下的遗产是 100 万被抛在后面的人。
露西·鲍威尔 评论
有特殊教育需求的群体受到了特别的冷落。同样如此的还有那些天赋和技能在学术之外——在创意科目、技术或熟练工作或更实际应用领域——的人。”鲍威尔得到了皇家工程院首席执行官塔玛拉·芬克尔斯坦女爵士（Dame Tamara Finkelstein）的支持，后者对政府更加重视技术教育表示欢迎，称这对于帮助雇主培养他们所需的熟练劳动力至关重要。学校和学院领导者协会总书记佩佩·迪·伊拉西奥（Pepe Di’Iasio）表示，加强教育、技能与当地就业之间的联系，“可能是减少目前数量惊人的、既不在学习也不在赚钱的年轻人的积极一步”。
高夫勋爵指责部长们表现出“雄心匮乏”，并警告称，这些改革有可能抵消多年来在提高标准方面取得的进步。他表示，人们存在一种“自然倾向”，认为“能够享受或从学术课程中受益的学生数量在 16 岁之前是有局限的”。他补充道：“这正表现出一种雄心匮乏，因为表现最好的学校……成功地吸引了来自劣势家庭的学生，并且……他们能够确保这些孩子获得成功。”
续自第 1 页 学校“束缚衣”
《泰晤士报》 / 星期一 2026年8月3日 新闻
正如《泰晤士报》所描述的，凭借“其轻松的魅力和深邃的英俊外貌”，约翰·格雷格森 (John Gregson) 成为英国最著名的电影明星之一，出演过《威士忌大丰收》(Whisky Galore)、《日内瓦》(Genevieve) 和《波涛之上》(Above Us the Waves) 等作品，这并不令人意外。但对他众多的粉丝来说，令人惊讶的可能是格雷格森（他于 1975, 年去世）在第二次世界大战期间作为温斯顿·丘吉尔的“海盗”之一所扮演的戏剧性角色。一本新书揭露了格雷格森此前未发表的信件和日记，展示了他在皇家海军扫雷舰上的经历如何启发了他的电影明星职业生涯。格雷格森于 1919, 年出生在一个天主教家庭，是六个孩子中最小的一个，他住在利物浦佩尼巷 (Penny Lane) 附近，并培养了对业余戏剧的热爱。战争爆发后，他加入了海军，并发现自己驾驶着一艘名为“克里亚多号”(Kerryado) 的 250 吨武装扫雷拖网渔船。
这项工作非常危险，且在格雷格森等志愿者招募者的支持下得到了加强。作者兼历史学家威尔·艾里代尔 (Will Iredale) 发现了格雷格森的战争时期信件、日记和照片。此外，还有一份由格雷格森之子撰写的私人传记。艾里代尔表示：“作为多年来在那个 era, 时期出演过多部大制作电影的银幕男主角，约翰·格雷格森对数百万人来说是一个熟悉的面孔。但正如这些非凡的战时信件现在所揭示的，也许他所有角色中最重要且最勇敢的一员，就是担任丘吉尔‘海盗’的一员。”在谈到皇家海军辅助巡逻队 (RNPS) 的重要性时，艾里代尔补充道：“从最初仅 4,000, 人的规模，它成长为一个超过 70,000 人的庞大舰队，在超过 6,000 艘改装的拖网渔船、漂流渔船和其他小船上服役，从战争的第一天直到最后一天都在战斗，执行扫雷、搜猎 U 型潜艇以及在全球所有战区护航的任务。有 3,000 多人丧生，五分之一的船只被击沉——比皇家海军的任何其他部门都多。”
战后，格雷格森在英国电影的繁荣时期继续从事演艺工作。他在伊灵制片厂 (Ealing studios) 工作，拍摄了包括《南极的斯科特》(Scott of the Antarctic) 和《蒂特菲尔德雷电》(The Titfield Thunderbolt) 在内的电影。他最大的成功出现在 1953 年，当时他出演了《日内瓦》，这是一部关于从伦敦到布赖顿汽车拉力赛的喜剧。这部电影将格雷格森推向了电影之星的高度。到 20 世纪 50 年代末，他在十年内拍摄了 23 部电影。丘吉尔在《暴风雨将至》(The Gathering Storm)（其著作《第二次世界大战》的第一卷）中称赞了扫雷船员。这位战时领导人写道：“他们的辛勤劳作和不懈覆盖是我们的救赎。我们生存所依赖的海上交通得以毫无中断地进行。”《丘吉尔的海盗：帮助赢得二战的海上英雄》(Churchill’s Pirates: The Seafaring Heroes Who Helped Win WWII) 将于周四由企鹅出版社出版。
一件关于维多利亚时代投毒谜案核心人物的童年雕塑已被禁止出口，并被买下交给国民信托基金会 (National Trust)，安置在她儿时的家中。弗洛伦斯·坎贝尔 (Florence Campbell) 因其第二任丈夫查尔斯·布拉沃 (Charles Bravo) 一桩未破的谋杀案而臭名昭著，包括阿加莎·克里斯蒂 (Agatha Christie) 在内的业余侦探们自 1876. 年起就一直在思考此案。作为一名澳大利亚商人的长女，坎贝尔在牛津郡的巴斯科特公园 (Buscot Park) 长大。 19 岁时，她嫁给了亚历山大·里卡多 (Alexander Ricardo)，一名骑兵军官且患有严重的酒精依赖。在 1870, 年，当她在伍斯特郡的马尔文 (Malvern) 寻求休养时，她由詹姆斯·古利 (James Gully) 医生治疗，这位医生比她大 37 岁。
ALAMY 幸运的人。他后来写道：“如果那个没选中你，那么你就能在这一堆东西中活下来。而就在那时，我决定我想尝试演戏。”
“战争结束之时。”格雷格森的故事被收录在丘吉尔的《海盗：助力赢得二战的航海英雄》中，该书记录了一支最初由前深海渔民驾驶的航海舰队的故事，其组建由丘吉尔监督。由于外表不修边幅，该小组被戏称为“丘吉尔的海盗”，官方名称为皇家海军巡逻队 (RNPS)。
维多利亚时代中毒嫌疑人的雕塑被救回国内
安娜·多威尔（Anna Dowell senior）提到，佛罗伦萨·坎贝尔（Florence Campbell）曾使用“水疗法”治疗查尔斯·狄更斯、阿尔弗雷德·丁尼写勋爵和弗罗伦斯·南丁格尔。正如格里（Gully）后来在法庭上承认的那样，“她经常孤身一人”，于是两人开始了地下情。1871年，在她与丈夫正式分居后，里卡多去世，给坎贝尔留了一笔遗产。由于被家人驱逐，她继续与格里维持秘密关系。为了挽回名誉，
1875年，她嫁给了律师布拉沃（Bravo），两人搬到了伦敦南部的巴尔汉姆。布拉沃在得知根据新的《已婚妇女财产法》，他并不拥有坎贝尔继承的财产时感到愤怒。四个月后，他在与妻子及其管家简·考克斯（Jane Cox）共进晚餐后，因金属锑中毒突然死亡。在法庭上，考克斯声称布拉沃对她说：“我服毒了，别告诉佛罗伦萨。”一周后的死因研讯中，陪审团给出了开放式裁决，尽管验尸官得出结论认为他可能是自杀。据《泰晤士报》报道，其家人要求进行第二次研讯，坎贝尔与格里的私情因此被“公之于众”。这对夫妇被解雇的马车夫曾使用锑来给马驱虫，因此成为了嫌疑人，温顺的管家和坎贝尔本人也是如此，尽管她从未被起诉。克里斯蒂认为，一个更可能的嫌疑人是格里。
克里斯蒂在 1968 年的《周日泰晤士报》中写道，“他是唯一拥有绝对动机的人”，甚至怀疑格里在坎贝尔第一任丈夫的死中“扮演了角色”。第二次研讯的陪审团认定布拉沃被“蓄意谋杀”，但无法指认投毒者。坎贝尔随后搬到汉普郡的索斯西，在那里她酗酒而死，享年 33 岁。亨利·约瑟夫·弗朗索瓦·德·特里凯特男爵（Baron Henri Joseph Francois de Triqueti）于 1857 年创作的坎贝尔 12 岁及其妹妹爱丽丝 9 岁的雕塑此前被卖给了一名海外买家，直到去年其出口被禁止。法灵顿收藏信托基金会（Faringdon Collection Trust）和爱丽丝·坎贝尔的一位后代现已出资 £280,000 买回该雕塑及其底座，安置在巴斯科特公园（Buscot Park）。第一任法灵顿男爵的曾孙詹姆斯·亨德森（James Henderson）表示：“我觉得我们把佛罗伦萨和爱丽丝带回家了。佛罗伦萨被埋在巴斯科特教堂墓地的一块简陋石板下，上面只有她的
首字母。这件雕刻来自一个更快乐的时光。”
伊灵之星的冒险角色：丘吉尔的“海盗”
1941 年 3 月，“凯里亚多号”（Kerryado）在英吉利海峡触碰了一枚德国水雷。格雷格森被抛向空中。他后来写信给家人说，他当时“震惊得不知恐惧。而海水——汹涌的急流在周围盘旋沸腾。”他摔回甲板，低头一看，发现膝盖“虽然不怎么疼，但形状很奇怪”。格雷格森在倾斜的拖网渔船上踉跄行走，然后跳入了冰冷且覆盖着油污的海水中。他被另一艘拖网渔船的船员救起，在那里他“直接瘫在甲板上，躺在那儿好一会儿，紧紧抱着木板！那时我们都在发抖，但到了舱下，他们给了我们干衣服和朗姆酒，感觉好多了。噢，他们真是太棒的家伙了！……他们的一名船员为了……”
救了我们其中一个刚刚开始虚弱的男孩。我们对他们充满感激。”这次经历让他意识到，他想在战后转而从事表演工作。“当我在医院康复期间，我想对我说：‘你，约翰·格雷格森’，左图，在扫雷舰上，下方为他 1940 年身穿水手服的样子。战后，他主演了诸如 1953 年的喜剧片《珍妮薇芙》等热门作品，这部电影将格雷格森（右上图）推向了星途。凯特·曼西在文中写道，一本新书讲述了约翰·格雷格森在一支杂牌舰队中的战时服役经历如何激励了他的表演。雕塑展示了弗洛伦斯·坎贝尔和她的妹妹爱丽丝。
Monday August 3 2026 / 《泰晤士报》新闻
国家医疗服务体系 (NHS) 正努力应对由夏季热浪引起创纪录的需求，部分医院因无法应对高温而取消了手术。卫生官员认为，由于与极端天气相关的心脏病发作和中风等并发症，今年夏天已有近 3,000 名患者死亡。NHS 表示，夏季给其带来的“压力与冬季一样大”。数据表明，急诊部门在 6 月份的繁忙程度超过了记录以来任何一个冬季月份，且 999 紧急电话和全科医生 (GP) 预约量比去年夏天增加了 10%。由于老旧的 NHS 建筑“不具备应对能力”，数家医院宣布进入关键事件状态，这意味着核磁共振 (MRI) 扫描、血液检测和手术被推迟。极少有全科医生诊所或医院病房安装有空调，空调仅优先安装在手术室等关键空间。
致命热浪给 NHS 带来的压力与冬季相同
据英国健康安全局 (UKHSA) 估计，5 月和 6 月的热浪导致了 2,877 例超额死亡。家庭医生报告称，由于患者需要针对与热相关疾病或病情恶化寻求建议，需求量创下纪录。6 月份共有 34.9 million 次全科医生预约，高于去年同月的 31.4 million 次。NHS 英格兰初级护理国家主任阿曼达·多伊尔博士表示：“数据显示，在全国应对接连热浪期间，全科医生团队处理的预约、电话和在线请求数量超过了记录中任何一个 6 月。极端高温可能非常危险，特别是对于儿童、老年人以及患有心脏病等既有疾病、更容易生病的人群。”
6 月份，当每日气温创下 38°C 的纪录时，平均每天有 81,264 人就诊于急诊室，使其成为记录以来最繁忙的月份。NHS 国家医学总监弗兰基·索兹教授表示：“夏天现在给 NHS 带来的压力与冬天一样大，工作人员面临着汹涌的需求。”在诺福克郡，由于核磁共振设备在高温下发生故障，数百名患者的关键扫描被取消。英格兰皇家外科学院院长蒂姆·莱恩表示：“在极端高温下，手术室更难安全维持，过高温度会影响关键设备。手术可能会被推迟或取消。”
“在一家医院，过高的湿度触发了火警，导致手术被迫取消。虽然外科团队在长时间手术后可以离开手术室，但患者却要回到闷热的病房。随着夏季预计将继续变得更加炎热，解决方案早已迟到。”皇家全科医生学院副院长门罗·斯图尔特博士表示：“许多诊所不具备应对极端高温的能力，而所有迹象都表明热浪将变得更加普遍，这种情况在未来只会进一步恶化。”斯图尔特表示，对全科医生诊所的投资至关重要。由于预计本月将有更多炎热天气，英国健康安全局表示，“2026 年很可能会出现记录以来最高数量的热相关死亡人数”。卫生大臣伊薇特·库珀表示：“我对所有在近几个月漫长且剧烈的热浪中失去亲人的人表示慰问。”
6
国家农民联盟警告称，如果干旱情况持续，英国可能会面临食品短缺。其主席汤姆·布拉德肖表示，小麦和燕麦的产量“非常、非常低”，且蔬菜生产商正处于……
水资源短缺。埃莉诺·海沃德 (Eleanor Hayward) 健康编辑。一位环境专家警告称，再野化项目在过渡期间有时会出现野火风险的“激增”，这可能需要禁止人员进入。关于在英国周围恢复森林或荒野的再野化项目是否通过改变植物（如草类和灌木，可作为火灾燃料）的丰度和性质，从而加剧了近期热浪期间野火的严重程度和扩散范围，目前存在争议。
向再野化过渡“可能会增加野火风险”
英国皇家鸟类保护学会 (RSPB) 否认了有关其在明斯米尔 (Minsmere) 保护区（萨福克郡野火发源地）的土地管理可能加剧火灾严重程度的说法，并指出该保护区在过去的 79 年里一直受到“谨慎且广泛的管理”。一名 RSPB 发言人表示，该学会“在所有保护区都极其严肃地对待野火风险”，包括通过开辟防火带和恢复湿地。他补充道：“我们长期建立了相应的流程，以帮助预防火灾并在火灾发生时迅速响应，但必须记住，今年夏天的野火在规模上是前所未有的。”
伦敦政治经济学院环境地理学副教授托马斯·史密斯 (Thomas Smith) 表示，再野化计划的关键在于过渡阶段管理得多么谨慎。他指出：“如果你有一个灌木丛生且长草的景观，那么在一年中的很长一段时间里——无论是春季还是在出现热浪的夏季——你都会拥有充足的干燥燃料。”史密斯补充说，“如果你将人员从景观中移走，起火的可能性就会降低”。
然而，来自 WSP 工程公司“准备未来” (Future Ready) 计划的大卫·赛蒙斯 (David Symons) 表示：“你完全可以提出一个合理的论点，即再野化实际上降低了火灾风险。”
卡雅·伯吉斯 (Kaya Burgess) 科学记者
凯迪拉克待售
一辆为伊丽莎白公主和菲利普亲王在 1951 年访问加拿大期间定制的凯迪拉克敞篷车即将拍卖。拉斯维加斯的 Barrett-Jackson 拍卖行表示，这辆黑色自动挡车辆将不设底价拍卖，预计成交价将超过 £100,000，该经典车型将于 9 月 10 日至 12 日进行拍卖。
海藻需要一个名字
一种新发现的带有粉色“斑马”条纹的海藻物种需要一个俗名。最初在 40 年前于康沃尔海岸附近发现该碎片片段的植物学家正征求公众建议。该物种被称为 ceramium ruenessianum，由克里斯蒂娜·马格斯 (Christine Maggs) 教授发现，其研究结果将发表在《藻类学》(Phycologia) 期刊上。
爱德华分享诗作
曾名声大噪后陷入丑闻的前 BBC 新闻主播休·爱德华斯 (Huw Edwards) 在他称之为首首诗的作品中，以一个“被诅咒的儿子”的身份反思了羞耻感。这部作品原以威尔士语创作，是为国家埃斯泰德沃德 (National Eisteddfod) 创作的向其已故父亲致敬的作品。64 岁的爱德华斯在博客平台 Substack 上分享了这首诗，并表示：“我希望读者能从中获得启发。”
A A D D D D E E E E F G H H I I I I L L L M M M N N O O S U V Y 仅使用下方每个字母一次，解决所有五个简洁线索： 1 隐含的，假定的 (5) 2 中心部分 (6) 3 属之上的分类群 (6) 4 板球运动中的零分出局 (6) 5 共同生活的一群人 (9)
Quintagram® 第 2636 号 答案请见 T2 MindGames 第 14 页 隐喻线索见 T2 MindGames 第 15 页
早餐时间：上午 6 点至 10 点 我们的免费广播电台每天早晨为您提供最新的头条新闻、采访和辩论 每周 7 天持续播出 通过 DAB 接收
app、网站和智能音箱 ANADOLU / GETTY IMAGES 1951 年在温尼伯的皇家访问
在雅典西北部一场摧毁了 100 栋以上房屋的巨大火灾中，两架直升机相撞，导致两名航空消防员死亡。该国消防和救援服务部门表示，事故发生在距离希腊首都 40 英里的普萨萨（Psatha）附近。当局称，其中一架飞机上的一名希腊人和一名丹麦人遇难，而另一架直升机上的一个英国人和一个希腊人在安全着陆后幸存。
网络上发布的视频显示，两架直升机在低空交叉路径。下方直升机的主旋翼击中了上方飞机的底部，随后该飞机起火坠毁。第二架直升机随后倾倒了载水量并飞离。希腊官员在对该地区进行搜寻后确认了死亡人数。
这些飞机当时正在科林斯湾的波多格梅诺（Porto Germeno）沿海度假胜地附近扑救火灾。火势向南蔓延，到达了韦尼扎（Veniza）定居点和一个军事射击场，点燃了未爆炸的弹药。消防员正集中精力防止火势向人口约为 30,000 人的沿海小镇梅加拉（Megara）推进。超过 500 名消防员正试图控制火势。
总理基里亚科斯·米措塔基斯（Kyriakos Mitsotakis）表示：“在某些时刻，自然的力量和天气条件的强度超出了所有人类的规划和每一种作战能力。”
阿提卡地区西部的定居点已发布紧急警报和疏散令。在每年有超过 750,000 名游客访问的爱奥尼亚群岛凯法洛尼亚岛（Kefalonia），疏散工作也在进行中。当地的一场火灾在岛屿南部的帕斯特拉（Pastra）地区爆发。
英国消防员在希腊坠机事故中幸存
雅典西北部发生两架直升机相撞（见上图）的火灾已超出“所有人类的规划”，希腊总理如此表示。
雅典 普萨萨 希腊 10 英里 直升机坠毁的大致位置 活跃的山火
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 新闻 希腊警方在调查一名英国女性在雅典死亡的案件中，逮捕了一名 26 岁的阿富汗男子，据称该男子在死者居住的大楼内担任清洁工。38 岁的伊丽莎白-简·罗斯 (Elisabeth-Jane Ross) 的尸体于 7 月 18 日在一栋废弃建筑内的行李箱中被发现。雅典警方表示，该男子因涉嫌过失致死和抢劫被捕，侦探认为他使用了受害者的银行卡提取了数千欧元。警方补充称，据信他将罗斯的尸体放入箱中，并将其丢弃在基普塞利 (Kypseli) 的一栋废弃建筑内，那是雅典一个无家可归者经常出没的社区。“这名 26 岁男子 [涉嫌] 在接下来的几天里使用受害者的银行卡提取资金，”一名发言人说道。“在对其住所进行搜查期间，发现并没收了一把仿制手枪和一把刀。”
警方消息人士称，该男子声称发现罗斯时她已经死亡，并承认他拿走了她的银行卡并丢弃尸体以掩盖行踪。但住在罗斯所住公寓楼的当地居民表示，周四询问他们的警员询问是否听到过她的公寓里传出尖叫声，该公寓距离发现尸体的地方步行 10 分钟路程。阿提卡警察工会的乔治·卡利亚克马尼斯 (George Kalliakmanis) 表示，侦探们目前的推论是罗斯是在公寓内被杀的。他告诉《泰晤士报》：“[嫌疑人] 及其妻子在该栋伊丽莎白居住的大楼工作，担任清洁工。他涉嫌杀害了她，拿走了她的银行卡，并将她的尸体放入行李箱或箱子中。然后，他使用手推车将其运送到废弃建筑中。到达那里后，他意识到所使用的行李箱可能会留下指纹，因此他将尸体转移到第二个行李箱中，试图更加小心以避免留下指纹。然而，仍然发现了指纹。”
“在那之后，他前往阿拉霍瓦 (Arachova) [希腊中部的一个山村]。他还使用她的手机给她的朋友和熟人发送信息。”罗斯的手机被用来发送信息，直到 7 月 29 日她的身份被公开。她的父亲是一名来自爱丁堡的律师，他告诉警方，直到她身份被正式确认的那天，他一直收到来自她手机的信息。侦探认为凶手是在利用该设备掩盖行踪。其中一条于 7 月 15 日发送给一位希腊朋友的短信写道：“我需要一些时间——我要去一个希腊岛屿。”其他发送给家人的信息则声称她“需要一些私人时间”以及她“想一个人待一会儿”。据《邮报》报道，7 月 24 日——即其尸体被发现 6 天后——她的 Facebook 页面上还发布了一条帖子，宣布她打算前往土耳其。
调查人员表示，该手机尚未被找到，但在上周三罗斯的身份被公开之前，一直在雅典处于活跃状态。这名苏格兰女性经常前往希腊，在非政府组织 (NGO) 担任志愿者，并与受虐女性和难民中心合作。她参与志愿服务的团体包括雅典的 One Heart 组织，该组织为难民（尤其是来自伊朗和阿富汗的人员）提供医疗支持。在该市发现其尸体的基普塞利地区，当地居民报告称，在失踪前曾见过一名符合其描述的女性在与无家可归者交谈。罗斯住在雅典凯拉齐尼 (Keratsini) 区的希腊朋友处，但她告诉他们
伊丽莎白-简·罗斯，38 岁，以及她在雅典居住的公寓楼。这名苏格兰女性在帮助难民的组织中担任志愿者。
她于7月15日在基普塞利访问一些美国朋友。然而，一名警方消息人士称，并没有此类朋友出面提供信息。消息来源确认，在凯拉齐尼的一对希腊夫妇并非嫌疑人，并在审讯期间向警方提供了有用信息。家人对6月下旬飞抵雅典的罗斯表达了悼念。她的姨妈安妮·班汉表示：“这太可怕了。她是一个如此美丽、可爱且善良的年轻女性。她才刚到那里工作不久。”
一名阿富汗清洁工因一名英国人被发现死在行李箱中而被捕 乔治·奥德林，雅典，伊罗·帕帕
音乐节在23 hurt in stampede后取消 黛比·怀特
在伦敦的一次音乐节上，一场踩踏事故导致20多人受伤，在被宣布为“重大事件”后，主办方被迫突然取消了这次周末活动。在“公园加纳派对”（Ghana Party in the Park）踩踏事故中受伤的部分人员接受了心肺复苏（CPR），其中三人被送往医院。
大都会警察局的一名发言人表示，周六下午6点后不久，北伦敦巴尼特的科普索尔运动场（Copthall Playing Fields）发生火灾，导致人群涌动。他补充道：“入口附近的一场小火导致大门暂时关闭。当大门重新打开时，聚集的人群向前涌。”
他表示，警员和组织者“迅速做出反应，并在”汹涌的人群与被困在地面上的伤者之间“形成了屏障”。他说，警方“对受伤人员进行了初步医疗救护，包括心肺复苏。随后，作为协调响应的一部分，医护人员和消防员也加入了进来。”
“共有23人接受了来自应急服务部门或活动医疗团队的某种形式的援助，其中九人由伦敦救护车服务机构进行了评估。三人被送往医院，随后确认其伤情不危及生命。”
包括空中救护车在内的数十辆应急车辆赶赴现场。一名参加者基兰·特恩布尔，18, 告诉《太阳报》：“我们看到踩踏事故发生在主入口，那里在进行包检，每个人都在往前挤。人们被用担架抬了出去。现场变得非常、非常混乱。”他表示，这次活动“组织得非常糟糕”。
巴尼特警方在X上发帖称，由于“入口处出现拥挤问题导致数人受轻伤，活动已被取消。关于发生捅人事件的猜测是不准确的。”
在社交媒体的一则公开通知中，音乐节组织者将这次“突然关闭”归咎于一次“不幸的事故”。他们表示，关闭音乐节的决定“完全是基于健康和安全理由”，并补充道：“我们祝愿所有受伤人员早日康复，并祝大家平安回家。”
该音乐节是加纳以外规模最大的加纳活动，吸引了来自英国、欧洲、美国、加拿大和加纳的8,000多名游客。《泰晤士报》已联系组织者以寻求进一步评论。
一名处于剽窃争议中心的剑桥大学学者正面临进一步审查，此前有指控称，警方对他声称被寄给父母的一个猪头进行了调查。杰森·阿代曾被誉为该大学历史上最年轻的黑人教授，但在被指控在博士论文中使用了其他学者的作品后，陷入了剽窃丑闻。在上周接受《泰晤士报》采访时，他承认作品中存在错误，但否认自己是“骗子”。现在，他面临进一步审查，因为他声称关于他的 per- Seven Up 当时，而 Seven Up 基本上是指他们跟在你后面
你生命的时长。所以他们会在 7, 14, 21 岁时追踪你，而我在 14 岁时被移出了该项目。”据了解，阿尔代主张他谈论的是一个非正式的黑人母亲网络，该网络与由 Granada Television 制作并在 1964 年起由 ITV 和 BBC 播出的系列节目同名。一名接近阿尔代的消息人士表示：“这是一个由当地社区和家长主导的倡议，围绕‘养育一个孩子需要整个村庄’的 Ubuntu 原则而建立……提及‘Seven Up’只是非正式地将其作为该概念的简短说明。”Good Law Project 发起了一项支持阿尔代的请愿。签名者包括绿党领袖扎克·波兰斯基 (Zack Polanski)、剑桥大学耶稣学院院长索尼塔·艾琳 (Sonita Alleyne) 以及剑桥大学霍默顿学院院长伍德福德的伍利勋爵 (Lord Woolley of Woodford)。阿尔代已被要求就此发表评论。
抄袭风波：教授因猪头指控面临审查
克里斯托尔·琼斯 (Crystal Jones) 的个人生活，包括据称他遭受的虐待程度。在周六发表的《卫报》采访中，他声称一个被切断的猪头被送到了他位于南伦敦的父母家中。他告诉该报，警方在对该指控事件进行调查时与一名当地屠夫进行了交谈。他表示，警员发现该屠夫在相关早晨卖出了一头“整猪”。然而，大都会警察局告诉《泰晤士报》，他们“找不到任何涉及猪头的指控记录，也没有任何关于警员走访屠夫的后续主张记录”。一名发言人表示：“就我们所见，我们唯一的参与是收到了一起涉及剑桥一名嫌疑人的网络骚扰指控。
我们将该指控移交给了剑桥郡警方。”据了解，阿尔代坚持其版本的事件经过，朋友们表示他拥有可以证明他确实就猪头问题与警方交谈的录音。他还因在一次电视研讨会上的言论面临质疑，他在会上回忆起参与了被他描述为“Seven Up”的项目。在接受巴斯大学种族平等工作组采访时，阿尔代说：“我实际上参加了一个项目。它现在已经不存在了，但它被称为
《泰晤士报》 / 2026 年 8 月 3 日，星期一 S1 新闻
Restore Britain 的领导人向尼格尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）提出了一项协议，旨在统一英国政治中的“爱国右翼”，因为有证据表明他的政党正在损害英国改革党（Reform UK）的选举前景。鲁珀特·洛（Rupert Lowe）表示，如果改革党采纳他政党的一些政策，他准备搁置个人分歧并与法拉奇合作。这些政策要求大规模遣返英国境内的非法移民、禁止穿波卡（burqa）和食用清真肉，以及就死刑举行全民公投。洛坚持认为，罗伯特·詹里克（Robert Jenrick）和苏埃拉·布拉弗曼（Suella Braverman）等前保守党部长必须被排除在任何“改革-Restore”内阁之外。自去年 3 月因霸凌指控被暂停改革党议员资格以来，这位Restore领导人一直令法拉奇感到棘手。这位千万富翁的政党在新闻中削弱了对法拉奇的支持，旨在阻止穿越英吉利海峡的行动。
在休达（Ceuta）山区的茂密森林中，蒙塞夫·达哈奇（Monsef Daharchi）从藏身之处冒险走到一个观景台的停车场，在确认四周安全后发出了信号（凯蒂·盖滕斯（Katie Gatens）报道）。另外四名年轻人从灌木丛中出现。上周非法越境进入西班牙北非领土休达后，25, 岁的达哈奇已经在休达的山中潜伏了四天。突然，一辆装甲车尖叫着驶入伊莎贝尔二世（Isabel II）观景台的停车场，身穿卡其色制服的官员们跳了下来。移民们在漫天尘土中向山下奔逃，官员们紧随其后。周五，西班牙内政部长宣布，上周涌入休达的 60,000 名移民中，有 48,300 人已返回摩洛哥。他们在发现没有食物、水或避难所后自愿返回。昨日，移民死亡人数达到了 72. 人。但仍有少量且坚定的移民留了下来，试图寻求庇护或通过人口走私者前往伊比利亚半岛。
与此同时，西班牙极右翼 Vox 党的领导人圣地亚哥·阿巴斯卡尔（Santiago Abascal）前往休达，并要求在拉巴特能够保证此次危机不再发生之前，“永久关闭边境口岸”。昨晚，摩洛哥内政部发言人拉希德·卡尔菲（Rachid Khalfi）将移民涌入归咎于社交媒体、人口走私者以及对“法律和行政数据的错误解释”，他指的是西班牙最高法院近期的一项裁决，即如果移民是通过海路进入休达的，则不能将其遣返回摩洛哥。卡尔菲将移民人数定为 40,000 人且有 11 人死亡——远低于西班牙公布的数据。
在主镇郊区的本祖（Benzu）小村庄，昨日在街道上游荡的移民被警察和军队人员围捕，并被引导至贝尼特斯（Benitez）海滩，在那里他们被禁止离开。“我们将像赶羊一样把他们围起来，”一名官员说道。在市外的贝尼特斯海滩，数百人躺在沙地浅坑中，没有任何遮蔽物。另有数百人坐在临时移民中心外。在休达的山区，直升机在空中盘旋，官员们在徒步小径上巡逻，装甲车和吉普车在道路上巡弋。休达设有六个基地和军营，约有 3,500 名士兵驻扎在此。达哈奇计划躲避警察并前往欧洲。“我不想住在西班牙——那里的移民太多了，”他说。“我想住在法国——一个非常好的国家，那里更安全。”他来自摩洛哥的特图安（Tetouan），作为一名砖匠每月赚 €300 (£265)；他在经济上资助父母、妹妹和侄子。“这不够，我得打电话给我的朋友们
“每个月都来帮我，”他说。一些塞塔居民来到停车场分发食物和香烟。“我觉得我必须做点什么，所以我来给他们提供一些水，”没有提供姓氏的朱莉娅说道。两名摩洛哥人与移民交换了电话号码。我们被告知他们是正在收集联系方式的偷渡客。在班祖躲藏的来自丹吉尔的阿拉埃·埃丁·布拉兹已经与他们取得了联系。布拉兹解释说，班祖有人提议将移民带到西班牙本土，一辆水上摩托车搭载三人——一名司机和两名移民，每人支付 €7,000 欧元。“昨天我们看到他们出发了五次，”他说。他声称自己在阿尔梅里亚有家人可以为他付钱。23 岁的布拉兹与 21 岁的弟弟阿纳斯一起骑摩托车旅行，然后在游泳前往塞塔之前将其抛弃。许多人已经回去了，但他坚称自己不会成为其中之一。
“我宁愿死也不愿被送回家，”他说。偷渡客将移民带往西班牙，每辆水上摩托车承载三人，水由西班牙军队提供。在过去的几天里，已有数十人在从摩洛哥出发的陆路和海路跨境过程中丧生。VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA, JACK TAYLOR / 路透社；《泰晤士报》摄影师 RICHARD POHLE。洛（Lowe）向法拉奇提议建立“爱国”右翼联盟。奥利弗·赖特·洛（Oliver Wright Lowe）提议称，对于其他政党的前支持者来说，改革英国党（Reform UK）将“永远有一个家”。“在两年内赢得两次全国选举胜利后，许多人现在意识到，这将是在改革英国党和工党之间做出二元选择，”法拉奇补充道。“爱国选民相信许多相同的事情，但只有一个政党真正有可能带来改变。”
在即将到来的克拉克顿补选中，Restore 党将不会与法拉奇竞争。这次补选是由改革英国党领导人在关于该党资金以及他收到的一位加密货币亿万富翁赠予的 £5 百万英镑礼品曝光后触发的。在所有主要反对党都拒绝派出候选人之后，法拉奇预计将轻松获胜。取而代之的是，创纪录的 34 名候选人（主要是独立候选人）参加了将于 8 月 13 日举行的这次补选。Survation 为 Mandate Research 开展的选区民调发现，在投票率极低的情况下，法拉奇可能获得高达 73% 的选票从而赢得该席位。然而，对法拉奇的反对情绪已凝聚在对搞笑候选人 Binface 伯爵的支持上，后者的民调支持率约为 20%。
针对下次大选的民调发现，法拉奇在该选区仍保持强有力的领先地位，在潜在选民中的支持率约为 56%。工党和保守党的支持率则分别远在 8% 和 10%。保守党战略制定者希望，如果发现法拉奇违反了下议院关于贪腐的规定，其支持率将会下降，如果在第二次补选中，他们将能够挤压改革英国党在该席位的选票。由于主要政党未能参加补选，导致创纪录数量的独立候选人参选。地方议会表示，结果将使选民面对英国政治史上最长的选票，其打印成本是普通选票的四倍。这张 90 厘米（3 英尺）长的选票比大多数成年人的手臂还要长。
在右翼阵营中，其全国民调支持率约为 5%。在周五的大曼彻斯特市长选举中，Restore 党以 9% 的第一志愿票数获得第四名，领先于保守党和自民党。在发布在 X 上的视频中，洛表示，如果法拉奇准备参与“严肃的政策、严肃的改革和严肃的”
政府，那么我们也是”。他补充道：“数百万英国人值得拥有一个爱国政府，将我们的国家利益置于你我之间可能存在的任何个人分歧之上。现在是时候放下分歧，为了我们共同热爱的这个国家而合作了。”Restore党领袖表示，“爱国右翼”正处于绝望的分裂状态，并称：“如果我们能在五项基本原则上达成一致，那么我相信我们能够、应该且必须找到某种形式的合作方式。”法拉格对 Binface 伯爵在克拉克顿 (Clacton) 获得 20% 的民调支持率反应冷淡。
2026年8月3日 星期一 / 《泰晤士报》新闻
一家铁路公司已开始大规模打击逃票的通勤者，此前发现许多人正利用一种新的骗术来避免支付全额票价。南西铁路公司 (South Western Railways, SWR) 表示，其数据显示，在沃克斯霍尔 (Vauxhall) 与伦敦滑铁卢 (London Waterloo) 之间购买的条形码车票中，高达 95 比率被用于欺诈。这种技术被称为“短程票”或“短票”欺诈，即乘客仅购买旅程最后一段的电子票。这使他们能够扫描通过目的地的闸机。截至 6 月，SWR 已禁止购买沃克斯霍尔与滑铁卢之间的电子票，据称在实施的前四周内，此举至少阻止了价值 £45,000 的逃票行为。
AA 表示，应允许自动挡驾驶员在经过一节课后切换到手动挡
根据 AA 的说法，通过自动挡驾驶测试的驾驶员在完成一小时的转换课程后，应被允许驾驶手动挡汽车。这家汽车服务公司的总裁埃德蒙·金 (Edmund King) 告诉 Press Association，让他们等待数月才能进行手动挡驾驶测试“没有意义”。
通过自动挡汽车考试的驾驶员仅被允许驾驶自动挡车辆。如果他们之后想驾驶手动挡车辆，例如在工作时、租车或向朋友或亲戚借车时，必须通过手动挡测试。
来自驾驶员及车辆标准局 (DVSA) 的数据显示，5 月份预约考试的平均等待时间近 22 周，而 2020 年新冠疫情爆发前的 2 月份约为 5 周。
英国参加自动挡测试的学习者人数处于历史最高水平。DVSA 数据显示，在上一财年进行的所有测试中，有 29.4 比率为自动挡，高于 2007-08 年的约 4 比率。
近期普及率激增的电动汽车没有传统的变速箱，这意味着学习驾驶电动车的人参加的是自动挡测试。手动挡汽车拥有通过移动档杆和离合器踏板操作的变速系统，而自动挡在无需驾驶员操作的情况下即可换挡。这意味着它们通常被认为更容易驾驶。
金表示：“大多数自动挡汽车驾驶员能很快培养出良好的道路技能，因此强迫他们花费数月时间去克服驾驶测试的积压，仅仅是为了借一辆手动挡汽车，这是没有意义的。我们需要政府批准由驾驶学校提供的一节转换课程，这样那些通过自动挡测试的人也可以合法地驾驶手动挡车辆。这样的一小时转换课程将帮助那些偶尔需要驾驶手动挡汽车的人合法地这样做。”
“与在 DVSA 努力清理当前测试积压的情况下要求他们重新参加手动挡车辆测试相比，这将更加务实。”
交通部表示：“为了所有道路使用者的安全，任何希望驾驶手动挡汽车的人员必须通过手动挡驾驶测试，我们没有计划更改这一规定。”
解决积压问题所采取的措施包括招聘更多考官并加快培训速度，以及改革预约流程。自 2020 年以来，预约考试的平均等待时间增加了 17 周。
铁路公司堵住让旅客欺骗闸机的漏洞
在团队对从沃克斯霍尔出发并在滑铁卢出示的票数产生怀疑后，打击行动随即展开。几个月前，SWR 团队进行了一系列“拦截”行动，动用 50 人的检查员团队封锁滑铁卢的所有出口，同时在沃克斯霍尔部署一个单独的小规模团队。英国交通
警方提供了支持。警员手动检查了每一张车票。任何声称来自沃克斯霍尔 (Vauxhall) 但其二维码未在车站扫描的人员都会被拦下并质询。SWR 高级营收保护经理雅各布·格伦 (Jakob Grun) 表示：“我们基本上封锁了沃克斯霍尔。因此，我们确保每位经过该地的人都扫描了车票以通过这些闸机。”
“一个常见的理由是‘闸机开着’或‘他们让我通过了’，那么滑铁卢 (Waterloo) 团队只需给沃克斯霍尔团队打个简单的电话，询问‘你们有放行任何人吗？有人强行通过吗？闸机开着吗？’如果所有答案都是‘没有’，那么我们就会告知顾客‘我们在沃克斯霍尔有人员，你并非来自沃克斯霍尔，你到底从哪里来？’”
“我们遇到过每天通勤的人，有的人只是偶尔为之，因为他们听说这是一个购买廉价票的方法，还有学生和大学毕业生。这些人试图欺骗系统，因为他们发现了漏洞。”
如果顾客被判定为欺诈乘车，他们将被开具 £100 的罚款通知书，外加实际旅程的费用。SWR 还将审查其购买历史，以查看是否为惯犯。一名顾客在四年间多次从汉普郡 (Hampshire) 前往伦敦而未持有正确车票，欠款超过 £11,000；另一名顾客在三年多时间里往返于萨里郡 (Surrey) 和伦敦之间，利用该手段逃票金额达 £20,000。格伦表示，一名每周五天从南汉普郡前往滑铁卢的顾客“与我们结算了 £49,000”。据估计，逃票每年给铁路行业造成 £400 损失。在 SWR 和 NR Wessex 网络中，每年造成的损失近 £40。
短途票欺诈 (Short faring) 仅是逃票者使用的众多手段之一。另一个最近的例子是“甜甜圈式逃票” (doughnutting)，即乘客仅购买旅程起止两端的车票。今年 2 月，前汇丰银行 (HSBC) 高管约瑟夫·莫洛伊 (Joseph Molloy) 在 11 个月期间使用该诈骗手段至少 740 次，节省了近 £6,000 的铁路票价，最终被判处缓刑并处以罚金。
劳伦斯·斯莱特 (Laurence Sleator) 交通记者
数千辆接驳巴士将迎来终点
劳伦斯·斯莱特
车站大厅里关于“铁路接驳巴士服务”的通知可能会引发乘客绝望的呻吟，但即便微小，至少有一点安慰：它至少出现了。但现在这已不再有保证，数千辆巴士和长途客车正被撤出服务。
政府对铁路接驳巴士必须具备的设备无障碍规则进行了修改，这意味着许多私人运营商的车辆不再符合条件。在周六生效的变更之前，一项与《泰晤士报》分享的调查发现，在 170 多家私人巴士和客车公司中，可供火车运营商使用的车辆数量将下降三分之二以上。这相当于损失了 3,000 辆以上的车辆。
如果这种情况在数百家由各铁路运营商付费、在工程施工或紧急情况下提供交通服务的私人公司中普遍出现，其干扰程度将十分严重。专家表示，这将导致乘客被困在车站，而铁路公司可能会直接取消服务，以在时刻表上运行更少的班次。
为公司管理交通预订的 Travel-Net Systems 董事格雷厄姆·海登 (Graham Hayden) 表示：“乘客将被遗弃在火车站，或者不得不忍受……”
不必要的长时间等待车辆延误。铁路公司同样对此感到关注并深表担忧。”这些变化涉及确保巴士和长途客车对残疾乘客更加无障碍的法律。任何希望将车辆作为替代巴士运行的私人运营商必须设有显示路线信息的标志，提供轮椅空间以及内部语音播报。但私人公司表示，使每辆车完全符合标准的改装费用约为 £50,000，这意味着许多公司不愿投资，因为它们主要作为度假旅游巴士运行，而该类车辆不适用这些规则。乘客运输联盟 (Confederation of Passenger Transport) 的运营总监基思·麦克纳利 (Keith McNally) 表示，该组织“有信心”会有足够的合规车辆来维持铁路替代运输，但他补充说，铁路运营商在今年夏天可能“需要把寻找运营商的范围扩大一点”。交通部的一位发言人表示：“业界自 2017 年起就已知这些无障碍要求即将实施，并且我们给了铁路替代运营商两年的豁免期，并提供了专项资金以支持他们。”
身着格子裙、世界顶尖的皇家爱丁堡军事纹章表演者们在皇家英里大道上与德国陆军军乐团、卡塔尔警察学院乐队及操练队、新西兰陆军军乐团、皇家空军国王旗护卫队以及美国陆军野战乐队的同事们汇合，准备参加本周五开始的年度盛事。邓肯·麦格林 (DUNCAN MCGLYNN)
《泰晤士报》 / 周一 2026年8月3日 V2 新闻 PETER JOLLY 为《泰晤士报》拍摄；JOE DUNCKLEY / GETTY IMAGES
当约翰·斯科特 (John Scott) 完成他那开创性的、连接大不列颠所有国家公园的 2,300 英里徒步之旅时，他脚上穿的将依然是五个月前出发时穿的那双登山靴。“就像我一样，它们也显出老态了，”65 岁的斯科特在徒步穿过苏格兰高地的凯恩戈姆山国家公园 (Cairngorms National Park) 时说道。这位冲突解决调解员将于本周接近他的最终目的地——靠近因弗内斯 (Inverness) 的内恩 (Nairn)，他于 3月 1. 日从诺福克的克罗默 (Cromer, Norfolk) 出发。他大部分时间在 15 个国家公园中独自徒步，以测试“慢道国家公园小径” (Slow Ways National Parks Trail) ——这是一个由众包建立的徒步路线，他认为这有望成为英国版的美国阿巴拉契亚小径 (Appalachian Trail)。
国家公园小径是探险家兼 Slow Ways 创始人丹·雷文-埃莉森 (Dan Raven-Ellison) 的构想。Slow Ways 是一场旨在建立一个在线步行网络，将英国境内所有定居点连接起来的运动。该网络依赖志愿者绘制路线，随后由其他人进行检查、评论和改进，最终通过验证。其他用户会对步道的难度和适用性进行分级。一旦至少有三个人对拟议的“慢道”进行了步行并给出正面评价，则会提供更详尽的说明。
斯科特通常每天行走 15 到 20 英里。他的作息很简单。“起床，吃饭，打包，行走，拆包，吃饭，睡觉，重复，”他说。由于选择不露营，他住在酒店和酒吧里。在加入食物和水之前，他的背包重量在 12 磅到 15 磅之间。
心理上最艰难的阶段是在穿越威尔士的 480 英里路程中。斯科特将其比作“弗吉尼亚忧郁” (Virginia blues) ——这是在阿巴拉契亚小径上用来描述在穿越弗吉尼亚州约 500 英里路程中，因感觉进展缓慢而产生的沮丧感。“穿越威尔士的路线美极了，那里的人们也非常慷慨，”他说。“但感觉离家很远，距离内恩也还很远。”
他遇到的徒步者比预期要少。除了像“海岸到海岸” (Coast to Coast) 这样著名的长途路径以及包括湖区 (Lake District) 在内的繁忙户外目的地外，许多路线几乎空无一人。他最美好的时刻是步行跨越苏格兰边界时。这是他 40 多年来第一次如此过境，此前他一直通过火车、汽车，以及在十几岁和二十岁出头时通过搭便车过境。
雷文-埃莉森表示：“我希望看到国家公园小径得到妥善开发，这样更多的人可以享受它。目前，这是一个巨大的挑战，也许在一段时间内，它会有点像从兰兹角 (Land’s End) 走到约翰格罗茨 (John O’Groats) 那样，人们会寻找不同的方式来完成它。Slow Ways 正为此而建。人们不必对着地图毫无头绪地寻找哪些路径或小巷是好的去处，而是可以快速找到由他人行走过、检查过并评级过的路线。”
斯科特走过的每条路、记录的每个障碍以及评价的每条路线，都将为下一个旅者塑造一条更安全、更清晰、更可靠的小径。当被问到会对想要追随他脚步的人给出什么建议时，斯科特的回答一如既往地直接。“赶紧行动吧，”他说。
至于他自己的近期计划，他打算花时间陪伴家人，睡在自己的床上，并“永远埋葬我的登山靴”。
约翰·斯科特的五个月旅程带他从上图的苏格兰凯恩戈姆山，来到了左上角的湖区。 路线：起点 克罗默 终点 内恩 步行路线
国家公园 100 英里 拓荒者的 2,300 英里徒步之旅将所有国家公园连接在一起，使其在经过验证后变得可信。斯科特通过成为第一个挑战拟议的国家公园小径的人而冒险进入未知领域，该小径由 253 条独立路线组成，其中部分路线的质量差异很大。他说，跟随一些未经审核的路线可能像“一场抽奖”。他发现英格兰南部的路径普遍很稳健，而威尔士内陆的一些路线则属于最困难的之列。“糟糕的路线挑战了我的耐心，确实也挑战了我的身体，而且缺乏任何审核始终是一个危险信号，”他说。尽管如此，他认为这条路线“总体上不错”，但补充道：“正如预期的那样，作为一条长途小径，它目前还不符合目的。我们需要更多当地人加入 Slow Ways，不仅帮助检查国家公园小径中属于他们的部分，还要检查连接其他地点的路线。”
斯科特已婚并有两个继子，他是一名调解员，也是斯特灵大学的教授。他在三十多岁时开始认真徒步，并在 2000 年完成了阿巴拉契亚小径。他最近这次旅行的想法是在去年帮助测试国家公园小径早期版本时产生的。“挑战整个目标的想法进入了我这个笨脑袋，且挥之不去，”他说。
威尔·汉弗莱斯 乡村特派记者
Pink Floyd 乐队创作 1979 年专辑《The Wall》的那座历史悠久的北伦敦录音室在闲置十多年后，再次向音乐家开放。位于伊斯灵顿的 Britannia Row Studios 由该摇滚乐队于 1975 年创立。几十年来，这里接待了一系列星光熠熠的艺术家，从 Joy Division 和 Pulp 到 Adele、James Blunt 以及 Kylie Minogue。
然而，在 Pink Floyd 的鼓手尼克·梅森于 1990 年代出售该业务后，该设施在财务上变得不可行，并于 2010 年关闭。2018 年，伊斯灵顿议会批准了将这座维多利亚时代的仓库和前教堂大厅改造成八套公寓的计划。但在许可过期后，该场地于去年被另一家地产集团 Harmonic 收购。Harmonic 的董事卡梅尔·贾伯表示，该公司在得知潜在买家中包括自助仓储运营商后决定介入。“在伦敦很难经常找到这种空间。所以当我看到这里，从周围残留的涂鸦到从邻居那里听到的故事，我们就知道我们想成为那段历史的一部分，”贾伯说。“尤其是当我们听说其他一些买家是自助仓储公司时，更是如此。我们认为，既然我们有一套关于如何赋能创意空间的战略，如果那样做就太遗憾了。”
Harmonic 投入了 £60,000 用于修复该空间，聘请当地建筑师、建筑商和装饰师，以努力支持该地区的文化。整个场所仅以 £1 的价格租赁给艺术慈善机构 Florence Trust。该公司的动机并非完全出于慈善；它正在寻求自己的规划许可，以便在建筑物的其余部分提供阁楼式公寓，不过永久的创意空间将继续以低于市场价的价格提供给文化产业企业。这个重新焕发生机的场所已经在举办音乐会、艺术展和舞蹈课。Britannia Row 在音乐史上的地位在录制《The Wall》（史上最畅销专辑之一）期间得到了巩固。该录音室的
制作人尼克·格里菲斯（Nick Griffiths）曾因招募附近伊斯灵顿格林学校（Islington Green School）的一名音乐教师和学生，为歌曲《Another Brick in the Wall》提供儿童合唱而闻名。布列塔尼亚行（Britannia Row）的获救正值首都录音棚陷入广泛危机之际。据音乐制作人协会（Music Producers Guild）称，由于应纳税额（rateable values）和能源成本的不可持续增长，半数英国录音棚已考虑关闭。 艾莉·麦克唐纳（Ellie McDonald） 翻新后的伊斯灵顿布列塔尼亚行录音棚
Monday August 3 2026 / 《泰晤士报》新闻
在乌克兰战争爆发一年后，一名俄罗斯情报员在挪威海岸附近登上了一艘名为“金牛座”（Taurus）的捕鱼拖网船。他一直受到挪威安全部门的监视，后者注意到他在该国北部地区进行了秘密会晤。挪威国家电视台 NRK 曾报道，俄罗斯渔船可能会被用于在北欧沿岸进行间谍活动。基于 NRK 的报道，欧盟和挪威随即对“金牛座”的所有者——俄罗斯公司 Norebo 实施了制裁，但只有一个问题：那个故事是假的。
Norebo 案说明了波罗的海国家中一种悄然滋长的“间谍恐惧症”。拉脱维亚的一家情报机构曾警告其公民，他们之中潜伏着俄罗斯破坏分子，并为他们提供了一份如何识别这些人的指南。据说，“衣着破旧、不修边幅”或“卫生条件差”是识别俄罗斯秘密特工的线索。问很多问题显然是一个信号，短发或对户外生存设备及无线电的热衷也是如此。
对这家默默无闻的俄罗斯公司的制裁，也让人洞察到人们对欧盟制裁政策的担忧。在欧盟对俄罗斯亿万富翁 Mikhail Fridman 和 Petyr Aven 的制裁因缺乏证据而被取消后，欧盟辩护人 Andrea Biondi 教授表示：“制裁必须依赖于足够可靠的事实基础。背景信息可以提供参考，但不能替代法律证据。”
在挪威，Norebo 事件始于 2024 年，当时《巴伦支海观察报》（Barents Observer）跟进了 NRK 的报道，并引用了一份欧盟文件，其中提到：“由 Norebo 拥有并运营的运输船配备了可能用于间谍活动的技术。”文件称，俄罗斯渔船正在“绘制关键基础设施地图，并在挪威水域进行人力情报收集”。它还错误地报道称 Norebo 的所有者 Vitaly Orlov 是“弗拉基米尔·普京的朋友”。
去年 5 月，欧盟对 Norebo 实施了制裁，其资产在成员国被冻结，市场被关闭，物流服务被拒绝。欧盟表示：“由 Norebo 拥有并运营的船只所表现出的移动模式，被欧盟成员国认为与俄罗斯国家支持的监视行动有关，该行动利用民用捕鱼拖网船对波罗的海的民用和军事基础设施执行间谍任务。”
情报分析师毫不怀疑俄罗斯在挪威海岸开展间谍行动，但他们认为，将目标锁定在 Norebo 身上可能会使人们忽略真正的威胁。前情报分析师 Ole Fostad 表示：“这些制裁是基于虚构的错误行为和有缺陷的证据，经不起推敲。NRK 的《影子战争》系列报道已经变成了挪威的外交政策。这非常尴尬且危险。”
Orlov 表示：“Norebo 是竞争对手攻击的受害者，他们提出了明显且可证明的虚假指控，而欧盟在未进行任何调查的情况下就接受了这些指控，仅仅因为我们是俄罗斯人。”
Norebo 已针对欧盟制裁提起上诉，并将依赖一名在国防部工作了 38 年的英国军事情报官员的证词。在审查了 Norebo 旗下 9 艘渔船的数据、卫星图像和航行日志后，该情报官员得出结论，不存在未经授权的进入。对此，欧盟表示，与大多数涉及制裁的案件一样，它认为
已发布的媒体报道足以证明 Norebo 执行并支持了俄罗斯的行动。NRK 表示，此次情报活动是“广泛、系统且长期的”，但承认无法“证实该报道”。Barents Observer 拒绝发表评论。Norebo 正起诉该报诽谤。马克·霍林斯沃思 洁净即是虔诚 一名工人在爱丁堡附近的 15 世纪罗斯林教堂中，在穿过地下室彩色玻璃窗的阳光下清扫。
星期一 2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》新闻
六分之一的成年人使用 ChatGPT 等 AI 机器人获取健康建议，医疗领袖警告称，这导致了误导信息的泛滥。医学科学研究院表示，网络上的迷思和虚假信息，特别是围绕疫苗、治疗方案和生育建议的信息，正危及人们的生命。
由 Ipsos 开展的一项针对 2,401 名英国成年人的代表性民意调查发现，AI 是 16% 的英国成年人的常规健康信息来源；在 25 至 34 岁的人群中，这一比例上升至 24%，而在少数族裔背景的人群中则为 28%。
研究表明，AI 可能会提供不准确的医疗指导或诊断，且无法识别包括危及生命的紧急情况在内的症状。报告发现，医疗误导信息十分普遍，但大多数人“并未将其视为个人风险”，并认为自己能够识别出这些信息。
近五分之一的成年人表示，他们个人受到了误导性健康信息的影响。约 56% 的人认为疫苗受到了误导性主张的严重影响，41% 的人提到减肥和营养，36% 的人则强调了癌症治疗。
由于过去 15 年中常规儿童疫苗的接种率一直在下降，误导信息导致英国出现了一系列麻疹爆发。数据显示，英格兰仅有 83.7% 的五岁儿童接种了两剂麻疹、腮腺炎和风疹 (MMR) 疫苗，这是自 2010 年以来的最低水平。
医学科学研究院表示，医疗领袖必须尝试通过“在人们已经存在的地方”（包括社交媒体和网络）来应对健康误导信息，这一点至关重要。
该研究院院长安德鲁·莫里斯爵士表示：“无论底层证据多么强有力，如果信息来自人们已经信任的来源和社区，那么这条信息就更有可能被接受。”
“医学科学面临的挑战不仅在于产生可靠的证据，而且要确保这些证据能以人们可以采取行动的方式触达他们——通过他们认可的声音，在他们习惯获取信息的场所。”
剑桥大学的莎拉-简·布莱克莫尔表示：“研究结果显示，大多数人意识到健康误导信息对社会构成了严重威胁，但认为自己容易被误导的人要少得多——我们存在一种乐观偏差。”
“随着人们获取健康信息的方式不断演变，了解谁最容易面临风险，以及我们如何帮助每个人获取可靠的、基于证据的信息，变得越来越重要。”
斯旺西大学公共卫生和精神病学教授安·约翰表示：“许多人认为健康误导信息是影响他人而非自身的事情，这或许并不令人惊讶。然而，虚假健康信息的传播速度快于事实，影响着关于疫苗、治疗和健康行为的决策。”
Fertility Action 的首席执行官兼创始人凯蒂·罗林斯表示：“生育和生殖健康是一个有力的例子，它展示了健康误导信息如何在人们脆弱、焦虑、不知所措并寻求答案的领域中滋生。这项研究强化了为什么值得信赖的、基于证据的信息如此重要。”
健康编辑 埃莉诺·海沃德
由于我们收到的提交量之大，这让我们感到担忧。“英联邦故事奖在某种程度上对 AI 检测器来说更具挑战性。首先，在我们的 13 种语言中，有 7 种甚至无法使用 AI 检测器。”
当被问及是否认为 AI 检测器存在种族偏见时，法鲁克 (Farook) 回答道：“我不确定是否该用‘种族偏见’这个词，但我绝对会说，这里面存在文化内涵，因为显然输入的是什么，输出的也就是什么。”法鲁克表示，纳齐尔 (Nazir) 因这场争端而感到“受伤”，因为“社交媒体上的一些评论极其恶毒。而且他的身体状况也不太好，正在接受化学疗法。对他来说这是一个巨大的牺牲，但他显然觉得自己受到了非常不公正的对待。‘他提供了自己的写作证据……他还详细描述了他的写作过程。内容非常、非常详细，且非常有说服力。’”当被要求给出对纳齐尔信心的百分比时，法鲁克说：“我的信心是增加而非减少。所以，绝对是 75 per cent, 80 per cent；我愿意真正地信任作者。”
阳光之 Raye singer-songwriter Raye，28 岁，在周末担任了布莱顿骄傲节 (Brighton Pride festival) 的领衔表演嘉宾，在 90 分钟的演出中翻唱了 Prince 的歌曲《Purple Rain》。
“作者可能必须证明作品非 AI 所作” 一名文学奖负责人表示，由于“AI 检测器”的使用日益增加，作者应当做好证明其作品为原创的准备。英联邦基金会 (Commonwealth Foundation) 总干事拉兹米·法鲁克 (Razmi Farook) 在其机构的短篇小说奖陷入 AI 作者身份争议后发出了这一警告。
英联邦短篇小说奖的几位区域获奖者被指控使用 AI 撰写故事，其中包括总奖项获得者贾米尔·纳齐尔 (Jamir Nazir)，其获奖作品为《林中蛇》(The Serpent in the Grove)，讲述的是一名特立尼达苦苦挣扎的农民的故事。法鲁克表示，在对 AI 使用指控进行彻底调查后，所有作者均被证明清白。基金会要求纳齐尔及所有区域获奖者提交写作的证明文件，包括早期草稿、照片、灵感说明以及他们的叙事过程。
她在接受《泰晤士报》采访时表示，所有作家现在都应为类似的审查做好准备：“我认为作家应该准备好分享一个合理的、对其至今写作过程的监督或视角。”
针对纳齐尔的许多指控涉及使用 Pangram，这是一款 AI 写作检测器，目前被用于在时事通讯平台 Substack 和学术网站 Arxiv 上识别 AI 生成的内容。法鲁克表示，她认为像 Pangram 这样的工具不够可靠，尤其是对于英联邦国家的作家而言。Pangram 声称其在 10,000 例中误判 1 案例为 AI 写作。她说道：“一些 AI [检测] 工具的误差幅度，当它们给出定论时……”
总干事表示，英联邦及其他文学奖项正在制定新政策以应对 AI 的使用。法鲁克认为，完全禁止使用该技术是不现实的，但透明度将是关键。“对我们来说，更重要的是……在他们如何使用以及可以用它做什么方面，拥有非常明确的指导。”
Pangram 是由一家美国初创公司开发的工具，曾被用于识别米娅·巴拉德 (Mia Ballard) 的小说《害羞女孩》(Shy Girl) 中的 AI 内容，该书随后被出版商 Hachette 下架。在 Substack 的首席执行官表示“在互联网上越来越难以分辨什么是真实的”，以及“当不由任何人创作的内容占据了本应属于人类的互联网部分时，它……使得发现和听到人类的声音变得困难”之后，该工具现已集成到 Substack 平台中。这一决定引起了一些作家的强烈抵制。
这些人称其为一场“猎巫行动”。Pangram的首席执行官马克斯·斯佩罗（Max Spero）为其软件将纳齐尔（Nazir）的作品识别为AI生成进行了辩护。他表示：“对于任何经常使用AI的人来说，很明显这个故事要么完全由AI生成，要么在很大程度上由AI辅助。有许多迹象表明，ChatGPT在散文部分产生了重大影响。网上的用户立即注意到了这一点，并使用Pangram来确认他们的怀疑。”
“Pangram在将文本分类为AI时极少出错。其误报率为 1 比 10,000。更有可能的情况是，评委们不熟悉AI工具，因此无法分辨。研究表明，那些不熟悉AI文本的人难以检测到它，而经常使用ChatGPT进行写作任务的人则是准确且可靠的AI生成文本检测者。”
技术记者马克·塞尔曼（Mark Sellman）
拉兹米·法鲁克（Razmi Farook）表示她支持获奖者贾米尔·纳齐尔（Jamir Nazir），见下方。
www.chamos.org.uk @chamos_org 注册慈善机构编号 1123410
委内瑞拉正处于危机之中。孩子们被埋在瓦砾之下。6月24日，两场毁灭性的地震袭击了委内瑞拉。数百人死亡。数千人受伤。数万人失踪。医院不堪重负，孩子们在受苦。
他们需要你。就在此时。你可以提供帮助！
每一英镑都至关重要，请尽可能捐赠！
扫描捐款
星期一，2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》新闻 格林威治大学和肯特大学已完成了英国首个“超级大学”合并，创建了一个旨在加强两所机构实力的高等教育集团，同时允许它们保留各自的独立身份。在两所大学于 9 月宣布探索合并意向并经过近一年的规划后，新成立的伦敦及东南部大学集团 (Lase) 已成为一个法律实体。官方启动仪式将于 9 月 7 日举行，即该公告发布一周年纪念日。教育部和行业团体英国大学协会 (Universities UK) 对此表示欢迎，认为这是应对财务压力采取创新合作的典范。此次行动创建了全国第三大大学，将分布在伦敦东南部格林威治 (Greenwich) 和艾弗里山 (Avery Hill)，以及肯特郡梅德韦 (Medway) 和坎特伯雷 (Canterbury) 四个校区的 50,000 多名学生聚集在一起。校长兼副首席执行官。哈林顿表示：“我非常高兴地确认新 Lase 大学集团的启动，我期待与肯特大学和格林威治大学的同事及学生们共同工作。” “非常感谢所有帮助我们走到这一步的人。在过去的一年里，大家在宏大的时间表下不懈努力，开发了一种前所未有的新型大学模式。这意味着我们正在启动”
WILLIAM VANDERSON / FOX PHOTOS / GETTY IMAGES 一个被描述为“像是亚瑟王传说中走出来的”诺曼字体洗礼盆，应菲利普亲王的要求，从什罗普郡一座“童话般”的礼拜堂被移至苏格兰的国王学校（凯特·曼塞报道）。当查尔斯在 1962 年就读于戈登斯顿寄宿学校时，他的父亲安排将这座 12 世纪的洗礼盆送至那里，以便他的儿子能被“古老的美之物环绕”。这个大型石桶洗礼盆外部有华丽的雕刻，内部衬有铅层，现已回到了它在什罗普郡厄普顿·克雷塞特 (Upton Cressett) 村庄圣迈克尔教堂的原位。然而，这座“戈登斯顿洗礼盆”为何从一座破旧的英国礼拜堂被移至亲王所在的苏格兰寄宿学校，直到现在才真相大白。威廉·卡什的父母于 20 世纪 70 年代搬到了厄普顿·克雷塞特庄园（这座一级列级保护教堂所在地），他表示，菲利普亲王在参观了急需修缮的圣迈克尔教堂，并听说该教堂将被锁闭且内部物品将被移至仓库后，下令将洗礼盆移走。卡什说：“菲利普亲王显然（在谈到洗礼盆时）说，‘我认为如果把它移到戈登斯顿会非常好，因为我想让我的儿子被英国古老的美之物环绕’。” “我认为菲利普想的是，‘让它只是放在一个储物单元里太浪费了’。它相当大——他们是怎么把它运到戈登斯顿的，我真的不知道。这是一个奇怪的故事，直到今天大多数人都不知道。” 据了解，已故的爱丁堡公爵在 20 世纪 60 年代与前国会议员伊沃·布尔默-托马斯 (Ivor Bulmer-Thomas) 共同访问圣迈克尔教堂时首次看到了这个洗礼盆，布尔默-托马斯当时正与他共同开展一项保护闲置历史教堂建筑的计划。圣迈克尔教堂在 1958 年停止使用，被选中是为了让菲利普亲王能看到一个需要救援的破旧乡村教堂的例子。布尔默-刘易斯随后成立了冗余教堂基金 (Redundant Churches Fund)，该基金后来演变为教堂保护信托基金 (Churches Conservation Trust)，其中
查尔斯现在是该教堂的赞助人。在查尔斯的学生时代，洗礼盘被移至戈登斯顿学校并安置在礼拜堂中，直到 1970 年代才回到厄普顿克雷塞特。卡什表示，当教堂的访客得知该洗礼盘与王室的联系时，感到“大为震惊”。他说：“这总让人感觉像是亚瑟王传说中的情节，就像这是一个适合国王使用的洗礼盘，一个可以追溯到征服者威廉时代的诺曼洗礼盘。” 圣迈克尔教堂目前由教会保护信托基金会管理，该基金会的社区专员史蒂夫·塔林将这座教堂描述为“一座非常可爱、如画般、几乎像‘童话’一样的礼拜堂”。他说：“你可以想象格林兄弟故事里的人物在这里举办婚礼。” 菲利普亲王是戈登斯顿学校的首批学生之一，该校由逃离纳粹德国的犹太教育家库尔特·哈恩创办。“童话”洗礼盘
被送往戈登斯顿学校以令查尔斯高兴。1962 年，查尔斯与父亲菲利普亲王在戈登斯顿学校的第一天。这座诺曼洗礼盘于 70 年代回到了圣迈克尔教堂（见左上图）。 随着肯特大学和格林威治大学的合并，首创“超级大学” 乔治亚·兰伯特 开放大学和伦敦大学学院规模最大。与传统的大学合并不同，Lase 被设计为一个允许两所大学继续以各自名称运营的模式。学生将继续申请、就读并毕业于格林威治大学或肯特大学。对于学生而言不会有任何变化，尽管该团体表示，这种结构随着时间的推移可能会创造更大的机会，例如让其他大学加入，并提供更强的韧性以持续投资于学生体验。这些大学表示，它们的
合并可以为其他机构提供一个“蓝图”。今年 5 月，伦敦国王学院和总部位于贝德福德的克兰菲尔德大学宣布计划在明年 8 月合并。格林威治大学校长简·哈灵顿教授被任命为 Lase 的创办校长兼首席执行官。肯特大学代理校长乔治娜·兰兹利·德·莫拉教授将成为高级副校长，通过平稳过渡、极其强大的高级管理团队和明确的方向，使我们能够发挥潜力，成为英国第一所超级大学。“我们期待下个月 Lase 的正式启动，届时我们将有更多内容可以分享——请关注这一空间，迎接一个真正壮观的启动时刻。” 肯特大学在 2023–24 学年记录了 £31 million 的赤字，并作为提高财务可持续性努力的一部分，实施了裁员和课程关闭。为了遏制损失，该校削减了岗位并关闭了课程，并面临学术人员的罢工。然而，一名 Lase 发言人表示，该机构已采取措施改善前景，并补充说，此次合并不应被视为一种自救行为，而应被视为两所大学之间旨在增强双方实力的伙伴关系。这些大学此前表示，它们的合作将是一个先驱模式，为其他机构地创造可循的蓝图。 王室独家：女王支持青年作家 凯特·曼塞 助理编辑 女王正支持一项新奖项，通过提供一套财务和指导支持方案，帮助年轻记者成为“未来的之星”。这项以她命名的“卡米拉王后新闻业未来奖”将给予 18 至 30 岁的记者机会，每人最高可获得 £2,500 的奖金作为支持。
职业发展计划的一部分。这笔资金每年将授予 25 名记者。该计划将通过记者慈善基金会 (Journalists’ Charity) 运行， 79 岁的女王是该基金会的赞助人。她的发言人表示：“女王希望这些新奖项能够为那些渴望从事媒体职业但可能被经济障碍阻碍的人提供帮助。”记者慈善基金会的詹姆斯·布林德尔 (James Brindle) 表示：“这些奖项每年都将产生实质性的影响，为未来的之星提供他们所需的工具。”申请将在本月内开放，获奖者将于下月公布。申请人必须证明其对新闻业的投入，并解释财务资助将如何帮助其职业发展。乔治娜·兰兹利·德·莫拉 (Georgina Randsley de Moura，左) 和简·哈林顿 (Jane Harrington) 将领导该大学
山火表明野化重建需要重新思考 莉比·珀维斯（Libby Purves） 像是在某种深坑的梯子上向上攀爬——或者被救援直升机接走。这个比喻中蕴含的真实性是一个令人忧郁的事实。作为一名新当选的保守党议员，我参与的极少数反叛行动中，第一次就是反对“资助安置”（assisted places）计划，该计划旨在通过所谓的“直升机式”手段，将聪明的孩子从综合学校接走，送入更优越的“拨款维持”学校。我现在认为我当时错了。但国家不应该需要直升机。直升机的出现意味着一个除此之外难以逃离的地方。阶级创造了这种局面。自从 G.B. 萧（GB Shaw）在《皮格马利翁》的序言中谈到语言、口音和社会阶级以来，已经过去了 114 年，他写道：“一个英国人不可能在开口说话的同时，不让另一个英国人对他产生恨意或轻蔑。”当我们听到一个同胞说话时，能够相当准确地做出的假设就是阶级假设。因此
我们，无论是抱怨在罗德西亚白色堡垒里的仆人，还是在伦敦的晚餐派对上嘲笑约翰·梅杰（John Major）的口音，都剥夺了我国数百万人的才干和精力。每有少数几个人成功突围，我们又阻碍了多少千人之众？去他的直升机：我们如何才能砸掉那些墙？阶级依然主导一切：是时候打破障碍了 我共情 安迪·伯纳姆 在剑桥大学期间的阶级意识——我们社会的束缚正在阻碍英国的发展 ALAMY “工人阶级”机构。然而，他正在利用阶级怨恨——在某些领域，甚至是阶级仇恨，尽管手段十分微妙。也许，我们不应为此哀叹，而应问问自己，为什么现代英国政治家能够这样做。在我写这篇文章时，我能感觉到一些读者的愤怒在上升。“现在没有人，”你可能会抗议道，“被阻止从工人阶级‘向上’流动。”的确如此。数百万人
已经实现了流动。而且，对于像伯纳姆那样实现了我们所认为的“逃离”的人，全国都予以赞赏。我承认这一点。但他们这样做时，即使是来自自己阶级的风，也是在逆风而行，而且他们必须跨越许多河流。他们必须在一个充满潜规则分类的世界中穿行。与此同时，“向上”这个词暗示了人们在掩盖其工人阶级出身时，必须费力地抓取机会，《皮格马利翁》中的伊莉莎·杜丽特反映了 G.B. 萧关于口音和阶级的看法。但我觉得汤姆（Tom）有点苛刻。从国王向下，没有一个人相信自己无需努力就能达到今天的地位。是的，我们努力了。但我们可能忘记了，仅仅因为出生在目前所处的阶级中，我们就已经成功了一半。伯纳姆先生并非如此。像汤姆（我猜测）那样，我认为将“劳动人民”神圣化，与上层社会的自负一样，既愚蠢又令人愤怒；但“伯纳姆这个来自贫民区、格格不入的孩子”这一形象，是否与他也热爱并受益于剑桥大学相矛盾？毫无疑问，和我们所有人一样，他强调了其故事中符合听众期待的部分。流露出一种“怀恨在心”的暗示，正是为了获得数千万可能感到被忽视的人的选票。人们必须问为什么。如果一位新任首相（就像前任那样）认为吹嘘自己的工人阶级出身是有利的（记得工具工之子 基尔·斯塔默；化学药剂师之子 苏纳克；大卫·卡梅伦关于他是个狂热足球迷的令人发笑的发现；玛格丽特·撒切尔喋喋不休地讲述住在店铺上方的生活；或者约翰·梅杰真正地从布里克斯顿的合租房一路奋斗到唐宁街）……如果这些在首相的履历上是加分项，那么我们的民主体制中究竟有什么，会让政治家对上层甚至中产阶级出身感到紧张？我认为这是因为我们或许
潜意识地意识到（借用那部旧漫画的话说）当地人正躁动不安。哈罗德·麦克米伦实际上能够夸大他的上流社会身份，因为他可以告诉大众（用一种温和地嘲讽方言的语气），他们“从未有过如此好的日子”。事实也确实如此。现在的任何一位首相都无法这样说。即使是对酒吧的一次微小的减税，也必须被描述为（正如伯纳姆所做的那样）一种救济。
由于出生并成长在远离这些海岸的地方，我意识到（当时在罗得西亚）自己是生活在庞大黑人群体中的一个较小白人社区的一部分。“之中”？也许“并肩”表达得更准确。我们几乎不了解他们。黑非洲人的生活与我们的生活截然不同。存在着一道深渊。这种感觉确实很奇怪。19 岁时，我回到了自己的国家，进入大学。在英国（当我登上前往剑桥的火车时如此想到），我将成为一个庞大人口的一部分，而他们都将是我的同类。有些人富有，有些人贫穷，有些人的受教育程度比其他人高，但都是我的同类。我想，终于，那种被数百万与我及我的朋友完全不同的人所包围的感觉将被消除。但事实并非如此。我即将遭遇英国的阶级制度。
尽管我与大学的铺床工、大学门房以及在礼堂晚餐时为我们服务的小镇青年说着（大致）相同的语言，尽管我一直习惯于与各种各样的人保持尽可能友好的关系，但依然无法逃避一个事实：他们的世界、他们的兴趣与激情、他们的知识，与我的之间，共同点是多么之少。他们知道他们所知道的。我和我的朋友知道我们所知道的。我开始重新认出我罗得西亚少年的时光。渐渐地，随着我的耳朵对口音中阶级社会标记的辨识变得敏锐，我也开始察觉到，尽管并非完全是敌意，但存在着一种向下的轻蔑；而向上看时，则是一种对认为自己是社会底层之上的“优等者”的阶级的某种谨慎的愤恨。
“上层”和“下层”的隐喻（这仅仅是隐喻），以及像“平庸”和“普通”这样的词汇，证明了一种未公开的价值排名；或许是一种悬在半空中、极轻微的摩擦暗示。在如今每个社会阶层都要工作的英国，“工人阶级”已成了所有这些现象的委婉说法。随着（部分通过剑桥）我获得了自己的阶级锚点，事业兴旺并搬到伦敦，我发现自己身处一个你可能认识很大一部分你的朋友也认识的人的世界。你们总是会不期而遇。而且这还是在一个拥有约九百万人人口的城市里。有时感觉我的朋友们、他们的朋友和我，仅仅是几千个灵魂，在由 AI 生成的、旨在为我们的世界创造一个看似真实背景的全息影像人群中穿行。
我厌恶这种深渊。在罗得西亚时我厌恶，在剑桥时我厌恶，现在依然厌恶。但我承认它的存在。如果你，《泰晤士报》的读者，不承认这一点，那可能是因为你地处于其中，以至于你甚至看不见它。“那些只知道英国的人，对英国又能了解多少？”汤姆·佩克为我们报纸创作的政治人物速写非常精彩。他关于安迪·伯纳姆声称在剑桥大学患有“冒充者综合征”的速写，精准地表达了对当今流行于政坛的——
（政治家们似乎害怕承认自己的上层或中产阶级出身。我第一次反叛是针对资助安置计划——我认为我错了）
评论 政治时事通讯 来自怀特霍尔的最佳分析与评论 马修·帕里斯
探索。规划。现在通过《泰晤士报》预订。《泰晤士报》和《星期日泰晤士报》是一个独特且值得信赖的旅行灵感来源。现在您可以信任我们带您前往目的地。请致电 0808 231 5090 或访问 thetimes.com / holidays
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一
周一，2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》评论
在书里，世界领导人们总是互相打电话闲聊。这似乎是个很搞笑的想法，直到特朗普回到了白宫。根据玛吉·哈伯曼 (Maggie Haberman) 和乔纳森·斯旺 (Jonathan Swan) 合著的《政权更迭》(Regime Change) 一书，特朗普告诉一名助手：“给埃马纽埃打电话。”他说：“埃马纽埃，我正在建一座拱门。我想弄清楚是否需要一个观景台。你的拱门有观景平台吗？”“有的，”马克龙总统回答道。在询问了更多关于人们是否会从凯旋门上扔瓶子的问题后，特朗普挂断了电话。这些都不会让我孩子感到惊讶。曾经，要理解君主的事务，你需要研究马基雅维利。现在，你需要读《麦克 B》。
令人惊骇的头发 然而，那个七岁孩子仍然有一件事无法理解特朗普，那就是他的头发。“我读到过，他是从两侧把头发梳过来的，”我告诉他，“然后他把它向后梳并喷上定型液。”“他可能是让管家帮他弄的，”孩子回答道。“不，”我说，“我觉得是他自己弄的。”“他自己弄？”小家伙大吃一惊。“真的吗？”他的哥哥深沉地颔首道：“这就是为什么它看起来那么糟糕。”
杰基的奥德赛 这里的电影院里，观看《奥德赛》的人群之多。当我与一群纽约人一起观看时，在标题画面出现时，他们异常安静。然后一个人大喊道：“好了！开始吧！”我们看着船员们进入女巫西尔刻的小屋，镜头在室外的一堆盔甲上停留。我身边的一个人说：“噢，糟糕！”当一名求婚者认出奥德修斯时，现场传来了笑声，他在被箭射中前的一刻才意识到这一点。在克里斯托弗·诺兰电影的余晖中，所有古希腊的事物似乎都焕然一新，我正翻阅几年前对音乐家卡莉·西蒙 (Carly Simon) 进行的一次采访记录。她告诉我，她的朋友杰基·肯尼迪-奥纳西斯为她的第二任丈夫亚里士多德·奥纳西斯手抄了一份《奥德赛》。
我和孩子们在曼哈顿的一条街上行走，这时小儿子发现了一个闭路电视摄像头。“你觉得特朗普能看到我们吗？”他问。听孩子们谈论总统总是很有趣，因为除了他们相信他会观看东 92 街的闭路电视录像外，感觉他们总能看穿他。他就像他们读过的书中的一个角色，具体来说就是马克·巴内特 (Mac Barnett) 写的《麦克 B，儿童间谍》(Mac B., Kid Spy)。在该系列故事中，时间是 1989 年，主人公是一个加利福尼亚的孩子，他接到了英国女王的电话，女王希望他担任她的秘密特工。通常他要对抗“克格勃特工”，并得到各国领导人的协助。“法国总统看起来对我很失望，”我们的英雄告诉我们，“后来当我看到他的照片时，我意识到他看起来总是很失望。”
让我们重新点燃具有良心的资本主义 英国先驱性的贵格会企业证明了成功与社会利益可以共存——福利、教育与节制。除了糖果业，萨默塞特郡斯特里特 (Street, Somerset) 的克拉克家族按照类似的路线建立了 C&J Clark。我记得在 20 世纪 60 年代中期还是个孩子时，母亲会带我完成一个伟大的英国仪式，在开始新学年之前：去买一双新的克拉克鞋。这款伟大的产品确实成为了一个国家的基石。这些公司是最早的权力下放支持者，在劳动法或福利国家跟进之前的几十年里，就开创了职场关系。与伯纳姆的方式不同，它并非由集权的指令或城市政治驱动。这种“升级”是由私营企业实现的，基于资本主义、社会利益和道德热忱的独特交汇。它通过以下方式改变了社区：
创造财富、就业机会以及与社区建立社会契约。毫无疑问，谷歌、亚马逊和当地的公共企业可以从我们深厚的遗产中汲取经验。这也与那种基于种族和性别的对多样性、平等和包容的痴迷截然不同。对于工人阶级生活的真正投资怎么说，而不是关注他们的性取向？我们需要减少对维多利亚时代的人的嘲讽；他们找到了成为“世界工厂”并对抗不公正的方法。正如西蒙·赫弗（Simon Heffer）在他的书《高尚的思想》（High Minds）中所述，他们拥有将理想主义转化为现实的能力。他们的榜样对于任何主张商业成功与社会良知不仅兼容而且能真正相互增强的人来说，仍然是一个基准。这是一个真正的商业资产，但它源于宗教信仰而非营销策略。约翰·卡德伯里（John Cadbury）于 1824 年在伯明翰开店，该公司在他的儿子理查德·卡德伯里和乔治·卡德伯里的经营下繁荣发展。乔治或许成了他所谓的“繁荣共享”最著名的代表。1879, 年，公司将工厂从伯明翰中心区搬迁至一片绿地，并建造了伯恩维尔（Bournville）——这是一个模范村，旨在为工人提供体面的住房、花园、公园和清新空气，是对该 era. 大多数工厂附近常见的贫民窟环境的一次刻意拒绝。卡德伯里提供了厂医和牙医、游泳池、教育课程以及最早的职业养老金计划之一。员工可以使用体育俱乐部和成人教育，这反映了贵格会关于“完整人格”的信念——即工人的福祉远不止于在工厂车间度过的时间。约瑟夫·罗温特里（Joseph Rowntree）在约克建立了一个竞争的巧克力和糖果帝国，但人们对他社交调查的记忆同样深刻。他的儿子西博姆·罗温特里（Seebohm Rowntree）开展了关于贫困的先驱性研究，其结果塑造了公司的政策：更高的工资、病假工资、养老基金，以及——呼应伯恩维尔——纽厄斯威克（New Earswick）模范村。约瑟夫建立的三个慈善信托基金至今依然存在，其明确设计目的在于资助社会研究和改革，而非简单的慈善救济。在伟大的巧克力家族中历史最悠久的 JS Fry & Sons 对工人也抱有同样广泛的直觉。
根据今年的 Legatum 繁荣指数，瑞士是世界上最繁荣的国家。瑞士分权政府、地方民主以及坚定的亲企业商业环境的传统，构成了获胜的组合。该国在经济自由方面表现卓越，极其和平，并享有高度的社会凝聚力。瑞士的医疗和教育处于世界领先地位。该指数的第二名和第三名分别是挪威和爱尔兰。美国排名第 17 位，英国排名第 18 位。为什么拥有企业历史的英国不能进入前十名？遗憾的是，我们通过一种新教式的愧疚感说服了自己，认为赚钱是邪恶的。我们认为巨大的财富无法与社会稳定共存。有趣的是，当 安迪·伯纳姆 试图将社会责任与资本主义联系起来时，他变得多么词穷。对他来说，说出以 “C” 开头的那个词（Capitalism）简直令人心碎。在担任首相发表开篇演说时，他开始在玛格丽特·撒切尔的坟墓上跳舞。 20 世纪 80 年代是“英国走了一些弯路”的时期，而如今国家许多地区仍能感受到衰退的影响。我们不能将所有的经济问题都归咎于撒切尔时代，但我们可以看到，我们的福利开支、大规模移民和反商业文化使我们远低于瑞士。我们已经
遗忘了我们最伟大的遗产之一。在 19 世纪工业领域那烟雾弥漫且冷酷无情的环境中，工厂条件往往极其残酷，工人的生命廉价，而一个人数较少的宗教少数群体却在截然不同的原则之上悄悄建立了成功的公司。Cadbury、Rowntree、Fry’s 和 Clarks 都是对我们现在可能称之为“社会资本主义”的尝试——即认为利润与对工人、社区及社会的道德责任不必冲突。所有这些公司都由贵格会教徒 (Quakers) 创立。这并非巧合。贵格会主义极其强调简单、诚实、平等和管家精神——即认为财富是一种需要负责任地使用的托付，而非个人享乐。在英国历史的大部分时间里，贵格会教徒因为拒绝宣誓或不符合英格兰教会的规定，被禁止接受大学教育，禁止从事专业职业并禁止担任公职。
商业成为了他们少数开放的途径之一。他们在贸易中以严谨诚实著称——采用固定且公正的价格而非讨价还价，使用精准的权衡之法——这使得贵格会公司在他们自己的群体之外也赢得了信任。这种信任成为了 Bournville 被建立起来的原因，旨在为工人提供体面的住房和洁净的空气。我们需要一种方法来支持议会重新开放护理院。
Mark Piggott 像新任首相一样，我是一个 50 多岁、且父母患有阿尔茨海默病的子女。我的母亲在 2019 年确诊，当时她 71 岁，那一年她从租住房搬进了受保护住房。母亲在约克郡，而我在伦敦。为了确保她保留一定的独立性，我们安排了议会的每日走访。随着走访次数增加到每天两次，然后三次，费用增加到每月约 £550，几乎与她收到的私人养老金相当。我发现自己前往北部的次数更加频繁，通常是在最新的危机发生后匆忙出发。我曾两次因压力过大而住院，并将这段经历写成了一部小说。2022 年，母亲在街上摔了一跤，在医院感染了新冠肺炎 (Covid-19)，且被认为过于脆弱而无法单独生活，于是她被移至一家私人护理院。在那里，由于刚刚收到一笔数额不大的遗产，她需要承担全部的护理费用。在过去的五年里，我们花费了母亲 £90,000 的积蓄和养老金来支付她所需的护理。
布莱克斯托克的凯西男爵夫人 (Baroness Casey of Blackstock) 正在调查的社会护理危机，不仅是家庭的危机，更是全体纳税人的危机。母亲每年支付的护理费用约为 £18,000——而地方当局支付了更大的一份额，由议会纳税人资助。由于议会所有护理院的数量在过去几十年中一直在减少，其中大部分资金直接流向了私人护理运营商。根据伦敦政治经济学院的数据，1979, 64% 的住宅和护理院床位由地方当局或国民医疗服务体系 (NHS) 提供。到 2012 年，这一比例下降至 6%。对于居家护理，下降趋势更为剧烈，从 1993 年由议会直接提供 95% 下降到 2012 年的 11%。我们需要凯西找到一种方法支持议会重新开放护理院，使数十亿英镑留在系统中，而不是流入私人之手。
我们认为自己很幸运。母亲现在在南海岸的一家私人护理院中，我们能够定期探访。她与这种“病症”共存了七年，让她能够与孙辈们共度时光。但她需要 24 小时护理，她的抽搐变得更加频繁，且几乎处于木僵状态。她曾是一位聪颖、充满活力的女性，经历过无家可归、贫困和被男性虐待，最终成为了一名舞蹈教师，她
肯定不愿看到自己变成这样。这就是阿尔茨海默症对你和你家人造成的打击。如果首相能够帮助像我这样的家庭，并开始解决社会护理领域的不公正问题，他甚至可能会奠定某种政治遗产。
用他把自己画成奥德修斯的墨绘填满了整本书。他经常外出，为了生意，而且显然，还有相当多时间的风流韵事；与此同时，杰基·O 像在织机前的佩内洛普一样潜心于这本书，画着她的丈夫穿过风暴和塞壬的诱惑，向她缓缓归来的样子。
归乡之途。在纽约市漂泊 16 年后，我也在回家。当我告诉纽约的朋友们时，他们礼貌地表示会想念我的。而当我的妻子说她要离开时，人们在街上崩溃得非常严重。但你应该看看人们为我们最小的孩子所表现出的那种痛哭流涕、撕心裂肺的模样。我认为这是因为在我们所有人中，他最接近纽约那种张扬的精神。
当我们告诉他我们要离开时，他立刻像个顶级名媛一样向他的二年级班级宣布了这件事。他的同学和老师们为他做了一本书，虽然没有杰基·O 为亚里士多德做的那本长，但依然相当令人赞叹。“去伦敦做你自己，向他们展示纽约人的方式！”安伯小姐写道。“你能行！永远记住安伯小姐支持你！”
我曾经认为在纽约市度过的这段时间会把我变成一个纽约人，变成那种会在无声电影院里大喊“好，走起！”的人。这种情况并没有发生。但我正带着一个这样的纽约人一起回家。
Will Pavia 笔记本 想要窥探特朗普的内心，请温习《麦克白》 Tony Sewell
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 社论 欲购买《泰晤士报》漫画的印刷版或签名本，请访问我们的印刷画廊 timescartoons.com 或致电 0800 912 7136 山火表明再野化需要重新审视 那些对忽略传统林分稀疏和土地清理的绿色热情确实创造了栖息地——同时也创造了燃料。而这场火灾始于英国皇家鸟类保护协会 (RSPB) 的土地，并摧毁了一片国民信托基金会的荒原。伦敦政治经济学院的环境地理学家托马斯·史密斯博士对“某些人关于再野化理念中的天真”感到痛心。在谈到更北方的荒原时，乡村联盟表示，由于“政治意识形态或……再野化”而未能管理植被是“完全不负责任的”。关键在于防火隔离带、冷火管理以及积极的稀疏化管理。在欧洲，欧盟在长时间延迟后公布了一项山火战略。该战略同样谴责缺乏管理的林业以及被遗弃或再野化的
农田。当然，心中仍有一丝遗憾。英国有太多地方已被混凝土和砖块覆盖，野生地带太少。杰拉德·曼利·霍普金斯曾高喊：“噢，让它们保持原样，野蛮且潮湿 / 愿杂草与荒原长存！”但现在并不总是潮湿的。虽然热爱不羁的植被及其栖息生物是值得赞赏的，但山火对它们的伤害并不比对我们小。邓威奇的生态恢复将需要数年时间。但自然也教会了我们现实主义，以及坚韧的毅力。一名在职消防员告诉他的母亲，在三个夜晚的最后一次执勤中，他站在焦黑的土地上，感觉到热气仍透过靴子上升，他和战友们突然被一种声音震慑住了。那是一只夜鹰。 “安全地存放在训练人员可进入的封闭仓库中”。进一步探讨准备工作这一主题，可以注意到我们全国范围内都缺乏在职的“随叫随到”消防员。
地方政府协会去年发现，四分之三的服务机构在寻找和留住足够的此类兼职工作人员时存在困难。这些人员居住或工作在消防站附近，能够随时应对紧急情况。总体而言，他们为全国约 90% 的地区提供消防覆盖。近期的下降不仅归因于长途通勤和兼职工作的增加，还归因于“雇主的抵制”。与预备役部队一样，这些默默无闻的英雄需要时间参加培训，但他们的征召更为突然。并非所有老板都喜欢这一点。讨论还转向了土地耕作。传统的稀疏、清理以及偶尔的“冷火”——即在澳大利亚仍然常见且这里曾经也使用的小规模有意焚烧——已经过时。为了给从甲壳虫到鸟类等物种提供栖息地而兴起的“再野化”绿色热情，通常意味着将灌木丛、枯枝落叶和过度生长的植被
置之不理。这些确实是栖息地，但它们也是非常高效的燃料。这甚至不需要是因为疏忽：一次雷击或阳光透过废弃玻璃就可能引发灾难。在这里，含油的松树和薰衣草被证明燃烧速度极快。将衣橱里的一大把衣服搬进车里。至于预防，这里的一场烟花活动被取消了，在经过一些努力和说服后，露营地禁止了用火、烧烤和灯笼。但昨天，一些愚蠢的人在干燥的滨草上风上几英尺处点燃了海滩篝火，并对任何质疑表示不满。一名当地人报警，电话被转给了消防队和海岸警卫队，但得知在灾难发生之前什么也做不了。每个人都希望有更多的警告指示牌。一位 98 岁的闪电战老兵谈到了防火巡逻，不过既然这里是萨福克郡，除了教堂那部恐怖的梯子，很难找到足够高到可以观察的地方。
塔楼。年长者还记得，过去在荒原区域堆放几个“拍打器”——也就是固定在棍子上的橡胶垫——是很正常的，这样任何看到阴燃的人都能用这种质朴的乡村常识将其扑灭。研究表明，遗憾的是，就像对公民信任的许多方面一样，这种设施现在被认为会“使未经培训的公众面临风险”并导致蓄意破坏。击打者必须是
周三下午，两名女性在明斯米尔 (Minsmere) 自然保护区的一条小路下方闻到了烟味。她们试图用海滩鞋简单地踩灭噼啪作响的地面，随后发出了警报。到入夜时，稀有且珍贵的邓威奇 (Dunwich) 荒原已陷入火海。六英里外，我们看到烟雾变白，并祈祷结果能够好转。但从周四、周五到周六，风向地不可预测地变化。房屋、房车和露营地被疏散，人们在韦斯特莱顿 (Westleton) 村礼堂寻求庇护。消防队在艰苦工作，一架直升机每次铲起 1,000 升海水，将其洒在燃烧的土地上。远至约克郡的救援队也赶来协助萨福克郡的全职及兼职消防员。直到周五，警方才护送疏散人员短暂返回收拾财物并取回车辆。该地区目前仍处于封闭状态。昨天，情况仅被描述为“稳定”，零星的小火正在被处理。景象凄凉。我们在那片荒原的边缘生活了 15 年；我们以前的房子侥幸幸存。消防部门对财产（甚至是房车）的保护令人赞叹。更令人惊叹的是，他们阻止了火势跨过马路，以免烧掉数英亩同样干枯如柴的林地。但在这一“国家景观”上，美景与野生动物所受的创伤令人心痛，而这里此前已被为准备 Sizewell C 项目而铺设的数英亩混凝土、蔓延的太阳能电站以及即将启动的国家电网项目所破坏。这是一个伤口，是对当地士气和旅游业的沉重打击。至少社区的“闪电战精神”依然强大：红十字会、救世军和其他团体挺身而出，搜救志愿者通过飞无人机协助监测，企业提供了帮助和食物，当地人收容了失去住所的邻居和度假客（其中一个家庭刚从法国野火中逃离）。农民们带来了机械来开挖和修剪防火隔离带。萨福克郡运作良好。现在，沿着这条动荡海岸线的讨论转向了个人和整体的预防与准备。我们自己的村庄被干燥得噼啪作响的蕨类和金雀花共有地包围，我们中的一些人正在考虑北欧风格的民防准备。你会抓起什么：手机、护照、药品、水？我们周四晚上收容的那对疏散夫妇（他们的家现在幸运地完好无损）拿走了家庭照片和记忆盒，一名年轻成员还设法扔进了一个心爱的
这些无名英雄需要时间接受培训。并非所有老板都支持这一点。
Libby Purves @lib_thinks
周一 2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》 致编辑的信 致编辑的信请发送至 letters@thetimes.co.uk 或邮寄至 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF 然而，真正扭转局面的是迈克尔·赫塞尔廷，他在玛格丽特·撒切尔政府担任默西赛德郡大臣期间，推动了 1980 年代利物浦的更新。国际花园节、皇家阿尔伯特码头开发项目、托克斯特斯以及圣公会大教堂南侧的新建筑，以及市中心沃克斯霍尔的埃尔多尼安村项目，全部在赫塞尔廷的“一国保守主义”引导下得以实现，并帮助挽救了利物浦的士气和经济。 极敬 존·戴维斯博士 (The Very Rev Dr John Davies)，利物浦教区教堂助理牧师，1984-87 年；格洛斯特郡克赖斯特彻奇
先生，格拉斯曼勋爵的文章中遗漏了一个词——女性。我至今仍无法忘记在我年轻时的工党党日里，男性主教们如何动员起来，剥夺英国女性在自身生育能力方面发表意见的权利。女性也不被允许全面参与弥撒庆祝。梵蒂冈坚持认为，要被视为一名“虔诚的天主教徒”，你至少必须每周参加一次弥撒。我曾与欧洲贸易工会共事 15 年，他们深知教皇利奥十三世 1891 年发表的《新事》（Rerum Novarum）通谕、工人神父以及教会对工人组建工会权利的支持，以及雇主公平对待工人的职责——这些天主教社会教学理念，对于那位坚定的英国国教会首相玛格丽特·撒切尔来说是极其厌恶的。不过，阿拉斯泰尔·坎贝尔在阻止一名记者与参加弥撒的首相托尼·布莱尔讨论信仰时，下达了“我们不谈上帝！”的禁令，他是正确的。《新约》告诉我们凯撒与上帝的区别。作为一名出生于天主教家庭的工党成员及退休祭坛童子，我建议 安迪·伯纳姆 不要利用信仰这张牌。 丹尼斯·麦克谢恩博士，伦敦 SW1
先生，格拉斯曼勋爵的文章让我意识到，我不再对我们的领导人感到愤世嫉俗。 安迪·伯纳姆、凯米·巴登诺克和 基尔·斯塔默 看起来都是真诚且心怀善意的人，其动力不仅仅是个人野心，尽管在政治洞察力或执行力方面他们并不旗鼓相当。对我而言，摆脱永无止境的愤世嫉俗之枷锁带来了意想不到的宽慰。愿此状态地久天长！ 亨利·斯科普，约克郡贝宁布鲁附近
雨量匮乏 先生， 或许 安迪·伯纳姆 应该任命一名干旱大臣（“呼吁对烧烤和篝火采取更严厉的法律”，7 月 31 日）。丹尼斯·豪威尔在传说中 1976 年那个漫长的酷暑之年被任命，并很快获得了“雨水大臣”这一修订后的绰号。 普鲁·塞登，肯特郡玩具山
先生， 1922 年，A.P. 赫伯特写道：“农民将再也无法快乐 / 他的心沉在靴底；因为要么是雨水摧毁了他的谷物 / 要么是干旱摧毁了他的根基。” 世事如故。然而，英国被海水环绕。有些人长期主张，尽管声音可能不够响亮，但海水淡化是解决缺水问题的一部分方案。 马克·派珀，牛津
邓威奇火灾 邓威奇荒原大火（“I saw Suffolk fire spread like fury. The noise was horrible”，8 月 1 日）是对该地区再次的一次打击，此前由于赛兹韦尔开发项目，该地区已经失去了 40,000 棵以上的树木、数英里的树篱以及大量野生动物。在萨福克郡海岸的这一部分，有许多被列入红名册的鸟类。在损害变得不可逆转之前，大自然能够承受的有限。能源公司和政府应当考虑对我们的环境和野生动物造成的影响。 亚历山德拉·朗顿，萨福克郡奥尔德伯勒
体育精神
Steve James 声称，在判定什么行为可被接受时，板球运动充斥着大量的灰色地带（见 8 月 1 日《“‘Clicky’触犯了模糊的精神——但什么是作弊？”》）。然而，“当你心知肚明时，你就知道了”完美地描述了运动员的困境——为了获胜可以走多远。只要符合规则和法律，激烈的肢体接触、为赢而战以及极强的竞争心都是可以接受的，但当事人总能清楚地知道自己是否越界。遗憾的是，正如 Clicky Ponting 事件所证明的，体育和生活中的标准似乎正在向错误的方向移动。
Hugh Cooper 约克
益智游戏之助 先生，Mick Hodgkin 关于使用参考书辅助填写填字游戏的专栏（见 8 月 1 日《反馈》）让我想起 20 世纪 70 年代我开始教数学，当时计算器开始出现。我们开会讨论这类辅助工具是否应被允许在考试中使用。我的部门主管说，他希望能参加那次讨论是否允许使用对数表的会议。
Gwyn Evans 亚伯代尔，朗达-克嫩-塔夫
谎言，该死的谎言 先生，Giles Coren 对撒谎的承认（见 8 月 1 日《评论》）让我想起一位亲爱的朋友，她在申请表上毫不吝啬地撒谎。在面试时，当对方问到关于跳伞和成为音乐会钢琴家的事情时，她坦承那是为了能进入面试房间。对方问为什么应该雇用她。她当时能想到的唯一理由是：“我对动物很友善”。她在那里工作直到退休。
Beryl Whyatt 赫特郡，韦尔温花园市
更正与澄清 《泰晤士报》认真对待关于编辑内容的投诉。我们致力于遵守独立报业标准组织（“IPSO”）的规则条例以及 IPSO 执行的《编辑实践守则》。更正或澄清请求请发送电子邮件至 feedback@thetimes.co.uk，或邮寄至 Feedback, The Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF UK。
应竞标 2038 年世界杯 先生，在我们从最近的世界杯以及吉亚尼·因凡蒂诺试图将国际足联的一部分出售给一家与特朗普有关的私募股权公司（见 8 月 1 日书信）中恢复过来之际，对于英格兰——或者说英国和爱尔兰——申请主办 2038 年世界杯，还有什么更好的时机呢？2030 年世界杯已经失去了，被分给了分布在三大洲的六个国家。这是为了让因凡蒂诺可以声称这三大洲已经举办了近期的决赛，从而让沙特阿拉伯在没有竞争的情况下获得 2034 年世界杯。公众对因凡蒂诺出售计划的强烈抗议表明，人们对足球的“基础”依然有强力支持。英国现在竞标将为其他挑战者设立一个很高的门槛。如果 安迪·伯纳姆 在宣布竞标的同时承诺，他将要求英格兰足协将大部分比赛安排在英格兰北部、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰，他将为如何将重心转移到长期被忽视的地区提供一个很好的榜样。
Charles Enoch 特威克纳姆
先生，马修·赛义德曾指出，阿根廷足球队令人不齿的行为完成了一件没人认为可能的事情，那就是团结了全世界——共同反对他们。现在，吉亚尼·因凡蒂诺完成了第二件不可能的事。他让他的前任塞普·布拉特看起来像是一个廉洁的典范。
Alec Gallagher 贝德福德郡，波顿
卓越的护理 先生，珍妮斯·特纳在对比奢华养老院和基础养老院时切中要害（见 8 月 1 日《准备好为我们所有人都需要的护理买单》）。我的教母在一家“基础”养老院住了九年，在那里她得到了体贴、尽职且充满关怀的员工的照顾，其中许多人是在
从第一天起就在那里，直到她去世，并且参加了她的葬礼。让养老院变得出色的，是（遗憾地被低薪对待的）员工的质量，而不是那些“装饰品”。劳伦斯·麦克韦 (Lawrence McVeigh)，肯特郡罗切斯特
伯纳姆的信仰与北方天主教 先生，格拉斯曼勋爵提醒我们工党传统的根源，这体现在该党的新任领导人身上（《伯纳姆对传统的信仰或许能挽救工党》，8月1日）。他雄辩地描述了工党围绕家园、家庭、工作和地域的尊严而建立的非国教徒和罗马天主教传统。不久前，英格兰教会还被描述为“祈祷中的保守党”。基督教满足了人类境况中的精神渴望，与前几届政府那种管理主义、法律主义和流程驱动的特质形成对比，而后者可能导致了基尔·斯塔默爵士的不受欢迎。我们应该庆幸
能有一位拥抱其罗马天主教会根源的首相。遗憾的是，英格兰教会在追求管理主义和美德信号的过程中，放弃了在国民生活中这一至关重要的空间。西蒙·爱德华兹 (Simon Edwards)，法国萨雷梅赞
先生，格拉斯曼勋爵对罗马天主教社会教义（由利物浦的德里克·沃洛克大主教阐述）对我们新任首相影响的思考非常及时。
泽西岛的陪审法官 先生，几年前我曾在泽西岛担任专家证人，那里的法律专业结构反映了法国的历史背景（《重新思考拉米限制陪审团审判的计划》，8月1日）。泽西岛拥有倡议律师 (advocates) 而非出庭律师 (barristers)。该岛的民政首长—— bailiff 的职位以及陪审法官 (jurats) 的角色可以追溯到14世纪。陪审法官是由选举团选出的无薪外行人士，用以替代陪审团。
我的观点是，这将减少冤狱。陪审团成员可能急于去学校接孩子，或者返回办公室，或者仅仅是让注意力漂移到他们自己的烦恼上。迈克尔·鲍姆教授 (Professor Michael Baum)，伦敦大学学院外科荣誉教授
来自《泰晤士报》3, 1926年8月
布赖顿银行假日盛宴
人道陷阱 先生，我很惊讶于奈杰尔·法恩代尔（笔记本，7月31日）认为捕捉老鼠，然后将其释放到远离其通常食物来源和遮蔽处的地方是人道的；这通常会导致其过早死亡。如果他堵住进屋的通道，养一只猫来驱赶老鼠，或者投资高质量的传统弹簧夹陷阱，会更仁慈。“人道”陷阱是人类在处理野生动物问题时选择走捷径的一个例子。简·凯 (Jane Kaye)，伯克郡梅登黑德
先生，在我经常有老鼠光顾时，我经常使用人道陷阱。花生酱在诱使它们进入陷阱方面效果很好，然后我会将它们释放到一两英里外。但我感觉老鼠不知怎么地又找回了路。也许是为了花生酱？后来我意识到，新一代的老鼠是通过我的电表进入我家的。当电线周围的填充物被更换后，就再也没有老鼠了。我想念它们了。芭芭拉·库里 (Barbara Curry)，格洛斯特郡温奇科姆
thetimes.com / archive
AI与同行评审 先生，学术同行评审过程中的问题之一是，出版物在到达学术界之前可能需要数年时间。这与 AI 的进步速度是不相兼容的（《当 AI 帮助网络喷子炒作希特勒时，历史学家毫无机会》，周末评论，8月1日）。在过去的一年里，我听了两位学者的论文，他们声称现代 AI 模型的护栏不允许关于希特勒的提示词或
大屠杀。正如尼尔·弗格森 (Niall Ferguson) 所言，情况已不再如此。安东尼·哈里斯博士 (Dr Anthony Harris)，剑桥大学埃曼纽尔学院。
地狱之蝠 (Bat out of hell) 先生，吉姆·迪克森 (Jim Dixon) 的《自然笔记本》（8月1日）提醒我想起了一次蝙蝠通过我们家的天窗飞进来的经历。它在我们的楼梯上盘旋而下，又盘旋而上，直冲我而来。就在我蜷缩着的时候，我的妻子在衣柜里找到了一块床单并将其展开。蝙蝠落在上面，她将其折叠起来带到室外，然后再次展开。蝙蝠随即飞走了。我非常赞同这种方法，但不知为何，在所有的兴奋之中，我忘了下载一个应用程序来倾听并确认该物种。约翰·泰勒 (John Taylor)，北约克郡埃尔梅特郡舍本 (Sherburn in Elmet)。
致《泰晤士报》的信件必须是独家提供且可能会经过编辑。请提供详细地址和日间联系电话。
今年是一个阳光明媚的银行假日年。复活节星期一天空蔚蓝，气温如夏季一般。圣灵降临节星期一同样温暖宜人。昨天开始时万里无云，阳光从黎明一直照射到傍晚。南海岸的度假胜地在7月份时，酒店和寄宿旅馆的客流量非常令人失望，但到周六晚上已被预订一空；在布莱顿、绍森德以及其他地方，许多人未能找到住宿，不得不睡在电影院、海滩或汽车里。
在周末离开伦敦之后，大量度假者在早晨出发，乘坐火车、公路或汽船进行一日游。萨里郡道路上的汽车流量虽然不像圣灵降临节那一周那么密集，但在 8 点到 11 点之间，车流在公路上稳步前行，前往布莱顿或绿树掩映的山丘，那里有适合野餐的阴凉之地。
在这个时节，乡村景色非常美丽。森林、树篱和草地的绿色比通常的8月更亮；成熟的谷物中点缀着红色的罂粟花，在溪流附近，奶油色的旋果蚊草簇簇盛开，空气中弥漫着芬芳。在汉普郡的荒原和萨里的高地，石楠花正在绽放。
伦敦的公共绿地是那些满足于在离家近处度过银行假日的人们最喜爱的娱乐场所。通过观看板球赛、草地网球和其他比赛，许多人在这些独特的开放空间里安静地享受了一天，几乎没有花费。汉普斯特德荒原在平时拥有公共绿地最好的特性，但在银行假日，它就变成了一个游乐场，宁静被旋转木马上“风琴”铜口中喷出的嘈杂爵士乐声以及群众喧闹的狂欢所驱散。
前往伦敦中心地带的度假游客很多。此前已宣布皮卡迪利东端的彩色灯新信号系统将投入运行，但由于交警需要引导的流量如此之少，因此并不需要用到这些灯光。
2026 年 8 月 3 日，星期一 / 《泰晤士报》 世界版 仅需满足“可能性平衡”即可作为民事证明标准。尽管如此，审判产生了一大量证人证词，其中最显著的是由代码编号掩盖身份的特种部队士兵的证词，其中一些人详细描述了埃斯马图拉（Esmatullah）的父亲和兄弟被杀的情景。在卡卡拉克（Kakarak），埃斯马图拉告诉《泰晤士报》，他对那一天的记忆仍然刻在脑海中，直到他最后一次见到兄弟和父亲的那一刻。“我记得那天士兵们到来时的情景，尽管那时我还很小，”他说。“我记得外国士兵涂脸的样子。我记得他们站在屋顶上，俯视院子里的我们。我记得我的兄弟被戴上手铐。我记得那场雨。”埃斯马图拉说，早晨有一枚炸弹，可能是炮弹或迫击炮弹，击中了家中的院落，迫使他们全部躲进地下室。在远处传来——
埃斯马图拉最后一次见到父亲和哥哥时，他 10 岁。那是卡卡拉克村的一个傍晚，天在下雨。这两个男人都没能活多久。他们被拘留，站在家中的院子里，周围是面涂迷彩油漆的澳大利亚特种空勤团（SAS）士兵。埃斯马图拉的父亲穆罕默德·埃萨（Mohammed Esa）大约 60 岁。军方的行动后报告及随后的法庭文件仅将其称为“一名老人”。埃斯马图拉的兄弟艾哈迈杜拉（Ahmadullah）大约 22 岁，在青少年时期的一次摩托车事故后安装了义肢：同样的文档将其称为“装有义肢的男子”。没有时间告别。埃斯马图拉、他的母亲和兄弟姐妹被一群士兵带到了另一个院落。日落时分传来了枪击声。
埃斯马图拉下次看到父亲和兄弟时，他们死在自家的废墟中（被澳大利亚特种部队代号为 Whiskey 108），身上有近距离枪伤。他父亲的一部分头部被炸飞了。他兄弟的义肢失踪了。许多年后，埃斯马图拉再次看到了那个义肢。这一次是在一张照片中，一名 SAS 士兵正用那个假腿的残端喝啤酒。另一名戴着棒球帽的士兵在为他欢呼，紧握的拳头高举着。那个举拳的人是本·罗伯茨-史密斯（Ben Roberts-Smith），维多利亚十字勋章获得者：一名特种部队战争英雄。在卡卡拉克那个血雨交织、面涂油漆的日子 17 年后，他正面临五项战争罪——谋杀罪的审判。在对他提出的指控中，这名原 SAS 下士被指控杀害了埃斯马图拉的兄弟，并命令另一名士兵杀害其父亲。
“我经常觉得，如果我能接触到那个男人，我会问他：‘你为什么那样杀死我的父亲和兄弟？’”现年 27 岁的埃斯马图拉说道，他从口袋里掏出手机，屏幕上显示着从最近的一篇网络报道中获取的本·罗伯茨-史密斯的图像。“但多年来我感到绝望，不知道是谁杀了他们，也没有希望能够接触到他们并提出这些问题。”他补充道，“如果他们死于战斗，我会理解，但他们是在我们家里被杀的，而且是没有武装的。我想对这个男人说：‘如果你真的愿意，你可以把他们带到监狱里，但你选择了杀死他们并炸毁我的房子。为什么？’”
审判：针对本·罗伯茨-史密斯的指控——他现年 47 岁，于 4 月 7 日在悉尼机场被捕，后被保释等待审判——是基于特别调查官办公室的一项联合调查。
以及澳大利亚联邦警察。如果被定罪，战争罪——谋杀罪的最高刑罚是终身监禁。这次澳大利亚历史上最重大的军事起诉使该国产生了分歧，支持者与批评者之间的观点两极分化。支持者认为这位前军官棱角分明的长相、魁梧的身材以及获得的维多利亚十字勋章，使其成为一个容易被接受的英雄；而批评者中包括澳大利亚特种部队的一些成员，他们指责罗伯茨-史密斯冷酷地谋杀被拘留者并以杀人为乐，而非在“战争之雾”中迷失。这些证据和即将进行的审判之所以令人瞩目，不仅是因为一名在 2010 年因冲锋袭击两个塔利班机枪阵地而被授予维多利亚十字勋章（表彰其卓越勇气）的人被指控犯有战争罪。其结果在英国也将产生特殊的共鸣。
许多针对罗伯茨-史密斯以及其他被指控在 2009 和 2013 年间在乌鲁祖甘省进行非法杀戮的澳大利亚特种空勤团（SAS）成员的指控，与针对 2010 和 2013. 年间在海尔曼德省活动的英国 SAS 成员的指控非常相似。这两个团拥有悠久的历史，包括共同的作战准则、训练理念以及定期的联络。甚至他们的格言“勇者胜”（Who Dares Wins）也完全相同。尽管这两个 SAS 团的大多数士兵在阿富汗服役期间表现卓越且专业，但在非法杀戮和掩盖真相方面，这两个团可能也是“战友”。士兵们在非武装人员尸体旁放置“丢弃的武器”以伪造犯罪现场、杀害已经在拘留中的被拘留者、伪造行动后报告，以及在阿富汗战争那种激烈的氛围中，特种部队士兵认为杀掉非武装嫌疑人或处于服兵役年龄的平民男性比将其拘留更好——这些对澳大利亚 SAS 犯下战争罪的描述，与对其英国同行提出的指控惊人地相似。
两个团都成为了调查对象。在英国，由查尔斯·哈顿-凯夫爵士大法官主持的阿富汗独立调查组正在审查有关英国特种部队在海尔曼德省至少 80 起非法杀戮的指控。在澳大利亚的案例中，由保罗·布雷雷顿少将领导的一项为期四年的内部调查审查了针对澳大利亚军队的类似指控。该调查在 2020, 年发布布雷雷顿报告时结案，报告发现 25 名澳大利亚特种部队成员参与了 39 起对阿富汗人的非法杀戮。布雷雷顿的调查结果具有开创性。它们打破了公众的误解，即这些死亡是士兵在激烈战斗中瞬间决定导致的结果；相反，调查揭露所有非法杀戮涉及的都是非武装被拘留者（通常是平民），他们处于拘留状态且不构成威胁。此外，布雷雷顿报告导致了一系列澳大利亚特种部队的改革，包括加强对行动的监督、解散一个特定的 SAS 中队，以及强调更严厉的问责制。报告还建议对战争罪嫌疑人进行进一步调查，并将调查结果的细节移交给联邦警察。布雷雷顿的调查促成了特别调查员办公室的成立，该澳大利亚政府机构与警方合作调查在阿富汗的战争罪行，其工作最终导致了对罗伯茨-史密斯的刑事指控。Whiskey 108 这些指控——全部
其中罗伯茨-史密斯予以否认的部分——涉及 2009 和 2012 之间的五起杀人事件。在每起案件中，受害者据称均未携带武器，处于澳大利亚军队的控制之下且不构成威胁。受害者包括一名被戴上手铐的阿富汗农民，他于 2012 年 9 月在达尔万村被踢下悬崖，据报道是由罗伯茨-史密斯实施，随后后者命令另一名士兵将其杀害；以及两名在 2012 年 10 月在萨亚乔村被枪杀的被拘留者。然而，正是 2009 年 4 月 12 日在卡卡拉克村杀害埃斯马图拉的父亲和兄弟的一幕——距离罗伯茨-史密斯在悉尼机场被捕并被起诉几乎正好 17 年——最能体现当时澳大利亚特种部队部分成员对杀戮的渴望以及对杀戮的美化。讽刺的是，公众领域中关于 Whiskey 108 事件和其他非法杀戮的大量可靠细节，部分由于罗伯茨-史密斯自己的决定。2018 年，在《悉尼先驱早报》、《时代报》和《堪培拉时报》发表了一系列详细的调查文章（文章中对罗伯茨-史密斯使用了化名“列奥尼达斯”）之后，他起诉这些报社诽谤。该审判包含了许多现役和前 SAS 士兵的证词，以及阿富汗证人和军事专家的证词。当审判于 2023 年结束时，法官安东尼·贝桑科（Justice Anthony Besanko）驳回了罗伯茨-史密斯的诉求，并认定这些报社已实质性地证明了针对这名前 SAS 士兵的许多最严重的指控属实，包括涉及他在 Whiskey 108 杀人事件中扮演的角色。由于诽谤审判属于民事案件，贝桑科法官判定报社胜诉而罗伯茨-史密斯败诉的证明标准，要低于刑事案件中认定有罪所需的标准，需要
对这个人我想说：你可以把他们关进监狱，但你选择了杀死他们。为什么？阿富汗家庭表示，这位获得勋章的士兵应为其涉嫌的罪行受到惩罚，安东尼·劳埃德发自卡卡拉克的报道
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 奶奶们最懂：这对烘焙搭档拥有社交媒体成功的秘诀 无家可归者敲响了好莱坞机构的大门 我们的家中父兄…… ANTHONY LOYD 为《泰晤士报》供稿；ANTHONY DEVLIN / 路透社 喀布尔红十字会——并将其作为战争奖杯夺走。这条腿被起绰号为“Das Boot”（潜艇），随后出现在一张照片中，照片拍摄于塔林科特（Tarinkot）澳大利亚特种部队基地的非正式酒吧“胖妇人之臂”（Fat Ladies Arms），在那里它被用作一个新奇的饮酒容器。罗伯茨-史密斯（Roberts-Smith）出现在照片中，但否认自己用那条腿喝酒，尽管他承认在给其他人加油。他后来表示，他的SAS中队每位成员都被分发了一个刻有“第2中队”字样的玻璃腿复制品。
遗产 即将到来的审判可能最晚到 2029, 年才会开始，其核心将在于针对罗伯茨-史密斯非法杀人的指控是否能被证明为“排除合理怀疑”：这一刑事案件的门槛高于此前诽谤案中所需的民事证明标准。无论结果如何，似乎都不太可能影响埃斯马图拉（Esmatullah）及其家人的命运。虽然在《布雷雷顿报告》（Brereton Report）后成立的阿富汗调查赔偿计划正在考虑向他们提供赔偿，但杀戮带来的影响已经摧毁了这个家庭的生活和前景。“事件发生后，生活再也回不到从前了，”埃斯马图拉说。“我们的家被毁了，我的父亲和哥哥死去了。尽管当时还是个孩子，但我不得不为家庭的土地和工作承担责任。我再也没有回学校。因为那一天的原因，我的弟弟和我成了不识字的农民。” 埃斯马图拉也很难实现他的愿望，即向罗伯茨-史密斯询问那个问题：“为什么？”
到目前为止，特别调查员办公室并未从仍身在阿富汗的阿富汗人那里为审判收集证据，埃斯马图拉被传唤到澳大利亚作证的机会也微乎其微。在结果如此有限、杀戮影响如此毁灭的情况下，愤怒与悲伤共同成为 17 年前那一天的遗产，也就不足为奇了。“我想看到他被执行死刑，看到他被绞死，”埃斯马图拉说。“我的首选是看到他根据我们的伊斯兰法律受罚，以眼还眼，绞刑执行。我想要这样。” 一名证人表示，巡逻队指挥官曾谈到需要通过第一次杀人来让“新兵见血”（blood the rookie），随后他们被命令离开掩体。他们在院子里聚集，埃斯马图拉在那里看到了他的父亲和哥哥。这些人被拘留，他们被发现于一个后来被SAS证人描述为隧道的藏身之处。目前尚不清楚这两个人是否为塔利班成员。埃斯马图拉、他的母亲和家中的其他孩子被护送出该院落。
在诽谤审判中，SAS证人的陈述描述了接下来的情况。根据联邦法院的文件，罗伯茨-史密斯是该SAS巡逻队的二号指挥官，而指挥官是另一名被称为 Person 5 的士兵。一名证人证实，巡逻队指挥官已经多次谈到需要让巡逻队的一名新成员完成他的第一次杀戮，使用了“让新兵见血”这个词。在诽谤审判中，一名士兵提供的证据被贝桑科法官（Justice Besanko）判定为真实，其描述了如何…… 埃斯马图拉在手机屏幕上展示一张本·罗伯茨-史密斯的照片；这位澳大利亚SAS下士与伊丽莎白女王会面；另一名与SAS成员一起用埃斯马图拉死去的哥哥的假肢喝酒；以及，最左侧，在……
巡逻时听到零星的枪击声。特种空勤团（SAS）于傍晚抵达该家庭住所，这是针对卡卡拉克（Kakarak）周边地区塔利班更大规模行动的一部分。该地区自 2002 年以来一直是塔利班的支持堡垒，当时一架美国 AC-130 炮击机将卡卡拉克的一场婚礼误认为塔利班集会并开火，造成 48 人死亡，117 人受伤。当士兵到达时，埃斯马图拉（Esmatullah）的家人仍在躲避，在妇女和儿童离开后，罗伯茨-史密斯（Roberts-Smith）强迫埃斯马图拉的父亲下跪，并命令一名新兵将其击毙。该士兵照做了，用一支 M4 步枪向其头部开了一枪。根据其他证人的说法，罗伯茨-史密斯随后将埃斯马图拉的兄弟拖出院落，将其扔在地上，并用一名 Minimi 机枪将其射杀。一名代号为 Person 24 的 SAS 士兵表示，他看到罗伯茨-史密斯将该兄弟扔到地上，并“立即向他的背部发射了一波机枪子弹”。另一名士兵 Person 41 也表示，他看到罗伯茨-史密斯枪杀了那名残疾男子。他说罗伯茨-史密斯抬头看到了他在观察。“他看着我说‘我们没事吧，没问题吧？’，”Person 41 回忆道。“我只是回答道：‘是的伙计，没问题’。”在杀戮之后，该部队的连长被告知，两名被杀男子是“逃跑者”（squirters），在院落被突破后企图逃离。本·罗伯茨-史密斯从未否认杀死了那名装有义肢的男子，但坚称他这样做是因为该男子携带武器且正在奔跑。“他的手放在武器上方，因为他那样把武器贴着身体携带……蜷缩着，也就是说，肩膀下沉地那样奔跑，”罗伯茨-史密斯告诉联邦法院。埃斯马图拉发现，罗伯茨-史密斯对该事件的叙述与其在行动中勇猛的名声之间无法达成平衡。“如果他是在战场上与我的兄弟和父亲战斗，他本可以成为英雄，而不是在我的家院子里射杀了他们这两个手无寸铁的人，”他说。“你怎么能把这视为英雄主义？那些士兵是野蛮人。”证人证词描述了一名 SAS 士兵 Person 6 拆除了艾哈迈杜拉（Ahmadullah）的义肢——据该家庭称，该义肢最初是由国际委员会
周一 2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》世界版 晚餐高峰期已经到来，服务员们在橡木镶板的房间里轻快地穿梭，穿着的红色外套与卡座的皮革颜色相匹配——一个多世纪以来，这些卡座一直是好莱坞权力午餐的聚集地。弗兰克·辛纳屈非常喜爱这家被誉为好莱坞最古老的餐厅，而去年泰勒·斯威夫特在她的歌曲《伊丽莎白·泰勒》中提及它时，将其介绍给了一个全新的世代。Musso & Frank Grill 几乎就像一座博物馆，只不过这里的食物更好。烤羊肾和培根（查理·卓别林的至爱）仍在菜单上，像鸡肉馅饼这样的经典菜肴也同样在售。在这里用餐，仿佛回到了洛杉矶的黄金 era.。然而，在好莱坞大道的门外，却存在着一个非常现代的问题。在最近的一次访问中，一名额头上绑着手电筒的白发男子正在入口处的垃圾桶里翻找；而街道对面，在名声之星大道上弗朗西斯·福特·科波拉和哈里森·福特的星形标志旁，一名面部布满纹身的男子正躺在路边，周围是出现在好莱坞各处的路边帐篷被清理的现场。但这一举措并没有解决住在帐篷里的人的问题。非营利智库兰德公司（Rand Corporation）在 5 月报告称，露宿街头者的总数保持稳定，但 2025. 年睡在街道或车内的人数比例上升了 11%。其中许多人患有精神疾病或药物成瘾。“我们已经处理掉了那些比较容易解决的问题，”该报告的合著者、兰德公司高级行为科学家萨拉·亨特（Sarah Hunter）表示，“而现在挑战将变得更加艰巨。”这将增加巴斯（Bass）的压力，她在 2022. 年当选后将解决无家可归问题作为首要任务。她的对手，将在 11 月参选的尼蒂亚·拉曼（Nithya Raman）是一位左翼议员，她认为巴斯的旗舰政策“内部安全”（Inside Safe）过于昂贵。巴斯将洛杉矶无家可归人口最近的增长归咎于白宫。她表示：“特朗普政府推高了汽油、杂货和房租的价格，将更多家庭推向崩溃边缘，并削减了关键的安全网资金。”市长的批评者指出
在好莱坞这条破碎梦想的大道上用餐 VALERIA MARQUEZ / INSTAGRAM; ARMANDO SOLIS / AP
他就瘫在人行道上。他显然处于昏迷状态，光腿在加利福尼亚的阳光下没有任何遮挡。从 Musso & Frank 的前窗望出去，很容易明白为什么无家可归仍然是洛杉矶的一个重大问题。好莱坞是该市受影响最严重的社区之一。洛杉矶市长凯伦·巴斯（Karen Bass）上个月遭受了打击，一份报告发现，洛杉矶无遮蔽人口比前一年增长了 3.4%。大约有 45,000 人生活在城市的街道上。巴斯的声誉此前已因未能妥善处理去年的山火而受损，在 11 月的市长选举前，她将面临难题。在《纽约邮报》宣布 Musso & Frank “深受无家可归之苦”并发布人们在店外睡觉的照片后，这家餐厅成为了辩论的中心。亿万富翁开发商及前市长候选人里克·卡鲁索（Rick Caruso）警告称，他深爱的 Musso & Frank “面临关闭的风险”。他表示，顾客为了避开流浪者，正通过停车场的后门进入。“食物实在太好吃了……人们不惜绕道，避开那些露营地，”他说。首席执行官马克·埃切维里亚（Mark Echeverria）表示，生意没有受到任何威胁，并感谢粉丝们的关心。巴斯政府已将优先考虑
该县在过去十年中花费了数十亿美元试图解决无家可归问题，但问题依然严峻。他们声称，她及其民主党前任们已将无家可归变成了一种可行的一种生活方式选择。街头的一些人自己也这么认为。那里有慷慨的外展服务，包括免费食物和医疗保健。此外，露宿者在获得公共资金资助的住宿地点之前，并不被要求必须戒酒。也许，正如卡鲁索所暗示的，洛杉矶人经过多年与这座城市的功能失调共存，已经决定简单地忽略这个问题。这就能解释为什么尽管巴斯在任期间无家可归人数上升，但她仍被广泛视为市长竞选中的热门人选。即便如此，洛杉矶人至少可以自我安慰的是，Musso & Frank 餐厅依然在那里。坐在吧台边喝着一杯脏马丁尼，闻着附近桌上飘来的菲力牛排香气，这座城市的问题似乎变得遥远了。
keiran southern 洛杉矶 我们的驻外记者报道 Musso & Frank Grill，门外越来越多的无家可归者在露营
印度尼西亚 渡轮火灾导致五人死亡 一艘渡轮在海上起火，导致五人死亡，数十人失踪。KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2，载有 271 名乘客，当时正从东爪哇的泗水开往南苏拉威西的望加锡。船长在昨日上午约 8.30am (2.30am BST) 报告了火灾。起火原因尚不明确。官员表示，该渡轮几乎完全被火焰吞没，225 人已被救出，但仍有 41 人下落不明。
特朗普取消攻击 伊朗 特朗普总统表示，与德黑兰达成了“协议的框架”，并取消了新一轮攻击。特朗普在 Truth Social 上表示，他在“被伊朗和中东国家要求暂停任何攻击”后同意了此项方案。他表示，协议大纲将包括“立即、完全”开放霍尔木兹海峡，以及“结束伊朗的核威胁”。
澳大利亚 澳洲儿童依然在网 一份政府委任的报告发现，在社交媒体被禁之后，多达 8. 分之八的 16 岁以下澳大利亚人仍在继续使用社交媒体。超过一半受访儿童表示，平台并未要求他们确认年龄。五分之一的人表示，平台错误地估算其年龄在 18, 岁以上，而超过三分之一的人表示，他们直接将年龄填写为 16 岁或以上以维持访问权限。
墨西哥两起未破谋杀案——一名 23 岁的美妆网红在 TikTok 直播时被杀，另一名市长在其城市的亡灵节庆祝活动期间被杀——据检察官称，这两起案件均由同一名毒枭下令（Stephen Gibbs 撰文）。哈利斯科新世代卡特尔的高层人物、绰号为“El R1”的拉蒙·安赫尔·阿尔瓦雷斯·阿亚拉（Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala）在周四哈利斯科州的一次特种部队行动的车辆追逐战后被抓获。其安保团队的一名成员被击毙。联邦安全秘书奥马尔·加西亚·哈夫奇（Omar García Harfuch）指控 2022 年出狱的阿尔瓦雷斯是“该地区多起暴力行为”的幕后主使。其中包括去年 5 月，网红瓦莱里娅·马尔克斯（Valeria Márquez）在哈利斯科州萨波潘市的美容院进行每周直播时被谋杀。一名据称伪装成快递员的男子进入房间并要求她确认姓名。当她这样做时，该男子向她开了两枪。加西亚·哈夫奇表示，马尔克斯与 El R1 的儿子之一弗朗西斯科·阿尔瓦雷斯（Francisco Álvarez）有恋爱关系。加西亚·哈夫奇声称，该儿子显然请求其父亲组织这次暗杀。弗朗西斯科·阿尔瓦雷斯目前仍在潜逃，因为
枪手所为。与 El R1 相关的第二起谋杀案发生在 11 月，地点是米却格堪州乌鲁阿潘市的一场亡灵节庆祝活动中。该市市长、两个孩子的父亲卡洛斯·曼佐（Carlos Manzo）与家人一同参加活动时，被一名青少年枪手从背后击中。枪手被市长的安保团队当场击毙，而曼佐在医院中不治身亡。该卡特尔组织通过敲诈企业并走私“被捕的卡特尔头目是美容博主谋杀案的幕后黑手”——瓦莱里亚·马尔克斯（Valeria Márquez）在一次直播中被杀。上图为被捕后的“El R1”。2 月一名卡特尔头目的死亡引发了全墨西哥范围内的袭击，走私绝大多数的芬太尼、甲基安非他明和可卡因。去年，特朗普政府将其指定为外国恐怖组织。其创始人兼长期领导人内梅西奥·奥塞古埃拉·塞万特斯（Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes），绰号“El Mencho”，于 2 月在一次有美国情报部门协助的行动中被墨西哥军队击毙。他的死亡引发了墨西哥全境的一波暴力浪潮。墨西哥尚未详细说明美国在逮捕 El R1 过程中提供了多少协助。但美国驻墨西哥大使罗纳德·约翰逊（Ronald Johnson）是最早祝贺政府将其抓获的人之一，他表示：“那些制造暴力和走私芬太尼的人将被追究责任。”
《泰晤士报》 / 星期一 8月 3 2026年 世界版
法国法院驳回了总统马克龙的中间派政党提起的一项诉讼，该诉讼旨在禁止玛丽娜·勒潘在其总统竞选口号中使用“复兴”（renaissance）一词。法院命令马克龙的“复兴党”向勒潘及其领导的“国民联盟”党各支付 €5,000，以支付部分法律费用。
法院告诉马克龙的政党，勒潘也可以成为“复兴女性” 法国 / 大卫·查赞 巴黎
“复兴党”声称，勒潘的竞选海报上显示她站在“Pour la France, la renaissance”（为了法国，为了复兴）字样前，双臂张开，此举误导了选民并篡夺了该党的身份。
该判决被视为对加布里埃尔·阿塔尔的打击，他是马克龙的前任总理，也是复兴党的总统候选人。该党此前主张，这一口号“显然意在通过盗用我们运动身份的核心要素，即其名称，来利用我们的名声”。
然而，法院表示，使用“复兴”一词并未与马克龙政党的名称产生混淆，也没有暗示这两个政治团体之间存在任何联系。法院得出结论，该口号并未非法干预民主进程，因为它并非旨在欺骗选民。
复兴党表示将提起上诉。国民联盟将这一裁决描述为“对复兴党及其所谓的候选人加布里埃尔·阿塔尔的一次真正的耳光，他们原本意图剥夺国民联盟和玛丽娜·勒潘的言论自由”。
法院还驳回了勒潘及其政党关于该诉讼具有滥诉性质的反诉。法院裁定，马克龙的政党犯了“法律错误，但并无造成伤害的意图”。
复兴党表示，提起诉讼是“唯一为了保护数千名活动人士多年来为法国人民工作的身份、价值观和名称”。
在法院维持了勒潘的腐败定罪，但实际上取消了其参选禁令后，勒潘的竞选活动于上月开始。她声称这些指控具有政治动机。她的受欢迎程度似乎未受影响。民意调查显示，她在选举首轮中大幅领先竞争对手，在第二轮中则略微领先。
首先，几位奶奶以惊人的力量穿透了一块重 7 公斤的面包。接着，她们在大量橄榄油中煎炸一根长达数米、像肉桂卷一样盘绕的香肠。当特蕾莎·卡利亚从一个快跟她头一样大的玻璃杯中嗅红酒香气时，她终生的好友格拉齐亚·因坎波严肃地提醒她，这酒只能用于烹饪。
不过，当她们将作品举向镜头时，一切很快得到了原谅。“这是世界上最美的香肠三明治，”奶奶们异口同声地说道，此时 stracciatella 奶酪和猪肉条从两个垫子般大小、放在木板上的面包片中溢出。
这段视频是普利亚大区阿尔塔穆拉镇的一家历史悠久的面包店 Antico Forno Santa Caterina 在 Instagram 上发布的数十个短视频之一。此类卷轴视频……
在灯光柔和的教堂高耸的穹顶下，两名艺术家正费力地将一些盛期文艺复兴时期的标志性壁画复制到六块大画布上（詹姆斯·伊曼写道）。这两位艺术家是安尼巴莱和阿戈斯蒂诺·卡拉奇兄弟，他们前往帕尔马学习科雷吉欧在圣约翰福音教堂绘制的壁画。这座教堂以科雷吉欧装饰中令人眩晕的幻觉主义而闻名，这些装饰装饰着墙壁并冠于其……
圆顶。这些画布大约绘制于 1586 年，在传给波旁王朝的查理之前，曾进入强大的法尔内塞王朝的收藏之中，该王朝的影响力从帕尔马延伸至罗马。时任那不勒斯国王的查理建造了卡波迪蒙特宫，这些画作最终在那里找到了归宿。如今，在存放多年后，这些作品经过修复并重新向公众展出。它们被纳入卡波迪蒙特博物馆及皇家森林（Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte）的永久馆藏，标志着这六幅画作首次在博物馆中共同展出。“效果非常惊人，”该博物馆馆长艾克·施密特（Eike Schmidt）表示。这些画作描绘了源自科雷乔（Correggio）的圣经人物和场景，包括身披飘逸粉蓝色袍子的圣母玛利亚，以及一名赤裸上身、披着白色斗篷、正在喂鸽子的基督。在卡拉奇家族（the Carraccis）完成复制后不久，为了扩大唱诗班席位，教堂的部分区域被重建，科雷乔的原作壁画随之被移除。尽管半圆龛装饰的中心部分和少数碎片得以幸存，但该系列的大部分已被摧毁。“这些画布的绘画质量为科雷乔这位埃米利亚画派的大师的重要性提供了极其宝贵的证明，”施密特补充道。目前作为展览核心的两幅画作——《圣母加冕》和《荣耀中的基督》——在三十年前已完成修复。其余四幅此前一直存放在仓库中，保存状况不佳，表面积累了层层污垢，画布出现了凸起和撕裂。
失传杰作重获新生 卡拉奇兄弟复制的科雷乔壁画描绘了圣经人物和场景，现首次在那不勒斯的卡波迪蒙特博物馆共同展出。 左与中：其中一件作品在修复前后的对比图
面包店奶奶们挺身而出 当地的奶奶卡利亚（Calia），88岁，以及因坎波（Incampo），90岁，成为了意想不到的社交媒体明星。她们是日益增长的名为“奶奶最大化”（nonna-maxxing）在线现象的一部分，这一现象旨在赞颂全球范围内纯朴的意大利祖母。与年轻网红有时经过精修的展示不同，她们提供了一种真实的替代方案，其幽默的视频正帮助当地企业繁荣发展。
在面包店共同所有者、因坎波的远亲贾科莫·巴拉蒂尼（Giacomo Barattini）请求因坎波教授他制作传统面包和佛卡夏（focaccia）的方法后，卡利亚和因坎波开始出名。他开始拍摄这些志愿者工作的场景，视频很快走红。“这里没有哗众取宠，”巴拉蒂尼在面包店的视频通话中说道，“只有坚定的价值观和传统，美食与快乐。”
在一段视频中，卡利亚戴着黄色的安全帽，用抹刀将能多尔（Nutella）巧克力酱抹在面包块上。在另一段视频中，她用剪刀剪断正在倾倒的红酒，因为“医生告诉我需要戒酒”。类似的视频已累积数十万次点赞。
“我们为什么在这里？为了工作，为了给你和人们带来满足感，”因坎波在视频通话中解释道，“我们的父母教导我们要多做事，我们也想教给年轻一代。”
对奶奶们的关注多年来一直在增长。英国 YouTube 频道 Pasta Grannies 制作相关内容已超过十年，名厨杰米·奥利弗（Jamie Oliver）也曾遍历意大利，为 2018 年的一部电视系列剧收集她们的食谱。这一趋势被诸如西尔瓦娜·比尼（Silvana Bini）等社交媒体名人进一步推动，她的烹饪视频帮助推广了位于佛罗伦萨附近蒙特斯佩尔托利（Montespurtoli）的家族面包店。她的帖子是
由她 30 岁的孙子加布里埃尔·马蒂尼 (Gabriele Martini) 创建。自从在社交媒体上走红后，比尼 (Bini) 变得非常抢手，上周她在纽约度过了五天，在布鲁克林的一家意大利美食制作工作室里烹饪了多种菜肴——包括柠檬鸡和 panzanella（一种用陈面包浸泡在番茄、洋葱和油中制成的托斯卡纳乡村慰藉美食）。“如果你问我，奶奶们现在是最流行的人，”比尼在结束美国之行返回意大利后说道，“奶奶们很温柔，所以每个人都喜欢她们。”对于这些奶奶们来说，社交媒体活动是为了与世界建立联系，分享经验并保持活力。96 岁的莉西亚·费尔茨 (Licia Fertz) 的社交媒体内容，无论是抽一支巨大的大麻烟，还是倡导无上装日光浴，都比人们对典型祖母的预期要特立独行得多。被人们称为“莉西亚奶奶” (Nonna Licia) 的费尔茨住在罗马附近的维特博 (Viterbo)，并曾为《滚石》杂志拍摄裸体照。她与米歇尔·奥巴马 (Michelle Obama) 和人权律师阿迈尔·克鲁尼 (Amal Clooney) 一起被评入 BBC 的 100 位女性名单，该名单旨在赞颂女性在塑造 21 世纪中所扮演的角色。费尔茨的孙子埃马努埃莱·乌赛 (Emanuele Usai) 表示，在九年前费尔茨的丈夫去世后，发布动态帮助她从抑郁症中康复，并给了她一种使命感。“我喜欢结识人们，讨论不同的看待方式和思考方式，”费尔茨说，“这能开阔心胸，让你保持年轻。”
意大利 詹姆斯·伊玛姆 (James Imam) 米兰 特蕾莎·卡利亚 (Teresa Calia) 和格拉齐亚·因坎波 (Grazia Incampo) 获得了数十万次的点击量
2026年8月3日 星期一 / 《泰晤士报》商业版 美国联邦储备委员会正面临一场信誉危机，因为投资者在质疑其新任主席在唐纳德·特朗普的总统任期内是否会提高利率。投资者警告称，这家全球最强大中央银行的新任主席凯文·沃什沟通匮乏，且不愿表示将利用利率来遏制通货膨胀，这已惊扰了美国债券持有者。在沃什表示不会向投资者提供关于利率路径的“前瞻性指引”后，美国长期债务成本在上周末升至近二十年来的最高水平。在沃什作为美联储主席的第二次新闻发布会后，30年期美国国债收益率达到了 5.22%，为 2007, 年以来最高。这是自去年 4 月特朗普实施“解放日”关税以来最大规模的单日债券抛售。交易员指出，在预计能源价格将推高这个全球最大经济体物价之际，沃什关于需要通过提高利率使通胀回到美联储 2% 目标的言论过于模糊。美国银行首席美国经济学家阿迪亚·巴夫表示：“市场正在质疑美联储的信誉。”美联储上周维持基准利率不变，这一结果符合大多数华尔街分析师的预期。沃什告诉记者，他不会透露自己首选的通胀衡量标准，也不会向交易员“喂食”任何关于中央银行将如何应对另一次通胀跳升的信息。
美日采取联合行动支撑日元 梅林·汗 预计日本当局将于今日确认，东京已与美国采取联合行动以遏制日元下跌。报道称，日本财务省将宣布此次联合货币干预，交易员称该干预发生在上周末。此次美日协调干预是 15 年来的首次，此前日元兑美元汇率跌至 1986. 年以来的最低点。美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特在周五被拍到拿着一份“待办清单”，清单显示美国将购买 5-10 billion 美元价值的日元。由于对日本财政扩张计划及其历史性低利率的担忧，该货币一直处于 40 年来的低位。上周，日本央行将基准借贷成本维持在 1% 不变，导致日元下跌并触发了此次货币干预，随后日元兑美元汇率从 164 升至 157，创下三个月新高。这是财务省自 2022 年以来第六次支撑汇率，也是日本当局自 2011. 年以来首次与美国协同行动。野村证券的分析师警告称，只要该国的财政政策保持刺激状态，货币下跌的趋势就不会改变。上周，高市早苗政府宣布了削减食品税的计划。
沉默寡言的美联储面临信誉危机 全球替代资产管理公司阿波罗的首席经济学家托斯滕·斯洛克表示：“在没有前瞻性指引的情况下，市场不明白美联储将如何实现 2% 的通胀目标。”他补充道：“由于缺乏达成目标的清晰路径，收益率被推高，因为现在存在可能耗时更长或涉及政策错误的风险。”现年 56, 岁的沃什是特朗普在痛斥其前任 73, 岁的杰罗姆·鲍威尔去年降息“太慢”且称其为“笨蛋”后，选定领导美联储的人选。现年 80, 岁的特朗普继续要求降低借贷成本以
刺激经济增长。“真正的问题是，沃什是否能够提高利率，并面对那个雇佣他的人的反击，”Calibrate的对冲基金经理埃里克·洛纳根（Eric Lonergan）表示。沃什目前主持着一个分歧严重的投票委员会，三位政策制定者在7月份投票支持提高利率。异议者之一的尼尔·卡什卡里（Neel Kashkari）表示，利率需要上涨，以“应对高通胀可能根深蒂固的风险”。利率维持在 3.5% 至 3.75% 不变。巴夫（Bhave）表示：“我们认为，重建信誉的需求增加了美联储在其他条件相同的情况下于9月份加息的可能性。”据《纽约时报》报道，作为对其央行沟通机制进行改革尝试的一部分，沃什正在考虑减少美联储主席举行新闻发布会的次数。梅林·汗（Mehreen Khan），经济编辑
由M&G支持的音乐投资机构（拥有路易斯·卡帕尔迪（Lewis Capaldi）和琼·杰特（Joan Jett）曲目版权）目前目标是签约榜单顶尖艺术家，为其作品集注入新生命（艾玛·鲍威尔（Emma Powell）报道）。Seeker Music旨在对其拥有 19,000 首曲目的收藏进行重新创作，然后通过自己的唱片厂牌发行，以期获取更高份额的版税收入。在本月首次发行中，该公司已签约美国说唱歌手兼歌手弗洛·瑞达（Flo Rida），重新演绎《Vacation》，这是由贝琳达·卡莱尔（Belinda Carlisle）领衔的Go-Gos乐队在 1982 年发行的单曲。
“经典流行歌曲挖掘新版税：Belinda Carlisle 领衔的 Go-Gos 乐队在 1982 年拥有热门单曲《Vacation》，该曲将由美国说唱歌手 Flo Rida 重新演绎。”
Seeker表示，如果一首歌曲被用于电视广告或电影、节目中，它旨在通过将其收购的歌曲“翻新”为新版本，从而产生更高的回报。该公司成立于 2020, 年，当时它说服美国歌手Shaboozey采样美国说唱歌手J-Kwon在 2004 年的一首热门歌曲而声名鹊起。结果，《A Bar Song (Tipsy)》在美国排行榜上连续 19 周排名第 1，成为美国榜单历史上持续时间最长的单曲之一。
“有许多顶尖艺术家与独立发行商签署了协议，因此我们接触了很多这类艺术家，因为他们有灵活性去做任何想做的事，”Seeker首席执行官埃文·博加特（Evan Bogart）说道。该公司不再是被动地在电台播放其收藏歌曲时收取版税，而是……
ALAMY
寻找商业机会，无论您在哪里收听播客 赞助商：我们就是商业 (We’re The Business) 从创业公司到科技巨头，从市场推动者到城市首席执行官，我们的每周播客与亲历其中的企业家一起剖析商业领域最大的故事。
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 商业 格拉德·莱昂斯 首相将如何履行他的支出承诺？并非通过税收。其自身的研究削弱了这一论点。即使税率仅为 1%，研究估计行为反应可能会使税基缩减 7% 至 17% 之间，并称这“并非微不足道的数额”。研究还发现，£5 million 以上的可课税财富中，约 85% 持有于商业资产中。换句话说，该税项将主要落在企业家、企业主和生产性资本身上，而非闲置财富。许多人资产丰富但现金匮乏。一项与经常性现金流脱节的税收，最终将迫使人们通过借贷或出售资产来支付税款。它会改变行为，压低资产价值，并增加行政复杂性。市场也不太可能将提高资本利得税视为一个明智的选择。伦敦金融城
敏锐地意识到，官方分析显示，资本利得税提高 10% 会导致三年后收入减少 36 亿英镑 billion。对房产征收新税并非摇钱树。住宅地产是英国最大的资产类别，且已经承受了沉重的税负。有充分的理由降低或取消印花税，因为这会降低住房和劳动力流动性。但首相表示，他目前没有改变印花税的计划。相反，有传言称将推出一项新的年度房产税或土地价值税。其中每一项都面临着人们支付更高金额能力的挑战。计划于 2028 年实施的新豪宅税也陷入了同样的陷阱。土地价值税曾被极力推崇。但在其他地方，几乎没有证据表明土地价值税能够成功成为一个重要的国家财政收入来源。在可行的地方，它通常仅是一项适度的地方税，
而非国家税收系统的支柱。此外，土地估值也存在困难。英国此前已吸取过这些教训。针对自住房产的 A 表所得税在 1963 年被废除，英格兰和威尔士的国内税率也消失在…… 资助首相支出承诺的资金将从何而来？这是决定性的财政问题。去年秋天，瑞秋·里夫斯将财政缓冲资金重建至 217 亿英镑 billion。该缓冲资金为在发生冲击时满足财政规则提供了空间。但与每年约 £1.4 trillion 的公共支出相比，这一数额相当有限。此后，伊朗战争削弱了经济增长，借款超过预期，缓冲资金有所缩减。目前该金额已低于 100 亿英镑 billion。财政大臣约翰·希利面临着重建这一缓冲资金并为新支出提供资金，以满足财政规则的挑战。他的选择十分有限。
预算责任办公室不太可能上调其对经济增长或未来税收收入的预测。此外，增加借款也不容易，本财年国债发行量已在 2500 亿英镑 billion 左右，且债务偿还成本高企。发行新的国防债券将增加这一挑战。另一个选项，即英格兰银行将政策转向购买国债，既不紧迫也不太可能实现。这就剩下了税收。但工党的竞选宣言承诺不提高所得税、国民保险或增值税等主要税项。因此，注意力转向了其他方面。突然之间，财富税和其他新税被呈现为解决英国财政压力简单方案。事实并非如此。现代税收系统的演变是因为政府需要大规模、可靠且可预测的收入来源。这些收入主要来自对经常性的收入流、利润和支出征税，在这些领域
纳税人有支付能力。这就是为什么现代国家依赖所得税、国民保险、公司税和增值税（VAT）。在经合组织（OECD）成员国中，这些经常性税收产生了约五分之四的税收收入，英国也不例外。财富税背离了这一原则，这有助于解释为什么一个又一个国家放弃了它们。在仍然保留财富税的国家，它已变成了另一种针对中产阶级的税收。财富税的支持者经常引用财富税委员会的观点。然而，
体验经济“可推动英国增长” 夏洛特·本德 (Charlotte Bend)
世界杯结束已经两周了，对许多人来说，这是一段他们宁愿忘记的篇章。然而，看来并非所有希望都破灭了：在英格兰队最终徒劳的努力中所感受到的团结，可能为企业领导者揭示了一个机遇。Grant Thornton UK 的经济咨询合伙人汤姆·米德尔顿 (Tom Middleton) 声称，共同的体验可以提供“具有切实经济利益的软实力”。他表示：“支持‘三狮军团’带来了电视机、球衣和拉格啤酒销售额的常规激增，但也有一些出人意料的获胜者。Oasis 乐队的流媒体播放量飙升，二手交易市场火爆，约会软件在饮水休息期间活跃起来。”
米德尔顿说：“一种共同的体验在酒吧、酒店、餐厅、零售商、交通网络、媒体平台以及那些看似与活动本身几乎没有联系的企业中产生了涟漪效应。”
新研究表明，40% 的英国人优先考虑体验性支出而非物质消费。在 18 到 34 岁的人群中，这一比例上升到 54%。这项由 Opinium 代表 Grant Thornton UK 对 2,000 名成年人进行的调查，询问了体验经济在多大程度上能为国家提供增长。34% 的受访者表示他们愿意通过“做出牺牲”来优先考虑体验性支出，26% 的受访者则表示，在需要削减开支时，体验将是名单上最后被削减的项目。
格拉斯顿伯里音乐节、温布尔登网球赛、Oasis 乐队、哈里·斯泰尔斯 (Harry Styles)、英超联赛以及世界级的博物馆，都展示了英国在提供体验方面的熟练程度。根据 Sound Diplomacy 的数据，英国制作的 Abba Voyage 自 2022 年在东伦敦的伊丽莎白女王奥林匹克公园推出以来，已有四百万人参加，产生了巨大的文化旅游影响，游客平均每 trip 消费 £224。
米德尔顿说：“英国工业战略的最新版本包括一项承诺，即在未来十年内采取针对性行动，改造英国潜力最高的行业。其中一个优先部门是创意产业，但对体验经济的关注较少。如果 [安迪] 伯纳姆 对全英国的增长是认真的，他需要认识到体验经济可以发挥的关键作用。”
关于一项用于支付社会护理的新征税的讨论。专项税——即拨给特定用途的税款——是合理的，但挑战在于如何保持资金的专款专用，并确保任何基金都能增长到足以覆盖未来债务的程度。目前的税收已有指定基金。例如，所得税进入综合基金，而国民保险则进入国民保险基金。但在幕后，它们支撑着政府的通用支出。
关于财政权力下放的新计划增加了不确定性。市长管辖区将保留一部分商业率税收，在某些情况下还包括所得税收入，这将激励他们发展当地经济并扩大未来的税基。通过抵消政府拨款的削减可以确保财政中立，但在发生财政危机时，责任归属需要明确。财政纪律至关重要。债券市场不会被那些不能增加收入的增税，或可能抑制未来增长的税收所蒙蔽。简化税制、降低边际税率并扩大所得税和增值税的税基是合理的。英国并没有未被挖掘的隐藏税收来源。但它确实存在公共支出问题。
“ ” 杰拉德·莱昂斯博士（Dr Gerard Lyons）是 Netwealth 的首席经济学家。
曼彻斯特的贝芙·克雷格（Bev Craig）等市长现在将成为财政版图的一部分。
ANNABEL LEE-ELLIS / PA
价格 £58 起。请在 timescartoons.com 订购。 寻找由我们的漫画家创作的最优秀作品的个人签名装裱版，包括彼得·布鲁克斯（Peter Brookes）、莫滕·莫兰德（Morten Morland）、彼得·施兰克（Peter Schrank）等。为您的墙壁增添一些机智。
主要集中在实验室、研究园区、科学公园和创新区。这些是劳埃德银行 (Lloyds) 新报告《创新基金会》(Innovation Foundation) 的关注重点。该报告认为，尽管英国拥有世界级的研究能力、创业人才和学术卓越性，但必须继续投资于将这些优势转化为就业机会和可持续经济增长所需的基础设施。根据该报告，英国大学在 2021 / 22, 年度产生了 1580 亿英镑 billion 的经济影响，每 £1 的公共研究资金可产生近 £10 的更广泛经济价值。Murphy 认为，这些发现强化了一个关于实现增长之条件的更广泛教训。她说：“为了提高生产力，创新需要人才、研究、基础设施和财务支持。当我们投资于结合了这些要素的场所时，更多的地区可以将这种智力资本
转化为新企业、高价值工作岗位和繁荣的当地经济。” 地方增长计划还强调了公共和私人投资在支持高潜力集群中的作用。Murphy 表示：“将资金导向场地、电网容量、交通连接和技能培训，可以帮助吸引更大规模的私人资本，并创造企业发展和繁荣所需的条件。” 她解释说，稳定的政府政策与劳埃德银行的资本获取能力的结合，恰恰应该培育这种环境。“英国的区域中型企业拥有推动持续增长的雄心、能力和机遇。它们现在需要的是确定性，以及允许它们产生这种变革的投资——而这正是劳埃德银行能够提供的。” 赞助内容：东北部拥有了解重工业的劳动力，以及为此而建的港口——财务支持可以帮助
利用这一点。从曼彻斯特的数字媒体、剑桥的生命科学，到西米德兰兹郡的高科技制造和东海岸的清洁能源，全国各地渴望增长的公司已经展示出英国各地区的行业优势。劳埃德商业与商业银行首席执行官 Amanda Murphy 表示：“我被这种势头所震撼，尤其是那些准备规模化并参与竞争的有雄心的中型企业。” 成功乘势而上需要量身定制的财务建议。Murphy 说道：“我们的角色是帮助将愿景转化为可投资的计划。这意味着在增长的每个阶段提供正确的财务支持。这可能包括资助新设备和更大的办公场所、加强营运资金、开拓出口机会以及帮助吸引顶尖人才。” 劳埃德银行目前已支持约 100 万家英国企业，
今年将为在此运营和投资的公司提供超过 350 亿英镑 billion 的新融资。其中包括专门为中小企业预留的 95 亿英镑 billion。由劳埃德银行和英国工业联合会 (CBI) 主办的一系列路演进一步凸显了区域性、前瞻性、灵活的中型企业所发挥的关键作用。Murphy 说道：“真正脱颖而出的是我们区域集群的实力，无论是在东北部的清洁技术、西米德兰兹郡的先进制造业，还是在英国的城市中心，那里企业与学术界正在协作，将新想法转化为令人兴奋的商业机会。” 以南约克郡谢菲尔德的 Special Melted Products 公司为例，该公司生产用于航空航天、石油天然气和民用核电等关键应用的特种钢和镍基超合金。该企业获得了 £28.5 million 的支持
来自劳合社（Lloyds）的营运资金贷款，而现在劳合社的“支持英国企业”（Lloyds Backing British business）计划正投入数千万英镑，用于一项宏大的计划，旨在建立英国首个大规模超合金锻造设施以及一个内部研发中心。“Special Melted Products 拥有一套明确的战略来巩固其竞争优势，这将使团队能够在英国先进制造业的核心地带打造一家世界领先的企业，”墨菲说道。与此同时，在东北英格兰地区，各企业正利用其天然的地理优势，加速离岸风电和清洁能源的增长。在诺森伯兰郡的布莱斯港（Port of Blyth），劳合社正支持“能源中心”（Energy Central）集群，这是一个新兴的离岸风电、海底拆除、电池制造和可再生能源枢纽。今年 5 月，该港口宣布了最新的发展计划，一项 £100 扩建工程预计将创造数百个就业机会，并进一步加强该地区的供应链。“东北英格兰地区拥有懂重工业的劳动力，以及能够处理此类规模运营的港口，”墨菲说。“通过提供当地企业所需的财务支持，我们可以帮助各地区将自身优势转化为资本。”英国的各地区已经聚集了许多将定义下一阶段经济增长的产业。虽然其中一些产业依托于主要的工业资产，而另一些则……
助力之手 劳合社很自豪能通过领先的数字化和关系银行服务，支持 100 万家英国企业在初创、成长和繁荣过程中发展。扫描二维码，了解更多关于劳合社如何与全英公司合作的信息。
随着新首相承诺在“每个邮政编码区实现增长”，英国的中型企业正证明，地方优势可以转化为国家优势。
区域产业砥砺前行 AMANDA MURPHY 劳合社商业与企业银行首席执行官 那些具有前瞻性的地区性……
全英国范围内的发展。克拉克认为，创新是一项能力，使许多艺术专业毕业生成为了天生的创业者，尤其是在以用户为中心的设计方面。“他们擅长考虑客户的实际需求，并且通常非常擅长将其传达出来。”在过去的一个学术年度中，由伦敦艺术大学（UAL）在校生和近期毕业生创立的公司获得了超过 £50,000 的外部投资。27 岁的 Chamiah Dewey 为其同名服装企业赢得了 UAL 提供的多项早期资助和奖金，总计约 £32,000，并从天使投资人那里获得了约 £20,000 的资金。在伦敦时装学院学习期间，在遇到一位患有侏儒症的人之后，她首次考虑到了适配时尚（adaptive fashion）——旨在满足残疾人或行动不便者需求的服装。这件事对她产生了“很大影响”。“我自己就很娇小，身高 5 英尺 2 英寸，所以我……” 商业时报
创业者网络 T 创业者网络设计 艺术专业毕业生正将他们最出色的想法转化为商业创投，作者：Jess Jones 和 Naomi Ackerman
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 商业 伦敦时尚学院，受到启发创建了自己的服装品牌，为娇小型女性制作日常服装。VICKI COUCHMAN 为《泰晤士报》撰稿。商业 每一位新员工都需要自己的“伯纳姆式跳跃”（Burnham bounce），他们从一名同僚转变为批准假期并就绩效不佳进行严肃对话的人。这就是为什么立即使其选任合法化如此重要。正式公告通常有所帮助，但如果能在入职第一天之前就安排好设置，许多问题就可以避免。在这种情况下，明确且公开地告知是非常有益的。职责是什么？权力的限度在哪里？他们现在需要对哪些决定和结果负责，但——至关重要地——哪些不需要？在这些事情上保持清晰，可以决定一个企业领导者的成败。
在安置新任高级任命人员时，需要达到一种微妙的平衡：既要提供足够的指导和引导，帮助他们了解组织架构并避开陷阱，但同时又要留出足够的时间和空间，让他们去交付成果、承担风险并以不同的方式处理问题。过多的引导可能会扼杀他们将带来的新鲜想法和创新；而引导太少，则有产生错误、偏移和延迟的风险。最终，一名新任高级官员在就职后，需要时间来实施其愿景。在面试过程中深受青睐的大多数“100天计划”，理所应当是以倾听和学习为主。然而，你必须期望高级候选人能够迅速掌握任何问题，并在任期早期开始采取行动。他们被雇佣来这里并不是为了保持被动。每个人都想展现几次“快速获胜”，确保有一些现成的成果供新任命者交付，是帮助他们确立领导地位的绝佳方式。但如果期望一夜之间发生实质性变化，那就是在为失败铺路。
许多高影响力的投资——从技术系统的彻底改造到社会护理的重新思考——都需要大胆的决策和长远视角。这些决定在短期甚至中期内获得回报是非常罕见的。但新领导者从一开始就有责任管理预期，良好地沟通，并展示成功将是什么样子。如果在看到最终结果之前存在滞后，那么确定并沟通领先指标至关重要。这些指标可能体现在客户反馈、新销售额或一线团队的看法中（但可能不在公众舆论中）。最优秀的领导者能在稳定提供“绿色苗头”（初步成效）与达成宏伟里程碑之间找到那种神奇的平衡。对于长期的变革性结果，组织和公众舆论都需要耐心和信念。对于历任政府来说，这些特质在近年来一直匮乏——不像首相那样多。
Caroline Plumb 是一位连续创业者，也是 Amtivo 的首席执行官，该公司提供 ISO 和行业认证服务。目前新闻中关于领导层过渡的内容很多。在十年间经历了七位首相之后，你可能会希望让唐宁街 10 号的新主人获得成功的流程已经成熟。显而易见，事实并非如此。在任何角色中，帮助新领导者获得成功，实际上并不在于早期的会议——无论是拜访国王还是与知名度较低的新同事见面。而是在于创造允许领导者发挥领导作用的条件。任何以高级角色加入企业或为此招聘的人都知道，这种情况可能会进展得非常顺利，或者在极短时间内变得非常糟糕。任命高级职位总是有风险的，无论那是……
新的团队领导，或者看来，是内阁部长。有些要素你必须处理好。首先是岗位说明书，而这往往被轻视为次要问题。在正确的渠道向正确的人群发布招聘广告很重要，但一份正确说明书的真正威力在于，不仅要考虑所招聘的岗位，还要考虑更广泛的组织。任命一名高级管理人员就像在玩拼图：这个碎片必须与周围的碎片相匹配。然后是筛选过程。你如何确保看到的是最优秀的候选人，而不是那些最渴望这份工作的人？虽然显而易见，但安置一名优秀领导者并赋予其最大成功机会的关键在于确保选拔正确。招聘错误很常见且代价高昂；在高级管理层中，也许每四人中就有一个不合适。商业领域，或许在政治领域中，一个常见的错误
就是让选拔过程过于非正式，随后过度倾向于技术技能而非领导能力。提拔一名明星员工的诱惑很容易理解。如果团队中有一个出色的销售人员或软件工程天才，他们似乎是担任高级职位的逻辑选择。然而，仅仅因为某人在某项技能上表现卓越，并不意味着他们会成为一名优秀的经理。从微小的家族企业到巨大的上市跨国公司，都有犯这种错误的例子。然而，如果你有一个内部候选人，不仅个人能力强，而且具备能够交付结果的领导技能，那么“晋升”是一个强有力的选择。在新聘的高管入职后，需要通过关键活动来使其度过初期的适应期。对于某些人来说，这可能尤为艰难，卡罗琳·普拉姆 (Caroline Plumb) 扫清障碍
以获得几个快速的胜利是确立其领导地位的绝佳方式。2021年，她从印度来到伦敦，在中央圣马丁学院 (Central Saint Martins) 攻读生物设计硕士学位，在那里她研究了由细菌纤维素和微藻制成的生物材料。她很快发现，藻类具有使其在皮肤修复方面高度有效的特性，于是 Low Tide Labs 的构思诞生了。“我认为这在日常生活中是一个被严重低估的生物，”巴特纳加尔 (Bhatnagar) 说道。“你可以在任何地方种植它……而且在产生地球氧气方面，它承担了繁重的任务。”她花费了18个月时间开发一款护肤产品，在中央圣马丁学院的实验室和她的厨房里尝试不同的藻类品种。该公司已定稿了两款产品——一款洁面乳和一款乳液——并计划于今年晚些时候开始销售。“我们通过自行培养藻类来制造自己的
成分，”巴特纳加尔说道。“这就像‘从农场到餐桌’，只不过是针对护肤品。”长期来看，巴特纳加尔计划在公共场所设立“藻类 tanks”，并计划在英国和印度开展护发产品以及基于藻类的食品和营养业务。中央圣马丁学院关于如何利用再生农业废物在尼日利亚北部建造气候适应性建筑的研究。奥尼 (Oni) 表示，Agreka Build 的 “Wheatex” 板材在竞争产品中脱颖而出，因为它们不含任何形式的合成或矿物粘合剂，这意味着它们可以回收并最终生物降解。“这就是我们的独特之处，”她说。“我们找到了一种方法——一项申请专利中的工艺——能够让（麦秸的）纤维自结合。这是完全独特的。”该公司表示，如果大规模使用，Wheatex 板材可以在为房屋提供隔热的同时，帮助降低行业排放。另一位创始人珍·基恩 (Jen Keane) 同时也创建了一个
一种新型材料。她是 Modern Synthesis 的联合创始人兼首席执行官，这家生物技术公司致力于利用自然生物创造新材料，以取代许多时尚配饰和鞋类中使用的合成纺织品。其目标是最终扩展到汽车内饰领域。“我们希望尽可能多地取代聚氨酯和 PVC 材料，”曾在 Adidas 担任材料创意主管的 Keane 说道。“我们的发展轨迹预计在未来几年内能实现数百万吨的替代量。”这家企业的雏形实际上源于 Keane 在中央圣马丁学院一个名为 “This Is Grown” 的硕士项目。她利用一种能够产生所谓“细菌纳米纤维素”的细菌培育出了一只鞋面，这种物质使材料呈现出一种半透明的、类似编织的外观。Modern Synthesis 目前正与全球各大品牌合作，并且已经帮助丹麦时尚品牌 Ganni
设计了一款外观像皮革但实际上是由微观生物生长而成的手袋。“我们并不是想成为皮革，”Keane 说道。“我们的目标是创造一个全新的自然材料类别，在短期内可以与皮革并存，但从长期来看，开始取代其中一些其他材料所带来的有害影响。”另一位 UAL 毕业生 Namita Bhatnagar 同样将天然成分作为其业务的基础。这位 28 岁的创业者是总部位于伦敦的公司 Low Tide Labs 的创始人，该公司正在开发环保护肤产品。Bhatnagar 搬到了
《泰晤士报》 / 星期一 2026年8月3日 注册 曾在《黑道家族》中饰演“大胖子 (Big Pussy)”的演员 Vincent Pastore 当埃德蒙·希拉里爵士在 1953 年首次登顶珠峰时，他拍了一张夏尔巴人 滕辛·诺盖的照片，但并没有想到让滕辛也给他拍一张。尼尔马尔·普尔贾 (Nirmal Purja) 在 2019 年拍的一张照片在社交媒体上疯传，画面中约 300 名登山者排成“康加舞”队列，等待踏上 8,849 米的珠峰顶峰，其中许多人为这次经历支付了 £50,000，这引发了人们对世界上最高峰商业化的焦虑。出生于尼泊尔的普尔贾曾在阿富汗随廓尔喀兵作战，并在特种舟艇部队服役，他意识到在珠峰最险峻的这段路程中，情况可能会变得极其糟糕。随着人们的等待，他们变得越来越冷，也越来越不耐烦，氧气供应被逐渐耗尽；这里简直是排队等待最糟糕的地方。在两个小时的时间里，他像一名“交通警察”一样接管了局面，优先安排最冷的人和等待时间最长的人，同时试图安抚其他人。他告诉《卫报》：“与其让人们争抢谁先上去，不如系统地进行管理。” 普尔贾登珠峰是“可能计划 (Project Possible)”的一部分，旨在攀登世界上 14 座最高峰，每座山高均超过 8,000 米，且处于所谓的“死亡地带”。他和他的夏尔巴人团队在 189 天内实现了目标，打破了 2013. 年创下的七年十个月六天的前纪录。他们的壮举可以在 Netflix 纪录片《14座高峰：没什么是不可能的》(2021) 中看到。在此过程中，他营救了另外三名登山者，包括从直升机绳索下降到喜马拉雅山的安纳普尔纳峰，去救回麻醉科医生 Chin Wui Kin，后者随后在医院去世。
批评者认为，普尔贾使用辅助氧气削弱了他的成就。第一位在不使用氧气的情况下攀登珠峰的英国人 Stephen Venables 表示：“这并不完全是我所理解的登山主义，”并补充说 “在登山历史上，这仅仅是一个脚注”。克里斯·博宁顿爵士补充说，普尔贾展示了“顶尖的运动能力”，但并未开创先河，并补充道：“我不认为这是一个重大事件。”随后，普尔贾在不使用氧气的情况下攀登了所有高峰。三年前，普尔贾及其团队成为首批在冬季征服 K2 峰的人。这座山峰极其致命，被称为“野蛮之山”，2008 年一次雪崩造成的 11 名遇难者中，许多人仍躺在“瓶颈”地带——这是一个由 100 米冰崖覆盖的漫长、陡峭且狭窄的深谷。他观察到：“经过尸体时，你会意识到有些事情是超越计划和技巧的。有时候运气好，有时候运气不好。” 回想起 2019, 年的珠峰排队情况，普尔贾对山脉的环境破坏以及人数日益增加且准备不足的登山者表示担忧。他告诉《泰晤士报》：“你可能是世界上最好的登山者，是最适应高海拔的人类，[但] 如果你在队伍末尾，你就在那里。你的生命掌握在前面的人以及他们上下山的能力手中。” 尼尔马尔·普尔贾，被称为 Nimsdai 或 Nims，是出生于山村一个五个孩子家庭中的第四个。他曾与皇家海军陆战队突击队一起，在广阔的土地上搜寻简易爆炸装置。他还参与过枪战，并将 L9 杠杆地雷安装在敌方据点的门上。他回忆道：“我的工作就是悄悄爬到门边，安装地雷，跑开，然后……轰。” 他的部队在开阔的沙漠山谷中巡逻。
炙热的烘烤，让任何观察者都能注意到他们的存在，并“与友好的当地人打招呼，同时承受那些不太友好的人的攻击”。他说，这项工作压力很大但很有成就感，并补充道：“当武器开火时，肾上腺素在我的体内激增。”在了解到其他地方的行动，包括营救人质、对塔利班重要人物进行强力逮捕以及破门突袭——所有这些均由特种空勤团 (SAS) 或特种舟艇服务队 (SBS) 执行后，他希望“成为那样的人之一”。
2009 年，他成为了第一位[此处原文缺失 / 不完整]肺水肿（肺部积液过多）。由于尴尬，他先下降以恢复体力，然后再次返回并登顶。在下降过程中，他救了一名被遗弃的印度登山者，为此他被授予了大英帝国成员勋章 (MBE)。2017 年，他与一支廓尔喀团队再次攀登珠峰，作为 G200E 活动的一部分，该活动是为了延迟庆祝他们在 2015 年服务于英国王室 200 周年。在他人休息恢复期间，他攀登了洛子峰 (8,516m) 和马卡鲁峰 (8,485m)，这两座分别是世界第四和第五高峰。
意识到他希望转入全职登山，SBS 将他晋升为寒地 warfare 教官，而 SAS 则试图用一个为期一年的登山计划来吸引他。然而，在 2018 年，他放弃了全额军事退休金——这是一笔“足以改变生活的巨额资金”，以便专注于“可能计划”(Project Possible)，并通过赞助（特别是来自手表制造商 Bremont）以及重新抵押家庭房产来为自己提供资金。他在回忆录《超越可能》(Beyond Possible, 2020) 中写道：“离开这样一个享有盛誉的职业感觉很有风险，但我准备为我的雄心赌上一切。”在这本书中，他展现了某种不寻常的面对恐惧的方式。
普贾 (Purja) 的阿尔法男风格有时成为激烈批评的对象。有些人认为他对自己激励性谈话的理解过于字面化；另一些人则认为他给队友的压力太大。一名在西藏的朋友警告他要小心嫉妒的对手，并补充道：“只需要一次推搡，你就会永远地从这座山上消失。”两年前，《纽约时报》刊登了几名女性登山者（包括前芬兰小姐 Lotta Hintsa）对他和其他男性登山者的露骨指控。普贾否认了这些指控，称其为“虚假且具有诽谤性的”。
2026 年 7 月 21 日，普贾在不使用辅助氧气的情况下攀登了巴基斯坦 8,035 米的加歇布伦 II 峰，这是他第 57 次攀登 8,000 米以上的高峰，创下了纪录。九天后，他与一群登山同伴在巴基斯坦开始了自发的宽峰攀登。他以典型的乐观方式写道：“这并非计划之内。但机会不会大声尖叫：它们只会向那些已经在沉默中努力的人低语。”
几个小时后，他们被卷入一场雪崩。此后再也没有他的消息。
尼尔马尔·普贾 (Nirmal Purja) MBE，特种部队成员兼登山家，出生于 1983 年 7 月 25 日。他在被卷入雪崩后去世的消息于 2026 年 8 月 1 日公布。他享年 43 岁。
讣告 尼尔马尔·普贾 打破纪录的登山家和廓尔喀兵，曾在阿富汗作战，并被选入特种舟艇服务队服役。
（图片说明）上方照片中普贾在南迦帕尔巴特峰，他拍摄了一张著名的珠峰登顶排队照片。下方照片中他与妻子苏奇 (Suchi) 在一起。 照片来源：PA PHOTOS / NIRMAL PURJA; @NIMSDAI PROJECT POSSIBLE / AP; DAVE BENETT / GETTY IMAGES
1983 年出生于尼泊尔西部的达纳 (Dana)。他的父亲南达·巴哈杜尔·普贾 (Nanda Bahadur Purja) 在廓尔喀部队服役；他的母亲普尔纳·库马里 (Purna Kumari) 是一名农场工人，经常背着孩子劳作。“我们来自一个非常贫穷的家庭，”他告诉《国家地理》杂志。“我记得小时候我甚至没有……”
人字拖。”四岁时，他们搬到了拉姆那加尔（Ramnagar），那是加德满都附近的一个丛林村庄，位于该国最炎热、最平坦的地区。“我有的是地方可以捣乱：街道上、树林里、水边；探索的潜力巨大，”他写道。十岁时，他患上了肺结核，后来被诊断出患有哮喘，但他对这两项潜在的限制不以为意。他的两个哥哥，冈加（Ganga）和卡迈尔（Kamal），跟随父亲加入了廓尔喀部队，寄钱回家支持尼尔马尔在奇特旺的一所英语学校——小天堂高级中学的学业。在那里，他通过练习踢拳来对抗欺凌者，并成为了地区冠军。他还有一个哥哥吉特（Jit）和一个妹妹安妮塔（Anita）。普尔贾长大后想成为一名像父亲和哥哥那样的廓尔喀士兵，或者成为一名政府官员。“但我想成为尼泊尔版的罗宾汉，抢富济贫，”他说。他选择了前者，在第二次尝试时被选中，并于 2003 年加入了北约克郡卡特里克驻地的廓尔喀训练公司，结果却被关于珠峰的问题轰炸。“当我承认我甚至没见过大本营，更不用说爬上去的时候，他们看起来并不以为然，”他说。2006 年，他与从事牙科工作的苏奇（Suchi）结婚，她是廓尔喀士兵的女儿。他们住在南安普敦附近的伊斯特利（Eastleigh），苏奇与他们年幼的女儿希玛尼（Himani）在世。2007, 年被部署到阿富汗，他作为一名廓尔喀士兵通过了 SBS（特种舟艇服务队）的选拔，通过学习英国情景喜剧幽默和荤段子来融入其中。他还学会了如何抵御消极想法，这项技巧他后来在山上得到了应用。“如果你被冻伤或腹泻，就集中注意力在你的膝盖伤痛上。听起来很疯狂，对吧？但就是这样，想一些更糟糕的事情。”在 SBS 中，普尔贾专攻创伤医学，并于 2010 年 7 月被部署到一线服役，冲进房屋和敌方营地，与危险的敌军或简易爆炸装置（IED）陷阱正面交锋。“破门而入很刺激，但也很恐怖，”他回忆道。有一次他在一场枪战中中弹。“我在一个营地的房顶占据阵地，俯卧着开火，突然被某种东西击中了。起初我不确定是什么，但力量之大足以将我从建筑物上击落，”他说。幸运的是，子弹只是划过了他的脸颊，对他步枪枪托造成的损坏更多。他用手枪继续开火，直到行动结束且伤口得到处理。与此同时，他开始接触登山，2012 年徒步前往珠峰大本营，并且尽管经验不足，仍攀登了 6,119 米的洛布切东峰。2014 年，他在拉夫堡大学获得了安全管理文凭。两年后，他利用假期完成了 6 次攀登珠峰中的第一次，通过告诉银行需要借 £15,000 “买车”并耗尽所有积蓄，来支付 £50,000 的费用。由于缺乏适应，导致他出现了‘路过尸体时，你会意识到有些事情是超出计划或技巧的’
与顶级合作伙伴共同预订 (ms) 欧刻亚尼亚 (OCEANIA) 独家促销活动将于 2026年8月9日 晚上8点 结束 wy) 邮轮 超过 30 年的信赖之选 节省高达 30% 免费 免费 小费、Wi-Fi 房内饮品 岸上观光额度 停车场” 及 特色餐厅” 套餐 或 所有预订最高可获 $800 礼遇 ~< 礼宾阳台房 5 仅限成人邮轮 规模私密且奢华，欧刻亚尼亚玛丽娜号 (Oceania Marina) 最多承载 1,250 位宾客，营造出一种轻松、精致且个性化的氛围。这种精品规模提供了宽敞的空间、周到的服务以及大型邮轮无法复制的悠闲节奏。开放式座位的餐厅、不拥挤的柚木甲板以及海景休息室共同营造出一种宁静的高雅感。“海上最顶尖美食®”定义了欧刻亚尼亚邮轮的体验。其烹饪计划赞颂世界各大美食地区的食材、技术和传统 —— 呼应其访问的目的地。从在全球采购顶级的手工食材，到宽敞的现代化厨房，以及在执行烹饪总监和法国大师级厨师 Alexis Quaretti 与 Eric Barale 的持续启发下不断创新的杰出厨师团队。
14 晚航程 2027年6月8日 出发
包含项目 2027年6月 您的 ROL 邮轮促销 独享高达 30%* 的优惠
Tue 8 登乘优雅的 5* 欧刻亚尼亚玛丽娜号并 从南安普敦出发，开启您的仅限成人航程 [行程：赫尔辛基、斯卡根、斯德哥尔摩、塔林、里加、维斯比、柏林、奥胡斯]
此外，在 2026年8月9日 晚上8点前预订，即可获赠： FREE 3000 万英镑 M&S 礼品卡 在优雅的 5 欧刻亚尼亚玛丽娜号上享受仅限成人的奢华航程 ¥ 5
Sun 13 斯德哥尔摩，瑞典 推荐岸上观光项目：包括** 斯德哥尔摩与瓦萨博物馆 —— 免费房内饮品套餐 —— 包括 在用餐期间提供香槟、葡萄酒和啤酒。 享受瑞典这座水之都、奇妙首都的导览车程，经过皇家宫殿、皇家歌剧院和瑞典议会大厦等景点。随后参观瓦萨博物馆，那里展出了在 333 年后重新组装的世界上最古老的完整船只。
您的 ROL 独家邮轮票价 - 体验“海上最顶尖美食”，无需额外付费即可前往多个开放式座位的特色餐厅
Mon 14 赫尔辛基，芬兰 Tue 15. 塔林，爱沙尼亚 (下午早些时候出发) Wed 16 里加, 拉脱维亚 Thu 17 维斯比, 瑞典 (下午早些时候出发) Fri 18 柏林 (从瓦尔内明德出发), 德国 Sat 19 奥胡斯, 丹麦 Tue 22 回到南安普敦
房型 / 完整 ROL 邮轮票价 (每人) / 基础 ROL 邮轮票价 (每人) :--- 内舱房 c / £5,459 / £3,599 豪华海景房 —C* / £6,389 / £4,399 阳台房 B3 / £7169 / £4,999 礼宾阳台房 A3 / £7389 / £5,299 顶层套房 Pre / £9,179 / £6,699
赚取独家邮轮里程” 下一次预订最高可抵扣 £133* 预订仅需定金
未提及的日期为海上放松日 rolerisecoukitimes / curoveroe Q808 239 3140 ASSEN A Trustpitt 带着信心旅行 «= SBABTA 免费服务时间 8:30AM- 8PM / KK KO
定价和可用性在签发时 (31 / 07 / 2026) 正确。优惠及票价可能随时增加或取消。优惠仅适用于新预订。x推荐的岸上观光项目需付费，且视情况而定。+礼品每单预订仅限一份，且仅限英国大陆地址。<套房基于保证入住原则。++受邮轮公司条款和条件约束。+ {邮轮里程® 条款和条件适用。代理人为 ABTA 持有人 Oceania (Y495X)。欧刻亚尼亚邮轮”条款和条件适用。如有错误，请以原件为准。
& 教练课结束。即使是格林伍德队也聚集在一起 C8 活动 f - 比赛集结！9 假期与活动 SEND HOTA Te IONS 豪华家庭假期 11:30HRS。橄榄球场。体育传奇人物 FORTE VILLAGE, SARDINIA Ben Youngs, Emily Scarratt, Tamsin Greenway, Martin Johnson, Austin Healey, Mo Hunt, Karen Greig, Simon Easterby, Serena Guthrie 等！为 5 - 16 岁儿童开设的橄榄球、篮网球和曲棍球学院 [pete acu 15 - 29 August (橄榄球, 篮网球) = 24 31 Oct (橄榄球, 篮网球, 曲棍球) Vise war Ourlegend com C V
《泰晤士报》 / 星期一 2026年8月3日 体育 足球 联赛杯（Carabao Cup）：初步赛 约克 v 克劳利 (7.30)。威廉山 苏格兰超级联赛 凯尔特人 v 邓迪 (7.30)。板球 The Hundred：索菲亚花园 威尔士之火 v 南方勇士 (女队 3.0, 男队 6.30)。赛程 O Pope, T Boult, N Sowter 和 R Gleeson 未击球。出局顺序 1-71, 2-109, 3-153, 4-175, 5-176, 6-183。投球 Atkinson 20-8-50-0; Dawson 15-5-33-1; Baker 20-7-40-0; Tongue 20-11-13- 2; Ahmad 20-4-40-2; Markram 5-1-4-0 曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (球数) T Seifert b Khan (12) *A Markram c S Curran b Sowter 50 (26) @J Buttler c Sowter b Khan (4) H Klaasen c S Curran b Khan (10) L du Plooy c Pooran b T Curran (17) T Moores c Jacks b Khan (2) L Dawson b Khan (3) G Atkinson c Jacks b Gleeson (7) N Ahmad c Jacks b T Curran (3) J Tongue 未出局 (7) S Baker c Sowter b Boult (4) 额外分 (w 5) 总计 (95 balls) 出局顺序 1-59, 2-70, 3-74,
4-104, 5-104, 6-109, 7-112, 8-121, 9-131。投球 Boult 20-6-32-1; Curran 20-3-38-2; Gleeson 10-1-24-1; Sowter 20-4-23-1; Khan 20-9-17-5; Jacks 5-1-4-0。女队 凯亚椭圆球场 (曼彻斯特超级巨人队赢得掷硬币)：曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (4pts) 以 6 个三击胜 MI 伦敦队 MI 伦敦队 (球数) A Davidson-Richards b Ecclestone (2) H Matthews b Ecclestone (4) *H Armitage c Ballinger b MacDonald-Gay (15) A Kerr c Ghosh b Ballinger (14) N Carey c Ecclestone b MacDonald-Gay 17 (24) †K Chathli c Ecclestone b Bryce (16) C Henry c Lanning b Brown (9) A Monaghan c Lanning b Brown (9) T Norris 被跑出局 (2) K Gordon c Lanning b MacDonald-Gay (3) A Stonehouse 未出局 (1) 额外分 (b 4, lb 1, w 2) 总计 (99 balls) 出局顺序 1-0, 2-1, 3-20, 4-37, 5-60, 6-78, 7-87, 8-87, 9-87。投球 Ecclestone 20-15-7-2; Ballinger 20- 11-17-1; Brown 20-11-18-2; MacDonald-Gay 19-10-19-3; Villiers 15-6-18-0; Bryce 5-2-8-1。
曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (球数) M Lanning lbw b Gordon (31) S Mandhana c Armitage b Gordon 34 (27) †R Ghosh c Carey b Kerr (5) P Scholfield b Kerr (1) M Villiers 未出局 (8) K Bryce 未出局 (0) 额外分 (lb 1, w 1) 总计 (4 wkts, 72 balls) M Brown, J Gardner, S Ecclestone, R MacDonald-Gay 和 G Ballinger 未击球。出局顺序 1-73, 2-77, 3-77, 4-89。投球 Norris 10-6-9-0; Carey 10-2-16-0; Henry 5-2-11-0; Matthews 10-4-16-0; Kerr 20- 7-21-2; Stonehouse 5-1-7-0; Gordon 12-6-14-2。特伦特火箭队 v 利兹日出队：男队 特伦特桥 (特伦特火箭队赢得掷硬币)：特伦特火箭队 (4pts) 以 5 分之差击败利兹日出队 特伦特火箭队 (球数) B Duckett b Ellis 64 (47) F Allen b Carse (3) A Donald c Ellis b Carse (19) @S Billings lbw b Ahmed (8) T David 未出局 24 (22) M Santner 未出局 (1) 额外分 (b 1, w 5) 总计 (4 wkts, 100 balls) L Gregory, C Overton, C Harrison, M Henry 和 M Amir 未击球。出局顺序 1-5, 2-68, 3-85, 4-136。投球 Ahmed 20-5-23-1; Carse 20-9-20-2; Potts 20-5-35-0; Ellis 20-6-26-1; Patterson- White 15-2-30-0; Lawrence 5-1-11-0。利兹日出队 (球数) M Marsh c Billings b Amir 41 (35) @R Rickelton c Amir b Overton (3) Z Crawley b Santner (16) H Brook c Duckett b Amir 46 (33) D Lawrence 未出局 (8) T Alsop 未出局 (5) 额外分 (b 1, w 3) 总计 (4 wkts, 100 balls) L Patterson-White, B Carse, M Potts, N Ellis 和 A Ahmed 未击球。出局顺序 1-7, 2-46, 3-117, 4-122。投球 Amir 20-11-20-2; Overton 10-5-11-1; Henry 15-3-25-0; Harrison 20-4-26-0; Santner 15-2-27-1; Gregory 20-4-31-0。女队 特伦特桥 (利兹日出队赢得掷硬币)：特伦特火箭队 (4pts) 以 5 分之差击败利兹日出队 特伦特火箭队 (球数) S Dunkley b Sutherland 56 (33) †B Mooney b McCarthy (5) N Sciver-Brunt b Jonassen 33 (25) A Gardner c Litchfield b Baker (9) S Luff b
Jonassen (9) B Heath c Cross b Sutherland (11) G Adams st Winfield-Hill b Baker (2) G Elwiss 未出局 (7) 额外分 (lb 1, w 5, nb 1) 总计 (7 wkts, 100 balls) K Garth, C Phillips 和 S Bates 未击球。 击球顺序 1-8, 2-84, 3-105, 4-114, 5-114, 6-118, 7-139. 投球 McCarthy 15-8-17-1; Jonassen 20-8-20-2; Cross 5-2-6-0; Baker 20-6-28-2; Sutherland 20-8-26-2; Sharma 10-1-17-0; Gibson 10-3-24-0. Sunrisers Leeds (balls) B Smith c Dunkley b Gardner (12) J Jonassen lbw b Adams (18) P Litchfield c Gardner b Phillips 24 (22) A Sutherland 未出局 59 (30) *D Gibson c Gardner b Bates (5) †L Winfield-Hill 跑出局 (12) D Carter 未出局 (1) 额外分 (b 2, w 3) 总计 (5 wkts, 100 balls) D Sharma, K Cross, C McCarthy 和 H Baker 未击球。 击球顺序 1-15, 2-50, 3-74, 4-76, 5-126. 投球 Garth 20-8-26-0; Bates 20-7-26-1; Gardner 20-9-18-1; Phillips 10-4-10-1; Elwiss 15-3-35-0; Adams 15-6-17-1.
男子 P W L T NR Pts NRR Trent Rockets 1 0 0.76 MI London 2 0 0.40 Welsh Fire 1 0 12 -0.22 Southern Brave 3 0 0.10 Manchester SG 3 0 0.02 Leeds Sunrisers 2 0 8 -0.07 London Spirit 3 0 4 -0.05 B’ham Phoenix 3 0 -1.21
女子 P W L T NR Pts NRR Southern Brave 0 0 0 20 0.49 Trent Rockets 1 0 0 16 1.67 Manchester SG 1 0 1 14 1.04 London Spirit 6 -0.83 B’ham Phoenix 2 0 6 -2.18 Welsh Fire 3 0 0.29 Leeds Sunrisers 4 3 0 0.28 MI London 2 -1.54
Metro Bank Cup: A组: Beckenham 诺丁汉郡 293-9 (B Martindale 101); 肯特 294-5。 肯特 (4pts) 以 5 个 wickets 获胜。 Leicester 莱斯特郡 289-8; 萨默塞特 125。 莱斯特郡 (4pts) 以 164 runs 获胜。 Northampton 诺安普顿郡 347-6 (G Miller 115); 兰开夏 280。 诺安普顿郡 (4pts) 以 67 runs 获胜。 Rugby 格洛斯特郡 271-9 (O Price 122); 华威郡 277-4 (R Yates 132)。 华威郡 (4pts) 以 6 个 wickets 获胜。
P W L T NR Pts NRR Leics 4 2 0 0.68 Notts 3 2 0 0.17 Surrey 3 2 0 0.06 Lancashire 3 2 0 12 -0.29 Kent 3 2 0 12 -0.29 Somerset 2 3 0 8 -0.18 Warks 2 3 0 8 -0.19 Northants 2 3 0 8 -0.19 Gloucs 1 4 0 4 -0.15
B组: Derby 德比郡 325-7 (W Madsen 104 未出局); 萨塞克斯 137 (J Morley 5-28)。 德比郡 (4pts) 以 runs 获胜。 Chelmsford 埃塞克斯 376-5 (T Westley 129, M Critchley 102 未出局); 伍斯特郡 269 (J Libby 109)。 埃塞克斯 (4pts) 以 107 runs 获胜。 Utilita Bowl 汉普郡 246; 达勒姆 249-1 (Em Gay 104 未出局)。 达勒姆 (4pts) 以 9 个 wickets 获胜。 Lord’s 米德尔塞克斯 246; 约克郡 211。 米德尔塞克斯 (4pts) 以 35 runs 获胜。
P W L T NR Pts NRR Middlesex 4 1 0 1.85 Durham 4 0 0 0.80 Yorkshire 3 2 0 0.64 Worcs 3 2 0 12 -0.30 Derbyshire 2 3 0 0.62 Essex 2 3 0 0.20 Hampshire 2 3 0 8 -0.68 Glamorgan 1 4 0 -1.13 Sussex 1 4 0 -1.81
高尔夫 美国 PGA 巡回赛 火箭经典赛 底特律：三轮后领先者（除非另有说明，均为美国）： 195 68, 64, 63。 196 M Brennan 65, 67, 64。 199 R Fowler 63, 68, 67; C Kirk 65, 67, 66; C Young 69, 61, 68; R Hoejgaard (丹麦) 69, 68, 61。
AIG 女子公开赛 利瑟姆-圣安妮斯：最终领先成绩（除非另有说明，均为英国和爱尔兰）： 279 S Kuwaki (日本) 66, 70, 73, 70; E Henseleit (德国) 73, 69, 67, 70 (Kuwaki 在第二个延长洞的附加赛中获胜)。 280 Y Soh (美国) 67, 70, 69, 74。 282 N Korda (美国) 73, 68, 73, 68; J Thitikul (泰国) 64, 73, 72, 73。 283 Hsu Wei-ling (台湾) 71, 74, 69, 69; S Tan (新加坡) 69, 74, 71, 69; C Hull 69, 71, 71, 72; L Woad 69, 71, 70, 73; R Takeda (日本) 69, 73, 72, 69; Ryu Hae-ran (韩国) 66, 69, 74, 74。 284 M Katsu (日本) 72, 68, 71, 73; Y Saso (日本) 72, 73, 71, 68; C Boutier (法国) 67, 74, 74, 69; S Kouskova (捷克) 77, 69, 71, 67。
橄榄球联盟 Betfred 超级联赛 Castleford 华灵顿 48; 卡塔兰巨龙 韦克菲尔德 32; 约克 圣海伦 32。
P W D L F A Pts Leeds 21 17 4 744 304
Wakefield 21 16 5 587 352 Wigan 21 16 5 607 383 Warrington 20 14 6 526 346 Hull KR 20 13 7 588 339 Leigh 21 13 8 466 398 St Helens 21 12 9 484 460 Catalans D 0 12 419 621 Toulouse 0 14 432 544 York 0 14 430 613 Castleford 0 14 390 658 Bradford 0 15 382 629 Hull 0 16 353 463 Huddersfield 0 17 333 631 Betfred 冠军联赛 Barrow 24 Rochdale 14; Dewsbury 20 Hunslet 30; Doncaster 46 Oldham 18; Midlands Hurricanes Keighley 6; North Wales Crusaders 6 Goole Vikings 68; Sheffield 48 Halifax 16; Swinton 12 Batley 30; Widnes 36 London Broncos 42; Workington 16 Newcastle 40.
斯诺克 上海大师赛决赛（21局 胜者先得11局）：J Trump (英) 胜 K Wilson (英) 11-6（单局比分；Trump先手：8-87, 74-37, 73-43 (73单杆), 66-0 (62) 21-48, 67-66 (66, 67), 13-65 (63), 74-4 (55), 70-46, 82-4, 67-49, 4-103 (103), 44-59, 60-58 78-64 (58 KW, 51 JT), 0-134 (134), 77-5).
网球 华盛顿 Citi Open： 男子： 半决赛 R Jodar (西) 胜 A Tabilo (智) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4。 女子： 决赛 J Pegula (美) 领先 A Eala (菲) 6-4, 1-2。
ATP 洛斯卡沃斯 Mifel Open： 决赛 A Gea (法) 胜 D Shapovalov (加) 6-3, 6-4。
ATP 蒙特利尔国家银行公开赛： 第一轮 Shang Juncheng (中国) 胜 A Vallejo (巴) 6-3, 6-3；J Munar (西) 胜 R Hijikata (澳) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3。
WTA 孟菲斯公开赛决赛： K Liutova (俄) 胜 D Vidmanova (捷) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3。
WTA 多伦多国家银行公开赛： 第一轮 K Rakhimova (俄) 胜 V Williams (美) 6-4, 6-1；J Bouzas Maneiro (西) 胜 A Arseneault (加) 6-2, 6-4。
一些英国运动员在下周的欧洲锦标赛前夕临时退出。尽管维多利亚退出了，但澳大利亚人的热情程度让英国感到尴尬。在昨日最后几项赛事结束时，澳大利亚拥有 169 枚奖牌，而英国为 110 枚；其中金牌数分别为 70 枚对 29 枚。在 2022 年的伯明翰比赛中，这两个老对手之间仅差两枚奖牌，当时澳大利亚拥有 67 枚金牌，英国为 57 枚。有趣的是，Sadleir 建议组织者可以考虑的一点是，是否能让本届运动会成为各项世界锦标赛更具吸引力的资格赛。至于电视转播，澳大利亚 Channel 7 的覆盖人数达到了 11.39 million，加拿大约有四百万人观看。在英国，该赛事被冷落在 TNT Sports 上，据报道每日最高观众人数仅为 200,000。如果英联邦运动会想要生存，就需要英国运动员和广播机构的认可。失去 BBC 的现场报道是一个打击，尽管 BBC 目前正处于广泛的成本削减之中。据信 TNT 仅支付了 £5 的转播费，而这一转播引起了大量抨击。前游泳运动员、偶尔担任 BBC 评论员的 Sharron Davies 表示：“我非常失望它不在 BBC 上，而且他们没有报道更多游泳项目。这是一项重要的运动，能救人，而且参与人数极多。我认为 BBC 的职责应该是展示各种体育项目。” 看到国内的冷淡与来自莱索托、马来西亚、诺福克群岛等队的激情如此格格不入，真是令人深思。在这里待一周会让你挑战自己的怀疑态度 and 愤世嫉俗。如果价格合适，这是一个值得挽救的赛事。
没能通过那场半决赛，而且我不认为我能相信自己在这里创造了历史。不敢相信我找到了这项运动，而这项运动也找到了我。” 在 Finucane 2022 年伯明翰之行获得铜牌后，团体赛冲刺一直是一个巨大的目标。“和团队一起在领奖台上唱歌简直太疯狂了，”她说道。如果说有什么能概括顶尖体育运动的高峰与低谷，那么骑行界新晋金童玉女的一周生活就提供了答案。Finucane 的男友 Matt Richardson 被排除在名单之外。
由于在奥运会前夕于日本的一场世界系列赛竞轮赛中遭遇严重摔车，他未能代表英格兰在格拉斯哥参赛。“他刚刚出院，情况还好，”菲努凯恩（Finucane），23, 说道。这位来自卡马森（Camarthen）的冠军在 2024 年奥运会上获得了团体竞速金牌以及两枚铜牌。“在巴黎，我希望我能站在最高领奖台上，更大声地唱起国歌，”她说道，“而这就是我在这里所做的。”
与此同时，乔什·克尔（Josh Kerr）希望一个非凡的五个月能让他最终进入 BBC 年度最佳运动员的入围名单。这位苏格兰人在 3 月成功卫冕 3, 000 米室内世界冠军，两周前打破了 27 年前的 1 英里纪录，并在周六赢得了英联邦运动会 1 英里冠军。“我不想太早寄予希望，但我很希望能 [入围名单]，”他说道。
像菲努凯恩这样的大牌选手——她在昨日赢得了第四枚金牌，令在场的母亲欣喜若狂（见插图）——在本次赛事中亮相。而本次赛事也揭示了如上述患有绝症仍坚持游泳的古德本（Goodburn），以及左下角家庭暴力幸存者沙米拉·丹卡（Sharmila Dhankar）这样的故事。
MATTHEW CHILDS / REUTERS
久胁（Kuwaki）夺得首个大奖赛冠军，英国选手法力渐失 Cathy Harris
在皇家利瑟姆和圣安妮球场（Royal Lytham & St Annes）举行的第 50 届女子公开赛中，久胁诗穗（Shiho Kuwaki）在第二个附加赛洞以平杆击败德国选手埃丝特·亨塞莱特（Esther Henseleit），夺得了她的首个大奖赛冠军。可以说，不会有比她更张扬的冠军了。凭借引人注目的服装、鲜艳的球标和令人印象深刻的睫毛，这位 23 岁的选手拿走了 $1.5 百万美元（约 £1.1 百万英镑）的冠军支票。
她利用了亨塞莱特（2024 年奥运会银牌得主）的一次残酷失误：在第二个附加赛洞，亨塞莱特的一记驱动球击中一名巡场员后弹入荆棘丛，导致她未能拿到平杆。
昨晚的领先者叶利米·诺（Yealimi Noh）以及大部分追赶者在日益严苛的环境条件下相继掉队。但久胁保持了冷静，在会所领先成绩定格在负 5 杆，迫使亨塞莱特必须在 18 号果岭完成一个 45 英尺的推杆才能进入附加赛。
外界期待的英国双星洛蒂·沃德（Lottie Woad）和查理·赫尔（Charley Hull）的冲击并未出现，赫尔对首个大奖赛冠军的等待仍在继续，尽管两人均获得前十名，并列第六。赫尔承认，在经历了这一周后，她在精神和身体上都精疲力竭，因为她之前使用一张假刮刮卡欺骗球童使其认为自己赢了 £100,000，从而引发了巨大的负面舆论。她表示：“我不得不面对大量的网络攻击，但我为今年在三大奖赛中三次进入前十而感到自豪。”
柳河兰（Haeran Ryu）希望成为 2013 年以来首位在一年内赢得三个大奖赛的球员，但这一希望在周六出现失误后破灭。
八位欧洲选手——沃德、赫尔、玛雅·斯塔克（Maja Stark）和林·格兰特（Linn Grant）（均来自瑞典）、塞琳·布蒂耶（Celine Boutier）（法国）、卡洛塔·西冈达（Carlota Ciganda）（西班牙）、亨塞莱特（德国）以及南娜·科斯特兹·马德森（Nanna Koerstz Madsen）（丹麦）——获得了 9 月索尔海姆杯（Solheim Cup）的自动参赛资格。安娜·诺德奎斯特（Anna Nordqvist）将于今日公布她的四名队长挑选球员。
2026年8月3日 星期一 / 《泰晤士报》 体育 足球 让人感到不受欢迎且不自在。“如果一名在VIP视线范围内的女性引起了反感，那就另话了。”而在三年零七个月零 11 天后，这件事终于发生了。一个词：不。当然，这需要数页的声明、辩解和法律澄清，而且需要一个透明到连黑猩猩都能看穿的错误方案，但这一切最终就归结为：不。而且，这本就是唯一需要说的话。足以让因凡蒂诺的城堡崩塌，让他的所谓盟友反水，让他的动机被揭露。只要说不。然而，在我们说不之前，天哪，竟然有太多的“是”。同意在六个国家举办世界杯，同意举办一个可能与卡塔尔世界杯具有同样糟糕缺陷的世界杯，同意不进行秘密投票，同意给一位日益将国际足联（Fifa）纪律体制视为灵活、可建议或取决于地位的主席写支持信。同意四分之一决赛，同意中场表演，同意国际足联和平奖，同意史上最昂贵的门票，同意极端的谄媚，同意卑躬屈膝，同意低三下四，是的，是的，一千次是的。这意味着，用《低俗小说》中温斯顿·沃尔夫的话来说，“咱们先别急着互相吹捧。”工作还没完成。接下来的部分更艰难。如果足球世界回归正常而因凡蒂诺依然在位，那就不叫抵制。他的离职应该是重新回归的前提条件。他不走，谁也别想回来。欧洲，或者我们的足协（FA），是否有这个胆量？这可能会成为一种孤立主义立场。最终可能会像挪威那样陷入孤立——当有人就国际足联和平奖等问题提出申诉时，大国往往会把挪威晾在一边。如果那些在 2022 年佩戴无用彩虹臂章的国家，在 2010, 国际足联将世界杯授予卡塔尔之初就团结起来并拒绝参加，会怎样？英格兰、德国、比利时、荷兰——他们 16 年前能否说服其他国家采取立场？那才叫抗议。真正的抗议。如果足协和其他权力经纪人宣布，只要因凡蒂诺继续掌权，他们就绝不回归国际赛事，那也将是真正的抗议。相反，足协现在却在 55 人的群体中摆出一副掌控全局的样子。甚至他们的谴责基本上只是说他们支持欧足联（Uefa）的谴责，并额外加了几行要求进行“强有力的审查”。噢，天呐，又是强有力的审查。接下来是什么，柔软的垫子，舒服的椅子吗？我们的足协就像那个躲在学校霸凌者及其同伙身后大喊“没错！”的小孩。当霸凌者走后，他其实还挺好。完全是另一个孩子。安静得多。
完全没有态度。这并不是在主张欧足联在每一次小小之中场表演上都大显身手。那同样是对权力的滥用，世界其他地区理应对此感到厌烦。然而，我们深知存在腐败的世界杯主办流程、侵犯人权的行为、虚假的民主程序，这些绝非小问题。即使作为俱乐部世界杯的拥护者，我也认为将国际迈阿密以及里奥·梅西自私地强加进改组后的 2025 赛事是不妥的。国际足联对比赛领域的日益侵蚀是因凡蒂诺 era. 最令人担忧的方面之一。因此，政权更迭不仅是首选，而且是至关重要的。还有大量工作等待完成。接下来的问题应该是，那些长期以来对此放任自流的人，是否真的是能够完成这项任务的人。人们过去常说，在战斗结束后，媒体会进入到
对伤员进行刺杀。在身陷困境的詹尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）这个案例中，这一角色现在看来是由我们亲爱的英格兰足球总会（FA）来扮演的。一个执行机构从未如此迅速地找到自己的声音和道德准则，因为此时采取任何行动都绝对没有任何遭到谴责的风险。现在，站在这一争论的错误一方几乎是不可能的。然而，就在 40 天前，英格兰足球总会主席德比·休伊特（Debbie Hewitt）还被拍到正傻笑着向那位该死的国际足联（Fifa）主席赠送一件个性化的英格兰队球衣。就在那时，英格兰足球总会还通过信函支持他继续担任主席。而大约 18 个月前，休伊特在某种程度上以一种近乎于“挥手舞”式的民主姿态，帮助让世界杯在毫无阻力的情况下授予沙特阿拉伯——并将 2030 届赛事授予三大洲。而现在，这个所有诸多骗局背后的操盘手——也就是他们的人，由他们支持的人，以免在这次疯狂的立场转变后你忘了——竟然变成了化身恶魔？所以，我们不要太冲动。当我们真正进入这个叙事的“叮当，女巫死了”阶段时，没有人会比我唱得更大声、更欢快，但如果此时加入合唱的，正是那些支撑了他十年的、比所有谄媚之辈鞠躬更低、舔得更勤的人，那些本可以采取行动阻止他腐蚀足球价值的人，却反其道而行之。那么，只能说这确实令人惊讶。即便因凡蒂诺离开，这也不是什么巨大的胜利。因为这只能表明，很多事情本可以更早地完成，但却没做。一直以来，正如许多人所争论的，尤其是这些版面上的讨论，权力就在内部。足球政治就像棋盘游戏《Risk》，国际足联失去欧洲的那一刻，也就失去了全世界。我们可以争论亚足联（Asian Football Confederation）声明的重要性，或者中北美及加勒比足联（Concacaf）的不满，因为他们的干预意味着因凡蒂诺没有足够的票数来推进他的计划。但我们知道对国际足联真正起作用的数字，而当人们同意欧足联（Uefa）将抵制世界杯时，这些数字就不再成立了。连续的国际足联政权之所以能生存，是因为每个人都被蒙蔽，相信比如肯尼亚的一票与德国的一票价值相同。但电视转播合同并非如此。“没钱就没法飞”（No bucks, no Buck Rogers）是美国政府向首批宇航员解释水星航天计划的方式；如果没有欧洲主要国家的广播权协议，以及基于欧洲顶尖球星而达成的美国大宗交易，国际足联的赛事在财务上就等同于死亡。那么，是什么阻止了他们？是什么阻止了我们？为什么直到最近这次令人厌恶的事件发生才采取行动？如果欧洲在国际足联将卡塔尔世界杯改为在隆冬举行时，或者在竞标过程被证实大规模腐败时，或者在因凡蒂诺操纵主办轮值制度使海湾国家在四届赛事中分得两届时就采取抵制，那么事情就结束了。但显然，他们也想要钱。他们想要 beIN Sports 的钱，或者公共投资基金（PIF）的钱，他们同样想参与到海湾地区的游戏中。因此，他们保持沉默，无所作为。用口头表达抗议。戴上小臂章，然后又在被训诫后将其摘掉。只有在现在他们不可能出错的时候，他们才找到了自己的声音。事情本不至于发展到这个地步。在 2022 年离开卡塔尔时，我详细描述了那种无力感。联邦调查局（FBI）已经取得了定罪，但这毫无影响。腐败已被证实，但
赛事依然照常举行。报纸和非政府组织揭露了外籍劳工的死亡情况、外籍劳工的居住和工地环境，以及外籍劳工的薪资与条款。虽然有所改变，但实在太迟了。“2022年卡塔尔世界杯将我们压制，我们只能躺在那里忍受，”我写道。“正因为我们这样做了，人们很容易认为我们必须再次如此。认为在此之后，无论因凡蒂诺及其爪牙想将未来的世界杯拖到哪里，无论那里多么压抑，无论对社会的边缘群体多么疏离，我们都只能束手无策地观察。”但我从未认为情况会如此凄凉。我一直认为主要国家，特别是欧洲国家，如果他们有意愿，就拥有反抗的能力。因此，文章继续写道。“但这并非事实。还有另一种方法。噢，这是高风险、高筹码的举动。这是一场赌博。它需要钢铁般的意志。然而它很简单。只需要那些掌控足球的人说出那个经常在关键时刻卡在喉咙里的词。它要求他们拒绝一种对贪婪和共谋的基本倾向，但他们应该这样做：他们说‘不’。拒绝前往一个并不真正欢迎所有人的国家。拒绝对基本人权的践踏。所以，拒绝 2030 年在沙特阿拉伯举办。如果同性恋群体处于危险之中，那就绝不行。”马丁·萨缪尔 EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / FIFA / GETTY IMAGES 休伊特，英足总主席，向因凡蒂诺赠送一件英格兰队球衣——仅仅在该管理机构加入由亚历山大·切费林领导的欧足联之前 40 天，后者拒绝了国际足联主席将世界杯股份出售给私人投资者的计划。
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 体育
对球员的了解。这让我能进行更多分析，因为我们无法做出变动。我们变得非常出色。在勒沃库森，那种团队精神并非凭空产生。”成功很快就到来了。“那是出乎意料地奇妙，”他说。但在皇家马德里，成功并未随之而来，在陷入政治纷争和球员势力的漩涡中，他仅坚持了七个月就被解雇。对于一个职业生涯轨迹一直坚定向上且积极的球员来说，在曾经效力的俱乐部遭遇这样的挫折是一次全新的经历。“幸运的是，我的职业生涯中没有留下太多伤痕，”他反思道。“所以，好吧，我留下了一道伤疤，但它会愈合。现在它已经愈合了，我非常有动力去享受接下来的这一步，就像我刚开始在马德里时那样。但你得向前看。我吸取积极的一面，以及那些行不通的事情。我对自己一直很苛刻，思考我本可以
做得更好的地方，因为事情并没有像预期那样发展。但你得转向其他事情。”他认为失望让他成为一名更好的教练。“当然，当然，当然。”
Xabi Alonso 在悉尼正与时差作斗争，身体生物钟紊乱导致他在半夜醒来。但在这样一个早起跑步几乎被视为公众要求的城市里，他适应得很好。Alonso，44, 每周跑步 10 公里多达三次，平均每公里配速为 4分 30秒。他的工作人员也同样活跃，在切尔西澳大利亚季前巡回赛的第一站，人们看到他们从达令港的酒店出发一起跑步。Alonso 保持着他的运动活力，这在训练场上同样显而易见，球员们对他能够——用利维·科尔威尔的话说——“毫无理由地四处传球”的能力感到敬畏。“当我大十岁时，也许我不能那样做了，所以我会在场边待得更多，”Alonso 微笑着说。“但只要我还能做到，我就很享受。我喜欢这种感觉，喜欢靠近球员。这种能量是双向的。既是为了他们，也是为了我。”
当 Alonso 在职业生涯末期短暂地在拜仁慕尼黑担任 Pep Guardiola 麾下的资深球员时，Guardiola 在训练演习中同样亲力亲为。“我们关系很近，我非常好奇，”他说。“在我职业生涯的那个阶段，我可以走进他的办公室，‘Pep，为什么会这样？战术计划是什么？’也许在我 20, 岁的时候，我没有那种自信走进教练办公室问这些问题。但在那个时刻，基于信任，我需要这样做，我想这样做。”
Alonso 从 Guardiola 身上学到了很多，但他的学习范围更广；他向卡洛·安切洛蒂、拉斐尔·贝尼特斯、若泽·穆里尼奥、比森特·德尔博斯克以及约翰·托沙克学习——后者在皇家社会让他完成了联赛首秀。但他的父亲米格尔·安赫尔·“Periko”·Alonso 影响最大。Alonso 先生在 1982 到 1985 期间效力于巴塞罗那，赢得了 1985 年西甲冠军，他同时也是一名教练，曾短暂指导过儿子。年轻的 Xabi 在圣塞巴斯蒂安的家中观察他，且并不总是安静地观察。“准备第二天的训练，准备球队选人，这些都在厨房里进行，”Alonso 回忆道。“我就在他身边。我有我的意见！”
家庭是巨大的动力，他的妻子和孩子是他决定搬到伦敦的核心原因。Alonso 擅长烹饪，有“两三道”招牌菜，包括巴斯克地区柔软的鱼类菜肴 Kokotxas。“我们巴斯克人虽然不过分痴迷，但非常重视食物和优秀的餐厅，”他说。他已经开始物色可以用餐的地点。
Alonso 拥有权力，但坚持切尔西
重启并不完全是为了他，因为你能从那些未能如愿的失望中学习，并尝试相信情况会变得更好。有很多[积极的]经验，包括我必须做的适应，以及在比赛和人员管理方面，有些行得通，有些则不行。这是一个综合的结果。”阿隆索表示他需要时间来恢复。“主要是为了重启能量，因为作为一名经理所需的能量……你必须充满能量，”他说。“对我来说，在每一次训练课、每一项比赛计划中传递这种对比赛的热情和热情至关重要。我利用那段时间主要做了这件事。我没有看太多[足球]。这主要关乎我自己，关乎感受。”切尔西聘请他是为了将他们从困境中拉出来，并建立一种顶尖的绩效文化，而该阵容在过去一年里一直饱受批评。他们去年排名第十。为什么选择切尔西？他指了指自己的头。“当然，很大程度上源自这里，”他在指向自己的胃之前说道。“还有这里。必须凭直觉（guts）来决定。我认为这对俱乐部来说时机很好，对我个人来说也是好时机，是一个很好的机会。这是一支最近表现非常出色的球队，而且情况并不像上赛季末看起来那么糟糕。这里有巨大的提升潜力，让我们看看[需要]多久。在做出改变方面，我们已经开始与团队一起进行分析，展望未来。我们正处于这个过程中。我觉得我有机会享受成为一名经理的快乐。”与切尔西的对话包括阿隆索对俱乐部的担忧，以及双方在方向上达成共识。“[对话]是关于项目的，因为我对切尔西有一个外部视角，”他说。“我能看到积极的一面，也能看到我的顾虑。所以我提出了这些问题。俱乐部、体育总监……这对他们来说是一个过程，有些事情做得好，有些他们想纠正。我们有相同的想法，有相同的分析，以开始共同发力，这就是为什么我们一起采取步骤，做出决定地打造一支优秀的球队。”他拥有经理头衔，这是 BlueCo 所有权在 2022 年接管以来首次设立该职位。“对比是很困难的，”他说。“当然，我有自己的见解。但这不仅仅是我个人的决定，而是一个集体决定。我们分析，并在相信是正确选择的承诺下做出决定。之后，如果证明是正确的，我们可以说我们做得很好。如果行不通，因为这就是足球，我们可以说这是一个集体决定。对我来说，这一点很重要。“并不是说我拥有全部权力，或者拥有完整的愿景。我喜欢周围有优秀的人，因为我不认为自己掌握了所有事情的全部真相。我喜欢有能够获取知识、获取信息的人，这样我就不必做所有的决定。”如果没有达成一致，他将不会领导这次全新的开始。“对我来说，最重要的一点是我们做了相同的分析，”他说。“如果我们有不同的想法，这可能不会是一个正确的起点。到目前为止，我们的感觉是我们在做正确的决定。”新任经理表示，他在振兴俱乐部的计划上与体育总监们志同道合，彼得·鲁特勒 (Peter Rutzler) 发自伦敦报道。“我在切尔西一家离体育场很近的小酒馆里，”他说。“我妻子很喜欢那里。我们将有足够的时间[去找其他的]。”因此，阿隆索现在已经感觉更加安定，这在他的神态中可见一斑，他显得很放松、很自在，尤其是与他第一次面对媒体时相比。
上个月的简报会。他正坐在 W 酒店总统套房的吧台边，这是一座位于球队五星级酒店顶层的奢华顶楼公寓，可以俯瞰达令港的全景，午后的阳光洒进房间。阿隆索就任至今已近一个月，现在更清楚地知道他的球队需要什么。显然，成熟度和经验正是其中之一，因为 35 岁的丹尼·韦尔贝克已经加盟，36 岁的乔丹·亨德森也即将到来。
“对我来说，你需要个性与成熟阶段的正确平衡：二十出头、三十出头以及两者之间，让处于职业生涯不同阶段的球员共存，”他说道。考虑到切尔西在过去四年里的招募情况，一名切尔西教练说出这样的话令人震惊。“这没有固定公式，但有一种感觉。其次是球员的素质以及他们互动的方式。如果他们具备优秀的素质且彼此互动良好，就能建立良好的联系和纽带，这有助于团队精神。对我来说，这与战术同样重要。首先是团队精神，然后是踢出漂亮的足球，最后才是赢得比赛。然后你不断地重复这个过程。”
阿隆索曾赢得过足坛最高荣誉——欧冠冠军和世界杯冠军，以及西班牙和德国的联赛冠军，而这种对阵容平衡的关注正是源于他的经验。“这是来自踢球、身处团队中的体会，”他说。“有时你会觉得，‘噢，我太爱和这支球队一起踢球了’。你能感觉到这一点。但为此，你需要有这种承诺感和责任感，对我来说这非常自然。在巴斯克地区，我们拥有很多这种集体目标和文化。”
建立强大的文化是他执教勒沃库森取得成功的关键。在那里，他摒弃了失败主义的信条——这种信条由带有贬义的绰号“Neverkusen”（永不库森）定义，象征着该俱乐部在国内重大赛事中总是只能获得亚军；在 2024 年实现首次不败双冠王后，他将其改为“Neverlusen”（永不输球）。
“我们的目标是打造一支优秀的球队，而要做到这一点，不仅仅是招募最强的球员，而是招募最符合需求且结合得更好的球员，”阿隆索说。“我在十月抵达那里。从十月到赛季结束，我利用这段时间来达成目标。”
在前往悉尼的季前赛之旅之前，阿隆索在训练中传达了他的信息，在那里他看起来很放松。
（下方文字） 我的职业生涯中没有留下太多伤痕，而且它们已经痊愈。现在，我动力十足，准备享受这下一个阶段。 DARREN WALSH / CHELSEA FC / GETTY IMAGES
星期一 2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》 体育 板球 他的工作被阿洛特（Arlott）生动地描述为附近多塞特海滩上的一个“拾石者”。巴里已不在人世，但他的儿子罗比现在是俱乐部的队长。哈钦斯（Hutchings）家族与俱乐部的联系同样深厚。在最早有记录的球队中就有一名哈钦斯，而 1923 年的照片中包含了“快乐的”哈钦斯——因其在击球时展现出的乐观天性而得名——他是村里最擅长捕捉兔子的手。罗比是一名管道工，他 14 岁的儿子哈里也参加比赛——尽管本周由于球队几乎全员在阵而未被选中。罗比曾在阿德莱德参加过次级郡级板球赛和等级板球赛，是俱乐部最好的球员——他去年在 17 场比赛中场均得 105 分——贡献了球队近 30% 的得分。他完全可以打入一个或由家庭关系与村庄相连而前来比赛的球队。场地
本身在迪克（Dicker）的球员时代保持原样，坡度非常陡峭，这对于想要毫无遮挡地观看山谷和远方田野的人来说是个优势，但对球员来说却是个挑战。“查德斯托克（Chardstock）的主力投球手很可能一条腿比另一条短，”阿洛特曾说，事实依然如此。木制亭阁相对较新，停车场和披萨烤炉也是如此，后者是在 2019 年英格兰赢得世界杯之年，由英国板球委员会（ECB）提供的资助在疫情期间建造的。迪克出生在查德斯托克；他十几岁时第一次代表该俱乐部比赛，并一直坚持到 52 岁，直到膝盖和血管问题让他不得不停止。他在 20 世纪 80 年代电影中的绝佳伙伴及另一名关键球员是巴里·哈钦斯，一个魔鬼般的左臂旋转球手，“这就是为什么你随处可见这些小洞。”这个身材魁梧的男人穿着一件过大的 T 恤和宽松裤子，走开压路机，指着这里那里引起麻烦的入侵者。在亭阁里，迪克指向一张 1923 年的查德斯托克球队照片，其中包含四名姓帕里斯（Parris）的球员，全部是他的祖先。一名叫本的帕里斯参与了 19 世纪末记录在案的第一支球队，而迪克的儿子斯图尔特现在延续着家族传统。在阿洛特的电影中，斯图尔特是片头里拉着压路机的青少年；如今 53 岁，他是球队的 विकेटkeeper（接球手），早年曾在萨默塞特二队参加过零星比赛。“我们曾经有一支球队仅由三个家庭组成：帕里斯、拉科姆（Larcombe）和斯特劳布里奇（Strawbridge），”迪克说。大多数周末，这三个家庭仍提供球员。直到 20 世纪 60 年代，为了应对国民服役制度，俱乐部才放宽规则，允许那些并非出生、居住在当地但与村庄有家庭联系的人参加比赛。场地
四十年前，约翰·阿洛特讲述了一部关于村庄板球的美妙短片。具体来说，是关于德文郡的一个村庄板球俱乐部——查德斯托克。其基调既是庆祝的，又是挽歌式的。“这是一个俱乐部；不仅是一个板球俱乐部，而是一个村庄板球俱乐部，年轻人向往，年长者回归，”阿洛特在影片接近尾声时，用他那独特的汉普郡口音说道。然而，片中穿插着预兆：村庄人口极少，仅 300 人；年轻人的工作和机会匮乏；留下的动力有限，且房价迅速上涨。“外来者”和第二套房所有者正在涌入。“你能想象一个没有板球俱乐部的查德斯托克吗？”片中一名球员问道。“是有可能的，”另一人说。那么，在之后的数十年里，查德斯托克及其板球俱乐部发生了什么？在夏日的周末，没有比这个村庄更美的地方了。
这里是多塞特郡 (Dorset)、德文郡 (Devon) 和萨默塞特郡 (Somerset) 的交界地带，尽管热浪使周围的景色显得焦灼。这座村庄坐落在布莱克当丘陵 (Blackdown Hills) 之间，位于阿克希明斯特 (Axminster) 和查德 (Chard) 两镇之间，堪称全国最美丽的村庄之一，拥有茅草屋顶的燧石小屋和狭窄的繁花小径。自电影拍摄以来的四十年里，村庄没有太大变化，不过根据上次人口普查，郊区的一个住宅区使人口增加到了约 900 人。当地的酒吧 The George 正处于村民与私人开发商的争端之中，目前已停止营业，这让那些必须在俱乐部亭阁中赛后饮酒的板球运动员们感到十分沮丧。但它依然是一个村庄；正如阿洛特 (Arlott) 所描述的那样，一个“实体”。邮局、社区商店和学校依然在，成立于 1887 年的板球俱乐部也依然在，并且依然是这个社区的心脏。圣安德鲁教堂保留了一些 15 世纪的建筑结构，两周前，其中一名球员、电工内森·科普 (Nathan Copp) 在这里举行了婚礼。上个月，因为参加单身派对和婚礼而缺席，削弱了球队的实力。
阿洛特电影中的主角是迪克 (“Dicker”) 帕里斯 (Parris)，他经营一家乳制品批发业务，销售牛奶、奶酪和鸡蛋。“当他谈论板球时，他谈论的是查德斯托克 (Chardstock) 的板球，”阿洛特在评价 Dicker 时说道，Dicker 曾是俱乐部的推动力量，不仅是球员，还承担了更多职责。如今他 79 岁，除了一次以外，他已经连续 60 年在打理场地。我发现 Dicker 正在周末比赛前检查他的球场。“它能发挥正常，”他说，“一直如此。它从来不危险，但我们以前在其他地方打的一些球场简直糟糕透顶。目前球场正方形区域有一些‘皮夹克’ [长腿蛛幼虫] 的问题。”
追随阿洛特的足迹前往俱乐部：迈克·阿瑟顿 (Mike Atherton) 在查德斯托克出现 40 年后再次造访此地，当时这里曾出现在传奇广播员 Main 的纪录片中：查德斯托克一个经典的村庄板球场景，如今与 40 年前一样令人回味。上图和下图：孩子们和西班牙猎犬 Tilly 帮着捡球，而一块铭牌纪念着一位俱乐部传奇和著名的指挥家。“查德斯托克最顶尖的投球手，很可能有一条腿比另一条短，”阿洛特说道。
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 体育
从上方起顺时针方向：内森尼尔·吉尔斯-琼斯为俱乐部首次获得百分分；这里的茶点被评为该组最佳；迪克今天在俱乐部，出现在1986年的阿洛特纪录片中，并在内森尼尔·阿瑟顿最近访问期间与他见面，这里依然是村庄跳动的心脏。东区组 (Division East) 在德文郡的 18 个组别中排名第八。常规的挑战依然存在：比赛开始时球不够；在上一场主场比赛中，有几个球被击入了树篱，而且当地的拉布拉多犬 Gunna 年事已高，不再是以前那个擅长嗅球的猎犬了。罗比在队员名单中但无法投球；另一人因为收获季节而缺席（这是大家记忆中最早的一次收获期），而开场投球手则患有轻微痛风。虽然俱乐部没有女子队，但这并非纯男性的活动。珍每周负责裁判，她的威信之高，会让你在质疑她的决定前三思。她参加了一级裁判课程。“我不需要更多了，天呐，这可是 E 组东区，”她坚定地说道。在这里，她必须在两端都担任裁判，因为对方没有带自己的裁判。卡伦普顿的开场投球手是伊西，她在萨塞克斯郡学习板球，在埃克塞特大学毕业后留在当地，而且表现得非常出色。俱乐部秘书汉娜和薇琪负责准备茶点，这项责任由各家庭每周轮流承担。查德斯托克的茶点是该组中最好的。“我们准备茶点从不敷衍，”汉娜说。在约 33 摄氏度的高温下，罗比在正确地进行掷硬币决定——就像在原片中那样——由查德斯托克队击球时，人气达到了顶峰。不可避免地，罗比扮演了重要角色：当他走入场时，得分率有所提高，但比赛进程却慢了下来，因为有太多的球被击入了相邻的田地。幸运的是，两岁的小型西班牙猎犬 Tilly 在现场接替了 Gunna 的位置。球队的年龄范围从 16 到 58 岁，其中一名年轻球员内森尼尔（一名空调技师）为俱乐部首次获得百分分。尽管原片中的三名球员已经去世，一名失联，但另有六名球员在这一天回归，并在以当时的队长弗兰克·哈迪命名的长椅上合影。铭文写道：“纪念 FRH。板球学教授。进攻性击球的发明者。诡计与飞行之大师。非凡的战术家。”阿洛特在谈到查德斯托克以及更广泛的乡村板球时说道：“故事总是相同的；改变的只有人物。”因此，随着太阳向布莱克当山丘落下，披萨烤炉被点燃，自助酒吧被清空，故事开始了。还有工作要做，当迪克在看台阳台观望时，是罗比在催促大家；将遮光屏移至安全地带，将边界绳搬回棚屋，将洒水器移至场地中央为下周的比赛润湿球道。洒水器启动瞬间，其中一名球员四岁的儿子威尔在水中穿梭，为自己降温。下一代已经在路上了。大多数俱乐部一样，这里也是社会的缩影。“如果你需要盖房子，查德斯托克队能迅速完成，”一个人说。事实上，球员们自己在 2005 年建造了新看台，尽管完成这项任务需要当时俱乐部主席内维尔·马里纳爵士的资金援助。马里纳是一位世界著名的指挥家，他在村里有一栋房子，但有人说，板球让……
每个人都看向另一个“面对面”。“我们打板球的水平？我不会说处于最底层，但已经接近底层了，”迪克在电影中说道。其中一个持久的主题是俱乐部对竞争性联赛板球的谨慎态度——即这种比赛会被对待得过于严肃，以及不希望冲淡“查德斯托克方式”的愿望。事实上，该俱乐部在不久后的 20 世纪 80 年代末加入了德文郡联赛，从此在该郡的联赛排名中一直徘徊在中游。这场比赛，查德斯托克对阵库洛姆普顿二队，是在 E 组举行的。关于球员们：“你无法改变世界上太多东西，但你可以经营好自己的那一小块天地，而他们正以快乐和热情在这样做。迪克和罗比在这里都受到了普遍的尊重和喜爱。他们拥有伟大的价值观。我的一个儿子有一次生气了，告诉对方击球手‘滚开’，罗比立刻让他道歉。”
查德斯托克最早有记录的一支球队包括两名来自村里的鞋匠、“乔治酒店”的店主、牧师、一名轮匠、一名茅草屋顶工和一名铁匠——这些人虽然从未渴望进入绅士阶层，但拥有足够的独立能力可以抽时间参加比赛。现在的主席是维维安·埃姆斯，他的家族拥有俱乐部周围的大部分土地，并且几代人以来一直在这里务农。不过，这支球队的农业气息比以前淡了。成员包括三名教师、一名水管工、一名电工、一名首席建筑师、一名司机、一名空调专家和若干名学龄球员。在其他地方水平更高，之前也是如此，但被吸引回了查德斯托克。他维系着俱乐部的结构。事实上，每个村庄俱乐部，甚至每个非专业俱乐部，都依赖于像罗比这样少数志愿者的投入。“组建一支球队可能是一项挑战。在 2017 年，我们赢得了联赛冠军，全年仅使用了 12 或 13 名球员。那年很轻松，因为没人想错过。但通常情况并非如此。”
“大多数时候，得通过打电话去请求、借用和‘偷’球员。20 世纪 80 年代中期（电影中所概述的）那些担忧依然存在。房价一直在上涨；新人搬进来，这至关重要，因为这是村庄的生命线。在一个一百人的村子里，你可能希望 99 个人都想打板球，但事实并非如此。”
“全圣队（纪录片中查德斯托克的对手和主要竞争对手）已经不存在了。阿普莱姆和莱姆雷吉斯（另一个当地俱乐部）不再参加联赛。我认为现在的板球比赛量没有以前多，但水平更高了。我们很幸运；查德斯托克一直都在这里；这里就是家；它虽然几度接近解散，但我们依然充满活力。”罗比的第一份工作是在迪克的奶制品配送线。他们相隔一代人，在实际操作和精神指引上，共同帮助俱乐部维持了半个多世纪。一位成员说道，罗比在侧翼；另一位因为收割季节而缺席，而开场投球手患有痛风。
PHIL MINGO / PPAUK 为《泰晤士报》供图
8月3日 / 2026年 这位进化生物学家尝试了所有这些方法 代餐奶昔 终极超加工食品 生食 如果你想通过速成节食快速减轻体重 埃特金斯饮食 (Atkins) 两周内减轻了两磅 任何节食法真的有效吗？
周一 2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》 times2 刚刚读完 Alison Boshoff 即将出版的关于贝克汉姆家族的著作《贝克汉姆品牌》(Brand Beckham) 的摘录，我发现自己出乎意料地同情布鲁克林·佩尔茨·贝克汉姆 (Brooklyn Peltz Beckham)，他是维多利亚和大卫的长子。布鲁克林的疏远以及由此导致该家庭公开形象的破裂，自今年 1 月以来便牵动着全国的注意力。当时他在 Instagram（还能在哪个地方呢？）上发布了一篇充满煽动性的谴责信，抨击他的父母，以及他们被认为的操纵和剥削，以及他们在他的婚礼期间及他童年大部分时间里的行为。“多年来我一直保持沉默……”布鲁克林的声明开头写道，“不幸的是，我的父母及其团队继续向媒体爆料，这让我别无选择，只能为自己发声，并揭露部分已报道的谎言。我不想与我的家人和解……”这些动荡
显然始于布鲁克林与尼古拉·佩尔茨 (Nicola Peltz) 的结婚——她是一位演员，现年 31 岁——两人于 2022 年在棕榈滩举行了婚礼。她是亿万富翁尼尔森和模特克劳迪娅的小女儿，这意味着她所属的家庭比贝克汉姆家族更富有、更强大。这个家庭似乎并不理解或容忍贝克汉姆夫妇对进入其轨道的人所施加的那种对形象和叙事的控制。你可以想象到当这两个家庭见面时发生的文化冲突。起初是困惑，接着是惊愕，最后演变为愤怒，因为这两个习惯于随心所欲的独立体系突然面对对方，面对对方的预期和特权感。我在 2022 年结识了尼古拉，就在她与布鲁克林结婚后不久。这次采访比我预想的要坦率且真实得多。我怀疑，尼古拉具有一种无畏的精神，那是由于她在成长过程中被教导无论在何种必要情况下都要保护和捍卫自己，且拥有绰绰有余的资金来支撑这一点。当然，我们聊到了婚礼。她向我澄清了她的婚纱问题：是 Valentino 高定，而不是维多利亚·贝克汉姆的设计，这一举动被广泛认为是对她婆婆的轻视，而且在很大程度上成为了裂痕的催化剂。根据她的说法，情况绝非如此——但我稍后会谈到这一点。根据《每日邮报》发表的 Boshoff 书中摘录，无论如何，麻烦早在之前就开始酝酿了。显然，维多利亚和大卫在婚礼前数月就没与布鲁克林或尼古拉说话，在此期间，这场婚礼开始显得有些……极端。他们雇用了五组婚礼策划师，其中四组被解雇（其中一组的 Nicole Braghin 和 Arianna Grijalba仅坚持了 9 天，她们表示感觉自己继承的是一个犯罪现场，而不是一份婚礼计划）。尼古拉的母亲克劳迪亚让 Valentino 工作室在女儿的婚纱内部缝入了一只“恶魔之眼”以求“保护”。至于布鲁克林？他对婚礼进程的贡献仅限于询问是否应该准备特殊的枪支，以击落狗仔队释放的任何无人机，以及接待会的快餐车是否可以为客人提供特制的“尼古拉”汉堡——只有生菜，没有面包。而且尼古拉在某个时刻显然询问过，是否可以给所有客人都送一只狗作为离场礼。到婚礼当天，紧张气氛达到了顶峰，最终陷入了 Boshoff 所描述的“混乱与内斗”之中。首先是关于“那件婚纱”的真相揭晓，接着是大卫，他发表了一番演说，（据消息人士称）这番演讲太长了，且过于集中在他的大富翁游戏上。
真实现金与 Gucci 的生活：牛津夏季训练营的经历 作为一个本科生，Emily
Formstone 与那些父母出钱让他们体验“梦幻尖顶”的孩子们一起工作。这令人大开眼界——夏季的牛津就像是《回顾布莱兹海德》中的世界。每年当最后一学期到来时，仿佛 80 年代的电视剧版本就在我面前展开：圆润的口音、宽松的衬衫，以及伊夫林·沃夫笔下描述的“她夏日时光中罕见的辉煌”。但在长假期间，本科生们回到了全国各地的家乡，而一群新面孔填满了这座城市：精英夏令营的参与者。
我在牛津大学第二年结束时第一次涉足这些营地的世界。我原计划在假期留在城里，试图消化那份冗长的阅读清单，但我的学生贷款已经用光了，于是一个朋友建议我去那些在封闭式学院里举办的众多夏令营之一工作。这些营地并不隶属于大学，因此为了显得更正规，经营公司很希望聘请学生担任员工。我轻松获得了录取，并领取最低小时工资。
由于童年时期一直参加夏令营，在第一天到来时，穿上笨拙的员工 T 恤并戴上挂绳，感觉像是一个圆满的闭环。我不再是那个满怀希望与紧张的兴奋参与者，而成了像《The Parent Trap》（亲子陷阱）等电影中那种快乐活泼的营地助手，在接下来的两周里扮演你的亲切大姐姐。
这种幻想很快就破灭了。孩子们陆续到来，其中大多数是从迪拜和美国飞来的，我很快了解到他们（或者说他们的父母）为这两周支付了 £6,000 以上。至此，这群看起来普通不过的 16 和 17 岁青少年的真实面貌清晰起来：名牌手袋、四位数价格的运动鞋、限量版连帽衫等等。我的慈善商店服装突然显得有些廉价而简陋。
最初的话题之一就是他们父母的财富。“你父母是做什么的？”似乎是国际精英阶层在这里所对应的“你在哪个学校就读？”。一个男孩滔滔不绝地讲了好几分钟，说他的母亲得打理这么多股票和投资是多么压力山大。另一个女孩告诉我她已经订婚了，但在接管她男友的家族商业帝国（她的原话）之前，想温习一下经济学知识，因此参加了这次营地。
孩子们住在空置的学院房间里——或者按照牛津的称呼叫作“楼梯间”（staircases）。我的职责是在他们不上课时照顾这些青少年：组织用餐、活动和一日游，并确保他们在正确的时间上床睡觉。
我们尽力让他们感到有趣。但习惯了直升机飞行和迪拜购物中心的孩子，比一般的青少年更难取悦。植物园？没兴趣。阿什莫林博物馆？无聊。布伦海姆宫？催眠！下午茶？恶心，“太有英国味了”。他们不讨厌 Westgate 购物中心，并且特别喜欢比斯特购物村的名牌折扣店。
周末我们带他们去伦敦体验文化，但他们很快就抛弃了大英博物馆，转而追求邦德街上更现代的珍宝。一名学生在回到大巴车上时显得格外沉醉。他展示了自己新买的一件纯白 T 恤——仅在 Gucci 店花费 £500。我想知道这是否真的在他的零用钱承受范围内，或者在 16, 岁这个成熟的年纪，他是否被营地中弥漫的那种财务竞争氛围所裹挟。
他与儿子的关系。“那是作为”
“如果大卫要和布鲁克林结婚就好了，”一位客人在现场说。随后马克·安东尼进行了演出（这是贝克汉姆夫妇赠送的礼物，但显然，新娘的亿万富翁父亲内尔森·佩尔茨支付了 $250,000 的舞台搭建费用），而维多利亚与儿子的舞姿被他描述为“不恰当”，且（更糟糕的是）是舞在“他身上”，而不是与他“共舞”。据称，尼古拉流泪跑出了帐篷，随后她的许多家人也跟着离开了。第二天在佩尔茨家的早午餐被一名客人形容为“像有人死了一样”。在此之后，情况似乎只在恶化。我认为这一切在布鲁克林的帖文中达到了“顶峰”，但鉴于他提到仅回应“部分谎言”，这也许只是对后续可能发生之事的预警。在我们的采访中，尼古拉甜美且有礼貌。她告诉我她经营着一家为救援犬提供安置的慈善机构。（我不确定，但怀疑她建议赠送给婚礼客人的就是这些狗，这让这件事显得更具同情心了。）我们谈到了她的处境；令我惊讶的是，当她解释自己多么想穿一件 VB 婚纱时，她似乎无法自然地叫出姻亲的名字：“我当时非常兴奋地准备开始设计过程。嗯，然后维多利亚，嗯，就像……然后她，维多利亚，呃，非常忙……过了几天，我没听到任何消息……”我还感觉到尼古拉非常爱她的丈夫。现在，我为他感到惋惜。他被其出生背景所诅咒，注定要承受不请自来、毫无根据的名声，以及随之而来的嘲讽。他在两个权势家族之间被推拉，而这两个家族在旨在维护金钱和名誉的简报和操纵中都无法自拔。根据 Boshoff 的消息人士称，他如此焦虑——而根据我的观察，他又如此平凡。我认为，没有人比布鲁克林·佩尔茨·贝克汉姆更需要一个正常、无聊的生活了。而也没有人比他更不可能获得这种生活。波莉·弗农 贝克汉姆家族对抗佩尔茨家族？我知道我最同情谁。大卫和维多利亚·贝克汉姆与布鲁克林和尼古拉 2023
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 times2 RMAX / GETTY IMAGES 现金的诱惑。他们对《大富翁》没什么兴趣，但对赌博绝对感兴趣。终止这场游戏几乎和从一个女孩那里没收一包粉色、金滤嘴的香烟一样尴尬——那是我见过的最贵的一包烟。当营员们得知我们把烟扔掉后，他们发出了一声叹息。幸运的是，不像其他一些工作人员，我的工作职责中不包括留宿。在晚上10点左右完成晚间点名后，我就把这些烦恼抛在脑后了。有一天晚上我们人手不足，所以我加入了晚间的“巡逻”。“我预感到会有一些胡闹行为，”我的一个同事在群聊中写道。“这可能会很糟糕，”另一个随之附和。我们在巡逻中发现的情况出乎意料。不是在其他夜晚见到的毒品或偷偷溜达，而是在一个美国女孩的课桌上放着一把大约6英寸长的刀，她忘了把它收起来。看到那一幕令人惊恐。她的父亲坚称英国是个危险的地方，她需要保护。天知道她是怎么把它带过机场安检的。孩子们确实喜欢上了一项牛津的传统活动——撑船（punting），尽管一次用撑船杆进行的模拟比武，导致我和另一名营地助手以及一个可爱的意大利男孩一起去了急诊室（A&E）。“看起来怎么样？”他在候诊室刺眼的灯光下问道，转头看向我，那双像小狗一样的眼睛——深呼吸——恰好缺了一块眼睑。我没说话，但由于极度恐惧而导致我脸上呈现出的苍白，反而让他笑了。我想，这算是一次成功的表现吧。两周的纯粹混乱在一次传统的牛津“bop”舞会（一场“大型有组织派对”）中落下帷幕。在之前的晚餐结束时，一名比较勇敢的学生走上挂满肖像画的餐厅舞台，开始向同龄人发表讲话。他的演讲词藻华丽，表达清晰。但他在结尾时表现出一种令人不安的自信。“我们是未来的领导者！”他宣布道。坐在那里的我能感觉到，房间里的所有人都相信这一点。
救命！我父母迷上了韩国文化 从制作泡菜到看韩剧，他们已经完全上瘾了，尤安·道特里 (Euan Dawtrey) 述
甚至那些有着柔软长发、摇摆舞姿的瓷娃娃也完成了她们回归之旅的欧洲之行。是的，BTS（防弹少年团）已经结束兵役回归，且比以往任何时候都更受欢迎，这凸显了韩国文化对当今年轻人的持久吸引力。但在过去的两年里，我观察到韩流吞噬了一个完全出乎意料的人群：我那有教养的中产阶级父母。你是否曾在圣诞节回到家中，发现有人或某物在你不在时占据了这里？这种情况发生在我的前年。那是2024年12月，我在斯特灵郡（Stirlingshire，苏格兰中部半农村地带）的房子里悄悄走动，看看改变了什么。通常只是多了一盆奇怪的植物，但今年发生了一些诡异的事情。一种甜酸且带有细菌的气味像幽灵一样盘旋。在厨房的一个角落里，一大桶康普茶正在发酵，它那奇怪的舌头在黏糊糊的液体中游动。这个橡胶状的器官散发着一种恶意的意识感，仿佛它正准备爬出碗，暴力地改善我的肠道微生物群。在另一个陶罐中，另一种神秘的调制物正在酿造、冒泡，或者无论卷心菜在抹上辣椒片并被关在黑暗中时会发生什么。泡菜正在诞生，而且我觉得它会说话。韩国作家、诺贝尔奖得主韩江的《素食者》就放在咖啡桌上。我的父母，分别为61岁和67岁，说道
就女权主义对父权制的嘲讽而言，这相当不错。我担心他们已经变成了布里斯托大学的毕业生，乘坐地上铁从哈克尼前往道尔斯顿，一心想要“去殖民化”课程。接着，附近房间里传来了那标志性的多邻国 (Duolingo) 提醒声，我听到父亲独自在办公室里，一遍又一遍地用韩语询问一个卡通角色是否要喝咖啡。这确实没什么圣诞气氛，而且在他们的亚洲式迷醉中，他们似乎忘了布置圣诞树。起码桌上还有一大盘正在冷却的韩式炸鸡。在之前的六个月里，我的父母一直熬夜到凌晨看韩剧，这非常有趣，因为他们的职业生涯一直在制作关于冷门文化主题的深奥纪录片——目前他们正在完成一部关于晦涩且特立独行的印度电影制作人里特维克·加塔克 (Ritwik Ghatak) 的电影。但真正抓住他们想象力的是看韩剧。他们热爱《咖啡王子》，剧中一个像男孩的年轻女性想和她的老板发生关系，而老板以为她是男人，但依然被她吸引。然后还有《我的大叔》，探讨了一个性感、焦虑、孤独的年轻女性与一个性感、焦虑、孤独的中年男性之间跨越时代的友谊，且古怪的是（像许多韩剧一样），它毫不掩饰地带有理查德·柯蒂斯 (Richard Curtis) 的影响。我的父母谈论起那种近乎情节剧的情感表达力、卓越的演技、精妙的剧本、美丽的服装，以及对一个在 70 年内从极度贫困地步挣扎起来并成为全球文化软实力的卓越社会的洞察。在过去几周观看了这些剧集后，我认为他们可能发现了某种真谛。韩国是一个仍生活在 20世纪 某种创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD) 中的国家——日本占领、朝鲜战争、分裂以及推动国家取得经济成功的巨大集体牺牲。这是一个被道德准则和社会预期压垮的国家，这些东西对我们来说感到异常陌生，但在我们并不遥远的历史上却又似曾相识。在正确的环境下，这一切都非常时尚——但这里并不是正确的环境。这是一个位于 2013. 年“年度小镇”的苏格兰中产阶级家庭。这里是人们寻求舒适退休生活的地方，在这里你可以开一家地毯店而不会立即申请破产。这里绝对不是一对六十多岁的“韩流迷”夫妇该待的地方。看着你的父母变成截然不同的人并不容易。年长的英国人难道不应该在听 Radio 4, 打理花园以及购买国民信托基金会 (National Trust) 会员资格，而不是熬夜到凌晨 2 点看迷人的韩国人彼此思念吗？不可否认，我对父母拒绝传统英式退休生活这一点产生了足够浓厚的兴趣，以至于我预订了 9 月前往首尔的机票，与其说是为了新儒教和令人心醉的浪漫，不如说是为了炸鸡和啤酒。是时候订购我的韩服了。“你们去哪儿了？”我对另一组返回大巴的人亲切地问道。青少年时期，我在从内陆郡前往伦敦的旅行中，很喜欢卡姆登市场和牛津街上的 Lush 大型旗舰店。“嗯，我想它叫……哈罗德百货 (Harrods)？”一个人回答道。“啊，是的，”我说，“还能去哪儿！”我觉得这个夏令营本身就像我的制服一样，运作起来相当廉价且简陋。尽管费用高得离谱，但我们的餐饮、零食和活动运行预算却极低；组织者在销售牛津大学令人印象深刻的门面——刚好足够让父母们吹嘘——但在学术或
其背后的文化底蕴。但我们希望孩子们能有一次良好的体验，因此我们发挥了创意。我们组织了知识问答之夜和寻宝活动，没想到竟然大受欢迎。在一次特别的寻宝游戏中，获胜队伍返回的速度快得可疑。他们很快承认，自己雇了一名出租车司机在鹅卵石街道上飞驰，从而甩掉了步行竞争对手。讽刺的是，他们在出租车司机身上浪费的数百英镑，为他们赢回的最高奖品竟然是一个夏令营品牌的钥匙扣。我怀疑，那东西可能并不值 £2。就像人们常说的，荣誉才是最重要的。涉事嫌疑人是三名女孩和一个格外喧闹的男孩（那个穿着古驰 T 恤的），他自封为这群人的首领，并坚持要求女孩们现在称呼他为“国王”。这是对他支付出租车费用的感谢礼。有一天，一群孩子在活动帐篷里显得格外安静。我看到了一个戴着微型顶高帽的小男人闪过，心想：哇！大富翁！谁能想到这才是驯服他们的活动？我走近时，准备拉把椅子坐下买入我的帕克兰大道份额，这时我注意到大富翁的钞票有问题：那不是令人怀旧的淡彩色纸片，而是成叠的……我们试图让孩子们保持参与感。布伦海姆宫？无聊！下午茶？恶心！
尤安·多特雷 (Euan Dawtrey) 为《泰晤士报》供稿
2026年8月3日 星期一 / 《泰晤士报》 times2 我们都知道，现代工业化饮食对我们的身体并不理想。但与一名进化生物学教授共进午餐，会让人深思超加工食品和 21 世纪的饮食潮流，究竟是对一个在数十万年前就进化而成的物种造成了怎样的影响。“你和我坐在这里看这份菜单，是一件完全现代且离奇的事情，这并非我们的进化方向，”哈佛大学学者及畅销书作家丹尼尔·利伯曼 (Daniel Lieberman) 在审视伦敦南肯辛顿一家餐厅的菜单时说道。“如果你是一个狩猎采集者，你吃的是你猎到或采集到的东西。如果你是一个农民，你吃的是你种植的东西。突然之间，我们进入了这个多样性惊人的世界。”由于现在的平均超市库存有数千种产品，且据他所言，其中约 70% 属于“超加工且相当不健康”，因此许多人难以保持健康饮食并不令人惊讶。
作为一名研究人类进化方式的专家，利伯曼在最新著作《吃腻了：进化揭示的食物、饮食与健康饮食》(Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet and Eating Well) 中，将对不同饮食方案优点的科学评估与他及其妻子托尼娅 (Tonia) 尝试这些饮食时的心得结合在一起。利伯曼是一名身材精悍、体能出色的跑步者，他尝试这些饮食并非为了减轻体重，而是为了亲身了解购买、准备和食用每种饮食的真实体验。利伯曼引用了以赛亚·伯林 (Isaiah Berlin) 的一篇论文，该哲学家将思考者分为“刺猬”（将所有事情与一个单一的大想法联系起来的人）和“狐狸”（接纳复杂性和多样性的人），利伯曼认为我们的饮食习惯应该更像狐狸。他对那些涉及规避某类食物的“刺猬式饮食”持怀疑态度。他说，许多人在饮食选择上变得教条且具有“部落意识”：“这变成了他们身份认同的一部分。”
那些基于“大想法”的饮食方案通常被追求纤细的人所采纳，但我们的进化并非为了自愿地舍弃某种相当危险的东西。” 极端的纯肉饮食者试图通过完全避免所有植物来严格限制碳水化合物，从而进入永久的酮症状态——即燃烧脂肪而非葡萄糖。确实有一些人类（如因纽特人）依靠极低碳水饮食生存；但我们这个物种是在非洲进化的，那里植物是热量主要来源。“这是一种‘男性圈’ (manosphere) 饮食。他们是在造成伤害。他们的基本论点是，因为植物不能跑，所以它们会产生毒素，因此吃一块西兰花可能会成为你的死刑判决，”他说道。尽管他们关于植物产生毒素和抗营养物质以自卫的说法中包含部分事实，但现实情况是，这些物质可以通过烹饪和其他形式的食品加工而失效。
与此同时，纯肉饮食者忽视了植物对健康的益处，包括减轻炎症（而非像高红肉饮食那样增加炎症）、抗癌以及作为纤维来源，从而维持健康的微生物群并降低多种疾病的发病率。62 岁的利伯曼研究过地球上最后几批狩猎采集者——坦桑尼亚的哈扎人 (Hadza)，并尝试过古法饮食 (paleo diet)。他否认了我们应该像远古祖先那样饮食的前提，即摒弃谷物、豆类、乳制品和加工食品，而倾向于食用草饲牛肉、海鲜、鸡蛋、新鲜水果、坚果和蔬菜。现实情况是，并不存在单一的旧石器时代饮食，石器时代的人类摄入的食物非常多样。他想念面包和花生，并觉得古法饮食爱好者禁止食用豆类和谷物等主食是很愚蠢的，因为我们的石器时代祖先就食用野生品种的
他们。“他们对穴居人吃什么的认知是错误的，”他说。我们究竟是为了吃什么而进化而来的？这位教授通过实践饮食来探寻真相。为了衡量不同饮食法的优劣，进化生物学家丹尼尔·利伯曼（Daniel Lieberman）在自己和妻子身上进行了测试。以下是他从这个被妻子称为“疯狂计划”的实验中所学到的一切。作者：达米安·惠特沃思（Damian Whitworth）。
利伯曼表示，关于减轻体重，我们继承了比其他哺乳动物更多的适应机制，特别是饥饿感，以防止体重减轻，并适应于储存脂肪，以为我们能量需求巨大的大脑提供燃料，并支撑我们度过匮乏时期。“当你节食时，很难克服饥饿感。你需要超人的意志力。如果你在我面前放 1 块巧克力蛋糕和一根胡萝卜，我会吃巧克力蛋糕。” GLP-1 药物的“奇迹”在于它们能抑制这种食欲。但他警告说，这些药物不能帮助人们弄清楚该吃什么，减轻的重量包括肌肉量，而且人们在停止用药后重新增加的重量是脂肪。“令人担心的是，我们正使很大一部分人口面临老年衰弱的风险，”他说。
在他尝试的饮食法中，代餐奶昔或许是最不令人满意的。他连续两周在早餐和午餐时饮用。这些质地“黏稠”的 400 卡路里奶昔包含 20 克蛋白质、36 克碳水化合物、24 克脂肪和大量微量营养素，虽然让他感到相当饱腹，但他讨厌这种感官剥夺感，并质疑食用这种他所谓的“极致超加工食品”的长期后果。
几乎同样令人不快的是维持生食饮食（raw food diet）。“简直糟糕透顶，”利伯曼惊叹道。当他们将食材切丁、制成泥、擦丝并浸泡，然后毫无快感地啃食沙拉和奶昔时，他的妻子变得“抑郁和悲伤”，并偷偷溜出去买了一个贝果。他减轻了体重，但感到行动迟缓。“托尼亚（Tonia）坚持了三天，而我坚持了大约四天。”
对我来说，点一份由西葫芦、桃子、薄荷和松子组成的生沙拉，然后配上里科塔奶酪意式饺子似乎很合适。利伯曼选择了蛤蜊和绿叶沙拉。虽然黑猩猩花掉半辈子时间在咀嚼高纤维的野果以获取热量，但人类的消化系统进化方向不同；我们现在在生物学上对烹饪产生了依赖。尽管如此，生食主义者坚称食用天然状态的农产品是最好的。这有时是对的。大蒜一旦烹饪，蛋白质大蒜素（allicin）的水平会降低，但加热番茄会增加抗氧化剂番茄红素（lycopene）的可用性。烹饪增加了消化的速度和效率，使我们能够吃更多。将菠菜蒸熟能让一大袋生叶子变得更容易处理。“如果你想要一种快速减轻体重的极速节食法，[生食饮食]可能是你的选择。但除此之外，这是一种折磨，”利伯曼说，并补充道，很大一部分采取生食饮食的女性要么没有月经，要么月经周期不规律。“从进化的角度来看，这并不是一个好主意。”
在所有这些像刺猬一样古怪的饮食法中，他评价最为刻薄——且没有亲自尝试的——是纯肉饮食（carnivore diet）。“那些人真是……他们的论点是吃西兰花可能是死刑。”
丹尼尔·利伯曼
地中海饮食
《泰晤士报》 / Monday August 3 2026 times2 封面及下方：GEMMA DAY 为《泰晤士报》拍摄；盖蒂图片社 (GETTY IMAGES) 他建议，由于人类已经适应了经历定期饥饿，而这些时段会触发细胞清理。研究表明，此类饥饿期能减缓啮齿动物的衰老，但 Lieberman 表示，人类则不同，目前尚无定论。就个人而言，他认为如果为了活到 100 岁而通过限制卡路里，且这意味着要放弃许多让长寿变得有意义的乐趣，那么这种做法是毫无意义的。Lieberman 认为最令人愉悦的饮食是地中海饮食。他的早餐是燕麦、水果和坚果；午餐是鹰嘴豆泥配蔬菜、奶酪和他心爱的花生；晚餐是谷物、豆类和新鲜蔬菜，且每周至少吃两次鱼。地中海饮食（包括使用橄榄油烹饪并尽量少用动物脂肪）的健康益处已得到充分证实。
“任何传统的、未经过度加工的农耕饮食都很好。我不认为地中海饮食比传统的亚洲饮食或传统的中美洲饮食更好。但地中海饮食是研究最充分的。我的书基本上可以归结为：迈克尔·波伦 (Michael Pollan) 是正确的。”这位记者、作家兼学者曾发表过著名的观点：“吃食物。不要吃太多。以植物为主。”尽管他不反对那些对超加工食品持强烈批评态度的人，但认为其中可能存在“一点过于偏执 (hedgehogness) 的倾向。地球上有 80 亿人口，我们无法摆脱食品加工。解决方案是拥有更好的加工食品。”Lieberman 对“蓝色地带”持怀疑态度——这些据称是健康聚集地的区域分布在意大利萨丁岛东部和日本冲绳等地，那里有异常高比例的高龄居民。虽然他发现这种以素食、富含豆类并偶尔食用鱼类的饮食方式容易遵循且看似健康，但他质疑这是否创造了抗衰老热点，并认为基于极少数百岁老人收集的证据来制定饮食计划是“统计学上的荒谬”。
“如果你想活到 100, 你最好拥有优秀的父母。运动、饮食、睡眠、压力管理，不要抽烟，不要饮酒过多。[在] 许多这类饮食法中，人们是在试图赚钱。”大多数时间，Lieberman 采用近似地中海饮食的方案。出于健康原因以及认为碳足迹过高，他几乎不吃红肉。“没有任何采集猎人是素食主义者。如果我们的祖先没有开始狩猎和吃肉，我们就不会存在于此。但这并不意味着你也应该这么做。”像伊壁鸠鲁一样，他信仰适度。“我认识一些永远不吃甜点的人。我为他们感到悲哀。我不认为生食主义者或古饮食法 (paleo diet) 的拥趸意图造成伤害。我们都只需要稍微放松一点。”甚至我的生菜沙拉也得到了他的认可。“看起来很棒。我相当不偏激。我不反对生食。挑战在于连续几天不停地吃生食。祝用餐愉快。”
《饱足：进化揭示的食物、饮食与健康饮食》(Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet and Eating Well)，作者 Daniel Lieberman (Allen Lane £25)。如需订购请访问 timesbookshop.co.uk。订单超过 £25 免英国境内标准邮费。Times+ 会员可享受特别折扣。
虽然古饮食法对糖分和超加工垃圾食品的避免是值得欢迎的，但 Lieberman 指出，认为我们祖先吃的所有东西都是健康的，以及忽视随农耕而来的食物，这两点是不合逻辑的。当他尝试低碳高蛋白的阿特金斯 (Atkins) 饮食法时，Tonia 宣布她“受够了这个疯癫的项目”。他的
由鸡肉、鱼类、鸡蛋、酸奶、奶酪、牛油果以及花椰菜、西葫芦和芹菜等蔬菜组成的饮食让他渴望碳水化合物，尤其是面包，并伴有头痛、脑雾和疲劳感。利伯曼在两周内减轻了近两磅，但一旦停止尝试便迅速反弹。在梳理关于饱和脂肪、“坏”胆固醇和动脉斑块积聚的混乱文献时，他发现这是研究中最困难的部分。“任何认为自己掌握了关于饱和脂肪真相的人都是在妄想。这很复杂，”他说。虽然不饱和脂肪可能不像人们之前认为的那样糟糕，但仍有许多需要学习，他建议如果在饱和脂肪和不饱和脂肪之间做出选择，“选择植物脂肪总是比动物脂肪更好”。在两周的间歇性禁食期间，他将进食时间限制在八小时窗口内。作为一个通常早起吃早餐，且在锻炼后经常像霍比特人一样吃“第二顿早餐”，并习惯于全天吃零食的人，他有时会感到“饥饿而愤怒”，但他发现这次经历（期间他减轻了约一磅）总体上是温和的。只有时间才能证明，间歇性禁食或限制热量饮食是否能减缓人类的衰老。还需要进一步研究。从进化论的角度来看，间歇性禁食更有意义。任何认为自己掌握了关于饱和脂肪真相的人都是在妄想。
不再约炮——在 42 岁时，我失去了性欲
性曾经是克里斯蒂·德·加里斯生活的中心。后来她发现它不再是了。
在我三十多岁后期某个时间点，我的性欲离我而去。我迅速经历了悲伤的五个阶段，然后偶然发现了一个没人谈论的秘密第六阶段：解脱。
最初的迹象伴随着一条来自多年前未曾想起的人的惊喜短信而出现。一张腹肌照，依然有八块，依然起伏。我想起在二十出头的时候，我曾毫不讽刺地从上到下舔过那些肌肉。那个版本的我本会立即回复，放下一切，迅速打车去他的公寓。相反，我读完了阿尔弗雷德·兰辛关于“坚忍号”的书，直到第二天才想起回复。
“我很荣幸。你看起很棒。但坦白说，我觉得我可能进入了‘后性’阶段。”
性不再是我生活的中心，这是年轻时的我无法想象的事情。在我的青少年晚期、二十多岁以及三十多岁的大部分时间里，它是支撑其他一切的基石。千禧年时代教会了我，强烈的性欲是值得珍视的，甚至是值得吹嘘的。贪婪的性欲代表着一种掌控力。每天都渴望性其实会让你显得很酷。
脖子上缠着一条扭动金蛇的布里特尼·斯皮尔斯绝对拥有强烈的性欲。在拳击场里穿着皮革马裤的克里斯蒂娜·阿奎莱拉拥有强烈的性欲。安吉丽娜·朱莉脖子上挂着一个小血瓶，听着比利·鲍伯·桑顿告诉记者他们在过来的车里做了爱，她也拥有强烈的性欲。
我效仿她们，致力于让自己在体质上处于渴望状态。我的身体有着它坚持的、无法管制的议程，一种嗡嗡作响的躁动感，使我在生活的其他部分中只能投入一半的精力。总是等待，永远不安。我的性欲是逃离平庸生活的亮眼分心之物。
在 20 年里，这就是我无法改变的现实。然后在三十多岁后期的某个时刻，我的性欲对我的掌控开始松动。我注意到，在约会软件那厚重的单调对话另一端，性似乎不再那么诱人了。突然之间，
尿路感染是我想要避免的事情。在我的身体里，欲望那令人迷醉的高峰不再存在。我曾经赖以生存的那种惊心动魄、发自内心深处的快感再也无法触及。起初我很担心。我将其归结为某种基础性的缺乏。但当任何数量的维生素 D 和 B6 都无法改变这种新的、毫无性吸引力的基线状态时，这开始感觉更像是一种个人的失败，就像撒谎或自私一样，是那些标志着你在人类基本体面方面有所缺失的事情。我决心将其归因于生理原因，在 40 岁时，我咨询了一位专家，讨论围绝经期的可能性，他们认为我确实表现出了一些症状，甚至不仅仅是性欲低下的问题。在开始激素替代疗法（早上喷雾，晚上药片）之后，我偶尔能感觉到熟悉的、狂热的冲动在波动，但它们从未能真正地重新主导我的生活。我试过假装，试过强行推进最初的挑逗，但均无效果。我就是无法唤起曾经驱动我的那种对性的热情。现在已经过去几年了，我向一种性依然存在但处于极其边缘地位的生活投降了。在这种生活中，有时连续几个月，性完全处于我的盲点之中。而我感到的不是失落，而是轻盈。对于我这一代，或者任何一代的女性来说，渴望性从未是一件简单的事。它总是伴随着沉重的期望、扭曲的动态，以及一张关于你欠了什么以及你价值多少的繁琐账单。在纸面上，高性欲听起来像是一种自由，但回首往事，高性欲从未转化为一种满足我自己性需求的努力。我太忙于思考他想要什么，以及我在渴望它时看起来像什么。我与同样行走在这个广袤的“后性爱景观”中的朋友们聊过。有些人毫无疑问地拥抱着一种摆脱了性欲迫切需求的生活。其他人还没准备好放手，正在探索所有的可能性。但我的经验是，这并不一定是需要被修复的东西。我将其视为一种转变，一种关注点的扩大。而这种关注点转向了内部，转向我具体想如何利用我的时间和注意力。结果证明，答案几乎完全是“不性感”的。没有腹肌，没有深夜约炮，但我可以在一百步之外分辨出莳萝和茴香，而且我可以整天研究植物分类学。我经常光顾的是历史石遗址，而不是酒吧。我非常了解我的神经系统，现在我买的是 L-茶氨酸而非内衣。而且据我女儿说，我穿得像个“九十年代的机场父亲”。你可能会认为这是被压抑了，或者干涸了。但别担心，现在我的癖好是极地探险的法医学细节——比如欧内斯特·沙克尔顿在德雷克海峡上那艘 22 英尺的开放式救生艇上的经历。
Kristie De Garis 纯肉饮食法
周一 2026年8月3日 / 《泰晤士报》生活 / 我在生活中感到很幸运——但悲恸让我难以享受其中
我 56 岁，与一位优秀的丈夫过着幸福的婚姻生活。我们有两个已经长大且发展良好的孩子，有亲密的朋友，还有一个温馨的家，而我从事的职业至今仍让我感到快乐。我知道自己有多幸运，对所拥有的一切心存感激——但我难以真正享受它。相反，我的生活在等待着某些可怕的事情发生。如果生活感觉特别幸福，我会提醒自己克制，因为我担心如果我变得太安逸，必然会有糟糕的事情发生。认识我的人都不会将我描述为一个焦虑的人。我的睡眠质量尚可，工作中表现良好，我会大笑、社交，人们可能认为我是一个乐观主义者。但在这一切之下，始终有一种幸福很脆弱的感觉。我好奇是否一切都在我四十多岁时改变了。我的父亲在一场事故中丧生，八个月后，我的母亲被诊断出患有癌症并在三周内去世。我认为我当时没有停下来去处理这两次丧亲之痛。没有时间——我处理遗产，组织葬礼，继续工作和家庭生活，因为那是必须要做的事。我不记得自己崩溃过，我只是在坚持走下去。现在我怀疑我的内心是否真的从那几年中恢复过。这是延迟的悲恸吗？这是一种焦虑症吗？或者，是否有可能学会享受我现在的生活？ 维多利亚
询问 塔尼娅·拜伦教授 (Professor Tanya Byron)
你的来信深深地引起了我的共鸣，因为我也在为去年去世的母亲而悲恸。我能认出你描述的许多感受：对灾难的高度警觉，以及担心珍贵之物即将被夺走的恐惧。然而，我认为你的问题并不在于你担心过多，而是在于你的大脑通过毁灭性的经历学到了一件事：生活可以在瞬间发生改变。意外失去一位父母会带来深远的动摇，而八个月后失去另一位，且在癌症诊断后如此迅速地去世，显著地加剧了这种丧失感。作为人类，我们无法很好地应对不确定性，而丧亲之痛粉碎了“世界在合理范围内是可以预测的”这一假设。在这一假设被接连两次推翻后，你与不确定性的关系发生改变也就不足为奇了。当你描述失去父母时，你像许多人一样说，“我只是在坚持走下去”。你当时四十多岁，在工作，抚养孩子，经营家庭，过着忙碌的生活，无法停下来给你任何悲伤的空间。在那个极其痛苦的时期能够坚持下去，是一种非凡的韧性表现。然而，从丧失中幸存与在心理上将其整合是两回事。你当时处于震惊之中，因为你的父亲死于事故，而在你还没时间处理这件事（更不用说为他悲伤）之前，你的母亲去世了。流行文化经常谈论“延迟的悲恸”，仿佛情感会等到我们有时间时才出现，但现实更为复杂。精神病学家伊丽莎白·库伯勒-罗斯 (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross) 著名的五个阶段——否认、愤怒、讨价还价、抑郁和接受——通常被呈现为丧亲者在走出阴霾前应该经历的预测序列。事实上，她是基于与临终者的工作开发出这一模型的，描述的是对绝症的常见情感反应，而非为丧亲之痛开出一条通用路径。悲恸不是一项需要完成的任务，也不是一系列阶段，而是要审视这些想法，而不是
尝试将它们排除：问问自己，这个预测是基于现在正在发生的事情，还是基于当时发生的事情。这个简单的问题也能让你获得片刻停顿，让自己立足于当下。随着时间的推移，当你与自己对话，在经历那些担心的灾难并未发生之时消除对忧虑的灾难化认知，你的大脑将更新其预测。通过这种方式，你并不是在试图说服自己坏事永远不会发生（我们谁都无法与生活达成这样的协议），而是在教导你的大脑，虽然坏事可能发生，但它们并非时刻都在发生。你可能还会注意到一些被焦虑的大脑常规忽略的事情：数量极其庞大的平凡日子。高度警觉的大脑会轻视这些日子，但正是这些经验在缓慢地重新校准我们对世界的预期。如果这些恐惧开始主导你的
生活，干扰你的睡眠，导致你不断寻求安慰，或者让你回避曾经享受的事情，这可能是一种焦虑症，你应该咨询你的全科医生（GP）。然而，从你的来信来看，我怀疑这与其说是疾病，不如说是适应。你的大脑适应了令人心碎的环境，却一直未能跟上环境已经改变的现实。接受一些丧亲治疗可能会有帮助，让你的悲伤得以表达，在尊重过去的同时，使其不再污染你的现在。悲伤最深层的讽刺在于，我们爱得越深，就越明白失去是有可能的。我相信对此的答案不是减少爱，也不是为了防止幸福被夺走而谨慎生活，而是意识到不确定性是依恋的代价。我们无法消除这种不确定性，但我们可以拒绝让它偷走那些
让生活值得延续的平凡而珍贵的时刻。我们需要逐步克服。这是一个极其个人化的过程，随时间起伏，经常在周年纪念日、里程碑时刻以及出乎意料的瞬间重新浮现，同时逐渐融入我们的生活织造之中，而非消失。经常持续存在的往往不是不断的忧伤，而是一种持久的意识，即生命可能是心碎地脆弱。除了悲伤，你持续的灾难性忧虑可以用神经科学来解释。我们的大脑一直在试图预判接下来会发生什么。这通常对我们有益，但在如此迅速地失去双亲之后，你的大脑更新了它的预期。它学到，在你还未从第一击中恢复之前，深刻的丧失可能会到来两次，这让你对不确定性高度敏感。因此，你不断的忧虑可能不是焦虑症，而仅仅是你的
大脑在执行经验教给它的任务：向前扫描下一个灾难，希望能保护你不被突如其来地袭击。这个问题随后变得更加复杂，因为一个在预判危险方面变得极其出色的大脑，往往在识别安全方面相应地变得糟糕。这一点在你询问是否能学会享受现有生活时得到了体现，这凸显了即使是快乐的时刻也会染上忧虑，因为幸福已与意外失去它的可能性联系在一起。试图压制这些忧虑预测或为此责备自己是行不通的，因为它们代表了在你的世界被彻底颠覆时期所发展出的一种生存本能。为了将记忆与现实分开，如果你希望得到塔尼娅·拜伦教授（Professor Tanya Byron）的帮助，请发送电子邮件至 proftanyabyron@
thetimes.co.uk 条款及细则适用。请访问 thetimes.com / withu 了解完整详情。通过一整年的 WithU 让你更健康 Times+ 会员可享受 12 个月的 WithU 健身应用程序免费使用权。该程序提供个性化、目标导向的健身计划、快速训练及专家指导——无论您选择在何处训练，都能帮助您增强体质、提高体能并保持正念。其旨在帮助您即使在繁忙的日子里也能保持积极状态和身心平衡。请访问 thetimes.com / timesplus
《泰晤士报》 / 周一 2026年8月3日 生活 当这一切开始时，我距离家乡 10,000 英里之遥。那是凌晨2点，我的右臂瞬间麻木，随后被一种剧烈的脉冲感所占据。这种感觉在蔓延，吞噬了我身体的右侧——我的颈部、躯干和右腿。后来，我将这种感觉比作恐慌发作时的心悸，只不过发生在身体的其他部位。我在妹妹露西的床上蜷缩着，感到困惑和恐惧。我当时在墨尔本探望她，这是我为期三周的澳大利亚之旅的一部分——也是我作为一名 32 岁的女性杂志记者的生活中的一次休假。露西听到我痛苦地哭泣而醒来，她安慰我并让我回去睡觉。现在她很后悔当时如此大意，但我也忽视了这次发作。我将其归结为旅途中的睡眠不足、饮酒过多以及压力。但九个月后，我们将发现真相。
几周后回到伦敦，我在乘坐地上铁前往与朋友聚会。我们要庆祝我搬去和男朋友同居。这意味着我在仅限女性合租房的七年时代结束了，而与我深爱的男人共同建立家庭的新时代开始了。我身体右侧的心悸再次出现。我不想吓到坐在我旁边的孩子，于是我站起身，在车厢里尽力蹒跚而行，直到车辆抵达我的车站。不知怎的，我回到了家，到那时，那种感觉已经消失了。在接下来的六个月里，这类发作变得越来越频繁。我试图不去忽视它们，预约了医生来讨论我感受到的奇怪感觉。一名（男性）全科医生说，我在地上铁上的发作是因为在登车前在站台上处理工作邮件引起的，我需要“避免多任务处理”。
在我 33 岁生日的一次发作后，我被从帕丁顿车站通过车站接送车（一种相当令人尴尬的方式）紧急送往急诊室（我不推荐这种庆祝方式）。他们通过心电图检查了我的胸部，没有发现异常。最终，在又一次发作之后，我在当地诊所接受了两名医学生和一名女性全科医生的诊治。也许是因为学到的知识还在脑海中很新鲜，或者是因为他们在医生面前想要表现得勤勉，他们花很长时间向我询问情况。他们在倾听我的讲述，并同意这种情况很不寻常。我们似乎有了进展。全科医生诊断我患有偏瘫性偏头痛，她说这没什么好担心的，很容易治疗。作为进一步的例行检查，她说会安排我做一次核磁共振 (MRI)，但并不认为会有什么结果。我很庆幸她认真履行职责并完成了所有检查步骤。
我将 MRI 预约在了一周后，在工作任务的间隙快速完成。当我结束后坐起来，放射技师告诉我他们看到了“某些东西”，但不能告诉我具体是什么，因为他们不是医生。我试图通过电话将这个模糊的消息传达给我的男朋友。恐慌很快袭来。我们等待。又过了一周，又做了一次 MRI。在神经外科医生的办公室里，我听她告诉我，我长了脑肿瘤（对于不幸精通此道的人来说，这叫脑膜瘤），需要进行开颅术（一种严重的大脑手术）来将其切除。这涉及到一组外科医生暂时移除我颅骨上被称为“骨瓣”的一块区域，以便进入并对我的大脑进行手术。手术风险包括：
查理·罗斯 医生曾告诉我没问题——而一次脑扫描改变了一切 几个月来，全科医生将她的疼痛诊断为压力或偏头痛。随后查理·罗斯发现了可怕的真相
中风、失语、身体右侧瘫痪，以及——最糟糕的——死亡。而且，他们可能得剃掉我的头发。太可怕了。他们告诉我，他们认为肿瘤是良性的，但如果任其发展，它将生长到无法通过手术干预的大小。这会杀死我吗？神经科医生看着我说，简单明了：肿瘤长得越大，他们能为我做的就越少。于是，我现在成为了英国每年被诊断出原发性脑肿瘤的 13,000 人之一。我的男朋友打电话告诉我的父母，因为我发现自己无法说话。那天晚些时候，我接受了他们能提供的第一个手术时段，那是六周半之后。
我记得手术当天早晨的一些片段。凌晨 4.30 的唤醒电话，看着伴侣喝咖啡我感到很嫉妒，因为我必须禁食禁水。在独自进入手术准备室时，我经历了人生中最大的恐惧。我与麻醉师开玩笑说我的职业是采访名人（他们不相信我，但这是真的）。我还被告知，不需要漫长的倒数，那种倒数之所以出现，是因为像《格雷解剖学》（Grey's Anatomy）这样的电视剧那样做了。三，二，一，失去意识。
我醒来时，依然留着那一头浓密的卷发。外科医生之前不确定能否切除整个肿瘤，但现在它全部消失了。尽管主刀医生直到现在都表现得异常冷静，但我能感觉到她声音中的喜悦。“我们花了不少时间，”另一位外科医生告诉我。我想应该已经过去了六个小时以上，这让在雨中于东伦敦四处徘徊等待电话的可怜父母和伴侣感到非常焦虑。我要求的第一件事之一就是一杯咖啡，随后是一份阿芙佳朵（affogato，这对医院工作人员来说是一个虽讲究但可行的要求：咖啡加几勺冰淇淋）。两天后，我坐出租车回家。
那是六个月前的事了。我希望我能告诉你们，随后的过程是神奇且轻松的。康复过程缓慢、令人沮丧且让人感到卑微，这是一次教训。疲劳仍然是最令人难以承受的症状——精力会在毫无预警的情况下耗尽。有些日子，起床对我来说都是一种挣扎。在某些日子里，我深切地感觉到，我再也无法完全回到过去的状态。我想起那些对我主诉和症状不屑一顾的医生。我经常在想，那个为我预约核磁共振（MRI）的全科医生和医学生是否知道，正是因为他们的细心可能救了我的命。我不禁感到沮丧、愤怒和恐惧，因为我必须如此艰苦地奋斗才能被认真对待。许多女性表示她们经历过某种形式的医疗厌女症——根据一项最近的研究，93% 的女性表示在寻求医疗帮助时感到被忽视。虽然我对自己的积极争取感到自豪，但对于我必须争取到如此地步感到极其担忧——同时也感谢我的父母和男友鼓励我再次向医生跟进。
现在的生活由许多重要的“第一次”组成。这些是我将尝试（且很可能失败）再也不将其视为理所当然的事情。术后第一次作为婚礼宾客出门，我们在晚上 9 点带着外卖披萨离开招待会，以便我能早点休息。第一次尝试重返工作，第一天回到办公室与同事在一起。我和伴侣共同抚养的第一只宠物到来了：一只名叫 Sally 的腊肠犬-贵宾混血犬，它迅速且自豪地接替了我作为家中“最难伺候的女性”的角色。至于任何重要的“最后一次”，我希望在未来的医疗预约中再也不要听到“骨瓣”这个词。
VICKI COUCHMAN 为《泰晤士报》撰稿
我的男朋友打电话告诉我的父母——我无法说话
周一 2026 年 8 月 3 日 / 《泰晤士报》首夜 Aurora / Collon 伦敦皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅 {{{{{ 逍遥之夜 (proms) B y 现在，Aurora 的模式已经出名。在音乐会的前半部分，这支无畏的英国管弦乐团会对某些（通常是史诗级的）杰作进行戏剧化的介绍。然后在后半部分，在创始人兼指挥、沉稳的尼古拉斯·科隆 (Nicholas Collon) 的引导下，乐团凭借记忆完美地演奏该作品。但仅仅因为某种模式很熟悉，并不意味着它没那么有效。在这里，被解构随后又被重构的作品是马勒的第一交响曲，结果是一场扣人心弦且组织极其精良的逍遥之夜音乐会。当然，马勒的鉴赏家们可能已经知道这部交响曲背后的个人悲剧，以及作曲家为何在其中融入如此迥异的声音，如军队号角声、鸟鸣、儿童童谣和廉价的舞曲音乐（尽管，
从我周围人的惊呼声来看，马勒 13 个兄弟姐妹中有 8 个死于幼年这件事对许多人来说是个新消息）。但这次演出的令人印象深刻之处，在于马勒自己的文字与巧妙选择的音乐示例之间无缝交织的方式。这部由简·米切尔 (Jane Mitchell) 构思、詹姆斯·波纳斯 (James Bonas) 导演的戏剧化形式包括：由杰克·巴多 (Jack Bardoe) 热情地扮演的马勒，向莎拉·图梅 (Sarah Twomey) 饰演的西格蒙德·弗洛伊德抱怨自己不被愚笨的评论家和不理解的观众所赏识。与此同时，科隆和管弦乐团穿插了极具启发性的音乐分析片段，优秀的女高音娜塔莉·刘易斯 (Natalie Lewis) 演唱了《流浪少年歌曲集》的选段，这是马勒在交响曲中重新加工的歌曲集。这一切确保了在全曲演奏时，观众不仅被管弦乐团记忆一小时复杂音乐的壮举所震撼，
而且我认为，他们也在更细致地倾听交响曲的展开。这也是一次出色的演出，尽管在漫长的第一乐章中或许略显谨慎和克制，但在此之后则充满了更多的自信和个性。最令人惊叹的方面之一是演奏者的耐力。他们在两小时的演出中全程站立，然后在次日早晨的重复演出中再次全程站立。理查德·莫里森 (Richard Morrison) 见于 BBC Sounds 50,000 人的庞大群体在布赖顿的普雷斯顿公园观看尼克·凯夫 (Nick Cave) 的演出，许多人穿着不合时宜的黑色，这提醒人们，一个唱着关于死亡的忧郁澳大利亚人竟然能如此成功，是多么奇怪的事情。实际上这并不奇怪，因为死亡在很大程度上塑造了生活，凯夫与任何人一样。在布赖顿生活了 20 年后，他和妻子、服装设计师苏西·比克 (Susie Bick) 现居住在伦敦，因为在
他们的儿子亚瑟 (Arthur) 2015 年从附近欧文格丁 (Ovingdean) 的悬崖坠亡后，南海岸“变得太悲伤了”。因此，这是一次回归，而且是一次充满情感的回归。68 岁的凯夫似乎经常处于快要流泪的状态。于是，他做了任何理智之人都会做的事——请来了凯莉·米诺格 (Kylie Minogue)（与凯夫合影）。当他宣布这位同为墨尔本人的歌手登场时，人群中发出了惊呼，她与他共同精彩地演绎了两人 1995 年的谋杀民谣《野玫瑰生长之地》(Where the Wild Roses Grow)。她的歌声带着阴郁的光泽，两人看起来很高兴能再次见到对方，米诺格对凯夫表达了“坚定不移的爱”。对死亡的暗示由 Flaming Lips 乐队拉开序幕，在这次单日活动中，他们排在 Warmduscher、Cate Le Bon 和 English Teacher 之后。Lips 乐队的主唱韦恩·科因 (Wayne Coyne) 谈到了他兄弟最近的去世。这支来自俄克拉荷马州的迷幻摇滚乐队演奏了他们的代表作《你意识到吗？》(Do You Realize?)，其高潮台词是“你意识到吗
“你认识的所有人有一天都会死去？”这一幕既忧伤又辉煌，正如 Cave 的演出一样。他在开场时便咆哮道：“他妈的布莱顿！”包括《Joy》在内的几首歌感觉与其说是激昂，不如说是自我沉溺，但一旦他和 Bad Seeds 乐队进入快节奏状态，他们便变得令人畏惧。Cave 在音乐上的至交 Warren Ellis 弓着身子拉小提琴，模样像极了拉斯普京。最后一个小时的演出气势磅礴。Cave 以一种慵懒而低沉的嗓音演绎了地底蓝调曲目《Red Right Hand》，以及长达 14 分钟且令人战栗的《Hollywood》，以及向 Bick 致敬的《Wide Lovely Eyes》（“这首歌关于她，关于布莱顿”），这也是整场演出中最接近轻快时刻的部分。当然，他们以全场大合唱《Into My Arms》结束，这绝对是包含“干预主义者”一词的最浪漫的歌曲。 Ed Potton Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 布莱顿，普雷斯顿公园
在 Streets 乐队开始这场活力四射的表演之前，狂欢主义的氛围已经十分浓厚。卡迪夫城堡内部的气氛充满了酒精、药物气息且略显嘈杂。就像他的核心粉丝群一样，Mike Skinner 可能已接近 50, 岁，但他依然热衷于让派对持续狂欢。这场音乐会的核心是对 Skinner 2004 年专辑《A Grand Don’t Come for Free》的完整演，这是一部口述式的、社会写实主义的车库流行歌剧，讲述了一千英镑神秘失踪以及一段暴风雨般短暂的恋情。该专辑的四首热门单曲长期以来一直是 Streets 演出的固定曲目，但此次巡演是首次按顺序完整演奏全集，并围绕专辑封面上描绘的郊区公交车站搭建了半舞台化的制作。虽然风格化的舞台布景确实令人印象深刻，但视觉呈现感觉欠缺打磨。如果能增加更多戏剧性的点缀，或许能为 Skinner 那单调且粗鲁的演绎增添急需的戏剧冲突，那些精准观察的社会片段如《Could Well Be In》以及高亢的《Blinded by the Lights》便是如此。这位歌手融合了伦敦腔与伯明翰腔的演唱风格一直是以冷面形式呈现，但在这里他显得无聊且暴躁。一支训练有素的乐队和强大的伴唱，尤其是伴唱 Roo Savill，帮助弥补了 Skinner 某些松散的时刻。像《Fit but You Know It》和《Such a Twat》这类喧闹且具喜剧色彩的讨好观众之作，提醒人们 Streets 实际上在十年前就创造了 Sleaford Mods 的雏形。令人振奋的伤心芭蕾《Dry Your Eyes》也保留了其大部分的情感力量。Skinner 在演出的第二幕中变得活跃起来，这一部分是更常规的 Streets 经典曲目集，包括注入雷鬼元素的瑰宝《Let’s Push Things Forward》以及献给已故父亲的温柔福音流行纪念曲《Never Went to Church》。对于一个 47, 岁的人来说，他在结尾时的观众席冲浪也值得称赞，尽管他反复使用生硬的性暗示，听起来像个醉酒的酒吧庸才。Skinner 是一位独特的人才，但那些让他二十多岁时像个英伦流行乐版丹尼·戴尔（Danny Dyer）的俏皮小伙和普通老哥特质，到了中年就没那么迷人了。 Stephen Dalton 巡演至 Aug 28 The Streets 卡迪夫城堡
The Car Man 伦敦，萨德勒之井剧院 (120分钟) Will Bozier 饰演 Luca，Ashley Shaw 饰演 Lana，出演马修·波恩（Matthew Bourne）那部撩人心弦的复排作品。这是一个致命的惊悚之夜。Debra Craine 称，在这部引人入胜的舞蹈黑色电影中，情欲、谋杀与复仇占据了中心舞台。
炽热的欲望，冷血的谋杀，背叛与复仇。如果没有这些，黑色电影将变成什么样？而在马修·波恩的舞蹈黑色电影《The Car Man》中，这些元素被推到了极致。他将其 2000 年的制作称为对比才的歌剧《卡门》的重新点燃，但其艳俗的剧情
同样受到了 20 世纪 40 年代好莱坞黑色电影经典《邮递员总是敲两下门》的启发。这一点在幕布拉开，展现出和谐镇（Harmony）的一刻便清晰可见——这是一个位于美国中西部一条通往虚无的孤独公路上的微小意裔美国人社区。店主的妻子名叫拉娜（Lana），是以 1946 年电影的主演拉娜·特纳（Lana Turner）命名的。当一个名叫卢卡（Luca）的流浪者闯入小镇时，他们之间瞬间产生的相互欲望引发了一系列致命事件，导致拉娜那粗暴的丈夫迪诺（Dino）在一个闷热的夜晚被谋杀。莱兹·布罗瑟斯顿（Lez Brotherston）受 20 世纪 50 年代启发的设计巧妙地唤起了故事的核心地点：和谐镇的修理厂 / 餐厅（那些老式汽车极具趣味），尽管布景的适应性极强，能让我们在眨眼之间就转移到夜总会和监狱。特里·戴维斯（Terry Davies）充满动感的配乐由本杰明·波普（Benjamin Pope）轻快地指挥新冒险管弦乐团（New Adventures Orchestra）演奏，有效地编排了
这部歌剧的标志性旋律（素材源自罗迪翁·谢德林（Rodion Shchedrin）的《卡门组曲》），在这里听起来像是专门为舞蹈定制的。伯恩（Bourne）诙谐、大胆且极具爆发力的编舞——许多粗鲁的机械师和他们自由奔放的女友——带有《西区故事》的色彩和纯粹剧场的戏剧紧张感。演出时长两小时，不算太长，尽管我们其实可以不需要第二半场开头的歌舞表演。在我观看的两组复排阵容中，表演都非常出色。饰演充满阳刚之气的陌生人卢卡（事实证明他双性恋）的哈里森·道泽尔（Harrison Dowzell）在首演之夜以其极具魅力的身体存在感主导了全场。饰演我们的“卡门”人物拉娜的科迪莉亚·布雷思韦特（Cordelia Braithwaite）既诱人又恐惧，而丹尼·鲁本斯（Danny Reubens）饰演的迪诺则阴森地潜伏在侧。第二组演员同样由阿什利·肖（Ashley Shaw）充满活力的拉娜和威尔·波齐尔（Will Bozier）挑逗且迷人的卢卡强势引领。在关键的
配角中，第一组演出的莱昂纳多·麦考金代尔（Leonardo McCorkindale）在饰演被陷害的穷雇工安杰洛（Angelo）时表现得触动人心，饰演其甜蜜爱人丽塔（Rita）的釜山谷（Kurumi Kamayachi）亦是如此。次演之夜，哈里·昂德拉克-赖特（Harry Ondrak-Wright）和安娜·玛丽亚·德弗雷塔斯（Anna Maria de Freitas）在相同角色中的表现同样令人动容，再次证明了伯恩的新冒险舞团（New Adventures troupe）的 17 位舞者不仅拥有舞蹈技巧，还具备将这部作品打造成为极具冲击力的惊悚剧的演技。演出将持续至 8 月 29, 随后进行巡演
《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月3日 星期一 艺术
……有史以来最优秀的歌剧，随后是在《布劳切克先生的远游》中饰演标题角色。我们还将演出亚奈切克的首部歌剧《沙尔卡》，采用的是仅有钢琴伴奏的原始版本。朱利叶斯·德雷克将负责演奏。” 这是一个真正的冷门剧目吗？ “是的，而且是一部令人惊叹的作品，讲述的是一个狂野的女战士部落，”他同意道。“我承认，这听起来确实像人们会在深夜上网搜索的那类东西。”在此之前，他将演绎另一个更接近家乡的冷门作品。在爱丁堡国际艺术节上，他将担任《海亚瓦塔之歌》的独唱者。这部作品是由英国作曲家萨缪尔·科勒里奇-泰勒根据朗费罗的诗作而创作的，是一部典型的维多利亚晚期宏大合唱曲。在 20 世纪 20 和 30 年代，这部作品极其受欢迎，每年都在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅上演。随后它被冷落，直到近期人们对先驱黑人作曲家进行了重新评估。“这是一部奇特的作品，但充满了旋律和优秀的音乐，”斯彭斯说。“而且顺便一提，它为男高音准备的高音比普契尼的歌剧还要多。” 在 42 岁时，斯彭斯可能正进入他的黄金时代。“我觉得自己看起来比实际年龄年轻，”他说。“不过，就像我母亲说的，气球上是没有皱纹的。” 那么，是否仍有像珠穆朗玛峰一样的高峰需要攀登？比如那些史诗般的瓦格纳男高音角色？ “我似乎每年都会拒绝饰演特里斯坦和齐格弗里德，”他说。“人们认为由于我的热情性格，我应该演唱这些角色，但我并不真正喜欢那些让你觉得像是在尝试完成‘爱丁堡公爵奖’的任务。所以，这不在我的计划之内，至少在未来十年内不会。我很想尝试一下维尔船长（《比利·巴德》）和阿申巴赫（《威尼斯之死》），那些需要探讨生命全部意义的、痛苦的布里顿角色。” 但尽管他的日程表填满了世界各大歌剧院的演出，斯彭斯表示，他最幸福的时刻莫过于在伦弗鲁郡的那座旧牧师住宅中。“部分原因是我希望见证我美丽的儿子生命中的每一个瞬间，”他说。“而我从事的这份行业绝对不利于家庭生活。因为各种健康与安全规定，如今带孩子去歌剧院比服用 A 类禁药还要困难。但部分原因在于我是一个典型的巨蟹座-双鱼座——基本上我就是一个不应该离开家的敏感水池。” 带着这个令人费解的自我诊断，他起身去折叠更多的被子。
尼基·斯彭斯将在伦敦皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅出演《奥伯隆》（周四）和逍遥音乐会最后之夜（9月 12日）；以及在爱丁堡亚舍大厅出演《海亚瓦塔之歌》（8月 19日）。
“……他们，”斯彭斯说。“但这对于歌手来说并不理想。你投入了与完整舞台剧演出相同的工作量，但只能拿到一次报酬！看到英国歌剧界变得如此简约，我感到心碎。雄心壮志的缺失以及音乐教育的匮乏，简直是毁灭性的。” 唯一没有被“简约化”的是斯彭斯自己的职业生涯。他也经历过挫折。他在 21 岁时获得了一份极其早熟的 Decca 唱片合约，但他明智地从中抽身，因为他意识到这会将他局限在跨界曲目中。相反，他回到了学院研究严肃角色。但就在他的国际事业开始起飞时，他遭遇了双重打击：新冠疫情导致的停摆（当然，这影响了每个人），随后是一次可怕的事故（他在机场摔下了楼梯），导致两条腿全部骨折。
‘英国歌剧已被如此简约化’ 尼基·斯彭斯将在最后……
促乐之夜 (Night of the Proms)，但他向理查德·莫里森 (Richard Morrison) 表示，他对英国古典音乐缺乏雄心壮志感到绝望。今年夏天，尼基·斯彭斯 (Nicky Spence) 将在“促乐之夜最后一场” (The Last Night of the Proms) 中，以最完美的爱国姿态向数百万电视观众高唱《统治吧，不列颠！》(Rule, Britannia!)。对于这位英国最受欢迎的男高音之一来说，在座无虚席的皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅表演，你可能会认为这是一个足够宏大的舞台。但在上周我与他交谈时，他的担忧则更为实际。“现在我觉得自己像是在经营一家 Travelodge 酒店，”他说，“我换被套的频率简直像是在参加奥运会。”这或许有些夸张，但也差不多。斯彭斯、他的丈夫（有时也是他的钢琴伙伴）迪伦·佩雷斯 (Dylan Perez) 以及他们两岁的儿子去年从南伦敦的德普特福 (Deptford) 搬到了伦弗鲁郡 (Renfrewshire) 乡村的一座旧牧师住宅中。自那以后，他们成了许多朋友的热门接待对象，用斯彭斯的话说，这些人是
“决定去探索这个叫作苏格兰的地方”。对于斯彭斯本人来说，这几乎是一次回归。他出生并成长在南边几英里的邓弗里斯 (Dumfries)。那并不是一段最快乐的童年。在他 8 岁时，父亲已经失踪，他和母亲一度“没有固定住所”。救赎——以及在 17 岁时获得伦敦金厅音乐学院 (Guildhall School) 的一席之地——源于他青少年时期卓越的嗓音天赋，这被一名到访的声乐教师所认可。尽管童年记忆复杂，他仍决定让自己的儿子接受苏格兰式的教育。“你认为我们为什么搬到伦弗鲁郡？”他问道，“我们希望他能去一所不错的乡村学校，在那里他们鼓励乡村舞蹈、朗诵罗伯特·彭斯 (Robert Burns) 的诗作——可能还会看《猜火车》(Trainspotting)。”那么，这位自豪的苏格兰人如何看待演唱《统治吧，不列颠！》？这是一首赞颂 18 世纪英国海军实力的凯歌，有些人认为它具有不可救药的殖民色彩。“噢，我认同自己是英国人，这对我来说没有问题，”他说。他会穿上全套的苏格兰裙、皮囊包 (sporran) 和格利鞋 (ghillie brogues) 吗？“那我就透露太多了，”他说，“只能说人们可能会看到一点腿。”事实证明，BBC 还对斯彭斯将演唱的其他曲目下达了禁令。“我们已经酝酿了好几个月的想法，”他说，“我只能说，这不仅会包含人们期待我演唱的典型咏叹调，还会有一些较为冷门的曲目。”我们确实知道他在促乐之夜将演出的内容——因为就在本周——是卡尔·玛丽亚·冯·韦伯 (Carl Maria von Weber) 那部罕见上演的歌剧《奥贝隆》(Oberon) 中的主角，该剧于 1826 年在伦敦首演，就在作曲家去世前几周。“是的，我终于能实现我在学校里的绰号了，”他打趣道，“精灵之王。”这部歌剧以音乐优美但剧本糟糕而闻名（基于一首德国诗歌，而非莎士比亚的作品）。“我认为加入旁白 [由女演员塔姆辛·格雷格 (Tamsin Greig) 讲述]会有所帮助，”斯彭斯说，“而且我们将采用半舞台化呈现，就像去年在促乐之夜演出的肖斯塔科维奇的《麦克白夫人》那样。我认为那将是一个美妙的夜晚。”随着歌剧公司经历艰难时期，这类半舞台化的歌剧音乐会正开始流行，不是吗？“而且人们在执行方式上非常有创意。”“我当时正准备去柏林国家歌剧院 (Berlin Staatsoper) 首次亮相，”他说，“我在进入手术室前说的最后一句话是：‘告诉他们我坐轮椅也能演。’但当我醒来时，他们已经把我换掉了。”这是一个残酷的人生教训吗？“确实如此。我想，既然我们如此可有可无，为什么要把全部心血都投入到这个行业中？”可以公平地说，他现在不再可有可无地了。“不，我现在拥有如此之多”
“音乐在我的脑海中进进出出，有时我觉得自己像个 NCP 停车场，”他说。从《彼得·格赖姆斯》到齐格蒙德，他已成为所有那些痛苦男高音角色的首选歌手，尤其钟情于亚纳切克歌剧中的那些有缺陷的反英雄。“亚纳切克所有的角色要么是做坏事的好人，要么是做好事的坏人，”他说。“今年秋天，我将在布尔诺的亚纳切克音乐节上演出一个惊人的三部曲。我将在《叶努法》中饰演拉卡，可能[此处文本缺失]，就像去年的尼基·斯彭斯和莎莉·马修斯在《彼得·格赖姆斯》中的表现，以及 2022 年在 the Proms 的《狄多与埃涅阿斯》中的尼基·斯彭斯。”
2026 年 8 月 3 日，星期一 / 《泰晤士报》 times2 您的平日大脑强化训练 更多谜题 第 14-16 页 火车轨道 (TRAIN TRACKS) 密码字 (CODEWORD) 不等式数独 (FUTOSHIKI) 数独 (SUDOKU) 周四答案 武士数独 (SAMURAI) 杀手数独 (KILLER) SAKURO 答案见明天的 Times2 迷你数独 (Mini Sudoku) 请填充网格，使每一列、每一行以及每个 3x2 区域包含数字 1 到 6 密码字 (Codeword) 在右侧类似填字游戏的网格中，每个字母都由 1 到 26 之间的数字代表。字母表中的每个字母在网格中至少出现一次。利用已提供的字母来推断其他字母的身份。在主网格和较小的参考网格中填入字母，直到 26 个字母全部被找出。专有名词除外。Sakuro 在空格中填入数字 1 到 9，使得每个圆圈中的数字等于周围四个空格之和，且每种颜色的总和正确。填充每个网格，使每一列、每一行以及每个 3x3 区域包含数字 1 到 9。在谜题重叠处，行和列不会超过其常规长度。从周一到周四，每天提供一页额外的谜题，让您的大脑进行更长时间的锻炼 武士数独 (Samurai) 简单 数独 (Sudoku) 超级极难 填充网格，使每一列、每一行以及每个 3x3 区域包含数字 1 到 9。由虚线连接的每组单元格之和必须等于其左上角的的目标数字。在由虚线连接的每组单元格中，数字不能重复。杀手数独 (Killer) 致命 火车轨道 (Train Tracks) 铺设轨道，使火车能从 A 村行驶到 B 村。数字表示每行和每列中有多少段轨道。只有直线段和曲线段。轨道不能自我交叉。不等式数独 (Futoshiki) 填充空白方格，使每一行和每一列仅包含 1 到 5 的每个数字一次。方格之间的符号表示一个数字比相邻数字大 (>) 还是小 (<)。周一至周日每天在 thetimes.com 和 Live 应用上在线玩迷你数独 (MINI SUDOKU)
《泰晤士报》 | 2026年8月3日 星期一 电视与广播 5.00am Tom Nunan 6.00 Kate McCann 和 Stig Abell 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Sebastian Payne 2.00 Jane Garvey 和 Fi Glover 4.00 John Pienaar 及其 Drive 节目 7.00 Kait Borsay 10.00 Carole Walker 1.00am The Best of Times Radio
Radio 2 FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am Sara Cox 9.30 Choice Vernon Kay. Phil Collins 揭秘他的《我的岁月轨迹》(Tracks of My Years) 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dommett 7.00 Jo Whiley 9.00 蓝调秀 (The Blues Show)，主讲人 Cerys Matthews 10.00 绝佳律动 (The Good Groove)，主讲人 Melvin Odoom 12.00 Connor Phillips 3.00am 90年代舞曲 (Dance Sounds of the 90s) (重播) 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans
Radio 3 FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am 早餐节目 (Breakfast) 9.30 经典精选 (Essential Classics) 1.00pm 现场古典乐：BBC交响乐团演奏西贝柳斯第 2 号交响曲和布里顿的大提琴交响曲，选自逍遥音乐会 (Proms)。BBC Proms — 西贝柳斯 (D大调第 2 号交响曲)。弗里堡国际宗教音乐节 — 巴赫 (Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106, 康塔塔)。Ryedale 音乐节 — 德沃夏克 (第 2 号钢琴五重奏, Op 81)。弗里堡国际宗教音乐节 — 维瓦尔第 (D小调弦乐协奏曲, RV 127)；以及 BBC Proms — 布里顿 (大提琴交响曲) 4.00 本周作曲家：莫扎特 (1756-1791) Kate Molleson 通过塑造莫扎特的五段关系讲述他的故事，首先是他与父亲利奥波德的关系 10.00 Jim White 和 Simon Jordan 1.00pm Hawksbee 和 Jacobs 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 开球 (Kick Off) 10.00 体育酒吧 (The Sports Bar) 1.00am 与 Paul Ross 的额外时间 (Extra Time with Paul Ross)
Talk 仅限数字频道 6.00am Jeremy Kyle 10.00 Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm Ian Collins 4.00 Kevin O’Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 10.00 Petrie Hosken 1.00am Paul Ross
6 Music 仅限数字频道 5.00am Emily Pilbeam 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Steve Lamacq 的下午茶时段 (Teatime Session) 7.00 每日新曲速递 (New Music Fix Daily) 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 驻场艺术家：Ezra Collective 12.00 Oasis 在 BBC 1.00am Oasis 尼布沃斯现场 (Live at Knebworth) 2.00 Oasis: 故事是什么？ (What’s the Story?) 4.00 Oasis 播放列表
Virgin Radio 仅限数字频道 6.30am Steve Denyer 在 Chris Evans 早餐秀中讨论 Moneybox 10.00 Emma B 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Jen Thomas 2.00am Stu Elmore
Classic FM FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am 与 Dan Walker 一起共进早餐 9.00 与 Dan Walker 共同回顾名人堂之小时 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 与 Zeb Soanes 共度放松夜晚 (重播) 9.00 Classic FM 的作曲家旋转木马，主讲人 Zeb Soanes 10.00 宁静古典 (Calm Classics) 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 早早餐
2.00 the Archers (重播) 2.15 Alone，由 Moray Hunter 主演 (4/6) (重播) 2.45 NatureBang：讨论赋予河流和森林权利是否会改变人们看待世界的方式 (2/5) 3.00 佳作阅读 (A Good Read)：与教育活动家 Vee Kativhu 和演员 Susie Riddell 对谈 (9/9) 3.30 你对我而言已死去 (You’re Dead to Me)：西方的内衣 (6/13) (重播) 4.00 英国的机器人军队：探讨现代技术如何塑造现代战争 (重播) 4.30 橱柜厨房 (The Kitchen Cabinet)：Jay Rayner 主持的烹饪类小组讨论节目 (5/6) (重播) 5.00 PM 6.00 六点新闻 6.30 Just a Minute：小组成员包括 Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Catherine Bohart 和 Paterson Joseph (3/6) 7.00 The Archers：Neil 发现自己疲惫不堪 7.15 前排 (Front Row) 8.00 简报室 (The Briefing Room)：关于合法移民、海外劳工和居留许可的政府政策 (5) (重播) 8.30 BBC 内部科学：外星生命的真正局限性 (重播) 9.00 跨越红线 (Across the Red Line)：出生率下降 (2/3) (重播) 9.30 我们是如何走到这里的？：没有世界秩序 (2/6) (重播) 10.00 今夜世界 (The World Tonight) 10.45 睡前书：Oliver Goldsmith 著《韦克菲尔德的牧师》 (1/10) 11.00 亲密关系 (Intimacy)：Liza 与演员们建立了信任，但与 Gary 的紧张关系加深 (2/4) 11.30 好莱坞与
广告界五人组 5 位英国导演对电影史的影响 (1 / 4) (r) 12.00 新闻与天气 5.00 In Tune 播放由 Alexandra Dariescu 创作的音乐 7.00 2026年BBC Proms现场直播 Tom Service 在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅主持，由 Thomas Søndergård 指挥皇家苏格兰国家管弦乐团，钢琴家 Kirill Gerstein 参演。曲目包括：Knussen (Flourish with Fireworks)；Rachmaninov (帕格尼尼主题狂想曲)；以及 Shostakovich (g小调第 11 号交响曲，《1905 年》) 10.00 夜间轨迹 (Night Tracks) 11.30 ’Round Midnight 12.30am 彻夜 (Through the Night) (r) Radio 4 FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am 新闻摘要 5.04 最后的词 (Last Word) (r) 5.34 航运预报 5.43 今日祈祷 5.45 今日农业 6.00 Today 9.00 Across the Red Line Anne McElvoy 主持一场关于出生率下降的讨论 (2 / 3) 9.30 我们如何走到今天？：没有世界秩序 Tristan Redman 探讨中国如何重塑其与国际体系的关系
(2 / 6) 10.00 女性之声 (Woman’s Hour) Kylie Pentelow 主持 11.00 犯罪背后 一个因贩毒在厄瓜多尔监狱服刑多年的男人的故事 (1 / 3) 11.45 Tony Hawks 不打算放弃任何东西 这位喜剧演员探讨了围绕继承权的议题 (1 / 5) (r) 12.04pm 你与你的 (You and Yours) 1.00 一点钟的世界 (The World at One) 1.45 基本必需品 Dan Richards 采访那些在动荡时代通过学习生活技能以求生存的人 (1 / 5) 12.30am Tony Hawks 不打算放弃任何东西 (1 / 5) (r) 12.48 航运预报 1.00 联接 BBC 全球服务 Radio 4 Extra 仅限数字频道 8.00am 菲尔医生的床边礼仪 8.30 追随帕帕诺 8.45 小岛 9.00 仅仅一分钟 9.30 酒馆背后 9.45 每日礼拜 10.00 屏幕截图 10.45 见证历史 11.00 拉夫尔斯 11.30 谁杀了奥尔德里奇·坎普？ 12.00 控制组六 12.30pm 爸爸的军队 1.00 菲尔医生的床边礼仪 1.30 追随帕帕诺 1.45 小岛 2.00 词痴 (Wordaholics)
2.30 完全是另一个故事 3.00 当玛妮在那儿 4.00 屏幕截图 4.45 见证历史 5.00 拉夫尔斯 5.30 谁杀了奥尔德里奇·坎普？ 6.00 控制组六 6.30 爸爸的军队 7.00 菲尔医生的床边礼仪 7.30 追随帕帕诺 7.45 小岛 8.00 词痴 8.30 完全是另一个故事 9.00 当玛妮在那儿 10.00 喜剧俱乐部：仅仅一分钟 10.30 逆耳倾听 10.55 喜剧俱乐部采访 11.00 现状-ish (Current-ish) 11.30 内部圈子 Radio 5 Live MW: 693, 909 5.00am 金钱觉醒 6.00 早餐 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Marianna Spring 2.00pm Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live 驾驶 7.00 周一之夜俱乐部 9.00 现场板球 10.00 Sarah Mulkerrins 1.00am Dotun Adebayo talkSPORT MW: 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am 早期体育早餐 6.00 与 Jeff Stelling 共进早餐 Times Radio 数字频道、网页、智能扬声器、应用程序 Vernon Kay Radio 2, 9.30am 随着健康的改善，前述的 Phil Collins 继续重新回归公众生活。他加入了 Vernon Kay 的《我年岁之轨迹》(Tracks of My Years) 特别节目，挑选了 10 首作为他人生背景音乐的歌曲，包括 Who 乐队、Stevie Wonder、Travelling Wilburys 和 Taylor Swift 的曲目。Collins 还讨论了他 1970 年加入 Genesis 乐队之前的青少年鼓手生涯以及他的独唱生涯，并揭秘了他如何创作热门单曲《今夜在空中》(In the Air Tonight)。与此同时，《摇滚忏悔录》(Rock and Roll Confessions) 是前 Clash 鼓手 Terry Chimes 的一个新播客，嘉宾包括 Gaye Advert 和 Marco Pirroni。Clair Woodward 广播选择 V an der Valk 在三年后回到了 ITV1，而这段间隔并没有让 Piet 的愁眉苦脸有所改善。如果你觉得他在面对阿姆斯特丹的恶徒时看起来很沮丧，那么与他看向前女友时那厌恶的眼神相比，这根本不算什么。两人之间的憎恨如此强烈，我觉得他们当时
(Verification Anchors: 1, 4, 12.00, 5.00, 7.00, 2026, 11, 1905, 10.00, 11.30, 12., 92.4, 94.6, 5., 5.04, 5.34, 5.43, 5.45, 6.00, 9.00, 2, 3, 9.30, 6, 11.00, 11.45, 5, 1.00, 1.45, 12.48, 8., 8.30, 8.45, 9.45, 10.45, 1.30, 2.00, 2.30, 3.00, 4.00, 4.45, 5.30, 6.30, 7.30, 7.45, 8.00, 10.30, 10.55, 693, 909 5., 2., 4.00 5, 1., 1053, 1089, 2, 9., 1970)
就在办公室的地毯上大干一场。不过，我并不责怪他的敌意。他心爱的救援犬曼迪（Mandy）一直不喜欢凯莉（Kalie，金·里德尔饰），而狗通常非常擅长判断人的品格。事实证明，凯莉同样是一名警察，在曼迪死于疾病时就在身边，而皮特感到难过是因为曼迪见到的最后一个人是她不信任的人。他把这一切告诉了现在的女友莱娜（Lena），不过如果我是莱娜，我也会有严重的信任问题，并且会密切关注这种潜伏着的、性爱与恨交织的紧张关系。马克·沃伦（Marc Warren）看起来依然像是马尔科姆·麦克道尔和斯汀的结合体，他继续是《凡德法尔克》（Van der Valk）中最出彩的部分，尽管这称赞力度有限，因为这部剧充斥着蹩脚的对话和僵硬的演技。但我不包括病理学家亨德里克（Hendrik，达雷尔·迪西尔瓦饰）在内。他是一个极佳的角色，一个酗酒、古怪且讽刺能力极强的人，但似乎还患有一种令人担忧的疾病。电视连续剧有一个陈词滥调，那就是一个角色只要咳嗽两次，通常就意味着快死了。亨德里克咳嗽得很频繁。他甚至秘密地将自己的血液装在标记为“未知男性”的药瓶中送往实验室。我真心希望没什么大碍，因为《凡德法尔克》非常需要他。剧情相当乏味且平庸，充斥着许多讨人厌的角色、安全屋、洗钱、受保护的证人、爆炸的汽车，以及开篇的一场谋杀，而这场谋杀采用了电视剧中最为陈腐的套路。当那个本应出庭指证强大犯罪头目比比·法兰肯（Bibi Franken，安娜斯塔西娅·希尔饰）的证人在浴室被杀手勒死时，我们看到水在排水孔周围打转，并在受害者死亡的瞬间刚好流干。太尴尬了！但沃伦确实适合这个角色，尽管他对除了老板的狗以外的所有人都没好气，且脸上带着一种仿佛永久性、痛苦性便秘的表情。他天生一副暴躁脸，但像所有电视侦探一样，即使快被汽车炸弹炸死，他也拒绝去医院。我不知道他为什么如此古怪，因为似乎总有女人对他倾心。最精彩的对话发生在由于他怀疑凯莉可能故意泄露安全屋信息并站在反派一边，两人在玻璃办公室里大吵一架的时候。他已经让部门查阅了她的档案。“如果你想约会，直接问我就好，”她说。当皮特表示这绝对是他最不想要的事情时，她说：“跟我记得的不一样，小脸（Baby-face）。”额。 “我见过你的脾气，更不用说你完全缺乏同理心了，”皮特告诉她。简直是半斤八两。总之，很明显他们之间还有未了之情，我同意亨德里克的看法：“找个房间去（开房吧）。”认真的。比起他的房船，酒店房间会少抑郁得多。
面相阴沉的侦探剧依然陈词滥调得令人发指。 ITV 卡罗尔·米奇利 (Carol Midgley) 电视评论 《凡德法尔克》ITV1 {{{(( 马克·沃伦（及其暴躁脸）饰演皮特·凡德法尔克
《泰晤士报》 / Monday August 3 2026 电视
Kwedar 执导的这部强有力的戏剧讲述了一个在纽约高度戒备监狱中的剧团，该监狱曾一度禁止囚犯们开口说话。多明戈饰演约翰·“神圣G”·惠特菲尔德，他是剧团的创始成员，在入狱前是一位已出版作品的作家，因一项并非由其犯下的罪行而被囚禁。电影在演员中加入了许多真实的囚犯，以增强真实感。如果你发现难以分辨谁是暴力罪犯，谁是演员，那么这部电影就发挥了它的魔力。(106min) 凯文·马赫
关于太空海盗、实验室培育肉和美国医疗噩梦的持续讽刺，以及伟大的 Lord Nibbler 的盛大回归，此外还有一集专门讨论，呃，关于《飞出个未来》被取消的话题。安德鲁·梅尔
当日推荐 Sing Sing (15, 2024) BBC2, 11.05pm
科尔曼·多明戈凭借在 Greg 中的表演获得奥斯卡提名。
流媒体选择 Futurama Disney+ 得益于像《数字之地差距》(The Numberland Gap，其中团队进入了一个完全由数字组成的平行宇宙) 这样视觉效果俏皮的剧集，马特·格鲁宁这部超现实太空情景喜剧的 series 13 是该剧 2023 年重启以来最强的一季。Series 14, 今天首播，有望维持这一高水准。
Sally Magnusson Remembers: Mastermind BBC4, 9pm 广播员兼作家萨莉·马格努森被要求不要回忆她自己主持《赞美之歌》(Songs of Praise) 的漫长电视生涯，而是回忆她的父亲，Magnus。从 1972 到 1997 年，他是 BBC 的《大师级挑战赛》出题人，创造了那句名言：“I’ve started, so I’ll finish.” 他的女儿确认道，在去学校的路上被他对着大喊这句话并没有那么有趣。
HS 推出了她作为主持人的副业，主持 Penelope Keith 的《隐藏村庄》(Hidden Villages) (2014-16)。她负责旁白和衔接，但并未访问该系列中九处经常出现的庄园，这些庄园都面临着支付维护费用单的共同需求。首先介绍的是科茨沃尔德、达勒姆郡和鲁格比附近的豪宅，其业主们分别希望通过开设咖啡馆和桑拿房、利用家庭成员承担所有工作，以及利用与火药阴谋 (Gunpowder Plot) 的联系来解决资金问题。JD
BBC1 N Ireland 10.45pm Bikes! Armoy Road Races 11.25 FILM: The Mist (2007) 1.20am-6.00 BBC News
BBC1 Scotland 10.45pm Sportscene: Premiership Highlights 11.15 FILM: The Mist (2007) 1.10am Scotcast (r) 1.40 Weather for the Week Ahead 1.45am-6.00 BBC News
BBC1 Wales 8.30pm-9.00 Best of Weatherman Walking. Three well-known castles
BBC2 N Ireland 10.00pm-10.30pm Kayak ó Thuaidh. Tackling the Inishowen peninsula (r)
STV 12.45am-3.00 Shop on TV 4.05am-6.00 Night Vision
BBC Scotland 2.00pm Sign Zone: This Farming Life (r) 3.00 Sign Zone: Beechgrove Garden (r) 3.30-4.30 Sign Zone: Paramedics on Scene (r) 7.00 Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 The Great Food Guys (r) 8.00 The Mountain (r) 9.00 Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm- 12.00 Gary: Tank Commander (r)
S4C 6.00am Cyw 9.30 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 12.00 News 12.05pm Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 2.00 News 2.05 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 6.00 Am Dro! (r) 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News; Weather 8.00 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 10.05 Y Babell Lên 2026 10.35 Ralïo+ 11.05pm- 12.10am Y Sioe 2026 (r)
BBC4 BBC3 U&Drama More4 ITV3 PBS America Variations
7.00pm Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth. Life in the warm waters of the tropical Atlantic (AD) 8.00 The Art of Spain. Exploring the history of Spanish art (AD) 9.00 Sally Magnusson Remembers — Mastermind. 这位广播员分享了她父亲担任主持人的记忆
《智者》(Mastermind)。参见当日推荐 9.15 《智者》(Mastermind) 1972年决赛，由马格努斯·马格努森 (Magnus Magnusson) 主持 9.45 《我的大话》(Call My Bluff) 10.15 《成为弗里达·卡罗》(Becoming Frida Kahlo)：危险的政治和动荡的爱情震撼了这位画家的世界，该系列最后一集 (AD) 11.15 《透纳：描绘英国之人的画家》(Turner: The Man Who Painted Britain)：记录这位画家的生活 12.15am 《大西洋：地球上最狂野的海洋》(Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth) (AD) 1.15 《成为弗里达·卡罗》(Becoming Frida Kahlo) (AD) 2.15am-3.15 《西班牙艺术》(The Art of Spain) (AD, SL) 6.00am 电视购物 7.20 《警局》(The Bill) 8.15 《医生》(Doctors) 9.25 《经典霍尔比市》(Classic Holby City) 10.45 《急诊》(Casualty) (AD) 11.45 《警局》(The Bill) 12.50pm 《经典东区》(Classic EastEnders) 2.00 《邻居》(Neighbours) 3.00 《天上的派》(Pie in the Sky) 4.05 《洛夫乔伊》(Lovejoy) 5.20 《岁月如梭》(As Time Goes By) 6.00 《夏日之酒》(Last of the Summer Wine) 6.40 《夏日之酒》(Last of the Summer Wine) 7.20 《夏日之酒》(Last of the Summer Wine)：Compo 试图给一位女士留下深刻印象 8.00 《布罗肯伍德谜案》(The Brokenwood Mysteries)：Kristin 的前男友在跳伞时死亡 (1/4) (AD) 10.00 《新线索》(New Tricks)：小队重新调查一名女演员失踪案 (4/8) (AD) 11.20 《路特》(Luther)：由伊卓里斯·艾尔巴 (Idris Elba) 主演的犯罪惊悚剧 (1/6) (AD) 12.40am 《洛夫乔伊》(Lovejoy)：一件日本古董 1.50 《博尼法斯修女谜案》(Sister Boniface Mysteries) (AD) 2.50 《波托菲诺酒店》(Hotel Portofino) (SL) 4.00am-6.00 电视购物 7.00pm 《赶进度》(The Catch Up) 7.05 《致命60》(Deadly 60)：在英属哥伦比亚 7.30 《致命60》(Deadly 60)：访问哥斯达黎加 8.00 《英国大缝纫赛》(The Great British Sewing Bee)：参赛者回收 T 恤并制作具有环保信息的服装，由索菲·威兰 (Sophie Willan) 主持 (AD) 9.00 《顶级装备》(Top Gear) 巴塔哥尼亚特别篇：两部分之第一部分，前往世界上最南端城市的艰苦旅程 10.05 《顶级装备》(Top Gear) 巴塔哥尼亚特别篇：前往世界上最南端城市旅程的终结 11.10 《足球偶像》(Icons of Football)：跟随守门员克雷格·戈登 (Craig Gordon) 尝试通过世界杯 12.10am 《汤米：好、坏、愤怒》(Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury.)：五集纪录片，跟随拳击手汤米·弗瑞 (Tommy Fury) 重返赛场 (AD) 2.40 《一个更好的地方》(A Better Place) 2.55am-3.55 BBC 新喜剧奖 2024 6.10am 《废弃工程》(Abandoned Engineering) (AD) 8.00 《老车与现金》(Bangers & Cash) (AD) 10.00 《秘密纳粹基地》(Secret Nazi Bases) 11.00 《奥斯威辛：纳粹与最终方案》(Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution) 12.00 《古董路演》(Antiques Roadshow) 2.00pm 《老车与现金：修复经典》(Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics) (AD) 4.00 《秘密纳粹基地》(Secret Nazi Bases) 5.00 《奥斯威辛：纳粹与最终方案》(Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution) 6.00 《古董路演》(Antiques Roadshow) 7.00 《绿色星球》(The Green Planet) (AD) 8.00 《运河船日记》(Canal Boat Diaries) (1/5) 8.30 《运河船日记》(Canal Boat Diaries) (2/5) 9.00 《波蒂略的帝国之旅》(Portillo’s Empire Journey)：南非的种族动荡 (3/4) 10.00 《老车与现金：修复经典》(Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics)：一辆哈雷戴维森 (AD) 11.00 《老车与现金：修复经典》(Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics)：一辆 1991 年的日产 Figaro (AD) 12.00 《老车与现金》(Bangers & Cash) (AD) 1.00am 《寻找、修复、出售》(Find It, Fix It, Flog It) (AD) 2.00 《废弃工程》(Abandoned Engineering) (AD) 3.00am-6.10 电视购物 6.00am 《后院建造》(Backyard Builds) (SL) 6.30 《穿出风采》(Dress to Impress) (AD, SL) 7.30 《盐湖城真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) 8.20 《橙县真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Orange County) 9.20 《埃塞克斯唯一方式》(The Only Way Is Essex) 10.15 《道森之丘》(Dawson’s Creek) 11.15 《魔女》(Charmed) 12.10pm 《交易或不交易》(Deal or No Deal) (AD) 1.10 《超市大抢购》(Supermarket Sweep) 2.10 《地面赛 USA》(The Floor USA) (AD) 3.10 《埃塞克斯唯一方式》(The Only Way Is Essex) 4.10 《盐湖城真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City)：紧张局势依然存在 5.00 《橙县真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Orange County) 6.00 《名人猜词》(Celebrity Catchphrase) (AD) 7.00 《地面赛 USA》(The Floor USA) (AD) 8.00 《1% 俱乐部》(The 1% Club) (AD) 9.00 《埃塞克斯唯一方式》(The Only Way Is Essex) 10.00 《盖亚一家》(Family Guy) (AD) 11.35 《美国爸爸！》(American Dad!) (AD) 12.35am 《鲍勃的汉堡》(Bob’s Burgers) (AD) 1.30 《平民》(Plebs) (AD, SL) 1.55am-2.25 《深伪邻居战争》(Deep Fake Neighbour Wars) (SL) 8.00am 《丰饶的美国》(America the Bountiful) 8.50 《征服者：兴衰》(Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall) 9.50 《海盗：传奇背后》(Pirates: Behind the Legends) 10.50 《反苏联战士》(The Anti-Soviet Fighters) 12.00 《希特勒的金库》(Hitler’s Gold) 1.00pm 《丰饶的美国》(America the Bountiful) 1.35 《征服者：兴衰》(Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall) 2.35 《希特勒的金库》(Hitler’s Gold) 3.40 《海盗：传奇背后》(Pirates: Behind the Legends) 4.40 《反苏联战士》(The Anti-Soviet Fighters) 5.50 《希特勒的金库》(Hitler’s Gold)：一个秘密金融网络 6.55 《征服者：兴衰》(Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall)：哥伦布的回归航行 7.55 《海盗》
传奇背后。关于威廉·基德的故事，一名成为了海盗的海盗猎手 8.55 反苏战士。立陶宛、拉脱维亚和爱沙尼亚对苏联的抵抗 10.00 希特勒的金库。希特勒所需的资金支持 11.00 海盗：传奇背后 12.00 反苏战士 1.10am-2.00 丰饶之地 6.00am 乔治和米尔德里德 7.05 经典《艾默代尔》(AD) 7.40 经典《加冕街》(AD) 9.10 阿加莎·克里斯蒂的《波洛》(AD) 11.30 《心跳》(AD) 1.35pm 《姆索姆郡谋杀案》(AD) 3.35 经典《艾默代尔》(AD) 4.40 经典《加冕街》(AD) 5.50 《心跳》。怀旧剧 (AD) 8.00 《姆索姆郡谋杀案》。一名女性在丈夫去世两年后被杀在教堂墓地 (AD) 10.00 《格兰切斯特》。一名计算机实验室负责人因汞中毒而昏迷死亡 (3 / 6) (AD) 11.00 《格兰切斯特》。威尔和乔迪调查一名女性在坠落中受到的致命伤 (4 / 6) (AD) 11.50 《审判与惩罚》。两部分的第一部分。侦探们调查一名女学生的谋杀案 (3 / 10) 1.25am-2.25 威克利夫 6.00am 鱼镇 (r) 8.00 《亿万》(r) (AD) 10.15 《任务》(r) (AD) 12.30pm 《谋杀：街道生活》(r) 2.30 《亿万》(r) (AD) 4.40 《任务》。犯罪剧 (r) (AD) 6.50 《真探：夜之国》。丹弗斯和纳瓦罗确认了安妮被谋杀的地点 (r) (AD) 7.55 《真探：夜之国》。普里奥深入挖掘 Tsalal 与 Silver Sky 之间的联系 (5 / 6) (r) (AD) 9.00 《龙之家族》。由马特·史密斯主演的《权力的游戏》前传 10.15 《最后生还者》。乔尔和艾莉即将到达旅程终点。佩德罗·帕斯卡主演 (9 / 9) (r) (AD) 11.20 《沙丘：预言》。德斯蒙德向科里诺皇帝坦白，图拉勉强地招募莉拉执行一项至关重要的任务 (r) (AD) 12.30am 《任务》。犯罪剧 (r) (AD) 2.50 《亿万》(r) (AD) 5.05am-6.00 客房 (r) (AD) Sky Arts 6.00am 伦敦交响乐团：拉特尔指挥布拉姆斯与肖斯塔科维奇 8.00 绘画之乐 9.00 《意想不到的故事》(AD) 10.00 《阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克呈现》(AD) 11.00 发现 (AD) 12.00 仙境：从 JM 巴里到 JRR 托尔金 1.00pm 《意想不到的故事》(AD) 2.00 《阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克时间》(黑白) 3.00 七十年代 (AD) 4.00 发现 (AD) 5.00 年度肖像画家 2021 (AD) 6.00 《意想不到的故事》(AD) 7.00 《阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克呈现》 8.00 安德烈·里厄：快乐时光再次到来。来自马斯特里赫特 11.00 布赖恩和罗杰·伊诺在卫城现场演出 12.40am 与尼古拉·贝内蒂共度深夜 2.15 《彼得与狼》 3.45 北方歌剧院的共鸣 4.00 读书会夏季阅读特辑 5.00am-6.00 仙境：从 JM 巴里到 JRR 托尔金 ITV2 U&Yesterday 8.55am 继承猎人 10.00 四人同床 12.40pm 来和我共进晚餐 (AD) 3.20 四人同床 5.50 汽车急救。一辆被忽视的 1988 年款菲亚特 Uno Turbo (AD) 6.50 汽车急救。挑战 1993 年款丰田 Supra Mk4 (AD) 7.55 宏伟设计。一栋在德里郡农场用集装箱建造的房屋 (4 / 10) (AD) 9.00 比尔·贝利的越南行。比尔揭示了古老故事在越南文化中的重要性。本系列最后一集 (AD) 10.00 24 A&E 24小时。一名参与摩托车事故的女性被送往伦敦圣乔治医院 (1 / 8) (AD) 11.00 24 A&E 24小时。医护人员治疗参与两轮车事故的体育爱好者 (2 / 8) (AD) 12.05am 999: On the Front Line (AD) 1.05 24 A&E 24小时 (AD) 3.15am-3.45 阳光下的居所 Sky Docs 6.00am 2000年代 (r) 7.00 发现：埃德·哈里斯 (r) (AD) 8.00 导演们 (r) (AD) 9.00 100 英尺巨浪 (r) (AD) 10.00 喜剧店 (r) (AD) 11.05 UFO (r) (AD) 12.00 电影：《史蒂夫·麦奎因——遗失的电影》(12, 2021) 一部由史蒂夫·麦奎因主演的未完成电影 (AD) 1.50pm 我的偶像：
Leon Pryce (r) (AD) 2.00 The United Way (r) (AD) 3.50 My Icon: Chris Hughton (r) (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Ed Harris (r) (AD) 5.55 JFK: Destiny Betrayed (r) 7.00 David Frost Vs (5 / 6) (r) (AD) 8.00 The Cult of the Family (r) 11.20 Costa Concordia: Chronicle of a Disaster (r) 1.20am The Great Horsemeat Scandal (r) (AD) 2.00 The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door 3.40 Nick Cave’s Veiled World (r) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Ed Harris (r) (AD) 11.00am Paw Patrol: The Movie (U, 2021) 由泰勒·佩里配音的动画冒险片 12.40pm Prince Valiant (U, 1954) 罗伯特·瓦格纳主演的冒险片 2.45 Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation (U, 1962) 詹姆斯·斯图尔特和莫琳·奥哈拉主演的喜剧片 5.00 10 Things I Hate About You (12, 1999) 希斯·莱杰和朱莉娅·斯蒂尔斯主演的喜剧片 (AD) 6.50 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (12, 2003) 肖恩·康纳利和 Shane West 主演的漫画改编奇幻冒险片 (AD) 9.00 Twister (PG, 1996) 一名风暴追逐者绘制大型龙卷风的路径。由海伦·亨特和比尔·帕克斯顿主演的动作惊悚片 11.15 Beast (15, 2022) 伊德里斯·艾尔巴主演的动作惊悚片 (AD) 1.05am-3.15 Monster Hunter (12, 2020) 米拉·乔沃维奇和托尼·贾主演的奇幻冒险片 (AD) Film4 Sky Atlantic 现场测试板球赛：西印度群岛 对阵 巴基斯坦 TNT Sports 2, 2.30pm-11 该系列赛在 Queen’s Park Oval 举行的第二场且为最后一场测试赛的第二天报道 现场 The Hundred：威尔士之火女队 对阵 南方勇士女队 Sky Sports Cricket, 2.45pm-6, Sky Sports Main Event, 3pm-6 (开始时间 3.00)。来自卡迪夫 Sophia Gardens 的报道 现场 网球 Sky Sports +, Sky Sports Tennis, 4pm-12midnight 加拿大公开赛第二天报道 现场 The Hundred：威尔士之火男队 对阵 南方勇士男队 Sky Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (开始时间 6.30)。比赛报道来自卡迪夫 Sophia Gardens 现场 SPFL：凯尔特人 对阵 邓迪 Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, 6.30pm-10.15 (开球时间 7.30)。来自凯尔特人公园球场的苏超联赛报道 Talking Pictures ITV4 6.00am Magnum, PI 8.00 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 9.05 Boon 10.10 The Professionals (AD) 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.25pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.30 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.40 Boon 4.45 The Professionals (AD) 5.55 Minder. 钻石失踪案 (AD) 7.00 River Monsters. 关于玻利维亚食脸生物的报道 7.30 River Monsters. 杰里米·韦德追踪一条产甲鱼 (AD) 8.00 The Motorbike Show. 亨利与哈雷车主俱乐部共同骑行 9.00 电影：Under Siege (15, 1992) 史蒂文·西格尔和汤米·李·琼斯主演的动作冒险片 11.05 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 船员被外星人困在童话世界中 (AD) 12.05am Lost 1.00 Motorsport UK 1.55am-2.45 BattleBots 6.00am The Vise (黑白) 6.35 电影：Tomorrow at Ten (PG, 1964) (黑白) 8.15 Dial 999 (黑白) 8.45 电影：Paratrooper (PG, 1953) 10.30 Z Cars 11.30 电影：Crow Hollow (PG, 1951) (黑白) 12.50pm What’s on TPTV with Noel 1.00 Richard the Lionheart (黑白) 1.35 电影：The Green Man (PG, 1956) (黑白) 3.10 电影：Confession (PG, 1955) (黑白) 5.00 Cinebox Memories 5.05 电影：Doctor in the House (PG, 1954) 6.55 Cycling Proficiency 7.00 The Footage Detectives 8.00 Maigret. 法语版 9.50 电影：The Saint — The Fiction Makers (U, 1968) 冒险片 11.55 电影：Murders in Hossegor (15, TVM, 2017) 犯罪剧 1.55am 电影：Poldark (PG, TVM, 1996) 历史剧 4.05 Men Against the Sea 4.25 The Veil (黑白) 5.00am-6.00 Railway Murders 今日现场体育
周一 2026年8月3日 / 《泰晤士报》智力游戏
仅使用 1 到 9 的数字填充网格。每一组水平或垂直白格中的数字之和等于其左侧或上方的三角形中的总数。同一个数字在同一行或同一列中可以出现多次，但在同一组白格中不能重复。所有 1 到 6 的数字必须在每一行和每一列中出现。在每个粗线“区块”中，左上角的设定数字是通过该区块内所有单元格的数字，并使用符号指示的运算方式计算得出的。KenKen 简单 编号 6901
铺设轨道，使火车能从 A 村行驶到 B 村。数字表示每行和每列中有多少段轨道。仅有直线段和曲线段。轨道不能自我交叉。© PUZZLER MEDIA Kakuro 编号 4408 © 2010 KENKEN PUZZLE & TM NEXTOY. DIST. BY UFS, INC.
WWW.KENKEN.COM 填充空白方格，使每行和每列仅包含 1 到 5 的每个数字一次。方格之间的符号表示该数字比相邻数字大 (>) 还是小 (<)。Futoshiki 编号 5449
横向 1 像环形甜甜圈的几何图形 (5) 4 拥有著名“黄金里程”的英国海滨度假胜地 (9) 9 顶端带有绒球的针织衣物 (6,3) 10 位于苏格兰西海岸的皇家高尔夫球场，曾在 2024 年举办公开赛 (5) 11 各种南亚信仰中的神圣文本集 (6) 12 斯诺克或台球桌的垫边 (8) 14 用于运动场和草坪的人造铺面品牌 (9) 16 罗马百科全书编纂者或其写信的侄子 (5) 17 如地榆和匍匐草之类的植物 (5) 19 Jean ---，1960 年代英国时尚模特 (9) 21 The ---，由 Claudia Winkleman 主持的电视真人游戏节目 (8) / , % < $ 3
$ & ( 0 $ . ( 5 < $ ( = ( $ 0 $ 5 , 1 , ( 5 ( 5 ( / $ < ( ' & / ( + 2 & + , 0 , 1 + & , 7 < ' & + $ & $ 1 $ + $ 5 7 / ( 3 2 2 / < + / ( 7 ( 7 5 $ 0 ( 7 ( 5 , 0 $ ; ( $ ( $ 1 , * ( / $ / $ : 6 2 1 , ' & + , & 2 % ( 5 . 6 + , 5 ( ( , ( $ 7 + ( 5 ( ) / ( ; & $ 1 , 6
上周答案 22 柴可夫斯基《天鹅湖》中的悲剧公主 (6) 25 宠物兔的围栏 (5) 26 甜白波尔多葡萄酒 (9) 27 1992 年由 Tim Robbins 饰演好莱坞高管的罗伯特·奥特曼讽刺剧 (3,6) 28 鱼类或两栖类动物的卵 (5)
纵向 1 碧翠丝·波特故事中 Moppet, Mittens 和 Tom Kitten 的母亲 (7,8) 2 以前也被称为 ruddock 的花园鸟类 (5) 3 意大利港口，曾设有中世纪医学院 (7) 4 先驱丹麦理论物理学家 (1885-1962) (4) 5 作为外卡选手进入 2026 年温布尔登半决赛的英国网球运动员 (6,4) 6 由糖、醋和番茄制成的调味品 (7) 7 耳科医学专家 (9) 8 《If....》和《This Sporting Life》的著名英国导演 (7,8) 13 歌剧《鲍里斯·戈度诺夫》的俄罗斯作曲家 (10) 15 卡夫卡关于一个被官僚主义挫败的男人的小说 (3,6) 18 传统的书包 (7) 20 由 Suggs 领衔的受 Ska 影响的乐队 (7) 23 被库克命名为“友好群岛”的太平洋国家 (5) 24 强调 “r” 发音的地区性口音 (4)
© PUZZLER MEDIA 将字母水平或垂直地滑回网格中以完成填字游戏。允许字母在其他字母上方滑动。这个填字游戏风格网格中的每个字母都由 1 到 26 的数字代表。字母表中的每个字母在网格中至少出现一次。使用已提供的字母来推断其他字母的身份。在主网格和较小的参考网格中输入字母，直到字母表的所有 26 个字母都已出现。
已核算。专有名词除外。周六的答案，正确。Train Tracks No 2934 Lexica Easy No 9031 Hard No 9032 C D R M W N P T G R H I O L E A U O O I M Y G S A U K I N R Y T R A N O C L P Q A B Codeword No 5909 Winning Move General Knowledge Crossword No 349 黑方走子。此局面出自 Nosach-Arpith, chess.com 2026。双方的棋子位置都很好。尽管白方多出两个兵，但决定性的因素在于其国王的脆弱性。黑方现在如何以巧妙的方式利用这一点？A A C C C D D E E E E G H I L L M N N O O P R R R S S T T T U V 1 包含英国芦笋的盒子？(5) 2 抓住同时产的蛋 (6) 3 某种程度上好为人师的声名狼藉的教授 (6) 4 保守的开场宗教团体 (7) 5 辛普森夫人被允许返回消息 (8) 解决所有 5 个隐晦线索，每个下面的字母仅使用一次 - - -
The Times - 03.08.2026.pdfMonday August 3 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75101 da i ly n e w s pa p e r of t h e y e a r Forcing schools to prioritise academic learning has directly led to a million young people not in formal study, train- ing or work, the new education secre- tary claimed today, as she signalled plans for big changes in the curriculum. In an article for The Times, Lucy Powell said schools were stuck in a “straitjacket” of being forced to priori- tise only academic subjects such as English, science and history, which had led to millions of children being brand- ed a “failure again and again”. She said she intended to take a “fresh look at what we are teaching our children and whether we are equipping them for their lives ahead” as part of a drive to undo the education reforms of Michael Gove, now Lord Gove. The government is considering changes to the curriculum, proposed as part of a review by Professor Becky Francis. The Francis report largely left Gove’s reforms unchanged but recommended that teenagers take fewer GCSE exams because of fears they are overly stressed and are being taught to the test rather than understanding the subject. Powell is understood to want to go further in allowing pupils to concentrate on more technical subjects at an earlier age. Powell wrote: “We can no longer ignore that too many [children] get left behind or are turned off by an education system that’s become too single-minded. Nor can we ignore the modern economy, or societal demands to take a fresh look at what we are teach- ing our children and whether we are equipping them for their lives ahead. “The one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t suit all children. For some it’s become a straitjacket. A straitjacket that has left too many being branded a failure — again and again — instead of being able to realise their potential.” Powell said her changes were not an “attack on ambition”, adding that the reforms would raise standards across the board. But they are likely to prove controversial among parts of the educational establishment that credit Gove for improving school standards. England has risen up the inter- national league tables in maths per- formance among 15-year-olds from 27th place in 2009 to 11th in 2023. In science, England rose from 16th to 13th. Support- ers of Gove’s reforms say similar improvements have not been seen in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which have devolved education systems. Katharine Birbalsingh, the headmis- tress of Michaela Community School in Wembley and a prominent critic of Labour’s reforms, accused ministers of lowering expectations. “The biggest lie we tell in education is that things are ‘too academic’,” she said, arguing that pupils needed to score only approxi- mately 20 per cent to achieve a pass in GCSE maths. She added: “Thirty per cent of kids don’t manage this. How is this ‘too academic’? Labour-supporting teachers are crying out against Andy Burnham and Lucy Powell’s attack on academic standards. Labour needs to listen to them.” Baroness Spielman, the former head of Ofsted and a Conservative peer, said Labour risked creating a false choice between academic and technical edu- cation. She said that the European countries most admired for their voca- tional systems “don’t give up on the aca- demic side” as pupils continue to study subjects including science, history and foreign languages until the age of 18. “There is a simple, binary idea that once you hit 14, a bit of English and maths and technical [knowledge] is all that most people should be doing, and I Oliver Wright Policy Editor Toll of schooling ‘straitjacket’ Education secretary says ‘one-size-fits-all’ academic approach led to a million youngsters not being in training or work Electricity users could be paying up to £100 million a year in extra costs to operate Britain’s national grid because hundreds of power installations have their meters fitted backwards. The “power flow metering polarity issue”, detailed in policy documents written by the state-owned National Power sites with meters fitted backwards ‘cost us £100m a year’ Juliet Samuel Energy System Operator (Neso), means hundreds of meters are telling the grid operator they are consuming power when they are actually generat- ing it, or vice versa. Neso documents said this made it harder to operate the grid within safe limits, and could add £100 million a year to its costs. The grid control room is responsible for ensuring power supply and demand are in balance at all times, which is critical to avoid blackouts. But whistle- blowers told The Times they were “flying blind” because of poor data. The metering issue affects 416 off- shore installations across up to 45 sites, all of which are likely to relate to off- shore wind farms, according to an ex- pert. There are also backwards meters in a further 402 unidentified installations onshore. Neso has put the cost of fixing the issue at up to £44 million. Andrew Larkins, an independent energy consultant who has advised Neso, suggested that the government may be putting more emphasis on green electricity targets rather than fixing the metering issue, adding: “Consumers … appear not to be given a high priority.” A spokesman for Neso said: “This is an operational metering data-quality issue, not a system security issue.” He added the figures cited “should not be presented as actual consumer costs”. Ofgem said that it was working “to implement a more enduring solution”. A spokesman for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We are reversing decades of underinvest- ment to upgrade and build out the grid.” TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND Britons shun sun to chill out on holiday Jessica Newman British holidaymakers are swapping Santorini for Scotland and Scandinavia as sweltering summer temperatures drive a surge in so-called “coolcations”. Temperatures in parts of England rose as high as 35C last week but north of the border there were spells of rain and highs in the mid-20s, a tempting prospect for those tired of the heatwave. In the past three months, searches are up by 420 per cent for “coolcations” and 300 per cent for “escape the heat”, according to Awaze, which owns Hoseasons and cottages.com. It said that Yorkshire and the northwest were also attracting more interest. Travel Counsellors, a Manchester- based holiday firm, said that trips to northern Europe, particularly Norway, were up by about 25 per cent on last year, while the hospitality group Hyatt said bookings for Sweden had more than doubled over the past three years. Howzat for a hotspot The effect of a scorching summer is seen at Bamville cricket club in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. The NHS is under pressure and several hospitals declared critical incidents £3.20 £2.35 to subscribers (based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription) Which diets really work? The expert verdict Beckhams v the Peltzes I feel sorry for Brooklyn S1
V2 Monday August 3 2026 | the times News Voters have been denied the right to know whether any ministers declared past criminal convictions after a trans- parency tribunal upheld Whitehall at- tempts to keep vetting processes secret. The first-tier information tribunal ruled last month that a Times request for the number of ministers in Sir Keir Starmer’s government who had de- clared criminal records in their vetting procedure would not be permitted for data protection reasons. The request was prompted by the res- ignation of Louise Haigh, who was forced to step down as transport secre- tary after it emerged that she had failed to publicly disclose a fraud conviction, to establish if any other sitting minis- ters had made similar declarations dur- ing their appointment vetting. Haigh has since been reappointed by Starmer’s successor, Andy Burnham, as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The tribunal recognised that this public interest was substantial given Ministers’ criminal records to remain secret, tribunal rules George Greenwood Investigations Reporter “the request concerns standards in public life and the integrity of those holding ministerial office”, and that “ministers exercise significant public power and there is a legitimate public interest in scrutiny of systems intended to ensure their suitability for office”. However, it found that it “should not be disclosed because information sought constitutes criminal offence da- ta. Parliament has afforded such infor- mation enhanced protection”. The tribunal accepted that even dis- closing if no ministers had declared a criminal record, that this could consti- tute the unlawful disclosure of “crimi- nal offence data” about every current member of the cabinet. It accepted evidence from Simon Madden, the director of the propriety and ethics team at the Cabinet Office, that disclosure could have an effect as “the process depends in part upon can- did disclosures made in circumstances where confidentiality is expected”. The decision was not unanimous. A dissenting minority on the panel argued that the request sought infor- mation about “disclosure behaviour” within the appointments process, rather than the criminal convictions themselves, and that this candour should rightly be subject to democratic scrutiny. The member wrote: “Prospective ministers are required to exercise their own judgment as to what information ought properly to be disclosed. The pro- cess depends upon candour. There is no statutory obligation to disclose parti- cular matters and no requirement that every potentially relevant issue be re- ported. “The information sought concerns what individuals chose to disclose in re- sponse to a broad suitability inquiry. It does not concern the underlying ques- tion of whether any individual in fact has a criminal conviction.” The government refused to state the number of Burnham’s ministers that had declared criminal convictions out- side of freedom of information and de- clined to provide any comment on why it believed this was information that should not be publicly disclosed. think that’s fundamentally miscon- ceived,” she added. In her article, Powell directly blamed Gove for the number of young people not in education, training or work, say- ing they had been let down by his re- forms. “One million. That’s how many young people from the education system Michael Gove presided over are now left outside education, not in em- ployment and not in training,” she wrote. “That’s not a coincidence — it’s a consequence. It’s his legacy.” She added: “Children from poorer backgrounds with stubborn and entrenched disadvantage and those NEWS ON-AIR GRACES BBC accused of giving Munchetty special treatment CHELSEA FACTOR Xabi Alonso: Why I came to Stamford Bridge COMMENT 17 LETTERS 20 LEADING ARTICLES 21 WORLD 22 BUSINESS 27 REGISTER 39 THE WEATHER Patchy cloud and rain in the north and west. Dry elsewhere with sunny spells. T O DAY ’ S E D I T I O N SPORT TIMES2 IN YOUR HEAD Doctors dismissed my pain — then I had a brain scan SPORT 45 CROSSWORD 52 TV & RADIO TIMES2 Is there a succession drama at the home of Louis Vuitton? An investigation by Le Monde has portrayed the French luxury goods group LVMH as embroiled in a succession drama under its ageing “king” Bernard Arnault. Arnault appeared on X to post a rebuttal. What’s really going on? 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 Today’s highlights 7am 7.45am 12.30pm 1.20pm 2.05pm Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary Matthew Foldi, editor-in-chief of the Washington Reporter, on why so many young Americans think Richard Nixon was cool Kim McGuinness, right, mayor of the north east The actor Ross Kemp on the National Conversation campaign O ne million. That’s how many young people from the education system Michael Gove presided over are now left outside education, not in employment and not in training. That’s not a coincidence — it’s a consequence. It’s his legacy. Getting all those young people back on the road to success is my priority. We won’t get there by creating false straw-man arguments, but by recognising what we’ve done well, what’s gone wrong and how we need to put it right. It’s now been 30 years since Tony Blair named his three priorities: education, education, education. In that time we’ve seen huge strides in education. Standards have risen, literacy and numeracy are hugely improved and a large majority of state schools are good or outstanding. But we can no longer ignore that too many get left behind or are turned off by an education system that’s become too single-minded. Nor can we ignore the modern economy, or societal demands to take a fresh look at what we are teaching our children and whether we are equipping them for their lives ahead. Children from poorer backgrounds with stubborn and training and employment. That vision is not, and never has been, an attack on the ambition shown by schools like Patel’s. It is an attack on a system that lets so many others fall through the cracks. I’m not lowering ambition for any child. Rather, I’m extending it. Whether that’s a place at a top university or a quality apprenticeship. The idea that academic and technical education are rivals competing for status belongs in the past. It’s the same kind of tired, snobbish thinking that says the academic route is for clever children and the technical route is for the rest. Britain’s future relies on finally recognising that the next generation needs high levels of knowledge, creativity, adaptability and technical expertise, all at the same time. It also involves recognising that not all children are the same. But the talents and know-how of young people today — who are far better at understanding the technology and opportunities we are all grappling with — have never been more needed. I won’t ever compromise on rigour and high expectations. That’s not the same as being uncompromising in the face of the evidence and unbending in a fast-changing world. I fear that’s exactly what Michael Gove is doing. Lucy Powell is the education secretary entrenched disadvantage and those with special educational needs have been particularly let down. So too have those whose talents and skills lie beyond academia, in creative subjects, technical or skilled work or more practical application. The one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t suit all children. For some it’s become a straitjacket. A straitjacket that has left too many being branded a failure — again and again — instead of being able to realise their potential. Education should be a passport. A passport into work, into life, on to the next stage. As things stand, too many aren’t given one. Fixing this requires us to be bold. It requires us to keep raising the standards of everything we do across academic, technical and creative routes, alongside our hard-working teachers. At the same time, we must expand the ambition of education so that it works for every child. This means giving more children a passport to success wherever their passions lie, and, yes, creating high- quality vocational options. Sir Hamid Patel, whose schools Gove rightly praises, agrees. He co- chaired the independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes with Baroness Morris of Yardley. They called for stronger links between schools, colleges, employers and communities so that high standards are matched by high- quality pathways into further study, Gove’s legacy is a million left behind Lucy Powell Comment with special educational needs have been particularly let down. So too have those whose talents and skills lie beyond academia, in creative subjects, technical or skilled work or more prac- tical application.” Powell was backed by Dame Tamara Finkelstein, the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, who welcomed the government’s greater emphasis on technical education, saying it was “vital” to help employers develop the skilled workforce they needed. Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said stronger links between education, skills and local jobs “could be a positive step towards reducing the staggering number of young people not currently learning or earning”. Gove accused ministers of showing a “poverty of ambition” and warned that the reforms risked undoing years of progress in raising standards. He said there was “a natural tendency” for people to think there was a “limitation on the number of students who can en- joy or benefit from an academic curric- ulum to the age of 16”. He added: “That is exhibiting a poverty of ambition, because the best- performing schools ... succeed in draw- ing students from disadvantaged homes and ... yet they are able to ensure that children can succeed.” continued from page 1 Schooling ‘straitjacket’
the times | Monday August 3 2026 News With what The Times described as “his easy charm and dark good looks”, it’s no surprise John Gregson became one of Britain’s biggest film stars, with roles in Whisky Galore, Genevieve and Above Us the Waves. But what may come as a surprise to his legion of fans is the dramatic role that Gregson, who died in 1975, played as one of Winston Churchill’s “pirates” during the Second World War. A new book has uncovered Gregson’s hitherto unpublished letters and dia- ries, which show how his experience on minesweepers in the Royal Navy in- spired his career as a film star. Born into a Catholic family as the youngest of six children in 1919, Greg- son lived just off Penny Lane in Liver- pool and developed a love for amateur dramatics. When war broke out, he joined the Navy and found himself piloting the Kerryado, an armed, 250- ton minesweeping-trawler. The work was dangerous and in bolstered with volunteer recruits such as Gregson. Will Iredale, the author and historian, discovered Gregson’s wartime letters, diaries and pictures. There was also a private biography that had been written by Gregson’s son. Iredale said: “As a leading man of the silver screen for many years starring in some of the biggest films of the era, John Gregson will be a familiar face to millions of people. But as these extraor- dinary wartime letters now reveal, per- haps his most important and coura- geous role of all was serving as one of Churchill’s Pirates.” Speaking about the significance of the RNPS, Iredale added: “From an ini- tial force of just 4,000, it grew to a vast fleet over 70,000 strong, serving in over 6,000 converted fishing trawlers, drift- ers and other little ships, which saw action from the first day of the war until the last, sweeping mines, hunting U-boats and escorting ships in all thea- tres around the world. More than 3,000 men were killed and one in five ships sunk — more than any other section of the Royal Navy.” After the war, Gregson went on to act during a boom-time for British cinema. He worked for Ealing studios, making films including Scott of the Antarctic and The Titfield Thunderbolt. His greatest success came in 1953 when he appeared in Genevieve, a comedy about a car rally from London to Brighton. The film launched Greg- son as a film star. By the late 1950s he had made 23 films in ten years. Minesweeping crews were praised by Churchill in The Gathering Storm, the first volume of his book, The Second World War. The wartime leader wrote: “Their toils and tireless coverage were our salvation. The sea traffic on which we depended for our existence pro- ceeded without interruption.” Churchill’s Pirates: The Seafaring Heroes Who Helped Win WWII is pub- lished on Thursday by Penguin. A childhood sculpture of the woman at the heart of a Victorian poisoning mystery has been barred from export and bought for the National Trust to stand in her childhood home. Florence Campbell became infa- mous for the unsolved murder of her second husband, Charles Bravo, which armchair detectives including Agatha Christie have pondered since 1876. The eldest daughter of an Australian businessman, Campbell grew up in the Buscot Park, Oxfordshire. Aged 19 she married Alexander Ricardo, a cavalry officer and violent alcoholic. In 1870, while seeking respite in Mal- vern, Worcestershire, she was treated by James Gully, a doctor 37 years her ALAMY were lucky. If that one didn’t have your number on, then you’re going to get through this lot alive,’” he wrote, later. “And that’s when I decided that I would like to act when the war was over.” Gregson’s story fea- tures in Churchill’s Pi- rates: The Seafaring He- roes Who Helped Win WWII, which charts the story of a seafar- ing fleet initially sailed by former deep- sea fishermen, whose formation was over- seen by Churchill. Nicknamed “Church- ill’s Pirates” on ac- count of their rag-tag appearance, the group was officially known as the Royal Navy Patrol Service (RNPS) and was Sculpture of Victorian poisoning suspect saved for the nation Anna Dowell senior who used a “water cure” to treat Charles Dickens, Alfred, Lord Tenny- son and Florence Nightingale. As Gully would later admit in court, “she was alone a great deal” and they began an affair. In 1871, after she and her husband had formally separated, Ricardo died, leaving Campbell an inheritance. Cast out by her family, she continued her clandestine relationship with Gully. To rescue her reputation, in 1875 she married Bravo, a barrister, and they moved to Balham, south London. He was furious to learn that under the new Married Women’s Property Act he did not own Campbell’s inherited fortune. Four months later, he died suddenly, after dinner with his wife and her housekeeper, Jane Cox, from poisoning by the metal antimony. In court Cox claimed he said to her: “I have taken poison, don’t tell Florence.” At an inquest a week later, a jury re- turned an open verdict, though the coroner con- cluded he had probably committed suicide. His family de- manded a second inquest and Campbell’s affair with Gully was “dragged before the public”, The Times reported. The couple’s dis- missed coachman, who used antimony to worm horses, became a suspect, as did the meek housekeeper and Camp- bell herself, though she was never indicted. A more likely suspect, according to Christie, was Gully. Christie wrote in The Sun- day Times in 1968 that “he was the only person who had an over- whelming motive” and even suspected Gully “had a hand” in the death of Camp- bell’s first husband. A second inquest jury found that Bravo had been “wilfully murdered” but could not name his poisoner. Campbell moved to Southsea, Hampshire, where she drank herself to death aged 33. Baron Henri Joseph Francois de Tri- queti’s 1857 sculpture of Campbell aged 12 and her sister Alice aged 9 had been sold to an overseas buyer before its export was barred last year. The Faring- don Collection Trust and a descendent of Alice Campbell has now bought the sculpture and plinth for £280,000 to stand in Buscot Park. James Henderson, great-grandson of the first Baron Faringdon, said: “I feel like we’ve brought Florence and Alice home. Florence is buried in the Buscot churchyard with a plain slab and just her initials. This carving is from a happier time.” Ealing star’s swashbuckling role: a ‘pirate’ for Churchill March 1941 the Kerryado hit a German mine in the Channel. Gregson was thrown up into the air. He later wrote to his family that he was “too stunned to be afraid. And the water — torrents of water, swirling and seeth- ing all around me.” He crashed back on to the deck and glanced down to see his knee “was not hurting much but it looked a strange shape”. Stagger- ing along the listing trawler, Gregson jumped into the icy, oil- covered water. He was hauled out by the crew of another trawler, where he “just fell on the deck and lay there for a while just hugging the planks! We were all shiver- ing now, but when we got down below we were given dry clothes and rum and felt a lot better. Oh what won- derful fellows they were! ... One of their crew leapt into the water, fully dressed, to save one of our boys who was just begin- ning to weaken. We felt so grateful to them.” The experience made him realise that he wanted to turn to acting after the war. “While I was in hospital recover- ing, I thought to myself, ‘You John Gregson, left, on a minesweeper and, below, in his sailor’s uniform in 1940. After the war he starred in hits such as the 1953 comedy Genevieve, which launched Gregson, top right, as a star A new book tells how John Gregson’s wartime service in a rag-tag fleet inspired his acting, Kate Mansey writes The sculpture shows Florence Campbell and her younger sister, Alice
Monday August 3 2026 | the times News The NHS is struggling to cope with record demand caused by summer heatwaves, and some hospitals have cancelled operations because they cannot cope with high temperatures. Health officials believe that nearly 3,000 patients have died this summer as a result of complications such as heart attacks and strokes linked to the extreme weather. The NHS said that the summer was putting it “under just as much pressure as winter”. Data showed that A&E units were busier in June than in any winter month on record, and that 999 calls and GP appointments had risen by 10 per cent compared with last summer. Several hospitals declared critical in- cidents because ageing NHS buildings were “not equipped to cope”, meaning MRI scans, blood tests and surgery were delayed. Very few GP surgeries or hospital wards have air conditioning, Deadly heatwaves putting NHS under same pressure as winter which is prioritised for critical spaces such as operating theatres. An estimated 2,877 excess deaths were caused by heatwaves in May and June, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Family doctors are reporting record demand due to patients needing advice for heat-related illnesses or worsening conditions. There were 34.9 million GP appointments in June, up from 31.4 mil- lion in the same month last year. Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care at NHS England, said: “Figures show GP teams have dealt with more appointments, calls and on- line requests than any June on record, as the country dealt with back-to-back heatwaves. Extreme heat can be dan- gerous, particularly to children, older people and those with existing con- cerns like heart conditions who are more prone to becoming unwell.” In June, when a daily temperature record of 38C was set, an average of 81,264 people attended A&E every day, making it the busiest month on record. The NHS national medical director, Professor Frankie Swords, said: “Sum- mer is now putting the NHS under just as much pressure as winter, with staff facing an onslaught of demand.” In Norfolk hundreds of patients had vital scans cancelled after MRI equip- ment broke down in the heat. Tim Lane, president of the Royal Col- lege of Surgeons of England, said: “In extreme heat, operating theatres become harder to maintain safely with excessive temperatures impacting up- on essential equipment. Operations can be delayed or cancelled. “In one hospital, excessive humidity triggered a fire alarm, forcing opera- tions to be cancelled. While surgical teams can leave the operating theatre after a long procedure, patients return to sweltering wards. With the expecta- tion that summers will continue to get hotter, the solution is long overdue.” Dr Munro Stewart, vice-president of the Royal College of General Practi- tioners, said: “Many practices are not equipped to cope with extreme heat, and this is only set to get worse in the future when all indications suggest heatwaves will become more com- mon.” Stewart said investment in GP sites was essential. With more hot weather expected this month, the UKHSA said it “is likely that 2026 could see the highest number of heat-associated deaths on record”. Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, said: “My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones as a result of the long and intense heatwaves in recent months.” 6 Britain could face food shortages if drought conditions continue, the National Farmers Union has warned. Its president, Tom Bradshaw, said yields of wheat and oats were “very, very poor” and vegetable producers were running low on water. Eleanor Hayward Health Editor Rewilding projects can sometimes see a “spike” in wildfire risk during their tran- sition periods that may require human access to be banned, an environmental expert has warned. There has been debate over whether rewilding projects to restore forests or heathland around Britain may have contributed to the severity and spread of wildfires during recent heatwaves by changing the abundance and nature of Transition to rewilding ‘may increase risk of wildfires’ plants, such as grasses and shrubs, that can serve as fuel for the blazes. The RSPB refuted suggestions that its management of the land at its Mins- mere reserve, where the Suffolk wild- fires began, may have contributed to the severity of the blazes, noting the re- serve had been “carefully and exten- sively managed for the past 79 years”. An RSPB spokesman said it “takes the risk of wildfire exceptionally seri- ously across all our reserves”, including through cutting firebreaks and restor- ing wetlands. He added: “We have long established processes in place to help prevent fires and respond rapidly when they occur but it’s important to remember this summer’s wildfires have been unprecedented in their scale.” Thomas Smith, an associate profes- sor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics, said the key with rewilding schemes lies in how carefully the transition is managed. He noted: “If you’ve got a very shrubby landscape [and] long grasses, you’ve got an abundance of fuel that is dry for a long period of the year, both in the spring but also in the summer, if we’ve got heatwaves.” Smith added that “the probability of ignition goes down if you remove people from the landscape”. However, David Symons, from the WSP engineering firm’s Future Ready programme, said: “You could make a perfectly plausible case that rewilding actually reduces fire risk.” Kaya Burgess Science Correspondent Royal Cadillac for sale A bespoke Cadillac convertible that was built to transport Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their 1951 tour of Canada will go on sale. The black automatic vehicle is being offered with no reserve price and is expected to fetch over £100,000, said Barrett-Jackson of Las Vegas, which will offer the classic car at auction from September 10 to 12. Seaweed needs a name A newly identified seaweed species with pink “zebra” stripes needs a common name, with public suggestions sought by the botanist who first found a fragment off the Cornish coast 40 years ago. Known as ceramium ruenessianum, it was discovered by Professor Christine Maggs, whose findings will be published in the journal Phycologia. Edwards shares poem The disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has reflected on shame as an “accursed son” in what he says is his first poem. The work, originally in Welsh, is a tribute to his late father written for the National Eisteddfod. Edwards, 64, shared it on the blogging platform Substack, saying: “I hope readers find it illuminating.” A A D D D D E E E E F G H H I I I I L L L M M M N N O O S U V Y Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only 1 Implicit, assumed (5) 2 Central part (6) 3 Taxonomic group above genus (6) 4 Scoreless over in cricket (6) 5 Set of people living together (9) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Quintagram® No 2636 Solutions see T2 MindGames p14 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p15 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, app, website and smart speaker ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES The royal tour in Winnipeg in 1951 T wo aerial firefighters died after a pair of helicopters collided while battling a huge blaze northwest of Athens that has destroyed more than 100 homes. The crash happened near Psatha, 40 miles from the Greek capital, the country’s fire and rescue service said. A Greek and a Dane were killed on one aircraft while a Briton and a Greek on the other helicopter survived after it landed safely, the authorities said. Video posted online appears to show two helicopters crossing paths at low altitude. The main rotor of the lower helicopter strikes the underside of the higher aircraft and it crashes in flames. The second helicopter then dumps its load of water and flies away. Greek officials confirmed the deaths after a search of the area. The aircaft were fighting blazes close to the coastal resort of Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth. The fire spread south and reached the settlement of Veniza and a military firing range, igniting unexploded ordnance. Firefighters focused on preventing the fire from advancing towards the coastal town of Megara, which has a population of about 30,000. More than 500 firefighters were trying to contain the blaze. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister, said: “There are moments when the force of nature and the intensity of weather conditions exceed all human planning and every operational capability.” Emergency alerts and evacuation orders were issued for settlements in the west of the region of Attica. Evacuations were also taking place on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, where more than 750,000 tourists visit each year. A fire there broke out in the Pastra area, on the south of the island. British firefighter survives Greek crash Fires northwest of Athens, where two helicopters collided, top, have exceeded “all human planning”, the Greek prime minister said Athens Psatha G R E E C E 10 miles Approximate location of helicopter crash Active wildfire
the times | Monday August 3 2026 News Greek police investigating the death of a British woman in Athens have arrested a 26-year-old Afghan said to have worked as a cleaner in the building where she was staying. The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was found in a suitcase inside a derelict building on July 18. Athens police said the man had been arrested for manslaughter and robbery, and detectives believe he used the victim’s bank cards to withdraw thou- sands of euros. He is thought to have put Ross’s body in the case and dumped it in the aban- doned building in Kypseli, a neighbour- hood in Athens that is often frequented by homeless people, the force added. “The 26-year-old [allegedly] used the victim’s bank cards in the following days to withdraw money,” a spokesper- son said. “During searches carried out at his home, a replica pistol and a knife were found and confiscated.” Police sources said the man claimed to have found Ross already dead, and he admitted he took her bank card and dumped the body to cover his tracks. But locals living in the apartment block where Ross was staying said offi- cers who questioned them on Thursday asked if they had heard screams coming from her flat, located a ten-minute walk from where her body was found. George Kalliakmanis, of the Attica Police Officers’ Union, said detectives were working on the theory that Ross was killed in the apartment. “[The suspect] and his wife worked as the cleaners of the building where Elisa- beth lived,” he told The Times. “He allegedly killed her, took her bank card and put her body in a suitcase or a box. He then transported it to the abandoned building using a trolley. Once there, he realised the suitcase he had used would likely contain his fingerprints, so he transferred the body into a second suitcase, trying to be more careful to avoid leaving prints. How- ever, fingerprints were still found. “After that, he left for Arachova [a mountain village in central Greece]. He also used her phone to send messages to her friends and acquaintances.” Ross’s phone was used to send messa- ges until her identity was made public on July 29. Her father, a lawyer from Edinburgh, told police he had been re- ceiving messages from her phone until the day she was formally identified. Detectives believe the killer was using the device to cover their tracks. One text, sent on July 15 to a Greek friend, read: “I need some time — I’m going to a Greek island.” Other messa- ges sent to family members claimed that she “needed some time to herself” and that she “wanted to be alone for a while”. A further post declaring her in- tention to travel to Turkey was made on her Facebook page on July 24, six days after her body was discovered, the Mail reported. Investigators said the phone, which has not been found, was active in Athens until just before Ross was pub- licly identified last Wednesday. The Scot had been travelling regular- ly to Greece, volunteering with NGOs and working with abused women and refugee centres. Among the groups she volunteered with was the One Heart Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, and the apartment block where she was staying in Athens. The Scot volunteered with organisations that helped refugees organisation in Athens, which provides medical support to refugees, particu- larly those from Iran and Afghanistan. Locals in the Kypseli area of the city, where her body was discovered, report- ed seeing a woman matching her de- scription speaking to homeless people before her disappearance. Ross stayed with Greek friends in the Keratsini district of Athens but told them she was visiting some American friends in Kypseli on July 15. However, a police source said no such friends had come forward. The Greek couple in Keratsini are not suspects and have provided useful information to police during questioning, sources confirmed. Family members have paid tribute to Ross, who flew into Athens in late June. Her aunt, Anne Bangham, said: “It is horrific. She was such a beautiful, lov- ing and kind young lady. She had not long arrived there to work.” Afghan cleaner arrested over Briton found dead in suitcase George Odling Athens, Iro Pappa Music festival cancelled after 23 hurt in stampede Debbie White More than 20 people were injured dur- ing a stampede at a music festival in London, forcing organisers to suddenly cancel the weekend event after a “major incident” was declared. Some of those injured in the crush at Ghana Party in the Park were given CPR and three were taken to hospital. The crowd surged after a blaze broke out at the Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet, north London, shortly after 6pm on Saturday, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said. “A small fire near the entrance re- quired the gates to be closed temporari- ly. A crowd built up and surged when the gates reopened,” he added. He said officers and organisers “re- sponded quickly and formed a barrier” between the surging crowds and the in- jured trapped on the ground. Police “gave initial medical care, in- cluding CPR, to those who had sus- tained injuries. They were joined by paramedics and firefighters as part of a co-ordinated response,” he said. “A total of 23 people received some form of assistance from the emergency services or the event medical team, with nine assessed by the London Am- bulance Service. Three were taken to hospital where their condition was con- firmed as non-life threatening.” Dozens of emergency vehicles, in- cluding air ambulances, attended. One festivalgoer, Kieran Turnbull, 18, told The Sun: “We saw this stampede coming through the main entrance, where they do the bag searches every- one was pushing through. People were being carried out on stretchers. It be- came very, very chaotic.” He said the event was “very poorly organised”. Barnet police posted on X that the event was “cancelled after an over- crowding issue at the entrance saw several people sustain non-life threat- ening injuries. Speculation about a stabbing is inaccurate.” In a public notice on social media, festival organisers attributed the “ab- rupt closure” due to an “unfortunate in- cident”. The decision to close the festival “was made solely on the grounds of health and safety,” they said, adding: “We wish all those who sustained injuries a speedy recovery, and safe journey back home to everyone.” The festival is the biggest Ghanaian event outside of Ghana, attracting more than 8,000 visitors from the UK, Europe, United States, Canada and Ghana. The Times contacted the orga- nisers for further comment. A Cambridge academic at the centre of a plagiarism row is facing further scruti- ny over claims that police investigated a pig’s head he said was sent to his parents. Jason Arday was fêted as the young- est ever black professor at the univers- ity, but has become embroiled in a plagiarism scandal after he was alleged to have used the work of other academ- ics in his dissertation. In an interview with The Times last week, he acknowledged errors in his work but denied he was “a liar”. He has now faced further scrutiny over claims he has made about his per- Seven Up at the time, and Seven Up is basically when they follow you over the duration of your life. So they follow you at kind of 7, 14, 21, and I was pulled out the project when I was 14.” Arday is understood to maintain that he was talking about an informal net- work of black mothers, which shared a name with the series produced by Plagiarism row professor faces scrutiny over pig’s head claim Crystal Jones sonal life, including the level of abuse he is alleged to have suffered. In an interview with The Guardian, published on Saturday, he claimed a severed pig’s head was delivered to his parents’ home in south London. He told the newspaper that police spoke to a local butcher as part of an investigation into the alleged incident. He said officers found that the butcher had sold a “whole hog” on the morning in question. However, the Metropolitan Police told The Times they could find “no record of any allegation involving a pig’s head and no record of any of the subsequent claims about officers visit- ing butchers”. A spokesperson said: “As Granada Television and broadcast by ITV and the BBC from 1964. A source close to Arday said: “This was a local community and parent-led initiative developed around the Ubun- tu principle that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ ... The reference to ‘Seven Up’ was used informally as a shorthand illustration of the concept.” The Good Law Project set up a peti- tion in Arday’s favour. It has been signed, among others, by Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader; Sonita Alleyne, the master of Jesus College, Cambridge; and Lord Woolley of Woodford, the princi- pal of Homerton College, Cambridge. Arday was approached for comment. The Met said they could find no record of Jason Arday’s allegation far as we can see our only involvement was receiving an allegation of online harassment involving a suspect in Cambridge. We passed the allegation to Cambridgeshire police.” Arday is understood to maintain his version of events and friends said he had recordings that would show he did speak to police about the pig’s head. He has also faced questions over comments made in a televised seminar, in which he recalled taking part in what he described as “Seven Up”. In an inter- view with the University of Bath race equality task force, Arday said: “I was part of a programme actually. It doesn’t really exist any more but it was called
S1 Monday August 3 2026 | the times News Andy Burnham visited a coastguard centre in Dover yesterday, where he was shown a surveillance drone that could be used to track small boat crossings. French police, left, have said that they lack the power to intervene as migrants cross the Channel News Politics Burnham vows to be ‘relentless’ Oliver Wright Policy Editor in the English Channel since World War Two” to stop small boat arrivals from France. The party said it would send the Royal Navy into the Channel to inter- cept all migrant boats there and return them to France or Belgium under a plan called Operation Fortress. The plan was in line with inter- national law and would both halt small boat arrivals and act as a humanitarian response, Reform added. It said the sit- uation in rorth Africa showed the “ur- gency” of its plan. Zia Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said that Britain was “being invaded”. “Tory and Labour governments re- sponded with a free ferry service and free hotels,” he said. “Nigel Farage will order His Majesty’s Royal Navy to en- sure that not a single unauthorised ves- sel crossing the English Channel makes it to the shores of the United Kingdom. “Those who attempt it will be inter- cepted by our armed forces and re- turned to France.” Wednesday marked the busiest day for small boat crossings across the Channel so far this year, as 752 migrants arrived in the UK. The provisional total for the year so far is 14,526, 43 per cent lower than the number recorded by this time last year. Shabana Mahmood, the home secre- tary, said: “I think the most important thing that people need to hear from their home secretary is that I’m doing whatever it takes to secure our border. And that is what I’ve been absolutely la- ser-light focused on from the moment I became the home secretary, taking all of the measures that I know are needed in order to secure our border.” Mahmood said the government’s work to tackle small boat crossings was beginning to “bear fruit” although she acknowledged further reforms were still needed. “It’s why I’m pursuing immigration reform to address the pull factors that draw people into boats in the Channel,” she said. “I want to change the calculus. I want them to change their mind about whether they get on the boat in the first place.” Although removals of illegal immi- grants are up 41 per cent since Labour took power in 2024, totaling more than 70,000 deportations, Mahmood said the government “will go further” on this issue. “I share the public’s concern every time they see images of people crossing the Channel,” she added. Migrants who entered Ceuta wait for The public are divided by age on how to pay the £18 billion cost of reforming social care in Britain. YouGov polling for The Times has found that a majority of pensioners support an increase in income tax paid predominantly by people in work to fund the new scheme. However, this is reversed when young people, aged between 18 and 24, were asked the same question. Instead they favoured a so-called death tax that would levy a charge on the estates of people when they die. The findings highlight the difficulties likely to be faced by Andy Burnham as he tries to tackle an issue that successive prime ministers have failed to. Revealing his plans last week he ad- mitted there would be “difficult deci- sions” on funding but insisted he was determined to “get it right”. He said a decision “would be put before the coun- 38 per cent and opposed by 47 per cent. But these figures hid some significant variations according to age. Some 61 per cent of pensioners backed funding the change through in- come tax, compared with just 40 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds. Likewise, 39 Andy Burnham said he would be “relentless” in reducing the number of small boat crossings, as figures showed that more than 2,000 people had arrived in the UK across the Channel since he became prime minister. Home Office statistics showed 326 migrants arrived on Saturday in four boats, bringing the total to 2,057 since he took over from Sir Keir Starmer on July 20. There were 1,962 crossings in the same period last year, but the total for the year so far is still significantly down on this time in 2025. Yesterday, Burnham visited Dover’s joint command room, the hub for mon- itoring small boat crossings, where offi- cers from the National Crime Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Border Security Command work to track movements across the strait using surveillance drones. The government said that since the start of 2025, the number of National Crime Agency officers working to pre- vent organised immigration crime had more than doubled from 376 to almost 800. Burnham insisted he was not “com- placent” about the scale of the problem, pointing to “progress” that had been made under his predecessor. “It’s why I am here,” he said on a visit to Dover. “It’s why I’ve come down on Sunday to see the team to listen to what they think needs to be done, what further can be done. So we’re just going to be relent- less. People want to see this issue ad- dressed. “I heard that on the doorsteps in Makerfield, but we also need to build a system that offers safe routes for people as well, because that also takes away the selling point of the gangs. So on every level we’ve got to cover this … crucially increasing the enforcement activity.” Concerns about illegal migration have been highlighted by the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants who swam into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on Thursday, prompting fears that some intend to ultimately arrive in the UK. Burnham said that 98 per cent of the people who arrived in Ceuta had now been returned to Morocco, but ac- knowledged the crisis had highlighted a “broader issue about the Schengen area and our relationship with it”. The scenes in Ceuta were seized up- on by Reform UK, who announced plans for the “largest military operation Generational divide over how to pay for social care try at the right time and we will hope- fully proceed with people’s consent”. The polling found overwhelming support for Burnham’s ambition to re- form social care and end the model whereby people are required to fund their own care until they have assets left worth less than £23,250. Just 5 per cent of voters said the current system for long-term care and how it is funded worked well compared with 70 per cent who said it worked badly. At the same time 23 per cent of voters put it in the top four issues facing the country, behind the NHS, cost of living and defence. But on the question of how the new model should be funded there were clear divisions. Overall, 48 per cent of people favoured increasing income tax to fund free long-term care for every- one who needs it in old age, compared with 39 per cent who were opposed. Increasing inheritance tax in order to fund free long-term care was backed by per cent of over-65s backed the so- called death tax model compared with 48 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds. A third proposal requiring everyone to pay into a compulsory insurance scheme to fund any long-term care they may need in old age was backed by 44 per cent of the public and opposed by 38 per cent. Burnham asked for a report on op- tions to reform social care, to be com- piled by Baroness Casey of Blackstock, to be brought forward by a year and suggested that he wanted to make changes to the system before the next election. He invited the Conservative and Lib- eral Democrat leaders to hold talks on trying to build cross-party consensus, saying: “We’re all going to have to give if we’re going to get to a solution.” Separate polling by More in Com- mon, found that 70 per cent of the public wanted social care costs to be funded by some kind of taxation, com- pared with 21 per cent who said they should be paid for by individuals. Luke Tryl, the company’s UK direct- or, said this suggested that the public were open to change. “Britain’s social care crisis has bedevilled successive governments, while attempts at reform have become associated with electoral peril,” he said. “The good news for Burnham’s social care push is that Britons want to see it prioritised and are willing, in principle, to have a conversation about the tax rises that might be needed ... and don’t recoil from ideas such as an estates levy. “That said, awareness of different models remains low, and people might be more reluctant to see their own taxes rise in the face of a forceful anti-tax rise campaign. The prime minister may have to spend political capital once the shape of the proposals is known to show they are fair.” Oliver Wright Support or oppose? Increasing inheritance tax to fund free long-term care for everyone who needs it in old age Source: YouGov. 2,063 adults, July 29-30, 2026 Increasing income tax to fund free long-term care for everyone who needs it in old age Support Oppose Don’t know Support Oppose Don’t know Q Q 48% 38% 47% 14% 39% 13% European Union countries are set to hold emergency talks tomorrow to discuss a response to the rush of illegal migrants over the Spanish border at Ceuta last week. Italy and Denmark put forward a proposal for a video conference attended by interior ministers. By yesterday evening, 22 of 27 EU member states had signed the letter. “We cannot allow uncontrolled mass crossings, the instrumentalisation of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible,” the letter says. On Friday, Rome temporarily reintroduced border checks for travellers arriving from Spain. Madrid criticised the decision highlighting that travellers from Ceuta to the Spanish mainland are already subject to extra controls. Pope Leo XIV said that he was asking God “that solutions of peace, stability and justice may be found”. EU talks after Ceuta chaos
the times | Monday August 3 2026 S1 News The leader of Restore Britain has offered Nigel Farage a deal to unite the “patriotic right” of British politics, as there is evidence that his party is dam- aging Reform UK’s electoral prospects. Rupert Lowe said he was prepared to put aside his personal differences and work with Farage if Reform adopted some of his party’s policies. These in- clude demands for the mass deporta- tion of illegal immigrants in the UK, a ban on the burqa and halal meat, and a referendum on the death penalty. Lowe insisted that former Tory ministers such as Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman must be excluded from any Reform-Restore cabinet. The Restore leader has been a thorn in Farage’s side since he was suspended as a Reform MP last March over bully- ing allegations. The multi-millionaire’s party has eroded support for Farage on News in stopping Channel crossings I n the thick forests in the mountains of Ceuta, Monsef Daharchi ventures out from his hiding place into the car park of a viewpoint and, seeing that the coast is clear, gives a signal (Katie Gatens writes). Four other young men appear from the shrubs. After crossing the border illegally into the north African Spanish territory of Ceuta last week, Daharchi, 25, has been hiding in Ceuta’s mountains for four days. Suddenly an armoured vehicle screeches into the car park of the Mirador de Isabel II viewpoint and khaki-clad officers jump out. The migrants run down the mountain in clouds of dust, the officers close behind. On Friday Spain’s interior minister announced that 48,300 of the 60,000 migrants who rushed into Ceuta last week had returned to Morocco. They did so voluntarily after finding no food, water or shelter. Yesterday the number of migrant deaths reached 72. But a small and dedicated number remain, attempting to seek asylum or travel to the Iberian peninsula via people smugglers. Meanwhile, Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain’s hard-right Vox party, travelled to Ceuta and demanded a “permanent closure of the border crossing” until Rabat could guarantee that the crisis would never occur again. Last night Rachid Khalfi, a Moroccan interior ministry spokesman, blamed the influx of migrants on social media, people smugglers and “erroneous interpretations of legal and administrative data”, referring to a recent ruling in Spain’s Supreme Court that migrants could not be returned from Ceuta to Morocco if they had entered by sea. Khalfi put the number of migrants at 40,000 and 11 deaths — much lower than the Spanish figures. In the small village of Benzu on the outskirts of the main town, yesterday migrants milling around on the streets were rounded up by police and army officers and directed towards Benitez beach, where they were stopped from leaving. “We will round them up like sheep,” an officer said. On Benitez beach, outside the city, hundreds lay in shallow troughs in the sand, without shelter. Hundreds more sat outside the temporary immigration centre. In the mountains of Ceuta helicopters circled while officers patrolled hiking trails and armoured vehicles and Jeeps cruised the roads. There are six bases and barracks on Ceuta with about 3,500 soldiers stationed here. Daharchi planned to evade the police and make it to Europe. “I don’t want to live in Spain — there’s too many immigrants,” he said. “I want to live in France — a very good country, it’s safer.” He is from Tetouan, Morocco, and earns €300 (£265) a month as a bricklayer; he financially supports his parents, his sister and nephew. “It’s not enough, I have to call my friends every month to help me out,” he said. Some Ceuta residents came to the car park to hand out food and cigarettes. “I felt I had to do something, so I’m here to give them some water,” said Julia, who didn’t give her surname. Two Moroccans swapped numbers with the migrants. We were told they were people smugglers gathering contacts. Hiding out in Benzu, Alae Eddine Boulaaz, from Tangier, had already made contact with them. Boulaaz explained there were people in Benzu offering to take migrants to mainland Spain, with three on one jet ski — a driver and two migrants who each pay €7,000. “Yesterday we saw them depart five times,” he said. He claimed to have family in Almeria who could pay for him. Boulaaz, 23, travelled with his brother, Anass, 21, on his motorbike and then abandoned it before swimming to Ceuta. Many people have already gone back but he insisted he would not be one of them. “I’d rather die than they send me home,” he said. Smugglers take migrants to Spain, three to a jet ski water provided by the Spanish military. Dozens have died in land and sea crossings from Morocco in the past few days VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA, JACK TAYLOR/REUTERS; TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE Lowe offers Farage alliance of ‘patriotic’ right Oliver Wright Lowe’s offer, saying that there would “always be a home in Reform UK” for former supporters of other parties. “After two national election victories in as many years, many people now recognise that it will be a binary choice between Reform UK and La- bour,” Farage added. “Patriotic voters believe in many of the same things, but only one party truly has the possibility of delivering change.” Restore will not be stand- ing against Farage in the forthcoming Clacton by- election, which the Reform leader triggered after reve- lations about the party’s funding and a £5 million gift he received from a cryptocurrency billionaire. Farage is set to comfortably win, after all of the main opposi- tion parties refused to field candidates. In their place a record 34 candidates — large- ly independent — are standing in the by-election, which is taking place on August 13. Constituency polling by Survation, for Mandate Research, found that Farage could win the seat with as much as 73 per cent of the vote on a very low turnout. However, oppo- sition to Farage has crystallised around support for the joke candidate Count Binface, who is polling at about 20 per cent. Polling for the next general election found that Farage still held a strong lead in the constituency, with about 56 per cent support among likely voters. Labour and the Conservatives are on a distant 8 and 10 per cent respectively. Conservative strategists hope that if Farage is found to have breached Commons sleaze rules, support will fall and they will be able to squeeze Re- form’s vote in the seat if there is a second by-election. The failure of the main parties to stand in the by-election has led to a record number of independent candi- dates putting themselves forward. As a result voters will be faced with the long- est ballot paper in British political his- tory, which is costing four times as much to print as regular ballot papers, the local council has said. At 90cm (3ft), it is longer than most adults’ arms. the right and is polling at about 5 per cent nationally. Restore came fourth in the Greater Manchester mayoral election on Friday with 9 per cent of first-preference votes, ahead of the Tories and the Lib Dems. In a video posted on X, Lowe said if Farage was prepared to engage with “serious policies, serious reform, and serious government, then so are we”. He added: “Millions of British people deserve a patriotic government to put our national interest before any per- sonal differences that you and I may have. Now is the time to put our differ- ences aside and co-operate for the good of the country that we all love.” The Restore leader said the “patriotic right” was hopelessly divided, saying: “If we can agree on five fundamental principles, then I believe we can, should and must find a way of working together in some form.” Farage gave a tepid response to Count Binface is polling at 20 per cent in Clacton
Monday August 3 2026 | the times News A train company has begun a major crackdown on fare-evading commut- ers, after it found that many were using a new scam technique to avoid paying the full price for their ticket. South Western Railways (SWR) said its data showed up to 95 per cent of bar- code tickets purchased between Vaux- hall and London Waterloo were being used fraudulently. The technique is known as “short faring” or “short tick- eting”, where customers buy a digital ticket for only the last part of their jour- ney. This allows them to scan through the barriers at their destination. As of June, SWR has blocked the pur- chase of digital tickets between Vaux- hall and Waterloo, which is said to have stopped at least £45,000 worth of eva- sion in its first four weeks. The crack- Allow automatic drivers to switch to manual after one lesson, AA says Motorists who pass automatic driving tests should be allowed behind the wheel of a manual car after completing a one-hour conversion session, accord- ing to the AA. Edmund King, president of the motoring services company, told the Press Association “it doesn’t make sense” for them to wait months for a manual driving test. Motorists who pass in an automatic car are only allowed to drive automat- ics. If they later want to drive a manual vehicle, such as when working, hiring a car or borrowing one from a friend or relative, they must pass a manual test. Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show the average waiting time to book a test in May was nearly 22 weeks, compared with about five weeks in February 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic. The number of learners taking auto- matic tests in Britain is at a record high. DVSA data shows 29.4 per cent of all tests conducted in the last financial year were in an automatic, up from about 4 per cent in 2007-08. Electric cars, which have recently surged in popularity, do not have a con- ventional gearbox, meaning people who learn in them take automatic tests. While a manual car has a gear system operated by moving the gear stick and clutch pedal, automatics change gears without the driver doing anything. This means they are generally considered easier to drive. King said: “Most drivers of automatic cars quickly develop good road skills, so it doesn’t make sense to force them to spend months overcoming the driving test backlog just to borrow a manual car. What we need is the government to approve a conversion lesson provided by driving schools so that those that pass their test in an automatic can also drive manual vehicles legally. Such a one-hour conversion course would help those who may occasionally need to drive a manual car do so legally. “This would be more pragmatic that retesting them in a manual vehicle when the DVSA is struggling to get rid of the current test backlog.” The Department for Transport said: “For the safety of all road users, anyone wishing to drive a manual car must pass a manual driving test, and we have no plans to change this.” Measures taken to tackle the backlog include recruiting more examiners and training them faster, and reforming the booking process. The average wait to book a test has gone up by 17 weeks since 2020 Rail firm closes loophole that let travellers cheat barriers down came after the team became sus- picious over the number of tickets from Vauxhall being presented at Waterloo. A few months ago, SWR teams per- formed a series of “blocks”, using a 50- strong team of inspectors to close off all exits at Waterloo, with a separate smaller team at Vauxhall. British Transport Police provided support. Officers manually checked every ticket. Anyone who claimed to have come from Vauxhall but whose QR code was not scanned at the station was pulled up and questioned. Jakob Grun, the senior revenue pro- tection manager at SWR, said: “We es- sentially seal off Vauxhall. So we make sure that every person travelling through there has scanned a ticket to get through those gates. “A common reason is ‘the gates were open’, ‘they let me through’, so then it’s a simple phone call from the team at Waterloo to the team at Vauxhall to say ‘have you let anyone through? Has any- one pushed through? Have the gates been open?’ If the answer to all those is ‘no’ then we advise the customer ‘we have people at Vauxhall, you haven’t come from Vauxhall, where have you come from?’ “We’ve had everyday commuters, we’ve had customers who’ve just done it as a one-off because they heard it was a way to get cheap tickets, students, grad- uate earners. It’s those who are trying to defraud the system because they have found a loophole.” If the customer is adjudged to have travelled fraudulently, they are issued with a penalty fare notice of £100 plus the cost of their actual journey. SWR will also look at their purchase history to see if they are a repeat offender. One customer owed more than £11,000 after repeatedly travelling from Hampshire to London without the cor- rect ticket over four years, and another used the technique to evade £20,000 in over three years travelling between Surrey and London. Grun said one cus- tomer who had travelled from South Hampshire to Waterloo five days a week “settled with us for £49,000”. Fare evasion is estimated to cost the rail industry £400 million a year. Across the SWR and NR Wessex network, it costs them close to £40 million a year. Short faring is just one of many tech- niques used by fare evaders. Another recent example was “doughnutting”, in which a passenger purchases tickets for only the start and end portions of a journey. In February, Joseph Molloy, a former HSBC executive, received a sus- pended sentence and fine after he used the scam at least 740 times to save almost £6,000 in rail fares over an 11-month period. Laurence Sleator Transport Correspondent Thousands of replacement buses are set for final stop Laurence Sleator The announcement on the station con- course of a “rail replacement bus ser- vice” may inspire groans of despair from passengers but the consolation, albeit small, is that it has at least turned up. But this is now no longer guaranteed, with thousands of buses and coaches being pulled from service. Government changes to the accessi- bility rules about the equipment a rail replacement bus must have now means many private operator vehicles are no longer eligible. Before the changes, which came into force on Saturday, a survey shared with The Times found that among more than 170 private bus and coach compa- nies, the number of vehicles available for train operators would drop by more than two thirds. This is equivalent to the loss of more than 3,000 vehicles. If replicated across the hundreds of private companies paid by individual rail operators to provide transport dur- ing engineering work or emergencies, the disruption could be stark. Experts said this would leave passen- gers stuck at stations, and rail compa- nies could cancel services altogether to run fewer trains on the timetable. Graham Hayden, director of Travel- Net Systems, which manages transport bookings for companies, said: “Passen- gers are going to be left stranded at rail- way stations or have to endure unnec- essary extended delays waiting for ve- hicles. Rail companies are equally as concerned and really worried about it.” The changes relate to laws around ensuring that buses and coaches are more accessible for disabled passen- gers. Any private operator wanting to run a vehicle as a replacement bus must have signs displaying route informa- tion, provide wheelchair spaces and in- terior audible announcements. But private companies say the cost of fitting each vehicle to be fully compli- ant is about £50,000, meaning many are reluctant to invest when they pri- marily run as holiday touring buses where the same rules do not apply. Keith McNally, the operations di- rector at the Confederation of Passen- ger Transport, said that the organisa- tion was “confident” there would be enough compliant vehicles to keep rail replacement going, but added that rail operators may “have to look a bit fur- ther afield for operators” this summer. A Department for Transport spokes- person said: “The industry has known since 2017 that these accessibility re- quirements were coming, and we gave rail replacement operators a two-year exemption and dedicated funding to support them.” World class Tartan-clad performers of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo are joined on the Royal Mile by colleagues from the German Army Band, the Qatar Police Academy Band and Drill Team, New Zealand Army Band, the RAF King’s Colour Squadron and the US Army Field Band before this year’s event, which starts on Friday DUNCAN MCGLYNN
the times | Monday August 3 2026 V2 News PETER JOLLY FOR THE TIMES; JOE DUNCKLEY/GETTY IMAGES When John Scott reaches the end of his trailblazing effort to complete a new 2,300-mile trek linking all the national parks of Great Britain, he will do so in the same hiking boots he started in five months ago. “Like me, they are showing their age,” Scott, 65, said as he tramped through the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands. The conflict resolution mediator is nearing his final destination of Nairn, near Inverness, this week, having set off from Cromer, Norfolk, on March 1. He has hiked largely solo through 15 national parks to test the Slow Ways National Parks Trail, a crowdsourced hiking route he believes could become Britain’s answer to the Appalachian Trail in the United States. The national parks trail is the brain- child of Dan Raven-Ellison, an explorer and the founder of Slow Ways, a move- ment that seeks to build an online network of walks that link all the settle- ments in the UK. The network relies on volunteers mapping routes, which other people can then check, review and improve before they are verified. The walks are graded for difficulty and suitability by other users. Once at least three people have walked and re- viewed a proposed Slow Way positively a more sophisticated explanation.” Scott typically covered between 15 and 20 miles a day. His routine was uncomplicated. “Wake, eat, pack, walk, unpack, eat, sleep, repeat,” he said. Having chosen not to camp, he stayed in hotels and pubs. His pack weighed between 12lb and 15lb before food and water were added. The hardest psychological stretch came during the 480-mile passage through Wales. Scott compared it to the “Virginia blues”, a term used on the Appalachian Trail to describe the dis- piriting sense of making little progress during its roughly 500-mile passage through Virginia. “The route through Wales is stunning and the people were very generous,” he said. “But it felt like a long way from home and a very long way to Nairn.” He has encountered fewer walkers than he had expected. Outside famous long-distance paths such as the Coast to Coast and busy outdoor destinations including the Lake District, many routes were almost empty. His best moment came when he crossed the border into Scotland on foot. It was his first time doing so after more than 40 years of crossing it by train, car and, in his late teens and early twenties, while hitchhiking. Raven-Ellison said: “I’d love to see the national parks trail properly developed so lots more people can enjoy it. For now, it is a great challenge and maybe one that, for a while, will be a bit more like walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats, with people finding different ways to complete it. Slow Ways is built for that. Instead of looking at a map and having no idea which paths or lanes are good ways to go, people can quickly find routes that have been walked, checked and rated by other people.” Every path Scott followed, every ob- struction he recorded and every route he reviewed will help shape a safer, clearer and more dependable trail for the next person. Asked what advice he would give anyone thinking of follow- ing in his footsteps, Scott was character- istically direct. “Get on with it,” he said. As for his own immediate plans, he intends to spend time with his family, sleep in his own bed and “bury my walking boots for ever.” John Scott’s five-month journey has taken him from the Cairngorms in Scotland, above, to the Lake District, top left The route Start Cromer Finish Nairn Walking route National park 100 miles Trailblazer’s 2,300-mile trek links all national parks it becomes verified and can be trusted. Scott ventured into the unknown by becoming the first person to tackle the proposed national parks trail, made from 253 individual routes, some of which varied considerably in quality. Following some of the unreviewed routes could be “a bit of a lottery”, he said. He found the paths of southern England generally strong, while some inland routes in Wales were among the most difficult. “The poor routes chal- lenged my patience and indeed my body, and the absence of any review was always a red flag,” he said. Despite this he found the route “generally good”, but added: “As ex- pected it is not yet fit for purpose as a long-distance trail. We need more local people to join in with Slow Ways, help- ing to check not just their part of the national parks trail, but routes that con- nect other places too.” Scott, who is married with two step- children, works as a mediator and is a professor at the University of Stirling. He started walking seriously in his mid- thirties and completed the Appalachi- an Trail in 2000. The idea for his latest journey came while he was helping to test an earlier version of the national parks trail last year. “The idea of taking on the whole challenge entered my thick skull and wouldn’t go away,” he said. “I wish I had Will Humphries Countryside Correspondent The historic north London recording studio where Pink Floyd created 1979’s The Wall has opened its doors to musicians once again, having lain vacant for more than a decade. Britannia Row Studios in Islington was founded by the rock band in 1975. Over the decades it hosted a stellar ros- ter of artists, from Joy Division and Pulp to Adele, James Blunt, and Kylie Minogue. However, after Nick Mason, the Pink Floyd drummer, sold the busi- ness in the 1990s, the facility became fi- nancially unviable and closed in 2010. In 2018 Islington council approved plans to convert the Victorian ware- All in all, Pink Floyd’s ‘Wall’ studio is restored as creative hub house and former church hall into eight flats. But after the permission expired, the site was acquired by Har-monic, a different property group, last year. Kamel Jaber, a director at Har-mon- ic, said the company intervened after learning that self-storage operators were among the prospective buyers. “You don’t get this kind of space avail- able in London very often. So when I saw this, from the graffiti that’s still left around there to the stories that you hear from the neighbours, we knew we wanted to be part of that history,” Jaber said. “It was especially so when we heard some of the other buyers were self-stor- age companies. We thought that would be a shame when we have a strategy around how we can empower creative spaces. Har-monic has in- vested £60,000 in restoring the space, employing local architects, builders and dec- orators in an ef- fort to champion the area’s culture. The entire premises has been leased to the Florence Trust, an arts charity, for just £1. The firm’s motives are not entirely philan- thropic; it is seeking its own planning permission to deliver loft- style apartments across the rest of the building, though the per- manent creative space will remain available at below market-rates to cultural industry businesses. The revitalised venue is already hosting concerts, art exhibi- tions and dance classes. Britannia Row’s place in music his- tory was cemented during the record- ing of The Wall, one of the bestselling al- bums of all time. The studio’s producer, Nick Griffiths, famously recruited a music teacher and pupils from the near- by Islington Green School to provide the children’s choir for the track Another Brick in the Wall. The rescue of Britannia Row comes amid a wider crisis for the capital’s re- cording studios. According to the Music Producers Guild, half of UK studios have considered closing due to unsus- tainable increases in rateable values and energy costs. Ellie McDonald Britannia Row Studios in Islington after the renovation
Monday August 3 2026 | the times News A year after the Ukraine war broke out a Russian intelligence agent boarded a fishing trawler called Taurus just off the coast of Norway. He was under surveillance by the Norwegian security services, who had noted his covert meetings through the northern regions of the country. Norway’s state TV channel, NRK, had reported Russian fishing vessels could be used for spying along the Nor- dic coast. The owner of Taurus, the Russian company Norebo, was duly sanctioned by the European Union and Norway on the strength of NRK’s re- porting, but there was just one problem: the story was untrue. The Norebo case illustrates a creep- ing spy phobia in the Baltic states. One of Latvia’s intelligence agencies has warned its citizens there are Russian saboteurs in their midst and given them a guide on how to spot them. A “shabby, unkempt appearance” or “insufficient hygiene” is said to be a clue on how to identify a Russian secret operative. Individuals asking lots of questions is apparently a sign, as is a short haircut or a passion for outdoor survival equipment and radios. The sanctioning of this obscure Rus- sian company also provides an insight into concerns over the EU’s sanctions policy. After EU sanctions against the KATIELEE ARROWSMITH/SWNS Paranoia over ‘spy on trawler’ led to sanctions Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Petyr Aven were removed due to lack of evidence, the EU advocate Pro- fessor Andrea Biondi, said: “Sanctions must rely on a sufficiently solid factual basis. Context may inform but cannot replace legal proof.” In Norway, the Norebo affair began in 2024 when the Barents Observer newspaper followed up the NRK story, quoting from an EU document which said: “Shipping vessels owned and op- erated by Norebo have been equipped with technology that may be used for espionage.” It said that Russian fishing ships were “mapping critical infrastruc- ture and conducting human intelli- gence gatherings in Norwegian waters”. It falsely reported Norebo’s owner, Vitaly Orlov, was “a friend of Vladimir Putin”. Last May the EU implemented sanc- tions against Norebo and its assets were frozen in member states, markets closed and logistics services denied. “Vessels owned and operated by Nore- bo show movement patterns linked by EU member states to the Russian state- sponsored surveillance campaign that employs civilian fishing trawlers to con- duct espionage missions directed against civilian and military infrastruc- ture in the Baltic Sea,” the EU said. Intelligence analysts have no doubt Russia conducts espionage operations off the coast of Norway, but they say targeting Norebo risks missing genuine threats. Ole Fostad, a former intelli- gence analyst, said: “The sanctions are based on imaginary wrongdoings, flawed evidence and does not hold scrutiny. The Shadow War series [by NRK] has become Norwegian foreign policy. It is very embarrassing and dangerous.” Orlov said: “Norebo is the victim of an attack by competitors who made clearly and provably false allegations which have been accepted by the EU without any investigation because we are Russian.” Norebo has filed an appeal against the EU sanctions and will rely on testi- mony by a UK military intelligence officer who has served in the Ministry of Defence for the past 38 years. After reviewing the data, satellites and vessel logs of nine fishing vessels owned by Norebo, the intelligence offi- cer concluded there were no unauthor- ised entries. In response the EU said that like most cases involving sanctions, it con- sidered published media reports as sufficient proof to establish Norebo im- plemented and supported actions by Russia. NRK said that the intelligence activity was “extensive, systematic and long-lasting” but admitted it could not “confirm the story”. Barents Observer declined to comment. Norebo is suing the newspaper for libel. Mark Hollingsworth Cleanliness next to godliness A worker sweeps in the light shining through the crypt’s stained glass window in the 15th-century Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh
the times | Monday August 3 2026 News The full names and contact details for more than 100,000 police officers and staff have been leaked on the dark web after a hack, The Times can reveal. As part of a major security breach, hackers also compromised data be- longing to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Home Office, National Crime Agency (NCA), and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). This means three government de- partments have been caught up in hacks recently after the Department for Education (DfE) had more than half a million pieces of data compromised last week. Officers’ details, including their force’s location, were leaked by hackers who breached the police national legal database (PNLD), which provides legal assistance to forces. The database hack, first reported last week, was not thought to be serious. A little-known cybercriminal group named ExfilSquad are believed to be re- sponsible. The group has infiltrated multiple western targets. One official whose details were leaked by the breach said it was “very disconcerting”. The official said: “I have worked in serious organised crime and put high-level criminals behind bars. For private information to be leaked about me is very disconcerting and puts officers at serious risk. “In the past I have been forced to move into safe houses and sell cars due to my job. Now I will have to keep my wits about me online and look out for anyone trying to get more serious members of the public who had submit- ted a non-emergency question on Ask the Police, a website for the public to ask questions of the police, were released. There is no evidence to suggest that passwords or other security credentials have been compromised. Experts said it was significant Exfil- Squad had gained secure data from three government departments, espe- cially the MoD. “Unfortunately govern- ment organisations are being seen as softer targets because they have not invested enough to properly protect private information,” said Jake Moore, global security adviser at Eset, Europe’s leading cybersecurity company. “The information put on the dark web should not be underestimated. More experienced threat actors see it as highly valuable because it enables them to personalise follow-up attacks, such as phishing or social engineering, which puts even more data at risk.” It can be disclosed that Newcastle University launched an investigation after the group was alleged to have stolen 440,000 pieces of sensitive data. Sample data on the dark web showed the full names, phone numbers, home addresses and email addresses of stu- dents and staff. “We continue to moni- tor the situation closely and have the appropriate controls and protections in place,” a university spokesman said. The group’s suspected activity is not Details of 100,000 police staff hacked information. It is not a good look.” ExfilSquad came to public attention last week when The Times revealed the DfE was hacked, which resulted in 607,000 pieces of sensitive data being put on the dark web. It was believed the hack was done for financial gain, not ideological purposes. An online statement from the group read: “Once your company’s data is posted here, it’s never leaving the public eye and it will be passed around the in- ternet forever. The payment we request of you is simply a rounding error com- pared to the litigation costs of your data leaking. Be smart and just pay.” Police sources confirmed the details of 114,000 PNLD subscribers were leaked, with the vast majority belong- ing to officers. The full names and con- tact details of 2,615 CPS staff, 617 Home Office employees, 588 NCA staff and 402 MoD personnel were also leaked. The Times has independently verified some names listed. Most officers have used the legal database while carrying out their day- to-day duty, one source said. The system covers England and Wales, where the equivalent of 145,550 full- time officers are employed. Tiff Lynch, chair of the Police Feder- ation, said the breach “raises serious concerns for officer and staff safety. At a time when cyber threats are becom- ing increasingly sophisticated, [the police] and its partners must be proper- ly funded to ensure the strongest possible cyber security protections are in place to safeguard sensitive personal data.” Another 21,000 email addresses of limited to British organisations. In dark web posts, ExfilSquad claimed to have stolen 6 million pieces of data from the City of Houston government system and a further 3 million from the City of Atlanta. In another unconfirmed attack, it said it obtained 8 million records relating to customers and em- ployees of Microsoft, including pass- word hashes, which are scrambled passwords. The number of cyberattacks classed as “highly significant”, which is defined by the effect on central government or a large number of the UK population, increased from 1 in 2022 to 19 in 2024. Moore said: “These attacks are be- coming more common as criminals in- creasingly automate their tactics with ease and exploit the development using AI. The knock-on effect means organi- sations are facing a far higher volume of attacks, often with far less effort re- quired from the attacker.” The North East Regional Organised Crime Unit has started an investigation into the PNLD hack. A government spokesman said: “We have dedicated capabilities to respond to cyber incidents, and it would be inap- propriate to comment on a live investi- gation.” Affected agencies and depart- ments are “liaising closely with part- ners to assess any impact and support those affected”. An NCA spokesman said: “We are aware that limited personal details re- lating to a number of National Crime Agency officers may have been pub- lished on the dark web as a result of the incident affecting the police national legal database.” Bill Curtis E xfilSquad is a newcomer on the hacking scene (Mark Sellman writes), bursting into life at the end of last month by posting details of 15 alleged victims, including the Department of Education and Police National Legal Database, on its dark web site. It appears to be a group that steals data rather than engage in ransomware that extorts victims by crippling their systems. In an exchange with the DataBreaches website, the hackers said they exploited misconfigured security settings on websites set up using Microsoft tools. They also used a picture of Allison Nixon, a prominent cybersecurity researcher, for their profile. Nixon is an expert in tracking members of the Com, a network of English- speaking hackers and violent extortionists. She said “using my picture does suggest they are affiliated with the Com. Victims should be sceptical about paying them as a result. Com members are notorious for breaking promises and being mentally unstable.” Public bodies in the UK are banned from paying hackers. Behind the story B osses at the BBC have been accused of giving Naga Munchetty “special treatment” after it was revealed that she would be allowed to regularly present the Radio 5 Live breakfast show from London (Alex Farber writes). The 51-year-old presenter announced that she was leaving BBC Breakfast after 17 years last week to take over the weekday radio show from January. Some staff are unimpressed that Munchetty, who was paid about £360,000 last year, will be able to present two shows each week for the Salford-based station from London. A BBC job advert seeking Munchetty’s co- chief presenter has stipulated that they will be required to broadcast from Salford five days a week. “The non-Salford shows are becoming a talking point as more presenters are given special treatment to do it,” said one staffer at the BBC. “I’m not sure it’s what [culture secretary] Lisa Nandy and Andy Burnham envisioned [for the BBC’s] Salford base.” Other Radio 5 Live presenters who broadcast from both Salford and London include Nicky Campbell. The mid- morning presenter works from different BBC locations according to the editorial and operational requirements of his programme. “Salford still hasn’t really worked as envisaged,” another BBC insider said. “It’s just more evidence of a two-tier system.” Radio 5 Live relocated to Salford in 2011 as part of BBC plans to better reflect audiences and spread its investment in programming outside of the capital. In its annual report, published last month, it announced that it was closing in on the target to spend half its radio budget outside London as part of its three-year Across the UK programme. However, despite the spend in Salford, audiences in the north of England said that they felt less well served by the BBC than any other region. A BBC spokesperson said that the fact that Radio 5 Live presenters broadcast from a variety of BBC bases did not change the station’s commitment to Salford. “BBC Radio 5 Live is proudly based in Salford, which remains the main production base for the station and 5 Live Breakfast,” they added. Munchetty to host away from Salford Naga Munchetty will present her show at Salford-based Radio 5 Live from London twice a week SPLASH NEWS Pious planners behave badly, claims Clunes Martin Clunes has criticised “pious” planning officials who allowed a travel- lers’ site to be built next to his £5 million country home. The Men Behaving Badly star object- ed to “flimsy” plans for a farm on the other side of his property in Dorset. Andy Cream and Grace Burger want to build a storage barn, two polytunnels and a greenhouse. Clunes, 64, fears the couple will set up a permanent home on the land 150 yards from Higher Meer- hay Farm, near Beaminster, where he lives with wife, Philippa Braithwaite, a TV producer. Earlier this year Dorset council grant- ed Theo Langton and Ruth McGill, who are new age travellers, permission to set up a site 300 yards from the Clunes’ lux- ury farmhouse. The star accused his neighbours of being “dishonest”, saying that they were not bona fide travellers and not entitled to a permanent site. Cream and Burger submitted plans for a temporary agricultural workers’ dwelling in July last year. This was dropped after backlash from neigh- bours, including Clunes and Braith- waite. They resubmitted the applica- tion in April just for the farm. Clunes wrote in his objection: “I think that it is safe to assume, given the flimsy nature of their business plan, that living at the site is their ultimate goal. From personal experience my ad- vice to these applicants would be to carry on and do whatever they like on the land they have bought. They can ignore any rulings or conditions ap- plied by Dorset county council as they will not enforce them.” Dorset council was contacted for comment.
Monday August 3 2026 | the times News One in six adults use AI bots such as ChatGPT to get health advice, lead- ing to what medical leaders have warned is a tide of misinformation. The Academy of Medical Sciences said that lives are at risk from myths and false information online, partic- ularly around vaccines, treatment options and fertility advice. A representative poll of 2,401 UK adults by Ipsos found that AI is a reg- ular source of health information for 16 per cent of UK adults, rising to 24 per cent of 25-to-34-year-olds and 28 per cent of people from ethnic minor- ity backgrounds. Research has shown that AI may provide inaccurate medical guidance or diagnoses, and fails to recognise symptoms including life-threatening emergencies. The report found that medical mis- information is widespread, yet most people “do not recognise it as a per- sonal risk” and believe they are able to spot it. Nearly one in five adults say they have been personally affected by misleading health information. Some 56 per cent said they felt vac- cines were seriously affected by mis- One in six use bots for health advice leading claims, 41 per cent cited weight loss and nutrition, and 36 per cent highlighted cancer treatment. Misinformation has contributed to a spate of measles outbreaks in the UK as uptake of routine childhood vaccinations has been falling for the past 15 years. Data shows that only 83.7 per cent of five-year-olds in En- gland have received both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the lowest level since 2010. The Academy of Medical Sciences said it is vital that medical leaders try to tackle health misinformation by “reaching people where they already are” including on social media and online. Sir Andrew Morris, the academy’s president, said: “A message is far more likely to land when it comes from a source and a community people already trust, regardless of how strong the underlying evidence is. “The challenge for medical science is not only to produce reliable evi- dence but to ensure it reaches people in ways they can act on — through voices they recognise, in places they already go for information.” Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, of the University of Cambridge, said: “The findings reveal most people recog- nise that health misinformation pos- es a serious threat to society but far fewer believe they themselves are vulnerable to being misled — we have an optimism bias. “As the ways people access health information continue to evolve, it is increasingly important to under- stand who is most at risk and how we can help everyone access reliable, evidence-based information.” Ann John, a professor of public health and psychiatry at Swansea University, said: “Perhaps it’s not sur- prising that many people believe health misinformation is something that affects others rather than them- selves. Yet false health information spreads faster than the facts, influ- encing decisions about vaccines, treatments and healthy behaviours.” Katie Rollings, the chief executive and founder of Fertility Action, said: “Fertility and reproductive health is a powerful example of how health mis- information can thrive in areas where people are vulnerable, anx- ious, overwhelmed and searching for answers. This research reinforces why trusted, evidence-based infor- mation matters so much.” Eleanor Hayward Health Editor cerning for us because of the volume of submissions we have. “The Commonwealth Story Prize, in some ways, is more challenging for an AI detector . Firstly, seven of our 13 languages aren’t even amenable to AI detectors.” Asked whether she thought the AI detectors were racially biased, Fa- rook responded: “I don’t know if I would use racially biased but I would definitely say, there are cultural con- notations, because obviously what’s being fed in is what’s being fed out.” Farook said that Nazir was feel- ing “bruised” by the row as “some of the social media commentary was extremely toxic. He’s also not particu- larly well. He’s going through chemotherapy. It’s a huge sacrifice for him but he was obviously feel- ing very unfairly treated. “He did provide evidence of his writ- ing … he also talked in detail about his writing process. It was very, very de- tailed and very con- vincing.” Asked to give a per- Raye of sunshine The singer-songwriter Raye, 28, headlined Brighton Pride festival at the weekend, playing a cover of the Prince song Purple Rain during a 90-minute set IOUNIS PHOTOGRAPHY/SPLASH NEWS ‘Authors may have to prove work is not AI’ Authors should prepare to prove their work is their own because of the growing use of “AI detectors”, the head of a literary prize has said. Razmi Farook, director-general of the Commonwealth Foundation, issued the warning after her organi- sation’s short story prize became embroiled in an AI authorship row. Several regional winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize were accused of using AI to write their stories, including Jamir Nazir, who won the overall award for The Serpent in the Grove, an entry about a struggling farmer in Trinidad. Farook said all the authors were cleared after a thorough investi- gation into the claims of AI use. The foundation asked Nazir and all the re- gional winners to submit docu- mentary evidence of their writing, in- cluding earlier drafts, photographs, explanations of inspirations and their storytelling process. All writers should now prepare for similar scrutiny, she said in an inter- view with The Times: “I think writers should be prepared to share a reason- able oversight or view of their writing process to date.” Many of the accusations against Nazir involved the use of Pangram, a detector of AI writing that is now being used to identify AI-generated content on the newsletter platform Substack and the academic site Arxiv. Farook said she believed that tools such as Pangram are not reliable enough, especially for Commonwealth writ- ers. Pangram says it falsely identifies AI writing in 1 of 10,000 cases. She said: “The margins of error of some of the AI [detection] tools, when they’re definitive, are con- centage of confidence in Nazir, Fa- rook said: “I’m more confident than less confident. So, definitely 75 per cent, 80 per cent; I’m willing to really go with the writer.” The director general said that the Commonwealth and other literary prizes were developing new policies to grapple with AI use. Farook said it would be unrealistic to completely ban use of the techno- logy but transparency would be key. “It’s more important to us to ... have really clear guidance on how they can use it and what they can use it for.” Pangram, a tool developed by a US start-up, was used to identify AI con- tent in Shy Girl, a novel by Mia Bal- lard, which was subsequently pulled by the publisher Hachette. It has now been integrated into the newsletter platform Substack after its chief executive said “it’s getting hard- er to tell what’s real on the internet” and that “when content made by no one takes over parts of the internet that are supposed to be human, it ... makes it hard to discover and hear human voices”. That decision has been met with a backlash from some writers who have called it a witch hunt. Max Spero, the chief executive of Pangram, has defended his software’s identification of Nazir’s work as AI- generated. He said: “It’s clear to any- one who uses AI regularly that this story is either fully AI-generated or heavily AI-assisted. There are nu- merous indications that ChatGPT, specifically, had major influence in the prose. People online noticed this immediately and used Pangram to confirm their suspicion. “Pangram is rarely incorrect when it classifies text as AI. It has a 1 in 10,000 false positive rate. It’s much more likely that the judges aren’t familiar with AI tools and couldn’t tell. Research has shown that those unfamiliar with AI text struggle to detect it, while people who frequently use ChatGPT for writing tasks are ac- curate and robust detectors of AI- generated text.” Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent Razmi Farook said she backed the prizewinner Jamir Nazir, below www.chamos.org.uk @chamos_org Registered Charity No. 1123410 VENEZUELA IS IN CRISIS. CHILDREN ARE BURIED IN THE RUBBLE. Two devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24th. Hundreds are dead. Thousands are injured. Tens of thousands are missing. Hospitals are overwhelmed and children are sufering. THEY NEED YOU. RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN HELP! Every pound counts, donate what you can! SCAN TO DONATE
the times | Monday August 3 2026 News One of London’s most popular e-bike operators will provide riders with insur- ance after several high-profile crashes. Forest, which operates in 20 of London’s boroughs, will have third-par- ty insurance to protect people injured and property damaged by cyclists on their e-bikes starting in September, after reporting by The Times revealed people facing life-altering injuries would not get compensation. Sandy Peters was thrown face-first into a brick wall by a teenager riding a Forest bike on the pavement in October in the London borough of Sutton. She still has multiple broken bones, which will take up to two years to heal, and needs an estimated £10,000 worth of dental repair work on teeth that have suffered permanent nerve damage. Peters has been left to pay for her transport to and from weekly hospital appointments and any private medical bills herself. She is one of several Lon- doners who have been in serious acci- dents with Forest bikes only to discover they could receive no compensation. Forest has now secured a policy it can afford, and says it will be adopted at no added cost to riders. “I think it’s quite clear that there’s been a call for e-bike operators in London to have the rider liability cover,” Will Jansen, the chief operating officer, said. Jansen said Forest could not afford to pay for third-party insur- ance when it was founded in 2020, with many providers reluctant to work with a start-up operator. Competitors including Lime, Bolt and Santander already include cover- age in their price at a cost to the rider of about one third of a penny per minute. Peters says she is “really encouraged” that Forest will cover riders but called on ministers to make third-party insur- ance mandatory for all operators. Campaigners said Forest’s move was “an important first step” but it remained to be seen how effective it would be. They highlighted significant loopholes in third-party insurance policies for micro-mobility, including insurance not covering cases where a rider is on the pavement, under-age, or travels through a red light. E-bike operator agrees to provide crash insurance Millie Brigaud Kate Greenhalgh bought her daughter Phoebe a £6 blue dress on Vinted “Nell the Ginger”, a TikTok influencer, shows off her used bridesmaid’s dress bought online for £10. The average cost of attending a wedding stands at £316 Being asked was once the ultimate honour and the sign of a strong friend- ship. But growing numbers of potential bridesmaids say that the role has become so expensive that they are now considering turning down the obliga- tion, while others are cutting costs by wearing second-hand outfits. A survey of 2,000 women in July by the polling company Think BF found that almost a quarter of bridesmaids had contemplated declining the role due to its associated costs. Among 25 to 34-year-olds, that figure jumps to more than one in three (35 per cent). Kate Greenhalgh, 45, recently bought her daughter Phoebe a £6 blue dress on Vinted, the online market- place, for her sister’s wedding. She said she appreciated why people were turn- ing to the site as the churn of weddings could be “relentless”. Greenhalgh said it seemed silly to spend lots of money on a dress when “you’re not going to wear it for a night out or to a party because you’ll look like a brides- maid”. The tendency for guests to post photos on social media after the day also reduced the likelihood of the dress being worn again as “everyone will have seen the pictures and instant- ly know it’s a bridesmaid dress”, Greenhalgh said. Another upside of buying such a cheap dress, Greenhalgh pointed out, was that it could easily be Bridesmaids try something old to beat the big-day bills sold to a new buyer, as Phoebe’s dress had been since being listed online. Greenhalgh recalls how anxious she felt during her twenties when she had three weddings in Cornwall, Cheshire and Leeds in the space of three months. “Looking back at this period, I was probably living off credit cards at the time and I did not want to say no to things as I was 25 and didn’t want to miss out,” she said. For one of the weddings she was invited to, Greenhalgh said she had to give the hen party a miss as the costs were “overwhelming”. It’s not just bridesmaids who are try- ing to combat the costs that come with attending weddings. This summer, re- search from Tesco Bank reported by The Times showed that 31 per cent of wedding invitees had RSVP’d with a polite “no” purely for financial reasons — a number that rises to 43 per cent for millennials and 48 per cent for Gen Z. Between travel, ac- commodation, gifts, out- fits, and hen and stag dos, the average cost of attending a single wed- ding now stands at £316. Influencers on TikTok are bringing further at- tention to the range of cheaper dresses avail- able at online market- places by showcasing formal wear that spares guests the anxiety of in- curring hefty credit card bills further down the line. Vinted reports a 17 per cent year-on-year in- crease in searches for second-hand bridesmaid dresses on its site. Research attributed to SilkFred found that 59 per cent of former brides- maids said the costs attached to their role were far more than they expected. “Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a special moment, but the cost of taking part is leaving some women question- ing whether they can afford to say yes,” said Euan Steedman, a spokesman at Vinted. “More than one-in-three women have already worn a second- hand outfit to a wedding, showing people want to celebrate without com- promising on style, or overspending.” Ed Halford Will Jansen, of e-bike operator Forest Visit timesbookshop.co.uk/2-for-15 or call 020 3176 2935 Free UK P&P on online orders over £25. Times+ discount not applicable on this promotion. Promotional prices valid online on select titles for a limited time only (ends midnight, 17 August 2026). All orders placed by phone will incur a minimum £2.99 delivery charge. £10.99 £9.99 £10.99 £10.99 £10.99 £10.99 £10.99 £10.99 2 for £15 on summer reads This summer, enjoy 2 paperbacks for £15 at the Times Bookshop. Featuring award-winning fi ction, acclaimed non-fi ction and brilliant books reviewed by The Times and Sunday Times literary editors.
Monday August 3 2026 | the times News arm and pay for a hitter. We’re seeing children as young as 15 carrying guns,” the source said. The Times joined Inspector Nathan Watson, of the proactive disruptions unit, near Waterloo when he received a request for backup. Marksmen were following a black Mercedes E-class in Vauxhall and could not see inside. Wat- son activated his sirens and we set off for the scene. “As rare as they are, we know there are firearms in circulation. Our objective is to make our streets safer and reduce people’s fear of crime. This interaction could lead to an arrest or words of advice,” he said. We arrived seven minutes later as police searched three black men in their twenties, all of whom were com- pliant. The £64,000 saloon car had been boxed in on the residential street and was also being searched. An officer asked: “Have you got any questions?” One man said: “No, but it’s racist.” No arrests were made. Frontline officers said that the school summer holiday was when the “next generation” of gang members, typically black boys, tended to be recruited. “A few faces will re-emerge and by the next school year they will be fully embedded,” said Detective Sergeant Phil Morrison, of the proactive disrup- tions unit. “If you want to stop a young person joining a gang you need to get them before they turn 13. The staple age is from 14 to 17. You don’t see them on the streets from 18 or 19.” Why is that? “They’re in prison, possibly dead or have found another way of life,” he said. Delays in the justice system have aff- ected how teenage boys are diverted from gangs. Police described a 15-year- old boy who had eight impending cases. Morrison asked: “How can we inter- vene post-offence when they are being convicted three years later?” Detective Constable Faisal El Issaoui, attached to the proactive offender tar- geting and management team, said that gang elders referred to young recruits as “new plates”, akin to a new car. Older members will “teach the younger gen- eration where to stab someone and what knife to use. If a group is caught with a knife, a young person with no criminal record would be expected to take ownership,” El Issaoui said. “They know the most likely court disposal will be a referral order.” During the World Cup, the disrup- tion team searched “three known males”. Two boys were carrying knives while a third was armed with a “loaded Glock [handgun] in his waistband”. “Gangs don’t like holding guns. They give them to youngsters to bed down for the night,” Morrison said, adding that his team had seized six loaded guns in the past six months. “Stopping some- one in possession of a gun is rare but you’ve genuinely intervened in some- thing that could have been fatal. We stop these boys all the time. Initially they see us as the enemy but we build relationships with them.” At times, our unmarked car slowed and El Issaoui pointed to memorials for young murder victims. “We sometimes talk about gangs as if they’re mythical things but these are young, often social- ly inept kids who’ve found a home among these people, and it’s sad,” Mor- rison said. “When I hear they’ve been shot or stabbed, I can’t think of any- thing worse than losing a child to a life no one intended them to live.” One man, top, was accused of possessing drugs including pink cocaine. Three men in a car, right, were also searched May 2 Brixton June 23 Peckham July 25 Clapham June 13 South Bermondsey June 21 Crystal Palace L O N D O N Murder or shooting May-Aug, 2026 2 miles River Thames Trail of blood The “central south” area of London has been rocked by murders and shootings in recent weeks. On May 2 Keanu Taylor, 25, was the victim of a drive-by shooting while attending a barbecue in Brixton. He died two days later. On June 13 a man in his 20s was shot in South Bermondsey and needed hospital treatment. On June 21 Kamahl Cameron- Williams, 31, was stabbed to death in Crystal Palace. Three men aged 21 to 23 have been charged with murder. On June 23 a 26-year-old man was shot by a man riding a motorbike. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. At 4.30am on July 25 Abdulkadir Mahamed, 22, was fatally stabbed in Clapham. Javed Khan, 22, from Wandsworth, has been charged with murder and violent disorder. On the same day a masked motorist pointed a gun at a man outside a Costcutter in Vauxhall. The firearm apparently jammed. At 5.30pm on a warm Thursday in south London, a man suspected of drug dealing tried to outrun a police officer. A few frantic moments later he was under arrest, accused of swinging a crowbar at the officer’s head. Two plainclothes officers had stopped him as he rode a stolen moped in Brixton. When they opened a carrier bag tied to the moped, the 28-year-old man sprinted away. Inside were snap bags containing MDMA, cocaine and pink cocaine, a cocktail of ketamine, MDMA and caffeine mixed with pink food dye. Cannabis and £1,500 in cash were also found. Officers gave chase and cornered him in a car park, where the alleged attack un- folded. “We were rolling around on the ground until I discharged my Pava [incapaci- tant] spray,” the officer said, catch- ing his breath. The man was ar- rested on suspicion of assault, possession of an offensive weapon and possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs. He has since been bailed. Just a street away at Brixton Village, a covered market popular with young professionals, affluent diners appeared oblivious to the sirens drowning out their conversation. The contrasting scenes reveal a hidden truth about life in London, one where gang activity simmers below the surface and is over- looked when it erupts at street level, but a rise in homicides in Lambeth and Southwark, prompted by escalating gangland tensions, has made this reality hard to ignore. The Times joined the Metropolitan Police on Operation Gallium — a week-long drive to tackle gun crime and serious violence. It was led by the boroughs with support from specialist crime. By Saturday night, there had been 81 arrests, 145 searches and 12 weapons seizures. Ten homicides were recorded in Lambeth and Southwark between January 1 and June 3, almost 20 per cent of the 55 people killed in London this year. Knife crime in both boroughs fell 18 per cent in the year to June 30 but gun crime is up 5 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. Senior police officers have been un- able to pinpoint the cause of the rising violence. Detective Chief Superintend- ent Emma Bond, the borough com- mander, said: “We don’t want to see another life taken or more harm caused to young people in our communities. That’s why we’re bringing together our resources to tackle it.” There are fears about the availability of firearms. Last year, police chiefs launched a crackdown on Turkish- made imitation pistols. A gangs expert said there were concerns about top- venting blank firearms which could be converted into deadly weapons. “If a gang has ‘beef’ and they’ve got money in the bank, they will buy a fire- TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE ‘To stop a boy joining a gang, you need to save them before they’re 13’ After a surge in gun violence in the capital David Woode joined officers tackling a new generation of ‘hitters’
the times | Monday August 3 2026 News At least five women who were sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed have been confirmed by the Home Office as victims of human trafficking. They have received “conclusive grounds” decisions declaring that they are victims of modern slavery from the National Referral Mechanism, the scheme that identifies instances of human trafficking and forced labour and servitude. The cases include both international and domestic trafficking, and one case of trafficking within the Harrods build- ing, the Press Association reported. Al Fayed, who died in 2023 aged 94, owned Harrods, the department store in Knightsbridge, from 1985 to 2010. In April this year, Rachael Louw was the first person confirmed to have been The representation of ethnic minority groups on and off screen in British tele- vision has fallen as the “progress” after Black Lives Matter “stalls”, a diversity study says. According to the latest Diamond re- port, which tracks diversity and inclu- sion in the television industry annually, the percentage of on-screen roles taken by people from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds has seen its first decline since 2021. Less diversity in TV as ‘progress stalls’ after Black Lives Matter It has dropped from 24.6 per cent in 2024 to 23.2 per cent last year after a steady rise in the three previous years from 20.9 per cent. Similarly, there has been a drop in off-screen contributions, which have decreased from 13.8 per cent in 2024 to 13 per cent in 2025. This includes all off-camera roles, from run- ners through to writers and directors. This downward trend comes after a major push in the TV industry to in- crease the representation of ethnic minority groups in response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The BLM protests were sparked in the US by the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer during an arrest in Minneapolis in 2020. They quickly became a global phe- nomenon and in the UK, broadcasters across the board made commitments to improve their records on diversity. Sky announced a £30 million racial injustice fund, Channel 4 committed to being an “anti-racist” organisation and ITV said it would increase its diversity both on and off camera. Meanwhile, the BBC announced it would be investing £100 million of its TV budget over a three-year period to produce “diverse and inclusive con- tent”. As a result, there was an increase in ethnic minority representation both on television and behind the camera. A survey of the top 500 TV adverts published last year by the marketing agency Tapestry found the proportion of ads featuring black people jumped from 37 per cent in 2020 to 51 per cent in 2022. This figure significantly ex- ceeds the numbers of black people rep- resented in the general population in England and Wales, which the 2021 census says stands at about 4 per cent. Lanre Bakare, the author and arts and culture correspondent for The Guardi- an, told the BBC last year that he had spoken to figures in the TV industry who said more recently that “things have ar- guably gone backwards” for ethnic minorities since the BLM movement. Paul Moore, the chairman of the Cre- ative Diversity Network, which com- piles the annual Diamond reports, said: “Concerningly, we have lost momen- tum for increasing representation of black creatives off-screen following the height of the Black Lives Matter move- ment, with black representation even declining in some areas.” Sanchez Manning Social Affairs Correspondent A group of diners enjoyed £600 worth of lobster and other seafood at a restaurant in Devon before walking out without paying (Seren Hughes writes). The “dine and dash” incident is part of a growing trend that has affected at least a third of operators, according to the trade body UKHospitality. Last Saturday evening, three men and three women visiting the Oyster Shack in Bigbury ordered the most expensive items on the menu: four £66 lobsters and a £120 fruits de mer platter. After finishing their meals, the group allegedly left in ones and twos without paying the £631.35 bill. The restaurant’s owner, Kieron Vanstone, told The Times the group had booked over the phone without leaving a name, so staff called them the following morning. “They said, ‘Oh sorry, we’re in church. We’ll call you back,’” he said. “Then we chased and then they just didn’t pick up again.” Staff left a message telling the customers that information about them, including their phone number and the number plate of a black Range Rover, would be passed to police. Devon and Cornwall police said they were aware of the incident and were making inquiries. Vanstone, who bought the restaurant in 2018 after working there when he was younger, said that £100 per person was higher than the usual order at his restaurant. “It paints this picture of intent to do what they did,” he said. “The staff on the evening feel like they’ve been cheated and their trust has been abused.” The restaurant shared details of the incident on social media, urging other local businesses to “remain vigilant”. Relentless Steak and Lobster House in Portsmouth introduced pre-payment after repeated dine and dash incidents but the owner, Scott Matthews, said it was not popular with all customers. Vanstone said he would not consider such a measure. “If we started doing pay in advance, it just feels like we don’t have faith in the customer,” he said. In one case in south Wales in June, a couple who ordered Dover sole and calamari worth £115 settled their bill after El Puerto in Penarth posted the footage on social media. Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Deliberately leaving without paying is a criminal offence, and businesses should not be left out of pocket because of this kind of behaviour.” Claws out for diners who fled £600 bill Hannah Brocklehurst and Alex Thomas of the Oyster Shack in Bigbury, Devon. The group had ordered four lobsters and a fruits de mer platter WAYNE PERRY FOR THE TIMES Al Fayed abuse victims were trafficked Kaya Burgess classed as a victim of modern slavery after reporting that she had been abused by Al Fayed and his brother Salah, who died in 2010. Four members of an advocacy group for victims of Al Fayed’s abuse have now received the same decisions. To protect their identities, they are re- ferred to by the pseudonyms Margo, Justine, Elizabeth and Isabella. They had been referred by the charity Un- seen UK. Margo was a domestic worker for the Fayed family after the sale of Harrods, and was recruited through the Hyde Park Residence agency. Yesterday, she told The Times that the first red flag was being asked to undertake a gynaecological and STI exam for a role for which this was “abso- lutely unnecessary”. She said: “My particular story high- lights the fact that trafficking happened post-Harrods sale [too]. This happened no matter where Al Fayed went, no matter what he owned, the entities that he touched.” She said she thought the police had been slow to refer her case to the National Referral Mechanism as a potential instance of trafficking and that she felt the investigation remained focused on the sexual assault claims. Justine worked at Harrods for more than three years in the 1990s, during which time she was trafficked and abused. She told the Press Association: “It’s not something I realised was happening to me at the time. But it’s a really significant thing, getting that de- cision, seeing it in writing that you were a victim of modern slavery and traffick- ing … it’s really shocking to read.” Isabella, who worked in the chair- man’s office at Harrods in 2001, was told in May that her case was being classed as trafficking. She said: “[The public] think this was one bad man, but he couldn’t have done what he did without Harrods processing women to him and silencing them afterwards. And it wasn’t just Harrods, obviously. It was any entity that Al Fayed owned or had control of.” Elizabeth, who also worked at Harrods, said: “I think there’s this per- sistent misunderstanding, possibly within the Metropolitan Police them- selves, which is scary, that trafficking only involves being moved across inter- national borders. There have been posi- tive, conclusive-grounds trafficking de- cisions in cases where the trafficking occurred within the Harrods building.” The Metropolitan Police are investi- gating the claims of at least 156 alleged victims who contacted them directly as part of Operation Cornpoppy, which opened 19 months ago and is also look- ing at people who may have facilitated Al Fayed’s abuse. Four people have been questioned so far. The Home Office does not comment on National Referral Mechanism cases, but a spokeswoman said: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those affected by this distressing case. We are fully committed to supporting victims and giving survivors the support and cer- tainty they need to recover.” Mohamed Al Fayed’s abuse remains the subject of a Met inquiry
Monday August 3 2026 | the times News The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent have completed the UK’s first “super-university” merger, creating a higher education group de- signed to strengthen the two institu- tions while allowing them to retain their separate identities. The newly formed London and South East University Group (Lase) has become a legal entity, after almost a year of planning since the two universi- ties announced their intention to ex- plore a merger in September. The offi- cial launch will take place on Septem- ber 7, the anniversary of the announcement. The news was welcomed by the De- partment for Education and the indus- try group Universities UK as an exam- ple of innovative collaboration in re- sponse to financial pressures. The move creates the third-largest university in the country, bringing to- gether more than 50,000 students across four campuses in Greenwich and Avery Hill in southeast London, and Medway and Canterbury in Kent. chancellor and deputy chief executive. Harrington said: “I am absolutely de- lighted to confirm the launch of the new Lase University Group, and I look forward to working with colleagues and with students at the University of Kent and the University of Greenwich. “A massive thank-you to everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point. There has been tireless work over the last year working to an ambi- tious timetable and developing a new university model that has never been done before. It means we are starting WILLIAM VANDERSON/FOX PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES A Norman font described as looking “like something out of an Arthurian legend” was moved from a “fairytale” chapel in Shropshire to the King’s school in Scotland at the request of Prince Philip (Kate Mansey writes). When Charles attended Gordonstoun boarding school in 1962, his father arranged for the 12th-century font to be sent there so that his son could be “surrounded by ancient objects of beauty”. The large stone tub font, which has ornate carvings on the outside and a lead-lined interior, has since been returned to its original location at St Michael’s Church in the hamlet of Upton Cressett, Shropshire. However, the reason why the “Gordonstoun font” was relocated from what was a dilapidated English chapel to the prince’s Scottish boarding school has only now come to light. William Cash, whose parents moved to Upton Cressett estate, where the grade I listed church is situated, in the 1970s, said Philip ordered that the font be moved after visiting St Michael’s, which was in desperate need of repair, and hearing that it was to be locked and its contents put in storage. Cash said: “Prince Philip apparently said [of the font], ‘I think that would be really good if it was moved to Gordonstoun, because I want my son to be surrounded by ancient objects of English beauty’. “I think Philip thought, ‘What a waste to have it just sitting in a storage unit’. It’s quite large — how they got it up to Gordonstoun I really do not know. This is a strange story that to this day most people don’t know about.” It is understood that the late Duke of Edinburgh first saw the font while visiting St Michael’s in the 1960s with Ivor Bulmer- Thomas, a former MP who had been working with him on a scheme to protect unused historic church buildings. St Michael’s had fallen out of use in 1958 and was selected so that Philip could see an example of a dilapidated country church in need of rescue. Bulmer-Lewis went on to set up the Redundant Churches Fund, which later became the Churches Conservation Trust, of which Charles is now the patron. The font was moved to Gordonstoun and stood in the chapel, Michael Kirk, during Charles’s school years before its return to Upton Cressett in the 1970s. Cash said visitors to the church were “flabbergasted” when they learnt of the font’s royal connections. He said “It always feels like something out of an Arthurian legend, like this was a font that was fit for a king, a Norman font with roots going back to the age of William the Conqueror.” Steve Tarling, a community officer at the Churches Conservation Trust, which now looks after St Michael’s, described the church as “a really lovely, picturesque, almost ‘fairytale’ chapel”. “You could imagine someone out of the Brothers Grimm having a wedding in there,” he said. Prince Philip was one of the first pupils at Gordonstoun, which was founded by Kurt Hahn, a Jewish educator who fled Nazi Germany. ‘Fairytale’ font sent to Gordonstoun for Charles’s delight Charles with his father Prince Philip on his first day at Gordonstoun in 1962. The Norman font was returned to St Michael’s Church, above left, in the Seventies A ‘super-university’ first as Kent and Greenwich merge Georgia Lambert The Open University and University College London are the largest. Unlike traditional university merg- ers, Lase has been designed as a model that allows both universities to con- tinue operating under their own names. Students will continue to apply to, study at and graduate from either the University of Greenwich or the Uni- versity of Kent. There will be no change for students, although the group said the structure could create greater opportunities over time, such as for other universities to join it and provide greater resilience to continue investing in the student expe- rience. The universities said their merger could provide a “blueprint” for others. In May, King’s College London and the Bedford-based Cranfield University announced plans to merge next August. Professor Jane Harrington, the vice- chancellor of Greenwich, has been ap- pointed founding vice-chancellor and chief executive of Lase. Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, the acting vice-chancellor of Kent, will become senior deputy vice- with a smooth transition, an extremely strong senior executive team and clear direction so that we can fulfil our potential as the UK’s first super-uni- versity. “We are looking forward to the offi- cial launch of Lase next month, so we will have much more to say then — and watch this space for a truly spectacular launch to mark the moment.” The University of Kent recorded a £31 million deficit in the 2023–24 aca- demic year and had carried out job cuts and course closures as part of efforts to improve its financial sustainability. It has cut jobs and closed courses in an attempt to stem its losses and has faced strikes from academics. However, a Lase spokesman said the institution had taken steps to improve its outlook, adding that the merger should not be viewed as a move to save it, but as a partnership between two universities designed to strengthen both institutions. The universities previously said that their collaboration would be a trailblaz- ing model, creating a blueprint for other institutions to follow. Royal scoop: Queen backs young writers Kate Mansey Assistant Editor The Queen is backing a new award to help young journalists become the “stars of the future” by offering a pack- age of financial and mentoring support. Named in her honour, the Queen Camilla Future of Journalism Awards will give journalists aged 18 to 30 the chance to win up to £2,500 each as part of a career development scheme. The money will be awarded each year to 25 journalists. The scheme will be run through the Journalists’ Charity, of which the Queen, 79, is patron. Her spokesman said: “The Queen hopes these new awards will play a part in assisting those who aspire to a career in the media but who may be deterred by the financial barriers.” James Brindle, of the Journalists’ Charity, said: “The awards will make a real difference every year, giving the stars of the future the tools they need.” Applications are open throughout this month and the winners will be announced next month. Candidates must demonstrate a commitment to journalism and explain how a financial award would help their career. Georgina Randsley de Moura, left, and Jane Harrington will lead the university
Wildfires suggest rewilding needs a rethink Libby Purves way up a ladder from some kind of pit — or being plucked up by a rescue helicopter. That the metaphor has truth to it is a melancholy fact. As a newly elected Tory MP my first of very few rebellions was against the “assisted places” scheme to helicopter clever kids out of comprehensive schools into superior “grant maintained” schools. I now think I was wrong. But the state should not need helicopters. Helicopters suggest a place from which escape is otherwise difficult. Class generates that. It’s 114 years since, in his preface to Pygmalion and speaking of language, accent and social class, GB Shaw wrote: “It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.” The assumptions we can quite accurately make as soon as we hear a fellow citizen speak are class assumptions. Thus we, be it complaining about the servants in our white Rhodesian citadel or mocking John Major’s accent at our London dinner party, deprive our country of the talents and energies of millions. How many thousands are we holding back, for every handful that make it through? Helicopters be damned: how can we smash down those walls? Class still rules: it’s time to break the barriers I empathise with Andy Burnham’s class-conscious Cambridge years — our society’s strictures are holding Britain back ALAMY “working class” institution. He is trading, however delicately, on class resentment — and even, in some quarters, class hatred. Perhaps, instead of lamenting this we should ask ourselves why a modern British politician can. As I write I can feel a rising irritation among some readers. “Nobody today,” you may protest, “is prevented from moving ‘up’ from the working class.” Indeed not. Millions have. And there’s national admiration for those who, like Burnham, make what we see as the escape. I acknowledge that. But they do it with the wind, even from their own class, against them, and there are rivers they have to cross. A world of unspoken categorisation must be navigated. The language of “upwards”, meanwhile, suggests clawing one’s Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion reflected GB Shaw’s views on accent and class inventing) working-class origins. But I did think Tom a bit harsh. None of us, from the King downwards, believes we got where we are without trying. And yes, we did try. But we may forget that just by being born into the class we inhabit we were halfway there already. Mr Burnham wasn’t. Like Tom (I suspect) I find the glorification of “working people” as stupid and infuriating as the self- regard of the posh; but is “Burnham the awkward kid from the wrong side of the tracks” inconsistent with his also having loved and benefited from Cambridge? Like all of us, no doubt, he accentuates the part of his story that suits his audience. The hint of a chip on the shoulder is how you get votes from tens of millions who may feel a bit overlooked. And one has to ask why. If a new prime minister (like the last one) sees advantage in boasting about his working-class origins (remember son-of-a-toolmaker Keir; Rishi Sunak as son-of-a-humble-chemist; David Cameron’s hilarious discovery that he was an avid football supporter; Margaret Thatcher’s banging on about living above a shop; or John Major’s genuine scramble to Downing Street from shared rooms in Brixton) … if these are positives on a prime-ministerial CV then what is it about our democracy that induces nervousness in politicians about upper or even middle-class origins? I think it’s because we’re maybe unconsciously aware (in the words of the old cartoon) that the natives are restless. Harold Macmillan was able actually to exaggerate his poshness because he could tell the masses (gently mocking the vernacular) that they’d “never had it so good”. Nor had they. No prime minister can say that now. Even a modest tax giveaway to pubs must be described (as Burnham does) as relief for a B orn and brought up far from these shores, I was conscious (in what was then Rhodesia) of being part of a smallish white community living among an enormous black population. “Among”? Perhaps “alongside” expresses it better. We hardly knew them. Black Africans’ lives were far from ours. There was a chasm. It did feel odd. Aged 19 I returned to my own country, to university. Here in Britain (I thought as I boarded a train to Cambridge) one would be part of a huge population who would all be my people. Some richer, some poorer, some better educated than others, but all my own kind. At last, I thought, the feeling of being surrounded by millions who were nothing like me and my friends would be banished. It was not so. I was about to encounter the English class system. Though I spoke (approximately) the same language as my college bedmaker, the college porters and the youths from the town who waited on us at dinner in hall, and though it has always been my habit to be on the friendliest possible terms with all manner of people, there was no escaping how slight were the areas of convergence between their worlds, their interests and passions, their knowledge, and mine. They knew what they knew. My friends and I knew what we knew. I was beginning to recognise again my Rhodesian boyhood. And gradually, as my ear for accent became fine-tuned to the social markers of class, I became attuned too to the faint hints of, if not quite hostility, then condescension downward; and upward, a certain guarded resentment towards a class that thought ourselves the “betters” of those socially beneath us. The metaphor (and it’s only metaphor) of “upper” and “lower”, as well as words like “common” and “ordinary”, attested to an undeclared ranking of worth; perhaps a hint, hanging ever so lightly in the air, of friction. “Working class”, in a Britain where today every social class works, has become a euphemism for all that. As (partly through Cambridge) I secured my own class anchorage, and prospered, and moved to London, I found myself in a world where you can know a substantial proportion of those whom your friends also know. You all keep bumping into each other. And this in a city of some nine million people. It sometimes feels as though my friends, their friends and I number just a few thousand souls moving among hordes of hologram people generated by AI to create a plausible backdrop to our world. I hate the chasm. I did in Rhodesia, I did at Cambridge, and I do now. But I acknowledge it. If you, Times reader, don’t, that may be because you are so completely immersed in it you can’t even see it. “What do they know of England, who only England know?” Tom Peck’s politician sketches for our paper are brilliant. His sketch about Andy Burnham’s claimed “impostor syndrome” at Cambridge was spot-on in its contempt for today’s fashion for parading (or Politicians seem afraid to admit to upper or middle-class origins My first rebellion was against assisted places — I think I was wrong Comment politics newsletter For the best analysis and commentary from Westminster Matthew Parris Explore. Plan. And now book with The Times. The Times and Sunday Times is a unique and trusted source of travel inspiration. Now you can trust us to take you there too. Call 0808 231 5090 or visit thetimes.com/holidays the times | Monday August 3 2026
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Comment In the books, world leaders are always calling each other up to gossip. It seemed a funny idea, until Trump returned to the White House. “Call Emmanuel,” Trump told an aide, according to the Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan book Regime Change. “Emmanuel, I’m building an arch,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out if I need a viewing deck. Your arch, do you have a viewing platform?” “Yes,” said President Macron. After more questions about whether people throw bottles off the Arc de Triomphe, Trump hung up. None of this would surprise my children. Once, to comprehend the affairs of princes, you studied Machiavelli. Now you need to read Mac B. Hair-raising T here is one thing the seven-year- old still doesn’t understand about Trump, however, and that is his hair. “I have read that he combs it in from the sides,” I tell him. “Then he combs it back and sprays it.” “He probably gets his butlers to do it,” he replies. “No,” I say. “I think he does it himself.” “He does it?” The little guy is astonished. “Really?” His older brother nods sagely and says: “That’s why it looks so bad.” Jackie’s Odyssey T he cinemas here have been packed for The Odyssey. The New Yorkers I saw it with were uncharacteristically quiet as the title frame appeared. Then a man shouted: “OK! Let’s go!” We watched the crew entering the hut of Circe the witch, the camera lingering on piles of armour outside. “Uh oh!” said a guy near me. There was laughter when a suitor recognised Odysseus, the realisation striking him just before the arrow. In the afterglow of Christopher Nolan’s film, as all things ancient and Greek seemed new again, I was looking through the transcript of an interview I did a few years ago with the musician Carly Simon. She told me that Jackie Kennedy Onassis, her friend, made a handwritten copy of the Odyssey for her second husband, Aristotle Onassis, W e’re walking along a Manhattan street, the kids and I, when the small one spots a CCTV camera. “Do you think Trump can see us?” he asks. It’s always interesting to hear the children speak of the president because, apart from their belief that he watches CCTV footage of East 92nd Street, it always feels as if they get him. He is like a character from one of their books, specifically Mac B., Kid Spy by Mac Barnett. In the series it is 1989 and the protagonist, a child in California, is telephoned by the Queen of England who wants him to serve as her secret agent. Usually he is up against “the KGB Man” and assisted by various foreign leaders. “The president of France looked very disappointed in me,” our hero tells us. “Later when I saw pictures of him, I realised that he always looked disappointed.” Let’s rekindle capitalism with a conscience Britain’s pioneering Quaker businesses showed that success and social good can work together welfare, education and temperance. Away from confectionery, the Clark family of Street, Somerset, built C&J Clark on similar lines. I remember as a mid-1960s child being taken by my mother to undertake a great British ritual before starting a new school year: the trip to get a new pair of Clarks shoes. This great product was indeed the sole of a nation. These companies were the first devolutionists, pioneering a workplace relationship decades before labour law or the welfare state caught up. Unlike Burnham’s approach, it was not driven by centralised dictates or city politics. This levelling-up was made by private enterprise, based on a unique intersection of capitalism, social good and moral fervour. It transformed communities by creating wealth, jobs and a social contract with the community. Surely Google, Amazon and local public enterprises can learn from our rich legacy. It was also a world away from the obsession with diversity equality and inclusion based on race and gender. What about real investment in the lives of working-class people, not their sexuality? We need to be less sneering about the Victorians; they found a way to become the workshop of the world and fight injustice. They had what Simon Heffer calls in his book High Minds, the ability to translate idealism into reality. Their example remains a touchstone for anyone arguing that commercial success and social conscience are not just compatible but can genuinely reinforce one another. genuine commercial asset but it flowed from religious conviction rather than marketing strategy. John Cadbury opened his Birmingham shop in 1824 and the firm flourished under his sons Richard and George Cadbury. George became perhaps the most famous exponent of what he called “prosperity sharing”. In 1879, the company moved its factory out of central Birmingham to a greenfield site and built Bournville, a model village designed to give workers decent housing, gardens, parks and clean air — a deliberate rejection of the slum conditions common near most factories of the era. Cadbury provided a works doctor and dentist, swimming pools, education classes and one of the earliest occupational pension schemes. Employees had access to sports clubs and adult education, reflecting the Quaker belief in the “whole person” — that a worker’s wellbeing extended far beyond the hours spent on the factory floor. Joseph Rowntree built a rival cocoa and confectionery empire in York but is remembered as much for his social investigations. His son, Seebohm Rowntree, conducted pioneering studies of poverty and the findings shaped company policy: better wages, sick pay, a pension fund and — echoing Bournville — the model village of New Earswick. The three charitable trusts established by Joseph persist today, explicitly designed to fund social research and reform rather than simply charitable relief. JS Fry & Sons, the oldest of the great chocolate houses, shared the same broad instincts towards worker A ccording to this year’s Legatum Prosperity Index, Switzerland is the most prosperous country in the world. The Swiss traditions of decentralised government, local democracy and a resolutely pro-enterprise business environment make a winning combination. The country excels at economic freedom, is exceptionally peaceful and enjoys high levels of social cohesion. Swiss health and education are world leading. Second and third in the index are Norway and Ireland. The United States comes 17th and the UK 18th. Why can’t Britain, with its history of enterprise, be in the top ten? Sadly, we have convinced ourselves through a Protestant form of guilt that making money is evil. We think you can’t have social stability alongside great wealth. It is interesting how tongue- tied Andy Burnham becomes when he tries to link social responsibility and capitalism. It is literally gut wrenching for him to say the “C” word. Delivering his opening salvo as prime minister, he began to dance on the grave of Margaret Thatcher. The 1980s was a period when “Britain took some wrong turns”, and many parts of the country were still feeling the effects of decline today. We cannot land all our economic problems on the Thatcher years but we can see that our welfare bill, mass immigration and anti-business culture put us well below Switzerland. We have forgotten one of our great legacies. In the smoky, unforgiving landscape of 19th-century industry, where factory conditions were often brutal and workers’ lives cheap, a small religious minority quietly built successful companies on entirely different principles. Cadbury, Rowntree, Fry’s and Clarks were experiments in what we might now call “social capitalism” — the idea that profit and moral responsibility to workers, communities and society need not be at odds. All these firms were founded by Quakers. This was not incidental. Quakerism placed enormous emphasis on simplicity, honesty, equality and stewardship — the belief that wealth was a trust to be used responsibly rather than a personal indulgence. For much of British history, Quakers were barred from university education, the professions and public office because they refused to swear oaths or conform to the Church of England. Business became one of the few avenues open to them. Their reputation for scrupulous honesty in trade — fixed, fair prices instead of haggling, accurate weights and measures — made Quaker firms trusted well beyond their own community. That trust became a Bournville was built to give workers decent housing and clean air We need a way to support councils to reopen care homes Mark Piggott L ike the new prime minister, I am the 50-something child of a parent with Alzheimer’s. She received her diagnosis in 2019, aged 71, the year she moved from a rented property into sheltered housing. Mum was in Yorkshire; I am in London. To ensure she retained some independence we arranged daily visits from the council. As visits increased to two then three times daily, the fees increased to about £550 a month, almost matching what she received from a private pension. I found myself heading north more frequently, often at short notice following the latest crisis. I was twice hospitalised with stress, and turned the experience into a novel. In 2022, when Mum had a fall in the street, developed Covid-19 in hospital and was deemed too vulnerable to live alone, she was moved to a private care home. There, having just received a modest inheritance, she became liable for the whole cost of her care. In the past five years, we have spent £90,000 of Mum’s savings and pensions on the care she requires. The social care crisis, which Baroness Casey of Blackstock is investigating, isn’t just a crisis for families but for taxpayers as a whole. Mum’s contribution to her annual care costs are about £18,000 — and the local authority pays a larger share, funded by council taxpayers. As the number of council-owned care homes has been decreasing for decades, much of this goes directly to private care operators. In 1979, 64 per cent of residential and nursing home beds were provided by local authorities or the NHS, according to the London School of Economics. By 2012 it was 6 per cent. For domiciliary care the decline has been even sharper, from 95 per cent directly provided by councils in 1993 to 11 per cent in 2012. We need Casey to find a way to support councils to reopen care homes that keep billions of pounds in the system rather than private hands. We consider ourselves fortunate. Mum is now in a private care home on the south coast and we are able to visit regularly. She has lived for seven years with the “condition”, allowing her to spend time with her grandchildren. But she requires 24- hour care, her seizures are becoming more frequent and she is almost catatonic. A bright, vivacious woman who experienced homelessness, poverty and abusive men to become a dance teacher, she would have hated to see herself like this. This is what Alzheimer’s does to you and your family. If the prime minister can help families like mine, and begin to tackle the iniquities of social care, he may even cement some sort of legacy. filling it with ink drawings of him as Odysseus. He was away a lot, for business and, apparently, a fair bit of philandering; meanwhile Jackie O worked over the book like Penelope at the loom, drawing her husband wending his way back to her through storms and Sirens. Homeward bound I am coming home too, after 16 years adrift in New York City. When I tell my fellow New Yorkers, they say politely that I’ll be missed. When my wife says she is leaving, people have terrible breakdowns in the street. But you should see the weeping and rending of garments for our smallest child. I think it is because he is the nearest, of any of us, to the showy spirit of New York. The moment we told him we were leaving, he announced it to his second-grade class, like a total diva. His classmates and teachers made him a book, not as long as Jackie O’s for Aristotle, but still it is quite something. “Go to London and be yourself, show them how New Yorkers do it!” writes Miss Amber. “You got this! Always remember Miss Amber got your back!” I used to think that all this time in New York City would turn me into a New Yorker, the kind of person who would shout: “OK, let’s go!” in a silent cinema. It hasn’t happened. But I’m bringing one home with me. Will Pavia Notebook For a peek into Trump’s mind, brush up on Mac B Tony Sewell
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Comment Buy prints or signed copies of Times cartoons from our Print Gallery at timescartoons.com or call 0800 912 7136 Wildfires suggest rewilding needs a rethink Green enthusiasm for ignoring the old-fashioned thinning and clearing of land does create habitats — and kindling And this fire began on RSPB land and devastated a National Trust heath. Dr Thomas Smith, an environmental geographer at the London School of Economics, mourned “a naivety in some people’s ideas of rewilding”. Talking of heathland further north, the Countryside Alliance says failure to manage vegetation “because of political ideology or ... rewilding is completely irresponsible”. It’s about firebreaks, cool fires, active thinning management. In Europe the EU has, after a long delay, unveiled a wildfire strategy. It similarly deplores unmanaged forestry and abandoned or rewilded farmland. There’s a tug of regret, of course. Too much of Britain is already concrete and brick, too little is wild. Gerard Manley Hopkins cried: “O let them be left, wildness and wet/ Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet!” But it isn’t always wet now. And while love of unruly vegetation and its inhabitants is honourable, wildfires do no favours to them any more than to us. Regeneration at Dunwich will take years. But nature teaches realism, and dogged persistence too. One of our retained firemen told his mother that on the last of his three nights, standing amid the blackened landscape feeling heat still coming up through his boots, he and his comrades were suddenly stilled by one sound. It was a nightjar. “securely on site in locked depots for trained personnel”. Go wider on the theme of preparedness and notice that we have a national shortage of retained “on-call” firefighters. The Local Government Association found last year that three quarters of services have difficulty finding and retaining enough of these part-time staff, who live or work near a fire station and are fit and ready for emergencies. Overall they provide fire cover for about 90 per cent of the country. Recent decline is ascribed not only to the rise in long-distance commuting and second jobs but also “employer resistance”. Like territorials, these quiet heroes need time off for training but their call-ups are more abrupt. Not all bosses like that. Talk also turns to land husbandry. Old-fashioned thinning and clearing and occasional “cool fires” — small deliberate burnings, still common in Australia and once here — are out of fashion. The green enthusiasm for “rewilding”, to provide habitat for species from beetles to birds, has often meant leaving underbrush, fallen and overgrown vegetation alone. These are indeed habitats but they are also very efficient kindling. It need not even be carelessness: a lightning strike or sun through discarded glass can trigger disaster. Here, the oil-based pine and lavender proved particularly fast-burning. armful from the wardrobe into the car. As to prevention, here a firework event is cancelled and, after some effort and persuasion, campsites have banned fires, barbecues and lanterns. But yesterday some fools lit a beach campfire a few feet upwind from dry marram grass and bridled at any challenge. One local called police, was passed to fire brigade and coastguard, but learnt that nothing can happen until disaster does. Everyone wants more warning signposts. A 98-year-old Blitz veteran speaks of a firewatch, though this being Suffolk it’s hard to find anything high enough to watch from, apart from the terrifying ladder up the church tower. Older people remember how it was once normal to have a few “beaters” — rubber mats on sticks — stacked around heathland areas so anyone who saw smouldering could quell it with robust rural sense. Research suggests that alas, like so much trust in the citizenry, this kind of provision is seen to “put untrained members of the public at risk” and cause vandalism. Swatters must be O n Wednesday afternoon two women smelt smoke below a path at Minsmere nature reserve. They tried briefly to stamp the crackling ground with beach shoes, then raised the alarm. By nightfall the rare and precious Dunwich heath was aflame. Six miles away we saw smoke whiten, and hoped for the best. But winds shifted unpredictably through Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Homes, caravans and campsites were evacuated, refuge taken at Westleton village hall. Fire crews laboured, a helicopter scooped seawater, 1,000 litres at a time, to drop on the burning land. Crews from as far as Yorkshire came to help Suffolk’s full-time and retained firefighters. Only on Friday could the police escort evacuees back briefly to collect possessions and cars. The area remains closed. Yesterday it was only dubbed “stable”, small fires being dealt with. It’s bleak. We lived for 15 years on the edge of that heath; our former house has only just survived. The fire service’s protection of property, even caravans, was remarkable. Still more remarkable is that they stopped it crossing the road to torch acres of equally tinder-dry woods. But there’s grief in the wound to beauty and wildlife on a “national landscape” already ravaged by acres of concrete for Sizewell C preparations, sprawling solar farms and impending National Grid projects. A wound, a blow to local morale and tourism businesses. At least the Blitz spirit of community is strong: Red Cross, Salvation Army and other groups stepped up, search-and-rescue volunteers flew drones to help monitoring, businesses brought help and food, locals housed dispossessed neighbours and holidaymakers (one family fresh from fleeing the French wildfires). Farmers brought machinery to cut and dig firebreaks. Suffolk works well. Now talk along this troubled coast turns to prevention and preparation, both personal and general. Our own village is surrounded by a cracklingly dry bracken and gorse common, and some of us are toying with Nordic- style civil defence preparedness. What would you grab: phone, passport, pills, water? The evacuated couple we housed on Thursday night (their home now luckily fine) had seized family photos and memory boxes, one younger member managing to chuck a cherished These quiet heroes need time off to train. Not all bosses like that Libby Purves @lib_thinks
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor should be sent to letters@thetimes.co.uk or by post to 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF However, it was Michael Heseltine, as minister for Merseyside in Margaret Thatcher’s government, who turned the tide with Liverpool’s renewal in the 1980s. The International Garden Festival, the Royal Albert Dock development, new buildings in Toxteth and on the south side of the Anglican cathedral, and the Eldonian Village project in inner-city Vauxhall all came into being and helped save Liverpool’s morale and economy because of Heseltine’s One Nation Conservatism. The Very Rev Dr John Davies Curate, Liverpool Parish Church, 1984-87; Christchurch, Glos Sir, One word is missing from Lord Glasman’s article — women. I still can’t forget in my younger Labour Party days the mobilisation by male bishops to deny women in Britain the right to have a say over their own fertility. Women are also not allowed to take a full part in celebrating Mass. The Vatican insists that to be considered a “practising Catholic” you have to attend weekly Mass as a minimum. I worked 15 years with European trade unions who know all about Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 Rerum Novarum encyclical, worker priests and the Church’s support for the right of workers to form unions as well as the duty of employers to treat workers fairly — Catholic social teaching ideas that were anathema to that staunch Church of England prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. However, Alastair Campbell was right when he stopped a journalist talking to the Mass-going prime minister Tony Blair about faith with the injunction “We don’t do God!” The New Testament tells us about the difference between Caesar and God. As a Labour cradle Catholic and retired altar boy I would urge Andy Burnham not to play the faith card. Dr Denis MacShane London SW1 Sir, Lord Glasman’s article made me aware that I no longer feel cynical about our leaders. Andy Burnham, Kemi Badenoch and Sir Keir Starmer all come across as genuine people of goodwill, motivated by more than personal ambition, even if they are not equals when it comes to political nous or the ability to get things done. For me throwing off the shackles of never-ending cynicism has brought unexpected relief. Long may it last! Henry Scrope Shipton by Beningbrough, York Dearth of rain Sir, Perhaps Andy Burnham should appoint a minister for drought (“Call for tougher laws on barbecues and bonfires”, Jul 31). Denis Howell was appointed in the fabled long hot summer of 1976 and soon earned the revised sobriquet of minister for rain. Prue Seddon Toys Hill, Kent Sir, In 1922 AP Herbert wrote: “The Farmer will never be happy again/ He carries his heart in his boots; For either the rain is destroying his grain/ Or the drought is destroying his roots.” Plus ça change. However, Britain is surrounded by water. Some have argued long but perhaps not loudly enough that desalination is part of the answer to water shortages. Mark Pyper Oxford Dunwich wildfire Sir, The Dunwich Heath fire (“I saw Suffolk fire spread like fury. The noise was horrible”, Aug 1) is another blow to an area that has already lost more than 40,000 trees, miles of hedgerow and much wildlife owing to the Sizewell development. There are many birds on the red list on this part of the Suffolk coast. Nature can only take so much before the damage becomes impossible to reverse. The energy companies and government should consider the impact on our environment and wildlife. Alexandra Langdon Aldeburgh, Suffolk Spirit of the game Sir, Steve James claims cricket is a mass of grey areas when it comes to what is acceptable (“ ‘Clicky’ fell foul of nebulous spirit — but what is cheating?”, Aug 1). However, “when you know you know” describes perfectly the sportsman’s dilemma — how far to go to win. Sharp elbows, playing to win and extreme competitiveness are acceptable if they comply with rules and laws, but the protagonist invariably knows if they have crossed the line. Sadly, as the Clicky Ponting affair demonstrates, it seems standards in sport and life are moving in the wrong direction. Hugh Cooper York Help with puzzles Sir, Mick Hodgkin’s column on using reference books to help with crosswords (Feedback, Aug 1) reminded me of when I began teaching maths in the 1970s and calculators started to appear. We met to discuss whether such aids should be allowed in exams. My head of department said he would like to have been at the meeting that discussed whether using log tables was allowed. Gwyn Evans Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf Lies, damned lies Sir, Giles Coren’s admissions of fibbing (Comment, Aug 1) reminded me of a dear friend who lied unstintingly on an application form. At the interview, when they asked about the skydiving and being a concert pianist, she confessed it was to get her into the room. They asked why they should employ her. “I’m kind to animals” was all she could think of. She worked there until her retirement. Beryl Whyatt Welwyn Garden City, Herts Corrections and clarifications 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 UK should bid for 2038 World Cup Sir, As we recover from the recent World Cup and Gianni Infantino’s attempt to sell off part of Fifa to a Trump-linked private equity company (letters, Aug 1), what better time for England — or Britain and Ireland — to put in a bid to host the 2038 World Cup? The 2030 Cup is already lost to a group of six countries on three continents. This has been designed for Infantino to claim that these three continents have hosted recent finals, leaving Saudi Arabia to get the 2034 World Cup unopposed. The public outcry against Infantino’s sale plan shows that there is still strong support for the “basics” of football. A UK bid right now would set a high bar for others to challenge. And if Andy Burnham announces it with a commitment that he will ask the FA to locate the bulk of the matches in the north of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, he will be giving a good example of how he plans to shift the focus towards the regions that have been overlooked for so long. Charles Enoch Twickenham Sir, Matthew Syed has noted that the disgraceful behaviour of the Argentinian football team had done something which nobody believed possible and united the world — against them. Now, Gianni Infantino has managed a second impossibility. He has made his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, look like a model of probity. Alec Gallagher Potton, Beds Outstanding care Sir, Janice Turner hit the nail on the head in her comparison between lavish and basic care homes (“Get ready to pay for the care we’ll all need”, Aug 1). My godmother lived for nine years in a “basic” home where she was looked after by thoughtful, committed and caring staff, many of whom were there on day one and still there when she died, and attended her funeral. It’s the quality of the (sadly underpaid) staff, not the “baubles”, which makes a care home outstanding. Lawrence McVeigh Rochester, Kent Burnham’s faith and northern Catholicism Sir, Lord Glasman reminds us of the roots of the Labour tradition, as reflected in the party’s new leader (“Burnham’s faith in tradition might save Labour”, Aug 1). He eloquently describes the Labour Party’s non- conformist and Roman Catholic traditions built around the dignity of home, family, work and place. Not so long ago the Church of England was described as the “Tory party at prayer”. Christianity fulfilled a spiritual longing within the human condition and sits in contrast to the managerial, legalistic and process- driven ethos of previous governments which probably contributed to the unpopularity of Sir Keir Starmer. We should be grateful to have a prime minister who embraces his roots within the Roman Catholic Church. It is a pity that the Church of England has vacated this vital space in national life in its rush to managerialism and virtue-signalling. Simon Edwards Sarremezan, France Sir, Lord Glasman’s reflections on the influence of Roman Catholic social teaching, as articulated by Archbishop Derek Worlock of Liverpool, on our new prime minister are timely. Jersey’s jurats Sir, Some years ago I was an expert witness in Jersey, where the structure of the legal profession reflects the French historical background (“Rethink of Lammy’s plans to restrict jury trials”, Aug 1). Jersey has advocates rather than barristers. The position of the bailiff, the civic head of the island, and the role of jurats date from the 14th century. Jurats are unpaid lay people who have been elected by an electoral college and replace a jury. My view is that this would reduce miscarriages of justice. Jury members might be in a hurry to pick up children from school, or to return to the office, or simply let their attention drift to their own worries. Professor Michael Baum Professor emeritus of surgery, University College London from the times august 3, 1926 BRIGHTON’S BANK HOLIDAY BONANZA Humane traps Sir, I am surprised that Nigel Farndale (Notebook, Jul 31) thinks trapping a mouse, then releasing it away from its usual food sources and places of shelter, is humane; it will often result in its early death. It would be kinder if he blocked access to his house, got a cat to discourage the mice or invested in high-quality traditional snap traps. “Humane” traps are an example of humans taking the easy way out in our approach to wildlife. Jane Kaye Maidenhead, Berks Sir, I used humane traps regularly when I had frequent mouse visitors. Peanut butter worked well to entice them into the trap, and then I would set them free a mile or two away. But I felt the mice were somehow finding their way back. Perhaps it was for the peanut butter? Later I realised new generations of mice were making their way into my house via my electricity meter. When the filler around the wires was replaced, there were no more mice. I missed them. Barbara Curry Winchcombe, Glos thetimes.com/archive AI and peer reviews Sir, One of the problems with the academic peer-review process is that it can take years before publications reach the academic community. This is incompatible with the speed of advance of AI (“When AI helps trolls to hype Hitler, historians stand no chance”, Weekend essay, Aug 1). In the past year I have listened to two papers from academics claiming that guardrails in modern AI models do not permit prompts on Hitler or the Holocaust. As Niall Ferguson says, this is no longer the case. Dr Anthony Harris Emmanuel College, Cambridge Bat out of hell Sir, Jim Dixon’s Nature Notebook (Aug 1) reminded me of when a bat came in through a skylight in our house. It spiralled down our staircase and back up again, heading straight for me. While I cowered, my wife found a sheet in the wardrobe and held it out. The bat landed on it and she folded it in and took the sheet outside, then opened it up again. The bat flew off. I thoroughly approved of this approach but somehow, in all the excitement, forgot to download an app to listen in and confirm the species. John Taylor Sherburn in Elmet, N Yorks Letters to The Times must be exclusive and may be edited. Please include a full address and daytime telephone number. This has been a year of sunny bank holidays. Easter Monday had blue skies and a summer temperature. Whit Monday was equally warm and fine. Yesterday began without a cloud, and the sun shone from dawn to early evening. South coast resorts, where in July hotels and boarding houses had received very disappointing numbers of guests, were booked up by Saturday night, and at Brighton, Southend and other places many people failed to find accommodation and had to sleep in cinema theatres, on the beach or in motor-cars. Following on the weekend departures from London huge numbers of holiday-makers set out in the morning for one-day excursions by rail, road or steamer. The motor traffic on the Surrey roads was not quite so heavy as in Whit week, but between 8 and 11 o’clock steady processions of cars rolled along the highways, towards Brighton or tree-covered hills which offered shady spots for picnic meals. The country is very beautiful for the time of the year. Woods and hedgerows and meadows are a brighter green than is usual in August; red poppies show among the ripening corn and, near to the streams, creamy tufts of meadowsweet fill the air with fragrance. On Hampshire heaths and Surrey uplands the heather is in bloom. The London commons are favourite recreation grounds for people who are content to spend a bank holiday within easy reach of their homes, and with cricket matches, lawn tennis and other games to watch large numbers enjoyed the day quietly at little or no cost on these unique open spaces. Hampstead Heath at normal times has the best characteristics of the commons, but on bank holidays it becomes a fairground and quiet is banished by the discord of competing jazz tones blared from the brass mouths of “organs” attached to merry-go-rounds and by the noisy revelry of the multitude. Holiday visitors to the central parts of London were numerous. It had been announced that the new signalling system by coloured lights at the eastern end of Piccadilly would be put into operation, but there was so little traffic for the constables on point duty to regulate that the lights were not required.
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Leading articles the Conservative education reforms never ran, declined. Indeed, the experience of Scotland — where Neet rates are also high, and which has been governed by the Scottish National Party since 2007 — belies Ms Powell’s suggestion that the Neet question is the legacy of Conservative education policy. In that context, it is not wholly reassuring to hear the education secretary bemoan a historic “over-focus on academic attainment”, as she did in comments last week. Academic attainment is important. Strengthening technical education should certainly never mean writing a teenager off as unacademic. Everyone needs to be taught to add up. Ms Powell is on much stronger ground when she argues, as she does in today’s newspaper, that academic and technical education should not be seen as rivals competing for status at all. Rather, they should be complementary components of a modern school education. The boundary between the two is, in any case, becoming more porous. The government has suggested, for example, that pupils should be able to study technical courses in subjects such as artificial intelligence. The need for a sound basis in maths and science to master skills in that area of rapid technological innova- tion is obvious. The proposals advanced by the Times Education Commission, to introduce a new baccalaureate qualification including both academic and vocational options, recognise this economic reality. The government is right to look again at how school qualifications are structured. Yet it will also need to pull policy levers outside the classroom. A recent report of Alan Milburn’s review on young people and work, commissioned by the government last year, points to other factors behind the prevalence of Neets, some of which may be less palatable to Labour MPs. The evidence shows that, once young people out of work or training begin claiming a health and disability benefit, they struggle to come off it. The welfare state, Mr Milburn argues, is focused more on income replacement than enabling participa- tion in the labour market. Any solution to the Neets crisis must be coupled with welfare reform: young people need to be given the skills to succeed, and then encouraged to use them. to a system, like America’s, using variable “locational prices”. Octopus Energy calculates this switch could save consumers as much as £55 billion by 2050. It could drive down Scotland’s energy prices to some of the cheapest in Europe. It would also allow energy-hungry industries to be located closer to where that energy is generated, avoiding inefficient energy transmission. The electricity grid is also too weak. Ofgem, the energy regulator, proposes to charge developers an upfront fee of as much as £712,500 per mega- watt for projects planning to connect to the grid. That is a sensible interim step. At present it can take months or years to connect to the grid — a huge liability in an industry where speed is of the essence. Such frictions are thought to make the lifetime value of a 100-megawatt data centre almost a fifth lower in Britain than in America. By forcing developers to pay up front, Ofgem is hoping to weed out unserious and speculative planners from among the 315 data centre proposals in the long queue for approval. This measure is, however, ultimately a concession to the underlying weakness of the grid. Britain is un- able to meet the demand of the investors courting it. It is estimated that the total electricity capacity required by projects planning to join the grid has recently increased to as much as 125 gigawatts: almost three times the peak electricity demand last year. Britain’s underlying shortage of energy capacity is another bottleneck to be addressed. As more data centres appear across Britain, other forms of opposition will rear their heads. In America, nimbyist concerns about the pollution and unsightliness caused by data centres have fuelled a political backlash against the technology. The Scottish National Party has recently called for a complete moratorium on the construction of data centres north of the border. Last year, the London Assembly’s planning and re- generation committee alleged that data centre construction might be diverting limited grid connectivity and resources away from house- building. It is clear, however, that London will need data centres close at hand, not least to serve the capital’s finance sector. These objections offer an intimation of the political football that will be made of data centres in years to come. Ill-motivated blockers must not be allowed to stop Britain from building infra- structure where there is a sound business case for doing so. Nor should they distract policymakers from addressing the UK’s deep structural weak- nesses, now so glaringly exposed in the age of AI. the Cairngorms and the Trossachs in Scotland, to the sharp ridges of the Snowdonia mountains, to the sprawling woodlands of the New Forest, the granite tors of Dartmoor and the rolling chalk hills of the South Downs. Credit is due to John Scott, a 65-year-old who is nearing the end of a 2,300-mile trek through the Slow Ways National Parks Trail, a crowdsourced hiking route that links all 15 national parks. That is twice the length of the walking route from John o’Groats to Land’s End. Scott began in Norfolk in March and is approaching his final destination of Nairn, near Inverness. He has covered between 15 and 20 miles each day. Scott reports that parts of the route still need work from volunteers. Each walker who takes on the challenge, or part of it, can help to check and improve the route for others. That is a valuable gift to posterity, for which Scott deserves thanks from any lover of Britain’s most precious landscapes. It is fitting, perhaps, that his day job is as a conflict resolution mediator. Who could have malice in their eye or hatred in their heart, when looking out over the waters of Loch Lomond? And after 2,300 miles, who would even have the energy? In the first quarter of this year, the number of young people in Britain not in education, employ- ment or training (Neet) exceeded one million for the first time since 2013. Some 13.5 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds fell into that category. In today’s Times, the new education secretary, Lucy Powell, outlines her determination to get those young people back on the road to success. It is a laudable goal, though the government has only the begin- nings of an answer to the challenge. The centrepiece of Ms Powell’s strategy is a re- newed focus on creative and technical education for children “whose talents and skills lie beyond academia”. Ms Powell argues that the prevalence of Neets is to be laid at the door of Lord Gove of Torry, her predecessor in 2010-14, who led a programme of reform to instil greater academic focus and rigour in English schools. Parts of this analysis are clouded by the fog of party politics. The 2010s saw an increase in attainment in reading and maths among English children when measured against international comparators. In the same period, the performance of schoolchildren in Scotland, where the writ of Data Centre Stage Britain cannot afford to be left behind by the AI revolution. Building data centres is severely testing the country’s ageing infrastructure and inefficient grid Data centres are the industrial engines of the AI revolution. These vast buildings, housing the computers used by large language models, are springing up all over the developed world. Britain has an estimated 560 data centres — some built several years ago to support cloud computing, and some appearing more recently during the AI revolution. The race to build infrastructure fit for the 21st century, however, is exposing weaknesses in Britain’s industrial base. One bottleneck is the inefficiency of the electricity grid. Another is a tangle of regulation that slows planning and deters investment. These issues must be addressed for Britain to live up to its potential. Industrial energy prices in Britain are crippling- ly high — four times those in America. Given that modern AI systems require a large amount of computational power, the cost of energy creates an acute barrier to investment in data centres. The problem is that in Britain the wholesale energy price is set nationally and tends to allow compara- tively costly gas-powered plants to act as a “price setter”. That pushes up prices, as well as depriving the market of signals: it means industry cannot move to areas where an abundance of energy ought to make production much cheaper. Many industry analysts argue that the grid should move Schools of Thought Technical and academic education go hand in hand to get young people to work Walk in the Parks Maintaining a walking route through every national park is a service to posterity In his celebrated guide to the Lake District, William Wordsworth, the Romantic poet, wrote of the collective wish to preserve the beauty of the area shared by those throughout Britain who “deem the district a sort of national property, in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy”. That spirit of collective commitment to the beauty of Britain’s countryside was the basis for the national parks system, established by the Attlee government over a century later. There are now 15 national parks, displaying wonders of the natural landscape from the lochs of UK: Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, the All- Ireland Music Festival, continues in Belfast. US: Palantir and Snap company results. Weld is a deep- rooted non-native biennial wildflower once prized for the yellow dye that can be extracted from its leaves and seeds. It is known by many other names, including dyer’s rocket, dyer’s weed, woold and yellow weed, but should not be confused with dyer’s greenweed, aka dyer’s broom, which also has yellow flowers and yields a yellow dye, but is a member of the pea family. In summer weld forms tall, upright flower spikes covered in tiny blooms, and these attract pollinators, including yellow-face bees. There are 12 species of yellow-face bees in the British Isles; one, the large yellow-face bee, is an “oligolectic specialist”, relying entirely on weld and its close cousin, wild mignonette. melissa harrison In 1904 British troops entered Lhasa, Tibet, from where the 13th Dalai Lama had fled. Baroness (Thangam) Debbonaire, pictured, shadow leader of the House of Commons (2021-23), 60; Ossie Ardiles, footballer, Argentina (1975-82) and Tottenham Hotspur (1978-88), and manager, 74; Robert Ayling, chief executive, British Airways (1996-2000), 80; Vice-Admiral Paul Bennett, president, Royal British Legion, Association of Royal Naval Officers, 62; Steven Berkoff, actor, Octopussy (1983), 89; Tom Brady, American football player, seven-time Super Bowl champion, 49; Jourdan Dunn, model and actress, Terminal (2018), 36; Stephen Graham, actor, Adolescence (2025), 53; Sir Nick Harvey, armed forces minister (2010- 12), 65; James Hetfield, musician, co-founder of Metallica, 63; Lindsey Hilsum, international editor, Channel 4 News, 68; Sir David Holgate, lord justice of appeal, 70; Kristo Kaarmann, businessman, co-founder and chief executive, Wise (global tech company), 46; Prof Sir John Kay, economist, The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (almost) everything we are told about business is wrong (2024), 78; Sir Simon Keenlyside, baritone, 67; John Landis, film director, National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980), 76; Ryan Lochte, swimmer, six-time Olympic gold medallist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), 42; Dame Ursula Martin, computer scientist, 73; Jimmie Nicol, drummer, replaced Ringo Starr in the Beatles for eight world concerts in 1964, 87; Edward Petherbridge, actor, portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey in TV adaptations of the novels of Dorothy L Sayers, 90; Jacki Piper, actress, best known for the Carry On... film series (1970-72), 80; Masato Sagawa, scientist, winner of the Queen Elizabeth prize for engineering (2022), 83; Martin Sheen, actor, Apocalypse Now (1979), The West Wing (1999-2006), 86; Skin (Deborah Dyer), singer, Skunk Anansie, Weak (1995), 59; Martha Stewart, US talk show host and businesswoman, 85; Jack Straw, former lord chancellor, foreign secretary and home secretary, 80. “The other day, someone told me the difference between a democracy and a people’s democracy. It’s the same difference between a jacket and a straitjacket.” Ronald Reagan speaking at a human rights event (1986) Nature notes Birthdays today On this day The last word Daily Universal Register
Monday August 3 2026 | the times World only a “balance of probabilities” to be required as the civil standard of proof. Nevertheless, the trial produced a trove of witness testimony, most notably by special forces soldiers whose identities were hidden by coded numbers, some of whom had described in detail the killing of Esmatullah’s father and brother. In Kakarak, Esmatullah told The Times that his own memories of that day were still burnt into his mind, up to the point when he saw his brother and father for the last time. “I remember enough of that day when the soldiers came, even though I was young,” he said. “I remember the way foreign soldiers had painted their faces. I remember them standing on the roof and looking down at us in the yard. I remember my brother handcuffed. I remember the rain.” Esmatullah said a bomb, probably an artillery or mortar round, had hit the family compound in the morning, forcing them all to seek shelter in the basement. In the far distance came The last time Esmatullah saw his father and elder brother he was ten years old. It was late in the day in the village of Kakarak and it was raining. Neither man had long to live. They were standing in the yard of the family home, in custody, surrounded by Australian SAS soldiers with camouflage-painted faces. Esmatullah’s father, Mohammed Esa, was about 60 years old. The military after-action report and later court documents referred to him only as “an old man”. Esmatullah’s brother, Ahmadullah, was about 22 and had a prosthetic leg after a motorbike crash in his teens: the same documents call him “man with prosthetic leg”. There was no time for goodbyes. Esmatullah, his mother and siblings were taken away by a group of soldiers to another compound. At sunset came the sound of shooting. The next time Esmatullah saw his father and brother they lay dead in the rubble of their home, codenamed Whiskey 108 by the Australian special forces, with close-range gunshot wounds. Some of his father’s head had been blown off. His brother’s prosthetic leg was missing. Many years later Esmatullah was to see the prosthesis again. This time it was in a photograph, in which an SAS soldier was drinking beer from the stump of the false leg. Another soldier, wearing a baseball cap, was cheering him on, a clenched fist raised. The man raising his fist is Ben Roberts-Smith, Victoria Cross: a special forces war hero. Seventeen years after the day of blood and rain and painted faces in Kakarak, he is facing trial on five charges of war crime - murder. Among the charges against him, the former SAS corporal is accused of killing Esmatullah’s brother and ordering another soldier to kill his father. “I often felt that if I could reach that man I would ask him, ‘why did you kill my father and brother like that?’ ” said Esmatullah, now 27, pulling his phone from his pocket, an image on its screen of Ben Roberts-Smith, gleaned from a recent online report. “But for years I felt desperate, not knowing who killed them, and with no hope of ever being able to reach out and ask those questions.” “I’d have understood if they were killed in battle,” he added, “but they were ‘SAS war hero killed my unarmed killed inside our home, unarmed. To this man I would say: ‘if you really wanted, you could have taken them away to prison, but you chose to kill them and bomb my house. Why?’ ” Trial The charges against Ben Roberts- Smith, now 47, who was arrested at Sydney airport on April 7 and was later bailed, awaiting trial, follow a joint investigation by the Office of the Special Investigator and the Australian federal police. If convicted, the offence of war crime - murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The most significant military prosecution in Australian history has riven the country, polarising opinion between supporters of the former officer — whose chiselled looks, imposing figure and Victoria Cross still make him an easily digestible hero — and his critics, among them some members of Australia’s special forces who have accused Roberts- Smith of cold-bloodedly murdering detainees and relishing their killings, far from being blinded by the “fog of war”. The evidence and impending trial are remarkable not just for the accusations of war crimes against a man awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous gallantry in charging two Taliban machinegun posts in 2010. Its outcome will hold special resonance in the UK too. Many of the allegations made against Roberts- Smith and other members of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment accused of unlawful killings in Uruzgan province between 2009 and 2013 closely resemble those made against the British SAS operating in Helmand between 2010 and 2013. The two regiments share a lengthy history, including shared operational doctrine and training philosophy, and regular liaison. Even their motto “Who Dares Wins” is the same. Though the vast majority of soldiers from both SAS regiments served with distinction and professionalism in Afghanistan, when it came to unlawful killings and cover-ups the two regiments may also have been brothers-in-arms. “Drop weapons” placed by soldiers beside the bodies of unarmed men to falsify scenes of crime, the killing of detainees who were already in custody, faked after-action accounts and the embittered climate of the Afghan war in which special forces soldiers judged it better to kill unarmed suspects or civilian men of military age rather than detain them — the description of war crimes committed by the Australian SAS are startlingly similar to the accusations made against their British counterparts. Both regiments have been the subject of inquiry. In the UK, the Afghan Independent Inquiry chaired by Lord Justice Sir Charles Haddon- Cave is examining allegations of at least 80 unlawful killings by the British Special Forces in Helmand. In Australia’s case, a four-year internal investigation headed by Major General Paul Brereton examined similar allegations made against Australian troops. It concluded with the release of the Brereton report in 2020, which found that 25 Australian special forces members had been involved in 39 unlawful killings of Afghans. Brereton’s findings were groundbreaking. They shattered the public misconception that the deaths had occurred as the result of split- second decisions made by soldiers in the heat of combat, revealing instead that all the unlawful killings had involved unarmed detainees, often civilian, who were in custody and posed no threat. Moreover, the Brereton report resulted in a raft of Australian special forces reforms, which included better oversight of operations, the disbandment of a particular SAS squadron, and emphasis on more strident accountability. It also recommended further investigations into war crime suspects, and referred details from its findings to the federal police. Brereton’s inquiry was the catalyst for the creation of the Office of the Special Investigator, the Australian government agency working with the police to investigate war crimes in Afghanistan, whose work eventually led to the criminal charges against Roberts-Smith. Whiskey 108 These charges — all of which Roberts-Smith denies — involve five killings between 2009 and 2012. In each case the victims were allegedly unarmed, under control by Australian troops and posed no threat. The victims included a handcuffed Afghan farmer who was kicked down a cliff face in the village of Darwan in September 2012, reportedly by Roberts-Smith, who then ordered another soldier to kill him; and two detainees who were shot dead in the village of Syahchow in October 2012. Yet it is the killings of Esmatullah’s father and brother in the village of Kakarak on April 12, 2009 — almost 17 years to the day before Roberts- Smith was arrested at Sydney airport and charged — which best exemplify the hunger to kill and the glorification of killing among some members of Australia’s special forces at the time. Ironically, the huge volume of credible detail already in the public domain concerning the Whiskey 108 incident and other unlawful killings is partially due to Roberts-Smith’s own decisions. In 2018, after a series of detailed investigative articles by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times, which had used the pseudonym “Leonidas” for Roberts- Smith, he had sued for defamation. That trial included testimony from numerous serving and former SAS soldiers, as well as Afghan witnesses and military experts. When it concluded in 2023 the judge, Justice Anthony Besanko, dismissed Roberts- Smith’s claims and found that the newspapers had substantially proved many of the most serious allegations against the former SAS soldier to be true, including those concerning his involvement in the killings at Whiskey 108. As the defamation trial was a civil matter, the bar by which Justice Besanko found in favour of the newspapers and against Roberts- Smith was lower than that required to find guilt in a criminal case, needing To this man I would say: you could have taken them to prison but you chose to kill them. Why? Afghan family says decorated soldier should be punished for alleged crimes, Anthony Loyd reports from Kakarak
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Nonnas know best: the bakery duo with recipe for social media success Homelessness comes knocking on the door of a Hollywood institution father and brother at our home’ ANTHONY LOYD FOR THE TIMES; ANTHONY DEVLIN/REUTERS of the Red Cross in Kabul — and taking it away as a war trophy. Nicknamed “Das Boot”, the leg next appeared in a photograph taken in the Fat Ladies Arms, the unofficial bar on the Australian special forces base in Tarinkot, where it was used as a novelty drinking vessel. Roberts- Smith appeared in the picture but denied drinking out of the leg himself, though he admitted cheering on others who did. He said later that every member of his SAS squadron was given a glass replica of the leg with “2 Squadron” engraved on it. Legacy The upcoming trial, which may not begin until as late as 2029, will focus on whether or not the charges against Roberts-Smith of unlawful killings are provable “beyond reasonable doubt”: a higher bar for a criminal case than that required as the civil standard of proof in the earlier defamation case. Whatever the outcome, it is unlikely to affect the fate of Esmatullah and his family. Though the Afghan Inquiry Compensation Scheme, set up after the Brereton Report, is considering awarding them compensation, the impact of the killings has already ruined the family’s life and prospects. “After the incident life was never again the same,” said Esmatullah. “Our home was destroyed and my father and brother were left dead. Though a child I had to take responsibility for the family’s land and work. I never went back to school. As the result of that day my younger brother and I became illiterate farmers.” It is also unlikely that Esmatullah will ever get his wish to ask Roberts- Smith the question “why?” To date, the Office of the Special Investigator is not taking evidence for the trial from Afghans still inside Afghanistan, and there is little chance Esmatullah will ever be called to Australia to testify. With outcomes so limited, and the effect of the killings so devastating, it is no wonder that fury resides with grief as the legacy of that day 17 years ago. “I would like to see him executed, to see him hanged,” said Esmatullah. “My first choice is to see him punished according to our Islamic laws, an eye for an eye, execution by hanging. I want that.” A witness said the patrol commander had spoken of the need to ‘blood the rookie’ with his first kill were ordered out from their shelter. They were gathered in the yard, where Esmatullah saw his father and brother. The men were in custody, having been found in a hiding place later described by SAS witnesses as a tunnel. It is unclear whether or not the two men were Taliban members. Esmatullah, his mother and the family’s other children were escorted out of the compound. The accounts of SAS witnesses in the defamation trial described what happened next. According to federal court documents, Roberts-Smith was second in command of the SAS patrol, which was commanded by another soldier known as Person 5. A witness testified that the patrol commander had already spoken repeatedly of the need to give a new member of the patrol his first kill, using the phrase “blood the rookie”. Evidence from a soldier at the defamation trial, judged to be truthful by Justice Besanko, described how, Esmatullah shows a picture of Ben Roberts- Smith on his phone screen; the Australian SAS corporal meeting Queen Elizabeth; with another SAS member who drank beer from the prosthetic leg of Esmatullah’s dead brother; and, far left, out on patrol the sporadic sound of shooting. The SAS had arrived at the family’s home in the late afternoon, as part of a bigger operation against the Taliban in the area around Kakarak. The region had been a bastion of Taliban support since 2002, when an American AC-130 gunship had mistaken a wedding party in Kakarak for a Taliban assembly and opened fire, killing 48 people and wounding 117. Esmatullah’s family were still in hiding when the soldiers arrived, and once the women and children had gone, Roberts-Smith forced Esmatullah’s father to his knees and ordered the new soldier to kill him. The soldier did so, shooting him once in the head with an M4 rifle. According to other witnesses, Roberts-Smith then dragged Esmatullah’s brother outside the compound, threw him to the ground and shot him with a Minimi machinegun. An SAS soldier codenamed Person 24 said he saw Roberts-Smith throw the brother to the ground and “immediately put a machinegun burst into his back”. Another soldier, Person 41, also said he saw Roberts-Smith shoot the disabled man. He said Roberts-Smith looked up and saw him watching. “He looked at me and said ‘are we all cool, we good?’,” Person 41 recalled. “I just replied. ‘yeah mate, no worries’.” After the killings, the unit’s troop commander was told that the two slain men were “squirters”, attempting to flee after the compound was breached. Ben Roberts-Smith has never denied killing the man with the prosthetic leg, but insists he did so as the man was carrying a weapon and running. “He had his hand over the top of the weapon, because he was carrying it down next to his body like that ... hunched over, as in, running like that with his shoulders down,” Roberts-Smith told the federal court. Esmatullah finds Robert-Smith’s account of the incident, as well as his reputation for bravery in action, impossible to balance. “He would have been a hero if he had fought my brother and father in battle, not shot them down in the yard of my home unarmed,” he said. “How can you consider that heroism? Those soldiers are savages.” Witness testimony described an SAS soldier, Person 6, removing Ahmadullah’s prosthetic limb — which the family say was originally made by the International Committee
Monday August 3 2026 | the times World The dinner rush is under way and waiters glide through the oak-panelled room wearing red jackets that match the leather of the booths that have hosted Hollywood power lunches for more than a century. Frank Sinatra loved the restaurant, billed as Hollywood’s oldest, while last year Taylor Swift introduced it to a whole new generation when she refer- enced it in her song Elizabeth Taylor. Musso & Frank Grill is almost a museum, only with better food. Grilled lamb kidneys and bacon, Charlie Chaplin’s favourite dish, is still on the menu, as are classics such as chicken pot pie. To dine here is to be transported back to Los Angeles’ golden era. Yet outside the doors on Hollywood Boulevard lies a very modern problem. On a recent visit, a grey-haired man with a torch strapped to his forehead was rummaging in bins near the en- trance while across the street, by the stars for Francis Ford Coppola and Harrison Ford on the Walk of Fame, a man with a heavily tattooed face lay clearing the roadside tents that have appeared across Hollywood. But this has not dealt with the problem of the people who sleep in them. Rand Corporation, a non-profit think tank, reported in May that the total number of rough sleepers was stable but that the proportion sleeping on the street or in cars had risen by 11 per cent in 2025. Many of them suffer from mental illness or drug addiction. “We’ve kind of addressed the low- hanging fruit,” said Sarah Hunter, the co-author of the report and a senior be- havioural scientist at Rand. “And now it’s going to be even more challenging.” This will increase pressure on Bass, who made tackling homelessness a top priority when elected in 2022. Her op- VALERIA MARQUEZ/INSTAGRAM; ARMANDO SOLIS/AP Dining out on Hollywood’s boulevard of broken dreams sprawled on the sidewalk. Apparently unconscious, his bare legs had no pro- tection from the Californian sun. Looking out from the front window of Musso & Frank, it is easy to see why homelessness remains a big issue in Los Angeles. Hollywood is among the hard- est hit neighbourhoods in the city. Karen Bass, the mayor of LA, was dealt a blow last month when a report found that LA’s unsheltered population had risen by 3.4 per cent compared with the year before. There are about 45,000 people living on the city’s streets. Bass, her reputation already blighted by her mishandling of last year’s wildfires, will face difficult questions before Novem- ber’s mayoral election. Musso & Frank found itself at the centre of the debate after the New York Post declared it was “plagued by home- lessness”, publishing photographs of people sleeping outside. Rick Caruso, a billionaire developer and former mayoral candidate, warned that his beloved Musso & Frank was “at risk of closing”. He said that customers were avoiding the vagrants by entering through the back door in the car park. “The food is so darn good … that people are going out of their way, getting around the encampments,” he said. Mark Echeverria, the chief executive, said the business was not in any danger but thanked fans for their concern. Bass’s administration has prioritised ponent in November, Nithya Raman, is a left-wing council member who argues that Bass’s flagship Inside Safe policy is too expensive. Bass blamed the White House for the latest rise in the Los An- geles homeless population. She said: “The Trump administration has driven up the cost of gas, groceries and rent, pushing more families to the edge, and slashed critical safety net funding.” Critics of the mayor point out that the county has spent billions of dollars trying to tackle homelessness over the past decade yet the issue remains acute. They claim she and her Democrat pre- decessors have made homelessness a viable lifestyle choice. Some on the street say as much themselves. There are generous outreach services, includ- ing free food and healthcare. There is also no requirement for rough sleepers to get sober before being given a public- ly funded place to stay. Perhaps, as Caruso suggests, Angele- nos have simply decided to ignore the problem after years of living with the city’s dysfunction. It would explain why Bass is widely viewed as favourite in the mayoral race, despite presiding over rising homelessness. If nothing else, Angelenos can con- sole themselves that Musso & Frank is not going anywhere. Sitting at the bar with a dirty martini, the aroma of a filet mignon wafting from a nearby table, the city’s problems seem far away. keiran southern los angeles From our correspondent Musso & Frank Grill, where growing numbers of homeless camp outside Five killed in ferry fire Indonesia Five people have died and dozens are missing after a ferry caught fire at sea. KMP Mutiara Sentosa 2, which had 271 passengers, was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The captain reported the fire at about 8.30am (2.30am BST) yesterday. The cause is unknown. Officials said the ferry was almost entirely engulfed in flames and that 225 people had been rescued, but 41 were still unaccounted for. Trump calls off attacks Iran President Trump said that the “perimeters of a deal” with Tehran had been reached and called off fresh attacks. Trump said on Truth Social that he had agreed after being “asked by Iran and Middle Eastern countries to hold off any attack”. He said that the outline of the agreement would include the “immediate, complete” opening of the Strait of Hormuz and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat”. Aussie kids still online Australia As many as eight in ten Australians under the age of 16 are still using social media after it was banned, a government commissioned report found. More than half the children surveyed said platforms had not asked them to confirm their age. A fifth said platforms had incorrectly estimated their age to be above 18, while than a third said they had simply listed their age as 16 or older to retain access. T wo unsolved murders in Mexico — one of a 23-year-old beauty influencer while she was broadcasting on TikTok, another of a mayor during his city’s Day of the Dead celebrations — were ordered by the same drug lord, according to prosecutors (Stephen Gibbs writes). Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, known as “El R1”, a senior figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was captured after a car chase in a special forces operation in the state of Jalisco on Thursday. One of his security team was killed. Omar García Harfuch, the federal security secretary, accused Álvarez, who was released from jail in 2022, of being the mastermind of “multiple violent acts in the region”. These included the murder in May last year of Valeria Márquez, an influencer, during her weekly live stream from her beauty salon in the city of Zapopan in Jalisco state. A man, allegedly pretending to be a delivery driver, entered the room and asked her to confirm her name. When she did so, he shot her twice. García Harfuch said Márquez had been in a relationship with Francisco Álvarez, one of El R1’s sons. García Harfuch claimed the son had apparently called on his father to organise the hit. Francisco Álvarez remains at large, as does the gunman. The second killing linked to El R1 took place in November, during a Day of the Dead festival in the city of Uruapan, Michoacan state. Carlos Manzo, the city’s mayor and a father of two, was at the event with his family when a teenage gunman shot him in the back. The gunman was killed at the scene by the mayor’s security team and Manzo died in hospital. The cartel extorts businesses and trafficks ‘Captured cartel boss was behind beauty influencer murder’ Valeria Márquez was killed on a live stream. Above, “El R1” after his arrest. The killing of a cartel boss in February led to attacks across Mexico, far left fentanyl, methampheta- mine and cocaine. Last year it was designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the Trump administration. Its founder and long- time leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, was killed by the Mexican army in February in an operation that involved the assistance of US intelligence. His death prompted a wave of violence across Mexico. Mexico has not specified the extent of any American assistance in El R1’s arrest. But Ronald Johnson, the US ambassador to Mexico, was among the first to congratulate the government on the capture, saying: “Those who generate violence and traffic fentanyl will be held to account.”
the times | Monday August 3 2026 World A French court has rejected a lawsuit by President Macron’s centrist party aimed at barring Marine Le Pen from using the word “renaissance” in her presidential campaign slogans. It ordered Macron’s Renaissance party to pay €5,000 each to Le Pen and her National Rally party to cover part of their legal costs. The court dismissed Le Pen can be renaissance woman too, court tells Macron’s party France David Chazan Paris claims by Renaissance that Le Pen’s campaign poster, showing her standing with arms outstretched in front of the words “Pour la France, la renaissance” (for France, the renaissance), misled voters and usurped its identity. The judgment is regarded as a blow to Gabriel Attal, Macron’s former prime minister and presidential candidate for Renaissance. It had argued that the slo- gan was “clearly intended to exploit the reputation of our movement by appro- priating an essential element of its identity, namely its name”. However, the court said the use of the word “renaissance” did not create con- fusion with the name of Macron’s party or suggest any link between the two political groups. It concluded that the slogan did not illegally interfere with the democratic process because it was not intended to deceive voters. Renaissance said it would appeal. The National Rally described the ruling as “a real slap in the face for the Renais- sance party and its supposed candidate Gabriel Attal who were intending to de- prive the Rally and Marine Le Pen of their freedom of expression”. The court also rejected a counter- claim by Le Pen and her party that the lawsuit was abusive. It ruled that Ma- cron’s party had made “a legal error without any intention to cause harm”. Renaissance said it brought the law- suit “with the sole aim of protecting the identity, values and name under which thousands of activists have been work- ing for years for the French people”. Le Pen’s campaign began last month after a court upheld her corruption conviction but effectively ended her ban on running for office. She claimed the allegations were politically moti- vated. Her popularity appears undent- ed. Polls place her well ahead of rivals in the first round of the election and nar- rowly ahead in the second. First, the grannies saw through a seven- kilogram block of bread with surprising force. Next, they fry a sausage measur- ing several metres long, coiled like a cinnamon roll, in a very generous help- ing of olive oil. When Teresa Calia inhales the aroma of red wine from a glass as large as her head, Grazia Incampo, her life- long friend, sternly reminds her that the booze is meant for cooking only. All is quickly forgiven, though, when they hold up their creation to the camera. “It’s the most beautiful sausage sandwich in the world,” say the grannies in unison, as stracciatella and tubes of pork spill out from two cushion-like slices of bread resting on a wooden board. The video is one of dozens posted by Antico Forno Santa Caterina, a historic bakery in the town of Altamura in Puglia, on Instagram. Such reels have C raning their necks beneath the soaring vaults of a softly lit church, two artists painstakingly copied some of the defining frescoes of the High Renaissance onto six large canvases (James Imam writes). The artists were the brothers Annibale and Agostino Carracci, and they had travelled to Parma to study frescoes painted by Correggio in the Church of St John the Evangelist. The church was renowned for the dizzying illusionism of Correggio’s decorations, which adorned its walls and crowned its dome. Painted in about 1586, the canvases entered the collection of the powerful Farnese dynasty, whose influence stretched from Parma to Rome, before passing to Charles of Bourbon. Then king of Naples, Charles built the Palace of Capodimonte, where the paintings eventually found a home. Now, after years in storage, the works have been restored and returned to public view. Their inclusion in the permanent collection of the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte marks the first time all six paintings have been displayed together in a museum. “The effect is quite extraordinary,” said Eike Schmidt, the museum’s director. The paintings depict biblical figures and scenes drawn from Correggio, including the Virgin Mary in flowing pink and blue robes as well as a bare-chested Christ, draped in a white cloak, feeding a dove. Correggio’s original frescoes were removed when part of the church was rebuilt, shortly after the Carraccis made their copies, to enlarge the choir. Although a central section of the apse decoration and a handful of fragments survived, most of the cycle was destroyed. “The pictorial quality of the canvases provides invaluable testimony to the importance of Correggio, the great master of the Emilian school,” Schmidt added. Two of the paintings that now form the centrepiece of the display — The Coronation of the Virgin and Christ in Glory — were restored three decades ago. The remaining four had remained in storage and were in a poor state of conservation, with layers of grime accumulating on their surfaces and the canvases developing bulges and tears. Lost masterpieces brought back to life The Carracci brothers’ copies of Correggio’s frescoes, which depict biblical figures and scenes, are on display together for the first time at the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples. Left and middle: one of the works before and after restoration Bakery nonnas rise to the occasion turned local nonnas Calia, 88, and Incampo, 90, into unlikely social media stars. They are part of a growing online phenomenon known as “nonna-max- xing”, which celebrates wholesome Italian grandmothers around the world. Offering an authentic alter- native to the sometimes airbrushed of- ferings of younger influencers, their humorous videos are helping local businesses thrive. Calia and Incampo rose to fame after Giacomo Barattini, the bakery’s co- owner and a distant relative of Incam- po’s, asked her to teach him the tradi- tional way of making bread and focac- cia. He began filming the volunteers’ work, and it quickly went viral. “There’s no exhibitionism,” Barattini says on a video call from the bakery. “Just strong values and tradition, good food and joy.” In one video, Calia wears a yellow hard hat as she trowels Nutella onto hunks of bread. In another, she cuts through pouring wine with scissors because “my doctor told me I needed to cut alcohol”. Similar videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of likes. “Why are we here? To work and to bring satis- faction to you and to people,” Incampo ex- plains on the video call. “Our parents brought us up to do lots of things, and we want to teach the younger generations.” Interest in nonnas has been growing for years, with Pasta Grannies, a British YouTube chan- nel, producing content for more than a decade, and the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver travelling Italy to gather their recipes for a 2018 televi- sion series. The trend has been further fuelled by social media person- alities such as Silvana Bini, whose cook- ing videos have helped promote the family bakery in Montespertoli, near Florence. Her posts are created by her 30-year-old grandson, Gabrie- le Martini. Since achieving social media fame, Bini has been in high demand, last week spending five days in New York to make vari- ous dishes — in- cluding lemon chicken and pan- zanella, a rustic Tuscan comfort food made with stale bread soaked in tomatoes, on- ions and oil — in an Italian cuisine pro- duction studio in Brooklyn. “If you ask me, grannies are all the rage,” Bini says after returning to Italy from her US trip. “Grannies are sweet, so everyone likes them.” For the grannies themselves, social media activity is about connecting with the world, sharing experience and keeping active. At 96, Licia Fertz’s social media con- tent, whether toking on a huge joint, or championing topless sunbathing, is more irreverent than one might expect from your typical grandmother. “Non- na Licia”, as Fertz is known, lives in Viterbo, near Rome, and has posed nude for Rolling Stone. She was named on the BBC’s 100 Women, which cele- brates the role of women in shaping the 21st century, alongside Michelle Ob- ama and the human rights lawyer Amal Clooney. Emanuele Usai, Fertz’s grand- son, said that posting helped her recov- er from depression nine years ago, when Fertz’s husband died, and gave her a sense of purpose. “I like meeting people, discussing different ways of see- ing and thinking,” Fertz said. “It opens the spirit and keeps you young.” Italy James Imam Milan Teresa Calia and Grazia Incampo rack up hundreds of thousands of clicks
Monday August 3 2026 | the times World The explosion ripped through the windows, doors flew off their hinges and the ceiling collapsed. Then, nothing at all. “The most terrible thing was the silence,” Lyudmyla Yosypovych said. “We knew then that no one had survived.” The house in Radushne had been home to the village’s largest family, the Voronovs, who lived there with seven of their ten children, some cats, geese and a dog. Yosypovych, 77, who lived next door, had known the family since they moved there in 2020, before Russia’s war rushed into all their lives, taking the two eldest children abroad as refugees and the third into service in the Ukrainian army. Early on Thursday, war came for the other Voronov children when a ballis- tic missile crashed through the roof of their house, destroying it in an instant. As the day wore on, more details emerged about the scale and signifi- cance of the tragedy in Radushne, a small village outside Kryvyi Rih, the home town of President Zelensky. In his nightly address, Zelensky revealed that the missile was North Korean, the first used in Ukraine for a year, after reports that Pyongyang was helping restock Moscow’s arsenal of ballistic weapons. Days earlier, Zelensky had warned that Russia was preparing for a de- ployment of 30,000 North Korean troops, the first since Pyongyang sent 14,000 men to fight Ukraine’s 2024 counteroffensive into Kursk. He said: “The alliance between the Moscow scumbags and the deranged regime in North Korea exists for the sake of missiles, North Korean troops on our borders here in Europe and killing our Ukrainian children. “What matters most, however, is not mere sympathy and condemna- tion but air defence missiles and pressure on Russia that can stop this At least three people were killed when an explosive device was detonated at an Italian restaurant in Moscow. The blast struck a private party attended by high-profile Russian figures, Russian and Ukrainian me- dia reported, and may have targeted Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, com- mander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces. The explosion occurred at about 8pm on Saturday at the Balzi Rossi restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square, close to the centre of the capital. Video showing preparations for an event at the restaurant, shared by a pro-Kremlin blogger, reportedly in- cludes a stage with the words “Alex- ander 55”, prompting speculation that Chayko, who recently turned 55, had been celebrating his birthday. A woman tried to bring a home- made bomb into the building, accord- ing to the Russian National Anti- Terrorism Committee, but was pre- vented from entering by a security guard. When the guard opened a box she said was a gift, it exploded. The unidentified woman, the security guard and another guest were reported to have been killed. President Zelensky shared a photo of the family on X. Right, Danylo Voronov, a soldier, returned to Radushne to find rubble The family destroyed by Kim’s missile dumb Russian war.” Although Ukraine has become increasingly adept at shooting down Russian- launched drones, only Patriots are capable of reliably intercepting hypersonic ballistic missiles. North Korea’s recent restock is a warning that Russia’s ability to keep up the ballistic campaign on Ukrainian cities may not be limited by the size of its own missile stockpile. Inside the Voronov house on Thursday morning were Olena, 41, and Artem, 47, along with their seven younger children and Artem Jr, their one-year-old grandson, who spent most weekdays in his grandparents’ care while his father, Danylo, was posted in Mykolaiv. Rescuers pulled out Olena and Ar- tem Sr’s bodies from the rubble, fol- lowed by those of Emilia, 7, Azariah Ilai, 11, and Marko, 17. “When I saw the bodies of the children laid out on the ground, it was unbearable,” Yosypo- vych said. “They were a beautiful family, so full of life.” Dawn lit up the full horror of the rescuers’ task. “Nothing was left of the house.” None of the four other children — Federica, 9, Zakhar, 13, Viorika, 14, and Dominika, 16 — could be identi- fied but are presumed dead, along with baby Artem. Messages were spreading across the community, reaching scattered family members. Matviy Voronov, the eldest son, who is living in Ger- many, learnt of the strike from a vil- lage group chat. “Is anyone from the Voronov family there?” he wrote. “Maybe someone saw them? I’m their son.” A neighbour replied: “Matviy, I was there, only the foundation is left of the house, everyone died.” As neighbours walked to lay flow- ers and stuffed toys at the ruins of the house where rescue crews were still working, Danylo, the soldier, arrived from Mykolaiv to place framed pho- tos of the dead and missing. He knelt down and cried. “I lost everyone,” he said. “Parents, sisters, brothers, my son. It still seems like this is some kind of dream, that they are somewhere else. But no.” The only living creature found at the site was the family’s dog. Ukraine Catherine Philp Radushne Moscow bomber ‘targeted general’ Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, said: “Yesterday, a brutal terrorist act was committed in Mos- cow that claimed human lives. “The victims are currently in the city’s hospitals, where they are re- ceiving all necessary care.” The restaurant had been holding a private function, according to its website. It is known for hosting high- profile members of Russia’s elite, as well as celebrities and politicians. Chayko has been identified by Ukraine as the lead commander of Russia’s occupation of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, in 2022, in which hundreds of residents were killed and tortured. No suspected motive for the bomb- ing has been disclosed, and police continue to investigate. Roads around the square were briefly closed after the incident. The explosion had been intended to hit guests dining on Balzi Rossi’s outside summer terrace, Russian media reported, but the event was heavily guarded. This may have prevented a higher death toll. The device was equivalent to about one kilogram of TNT and packed with metal ball bearings. The woman carrying it may not have known she was transporting an explosive device, Russian counter- terrorism experts told the state press agency Tass, suggesting she may have been paid to do so by Ukrainian intelligence. Nadezhda, a resident of a nearby building and one of the witnesses, told the newspaper: “Firefighters were the first to arrive, followed by ambulances, then the National Guard and other services. When I left the building, I saw smartly dressed women running out of the restau- rant. They were carrying their shoes, followed by a shirtless man with a bloody T-shirt. They were heading toward the Barrikadnaya metro sta- tion. It seems the explosion occurred outside the restaurant.” Domestic criticism of Moscow has mounted amid a series of security failures, as Ukrainian drone strikes have hit deep into Russian territory in recent weeks. Russia Liz Cookman Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko led Russia’s aerospace forces ADULTS ONLY GETAWAY - 4 Madeira D iscover the timeless beauty of Madeira, where dramatic volcanic landscapes, lush botanical gardens and sweeping Atlantic views create the perfect setting for an adults-only escape. Stay at the elegant four-star The Views Baía, perched above Funchal with panoramic views across the city and coastline. Spend your days exploring the island’s charming capital, wandering colourful markets or venturing into Madeira’s spectacular countryside on included guided levada walks or scenic excursions. With half-board dining, a peaceful adults-only setting and the freedom to experience one of Europe’s most captivating islands, this is the perfect blend of relaxation, culture and adventure. SEVEN NIGHTS FROM £729 * per person CALL TODAY ON 0808 303 4795 thetimes.com/td- madeiraretreat QUOTE TIMES Prices are correct at the time of going to print. lead price based on November and December 2026 travel. Prices listed are based on two adults sharing a double /twin room/cabin and departing from a London airport. Single travellers and regional departures are available at a supplement. Tour is operated by Travelodeal Ltd ABTA P8297 ATOL11601, a company wholly independent of News UK. Our trusted partner November 2026 to June 2027 Return flights from various UK airports Stay seven nights at the four-star The Views Baía (Adults Only) Daily breakfast and dinner Choice of two and a half- day tours or Levada walks, with transfers Price includes Other dates available November and December 2026 from £729pp • January and February 2027 from £799pp • March 2027 from £829pp • April and May 2027 from £859pp • June 2027 from £899pp Half board Save 43%
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Business (Friday’s close. Change on the week) 1.360 1.340 1.320 1.300 COMMODITIES CURRENCIES $ WORLD MARKETS Brent crude (6pm) $87.77 (-3.23) $ £/$ $1.3464 (+0.0120) £/€ €1.1688 (-0.0027) ¤ FTSE 100 10,868.05 (+131.82) Dow Jones 52,485.03 (+537.78) Gold $4,043.41 (-33.64) 1.200 1.180 1.160 1.140 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 Jul 3 Jul 3 Jul 3 Jul 3 Jul 3 11,000 10,800 10,600 10,400 10,200 10,000 9,800 54,000 53,000 52,000 51,000 50,000 49,000 Jul 2 Fears over job cuts are looming at San- tander as unions start preparing for redundancies in the wake of the bank’s £2.65 billion acquisition of TSB. Staff representatives have launched negotiations over how to fairly evaluate employees working in similar roles as they await news on how many jobs will be axed, sources told The Times. TSB and Santander have different metrics for assessing the performance Santander and TSB staff prepare for job cuts after £2.65bn acquisition Helen Cahill Financial Correspondent of their staff and it is understood unions at both banks are in talks about how to create a fair system for evaluating indi- viduals in the redundancy process. Santander has not yet confirmed how many jobs will be lost across the combined group, which now employs about 23,000 people. Banco Santander, the Spanish parent group, has already announced 130 job losses at TSB before the formal transfer of staff through the so-called Tupe pro- cess, but more cuts are expected as the group seeks to save £400 million in costs. One source said: “It goes without say- ing that in any merger there are going to be synergies that the banks will realise. And there is going to be an impact on jobs.” Sources said staff at Santander were broadly relieved to be merging with TSB, as news reports at one stage had suggested the bank’s Spanish owner might seek to exit the UK market entirely. It is understood some staff at TSB have started looking for new jobs in anticipation of cuts at the bank. A spokeswoman for Santander said: “We have not yet made operational decisions on jobs. However, we will en- sure that our colleagues are informed of any changes at the appropriate time.” A spokesman for TSB said: “When- ever we make any changes to our busi- ness, the priority is to consult first with impacted colleagues to ensure they’re fully supported.” Speaking to Bloomberg last year, José García Cantera, chief financial officer of Banco Santander, said cost savings would “come from projects that TSB is running that we will not need to do when the two banks merge”. 6 HSBC is expected to make a pre-tax gain of $300 million from selling its Egyptian retail bank to Emirates NBD, a bank based in Dubai. Georges Elhed- ery, chief executive of HSBC, has off- loaded the unit as part of a restructur- ing designed to deliver cost savings of $1.5 billion by the end of 2026. AstraZeneca has paid out $220 million after reaching a settlement with the Uni- versity of Sheffield following a High Court patent dispute over one of the pharma giant’s bestselling cancer drugs. The university filed a lawsuit against the FTSE 100 company in June 2024, al- leging that AstraZeneca had made mis- representations to induce it to amend a patent licence agreement relating to ola- parib, sold under the brand name Lyn- parza, a blockbuster oncology medicine. Lynparza is one of the most lucrative drugs in AstraZeneca’s portfolio. It generated $3.3 billion in sales last year, almost 6 per cent of group revenues, and is approved in 114 countries. The drug is part of a group of oncology medicines that helped rebuild AstraZeneca’s drugs pipeline after patent expiries and transformed the company into one of the world’s cancer drug specialists. It also helped transform the finances, balance sheet and share price of Astra- Zeneca, which has become one of the London Stock Exchange’s two most valuable companies alongside HSBC. Oncology drugs generated 44 per cent of AstraZeneca’s $58.6 billion group revenue last year. A trial had been scheduled to begin in late June, but a global settlement agree- ment was reached in May covering all disputes in the litigation in exchange for AstraZeneca’s payment. The $220 million (£166 million) settle- ment is significant for the university, which had an £11 million underlying operating deficit in 2024-25 and gener- Alex Ralph Chief Business Correspondent AstraZeneca pays $220m in drug dispute ated £806 million in underlying income. A spokeswoman for Sheffield Uni- versity said the sum would be shared between the university, the original funder and the academic inventor. The dispute stemmed from a con- tract disagreement in 2017. Sheffield University owns patent rights covering the use of compounds known as “Parp inhibitors” in the treatment of cancer. This method was identified from re- search carried out at the university by Professor Thomas Helleday in collabo- ration with the University of Newcastle during the early 2000s. Kudos Pharmaceuticals, a UK bio- tech, developed the compound olaparib and in 2004 the university granted Ku- dos an exclusive worldwide licence of its patent rights to develop and com- mercialise medicines using Parp inhibi- tors for the treatment of cancer. Kudos was acquired by AstraZeneca in January 2006 for $210 million as the company looked to bolster its drugs pipeline, and regulatory approval for the sale of olaparib was secured in Europe and the United States in 2014. In July 2017, AstraZeneca reached an agreement with Sheffield University, shortly before AstraZeneca in turn struck a collaboration deal worth up to $8.5 billion with Merck, the multina- tional pharma company, for the joint development and commercialisation of Lynparza and an unrelated compound. Sheffield University claimed it was “induced to enter into” the 2017 agree- ment with AstraZeneca through false representations. AstraZeneca denied liability. Lynparza is the leading Parp inhibitor FOCUS IMAGES LTD/SHUTTERSTOCK Football crazy The Premier League will add £33 billion to the UK economy over the next three seasons, according to new analysis. Its chair Alison Brittain, left, presented the trophy to the Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in May Brunswick considers sale of stake Louisa Clarence-Smith Brunswick, the public relations group, is considering selling a stake in the busi- ness that could deliver a payout for part- ners, The Times has learnt. The firm, which has 27 offices around the world, has appointed advisers to review its capital structure as it pre- pares for its next phase of growth. It would mark only the second time Brunswick has brought in external investors since it was founded in 1987 by its chairman Sir Alan Parker, 70, who started the company from his parents’ kitchen table. In 2021, Brunswick sold a 10.7 per cent share of the business to BDT Capital Partners, the Chicago-based investment and merchant banking group, in a deal that valued the company at about £500 million. It also triggered a £140 mil- lion payout to partners, of which £70 million went to the chairman. It boasts about 220 partners, with revenues of around £400 million last year and earnings before interest and taxes of over £50 million. Parker owns about 45 per cent of the business while the remaining equity is divided between BDT and current and former partners. Brunswick is considering seeking external investment to help the firm grow and invest in senior recruits, as well as ensuring that equity in the firm is valuable for partners by potentially giving them an opportunity to liquidate some of their shares, it is understood. Brunswick is retained by about a third of FTSE 100 companies and ranked No 1 in the UK for mergers and acquisitions, according to Mergermar- ket data published last week. Partners at Brunswick are due to dis- cuss options at their annual meeting in Washington in October, sources told The Times. No final decision has been made, although the company is expect- ed to remain an independent and part- ner-led firm. BDT is not expected to ex- it its position as part of the process. Brunswick declined to comment. University of Sheffield brought patent case
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Business pany could build competitive category strategies, including selective price drops on upmarket tequila in the US and accelerating the rollout of ready- to-drink products. Lewis has already hinted there were plans to pursue underexploited areas such as canned cocktails, the one sector of the spirits market that is experienc- ing significant growth globally. In the UK alone, canned cocktails account for 27 per cent of the £787 million ready-to- drink market, according to NielsenIQ. Diageo’s current ready-to-drink Sir Dave Lewis and star tequila backer Peggy Gou, right the person’s written consent. Plaintiffs in the class action allege Apple’s photos app, which is pre-installed on Apple de- vices, uses facial recognition technology to scan faces and create a “faceprint” for each person detected in the user’s photo library. They claim once the software has a sufficient sampling of images, the photos app applies an algorithm to identify the iPhone user, creating bio- metric information that is stored on the device and catalogued in the photos app. In 2017, Apple began syncing photo- graphs and associated data across mul- tiple Apple devices, if those devices were logged into iCloud with the user’s Apple ID. Plaintiffs claim this data is biometric information under the Illinois law and that Apple collects and stores the bio- metric information on its servers. Apple has sought to have the case thrown out, saying whether the alleged data qualifies as biometric identifiers or information depends on individualised proof about each user’s choices and AstraZeneca has paid out $220 million after reaching a settlement with the University of Sheffield after a High Court patent dispute over one of the FTSE 100 pharma company’s bestselling cancer drugs. Fears over job cuts are looming at Santander as unions start preparing for redundancies in the wake of the bank’s £2.65 billion acquisition of TSB. Brunswick, the British public relations group with 27 offices worldwide, is considering selling a stake in the business in a move that could deliver a windfall for partners. The US Federal Reserve is facing a credibility crisis as investors question whether its new chairman will raise interest rates under Donald Trump’s presidency. The Japanese authorities are expected to confirm today that Tokyo has taken joint action with the United States to arrest the decline of the yen to a 40-year low. The experience economy is “a hotbed of innovation ... and can be instrumental in unlocking economic growth,” according to Tom Middleton, economic consulting partner at Grant Thornton UK. New research suggests 40 per cent of people in the UK prioritised spending on experiences over material things. The Premier League will add £33 billion to the UK economy and generate close to £15 billion in tax revenue over the next three seasons, according to analysis from EY, the big four accountancy firm. Britain’s creative industries contribute 5.5 per cent of UK gross value added to the economy, rivalling sectors such as construction, and are growing faster than the wider economy, according to the government. Ministers have committed at least £500 million over three years to back innovation, research and development across the UK. Need to know For expert business analysis subscribe to the business newsletter thetimes.com/ newsletters Gerard Lyons, Wealth and other taxes are being presented as answers to our fiscal pressures. They are not. across five tumour types, based on pre- scription volumes, and the only Parp inhibitor to improve survival in early breast cancer, according to Astra- Zeneca’s annual report. The university spokeswoman said: “The parties to the proceedings have reached an out-of-court settlement without any admission of liability. The terms are confidential.” A spokesman for AstraZeneca, which disclosed the $220 million settlement in its half-year results last week, said: “Patient access to Lynparza is unaffec- ted by this settlement with the Univers- ity of Sheffield. This resolution does not increase the licensed patent’s term in any way and simply relates to the collab- oration agreement involving Astra- Zeneca and Merck. “We look forward to continuing to supply patients Lynparza as part of our commitment to ensuring access to innovative medicines.’’ Professor Helleday declined to com- ment. Can Drastic Dave help lift In what promises to be another frantic week for corporate results, few board- rooms will be under as much scrutiny as the one at Diageo. But it will not be the drinks giant’s full-year numbers — City analysts expect a 2.1 per cent slide in organic net sales to $19.6 billion — that command the most attention. All eyes will instead be on the new chief executive’s strategic shake-up. At Diageo’s headquarters in London on Thursday, Sir Dave Lewis will deliv- er his first significant strategy update since he took charge of the FTSE 100 company in January. The capital markets day in Soho is being framed by the City as a watershed moment: an opportunity for Lewis to convince them he has a viable plan to put some fizz back into the flagging group, whose world-renowned brands include Guinness and Johnnie Walker. “Investors are focused on the degree to which Diageo’s strategy day may lead to a short-term profit and margin reset,” analysts at UBS said in a recent note, adding that the market expects 2027 to be a “transition year”. The stakes are high. Diageo’s shares, which closed at £16.34 on Friday, have lost more than half their value over the past five years, with the group’s market cap down to £36.5 billion. The company’s strug- gles have reflected slowing growth in key markets such as the United States, changed drinking patterns and a lack of strategic clarity, which led to the oust- ing of Lewis’s prede- cessor Debra Crew last summer. That Diageo ap- proached Lewis — who earned the moniker “Drastic Dave” from almost three decades at Unilever and then as boss of Tesco — about the top job suggests there was a feeling that a fresh pair of eyes, unen- cumbered by sentimental attachment to legacy brands, was needed. Details of the Yorkshireman’s re- structuring plans have already started to emerge, with changes to top leader- ship roles, including the heads of North America, Great Britain and Africa, signalling his desire for a clean slate. Lewis has been quick to outline his priorities for Diageo, sharpening its focus on more affordable, mass-market spirits and overhauling the company’s complex operating model. His presen- tation to investors and analysts is expected to last most of the afternoon. Having visited almost all of Diageo’s operating regions in the past six months, Lewis is expected to address what he has found to be a fundamental disconnect between the company’s impressive drinks cabinet of brands and its operational execution. Instead of focusing brand by brand, Diageo is set to implement a category- by-category approach to better align with how customers shop and work its often forgotten, mainstream and value products harder. Diageo has a lot of categories to play with. Formed in 1997 through the combination of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, it has more than 200 brands, including Tanqueray and Gor- don’s gin, Don Julio tequila, Pimm’s, Smirnoff and Baileys. Under the decade-long leader- ship of Sir Ivan Menezes, who died on the brink of his planned retirement three years ago, Diageo was transformed into a globally diversified behemoth, moving upmarket by adding celebrity-backed tequilas and premium whiskies to its portfolio. How- ever, the focus on premium brands has meant Diageo has missed out on more mainstream spirits at a time when con- sumers are feeling the squeeze, some- thing Lewis is plan- ning to rectify. Edward Mundy, an analyst at Jefferies, has pointed out vari- ous ways the com- Apple faces a $32.5 billion lawsuit for allegedly collecting biometric informa- tion from users of its iPhone photos app. Up to 6.5 million consumers in the US state of Illinois could seek $5,000 each in damages from Apple in a class- action suit for illegally collecting their biometric information through a facial- recognition feature without proper notice, consent or retention policies. The claimants allege Apple collected their biometric data without consent in violation of the Illinois Biometric Infor- mation Privacy Act, passed in 2008 owing to concerns over how emerging technology was collecting and using biometric identifiers such as retina or iris scans, fingerprints, voiceprints or faceprints that are biologically unique. The law bans companies from collecting a person’s biometric informa- tion unless they give notice and obtain labels. It has claimed the photos app has privacy safeguards so that numerical vectors it uses to organise photo albums cannot recreate a face and are not inherently linked to a person’s name or identity. Apple claimed it cannot access vector data, does not decrypt or use album labels and does not know who appears in a user’s albums, whether any album is labelled or what any label says. A judge in Illinois ruled in June that consumers had met the requirements to pursue a class action. On Thursday the US Court of Appeals for the Sev- enth Circuit denied Apple’s appeal against that ruling. Andrew Schlichter, lawyer for the plaintiffs, told The Times: “The allega- tion that Apple created faceprints of people appearing in photos, including children, and stored those faceprints on its cloud-based servers without ... con- sent or telling device users what it was doing raises serious privacy concerns.” Apple was contacted for comment. Louisa Clarence-Smith US Business Editor Apple faces $32bn iPhone photo lawsuit continued from page 27 AstraZeneca settles dispute Investors will hear how Sir Dave Lewis plans to revive the struggling drinks group this week, Jessica Newman writes In need of a livener Net sales, financial year 2025 Operating profit before exceptional items, financial year 2025 North America $7,973m Europe $4,821m Asia Pacific $3,635m Latin America and Caribbean $1,847m Africa $1,834m Total $20,245m North America $3,053m Europe $1,302m Asia Pacific $930m Latin America and Caribbean $528m Africa $283m Total $5,704m How the share price has dropped 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 £50
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Business The attempt by the billionaire Weston family to take over Boots in a £7 billion deal is at risk after they cut their offer for the pharmaceutical chain. The family, which has businesses across Britain and Canada, has been in talks with Sycamore Partners, the private equity owners of Boots, over a purchase of the business. Yet the deal is now at a standstill after the Westons’ attempt to cut their offer price was rejected. The Westons reduced their bid after a rival suitor pulled out of the race for Boots, accord- ing to The Telegraph, which first reported the story. Sycamore Partners, based in New York, acquired Walgreens Boots Alli- ance, the parent company of Boots, for $23.7 billion last year and had been in talks with multiple parties about a sale of the chain, including Sigma Health- care, the Australian pharmacy group. portfolio consists mainly of extensions of its established labels, such as Smir- noff Ice, a 27-year-old brand that has effectively been left alone at the back of the cupboard. While Diageo arguably has all the right ingredients to domi- nate this sector, it has been largely viewed internally as low priority. The reluctance has been exacerbated by the company’s decentralised region-by-re- gion operating model, without the global scale and co-ordination needed to push these initiatives effectively. Lewis has not minced words when it Sycamore is also considering a London listing of Boots. Stefano Pessina, the Italian executive who was previously a 17 per cent share- holder in Walgreens Boots Alliance, tightened his grip on Boots as part of the deal by taking a near-50 per cent stake in the business. It is understood that if the Weston family do not budge on their present offer, which is below a price Pessina is willing to accept, he will call off the talks and revert to his earlier plan. That was for a turnaround of the business under the new chief executive of Boots, Alex Baldock, the outgoing boss of the Currys electricals chain, en route to an initial public offering in the next year or two. Baldock, who has spent eight years on a revamp of Currys, is expected to oversee the operations of Boots’s retail and pharmacy business in the UK, Ire- land and Thailand, as well as Boots Opticians in the UK and the No7 beauty company. It is expected that he The week ahead The monthly US employment report on Friday will be closely watched for signs that the war in the Gulf has affected the jobs market. Despite higher oil prices resulting from the conflict, the American labour market has remained strong. However, analysts say a prolonged war and higher than normal energy costs may eventually force companies to trim their costs by reducing headcounts. The non-farm payrolls report for July is expected to show an increase of 91,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent. A significantly higher jobs growth number could raise concerns about an overheated economy and firm up bets of interest rate rises, with traders now betting on a near 70 per cent chance of a September increase. Kevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, last week repeated his firm commitment to bring inflation down to the 2 per cent target, but investors expressed uncertainty about how he planned to reach that longstanding target. Jim Baird, chief investment officer with Plante Moran financial advisers, said: “If there was an unexpected heating up of labour conditions, that would contribute almost unambiguously to the Fed [being] more likely to raise at the next meeting.” Kevin Warsh has pledged to bring US inflation back down to 2 per cent wednesday thursday tomorrow The restructuring at HSBC will be in the spotlight again at its interim results after it recently announced the sale of its Singapore insurance business, its Australian mortgage and personal loans book and its Egyptian retail bank. Georges Elhedery, chief executive of the FTSE 100 bank, is expected to update the market on progress with efforts to simplify the sprawling finance giant, aimed at delivering $1.5 billion in annual cost savings by the end of 2026. Analysts expect the lender to report net operating income of $35.9 billion for the first half, up from $32.2 billion last year, with profit before tax forecast to reach $18.9 billion. Interims: BP, Capita, Coca-Cola Europacific, ConvaTec, Domino’s Pizza, Fresnillo, HSBC, Keller, Metro Bank, Rotork, Sabre Insurance, SIG, Smith Nephew, Synthomer, Travis Perkins, XP Power Finals: Filtronic After a two-year reorganisation under its chief executive António Simões, investors in Legal & General are expecting a decent set of interim results. City analysts are forecasting core operating profit of £883 million for the first half, up 2.8 per cent from £859 million in the same period last year, with profit set to rise across all of the group’s reporting divisions, which comprise institutional retirement, asset management and retail. L&G’s institutional retirement business has been leading the charge in pension risk transfers (PRT), where the group buys up defined benefit pension schemes from corporate sponsors, and the unit is set to deliver core operating profit of £635 million, up 2.8 per cent from £618 million. Simões is seeking to deliver PRT deals worth up to £65 billion over the next five years. Analysts were largely positive on L&G’s performance at its last set of results, when the group launched a £1.2 billion share buyback, and so far this year the retirement giant’s shares have risen almost 15 per cent. Interims: 4Imprint, Beazley, Coca-Cola HBC, Glencore, Hiscox, Ibstock, Legal General, Royal London Trading update: Next Economy: SMMT UK monthly car registrations; S&P Global UK services PMI Investors will be eagerly seeking signs that the long-awaited turnaround promised by Cindy Rose, who was appointed to lead WPP last year, is taking shape when the advertising group reports its half-year results. Under her “Elevate 28” strategy, the former Microsoft executive has pledged to return the FTSE 250 company to underlying growth next year. However, the market has been hit by macroeconomic weakness that may well have weighed on the confidence of major brands. City analysts have forecast a 6.5 per cent decline in organic revenue over the first six months of the year, slowing to a 5.3 per cent fall over the full year. Elsewhere, it is fair to say that Sir Dave Lewis will command a great deal of attention when Diageo reports annual results. Interims: Admiral, CAB Payments, Derwent London, Harbour Energy, Hikma Pharma, Metlen, PageGroup, Persimmon, Quilter, Serco, TP Icap, Tritax Big Box Reit, WPP Finals: Diageo, PZ Cussons Trading update: Wizz Air Economy: S&P Global UK construction PMI Economy: US employment report friday will not take on the running of the brand in Mexico and Germany, as it is thought these businesses may not be part of Boots’s wider operations in future years. Boots is one of the biggest consumer brands on the British high street, oper- ating more than 1,800 UK stores and employing more than 50,000 people. The business was established by John Boot in Nottingham in 1849. Boots’s UK’s profit before tax rose by 25 per cent to £337 million in the year to the end of August 2025, according to its most recent accounts filed at Compa- nies House. Revenues were up 3.2 per cent to £7.5 billion, while total compara- ble retail sales increased by 5.8 per cent. The company said its performance had been driven by growth in beauty, but that its sales were being affected by “the highly competitive nature of the health, wellness and beauty category”. Boots and Sycamore declined to comment. Helen Cahill Boots sale in doubt as Westons cut bid spirits at Diageo? comes to Diageo’s operational ineffi- ciencies, describing some of its systems as “not fit for purpose”. At his first results outing earlier this year, having been in the job for only a couple of months, he offered investors an idea as to how frustrating he found Diageo’s outdated and overly complex framework. As an example, Diageo was still entering 60 per cent of all its orders manually, while in India, where it em- ploys about 30,000 people, its payroll system was ten times more expensive than the one at Tesco, which has more than 15 times as many employees. A source within the company said operating on a market-by-market basis had resulted in too many complicated processes and systems building up, add- ing that there was a feeling of readiness among colleagues to change its ways. The operational shake-up is expect- ed to affect a group of about 100 senior leaders, which will be left between 20 per cent and 30 per cent smaller. It is unclear whether this headcount reduc- tion forms part of its programme tar- geting $625 million of total cost savings by 2028, alongside asset sales, or is in addition to it. Specific numbers on job cuts are not expected to be announced for the moment. Having already halved its interim dividend and pledged to cut payouts to a “more appropriate level” to help shore up its balance sheet, Diageo is clearly willing to make difficult decisions. “There needs to be evidence that this reset is final,” Mundy said. While Lewis will need to address Diageo’s $21.7 billion debt pile, this will almost certainly not translate into quick fire sales, especially of crown jewel assets such as Guinness. Any lin- gering fears over whether Diageo is looking to offload Guinness should be firmly put to bed as the company is ex- pected to outline how it plans to capi- talise on its booming growth trajectory. While some observers initially dis- missed reports of a Guinness shortage around Christmas 2024 as a marketing ploy, the fact that a business of Diageo’s scale was struggling to keep the taps flowing in British pubs served as a so- bering reminder of the “not fit for pur- pose” systems and weak customer rela- tionships Lewis inherited. His vision for Diageo to stop chasing what it hopes customers will drink, and start catering to what they are actually drinking, appears clear. But the market will judge him on his ability to unpick a complex legacy and build a leaner, more consumer-focused business.
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Business The US Federal Reserve is facing a credibility crisis as investors question whether its new chairman will raise interest rates under Donald Trump’s presidency. Investors warned the sparse commu- nications from Kevin Warsh, the new chairman of the world’s most powerful central bank, and his unwillingness to say he would use interest rates to quell inflation has spooked US bondholders. The cost of long-term US debt rose to the highest in nearly two decades at the end of last week after Warsh said he would provide no “forward guidance” to investors about the path of interest rates. The yield on 30-year US bonds hit 5.22 per cent, the highest since 2007, after Warsh’s second press conference as Fed chairman. It was the biggest one- day bond sell-off since Trump’s “liber- ation day” tariffs in April last year. Traders pointed to Warsh’s vague comments about the need to raise in- terest rates to get inflation back to the Fed’s 2 per cent target at a time when energy prices are expected to push up prices in the world’s largest economy. “Markets are questioning the Fed’s credibility,” Aditya Bhave, chief US economist at Bank of America, said. The Fed kept its benchmark interest rates on hold last week, an outcome expected by most Wall Street analysts. Warsh told journalists he would not re- veal his preferred measure for inflation or “spoon-feed” traders any informa- tion about how the central bank could respond to another jump in inflation. US and Japan take joint action to prop up the yen Mehreen Khan The Japanese authorities are expected to confirm today that Tokyo has taken joint action with the United States to arrest the decline of the yen. Reports said that Japan’s finance ministry would announce the joint currency intervention, which traders said took place at the end of last week. The co-ordinated US-Japanese in- tervention is the first in 15 years and comes after the yen slumped to its low- est value against the dollar since 1986. Scott Bessent, the US treasury secre- tary, was photographed on Friday with a “to do list” that indicated the US would buy between $5-10 billion worth of Japanese yen. The currency has been stuck at 40- year lows over concerns about Japan’s plans for fiscal expansion and its histor- ically low interest rates. Last week the Bank of Japan kept its benchmark bor- rowing costs unchanged at 1 per cent, prompting the yen to fall and triggering the currency intervention, which pushed the yen up from 164 against the dollar to 157, a three-month high. It is the sixth time the finance minis- try has propped up the exchange rate since 2022 and the first time the Japa- nese authorities have acted in concert with the US since 2011. Analysts at Nomura warned that the currency decline would not change as long as the country’s fiscal policy re- mains stimulative. Last week the gov- ernment of Sanae Takaichi announced plans to cut food taxes. Taciturn Fed facing crisis of credibility “With no forward guidance, the market does not understand how the Fed will get to 2 per cent inflation,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo, the global alternative asset manager, said. “The lack of clarity about how to get there is what’s pushing yields higher, because there is now a risk that it may take longer or involve a policy mistake.” Warsh, 56, was Trump’s pick to lead the Fed after the president lambasted his predecessor Jerome Powell, 73, as a “moron” who was “too slow” to cut interest rates last year. Trump, 80, has continued to demand lower borrowing costs to stimulate economic growth. “The real question is whether Warsh can raise interest rates and face blowback from the man who hired him,” Eric Lonergan, hedge fund man- ager at Calibrate, said. Warsh is presiding over a divided voting committee, with three policy- makers voting in favour of interest rate rises in July. Neel Kashkari, one of the dissenters, said interest rates needed to rise to “manage against the risk that high in- flation could become entrenched”. Rates were left unchanged at 3.5 per cent to 3.75 per cent. Bhave said: “We think the need to re- establish credibility increases the likelihood that the Fed will hike in September, all else being equal.” Warsh is considering cutting back the number of press conferences held by the Fed chairman as part of his attempt to revamp the central bank’s communi- cations, The New York Times reported. Mehreen Khan Economics Editor T he M&G- backed music investment vehicle that owns the rights to tracks by Lewis Capaldi and Joan Jett has set its sights on signing chart- topping artists to breathe new life into its catalogue (Emma Powell writes). Seeker Music aims to reinvent songs from its 19,000-strong collection, which it will then release via its own record label, in an effort to capture a bigger slice of the royalty income. For its first release this month, it has signed up the American rapper and singer Flo Rida to rework Vacation, a 1982 single from the Go-Gos, who were fronted by Belinda Carlisle. “There’s a lot Classic pop songs spin new royalties The Go-Gos with Belinda Carlisle had a hit single, Vacation, in 1982 which will be reworked by the US rapper Flo Rida television advert or used in a film or show, Seeker said it aims to generate a greater return by “flipping” the songs it has acquired into new versions. The company, founded in 2020, made its name when it persuaded the American singer Shaboozey to sample a 2004 hit by the American rapper J-Kwon. The result, A Bar Song (Tipsy), spent 19 weeks at No 1 in America, one of the longest runs in US chart history. of big artists who have signed deals with independent distributors, and so we approach a lot of those artists because they have the flexibility to do anything they want,” Evan Bogart, chief executive of Seeker, said. Instead of passively collecting the royalties from its collection of songs when they are played on the radio, a ALAMY Find The Business wherever you get your podcasts SPONSORED BY We’re The Business From start ups to tech titans, market movers to City CEOs, our weekly podcast dissects the biggest stories in business with the entrepreneurs living through them.
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Business Gerard Lyons How will PM meet his spending commitments? Not through taxes its own research undermines the case. Even at a tax rate of just 1 per cent, it estimated that behavioural responses could shrink the tax base by between 7 and 17 per cent, calling this “not a trivial amount”. It also found around 85 per cent of taxable wealth above £5 million was held in business assets. In other words, the tax would fall primarily on entrepreneurs, business owners and productive capital, not idle wealth. Many people are asset rich but cash poor. A tax that is detached from recurring cashflow eventually forces borrowing or the sale of assets simply to pay the tax. It alters behaviour, depresses asset values and adds administrative complexity. The markets are unlikely to view the option of increasing capital gains tax as a sensible option either. The City is acutely aware that official analysis shows that a 10 per cent rise in capital gains tax reduces revenues by £3.6 billion after three years. New taxes on property are not a cash cow. Residential property is Britain’s largest asset class and is already heavily taxed. There is a strong case to reduce or eliminate stamp duty, as it reduces housing and labour mobility. But the prime minister has said he has no immediate plans to change it. Instead, there is talk of a new annual property tax or a land value tax. Each of these runs into the challenge of people’s ability to pay higher amounts. The new mansion tax due in 2028 falls into this same trap. A land value tax has been talked about in glowing terms. But there is little evidence elsewhere that a land value tax has succeeded as a significant national source of revenue. Where it has worked, it has generally been a modest local tax rather than the backbone of a national tax system. There is the difficulty of valuing land, too. Britain has learnt these lessons before. Schedule A income tax on owner-occupied property was abolished in 1963 and domestic rates in England and Wales disappeared in Where will the money come from to fund the prime minister’s spending commitments? This is the defining fiscal question. Last autumn, Rachel Reeves rebuilt the fiscal buffer to £21.7 billion. The buffer allows scope to meet the fiscal rules if there are shocks. But it is modest when set against public spending of around £1.4 trillion a year. Since then, the Iran war has weakened growth, borrowing has exceeded expectations and the buffer has shrunk. It is now under £10 billion. John Healey, the chancellor, faces the challenge of rebuilding this buffer and funding new spending, to meet the fiscal rules. His options are limited. The Office for Budget Responsibility is unlikely to upgrade its forecasts for economic growth or future tax revenues. Also, it is not easy to borrow more, with gilt issuance already around £250 billion this fiscal year and debt servicing costs elevated. Issuing new defence bonds would add to this challenge. Another option, where the Bank of England shifts policy to buy gilts, is neither imminent nor likely. That leaves taxes. But Labour’s manifesto promised not to raise the main taxes of income tax, national insurance or VAT. Attention has thus turned elsewhere. Suddenly, wealth and other new taxes are being presented as simple answers to Britain’s fiscal pressures. They are not. Modern tax systems have evolved because governments need large, reliable and predictable sources of revenue. Those revenues come primarily from taxing recurring flows of income, profits and spending, where taxpayers have the ability to pay. That is why modern states rely on income tax, national insurance, corporation tax and VAT. These recurring taxes generate around four-fifths of tax revenues across the OECD and Britain is no exception. Wealth taxes depart from that principle, which helps explain why country after country has abandoned them. Where they remain, they have become another tax on the middle-class. Supporters of a wealth tax often cite the Wealth Tax Commission. Yet Experience economy ‘can boost UK growth’ Charlotte Bend Two weeks have passed since the World Cup ended and for many it is a chapter they would rather forget. However, it appears not all hope is lost: the unity felt through England’s ultimately futile ef- forts may have revealed an opportunity for business leaders. Tom Middleton, economic consult- ing partner at Grant Thornton UK, claims that shared experiences could offer “soft power [with] tangible eco- nomic benefits”. He said: “Getting be- hind the Three Lions brought the usual surge in sales of TVs, shirts and lager, but there were some unexpected win- ners too. Oasis streams soared, second- hand marketplaces took off and dating apps lit up during hydration breaks. “A shared experience rippled through pubs, hotels, restaurants, re- tailers, transport networks, media plat- forms and businesses that might appear to have little connection to the event it- self,” Middleton said. New research has suggested that 40 per cent of people in the UK priori- tise spending on experiences over material things. This figure rises to 54 per cent among 18 to 34-year-olds. Conducted by Opinium on behalf of Grant Thornton UK, the survey of 2,000 adults asked to what extent the experience economy could offer growth to the nation. Thirty-four per cent said they would be willing to “make sacrifices” to prioritise spending on experiences and 26 per cent sug- gested that experiences would be last on the list to be cut back when needed. Glastonbury, Wimbledon, Oasis, Harry Styles, Premier League Football and world-class museums all show how the UK is already adept at offering experience. The UK-made Abba Voy- age, which has been attended by four million people since its launch in 2022 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London has had a sizeable cultural tourism impact, with visitors spending an average of £224 per trip, according to Sound Diplomacy. Middleton said: “The most recent iteration of the UK’s industrial strategy included a commitment to take tar- geted action to transform the UK’s highest-potential sectors over the next decade. One of these priority sectors was the creative industries, but little focus was given to the experience eco- nomy. If [Andy] Burnham is serious about growth across the whole of the UK, he needs to recognise the pivotal role it can play.” 1990. Both taxed ownership rather than recurring cashflow and ultimately collided with economic reality. Britain does not need another search for a mythical source of revenue. The argument that Britain taxes income too heavily has force. But the answer is not to layer new taxes on to wealth or property. It is to reduce the size of the state and the tax burden. Britain’s highly progressive tax system already leaves the exchequer dependent on a relatively small number of taxpayers. The top 1 per cent pay 27.2 per cent of income tax and the top 10 per cent pay 58.4 per cent. More than half of the population live in households that receive more from the state than they pay in taxes. Even among non-retired households, the figure is 46 per cent. Last week saw talk of a new levy to pay for social care. Hypothecated taxes — those earmarked for a specific purpose — are justified, but the challenge is to keep funds ring- fenced and to ensure that any fund grows sufficiently to cover the future liability. Taxes already have designated funds. Income tax, for instance, goes into the consolidated fund, while national insurance goes into the national insurance fund. But, behind the scenes, they support general government spending. New plans for fiscal devolution add uncertainty. Mayoral regions will retain a share of business rates and, in some cases, income tax receipts, incentivising them to grow their local economy and future tax base. Offsetting cuts in government grants would ensure fiscal neutrality but clarity is needed on responsibility in the event of fiscal distress. Fiscal discipline is critical. The bond market is not going to be taken in by tax increases that will not bring in more revenue or by taxes that may dampen future growth. Simplifying the tax system, reducing marginal tax rates and widening the base of income tax and VAT makes sense. Britain does not have a hidden source of untapped tax revenue. But it does have a public spending problem. ‘‘ ’’ Dr Gerard Lyons is chief economist at Netwealth Mayors such as Bev Craig in Manchester will now be part of the fiscal picture ANNABEL LEE-ELLIS/PA Prices start at £58. Order from timescartoons.com Find your own signed and framed print of our cartoonists’ finest work, featuring Peter Brookes, Morten Morland, Peter Schrank and more. Get some wit for your walls
are centred on laboratories, research campuses, science parks and innovation districts. These are the focus of Lloyds’ new report, Innovation Foundation, which argues that while Britain has world-class research capability, entrepreneurial talent and academic excellence, it must continue to invest in the infrastructure needed to turn those strengths into jobs and sustainable economic growth. According to the report, UK universities generated £158 billion of economic impact in 2021/22, with every £1 of public research funding generating close to £10 in wider economic value. Murphy believes these findings reinforce a broader lesson about the conditions that make growth possible. “To be productive, innovation needs talent, research, infrastructure and financial backing,” she says. “When we invest in the places that combine those ingredients, more regions can turn this intellectual capital into new businesses, higher-value jobs and thriving local economies.” Local Growth Plans also highlight the role of both public and private investment in supporting high-potential clusters. “Directing funding towards sites, grid capacity, transport links and skills can help attract larger flows of private capital and create the conditions businesses need to develop and flourish,” says Murphy. She explains that the pairing of stable government policy and Lloyds’ access to capital should foster precisely that environment. “Britain’s regional mid-market businesses have the ambition, capability and opportunity to drive sustained growth. What they need now is certainty, and investment to allow them to generate that change – which Lloyds can provide.” SPONSORED CONTENT THE NORTH EAST HAS A WORKFORCE THAT UNDERSTANDS HEAVY INDUSTRY, AND PORTS BUILT TO HANDLE IT – FINANCIAL SUPPORT CAN HELP CAPITALISE ON THIS F rom digital media in Manchester and life sciences in Cambridge to high-tech manufacturing in the West Midlands and clean energy on the east coast, growth-hungry companies across the country are already demonstrating the sector strengths of the UK’s regions. “I’m struck by the momentum, particularly from ambitious mid-market businesses that are ready to scale and compete,” says Amanda Murphy, CEO of Lloyds Business and Commercial Banking. Riding the wave successfully calls for tailored financial advice. “Our role is to help turn aspirations into investable plans,” Murphy says. “That means providing the right financial support at each stage of growth. This can look like funding new machinery and larger premises, strengthening working capital, enabling export opportunities and helping attract top talent.” Lloyds already supports around one million UK businesses, and this year it will provide over £35 billion in new finance to firms operating and investing here. This includes £9.5 billion ringfenced specifically for SMEs. A series of roadshows hosted by Lloyds and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have further highlighted the key role that regional, forward-thinking, agile mid-market businesses play. Murphy says: “What really stood out was the strength of our regional clusters, whether that’s clean technology in the North East, advanced manufacturing in the West Midlands or Britain’s urban centres, where business and academia are collaborating to turn new ideas into exciting commercial opportunities.” Take Special Melted Products in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, which produces speciality steels and nickel-based superalloys for critical applications in aerospace, oil and gas, and civil nuclear. The business is backed by a £28.5 million working capital facility from Lloyds, and is now Lloyds Backing British business investing tens of millions in an ambitious programme to establish the UK’s first large-scale superalloy forging facility, and an in-house research and development centre. “Special Melted Products has a clear strategy to solidify its competitive edge, which will allow the team to build a world- beating business at the heart of Britain’s advanced manufacturing sector,” Murphy says. Meanwhile, in the North East, firms have leaned into their natural geographic advantages to supercharge growth in offshore wind and clean energy. At the Port of Blyth in Northumberland, Lloyds is supporting the Energy Central cluster, an emerging hub for offshore wind, subsea decommissioning, battery manufacturing and renewables. In May, the port announced its latest development, a £100 million expansion expected to create hundreds of jobs and strengthen the region’s supply chain further. “The North East has a workforce that understands heavy industry, as well as ports built to handle this scale of operation,” Murphy says. “We can help regions capitalise on their strengths by providing the financial support that local businesses need.” The UK’s regions already host many of the sectors that will define the next chapter of economic growth. While some are anchored by major industrial assets, others A HELPING HAND Lloyds is proud to support one million UK businesses with leading digital and relationship banking services as they start up, grow and thrive. Scan the QR code to find out more about how Lloyds works with companies across the UK. With the new prime minister’s promise to ‘deliver growth in every postcode’, Britain’s mid-market businesses are proving that local strengths can become national advantages REGIONAL SECTORS FORGE AHEAD AMANDA MURPHY CEO of Lloyds Business and Commercial Banking that regional, forward-thinking,
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Business The Premier League will add £33 billion to the UK economy and generate close to £15 billion in tax revenue over the next three seasons, according to ana- lysis from EY. The economic value of England’s top domestic football competition has grown 14-fold since 1998-99, with record international viewing numbers and lucrative broadcasting rights creat- ing one of the richest leagues in Europe. Its economic contributions are on course to rise to an average of £11 billion a season over the next three seasons, up from £9.8 billion recorded in 2023-24. Just under two thirds of the economic value of English football is generated outside London. The game added £5.9 billion to the economy outside the capital, with £3.1 billion in the north- west alone in the 2023-24 season — the region where Andy Burnham, an Everton fan, hails from. Two-thirds of the 108,000 jobs supported by the Premier League were outside London It makes football one of the most lucrative sources of growth and tax revenue for the government. Peter Arnold, chief UK economist at EY, said the Premier League was “one of the UK’s most successful global ex- ports”, adding: “These impacts illus- trate how domestic success, inter- national appeal and reinvestment across football and communities reinforce one another, and how a world-class sporting competition can deliver lasting value for the economy and society alike.” The league’s broadcasting rights have rocketed in the past two decades, with international rights now outstripping domestic TV revenues. The Premier League is broadcast in 189 countries with nearly two billion viewers, gener- ating export revenue of £1.8 billion. More than a million overseas football fans visited the UK in 2023-24, adding more than £1 billion to the economy. A recently merged transatlantic law firm has paved the way for a possible London listing by winning regulatory approval for a structure that allows legal practices to float. Ashurst Perkins Coie, the 11th high- est earning firm in the City, has been granted alternative business structure status by the solicitors’ watchdog. The firm, the product of a merger this year of the City firm Ashurst and Per- kins Coie from Seattle, is the largest in the UK to adopt the regulatory status, which would allow it to accept either private equity or public investment. Shortly after authorisation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority was revealed, the firm rushed to quash suggestions that a London public offering was imminent. resigned as directors of Shop Direct before it was placed into liquidation. The two brothers faced bankruptcy proceeding from HSBC in the High Court this year but were able to secure a settlement agreement with the bank. They have agreed a payment plan with the lender, but the terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Carlyle is now seeking to sell Very Group for a possible £2 billion, appoint- ing bankers at Barclays and JP Morgan to run the auction. Elliott Advisors, the investment firm, and JD.com, the Chinese ecommerce group, are said to be interested in purchasing the retailer, which sells clothes, toys and household appliances to customers with buy-now- pay-later finance. Barclay brothers’ group went bust owing taxes Helen Cahill Transatlantic law firm is free to float The merger, which was first an- nounced last year, created a firm with 3,000 lawyers, generating about £1.96 billion in annual revenue. It emerged in last year’s financial statement that equity partners at the London side of the firm earned average salaries of nearly £1.6 million. The comparable pre-merger figure for equi- ty partners at the US firm trailed at slightly more than £1.4 million. If Ashurst Perkins Coie were to float on the London market, it would be the seventh law firm to take the plunge into public investment. The biggest to do so since liberalising legislation was passed nearly 20 years ago was DWF when it listed in 2019 in a £95 million initial public offering. However, its time as a publicly listed legal services company was relatively short-lived as the business delisted four years later when it was purchased by private equity. The first law firm to float, Gateley, remains on the market along with Keystone and Knights, but the share prices of all three have failed to impress over the past few years. A spokeswoman for Ashurst Perkins Coie said the firm was “not seeking and has no intention to seek third-party in- vestment, and the structure was not put in place for that purpose”. Sources close to the firm have suggested that the alternative business structure was adopted in an attempt to ease the financial integration of the practice after the merger by allowing American lawyers to join the UK part- nership. American Bar Association rules broadly impose a strict ban on external investment in most US states. Jonathan Ames Legal Editor The Barclay brothers’ former company went bankrupt owing £265,000 to HM Revenue & Customs despite having enough cash to pay off the debt. Shop Direct Holdings, the former parent company of Very Group, appointed a voluntary liquidator in July after Carlyle, the American private equity firm, took control of the retail business. The company had a large unpaid debt to HMRC despite having cash of £480,648, which insolvency practition- ers will now use to pay off the bill, according to The Telegraph. Aidan Barclay and Howard Barclay, the former owners of The Telegraph, PHILIP OLDHAM/BPI/SHUTTERSTOCK Premier League will add £33bn to UK economy in three years Football fans accounted for 2.6 per cent of all tourism to the country. The game’s record revenues have led to significant infrastructure spending on stadiums, training facilities and academies, led by Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium and Everton’s Hill Dickin- son stadium. Of the 51 teams to have played in the Premier League, 22 have built or moved to a new stadium since the first season in 1992-93. Clubs have added 290,000 seats to total stadium capacity since the Premier League’s first season, a rise of more than half. Attendance reached a new record of 15.9 million last season. “Looking ahead, planned and pro- posed developments represent intend- ed investment of between £3.7 billion and £9 billion, with construction esti- mated to support up to 110,000 full- time equivalent jobs,” EY said. Money generated at the highest levels of the game supports community and grassroots football through the Football Association and government. Mehreen Khan Economics Editor Football added £3 billion to the economy in the northwest alone in 2023-24, top; spending on infrastructure has included Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, left It’s a £200m racket . . . UK’s love for padel keeps growing Helen Cahill Britain’s obsession with the racket sport padel could rake in up to £233 million from players and investors, according to new analysis. Padel has has exploded in popularity since the pandemic and some enthusi- asts are estimated to be spending almost £1,000 a year on the sport. It was invented by the Mexican busi- nessman Enrique Corcuera and his wife, Viviana, while on holiday in 1969. It has become the fastest-growing sport in Britain, with participation more than doubling last year as 860,000 people played the game at least once, up from 400,000 in 2024, according to LTA Padel, the sport’s UK governing body. People are expected to spend between £84 million and £123 million on padel court bookings and coaching every year, according to Novuna Finance, the personal loans business. Meanwhile, the group has estimated investors will spend between £46 mil- lion and £110 million a year on con- structing new courts, creating an eco- nomy that could be worth more than £200 million annually. Operators built 683 new padel courts last year to capitalise on growing demand. Padel is also proving to be a lucrative business because individuals playing four times a month are spending an estimated £950 a year on the hobby. Entrepreneurs and businesses made 270 trademark filings for new padel- related brands in the year to the end of March, up from 109 in the prior year, according to research by Mathys & Squire, the intellectual property law firm. Meanwhile, large operators have been expanding their offerings rapidly, with David Lloyd Clubs and Padel United UK opening hundreds of courts and independent businesses opening up dedicated clubs. Theresa Lindsay, chief marketing officer at Novuna Finance, said: “Padel’s rise shows just how quickly a sport can go from a niche interest to becoming a major part of Britain’s lei- sure economy. As more people take to the court, spending is growing across clubs, coaching, equipment and creat- ing a new generation of facilities. The challenge now is keeping pace with de- mand and the commercial opportuni- ty is substantial.”
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Business know what that’s like,” she said. “I’d never really thought about it on the extreme scale and it stuck with me.” It inspired her to design everyday clothes that petite women “can actually wear” for Dewey Clothing, the label she founded in 2021. Her fledgling brand “took off” on social media, where it gained more than 1,000 followers within a month. After a bridal collection she designed modelled by women under 4ft 4in went viral at London Fashion Week, Dewey made the conscious decision to turn the idea into a commercial business, starting with jeans, the most requested item. The brand now counts the Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and the Strictly Come Dancing star Jowita Przystal as ambassadors and has since also expanded into sportswear and leisurewear. Another of the UAL entrepreneurs is Antoinette Oni, 31, whose Cheshire-based company creates “bio-based” thermal and acoustic insulation boards made entirely from wheat straw designed to be used in the construction industry. Oni launched Agreka Build in 2024 after she focused her MA project at Chamiah Dewey, who studied at the Where creative thinking breeds commercial hits W hen Elissa Brunato opened up US Vogue to see the supermodel Cara Delevingne wearing a jumpsuit covered in her company’s biodegradable sequins, it was a “crazy” moment. Brunato, 37, is the founder of Radiant Matter, a materials innovation start-up that makes shiny materials without using plastic, artificial dyes or metal finishes. Founded in 2020, the company has patented a nature-inspired process that sees cellulose nanocrystals — which are extracted from plant-based products like woodchip — engineered to refract light and create different colour effects. This process was used to create the “BioSequins” seen on Delevingne’s jumpsuit. Brunato said: “Nature creates colour without pigments: butterflies, beetles, peacock feathers, they all use microscopic structures that manipulate light … We engineer cellulose to create this tiny nanoarchitecture that then refracts light and creates this beautiful glittering property.” She is one of many founders to spin a business out of the University of the Arts London (UAL), which includes Central Saint Martins and the London College of Fashion among others. Data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) in May ranked UAL first for student start-ups for the fourth consecutive year. It spawned nearly 500 businesses in 2024-25 launched by students or recent alumni, accounting for more than one in ten of all student start-ups to come from UK universities. UAL also topped the rankings for active firms originating from student businesses, with 958 ventures still operating. Creative thinking and commercial ambition go hand in hand, according to Gavin Clark, director of enterprise at UAL, although he recognises this association is often underestimated. “People assume that the creative sector is all landscape painting and pottery,” Clark said. “But [it] is much more than that. It’s IT, it’s software, it’s advertising, marketing, it’s film, TV, publishing, it’s music performance, it’s architecture, it’s design and fashion.” Britain’s creative industries contribute about 5.5 per cent of UK gross value added to the economy, rivalling major sectors such as construction, and are growing faster than the wider economy, according to the government. Ministers have made the creative industries a key pillar of its industrial strategy, committing at least £500 million over three years to support innovation, research and development across the UK. Innovation is a skill Clark believes makes many arts graduates natural entrepreneurs, particularly when it comes to user-focused design. “They’re good at considering what the customer actually needs and often extremely good at communicating it.” Companies founded by current students and recent graduates at UAL secured more than £50,000 in external investment during the past academic year. Chamiah Dewey, 27, won a number of early grants and awards totalling about £32,000 from UAL for her eponymous clothing business and has received around £20,000 from angel investors. She first thought about adaptive fashion — clothing designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities or mobility limitations — after she met someone with dwarfism while studying at London College of Fashion. It had “a big impact” on her. “I’m petite myself, I’m 5ft 2in, so I Business Times Entrepreneurs Network T entrepreneurs network design Arts graduates are turning their best ideas into business ventures, write Jess Jones and Naomi Ackerman
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Business London College of Fashion, was inspired to set up her own clothing brand making everyday clothes for petite women VICKI COUCHMAN FOR THE TIMES Business Every new hire needs their own Burnham bounce who has moved from being a peer to the person approving holidays and having tough conversations around underperformance. That is why it is so important to immediately legitimise the selection. A formal announcement often helps, but many issues can be avoided if the set-up is right before day one. Here it pays to be explicit and public. What are the responsibilities and the limits of power? What decisions and outcomes are they now accountable for, but — critically — what are they not? Being clear on these things can make or break a business leader. When embedding your new senior appointment, it is a delicate balance of providing sufficient coaching and guidance to help them navigate the organisation and avoid potholes, but at the same time leaving enough time and space for them to deliver, take risks and approach problems in ways that are different. Too much steer may stifle the fresh ideas and innovation they will bring; too little and you risk error, drift and delay. Ultimately, once in position, a new senior appointment needs time to bring their vision to bear. Most “100-day plans” so favoured in interview processes are, rightly, heavy on listening and learning. However, you must expect a senior candidate to quickly grasp any issues and start acting early in their tenure. They have not been hired to be passive. Everyone wants to show a few quick wins and ensuring there are some ready for the new appointment to deliver is a great way to help establish them as a leader. But to expect substantial change overnight is to set the stage for failure. Many high-impact investments — from overhauling technology systems to rethinking social care — require bold decision-making and a long-term perspective. It is quite rare for these decisions to pay off in the short or even medium term. But it is incumbent on the new leader from the start to manage expectations, communicate well and demonstrate what success will look like. If there is a lag to seeing the end result, then identifying and communicating leading indicators is critical. These might be found in customer feedback, new sales or views from frontline teams (but probably not public opinion). The best leaders find that magical balance between a steady supply of green shoots and reaching ambitious milestones. For long-term transformational outcomes, both organisations and public opinion need patience and belief. For successive governments, these qualities have been in short supply in recent years — unlike prime ministers. Caroline Plumb is a serial entrepreneur and chief executive of Amtivo, which delivers ISO and industry certification services T here is plenty in the news at the moment about leadership transitions. After seven prime ministers in a decade, you might hope the process of setting up a new inhabitant of No 10 Downing Street to achieve success would be well-established. Self-evidently, that has not been the case. In any role, helping a new leader to succeed is not really about the early meetings — whether that is visiting the King or less high-profile new colleagues. It is about creating the conditions that allow a leader to lead. Anyone who has joined a business in a senior role — or recruited for one — knows that this can easily go very well, or very badly, very quickly. It is always a risk appointing senior roles, whether that is a new team leader or, it appears, cabinet ministers. There are certain elements you have to get right. First there is the job specification, which too often is dismissed as a peripheral concern. Advertising the role in the right places and to the right people is important, but the real power in the right specification is thinking not only about the role being recruited for but the wider organisation too. Making a senior appointment is a bit like solving a jigsaw puzzle: the piece has to fit with the pieces around it. Then there is the screening process. How do you ensure you see the best candidates, not those most desperate for the job? It is obvious, but the key to embedding a good leader and giving them the greatest chance of succeeding is to get the selection right. Recruitment errors are common and costly; maybe one in four at a senior level are not right. One of the common mistakes in business, and perhaps in politics, is to make selection too informal, then weight too much towards technical skills as opposed to leadership ones. The temptation to elevate a star performer is easy to understand. If there is a brilliant salesperson or a software engineering genius in the team, they can feel like the logical pick for a senior role. Yet just because someone excels at a certain skill does not mean they will make a good manager. There are examples of this mistake being made from tiny family businesses through to giant listed multinationals. However, if you have an internal candidate who is not only strong personally but also has the leadership skills to deliver, then a “step-up” is a strong choice. After your new senior hire starts, there are key activities to smooth their initial period in the job. It can be especially tough for someone Caroline Plumb Clearing the way for a few quick wins is a great way to establish them as a leader to London from India in 2021 to study for a biodesign master’s at Central Saint Martins, where she investigated living materials made from bacterial cellulose and microalgae. She soon learned that the algae had properties that made them highly effective at skin repair and the idea for Low Tide Labs was born. “I thought it was just a very under- discussed organism in daily life,” Bhatnagar said. “You can grow it anywhere … And it does so much heavy lifting in terms of the oxygen that’s produced for the Earth.” She spent 18 months working to create a skincare product, doing experiments with different algae species at the Central Saint Martins lab and in her kitchen. The business has finalised two products — a face wash and a lotion — and plans to start selling later this year. “We’re growing our own algae to make our own ingredients,” Bhatnagar said. “It’s like farm-to- table, but for skincare.” Longer-term, Bhatnagar plans to set up “algae tanks” in public places and to branch into haircare products and algae-based food and nutrition in both the UK and India Central Saint Martins on how regenerative farming waste could be used to build climate-adaptive buildings in northern Nigeria. Agreka Build’s “Wheatex” boards stand out from rival products, Oni says, because they don’t contain any form of synthetic or mineral binder, which means they can be recycled and will eventually biodegrade. “This is what sets us apart,” she said. “We found a way — a patent- pending process — to be able to allow the [straw’s] fibres to self-bind. That’s completely unique.” Used at scale, the company says Wheatex boards could help reduce sector emissions while insulating homes. Another founder, Jen Keane, has also created a new kind of material. She is the co-founder and chief executive of Modern Synthesis, a biotech company creating new materials from natural organisms to replace the synthetic textiles used in many fashion accessories and footwear. It aims to eventually expand into automotive interiors too. “We want to displace as much of the polyurethane and PVC materials as we can,” says Keane, a former material creative lead at Adidas. “We have a trajectory to be able to do that in the millions of tonnes in the next few years.” The business literally grew out of Keane’s master’s project, called “This Is Grown”, at Central Saint Martins. She grew a shoe upper using a bacteria that produces something called bacterial nanocellulose, which lends the material a translucent, woven-like appearance. Modern Synthesis is now working with major global brands and has already helped Ganni, the Danish fashion label, design a handbag that looks like leather but is actually grown from microscopic organisms. “We’re not trying to be leather,” Keane said. “It’s about creating this new class of natural materials that can sit beside leather in the short term, but longer term start to displace some of the harmful effects of some of those other materials.” A final UAL graduate, Namita Bhatnagar, has similarly used natural ingredients as the foundation of her business. The 28-year-old entrepreneur is the founder of the London-based company Low Tide Labs, which is developing eco-friendly skincare products. Bhatnagar moved
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Business EQUITY PRICES PRICES © 2021 Tradeweb Markets LLC. All rights reserved.re-distributed; The Tradeweb FTSE Gilt Closing Prices information contained herein is proprietary to Tradeweb; may not be copied or is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely; and does not constitute investment advice. Tradeweb is not responsible for any loss or damage that might result from the use of this information. Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Dividend yields Please note dividend yields are supplied by ICE Data Services. The yield is the sum of a company’s annual 12-month dividend payments divided by the last day’s closing share price. 12-month high and low High/low prices for UK equities and investment trusts are based on intra-day figures.
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Business Data provided by ICE. Data as shown is for information purposes only. No offer is made by ICE or this publication Base Rates Clearing Banks: 3.75% ECB Refi 2.40% Fed Fund 3.5-3.75% Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVR) 7.24% Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Mkt cap Price (million) Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E Wkly v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v u s t INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Payments, sorted. There’s a better way to take payments With smart terminals, pay-by-link, and real-time insights, get everything you need to stay ahead. pa elavon. Head to elavon.co.uk U.S. Bank Europe DAC. Registered in Ireland with Companies Registration Office. The liability of the member is limited. United Kingdom branch registered in England and Wales under the number BRO22122. U.S. Bank Europe DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is a credit institution authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Register Actor who played ‘Big Pussy’ in The Sopranos Vincent Pastore When Sir Edmund Hillary made the first ascent of Everest in 1953 he took a picture of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay but did not think to ask Tenzing to take one of him. Nirmal Purja’s picture from 2019 depicting a “conga” of about 300 climbers waiting to step on to the 8,849m summit of Everest, many of them having paid £50,000 for the expe- rience, went viral on social media, prompting anguish about the commer- cialisation of the world’s highest peak. The Nepalese-born Purja, who fought with the Gurkhas in Afghan- istan and saw service with the Special Boat Service, realised that things could go catastrophically wrong on this most exposed stretch of Everest. As people waited, they grew colder and more im- patient, using up their oxygen supplies; it was quite literally the worst place to be stuck in a queue. For two hours he took charge, “like a traffic policeman”, prioritising the coldest and those who had been waiting the longest while try- ing to calm the others. “Rather than people fighting over who should go up first, it’s better if it is managed systemat- ically,” he told The Guardian. Purja was on Everest as part of Project Possible, aiming to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks, each more than 8,000m high and in the so-called death zone. He and his team of Sherpas achieved their goal in 189 days, break- ing the previous record of seven years, ten months and six days set in 2013. Their feat can be seen in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing is Im- possible (2021). Along the way he res- cued three other climbers, including descending from a helicopter rope on Annapurna in the Himalayas to recov- er Chin Wui Kin, an anaesthesiologist who later died in hospital. Critics suggested that Purja’s use of supplementary oxygen detracted from his achievement. “It isn’t exactly alpin- ism as I understand it,” said Stephen Ve- nables, the first Briton to climb Everest without oxygen, adding that “in the his- tory of mountaineering it will only be a footnote”. Sir Chris Bonington added that Purja had displayed “supreme ath- leticism” but did not break new ground, adding: “I don’t see this as a major event.” Purja subsequently climbed all the peaks without oxygen. Three years ago Purja and his team became the first to conquer K2 in win- ter. The peak is so deadly that it is known as Savage Mountain, with many of the 11 victims of a 2008 avalanche still lying in the Bottleneck, a long, steep and narrow gully overhung by a 100m ice cliff. “Passing bodies, you realise some things are beyond planning and skill. Sometimes it’s just your day and sometimes it isn’t,” he observed. Recalling the Everest queues of 2019, Purja expressed concern about both the environmental damage to the mountain and the ever-growing and under-prepared number of mountain- eers. “You could be the best climber in the world, the most adapted human to high altitude,” he told The Times. “[But] if you are at the back of the line, that is where you are. Your life is in the hands of those in front and their ability to get up and down.” Nirmal Purja, known as Nimsdai or Nims, was the fourth of five children born to a family in the mountain village was involved in sweeping vast areas of land for improvised explosive devices with Royal Marines Commandos. He also took part in gun battles and at- tached L9 bar mines to the doors of enemy compounds. “My job was to creep up to a door, fix the mine, run away and … boom,” he recalled. His unit patrolled open desert valleys in the baking heat, making their pres- ence known to anyone watching and “checking in with the friendly locals, while taking potshots from the not-so- friendly”. The work was stressful but re- warding, he said, adding: “When the weapons went off, the adrenaline surged through me.” Learning of operations elsewhere, in- cluding hostage rescues, hard arrests on serious Taliban players and door- kicking raids, all performed by the Spe- cial Air Service (SAS) or Special Boat Service (SBS), he wanted “to be one of those guys”. In 2009 he became the first pulmonary oedema, excess fluid in the lungs. Embarrassed, he descended to recover before returning and making it to the top. On the way down he rescued an abandoned Indian climber for which he was rewarded with an MBE. He climbed Everest again in 2017 with a team of Gurkhas as part of G200E, a delayed celebration of their 200th anniversary of service to the British Crown in 2015. While others re- cuperated, he climbed Mount Lhotse (8,516m) and Mount Makalu (8,485m), the world’s fourth and fifth highest peaks. Sensing his desire to move into full-time mountaineering, the SBS pro- moted him to cold-weather warfare in- structor while the SAS tried to lure him with a one-year climbing programme. However, in 2018 he sacrificed his full military pension, “a life-changing chunk of money”, to concentrate on Project Possible, funding himself through sponsorship, notably from Bremont the watch manufacturer, and by remortgaging the family home. “Walking out on such a prestigious career had felt risky, but I was prepared to gamble everything for my ambition,” he wrote in his memoir Beyond Poss- ible (2020), in which he demonstrates a somewhat unorthodox relationship with fear. Purja’s alpha-male style was some- times the subject of fierce criticism. Some felt he took his own motivational talks too literally; others that he pushed fellow climbers too hard. One friend in Tibet warned him of jealous rivals, add- ing: “It takes only one push for you to disappear from the mountain for good.” Two years ago the New York Times published lurid allegations against him and other male climbers by several fe- male mountaineers including Lotta Hintsa, a former Miss Finland. Purja denied the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory”. On July 21, 2026, Purja scaled the 8,035m Gasherbrum II in Pakistan without supplemental oxygen, a record 57th ascent of a peak above 8,000 me- ters. Nine days later he began a sponta- neous climb of Broad Peak in Pakistan with a group of fellow mountaineers. “This wasn’t planned. But opportuni- ties don’t scream: they whisper to those already working in silence,” he wrote in typically upbeat manner. Hours later they were caught in an avalanche. He was not heard from again. Nirmal Purja MBE, special forces serviceman and mountaineer, was born on July 25, 1983. His death after being caught in an avalanche was announced on August 1, 2026. He was 43 Obituaries Nirmal Purja Record-breaking mountaineer and Gurkha who fought in Afghanistan and was selected to serve with the Special Boat Service Purja, above on Nanga Parbat, took a famous photograph of the queue for the Everest summit. Below, with his wife, Suchi PA PHOTOS/NIRMAL PURJA; @NIMSDAI PROJECT POSSIBLE/ AP; DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES of Dana, in western Nepal, in 1983. His father, Nanda Bahadur Purja, served with the Gurkhas; his mother, Purna Kumari, was a farmworker, often toiling with a child strapped to her back. “We came from a really poor family,” he told National Geographic. “As a kid I re- member I didn’t even have flip-flops.” He was four when they moved down- hill to Ramnagar, a jungle village near Kathmandu, in the hottest and flattest part of the country. “I had plenty of trouble to find: on the streets, in the woods, by the water; the potential for exploration was huge,” he wrote. At ten he contracted tuberculosis and was later diagnosed with asthma, but shrugged off both potential limitations. Two of his brothers, Ganga and Ka- mal, followed their father into the Gur- khas, sending money home to support Nirmal’s education at Small Heaven Higher Secondary, an English-speak- ing school in Chitwan. There he took on the bullies by practising kickboxing, be- coming regional champion. He had another brother, Jit, and a younger sis- ter, Anita. Purja grew up wanting to be either a Gurkha, like his father and brothers, or a government official. “But I wanted to be Nepal’s version of Robin Hood, steal- ing from the rich and giving to the poor,” he said. He chose the former, was selected at his second attempt and in 2003 joined the Gurkha Training Company at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, only to be bombarded with questions about Everest. “They looked un- impressed when I admitted I’d not even seen base camp, let alone climbed above it,” he said. In 2006 he married Suchi, who works in dentistry and is the daughter of a Gurkha. They lived in Eastleigh, near Southampton, and she survives him with Himani, their young daughter. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2007, he Gurkha to pass selection for the SBS, fitting in by learning British sitcom hu- mour and dirty jokes. He also learnt to fend off negative thoughts, a technique he later put to use on the mountains. “If you have frostbite or diarrhoea, concentrate on your bad knee instead. Sounds crazy, right? But that’s it, think about something worse.” In the SBS Purja specialised as a trau- ma medic and in July 2010 was de- ployed on active service, rushing through houses and enemy com- pounds, coming face to face with dan- gerous enemy forces, or IED booby- traps. “Kicking in doors was exciting, but terrifying,” he recalled. On one occasion he was shot during a gunfight. “Having taken up a position on a compound roof, firing my weapon while lying flat on my belly, I was struck by something. I wasn’t sure by what at first, but it was powerful enough to knock me from the building,” he said. Fortunately, the round had only sliced across his face, doing more damage to his rifle butt. He resumed fire with a pistol until the operation concluded and his wound could be patched up. Meanwhile, he had begun moun- taineering, trekking to Everest base camp in 2012 and, despite little ex- perience, climbing the 6,119m Lobu- che East. In 2014 he took a diploma in security management at Loughbor- ough University. Two years later he used a period of leave to make the first of his six climbs of Everest, covering the £50,000 cost by telling the bank that he needed to borrow £15,000 “to buy a car” and draining his savings for the rest. Lack of acclimatisation meant he developed a ‘Passing bodies, you realise some things are beyond planning or skill’
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Register Pastore in Witness to the Mob, a film about the Gambino crime family, in 1998 At the end of season two of The Sopra- nos in 2000, Vincent Pastore’s charac- ter, Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, a veteran gangster who runs a car work- shop, was taken out for a spin in a boat by Tony Soprano, his best friend. Tony (James Gandolfini) had learnt that Pussy, whose name derived from his former life as a cat burglar, was an FBI informant. They shared a drink and then, to the horror of television audien- ces everywhere, Tony shot Pussy several times and tossed his body into the ocean. The scene has gone down in the an- nals of television history as one of the classic mobster moments, and the sto- ryline was one of the show’s most mem- orable. For the actor it was a tour de force, cementing his character’s tough but conflicted image. “I saw Big Pussy as a man with a big heart, and that was my choice of how I played that role,” he told Edge magazine. Pastore’s roles were often big charac- ters with even bigger, wise-guy person- alities. With his stocky build, Schwar- zenegger-size shoulders and gruff but loveable demeanour, the actor could identify with many of them, including Angelo Ruggiero, whom he played in Gotti (1996) alongside Tony Sirico, Frank Vincent and Dominic Chianese, also future members of The Sopranos. “I am Angelo, I am Big Pussy ... Those characters are closer to who I am.” Despite having studied drama, Pa- store “came to acting late in life”, he said. “So, at first, you take anything they give you.” One of his earliest appearan- ces was as the bride’s father in Nancy Savoca’s Italian marital comedy True Love (1989), which won the grand jury prize at the 1989 Sundance Film Festi- val. He had a small role carrying a coat rack in Goodfellas (1990), played a back- ground character in Carlito’s Way (1993), starring Sean Penn and Al Pacino, alongside his cousin Garry Pa- store, and between 1992 and 1996 made several appearances in the NBC televi- sion series Law & Order. His tough-guy image was confirmed as Tony Scarboni, the right-hand man “For the record, I never knew any rats.” From New Rochelle High School he served three years in the US navy dur- ing the Vietnam war and then studied drama at Pace University, New York. Instead of going into acting he worked as a chauffeur and nightclub bouncer, eventually owning clubs in New Roche- lle. One of these inspired Adriana’s club, Crazy Horse, on The Sopranos, though he claimed to have “lost every penny I had” on that business. His regular clients included the actor brothers Matt and Kevin Dillon. By day he drove them around New York in a limousine, regaling them with his dreams of becoming an actor. “They ended up seeing me at this community theatre I was doing. Kevin helped me out. He gave me the direction I needed to finally act,” he said. His first appoint- ment with Dillon’s agent fell flat. “He said, ‘Do a monologue’,” Pastore re- called. “I didn’t know what’s a mono- logue. It was a wake-up call.” Some of his early work was with Robert De Niro, including as a psychi- atric patient in Awakenings (1990) and a tiny role in A Bronx Tale (1993). “Bobby’s been really good to me. He sees you and he likes your work and he pulls you along,” he said. There were also non-gangster roles. He was the owner of a seafood shop in an episode of the TV comedy Ed, played a priest in the 1950s crime drama Deu- ces Wild (2002) with Debbie Harry and was a process server in Serving Sara (al- so 2002) with Liz Hurley and Matthew Perry (obituary, October 29, 2023). Yet playing a tough guy proved easier than playing a good one. “I didn’t study the classics. I’m a street actor. A lot of my training was on the set,” he said. Although the cigar-smoking Big Pussy was killed off after only two sea- sons of The Sopranos, Pastore con- tinued to appear in flashbacks and dream sequences for the rest of the show’s six-season run. Elsewhere he turned up on reality television in Do- nald Trump’s Celebrity Appren- tice (2008) with Piers Morgan and Len- nox Lewis, sang on Broadway, appro- priately enough in the musicals Chicago (2007) and Bullets Over Broad- way (2014), and fronted a rock band, Big Pussy and the Gangster Squad. Vincent Pastore’s Italian Sauce, made from im- ported Italian tomatoes, brought a culi- nary angle to his portfolio, as did his contribution to Shut Up and Eat! (2006), an Italian-American cookbook. He met and married Nancy Berke while working as a bartender in the La- llipop bar in Westchester. Their mar- riage was dissolved and he is survived by their daughter, Renee. In 2005 he was arrested in the Little Italy district of New York after allega- tions that he had assaulted Lisa Regina, his fiancée, after she made him wait outside her flat for so long that he al- most got a parking ticket. Forced to pa- rade in handcuffs, he grumbled to pho- tographers: “This is not the red carpet.” He was sentenced to 70 hours of com- munity service and thereafter kept his private life private. Pastore, who had prostate cancer di- agnosed in 2014, was found dead at his home near the beach on City Island, in the northeastern Bronx, where the walls inside were adorned with posters from his shows and films. Friends said that as recently as Thursday he had been discussing plans to see The Odys- sey. Vincent Pastore, actor, was born on July 14, 1946. His body was found on August 1, 2026. He was 80 East, where he had grown up, while his fellow designers based themselves in London. He claimed that he “never sold out to commercialism”, though success was up and down “like a snake”. “It’s hard to be successful in the North East, but it’s a trade-off,” he said. “I felt I owed it to my children to stay here. Plus, I design men’s outerwear. to the powerful local mafia boss Ernie Lazzaro (Alan Arkin) in the comedy crime drama The Jerky Boys (1995). Thereafter he rarely objected to being typecast, such as when playing Skippy, who is involved in a plot to siphon funds from banks and credit card companies by hacking into their computer systems via satellite, in This Thing of Ours (2002) with Frank Vincent and James Caan. Indeed, his CV read like a pantheon of the gangster world. TV entries in- cluded Witness to the Mob (1998), de- tailing the life of New York Gambino crime family underboss Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, and the documentary Family Values: The Mob and the Movies (1999), exploring the re- al-life American mafia and its relation- ship with Hollywood. Pastore rejected suggestions that programmes such as The Sopranos and films such as The Godfather reduced all Italian-Americans to a cultural stereo- type. “It’s exaggerated,” he said in 2002. “But it’s based on stuff that pretty much happens. It doesn’t happen to regular people, but it happens.” Vincent Dominic Pastore, a third- generation Italian-American, was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1946, the son of John Pastore, a school caretaker, and his wife, Natalie (née Santadonato). They lived above the Forester’s Club and as a child he hung out in Feeney Park and sang in an a cappella group called the Crystal Kings. Although Pastore could identify with some of his characters, he did not grow up with people like them. “We lived in New Rochelle [a suburb of Westchester county] in an Italian neighbourhood. I can still smell the pizza. Roller skating every Friday night at the Boys Club. Great memories. We saw bookies and loan sharks,” he said, adding darkly: ‘I saw Big Pussy as a man with a big heart, and that was my choice’ Vincent Pastore Actor who played ‘Big Pussy’ in The Sopranos TV series, the mobster best friend of Tony Soprano turned FBI informant ALAMY Nigel Cabourn Designer of ‘rugged wear’ in the North East who drew on military and expedition history to revive a heavy-duty style For someone who described himself as “not very bright”, Nigel Cabourn pro- duced designs that were remarkably cerebral. He had gone to art college in part because he was dyslexic — in another interview he said it was because there were “200 girls and one guy” — but the clothes Cabourn created when he dropped out to start his first label, Cricket, were heavily rooted in history. He had a library of 3,000 books on the military and expe- ditions, his two great muses. “I’m like a big giant sieve of history,” he said, “and I just turn it into the clothes.” There was the heavy brown tweed jacket inspired by Tenzing Norgay, who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary in reaching the top of Everest in 1953; Vietnam War-inspired military garb from the US marine corps (“which is all fing green with all the fing badg- es which I love”); and “Bombay Bloom- ers” inspired by his father’s time fight- ing in Burma during the Second World War. “They are big and baggy, and were ideal for soldiers stationed in the desert,” he recalled. “I have a great pic- ture of my dad in a pair of Bloomers and it offers me a great deal of inspiration.” A contemporary of Paul Smith, Viv- ienne Westwood (who once stayed with him in Newcastle) and Margaret How- ell, Cabourn chose to stay in the North You can test it out here on a regular basis.” Still, he became one of the best- known designers in the field of “rugged wear”, heavy-duty clothing made from durable material, typically for trades- men such as construction workers but which Cabourn brought into the main- stream. He liked to create garments from sturdy, weather-proof material such as Ventile, one of the first water- resistant fabrics, Harris Tweed or Brit- ish oil cloth. He was attracted to their durability — “The old fabrics don’t compromise. Those pieces really had to stand what they promise” — and felt that other designers sacrificed quality for style. He was “fabric-driven”, which had a tinge of nostalgia. “I am quite an emotional person,” he said in relation to his obsession with old material. There were collaborations with Con- verse, Vans, Barbour, Liam Gallagher and Fred Perry, “which was great because I got to talk about ping pong, and I love ping pong”. There was also one with Sir Paul Smith, who stocked his clothes in his Nottingham store in 1973 and introduced Cabourn to vin- tage clothing in 1978, when he bought Cabourn an RAF jacket in army green and said, “Nige, you should make army jackets like this.” Cabourn was so excited that he asked Smith to take him to where he had found his jacket. “He took me to the Porte de Clignancourt, the Paris flea market, and I saw about six vintage col- lectors there,” Cabourn recalled. “I couldn’t believe it — the amount of ideas and details that were on vintage pieces. It immediately gave me new in- spiration for the rest of my life.” Cabourn, who once said that “mili- tary green and navy blue are the only two colours I really wear”, did not class himself as a fashion designer. “I don’t follow fashion. Everything I design comes from either a moment in history, an inspirational person or a vintage garment.” Even if he did not follow trends, he created them. His use of heavy-duty clothes would be mirrored in the 21st-century obsession with mak- ing fashion out of blue-collar work- man’s gear, including brands such as Carhartt and Dickies. Born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, in 1949, Nigel Cabourn grew up in Peter- lee, north of Hartlepool. His father, John, was a postmaster and his mother, Edith, worked in the post office. A grandfather regaled him with stories of fighting in the trenches in the First World War, and his father of the jungles of Burma in the second. His interest in war was piqued. In 1984 he married Jan- et Bell, his company’s PR. She survives him with their three children, Ben, Lucy and Sophie. In 1962 he moved to Newcastle and, a couple of years later, a friend told him about Newcastle College of Art and In- dustrial Design, where the number of women drastically outweighed the male students, “and I said, ‘That’s what I want to do. That sounds great.’” He never graduated. “I knew at 19 that I wanted to run my own business,” he re- called, and the principal encouraged him to leave. “I started doing business under my own name in 1971, and called my brand Cricket, like the game. In 1984, I changed the company name from Cricket to Nigel Cabourn because it was a trend in the 1980s to not just have a brand name, but to use your own name.” The first jacket he made with Cricket was from his mother’s curtains because of a scarcity of material. When asked later in life about his plans for the future, he replied: “To work until I die ... The key is to do what you love to do ... If you do that, you’ll have a long life.” Nigel Cabourn, clothing designer, was born on October 7, 1949. He died of cancer on June 11, 2026, aged 76 Cabourn with models in London, 2017 STUART C. WILSON/GETTY IMAGES Email: obituaries@thetimes.co.uk
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Register Scottish Prison Service Gui- dance providing that, in some circumstances, it was permissi- ble for biological men to be ac- commodated within the women’s prison estate was un- lawful. It was unlawful because it misstated the law. The Prisons and Young Of- fenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011 (“the rules”) provided for the separation of men and women. Following the Supreme Court decision in For Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish Minis- ters ([2025] UKSC 16, 2025 SC (UKSC) 1, The Times, April 20, 2025), the words “woman” and “man” in the prison rules could only mean biological woman and biological man. Lady Ross so held in the Out- er House of the Court of Session when granting the petition for judicial review by For Women Scotland Ltd, seeking to have the guidance on the manage- ment of transgender prisoners issued by the first respondents, the Scottish Prison Service, an executive agency of the Scottish Ministers, declared unlawful. The second respondent was the Lord Advocate. Mr Aidan O’Neill KC and Tony Convery for the petition- ers; Gerry Moynihan KC and Lesley Irvine for the Scottish Births, Marriages and Deaths Deaths BOWMAN Yvonne, on 17th July, aged 96. Dearly loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, will be sadly missed. Funeral service on Wednesday 19th August at Holy Trinity Church, Eridge, TN3 9JG, at 2.00pm. Parking available opposite the church. Family flowers only please but donations may be sent, payable to Hospice in the Weald, Pembury, c/o ER Hickmott & Son, tel: 01892 522462, or direct to Hospice in the Weald. MCCOWEN Donald William Henry “Bill” died peacefully at home in Virginia on 28th June 2026, aged 89. Beloved husband of Lizzie and father to Kate and Tracey. A thanksgiving service will be held at All Saints, Bighton, on 18th October. SAXTON Dr Hugh died at home in Stockbridge, Hampshire, on 21st July, aged 98. Thanksgiving service on 17th August at 2pm in Stockbridge. Inquiries to Richard Steel & Partners, 01962 862333. ‘I GIVE you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ John 13.34-35 (NRSV) To book a Birth, Marriage or Death announcement in the Register, visit: newsukadvertising.co.uk for help, please call 020 7782 7553 or email BMDs@thetimes.co.uk Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society The simple way to place your Birth, Marriage or Death announcement in the Register. Available 24 hours a day. Go to: newsukadvertising.co.uk Law Report Scottish prisons’ transgender guidance is ruled unlawful Ministers and Lord Advocate; Kenny McBrearty KC and Ra- chel Breen for the Scottish Human Rights Commission (first intervener); Janys Scott KC and David Anderson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (second interven- er). LADY ROSS said that the proceedings concerned the “SPS Policy for the Manage- ment of Transgender People in Custody Operational Gui- dance” issued in 2024. The effect of the guidance was that, in the absence of a “vio- lence against women or girls marker”, a trans woman prison- er (a biological man) would be considered for admission into the women’s estate. Where there was a violence against women and girls marker, there was a presumption, subject to excep- tions, that a trans woman pris- oner would not be admitted into the women’s estate. The guidance was necessarily premised on an understanding that admitting biological men into women’s prisons was lawful. The Prisons and Young Of- fenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011 (“the rules”), made under the Prisons (Scotland) Act 1989, provided for the separation of male and female prisoners. There was also no real dispute that, as a matter of generality, the reasons for sex segregation in prisons were to protect the safety of women and to secure the privacy and dignity of both women and men. The statutory requirement was consistent with international standards. The respondents argued that the guidance was necessary to allow them to comply with their obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 not to contra- vene trans prisoners’ rights under Articles 2 (right to life), 3 (prohibition of inhuman or de- grading treatment or punish- ment), 8 (respect for private and family life), and 14 (enjoyment of rights without discrimina- tion). The rules should be read consistently with the respon- dents’ obligations under the 1998 Act. Her ladyship said that Article 8 was a qualified right. Custody imposed very significant limita- tions on the private and family lives of all prisoners and also on the ability to express gender identity. In the custodial setting, ac- commodating the wish of a trans woman prisoner to live as a woman by a transfer to the fe- male estate entailed association with an identifiable group of other prisoners — women pris- oners. There was no obvious parallel outside imprisonment. At liberty, a trans woman might consider that she could best express her female identity by sharing accommodation with women, and that might be achieved on the basis of consent, but a person, whether male or female, could not be compelled to share the living space needed for essential daily activities such as eating and washing, with another person. A trans prisoner could not live in his or her transgender ident- ity in the abstract. Accommo- dating a trans woman prisoner in the women’s estate necessari- ly involved association with women, and their circumstan- ces were such that they could not opt out. A trans woman’s Ar- ticle 8 rights were already re- spected in the men’s estate by measures including ensuring access to hormone treatment and maintaining privacy and dignity in living arrangements. Sex segregation in prisons was in accordance with law and was necessary, at least, to pro- tect the rights and freedoms of others, specifically women pris- oners. The Supreme Court’s de- cision in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers ([2025] UKSC 16) made clear that the law on demarcation of separate sex spaces, including within prisons, was based on biological sex. That might be harsh in re- spect of an individual, but that did not mean that the rule was incompatible with that person’s Convention rights. There were obligations on the respondents in terms of Article 2 to protect life and Article 3 not to subject prisoners to inhuman or degrading treatment, but there was no positive obligation, in general terms, based on Arti- cle 2 or Article 3, to accommo- date a trans prisoner in a prison for the opposite biological sex. Schedule 3 of the Equality Act 2010 made an exception to its provisions concerning discrimi- nation, harassment, or victimi- sation by reason of sex where the person who would other- wise be in breach of those provi- sions did so when performing a public function in accordance with an enactment. The rules were such an enactment. Apply- ing them did not put the respon- dents in breach of the Equality Act 2010. On the basis that the respon- dents were exercising a public function and that section 29(6) and Schedule 22 of the Equality Act 2010 applied, the question of disapplication of the prison rules might arise. It was possible that, in an exceptional individu- al case, in a situation where there was a threat to life, it could be necessary to consider an ar- gument that accommodation in a prison for the opposite biologi- cal sex was necessary and the rules should be disapplied. Whether that could be achieved compatibly with the requirements of the Equality Act could not be determined in the abstract. In any event, the possibility of disapplication or disregard of subordinate legislation in some undefined circumstances could not form part of a general policy. The guidance was unlawful and the petitioner was entitled to a declarator. Law Agents: Balfour & Man- son LLP; Scottish Government Legal Directorate; interveners’ in-house solicitors. Balmoral Castle 1st August, 2026 The King this morning received members of Assynt Mountain Rescue Team at the Castle of Mey, Thurso, Caithness. His Majesty, Patron, the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, received Mr Matthew Currie (President) and Mr Robert Gilchrist (Chief Executive Officer) at the Castle of Mey. Kensington Palace 1st August, 2026 The Prince William, Duke of Rothesay and The Duchess of Rothesay today attended the XXIII Commonwealth Games and were received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Glasgow (Councillor Jacquline McLaren, the Rt Hon the Lord Provost). Their Royal Highnesses this afternoon visited Team House for Team Wales, YOTEL Glasgow, 260 Argyle Street, Westergate, Glasgow. The Prince William, Duke of Rothesay and The Duchess of Rothesay, Patron, SportsAid, afterwards met athletes and staff supported by SportsAid at YOTEL Glasgow. St James’s Palace 1st August, 2026 The Duke of Edinburgh, Vice Patron, Commonwealth Sport, and The Duchess of Edinburgh today attended the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. St James’s Palace 1st August, 2026 The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, having been received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight (Mrs Susan Sheldon), today carried out the following engagements on the Isle of Wight, on the occasion of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of Cowes Week: Her Royal Highness this morning visited the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust’s ‘Sailing Through Royal History’ Exhibition, 74 High Street, Cowes. The Princess Royal, Patron, Island Sailing Club, subsequently opened the Queen Elizabeth II Room at the Island Sailing Club, 70 High Street, Cowes. Her Royal Highness this afternoon visited the ‘Panels on the Parade’ section of the Maritime Heritage Trail, Cowes, and unveiled a plaque to celebrate the Bicentenary of Cowes Week. The Princess Royal later visited the offices of Cowes Week Limited, Regatta House, 18 Bath Road, Cowes. Her Royal Highness afterwards visited Cowes Week Stands on the Parade, Cowes. The Princess Royal this evening attended a Reception on board HMS Severn at anchor in the Solent, off Cowes. St James’s Palace 2nd August, 2026 The Duke of Edinburgh, Vice- Patron, Commonwealth Sport, and The Duchess of Edinburgh today attended the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. His Royal Highness, Vice Patron, Commonwealth Sport, accompanied by Her Royal Highness, this evening closed the XXIII Commonwealth Games at the Hydro, Scottish Event Campus, Exhibition Way, Glasgow, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Glasgow (Councillor Jacqueline McLaren, the Rt Hon the Lord Provost). St James’s Palace 2nd August, 2026 The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, having been received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight (Mrs Susan Sheldon), today carried out the following engagements on the Isle of Wight, on the occasion of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of Cowes Week: Her Royal Highness, Admiral, Royal Yacht Squadron, this morning started the first race of the day at Cowes Week, the Castle, the Parade, Cowes. The Princess Royal later visited East Cowes Sailing Club, Clarence Road, East Cowes. Her Royal Highness, Admiral, Royal Yacht Squadron, this afternoon viewed Cowes Week Racing in the Solent and attended a Luncheon on board Motorboat Warrior, off Cowes. The Princess Royal, Admiral Royal Yacht Squadron, later attended the Cowes Week Regatta Meeting at the Castle. Her Royal Highness, Master, the Corporation of Trinity House, this evening attended a Reception on board THV Patricia. Court Circular 50% discount for subscribers The perfect wedding gift ‘It felt like I was floating on a cloud’ Jodi Shurey, 30, and Dan Tostevin, 31, were married on October 27, 2024, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. They featured in The Times on Saturday April 12, 2025 Mark an unforgettable day with a feature in Readers’ Lives, a service in contracted tributes Call 020 7782 5583 or email readerslives@thetimes.co.uk
BOOK WITH THE TOP PARTNER FOR ms) OCEANIA EXCLUSIVE PROMOTION ENDS 8PM 9" AUGUST 2026 wy) CRUISES TRUSTED FOR OVER 30 YEARS SAVE upto 30% FREE FREE GRATUITIES, WI-FI HOUSE DRINKS EXCURSION CREDIT CAR PARKING” & SPECIALITY DINING” PACKAGE or upto $800 FOR ALL BOOKINGS ~< oncierge Veranda 5 ADULTS-ONLY CRUISING Intimate and luxurious, Oceania Marina hosts no more than 1,250 guests, creating an atmosphere that feels effortlessly refined and personal. This boutique scale allows for generous space, attentive service, and a relaxed rhythm that larger ships simply cannot replicate. Open seating dining and uncrowded teak decks, and ocean-view lounges foster a sense of calm sophistication. The Finest Cuisine at Sea® defines the Oceania Cruises experience. Their culinary program celebrates the ingredients, techniques, and traditions of the world’s great culinary regions - reflecting the destinations they visit. From sourcing premium artisanal ingredients from around the world, to the spacious state-of-the-art galleys and their distinguished chefs who are continually inspired by their Executive Culinary Directors and Master Chefs of France, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale. 14 NIGHTS DEPARTING 8™ JUNE 2027 WHAT'S INCLUDED JUNE 2027 IN YOUR ROL CRUISE SALE Tue 8 Embark the elegant 5 Oceania Marina and EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS OF UP TO 30% depart Southampton for your adults-only Faae Ga RDATANTS aA Ath ASSTa NES" Helsinki voyage Skagen Stockholm . th A Thu 1 kK: De 4 Tallinn PLUS, book by 8pm 9" August 2026 to receive a ju |O Skagen, Denmar! Sail from/to Copenhagen FREE £30 M&S Gift Card Frill Copenhagen, Denmark Southhampton Sun 13 Stockholm, Sweden Riga ¥ 5x adults-only luxury cruising on board the elegant * Recommended Excursion: Highlights of Oceania Marina, including: Stockholm & Vasa Museum - FREE House Drinks Package — including Enjoy an orientation drive through Sweden‘s Warnemiinde Champagne, wine & beer during meal times watery, wonderful capital city, passing sights Pan necad OR like the Royal Palace, the Royal Opera House and the Swedish Parliament Building. Then, tour -_FREE up to $800 shore excursion credit the Vasa Museum, where the world’s oldest - FREE gratuities & Wi-Fi for all bookings complete ship sits reassembled after 333 years YOUR EXCLUSIVE ROL CRUISE FARES - FREE speciality dining for all bookings under water svarexeomysurrz “GRADE FULL ROL CRUISE - Experience The Finest Cuisine at Sea” with Mon 14 Helsinki, Finland FARE (PP) FARE (PP) multiple open-seating speciality dining venues Tue 15. Tallinn, Estonia (depart early pm) Inside c £5,459 £3,599 at no additional charge i i . . - FREE soft drinks, bottled water and specialit Wed 16 Riga, Latvia Deluxe Ocean View —C £6,389 £4,399 coffees Pecraty Thu v Visby, Sweden (depart early pm) Veranda B3 £7169 £4,999 - FREE room service 24-hours a day Fri18 Berlin (from Warnemiinde), Germany Concierge Veranda A3 £7389 £5,299 - FREE shuttles from the pier to city centre in Sat19 Aarhus, Denmark . most ports of call Tue 22 Arrive in Southampton Penthouse Suite Pre £9,179 £6,699 | EARN EXCLUSIVE CRUISE MILES” . , JUST A DEPOSIT REQUIRED TO BOOK worth up to £133 off your next booking’ Dates not mentioned are spent relaxing at sea rolerisecoukitimes | curoveroe Q808 239 3140 ASSEN A Trustpitt TRAVEL WITH s connpence «= SBABTA FREE ON FROM 8:30AM- 8PM | KK KO Pricing and availabilty correct at time of sign off (31/07/2026). Savings & fares may increase or be withdrawn at any time. Offer applies to new bookings only. xRecommended excursions are at a charge and subject to change and availabilty. +Gift is based on one per booking for UK mainland addresses only. <Suite is on a guaranteed basis. ++Subject to the cruise line's T&C's. + {Cruise Miles® T&Cs apply. Agent to ABTA Holder Oceania (Y495X). Oceania Cruises” T&Cs apply. E&OE.
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Weather The Times weather page is provided by Channel Islands NORTH SEA CHANNEL IRISH SEA ATLANTIC OCEAN Aberdeen Glasgow Edinburgh Carlisle Newcastle York Manchester Liverpool Hull Llandudno Shrewsbury Nottingham Sheffield Norwich Cambridge Oxford Bristol Swansea Cardiff Plymouth Exeter Southampton Brighton London Londonderry Belfast Galway Dublin Cork Birmingham CELTIC SEA Orkney Shetland Thursday Aberdeen Aberporth Anglesey Aviemore Barnstaple Bedford Belfast Birmingham Bournemouth Bridlington Bristol Camborne Cardiff Edinburgh Eskdalemuir Glasgow Hereford Herstmonceux Ipswich Isle of Man Isle of Wight Jersey Keswick Kinloss Leeds Lerwick Leuchars Lincoln Liverpool London Lyneham Manchester Margate Milford Haven Newcastle Nottingham Orkney Oxford Plymouth Portland Scilly, St Mary’s Shoreham Shrewsbury Snowdonia Southend South Uist Stornoway Tiree Whitehaven Wick Yeovilton Around Britain Key: b=bright, c=cloud, d=drizzle, pc=partly cloudy du=dull, f=fair, fg=fog, h=hail, m=mist, r=rain, sh=showers, sl=sleet, sn=snow, s=sun, t=thunder =previous day =data not available Temp C Rain mm Sun hr midday yesterday 24 hrs to 5pm yesterday Noon today C 3.0 1.6 C 0.0 12.9 PC 0.0 13.3 C 0.0 1.2 PC 0.0 ** PC 0.0 ** C 0.0 8.0 S 0.0 ** S 0.0 11.0 S 0.0 ** S 0.0 14.3 PC 0.0 8.1 S 0.2 12.7 C 0.0 4.4 S 0.2 2.9 C 0.0 3.4 S 0.0 ** S 0.0 7.4 PC 0.0 11.2 PC 0.0 11.7 S 0.0 ** S 0.0 9.9 C 0.0 ** ** 0.0 1.0 PC 0.0 ** C 3.6 2.1 C 0.0 3.5 S 0.0 8.4 PC 0.0 ** PC 0.0 12.9 S 0.0 12.3 C 0.0 8.9 S 0.0 4.8 PC 0.0 ** S 0.0 ** S 0.0 9.8 C 0.2 ** PC 0.0 ** S 0.0 ** PC 0.0 ** PC 0.0 ** PC 0.0 11.3 PC 0.0 7.9 S 0.0 ** S 0.0 11.9 C 0.0 ** C 1.2 5.0 C 0.0 7.9 C 0.0 4.4 ** PC 0.2 ** S 0.0 10.9 The world All readings local midday yesterday Alicante Amsterdam Athens Auckland Bahrain Bangkok Barbados Barcelona Beijing Beirut Belgrade Berlin Bermuda Bordeaux Brussels Bucharest Budapest Buenos Aires Cairo Calcutta Canberra Cape Town Chicago Copenhagen Corfu Delhi Dubai Dublin Faro Florence Frankfurt Geneva Gibraltar Helsinki Hong Kong Honolulu Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Kyiv Lanzarote Las Palmas Lima Lisbon Los Angeles Luxor Madeira Madrid Malaga Mallorca Malta Melbourne Mexico City Miami Milan Mombasa Montreal Moscow Mumbai Munich Nairobi Naples New Orleans New York Nice Nicosia Oslo Paris Perth Prague Reykjavik Riga Rio de Janeiro Riyadh Rome San Francisco Santiago São Paulo Seoul Seychelles Singapore St Petersburg Stockholm Sydney Tel Aviv Tenerife Tokyo Vancouver Venice Vienna Warsaw Washington Zurich 34 S 26 S 29 PC ** ** 42 S 32 PC 30 PC 31 PC ** ** ** ** 34 S 24 PC 30 PC 34 S 28 S 30 S 36 S ** ** 37 S 33 ** 14 PC 23 S 22 C 22 PC 34 S 34 PC 46 S 18 PC 26 S 35 S 29 S 31 S 31 S 22 S 27 PC ** ** 30 PC 35 S 16 S 34 PC ** ** 35 S 31 S 21 C 28 S 26 PC 42 S 26 PC 32 S 30 S 34 S 33 PC 14 PC 25 PC 33 B 28 PC 28 B 26 B 27 S 28 M 28 B 21 B 32 PC 34 PC 29 B 30 PC 35 PC 18 S 30 S 16 PC 22 B 16 S 21 PC 26 S 44 S 33 S 23 PC B 23 S 32 PC 29 PC 32 PC 18 B 18 S 18 PC 35 S 30 S 33 PC 22 PC ** ** 26 S 22 PC 30 PC ** ** Five days ahead Largely dry and sunny in southern Britain, bright periods and scattered showers elsewhere Today Patchy cloud and rain in the north and west, dry elsewhere with sunny spells. Max 34C (93F), min 11C (52F) Tides Tidal predictions. Heights in metres. All times in local time Today Ht Ht Aberdeen Avonmouth Belfast Cardiff Devonport Dover Dublin Falmouth Greenock Harwich Holyhead Hull Leith Liverpool London Bridge Lowestoft Milford Haven Morecambe Newhaven Newquay Oban Penzance Portsmouth Shoreham Southampton Swansea Tees Weymouth 04:47 4.2 17:26 3.9 10:58 12.1 23:13 12.3 02:22 3.5 14:52 3.2 10:40 11.4 22:56 11.5 09:33 5.0 21:40 5.2 02:22 6.3 14:42 6.6 02:53 4.0 15:26 3.7 08:51 4.7 21:01 5.0 03:52 3.5 16:17 3.2 03:23 3.8 15:23 3.8 01:46 5.5 14:09 5.1 09:54 7.3 22:26 6.9 06:08 5.4 18:43 5.1 02:31 9.2 14:52 8.7 05:31 6.8 17:43 6.8 01:09 2.3 13:08 2.6 09:53 6.5 22:13 6.7 02:42 9.2 15:03 8.7 02:32 6.4 14:55 6.4 08:46 6.4 21:06 6.6 09:12 3.5 21:40 3.7 08:18 5.1 20:38 5.3 02:48 4.4 15:27 4.5 02:33 5.9 14:56 6.0 02:03 4.4 14:51 4.5 09:58 8.8 22:14 8.9 07:09 5.4 19:50 5.1 10:25 1.8 22:37 1.9 Synoptic situation A warm front associated with a low-pressure system to the west of Ireland will bring patchy cloud and spells of rain across northern Britain, most widespread in the morning. An occluded front will move into Ireland through the afternoon, bringing bright periods and showery outbreaks of rain. Largely dry elsewhere with hazy sunshine. Highs and lows 24hrs to 5pm yesterday Warmest: Charlwood, 30.2C Coldest: Katesbridge, 3.2C Wettest: Glascarnoch, Ross and Cromarty, 5.4mm Sunniest: Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, 14.3hrs Sun and moon For Greenwich Sun rises: Sun sets: Moon rises: Moon sets: Hours of darkness Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Exeter Glasgow Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Norwich Penzance Sheffield 21:48-04:42 21:51-05:10 21:26-05:02 21:27-05:11 21:26-05:15 21:50-04:57 21:34-05:03 21:15-04:59 21:31-05:00 21:35-04:51 21:14-04:49 21:32-05:25 21:28-04:57 General situation: A dry and hot day with sunny spells in the south and east, cloudy with rain elsewhere. Republic of Ireland, N Ireland: Sunny periods and one or two spots of rain in the morning. Bright intervals and showery rain by the afternoon, heavy in places. Light to moderate east to southeasterly winds. Maximum 23C (73F), minimum 13C (55F). Edinburgh and Dundee, Cen Highland, NW Scotland, NE Scotland, Aberdeen, Moray Firth, Glasgow, Argyll, N Isles: A day of patchy cloud and outbreaks of rain, most widespread through the morning. Light to moderate east to southeasterly winds. Maximum 19C (66F), minimum 11C (52F). SW Scotland, Borders, Lake District, NE Eng, Cen N Eng, E Eng: Mainly dry with bright periods and a chance of the odd spot of light rain or drizzle through early morning. Light to moderate east to southeasterly winds, perhaps fresh along the coast later. Maximum 26C (79F), minimum 12C (54F). NW Eng, W Mids, Wales, IoM, SW Eng, Channel Is: A mostly dry day with sunny spells and the odd isolated shower in western Wales by late afternoon. Light to moderate east to southeasterly winds. Maximum 30C (86F), minimum 13C (55F). London, E Anglia, E Mids, Cen S Eng, SE Eng: Dry and hot with lengthy spells of sunshine, perhaps turning a little hazy later. Light to moderate east to southeasterly winds. Maximum 34C (93F), minimum 13C (55F). Tomorrow Wednesday Friday Saturday A day of patchy cloud and outbreaks Hull Liverpoo Liverpoo Liverpoo Liverpoo Liverpoo Edinburgh Newcastle Newcastle Orkney Orkney Orkney Orkney Orkney Shetland Shetland eter Norwich SEA Llandudno rk Hull F C -5 -10 -15 Wind speed (mph) Temperature (degrees C) Sea state Calm Slight Moderate Rough Flood alerts and warnings At 17:00 on Sunday there were no flood alerts or warnings in England, Wales or Scotland. For further information and updates in England visit check-for- flooding.service.gov.uk, for Wales naturalresources.wales/flooding and for Scotland SEPA.org.uk LOW HIGH LOW LOW HIGH HIGH LOW LOW LOW HIGH A dry day with long sunny spells across southern Britain. Patchy cloud and showery outbreaks of rain elsewhere. Max 24C, min 7C Dry with sunny periods in the southeast. Bright spells and scattered showers elsewhere, heaviest in the north. Max 31C, min 10C Bright intervals and showery outbreaks of rain in northern and western areas. Staying dry in the southeast. Max 29C, min 9C Bright periods and scattered showers in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and northern England. Dry and sunny in the south. Max 26C, min 8C Dry with sunny periods through the morning. Bright spells and scattered showers for most by the afternoon, heaviest in Scotland. Max 27C, min 8C 05.27 20.45 22.11 12.23 Tue Third quarter: August 6 Cold front Warm front Occluded front Trough Convergence Zone I f you were looking for a cool and even damp holiday in Britain last month the place to go was Baltasound in Shetland where the mean temperature was 12.6C, just below its average. There was also no shortage of rainfall, which hit the average of 63mm. But it was a very different story elsewhere in Britain, according to early results from the Met Office. It was the driest July on record in England and in Wales, with the most severe drought in southern England where a miserable 2 per cent of its usual rain fell over the month. It was also the warmest July for mean temperature in both England and Wales, and was especially warm in southern England. July was also thoroughly sunny across the UK, especially in west Wales and western parts of England. We know the July rainfall and temperature records were exceptional because they can be compared with historical observations for the UK dating back to 1838. Such a long record of rainfall in particular exists thanks to an extraordinary feat when 16,000 volunteers converted more than five million handwritten rainfall records into digital format in only 16 days during the first Covid-19 lockdown. As for August, this month has begun in a similar way to July’s weather, with the UK divided in half: cooler and wetter in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but continuing largely dry and warm in England and Wales. Monday is growing hot and sultry in the south once again as a low pressure system drags up heat and humidity from France. There are hopes of showers for some of the driest parts of England and Wales on Tuesday but these could be sporadic and largely towards the west. So, for the driest parts of England, the prospects for rain are still looking forlorn, especially in the southeast. There is no prospect of a heatwave at present, although later on in the week and next weekend high pressure builds again and brings yet more dry conditions. Speak directly to one of our forecasters on 09065 777675 8am to 5pm daily (calls are charged at £1.55 plus network extras) weatherquest.co.uk Weather Eye Paul Simons The Spirit of Kraków Save up to 15% applies to select tour bookings made by September 30, 2026 and cannot be applied retrospectively to bookings already confi rmed. Offer applies to select tours only and cannot be combined with any other offer. Exclusions apply. Prices shown include discount. Single supplements apply. Prices correct at time of print. Subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. These holidays are organised and operated by Newmarket Holidays Ltd, a company wholly independent of News UK. ABTOT 5509. ATOL protected 2325. ABTA V7812. Standard phone charges apply. U ncover the history, culture and elegant architecture of Poland’s former royal capital, and pay a moving visit to Auschwitz. Discover one of only a handful of major Central European cities to have survived the centuries unscathed. Kraków is a colourful university city buzzing with life and post-Communist enthusiasm that is becoming one of Europe’s must-see destinations. Our escorted break lifts the veil on this great visual masterpiece, whose Unesco-listed treasures rival any found across the continent, and also pays a respectful visit to the preserved remains of infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau. August 2026 to March 2028 FIVE DAYS NOW FROM £637 per person CALL TODAY ON 0808 304 4030 thetimes.com/ nh-krakow QUOTE TIM Our trusted partner Kraków, Poland SAVE UP TO15%* BOOK BY SEP 30
& Coaching session done. even Team Greenwood gathers C8 EVENTS f -game huddle! 9 HOLIDAYS & EVENTS SEND HOTA Te IONS LUXURY FAMILY HOLIDAYS WITH 11:30HRS. RUGBY PITCH. SPORTING LEGENDS FORTE VILLAGE, SARDINIA Ben Youngs, Emily Scarratt, Tamsin Greenway, Martin Johnson, Austin Healey, Mo Hunt, Karen Greig, Simon Easterby, Serena Guthrie & more! Rugby, Netball & Hockey Academies for kids aged 5 - 16 [pete acu 15 - 29 August (Rugby, Netball) = 24 31 Oct (Rugby, Netball, Hockey) Vise war Ourlegend com C V
Chester Going: Good 2.10 (1m 4f 63yd) 1, Charmaine (Daniel Muscutt, 7-2); 2, Level Look (7-4 fav); 3, L’Eagle Aid (11-1). 7 ran. 1 l, 1 l. J R Fanshawe. 2.45 (6f 17yd) 1, Pure Grit (Oisin Murphy, 4-9 fav); 2, Shakwaa (11-8); 3, Sovereigns High (28-1). 5 ran. 2 l, 2l. A M Balding. 3.20 (6f 17yd) 1, Simplify (Oisin Murphy, 6-1); 2, Calico Blue (6-5 fav); 3, Lifeplan (9-1). 9 ran. hd, 1l. A M Balding. 3.52 (7f 1yd) 1, Dance In The Storm (Oisin Murphy, 1-1 fav); 2, The Angel King (22-1); 3, Palmar Bay (28-1). 10 ran. 1l, 1 l. A M Balding. 4.22 (7f 127yd) 1, Blue Prince (Oisin Murphy, 13-8 fav); 2, Alpha Capture (9-4); 3, Midnight Strike (13-2). 6 ran. nk, 2 l. P D Evans. 4.52 (1m 2f 70yd) 1, Tiger (Edward Greatrex, 2-1); 2, Cape Fear (9-4); 3, Farasi Lane (28-1). 9 ran. NR: Naples. 5 l, nk. Ian Williams. Placepot: £4.80 Quadpot: £2.90 Jackpot: £2,206.00 Yarmouth Going: Good to Firm 2.35 (1m 3f 104yd) 1, Brighton View (Marco Ghiani, 1-2 fav); 2, Mr Bollinger (3-1); 3, Shadow Brigade (11-2). 7l, 6 l. W J Knight. 3.08 (7f 3yd) 1, Keep Grating (Joe Leavy, 11-10 fav); 2, Telegraphic (2-1); 3, Cracking Idea (22-1). 9 ran. nk, 2 l. R Hannon. 3.38 (7f 3yd) 1, Caitlin G (Grace McEntee, 22-1); 2, Girls Allowed (4-1); 3, Nicely Curved (11-4). 6 ran. sh, l. M Fenton. 4.08 (1m 3yd) 1, Guest House (S De Sousa, 1-1 fav); 2, Melting Snow (11-4); 3, Bellini Spirit (33-1). 6 ran. 37 l, hd. G G Margarson. 4.38 (1m 2f 23yd) 1, Nuptown Girl (Ryan Kavanagh, 13-8); 2, Risen Again (12-1); 3, Big Alex Walmsley (10-1). 5 ran. 3 l, 17 l. Ian Williams. 5.08 (5f 42yd) 1, Dragon God (Tom Marquand, 7-2); 2, Papa Don’t Preach (11-10 fav); 3, Mart (6-1). 7 ran. hd, 1 l. A W Carroll. Yesterday’s racing results Ripon Rob Wright 2.24 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £5,757: 6f) (4) 2.54 Novice Stakes (£5,234: 6f) (6) 3.24 Handicap (£4,711: 5f) (5) 3.54 Handicap (£9,277: 6f) (7) 4.24 Handicap (£6,281: 1m 2f) (5) 4.54 Handicap (3-Y-O: £3,664: 1m) (8) Nottingham Rob Wright 2.40 Maiden Stakes (£5,400: 1m) (6) 3.10 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £5,400: 6f) (7) 3.40 Handicap (2-Y-O: £4,187: 6f) (7) 4.10 Handicap (£3,402: 5f) (6) 4.40 Handicap (£4,187: 1m 2f) (4) 5.10 Handicap (£4,123: 1m) (6) Windsor Rob Wright 6.00 Handicap (£4,172: 1m 3f) (8) 6.30 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £4,320: 6f) (7) 7.00 Maiden Stakes (£5,234: 5f) (8) 7.30 Handicap (£4,397: 6f) (5) 8.00 Classified Stakes (£3,454: 1m 2f) (12) 8.30 Handicap (£3,768: 1m) (9) T he allure of the All Blacks jersey stretches around the world. We are used to players of Pacific Island heritage wearing the silver fern but Europeans are a novelty. Martin Johnson famously represented New Zealand Colts but he was always bound for a return flight to England and his World Cup-winning destiny. New Zealand now have a couple of rather more unusual continental Europeans in their ranks. It seems the Kiwis still have pulling power. The more experienced of them, the more renowned, is another second-row from the northern hemisphere — the appropriately named Fabian Holland. He has endured a spell of injury after an outstanding season in black. The 23-year-old Holland did, indeed, find his way to the land of the Sport A classic All Blacks flanker . . . but he was born in Germany long white cloud from the Netherlands. He travelled to New Zealand in 2019. The boy from Alkmaar is now a Highlander and one of the most highly rated young forwards in the game. Holland was crowned last season’s World Rugby breakthrough player of the year and has made 12 appearances for the All Blacks. Two of his fellow nominees were Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and a certain Henry Pollock. It would be no surprise to see the soaring Dutchman regain his starting position in the heart of the New Zealand pack upon his return from injury. It would be more of a surprise to see New Zealand’s other “European” embraced in the starting line-up against the Springboks, with a four- match series kicking off on August 22. However, the Auckland and Blues back-row sensation, Anton Segner, is one of rugby’s most talked-about newcomers. The 25-year-old runs hard and fast, tackles with a finality and is ubiquitous at the breakdown. He is the classic hard-graft Kiwi, chiselled in the Richie McCaw mould. Except he is from Frankfurt. There’s Stuart Barnes no Manawatu mother. No father from Fox Glacier, not a hint of even a Kiwi- accented grandparent. The only thing from New Zealand that runs in his blood is rugby. Here is a kid’s dream come true. Leaving Germany aged 16 for a scholarship to attend Nelson College on the north coast of the South Island, Segner slotted straight into the language of the land. Outstanding throughout the age grades, he made his seamless (and much shorter) journey from the South Island to the North and the city of Auckland. From Auckland to the Blues and then to the All Blacks, Segner’s fairytale continues. He made his first All Blacks appearance from the bench against Italy in the second round of Nations Championship matches last month. That impressive 40-minute display was backed up with an accomplished 22 minutes against Ireland. It is a ferocious scrap for positions in the New Zealand back row but their German-born flanker has forced his way into contention. Standing at 6ft 4in tall with terrific timing, he is a tremendous lineout asset, but Dave Rennie, the All Blacks head coach, appears to be considering Tupou Vaai as a second/back-row hybrid. There is a vast legion of back-row forwards fighting for a berth in the Test 23 — even without Vaai and his versatility. It is fair to say that Segner would have won himself a wardrobe of appearances had he stayed in Germany. Yet the evidence from his two cameos for New Zealand suggests he has a fantastic future. The marketing men can dream. Imagine Pollock and the even more coltish-looking Segner squaring up when New Zealand come to Twickenham in November. It is the stuff of internet heaven. England against Germany on a rugby field. But before then, Segner and his team- mates have one hell of a tour lined up in South Africa. Rennie has taken the opportunity to rest his captain, Ardie Savea, for the early stages of the tour. He is due to arrive 11 days before the first Test, leaving an extra vacancy in the back row for the warm-up game against Stormers in Cape Town this Friday. Segner, the sensation of the moment, could encounter one of the stars of the Nations Championship in South Africa’s Paul de Villiers. Arguably, nobody performed better in last month’s series of matches, yet the open-side flanker has been left out of the Springboks squad for their one-off Test in Argentina. It is more complex than a case of Rassie Erasmus, the South Africa head coach, dumping him now that his skipper, Siya Kolisi, is fit and raring to go. The idea of leaving behind a young player to cross paths with New Zealand is smart. De Villiers is box office but at 23, he’s still learning. He is also seen as a potential back- up to Jasper Wiese, formerly of Leicester Tigers, at No 8. While De Villiers recently wore the No 6 jersey for the Springboks, Erasmus is known to be toying with the idea of him playing at the base of the scrum. With next year’s World Cup on the horizon he is targeting a hybrid bench, with centres playing on the blind-side flank, blind- side flankers at hooker and — with De Villiers perhaps — open-side flankers playing as highly skilled ball- carrying No 8s. It makes more sense to play De Villiers at home rather than in Argentina, Test match or not. Pieter- Steph du Toit and Jesse Kriel, stalwarts of the three Nations Championship Tests played last month, have also been left behind, while Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu return from varying degrees of injury and rest for the match. The Springboks and their management are as full of tricks as they are their traditional power. Guided by Erasmus, they are clever and cunning on and off the pitch. New Zealand and their northern hemisphere forwards will learn as much about themselves as they will their old rival over the course of the next month or so. Win or lose, expect New Zealand and Segner to leave South Africa a tougher, wiser group of men. Segner made his All Blacks debut last month the times | Monday August 3 2026
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Sport Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games Glasgow medal events only Bowls: Men: Pairs: Bronze medal match Malaysia bt Canada 1 - l. Gold Northern Ireland bt England 1-1 (tie-break 1-0). Women: Singles: Bronze S Wilson (Norfolk Isl) bt E Saroji (Malasy) 2-0. Gold K Rednall (Eng) bt A Merrien (Guer) 2-0. Judo: Men: +100kg: Bronze medal bouts K Andrews (NZ) bt G Miller (Scot) 1s1-0; P Monta (Ton) bt J Messe A Bessong (Can) 12s1-11s1. Gold G Antoniou (Cyp) bt K Ozcicek-Takagi (Aus) bt 10s1-0s2. -100kg: Bronze G Kroussaniotakis (Cyp) bt A Michael (Cyp) Ippon 100s2-0s3; F Tahman Zan (Camer) bt O Barratt (Wales) Ippon 100s1- 1s1. Gold K Reyes (Can) bt M Gregory (Eng) Ippon 100-0. Women: +78kg: Bronze K Hanna (Bah) bt L Durhone (Maur) Ippon 100-0s2; M Gnacadja Avaro (Gab) bt G Wood (Trin) Ippon 100-0. Gold S Andrews (NZ) bt R Soppi Mbella (Camer) Ippon 100-0. -78kg: Bronze C Godbout (Can) bt I Narang (India) 1s1-0s2; Z Michaelidou (Cyp) bt S Ludford (Eng) 1s2-0. Gold E Reid (Eng) bt M Swan (Aus) Ippon 100s1-1. Netball: Bronze medal match Australia 68 England 50. Gold New Zealand 56 Jamaica 48. Track cycling: Men: 1,000m time trial 1, L Hoffman (Aus) 58.530sec (Games record); 2, J Truman (Eng) +0.995; 3, T Ryan (Aus) +1.154. 40km points race 1, M Bostock (Iom) 83pts; 2, O Bleddyn (Aus) 80; 3, G Jackson (NZ) 61. Women: Elimination 1, A Polites (Aus); 2, G Baker (Aus); 3, M Coles-Lyster (Can). Keirin 1, E Finucane (Wales); 2, E Andrews (NZ) +0.097; 3, K Clonan (Aus) +0.152. Leading final medals G S B Total 1, Australia 70 45 56 2, England 29 45 36 3, Canada 19 20 23 4, India 13 17 5, Scotland 9 17 6, New Zealand 10 14 12 7, Nigeria 8, Jamaica 9, Wales 9 10 12 10, Malaysia Football Carabao Cup Preliminary round Tranmere (1) 2 Rochdale (1) 2 Whitaker 4 Davies 60 East 11 Silcott-Duberry 85 (aet; 2-2 after 90min; Rochdale won 2-1 on pens) William Hill Scottish Premiership Aberdeen(0) 2 Hearts (1) 1 Mayo 90 Nisbet 90+5 (pen) McEntee 35 18,513 Sent off: Findlay (Hearts) 90+3 Falkirk (0) 0 St Mirren (1) 2 7,058 Phillips 11, 87 Hibernian(0) 1 Motherwell (1) 2 Boyle 56 (pen) 17,440 Fadinger 40 (pen) Said 85 St Johnstone (1) 4 Kilmarnock (1) 3 Fowler 16 Diabate 47 Schjonning- Larsen 69 (og) Fotheringham 80 Kiltie 37 Hugill 49 Holt 53 (og) 5,733 P W D L F AGDPts St Mirren........1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 St Johnstone..1 1 0 0 4 3 1 3 Aberdeen.......1 1 0 0 2 1 3 Motherwell....1 1 0 0 2 1 3 Dundee Utd....1 0 1 0 Rangers.........1 0 1 0 Celtic.............0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dundee..........0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kilmarnock....1 0 0 1 3 4 -1 0 Hearts............1 0 0 1 2 -1 0 Hibernian.......1 0 0 1 2 -1 0 Falkirk...........1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 William Hill Championship Ayr 2 Arbroath 0; Inverness CT 0 Dunfermline 0; Livingston Queen’s Park 0; Morton 0 Partick 1; Raith 1 Stenhousemuir 1. P W D L F AGDPts Ayr ................1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 Livingston......1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 Partick ..........1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 Raith .............1 0 1 0 Stenhousemuir 1 0 1 0 Dunfermline...1 0 1 0 0 0 Inverness CT..1 0 1 0 0 0 Morton...........1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 Arbroath........1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 Queen’s Park..1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 League One Alloa 0 East Fife 0; Cove 0 Airdrieonians 0; East Kilbride 5 Queen of the South 1; Montrose 0 Hamilton 5; Peterhead 0 Ross County 1. League Two Annan 2 The Spartans 4; Clyde 3 Stranraer 1; Edinburgh City 0 Elgin 5; Forfar 1 Kelty 0; Stirling Albion 2 Dumbarton 0. Cricket The Hundred: MI London v Manchester Super Giants Men Kia Oval (Manchester Super Giants won toss): MI London (4pts) beat Manchester Super Giants by 45 runs MI London (balls) W Jacks c Markram b Ahmad 62 (31) J Vince c Baker b Dawson 29(20) @N Pooran b Tongue 54(28) S Curran st Buttler b Ahmad 23 (11) S Rutherford c du Plooy b Tongue 1 (4) T Curran run out 1 (2) R Khan not out 7 (4) Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 3) Total (6 wkts, 100 balls) 183 Results form of government investment would be needed. It remains to be seen whether that is a “reimagining”, the Games’ new buzzword, or unimagina- ble. Still, as Sadleir pointed out, it is a long way off the $5.2 billion (£3.86 bil- lion) budget for Brisbane’s 2032 Olympics. “What the government pays versus what commercial pays will be a case-by-case basis,” she said. Phil Batty, the chief executive of Glasgow 2026, said 434,000 tickets were sold and another 200,000 people watched for free in the city at fans’ sites. Netball, a school staple but not on the Olympic roster, was the most-watched event, with 100,000 people attending. The irony is that while Australia withdrew as hosts, their athletes have treated it as a big deal. For their track and field stars it has been the pinnacle of the summer, whereas a timeline of Games is worth saving – but only if we all buy in What’s the point of the Commonwealth Games? That appears to be the view of several top English athletes, the BBC and plenty of sporting snobs taking time out from being outraged by Gianni Infantino to sniff at netball and bowls. Here’s the counterpoint. It is not the Olympics or the World Cup but that is a good thing, and the Commonwealth Games taps into a lustrously eclectic drama that widens the traditional sporting lens. If, and it is a big if, it can pay its way then there is absolutely no coherent reason to discard it. In Glasgow, the stories have involved stars such as Josh Kerr, Emma Finu- cane, Georgia Hunter Bell and Adam Ramsay-Peaty. Then there are stories that would have remained ignored or unknown without these Games. Where else do you get Idi Amin’s grandson complaining about ill- treatment at the boxing; an Indian para shot putter using her gold medal to highlight domestic abuse as she explained how she was stripped naked by her husband and thrown out of her house; or Archie Goodburn finishing, in his words, “joint last” in the 50m breaststroke and then talking about swimming with a terminal illness? “The dream was to win a medal,” he said. “That dream didn’t come true, but one of my other dreams is that we see a future where brain cancer isn’t the big- gest killer of patients under 40.” The Commonwealth Games has always been a stepping stone too. Eight years before being the “Face of the Olympics” in 2012, Jessica Ennis-Hill was winning Commonwealth Youth Games medals. Two years later she was third at the Commonwealth Games proper. It provided invaluable experi- ence of multi-sport events. So, too, when Amalie Smith, aged 16, won a silver medal here in the 400m individu- al medley, it was a glimpse of the future. If you like capturing the first flush of success as much as fawning over cults of celebrity, this stuff works. Of course, it must work financially too. Victoria reasoned it was not worth £3 billion and pulled the plug. There has been obvious concern about the cost to taxpayers and Glasgow has managed to do this cheaply because Victoria had to pay about £190 million in compensa- tion to pull out. The budget of the slimmed-down event was £150 million. Commonwealth Sport, the governing body, put in £120 million and the rest came from commercial revenues. In the future Katie Sadleir, the body’s chief executive, suggested the cost would run to £300 million and some Rick Broadbent Terms and conditions apply. Price shown is per person and based on two adults sharing. Single supplement of £360pp applies. Price correct as of July 17, 2026 and subject to change and availability. Price includes all non-optional taxes/fees/charges known at time of publication. This holiday is sold by Times Holidays as an agent for Gullivers Sports Travel and protected under ABTA V832. For full booking conditions, visit thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions. Guest speakers, hosts, featured talent and itinerary events are subject to confi rmation, availability and change, and may be substituted, rescheduled or withdrawn. No refunds or compensation will be issued for changes to the speaker or talent lineup, although this does not affect any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded. This exclusive package includes official match tickets and two hosted events with commenter legend Stuart Barnes, The Times’s Charlie Morgan and a celebrity guest speaker, for an experience that goes beyond kick-off. With a prime city-centre four-star hotel, you’ll also remain close to the stadium, restaurants and post-match debate. Insight before the whistle, atmosphere after it — and every detail handled from start to finish. Six Nations: Wales vs England 2027 Be there for Wales v England at the Principality Stadium, a Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixture where history, rivalry and campaign-defining pressure meet. March 5, 2027 Call 0808 291 4831 or visit thetimes.com/th-sixnations2027 Price includes • Two nights’ four-star stay at Future Inn Cardiff Bay with breakfast • Pre-match Q&A with commentator legend Stuart Barnes, The Times’s senior rugby writer Charlie Morgan and a celebrity guest • Captain’s Run access on Friday • Official Cat A ticket (lower tier, try line area) • Hosted welcome drinks • Tour merchandise Optional upgrade: • Silver Hospitality upgrade for drinks and lunch Two nights from £959pp* Times Holidays exclusive package Hosted by Stuart Barnes Since hanging up his fly-half boots, Stuart is a columnist and match analyst for The Times and one of the country’s most incisive commentators on rugby.
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Sport Football Carabao Cup: Preliminary round York v Crawley (7.30). William Hill Scottish Premiership Celtic v Dundee (7.30). Cricket The Hundred: Sophia Garden Welsh Fire v Southern Brave (women 3.0, men 6.30). Fixtures O Pope, T Boult, N Sowter and R Gleeson did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-71, 2-109, 3-153, 4-175, 5-176, 6-183. Bowling Atkinson 20-8-50-0; Dawson 15-5-33-1; Baker 20-7-40-0; Tongue 20-11-13- 2; Ahmad 20-4-40-2; Markram 5-1-4-0 Manchester Super Giants (balls) T Seifert b Khan (12) A Markram c S Curran b Sowter 50 (26) @J Buttler c Sowter b Khan (4) H Klaasen c S Curran b Khan (10) L du Plooy c Pooran b T Curran (17) T Moores c Jacks b Khan (2) L Dawson b Khan (3) G Atkinson c Jacks b Gleeson (7) N Ahmad c Jacks b T Curran (3) J Tongue not out (7) S Baker c Sowter b Boult (4) Extras (w 5) Total (95 balls) Fall of wickets 1-59, 2-70, 3-74, 4-104, 5-104, 6-109, 7-112, 8-121, 9-131. Bowling Boult 20-6-32-1; Curran 20-3-38-2; Gleeson 10-1-24-1; Sowter 20-4-23-1; Khan 20-9-17-5; Jacks 5-1-4-0. Women Kia Oval (Manchester Super Giants won toss): Manchester Super Giants (4pts) beat MI London by six wickets MI London (balls) A Davidson-Richards b Ecclestone (2) H Matthews b Ecclestone (4) H Armitage c Ballinger b MacDonald-Gay (15) A Kerr c Ghosh b Ballinger (14) N Carey c Ecclestone b MacDonald-Gay 17 (24) †K Chathli c Ecclestone b Bryce (16) C Henry c Lanning b Brown (9) A Monaghan c Lanning b Brown (9) T Norris run out (2) K Gordon c Lanning b MacDonald-Gay (3) A Stonehouse not out (1) Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 2) Total (99 balls) Fall of wickets 1-0, 2-1, 3-20, 4-37, 5-60, 6-78, 7-87, 8-87, 9-87. Bowling Ecclestone 20-15-7-2; Ballinger 20- 11-17-1; Brown 20-11-18-2; MacDonald-Gay 19-10-19-3; Villiers 15-6-18-0; Bryce 5-2-8-1. Manchester Super Giants (balls) M Lanning lbw b Gordon (31) S Mandhana c Armitage b Gordon 34 (27) †R Ghosh c Carey b Kerr (5) P Scholfield b Kerr (1) M Villiers not out (8) K Bryce not out (0) Extras (lb 1, w 1) Total (4 wkts, 72 balls) M Brown, J Gardner, S Ecclestone, R MacDonald-Gay and G Ballinger did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-73, 2-77, 3-77, 4-89. Bowling Norris 10-6-9-0; Carey 10-2-16-0; Henry 5-2-11-0; Matthews 10-4-16-0; Kerr 20- 7-21-2; Stonehouse 5-1-7-0; Gordon 12-6-14-2. Trent Rockets v Sunrisers Leeds: Men Trent Bridge (Trent Rockets won toss): Trent Rockets (4pts) beat Sunrisers Leeds by five runs Trent Rockets (balls) B Duckett b Ellis 64 (47) F Allen b Carse (3) A Donald c Ellis b Carse (19) @S Billings lbw b Ahmed (8) T David not out 24 (22) M Santner not out (1) Extras (b 1, w 5) Total (4 wkts, 100 balls) L Gregory, C Overton, C Harrison, M Henry and M Amir did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-5, 2-68, 3-85, 4-136. Bowling Ahmed 20-5-23-1; Carse 20-9-20-2; Potts 20-5-35-0; Ellis 20-6-26-1; Patterson- White 15-2-30-0; Lawrence 5-1-11-0. Sunrisers Leeds (balls) M Marsh c Billings b Amir 41 (35) @R Rickelton c Amir b Overton (3) Z Crawley b Santner (16) H Brook c Duckett b Amir 46 (33) D Lawrence not out (8) T Alsop not out (5) Extras (b 1, w 3) Total (4 wkts, 100 balls) L Patterson-White, B Carse, M Potts, N Ellis and A Ahmed did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-7, 2-46, 3-117, 4-122. Bowling Amir 20-11-20-2; Overton 10-5-11-1; Henry 15-3-25-0; Harrison 20-4-26-0; Santner 15-2-27-1; Gregory 20-4-31-0. Women Trent Bridge (Sunrisers Leeds won toss): Trent Rockets (4pts) beat Sunrisers Leeds by five runs Trent Rockets (balls) S Dunkley b Sutherland 56 (33) †B Mooney b McCarthy (5) N Sciver-Brunt b Jonassen 33 (25) A Gardner c Litchfield b Baker (9) S Luff b Jonassen (9) B Heath c Cross b Sutherland (11) G Adams st Winfield-Hill b Baker (2) G Elwiss not out (7) Extras (lb 1, w 5, nb 1) Total (7 wkts, 100 balls) K Garth, C Phillips and S Bates did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-8, 2-84, 3-105, 4-114, 5-114, 6-118, 7-139. Bowling McCarthy 15-8-17-1; Jonassen 20-8-20-2; Cross 5-2-6-0; Baker 20-6-28-2; Sutherland 20-8-26-2; Sharma 10-1-17-0; Gibson 10-3-24-0. Sunrisers Leeds (balls) B Smith c Dunkley b Gardner (12) J Jonassen lbw b Adams (18) P Litchfield c Gardner b Phillips 24 (22) A Sutherland not out 59 (30) *D Gibson c Gardner b Bates (5) †L Winfield-Hill run out (12) D Carter not out (1) Extras (b 2, w 3) Total (5 wkts, 100 balls) D Sharma, K Cross, C McCarthy and H Baker did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-15, 2-50, 3-74, 4-76, 5-126. Bowling Garth 20-8-26-0; Bates 20-7-26-1; Gardner 20-9-18-1; Phillips 10-4-10-1; Elwiss 15-3-35-0; Adams 15-6-17-1. Men P W L T NR Pts NRR Trent Rockets 1 0 0.76 MI London 2 0 0.40 Welsh Fire 1 0 12 -0.22 Southern Brave 3 0 0.10 Manchester SG 3 0 0.02 Leeds Sunrisers 2 0 8 -0.07 London Spirit 3 0 4 -0.05 B’ham Phoenix 3 0 -1.21 Women P W L T NR Pts NRR Southern Brave 0 0 0 20 0.49 Trent Rockets 1 0 0 16 1.67 Manchester SG 1 0 1 14 1.04 London Spirit 6 -0.83 B’ham Phoenix 2 0 6 -2.18 Welsh Fire 3 0 0.29 Leeds Sunrisers 4 3 0 0.28 MI London 2 -1.54 Metro Bank Cup: Group A: Beckenham Nottinghamshire 293-9 (B Martindale 101); Kent 294-5. Kent (4pts) won by five wickets. Leicester Leicestershire 289-8; Somerset 125. Leicestershire (4pts) won by 164 runs. Northampton Northamptonshire 347-6 (G Miller 115); Lancashire 280. Northamptonshire (4pts) won by 67 runs. Rugby Gloucestershire 271-9 (O Price 122); Warwickshire 277-4 (R Yates 132). Warwickshire (4pts) won by six wickets. P W L T NR Pts NRR Leics 4 2 0 0.68 Notts 3 2 0 0.17 Surrey 3 2 0 0.06 Lancashire 3 2 0 12 -0.07 Kent 3 2 0 12 -0.29 Somerset 2 3 0 8 -0.18 Warks 2 3 0 8 -0.19 Northants 2 3 0 8 -0.19 Gloucs 1 4 0 4 -0.15 Group B: Derby Derbyshire 325-7 (W Madsen104no); Sussex 137 (J Morley 5-28). Derbyshire (4pts) won by runs. Chelmsford Essex 376-5 (T Westley 129, M Critchley 102no); Worcestershire 269 (J Libby 109). Essex (4pts) won by 107 runs. Utilita Bowl Hampshire 246; Durham 249-1 (Em Gay 104no). Durham (4pts) won by nine wickets. Lord’s Middlesex 246; Yorkshire 211. Middlesex (4pts) won by 35 runs. P W L T NR Pts NRR Middlesex 4 1 0 1.85 Durham 4 0 0 0.80 Yorkshire 3 2 0 0.64 Worcs 3 2 0 12 -0.30 Derbyshire 2 3 0 0.62 Essex 2 3 0 0.20 Hampshire 2 3 0 8 -0.68 Glamorgan 1 4 0 -1.13 Sussex 1 4 0 -1.81 Golf US PGA Tour Rocket Classic Detroit: Leaders after three rounds (United States unless stated): 195 68, 64, 63. 196 M Brennan 65, 67, 64. 199 R Fowler 63, 68, 67; C Kirk 65, 67, 66; C Young 69, 61, 68; R Hoejgaard (Den) 69, 68, 61. AIG Women’s Open Lytham St Annes: Leading final scores (Great Britain and Ireland unless stated): 279 S Kuwaki (Japan) 66, 70, 73, 70; E Henseleit (Ger) 73, 69, 67, 70 (Kuwaki won play-off at second extra hole). 280 Y Soh (US) 67, 70, 69, 74. 282 N Korda (US) 73, 68, 73, 68; J Thitikul (Thai) 64, 73, 72, 73. 283 Hsu Wei-ling (Taiwan) 71, 74, 69, 69; S Tan (Sing) 69, 74, 71, 69; C Hull 69, 71, 71, 72; L Woad 69, 71, 70, 73; R Takeda (Japan) 69, 73, 72, 69; Ryu Hae-ran (S Kor) 66, 69, 74, 74. 284 M Katsu (Japan) 72, 68, 71, 73; Y Saso (Japan) 72, 73, 71, 68; C Boutier (Fr) 67, 74, 74, 69; S Kouskova (Cz) 77, 69, 71, 67. Rugby league Betfred Super League Castleford Warrington 48; Catalans Dragons Wakefield 32; York 34 St Helens 32. P W D L F A Pts Leeds 21 17 4 744 304 Wakefield 21 16 5 587 352 Wigan 21 16 5 607 383 Warrington 20 14 6 526 346 Hull KR 20 13 7 588 339 Leigh 21 13 8 466 398 St Helens 21 12 9 484 460 Catalans D 0 12 419 621 Toulouse 0 14 432 544 York 0 14 430 613 Castleford 0 14 390 658 Bradford 0 15 382 629 Hull 0 16 353 463 Huddersfield 0 17 333 631 Betfred Championship Barrow 24 Rochdale 14; Dewsbury 20 Hunslet 30; Doncaster 46 Oldham 18; Midlands Hurricanes Keighley 6; North Wales Crusaders 6 Goole Vikings 68; Sheffield 48 Halifax 16; Swinton 12 Batley 30; Widnes 36 London Broncos 42; Workington 16 Newcastle 40. Snooker Shanghai Masters Final (best-of-21 frames): J Trump (Eng) bt K Wilson (Eng) 11-6 (frame scores; Trump first: 8-87, 74-37, 73-43 (73 break), 66-0 (62) 21-48, 67-66 (66, 67), 13-65 (63), 74-4 (55), 70-46, 82-4, 67-49, 4-103 (103), 44-59, 60-58 78-64 (58 KW, 51 JT), 0-134 (134), 77-5). Tennis Citi Open Washington: Men: Semi-final R Jodar (Sp) bt A Tabilo (Chile) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4. Women: Final J Pegula (US) leads A Eala (Phil) 6-4, 1-2. ATP Mifel Open Los Cabos: Final A Gea (Fr) bt D Shapovalov (Can) 6-3, 6-4. ATP National Bank Open Montreal: First round Shang Juncheng (China) bt A Vallejo (Par) 6-3, 6-3; J Munar (Sp) bt R Hijikata (Aus) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. WTA Memphis Open Final K Liutova (Russ) bt D Vidmanova (Cz) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. WTA National Bank Open Toronto: First round K Rakhimova (Russ) bt V Williams (US) 6-4, 6-1; J Bouzas Maneiro (Sp) bt A Arseneault (Can) 6-2, 6-4. English athletes pulled out late before next week’s European Championships. Although Victoria pulled out, the level of Australian interest has embar- rassed England. As the last events were concluding yesterday, Australia had 169 medals to England’s 110, with 70 golds to 29. In Birmingham in 2022 there were only two medals between the old foes and Australia had 67 golds to England’s 57. Intriguingly, Sadleir suggested one thing the organisers were considering was whether the Games could become more attractive as a qualifying compe- tition for various world championships. As for TV, Channel 7’s coverage in Australia reached 11.39 million people, with about four million watching in Canada. In the UK, the Games was squirrelled away on TNT Sports with reports of daily peaks of only 200,000 viewers. If the Commonwealth Games is to survive then it needs UK athletes and broadcasters to buy in. The loss of live BBC coverage has been a blow, although it is in the midst of widespread cost-cutting. It is believed TNT paid only £5 million for coverage that has attracted plenty of flak. Sharron Davies, the former swim- mer and sometime BBC pundit, said: “I’m really disappointed it’s not on the BBC and that they are not covering more swimming. It is an important sport, one that saves lives, and has massive participation. I see the BBC’s job as showing an array of sports.” It has been fascinating to see how the indifference at home is at odds with the passion of teams from Lesotho, Malay- sia, the Norfolk Islands et al. A week here makes you challenge your scepti- cism and cynicism. It’s an event worth saving if the price is right. didn’t get through that semi-final and I don’t think I’ll ever believe that I’ve made history here. I can’t believe I found this sport and this sport found me.” The team sprint had been a huge goal after Finucane’s bronze in Birmingham in 2022. “Singing on the podium with the team was just insane,” she said. If anything sums up the highs and lows of elite sport, a week in the life of cycling’s new golden couple provided it. Finucane’s boyfriend, Matt Richardson, was ruled out of competing for England in Glasgow after a bad crash in a World Series keirin in Japan on the eve of the Games. “He’s just come out of hospital continued from back Kerr eyes Spoty shortlist Kuwaki wins first major as Brits fade AIG Women’s Open Cathy Harris There will not be many more flamboy- ant champions than Shiho Kuwaki, who claimed her first major with a par at the second play-off hole against Ger- many’s Esther Henseleit in the 50th edition of the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. With her eye-catching outfit, bright ball markings and impressive eyelash- es, the 23-year-old took home the win- ner’s cheque of $1.5 million (about £1.1 million). She capitalised on a cruel break for Henseleit, the 2024 Olympic silver medallist, when her drive deflect- ed off a marshal into a gorse bush on the second play-off hole, meaning she fail- ed to make par. Overnight leader Yealimi Noh, and much of the chasing pack, fell away in increasingly testing conditions. But Kuwaki held her nerve, setting the clubhouse lead at five under, leaving Henseleit to hole a 45-foot putt across the 18th green and force the play-off. The anticipated charge of the British duo Lottie Woad and Charley Hull never came and Hull’s wait for a maiden major title continues, although both claimed top-ten finishes, tied for sixth. Hull admitted she was shattered both mentally and physically after a week in which she received significant backlash for using a fake scratchcard to trick her caddie into thinking he had won £100,000. She said: “I’ve had to deal with so much online abuse but I’m proud to have earned three top-tens in majors this year.” Haeran Ryu’s hopes of becoming the first player since 2013 to win three majors in the same year were dashed after she stumbled on Saturday. Eight European players — Woad and Hull, Maja Stark and Linn Grant (both Sweden), Celine Boutier (France), Carlota Ciganda (Spain), Henseleit (Germany) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark) — secured automatic spots for the Solheim Cup in September. Anna Nordqvist announces her four captain’s picks today. and is doing OK,” Finucane, 23, said. The champion from Camarthen won gold in the team sprint at the Olympics in 2024 as well as a brace of bronze medals. “In Paris I wish I had stood on the top step and sung the anthem loud- er,” she said. “That’s what I did here.” Meanwhile Josh Kerr hopes that a remarkable five months will finally earn him a place on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist. The Scot retained his 3,000m world indoor title in March, broke the 27- year-old mile record a fortnight ago and then added the Commonwealth mile title on Saturday. “I don’t want to get my hopes up too early, but I would love to [be on the shortlist],” he said. Big names such as Finucane, main — who won a fourth gold yesterday to the delight of her watching mother, inset — were on show in a Games that also revealed stories like that of Goodburn, swimming with a terminal illness, above, and Sharmila Dhankar, below left, a domestic abuse survivor MATTHEW CHILDS/REUTERS
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Sport Football made to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Not if a woman in sight of the VIPs causes offence.” And that’s what happened at last, three years, seven months and 11 days later. One word: no. Sure, it took pages of statements and justifications and legal clarification, and it needed a scheme so transparently wrong that a chimpanzee could see through it, but that’s all it amounted to: no. And it’s all that ever needed to be said, too. For Infantino’s castle to collapse. For his supposed allies to turn, for his motivations to be exposed. Just say no. Yet before we got to no, good grief there was an awful lot of yes. Yes to a World Cup across six countries, yes to a World Cup likely to have the same horrid flaws as the one in Qatar, yes to not having secret ballots, yes to supportive letters to a president who increasingly appears to regard Fifa’s disciplinary regime as fluid, open to suggestions or dependent on status. Yes to quarters, yes to half-time shows, yes to the Fifa peace prize, yes to the most expensive tickets in history, to egregious flattery, to creeping and crawling, to bowing and scraping, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Meaning, in the words of Pulp Fiction’s Winston Wolf, “Let’s not start sucking each other’s d***s quite yet.” The job’s not done. The next part is tougher. It’s not a boycott if the football world returns to normal and Infantino is still there. His exit should be a condition of re-entry. No one’s in until he’s out. Does Europe, does our FA, have the stomach for that? Could be an isolationist stance. Could end up out on a limb like Norway, who the bigger nations tend to leave hanging when a stand such as the Fifa peace prize complaint is made. What if the nations that signed up for those useless rainbow armbands in 2022 had instead got together from the very start when Fifa awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, and refused to participate? England, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands — could they have persuaded others to make a stand 16 years ago? Now that’s protest. Real protest. Just as it would be if the FA, and other powerbrokers, announced they would simply not return to international competition while Infantino stayed in charge. Instead, the FA have come over all masterful in a gang of 55. Even their condemnation basically said they supported Uefa’s condemnation with a few extra lines calling for “a robust review”. Oh God, not the robust review. What next, the soft cushions, the comfy chair? Our FA is the equivalent of the kid hiding behind the school bully and his mates shouting, “Yeah?” When the bully’s gone, he’s actually all right. Different lad. A lot quieter. No attitude at all. And this is not an argument for Uefa to flex its muscles over every little half-time show. That’s equally an abuse of power and the rest of the world would rightly get sick of it. Yet a World Cup hosting process we knew was corrupt, human-rights violations, hokey democratic processes, these were never minor issues. Even, as an advocate of the Club World Cup, the self-serving insertion of Inter Miami and therefore Lionel Messi into the revamped 2025 tournament. The increasing encroachment of Fifa on to the playing field is one of the most worrying aspects of the Infantino era. So regime change is not just preferred, it is essential. And lots of work remains to be done. The next question should be whether the same people that let it all slide for so long are really the ones to do it. I t used to be said that after the battle had been fought, the press would move in to bayonet the wounded. In the case of the stricken Gianni Infantino, that role would now appear to be played by our own, dear Football Association. Never has an executive body found its voice and its ethical principle so swiftly, once deploying either comes with absolutely no risk of recrimination. It is close to impossible to be on the wrong side of this argument now. Yet it was only 40 days ago that Debbie Hewitt, the FA chair, was pictured grinning inanely while presenting the same blasted Fifa president with a personalised England shirt. It was around that time that the FA had endorsed his continued presidency by letter. Roughly 18 months before, Hewitt helped send the World Cup, unopposed, to Saudi Arabia — and the 2030 edition to three continents — on what amounted to the democratic equivalent of jazz hands. And now the man behind all of the many swindles — their guy, backed by them, in case you needed reminding after this frantic repositioning — is the devil incarnate? So let’s not get carried away. When we are truly at the “ding dong the witch is dead” stage of this narrative, no one will sing louder or more joyously than me, but to be joined at the chorus by the very people who propped him up for a decade, who bowed lower and licked harder than all of the many sycophants, who could actually have acted to stop his corruption of the game’s worth, yet did the opposite. Well, let’s just say it’s something of a surprise. Even when Infantino goes, this is no great victory. For it will only show what could have been done sooner, yet was not. The whole time, as many argued, and not least on these pages, the power was within. Football politics was like the board game Risk and the moment Fifa lost Europe, it lost the world, too. We can argue the significance of the Asian Football Confederation’s statement, or Concacaf’s dissatisfaction, because their interventions meant that Infantino did not have the voting numbers to advance his plan. But we know the real numbers that count for Fifa, and they stopped adding up the moment it was agreed that Uefa would boycott the World Cup. Successive Fifa regimes survive because everyone has been hoodwinked into believing a vote in Kenya, say, is worth the same as one in Germany. Yet a television contract is not. No bucks, no Buck Rogers was how the United States government explained the Mercury space programme to the original astronauts, and without the broadcast rights deals of the major European countries and the big American deals that are struck on the back of Europe’s marquee talents, Fifa tournaments are as good as dead financially. So what stopped them? What stopped us? Why has it only taken this latest abomination for there to be action? Had Europe boycotted when Fifa switched the Qatar World Cup to mid-winter, or when it became clear that so much of the bidding process had been corrupted, or when Infantino manipulated the hosting rota to award Gulf states two tournaments in four editions, that FA has finally grown a spine, but it propped up Infantino for years would have been it: over. But seemingly they wanted the money, too. They wanted it from beIN Sports, or from the PIF, they wanted to be in the Gulf game just as much. So they said nothing, did nothing. Paid lip service to protest. Wore a little armband then took it off, chastened. Only now that they can’t be wrong have they found a voice. It shouldn’t have had to come to this. Exiting Qatar in 2022, I detailed the feeling of powerlessness. The FBI had got convictions and it made no difference. Corruption was proven but the tournament went ahead just the same. Newspapers and NGOs exposed migrant worker deaths, migrant worker living and site conditions, migrant worker pay and terms. There were changes but much too late. “Qatar 2022 rolled over us and we had to lie back and take it,” I wrote. “And, because we did, the temptation is to think that we must do so again. That after this, wherever Infantino and his henchmen want to drag the World Cups of the future, however repressive, however alienating for the marginalised sections of society, we can only wring our hands and observe.” But I never believed it was as bleak as that. I always thought the major nations, the European nations in particular, possessed the ability to resist if they had the desire to do so. So the piece continued. “But that isn’t true. There is another way. Oh, it’s high risk, high stakes stuff. It’s a gamble. It will require nerves of steel. Yet it’s simple. It just needs those who run football to say the one word that lodges in their throat, often when it matters most. It requires them to reject a basic tendency towards greed and complicity, but here’s what they do. They say no. No to coming to a country that does not genuinely welcome everybody. No to the rejection of basic human rights. So, no to Saudi Arabia in 2030. Not if the gay community are Martin Samuel EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/FIFA/GETTY IMAGES Hewitt, the FA chair, presents an England shirt to Infantino — only 40 days before the governing body joined Uefa, led by Aleksander Ceferin, below, in rejecting the Fifa president’s scheme to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Sport knowledge of the players. That gave me more analysis because we couldn’t make changes. We got really good. It wasn’t created spontaneously, that team spirit in Leverkusen.” Success came quickly. “It was unexpectedly fantastic,” he says. Success would not follow at Real Madrid, where he lasted seven months before he was dismissed amid a swirl of politics and player power. For a player whose career arc was stubbornly upward and positive, a setback like this, at the club where he used to play, was a new experience. “Luckily there are not too many scars in my career,” he reflects. “So, OK, I got a scar but this heals. Now it is healed and I am very motivated to enjoy this next step, as I did when I started in Madrid. But you move on. I take the positives and the things that didn’t work. I have been very critical of myself, thinking about what I could have done better, because it did not go as expected. But you move on to other things.” He feels disappointment makes him a better coach. “Sure, sure, sure, X abi Alonso has struggled with jet lag in Sydney, getting up in the middle of the night with a confused body clock. But he fits in well here, in a city where rising early for a run is virtually a public requirement. Alonso, 44, runs a 10k up to three times per week, and clocks an average kilometre split time of 4min 30sec. His staff are equally active, and have been spotted running together from their hotel in Darling Harbour, on the first leg of Chelsea’s pre-season tour in Australia. Alonso is keeping his athletic spark alive, which is evident on the training ground too, the players in awe of his ability to, in the words of Levi Colwill, “spray passes around for no reason”. “When I am ten years older, maybe I can’t do that, so I will be more on the sidelines,” Alonso says, smiling. “But while I still can, I enjoy it. I like to feel it and I like to be close to the players. That energy, it goes both ways. It is for them and for me.” Pep Guardiola would be just as hands-on in drills when Alonso was a senior player under his watch, briefly, at Bayern Munich, in the twilight of his career. “We were very close, I was very curious,” he says. “I was in that moment of my career where I could go to his office, “Pep, why is this happening? What’s going to be the game plan?” Maybe when I was 20, I didn’t have that confidence, to go to the manager’s office to ask those things. But at that moment, because of the trust, I needed to do that, I wanted to do that.” Alonso picked up a lot from Guardiola but his schooling was much broader; learning from Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benítez, José Mourinho, Vicente del Bosque and John Toshack — who gave him his league debut at Real Sociedad. But his father, Miguel Angel “Periko” Alonso, was most influential. Alonso Sr played for Barcelona from 1982 to 1985, winning the 1985 La Liga title, but he was also a manager and coached his son briefly. The young Xabi would watch him, at home in San Sebastián, and not always quietly. “Preparing the training for next day, preparing the team selection, that was in the kitchen,” recalls Alonso. “I was next to him. I had an opinion!” Home and family are big drivers, his wife and children central to his decision to move to London. Alonso cooks, with “two or three” signature dishes, including the tender Basque fish dish, Kokotxas. “The Basque people, we are not obsessed, but we give a lot of importance to food and good restaurants,” he says. He has already started scouting places to eat in Alonso has the power but insists Chelsea reset isn’t all about him because you learn from the disappointment of things that were not meant to be and you try to think that things will be better. There are many [positive] experiences, the adaptation I had to do, some things that worked and some things that didn’t in terms of the game, in terms of the man-management. It is a mixture of everything.” Alonso says he needed time to recover. “Mainly to reset the energy because the energy that you need as a manager . . . you need to be full of energy,” he says. “It’s very important for me to transmit this passion, this enthusiasm for the game in every training session, every game plan. I used that time mainly for that. I didn’t watch much [football]. It was mainly about myself, about feeling it.” Chelsea hired him to lift them out of a hole, and to build an elite performance culture, with a squad that has, for the past year, been heavily criticised. They finished tenth last year. Why pick Chelsea? He points to his head. “For sure, it had to be a lot from here,” he says before pointing to his stomach. “And also from here. It has to be from the guts. “I saw it was good timing from the club, good timing for myself, a good opportunity. It is a team that has played really well recently and the situation was not as bad as it looked at the end of last season. There is a big potential to improve and let’s see how long [it takes]. Making the changes, we have started analysing with the team, looking for the future. We are in that process. I felt I had the chance to enjoy being a manager.” The conversations with Chelsea included Alonso raising concerns about the club and them reaching a consensus on direction. “[The conversation] was about the project because I had a view of Chelsea from the outside,” he says. “I could see the positives and my concerns. So I addressed them. The club, the sporting directors … it has been a process for them, some good things and others things they want to correct. We had the same ideas, the same analysis to start the momentum working together and that is why we are taking the steps together, the decisions to have a good team.” He holds the title of manager, a first for the BlueCo ownership since their takeover in 2022. “To compare is difficult,” he says. “For sure, I have things to say. But it is not only my decision, it is a collective decision. We analyse, we take the decision with the commitment that we believe is the right one. Afterwards, if it is the right one, we can say we have done good. If it doesn’t work, because this is football, we can say it was a collective decision. For me that’s important. “It is not that I have the full power and I have the full vision. I like to have good people around because it is not like I have the whole truth of everything. I like to have people to get that knowledge, to have information so I do not have to take all the decisions.” Without alignment, he would not be leading this fresh start. “For me, the most important point is that we made the same analysis,” he says. “If we had different ideas, it probably would not have been the right starting point. So far we are taking the right ones, this is our feeling.” New manager says he’s on same page as the sporting directors with his plan to revive club, writes Peter Rutzler London. “I was in a brasserie in Chelsea that is close to the stadium,” he says. “My wife liked it. We will have enough time [to find others].” Alonso, then, is already feeling more settled now and that comes across, his demeanour relaxed, and at ease, certainly compared with his first media briefing last month. He is sitting at a catwalk bar in the Presidential suite of the W Hotel, a luxury penthouse atop the team’s five-star hotel with sweeping views of Darling Harbour, the afternoon sunlight slipping into the room. Alonso has now been in the job for nearly a month and knows more about what his squad needs. One of those things is evidently maturity and experience, given Danny Welbeck, 35, has arrived and Jordan Henderson, 36, is on the way. “For me, you need the right balance of personalities, of maturity stages, early twenties with early thirties and in between, players in different stages of their careers,” he says, in words that are striking for a Chelsea coach to utter, given their recruitment over the past four years. “There’s not a formula for that, but there is a feeling for that. After, the qualities and the way they interact. If they have good qualities and good interaction between them, you create good connections and good bonds and that helps the team spirit. For me, this is as important as tactics. First, it is the team spirit. After, it is playing good football. After, it is winning games. Then you continue and continue.” Alonso has won the game’s highest honours, the Champions League and the World Cup, as well as Spanish and German titles, and this focus on squad balance is learnt from his experience. “It’s from playing football, being in a team,” he says. “Sometimes you had, “Oh, I love playing with this team.” You could feel it. But for that, you need to have this commitment, responsibility, and for me it’s been very natural. In the Basque country, we would have a lot of that collective purpose, that culture.” Building a strong culture was key to his success at Bayer Leverkusen, where he banished a defeatist mantra, defined by their derogatory nickname “Neverkusen”, symbolic of how the club had only finished as runners-up in major domestic competitions, and replaced it with “Neverlusen”, after an unbeaten first double in 2024. “It was the goal that we wanted to create a good team and to do that, it’s not just about getting the best players, it’s about getting the best players for the needs and who combine better,” Alonso says. “I went there in October. From October until the end of the season, I used that time to get good Alonso gets his message across in training before the pre-season trip to Sydney, where he has looked relaxed, below There are not many scars in my career and they’ve healed. Now I’m motivated to enjoy this next step DARREN WALSH/CHELSEA FC/GETTY IMAGES
Monday August 3 2026 | the times Sport Cricket whose job, memorably described by Arlott, was a “pebble picker” on the nearby Dorset beaches. Barry is no longer alive, but his son, Robbie, is now the club’s captain. The Hutchings connection to the club also runs deep. There is a Hutchings in the first recorded team and the 1923 photograph includes “Jolly” Hutchings — so known because of his cheerful nature which he carried into his batting — who was the best rabbiter in the village. Robbie is a plumber and his 14- year-old son, Harry, plays — though not this week, having been left out with the team at near full strength. Having played minor counties cricket and grade cricket in Adelaide, Robbie is the club’s best player — he averaged 105 in 17 games last year — scoring nearly 30 per cent of the team’s runs. He could easily play a or connected by family to the village to play. The ground itself remains much as it was in Dicker’s playing days, sloping fiercely, which is a bonus for those wanting an uninterrupted view to the valley and fields beyond, but a challenge for the players. “The leading bowler at Chardstock is likely to have one leg shorter than the other,” said Arlott, and that remains the case. The wooden pavilion is relatively new, as is the car park and pizza oven, the latter of which was built during the pandemic after an ECB grant provided in England’s World Cup- winning year of 2019. Dicker was born in Chardstock; he first played for the club as a teenager and continued until he was 52, when knee and vascular trouble stopped him. His great mate and the other key player in the 1980s film was Barry Hutchings, a demon left-arm spinner, that’s why you can see these little holes everywhere.” And this large man, dressed in his oversized T-shirt and slacks, moves away from the roller and points here and there to the offending intruders. In the pavilion, Dicker points to a photograph of the Chardstock team from 1923, which includes four players with the surname Parris, all forebears. A Parris — Ben — played in the very first team recorded in the late 19th century and Dicker’s son, Stuart, now keeps the family tradition going. In the Arlott film, Stuart was the teenager pulling the roller in the opening credits; now 53, he is the team’s wicketkeeper, having played the odd game for Somerset Seconds back in the day. “We once had a team made up of three families only: Parris, Larcombe and Strawbridge,” says Dicker. Most weekends, these three families still provide players and it was only in the 1960s, in response to National Service, that the club loosened its rules, allowing those not born, living F orty years ago John Arlott narrated a beautiful short film about village cricket. Specifically, about one village cricket club, Chardstock, in Devon. Its tone was, at once, celebratory and elegiac. “It’s a club; not just a cricket club but a village cricket club, to which the young aspire and the old return,” said Arlott in his distinctive Hampshire burr towards the end of the film. Yet dotted throughout were premonitions: the village population was tiny, just 300 people; jobs and opportunities for the young were scarce; there were limited incentives to stay, and house prices were rising quickly. “Outsiders” and second-home owners were arriving. “Can you imagine Chardstock without a cricket club?” asked one former player in the film. “It could happen,” said another. What, then, has happened to Chardstock and its cricket club in the decades since? There cannot be many lovelier places to be on a summer’s weekend than this village on the border between Dorset, Devon and Somerset, though the heatwave has lent the surrounding landscape a burnt look. Nestled among the Blackdown Hills, between the towns of Axminster and Chard, the village must be among the prettiest in the land, with its thatched, flintstone cottages and narrow, flower-lined lanes. Not much has changed in the village in the four decades since the film was made, though a housing estate on the outskirts has lifted the population to about 900, according to the last census. The pub, The George, is in the midst of a battle between the villagers and private developers and is no longer serving, much to the distress of the cricketers who must drink after the match in the club’s pavilion instead. It remains a village, though; “an entity”, as Arlott described it. The post office, community shop and school remain, as does the cricket club, founded in 1887, and the heartbeat of the community, still. St Andrew’s church retains some of its 15th-century fabric and it was here that one of the players, the electrician Nathan Copp, got married two weekends before. Absences for his stag do and wedding had weakened the team in the previous month. The main character in Arlott’s film was Dick (“Dicker”) Parris, who ran a wholesale dairy business, selling milk, cheese and eggs. “When he speaks cricket, he speaks Chardstock cricket,” said Arlott of Dicker, who was the driving force behind the club, as player and much more besides. Aged 79 now, and in his 60th consecutive year — bar one — tending the ground, I find Dicker inspecting his pitch before the weekend match. “It will play all right,” he says, “it always does. It’s never been dangerous but some of the pitches we used to play on elsewhere were atrocious. We’ve a problem with Leather Jackets [daddy longlegs larvae] on the square at the moment; Retracing Arlott’s steps to a club Mike Atherton visits Chardstock, 40 years after it featured in a documentary by the legendary broadcaster Main: a classic village cricket scene at Chardstock, as evocative now as it was 40 years ago. Above and below: children and Tilly, the spaniel, help fetch the ball, while a plaque remembers a club legend and renowned conductor “The leading bowler at Chardstock is likely to have one leg shorter than the other,” said Arlott
the times | Monday August 3 2026 Sport Clockwise from above: Nathaniel Giles-Jones makes his first hundred for the club; the teas are rated among the best in the division; Dicker today at the club, in the Arlott documentary from 1986 and meeting our man Atherton during his recent visit that is still village’s beating heart Division East, which is ranked eighth of 18 divisions in Devon. The usual challenges remain: there is a shortage of balls at the start of play: during the last home match a few were hit into the hedge and the local labrador, Gunna, is ageing and not quite the leather-sniffing hound he used to be. Robbie has gone in the side and cannot bowl; another is missing because of harvest (the earliest anyone can remember), and the opening bowler has a touch of gout. While the club does not run a women’s team, this is not an all-male affair. Jen umpires from week to week and carries an air of authority that would make you think twice about disputing her decisions. She’s taken her level one umpiring course. “I don’t need more than that, this is E Division East, for goodness’ sake,” she says firmly. Here, she must umpire at both ends, as the opposition have not brought their own. Cullompton’s opening bowler is Issy, who learnt her cricket in Sussex and stayed local after graduating from Exeter University, and who more than holds her own. Hannah, the club secretary, and Vicky are on hand for tea, responsibility for which is shared week to week between families. Chardstock teas are among the best in the division. “We don’t do teas by halves here,” says Hannah. In about 33C heat, Robbie has never been more popular than when he calls correctly and — as in the original film — it is Chardstock to bat. Inevitably, Robbie plays a significant role: the strike rate picks up when he walks in, but the pace of play slows, on account of the number of balls hit into the neighbouring field. Fortunately, two-year-old cocker spaniel Tilly is on hand to take Gunna’s place. The age range of the team is 16 to 58 and one of the younger players, Nathaniel, the air conditioning man, makes his first hundred for the club. Though three players from the original film have died, and one is out of contact, half-a-dozen others have come back for the day and are photographed on the bench named after the captain at the time, Frank Huddy. The inscription reads: “In memory of FRH. Professor of Cricketology. Inventor of attacking shots. Master of guile and flight. Tactician extraordinaire.” Said Arlott of Chardstock and village cricket more generally: “The stories are always the same; only the characters change.” So, as the sun lowers towards the Blackdown Hills, the pizza oven is lit, the honesty bar empties and the stories begin. There are jobs to do and, as Dicker looks on from the pavilion balcony, it’s Robbie who chivvies everyone along; sightscreens to a safe place, boundary ropes to the shed, sprinkler to the middle to moisten the square for next week. Within moments of the sprinkler starting up, Wilf, the four-year-old son of one of the players, darts in and out of the water, cooling himself off. The next generation on their way. cross-section of society, as is the case with most clubs. “If you needed a house put up, the Chardstock team could do it in a jiffy,” says one. Indeed, the players themselves built the new pavilion in 2005, though it needed a financial helping hand from the club president at the time, Sir Neville Marriner, to compete the task. Marriner, a world-famous conductor, had a house in the village, but, says one, cricket enables everyone to look at the other “eye-to-eye”. “The standard of cricket we play? I wouldn’t say it’s rock bottom, but it’s near the bottom,” said Dicker in the film. One of the abiding themes was the club’s wariness about competitive league cricket, the seriousness with which it would be played and the desire not to dilute “the Chardstock way”. In fact, the club joined the Devon league shortly afterwards, in the late 1980s, and has hovered around midpoint in the county’s league rankings ever since. This match, Chardstock against Cullompton 2nd XI, is in the E the players: “You can’t change much in the world, but you can make your own little patch and they do it with joy and enthusiasm. Both Dicker and Robbie are universally respected and loved here. They have great values. One of my sons got annoyed once and told the opposition batsman to ‘piss off’, and Robbie told him to apologise immediately.” The first recorded team for Chardstock included two shoemakers from the village, the publican from The George, the vicar, a wheelwright, a thatcher and a blacksmith — men who, while never aspiring to gentry class, had enough independence to take time off for a game. The president now is Vyvyan Eames, whose family owns much of the land around the club and who have been farming here for generations. The team, though, has a less agrarian feel than before. It includes three teachers, a plumber, an electrician, a master builder, a driver, an air conditioning expert and a number of players of school age. It’s a higher standard elsewhere, and has done so before, but has been drawn back to Chardstock. He keeps the fabric of the club together. Every village club, indeed every non-professional club, relies on the commitment of a small number of volunteers like Robbie. “Getting a team out can be a challenge. In 2017, we won the league and used just 12 or 13 players all year. That was easy; no one wanted to miss out that year. It’s not usually like that, though. “Mostly, it’s a case of ringing people up and begging, borrowing and stealing players. The same worries from the mid-1980s [outlined in the film] are still there. House prices are always going up; new people arrive, which is essential because it’s the lifeblood of the village. In a village of a hundred people, you’d hope 99 would want to play cricket, but it’s not like that. “All Saints [the club in the documentary who were Chardstock’s adversaries and main rivals], no longer exists. Uplyme and Lyme Regis [another local club] no longer play in the league. I don’t think there is as much cricket played now as there was, but the standard is higher. We’re lucky; Chardstock’s been here for ever; it’s home; it’s nearly folded a few times but we’re still going strong.” Robbie’s first job was on Dicker’s dairy round. A generation apart, they have helped keep the club going for more than half a century, both practically and spiritually. Says one of Robbie has gone in the side; another is missing because of harvest, and the opening bowler has gout PHIL MINGO/PPAUK FOR THE TIMES
Times Crossword 29,611 across down Prize solution 29,604 Check today’s answers by ringing 0905 757 0141 by midnight. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390. $ % 6 ( 1 7 0 , 1 ' ( ' ) ( $ $ 5 $ , 1 % 2 : 1 ( 0 ( 6 , 6 ( ( ( 8 1 + 2 5 6 ( 2 1 7 + ( * 2 ' / ; $ . , 9 2 5 < , 1 ' , * ( 1 & ( $ & ( 1 2 , 6 ( 6 2 ) ) 6 ( 5 , 1 ; ( / $ & 4 8 ( 5 & 2 % % / ( 5 , , ' = / ( 3 , 6 & , 1 $ , % ( 5 , $ 1 & % 5 , * + 7 2 1 5 2 & . 1 Exclusive phenomenon in school with drug problem? (4-5) 6 Leader of Russia set about a religious adherent (5) 9 Simple argument ignored by litigant (5) 10 Refuse pile of cash forged with paper (9) 11 Aristotle unsure about high-stakes game (7,8) 13 Founder of company drinks, we hear (8) 14 Advice to acrobat parting with one dog? (6) 16 Embarrassed to secure victory, prepare to play again? (6) 18 Encouraged her detox breaks (8) 21 Show herald checking boat motor for Prince of Wales, perhaps (8,7) 23 Warnings on course to stop creature in national park (3,6) 25 Finish off second young boxer, for example (3,2) 26 Agent turning back to bury note in battlefield (5) 27 Sang to plug quiet houses close to Oxford (9) 1 Excitable letters from wealthy person (5) 2 Artisan back from calling girl on phone (5,6) 3 Lingo in American bar (7) 4 Criminal boy is breaking paintings, say (8) 5 She reduced space for psychedelic plant (6) 6 Check on regular beat (7) 7 Take action against tribe’s broadcast (3) 8 Perceive collar (9) 12 Drunk lost footing, striking leader’s mum (5-6) 13 Aren’t City developing confidence? (9) 15 Will individual suit and uniform spoil climbing? (8) 17 Anxious over sun exploding (7) 19 One rowing with old guy supporting Arsenal’s front three (7) 20 Supporters skipping starter for dessert (6) 22 Surprise attack captures head of Persian fleet (5) 24 Conscious after being shelled in combat (3) The winners of Prize Crossword No 29,604 are J Bush, Exeter, Devon S Cruickshank, Newcastle upon Tyne I Reeve, Reading, Berkshire N Twickel, Tidmington, Warwickshire A Ward, Ipswich, Suffolk y(7HB7E2*OTSRLO( |||+%!$' Newspapers support recycling The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 34.7% Peter Rutzler Sydney Xabi Alonso insists Chelsea are “not as bad” as they looked last season and the manager has a gut feeling they are ready to make real improvements after they wrapped up their pre-season tour to Australia. Speaking in Sydney, the 44-year-old acknowledged Chelsea’s struggles after a tenth-place Premier League finish last term, but suggested there was much more to come. “It is a team that has played really well recently and the situation was not as bad as it looked at the end of last season,” he said. “There is a big potent- ial to improve. Making the changes, we have started analysing with the team, looking for the future. We are in that process. I felt I had the chance to enjoy being a manager.” The Basque-born former midfielder said conversations with the club’s hier- archy assured him they were heading in the right direction. “I saw it was good timing from the club [to join], good tim- ing for myself,” he said. “I addressed my concerns. We had the same ideas, same analysis to start the momentum work- ing together. It is not that I have the full power . . . it is a collective decision.” Alonso accepted the Stamford Bridge job after a turbulent seven- month spell in charge of Real Madrid, but insisted the setback in Spain had made him a better coach. “Luckily there are not too many scars in my career,” Alonso said. “So, OK, I got a scar, but this heals. Looking back I take the positives and the things that didn’t work. I have been very critical about myself . . . but you move on.” As for what he learnt, he said: “There are many [positive] experiences, the adaptation I had to do, some things that worked and some things that didn’t in terms of the game, the man manage- ment. It is a mixture of everything.” Alonso: Why I took the Chelsea job New manager says team ‘aren’t as bad as they looked’ last season and that scars of Real failure will help him in west London Monday August 3 2026 | the times Sport Martin Samuel on governing body finally finding a backbone FA propped up Infantino Mike Atherton retraces footsteps of John Arlott in Chardstock 40 years of village cricket QUINN ROONEY/GETTY IMAGES It all ended in tears. On the final afternoon of the Commonwealth Games, Emma Finucane stood on the podium as Land of My Fathers played, a record four gold medals in the bag for the sprint cyclist. “Ten- year-old Emma is screaming inside, ‘What is going on!’ ” she said. Finucane’s win in the keirin made her the first sprint cyclist to bag a quartet of titles at the same Games and, after two bronze medals from Birmingham in 2022, she is now Wales’s most successful Games athlete in any sport, ahead of the sprinter Olivia Breen. She fended off the Olympic and Commonwealth champion, Ellesse Andrews, of New Zealand, to complete her set after golds in the team sprint, individual sprint and 1,000m time-trial. It was a dominant series but she rejected the suggestion she was now in the same elite class as Sir Chris Hoy and Dame Laura Kenny. “I am not in their boat,” she said. “I nearly Finucane wins fourth gold to make history Rick Broadbent
August 3 | 2026 This evolutionary biologist tried them all Meal replacement shakes The ultimate ultra-processed food Raw food If you want a crash diet to lose a lot of weight Atkins Lost two pounds in two weeks Do any diets work?
Monday August 3 2026 | the times times2 H aving just read extracts from Brand Beckham, Alison Boshoff’s forthcoming book about the Beckhams, I find myself feeling unexpectedly sorry for Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest child of Victoria and David. Brooklyn’s estrangement and the resulting rupture in the family’s public façade has fixated the nation since January, when he posted on Instagram (where else?) an inflammatory condemnation of his parents, their perceived manipulations and exploitations, their comportment at his wedding and through much of his childhood. “I have been silent for years ...” Brooklyn’s statement began, “Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed. I do not want to reconcile with my family…” The ructions apparently started when Brooklyn married Nicola Peltz — an actress, now 31 — in a ceremony at Palm Beach in 2022. She is the youngest daughter of the billionaire Nelson and the model Claudia, which makes her part of a family richer and more powerful than the Beckhams. A family that doesn’t, seemingly, understand or tolerate the sort of control, over image and narrative, that the Beckhams seem to exert over those entering their orbit. You can almost imagine the clash of cultures when the families met. The initial confusion, the bewilderment, giving in to fury, when these two separate institutions, each so used to getting their own way, was suddenly confronted by the other, by their expectations, their entitlement. I met Nicola in 2022, just after she married Brooklyn. The interview was far more revealing and honest than I’d anticipated. Nicola is, I suspect, fearless in the way of one raised to protect and defend herself, however necessary, and with more than enough money to do so. We talked about the wedding, of course. She gave me clarification on her wedding dress: Valentino Couture, rather than Victoria Beckham, a move that had been widely perceived as a snub to her mother-in-law, very much part of the catalyst of the rift. According to her, that was not at all how it went down — but I’ll get to that. According to the extracts from Boshoff’s book published in the Mail, trouble had been brewing for much longer, anyway. Victoria and David had, apparently, not been on speaking terms with Brooklyn or Nicola for months before the ceremony, during which time the wedding began to seem a little… extreme. Five sets of wedding planners were hired, four dispensed with (one of them, Nicole Braghin and Arianna Grijalba, who lasted nine days, said it felt like they had inherited a crime scene, rather than a wedding plan). Nicola’s mother, Claudia, had the Valentino atelier sew an evil eye inside her daughter’s wedding dress “for protection”. And as for Brooklyn? His contribution to proceedings amounted to him wondering if they should get special guns in, to bring down any drones released by paparazzi, and if the reception’s fast food van might offer guests a special “Nicola” burger — with lettuce and no bun. And Nicola, at one point, apparently asked if all guests could be presented with a dog as a leaving gift. Tensions were running high by the day itself, which descended into what Boshoff described as “chaos and infighting”. First came the revelation of The Dress, then came David, who gave a speech considered (by sources) to be too long and too focused on his Monopoly with real cash and Gucci: life at an Oxford summer camp As an undergraduate Emily Formstone worked with children whose parents had paid for them to experience the dreaming spires. It was an eye-opener O xford in summertime is Brideshead Revisited land. Each year, when the final term rolled around, it was as if the Eighties TV version was reeling out before me in the form of plummy accents, draughty shirts and “the rare glory of her summer days” described by Evelyn Waugh. But in the long vacation the undergraduates empty out to their corners of the country and a new breed fills the city: the elite summer camp attendee. I made my first foray into the world of these camps at the end of my second year at Oxford. I was planning on staying in the city over the vac to make a dent in my sprawling reading list but my student loan had run dry so a friend suggested taking a job at one of the many summer camps held in the cloistered colleges. The camps weren’t affiliated with the university so, to make them seem more legitimate, the operating companies were keen for students to be on staff. I got accepted easily and was paid the minimum hourly wage. Having attended summer camps throughout my childhood, rocking up on the first day, kitted out with my dorky staff T-shirt and lanyard, felt like a full-circle moment. I was no longer the excited attendee, brimming with hopes and nerves, but the happy- clappy camp helper from films like The Parent Trap, there to be your friendly big sister for the next two weeks. This illusion was fast fading. The kids showed up, most of them landing from Dubai and America, and I quickly learnt that they (well, their parents) were paying upwards of £6,000 for the fortnight. With this, the group of seemingly ordinary-looking 16 and 17-year-olds came into focus, the designer handbags, the four-figure trainers, the limited-edition hoodies and all. My charity shop garb suddenly felt a bit cheap and cheerful. One of the first topics of conversation was their parents’ wealth. “What do your parents do?” seemed to be the international elite’s equivalent to “What school did you go to?” here in England. One boy spieled for several minutes about how stressful it was for his mother to have to look after so many stocks and investments. Another girl told me she was engaged to be married, but before taking over her boyfriend’s family’s business empire (her words) wanted to brush up on her economics, hence the camp. The kids would stay in the empty college rooms — or staircases as they’re known in Oxford. My brief was to look after the teens when they weren’t in lessons: organising meals, activities and day trips, and making sure they were in bed at the right time. We did our best to keep them entertained. But kids used to helicopter rides and the Dubai Mall are less easy to please than your average teenagers. Botanic gardens? Not interested. The Ashmolean Museum? Boring. Blenheim Palace? Snooze! Afternoon tea? Yucky, “too British-tasting”. They didn’t mind the Westgate shopping centre and took a particular shine to the designer outlets in Bicester Village. At the weekend we took them into London for a bit of culture, but they quickly turned their backs on the British Museum in favour of the more modern treasures of Bond Street. One student looked particularly smitten on his return to the coach. He showed off his new plain white T-shirt — his for just £500 from the Gucci store. I wondered if this was really within his pocket money’s reach or if, at the ripe old age of 16, he was caught up in the general atmosphere of financial one- upmanship that lingered in the camp. relationship with his son. “It was as if David was getting married to Brooklyn,” one guest said. Later Marc Anthony performed (a gift from the Beckhams, but one that, apparently, cost Nelson Peltz, billionaire father of the bride, $250,000 in staging costs), and Victoria danced with her son in a way he would describe as “inappropriate” and (more damningly) as being “on” him, as opposed to “with” him. Nicola is supposed to have run from the marquee in tears, followed by much of her family. Brunch the next day chez the Peltzes was characterised by a guest as being “like someone had died”. After which things appeared to only get worse. I’d say it all “culminated” with Brooklyn’s post, but given his reference to addressing “only some of the lies” perhaps it was more of a warning shot of what may come next. In our interview Nicola was sweet and courteous. She told me she runs a charity rehousing rescue dogs. (I don’t know but suspect it was these dogs she suggested giving out to wedding guests, which puts a rather more compassionate complexion on it.) We talked about her situation; I was struck by her not seeming able to comfortably speak her in-laws’ names as she explained how she’d wanted to wear a VB wedding dress: “I was so excited to start the design process. Um, and then Victoria, um, was like… And then she, Victoria, uh, was very busy… and a few days went by, and I didn’t hear anything…” I also got the sense Nicola loves her husband very much. I feel sorry, now, for him. So cursed by the situation of his birth, so doomed to unasked for, unwarranted celebrity, and all the accompanying sneering. So pushed and pulled between two powerful houses, neither of which can help itself in the briefings and manoeuvrings, designed to preserve money and reputation. So anxious — this, according to Boshoff’s sources — and so ordinary (according to my observations). No one, I think, is more in need of a normal, boring life, than Brooklyn Peltz Beckham. And no one is less likely to get one. Polly Vernon The Beckhams versus the Peltzes? I know who I feel most sorry for David and Victoria Beckham with Brooklyn and Nicola in 2023
the times | Monday August 3 2026 times2 RMAX/GETTY IMAGES of cold, hard cash. Monopoly was of little interest to them, though gambling certainly was. Shutting down the game was almost as awkward as confiscating a pack of pink, gold- filtered cigarettes from one of the girls — the most expensive pack I have seen. The campers let out a sigh when they learnt we’d binned them. Luckily, unlike some other staff, it wasn’t in my job description to stay overnight. After evening registration at about 10pm I left the worries behind. One night we were short- staffed so I did join the evening “patrol”. “I’m anticipating shithousery,” one of my colleagues wrote in our group chat. “This could be messy,” another chimed. What we found during the patrol was unexpected. Not the drugs and sneaking around witnessed on other nights, but lying on one of the American girls’ desks was a roughly 6in knife that she’d forgotten to put away. It was terrifying to see. Her father had insisted that England was a dangerous place and that she needed protection. God knows how she got it through airport security. One Oxford institution the kids did take to was punting, though a bit of pretend jousting with the punt sticks resulted in a trip to A&E with me, another camp helper and a sweet Italian boy. “How does it look?” he asked under the harsh lights of the waiting room, turning to me with puppy eyes that — deep breath — happened to be missing an eyelid. I said nothing but the sheer fear and pallor it brought forward in my face managed to make him laugh. A job well done, I suppose. Two weeks of pure chaos drew to a close with a traditional Oxford bop — a “big organised party”. At the end of the preceding meal one of the pluckier students took the stage of the portrait-clad dining hall and began to address his peers. His speech was eloquently delivered and articulate. But he ended on a disturbingly confident note. “We are the leaders of the future!” he declared and, sitting there, it was clear that the room believed it. Help! My folks are crazy about Korean culture From making kimchi to watching K-drama, they’re fully addicted, says Euan Dawtrey S even gyrating porcelain dolls with floppy hair have finished the European leg of their comeback tour. Yes, BTS are back from their military service and bigger than ever, underlining the enduring pull of Korean culture on the youth of today. But over the past couple of years I’ve watched the Korean wave consume an altogether more unexpected demographic: my cultured, middle-class parents. Have you ever gone back to your family home for Christmas and found that someone or something has taken up residence in your absence? This happened to me the year before last. It’s December 2024 and I’m skulking around the house in Stirlingshire, the half-rural central belt of Scotland, to see what has changed. Usually it’s just the odd plant but this year there’s something weird going on. Something sweet, sour and bacterial is hanging around like an apparition. In a kitchen corner a gigantic vat of kombucha ferments, its weird tongue swimming in gunk. There’s an air of malevolent sentience about this rubbery organ, as though it’s about to crawl out of its bowl and violently improve my gut microbiome. Sealed in a clay pot, another mysterious concoction brews, or bubbles, or whatever it is that cabbage does when it’s smeared in chilli flakes and shut away in the dark. Kimchi is happening, and I think it can talk. The Vegetarian by the Korean author and Nobel laureate Han Kang is lying on the coffee table. My parents, aged 61 and 67, say that as feminist skewering of the patriarchy goes, it’s pretty good. I fear they have morphed into Bristol graduates, riding the Overground from Hackney to Dalston, hellbent on decolonising the curriculum. Then that unmistakable Duolingo ping echoes from a nearby room and I hear my father, alone in his office, asking a cartoon character for a coffee over and over again in Korean. It certainly isn’t very Christmassy, and in their Asiatic stupor they seem to have forgotten to put up a tree. At least there’s the gigantic plate of Korean fried chicken cooling on the table. For the previous six months my parents had been spending their evenings watching K-dramas into the wee hours, which is particularly funny because they spend their working lives making esoteric documentaries about niche cultural topics — at present they are finishing a film about the obscure, idiosyncratic Indian film-maker Ritwik Ghatak. But the thing that has truly captured their imagination is watching K-dramas. They love Coffee Prince, in which a boyish young woman wants to shag her boss, who thinks she is a man but fancies her anyway. And then there’s My Mister, which probes a cross- generational friendship between a hot, troubled, lonely young woman and a hot, troubled, lonely middle-aged man, and bizarrely (like many K-dramas) wears the influence of Richard Curtis proudly on its sleeve. My parents talk about the emotional expressiveness that verges on melodrama, the extraordinary acting, brilliant writing, beautiful clothes and insight into a remarkable society that has dragged itself from abject poverty to being a global soft power within 70 years. Having spent the past few weeks watching these shows, I think they may be on to something. South Korea is a country still living with a kind of PTSD from the 20th century — Japanese occupation, the Korean War, partition and the vast collective sacrifices that propelled the nation to its economic success. It’s a country weighed down by moral codes and social expectations that feel startlingly foreign to our own, yet familiar from our not-too-distant history. It’s all very fashionable in the right context — but this isn’t the right context. This is a middle-class home in Scotland’s Small Town of the Year 2013. This is where people go for a nice cushy retirement, where you can open a carpet shop and not immediately file for bankruptcy. Surely not the place to be a Koreaboo couple in your sixties. It’s not easy watching your parents become different people. Rather than staying up till 2am watching attractive Koreans pine after each other, aren’t ageing Brits supposed to be listening to Radio 4, gardening and buying National Trust memberships? Admittedly I’m intrigued enough by my parents’ rejection of the good old-fashioned British retirement that I’ve booked a flight to Seoul in September, not so much for the neo-Confucianism and swooning romance as the fried chicken and beer. Time to order my hanbok. “Where did you go?” I cooed to another group returning to the coach. As a teenager on trips from the home counties to London I was keen on Camden Market and the big Lush store on Oxford Street. “Um, I think it was called… Harrods?” one answered. “Ah yes,” I said. “Where else!” I felt the camp itself was, like my uniform, rather cheap and cheerful in its operation. We had a shoestring budget for meals, snacks and activity running costs despite the ludicrous fees; the organisers were selling the impressive façade of Oxford — just enough so parents could boast about it — but with seemingly little academic or cultural depth behind it. But we wanted the kids to have a good experience, so we got creative. We set up quiz nights and treasure hunts, which were surprisingly a hit. One particular scavenger hunt ended with the winning team returning suspiciously quickly. They soon admitted they had employed a taxi driver to whizz them around the cobbled streets and so outpaced their footbound opponents. The irony was that the hundreds of pounds wasted on the taxi driver won them the grand prize of a summer camp-branded key ring. Probably, I suspect, worth no more than £2. It’s the glory that counts, as they say. The suspects in question were three girls and one particularly boisterous boy (the one with the Gucci T- shirt), the self-styled leader of the pack who insisted that the girls now refer to him as “king”. A thank- you token for footing the taxi bill. One day a group of children seemed particularly settled at the activities marquee. I saw the flash of a tiny top hat- wearing man and thought, wow! Monopoly! Who would have thought this was the activity to tame them? Getting closer, ready to pull up a chair and buy my share of Park Lane, I noticed there was something wrong with the Monopoly money: it wasn’t the nostalgic pastel- coloured sheets of paper but reams We tried to keep the kids engaged. Blenheim Palace? Snooze! Afternoon tea? Yucky! Euan Dawtrey KI PRICE FOR THE TIMES
Monday August 3 2026 | the times times2 W e all know that our modern diet of industrialised food is not great for us. But having lunch with a professor of evolutionary biology focuses the mind on what ultra-processed foods and 21st-century fads are doing to a species that evolved hundreds of thousands of years ago. “You and I sitting here looking at this menu is a completely modern, bizarre thing that we never evolved to do,” says Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard academic and bestselling author, as he scrutinises the menu at a restaurant in South Kensington, London. “If you’re a hunter-gatherer, you eat what you hunt or gather. And if you’re a farmer, you eat what you grow. All of a sudden we are in this incredible world of diversity.” With the average supermarket now stocking thousands of lines, about 70 per cent of which, he says, are “ultra-processed and pretty unhealthy”, it’s not surprising that many of us struggle to eat well. An expert on how humans evolved, Lieberman’s latest book, Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet and Eating Well, combines a scientific evaluation of the merits of different diets with his reflections on what he and his wife, Tonia, experienced while trying them. A lean, fit runner, Lieberman was not looking to lose weight but to find out first-hand what buying, preparing and eating each diet was really like. Citing an essay by Isaiah Berlin, in which the philosopher divided thinkers into hedgehogs (who relate everything to a single big idea) and foxes (who embrace complexity and variation), Lieberman says our eating habits should be more vulpine. He is sceptical of hedgehog diets that involve avoiding categories of food. Many people have become dogmatic and “tribal” about what they eat, he says: “It becomes part of their identity.” Big-idea diets are often embraced by those who are trying to get slimmer but we did not evolve to voluntarily selling something that’s quite dangerous.” Hardcore carnivore dieters seek to enter a permanent state of ketosis — burning fat instead of glucose — by severely restricting carbs through the avoidance of all plants. Some humans, such as the Inuit, have survived on very low-carb diets; our species evolved in Africa, where plants were the main source of calories. “This is a manosphere diet. They are doing harm. Their basic argument is that because plants can’t run away, they produce toxins, and therefore eating a piece of broccoli could be your death sentence,” he says. Although there is a kernel of truth in their claims about plants producing toxins and antinutrients to defend themselves, the reality is these are neutralised by cooking and other forms of food processing. Meanwhile, carnivores ignore the evidence of the health benefits of plants, including lowering inflammation (rather than raising it, as a high red meat diet may do), fighting cancer and being a source of fibre, which maintains a healthy microbiome and lowers incidence of numerous diseases. Lieberman, 62, has studied some of the planet’s last hunter-gatherers, the Hadza, in Tanzania, and tried the paleo diet. He rejects the premise that we should eat like our ancient ancestors, shunning cereals, legumes, dairy and processed foods in favour of grass-fed beef, seafood, eggs, fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables. The reality was that there was no single Palaeolithic diet and Stone Age humans ate diverse foods. He missed bread and peanuts and found it silly that staples such as beans and grains are forbidden by paleo aficionados, when our Stone Age ancestors ate wild varieties of them. “Their idea of what cavemen ate is wrong,” he says. What did we really evolve to eat? This professor ate his way to the truth To gauge the merits of different diets, the evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman tested them on himself — and his wife. This is everything he learnt from what she called his ‘nutso project’. By Damian Whitworth lose weight, Lieberman says,. More than other mammals, we inherited adaptations, specifically hunger, to prevent this, and adapted to store fat to fuel our energy-hungry brains and see us through lean times. “When you go on a diet it’s really hard to overcome hunger. You need superhuman willpower. If you put a chocolate cake in front of me and a carrot, I’d eat the chocolate cake.” The “miracle” of GLP-1 medicines is that they suppress that appetite. But, he cautions, they do not help people to figure out what to eat, the lost weight includes muscle mass, and what people put back on when they stop taking the drug is fat. “The concern is that we’re putting a large percentage of the population at risk of old-age frailty,” he says. Of the diets he tried, meal replacement shakes were perhaps the most unsatisfactory. He drank them for breakfast and lunch for two weeks. The “gloppy” 400-calorie shakes, containing 20g of protein, 36g of carbs, 24g of fat and a load of micronutrients, left him reasonably sated but he hated the sensory deprivation and questions the long-term consequences of eating what he calls the ultimate ultra- processed food. Almost as unenjoyable was subsisting on a raw food diet. “Just appalling,” Lieberman exclaims. As they diced, pureed, grated and soaked ingredients, then munched joylessly through salads and smoothies, his wife became “depressed and sad” and sneaked out for a bagel. He lost weight and felt sluggish. “Tonia lasted three days and I lasted about four.” It feels appropriate for me to order the raw salad of courgette, peach, mint and pine nuts, followed by ricotta ravioli. Lieberman opts for clams and a green salad. While chimps spend half their lives chomping highly fibrous wild fruit for calories, the human digestive system evolved differently; we are now biologically hooked on cooking. Nevertheless, raw foodists insist it is best to eat produce in its natural state. That is sometimes true. Garlic, once cooked, has lower levels of the protein allicin, but heating tomatoes increases the availability of the antioxidant lycopene. Cooking increases the speed and efficiency of digestion, enabling us to eat more. Steaming spinach renders a large bag of raw leaves much more manageable. “If you want a crash diet to lose a lot of weight, [the raw diet] may be your diet. But other than that, it’s a struggle,” Lieberman says, adding that a large percentage of the women on raw food diets either don’t menstruate or have irregular cycles. “From an evolutionary perspective, this is not a good idea.” Of all the hedgehog diets, the one he is particularly scathing about — and did not try himself — is the carnivore diet. “Those folks really are Their argument is that eating broccoli could be a death sentence Daniel Lieberman The Mediterranean diet
the times | Monday August 3 2026 times2 COVER AND BELOW: GEMMA DAY FOR THE TIMES; GETTY IMAGES he suggests, as humans have adapted to experiencing regular periods of hunger and these periods prompt cellular housekeeping. Studies show that such bouts of hunger slow ageing in rodents but humans are different, Lieberman says. The jury is out. Personally, he finds calorie restriction in an attempt to live to 100 nonsensical if it involves giving up many of the pleasures that would make it worth living that long. The diet Lieberman found most agreeable was the Mediterranean diet. He had oats, fruit and nuts for breakfast; lunches of hummus with vegetables, cheese and his beloved peanuts; grains, legumes and fresh vegetables for dinner, with fish at least twice a week. The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which involves cooking with olive oil and using animal fats sparingly, are well documented. “Any traditional, non-overly processed farming diet is fine. I don’t think the Mediterranean is any better than a traditional Asian diet or a traditional Meso-American diet. But Mediterranean is the best studied. My book basically boils down to saying that Michael Pollan was right.” The journalist, author and academic famously pronounced: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Although he does not disagree with those who are strong critics of ultra-processed foods, there can be “a little bit of hedgehogness there. With eight billion people on the planet, we’re not getting away from food processing. The solution is to have better processed food.” Lieberman is sceptical of “blue zones” — purportedly healthy enclaves identified in areas such as eastern Sardinia, Italy, and Okinawa, Japan, with an unusually high proportion of elderly residents. While he found the mostly vegetarian, bean-rich diet, with occasional servings of fish, to be easy to follow and seemingly healthy, he questions whether it creates anti- ageing hotspots and regards it as “statistical absurdity” to base a diet on evidence gleaned from a tiny number of centenarians. “If you want to live to 100, you’d better have the right parents. Exercise, diet, sleep, stress, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much. [With] many of these diets, people are trying to make money.” Most of the time Lieberman eats an approximation of the Mediterranean diet. He consumes almost no red meat, for health reasons and because he feels the carbon footprint is too high. “No hunter-gatherer is ever a vegetarian. We wouldn’t be here if our ancestors hadn’t started hunting and eating meat. Which doesn’t mean that you should.” Like Epicurus, he believes in moderation. “I know people who will never eat dessert. I feel sad for them. I don’t think the raw foodists intend to do harm or the paleo diet folks. We all just have to relax a little bit.” Even my raw salad gets a thumbs- up. “That looks lovely. I’m pretty non- judgmental. I’m not opposed to raw food. Eating it nonstop for several days was the challenge. Bon appétit.” Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals about Food, Diet and Eating Well by Daniel Lieberman (Allen Lane £25). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members While the paleo diet’s avoidance of sugar and ultra-processed rubbish is to be welcomed, Lieberman points out the illogicality of assuming that everything our ancestors ate was healthy — and of ignoring foods that arrived with farming. When he tried the low-carb, high- protein Atkins diet, Tonia announced that she was “done with this nutso project”. His diet of chicken, fish, eggs, yoghurt, cheese, avocados and vegetables such as cauliflower, courgettes and celery left him craving carbs, especially bread, and suffering headaches, brain fog and fatigue. Lieberman lost almost two pounds over two weeks but quickly regained it once he stopped. Sifting through the tangled literature on saturated fat, “bad” cholesterol and arterial plaque build-up proved the hardest part of his research. “Anybody who thinks that they know the truth about saturated fat is delusional. It’s complicated,” he says. But while unsaturated fats may not be as bad for us as once thought, there is still much to learn and he suggests that given a choice between saturated or unsaturated fat “you’re always better off with the plant fat rather than the animal fat”. During two weeks of intermittent fasting, he restricted his meals to an eight-hour window. As someone who normally has an early breakfast, and often a hobbit-like second breakfast after exercising, and is used to snacking through the day, he sometimes got “hangry” but found the experience, during which he lost about a pound, generally benign. Only time will tell if either intermittent fasting or calorie- restriction diets slow humans’ ageing. More research is needed. From an evolutionary perspective, intermittent fasting makes more sense, Anybody who thinks that they know the truth about saturated fat is delusional No more hook-ups — at 42, I’ve lost my libido Sex used to be central to Kristie De Garis’s life. Then she discovered it wasn’t any more S ometime in my late thirties my sex drive abandoned me. I quickly worked through the five stages of grief, then stumbled upon a secret sixth phase no one talks about: relief. The first signs surfaced alongside a surprise text from someone I hadn’t thought about in many years. A picture of his abs, still eight of them, still rippling. I remembered the time in my early twenties when, not even slightly ironically, I’d licked them from top to bottom. That version of me would have replied immediately, dropped everything and taken a speedy taxi to his flat. Instead I finished Alfred Lansing’s book about the Endurance and forgot to reply until the next day. “I’m flattered. You look great. But full disclosure, I think I might be post-sex.” Sex being anything other than central to my life is not something my younger self could have fathomed. Throughout my late teens, twenties and most of my thirties it was the cornerstone on which everything else was built. The Noughties had taught me that a high sex drive was to be prized, touted even. A voracious sexual appetite was empowering. Wanting sex every day made you pretty cool, actually. Britney Spears with a writhing golden snake around her neck definitely had a high sex drive. Christina Aguilera wearing leather chaps in a boxing ring had a high sex drive. Angelina Jolie, with a vial of blood around her neck, listening to Billy Bob Thornton tell a reporter how they’d had sex in the car on the way over, had a high sex drive too. I took their lead and committed to being constitutionally horny. My body had its insistent, ungovernable agenda, a thrumming restlessness that made me only half present in the rest of my life. Always waiting, perpetually unsettled. My sex drive was a luminous distraction from the mundane. For 20 years that was my implacable reality. Then somewhere in my late thirties, the hold my libido had on me began to loosen. I noticed that sex, on the other side of the thick monotony of dating app conversations, didn’t seem as alluring. Suddenly, UTIs were a thing I wanted to avoid. Within my body, the heady peaks of desire no longer existed. That thrilling, visceral feeling I had subsisted on was no longer available to me. At first I was concerned. I put it down to some sort of basic deficit. But when no amount of vitamin D and B6 could shift the new unsexy baseline, it began to feel more like a personal failing, like lying or being selfish, things that mark you out as being deficient in the fundamentals of human decency. Determined to pin this on physiology, at 40 I spoke to a specialist about the possibility of perimenopause and they agreed that I was exhibiting some symptoms, even outside low sex drive. After starting HRT — spray in the morning, pills at night — I felt the occasional stirring of familiar feverish urges that never quite managed to reassert themselves. I tried faking it, tried pushing through initial flirtations to no avail. I just couldn’t conjure the enthusiasm for sex that had once driven me. It’s been a few years now and I’ve surrendered to a life where sex still exists but very much peripherally. A life where, for months at a time, it is entirely in my blind spot. And instead of feeling lost, I feel lightened. For women of my generation, any generation, wanting sex has never been simple. It has always come with loaded expectations, skewed dynamics and a stacked ledger of what you owe and what you are worth. A high sex drive sounds like freedom on paper but, looking back, a high sex drive never translated into an effort to meet my own sexual needs. I was too busy thinking about what he wanted and what I looked like by wanting it. I’ve spoken to friends who are also walking this vast post-sex landscape. Some are unquestioningly embracing a life free from the exigency of sexual desire. Others aren’t quite ready to let go and are exploring all possibilities. But my experience is that this is not necessarily something to fix. I see it as more of a shift. A broadening of focus. And that focus has turned inward to what I specifically want to do with my time and attention. And it turns out the answer is almost entirely unsexy. There are no abs, no late-night hook- ups, but I can differentiate dill from fennel at a hundred paces and I can get my tongue around plant taxonomy. All. Day. Long. I frequent historic stone sites, not bars. I know a lot about my nervous system and instead of lingerie, now I buy L-theanine. And I dress, according to my daughter, like a “Nineties airport dad”. Repressed, you might think, dried up. But don’t worry, now my kink is the forensic details of polar exploration — Ernest Shackleton on a 22ft open lifeboat in the Drake Passage. Kristie De Garis The carnivore diet
Monday August 3 2026 | the times life I feel fortunate in life — but grief means I struggle to enjoy it Q < st o ri es h re f= ”/ U se rs / m m ci n N I’m 56 and happily married to a wonderful man. We have two grown-up children who are thriving, close friends and a lovely home, and I am in a career that I still enjoy. I know how fortunate I am and feel grateful for all I have — but I struggle to enjoy it. Instead I spend my life waiting for something dreadful to happen. If life feels particularly happy, I check myself because I worry that if I get too comfortable, something bad is bound to happen. No one who knows me would describe me as an anxious person. I sleep reasonably well, I function well at work, I laugh, socialise and people probably think I’m an optimist. But underneath it all is a constant sense that happiness is fragile. I wonder whether everything changed in my forties. My father was killed in an accident and, eight months later, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and died within three weeks. I don’t think I stopped to process either loss. There wasn’t time — I sorted out estates, organised funerals and carried on with work and family life because that’s what needed to happen. I don’t remember falling apart, I just kept going. Now I wonder whether my mind ever really recovered from those years. Is this delayed grief? Is this an anxiety condition? Or is it possible to learn to enjoy the life I have? Victoria A < st o ri es h re f= N Your letter has resonated deeply with me as I grieve for my own mother, who died last year. I recognise so much of what you describe: the hypervigilance around catastrophe and the fear that something precious is about to be taken away. However, I don’t think Ask Professor Tanya Byron your problem is that you worry too much but that your brain has learnt, through devastating experience, that life can change in an instant. To lose one parent unexpectedly is profoundly destabilising but to lose the other eight months later, and so rapidly after a cancer diagnosis, significantly compounds that loss. As humans we don’t do well with uncertainty and bereavement shatters the assumption that the world is reasonably predictable. With that assumption having been overturned twice in quick succession, it is not surprising that your relationship with uncertainty has changed. When you describe the loss of your parents you say, as many people do, “I just kept going”. You were in your forties, working, raising children, building a home, running a busy life that was not able to pause to give you any space to grieve. For you to be carrying on at that profoundly painful time was an extraordinary act of resilience. However, surviving a loss and integrating it psychologically are not the same thing. You were in shock because your father died in an accident and before you had time to process this, never mind grieve for him, your mother died. Popular culture often talks about delayed grief, as though emotions wait until we have time for them, but the reality is more complicated. The psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s famous five stages — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — are often presented as though they are a predictable sequence that bereaved people should move through before emerging at the other side. In fact she developed this model from her work with people who were dying, describing common emotional responses to terminal illness rather than prescribing a universal pathway for bereavement. Grief is not a task to complete or a series of stages interrogate the thoughts rather than try to dismiss them: ask yourself whether the prediction is coming from what is happening now or from what happened then. That small question will also give you a moment to pause and ground yourself in the present. Over time, as you talk back to yourself and de-catastrophise the worry while experiencing the times when your feared catastrophes don’t occur, your brain will update its predictions. In this way, you’re not trying to convince yourself that bad things never happen (none of us can make that bargain with life) but instead teaching your brain that although they can happen, they are not happening all the time. You might also notice something your worried brain routinely overlooks: the extraordinary number of ordinary days. A hypervigilant brain discounts these yet they are the experiences that slowly recalibrate our expectations of the world. If these fears begin to dominate your life, disrupt your sleep, lead you to seek constant reassurance or make you avoid things you once enjoyed, this could be an anxiety condition and you should speak to your GP. Yet from what you’ve written I suspect this is less about illness than adaptation. Your brain adapted to heartbreaking circumstances and has never caught up with the reality that those circumstances have changed. It might help to engage in some bereavement therapy to let your grief express itself, honouring the past while also enabling it to not contaminate your present. The deepest irony of grief is that the more we have loved, the more we understand that loss is possible. I believe the answer to that is not to love less or to live cautiously in case happiness is snatched away, but to recognise that uncertainty is the price of attachment. We cannot eliminate that uncertainty but we can refuse to let it steal the ordinary precious moments that make life worth living. to work our way through. It is a deeply individual process that ebbs and flows over time, often resurfacing at anniversaries, milestones and also unexpected moments, while gradually becoming woven into the fabric of our lives rather than disappearing. What often persists is not constant sadness but an enduring awareness that life can be heartbreakingly fragile. Alongside grief, your constant catastrophic worry can be explained by neuroscience. Our brains are constantly trying to anticipate what comes next. This usually serves us well but after losing both your parents so swiftly your brain updated its expectations. It learnt that profound loss can arrive twice before you’ve even recovered from the first blow, leaving you highly sensitive to uncertainty. Your constant worry, therefore, might not be an anxiety disorder but simply your brain doing exactly what experience has taught it to do: scanning ahead for the next catastrophe in the hope of protecting you from being caught by surprise. This problem then becomes compounded because a brain that becomes exceptionally good at anticipating danger often becomes correspondingly poor at recognising safety. This is illustrated by you asking whether it is possible for you to learn to enjoy the life you have, which highlights how even joyful occasions can become tinged with apprehension because happiness has become associated with the possibility of unexpectedly losing it. Trying to silence those worry predictions or criticising yourself for having them will not work because they represent a survival instinct developed from a time when your world was completely upended. To separate memory from reality, If you would like Professor Tanya Byron’s help, email proftanyabyron@ thetimes.co.uk T&Cs apply. Visit thetimes.com/withu for full details. Feel fitter with a whole year of WithU Times+ members can enjoy 12 months of complimentary access to the WithU fitness app. Offering personalised, goal-driven fitness plans, quick workouts and expert coaching – helping you build strength, improve fitness and stay mindful wherever you choose to train. It’s designed to help you stay active and balanced, even on busy days. Visit thetimes.com/timesplus
the times | Monday August 3 2026 life I am more than 10,000 miles from home when it begins. It’s 2am, and my right arm goes numb for a moment and then is overcome with an aggressive pulsing. The feeling spreads, consuming the right-hand side of my body — my neck, my torso and my right leg. Later, I will liken the sensation to heart palpitations during a panic attack, just located somewhere else in the body. I am doubled over, confused and afraid in my sister Lucy’s bed. I’m visiting her in Melbourne as part of a three-week trip travelling around Australia — a break from my life as a 32-year-old journalist for women’s magazines. Lucy wakes up when she hears me crying in pain, comforts me and tells me to go back to sleep. She now regrets being so cavalier, but I also dismissed the episode. I put it down to lack of sleep during the trip, too much alcohol, stress. But nine months later, we will discover the truth. Weeks later and back in London, I’m on the Overground on my way to meet friends. We’re celebrating me moving in with my boyfriend. The end of a seven-year era in my girls-only flatshare, the start of a new one building a home with the man I love. The palpitations on the right side of my body start again. I don’t want to frighten the child sitting next to me, so I stand up and stagger around the carriage as best as I can to keep moving until we pull into my stop. Somehow I get home, and by the time I do, the sensation has gone. Episodes like these occur more and more over the next six months. I try not to ignore them, booking appointments with the doctors to discuss the odd sensations I’m feeling. One GP (male) says my episode on the Overground was triggered by doing work emails on the platform before boarding, and I need to “avoid multitasking”. After an episode on my 33rd birthday, I’m rushed from Paddington station, rather humiliatingly, via a station buggy, to A&E (not a celebration method I would recommend). They check my chest via ECG and find nothing wrong. Finally, after yet another episode, I’m seen by two medical students and a female GP at my local practice. Maybe it’s because all the studying is fresh in their minds — or that they’re trying to appear diligent in front of the doctor — but they spend a long time asking me questions. They’re listening to what I’m telling them and they agree it is unusual. We seem to be getting somewhere. The GP diagnoses me with hemiplegic migraines, which she says are nothing to worry about. Easily treated. As a further box-tick exercise, she says she’ll send me for an MRI but doesn’t expect anything to come of it. How glad I am that she did her job properly and ticked all the boxes. I book the MRI appointment for a week’s time, a quick dash in between work assignments. I know something is wrong as soon as I sit up afterwards and the radiographers tell me they’ve seen “something”, but can’t tell me what because they’re not doctors. I try to relay this vague news to my boyfriend over the phone. The panic soon sets in. We wait. Another week, another MRI. In the neurosurgeon’s office I listen to her tell me I have a brain tumour (a meningioma, for those unfortunately well versed) and will need a craniotomy (a serious form of brain surgery) to remove it. This involves a group of surgeons temporarily removing a section of Charley Ross Doctors told me I was fine — a brain scan changed everything For months GPs diagnosed her pain as stress or migraines. Then Charley Ross discovered the awful truth my skull called the bone flap, to access and operate on my brain. The surgery risks are: stroke, loss of speech, loss of the use of the right side of my body and — the big one — death. Plus, they might have to shave my hair. The horror. They tell me that they believe the tumour to be benign, but if it’s left unchecked, it will grow to a size too large for surgical intervention. Could it kill me? The neurologist looks at me and says simply: the more it grows, the less they can do for me. So now I’m one of the 13,000 people diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in the UK each year. My boyfriend phones my parents to tell them because I find I cannot speak. Later that day, I accept the first surgery slot they can give me, which is six and a half weeks away. I remember flashes of the morning of my surgery. A 4.30am wake-up call, feeling jealous of my partner drinking a coffee because I’m nil by mouth. Surpassing the most fear I’ve ever felt while entering prep for surgery, alone. Joking with the anaesthetists about the fact that I interview celebrities for a living (they didn’t believe me, but it’s true). I’m also told that no lengthy countdown is needed, and only started happening because TV shows such as On my 33rd birthday I’m rushed to A&E in a railway station buggy Grey’s Anatomy did it. It was three, two, one, nothing. I wake up with my full mane of curly hair. The surgeons hadn’t been sure they could remove the entire tumour, but it is all gone. Although the head surgeon has until now been remarkably emotionally removed, I can sense the joy in her voice. “We took our time,” another surgeon tells me. I think more than six hours must have passed, much to the distress of my poor parents and partner who traipsed around east London in the rain waiting for that call. One of the first things I ask for is a coffee, and later an affogato (a bougie but doable request for hospital staff: coffee with a few scoops of ice cream). I’m in a taxi home two days later. That was six months ago. I wish I could tell you that what has followed has been miraculous and easy. Recovery has been slow, frustrating, humbling, an education. The fatigue remains the most overwhelming symptom — energy drains out of me without warning. I’ve had days where getting out of bed is a struggle. Days where I feel acutely that I will never be quite the same again. I think about the doctors who dismissed my complaints and symptoms. I wonder often if the GP and medical students who booked my MRI know that they may have saved my life with their care. I can’t help but feel frustrated, angry and frightened that I had to fight so hard to be taken seriously. Plenty of women say they’ve experienced some kind of medical misogyny — 93 per cent say they feel dismissed when seeking medical help, according to one recent study. While I’m proud of advocating for myself, I feel beyond concerned at the extent that I had to — and grateful for my parents’ and boyfriend’s help encouraging me to follow up again with doctors. Life now consists of significant firsts. Things I will try (and likely fail) to never take for granted again. My first post-op outing as a wedding guest, where we left the reception at 9pm with takeaway pizza so I could have an early night. My first forays back into work, my first day back in the office with my colleagues. The arrival of mine and my partner’s first pet together: a dachshund-poodle cross named Sally who has swiftly and proudly taken over my role as the most high-maintenance female in the household. As for any significant “lasts”, I hope to never hear the phrase “bone flap” in a medical appointment ever again. VICKI COUCHMAN FOR THE TIMES My boyfriend calls my parents to tell them — I cannot speak
Monday August 3 2026 | the times first night Aurora/Collon Royal Albert Hall, London {{{{{ proms B y now the Aurora formula is famous. In the first half of a concert this fearless British orchestra presents a dramatised introduction to some (usually epic) masterpiece. Then in the second half it plays the work flawlessly from memory, guided by its founder/conductor, the unflappable Nicholas Collon. But just because a formula is familiar doesn’t mean it’s less effective. Here the piece being deconstructed then reconstructed was Mahler’s First Symphony, and the result was a gripping and superbly organised Prom. Of course Mahler connoisseurs will probably already have known about the personal tragedies that lay behind this symphony, and the reasons why the composer infused it with such disparate sounds as army bugle calls, birdsong, children’s ditties and cheap dance band music (although, to judge from the gasps around me, it came as news to many that eight of Mahler’s thirteen siblings died in childhood). But it was the seamless way in which Mahler’s own words were weaved around deftly chosen musical examples that was so impressive about this presentation. Devised by Jane Mitchell and staged by James Bonas, the dramatic format involved Mahler, ebulliently portrayed by Jack Bardoe, ranting to Sarah Twomey’s Sigmund Freud about being unappreciated by dense critics and uncomprehending audiences. Meanwhile Collon and the orchestra interjected telling nuggets of musical analysis, and the fine soprano Natalie Lewis sang extracts from Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, the song cycle that Mahler reworked in the symphony. All of which ensured that when the full performance happened the audience wasn’t just overawed by the orchestra’s feat of memorising an hour of complex music but also, I think, listening more closely to the unfolding of the symphony. It was a fine performance too, perhaps a little cautious and restrained in the long first movement but imbued with much more confidence and character after that. Not least of its astonishing aspects was the players’ stamina. They stood throughout the two-hour show, then stood through it again at the repeat performance the next morning. Richard Morrison Available on BBC Sounds T he 50,000-strong horde to see Nick Cave in Preston Park in Brighton, many in unseasonal black, reminded you how strange it is that a saturnine Australian singing about death became so huge. It shouldn’t be strange, really, given how much death shapes life, Cave’s as much as anyone’s. After 20 years in Brighton, he and his wife, the fashion designer Susie Bick, now live in London because the south coast “had just become too sad” after their son Arthur fell to his death in 2015 from a cliff in nearby Ovingdean. This, then, was a homecoming and an emotional one. Cave, 68, often seemed close to tears. So he did what any sensible person would do and sent for Kylie Minogue (pictured with Cave). There were gasps when he announced his fellow Melbournian, who joined him for a gorgeous rendition of Where the Wild Roses Grow, their murder ballad from 1995. She sang with a dark shimmer and they looked delighted to see each other, Minogue expressing “unwavering love” for Cave. The intimations of mortality had been kicked off by the Flaming Lips, who were second on the bill of this one-dayer following Warmduscher, Cate Le Bon and English Teacher. Wayne Coyne, the Lips’ frontman, talked about his brother’s recent death. The Oklahoma psychedelic rockers played their anthem Do You Realize? with its climactic line “Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?” It was sad and glorious, as was Cave’s show, which he began by roaring, “F***ing Brighton!” A couple of songs including Joy felt more indulgent than stirring, but once he and the Bad Seeds got a gallop on they were fearsome. Warren Ellis, Cave’s brother-in-music, looked more like Rasputin than ever as he bent devilishly over his fiddle. The last hour was formidable. Cave drawled and growled his way through the subterranean blues of Red Right Hand, the trembling 14- minute Hollywood and Wide Lovely Eyes, a tribute to Bick (“It’s about her, it’s about Brighton”) that was the closest they got to jaunty. They ended, of course, with an audience singalong to Into My Arms, certainly the most romantic song to feature the word “interventionist”. Ed Potton Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Preston Park, Brighton {{{{( pop NICKY J SIMS/GETTY IMAGES H eavy-duty hedonism was already much in evidence long before the Streets began this lively show. The mood inside Cardiff Castle was boozy, druggy and slightly lairy. Like his core fanbase, Mike Skinner may be nearing 50, but he’s still keen to keep the party swinging. The heart of this concert was a full performance of Skinner’s 2004 album, A Grand Don’t Come for Free, a spoken-word, social realist garage-pop opera involving a mysteriously missing thousand pounds and a stormy, short- lived romance. Its four hit singles have long been fixtures of Streets shows, but this tour marks the first time it has been played in full, in sequence, with a semi-staged production built around the suburban bus stop pictured on the album cover. While the stylised stage set was certainly impressive, the visual presentation felt undercooked. More theatrical touches might have added much-needed drama to Skinner’s monotonous, boorish delivery of sharply observed social vignettes such as Could Well Be In and the soaring Blinded by the Lights. The singer’s hybrid Cockney-Brummie vocal style has always been deadpan, but here he appeared bored and grumpy. A well-drilled band and strong backing vocalists, particularly the session singer Roo Savill, helped to elevate Skinner’s sloppy moments. Shouty, comic crowd-pleasers such as Fit but You Know It and Such a Twat were reminders that the Streets essentially invented Sleaford Mods a decade early. The uplifting heartbreak ballad Dry Your Eyes also retained much of its emotional potency. Skinner perked up during the show’s second act, a more conventional set of Streets classics including the reggae-infused gem Let’s Push Things Forward and the tender gospel-pop memorial to his late father, Never Went to Church. His crowd-surfing finale was also commendable for a man of 47, even if his repeated use of laboured sexual innuendo came across like a drunken pub bore. Skinner is a unique talent, but the cheeky-chappy, everyman-geezer qualities that made him a kind of Britpop Danny Dyer in his twenties are much less charming in middle age. Stephen Dalton Touring to Aug 28 The Streets Cardiff Castle {{{(( pop The Car Man Sadler’s Wells, London (120min) {{{{( dance Will Bozier as Luca and Ashley Shaw as Lana in the revival of Matthew Bourne’s sultry production It’s a killer thriller night Lust, murder and revenge take centre stage in this compelling dance noir, says Debra Craine R ed-hot desire, cold-blooded murder, betrayal and revenge. Where would film noir be without them? And here they are in overdrive in Matthew Bourne’s dance noir, The Car Man. He calls his 2000 production a reigniting of Bizet’s opera Carmen, but the lurid plot is equally inspired by the 1940s Hollywood noir classic The Postman Always Rings Twice. That’s evident from the moment the curtain rises on the town of Harmony, a tiny Italian-American community on a lonely road to nowhere in the American Midwest. The owner’s wife is called Lana, in tribute to Lana Turner, who starred in the 1946 film. When a drifter called Luca wanders into town, their instant mutual desire sets off a deadly chain of events that results in the murder of Lana’s brutish husband, Dino, one sultry night. Lez Brotherston’s 1950s-inspired designs cleverly evoke the story’s central location, Harmony’s garage/ diner (the vintage cars are fabulous fun), although the set is adaptable enough to take us to nightclub and jailhouse in the blink of an eye. Terry Davies’s pumped score, played by the New Adventures Orchestra jauntily conducted by Benjamin Pope, effectively orchestrates the opera’s iconic melodies (the source is Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite), which here sound custom built for dance. Bourne’s witty, raunchy, explosive choreography — lots of roughhousing mechanics and their free-spirited girlfriends — has the flavour of West Side Story and the dramatic tension of pure theatre. At two hours, the show isn’t too long, though we could do without the cabaret act that opens the second half. Performances were outstanding in both revival casts I saw. As the virile stranger Luca (who, as it turns out, swings both ways) Harrison Dowzell dominated the first night with his charismatic physical presence. As Lana, our Carmen figure, Cordelia Braithwaite was equal parts seductive and scared, while Danny Reubens’s Dino lurked menacingly. The second cast was led no less powerfully by Ashley Shaw’s dynamic Lana and Will Bozier’s provocative, compelling Luca. In key supporting roles, Leonardo McCorkindale in the first cast gave a poignant performance as Angelo, the poor hired help who is framed for the crime, as did Kurumi Kamayachi as his sweet beloved Rita. The next night Harry Ondrak-Wright and Anna Maria de Freitas were equally touching in the same roles, proving yet again that the 17 dancers of Bourne’s New Adventures troupe have the acting chops as well as the dancing ones to make this one killer thriller. To Aug 29, then touring
the times | Monday August 3 2026 arts KI PRICE FOR THE TIMES; CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU; JOHN SNELLING/GETTY IMAGES finest opera ever written, then the title role in The Excursions of Mr Broucek. And we are also doing Janacek’s first opera, Sarka, in the original version, which only exists with piano accompaniment. Julius Drake is playing that.” A real rarity? “Yes, and an incredible piece, about a wild tribe of female warriors,” he agrees. “Which I admit does sound like the sort of thing people look up late at night on the internet.” Before that he is doing another rarity, much nearer home. At the Edinburgh International Festival he’s the soloist in The Song of Hiawatha, a sprawling late Victorian choral setting of a Longfellow poem by the English composer Samuel Coleridge- Taylor. In the 1920s and 1930s it was so popular that it was staged every year at the Royal Albert Hall. Then it fell into neglect until the recent reappraisal of pioneering black composers. “It’s a curiosity but overflowing with tunes and good music,” Spence says. “And also, incidentally, it has more high notes for the tenor than a Puccini opera.” At 42, Spence is probably entering his prime years. “And I think I look younger than I am,” he says. “Mind you, as my mother says, there are no wrinkles on a balloon.” So are there still Everests to climb? Those epic Wagner tenor roles? “I seem to turn down Tristan and Siegfried every year,” he says. “People get the idea that because of my enthusiastic nature I should be singing them but I’m not really into things that make you feel that you are trying to complete a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. So that’s not on the menu, certainly not for another ten years. I would love to have a go at Captain Vere [Billy Budd] and Aschenbach [Death in Venice], those anguished Britten roles where you probe the whole meaning of life.” But although his diary is full of engagements in the world’s great opera houses, Spence says he is never happier than when in that old manse in Renfrewshire. “Partly that’s because I just want to be there for every moment of my beautiful son’s life,” he says. “And the business I’m in is definitely not family-friendly. Because of all the health and safety stuff it’s easier these days to take a class A drug than a child into an opera house. But partly it’s because I’m a double Cancerian Pisces — so basically I’m a pool of sensitive water who shouldn’t leave home.” And with that baffling self-diagnosis he’s off to fold more duvets. Nicky Spence sings in Oberon (Thu) and the Last Night of the Proms (Sep 12) at the Royal Albert Hall, London; and The Song of Hiawatha at Usher Hall, Edinburgh (Aug 19) them,” Spence says. “But it’s not brilliant for the singers. You put in all the work you would do for a run of fully staged performances but only get paid once! And it breaks my heart to see how the UK opera scene has become so minimised. The lack of ambition, and music education, is devastating.” One thing that hasn’t been minimised is Spence’s own career. He has had his setbacks. He wisely extracted himself from a ridiculously premature recording contract with Decca, awarded when he was 21, because he realised it was boxing him into the crossover repertoire. Instead he went back to college and studied serious roles. But just as his international career was taking off he was hit by a double whammy: the hiatus caused by Covid (which affected everyone, of course), then a horrible accident (he fell down some stairs at an airport) that broke both his legs. ‘UK opera has been so minimised’ Nicky Spence will sing at the Last Night of the Proms but he despairs about the lack of ambition for classical music in Britain, he tells Richard Morrison T his summer Nicky Spence will muster his finest patriotic demeanour and hurl out Rule, Britannia! for a TV audience of millions at the Last Night of the Proms. A suitably grand stage, you may think — the packed Royal Albert Hall — for one of Britain’s most popular tenors. But when I spoke to him last week his concerns were more down to earth. “Right now I feel like I’m running a Travelodge,” he says. “I’ve been changing duvet covers like it’s an Olympic sport.” Perhaps an exaggeration but not by much. Spence, his husband (and sometimes piano partner), Dylan Perez, and their two-year-old son moved last year from Deptford in south London to an old manse in rural Renfrewshire, since when they have become popular hosts for a stream of friends who have, as Spence puts it, “decided to discover this place called Scotland”. For Spence himself it’s almost a homecoming. He was born and raised in Dumfries, a few miles south. It wasn’t the happiest childhood. His father had disappeared by the time Spence was eight, and he and his mother were of “no fixed abode” for a while. Salvation — and, at 17, a place at the Guildhall School in London — came through the remarkable quality of his teenage voice, recognised by a visiting singing teacher. Despite those mixed childhood memories he is determined his own son should have a Scottish upbringing. “Why do you think we’ve moved to Renfrewshire?” he asks. “We want him to go to a nice village school where they encourage country dancing, the reciting of Robert Burns — and probably watching Trainspotting as well.” So how does this proud Scot feel about singing Rule, Britannia!, a triumphant anthem to 18th-century British naval power that some regard as irredeemably colonial? “Oh, I have no problem identifying as British,” he says. Will he be going for the full kilt, sporran and ghillie brogues look? “That would be telling,” he says. “Let’s just say people may see a bit of leg.” It turns out that the BBC has also issued an embargo on what other numbers Spence will be singing. “We’ve been brewing ideas for months,” he says. “I can only say it will be a nice representation of the normal arias people expect me to sing and then some more left-field items.” What we do know he’s performing at the Proms — because it’s happening this week — is the title role in Carl Maria von Weber’s rarely performed opera Oberon, premiered in London in 1826 a few weeks before the composer died. “Yes, at last I get to fulfil the nickname I had at school,” he quips. “King of the fairies.” The opera has a reputation for lovely music and a terrible libretto (based on a German poem, not Shakespeare). “I think it helps that we are doing it with a narration [to be spoken by the actress Tamsin Greig],” Spence says. “And we are semi-staging it, as at the Proms last year with Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth. I think it will be a fantastic evening.” With opera companies going through tough times, these semi- staged concerts of operas are taking off, aren’t they? “And people are being inventive about how they do “I was actually on my way to make my debut at the Berlin Staatsoper,” he says. “The last thing I said as I went into surgery was: ‘Tell them I can do it in a wheelchair.’ But by the time I had woken up they had replaced me.” A tough life lesson? “Indeed. I thought, why do we give every ounce of our souls to this business when we are so disposable?” It’s fair to say he’s not disposable now. “No, I’ve got so much music going in and out of my brain, I sometimes feel like an NCP car park,” he says. From Peter Grimes to Siegmund, he has become the go-to singer for all those anguished tenor roles, with a special penchant for the flawed antiheroes in Janacek’s operas. “All Janacek’s characters are either good people doing bad things or bad people doing good things,” he says. “And this autumn I’m doing an amazing trilogy of them at the Janacek Festival in Brno. I’m playing Laca in Jenufa, probably the Nicky Spence and Sally Matthews in Peter Grimes last year Nicky Spence in Dido and Aeneas at the Proms in 2022
Monday August 3 2026 | the times times2 Your weekday brain boost More puzzles Pages 14-16 TRAIN TRACKS CODEWORD FUTOSHIKI SUDOKU Thursday’s solutions SAMURAI KILLER SAKURO Solutions in tomorrow’s Times2 Mini Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x2 box contains the digits 1 to 6 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. 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 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. Every day, Monday to Thursday, a page of extra puzzles to give your brain an extended workout Samurai easy Sudoku super fiendish 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. Killer deadly 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. Play Mini Sudoku every day Monday-Sunday online at thetimes.com and on Live app MINI SUDOKU
the times | Monday August 3 2026 television & radio 5.00am Tom Nunan 6.00 Kate McCann and Stig Abell 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Sebastian Payne 2.00 Jane Garvey and Fi Glover 4.00 John Pienaar with Drive 7.00 Kait Borsay 10.00 Carole Walker 1.00am The Best of Times Radio Radio 2 FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am Sara Cox 9.30 Choice Vernon Kay. Phil Collins reveals his Tracks of My Years 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dommett 7.00 Jo Whiley 9.00 The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews 10.00 The Good Groove with Melvin Odoom 12.00 Connor Phillips 3.00am Dance Sounds of the 90s (r) 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans Radio 3 FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live BBC SO in Sibelius’s Symphony No 2 and Britten’s Cello Symphony from the Proms. BBC Proms — Sibelius (Symphony No 2 in D). International Sacred Music Festival, Fribourg — Bach (Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106, cantata). Ryedale Festival — Dvořák (Piano Quintet No 2, Op 81). International Sacred Music Festival, Fribourg — Vivaldi (Concerto for Strings in D minor, RV 127); and BBC Proms — Britten (Cello Symphony) 4.00 Composer of the Week: Mozart (1756-1791) Kate Molleson tells Mozart’s story through five relationships that shaped him, beginning with the one he had with his father Leopold 10.00 Jim White and Simon Jordan 1.00pm Hawksbee and Jacobs 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 Kick Off 10.00 The Sports Bar 1.00am Extra Time with Paul Ross Talk Digital only 6.00am Jeremy Kyle 10.00 Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm Ian Collins 4.00 Kevin O’Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 10.00 Petrie Hosken 1.00am Paul Ross 6 Music Digital only 5.00am Emily Pilbeam 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Steve Lamacq’s Teatime Session 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 Artist in Residence: Ezra Collective 12.00 Oasis at the BBC 1.00am Oasis Live at Knebworth 2.00 Oasis: What’s the Story? 4.00 The Oasis Playlist Virgin Radio Digital only 6.30am Steve Denyer on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Moneybox 10.00 Emma B 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Jen Thomas 2.00am Stu Elmore Classic FM FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Breakfast with Dan Walker 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour with Dan Walker 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evenings with Zeb Soanes (r) 9.00 Classic FM’s Composer Carousel With Zeb Soanes 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 Early Breakfast 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Alone By Moray Hunter (4/6) (r) 2.45 NatureBang Discussing if giving rights to rivers and forests changes how people think about the world (2/5) 3.00 A Good Read With education activist Vee Kativhu and actor Susie Riddell (9/9) 3.30 You’re Dead to Me Underwear in the West (6/13) (r) 4.00 Britain’s Robot Army Exploring how modern technology shapes modern warfare (r) 4.30 The Kitchen Cabinet Jay Rayner presents the culinary panel show (5/6) (r) 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O’Clock News 6.30 Just a Minute With panellists Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Catherine Bohart and Paterson Joseph (3/6) 7.00 The Archers Neil finds himself run ragged 7.15 Front Row 8.00 The Briefing Room Government policy on legal migration, overseas workers and leave to remain (5) (r) 8.30 BBC Inside Science The true limitations of alien life (r) 9.00 Across the Red Line Falling birth rates (2/3) (r) 9.30 How Did We Get Here?: No World Order (2/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of Wakefield By Oliver Goldsmith (1/10) 11.00 Intimacy Liza builds trust with the cast, but tensions with Gary deepen (2/4) 11.30 Hollywood and the Adland Five The impact of five British directors on movie history (1/4) (r) 12.00 News and Weather 5.00 In Tune With music by Alexandra Dariescu 7.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 Tom Service presents live from the Royal Albert Hall as Thomas Søndergård conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, with pianist Kirill Gerstein. Knussen (Flourish with Fireworks); Rachmaninov (Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini); and Shostakovich (Symphony No 11 in G minor, The Year 1905) 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 ’Round Midnight 12.30am Through the Night (r) Radio 4 FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 Last Word (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Across the Red Line Anne McElvoy chairs a discussion on falling birth rates (2/3) 9.30 How Did We Get Here?: No World Order Tristan Redman examines how China reshaped its relationship with the international system (2/6) 10.00 Woman’s Hour Kylie Pentelow presents 11.00 Behind the Crime The story of a man who spent years in an Ecuadorian prison for drug trafficking (1/3) 11.45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away The comedian explores issues surrounding inheritance (1/5) (r) 12.04pm You and Yours 1.00 The World at One 1.45 The Bare Necessities Dan Richards meets the people gathering life skills to survive in troubled times (1/5) 12.30am Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (1/5) (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service Radio 4 Extra Digital only 8.00am Dr Phil’s Bedside Manner 8.30 Following Pappano 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Just a Minute 9.30 Behind the Taverna 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Screenshot 10.45 Witness History 11.00 Raffles 11.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 12.00 Control Group Six 12.30pm Dad’s Army 1.00 Dr Phil’s Bedside Manner 1.30 Following Pappano 1.45 Small Island 2.00 Wordaholics 2.30 A Whole ’Nother Story 3.00 When Marnie Was There 4.00 Screenshot 4.45 Witness History 5.00 Raffles 5.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 6.00 Control Group Six 6.30 Dad’s Army 7.00 Dr Phil’s Bedside Manner 7.30 Following Pappano 7.45 Small Island 8.00 Wordaholics 8.30 A Whole ’Nother Story 9.00 When Marnie Was There 10.00 Comedy Club: Just a Minute 10.30 Listen Against 10.55 The Comedy Club Interview 11.00 Current-ish 11.30 The In Crowd Radio 5 Live MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Marianna Spring 2.00pm Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 The Monday Night Club 9.00 Live Cricket 10.00 Sarah Mulkerrins 1.00am Dotun Adebayo talkSPORT MW: 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 Breakfast with Jeff Stelling Times Radio Digital, web, smart speaker, app Vernon Kay Radio 2, 9.30am As his health improves, the re-emergence of Phil Collins, above, into public life continues. He joins Vernon Kay for a special edition of Tracks of My Years, choosing ten songs that have provided a soundtrack to his life, including tunes by the Who, Stevie Wonder, the Travelling Wilburys and Taylor Swift. Collins also discusses his childhood as a teenage drummer before joining Genesis in 1970 and his solo career, and reveals how he made his hit In the Air Tonight. Meanwhile, Rock and Roll Confessions is a new podcast from the former Clash drummer Terry Chimes, with guests including Gaye Advert and Marco Pirroni. Clair Woodward Radio choice V an der Valk is back on ITV1 after three years and the interval hasn’t done anything to improve Piet’s scowl. If you think he looks frowny around the baddies of Amsterdam, that’s nothing compared with the filthy looks he gives his ex- girlfriend. The loathing between them was so electric I thought they were going to have a hate shag right there on the office carpet. Mind you, I don’t blame him for his hostility. His beloved rescue dog, Mandy, never liked Kalie (Kim Riedle) and dogs tend to be very good judges of character. It turned out that Kalie, also a police officer, was with the dog when she died from an illness and Piet is sad because the last person Mandy saw was someone she didn’t trust. He told all this to his present girlfriend, Lena, though if I was Lena I’d have big trust issues too and be keeping a watchful eye on this simmering sexual love-hate tension. Marc Warren, who continues to look like a cross between Malcolm McDowell and Sting, also continues to be the best thing about Van der Valk, though that’s not saying much because it is heavy on ropey dialogue and wooden acting. I exclude Hendrik the pathologist (Darrell D’Silva) from that. He is a great character, a hard-drinking eccentric with a good line in sarcasm, but also, it seems, a worrying illness. It is one of the clichés of TV drama that a character only needs to cough twice and they are usually dying. Hendrick coughed a lot. He was reduced to secretly sending his own blood off to the lab in a phial marked “unknown male”. I do hope it’s nothing serious. Van der Valk badly needs him. The plot was pretty charmless and so-what, comprising many unpleasant people, safe houses, money laundering, protected witnesses, exploding cars and a murder at the beginning which deployed one of the hoariest TV drama clichés in the book. When the witness who was due to testify against the powerful crime kingpin Bibi Franken (Anastasia Hille) was strangled by an assassin in the bathroom, we saw water circling the plughole, running empty at the exact moment the victim died. Cringe! But Warren does suit this role, despite barking tetchily at everyone except the boss’s dog and wearing an expression that suggests he is permanently, painfully constipated. His is a pure resting grouch face but, like all TV detectives, he refused to go to hospital even when he was nearly killed by a car bomb. I don’t know why he is so grumpy when he always seems to have women falling over him. The best dialogue came when he and Kalie had it out in a glass office because he suspects she might have compromised the safe house on purpose and is on the baddies’ side. He had told his department access her file. “If you want another date, just ask me,” she said. When Piet indicated that it was the very last thing he wanted, she said: “Not how I remember it, Baby-face.” Eww. “I’ve seen your temper. Not to mention your complete lack of empathy,” Piet told her. Hello pot, meet kettle. Anyway it’s clear there is unfinished business between them and I agree with Hendrik: “Get a room.” Seriously. A hotel room would be so much less depressing than his houseboat. Scowling detective drama still criminally clichéd ITV Carol Midgley TV review Van der Valk ITV1 {{{(( Marc Warren (and his resting grouch face) as Piet van der Valk
Monday August 3 2026 | the times television and Davina McCall’s show tonight — as she was left in a phone box in Leicester in 1983 and found by someone making a call. Ariel Bruce’s research team identify the birth mother, as they do in a story centred on David, who was left in a London apartment block in 1960. A quest that also takes in Paris homes in on the Netherlands and a now- dead woman called Petra — an apt outcome, as Long Lost Family’s own birth parent was a now axed Dutch show, Spoorloos (without trace). John Dugdale PICKS OF THE DAY Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace ITV1, 9pm This series, spun off from Long Lost Family, seeks to connect foundlings with members of their birth family. Ideally that is the mothers who abandoned them, albeit usually in places where they expected the babies to be found. That was the case with Sarah — whose story is one of two told in Nicky Campbell flipping siblings Scarlette and Stuart Douglas remain at liberty for long? Helen Stewart Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith Channel 4, 4pm When Penelope Keith died, aged 86, at the end of June, the BBC had her 1970s sitcom hits, The Good Life and To the Manor Born, available to rerun. Channel 4, by contrast, is able to repeat this series from January, having earlier Celebrity Hunted Channel 4, 9pm Famous and not so famous faces race for Stand Up to Cancer from the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich with the hunters in hot pursuit. Will Brian Conley and his daughter Lucy, the Strictly dancers Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu, the presenters Sophie Morgan and JJ Chalmers, the comedians Jen Brister and Laura Smyth, the Love Islanders Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran and the property- Davina McCall with Sarah, Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 Channel 4 6.00am Breakfast 9.30 Animal Park (r) (AD) 10.15 Trace, Track, Get My Car Back (r) 10.45 Expert Witness (r) 11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (r) 12.15pm Bargain Hunt. From Newark 1.00 BBC News at One; Weather 1.35 BBC Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC News at One; Weather 2.00 Money for Nothing. JJ Chalmers tries to double the charm of two rattan chairs 2.45 Escape to the Country. A couple relocate to Somerset or Devon (r) 3.45 The Bidding Room. Train buffs keep track of their great-uncle’s treasure, and a man in livery weighs up the bids 4.30 The Answer Run. New series. Jason Manford hosts the quiz in which couples face a series of 50/50 questions which hurtle down the Answer Run towards them 5.15 Pointless. Quiz show (r) 6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather 6.30am Bargain Hunt (r) 7.15 Money for Nothing (r) 8.00 Sign Zone: The Repair Shop. A football from the Scottish Cup final replay (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC News 1.00pm Richard Osman’s House of Games. With Sean Fletcher and Louise Minchin (r) 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz hosted by Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene (r) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? Quiz (r) 2.45 The Hairy Bikers’ Bakeation. Si King and Dave Myers go baking in Italy (r) (AD) 3.45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown. Visiting Staffordshire County Show (r) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow. From the Mansion House in London (r) 5.15 Flog It! The team visits Manchester (r) 6.00 Richard Osman’s House of Games. Gethin Jones, Tiff Stevenson, Kate Thornton and Gary Wilmot take part (r) 6.30 Richard Osman’s House of Games. With Gethin Jones, Tiff Stevenson, Kate Thornton and Gary Wilmot (r) 6.00am Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning. A mix of celebrity chat, lifestyle features, advice and competitions 1.30pm ITV News; Weather 2.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal. David Dickinson and his dealers land at Aerospace Bristol and they set up the den beneath the wings of Concorde (r) (AD) 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts the game show as a contestant tries to open the 22 red boxes in the right order, taking on the infamous Banker for the chance to win a cash prize (r) (AD) 4.00 Tipping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r) 5.00 The Chase. Bradley Walsh hosts as contestants from Wigan, Ross-on-Wye, Liverpool and Stevenage work together as a team to take down one of the Chasers (r) 6.00 Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather 6.30am The King of Queens (r) (AD) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD) 9.10 Frasier (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 visit Oxford, where they discover a servant’s call bell (r) (AD) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway. A majestic detached house in Greater Manchester (r) 2.10 Countdown. With Ade Adepitan 3.00 A Place in the Sun. Ben Hillman helps a pair from Leicester find a holiday home in Lucca, Italy for their budget of £90,000 (r) 4.00 Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. The work that goes into maintaining stately homes. See picks of the day (r) (AD) 5.00 Château DIY. At Château du Puits Es Pratx, a 180-year-old wine barrel is converted into a quirky dining space (r) (AD) 6.00 American Pickers. An incredible North Carolina collection of weird and wonderful circus and sideshow memorabilia (r) (AD) 6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: A Reservation for Death (PG, TVM, 2021) A travel writer witnesses a murder in Malta and becomes ensnared in a web of intrigue and espionage. Mystery with Nathalie Kelley and Colin Donnell 4.00 Castle. Beckett attends the scene of the murder of a pre-school admissions director, and is shocked when Castle turns up brandishing his new credentials as a licensed private investigator (r) 4.55 Love Nature. Cameras focus on a flock of red kites, and their nightly routine (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Majorca: A Year in the Sun. Exploring Majorca’s culture, from the Fisherman’s Fiesta in Port d’Andratx to the creation of a mural in Petra honouring local women (r) 6.55 5 News Update 7.00 Global Eye Nawal al Maghafi speaks to Iranians about the war 7.30 Mastermind Specialist subjects include British birds of prey, Roger Moore’s James Bond, King Charles I and Sylvia Plath 8.00 Only Connect Victoria Coren Mitchell presents the quiz show 8.30 University Challenge Guildhall School of Music and Drama take on Darwin College, Cambridge 9.00 Evolution Chris Packham dives into one of the biggest questions in nature, considering how intelligence itself evolved and how it arose in the extraordinary mind of the dolphin. Inside each one lies the result of a journey, from light-sensing cells to conscious thought (4/5) (AD) 10.00 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Bob and Paul head to the Norfolk Broads (4/6) (r) (AD) 10.30 Newsnight With Victoria Derbyshire 11.05 FILM: Sing Sing (15, 2023) A man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit finds new purpose in staging an original play. Prison drama starring Colman Domingo and Sean San Jose. See film choice 12.45am Sign Zone: Countryfile The final stop on Anita Rani’s east coast road trip is Orford Ness on the Suffolk coast (r) (SL) 1.40-2.25 Bergerac. A threatening letter corroborates Bergerac’s hunch that they have the wrong people in custody. Drama starring Damien Molony (r) (AD, SL) 7.30 Fletchers’ Family Farm A pregnant cow gives birth, but the process is not straightforward (8/10) (r) (AD) 8.00 Emmerdale Cain has an important conversation with Kyle, and news regarding Monty is not good (AD) 8.30 Coronation Street Cassie says an emotional farewell to her family (AD) 9.00 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace New series. Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell investigate the cases of foundlings from 1983 and 1960. See picks of the day (AD) 10.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed by Regional News 10.45 Cold Case Forensics: The Death of God’s Banker A look at the death of Italian banker Roberto Calvi, whose body was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge with the investigation leading to a murky world of finances (1/3) (r) (AD) 11.45 Love & Death Allan grows concerned when his repeated calls to Betty go unanswered (4/7) (r) (AD) 12.45am Shop on TV 3.00 The Staircase. In the months preceding Kathleen’s death, Michael leads a double life, as the Petersons struggle financially (r) (AD, SL) 4.05 Unwind with ITV 5.05-6.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal. David Dickinson and his dealers land at Aerospace Bristol (r) (AD, SL) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 Dover 24/7: Britain’s Busiest Port Border Force officers are on the hunt for illegal meat being smuggled into Britain, police officers are on a stake-out, and the engineers face their biggest job of the year (AD) 9.00 Celebrity Hunted New series. With Brian and Lucy Conley, Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, JJ Chalmers, Sophie Morgan, Jen Brister, Laura Smyth, Chris Taylor, Toby Aromolaran, and Scarlette and Stuart Douglas. See picks of the day (AD) 10.00 Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives The family host bonfire night for the estate in memory of their dad Sid. Trewley gets an unexpected lesson in tough love from her mum (AD) 11.05 Surgery Secrets of the Super Rich A businesswoman marks her 60th birthday with an endoscopic facelift. A fitness guru has electromagnetic body sculpting and a model undergoes a laser procedure to tighten her jawline (3/6) (r) (AD) 12.05am Secrets of the Celebrity Sex Tapes A hacking scandal changes the way society thinks of consent (AD) 12.55 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. In Arizona (r) (SL) 1.45 Don’t Date Brandon (r) (AD, SL) 4.30 Hollyoaks Omnibus (r) (AD, SL) 5.40 Sunday Brunch (r) 5.50-6.30 Countdown (r) 7.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders Officers pull over the driver of a suspected cloned car and he claims he has just swapped the registrations between his two vehicles because one does not have insurance (4/10) (r) 7.55 5 News Update 8.00 Street Cops: Catching the Yobs Police pursue a suspected stolen SUV being driven recklessly through the suburbs of Corby, and two Northampton PCs are called to deal with a loud aggressive drunk 9.00 Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law New series. Behind the scenes with revenue protection teams at some of the UK’s biggest rail, bus and tram operators. A Transport for London investigator pursues a suspected fare evader owing the network almost £2,000 in unpaid fares 10.00 Police Interceptors: Taking Down the Shoplifting Gangs Officers tackle thieves terrorising supermarkets and shops with armed units scrambled to hunt for a violent shoplifter who stabbed a security guard (r) 11.05 Traffic Cops Officers clamp down on repeat offenders in North Yorkshire, arresting a woman in Selby with a history of drink-driving who claims a relative was at the wheel after she smashed into two parked cars on her way back from a drinking session (r) 12.05am Car Pound Cops A quad-bike rider in Surrey (r) 1.00 Cruise TV with LoveitBookit (r) 2.00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 2.50 Castle (r) 3.40 Friends (r) 4.35 The Highland Vet (r) (SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5 5.35 Milo (r) (SL) 5.45-6.00 The Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL) 7.00 The One Show Presented by Alex Jones and Roman Kemp 7.30 EastEnders Peter’s suspicions about Lauren grow, Barney confesses, and a revelation leaves Ross furious and determined to go to the police (AD) 8.00 Britain’s Strictest Schools — Panorama Current affairs report 8.30 Scam Interceptors A man is trapped into believing he will be arrested if he does not transfer money (r) 9.00 The Rapture Gabs finally meets Anika Drake. New nurse Siobhan raises suspicions at Oxsmith. When Bethany is found injured, Gabs and Rafiq plan her escape. Max pushes Caroline to back Rostyre (4/5) (AD) 10.00 BBC News at Ten 10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.45 FILM: The Mist (15, 2007) A small town is cloaked in a deep mysterious cloud of mist, and anyone who ventures into its depths is attacked by vicious monsters. A group of survivors seeks shelter in a supermarket, but internal conflicts soon drive them apart as two factions form with very different ideas of how to survive the crisis. Sci-fi horror based on a Stephen King novella with Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden and Toby Jones (AD) 12.45am-6.00 BBC News
the times | Monday August 3 2026 television Kwedar’s powerful drama about a theatre group at New York’s high- security prison, which once forbade its inmates even to speak. Domingo plays John “Divine G” Whitfield, a founding member of the group who is a published writer on the outside, incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. The film casts many real- life inmates alongside the actors to forge authenticity. If you find it hard to tell who are the violent offenders and who are the actors, the film is working its magic. (106min) Kevin Maher sustained riffs on space pirates, lab- grown meat and the nightmare of American healthcare plus the grand return of the great Lord Nibbler and an episode dedicated to, erm, the cancellation of Futurama. Andrew Male PICKS OF THE DAY Sing Sing (15, 2024) BBC2, 11.05pm Colman Domingo was Oscar- nominated for his part in Greg STREAMING CHOICE Futurama Disney+ Thanks to the inclusion of such visually playful episodes as The Numberland Gap (in which the team entered a parallel universe populated entirely by numbers), series 13 of Matt Groening’s surreal space sitcom was the strongest since the show’s 2023 revival. Series 14, which launches today, promises to maintain that high standard with Sally Magnusson Remembers: Mastermind BBC4, 9pm The broadcaster and writer Sally Magnusson is being asked not to reminisce about her own long TV career presenting Songs of Praise but that of her father, Magnus. From 1972 to 1997 he was the BBC’s quiz master on Mastermind, coining the catchphrase “I’ve started, so I’ll finish.” Not as much fun having it shouted at her on the way to school, his daughter confirms. HS launched her sideline as a presenter with Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages (2014-16). She provides the voiceover and links but doesn’t visit the series’ nine recurring stately homes, which share a need to pay for upkeep bills. First up are mansions in the Cotswolds, in Co Durham and near Rugby, whose owners respectively hope that opening a café and sauna, using family members to do everything, and exploiting a Gunpowder Plot connection will do the trick. JD BBC1 N Ireland 10.45pm Bikes! Armoy Road Races 11.25 FILM: The Mist (2007) 1.20am-6.00 BBC News BBC1 Scotland 10.45pm Sportscene: Premiership Highlights 11.15 FILM: The Mist (2007) 1.10am Scotcast (r) 1.40 Weather for the Week Ahead 1.45am-6.00 BBC News BBC1 Wales 8.30pm-9.00 Best of Weatherman Walking. Three well-known castles BBC2 N Ireland 10.00pm-10.30pm Kayak ó Thuaidh. Tackling the Inishowen peninsula (r) STV 12.45am-3.00 Shop on TV 4.05am-6.00 Night Vision BBC Scotland 2.00pm Sign Zone: This Farming Life (r) 3.00 Sign Zone: Beechgrove Garden (r) 3.30-4.30 Sign Zone: Paramedics on Scene (r) 7.00 Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 The Great Food Guys (r) 8.00 The Mountain (r) 9.00 Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm- 12.00 Gary: Tank Commander (r) S4C 6.00am Cyw 9.30 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 12.00 News 12.05pm Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 2.00 News 2.05 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 6.00 Am Dro! (r) 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News; Weather 8.00 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2026 10.05 Y Babell Lên 2026 10.35 Ralïo+ 11.05pm- 12.10am Y Sioe 2026 (r) BBC4 BBC3 U&Drama More4 ITV3 PBS America Variations 7.00pm Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth. Life in the warm waters of the tropical Atlantic (AD) 8.00 The Art of Spain. Exploring the history of Spanish art (AD) 9.00 Sally Magnusson Remembers — Mastermind. The broadcaster shares memories of her father’s time as the host of Mastermind. See picks of the day 9.15 Mastermind 1972 Final. Magnus Magnusson presents 9.45 Call My Bluff 10.15 Becoming Frida Kahlo. Dangerous politics and turbulent love shock the painter’s world. Last in the series (AD) 11.15 Turner: The Man Who Painted Britain. Chronicling the painter’s life 12.15am Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth (AD) 1.15 Becoming Frida Kahlo (AD) 2.15am-3.15 The Art of Spain (AD, SL) 6.00am Teleshopping 7.20 The Bill 8.15 Doctors 9.25 Classic Holby City 10.45 Casualty (AD) 11.45 The Bill 12.50pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Neighbours 3.00 Pie in the Sky 4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 As Time Goes By 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 6.40 Last of the Summer Wine 7.20 Last of the Summer Wine. Compo tries to impress a lady 8.00 The Brokenwood Mysteries. An ex-boyfriend of Kristin’s dies while skydiving (1/4) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. The squad re-examines the disappearance of an actress (4/8) (AD) 11.20 Luther. Crime thriller starring Idris Elba (1/6) (AD) 12.40am Lovejoy. A Japanese antique 1.50 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 2.50 Hotel Portofino (SL) 4.00am-6.00 Teleshopping 7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60. In British Columbia 7.30 Deadly 60. Visiting Costa Rica 8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee. The contestants recycle T-shirts and make outfits with an eco-message. Hosted by Sophie Willan (AD) 9.00 Top Gear Patagonia Special. Part one of two. A gruelling trip to the world’s southernmost city 10.05 Top Gear Patagonia Special. The conclusion of the trip to the world’s southernmost city 11.10 Icons of Football. Following goalkeeper Craig Gordon as he attempts to reach the World Cup 12.10am Tommy: The Good. The Bad. The Fury. Five editions of the documentary following boxer Tommy Fury’s return to the ring (AD) 2.40 A Better Place 2.55am-3.55 BBC New Comedy Awards 2024 6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 The Green Planet (AD) 8.00 Canal Boat Diaries (1/5) 8.30 Canal Boat Diaries (2/5) 9.00 Portillo’s Empire Journey. South Africa’s racial unrest (3/4) 10.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A Harley Davidson (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A 1991 Nissan Figaro (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 2.00 Abandoned Engineering (AD) 3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping 6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 8.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 9.20 The Only Way Is Essex 10.15 Dawson’s Creek 11.15 Charmed 12.10pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.10 Supermarket Sweep 2.10 The Floor USA (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Tensions linger 5.00 The Real Housewives of Orange County 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 The Floor USA (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club (AD) 9.00 The Only Way Is Essex 10.00 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bob’s Burgers (AD) 1.30 Plebs (AD, SL) 1.55am-2.25 Deep Fake Neighbour Wars (SL) 8.00am America the Bountiful 8.50 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall 9.50 Pirates: Behind the Legends 10.50 The Anti-Soviet Fighters 12.00 Hitler’s Gold 1.00pm America the Bountiful 1.35 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall 2.35 Hitler’s Gold 3.40 Pirates: Behind the Legends 4.40 The Anti-Soviet Fighters 5.50 Hitler’s Gold. A covert financial web 6.55 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall. Columbus’ return voyage 7.55 Pirates: Behind the Legends. The story of William Kidd, a pirate hunter who turned pirate himself 8.55 The Anti-Soviet Fighters. Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian resistance against the Soviet Union 10.00 Hitler’s Gold. The financial backing Hitler needed 11.00 Pirates: Behind the Legends 12.00 The Anti-Soviet Fighters 1.10am-2.00 America the Bountiful 6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 7.40 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. Nostalgic drama (AD) 8.00 Midsomer Murders. A woman is killed in a churchyard two years after the death of her husband (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. A computer laboratory head keels over and dies from mercury poisoning (3/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester. Will and Geordie investigate a woman’s fatal injuries in a fall (4/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Part one of two. The detectives investigate the murder of a schoolgirl (3/10) 1.25am-2.25 Wycliffe 6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.15 Task (r) (AD) 12.30pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) (AD) 4.40 Task. Crime drama (r) (AD) 6.50 True Detective: Night Country. Danvers and Navarro confirm the location of Annie’s murder (r) (AD) 7.55 True Detective: Night Country. Prior digs into the links between Tsalal and Silver Sky (5/6) (r) (AD) 9.00 House of the Dragon. Game of Thrones prequel with Matt Smith 10.15 The Last of Us. Joel and Ellie near the end of their journey. Stars Pedro Pascal (9/9) (r) (AD) 11.20 Dune: Prophecy. Desmond makes a confession to Emperor Corrino, and Tula reluctantly enlists Lila for a vital mission (r) (AD) 12.30am Task. Crime drama (r) (AD) 2.50 Billions (r) (AD) 5.05am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) (AD) Sky Arts 6.00am LSO: Rattle Conducts Brahms and Shostakovich 8.00 The Joy of Painting 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering (AD) 12.00 Wonderland: From JM Barrie to JRR Tolkien 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (b/w) 3.00 The Seventies (AD) 4.00 Discovering (AD) 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2021 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 André Rieu: Happy Days Are Here Again. From Maastricht 11.00 Brian and Roger Eno Live at the Acropolis 12.40am Up Late with Nicola Benedetti 2.15 Peter and the Wolf 3.45 Opera North’s Resonance 4.00 The Book Club Summer Reads Special 5.00am-6.00 Wonderland: From JM Barrie to JRR Tolkien ITV2 U&Yesterday 8.55am Heir Hunters 10.00 Four in a Bed 12.40pm Come Dine with Me (AD) 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS. A neglected 1988 Fiat Uno Turbo (AD) 6.50 Car SOS. Taking on a 1993 Toyota Supra Mk4 (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. A house built out of shipping containers on a farm in Co Derry (4/10) (AD) 9.00 Bill Bailey’s Vietnam. Bill uncovers the importance of ancient stories in Vietnamese culture. Last in the series (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in A&E. A woman involved in a motorbike accident is brought to St George’s Hospital in London (1/8) (AD) 11.00 24 Hours in A&E. The medics treat sport enthusiasts involved in accidents on two wheels (2/8) (AD) 12.05am 999: On the Front Line (AD) 1.05 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.15am-3.45 A Place in the Sun Sky Docs 6.00am The 2000s (r) 7.00 Discovering: Ed Harris (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 100 Foot Wave (r) (AD) 10.00 The Comedy Store (r) (AD) 11.05 UFO (r) (AD) 12.00 FILM: Steve McQueen — The Lost Movie (12, 2021) An unfinished movie starring Steve McQueen (AD) 1.50pm My Icon: Leon Pryce (r) (AD) 2.00 The United Way (r) (AD) 3.50 My Icon: Chris Hughton (r) (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Ed Harris (r) (AD) 5.55 JFK: Destiny Betrayed (r) 7.00 David Frost Vs (5/6) (r) (AD) 8.00 The Cult of the Family (r) 11.20 Costa Concordia: Chronicle of a Disaster (r) 1.20am The Great Horsemeat Scandal (r) (AD) 2.00 The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door 3.40 Nick Cave’s Veiled World (r) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Ed Harris (r) (AD) 11.00am Paw Patrol: The Movie (U, 2021) Animated adventure with the voice of Tyler Perry 12.40pm Prince Valiant (U, 1954) Adventure with Robert Wagner 2.45 Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation (U, 1962) Comedy with James Stewart and Maureen O’Hara 5.00 10 Things I Hate About You (12, 1999) Comedy with Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles (AD) 6.50 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (12, 2003) Comic-book fantasy adventure with Sean Connery and Shane West (AD) 9.00 Twister (PG, 1996) A storm- chaser maps the path of a large tornado. Action thriller starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton 11.15 Beast (15, 2022) Action thriller starring Idris Elba (AD) 1.05am-3.15 Monster Hunter (12, 2020) Fantasy adventure starring Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa (AD) Film4 Sky Atlantic Live Test Cricket: West Indies v Pakistan TNT Sports 2, 2.30pm-11 Coverage of the second day of the second and final Test in the series from Queen’s Park Oval Live The Hundred: Welsh Fire Women v Southern Brave Women Sky Sports Cricket, 2.45pm-6, Sky Sports Main Event, 3pm-6 (Start-time 3.00). Coverage from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Live Tennis Sky Sports +, Sky Sports Tennis, 4pm-12midnight Coverage from day two of the Canadian Open Live The Hundred: Welsh Fire Men v Southern Brave Men Sky Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (Start-time 6.30). Coverage of the match comes from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Live SPFL: Celtic v Dundee Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, 6.30pm-10.15 (Kick-off 7.30). Coverage of the Scottish Premiership match from Celtic Park Talking Pictures ITV4 6.00am Magnum, PI 8.00 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 9.05 Boon 10.10 The Professionals (AD) 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.25pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.30 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.40 Boon 4.45 The Professionals (AD) 5.55 Minder. Diamonds go missing (AD) 7.00 River Monsters. Reports of a face-eating creature in Bolivia 7.30 River Monsters. Jeremy Wade tracks down a snakehead fish (AD) 8.00 The Motorbike Show. Henry rides with the Harley Owners Group 9.00 FILM: Under Siege (15, 1992) Action adventure starring Steven Seagal and Tommy Lee Jones 11.05 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The crew become trapped in a fairy tale by aliens (AD) 12.05am Lost 1.00 Motorsport UK 1.55am-2.45 BattleBots 6.00am The Vise (b/w) 6.35 FILM: Tomorrow at Ten (PG, 1964) (b/w) 8.15 Dial 999 (b/w) 8.45 FILM: Paratrooper (PG, 1953) 10.30 Z Cars 11.30 FILM: Crow Hollow (PG, 1951) (b/w) 12.50pm What’s on TPTV with Noel 1.00 Richard the Lionheart (b/w) 1.35 FILM: The Green Man (PG, 1956) (b/w) 3.10 FILM: Confession (PG, 1955) (b/w) 5.00 Cinebox Memories 5.05 FILM: Doctor in the House (PG, 1954) 6.55 Cycling Proficiency 7.00 The Footage Detectives 8.00 Maigret. In French 9.50 FILM: The Saint — The Fiction Makers (U, 1968) Adventure 11.55 FILM: Murders in Hossegor (15, TVM, 2017) Crime drama 1.55am FILM: Poldark (PG, TVM, 1996) Historical drama 4.05 Men Against the Sea 4.25 The Veil (b/w) 5.00am-6.00 Railway Murders Live sport today
Monday August 3 2026 | the times MindGames 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. All the digits 1 to 6 must appear in every row and column. In each thick-line “block”, the target number in the top left-hand corner is calculated from the digits in all the cells in the block, using the operation indicated by the symbol. KenKen Easy No 6901 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. © PUZZLER MEDIA Kakuro No 4408 © 2010 KENKEN PUZZLE & TM NEXTOY. DIST. BY UFS, INC. WWW.KENKEN.COM 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. Futoshiki No 5449 Across 1 Geometric figure resembling a ring doughnut (5) 4 English seaside resort with a celebrated “Golden Mile” (9) 9 Item of knitwear topped with a pompom (6,3) 10 Royal golf course on the west coast of Scotland that last hosted the Open in 2024 (5) 11 Body of sacred texts in various south Asian faiths (6) 12 Padded sides of a snooker or billiard table (8) 14 Brand of artificial surfacing for sports pitches and lawns (9) 16 Roman encyclopaedist or his letter-writing nephew (5) 17 Plants such as ground elder and couch grass (5) 19 Jean ---, 1960s British fashion model (9) 21 The ---, TV reality game show with Claudia Winkleman (8) / , % < $ 3 $ & ( 0 $ . ( 5 < $ ( = ( $ 0 $ 5 , 1 , ( 5 ( 5 ( / $ < ( ' & / ( + 2 & + , 0 , 1 + & , 7 < ' & + $ & $ 1 $ + $ 5 7 / ( 3 2 2 / < + / ( 7 ( 7 5 $ 0 ( 7 ( 5 , 0 $ ; ( $ ( $ 1 , * ( / / $ / $ : 6 2 1 , ' & + , & 2 % ( 5 . 6 + , 5 ( ( , ( $ 7 + ( 5 ( ) / ( ; & $ 1 , 6 Last week’s solution 22 Tragic princess in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (6) 25 Enclosure for a pet rabbit (5) 26 Sweet white Bordeaux wine (9) 27 1992 Robert Altman satire starring Tim Robbins as a Hollywood executive (3,6) 28 Fish or amphibian eggs (5) Down 1 Mother of Moppet, Mittens and Tom Kitten in Beatrix Potter’s tales (7,8) 2 Garden bird formerly also known as a ruddock (5) 3 Italian port once home to a medieval medical school (7) 4 Pioneering Danish theoretical physicist (1885-1962) (4) 5 British tennis player who reached the 2026 Wimbledon semi-finals as a wild card (6,4) 6 Condiment made with sugar, vinegar and tomatoes (7) 7 Medical expert on the ear (9) 8 Acclaimed British director of If.... and This Sporting Life (7,8) 13 Russian composer of the opera Boris Godunov (10) 15 Kafka novel about a man thwarted by bureaucracy (3,6) 18 Traditional schoolbag (7) 20 Ska-inspired band fronted by Suggs (7) 23 Pacific nation named the Friendly Islands by Cook (5) 24 Regional pronunciation that emphasises the “r” sound (4) © PUZZLER MEDIA Slide the letters either horizontally or vertically back into the grid to produce a completed crossword. Letters are allowed to slide over other letters Every letter in this crossword-style grid is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. Saturday’s solution, right Train Tracks No 2934 Lexica Easy No 9031 Hard No 9032 C D R M W N P T G R H I O L E A U O O I M Y G S A U K I N R Y T R A N O C L P Q A B Codeword No 5909 Winning Move General Knowledge Crossword No 349 Black to play. This position is from Nosach-Arpith, chess.com 2026. Both sides have well- placed pieces here. Although White is two pawns ahead, the deciding factor turns out to be the vulnerability of his king. How did Black now exploit this in ingenious style? A A C C C D D E E E E G H I L L M N N O O P R R R S S T T T U V 1 Box containing English asparagus? (5) 2 Seize eggs laid at the same time (6) 3 Disreputable professor didactic, to an extent (6) 4 Conservative opening religious community (7) 5 Mrs Simpson allowed to return message (8) Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only Quintagram® No 2636 Challenge your mind with these fiendish word and number puzzles thetimes.co.uk/ bookshop timesbookshop.co.uk 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).
the times | Monday August 3 2026 MindGames © PUZZLER MEDIA 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. 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. From these letters, make words of three or more letters, always including the central letter. Answers must be in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding capitalised words, plurals, conjugated verbs (past tense etc), adverbs ending in LY, comparatives and superlatives. How you rate 12 words, average; 16, good; 22, very good; 28, excellent 1 The Sun 2 Coffee 3 Two 4 Horse 5 HMS Belfast 6 Lionel Richie 7 Nikita Khrushchev 8 Carol Ann Duffy 9 Sikhism, as in Guru Nanak 10 Dixon of Dock Green 11 Sri Lankan civil war 12 What the Dickens! 13 Queen Elizabeth II 14 Prestwick 15 Trevor Baylis Erf (a) A liquid that solidifies when electrified (Collins) Emprise (b) A dangerous undertaking (Chambers) Kineme (b) A unit of non- vocal communication (OED) Kakuro 4406 Futoshiki 5447 F T B E A C O N N R A L U R K S P A I K B A D E Lexica 9026 S H A F T M E U A S Y L U M N I C R O A K Y Lexica 9025 Set Square 4409 Sakuro 4810 Train Tracks 2933 Word watch Black must jettison material to clear a path for the queen: 1 ... Ne2+! 2 Qxe2 Rh1+! 3 Kxh1 Qh8+ 4 Kg1 Qh2 mate Chess — Winning Move 1 Given 2 Middle 3 Family 4 Maiden 5 Household Concise Quintagram Quiz Easy 85 Medium 208 Harder 480 Brain Trainer KenKen 6900 Codeword 5908 1 Spear 2 Clutch 3 Sordid 4 Convent 5 Telegram Cryptic Quintagram Today’s solutions Saturday’s answers acreage, agape, agar, agree, cage, crag, eager, eagre, gape, gaper, gasp, gasper, gear, grace, grape, grasp, grease, page, pager, parge, presage, raga, rage, saag, saga, sage, sarge, scag, scapegrace, scrag, serge, sparge, sprag times2 Crossword No 10,225 Brain Trainer Just follow the instructions from left to right, starting with the number given to reach an answer at the end. ANSWER EASY 17 + 42 x 3 – 65 HALVE IT ÷ 8 + 47 ANSWER MEDIUM 12 x 12 DOUBLE IT ANSWER HARDER 46 DOUBLE IT DOUBLE IT TRIPLE IT DOUBLE IT x 3 – 13 ÷ 9 x 25 + 96 + 73 + 66 ÷ 3 – 17 ÷ 5 1/ OF IT – x 6 ÷ 9 ÷ 5 1/ OF IT + Across 6 Viking vessel (8) 8 Soft wet paper-making substance (4) 9 Makeover (6) 10 Summary of events so far (5) 11 Belgian port (7) 12 Wyatt ---, Wild West lawman (4) ( / , 2 7 ( ' , % / ( ( & < & / , & $ / 5 $ 3 7 $ * 3 $ / * $ ' * ( 7 5 < , & ( ( ( 6 7 $ 5 5 < ' 2 / / 2 3 ( / 6 ( 7 7 / ( , 1 $ * $ + ( , - 8 5 < / 2 % % < , 6 7 ) ( ) / ( ' * ( 6 8 * $ 5 Solution to Crossword 10,224 13 Henhouse (4) 15 French-born avant-garde artist (1887-1968) (7) 17 Body of soldiers (5) 18 Quick doze (6) 20 Discontinue (4) 21 Consuming entirely (6,2) Down 1 Calibre of a gun barrel; cause to lose interest (4) 2 Horror-struck (6) 3 Traditional mince dish (9,3) 4 Native American people (6) 5 Hogwash, rubbish (8) 7 Clarity of thought, insight (12) 11 One who has renounced a religious or political belief (8) 14 Stimulate, spur (6) 16 Pretending (6) 19 Greenish-blue colour (4) Cell Blocks No 5792 © PUZZLER MEDIA Polygon Set Square No 4411 Please note, BODMAS does not apply Solutions Killer Gentle No 10,856 Killer Tricky No 10,857 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. 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). Cluelines Stuck on Sudoku, Killer or KenKen? Call 0901 293 6263 before midnight to receive four clues for any of today’s puzzles. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company’s network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm). The England Open team had much the better of their clashes with home nations at the 57th European Bridge National Teams Championships in Riga, Latvia. They beat Ireland 20-0 — if you swap that result, Ireland finish in the top eight, earning a coveted place in the Bermuda Bowl, while England drop out of the top eight (they qualified for the Bowl in sixth). And England beat Scotland 18.3-1.7. Scotland did have one ray of light, however, the fourth of the 16 boards played. Paul Barton and Jun Nakamaru-Pinder bid and made 6♣, where the England North-South settled for 3NT at the other table (making two over- tricks after a rather friendly defence). Actually, 6♣ wasn’t such a great slam — especially after the England West, Stefano Tommasini, found the best lead of a trump (the ten). Declarer won dummy’s jack and immediately called for the ten of diamonds (keen to avoid the heart finesse). It’s so hard for East to work out (in tempo) whether to cover with the jack. Say he doesn’t. Declarer runs the ten to East’s ace, wins West’s second club in dummy, leads a second diamond to the nine and no longer needs the heart finesse, with two trumps in dummy to ruff two hearts. It’s better for East to cover the ten of diamonds with the jack, declarer’s queen now losing to West’s ace. Declarer wins West’s second club, cashes the king-nine of diamonds (perhaps throwing a heart but it doesn’t actually mat- ter) and ruffing his fourth dia- mond. However, he does now need to risk a heart to the queen or he’s a trick short. Happily for Scotland, all was well. andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk Contract: 6♣, Opening Lead: ♣10 Dealer: South, Vulnerability: East-West N W E S 2♣(1) Pass 2♦ Pass 3♣ Pass 4♣(2) Pass 4♦(3) Pass 4♥(4) Pass 6♣(5) End (1) I confess I may gamble a 1♣ opener here, hoping the bidding doesn’t go (the dreaded) Pass-Pass-Pass. North may well pass — however, East will protect with a take-out double. South will show his pow- erhouse, extract a voluntary club bid from his partner and have the pleasure (not for E-W) of bidding slam, when he could have been left to play a mere 1♣). (2) Quite right to show his support (3♣ is forcing of course). His other option would be to jump to 5♣, implying a bad hand with four-card support. (3) I think this was a form of Roman Keycard Blackwood. (4) “I ain’t got none.” (5) Settles for Six. South was driving (to Six) after the raise, and was investigating Seven. S(Barton) W N(Nakamaru-Pinder) E ♠AK42 ♥K643 ♦J732 ♣3 Teams ♠J10985 ♥87 ♦106 ♣J965 ♠- ♥AQ9 ♦KQ94 ♣AKQ874 ♠Q763 ♥J1052 ♦A85 ♣102 Bridge Andrew Robson Sudoku 16,994 Killer 10,855 Cell Blocks 5791 Quick Cryptic 3368 Tredoku 1953 Square Routes Y K P I G O R E T S P T H O L A N I P E R K E R N
03.08.26 Sudoku Easy No 16,995 Difficult No 16,996 Fiendish No 16,997 Word watch David Parfitt Erf a A liquid that solidifies when electrified b A wild variety of goldfish c Flakes of dried skin Emprise a The daughter of an emperor b A dangerous undertaking c To dislodge with a lever Kineme a An enthusiastic filmgoer b A unit of non-vocal communication c A member of one’s wider family Answers on page 15 The Times Quick Cryptic No 3370 by Pipsqueak Across Trouble following idiot’s attack (6) 4 Get what shipwrecked sea dog longs for? (4) 9 Spotted African runner — adulterer they say (7) 10 Brash American hiding embarrassment (5) 11 Star female put down oil producer (9) 12 Elderly husband avoiding embrace (3) 13 Briefly express view after doctor’s visit (4,2) 15 Heartlessly examine very small creature (6) 17 Fate of item for sale at Sotheby’s (3) 18 Emir’s text disturbed fanatic (9) 21 Funny business with the Speaker’s assistant? (5) 22 Men upset with girl, mischievous little thing (7) 23 Furious about knight’s curse (4) 24 Some resist a tickle still (6) Down American clubs repeatedly exploited defendant (7) 2 Southern seabird’s back (5) 3 Fancy telling niece what CIA is after! (12) 5 A bishop by himself eating this? (7) 6 Fear old man is catching on (5) Farm animal eating hot dog (4) 8 Alienation of curious people in Spielberg film (12) 14 Choose one parent as model (7) 16 Picture intact, I suspect (7) 17 Clear line head of UK police supports (5) 19 Roman attire, article acquired from the south (4) 20 Popular place to rent in bay (5) TQC3370.indd 1 TQC3370.indd 1 16/07/2026 17:36:38 16/07/2026 17:36:38 Friday’s solution on page 15 © PUZZLER MEDIA ALAMY Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. 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 The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjortomt Answers on page 15 1 What is the only celestial body in our solar system that is hotter than Venus? 2 Flat white and long black are types of which hot drink? 3 How many of Henry VIII’s children became queen of England? 4 The Norwegian coldblooded trotter is a native Nordic breed of what animal? 5 Imperial War Museums operates which former Royal Navy light cruiser as a museum ship on the Thames? 6 Which former Commodores member had solo hits with All Night Long (1983) and Dancing on the Ceiling (1986)? 7 In the late 1950s, which Soviet premier boasted that the USSR was “producing missiles like sausages”? 8 Brett Dean’s new song cycle sets poems from The World’s Wife by which former poet laureate? 9 Which religion’s founder was born in 1469 in Rai Bhoi Di Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan)? 10 Peter Byrne spent two decades in the role of Andy Crawford in which long-running TV police drama? 11 VV Ganeshananthan’s 2023 coming-of-age novel Brotherless Night is set during which 1983-2009 war? 12 Little Nell, Dotheboys Hall and The Artful Dodger are tracks on which 1963 jazz album by Johnny Dankworth? 13 Africa Goodbye is the Colombian artist Beatriz González’s 1968 portrait of which woman? 14 The 1925 Open Championship was the 24th and last Open to be staged at which Scottish golf venue? 15 Which inventor of the wind-up radio is pictured? Sakuro No 4810 For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com For extra puzzles See page 10 To try a digital subscription, visit thetimes.com/subscribe • Puzzles updated daily • Play against the clock • Compete in our leaderboard • Play of line and online Subscribe for more puzzles
审计结论：存在严重质量问题 (Blocking Issues Found)
该翻译件在完整性、准确性以及对原文结构的把握上存在重大缺陷，属于不可接受的交付质量。
remote_md_8a6ddf_... 等内部处理标签，属于明确的交付缺陷。/ , % < $ 3 $ & ( 0 $ .），原件中对应的应该是填字游戏网格，译文未能处理好占位且未作说明。Quintagram®）虽保留但缺乏统一的翻译策略。该翻译件不仅存在细节错误，更在文档完整性和内容真实性上出现了崩溃： 1. 丢弃了原件大量正文。 2. 引入了原件不存在的第三方文本。 3. 数值幻觉严重（如3000万英镑礼品卡）。 4. 结构混乱。
建议：全盘拒绝交付，重新翻译。