The Times - 05.08.2026.pdf

第1页

“又来？”伯纳姆第三次竞逐唐宁街1号时妻子的反应

杰拉尔丁·斯科特 助理政治编辑 伯纳姆在2010年和2015年的竞选中落败后，正准备再次进入威斯敏斯特，挑战基尔·斯塔默的工党领袖地位。 伯纳姆在《如何失败》播客中表示：“她的反应是，‘什么？又来？他们已经两次告诉你他们不想要你了。你为什么还要再试？’” 他表示，妻子需要被说服，因为她不想再看到他经历另一次失败。

安迪·伯纳姆的妻子在得知他打算再次尝试入主唐宁街时，回应道“又来？”，并提醒他工党已经两次拒绝了他。 首相表示，玛丽-弗朗斯·范·希尔对他决定重返西——

借贷

大举投资 以提振经济

部长们拟利用财政规则变化增加借贷

奥利弗·赖特 政策编辑

部长们正在制定计划，通过利用财政规则增加政府借贷，并将资金用于基础设施、住房和企业支持，以促进经济增长。 在预算案前正在制定的提案中，财政部计划提供数十亿英镑的新融资。 官员们希望这笔额外资金（也可能被引导至地区市长）能够推动经济发展，并为财政大臣约翰·希利在预算案中带来一些好消息。 此举可能在2031年前每年增加超过£9亿英镑的支出，这一变化得益于雷切尔·里夫斯担任财政大臣时对财政规则的修改。 该修改允许政府将基础设施或企业股权投资计为资产，以抵消借贷成本。部长们希望利用这一变化兑现安迪·伯纳姆“每个邮政编码区都实现增长”的承诺。 支持者包括曾为首相提供建议的加特利的奥尼尔勋爵，他们认为这一机制将允许更高的公共投资，而不会扰乱债务市场。 伯纳姆表示，他正在寻求财政规则内的“灵活性”，而希利则告诉《泰晤士报》，存在“更多且更快的投资空间”。 尽管希利明确表示将遵守前任的财政规则，但财政部官员已被要求研究是否有增加投资借贷的空间。 部长们渴望找到额外资金，以提高对英国企业的直接投资，防止高增长初创企业迁往美国（传统上更容易筹集资金的地方）。 他们还认为这笔资金可用于实现本届议会结束前建造1.5 million套住房的政府承诺。这可能涉及向开发商提供优惠贷款，使其能够利用原本不具备商业可行性的地块。 资金可能通过英国商业银行、国家财富基金和国家住房银行等公共金融机构进行分配，也可能用于扩展良好增长基金等项目。该基金由伯纳姆担任大曼彻斯特市长时首创。 该基金为住房、基础设施和创新等领域提供拨款、贷款和股权投资，并利用资金吸引私人投资。目前正在为超过£314万英镑的交通基础设施项目和£85万英镑的住房项目提供资金。 决议基金会智库

（基于7日纸质及数字订阅）

办公室该穿人字拖吗？

2026年8月5 2026 / thetimes.com / 第75103号

伯纳姆表示，范·希尔一直是他最直言不讳的批评者。作为一名年轻议员，他曾在完成采访后自认为表现出色，因为严格遵循了党的路线，结果打开手机却看到她用大写字母发来的信息：“回答他妈的问题。” 然而，伯纳姆表示，他失败的领导力尝试帮助了他

鸦片歌剧

Missy Mazzoli 论

激发其灵感的

家庭之死

体育 52 纵横字谜 60 电视与广播指南

资金匮乏“导致女性

不得不自行维护权利” 虽是小胜，但仍是胜利

Geraldine Scott 政治副编辑

寻求维护单性别空间权利的女性将不得不自行执行法律，因为平等监管机构缺乏资源来履行职责，该机构前主席发出警告。曾在离任前负责起草平等与人权委员会（EHRC）关于单性别空间指南的玛格雷夫的福克纳女男爵表示，由于“资金匮乏”，该机构无法代表女性开展维权行动，因此法律将“继续得不到平等监管机构的执行”。这份长达 342 页的准则详细阐述了如何执行去年《苏格兰妇女诉苏格兰政府》一案中最高法院的裁决，并于今日生效。该裁决明确了《2010 年平等法》中的“女性”、“男性”和“性别”一词系指生物学性别。福克纳与曾参与起草该准则的前专员 Akua Reindorf KC 在《泰晤士报》撰文指出，

公共和私营部门的组织此前一直通过基于自我认同的方式允许人员进入单性别服务场所，此类行为“一直属于违法”。两人写道，许多组织曾反复表示，在调整流程前，他们正“等待 EHRC 的指南”。部分地方议会仍在抵制这些变更。由绿党领导的兰贝斯在上月全体议会会议上通过一项动议，呼吁拒绝执行该准则。在同样由绿党主政的哈克尼，议员们参加了集会，要求辖区拒绝执行该指南。预计今日将有其他伦敦市议会加入反对行列。该准则被描述为提供了“平等法如何适用于日常情境的最新示例”，若出现法律挑战，可作为法庭依据——女性与平等事务大臣 Bridget Phillipson 此先前曾暗示此类挑战或将发生。然而，福克纳与 Reindorf 还指责政府在推进相关工作时拖延。

法律诉讼未能阻止

盖特威克机场第二条跑道

Laurence Sleator 交通记者 考虑到与希思罗机场的距离，盖特威克机场的扩建计划。 Barclay 与 Cagne 请求上诉法院允许其对该决定提出质疑，但昨日 Holgate 法官与 Dove 法官驳回了申请。两位法官写道：“我们认定每位上诉人提出的每一项上诉理由均不成立。”“两起上诉均无真正成功的可能。我们亦认为，不存在其他令人信服的理由允许任何一起上诉获得审理。” 首批航班预计将于 2030 年从新跑道起飞。 Alexander 表示：“这是一个重大里程碑……扩建将释放投资并创造数千个新就业岗位。约 1300 万名乘客及 100,000 架次航班的增加将为度假者提供更多选择，并强化全球联系，助力英国成为全球最具投资吸引力的国家之一。” Cagne 则称上诉法院的裁决“令人极度失望”，并表示将专注于确保跑道履行其义务。“这条拟建的新跑道将给纳税人和地球带来巨大代价。”

盖特威克机场的第二条跑道将在反对扩建的活动人士输掉法律诉讼后正式启用。

去年，交通大臣海蒂·亚历山大批准了一项 22 亿英镑 billion 的计划，旨在将这座位于西萨塞克斯郡机场的应急跑道投入常规使用，每年增加多达 100,000 班次的航班容量。 该项目包括将北侧应急跑道向北移动 12 米，建设滑行道，扩建两个航站楼并增加新登机口。 彼得·巴克莱和“反对盖特威克噪音排放社区”（Cagne）对交通部采取了法律行动，其中包括指控政府未正确评估气候影响。 今年 6 月，高等法院的莫尔德法官驳回了这一论点，并补充说，扩建不会“实质性地”影响政府实现 2050 年净零排放目标的能力。 法官表示：“交通大臣并未撤回其结论，即拟议的开发项目不会完全影响英国迈向净零排放的轨迹。”他还驳回了一项关于必要性的论点

基什韦·福克纳和

阿库阿·赖恩多夫 评论

平等与人权委员会修订后的法定执业准则中，只有很小一部分引起了公众关注：即解释如何执行最高法院 2025 年裁决的部分。该裁决明确，在 2010 年平等法中，“女性”、“男性”和“性别”一词是指生物学性别。就此一点而言，2011 年版本的准则是不正确的。该版本称，跨性别者通常应被允许通过自我认同进入针对异性的单性别服务设施。

自 2022 年起，人们就已知旧版准则是不正确的，当时另一起案件确立了“自我认同”并非法律。那时，医院就应该停止让女护士与认同自己为女性的男同事共用更衣室。那时，在法庭和监狱牢房之间发现自己具有跨性别身份的男囚，就不应再被安置在女性监狱中。 仅限女性的强奸危机中心

使该准则生效。该准则于去年 9 月提交给政府，但直到 5 月才提交议会。

在延迟期间，政府表示其正在“与平等与人权委员会合作以确保指南正确”，但福克纳和赖恩多夫表示，该委员会是独立的，并不与政府协作。 她们指责菲利普森在准则提交至其部门期间，曾在法庭上对准则的实质内容提出反对意见

应该拒绝那些自称是女性的男性进入。商店、休闲中心和酒吧应该撤下那些告知顾客可以使用任何让他们感到舒适的洗手间的标志。

但这些行为并未停止。法律被广泛忽视，直到最高法院做出判决。Stonewall 迅速宣布，在修订后的准则生效前，这“不是法律”。这无疑是错误的，但这种观点却根深蒂固。 新准则今天生效这一事实感觉像是一场胜利，但实际上它改变不了任何事情。法律已经是法律，且将继续是法律。它仍将被那些反对它的人无视，且将继续由平等与人权委员会不予执行，因为该委员会凭借其微薄的资金根本无法采取行动。 今天并不是女性权利的历史性日子，但对于那些必须继续在这场异常残酷的战争中战斗的女性和基层团体来说，该准则至少是其武器库中的一个工具。我们向她们致敬。 福克纳女男爵 (玛格雷夫)（平等与人权委员会前主席，政策交流中心杰出研究员）；阿库阿·赖恩多夫 KC（平等与人权委员会前委员，伦敦政治经济学院客座高级研究员，专门从事就业和歧视法的大律师）

府。据了解，政府拒绝了这一点，一名消息人士表示，法院诉讼针对的是平等与人权委员会 (EHRC) 的中期更新，而非该准则，尽管涉及的问题类似。

一名平等与人权委员会 (EHRC) 发言人表示：“我们将监督法律的执行情况，并在适当且必要时采取执法行动。” 一名政府发言人表示：“该准则现已生效，我们欢迎其提供的清晰度。”

接第 1 页

没有人比军情六处做得更好

法国对外安全总局 (DGSE) 在 Netflix 系列剧《局中局》(The Bureau) 中以虚构但写实的形式呈现，得分 169 分。

一名波兰情报高管告诉《快报》 (L’Express)：“[法国对外安全总局 (DGSE)] 是欧洲大陆唯一具有近全球覆盖能力的机构。他们将技术搜集、人力情报和行动能力结合在一起。” 法国对外安全总局 (DGSE) 的“行动”部门是一个军事组织，因其通过秘密行动“清除”被认为对法国安全构成威胁的人员而受到赞赏。前法国总统弗朗索瓦·奥朗德在离任前曾公开谈到委派执行这些谋杀行动。根据一本 2017 年的书籍，在誓言要追捕每一个攻击法国利益的恐怖分子后，他下令进行了至少 40 次行动，以杀死中东和非洲的“高价值”圣战目标。 排名第三的是规模小得多的荷兰情报机构 AIVD，得分为 97 分。“它提供了最好的投资回报！他们拥有最完美的记录，”葡萄牙情报局前局长若热·席尔瓦·卡瓦略表示。 乌克兰排名第四，因其“创新、独创性和冒险精神”而受到尊重，而德国联邦情报局 (BND) 被广泛嘲笑为臃肿的官僚机构，勉强排在第五位。它在全球问题的分析能力方面受到尊重，但在间谍能力方面则不然。

第 3 页

泰晤士报 / Wednesday August 5 2026

3 新闻

激光揭示亚马逊雨林中 3 million 人的失落文明

文明

纪念碑和道路网络

是由一个可与 古希腊相媲美的 社会构建的， 里斯·布莱克利写道

纪念碑和

考古学家

揭示了 一片由巨大的几何 纪念碑、仪式大道和 早已消失的道路组成的古代景观，这些景观在亚马逊雨林的林冠下隐藏了数世纪。 这些图像揭示了一个在近 2,000 年前于南美洲繁荣发展的“失落文明”的惊人规模——这是一个人口众多、组织高度严密的社会，研究人员称其可与古希腊相媲美。 领导这项研究的赫尔辛基大学的马蒂·帕西宁表示，直到最近，该地区一直被认为几乎未被人类触及。“人们普遍认为亚马逊森林是原始荒野，仅由小型狩猎采集群体占据，”他说。“这些土方工程完全改变了我们对所谓原始亚马逊的理解。”

工程

几何

林冠

它们是由一个被研究人员命名为 Aquiry 文明的复杂社会构建的。在其鼎盛时期（公元 100 到 300, 年），它可能支撑了 1.25 million 到 3 million 的人口，这一数字接近于罗马时期的不列颠。

发表在《自然》(Nature) 杂志上的这项研究揭示，当罗马工程师在铺设道路和建造神庙时，Aquiry 人正在他们的森林景观中雕刻巨大的圆形、方形和纪念性围栏。 他们的领土延伸至西南亚马逊约 183,000 平方公里的区域，该面积略小于英国，涵盖了现代巴西、玻利维亚和秘鲁的部分地区。 这一发现得益于

模范村承认在剔除其裸奔者时犯了错

阿拉明塔·普伦普特尔

一个模型村将其微型裸奔者请回，此前该人物的移除引发了这一旅游景点的粉丝抗议

戈德希尔模型村位于怀特岛，在收到有关其“不适合家庭景点”的投诉后，移除了微型足球场上的半裸女性小雕像。 这个小雕像被命名为埃里卡（Erica），显然是在向埃里卡·罗（Erika Roe）致敬——1982年，埃里卡·罗在特威克纳姆球场举行的英格兰对阵澳大利亚的橄榄球比赛中著名裸奔。该雕像纪念的是20世纪70年代和80年代体育赛事中盛行的裸奔时代。

机载激光雷达（光探测和测距）是一项彻底改变考古学的技术。它通过从飞机上发射快速激光脉冲来实现。

部分脉冲穿过林冠层的间隙，从地面反弹并返回传感器，使研究人员能够绘制树下的地貌。

探测和 测距）

地面

脉冲

然而，该景点的负责人表示，他们担心裸奔是“一个完全不同时代的特征”，如今的孩子可能“不会再理解”这一现象。

当地居民兼常客鲁珀特·威洛比（Rupert Willoughby）表示，听到雕像被移除时他感到“沮丧”，并质疑这个角色是否真的会冒犯他人。他认为这与模型村轻松愉快的氛围相符。 在威洛比等人提出反对后，模型村举办了一次在线民意调查，结果显示98%的人支持将

埃里卡请回。该村庄在社交媒体上发文称：“感谢所有参与投票并礼貌分享关于裸奔者想法的人。她将回归。”

该小雕像现将被隐藏在模型村的不同位置，游客若发现她，可向当地乳腺癌慈善机构捐款。景点表示：“如果您在花园中发现她，附近会有捐款箱供您表达支持。” 模型村负责人佩妮·戴尔（Penny Dyer）此前表示，移除雕像的决定是基于少数游客的反馈。

在调查了近4,500平方公里的区域后，研究团队记录了432处土方工程，其中仅36处此前为科学界所知。通过结合卫星测绘结果，研究人员估计更广阔的阿奎里（Aquiry）地区可能包含24,000至30,000个此类结构。最大的

MARTTI PRSSINEN, RISTO KALLIOLA AND FABIO DE NOVAES

结构占地近50公顷。帕辛宁（Parssinen）表示，阿奎里文明可能更类似于古希腊，而非中央集权帝国。不同社区似乎共享宗教信仰、几何建筑风格及公共集会传统，与古希腊极为相似。

“足球场上的裸奔者多年来一直是模型村的一部分，对大多数游客来说，它被视为一个轻松的玩笑，”她说道，“然而，我们收到了少数

激光雷达（光探测和测距）技术 向地面发射光脉冲

2,000英尺 光 激光雷达（光

城邦共享神祇、节庆和

体育竞技。 他补充说，口述传统 和早期殖民记录 或许能让我们一窥 阿基瑞文明。这些记录描述了音乐、 舞蹈、 赛跑、 摔跤和球类运动， 各个社群派出自己的队伍参赛。 领袖们可能通过举办盛大的 庆典来积累威望。 “希腊文明由超过1,000个独立 城邦组成，而共同之处在于相同的神祇、 传统和奥林匹克运动会。我认为 阿基瑞文明也有类似之处，”他说道。 他的团队发现的大型围墙可能并非 人口稠密的城市。相反，它们似乎是 仪式性和政治性的中心，分散的社群 在此聚集决策、宴饮和 举行仪式。 这些遗迹本身表明了 精密的规划和有组织的劳动。帕尔西宁将其比作 欧洲的大教堂：共同信仰体系的 宏伟表达。 不过，他指出，这一文明 仅对外界而言是“失落的”era。 当地原住民早已知晓这些古老的土方工程， 并将其中一些视为圣地。 他还提到，阿基瑞文明 种植玉米、南瓜和木薯， 管理巴西坚果树和棕榈树， 并实行农林复合经营，且未破坏亚马逊雨林。 “他们以这种方式与森林和谐共处，” 他说道。“他们开辟空地，但规模不大， 不足以改变生态系统。尽管人口众多， 他们从未将雨林变为稀树草原。”

科技揭示了 非凡的 通道。来自该地区的 亚瓦纳瓦人（左） 可能早已知晓

# 多名游客评论认为

在家庭景点展示不妥。 “裸奔在很大程度上是另一个时代的特征。 如今已鲜少发生，年轻游客 也不再熟悉，因此这一模型 已失去原有的关联性。 “作为企业，我们会倾听顾客反馈， 并在考虑这些评论后决定将其移除。 “我们理解并非所有人都会认同这一决定， 但我们的首要任务是确保所有游客 感到舒适并享受参观。” 所有捐款将用于支持 Breast Friends Isle of Wight， 一家当地的乳腺癌慈善机构。

大多数光线 会从森林冠层反射， 但少数能到达地面。 这些光线 通过冠层间隙反射回来。 通过测量 光线到达地面并返回的 距离， 研究人员能够 数字化去除冠层， 创建地形模型。

第4版

4

2026年8月5日 星期三 / 《泰晤士报》 新闻

T

漂浮不沉 凯特·布兰切特出现在最新一期英国《Harper's Bazaar》上。这位女演员将于8月19日在伦敦国家剧院出演《厄勒克特拉 / 人格》

服用Mounjaro四个月的女子

在增加剂量后死亡

一名女子在增加

减肥药Mounjaro的 剂量后死亡，验尸官法庭获悉。 73岁的卡罗琳·萨维奇（Caroline Savage）于 2024年10月在家中去世， 此前她刚从医院出院。她服用 替尔泊肽（tirzapatide）约四个月， 该药是私人处方获得的。 诺福克验尸官法庭正在调查 她的猝死是否可能与这种强效药物有关， 该药据信在英国有数百万人服用。 萨维奇的丈夫杰里米曾是 诺福克的保守党议员， 她死于粪性腹膜炎，即粪便 物质泄漏到腹腔， 由肠道穿孔引起。 由律师贾斯明·冷（Jasmine Leng）代理的 家属认为，她的健康问题被视为 Mounjaro的副作用而未被 进一步调查。 萨维奇并非首例 可能与减肥药物相关的死亡案例。 2024年9月，护士苏珊·麦高恩（Susan McGowan） 在与该药物相关后死亡。 验尸官伊冯娜·布莱克（Yvonne Blake）被告知， 专家称萨维奇于2024年7月 在伦敦一家私人诊所就诊时 体重为128公斤，且通过饮食或 运动无法减重。 当时，医生警告她可能出现 腹痛和便秘等副作用—— 建议她多喝水，避免 辛辣食物和碳酸饮料。 四个月后，这位来自诺福克沃特韦尔的祖母 体重降至114公斤，药剂师建议她 完成最后两剂7.5毫克的剂量

---

背后故事

大多

数 注射药物如 Wegovy和 Mounjaro的患者 报告出现一些副作用 （波比·科隆卡报道）。 Mounjaro（替尔泊肽的品牌名）的 患者信息说明书上共列出 30种副作用。 其中最常见的——恶心—— 影响约四分之一的人。其他 常见副作用包括 腹泻、腹胀、脱发和头晕。 胃肠道

在增加至10毫克前。18, 2024年10月

7.日，萨维奇出现急性腹痛， 被送往诺福克和诺维奇医院的 快速评估和治疗区， 因急诊科过于繁忙而滞留在救护车内。 她最终被医生评估为 胰腺炎，这是减肥药物的已知并发症， 并进行了超声波检查以排除 腹主动脉瘤。 约晚上6.点30分，在医生表示 她看起来足够舒适可以

卡罗琳·萨维奇享年73岁

副作用的发生

是因为这些药物 减缓了身体 消化食物的速度， 并延迟胃的排空。 大多数副作用 并不太令人担忧， 但一些较为罕见的 并发症需要

出院并带着止痛药和建议后，

萨维奇离开了医院。 但她在午夜后不久在家中倒下， 失去了反应。她的丈夫拨打了急救电话， 但医护人员未能使她苏醒。 尸检显示，她的死因为 粪性腹膜炎。 目前尚无确凿证据 将这一情况与Mounjaro联系起来， 但在听证会上讨论了潜在的新关联。 迄今仅有少数几起调查

医疗

关注。这包括 胰腺炎，一种 罕见的副作用， 估计影响约 0.2%至 1%的 服用Mounjaro的患者。这是 一种胰腺 发炎的情况，导致 剧烈疼痛，可能需要手术。它可能 导致组织损伤、 感染性休克和 致命的多器官衰竭。 此外，还存在 胆囊问题的轻微风险， 因为快速减重可能导致 疼痛的胆结石。

与减肥药物的联系。少数几起死因研讯正在调查减肥药物的影响，但目前尚无已知案例证明验尸官已证实存在决定性联系。

在萨维奇去世后对其护理情况进行审查的医院表示，她的各项测试和扫描结果均在正常范围内。 听证会获悉，如果一个人已经患有影响肠道的憩室病，Mounjaro的副作用可能会在肠道内产生足够的压力，从而导致穿孔。 萨维奇从未被诊断出患有胰腺炎或憩室病。 家属的律师提交申请，认为由于医院在沟通、记录和临床决策方面可能存在系统性失效，应启动《欧洲人权公约》第2条——生命权。 朗认为，临床医生在给药吗啡后不久多次评估了萨维奇的疼痛情况，但在决定是否需要进一步检查时，可能没有意识到其重要性。 代表诺福克和诺里奇大学医院 NHS 基金会信托的律师艾莉森·布罗克赫斯特认为，萨维奇死于自然原因，且未达到启动第2条的高门槛。 她承认记录保存“没有达到应有的水平”，但表示证据显示临床医生之间进行了面对面的详细讨论，并且遵循了适当的流程。 法庭宣布休庭，验尸官将于本月返回并交付叙述性结论。

® No 2638

五字谜 (Quintagram)

使用下方每个字母仅一次，解答所有五个简短线索：

1 时计 (5) 2 尊重 (6) 3 问卷 (6) 4 大型热带蜥蜴 (7) 5 超市付款区 (8)

A A C C D E E

G H H I K M N

O O R R S

T T U U V W Y

答案见 T2 MindGames 第14页 加密线索见 T2 MindGames 第15页

受审的警司

法庭获悉，一名大都会警察局警司涉嫌在2023年伦敦苏豪区一家酒吧的夜晚活动中，抓住了其一名初级女同事的私密部位，使对方感到“像一块肉一样”。

来自卢顿的39岁戴夫·纽曼否认三项涉及三名女同事的性侵指控。南华克刑事法院的审判仍在继续。

大亨规划受挫

一位亿万富翁商人表示，在牛津郡Baynards Green的四个物流仓库获得许可后，他感到“深感失望”。

曾在1980年代促成英国最大规模武器出口交易的86岁瓦菲克·赛义德在切威尔区议会撤回对“XXL尺寸”Tritax Logistics开发项目的反对意见后，批评了该议会。

雨水重返邱园

邱园在昨日经历一场短暂阵雨后，结束了自1871年开始记录降雨量以来最长的干旱期，这是其6月以来的首次降雨。7月是英格兰和威尔士有记录以来最干燥的月份。目前英格兰一半地区处于干旱状态，2300万人面临软管禁令。预计8月中旬将有雷阵雨。

食物优先于家人

根据Chase银行对2,000人的调查，三分之一的英国人在度假时拍摄食物的照片多于拍摄家人的照片。受访者平均每天拍摄39张照片，在为期两周的假期中拍摄546张。年轻人最倾向于拍摄食物而非亲人，在18至29岁的人群中，有57%的人承认这一点。

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第5页

GEOFF PUGH / SHUTTERSTOCK

银行家与3.5 亿英镑游艇遭遇风暴

Revolut联合创始人被指

未支付购船佣金 詹姆斯·赫利报道

Revolut银行的亿万富翁掌门人因一笔超级游艇交易被起诉，索赔金额达€17.5万欧元。 塞西尔·赖特合伙人律师事务所在高等法院提交的文件中称，尼克·斯托龙斯基“背着他们”规避了€350万欧元游艇的佣金支付。 这家超级游艇经纪公司称，去年曾建议42岁的斯托龙斯基购买由德国吕尔森船厂建造的102米游艇。该游艇配备25英尺玻璃底无边泳池、海滩俱乐部和冷冻疗法舱。 然而，据塞西尔·赖特所述，斯托龙斯基于1月直接从卖方购买了该游艇。 总部位于伦敦的这家经纪公司声称，尽管被指在最终交易中被排除在外，但作为促成销售的“有效原因”，他们有权获得5%的佣金。 这艘超级游艇最初由加拿大商人、前冰球运动员帕特里克·多维吉委托建造。后被一名巴西银行家购买，该银行家去年年底因涉嫌欺诈被捕，多维吉随后回购了这艘游艇，并最终将其出售给斯托龙斯基。 斯托龙斯基的家族办公室表示，该诉讼“毫无依据”，将予以抗辩。“由于此事现已进入法律程序，我们不再进一步置评，”一位发言人称。 奢华游艇经纪公司创始人克里斯·塞西尔-赖特告诉《金融时报》（该报率先报道了此事）称，这是他首次对客户采取法律行动，但表示强烈希望追究这一索赔。斯托龙斯基是英国公民，出生于俄罗斯，用约£300,000的个人积蓄创立了Revolut。自斯托龙-

高级犯罪官员脱衣舞俱乐部索赔案败诉

皮帕·克劳福德，戴维·布朗

一名因接受公关公司未申报的款待（包括在脱衣舞俱乐部的一晚）而被解雇的英国国家犯罪局（NCA）高级官员，其不公平解雇的索赔请求被驳回。查理·爱德华兹曾任NCA战略总监，他受邀参加了由弗洛伊德公关公司老板举办的奥斯卡庆祝派对。该公司获得了一份价值高达£1.4的合同，协助NCA庆祝其成立十周年。

伦敦南部的一家劳动仲裁法庭的法官驳回了爱德华兹的索赔请求，认为他从年薪£130,000的NCA职位上被解雇并不构成不公平解雇。NCA负责打击严重有组织犯罪和贿赂。

爱德华兹否认有不当行为。他在庭审中表示，自己在内阁办公室任职期间结识了弗洛伊德公关公司的朱莉娅·贝恩布里奇，该公司于2019年获得了内阁办公室一份价值£50,000的合同。他于2021年9月加入NCA。四个月后，贝恩布里奇邀请他参加弗洛伊德公关公司旗下衍生品牌“Freuds+”的发布派对。派对次日，贝恩布里奇向爱德华兹及内阁办公室另一名公务员发送了一封主题为“查理和我一直在策划一个计划……”的电子邮件。2022年6月，贝恩布里奇支付了与爱德华兹在国家美术馆共进午餐的费用，期间讨论了NCA即将到来的十周年庆典。

Freuds+及另一家公司正式参与了NCA十周年庆典的竞标，最终Freuds+赢得了该合同，合同于1, 2023日生效。4月，贝恩布里奇代表公司老板马修·弗洛伊德向爱德华兹发出邀请，参加在伦敦西区Lio脱衣舞俱乐部举办的派对。2023年，邀请函称该派对将呈现“一场独一无二的歌舞表演，融合艺术家、杂技演员、歌手和脱衣舞风格的舞者，随后还有……舞会”。爱德华兹在庭审中表示，该派对是一场“工作活动”，他出席是为了签署弗洛伊德公关公司账户团队的批准文件。2023年5月，贝恩布里奇支付了与爱德华兹在梅菲尔高档餐厅沃尔斯利共进早餐的费用。11月，爱德华兹在Notes咖啡馆与贝恩布里奇会面时自付了咖啡费用。

查理·爱德华兹

战略总监

尼克·斯托伦斯基于2023年1月购买的102米长游艇（如下图）最多需要34名船员，每周租金约为€2.8百万（含费用）。

斯托伦斯基与联合创始人弗拉德·亚岑科于2015年创立了这家企业。Revolut业务涵盖支付和加密货币交易，近期已获准在英国开展银行业务，预计将推动其下一阶段增长，并最终在股市上市，可能选择美国市场。该公司在去年的股权出售中估值达750 亿美元十亿，目前拥有约75 million客户。据行业刊物《罗博报告》报道，这艘游艇设有可容纳12名客人的10间客舱，其下层甲板的“海滩俱乐部”包含酒吧、餐厅、休息室和两个露台。游艇还设有一个

2022年，以及2023年2月在玫瑰酒吧（Rose pub）自费午餐的会面。他未向英国国家打击犯罪局（NCA）登记任何此类会面。调查认定爱德华兹严重违反公务员行为准则，构成严重渎职。法官保罗·阿博特（Paul Abbott）驳回了爱德华兹的不公平解雇申诉，称其“缺乏充分依据”，并指出：“显然，爱德华兹先生仍未真正承认自己有任何过错。”他还表示，“认为邮件中描述的活动完全适合作为工作相关活动，这一说法极为牵强”。

不过，法官认定现就职于国际战略研究所（International Institute for Strategic Studies）的爱德华兹本应获得更充分的解雇通知，赔偿金额有待商定。爱德华兹在提及这一裁决时表示，他“对于仲裁庭认定我遭到不当解雇感到欣慰”，随后补充道：“虽然我的不公平解雇申诉未获支持，但我尊重仲裁庭的裁决，并感谢对本案的审议。”NCA则表示，“我们对警员的行为标准要求极高，仲裁庭的裁决确认本局在此案中的解雇决定是公正的”。

Freuds被要求置评。

历史儿童性侵犯者仍可获提前释放

尽管安迪·伯纳姆曾承诺将他们排除在外。 首相周一宣布，被判犯有“强奸、严重儿童性侵及其他诱骗罪行”的罪犯将不再在服刑期过半时获释，以腾出监狱空间。 然而，有消息称，这些规定将不适用于2003年法律修改前发生的儿童性侵犯罪，即使犯罪者是近期才被绳之以法。 维基·克劳福德14岁时在1980年代末遭一名男子袭击，该男子于2024年被判入狱七年。 但他被判犯有猥亵儿童罪——这在犯罪发生时本应是指控罪名——而非与儿童发生性行为罪，后者是二十多年前才引入的区分。 克劳福德收到缓刑服务部门运营的受害者联络计划的一封通知，称虽然强奸及某些儿童性侵犯罪将被排除在审查后的提前释放计划之外，“所有其他变更将按计划进行”。 通知还称：“我意识到这可能不是您所期望的结果。” 克劳福德告诉《泰晤士报》： “他们采取了懒惰的做法， 没有真正审视这些罪行的实际含义。 他们不认为我的案件足够严重。 “这对历史性侵犯案件的受害者来说完全是双重标准， 因为这对他们来说是个轻松的出路。 “这仍然让人感觉像是 又一次背叛。 在我的案件中， 司法系统已经让我经历了太多次。 而这让我感到害怕

举债促增长

智库称利用财政规则可每年调动额外£90亿

并有助于弥补英国自脱欧后被迫退出欧洲投资银行以来长期投资不足的问题。 “雷切尔·里夫斯对财政规则的修改意味着政府现在有更大空间通过对经济进行生产性投资来应对这一挑战，这些投资从长远来看将实现自我偿还，”决议基金会高级经济学家埃利奥特·克里斯滕森表示。“新任财政大臣应首先扩大国家财富基金的规模，[该基金]到2031年将意味着每年额外£90亿的实际投资。” 他补充道：“虽然这类投资显然会增加政府的借贷成本，但关键——

许多人无法完全理解

为何被排除在外。” 受害者专员克莱尔·韦克斯曼（Claire Waxman）据悉正寻求紧急澄清，因司法部（MoJ）似乎无法明确说明哪些罪行将被排除在提前释放计划之外。韦克斯曼此前曾被保证，将有10类犯罪类别清单与其办公室共享，但《泰晤士报》了解到，该清单尚未落实。

在宣布修订后的政策时，唐宁街表示，伯纳姆已下令将“强奸、严重儿童性侵及其他诱拐性犯罪”排除在监狱刑期调整范围之外。 但司法部无法明确哪些儿童性犯罪不会被视为“严重”。 该部门一消息人士称，“绝大多数”与“恋童癖”相关的犯罪将被“纳入”排除范围，但无法举例说明哪些会被遗漏，或提供此类犯罪的清单。司法部已被要求置评。

在政府关于更新后的提前释放计划的官方公告中，“严重”一词在提及儿童性犯罪时出现了五次。这一区分引发了慈善机构、受害者支持团体及律师的担忧。代表儿童性虐待受害者的Switalskis律师事务所主任艾米·克劳雷（Amy Clowrey）表示：“所有针对儿童的虐待行为都是严重的，政府必须如此认定。否则将使儿童面临重大伤害风险。在‘严重’与‘非严重’儿童性犯罪之间划分界限，可能会淡化许多幸存者的经历。”

伯纳姆表示：“我希望进一步缩减该计划……”

性犯罪

安迪·伯纳姆表示

他希望进一步削减

该计划

关键区别在于，这些投资将通过

投资收益及对长期促进经济增长的生产性领域的投资来抵消。因此，我们认为债券市场会将其视为可信的商业市场投资，而不会显著推高借贷成本。” 财政研究所（Institute for Fiscal Studies）研究经济学家尼克·里德帕斯（Nick Ridpath）表示，尽管资金并非“无限”，但“存在一定灵活性”可增加公共部门投资，尤其是在部长们可能优先考虑的领域，如研发。 “在上一份预算中，理论上约有270 亿英镑亿的预留空间可用于增加投资，但过度依赖这一空间显然存在弊端……”

希望走得更远，因为我知道人们仍然会担心其他罪犯被缩短刑期。但如果监狱系统达到容量极限并崩溃，将会给公共安全带来更大的风险。”支持成年儿童性虐待幸存者的慈善机构“四分之一”的首席执行官伊斯莱·奥哈拉表示：“四分之一组织理解受害者 / 幸存者在刑事司法系统中报案所面临的巨大挑战，以及将案件送交审判并定罪的艰难。

“在提前释放计划中，他们至少应期望获得完全的透明度和明确说明，即司法部如何界定哪些儿童虐待罪行不属于‘严重’罪行。我们有兴趣等待进一步的信息。”影子警务大臣马特·维克斯昨日在《泰晤士报》电台节目中表示：

“[伯纳姆]随后提到严重的儿童性犯罪。在我看来，任何对儿童实施性犯罪的人，都是严重问题，他们应当服满刑期。”伯纳姆在2019年PC安德鲁·哈珀的家人对两名杀害哈珀的凶手是否有资格提前释放提出担忧后，下令对该政策进行审查。阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯和杰西·科尔于2020年因过失杀人罪被判处13年监禁。尽管进行了审查，其中1人仍有资格提前释放。司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯代表政府向哈珀的家人道歉，但坚称这一决定是必要的。泰晤士河谷警察联合会主席艾琳·奥康纳在《每日电讯报》上表示：“这不是正义。对于任何可能外出犯罪并夺走警察生命的人来说，这如何能起到威慑作用？”

她誓言要“竭尽全力以某种方式推翻这一决定”，包括可能进行司法审查。

---

“财政缓冲空间的减少，”他说道。“他们还可以利用公共金融机构，如国家财富基金，支持基础设施项目以促进增长，而不触及财政规则的限制，尽管这需要这些投资也能为私营部门带来积极回报。”一位财政部消息人士表示，希利正在考虑“多种选项”以在10月的首次预算前增加投资支出，但其“首要任务”是维护财政纪律。另一位消息人士表示，部长们对该计划“雄心勃勃”，认为这有助于通过为市长们提供额外融资来落实伯纳姆的权力下放议程。

“伯纳姆已经在曼彻斯特展示了这一模式的可行性，这让他有机会在全国范围内推广，”他们说道。

罪行类型 监禁之国

英格兰和威尔士的监狱人口

100 预测

1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

*针对所有年龄段和羁押类型的男女囚犯

特朗普团队准备欢迎“艾德·兆瓦”访问华盛顿

马克斯·肯迪克斯 华盛顿记者 凯蒂·鲍尔斯 华盛顿编辑

埃德·米利班德带着微妙的外交使命抵达华盛顿——并获得了一个新的Maga绰号。

美国官员指出他对净零排放的承诺，戏称他为“艾德·兆瓦”，暗指其担任能源大臣期间政策所产生的能源。据《泰晤士报》了解，美国能源部长克里斯·赖特是使用这一绰号的人之一。 米利班德被任命为外交大臣，在华盛顿的Maga圈子中引起了关注。他一直以国际法为傲，并支持增加对外援助。

根据即时羁押判决的监狱人口（按罪行类别）

000人

针对人身的暴力 毒品犯罪 盗窃罪 抢劫 公共秩序犯罪 危害社会罪 持有武器 非机动车简易罪 刑事损害和纵火 诈骗罪 机动车简易罪 未记录的罪行

米利班德称特朗普是

种族主义者和厌女者，并“降低了 愚蠢的标准”。他还将“应对 气候危机”列为其首要任务之一。 然而，外交部一位消息人士坚称， 美国人“愿意给他一个机会”。他们指出， 戴维·拉米此前曾对特朗普发表贬损言论， 但在被任命为外交大臣后，仍与副总统 JD·万斯建立了牢固的关系。 今日，米利班德将与美国国务卿 马尔科·卢比奥会面，重点讨论中东和乌克兰问题。 “政府致力于培育我们与美国牢固、 持久且必不可少的联盟关系，”米利班德表示。

22,964

15,761

8,238

5,921

4,633

2,730

2,413

2,374

第7版

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

5

新闻

针对人身的暴力犯罪

截至2026年6月的数据分类

女性

1,048

谋杀

谋杀

6,573

其他

4,508

前新纳粹分子将代表保守党参选

塞伦·休斯

帮助社区，尤其是 犹太社区，这正是我希望看到的。”她表示相信 “好人应有第二次机会”。 英国犹太人代表委员会副主席 卡伦·纽曼表示：“任何政党选择一名多次 定罪的重罪犯和名为‘英国国家抵抗’的 极右翼组织创始人作为候选人，简直令人难以置信。” 2016年，博内希尔-佩因因种族加重骚扰罪 被判入狱2年，此前他对伯格发起了反犹太主义的辱骂攻击。 伯格表示巴德诺赫的决定“非常、非常错误”。她称自己在作证时经历了“地狱”。 “他在法庭旁听席向支持者行纳粹礼时毫无悔意，还认为这样做没问题。这起案件至今仍困扰着我。”

凯米·巴德诺赫支持其政党

选择一名曾骚扰议员的前新纳粹分子 作为地方议会候选人。 乔舒亚·博内希尔-佩因近期被曝光为 《克鲁克恩公报》——一个政治讽刺视频平台——的创建者， 他宣布将作为保守党候选人参选 萨默塞特郡克鲁克恩南选区2026年的地方议会选举。 博内希尔-佩因此前自称“民族主义者、 法西斯主义者、理论家和白人权利支持者”，据《卫报》报道。他有多项定罪记录， 包括骚扰前议员、犹太裔的卢西亚娜·伯格， 在计划举行新纳粹集会前在网上散布反犹太主义材料， 以及恶意通信。

符合提前 释放条件的 案例包括 克莱尔· 科克里案，其父母苏和汤姆被 超速驾驶者撞死； 玛雅· 查普尔（右）， 其母亲导致其 死亡；埃莉· 爱德华兹（下）， 在酒吧外 被枪杀；以及阿奇· 约克（左）， 在一栋公寓楼的 大麻种植工厂爆炸中丧生。

羁押时间

各类罪行的平均 刑期长度

过失杀人 1,015

针对人身的暴力犯罪 2年 7.8个月

伤害罪 6.2年 2.1年

伤害罪 3,966

抢劫罪 3.6年 1.2年

未遂伤害

盗窃罪 7.8个月 2.6个月

刑事损害和纵火罪 2.2年 8.9个月

1,039

毒品犯罪 3.3年 1.1年

持有武器罪 1.1年 4.3个月

妨害公共秩序罪 8.7个月 2.9个月

其他危害社会罪行 1.2年 4.9个月

欺诈罪 1.8年 7.4个月

故意造成 严重伤害 5,863

乔舒亚·博内希尔-佩因于2016年入狱， 但称自己已获得改造

关于反伊斯兰

骗局的沟通。他坚称自己已获得 平反，并曾为警察提供反犹太主义培训。 保守党领袖巴德诺赫表示： “我们选择的并非一名已定罪的罪犯； 此人正在积极工——

平均羁押时间

平均监禁

提前释放计划

丧亲家庭的新痛苦

受害者及丧亲家庭在得知 其案件中的罪犯不会被豁免 提前释放计划后，对政府提出批评（杰斯·莎基报道）。

在周一公布的修订计划中，强奸犯 及多名儿童性侵犯者将被排除在外， 但因过失杀人、危险驾驶及虐待儿童 等罪行失去亲人的家庭则对该计划提出批评。

《量刑法》将部分最严重及危险的罪犯 排除在该计划之外，如被判终身监禁的杀人犯 及被判延长刑期的罪犯。

玛雅·查普尔

玛雅的家人——她于2022年被母亲达娜·卡尔的伴侣 摇晃致死，年仅两岁——表示，他们仍对卡尔 有资格提前释放“深感担忧”。卡尔因虐待儿童及纵容儿童死亡 被判九年有期徒刑。

迈克尔·戴蒙德因谋杀被判终身监禁。卡尔则因虐待儿童 及纵容儿童死亡被判九年有期徒刑。布赖特法官在判决词中 称她“为保护戴蒙德而大肆撒谎”。她可能在服刑三年后 （即九年刑期的三分之一）获释。

玛雅的姨婆杰玛·查普尔表示，该政策将“受害者分门别类， 称这些受害者比其他受害者更重要”。她指出，卡尔服刑时间 仅与女儿短暂的生命相当，且“毫无悔改迹象”。

“这些人将重返社会，可能成为你的邻居， 或你父母的邻居，”她说，“这不仅影响我们， 还影响全英国数以百计的家庭。”

艾丽·爱德华兹

蒂姆·爱德华兹的女儿艾丽于2022年平安夜 在默西塞德郡威勒尔的一家酒吧外遭枪击身亡， 他得知杀害女儿的凶手的同谋可能于10月获释。

康纳·查普曼因谋杀艾丽被判终身监禁。托马斯·沃林 则因持有违禁武器及协助罪犯被判九年有期徒刑。审判中获悉， 查普曼在枪击后将一把“蝎子”冲锋枪遗留在沃林家中。

新任议员

“未能审查法律”

奥布里·阿莱格雷蒂 首席政治记者

议员缺乏经验和知识

下院议员未能有效审查新法律，导致“实际民主问责”落在上院议员身上，前下院首席书记官警告称。曾在议会工作42年的利斯瓦恩勋爵表示，任何上院改革都应同时审视下院。他在2011年至2014年担任下院书记官期间，于《泰晤士报》撰文指出，仅针对上院进行改革是“错误的目标”。

“协助她谋杀的凶手符合提前释放的条件，”爱德华兹说，“这简直是当头一棒。这表明家属、受害者在这件事上没有发言权。这表明他们根本不在乎。”他表示已致信首相，但未收到回复。

爱德华兹补充道：“那把枪至今未被找到。枪还在外面。有什么能阻止他出狱后再次拿起那把枪？”

阿奇·约克 阿奇的母亲表示，她将“继续抗争”，以阻止杀害她儿子的凶手提前获释。阿奇在2024,10月的一起毒品交易商大麻工厂爆炸事件中丧生，当时年仅8岁。爆炸发生在纽卡斯尔本威尔的一栋公寓楼内，导致阿奇及另一名35,岁的男子杰森·劳斯死亡。

里斯·加尔布雷思因过失杀人罪被判处14年监禁。阿奇的母亲凯瑟琳·埃林顿和他当时仅7周大的弟弟芬利被砖块和瓦砾掩埋，后被阿奇的父亲救出。

埃林顿告诉《纪事报》：“我心如刀绞。事情不可能比这更糟了。他们需要更仔细地审视每一项罪行。我不会保持沉默，我还有几年时间。我会一直抗争到他获释。为什么我要默默承受？我无法接受。在我看来，我现在还有三个孩子，仍在为阿奇尽母亲的责任。这是我能为他做的。”

汤姆和苏·科克里 克莱尔·科克里的父母在2024年被一名超速驾驶者撞死，她表示正义已从她的家庭“被夺走”。

斯科特·冈恩去年11月被判危险驾驶致死罪，判处16年监禁。他将在服刑一半后有资格提前获释。科克里表示，冈恩在审判期间“没有表现出任何悔意”。“我不希望强奸犯和性犯罪者提前获释，但这几乎像是一个分级制度，”她说，“我们被判了终身监禁。我每时每刻都在想着父母的死。它始终萦绕在心头，而我们无法从中提前‘释放’。感觉法官做出的正义判决现在正被夺走。”

改革目标错误

利斯瓦恩对跨党派议员团体的回应称，该团体呼吁成立委员会，研究由安迪·伯纳姆取代上院的方案。他在文章中写道：“2024年大选为议会带来了335名新议员——占下院的52%——他们没有任何议会经验，不具备立法审查或问责政府的知识或经验。如果其他任何主要国家机构中，超过一半的成员对其核心工作毫无实际经验，这将令人惊讶。结果显而易见。

“大多数立法在下院几乎未经深入审议，而上院不得不承担起专家审查者的角色，对政府试图在缺乏真正民主问责的情况下强行通过的法案进行把关。”

他表示，那些提议成立上院改革委员会的人“选错了目标”。

第8页

5 2026年8月5日星期三 / 《泰晤士报》 新闻 阳光、海滩 与索马里家庭 在海滨度假胜地

大卫·沙赞 阿尔德洛-普拉日

阿尔德洛-普拉日

约50名身穿橙色救生衣的移民在法国度假胜地阿尔德洛-普拉日海滩上冲过日光浴者，他们发现距离海岸约100码处有一艘橡皮艇。一些人怀抱婴儿或幼儿奔跑，但他们的冲刺徒劳无功。每次这艘已超载的小船试图靠近，以便更多人涉水登船时，一艘法国警方巡逻艇和骑着水上摩托的警员便会阻挡其去路。最终，船上的掌舵男子放弃了努力，橡皮艇驶向英吉利海峡，前往肯特海岸。这些移民——大多数来自厄立特里亚和索马里——被留在距离加来以南约40英里的海滩上，度假者们在一旁观望。

“太令人难过了，”42岁的萨拉说，她是来自汉普郡彼得斯菲尔德的一名教师，拒绝透露姓氏。“我仍在努力消化这场创伤，他们冒着生命危险，而我们却在这里度假。这很难接受，但从某种程度上说，亲眼目睹也是好的。当你只是读到这些时，感受完全不同。他们冒着生命危险进行这场穿越。我无法想象他们中的一些人为了走到这一步经历了什么，尤其是那些女性。”

一名身穿泳装的年轻法国女子走近一名抱着婴儿的索马里男子。“你饿了吗？”她拿着信用卡问道。“跟我来，我给你买点吃的。”几分钟后，一群索马里妇女带着幼儿坐在岩石上，晾晒衣服和鞋子，一名穿着泳裤的法国度假者端着一盘冰淇淋走近，孩子们迅速吃了起来。

“亲眼看到这些真的很难受，”19岁的爱丽丝·鲍尔斯来自伦敦。“你会为这些家庭和孩子感到难过。”62岁的奥德是一名退休护士，正在度假，她说：“前几天晚上我们看到灯光，听到有人大喊‘别丢下我’。这真的让我感触很深。我想知道这些人冒着这么大风险前往英国，最终是否真的值得——他们的未来是否真的会更好。”

这场在英吉利海峡上演的戏剧性一幕

加来

登船

在移民涉水入海前进行干预，因为他们站在海滩上等待并不违法。

40岁的萨拉来自厄立特里亚的克伦，她与15岁的女儿菲奥娜一同尝试穿越。她说她的哥哥和父亲被强征入伍，在与埃塞俄比亚军队的战斗中丧生。

“人们被强征入伍后就再也回不来了，”她说。“如果他们没有被杀，也会被关在不知道的地方，不允许回到家人身边。我爱我的国家，但情况太糟糕了。我希望能在那里生活，但没有人能那样生活。”

从起火橡皮艇中获救的移民

塞伦·休斯、大卫·沙赞 巴黎报道

法国和英国当局昨天从英吉利海峡一艘起火的橡皮艇中救出了173名移民。

法国海峡海事省表示，这艘船的发动机在靠近英国水域的法国搜救区起火，并迅速开始解体。 移民们纷纷跳海，但全部173人均被英法当局救起并送回法国。未报告人员伤亡。 据法国官员称，这是自2018年以来英吉利海峡最大的救援行动之一。英国海岸警卫队和伊斯特本全天候救生艇与法国救援船只一同参与行动，并得到英国边境安全司令部海上行动的支持。 这艘船从法国沿海村庄出发

多佛

法 国

海滩越来越频繁地成为度假者的景象

约700名移民上周从阿尔德洛-普拉日（Hardelot-Plage）及附近海滩在一天内抵达英国。此后，法国警方加强了监控。周一，数十名警察在海滩巡逻，一艘警方船只在近海待命。

组织大多数小船偷渡的库尔德人蛇头曾在加来附近接送移民，但更严格的警方检查迫使他们南下至阿尔德洛-普拉日及其他长沙滩。昨天抵达阿尔德洛-普拉日附近的橡皮艇——

诺曼底的沃勒莱罗斯（Veules-les-Roses）海岸

周一，法国当局表示，一艘超载橡皮艇在驶向英国水域时被法国救援船只跟踪。起火前，船上有五人需要医疗救助。

几小时后，起火发生，法国船只救起103人，英国船只救起54人。法国当局随后上调了数字。这些移民将被送往加来海峡港口布洛涅-叙尔-梅尔（Boulogne-sur-Mer）进行医疗评估和救助。

英国海事与海岸警卫署表示：“今晨早些时候，一艘船只在法国搜救区起火。英国船只和救生艇正在协助救援。”

如果这艘橡皮艇抵达英国海岸，它将携带当天抵达的第二高移民人数——

距邓杰内斯（Dungeness）20英里

当天的船只从更南边的某个地点出发

一名不愿透露姓名的非政府组织工作人员表示，那里的警方存在较少。“我们认为这艘船花了数小时才——”

在单艘船只中成功完成穿越

内政部表示。7月23日创下单艘橡皮艇运载165名移民抵达英国的纪录。

司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯表示：“这再次提醒我们，这些偷渡行为的危险性，以及人口贩子对船上生命的冷漠无情。”他称与法国的合作已取得积极进展。

影子内政大臣克里斯·菲尔普表示：“法国警方在非法移民船只出发时袖手旁观，这是极其错误的。生命正在受到威胁。”

内政部统计显示，自安迪·伯纳姆于7月20日就任首相以来，已有2,057人穿越英吉利海峡抵达英国。去年同期有1,962人偷渡，但今年的总数较2025年同期显著下降。

移民在度假者中等待船只

一名法国游客提供了

茶点。

船只抵达时，人们争先恐后地——

到达这里，蛇头在充气和放船时

可能带走了约20名移民，以增加警方干预的难度，担心造成溺水事故。”他表示。

这一策略暴露了英国与法国达成的6.6亿英镑新协议的局限性。该协议于4月签署，旨在未来三年内由法国警方巡逻海滩。协议规定，警方仅可在船上人数少于20人时拦截移民船只，以减少倾覆时需救援的人数。

宪兵表示他们无法——

年度临时总数为

14,526，比去年同期记录的数字低43%。

今年至少有15人在乘坐小船偷渡时丧生。上周有4人死亡。法国居民称，人口贩子已开始使用长达12米的船只，而非之前的8至10米，倾向于使用更大的船只以最大化每次偷渡的利润。他们可能还在应对法国海岸加强的警方巡逻和监控，这是一项为期三年、耗资6.6亿英镑的英法协议的一部分。

偷渡者表示，人口贩子并不亲自驾驶橡皮艇，而是让一名偷渡者在GPS设备的指引下掌舵。这名掌舵者可免费过境，而其他人则需支付1,000至4,000欧元不等的费用。据报道，许多人口贩子根据国籍实行浮动收费标准。非洲人支付的费用低于被认为更富裕的亚洲人。

上周，数万名偷渡者游泳绕过边境围栏进入西班牙在北非的飞地休达，引发了部分人可能前往英国的担忧。伯纳姆（Burnham）周日访问多佛尔联合指挥中心监控小船偷渡时表示，必须在加强执法的同时提供更安全的入境途径。

内政大臣莎巴娜·马哈茂德表示，打击小船偷渡的工作已开始“初见成效”。政府表示：“英国船只支援了法国的搜救行动。此次事件凸显了小船偷渡的巨大危险。我们将继续与法国及海外合作伙伴不懈合作，阻止这些危险的旅程。”

第9页

R

“D罩杯风波”：环法女子赛被指胸罩作弊

环法女子赛（Tour de Femmes）的车手在昨天第四赛段（第9赛段）计时赛前面临更严格的检查，此前有报道称车手可能在胸罩内填充物品以提高空气动力学性能（约瑟夫·哈斯顿报道）。

荷兰媒体《WielerFlits》周日发文称，这一策略可能成为问题，并指出多支女子世界车队对部分车手在计时赛期间胸罩罩杯明显大于公路赛时的情况表示担忧。增大胸部尺寸并改变胸部区域的形状，无论男女，都能在——

阿拉明塔·普伦普特

希兰因未为阿斯顿·马丁投保被罚款

阿拉明塔·普伦普特 尤金妮公主在里斯本的一家医院诞下第三个孩子，是一名女婴。 这位36岁的公主于周一晚间与丈夫杰克·布鲁克斯班克迎来了女儿。 国王和王后已获悉此事，并对她“平安降生”的消息表示“欣喜”。 尤金妮昨天在Instagram上分享了一张新生女儿的照片，照片中的女婴体重6磅9盎司。照片显示婴儿穿着粉色连体衣，紧握着父亲的食指。尤金妮在照片下方配文：“杰克和我非常激动地宣布布鲁克斯班克家的小女儿诞生了！！我们对这个小公主爱不释手”，并附上了一连串心形表情符号。 她的两个哥哥——5岁的奥古斯特和3岁的欧内斯特——据称在尤金妮5月透露怀上第三个孩子时“非常兴奋”。 白金汉宫表示：“尤金妮公主殿下与杰克·布鲁克斯班克先生欣喜地宣布，他们的女儿已于2026年8月3日（周一）平安降生于——”

埃德·希兰因在修复期间未为其60年历史的经典阿斯顿·马丁投保而被定罪并罚款。 这位35岁的流行歌手承认持有一辆不符合保险要求的机动车辆，并被处以£666罚款。希兰自2021年起便未驾驶这辆1966年产的银色汽车，当时该车正在进行改装以转换为电动车。英国驾驶与车辆许可局（DVLA）发现，希兰在12月修复期间未为该车投保。 这位格莱美和艾美奖得主在布拉德福德治安法庭表示，该车已有五年未上路，他以为车间的保险政策会涵盖这辆车。希兰于上周被定罪，并被命令支付£100诉讼费和£266附加费。 他于2021年7月31日在单一司法程序法庭闭门受审，并随认罪答辩书附上了一封解释信。 他写道：“这辆车是一辆经典阿斯顿·马丁，自2021年起一直由阿斯顿车间有限公司进行全面修复。” “该车自2021年以来一直由车间控制，未上过公共道路，并一直存放在他们的车库中——”

这种策略因能将气流引导至车身周围而被竞争对手视为优势。 然而，国际自行车联盟（UCI）禁止此类做法，其规则明确规定，车手不得使用“可能改变其形态”的物品。 针对这一做法的投诉促使UCI裁判团在周一晚间——距离计时赛开始不到24小时——发布了一项不同寻常的公告。 公告称，当车手在各自出发时间前10分钟接受最终检查时，“将特别关注UCI条例第1.3.032条的合规性，包括车手身上非必要的元素、服装或其他物品 / 配饰（包括但不限于——”

以下为忠实中文翻译：

在任何时候都不存在。因此，公众第三方成员因该车辆无保险驾驶而面临的风险为零。 “我从未实际拥有或实际控制过该车辆。事实上，该车辆自2021年起便无法运行，直至相关日期及至今。” 希兰于2017年因对音乐和慈善事业的贡献被授予MBE勋章，他为占用法院资源道歉，并坚称自己未收到DVLA最初提出的庭外罚款通知，但表示自己本会立即支付。 他声称，位于达勒姆的这家车间曾向他保证“他们持有全面的汽车贸易及道路风险保险单”，并补充道：“正是出于这个原因，我个人从未为这辆车购买过机动车保险。” 希兰的热门歌曲包括《Shape of You》、《Thinking Out Loud》和《Perfect》，他还表示：“本案不涉及故意无视车辆保险义务、实际使用无保险车辆或任何规避《道路交通法》要求的意图。 “相反，这一问题源于对一辆无法运行且未被使用的车辆的真诚行政误解，该车辆被真诚地认为在车间持有期间已由车间持有的保险单适当覆盖。”

在希兰的减刑辩护中，他提到阿斯顿车间有限公司曾寄出一封支持信，但法院工作人员表示该信件未在系统中，且不会被治安法官在量刑听证会上考虑。 由于希兰的案件通过简易司法程序系统处理，可被发送至任何治安法院，无论违法行为发生地点，均基于全国数据库。 上周，他成为英格兰和威尔士1,451名因未为车辆投保而被定罪的人之一。

女子巡回赛车手昨日接受了检查。左侧的贝尔特·布洛肯的研究表明，胸部整流罩可减少阻力，且不限于头盔、眼镜、鞋子或比赛中通讯设备）可能改变车手的形态。 以往研究发现，胸部整流罩——实际上是任何放置在车手运动衫前部、改变其胸部形状的装置——能提供显著的空气动力学优势，并已被多个体育机构禁止。 2024年，苏格兰赫瑞瓦特大学和芬兰LUT大学空气动力学教授贝尔特·布洛肯进行的研究发现，胸部整流罩有可能将空气阻力降低高达3.6%，这将转化为显著的竞赛优势。

胸部区域体积增加可为车手带来空气动力学优势。

尤金妮公主在葡萄牙诞下第三个孩子

每公里节省至少 0.78 秒，因此 可能“决定计时赛的 胜负”。在男子自行车 运动中，监管此类 物品的使用较为容易，但 对于女性而言则 变得更为模糊， 因为她们在比赛中 会根据个人偏好 使用不同类型的 运动胸罩。 据悉，部分车手 也曾在比赛中 不穿运动胸罩以 获得空气动力学优势，因为这能压缩胸部。 根据《WielerFlits》报道，部分车队 认为应由一名女性裁判 在封闭帐篷内于 计时赛后立即检查 车手，以确保其 胸罩或空气动力学服装内 未藏匿物品。 年初，国际自行车联盟（UCI） 宣布将禁止球衣上的 胸前口袋，车手曾用其 存放营养品。该管理机构发现， 这些口袋“一般不会被消耗，因为在比赛条件下极难， 甚至无法取用。这些口袋 会显著改变车手的 体型。”

铁人三项运动员曾有 将水瓶塞入球衣内 以获得空气动力学优势的做法，但 多个赛事组织者已禁止此行为。

6.下午，葡萄牙里斯本的一家医院。 “国王和王后陛下及王室其他成员 欣闻喜讯。” 这对夫妇的时间分别在 里斯本（布鲁克斯班克，40，在此推广一家度假村）和 肯辛顿宫内的常春藤小屋度过。 他们女儿在葡萄牙出生 可能意味着她有资格申请欧盟护照。这名婴儿将是 王位第15顺位继承人，也是安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎的第五个外孙，继 2023年1月 比阿特丽斯公主的女儿雅典娜·伊丽莎白·罗斯·马佩利·莫齐出生之后。 尤金妮与布鲁克斯班克于 2018年在温莎城堡的圣乔治教堂结婚， 两人于9年前在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的 韦尔比耶相识。 布鲁克斯班克在 18岁时离开斯托中学后， 曾在切尔西的一家酒吧工作， 并拒绝了金融业的 职业生涯。他目前就职于 里斯本南部的豪华 科斯塔泰拉高尔夫与海洋俱乐部， 今年夏天苏塞克斯公爵夫妇曾下榻于此。 这对夫妇于 2021年2月9日迎来长子奥古斯特， 随后于2023年5月30日诞下次子欧内斯特。

第10页

视野之野 一只用矢车菊制作的巨型眼睛因今夏高温提前绽放。朴茨茅斯街头艺术家“My Dog Sighs”（本名保罗·斯通）在汉普郡海灵岛创作了这幅作品

超过200个英国国民医疗服务体系（NHS）站点

依赖纸质记录

埃莉诺·海沃德 健康版编辑

NHS每年花费超过2亿英镑 用于存储装在盒子和文件柜中的记录， 因为数百个站点仍完全依赖纸质记录。 智库国王基金会的一份报告显示， 尽管政府承诺让NHS实现无纸化， 但英格兰仅有五家NHS信托机构 已完全数字化患者记录。根据 医疗记录数据分析，共有209个NHS站点—— 如诊断中心或医院诊所—— 仅使用纸质记录。

大多数NHS医院使用数字和纸质记录的 组合来保存信息，包括预约记录、 信件和扫描结果。但绝大多数医院 没有足够的现场空间存储纸质文件， 这意味着他们必须租用存储单元或 建筑，通常成本高昂。 2024-25年度数据显示，NHS 在存储患者记录上花费了2.395亿英镑， 涵盖了盒子、文件夹和文件柜等 文具费用。

曾有多次尝试取消纸质记录， 因其会增加错误和沟通不畅的风险。 2013年，时任保守党卫生大臣的 杰里米·亨特表示，NHS应在 “2018年实现无纸化”。 NHS还承诺在2020年实现 “护理点无纸化”。

根据去年发布的一项旨在将 医疗服务“从模拟转向数字化”的 十年计划，NHS将从2028年起 引入电子“单一患者记录”， 以取代纸质系统。该记录将存储 所有医疗数据于NHS应用程序中， 连接急诊室、医院诊所和全科医生等 系统各部分。

国王基金会首席执行官莎拉·伍尔诺夫表示， 存储纸质记录的成本是“一个极为明显的 不必要开支的例子”。 “NHS多年来一直承诺成为无纸化机构， 因此仍有200个站点完全依赖纸质记录 的事实令人失望和沮丧。”

伍尔诺夫表示，依赖纸质记录意味着 “可能会出现遗失或不准确的情况”， 这可能影响护理或治疗。 NHS每年收到数千起与沟通失败 和记录保存问题相关的投诉。 Healthwatch的研究显示，近四分之一的成年人 报告其医疗记录中存在不准确或缺失的信息。

单一患者记录的实施将于下月 作为正在议会审议的卫生法案的一部分 进行辩论。单一记录将允许医生和护士 查看任何在急诊室或医院就诊的患者 的病史。

伍尔诺夫表示：“在建设现代化、 互联互通的医疗服务的雄心与 患者和员工的实际体验之间， 存在着惊人的差距。”她表示， 单一记录的成功将取决于对数字基础设施的投资、 员工培训、强有力的隐私保护， 以及公众对健康数据使用方式的信心。

卫生和社会保障部发言人表示， 单一患者记录将是“一种安全的方式， 让NHS员工无论在何处为您提供治疗， 都能查看您的病史。这将意味着 您能获得更安全、更快速、更准确的医疗服务—— 无需每次重复您的病史。” “几乎所有NHS信托机构都已 建立了电子患者记录系统， 并获得了NHS英格兰19亿英镑的投资。 虽然部分信托机构仍保留数字和纸质 流程的混合使用，但我们将继续推广 数字化转型的益处—— 无论是对患者还是员工。”

预测乳腺癌的方法遗漏了95%的病例

彼得·查普尔，埃莉诺·海沃德

研究显示，全科医生用于预测年轻女性是否存在乳腺癌高风险的指南，遗漏了95%最终罹患该疾病的患者。

目前，50岁以下且有乳腺癌强家族史的女性可被转诊至专科医生进行进一步监测。她们可能会接受基因检测或定期筛查，以便在罹患癌症时尽早发现。

然而，剑桥大学对1,258名50岁以下女性进行的研究发现，仅通过家族史评估风险，无法识别出95%在10年内罹患乳腺癌的女性。

研究人员开发了一种新系统——该系统综合考虑家族史、生育史、生活方式和遗传因素等多种因素——发现能识别出同一年龄组中罹患乳腺癌女性人数的8倍。仅有约5至15%的乳腺癌病例发生在有家族史的女性中。

该研究发表于《英国癌症杂志》第11期，分析了“乳腺癌现在世代研究”在2004年至2011年间的数据。结果表明，若对所有50岁以下女性采用替代指南，将有26.5%被归为高风险并转诊进一步评估，而目前这一比例仅为1.4%。

更早识别出高风险人群将使医生有更大机会治疗乳腺癌，这一疾病是50岁以下女性的主要死因之一。

剑桥大学公共卫生与初级保健系的朱丽叶·厄舍-史密斯博士表示：“我们需要更好地识别出乳腺癌高风险女性，以便尽早干预。”

支持该研究的“乳腺癌现在”组织首席科学官西蒙·文森特博士表示：“寻找新方法识别高风险女性有助于预防部分乳腺癌或在治疗成功率更高的早期发现。这些发现凸显了英国国家卫生与保健优化研究所（NICE）现行转诊标准的局限性，因此该研究必须作为其家族史指南当前审查的一部分被认真考虑。”

NICE表示“欢迎该研究的发现，并认识到多因素风险模型在未来改进乳腺癌高风险女性识别方面的潜力”。但补充称，“目前的证据尚不足以支持对现行家族性乳腺癌指南进行修改”。

苏格兰场

调查 采访阿戴伊的 记者

艾玛·杨曼斯，马克·霍恩

夏洛特·奥尔特，洛里·刘易斯

伦敦警察厅花费四个月时间调查一名向剑桥大学学者发送质询邮件的记者。该学者被指控抄袭。苏格兰场去年对一名调查杰森·阿戴伊学术记录的记者提出的骚扰指控展开调查。阿戴伊是剑桥大学有史以来最年轻的黑人教授，此后被指控抄袭（他本人否认）并夸大其体育和筹款成就。

昨日，阿戴伊声称曾担任访问教授的两所大学否认其曾持有该头衔，而剑桥大学则从其员工页面上移除了关于其一个学位的介绍。据悉，阿戴伊在《泰晤士高等教育》记者杰克·格罗夫展开调查后，聘请了卡特-拉克律师事务所。该律所在致该杂志的信中称，对阿戴伊的“明显攻击”“可能……带有种族动机”。

伦敦警察厅在调查四个月后，于今年2月结案，未对格罗夫采取任何行动。格罗夫未接受警方讯问，仅在警方通知其不会采取进一步行动后才得知自己被调查。格罗夫表示：“我坚持调查阿戴伊教授的决定——我对待这篇报道的方式与其他任何报道无异。”

阿戴伊是一名教育社会学教授，此前因被指控抄袭其博士论文及部分出版物而受到审查——

大学就“反锡安主义”学者解雇案上诉失败

一所大学就一项雇佣法庭裁决提起上诉后败诉，该裁决认定该大学基于一名学者的反锡安主义信仰对其构成歧视。戴维·米勒（David Miller）于2021年10月因批评以色列的言论被布里斯托大学解雇，此前该校的纪律听证会认定他未达到预期的“行为标准”。这位曾任政治社会学教授的讲师随即提起雇佣法庭诉讼，指控大学不公平解雇、违反合同以及基于宗教或信仰的歧视或打击报复。

2024年，法庭裁定布里斯托大学基于米勒的反锡安主义信仰对其构成歧视，并认定其解雇属不公平且非法。法庭还认定，米勒应获得的赔偿金额——目前尚未确定——应因其“对自身解雇负有‘共同过错’”而减半，理由是他于2021年在三个场合发表了关于犹太学生和学生团体的言论。法庭进一步认定，由于米勒于2023年8月在社交媒体上发布的帖子，大学有30%的可能性会在2023年10月前合法解雇他。

该大学对上述裁决提起上诉，并于去年11月在雇佣上诉法庭辩称，米勒的反锡安主义信仰属于政治信仰，因此不受《平等法》保护。大学还主张，法庭错误地支持了不公平解雇的指控，且由于米勒的“共同过错”，其赔偿金应被免除。

在昨日公布的裁决中，上诉法庭庭长费尔利勋爵（Lord Fairley）表示——

学术研究人员杰森·阿代（Jason Arday）教授被指控抄袭。其学术履历存在多处疑点：其个人简历存档版本显示，他在耶稣学院及剑桥大学教育学院的页面上列有四个学位——文学学士、两个文学硕士及博士学位。然而，其在利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学（即其博士就读院校）获得的教育学研究文学硕士学位记录已从相关页面中删除。剑桥大学教育学院的页面上，阿代自称曾任格拉斯哥大学教育学院访问教授，但该校予以否认。格拉斯哥大学发言人表示：“我确认阿代教授并非我校访问教授。”当被问及阿代是否曾担任该职时，发言人告诉《先驱报》，阿代“从未担任过我校访问教授”。

阿代的简历还称其曾任俄亥俄州立大学多元化与包容性办公室访问教授。该校表示，其记录中并无阿代受聘的记录，包括访问教授身份。发言人称：“记录无法显示个人是否以非雇佣身份到访。”阿代自称曾任访问教授的办公室已于去年关闭。

本周一，纳米科学家、剑桥大学沃尔夫森学院院长伊杰奥玛·乌切布（Ijeoma Uchegbu）教授撤回了对阿代的支持。此前，她曾签署由“良法项目”（Good Law Project）发起的公开信支持阿代，但其名字已于上周末被移除。多名学者表示，阿代被指控的抄袭及学术不端行为——

![教授杰森·阿代被指控抄袭。左图为其回忆录]

阿戴否认学术欺诈，称自己犯了错误，但并非虚构者。他承认作品中存在错误，表示自己应对此负责，但“绝不是骗子”。

他此前对《泰晤士报》表示：“我对自己犯的错误负责。我自己承担责任，其他人也应追究我的责任。我们讨论的是学术界。我没有杀人。我认为我所经历的残酷对待，以及将我描绘成这种骗子和虚构者的做法，完全无法接受。”

阿戴还被指夸大其生活经历，包括声称在六天内跑了600英里，并为慈善事业筹集了超过500万英镑。他告诉《泰晤士报》，自己并未筹集所有款项，而是参与了一个由约100人组成的团队，并承认“我本可以更加明确地纠正这一说法”。

周一，WaterAid慈善机构对阿戴关于在南美洲和西非“安装供水点”的说法提出质疑，称该机构从未派遣志愿者出国。

利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学（其授予阿戴博士学位）和剑桥大学对抄袭指控进行了调查，均未发现任何不当行为。

阿戴被要求置评。

上诉法庭驳回了米勒的大部分上诉，称其“未发现有充分理由仅因本案原告所持信念涉及可能广义上也可归类为‘政治’的社会重要议题，就将其排除在保护范围之外”。

费尔利表示，初审法庭认定“解雇决定带有歧视性，且超出了合理回应范围”的结论“属于合法且适当的裁决”。但上诉法庭同时裁定，初审法庭如何得出“米勒在2023年有30%可能性被合法解雇”的结论“并不明确”，此事被发回初审法庭重新审议。

米勒还就大学认定其行为不当、驳回其骚扰投诉并减少赔偿金的决定提起上诉。上诉法庭同样驳回了这些上诉。

这名学者在2019年大学的一场讲座中曾表示，犹太复国主义运动是英国助长伊斯兰恐惧症的五大支柱之一，此言引发批评。大学收到了社区安全信托慈善机构的投诉，称其讲座是“虚假、恶毒……的反犹太主义诽谤”，但调查认定米勒无需答辩。

2021年2月，米勒在一场活动中发表讲话

屏幕使用

在暑假期间 几乎无需想象力

安德鲁·埃尔森

消费事务记者

曾几何时，一个纸板箱可以变成城堡、赛车或宇宙飞船。一片荒地是丛林；餐桌下的空间则是秘密指挥部。然而，根据最新研究，面对漫长的暑假空闲时光，如今的孩子更可能要求使用屏幕，而非发挥想象力。研究发现，只有十分之一的孩子在感到无聊时会首先想到外出活动，这表明发明游戏和想象世界的艺术正被手机、平板电脑和电视所取代。孩子们现在拿起屏幕的可能性是编造故事或假扮游戏的两倍以上。当无聊来袭时，28% 的孩子表示会要求或使用电子设备，而只有 12% 的孩子会选择发明一些可玩的东西。这项由玩具品牌 Playmobil 委托进行的调查，对 2,000 名年龄在四至九岁的儿童及同等数量的家长展开，结果表明这一转变也正影响着他们对自身想象力的信心。13 14% 的六岁儿童表示他们已经停止使用想象力，而近九成孩子认为总有一天自己会因年龄过大而无法再玩假扮游戏。许多家长回忆起童年时光，那时他们会搭建堡垒、用动作玩偶上演战斗，或被告知出去自娱自乐，如今他们担心某种东西已经失去。绝大多数家长认为，当今孩子的自主发明空间更少，近三分之二的家长相信自己在同龄时更富想象力。大多数家长还表示，孩子曾喜爱的至少一种玩具或活动已部分被屏幕取代。这种担忧已进入流行文化。在最新的《玩具总动员》电影中，胡迪、巴斯光年及其他玩具伙伴发现自己不得不与一款名为“睡莲”的青蛙形平板电脑争夺孩子的注意力。然而，研究结果表明，孩子们并未完全失去对假扮游戏的兴趣。近四成孩子希望父母能更频繁地与他们一起玩假扮游戏。

名为“构建言论自由运动”的组织。他在进一步评论中批评犹太复国主义，并质疑如何确保犹太复国主义“终结”，上诉法庭表示。他还称，鼓励“伊斯兰恐惧症和反阿拉伯种族主义”是犹太复国主义的“基本”特征。米勒被指在网上发表反犹言论，并受到布里斯托犹太学生会的批评。这导致他将一些犹太学生团体称为“政治游说团体”，并称在英国学习的犹太人是“一个暴力、种族主义的外国政权从事种族清洗的政治棋子”。在随后发给一名学生记者的电子邮件中，他表示犹太复国主义“在任何社会都没有立足之地”。这些言论导致他被解雇。

第 13 页

冒充圣战分子的谋杀嫌疑人

乔治·奥德林 雅典报道

据报道，一名被控在雅典谋杀一名英国女子的阿富汗拳击手使用一次性手机，冒充圣战分子向受害者的朋友发送短信，声称因其基督教信仰而将其杀害。26岁的沙里夫·艾哈迈扎伊（Sharif Ahmadzai）在涉嫌将38岁的伊丽莎白-简·罗斯（Elisabeth-Jane Ross）的尸体装入手提箱并弃置于一栋废弃建筑后，向自己的妻子及罗斯的其他朋友发送了这些信息，警方据称已向当地媒体透露。与此同时，艾哈迈扎伊来自美国佐治亚州的妻子阿莱娜·霍尔（Alaina Hall）的家人表示，其父母反对这桩婚姻。霍尔是一名基督徒，与丈夫在雅典共同经营一家非政府组织，据称在开始怀疑艾哈迈扎伊与朋友的死亡有关后，向警方提供了关键证据。她的姑妈莉安·霍尔（Leanne Hall）表示，她65岁的哥哥托马斯（一名飞行员）及嫂子苏珊在侄女结婚前就对其丈夫心存疑虑。

她告诉《每日邮报》：“我从未见过他，只是听说过他。但我可以告诉你，我哥哥和嫂子从不希望他们结婚。”据称在谋杀罗斯后，艾哈迈扎伊被控在关闭罗斯的手机前，用其手机向她的朋友和家人发送了一系列信息。随后，他据称购买了另一部手机，并向雅典的朋友（包括霍尔）发送短信，自称是一名未透露姓名的圣战分子，因罗斯试图劝人改信基督教而将其杀害。希腊网站《Proto Thema》报道了这一消息。案件卷宗显示，艾哈迈扎伊被控窃取罗斯的银行卡，并从其账户中取出了数千欧元。法律文件称，霍尔在7月16日凌晨发现艾哈迈扎伊离家后，通过“查找我的朋友”应用程序追踪到他出现在罗斯的住处，从而开始怀疑他。

艾哈迈扎伊还给了她2,550欧元（合2,200英镑）和一部新的iPhone 17 Pro，她告诉警方，她相信这些钱和手机是用从罗斯银行账户中窃取的资金购买的。监控录像似乎显示，一名与艾哈迈扎伊外貌相符的男子在罗斯尸体被发现地点附近的基普塞利（Kypseli）街道上，平静地推着一个大型手提箱前行。

对议员的保护“支离破碎且零散”

埃德·哈尔福德

负责独立审查议员大卫·阿梅斯爵士遇害案的罗伯特·巴克兰御用大律师表示，现有的议员保护安保措施“支离破碎”且“非常零散”。该审查由政府委托进行，其职权范围已于周一由巴克兰在致内政部的信函中明确，该信函同时与阿梅斯家人分享。

阿梅斯曾担任西南恩德议员长达38年，于2021年10月在埃塞克斯郡利昂海滩被阿里·哈比·阿里刺杀21刀。阿梅斯的家人对巴克兰领导此次审查表示欢迎，称“他倾听了我们的意见，并认识到已有多少地方出了问题”。然而，阿梅斯的女儿凯蒂·阿梅斯表示，过去几年对家人而言“是一场漫长而疲惫的斗争”。

她说：“我们不得不为那些本应基于基本人道待遇提供给我们的信息而抗争。”她还表示，家人“仍然没有得到我们需要的答案，这种压力难以言表”。

在审查中，巴克兰将试图“明确列出阿梅斯家人认为仍未解决的此次事件的各个方面”。他还将审查议员在选区工作时的安保措施，“以确保民选代表的开放性得到最佳安保措施的支持，保护他们本人、家人及工作人员”。

巴克兰表示，安·威德科姆涉嫌遇害案“使人们更加关注”审查的这一部分。代表阿梅斯家人的律师尼尔·哈吉尔表示，鉴于“大卫爵士的好友安·威德科姆最近去世的情况”，此次审查“更加紧迫”。

巴克兰还将审查阿里在刺杀阿梅斯前几年的生活，并考虑“是否存在任何本应引发进一步干预或跟进的时机或事件”。

巴克兰仍然担忧议员的安保措施“非常零散”，这位前司法大臣暗示，原因可能在于“议会、内政部和皇家及专业保护部门之间的系统极为支离破碎”。

“我只是觉得这像是一锅字母汤，虽然我不主张为了设立准自治机构而设立准自治机构，但我认为这种支离破碎的做法似乎无法应对许多民选官员面临的现实威胁。”

阿里是“伊斯兰国”的狂热分子，于2022年因刺杀阿梅斯被判处终身监禁。七年前，阿里曾被政府反恐计划“预防”项目纳入关注，但其案件随后被结案。

凯蒂·阿梅斯为父亲大卫遇害后争取信息

悬赏寻找被刺杀电影制作人的线索

大卫·布朗 首席新闻记者

警方正悬赏£20,000，寻找一名涉嫌致命刺杀21岁电影制作人芬巴尔·沙利文（Finbar Sullivan）的男子。

沙利文今年4月在伦敦北部皇家公园——櫻草山（Primrose Hill）的观景点测试新相机时，遭到反复刺杀。

三名来自伦敦北部恩菲尔德（Enfield）的男子已被控谋杀沙利文。第四名男子因涉嫌袭击沙利文的朋友安德鲁·埃格布尼克（Andrew Egbunike）并导致其需接受大手术，被控严重身体伤害。审判定于明年4月在老贝利（Old Bailey）法庭进行。

警方昨日宣布悬赏£20,000，寻求能协助追踪22岁的乔丹·阿西耶（Jordan Asije）的线索，阿西耶来自伦敦北部。

负责此案的侦缉督察安迪·格里芬（Andy Griffin）表示：“我们已在了解导致这一悲剧的事件方面取得重大进展。

to trace Jordan

north London

沙里夫·艾哈迈德扎伊（Sharif Ahmadzai）与其美国妻子阿莱娜·霍尔（Alaina Hall）。这名阿富汗拳击手被指控杀害来自爱丁堡的伊丽莎白-简·罗斯（Elisabeth-Jane Ross）。

艾哈迈德扎伊4岁时父亲在塔利班伏击中被枪杀。五年后，他的哥哥被塔利班绑架，当他15岁时，他的母亲、哥哥和妹妹在一起自杀式汽车炸弹袭击中丧生。据该网站称，艾哈迈德扎伊不得不辨认兄弟姐妹的遗体，该网站称。 他和霍尔据悉通过志愿工作结识了罗斯，后者也是一名基督教志愿者。警方消息人士称，受害者生前居住的雅典公寓与某组织有关联，艾哈迈德扎伊及其妻子能够进入该处。 彼得·安德森（Peter Anderson）牧师在爱丁堡“山上之城”（City on a Hill）教会告诉信众——伊丽莎白-简·罗斯（Lisa）已在此教会做了20年成员——她的一生“全都奉献给了传教事业”。他表示，她的去世是“一个极其悲惨的损失”。 罗斯于6月26日抵达雅典，此前她几乎每年都会来到这座城市，为非政府组织和慈善机构做志愿者。她的遗体于7月18日被发现。 安德森在一则在线信息中表示：“对我们教会来说，这是非常艰难的一周。我们失去了一位珍贵的教会成员——丽莎。她是我们教会20年的成员，是一位非常珍贵的女孩，这是一个极其悲惨的损失。 “我们失去了一位非常珍贵的教会成员，一位真正认识上帝、信靠耶稣、知道终有一天会站在祂面前的成员，一位将生命奉献给传教事业的成员，我们非常想念她。”

[沙利文的]悲剧性死亡。警方现悬赏高达£20,000，鼓励公众提供协助。

这名警官直接向通缉犯喊话：“乔丹，如果你正在看这条消息，我恳请你做正确的事，自首。

Police are trying

Asije, from

“我还想明确指出，任何故意协助乔丹的人……可能正在触犯刑事罪行。” 沙利文以制作钻研说唱（drill rap）音乐人的音乐视频而闻名。他的父亲克里斯托弗（65岁）发誓将余生奉献给对独子的纪念。克里斯托弗是20世纪80年代乐队“Blue Rondo à la Turk”的创始人，也是伦敦市中心Soho区“Wag Club”的创办人。

第14页

高龄冒险家 贝蒂·布罗梅奇（Betty Bromage），97岁，在格洛斯特郡赛伦塞斯特附近再次打破自己保持的全球最年长女性机翼行走者世界纪录。这是她十年来的第六次机翼行走。

旅行者被警告不要 轻信酒店的Wi-Fi网络，因俄罗斯 黑客被发现劫持了这些网络。 与克里姆林宫有关联的团体已 入侵美国、印度和沙特阿拉伯的 Wi-Fi网络，以感染电脑间谍软件， 并将用户引导至恶意网站。 微软将这一名为“CaptiveCrunch”的行动 归因于“舒适熊”（Cozy Bear）， 该组织与俄罗斯对外情报部门 有关联。网络安全公司ReliaQuest表示， 此次黑客攻击具有“奇幻熊”（Fancy Bear）的特征， 后者与军事情报部门有关联。 黑客入侵了酒店、会议中心及其他 机构的Wi-Fi登录页面，从而能够 将用户重定向至假网站以窃取登录 凭证。Wi-Fi用户会收到弹出消息， 声称其网络浏览器需要“手动更新”。 下载的软件可窃取密码、开启电脑 摄像头和麦克风，并窃取令牌， 使黑客无需代码即可访问网络。 建议旅行者使用虚拟专用网络（VPN） 连接互联网，或使用移动热点。

英国制造：乌克兰无人艇

查理·帕克

曾重创俄罗斯黑海舰队的无人艇 正在英国建造，以帮助英国皇家海军 对抗克里姆林宫的军舰、潜艇和 影子船队油轮。 乌克兰国防企业Uforce的自杀式海上无人艇 已摧毁十余艘俄罗斯军舰，该公司 昨日发布了一款新型舰艇，旨在帮助 “让英国重新成为海军超级大国”。 MV7上月首次从英国南部海岸的 一个未公开地点下水。该舰艇仿照 乌克兰著名的“马古拉”（Magura） 无人水面舰艇（USV）设计，后者 被广泛用于对俄罗斯目标的海上攻击， 可在大西洋远程执行打击和侦察任务。 总部现设在伦敦的Uforce表示， 他们结合了前线无人艇操作员和 英国一级方程式赛车工程师的专业知识， 以使舰艇适应更具挑战性的海洋作战环境。 Uforce首席执行官奥列格·罗金斯基 （Oleg Rogynskyy）告诉《泰晤士报》， 该公司在“几乎击沉黑海所有可击沉目标”后 将业务拓展至英国。 在俄罗斯发动全面入侵数月后， 乌克兰军队使用国产反舰导弹和无人艇 击沉了俄舰队旗舰“莫斯科”号， 并迫使俄海军全面撤退。 英国武装部队负责人理查德·奈顿爵士 昨日称赞乌克兰展示了“一个没有海军的国家 如何通过创造性和勇敢地使用海上无人艇， 中和强大的俄罗斯黑海舰队”。 罗金斯基表示，乌克兰政府支持 Uforce向西方市场扩张。该公司三年前 在英国设立办事处后，开始从零开始 开发MV7，以满足英国皇家海军及其 北约伙伴的不同需求。 罗金斯基称，这些舰艇需执行的任务 比乌克兰部队在黑海通常执行的单程打击 “复杂100倍”。MV7必须更具可重复使用性， 并能在海上停留数周，执行多种任务， 包括猎杀潜艇、保护海底电缆和 风力发电场免遭破坏。 他补充称，MV7在英国皇家海军中的 一项主要任务可能是拦截进入英国水域的 俄罗斯军舰或受制裁的影子船队油轮。 MV7海上无人艇

酒店Wi-Fi被黑警告

提醒旅客

马克·塞尔曼 技术记者

无人机最适合以集群方式部署， 每架配备不同功能。一架可携带 600公斤C4炸药，另一架则配备 一系列传感器。罗金斯基认为， “英国重新成为海上超级大国的 唯一途径”是通过增强舰队， 配备“大量无人自主舰船系统”。 今年3月，Uforce宣布全球发布， 并完成$50 million种子轮融资， 称其为英国国防初创企业规模最大的融资。 该公司表示，此轮投资使公司估值 超过10亿美元。

第15页

A

愿原力

与威尔士 同在

“Boed i’r Grym fod gyda chi.” 虽然不如“愿原力与你同在”那样朗朗上口， 但很快，讲威尔士语的《星球大战》粉丝 将能用母语观看这部电影（亚历克斯·法伯 writes）。 《星球大战：新希望》的威尔士语版本 《Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd》将于 圣诞节在威尔士语频道S4C播出。 曾出演Netflix惊悚剧《The Beast in Me》的 马修·瑞斯将在配音版中为汉·索罗配音。 曾出演《浴血黑帮》和《慢马》的艾梅- 菲昂·爱德华兹饰演莱娅公主。 其他威尔士演员阵容包括： 里斯·伊凡斯饰演欧比旺·克诺比， 奥西安·摩根饰演卢克·天行者， 以及曾出演《最后的绝地武士》的 马克·刘易斯·琼斯饰演达斯·维达。 该项目由迪士尼和卢卡斯影业制作， 卢卡斯影业联席总裁林文·布伦南 在威尔士出生长大， 与威尔士政府合作。 布伦南表示，威尔士语是一种 “优美、抒情的语言”， 她希望能让观众回味无穷。“我们从未

批评者称画廊公民不懂艺术

埃德·哈尔福德

国家美术馆正斥资£250,000，邀请无艺术经验的公众成员为画廊的未来出谋划策。此举被艺术界内部人士斥为“疯狂至极”。这一名为“NG公民”的公民大会于去年年底启动。国家美术馆成为英国首家允许无艺术专业知识、甚至可能从未到访过的公众影响其决策的大型博物馆。

该大会由50名16岁及以上的英国公民组成，由“抽签基金会”通过公民抽签方式选出。遴选过程包括向15,000户家庭发出邀请，并组建一个能够“反映英国广泛多样性的群体，包括此前从未与画廊有过接触的个人”。

大会成员的职责包括提出“应对未来挑战所需的变革”，并就“如何落实和扩展画廊现有未来规划”提供新思路。成员对画作的买卖或可能导致现有建筑发生重大变化的提议不具影响力。在首年，大会共召开5次会议。

82,岁的英国艺术观察组织（ArtWatch UK）主任迈克尔·戴利自1963,年以来一直关注国家美术馆的运作，他称这一大会“疯狂至极”，并将其比作“让蔬果商花费巨资进行调查，以决定该卖什么蔬菜”。戴利补充道：“这更可能是一种先发制人的花招，为他们原本就想做的事情寻找合理化依据。”

国家美术馆馆长加布里埃莱·菲纳尔迪爵士对《泰晤士报》表示：“作为国家藏品的守护者，我们为NG公民在推动我们将公众与画作相连这一核心使命中发挥的开创性作用感到自豪。虽然策展、研究和项目规划的专业能力仍是我们工作的核心，但我们认为与全英国观众建立更深联系同样重要。”

该项目的成本也受到保守党议员查理·德怀斯特的质疑。此前，文化部长伊恩·默里在下议院表示“公民大会的预算总成本预计在2025年至2029年的五年间为£250,000”。德怀斯特对《泰晤士报》表示，他对国家美术馆的发展方向感到“担忧”，因其过于依赖不具艺术评估资质的公民意见。他说：“我认为，参与国家美术馆工作的人应当是全国艺术领域的顶尖专家，因此——”

威尔士首席部长表示，《星球大战》是他童年时期最具影响力的电影之一。“这部电影的魅力历久弥新，至今仍吸引着观众，”他说道。“看到这部经典影片被译制成威尔士语版本，并由我们最优秀的演员参与配音，实在令人振奋。”

威尔士与《星球大战》系列的联系不止于此。1979年，为拍摄《星球大战：帝国反击战》，一艘完整的千年隼号太空船曾在彭布罗克船坞建造。2024年，电视剧《星球大战：学徒》的部分场景在威尔士多个地点取景，包括布雷肯比肯斯山脉。

《星球大战》系列电影已被译制成50多种语言。2024, 《新希望》被翻译成奥吉布韦语——一种北美同名原住民使用的语言。该社区希望此举能有助于保护这一语言，其使用者主要分布在加拿大的马尼托巴省和安大略省，以及美国的明尼苏达州。

前一年，德国开姆尼茨工业大学的一项研究发现，人们在日常交流中常使用“尤达”（Yoda）、“绝地”（Jedi）、“学徒”（Padawan）和“光剑”（lightsaber）等词汇，甚至在做坏事时会说“转向黑暗面”。这些词汇均已被收录进《牛津英语词典》，其中“尤达”一词于2016年首次入选。

S4C首席执行官杰兰特·埃文斯表示，此次项目“万事俱备”。“这是一个绝佳的机会，能在国际舞台上推广威尔士语及我们才华横溢的演员，”他说道。“这也与我们的战略相契合，即通过优质内容扩大观众群，并助力用威尔士语制作电影。”

代表画廊参观者做出决策。我们需要展示的不应仅仅是梵高这样的名家，还应包括不同时代和世代的其他重要艺术家，而我认为公民议会并不适合承担这一职责。”他表示，公民议会引发了更广泛的担忧，即这是否是“摒弃传统主义”这一更大计划的一部分。

“抽签基金会”也在倡导以“公民院”取代上议院。戴利呼吁受托人辞职，并称公民议会助长了艺术界“一切都必须听起来或看起来——即便不是实际上——进步”的风气。

公众参与的做法在其他地方也已得到尝试。2024年，伯明翰博物馆信托基金会成立了首个博物馆公民陪审团，召集了26名随机选出的居民，共同探讨该市文化空间的未来角色。

严格评判

在西班牙之行中遭遇袭击

彼得·查普尔

《舞动奇迹》（Strictly Come Dancing）评委克雷格·雷维尔·霍伍德讲述了自己年轻时在度假期间遭遇剃刀袭击和抢劫的经历。61岁的霍伍德在马德里被抢走珠宝。在与联合主持人、同为BBC节目评委的安东·杜·贝克共同录制的《评头论足》（Judgemental）播客中，他回忆了自己23岁时在西班牙首都的经历。

霍伍德说：“我去马德里度假时被刺伤，那感觉真好，而且天气热得要命。我的珠宝也被偷了，他们把我的项链从脖子上扯下来，还留下了一大片灼伤的痕迹。”

“用的是剃刀……我被划伤了……[在]肚子上，从夜店回家的路上，当时大概是凌晨2点，不过这很正常，你通常10点或11点才出去吃晚饭。”

“我记得我在巴黎丽都夜总会跳舞，然后去马德里度假，结果那次度假以惨剧收场。”霍伍德补充道，“回去的时候，我还被脱衣搜身。我当时没刮胡子，看起来有点狼狈，身上有刀伤，脖子上全是被袭击时留下的灼伤痕迹。然后法国人把我脱得一丝不挂……他们在找毒品。”

《布袋娃娃》（Clangers）和《巴格普斯》（Bagpuss）作品拍出£400,000

彼得·弗明（Bagpuss和Clangers的联合创作者）的艺术作品在拍卖会上以超过£400,000的价格成交。

这位英国木偶师的约500幅画作、书籍和收藏品在坎特伯雷拍卖行举行的为期两天的拍卖会上全部售出。

这是迄今为止弗明艺术品最大规模的一次拍卖，大部分拍品的成交价远高于估价。一幅有巴兹尔·布拉什（Basil Brush）与鼹鼠交谈的签名画作拍出£6,000。其估价为£120至£160。

拍卖会上还展出了多幅《布袋娃娃》（Clangers）的彩色画作，这些画描绘了来自神秘星球的针织外星人。一幅“小布袋娃娃”（Tiny Clanger）在铁鸡巢中的插图售出£3,900。

动画系列《诺金与诺格》（Noggin the Nog）的作品也在拍卖之列。其中包括反派诺格巴德（Nogbad the Bad）向冰龙开炮的插图，这幅画拍出£4,200。

其他作品还包括《巴格普斯》（Bagpuss）中加布里埃尔蟾蜍（Gabriel the Toad）的机械模型，售价£4,200，以及巴格普斯本人与朋友艾米丽（Emily）和啄木鸟教授亚弗尔（Professor Yaffle）的合影画作，拍出£1,600。

弗明于2018年去世，他与木偶师奥利弗·波斯特盖特（Oliver Postgate）共同创立了制作公司Smallfilms。他们的首部热门作品是1959年的《艾弗火车头》（Ivor The Engine）。第一幅手绘的火车头漫画条拍出£940。

第16页

农场挣扎避免最差收成，新水库被迫排空

本·库克 环境记者

干旱条件迫使萨福克的农民排空了一座价值£3 million的大型水库，英国今年的收成预计将创下历史最差纪录。萨福克郡22,500英亩埃尔维登庄园的经理不得不动用相当于近200个奥运会游泳池容量的水来防止作物歉收——几乎耗尽了去年刚刚建成的一座巨型水库。

种植麦当劳用洋葱、土豆和胡萝卜的农场管理董事安德鲁·布伦基伦表示，今年夏天“极其艰难”。他补充说，要从水井和另外两座几乎干涸的水库中获取足够的灌溉用水“将非常紧张”。

“过去五年中，我们已有三年遭遇这种情况，最大的风险是如果冬季干旱，明年我们将面临非常严重的问题。确实需要大量降雨才能产生显著改善。”

今年夏天异常干燥的天气已导致英格兰一半地区陷入干旱，今年收成的预期大幅下调。布伦基伦7月完成谷物收割时，其冬大麦产量比平均水平低30%。

目前英国已收割54%的小麦田，预计将生产19.4 million tonnes谷物和油籽作物——比1984, 有记录以来的平均水平减少400万吨，比2020, （有记录以来最差收成）还少400,000。

“我们习惯了应对缺水和大自然带来的任何挑战，”他补充道。

农业与园艺发展委员会的最新预测显示，谷物收成将比预期减少2.5 million tonnes

叔父称飞行员死里逃生是奇迹

一名退休老人因“极度沮丧和睡眠不足”用机油和洗涤剂杀死了邻居的锦鲤，并破坏了一台水泵，法庭获悉。来自伦敦北部的76岁的格里·达菲（Gerry Duffy）因邻居鱼塘水泵的噪音“被逼得完全失去理智”。达菲曾警告安德烈亚斯·普托希德斯（Andreas Ptohides），如果他不采取措施解决噪音问题，他将亲自动手。这位退休建筑工人在伦敦威尔斯登治安法院出庭受审当天承认损坏了鱼塘、鱼、水泵和管道。控方律师沙希德·伊夫塔哈（Shahid Iftakhar）告诉法庭，达菲杀死了普托希德斯的“五六条”锦鲤，并可能造成了£565的损失。“被告此前曾向原告投诉过花园传来的噪音，并表示过类似‘如果你不处理，我会处理’的话——事发前曾有警告，”他说。伊夫塔哈补充说，达菲被监控录像拍到“爬进原告的花园并损坏了水管和水泵”。辩护律师埃利奥特·斯特恩（Elliott Stern）表示，他的当事人曾试图在不杀死鱼的情况下解决纠纷。“这名男子完全被噪音逼疯了，他多次与原告交涉，”他说。“他们最初表示会停止水泵运转，但后来又改口说这对鱼不好。”法庭获悉，一名环境官员来到达菲家中，告诉他要么“搬家，要么关上窗户”。“出于极度沮丧和睡眠不足，达菲先生一反常态地失去理智，实施了各种破坏行为，”斯特恩说。达菲承认了三项损坏财物罪和一项非法毁坏鱼类罪，被判处两年有条件释放。他还被命令向普托希德斯支付£565的赔偿金。

谢玛·巴赫特（Shayma Bakht）、约翰·西德尔（John Siddle）

安西·卡拉萨瓦（Anthee Carassava）雅典报道

一名在希腊扑灭山火时坠机的英国飞行员的家人称，他在直升机爆炸前几秒钟死里逃生是“奇迹般的”。48岁的安德鲁·哈钦森（Andrew Hutchinson）被亲属确认为在雅典以西40英里处两架直升机相撞事故中的幸存者。一名丹麦飞行员和一名希腊消防局联络官遇难。哈钦森是一名空中消防员，在北约克郡诺萨勒顿经营一家直升机公司。哈钦森的叔叔迈克尔·哈钦森（Michael Hutchinson）在诺萨勒顿接受《泰晤士报》采访时称他的生还“堪称奇迹”，并补充说：“没有多少飞行员能在失去旋翼的情况下将直升机降落。”相撞画面显示，一架贝尔直升机从另一架下方升起，撞上其旋翼叶片。一架飞机起火坠入峡谷，另一架则急速下降。据信，这架直升机在无动力的情况下坠毁于茂密的树林中，哈钦森告诉家人，他和同行的希腊消防协调员在飞机起火前逃生。他的叔叔说：“他在树林里坠机严重，但及时逃了出来。他的手机被烧毁了，他把手机留在了飞机上。他和同行的官员在直升机爆炸前几秒钟逃了出来。”哈钦森育有三个孩子，严重坠机后现正在手术后康复。

萨福克郡埃尔维登庄园的300万英镑水池由安德鲁·布伦基伦（Andrew Blenkiron，左）管理，正面临水源枯竭的问题。

春季。能源与气候情报组织（ECIU）的分析师估计，这将使农民损失高达300 万英镑90百万。除非收成在收割季后期有所好转，2026年可能超越2020年，成为有记录以来最糟糕的收成年。即使收成有所好转，今年也可能成为有记录以来五个最差收成年份之一——其中除一个年份外，

自2020年以来发生的变化。

来自剑桥郡的谷物农民、自然友好农业网络首席执行官马丁·莱恩斯（Martin Lines）将今年的收成描述为“当头一棒”。

“连续两年收成惨淡后，今年的作物在春季看起来长势良好、充满潜力，但数月的干旱和热浪摧毁了任何获得好收成的希望。

“就连我认识的那些对气候变化持怀疑态度的农民，现在也说他们真的很担心未来的生计和产量。”

目前正在雅典接受背部手术后的康复治疗。预计他不久将被接回英国。

74岁的迈克尔·哈钦森（Michael Hutchinson）说：“有一次我和他一起飞行，他正在练习自转着陆[直升机在无动力情况下降落]。他说，‘我就关掉发动机’。我说，‘什么？’然后他关掉发动机，安全降落了。

“他开直升机已经很久了。他非常谨慎，知道自己在做什么。”

哈钦森来自一个农民家庭，在意外决定从事航空事业后自学了飞行。他的叔叔回忆说，他曾宣布要去伦敦参加体检。

他说：“我以为他是要考重型货车驾照。他说，‘不，我要学开直升机。’然后他真的做到了。所有费用都是他自己支付的。”

当被问及这场事故是否会让他的侄子停止飞行时，他回答说：“不会。他不会停下来的。什么也阻止不了他。”

伦敦帝国理工学院的一项研究发现，6月的38°C热浪“毫无疑问”是由气候变化引起的。

ECIU的农业分析师汤姆·兰开斯特（Tom Lancaster）表示：“农业现在是受气候变化及其带来的风险和损害影响最大的行业。

“英国农业正面临陷入气候‘厄运循环’的危险，因为反复的冲击削弱了农民种植来年作物的能力。我们绿意盎然、宜人的土地正在变成一片干旱且日益低产的——”

四人因“恶劣”大规模倾倒废物被拘留

环境署表示，四名男子因在大曼彻斯特威根的一个地点进行“恶劣”的大规模废物倾倒而被捕。官员称，博尔顿豪斯路（Bolton House Road）附近的居民不得不忍受难闻的气味，去年夏天一场火灾还导致学校关闭。两名来自威根的男子，分别为41岁和35岁，以及一名来自利兹的24岁男子和一名来自利物浦的59岁男子，因环境犯罪、欺诈和洗钱罪被捕。环境署表示，这名来自利兹的24岁男子还因在莱斯特郡肖威尔附近的“卡夫斯因洞穴遗址”（Cave’s Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest）非法倾倒废物而被捕。一名来自伯明翰地区的58岁男子此前于5月因与该地点非法倾倒废物有关而被捕。

安迪·伯纳姆承诺，在他任期内不会对有组织的废物犯罪视而不见，并表示家庭不得不与垃圾的海洋共处，无法逃避垃圾场的气味。政府已宣布将直接资助博尔顿豪斯路地点的清理工作，入口已用混凝土块封堵，以防止更多废物倾倒。威根议会正在寻找专业承包商进行清理。大曼彻斯特、兰开夏郡和西约克郡警方的警员在环境署的支持下展开行动，环境署国家环境犯罪调查组正主导此次调查。被捕后，伯纳姆表示：“环境署和警方今天的行动只是开始。轻松赚钱的日子……已经结束。”环境大臣安吉拉·伊格尔女爵士表示：“博尔顿豪斯路和卡夫斯因洞穴遗址的恶劣废物倾倒行为公然无视当地社区。”

第17页

邻居因池塘噪音纠纷杀鱼

JAMES LINSELL CLARK / SWNS Lowri Lewis

深海巨兽

当海格特池塘（Highgate Pond）的游泳者们清晨下水时，他们已经习惯看到工党动物园中的各种物种。其中有“愤怒部长”（Minister Furiosus），也就是埃德·米利班德，据可靠消息称，他的游泳姿势是蛙泳和狗刨式的奇特混合体。这一景象足以让旁观者呛到他们的培根三明治，不过这也许是对这位本人的致敬。现在，另一个标本出现在了现场。不常见的彼得·曼德尔森（Princeps Tenebrarum）也开始在24摄氏度的水中游泳。与米利班德相比，曼迪的游泳风格被比作鳗鱼——滑溜、难以捉摸，且在被激怒时会咬人。

不受约束的小猫 随着孩子长大，我发现自己开始从一位经验丰富、尽管不寻常的来源寻求育儿建议。“你在汽车座椅上做了什么？”我向前保守党议员雅各布·里斯-莫格（六个孩子的父亲）问道，当我

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk / @timesdiary

怀疑他的劳斯莱斯 没有配备儿童安全座椅接口（Isofix）。 确实，当莫格家的孩子们 还很小的时候，他们的父亲不得不 放弃他最喜欢的车，改用 路虎，因为后者提供了 必要的安全功能。然而， 当孩子们长到足够大时，他发现了一个 法律漏洞。“如果你开一辆 没有配备安全带的老爷车， 他们就可以坐在后座，”他说。 “这省了很多时间。”我期待着告诉妻子， 一辆经典宾利能通过 成本效益分析。

有人批评安迪·伯纳姆 在担任首相仅两周后就休假， 但休假很重要，而且他接任最高职位前 也一直在努力工作。正如《犹太新闻》的李·哈平所说： “当然，伯纳姆值得休假—— 他为首相一职至少准备了18个月。”

哈曼的男性问题 工党在任命女性领导人方面仍然举步维艰， 前副党魁哈丽雅特·哈曼认为是时候采取极端措施了。 “下次男性不能参选领导人，”她说， 并补充称她将要求工党内任何有潜力的男性议员 推迟他们的政治抱负。后半部分看起来有些乐观， 因为至少有一位工党年轻男性议员 上个月才刚刚推迟了自己的领导梦想。 哈曼的“无男性规则”还存在另一个问题。 它被2010年平等法所禁止， 而这部法律正是由H·哈曼本人推动的。

在悼念罗德·利德尔的文章中， 我收到了一位前《旁观者》员工的故事， 生动展现了这位专栏作家独特的幽默感。 当利德尔迟交稿件时， 他知道这会给负责编辑的小编带来不便。 于是，利德尔编造了一个至少能让他们 有谈资的借口。“抱歉稿子晚了，兄弟，” 他说，“我和女友吵了一架， 争论我到底是不是天才。”

杰克·布莱克本

科学揭示生命爆发的

核心机制

Rhys Blakely 科学编辑 这一时期的粪化石（coprolites）为人所知。然而，在寒武纪，出现了化石化的粪便。研究指出，随后这些粪便逐渐变得更大、更多样且分布更广。作者追踪了一系列事件链：动物进化出了更复杂的肠道，并产生了越来越多的废物。这将有机物和营养物质带入更深的海域，使得生命能够在此前荒芜的区域繁衍生息。 这有助于创造出让更大且更复杂的动物能够茁壮成长的条件。而这些动物反过来又产生了更多的废物，从而建立起一个反馈循环，催生出更加复杂的生物和食物链。 “除了氧气水平的上升和其他促成因素外，粪便在古代生态系统中的重要性经常被忽视，”澳大利亚阿德莱德弗林德斯大学的进化生物学家 Russell Bicknell 博士表示。 研究人员审查了全球 36 处沉积物的证据，包括澳大利亚、中国和北美的遗址。这些证据涵盖了从微小的颗粒到直径数厘米的粪化石。其尺寸和多样性的增加与更高效消化系统的发展相吻合。 这场“排泄物大爆发”的结果在今天依然可见。在现代海洋中，粪便颗粒是某种机制的一部分，该机制将有机碳和营养物质从阳光照射的表层水域带入深海。

科学家们发现了一种被忽视的力量，它是地球历史上最重要的事件之一背后的推手：一场发生在 5.4 亿年前的“粪便革命”，它帮助塑造了我们所认知的动物生命。 一项研究表明，这场革命涉及一些最早的生物向古代海洋排放的排泄物数量增加。 科学家们认为，这反过来在推动寒武纪大爆发中发挥了关键但很大程度上未被认可的作用。寒武纪大爆发是一个相对短暂的时期，在此期间，生命变得戏剧性地更加复杂，且今天可见的大多数动物类群开始出现在化石记录中。 捕食者、食腐动物和具有硬壳的动物变得更加普遍，食物链变得更加复杂，许多现代生态系统的架构开始出现。 为了解释这一转变，科学家们经常关注海中氧气水平的上升，但该研究认为，另一个因素一直隐藏在显而易见的地方——或者更准确地说，保存在古老的岩石中。 这项发表在《趋势生态学与进化》（Trends in Ecology & Evolution）上的研究检查了被称为粪化石的化石化排泄物。 第一批动物出现在大约 6 亿年前，即所谓的埃迪卡拉期，但关于完整消化系统的令人信服的证据非常稀少，且没有确认的

第 18 页

迷失大海 《Anything Goes》在康沃尔郡波思库诺的露天米纳克剧院拥有真实的航海背景

商业伙伴因未能注册其公司而被罚款， Sanchez Manning 和 Matthew Young 撰文

聆听《Lifelines》

作者：Julian Hoffman

Times+ 会员可以下载由 Julian Hoffman 创作的有声书《Lifelines》，这是一部关于在希腊北部的普雷斯帕重新开始生活的抒情记录。故事背景设定在湖泊、山脉和石头村庄之间，讲述了作者及其妻子如何建立一种由野生动物、社区和对家园的寻找所塑造的生活。 访问 thetimes.com / timesplus

DAVID DAVIES / PA Ofsted 针对非法儿童护理之家采取行动

Rita Ora、Damian Marley 以及牙买加雷鬼组合 Chaka Demus and Pliers 只是音乐家兼儿童护理之家负责人 Davidson Lynch-Shyllon 声称曾合作过的艺术家中的一部分。Lynch-Shyllon 是一名使用艺名 Silvastone 的词曲作者和制作人，他在其在线专业简介中描述了他是如何将对“音乐的热情”与致力于服务年轻人的精神相结合的。他写道：“除了我的音乐事业，我还深入参与到支持和培养年轻人的工作中。”然而，尽管他自称心怀善意，但 44 岁的 Lynch-Shyllon 及其商业伙伴 47 岁的 Miriam Ekhator 因非法经营未注册的儿童住宅护理之家而被罚款超过 £100,000。他们的案件标志着监管儿童服务的 Ofsted 首次进行此类刑事起诉。这对经营 Catalyst Care 公司的男女多次收到 Ofsted 的信函，警告他们因未注册儿童之家而违法，但他们仍继续在未注册的情况下运营。在 2022 年至 2025 年期间，这些护理之家从肯特郡的议会获得了超过 £1.800 万 的儿童安置费用。今年 3 月，在伦敦南部的克罗伊登治安法院，Lynch-Shyllon 和 Ekhator 承认了十项指控，即在 2022 年至 2025 年期间经营未注册的儿童之家并安置了九名儿童。昨天，他们被罚款 £92,400，并被命令支付总计 £2,960 的受害者附加费以及 £17,250 的诉讼费用。两人还被取消了管理儿童之家或在儿童之家中拥有财务利益的资格。Ofsted 首席督察 Sir Martyn Oliver 表示，这一结果发出了“一个明确的信号，即在法律之外运营将承担后果”。

Catalyst Care 在其网站上将自己描述为“一家私人住宿和支持提供商”。它声称由“一个在社会护理领域拥有超过 30 年综合经验的专业团队”领导。在听证会上，法院被告知该公司的营业额已从 2021 年的 £190,000 增长到 2024 年的 £955,000。在指控期间，Lynch-Shyllon 和 Ekhator 各获得了 £193,000 的分红。控方 Daisy Wrigley 在量刑听证会上表示：“我们不知道那笔（从议会收到的）£1.800 万 去了哪里。”然而，辩方 Musa Raji 在减轻处罚的陈述中表示，合伙人们经历了“财务崩溃”。法院被告知，Ekhator 目前依靠通用信贷生活，而 Lynch-Shyllon 每月赚取约 £1,500，此外还有来自音乐的偶尔收入。Raji 表示，公司向议会收取的费用对于有复杂需求的儿童来说是标准价格，包括某些需要四名护理员照顾一名儿童的情况。法官 Sushil Kumar 指出，两名违规者品行良好，并收到了他们曾照顾的儿童及其父母的“极高”评价。

该案件涉及肯特郡的三处房产。一名住在其中一个护理之家隔壁、位于一个破旧贫困地区的邻居回忆起 Lynch-Shyllon 和 Ekhator 是“一种麻烦”。她说：“我没有觉得他们住在那里——但他们经常出入那栋房子。他会在半夜出现，坐在车里大声地用他的蓝牙扬声器说话。”Lynch-Shyllon 告诉《泰晤士报》，他和 Ekhator 确实尝试向 Ofsted 注册他们的护理设施。他说：“他们 [Ofsted] 23 个月都没有回复我们。我们收到了来自法官、来自法院的信函，要求我们照顾年轻人，由于工作量太大，我们被搞糊涂了。”Lynch-Shyllon 表示，他和 Ekhator 被引导认为他们被允许照顾年轻人。“梅德韦议会给了我们书面确认，说你们可以照顾这些

“人们在那里住了28天，”他说道。“我们是在认为这样做没问题的情况下执行的。”他坚持认为：“我们决定这么做并不是为了某种快速发财的计划。有无数经过我们这里的年轻人至今仍在联系我们寻求帮助。但他们[地方当局]利用了我们，而现在他们简直是把我们给抛弃了。我们并不像那些把孩子安置在大篷车里的非法之家之类的情况。”教育标准局（Ofsted）确认，Catalyst Care曾在2023年尝试注册一家儿童之家，并在2025年尝试注册另一家，但申请并不完整。在2021-22年期间与Catalyst Care合作的梅德韦议会（Medway council）表示，其曾多次建议该公司在教育标准局注册。

第 19 页

A

歌手的60英尺机器人

出现惊悚返场

一个在 Take That 巡演期间 出现在舞台上的 60英尺高的机器人， 在被遗弃在罗比·威廉姆斯 (Robbie Williams) 前住所的灌木丛中后， 一直令路人感到惊恐 （Lowri Lewis 撰文）。 威廉姆斯在2022年 出售其位于卡恩 (Calne) 附近 康普顿巴塞特 (Compton Bassett) 村的 威尔特郡豪宅时， 将这个电子动画人偶 留在了那里。最近，这个

黑客窃取1,000家慈善机构数据

马克·塞尔曼 技术记者

包括英国国家芭蕾舞团和历史建筑与宫殿在内的多达1,000家慈善机构的数据被黑客窃取。

此次网络攻击针对的是Beacon CRM，该公司为慈善机构提供客户管理软件。黑客通过窃取的登录凭证侵入Beacon的系统，并针对该公司的备份数据库进行了复制。

这一泄露事件于上周三被发现，客户于周一收到通知。

受害机构包括西伦敦无家可归者慈善机构Upper Room、泽西岛癌症慈善机构Macmillan分会以及奇西克宅邸与花园信托基金。

历史建筑与遗址（前身为古迹协会）表示，Beacon“已建议所有客户……基于其持有的信息可能已受影响的假设展开工作”。该慈善机构告知其成员，被窃信息可能包括“您的姓名、联系方式、沟通偏好、会员或捐赠记录、礼品援助记录、活动预订、与我们关系相关的通信或备注，以及部分个人的性别和出生日期信息”。该机构称，未泄露任何支付或财务信息。

受害者被建议更改密码，并警惕可能包含恶意链接的诈骗邮件或短信。

英国国家芭蕾舞团表示，部分业务联系信息（包括电子邮件地址、电话号码和地址）可能已被窃取，但密码或支付信息未受影响。

Beacon在其网站上表示，其在慈善领域拥有1,000家客户，包括女童军、肾脏关怀英国以及规模较小的动物救助、健康和体育慈善机构。该公司在声明中称：“上周晚些时候，我们意识到可能遭遇了网络安全事件。我们立即聘请了外部网络安全专家协助调查并保护我们的系统。

“我们目前的理解是，被盗凭证被用于访问Beacon，并制作了我们的数据库备份副本。虽然尚未确认这些数据被外泄（复制或窃取），但迄今的证据表明这些副本可能已被下载。”

Beacon总部位于伦敦，由两名软件工程师克里斯·霍顿和戴维·辛普森于2017年创立，旨在帮助慈善机构充分利用其数据库。

通过窃取登录凭证入侵组织是黑客常用的手段，这表明多重身份验证或凭证监控存在失误。黑客通常针对备份数据，因为

这笔巨额开支已让威尔特郡的路人“惊恐不已”。

克里斯蒂娜·鲍恩在驾车回家时发现了它，她说：“有东西引起了我的注意。我心想，‘那是什么？’我在这条路上来来回回开了很多次，从没见过它。

“所以我停下车，就在那里——这个巨大的人形机器人坐在树丛中，俯视着田野。”

其他人在当地的Facebook群组中描述了他们看到这个机器人时的震惊，称这让他们觉得自己看花了眼。

莎拉·斯宾塞说：“我第一次看到它时，不得不掉头回去看看我以为自己看到的东西。它肯定有房子那么大。这完全出乎我的意料，但我很好奇。”

这个被称为Om的机械人是2011年Take That“Progress Live”巡演舞台布景的核心，耗资1,500万英镑。它高达四辆双层巴士叠加的高度，曾用于将乐队成员从温布利球场和曼彻斯特市体育场的巨型手掌上送至舞台。然而最近，

另一位居民利兹·内夫（Liz Neve）补充道：“它处于一个如此完美的位置，仿佛凭空出现——当你开车经过它时，它似乎又退回到了叶丛之中，”她写道。“但我担心当地人可能会在筹划一场《柳条人》（Wicker Man）式的重演。”

威廉姆斯在2008年以约£8.1百万的价格买下了这座拥有七间卧室的豪宅及其周围71英亩的土地，并于2009年居住其中。随后他搬回了洛杉矶，并在2022年卖掉了该房产。

Take That在2011年的售罄巡演是该组合自1995年以来首次以五人阵容进行巡演。在曼彻斯特的一场演出中，马克·欧文（Mark Owen）和霍华德·唐纳德（Howard Donald）在Om的机械故障后被困在Om的掌心中，必须使用梯子才能将其救出。

据认为，威廉姆斯原计划将Om运往他在洛杉矶的家中。目前尚不清楚它是如何最终出现在公众视野中的。

这通常比生产系统的保护更弱。Beacon在其网站上列出了网络安全认证，包括由政府支持的Cyber Essentials Plus凭证。

萨里大学网络安全教授艾伦·伍德沃德（Alan Woodward）表示：“这次事件表明，一组被泄露的凭据如何能使整个供应链暴露在风险之中，现在数百家慈善机构必须为发生在供应商系统中的违规行为承担监管责任。对于任何持有敏感捐赠者或受益人数据的组织来说，教训就是：凭据卫生、强制性的多因素身份验证以及对备份访问的严格控制是基准要求，而非可选项目。”

第 20 页

六周暑假？

我们为您提供帮助

m’

从实用建议到最佳度假地，我们已将所有育儿相关内容汇集在一个目的地，以便您应对6周暑假，并在过程中创造更美好的回忆。

育儿 (PARENTING)

毫无掩饰 (UNVARNISHED)

作为一名“男孩母亲”

我学到了什么 （那些我未曾预料到的）

访问育儿中心获取专家建议和个人故事

活动 (ACTIVITIES)

第 21 页

英国在财富创造方面存在问题

B

活动人士加里·史蒂文森 (Gary Stevenson) 要求对富人征收更多税款的呼吁缺乏根据且具有误导性，但这一观点被许多人认同

詹姆斯·卡纳加苏里亚姆 (James Kanagasooriam)

英国的超级富豪最近迎来了一段罕见的好消息。曾任金融城交易员、致力于让他们缴纳更多税款的不平等活动人士加里·史蒂文森已经退出。 至少，在一次激烈的第四频道 (Channel 4) 对谈中，他在其关于财富税的论点上受到质疑，随后他决定停止制作每周的 YouTube 视频。 他们不应过早庆祝。 根据亚当·斯密研究所 (Adam Smith Institute) 的数据，2008年金融危机以来，去年百万富翁的数量下降了7%，达到最低水平，许多英国人在他们离开这个国家时欢呼。根据我的公司 Focaldata 的民意调查，超过三分之一的选民 (36%) 表示，百万富翁减少，英国会没问题，或者情况会更好。这包括大约四分之一的保守党和改革党选民。 在左翼政党的选民中，“让最富有的人缴纳更多税款”被列为安迪·伯纳姆可以做的第三受欢迎的事情，排在缩短 NHS 等候名单以及降低电、气和食品等必需品成本之后。 尼克·克莱格 (Nick Clegg) 在广播中观察到，“现在几乎没有哪个政党在直觉上站在财富创造者这一边”。看来，英国在财富方面存在问题——尽管高收入者承担了绝大部分的税收负担。 根据下议院图书馆2023年的数据，前10% 的所得税纳税人缴纳了所有所得税的60%。前1% 的人群赚取了13% 的税前收入，并缴纳了29% 的所得税。

平衡生活、家庭与金钱

观察公众舆论数据，史蒂文森试图利用的这种反富情绪有两个驱动因素。首先，人们认为富人和他们拥有的企业行为是不正当的，无论是在道德上还是法律上。其次，普通人看不到加入富人行列的路径。 虽然目前没有成为头条新闻，但公众对跨国公司避税的愤怒在英国具有很长的半衰期。选民不喜欢那些在没有表现出创造财富的情况下榨取财富的公司。私募股权进入托儿所和养老院在许多人看来是不生产且冷酷的。但公众对于过去20年里谁变得富有也持有怀疑态度：那些从事于无休止的卡夫卡式咨询的顾问和律师

在美国，普通工作也能获得高薪

以及由顾问和律师设计的流程；或是基于大规模外包建立业务的企业家。更不用说科技行业声誉下滑，这让资本主义的“看不见的手”变得难以辨认。

严酷的现实是，英国的许多“赢家”并未被大部分公众视为从事值得称赞或能够为国家创造财富的生产性工作。许多人看不到特定群体的财富增长与自身生活和收入改善之间的联系。再加上英国富人与其他人之间的隔阂感，难怪公众舆论并不认同富人在经济上的合理性。

2024年，Jobs基金会对大西洋两岸民众对大企业的态度进行了调查，结果显示问题有多严重。仅有36%的英国公众认为大企业在经济中发挥积极作用，而美国这一比例为52%。

这些枯燥的数字反映了残酷的跨大西洋现实。如果我参加沃尔玛在某个地区举办的夏季烧烤活动，当地经理、许多主管甚至部分区域总部员工可能因美国更高的工资和不断膨胀的养老金而成为百万富翁。而类似的乐购员工聚会则不会有如此多的百万富翁。美国是一个普通工作也能获得高薪的地方。这里有更多从事普通职业的人——比如拥有数十名承包商的水管工，或是拥有10家而非1家展厅的汽车经销商——最终成为百万富翁。财富创造更具社会普惠性。而英国的趋势则截然相反。

许多分析人士将我们对财富的态度与不断扩大的不平等这一陈词滥调混为一谈。这并不属实。工资正在被压缩。低薪委员会估计，2026年4月，成人最低工资相当于小时工资中位数的68%，创下历史新高。根据城市研究中心的数据，在唐卡斯特、威根和桑德兰，最低工资已超过当地小时工资中位数的80%。这无疑削弱了人们奋斗向上的动力。

此外，作为一个社会，我们为何不更关心中产阶层的工资增长

评论

《泰晤士报》 克里斯托弗·L·普罗克特

加里·史蒂文森在第四频道被质疑其主张的财富税和向高收入者征税以资助公共服务的观点。这表明人们对如何为国家提供资金持冷漠态度。为何公众对富人及其经济贡献的态度如此严苛？

我们陷入了一个恶性循环：百万富翁越来越少，意味着来自社会各阶层的支持者越来越少，财富阶梯的可见度也越来越低，进而导致百万富翁进一步减少。相当一部分国民愿意对富人加税，源于他们认为富人是一个无法想象加入的独立阶层。这对金融素养产生了实质性影响。Opinium民调公司在2024年发现，仅有23%的英国人投资股市，而美国这一比例为三分之二。自动加入养老金计划意味着更多英国人通过养老金间接持有股票，但往往没有亲身体验过作为投资者的感受。

尼克·克莱格并未完全理解这一点。我们的许多政治领导人比持怀疑态度的公众更亲商、更支持富人。但如何让英国人关心财富创造，仍是一个问题。那些从国家榨取财富的企业需要解决

百万富翁的减少

意味着可见的 财富阶梯在减少

他们的批评者。但如果公众舆论不向创造财富转变，就无法想象必要的政策修复方案。如何恢复利润动机在文化上的合法性？我们确实面临着需要解决的负担能力问题。但想象一个世界，我们谈论的不是生活成本危机，而是“财富危机”。这样重新定义将有助于将公众注意力重新聚焦在财富创造的重要性上，从最低薪者到最富有者。 如果不做出任何改变，即使加里·史蒂文森（Gary Stevenson）不在，他的政治主张也将回归。而我们所有人都将因此变得更穷。

政治时事通讯

获取来自 威斯敏斯特 最优质的分析 与评论

第 22 页

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H

政权可能会将伊朗的母亲们变为激进分子

走私影像揭示了被美国抛在不确定状态中的民众的抵抗与勇气

罗杰·博伊斯 (Roger Boyes)

@rogerboyes

普通伊朗人在过去的六个月里一直生活在极度混乱的时期，始于针对恶性通货膨胀和经济无能的愤怒全国性抗议，随后是政权的残酷镇压、令人窒息的互联网封锁、在深夜埋葬的毁容尸体——而现在是一场断断续续的战争，因为美国在考虑炸弹是否仍能推翻一个受伤的独裁政权。 曾有一个时刻，伊朗人相信——或者说希望相信——这一点。复仇可以外包给“超人”，正义将从天而降。“正是这种希望，认为政权的行径不会不受到惩罚，”一名在拉着窗帘的伊朗公寓里的中年妇女告诉英伊电影制作人本·赞德 (Ben Zand)。 另一名同样被记录在赞德走私影像中的女性，在回忆到最高领袖阿里·哈梅内伊 (Ali Khamenei) 在其德黑兰住所被杀的消息时，脸上似乎闪烁着光芒。那天晚上他们将在街头起舞。在阳台上燃放烟花！“我们太欣慰了，”一个人说。“那些知道我儿子发生了什么的人”——一名在一个月前被击中面部的年轻抗议者——“都来庆祝了。”

马修·帕里斯 (Matthew Parris) 笔记本

在这里的 天空之岛， 大象 正在交配

你见过大象 交配吗？真是热闹！ 我们正处于肯尼亚北部 一个偏远山脉中的 森林营地： 马修斯山脉 (Mathews Range)。 我希望能写更多关于这个迷人地方的内容，但现在只需说，从埃塞俄比亚和南苏丹正南方向干燥、酷热的半沙漠灌木地带升起了一座 100 英里的山脉，最高海拔达到 2,688 米 (8,819英尺)，8, 该山脉的大部分被森林和有时出现的云雾所覆盖。溪流和河流向下奔流，在到达平原时渗入地下。这种自然奇观，以及在树上叫嚷的猴子，被称为“天空之岛”。它们拥有自己的微气候：温暖且多雨，而不是像它们升起之地那样干涸且荒芜。 马修斯山脉有一种奇迹般的感觉。

然而两周后， 哈梅内伊的次子穆吉塔巴 (Mojtaba) 被任命为继任者，显然得到了伊斯兰革命卫队 (IRGC) 重量级人物的支持。“就好像我们走了一段很长很长的路，”赞德的一位受访者说，“结果回到了原点。”那段旅程包括与当局抗争以找回、确认并埋葬他们的孩子。以及决定参加抗议，站在孩子面前，用身体挡住那些针对年轻人的子弹。以及社会加速的残酷化。 “医院曾经被认为是安全的地方，”另一位纪录片制作人告诉赞德，“然后每个人

我们是什么样的人

被统治者疏远且厌恶？

突然意识到，如果他们去医院，就会被逮捕。”在示威现场，他们看到屋顶上的狙击手，以及地面上，政权军队有条不紊地单膝跪地，稳定瞄准后向平民开枪。这就是镇压抵抗的方式，或者至少将其逼入地下。正是自封的已故国王王储礼萨·巴列维在1月呼吁伊朗人民奋起反抗。特朗普总统一度暗示，伊朗人民应响应这一号召，但显然，特朗普更倾向于为任何抵抗运动提供情报支持，而非派遣美军。因此，伊朗人意识到，他们无法指望特朗普成为解放者。美国早已失去这一角色，远在特朗普之前。当林登·约翰逊的国家安全顾问麦乔治·邦迪被问及美国对北越空袭失败最令他惊讶的地方时，他（经过深思熟虑后）回答道：“敌人的韧性。”他无法相信，一个由河内统治的贫穷国家能够抵御美国的全面技术火力。这是想象力的失败。伊朗的韧性则属于不同级别。该政权已从神权堡垒转变为拥有战略头脑的警察国家。无论是否拥有核武库，它都已成为一个更为复杂的敌人。它可以通过提高安全机器人员的薪酬，将能源和海上运输部门变为伊斯兰革命卫队指挥官的禁脔，来维持权力的表象。其弱点在于，对城市青年的残酷镇压削弱了社会对政治精英的支持。社会的核心是母亲们，在赞德的必看纪录片《伊朗内幕：战争与革命》（ITV1，本周日，10.20 pm）中，她们将安全定义为一个值得成长的国家，拥有完整的家庭，维持着标准，并试图规划一个不依赖于伊朗成为核武区域霸主的未来。或者，在接孩子放学时戴上护目镜，以防防暴警察试图射瞎你的眼睛。

乐观的邂逅

我身在何处？啊，对了，大象交配。我们与向导一同沿山坡行走时，听到一阵骚动，便朝山下的河对岸望去。一头年轻的公象看上了一头更为成熟的母象。它后腿直立，前腿如树干般搭在母象背上。母象在吼叫——是出于愉悦还是痛苦，我无法判断，因为我不熟悉大象交流的细微差别；但我必须报告，它似乎并未试图逃脱。接着——灌木丛中传来巨大的声响——情节变得复杂。一头比年轻求爱者大得多的公象，轰隆隆地穿过树林，将这位后生赶出了现场。随之而来的是匆忙的下马动作。年轻公象落荒而逃，被那头年长的公象追赶，直到远离现场。我们的向导认为最好不要再往前走，于是我们转身返回。我们这群偷窥者感到有些尴尬，因为目瞪口呆地盯着森林中三头大象如此私密的时刻。

指路明灯

我得提一下，我们的四位向导堪比任何大象。其中一人带着枪，其余的人则拿着看起来凶狠的长矛，其中一人口袋里还装着一个巨大的烟花爆竹，能发出足以吓跑最大公象的巨响和闪光。他们告诉我，他们并不指望动用这些武器，在马修斯山脉也从未用过。这些桑布鲁部落的男子身着部落华丽多彩的传统服饰，腰间缀满珠子和闪亮的铁制饰品，他们并非为了取悦游客而盛装打扮。我们在路上遇到的几乎每个人都是这样的装束。他们的装扮让我们暗淡的卡其色、愚蠢的T恤和寒酸的短裤相形见绌。我们仿佛是一群麻雀，混入了一群羽毛鲜艳的鸟群之中。

生火之道 我也钦佩这些人的聪明才智。一天傍晚，在附近河流的沙滩上，他们向我们展示了如何用一根棍子和一把干骆驼粪生火。和我一样，你可能听说过这种“原始”（但我认为是天才）的点火方法。一块平整的木头，用刀子在上面挖出一个小凹槽；在凹槽里撒些沙子以增加摩擦力，下面放些粉末状的骆驼粪；一根一端削尖的棍子插入凹槽；再由一个强壮而耐心的人双手用力搓动棍子，直到——奇迹出现！——骆驼粪冒出烟来。在人类历史上，是谁第一个想到这个方法的呢？一定有人想到过。而这改变了一切。

赞德采访的女性最初是改革派，是希望按自己意愿着装的活动人士，但她们现在的言谈中带有革命性的暗流。在过去的六个月里，她们见证了太多，许多人得出结论：她们已无多少可失去的了。正是这种勇气值得特朗普政府加以利用。中期选举的民调显示，伊朗战争——高昂的代价、不明确的目标——正在失去选票。约翰逊低估了北越战士和北越人民的“耐力”。当前的伊朗政权表明，它也能重塑战斗力——但它已失去了许多天然支持者，并摧毁了曾让伊朗人引以为傲的机构。伊朗人自问：我们变成了什么样的人，竟与统治者如此疏离、如此厌恶，以至于为美国轰炸他们的地堡而欢呼？我们竟如此无力，要依赖反复无常的美国人为我们复仇？我们陷入了怎样的道德真空？

特朗普赌的是能分裂德黑兰的统治精英，通过诱使他们参与有利可图的商业安排来制造“温和派”。这一策略他在其他地方也尝试过，效果好坏参半。但当前需要的是某种针对伊朗社会的软实力外交，为那些在过去六个月飞速发展的事件中感到困惑和迷茫的人提供微妙的帮助。必须有空间进行富有同情心的文化外交，在不将胜利拱手让给暴徒和施虐者的同时，为战区降温。

肯尼亚的塑料战争 尽管当前的政治局势令人担忧，肯尼亚仍然是一个充满希望的国家。无论你走到哪里，都能看到活力、智慧和新点子。在内罗毕机场降落后的半小时内，我就看到了第一辆电动三轮突突车。肯尼亚的一些创新虽然具有开创性，却也相当奇特。塑料袋已被全面禁止，哪怕持有一个也会受到严厉处罚。这项法律已见成效，自上次来访以来，城乡的垃圾明显减少。如今真正的罪魁祸首是塑料瓶，它们在国家公园内已被禁止；但很难想象，这个干渴的国家如何能完全禁用这些饮用水的载体。不过，可以肯定的是，当人类对塑料瓶的容忍终于达到极限时，肯尼亚将率先将其禁用。

伯纳姆应向欧洲领导人提出新协议

尼克·博尔斯 A

安迪·伯纳姆展现出一种非凡的能力，能够讲述关于我们国家及其治理方式的新故事。他是首位让将预算和权力下放给地区市长听起来充满吸引力的首相。当首相车队前往伯纳姆海滨时，他应计划将同样的清晰度和雄心带入英国与欧洲的关系中。目前这一关系陷入细节纠缠，亟需一个新愿景，以应对自英国脱欧以来彻底改变的世界。英国可以成为欧洲繁荣的引擎和安全堡垒的新故事值得讲述。挑战巨大，但大胆的方法能够克服。英国希望到2035年将国防开支提高到GDP的3.5%，但脱欧已重创商业投资和货物贸易，经济难以承受。欧洲国家面临来自俄罗斯日益增长的威胁，但无法再依赖美国作为北约安全保障。1945年，欧盟必须为乌克兰和西巴尔干国家腾出空间，但若操之过急，可能引发担忧欧洲预算压力和新一波东西向移民潮的成员国行使否决权。单独解决这些问题将极为困难。唯有将它们整体应对，才能斩断戈尔迪之结。伯纳姆应向欧洲领导人提出一项新协议：建立一个与欧盟和改革后的北约合作的欧洲外环。一个由英国和乌克兰与所有欧盟成员国、挪威、瑞士、阿尔巴尼亚和塞尔维亚共同加入的欧洲邦联。作为邦联成员，英国将全面参与欧洲商品单一市场，以换取条约承诺，将国防开支提高到GDP的3.5%

并将英国武装部队和核威慑的保护范围扩展至整个欧洲。乌克兰将立即加入邦联，作为迈向欧盟正式成员的过渡。通过受益于商品单一市场，乌克兰将与欧洲其他国家分享其庞大军队和卓越的无人机技术。邦联还将为欧盟尚未准备好行动的领域提供合作平台，并加深与加拿大和土耳其等盟友的协作。1945年，工党最伟大的领导人通过帮助建立国际和平与繁荣机构，彰显了英国的价值观。新的变革时刻为伯纳姆提供了匹敌前辈成就的机会。

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从我们的版画廊购买《泰晤士报》漫画印刷品或签名版，请访问 timescartoons.com 或致电 0800 912 7136

爱莉安娜·格兰德的形象对女孩构成危险 这位歌手否认自己极度消瘦表明任何问题，为崇拜她的人树立了令人担忧的榜样

Sarah Ditum

@sarahditum

对别人的外表进行批判性评判是不礼貌的。这种行为有一个专门的词：身体羞辱（bodyshaming），尤其当针对女性时，被认为是极不可接受的。但这一禁忌并未阻止它的发生。查看任何一位著名女性的社交媒体评论，你都可能会发现对她所谓缺陷的详细分析。而过去一周，一位特定的著名女性主导了关于外表的讨论。上周五，33 岁的歌手爱莉安娜·格兰德发布了她的第八张专辑《花瓣》（Petal），同时发布了同名主打歌的音乐视频。在视频中，她看起来瘦得令人震惊，甚至病态：锁骨透过皮肤清晰可见，眼睛凸出，四肢纤弱瘦小。粉丝们表达了担忧，周一格兰德宣布将在当前巡演结束后退出公众视野，并退出西区复排的桑德海姆音乐剧《周日与乔治在公园》（Sunday in the Park with George）——不过她的代表强调，此举是为了暂时远离公众审视，而非出于健康原因。

我本能地想要保护格兰德。年轻的女性名人普遍面临艰难处境，而格兰德的职业生涯更是充满了非同寻常的悲剧。2017 年，一名伊斯兰极端分子自杀式炸弹袭击了她在曼彻斯特竞技场的演唱会，造成 22 名无辜者丧生。她暂停巡演，为遇难者举办了一场慈善演唱会。如今，她是一位多次获得白金唱片认证的艺术家，并凭借在《魔法坏女巫》（Wicked）中饰演格林达获得奥斯卡提名。但我最初认识她，是通过 2000 年代在尼克儿童频道的情景喜剧《胜利之歌》（Victorious）和《萨姆与凯特》（Sam & Cat），当时我和女儿一起观看。在屏幕上，格兰德展现了古怪的

这种讨论的中心无疑残酷无情

拥有少女露西尔·鲍尔般的敏感气质：她似乎天生就是明星料。然而，幕后却是一段黑暗时期。2024年的纪录片《片场寂静》（Quiet on Set）揭露这些作品背后充斥着厌女和霸凌文化。两名尼克儿童频道（Nickelodeon）的工作人员在2000年代被判犯有针对儿童的性犯罪。格兰德的前合作演员珍妮特·麦柯迪（Jennette McCurdy）曾撰文称，这种环境助长了她自身的饮食失调。

格兰德始终否认自己存在类似问题。当关于她极度消瘦的猜测在《魔法坏女巫》（Wicked）宣传期间再次达到高峰时，她发布了一段视频声明，称“就我个人而言，你们拿来与我现在的身体对比的那个身体，是我身体最不健康的状态”。她呼吁粉丝“对彼此和自己温柔以待”。

处于这种讨论的中心无疑残酷无情，并非所有言论都出于善意或经过深思熟虑。但格兰德用身体积极性和自我关怀的语言，试图让任何对其外表发表明显看法的人失去合理性。在某种程度上，对“身体羞辱”的禁忌，成了看似严重不健康行为的掩护。何时“温柔以待”会演变为对现实的危险否认？

格兰德的核心粉丝群——许多年轻女性和女孩——会对她呼吁停止对其外表评论的请求感同身受：她们自己也经历过同样的审视，知道这有多么非人化。一群来自泰恩赛德（Tyneside）的少女刚刚制作了一段抗议网络厌女语言的视频，并将其发送给了教育部和首相。

但在这一群体中，也有一股对格兰德的真实愤怒，包括我那20岁的女儿。无论格兰德骨瘦如柴的外表是由厌食症还是其他原因造成，在社交媒体上长大的年轻女性和女孩深知这种形象会对她们产生何种影响。它成了“瘦身灵感”——证明她们自身的不足，并鼓励她们踏上自己的

格兰德可能会反驳

她从未想成为榜样

饥饿计划。 厌食症是一种精神疾病， 在侵袭身体之前先攻击大脑。它始于 一个念头，像病毒一样在 女孩之间传播（尽管男孩中的病例也在上升）。追求极度消瘦 成为一种全面吞噬的竞争。不到一半的 患者能够完全康复。约有5%的患者在 确诊后14年内 死亡。厌食症是所有精神疾病中 致死率最高的。 这就是为什么关于 格兰德身材的讨论其实根本与 格兰德无关。而是关于那些 看到她骨瘦如柴的身体被呈现为美的巅峰， 并将其视为对自身的谴责的女孩们。

（这尤其令人担忧， 因为格兰德在《邪恶》中的角色 使她成为童话公主，粉丝中甚至有学龄前儿童。） 格兰德可能会反驳说她 从未想成为榜样。她的新专辑充满了 对名气束缚的抱怨。“是否真的是我的错， 你们都自愿将心交给我？”她在一首歌中问道。 但当你看到 演唱会的画面时，她沉浸在粉丝的爱中—— 一种她希望对她的外表不加批判的爱。 人们很容易指责格兰德的 经纪人和公关人员，说他们 在她看起来应该接受治疗时 让她登台，失职了。 无论格兰德极度消瘦的原因是什么， 希望这次职业间歇能让她有机会 获得所需的支持。 她值得同情。 但她也应受到评判。 饮食失调是一种自残行为： 传播鼓励饮食失调的形象 可能是一种暴力。我并非轻率使用这个词。 如果我们对一位明星公然挨饿的现象 采取集体沉默的策略， 就会成为数百万崇拜她的人受到伤害的共犯。 有时，比羞辱更重要的事情 值得我们担忧。

第24页

下议院改革

先生，看来有一群议员和 贵族正在鼓励首相 成立一个关于上议院改革的委员会。 他们选错了目标。当务之急是 成立一个关于下议院改革的委员会。 我在下议院服务的42年间， 积极参与了使议会更有效的努力， 并取得了一些成果，特别是在支持和扩大 专责委员会的工作方面。2024年大选 使议会迎来了335名新议员—— 占下议院的52%，他们没有 议会经验；没有立法审查的经验或知识， 也没有追究政府责任的经验。如果 其他任何主要国家机构中 超过一半的成员没有其核心工作的 实际经验，都会令人惊讶。 结果显而易见。大多数 立法在下议院几乎未经实质审议， 而上议院则不得不承担起专家审查者的角色， 监督政府往往试图在缺乏真正 民主问责的情况下通过的法案。 利斯瓦恩勋爵 下议院书记官 2011-14年；上议院

版税规则

先生，我想知道约翰·奥尔蒂（8月4日来信）是否真的与任何创作者交谈过，这些创作者是否认为其作品的版权是“代表公众”授予的，并且延长版税期限意味着公众支付过高的费用。或者认为他们的作品应当被其他艺术家“粉碎”（抱歉，我指的是“建立在其基础上”）。例如，书面作品的版权在作者去世后70年才到期。这或许是合理的——但声音和音乐的版权在发布后70年即告终止，这意味着为作品申请版权的人可能会发现自己的子女因此受损。而书面、戏剧和音乐作品的版式版权在25年后即告到期，尽管正是这种版式促成了作品的成功。然而，比任何潜在版税损失更糟糕的是，后代有能力对作品进行修改，甚至可能使其面目全非。如果奥尔蒂先生花费数小时、数天、数周或数月创作某部作品，却知道未来有人可能将其篡改得面目全非，他会作何感想？

或许解决方案是版税在创作者去世后70年终止——但任何人无权改变该作品。这也包括莎士比亚的作品。 玛西娅·麦克劳德 伦敦NW6

更正与说明

我们致力于 遵守 独立新闻标准组织（IPSO）的 规则和条例，以及IPSO执行的 《编辑行为准则》。更正请求应发送至 feedback@thetimes.co.uk

监狱提前释放计划的争议性变更

先生，对所有暴力罪犯的提前释放令正派人士深恶痛绝，但对受害者及其家属而言，尤其是在罪犯可能返回的社区，这显然是一种合理的恐惧和愤怒的根源（《杀人犯而非强奸犯将获提前释放》，8月4日）。对政府而言，这显然是一个务实的决定；但对受影响最深的人来说，这可能是一场噩梦。

至少，假释委员会应被赋予对这些案件的监督权，并被要求按照其惯常的有条件释放标准进行评估。这包括评估再犯风险以及对公众造成严重伤害的风险，并在必要时采取适当的保障措施。但如果委员会判定风险过高或保障措施不足，申请人必须继续服刑，完成更多刑期。 罗纳德·思韦茨王室法律顾问 萨里郡埃舍尔

先生，与许多人一样，我对不阻止PC安德鲁·哈珀杀手提前释放的决定感到震惊。这不仅摧毁了公众可能残存的任何信任

“抄袭”风波

先生，我在英国六所大学担任过25年以上的讲师、学习支持协调员和阅读障碍支持导师。每所机构都为学生提供了明确的引用指南，详细说明如何避免抄袭（无论是故意还是无意）。即使是残障学生也不例外。在阅读了贵报关于杰森·阿代教授的报道（《明星学者被控抄袭：我不是骗子》，7月1日新闻）后，我个人无法理解为何不应将其定性为抄袭者。“诚实且合理的错误”？别开玩笑了。 劳埃德·理查森博士 林肯郡格兰瑟姆

消防预备役

先生，利比·普维斯正确地指出了兼职消防员短缺是影响英国应对气候变化影响能力的一个因素（《野火表明“重归野性”需要重新思考》，8月3日；8月4日来信）。显然，我们现在应当考虑

刀尖下的历史性劫案

摘自《泰晤士报》1926年8月5日

皇家文学基金会已将两把匕首存放于伦敦塔军械库，据称这两把匕首曾被布拉德上校和帕罗特用于1671年5月9日企图盗窃王冠珠宝的行动。在其中一份对该事件的描述中提到，布拉德用匕首刺伤了珠宝看守人爱德华兹。

这些武器于1807年由托马斯·牛顿遗赠给皇家文学基金会，牛顿是艾萨克·牛顿爵士的亲属。目前尚无记录说明这些匕首如何落入牛顿家族之手，唯一与伦敦塔的联系是艾萨克·牛顿爵士曾担任铸币局局长，而铸币局当时设于伦敦塔内，因此他可能从伦敦塔的一名官员处获得了这些匕首。

这些匕首是被称为“肾形匕首”的典型样品，这种匕首在14世纪末至17世纪初颇为流行。两把匕首均刻有粗糙的卷轴纹饰，其中一把印有王冠T标记，另一把印有王冠L标记，显然出自同一工坊。较长的匕首上刻有1620,字样，这是此类匕首有记录的最晚年代。刀鞘上压印有水平排列的蓟花图案。此类匕首在博物馆中并不常见，若能发现出自同一铸剑流派的两把匕首，则极为罕见，甚至可能是独一无二的。它们将会相当

这起事件暴露了我们所谓的司法系统中存在的诸多问题。此外，它还揭示了首相在声称对哈珀警员家属表示同情时的肤浅。不释放这两名特定杀人犯对整体监狱人口的影响微乎其微。我确信，这一重大错误不仅会让伯纳姆先生失去尊重，更关键的是，将在下届大选中让他的政党失去选票。 约翰·皮科克 北约克郡诺萨勒顿

先生，作为一名拥有35年经验的刑事辩护律师，我目睹了多次提前释放规定的变化。监狱过度拥挤的问题——这往往导致政策转变——根源在于长期刑期的不断延长。可起诉罪行的平均监禁刑期已从1993年的16个月上升至2025年的22个月。这些平均值受到更严重罪行刑期延长的拉动，例如八年以上刑期。量刑的传统目标有三：惩罚罪犯、威慑他人，以及

建立一支消防预备役部队，类似于陆军预备役，在极端需求和国家紧急情况下补充和支持英国消防救援服务？正如事件所表明的，野火扑救需要大量资源，而消防部门传统上依赖其他部门的资源支持大规模、持久的事件，这种方式已达到极限。

由于反复的资金不足、消防站关闭和应召招募困难，英国消防救援服务现在并不总能向其他地区的消防部门提供支持。建立一支现代化的消防预备役部队，按照陆军预备役的模式接受特定任务培训，可能成为提升英国消防救援能力的更广泛战略的一部分，以应对国家紧急情况并增强我们的韧性。 凯文·特拉斯特 消防工程师学会会员；西萨塞克斯郡丰特韦尔

致《泰晤士报》的信件必须为独家投稿

并可能经过编辑。请提供完整地址和日间联系电话。

rehabilitation。对于严重罪行，判处9年而不是12年徒刑是否会在实现上述目标方面产生不同？就监狱人口而言，12年的刑期可能会导致额外服刑两年。

在2020年之前的大多数案件中，罪犯在服刑一半时即可获得假释。鲍里斯·约翰逊政府重新规定，对于超过8年的刑期，释放日期为服刑三分之二。这一规定以及刑期膨胀导致了本届政府现在必须解决的问题。

安德鲁·毕晓普 毕晓普与莱特律师事务所，霍夫

先生，根据最新政府统计数据，英国监狱中有10,700名外国公民，约占监狱总人口的12%。也许首相应先解决这一问题，再允许严重罪行的定罪者提前释放。

尼克·帕斯科 前监狱服务区域经理；谢伯恩，多塞特

缺乏闲聊

先生，詹姆斯·马里奥特对 现代生活中因屏幕和耳机导致 对话缺失的现象表示惋惜 （“在沉默中，你能听到社会 崩溃的声音”，8月4日）。我发现 步入老年的少数乐趣之一， 就是能够以一种不具威胁性的方式 与形形色色的人闲聊， 尤其是在我们友好的集镇这样的地方。 当我在我们美丽的商业街沿街除草时， 各个年龄段的人都会停下来聊天， 抱怨天气，并向我讲述他们的 人生故事。对话的艺术尚未 完全消亡。 吉尔·布里尔利 格洛斯特郡，奇平索德伯里

狂放的罗德

先生，我与罗德·利德尔（讣告， 8月4日）相当熟悉，并在疫情期间 请他担任我几本书的Zoom发布会主持人。 很少有电视主持人会在工作时 公然抽烟喝酒。罗德却做到了。 他无论从哪个角度来说都是独一无二的。 约翰·梅尔 广播员兼作家，牛津

由于没有护手，因此对布拉德的目的来说很方便， 可以被人轻易隐藏并拔出。 6 目前的主要购物兴趣是乡村服装， 与海滨度假服装不同， 大多数人已经购置了后者。 迟来的购物者若寻找泳装， 当然也能找到一些实用的款式， 但大多数商店已在促销前或促销期间 售出了最鲜艳和最精致的款式。 现在展示的多是更为结实的服装， 以及乡村、高尔夫或狩猎装备， 还有中季新品，这些是为那些 不打算在九月前再来伦敦的人准备的。 Selfridges下周将举办 内衣特价销售，同时还有3种狐狸领带的促销。

韦奇伍德的困境

先生，为何A·N·威尔逊试图 将刚刚去世的昆斯伯里侯爵 与韦奇伍德及斯塔福德郡陶瓷区 其他公司的倒闭联系起来 （“为何侯爵之死让我激动”，8月1日）？ 作为前维多利亚与阿尔伯特博物馆 陶瓷馆馆长，我同意威尔逊的观点， 将责任归咎于韦奇伍德的 常务董事阿瑟·布赖恩爵士， 因其收购并剥离了众多陶瓷公司的资产。 然而，即便是阿瑟爵士也无法 为斯托克未能留住其曾经雇佣的 80,000名工人负责。来自远东的 日益激烈的竞争使欧洲陶瓷业 别无选择，只能实现生产自动化。 大卫·昆斯伯里并未参与 阿瑟爵士在2003年将韦奇伍德 上市的决定——威尔逊对此深表遗憾。 当时韦奇伍德集团的命运 仍悬而未决，其竞争对手集团 皇家道尔顿已岌岌可危， 大卫·昆斯伯里写道：“我给行业的 信息是：像18世纪的韦奇伍德那样， 将设计与技术结合，打造餐具的 全新面貌。”通过与马丁·亨特 共同创立的公司，昆斯伯里 致力于推广这一新面貌。 他意识到，斯塔福德郡陶瓷业 无法依赖陈旧的昔日成功。 在这一点上，他与A·N·威尔逊 杰出的父亲诺曼·威尔逊不谋而合。 JVG·马莱 伦敦W14

手动挡之门

先生，我必须反对AA的观点， 即允许仅通过自动挡汽车驾照考试的人， 仅需参加1小时的“转换课程” 即可驾驶手动挡汽车（新闻，8月3日）。 我第一次尝试就通过了自动挡汽车驾照考试。 几年后，我以为应当拥有 手动挡汽车的驾照，于是上了几节课， 然后参加了考试，结果令我羞愧的是未能通过； 但至少失败的原因是操作变速箱和离合器 而非道路意识。我第二次通过了考试， 但我可以向认为这是个好主意的人保证， 这并不像你想象的那么容易。 海伦·贝尔 诺福克郡，马瑟姆

虚假公式

先生，关于求职时是否应说实话的问题（吉尔斯·科伦，8月1日；读者来信，8月4日），我强烈建议如实相告。我曾在一封申请教师职位的求职信开头写道：“我因三个原因不适合这份工作。”最终我得到了这份工作，并且非常热爱它。或许这与这是一所英国国教会学校有关。 芭芭拉·柯里 温什科姆，格洛斯特郡

杳无踪迹

先生，奈杰尔·法拉奇在推出所谓“堡垒行动”时挥舞的光鲜宣传册上，竟然使用了英国皇家海军于2018年退役并出售给巴西的“海洋”号舰艇的照片（《法拉奇计划海军遣返移民违法，法国称》，8月4日），这着实令人发笑。看来“改革英国”对海军的了解程度，与其对国际法的了解程度不相上下。 理查德·佩西布里奇 退役海军中校，萨切姆，伯克郡

第25页

《每日环球纪事报》

在平等与人权委员会去年9月发布建议后，关于单一性别空间的指导意见今日起正式生效。

自然笔记

自古以来，当地人便聚集庆祝基尔伯恩节。它曾是一个马市，如今则包括套圈游戏、扔雨靴比赛，以及一位模拟女市长，她会对晾晒衣物或打伞行为处以罚款。今年，庆典活动被一只信号小龙虾的难忘闯入打断。这只形似龙虾的鱼是否是从附近的特沃特尔顿溪中跳出，而那里正有一队黄色橡皮鸭等待鸭子赛跑？信号小龙虾以能在陆地上行动而闻名，并有记录显示它们一夜能爬行300米。正是这种移动能力，使得这种入侵物种在1970年代被引入后迅速扩散至全国各地。乔纳森·图洛赫

今日生日

今日出生的名人包括： 演员珍妮特·麦克蒂尔（见照片），曾出演《阿尔伯特·诺布斯》（2011年）、《哈利·波特》电视剧中的米勒娃·麦格教授（2027年-），65岁；海军中将爱德华·阿尔格伦，国防部高级顾问（中东和北非），55岁；安妮·阿斯莱特，艾尔顿·约翰艾滋病基金会首席执行官，62岁；小说家戴维·巴尔达奇，《电线漫步》（2020年），66岁；建筑师坂茂，新西兰基督城纸板教堂（2013年），69岁；音乐制作人乔·博伊德，平克·弗洛伊德和费尔波特协定乐队，以及作家，84岁；南华克主教克里斯托弗·切森（今日退休），70岁；迷宫设计师阿德里安·费舍尔，设计了超过700座迷宫，75岁；演员简·弗朗西斯，《好朋友》（1983年），79岁；LinkedIn联合创始人兼前执行董事长里德·霍夫曼，59岁；罗利·基廷爵士，大英图书馆首席执行官（2012-2024年），65岁；法国政治家马琳·勒庞，曾于2012年、2017年和2022年竞选总统，国民联盟议会党团领袖，58岁；演员莫林·麦考密克，《布雷迪家庭》（1969-1974年），70岁；税务政策协会（非营利机构）创始人丹·奈德尔，53岁；帆船运动员罗德尼·帕蒂森，两届奥运会金牌得主（1968, 1972年），83岁；约翰·兰德尔勋爵（厄克斯布里奇的兰德尔），保守党议员（1997-2015年），副党鞭（2010-13年），71岁；尼基尔·拉蒂，金融行为监管局首席执行官，伦敦证券交易所集团（2015-2020年），47岁；古生物学家苏·里格比教授，爱丁堡龙比亚大学校长兼副校监，61岁；足球运动员兼教练安迪·罗克斯堡，苏格兰国家足球队（1986-93年），83岁；约翰·斯佩勒勋爵，工党议员（1974-2024年）及前政府部长，79岁；演员旺达·文瑟姆，《UFO》（1970-71年）、《UFO入侵》（1980年）及《神探夏洛克》（2014-17年），91岁；马术运动员约翰·惠特克，奥运会银牌得主（1984年），71岁。

今日之日

1914年，美国首批电动交通信号灯在俄亥俄州克利夫兰安装，并由附近的岗亭控制。

轮盘赌式的释放

安迪·伯纳姆明智地修改了提前释放部分囚犯的计划。但刑事司法系统亟需修复，以确保此类情况不再发生

新任首相的办公桌上堆满了难以简单应对的棘手决策。最紧迫的问题之一是防止刑事司法系统崩溃。两年来，监狱几乎已满负荷运转。接连几任司法大臣都面临着警方因无处关押嫌犯而无法逮捕的严峻局面。迫不得已，唯一的应急方案只能是提前释放囚犯。自2024年9月以来，已有超过70,000人以这种方式获释。若非如此，司法部声称将在11月耗尽所有关押空间。大规模提前释放囚犯的做法，不可避免地将这一过程变成了一场轮盘赌。获释的前科犯公然藐视自由，进一步加剧了公众的担忧。此外，外界强烈抗议那些被判重罪的囚犯刑期可能缩短至不足原判三分之二——甚至可能低于一半。安迪·伯纳姆希望延续其入主唐宁街后的良好势头，宣布强奸、儿童性侵和诱拐罪犯将不再有资格提前获释。因此，原定于下月释放的5,000名囚犯中，约1,000人将继续服刑。

工党的禁忌词

大臣们沉迷于将利润视为罪恶的懒惰思维

安迪·伯纳姆迄今为止成功塑造了自己作为理性替代者的形象，与煽动虚假不满的民粹主义者形成对比。但与伯纳姆持相似政治立场的政客往往会陷入同样陈旧的套路。当前的工党政府尤其容易沉迷于将利润视为罪恶的陈腐观念。特别是在面临财政困境时——如伊朗再度爆发冲突所引发的问题——他们的第一反应便是抨击私营部门的“牟取暴利”行为，并威胁加征更多税收。伯纳姆尤其以一种令人不安的模糊方式表达其希望推翻撒切尔主义“新自由主义”遗产的愿望——似乎要将时钟拨回40年前。

工党必须摒弃这种愚蠢的冲动。将盈利妖魔化是一种与民粹主义如出一辙的反市场陈词滥调。将财富创造者和成功企业描绘为公共财政的敌人，是最懒惰的经济文盲表现。利润不应成为一个禁忌词。工党对牟取暴利的长期警惕在本周末再次显现，新任财政大臣约翰·希利在发表讲话时

起飞许可

盖特威克机场期待已久的第二条跑道终于即将启用

上诉法院对阻止盖特威克机场使用第二条跑道的企图予以断然驳回，这确实是个好消息。作为伦敦第二大机场，也是英国仅次于希思罗的最繁忙机场，盖特威克终于可以将一条自机场在前苏塞克斯赛马场建成以来大部分时间闲置的应急跑道投入常规使用。扩建预计将创造 14,000 个就业岗位，带来额外 10 亿英镑 billion 的经济收益，并通过每年增加约 100,000 架次航班（服务约 13 million 乘客）缓解希思罗机场的巨大压力，预计 2030 年完工。

伯纳姆表示，在不危及整个系统的情况下，他能做的阻止提前释放的努力已到极限，这意味着那些因过失杀人和严重家庭暴力罪行服刑的人仍可能被提前释放。这一界限的划定将十分艰难。这对PC安德鲁·哈珀的家人尤为痛苦，他的两名过失杀人凶手将有资格于1月获释。监狱改革信托基金的皮娅·辛哈表示，没有“皆大欢喜的解决方案”，进一步的例外只会导致更严重的危机。 这一不理想的局面并非伯纳姆或新任司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯的过错，而是上届保守党政府短视思维的后果。2010 和 2024, 23 之间，23座监狱被关闭，导致 12,500 个监狱床位消失。期间新增了 13,000 个床位，意味着 14 年任期内仅净增 500 个床位。许多关闭的维多利亚时代建筑早已超出使用年限，但考虑到英国新建一座监狱约需7年时间，系统中存在显著滞后。预计到 2031, 将再增加 14,000 个床位，但这无法解决眼前的危机。 这一问题因量刑膨胀而进一步恶化。根据司法部，

对于超市和加油站可能利用通胀条件进行价格欺诈的担忧，希利暗示，如果消费者“在加油站或收银台被宰”，政府将进行干预。这位财政大臣几乎不可能选择更不合适的目标。英国超市销售的食品在西欧属于最实惠之列。事实上，超市是自由市场竞争惠及消费者的典范。与其说它们牟取暴利，超市的利润率通常远低于富时 100 指数公司的平均水平，通常仅为 2 至 4 百分比，而利德尔和阿尔迪等折扣连锁店的利润率甚至更低。此外，根据竞争与市场管理局的说法，并无证据表明加油站在伊朗战争初期存在价格欺诈行为。事实上，财政大臣本人也承认“没有确凿证据”表明此类行为曾发生。 在刚刚公布今年第二财季可观利润后，英国银行业发现自己成为工党的靶子。由于

法院对反跑道运动的简短驳回——表面上是因为额外的噪音——是应得的回击。法院表示，上诉理由——即交通大臣海蒂·亚历山大在去年同意扩建时，未考虑到跑道对政府碳减排目标的影响——是“无可争辩的”。很少有其他国家会让规划申请拖延如此之久。自盖特威克 13 年前提出建设第二条跑道以来，中国已从零开始建成 70 个民用机场。 所有经济调查均认为，英国——尤其是伦敦——需要更多的机场容量，如果

平均刑期长度增加了45%，从2010年的13.7个月上升至2024年的19.9个月。这加剧了监狱需求的压力，却未能改善供给。疫情进一步加重了刑事司法系统的负担，导致大量刑事案件积压待审。因此，短期内诺里斯先生和伯纳姆先生别无选择，只能继续提前释放囚犯——或推动量刑改革，缩短服刑时间。此外，还需就重返社会和预防再犯展开更广泛的讨论，后者每年给经济造成23亿英镑的损失。

除此之外，伯纳姆政府必须加快新监狱的建设。这并非不可能：1990年至2005年间，美国平均每12天就建成一座新监狱。通过否决地方议员的反对意见并简化审批流程，可以迅速增加更多监狱床位：司法部估计，因规划障碍已导致6,400个监狱床位延误。原计划建设20,000个新床位的预算为52亿英镑；如今这一成本可能几乎翻倍。伯纳姆应当现在就投入政治资本，加快监狱建设。否则，他将陷入提前释放囚犯的恶性循环，每一次释放都会削弱公众对其政府的信心。

财政大臣雷切尔·里夫斯曾考虑对银行征收暴利税，但最终被劝阻。希利先生如今面临压力，特别是来自工会联合会的压力，要求重新考虑这一提议，以资助首相不断膨胀的支出计划。然而，英国的税收制度已使本国银行在国际竞争中处于劣势——它们需缴纳基于资产负债表规模的特别税和企业税附加费。暴利税将使环境更加缺乏竞争力，打击投资积极性。

对成功企业“敲竹杠”的弊端在英国石油（BP）上周决定出售北海资产的案例中可见一斑。如果一国政府使企业经营在财务上变得不可行，大型企业将选择退出市场。在BP的案例中，正是向能源利润暴利税支付的巨额款项促使其做出这一决定。工党不应将盈利妖魔化，而应尊重公众，假设他们理解自由市场的运作机制。盈利是繁荣经济的必然且可喜的特征，而非需要消除的祸害。

不能输给阿姆斯特丹等欧洲机场，它们正利用希思罗机场的拥堵优势。希思罗机场终于敲定了新跑道的开建计划，但耗资巨大，且短期内难以投入运营。相比之下，盖特威克机场只需将闲置跑道向北移动12米，并配套相关基础设施即可。此外，盖特威克机场还拥有通往伦敦的快速频繁列车服务，并与铁路网其他部分相连，这是一大优势。依赖单一跑道一直是增长的瓶颈。这一障碍即将消除，英国经济将因此受益匪浅。

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26

2026年8月5日星期三 / 《泰晤士报》 国际

德黑兰加大对年轻异见人士的公开绞刑力度

伊朗近期处决激增是对抗议者的警告

罗克萨娜·萨贝里与法特梅·贾迈勒布尔报道

巨大的黄色吊车于一个周一下午出现在阿里哈尼广场。伊斯法罕的居民知道它不是用于建筑施工。它被运来作为公开处决三名男子的绞刑架，这三人是在1月伊朗全国反政权抗议活动中被捕的。当局准备处决阿米尔侯赛因·萨法里，28, 阿博法兹尔·塞帕希，23, 以及他的堂弟，阿里雷扎·塞帕希，约 25. 人群聚集在广场上声援被判死刑者，并抗议处决。其中包括吉拉，一位来自德黑兰的居民，她曾参与游行，并乘坐了六个半小时的出租车，在上周二黎明前抵达伊斯法罕。“人群非常庞大，”吉拉在匿名条件下说道。不久，黎明的祈祷声在空中回荡，萨法里和阿博法兹尔·塞帕希两人被绞死。“政权支持者开始高呼‘真主至大’并欢呼，”吉拉回忆道，“聚集的人群愤怒地发出嘘声……我们高喊‘无耻！无耻！’”吉拉说，安全部队向空中开枪。“上前的人被警棍殴打，被彩弹枪射击，并遭到催泪瓦斯袭击。”她的声音哽咽了。“我不想哭，”她说，“人们被深深的悲痛和巨大的愤怒所吞噬。”第三名被拘留者阿里雷扎·塞帕希因当天上午遭受中风或心脏病发作（人权组织如此描述）而未能走上绞刑架。他们说，医生在医院将其救活后，他被送回伊斯法罕的达斯特盖尔德监狱。伊朗司法机关指控这三人参与杀害四名安全部队人员，并在1月8日阿里哈尼广场的抗议活动中纵火焚烧公共财物。他们是至少12名在此案中被判死刑的男子之一。联合国专家呼吁伊朗撤销这些判决，称闭门审理违反了公正审判标准。在伊斯法罕周二的处决之前，同案的另外两人已于7月19日被绞死。至少8.人可能被处决。其中包括谢尔文·巴盖里安，18, 和阿米尔侯赛因·马莱基，20. 他们的家人已被传唤进行最后探视，据亲属和活动人士称。家属们经常受到威胁，被迫

塞帕希，23, 和

阿米尔侯赛因

被绞死

反政权

抗议活动在

1月

沉默，但一名被定罪者的亲属告诉《泰晤士报》，审讯人员曾对其进行了四次模拟处决。“他们剥光他的衣服，浇湿他的身体，并用电击折磨他数小时，逼迫他认罪，”这名亲属说。他们表示，当局向这些人施压，要求他们不得聘请独立律师，且证明部分被告在安保人员遇害时身处其他地点的证据被驳回。一位化名“梅迪”的前政治犯表示，他在伊斯法罕被关押期间曾见过几名阿里哈尼案被告。“这是一次非常艰难的经历……看到无辜的年轻人遭受折磨，”他说，“老实说，这比自己受刑还要难受。”梅迪称，这些人可能遭受了与他相同的酷刑。“他们用警棍、皮带和电缆以不同方式折磨我们……还对我们身体的敏感部位施加电击，”他说。不过，当这些人聚在一起时，他们会讲故事、开玩笑、写诗，梅迪回忆道。其中一名被告幽默感十足，喜欢骑摩托车；另一名则热爱纸牌游戏，“确实是我们中最聪明的”。梅迪在上周的绞刑后表示：“我现在真的很不好。”他希望这些被拘留者的遗志能够延续。“我希望全世界都知道我们真的受尽了苦难，”他说，“我们牺牲了青春，只为让他人能够自由。”

今年伊朗的处决数量激增。在国际社会关注战争之际，德黑兰已判处数十名1月抗议者死刑。人权活动人士称，这些案件通常程序不透明，剥夺正当程序，并存在酷刑和逼供指控。根据总部位于华盛顿的伊朗人权纪念中心阿卜杜勒拉赫曼·博鲁曼德中心的数据，今年1月至7月，伊朗伊斯兰共和国已至少执行了43起政治和国家安全案件的死刑。其中至少26起与

2022年“女性、生命、自由”起义的1月抗议活动。“今天引人注目的是判处死刑的速度之快，公开处决的回归，以及使用广泛定义的间谍罪名来压制目击者并阻止信息传播，”该中心执行主任罗娅·博鲁曼德（Roya Boroumand）表示。她称，3月在库姆市对三名抗议者的绞刑，以及上周在伊斯法罕的8名被处决者，似乎旨在向政权支持者保证，那些被指控对安全部队使用暴力的人将受到惩罚。博鲁曼德表示，该政权在国内的镇压与其在国外的行动密不可分，并补充道：“只要伊朗人被剥夺参与公共生活和影响国家内外政策的权利，伊斯兰共和国将始终是不稳定和威胁的根源。”

瓦希德（Vahid）在德黑兰以西的卡拉季参加1月抗议活动时中弹，他说街上的任何人都可能遭遇与在伊斯法罕被绞死的男子相同的命运。“他们被逮捕了，而我们逃脱了，”30岁的瓦希德说。“但我们不能无动于衷。”1月8日晚上，瓦希德加入了一个比他见过的任何足球场外人群都要大的集会。半小时后，安全部队开火。瓦希德描述了一辆丰田皮卡车，上面安装了看似机枪的武器向示威者开火，而骑摩托车的人则用突击步枪射击。“到处都是尸体，”他说。“我们有石头，他们有枪。”一个大约16或17岁的男孩在他几英尺外的后脑中弹。瓦希德将男孩拖向一条小巷，但当他转身时，一颗子弹穿过他的口袋射入大腿。男孩没有活下来。瓦希德

留下了永久性神经损伤，至今仍无法行走，但他并不后悔参加抗议。“如果再发生一千次，”他说，“我会去一千次。”

在华盛顿举行的示威活动

声援阿博法兹尔·萨法里（Abolfazl Safari），28岁，他上周在伊斯法罕的一个公共广场从起重机上被绞死，因参与

平板包装舞台将歌剧带给大众

西班牙

戴维·沙罗克

从宏伟的城市广场到宁静的乡村广场，一个配备平板包装舞台的歌剧团正在执行一项使命，将其高雅的艺术形式带到远离西班牙首都金碧辉煌的家园之外。该剧团携带着马德里皇家剧院舞台前部的复制品，正在全国各地进行一次不寻常的文化朝圣之旅，将歌剧带到那些很少甚至从未听过歌剧的地方。

这辆拖运这座非凡流动剧院的22吨铰接式卡车在过去五年中行驶了超过75,000英里。被称为“La Carroza del Real”（可大致翻译为“皇家歌剧巡演车”）的项目已将数万名观众引入现场歌剧，对许多人来说，这是他们首次接触这种很少走出马德里和巴塞罗那的艺术形式。

从上周末在毕尔巴鄂附近的海滨度假小镇卡斯特罗乌尔迪亚莱斯演出时获得的起立鼓掌来看——尽管有海鸥的叫声、50cc摩托车排气管的轰鸣，甚至还有倒车的移动滑板车的警报声——这辆“巡演车”已经引起了共鸣。

这座巡回舞台让人想起诗人费德里科·加西亚·洛尔卡（Federico García Lorca）的《La Barraca》，他在1930年代带领学生流动剧团巡回西班牙共和国，将黄金时代的戏剧带到偏远社区。

“它有一个非常明确的使命：将歌剧和萨苏埃拉（一种西班牙抒情戏剧体裁）中的经典作品带给

第27页

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

5 2026

西班牙的每一个角落，”皇家剧院品牌与机构形象总监卢尔德斯·桑切斯-奥卡尼亚说道。“这次独奏会的舞台和布景非常特别，因为它是皇家剧院主舞台前台拱门的复制品。这是一种隐喻性的方式，打破皇家剧院的围墙，将其带到西班牙各地的城镇、广场和城市。”

这座剧院堪称宜家式平板包装移动奇迹。一辆40英尺的集装箱——皇家剧院用于存放其500套剧目布景的集装箱之一——在演出前12小时抵达。届时，由赫苏斯·鲁埃达带领的团队，手持电钻，取出箱内物品，将其组装成一座令人印象深刻的模拟场景，让马德里的歌剧爱好者们会慷慨解囊，只为踏入其中。

五位年轻艺术家稍后抵达，他们均来自皇家剧院内部的“渐强计划”，该项目由皇家剧院之友基金会设立，旨在为新兴人才提供密集培训和专业指导。

“我们的想法是将抒情剧目，尤其是最具西班牙特色的抒情剧种——萨苏埃拉，带给那些通常无法接触到它的社区，”哥伦比亚女中音耶拉尔丁·莱昂说道。“这不是典型的剧院设置，演员与观众之间没有距离。”

钢琴家阿尔瓦罗·马丁·戈麦斯说：“这是对洛尔卡《巴拉卡》精神的复兴，其目标是将文化带到每一个角落，并使其民主化，因为文化属于每一个人。”罗马尼亚女高音亚历山德拉·赞菲拉强调了需求：“演出结束后，当地议员或市长常常会立即表示，‘我们需要定下明年的日期，因为这次演出大获成功’。”

男高音帕布罗·马丁内斯·希尔回忆道：“有天晚上我们演出，下着大雨，但观众没有一个人离开座位，直到音乐会结束。我们说，‘好吧，我们收工吧’，但观众坚持要求——他们想要返场，想要我们继续。”

男中音阿隆索·加巴鲁斯在演出前表示：“无论是在卡斯特罗-乌尔迪亚莱斯、皇家剧院本身，还是任何村庄，登台前总会有些紧张，但我认为其中也包含着对做自己热爱的事情的兴奋。”

夜晚在掌声中结束，空气中飘来海滨餐厅烤鱼的香味，这家餐厅紧邻临时音乐会场地。观众们渐渐散去用餐，爱好者们则请求与他们新喜爱的歌手合影。与此同时，鲁埃达的团队已经开始行动。午夜时分，这座迷你皇家剧院将重新装回同一个集装箱，这个集装箱刚刚还充当了今晚的舞台。而鲁埃达则将踏上南下的旅程。他看了看手表，说道：“运气好的话，我凌晨 4.30am 就能到家。”

打击俄罗斯的“亚马逊”

目标是点燃经济战火 第28页

欧盟要求加强边境安全

应对休达移民危机

休达

戴维·沙罗克 休达 伊桑巴德·威尔金森 马德里

几个世纪以来，休达的城墙击退了军队，守卫着这座主权长期受到争议的北非城市。如今，在这些城墙内避难的年轻移民，见证了另一种冲突——西班牙官员将其描述为摩洛哥发动的“混合战争”——其规模令整个欧洲的政府感到震惊。西班牙内政部昨日披露，上周约有72,000人非法进入休达，较此前估计有所增加，是西班牙领土上出现的最大规模涌入。西班牙当局称，在此次大规模越境中，至少有75人死亡，其中大部分是年轻男子，他们游泳绕过海岬以绕过陆地边境。摩洛哥官员确认边境摩方一侧有11人死亡。尽管近乎所有人——约70,000人——已返回摩洛哥，但仍有约2,000人滞留，

马德里指责拉巴特鼓励此次涌入以施加政治影响力。在休达秩序井然的市中心，警力部署已恢复表面上的正常，但危机并未解决，只是被转移。在市中心以东的海滩上，三五成群的疲惫移民在海滨长廊的阴凉处或废弃的躺椅上寻求庇护，等待下一步的消息。该市的移民接待设施已不堪重负。在一处临时接待中心外，来自摩洛哥、撒哈拉以南非洲、孟加拉国和叙利亚的人们已等待多日，希望能有空位。其他人则拎着塑料袋、拿着纸板碎片，在工业区和住宅区游荡，寻找过夜的地方。在俯瞰摩洛哥边境的海滨长廊上，士兵已被部署以起威慑作用，此前曾发生大规模涌入。与此同时，居民们在未解决的边境危机背景下继续日常生活。西班牙首相佩德罗·桑切斯的政府避免直接批评摩洛哥。但官员指责拉巴特故意放松边境管控，以就休达及两国更广泛关系施加政治压力——这一指控遭到马格里布王国否认。滞留休达的移民中，约有860名无人陪伴的未成年人，根据西班牙法律，他们不能被简单遣返，将在个别评估后逐步转移至西班牙本土的接待设施。这一前景引发了西班牙右翼政党的强烈反对，并加深了欧洲在移民问题上的分歧。意大利在约20个成员国的支持下，已呼吁采取更严格的外部边境管控、加快遣返速度，并在第三国设立欧盟资助的处理中心。希腊则呼吁建立更强有力的机制以应对

摩 洛 哥

时尚教宗信赖“梵蒂冈的范思哲”

第29页

欧盟称休达危机凸显落实新移民公约的必要性

欧盟委员会表示，休达危机凸显了全面落实欧盟新移民公约的必要性，并谴责了其所称的移民“工具化”行为。

西班牙内政部长费尔南多·格兰德-马拉斯卡坚称，昨天与欧盟内政部长举行的紧急视频会议“完全具有建设性”，并承认了西班牙对这场紧急情况作出的“有效且及时的回应”。

西班牙官员称，犯罪贩运网络和误导性社交媒体宣传利用了该国最高法院最近的一项裁决所引发的混乱。该裁决称，在海上被拦截后抵达西班牙领土的移民不能被立即遣返。

马德里一再坚称，休达发生的事件“是一项欧洲挑战”，需要欧洲层面的应对，但同时警告不要将这场危机演变为成员国之间新一轮的政治相互指责。

意大利已暂停与西班牙的申根免护照旅行安排1个月，尽管该安排并不适用于休达。22个欧盟27个成员国呼吁采取协调行动，加强欧盟的外部边境。

直布罗陀海峡

Benzu

Belyounech

Tarajal

Fnideq

在意大利和丹麦的带领下，这些国家批评了西班牙最近提出的将500,000名无证移民和寻求庇护者合法化的计划。桑切斯政府将这一计划誉为自由和进步的政策。目前已有1.2 million人提出申请。

欧盟移民专员马格努斯·布伦纳批评合法化政策“向欧洲发出了不好的信号”，但承认布鲁塞尔“没有看到”该政策与休达移民涌入之间存在“直接联系”。他拒绝说明摩洛哥是否应承担任何责任，但称赞了拉巴特与西班牙当局在遣返问题上的合作。

欧盟越来越依赖与北非国家签订的移民协议来遏制非正常入境，但批评人士称，这种做法使欧盟容易受到中转国的压力。这些国家可以放松或威胁放松边境管制，以谋求政治或经济让步。

随着休达当局试图重新控制局势，社交媒体平台正在助长关于8月15日可能再次出现大规模越境的猜测。15个拥有数十万成员的WhatsApp和Facebook群组一直在传播关于向该地区新一轮推进的谣言，同时提供路线、边境通道和自制船只的建议。

1英里

第28页

5 2026年8月5日 星期三 / 《泰晤士报》 国际

克宫被指控战争罪 无人机试图杀害市场商贩

乌克兰

U K R A I N E

马克·贝内茨

马克·贝内茨

俄罗斯

基辅指控莫斯科军队犯下战争罪，一段视频显示俄罗斯无人机试图在乌克兰南部被围困的城市赫尔松街头杀害一名市场商贩。

乌克兰警方发布的视频显示，52岁的男子仅被确认为尤里，被一架攻击无人机追赶，围绕着一辆用于销售水果和蔬菜的货车。视频中可以看到无人机的攻击和爆炸。他

莫斯科

R U S S I A

电报 / 阿纳多卢 / 盖蒂图片社

打击俄罗斯的“亚马逊”旨在点燃经济战火

凯瑟琳·菲尔普 基辅

萨马拉上空的仓库上方升起大片灰色浓烟，数英里外都清晰可见。“我们所有的货物都没了，太可怕了，”一名哭泣的女子在她此前用来推销珠宝的社交媒体上说道。“我们醒来时仓库已经起火。所有库存都在里面，我们不知道该怎么办。”周日袭击俄罗斯西南部Wildberries仓库的无人机袭击，只是针对这家被称为“俄罗斯亚马逊”的在线零售巨头的最新一次打击。首次袭击发生在7月18日，位于莫斯科郊外的一个大型物流枢纽，造成8名员工死亡，产生的烟雾之大甚至从太空都能看到。此后，几乎每隔不到两天，就会有另一个仓库起火，烧毁价值数十亿卢布的商品，并引发网上绝望情绪的爆发。昨日，Wildberries表示圣彼得堡东南20英里处的克拉斯内博尔（Krasny Bor）的一个仓库发生火灾。比起深入打击炼油厂和基础设施导致燃料短缺和配给，乌克兰对Wildberries的行动更直接地将战争带入了普通俄罗斯人的生活。这家公司在国内的主导地位甚至超过了亚马逊在美国的地位。它占据了俄罗斯约50%的在线零售市场。然而，这场行动远不只是给购物者带来不便，而是一次大胆的尝试，旨在拖垮俄罗斯经济。Wildberries不仅是俄罗斯最大的公司之一，也是负债最多的公司，主要通过与国有控股的VTB银行合作。与克里姆林宫关系密切的寡头奥列格·德里帕斯卡警告称，Wildberries的垮台可能引发一系列俄罗斯银行的崩溃。在首次袭击Wildberries后，泽连斯基总统宣布，这家零售商已被判定为军事目标，原因是其为俄罗斯军队提供“无人机部件及其他军事装备”。Wildberries迅速撤下了一个名为“一切为特别军事行动服务”的促销页面，这是克里姆林宫对2022年入侵乌克兰的委婉说法。该目录推销的产品包括防弹衣、战术头盔，以及让民用无人机携带榴弹发射器的设备。但泽连斯基暗示，报复也是动机之一。他表示，对Wildberries的袭击是“对俄罗斯空袭我国民用基础设施的回应”，此前俄罗斯空袭激增，包括对设施的袭击——

圣彼得堡

萨马拉

警方称，有人受到惊吓、脑震荡和弹片伤害。

俄罗斯军队经常在赫尔松用无人机袭击乌克兰平民，这种行为被称为“猎杀人类”。被无人机杀死或致残的视频被发布到俄罗斯支持战争的Telegram频道，通常配有嘻哈或电子音乐。 “世界必须看到这一点。必须看到俄罗斯已经疯狂的每一个证据，以及俄罗斯军方对杀戮——”

一处位于梁赞地区的Wildberries物流枢纽在乌克兰的打击中遭到袭击，基辅正将这家电商巨头作为目标

渴望Nova Poshta，一家乌克兰

邮政公司，莫斯科声称该公司 也被用于军事目的。 上周，泽连斯基的高级顾问 米哈伊洛·波多利亚克再次 为针对Wildberries的行动提供了理由：打击与克里姆林宫有关的债权人， 通过让普通俄罗斯人感受到战争的影响，使更多人反对这场战争。 Wildberries去年的营业额达到6万亿卢布 （59亿英镑），是俄罗斯最大的单一税收来源之一。“这些损失可能会对俄罗斯预算收入产生负面影响，”波多利亚克说。 普通商家和顾客的强烈抗议 前所未有。Instagram和TikTok上充斥着供应商 哭泣的视频，画面中仓库燃起熊熊大火。拥有130万 Instagram粉丝的卖家玛丽娜·戈尔什科娃录制了一段视频，呼吁“国家领导层”， 为100万注册Wildberries的商家请求帮助。“如果我们倒闭，国库将停止收到我们的税款，新的企业家也不会像雨后春笋般涌现，”她说。 另一位卖家瓦列里·菲拉托夫使用

“对人民的暴力和虐待，”泽连斯基总统说。

尤里在医院接受采访时表示， 他和妻子刚刚开始摆放商品准备销售，无人机就出现了。他的妻子设法跑开了。“我向它展示，看，这里有蔬菜，但它还是朝我飞来，”他在一段由 地方当局发布的视频中说。他还表示，这是自战争开始以来第二次遭到无人机袭击。 乌克兰外交部长安德烈·西比哈表示，俄罗斯无人机飞行员

俄罗斯社交媒体网络VK

呼吁Wildberries的所有者塔季扬娜·金利用她对克里姆林宫的影响力阻止战争。“请让 金代表我们向俄罗斯总统呼吁……要求停止战争。” 但尽管该公司向遇难者家属支付了赔偿金， 并向在最初袭击中损失库存的商家支付了部分款项，金声称Wildberries在法律上不承担损失责任， 理由是袭击前不久修改的保险条款将其归类为“不可抗力”。 克里姆林宫迄今为止

赫尔松袭击事件的视频由 乌克兰警方发布

对Wildberries行动保持沉默，

不过政府正在考虑是否需要出手 扶持该公司。 乌克兰将针对Wildberries的行动称为“远程制裁”， 利用军事手段发动经济战。 自全面入侵乌克兰以来，Wildberries与 克里姆林宫的关系日益紧密。2024年6月，普京总统 亲自批准了该公司与俄罗斯最大的户外广告公司Russ Outdoor的合并。 周日萨马拉遭袭后，乌克兰无人系统部队指挥官 罗伯特·“马扎尔”·布罗夫迪在其Telegram频道上发布了一条典型的色彩鲜明且晦涩的帖子，暗示袭击将继续。 布罗夫迪写道，东部地区的居民不应期待他们的“紫色包裹”到货。 萨马拉物流枢纽连接了该公司在俄罗斯欧洲部分和西伯利亚的业务。 “萨马拉的野莓枢纽出现故障并退出了聊天，”他补充道。“这场浆果混战肯定不会是最后一击。” 维多利亚·西比尔补充报道

200英里

负责袭击市场商贩的飞行员是“虐待狂”。

“这种发生在赫尔松的野蛮俄罗斯战争罪行 需要国际社会的谴责和正义，但 成千上万起类似罪行从未进入公众视野，”西比哈说。他还呼吁“为乌克兰提供强大的防御和威慑方案，以及可靠、有保障的安全”。 赫尔松市曾被俄罗斯军队占领8个月，后于 2022年11月被乌克兰军队解放。

北约“在战场上落后普京部队十年”

北约远远落后于俄罗斯，并需要

超过十年时间才能匹敌 莫斯科战场能力的一半， 乌克兰前总司令发出警告。 现任基辅驻英国大使的瓦列里·扎卢日内表示， 北约仍在幻想未来的冲突将按照 第二次世界大战的模式进行。“最可能的是， 北约将保持现有形式，并像乌克兰一样， 花费12年时间过渡到 需要达到的标准，以便至少达到 俄罗斯联邦水平的一半，”他在 基辅举行的乌克兰大使会议上表示。 尽管他承认基辅需要北约成员国 拥有的防空系统和其他军事技术， 但扎卢日内表示，该联盟仍在按照 “在抗击纳粹德国期间制定的 条令”行事。他还暗示， 乌克兰武装部队优于北约部队。 北约被指责未能完全适应 现代战场的现实，这些战场已被

瓦列里·扎卢日内， 乌克兰前 基辅驻英国大使 最高将领

无人机在乌克兰绵延的前线

普遍存在的情况所重塑。其弱点 在2025年北约在爱沙尼亚举行的 “刺猬2025”演习中暴露无遗， 该演习还涉及乌克兰部队。在其中 一个场景中，一个由数千名士兵组成的 部队，包括一个英国旅，被 仅由十名乌克兰无人机操作员组成的团队 “摧毁”，《华尔街日报》报道。 在基辅的《欧洲真理》网站报道的 评论中，扎卢日内表示， 由于在如何最好地进行战争问题上存在分歧， 他于2024年被泽连斯基总统解除 总司令职务，并称乌克兰永远不会被允许加入北约。 “我个人花了大约12年时间 致力于采用北约标准，每年我都听到 关于我们即将加入北约的童话故事，”他说。 “不幸的是，我们永远不会加入。” 扎卢日内的言论是在 俄罗斯将军下令其部队在7月 尝试冲击乌克兰阵地8,000次之后发表的—— 这是自战争开始以来的最高纪录， 根据乌克兰监测网站“深度国家”的数据。

第29页

《泰晤士报》 / 5 2026年8月5日（星期三）

29 国际

梵蒂冈

时尚教皇

信仰“梵蒂冈的 范思哲”

詹姆斯·伊曼

广为人知的教皇裁缝菲利波·索尔奇内利

无法相信站在他面前的男人 会登上圣彼得的宝座。 当时，罗伯特·普雷沃斯特只是一位 出生于芝加哥的枢机主教和 主教部长——在梵蒂冈圈子内受人尊敬， 但在更广泛的世界中鲜为人知。维也纳的一群 奥古斯丁修士委托这位裁缝为他制作一顶 华丽的主教冠。索尔奇内利获得了 与普雷沃斯特的会面机会，并向这位未来的教皇 展示了这顶白色绗缝主教冠， 内衬丝绸，饰有金色十字架和 用金属线制成的蝴蝶结。 “他的目光略显羞涩，问我：‘看起来还行吗？’” 索尔奇内利，51，回忆起 将主教冠戴在普雷沃斯特头上的情景。 “我得到的印象是，这是一个非常正直的人， 受过良好教育，并且真正能够 与他人交流，同时保持平衡感。” 几个月后，同一个人 将登上圣彼得大教堂的阳台， 成为新当选的教皇，

普鲁斯特的“玛德琳”理论在实验室小鼠身上通过嗅觉测试

法国

夏尔·布雷姆纳 巴黎

普鲁斯特的主人公惊叹

当他将一小块浸过茶的海绵蛋糕送入口中时， 一种“美妙的愉悦”侵入了他的感官。 “这种味道就是贡布雷星期天早晨……莱奥妮姨妈 常给我的那块小玛德琳蛋糕的味道，她会先将其 浸入自己的茶或椴花茶中，”他在《追忆似水年华》中说道。 这段1913年的关键段落使“普鲁斯特的玛德琳” 成为幸福童年记忆的感官线索的代名词。 如今，一支来自法国国家科学研究中心的 神经科学家团队利用小鼠来揭示他们认为的大脑利用气味创造“自传体”记忆的方式，这种记忆能生动地将人带回几十年前。

以能提供首批性格视觉线索的法衣

出现在期待已久的世界面前。 索尔奇内利继续为莱奥设计服装， 使他成为继本笃十六世和方济各之后， 第三位由他设计法衣的教宗。他最新的 作品将在教宗本周访问阿西西期间穿着。 索尔奇内利首次为本笃十六世设计是在2007年， 随后为其创作了约50套法衣， 满足了这位德国教宗对 视觉丰富性和 传统细节的偏好。 他的下一个任务是 以服装形式体现 方济各的“高贵简朴”。 索尔奇内利设计了 白色主教冠和饰有 白色十字的无袖长袍， 方济各于2013年首次弥撒时穿着， 以及他去世后躺在敞开的棺木中时， 头上戴的镶金边白色丝质主教冠。 “首先想到的是 乔托，” 索尔奇内利设计了莱奥穿着的 法衣，用于选举次日在 西斯廷礼拜堂举行的 弥撒，以及本笃十六世在 2007年圣伯多禄和圣保禄节 穿着的无袖长袍，如下

说道，当被要求为方济各的就职弥撒设计时，

他解释称从阿西西圣方济各大殿中 描绘13世纪修士圣方济各生平的 乔托壁画系列中汲取了灵感。 作为一名同性恋者，索尔奇内利挑战了 教宗裁缝的传统形象，经常以 身着黑衣、耳环和纹身 示人的形象出现在镜头前。他是 Lavs的创始人，这是一家位于 圣塔尔坎杰洛-迪罗马涅的 礼仪服装工作室， 雇有约40名工匠。 他与天主教的 缘分始于五岁时， 常随身为虔诚志愿者的 母亲前往当地

“我们早就知道人们会保留童年时期的嗅觉记忆，

但对这一现象的神经基础知之甚少，” 里昂神经科学研究中心主任、 该研究的共同作者娜塔莉·曼代龙博士说。 “我们想了解，尽管儿童接触过无数气味， 为何只有部分气味会终生留存在记忆中。” 这项发表在《公共科学图书馆·生物学》期刊上的研究， 对超过600人进行了关于童年嗅觉和味觉记忆的问卷调查。 研究团队随后使用了272只嗅觉系统与人类相似的 幼鼠，建立了一个“积极嗅觉记忆”模型。 “我们在小鼠探索一个包含玩具、食物和 其他小鼠的丰富环境时释放了愉悦的气味，” 曼代龙说。 这些年龄在23至30天之间的小鼠—— 相当于人类的儿童前期—— 通过高频吱吱声表达了它们的“幸福状态”。 研究人员发现，当这些小鼠长到 60至80天的青年期时， 对香茅草气味表现出明显偏好， 因为它们将这种气味与幼年游乐场联系在一起。 它们会愉快地吱吱叫，并花费更多时间 探索这种气味，而非其他气味。 未被提供奢华环境（包括跑轮、 玉米片和玩伴）的小鼠， 在成年后对这种气味无动于衷。 研究人员还发现，对于

教会。二十多岁时，在罗马学习

圣乐后，他于1970年代回到家乡成为一名管风琴师。几乎是偶然间， 他进入了设计领域，当时一位朋友说自己即将被授予圣职。 “当时一时冲动，我告诉他不要买任何东西，因为我想 自己设计并制作这件首件祭披，”索尔奇内利说。他与 住在圣阿坎杰洛-迪罗马涅附近蒙多尔福的裁缝姐姐和姨妈 一起制作了这些法衣。 弗朗西斯去世后，仍然演奏管风琴的索尔奇内利考虑 从设计领域退出。但利奥的当选——以及他首次亮相时身穿 红色莫泽塔（一种弗朗西斯大多避而不用的肘长披肩）——表明 他的服务仍然受到需求。 虽然索尔奇内利没有为利奥的首次弥撒设计法衣， 但此后他为利奥设计了许多作品。例如，利奥明天访问阿西西时将穿戴的法衣。

马塞尔·普鲁斯特探索了气味如何

唤起快乐的童年记忆

气味要被牢记，啮齿动物必须

在幼年时期定期接触这种气味。 研究人员进行了在人类身上无法实施的大脑检查， 发现

利奥明天访问阿西西时，将穿戴

一件绣有八角星的祭披和主教冠，八角星象征着圣母玛利亚 和生命的更新，并以青金石等宝石装饰。 索尔奇内利开始设计礼拜服饰几年后，一位竞争对手 公开了他的性取向，试图诋毁他。但索尔奇内利表示， 出柜让他看到教会比人们通常认为的更宽容、更包容。 “教会一直把我当作一个人——菲利波来看待，” 索尔奇内利说。他的身上纹有代表破碎镜子的线条， 象征着经历艰难时期。“除非你有某种程度的信仰深度， 否则永远无法胜任这份工作，因为它需要的不仅仅是训练，” 索尔奇内利说。“你需要将一件普通的衣服变成神圣的法衣。”

在嗅球中，出生前后生成的神经元

发挥了此前未知的作用。 “我们的研究表明，存在一些携带这种气味记忆的神经元。 它们相当特殊，因为神经元通常在个体出生时形成，” 曼代龙说。“然而，这些神经元是在出生后发育的…… 而且，它们会终生存活。” 进入成年后，童年的气味记忆 会被嵌入边缘系统——大脑的“情感中心”， 根据这项研究。“随着年龄增长，边缘系统的参与度增加， 可能有助于解释我们在人类身上看到的现象： 与气味相关的记忆会带有更强烈的怀旧和情感色彩，” 曼代龙说。

第30页

硬壳 一辆由墨西哥艺术家拉斐尔·埃斯帕拉-普列托于1970年 用熟铁制作的可驾驶大众甲壳虫，作为宣传噱头， 现由加州RM苏富比拍卖行出售

邮轮与铁路套餐

地中海车厢、 邮轮与加尔达湖

2027年6月10日

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加沙

希望之辞在加沙废墟中显得空洞

加沙

加沙

阿迈勒·赫勒斯，理查德·斯宾塞

萨默尔·阿尔-阿特鲁什

中东记者

关于加沙未来的种种版本如此之多，以至于人们很容易忘记加沙的现状。或许这正是关键所在。根据特朗普总统的说法，目前已为未来某个时刻由新的巴勒斯坦政府接管创造了条件，同时确保“以色列应得的安全”。与此同时，特朗普在托尼·布莱尔爵士及其女婿贾里德·库什纳等人协助下成立的“和平委员会”声称，已就如何落实去年停火协议达成各方共识。而在哈马斯一方，该组织新当选的领导人也向其臣民——实际上仍是加沙的所有巴勒斯坦人——传递了信息。哈利勒·哈亚表示，哈马斯将“继续努力，直到减轻你们的苦难，再次看到我们曾经熟悉的美丽而辉煌的加沙”。他承诺将“加速”重建这片居住着200万人的领土。

现实却截然不同。昨天，为同一个加沙家族——侯赛纳家族——的112名成员举行了集体葬礼，这些遗体刚刚从他们所在城镇的废墟中被找到。这112,人中包括约40名儿童和30名妇女，他们是2023,年11月冲突初期在加沙城萨布拉区三栋住宅楼内避难时，遭以色列空袭导致308名家族成员遇难中的部分死者。约一半死者当时即被找到，其余遗体则需等待重型设备清理废墟后才能挖出。在长达两年的战争中，加沙大部分房屋已被以色列军队部分或完全摧毁。根据当地政府的数据，自2023年10月7日哈马斯袭击以色列（造成1,200名以色列人死亡，250多人被劫持，从而引发冲突）以来，已有超过70,000名加沙人丧生，其中包括战斗人员、平民成人和儿童。加沙的幸存者如今栖身于帐篷或残破的建筑中，依赖国际援助维生。对许多人而言，哈亚的言辞——本应是他们的希望灯塔——听来空洞。“哈利勒·哈亚的讲话让我们感到意外，他谈论的是与我们的生活和加沙未来相关的问题，”26岁的杜阿·巴西姆说，她是一名流离失所的南加沙妇女。“感觉他仿佛来自另一个世界，与我们正在经历的流离失所的现实毫不相干。”

哈亚本人也是加沙本地人，他于上月当选哈马斯领导人，接替在2024年10月与以色列士兵交火中丧生的叶海亚·辛瓦尔。辛瓦尔策划了10月7日的袭击，他原本希望这场袭击能导致以色列的毁灭，但结果却适得其反。

以色列与哈马斯控制区分界线 2025年停火后

以色列国防军（IDF）自 汗尤尼斯 拉法

埃及 3英里

南非 少年在地中海俱乐部度假村遭员工强奸

南非 一名加拿大少年据称在南非首家地中海俱乐部（Club Med）度假村遭员工强奸，该豪华酒店数周前刚在海豚海岸开业。这名18岁少年称，嫌疑人是一名面向客人的员工，在将其灌醉后带至员工宿舍，趁其无行为能力时实施了强奸。被告35,岁，是一名来自法国的地中海俱乐部员工，该全包式家庭度假连锁品牌起源于法国。他于7月23.日被捕，本周在德班法院出席保释听证会。他向法庭表示，性行为是双方自愿的。

昨日为2023年空袭中遇难的家族成员举行葬礼

引发了一场摧毁加沙的战争以及一场将黎巴嫩和伊朗卷入其中的地区冲突。 哈马斯内部有些人认为，该组织必须评估10月7日袭击对其事业造成的损害，但去年在卡塔尔幸存于以色列暗杀企图的哈亚被认为毫无悔意。 根据去年的停火协议，哈马斯应当解除武装，而以色列则应当从该领土撤出。

骆驼在海滩发脾气 导致游客受伤

澳大利亚 西澳大利亚州布鲁姆的一处海滩上，两名游客在一次日落之旅中被骆驼甩出，随后被送往医院。这头动物当时属于载客游客的一组骆驼，它突然脱离了大部队。社交媒体上的视频片段显示，乘客在被甩出之前试图抓紧。据后来的消息，一名60多岁的女性在医院情况稳定。另一人已出院。当地议员克里斯·米切尔表示，骆驼骑行费用最高可达A$90（£50），是“布鲁姆体验中深受喜爱的一部分”，且此类事件十分罕见。

随后，由美国领导的和平委员会将监督由新政府策划的大规模重建工作。但近一年后，以色列仍控制着该领土近60%的地区，并继续攻击哈马斯目标，且经常在同一时间导致平民死亡。哈马斯在剩余部分根深蒂固，表示它将解散其政府以支持一个新的巴勒斯坦权力机构，但在以色列撤出之前不会解除武装。 上周末，在和平委员会和特朗普宣布他们新的“执行”协议后，以色列继续坚持只有在哈马斯解除武装后才会开始撤出。 这重新确立了现有的僵局，以及加沙废墟中那些无助的居民对哈亚和国际社会持续提出的质疑。 “在遭受如此巨大的破坏后，[哈亚]打算如何向国际社会施压以重建加沙？”67岁的药剂师穆罕默德·苏赫韦尔问道，他与家人共100人被驱逐至加沙南部的汗尤尼斯。“我们想知道他认为重建将如何实现。” 哈马斯和以色列似乎都对这种冻结的冲突感到满意，这让他们分别控制着加沙的两个部分，而当地居民则生活在悬而未决的状态中。 “今天和几个月前没有区别，”一个有七个孩子的父亲艾哈迈德·法耶兹说道。 昨晚，哈马斯表示，由于以色列的袭击，它正在考虑退出和平委员会协议。“我们正在权衡关于下一步行动的选择，”一名高级政治官员表示。“所有方案都在考虑之中。”

来源：ISW

迪卡普里奥与贝佐斯 拯救濒危动物

美国 莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥和杰夫·贝佐斯正联手开展一项2亿美元的任务，旨在复兴地球上100种最受威胁的物种。这位好莱坞明星的Re:wild运动和这位亚马逊亿万富翁的贝佐斯地球基金将领导“凤凰物种项目”，该项目将分发拨款，旨在保护包括狐猴、蝾螈、穿山甲、猪和针鼹在内的濒危动物。致力于拯救金顶西法卡（一种来自马达加斯加的狐猴）的慈善机构执行董事蒂亚娜·安德里亚马纳纳表示，这笔资金将“改变可能性”。

DAWOUD ABU ALKAS / 路透社

第 31 页

the times / 星期三 8月5 2026 31 商业

世界市场

富时 100 指数 (FTSE 100)

10,879.38 (+21.68)

3,500 7月 7 21 14 8月 4 28 7月 7 21 14 8月 4 28

AI 初创公司 Volta 在六个月内估值从零增至 24 亿美元

$

James Hurley 聊天机器人。Volta 表示，该公司“开发、资助、建设并运营”AI 数据中心，或者用其称呼的“AI 工厂”。 该公司称，它将资金、带有当地电力供应的土地、数据中心以及 AI 行业所需的硬件和软件“统一在单一平台之下”。 该公司表示，包括西班牙投资公司 Azora、硅谷风险投资公司 Andreessen Horowitz 以及技术投资者 Altimeter 在内的支持者已对其进行投资，英伟达 (Nvidia) 这家计算机公司亦然。

一家成立六个月、旨在挪威建设人工智能数据中心的初创公司已与 Anthropic 达成一项 10 亿美元的协议，并从包括英伟达在内的支持者处筹集资金，估值为 24 亿美元。 Volta Infrastructure Holdings 总部位于伦敦，由一名原 Brookfield Asset Management 员工于 1 月份成立。该公司与 Claude 聊天机器人背后的 AI 集团 Anthropic 签署了一项数据中心协议。

SpaceX 营收增长

92%

首次公开发行后股价早盘下跌

路易莎·克拉伦斯-史密斯

美国商业版编辑

SpaceX在创纪录首次公开募股后的首份财报中超出了华尔街的营收预期。 埃隆·马斯克的卫星、火箭和人工智能公司报告第二季度营收增长92%，达到78 亿美元亿，高于分析师平均预期的68 亿美元亿。该公司本季度净亏损收窄至$541百万，而一年前为$1十亿。 然而，SpaceX的股票在6月中旬以15 亿美元的价格上市后，在华尔街盘后交易中下跌了$8.49，跌幅为6.9%，至$116.77，使该公司市值达到$1.7万亿。该股在6月首次公开募股后的头几天大幅上涨，曾短暂使马斯克成为世界首位万亿富翁，但此后SpaceX的市值已蒸发超过$1万亿。 股价承压的原因包括对8月6日禁售期结束的担忧，届时SpaceX的一些员工和早期投资者将能够出售其股票。投资者还在寻求有关人工智能业务及与马斯克的电动汽车公司特斯拉潜在合并的更多明确信息。 现年55岁的马斯克于2002年在加利福尼亚州霍桑创立了SpaceX，作为一家航空航天制造商和太空运输服务公司，目标是降低火箭发射成本，以实现火星殖民。

（当日变化）

道琼斯指数

54,085.88 (+907.47)

11,000 10,800 10,600 10,400 10,200 10,000 9,800

55,000 54,000 53,000 52,000 51,000 50,000 49,000 7月7 21 8月4 14 28

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他将SpaceX发展成为全球最大的火箭企业，通过发射数千颗Starlink互联网卫星，并率先使用可重复使用的火箭，彻底改变了太空旅行的经济性。这位全球首富甚至有更宏大的计划，要在月球上建造城市，并在太空中建立数据中心。 该公司去年的大部分收入来自其Starlink卫星互联网业务。最新财报显示，该互联网服务继续推动增长，第二季度收入达到43 亿美元亿，较去年同期增长66%。 SpaceX表示，截至2026,第二季度末，其用户数量已达到12百万，较去年翻了一番。该公司还宣布已获得超过60 亿美元十亿的美国政府合同，用于Starlink的一个名为Starshield的版本，该版本提供机密和加密信号。 SpaceX的人工智能业务（包括xAI、Grok、社交媒体平台X和数据中心运营）一直是其最大的投资领域。人工智能业务收入同比增长247%，达到$2.56亿，而亏损从去年的15 亿美元亿收窄至$1.3亿。太空业务收入同比增长29%，达到$962百万，而亏损则从$369百万扩大至$542百万。该部门包括商业发射、政府任务和星舰的开发。SpaceX表示，太空业务收入得益于“与去年同期相比，大型客户发射数量增加”。

大宗商品 货币

黄金

$4,068.23 (+17.08)

4,500

芯片制造商。戴尔科技公司亿万富翁创始人迈克尔·戴尔的家族办公室也进行了投资。 其估值约为Balfour Beatty的五分之二，这家有着117年历史的富时250指数国际基础设施集团拥有约26,000名员工，去年收入为108 亿英镑亿。Volta表示，其在伦敦、加利福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托和纽约的办公地点共有约100名员工。该公司可能要到明年9月底才会提交首份财务报表。 现年33岁的里卡德·博阿达·拉法特于2022年创立了Volta，这是一家专注于为数据中心提供电力基础设施的初创公司。该公司已从投资者那里筹集了$1.3456亿，其中包括OpenAI首席执行官萨姆·奥特曼和英伟达的支持。Volta的估值约为$79.80亿，是英伟达的3.73%。

布伦特原油（下午6时）

$79.80 (-3.73) $

英镑 / 美元

$1.3456 (-0.0022)

110 100 90 80 70 60

公司文件显示，该公司于1月以1英镑的股本成立。

博阿达曾任布鲁克菲尔德资产管理公司基础设施集团高级副总裁，曾参与人工智能基础设施交易，包括布鲁克菲尔德与Bloom Energy之间价值5亿美元的合作，为人工智能数据中心提供动力。据其领英个人资料显示，他于1月离开布鲁克菲尔德。

Volta的首个项目是计划在挪威建设的人工智能工厂，将由英伟达系统提供动力，该项目是与Anthropic合作的10亿美元合作伙伴关系的一部分。

CLÝ DE PEAU BEAUTÝ / CAPTURE MEDIA GROUP

£ / €

€1.1673 (+0.0001) ¤

1.360

1.340

1.320

1.300

Volta拒绝回答有关项目状态的问题，但表示在北美和欧洲拥有“更广泛的近期开发管线”。Volta还指出，Azora已设立5亿美元的人工智能基础设施计划，为Volta将开发的人工智能工厂提供融资。

这一交易与Nscale的情况类似，这家总部位于伦敦的数据中心初创公司因其14.6亿美元的估值及相对较小的规模而备受关注。

银行允许员工在海外工作

Robert Miller

根据最新的信息自由披露数据，英格兰银行有超过 1,000 名员工根据其远程工作政策，在海外工作共计 12,889 天。

根据该央行的官方指南，约 6,000 名员工有资格每年在海外工作最多 40 天，同时每周可居家工作 3 天。

该央行的一位发言人表示：

“银行的海外工作政策适用于暂时在英国境外工作的员工。

“作为一个具有显著国际构成的组织，我们认识到同事有时可能需要在海外度过短期时间。

“由于持续投资于现代技术和安全系统，员工在远程工作期间能够有效履行其职责。

“该政策受时间限制和其他条件约束，包括安全相关限制，且员工需专业且有效地履行其通常的职责。”

最新公开的员工手册概述了银行的政策，其中指出：“银行致力于支持灵活工作的同事，并允许同事每年在海外工作最多 40 个工作日。”

《电讯报》最先报道的这一消息显示，如此多员工在海外工作，正值该银行面临严格审查之际，其货币政策委员会（负责设定利率）及其他官员正努力应对通胀和能源价格冲击。

上周，该央行由 9 人组成的委员会以 6 票对 3 票决定将借贷成本维持在 3.75%，此前 6 月通胀率为 2.6%，而官方目标为 2%。

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第 32 页

必读

部长们正在制定计划，通过增加政府借款来促进经济增长，以便将资金用于新的基础设施、住房和对企业的支持。根据财政规则，政府可以将用于基础设施或公司股权的支出计为“资产”，用以抵消借款成本。 2

Volta 是一家位于伦敦、旨在在挪威建立人工智能数据中心的六个月历史的初创公司，该公司已与 Anthropic 达成一项 100 亿美元 billion 交易，并从包括英伟达（Nvidia）在内的支持者那里筹集资金，估值为 24 亿美元 billion。 3

信息自由法的数据显示，英格兰银行有 1,000 多名员工根据其远程工作政策，在海外工作共计 12,889 天。 4

价格上涨使 BP 第二季度的利润增加了一倍多，达到 57 亿美元 billion，其新任首席执行官梅格·奥尼尔（Meg O’Neill）誓言在对集团进行改革时将不顾“情感”和“历史”。 5

价格上涨使 BP 第二季度的利润增加了一倍多，达到 57 亿美元 billion，其新任首席执行官誓言在对集团进行改革时将不顾“情感”和“历史”。然而，梅格·奥尼尔坚持认为，尽管上周宣布该公司准备在进入英国北海 60 多年后退出，但将公司的上市地从伦敦证券交易所转移“确实不在议程上”。奥尼尔表示，北海与其他世界地区相比根本没有“竞争力”，并且即使降低英国的高额油气税也不会改变其出售决定，理由是财政制度多年来一直不稳定。 表示，由于继续从绿色能源中撤退，该公司还计划出售 Archaea，这是其在不到 4 年前以 40 亿美元 billion 收购的美国生物天然气业务。于 4 月就任最高职位的奥尼尔表示：“我们过去几年的表现没有达到我们自己的预期，更不用说股东的预期了。”她表示 必须“变得强健以实现增长”，并誓言将继续“基于价值而非情感或历史来简化投资组合”，并补充道：“某些资产在过去可能对 很重要。但这并不一定意味着它们是适合 未来的资产。”她表示 仍然看到北海的“增长潜力”，并“希望看到勘探恢复”。奥尼尔说：“从投资角度来看，挑战在于投入北海的资金不像其他机会那样具有竞争力。不幸的是，在过去的 20 年里，我们经历了多次财政制度的变更。当我们考虑做出投资决策时，最重要的事情之一就是我们希望确信，在开发一个资产所需的 20 年时间里，我们将拥有稳定性。”这一决定引发了关于这位美国人是否会将 的主上市地从伦敦迁至纽约的新一轮猜测，因为其 be-

Segro 是伦敦股票市场上最大的房地产公司，在投资者压力下接受了美国竞争对手 Prologis 143 亿英镑 billion 的收购报价，这将成为今年最大的一起富时（FTSE）公司收购案。 6

汇丰银行（HSBC）宣布进行 10 亿美元 billion 的股票回购，此前第二季度利润增长 23%，达到 195 亿美元 billion，超过了金融城的预期。 7

富时 100 指数医疗设备公司 Smith & Nephew 由于其最大市场美国对膝关节植入物的需求疲软，下调了全年营收增长预测。 8

Palantir Technologies 在主导企业软件的竞争中发出了挑战，声称其客户正在避开像 Anthropic 这样的 AI 模型制造商，并且其数据分析平台的销售增长达到了“超凡脱俗”的程度。

安迪·伯纳姆对关键经济职位的任命令人感到安心

伦敦股票市场上最大的房地产公司在投资者压力下，接受了一家美国竞争对手 143 亿英镑（校正：£14.3 亿英镑）的收购报价，这将成为今年富时指数公司规模最大的收购案（补充：也是今年富时公司最大的收购案）。

拥有欧洲 1.17 亿平方英尺空间的 Segro 此前曾拒绝了 Prologis 的三次接触，但上个月表示，其倾向于支持一份“最终且最佳的提案”。

昨天，两家公司均表示该报价已被接受。公告发布后，Segro 的股价上涨 13¾便士，即 1.4%，至 974¾便士，低于最高 £10.54 每股的收购价。Prologis 在纽约的交易股价下跌了 2.5%。

Segro 是欧洲最大的数据中心和仓库所有者之一，拥有价值 12 亿英镑（校正：£12 亿英镑）的投资组合，包括

David Wighton,

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BP利润翻倍

新任首席执行官推进全面改革

艾米莉·戈斯登 能源编辑

那些在梅格·奥尼尔加入BP之前就认识她的人预言，她会对业绩不佳的业务部门“毫不留情”（艾米莉·戈斯登报道）。果不其然，这位务实的美国人昨天传达的信息清晰明确：在对这家石油巨头进行全面改革时，不会有任何“神圣不可侵犯”的领域。奥尼尔多次承诺，在冷静而精准地追求价值过程中，将不考虑情感、历史和传统依恋。

剥离英国北海业务——其油田老化且税收制度恶劣且难以预测——对于一家需要资金投资于潜力更大的新发现的公司而言，在逻辑上是合理的。壳牌（BP的竞争对手）此前曾考虑过但最终拒绝了类似举措，而包括弗格森和Flutter在内的多家公司已离开伦敦市场。然而，奥尼尔告诉《泰晤士报》：“上市问题并不在议程上。我们还有很多其他事情要做，以让这家企业步入正轨。”

她发表上述言论之际，BP公布了四年来最高的季度利润，显著超出分析师预期的51亿美元，较2025年同期的24亿美元大幅增长。2026年第二季度布伦特原油均价为每桶103.85美元，高于一年前同期的67.88美元。受美国与伊朗战争影响，霍尔木兹海峡关闭，这一关键水道通常承载着全球五分之一的石油和液化天然气运输量，油价因此上涨。

奥尼尔从澳大利亚伍德赛德加入BP，成为该公司117年历史上首位外部空降的首席执行官，也是首位领导石油超级巨头的女性。她正加速推动BP战略大转向，摆脱前任老板伯纳德·卢尼在可再生能源领域的失败尝试。阿凯亚生物沼气收购案是——

Segro接受美国竞争对手140亿英镑收购要约

詹姆斯·赫利 助理商业编辑 里基·热维斯情景喜剧《办公室》中闻名的斯劳工业园区。其长期首席执行官戴维·斯利思在7月接受《星期日泰晤士报》采访时表示，公司“拥有非常良好的长期增长前景”，但最终在Prologis提出的四次更高报价面前屈服，其中包括一笔价值约135亿英镑的要约。

包括APG资产管理公司、挪威银行和CCLA投资管理公司在内的投资者曾敦促双方展开谈判，称合并将创造价值。他们已被联系置评。这笔交易为英国并购市场创下纪录的一年再添一笔，也是继联合利华3月宣布650亿美元食品业务合并后的第二大交易。

它跻身有记录以来外资收购英国上市公司的最大规模交易之一，伦敦证券交易所集团——

6 油价跌至三周以来最低水平，因霍尔木兹海峡有望重开的消息传出，特朗普总统指责美国石油公司埃克森美孚和雪佛龙从危机中“赚取了过多利润”。布伦特原油（全球基准价格）下跌近6%，至每桶不足79美元，此前美国政府和卡塔尔调解方表示，重新开放这一通常承载全球五分之一石油和液化天然气运输的水道取得进展。自美国与伊朗开战以来，油气价格一直居高不下。

BP在奥尼尔任期内最大的收购。奥尼尔誓言通过“加强资产负债表、简化投资组合、以更严格的纪律进行投资，以及改进运营和问责制，实现业绩的阶梯式变化，提升股东价值”。当被问及BP从可再生能源领域撤退时，她告诉CNBC：“气候变化是一个重要的全球挑战，每个人都有责任发挥作用”，但表示BP的一些投资“并未带来我们期望的回报”。据悉，BP即将完成对太阳能公司Lightsource BP的出售计划，该公司仅在两年前被BP全资收购。奥尼尔表示，其他公司更适合管理太阳能电厂等投资，BP将转而专注于“降低业务的碳排放强度”，例如在其炼油厂建设绿色氢能设施。

BP的目标是到2027年底将净债务降至140 亿美元 billion至180 亿美元 billion之间，但表示目前预计将在今年实现这一目标。第二季度末，净债务已降至223 亿美元 billion。该公司表示，计划在明年年底前完成200 亿美元 billion的资产剥离。首席财务官凯特·汤姆森表示，预计今年年底前将完成150 亿美元 billion至160 亿美元 billion的资产剥离，但强调“不会为了达成剥离目标而不计代价出售资产”，资产负债表的健康状况更为重要。奥尼尔的任期内，BP已因5月突然解雇董事长艾伯特·曼尼福而登上头条。BP援引“与重要治理标准、监督和行为相关的严重担忧”，源于对BP员工欺凌指控的调查。曼尼福否认了这些指控，称其为“谎言”。奥尼尔拒绝进一步评论曼尼福的离职。BP股价初期上涨，但随后随油价下跌而回落，收盘下跌27¼p，跌幅4.9 per cent，报525p。

数据显示。“普洛斯和Segro认为，此次合并为Segro股东提供了一个极具吸引力的机会，”两家公司在声明中表示。截至周一，Segro和普洛斯的总市值超过1500 亿美元 billion。 普洛斯是一家总部位于旧金山的物流地产投资商，其客户包括亚马逊、联邦快递和UPS。普洛斯和Segro一直在建设数据中心管道，以利用人工智能投资热潮。 Shore Capital的股票分析师安德鲁·桑德斯表示：“我们认为，成为普洛斯的一部分能为股东带来更多长期吸引力，包括显著扩大的规模、全球覆盖、更强大的资产负债表、第三方资本，以及在开发、数据中心和电力采购方面更丰富的资源。” 斯利思表示：“普洛斯与我们一样坚信，长期结构性驱动因素将支撑现代物流和数据中心基础设施的需求。 “我们相信，此次合并将整合两家高度互补的企业，打造一个极具竞争力的平台，将Segro卓越的投资组合和开发管道与普洛斯现有的欧洲业务、全球规模、客户资源和运营能力相结合。” Segro的历史可追溯至1920，当时Slough Trading Company收购了伦敦西部的一个军用车辆废弃场，后将其改建为Slough工业园区。 该报价较Segro在23收盘价溢价42%。根据英国收购规则，两家公司需在8月12日前敲定交易。

第33页

A

提供具有吸引力的税收条款，如去年巴西布梅朗格（Bumerangue）的重大发现。但对于英国石油公司（BP）117年历史上首位外部空降首席执行官奥尼尔而言，这一决定无疑比其两位前任——默里·奥钦克洛斯（Murray Auchincloss）和伯纳德·卢尼（Bernard Looney）——更容易做出。两人均曾在北海业务部门任职。出售四年前以41亿美元收购的垃圾填埋气业务公司Archaea，对奥钦克洛斯而言可能会颇为尴尬，尽管他已撤销了多项绿色承诺——而他曾是这些承诺的共同推动者。作为新官上任，奥尼尔能够迅速推动这些资产

飞行员起诉瑞安航空

“扣留”假期工资

乔纳森·埃姆斯 法律事务编辑

数百名曾为瑞安航空（Ryanair）飞行的飞行员正就被非法扣留假期工资一事起诉这家廉价航空公司。 在伦敦商业法庭提起的集体诉讼由理查德·菲利普斯（Richard Phillips）牵头，另有261名原告加入。据悉，菲利普斯曾于2012年前为瑞安航空工作四年，后转投英国航空。 另有两家航空招聘机构被列为被告——Storm Global和Brookfield Aviation International，以及总部位于都柏林的税务咨询公司Scanlon Associates。

出售并承认BP过去的决策浪费了股东资金。她还强调，公司运营表现未达预期，成本“居高不下”。 尽管如此，她提出的五大目标——加强资产负债表、简化业务组合、审慎投资、改善运营及强化问责——与奥钦克洛斯在2025年2月提出的“战略根本重置”中设定的目标相差无几，当时他同样强调了加强资产负债表和

原告律师表示，此次诉讼是在去年上诉法院的一项裁决后发起的。该裁决认定，一名为瑞安航空飞行的飞行员属于“雇员”而非自雇人士。在该案中，瑞安航空签约飞行员杰森·卢茨（Jason Lutz）常驻斯坦斯特德机场，他告诉上诉法官曾要求航空公司直接雇用他，但遭到拒绝。 随后，他获得了一份为期五年、可提前三个月通知解约的合同。法院认定，根据《2010年劳务派遣工人条例》，他属于“临时”工人。该条例规定，劳务派遣工人在工作12周后有权享受与正式员工同等的基本工资和假期工资待遇。 代表菲利普斯等人起诉这家爱尔兰航空公司的Claims Compensation Group律师事务所表示，卢茨案是一起具有

KRISTIAN BUUS / GETTY IMAGES

奥尼尔为动荡局面注入镇静剂

“持续不断地追求绩效改进”是当务之急。奥尼尔上任四个月后，她的前任为英国石油（BP）有望提前一年实现净债务减少目标的事实分享了一些功劳。正如RBC资本市场的比拉杰·博尔哈塔里亚所言，奥尼尔的优先事项“可以归入‘做得更好’这一大类”，她需要“言行一致”。奥尼尔必须证明，她的铁腕作风不仅能帮助她通过引人注目的资产处置来精简业务组合，还能让她更好地管理日常业务。

“关闭了”航空业的“代理防御”大门。该公司表示，上诉法官“确认了在三方代理关系中，保护性立法下的工人身份范围广泛且具有包容性，且为雇主临时工作五年仍符合法定的临时工作测试”。律师表示，瑞安航空被拒绝将此争议上诉至最高法院，因此该上诉“判决为最终裁决”。索赔赔偿集团表示，其“代理通过代理机构受雇于瑞安航空的飞行员，并就整个雇佣期间的工人权利提出索赔”。该集团未说明索赔估计金额。根据高等法院的文件，该索赔于上月提起，但尚未登记任何答辩状。瑞安航空及其他被告均未登记律师事务所代理，即使他们决定为索赔进行辩护。各被告均未回应置评请求。

商业评论 阿利斯泰尔·奥斯本

BP终于有了更为干练的表现。上任四个月后，新任首席执行官梅格·奥尼尔已开始暗示她能够言出必行。当她说“我们将基于价值创造进行高标准筛选，而非情感、历史或传统依恋”时，还有什么比一个新任英国商业领袖本可轻易回避的决定更好的证明呢——在北海经营60年后退出？尽管奥尼尔的这一开局可能并非最圆滑的方式，但她为安迪·伯纳姆上了及时的一课：如果你对一个行业征收高达78%的道德绑架式税收，而该行业“在过去20年间不幸经历了多次税制变更”（奥尼尔语），那么看到资本、就业和税收收入流向他处时，不必感到意外。无论如何，无论是否认同，这正是BP一直渴求的清晰战略。过去五年间，BP大部分时间都陷入战略和运营的迷茫，

正如激进对冲基金Elliott持股5%入驻登记所暗示的那样。奥尼尔的前前任、推行“边转型边表现”的伯纳德·卢尼——半个石油人，半个埃德·米利班德（只是私生活更为丰富）——曾鲁莽地推动资本破坏性的绿色转型。而当他因拒绝向董事会披露其众多内部桃色事件（某种程度上相当体面，因为这让他损失了£32.4万英镑的薪酬）被解雇时，已无人知晓BP的立身之本。他的继任者、阴郁的默里·奥钦克洛斯从未成为回答这一问题的合适人选。尽管当世界明显变暖时，BP加倍投资石油和天然气可能会引发质疑，但该公司需要一位拥有奥尼尔这种战略清晰度的领导者。诚然，她仍无法避免早期的一个风波：因“欺凌”指控而仓促解雇聘用她的董事长阿尔伯特·曼尼福尔德，

曼尼福尔德对此予以否认。不过，如果新任首席执行官要对董事长“动刀”，不如早点下手。无论如何，结果如何？奥尼尔提出了一个明确的五点计划来整顿BP。迄今为止，奥尼尔在伊朗战争推高能源价格的情况下运气不错。第二季度基础利润达到57亿美元，较去年同期增长25亿美元，经营性现金流为109亿美元：这对她的首要任务——“增强资产负债表”非常有利。净债务减少了31亿美元，降至223亿美元，BP预计将在本财年实现180亿美元或以下的目标——提前12个月达成。她的其他优先事项包括类似北海项目的简化流程，奥尼尔强调“公司的每个部分都必须证明其价值”；改进表现不佳的业务；“将高绩效和问责制深植于BP”；以及“以更严格的纪律进行投资”。简而言之，这是一套壳牌式的周期韧性策略，而她的竞争对手已经领先数年。作为一项提升业绩的计划，奥尼尔的做法很难让人反对——尽管油价下跌导致股价下跌5%至525p。她可能也没错，认为阿凯亚（Archaea）——卢尼在2022年以41亿美元收购的美国生物沼气公司——可能有更合适的所有者，该公司已部分计提减值，并计入50亿美元的绿色资产减值。

然而，从长远来看，一个问题始终萦绕：BP最终是否需要比重返油气更具战略意义的布局？抑或它会随着需求最终下降而耗尽自身，只能回吐现金？上周我向壳牌提出这个问题时，曾遭到部分读者的抨击，但它依然切中要害。诚然，世界在未来几十年仍需要化石燃料。但由于卢尼的失误，BP的替代选择将很快局限于可持续航空燃料、绿色氢能和碳捕获与封存。抢占市场先机同样能创造真正的价值——不妨问问世界首富、特斯拉的埃隆·马斯克。奥尼尔的战略“弹药库”中是否还有比“更油气化、更高效的BP”更多的内容，尚待观察。

押注增长

并非每天都有显而易见的增长项目送上门。因此，雷切尔·里夫斯放弃盖特威克机场22亿英镑的第二跑道计划，反而将其头号经济扩张项目定为我们自1968年以来一直未能建成的希思罗机场第三跑道“狂欢”——这简直是一场法律雷区，还需挖开M25高速公路，造价如今已飙升至荒谬的490亿英镑。幸运的是，与停滞不前的前财政大臣不同，盖特威克项目终于“起飞”，通过了最后一道法律挑战。它具备希思罗计划所没有的一切：成本低、可交付，且能在机场边界内建成，无需改道欧洲最繁忙的高速公路或拆除（至少）752户住宅。乘客也无需为高昂的降落费埋单。

结果如何？盖特威克计划通过升级现有备用跑道，预计将创造14,000个就业岗位，每年增加10亿英镑经济价值，并将年旅客吞吐量从目前的4,300万人次提升至2030年代后期的7,500万人次——且完全由盖特威克的所有者，即万喜机场（Vinci Airports）和贝莱德的全球基础设施合伙人私人出资。当然，人们有权反对。但另一个谜团是，为何盖特威克花了八年时间和7,000万英镑的成本才获得批准。如果安迪·伯纳姆（Burnham）真心想要增长，可行的项目需要更快的“起飞”通道。

陪衬角色

Segro董事会向普洛斯妥协的一个原因是什么？后者以140亿英镑、每股10.32英镑的报价附带了“在英国交易所二次上市”的承诺。因此，并购咨询公司Trachet的老板克莱尔·特拉谢适时指出，在“过去的105天”里，已有四家在美国上市的公司取消了在伦敦的二次上市：CRH、Smurfit WestRock、Ferguson和Flutter Entertainment。好好享受普洛斯的这一波吧，能持续多久算多久。

第34页

B

一位老牌测绘机构发现新宝藏

英国 地形测量局 正在向谷歌和 苹果发起挑战， 在年度收入创纪录之际， 因可信赖的位置数据需求激增 （伊莎贝拉·菲什报道）。 这家国有 国家测绘机构 报告称，截至3月的年度收入 为1.987亿英镑， 较上年增长2.1%。 这是其连续第十年 实现增长， 越来越多的企业和政府 开始依赖其数字 测绘数据。 业绩凸显了 地形测量局（OS） ——以其折叠纸质地图闻名—— 已转型为英国最重要的 数据企业之一。如今， 纸质地图的占比

盖蒂图片

汇丰银行利润大增后恢复10亿美元股票回购

海伦·卡希尔 金融记者

海伦·卡希尔

欧洲最大的银行宣布进行10亿美元股票回购，此前其利润增长了23%，达到195亿美元。汇丰银行在首席执行官乔治·埃尔赫德里（Georges Elhedery）的重组推动下，第二季度业绩超出市场预期，从而恢复了股票回购。

这家伦敦最大的上市公司去年10月宣布以100 亿英镑亿英镑收购恒生银行后暂停了回购。汇丰银行的业绩发布之际，工会呼吁提高对银行利润的征税，以资助家庭降低能源成本。在英国，汇丰银行税前利润报告增长了8.3%，达到39 亿美元亿。

埃尔赫德里强调了银行对英国经济的重要性，呼应了上周其他首席执行官发布类似积极业绩时的言论。

“我们特别专注于加大对[中小企业]的支持，上半年向商业银行客户提供的贷款和垫款同比增长了11%，”他说，“我们继续通过强大的全球网络支持对英国经济的国际投资，帮助英国出口商把握新签署的[自由贸易协定]。”

该行表示，简化庞大业务的努力将带来20 亿美元亿的成本节约，高于此前预期的10 亿美元.5亿，此前该行刚刚宣布出售新加坡和埃及的部分业务。埃尔赫德里还关闭了汇丰银行在英国、欧洲和美国的部分投资银行业务，作为重组的一部分。

仅占收入的约5%，该机构通过支撑从

应急服务和公用事业网络到房地产交易和物流的数字位置数据产生收入。

这一转变也使其与谷歌和苹果构建的地图系统展开更直接的竞争。虽然消费者使用谷歌地图或苹果地图导航，但英国地形测量局（OS）拥有

艾玛·拉杜卡努于6月在伦敦女王俱乐部参加汇丰银行锦标赛

“汇丰银行正在成为我们当初设想的更强大的银行。我们正以速度、精准和纪律执行战略重点，”埃尔赫德里说，“这使我们的四大业务能够专注于核心优势，实现增长，更有效地协同合作，并加深客户关系。结果是一家能够取得更多成就的银行。”

这家富时100指数成分股公司上半年收入增长了11%，达到377 亿美元亿，而去年同期为341 亿美元亿，税前利润则从160 亿美元亿增至195 亿美元亿。

汇丰银行表示，利润增长得益于去年上半年20 亿美元.2亿的特殊费用减少，以及收入增加，尤其是财富管理和批发银行业务收入的增长。财富管理费用及其他收入增长了20%，批发及交易银行收入增长了7%。

海岸资本（Shore Capital）分析师加里·格林伍德表示，“运营执行依然强劲”，汇丰银行股票自5月以来“表现异常出色”。今年以来，汇丰银行股价已上涨超过30%。

汇丰银行是英国四大银行中最后一家发布业绩的银行，

由尼克·博尔顿领导的英国地形测量局（Ordnance Survey）的三角测量柱

依赖的时机 至关重要。 这一战略的核心是 其首席执行官尼克· 博尔顿所描述的 “可信位置数据” 需求的增长，因为 公共和私营部门 都在做出更多基于 数据的决策。 “今年是我们首张地图 诞生225周年，如今， 英国地形测量局（OS） 仍在持续创新，以满足 国家不断变化的需求，” 他说道。 “对可信位置数据的需求 推动了我们又一年的增长， 随着为期六年的数据 基础建设项目完成， 我们的重点现在是 让更多人和 组织能够更便捷地 获取数据。” 英国地形测量局成立于 1791年，最初是为 军方绘制 英国海岸线，

并将自身定位为 政府、基础设施运营商 和受监管行业所需的 权威位置数据的 提供者。

此次更新促使英国工会联合会（TUC） 再次推动对银行利润 征收高达35%的 额外附加税。 TUC总书记保罗·诺瓦克表示： “如今已有大量证据表明， 银行完全有能力缴纳更多税款。 在高利率导致抵押贷款负担加重、 其他民众账单增加的同时， 大银行却赚得盆满钵满。 “安迪·伯纳姆在就任首相后的 首要举措中，已正确优先 考虑了民生成本措施， 但随着伊朗冲突持续， 能源价格将进一步上涨， 政府需要采取更多措施 保护家庭。因此， 现在是时候通过提高银行利润税 来降低账单了。” 埃尔赫德利在业绩发布会上 详细介绍了该行对经济增长的贡献， 强调了其区域业务和历史传承的重要性； 该行在英国市场的业务可追溯至 1992年收购米德兰银行。 他表示，该行超过60%的 贷款组合面向伦敦以外的 企业。 “我们对政府支持和推动 英国增长的雄心感到非常鼓舞， 当然，我们将在其中发挥重要作用，” 他补充道。 “要实现增长， 企业需要有信心并进行投资。 而企业要投资， 就需要获得融资渠道， 而我们作为银行业， 拥有强劲的资产负债表和 资本状况， 是企业首选的融资机制。” 汇丰控股股价昨日下跌12¾便士， 跌幅0.8%，收于£15.84½。

英国地形测量局现维护着 国家地理数据库， 这是一个包含超过 6亿个地理要素的 数字地图。 一项经济影响评估发现， 预计到2029-30年， 英国地形测量局将在十年内 创造£106亿的经济价值。 今年的大部分增长 来自与政府的长期合作伙伴关系。 其中最大的一项是 《公共部门地理空间协议》， 这是一项为期十年、 耗资10亿英镑的政府资助项目， 让约6,000个 公共部门组织 免费使用英国地形测量局的 地图数据。 该协议允许地方当局、 应急服务机构、英国国民医疗服务体系（NHS） 和政府部门在 规划基础设施、 应对紧急情况 或提供公共服务时 使用相同的 位置数据。

梅特罗银行创纪录业绩

并承诺开设新分行

梅特罗银行公布了其历史上最高的半年利润，该行在被一位哥伦比亚亿万富翁拯救免于破产三年后，持续恢复运营。 这家富时250指数上市的贷款机构报告称，截至6月底的六个月内，税前法定利润增长了34%，达到£60.7百万英镑，基础收入增长了5%，达到£301百万英镑。 其净息差（即向客户收取的贷款利率与支付的存款利率之间的差额）从2.87%上升至3.18%。 梅特罗银行由美国企业家弗农·希尔于2010年创立，希尔以在银行分行外与其约克郡梗犬“达菲尔德爵士”合影而闻名。 该行正在推进扭亏为盈的努力，此前在2023年10月，哥伦比亚银行家兼企业家海梅·吉林斯基·巴卡尔以£925百万英镑的交易将其从破产边缘拯救出来。 首席执行官丹·弗鲁姆金裁减了数百个工作岗位，但也签署了在利兹、纽卡斯尔和诺丁汉开设新分行的三份租约，梅特罗银行在一份交易更新中表示。弗鲁姆金补充说，该集团计划每年开设5家新分行，因为这些分行深受中小企业客户欢迎。 “最令我满意的是我们制定的战略正在真正奏效。虽然还有很长的路要走，我们还不是一块完全烤好的蛋糕。我们仍有许多机会可以追求，对未来我们感到兴奋，”他说道。 该股收盘下跌8½便士，跌幅4.7%，报171¼便士。

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格雷厄姆·拉迪克

“创新让你领先对手。偏执让你保持领先。”

帕斯卡·索里奥特爵士 应当对阿斯利康的未来 感到担忧。 投资者和分析师质疑， 为何该公司在对其新药管线及未来创新能力充满信心之际， 仍考虑与百时美施贵宝进行3000 亿英镑亿英镑的合并。 索里奥特对未来的信心是否不如我们想象的那样坚定？ 但正是这一管线，才是索里奥特应当担忧的原因。正如英特尔联合创始人兼前首席执行官安迪·格鲁夫在其1996年经典管理著作标题中所宣称的那样：《只有偏执狂才能生存》。 在索里奥特的领导下，阿斯利康在过去十年间已成为创新强者，推出了一系列帮助革新癌症治疗的药物。 但这些药物如英飞凡、泰瑞沙和卡布宁的专利即将到期。从2031年起，阿斯利康将面临来自廉价仿制药的竞争。公司需要创新和新产品来填补即将失去的收入。 索里奥特多次强调对阿斯利康位于剑桥的科学家团队的信心，认为他们能够实现这一目标。但盲目信任他们将是愚蠢的。 试想：过去几年，阿斯利康在三期临床试验——即有前景药物的关键最终阶段——的成功率高达85%至90%。 而行业平均水平仅为60%至65%。 阿斯利康真的能继续保持如此高的表现吗？能进入三期试验本身就是一项成就。“人们已经习惯了我们高成功率的交付。但我们必须接受，我们有时也会失败，”索里奥特上周表示。 商业史上充斥着曾经伟大的创新者迷失方向的故事，而摩托罗拉最初是一家创新者，但向数字化的转型让其落后

彼得·布鲁克斯、莫滕·莫兰、彼得·施兰克等作品专题

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寻找我们漫画家最佳作品的签名镶框版画，

阿斯利康无需远眺便能看到一个例子。诺和诺德是减肥药物的发明者，推出了 Wegovy。但自这一重大创新以来，该公司被竞争对手推出的同类产品淹没，并难以推出新发明。曾是欧洲市值最高的公司，诺和诺德的股价自2024年峰值以来已下跌三分之二。迈克·杜斯特达于2009年被任命为首席执行官——此处有误，应为“去年”——在接受《金融时报》的最新采访时，他谈到了公司需要承担更多风险以推动创新。杜斯特达表示：“如果你不喜欢失败，那么就不该进入制药行业。”在其2009年出版的《巨人如何陨落》一书中，作者吉姆·柯林斯探讨了曾经伟大的创新者如何迷失方向。他指出的第一阶段是成功滋生的傲慢。他举的一个例子是摩托罗拉——这家公司发明了移动电话，却被诺基亚、随后被苹果超越。20世纪90年代，摩托罗拉坚持模拟技术，并在明知世界正走向数字化的情况下，押注其铱星卫星项目。柯林斯表示，企业内部出现了“从谦逊到傲慢的文化转变”。杜斯特达深知这种危险。他的办公桌上有一个标牌，上面写着：“傲慢致死。”因此，阿斯利康的索里奥特考虑进行大规模并购，并不一定意味着公司的创新已迷失方向。这种思维——一种偏执——正是安迪·格鲁夫等人所称的企业繁荣的必要条件。不过，大规模并购是否真的是阿斯利康的解决方案，则是另一个问题。正如瑞银分析师所指出的，制药业大规模并购后，研发效率往往会下降，因为科学家更担心失业，而非下一项创新。

创新是一种根植于企业文化的特质。它可能因思维方式的转变而受到干扰。正如通用电气前首席执行官杰克·韦尔奇所言：“创新是持续不断的过程。如果你的公司没有创新精神，每天上班不是为了寻找更好的方法，那么你就没有公司。你正准备坐以待毙。”索里奥特本人上周还谈到了这一点。他提到阿斯利康需要以“中国速度”运营，以避免在与中国竞争对手的竞争中落后。在其著作《疾风：中国对工程未来的追求》中，斯坦福研究员王丹探讨了“中国速度”究竟是什么，以及为何中国的商业文化变得如此创新。他写道，这是一个由工程师而非律师主导的社会，如同美国。企业不仅痴迷于产品，还关注制造流程，以及如何使其尽可能高效。在最近接受《哈佛商业评论》采访时，王丹谈到了“隐性知识”在中国商业文化中的重要性。隐性知识是我们所知道但难以用言语表达的内容——一种对如何做事的内在理解。“这是中国拥有的大量财富，”他说道。为了说明隐性知识的重要性，王丹举了一个例子：将一个设备齐全的厨房和一份精美的食谱交给一个15岁从未做过饭的孩子。“我们无法指望这个15岁的孩子做出像炒鸡蛋这样简单的菜肴，”他说道，“这仍然需要一定程度的培训和学徒经历。”但这正是美国和欧洲在制造业中所处的境地。“中国能够保持这种工业经验和流程知识的活力，”王丹表示，“而美国已经失去了许多这种经验。”如果这听起来像是偏执，那可能确实如此。但对于想要与中国竞争的企业来说，这并不是坏事。

格雷厄姆·拉迪克是《泰晤士报》 副商业编辑

’’

大卫·威顿

商界对安迪·伯纳姆持乐观态度

希望这种乐观能持久

商界对工党感到非常受挫。在保守党多年的混乱之后，许多商界领袖曾对基尔·斯塔默爵士和雷切尔·里夫斯抱有乐观态度。一些人曾希望这将是“布莱尔2.0”。如今，许多人后悔当初忽视了警示信号。

因此，你可能会认为他们会对安迪·伯纳姆持高度怀疑态度。他在赢得工党领导权后的一些言论确实亮起了红灯。他拒绝“四十年的新自由主义”，这让人不禁担忧英国可能重回20世纪70年代。他谈到工党是在煤矿、钢铁厂和造船厂中锻造出来的。他大谈再工业化，却只字未提金融服务或人工智能。

然而，商界领袖再次表现出谨慎的乐观。伯纳姆后来的一些言论更令人鼓舞。他承诺在北海油气问题上采取务实态度，这一表态广受好评。商界普遍支持将更多权力下放给地方的承诺。商界人士乐观向上，他们欣赏伯纳姆的乐观态度。

但真正让人感到安心的是伯纳姆在关键经济职位上的任命。“各方面都非常好，”一家英国最具影响力公司的政府事务主管表示。尽管对斯塔默政府感到失望，但财政部和商业贸易部许多面向商界的政策仍获得广泛支持，政策的延续性也受到欢迎。

经验丰富的约翰·希利被普遍视为财政大臣的良好人选。许多商界领袖对乔纳森·雷诺兹重返商业部也表示热烈欢迎，去年他曾在一次毫无明显理由的内阁改组中被调离。随着科学、创新与技术部被撤销，科学事务被纳入商业部，雷诺兹的职位得到了加强。这一举措被广泛批评为对科学的降级。但包括前财政大臣乔治·奥斯本在内的一些白厅观察人士认为，将科学置于一个更有影响力的部门是合理的。前首相特蕾莎·梅政府工业政策顾问贾尔斯·威尔克斯认为，伯纳姆让雷诺兹重返商业部，表明了他对工党现有产业战略的承诺。“这让人松了一口气：如果再有一个战略被废弃，尤其是出于‘非我发明’综合症的破坏行为，商界理应感到愤怒。”

产业战略聚焦于从先进制造到金融服务等一系列增长领域，但并未涵盖伯纳姆在谈论再工业化时所联想到的大部分内容。伯纳姆对这一术语的真正含义一直含糊不清，威尔克斯希望其中包括英国具有高度竞争力的服务业。伯纳姆无疑会在特定情况下介入支持“传统”产业，正如斯塔默最近将英国钢铁公司国有化一样。但雷诺兹的任命表明，伯纳姆不会试图通过产业政策扭转制造业就业下滑的趋势，这一目标即使对自诩为“关税之王”的唐纳德·特朗普来说也极具挑战。

2024年大选后，许多商界领袖曾对斯塔默持观望态度——直到四个月后雇主国民保险被提高。如今，他们对伯纳姆也给予了同样的宽容。希望这种宽容能持续到10月28日今年的预算案之后。

大卫·威顿曾任《泰晤士报》商业版编辑，现为道琼斯专栏作家。

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膝关节植入物是史密斯的薄弱环节

L

夏洛特·本德 高于市场增长率的美国髋关节植入物 收入在第二季度下降了1.5%，原因是 其手术器械包的部署延迟。 先进伤口生物活性材料业务 在本季度下降了12.7%，其中用于帮助伤口愈合的药膏 Santyl表现“低于预期”。 公司预计皮肤替代品 收入将在下半年趋于稳定，并在新的一年恢复正常。 尽管如此，成本节约帮助公司 上半年税前利润增长5%至3.8亿美元， 营收增长4.7%至31亿美元。膝关节植入物收入 下降1.8%至4.92亿美元，而髋关节植入物收入 增长4.3%至3.26亿美元。 在美国以外地区，膝关节植入物 下降了1.4%，而髋关节植入物 在日本表现尤为出色，公司最近在该国 推出了Catalystem，一种医

15英镑

富时100指数医疗器械公司 史密斯 Nephew下调了全年营收增长预期， 原因是其最大市场美国的膝关节植入物需求疲软。 该集团在发布上半年业绩后表示， 预计全年营收增长约为4%，低于此前约6%的预期， 股价昨日下跌75便士，跌幅6.3%，至11.22英镑。 史密斯 Nephew首席执行官 迪帕克·纳斯（右图）表示，公司在第二季度 应对了骨科领域的一些挑战，原因是美国膝关节植入物 在推出新产品前面临“持续挑战”。 膝关节一直是美国业务的拖累， 由于供应中断，公司在该领域的市场份额 已被竞争对手抢占。在过去三年中，美国业务和骨科部门

贷款方威胁阿斯顿就权利交易采取行动

贷款方已威胁陷入困境的豪华汽车制造商阿斯顿·马丁·拉贡达，若一项有争议的出售部分品牌和命名权的交易继续推进，将采取法律行动（埃玛·鲍威尔报道）。

阿斯顿·马丁正努力稳定其财务状况，上月宣布已与HPS达成一项550万英镑的债务融资协议。HPS是黑石集团旗下的私人信贷提供商。

该安排现已遭到一群债权人的挑战。这些债权人共持有富时250指数集团13亿英镑的债务，他们认为通过将部分资产置于其触及范围之外，该交易违反了阿斯顿现有债务的关键条款。

在致公司的一封信中，债券持有人警告称，他们可能被迫采取法律行动，以撤销与HPS的融资协议，并阻止出售特定知识产权资产。

该交易包括450万英镑的定期贷款和一项可在未来提取的1亿英镑融资额度。根据交易条款，阿斯顿·马丁将把50.1%的非汽车知识产权转让给美国品牌开发商Authentic Brands。

HPS是Authentic Brands的投资者，阿斯顿·马丁能否从该私人信贷提供商获得1亿英镑资金，取决于品牌权利交易的完成。阿斯顿·马丁拒绝置评。

该公司由加拿大亿万富翁劳伦斯·斯特罗尔、沙特阿拉伯公共投资基金和中国汽车制造商吉利支持，并被迫多次筹集资金以遏制多年的亏损。

阿斯顿·马丁表示，“新融资以集团位于新成立子公司的特定资产及集团其他特定资产为担保”，但拒绝进一步说明哪些资产已被置于债券持有人触及范围之外。

股价

10月

1月 4月 7月

史密斯&尼普hew正在精简其产品组合，以投资于高增长领域并减少库存。

第二季度收入增长1.6%，未达到分析师预期的3.7%，受美国膝关节植入物收入下降7.2%的拖累。此前已连续四个季度出现……

阿斯顿·马丁的债权人正在挑战一项与HPS达成的550万英镑债务融资协议，以出售部分品牌和命名权

上周的财报电话会议上，阿斯顿·马丁首席财务官道格·拉弗蒂表示，该融资协议“对公司整体而言非常重要”。

该公司由斯特罗尔控股，今年出售了其一级方程式车队的永久命名权，筹集了50万英镑。

今年2月，公司警告称将在沃里克郡和南威尔士裁员多达600人，占员工总数的20%，以实现削减约40万英镑成本的目标，其中大部分将在今年完成。

去年亏损从2024年的2.89亿英镑扩大至363万英镑，收入下降21%至12.5亿英镑，销量下降10%。

今年上半年，收入增长38%至6.29亿英镑，但税前亏损进一步扩大至1.54亿英镑，较……

用于全髋关节置换手术的手术器械。 纳斯表示：“骨科业务尚未达到我们的预期，但我们预计增长将加速，因为我们正在填补产品组合空白，这一进程将从今年晚些时候开始，并持续到2027年。”

史密斯&尼普hew还预计，在美国关税影响下，通过提价和供应链效率抵消伊朗战争导致的原材料成本上涨后，贸易利润将大致持平。

上半年营业利润因“法律及其他”成本增加1300万美元而受到冲击，去年同期为600万美元。这些费用与“持续的金属——

NURPHOTO / GETTY IMAGES

£141 million，因融资成本上升而加剧。 不过，该公司表示，债务融资协议将其预估流动性从£145 million提升至£340 million。 公司通过频繁的现金募集和再融资定期降低的净债务，在6月底再次上升至15.4 亿英镑 billion。 该股股价在过去12个月中下跌了50%，收盘下跌0.5便士，跌幅1.4%，报34.5便士。

“金属髋关节索赔”。Smith & Nephew此前已就召回的一种用于某系统的金属衬垫与数百起诉讼达成和解，部分患者报告出现感染、骨折和脱臼等问题。 杰富瑞（Jefferies）的分析师表示，业绩出现倒退，期待已久的运营改善仍然滞后。 Smith & Nephew于1856年在赫尔（Hull）成立，由三个业务部门组成：骨科；高级伤口护理；以及运动医学和耳鼻喉科。这家医疗技术企业在约100个国家开展业务，拥有17,000名员工。

特拉维斯·珀金斯股价上涨

因传出比荷卢出售消息

盖伊·泰勒 零售记者

特拉维斯·珀金斯已启动与买家的谈判，拟出售其在欧洲比荷卢地区陷入困境的业务，此举为新管理层的扭亏努力注入动力。这家英国最大的建筑商供应商表示，正与“多个有意向的买家”就剥离Toolstation比荷卢业务进行谈判，该业务此前因亏损不断而接受战略评估。受此消息提振，公司股价在伦敦中盘富时250指数中领涨，上涨105½便士，涨幅达18.4%，至678½便士，同时上半年利润增长加速及现金流状况进一步改善也为股价提供了额外动力。董事长杰夫·德拉布尔和今年1月加入的首席执行官加文·斯拉克正领导特拉维斯·珀金斯的扭亏工作，此前公司股价曾在去年跌至16年来最低点494便士。扭亏措施包括削减成本和重组高层管理团队。

截至6月30日的六个月内，公司税前利润升至£47 million，而去年同期为£37.1 million，得益于价格上涨及部分供应商合同条款的改善。租赁前净现金为£55.3 ，标志着公司今年早些时候清偿债务后，本世纪首次实现现金流为正。斯拉克表示，公司的全面扭亏仍有很长的路要走。“我已清楚认识到公司的诸多优势，但也明确了若要恢复集团财务表现并实现潜力，我们需要改进的地方，”他说道。由于“充满挑战”的市场环境影响了其建材分销业务，公司营收同比下降1.8%，至23 亿英镑 billion，该业务同店销售额同期下降1.2%。经调整后的分部营业利润下降5%，至£60 ，但降幅低于分析师预期。

拥有逾550家英国门店的Toolstation主要向专业建筑商和DIY建筑者销售工具和建筑材料，其营收增长1.7%至£425 ，但利润持平于£15 。比荷卢分部亏损扩大至£7 ，营收则下降6.1%。

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Spotify订阅用户数增长放缓

利润预警加剧市场担忧

（艾玛·鲍威尔报道）Spotify发布的利润预警加剧了市场对这家音乐流媒体服务商难以维持订阅用户增长速度的担忧。这家总部位于斯德哥尔摩的集团表示，第三季度营业利润预计为€670 ，低于Visible Alpha汇总的市场一致预期€67800 万。第二季度，其营业利润为€655 ，超出预期的€639 ，得益于强劲的营收增长和更低的工资税。营收增长了14个百

帕兰泰尔“超凡”增长

路易莎·克拉伦斯-史密斯

美国商业版编辑

帕兰泰尔科技公司（Palantir Technologies）在争夺企业软件主导地位的战斗中发起挑战，声称其客户正在抛弃人工智能模型制造商（如Anthropic），并表示其数据分析平台的销售增长“超凡”。

截至昨日纽约午间，帕兰泰尔股价飙升近 30 per cent，此前该公司上调了全年销售预期。帕兰泰尔目前预计全年销售额最高可达 82 亿美元 billion，高于华尔街平均预期的 77 亿美元 billion。该公司还将全年调整后收入预期上调至最高 49 亿美元 billion，此前为 45 亿美元 billion。

公司业绩增长主要由美国市场驱动，第二季度商业销售额同比增长 149 per cent，达到 $764 million，超出分析师预期的 $716.4 million。美国政府收入增长 90 per cent，达到 $809 。

帕兰泰尔成立于 9 / 11 恐怖袭击后，专注于构建数据管理和安全平台，并开发机器辅助分析应用。中情局（CIA）是其早期投资者，客户包括英国石油（BP）、波音、空客等企业，以及美国和英国军方及英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）。

在最新财报发布前，帕兰泰尔股价较去年11月峰值下跌 40 per cent，因投资者担忧人工智能公司（如Anthropic和OpenAI）将成为企业软件公司的强劲竞争对手。

作为回应，帕兰泰尔发起“主权”宣传活动，声称与Anthropic和OpenAI等公司的AI模型合作的企业，可能面临将其机构知识（或“阿尔法”）拱手让给未来可能与之竞争并将其知识变现的公司。

在周一发布的致股东信中，帕兰泰尔首席执行官亚历克斯·卡普（Alex Karp）表示：“全球每个组织都在意识到，将语言模型创建者的钥匙交给其机构，或让模型在其内部自由运行的风险。

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英国歌手兼词曲作者Raye于6月在戛纳Spotify海滩音乐会上的演出

高出 €4.8 billion。 预计用户增长将弱于华尔街分析师对9月季度的预期，为 78800 万，低于共识预期的 794 。其对高级订阅用户增加 5 至 305 的预期基本符合预期。该股下跌 $0.70, 或 0.1 per cent，报 45 亿美元.79，处于纽约午间交易时段。

第二季度月活跃用户增长 12 per cent，达到 777 ，而高级订阅用户增长 9 per cent，达到 300 。Spotify已推出人工智能

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Spotify推出“个人播客”和“Spotify预留”等功能，以吸引用户并抵御来自YouTube、Netflix以及Udio和Suno等AI音乐初创公司的竞争。Spotify联合首席执行官亚历克斯·诺斯特伦表示：“我们拥有历史上少数公司才能达到的规模，业务健康且不断增长，并拥有只有我们才能把握的机遇。”Spotify由丹尼尔·埃克和马丁·洛伦茨于2006年4月在斯德哥尔摩创立，并于2008年推出。此后，它已成为全球最受欢迎的音乐流媒体服务。

此外，Spotify宣布与总部位于伦敦的数字音乐授权公司Merlin达成新协议，涉及Spotify即将推出的付费工具（定价$220），用于粉丝翻唱和混音。该协议将允许Merlin旗下唱片公司的艺术家参与。

“房屋。”他补充道：“我们的客户拒绝成为语言实验室的附庸国。市场正在脚下发生剧变。”Anthropic成立于2021年，最近估值接近1万亿美元，预计季度销售额超过100亿美元，并据悉在第二季度实现了首次运营利润，约为5.6亿美元。

这家Claude聊天机器人制造商正在为今年的首次公开募股（IPO）做准备，以满足投资者对AI股票的需求。

在周一接受CNBC采访时，卡普再次批评AI实验室，称其模型正在变成“商品”，并对企业的知识产权构成风险。Anthropic和OpenAI均否认曾使用或将使用其模型窃取企业知识产权。

餐饮者对麦当劳失去兴趣

杰西卡·纽曼

麦当劳在美国的餐厅销售增长在第二季度放缓幅度超过预期，因其优惠活动未能充分吸引削减开支的低收入消费者。这家汉堡连锁店表示，截至6月底的三个月内，其最大市场的销售额增长了0.8%，低于华尔街预期的1.06%，也远低于去年同期2.5%的增长。基本商品和燃料价格上涨使低收入消费者——麦当劳的主要客户群——外出就餐的预算减少。首席执行官克里斯·肯普钦斯基坚称公司“没有战略问题”。他表示：“虽然我们的策略在全球范围内奏效，但在美国这个最大市场，我们有机会提升标准并加速业绩增长。”麦当劳在全球约100个国家拥有45,000家餐厅，其中大部分由加盟商经营，报告全球同店销售额增长1.3%，低于去年同期的3.8%。其国际运营市场部门（包括欧洲主要国家）的销售额增长1.5%，低于去年同期的4%。分析师预计该地区需求疲软，因能源成本上升和热浪抑制了外出就餐的消费。为给最大市场“带来专注和紧迫感”，麦当劳任命公司内部人士斯凯·安德森领导美国业务的“加速”发展。肯普钦斯基5月曾警告称，包括伊朗冲突在内的宏观经济不确定性正在损害消费者支出。过去一年，麦当劳通过强调可负担性和促销活动，在与快餐竞争对手、便利店及家庭用餐的竞争中捍卫市场份额。这些举措包括重新推出McValue平台、低于$3的菜单、折扣早餐优惠以及更广泛推广特色饮品，如清爽饮料和精酿汽水。然而，这些举措被需求低迷和去年同期的严峻对比所抵消。

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《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

商业

VCG / GETTING IMAGES

中国“平民先生”如何成为最新AI亿万富翁

朱一鸣的时机完美，

其公司CXMT于上周上市， 理查德·斯宾塞报道

朱一鸣，

上海一小时疯狂交易让芯片企业家朱一鸣跻身中国首富之列。上周，他的公司长鑫存储（CXMT）从默默无闻一跃成为中国市值最高的企业。然而，最令人称奇的或许是这位54岁的朱一鸣看起来如此“普通”，据说他穿着工程师工作服在工厂车间走动时几乎无人注意。他来自中国一个普通家庭，生长在一个普通的中国小镇。他有着孩童时代的爱好——拆装闹钟并重新组装——尽管他考入了中国顶尖理工大学清华大学，但他并未追求精英大学教授职位，也未尝试重新发明轮子或某种现代人工智能的等价物。还有许多其他中国商人，拥有与他相似的科学背景和在美国的短暂工作经历，与他无异。对于那些将中国的经济和技术崛起视为威胁的人来说，这可能使他更加危险。他的崛起并非源于个人天才的一次性发挥，而是根植于一个向众多中国人开放的教育和投资基础设施。布鲁金斯学会中国科技产业分析师凯尔·陈表示：“长鑫存储的迅速崛起是中国作为高科技强国整体崛起的缩影。最初旨在实现科技自立自强，中国的芯片领军企业最终将开始与全球市场的行业领导者展开竞争。”长鑫存储（CXMT）在2016年创立，于7月27日在上海科创板（Star）上市时，估值飙升了470%，从每股8.66元（96便士）的发行价直接上涨至49.50元，公司市值也从$85.5亿跃升至$487亿。在此过程中，长鑫存储超越了此前中国市值最高的企业——国有银行巨头工商银行。朱一鸣本人其个人账面利润估计约为$10.5亿。其中约一半将分配给公司的19,000名员工——这与硅谷的股权分配标准相似，但在中国却是一笔巨额财富。员工需等待三年才能兑现，而朱一鸣则需等待十年。与所有科技股一样，部分人认为长鑫存储的估值相对于盈利能力过于虚高。该公司多年来一直亏损，并需要中国政策性银行的持续资金注入。去年其总收入仅为$8.6亿。但它几乎匹配了这一数字，成为最有价值的

全球市场在今年第一季度陷入对其核心产品——动态随机存取存储器（Dram）芯片的狂热需求。人工智能的发展导致全球范围内出现短缺。

在任何一家全球证券交易所，这都会使CXMT成为一个颇具吸引力的收购目标。但目前，作为一家中国企业，它还拥有额外优势。

眼下，它可以在Dram芯片需求旺盛的全球市场中销售产品，并以中国企业特有的折扣价格进行销售。同时，作为该市场中唯一的中国大型参与者，它还能在国内享受爱国主义红利。随着中国日益被“围栏化”——习近平主席对高科技产业的重视、特朗普政府的关税政策以及美国基于国家安全理由对中国的广泛敌意，正在塑造一个两极分化的世界。

CXMT是全球第四大Dram芯片制造商。其他三家分别是美国的美光科技（Micron Technology）以及韩国的三星（Samsung）和SK海力士（SK Hynix），它们均牢牢植根于美国科技生态系统，而该系统正迅速试图在最尖端领域排除中国产品。

这是朱的第二家公司。他如何创办第一家公司GigaDevice，将其从硅谷迁回中国，并利用自身经验创立CXMT，这一故事对任何关注中国在产业价值链上崛起的人来说都具有启发意义。

与许多必须时刻与共产党强大但有时难以预测的政治保持一致的中国大型企业家一样，朱保持着低调。今年，他在GigaDevice香港上市的仪式上露面；CXMT则在上周IPO中成为中国

朱的官方传记仅提到，他成长于上海以北江苏省盐城市的一个小镇。父亲是当地官员，母亲是一名“普通工人”。

他天资聪颖，考入了中国顶尖理工学府清华大学——这所学校也是习近平及其他国家领导人的母校。但他的兴趣更偏向实用，在攻读物理学期间，他通过在北京大学区旁的科技中心中关村兼职编写计算机代码赚钱。

从清华大学毕业后，他前往美国，在纽约州立大学石溪分校攻读硕士学位。这两所机构通过物理学家杨振宁保持着联系——杨振宁是清华毕业生，1957年在石溪分校任教期间获得诺贝尔物理学奖，晚年返回北京。但朱的兴趣始终在商业领域，随后前往硅谷，在多家公司工作，最终决定自主创业。

在华裔美国投资者的支持下，他于加州创立了GigaDevice，这是一家芯片设计公司，并于2005年将其迁回北京。

芯片设计与芯片制造之间存在巨大差异：前者在全球竞争激烈，而后者需要大量投资、熟练劳动力和规模化生产。对CXMT而言，中国能够提供这三方面的支持。

其成功基于一种其他地区科技企业难以获得的合作模式。大部分资金来自中国中部安徽省合肥市——这个曾以贫困闻名的城市，也是由中国科学院直属的中国科学技术大学的所在地。与合肥市相关的基金持有

公司逾三分之一的股份，且是迄今为止最大的股东。该市上周一的销售利润据称大致相当于其年度GDP。更多资金来自中央政府的科技基金和阿里巴巴——这家大型在线零售商也是重要的科技投资者。

中国政府在习近平领导下已将发展自主高科技产品列为首要任务。这可能导致效率低下，并最终浪费纳税人的钱，但目前尚未出现明显的负面影响。这是否意味着长鑫存储（CXMT）能够超越西方竞争对手仍存疑问。由于美国政府的强制规定，该公司无法获得最高端的芯片制造工具——例如荷兰市场领导者ASML生产的设备。

根据塔夫茨大学（位于马萨诸塞州）学者、全球芯片竞争著作《芯片战争》的作者克里斯托弗·米勒的说法，美国及其盟友仍主导着该部分芯片市场。“CXMT在国际上仍处于第二梯队，落后于其他三大DRAM公司，”他说道。“它能否进入顶级梯队取决于其生产最高端芯片的能力。目前它尚不具备这些工具，而这些工具是人类有史以来制造的最复杂的设备。”

因此，尽管CXMT获得了新资金，但在现实中可能并无特别之处。就朱的中国和硅谷背景、获得的国家支持和资金而言，他可能与许多其他中国企业家并无二致。

但如果你在全球对你的产品需求爆发之际上市，谁又会在意这些呢？“他的时机把握得完美，”米勒说道。

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2026年8月5日 星期三 / 《泰晤士报》 商业

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《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

41 市场 商业

A

罗伯特·斯蒂芬斯 Tempus

买入、卖出或持有：今日最佳股票建议 并购传闻带来不必要的风险

阿斯利康

市值

£178.4bn

阿斯利康的股价在不到一个月内下跌了19%，主要有两个原因。首先，该公司上月初宣布药物Wainua的心脏病关键试验失败；其次，上周末有报道称该公司可能正在考虑与其美国竞争对手百时美施贵宝合并。

考虑到该公司股票在投资者情绪近期走弱后市场估值更具吸引力，从长期来看，它们是否具有投资潜力？

阿斯利康于1999年通过瑞典公司Astra AB与英国公司Zeneca Group的合并成立，但其历史可追溯至1913年。该公司通过有机增长和收购不断扩张，即使在近期下跌后，仍是富时100指数中规模最大的公司之一。

美国是其关键地理市场，占销售额的42%，尽管新兴市场的重要性日益提升，目前已贡献27%的收入。与此同时，肿瘤学是该公司的主要业务领域，贡献了46%的销售额，而生物制药（包括心血管、肾脏和代谢疾病）则占收入的36%。

就其投资潜力而言，投资者的失望情绪

富时100指数在强劲公司业绩和大宗商品板块全面反弹的推动下回升

（罗伯特·米勒报道） 截至收盘，伦敦主要股票指数上涨21.68点，涨幅0.2%，报10,879.38点，创下历史第四高收盘点位，较2月27日创下的历史最高收盘点位10,910.55点低0.3%。在铜价触及两个月高位的推动下，领涨的包括智利矿业公司Antofagasta，上涨252便士，涨幅6.9%，报£39.31；英美资源集团上涨202便士，涨幅5.5%，报£39.07。位于大宗商品巨头之间的Halma表现抢眼，上涨194便士，涨幅5.5%，报£37.42，此前该安全产品制造商完成了其美国骨生物业务NovaBone Products及其子公司的出售，以$60 million的现金无债务方式出售给Isto Biologics。

对于众多科技股爱好者而言，人工智能相关股票的反弹带来了好消息，尤其是在美国和韩国，这些股票在过去10天因担忧巨额投资无法带来良好回报而大幅下跌。在富时100指数中，

困境与机遇

上半年

收入$30.7bn

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

建议 避开

原因 关于潜在超大规模并购的不确定性意味着当前其他领域存在更好的机会

仅Wainua一款药物的表现不应

劝阻潜在买家购买其股票。尽管制药公司因其相对独立于全球经济表现而被普遍视为超防御性行业，但它们本质上依赖于新药的研发管线。阿斯利康专注于癌症等非传染性疾病的治疗，这意味着它有望从长期

华尔街报告

指数在公司业绩强劲的推动下再创新高

新兴人工智能科技股Palantir在发布良好业绩后上涨29.5%，而传统企业卡特彼勒因订单增加及人工智能数据中心建设需求上涨5.6%。标普500指数上涨136.02点，涨幅1.8%，报7,736.52点；道琼斯工业平均指数上涨907.47点，涨幅1.7%，报54,085.88，均创下新高。纳斯达克指数上涨671.10点，涨幅2.6%，报26,584.99点。

当日涨幅最大的股票

阿斯利康财务数据

£150

收入 营业利润

2021 £37.42bn £1.06bn

2022 £44.35bn £3.76bn

2023 £45.81bn £8.19bn

2024 £54.07bn £10.00bn

2025 £58.74bn £13.74bn

人口结构变化（特别是人口增长和老龄化）带来的机遇。

事实上，全球每年新增癌症病例预计将从约21 million增至2050年的近35 million。未来两个财年，这一敞口预计将推动每股收益年化增长12%。该公司还有望实现2030年年收入达到800 亿美元 billion的目标，基于去年约590 亿美元 billion的总销售额，这意味着复合年增长率将超过6%，尽管其心脏病试验受挫，但表现依然强劲。此外，有消息称该公司可能考虑与美国同行百时美施贵宝合并，这使得阿斯利康的投资前景

两只持有半导体制造商和芯片制造商敞口的广受欢迎的投资信托基金表现良好。Polar Capital Technology Trust的投资组合包括台积电和美光科技，上涨34.5便士，涨幅5.4%，报669便士；苏格兰抵押贷款信托基金在SpaceX和英伟达的大额投资推动下上涨37.5便士，涨幅2.8%，报£13.83。富时250指数本月开局良好，上涨234.53点，涨幅1%，报24,459.30点。在更具英国本土特色的100家公司中，表现最突出的是...

略显复杂

尽管这两家企业在非传染性疾病治疗领域存在大量业务重叠，且百时美施贵宝（Bristol Myers Squibb）的股票目前以相对较低的10.7倍市盈率交易，但由于合并后实体在肿瘤学领域的潜在规模，可能面临监管障碍。

百时美施贵宝的净负债与股东权益比率高达184%。此外，其盈利增长率近期表现不一，且预计明年净利润将略有下降，因此合并的吸引力尚不明确。

阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）近期发布的半年报显示，其资产负债表状况良好，足以支持新药研发管线的投资。例如，其净负债与股东权益比率仅为54%，且今年上半年经营利润对净利息成本的覆盖倍数达11倍。

结合其强劲的销售增长前景，以及公司将核心研发支出占总收入的比例维持在23%（同比持平），阿斯利康在不进行大规模并购的情况下，其长期管线前景相对稳健。

阿斯利康目前的市盈率为16.8，基于其长期增长潜力和稳健的基本面，通常被视为物有所值。然而，潜在并购的不确定性意味着投资者应静待后续进展。

来源：阿斯利康

焦点指数表现

特拉维斯·帕金斯（Travis Perkins）领涨，上涨105½便士，涨幅18.4%，至678½便士，此前发布了良好的半年报业绩；而跌幅最大的则是维斯特里集团（Vistry Group），该公司上月发布预警称半年利润将“显著低于”一年前水平，股价继续承压。

投资者尤其不看好维斯特里大幅折价销售住宅对利润的影响，该股当日再跌31便士，跌幅9.8%，至284便士。此外，做空者也趁机介入，押注股价将进一步下跌。

简讯

银行1200亿英镑债券亏损

英格兰银行预计其债券购买计划将产生1200 亿英镑亿的亏损，这笔资金将由纳税人通过与财政部签订的保险协议承担。

央行最新估算显示，在出售通过资产购买工具购入的所有政府债券时，预计亏损金额较之前的计算减少了约50 亿英镑亿。

这一变化可能源于6月下旬美伊签署60天停火协议，为结束中东战争的谈判铺路，导致利率预期下降。期间债券价格上涨，减少了英格兰银行的预期亏损。

尽管这些亏损将由纳税人承担，但英格兰银行辩称，在2021年末利率开始上升前，央行已向政府支付的款项，以及债券购买计划带来的整体债务利息支出下降，将抵消这些亏损。

英格兰银行去年已出售了700 亿英镑亿的债券。在上月最新的利率会议上，央行估算债券处置导致英国政府借贷成本上升了0.2至0.3个百分点，高于此前0.15至0.25个百分点的预估。

股票发行拖累Irn-Bru

[...OMITTED...]

Irn-Bru 制造商 AG Barr 在关键的夏季交易月份遭遇了库存供应问题。该公司昨日表示，其财务年度上半年的影响相当于损失了约 £10 的收入。AG Barr 表示，问题主要由其内部供应链引起，同时一些第三方制造限制导致 500ml 罐装产品的供应有限。在一次交易更新中，AG Barr 表示，截至 8 月 1 日的 26 周内，收入增长约 8%，达到 £246。昨日股价下跌 35p，即 5.4%，至 610p。

ANGLO AMERICAN / REUTERS

达美乐的获胜秘诀

炸鸡和世界杯被证明是 Domino's Pizza Group 的获胜秘诀，该公司在截至 6 月 28 日的六个月中记录了销售额增长。这家富时 250 指数公司将其在 2 月推出的 Chick'N'Dip 品牌视为有助于"在更多用餐场合扩大[其]相关性"的因素。营销重点放在以活动为导向的宣传活动上，例如世界杯以及 4 月在托特纳姆热刺球场举行的泰森·富里拳击赛。Domino's 报告同店销售额增长 4.9%，将收入提升至 £353.6。税前利润持平，为 £40.6。股价上涨 15¾p，即 7.7%，至 220p。

辉瑞的成本削减

辉瑞报告了好于预期的第二季度业绩，这得益于抗凝血药 Eliquis 和近期收购药物的需求，并宣布计划通过成本削减再节省 25 亿美元。这家总部位于纽约的制药商现在预计，到 2029 年，其成本削减将带来 97 亿美元 的净节省，旨在抵消新冠相关收入的下降并恢复增长。辉瑞寄希望于新药以减轻对老旧重磅药物的依赖，而投资者则在观察其以 100 亿美元 收购 Metsera 是否能帮助其在肥胖市场建立立足点。

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股票价格

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股息率 请注意，股息率由 ICE Data Services 提供。股息率是指公司年度 12 个月的股息支付总额除以最后一交易日的收盘股价。

12 个月最高价和最低价 英国股票和投资信托的最高 / 最低价基于日内数据。

泰晤士报 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

43 商业

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12个月 价格 预测 高 低 公司 (p) + / - 收益率% 市盈率

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第45页

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讣告

Mary de Rachewiltz

竭力将父亲的诗歌天赋与其反犹主义和叛国罪行剥离的埃兹拉·庞德之女

玛丽·德·拉舍维尔茨（Mary de Rachewiltz）将漫长的一生大部分时间用于为其魅力非凡的父亲埃兹拉·庞德辩解。庞德不仅改变了现代诗歌的进程，还是一个狂热的反犹主义者，战后因在法西斯意大利通过广播发表针对盟军的叛国谩骂，在美国被监禁了12年。在《审慎》（Discretions，1971年首版，2005年再版）一书中，她以审慎的笔触描写了父亲的轻率之举——这个词正是庞德1923年自传性散文的标题。在她的叙述中，庞德的许多轻率行为都可以解释，甚至情有可原：“他认为自己比美国官员更了解意大利，认为自己找到了避免战争的良方”……“战争并非不可避免；意大利和美国不应卷入，尤其不应成为敌人”……“墨索里尼并无恶意；他心中只有人民的福祉。”庞德于1908年离开故乡美国，极力避免战争，但1939年在纽约遭遇敌意媒体，华盛顿的罗斯福总统也拒绝接见他。回到意大利后，他通过墨索里尼的罗马广播电台向美国民众呼吁：“一个负责任的公民必须竭尽所能，阻止自己的国家卷入一场非正义的战争。”更为可憎的是他的反犹主义，其广播和报刊文章中充斥着诸如“民主在欧洲现被定义为‘犹太人统治的国家’”……“丘吉尔是罗斯柴尔德家族的老朽傀儡”……“为何要将‘犹太统治’与民主混为一谈？”1943年，庞德被美国法院缺席起诉叛国罪。战争末期，他被意大利游击队抓获，关押在比萨附近的美军拘留中心的笼子里。玛丽探望他时回忆道：“他苍老了许多，双眼充血。”被遣送回美国后，他被诊断为精神失常，在华盛顿特区的圣伊丽莎白医院被监禁12年，拒不认罪。玛丽于1948年访问伦敦时拜访了T·S·艾略特，“在一个雾蒙蒙的春日下午，沿着泰晤士河散步，经过丁尼生公寓”，希望打听父亲的近况——艾略特刚刚探望过他。“恐怕你父亲不愿接受任何可能的条件下获得自由，”艾略特告诉她。五年后，她也在华盛顿见到了父亲，但一位司法部官员警告她：“如果你想听一句忠告，最好不要坚持重审此案；否则他可能会被送上电椅。”1958年，指控被撤销，庞德返回意大利，向他所选择的第二故乡行法西斯礼。1966年，他的女儿将15个装满他文稿的大箱子——包括其战时广播的文字记录——捐赠给耶鲁大学的拜内克珍本书和手稿图书馆，至今仍保存于此。庞德于1972年11月去世后，玛丽余生致力于将“诗人庞德”与“法西斯主义者和反犹主义者庞德”区分开来。她在2004年取得了一定成就，当时她为父亲在肯辛顿教堂步道（庞德1909年至1914年居住于此）揭幕了一块英格兰遗产蓝牌。此前，英格兰遗产组织曾因其法西斯政治立场拒绝为他设立纪念牌。“庞德只是引用——

1958年德·拉舍维尔茨与庞德合影；2004年与T·S·艾略特遗孀共同为庞德揭幕蓝牌

她说：“他和墨索里尼说的话如出一辙。” “他是犯过错误，我们必须汲取他好的一面，就像他对待其他人那样。他陷入了当时在欧洲和美国盛行的某些反犹太主义陈词滥调。” 她生于1925年，洗礼名为玛丽亚·拉奇，是庞德（她称他为“Babbo”）和他的情妇奥尔加·拉奇的女儿。庞德在伦敦和巴黎声名鹊起。他鼓励叶芝，帮助詹姆斯·乔伊斯于1922年出版了《尤利西斯》，为艾略特编辑《荒原》提出建议，并指导海明威，而海明威则试图教他拳击。

他的情妇之女，

她被一对农民夫妇秘密抚养

奥尔加·拉奇是一位美国小提琴家，1920年11月，庞德在《新时代》杂志上评论她在伦敦伊奥利安音乐厅的音乐会时注意到了她，称赞她演奏时“纤细而坚定的弓法”。他自1914年起便与英国现代主义艺术家多萝西·莎士比亚结婚，但对忠诚持放任态度，并开始与拉奇公开交往。他同时爱着她们两人，但据玛丽所述，她们“冷漠地彼此憎恨”。为了避免丑闻，她在意大利南蒂罗尔的布雷萨诺内（或称布里克森）——一个主要说德语的意大利北部地区——出生。出生后“在玻璃钟罩下待了九天，因为我还不成熟”，她被交给了约翰娜和雅各布·马歇尔夫妇，一对在她回忆录中被称为“妈妈和爸爸”的农民夫妇，他们此前生下的一连串孩子均为死胎。她在盖斯的农场中被秘密抚养长大，说着他们蒂罗尔方言的德语，放羊养蜂。“蒂罗尔农民的气质仍深深植根于我心中，”她在2012年告诉《观察家报》。庞德并未完全抛弃妻子。1926年，多萝西为他生下一子奥马尔，后者成为诗人和翻译家（讣告，March 26, 2010）。随后，三人之间形成了一种时而和睦、更多时候充满敌意的三角关系，庞德、拉奇和莎士比亚辗转于巴黎和意大利之间。后来，他感到被两个女人困住，苦笑着评论她们都不擅长烹饪。“有人会做饭，有人不会 / 有些事无法改变”，他在《诗章》第LXXXI篇中写道，这部史诗般的长诗共包含109个规范章节。

与马歇尔夫妇收养的另外16个孤儿的父母不同，玛丽的亲生父母会来探望并寄钱。八岁时，她开始写自己的生平故事，仅用一段话描述了爸爸“弹痕累累的双腿”、自己“金色的头发和蓝色的眼睛”，以及她正在喂养的“黑色羊羔，因为它有一个邪恶的母亲，更喜欢白色的羊羔”。

12岁时，她被庞德和拉奇带到威尼斯。尽管她有着农民的成长背景，他们却期望她成为一名年轻的贵族，穿着白手套，吃着精致的食物，说着意大利语而非她的德语方言。“妈妈暗自为我必须忍受的折磨而哭泣，”她写道。庞德教她英语，并为她制定了“玛丽法则”，但在拉奇眼中——后者曾尝试教她小提琴但未能成功——她“愚钝且固执”。

她结识了艺术家、作家和诗人，参观图书馆，聆听弦乐四重奏音乐会。庞德教她打网球和击剑，带她去电影院、书店，乘坐水上巴士前往利多岛。他送她去佛罗伦萨的一所修道院学校，但修女们希望她申请成为见习修女的愿望落空了，“当她们发现我向年轻的土地测量员抛媚眼时”。阅读弗洛伦斯·南丁格尔的回忆录后，她决定将战地护理作为自己的使命。1941年至1943年间，她跟随英国神父舒特学习法语和拉丁语。她最早的翻译作品来自托马斯·哈代的作品。后来有一天，庞德拿出一本名为《展望》的文化季刊，里面刊登了他的《诗章》第二篇的意大利语译本，并挑战她翻译得更好。“他总是试图将其撕得粉碎。渐渐地，我意识到这

她写道：“这是他用意大利语重构自己《诗章》的一种方式，也是他在翻译中尝试自己诗歌原则的一次实践。”战争末期，她回到南蒂罗尔的养父母身边，因其打字技能在德军战地医院受到需要而避免了征兵。庞德身在美国，“一无所有”的她，收到一封来自鲍里斯·德·拉切维尔茨（Boris de Rachewiltz）的电报，受宠若惊。拉切维尔茨是一位研究埃及象形文字和梵蒂冈外交的俄意学者，两人于1944年在罗马郊外的一次野餐中相识。他们于1946年结婚，丈夫在宗座乌尔班大学任教。他于1997年去世，她身后留下两个孩子：人类学家西格弗里德和诗人、作家兼翻译家帕特里齐娅；他们还收养了孤女格拉齐埃拉。这对夫妇购买并修复了布伦嫩堡（Castle Brunnenburg）——一座破败的13世纪城堡，原为共济会据点，坐落在梅拉诺附近陡峭的岩石峭壁上，背靠雪峰，靠近奥地利边境。“装窗户的花费比买城堡还贵，”她苦笑着说。据《派迪乌马：现代与当代诗歌与诗学》期刊（1999）的一篇论文记载，她的丈夫获得教皇许可，复兴了12世纪的卡诺萨家族骑士团，使他们得以被称为亲王和公主。

《谨慎》（Discretions）以诗意风格写成，几乎是《诗章》的仿作，为她赢得了拉德克利夫学院（现为哈佛大学的一部分）为期两年的研究员资格，使她得以继续从事庞德式的翻译工作。她整理了父亲的大量遗物，在布伦嫩堡创办了埃兹拉·庞德文学中心，并出版了自己的意大利语诗歌。2012年，她对一个自称“卡萨庞德”（CasaPound）的法西斯团体感到愤怒，该团体以其父亲支持墨索里尼为名，尤其当一名卡萨庞德同情者于1999年枪杀两名塞内加尔街头小贩后自杀时。“法西斯分子想要攫取庞德，”她宣称，“但他们与庞德毫无关系。”庞德从美国监护中获释后曾与她同住布伦嫩堡，但城堡的寒冷生活不合他意，两人因此争吵。后来，他选择与情妇而非妻女定居。“任何见过庞德的人都会爱上他，”他的女儿说，“当他写下‘傲慢、嫉妒与占有欲 / 3痛’时，他写的是我们所有人，包括他的妻子。我们都想独占他。”

第46页

纪念逝者

罗德·利德尔

汤姆·斯塔布斯写道： 虽然罗德·利德尔（讣告，8月3日）出生于锡德卡普而非斯卡伯勒，但他身上拥有与弗雷德·特鲁曼、布莱恩·克拉夫和迈克尔·帕金森等人一样的职业约克郡人特质；他偶尔会在《星期日泰晤士报》的专栏中猛烈抨击南方及南方人，对首都的抨击尤为刻薄。然而，他的文笔充满活力与机智，总能让他的专栏成为读者每周必读的第一篇，而当他某周休假时，读者会觉得仿佛吃了一份缺少洋葱肉汁的约克郡布丁。他将被深深怀念。

爱德华·诺曼

罗伊·勒德洛写道： 1956年，当我以一个来自工人阶级家庭、胆小瘦弱的11岁男孩身份进入沃尔瑟姆斯托的乔治·莫努克斯文法学校时，爱德华·诺曼（讣告，7月20日）是学校的学生会主席（男生领袖）。我需要向他问些事情，于是走近这位高瘦、严肃、看起来学术气息浓厚的年轻人，称呼他为“先生”。想必那天晚些时候，他在级长公共休息室里一定笑得很开心！但更重要的是，我记得他以极其和善温柔的方式处理了我的问题。

凯文·基冈

戴维·金写道： 1976年，我还是一名17岁的中学生，被选中成为八名六年级学生之一，在当年夏天于布拉克内尔休闲中心协助BBC《超级明星》节目的拍摄。我们每个人被分配到一位体育明星，负责帮他们整理装备并护送至拍摄地点。拍摄结束后，凯文·基冈（讣告，7月20日）在发生了那场臭名昭著的自行车事故后，邀请我们去他的酒店喝饮料，感谢我们的支持，并将他的阿迪达斯“超级明星”装备（其他参与者也同样赠送了装备）送给了这些兴奋不已的少年。我相信，我那位收到事故中沾血蓝色背心的朋友，至今仍保存着它，未曾清洗，已逾50年。 一位真正的超级明星和绅士。

比尔·奥迪

《周六香蕉》执行制作人刘易斯·拉德写道： 比尔·奥迪（讣告，7月27日）是1980年ITV周六早间儿童直播节目《周六香蕉》的主持人。虽然节目包含常见的演播室游戏和流行音乐，但我们也会讨论一些被认为能引起观众兴趣的话题。我特别记得一场关于猎狐的激烈辩论，比尔对此非常享受。他的对手是由《马与猎犬》杂志推荐的，当时我们对他一无所知，但后来他成为了电视博彩专家约翰·麦克里里克。

曾为约翰·克里斯、唐·弗伦奇和维多利亚·伍德等人激烈捍卫声誉的公关高管

正如阿拉斯泰尔·坎贝尔和马克斯·克利福德等人所付出的代价那样，公关人员绝不应成为新闻主角，而这正是尼尔·雷丁始终恪守的准则。雷丁曾为娱乐界名人录中的众多明星担任公关，包括约翰·克里斯、唐·弗伦奇、莱尼·亨利和已故的维多利亚·伍德。他的人脉涵盖报纸编辑、资深记者和社交媒体意见领袖，无人能及。他擅长通过精心策划的报道获取有利的曝光，客户们因此对他推崇备至。弗伦奇称他为“盟友和坚定的守护者”，并感叹失去他后将如何生存。克里斯感谢雷丁帮助他“应对英国报纸的恶意”，并形容他“保护周到、理智且关怀备至”。然而，即便是他的对手也对他赞誉有加，客户们的悼词中还加入了《太阳报》、《每日镜报》和《人民报》等前任编辑的溢美之词。雷丁的工作有时涉及危机管理，他擅长将客户的小过失和不慎言行遮掩于公众视线之外。但他最享受的，还是策划能登上头条的正面报道——“无论是与小报编辑的争执，还是让客户登上《GQ》封面”，正如他曾经所言。如果说雷丁操盘的媒体活动高调亮眼，他本人却恰恰相反，这正是他的一大优势。娱乐和媒体圈内人士无不熟知并尊重他，但圈外几乎无人知晓其名。1990岁时，他创办了自己的公关公司，当时年仅22岁，客户均为家喻户晓的名人，本可将自己包装为业界最锐意进取的年轻才俊——

他确实当之无愧。然而，他始终甘居幕后，凭借精湛的危机处理能力，深知成功的捷径不是自我宣传，而是低调完成工作。在互联网上搜索他的名字，几乎一无所获：仅有一篇1997年刊于《独立报》媒体版的自嘲访谈，数年后《公关周刊》的一篇简短人物介绍称他为“明星公关”——仅此而已。《旗帜晚报》曾将他列入伦敦最具影响力人物名单，但他坚决不愿成为新闻主角的决心从未动摇，即便在经营着英国最具影响力的公关公司之一，其业务不仅服务于演艺界客户，还涉足商业、房地产、时尚和酒店等领域的企业及消费者组织。他的人生本可能截然不同，因为少年时代的雷丁曾是一名怀揣演员梦的有志青年，

立志进入戏剧学校深造。17岁时他离开学校，原本已做好入学准备，却认为“他们希望你先体验些生活”，于是决定先工作一年再申请。在连锁药店Underwoods担任市场助理，负责公关和店内促销工作时，他意识到自己找到了人生的使命，演员梦几乎被遗忘，尽管他曾在1990年女王剧院的《仲夏夜之梦》中饰演忒修斯。

雷丁与制片人约翰·劳埃德的合影；下图为度假照；左图为维多利亚·伍德

尼尔·约翰·雷丁（Neil John Reading）于1969年出生于肯特郡贝肯纳姆，在附近的奇斯尔赫斯特长大。他的父亲在他的生活中几乎没有参与，但他与母亲格蕾塔（Gretta）关系密切，母亲后来担任他的办公室经理和公司秘书。青少年时期，他热衷于收集签名，并在布罗姆利的拉文斯伍德学校（Ravens Wood School）参与戏剧演出——该校校友包括大卫·鲍伊（David Bowie）和哈尼夫·库雷希（Hanif Kureishi）——同时还在帕特里夏·哈蒙德戏剧艺术学校（Patricia Hammond School of Dramatic Art）参加晚间和周末课程。通过普通中等教育证书（O-levels）考试后，他短暂进入六年级，但在第一学期便辍学。

当时，他在当地的Underwoods连锁店周六打工，随后顺利转为总部的全职岗位。然而，不到一年，这家连锁店被博姿（Boots）收购，他因此被裁员。“这反倒成了因祸得福的事，我当时想从事娱乐公关，”他告诉《独立报》。在编辑校刊期间，他结识了二十世纪福克斯（Twentieth Century Fox）和CBS唱片公司（CBS Records）宣传部门的联系人，并向他们寻求建议。“他们都对我很好，把我介绍给其他人，”他回忆道。其中一位是资深公关大佬马克·博尔科夫斯基（Mark Borkowski），对方告诉他日程已满，但可以一个月后见面。“既然你这么忙，肯定有我能帮上忙的地方，”雷丁对他说。虽然没有具体事项，但第二天他接到了Beer Davies Publicity的电话，称博尔科夫斯基已转交他的资料，并有职位空缺。“我当天下午两点去面试，三点就开始上班了，”雷丁回忆道。

他的职业生涯开局并不顺利，首个项目是为谁人乐队（The Who）的皮特·汤申德（Pete Townshend）的最新作品做宣传，却以失败告终。“我安排了一周的采访行程，原定周一开始，但周五晚上他的宣传助理（PA）打来电话取消了所有安排，”他回忆道，“我不得不逐一联系那些他已同意上节目的电视台，通知取消。”不过，他后来的客户名单包括《Viz》和《Hello!》杂志、第四频道（Channel 4）的《The Word》节目，以及罗里·布雷姆纳（Rory Bremner）和维多利亚·伍德（Victoria Wood）——后者成为他的好友，他一直代理伍德的事务，直至她2016年去世。

然而，他逐渐感觉自己的公关风格与雇主“渐行渐远”，于是在1992年辞职，当时并无其他工作机会。24小时内，他被三家其他机构挖角，但全部拒绝。“我知道他们看中的是我手上的客户，但利益算不过来，”他说，“他们给我的薪酬有限，而我带来的业务量却是这个数字的两倍，所以我决定单干。我并不紧张，直接就做了。”一位经营独立制作公司的朋友为他提供了办公室——

他告诉客户可以

随时白天或晚上 给他打电话

随着客户名单不断扩大，他得以搬到梅费尔的一个知名地址。曾经，他的办公室墙上最显眼的位置挂着一幅装裱的漫画，画中一个人臀部夹着一台狗仔队的相机，配文：“这是我们见过的最严重的媒体侵扰案例。”他的名片是他为演艺界客户提供的私人服务——客户被告知可以随时白天或晚上给他打电话，他都会在。他在1997年表示：“我是少数专门从事个人公关的人之一。在美国，每个人都有公关、经纪人和经理，但在英国，这种情况只是近几年才出现……越来越多的名人现在希望有人全年照顾他们。”除了伍德，他的早期客户名单还包括乔纳森·罗斯、迈克尔·弗拉特利、杰克·迪、李·埃文斯和本·埃尔顿。展现其多面性，他还成为绿色和平组织的公关顾问。“我从没想过会有这样的客户，但我几乎对它着了迷，”他说。他还担任过一系列热门西区剧目的宣传人员，包括《只有傻瓜和马》音乐剧和《弗尔蒂塔워斯》的舞台版。他充满老派魅力，与所代理的名人和报道他们的记者都相处自如，经常在常春藤餐厅与双方洽谈业务，每周在那里用餐两三次。无论餐厅多么繁忙，哪怕提前通知的时间极短，总能为他找到一张桌子。尽管他人脉广泛、善于交际，但他也是个顾家的男人，与妻子克莱尔（娘家姓斯图尔特，2014年结婚）在一起时最为幸福。她与他们的女儿罗莎在其去世后仍在世。

“他远不止是一位公关大师，”与他相识近30年的朋友戴维·耶兰德说。耶兰德在20世纪90年代担任《太阳报》编辑时认识了他，现在主持BBC广播4台的播客《当事情变糟时》，探讨公关行业。“他非常关心客户，为人正直、诚实，是个绅士。”

第47页

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

5 2026 注册

吉米·克里克特

以“巴利戈巴克沃兹的傻瓜”为噱头出现在黄金时段电视节目的喜剧演员

北爱尔兰著名喜剧演员弗兰克·卡森曾对着捧腹大笑的观众说：“关键在于我怎么说。”他的朋友兼门徒吉米·马尔格鲁显然没有把话说对。20世纪70年代初，这位出生于北爱尔兰的马尔格鲁在英格兰北部的工人俱乐部巡回演出时，身穿晚礼服讲着“机智”的笑话，但每次幕布迅速落下时，他总能幸免于啤酒罐和食物的轰炸。当时的北爱尔兰并不是开玩笑的地方，一个“爱尔兰佬”试图在“猴子套装”中表现得老于世故，这并不会让那些在矿井或铸造厂辛苦劳作了一周的观众感到有趣。濒临绝望的马尔格鲁突然灵光一现，决定反转心理策略。他回到俱乐部，以一个“不易受到攻击”的“受压迫的傻瓜”形象示人，通过将常见的习语过于字面化来展现自己对现代生活的完全困惑。当马尔格鲁讲出这样的段子时，观众席上飞向舞台灯光的不再是馅饼和薯条，而是笑声：“有个老太太走过来问，‘你能送我过马路吗？’我说，‘等等，我跑过去看看。’”利用“头脑简单的爱尔兰乡巴佬”这一刻板印象虽是那个时代的产物，但马尔格鲁声称自己是在将笑话反戈一击，对准观众。“如果我认为自己是在让爱尔兰人显得愚蠢，我会深感受伤。我所做的，是拿一些英国人对爱尔兰人的刻板印象开涮。人们觉得我有点傻，这反而是一种极大的恭维。”马尔格鲁还会用这样的段子强化这一套路：“有个人走过来问，‘能借我五英镑吗？’我说，‘五英镑的话，你可以用砖头砸我。’”现在，起哄声不再是冲着他，而是与他站在一起。“我记得有一次在利物浦的一个俱乐部说，‘现在犯罪很多啊’，有个人大喊，‘是啊，你赚多少？’”

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尽管身穿晚礼服，吉米·克里克特却营造出一种邋遢的形象

随着这位来自

神话之地“巴利戈巴克沃兹”的角色进入更大的剧场，马尔格鲁保留了晚礼服，但裤子只穿到半截，标志性的威灵顿长靴上虽然用油漆写着“左”和“右”，却穿反了。他还戴了一顶看起来像倒扣的夜壶的帽子，并将自己的名字改为吉米·克里克特，灵感来自迪士尼动画《木偶奇遇记》中的吉米尼·克里克特。

到了80年代中期，克里克特

他每讲完一个笑话，

都会用他的口头禅 “还有更多！”收尾

已成为英国电视上的熟面孔。如果说他的幽默如今已沦为一连串尴尬的“爸爸笑话”，但几十年来他对表演技艺的打磨，让他说笑话的方式独树一帜。“我去邮局寄包裹，柜台后的女士说，‘太重了，你需要再加一

个！’ 性！羞耻！ 丑闻！《泰晤士报》 揭秘好莱坞传奇人物的生活

邮票

我说道：“再贴一张邮票会让它更重。”她递给我邮票说：“你想自己贴上去吗？”我说：“不，我想贴在包裹上。”

这类笑话通常会以他困惑地看向观众开场，然后用他那哀怨的开场白：“女士们、先生们，过来这儿”，每个笑话结尾还会加上一句“还有更多！”。当连这些简单、预期中的台词都能逗得观众发笑时，他就知道自己成功了。

詹姆斯·约瑟夫·马尔格鲁（James Joseph Mulgrew）于1945年出生在蒂龙郡库克斯敦的一个天主教家庭，是五个孩子中最小的一个。他的父亲是一名殡葬承办人，常常带着装满酒的棺材出现在别人家里，临时举办守灵仪式。灵车还兼作邻里的出租车服务。“他得重新安排一下才能把乘客塞进去。”这位性格鲜明的马尔格鲁先生在吉米八岁时去世，后来成为他笑话的灵感来源，比如：“有个人去看医生，觉得不舒服。医生让他走到窗边，伸出舌头。那人问：‘医生，这样会让我感觉好些吗？’医生说：‘不会，但会让我感觉好些，因为我不喜欢住在对面的那个家伙。’”

吉米的母亲在安德森斯敦的乐口（Lucozade）工厂找到了一份工作，他的四个哥哥姐姐则努力工作，维持马尔格鲁一家的生计。笑声帮助他们度过了艰难时光。每天晚上回到家，兄弟姐妹们会坐在一起，谈论一天的倒霉事。“他们都是天生的喜剧演员，”板球（Cricket）回忆道，他自称除了讲笑话，生活中的大多数事情都一窍不通。15岁时他离开学校，一位老师这样评价他：“如果无知是福，那他就是最快乐的孩子之一。”他在一家赌注登记经纪店找到了工作，负责在黑板上写下赛马和骑师的名字，观察那些古怪且常常醉醺醺的赌客从希望到绝望的喜剧瞬间。

板球的第一次突破是赢得了一场PJ·普罗比（PJ Proby）模仿大赛。1966年，他开始在米斯郡莫斯尼的Butlin度假营担任红衣侍者，每周赚取£6，提供一间小屋的住宿和一日三餐。冬季，他则担任宾果游戏主持人和上门推销员。1972年夏天，在莫克姆的Pontins度假营，他遇到了当时担任服务员并与两个姐妹一起表演歌唱节目的玛丽昂·“梅”·特威迪（Marion “May” Tweedie）。他们于1974年结婚。在他职业生涯最低谷时，妻子的歌唱收入支撑着他。他的好友卡森（Carson）建议他，如果接不到演出，就继续免费表演；通过练习，他的自信和素材都会提升。事实确实如此。1980年，他准备好向毫无防备的国民推出“吉米·板球”这个角色，当时他在伦敦周末电视台的《寻星之旅》才艺比赛中进入了半决赛。他与坎农和鲍尔（Cannon and Ball）、克兰基斯（the Krankies）和卡森一起巡演全国的码头剧场。随后，他在《

美好的旧时光与皇家综艺表演

1985年，板球（Cricket）在独立电视台（ITV）获得了自己的节目。他表示：“我想每个人在电视上的黄金期都是有限的。大多数人有四季节目，而我比大多数人多了两季，所以我已经比大多数人幸运了。”

20世纪90年代初，他转向广播界，与比尔·珀特威（Bill Pertwee）、彼得·古德赖特（Peter Goodwright）和诺琳·克肖（Noreen Kershaw）一起在BBC广播二台制作了四季略带滑稽风格的《吉米的板球队》（Jimmy’s Cricket Team）。

板球继续在全国巡回演出，为观众带来欢乐。他的妻子（用他那双著名的威灵顿长靴打理花园）则通过演唱为观众暖场。在生命的最后阶段，他回顾往昔，还能想起众多哑剧的记忆。

他留下了妻子，他曾开玩笑说，自己永远不会为了合唱团女孩离开她，因为她会熨烫他的衬衫。他也留下了他们的四个孩子：戴尔（Dale）是大曼彻斯特伯里一家临终关怀医院的活动组织者；女儿杰米（Jamie）成为了一名校长，现居佛罗里达；凯蒂·马尔格鲁（Katie Mulgrew）追随父亲的脚步，进入喜剧界；儿子弗兰基（Frankie）曾是一名喜剧演员，后成为天主教神父。

板球本人也是一名虔诚的天主教徒。每次登台前，他都会祈祷“让观众快乐，暂时忘却烦恼”。他为自己的幽默始终“干净”而自豪，认为孩子们可以在父母和祖父母的陪伴下欣赏他的表演。2015年，他被授予教宗骑士称号。

板球的家人表示，在生命的最后时刻，他仍在与英国国民保健服务（NHS）的工作人员开玩笑。面对死亡，他依然妙语连珠，比如：“图书馆的汤米上周去世了。为了表示敬意，大家起立默哀了一分钟”，或者“如果你不会拼写‘末日决战’，别担心，这又不是世界末日。”

喜剧演员吉米·板球（Jimmy Cricket）于1945年10月17日出生。

他于2026年8月3日因短暂病患去世，享年80岁。

宫廷通告

圣詹姆斯宫

2026年8月4日 爱丁堡公爵， 皇家龙骑卫队荣誉团长， 今日上午接见了即将卸任指挥官职务的戴维·布鲁克斯中校， 以及即将就任该职务的布林·威廉姆斯中校。 爱丁堡公爵殿下， 网球与壁球协会赞助人， 今日下午接见了首席执行官尼古拉斯·奥尔准将。

出生、婚姻及讣告

在《泰晤士报》登记出生、婚姻或讣告， 请访问： thetimes.co.uk / bmd

如需帮助，请致电 020 7782 7553 或发送电子邮件至 BMDs@thetimes.co.uk

“我赐给你们的轭，要放在肩上，向我学习。我心柔和谦卑，你们必得享安息。” 《马太福音》11.29（现代英文版）

《圣经》经文由圣经公会提供

出生 麦克罗斯特（娘家姓米切尔）与乔纳森于2026年7月1日喜得一子，取名哈米什·希思科特·阿瑟，系凯特琳之弟。

即将举行的婚礼 C·R·D·埃尔姆赫斯特上尉 与J·M·范·德·加格小姐 现宣布格林纳迪尔近卫团鲁珀特·埃尔姆赫斯特上尉（塞里迪吉翁郡贝特伍斯伊凡的马库斯中校与埃尔姆赫斯特荣誉夫人之次子）与杰迈玛（肯特郡霍肯伯里的马库斯·范·德·加格夫妇之女）订婚。

讣告 贝雷尔·詹妮弗·玛丽戈尔德（娘家姓亨特）于2026年7月9日因长期患病去世，享年89。家人及朋友深切哀悼。

奈·希拉·伊丽莎白于2026年7月12日安详离世，享年94。系丹尼斯·奈之遗孀。深受子女路易丝、西蒙、杰里米、克里斯托弗及其家人，以及亨菲尔德和西萨塞克斯众多朋友的爱戴。葬礼将于2026年8月12日（周三）下午1点在亨菲尔德圣彼得教堂举行。可向邦加德殡仪馆（地址：霍夫萨克维尔路90号，BN3 3HE）致送鲜花或为“微笑列车”捐款，或通过 bungards.co.uk 在线捐赠。

弗农-鲍威尔·迈克尔上校，系莉兹之挚爱丈夫，乔纳森、菲莉帕、卡罗琳之慈父，哈丽雅特、布朗蒂、安伯、马克斯、安格斯、玛蒂尔达之祖父，于2026年7月20日安详离世，享年91。葬礼将于2026年8月14日（周五）下午2点30分在威尔特郡厄普顿洛弗尔的圣奥古斯丁坎特伯雷教堂（BA12 0JW）举行。

追思礼拜

比克莫尔·伊莎贝尔（娘家姓菲茨艾伦·霍华德）将于2026年10月13日下午2点在SW1 6HQ鸟笼径近卫军礼拜堂举行。如计划出席，请告知。电子邮箱：fbickmore@gmail.com

感恩礼拜

斯特林·安格斯爵士。感恩礼拜将于2026年10月7日中午在伦敦下泰晤士街圣马格努斯殉道者教堂（EX3R 6DN）举行（随后在鱼贩大厅）。如需出席，请回复 adasmemorial@icloud.com

纪念——二等兵沃尔特·辛普森 莫拉格深爱的“完美骑士”（“very parfit gentil knight”）。每日怀念，爱意绵长。

生日祝福

廷德利·戴维·爱德华。90岁生日快乐，爱你的P xx

轻松发布出生、 婚姻或讣告， 请访问《泰晤士报》登记处。 全天24小时开放：

法律公告

英格兰及威尔士高等法院商业及财产法庭，破产与公司名单（大法官法庭） 案号：2026-005951

蓝色汽车金融有限公司 （Blue Motor Finance Limited） 商业名称：Blue Motor Finance （公司编号：02738187） 注册地址：c / o 安永会计师事务所，伦敦泰晤士河畔一号广场1号，SE1 2AF 主要交易地址：达伦特大厦，梅恩路84号，肯特郡森德里奇，TN14 6ER 业务性质：其他未列明的金融中介

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the times / 2026年8月5日 星期三

51 天气

U

y

今日 狂风伴雨，阵雨或雷暴。南部地区较为干燥。最高气温25°C（77°F），最低气温6°C（43°F）

Sh

Sh

O

英国各地

图例：b=晴朗，c=多云，d=毛毛雨，pc=局部多云 du=阴天，f=晴好，fg=雾，h=冰雹，m=薄雾，r=雨， sh=阵雨，sl=雨夹雪，sn=雪，s=晴天，t=雷电 =前一日 *=数据缺失

气温°C 降雨量（毫米） 日照时数* 昨日中午 截至昨日17时的24小时

14 R 2.6 0.2 20 R 1.4 4.8 20 PC 8.2 2.7 18 7.8 0.0 23 C 0.2 ** 27 S 0.0 ** C 6.8 0.6 25

23 D 0.0 13.9 19

24 4.4 12.2 22 0.4 9.6 D 1.6 7.8 19 0.5 16 11.4 1.0 17 26.8 25

9.8 29 0.0 13.7 17 M 8.8 3.4 24 0.8 0.0 13.1 18 11.6 16 4.8 0.6 22 13 6.2 6.4 6.0 0.4 28

0.0 11.6 21 1.8 31 S 0.0 12.5

0.0 11.9 7.4 27

0.0 12.3 1.0 21 7.0 26

0.4 10.4 13 7.4 26

1.8 28

8.7 8.2 9.6 29

0.0 12.6 25.0 15 21.2 6.1 15 37.0 19.2 5.4 0.0 13.2

阿伯丁 阿伯波斯 安格尔西 阿维莫尔 巴恩斯特珀尔 贝德福德 贝尔法斯特 伯明翰 伯恩茅斯 布里德灵顿 布里斯托尔 坎伯恩 加的夫 爱丁堡 埃斯克代尔缪尔 格拉斯哥 赫里福德 赫斯特蒙苏 伊普斯威奇 马恩岛 怀特岛 泽西岛 凯西克 金洛斯 利兹 勒威克 洛希尔斯 林肯 利物浦 伦敦 莱纳姆 曼彻斯特 马盖特 米尔福德港 纽卡斯尔 诺丁汉 奥克尼 牛津 普利茅斯 波特兰 锡利群岛（圣玛丽） 肖勒姆 什鲁斯伯里 斯诺登尼亚 绍森德 南尤伊斯特 斯托诺韦 泰里 怀特黑文 威克 约维尔顿

ney

ney

伯明翰

牛津

世界各地 所有读数为当地昨日中午

33 S 32 S 33 S

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39 33 31 30

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36 S 25 S 30 30 B 28 S 37 S 32 ** 11 14 M 20 R 32 30 M 44 S 24 S 37 S 31 S 27 S 30 SH 28 S 32 S 18 S 32 21 B 39 S

阿利坎特 阿姆斯特丹 雅典 奥克兰 巴林 曼谷 巴巴多斯 巴塞罗那 北京 贝鲁特 贝尔格莱德 柏林 百慕大 波尔多 布鲁塞尔 布加勒斯特 布达佩斯 布宜诺斯艾利斯 开罗 加尔各答 堪培拉 开普敦 芝加哥 哥本哈根 科孚岛 德里 迪拜 都柏林 法鲁 佛罗伦萨 法兰克福 日内瓦 直布罗陀 赫尔辛基 香港 火奴鲁鲁 伊斯坦布尔 耶路撒冷 约翰内斯堡 吉隆坡 基辅 兰萨罗特 拉斯帕尔马斯 利马 里斯本 洛杉矶 卢克索

马德拉 马德里 马拉加 马略卡 马耳他 墨尔本 墨西哥城 迈阿密 米兰 蒙巴萨 蒙特利尔 莫斯科 孟买 慕尼黑 内罗毕 那不勒斯 新奥尔良 纽约 尼斯 尼科西亚 奥斯陆 巴黎 珀斯 布拉格 雷克雅未克 里加 里约热内卢 利雅得 罗马 旧金山 圣地亚哥 圣保罗 首尔 塞舌尔 新加坡 圣彼得堡 斯德哥尔摩 悉尼 特拉维夫 特内里费 东京 温哥华 威尼斯 维也纳 华沙 华盛顿 苏黎世

未来五日天气展望

风速

有时有雨和阵雨，主要在北部和西部地区。南部地区有时会感觉炎热

明日

东北部地区早间雨水逐渐消散，其他地区为晴间多云和阵雨天气。 最高气温24°C，最低气温7°C

周五

苏格兰北部和中部地区有雨。其他地区大致干燥，阳光充足，尤其是南部地区。 最高气温26°C，最低气温8°C

周六

一股降雨带自西向东横穿英国和爱尔兰，局部地区雨势较大且持久。南部地区保持干燥和晴朗，再次感觉炎热。 最高气温28°C，最低气温10°C

天气概况：局部有风， 西北部有雨。苏格兰有雷阵雨。 其他地区间或阳光明媚，局部有阵雨。 北爱尔兰、爱尔兰共和国：北部有风，伴有降雨，有时较大。 南部间或阳光明媚，局部有阵雨。 西北风中等至强劲，沿海风力更强。最高气温18°C（64°F），最低气温7°C（45°F）。 海峡群岛、英格兰西南部、英格兰中南部、英格兰东部、 东米德兰兹、英格兰东南部、伦敦、东英吉利： 微风伴有零星阵雨，逐渐减弱

27 PC 29 S 35 S 32 PC 34 S 12 C 26 B 27 T 35 S 28 B 23 C 25 29 M 34 S 19 B 32 S 30 26 DU 30 B 32 S 20 S 30 S 19 35 S 12 B 24 27 44 S 23 15 S 25 S 34 29 26 SH 20 22 S 17 S 28 20

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38 S 30 30 B

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周日

一条细雨带向东移动， 横穿英格兰和威尔士，两侧间或阳光明媚。 北部和西部风势强劲，局部有阵雨，部分地区雨势较大。 最高气温30°C，最低气温6°C

潮汐 潮汐预报。 高度单位：米。所有时间均为当地时间

今日 高潮 高潮 阿伯丁 埃文茅斯 贝尔法斯特 加的夫 德文波特 多佛 都柏林 法尔茅斯 格里诺克 哈里奇 霍利黑德 赫尔 利斯 利物浦 伦敦桥 洛斯托夫特 米尔福德港 莫克姆 纽黑文 纽基 奥本 彭赞斯 朴次茅斯 肖勒姆 南安普敦 斯旺西 提斯 韦茅斯

周一

北部和中部地区有零星阵雨， 其他地区干燥且天气晴朗。 最高气温25°C，最低气温6°C

《泰晤士报》天气版

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普利茅斯 埃克塞特 南安普敦

阳光充足

稍后阳光充足。西南部可能有阵雨残留。温和至清劲的西风。最高气温25°C（77°F），最低气温11°C（52°F）。 西南苏格兰、格拉斯哥、西北苏格兰、阿盖尔、北部群岛：部分地区有风，伴有降雨，有时雨势较大且持续。风向多变，清劲至强劲，内陆地区风力较弱。最高气温16°C（61°F），最低气温8°C（46°F）。 威尔士、西米德兰兹、西北英格兰、中北英格兰、湖区、东北英格兰、马恩岛：微风伴有阵雨，有时较为持久，主要集中在

06:09 4.0 18:55 3.7 --:-- -- 12:10 11.7 03:49 3.4 16:27 3.1 11:50 10.9 --:-- -- 10:42 4.8 22:55 4.9 03:37 6.2 16:04 6.4 04:28 3.9 17:04 3.6 09:54 4.6 22:18 4.7 05:07 3.4 17:35 3.2 04:44 3.7 16:42 3.8 03:04 5.3 15:31 4.8 11:15 7.0 23:47 6.4 07:28 5.2 20:10 4.9 03:46 8.8 16:11 8.3 06:43 18:56 6.6 02:25 2.2 14:26 2.5 11:09 6.1 23:35 6.2 03:58 8.8 16:23 8.2 03:46 6.1 16:11 10:04 6.0 22:30 6.0 10:26 3.3 23:03 09:34 21:59 04:09 4.3 16:51 4.3 03:49 5.7 16:16 5.7 03:24 4.2 15:56 11:09 8.3 23:35 8.2 08:30 5.2 21:18 11:30 1.6 23:47 1.6

天气形势 低气压中心位于苏格兰北部，导致爱尔兰北部和苏格兰大部分地区出现降雨，西部地区降雨持续时间较长，由锢囚锋引起。部分地区风力较大，特别是爱尔兰海沿岸和苏格兰西部稍后。南部地区则为晴朗间歇和零星阵雨交替。

探索波兰前皇家首都的历史、文化与优雅建筑

并前往奥斯威辛进行一次令人动容的参观。

发现中欧为数不多的几座历经数世纪而未遭破坏的主要城市之一。克拉科夫是一座充满活力的大学城

奥克尼 设得兰

尼 尼

卡莱尔 纽卡斯尔

18 14

曼彻斯特 利物浦 赫尔

谢菲尔德

什鲁斯伯里 诺丁汉

山区。部分地区阳光充足，主要在威尔士和英格兰中部。西南风清劲，西海岸风力较强。最高气温21°C（70°F），最低气温10°C（50°F）。 东北苏格兰、爱丁堡和邓迪、阿伯丁、马里湾、中部高地、边境地区：零星强雷阵雨，有时会合并为持续降雨，但部分地区仍有阳光。风向多变，风力轻至中等。最高气温21°C（70°F），最低气温6°C（43°F）。

夜间时长 阿伯丁 21:43-04:46 贝尔法斯特 21:47-05:13 伯明翰 21:23-05:05 加的夫 21:24-05:14 埃克塞特 21:23-05:18 格拉斯哥 21:46-05:01 利物浦 21:30-05:06 伦敦 21:12-05:02 曼彻斯特 21:28-05:03 纽卡斯尔 21:31-04:54 诺里奇 21:10-04:52 彭赞斯 21:29-05:28 谢菲尔德 21:24-05:00

最热：萨福克郡卡文迪什，31.5°C 最冷：凯恩戈姆山，5.3°C 最湿：金洛奇威，39.2毫米 最晴：多塞特郡伯恩茅斯，13.9小时*

日月升落 格林威治 日出：05.30 日落：20.41 月出：22.43 月落：15.13（周四）

新月：8月12日

充满活力与后共产主义热情，正成为欧洲必游之地。我们的陪同游览将揭开这座视觉杰作的面纱，其联合国教科文组织认定的瑰宝可与欧洲大陆任何地方媲美，同时还将前往臭名昭著的奥斯威辛-比克瑙集中营遗址进行庄重的参观。

天气瞭望 保罗·西蒙斯

1931年8月5日这一天，英格兰多地夜间爆发雷暴，伴有雷电、大冰雹、暴雨和山洪。然而，在那天所有遭遇风暴的地方中，或许最贴切的莫过于多塞特郡皮德尔山谷的帕德尔敦，那里在短短75分钟内降下了1.93英寸（49毫米）的雨量。除了其绝妙而贴切的名字外，帕德尔敦还因与托马斯·哈代的联系而闻名，他的祖父及其他亲属曾居住于此。这个村庄曾出现在哈代的多部作品中，最著名的是作为《远离尘嚣》中虚构村庄韦瑟伯里的原型，巴斯谢芭·埃弗登的农场便坐落于此。小说中有一幕著名场景：夜间突发风暴，以戏剧性的灯光秀开场，“一道光划过场景，仿佛是磷光闪烁的翅膀掠过天空，空气中回荡着隆隆声，充斥着整个空间。”牧羊人盖布里埃尔·奥克和巴斯谢芭在闪电划破天际的照耀下，竭力保护一座巨大的干草垛，闪电随时可能击中他们。黎明前，风暴再次肆虐。“一滴巨大的雨点重重砸在[盖布里埃尔的]脸上，狂风在每个角落呼啸，树木连根摇晃，枝丫在搏斗中碰撞……大雨倾盆而至，奥克很快感到冰冷黏腻的雨水顺着背部流下。最终，他几乎变成了一团湿透的海绵，衣服上的染料也被冲刷下来。雨水斜穿过沉闷的空气，如液态的脊柱般连绵不断，从云端直落到他身上。”小说中还有一场暴雨的描写，当时特洛伊中士在韦瑟伯里教堂的墓地里，为真爱范妮·罗宾的坟墓哀悼，屋顶上一个狰狞的滴水兽不断倾泻雨水——

直接与我们的预报员交流

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立即致电 0808 304 4030 thetimes.com / nh-krakow 报价时请提及TIM

第52页

52

S1 2026年8月5日星期三 / 《泰晤士报》

体育

食松鼠求生专家成为90年来首位参加美洲杯的英国女性

美洲杯

帆船赛

尼尔·斯奎尔斯

杰米玛·莱恩斯将成为90年来英国首位参加美洲杯的女水手

在明年那不勒斯举行的第38届美洲杯上，来自肯特郡的29岁选手杰米玛·莱恩斯被召入GB1队，将成为英国90年来首位参加美洲杯的女水手。本届美洲杯首次要求每支由五人组成的船员中至少有一名女性，而选择莱恩斯这一决定让团队负责人本·安斯利感到意外。尽管莱恩斯是一名世界锦标赛级别的风筝冲浪选手——这一项目需要驾驶连接水翼的冲浪板在水面上方1米处滑行——她曾在巴黎奥运会上担任金牌得主埃莉·奥尔德里奇的替补，但她并不像其他候选人那样知名。不过，除了出色的航海技能，她还拥有机械工程学位，能够为任务的设计环节做出贡献，此外，她还具备一种独特的"能行"态度，这在一个已有175年未能获胜的团队中将大有裨益。作为一名贝尔·格里尔斯生存技能教练，她能毫不眨眼地宰杀一只松鼠——"加点盐味道不错，有点像鸡肉"——她在18岁时曾独自骑行环游冰岛。莱恩斯曾在珠穆朗玛峰大本营担任向导，登顶过阿拉斯加的山峰，并穿越过蒙古的山脉。她还在玻利维亚的的的喀喀湖和塔吉克斯坦的卡拉库尔湖（距阿富汗边境仅一步之遥）创造了高海拔风筝冲浪纪录。"我喜欢挑战，而美洲杯是最好的挑战，"她说。"从小我就知道自己想要什么样的角色，但一直无法确定那具体是什么。每当有人问我想做什么时，我都会说，‘我想成为一名工程师，同时也是一名运动员——我不知道这样的工作是否存在’，所以这真的太棒了。

"我们有150人的幕后团队，每天都能感受到大家朝着这个目标努力的动力

德雷珀美网参赛资格存疑 泪洒赛场

网球

汤姆·克斯霍 网球记者

杰克·德雷珀近来经历了太多虚假曙光

已让人看不到希望的光芒。温网最后一刻退赛后，他在华盛顿公开赛上的复出计划又因同一手臂伤病而夭折，这一伤病已困扰他一年多。 这位24岁的选手（见插图）被认为已恢复健康，昨日在蒙特利尔大师赛重返赛场，但首轮以6-3, 2-6, 6-2不敌特伦斯·阿特曼，在决胜盘中因又一次残酷的挫折而瘫坐在椅子上泪流满面。 这位前英国一号选手重新振作完成了比赛，但无法摆脱如此糟糕的运气带来的沉重压力。德雷珀在决胜盘中的发球速度明显下降，并频繁使用

一个目标。能成为其中一员真是太棒了。"

对于这样一位还热衷于滑翔伞、登山和雪地风筝冲浪（利用风力在雪地和冰面上高速滑行）——并曾独自骑行穿越挪威6周——的人来说，成为五人船员中唯一的女性丝毫不会让她感到不安。 "为女性提供这样的机会太棒了，"她说。"在我所做的一切中，我一直都知道自己要么是

放小球，表明肘部的疼痛仍是一个因素。本赛季他在ATP巡回赛上仅参加了14场比赛，这是他自6月在伊斯特本打入半决赛以来的首场比赛。

德雷珀今年春季仅参加了4项赛事，随后膝盖肌腱炎加重——这一伤病是由为减轻手臂负担而改变发球动作引发的——导致他无缘法网。去年6月时，德雷珀的世界排名曾高居第4位，如今已跌至第143位，若无法获得美网外卡，他将不得不通过资格赛争夺参赛权。他是否能够完全康复参赛仍是一个严重的疑问。

唯一的女性或寥寥数人之一

在布里斯托[大学]的学位课程上，阶梯教室里有300名男生，只有五名女生。在职场中，我做过的很多工作都是在车间里与男同事们一起制造动力电机，而我是唯一的女性。所以这其实没什么不寻常的。 “我喜欢看这些小伙子们工作的样子。他们是一个了不起的团队，我希望自己能像他们一样强大地做出贡献。”她是4个姐妹中最小的一个，从小就被灌输了热爱户外的理念。

阿特曼，世界排名第46，是一个可信的对手，但也是德雷珀在全力发挥时本应轻松击败的那种球员。早期迹象较为积极，德雷珀明显没有在左臂上佩戴压缩护袖。他与安迪·穆雷的教练合作关系至少暂时将继续，最初仅计划在草地赛季进行。穆雷本次未在蒙特利尔的包厢内，上周与德雷珀一同前往了华盛顿。德雷珀的重上旋正手在早期表现出色，他有效地使用了放小球，并展现出上网的意愿。但在4-3时，他的状态突然下滑，而

来自肯特的风筝冲浪选手莱恩斯并非一个显而易见的选择。

阿特曼抓住失误和不当的击球选择夺下一盘。德雷珀在第二盘开局反击，表现出色，仅有一次非受迫性失误，两次破发，似乎掌控了比赛。然而，决胜盘的局势迅速逆转。阿特曼在一场艰苦的反手拉锯战中艰难保发后，德雷珀的动作显得更加迟缓，伤病迹象愈发明显。他在2-1时错失了回破的机会，随后看起来越发不适。在丢掉第二个发球局——几乎宣告落败——后，德雷珀崩溃了，在换边时哭泣不止。他擦去泪水，完成了比赛，但如此天赋异禀的球员屡遭挫折，其承受的压力正变得愈发难以承受。

杰克逊·格林 / GB1

从蹒跚学步时起，她们就开始了户外探险。“在我还不会爬之前，我们就去布雷肯比肯斯山区爬山。父母总爱开玩笑说，要加入我们家，必须通过某种SAS选拔。”她说。她的父亲拉尔夫·克拉索恩曾在特种部队服役，今年在本尼维斯山的一次冰攀事故中丧生。

“他是一个十足的冒险家，”她说，“当我独自骑行环冰岛时，我甚至没有一辆自行车。我只是有这样一个宏大的梦想。我记得我向妈妈提出这个想法时，她的反应是‘绝对不行’，然后我去问爸爸，他却说‘放手去做’。 “他会喜欢这个，因为这融合了我成长过程中所有不同的部分。看到我将热爱的事情汇聚一堂，他会感到自豪。他经常为不同的高绩效团队做演讲——他是一位领导力专家——所以他会对这件事着迷。” 在理想的世界里，他本可以在这里见证女儿追随菲利斯·索普威斯的脚步，后者曾于1937.年在罗德岛纽波特参与英国美洲杯挑战赛。可惜现实并不完美，但黑暗过后终将迎来曙光。除了入选GB1，她今年夏天还结了婚。莱恩斯通过走到这一步，已经书写了属于自己的历史。不过，仅仅成为英国挑战队的一员还不够。“这对我来说简直是个梦想，”她说，“但赢得美洲杯绝对是锦上添花。”

新西兰队前往南非的巡回赛成为了天空电视台交易的一部分

橄榄球联合会 新西兰巡回赛前往南非——被宣传为“Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry”——将在英国通过天空体育频道播出，这是一项为期五年的新协议的一部分（威尔·凯莱赫报道）。所有四场全黑队与跳羚队之间的测试赛，以及新西兰对阵风暴者、鲨鱼、公牛和狮子队的巡回赛比赛，都将在未来五周内在天空体育频道播出。这项协议是天空体育与Sanzaar（南半球主要橄榄球联盟的管理机构，包括新西兰、南非、澳大利亚和阿根廷）之间的合作，将持续至2030年底。天空体育支付了数百万英镑的高额费用以确保转播权。该协议还涵盖2030,跳羚队访问新西兰，2027, 2028和2029,的橄榄球锦标赛、袋鼠队与全黑队之间的布莱迪斯洛杯比赛，以及本月阿根廷主办南非的其他测试赛。

6路易威登杯

赛事阶段 将于5月26日至7月4, 2027举行。 美洲杯决赛 将于7月10日开始。

第53页

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5 2026

53 赛马 体育

肯普顿公园赛马场

罗布·赖特

罗布·赖特

5.20 新手赛（2岁马：£3,140：6化朗）（12）

5.50 新手锦标赛（2岁马：£7,020：7化朗）（9）

6.20 新手锦标赛（2岁马：£7,020：7化朗）（9）

6.50 新手锦标赛（£5,400：1英里）（14）

7.20 新手锦标赛（£6,480：1英里3化朗）（12）

（8）

昨日赛马结果

结果

卡特里克赛马场

场地状况：良好至坚实（部分良好）

场地状况：良好

2.15（7化朗6码）1, Waakabb（杰森·哈特，7-4）； 2, National Pride（11-8）；3, Breaking The Habit（125-1,）。6匹出赛。1化朗，8化朗。S & E Crisford。

2.45（7化朗6码）1, Iconic Times（S D Bowen，1,-1热门）；2, Without Delay（10-1,）；3, Rain Cap（9-2,）。7匹出赛。鼻位，2化朗。J Candlish。

3.15（1英里7化朗189码）1, Free World（西伦·法伦，2,-1热门）；2, Star Of Jupiter（14-1,）；3, Fleur De Mer（8-1,）。9匹出赛。7化朗，颈位。伊恩·威廉姆斯。

足球

足球

欧联杯第三轮资格赛首回合 拉恩 0, 伊比利亚第比利斯 0, 沙姆洛克流浪者 3 埃格纳蒂亚 1。

板球

板球

百球赛：太阳升起者利兹队 vs 伦敦精神队

男子组

海丁利（伦敦精神队赢得掷硬币）：太阳升起者利兹队（4分）以37分击败伦敦精神队

太阳升起者利兹队 （球数）

太阳升起者利兹队 （球数）

M R Marsh c Brevis b Milne 76（37）

†R D Rickelton not out 94（42）

H C Brook c Overton b Willey 55（18）

D W Lawrence not out 10（3）

7.50 新手锦标赛 （£6,480：1英里3化朗）（11）

8.20 让赛（3岁马：£6,281：7化朗）（8）

8.50 让赛（£4,187：2英里）（8）

布莱顿赛马场

2.30 让赛（3岁马：£4,187：6化朗）（5）

3.45（5化朗212码）1, Miss Rainbow（康纳·比斯利，5-2,）；2, Captain Cess（11-10热门）；3, Battenburg Belle（9-1,）。8匹出赛。1化朗，3化朗。特蕾西·瓦戈特小姐。

4.15（1英里4化朗13码）1, Halimede（L Morris，9-4,）；2, Hansteen（8-11热门）；3, Muhib（7-1,）。8匹出赛。5化朗，1化朗。马克·普雷斯科特爵士。

4.45（5化朗）1, Without Flaw（沃伦·芬蒂曼，3-1,）；2, Gwen Tennyson（13-2,）；3, Doralee（6-4热门）。7匹出赛。1化朗，1化朗。T·杰克逊小姐。

场地彩：£12.10

四重彩：£11.00

头奖：£1,426.90

利文斯通 5-0-23-0。

伦敦精神队

L-d G Pretorius c Crawley b Topley 5（3）

†J M Bairstow c Rickelton b Topley 0（1）

*L S Livingstone c b Ellis 34（13）

D Brevis c b Revis 38（21）

J M Coles lbw b Ellis 0（2）

J E K Rew c Rickelton b Potts 1（3）

D J Willey not out 83（46）

J Overton not out 27（15）

额外得分（nb 4, w 5, b 4, lb 3）16

总分（6个三柱门，100球）204

A J Tye、A F Milne和A Zampa未上场。

三柱门失守顺序 1,-1, 2,-35, 3,-44, 4,-44, 5,-56, 6-130。

投球 20-0-30-2；Carse 20-0-55-0；Ellis 20-0-42-2；Potts 20-0-42-1；Revis 15-0-26-1；Ahmed 5-0-2-0。

女子组

海丁利（太阳升起者利兹队赢得掷硬币）：

3.30 让赛（£10,468：1英里）（9）

4.00 让赛（£4,187：1英里2化朗）（6）

4.30 让赛（£4,187：7化朗）（9）

5.00 让赛（£4,187：5化朗）（7）

庞特弗拉克特赛马场

2.45 让赛（£3,229：1英里2化朗）（7）

福斯拉斯

2.30 (6f) 1, Safari Dream (Oisin Murphy, 11-4); 2, Diamondinthedark (22-1); 3, The Coffee Pod (11-4). 7 ran. SH, ¾l. B R Millman.

3.00 (7f 80yd) 1, Perfect Nation (Billy Loughnane, 13-8 fav); 2, George Cross (9-2); 3, Artemis Star (22-1). 7 ran. 1l, 1l. G Boughey.

3.30 (7f 80yd) 1, Lerwick (Billy Loughnane, 10-1); 2, Cypriot Diaspora (13-8fav); 3, Grand Vista (14-1). 9 ran. 2 l, 1 l. D M Loughnane.

4.00 (7f 80yd) 1, Kaleidoscope Eyes (R P D J S Dottin not out 15 (14) C E Dean run out 4 (3) K L George c Sutherland b Sharma 2 (2) C R Pavely not out 2 (2) Extras (lb 5, w 2) 7 Total (7 wkts, 100 balls) 136 T Johnson and H Rainey did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-67, 2-91, 3-92, 4-105, 5-120, 6-124, 7-126. Bowling McCarthy 15-0-13-0; Cross 5-0-7-0; Jonassen 15-0-31-0; Baker 20-0-21-2; Sutherland 20-0-31-1; Gibson 5-0-10-1; Sharma 20-0-18-2. B F Smith lbw b Dean 27 (21) P E S Litchfield c Kapp b George 30 (17) †L Winfield-Hill c Pavely b de Klerk 1 (4) A J Sutherland not out 37 (21) D R Gibson c Harris b George 25 (24) D B Sharma c Harris b George 6 (7) J L Jonassen not out 13 (5) Downey, 3-1); 2, Piazza (12-1); 3, Rosemary’s Rose (Evens fav). 8 ran. l, 1l. B J Llewellyn.

4.30 (1m) 1, Wootz (Ray Dawson, 10-11 fav); 2, Mountain Of Light (16-1); 3, Arbaawy (13-8). 8 ran. 6 l, HD. R Varian.

5.00 (1m) 1, Mythological Star (Billy Loughnane, 4-6 fav); 2, Hurricane Laughter (11-4); 3, Somethingintheair (12-1). 5 ran. 1 l, 4l. D & C Kubler.

5.30 (1m 3f 209y) 1, A Daughters Love (Jack Doughty, 10-1); 2, Grindleton (5-1); 3, Praise Indeed (7-1). 10 ran. 10l, 4l. D Flood.

Placepot: £11.90

Quadpot: £2.10

自行车

Tour de France Femmes

Stage four Gevrey-Chambertin to Dijon, 21km

1 M Reusser (Swit; Movistar) 27min 30sec; 2 L Nooijen (Neth; Visma Lease-a-Bike) at 4sec; 3 D Vollering (Neth; FDJ United-SUEZ) at 18sec; 4 Z Backstedt (GB; Canyon-SRAM) at 20sec; 5 M Bredewold (Neth; SD Worx-Protime) at 45sec.

General classification: 1 Reusser 11hr 47min 36sec; 2 Vollering at 14sec; 3 C Kerbaol (Fr; EF Education-Oatly) at 54sec; 4 S Haugset (Nor; Uno-X Mobility) at 56sec; 5 E Longo Borghini (It; UAE L’IMAD) at 1min 3sec.

网球

3.15 Maiden Stakes (2-Y-O: £5,940: 6f)

3.45 Handicap (£4,187: 1m) (6)

4.15 Handicap (£4,187: 5f) (10)

4.45 Handicap (£5,234: 6f) (9)

5.15 Handicap (£5,154: 2m 1f) (3)

林菲尔德公园

Going: Standard

5.18 (7f 1yd) 1, Mister Mojito (Jack Callan, 9-4 fav); 2, Rogue Dynasty (5-2); 3, Dandy Khan (14-1). 11 ran. l, 2l. T Kent.

5.48 (7f 1yd) 1, Fortunate (Oliver Carmichael, 16-1); 2, Dun Eideann (16-1); 3, Steamy Wonder (18-1). 10 ran. 1 l, 17 l. Eve Johnson Houghton.

6.18 (7f 1yd) 1, Potters Margot (R Havlin, 25-1); 2, Minnal (7-4); 3, Lushill (10-1). 9 ran. 1l, l. M Crawley.

6.48 (6f 1yd) 1, Elvetham (Jack Gilligan, 13-6-1, 3-6, 6-1; M Cilic (Cr) bt S Shimabukuro (Japan) 7-6(2), 6-1; C Norrie (GB) bt C Ugo Carabelli (Arg) 7-6(5), 6-4; S Tsitsipas (Gr) M Damm (US) 6-4, 6-4; S Baez (Arg) M Bellucci (It) 7-5, 6-3; J Brooksby (US) AWalton (Aus) 6-3, 6-4; H Hurkacz (Pol) M Giron (US) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; T A Tirante (Arg) D Chan (Can) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(3); J Fearnley (GB) A Mannarino (Fr) 7-6(3), 6-4; Z Svajda (US) D Shapovalov (Can) 4-6, 6-4, 3-0 ret; V Royer (Fr) P Carreno Busta (Sp) 1-6, 7-5, 6-2; A Popyrin (Aus) R A Burruchaga (Arg) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; D Merida (Sp) L Draxl (Can) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; JM Cerundolo (Arg) H Medjedovic (Serb) 6-4, 6-2; T Atmane (Fr) J Draper (GB) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Second round (27) A Blockx (Bel) J Munar (Sp) w / o.

WTA National Bank Open

Toronto: First round Z Sonmez (Tur) R

雅茅斯

5.40 让磅赛（£3,576：6弗隆）（7）

6.10 处女母马锦标赛（2岁马：£5,400：6弗隆）（10）

6.40 育成马赛（2岁马：£5,339：5弗隆）（5）

7.10 新秀锦标赛（£5,400：1英里2弗隆）（5）

7.40 让磅赛（£3,768：1英里6弗隆）（7）

8.10 分级锦标赛（£3,454：5弗隆）（8）

2, 6）；2，Style King（15-8）；3，Just Jump（3-1）。

10匹参赛。未出赛：Phoenix Moon。 1, 1 l。C Allen。

7.18（1英里6弗隆）1，Tabasko（Ashley Lewis，4-5热门）；2，Scarlet Moon（15-2）；3，Russian Rumour（10-1）。4匹参赛。nk，1 l。E Walker。

7.48（1英里3弗隆133码）1，Hope Rising（Rob Hornby，2-1）；2，Douglas Dc（6-1）；3，Koko Blue（11-8热门）。7匹参赛。5 l, 1 l。Jamie Snowden。

8.18（1英里1弗隆）1，Offiah’s Boy（Taylor Fisher，5-6热门）；2，Gert Lush（9-2）；3，Monks Mead（11-2）。6匹参赛。2 l, 1 l。J Tickle。

场次彩池：£746.40

四重彩池：£14.70

6(4)；V Golubic（瑞士）胜（31）D Vekic（克罗地亚）5-7, 6-2, 6-3；（10）M Kostyuk（乌克兰）胜 K Sebov（加拿大）7-6(4), 6-0；（15）D Schnaider（俄罗斯）胜 R Sramkova（斯洛伐克）6-2, 4-6, 6-1；T Gibson（澳大利亚）胜（18）M Chwalinska（波兰）7-5, 6-1。

赛程

女子冠军联赛第二轮资格赛半决赛

Gintra vs Hearts（2.30，科厄），布拉格斯拉维亚 vs 流浪者（7.30，格拉斯哥）。

首场一日国际赛

布雷迪爱尔兰 vs 阿富汗（10.45）。

第54页

什么更吸引球迷：历史还是波洛克的炒作？

H

斯图尔特·巴恩斯

六国赛：威尔士 vs 英格兰 2027

2027年3月5日

在威尔士体育场见证威尔士对阵英格兰的比赛，这是一场吉尼斯男子六国赛的比赛，历史、竞争与决定性的压力在此交汇。

这款独家套餐包含官方比赛门票，以及由评论传奇斯图尔特·巴恩斯、《泰晤士报》的查理·摩根和一位名人嘉宾主持的两场活动，为您带来超越开球的体验。入住市中心四星级酒店，您将近距离接触体育场、餐厅和赛后讨论。哨响前的洞察，哨响后的氛围——每一个细节都将得到全程安排。

由斯图尔特·巴恩斯主持 自挂靴以来，斯图尔特一直是《泰晤士报》的专栏作家和比赛分析师，也是国内最具洞察力的橄榄球评论员之一。

致电 0808 291 4831 或访问 thetimes.com / th-sixnations2027

价格包含

• 入住未来酒店卡迪夫湾两晚四星级住宿，含早餐 • 赛前问答环节，由评论传奇斯图尔特·巴恩斯、《泰晤士报》资深橄榄球记者查理·摩根及一位名人嘉宾主持 • 周五队长训练日观赛权 • 官方Cat A门票（下层，达阵区） • 主办方欢迎酒会 • 巡回赛纪念品

可选升级： • 银级招待升级，含酒水及午餐

enry Pollock 再次成为新闻人物。让我们看看，Eddie Hearn 能做些什么来制造头条？社交媒体发挥得淋漓尽致。在地中海的一艘游艇上，一些无伤大雅的视频展示了北安普顿圣徒队和英格兰球员纵身跃入日益污染的温暖海水中——是的——这些头条旨在制造轰动。这与即将在南非揭幕的活动形成了鲜明对比。 周五晚上，“最伟大对抗”巡回赛拉开帷幕，全黑队将在桌山的映衬下对阵风暴者队。 无需在意风暴者队的核心南非跳羚队员正随国家队在阿根廷参加一场1次性国际比赛，这依然是重磅橄榄球新闻。这是对业余时代巡回赛的致敬。与昔日雄狮巡回赛和新西兰队前往英国和爱尔兰的巡回赛相比，8场比赛的数量仍显不足，但这才是真正的橄榄球。随着传统和当今世界第1和第2的球队在距离世界杯1年的时间里争夺霸主地位，新生力量将脱颖而出。这唤起的记忆，如同互联网时代前般永恒；然而，在所有纯粹的背后，跳动着的是不受束缚的职业精神。巡回赛名称的夸张自诩，显然是在呼唤过去为当下时代助力营销。橄榄球历史成为这场计划每2年举办一次的巡回赛的“步兵”。随着世界杯（无论何种运动）的全球化日益加深，以及雄狮队的存在，阿根廷——未被纳入雄狮队的日程——很难发展成为橄榄球强国之一。潘帕斯雄鹰正被推向狼群。对于南非人、新西兰人，以及任何心跳与橄榄球节奏合拍的人来说，这场即将到来的系列赛在周五晚上开球前已让人热血沸腾。我们都不再关心长远未来。南非对阵新西兰之所以令人兴奋，是因为他们是世界上最好的球队。过去（大多数时候）一直如此。在这个财政困境的世界里，许多南非跳羚队员在日本打球，以缓解支付世界顶级橄榄球运动员“应得”薪水的压力。谁会对彼得-斯特凡·杜托伊特、切斯林·科尔比（他将在下赛季回归风暴者队）、法夫·德克勒克和杰西·克里尔获得在祖国极具价值的薪水而有所微词？

他们的缺席削弱了南非的省级实力，但确保了球员在21岁以下的板球比赛中的长期表现——这一特点也为包括阿迪·萨维亚在内的新西兰球员所共有。这些都是拥有经过验证的Test-match血统的球员。日本市场可以向其国内橄榄球观众推销一些世界上最优秀的球员，每人仅需£1。这让我们回到了本专栏的起点：亨利·波洛克。当波洛克在海中翻腾并拥抱芬恩·拉塞尔（赫恩签下的另一位橄榄球巨星）时，这位21岁的球员正被他的经纪人吹捧为北安普顿的£1百万先生。这一推销主要基于经济考量（赫恩对营销人才的了解远胜于橄榄球联盟），从金钱角度来看也不无道理。波洛克是英格兰多年来涌现出的最具毁灭性的天才。他自己清楚，他的经纪人也清楚。但正如鲍勃·迪伦在《荒凉之地》中所唱的那样：“每个人都在喊，‘你站在哪一边？’” 更为保守、传统的橄榄球球迷群体已经厌倦了头条新闻和球场上的任性表现。然而，却有一个日益壮大的观众群体并不阅读报纸。相反，他们受互联网算法的驱动。名人不再有名字。过去，球员必须证明自己，在最高水平上树立声誉。如今的时代不同了。波洛克并非不具备票房号召力，也并非在俱乐部表现不佳。当史蒂夫·博斯维克将他从板凳席引入Test-match时，他也能有所发挥。然而，他对这项运动仍相对陌生。这里有几个问题。橄榄球的经济是否仅仅由销售几千件球衣的需求驱动？电视是否有权在签订转播协议时要求“演艺化”？市场驱动的在线世界与成为一支成功球队的一员相比如何？成功的关键是什么？优秀的球员固然重要，但团队精神或许更为关键。西亚·科利西可能不是南非最优秀的开放边锋，但他卓越的领导力将团队凝聚在一起，确保拉西·伊拉斯谟不会仅凭能力进行选拔。体育可能是一门生意，但体育的生意就是赢。这是确保满座的唯一途径。这也是尽管他们的强队未能在URC联赛中占据主导地位，但跳羚队球迷仍蜂拥观看一支远大于其省级部分总和的球队的原因。£150,000的薪水差距不应被忽视。

从游艇上后空翻并不是嘲笑的理由。但也不是将波洛克宣称为英格兰橄榄球的性格代表或救世主的理由。拉塞尔——也在船上——多年来一直在试探七位数的薪水。他在巴斯俱乐部的价值在输给埃克塞特酋长队的英超半决赛中展露无遗。他已经赚到了这笔钱，也值得布鲁斯·克雷格的投资。作为一项商品，波洛克的价值或许超过拉塞尔或克里尔，但他仍在成长过程中。

波洛克知道如何通过他在社交媒体上发布的视频制造轰动 成为核心球员。将他的圣徒俱乐部薪水从£150,000提高到£1百万，可能会危及一支平衡球队的健康。橄榄球关乎团队。在赛季中期提出休息去参加奥运会——英国七人制橄榄球队尚未获得资格——无异于开启嘲讽和怨恨的论坛。安托万·迪蓬在2024年这样做了，并取得了金牌效应，但当时他是世界上最优秀的球员，且奥运会由法国主办。波洛克无疑会大获成功，但他在七人制橄榄球领域的个人成就将被一个事实所抵消：这个年轻人本应致力于成为世界上最优秀的橄榄球运动员，而非最受关注和薪酬最高的球员。如果波洛克想追求明星地位和伟大，他需要听从俱乐部教练菲尔·道森的建议，甚至比赫恩的建议更多。如果名气及其带来的经济回报是这位后排前锋的主要动力，那么他似乎处于安全的掌控之中。

第55页

弗莱明，这位英格兰板球队的新任主教练，承认英格兰板球界必须采取更多措施培养本土教练。

为何我们难以培养出顶级教练？

外籍教练执教英格兰无可厚非，

但我们的现行体系亟需彻底变革 —— 史蒂夫·詹姆斯撰文

“自己培养不出教练，又缺乏意愿或耐心去纠正这一问题，这表明核心层面已经出了问题。”马丁·塞缪尔近期关于英格兰足球现状的这番话，在板球界引发了最强烈的共鸣。而这一共鸣，甚至发生在新西兰人斯蒂芬·弗莱明被任命为英格兰板球队主教练之前。此前，新西兰人布伦登·麦卡勒姆担任红球主教练，现仍为白球主教练，接替了澳大利亚人马修·莫特的这一职位。

斯托克斯：未来希望成为英格兰主教练

伊丽莎白·阿蒙

本·斯托克斯批评了未任命哈里·布鲁克为其接任者担任板球队长的决定，并透露自己未来希望成为英格兰主教练。斯托克斯在对阵新西兰的第三场测试赛期间宣布从国际板球赛事退役，并支持其副队长布鲁克接任。罗布·基（英格兰板球管理

是的， 麦卡勒姆 接替了 一位 英国人克里斯·西尔弗伍德担任测试赛主教练，但本世纪以来，西尔弗伍德和彼得·穆尔斯（曾两度担任该职）是仅有的两位执掌英格兰测试赛球队的英国人，而津巴布韦人邓肯·弗莱彻、安迪·弗劳尔以及澳大利亚人特雷弗·贝利斯和麦卡勒姆则取得了更大的成功。这并非新鲜事，外国人成为最佳人选也无可厚非，但我们何时才能承认，用塞缪尔的话说，我们的教练体系“腐朽不堪”，亟需彻底改变？

公平地说，英格兰男子板球管理总监罗布·基深知这一点，并已采取措施加以纠正，例如加速推进安德鲁·弗林托夫、格雷姆·斯旺、穆因·阿里等知名前球员，甚至包括仍在参赛的本·斯托克斯等人通过教练培训流程。然而，一如既往，英格兰板球界的每一步改革都遭遇了巨大阻力。事实上，倾听和交流基的观点，仿佛回到了弗莱彻时代，这位津巴布韦人以敏锐的眼光洞察英格兰板球的所有问题，并提出了一系列解决方案，但即便是对现状最微小的建设性批评，也会招致震惊

副队长，而队长不上场时，他却未能担任队长。现在又是同样的情况。”Stephen Fleming在布伦丹·麦卡勒姆因新西兰2比1系列赛失利被解雇后被任命为测试赛主教练。斯托克斯认为他是一个不错的任命，但对35岁的乔·鲁特第二次担任队长表示担忧。

“我之前和Flem共事过，但我告诉乔——我唯一担心的就是你。现在我真正关心的也只有这一点，因为我见证了他之前的经历，以及他为他人付出了多少。他总是将团队放在首位，自己总是排在第二位。这也是我唯一担心的地方，了解他上次担任队长时的经历。”斯托克斯透露，他将在“时机成熟”时对自己的国际退役发表更多看法。

“我现在不想详细谈论这些，现在也不是时候——我不想表现得心怀怨恨。这对涉及的不少人来说都是一个棘手的局面。”

以下为忠实中文翻译：

以及敌意。基（Key）这位对板球有深刻见解的思想者也曾面临同样的问题。郡县板球是一个美好的机构——我一生都归功于它——但封闭性和通过最狭隘的视角拍摄的照片，往往成为球员、教练、管理者和支持者的致命弱点。板球比赛本身常常精彩且富有娱乐性，其质量有时会得到外国人的认可，但我们应始终警惕那些“特洛伊木马”，因为他们只是为了完成板球教育的最后阶段而来，大多数人都知道，若在英格兰（或威尔士）的完整培养体系中走完全程，很少能取得相同的成果。本质上，这是一个有缺陷的体系。澳大利亚、印度乃至小国新西兰，在培养球员和教练方面都拥有更优秀的体系。而英国教练体系中的缺陷，比球员层面的问题更容易解决，后者面临的难题是“郡县过多”的谜题永远无法破解。在这个国家，识别和培养优秀教练最困难的一点在于，媒体工作的门槛过低且收入丰厚。像我们自己的迈克·阿瑟顿（Mike Atherton）和他从校园时代就相识的搭档纳赛尔·侯赛因（Nasser Hussain）这样的顶尖人才，往往是在向我们这些观众讲解技术或战术，而非在更衣室里指导球员。但问题远不止于此。长期以来，教练工作关注的是数字和金钱，以及“如何教练”，而非“你应该教什么”。技术层面的内容早已在教练课程中被抛弃。我们这些有幸参加过已故汤姆·卡特赖特（Tom Cartwright）——前沃里克郡、萨默塞特、格拉摩根和英格兰投球手——在威尔士主持的课程的人，都知道当时必须完全理解并展示这项运动的所有基础知识。

如今已不复存在。英格兰和威尔士板球委员会（ECB）的最高认证——四级教练（现称“专业教练课程”）——学费高达£9,500，已沦为纯粹的赚钱工具，任何水平的教练都能报名参加。理应有一门超越所有其他课程的高级课程，专为职业板球教练设立。关于“要在顶级水平执教，是否必须有顶级比赛经验”的讨论一直不断，但板球是一项技术、战术和心理素质都极为复杂的运动，高水平经验几乎是必不可少的。当然总会有例外，他们值得称赞，但必须是真正的佼佼者。板球运动员作为一个群体，对那些在不熟悉的环境中犯错的人往往毫不留情。话虽如此，太多前职业球员只是因为

这位35岁的全能选手似乎排除了明年夏天为阿什斯系列赛惊喜回归的可能性，当播客主持人、斯托克斯昔日英格兰队友乔斯·巴特勒（Jos Buttler）问及他是否已退役时，他回答“绝对”。不过，斯托克斯已将目光投向未来执教英格兰队。“我未来有一天会想执教英格兰队吗？绝对想，我非常希望能做到这一点，”斯托克斯说，他今年已通过协助英格兰雄狮队（England Lions）训练营迈出了教练生涯的第一步。“我是否认为这会成真？不知道。我只是很喜欢以某种领导角色的形式，脱离球员身份。”斯托克斯已取得三级教练证书，并在达勒姆（Durham）执教青年球员时，于2月被球击中面部，伤势严重需手术治疗。“我直到第二天才真正想起发生了什么——只记得看到球朝我脸飞来，脑子里想‘哦，f***’，然后感觉一切都变成了慢动作。我——”

因为他们别无选择。最优秀的教练会被早早发掘，并经历从最年轻到最资深球员的全方位执教经历。他们很快意识到，所需的时间投入甚至比打球时更多。这需要极大的奉献精神。薪酬可能是一大障碍。除了国际和特许经营角色外，收入往往微不足道。今年冬天，我的小组教练课时费从每小时£15涨到了£17.50。幸好我在这教区有一份正职工作，教练只是出于兴趣，也是真心希望帮助未来的几代人。但不难理解为什么许多教练会退出培养体系，转而从事一对一教练，2人在社交媒体上相互竞争客户，却毫无自知之明。如今的年轻球员从各方接收建议，难怪他们会感到困惑。一切都缺乏连贯性。各郡往往聘用自己昔日的球员担任助理教练，因为他们根本无法吸引其他郡的教练为如此微薄的薪水而搬迁。一个关键（无论是否大写“Key”）任命是特洛伊·库利担任国家精英快速投球主管，希望他能影响教练和球员。他当然是澳大利亚人，但英国快速投球教练的深度梯队应在他之下逐步建立。各郡也应如此。那些被认为有潜力的球员应尽早被引导进入教练行业。16个月的合同在冬季使这变得简单：一个人能进行的训练和练习总是有限的。值得庆幸的是，弗莱明对此表示赞同。正如基伊在宣布任命时所说：“他最先提到的一点，就是我们有责任培养教练，提升他们的技能，给予他们经验。斯蒂芬对此进行了详细阐述。这不是一蹴而就的事。我们尝试过，也正在尝试用不同的杠杆来解决这个问题。下次，你不希望听到有人说：‘我必须任命一位英格兰教练。’你希望的是英格兰教练能成为首选。”他说得太对了。格拉摩根的理查德·道森这次无疑在考虑范围内，但你会觉得他目前更适合当二把手，而非主教练。

Not to upset my old county, but道森现在担任弗莱明的助手再合适不过，可以在一些系列赛中接手，直到他完全准备好接任。这叫接班规划。

“装了4个钢板和16颗螺丝—— 从我眼睛侧边打进去的。 回到训练网后，我的网感好得离谱。” 斯托克斯补充说，他对英格兰在阿什斯期间前往努萨的行程毫不后悔，当时本·达克特被拍到似乎喝醉了，在回队酒店的路上举步维艰。这进一步引发了对球队饮酒文化的批评。 “我认为板球就是有饮酒文化，这一点一直没变，”斯托克斯说。“这些年来，这项运动变得更加职业化，但我认为板球中唯一保留下来的，就是与酒精的关系。 “所以，对于那些认为英格兰板球队有饮酒文化的人，我会说不，我只会说板球本身就有一种与酒精相关的文化。” 自从国际退役后，斯托克斯在杜伦的一日杯赛中亮相，预计将在本赛季剩余时间里参加郡冠军赛，之后将在冬季寻求特许经营合同。

第56页

因凡蒂诺的关键盟友

可能已背弃他

接上页

“屈服于此。”国际足联（Fifa）已被联系置评。目前仅有少数国家公开表态支持因凡蒂诺。值得注意的是，曾是其关键盟友的沙特阿拉伯尚未宣布支持。消息人士称，国际足联内部一群高级职员昨日召开管理层会议，因凡蒂诺未出席，除一人外，其余所有人均反对世界杯出售计划。

这一事态发展，加上前阿森纳主帅温格的声明及格拉夫斯特伦的电子邮件，将进一步向因凡蒂诺施压，要求其辞职，因其关键盟友似乎已背弃他。温格表示：“国际足联近期发生的事件需要我作出澄清。我未参与此战略计划，首次获悉该项目是通过媒体报道。

“撤回该项目的决定绝对必要且毋庸置疑，因为我坚信国际足联应独立运作，以承诺、透明和诚信服务于我们的足球事业。”

据悉，格拉夫斯特伦并不赞同因凡蒂诺的计划，即成立一家名为“国际足联前瞻企业”（FFE）的公司，由唐纳德·特朗普的女婿贾里德的兄弟约书亚·库什纳领导的私人投资者持有其部分股份。格拉夫斯特伦在发给国际足联员工的电子邮件中写道：“我们都被卷入了一场难以理解和接受的混乱之中，但作为秘书长，我敦促你们保持专注于始终将我们团结在一起的使命：服务足球，服务我们的211个会员协会。

“一系列令人遗憾且应受谴责的事件——幸而最终以FFE项目永久

索博斯莱：每个人都有动力为沉默寡言的伊劳拉赢球

伊恩·惠特尔 芝加哥

安多尼·伊劳拉在赛后更衣室里可能话不多，至少在比赛刚结束时是这样，但他的“巡回队长”多米尼克·索博斯莱认为，这位新任利物浦主帅为球队在上赛季的挣扎后带来了重新开始的希望。

索博斯莱在利物浦的美国三场巡回赛中担任队长，球队取得了两胜一负的成绩，这同时也是一次“相互了解”的机会，让球员们熟悉伊劳拉的执教方式。

在经历了一个动荡不安的赛季后，利物浦的卫冕失败导致阿尔内·斯洛特下课，索博斯莱对能在荷兰人的继任者手下迎来一个迫切需要的新开始表示欢迎。

“这位教练在赛后不说话，”这位匈牙利国脚表示，“我认为每位教练都有自己的风格。他就是这样。他总是更愿意在赛后第二天再发言，这对大家来说都没问题。我们必须习惯这一点。

“显然，新教练上任，每个人都有动力。我看得出每个人眼中都渴望上场。如果你想上场，就必须全力以赴。然后教练会决定谁上场。但现在大家都站在同一起跑线上。

“老实说，我迫不及待了。我觉得我们已经准备好重新出发，从上赛季中汲取动力。因为那并不是我们能做到的最好表现。我们没有达到预期的目标。所以现在我们要再次全力以赴。”

与大多数英超球队一样，利物浦的季前备战计划受到了球员在2016年世界杯后晚归以及夏季转会市场进展缓慢的影响——

切尔西接近签下查瓦里亚 取代库库雷利亚

切尔西即将完成对来自巴列卡诺的左边翼卫佩普·查瓦里亚（彼得·鲁茨勒报道）的引进。这位28岁的球员将取代马克·库库雷利亚，预计将在未来48小时内前往伦敦完成转会。巴列卡诺对该球员的估值在谈判期间有所上涨，但双方已接近达成妥协。

查瓦里亚早年在西班牙低级别联赛效力，2022年从皇家萨拉戈萨转会至巴列卡诺，上赛季为该俱乐部出场44次，帮助球队打入欧洲协会联赛决赛。

切尔西今夏以5180万英镑的价格将库库雷利亚出售给皇家马德里。与此同时，伊普斯维奇城以最高1900万英镑的价格从伯恩利签下了弗洛伦蒂诺，双方签订了为期五年的合同（加里·雅各布报道）。这位26岁的中场球员上赛季在英超出场31次。弗洛伦蒂诺于2025年从本菲卡租借加盟伯恩利，今年6月转为永久转会。他曾随本菲卡赢得两次联赛冠军，并曾租借效力于摩纳哥和赫塔菲。

水晶宫正在就签下19岁的扎维尔·戈佐展开深入谈判，转会费约为1110万英镑，这位美国球员上赛季在皇家盐湖城出场16次，贡献6球5助攻，司职边翼卫。

米德尔斯堡即将与曼联达成协议，签下22岁的门将拉德克·维泰克。

索博斯洛伊曾在伊劳拉手下担任队长，利物浦在美国的巡回赛中，索博斯洛伊作为队长，近日被问及有关引援的问题。

“你知道我对此的回答，”他说，“告诉你们我们该签谁或者是否该签人，这不是我的工作。如果上级和主教练决定签人，我们会非常高兴并热烈欢迎他或他们。如果他们决定不签，那么我们必须用现有阵容做出一些特别的表现。”

同样，索博斯洛伊在被问及更倾向于在伊劳拉手下踢哪个位置时也未明确表态。自从以6000万英镑从RB莱比锡转会以来，伊劳拉是他在三年多时间里的第三位主教练。中场、10号位、右边锋甚至右后卫都曾出现在他的职责描述中，但至少在公开场合，他并未表达个人偏好。

“我没有和[伊劳拉]讨论过这个问题，但我想迟早他会告诉我他想让我踢哪个位置。或者如果他不告诉我，他会直接安排我上场，”索博斯洛伊说，“所以无论他让我踢哪个位置，我都会为球队、为他全力以赴，尽我所能发挥最佳水平。”

索博斯洛伊是利物浦上赛季为数不多的亮点之一，以至于他在新赛季开始前与俱乐部续约至2031年夏天，这一举动显然表明俱乐部管理层将其视为球队未来的基石。为此，随着范戴克在利物浦开始推迟的季前训练，索博斯洛伊被任命为巡回赛队长，并将

成为范戴克副队长的热门候选人1在即将到来的赛季中。 不过，这一角色在巡回赛中并非风平浪静，0视频画面似乎显示索博斯洛伊与柯蒂斯·琼斯在匈牙利人将队长袖标交给科斯塔斯·齐米卡斯而非琼斯时发生分歧——当时索博斯洛伊在1-0战胜雷克瑟姆的比赛中被换下。当时看起来不过是意见交流，索博斯洛伊也迅速淡化了争吵的传言。 “这从来不是我们三人之间的争论。我们只是在场上讨论了一些事情，后来被夸大了，”他笑着说。“但下次我们会在更衣室里解决。不过，没有人对任何人生气。一切都过去了。我们都很冷静，大家都没事。 “（关于副队长的事）还没有任何对话。显然我们有维吉尔作为队长。我们有阿里[阿利松]。我们有乔·戈麦斯。所以完全没有讨论过。 “显然阿里不在这里[在美国]，乔受伤了，所以能戴上袖标是一个非常自豪的时刻。让我们拭目以待吧。这不是我能决定的，也不是固定的。 “如果利物浦俱乐部给你副队长的职位，你会接受的。这对我来说将是一个自豪的时刻。但我尊重每一个人。所以无论是谁担任，我们都会追随他们。”

第57页

靠边站，

蜘蛛侠： 雷克瑟姆进军 纽约

威尔士球队的好莱坞之旅带他们来到世界娱乐之都，

顶级联赛梦想并非遥不可及，伊恩·惠特尔报道

六十多年前，一支来自利物浦的摇滚乐队征服了纽约，永远改变了全球娱乐的面貌。本周，在时代广场感到困惑的游客们见证了另一种完全不同的“入侵”——一群来自离默西塞德不远的球队。实际上，利物浦本周也在纽约，但最引人注目的却是他们在地理上（而非足球成绩上）的近邻雷克瑟姆。这支英冠球队在这座世界娱乐之都的中心时刻大放异彩。尽管与最新的《蜘蛛侠》电影和百老汇演出的巨型视频广告牌并列显得有些格格不入，但一家英冠俱乐部在这一舞台上通过巨型电子广告牌发布新球衣，用首席执行官迈克尔·威廉姆森的话来说，是一个“掐自己一下”的时刻。自从瑞安·雷诺兹和罗布·麦克尔亨尼五年多前收购雷克瑟姆以来，这支球队与好莱坞一直是一对舒适的——尽管不太可能的——伙伴。他们连续三个赛季的升级之路在上赛季戛然而止，最终在最后一天错失了升级附加赛资格。然而，这段旅程的每一步都被纪录片系列记录下来，使俱乐部获得了前所未有的曝光度，并声称拥有30 million全球球迷，41%来自欧洲以外，10 million在北美地区。市场调研是一回事，时代广场上挤满身穿雷克瑟姆球衣的支持者——显然大多数来自北美——以及威廉姆森被邀请在1964,上周二敲响纳斯达克交易所的开市钟，则是另一回事。“听着，这绝对是一个‘掐自己一下’的时刻，”威廉姆森说。这位54岁的美国人曾是国际米兰高管，加入雷克瑟姆时——

当然，无论好莱坞的魅力有多大，或是“Q”指数（美国用于衡量品牌知名度的营销指标）有多高，都无法帮助帕金森赢得第四次——也是最艰难的一次——升级，进入英超联赛。但如果说雷克瑟姆（其新的科普看台还需12个月才能完全投入使用）已经进入瓶颈期，他们的老板们可不想听到这种说法。“我参加了一个电话会议，瑞安说，‘等我们进入欧冠时……’我回道，‘我们女队已经进过了，’”威廉姆森笑着说，“你不断设定新的目标和期望。事实是，我们能达到很高的水平。我们有如此大的势头，如此多的支持。”

“我们正在以不同的方式前进，这将使我们能够相当快地达到很高的水平。但我从一开始就一直强调，在这段旅程中，我们不能抛下这座城市。因为如果我们作为一家足球俱乐部取得了成功，而城市却没有与我们一同成长，那么我们实际上并没有成功。”

“对于我们来说，要成为英超联赛中的一支成功球队，甚至是英超顶级球队，我们还需要确保这座城市也能成功。”

在纽约的一两天里，将“雷克瑟姆”和“英超联赛”，甚至“欧冠联赛”放在同一个句子中，似乎不再像从前那样荒谬。这或许不是1964,年的披头士狂热，但这一英国输出品至少在短暂的时间里，理所当然地在这座世界最伟大的市场之一占据了头条位置。

曼联称2000 万英镑训练服赞助协议为史上最大

夏洛特·邓克

曼联已与博彩公司Betway达成一项价值20万英镑的训练装备赞助协议，并称这是世界足坛有史以来最大的同类交易。这项多年期赞助据称是迄今为止最大的独立训练装备或球衣袖标赞助，俱乐部消息人士表示，这将帮助他们投资一线队，以在重返欧冠联赛前加强阵容。

两年前，曼联还在为英甲联赛（League One）的生活做准备时，甚至没有训练装备赞助商。

“显然，这对我个人来说是一次难以置信的经历。但更重要的，令人惊叹的是想到雷克瑟姆的故事——它从何而来，如今又走到了哪里，能在纽约市的洋基体育场与利物浦对决。

“能在纳斯达克敲响开市钟，并在时代广场揭晓我们的全套装备，这真是一个非凡的时刻。当你回顾俱乐部几十年来的坚韧历程，看到它如今的成就，每个人都应为此感到自豪。这是成功的时刻。这正是成功的时刻。”

即便考虑到俱乐部老板的知名度，一家三年前刚从非职业联赛脱颖而出的英国足球俱乐部，如今却在纽约市中心随处可见，这一景象依然令人瞩目。

2021年接手时，主教练菲尔·帕金森甚至因自己感染新冠无法组织正常的季前备战。他率队在坦帕先后对阵曼联和利兹联，又在利物浦结束了为期两周的美国之旅，最终于周日在麦克尔亨尼的家乡费城以1-0不敌桑德兰。

“纪录片让我们有机会放大信息，并与全球球迷产生共鸣，”威廉姆森说道。“它俘获了全世界数百万球迷的心。这也是我们来到纽约的原因——我们在坦帕获得了巨大支持，在澳大利亚、新西兰及世界各地亦是如此。我们拥有一群关心并热爱俱乐部的忠实球迷，但更重要的是，他们热爱这片社区。这正是他们所认同、所爱上的。

“这让我们能够说：‘我们的品牌并非传统的英冠俱乐部品牌。’这无疑为我们提供了战略投资和增长的机会。而这正是我们正在做的——进行战略性增长投资。因此，当你审视这一切时，它并不全是关于球员。当然，菲尔和他的团队在这方面取得了成功，但……”

上赛季，由于与科技公司Tezos的赞助协议在2024-25赛季末到期，曼联整个赛季都没有训练装备赞助商。消息人士称，俱乐部一直在耐心等待合适的合作伙伴，而上一份协议到期之际，正值俱乐部50多年来最糟糕的联赛成绩。

与博彩公司签订球衣正面赞助协议已不再被允许，英超俱乐部已集体同意在2025-26赛季结束前撤销此类赞助，但这一规定不适用于球衣袖标或训练装备赞助商。

Betway的标志将出现在男、女队的训练装备正面，并将在老特拉福德球场显著展示。据悉，这是这家总部位于英国的博彩公司迄今最大的商业投资，该公司曾在过去十年间担任西汉姆联的球衣正面赞助商。

迈克尔·卡里克正为在老特拉福德的首个完整赛季做准备，并需要为重返欧洲赛场引入更多新面孔。

“还让我们能够在场外进行投资。” 这一点在多个方面得到了印证，包括在雷克瑟姆市中心新建的大型俱乐部商店、体育场翻新，以及对训练基地和女子项目的大量投资，所有这些都将继续出现在纪录片中。 纪录片还解释了雷克瑟姆最新的财务数据——在2024-25赛季结束时（当时球队身处英甲联赛），营业额达£33.3 million，其中超过一半来自英国境外，主要是北美地区。 2025-26赛季的收入预计将达到£43.9 million。 新款雷克瑟姆球衣在时代广场的“贝利足球”（Pelé Soccer）商店亮相，Firefox取代了联合航空成为球衣赞助商。这与收购前的球衣赞助商——当地公司Ifor Williams Trailers——形成了鲜明对比。雷诺兹曾为该公司制作了一系列搞笑广告，作为提前结束五年合约的“安慰”。考虑到雷诺兹作为广告代言人的时薪，这笔“金色告别”想必价值数百万英镑。

威廉森（中）与麦克尔亨尼和雷诺兹

安德烈·桑托斯和尤里·蒂勒曼斯分别从切尔西和阿斯顿维拉加盟，转会费合计£83 million。但随着卡塞米罗离队，以及曼努埃尔·乌加特膝伤（俱乐部原本有意出售他），他们仍在考虑引进另一名中场球员。 左路也是他们希望补强的区域，可能引进一名左后卫或左边锋，同时还在物色另一名前锋，以支援本杰明·塞斯科。

球队在世界杯休赛期后，布鲁诺·费尔南德斯、马特乌斯·库尼亚、迪奥戈·达洛特和努赛尔·马兹拉维等球员本周归队，正在备战第四场季前热身赛。今夏他们放弃了远程拉练，转而安排了一系列欧洲内部的友谊赛。首场比赛不敌雷克瑟姆后，他们接连击败罗森博格和马德里竞技。本周六将在瑞典对阵巴黎圣日耳曼，随后还将迎战利兹联和AC米兰。

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58

2026年8月5日星期三 / 《泰晤士报》 体育 足球

斯塔夫利对决

克雷廷斯基：谁将赢得 西汉姆联董事会的 控制权之战？

前纽卡斯尔联投资者与“捷克斯芬克斯”争夺控制权，加里·雅各布分析这场权力斗争对这支英冠球队升级前景的影响

对于西汉姆联来说，接下来的一个月将是他们近期历史上最关键的时期之一。在球场上，他们正为自2011年以来首次跌出顶级联赛做准备。而在场外，一场复杂的董事会争夺战正在上演，以争夺俱乐部的控制权。大卫·沙利文于6月辞去联合主席一职，此前《泰晤士报》和BBC《全景》节目对其性行为不端指控展开调查（他对此予以否认），这在高层留下了权力真空。自2021,起持有少数股权的皇家邮政所有者、被称为“捷克斯芬克斯”的丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基一度处于夺取控制权的有利位置。

然而，阿曼达·斯塔夫利的加入改变了局面。这位前纽卡斯尔联投资者上周末同意收购一

丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基

性行为不端，

这位捷克亿万富翁已将其持股比例降至

24.8%，这将使他有机会

以£150的价格收购瓦妮莎·戈尔德持有的

25.1%股权

（来自已故大卫·戈尔德家族），

该价格将俱乐部估值约为£600——而她可能会抬价击败克雷廷斯基。

西汉姆联这场“权力的游戏”中的主要角色本周六将出现在伦敦体育场观看联赛杯首轮对阵朴茨茅斯的比赛，这将是一场引人入胜的较量。球迷们对西汉姆联能够迅速从降级阴影中反弹持乐观态度。他们已售出超过50,000张联赛杯比赛门票，并为英冠联赛开局客场对阵伯恩利的比赛售出了近似数量的季票。

自沙利文辞职以来，克雷廷斯基一直在管理俱乐部，目标是立即重返英超。西汉姆联队长贾罗德·鲍恩在听取了克雷廷斯基在布拉格对俱乐部的愿景后，选择留队。俱乐部已通过出售克里森西奥·萨默维尔、马特乌斯·费尔南德斯和弗雷迪·波茨等球员进账£160。此外，阿隆·万-比萨卡、让-克莱尔·托迪博、尼克拉斯·菲尔克鲁格和埃德松·阿尔瓦雷斯等球员的转会费用也可能带来更多收入。

迄今为止，西汉姆联尚未完成任何签约，但俱乐部强调其转会计划不受潜在所有权变更的影响。尼尔斯·科彭被聘为球员招募总监，以推动更加数据驱动的引援方式，凯尔特人中场阿尔内·恩格尔斯和桑德兰边锋西蒙·阿丁格拉均在他们的引援名单上。

西汉姆联的赌注在于，保留上赛季的大部分阵容并取得良好开局，他们应能在早期占据有利位置。大多数球迷更关心球场上的表现，但那些希望摆脱沙利文管理的球迷可能会如愿以偿——前提是这位77岁的老将可能成为决定最终结果的关键人物，取决于各方如何出牌。

克雷廷斯基身家约为80 亿英镑，是一位谨慎的运营者。他在捷克共和国本土拥有布拉格斯巴达俱乐部的多数股权并担任主席，但在2021,以约£168收购西汉姆联27%股权后，基本保持低调，让沙利文继续管理俱乐部。斯塔夫利自2024.离开纽卡斯尔联后一直寻求重返足球界。她曾是

2021年沙特支持的纽卡斯尔收购中的纽卡斯尔面孔，并与丈夫梅赫达德·戈多西（Mehrdad Ghodoussi）一起成为俱乐部董事及少数股权共同所有者。自离开圣詹姆斯公园后，她一直与收购托特纳姆热刺的计划有关联。

本周，斯塔夫利告诉彭博社：“无论我们接手哪家俱乐部，都会有大型房地产项目。我们不会仅仅做足球主导的项目。”这似乎是在暗示开发位于伦敦东部斯特拉特福的奥林匹克公园内或附近的土地。

作为土地交易的一部分，她的财团可能需要以长期租约购买伦敦体育场。体育场所有者实际上是伦敦市长，将保留自由保有权。多年来，市长一直表示愿意讨论严肃的报价，因为该场地每年亏损约£20百万英镑，由伦敦纳税人承担。目前，西汉姆联拥有从2016年开始的99年租赁协议，每年租金为£4.4百万英镑。

斯塔夫利最近在一场流行音乐会上受到伦敦体育场官员的接待。外界猜测她可能会进一步行动，在现址附近建造一座新球场，以安抚对2012年奥运会遗产不满的支持者。

苏利文拥有38.8%的股份，在被指控后辞去了联合主席职务，他否认了这些指控。他于2010年与戴维·戈尔德共同收购了该俱乐部。

体育场。这一想法忽视了对奥运遗产的执着——更不用说巨额成本了。体育场附近可用的土地已被指定用于开发，因此可能是机不可失的时刻。

斯塔夫利的财团包括她的丈夫、他们的公司PCP资本合伙人，以及一家相对较新的美国私募投资公司阿什兰德森林资本合伙人。目前尚不清楚他们将如何为任何收购和开发提供资金。

在最近的指控之前，苏利文和克雷廷斯基已达成协议，各自持有约41%的相同股份。克雷廷斯基同意购买戈尔德家族持有的股份以增加其股权。苏利文同样希望将其持股从38.8%提高。戈尔德家族的后代同意了两种价格，取决于西汉姆联是否保级。他们自2023年戴维·戈尔德去世后一直未能成功出售股份，包括向美国人和科技集团出售。

当苏利文辞职后，拟议的交易告吹。克雷廷斯基介入并同意从戈尔德家族购买16%的股份，这将使其持股增至43%。他成为与戴维之女瓦妮莎·戈尔德并列的联合主席，后者将仅持有9.1%的股份。

斯塔夫利也曾被接触购买戈尔德家族的股份，可能是为了获得控制权。她同意以£150百万英镑的价格收购全部股份，这一报价对戈尔德家族更具吸引力，因为他们可以一次性出售全部持股——且价格高于之前与克雷廷斯基达成的协议。如果斯塔夫利随后收购苏利文的股份，她可能获得俱乐部的多数控制权。

一位亿万富翁的计划可能需要另一位亿万富翁的帮助才能实现

接前页

阿曼达·斯塔夫利

前纽卡斯尔联投资者已同意以£150百万英镑收购瓦妮莎·戈尔德25.1%的股份。如果她随后收购苏利文的股份，可能获得俱乐部的多数控制权。

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日

59 体育

场地

包括诚信和诚实等原则。 苏利文于6月辞去西汉姆联联合主席职务，此前《泰晤士报》和BBC《广角镜》的一项调查揭露了相关指控。这位77岁的英国商人被指控在2010年代表现出剥削和掠夺性行为。

维利随后收购了沙利文的股份，她可以获得俱乐部的多数控制权。克雷廷斯基则通过出售超过2%的股份给雅库布·哈夫尔兰特（一位捷克企业家兼投资者）进行回应。这意味着如果他收购戈尔德的全部股份，其持股比例也不会超过50%。根据2021年之前的股东协议，一旦超过50%，可能触发一项条款，迫使克雷廷斯基以高价收购沙利文的股份。收购戈尔德股份的过程可能持续两个月。沙利文已失去对俱乐部的控制权，但仍能在幕后施加影响。他愿意以高价出售股份。很难想象沙利文、克雷廷斯基和斯塔夫利三人能在均持有大量股份的情况下合作。那么问题来了，三人中哪两人能联手为俱乐部的利益着想？或许克雷廷斯基会让斯塔夫利负责经营西汉姆联，作为其投资之一？或者克雷廷斯基和斯塔夫利都想要绝对控制权？

《权力的游戏》大结局让部分观众失望。西汉姆联球迷只求稳定和重返顶级联赛。

通过成人行业积累财富，相关指控（claims）可追溯至20世纪80年代。沙利文否认这些指控，并称其“事实不符且完全虚假”。为使克雷廷斯基的计划成功，他可能需要俱乐部第三大股东——美国亿万富翁阿尔伯特·“特里普”·史密斯的帮助，后者持有8%的股份。收购分为两轮。第一轮中，股东有30天时间按其现有持股比例购买相应权益。第二轮中，任何剩余的戈尔德股份可由参与第一轮的股东购买。克雷廷斯基希望收购全部25.1%的可售股份。若无克雷廷斯基的行动，斯塔夫利的介入将使沙利文成为俱乐部未来所有权的关键决策者。斯塔夫利的入局意味着她可以与沙利文联手，或尝试收购其38.8%的股份，以获得西汉姆联的多数控制权。

博文对努诺的球队至关重要——但别忽视“间谍门”后的圣徒

乔·哈斯顿

留住主教练努诺·埃斯皮里托·桑托和队长贾罗德·博文，应能让西汉姆联球迷对球队首次冲击英超重返顶级联赛的前景充满信心。他们仍有机会将出售马特乌斯·费尔南德斯和克里森西奥·萨默维尔所获的巨额资金用于再投资。但从英冠联赛晋级绝非易事，以下是最有可能自动升级的球队。

狼队

尽管赛季前解雇罗布·爱德华兹的时机令人费解，以及托卢·阿罗科达雷的静坐抗议一度成为头条，但不可否认的是，狼队拥有一批该级别中的顶尖球员。首先，他们拥有英冠联赛中最强的锋线组合之一：亚当·阿姆斯特朗和劳尔·希门尼斯。阿姆斯特朗曾在此级别证明过自己的实力，在2024年为南安普顿攻入升级附加赛决赛制胜球。希门尼斯在富勒姆度过一个英超赛季并参加世界杯后重返莫利纽球场，展现出他仍是禁区内的危险人物。中场则有18岁的马特乌斯·马内，他在上赛季的崛起是球队惨淡赛季中的一抹亮色。他身体强壮、控球自如、射术精湛，可能成为主教练塞萨尔·佩肖托的关键球员。与此同时，基兰·特里皮尔和拉迪斯拉夫·克雷伊奇的组合在两端都将发挥重要作用。

米德尔斯堡

尽管在温布利的平淡表现为米德尔斯堡卷入的“间谍门”事件画上句号，但金·赫尔伯格在蒂赛德的执教期间已充分证明，他们有能力争夺冠军。 上赛季的主要问题在于把握机会能力不足，但他们已通过从托特纳姆热刺引进威尔·兰克沙尔解决了这一问题，这笔交易最终可能达到£20万英镑。这位21岁的球员上赛季在牛津联攻入了11粒进球，是一名天生的终结者，且具备空中优势。他应能充分利用这支球队的创造力。 最大的隐忧是中场核心兼队长海登·哈克尼的离队，他于今夏转投埃弗顿。自他3月受伤后，米德尔斯堡在接下来的11场比赛中仅赢下2场。 他们希望美国国脚塞巴斯蒂安·贝哈尔特能成为合适的替代者。他以出色的定位球闻名，这颇为有利，因为上赛季在英冠联赛中，没有球队比米德尔斯堡赢得更多角球。

预计这位青少年球员马内将成为狼队的重要球员

赛季。他的中场搭档将是他的密友艾丹·莫里斯，两人曾在哥伦布机员学院一同成长。

南安普顿

“间谍门”可能尚未完全成为过去，但其对南安普顿球队的影响并未如许多人预期的那样灾难性。球员并未大规模离队——事实上，南安普顿已签下上赛季两名关键租借球员丹尼尔·佩雷茨和赛尔·拉林的永久转会合同。他们还从阿斯顿维拉签下了备受追捧的射手刘易斯·多宾，此前他在普雷斯顿北区度过了一个出色的赛季。 但仍悬而未决的问题是——

GODFREY PITT / ACTION PLUS / SHUTTERSTOCK

似乎是一支饱受内部政治困扰的球队。考虑到埃克特在威尔·斯蒂尔执教失意后带来的转变，如果像莱奥·西恩扎和谢伊·查尔斯这样的球员能找回熟悉的状态，45,分的扣分可能在两场比赛后就被遗忘。

伯恩利

这支兰开夏郡球队在英冠和英超之间频繁升降，但值得称赞的是，他们通常在开始冲击升级前都能保持良好状态。不过，在比利时教练尼基·海恩的带领下，他们如今更难以捉摸。 45,是一位充满活力的主教练，曾执教布鲁日和亨克，但他将不得不面对球队阵容有所削弱的现实，尤其是马克西姆·埃斯特夫和贾伊登·安东尼的贡献难以替代。埃斯特夫这名中后卫已转投RB莱比锡，在斯科特·帕克带领球队升级时，他曾是创造纪录的防线核心，帮助球队在2024赛季仅丢16球。 安东尼上赛季参与了伯恩利超过四分之一的联赛进球，这一表现为他赢得了布伦特福德的转会。 如果他们想再次在顶级联赛竞争，留住上赛季的最佳球员齐安·弗莱明和顽强的抢球型中场哈尼拔·梅布里将至关重要。

其他竞争者

米尔沃尔希望证明上赛季的第三名并非昙花一现，而雷克瑟姆和伯明翰城则期待充分利用获得的慷慨美国投资。其他黑马包括诺维奇城，他们在上赛季初一度跌入降级区，但最终在菲利普·克莱门特的带领下实现了令人印象深刻的复苏。

第60页

1GS1M 5 2026年8月5日星期三 / 《泰晰会

6 受到抨击的主席召集国际足联员工前往摩洛哥 6 温格与世界杯计划保持距离

马丁·齐格勒 首席体育记者

詹尼·因凡蒂诺已召集国际足联高层员工前往摩洛哥首都拉巴特举行危机会议，他本人目前正滞留于此，而阿尔塞纳·温格则对这位饱受争议的国际足联主席施加了更大压力。 消息人士称，因凡蒂诺已召集员工前往拉巴特，试图做最后的挣扎以维持权力。他的忠实助手一直在敦促211个会员协会公开支持他。 温格发表声明称，撤回因凡蒂诺的世界杯出售计划“绝对必要”，并表示自己对该计划一无所知，这被视为国际足联主席的又一重大挫折。 此前，国际足联秘书长马蒂亚斯·格拉夫斯特罗姆在发给员工的电子邮件中提到，围绕该计划存在“一系列令人遗憾且应受谴责的事件”。 与此同时，约旦足协主席阿里·本·侯赛因王子声称，要求会员协会支持因凡蒂诺明年连任的压力“相当于敲诈”。 阿里王子在X平台上发文称：“我们之前没有支持他，现在也绝不会支持。但整个局势相当于敲诈，我们拒绝屈服。”

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《泰晤士报》填字游戏 29,613

横向 1 诗人项目占据大部分展览（6） 4 用鸡蛋制作的菜肴——有些不加壳反而卖得更好（8） 10 俄亥俄出生的自由民主党人的英勇故事（5,4） 11 缉获向西行驶的毒品船（5） 12 匹诺曹内在的生命力（3） 13 将讲故事与领头并交叉跳跃的卡通熊进行比较（5,6） 14 结合烟囱核心部分与旧壁炉（6） 16 猎人——定期设置较少陷阱的人（7） 19 在没有能源剩余的情况下点燃煤气（7） 20 忏悔速度更快的人（6） 22 五个裸体倒着跳过树——这是一件艺术品（5,2,4） 25 爱为父亲介入并代表（3） 26 肌肉连接器因缺乏密度而成为关节的一部分（5） 27 向融入新顺从的德国教会致敬（9） 28 修订名称或术语[...OMITTED...]

纵向 1 被冲击的小型铁路车厢（6） 2 法律案件胜诉，针对当地新闻代理（9） 3 酸奶上层的完美之物！（5） 5 医生声称翻新的工作空间紧邻河流（7,7） 6 召集大额贷款协议，导致声誉受损（9） 7 时不时游过岩石山峰，穿着泳裤（5） 8 激励因外表不统一而不满的法国人（8） 9 音符与冗长的大脑部分名称相伴的线条（4-4,6） 15 将歌曲按音符序列排列（9） 17 能显露眼睑肌的东西？（3-6） 18 跨越池塘的升降机揭示岩石（8） 21 定期被安静的表达所掩盖的伪装（6） 23 无安全装置的表演团体？（5） 24 坏蛋变绿（5）

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英国先锋

90年来英国首位参加美洲杯的女水手

史蒂夫·詹姆斯

为何我们难以培养顶级板球教练？

天空体育

克雷廷斯基试图阻止150万英镑西汉姆交易

加里·雅各布

西汉姆联俱乐部的所有权争夺战日益激烈，捷克亿万富翁、俱乐部联合主席丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基采取行动，试图挫败阿曼达·斯塔夫利的收购计划。

斯塔夫利的财团上周六同意以1.5亿英镑的价格从已故大卫·戈尔德家族手中收购其持有的全部25.1%股份。但在斯塔夫利完成收购之前，现有股东有权以其同意的价格优先购买。

51岁的皇家邮政所有者克雷廷斯基通过将其持股比例从27%降至25%以下作为回应，从而能够在不超过50%持股比例的情况下收购戈尔德家族的全部股份。

克雷廷斯基必须避免超过这一比例，因为根据他们在2021年签订的股东协议中的一项条款，若超过50%持股比例，他将被迫以高价收购大卫·沙利文持有的38.8%股份。

若克雷廷斯基的这一举措奏效，其持股总和将使其控制这家上赛季降级至英冠联赛的俱乐部，从而剥夺斯塔夫利购买任何股份的机会。

53岁的斯塔夫利曾领导沙特阿拉伯公共投资基金收购纽卡斯尔联。

克雷廷斯基已同意将超过2%的股份出售给捷克企业家兼投资者雅各布·哈夫尔兰特。克雷廷斯基赌的是，他能够收购戈尔德家族的全部股份——大卫·戈尔德的女儿瓦妮莎·戈尔德代表家族——并相信沙利文无法增加其持股比例，因为独立足球监管机构将因其面临的性行为不端指控而介入。

这家新成立的监管机构拥有法定权力，可在俱乐部所有者被认定不适合持股时，强制其出售股份。

6 & 5 , % ( $ % 5 $ + $ 0 . 2 $ & 0 , ( , < ( 0 ( 1 $ 3 3 / ( 7 $ 5 7 5 $ ' 9 / 6 5 5 2 5 , * , 1 $ 7 ( / $ 7 7 ( & 1 7 / , + . 1 ( : ' , 6 + 2 1 ( 6 7 < ( 3 ( 2 * 2 7 $ % 8 / $ 5 $ 6 $ 6 3 8 5 $ $ 3 ' 5 . / < 6 , 1 ) 5 , 9 2 / 2 8 6 2 + . 2 7 5 / + & $ ) ( 7 ( 5 , $ 0 $ 2 5 , 8 8 2 & / ( 1 5 0 ( / $ 1 * ( % 5 2 * 8 (

欲查看今日答案，请于午夜前拨打0905 757 0141。通话费用为每分钟£1，另加电话公司的网络接入费。SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390。

报纸支持回收

2024年英国报纸的再生纸含量为34.7%

y(7HB7E2*OTSRNS( / +%!$'

第62页

赤膊日光浴已过时，乳房端庄才是时尚

让我们称之为进步

卡罗尔·米德利

F

在西班牙海滩上选择裸露上身的女性可能越来越少了，读者们，让我们一起来思考其中的原因。正如那句老话所说，这并不需要花费太长时间。原因显而易见，就像我脸上的鼻子一样——虽然我的鼻子并不小。多年来，我一直在说，像烤两块火腿排一样炙烤自己的乳头和乳房，这和1970年代的涤纶裤一样过时，尽管年轻时我也曾这样做过。我的“火腿”可不领情，尤其是当晒伤发生时，穿上蕾丝胸罩就像被10,000根针扎一样。然后就是脱皮和结痂的阶段，让它们看起来像两个长满藤壶的哈拉果。美好的时光啊。《泰晤士报》报道称，西班牙报纸和社交媒体一直在讨论海滩上裸露上身的女性是否正在逐渐消失。看起来确实如此。一位女性表示，越来越少的女性这样做，因为她们感到不太安全，而当看到其他女性遮盖身体时，她们也倾向于效仿。YouGov去年的一项调查发现，37%的西班牙女性经常裸露上身日光浴。2017年的类似调查显示这一比例为49%，下降幅度相当大。我不想说“早就告诉过你”，但大约十年前我就注意到，在海滩上脱掉比基尼上装的女性只有两类：a）年龄超过50岁，或b）做过隆胸手术，不想用GG罩杯遮挡她们昂贵的投资。如今，缩胸和取出植入物的手术数量已经超过了隆胸手术。不需要天才也能想到，这一下降趋势与无处不在的手机摄像头不无关系，这意味着潜伏在条纹沙滩伞下的P·埃弗特先生可以整天充实他的照片库，如果他愿意，还能立刻将某人晒伤的胸部照片分享给萨顿科尔菲尔德（或其他任何地方——我并非在抹黑萨顿科尔菲尔德）酒吧里的20个朋友。

讽刺的是，生活中过度分享的风气反而引发了乳房羞涩的浪潮。但我认为这比想象的更复杂。我们不要忘了老朋友“不可能

我的剪内裤指南

“美的标准”。你知道吗，如今丰满的胸部已经过时，老土，不再流行了？哦，是的。今年，时尚界宣布，适合外出展示的乳房是小巧挺拔的“芭蕾舞者胸”，这样更能展现“Le Droop”——即小巧、无胸罩支撑、自然下垂的乳房，带着恰到好处的“悬垂感”。

这对胸部较大的女性来说简直是噩梦般的潮流，她们更可能展现的是“Le Grand Flop”。她们可不会在不久的将来在阳光海岸（Costa Blanca）炫耀那两袋湿面粉般的胸部。

总之，我认为如今的年轻女性比我们当年更理智。她们喝酒更少，不会像我们当年那样为了省£20,搭便车，然后在陌生人车上不系安全带。她们会涂抹防晒指数50的防晒霜，绝不会像我认识的一个人那样，用婴儿油甚至Spry Crisp ’n Dry喷雾油来涂抹胸部，相当于在浅油锅里煎自己的胸部，只为换来最多持续两天的全身古铜色。这会大大加速皮肤老化，难怪当年那些少年会嘲笑我们会长出“灯芯绒胸”。啊，美好的旧时光。

所以，在一个手机主导的世界里，这何尝不是一种进步和可喜的发展。偷窥者自古有之，但至少在我们那个年代，他们不会在离开海滩时满头大汗地攥着一整套数字“纪念品”回家。

这对所有人来说都是一种解脱，我相信。但这并不是我拒绝“犒劳”自己的原因。

顺便说一句，玛莎百货（M&S）正在销售Ann Summers品牌的无裆蕾丝内裤，它将其描述为“俏皮”，而我会称之为“无用”。有人声称这种内裤透气，有益健康，能让“私处”通风。

那么，我们是否可以期待看到一系列无裆Y字内裤？我想不会，我们应该为此感到庆幸。现在我的脑海中浮现出一个可怕的画面，与其说是“俏皮”，不如说是“快叫警察”。

但一包三条无裆蕾丝丁字裤售价£20,，考虑到材料如此稀少，这实在是个谜。然而，一包三条带裆蕾丝丁字裤的价格却只有其一半。

如果你一定要感受下身的凉风，何不省下十英镑，买便宜的那种，然后自己动手用园艺剪刀改造呢？

阿凡提，听我说

你听说那只在西海岸干线铁轨上被发现的乌龟了吗？当笑话自己写出来时，真是让人恼火。

这只乌龟被一名在朗科恩（Runcorn）的乘客发现，正沿着铁轨缓缓前行。我本可以问它当时是否在超越火车，但我不会这么问。我也不会问阿凡提（Avanti）是否雇佣了它作为配速员。它可能是被火车上的票价吓得掉了下来——高峰时段去伦敦的票价实在太贵了。

不过，我还是要为阿凡提和英国铁路网公司（Network Rail）点赞，他们停下火车救下了这只可怜的生物，而不是想着“这可能会导致延误赔偿，干脆碾死算了”。但那些糟糕的企业双关语呢？实在不敢恭维。

阿凡提的新闻稿将这只乌龟称为“slowcomotive”，并称它被带到了一个“place of shell-ter”。太痛苦了。新闻稿还补充说，他们的控制室里“shell shock”，但十分钟后乘客们就能“hare it”前往目的地了。伙计们，伙计们——千万别放弃本职工作。

“黑暗手段”的受害者还是抄袭者？

杰森·阿代正处于一场风暴的中心 这场风暴威胁到他的声誉和 这所机构的声誉。作者：达米安·惠特沃思

剑桥大学古老的石灰岩学院已屹立数百年，但偶尔也会屈服于外部压力。在一场席卷该校的非同寻常的抄袭风波中，首块支持这位备受争议的剑桥教授的“石墙”似乎已经崩塌。上周，剑桥大学迅速采取行动，应对针对杰森·阿代的抄袭指控。阿代于2023年37岁时被任命为该校最年轻的黑人教授。校方在一份声明中表示，这些指控毫无根据，是“一场卑劣的抹黑行动，旨在破坏他的信誉”。指控主要针对其由利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学授予的博士学位，该校已为其洗清抄袭罪名。曾单独签署公开信支持阿代的包括纳米科学家、沃尔夫森学院院长伊杰奥玛·乌切格布教授。这封由“良法项目”发起的公开信称，阿代遭到“假指控”的诋毁，信件还获得了其他学院院长及众多学术界和政界人士的签名，包括绿党领袖扎克·波兰斯基。然而，乌切格布的名字在周末从网上的公开信中消失。在大学假期期间，有关阿代学术记录的几乎每日披露，以及对他生活其他方面诸多主张的揭露，已在部分学者中引发不安。一位剑桥教授表示，截至今年，许多教授对这些指控早已知晓，“大学在驳回指控方面存在需要回答的问题”。“这件事正在严重损害公众对大学的信心。它正在严重损害剑桥的声誉。它正在严重损害社会学的可信度。它正在严重损害人们对黑人学术的认知。因此，确实需要对此事进行独立调查，最好由学生办公室主导。”当阿代被任命为教育社会学教授时，剑桥大学可能以为找到了一位难得的学术界“局外人”——他能为这座神圣的殿堂带来新鲜而充满活力的思想和全新的思考。不幸的是，据称其中一些思考根本不是新的，而是抄袭自另一位学者。而他生活中的诸多其他细节似乎也被夸大。

[...OMITTED...]

近日，随着记者们深挖他的生活细节，越来越多的线索开始松动，引发了人们对其故事中其他部分是否也将逐渐崩塌的质疑。

他的回忆录《伟大而不幸之事》（Great and Unfortunate Things）原定于本月出版。据悉，另一家全国性报纸的连载计划已暂停。

他声称自己并非骗子，尽管犯过错误，但自进入大学以来，一直是一场抹黑运动的受害者。

从学者的生平经历来看，阿尔代（Arday）的故事无疑非同寻常。他出生于加纳裔父母，在伦敦南部长大。三岁时被诊断出自闭症谱系障碍，直到11岁才开口说话，十几岁后期才学会读写。离开学校时，他仅获得了体育和纺织两门GCSE成绩。

尽管如此，他最终还是参加了BTEC课程，随后攻读了体育与教育学位，并获得了两个硕士学位，最后在利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学（Liverpool John Moores University）取得博士学位。这一经历为他敲开了多所大学的大门，最终进入剑桥大学，专攻种族与高等教育研究。然而，正是这篇博士论文成为了争议的核心。

剑桥大学伊曼纽尔学院（Emmanuel College）的前研究员内森·科夫纳斯（Nathan Cofnas）——现任职于比利时根特大学（Ghent University）——在一篇博客文章中提出了剽窃指控。科夫纳斯指出，阿尔代的博士论文中有大量部分据他称似乎

有人协同策划

将我赶下台

内容被抄袭自另一位研究者宝拉·兹沃兹迪亚克-迈尔斯（Paula Zwozdiak-Myers），她于数年前就同一主题撰写了博士论文。最初指控的来源使阿戴的支持者声称，这是一场针对他的不光彩运动——科夫纳斯（Cofnas）曾宣称，在精英统治下，黑人只会因“体育和娱乐”而闻名。然而，其他学者则呼吁对阿戴的作品展开调查。《泰晤士报》亦能指出其2015年关于师范生同伴指导的论文与布鲁内尔大学兹沃兹迪亚克-迈尔斯的作品存在相似之处。 若展开调查，这将不是首次。去年，利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学收到关于抄袭的投诉，经调查后阿戴被判无罪。阿戴并未否认具体的抄袭指控，但要求考虑“批判种族理论之战”的政治背景，以及针对黑人研究者的抄袭指控武器化问题。

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教授的残酷崩塌

他表示，在攻读博士学位的两年半时间里，仅参加过一次正式记录的导师会面。该校博士生手册规定，所有博士生应有“至少两名导师”，并称：“我们期望你平均每月与导师会面一次。” 一位剑桥大学教授对利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学博士项目的质量控制提出严重质疑：“如果阿戴关于仅接受过一次面对面指导的说法属实，这令人震惊。大多数博士生每周或每两周与导师见面一次。” 在上周末接受《泰晤士报》采访时，阿戴表示：“我对错误负责。我承担责任，其他人也应追究我的责任。” 他补充道：“我们讨论的是学术界。我没有谋杀任何人。”这一论点可能无法经受其部分博士生的考验，尤其是那些为确保每一处引用无误而呕心沥血的学生。 “我认为我所经历的残酷对待，以及将我塑造成骗子和幻想家的做法，完全无法接受。”他还表示，自加入剑桥大学以来，自己一直遭受“黑暗艺术”式的攻击，成为多元、公平和包容倡议的“避雷针”。“自抵达剑桥以来，一直存在一场精心策划且协同一致的运动，试图将我赶下现有职位。” 在接受《卫报》采访时，阿戴称恐吓他的行为包括向其父母家寄送猪头。他表示，当地警方曾与一名屠夫交谈，后者回忆在事发当天售出过一整头猪。然而，伦敦警察厅未能找到任何相关报案记录。 所有关于其学术生涯背景的说法，并未阻止那些对其所有事实是否绝对可靠仍深感不安的人。 牛津大学社会学系主任科林·米尔斯教授在X平台上写道：“我不希望我的学科、我的系、我勤奋且学术诚信的同事，或我本人，因与学术欺诈、低学术标准及权威人士不负责任的滑稽言论间接关联而蒙羞。” 埃塞克斯大学社会学荣休教授约翰·普雷斯顿

杰森对所发生的一切感到非常、非常难过

曾表示“在我看来，这里存在需要回应的情况”。甚至《卫报》报道称，其采访的学者认为阿戴受到的审视“对于剑桥大学这样一个享有盛誉的学术职位而言是公平的”。

剑桥大学此前表示，关于阿戴论文和期刊发表物的抄袭指控已由相关机构和期刊进行了全面调查。“这些调查已还阿戴教授清白，未发现任何不当行为。”

利物浦约翰·摩尔斯大学在2025年表示收到了针对阿戴的学术不端指控。“针对这些指控，我们进行了保密程序，阿戴教授的博士学位仍然有效。我们不会就大学与前学生之间的私人事宜进一步置评。”

阿戴还面临对其近乎超人成就的质疑，但他坚持称自己在35天内跑了30场马拉松，在跑步机上3天跑了300英里，12天内跑了600英里。

他表示已为慈善事业筹集了高达550万英镑的资金，并告诉《泰晤士报》：“我无法让所有人相信我。没有人会为自己说的或做的每一件事都留下收据。”他解释称，并非所有善款均由他一人筹集，而是作为一个约100人的团队成员之一，但当他在活动或媒体上发言时，报道的焦点总是他。

慈善机构WaterAid对阿戴关于在南美洲和西非“安装供水点”的说法提出质疑，称其从未派遣志愿者出国。周二有消息称，阿戴在剑桥大学教育学院网页上声称自己是格拉斯哥大学教育学院的访问教授，这一说法并不属实，尽管他于2021年曾在该学院担任社会学教授。他对参与《人生七年》节目的回忆也引发了质疑。一位朋友后来澄清，他并非著名长期电视节目的参与者，而是一个与1964年开始的同名系列节目同名的黑人母亲非正式网络的一员。剑桥大学的一位多年相识并经常与他交谈的朋友为他进行了有力辩护：“我承认一些学者查看了文本分析后认为存在需要回应的情况，但授予学位的大学已对此进行了详细调查。

“他们进行了严格的调查，可能比那些评论学者更深入地审视了此事，并认定不存在抄袭。我认为这一结论在杰森的批评者中被相当低估了。”这位朋友表示，其他抄袭案件并未受到同等对待。“媒体对其中一些案件进行了或多或少的报道。但他们都坚持抄袭的论点。

“而在杰森的案例中，事情却朝多个不同方向发展。在我看来，这像是一种人格诋毁。这绝对是毁灭性的。其中暗含着将他描绘成一个幻想家的意味，这与认识他的人——包括我——的感受完全不符，我们眼中的他是一个非常冷静、不会做出离谱声明的人。

“所以，虽然我无法逐一为针对他的各种指控辩护，但这确实让我和他的一些朋友对此产生了疑问。”这位朋友

杰森并不是那种会到处宣扬自己所经历的困境和磨难的人。甚至比我更亲近他的人最近才第一次听说他正在经历的一些事情。

“我想我们需要理解的是，首先，杰森背后是一个真实的人。你可能不会从媒体上的一些嘲讽中看出来，但他其实是一个非常敏感的人。他有学习障碍，这一点他完全承认，并且一直非常努力地克服，但依然每天都在与之抗争。

“他把发生的一切都看得非常重，他的朋友们一直在努力让他振作起来，因为显然，他的声誉，以及他多年来每天努力奋斗的一切，几乎已经被彻底摧毁。现在我们只能收拾残局。”

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T

封面及下图：盖蒂图片社；EROTEME

我是拖鞋的皈依者

上班穿人字拖？

我被说服了， 安娜·墨菲如是说

o 穿不穿人字拖， 这是个问题。我指的 并非一般场合穿人字拖， 而是在工作场合。我有位同事 不仅能力出众、风格时尚， 而且——这一点很重要——位高权重， 大多数日子都穿着人字拖来上班。 她穿的不是那种皮革材质、 带有低跟的高端改良款， 而是普通的Havaianas。 她并非唯一一个。前几天， 我在梅费尔一家高档餐厅 遇到一位时尚行业高管， 她也穿着Havaianas， 搭配荷叶边紧身上衣连衣裙、 西装外套、路易威登手袋， 以及满身的梵克雅宝珠宝。顺便说一句， 两位女士穿的都是黑色款式。 这似乎是关键。

秘诀在于

你的其他装束看起来 光鲜得体

谁能预见到这一幕？ 或者更准确地说，谁能听到它的到来？那种拖鞋拍打地面的声音，曾是海滩生活的代名词，如今也成了办公室生活的背景音。还记得我们曾经争论过在工作场合穿短裤的日子吗？忘了露出膝盖吧，如果你露出双脚，还有人会认真对待你吗？如果在一英里外就能听到你拖鞋拍打的声音呢？

是否还有更大的问题值得关注？我知道安迪·伯纳姆有更重要的事情要操心，但考虑到他对国家生产力的关注，是否也该担心拖鞋的流行？我们是否正面临一个看似纯粹着装问题却几乎关乎生存的时刻？二战期间，英国女性前所未有地穿起了长裤，报纸上曾讨论“宽松裤”是否会让她们变得懒散。那么，穿拖鞋上班是否会让我们变成一个懒散的民族？

几年前我可能会说“是的”。但现在我认为不会。我会说，关于在工作场合穿拖鞋的“奥弗顿窗口”正在发生变化。秘诀在于你的其他装束看起来光鲜得体，且你的双脚不像犰狳。这也意味着——很抱歉我不得不这么说，因为理论上我支持机会平等——你可能不是男性。像乔纳森·贝利和裘德·洛这样的影星，虽然都是城市拖鞋爱好者，但恐怕他们是例外中的例外。

我们并不常见到真正的着装变革，这种变革不仅仅关乎时尚，更是一种社会文化时刻。20世纪40年代穿宽松裤的女性就是其中之一。十几二十年后，原本为贫穷劳动男性设计的牛仔裤被各阶层男女广泛接受，则是另一个例子。这些变革都带有象征意义，但同时也出于实用性考虑。而今年夏天的变革几乎完全是出于实用性，由前所未有的高温推动，这种温度甚至让凉鞋都感觉像雪地靴。

但这也可以被视为现代世界“加州化”——不，我指的不是那部电视剧——的一部分。毕竟，谁是拖鞋的守护神？詹妮弗·安妮斯顿，一个地地道道的加州女孩。而七年前，谁将拖鞋重新定义为皮革奢侈品？两位洛杉矶本地人，奥尔森姐妹，通过她们的品牌The Row。（其City皮革人字拖售价高达£870，但依然几乎售罄；therow.com。）

佐伊·克拉维茨（出生于洛杉矶）和海莉·比伯（居住于洛杉矶）是另一对热衷于美国人更喜欢称之为“thong sandals”的明星。克拉维茨偏爱平底款，甚至穿着它搭配西装。比伯则喜欢穿£400的Toteme猫跟款，搭配卡普里裤（farfetch.com）。

一双经典的Havaianas Top只需£23（havaianas.com）。我认识的那些穿着它去办公室的女性都给出了类似的说法。一开始她们会在上班路上穿拖鞋，包里放一双鞋换上，后来就不再换了。

Havaianas诞生于巴西，1962年，灵感来自20世纪30年代夏威夷制造的橡胶原型，而这些原型又受到日本移民到夏威夷时所穿的传统草履“草履”的启发。品牌名称是葡萄牙语“Hawaiians”的阴性形式。

第65页

办公室...

它们最初仅由巴西的穷人穿着，但现在已成为一种全球性的、跨越阶层的现象。每年售出超过 200 million 双。这是与丹宁布（牛仔布）发生过的类似颠覆等级制度的颠覆性现象的另一个版本。事实上，这正是它们在我们这个伪平等时代具有吸引力的一部分。我认为 Havaianas 是最舒适的人字拖，走起来非常轻松，但如果你需要更多的足弓支撑，可以尝试 Archies (£35, archiesfootwear.co.uk) 或 FitFlop（皮革款 Gracie，带有微小鞋跟，价格为 £49，由 £75 降价，fitflop.com）。我也喜欢 Ancient Greek Sandals 的果冻款和皮革款（分别为 £95 和 £145, ancient-greek-sandals.com）。

£60, fitflop.

£89, dunelondon.

£170, alohas.

... 并且我不是

“人字拖只应在海滩穿”

作者：希拉里·罗斯

我这么说并非轻率，因为在大多数方面我都对詹妮弗·安妮斯顿心存敬意，但仅仅因为她总是穿人字拖，并不意味着这样做就是对的。仅仅因为佐伊·克拉维茨、肯达尔·詹纳和海莉·比伯从私人飞机走向专车时穿着人字拖，并不意味着这对我们其他人来说是对的，甚至是可行的。就在几年前，你还会在海滩度假时才穿人字拖，回家后就把它们放回柜子里，这才是正确的做法。后来，它们开始在工作时间和城市里蔓延，像一股难闻的气味。今年，它们无处不在，人人都穿，随时都穿。据《Vogue》杂志称，人字拖舒适、多功能，是温暖天气的必备单品，这正说明他们懂什么。在我看来，它们简直恶心。就像辣妹组合曾经唱的那样：现在就停下，非常感谢。关键在于，人字拖应该

只在海滩穿，仅此而已。即使现在国内和度假时一样热，也无关紧要，尤其是城市如此肮脏。你不会穿着比基尼和沙笼走在商业街上，至少我希望你不会，那么为什么要穿度假用的人字拖呢？难道你不想在脚和人行道之间、火车或公交车的地板之间有一个合适的鞋底吗？为什么不呢？此外，如果你忙于日常事务，而不是在阳台上欣赏风景，人字拖会成为累赘。如果开始下雨，它们简直危险。它们不是一种高效的鞋子。提示就在名字里：它们会“啪嗒啪嗒”作响，发出拖沓的声音，破坏你的足弓、关节和背部，因为它们完全不提供支撑。不过，大多数情况下，脚是功能性的，不是用来炫耀的。为安妮斯顿、詹纳

等人辩护的话，至少她们露出的是经过修剪的漂亮脚趾，但你呢，脚后跟开裂、真菌感染恶心？收起来吧。这不卫生。至于穿人字拖的男性，特别是今天早上在地铁高峰期我不得不低头看到的那个男人，他那双脏兮兮、毛茸茸、令人作呕的脚，如果你不能收起来，不妨考虑寄回去换一双。最让我恼火的，

Isabel Marant x Havaianas, £120, isabelmarant.com

是这种欺骗。有些人字拖有高跟、中跟、坡跟和平台，但带坡跟的人字拖仍然是人字拖，不是鞋子。它只是踮着脚的人字拖。带中跟的人字拖很愚蠢，而带高跟的人字拖则是一种亵渎。 罗茜·亨廷顿-怀特利穿着她的平台人字拖搭配白色牛仔裤，看起来很可爱。詹纳穿着细高跟人字拖搭配黑色卡普里裤，看起来也很可爱，克拉维茨也是，她穿着人字拖和宽松的破洞裤在纽约闲逛。但她们如果穿别的鞋会更好看：芭蕾平底鞋、柔软的麂皮乐福鞋、后空鞋，或者一双精致可爱的夏季开放式马诺洛·布拉尼克拖鞋。 我无法想象肯达尔的高跟人字拖有多不舒服，但我再次指出，她是从私人飞机直奔出租车。安妮斯顿也是，她总是刚做完瑜伽、面部护理或从游艇上下来。顺便提一句，我们还注意到尼古拉·佩尔茨·贝克汉姆在法国南部，穿着裸色细高跟人字拖搭配金色脚链和新纹身，如果你渴望模仿这种造型，请自便。在我看来，在家穿人字拖的唯一可接受的时间和地点，是你刚在美甲店做完足部护理离开的时候。其他任何时候，都请穿上鞋子。你的关节会感谢你，我也会。

Page 66

作者：查理·高万斯-埃格林顿 (Charlie Gowans-Eglinton)

中裙时代结束了吗？随着商业街将最后一批折扣商品移至后方，为下一季的趋势腾出空间，出现了一个令人惊喜的衣橱更新：铅笔裙。

乍一看，它似乎与我们现在的生活格格不入，甚至在字面意义上不合适。太紧、太短、太限制行动。随着我们适应了灵活办公和宽松的办公室着装标准，且在选择剪裁服装时倾向于大尺寸，铅笔裙迅速像铅笔一样被遗忘了。

除非你特别眷恋，否则你可能根本没意识到它们的缺失，因为取而代之的是刀褶中裙、层叠棉质中长裙 (midaxi) 以及亚麻长裙。突然之间，我们有了空间享用丰盛的午餐，能够大步走，而且还拥有时尚的体积感、褶边和灵动感。

铅笔裙如何竞争？由于小腿中部长度成为了常态，即使是它的膝盖长度也让人觉得不自在，尤其是因为更长の中裙长度与我们突然之间搭配所有衣物的运动鞋看起来更协调。

我很高兴看到它们消失，因为我从未从我那件中灰色铅笔形校服裙的阴影中走出来——所以只有真正绝妙的东西才能诱惑我回归。而它确实做到了：铅笔裙 2.0 减少了职场感，不再那么僵硬，且有趣得多。得益于流畅的面料、性感皮革、亮色和金属色、装饰点缀以及极具存在感的动物印花、抽象图案和花卉，其形状精干但不过分保守。

甚至长度也让人感觉清新：它应该结束在膝盖或膝盖下方一点，绝对不能在膝盖以上，也不能延伸至中裙长度。在经历了多年扫地的裙摆（以及为了安全上下楼梯和扶梯而不得不提起裙摆）之后，膝盖长度让人感觉轻松且现代。

上个月在巴黎，时尚阵营证明了它的多功能性。

穿出干练感！铅笔裙回归

《Vogue》澳大利亚版的克里斯汀·森特内拉 (Christine Centenera) 穿着一条红白黑三色的大胆抽象印花裙，搭配一件纯黑背心和一双尖头蛇皮纹细高跟鞋；美国《Elle》的尼娜·加西亚 (Nina Garcia) 则穿着一条链条装饰的黑色铅笔裙，搭配一件单色条纹 T 恤和红色鞋尖高跟鞋。

以前法国杂志编辑都穿牛仔裤以彰显其不羁，但前《Vogue》法国版编辑卡琳·罗伊特费尔德 (Carine Roitfeld) 将她的金色铅笔裙和细跟小猫跟鞋与一件 Sex Pistols 乐队 T 恤搭配在一起。

在其他地方，艾米莉·布朗特 (Emily Blunt) 穿着一条高光泽黑色漆皮铅笔裙，搭配同色高跟鞋和一件高对比度的红色针织开衫；汉娜·瓦丁汉姆 (Hannah Waddingham) 根据她的红白格裙配色方案，搭配了白色细高跟鞋和一个红色绗缝 Chanel 包。

没错，她们都穿了高跟鞋——但那是由于她们在走红毯，或是在巴黎聚集参加高级定制时装周。对于没那么高要求的着装场合（其实绝大多数都是），即使是低矮且依然非常好走的鞋跟也会看起来很棒，你也可以将铅笔裙搭配平底鞋。

选择露趾凉鞋或尖头平底鞋（而非圆头鞋），这样可以拉长腿部线条。绝对不要穿运动鞋，因为那种造型永远看起来像是在通勤的金融城职员。

在这种天气下，结构感较弱的轻盈面料更具吸引力。

Reformation 的 Helen 裙采用纯丝绸，与僵硬、让人步履蹒跚的铅笔裙截然不同。它有虎纹、花卉亮片黄或淡紫色，以及一种美丽的深橙色（from £218, thereformation.com）。

上身穿着相似色调可打造更干练的造型，或者尝试色彩和印花的撞色。Cos 的黑色格纹开心果绿混纺棉裙（£95, cos.com）长度偏长，因此非常适合高个子，且搭配条纹上衣效果极佳。

Damson Madder 的棕色粘胶纤维裙在单侧臀部有细微的褶边，增加了一些灵动感（£70, damson

第67页

madder.com），红色圆点图案意味着红色上衣会特别搭配。 对于高冲击力的色彩和印花，John Lewis的明亮红色搭配单色花朵将为任何造型增色不少（£59，johnlewis.com）。一旦天气转凉，那种九月的感觉让你想把夏季连衣裙扔出窗外时，可能会更青睐一些更严谨的风格。Baukjen的Carmen弹力皮革半身裙采用牛血红色（£299，baukjen.com），或Mango的棕色仿鳄鱼皮半身裙（原价£45.99，现价£25.99，mango.com），能带来理想的复古摇曳感，又不会流于复古性感秘书的套路。 你当然可以穿着铅笔裙去办公室——搭配一件白色或淡蓝色衬衫——但这

梅根45岁——令人大失所望...

她感谢粉丝的“生日祝福”——但谁会在跳入泳池45秒后游过来拿墨镜？ 作者：谢恩·沃森 梅

根迎来了45岁生日，而这正是我们预期会在社交媒体上看到非同寻常的情感倾泻的时刻。这是一年中唯一能保证在Instagram上发布大量个人照片的时刻，或许还会有生日名人吹蜡烛或在厨房与盛装打扮的狗共舞的视频，或是在某个海景阳台上，手捧一大杯葡萄酒依偎在一起的画面。在名人世界里，众所周知，生日是精心策划自我宣传的特殊机会，而萨塞克斯公爵夫人，正如我们也清楚的那样，在自我推销方面堪称超级联赛级别。因此，公平地说，梅根的生日Instagram“揭秘”——两张黑白照片，配以感谢粉丝“生日祝福”的文字——让人感到中等到巨大的失望。这

可能只是一个预告，有人正在通宵赶制一段配有背景音乐的小蒙太奇——是《Sweets for My Sweet》？还是《Uptown Girl》？——但到目前为止，我们能看到的只有这些，而且连特写都算不上。第一张照片是梅根穿着高开叉黑色泳衣（我们猜测，可能是深蓝色或棕色）跳入泳池，手中挥舞着一堆气球，其中一些写着“生日快乐”。第二张照片则是溅起的水花，除了水柱什么都看不到（可能原本的设想是梅根应该面带微笑、湿淋淋的，头向后仰，双臂举起，但这需要从泳池底部向上推，而从跳入的角度来看效果并不理想。只是猜测）。无论如何，至少有人在考虑这些细节，因为老实说，这简直是浪费机会。如果这些是梅根在泳池派对上嬉戏的即兴照片，那还好，但显然这是一组经过讨论、规划、再规划、执行、检查再检查后才发布的照片。梅根可能在四五套泳衣中选择了这一套，还纠结是否要戴墨镜（支持戴墨镜的理由是看起来更随性、更有趣。跳入泳池时戴着墨镜，尽管我们都曾忘记摘下过，但这更像是哈里会做的事。我们不相信梅根会忘记摘掉墨镜，因此这感觉更不真实）。重点在于，这寥寥无几的生日Instagram发布还是花了不少心思，那为何不走寻常的萨塞克斯路线，来点超级煽情加品牌宣传：比如一张生日女郎赤脚穿着短裤和白衬衫，在厨房花园漫步的照片，身边有阿奇

萨塞克斯公爵夫人 在Instagram上的生日照片

这不是

萨塞克斯 惯常的 超级煽情 路线

[...OMITTED...]

times2

梅根，苏塞克斯公爵夫人 / Instagram

以及莉莉紧紧依偎在她身边，一人一边挂在她的臀部（背对镜头，自然如此）？至少这样你会有《一如既往》的氛围，可能会带来白衬衫和短裤的部分销售额，还有她在葡萄牙家居用品店戴的那顶漂亮草帽（他们欧洲度假的最后一波）。或者为什么不拍一张她和哈里鼻尖相碰、共享一块蛋糕的照片（非常符合品牌调性，尤其是如果能看到花朵装饰的糖霜，杯子里装的是《一如既往》桃红葡萄酒）？或者她和救助犬 / 狗狗们，还有孩子们（是的，背影！）仰望着他们在课堂上制作的“生日快乐妈妈”海报？

这些可能性几乎无穷无尽——这是一个显而易见的机会，可以植入一些产品，或者至少展示一些关系密切的朋友（比如一段梅根收到《澳大利亚厨神》全体演职人员和澳大利亚女演员妮可·基德曼的惊喜祝福视频？）。

这实在太令人失望了。当明眼人都看得出她一心要在生活方式史上占据一席之地，而苏塞克斯夫妇所做的每一件事都将最大利润放在首位时，这样的失误让人无法理解，尤其是他们住在加州，并以此为生。这不禁让人怀疑是否有更大的事情在酝酿。希望如此。

第68页

这场危机是现代美国历史上最致命的公共卫生灾难之一。数十万人死于阿片类药物流行病，这一危机始于处方止痛药——最臭名昭著的当属奥施康定（OxyContin）——随后蔓延至海洛因和非法芬太尼。对于作曲家米茜·马佐利（Missy Mazzoli）来说，其中两名受害者并非仅仅是统计数字——他们是她的表亲。现年45岁的马佐利是当今美国最负盛名的作曲家之一，创作了一系列成功作品，尤其在歌剧领域成就斐然。这一领域的成功率极低，但马佐利却取得了非凡成就。《打破波浪》（Breaking the Waves）是她根据拉斯·冯·提尔（Lars von Trier）同名电影改编的粗犷、扰人的作品，由艾米莉·沃森（Emily Watson）主演，已在全球多地上演，并将于明年2月由英国国家歌剧院（English National Opera）搬上舞台。今年10月，她将在纽约大都会歌剧院（Metropolitan Opera）首演根据乔治·桑德斯（George Saunders）布克奖获奖小说改编的《林肯在中阴》（Lincoln in the Bardo）。然而，她的下一部歌剧将更具个人色彩。《飞驰的解药》（The Galloping Cure）本月将在爱丁堡国际艺术节（Edinburgh International Festival）由汤姆·莫里斯（Tom Morris）执导进行世界首演，灵感源自阿片类药物流行病及其主要推手：赛克勒家族（Sackler family）——普渡制药（Purdue Pharma）的拥有者，该公司生产奥施康定。“这部作品关乎成瘾，关乎制药、医生和资本主义之间的黑暗交织，”马佐利在纽约接受采访时说。

马佐利讲述了她的两位25岁表亲的遭遇，他们和她一样在宾夕法尼亚州的小镇长大。其中一位表亲“在一次轻微车祸后被开具奥施康定止痛，服用过量后死亡”。另一位“因轻伤被开具奥施康定后成瘾，很快转向海洛因。她去过戒毒所，回来后第二天就因过量服用而死亡”。我天真地以为奥施康定灾难主要影响的是社会边缘群体。“事实并非如此，”马佐利回应道，“我认为这正是制药行业抹黑成瘾者的部分手段。他们会说，‘不是药物本身会让人上瘾，而是那些有成瘾性格的人——如果你天生就容易成瘾，那是你自己的问题。’这种污名化至今仍在持续。而现实是，想想赛克勒家族，他们身边就有员工——比如为他们工作的秘书——对奥施康定上瘾，最终丢了工作。他们在推销这种所谓‘无成瘾性’药物的大楼里，就有人深陷成瘾。这种情况无处不在。”受害者还包括马佐利和她的常任编剧罗伊斯·瓦夫雷克（Royce Vavrek）的一位共同朋友。“他是一名职业音乐家、表演者，一个乐队里的书呆子气十足的家伙，后来对奥施康定上瘾，接着又对海洛因上瘾，最终因过量服用而死亡。”

马佐利和瓦夫雷克花了八年时间才找到合适的素材，将这一悲剧改编为歌剧。“这是一种积极的情绪宣泄，将我的愤怒、挫败感以及目睹姨妈、叔叔们失去孩子后所承受的无助感转化为创作……

作曲家米茜·马佐利失去了两位因成瘾去世的表亲

如今，他们的故事激发了她的新作品，她向尼尔·费舍尔讲述

“对我们来说非常真实且触动内心，但我们 无法找到一种方式将其融入歌剧， 而不显得说教或过于简单。” 在作家卡伦·拉塞尔的 剧本帮助下，并受到弗朗茨· 卡夫卡的故事《乡村医生》的 影响，他们最终创作出了 一种不那么直白的作品—— 马佐利称之为“一个黑暗的 童话故事”。在《疾驰的疗法》中， 一个陌生人来到小镇，兜售一种 以旋转木马形式呈现的疼痛疗法。 “有一段时间一切都很好，” 马佐利解释道。“但随后他开始 推销家用[旋转木马]‘马匹’。 你能获得与旋转木马相同的效果， 但可以在家独自进行。然后事情 开始变得黑暗，当人们意识到 他们无法再支付时。”陌生人的 要价极其险恶——他索取 身体部位，先是头发，然后是 膝盖，接着是眼睛和舌头。 “然后你意识到，他正在用这些 身体部件在下一个小镇建造 旋转木马——因此这是成瘾的 循环性质，是阿片类药物危机 造成的破坏。它不断自我滋养。” 一个音乐主题很快渗透进来—— 委约后的第二天。“我开始 在巴黎听旋转木马音乐， 当时我们正在制作《破浪》。 如果你尝试坐在一个地方， 静静聆听这种声音的 多普勒效应——它会让人 感到非常诡异，非常奇怪。 所以我尝试重现这一点。乐曲中 有一种摇摇欲坠、简单的 主题，在管弦乐队中疾驰， 并以一种极具威胁的方式循环。 这种原本诡异的儿童曲调 变得更像是一种精神错乱的舞蹈。” 今年3月，该歌剧的联合制作人 约翰·贝里在《泰晤士报》的报道中 表示，歌剧需要讲述不同的故事， “以掌握时代精神”。他建议， Netflix系列剧如《青春期》的编剧 应被吸引到这一艺术形式中。 “我并不认为每一部歌剧都需要 直接取材于新闻头条，”马佐利说。 “我创作的作品通常试图触及某些 话题，以引发对话，为我们当下 痴迷的事物提供新的视角。 但所有类型都有其空间。 “当歌剧院的演出季可能只有 三部歌剧时，情况会非常艰难， 然后就会诱使人们说，‘好吧， 你应该把资源用于保留《波西米亚人》， 或创作一部关于特朗普的歌剧。’” 如果每年只有一部新作品， “我们会给那些作曲家和作品 施加虚假的压力”。《林肯在巴多》 也将面临相当大的压力。但马佐利 接受委约时心中有数。 “[在大都会歌剧院]你每晚需要 填满4,000个座位。因此需要 具有知名度的作品。这很难。 所以有亚伯拉罕·林肯的知名度， 人们也喜欢这部小说。”当马佐利 联系桑德斯时，“他回复说： ‘我很高兴你[给我]写信， 因为当我写这部小说时， 我实际上想象它是一部歌剧。’” 这位作曲家拥抱桑德斯剧情中的 超现实主义，该剧情想象了 悲痛的林肯在死后炼狱中 探望已故儿子威利，那里充满了鬼魂。 “书中和歌剧中99%的人 都是死者——这给了我 极大的音乐创作自由。”马佐利 并非在音乐世家长大。她最初的 艺术热情是20世纪80年代末 和90年代初的 Riot Grrrl 运动—— “朋克的一个分支，通常是全女性乐队， 她们大声疾呼女权主义，非常政治化， 对于14岁的我来说，就像发现了 一个光辉灿烂的星球”。《疾驰的疗法》 有一个管弦乐队，但乐谱也融入了 锐舞节奏——马佐利曾与两位 电子音乐制作人合作。管风琴和

马佐利的音乐将成为《林肯在巴多》声景的一部分。她对歌剧的热爱源于朋克。“我是在MTV的陪伴下长大的。我热爱它，也热爱音乐能推动故事发展的理念，”她说，“作为一名在世的作曲家，站在观众面前说‘是的，我在一个小镇长大，开着车四处转，听朋克音乐，和你们中的一半人一样’对我非常有帮助。我无意让它变得更复杂……对我来说，音乐是我理解世界的方式，我认为它也可以成为其他人的方式。”《飞驰的疗愈》让马佐利得以尝试理解降临在她家庭——以及其他无数家庭——的悲剧。她说，这场灾难的后果并未带来任何近似正义。据悉，赛克勒家族已支付超过6美元的赔偿金，但这“犹如杯水车薪”。这场流行病的遗毒依然存在。马佐利想起了她的家乡，那里的主街“道路荒废、满目疮痍”。在一小时车程外的费城，她仍能看到人们陷入所谓的“芬太尼折叠”状态——服药后几乎弯成两半，虽然还站着，却“几乎失去意识”。这些都是《飞驰的疗愈》这则黑暗童话背后的现实。它们仍将她引向同样的问题：“如果这场危机没有发生，美国会是什么样子？这些人会在哪里？我的表亲们又会在哪里？”《飞驰的疗愈》将于8月9、11和12日在爱丁堡节日剧院上演。

第69页

“祖母风潮”？为何我们不赞美英国奶奶？

别再看意大利老奶奶

做意大利面的视频了，

杰克·伯克说。

是时候赞美我们

自己的祖母之美德了

在意大利的厨房里，老年女性正通过做她们一生都在做的事情成为网红。她们擀制意大利面、熬煮番茄酱、揉面团、剥豆子，而数以百万计的年轻观众目瞪口呆地观看。对于不熟悉这一潮流的人来说，它有一个名字：祖母风潮（nonna-maxxing）。

一些祖母拥有庞大的社交媒体粉丝群。激动的孙辈们拍摄她们做饭、园艺、闲聊，以及在未被现代便利设施“污染”的厨房里发号施令。祖母可能系着围裙，也许站在凉棚下，她那因关节炎而变形的手指做着自1958年以来每周四都会做的意大利面形状。

对于一个被屏幕耗尽精力、缺乏人际联系、被超加工食品喂肥的世代来说，意大利祖母已成为意想不到的精神与健康指南。

这种吸引力显而易见。但我不是意大利人。我没有普利亚的祖屋，没有橄榄园，也没有一位通过炖牛肘来传递爱的祖母。我是英国人。更准确地说，我是伦敦人。我们有自己本土的祖母传统，尽管我们迟迟未能意识到其作为生活方式品牌的潜力。

我纳闷，为何没人掀起“奶奶风潮”（nan-maxxing）？我本可以在这里描绘一幅明信片般的英国奶奶形象：淡紫色开衫，手帕塞在袖口，果酱在窗台上冷却。这是乡村想象中的奶奶，她玩宾戈、参加教堂游园会，把蔬菜煮到无法辨认。她的客厅专为“最佳时刻”保留，摆满瓷制动物、滴答作响的时钟和一台没人敢靠太近的煤气炉。她称呼所有人为“亲爱的”。

但那不是我的奶奶。琼·伯克（娘家姓桑兹）是我父亲的母亲——一个在克里克尔伍德出生长大的伦敦人，经历过闪电战的磨砺，后来移居肯顿。她是个强硬的女人，坚韧如钉。忠诚、善良、风趣、令人生畏、极度直率，且极其爱喝酒。她有14个孙辈，其中三个是男孩。可以公平地说，我是她最喜欢的男孩。奶奶认为让所有人都知道这一点很重要。我小时候——

琼曾是

一个令人生畏、 英勇地不拘小节 且 极其 嗜酒的人

她会把我抱在膝盖上， 然后简单地向房间里的人宣布： “就是他了。” 按照当代“奶奶最大化”（nonna-maxxing）的标准， 琼的成就令人惊讶。 她从零开始烹饪： 烤鸡、炖菜、 苹果派、果酱塔、 香肠，以及在 大约 1975 年之后， 咖喱。有些星期会有牛排， 这取决于一辆经常在 社区巡回的无标志货车 后部扔出了什么。 她避免浪费食物。她 步行去商店。她 维持着一个由兄弟姐妹、 邻居、孩子和 孙辈组成的复杂社交网络。她相信漫长、 不匆忙的用餐，尽管这些 通常涉及在他们 70 多岁时 全部迁往南部的布罗德斯泰尔斯（Broadstairs）后， 在 Captain Digby 餐厅吃周日午餐时 与她的兄弟姐妹们喝得酩酊大醉。 她勤俭节约，能让 一英镑的钞票像五英镑一样耐用，但 拒绝毫无乐趣的金钱积累。 “寿衣里没有口袋，”她曾告诉我， 这个关于挥霍的教训一直留在我的心中。 当我足够大时，我会被 派往 Safeway 超市购买奶奶 每周储备的白葡萄酒。她 唯一的规定是酒精含量 必须超过 13%。有一次 我带回了一箱酒精含量 为 11.5% 的酒。她 抓着我的衣领，将 我的脸拉向她。“如果我想 喝水，”她嘶声说道，“我会去接水龙头的水。” “奶奶最大化”利用了 对一种更简单、更充实生活的 怀旧之情。问题不在于 英国缺乏自己的版本—— 而在于我们的版本被证明 很难拍得吸引人。意大利式的 祖母形象沐浴在 阳光和橄榄油中。英国式的 奶奶形象则出现在日光灯下， 拎着一个装满纸巾、 投注单和煮糖果的手提包。 然而，底层的哲学是 一样的。它是关于喂饱人们、 维持友谊、保护 自己人。不要浪费钱， 但也不要崇拜它。 在简单的事物中寻找乐趣， 有话直说， 在活着的时候享受生活。 无论“奶奶最大化”代表的是 一代人对算法剥夺了 他们生活中所有实质内容 而产生的真实反思， 还是仅仅是另一种形式的 货币化怀旧——在美化过去的同时 抹去了其艰辛—— 这很难说。但我 知道我更想要什么样的生活。 而且我知道，如果我试图 在周二下午 4 点拍摄我的奶奶 打开霞多丽葡萄酒， 她会怎么说。

第 70 页

10 2026年8月5日 星期三 / 泰晤士报 times2 您的工作日大脑增强

每天（周一至周四）一页额外的

益智游戏，让您的大脑进行深度锻炼 武士级 困难

SAMURAI

填充每个网格，使每列、每行和每个 3x3 宫格包含数字 1 到 9。 在谜题重叠之处，行和列不超出其常规长度。

Sakuro

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 每个颜色总和正确

Mini

Sudoku

SUDOKU

MINI SUDOKU

填充网格，使 每列、每 行和每个 3x2 宫格包含 数字 1 到 6

周一至周日每天在 thetimes.com 和 Live 应用上玩迷你数独

Codeword

CODEWORD

右侧十字谜题风格网格中的 每个字母由 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。 利用已提供的字母 推断出其他 字母的身份。在主网格和 较小的参考网格中输入字母， 直到字母表中的所有 26 个字母 都被找齐。专有名词除外。

致命温柔

致命数独

填满网格，使每一列、每一行和每个3x3的方格内都包含数字1到9。每组由虚线连接的单元格必须相加等于其左上角的目标数字。在每组由虚线连接的单元格内，数字不能重复。

昨日答案

火车轨道

火车轨道

铺设轨道，使火车能够从A村行驶到B村。数字表示每行和每列中轨道的段数。轨道仅包含直线段和曲线段。轨道不能自行交叉。

数和（Futoshiki） 在空白方格中填入数字，使每行和每列都包含数字1到5各一次。方格之间的符号表示相邻数字的大小关系（>表示较大，<表示较小）。

数和

更多

谜题

第14-16页

第71页

T

重返斯莱德监狱（HMP Slade）的乐趣

本·多威尔

电视评论

乔与大卫的魔幻情景喜剧之旅 U&Gold {{{((

喜剧有一种独特的魅力，比电视上的其他任何内容都更能深入人心。这就是为什么多年前首播的情景喜剧至今仍被人们深情重温，勾起人们穿着睡衣与家人一起大笑的美好回忆。这些角色的性格会伴随你的一生，当你遇到让你想起戈德伯、帕特里奇或梅因沃林的人时，那些记忆便会浮现。

这就是《乔与大卫的魔幻情景喜剧之旅》背后的美好初衷。在这档节目中，性格讨喜、略显忧郁的乔·威尔金森（如今因《名人叛徒》而广为人知）与他的编剧搭档大卫·厄尔一起，踏上了一场探访他们最喜爱的情景喜剧取景地之旅。首站是《牢狱风云》——迪克·克莱门特和伊恩·拉·弗雷奈斯于1970年代创作的经典之作，年幼的威尔金森曾穿着睡衣与父母一同观看，对其充满崇拜。

电视节目需要更多这样的创意——那些以巧妙方式展现喜剧人才的节目（如《最后一个笑到的人》和《任务大师》），而不是一味采用显而易见的舞台和麦克风设置，或是像（已被砍掉的）《阿波罗现场》那样的平淡模式。不过，威尔金森和厄尔的表现略有瑕疵，尽管只是轻微的瑕疵。他们太过沉迷于这个创意本身，花了太多时间坐在沙发上，看着厄尔带威尔金森去《牢狱风云》的取景地，并像一对审看样片的执行制片人一样咯咯傻笑，决定最终的剪辑。比如，厄尔让朋友站在罗尼·巴克的旧居客厅里，是否让他感到一阵激动？又比如，探访早已拆除的排练场地时，他有何感受？为何在那一刻流泪，而非其他时刻？我更想听到的是，巴克笔下那个胖乎乎的囚犯弗莱彻，以及理查德·贝金塞尔饰演的可爱戈德伯，究竟触动了威尔金森内心的哪一根弦。尽管如此，节目中仍有一些令人愉悦的片段，尽管有些部分显得有些奇怪。

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BBC逍遥音乐会 第三电台，8.10pm

一场双重音乐会拉开帷幕，首先是一场在米德尔斯堡录制的音乐会，该场次是“逍遥音乐会全英巡演”系列的一部分。演出嘉宾包括上图的The Unthanks乐队，以及English Teacher、康纳·J·奥布莱恩和乔迪·尼科尔森，由皇家北方交响乐团在埃莉·斯洛拉赫的指挥下伴奏。10.15pm将现场直播“非洲天空下的逍遥音乐会：格雷斯兰之歌”，纪念保罗·西蒙专辑《格雷斯兰》发行40周年。西蒙在该专辑的合作者——拉迪史密斯黑人曼巴佐合唱团及其嘉宾将与Nu Civilisation管弦乐团同台演出。洛帕·科萨里主持这场音乐会。 克莱尔·伍德沃德

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大卫·厄尔和乔·威尔金森重现了《牢狱风云》中的牢房场景

泰晤士广播电台 数字、网络、智能音箱、应用程序

5.00 汤姆·努南 6.00 凯特·麦卡恩和斯蒂格·阿贝尔主持《泰晤士广播早餐》 10.00 埃德·维齐 1.00 《泰晤士午间播报》，塞巴斯蒂安·佩恩主持 2.00 简·加维和菲·格洛弗 4.00 约翰·皮纳尔主持《泰晤士广播下班路》 7.00 凯特·博赛主持《晚间版》 10.00 卡罗尔·沃克 1.00 《泰晤士广播精选》

第二电台 FM：88-90.2 MHz 6.30 萨拉·考克斯 9.30 弗农·凯 12.00 杰里米·瓦因 2.00 DJ斯普尼 4.00 乔尔·多米特 7.00 乔·怀利 9.00 马克·拉德克利夫主持《民谣秀》 10.00 梅尔文·奥多姆 12.00 康纳·菲利普斯 3.00 《90年代舞曲》（重播） 4.00 欧文·温·埃文斯

第三电台 FM：90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30 早餐节目 9.30 经典必听 1.00 《古典现场》 伊丽莎白·阿尔克介绍逍遥音乐会精选，包括斯克里亚宾的音乐、2026年赖德尔音乐节的室内乐表演，以及来自弗里堡的巴洛克音乐。 BBC逍遥音乐会：柴可夫斯基（D大调小提琴协奏曲，作品35）；国际圣乐音乐节（弗里堡）：加卢皮（Nisi Dominus）；BBC逍遥音乐会：斯克里亚宾（C大调第二交响曲）；赖德尔音乐节：瓦格纳（改编自A.博纳尔迪）（《韦森东克之歌》） 3.00 晚祷 来自伦敦圣詹姆斯皮卡迪利教堂，由“创世纪十六”合唱团演唱，音乐包括拉絮斯和埃奥汉·德斯蒙德的作品。罗伯特·昆尼担任管风琴手

4.00 《本周作曲家》： 莫扎特（1756-1791） 凯特·莫勒森探讨影响莫扎特及其音乐的五位人物，继续介绍成为其导师和父亲般存在的约瑟夫·海顿 5.00 《和谐之声》 6.00 2026年BBC逍遥音乐会现场直播 黄家俊指挥哈雷管弦乐团演奏拉威尔和拉赫玛尼诺夫的作品，钢琴家亚历山德拉·达里斯库加入演奏娜迪亚·布朗热富有诗意的《钢琴幻想曲》。拉威尔配器：科林·马修斯（《钟之谷》）；布朗热（《钢琴与乐队幻想曲》） 6.25 中场休息 6.45 拉赫玛尼诺夫（E小调第2交响曲） 8.10 2026年BBC逍遥音乐会精选 The Unthanks及其好友与皇家北方交响乐团合作，录制于米德尔斯堡市政厅的音乐会。由伊丽莎白·阿尔克主持。The Unthanks、English Teacher、乔迪·尼科尔森、皇家北方交响乐团，指挥埃莉·斯洛拉赫 10.15 2026年BBC逍遥音乐会现场直播 拉迪史密斯黑妈妈巴佐及嘉宾庆祝保罗·西蒙《恩赐之地》专辑发行40周年。由洛帕·卡萨里主持，伦敦皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅现场 11.45 《午夜旋律》 12.30am 《穿越夜晚》（重播） 12.48 航运预报

Radio 4 FM：92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am 新闻摘要 5.04 《BBC科学内幕》（重播） 5.34 航运预报 5.43 每日祈祷 5.45 《今日农业》 6.00 《今日》 9.00 《另辟蹊径》 马修·赛义德探讨为何积极态度常成为应对困难消息的默认反应（4 / 8）

9.30 《打破循环》 科林和D开始制作，但仍受诱惑继续从事利润丰厚的毒品生意（2 / 6） 10.00 《女性时间》 11.00 《罗马尼亚赎金》（重播） 11.40 《本周历史》 11.45 《托尼·霍克斯一毛不拔》 托尼听取关于遗产纠纷的故事（3 / 5）（重播） 12.04pm 《你与你的》 1.00 《全球一瞥》 1.45 《生活必需品》 探讨珀斯郡高脚屋的建造（3 / 5） 2.00 《弓箭手》（重播） 2.15 广播剧：《联合王国》 五部以“希望”为主题的短剧（3 / 5）（重播） 2. 3.00 《珍贵宝石》（重播） 3.30 《我们体内的海洋》 探讨人体为何含有如此多水分 4.00 《罪恶的力量》（3 / 5）（重播） 4.00 5 4.15 《媒体秀》 5.00 《PM》 6.00 六点新闻 6.30 《最佳良药》（2 / 6） 7.00 《弓箭手》 7.15 《前线》 8.00 《反社会》（5 / 6）（重播） 8.45 《希望咖啡馆》 全科医生苏珊·塔赫里讨论“成长良好花园”（6 / 7）（重播） 9.00 《无形之手》 一封电报引发冷战的男人（2 / 6）（重播） 9.30 《健康内幕》（5 / 6）（重播） 10.00 《今夜世界》 10.45 《睡前读书：威克菲尔德牧师》（3 / 10） 11.00 《苏尼尔·帕特尔：傻瓜长生指南》 苏尼尔尝试生育孩子（5 / 6） 11.15 《跟随兔子》（2 / 5）（重播） 11.30 《好莱坞与广告界五人组》（3 / 4） 12.00 新闻与天气

1. 12.30am 《托尼·霍克斯一毛不拔》（3 / 5）（重播） 12.48 航运预报 1.00 BBC国际频道

Radio 4 Extra 仅数字频道 8.00am 《布里奇特·克里斯蒂：凡人》 8.30 《跟随帕帕诺》 8.45 《小岛》 9.00 《最佳良药》 9.30 《酒馆背后》 9.45 《每日礼拜》 10.00 《影院之声》 11.00 《等待游戏》 11.30 《谁杀了奥尔德里奇·肯普？》 12.00 《亨利之后》 12.30pm 《汉考克半小时》 1.00 《布里奇特·克里斯蒂：凡人》 1.30 《跟随帕帕诺》 1.45 《小岛》 2.00 《终极抉择》 2.30 《无处可去》 3.00 《地海巫师》 4.00 《影院之声》 5.00 《等待游戏》 5.30 《谁杀了奥尔德里奇·肯普？》 6.00 《亨利之后》 6.30 《汉考克半小时》 7.00 《布里奇特·克里斯蒂：凡人》 7.30 《跟随帕帕诺》 7.45 《小岛》 8.00 《终极抉择》 8.30 《无处可去》 9.00 《地海巫师》 10.00 《喜剧俱乐部：最佳良药》 10.30 《米奇·本恩的音乐罪行》 11.00 《戴夫·波德莫尔的板球之夜》 11.30 《拨打M点餐披萨》

Radio 5 Live MW：693, 909 5.00am 《唤醒金钱》 6.00 5 《早餐直播》 9.00 尼基·坎贝尔 11.00 萨拉-简·米 14.00 马特·乔利 16.00 《5 Live驾车时间》 19.00 板球 21.30 《体育最离奇犯罪》…… 22.00 约翰尼·伊安森 1.00am 多顿·阿德巴约

这笔预算（实际上高达£8,000,）的大部分都花在了重建巴克和戈德伯的牢房布景上，该布景曾接待过克里斯托弗·比金斯的重头戏访问——他当时饰演监狱厨师（兼编织工）卢克沃姆。不过这倒不算意外，因为我们已经在片头字幕中见过他了。但为何没有对卢克沃姆作为英国情景喜剧中开创性的同性恋角色表示任何致敬？又为何要用一辆黑色出租车将威尔金森从巴克的旧居所在地运到伊灵制片厂，还带着一个并不特别相像且沉默不语的巴克替身？厄尔不停地谈论要“复活”这部剧的“幽灵”，甚至连他的好友都听烦了。尽管这两人都很讨人喜欢，但这更像是他们的一次体验，而非观众的。就连他们与克莱门特和拉弗雷奈的闲聊也没能带来什么特别惊喜。是的，他们从一位真正的前囚犯那里得到了关于监狱生活就是一系列小胜利的想法。是的，他们为这部剧至今仍被喜爱而感到受宠若惊，没有人会说自己当时就知道它会如此受欢迎（所有电视人都会这样说，以免显得自大）。后续关于《办公室》和《弗尔蒂塔》的剧集会更好，但这集开篇却暴露了这一模式的缺陷——它太过迷恋自己的聪明，又被自身的自负所束缚，甚至连典狱长的赦免都无法让它解脱。

10.00 亚当·卡特拉尔 & 达拉·麦克安东尼 1. 00pm 马克斯·拉什登 & 查理·贝克 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 转会内幕 10.00 体育酒吧 1.00am 保罗·罗斯的《加时赛》

Talk 仅数字平台 6. 00am 伊恩·柯林斯 10.00 朱莉娅·哈特利·布鲁尔 1.00pm 马克·多兰 4.00 凯文·奥沙利文 7.00 彼得·卡德韦尔 10.00 彼得里·霍斯肯 1.00am 保罗·罗斯

6 Music 仅数字平台 5. 00am 克里斯·霍金斯 7.00 尼克·格里姆肖 10.00 劳伦·拉弗恩 1.00pm 克雷格·查尔斯 4.00 埃米莉·皮尔比姆 7.00 《每日新音乐精选》 9.00 赖利 & 科 11.00 6 Music驻场艺术家：埃兹拉乐团 12.00 《怪异区播放列表》 1.00am 《本期文化生活》 2. 00 《本期文化生活》 3.00 6 Music现场时刻 4.00 6 Music点唱机

维珍电台 6.30am 史蒂夫·德尼尔主持《克里斯·埃文斯早餐秀》并加入《理财盒》 10.00 艾玛·B 2.00pm 本·琼斯 6.00 杰夫·劳埃德 10.00 戈尔迪罗克斯 2.00am 斯图·埃尔莫尔

Classic FM 调频：100-102 MHz 6.30am 丹·沃克 9.00 《名人堂时刻》 10.00 阿莱德·琼斯 1.00pm 安妮-玛丽·明霍尔 4.00 玛格丽塔·泰勒 7.00 佐布·索恩斯主持《轻松晚间》 9.00 佐布·索恩斯主持《古典FM作曲家旋转木马》 10.00 《宁静古典》 1.00am 比尔·奥弗顿 4.00 早间早餐

第72页

今日精选

玛丽·比尔德回忆——

《终极罗马：无限帝国》

BBC4, 8.55pm

2016年，玛丽·比尔德主持了《终极罗马：无限帝国》系列节目，探讨“意大利中部一个不起眼的小牧牛镇”是如何成为一个帝国超级大国的。在这期节目中，这位古典学家分享了她参与制作该系列的回忆，讨论了她希望如何

BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 Channel 4 5 6.00am 早餐 9.30 动物园 (r) (AD) 10.15 追踪，定位，找回我的车 (r) 10.45 专家证人 (r) 11.15 锤下求家 (r) (AD) 12.15pm 寻宝猎人 (r) (AD) 1.00 BBC一点新闻；天气 1.35 BBC地方新闻；天气 1.45 BBC一点新闻；天气 2.00 变废为宝。莎拉·摩尔尝试通过翻新展示柜来欺骗眼睛 2.45 逃离乡村。索纳莉·沙阿在东米德兰兹寻找适合买家的房产，这对买家过去23年来一直居住在美国 (r) 3.45 竞价室。揭开一个包含400年历史的小包裹 4.30 答题跑。由杰森·曼福德主持的问答节目 5.15 无意义问答。由亚历山大·阿姆斯特朗和康妮·胡克主持 (r) 6.00 BBC六点新闻；天气 6.30 BBC地方新闻；天气

7.00 《一周秀》 由亚历克斯·琼斯和弗农·凯主持

7.30 《东区人》 马克试图赢得劳伦的注意，而希拉则开始实施她的计划 (AD)

8.00 《修理店》 专家修复阿森纳海布里球场的一对原装座椅、一枚二战时期损坏的挂坠、一本1909年的商店账簿，以及一个模型村庄的小教堂 (r) (AD)

9.00 《全天候谋杀》 第二集（共两集）。纪录片跟踪警方试图对马修·乔纳森的谋杀案建立起诉——以及那枚血脚印如何成为突破口 (6 / 8) (AD)

10.00 BBC十点新闻

10.30 BBC地方新闻和天气 10.40 电影：《诚邀出席》（15, 2025） 两场不同的婚礼派对意外发现他们在同一天预订了同一个梦想场地。喜剧，主演威尔·法瑞尔、瑞茜·威瑟斯彭和梅雷迪思·哈格纳。详见影片选择

12.25am 《热门歌曲榜》 名人特辑 马文和罗谢尔·休姆斯主持，电台主持人克洛伊·伯罗斯和说唱歌手艾奇、角斗士明星军刀和氮气，以及《艾默戴尔》演员丽莎·赖利和多米尼克·布伦特在快节奏音乐问答中竞赛 (r) 1.15-6.00 BBC新闻

强调罗马帝国的多样性和地理覆盖范围。第一集将于今晚9.10重播，探索罗马最早作为流亡者和外来者的庇护所的起源，之后比尔德前往希腊和法国。不过，首先听她回忆在各地拍摄节目的经历，回忆糟糕的天气、在塞维利亚大教堂外躺着尴尬地阅读铭文，以及披萨的历史用途。维多利亚·西格尔

6.30am 变废为宝 (r) 7.15 竞价室 (r) 8.00 手语区：《伟大的日本铁路之旅》(r) (AD, SL) 8.30 《伟大的欧洲大陆铁路之旅》(r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC新闻 1.00pm 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏之家。与肖恩·弗莱彻、路易斯·明钦、克里斯·华盛顿和金伯利·怀亚特一起 (r) 1.30 《终点线》。问答节目 (r) 2.15 《你了解你的位置吗？》(r) 2.45 直播板球：《百球板球赛：特伦特火箭女队 vs 伯明翰凤凰女队》（开赛时间3.00）。特伦特桥球场的比赛直播。去年这两支球队在埃德巴斯顿交锋时，凤凰队赢得了掷硬币并选择先击球，最终在100球内拿下148 / 5的总分，这一成绩足以让他们获胜，因为火箭队在他们的局中仅差11分，尽管娜特·斯基弗-布伦特在40个球中拿下64分

6.00 直播板球：《百球板球赛：特伦特

Rockets Men v Birmingham Phoenix 男子组（开赛时间 6.30） 诺丁汉特伦特桥球场的比赛报道。上赛季，火箭队在埃德巴斯顿球场与凤凰队的交锋中，凭借快速投球手洛基·弗格森的出色表现，以 6 个三柱门的优势获胜。弗格森在 20 个球内拿下 3 个三柱门，帮助球队将凤凰队限制在 122 / 6，火箭队则提前 22 个球完成目标。

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9.30 《Live at the Apollo》 瑞亚·莉娜主持喜剧节目，介绍露西·博蒙特和乔什·普（2 / 7）（重播）

10.00 《大案纪实——殡仪馆惊魂》 揭露一名殡仪员如何背叛家属。查看今日精选（含音频描述）

10.30 《Newsnight》 维多利亚·德比希尔主持的头条分析

11.05 《诡异事件》 丹尼·罗宾斯遇到的最令人不安的案件之一：一栋学生公寓被认为闹鬼，且鬼魂怀有恶意（3 / 3）（重播）（含音频描述）

12.05am 《家族之恶：露比·弗兰克的堕落》 露比与乔迪的合作关系加深，共同重塑家庭（重播）（含音频描述） 12.55-1.50 《无声时段：阿米蒂维尔起源》 罗尼·德费奥 Jr 被控谋杀，其家人被发现遭枪杀（重播）（含音频描述、手语）

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本期节目将展示两种截然不同的房屋改造项目。Tinie Tempah 首先探访一对夫妇，他们斥资高达 £3.5 百万英镑，将自家住宅打造成马贝拉风格的豪华度假村，配备泳池别墅、夜总会、健康空间、火坑和户外厨房。邻居们可真有福气。与此同时，在伦敦西南部，我们跟进另一对夫妇的改造进展，他们希望……

6.00am 《早安英国》 10.00 《今日秀》 名人访谈、生活特辑、建议及竞赛 1.30pm ITV 新闻；天气 2.00 《迪金森的真实交易》 大卫·迪金森及团队来到奥尔德姆，西蒙·施耐德被迫为一对精美烛台一掷千金（重播）（含音频描述） 3.00 《交易与否》 斯蒂芬·马尔赫恩主持，又一位参赛者尝试按正确顺序打开 22 个红盒子，挑战臭名昭著的“银行家”，争夺改变人生的现金大奖（重播）（含音频描述） 4,00 《临界点》 本·谢泼德主持的街机主题问答节目，参赛者将代币投入四条滑槽之一，争夺 £10,000 头奖（重播） 5.00 《追逐》 布拉德利·沃尔什主持，来自格拉斯哥、萨里、埃塞克斯和莱斯特的参赛者联手，希望四个大脑能战胜一个（重播） 6,00 地方新闻；天气 6.30 ITV 新闻；天气

7.30 《交易与否：银行家的最佳对决》 斯蒂芬·马尔赫恩回顾两场参赛者与臭名昭著的“银行家”之间的精彩对决

8.00 《艾默戴尔》 一家人决定为狗狗举办一场体面的告别仪式（含音频描述）

8.30 《加冕街》 基特向贝萨妮透露加里在萨拉犯罪案中的角色（含音频描述）

9.00 《谁想成为百万富翁？》 杰里米·克拉克森主持的高额奖金问答节目，又一批参赛者回答可能改变人生的问题（重播）

10.00 《ITV 十点新闻》；天气；随后为地方新闻

10.45 《失散家庭：无迹可寻》 达维娜·麦考尔和尼基·坎贝尔调查 1983 年和 1960 年分别在莱斯特和伦敦发现的弃婴案件（重播）（含音频描述）

11.45 《集会》 饶舌歌手艾奇接受神经多样性人士采访（5 / 8）（重播）

12.10am 《电视购物》 3.00 《爱与死亡》 阿伦多次致电贝蒂无人接听，开始担忧（重播）（含音频描述、手语） 3.50 《朗汉酒店内幕：英国首家豪华酒店》（重播）（含音频描述、手语） 4.15 《放松时刻》 5.35-6.00 《汤姆·克里奇烹饪意大利》 汤姆在翁布里亚寻觅松露（重播）（含音频描述、手语）

《非凡扩建》 第四频道，晚 8 点

6.30am 《国王与王后》（重播）（听障辅助） 7.45 《人人都爱雷蒙德》（重播）（听障辅助） 9.10 《欢乐一家亲》（重播）（听障辅助） 11.10 《地狱厨房之噩梦美国版》（重播） 12.05pm 第四频道新闻摘要 12.10 《寻宝修复卖》。亨利·科尔和西蒙·奥布莱恩前往萨福克（重播）（听障辅助） 1.10 《大房改造》。一对首次翻修的夫妇接手安格尔西的一栋复式平房（重播） 2.10 《倒计时》。主持人阿德·阿德皮坦 3.00 《阳光下的家园》。本·希尔曼帮助来自克拉克顿海滨的一对夫妇在西班牙阿尔梅里亚寻找永久住所（重播） 4.00 《佩内洛普·基思拯救乡村庄园》。什罗普郡伊丽莎白时代皮奇福德庄园的主人对庄园内危险的落水洞感到困惑（重播）（听障辅助） 5.00 《城堡DIY》。一对新城堡主人发现了一个令人不快的意外（重播）（听障辅助） 6.00 《美国淘宝猎人》。迈克·沃尔夫向街机游戏女王“吉普赛奶奶”发起攻势（重播）（听障辅助）

7.00 第四频道新闻

8.00 《超凡扩建》。一对夫妇将他们的萨里郡住宅改造成马贝拉风格的派对场所，配有舞池和泳池屋。此外，伦敦还展示了实验性的中国木结构建筑。今日精选节目（听障辅助）

9.00 《未宣之战》。芭芭拉受到查理的审视，GCHQ遭遇悲剧。与此同时，丹尼、萨拉和罗兹试图帮助瓦迪姆逃脱，丹尼还发现了一个震惊世人的秘密（5 / 6集）（听障辅助）

10.00 《未宣之战》。丹尼孤注一掷纠正错误，罗兹和团队争分夺秒寻找恶意软件的搜索目标。本系列最终集（听障辅助）

11.00 《24小时急诊室》。一名21岁男子在摩托车事故后被紧急送医，腿部和肺部受伤。一名69岁的“闭锁综合征”患者呼吸困难（6 / 7集）（重播）（听障辅助）

12.05am 《名人追捕》（重播）（听障辅助，隐藏字幕） 1.50 《地狱厨房之噩梦美国版》（重播）（隐藏字幕） 2.40 《独裁者：希特勒访谈录》（重播）（听障辅助，隐藏字幕） 3.30 《多佛24小时》（重播）（听障辅助，隐藏字幕） 4.30 《宏伟设计》（重播）（听障辅助，隐藏字幕） 5.20 《科斯蒂和菲尔的爱它还是卖它：精彩改造》（重播）（听障辅助，隐藏字幕） 5.50-6.30 《倒计时》（重播）

为他们的联排别墅带来实验性的中国木结构建筑风格。乔·克莱

《山谷之声》

天空艺术 / Now频道，晚上8点

“这是自豪与认同的声音……这是兄弟情谊。”一位威尔士男声合唱团成员如是说。该系列纪录片共三集，跟踪三个来自威尔士不同地区的合唱团，以及他们的——

6.00am 《牛奶秀！》 9.15 《杰里米·瓦因秀》 11.30 《风暴与亚历克西斯》 12.45pm 《午间5新闻》 12.50 《马特·奥尔赖特》 2.15 电影：《谋杀小镇》（PG级，电视电影，2023年）。一对夫妇在穿越沙漠的公路旅行中抛锚，前往附近小镇时，其中一人突然失踪。惊悚片，主演凯莉·鲁勒 4.00 《城堡》。卡斯尔的一个老朋友雇他调查丈夫是否出轨，但当他目睹她被杀时，却无法证明发生了谋杀（重播） 4.55 《自然之爱》。外赫布里底群岛圣基尔达岛上的大西洋海鹦群（重播） 5.00 5 《丹·沃克主持5新闻》 6.00 《马略卡岛：阳光下的一年》。镜头聚焦一位米其林星级外籍厨师，他致力于推广马略卡岛的顶级食材；同时，一群志愿者勇敢探索未知（重播） 6.55 5 《5新闻更新》

7.00 《扣车警察》。独家深入扣车场、警方、地方议会执法机构及全国性组织，追踪因各种违法行为被扣押的车辆（6 / 8集）（重播）

7.55 《5新闻更新》

8.00 《急诊24 / 7：分秒必争》。一名前护士因疑似踝关节脱臼被送医，急救人员紧急接诊一名心率过低的70岁老人。本系列最终集

9.00 《999：危急状况》。一名女子在车祸后可能瘫痪，一名男子需接受危及生命的手术，切除头部肿瘤

10.00 《救护车：红色警报》。急救人员接到报警：一名男子在酒店浴室晕倒，两名摩托车手迎面相撞，以及一名腿部骨折的女子（重播）（听障辅助）

11.05 死因调查 兰开夏警方

调查一名男子的尸体在田野中被发现的情况，其部分耳朵缺失，且被发现时躺在自己的威灵顿靴上（8 / 10）（重播）

12.05am 《急诊室之夜》（重播）（音频描述）1.00 《邮轮电视与LoveitBookit》（重播）2.00 《全科医生：幕后故事》（重播）2.50 《城堡》（重播） 3.40 《老友记》。美国喜剧（重播）4.35 《高地兽医》（重播）（字幕）5.25 5 5.35 《米洛》（重播）（字幕）5.45-6.00 《帕丁顿熊历险记》（重播）（字幕）

[...OMITTED...]

第73页

指挥家们（其中1.位是女性）正在为合唱日历上的重要活动做准备。与同类纪录片一样，这部作品既关注人物，也关注他们的技艺，描绘了威尔士的生活以及去工业化社区中男性面临的问题。 乔·克莱

《殡仪馆的恐怖》

BBC2，10.pm

2025年，Legacy独立殡仪馆的老板罗伯特·布什因阻碍30起“合法且体面”的葬礼，并涉嫌与更多骨灰相关的欺诈行为被起诉。本期《重大案件》跟踪调查过程，披露了警方突袭时发现的惊人画面：35具腐烂遗体、167套人类骨灰，以及大范围的欺诈行为。部分受害家庭现身说法，揭露他们被交付了陌生人的遗骸，而逝者的个人物品则被随意“丢弃”。JC

BBC4

7.00pm 《大不列颠铁路之旅》。约克至斯基普顿（AD） 7.30 《韦恩赖特漫步》（AD） 8.00 《古罗马的宝藏》。纪录片（2 / 3） 8.55 《玛丽·比尔德回顾——终极罗马：无限帝国》。这位历史学家回顾她2016年的系列节目。见今日精选 9.10 《玛丽·比尔德的终极罗马：无限帝国》。探讨罗马帝国的神话与革命。见今日精选（） 10.10 《我，克劳迪斯》（3 / 12） 11.05 《我，克劳迪斯》（4 / 12） 11.55 《古罗马的宝藏》。探讨性与暴力在罗马艺术中的描绘（2 / 3） 12.55am 《韦恩赖特漫步》（） 1.55 《玛丽·比尔德的终极罗马：无限帝国》（，SL） 2.55am-3.25 《大不列颠铁路之旅》。约克至斯基普顿（，SL）

BBC3

U&Drama

7.00 《追赶潮流》 7.05 《致命60》 7.30 《致命60》 8.00 《疯狂汽车秀》。莲花T125与拆除挑战 9.00 《疯狂汽车秀》。穿越澳大利亚北领地的公路之旅 10.00 《盖伊·蒙哥马利的盖伊蒙拼字大赛》。新系列。汉娜·加兹比和劳埃德·朗福德加入喜剧演员阵容，挑战电视上最愚蠢的拼字测试 10.50 《盖伊·蒙哥马利的盖伊蒙拼字大赛》。新一轮喜剧演员通过拼字闯关约会环节 11.40 《恐龙》（） 12.05 《恐龙》（）1.00 《杰西·纳尔逊：局外人》（）2.00 《詹姆斯·阿瑟：走出我们的思维》（重播）（）3.00-4.00 《扎拉·麦克德莫特：饮食失调》（，SL）

PBS America

《变奏曲》

BBC1 Scotland 12.25 《苏格兰播报》（重播）12.55-1.45 《名单大作战名人特辑》（重播）

BBC1 Wales 8.00 《转变节俭》（重播）8.30-9.00 《我们的生活：乐队中最后的矿工》10.40 《卧底：癌症治疗还是骗局？》11.00 电影：《诚邀出席》（2025）12.45 《名单大作战名人特辑》（重播） 1.30-6.00 BBC新闻

直播

BBC2 Northern Ireland 9.30-10.00 《乐队》（重播）

STV 9.00-10.00 《验尸官：STV播放器独家呈现》

赫尔的董事罗伯特·布什被控阻碍30起“合法且体面”的葬礼，并涉嫌与更多骨灰相关的欺诈。本期《重大案件》跟踪调查过程，披露了警方突袭时发现的惊人画面：35具腐烂遗体、167套人类骨灰，以及大范围的欺诈行为。部分受害家庭现身说法，揭露他们被交付了陌生人的遗骸，而逝者的个人物品则被随意“丢弃”。乔·克莱

[——原文在此截断——]

ITV2

6.00 《后院改造》（SL） 6.30 《盛装打扮》（AD, SL） 7.30 《盐湖城主妇》 8.20 《橙县主妇》 9.20 《唯有英伦》 10.15 《恋爱时代》 11.10 《圣女魔咒》 12. 《一掷千金》（AD） 1.10 《超市大作战》 2.10 《美国地板王》（） 3.10 《唯有英伦》 4.10 《盐湖城主妇》。前往圣托里尼的旅行以一场戏剧性的最终晚宴收场 5.00 《橙县主妇》 6.00 《名人猜谜秀》（） 7.00 《美国地板王》（） 8.00 《1%俱乐部》（） 9.00 《恶搞之家》（） 11.35 《美国老爹》（） 12.35am 《鲍勃汉堡店》（） 1.00am-2.40 《橙县主妇》

11.15 《朗廷酒店内幕：英国首家豪华酒店》。首席执行官抵达 11.45pm-12.10am 《一掷千金：银行家最佳对决》

BBC Scotland

7. 《新闻》 7.30 《2024苏格兰年度最佳住宅》（重播） 8.00 《岛屿穿越》（重播） 9.00 《大卫·威尔逊的犯罪档案》（重播） 10.00 《河城》 10.30 《足球偶像》（重播） 11.00 《苏格兰播客》 11.30pm-12.00 《德斯不做冬季运动》（重播）

体育

S4C

6.00am 《Cyw》 10.00 《数字积木》（重播） 10.05 《克劳克和他的朋友们》（重播） 10.15 《戴安与洛利》（重播） 10.30 《国家诗歌音乐节》 12.00 《新闻》 12.05pm 《国家诗歌音乐节》 2.00 《新闻》 2.05 《国家诗歌音乐节》 7.30 《新闻》 7.50 《国家诗歌音乐节》 9.45 《人人有责》 10.45 《文学帐篷》 11.15pm-12.20am 《足球之家》（重播）

流媒体精选

《百年孤独》

Netflix

在第一季结尾处，随着何塞·阿尔卡蒂奥·布恩迪亚（Diego Vásquez）的去世，以及奥雷里亚诺·布恩迪亚上校（Claudio Cataño）在行刑队枪口下幸免于难，这部改编自加夫列尔·加西亚·马尔克斯1967年魔幻现实主义杰作的史诗级西班牙语剧集第二季兼最终季继续展开

More4

8. 《遗产猎人》 10.00 《四人同住》 12.40pm 《来吧，一起用餐》（） 3.20 《四人同住》 5.50 《汽车 SOS》（） 6.50 《汽车 SOS》（） 7.55 《宏伟设计》。诺福克一座形似两个巨大潜望镜的房屋（6 / 10）（） 9.00 《艾丽斯·罗伯茨探寻罗马帝国》。人类学家探索罗马帝国的关键遗址（） 10.00 《警察羁押室24小时：郊区屠夫》 10.00 24。两集中的第一集。一名74岁女性被谋杀的内幕（） 11.05 《警察羁押室24小时：郊区屠夫》 11.05 24（2 / 2）（） 12.10am 《999：前线》 1.15 《警察羁押室24小时：郊区屠夫》 1.15 24（） 2.20 《警察羁押室24小时：郊区屠夫》 2.20 24（）
9. 《阳光下的家园》 3.55

ITV3

6.00am 《乔治与米尔德里德》 7.05 经典《艾默戴尔》（AD） 8.40 经典《加冕街》（AD） 9.10 阿加莎·克里斯蒂的《大侦探波洛》（） 11.30 《心跳》（） 1.35pm 《谋杀调查》。犯罪剧（） 3.35 经典《艾默戴尔》（） 4.40 经典《加冕街》（） 5.50 《心跳》（） 8.00 《谋杀调查》。一场土地纠纷引发谋杀（） 10.00 《格兰切斯特》。一名来自知名女子学院的学生被发现死亡（1 / 6）（） 11.00 《格兰切斯特》。威尔和伦纳德目睹一起致命且蓄意的肇事逃逸（2 / 6）（） 11.50 《审判与报复》。三集剧。一名教师被发现死亡，其男友被捕（5 / 10） 12.50am 《威克利夫》 2.00am-2.25 《乔治与米尔德里德》

8.00am 《富饶的美洲》 8.35 《征服者：兴衰》 9.40 《海盗：传奇背后》 10.40 《铁幕：苏联占领下的生活》 11.55 《希特勒的黄金》 1.00pm 《富饶的美洲》 1.35 《征服者：兴衰》 2.35 《希特勒的黄金》 3.35 《海盗：传奇背后》 4.35 《铁幕：苏联占领下的生活》 5.50 《希特勒的黄金》 6.50 《征服者：兴衰》。纪录片 7.50 《海盗：传奇背后》 8.50 《铁幕：苏联占领下的生活》。揭示截至1949年，苏联对东欧的控制已达到全面程度（2 / 3） 10.00 《希特勒的黄金》 11.00 《海盗：传奇背后》 12.00 《铁幕：苏联占领下的生活》 1.15am-2.00 《富饶的美洲》

节奏庄重。这一次，闷热的奢华被一种荒凉的告别氛围所取代。这部剧依然奇特且令人不安，以多种微妙的方式重新演绎了历史家族传奇的陈词滥调。安德鲁·梅尔

电影推荐

《诚邀您》（15, 2024）

BBC1，10.40pm

编剧兼导演尼古拉斯·斯托勒将一个已被用滥的类型（）

今日节目

男子自行车世界巡回赛直播 TNT Sports 3，11.00am-3.45pm 2026年环波兰自行车赛第三赛段的报道

环法女子赛直播 TNT Sports 1，12.30pm-5.45 大环赛第五赛段的报道，140km路线从马孔到博若莱地区贝莱维尔

板球测试赛直播：西印度群岛对巴基斯坦 TNT Sports 2，2.30pm-11.00 第二场也是最终测试赛第四日在特立尼达和多巴哥皇后公园椭圆球场的报道

MLB直播：芝加哥小熊对洛杉矶道奇 TNT Sports 1，7.15pm-10.00 （开赛时间7.20）。全国联盟比赛的报道

网球直播 天空体育网球频道， 12midnight-4am 加拿大公开赛。ATP 1000蒙特利尔站和WTA 1000多伦多站第四日赛事的进一步报道

天空大西洋频道

6.00am 《鱼镇》（重播） 8.00 《亿万》（重播）（） 10.20 《激烈对抗》（重播）（） 12.30pm 《杀戮时刻：街头生涯》（重播） 2.30 《亿万》（重播）（） 4.40 《激烈对抗》（重播）（） 6.50 《企鹅》（重播）（） 7.55 《企鹅》。奥兹试图利用法尔科内和马罗尼家族为自己谋利（2 / 8）（重播）（） 9.00 《龙之家族》。权力的游戏前传，讲述坦格利安家族的故事。马特·史密斯和艾玛·达西主演（重播） 10.15 《车站十一》。米兰达回顾她与亚瑟和“十一博士”的关系（3 / 10）（重播） 11.15 《车站十一》（4 / 10）（重播） 12.15am 《真探：极夜追凶》（重播）（） 1.30 《某种方式》（重播）（） 2.00 《附身》。新剧集。超自然惊悚片，古古·姆巴塔-劳主演（） 4.05 《亿万》（重播）（） 5.10am-6.00 《都市秘密》（重播）

影视放送

6.00 电影：《桑多坎：马来西亚海盗》（PG级，1964年） 8.10 电影：《有罪？》（PG级，1956年）（黑白） 10.00 电影：《少数派的第一人》（U级，1942年）（黑白） 12.20pm 《苏格兰场》 1.00 《海盗》（黑白） 1.35 《20世纪50年代伦敦运河之旅》 1.45 电影：《飞黄腾达》（U级，1956年）（黑白） 3.30 《看生活》 3.45 《拨打999》（黑白） 4.20 电影：《钟声响起》（U级，1943年）（黑白） 6.10 《这就是伦敦》 6.30 《给我们线索》 7.00 《城外》 7.30 《旅行者》（6 / 7） 8.35 《海外英伦人》 9.50 电影：《乱世忠魂》（PG级，1953年）第二次世界大战剧情片，主演伯特·兰卡斯特（黑白） 12.10am 电影：《勇者无惧》（U级，1952年）（黑白） 2.00 电影：《午夜访客》（15, 1971年） 4.00-5.00 《西部驿站》（黑白）

ITV4 6.00 《天龙特攻队》（AD） 8.05 《邓普西与梅克皮斯》（AD） 9.05 《布恩》 10.15 《职业特工队》（） 11.25 《罗宾汉》 12.30pm 《天龙特攻队》（） 2.35 《邓普西与梅克皮斯》（） 3.40 《布恩》 4.50 《职业特工队》（） 5.55 《小人物》。阿瑟趁一名足球运动员失踪之际大捞一笔（） 7.00 《澳洲淘宝》。一批被评为澳洲最佳的纪念品收藏 8.00 《追逐者：名人特辑》。尼什·库马尔、克里斯·麦考斯兰、玛丽·厄普斯和亚历山大·阿姆斯特朗参与 9.00 电影：《机械战警》（18, 1987年）科幻惊悚片，主演彼得·韦勒 11.05 《全精英摔角：碰撞》。来自美国的激烈对决 1.05am 《小人物》（，SL） 2.00am-3.00 《职业特工队》（，SL）

Sky Docs 6.00 《2000年代》（重播） 7.00 《发现：布鲁斯·威利斯》（重播）（） 8.00 《导演们》（重播）（） 9.00 100 《百浪潮》（重播）（） 10.00 《喜剧俱乐部》（重播）（） 11.05 《UFO》（重播）（） 12.00 《周先生别名》 1.50pm 《我的偶像：帕姆·库基》（重播）（） 2.00 电影：《喷火战机》（PG级，2018年）英国单座战斗机“喷火战斗机”的故事 4.00 《导演们》（重播）（） 5.00 《发现：布鲁斯·威利斯》（重播）（） 5.55 《肯尼迪：命运背叛》（重播） 7.00 《外星人尸检丑闻》。关于一段据称拍摄了外星人的影片的纪录片（重播）（） 8.00 《Blur：终点》（重播） 10.00 《被骗：谎言背后的真相》（1 / 3）（重播）（） 11.00 《邮局谋杀案》（重播） 12.00 《邮局谋杀案》（重播） 2.00am-5.00 《皇后区之王：Run DMC的故事》（重播）

一部婚礼喜剧，将整个故事生动且令人捧腹地呈现出来。瑞茜·威瑟斯彭和威尔·法瑞尔饰演一场周末婚礼噩梦中的对手，当两场紧张的婚礼意外被预订在同一天、同一个位于佐治亚州的小岛上（岛上还有鳄鱼）时，混乱接踵而至。法瑞尔饰演第一位新娘的父亲，威瑟斯彭则是第二位新娘的强势姐姐。笑料密集程度惊人。（109分钟）埃德·波顿

Film4

11. 《我的间谍》（12, 2020） 由戴夫·巴蒂斯塔主演的喜剧
12. 《猴子大闹天宫》（U，1952） 由加里·格兰特主演的喜剧（黑白）（AD） 2.50 《血战红河》（U，1954） 由范·约翰逊主演的西部片 4.35 《天知道，阿利森先生》（PG，1957） 由罗伯特·米彻姆和德博拉·蔻儿主演的二战浪漫剧情片 6.40 《钢木兰》（PG，1989） 由萨莉·菲尔德、朱莉娅·罗伯茨和多莉·帕顿主演的剧情片（AD） 9.00 《生死时速》（15, 1994） 一名警察试图拯救一辆公交车上的乘客，公交车被设定为时速低于50英里时会爆炸。由基努·里维斯和桑德拉·布洛克主演的动作惊悚片 11.15 《救护车》（15, 2022） 由杰克·吉伦哈尔主演的犯罪剧情片（） 2.00-3.45 《滑雪惊魂》（15, 2020） 由朱莉娅·路易斯-德瑞弗斯、威尔·法瑞尔和米兰达·奥图主演的喜剧

6.00 电视购物 7.25 《警务风云》 8.15 《医生们》 9.25 《经典霍尔比市》 10.45 《急诊室》（） 11.45 《警务风云》 12.45 《经典东区人》 2.00 《邻居们》 3.00 《派在天上》 4.05 《洛夫乔伊》 5.20 《似水流年》 6.00 《最后的夏日葡萄酒》 7.20 《最后的夏日葡萄酒》 8.00 《邦尼菲斯修女探案》（） 9.00 《切尔西侦探》。艾玛承认，当父亲与她的朋友有染时，父女之间产生了巨大裂痕，但她否认谋杀了他（6 / 9）（） 10.00 《新神探》。小组重新调查一名政治活动家失踪案（6 / 8）（） 11.20 《卢瑟》。侦探面临停职（3 / 6）（） 12.40 《洛夫乔伊》 1.50 《邦尼菲斯修女探案》（） 2.50-4.00 《波尔图酒店》（SL）

U&Yesterday

6. 《废弃工程》（） 8.00 《经典车修复》（） 10.00 《纳粹秘密基地》 11.00 《奥斯威辛：纳粹与最终解决方案》 12.00 《古董巡回秀》 2.00 《经典车修复》（） 4.00 《纳粹秘密基地》 5.00 《奥斯威辛：纳粹与最终解决方案》 6.00 《古董巡回秀》 7.00 《绿色星球》。植物在季节变化中茁壮成长的方法（） 8.00 《迈克尔·佩林：终生旅行》。迈克尔·佩林重温其旅行系列，从《环游世界80天》开始 9.00 《西蒙·里夫的南美之旅》 10.00 《经典车修复》（） 12.00 《经典车修复：古董车复原》（） 1.00 《淘宝修理铺》（） 2.00-3.00 《废弃工程》（）

第74页

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扑克 拜伦·雅各布斯

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平静的代价

上周的文章讨论了一个适用于现金局（而非锦标赛）的有趣概念，如今大多数平台都在常规提供这一选项。有时会出现参与底池的玩家之一全下（即无法继续下注）的情况。此时游戏暂停，牌面亮出，剩余公共牌发出。最终拥有最佳牌型的玩家赢得底池。显然，这一环节完全由运气决定。当玩家的牌亮出后，可以计算每位玩家在底池中的权益。这看似复杂，但软件能即时完成。假设底池（为方便计算）正好为$100。也许结果接近：玩家A有55%权益，玩家B有45%。任何一方都可以“变现”其权益（A获得$55，B获得$45）。无需双方同意即可执行。若一方接受提议，另一方更倾向于“赌运气”，也可选择继续。

原则上，选择变现与否并无区别。单局输赢不定，但长期来看，运气会趋于均衡。用扑克术语来说，这是“中性EV决策”。EV指“期望值”，每个扑克决策都应以最大化EV为目标。然而，关键因素在于：平台不会免费提供这项服务。如果选择

制胜一招

KenKen 中等 No 6903

使用

兑现时，你需支付一小笔 “管理费”，通常为1%， 这会立即改变期望值（EV）的情况。现在兑现 会产生（少量）负 期望值，而让牌继续发则是中性的。 这里开始变得有趣。上述论点完全成立， 意味着选择兑现与支付$101购买$100钞票一样合理。 假设一名经验丰富的玩家知道该网站收取这笔费用（在牌桌上出现该提议时并未特别强调）， 他们肯定永远不会接受——对吧？未必。 有时甚至经验丰富的玩家 也会接受这个提议，尽管他们完全清楚自己在做什么。为什么？ 答案与损失厌恶有关。想象你在$100的底池中并非约50 / 50的胜率， 而是你手持K-K，对手持10-10， 公共牌为J-9-4-4，还有一张牌待发。只有10会 让你输掉比赛，而你有超过95 %的胜率。如果你不选择兑现的“保险”， 你冒着损失$95的风险， 只为追求额外的$5。如果你知道 输掉这局会让你感到不安（理论上不应该，但除非你是斯多葛哲学家， 否则说起来容易做起来难），并会对你未来的 发挥产生严重负面影响，你可能更愿意承受 小额损失以保持情绪平静。有时我们都愿意 付出一点代价来避免心理上的不适。扑克玩家也不例外。

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白方行棋。 此局面来自Zierk- Hnatyshyn，chess.com 2026。

乍看之下，这似乎是一个 简单的局面。黑方f5格的马受到威胁， 似乎没有充分理由不走1 gxf5。然而， 1 gxf5会被1 ... Qg4+应对， 也许出人意料的是， 黑方的反击足以通过长将 确保和棋。白方找到了一个更具创意的解决方案。你能看出来吗？

密码字谜 No 5911

这个类似填字游戏的网格中，每个字母由1到26的数字表示。

字母表中的每个字母在网格中至少出现一次。利用已提供的字母

推断出其他字母的身份。在主网格和较小的参考网格中填入字母，

直到字母表中的26个字母全部

被填入。专有名词不包括在内。昨日答案，右侧

Cluelines 密码字谜卡住了？要获得4个随机提示，请拨打0901 293 6262或发送短信 TIMECODE至64343。通话费用为£1外加您的电话公司网络接入费。 短信费用为£1外加标准网络费用。要获取完整答案，请拨打 0905 757 0142。如果您有旧报纸并需要过去7天的提示， 请拨打0905 624 0024。拨打0905的通话费用为每分钟£1外加您的电话公司 网络接入费。SP: Spoke，0333 202 3390（周一至周五，9am-5.30pm）。

Lexica 简单 No 9035 困难 No 9036

O Y

将字母水平或垂直滑动回网格中，完成填字游戏。允许字母滑过其他字母

Futoshiki No 5451

Kakuro No 4410

火车轨道 No 2936

铺设轨道，使火车能够从村庄A行驶到村庄 B。数字表示每行和每列中轨道的段数。只有直轨和 弯轨。轨道不能交叉。

五角星®

使用下方的每个字母仅一次，解开所有5个隐语线索

1 风向标对审计员无用 (4)

2 极薄的哥特风格持有金属块 (5)

3 硅制珠宝给姐妹 也许 (7)

4 关于邮票的傻笑 (7)

5 传达喜悦 (9)

A A B E E G G I

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尝试 Wordhunt 和 Picle，

我们新推出的在线快速游戏 谜题，请访问 thetimes.com/ puzzles 或 Live 应用程序

第 2638 期

填写网格

数字 1 至 9

每个水平或垂直的白色方格序列中的数字总和等于其左侧或上方三角形中的数字。同一数字在同一行或列中可出现多次，但不得在同一序列中重复出现。

第 75 页

《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月5日 星期三

15 MindGames

N

times2 填字游戏

第 10,227 期 大脑训练师

大脑

训练师

1

2 3 4 5 6

10

11

12

13

14

15 16

18

19

÷ 9

横向

 1   卑鄙的（9）
 7   干燥贫瘠的（4）
 8   亚历克---，著名演员（8）
 9   缓慢的，不慌不忙的（6）
10   一把土（4）
12   为家具装配软垫覆盖物的手艺（10）
14   （车辆）转弯幅度小于预期（10）

填字游戏 10,226 期答案

&

7 5 $ & 2 9 ( 5 $ * ( ' + 2 % 0 1 & - 8 % , 7 ( 7 + ( ' 8 6 7

+

$ 1 ' 6 2 % ( 5 2 1 7 5 , 9 , $ ( 2 & ' / ( $ 1 ( 5 & + $ 6 ( 5 + ( 7 , 0 0 2 5 7 $ / , 6 ( 9 , ' ( $ 1 7 2 . ( 1 , 6 0 < <

需要今日谜题的帮助？请拨打 0905 757 0143 查询答案。

答案

答案

通话费用为每分钟 £1，另加电话公司的网络接入费。SP: Spoke，0333 202 3390（周一至周五 9am-5.30pm）。

桥牌

安德鲁·罗布森

现代叫牌发展

31. 第四花色逼叫

优先应叫 传统上，以及在我之前的著作中，这些是开叫者对第四花色逼叫的优先应叫（例如在 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦ 叫牌后）。 1 - 回到应叫者的花色，持有三张牌。 2 - 重复你的第二套花色，持有五张牌。 3 - 重复你的第一套花色，持有六张牌。 4 - 叫无将，在第四花色中有止张。 5 - 回到应叫者的花色，持有良好的双张。 是时候与现代专家思维保持一致了。严格来说，第一优先应是支持第四花色，持有该花色的四张牌。我过去忽略了这一点，因为这种情况并不常见。但例如持有 ♠4、♥AQ72、♦AJ53、♣K732，或 ♠-、♥AQ632、♦J872、♣A962（在 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦ 后），你应加叫到 3♦。 我想讨论上述传统优先项第 1 和第 5 项。假设你持有 ♠962、♥AQJ72、♦3、♣A832。你开叫 1♥，同伴应叫 1♠。此时再叫 2♣ 是错误的。问题在于如果同伴现在作出非逼叫性叫牌，如 2♥、2NT 或 3♣，你实力不足以作出第三次叫牌，因此无法显示你的三张黑桃支持；5-3 黑桃配合可能很容易被错过。因此，解决方案是将 1♠ 加叫至 2♠。 如果你持有 3♠5♥1♦4♣ 牌型且点力更强，16 点或更多，你应叫 2♣（实力足以作出第三次叫牌）。

双倍

20

21

17 气味浓烈的香水成分（4）

18   奢华蛋糕（6）
20   表示悔恨（8）
22   军队食堂（4）
23   新研发飞机的飞行员（4,5）

纵向

 1   乘以二（6）
 2   沙漠或海滩上由风形成的地貌（4,4）
 3   投票赞成（3）
 4   合法终止（婚姻）（9）
 5   围起来的土地（4）
 6   非常寒冷的（6）
11   参考书类型（9）
13   电池接触点（8）
15   整理整齐（6）
16   向上运动（6）
19   罗盘方向（4）
21   可听见的报时信号（3）

bid）——但现在你应当跳叫

回应FSF。因此，你永远不会在 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦-2♠后持有三张牌： 你始终只有两张牌。 因此，现代修订后的FSF回应优先顺序 （当无法跳叫显示16点时）为： 1 - 用四张牌加叫第四花色。 2、3和4照旧。 5 - 回到应叫者的花色 持有双张（任意），某种程度上是 默认回应（详见下周三）。

将牌引叫拍卖，西家首攻♦5。明手赢进♦A， 庄家引向♠A并将吃♠2。 她转向♦J并将吃♠4 （持♦Q），东家垫牌。她 现在转向♣A，兑现♦K 并放弃♠5。西家赢进并 转攻♣Q，但庄家可用♣K赢进， 兑现♥A击落♣7， 将吃回手并享用♠87。 满贯完成，3NT未能做成。 andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk

N W E S

U N A B L E

♠6

♥A986 ♦AQ72 ♣K652 ♠Q10 ♥Q107432 ♦1098 ♣108

发牌：北家

局况：无局

♠KJ93

♥KJ5 ♦65 ♣QJ94 ♠A87542 ♥- ♦KJ43 ♣A73

S W N E

1♥ 不叫

    1♠       不叫          2♣         不叫
    2♦(1)   不叫          3♦(2)    不叫
    6♦(3)   结束

(1) FSF，建立逼局并询问 更多信息（优先考虑牌型）。 (2) 第一优先：第四花色四张。 (3) 询问A无益，因存在缺门。

简单

30 x 4 ÷ 6 + 83 – 17 – 75

中等 60 + 95

加倍

÷ 5

– 64

较难 90

– 460 x 9

x 4

÷ 12 x 23

÷ 6

加倍

多边形

四方格 第4413题

解答

杀手数独 棘手题 第10,860题

杀手数独

致命题 第10,861题

与标准数独相同，填满网格，使得每一列、每一行和每个3x3宫内包含数字1到9。每组由虚线连接的单元格必须相加等于其左上角的目标数字。在每组由虚线连接的单元格中

2

1 / 2 其中

2

1 / 2 其中

三倍

三倍

x 3

• 29

减半

减半

– 173

用这些字母组成四个或更多字母的单词，必须始终包含中心字母。答案必须出自《简明牛津词典》，不包括大写单词、复数、动词变位（过去式等）、以LY结尾的副词、比较级和最高级。

你的评分标准：16个单词为平均水平；22个为良好；25个为优秀；28个为杰出

昨日答案

aloe, alto, avo, iota, loa, lot, loti, lovat, love, oat, oil, olé, olive, oval, ovate, toe, toea, toil, toile, veto, viol, viola, violate, violet, voe, voila, voile, vole, volet, volt, volte, vote

快速密码3371

密码数独

数独 第16,998题

数独 第16,999题

数独 第17,000题

杀手数独 第10,858题

杀手数独 第10,859题

单元格方块

第5794题

© PUZZLER MEDIA

© PUZZLER MEDIA

注意：BODMAS规则不适用

密码字5910

Tetonor 697

59

136

25

144

1 x 59 4 x 34 9 + 16 16 x 9

135

31 168 32

5 x 27 7 + 24 24 x 7 27 + 5

60

38 196

4 + 34 98 x 2 2 + 24 1 + 59

100

198 48 69

3 x 66 24 x 2 66 + 3 98 +

词汇9033 单元格方块5793 四方格4412

数和4409

KenKen 6902

今日解答

五星连珠

五星连珠

1 Vane

2 Ingot 3 Sibling 4 Impress 5 Transport

1 Watch

2 Regard 3 Survey 4 Monitor 5 Checkout

词语观察

Eupatrid (b) 世袭贵族或地主（柯林斯词典）

Orecchiette (c) 小型凹面意大利面（钱伯斯词典） Balaam (a) 报纸专栏的琐碎填充物（牛津英语词典）

国际象棋——制胜一招

1 Qxf8+! Kxf8 2 Rc8+ Ke7

3 R1c7+ Qd7 4 gxf5 exf5 5 Nd4 当白方吃掉黑后时，他将多得一子

将网格划分为正方形或矩形方块，每个方块仅包含一个数字。每个方块必须包含与内部数字指示的单元格数量相同的单元格。在六个计算题中填入1到9的每个数字。我们已为你放置了两个数字以供开始。每个计算题应从左至右或从上至下计算。

数和4409

火车轨道2935

C R A M P

O

S O R

词汇9034

D H

E Y

C M

V T

T U P

Sakuro 4812

简单 36

中等 261 较难 171

Page 1

‘Not again’: what wife thought of Burnham’s third shot at No 10

Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor minster and challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, having lost contests in 2010 and 2015. Burnham told the How to Fail pod- cast: “She was like, ‘What? Not again. They told you twice they don’t want you. Why are you doing it again?’” He said that his wife had needed convincing because she did not want to watch him suffer another defeat.

Andy Burnham’s wife said “not again” and told him that Labour had already rejected him twice when he told her he wanted to make another attempt to reach Downing Street. The prime minister said that Marie- France van Heel had been surprised when he decided to return to West-

Borrowing

splurge in bid to boost economy

Ministers set to exploit change in fiscal rules

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

Ministers are drawing up plans to boost economic growth by exploiting the fiscal rules to raise government borrowing and spend the money on infrastructure, housing and support for businesses. Under proposals being worked on before the budget, the Treasury intends to provide billions of pounds in new finance. Officials hope the extra cash, which could also be channelled to regional mayors, will get the economy moving and give the chancellor, John Healey, some good news for the budget. The move, which could raise more than £9 billion a year for spending by 2031, is made possible by a change to the fiscal rules implemented by Rachel Reeves when she was chancellor. This allows the government to count spending on infrastructure or equity in companies as assets to be offset against the cost of borrowing. Ministers hope to exploit the change to fulfil Andy Burnham’s pledge of “growth in every postcode”. Supporters, including Lord O’Neill of Gatley, who has advised the prime min- ister, argue that the mechanism would allow higher public investment without unsettling the debt markets. Burnham said he was looking for “flexibility” within the fiscal rules while Healey told The Times there was “scope for more and more rapid invest-

(based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription)

Should you wear flip-flops to the office?

ment”. Although Healey has made clear that he will stay within his prede- cessor’s fiscal rules, Treasury officials have been asked to see whether there is scope to increase borrowing for investment. Ministers are keen to find extra fund- ing to raise direct investment in British businesses to stop high-growth start-up companies from moving to the US, where it has traditionally been easier to raise capital. They also believe the money can be used to help hit the government’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament. This could in- volve giving preferential loans to devel- opers, allowing them to use sites that would otherwise be unviable. The money is likely to be channelled through public financial institutions such as the British Business Bank, the National Wealth Fund and the National Housing Bank. It could also be used to extend projects such as the Good Growth Fund, which was pio- neered by Burnham when he was mayor of Greater Manchester. The fund provides grants, loans and equity investment in areas such as housing, infrastructure and innovation and uses the money to bring in private investment. It is funding more than £314 million of transport infrastructure projects and £85 million of housing schemes. The Resolution Foundation think

Wednesday August 5 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75103

Burnham said that Van Heel had always been his bluntest critic. As a young MP, he recalled finishing inter- views believing that he had performed well because he had stuck to the party line only to switch on his phone and find a message from her in capitals that read: “Answer the f***ing question.” However, Burnham said that his fail- ed leadership attempts had helped him

Death ‘linked

to Mounjaro’

to reach No 10 by forcing him to recon- sider how he conducted politics. Burnham also discussed his father Roy’s Alzheimer’s disease and said that staff at his care home had put him in front of a TV as he entered Downing Street. Burnham said that the manager later told him: “He turned and momen- tarily, they said, ‘We thought he knew’.” He said that the moment had been

£3.20 £2.35 to subscribers

Why I no

longer go topless

Carol Midgley

moving because he had been em- bracing his mother outside Downing Street at the time. Burnham linked his family’s experi- ence to plans for a “radical” overhaul of social care. He said: “We discovered as a family. My mum was sinking under the pressure of trying to make it work when the care system couldn’t make it work for her.”

Nobody does

it better than MI6, admit French spies

Charles Bremner Paris

MI6 is admired as the most powerful foreign intelligence service in Europe, according to a peer review by 60 profes- sionals from 25 countries. France’s General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) secured second place for its global reach and operational capability, including murder, while Slovakia’s service was rated the worst in Europe. L’Express, the French news maga- zine, spent three months approaching people in state services de renseigne- ments (the intelligence services) to rate their opposite numbers in western countries. The overwhelming majority put MI6, formally known as the Secret Intelligence Service, top for its expert- ise in recruiting high-level moles and penetrating the ruling elites of Russia, China, Iran and Turkey. “The United Kingdom has by far the strongest secret services in Europe. MI6 is extraordinary,” Robert Gorelick, a former CIA station chief, told the magazine. A former head of the DGSE said: “The British have the ability to play the long game, investing in sources over a ten-year horizon, somewhat like the Russians. And they have a taste for dirty tricks.” Olivier Mas, a senior DGSE officer until 2017, credited Britain’s long his- tory as a colonial power and, in parti- cular, its 19th-century rivalry with Tsarist Russia for influence over central Asia that became known as the Great Game. “The best minds from Cam- bridge and Oxford join MI6, which speaks volumes,” he said. Britain was the first to warn Ukraine about the likelihood of a Russian inva- sion and it has proved vital for Kyiv since. Ralph Goff, a former chief of op- erations for Europe and Eurasia at the CIA, said: “The British are in the lead on the Ukrainian file. We are right behind them.” Britain scored 251 points overall. The

Page 2

2

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times News

NEWS

Today’s highlights

O

7.15am

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, chair of the

Equality and Human Rights Commission

10.45am

The comedian Rosie Holt, right

1.30pm

Thomas Reilly, former UK

ambassador to Morocco

3.30pm

The electronic duo Groove

Armada discuss 25 years of

their anthem Superstylin’

4.20pm

Lord Darroch of Kew, former UK

ambassador to the United States

T O DAY ’ S E D I T I O N

SPORT

TIMES2

BAD HABIT

SPILLING CLARET

Ed Sheeran fined

Who will win the

for failing to insure

boardroom battle

his Aston Martin

at West Ham?

PAGES 58-59

COMMENT 21 LETTERS 24 LEADING ARTICLES 25

WORLD 26 BUSINESS 31 REGISTER 45

Why young high achievers

are leaving Britain

The Office for National Statistics

says there has been a fivefold

increase in the number of

25 to 34-year-olds leaving the

UK since 2022. So why are they

going abroad, and could anything be

done to encourage them to stay?

Available on the Times Radio app or

wherever you get your podcasts

OFFER

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THETIMES.COM/SUBSCRIBE

THE WEATHER

Blustery with rain, showers or

thunderstorms. Drier in southern areas.

OPIOID OPERA

Missy Mazzoli on

the family deaths

that inspired her

SPORT 52 CROSSWORD 60 TV & RADIO TIMES2

Poor funding ‘leaves women

to enforce their own rights’ A small win but still a win

Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor

Women seeking to uphold their right to

single-sex spaces will be left to enforce the law themselves because the equali- ties watchdog lacks the resources to do so, its former chair has warned. Baroness Falkner of Margravine, who oversaw the drafting of the Equali- ty and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) guidance on single-sex spaces before leaving office, said the law would “remain unenforced by the equalities regulator” because its “meagre fund- ing” meant it could not take up the fight on behalf of women. The 342-page code, setting out how to implement last year’s Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, comes into force to- day. The ruling clarified that the words “woman”, “man” and “sex” in the Equal- ity Act 2010 referred to biological sex. Writing in The Times, Falkner and Akua Reindorf KC, a former commis- sioner who worked on the code, said organisations in the public and private sectors had been “acting unlawfully all along” by continuing to admit people to single-sex services on the basis of self- identification. Many organisations had repeated that they were “waiting for the EHRC guidance” before changing their processes, the pair wrote. Some councils continue to oppose the changes. Green-led Lambeth backed a motion at a full council meet- ing last month calling on it to refuse to implement the code. In Hackney, also led by the Green Party, councillors attended a rally calling on the borough to refuse to implement the guidance. Other London councils are expected to rally against the guidance today. The code, described as giving “up-to- date examples of how the Equality Act applies to everyday situations”, can be relied on in court if there are legal chal- lenges — which Bridget Phillipson, the women and equalities minister, has previously suggested is expected. However, Falkner and Reindorf also accused ministers of stalling in bringing

Legal battle fails to block

Gatwick’s second runway

Laurence Sleator Transport Correspondent

for the expansion at Gatwick, given the proximity to Heathrow. Barclay and Cagne asked the Court of Appeal to allow them to challenge this decision but yesterday Lord Justice Holgate and Lord Justice Dove dis- missed their application. “We conclude that each of the grounds of appeal raised by each appellant is unarguable,” they wrote. “Neither appeal has a real prospect of success. We also consider that there are no other compelling rea- sons for either appeal to be heard.” The first flights could take off from the new runway in 2030. Alexander said: “This is a major mile- stone ... with expansion unlocking in- vestment and creating thousands of new jobs. Around 13 million more pas- sengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.” Cagne said the appeal court decision was “deeply disappointing” and that it would focus on ensuring the runway met its obligations. “This proposed new runway will come at a significant cost to both the taxpayer and the planet.”

A second runway at Gatwick will go

ahead after campaigners lost their legal fight against expansion. Last year Heidi Alexander, the trans- port secretary, approved a £2.2 billion plan to bring the emergency runway at the West Sussex airport into regular use, adding capacity for up to 100,000 extra flights a year. The project includes moving the emergency northern runway 12 metres north, building taxiways, extending both terminals and adding new gates. Peter Barclay and Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) took legal action against the Department for Transport, including over claims that the government did not properly assess the climate impact. In June at the High Court, Mr Justice Mould rejected this argument adding that the expansion would not “materi- ally” affect the government’s ability to hit its target of being net zero by 2050. “The secretary of state for transport does not resile from her finding that the proposed development will not fully contribute to the UK’s trajectory to- wards net zero,” the judge said. He also rejected an argument about the need

Kishwer Falkner and

Akua Reindorf Comment

nly a small part of the

Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised statutory code of practice has received public attention: the section explaining how to implement the 2025 decision of the Supreme Court, which clarified that in the Equality Act 2010 the words “woman”, “man” and “sex” refer to biological sex. On that point, the 2011 version of the code was wrong. It said transgender people should generally be permitted to self-identify into single- sex services for the opposite sex. It had been known that the old code was wrong since 2022, when another case established that “self- ID” is not the law. That is when hospitals should have stopped making female nurses share changing rooms with male colleagues who identify as women. It is when male prisoners who discovered a transgender identity between the courtroom and the prison cell should no longer have been placed into women’s jails. Female-only rape crisis centres

the code into force. It was sent to the gov-

ernment in September last year but was not laid before parliament until May. During the delay, the government said it was “working with the EHRC to get the guidance right”, but Falkner and Reindorf said the commission was in- dependent and did not collaborate with the government. They accused Phillipson of having argued against the substance of the code in court while it was with her depart-

should have refused entry to men

who said they were women. And shops, leisure centres and pubs should have taken down the signs telling customers to use whichever toilets they felt comfortable with. But those things did not stop. The law was widely ignored until the Supreme Court judgment. Stonewall quickly announced that it was “not law” until the revised code took effect. That was irrefutably wrong, but it took hold. The fact the new code takes effect today feels like a victory but in reality it changes nothing. The law was already the law, and it will continue to be the law. It will still be disregarded by those who oppose it and it will remain unenforced by the EHRC, which simply cannot take up the cudgels on its meagre funding. It is not a historic day for women’s rights but the code is at least a tool in the armoury of those women and grassroots groups who will have to carry on fighting this uniquely ferocious war. We salute them. Baroness Falkner of Margravine (former chair of EHRC and distinguished fellow at Policy Exchange); Akua Reindorf KC (former commissioner at EHRC, visiting senior fellow at LSE and barrister specialising in employment and discrimination law)

ment. It is understood the government

rejects this and a source said court pro- ceedings were against the EHRC’s in- terim update, not the code, though there were similar issues at hand. An EHRC spokesman said: “We will monitor compliance with the law and take enforcement action where it is proportionate and necessary.” A government spokesman said: “The code has now come into force, and we welcome the clarity it provides.”

continued from page 1

Nobody does it better than MI6

DGSE, depicted in a fictional but realis-

tic form in the Netflix series The Bu- reau, scored 169 points. “[The DGSE] is the only service in continental Europe with near-global reach,” a Polish intelligence executive told L’Express. “They combine techni- cal collection, human intelligence, and operational action capabilities.” The “action” service of the DGSE, a military organisation, is admired for its clandestine operations to “eliminate” people deemed a threat to French security. François Hollande, the former French president, spoke publicly about commissioning these murders before leaving office. He ordered at least 40 operations to kill “high-value” jihadi targets in the Middle East and Africa after vowing to hunt down every terror- ist who attacked French interests, ac- cording to a 2017 book. In third place with 97 points came the much smaller Dutch intelligence ser- vice, the AIVD. “It offers the best return on investment! They have the most flawless track record,” said Jorge Silva Carvalho, a former director of Portu- guese intelligence. Ukraine came fourth, respected for “innovation, ingenuity and risk-tak- ing”, while Germany’s BND, widely mocked as an unwieldy bureaucracy, managed fifth place. It is respected for its analytical strength on global issues but less so for its spying powers.

Page 3

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

3 News

Lasers reveal lost civilisation of

3m people in Amazon rainforest

civilisation

Network of monuments

and roads was built by a society comparable to that of ancient Greece, Rhys Blakely writes

monuments and

Archaeologists

have revealed an ancient landscape of vast geometric monuments, ceremonial avenues and long-vanished roads that had lain hidden for centuries beneath the cano- py of the Amazon rainforest. The images expose the extraordina- ry scale of a “lost civilisation” that flour- ished in South America nearly 2,000 years ago — a populous, highly orga- nised society that researchers say can be compared to ancient Greece. Martti Parssinen, of the University of Helsinki, who led the study, said that until recently the region was viewed as having been virtually untouched by humans. “It was a common idea that the Amazonian forest was a virgin wil- derness, occupied only by small groups of hunter-gatherers,” he said. “These earthworks totally change our under-

works

geometric

Canopy

standing of the supposedly pristine

Amazon.” They were built by a complex society that researchers have named the Aquiry civilisation. At its height, from AD 100 to 300, it may have supported a population of 1.25 million to 3 million, a figure close to that of Roman Britain. The study, published in the journal Nature, reveals that while Roman engi- neers were laying roads and building temples, the Aquiry were carving vast circles, squares and monumental en- closures into their forest landscape. Their territory extended across about 183,000 sq km of southwestern Amazo- nia, an area slightly smaller than Brit- ain, encompassing parts of modern Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. The discovery was made possible by

Model village admits making a boob by stripping out its streaker

Araminta Plumptre

A model village has brought back its

miniature streaker after its removal prompted an outcry from fans of the tourist attraction. Godshill Model Village on the Isle of Wight removed the topless female figurine from its miniature football pitch after complaints that it was “inap- propriate for a family attraction”. The figurine — named Erica in an apparent nod to Erika Roe, who fa- mously streaked across the pitch at Twickenham during an England v Australia rugby match in 1982 — cele- brated the era of prolific streaking at sporting events in the 1970s and 1980s.

airborne Lidar (light detection and

ranging), a technique that has trans- formed archaeology. It involves firing rapid laser pulses from an aircraft. Some pass through gaps in the canopy, bounce off the ground and return to the sensor, allowing researchers to map the landscape beneath the trees.

detection and

ranging)

the ground

Pulses

However, directors of the attraction

said they were worried that streaking was “very much a feature of a different era” and that children nowadays would “no longer recognise” the phenome- non. Rupert Willoughby, a local resident and regular visitor, said he felt “dismay” when he heard that it had been re- moved and questioned whether the character could truly cause offence. He suggested that it was in keeping with the light-hearted spirit of the model village. After Willoughby and others voiced their objections, the model village host- ed an online poll which found that 98 per cent of people supported bringing

After surveying almost 4,500 sq km,

the team recorded 432 earthworks, only 36 of which had previously been known to science. By combining the re- sults with satellite mapping, the re- searchers estimate that the wider Aquiry region may contain 24,000 to 30,000 such structures. The largest

Erica back. A social media post for the

village read: “Thank you to everyone who voted in our poll and respectfully shared their thoughts about the Streak- er. She will be returning.” The figurine will now be hidden in various locations around the model vil- lage and visitors will be encouraged to donate to a local breast cancer charity if they spot her. “So if you spot her hiding in the gardens, there will be a donation pot nearby if you’d like to show your support,” the attraction said. Penny Dyer, director of the model village, previously said that the decision to remove the figurine was prompted by feedback from a small number of visi- tors.

about the

MARTTI PRSSINEN, RISTO KALLIOLA AND FABIO DE NOVAES

covered an area of nearly 50 hectares.

Parssinen said the Aquiry civilisation is likely to have resembled ancient Greece, rather than one centralised empire. Different communities appear to have shared religious beliefs, geo- metric architecture and traditions of public gathering, much as the Greek

“Erica” streaked on the football pitch

“The streaker on the football pitch

has been part of the model village for many years, and for most visitors has been seen as a light-hearted joke,” she said. “However, we’ve received a small

How Lidar

2,000ft

of light Lidar (light

technology

aims pulses of

light towards

city states shared gods, festivals and

athletic contests. He added that oral traditions and early colonial accounts may offer a glimpse of the Aquiry. They describe music, dancing, running races, wrestling and ball games, with individual communities fielding their own teams. Leaders may have built pres- tige by staging elaborate fes- tivities. “Greek civilisation was com- posed of more than 1,000 inde- pendent city states, and what was com- mon was the same kinds of gods and traditions and the Olympics. I think we have something similar with the Aquiry,” he said. The great enclosures revealed by his team were probably not densely in- habited cities. Instead, they appear to have been ceremonial and political centres where dispersed communities met to make decisions, feast and perform rituals. The monuments themselves suggest sophisticated planning and organised labour. Pärssinen compared them to European cathedrals: monumental ex- pressions of a shared belief system. He noted, however, that the civilisa- tion was only ever “lost” to outsiders. Indigenous peoples have long known of their ancient earthworks, regarding some as sacred. He also pointed out that the Aquiry cultivated maize, squash and manioc, managed Brazil nut trees and palms, and practised forms of agroforestry, all without destroying the Amazon. “They lived in harmony in that way with the forest,” he said. “They made clearings, but not too big to change the ecological systems. Despite their huge numbers, they never converted the rainforest into savanna.”

Technology has

revealed the

remarkable

avenues. The

Yawanawa, left,

from the area,

may have known

number of comments from visitors who

felt it was inappropriate for a family at- traction. “Streaking was very much a feature of a different era. It is far less common and is no longer something that young- er visitors recognise, so the model has lost much of its original relevance. “As a business, we listen to customer feedback and after considering the comments, we decided to remove her. “We appreciate that not everyone will agree with the decision, but our pri- ority is ensuring all visitors feel com- fortable and enjoy their visit.” Any donations will go towards The Breast Friends Isle of Wight, a local breast cancer charity.

Most beams of light

reflect off the forest

canopy but a few reach

the ground. These

reflect back through

the gaps in the canopy

By measuring the

distance light travels to

the ground and back,

researchers can

digitally delete the

canopy to create

topographic models

Page 4

4

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times News

T

Staying afloat Cate Blanchett appears in the latest Harper’s Bazaar UK. The actress is starring in Electra/Persona at the National Theatre, London, from August 19

Woman on Mounjaro for four

months died after raising dose

Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

A woman died after increasing the

dose of her Mounjaro weight-loss medication, a coroner’s court was told. Caroline Savage, 73, died at home in October 2024 after being discharged from hospital. She had been taking tirzapatide for about four months, having been prescribed it privately. Norfolk coroner’s court has been ex- amining whether her sudden death could be linked to the powerful drug, which is thought to be taken by millions of people in Britain. Savage, whose husband Jeremy was a Conservative councillor in Norfolk, died from faecal peritonitis, where fae- cal matter leaks into the abdominal cavity, caused by a perforation of her intestines. Family members, represented by the barrister Jasmine Leng, believe that her health concerns were dismissed as Mounjaro side-effects and were not in- vestigated further. Savage is not the first death to be potentially linked to the weight loss medication. In September 2024, Susan McGowan, a nurse, died after being linked to the drug. The coroner, Yvonne Blake, was told by experts that when Savage visited a private clinic in London in July 2024 she weighed 128kg and had not been able to lose weight through diet or exercise. At the time, she was warned by her doctor about side-effects of abdominal pain and constipation — she was ad- vised to drink plenty of water and avoid spicy food and fizzy drinks. Four months later, the grandmother from Wortwell, Norfolk, weighed 114kg and was advised by her pharmacist to complete her final two 7.5mg doses

- - - - -

---

---

---

---

Behind the story

he

majority of patients taking jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro report some side effects (Poppy Koronka writes). In total 30 side effects are listed on the patient information leaflet given to patients taking Mounjaro, the brand name for tirzepatide. The most common of these — nausea — affects about one in four people. Other common side effects include diarrhoea, bloating, hair loss and dizziness. Gastrointestinal

before increasing it to 10mg. On Octo-

ber 18, 2024, Savage developed acute abdominal pain and was taken to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital’s rapid assessment and treatment area, re- maining in an ambulance because A&E was too busy. She eventually was assessed by doc- tors for pancreatitis, a known compli- cation of weight-loss medications, and given an ultrasound to rule out abdomi- nal aortic aneurysm. At around 6.30pm, after medics said she seemed comfortable enough to be

Caroline Savage was 73

side effects take place

because the drugs slow down the rate at which the body digests food and delays the emptying of the stomach. Most side effects are not too alarming, but some rarer complications require

discharged with pain medication and

advice, Savage left the hospital. But she collapsed at home shortly after midnight and became unrespon- sive. Her husband called paramedics, who were unable to resuscitate her. During a post-mortem examination, her cause of death was found to be fae- cal peritonitis. There is no established evidence linking this condition to Mounjaro, but potential new links were discussed at the hearing. There have only been a handful of inquests that have examined

medical

attention. This includes pancreatitis, a rare side effect which is estimated to affect roughly 0.2 per cent to 1 per cent of patients taking Mounjaro. This is a condition when the pancreas becomes inflamed, leading to severe pain that can require surgery. It can lead to tissue damage, septic shock and deadly multi-organ failure. There is also a slightly increased risk of gallbladder problems, as rapid weight loss can lead to painful gallstones.

links to weight-loss medication. A

small number of inquests are examin- ing the impact of weight-loss drugs but there are no known cases where a coro- ner has proved a conclusive link. The hospital which reviewed Savage’s care after her death said her tests and scans were within normal limits. The hearing was told that if a person already had diverticular disease, which affects the intestine, the side-effects of Mounjaro might cause enough pressure in the intestines to result in a perforation. Savage was never diagnosed with either pancreatitis or diverticular disease. The family’s barrister submitted that Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights — the right to life — should be engaged because of potential systemic failures in communication, documentation and clinical decision- making at the hospital. Leng argued that clinicians repeated- ly assessed Savage’s pain shortly after morphine had been administered and may not have appreciated the signifi- cance when deciding whether further investigations were needed. Alison Brockhurst, a solicitor repre- senting the Norfolk and Norwich Uni- versity Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, argued that Savage’s death was from natural causes and the high threshold for engaging Article 2 had not been met. She accepted record-keeping “wasn’t as good as it could have been” but said evidence showed detailed discussions had taken place between clinicians in person and that appropriate pathways had been followed. The court was adjourned and the coroner will return this month to deliv- er a narrative conclusion.

® No 2638

Quintagram

Solve all five concise clues using

each letter underneath once only

1 Timepiece (5)

2 Esteem (6)

3 Questionnaire (6)

4 Large tropical lizard (7)

5 Supermarket payment area (8)

A A C C C D E E

E G H H I K M N

O O O R R R R S

T T T U U V W Y

Solutions see T2 MindGames p14

Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p15

Met inspector on trial

A Metropolitan Police inspector

left a junior colleague feeling “like a piece of meat” after allegedly grabbing her in an intimate place on a night out at a bar in Soho, London, in 2023, a court heard. Dave Newman, 39, from Luton, denies three sexual assault charges involving three female colleagues. The trial at Southwark crown court continues.

Tycoon’s planning blow

A billionaire businessman said he

was “profoundly disappointed” after permission was granted for four logistics warehouses at Baynards Green, Oxfordshire. Wafic Saïd, 86, who brokered Britain’s largest arms export deal in the 1980s, criticised Cherwell district council after it withdrew objections to the “XXL size” Tritax Logistics development.

Rain returns to Kew

Kew Gardens has ended its

longest dry spell since its rainfall records began in 1871 after a brief shower yesterday, its first rain since June. July was the driest month ever recorded in England and Wales. Half of England is now in drought with hosepipe bans in place for 23 million people. Thundery showers are expected in mid-August.

Food before family

A third of Britons take more

photos of food on holiday than they do of their family, according to a survey of 2,000 people by Chase bank. Respondents took an average of 39 photos a day, or 546 over a fortnight-long holiday. Young adults were most likely to take more photos of food than of their loved ones, with 57 per cent of those aged 18 to 29 admitting it.

Breakfast:

6am to 10am

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Page 5

GEOFF PUGH/SHUTTERSTOCK

Banker and £350m yacht hit storm

Revolut co-founder is

accused of failing to pay commission when he bought the vessel, writes James Hurley

The billionaire head of Revolut bank is being sued for €17.5 million over a superyacht deal. Cecil Wright & Partners claims in a filing in the High Court that Nik Stor- onsky went “behind its back” to avoid paying commission on a €350 million yacht. The superyacht brokerage claims it suggested to Storonsky, 42, that he buy the 102m vessel being built by Lürssen, a German shipyard, last year. The yacht includes a 25ft glass-bottomed infinity pool, a beach club and a cryotherapy chamber. However, Storonsky bought the yacht directly from the seller in Janu- ary, according to Cecil Wright. The brokerage, whose headquarters are in London, claims it is legally en- titled to a 5 per cent commission as the “effective cause” of the sale, despite allegedly being cut out of the final transaction. The superyacht was commissioned by Patrick Dovigi, a Canadian business- man and former ice hockey player. It was sold to a Brazilian banker who was arrested for alleged fraud late last year and Dovigi bought the vessel back before selling it to Storonsky. Storonsky’s family office has said the lawsuit is “without merit” and would be defended. “As it’s now a legal matter, we won’t be commenting further,” a spokesman said. Chris Cecil-Wright, founder of the luxury yacht broker, told the Financial Times, which first reported the allega- tions, that it was the first time he had taken legal action against a client but said he felt strongly about pursuing the claim. Storonsky, a British citizen who was born in Russia, set up Revolut with about £300,000 of his savings. The business has become the crown jewel of Britain’s fintech industry since Storon-

Top crime official loses burlesque claim

Pippa Crawford, David Brown

A senior National Crime Agency offi- cial who was fired for accepting unde- clared hospitality from a PR company, including a night at a burlesque club, has lost his claim of unfair dismissal. Charlie Edwards, who was the NCA’s director of strategy, was invited to an Oscars celebration party by the owner of Freuds, which was awarded a con- tract worth up to £1.4 million to help the agency mark its tenth anniversary. A judge at a south London employ- ment tribunal rejected Edwards’s claim that he was unfairly dismissed from his £130,000-a-year job at the NCA, which tackles serious organised crime and bribery. Edwards denied wrongdoing. He told the tribunal that he met Julia Bain- bridge of Freuds in his previous role at the Cabinet Office, which awarded the PR firm a £50,000 contract in 2019. He joined the NCA in September 2021. Four months later, Bainbridge invited him to the launch party of Freuds+, a spinoff “offering”. The day after the party, Bainbridge emailed Edwards and another civil servant at the Cabinet Office with the subject: “So Charlie and I have been hatching a plan ...” In June 2022 Bainbridge paid for

Charlie Edwards

director of

strategy

The 102m yacht bought by Nik Storonsky, below, in January, requires a crew of up to 34 and is avaliable for rent for about €2.8 million a week, including expenses

sky and his co-founder Vlad Yatsenko began the business in 2015. With operations spanning payments and crypto trading, Revolut recently se- cured approval to start a bank in Brit- ain, which is expected to fuel the next stage of its growth as it works towards an eventual blockbuster stock market listing, possibly in the US. It was valued at $75 billion by a share sale last year and is growing rapidly, with about 75 million customers. According to Robb Report, an indus- try title, the yacht is said to include ten cabins for up to 12 guests while its “beach club” on the lower deck includes a bar, dining area, lounge and two ter- races. The yacht is also said to include a

lunch with Edwards at the National Gallery, at which they discussed the NCA’s upcoming tenth anniversary. Freuds+ and one other company made formal bids to aid the anniversary and Freuds+ won the contract, which began on March 1, 2023. Bainbridge sent Edwards an invitation on behalf of the company’s owner, Matthew Freud, to attend a party at the Lio burlesque club in the West End of London in April

was the National

Crime Agency’s

2023. It touted a “one-of-a-kind cabaret performance incorporating artists, acrobats, singers and burlesque style dancers, followed by ... dancing.” Edwards told the tribunal the party was a “work event” that he attended so he could sign approval forms for Freuds’ account team. In May 2023, Bainbridge paid for a breakfast with Edwards at the Wolseley, an exclusive restaurant in Mayfair. Edwards paid for his own coffee during a meeting with Bainbridge at Notes café in November

2022 and for his own lunch at the Rose pub in February 2023. He did not regis- ter any of the meetings with the NCA. Edwards was ruled to have commit- ted gross misconduct after an investi- gation found he breached the civil ser- vice code. Judge Paul Abbott rejected Edwards’ claim for unfair dismissal. He described it as “not well-founded”, add- ing: “It is clear that Mr Edwards still does not really accept he did anything wrong.” He added it was “extremely far- fetched to consider that the event as described in the cover email was suita- ble for entirely work-related activity”. However, he found Edwards, who now works at the International Insti- tute for Strategic Studies, should have had more notice of his dismissal and compensation is to be agreed. Edwards referred to this last finding in saying he was “pleased that the tribu- nal found that I was wrongfully dis- missed”, before adding: “While my claim for unfair dismissal was not up- held, I respect the tribunal’s judgment and am grateful for the consideration given to the case.” The NCA said it “expects the highest standards of con- duct from our officers, and the tribu- nal’s findings included that the agency’s decision to dismiss in this case was fair”. Freuds was asked to comment.

British model is the ‘face’

of Russian fashion brand

Lara Wildenberg

The supermodel Rosie Huntington- Whiteley is facing an online backlash after a Russian fashion brand posted photos of her modelling its products while the war in Ukraine continues. Ekonika, one of Russia’s best-known footwear and accessories brands, shared images of the former Victoria’s Secret Angel on its website, its Telegram channel and in advertising displays across Moscow. On Instagram, the brand described Huntington-Whiteley, fiancée of the Hollywood actor Jason Statham, as the face of its collection but did not tag her. The account has since removed the photographs. Huntington-Whiteley has made no public comment about the controversy. Angry messages instead flooded beneath an unrelated photograph posted six days ago showing the model sunbathing in Malta. Commenters called the apparent collaboration “indefensible”. Despite deleting the Instagram material, Ekonika insists that its cam- paign with Huntington-Whiteley, 39, is

gym, a helipad, beauty salon, movie theatre, sauna and spa. According to charter records, the su- peryacht requires a crew of up to 34 and can be hired from €2.4 million a week, although expenses push the cost up to about $2.8 million. Storonsky, who renounced his Rus- sian citizenship in 2022 after the inva- sion of Ukraine, is said to have a de- manding and contentious manage- ment style. He lists the UK as his country of residence on Companies House filings. His family office had pre- viously changed his address to the United Arab Emirates, prompting reg- ulatory concerns, but the move was said to have been an administrative mistake.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has made

no comment about the campaign

on track. In a statement carried by the influential Russian fashion Telegram channel MUR, which has more than 210,000 subscribers, Ekonika said: “Content featuring the model is subject to regional restrictions on its use on Instagram.” Ekonika is not owned or directly controlled by the Kremlin, but is a sig- nificant name in the business world in President Putin’s Russia. Its controlling shareholder, Andrei Iliopulo, has long- standing links to Russia’s political, com- mercial and Orthodox establishment.

Page 6

6

S1 Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times News

News Politics

Historical child

sex abusers may still be freed early

Fiona Hamilton Chief Reporter

Daisy Eastlake, Ollie Cole

Jessica Sharkey

Historical child sex abusers will still be

eligible for early release from prison, despite a pledge from Andy Burnham to exclude them. The prime minister announced on Monday that criminals found guilty of “rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences” would no longer be released at the halfway point of their sentence to free up prison places. It has emerged that the rules will not apply to child sex offences that took place before the law changed in 2003, even if the perpetrator was brought to justice more recently. Vicki Crawford was 14 when she was attacked in the late 1980s by a man who was jailed for seven years in 2024. But he was found guilty of indecent assault — which would have been the charge at the time the offence was com- mitted — rather than sexual activity with a child, a distinction introduced just over two decades ago. Crawford received a note from the victim contact scheme run by the pro- bation service telling her that while rape and certain child sex offences would be excluded from the reviewed early release scheme, “all other changes will proceed as planned”. The note added: “I recognise this may not be the outcome you were hoping for.” Crawford told The Times: “They’ve taken a lazy approach and not looked at what offences mean in real terms. They don’t class mine as serious enough. “It’s a total double standard to do that to victims of historical sex offen- ces because it’s an easy out for them. “It still feels like yet another betray- al. I’ve had a lot of them throughout the justice system in my own case. And it scares me

Borrowing splurge in bid for growth

tank said exploiting the fiscal rules

could mobilise an extra £9 billion a year and could help offset a lack of long- term investment since Britain was forced to pull out of the European In- vestment Bank after Brexit. “Rachel Reeves’s changes to the fiscal rules mean that the government now has greater scope to address that chal- lenge by making productive invest- ments in the economy that in the long run will pay for themselves,” said Elliott Christensen, a senior economist at the foundation. “The new chancellor should start by boosting the scale of the National Wealth Fund [which] would mean an additional £9 billion annual investment by 2031 in real terms.” He added: “While these kind of in- vestments would obviously increase government borrowing costs the criti-

Men

that there are going to be a lot of other

people that don’t fully understand why they’ve been excluded.” Claire Waxman, the victims’ com- missioner, is understood to be seeking urgent clarification after the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) appeared unable to specify which crimes would be exclud- ed from the early release scheme. Waxman had been assured that a list of offence categories would be shared with her office, but The Times under- stands that this is yet to materialise. Announcing the revised policy, No 10 said Burnham had ordered that “rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences” would be barred from changes to prison sentences. But the MoJ was unable to identify which child sexual offences would not be counted as “serious”. A source in the department said the “vast majority” of offences associated with “paedophilia” would be “caught” by the exclusions but was unable to give examples of what would be left out or point to a list of such offences. The MoJ was contacted for comment. The term “serious” prefaces child sexual offences five times in the gov- ernment’s official announcement of the updated early release scheme. The dis- tinction has concerned charities, vic- tim support groups and law- yers. Amy Clowrey, a direct- or at Switalskis Solicitors who represents child sexual abuse victims, said: “All abuse perpetrated against children is serious and must be seen as such by the gov- ernment. Not doing so would put children at significant risk of harm. Creating a distinc- tion between ‘serious’ and ‘non-serious’ child sexual offences risks minimising the expe- riences of many sur- vivors.” Burnham said: “I

Sexual offences

Andy Burnham said

he wanted to cut

the scheme further

cal difference is that these will be offset

by the financial returns made by invest- ments and by investing in productive areas that will grow the economy in the long run. As a result we think that the bond markets will consider them as credible commercial market invest- ment and not materially push up the cost of borrowing.” Nick Ridpath, a research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said that although there was not an “unlim- ited pot of money” there was “some flexibility” to increase public sector in- vestment particularly in areas which ministers might want to prioritise such as research and development. “At the last budget there was around £27 billion worth of headroom that could theoretically be used to increase investment, though there are clear drawbacks to putting too much of a

wanted to go even further as I know

there will still be concerns about other offenders having their sentence short- ened. But it’s not possible without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing, which would put public safety at much greater risk.” Islay O’Hara, chief executive of the charity One in Four, which supports adult survivors of child sexual abuse, said: “One in Four understands the huge challenges that victims/survivors deal with reporting within the criminal justice system and how hard it is to get a case to trial and conviction. “The minimum they should expect amid the early-release programme is complete transparency and clarifica- tion of exactly what child abuse offen- ces are not considered ‘serious’ within the MoJ interpretation. We await further information with interest.” Matt Vickers, the shadow minister for policing, told Times Radio yester- day: “[Burnham] then talks about seri- ous child sex offences. By my book, anybody who commits a sexual offence against a child, it’s a serious issue, and they should be staying in prison for the course of their sentence.” Burnham ordered that the policy be reviewed after the family of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed while respond- ing to a crime in 2019, raised concerns over the eligibility for release of two of his killers. Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were jailed for 13 years in 2020 for manslaughter. They will remain eligi- ble despite the review. Alex Norris, the justice secretary, apologised to Harper’s family on behalf of the government, but insisted the decision was necessary. Aileen O’Connor, chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation, told The Daily Telegraph: “This is not jus- tice. How is that any form of deterrent for anybody that can go out and com- mit a crime and take the life of a police officer?” She vowed to “throw every- thing I can behind it to get this over- turned in some way, shape or form”, in- cluding a possible judicial review.

;

dent in the fiscal buffer,” he said. “They

could also use public financial institu- tions, such as the National Wealth Fund, to support infrastructure pro- jects to boost growth without hitting up against its fiscal rules, though this re- quires that the investment also bring positive returns to the private sector.” A Treasury source said Healey was looking at a “range of options” to boost investment spending before his first budget in October, but his “No 1 priori- ty” was to maintain fiscal discipline. Another source said ministers were “ambitious” for the scheme, believing it could help implement Burnham’s devo- lution agenda by providing extra fi- nancing for mayors. “Burnham has already shown how this can work in Manchester and this gives him the scope to roll it out across the country,” they said.

Offence type Incarceration nation

Prison population of England

and Wales

100 Projection

1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

*For male and female prisoners of all ages

and custody types

Trump team set to welcome

‘Ed Miliwatt’ to Washington

Max Kendix Washington Correspondent

Katy Balls Washington Editor

Ed Miliband arrives in Washington

with a delicate diplomatic mission — and a new Maga nickname. Pointing to his commitment to net zero, American officials have branded him “Ed Miliwatt” in a joking reference to the power generated by his policies as energy secretary. The Times under- stands that Chris Wright, the US energy secretary, is among those to have used the nickname. Miliband’s appointment as foreign secretary has raised eyebrows among Maga circles in Washington. He has prided himself on international law and supported an increase in foreign aid.

Prison population under an immediate

custodial sentence by offence group

000s

Violence against the person

Drug offences

Theft offences

Robbery

Public order offences

Crimes against society

Possession of weapons

Summary non-motoring

Criminal damage & arson

Fraud offences

Summary motoring

Offence not recorded

Miliband has described Trump as a

racist and misogynist who “lowered the bar for idiocy”. He has also cited “tack- ling the climate crisis” as one of his top priorities. However, a Foreign Office source in- sisted the Americans were “willing to give him a chance”. They pointed out that David Lammy made disparaging remarks about Trump before being appointed as foreign secretary but still built a strong relationship with JD Vance, the vice-president. Today Miliband will meet Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, with a focus on the Middle East and Ukraine. “The government is committed to nur- turing our strong, enduring and essen- tial alliance with the US,” Miliband said.

22,964

15,761

8,238

5,921

4,633

2,730

2,413

2,374

Page 7

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

7 News

News

Violence against the person

How the numbers break down

as of June 2026

Women

1,048

Murder

murder

6,573

Other

4,508

Former neo-Nazi to stand for Tories

Seren Hughes

ing to help communities, especially Jewish communities, and this is what I want to see.” She said she believed in “second chances for good people”. Karen Newman, vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “It beggars belief that any party would select as a candidate a multiply- convicted felon and the founder of a far-right group called National British Resistance.” In 2016 Bonehill-Paine was jailed for two years for racially aggravated har- assment after subjecting Berger to a campaign of antisemitic abuse. Berger said Badenoch had got the de- cision “very, very wrong”. She said she endured “hell” giving evidence against Bonehill-Paine. “He showed zero con- trition and thought it ok to do a full blown Nazi salute to his supporters in the gallery. This case still haunts me.”

Kemi Badenoch has backed her party’s

selection as a council candidate of a former neo-Nazi convicted of harass- ing an MP. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who was re- cently revealed as the creator of the Crewkerne Gazette, the political satire video platform, has announced his se- lection as the Conservative Party can- didate for Crewkerne South in Somer- set in next year’s council elections. Bonehill-Paine, from Yeovil, previ- ously described himself as a “national- ist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights”, according to The Guardi- an. He has numerous convictions, in- cluding for harassing a former MP, Luciana Berger, who is Jewish, sharing antisemitic material online before a planned neo-Nazi rally and malicious

Cases where

offenders are

eligible for early

release include

release.

those of Claire

Corkery, whose

parents Sue and

Tom were killed

by a speeding

driver; Maya

Chappell, right,

whose mother

allowed her

death; Elle

Edwards, below,

who was shot

dead outside a

pub; and Archie

York, far left,

who was killed

when a cannabis

factory exploded

in a block of flats

Time spent in custody

Average custodial

sentence length by

sentence

sentence.

offence group

Manslaughter

1,015

Violence against the person 2 years 7.8 months

Assault with

Assault with

Sexual offences 6.2 years 2.1 years

injury 3,966

Robbery 3.6 years 1.2 years

Attempted

Theft offences 7.8 months 2.6 months

Criminal damage and arson 2.2 years 8.9 months

1,039

Drug offences 3.3 years 1.1 years

Possession of weapons 1.1 years 4.3 months

Public order offences 8.7 months 2.9 months

Miscellaneous crimes against society 1.2 years 4.9 months

Fraud offences 1.8 years 7.4 months

intent to cause

2025 data for indictable offences only. * Applies to offenders serving standard determinate sentences who previously would have been automatically released at 40 or 50 per cent of their sentence. ** Does not include prisoners serving life sentences or other indeterminate or those convicted of rape or serious child sex or other grooming offences Source: Ministry of Justice

serious harm

5,863

Joshua Bonehill-Paine was jailed in

2016 but said he had been rehabilitated

communications over an anti-Islam

hoax. He insists that he has been reha- bilitated, and has trained police officers on anti-semitism. Badenoch, the Tory leader, said: “This is not just someone that we’ve picked up who’s a convicted criminal; this is somebody who is actively work-

Ave custody time under

Ave custodial

early release scheme

Renewed anguish for

bereaved families

Victims and bereaved families have

criticised the government after

learning that offenders in their

cases will not be exempt from the

early-release scheme (Jess Sharkey

writes).

Under revised plans announced on

Monday after a public outcry, rapists

and many child sex offenders will be

excluded. However, families of those

killed by means including

manslaughter, dangerous driving and

child cruelty have criticised the plans.

The Sentencing Act excludes from

the scheme some of the most

serious and dangerous offenders,

such as murderers serving life terms

and those on extended sentences.

Maya Chappell

The family of Maya, who was shaken

to death aged two by the partner of

her mother, Dana Carr, in 2022, said

they remained “deeply concerned”

that Carr, who was jailed for allowing

her death, is still eligible for early

Michael Daymond was jailed for

life for murder. Carr was sentenced

to nine years for child cruelty and

allowing the death of a child. In his

sentencing remarks, Mr Justice

Bright said she “lied prodigiously” to

protect Daymond. She could be

released three years into her

Gemma Chappell, Maya’s great-

aunt, said the policy put “victims in a

box, saying these victims are more

important than those victims”. She

said Carr had served barely the

length of her daughter’s short life and

shown “no rehabilitation”.

“These people are going to be in

society, they’re going to be your next-

door neighbour, they’re going to be

your parents’ next-door neighbour,”

she said. “This isn’t just affecting us,

it’s affecting hundreds of families up

and down the UK.”

Elle Edwards

Tim Edwards, whose daughter Elle

was shot outside a pub in Wirral,

Merseyside, on Christmas Eve 2022,

has learnt her killer’s accomplice

could be released in October.

Connor Chapman was sentenced

to life for Elle’s murder. Thomas

Waring was jailed for nine years for

possessing a prohibited weapon and

assisting an offender. The trial heard

Chapman left a Skorpion sub-

machinegun at Waring’s home after

the shooting.

Rookie MPs

‘fail to give laws scrutiny’

Aubrey Allegretti

Chief Political Correspondent

A lack of experience and knowledge

among MPs means they are failing to scrutinise new laws, leaving it up to peers to provide “real democratic ac- countability”, the former chief clerk of the House of Commons has warned. Lord Lisvane, who worked in parlia- ment for 42 years, said any reform of the House of Lords should be accompa- nied by a review of the lower chamber as well. Writing in The Times, the former clerk of the Commons from 2011 to 2014 said singling out the Lords for

“The person who assisted in her

murder fits the criteria for early

release,” Edwards said. “It’s like a

kick in the teeth. It just shows that

the families, the victims, don’t get a

say in any of this. It just shows they

don’t care.” He said he had written to

the prime minister but had not

received a response.

Edwards added: “The gun has

never been found. That gun is still out

there. What’s to stop him coming out

and picking that gun up again?”

Archie York

The mother of Archie, who was seven

when a drug dealer’s cannabis

factory exploded in a block of flats in

October 2024, killing him, has said

she will “keep fighting” to stop his

killer from being released early.

Reece Galbraith was jailed for

14 years for the manslaughter of

Archie and Jason Laws, 35, who was

also using the drugs lab in Benwell,

Newcastle upon Tyne.

Archie’s mother, Katherine

Errington, and his seven-week-old

brother, Finlay, were buried beneath

bricks and debris but were pulled to

safety by Archie’s father.

Errington told The Chronicle: “I’m

gutted. It doesn’t get any worse than

what he did. They need to look at

each offence more closely. I’m not

staying quiet, I have still got a few

years left. I’m just going to fight this

until he’s released. Why should I just

take this on the chin? I’m not

accepting it. The way I see it is I have

still got three kids now and I’m still

mothering Archie. This is what I can

do for him.”

Tom and Sue Corkery

Claire Corkery, whose parents were

killed by a speeding driver in 2024,

said justice has been “snatched

away” from her family.

Scott Gunn was found guilty of

death by dangerous driving and jailed

for 16 years in November last year.He

will be eligible for early release after

serving half his sentence. Corkery

said he showed “no remorse” during

the trial. “I don’t want to see rapists

and sex offenders released early but

it is almost like a tiered system,” she

said. “We’ve got a life sentence. I

think about my parents’ death every

waking moment. It’s always there and

there’s no early release from that. It

feels like justice was served there by

the judge and now it is being

snatched away from us.”

improvement was “the wrong target”.

He was responding to a cross-party group of parliamentarians who called for a commission to examine options for Andy Burnham to replace the Lords. Lisvane wrote: “The 2024 general election brought into parliament 335 new MPs — 52 per cent of the House — with no parliamentary experience; no experience or knowledge of legislative scrutiny or of calling governments to account. It would be surprising if there were any other major national institu- tion in which more than half of its members had no practical experience of its core tasks. The result is easy to see. “Most legislation barely touches the sides in the Commons, and it is left to the House of Lords to act as an expert scrutineer of what government all too often seeks to enact without real demo- cratic accountability.” He said those who had suggested a commission on Lords reform had “picked the wrong target”.

Page 8

8

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times News Sun, sea and Somali families at beach resort

David Chazan Hardelot-Plage

Hardelot-

Plage

Hardelot-Plage

About 50 migrants wearing orange life-

jackets sprinted past sunbathers on the beach at the French resort of Hardelot- Plage after spotting a dinghy roughly 100 yards offshore. Some clutched babies or toddlers as they ran, but their dash was futile. Each time the small boat, already overloaded with migrants, tried to edge closer so more people could wade out and clamber aboard, a French police boat and officers on jet skis blocked its path. Eventually, the man at the helm gave up and the dinghy headed out into the Channel, bound for the Kent coast. The migrants, most of them from Eritrea and Somalia, were left standing on the beach, about 40 miles south of Calais, as holidaymakers looked on. “It’s really sad,” said Sarah, 42, a teacher from Petersfield in Hampshire who declined to give her surname. “I’m still wrapping my head around this trauma, them risking their lives and us being on holiday. It’s difficult but in some ways it’s good to see it for yourself. When you read about it, it doesn’t have the same impact. They’re risking their lives to make this crossing. I can’t imag- ine what some of them must have been through to get this far, especially the women.” A young French woman in a swim- suit approached a Somali man carrying a baby. “Are you hungry?” she asked him, holding her credit card. “Come with me, I’ll get you some food.” Minutes later, as a group of Somali women sat with young children on rocks, drying their clothes and shoes, a French holidaymaker in swimming trunks approached with a tray of ice creams, which the children quickly ate. “It’s really hard seeing this in person,” said Alice Bowles, 19, from London. “You feel sorry for the families and the children.” Aude, 62, a retired nurse on holiday, said: “The other night we saw lights and heard people screaming ‘don’t leave me behind’. It really touched me. I wonder if it will end up being worth it for these people to take all these risks to get to England — whether their future will really be better.” The drama that unfolded on the

The Channel

Calais

aboard

intervene before the migrants waded

into the sea because it was not illegal for them to stand on the beach waiting. Sara, 40, from Keren in Eritrea, who tried to cross with her 15-year-old daughter Fiona, said her brother and father had been conscripted into the ar- my and killed in fighting with Ethio- pian forces. “People are conscripted and they never come home,” she said. “If they are not killed, they are kept I don’t know where and not allowed to return to their families. I love my country but the situation is terrible. I wish I could live there but no one can live like that.” Migrants saved from dinghy blaze

Seren Hughes, David Chazan Paris

The French and British authorities

rescued 173 migrants from a burning dinghy in the Channel yesterday. The boat’s engine caught fire while it was in France’s search-and-rescue area near British waters, and it rapidly began to break apart, the French maritime prefecture of the Channel said. The migrants jumped overboard, but all 173 were rescued by British and French authorities and returned to France. No casualties were reported. It was one of the biggest rescue oper- ations in the Channel since 2018, ac- cording to French officials. The British coastguard and Eastbourne’s all- weather lifeboat attended alongside French rescue vessels with support from the UK’s Border Security Com- mand maritime operations. The boat had left the coastal village

Dover

F R A N C E

beach is becoming an increasingly

frequent sight for holidaymakers. About 700 migrants crossed to the UK in a single day last week from Hard- elot-Plage and nearby beaches. Since then, French police have stepped up surveillance. On Monday, dozens of of- ficers patrolled the beach while a police boat waited offshore. The Kurdish people-smugglers who organise most small boat crossings used to pick up migrants around Calais, but tighter police checks have pushed them south to Hardelot-Plage and other long sandy beaches. The dinghy that arrived off Hardelot-Plage yester-

of Veules-les-Roses in Normandy on

Monday, French authorities said. French rescue vessels had tracked the overloaded dinghy as it headed to- wards British waters. Before the fire, five people on board had required med- ical assistance. A few hours later, after the fire, French vessels rescued 103 people and British boats another 54. The French authorities later revised the figures up- wards. The migrants were to be disem- barked at the Channel port of Boulo- gne-sur-Mer for medical assessment and assistance. The British Maritime and Coast- guard Agency said: “A vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region. UK vessels and a lifeboat are assisting.” Had the dinghy reached British shores, it would have been carrying the second highest number of migrants to

20 miles

Dungeness

day was launched from somewhere fur-

ther south, where there was less police presence, according to an NGO worker who declined to be named. “We think it took it several hours to

make a successful crossing in a single

boat, the Home Office said. The record was set on July 23 when 165 migrants reached the UK in a single dinghy. Alex Norris, the justice secretary, said: “It’s a very visible reminder both of the dangerous nature of those crossings and of the blind indifference that human traffickers have for life on those boats.” Work with the French had re- sulted in postive steps forward, he said. Chris Philp, the shadow home secre- tary, said: “This is why it’s so wrong that French police stand by and do nothing while the illegal migrant boats embark. Lives are being risked.” A total of 2,057 people have crossed the Channel to the UK since Andy Burnham became prime minister on July 20, Home Office statistics show. There were 1,962 crossings in the same period last year, but this year’s total is significantly down on this time in 2025.

Migrants wait for

a boat among

holidaymakers at

where one

French tourist

offered

refreshments.

When a boat

arrived there was

a scramble to get

reach here and the people-smugglers

must have taken about 20 migrants with them when they went to inflate and launch it so it would be more diffi- cult for the police to intervene for fear of causing someone to drown,” he said. The tactic exposes the limitations of a new £660 million UK-France deal for French police to patrol their beaches over the next three years. Signed in April, it allows police to intercept mi- grant boats only if there are fewer than 20 people on board, in an attempt to re- duce the number of people who must be rescued in the event of a capsize. The gendarmes said they could not

The provisional total for the year is

14,526, 43 per cent lower than the num- ber recorded this time last year. At least 15 people have died this year while attempting to cross in small boats. Four people died last week. People-smugglers have started using boats of up to 12 metres instead of eight to ten metres, preferring larger boats that maximise profit per crossing, French residents say. They may also be reacting to increased police patrols and enhanced surveillance on the French coast under a new, three-year, £660 million UK-France deal. Migrants say the people-smugglers do not pilot the dinghies but leave a migrant to take the helm, guided by a GPS device. That person crosses free of charge while others pay between €1,000 and €4,000. Many people- smugglers reportedly have a sliding scale of fares based on nationality. Afri-

cans pay less than Asians, who are con-

sidered better off. The arrival in the Spanish north Afri- can territory of Ceuta of tens of thou- sands of migrants who swam around the border fence last week has led to fears that some may come to the UK. Burnham, visiting Dover’s joint com- mand room for monitoring small boat crossings on Sunday, said enforcement had to be increased alongside the offer of safer routes into the country. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, said work to tackle small boat crossings was beginning to “bear fruit”. The government said: “British vessels supported a French search and rescue operation. This incident underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings. We continue to work relentlessly with the French and our partners overseas to prevent these perilous journeys.”

Page 9

R

Storm in a D cup over

bra cheating claims at Tour de Femmes

iders at the Tour de France Femmes faced more stringent checks before the stage four time-trial yesterday after reports that riders may be padding their bras to make themselves more aerodynamic (Joseph Harston writes). The Dutch publication WielerFlits reported on Sunday that the strategy could be an issue, writing that several women’s WorldTeams were concerned about how some riders have visibly larger cup sizes during time-trials compared with road races. Increasing the size and changing the shape of the chest area for both men and women can provide an advantage for

Araminta Plumptre

Sheeran fined for failing to insure Aston Martin

Araminta Plumptre Princess Eugenie has given birth to her third child, a daughter, at a hospital in Lisbon. The princess, 36, welcomed the girl, with her husband Jack Brooksbank, on Monday evening, Buckingham Palace has announced. The King and Queen have been in- formed and were said to be “delighted” by news of her “safe arrival”. Eugenie shared a photo, below, of her newborn daughter, weighing 6lb 9oz, on Instagram yesterday. The photo shows the baby in a pink onesie, grip- ping her father’s index finger. Eugenie captioned the picture: “Jack and I are so excited to announce Baby Girl Brooks- bank!! We are beyond in love with our girlie,” followed by a string of hearts. She joins her broth- ers August, five, and Ernest, three, who were said to be “very excited” when Eugenie revealed in May that she was expecting a third child. Buckingham Palace said: “Her Royal High- ness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooks- bank are delighted to announce the safe ar- rival of their daughter, born on Monday, 3rd August 2026, at

Ed Sheeran has been convicted and fined after he accidentally failed to insure his 60-year-old classic Aston Martin while it was being restored. The pop singer, 35, admitted keeping a motor vehicle that does not meet insurance requirements and was fined £666. Sheeran has not driven the silver 1966 car since 2021 when it went in for an overhaul for it to be converted into an electric vehicle. The DVLA spotted that Sheeran had not insured the car while the restoration work was taking place in December. The Grammy and Emmy-winning singer told Bradford magistrates’ court that the car had not been on the road for five years and he believed that it would be covered by the workshop’s insurance policy. Sheeran was convicted last week and was also ordered to pay £100 costs and a £266 surcharge. He was prosecuted on July 31, behind closed doors in the single justice procedure courts, and he sent a letter of explanation alongside his guilty plea. “The vehicle is a vintage Aston Mar- tin car which, since 2021, has been in the process of full restoration by Aston Workshop Ltd,” he wrote. “The vehicle has remained within the control of the workshop continuously since 2021 and has been kept off public roads and remained within their garage

competitors because it redirects the airflow around the body. However, such a tactic is banned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which states in its rules that riders must not use objects “which could modify their morphology”. The complaints about this practice prompted the UCI jury to make an unusual announcement on Monday evening, less than 24 hours before the time-trial. It stated that when riders attend final checks ten minutes before their respective start time “particular attention will be paid to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including non-essential elements and clothing or other items/accessories worn by a rider (including but

Redirects the

airflow around

the body

at all times. There has accordingly been no risk to third-party members of the public arising from the uninsured driving of the vehicle. “I have at no point had physical pos- session or practical control of the vehicle. In fact, the vehicle has been in- operable since 2021, through the rele- vant date and to the present day.” Sheeran, who was appointed MBE in 2017 for services to music and charity, apologised for taking up court resour- ces and insisted that he had not re- ceived the DVLA’s initial offer of an out-of-court fine, but said that he would have paid it immediately. He claimed that the workshop, which is based in Durham, had assured him that “they maintain their own com- prehensive motor trade and road risk insurance policies” and added: “It is for that reason that I never personally took out motor insurance for this vehicle.” Sheeran, whose hit songs include Shape of You, Thinking Out Loud and Perfect, added: “This is not a case involving the deliberate disregard of

Women’s Tour riders were checked yesterday. Research by Bert Blocken, left, states chest fairings reduce resistance

not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) which could modify riders’ morphology”. Past studies have found that chest fairings — effectively anything put down the front of a rider’s jersey that changes the shape of their chest — can provide a significant aero advantage and are

Increased volume in the chest area can

give riders an aerodynamic advantage

vehicle insurance obligations, the actual use of an uninsured vehicle, or any intention to avoid the legal require- ments under the act. “Rather this issue has arisen from a genuine administrative misunder- standing concerning an inoperable vehicle that was not being used, and which was genuinely believed to be ap- propriately covered by insurance poli- cies held by the workshop while the vehicle was in the workshop’s posses- sion being assembled.” In his mitigation, Sheeran said that a letter of support had been sent from Aston Workshop Ltd but a court official said that the let- ter was not on the system and would not have been con- sidered by the magistrate during the sentencing hearing. As Sheeran’s case was dealt with under the single justice procedure system, it could be sent to any magistrates’ court regardless of the location of the offence, based on a national database. He was among 1,451 people across England and Wales to be convict- ed last week of failing to in- sure their vehicles.

banned by several sporting bodies. Research conducted in 2024 by Bert Blocken, professor of aerodynamics at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University and LUT University in Finland, found that chest fairings have the potential to reduce air resistance by up to 3.6 per cent, which would translate to a

Princess Eugenie gives birth

to third child in Portugal

saving of at least 0.78 seconds per kilometre and therefore could “decide who wins or loses a time-trial”. In men’s cycling policing the use of such objects is easier, but it becomes more of a grey area for women, who use different kinds of sports bras in races depending on personal preference. Some riders have also been known to race without a sports bra for aero gains because it compresses the breasts. According to WielerFlits, some teams believe that a female juror should check the riders in a closed tent immediately after the time-trial to ensure there are no hidden in their bras or under their aero clothing objects. At the beginning of the year the UCI announced it would ban chest pockets on jerseys, which riders used to store nutritional products. The governing body found that these were “generally not consumed because they were extremely difficult, or even impossible in race conditions, to access. These pockets result in significant alterations to the riders’ body shape.” Triathletes had been known to tuck water bottles down their jerseys for aero gains but the practice has been banned by multiple race organisers.

6.20pm, at a hospital in Lisbon, Portu- gal. Their Majesties The King and Queen and other members of The Royal Family were delighted to be in- formed of the news.” The couple divide their time between Lisbon, where Brooksbank, 40, markets a resort, and Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace. Their daughter’s birth in Portugal may mean that she is entitled to apply for an EU passport. The baby will be 15th in line to the throne and is the fifth grandchild of Andrew Mountbatten- Windsor after the birth of Princess Bea- trice’s daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, in January last year. Eugenie and Brooksbank married in 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, having met eight years earlier in Verbier in the Swiss Alps. After leaving Stowe School aged 18, Brooksbank worked in a pub in Chelsea and rejected a career in fi- nance. He works at the luxury CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club south of Lisbon, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stayed this summer. The couple wel- comed their first child, August, on February 9, 2021, followed by Ern- est on May 30, 2023.

Page 10

Field of vision A giant eye made with cornflowers has bloomed early thanks to the hot summer. Portsmouth street artist My Dog Sighs, real name Paul Stone, created the artwork on Hayling Island in Hampshire

More than 200 NHS sites

reliant on paper records

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

The NHS is spending more than £200 million a year storing records in boxes and filing cabinets because hundreds of sites remain entirely reliant on paper. A report by The King’s Fund think tank shows that only five NHS trusts in England have fully digitised patient records, despite government pledges to make the NHS paperless. In total, there are 209 NHS sites — such as diagnostic centres or hospital clinics — which use only paper records, according to analysis of medical records data. Most NHS hospitals use a combina- tion of digital and paper records to keep hold of information including appoint- ment notes, letters and scan results. But the vast majority do not have enough space on site to store paper files, mean- ing they have to rent storage units or buildings, often at a significant cost. Data for 2024-25 shows the NHS spent £239.5 million storing patient records, which covers costs including stationary fees for boxes, folders and filing cabinets. There have been numerous attempts to get rid of paper records, which increase the risk of errors and poor communication. In 2013, Jeremy Hunt, as Conservative health secretary, said

the NHS should be “paperless by 2018”. The NHS also promised to be “paper- free at the point of care” by 2020. Under a ten-year plan to take the health service “from analogue to digital” published last year, the NHS will introduce an electronic “single patient record” from 2028 to replace paper systems. The record will store all medical data on the NHS App, joining up parts of the system such as A&E units, hospital clinics and GPs. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, said the cost of storing paper records was “a really flagrant example of money being spent where it doesn’t need to be. “The NHS has had a commitment to being a paperless institution for many years, so the fact that you’ve still got 200 sites completely reliant on paper is disappointing and frustrating.” Woolnough said that depending on paper records meant “things can get lost and there can be inaccuracies”, which could affect care or treatment. The NHS receives thousands of complaints relating to communication failures and record-keeping problems every year. Research by Healthwatch shows that nearly one in four adults report inaccuracies or missing details in their medical records.

The implementation of a single patient record will be debated by MPs next month as part of a health bill going through parliament. A single record would allow doctors and nurses to see the medical history of any patient who attends an A&E unit or hospital anywhere. Woolnough said: “There is a striking gap between the ambition for a modern, connected health service and the reality on the ground for patients and staff.” She said the success of the single record would hinge on spending on digital infrastructure, training for staff, robust privacy and building public confidence in how health data is used. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the single patient record would be “a secure way for NHS staff to see your medical history wherever you are treated. It will mean you get safer, quicker, more accurate healthcare — without having to repeat your story each time. “Nearly all NHS trusts already have electronic patient record systems in place, backed by £1.9 billion of NHS England investment. While some trusts still maintain a mix of digital and paper processes, we will continue to promote the benefits of digital transition — for patients and staff alike.”

Method of predicting breast

cancer misses 95% of cases

Peter Chappell, Eleanor Hayward

Guidelines used by GPs to predict if younger women are at a high risk of breast cancer miss 95 per cent of those who go on to develop the disease, research shows. At present, women aged under 50 with a strong family history of breast cancer can be referred to specialists for further monitoring. They may be of- fered genetic tests or regular screening, designed to catch cancer early if they go on to develop it. However, research from the University of Cambridge involving 1,258 women under 50 has found that assess- ing risk using family history alone does not flag 95 per cent of women who go on to develop the disease within ten years. They have developed a new system — which examines factors such as family history, reproductive history, lifestyle and genetics — that was found to ident- ify eight times as many women in the same age group who developed breast cancer. Only about 5 to 15 per cent of breast cancer cases are in women with a family history of the disease. Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the analysis of data from the Breast Cancer Now Generations study between 2004 and 2011 suggested that using the alternative guidelines for all women under 50 would lead to 26.5 per cent being classed as higher risk and re-

ferred for further assessment, com- pared with 1.4 per cent at present. Identifying those at the highest risk earlier would give medics a better chance at treating breast cancer, a leading cause of death in women under 50. Dr Juliet Usher-Smith, of the depart- ment of public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge, said: “We need to get better at identifying women at highest risk of breast cancer so that we can intervene early.” Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, which supported the study, said: “Finding new ways to identify women at increased risk could help to prevent some breast cancers or detect them earlier, when treatment is more likely to be success- ful. These findings highlight the limita- tions of Nice’s [the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] cur- rent referral criteria, and so this re- search must now be carefully consid- ered as part of the current review of its family history guidelines.” Nice said it “welcomes the findings of this study and recognises the potential of multifactorial risk models in improv- ing the identification of women at increased risk of breast cancer in the future”. It added, however, that “the current evidence does not warrant a change to our existing familial breast cancer guideline at this time.”

Page 11

Scotland Yard

investigated reporter who probed Arday

Emma Yeomans, Marc Horne

Charlotte Alt, Lowri Lewis

The Metropolitan Police spent four months investigating a journalist who emailed questions to a Cambridge academic accused of plagiarism. Scotland Yard investigated a claim of harassment made last year against a reporter who looked into Jason Arday’s academic record. Arday, the youngest black professor to be appointed by Cambridge, has since been accused of plagiarism, which he denies, and mak- ing exaggerated claims about his sport- ing and fundraising achievements. Yesterday two universities where Ar- day claimed to have been a visiting pro- fessor denied he had held the title, while Cambridge removed a reference to one of his degrees from his staff page. Arday is understood to have hired the law firm Carter-Ruck after inquiries by Jack Grove, a reporter for Times Higher Education. The law firm claimed in a letter to the magazine that the “apparent attack” on Arday “may be ... racially motivated”. The Met closed the case against Grove in February after looking into it for four months. He was not inter- viewed by police and only found out about the investigation after the Met informed him it would not be taking any action. Grove said: “I stand by my decision to investigate Professor Arday — I approached the story as I would have done any other.” Arday, a sociology of education profes- sor, has come under scrutiny after allega- tions that he plagia- rised his PhD thesis and parts of his pub-

University loses appeal over ‘anti-Zionist’ academic’s dismissal

A university has lost an appeal against an employment tribunal’s finding that it discriminated against an academic on the basis of his anti-Zionist beliefs. David Miller was sacked over com- ments criticising Israel in October 2021 after a disciplinary hearing at the Uni- versity of Bristol found he had not met its expected “standards of behaviour”. The lecturer, who had been a profes- sor of political sociology, began em- ployment tribunal proceedings claim- ing unfair dismissal, breach of contract and discrimination or victimisation on the grounds of religion or belief. In 2024 a tribunal found the univer- sity had discriminated against Miller based on his anti-Zionist beliefs and that he had been unfairly and wrong- fully dismissed. It also found that the amount of compensation he should re- ceive — which has yet to be determined

lished academic research. Archived ver- sions of his biography pages with Jesus College and Cambridge’s faculty of education list four degrees: a BA, two MAs and a PhD. But references to an MA in education studies from Liver- pool John Moores University — the in- stitution where he did his PhD — have been scrubbed from the pages. On the Cambridge education faculty page, Arday claims to be a visiting pro- fessor in Glasgow’s School of Educa- tion. However, this was denied by the university. “I can confirm that Profes- sor Arday isn’t a visiting professor at the University of Glasgow,” a spokesman said. When asked if he had ever held that position, the spokesman told The Herald that Arday “was never a visiting professor here”. His biography also describes him as a visiting professor at the Ohio State Uni- versity in the diversity and inclusion office. The university said it had no record of him being employed, includ- ing as a visiting professor. A spokesman said: “The records would not indicate if an individual visited in another, non-employment capacity.” The office where he claims to have been a visiting professor closed last year. On Monday it emerged that Profes- sor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, a nanosci- entist and the head of Wolfson College, Cambridge, had with- drawn her support for Arday. She had signed an open letter in support of him circu- lated by the Good Law Project, but her name was removed over the weekend. A number of academics have said that Arday’s alleged plagiarism and aca- demic misconduct re-

— should be halved because of the “contributory fault” of Miller to his own dismissal, based on comments he had made about Jewish students and stu- dent groups on three occasions in 2021. The tribunal further found that there was a 30 per cent chance he would have been dismissed lawfully by October 2023 in response to social posts made in August that year. The university appealed against the findings, telling the employment appeal tribunal last November that Miller’s anti-Zionist beliefs were polit- ical and therefore not protected under the Equality Act. It also argued that the tribunal had wrongly upheld the unfair dismissal claim and that owing to Miller’s “contributory fault” his com- pensation should be waived. In a ruling yesterday, Lord Fairley, the appeal tribunal president,

Professor Jason Arday has been accused of plagiarism. Left, his memoir

quire serious investigation. Arday has denied academic fraud, saying that he had made mistakes but was not a fanta- sist. He admitted errors in his work, say- ing that he was accountable for them but “what I am not is a liar”. He previously told The Times: “I am accountable for the mistakes I’ve made. I hold myself accountable and other people should hold me accountable. We’re talking about academia here. “I didn’t murder somebody. I think the cruelty that I’ve experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable.” Arday has also been accused of exag- gerating parts of his life, including claims that he ran 600 miles in six days and raised more than £5 million for

dismissed most of the appeal, stating that it saw “no good reason why the be- liefs relied upon by the claimant in this case should be excluded from protec- tion simply because they related to an issue of social importance which might, broadly, also be categorised as ‘political’”. Fairley said the first tribunal’s finding that “the discriminatory decision to dis- miss also fell outside the band of reasonable responses” was “a legiti- mate approach that was properly open to it”. But the appeals tribunal also ruled that it was “not clear” how the first tri- bunal had concluded that there was a 30 per cent chance that Miller would have been dismissed lawfully in 2023. This matter was referred back to the tri- bunal for reconsideration. Miller also appealed against the deci- sion that it had not been an act of direct

charity. He told The Times that he did not raise all the money but was part of a syndicate of about 100 people, adding that he accepted “responsibility that I could have been really, really explicit” in correcting the narrative. On Monday the WaterAid charity cast doubt on claims Arday had made about “installing water points” in South America and west Africa, saying that it never sent volunteers abroad. Claims of plagiarism were investigat- ed by Liverpool John Moores Univers- ity, which awarded the PhD, and Cam- bridge University. Neither found any wrongdoing. Arday was contacted for comment.

discrimination by the university to find him guilty of misconduct, to dismiss his harassment complaint and to reduce his compensation. These were also dis- missed by the appeal tribunal. The academic attracted criticism during a lecture at the university in 2019 when he said the Zionist move- ment was one of five pillars driving Islamophobia in the UK. The uni- versity received a complaint from the Community Security Trust charity, which said his lecture was a “false, vile … antisemitic slur”, but an investigation found Miller had no case to answer. Then, in February 2021, Miller spoke at an event

Screen use

over summer leaves little to imagination

Andrew Ellson

Consumer Affairs Correspondent

A cardboard box could once become a castle, a racing car or a spacecraft. A patch of wasteland was a jungle; the space beneath the dining room table a secret headquarters. Today, however, confronted by the empty hours of the summer holidays, children are more likely to ask for a screen than use their imagination, according to new research. Just one in ten children considers going outside to be the first thing to do when bored, the study found, suggest- ing that the art of inventing games and imaginary worlds is being displaced by phones, tablets and television. Children are now more than twice as likely to reach for a screen as they are to make up a story or a pretend game. While 28 per cent said that they would ask for or use a device when boredom struck, only 12 per cent would respond by inventing something to play. The survey of 2,000 children aged four to nine and the same number of parents, which was commissioned by Playmobil, the toy brand, suggests that the shift is also affecting their confi- dence in their own imaginations. Fourteen per cent of six-year-olds said that they had already stopped using their imagination, while almost nine in ten children believed that there would come a point when they were too old for pretend games. Parents, many of whom remember childhood afternoons spent building dens, staging battles with action figures or being told to go out and amuse them- selves, fear that something has been lost. The overwhelming majority said that children today had less room to in- vent their own play while nearly two thirds believed that they had been more imaginative at the same age. Most parents also reported that at least one toy or activity previously enjoyed by their child had been partly replaced by screens. The concern has already made its way into popular cul- ture. In the latest Toy Story film, Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their fellow play- things find themselves competing for a child’s attention with Lilypad, a frog- shaped tablet. Yet the findings suggest that children have not entirely lost their appetite for make-believe. Nearly four in ten wish their parents would play pretend games with them more often.

called Building the Campaign for Free Speech. He made further comments criticising Zionism and questioned how to make sure Zionism was “ended”, the appeal tribunal said. He also said it was “fundamental” to Zionism to “encour- age Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism”. Miller was accused of antisemi- tism online, and criticised by Bris- tol Jewish Society. This led him to call some Jewish student groups “political lobby groups” and to describe Jews studying in the UK as “political pawns by a violent, racist foreign regime engaged in ethnic cleansing”. In a subsequent email to a student journalist, he said Zionism “has no place in any society”. The com- ments led to his dismissal.

Page 13

Murder suspect posed as jihadist

George Odling Athens

The Afghan boxer accused of murder- ing a British woman in Athens used a burner phone to text her friends posing as a jihadist who claimed to have killed her because of her Christian faith, it has been reported. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, sent the messa- ges to his own wife and other friends of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, after allegedly dumping her body in a suitcase inside a derelict building, police reportedly told local media. It comes as family mem- bers of Alaina Hall, Ahmadzai’s wife from Georgia in the US, said her parents were against their marriage. Hall, a Christian who ran an NGO with her husband in Athens, is said to have given vital evidence to police when she began to suspect Ahmadzai was involved in her friend’s death. Her aunt, Leanne Hall, said her brother Thomas, a 65-year-old pilot, and his wife, Susan, harboured doubts about their daughter’s husband before the couple wed. She told the Daily Mail: “I’ve never met him, I’ve only heard about him. But I can tell you my brother and sister-in- law never wanted them to get married.” After allegedly murdering Ross, Ah- madzai is accused of sending a series of messages from her phone to her friends and family before switching it off. He is then said to have bought another phone and texted friends in Athens, including Hall, to say he was an unnamed jihadist who had killed the Scot because she had been trying to convert people to Christianity, the Greek website Proto Thema reported. Ahmadzai is accused of stealing Ross’s bank cards and withdrawing thousands of euros from her accounts, according to a case file. Legal papers state that Hall became suspicious of him when she woke in the early hours of July 16 to find he had left the home, then traced him to Ross’s ac- commodation via the Find My Friends app. Ahmadzai had also given her €)2,550 (£2,200) and a new iPhone 17 Pro, which she told police she believed had been bought using money stolen from Ross’s bank accounts. CCTV appears to show a man match- ing Ahmadzai’s description calmly wheeling a large suitcase down a road in Kypseli, near where Ross’s body was

MP protection ‘disjointed and patchy’

Ed Halford

Security provisions in place to protect MPs are “disjointed” and “very patchy’, according to Robert Buckland KC, who is leading the independent review into the murder of the MP Sir David Amess. The terms of reference for the review, which was commissioned by the govern- ment, were set out by Buckland on Monday in a letter to the Home Office, which was shared with the Amess family. Amess, who served as the MP for Southend West for 38 years, was stabbed 21 times by Ali Harbi Ali in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in October 2021. Amess’s family welcomed Buckland leading the review as they said that “he has listened to us and recognised how much has gone wrong”. However, Katie Amess, Amess’s daughter, said that the family’s past few years “have been a long and exhausting struggle”. She said: “We have had to fight for in- formation that should have been given to us as a matter of basic humanity.” She said that her family “still do not have the answers we need and the weight of that is indescribable”. In the review, Buckland will seek to

discovered. Detectives believe that Ross’s body had been inside the case. Ahmadzai was later allegedly cap- tured on CCTV making cash withdraw- als, police sources said. He is due to appear before a judge in Athens this morning charged with murder, robbery and illegal possession of a pistol at his home. Ahmadzai, whose family were all

Katie Amess fought for information

after her father David was murdered

“set out clearly the aspects of this inci- dent the Amess family feel remain un- addressed”. He will also examine the security provisions for MPs working in their constituencies “to ensure open ac- cess to our elected representatives is supported by the best possible security measures for them, their families and their staff”. The alleged murder of Ann Widde- combe has “focused minds” on this ele- ment of the review, Buckland said, and the solicitor Neil Hudgell, who repre- sents the Amess family, said that there is “added urgency to this review given

killed by the Taliban, travelled to Greece in 2016 via Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey and met Hall at the Moria migrant camp, where she had been volunteering. He converted to Christianity in 2017. The couple married in April 2023 and set up a ministry helping refugees in Athens under the name Love Every Nation. Their son was born in April,

the circumstances of the recent death of Sir David’s good friend Ann Widde- combe”. Buckland will also examine the life of Ali in the years leading up to Amess’s murder and will consider “whether there were any occasions or instances that could or should have given rise to further interventions or follow-ups”. Buckland remains concerned that security for MPs is “very patchy” and the former justice secretary indicated an explanation could be the “very dis- jointed system between Parliament, the Home Office and the Royalty and Spe- cialist protection branch”. “I just get the feeling that it’s all a bit of an alphabet soup out there and while I’m not in the business of creating quangos for quangos’ sake I do think that a disjointed approach doesn’t seem to me to be up to the threats which are a reality for so many elected officials.” Ali, a fanatic of Islamic State, was given a whole-life sentence for Amess’s murder in 2022. Seven years beforehand, Ali had been referred to Prevent, the govern- ment’s counter-terrorism programme, but his case was closed.

with Ahmadzai announcing the birth on Facebook as a “blessing straight from the hand of God”. Ahmadzai, a boxer, won a Greek super-lightweight boxing title in March and ran boxing classes to raise money for the NGO. The couple’s website states that his father, a military commander in Kabul, survived six assassination attempts but

Reward offered in case

of stabbed film-maker

David Brown Chief News Correspondent

A £20,000 reward is being offered by police hunting for a man wanted over the fatal stabbing of Finbar Sullivan, a 21-year-old film-maker. Sullivan was repeatedly stabbed after taking his new camera to a viewing point in Primrose Hill, a royal park in north London, in April. Three men from Enfield, north London, have been charged with Sulli- van’s murder. A fourth man has been charged with grievous bodily harm for an alleged attack on Sullivan’s friend, Andrew Egbunike, who required substantial surgery after being stabbed. A trial is scheduled for April next year at the Old Bailey. Detectives yesterday announced a £20,000 reward for information lead- ing them to trace Jordan Asije, 22, from north London. Detective Inspector Andy Griffin, who is leading the investigation, said: “We have made significant progress in understanding the events that led to

to trace Jordan

north London

Sharif Ahmadzai with his American

wife Alaina Hall. The Afghan boxer

is accused of killing Elisabeth-Jane

Ross, above, from Edinburgh

was shot dead in a Taliban ambush when he was four. Five years later, his older brother was kidnapped by the Taliban and, when he was 15, his mother, brother and sister were killed in a suicide car bomb. The orphaned Ahmadzai had to identify the remains of his siblings, the site claims. He and Hall are understood to have met Ross, also a Christian volunteer, through their work and police sources said that the Athens flat where the vic- tim was living was linked to the organi- sation, with Ahmadzai and his wife able to access the property. Pastor Peter Anderson told worship- pers at the City on a Hill church in Ed- inburgh, where Elisabeth-Jane Ross, known as Lisa, had been a member for 20 years, that her life had been “all about mission”. He said her death was a “really tragic loss”. Ross arrived in Athens on June 26, having visited the city most years to vol- unteer with NGOs and charities. Her body was discovered on July 18. Anderson said in an online message: “It’s been a really tough week for our church. We have lost a precious church member, Lisa. She was a member of our church for 20 years, and a very precious girl, and it was a really tragic loss. “We have lost a very precious church member, a member who did live their life knowing God, trusting Jesus, know- ing that one day they would stand before him, a church member who lived their life with a passion for mission, and so we miss her.”

[Sullivan’s] tragic death. A reward of up to £20,000 is now being offered to encourage the public to help us.” The officer appealed directly to the wanted man: “Jordan, if you are reading this, I urge you to do the right thing and hand yourself in.

Police are trying

Asije, from

“I also want to make it clear that any- one knowingly assisting Jordan ... may be committing a criminal offence.” Sullivan was known for making music videos for drill rap musicians. His father, Christopher, 65, has vowed to dedicate his life to the memory of his only child. Christopher was a founder of Blue Rondo à la Turk, a 1980s band, and the Wag Club in Soho, central London.

Page 14

High life Betty Bromage, 97, breaks her own world record for the oldest female wingwalker, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. It was her sixth wingwalk in ten years

Travellers have been warned not to trust hotel wifi networks after Russian hackers were discovered to have hi- jacked them. Kremlin-linked groups have com- promised wifi networks in the US, India and Saudi Arabia to infect computers with spying software and direct users to malicious websites. Microsoft attributed the campaign, called CaptiveCrunch, to Cozy Bear, a group connected to Russia’s foreign in- telligence service. ReliaQuest, a cyber- security company, said the hacking had the hallmarks of Fancy Bear, which is connected to military intelligence. The hackers compromised the wifi sign-up pages for hotels, conference centres and other organisations. This enabled them to redirect customers to fake websites so they could harvest lo- gins. Wifi users were sent pop-up mes- sages claiming that their web browser needed a “manual update”. The downloaded software could steal passwords, turn on a computer’s camera and microphone and steal to- kens that gave hackers access to net- works without needing codes. Travellers are advised to use a virtual private network or VPN to connect to the internet or to use mobile hotspots.

Made in Britain: Ukrainian drone boats

Charlie Parker

Drone boats that have decimated Russia’s Black Sea Fleet are being built in Britain to help the Royal Navy com- bat Kremlin warships, submarines and shadow fleet tankers. Uforce, a Ukrainian defence firm whose kamikaze sea drones have de- stroyed more than a dozen Russian warships, unveiled a new vessel yester- day designed to help “make Britain a naval superpower again”. The MV7 was launched for the first time last month from an undisclosed location off the UK’s south coast. Modelled on Ukraine’s famous “Ma-

gura” unmanned surface vessels (USVs), which are used for the vast majority of maritime attacks against Russian targets, it can conduct strikes and reconnaissance missions at long range across the Atlantic. The firm, now headquartered in London, says it combined the expertise of frontline drone operators and British Formula 1 engineers to adapt the vessels for war- fare on more challenging ocean waters. Oleg Rogynskyy, chief executive of Uforce, told The Times that the firm branched out to the UK after “sinking pretty much everything there was to sink” in the Black Sea. Months after Russia launched its

full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces had destroyed the fleet’s flagship, Moskva, and forced the navy into a full retreat using homegrown anti-ship missiles and USVs. Sir Richard Knighton, head of the UK armed forces, yesterday praised Ukraine for showing “how a country without a navy can, through creative and courageous use of maritime drones, neutralise the mighty Russian Black Sea Fleet”. Rogynskyy said the Ukrainian gov- ernment supported Uforce’s expansion into western markets. After establishing offices in the UK three years ago, the firm began developing the MV7 from

scratch to meet the different needs of the Royal Navy and its Nato partners. The tasks these vessels must perform are “100 times more complicated” than the one-way strikes typically carried out by Ukrainian forces in the Black Sea, Rogynskyy said. MV7s must be more reusable and able to stay at sea for weeks as they carry out a variety of mis- sions. These include hunting subma- rines and protecting undersea cables and windfarms from sabotage. One of their chief roles with the Royal Navy could involve intercepting Russian warships or sanctioned Shad- ow Fleet oil tankers that enter British waters, Rogynskyy added. MV7 sea

Hacked hotel

wifi warning to travellers

Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent

drones would work best deployed in swarms, each equipped with different capabilities. One could be armed with 600kg of C4 explosives, while another is equipped with a suite of sensors. Rogynskyy argued that “the only way the UK becomes a maritime super- power again” is by bolstering the fleet with “a large volume of uncrewed au- tonomous vessel systems”. In March, Uforce announced that it had launched globally alongside a $50 million seed funding round, which it described as the largest for a defence start-up in the UK. The company said that the investment values the firm at more than $1 billion.

Page 15

A

May the

force be Cymru

boed i’r Grym fod gyda chi. It may not have the same ring to it as “may the force be with you”, but soon Welsh-speaking Star Wars fans will be able to watch the film in their own language (Alex Farber writes). Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd, or Star Wars: A New Hope, will be broadcast on the Welsh- language channel S4C on Christmas Day. Matthew Rhys, who starred in the Netflix thriller The Beast in Me, will voice Han Solo in the dubbed version. Aimee- Ffion Edwards, who has appeared in Peaky Blinders and Slow Horses, plays Princess Leia. Other Welsh actors in the cast include Rhys Ifans as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Osian Morgan as Luke Skywalker and Mark Lewis Jones, who featured in The Last Jedi, as Darth Vader. The project was produced by Disney and Lucasfilm, whose co-president Lynwen Brennan was born and raised in Wales, with the Welsh government. Brennan said Welsh was a “beautiful, lyrical language” that she hoped would take viewers back. “We have never

Gallery citizens don’t know their

art from their elbow, say critics

Ed Halford

The National Gallery is spending £250,000 to invite members of the public with no artistic experience to advise on the gallery’s future, in a move branded “barking mad” by art insiders. The citizens’ assembly, called NG Citizens, began late last year. The gallery became the first major museum in the UK to allow members of the public, who may not necessarily have art expertise or may have never visited it, to influence its decision-making. The assembly, which is made up of 50 people from the UK aged 16 and over, was selected by the Sortition Founda- tion via a civic lottery. This process included sending out invitations to 15,000 households and forming a group reflecting “the wide diversity of the UK, including individuals who have never engaged with the gallery before”. Responsibilities of assembly members include suggesting “changes

needed to meet the challenges of the future” and bringing new ideas on “how to implement and build on existing plans for the future of the gallery”. The members do not have any influence over the buying or selling of paintings or ideas that would result in significant changes to existing build- ings. In its first year, the assembly met five times. Michael Daley, 82, the director of ArtWatch UK, who has scrutinised the work of the National Gallery since 1963, called the assembly “barking mad”. He compared its implementation to a “greengrocer commissioning a very, very expensive investigation to tell him what vegetables to sell”. Daley added: “It’s much more likely to be a kind of pre-emptive wheeze to find a justification for the sorts of things they would like to do anyway.” Sir Gabriele Finaldi, the director of the National Gallery, told The Times: “As custodians of a national collection,

before had a translation of Star Wars into Welsh and I am so thankful, that in celebration of [the franchise’s upcoming] 50th anniversary, we have been able to work with some incredible Welsh talent to make that a reality,” she said. “Welsh speakers will finally be able to enjoy the film in our

we are proud of the pioneering role NG Citizens has played in supporting our core mission of bringing people and paintings together. While our curatori- al, research and programming expert- ise is at the centre of what we do, we think it is important to grow our relationship with audiences across the UK.” The cost of the project has also been queried by Charlie Dewhirst, a Conservative MP, after Ian Murray, a culture minister, told the Commons “the total budgeted cost for their citizen assembly is expected to be £250,000 over five years from 2025 to 2029”. Dewhirst told The Times that he had “concerns” about the direction of the National Gallery given its focus on in- put from citizens who do not necessari- ly have any qualifications in assessing art. He said: “I think it’s really impor- tant that those involved in the National Gallery should be the leading experts in the country on art and therefore mak-

The Welsh version of A New

Hope features voice acting

from Matthew Rhys (Han

Solo), Aimee Ffion-Edwards

(Princess Leia) and Osian

Morgan (Luke Skywalker)

native language and my hope is that it will have the same emotional impact as if you were watching the film again for the first time.” Rhun ap Iorwerth, the

first minister of Wales, said Star Wars was one of the most influential films of his childhood. “Its appeal shows no sign of waning, captivating audiences to this day,” he said. “To see a Welsh language version of this iconic film, using the talents of some of our best actors, is fantastic. It is not the only link between Wales and the films. A full Millennium Falcon spaceship was built at Pembroke Dock in 1979 for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Scenes from the 2024 TV series Star Wars: The Acolyte were shot on Welsh sites including the Brecon Beacons. Star Wars films have been dubbed into more than 50 languages. In 2024, A New Hope was translated into Ojibwe, an indigenous language spoken by the people of the same name in North America. The community hoped that it would help to preserve their language, spoken in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, and the US state of Minnesota. In the previous year a study by the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany found that people routinely used words such as Yoda, Jedi, Padawan and lightsaber, and talk about turning to the “dark side” when doing something bad. All of these words have been included in the Oxford English Dictionary, starting with Yoda in 2016. Geraint Evans, chief executive of S4C, said the “stars had aligned” for the project. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to promote the Welsh language and our talented actors on an international stage,” he said. “It also compliments our strategy to expand our viewing through remarkable content and our desire to help produce cinematic films in Welsh.”

ing decisions on behalf of those who go to the gallery. What we need to show- case is not always your Van Goghs but also other important artists from across the centuries and generations and I don’t think a citizens’ assembly is best placed to do this.” He said the citizens’ assembly evoked wider fears about whether this was part of a larger project to “push away traditionalism”. The Sortition Foundation is also campaigning to replace the House of Lords with a House of Citizens. Daley, who has called for the trustees to step aside, said the assembly gave support to the idea that “everything has to be made to sound or seem, if not ac- tually be, progressive” in the art world. Greater input from the public has been tested elsewhere. In 2024 the Bir- mingham Museums Trust established the first museum citizens’ jury, which brought together 26 randomly selected residents to deliberate on the future role of the city’s cultural spaces.

Strictly judge

was slashed on Spain trip

Peter Chappell

The Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has described being attacked with a razor blade and robbed while on holiday as a young man. Horwood, 61, was in Madrid when he was robbed for his jewellery. Speaking on his Judgemental podcast with his co- host and fellow BBC show judge Anton Du Beke, he discussed his time in the Spanish capital when he was 23. Horwood said: “I went on holiday in Madrid and got stabbed, that was nice, and it was stinking hot. My jewellery

Craig Revel

Horwood was also

robbed of his

necklace during

the attack

was stolen as well, they ripped my necklace off my neck and gave me a big burn mark. “It was a razor blade … I was slashed… [in the] stomach coming home from a club, it was probably two o’clock in the morning, but that’s sort of normal, you go out for dinner at 10 or 11. “But I remember I was dancing at the Lido in Paris, and we went to Madrid for a holiday, so that ended up pretty bad.” Horwood added: “And then when I got back, I got strip-searched. I hadn’t shaved, so I did look a bit of a wreck, I’d been stabbed, I had burn marks all around my neck from where I was attacked. And then the French strip- searched me down to literally nothing ... they were looking for drugs.” Clangers and Bagpuss lots raise £400k

Artwork by Peter Firmin, co-creator of Bagpuss and Clangers, sold at auction for more than £400,000. About 500 paintings, books and col- lectibles by the British puppeteer went under the hammer and every lot was sold during a two-day event held by Canterbury Auction Galleries. It was the largest collection of Fir- min’s art to come to auction and most of the pieces sold for well over their esti- mated values. A signed painting of Basil Brush chatting to a mole fetched £6,000. Its estimate was £120 to £160. A number of colour paintings of Clangers, the knitted aliens of a mysterious planet, also featured in the collection. An illustration of Tiny Clanger in the iron chicken’s nest sold for £3,900. Artworks from the animated series Noggin the Nog also went under the hammer. They included an illustration of the villain Nogbad the Bad firing a cannon at the Ice Dragon, which fetched £4,200. Other works included a mechanical model of Gabriel the Toad from Bag- puss, which sold for £4,200, and a paint- ing of Bagpuss himself with his friends Emily and Professor Yaffle the wood- pecker, which fetched £1,600. Firmin, who died in 2018, co-founded the production company Smallfilms with the puppeteer Oliver Postgate. Their first big hit was in 1959 with Ivor The Engine. The first hand-drawn com- ic strip of the locomotive sold for £940.

Page 16

New reservoir drained as farms

struggle to avoid worst harvest

Ben Cooke Environment Correspondent

Drought conditions have forced farm- ers in Suffolk to drain a £3 million mega-reservoir, as Britain’s harvest looks set to be the worst on record. The manager of the 22,500-acre Elveden Estate in Suffolk has had to use almost 200 Olympic swimming pools worth of water to stop his crops failing — nearly emptying an enormous reser- voir completed just last year. Andrew Blenkiron, the managing director at the farm which grows onions, potatoes and carrots for McDo- nald’s, said the summer months had been “incredibly testing”. He added it was “going to be tight” to keep his crops watered from boreholes and two other reservoirs, both of which are also nearly empty. “This is the third year out of five we’ve experienced these conditions and the big danger is if we have a dry winter, we’ve got some really serious problems next year. It really is going to take a lot of rain to make any significant difference.” This summer’s exceptionally dry weather has plunged half of England into drought, dramatically downgrad- ing expectations for this year’s harvest. When Blenkiron completed his cereal harvest in July, his winter barley yields were 30 per cent lower than average. With 54 per cent of wheat fields now har- vested across Britain, farmers are on course to produce 19.4 million tonnes of cereal and oil- seed crops — four million tonnes less than the aver- age since records began in 1984, and 400,000 less than 2020, the worst har- vest on record. “We’re used to dealing with a lack of water and what- ever Mother Nature throws at us,” he added. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s latest forecast suggests the cereal harvest will be 2.5 million tonnes smaller than expected in

Pilot’s escape a miracle, says uncle

A pensioner used motor oil and detergent to kill his neighbour’s koi carp and destroy a water pump out of “sheer frustration and lack of sleep”, a court has heard. Gerry Duffy, 76, from north London, was “driven completely insane” by the sound of a water pump running his neighbour’s fishpond. Duffy had warned Andreas Ptohides that he would take matters into his own hands if he did not do something about the noise. The retired builder pleaded guilty to damaging the pond, fish, water pump and pipes in March on the day of his trial at Willesden magistrates’ court in London. Shahid Iftakhar, for the prosecution, told the court Duffy had killed “five or six” of Ptohides’s koi carp and potent- ially caused £565 of damage. “The defendant has previously com- plained to the complainant about noise coming from his garden and has said words to the effect of, ‘If you didn’t deal with it, I would’ — there was a warning before the incident,” he said. Iftakhar added that Duffy was cap- tured on CCTV having “climbed into the complainant’s garden and damaged the water pipes and pumps”. Elliott Stern, for the defence, said his client had tried to deal with the dispute without resorting to killing the fish. “The man has been driven complete- ly insane by this noise, he’s spoken to the complainant several times,” he said. “They initially said they would stop the water pump going but then turned around and said that’s not good for the fish.” An environmental officer came to the house and told Duffy he either had to “move or close his window”, the court heard. “Out of sheer frustration and lack of sleep, Mr Duffy, out of character, I would say, lost his mind and commit- ted various damages,” said Stern. Duffy, who pleaded guilty to three counts of damaging property and one count of unlawfully destroying fish, was handed a two year conditional dis- charge. He was also ordered to pay £565 of compensation to Ptohides.

Shayma Bakht, John Siddle

Anthee Carassava Athens

The family of a British pilot who survived a helicopter crash in Greece while fighting wildfires have told of his “miraculous” escape seconds before it exploded. Andrew Hutchinson, 48, was named by relatives as a survivor of the collision between two helicopters 40 miles west of Athens. A Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer were killed. Hutchinson is an aerial firefighter and runs a helicopter business in Northallerton, North Yorkshire,. Speaking to The Times from North- allerton, Michael Hutchinson, uncle of Andrew, described his survival as “mi- raculous”, adding: “There’s not many other pilots who could have landed that helicopter without the rotors.” Footage of the collision appeared to show one Bell helicopter rising beneath the other before striking its rotor blades. One aircraft burst into flames and fell into a ravine, while the other

The £3m basin on the Elveden Estate in Suffolk, run by Andrew Blenkiron, left, is running out of water

the spring. Analysts at the Energy and Cli- mate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a think tank, estimate this will cost farmers as much as £390 million. Unless yields pick up as the harvest continues, 2026 looks set to overtake 2020 as the worst harvest on record. Even if yields do pick up, this year will probably have one of the five worst har- vests on record — all but one of which

Andrew Hutchinson “crashed badly”

and is now recovering after surgery

descended rapidly. The helicopter is be- lieved to have crashed in dense wood- land without power, and Hutchinson told his family that he and the Greek fire co-ordinator travelling with him, escaped before it caught fire. His uncle said: “He crashed badly in the wood and managed to get out just in time. His phone was all burnt up. He left that behind. He and the officer who was with him got out just before the helicop- ter exploded.” Hutchinson, who has three children,

will have occurred since 2020. Martin Lines, a cereal farmer from Cambridgeshire and the chief execu- tive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, described this year’s harvest as a “real kick in the teeth”. “After two terrible harvests in a row, the crops this year were looking good and full of potential coming out of spring, only for months of drought and heatwaves to destroy any prospect of a decent harvest. “Even farmers I know who were sceptical of climate change are saying they’re really worried about the future

is recovering in Athens from surgery for a back injury. He is expected to be flown back to the UK shortly. Michael Hutchinson, 74, said: “I was up with him once when he was learning and he performed autorotation [where an helicopter is landed without power]. He said, ‘I’ll just switch the engine off’. I said, ‘What?’ And he came down and landed it with no engine. “He’s been flying helicopters for a long, long time. He’s a really careful lad. He knows what he is doing.” Hutchinson, who comes from a farming family, taught himself to fly after deciding unexpectedly to pursue a career in aviation. His uncle recalled him announcing that he was travelling to London for a medical examination. He said: “I thought he must be getting his HGV licence. He said, ‘No, I’m going to learn how to fly helicopters.’ And he did. He paid for it all himself.” Asked whether the collision would stop his nephew flying, he replied: “No. He won’t stop. Nothing would stop him.”

of their businesses and production.” A study by Imperial College London found June’s 38C heatwave was “une- quivocally” caused by climate change. Tom Lancaster, a farming analyst at ECIU, said: “Farming is now the sector most exposed to climate change and the risks and damage that it brings. “We are in danger of UK farming en- tering a climate doom loop, as repeated impacts undermine the capacity of farmers to drill next year’s crop. Our green and pleasant land is transforming into a parched and increasingly unpro- ductive one.”

Four held over ‘atrocious’

large-scale waste dumping

Four men have been arrested over “atrocious” large-scale dumping of waste at a site in Wigan, Greater Man- chester, the Environment Agency said. Residents near the Bolton House Road site have had to endure bad smells, while a fire caused schools to close last summer, officials said. Two men, 41 and 35 from Wigan, a man from Leeds, 24 and Liverpool, 59, were arrested for environmental, fraud and money laundering offences. The 24-year-old man from Leeds was also arrested over waste dumping at the Cave’s Inn Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest near Shawell, Leicestershire, the Environment Agency said. A 58-year-old man from the Bir- mingham area was previously arrested in May in connection with illegal waste dumping at the site. Andy Burnham pledged organised waste crime would not be ignored on his watch, as he said families had had to

Neighbour

killed fish in row over pond noise

JAMES LINSELL CLARK/SWNS

Lowri Lewis

live with an ocean of rubbish and were unable to escape the smells from the tip. The government has announced it will directly fund the clean-up of the Bolton House Road site and the en- trance has been blocked with concrete blocks to prevent more waste dumped. Wigan council is looking to recruit a specialist contractor for the clear-up. Officers from Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire police, working in support of the Environment Agency, whose National Environmen- tal Crime Unit is leading the investi- gation, secured the arrests. After the ar- rests, Burnham said: “Today’s action by the Environment Agency and the police is just the start. The days of mak- ing easy money ... are over.” Dame Angela Eagle, environment secretary, said: “The appalling dumping of waste at Bolton House Road and Cave’s Inn Pits represents a blatant dis- regard for local communities.”

Page 17

Big beasts

of the depths

When the swimmers in Highgate Pond go for a morning dip, they have become used to spotting all sorts of species from the Labour Party menagerie. There is the Minister Furiosus, otherwise known as Ed Miliband, whose swimming style, I am reliably told, is a bizarre cross between breaststroke and doggy paddle. This spectacle has been enough to make onlookers choke on their bacon sandwiches, though perhaps that is in tribute to the man himself. Now, another specimen has appeared on the scene. The lesser-spotted Peter Mandelson (Princeps Tenebrarum), above, has started taking to the 24C water. In comparison to Miliband, Mandy’s swimming style has been likened to that of an eel, a creature that is slippery, elusive and prone to biting when provoked.

unrestrained mogglets As my child gets older and bigger, I find myself taking parenting advice from an experienced if unusual source. “What did you do for car seats?” I ask the former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, father of six, as I

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary

suspect that his Rolls-Royce was not set up for an Isofix arrangement. Indeed, when the Mogglets were particularly small, their father was forced to forsake his favourite motors and instead use the Land Rover, which provided the requisite safety features. However, when the children reached sufficient size, he found a legal loophole. “If you drive an old car which was made without seatbelts then they can sit in the back,” he said. “This saves a lot of time.” I look forward to telling my wife that a classic Bentley would pass a cost-benefit analysis.

There has been some criticism of Andy Burnham for taking a holiday after spending only two weeks as PM, but breaks are important and it’s not like he wasn’t working hard before he took the top job. As Lee Harpin of Jewish News remarked: “Of course Burnham deserves a

holiday — he’s been working on the PM role for at least 18 months.”

harman’s man problem As Labour continue to struggle to appoint a female leader, their former deputy head Harriet Harman thinks it’s time for extreme measures. “Men cannot stand for the leadership next time,” she said, adding that she will be asking any rising star among Labour’s male MPs to defer their ambition. The latter part seems optimistic, given that at least one young Labour man already postponed his leadership dreams only last month. There is another problem with Harman’s no-male rule. It is banned by the 2010 Equality Act, a piece of legislation introduced by one H. Harman.

Amid the tributes to Rod Liddle, I received one story from a former Spectator staffer that captured the columnist’s unique sense of humour. When Liddle submitted his copy late, he knew this was an inconvenience for the lackey who had to edit it. So Liddle conjured an excuse that at least gave them a line to dine out on. “Sorry my copy’s late, mate,” he said. “I had an argument with my girlfriend about whether I’m a genius or not.”

jack blackburn

Science gets to gut

of how life erupted

Rhys Blakely Science Editor coprolites are known from this time. In the Cambrian, however, fossilised fae- ces appear. The study notes that they then become progressively larger, more varied and more widespread. Its au- thors trace a chain of events in which animals developed more complex guts and produced increasing amounts of waste. This would have carried organic matter and nutrients into deeper ocean waters, allowing life to flourish in re- gions that were previously barren. This helped to create conditions in which larger and more complex animals could thrive. They, in turn, pro- duced more waste, establishing a feed- back loop that gave rise to still more complex creatures and food chains. “Next to rising oxygen levels and other contributing factors, the import- ance of faeces in ancient ecosystems is often overlooked,” said Dr Russell Bick- nell, an evolutionary biologist at Flin- ders University in Adelaide, Australia. The researchers reviewed evidence from 36 deposits around the world, in- cluding sites in Australia, China and North America. They range from mi- croscopic pellets to coprolites several centimetres across. Their increasing size and variety coincides with the develop- ment of more efficient digestive systems. The results of the “explosion of ex- crement” are visible today. In modern oceans, pellets of faecal matter are part of a mechanism that carries organic carbon and nutrients from sunlit sur- face waters into deeper parts of the sea.

Scientists have identified a neglected force behind one of the most important events in the history of the Earth: a “faecal revolution” that took place 540 million years ago and helped shape animal life as we know it. According to a study, the revolution involved rising quantities of excrement being released into ancient oceans by some of the earliest creatures. In turn, the scientists argue, this played a key yet largely unappreciated role in fuelling the Cambrian explosion, a comparatively brief period in which life became dramatically more complex and most groups of animals seen today began to appear in the fossil record. Predators, scavengers and animals with hard shells became more com- mon, food chains grew more elaborate and the architecture of many modern ecosystems began to emerge. To explain this transformation scien- tists have often looked to rising oxygen levels in the seas, but the study argues that another factor has been hiding in plain sight — or, more accurately, pre- served in ancient rocks. The research, published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, examined fossil- ised excrement, known as coprolites. The first animals appeared about 600 million years ago, during what is known as the Ediacaran period, but convincing evidence of complete diges- tive systems is scarce and no confirmed

Page 18

All at sea Anything Goes has an authentic nautical backdrop at the open-air Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, Cornwall

Business partners have been fined for failing to register their company, write Sanchez Manning and Matthew Young

Listen to Lifelines

by Julian Hoffman

Times+ members can download the audiobook Lifelines by Julian Hoffman, a lyrical account of starting again in Prespa, northern Greece. Set amongst lakes, mountains and stone villages, it follows the author and his wife as they build a life shaped by wildlife, community and the search for home. Visit thetimes.com/timesplus

DAVID DAVIES/PA Ofsted goes

after illegal care homes for children

Rita Ora, Damian Marley and the Jamaican reggae duo Chaka Demus and Pliers are just some of the artists that Davidson Lynch-Shyllon, a musi- cian and children’s care home boss, claims to have worked with. Lynch-Shyllon, a songwriter and producer who uses the stage name Sil- vastone, describes in his online profes- sional profile how he combines his “passion for music” with a dedication to working with young people. “In addition to my music career, I have been deeply involved in support- ing and nurturing young people,” he writes. However, despite his self-declared good intentions, Lynch-Shyllon, 44, alongside his business partner Miriam Ekhator, 47, has been fined more than £100,000 for illegally running unregis- tered residential children’s homes. Their case marks the first criminal prosecu- tion of its kind by Ofsted, which reg- ulates children’s services. The pair, who ran the company Catalyst Care, re- ceived repeated letters from Ofsted warning that they were breaking the law by not registering their children’s homes, but they continued to operate without registering. Between 2022 and 2025 the homes received more than £1.8 million for child placements from councils in Kent. Lynch-Shyllon and Ekhator admit- ted to ten charges of operating unregis- tered children’s homes housing nine children between 2022 and 2025 at Croydon magistrates’ court, south London, in March. Yesterday they were fined £92,400 and ordered to pay victim surcharges totalling £2,960 and costs of £17,250. The pair were also disqualified from managing or having a financial interest in a children’s home. Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s chief in- spector, said that the outcome sent “a clear message that operating outside the law will have consequences”. Catalyst Care describes itself on its website as “a private accommodation and support provider”. It claims to be led by “a dedicated team with over 30 years of combined experience in social care”. During the hearing, the court was told that the firm’s turnover had risen

from £190,000 in 2021 to £955,000 in 2024. Lynch-Shyllon and Ekhator received dividends of £193,000 each over the course of the charge period. Daisy Wrigley, for the prosecution, said during the sentencing hearing: “We do not know where that £1.8 mil- lion [received from councils] went.” However, Musa Raji, in mitigation, said that the partners had suffered a “fi- nancial collapse”. Ekhator now lives on universal credit and Lynch-Shyllon earns about £1,500 a month, aside from occasional income from his music, the court was told. Raji said that the fees charged by the company to councils were standard for children with complex needs, including some cases where four carers were re- quired for one child. Judge Sushil Kumar noted that both offenders were of good character and had received “glowing” references from children they had cared for and from parents. The case related to three properties in Kent. One neighbour living next to one of their homes, in a run-down and deprived area, recalled Lynch-Shyllon and Ekhator being “a nuisance”. “I didn’t get the impression that they lived there — but they were in and out of the house con- stantly,” she said. “He would turn up during the middle of the night and speak loudly on his Blue- tooth speaker while he just sat in his car.” Lynch-Shyllon told The Times that he and Ekhator did attempt to regis- ter their care facilities with Ofsted. He said: “They [Ofsted] haven’t come back to us for 23 months. We had letters from judges, from courts, that asked us to look after young people and because of the amount of work we were bamboozled by it all.” Lynch-Shyllon said that he and Ekhator were led to believe that they were allowed to care for young people. “Medway council gave us written confirmation that you can look after these people for 28 days,” he said. “We did that under the understanding that it was OK.” He insisted: “We didn’t decide to do this as some kind of get-rich-quick scheme. We have untold numbers of young people that came through our homes who are still contacting us today for help. But they [the local authorities] used us and now they’ve literally thrown us under the bus. It’s not like we’re an illegal home putting kids in caravans or something like that.” Ofsted confirmed that Catalyst Care attempted to register a children’s home in 2023 and another in 2025, but the ap- plications were incomplete. Medway council, which worked with Catalyst Care from 2021-22, said that it repeatedly advised the company to reg- ister with Ofsted.

Page 19

A

Singer’s 60ft robot

has spooky encore

60ft tall robot that appeared on stage during a Take That tour has been spooking passers-by after it was abandoned among the shrubbery at Robbie Williams’s former home (Lowri Lewis writes). Williams left the animatronic figure behind when he sold his Wiltshire mansion in the village of Compton Bassett, near Calne, in 2022. Recently, the

Hackers steal data of 1,000 charities

Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent

Up to 1,000 charities including English National Ballet and Historic Buildings and Palaces have had their data stolen by hackers. The cyberattack targeted Beacon CRM, which supplies customer man- agement software to the charity sector. The hackers breached Beacon’s sys- tems by using stolen login details and targeted the company’s back-up data- bases, which were copied. The breach was discovered last Wednesday and customers were noti- fied on Monday. Victims of the attack included Upper Room, a west London homeless char- ity, the Jersey branch of the cancer

“creepy fella” has been spotted lurking in the trees near a road on the edge of the property. The mechanical man, named Om, was the centrepiece of Take That’s stage set, which cost £15 million, for their 2011 Progress Live tour. As tall as four double- deckers, it was used to lower band members on to the stage at Wembley and the City of Manchester stadium on its giant palms. Lately, however,

charity Macmillan and Chiswick House and Gardens Trust. Historic Buildings and Places, for- merly the Ancient Monuments Society, said that Beacon “has advised all of its customers … to work on the basis that the information they hold may have been affected”. The charity told its members that the stolen information may include “your name, contact de- tails, communication preferences, membership or donation history, Gift Aid records, event bookings, corre- spondence or notes relating to your relationship with us, and, for some indi- viduals, gender and date of birth infor- mation”. No payment or financial in- formation was compromised, it said. Victims were advised to change their

The robot, used on Take That’s 2011 tour, far left, has appeared in trees

near a road in Wiltshire. Right: Robbie Williams and his wife, Ayda Field

passwords and be vigilant for any scam emails or text messages that could con- tain malicious links. English National Ballet said that some business contact information, in- cluding email addresses, phone num- bers and addresses was likely to have been taken, but not passwords or pay- ment information. Beacon says on its website that it has 1,000 clients in the charity sector, in- cluding Girlguiding, Kidney Care UK and smaller animal rescue, health and sports charities. It said in a statement: “Late last week we became aware that we may have experienced a cybersecu- rity incident. We immediately engaged external cybersecurity experts to help us investigate and secure our systems.

“Our current understanding is that compromised credentials were used to gain access to Beacon, and copies of our database backups were made. Whilst the exfiltration [copying or taking] of this data hasn’t yet been confirmed, the evidence we have so far suggests these copies were likely downloaded.” Beacon, which is based in London, was founded in 2017 by two software engineers, Chris Houghton and David Simpson, to help charities get the most out of their databases. Breaching an organisation through stolen logins is a common entry for hackers and suggests that there was a failure of multi-factor authentication or of monitoring credentials. Hackers typically target back-up data because

the huge figure has been “freaking out” passers-by in Wiltshire. Kristina Bowen, who spotted it as she was driving home, said: “Something caught my eye. I thought, ‘What’s that?’ I’ve driven up and down that road many times and have never spotted it before. “So I stopped the car and there he was — this giant humanoid sitting in among the trees, looking down into the field.” Others described on a local Facebook group how they had been shocked by the sight of the robot, which made them think they were seeing things. Sarah Spencer said: “When I first saw it I had to turn around and go back to see what I thought I’d seen. It must be as big as a house. It caught me completely off guard but I was intrigued.”

Liz Neve, a fellow resident, added: “It’s [in] such a perfect location as it just seems to emerge from nowhere — and then as you drive alongside it, it seems to withdraw back into the foliage,” she wrote. “But I was concerned that the locals might be building up to a re-enactment of the Wicker Man.” Williams bought the seven-bedroom mansion and its surrounding 71 acres in 2008 for about £8.1 million and lived in it in 2009. He then moved back to Los Angeles and he sold the property in 2022. Take That’s 2011 sell-out tour was the first time the group had toured as a five-piece since 1995. On one date in Manchester Mark Owen and Howard Donald became trapped in the palms of Om after its mechanics failed and they had to be rescued using ladders. It is thought that Williams had intended for Om to be taken to his home in LA. It is unclear how it ended up on public view.

this often has weaker protection than production systems. Beacon carries cybersecurity certifications on its web- site, including Cyber Essentials Plus, a government-backed credential. Alan Woodward, professor of cyber- security at Surrey University, said: “This incident shows how a single set of compromised credentials can expose an entire supply chain, with hundreds of charities now carrying the regulato- ry burden for a breach that occurred in their supplier’s systems. The lesson for any organisation holding sensitive donor or beneficiary data is that credential hygiene, mandatory multi- factor authentication, and strict con- trols on backup access are baseline requirements, not optional extras.”

Page 20

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Page 21

Britain has a problem with wealth creation

B

Activist Gary Stevenson’s call for more taxes on the rich is ill-founded and misleading but it’s a view shared by many

James Kanagasooriam

ritain’s super-rich enjoyed a rare recent slice of good news. Gary Stevenson, the former City trader and inequality activist bent on making them pay more tax, has quit. At least, he’s stepping back from weekly YouTube videos after a bruising Channel 4 encounter where he was challenged on his case for a wealth tax. They shouldn’t celebrate too soon. The number of millionaires fell by 7 per cent last year to the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis, according to the Adam Smith Institute, with many Britons cheering them out of the country. More than a third of voters (36 per cent) say the UK would be fine, or better off, with fewer millionaires, according to polling by my firm, Focaldata. That includes about a quarter of Conservative and Reform voters. Among voters for parties of the left, “making the wealthiest pay even more tax” ranked as the third most popular thing Andy Burnham could do, after cutting NHS waiting lists and slicing the cost of essentials such as electricity, gas and food. Nick Clegg observed on the radio that “there’s now almost no party that appears viscerally on the side of wealth creators”. Britain, it appears, has a problem with wealth — even though it is high earners who bear the lion’s share of the tax burden. The top 10 per cent of income-tax payers paid 60 per cent of all income tax, according to the House of Commons library this year. In 2023, the top 1 per cent earned 13 per cent

Balancing Life, Family and Money

of pre-tax income and paid 29 per cent of income tax. Looking at the public opinion data there are two drivers of anti-rich sentiment of the kind Stevenson was trying to tap into. First, the sense that the rich and the businesses they own have acted illegitimately, whether morally or legally. Second, that ordinary people do not see a pathway to join the ranks of the wealthy. Although not currently in the headlines, public anger over multinational tax avoidance has had a long half-life in Britain. Voters do not like companies that extract wealth without appearing to generate it. Private equity’s entry into nursery schools and care homes strikes many as unproductive and callous. But there is also public scepticism about who has become wealthy in the past two decades: consultants and lawyers engaged in endless Kafkaesque consultations

In the US, ordinary

jobs can command extraordinary wages

and processes designed by consultants and lawyers; or entrepreneurs whose businesses are built on mass outsourcing. This is to say nothing of the declining reputation of the tech sector, which has made capitalism’s invisible hand hard to discern. The harsh truth is that many of Britain’s winners are not seen by large sections of the public as doing admirable or productive work that will enrich the country. Many do not see the connection between the enrichment of specific groups of people and the improvement of their own lives and incomes. Combine this

with how separate Britain’s rich can seem from everyone else and you can see why public opinion doesn’t reflect the arithmetical case for the rich. In 2024, the Jobs Foundation surveyed attitudes towards big business on both sides of the Atlantic and showed how bad the problem is. Just 36 per cent of the British public think large businesses play a positive role in the economy, compared with 52 per cent in America. Those dry numbers reflect a brutal transatlantic reality. If I went to a regional Walmart summer barbecue, the local manager, many of the supervisors and some regional head- office staff could well be millionaires by virtue of higher American wages and ballooning pension pots. An equivalent gathering of Tesco staff would not be such fertile millionaire territory. The US is a place where ordinary jobs can command extraordinary wages. It has more people in regular-sounding occupations — think of the plumber with dozens of contractors or the car dealer with ten showrooms instead of one — who become millionaires. Wealth creation is more socially accessible. Britain is trending the other way. Many analysts elide our attitudes towards wealth with the trope of widening inequality. This is simply not true. Wages are being compressed. The Low Pay Commission estimates that the adult minimum wage equalled 68 per cent of median hourly pay in April 2026, its highest ever level. It exceeds 80 per cent of local median pay in Doncaster, Wigan and Sunderland, according to the Centre for Cities. This certainly removes incentives to getting ahead. There are also questions as to why, as a society, we don’t care more about wage growth among middle

Comment

CHRISTOPHER L PROCTOR FOR THE TIMES

Gary Stevenson was challenged on

Channel 4 over his case for wealth tax

and high earners, which funds the public services we all need. It suggests an indifference as to how we fund the state. Why is public opinion so harsh towards the rich and their economic contribution? We are stuck in a doom loop: fewer millionaires, meaning fewer advocates from across society and fewer visible ladders to wealth, creating the conditions for fewer millionaires. The willingness of a decent chunk of the country to levy more tax on the rich stems from an assessment of them as a separate class they cannot imagine joining. This has had a material impact on financial literacy. The polling company Opinium found in 2024 that 23 per cent of Britons had invested in the stock market compared with two thirds of Americans. Auto-enrolment means

many more Britons own shares indirectly through pensions, but often without experiencing being an investor themselves. Clegg didn’t get it quite right. Many of our political leaders are more pro-business and pro-rich than a sceptical public. But there’s a problem getting Britons to care about wealth creation. Businesses whose model is to extract wealth from the country need to address

Fewer millionaires

means fewer visible ladders to wealth

their critics. But it’s impossible to imagine the necessary policy fixes needed without a shift in public opinion towards wealth creation. How to restore cultural legitimacy to the profit motive? We certainly have a problem of affordability that needs addressing. But imagine a world in which we spoke not of a cost of living crisis but of a “wealth crisis”. Recasting it thus would help refocus public opinion on the importance of wealth generation, from the poorest paid to the richest. Without any change, the politics of Gary Stevenson will be back even if he isn’t. And we will all be the poorer for it.

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Page 22

O

H

Regime may turn Iran’s mothers into radicals

Smuggled footage reveals the resistance and bravery of a population left in limbo by the US

Roger Boyes

@rogerboyes

rdinary Iranians have been living through hellishly helter-skelter times for the past six months, starting with angry nationwide protests against hyperinflation and economic incompetence, a vicious regime crackdown, a suffocating internet blackout, disfigured corpses buried at night — and now an on-off-on war as the US plays with the idea that bombs can still topple a wounded dictatorship. There was a moment when Iranians believed — wanted to believe — that too. Vengeance could be outsourced to Superman and justice would fall from the skies. “It was this hope that the regime’s actions would not go unpunished,” a middle-aged woman in a curtained Iranian apartment tells the Anglo- Iranian film-maker Ben Zand. Another, also recorded in Zand’s smuggled footage, seems to glow with the memory of the news that the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed in his Tehran compound. That night they would dance on the streets. Let off fireworks on the balconies! “We were so relieved,” said one. “People who knew what had happened to my son” — a young protester shot in the face a month before — “came round to celebrate.”

Matthew Parris Notebook

Here in the sky islands, elephants are mating

ave you seen elephants mating? What a to-do! We’re in a forest camp in a remote mountain range in northern Kenya: the Mathews Range. I hope to write more about this enchanting place, but suffice it now to say that from the dry, baking, semi-desert scrubland region just south of Ethiopia and South Sudan rises a 100-mile mountain range, reaching a height of 2,688 metres (8,819ft). Much of the range is clothed in forest and sometimes cloud. Streams and rivers run down, to disappear into the ground when they reach the plain. Such wonders of nature, monkeys chattering in the trees, are called “sky islands”. They have their own micro-climates: warm and rainy rather than parched and bare like the land they rise from. There is something miraculous about the Mathews Range.

And yet two weeks later Khamenei’s second son Mojtaba was anointed as his successor, evidently with the backing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) heavyweights. “It was as if we had been on a long, long walk,” says one of Zand’s interviewees, “and ended up where we had started.” That trek included fighting the authorities to recover, identify and bury their children. And the decision to go on protests, to stand in front of their children so as to take the bullets intended for the young. And the accelerated brutalisation of society. “Hospitals used to be considered safe places,” a fellow documentary maker tells Zand, “and then everyone

What kind of people

are we, estranged and repulsed by our rulers?

suddenly understood that if they went to hospital they would be arrested.” At the demonstrations they saw the snipers on the roofs, and on the ground, the carefully rehearsed motion as the regime troops dropped to one knee to steady their aim before firing at civilians. That is how you crush resistance, or at least force it underground. It was Reza Pahlavi, self-anointed crown prince of the late shah, who had called in January for the Iranians to rise up. For a while President Trump hinted that it was for Iranians to follow that call but it became obvious that Trump would prefer to give some intelligence backing to whatever resistance

Bullish encounter

W

here was I? Ah yes, elephants mating. Walking along the mountainside with our guides we heard a commotion and looked across a river below. A young bull elephant had taken a shine to a more mature lady elephant. Up he reared on his hind legs, his tree trunks of front legs resting on her back. She was bellowing — whether from pleasure or distress I cannot say, being unacquainted with the nuances of elephant communication; but I have to report that there appeared to be no attempt on her part to escape. And then — much crashing in the undergrowth — the plot thickened. A massive bull, much bigger than the young lothario, came thundering through the trees to drive the upstart from the scene. A hasty dismounting followed. And off the young fellow charged, pursued by the senior bull until he was well off the scene. Our guides judged it wisest to walk no further that way and we turned back. Peeping Toms the lot of us, we felt a little embarrassed at having stared, agog, at so intimate a moment in three forest elephants’ lives.

movement developed than commit US troops. So Iranians realised they could not count on Trump as a liberator. The US had lost that role long before Trump. When Lyndon Johnson’s national security adviser McGeorge Bundy was asked what had surprised him most about the failure of US air bombing against the North Vietnamese, he replied (after deep thought), “the endurance of the enemy”. He couldn’t believe that a poor country run out of Hanoi could withstand the full-blown technological firepower of the US. That was a failure of imagination. Iran’s endurance is of a different calibre. The regime has transformed itself from a clerical stronghold into a police state with a strategic brain. With or without a nuclear arsenal it has become a more complex enemy. It can maintain the trappings of power by upping the pay of those in the security machine, by turning the energy and maritime transit sector into a preserve of the IRGC commanders. Its weakness is that its brutal suppression of the urban young has undermined social support for the political elite. At the heart of society are the mothers, featured in Zand’s unmissable Inside Iran: War and Revolution (ITV1, this Sunday, 10.20pm), who define security as a country worth growing up in, with intact families that maintain standards and who are trying to work out a future that doesn’t depend on Iran becoming a nuclear-tipped regional hegemon. Or putting on goggles when you collect your children from school lest the riot police try to shoot you in the eye.

Guiding lights

O

ur four guides, I should mention, would be a match for any elephant. One has a gun, and the rest have wicked-looking spears, one with a giant firework squib in his pocket, capable of producing a bang and a flash that would scare the biggest tusker away. They told me they didn’t expect to use their weaponry and have never had to in the Mathews Range. Arrayed in the wonderfully elaborate and colourful costume of their tribe, girdled with beads and shiny ironwork, these Samburu tribesmen are not dressing up to entertain tourists. Almost everyone we passed on the track was clothed in the same way. They make our muted khakis, silly T-shirts and pitiful shorts look so drab. We felt like sparrows, fallen among a flock of birds of bright plumage. Fuelling the fire I

admire too the ingenuity of these people. One evening, on the sandy beach of the nearby river, they showed us how to make a fire with a stick and a handful of dried camel dung. Like me, you’ll have heard about this “primitive” (but I would say

The women interviewed by Zand started off as reformists, activists who wanted to dress as they pleased, but they talk now with a revolutionary undertone. They have seen too much over the past six months and many have come to the conclusion they have nothing much left to lose. It is this vein of bravery that should be tapped into by the Trump administration. The polling for the midterms suggests the Iran war — high costs, indeterminate aims — is a vote-loser. Johnson underestimated the “endurance” of the North Vietnamese fighters and the North Vietnamese people. The current Iranian regime demonstrates that it too can reinvent its fighting capacity — but it has lost many of its natural supporters and wrecked the institutions that once made Iranians proud. Iranians wonder: what kind of people have we become, so estranged from and repulsed by our rulers that we cheer on America to bomb their bunkers? So powerless that we depend on erratic Americans to wreak revenge on our behalf? What kind of moral void have we entered? Trump gambled he could split Tehran’s ruling elite; create “moderates” by luring them into profitable business arrangements. It’s a formula he has used elsewhere with mixed results. But what is needed is some kind of soft power outreach to Iranian society, subtle help for those disturbed and disorientated by the past six months of galloping events. There has to be a gap for compassionate cultural diplomacy, a way of de-escalating a war zone while not handing victory to thugs and torturers.

“genius”) method of achieving ignition. A flat piece of wood with a small hollow gouged out with a knife; a sprinkling of sand in it for friction and some powdered dung beneath it; a length of stick with a pointed end to stick into the hole; and a strong and patient chap ready to twizzle the stick vigorously between two palms until — miracle! — smoke rises from the dung. Who in the history of humans first thought of this? Someone must have. And it changed everything. Kenya’s war on plastic K

enya feels like a hopeful country, despite the current politics there, which are dreadful. Everywhere you look you see energy, ingenuity and new ideas. Within half an hour of landing at Nairobi airport, I’d seen my first electric three-wheeler tuk-tuk. Some Kenyan innovation, though groundbreaking, is rather odd. Plastic bags have been banned completely and possession of even one of these is punishable quite severely. The law has worked, and litter in town and country is noticeably reduced since I was last here. The real culprits now are plastic bottles, banned already in national parks; but it’s hard to see how these carriers of drinkable water for a thirsty nation could be outlawed completely. Be sure, though, when mankind’s tolerance of plastic bottles finally snaps, Kenya will be the first to ban them.

Burnham should

propose new deal to Europe’s leaders Nick Boles A

ndy Burnham has demonstrated a remarkable ability to tell a new story about our country and the way it is run. He is the first prime minister to make the devolution of budgets and powers to regional mayors sound sexy. As the PM’s caravan makes for Burnham-on-Sea, he should plan to bring the same clarity and ambition to the UK’s relationship with Europe. Currently stuck in the weeds, it needs a new vision that addresses a world that has changed utterly since Brexit. There is a fresh story to tell about Britain as an engine of prosperity and bulwark of security in Europe. The challenges are immense but a bold approach can surmount them. Britain wants to increase its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035 but cannot afford to do so with an economy in which business investment and goods trade have been battered by Brexit. European countries face a growing threat from Russia but cannot rely on the United States as the guarantor of their security through Nato. And the EU must make room for Ukraine and the western Balkans but cannot do this quickly without provoking the veto of member states worried about the strain on European budgets and a new wave of migration from east to west. Tackling each of these problems separately will be extremely hard. Only by tackling them together can the Gordian knot be cut. Burnham should propose to Europe’s leaders a new deal. The creation of an outer ring for Europe, that works in partnership with both the EU and a reformed Nato. A European confederation that Britain and Ukraine would join alongside all EU members, and Norway, Switzerland, Albania and Serbia. As a confederation member, Britain would participate fully in the European single market for goods, in exchange for a treaty commitment to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and extend the protection of Britain’s armed forces and nuclear deterrent to all of Europe. Ukraine would join the confederation immediately, on its way to full membership of the EU. Benefiting from the single market for goods, it would share the protection of its massive army and superlative drone technologies with the rest of Europe. The confederation would also provide a forum for European co-operation in areas where the EU is not ready to act and a way to deepen collaboration with allies like Canada and Turkey. In 1945 Labour’s greatest leaders asserted Britain’s values in helping build international institutions of peace and prosperity. A new moment of flux gives Burnham the opportunity to match their achievement.

Page 23

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Ariana Grande’s image is a danger to girls Singer’s denial that her extreme thinness indicates any kind of problem sets a worrying example to those who idolise her

Sarah Ditum

@sarahditum

t’s rude to pass critical judgment on someone’s looks. There’s a word for it: it’s called bodyshaming and it’s considered especially unacceptable when it’s done to women. Not that this taboo stops it from happening. Check the social media comments under any picture of a famous woman and you’ll likely find a detailed breakdown of all her supposed flaws. And for the past week one famous woman in particular has dominated the conversation about appearance. On Friday, the 33-year-old singer Ariana Grande released her eighth album, Petal, alongside a video accompanying the title track. In it, she looks shockingly, morbidly thin: chestbones showing through her skin, eyes bulging, limbs fragile and tiny. Fans made their concern clear, and on Monday Grande announced she would be stepping back from public life after her current tour and dropping out of the West End revival of the Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George — although her representative stressed this was

about taking a break from scrutiny rather than for health reasons. I feel reflexively protective of Grande. Young female celebrities have a notoriously rough time of it but Grande’s career has been marked by exceptional tragedy. In 2017, an Islamist suicide bomber targeted her concert at the Manchester Arena, killing 22 innocent people. She paused her tour to play a benefit concert for the victims. Today she’s a multi-platinum artist with an Oscar nomination for her performance as Glinda in Wicked, but I first knew her as a child star. I watched her in the Nickelodeon sitcoms Victorious and Sam & Cat with my daughter in the Noughties. On screen, Grande had the screwball

It is undeniably brutal

to be at the centre of this kind of discussion

sensibility of a teenage Lucille Ball: she seemed picked out for stardom. Behind the scenes, though, it was a dark time. The 2024 documentary Quiet on Set alleged these productions were beset by a culture of misogyny and bullying. Two Nickelodeon crew members were convicted of sexual offences against children in the Noughties. Grande’s former co-star Jennette McCurdy has written that

this environment fostered her own disordered relationship with eating. Grande has persistently denied any suggestion that she is struggling with similar issues. When speculation about her extreme thinness last peaked, during promotion for Wicked, she issued a video statement in which she said that “personally, for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body”. She asked that fans “be gentle with each other and yourselves”. It is undeniably brutal to be at the centre of this kind of discussion, not all of it kindly meant or thoughtfully delivered. But Grande uses the language of body positivity and self- care to delegitimise anyone who states the obvious about her appearance. At a certain point, the taboo on bodyshaming becomes cover for what looks like seriously unwell behaviour. When does “being gentle” shade into the dangerous denial of reality? Many of the young women and girls who make up Grande’s core fanbase will sympathise with her plea for a respite from commentary on her appearance: they have experienced the same scrutiny themselves and know how dehumanising it can be. A group of teenage girls from Tyneside have just produced a video protesting against misogynist language online and sent it to the Department for

Education and the prime minister. But there’s also a current of genuine fury at Grande from some of this cohort, including my 20-year-old daughter. Regardless of whether Grande’s skeletal appearance is because of anorexia or some other cause, young women and girls who have grown up on social media know what this kind of image can do to them. It serves as “thinspiration” — proof of their own inadequacy, and an encouragement to enter their own

Grande might counter

that she never wanted to be a role model

starvation programmes. Anorexia is a disease of the mind before it attacks the body. It starts as an idea, spreading like a virus from girl to girl (though cases among boys are rising). The drive to extreme thinness becomes an all-consuming competition. Fewer than half of sufferers fully recover. About 5 per cent die within four years of diagnosis. Anorexia is the deadliest of all the psychiatric disorders. That’s why the conversation about Grande’s body is not really about Grande at all. It’s about the girls who see her cadaverous body presented as the apex of beauty and understand it as an indictment of their own.

(This is especially concerning because Grande’s role in Wicked has made her a fairytale princess, with fans as young as pre-school.) Grande might counter that she never wanted to be a role model. Her new album bristles with complaints about the constraints of fame. “Is it really my fault you all gave me your hearts of your own accord?” she asks on one song. But when you see concert footage, she basks in the love of her fans — a love she would like to be uncritical of her appearance. It’s easy to point at Grande’s managers and publicists and say they’re failing in their duty of care by putting her on a stage when she looks like she should be in recovery. Whatever the reason for Grande’s desperate thinness, hopefully this career break will give her the chance to get some of the support she needs. She deserves compassion. But she also deserves judgment. Eating disorders are a form of self- harm: promoting images that encourage eating disorders can be a kind of violence. I don’t use this language lightly. If we adopt a tactful collective silence about a star who appears to be starving in plain sight we become complicit in the harm to the millions who idolise her. Sometimes, there are bigger things to worry about than shaming.

Page 24

Commons reform

Sir, It seems that a group of MPs and peers are encouraging the prime minister to set up a commission on House of Lords reform. They have picked the wrong target. What is needed is a commission on House of Commons reform. In my 42 years’ service in the Commons, I was much involved with efforts to make the House more effective, and these had some success, especially in supporting and extending the work of select committees. The 2024 general election brought into parliament 335 new MPs — 52 per cent of the House — with no parliamentary experience; no experience or knowledge of legislative scrutiny or of calling governments to account. It would be surprising if there were any other major national institution in which more than half of its members had no practical experience of its core tasks. The result is easy to see. Most legislation barely touches the sides in the Commons, and it is left to the House of Lords to act as an expert scrutineer of what government all too often seeks to enact without real democratic accountability. Lord Lisvane Clerk of the House of Commons 2011-14; House of Lords

Rules for royalties

Sir, I wonder if John Alty (letter; Aug 4) actually spoke to any creators who believe that the copyright on their work is granted “on behalf of the public” and that to extend royalties would mean the public is paying over the odds. Or that their work should be available for other artists to pulverise (whoops; I mean “build on”). The copyright for written work, for example, expires 70 years after the death of the author. That might be reasonable — but the copyright for sound and music ends 70 years after it is published, which means someone copyrighting their work may find their children losing out. And copyright for the layout of written, dramatic and musical works expires after 25 years, even though it is that layout that led to the work’s success. Worse than any potential royalties, however, is the ability for successive generations to take a work and change it, possibly even rendering it unrecognisable from the original. What would Mr Alty think if he spent hours, days, weeks or months working on something in the knowledge that someone in the future might mangle it beyond recognition? Perhaps the answer is for royalties to end 70 years after the creator’s death — but that no one has the right to change that work. And that includes Shakespeare. Marcia MacLeod London NW6

Corrections and

clarifications

We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation rules and regulations and the Editors’ Code of Practice that IPSO enforces. Requests for corrections should be sent to feedback@thetimes.co.uk

Contested changes to jail early-release scheme

Sir, The early release of all violent offenders is anathema to decent people but a justifiable cause of fear and outrage to all victims and their families, particularly in communities to which offenders may return (“Killers but not rapists to be given early release”, Aug 4). For the government it is clearly a pragmatic decision; for those most affected it is a potential nightmare. As a minimum, the Parole Board should be given oversight of the cases and asked to apply its usual criteria for conditional release. This involves assessing the risk of reoffending as well as the risk of serious harm to the public, and applying appropriate safeguards where necessary. But if the panel judges the risks too high or the safeguards inadequate, the applicant must remain in custody to serve more of his or her sentence. Ronald Thwaites KC Esher, Surrey

Sir, Like many people, I am aghast at the decision not to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers. This has not only destroyed what credibility Andy Burnham had since taking office but it is also a betrayal of any lingering trust the public might

‘Plagiarism’ furore

Sir, I’ve worked for more than 25 years in six UK universities variously as a lecturer, learning support co-ordinator, and dyslexia support tutor. Each institution provided its students with a referencing guide that gave clear and unambiguous advice on how to avoid plagiarism (deliberate or accidental). And no exception was made for students with disabling conditions. Having read your report about Professor Jason Arday (“Star academic accused of plagiarism: I am not a liar”, news, Aug 1), I cannot personally see why he shouldn’t be declared a plagiarist. “Honest and reasonable error?” Pull the other one. Dr Lloyd Richardson Grantham, Lincs

Fire service reserve

Sir, Libby Purves was right to highlight the shortage of on-call firefighters as a factor affecting Britain’s ability to prepare for the impact of climate change (“Wildfire suggests rewilding needs a rethink”, Aug 3; letters, Aug 4). Surely we should now consider

A HISTORIC

HEIST AT KNIFEPOINT

from the times august 5, 1926

The Royal Literary Fund has deposited on loan in the Armouries of the Tower two daggers stated to have been used by Colonel Blood and Parrot when they made an attempt to steal the Crown Jewels on May 9, 1671. In one of the descriptions of the attempt it was stated that Blood wounded Edwards, the Keeper of the Jewels, with his dagger. The weapons were bequeathed in 1807 to the Royal Literary Fund by Thomas Newton, a relative of Sir Isaac Newton. There are no records as to how these daggers came into

have had in our so-called justice system. Further, it has shown up the shallowness of the prime minister’s comments regarding his supposed empathy with PC Harper’s family. Any possible difference it would make to the overall prison population by not releasing these particular two killers is minimal. I am in no doubt that this monumental error will not just lose Mr Burnham respect but, crucially, will cost his party votes at the next general election. John Peacock Northallerton, N Yorks

Sir, As a criminal defence solicitor of 35 years’ experience, I have seen many changes in early release provisions. The problem with prison overcrowding, which often causes these policy shifts, lies with the escalating length of longer sentences. The average custodial sentence length for indictable offences rose from 16 months in 1993 to 22 months in December 2025. Those averages are pulled up by the increased length of sentences for the more serious offences, say eight years plus. The traditional objectives of sentencing are threefold: punishment of the offender, deterrence of others, and

creating a fire service reserve force, much like the army reserve, to supplement and support the UK fire and rescue service at times of extreme demand and national emergency? As events have demonstrated, wildfires are resource-intensive, and the traditional methods of a fire service being able to call on resources from other services to support large and protracted incidents have been stretched to the limit. Owing to repeated underfunding, fire station closures and on-call recruitment difficulties, UK fire and rescue services are now not always able to provide support to services outside their own area. The creation of a modern fire service reserve force trained to undertake specific tasks along the lines of the army reserve could be part of a wider strategy to enhance UK fire and rescue capability at times of national emergency and our resilience. Kevin Trust Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers; Fontwell, W Sussex

Letters to The Times must be exclusive

and may be edited. Please include a full

address and daytime phone number.

the possession of Mr Newton, the only link that his family had with the Tower being that Sir Isaac Newton was Master of the Mint, then established within the Tower precincts, and he might, therefore, have obtained them from one of the officers of the Tower. They are interesting souvenirs of the type known as the “kidney dagger”, which was in favour from the end of the 14th to the beginning of the 17th century. Both are engraved with crude scroll work, one being stamped with a crowned T, and the other with a crowned L, obviously the products of the same workshop. The longer weapon is engraved 1620, the latest recorded date for daggers of this type. The sheaths are tooled with thistles placed horizontally. Daggers of this type are by no means common in museums and it is extremely rare, if not unique, to find two daggers by the same school of swordsmiths associated. They would be quite

rehabilitation. Would a sentence of nine years rather than one of 12 years for a serious offence make a difference in achieving any of those objectives? In terms of the prison population, a 12-year sentence is likely to result in two years’ additional time behind bars. In most cases before 2020, offenders were released on licence halfway through their prison sentences. Boris Johnson’s government reintroduced a release date of two thirds of the sentence served for jail terms of more than eight years. That and sentence inflation have caused the problem that this government must now address. Andrew Bishop Bishop and Light Solicitors, Hove

Sir, According to the latest government statistics, there are 10,700 foreign citizens in UK prisons, about 12 per cent of the total prison population. Perhaps the prime minister should tackle this problem before allowing the early release of those convicted of serious offences. Nick Pascoe Former Prison Service area manager; Sherborne, Dorset

Dearth of chit-chat

Sir, James Marriott rightly bemoans the lack of conversation in modern life owing to screens and headphones (“In the silence, you can hear society crumble”, Aug 4). I have found that one of the very few pleasures of old age is the freedom to chat to all and sundry in a non-threatening fashion, especially in places such as our friendly market town. As I weed the streets along our pretty high street people of all ages stop to chat, complain about the weather and tell me their life stories. The art of conversation has not yet completely died. Jill Brierley Chipping Sodbury, Glos

Rumbustious Rod

Sir, I knew Rod Liddle (obituary, Aug 4) quite well and used him during the pandemic as the chair of Zoom launches of some of my books. Not many TV chairs smoke and drink wine openly as they do the job. Rod did. He was a one-off in all senses of the word. John Mair Broadcaster and author, Oxford

convenient for Blood’s purpose as there is no hilt and, therefore, they could be concealed by the person and drawn with ease. 6 The principal shopping interest at the moment is country clothes, as distinct from seaside holiday clothes, with which most people have already supplied themselves. Belated shoppers seeking bathing garments can, of course, find something sensible and practical, but most shops sold their gayest and most elaborate outfits either before or during the sales. Now the more solid garments and country, golfing or shooting kit are being shown, and also the mid-season novelties, which are sought by those who do not intend to see London again until September. Selfridges has a sale of underwear at special prices next week and also a sale of fox ties.

Wedgwood’s woes

Sir, Why does AN Wilson try to implicate the recently deceased Marquess of Queensberry in the collapse of Wedgwood and other firms in the Staffordshire Potteries (“Why I’m roused by the marquesses’s death”, Aug 1)? As a former keeper of ceramics at the V&A I can agree with Wilson in blaming Sir Arthur Bryan, as managing director of Wedgwood, for buying up and asset-stripping so many pottery firms. Yet even Sir Arthur can’t be blamed for Stoke’s failure to retain the 80,000 workers it once employed. Growing competition from the Far East left European potteries no alternative but to automate their production. David Queensberry had played no part in Sir Arthur’s decision, which Wilson so deplores, to float Wedgwood on the stock market. In 2003, when the fate of the Wedgwood conglomerate still hung in the balance and the skids were under its rival conglomerate, Royal Doulton, David Queensberry wrote: “My message to the industry is this: harness design and technology as Wedgwood did in the 18th century to create a new look in tableware.” Through the firm he co-founded with Martin Hunt, Queensberry made it his mission to market this new look. He saw that the Staffordshire Potteries could not live off tired versions of past successes. In this he had been at one with AN Wilson’s distinguished father, Norman Wilson. JVG Mallet London W14

Doors to manual

Sir, I have to disagree with the AA’s idea of allowing people who have passed their driving test on an automatic car to be allowed to drive a manual car simply by attending a one- hour “conversion course” (news, Aug 3). I passed my automatic car driving test at my first attempt. Several years later I thought I ought to have a licence for manual cars, and had several lessons in one, followed by a test, which I was mortified to fail; but at least it was failings in the operation of the gearbox and clutch rather than my road sense. I passed the second time, but I can assure whoever thinks it would be a good idea that it is not as easy as you might think. Helen Bell Martham, Norfolk

Fibbing formula

Sir, On the subject of whether to tell the truth when applying for a job (Giles Coren, Aug 1; letter, Aug 4), I would strongly recommend doing so. I once started a letter of application for a teacher’s post with the sentence: “I am disqualified for this post on three grounds”. I got the job and loved it. Perhaps it helped that it was a Church of England school. Barbara Curry Winchcombe, Glos

Sunk without trace

Sir, It is amusing that the glossy brochure brandished by Nigel Farage to launch the so-called Operation Fortress features a picture of HMS Ocean, a ship decommissioned by the Royal Navy in 2018 and sold to Brazil (“Farage’s plan for navy to return migrants is illegal, says France”, Aug 4). It appears Reform UK knows as much about the navy as it does about international law. Richard Pethybridge Cdr RN (ret’d), Thatcham, Berks

Page 25

Daily Universal Register

Guidance on single-sex spaces, following the publication of advice by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in September last year, comes into force from today.

Nature notes

From time immemorial locals have gathered to celebrate the Kilburn Feast. Once a horse fair, it now features quoits, welly-wanging and a mock mayoress who imposes fines for putting washing out or carrying an umbrella. This year, proceedings were interrupted by the unforgettable incursion of a signal crayfish. Had the lobster-like fish jumped out of the adjacent Twattleton Beck, where a flotilla of yellow ducks had been waiting for the duck race? Signal crayfish are known for their ability to swap water for land and have been recorded scuttling 300 metres in a night. It’s this ambulatory skill that allowed the invasive signal crayfish to quickly spread to all parts of the country after being introduced in the 1970s. jonathan tulloch

Birthdays today

Janet McTeer, pictured, actress, Albert Nobbs (2011), Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter TV series (2027-), 65; Vice- Admiral Edward Ahlgren, senior adviser to the Ministry of Defence (Middle East and north Africa), 55; Anne Aslett, chief executive, Elton John Aids Foundation, 62; David Baldacci, novelist, Walk the Wire (2020), 66; Shigeru Ban, architect, Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand (2013), 69; Joe Boyd, music producer, Pink Floyd and Fairport Convention, and writer, 84; Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, bishop of Southwark (who retires today), 70; Adrian Fisher, maze designer, creator of more than 700 mazes, 75; Jan Francis, actress, Just Good Friends (1983-86), 79; Reid Hoffman, co- founder and former executive chairman of LinkedIn (social network), 59; Sir Roly Keating, chief executive, British Library (2012-24), 65; Marine Le Pen, French politician, ran for the presidency in 2012, 2017 and 2022, parliamentary party leader of the National Rally, 58; Maureen McCormick, actress, The Brady Bunch (1969-74), 70; Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates (not-for-profit company), 53; Rodney Pattisson, yachtsman, double Olympic gold medallist (1968, 1972), 83; Lord (John) Randall of Uxbridge, Conservative MP (1997-2015), deputy chief whip (2010-13), 71; Nikhil Rathi, chief executive, Financial Conduct Authority, London Stock Exchange plc (2015-20), 47; Prof Sue Rigby, palaeontologist, principal and vice-chancellor, Edinburgh Napier University, 61; Andy Roxburgh, footballer, manager, Scotland football team (1986-93), 83; Lord (John) Spellar, Labour MP from 1974-2024 and former government minister, 79; Wanda Ventham, actress, UFO (1970-71), Invasion: UFO (1980) and Sherlock (2014-17), 91; John Whitaker, equestrian, Olympic silver medallist (1984), 71.

On this day

In 1914 the first electric traffic lights in America were installed in Cleveland, Ohio, and controlled from a nearby booth.

The last word

Roulette of Release

Andy Burnham has wisely revised plans to free some prisoners early. But the criminal justice system needs repairing to ensure this never happens again

The new prime minister’s desk is straining with difficult decisions that have no straightforward answers. At the very top of the pile is stopping the criminal justice system from collapsing. For two years, prisons have been near capacity. Successive justice secretaries have faced the dire prospect of the police being unable to arrest people as there would be nowhere to put them. Reluctantly the only immediate solution has been to release pris- oners early. Since September 2024, more than 70,000 people have been freed in this manner. Had this not occurred, the Ministry of Justice claimed it would run out of spaces in November. The need to release so many prisoners early has, inevitably, made the process into a game of rou- lette. The very public flouting of their freedom by ex-convicts has done little to calm concerns. There has also been an outcry that those convict- ed of very serious offences could soon serve less than half of their time — down from two thirds. Andy Burnham, eager to continue the goodwill following his arrival in Downing Street, has an- nounced that those convicted of rape, child sexual assault and grooming offences will no longer be el- igible for early release. Therefore about 1,000 of the 5,000 prisoners due for release next month will now remain in prison.

Labour’s Dirty Word

Ministers are indulging the lazy sentiment that profit is a vice

Andy Burnham has so far reaped the rewards of positioning himself as the reasonable alternative to populists who stoke false grievances. But politi- cians of Mr Burnham’s political stripe often find themselves resorting to equally tired gambits. The current Labour government is particularly vul- nerable to indulging the moribund idea that profit is a vice. Especially when facing fiscal troubles, such as those brought on by renewed conflict in Iran, their first reaction is to rail against private- sector “profiteering” and threaten more tax. Mr Burnham, in particular, speaks in a disconcerting- ly vague way of his desire to undo the “neoliberal” legacy of Thatcherism — apparently in order to turn the clock back 40 years. Labour must quash this silly urge. The demoni- sation of profit-making is an anti-market trope that is as populist as any. To portray wealth crea- tors and successful firms as the enemy of the public finances is to indulge in the laziest kind of economic illiteracy. Profit should not be a dirty word. One example of Labour’s perennial wari- ness of profiteering was provided at the weekend by John Healey, the new chancellor. Addressing

Cleared for Take-off

Gatwick’s long-awaited second runway is finally about to go ahead

The Court of Appeal’s categorical dismissal of the attempt to stop the use of a second runway at Gatwick is good news indeed. London’s second airport, the busiest in Britain after Heathrow, can finally bring into regular use an emergency run- way that has remained mostly idle since the con- struction of the airport on a former Sussex race- course. Expansion will create an estimated 14,000 jobs, produce an extra £1 billion in economic bene- fits and relieve the intense pressure on Heathrow by allowing some 100,000 additional flights a year, serving about 13 million passengers, by the time work is completed in 2030.

Mr Burnham says this is as far as he can go in blocking early releases without endangering the system, meaning those serving time for man- slaughter and serious domestic abuse offences could still be freed sooner. Drawing this line will be difficult. It is particularly hurtful for the family of PC Andrew Harper, whose two killers convicted of manslaughter will be eligible for release in Janu- ary. Pia Sinha of the Prison Reform Trust has said there are no “happy solutions” and further exemp- tions will only lead to a more acute crisis. This suboptimal situation is not the fault of Mr Burnham or Alex Norris, the newly installed jus- tice secretary. It is a consequence of short-termist thinking by the last Conservative governments. Between 2010 and 2024, 23 prisons were closed with 12,500 prison spaces disappearing. Some 13,000 were added, meaning a net of just 500 extra places during 14 years in office. Many of the crum- bling Victorian buildings that closed were long past their useful date. But given that it takes about seven years to build a new prison in the UK, there is a significant lag in the system. An additional 14,000 places are due to be ready by 2031, but that will not solve this immediate crisis. This problem has been compounded by senten- cing inflation. According to the Ministry of Justice,

concerns that supermarkets and petrol stations might exploit inflationary conditions to engage in price gouging, Mr Healey intimated that the gov- ernment would intervene if consumers were “being taken for a ride at the pump or the till”. The chancellor could hardly have alighted on a more ill-chosen target. Britain’s supermarkets sell some of the most affordable food in western Europe. In fact, supermarkets are a prime example of fierce free market competition working to the benefit of customers. Far from profiteering, super- markets’ profit margins are typically far lower than those of the average FTSE 100 company, usually running at 2 to 4 per cent, and, in the case of discount chains such as Lidl and Aldi, even less than that. Nor is there any evidence, according to the Competition and Markets Authority, that pet- rol stations engaged in price gouging at the start of the war in Iran. In fact, the chancellor himself ad- mitted there was “no significant evidence” of the practice having occurred. Having just reported impressive profits in the second financial quarter of this year, Britain’s banks find themselves in Labour’s firing line. As

The court’s terse rebuff to the anti-runway cam- paign, ostensibly because of the extra noise, was a deserved put-down. It said the grounds of the ap- peal — that Heidi Alexander, the transport secre- tary, had not taken into account the effect of the runway on government carbon-reduction targets in her consent to expansion last year — were “un- arguable”. Few other countries allow planning ap- plications to be held up so long. In the 13 years since Gatwick proposed building a second runway, China has built from scratch 70 civil airports. All economic surveys agree that Britain, espe- cially London, needs more airport capacity if it is

the average sentence length increased by 45 per cent — from 13.7 months in 2010 to 19.9 in 2024. This has ramped up the demand on prisons with- out doing anything to improve the supply. The pandemic exacerbated the strain on criminal jus- tice, with huge backlogs on criminal cases to be tried. So in the short term, Mr Norris and Mr Burnham have little option but to continue to re- lease prisoners — or pursue sentencing reform to reduce the time spent in prison. There is also a broader conversation to be had about rehabilita- tion and what can be done to avoid reoffending, which costs the economy £23 billion every year. Beyond that, the Burnham government must fast-track the building of new prisons. It can be done: between 1990 and 2005, a new prison was built in the United States every ten days. Overrul- ing local councillors and cutting red tape could mean more places quickly: the Ministry of Justice estimates that 6,400 prison places have been de- layed owing to planning setbacks. The ambition to build 20,000 new places was estimated to cost the taxpayer £5.2 billion; now it may be almost double that. Mr Burnham should spend some political capital on more prisons, now. Otherwise he will be trapped in a doomed cycle of early releases, each one weakening confidence in his government.

chancellor, Rachel Reeves contemplated a wind- fall tax on banks, but was rightly dissuaded. Mr Healey is being put under pressure, notably by the Trades Union Congress, to revisit the proposal as a way of funding the prime minister’s mounting spending plans. Yet Britain’s tax regime already puts its banks at a comparative disadvantage to international rivals — subjecting them to special levies on the size of their balance sheets and sur- charges on corporation tax. A windfall tax would make conditions even more uncompetitive, dis- couraging investment. The problem with shaking down successful businesses was illustrated by BP’s decision last week to sell off its assets in the North Sea. Large firms will exit a market if national governments make operations financially unviable. In BP’s case, it is the vast sums paid to the energy profits wind- fall tax that has prompted its move. Rather than demonising profit-making, Labour should show the public the respect of assuming they know how free markets work. Profit-making is an inevitable and welcome feature of a flourishing economy — not a scourge to be eliminated.

not to lose out to Amsterdam and other European airports able to exploit Heathrow’s congestion. A plan has finally been agreed on how to open another runway at Heathrow, at immense ex- pense and unlikely to be operational for many years. Gatwick, by contrast, needs only to move the unused runway 12 metres north and service it with infrastructure. It also has the great advantage of having a fast and frequent train service to London and connections to other parts of the rail network. Relying on a single runway has been a curb on growth. That blockage will now go. And Britain’s economy will benefit immensely.

Page 26

26

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times World

Tehran steps up

public hangings of young dissidents

Iran’s recent surge in

executions is a warning to protesters, report Roxana Saberi and Fatemeh Jamalpour

The towering yellow crane appeared in

Alikhani Square on a Monday after- noon. Residents of Isfahan knew it was not there for construction. It had been brought in as a gallows for the public ex- ecution of three men arrested during the anti-regime protests across Iran in January. The authorities were preparing to ex- ecute Amirhossein Safari, 28, Abolfazl Sepahi, 23, and his cousin, Alireza Sepa- hi, about 25. A crowd gathered in the square to support the condemned and protest against their executions. Among them was Jila, a resident of Tehran who had marched in the demonstrations and taken a six-and-a-half-hour cab ride to reach Isfahan before dawn on Tuesday last week. “The crowd was enormous,” Jila, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Soon, the dawn call to prayer echoed through the air and two of the men, Sa- fari and Abolfazl Sepahi, were hanged. “Regime supporters began chanting ‘Allahu akbar’ and cheering,” Jila re- called. “The people who had gathered became furious and booed them ... we shouted, ‘Shameless! Shameless!’” Security forces fired into the air, Jila said. “Those who went forward were beaten with batons, shot with paintball guns and tear gassed.” Her voice broke as she talked. “I don’t want to cry,” she said. “People are consumed by pro- found grief and enormous anger.” The third detainee, Alireza Sepahi, did not reach the gallows having suf- fered what rights groups have de- scribed as either a stroke or a heart attack that morning. They said doctors revived him at a hospital before he was returned to Isfahan’s Dastgerd Prison. Iran’s judiciary accused the men of participating in the killings of four security officers and setting fire to public property during protests in Ali- khani Square on January 8. They were among at least 12 men who received death sentences in the case. UN experts have called on Iran to quash the sentences, saying that the closed-door proceedings had violated fair trial standards. Before Tuesday’s executions in Isfa- han, two others charged in the same case were hanged on July 19. At least eight more may be executed. They in- clude Shervin Bagherian, 18, and Amir- hossein Maleki, 20. Their families have been summoned for final visits, accord- ing to relatives and activists. Families are often threatened into

Sepahi, 23, and

Amirhossein

were hanged

anti-regime

protests in

January

silence, but a relative of one of the con-

demned men told The Times that inter- rogators had subjected him to four mock executions. “They stripped him naked, soaked his body and tortured him with electric shocks for hours to force him to confess,” the relative said. They said the men were pressured to not retain independent lawyers and that evidence placing some of the men in other locations when the security of- ficers were killed was rejected. Mehdi, a former political prisoner who spoke using a pseudonym, said he had met a few of the Alikhani defend- ants while he was detained in Isfahan. “It was a really difficult experience ... seeing innocent young boys being tor- tured,” he said. “Honestly, it was harder than enduring the torture myself.” Mehdi said the men had probably en- dured the same kinds of torture that he did. “They were torturing us in different ways, with batons, belts and cables ... and by applying electric shocks to sen- sitive parts of our bodies,” he said. Still, when the men were together, they told stories, joked and wrote poetry, Mehdi said. One of the defend- ants, he recalled, had a playful sense of humour and loved riding motorcycles. Another loved card games and “really was the smartest among us”. “I’m really not doing well at all,” Mehdi said after last week’s hangings. He hopes that the detainees’ legacy will endure. “I want the world to know that we have truly suffered,” he said, “and that we gave up our youth so that others could be free.” Executions have surged in Iran this year. With international attention fo- cused on the war, Tehran has sentenced dozens of other January protesters to death. It often follows opaque proceed- ings involving denial of due process, and allegations of torture and coerced confessions, rights activists have said. The Islamic Republic has already carried out at least 43 executions in pol- itical and national security cases from January to July this year, according to the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran. At least 26 were linked to the

January protests and three to the

Woman, Life, Freedom uprising of 2022. “What is striking today is the speed with which death sentences are being imposed, the return of public execu- tions and the use of broadly defined es- pionage charges to silence witnesses and deter the circulation of informa- tion,” said Roya Boroumand, the centre’s executive director. She said the hangings of three protesters in the city of Qom in March, followed by last week’s executions in Isfahan, appeared intended to reassure regime supporters that those accused of using violence against security forces will be punished. Boroumand said the regime’s repres- sion at home and its actions abroad were inextricably linked, adding: “As long as Iranians are denied the right to participate in public life and influence their country’s domestic and foreign policies, the Islamic Republic will re- main a source of instability and threat.” Vahid, who was shot during the Janu- ary protests in Karaj, west of Tehran, said anyone on the streets could have suffered the same fate as the men hanged in Isfahan. “They were ar- rested, while we got away,” said Vahid, 30. “But we cannot be indifferent.” On the evening of January 8, Vahid joined a crowd larger than any he had ever seen outside a football stadium. Half an hour later, security forces opened fire. Vahid described a Toyota pickup truck mounted with what ap- peared to be a machinegun firing at demonstrators, while men on motorcy- cles fired assault rifles. “There were bodies everywhere,” he said. “We had stones. They had guns.” A boy of about 16 or 17 was shot in the back of the head a few feet from him. Vahid dragged the boy towards an alley, but as he turned back a bullet tore through his pocket and into his thigh. The boy did not survive. Vahid has permanent nerve damage and still cannot walk but he does not re- gret joining the protest. “If it happened a thousand times,” he said, “I would go a thousand times.”

A demonstration

in Washington

in support

of Abolfazl

Safari, 28, who

from a crane in a

public square in

Isfahan last

week after

taking part in

Flat-pack stage brings

opera to the masses

Spain

David Sharrock

From grand city squares to sleepy

village plazas, an opera troupe armed with a flat-pack stage is on a mission to take its rarefied art form far beyond its gilded home in the Spanish capital. Travelling with a replica of Madrid’s Royal Theatre proscenium arch, the company is criss-crossing the country on an unlikely cultural pilgrimage, bringing opera to places where it has seldom, if ever, been heard. The 22-tonne articulated lorry haul- ing the remarkable travelling theatre has spent the past five years logging more than 75,000 miles. La Carroza del Real, which could be loosely translated as “the Royal Opera on wheels”, has in- troduced tens of thousands of specta-

tors to live opera, for many their first

exposure to an art form that rarely steps outside Madrid and Barcelona. And judging from the standing ova- tion that the performance received in the seaside resort town of Castro Urdia- les near Bilbao last weekend — where it competed against the call of seagulls, the whine of 50cc moped exhausts and even the warning beep of a reversing mobility scooter — the “caravan” has struck a chord. The itinerant stage recalls the poet Federico García Lorca’s La Barraca, his student-led mobile theatre that toured the Spanish Republic in the 1930s bringing golden-age drama to remote communities. “It has a very clear vocation: bringing popular pieces from opera and zarzuela [a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre] to

Page 27

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

27

every corner of Spain,” said Lourdes

Sánchez-Ocaña, the Royal Theatre’s brand and institutional image director. “The stage and the scenography ac- companying this recital are very spe- cial, because it is a replica of the prosce- nium arch of the main stage of the Royal Theatre. It is a way of metaphori- cally breaking the walls of the Royal Theatre itself and taking it out to towns, squares and cities all over Spain.” The theatre is a miracle of Ikea-style flatpack mobility. A 40ft shipping con- tainer — one of 500 that the theatre us- es to store set designs for its produc- tions — arrives 12 hours before the performance, at which point a team led by Jesus Rueda and armed with power drills breaks out the contents, assembling them into an impressive simulacrum of what operagoers in Madrid would pay handsomely to set foot inside. The five young artists arrive later, drawn from the

Royal Theatre

proscenium arch

Spain

( S PA I N )

theatre’s in-house Crescendo Project,

devised by the Friends of the Royal Theatre Foundation to offer intensive training and professional mentoring to emerging talent. “The idea is to bring lyrical repertoire, especially zarzuela, which is the most distinctly Spanish lyrical genre, to communities that don’t usually have access to it,” said the Colombian mezzosoprano Yeraldín León. “It’s not the typical theatre set-up where there’s a distance between performers and audience.” The pianist Álvaro Martín Gómez said: “It’s a revival of the spirit of Lorca’s La Barraca, which had the goal of bringing culture to every corner and democratising it, because culture be- longs to everyone.” The Romanian soprano Alexandra Zamfira highlighted the demand: “It’s hap- pened several times that when we finish a performance, the local councillors or mayor imme-

La Carroza del

Real, which

loosely

translates as

“the Royal Opera

on wheels”,

brings a replica

of Madrid’s

to towns such as

Castro Urdiales

near Bilbao.

Performers say

the shows have

successfully

brought the

art form to new

audiences

MARTA GONZÝLEZ DE LA PEÝA THE TIMES

diately say, ‘We need to set a date for

next year because this has been a hit’.” The tenor Pablo Martínez Gil re- called: “We did a recital one night, and it was raining heavily, but nobody left their seat until the concert ended. We said, ‘Right, we’ll wrap it up,’ but the au- dience insisted — they wanted encores, they wanted us to continue.” Before his performance, the baritone Alonso Gabarrús said: “Whether it’s Castro Urdiales, the Royal Theatre it- self or any village, there are always nerves before going on stage, but I think they also contain an element of excitement about doing what we love.” The evening ends amid applause and the wafting scent of barbecued fish from a seafront restaurant next to the pop-up concert space. As the audience drifts away for dinner and enthusiasts ask for photographs with their new fa- vourite singers, Rueda’s team has already sprung into action. By mid- night the mini-Royal Theatre will be back inside the same shipping contain- er which has just served as tonight’s stage. And Rueda will be on the road south. Looking at his watch, he says: “With any luck I’ll be home by 4.30am.”

Strikes on Russia’s Amazon

aim to set economy ablaze Page 28

EU demands tighter

border security after Ceuta migrant crisis

C E U TA

David Sharrock Ceuta

Isambard Wilkinson Madrid

For centuries the walls of Ceuta have

repelled armies and defended a north African city whose sovereignty has long been contested. Today the young migrants sheltering in those same walls are testament to a different kind of con- flict, which Spanish officials describe as “hybrid warfare” by Morocco — and the scale of which has alarmed govern- ments across Europe. Spain’s interior ministry disclosed yesterday that about 72,000 people crossed irregularly into Ceuta last week, an increase on previous esti- mates and the biggest surge seen in the Spanish territory. Spanish authorities say at least 75 people have died during the mass crossings, where crowds of mostly young men swam round a head- land to circumvent the land border. Moroccan officials confirmed 11 deaths on their side of the frontier. Although nearly all — roughly 70,000 — have since returned to Morocco, about 2,000 remain, and Ma- drid has accused Rabat of encouraging the surge to exert political leverage. Beyond Ceuta’s orderly centre, where a heavy police presence has restored a semblance of normality, the crisis had been simply displaced rather than re- solved. Along beaches east of the city centre, small groups of exhausted mi- grants seek shelter in the shade of the promenade or on abandoned sunbeds, waiting for news of what comes next. The city’s migrant reception facilities are overwhelmed. Outside a temporary reception centre, people from Morocco, sub-Saharan Africa, Bangladesh and Syria have been waiting for days in the hope that a space will become available. Others drift through industrial estates and residential neighbourhoods carry- ing plastic bags and scraps of card- board, searching for somewhere to spend the night. On the promenade overlooking the Moroccan frontier, soldiers have been deployed as a deterrent after the mass influx. Residents, meanwhile, go about their daily lives against the backdrop of an unresolved border crisis. The government of Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister, has avoided di- rectly criticising Morocco. But officials accuse Rabat of deliberately easing bor- der controls to exert political pressure over Ceuta and the wider relationship between the two countries — an allega- tion which is denied by the Ma- ghreb kingdom. Among the migrants still in Ceuta are about 860 unaccompanied minors, who cannot be summarily returned under Spanish law and will gradually be transferred to reception facilities in mainland Spain after individual assess- ments. That prospect has prompted fierce opposition from Spain’s right- wing parties, and deepening divisions over immigration in Europe. Italy, backed by about 20 member states, has already pressed for tougher external border controls, faster returns and EU-funded processing centres in third countries. Greece called for a stronger mechanism to respond to

M O R O C C O

Stylish popes put faith in

‘Versace of the Vatican’ Page 29

what it described as the “instrumentali-

sation” of migration. The European Commission said the Ceuta crisis un- derscored the need to fully implement the bloc’s new migration pact. Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the Spanish interior minister, insisted that an emergency video call with EU interior ministers yesterday had been “entirely constructive” and had recog- nised Spain’s “effective and immediate response” to the emergency. Spanish officials argue that criminal trafficking networks and misleading social media campaigns exploited con- fusion surrounding a recent ruling by the country’s Supreme Court that said migrants intercepted on Spanish soil after arriving by sea could not be imme- diately returned. Madrid has repeatedly insisted that what happened in the territory is “a European challenge” requiring a Euro- pean response, but also warned against turning the crisis into another round of political recriminations between member states. Italy has suspended passport-free Schengen travel arrangements with Spain for a month, even though they do

Strait of Gibraltar

Benzu

Belyounech

Tarajal

Fnideq

not apply to Ceuta, and 22 of the EU’s 27

members urged co-ordinated action to strengthen the bloc’s external borders. Led by Italy and Denmark, they have criticised Spain’s recent plan to regular- ise 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers, which Sánchez’s government champions as a liberal and progressive policy. A total of 1.2 million people have applied. Magnus Brunner, the EU migration commissioner, criticised regularisation as “not a good signal” for Europe, but acknowledged that Brussels “sees no direct link” between the policy and the influx of migrants to Ceuta. He de- clined to say whether Morocco bore any responsibility, but praised Rabat’s co-operation with Spanish authorities on returns. The EU has increasingly relied on migration agreements with north Afri- can countries to curb irregular arrivals, but critics say the approach leaves the bloc vulnerable to pressure from transit countries that can ease, or threaten to ease, border controls in pursuit of polit- ical or economic concessions. With the authorities in Ceuta seek- ing to regain control, social media plat- forms were fuelling speculation about another mass crossing on August 15. Dozens of WhatsApp and Facebook groups, with hundreds of thousands of members, have been circulating rumours of a new push towards the territory, alongside advice on routes, border crossings and makeshift boats.

1 mile

Page 28

28

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times World

Kremlin accused of war crime as drone tries to kill market trader

Ukraine

U K R A I N E

Marc Bennetts

Marc Bennetts

Russia

Kyiv has accused Moscow’s forces of a

war crime after a video showed a Rus- sian drone attempting to kill a market trader on the streets of Kherson, a be- sieged city in southern Ukraine. Video released by Ukrainian police showed a 52-year-old man identified only as Yuriy being chased by an attack drone around a van that had been used to sell fruit and vegetables. The drone strikes and an explosion can be seen. He

Moscow

R U S S I A

TELEGRAM/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES

Strikes on Russia’s Amazon aim to set economy ablaze

Catherine Philp Kyiv

Vast grey smoke clouds billowed into

the blue skies above the warehouse in Samara, visible for miles around. “All our goods are gone, absolute horror,” a weeping woman said on the social me- dia feed where she previously marketed her jewellery. “We woke up to our ware- house in flames. All our stock was in- side, we don’t know what to do.” The drone strike that set ablaze the Wildberries warehouse in south- western Russia on Sunday was just the latest against the online retail giant known as Russia’s Amazon. The first, on a huge logistics hub out- side Moscow on July 18, killed eight em- ployees and produced a smoke plume so large it was visible from space. Since then, barely two days have passed with- out another warehouse in flames, burn- ing billions of roubles worth of goods and prompting an online outpouring of despair. Yesterday Wildberries said a warehouse was on fire in Krasny Bor, 20 miles southeast of St Petersburg. Even more than deep strikes on oil refineries and infrastructure prompt- ing fuel shortages and rationing, Ukraine’s campaign against Wildber- ries is bringing the war into the lives of ordinary Russians. The company is even more dominant at home than Amazon is in the United States. It accounts for about 50 per cent of online retail in Russia. Far from merely inconveniencing shoppers, however, the campaign is an audacious attempt to bring down Russia’s economy. Wildberries is not only one of Russia’s biggest companies but its most indebted, mostly through its partnership with the state-con- trolled bank VTB. The Kremlin-allied oligarch Oleg Deripaska has warned that Wildber- ries’s downfall could bring about the collapse of a cascade of Russian banks. After the opening strikes on Wild- berries, President Zelensky declared that the retailer had been judged a mili- tary target due to its role in supplying the Russian army with “drone compo- nents and other military hardware”. Wildberries swiftly took down a pro- motional page entitled “everything for the special military operation”, the Kremlin’s euphemism for the 2022 in- vasion of Ukraine. The catalogue advertised products from body armour and tactical helmets to equipment for allowing civilian drones to carry projectile grenades. But Zelensky suggested that revenge was also a motivation. The attacks on Wildberries, he said, were a “response to Russian strikes on our civilian infra- structure” after an upsurge of Russian airstrikes, including on facilities be-

St Petersburg

Samara

suffered shock, concussion and shrap-

nel injuries, police said. Russian forces regularly target Ukrainian civilians with drones in Kherson in what has been called a “human safari”. Video of s being killed or injured by the drones have been posted to Russian pro-war Telegram channels, often accompanied by hip- hop or techno music. “The world must see this. It must see every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad, and every instance of the Russian military revelling in the killing

A Wildberries logistics hub in the Ryazan region has been among several hit by Ukraine as Kyiv targets the e-commerce giant

longing to Nova Poshta, a Ukrainian

postal company that Moscow claims is also used for military purposes. Last week Zelensky’s senior adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, gave yet another reason for the Wildberries campaign: to hit its Kremlin-linked creditors, turn- ing more ordinary Russians against the war by making its effects felt at home. With a turnover of 6 trillion roubles (£59 billion) last year, Wildberries is one of the single largest sources of tax revenue in Russia. “The losses could negatively impact revenues to the Rus- sian budget” Podolyak said. The outcry from ordinary vendors and customers alike has been extraor- dinary. Instagram and TikTok have been flooded with videos of suppliers crying at the images of warehouses in flames. Marina Gorshkova, a seller with an Instagram audience of 1.3 million, recorded a video appeal to “the coun- try’s leadership”, begging for help for one million Wildberries registered ven- dors. “If we close down, the treasury will stop receiving our taxes, and new entrepreneurs will not spring up like mushrooms,” she said. Valery Filatov, another seller, used

and abuse of people,” President Zelen-

sky said. Speaking from hospital, Yuriy said that he and his wife had just begun to lay out their goods for sale when the drone appeared. His wife managed to run off. “I showed it, look, there are veg- etables here, but it flew towards me,” he said in a video that was published by re- gional authorities. He also said this was the second time he had been attacked by drones since the start of the war. Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister, said the Russian drone pilot

the Russian social media network VK

to appeal to Wildberries’ owner, Tatya- na Kim, to use her influence with the Kremlin to stop the war. “Please, let Kim appeal to the president of Russia on our behalf, asking ... to stop the war.” But while the company paid compen- sation to the families of those killed and some money to those who lost stock in the initial strike, Wildberries was not legally liable for losses, Kim claimed, citing insurance clauses rewritten shortly before the strikes to classify them as “force majeure”. The Kremlin has so far remained

Video of the attack in Kherson was

released by the Ukrainian police

silent about the Wildberries campaign,

though the government is considering whether it may have to intervene to prop up the company. Ukraine calls the Wildberries cam- paign “long-range sanctions”, using military means to wage economic war . Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Wildberries has become ever more closely integrated with the Kremlin. In June 2024 President Putin gave his personal approval to its merger with Russia’s biggest outdoor advertis- ing agency, Russ Outdoor. After the strike in Samara on Sunday Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, used one of his typically colourful and cryptic Telegram posts to indicate that the attacks would continue. Residents of the east should not ex- pect their “purple parcels” to arrive, Brovdi wrote. The Samara logistics hub bridges the company’s operations in European Russia with those in Siberia. “The wild-berry hub in Samara has malfunctioned and left the chat,” he added. “It is certainly not the last blow in this berry brawl.” Additional reporting by Viktoria Sybir

200 miles

responsible for the attack on the

market trader was a “sadist”. “This barbaric Russian war crime in Kherson demands international condemnation and justice, but thou- sands of similar crimes never come to the public eye,” Sybiha said. He also called for “a powerful defence and deterrence package for Ukraine, and reliable, guaranteed security”. The city of Kherson was occupied by Russian forces for eight months before being liberated by the Ukrainian army in November 2022.

Nato ‘a decade

behind Putin’s forces on the battlefield’

Nato is lagging badly behind Russia and

will need more than a decade to match even half of Moscow’s battlefield capa- bilities, Ukraine’s former commander- in-chief has warned. Valerii Zaluzhny, who is now Kyiv’s ambassador to Britain, said that Nato was still operating under the illusion that future conflicts would be fought along the lines of the Second World War. “Most likely, Nato will remain in the same form as it is, and will spend 12 years, like Ukraine, transitioning to standards that need to be achieved in order to reach at least half of the level of the Russian Federation,” he said at a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors in Kyiv. Although he admitted that Kyiv needed air defence systems and other military technology possessed by Nato member states, Zaluzhny said the alli- ance was still working to “doctrines” that were established during the fight against Nazi Germany. He also suggest- ed that Ukrainian armed forces were superior to those of Nato. Nato has been accused of failing to fully adapt to the realities of modern battlefields that have been reshaped by

Valerii Zaluzhny,

Ukraine’s former

Kyiv’s ambassador

to Britain

top general, is

the prevalence of drones across the

sprawling frontlines in Ukraine. Its weaknesses were highlighted last year during Nato’s Hedgehog 2025 exercises in Estonia, which also in- volved Ukrainian troops. During one scenario, a group of several thousand troops, including a British brigade, was “destroyed” by a team of just ten Ukrainian drone operators, the Wall Street Journal reported. In comments reported by the Kyiv-based European Pravda website, Zaluzhny, who was dismissed as com- mander-in-chief by President Zelensky in 2024 over differences on how best to fight the war, said that Ukraine would never be allowed to join Nato. “For about 12 years, I personally worked on adopting Nato standards and every year I listened to fairytales about how we were just on the verge of joining Nato,” he said. “Unfortunately, we will never join it.” Zaluzhny’s comments came after Russian generals ordered their troops to try and storm Ukrainian positions 8,000 times in July — a record since the start of the war, according to Deep State, a Ukrainian monitoring website.

Page 29

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

29 World

Vatican

Stylish popes

put faith in ‘Versace of the Vatican’

James Imam

Widely known as the papal tailor, Filip-

po Sorcinelli could not have believed that the man standing before him would ascend to the throne of St Peter. At the time, Robert Prevost was sim- ply a Chicago-born cardinal and pre- fect of bishops — respected within Vati- can circles, but largely unknown to the wider world. A group of Augustinian friars in Vienna had commissioned the tailor to make him a magnificent mitre. Sorcinelli was granted an audience with Prevost and presented the future pope with the white quilted mitre, lined with silk and adorned with gold crosses and bows made with metallic thread. “He looked at me with that slightly timid gaze and asked: ‘Does it look OK?’ ” recalls Sorcinelli, 51, of the time he placed the mitre on Prevost’s head. “The impression I got was that of a very upright person, very well-educated, and someone who is genuinely capable of engaging with others while main- taining a sense of balance.” A few months later, the same man would step on to the balcony of St Pe- ter’s Basilica as the newly elected pope,

Proust’s madeleine theory passes the smell test in lab mice

France

Charles Bremner Paris

Marcel Proust’s protagonist marvelled

at the “exquisite pleasure” that invaded his senses when he raised a morsel of tea-soaked sponge cake to his lips. “The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday morn- ings at Combray ... my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or of lime-flower tea,” he says in À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time). That key passage from 1913 made “Proust’s madeleine” shorthand for a sensual cue to happy childhood memory. Now a team of neuroscientists from the French National Centre for Scien- tific Research have enlisted mice to un- lock what they believe to be the brain’s

appearing before an expectant world in

the vestments that would offer the first visual clues about his character. Sorcinelli continues to dress Leo, making him the third pontiff — after Benedict XVI and Francis — whose garments he has designed. His latest creation will be worn during the Pope’s visit to Assisi this week. Sorcinelli first designed for Benedict in 2007 and went on to create about 50 vestments, indulging the German’s soft spot for visual richness and traditional detail. His next task would be the “noble simplicity” of Francis in sartorial form. Sorcinelli designed the white mitre and chasuble embroidered with white crosses that Francis wore at his first Mass in 2013, as well as the white silk mitre edged with gold that was placed on his head when he lay in an open coffin after his death. “The first thing that came to mind was Giotto,” Sorcinelli

designed the

way of using smell to create “auto-

biographical” memories that can vivid- ly transport a person back decades. “We have long known that people retain olfactory memories from child- hood, but we had very little information about the neural basis of this phenome- non,” said Dr Nathalie Mandairon, a director at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre and co-author of the study. “We wanted to understand why, although children are exposed to countless smells, only some of them re- main in our memory for the rest of our lives.” For the study, published in the jour- nal PLOS Biology, more than 600 people were questioned about their childhood memories related to smell and taste. The team then used 272 young mice, which have an olfactory system similar to humans, to create a

garments worn

by Leo for a

Mass at the

Sistine Chapel

the day after his

election, as well

as Benedict’s

chasuble for the

Feast of Saints

Peter and Paul in

2007, below

says of the moment he was asked to de-

sign for Francis’s inaugural Mass, ex- plaining that he drew inspiration from the artist’s fresco cycle depicting the life of St Francis, the 13th-century friar, at the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. As a gay man, Sorcinelli challenges the traditional image of a papal tailor, frequently photographed in black with earrings and tat- toos visible. He is the founder of Lavs, a liturgical garment ate- lier in Santarcangelo di Ro- magna that employs about 40 artisans. His relationship with Catholicism began when, aged five, he would go with his mother, a devoted volun- teer, to the local

model of “positive olfactory memory”.

“We released pleasant odours while the mice explored an enriching envi- ronment containing toys, food and other mice,” Mandairon said. The mice, aged between 23 and 30 days — equivalent to pre-teenage children — voiced their “state of well- being” with high-pitched squeaks. The researchers found that the mice, once they reached young adulthood, between 60 and 80 days, showed a clear preference for the scent of citronella, which they associated with their juvenile playground. They squeaked happily and spent much more time in- vestigating it than other odours. Mice that were not given luxury quarters, which included running wheels, cornflakes and playmates, were indifferent to the scent in adulthood. The researchers also found that for

church. In his twenties, after studying

sacred music in Rome he returned home as an organist. He found his way into design almost by accident when a friend said he was to be ordained. “On the spur of the moment, I told him not to buy anything because I wanted to design and make this first chasuble myself,” says Sorcinelli, who made the garments with the help of his sister and aunt, tailors in Mondolfo near Santarcangelo di Romagna. After Francis’s death, Sorcinelli, who still plays the organ, considered step- ping back from design. But Leo’s elect- ion — and his first appearance wearing a red mozzetta, an elbow-length cape largely eschewed by Francis, showed that his services were still in demand. While Sorcinelli did not design the garments for Leo’s first Mass, he has since designed many pieces for him. For

Marcel Proust explored how scents

can revive happy childhood memories

the smell to become embedded, the

rodents had to be exposed to it regular- ly in their young days. Performing the kind of brain exami- nation that would not be possible for humans, the researchers found that

his Assisi visit tomorrow, Leo will wear

a chasuble and mitre bearing an eight- pointed star, a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the renewal of life, enriched with gemstones including lapis lazuli. A few years after Sorcinelli had began designing liturgical vestments, a rival revealed his sexuality in an at- tempt to discredit him. But Sorcinelli says that coming out showed him that the Church can be more permissive and inclusive than often believed. “The Church has always regarded me as a human being — as Filippo,” says Sorcinelli, who has tattooed lines on his body representing a broken mirror, a symbol of living through a hard time. “You can never do this job unless you have a certain depth of faith, because it requires more than just training,” says Sorcinelli. “You need to transform a plain garment into a sacred vestment.”

neurons generated around the time of

birth in the olfactory bulb played a role that had not been previously known. “What we have shown is that there are neurons that carry this memory of the smell. They are rather unusual because neurons are usually formed at the birth of the individual,” Mandairon said. “These neurons, however, are born later — they develop after birth ... and, moreover, they survive through- out life.” Entering adulthood, the smell mem- ories of childhood then become embed- ded in the limbic system, the brain’s “emotional centre”, according to the study. “The increased involvement of this limbic circuit as we grow older may help explain what we see in humans: smell-related memories take on a stronger nostalgic and emotional quality,” Mandairon said.

Page 30

Hard shell A drivable Volkswagen Beetle made with wrought iron by the Mexican artist

Rafael Esparza-Prieto for a PR stunt in 1970 is being sold by RM Sotheby’s in California

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Gaza

Words of hope ring

hollow in Gaza ruins

Gaza

GAZA

Amal Helles, Richard Spencer

Samer Al-Atrush

Middle East Correspondent

There are so many different versions of Gaza’s future that it is easy to forget Gaza’s present. Perhaps that is the point. According to President Trump, the conditions are now set for a new Palestinian government to take over sometime in the future, while ensur- ing the “security that Israel de- serves”. At the same time, the Board of Peace that Trump established with help from figures including Sir Tony Blair and his son-in-law Jared Kush- ner, claimed it had won agreement from all sides on how to implement last year’s ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, on the Hamas side of the coin, the group’s newly elected leader also had a message for his sub- jects, which, in effect, all Palestinians in Gaza continue to be. Khalil al-Hayya said Hamas would “continue working until we alleviate your suffering and once again see the beautiful and radiant Gaza we once knew”. He pledged to “accelerate” re- construction of the territory, home to two million people. The reality is starkly different. Yes- terday a mass funeral was held for 112 people, all members of the same Gaza clan, the Hussayna, only now recov- ered from the rubble of their town. The 112, including about 40 child- ren and 30 women, were among 308 members of the clan killed in an Israeli airstrike on three residential blocks where they were sheltering in Sabra, a district of Gaza City, in November 2023, early in the conflict. About half of the dead were re- trieved immediately. The others had to wait until heavy equipment was able to dig through the rubble. Most homes in Gaza have been partly or completely destroyed by Israel’s forces during the course of two years of war. More than 70,000 Gazans, including fighters, civilian adults and children, were killed, ac- cording to the local authorities, since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 250 taken hos- tage, triggering the conflict. Gaza’s survivors now live in tents or the remains of broken buildings, sub- sisting on international aid. For many, Hayya’s words, suppos- edly their beacon of hope, ring hollow. “We were surprised by Khalil al-Hayya’s speech, in which he spoke

City

ISRAEL

Teenager ‘raped by staff

member at Club Med’

South Africa A Canadian teenager has allegedly been raped by a member of staff at South Africa’s first Club Med resort, only weeks after the luxury hotel opened on the Dolphin Coast. The 18-year-old said the suspect, an employee in a guest-facing role, plied him with alcohol before taking him to the staff quarters and raping him while he was incapacitated. The accused, 35, a Club Med employee from France, where the all-inclusive family holiday chain originated, is in court in Durban this week for a bail hearing after his arrest on July 23. He told the court the sexual encounter was consensual.

A funeral yesterday for members of a clan killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023

about issues related to our lives and our future in Gaza,” said Doaa Bas- sem, a 26-year-old woman displaced in southern Gaza. ‘’It felt like he was speaking from a different world, which has nothing to do with the real- ity of displacement that we are living through.” Hayya, who is native to Gaza him- self, was elected last month to head Hamas, replacing Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in a confrontation with Israeli soldiers in October 2024. Sinwar masterminded the October 7 attack, which he hoped would lead to Israel’s destruction, but instead it

Yellow Line splitting

Israeli and Hamas

control after October

2025 ceasefire.

The IDF has taken

more territory since

Khan Yunis

Rafah

EGYPT 3 miles

started both a war that destroyed Gaza and a regional conflict that drew in Lebanon and Iran. Some in Hamas have argued that the group must take stock of the dam- age the October 7 attack has done to their cause, but Hayya, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar last year, is believed to be unre- pentant. Under last year’s ceasefire, Hamas is meant to disarm and Israel is sup- posed to withdraw from the territory.

Tourists hurt after camel

gets the hump on beach

Australia Two tourists were taken to hospital after a camel bucked its passengers during a sunset tour on a beach in Broome, western Australia. The animal was part of a group carrying tourists when it suddenly broke off the main party. Video footage on social media showed passengers trying to hold on before they were bucked off. A woman in her sixties was later said to be in a stable condition in hospital. The other was discharged. Chris Mitchell, a local councillor, said camel rides, which cost up to A€90(£50), were a “much-loved part of the Broome experience” and that such incidents were rare.

The US-led Board of Peace is then to oversee a massive reconstruction ef- fort masterminded by a new govern- ment. But almost a year later, Israel remains in control of almost 60 per cent of the territory, and continues to attack Hamas targets, often killing ci- vilians at the same time. Hamas has entrenched itself in the remaining parts, saying it will dissolve its gov- ernment in favour of a new Palestin- ian authority but not disarm until Israel withdraws. Last weekend, after the announce- ment by the Board of Peace and Trump of their new “implementa- tion” agreement, Israel continued to insist that it would only start to with- draw after Hamas was disarmed. That re-establishes the existing stalemate, and the continuing ques- tions to Hayya and the international community from the residents left helpless in Gaza’s rubble. “How does [Hayya] intend to pres- sure the international community to rebuild Gaza after the enormous destruction it has suffered?’’ asked Mohammed Suhweil, 67, a pharma- cist displaced along with his family of ten in Khan Yunis in south Gaza. “We want to understand how he believes reconstruction can happen.” Both Hamas and Israel appear sat- isfied by the frozen conflict that has left them in control of their two parts of Gaza, while its inhabitants live in limbo. “There’s no difference between today and months ago,” said Ahmed Fayez, a father of seven. Last night Hamas said it was con- sidering withdrawing from the Board of Peace agreement because of Israeli strikes. “We are weighing our options regarding the next steps,” a senior political official said. “Everything is on the table.”

Sources: ISW

DiCaprio and Bezos to

save endangered animals

United States Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos are teaming up on a $200 million mission to revive 100 of Earth’s most threatened species. The Hollywood star’s Re:wild campaign and the Amazon billionaire’s Bezos Earth Fund will lead the Phoenix Species Project, which will distribute grants with the aim of protecting endangered animals including lemurs, salamanders, pangolins, pigs and echidnas. Tiana Andriamanana, executive director of a charity dedicated to saving the golden- crowned sifaka, a lemur from Madagascar, said the funding would “change what is possible”.

DAWOUD ABU ALKAS/REUTERS

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AI start-up Volta goes from zero to $2.4bn valuation in six months

$

James Hurley chatbot. Volta says it “develops, finan- ces, builds and operates” AI data cen- tres, or “AI factories” as it calls them. It says it brings together finance, land with local power supply, data centres and the hardware and software re- quired by the AI industry “under a single platform”. Backers including Azora, a Spanish investment firm, Andreessen Horo- witz, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and Altimeter, a technology in- vestor, have invested in the business, it said, as well as Nvidia, the computer

A six-month-old start-up aiming to build an artificial intelligence data centre in Norway has agreed a $10 bil- lion deal with Anthropic and raised funds from backers including Nvidia at a $2.4 billion valuation. Volta Infrastructure Holdings, which is based in London and was incorporat- ed in January by a former Brookfield Asset Management employee, secured a data centre agreement with Anthrop- ic, the AI group behind the Claude

Revenues up

92 per cent for SpaceX

Shares fall early on first results since float

Louisa Clarence-Smith

US Business Editor

SpaceX beat Wall Street’s revenue ex- pectations in its first earnings report since achieving a record-breaking ini- tial public offering. Elon Musk’s satellite, rockets and ar- tificial intelligence company reported a 92 per cent rise in second-quarter reve- nue to $7.8 billion, ahead of analysts’ es- timates of $6.8 billion on average. The company’s net loss for the quarter narrowed to $541 million, from $1 bil- lion a year earlier. However, shares in SpaceX, which floated at $135 in mid-June, were trad- ing down $8.49, or 6.9 per cent, to $116.77 in after-hours trading on Wall Street, valuing the business at $1.7 tril- lion. Its stock soared in the first few days following the company’s IPO in June, temporarily making Musk the world’s first trillionaire but since then SpaceX has lost more than $1 trillion in market capitalisation. The stock has come under pressure amid worries about the impact of the end of a lock-up on August 6, when some employees and early investors in SpaceX will be able to sell their shares. Investors have also been seeking more clarity around the AI business and a potential merger with Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle business. Musk, 55, started SpaceX as an aero- space manufacturer and space trans- portation services company based in Hawthorne, California, in 2002 with the goal of reducing rocket launch costs

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to enable the colonisation of Mars. He has grown SpaceX into the world’s larg- est rocket business by launching thou- sands of Starlink internet satellites and pioneering reusable rockets that trans- formed the economics of space travel. The world’s richest man has even more ambitious plans to build a city on the moon and put data centres in space. Most of its revenue last year came from its Starlink satellite internet busi- ness. The latest results showed the in- ternet service continued to drive growth, delivering $4.3 billion in the second quarter, up 66 per cent on the comparable quarter last year. SpaceX said it reached 12 million sub- scribers by the end of the second quar- ter in 2026, doubling from last year. It also announced it has been awarded over $6 billion in US government con- tracts for a version of Starlink called Starshield, which provides a classified and encrypted signal. SpaceX’s AI business, which includes xAI, Grok, social media platform X and a data centre operation, has been its biggest area of investment. AI revenue rose 247 per cent annually to $2.56 bil- lion while losses narrowed to $1.3 bil- lion, from $1.5 billion a year earlier. Space revenue grew 29 per cent year on year to $962 million, while losses widened to $542 million from $369 mil- lion. The division includes commercial launches, government missions and development of Starship. SpaceX said space revenues were supported by a “higher number of large customer launches”compared with a year earlier.

COMMODITIES CURRENCIES

Gold

$4,068.23 (+17.08)

4,500

chipmaker. The family office of Mich- ael Dell, the billionaire founder of Dell Technologies, has also invested. Its valuation is roughly two fifths that of Balfour Beatty, the 117-year-old FTSE 250 international infrastructure group which has about 26,000 staff and had revenues of £10.8 billion last year. Volta says it has about 100 staff across sites in London as well as Palo Alto, California, and New York. It may not file its debut set of accounts until the end of September next year. Ricard Boada Rafart, 33, set up Volta

Brent crude (6pm)

$79.80 (-3.73) $

£/$

$1.3456 (-0.0022)

110 100 90 80 70 60

with £1 of share capital in January, com- pany filings show. Boada is a former senior vice-presi- dent at Brookfield Asset Management’s infrastructure group, where he had experience of working on AI infra- structure deals, including a $5 billion partnership between Brookfield and Bloom Energy to power AI data cen- tres. He left Brookfield in January, according to his profile on LinkedIn. Volta’s first project is a planned AI factory in Norway to be powered by Nvidia systems, part of the $10 billion

CLÝ DE PEAU BEAUTÝ/CAPTURE MEDIA GROUP

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partnership with Anthropic. Volta de- clined to answer questions about the status of its projects but said it had a “broader near-term development pipe- line” in North America and Europe. Volta also noted that Azora had established a $5 billion AI infrastruc- ture programme to finance AI factories that Volta will develop. The deal echoes backing for Nscale, another London-based data centre start-up that has attracted attention for its $14.6 billion valuation and its rela- tively modest scale.

Bank allows

staff to work from abroad

Robert Miller

More than 1,000 staff at the Bank of England spent a total of 12,889 days working overseas under its remote work policy, according to new freedom of information data. Some 6,000 staff are eligible to work for up to 40 days overseas as well as being allowed to work from home for three days a week, according to the central bank’s official guidance. A spokesman for the central bank said: “The Bank’s working-from- abroad policy is in place for staff who temporarily work outside the UK. “As an organisation with a significant international make-up, we recognise that colleagues may at times need to spend short periods overseas. “Due to continued investment in modern technology and secure sys- tems, staff are able to carry out their roles effectively while they are working remotely. “The policy is subject to time limits and other conditions, including secur- ity-related restrictions, and staff are required to fulfil their usual duties and responsibilities professionally and effectively.” The latest publicly available staff handbook, which outlines the Bank’s policy, states: “The Bank is committed to supporting colleagues working flexi- bly and allows colleagues to work from abroad for a maximum of 40 working days a year.” The revelations, first reported by the Telegraph, that so many staff have worked from overseas comes as the Bank is under intense scrutiny as its monetary policy committee, which sets interest rates, and other officials wrestle with how best deal to deal with inflation and the energy price shock. Last week the central bank’s nine- strong committee voted 6 to 3 in favour of holding the cost of borrowing at 3.75 per cent after inflation in June was 2.6 per cent against the official target of 2 per cent.

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Need to know

Ministers are drawing up plans to boost economic growth by increasing government borrowing in order to spend the money on new infrastructure, housing and support for business. Under the fiscal rules, the government is allowed to count spending on infrastructure or equity in companies as “assets” to be offset against the cost of borrowing. 2

Volta, a six-month-old start- up in London aiming to build an artificial intelligence data centre in Norway, has agreed a $10 billion deal with Anthropic and raised funds from backers including Nvidia at a $2.4 billion valuation. 3

More than 1,000 staff members at the Bank of England spent a total of 12,889 days working overseas under its remote work policy, Freedom of Information data reveals. 4

Higher prices more than doubled BP’s profits to $5.7 billion in the second quarter, as Meg O’Neill, its new chief executive, vowed to disregard “sentiment” and “history” in her overhaul of the group. 5

Higher prices more than doubled BP’s profits to $5.7 billion in the second quarter, as its new chief executive vowed to disregard “sentiment” and “history” in her overhaul of the group. Meg O’Neill insisted, however, that moving the company’s listing from the London Stock Exchange was “really not on the agenda”, despite last week’s announcement that it was preparing to quit the UK North Sea after more than 60 years. O’Neill said the North Sea was sim- ply not “competitive” with other parts of the world and that even cutting the high oil and gas taxes in the UK would not change its mind about selling, citing years of instability in the fiscal regime. BP said that it also planned to sell Archaea, the US biogas business it bought for $4 billion less than four years ago, as it continues its retreat from green energy. O’Neill, who took the top job in April, said: “Our performance over the past few years has not met our own expecta- tions, let alone those of our sharehold- ers.” She said BP had to “get fit to grow” and vowed to keep “simplifying the portfolio based on value, not sentiment nor history”, adding: “Some assets may have been important to BP in the past. That does not necessarily mean they are the right assets for BP’s future.” She said BP still saw “growth potential” in the North Sea and would “love to see exploration resume”. “The challenge from an investment perspective is the dollars to the North Sea are just not as competitive as other opportunities,” O’Neill said. “We’ve had, unfortunately, a number of fiscal regime changes over the last 20 years. One of the things that’s most important for us when we think about making investment decisions is we want confidence that we’ll have stability over the 20 years that it takes to deplete an asset that we develop.” The decision prompted renewed speculation over whether the Amer- ican could move BP’s primary listing from London to New York, as it be-

Segro, the biggest property company on the London stock market, has accepted a £14.3 billion offer from Prologis, an American rival, after pressure from investors to accept the biggest takeover of a FTSE company this year. 6

HSBC announced a $1 billion share buyback after profits in the second quarter rose by 23 per cent to $19.5 billion, beating City expectations. 7

The FTSE 100 medical devices company Smith & Nephew has cut its full-year revenue growth forecast due to weak demand for knee implants in the US, its biggest market. 8

Palantir Technologies has thrown down the gauntlet in the battle to dominate enterprise software, claiming its customers were shunning AI model makers such as Anthropic and it was seeing “otherworldly” sales growth for its data analytics platforms.

Andy Burnham’s appointments to key economic positions have been reassuring The biggest property company on the London stock market has accepted a £14.3 billion offer from an American rival after pressure from investors to accept the biggest takeover of a FTSE company this year. Segro, which owns 117 million sq ft of space in Europe, had rejected three approaches from Prologis but said last month that it was minded to back a “best and final proposal”. Yesterday both companies said the offer had been accepted. Segro’s shares rose 13¾p, or 1.4 per cent to 974¾p, after the announcement below the takeover price of up to £10.54 per share. Prologis shares were down by 2.5 per cent in trading in New York. Segro is one of the largest owners of data centres and warehouses in Europe with a £12 billion portfolio, including

David Wighton,

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BP doubles profits

as new chief pushes on with overhaul

Emily Gosden Energy Editor

hose who knew Meg O’Neill before she joined BP predicted she would be “merciless” with underperforming parts of the business (Emily Gosden writes). Sure enough, the message that came through loud and clear from the no- nonsense American yesterday was that there would be no sacred cows as she overhauls the oil major. O’Neill pledged repeatedly to disregard sentiment, history and legacy attachment in the clear-eyed and clinical pursuit of value. Offloading the UK North Sea business, with its ageing fields and hostile, unpredictable tax regime, makes logical sense for a company that needs money to invest in big new discoveries with far more Segro accepts £14bn takeover offer from US rival

James Hurley Assistant Business Editor the Slough trading estate made famous by Ricky Gervais’s sitcom The Office. David Sleath, its longstanding chief executive, told The Sunday Times in July that the business had “a very good long-term growth story” on its own but it succumbed after four higher offers from Prologis, including one worth about £13.5 billion. Investors including APG Asset Management, Norges Bank and CCLA Investment Management had urged the companies to engage in talks, say- ing a combination would be valuable. They were approached for comment. The deal adds to a record year for mergers and acquisitions in the UK and is the second biggest after Unilever’s $65 billion food business merger, announced in March. It ranks among the biggest foreign takeovers of a UK-listed company on record, London Stock Exchange Group

comes increasingly focused on the United States. Shell, BP’s rival, has pre- viously considered but rejected such a move, while a number of other companies, such as Ferguson and Flutter, have left London. However, O’Neill told The Times: “Our listing, that’s really not on the agenda. We’ve got plenty of other things to do to get this business in shape.” She was speaking as BP reported its highest quarterly profit in four years, significantly beating analysts’ expecta- tions of $5.1 billion and up from $2.4 bil- lion in the same period of 2025. Brent crude averaged $103.85 per barrel in the second quarter of 2026, up from $67.88 per barrel in the same period a year earlier. Prices were boost- ed by the US war with Iran, which re- sulted in the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and lique- fied natural gas normally passes. O’Neill joined from Australia’s Woodside to become BP’s first outsider chief executive in its 117-year history and the first woman to lead any of the oil supermajors. She is accelerating its strategic U-turn away from green energy after an ill-fated foray into renewables under its former boss Bernard Looney. The Archaea biogas purchase was the

6 Oil prices fell to the lowest level in three weeks on hopes of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as President Trump accused the US oil companies ExxonMobil and Chevron of making “too much money” from the crisis. Brent crude, the global benchmark price, fell almost 6 per cent to less than $79 a barrel after the US administration and mediators from Qatar indicated there was progress on reopening the waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes. Oil and gas prices have been high since the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran on February 28.

biggest acquisition of his tenure. O’Neill vowed to “deliver a step change in performance and grow shareholder value” by strengthening the balance sheet, simplifying the portfolio, invest- ing with greater discipline, and improv- ing operations and accountability. Asked about BP’s retreat from renewables, she told CNBC that “climate change is an important global challenge and everybody has a role to play” but said that some of its investments had simply not “delivered the returns that we expect”. BP is said to be close to finalising the planned sale of Lightsource BP, the solar company, which it only fully acquired two years ago. Other companies were better placed to manage investments in things like solar plants, O’Neill said, and BP would instead focus on “reducing the emis- sions intensity of our business” with projects such as building green hydro- gen facilities at its refineries. BP is aiming to reduce net debt to between $14 billion and $18 billion by the end of 2027 but said it now expected to hit that goal this year. Net debt fell to $22.3 billion at the end of the second quarter. The company has said it is pursuing a target of $20 billion of divestments by the end of next year. Kate Thomson, chief financial officer, said it expected to reach $15 billion to $16 billion of di- vestments by the end of this year but that it was not “selling assets at any price to hit a divestment target” and the balance sheet was far more important. O’Neill’s tenure had already seen BP grab the headlines with the abrupt ousting of its chairman Albert Mani- fold in May. BP cited “serious concerns” relating to “important governance standards, oversight and conduct”, stemming from allegations of bullying by BP employees. Manifold has denied the claims, which he has described as “lies”. O’Neill declined to be drawn further on Manifold’s departure. BP shares rose initially but retreated with the falling oil price to close down 27¼p, or 4.9 per cent, at 525p.

data showed. “Prologis and Segro be- lieve the combination offers a compel- ling opportunity to Segro sharehold- ers,” the companies said in a statement. As of Monday, Segro and Prologis had a combined market capitalisation of more than $150 billion. Prologis, a logistics property investor based in San Francisco, counts Amazon, FedEx and UPS among its customers. Prologis and Segro have been building a data centre pipeline to exploit the boom in artificial intelligence investment. Andrew Saunders, equity analyst at Shore Capital, said: “We think there are many wider long-term attractions that being part of Prologis can offer share- holders, including significantly greater scale, global reach, bigger balance sheet, third-party capital and more highly resourced capabilities in development, data centres and power sourcing.” Sleath said: “Prologis shares our con-

Behind the story

viction in the long-term structural drivers underpinning demand for modern logistics and data centre infra- structure. “We believe the combination would bring together two highly complemen- tary businesses and create a compelling platform, combining Segro’s exception- al portfolio and development pipeline with Prologis’s existing European busi- ness and global scale, customer fran- chise and operational capabilities.” Segro’s roots date to 1920, when the Slough Trading Company bought a military vehicle dumping ground to the west of London, which it later turned into the Slough trading estate. The offer is at a 42 per cent premium to Segro’s closing price on June 23, a day before Prologis went public with its interest. The companies had until August 12 to finalise a deal under UK takeover rules.

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attractive tax terms, like last year’s mega-find at Bumerangue off Brazil. But it is undoubtedly an easier decision to make for O’Neill, BP’s first outsider chief executive in its 117-year history, than it would have been for her two predecessors, Murray Auchincloss and Bernard Looney, who both spent stints running the North Sea business. Selling Archaea, the landfill gas business bought for $4.1 billion almost four years ago, when Looney was chief executive and Auchincloss his chief financial officer, would certainly have been awkward for Auchincloss even as he reversed many other green commitments for which he was the co-pilot. As a new broom, O’Neill has been able to move swiftly to prepare these assets

Pilots sue

Ryanair over ‘withheld’ holiday pay

Jonathan Ames Legal Editor

Hundreds of pilots who flew for Rya- nair are suing the budget airline over claims that they are owed unlawfully withheld holiday pay. A group claim has been filed in the commercial court in London, led by Richard Phillips and joined by 261 addi- tional claimants. Phillips is understood to have worked for Ryanair for four years until 2012 before moving to Brit- ish Airways. Two aviation recruitment agencies

for sale and to admit BP had made decisions in the past that wasted shareholders’ money. She also highlighted that its operational performance had fallen short and costs remained “stubbornly high”. Nonetheless, the five objectives she set out — to strengthen the balance sheet, simplify the portfolio, invest with discipline, improve operations and strengthen accountability — are hardly a million miles removed from the aims Auchincloss set out in his “fundamental reset” of the strategy in February 2025, when strengthening the balance sheet and

are also named as defendants — Storm Global and Brookfield Aviation Inter- national — as well as Scanlon Associ- ates, a tax consultancy based in Dublin. Lawyers for the claimants said the lawsuit had come after a Court of Ap- peal ruling last year which found that a Ryanair pilot was a worker when flying for the airline and not self-employed. In that case, Jason Lutz, a contracted pilot for Ryanair who was based at Stansted, told the appeal judges he had requested the airline employ him di- rectly but bosses refused. He was then given a five-year con- tract that was subject to three months’ notice, which the court said meant he was a “temporary” worker under the Agency Workers Regulations 2010. The regulations stipulate that after 12 weeks agency workers are entitled to equal treatment with employees re- garding basic and holiday pay. Claims Compensation Group, the law firm representing Phillips and the others against the Irish airline, said that the Lutz ruling was a test case that had

KRISTIAN BUUS/GETTY IMAGES

O’Neill pours oil on troubled waters

“relentlessly pursuing performance improvements” was the order of the day. With O’Neill four months into the job, her predecessor takes some of the credit for the fact BP expects to meet its net debt reduction target a year early. As Biraj Borkhataria of RBC Capital Markets puts it, O’Neill’s priorities “could come under the general bucket of ‘do better’” and she needs to “walk the talk”. O’Neill has to show that her merciless streak can not only help her streamline the portfolio with eye-catching disposals but also enable her to do a better job in running the day-to-day business.

“closed the door” on the “agency defence in aviation”. The firm said the appeal judge had “confirmed that worker status under the protective legislation is wide and in- clusive in a tripartite agency relation- ship, and that a fixed-term supply of five years still meets the statutory test of working temporarily for the hirer”. The lawyers said Ryanair was refused permission to take the dispute to the Supreme Court and that as a result, the appeal “judgment is final”. Claims Compensation Group said it was “acting for pilots who were en- gaged by Ryanair via agencies, and claiming workers’ rights for the entire period of engagement”. It did not note how much the claim is estimated to be worth. According to High Court filings, the claim was issued last month but no pleadings have yet been registered. Neither Ryanair nor any of the other defendants had registered law firms to act for them if they decided to defend the claim. None of the defendants re- sponded to requests for comment.

business commentary Alistair Osborne

t last, something slicker from BP. Four months in and its new boss Meg O’Neill is already hinting she can walk her no-nonsense talk. When she says “we will high-grade on value creation, not sentiment or history or legacy attachment”, what better proof than a decision a newbie UK business leader could easily have ducked — getting out of the North Sea after 60 years? It probably wasn’t the most diplomatic way to start, even if O’Neill has delivered a useful early lesson to Andy Burnham: if you whack a virtue-signalling 78 per cent tax on an industry that, as O’Neill put it, has “unfortunately had a number of fiscal regime changes over the last 20 years”, don’t be surprised to see capital, jobs and tax revenues flow elsewhere. Still, like it or not, this is just the sort of clarity BP has been crying out for. Much of the last five years has been spent in a strategic and operational funk, as implied by the arrival on the register of the uppity hedge fund Elliott, with 5 per cent. O’Neill’s predecessor but one, the “performing while transforming” Bernard Looney — part oil man, part Ed Miliband (only with more shagging) — gave us a ham-fisted, capital-destroying lurch greenwards. And, by the time he was booted out after refusing to tell the board of his myriad in-house conquests (rather honourably, too, in some respects as it cost him £32.4 million pay), no one knew what BP stood for. His successor, the dour Murray Auchincloss, was never the right boss to answer that. And, even if you may have qualms about BP doubling down on oil and gas when the world is evidently heating up, the business needs a leader with O’Neill’s strategic clarity. True, she still couldn’t avoid one early drama: the messy removal of the chairman who hired her, Albert Manifold, over “bullying” claims, which Manifold denies. Still, if a new chief executive is going to knife the chairman, better to do it early. Anyway, the result? A clear five- point plan on her fix for BP. So far, O’Neill has been lucky with higher Iran war energy prices. Underlying profits hit $5.7 billion in the second quarter, up by $2.5 billion, with operating cash flow at $10.9 billion: pretty helpful when her first priority is to “strengthen the balance sheet”. Net debt fell $3.1 billion to $22.3 billion, with BP now expecting to hit its target of $18 billion or below this financial year — 12 months early. Her other priorities span North Sea-style simplification, with O’Neill emphasising that “every part of the company needs to earn its place”; improving below-par operations; “hardwiring high-performance and accountability into BP”; and “investing with greater discipline”. In short, a Shell playbook to bring through-the-cycle resilience, where her rival is several years ahead. As a plan for better performance, it’s hard to disagree with O’Neill’s approach — even if the shares fell 5 per cent to 525p as oil prices slipped. She may be right, too, that there are better owners for Archaea, the US biogas outfit Looney bought

in 2022 for $4.1 billion that’s already been partly written down among $5 billion of green impairments. Yet, longer-term, one question nags: will BP eventually need more strategically than a big pivot back to oil and gas? Or will it just burn itself out with them, as demand finally falls, handing back the cash? Having posed this question last week of Shell, to brickbats from some readers, it still seems apt. Yes, the world will need fossil fuels for decades. But, having screwed up with Looney, BP’s alternatives will soon largely be down to sustainable aviation fuel, green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. It’s not as if getting ahead of a market can’t prove a real value creator either — just ask the world’s richest man, Tesla’s Elon Musk. It’s yet to be seen if O’Neill has more in her strategic barrel than an oilier, better run BP. Take a flyer N

o-brainer growth projects do not fly in every day. So it always seemed odd that, instead of latching on to Gatwick’s £2.2 billion second runway, Rachel Reeves made her No 1 economic expansion scheme something we’ve been failing to build since 1968: Heathrow’s third runway jamboree, a legal minefield complete with digging up the M25 and a price tag that’s now hit an insane £49 billion. Happily, unlike the grounded former chancellor, the Gatwick project is at last airborne, having got through its final legal challenge. It’s everything the Heathrow scheme isn’t: cheap, deliverable and capable of being built within the airport’s boundaries, with no need to reroute Europe’s busiest motorway or flatten (at least) 752 homes. Neither are the passengers getting stiffed on the landing charges to pay for it. The upshot? The Gatwick plan, which upgrades an existing standby runway, is poised to create 14,000 jobs, add £1 billion economic value a year and lift passengers from today’s 43 million a year to 75 million by the late 2030s — and all privately financed, too, by Gatwick’s owners, Vinci Airports and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners. Of course, people have a right to object. But the other mystery is why it’s taken eight years and £70 million costs for Gatwick to get the go- ahead here. If Burnham is serious about growth, do-able projects need a far quicker route to take-off. Second fiddle O

ne reason for the Segro board caving into Prologis? That its £14 billion offer at £10.32 per share came with a “commitment to a secondary listing” on the UK exchange. So, a timely point from Claire Trachet, boss of M&A advisory firm Trachet. She’s noted that in “the past 105 days” four US-listed companies have axed their secondary listings in London: CRH, Smurfit WestRock, Ferguson and Flutter Entertainment. Enjoy the Prologis one while it lasts.

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An old

mapper finds new treasure

ritain’s Ordnance Survey is taking the fight to Google and Apple after notching up record annual revenue as demand surges for trusted location data (Isabella Fish writes). The state-owned national mapping agency reported revenue of £198.7 million in the year to March, up 2.1 per cent on the previous year. It was its tenth consecutive year of growth as businesses and government increasingly come to rely on its digital mapping data. The results underline how Ordnance Survey (OS), best known for its folded paper maps, has transformed into one of the UK’s most important data businesses. Today, paper maps account for

GETTY IMAGES

HSBC resumes $1bn share buyback after profits jump

Helen Cahill Financial Correspondent

Helen Cahill

Europe’s largest bank has announced a $1 billion share buyback after profits rose by 23 per cent to $19.5 billion. HSBC has resumed share buybacks after beating City expectations for the second quarter amid a restructuring under its chief executive Georges Elhedery. London’s largest listed company had paused buybacks last October after announcing its £10 billion acquisition of Hang Seng Bank. HSBC’s results come as unions call for an increase to the tax applied to bank profits to fund lower energy costs for households. In the UK, reported profit before tax at HSBC rose by 8.3 per cent to $3.9 billion. Elhedery highlighted the bank’s importance to the UK economy, echoing comments made by other chief executives delivering similarly positive results last week. “We’ve been particularly focused on increasing support for [small business- es] with 11 per cent year-on-year growth in loans and advances to our business banking customers in the first half,” he said. “We continue supporting inter- national investment into the UK economy through our powerful global network, enabling UK exporters to capture the newly-signed [free trade agreements].” The bank said its bid to simplify its sprawling operations would deliver cost savings of $2 billion, up from $1.5 billion previously, after recently announcing the sale of divisions in Singapore and Egypt. Elhedery has also shut parts of HSBC’s investment bank- ing operations in the UK, Europe and the US as part of the restructuring.

only about 5 per cent of revenue as the agency generates income from the digital location data that underpins everything from

Emma Raducanu at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London in June

“HSBC is becoming the stronger bank we set out to build. We are execut- ing our strategic priorities with pace, precision and discipline,” Elhedery said. “This is allowing our four busi- nesses to focus on their core strengths, grow, work together more effectively and deepen customer relationships. The result is a bank capable of achiev- ing more.” The FTSE 100-listed group’s reve- nues rose by 11 per cent to $37.7 billion in the first half, from $34.1 billion, while profit before tax rose to $19.5 billion from $16 billion. HSBC said the profit increase came after a drop-off in exceptional charges,

emergency services and utility networks to property transactions and logistics. The shift also puts it in more direct competition

with the mapping systems built by Google and Apple. While consumers use Google Maps or Apple Maps to navigate, OS has

which came to $2.2 billion during the first half of last year, as well as higher revenues, particularly from its wealth and wholesale banking divisions. Wealth fees and other income were up by 20 per cent, while wholesale and transaction banking income increased by 7 per cent. Gary Greenwood, an analyst at Shore Capital, said “operational execu- tion remains strong” and that HSBC’s shares had “performed exceptionally well” since May. So far this year, HSBC’s shares have gained more than 30 per cent. HSBC was the last of Britain’s big four banks to report its results, and the

A triangulation pillar from

Ordnance Survey, which is

led by Nick Bolton, below

depend on when accuracy matters. At the heart of that strategy is what Nick Bolton, its chief executive, describes as growing demand for “trusted location data” at a time when both the public and private sectors are making more data- driven decisions. “This year marked the 225th anniversary of our first map, and today, OS continues to innovate to meet the evolving needs of the nation,” he said. “This demand for trusted location data has delivered another year of growth, and with a six-year programme to build our data foundation complete, our focus now is on making data more accessible to more people and organisations.” Founded in 1791 to map British coastlines for the military,

positioned itself as the provider of the authoritative location data that governments, infrastructure operators and regulated industries

update prompted the Trades Union Congress to renew its push for an addi- tional surcharge of up to 35 per cent on profits. Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said: “There is now a mountain of evidence to suggest that banks can easily afford to pay more tax. While higher interest rates have meant mortgage misery and bigger bills for the rest of us, the big banks have been rolling in it. “Andy Burnham has rightly priori- tised cost of living measures in his first days as prime minister, but as the war in Iran rumbles on energy prices will rise further and the government will need to do more to protect house- holds. That’s why it’s time to increase the tax on bank profits to cut bills.” Elhedery provided details of the lender’s contribution to economic growth alongside the results, highlight- ing the importance of its regional oper- ations and heritage; the bank traces its presence in the UK market to its pur- chase of Midland Bank in 1992. He said more than 60 per cent of the bank’s loan portfolio is tied to business- es operating outside London. “We’re very, very encouraged by the government’s ambition to support and enable growth in the UK, which, of course, we have a major role to play in,” he added. “For growth to be able to manifest, you need businesses to be confident and invest. For businesses to invest, you need them to have access to financing, and we as a banking sector, with a strong balance sheet and strong capital position, are the preferred financing mechanism for the businesses.” HSBC shares were down 12¾p, or 0.8 per cent, to £15.84½ yesterday.

OS now maintains the National Geographic Database, a digital map containing more than 600 million geographic features. An economic impact assessment found OS is expected to generate £10.6 billion of economic value in the decade to 2029-30. Much of this year’s growth came from long- term partnerships with government. One of the biggest is the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement, a ten-year, £1 billion programme funded by the government that gives about 6,000 public sector organisations free access to OS’s mapping data. The agreement allows local authorities, emergency services, the NHS and government departments to use the same location data when planning infrastructure, responding to emergencies or delivering public services.

Record results

at Metro Bank as it pledges new branches

Metro Bank has posted the highest half-year profits in its history as it continues to restore operations three years after it was spared bankruptcy by a Colombian billionaire. The FTSE 250-listed lender reported that statutory profit before tax rose by 34 per cent to £60.7 million in the six months to the end of June, with under- lying revenue up by 5 per cent to £301 million. Its net interest margin, the difference between what it charges customers for loans and pays out on deposits, rose to 3.18 per cent from 2.87 per cent. Metro Bank was founded in 2010 by Vernon Hill, an American entrepre- neur noted for posing for photographs outside bank branches with his York- shire Terrier, Sir Duffield. The lender has been progressing with turnaround efforts after it was rescued from the brink of collapse by Jaime Gilinski Bacal, a Colombian banker and entrepreneur, in a £925 million deal in October 2023. Dan Frumkin, the chief executive, has cut hundreds of jobs, but has also signed three new leases for branches in Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham, Metro said in a trading update. Frum- kin added that the group was looking to open five new branches each year as they are popular with its small and medium-sized businesses customers. “The thing I’m most pleased with is the strategy we’ve set out really deliver- ing. It has a way to go and we’re not a fully-baked cake yet. We still have a lot of opportunities to go after and we are excited about our future,” he said. The shares closed down 8½p, or 4.7 per cent, at 171¼p.

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Graham Ruddick

‘‘

Innovation puts you ahead of rivals.

Paranoia is what keeps you there

Sir Pascal Soriot should be concerned about the future of AstraZeneca. Investors and analysts have questioned why the company is considering a £300 billion tie-up with Bristol Myers Squibb when it is so confident in its pipeline of new drugs and ability to come up with new innovations in the future. Does Soriot have less confidence in the future than we thought? But that pipeline is exactly why Soriot should be concerned. As Andy Grove, co-founder and former chief executive of Intel, declared in the title of his definitive 1996 management book: Only the Paranoid Survive. AstraZeneca has turned into an innovation powerhouse over the past decade under Soriot, producing a string of drugs that have helped to revolutionise the treatment of cancer. But the patent on those drugs like Imfinzi, Tagrisso and Calquence is ending. From 2031, AstraZeneca will face competition from cheap generic rivals on those products. The company needs innovations and new products to replace the revenues it will lose. Soriot has repeatedly stressed his confidence in AstraZeneca’s team of scientists, who are based in Cambridge, to deliver this. But a blind faith in them would be foolish. Consider this: over the past couple of years AstraZeneca’s success rate in phase three trials — the pivotal final stage for a promising drug — has been 85 per cent to 90 per cent. The industry average is 60 per cent to 65 per cent. Can AstraZeneca really carry on outperforming at that level? Getting to stage three is an accomplishment itself. “People have got used to us delivering at a high success rate. But we have to accept we will fail from time to time,” Soriot said last week. Business history is littered with stories of once great innovators losing their way, and

Motorola began as an

innovator but the move

to digital left it behind

featuring Peter Brookes, Morten Morland, Peter Schrank and more.

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AstraZeneca does not have to look very far to see one example. Novo Nordisk is the company that invented weight-loss drugs, with Wegovy. But since that great innovation it has been swamped by rivals launching their own version and struggled to come up with new inventions. Once the most valuable company in Europe, shares in Novo Nordisk have fallen by two thirds since they peaked in 2024. Mike Doustdar was brought in as chief executive last year and in a new interview with the Financial Times he spoke about the need for the company to take more risks in order to innovate. “If you do not like failure, then you should not get into a pharma business,” Doustdar said. In his 2009 book How the Mighty Fall, the author Jim Collins looked at how once-great innovators lost their way. The first stage, he identified, was hubris born of success. One example he gave was Motorola — a business that invented the mobile phone only to be overtaken by Nokia and then Apple. It stood by analogue technology in the 1990s and bet big on its Iridium satellites when it was clear the world was going digital. There was a “cultural shift from humility to arrogance” within the business, Collins said. Doustdar is well aware of the danger of that happening. He has a sign on his desk that reads: “Arrogance kills.” So the fact that Soriot at AstraZeneca would look at a mega- merger is not necessarily an admission that the company’s innovation has lost its way. It is the sort of thinking — a paranoia — that Andy Grove and others have said is necessary for a business to prosper. Whether a mega-merger is actually the answer for AstraZeneca is a different question. As analysts at UBS pointed out, productivity in research and development tends to go down after a pharma mega-merger because scientists become more worried about losing their job than the next innovation.

Innovation is something that becomes embedded in the culture of a business. It can be disrupted by a change of mindset. As Jack Welch, the former General Electric boss, said: “Innovation is a constant thing. If you don’t have an innovative company, coming to work every day to find a better way, you don’t have a company. You’re getting ready to die on the vine.” Soriot himself has spoken about this as recently as last week. He talked about AstraZeneca needing to operate at “Chinese speed” to avoid falling behind rivals in China. In his book Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, the Stanford research fellow Dan Wang looks at what Chinese speed actually is and why the business culture there has become so innovative. It is a society led by engineers, not lawyers like the US, he wrote. And businesses are not only obsessed about products but the process of manufacturing them and how to make it as efficient as possible. In a recent interview with Harvard Business Review, Wang spoke about the importance of “tacit knowledge” in Chinese business culture. Tacit knowledge is what we know but can’t easily put into words — an inherent understanding of how to do something. “This is something that China has possessed a lot of,” he said. To illustrate the importance of tacit knowledge, Wang gave the example of handing a well-equipped kitchen and an exquisite recipe to a 15-year- old who has never cooked before. “We cannot expect that 15-year-old to make something as simple as scrambled eggs,” he said. “It still requires some degree of training and apprenticeship.” But that is the position the US and Europe find themselves in with manufacturing. “China has been able to keep this industrial experience process knowledge alive,” Wang said. “The United States has lost a lot of this experience.” If that sounds like paranoia, it probably is. But that is not a bad thing for a business that wants to compete with China.

Graham Ruddick is Deputy Business Editor of The Times

’’

David Wighton

Business is optimistic

about Andy Burnham. Let’s just hope it lasts

usiness is feeling very bruised by Labour. After years of chaos under the Tories, many business leaders were optimistic about Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves. Some hoped it would be Blair 2.0. Now many are kicking themselves for ignoring the warning signs. So you might expect they would be very sceptical about Andy Burnham. Some of his comments after gaining the Labour leadership certainly raised red flags. There was his rejection of “four decades of neoliberalism”, which offered the unappealing prospect of returning Britain to the 1970s. There was his talk of how Labour was forged in the coalfields, the steel mills and the shipyards. There was a lot about reindustrialisation but nothing

‘After the 2024 election

many gave Starmer the benefit of the doubt, until employers’ national insurance was increased four months later’

about financial services or artificial intelligence. Yet, once again, many business leaders are cautiously positive. Some of Burnham’s later comments have been more encouraging. His promise to be pragmatic about North Sea oil and gas has gone down well. Business is also generally supportive of the commitment to devolve more power to the regions. Business folk are an upbeat bunch and they like Burnham’s optimism. But it is Burnham’s appointments to key economic positions that have been particularly reassuring. “It is really good all round,” says the head of government affairs at one of the UK’s most influential companies. Despite the disappointments of the Starmer government, many of the business-focused policies of the Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade had broad support and the signs of continuity have been welcomed. The highly experienced John Healey is widely seen as a good choice for chancellor. Many

business leaders are also enthusiastic about the return of Jonathan Reynolds to head the business department, from which he was moved in last year’s reshuffle for no obvious reason. His position has been bolstered by addition of the science brief following the dismemberment of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This was widely criticised as a downgrading of science. But some Whitehall watchers, including the former chancellor George Osborne, say it makes sense to put science in a department with more clout. By bringing Reynolds back to business, Burnham has signalled his commitment to Labour’s existing industrial strategy, argues Giles Wilkes, who advised on industrial policy in Theresa May’s government. “This is a relief: business would be justifiably irritated were yet another strategy to be binned, particularly if any vandalism appeared to stem from ‘not invented here’ syndrome,” Wilkes wrote in an Institute for Government blog. The industrial strategy focuses on a range of growth sectors from advanced manufacturing to financial services, but does not include much of what Burnham conjures up when he talks about reindustrialisation. Burnham has been vague about what he really means by the term and Wilkes hopes it includes service industries, where the UK is highly competitive. Burnham will doubtless intervene to support “old” industries in specific cases, as Starmer did with the recent nationalisation of British Steel. But Reynolds’s appointment suggests Burnham will not seek to use industrial policy to reverse the decline in manufacturing employment, a tough goal even for the self-styled “tariff king” Donald Trump. After the 2024 election, many business leaders gave Starmer the benefit of the doubt — until employers’ national insurance was increased four months later. They are extending the same courtesy to Burnham. Let’s hope it lasts beyond this year’s budget on October 28.

David Wighton, a former business editor of The Times, is a columnist for Dow Jones

Page 37

Knee implants are Smith’s weak spot

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Charlotte Bend above-market growth, US hip implants revenue fell by 1.5 per cent because of delayed deployment of its surgical in- strument kits in the second quarter. Sales at the advanced wound bioac- tives business fell by 12.7 per cent in the quarter with “softer-than-expected” performance from Santyl, an ointment used to help wounds heal. The company expects skin substi- tutes revenue to stabilise in the second half and normalise in the new year Despite this, cost savings helped the company to report a 5 per cent rise in first-half pre-tax profit to $380 million on revenue up 4.7 per cent to $3.1 bil- lion. Revenue from knee implants fell 1.8 per cent to $492 million, while reve- nue from hip implants rose 4.3 per cent to $326 million. Outside the US, knee implants declined by 1.4 per cent and hip implants performed particularly well in Japan, where the company has recently launched Catalystem, a medi-

£15

The FTSE 100 medical devices com- pany Smith & Nephew has cut its full- year revenue growth forecast due to weak demand for knee implants in the United States, its biggest market. The shares fell by 75p, or 6.3 per cent, to £11.22 yesterday after the group said in its first-half results that it now expected full-year revenue growth of about 4 per cent, down from about 6 per cent earlier. Deepak Nath, Smith & Nephew’s chief executive, pictured right, said the company had navigated some challen- ges with orthopaedics in the second quarter due to “ongoing challenges” in US knee implants before the introduc- tion of new products. Knees have been a drag on the US business, where it has lost market share to competitors due to supply disrup- tions. In the past three years, the US business and the orthopaedics division

Lenders

threaten Aston over rights deal

enders to Aston Martin Lagonda have threatened the struggling luxury carmaker with legal action if a contentious deal to sell part of its branding and naming rights goes ahead (Emma Powell writes). Aston Martin, which is battling to stabilise its finances, announced last month that it had agreed a £550 million debt financing deal with HPS, a private credit provider owned by BlackRock. The arrangement has now been challenged by a group of creditors owed £1.3 billion by the FTSE 250 group, who have argued that by putting some assets beyond their reach the deal breaches key terms of Aston’s existing debt. In a letter to the company, the bondholders warned that they may be forced to take legal action that would unwind the financing deal with HPS and block the sale of certain intellectual property assets. The deal comprises a £450 million term loan and a £100 million facility that can be drawn in future. Under the terms of the transaction, Aston Martin would transfer 50.1 per cent of its non-automotive intellectual property to Authentic Brands, an American brand developer. HPS is an investor in Authentic Brands and Aston Martin’s ability to access £100 million from the private credit provider is dependent on the branding rights deal taking place. Aston Martin declined to comment. The company is backed by the Canadian billionaire

Share price

Oct

Jan Apr Jul

have been overhauled as Smith & Nephew simplifies its portfolio to invest in higher-growth areas and reduce inventory. Revenue growth in the second quar- ter of 1.6 per cent missed analysts’ expectations of 3.7 per cent, pulled down by a 7.2 per cent fall in revenue from US knee implants. After four consecutive quarters of

Aston Martin’s creditors are challenging a £550 million debt financing deal with HPS to sell part of its branding and naming rights

Lawrence Stroll, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Chinese carmaker Geely and has been forced to repeatedly raise money as it fights to stem years of losses. Aston Martin has said that “the new financing is secured against certain of the group’s assets situated in a newly incorporated subsidiary, together with certain other assets of the group”, but declined to clarify further what assets had been put outside the bondholders reach.

Source: FactSet

On an earnings call last week, Doug Lafferty, the chief financial officer of Aston Martin, said the financing deal was “important for the company as a whole”. The company, which is majority-owned by Stroll, sold the permanent naming rights to its Formula One team this year, raising £50 million. In February it warned that it would cut as many as 600 jobs or 20 per cent of its workforce in Warwickshire and South

Wales, part of a target to cut costs by about £40 million, most of which would be stripped out this year. Last year losses climbed to £363 million from £289 million in 2024, as revenue declined by 21 per cent to £1.25 billion on the back of a 10 per cent fall in sales volumes. In the first six months of the year, revenue improved by 38 per cent to £629 million, but pre-tax losses climbed further to £154 million, from

cal device used for a total hip replace- ment surgery. Nath said: “Orthopaedics is not where we want it to be, but we expect growth to accelerate as we fill portfolio gaps, starting later this year and con- tinuing into 2027.” Smith & Nephew also expects US tar- iffs to be broadly neutral to trading profit after re- funds, as it offsets higher raw ma- terial prices as a result of the Iran war through price rises and supply chain efficiencies. First-half operating profits took a $13 million hit from “legal and other” costs, up from $6 million for the same period last year. The charges relate to “ongoing metal-

NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

£141 million, exacerbated by higher financing costs. However, the debt financing deal boosted its pro-forma liquidity to £340 million from £145 million, the company said. Net debt, which has been periodically lowered by the company’s frequent cash calls and refinancing, rose again to £1.54 billion at the end of June. The shares, which have fallen 50 per cent over the past 12 months, closed down ½p, or 1.4 per cent, at 34½p.

on-metal hip claims”. Smith & Nephew has already settled hundreds of law- suits after recalling a metal liner used in a system that was reported by some patients who suffered infec- tions, fractures and dislo- cations. Analysts at Jefferies said the results were a backward step, with the long- awaited opera- tional improve- ment still lagging. Smith & Nephew was founded in Hull in 1856. It is made up of three business units: orthopaedics; advanced wound management; and sports medicine and ear, nose and throat. The portfolio medical tech- nology business operates in about 100 countries and employs 17,000 staff.

Travis perks

up on talk of Benelux sale

Guy Taylor Retail Correspondent

Travis Perkins has initiated talks with buyers over a potential sale of its strug- gling operations in the Benelux region of Europe, in a boost for the new management’s turnaround efforts. Shares in Britain’s biggest builders’ merchant topped London’s mid-cap FTSE 250 index after the company said it was in talks with “multiple interested parties” over the divestment of Toolstation Benelux, which had been undergoing a strategic review amid mounting losses. The stock climbed 105½p, or 18.4 per cent, to 678½p, gaining an additional tailwind from accelerat- ing half-year profit growth and further improvements to its cashflow position. Geoff Drabble, the chairman, and the chief executive Gavin Slark, who joined in January, have been leading a turn- around at Travis Perkins after the shares hit a 16-year low of 494p last year. This has included cutting costs and re- vamping the senior leadership team. Pre-tax profit for the six months to June 30 rose to £47 million compared with £37.1 million for the same period a year ago, driven by price rises and more favourable terms on some of its supplier contracts. Net cash before leases was £55.3 million, marking a further in- crease after the company wiped out its debts earlier in the year to become cash- positive for the first time this century. Slark said there was some way to go for a full turnaround of the business. “I have developed a clear understanding of our many strengths, but also where we need to improve if we are to restore the group’s financial performance and reach our potential,” he said. Revenue declined by 1.8 per cent year-on-year to £2.3 billion as “chal- lenging” market conditions impacted its merchanting segment, which re- ported a 1.2 per cent decline in like-for- like sales over the period. Adjusted operating profits in the division fell 5 per cent to £60 million, although this was less than analysts had forecast. Toolstation, whose 550-plus UK stores sell tools and building supplies to trade professionals and DIY builders, reported a 1.7 per cent increase in reve- nue to £425 million but flat profits of £15 million. Losses at the Benelux divi- sion increased to £7 million alongside a 6.1 per cent decline in revenue.

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S

Subscriber

numbers are off key for Spotify

warning of weaker profits from Spotify has exacerbated concerns that the music streaming service is struggling to maintain the pace of subscriber growth (Emma Powell writes). The Stockholm-based group said operating profit for the third quarter was set to come in at €670 million, below a forecast of €678 million, according to consensus estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. In the second quarter, its operating profit came in at €655 million, beating estimates of €639 million, driven by strong revenue growth and lower payroll taxes. Revenue was 14 per

‘Otherworldly’ growth at Palantir

Louisa Clarence-Smith

US Business Editor

Palantir Technologies has thrown down the gauntlet in the battle to domi- nate enterprise software, claiming its customers were shunning artificial intelligence model makers such as Anthropic and it was seeing “other- worldly” sales growth for its data ana- lytics platforms. Shares in Palantir had jumped al- most 30 per cent by lunchtime in New York yesterday after the company raised its full-year sales guidance. Palantir now predicts annual sales of as much as $8.2 billion, above Wall Street estimates of $7.7 billion on aver- age. It raised its guidance for full-year adjusted income to up to $4.9 billion, from $4.5 billion. The company is being powered by huge growth in the US, where second- quarter commercial sales rose 149 per cent year-on-year to $764 million,

Times+ members save £100^ What’s included

Raye, the British singer/songwriter, performing at the Spotify beach concert in June in Cannes

cent higher at €4.8 billion. User growth is expected to be weaker than Wall Street analysts had forecast for the September quarter, at 788 million, below a consensus estimate of 794 million. Its outlook for

above analysts’ estimates of $716.4 mil- lion. US government revenue grew by 90 per cent to $809 million. Palantir, founded in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, builds plat- forms for managing and securing data and creates applications for machine- assisted analysis. The CIA was an early investor and customers range from companies such as BP, Boeing and Airbus to the US and UK militaries and the NHS. Before the latest earnings results, Palantir’s shares were down 40 per cent from their November peak. The company was hit by investor fears that AI companies, including Anthropic and OpenAI, will become serious challengers to enterprise soft- ware companies. In response, Palantir launched a “sovereignty” campaign, claiming that companies working with AI models like those sold by Anthropic and OpenAI risk handing over their institutional

a 5 million increase in premium subscribers to 305 million was largely in line with estimates. The shares were trading $0.70, or 0.1 per cent, lower at $485.79 in lunchtime trading in New York.

The number of monthly active users rose 12 per cent to 777 million in the second quarter, while premium subscribers were up 9 per cent to 300 million. Spotify has launched artificial intelligence

Share price

O N D J

F M A M J J A

knowledge, or “alpha”, to companies that will eventually turn on them and monetise their knowhow. In a letter to shareholders published on Monday, Alex Karp, Palantir’s chief executive, said: “Every organisation in the world is awakening to the risks of handing the creators of the language models the keys to their institutions, of letting the models loose within their

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features such as “Personal podcasts” and offerings such as “Reserved by Spotify” to attract users and fend off competition from rivals including YouTube and Netflix and AI music start- ups such as Udio and Suno. Alex Norström, co-chief executive of Spotify, said: “We have a scale that few companies in history have reached, a business that is healthy and compounding, and opportunities only we are positioned to pursue.” Spotify was founded in April 2006 in Stockholm by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon and launched in 2008. It has since become the world’s most popular music streaming service. Separately, Spotify announced a new agreement with Merlin, the London-based digital music licensing business, for Spotify’s upcoming paid tool for fan-made covers and remixing. It will allow artists on labels under Merlin’s Spotify agreement to participate.

homes.” He added: “Our customers have declined to become vassal states of the language labs. And the market is now shifting dramatically underfoot.” Anthropic, which was founded in 2021 and last valued at almost $1 trillion, is estimated to be generating quarterly sales of more than $10 billion and is understood to have posted its first oper- ating profit in the second quarter, at about $560 million. The maker of the Claude chatbot is preparing for an initial public offering this year as it seeks to tap into investor demand for AI shares. In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Karp renewed criticism of the AI labs, whose models he has claimed are becoming “commodities” as well as being a risk to businesses’ intellectual property. Anthropic and OpenAI have denied that they have used, or would ever use, their models to steal enterprise intellec- tual properties.

$220

Source: FactSet

Diners lose

appetite for a McDonald’s

Jessica Newman

Sales growth at McDonald’s restau- rants in the US slowed by more than expected in the second quarter after its value deals failed to sufficiently attract lower-income diners who have been cutting back on spending. The burger chain said sales in its larg- est market grew by 0.8 per cent in the three months to the end of June, below Wall Street estimates of 1.06 per cent and some way off the 2.5 per cent growth in the same quarter last year. Higher prices for basic goods and fuel have left lower-income consumers, a key customer base for McDonald’s, with less money to spend on eating out. Chris Kempczinski, chief executive, insisted the company did not have a “strategy problem”. He said: “While our playbook is working around the world, we see an opportunity to raise the bar in the US and accelerate performance in our largest market.” McDonald’s, which has about 45,000 restaurants in 100 countries, the major- ity run by franchisees, reported a 1.3 per cent rise in global comparable sales, slowing from 3.8 per cent a year ago. Sales in its international operated markets segment, including big Euro- pean countries, rose by 1.5 per cent, down from 4 per cent a year ago. Ana- lysts expected softer demand in the re- gion as higher energy costs and heat- waves curbed spending on dining out. In an effort to bring “focus and urgency” to its largest market, McDon- ald’s has appointed Skye Anderson, a company insider, to lead the “accelera- tion” at its US business. Kempczinski warned in May that rising macroeconomic uncertainty, including the Iran conflict, was hurting consumer spending. McDonald’s has spent the past year leaning on affordability and promo- tions to defend market share in a battle with fast-food rivals, convenience stores and at-home meal consumption. This included a revamped McValue platform, an under-$3 menu, discount- ed breakfast offers and a broader push into speciality beverages such as refreshers and crafted sodas. Those initiatives, however, were offset by muted demand and tough year-ago comparisons.

• Seven nights’ five-star hotel

• Daily breakfast, one lunch and six dinners

• Guided tours of Herculaneum, Pompeii

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• Walk part of the divine Path of the Gods

• Overseas transport throughout

• Times+ members save £100^ Visit thetimes.com/timesplus for your unique code

Page 39

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

39 Business

VCG/GETTING IMAGES

How China’s ‘Mr Normal’ became the country’s latest AI billionaire

For Zhu Yiming, the

timing was perfect as his company CXMT went public last week, Richard Spencer writes

Zhu Yiming,

It took one crazy hour’s trading in

Shanghai last week for a computer chip entrepreneur named Zhu Yiming to become one of China’s richest men. He did so as his company, CXMT, shot from nowhere to become the country’s most valuable by market capitalisation. But what is perhaps most remarkable about Zhu, a 54-year-old who looks so “normal” he is said to pass almost unno- ticed when he wanders on to the factory floor in engineer’s overalls, is how unremarkable he is. He comes from a normal Chinese family in a normal Chinese town. He had schoolboy hobbies — taking apart alarm clocks and rebuilding them — and though he won a place at China’s leading science university, Tsinghua, he did not seek elite college professorships or try to reinvent the wheel, or some modern-day artificial intelligence equivalent. There are many other Chi- nese businessmen, with a background in science and few years’ experience in the United States, just like him. For those who view the country’s economic and technological rise as a threat, that might make him even more dangerous. His rise was not a product of one-off individual genius, but rooted in his use of an educational and invest- ment infrastructure open to many other Chinese. “CXMT’s rapid ascent epitomises China’s broader rise as a high-tech powerhouse,” said Kyle Chan, an analyst of the Chinese tech industry at the Brookings Institution, a think tank. “Originally aimed at tech self-reliance, China’s chip champions will eventually start to compete with industry leaders in global markets.” The valuation of CXMT, or Chang- Xin Memory Technologies, rose 470 per cent at its IPO on Shanghai’s tech market, known as Star, on July 27. That was an immediate rise from an offer price of 8.66 yuan per share (96p) to 49.50 yuan and took the firm’s market capitalisation from $85.5 billion to $487 billion. In the process, CXMT overtook China’s previous biggest com- pany by share value, the state-run bank- ing giant ICBC. Zhu himself, who founded the company in 2016, made a personal profit on paper estimated to be around $10.5 bil- lion. Around half of that is promised to the company’s 19,000 em- ployees — similar to Silicon Valley standards for equity dis- tribution, but a fortune in China. They will not be able to cash in for three years, while Zhu is restricted for ten. As with all tech stocks, some think the valuation of CXMT frothy in terms of earnings. The company has been lossmaking for years and required con- stant injections of money from China’s state-directed banks. Last year its total revenues were only $8.6 billion. But it almost matched that in this

most valuable

year’s first quarter alone as the world

went mad for its key product: dynamic random-access memory (Dram) chips. The growth of artificial intelligence has created a worldwide shortage. On any stock exchange in the world, that would make CXMT an attractive buy. But at the moment, being Chinese gives it an extra advantage. It can, for now, sell its products in a global market where Dram chips are in demand, and do so at a characteristic Chinese discount price. But as the sole big Chinese player in that market, it can also enjoy a patriotic boost at home, with China increasingly being ring- fenced as President Xi’s focus on high- tech industries, President Trump’s tariffs and wider US hostility to China on national security grounds create a polar- ised world. CXMT is the world’s fourth-larg- est manufacturer of Dram chips. The other three, Micron Techno- logy, which is American, and the South Korean Sam- sung and SK Hynix, exist firmly within the US tech ecosystem, which is fast trying to ex- clude Chinese products in the most specialised areas. It is Zhu’s second company. The story of how he came to set up his first, GigaDevice, move it from Silicon Val- ley back home to China and then use his experience to set up CXMT is an instructional one for anyone looking at the country’s rise up the industrial value chain. Zhu keeps a low profile like many big Chinese entrepreneurs who have to

centre, at

GigaDevice’s

listing in Hong

Kong this year;

CXMT, right,

became China’s

company at its

IPO last week;

below left, the

Nobel-winning

physicist

Chen-Ning Yang

always keep on the right side of the

Communist Party’s all-powerful but sometimes unpredictable politics. His early background, given by an official biography, merely says he grew up in the town of Yancheng in Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai. His father was a local official and his mother an “ordinary worker”. He was bright enough to get into Tsinghua University, China’s elite science institution which is the alma mater of Xi and other national leaders. But his bent was towards the practical, moonlighting from his physics studies to earn money writing computer code in Zhongguancun, the technology hub next door to Beijing’s university district. From Tsinghua he went to the United States, taking a master’s degree at Stony Brook, a college of New York State University. The two institutions have a link through the figure of Chen-Ning Yang, a Tsinghua graduate who won the Nobel prize in physics in 1957 while teaching at Stony Brook before return-

ing to Beijing in old age. But Zhu’s own

interests remained commercial, head- ing off afterwards to Silicon Valley and working for a series of companies before deciding he could take on his ideas better on his own account. Backed by Chinese-American inves- tors, he set up GigaDevice as a chip design company in California, bringing it back to Beijing in 2005. The difference between chip design and chip manufacture is a big one: the former industry is over-competitive worldwide, while the latter requires big investments, a skilled labour force and scale. For CXMT, China could provide all three. Its success has been based on a part- nership unlike those available to tech firms elsewhere. Much of the cash has come from the city of Hefei in Anhui province, central China, once a byword for poverty but also home to the University of Science and Technology of China, which is run directly by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Hefei city-linked funders own more

than a third of the company and are by

far the biggest shareholders. The city’s profits from last Monday’s sales are said to be roughly equal to its annual GDP. More money came from a central government tech fund and Alibaba, the giant online retailer that is also a big tech investor. The Chinese government under Xi had already made developing its own high-tech products its top priority. That may lead to inefficiencies and, ulti- mately, taxpayers’ money wasted, but there is little sign of the downsides yet. Whether that means CXMT can yet overtake its western rivals remains open to doubt. It is blocked from the highest-level chipmaking tools — such as those produced by the Dutch market leader ASML — by US government diktat. The US and its allies still dominate that part of the chip market as a result, according to Christopher Miller, an academic at Tufts University in Massa- chusetts and author of Chip War, a book on the global competition in the field. “CXMT is still in the second tier internationally behind the other three [big Dram companies],” he said. “Whether it reaches the top tier depends on its ability to produce the highest-end chips. Right now it doesn’t have the tools, and these are the most complex tools humankind has ever made.” So CXMT, for all its fresh cash, may in reality be nothing special at all. In terms of his background in both China and Silicon Valley, and his access to state backing and money, Zhu may likewise be indistinguishable from many other Chinese entrepreneurs. But who cares about that, if you hit your IPO just as worldwide demand for your product is exploding? “His timing was perfect,” Miller said.

Page 40

40

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times Business

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Page 41

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

41 Markets Business

A

Robert Stephens Tempus

Buy, sell or hold: today’s best share tips Merger talk injects unwelcome risk

astrazeneca

Market cap

£178.4bn

straZeneca’s share price

has slumped by 19 per cent in less than a month for two main reasons. First, it announced early last month that the drug Wainua had failed a crucial heart disease trial and, second, reports emerged last weekend that the company may be considering a merger with its US rival Bristol Myers Squibb. Given that the company’s shares now have a more appealing market valuation following a recent weakening in investor sentiment, do they offer investment potential on a long-term view? Although AstraZeneca was founded in 1999 via the merger of Swedish business Astra AB and British firm Zeneca Group, the company can trace its history back to 1913. It has expanded both organically and via acquisition so that, even after its recent decline, it is still one of the largest stocks in the FTSE 100. The US is its key geographical market. It accounts for 42 per cent of sales, although emerging markets are becoming increasingly important and now contribute 27 per cent of revenue. Oncology, meanwhile, is the company’s main area of focus. It generates 46 per cent of the firm’s sales, with biopharmaceuticals, which include cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, accounting for 36 per cent of revenue. In terms of its investment potential, investor disappointment

Share price

Miners dig FTSE 100 out

of three-day losing streak

market report

The FTSE 100 recovered on the back of

strong company results and a broad rally across the commodities sector (Robert Miller writes). By the close, London’s leading equity index was 21.68 points, or 0.2 per cent, higher at 10,879.38, its fourth highest close in history and 0.3 per cent off its record close on February 27 of 10,910.55. Leading the charge on the back of copper prices touching two- month highs were the Chilean miner Antofagasta, up 252p, or 6.9 per cent, at £39.31 and Anglo American 202p, or 5.5 per cent better off at £39.07. Splitting the commodity stalwarts was Halma with a rise of 194p, or 5.5 per cent, to £37.42 after the safety products manufacturer completed the sale of its US orthobiologics business, NovaBone Products, and its subsidiaries to Isto Biologics for $60 million on a cash and debt-free basis. For the many fans of tech stocks there was welcome news of a rebound in a number of the AI-related stocks, partic- ularly in the US and South Korea, that have fallen sharply in the past ten days on fears about the huge sums of money being invested not being able to gener- ate a good return. On the FTSE 100, the

Aches and pains

First-half

revenue $30.7bn

Source: FactSet

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

ADVICE Avoid

WHY Uncertainty regarding the

potential for a mega-merger

means there are currently

better opportunities elsewhere

on Wainua alone should not

dissuade potential purchasers from buying its shares. Although widely viewed as being ultra-defensive due to their relative independence of the world economy’s performance, pharmaceutical companies are inherently reliant on a pipeline of new drugs. AstraZeneca’s focus on treatments for non-communicable diseases such as cancer means that it is well placed to capitalise on long-term

Wall Street report

Indices made two new records after

another strong session on the back of good company earnings reports. New world AI tech stock Palantir rose by 29.5 per cent after decent results as old world Caterpillar was up by 5.6 per cent due to increased orders and work in building AI data centres. The S&P 500 rose 136.02 points, or 1.8 per cent, to 7,736.52 and the Dow Jones industrial average rose 907.47 points, or 1.7 per cent, to 54,085.88, both new highs. The Nasdaq was up 671.10 points, or 2.6 per cent, at 26,584.99.

The day’s biggest movers

AstraZeneca financials

£150

Revenue Operating profit

2021 £37.42bn £1.06bn

2022 £44.35bn £3.76bn

2023 £45.81bn £8.19bn

2024 £54.07bn £10.00bn

2025 £58.74bn £13.74bn

demographic changes, notably a

growing and ageing population. In fact, the global number of new cancer cases per year is expected to rise from about 21 million to nearly 35 million by 2050. Over the next two financial years, this exposure is set to contribute to a 12 per cent annualised rise in earnings per share. The company is also on track to meet a target of generating $80 billion in annual revenue in 2030. This equates to a compound annual growth rate of more than 6 per cent based on last year’s total sales of about $59 billion and would represent a robust performance despite the blow of its heart disease trial. Separately, news that the firm may be considering a merger with US peer Bristol Myers Squibb makes the investment case for AstraZeneca

Anglo American’s El Soldado copper mine in Chile. The miner gained ground

two widely held investment trusts with

an exposure to semiconductor manu- facturers and chipmakers had a good session. Polar Capital Technology Trust, whose portfolio includes Taiwan Semiconductor and Micron Techno- logy, rose 34½p, or 5.4 per cent, to 669p; while Scottish Mortgage, which has big investments in Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Nvidia, climbed 37½p, or 2.8 per cent, to £13.83. The FTSE 250, which has enjoyed a better start to the month, rose 234.53 points, or 1 per cent, to 24,459.30. The standout performer on the more UK-

somewhat more complicated.

Although the two businesses have substantial overlap in terms of their exposure to treatments for non- communicable diseases, and Bristol Myers Squibb’s shares currently trade on a relatively modest earnings multiple of 10.7, there is the potential for regulatory hurdles due to the prospective size of the combined entity’s oncology portfolio. Bristol Myers Squibb has a relatively high net debt-to-equity ratio of 184 per cent. And with its earnings growth rate having been somewhat mixed in the recent past and its bottom line forecast to fall modestly next year, the appeal of a merger is not immediately clear. AstraZeneca’s recent half-year results confirmed that it has an excellent balance sheet through which to invest in its pipeline of new drugs. For example, its net debt-to- equity ratio stands at 54 per cent, while net interest costs were covered 11 times by operating profits in the first six months of the current financial year. When combined with its brisk sales growth prospects, as well as the company maintaining the proportion of total revenue spent on core research and development at 23 per cent year on year, the long- term outlook for its pipeline outside any mega-merger is relatively robust. Trading on a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.8, AstraZeneca would typically offer good value for money based on its excellent long-term growth potential and sound fundamentals. However, the uncertainty of a possible merger means that investors should await further developments.

Source: AstraZeneca

focused index was Travis Perkins, up

105½p, or 18.4 per cent, to 678½p after decent half-year results; while the biggest faller was Vistry Group, still suffering from a warning last month that half- year profits would be “signifi- cantly lower” than a year ago. Investors are particularly not keen on the fact that Vistry’s heavy discount- ing of home sales has impacted on the bottom line and the shares duly fell another 31p, or 9.8 per cent, to 284p. It didn’t help either that the short- sellers had moved in, betting that the shares had further to fall.

news in brief

Bank’s £120bn bond loss

The Bank of England expects to make

a loss of £120 billion on its bond buying programme, money which will be covered by the taxpayer under an insurance agreement with the Treasury. The latest estimate on the amount of money that the central bank will lose when it offloads all government bonds purchased via its asset purchase facility dipped by about £5 billion compared with its previous calculation. This is likely to have been driven by a fall in interest rate expectations in the second half of June after the US and Iran signed a 60-day ceasefire to pave the way for talks to end the Middle East war. Bond prices rose during the period, cutting the Bank’s expected losses. Although these losses will be covered by the taxpayer, the Bank argued that they would be cancelled out by payments made to the government before interest rates started to rise in late 2021 and lower overall debt interest payments engineered by the bond buying initiative. The Bank has offloaded £70 billion of bonds in the last year. At its latest interest rate meeting last month, it calculated that bond disposals raised UK government borrowing costs by between 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points, up from a prior estimate of 0.15 and 0.25 percentage points.

Stock issues cost Irn-Bru

The Irn-Bru maker AG Barr has

suffered stock availability issues during the key summer trading months. The company said yesterday the impact was equivalent to about £10 million in lost revenue in the first half of its financial year. AG Barr said the problems were mainly caused by its internal supply chain while there were also some third-party manufacturing constraints that led to limited availability of 500ml cans. In a trading update AG Barr said that revenue for the 26 weeks to August 1 rose by about 8 per cent to £246 million. The shares fell by 35p, or 5.4 per cent, to 610p yesterday.

ANGLO AMERICAN/REUTERS

Domino’s winning recipe

Fried chicken and the World Cup

proved a winning recipe for Domino’s Pizza Group which recorded a rise in sales in the six months to June 28. The FTSE 250 company cited its Chick’N’Dip brand, which launched in February, as helping to “expand [its] relevance across more meal occasions”. Marketing focused on event-led campaigns such as the World Cup and Tyson Fury’s boxing match at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in April. Domino’s reported a 4.9 per cent rise in like-for-like sales, lifting revenues to £353.6 million. Pre-tax profit was flat at £40.6 million. The shares rose by 15¾p, or 7.7 per cent, to 220p.

Cost-cutting for Pfizer

Pfizer reported better-than-expected

second-quarter results, boosted by demand for the blood thinner Eliquis and recently acquired drugs, and announced plans for $2.5 billion more in savings from cost-cutting. The New York-based drugmaker now expects $9.7 billion in net savings from its costs reductions by 2029 as it seeks to offset declining Covid-related revenue and restore growth. Pfizer is counting on newer medicines to lessen its dependence on ageing blockbuster drugs, while investors are watching for signs that its $10 billion acquisition of Metsera can help to establish a foothold in the obesity market.

Page 42

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Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times Business

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12 month Price Forecast High Low Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E

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12 month Price Forecast High Low Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E

12 month Price Forecast High Low Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E

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12 month Price Forecast High Low Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E

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

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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.

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the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

43 Business

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12 month Price Forecast High Low Company (p) +/- Yld% P/E

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Base Rates Clearing Banks: 3.75%

ECB Refi 2.40%

Fed Fund 3.5-3.75%

Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVR) 7.24%

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

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Page 45

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026 45 Register

Obituaries

Mary de Rachewiltz

Daughter of Ezra Pound who spent a lifetime trying to separate her father’s poetic genius from his antisemitism and treason

Mary de Rachewiltz dedicated much of her long life to being an apologist for her charismatic father Ezra Pound. He not only changed the course of modern poetry but was also a virulent antisem- ite, spending 12 years incarcerated in postwar America for broadcasting trea- sonable diatribes against the Allies from fascist Italy. In Discretions (1971, republished 2005) she wrote with dis- cretion about her father’s indiscretions, the word he had used as a title for a 1923 autobiographical essay. In her telling, many of Pound’s indis- cretions were explicable, even justifia- ble: “He thought he knew more about Italy than American officials, thought he knew of a remedy against war” ... “War was not inevitable; Italy and America should not get involved and above all should not be enemies” … “Mussolini had no evil intention; he had only the benefit of the people in mind.” Pound, who had left his native Amer- ica in 1908, was desperate to avoid war, but in 1939 was met by a hostile press in New York and denied an audience by President Roosevelt in Washington. Back in Italy, he addressed Americans over Mussolini’s Radio Rome, implor- ing them that “a responsible citizen must do everything in his power to pre- vent his country from entering an un- just war”. More reprehensible was his antisemitism, which ran through his broadcasts and newspaper articles with lines such as “Democracy is now cur- rently defined in Europe as a ‘country run by Jews’ ” … “Churchill is a senile front for the Rothschilds” ... “Why con- fuse Jewdiocracy with democracy?” In 1943 Pound was indicted for trea- son in absentia by a US court. In the closing days of the war he was seized by Italian partisans and held in a cage at a US detention centre near Pisa. Mary visited him, recalling: “He had aged a lot and his eyes were inflamed.” Shipped back to the US, he was de- clared insane and incarcerated for 12 years at St Elizabeths Hospital, Wash- ington DC, refusing to admit any guilt. Visiting London in 1948, Mary called on TS Eliot, “walking along the Thames, past Tennyson Mansions on a misty spring afternoon”, hoping for news of her father, whom the poet had recently visited. “I fear your father does not want to accept freedom on any terms that are possible,” he told her. Five years later, she too saw her father in Washington, but a justice depart- ment official cautioned her: “If you want a piece of good advice, you better not insist that the case be reopened; you might land him in the electric chair.” The charges were dropped in 1958 and Pound returned to Italy, hailing his adopted homeland with a fascist salute. In 1966 his daughter delivered 15 trunks of his papers, including transcripts of his wartime radio broadcasts, to the Bein- ecke rare book and manuscript library at Yale University, where they remain. After his death in November 1972, Mary spent the rest of her life working to separate Pound the poet from Pound the fascist and antisemite. She achieved a measure of success in 2004 when she unveiled an English Heritage blue plaque in Kensington Church Walk, where her father had lived from 1909 to 1914. It had previously refused because of his fascist politics. “Pound just quot-

De Rachewiltz and Pound in 1958; unveiling his plaque in London, with TS Eliot’s widow, in 2004

ed what Mussolini said,” she insisted. “He made mistakes and we have to take the good part of him, just as he did with others. He fell into certain antisemitic clichés that were rampant in Europe and the US at that time.” She was born in 1925 and christened Maria Rudge, the daughter of Pound, whom she called Babbo, and Olga Rudge, his mistress. Pound had achieved fame in London and Paris. He encouraged WB Yeats, helped James Joyce to get Ulysses published in 1922, made suggestions to Eliot for edit- ing The Waste Land and guided Ernest Hemingway, who in return tried to teach him to box.

The child of his mistress,

she was raised in secret by a peasant couple

Olga Rudge was an American violin- ist who had caught Pound’s attention in November 1920 when he reviewed her concert at the Aeolian Hall in London for New Age, praising the “delicate firmness of her fiddling”. He had been married to Dorothy Shakespear, an En- glish modernist artist, since 1914 but took a lax approach to fidelity and began a very public liaison with Rudge. He loved them both but according to Mary they “coldly hated each other”. To avoid a scandal she was born at Bressanone (or Brixen), in the Italian South Tyrol, a largely German-speak-

ing area of northern Italy. After nine days “under a glass bell because I was not ripe”, she was handed to Johanna and Jakob Marcher, a peasant couple known in her memoir as “Mamme and Tatte”, who had produced a succession of stillborn children. She was raised in secret on their farm in Gais and grew up speaking their Tyrolese dialect of Ger- man, tending sheep and keeping bees. “The Tyrolean peasant is still ingrained in me,” she told The Observer in 2012. Pound did not completely abandon his wife. In 1926 she bore him a son, Omar, who became a poet and translat- or (obituary, March 26, 2010). There followed an occasionally amicable but more often hostile ménage à trois, with Pound, Rudge and Shakespear living between Paris and Italy. Later he felt trapped between the two women, wryly observing that both lacked culinary skills. “Some cook, some do not cook/ some things cannot be altered”, he wrote in Canto LXXXI, one of the 109 canonical sections of The Cantos, his epic, book-length poem. Unlike the parents of Mamme and Tatte’s 16 other orphan children, Mary’s biological parents visited and sent money. At eight she began writing her own life story. It ran to one paragraph describing Tatte’s bullet-ridden legs, her own blonde hair and blue eyes, and the black lamb she was feeding “because it has a wicked mother who … likes the white lambs better”. At 12, she was taken by Pound and Rudge to Venice. Despite her peasant

BETTMANN ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES; AP

upbringing, they expected her to be the young aristo- crat, wearing white gloves, eating rich food and speaking Italian instead of her German dialect. “Mamme cried secretly at the tortures I had to endure,” she wrote. Pound taught her English and drew up his “Laws for Maria” , but to Rudge, who tried and failed to teach her the violin, she “was obtuse and pigheaded”. She met artists, writers and poets, visited libraries and heard string quar- tet concerts. Pound taught her tennis and fencing and took her to the cinema, bookshops and on the vaporetto water- bus to the Lido. He sent her to a convent school in Florence, but the nuns’ hopes that she would apply for the novitiate were dashed “when they caught me making eyes at the young land survey- or”. Reading Florence Nightingale’s memoirs, she decided her calling was for battlefield nursing. Between 1941 and 1943, she studied French and Latin with Father Chute, an English abbé. Her earliest translations were from works by Thomas Hardy. Then one day Pound produced a copy of Prospetti, a quarterly cultural magazine, contain- ing an Italian translation of his second Canto and challenged her to do better. “Invariably he set out to tear it to pieces. Gradually I realised that this

was a way for him to reconstruct his own Cantos in Italian, a trying-out of his principles on translation with his own poetry,” she wrote. Towards the end of the war she returned to her foster parents in the South Tyrol, avoiding conscription because her typing skills were needed in German war hospitals. With Pound in the US and “with nothing left”, she was flattered to re- ceive a telegram from Boris de Rachew- iltz, a Russian-Italian student of Egyp- tian hieroglyphs and Vatican diplo- macy whom she had met at a picnic outside Rome in 1944. They were mar- ried in 1946 and he taught at the Pontif- ical Urban University. He died in 1997 and she is survived by their children, Siegfried, an ethnologist, and Patrizia, a poet, writer and translator; they also adopted Graziella, an orphan girl. The couple bought and renovated the dilapidated 13th-century Castle Brun- nenburg, a former Masonic stronghold perched on a sheer rock outcrop against snowy peaks near Merano, close to the Austrian border. “It cost more to put in windows than to buy the castle,” she ob- served wryly. According to a paper in the journal Paideuma: Modern and Con- temporary Poetry and Poetics (1999), her husband secured papal consent to revive the Noble Knights of Canossa, a 12th-century familial order, allowing them to be known as prince and princess. The pub- lication of Discre- tions, writ- ten in a poetic style, almost a pastiche of Cantos, brought her a two-year fellowship at the Rad- cliffe Insti- tute, now part of Har- vard Uni- versity, allowing her to continue her Poundian translations. She curated his many possessions, opened the Ezra Pound Centre for Literature at Brun- nenburg and published her own Italian- language poetry. In 2012 she was an- gered by a fascist group calling itself CasaPound in honour of her father’s support for Mussolini, especially when a CasaPound sympathiser shot dead two Senegalese street traders before turning the gun on himself. “The fascists want to claim Pound,” she declared. “But they have nothing to do with Pound.” After Pound’s release from US custo- dy he had joined her at Brunnenburg, but draughty castle life was not to his taste and they quarrelled. He later set- tled with his mistress, rather than his wife or daughter. “Anyone who met Pound loved him,” his daughter said. “When he wrote ‘Pride, jealousy and possessiveness/ 3 pains of hell’, he was writing about all of us, including his wife. We all wanted him for ourselves.”

Page 46

Lives remembered

Rod Liddle

Tom Stubbs writes: While Rod Liddle (obituary, August 3) was born in Sidcup rather than Scarbo- rough, he had with- in him as much of the Professional Yorkshireman as the likes of Fred Trueman, Brian Clough and Michael Parkinson; he would on occasion use his Sunday Times column to excoriate the south and southerners, with the strongest vitriol reserved for the capital. Yet there was a brio and a wit to his writing which ensured that his would be the first column one would read, and feel, on the occasions that he had a week off, that one had been served the Yorkshire pudding without the onion gravy. He will be much missed.

Edward Norman

Roy Ludlow writes: When, in 1956, I entered Sir George Monux Grammar School, Waltham- stow, as a timid, diminutive 11-year- old from a working class background, Edward Norman (obituary, July 20) was school captain (head boy). I needed to ask him something and, approaching this very tall, thin, austere and academ- ic-looking young man, I addressed him as “Sir”. How they must have laughed later that day in the prefects’ common room! More importantly, I recall that he dealt with my query in a most kind and gentle manner.

Kevin Keegan

David King writes: As a 17-year-old schoolboy in 1976, I was asked to be one of eight sixth-form- ers to assist in the BBC Superstars epi- sode at Bracknell Leisure Centre that summer. Each of us was assigned a sporting hero to help with their kit and escort them to the required filming sites. At the end of the filming, and after Kevin Keegan’s (obituary, July 20) infamous cycle accident, he invited us for a drink at his hotel, thanked us for our support and gave away his Adidas Superstars kit (as did other partici- pants) to the entranced teenagers. I believe my friend who received the blood-stained blue singlet from the crash still has it, unwashed, over 50 years later. A true superstar and gentleman.

Bill Oddie

Lewis Rudd, execu- tive producer, The Saturday Banana, writes: Bill Oddie (obituary, July 27) was the main pre- senter of a live ITV Saturday morning children’s pro- gramme, The Saturday Banana, in 1980. Although the programme included the usual mix of studio games and pop music we also featured debates on subjects reckoned to be of interest to our audience. I particularly remember a feisty exchange on foxhunting which Bill very much relished. Bill’s opponent had been recommended by the maga- zine Horse & Hound. He was unknown to us at the time but later found fame as the TV betting expert John McCririck.

Neil Reading

PR executive who fiercely guarded the reputations of John Cleese, Dawn French and Victoria Wood

As the likes of Alastair Campbell and Max Clifford found out to their cost, the PR man should never become the story, and it was a maxim that Neil Reading followed assiduously. Reading represented a veritable Who’s Who of showbiz stars including John Cleese, Dawn French, Lenny Henry and the late Victoria Wood and his contacts book of newspaper editors, senior journalists and social media in- fluencers was second to none. Few were more skilled at garnering favourable coverage with well-placed stories, and his clients thought the world of him for it. French called him her “ally and fierce protector” and won- dered how she would survive without him. Cleese thanked Reading for help- ing him to “deal with the nastiness of English newspapers” and described him as “protective, sensible and caring”. Yet those on the other side held him in equally high regard, and the tributes from his clients were joined by encomi- ums from past editors of The Sun, the Daily Mirror and The People among others. At times Reading’s job involved him in crisis-management, and he was adept at keeping the peccadillos and in- discretions of his clients out of the public prints. But pitching positive sto- ries that made headlines was the aspect of the job he enjoyed most, “whether it’s a scrap with a tabloid editor or getting clients on the front of GQ”, as he once put it. If the media campaigns Reading ran were high profile, he was the exact op- posite, and it was one of his greatest strengths. Everyone in the entertain- ment and media world knew and re- spected him — but to almost everyone outside it he remained anonymous. After starting his own PR agency at the age of 22 with a bunch of clients who were household names, he could have promoted himself as the sharpest young kid on the block, which he al- most certainly was. Yet he kept firmly in the background, a skilled fixer who knew his best route to success was not self-promotion but getting the job done with the minimum of fuss. Search his name on the internet and there is almost nothing; a self-deprecat- ing interview in the media pages of The Independent in 1997, a short profile a few years later in the trade pub- lication PR Week, which called him a “star troop- er” — and that was about it. The Evening Standard included him in a list of the most influential Londoners yet his determination not to become the story never wavered while running one of the most significant agencies in Britain, which in addition to his showbusiness clients served cor- porate and consumer organisations across the business, property, fashion and hospitality sectors. It might have been so different, for in his teens Reading was a budding actor whose ambition was to go to drama school. He was all set to do so when he left school at 17 but concluded that “they like you to have seen a bit of life first” and decided to get a job for a year before applying. Offered a post as a marketing assistant doing PR and in- store promotions for the pharmacy chain Underwoods, he came to realise he had found his vocation, and thespian dreams were all but forgotten, although he did appear as Theseus in a 1990 pro- duction of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Queen’s Theatre.

Reading with the producer John Lloyd; below, on holiday; left, Victoria Wood

Neil John Reading was born in 1969 in Beckenham, Kent, and grew up in near- by Chislehurst. His father played little part in his life but he was close to his mother, Gretta, who later served as his office manager and company secre- tary. In his youth he was an avid autograph hunter and acted in productions at Ravens Wood School, Bromley, where David Bowie and Hanif Kureishi were alumni, while attending evening and week- end classes at the Patricia Hammond School of Dramatic Art. After O-levels he briefly went into the sixth form but dropped out in the first term. At the time he had a Saturday job at the local branch of Underwoods and his transfer to a full-time post at head office was seamless. Within a year, though, the chain was taken over by Boots and he was made redundant. “That turned out to be a blessing in dis- guise and I thought I’d like to do enter- tainment PR,” he told The Independ- ent. While editing his school magazine he had made contacts in the publicity departments of Twentieth Century Fox and CBS Records and he turned to them for advice. “They were all really good to me, passing me on to other people,” he recalled. One of them was the veteran PR hotshot Mark Borkow- ski, who told him his diary was full but he could see him in a month. “If you’re that busy, there must be something I

can do for you,” Reading told him. There was not, but the following day he received a phone call from Beer Davies Publicity, saying Borkowski had passed on his details and there was a job going. “I went in that afternoon at two o’clock, and started work at three,” Reading re- membered. His start was inauspicious when his first assignment promoting the latest project by the Who’s Pete Townshend collapsed. “I put a week-long schedule of interviews together due to start on a Monday, but on the Friday evening his

DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES

PA rang up and cancelled the whole lot,” he recalled. “I had to ring all the people whose TV shows he’d agreed to go on and cancel.” He had better luck with a client list that included Viz and Hello! magazines, Channel 4’s The Word and Rory Bremner and Victoria Wood, who became a good friend and whom he continued to represent until her death in 2016. However, he came to feel that his style of PR and his employer’s “were moving away from each other” and in 1992 without another job to go to he re- signed. Within 24 hours he had been headhunted by three other agencies — and turned them all down. “I knew they wanted me because of the clients I had, and the equations didn’t work out,” he said. “They were offering me a certain amount, yet I would be bringing in dou- ble that in business so I decided to set up on my own. I wasn’t nervous about it. I just did it.” A friend who had an independent production company offered him office

He told his clients they

could ring him at any time of day or night

space before his growing client list ena- bled him to move to a prestigious ad- dress in Mayfair. At one time, pride of place on his office wall was given to a framed cartoon of a man with a papa- razzo’s camera wedged between his buttocks, captioned: “It’s the worst case of media intrusion we’ve ever seen.” His calling card was the personal ser- vice he offered his showbiz clients, who were told they could ring him at any time of day or night and he would be there for them. “I’m one of the only people who specialises in doing person- al PR,” he said in 1997. “In the States, everybody has a publicist as well as their agent and their manager, but over here, that’s only come to be the case in recent years ... more and more person- alities now want someone looking after them all year round.” In addition to Wood, his early client list included Jonathan Ross, Michael Flatley, Jack Dee, Lee Evans and Ben Elton. Showing his versatility, he also became a PR consultant for Green- peace. “I never thought we would have a client like that but I’ve become almost obsessive about it,” he said. He also went on to work as a publicist on a string of hit West End shows, in- cluding the Only Fools and Horses musi- cal and the stage version of Fawlty Towers. Full of old-school charm, he was equally at home in the company of the celebrities he represented and the jour- nalists who wrote about them, often conducting his business with both at The Ivy, where he ate two or three times a week. However busy the restaurant was, and at the shortest notice, a table was always found for him. For all his contacts and clubability, he was a family man who was at his happi- est in the company of his wife, Claire (née Stuart), whom he married in 2014. She survives him along with their daughter, Rosa. “He was so much more than a PR gu- ru,” said David Yelland, a friend for al- most 30 years who got to know him in the 1990s when he was editor of The Sun and who now presents the BBC Radio 4 podcast When It Hits the Fan about the PR industry. “He cared so much about his clients and was decent and honest and a gentleman.”

Page 47

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

47 Register

Jimmy Cricket

Comic who appeared on primetime TV with a schtick based on the simpleton from Ballygobackwards

The great Northern Irish comic

Frank Carson would tell audien- ces as they whooped with laugh- ter: “It’s the way I tell ’em.” His friend and protégé Jimmy Mulgrew clearly wasn’t telling ’em right. Touring working men’s clubs in the north of En- gland in the early Seventies, the Ulster-born Mulgrew told “clev- er” jokes in a dinner jacket and would be spared a bombard- ment of beer cans and food when the curtain was swiftly brought down. Northern Ireland was no laughing matter at the time and a “Paddy” trying to be sophisti- cated in a “monkey suit” was not going to generate mirth from an audience that had completed a week’s toil in a mine or foundry. Close to despair, Mulgrew had a lightbulb moment and reversed the psychology. He returned to the clubs with a new persona that wasn’t as easy to attack because he was a “downtrodden simpleton” demonstrating his total discombobulation at modern life with a schtick based on taking well-known figures of speech too literally. Laughter, rather than pies and chips, started flying towards the stage lights when Mulgrew did gags such as: “This old woman came up and said, ‘Could you see me across the road?’ I said, ‘Hang on, I’ll run across and have a look.’” Playing on the stereotype of the simple-minded hick Irish- man was of its time, but Mul- grew claimed he was turning the joke back on his audiences. “It would hurt me deeply if I thought I was making the Irish look silly. What I am doing is taking the mickey out of the conception that some English seem to have for the Irish. It’s a great compliment that people think I’m a bit simple.” Mulgrew would reinforce that trope with gags like: “This bloke came up to me and said, ‘Can I tap you for a fiver?’ and I said, ‘For a fiver you can hit me with a brick.’” Heckling was now more with him than at him. “I remember once in a club in Liverpool say- ing, ‘You know there’s a lot of crime about’ and this fella shouted, ‘Yes. How much are you getting?’”

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Cricket created a dishevelled look despite wearing a dinner jacket

As the character from the

mythical land of Ballygoback- wards progressed to bigger audi- toriums, Mulgrew kept the din- ner jacket but wore his trousers at half-mast while his trade- mark wellies had L and R paint- ed on them but were worn on the wrong feet. He topped off his look with a hat that looked like an upside-down chamber pot and changed his name to Jimmy Cricket after the character Jimi- ny Cricket in the Disney anima- tion Pinocchio. By the mid-Eighties Cricket

He would punctuate

every gag with his catchphrase ‘And there’s more!’

was a familiar face on British tel-

evision. And if his humour now dates as a stream of cringy dad jokes, it was the way he told them over decades of honing his craft. “I took a parcel into the post office and the woman be- hind the counter said, ‘It’s too heavy and you need another

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stamp’. I said, ‘Another stamp

will make it heavier’. She gave me the stamp and said, ‘Do you want to stick it on yourself?’ I said, ‘No I want to stick it on the parcel.’” Such jokes would be prefaced with a bewildered look at the au- dience, before his plaintive opening line, “Ladies and gen- tleman, come ’ere” and the punctuation of each joke with “And there’s more!”. When even these simple anticipated lines got laughs he knew he had made it. James Joseph Mulgrew was born into a Catholic family in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, in 1945, the youngest of five children. His father was an undertaker who would turn up at houses and start an impromptu wake with a coffin full of booze. The hearse doubled up as the neigh- bourhood’s taxi service. “He had to sort of rearrange things to fit the passengers in.” The colour- ful Mr Mulgrew died when Jimmy was eight, inspiring later jokes such as: “This man goes to the doctor feeling unwell. The doctor tells him to go over to the window and stick his tongue

SHUTTERSTOCK

out. The man says, ‘Doctor, will

that make me feel better?’ The doctor says, ‘No, but it will make me feel better, because I don’t like the fella that lives across the street.’” Jimmy’s mother got a job in the Lucozade factory in Ander- sonstown and his four elder sib- lings worked to keep the Mul- grew household afloat. Laugh- ter got them through hard times. Returning home in the evening his siblings would sit down to- gether and talk about the misad- ventures of the day. “They were all natural comedians,” recalled Cricket, who professed to being hopeless at most things in life apart from telling jokes. When he left school at 15, one of his teachers said of him: “If ig- norance is bliss he’s one of the happiest boys around.” He found work in a betting shop chalking up the runners and riders on a blackboard, observ- ing the comedy moments as picaresque and often inebriated punters went from hope to despair. Cricket’s first break was win- ning a PJ Proby lookalike com- petition. In 1966 he started working as a red coat at the But- lin’s holiday camp at Mosney, Co Meath, for £6 a week, a berth in a chalet and three square meals a day. During the winter months he worked as a bingo caller and door-to-door salesman. At Pontins holiday camp in Morecambe in the summer of 1972, he met Marion “May” Tweedie who was working as a waitress and performing in a singing act with her two sisters. They married in 1974. At his lowest professional ebb his wife’s singing earnings support- ed him. His great friend Carson advised him to keep working for nothing if he couldn’t get a gig; his confidence and material would improve with practice. It did. In 1980 he was ready to un- leash Jimmy Cricket on an un- suspecting nation when he made the semi-finals of London Weekend Television’s Search for a Star talent contest. He toured the pier ends of the country with Cannon and Ball, the Krankies and Carson. Various television appearances followed in The

Good Old Days and the Royal Va-

riety Performance. In 1985 Crick- et was given his own show on ITV. “Everyone has a shelf life for television I suppose. Most people have four series and I had two more than that so I was luckier than most.” In the early 1990s he moved over to radio and made four series of the slightly goonish Jimmy’s Cricket Team on BBC Radio 2 with Bill Pertwee, Peter Goodwright and Noreen Kershaw. Cricket continued to tour the country to delighted audiences, with his wife (who used his fa- mous wellies to do the garden- ing) warming up the audience by singing. By the end of his life, he could also look behind him at the memory of many pantos. Cricket is survived by his wife, whom he joked he could never leave for a chorus girl because she ironed his shirts. He is also survived by their four children. Dale is an events organiser for a hospice in Bury, Greater Man- chester. His daughter Jamie be- came a head teacher and lives in Florida. Katie Mulgrew fol- lowed her father on to the comedy circuit. His son Frankie was also a comedian before being ordained as a Catholic priest. A practising Catholic himself, before walking on stage Cricket would pray to “make the audi- ence happy and forget their troubles for a while”. He was proud of the fact that his humour was always “clean” and that children could enjoy his shows in the company of their parents and grandparents. He was made a papal knight in 2015. Cricket’s family reported that he was “cracking jokes” with NHS staff as the end neared. Approaching mortality was no impediment to gags such as, “Tommy from the library died last week. As a mark of respect everybody stood up and made a noise for a minute”, or “If you can’t spell Armageddon, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world.”

Jimmy Cricket, comedian,

was born on October 17, 1945.

He died after a short illness

on August 3, 2026, aged 80

Court Circular

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4th August, 2026 The Duke of Edinburgh, Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Dragoon Guards, this morning received Lieutenant Colonel David Brooks upon relinquishing his appointment as Commanding Officer and Lieutenant Colonel Bryn Williams upon assuming the appointment. His Royal Highness, Patron, the Tennis and Rackets Association, this afternoon received Brigadier Nicholas Orr (Chief Executive Officer).

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Births McCROSTIE on 1st July 2026 to Rebecca (née Mitchell) and Jonathan, a son, Hamish Heathcote Arthur, brother to Caitlin.

Forthcoming Marriages CAPT C. R. D. ELMHIRST AND MISS J. M. VAN DER GAAG The engagement is announced between Captain Rupert Elmhirst, Grenadier Guards, second son of Lieutenant Colonel Marcus and the Hon Mrs Elmhirst of Betws Ifan, Ceredigion, and Jemima, daughter of Mr and Mrs Marcus van der Gaag of Hawkenbury, Kent.

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NYE Sheila Elizabeth died peacefully on 12th July 2026, aged 94. Widow of Dennis Nye. Much loved by her children Louise, Simon, Jeremy and Christopher, by their families and by her many friends across Henfield and West Sussex. Funeral service at St Peter's Church, Henfield, on Wednesday 12th August 2026 at 1pm. Flowers or donations for “Smile Train” may be sent to Bungard Funeral Directors, 90 Sackville Road, Hove, BN3 3HE, or online via bungards.co.uk

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Page 51

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

51 Weather

U

y

Today Blustery with rain, showers or thunderstorms. Drier in southern areas. Max 25C (77F), min 6C (43F)

Sh

Sh

O

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

14
R
2.6
0.2 20
R
1.4
4.8 20
PC
8.2
2.7 18
R
7.8
0.0 23
C
0.2
** 27
S
0.0
** 20
C
6.8
0.6 25
PC
0.0
** 23
D
0.0 13.9 19
PC
0.0
** 24
C
4.4 12.2 22
C
0.4
9.6 23
D
1.6
7.8 19
R
7.8
0.5 16
R
11.4
1.0 17
R
26.8
0.0 25
PC
0.0
** 25
PC
0.0
9.8 29
C
0.0 13.7 17
M
8.8
3.4 24
C
0.8
** 23
C
0.0 13.1 18
R
11.6
** 16

4.8
0.6 22
C
0.0
** 13
R
6.2
6.4 16
D
6.0
0.4 28
PC
0.0 11.6 21
R
1.8
** 31
S
0.0 12.5 25
PC
0.0 11.9 25
C
0.2
7.4 27
PC
0.0 12.3 22
R
1.0
** 21
C
7.0
** 26
PC
0.4 10.4 13
R
7.4
** 26
C
0.0
** 24
PC
1.8
** 21
R
0.0
** 23
C
0.4
** 28
PC
0.0
8.7 21
R
0.0
8.2 17
R
9.6
** 29
PC
0.0 12.6
R
25.0
** 15
C
21.2
6.1 15
R
37.0
0.0 18
R
19.2
5.4
R
7.8
** 25

0.0 13.2

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

ney

ney

Birmingham

Oxford

The world All readings local midday yesterday

33 S 32 S 33 S

---

39 PC 33 PC 31 PC 30 PC

---

---

36 S 25 S 30 PC 30 B 28 S 33 S 37 S

---

33 S 32 ** 11 PC 14 M 28 PC 20 R 32 PC 30 M 44 S 22 PC 24 S 37 S 33 S 31 S 27 S 20 PC 30 SH

---

28 S 32 S 18 S 32 PC

---

33 S 32 S 21 B 27 PC 25 PC 39 S

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

Five days ahead

Wind speed

Rain and showers at

times, mainly in the north

and west. Feeling hot in

the south at times

Tomorrow

Early rain clearing northeastern Britain, otherwise a mixture of sunny spells and showers. Max 24C, min 7C

Friday

Rain across northern and central parts of Scotland. Largely dry elsewhere with plenty of sunny spells, especially in the south. Max 26C, min 8C

Saturday

A band of rain moves across Britain and Ireland from the west, heavy and persistent in places. Remaining dry and bright in the south, and feeling hot again. Max 28C, min 10C

General situation: Windy in places, with rain in the northwest. Thundery showers in Scotland. Sunny spells and a scattering of showers elsewhere. N Ireland, Republic of Ireland: Windy with rain in the north, heavy at times. Sunny spells and showers in the south. Moderate to fresh northwesterly winds, strong on the coast. Maximum 18C (64F), minimum 7C (45F). Channel Is, SW Eng, Cen S Eng, E Eng, E Mids, SE Eng, London, E Anglia: Breezy with a few showers, easing

27 PC 29 S 35 S 32 PC 34 S 12 C 26 B 27 T 35 S 28 B 23 C 25 PC 29 M 34 S 19 B 32 S 30 PC 26 DU 30 B 32 S 20 S 30 S 19 PC 35 S 12 B 24 PC 27 PC 44 S 32 S 23 PC 15 S 25 S 34 PC 29 PC 26 SH 20 PC 22 S 17 S 32 S 35 S 28 PC 20 PC

---

38 S 30 PC 30 B

---

Sunday

A band of drizzle moves eastwards across England and Wales, with sunny spells either side. Blustery with scattered showers in the north and west, heavy in places. Max 30C, min 6C

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

Monday

A few showers in northern and central areas, otherwise dry and bright. Max 25C, min 6C

The Times weather page

is provided by

Our trusted partner

Kraków, Poland

Sea state

Glasgow Edinburgh

Plymouth Exeter Southampton

plenty of sunsh

later with plenty of sunshine. Showers may linger in the southwest. Moderate to fresh westerly winds. Maximum 25C (77F), minimum 11C (52F). SW Scotland, Glasgow, NW Scotland, Argyll, N Isles: Windy in places with rain, heavy and persistent at times. Fresh to strong variable winds, lighter further inland. Maximum 16C (61F), minimum 8C (46F). Wales, W Mids, NW Eng, Cen N Eng, Lake District, NE Eng, IoM: Breezy with sharp showers, most persistent over

06:09 4.0 18:55 3.7 --:-- -- 12:10 11.7 03:49 3.4 16:27 3.1 11:50 10.9 --:-- -- 10:42 4.8 22:55 4.9 03:37 6.2 16:04 6.4 04:28 3.9 17:04 3.6 09:54 4.6 22:18 4.7 05:07 3.4 17:35 3.2 04:44 3.7 16:42 3.8 03:04 5.3 15:31 4.8 11:15 7.0 23:47 6.4 07:28 5.2 20:10 4.9 03:46 8.8 16:11 8.3 06:43 6.4 18:56 6.6 02:25 2.2 14:26 2.5 11:09 6.1 23:35 6.2 03:58 8.8 16:23 8.2 03:46 6.1 16:11 6.1 10:04 6.0 22:30 6.0 10:26 3.3 23:03 3.4 09:34 4.8 21:59 4.9 04:09 4.3 16:51 4.3 03:49 5.7 16:16 5.7 03:24 4.2 15:56 4.3 11:09 8.3 23:35 8.2 08:30 5.2 21:18 4.8 11:30 1.6 23:47 1.6

Synoptic situation Low pressure centred over northern Scotland brings outbreaks of rain across the north of Ireland and much of Scotland, most persistent in western areas, courtesy of an occluded front. It will be very windy in places, especially near Irish Sea coasts and western Scotland later. A mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers further south.

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

Orkney Shetland

ney ney

Carlisle Newcastle

18 14

Manchester Liverpool Hull

Sheffield

Shrewsbury Nottingham

the hills. Some sunshine in places, mainly in Wales and central England. Fresh southwesterly winds, strong on the west coast. Maximum 21C (70F), minimum 10C (50F). NE Scotland, Edinburgh and Dundee, Aberdeen, Moray Firth, Cen Highland, Borders: Scattered heavy, thundery showers, merging to longer spells of rain at times, though with some sunshine in places. Light to moderate variable winds. Maximum 21C (70F), minimum 6C (43F).

Hours of darkness Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Exeter Glasgow Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Norwich Penzance Sheffield

21:43-04:46 21:47-05:13 21:23-05:05 21:24-05:14 21:23-05:18 21:46-05:01 21:30-05:06 21:12-05:02 21:28-05:03 21:31-04:54 21:10-04:52 21:29-05:28 21:24-05:00

Warmest: Cavendish, Suffolk, 31.5C Coldest: Cairngorm, 5.3C Wettest: Kinlochewe, 39.2mm Sunniest: Bournemouth, Dorset, 13.9hrs*

Sun and moon For Greenwich Sun rises: Sun sets: Moon rises: Moon sets:

05.30 20.41 22.43 15.13 Thu

New moon: August 12

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.

Weather Eye

Paul Simons

n this day, August 5, in

1931, thunderstorms erupted at night over many parts of England with thunder and lightning, large hailstones, deluges of rain and flash floods. But of all the places struck by the storms that day, perhaps the most fitting was Puddletown in the Piddle Valley, Dorset, where 1.93in (49mm) of rain fell in only 75 minutes. Apart from its wonderful and appropriate name, Puddletown is also famous for its connection to Thomas Hardy, whose grandfather and other relatives lived there. The village featured in some of Hardy’s work, most notably as the fictional village of Weatherbury in Far from the Madding Crowd, where Bathsheba Everdene had her farm, and it was the setting for a famous scene when a storm breaks out at night. It is introduced as a drum roll with a theatrical light show, “A light flapped over the scene, as if reflected from phosphorescent wings crossing the sky, and a rumble filled the air.” The shepherd Gabriel Oak and Bathsheba work to secure a huge haystack lit up by the lightning bolts darting across the sky and which threaten to strike the characters at any moment. Just before dawn the storm launches another ordeal. “A huge drop of rain smote his [Gabriel’s] face, the wind snarled round every corner, the trees rocked to the bases of their trunks, and the twigs clashed in strife ... The rain came on in earnest, and Oak soon felt the water to be tracking cold and clammy routes down his back. Ultimately he was reduced well-nigh to a homogenous sop, and the dyes of clothes trickled down. The rain stretched obliquely through the dull atmosphere in liquid spines, unbroken in continuity between their beginnings in the clouds and their points in him.” Another downpour appears in the novel, when Sergeant Troy is grieving over the grave of Fanny Robin — his true sweetheart — in the churchyard of Weatherbury Church, as water gushes down from a hideous gargoyle on the roof.

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

FIVE DAYS NOW FROM £637 per person

CALL TODAY ON 0808 304 4030 thetimes.com/ nh-krakow QUOTE TIM

Page 52

52

S1 Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times

Sport

Squirrel-eating survival expert is first GB woman in America’s Cup for 90 years

America’s

Cup

Sailing

Neil Squires

Jemima Lines will become Britain’s first

female America’s Cup sailor for 90 years in Naples next year after being called up to the GB1 squad. The 38th America’s Cup will be the first to require each five-person crew to have at least one woman on board and in turning to the 29-year-old, from Kent, team principal Ben Ainslie has sprung a surprise. While Lines is a World Champion- ship-standard kitefoiler — a discipline which involves riding a board attached to a hydrofoil up to one metre above the water’s surface — who was back-up to gold medallist Ellie Aldridge at the Paris Olympics, she does not have the profile of some of the other available candidates. What she does have though, apart from her sailing skill set, is a mechanical engineering degree that will enable her to contribute to the design element of the mission as well — and a singular can-do attitude which, when a team is on a 175-year losing streak, will come in handy. A Bear Grylls survival skills instruct- or who can butcher a squirrel without batting an eyelid — “it tastes nice with a bit of salt, a bit like chicken” — she cycled all the way round Iceland as an 18-year-old on a solo expedition. Lines has worked as a guide at Everest basecamp, summited Alaskan peaks and trekked across Mongolian mountain ranges. And she has set altitude kite surfing records, at Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, and Lake Karakul in Tajikistan, a stone’s throw from the Afghanistan border. “I love challenges and the America’s Cup is as good as it gets,” she said. “Growing up I knew the kind of role I wanted but I could never put my finger on what that would look like. Whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to do, I said, ‘I want to be an engineer but an athlete too — I don’t know if that job exists,’ so this is pretty awesome really. “We’ve got a team of 150 behind the scenes and you can really feel this daily drive of everyone heading towards this

Tearful Draper’s US Open place in doubt after defeat

Tennis

Tom Kershaw Tennis Correspondent

Jack Draper has endured so many false

dawns of late it has felt impossible to see the light. An 11th-hour withdrawal from Wimbledon was followed by an aborted comeback at the Washington Open due to the same arm injury that has plagued him for more than a year. The 24-year-old, inset, was deemed fit to return at the Montreal Masters yesterday, but a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 defeat against Térence Atmane in the first round left him hunched over in his chair in floods of tears during the deciding set as the toll of another brutal setback began to sink in. The former British No 1 recomposed himself to finish the match, but there was no escaping the weight of such a wretched run of luck. Draper’s serve dipped markedly in speed during the deciding set and he frequently resorted

one goal. That’s just such a wonderful

thing to be part of.” Unsurprisingly for someone who also enjoys paragliding, mountaineer- ing and snow kiting — speeding along over snow and ice powered by wind — and who also spent six weeks alone cycling the length of Norway — being the one female member of a five-strong crew does not faze her one bit. “It’s brilliant giving women these opportunities,” she said. “In everything I’ve done, all I’ve known is being either

to the drop shot, suggesting the pain in

his elbow was still a factor. It has already limited Draper to 14 matches on the ATP Tour this season and this was his first since reach- ing the semi-finals at Eastbourne in June. Draper played just four tournaments in the spring before an aggravated tendon in his knee — precipi- tated by a change to his service motion designed to limit the strain on his arm — ruled him out of the French Open. Having been ranked No 4 in the world in June last year, Draper is now down at No 143 and will have to come through qualify- ing if he does not receive a wild card into the US Open. Whether he will be fit to play at all is a serious doubt.

the only female or one of very few. On

my degree course at Bristol [University] there were 300 guys and only five women in the lecture theatres. In the workplace, lots of the jobs I’ve done I’ve been the only woman on the shop floor with the guys building power motors. So it’s nothing unusual really. “I love seeing the way the guys work. They are an incredible team and I hope I can contribute as strongly as they do.” She is the youngest of four sisters, in- doctrinated into the joy of the outdoors

Atmane, the world No 46, was a

credible opponent but also the kind of player Draper ought to brush aside in full flight. The early signs had been more positive, with Draper noticeably not sporting a compression sleeve on his left arm. His coaching partner- ship with Andy Mur- ray is set to continue for the time being at least, having initially only been scheduled for the grass-court season. Murray was not in the box in Montreal, having travelled with Draper to Washington last week. Draper’s heavy top-spin forehand fired well early on, he used the drop shot to good effect and showed a willingness to come into the net. But his level dropped abruptly at 4-3 and

for the

Lines, a

kitefoiler from

Kent, was not

an obvious

choice

Atmane pounced on miscues and

errant shot selection to snatch the set. Draper rallied at the start of the second and played brilliantly throughout, making just one unforced error as he broke twice and appeared to be in control of the match. Things quickly unravelled in the decider, though. After Atmane edged an attritional backhand rally to secure the break, Draper appeared more slug- gish as the signs of his injury became more prevalent. He spurned the chance to break back at 2-1 and then continued to look in considerable — and increas- ing — discomfort. It was after conceding the second break of serve — all but sealing defeat — that Draper broke down, crying throughout the change of ends. He wiped the tears away and completed the match, but the toll of so many setbacks on such a prodigious talent is proving increasingly difficult to bear.

JACKSON GREEN/GB1

from their earliest steps. “Before I could

even crawl we would climb mountains in the Brecon Beacons. My parents always liked to joke that to get into our family we had to do some form of SAS selection,” she said. Her father, Ralph Crathorne, was in the Special Forces. He died in an ice climbing accident on Ben Nevis this year. “He was an absolute adventurer,” she said. “When I cycled round Iceland on my own, I didn’t even own a bike. I just kind of had this big dream. I remember I presented the idea to my mum and she was like, ‘Absolutely not’, and then I went to my dad and he was like, ‘Go for it’. “He would love this because it’s all of the different parts of me growing up combined together. That would make him proud just seeing me doing the things that I love doing all bundled up in one. He did a lot of talks to different high-performing teams — he was a kind of leadership expert — so he would be fascinated by this.” In a perfect world, he would have been here to see his daughter emulate Phyllis Sopwith, the previous woman to be part of a British America’s Cup chal- lenge, in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1937. Sadly, life is not perfect but after the darkness comes the dawn. As well as her selection for GB1, she also got married this summer. Lines has carved out her piece of history in reaching this point. Simply being part of the British challenge will not be enough though. “This is just such a dream for me,” she said. “But winning the America’s Cup would definitely be the cherry on the top.”

New Zealand tour to South

Africa part of Sky TV deal

Rugby union New Zealand’s tour to

South Africa — marketed as “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” — will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK as part of a fresh five-year deal (Will Kelleher writes). All four Tests between the All Blacks and Springboks, and New Zealand’s tour matches against Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions, will be on Sky over the next five weeks. This is part of a deal between Sky and Sanzaar, the governing body for the major southern hemisphere unions (New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina), which will run until the end of 2030. Sky has paid an increased multimillion-pound fee to secure the rights. The deal also covers when the Springboks visit New Zealand in 2030, the Rugby Championship in 2027, 2028 and 2029, Bledisloe Cup matches between the Wallabies and All Blacks, and other Tests such as Argentina hosting South Africa this month.

6The

Louis Vuitton Cup stage takes place from May 26 to July 4, 2027. The final Amer- ica’s Cup match begins on July 10.

Page 53

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

53 Racing Sport

Kempton Park

Rob Wright

Rob Wright

Rob Wright

Rob Wright

5.20 Nursery (2-Y-O: £3,140: 6f) (12)

5.50 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £7,020: 7f) (9)

6.20 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £7,020: 7f) (9)

6.50 Novice Stakes (£5,400: 1m) (14)

7.20 Novice Stakes (£6,480: 1m 3f) (12)

(8)

Yesterday’s racing results

Results

Catterick

Going: Good to firm (good in places)

Going: Good

2.15 (7f 6yd) 1, Waakabb (Jason Hart, 7-4);

2, National Pride (11-8); 3, Breaking The

Habit (125-1). 6 ran. 1 l, 8l. S & E Crisford.

2.45 (7f 6yd) 1, Iconic Times (S D Bowen,

1-1 fav); 2, Without Delay (10-1); 3, Rain Cap

(9-2). 7 ran. ns, 2 l. J Candlish.

3.15 (1m 7f 189yd) 1, Free World (Cieren

Fallon, 2-1 fav); 2, Star Of Jupiter (14-1);

3, Fleur De Mer (8-1). 9 ran. 7l, nk.

Ian Williams.

Football

Football

Europa League third qualifying round first

leg Larne 0 Iberia Tbilisi 0, Shamrock Rovers

3 Egnatia 1.

Cricket

Cricket

The Hundred: Sun Risers Leeds v

The Hundred

London Spirit

Men

Headingley (London Spirit won toss): Sun

Risers Leeds (4pts) beat London Spirit by

37 runs

Sun Risers Leeds (balls)

Sun Risers Leeds (balls)

M R Marsh c Brevis b Milne 76 (37)

†R D Rickelton not out 94 (42)

H C Brook c Overton b Willey 55 (18)

D W Lawrence not out 10 (3)

7.50 Novice Stakes

(£6,480: 1m 3f) (11)

8.20 Handicap (3-Y-O: £6,281: 7f) (8)

8.50 Handicap (£4,187: 2m) (8)

Brighton

2.30 Handicap (3-Y-O: £4,187: 6f) (5)

3.45 (5f 212yd) 1, Miss Rainbow (Connor

Beasley, 5-2); 2, Captain Cess (11-10 fav);

3, Battenburg Belle (9-1). 8 ran. 1 l, 3 l.

Miss Tracy Waggott.

4.15 (1m 4f 13yd) 1, Halimede (L Morris,

9-4); 2, Hansteen (8-11 fav); 3, Muhib (7-1).

8 ran. 5l, 1 l. Sir Mark Prescott.

4.45 (5f) 1, Without Flaw (Warren

Fentiman, 3-1); 2, Gwen Tennyson (13-2);

3, Doralee (6-4 fav). 7 ran. 1l, 1l. Miss

T Jackson.

Placepot: £12.10

Quadpot: £11.00

Jackpot: £1,426.90

Livingstone 5-0-23-0.

London Spirit (balls)

L-d G Pretorius c Crawley b Topley 5 (3)

†J M Bairstow c Rickelton b Topley 0 (1)

*L S Livingstone c Topley b Ellis 34 (13)

D Brevis c Topley b Revis 38 (21)

J M Coles lbw b Ellis 0 (2)

J E K Rew c Rickelton b Potts 1 (3)

D J Willey not out 83 (46)

J Overton not out 27 (15)

Extras (nb 4, w 5, b 4, lb 3) 16

Total (6 wkts, 100 balls) 204

A J Tye, A F Milne and A Zampa did not bat.

Fall of wickets 1-1, 2-35, 3-44, 4-44, 5-56,

6-130.

Bowling Topley 20-0-30-2; Carse 20-0-55-0;

Ellis 20-0-42-2; Potts 20-0-42-1; Revis

15-0-26-1; Ahmed 5-0-2-0.

Women

Headingley (Sun Risers Leeds won toss):

3.30 Handicap (£10,468: 1m) (9)

4.00 Handicap (£4,187: 1m 2f) (6)

4.30 Handicap (£4,187: 7f) (9)

5.00 Handicap (£4,187: 5f) (7)

Pontefract

2.45 Handicap (£3,229: 1m 2f) (7)

Ffos Las

2.30 (6f) 1, Safari Dream (Oisin Murphy, 11-

4); 2, Diamondinthedark (22-1); 3, The Coffee

Pod (11-4). 7 ran. SH, ¾l. B R Millman.

3.00 (7f 80yd) 1, Perfect Nation (Billy

Loughnane, 13-8 fav); 2, George Cross (9-2);

3, Artemis Star (22-1). 7 ran. 1l, 1l. G Boughey.

3.30 (7f 80yd) 1, Lerwick (Billy Loughnane,

10-1); 2, Cypriot Diaspora (13-8fav);

3, Grand Vista (14-1). 9 ran. 2 l, 1 l.

D M Loughnane.

4.00 (7f 80yd) 1, Kaleidoscope Eyes (R P

D J S Dottin not out 15 (14)

*C E Dean run out 4 (3)

K L George c Sutherland b Sharma 2 (2)

C R Pavely not out 2 (2)

Extras (lb 5, w 2) 7

Total (7 wkts, 100 balls) 136

T Johnson and H Rainey did not bat.

Fall of wickets 1-67, 2-91, 3-92, 4-105,

5-120, 6-124, 7-126.

Bowling McCarthy 15-0-13-0; Cross 5-0-7-0;

Jonassen 15-0-31-0; Baker 20-0-21-2;

Sutherland 20-0-31-1; Gibson 5-0-10-1;

Sharma 20-0-18-2.

B F Smith lbw b Dean 27 (21)

P E S Litchfield c Kapp b George 30 (17)

†L Winfield-Hill c Pavely b de Klerk 1 (4)

A J Sutherland not out 37 (21)

*D R Gibson c Harris b George 25 (24)

D B Sharma c Harris b George 6 (7)

J L Jonassen not out 13 (5)

Downey, 3-1); 2, Piazza (12-1);

3, Rosemary’s Rose (Evens fav). 8 ran. l,

1l. B J Llewellyn.

4.30 (1m) 1, Wootz (Ray Dawson, 10-11 fav);

2, Mountain Of Light (16-1); 3, Arbaawy

(13-8). 8 ran. 6 l, HD. R Varian.

5.00 (1m) 1, Mythological Star (Billy

Loughnane, 4-6 fav); 2, Hurricane Laughter

(11-4); 3, Somethingintheair (12-1). 5 ran.

1 l, 4l. D & C Kubler.

5.30 (1m 3f 209y) 1, A Daughters Love

(Jack Doughty, 10-1); 2, Grindleton (5-1); 3,

Praise Indeed (7-1). 10 ran. 10l, 4l. D Flood.

Placepot: £11.90

Quadpot: £2.10

Cycling

Tour de France Femmes

Stage four Gevrey-

Chambertin to Dijon, 21km

1 M Reusser (Swit; Movistar) 27min 30sec;

2 L Nooijen (Neth; Visma Lease-a-Bike) at

4sec; 3 D Vollering (Neth; FDJ United-SUEZ)

at 18sec; 4 Z Backstedt (GB; Canyon-SRAM)

at 20sec; 5 M Bredewold (Neth; SD Worx-

Protime) at 45sec.

General classification: 1 Reusser 11hr 47min

36sec; 2 Vollering at 14sec; 3 C Kerbaol (Fr;

EF Education-Oatly) at 54sec; 4 S Haugset

(Nor; Uno-X Mobility) at 56sec; 5 E Longo

Borghini (It; UAE L’IMAD) at 1min 3sec.

Tennis

3.15 Maiden Stakes (2-Y-O: £5,940: 6f)

3.45 Handicap (£4,187: 1m) (6)

4.15 Handicap

(£4,187: 5f) (10)

4.45 Handicap

(£5,234: 6f) (9)

5.15 Handicap

(£5,154: 2m 1f) (3)

Lingfield Park

Going: Standard

5.18 (7f 1yd) 1, Mister Mojito (Jack Callan,

9-4 fav); 2, Rogue Dynasty (5-2); 3, Dandy

Khan (14-1). 11 ran. l, 2l. T Kent.

5.48 (7f 1yd) 1, Fortunate (Oliver

Carmichael, 16-1); 2, Dun Eideann (16-1);

3, Steamy Wonder (18-1). 10 ran. 1 l, 17 l.

Eve Johnson Houghton.

6.18 (7f 1yd) 1, Potters Margot (R Havlin,

25-1); 2, Minnal (7-4); 3, Lushill (10-1).

9 ran. 1l, l. M Crawley.

6.48 (6f 1yd) 1, Elvetham (Jack Gilligan, 13-

6-1, 3-6, 6-1; M Cilic (Cr) bt S Shimabukuro

(Japan) 7-6(2), 6-1; C Norrie (GB) bt C Ugo

Carabelli (Arg) 7-6(5), 6-4; S Tsitsipas (Gr)

bt M Damm (US) 6-4, 6-4; S Baez (Arg) bt

M Bellucci (It) 7-5, 6-3; J Brooksby (US) bt

AWalton (Aus) 6-3, 6-4; H Hurkacz (Pol) bt M

Giron (US) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; T A Tirante (Arg) bt

D Chan (Can) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(3); J Fearnley (GB)

bt A Mannarino (Fr) 7-6(3), 6-4; Z Svajda

(US) bt D Shapovalov (Can) 4-6, 6-4, 3-0 ret;

V Royer (Fr) bt P Carreno Busta (Sp) 1-6, 7-5,

6-2; A Popyrin (Aus) bt R A Burruchaga (Arg)

4-6, 7-5, 6-3; D Merida (Sp) bt L Draxl (Can)

3-6, 6-4, 6-4; JM Cerundolo (Arg) bt H

Medjedovic (Serb) 6-4, 6-2; T Atmane (Fr) bt

J Draper (GB) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Second round

(27) A Blockx (Bel) bt J Munar (Sp) w/o.

WTA National Bank Open

Toronto: First round Z Sonmez (Tur) bt R

Yarmouth

5.40 Handicap (£3,576: 6f) (7)

6.10 Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (2-Y-O:

£5,400: 6f) (10)

6.40 Nursery (2-Y-O: £5,339: 5f) (5)

7.10 Novice Stakes (£5,400: 1m 2f) (5)

7.40 Handicap (£3,768: 1m 6f) (7)

8.10 Classified Stakes (£3,454: 5f) (8)

2); 2, Style King (15-8); 3, Just Jump (3-1).

10 ran. NR: Phoenix Moon. l, 1 l. C Allen.

7.18 (1m 6f) 1, Tabasko (Ashley Lewis,

4-5 fav); 2, Scarlet Moon (15-2); 3, Russian

Rumour (10-1). 4 ran. nk, l. E Walker.

7.48 (1m 3f 133yd) 1, Hope Rising (Rob

Hornby, 2-1); 2, Douglas Dc (6-1); 3, Koko

Blue (11-8 fav). 7 ran. 5 l, 1 l. Jamie

Snowden.

8.18 (1m 1f) 1, Offiah’s Boy (Taylor Fisher,

5-6 fav); 2, Gert Lush (9-2); 3, Monks Mead

(11-2). 6 ran. 2l, l. J Tickle.

Placepot: £746.40

Quadpot: £14.70

6(4); V Golubic (Swit) bt (31) D Vekic (Cr) 5-

7, 6-2, 6-3; (10) M Kostyuk (Ukr) bt K Sebov

(Can) 7-6(4), 6-0; (15) D Schnaider (Russ) bt

R Sramkova (Slvk) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1; T Gibson

(Aus) bt (18) M Chwalinska (Pol) 7-5, 6-1.

Fixtures

Women’s Champions League second

qualifying round semi-final

Gintra v Hearts (2.30, Koge), Slavia Prague

v Rangers (7.30, Glasgow).

First One Day International

Bready Ireland v Afghanistan (10.45).

Page 54

What will appeal to fans:

history or Pollock’s hype? H

Stuart Barnes

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enry Pollock is in the news again. Let’s see, what can Eddie Hearn do to create headlines? Social media plays its role to perfection. A yacht in the Mediterranean, some harmless videos of the Northampton Saints and England player throwing himself into the warm and ever more polluted sea and — yes — headlines designed to

make a splash. What a contrast with what is about to be unveiled in South Africa. Friday night marks the start of the “Greatest Rivalry” tour, with the All Blacks kicking off the trip against Stormers in the shadow of Table Mountain. Never mind that the core of Stormer Springboks are in Argentina with the rest of their Test team for a

• 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

one-off international, this is serious rugby news. It’s a throwback to tours in the amateur days. Eight matches is still a little light compared to old-fashioned Lions tours and New Zealand tours to the UK and Ireland, but it is real rugby. Raw, young talent will emerge as the traditional and present world No 1 and No 2 teams battle it out for supremacy one year away from the World Cup. Memories are evoked, as timeless as pre-internet times can be; yet amid all the purity beats a heart of unfettered professionalism. The silly boastfulness of the tour’s title is an obvious plea for the past to do its bit of marketing for the present age. Rugby history is a foot soldier for a tour that is scheduled to take place every two years. Add the growing globalisation of World Cups, in whatever sport, as well as the Lions and it is hard to see how Argentina — who are not on the Lions’ agenda — can develop into one of the great rugby nations. The Pumas are being thrown to the wolves. For South Africans, Kiwis and, quite frankly, anyone else whose heart beats to the rhythm of rugby, this forthcoming series has set pulses racing before Friday night’s kick-off in Cape Town. We’ve all stopped caring about the long term. South Africa v New Zealand excites because they are the best teams in the world. It was (most of the time) ever thus. In South Africa, history is being used to bring that past headlining its way into the 21st century. In a financially troubled world, many Springboks play in Japan to alleviate the pressure of paying some of the world’s best rugby players what they “deserve”. Who would begrudge Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe (who is returning to Stormers for next season), Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel salaries that will go an extremely long way in their homeland? Their absence weakens the provincial power of South Africa but guarantees a player’s Test-match longevity, shared also by Kiwis including Ardie Savea. These are men who have a proven Test pedigree. The Japanese market can sell some of the world’s finest for their domestic rugby audience. Which takes us back to where we started this column: Henry Pollock. While Pollock was flipping into the sea and embracing Finn Russell, Hearn’s other signed-up rugby superstar, the 21-year-old was being touted by his manager as Northampton’s £1 million man. The pitch is predominantly economic (Hearn knows more about marketing talent than he does rugby union) and it is not without reason from a money point of view. Pollock is the most devastating talent to come out of England in a very long time. He knows it and so does his manager. But as Bob Dylan sang on Desolation Row, “Everybody’s shouting, ‘Which side are you on?’ ” The more conservative, traditional rugby fan base is sick of the headlines and the displays of petulance on the pitch. There is, however, a growing audience that does not read newspapers. Rather it is driven by the algorithm of the internet. Celebrities no longer have names. In the past players had to prove themselves, build their reputation at the highest level. These are different days. It’s not as if Pollock isn’t both box office and brilliant for his club. And it’s not as if he doesn’t deliver when Steve Borthwick introduces him into Test rugby from the bench. Yet he’s still relatively fresh to the game. Here are a few questions. Is the economy of rugby driven purely by the imperative to sell a few thousand shirts? Does television have the right to demand the “showbiz” when it signs a broadcast deal? How does the

market-driven online world compare to being part of a successful side? And what makes for such success? Good players are an imperative but team spirit is perhaps even more vital. Siya Kolisi arguably isn’t the best open-side in South Africa but his magnificent leadership that cements the group ensures Rassie Erasmus doesn’t select simply on ability. Sport may well be a business but the business of the sport is to win. That’s the guaranteed way to ensure the full house signs. It’s the way to ensure that, despite the failure of their great teams to dominate the URC, Springboks fans are flocking to see a squad that is much greater than the sum of its provincial parts. Backflips from a yacht aren’t a reason to sneer. But nor are they a reason to proclaim Pollock as a character or the saviour of the English game. Russell — also on the boat — has been sniffing around seven-figure salaries for years. His worth to Bath was never revealed more than in the losing of their Prem semi-final against Exeter Chiefs. He has earned it and is worth Bruce Craig’s money. Pollock is perhaps worth more than Russell — or Kriel — as a commodity but he’s still in the process of

Pollock knows how to make a splash

with videos he posts on social media

becoming a core player. To elevate him from his Saints salary of £150,000 to £1 million is to endanger the wellbeing of a balanced team. Rugby is about the team. To raise the subject of taking a break mid-season to play in an Olympics, for which Great Britain Sevens has yet to qualify, is to open the forums to mockery and resentment. Antoine Dupont, it has been pointed out, did it to gold-medal effect in 2024 but he was the world’s best player at the time and the Olympics were hosted by France. Pollock would doubtless be a raging success but his individual achievements in the sevens sphere would be offset by the fact this young man should be aiming to become the best rugby player in the world, not the most publicised and best paid. If Pollock wants to shoot for the stars and greatness, he needs to heed the advice of Phil Dowson, his club coach, as much if not more than that of Hearn. If celebrity and its fiscal rewards are the back-row forward’s main motivation, he seems in safe hands.

Page 55

Fleming, the new England Test coach, accepts that the English game must do much more to nurture homegrown coaches

Why do we struggle to

produce top coaches?

There is nothing wrong with a foreigner

coaching England, but our current system needs radical change, writes Steve James

“Not being able to produce your own coach, and not having the will or patience to work on putting that right, suggests something is rotten at the core.” Reading these words recently from Martin Samuel about England’s football scenario struck the loudest of chords as regards our cricketing set-up. And this was before the New Zealander Stephen Fleming had been appointed head coach of the Test team. To replace the New Zealander Brendon McCullum, who remains white-ball coach, having succeeded the Australian Matthew Mott in that role.

Stokes: I would love to be

England coach in future

Elizabeth Ammon

Ben Stokes has criticised the decision not to appoint Har- ry Brook as his successor as Test captain and revealed he would like to be the England head coach in the future. Stokes announced his retire- ment from international cricket during the third Test against New Zea- land in June and gave his backing to Brook, his vice-captain, to take over. Rob Key, England’s managing

Yes, McCullum succeeded an Englishman, Chris Silverwood, in the Test role, but this century Silverwood and Peter Moores (who had two goes at the job) have been the only Englishmen at the helm of England’s Test side, with the Zimbabweans Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower and the Australian Trevor Bayliss, as well as McCullum, enjoying much more success. This is not a new story, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a foreigner being the best man for the job, but at what stage are we going to accept that our coaching system is, to use

director, decided it was “too soon” for Brook, the white-ball captain, to lead in all three formats and appointed Joe Root to the red-ball role instead. “If you think someone is going to be a good captain or a good leader, just give it to them,” Stokes said on the For the Love of Cricket podcast. “Brooky was made vice- captain — I’m not there any more but even when I missed that Test match [the second Test against New Zealand, for which Root was captain], I was like, ‘He’s vice-captain.’ I sort of understand the reasoning [behind] why they were saying it but what message is that sending to him? He’s vice-

Samuel’s word, “rotten” and that radical change is required? In fairness, the managing director of England men’s cricket, Rob Key, knows this and he has put some things in motion to rectify it, like fast-tracking prominent former players such as Andrew Flintoff, Graeme Swann, Moeen Ali, and even those still playing, like Ben Stokes, through the coaching process, but, as ever with English cricket, he has faced tremendous opposition at every turn. Indeed, listening and talking to Key is like being transported back to Fletcher’s time, when the Zimbabwean recognised with the sharpest of eyes all the problems in English cricket, and had a bevy of good ideas as to how to solve them, but found that even the smallest constructive criticism of the status quo was met with astonishment

captain and the captain is not playing but he’s not captain. And then the same again here.” Stephen Fleming was appointed as Test head coach after Brendon McCullum was sacked following the 2-1 series defeat by New Zealand. Stokes believes that he is a good appointment but expressed concern about Root, 35, in his second tenure as captain. “I’ve worked with Flem before but I told Joe — I said my only worry is just you. And that’s all I really care about now, because I’ve seen what he went through and how much he put himself through for someone. He’s always put the team first — he always comes second. And that’s my only concern with it, knowing what he went through last time he was in charge of the team.” Stokes revealed that he will have more to say on his international retire- ment “when the time is right”. “I’m not going into all that detail now and now isn’t that time — I don’t want to come across as bitter yet. It was a sticky situation for quite a few people involved.”

and animosity. Key, a sharp thinker on the game, has faced the same. County cricket is a wonderful institution — I owe my life to it — but insularity and pictures taken using the narrowest of lenses are too often its downfall for players, coaches, administrators and supporters. The cricket is often interesting and entertaining, with its quality sometimes validated by comments from foreigners tasting it, but we should always be wary of those Trojan horses because they arrive for the final part of their cricketing education and most know that taking the full journey in an English (or Welsh) pathway would rarely produce the same results. Essentially it is a flawed system. Australia, India and indeed tiny New Zealand have much better systems for producing players and coaches. And the flaws in the coaching set-up here are much more easily fixed than those on the playing side, where the riddle of too many counties can never be solved. The hardest part in this country in terms of identifying and nurturing good coaches is that the media work is too accessible and too lucrative. Too often the best minds, like our own Mike Atherton and his sidekick from school and university days, Nasser Hussain, are talking to us, the viewers, about technique or tactics rather than to the players in the dressing rooms. But the problem runs much deeper than that. For too long coaching has been about numbers and money, and how to coach, rather than about what you are supposed to be coaching. The technical aspects have long been discarded in coaching courses. Those of us old enough to have attended one run in Wales by the late Tom Cartwright, the former Warwickshire, Somerset, Glamorgan and England bowler, will know that the basics of all aspects of the game had to be totally understood and demonstrated. No longer. The ECB’s highest award — the level four, which is now known as the specialist coach course — costs £9,500 to take and has become a mere money- making exercise, with all abilities of coach permitted to do it. There should be a course above all others, for those coaching in the professional game. There is always much discussion about whether you need to have played at the top level to coach at the top level, but cricket is such a complicated sport, in terms of technique, tactics and mental aptitude, that experience at a high level is almost vital. There will always be exceptions, and good on them, but they must be bloody good. Cricketers as a breed can be very unforgiving of those who make mistakes in environments to which they are not accustomed. Having said that, too many ex- professionals fall into coaching simply

The 35-year-old all-rounder seemed to rule out any possibility that he could make a shock return for the Ashes next summer, replying “definitely” when asked by Jos Buttler, the podcast host and Stokes’s former team-mate with England, whether he had retired. Stokes, however, has his sights on coaching England in the future. “Would I love to be coach of England one day? Absolutely, I’d love to be able to do that,” Stokes, who has already taken some steps towards coaching by assisting at a training camp with En- gland Lions this year, said. “Do I think it is going to happen? I don’t know. I just really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.” Stokes has taken his level three coaching certificate and was coaching young players at Durham when he was hit in the face by a ball in February, suf- fering injuries that required surgery. “I didn’t really remember what had gone on until the next day — I just remember seeing the ball coming at my face and in my brain I thought, ‘Oh f***,’ and it feels slow motion from there. I’ve

because they cannot do anything else. The best ones are identified early and run the gamut of coaching experiences from the very youngest to the most experienced of players. They soon realise that the hours required are even greater than when playing. Some serious dedication is required. Pay can be a big hindrance. Beyond the international and franchise roles, it is often a pittance. For some of my group coaching sessions this winter I received a whopping increase from £15 an hour to £17.50. Fortunately I have a proper job in this parish and do the coaching for enjoyment, and as a genuine attempt to help the future generations. But it is easy to see why so many coaches pull out of pathway systems and instead pursue one-on- one coaching, many then battling each other on social media for more clients without an iota of self-awareness. Young players these days receive advice from so many quarters that it is no wonder they are confused. Nothing is joined up. Counties often use their own former players as assistant coaches because they simply cannot tempt those from other counties to uproot for such small salaries. A key (with and without the capital letter) appointment has been Troy Cooley as elite national pace bowling lead because he can hopefully influence the coaches as much as the players. He is, of course, Australian but a depth chart of English fast-bowling coaches should develop beneath him. And that should be the case at the counties too. Those players deemed suitable and promising should be ushered into coaching as soon as possible. Twelve-month contracts make this so simple in the winter: there is only so much practice and training one can do. Thankfully, Fleming is on board with all this. As Key said when announcing his appointment: “One of the first things he spoke about was actually that we have a duty to bring coaches through, to upskill, to give them experiences. Stephen spoke about it at length. It’s not a quick fix. We have tried and we are trying with different levers to solve that. Next time, you don’t want someone to go: ‘I have to appoint an English coach.’ What you want is English coaches to be top of the list.” Too right you do. Glamorgan’s Richard Dawson was undoubtedly in the conversation this time, but you suspect he is more a No 2 at present than the main man. The next time England are looking for a coach that, and much more, needs to have changed. Not to upset my old county, but Dawson as Fleming’s assistant now would make perfect sense, slotting in for some series until he is ready to take over fully. It’s called succession planning.

got four plates and 16 screws — they went in through the side of my eye. Since going back into the nets my net awareness is off the scale.” Stokes added that he had no regrets about England’s trip to Noosa during the Ashes, when Ben Duckett was filmed seemingly drunk while strug- gling to find his way back to the team’s hotel. That led to further criticism that the squad had a drinking culture. “I think cricket just has a drinking culture and it hasn’t changed,” Stokes said. “The game has gone more professional over the years but the one thing I think has stayed within cricket is the relationship with alcohol. “So for people who think the English cricket team has a drinking culture, I would say no, I would just say cricket has a culture that is associated with al- cohol.” Since his international retirement, Stokes has featured for Durham in the One-Day Cup and is expected to play in the County Championship for the rest of the season before seeking franchise contracts over the winter.

Page 56

Infantino’s key

allies may have turned on him

continued from back

give in to that.” Fifa has been contacted for comment. So far only a small num- ber of countries have offered their public backing to Infantino. Signifi- cantly Saudi Arabia, which has been a key ally, is yet to declare its support. Sources said a group of senior staff within Fifa had a management meeting yesterday without Infantino present, and all bar one opposed the World Cup sell-off scheme. That development, along with the statements from Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, and the Grafstrom email will heap further pressure on Infantino to resign, with key allies now appearing to have turned on him. Wenger said: “The recent events at Fifa deserve some clarity from my side. I was not involved in this strategic plan and first became aware of the project through media reports. “The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency and integrity.” It is understood that Grafstrom had not been in favour of Infantino’s plan to set up a company called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) with a stake of it owned by private investors led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared. Grafstrom sent an email to Fifa staff saying: “We have all been thrown into the middle of a turmoil, which is difficult to comprehend and accept, but, as secretary general, I urge you to remain focused on what has always united us: serving football and serving our 211 member associations. “A sad and reproachable series of events — which were thankfully con- cluded with the FFE project perma-

Szoboszlai: Everyone

is motivated to win for quiet man Iraola

Ian Whittell Chicago

Andoni Iraola may be short on words, at least in the dressing room immediately after a match, but his “tour captain” Dominik Szoboszlai believes that the new Liverpool head coach offers hope of a fresh start after the struggles of last season. Szoboszlai skippered Liverpool on a three-match tour to the US that brought two victories and a defeat and also served as a “getting to know you” exercise in which players became acquainted with Iraola’s methods. After an often turbulent season in which Liverpool’s failed title defence cost Arne Slot his job, Szoboszlai is welcoming the chance for a much- needed new beginning under the Dutchman’s successor. “He doesn’t speak after the game,” the Hungary international said. “I

nently abandoned — for as much as we feel dismayed by them, should not over- shadow this reality. I assure you that you as members of the administration, you will be defended and safeguarded from the political context we currently experience. You do not need to worry. “Individuals, unstable moments and unfortunate episodes come and go. The institution, its mission and its responsibility towards world football continue, and that is why we should always keep our professionalism, sense of perspective and composure.” Infantino’s opponents are already planning for life after him, with some believing there should be a change to the structure by rotating the Fifa presi- dency around the confederation presi- dents every four years. Others are con- cerned that would put too much power into the hands of a chief executive. Prince Ali ran against Infantino for the Fifa presidency in 2016, and his lengthy statement illustrated the pres- sures faced by national associations. Jordan qualified for the World Cup but many of their fans were not granted visas to enter the US even though they had tickets — “which we also know were sold at exorbitant prices” — and Prince Ali said the Jordan FA was heav- ily taxed by the US government, while those who were based in and played in Canada and Mexico did so tax-free. He added: “We have been waiting for reward money for our players since December for the Arab Cup in Qatar, which is a Fifa event . . . while at the same time Fifa brags about how many billions they have in reserve. Fifa has been refusing to help us on any of these or other matters — until it was verbally communicated to me during the World Cup that if I endorsed Infantino it would go a long way to helping our FA out. We pride ourselves in Jordan in upholding ethical values.”

think every manager is different in his own way. That’s how he is. He always prefers to speak the day after the game, which is fine for everyone. We have to get used to this. “Obviously a new manager, every- one is motivated. I see in everybody’s eyes that they want to play. And if you want to play, you have to give your best. And from there, the manager is going to decide who is going to play. But every- body is on zero right now. “I can’t wait, honestly. I feel we are ready to go again and take motivation from last season. Because it was not the best we could do. We didn’t end up where we wanted to. So now we’re going to go for it again.” Like most Premier League teams, Liverpool’s pre-season plans have been hampered by players returning late after the World Cup and a slow summer of transfer business so far —

Chelsea close in on Chavarría as Cucurella replacement

Chelsea are finalising a move for the Rayo Vallecano left wingback Pep Chavarría (Peter Rutzler writes). The 28-year-old, who would replace Marc Cucurella, is due to travel to London in the next 48 hours to complete the transfer. Rayo’s valuation of the player jumped during the negotiations but a compromise is close to being reached. The Spaniard is set to become the latest signing for Chelsea under Xabi

Szoboszlai was Iraola’s captain for

Liverpool’s tour to the United States

an issue that, in his role as captain, Szoboszlai has been quizzed about in recent days. “You know my answer for this,” he said. “That’s not my job to tell you who we have to sign or if we have to sign someone. If the guys above and the manager decide to sign someone,

Alonso, after the arrivals of Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck, Marco Palestra, Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix, as well as Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda and Dastan Satpayev, who joined on pre-agreed transfers. Chavarría spent much of his early years in the Spanish lower divisions before moving from Real Zaragoza to Rayo, in La Liga, in 2022. He made 44 appearances for the club last season as they

we are very happy and are going to welcome him well, or them. If they decide not to, then we have to do some- thing special with this squad.” Similarly, Szoboszlai was non- committal over the issue of where he would prefer to play under Iraola, his third manager in a little over three years since he signed from RB Leipzig for £60 million. Midfield, No 10, wide right and even right back have featured in his job de- scription but, certainly publicly, he is not expressing a preference. “I didn’t speak to [Iraola] about that, but I think sooner or later he’s going to tell me where he wants me to play,” Szoboszlai said. “Or if he doesn’t tell me, he’s going to put me where he wants me to play. “So it doesn’t matter where he plays me, I’m going to be there for the team, for him, and try to play my best.” Szoboszlai was one of the few bright points amid Liverpool’s struggles last season, to the extent that he enters the new season with a contract extension that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2031, a gesture that clearly indicates the management see him as a future cornerstone of the team. To that end, and with Virgil van Dijk beginning his delayed pre-season back in Liverpool, Szoboszlai was named captain for the tour and would appear

reached the Conference League final. Chelsea sold Cucurella to Real Madrid for £51.8 million this summer. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town have signed Florentino on a five-year contract from Burnley for up to £19 million (Gary Jacob writes). The 26-year-old midfielder made 31 Premier League appearances last season. Florentino joined Burnley from Benfica on loan in 2025, before the

deal was made permanent in June. He won two league titles with Benfica and had loan spells at Monaco and Getafe. Crystal Palace are in advanced talks to sign Zavier Gozo, 19, for about £11.1 million from Real Salt Lake. The American scored six goals and five assists in 16 games last season as a wingback. Middlesbrough are close to agreeing a deal with Manchester United to sign Radek Vitek, the 22-year-old goalkeeper.

to be a leading candidate to become Van Dijk’s vice-captain in the com- ing campaign. Not that the role proved uneventful on tour, with video footage seeming to show Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones disagreeing after the Hungarian handed the armband to Kostas Tsimi- kas, not Jones, when he was substituted in the 1-0 win against Wrexham. It ap- peared little more than an exchange of opinions at the time and Szoboszlai was quick to downplay talk of a row. “It was never a debate between us three. We just discussed something on the pitch, which, actually, after was made very big,” he laughed. “But next time we will manage to do it in the changing room. But no, nobody was angry at anyone. It’s all cleared. We are cool, everybody. “There hasn’t been any conversation [about vice-captaincy]. Obviously we have Virgil as the captain. We have Ali [Alisson]. We have Joe Gomez. So there was no conversation at all. “Obviously Ali is not here [in the US], Joe is injured, so it was a very proud moment to have it. And let’s see. It’s not my choice. It’s not fixed. “If you get offered the vice-captaincy in Liverpool FC, you’re going to take it. It would be a proud moment for me. But I respect everybody. So either way, who it’s going to be, we’re going to follow them.”

Page 57

Move aside,

Spider-Man: Wrexham take over New York

Welsh side’s Hollywood journey leads them to the

entertainment capital of the world, and top-flight dream is not that far-fetched, writes Ian Whittell

A little over six decades since a Liverpool rock’n’roll band conquered New York and changed the face of global entertainment for ever, bemused tourists in Times Square this week were treated to an altogether different kind of invasion from a group hailing not too far from Merseyside. In fact, Liverpool themselves were also in town this week but it was their near neighbours (geographically if not in terms of the football record books) Wrexham who were most obviously basking in their moment at the centre of the world’s entertainment capital. It might have been slightly incongruous, positioned alongside sky-high video advertising hoardings for the latest Spider-Man movie and Broadway shows, but a Championship football club launching their new kit with huge electronic billboards on this stage was, to quote their chief executive Michael Williamson, a “pinch-me” moment. Wrexham, who were playing Liverpool in a friendly, and Hollywood have been comfortable, if unlikely, bedfellows ever since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought them more than five years ago. A run of three successive promotions was halted only last season when they missed out on the play-offs on the final day. Still, every step of the journey has been captured by a documentary series and led to the club enjoying unprecedented exposure that has them claiming 30 million fans worldwide, 41 per cent of them outside Europe and more than 10 million in North America. Market research is one thing, Times Square swarming with supporters in Wrexham shirts — most, clearly, from North America — and Williamson being asked to ring the cer- emonial bell that opened trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange last Tuesday, is quite another. “Listen, it is absolutely a pinch-me moment,” said Williamson, a 54-year- old American and former Inter Milan executive who joined Wrexham, then

Of course, no amount of Hollywood glamour or “Q” rating — the marketing measure used in the US to gauge brand awareness — will help Parkinson win the fourth and surely hardest promotion of all, to the Premier League. But if there is a sense that Wrexham, whose new Kop stand will not be fully operational for another 12 months, have plateaued, their owners do not want to hear it. “I was on a call and Ryan said, ‘Well, when we arrive in the Champions League . . .’ And I said, ‘We did already with the women’s team,’ ” Williamson said, laughing. “You keep setting new bars and new expectations. The truth is we can arrive at a very high level. We have so much momentum. We have so much support. “We’re doing it in a different way and it’s going to allow us to arrive to a very high level pretty quickly. But what I’ve always said from the beginning is we need to make sure that on that journey we don’t leave the town behind. Because if we’re successful as a football club, but the town hasn’t grown with us, then we haven’t actually had success. “For us to be a successful football club in the Premier League, in the top levels of the Premier League, we also need to make sure that the town is successful.” For a day or two in New York, placing “Wrexham” and “Premier League”, or even “Champions League”, in the same sentence did not seem quite as preposterous as it once did. It may not have been Beatlemania, circa 1964, but this was one British export that, briefly at least, justifiably held top billing in one of the world’s greatest markets. United say £20m training kit sponsorship deal is biggest ever

Charlotte Duncker

Manchester United have agreed a £20 million training kit deal with the gambling firm Betway which they claim is the biggest in world football. The multi-year sponsorship is said to be the biggest standalone training kit or playing shirt sleeve deal ever and club sources said it will help them to invest in the first team as they look to bolster the squad before their return to the Champions League. United were without a training kit

preparing for life in League One, two years ago. “Obviously, it’s an incredible experience for me personally. But more importantly, what is amazing is to think that the story of Wrexham and where it’s come from, and where it is today, to be here in New York City playing against Liverpool at Yankee Stadium. “And to be able to ring the opening bell on Nasdaq and have all of our kit launch revealed in Times Square, it is truly a remarkable moment. And when you really go back to think about how resilient the club has been over the decades, to see it arrive here is just something everyone should be proud of. This is the moment of success.” Even allowing for the profile of their owners, the sight of a British football club that three years ago was just climbing out of non-League competi- tion plastered all over downtown New York was remarkable. When he took over in 2021, the manager Phil Parkinson could not even put together a proper pre-season amid Covid, as he was struggling with the disease himself. He took on Manchester United and Leeds United in Tampa and Liverpool, ending a two-week US tour with a 1-0 defeat by Sunderland in McElhenney’s hometown of Philadelphia on Sunday. “The documentary has afforded us the opportunity to be able to amplify our messages and that has resonated with a global fan base,” Williamson said. “It’s captured the hearts and minds of millions of fans worldwide. “Which is why we come to New York City, we had tremendous support in Tampa, but also in

sponsor for the entirety of last season after their deal with the technology company Tezos expired at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Sources claim they have been patiently waiting for the right partnership but the expiration of the last deal coincided with the club’s worst league finish for more than 50 years. Agreeing deals with betting compa- nies for front-of-shirt sponsorship is no longer permitted, after Premier League clubs collectively agreed to withdraw them by the end of the 2025-26 season,

Rio Ngumoha, of Liverpool, battles with George Thomason, of Wrexham, during the pre-season friendly at Yankee Stadium

Australia, New Zealand and around the world. We have that kind of strong fan base that cares and is passionate about the club but, even more importantly, about the community. That’s what they’ve connected to. That’s what they’ve fallen in love with. “It just allows us to be able to say, ‘OK, we have a brand that isn’t your traditional Championship club brand.’ So that certainly allows us to have the opportunity to make strategic investments and growth. “And that’s what we’re really doing. Investing in strategic growth. So when you look at it, it’s not all about the players. Of course we’ve had success in that, with Phil and his team, but

but the rules do not extend to shirt sleeve sponsors or training kits. The Betway logo will feature on the front of the men’s and women’s training kits and will be displayed prominently around Old Trafford. This is under- stood to be the biggest commercial investment for the UK-based gambling company, which was West Ham’s front-of-shirt sponsor for a decade. Michael Carrick is preparing for his first full campaign in charge at Old Trafford and needs more new faces for their return to European football.

what it also allowed us to do was invest off the pitch.” That has been evidenced by, among other things, a huge new club shop in the centre of Wrexham, renovation of the stadium and big investments in training grounds and the women’s programmes, all of which will continue to feature in the documentary. The documentary also explains how the latest Wrexham financial figures, at the end of the 2024-25 season when they were in League One, showed turnover of £33.3 million, well over half of which was generated from outside the UK, primarily North America. Estimates for 2025-26 predict revenue of £43.9 million. The new Wrexham kit, revealed in the “Pelé Soccer” store on Times Square, has Firefox emblazoned across the front, replacing United Airlines as their sponsor. It is a long way from the shirt spon- sor pre-takeover, Ifor Williams Trailers, for whom Reynolds produced a hilari- ous series of advertisements as consolation for ending their five- year deal. Given Reynolds’ hourly rate as a pitch per- son, it presumably equated to a multi-million-pound “golden goodbye” for the local company.

Williamson, centre,

with McElhenney

and Reynolds

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have arrived from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively for a combined £83 million, but with the departure of Casemiro and the knee injury suffered by Manuel Ugarte, whom the club had been open to selling, they are still considering bringing in another midfielder. The left side is also an area they are looking to improve with either a left back or left winger, while another forward, to provide support for Benjamin Sesko, is also on the radar.

The squad, who had Bruno Fernan- des, Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui return this week after their post-World Cup breaks, are preparing for their fourth pre-season friendly. They opted against a far-flung tour this summer, instead scheduling a host of European-based friendlies. After defeat by Wrexham in their first match, they have beaten Rosenborg and Atletico Madrid. They play Paris Saint-Germain in Sweden on Saturday before games against Leeds United and AC Milan.

Page 58

58

Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times Sport Football

Staveley versus

Kretinsky: Who will win battle in boardroom for West Ham?

As former Newcastle United investor vies with

‘Czech Sphinx’ to seize control, Gary Jacob looks at what the power struggle means for the Championship club’s promotion hopes

For West Ham United, the next month

promises to be one of the most crucial in their recent history. On the pitch, they are equipping themselves for their first season outside the top flight since 2011. Off it, a complex boardroom battle is playing out for control of the club. David Sullivan’s resignation as the co-chairman in June, following a Times and BBC Panorama investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies, has left a power vacuum at the top. Daniel Kretinsky, the Royal Mail owner dubbed the “Czech Sphinx” who has owned a minor- ity stake since 2021, was in pole position to seize control. That was until Amanda Staveley entered the fray. The former Newcastle United investor agreed last weekend to buy a

Daniel

Kretinsky

sexual misconduct,

Czech billionaire has

reduced his stake to

24.8 per cent, which

would allow him to

buy Vanessa Gold’s

25.1 per cent stake

from the late David Gold’s family for £150 million — which values the club at about £600 million — and she could potentially gazump Kretinsky. It will be fascinating to see which of the leading characters in West Ham’s Game of Thrones are at the London Stadium on Saturday for the Carabao Cup first- round tie against Portsmouth. There is certainly optimism among supporters that West Ham can bounce back quickly from relegation. They have sold more than 50,000 tickets for the cup tie and a similar number of season tickets for their Championship campaign, which begins away to Burnley eight days later. Since Sullivan’s resigna- tion, Kretinsky has been running the club with the aim of an immediate return to the Premier League. Jarrod Bow- en, the West Ham captain, opted to stay having lis- tened to Kretin- sky’s vision for the club on a visit to Prague. The club have sold well, banking £160 mil- lion by offloading Crysencio Sum- merville, Mateus Fernandes and Freddie Potts. Further transfer fees could be generated by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Niclas Füllkrug and Edson Álvarez. So far, West Ham are yet to make

a signing but the club have stressed that

their transfer plans are unaffected by potential ownership changes. Nils Koppen was hired as director of player recruitment to move towards a more data-led approach, and the Celtic midfielder Arne Engels and the Sunderland winger Simon Adingra are among their targets. West Ham’s gamble is that by retaining most of last season’s squad and making a good start, they should get their neck in front early. Most fans will care more about matters on the pitch, but those who want a change from Sullivan’s stewardship are likely to get their wish — with the caveat that the 77-year-old may become kingmaker depending on how the parties play their cards. Kretinsky, worth an estimated £8 billion according to The Sunday Times Rich List, is a methodical opera- tor. He is the majority owner and the president of Sparta Prague in his native Czech Republic, but has largely taken a back seat at West Ham since buying a 27 per cent stake for about £168 million in 2021, leaving Sullivan to run the club. Staveley has been looking to get back into football since leaving Newcastle United in July 2024. She was the public

face of Newcastle’s Saudi-backed take-

over in 2021 and, with her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, became a direct- or and minority co-owner. Since leav- ing St James’ Park, she has been linked with a bid for Tottenham Hotspur. Staveley told Bloomberg this week: “Whatever club we take, there will be a big property play as well. We won’t just do a football-led.” That seems to be code for developing land in or near the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London. In exchange for a land deal, her consortium would probably have to buy the London Stadium on a long lease. The stadium owner, in effect the mayor of London, would remain the freeholder. The mayor has said for years he would be open to discuss- ing serious offers as the ground loses about £20 million each year, which London taxpayers cover. At present West Ham have a 99-year rental agree- ment from 2016, worth £4.4 million a year. Staveley was hosted by London Stadium officials at a recent pop concert. It has been speculated that she may go further by building a new ground near the present site, which would appease supporters unhappy with the 2012 Olympic

Sullivan, who owns

38.8 per cent, stepped

down as co-chairman

after allegations of

which he denies. He

bought the club with

David Gold in 2010.

Stadium. That idea ignores the

obsession with an Olympic legacy — never mind the vast cost. Available land near the stadium has been earmarked for development so it may be a case of now or never. Staveley’s consortium includes her husband, their firm, PCP Capital Partners, and Ashland Forest Capital Partners, a relatively new American private investment firm. It is unclear how they would fund any takeover and any development. Before the recent allegations, a deal had been set up for Sullivan and Kretinsky to share ownership, each with the same holding of about 41 per cent. Kretinsky agreed to purchase shares owned by the Gold family to increase his stake. Sullivan would like- wise raise his holding from 38.8 per cent. Gold’s descendants agreed two prices depending on whether West Ham stayed up or not. They had been

Page 59

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

59 Sport

Amanda

Staveley

Former Newcastle

United investor has

agreed a deal to buy

Vanessa Gold’s

25.1 per cent stake for

£150 million. If she

then bought out

Sullivan she could

take majority control

of the club.

trying unsuccessfully to sell since

David Gold’s death in 2023, including to Americans and technology groups. The proposed deal collapsed when Sullivan resigned. Kretinsky stepped in and agreed to buy 16 per cent from Gold’s family, which would have taken his stake to 43 per cent. He became joint-chair alongside Vanessa Gold, David’s daughter, who would have been left with 9.1 per cent. Staveley was also approached about buying Gold’s stake, perhaps with a view to gaining control. She agreed to buy the full stake for £150 million, which was more attractive because Gold’s family could dispose of the full holding — and at a higher sum than had been agreed with Kretinsky. If Sta-

One billionaire may need help

from another if plan is to work

continued from back

grounds

that include integrity and honesty. Sullivan resigned as West Ham co-chairman in June after the allegations were uncovered by a Times and BBC Panorama investigation. The 77-year-old British businessman was accused of exploitative and predatory behaviour when he was

veley then bought out Sullivan, she

could take majority control of the club. Kretinsky responded by selling more than 2 per cent to Jakub Havrlant, a Czech entrepreneur and investor. This means Kretinsky would not own more than 50 per cent if he buys Gold’s full stock. Under a previous shareholder agreement in 2021, going above 50 per cent may trigger a clause that would force Kretinsky to buy Sullivan’s stake at an inflated price. The process to buy the Gold shares could last two months. Sullivan has lost control of the club but can still pull strings. He is open to selling his shares at a lofty price. It is hard to think that Sullivan, Kretinsky and Staveley could work together, should they all be left with chunky holdings. The question is, then, which two of the three could pair up for the betterment of the club? Perhaps Kretinsky could leave Staveley to run West Ham as one of his investments? Or do Kretinsky and Staveley want outright control? The Game of Thrones finale left some disappointed. West Ham fans would settle for stability and a return to the top flight.

making his fortune in the adult

industry, with the claims dating back to the 1980s. Sullivan denies the allegations and has labelled them “factually incorrect and entirely false”. For Kretinsky’s plan to work, he may need the help of the club’s third-largest shareholder, the American billionaire Albert “Tripp” Smith, who owns 8 per cent. There are two rounds of bidding. In the first round, shareholders have 30 days to buy their entitlement, which is up to the same proportion as their present holding. In the second round, any remaining Gold shares can be bought by shareholders who participated in the first round. Kretinsky hopes to take all of the 25.1 per cent on offer. Without Kretinsky’s move, Staveley’s intervention would have meant Sullivan was kingmaker of the club’s future ownership. A seat at the table for Staveley would mean she could join forces with Sullivan or try to buy his 38.8 per cent share to take majority control of West Ham.

Bowen key for Nuno’s side – but

don’t write off post-Spygate Saints

Joe Harston

Keeping hold of head coach Nuno

Espírito Santo and captain Jarrod Bowen should give West Ham United fans confidence in their chances of bouncing back to the Premier League at the first attempt. They also still have the opportunity to reinvest the huge fees they brought in for Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville. But getting out of the Championship is never easy and these are the teams that look best placed to finish in the automatic promotion places.

wolverhampton wanderers

While the oddly timed pre-season sacking of Rob Edwards and the sit-in protest of Tolu Arokodare may have grabbed the headlines, there is no denying that Wolves have players who are among the best in the division. For a start, they boast one of the Championship’s strongest attacks in Adam Armstrong and Raúl Jiménez. Armstrong has proved effective at this level before, scoring the winning goal in the play-off final for Southampton in 2024. Jiménez’s return to Molineux comes after a Premier League season with Fulham and a World Cup that showed he is still a dangerous force in the box. In midfield is 18-year-old Mateus Mané, whose emergence last season was a rare positive in an otherwise dismal campaign. He is physical, comfortable on the ball, an excellent finisher, and could be a key player for the head coach César Peixoto. Meanwhile, the combination of Kieran Trippier and Ladislav Krejci will be important in both boxes.

middlesbrough

Despite the lacklustre Wembley per- formance that ended Middlesbrough’s side of the Spygate drama, there has been plenty of evidence from Kim Hellberg’s time on Teesside that they can challenge for the title. Their main woe last season was struggling to take their chances, but they have addressed that by bringing in Will Lankshear from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could reach £20 million. The 21-year-old scored a respectable 11 goals for Oxford United last season and is a natural fin- isher with an aerial pres- ence. He should be able to make the most of the creativity in this side. The biggest con- cern is the departure of their midfield maestro and captain Hayden Hackney, who moved to Everton this summer. After he was in- jured in March, Middles- brough won just twice in their next 11 matches. They hope that Sebastian Berhalter, a USA inter- national, will be a suita- ble replacement. He is best known for his ex- cellent set pieces, which bodes well because no one won more corners in the Champion- ship than Mid- dlesbrough last

The teenager Mané is expected to emerge as an important player for Wolves

season. It is also handy that his midfield

partner will be his close friend Aidan Morris, who he grew up with at Columbus Crew’s academy.

southampton

Spygate may not be quite in the rear- view mirror yet but the effect on the Southampton squad has not been the catastrophe many expected. Players have not headed for the exit in droves — in fact Southampton have signed two of last season’s key loan players, Daniel Peretz and Cyle Larin, on permanent deals. They have also secured the sought-after goalscorer Lewis Dobbin from Aston Villa, after a standout season at Preston North End. What does still hang

GODFREY PITT/ACTION PLUS/SHUTTERSTOCK

appear to be a side plagued by

internal politics. Considering the turnaround Eckert performed after Will Still’s disappointing spell in charge, a four-point deduction might well be forgotten after two games if the likes of Léo Scienza and Shea Charles find familiar form.

burnley

The Lancashire side have developed a reputation for yo-yoing between the Championship and the Premier League, but, to their credit, they tend to find themselves in excellent shape before embarking on a promotion campaign. With the Belgian coach Nicky Hayen at the helm now, though, they are more difficult to read. Hayen, 45, is an exciting manager who has had spells with Club Bruges and Genk but he will have to deal with a somewhat depleted squad, with the contributions of Maxime Estève and Jaidon Anthony particularly difficult to replace. Estève, the centre back who has moved to RB Leipzig, was a huge presence in their record-breaking de- fence when they were promoted under Scott Parker while conceding only 16 goals in the 2024-25 season. Anthony was involved in more than a quarter of Burnley’s league goals last season and that form earned him a move to Brentford. Keeping hold of last year’s player of the season Zian Flemming and their tenacious ball-winning midfielder Hannibal Mejbri will be crucial if they are to compete at the top again.

other contenders

Millwall will be hoping to prove that last season’s third-place finish was not a one-off, while Wrexham and Birming- ham City look to make the most of the generous American investments they have received. Other dark horses are Norwich City who, after dropping into the relegation zone at the start of last season, enjoyed an impressive revival under Philippe Clement.

Page 60

1GS1M Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times Sport

Infantino’s crisis summit

6 Under-fire president calls Fifa staff to Morocco 6 Wenger distances himself from World Cup plan

Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter

Gianni Infantino has called senior Fifa staff to a crisis meeting in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, where he is holed up, as Arsène Wenger piled the pressure on the beleaguered Fifa president. Infantino has summoned staff to Rabat, sources say, in a desperate

Times Crossword 29,613 across down Yesterday’s solution 29,612

       

 

 

   



 

   

 

attempt to cling to power. His loyal lieutenants have been urging many of the 211 member associations to publicly back him. Wenger’s statement that the withdrawal of Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan was “absolutely necessary”, and that he had been kept in the dark about the scheme, is seen as

British trailblazer

Meet GB’s first female sailor in America’s Cup for 90 years

another disastrous development for the Fifa president. It followed an email to staff from Fifa’s secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, who referred to “a sad and reproachable series of events” around the scheme. Meanwhile, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, president of the Jordan FA,

1 Poet program occupies most of

exhibit (6) 4 Dish made with eggs — some sell

better without any shells (8) 10 Heroic tale of Ohio-born Liberal

Democrat (5,4) 11 Seize westbound drug boat (5) 12 Life force found within Pinocchio (3) 13 Compare story-telling with cartoon

bear leading and jumping cross- legged (5,6) 14 Combine core part of chimney and

old fireplace (6) 16 Hunter — one regularly taking

fewer traps (7) 19 Set fire to gas when there’s no

energy left for element (7) 20 Someone going through penance

more quickly (6) 22 Five nudes jumping over tree



backwards — it’s a work of art (5,2,4) 25 Love intervening for and on behalf

of father (3) 26 Muscle connector lacks density for

part of joint (5) 27 Honour the German church

incorporating new submissiveness (9) 28 Revised name or term

alleged that the pressure on member associations to endorse Infantino for re-election next year “amounts to blackmail”. “We did not endorse him before and certainly will not now,” Prince Ali posted on X. “But the whole situation amounts to blackmail and we refuse to

1 Buffeted small railway wagon (6) 2 Legal cases succeeded against local

press agent (9) 3 It’s perfect on top of yoghurt! (5) 5 Doctor claimed refurbished

workspace next to river (7,7) 6 Call in large loan agreements,

causing reputational damage (9) 7 Every now and again swim past

rocky peak in trunks (5) 8 Invigorate Frenchman upset with

non-uniform appearance (8) 9 Note lines accompanying lengthy

word for part of the brain (4-4,6) 15 Laid songs out in series of notes (9) 17 Something that reveals palpebral

muscle? (3-6) 18 Lift across the pond to reveal rocks

(8) 21 Pretence regularly cloaked by quiet

delivery (6) 23 Group performing without safety

device? (5) 24 Bad egg turning green (5)

Steve James

Why are we struggling to produce top cricket coaches?

SKY SPORTS

Kretinsky tries

to block £150m West Ham deal

Gary Jacob

The ownership battle at West Ham United has intensified after the Czech billionaire and club co-chair Daniel Kretinsky moved to see off Amanda Staveley. Staveley’s consortium agreed a £150 million deal to buy the full 25.1 per cent stake from the family of the late David Gold on Saturday. But before Staveley can buy it, existing shareholders have first refusal at the price she agreed. Kretinsky, the 51-year-old owner of Royal Mail, has responded by reducing his holding from 27 per cent to below 25 per cent, which enables him to buy the Gold family’s full stake without surpassing 50 per cent. Kretinsky must not exceed that level because it may trigger a clause, under a shareholders’ agreement between them from 2021, which forces him to buy David Sullivan’s 38.8 per cent stake at an inflated price. Should Kretinsky’s move pay off, his combined holding should put him in control of the club — which was relegated to the Championship last season — denying Staveley the chance to buy any shares. Staveley, 53, led the takeover of Newcastle United for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Kretinsky has agreed to sell more than 2 per cent to Jakub Havrlant, a Czech entrepreneur and investor. Kretinsky has gambled that he can buy all of the Gold family’s holding — Vanessa Gold, David’s daughter, is representing them — in the belief Sullivan will not be able to increase his stake as the Independent Football Regulator would step in because of the allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The regulator, a new body, has the statutory power to make a club owner divest their shares should they be deemed unsuitable on

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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.

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Page 62

Topless sunbathing’s out,

mammary modesty is in. Let’s call it progress

Carol Midgley

F

ewer women may be choosing to go topless on Spanish beaches so join me, readers, in pondering why. It won’t take long, as the saying goes. The reasons are as obvious as the nose on my face, which is not inconsiderable. I have been saying for years that grilling one’s nipples and breasts like two gammon steaks is as dated as a pair of 1970s crimplene trews, even though in my youth I used to do it myself. My gammons didn’t thank me, especially when burning occurred and putting on a lacy bra felt like stabbing yourself with 10,000 needles. Then came the peeling and crusting stage, which left them looking like two barnacled hala fruits. Happy days. The Times reported that Spanish newspapers and social media have been debating whether topless women are gradually disappearing from beaches. It seems to be so. One woman said that fewer women do it because they feel less safe and when others see more women covering up they are inclined to do it themselves. A YouGov survey last year found that 37 per cent of Spanish women often sunbathe topless. A similar survey in 2017 put that figure at 49 per cent, so quite a plunge. I don’t want to say I told you so but I started noticing about a decade ago that the only women whipping off their bikini tops on the beach were a) aged over 50 or b) had breast implants and didn’t want to hide their pricey investments under a GG cup. Breast reduction and implant removal procedures have now surpassed enlargements. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the decline has coincided with the ubiquitous presence of mobile phone cameras, which means that Mr P Ervert, lurking beneath a striped beach umbrella, can fill his photo bank all day long and, if he wishes, instantly share someone’s blistered knockers with 20 mates back at the pub in Sutton Coldfield (or wherever — I’m not besmirching Sutton Coldfield). Ironic, really, that the oversharing of life generally has led to an outbreak of mammary modesty. But I’d say it’s a bit more complicated than that. Let’s not forget our old friend “impossible

My guide

to shear underwear

beauty standards”. Did you know that big breasts are now passé, old hat, toast? Oh yes. This year it was declared that the fashionable mammary to wear out and about is a pert, petite “ballerina boob”, the better to pull off “Le Droop”, namely the small, braless, unsupported breasts that look natural with just the right amount of “hang”. This is a nightmare trend for the larger-chested woman, who is more likely to be sporting “Le Grand Flop”. She’s not going to brandish her two slumped sacks of damp flour on the Costa Blanca any time soon. Anyway, I think young women today are just more sensible than we used to be. They drink less, they don’t hitchhike as we used to to save money and then, when we got a lift from a stranger, failed to put on the seatbelt. They wear factor 50 and definitely don’t baste their breasts in baby oil and, as one acquaintance did, Spry Crisp ’n Dry, effectively shallow-frying one’s clangers for an all-over tan that lasted two days, tops. It doesn’t half accelerate leathery wrinkling, hence the teen boys taunting us that we would have “corduroy tits”. Ah, the good old days. So think of this as progress and a welcome development in a phone- dominated world. Voyeurs have always existed, obviously, but at least in our day they didn’t go home from the beach sweatily clutching a full personal library of digital “souvenirs”.

a relief all round, I’m sure. But that’s not my reason for failing to “treat” myself. M&S is, FYI, stocking Ann Summers’s gusset- free lacy pants, which it describes as “playful” but I would describe as “pointless”. Some claim they are healthy to wear because they air

the pantry, so to speak. So can we expect to see a range of crotchless Y-fronts? I suspect not, and let’s be thankful for that. I now have a horrific mental image that I’d describe as not so much “playful” as “call the police”. But a pack of three lace crotchless thongs

A word in

your shell- like, Avanti

Did you hear about the tortoise found on the railway tracks of the west coast mainline? It’s annoying when the gags write themselves. The tortoise was spotted ambling down the tracks by a passenger at Runcorn. I could ask whether it was overtaking the trains at the time, but I won’t. Nor will I ask whether Avanti had employed it as a pace- setter. It probably fell off the train in shock upon being told the price of a peak-time ticket to London. I do applaud Avanti and Network Rail, though, for stopping the trains to rescue the poor creature and not thinking, hmm, this might cause Delay Repay refunds — just crush it. But the terrible attempts at corporate punning? Not so much. Its press release called the tortoise a “slowcomotive” and said it was taken to a “place of shell-ter”. Painful. It added there was “shell shock in our control room” but after ten minutes passengers could “hare it to their destinations”. Guys, guys — never give up the day job.

costs £20, a mystery given only a wisp of material is involved. And yet a pack of three lacy thongs with gussets costs half that. If you must feel a draught down below, why not save yourself a tenner, buy the cheap ones and get to work with the garden shears?

A Cambridge

A victim of ‘dark arts’ or a plagiarist?

Jason Arday is at the heart of a storm that threatens his reputation and the institution’s. By Damian Whitworth T

he ancient limestone colleges of the University of Cambridge have stood for centuries, but occasionally even they succumb to external pressures. The first stone appears to have crumbled in the wall of support for the embattled Cambridge professor at the heart of the extraordinary plagiarism row that has engulfed the university. Cambridge moved fast when allegations of plagiarism were levelled last week at Jason Arday, who became the university’s youngest black professor when he was appointed in 2023 at the age of 37. The allegations were unfounded and part of “a vile campaign to undermine his credibility”, the university said in a statement. The allegations focus on his PhD, awarded by Liverpool John Moores University, which cleared him of plagiarism charges. Among those who, separately, signed an open letter in support of Arday was Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, a nanoscientist and the head of Wolfson College. The letter, circulated by the Good Law Project, said Arday was being smeared with “fake accusations”, and was signed by other heads of colleges and many other figures from academia and politics, including Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader. However, over the weekend Uchegbu’s name disappeared from the letter online. The almost daily revelations about the academic record of Arday and disclosures about many claims he has made in other areas of his life have caused disquiet among some other academics, even during the university vacation. One Cambridge professor says by this year the allegations were well known by many professors and “the university has questions to answer regarding the dismissal of allegations. “The matter is doing enormous damage to public confidence in the universities. It is doing enormous damage to the prestige of Cambridge. It is doing enormous damage to the credibility of sociology. It is doing enormous damage to the perception of black scholarship. So there does need to be an independent inquiry into the matter, preferably by the Office for Students.” When Arday was appointed as professor of sociology of education the university presumably thought it had found someone all too rare: an academic outsider who could bring to the hallowed halls a fresh and invigorating intellect and new thinking. Unfortunately some of that thinking has been alleged not to be new at all but plagiarised from another academic. And numerous other elements of his life appear to have been exaggerated.

As journalists have pulled at threads of his life in recent days more and more of them have come loose, raising questions about what other parts of his story may start to unravel. His memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things, is due to be published this month. Serialisation in another national newspaper is understood to be on hold. He has claimed that he is not a liar and that while he made mistakes he has also been the victim of a campaign to discredit him since he arrived at the university. As the life stories of academics go, Arday’s is undoubtedly extraordinary. The son of Ghanaian-born parents, he was raised in south London. Aged three he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and was non-verbal until the age of 11 and could not read or write until his late teenage years. He left school with two GCSEs, in PE and textiles. Nevertheless, he eventually enrolled in a BTEC course before studying for a degree in PE and teaching, followed by two master’s degrees, then a PhD from Liverpool John Moores University. This opened the door to posts at a series of universities before Cambridge, where he specialises in race and higher education. But it is the PhD that is at the heart of the controversy. Nathan Cofnas, a former researcher at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, who is now based at Ghent University in Belgium, made the allegations of plagiarism in a blog post. Cofnas identified significant parts of Arday’s PhD thesis that he alleges appeared to

There has been

a co-ordinated campaign to unseat me

have been copied from another researcher, Paula Zwozdiak-Myers, who wrote a PhD thesis on the same topic several years earlier. The source of the initial claims has led Arday’s supporters to claim that this is all an unpleasant campaign against him — Cofnas once claimed that in a meritocracy black people would be famous only for “sports and entertainment”. However, other academics have called for an investigation into Arday’s work. The Times was also able to highlight similarities between some passages of his 2015 thesis on peer-mentoring among student teachers and the work of Zwozdiak-Myers of Brunel University. If there is an investigation it wouldn’t be the first. Complaints of

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professor’s brutal unravelling

plagiarism were received at Liverpool John Moores University last year, and after an investigation Arday was cleared. Arday did not dispute the specific allegations of plagiarism but asked that the political context of a “war on critical race theory” and the weaponisation of plagiarism allegations against black researchers be considered. He said he received only one formal recorded supervision session in the two and a half years he worked on his PhD. The university’s handbook for doctoral students says that all PhD students should have a “minimum of two supervisors”. It says: “We do expect that you will meet with your supervisors once a month on average.” There are serious questions about the quality control of the doctoral programme at Liverpool John Moores University, a Cambridge professor says. “If Arday’s claims are true that he only received one face-to-face supervision, that is shocking. Most PhD students see their supervisors once a week or once a fortnight.” In an interview with The Times last weekend Arday said: “I am accountable for the mistakes. I hold myself accountable and other people

should hold me accountable.” He added: “We’re talking about academia here. I didn’t murder somebody.” This argument probably wouldn’t survive contact with some of his PhD students, who would surely obliterate it, especially if they have sweated blood to dot every “i” in every citation in their own work. “I think the cruelty that I’ve experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable,” he added, and said he had been subjected to a “dark arts” campaign since arriving at Cambridge, becoming a “lightning rod” for criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “There has been, since I arrived at Cambridge, a very well-orchestrated and co-ordinated campaign to unseat me from my position.” In an interview with The Guardian Arday said that attempts to intimidate him had included a pig’s head being sent to his parents’ home. He said that local police had spoken to a butcher who recalled selling a whole pig on the day in question. However, the

JOSHUA BRATT FOR THE TIMES

Nathan Cofnas. Top: Jason Arday

Metropolitan Police could find no record of any allegation. All these claims about the context of his academic life have not deterred those who are still deeply uneasy about the possibility that all his facts may not be sacred. Professor Colin Mills, head of the University of Oxford’s sociology department, wrote on X: “I do not want the reputation of my discipline, my department, my hardworking and intellectually honest colleagues, or myself smeared by indirect association with academic fraud, low academic standards and clownish statements from people in positions of authority who should know better.” John Preston, an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Essex,

Jason’s taken

everything that’s happened very, very hard

has said “there is, in my judgment, a case to answer here”. Even The Guardian reported that academics it spoke to said the scrutiny Arday had received was “fair for someone at Cambridge” in a prestigious academic position. The University of Cambridge has previously said that allegations of plagiarism regarding the thesis and journal publications have been thoroughly investigated by the relevant institution and the journals in question. “Professor Arday has been cleared by those investigations of any wrongdoing.” Liverpool John Moores University said in 2025 it received allegations of academic misconduct against Arday. “A confidential procedure was conducted in response to those allegations and Professor Arday’s PhD still stands. We will not comment further on a private matter between the university and a former student.” Arday has also faced questions about his claims of near-superhuman achievements in running events, but stood by his assertion that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days, 300 miles in three days on the treadmill and 600 miles in 12 days. He has said he has raised up to £5.5 million for charity and told The Times: “I can’t make people believe me. Nobody lives their life having a receipt for every single thing they say or they’ve done.” He did not raise all the money for charity, he explained, but was part of a syndicate of about 100 people, yet when he spoke at events or to the press the coverage focused on him. The charity WaterAid cast doubt on claims Arday had made about “installing water points” in South America and west Africa, saying that it never sent volunteers abroad. On Tuesday it emerged that his claim on the Cambridge Faculty of Education

webpage that he was a visiting professor in the University of Glasgow’s School of Education was not true, although he was a professor of sociology in the school in 2021. He raised eyebrows over his recollection of taking part in what he described as Seven Up. A friend later clarified that he was not part of the famous long-term television programme but an informal network of black mothers that shared a name with the series that began in 1964. One friend at Cambridge, who has known Arday for years and speaks to him regularly, mounts a robust defence of him. “I acknowledge that some academics have looked at the textual analysis and decided that there is a case to answer, but the awarding university looked into this in detail. “They’ve done a proper investigation, probably looked at it much more closely than those commentating academics and found that there was no plagiarism. I think that point has been rather underplayed by Jason’s critics.” The friend says that other plagiarism cases have not been treated in the same way. “There has been press coverage about some of them to a greater or lesser extent. But they’ve all stuck by the arguments around plagiarism. “Whereas in Jason’s case it’s gone off in multiple different directions. It looks to me like a character assassination. And it’s just absolutely devastating. There’s been an undertone of him effectively being portrayed as a fantasist, which definitely doesn’t accord with the experience of those who know him, who actually see him like I do: as somebody who’s very level-headed, not partial to making outlandish claims. “So while I can’t defend point by point all of the different allegations that have been made against him, it really does lead me and some of his friends to ask questions in that regard.” This friend is not aware of the claims Arday has made about harassment he has received in Cambridge. “Jason is not somebody that goes around broadcasting any troubles and travails which he’s undergoing. Even people who are closer to him than me have been hearing some stuff that he’s been going through for the first time recently. “I think what we need to understand about Jason is that, first of all, there’s a real person underneath this. I know that you wouldn’t necessarily know it from some of the mocking that’s actually taken place in the media, but he’s actually a very sensitive person. And he’s somebody with learning disabilities, which he’s completely acknowledged, which he’s strived very, very hard to overcome but nevertheless, continues to battle every day. “He’s taken everything that’s happened very, very hard, and his friends have been battling to keep his spirits up, because clearly his reputation, everything he’s worked so hard towards every day for years, has just effectively been shredded. And now we’ve just got to pick up the pieces.”

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T

COVER AND BELOW: GETTY IMAGES; EROTEME

I’m a flip-flop convert in the

Thongs to

work? I’m sold, says Anna Murphy

o flip-flop or not to flip-flop, that is the question. By which I am not referring to the wearing of flip-flops generally but in a work context. I have a colleague who is not only competent and stylish but also — and this is relevant — powerful and is wearing them to the office most days. And not the kind of upscale retools that are rendered in leather and have kitten heels but common-or-garden Havaianas. She is not the only one. The other day I met a fashion industry executive at a smart Mayfair restaurant and she was wearing Havaianas too, styled with a shirred bustier dress, a blazer, a Louis Vuitton handbag and lashings of Van Cleef & Arpels. Both women were, incidentally, wearing black iterations. This seems to be key.

The secret is that

the rest of your outfit looks polished

Who could have seen this coming? Or indeed heard it coming? That flip- flop sound that gave the genre its name, that once signalled beach life, has become the soundtrack to office life too. Remember those innocent days when we used to debate shorts in the workplace? Forget getting your knees out, will anyone ever take you seriously again if you get your feet out? And if you can be heard flip-flopping your way from a mile off? Are there even bigger issues at stake? I know Andy Burnham has other things on his plate, yet given his concerns about national productivity, should he be worrying about the rise of the flip-flop? Are we looking at one of those moments when what appears to be a purely sartorial question becomes almost existential? During the Second World War, when British women adopted trouser-wearing like never before, newspapers would debate whether “slacks” would turn them slack. Will wearing flip-flops to work turn us into a nation of flops? A couple of years ago I would have said yes. Now I don’t think so. I would argue that the Overton Window around wearing them in the workplace is shifting. The secret is that the rest of your outfit looks polished and that your feet don’t look like armadillos. Which also means that — and I am sorry to have to say this, because I am all about equal opportunities in theory — you are probably not a man. Film stars such as Jonathan Bailey and Jude Law, who

are both urban flip-floppers, are, I fear, very much the exception to the rule. It’s not often that we witness a genuine sartorial shift, one that isn’t just about fashion but is a sociocultural moment. Those slacks- wearing women in the 1940s were one. The embrace of jeans, originally designed for poor working men, a decade or two after that by men and women of all classes was another. Both these shifts had a symbolism to them but were also fuelled by practicality. This summer’s shift has been an almost entirely practical one, promoted by the unprecedented temperatures that can make even sandals feel like snow boots. But it could also be seen as part of the Californication — and no, I am

not talking about the TV series — of the modern world. After all, who is the patron saint of the flip-flop? Jennifer Aniston, a California girl through and through. And who reinvented them as a luxury purchase in leather seven years ago? Two Los Angeles natives, the Olsen twins, by way of their label The Row. (Its City leather thong will set you back £870 but that doesn’t stop them being nigh-on sold out; therow.com.) Zoë Kravitz (who was born in LA) and Hailey Bieber (who lives there) are another couple of stars who are devotees of what Americans prefer to call thong sandals. Kravitz, who favours flats, has gone as far as to wear hers with a suit. Bieber likes to wear her £400 kitten-heel iteration from

From left: street style in Munich; the model Izabel Goulart; Hailey Bieber; Jonathan Bailey. Below right: Jude Law

Toteme with Capri pants (farfetch.com). A pair of the classic Havaianas Top will set you back a rather less challenging £23 (havaianas.com). The women I know who are wearing them to the office all say a version of the same thing. That they started off putting them on for the commute in, with some shoes to change into in their bag, then they stopped changing into them. Conjured up in Brazil in 1962, Havaianas were inspired by Hawaiian- made rubber originals from the 1930s, which had in turn been inspired by the traditional zori worn by Japanese immigrants to the island. The brand name is the feminine form of the Portuguese word for “Hawaiians”.

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office...

They were initially worn only by poorer people in Brazil, but are now a global and classless phenomenon. More than 200 million pairs are sold each year. It’s another version of that same hierarchy-busting topsy- turviness that happened with denim. Indeed, that’s part of their appeal in this faux-egalitarian epoch of ours. I happen to think Havaianas are the most comfortable flip-flops, and so easy to walk in, but if you need more arch support, you can try Archies (£35, archiesfootwear.co.uk) or FitFlop (the leather Gracie, with its very slight heel, is £49, reduced from £75, fitflop.com). I also like Ancient Greek Sandals’ jelly and leather styles (£95 and £145 respectively, ancient-greek- sandals.com).

£60, fitflop.com

£89, dunelondon.com

£170, alohas.com

... and I’m not

‘Flip-flops should only

be worn on the beach’ By Hilary Rose

do not say this lightly, because I defer to Jennifer Aniston in most respects, but just because she wears flip-flops all the time doesn’t make it right. Just because Zoë Kravitz and Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber stroll from private jet to chauffeured car in flip-flops doesn’t make it right, or indeed viable, for the rest of us. Until a couple of years ago, you packed flip-flops for your beach holiday, then put them back in the cupboard when you got back, and that is exactly as it should be. Then they started to seep out during working hours, and in the city, like a bad smell. This year they’re everywhere, on everyone, all the time. According to Vogue, they’re a comfortable, versatile, warm-weather essential, which just goes to show what they know. According to me, they’re yuck. As the Spice Girls once said: stop right now, thank you very much. The key point is that flip-flops should be worn on the beach and only on the beach. It makes no difference that it’s now as hot at home as it is on holiday, not least because cities are filthy. You wouldn’t walk down the high street wearing a bikini and a sarong, or at least I hope you wouldn’t, so why the holiday flip-flops? Don’t you want a proper sole between you and the pavement, or the floor of the train or the bus? Why not? Also, if you’re busy running about your everyday business, as opposed to admiring the view from your balcony, flip-flops are a hindrance. If it starts raining, they’re downright dangerous. They’re not an efficient thing to put on your feet. The clue is in the name: they flip and flop, and make a sloppy noise, and wreak havoc with your arches and your joints and your back, because they offer zero support. Mostly, though, feet are functional, not designed to be shown off. In defence of Aniston, Jenner et al, they are at least exposing pretty, pedicured feet, but you, with your cracked heels and disgusting fungal infections? Put them away. It’s unhygienic. As for the men in flip- flops, specifically the man whose dirty, hairy, repellent feet I had no choice but to look down at this morning on a rush-hour Tube, if you can’t put them away, consider sending them back for a replacement. What upsets me most,

Isabel Marant x Havaianas, £120, isabelmarant.com

though, is the deception. There are flip-flops with high heels and kitten heels and wedges and platforms, but a flip-flop with a wedge is still a flip-flop, not a shoe. It’s just a flip-flop on tiptoe. A flip-flop with a kitten heel is silly and a flip-flop with a high heel is an abomination. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wears her flatform flip-flops with white jeans and looks lovely. Jenner wears her stilettos with black Capri pants and looks lovely, ditto Kravitz, who’s been stalking round New York wearing flip-flops and grungy loose trousers. But they would all look so much lovelier in something else: a ballet flat, a soft suede loafer, a slingback, an airy, summery open-toe Manolo Blahnik slide of exquisite loveliness. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable Kendall’s high-heel flip-flops must be, but I’d point out again that she is going from private jet to taxi. Aniston, too, is invariably departing a yoga class, or a facial, or a yacht. We note also, in passing, that Nicola Peltz Beckham is in the south of France styling her nude stilettos with a gold ankle bracelet and a new tattoo, and if that is a look you aspire to emulate, off you go. As far as I’m concerned, the only acceptable place and time to wear flip-flops at home is when you’re leaving the nail bar, having just had a pedicure. Any other time, put some shoes on. Your joints will thank you for it. So will I.

Page 66

By Charlie

Gowans-Eglinton I

s the midi skirt over? As the high street shifts the last of the sales to the back to make space for next season’s trends, there’s a surprising new wardrobe update: the pencil skirt. Which at first glance seems ill-fitted, perhaps literally, to our lives now. Too tight, too short, too incapacitating. As we adapted to flexi- working and relaxed office dress codes, and as we supersized what tailoring we did wear, the pencil skirt quickly went the way of the pencil. Unless you were particularly attached, you mightn’t have missed them, not when instead we had the knife-pleat midi, the tiered cotton midaxi, the linen maxi. Suddenly we had space for big lunches and the ability to stride, plus the fashionable bits of volume, ruffles, movement.

How could the pencil compete? Even its knee length felt off as mid-calf became the norm, especially since that longer midi length looked so much better with the trainers we were suddenly wearing with everything. I was glad to see the back of them, having never recovered from my mid- grey pencil school skirt — so only something really fab would tempt me back. Which it has: the pencil 2.0 is less corporate, less stiff and a lot less boring. The shape is smart but not overly conservative, thanks to fluid fabrics, sexy leathers, bright colours and metallics, embellishment and statement animal prints, abstracts and florals. Even the length feels fresh: it should finish on the knee or just below, definitely not above, and not straying into midi lengths. After years of street- sweeping hems (and picking them up to navigate stairs and escalators safely), knee length feels effortless, as well as looking modern. In Paris last month the fashion

Look sharp! Pencil

skirts are back

contingent proved its versatility. Vogue Australia’s Christine Centenera wore a bold abstract print skirt in red, white and black with a plain black vest and a pair of pointed-toe snakeprint stilettos; American Elle’s Nina Garcia wore a chain-trimmed black pencil skirt with a monochrome striped T-shirt and red-toed heels. It used to be that French magazine editors all wore jeans to underline their irreverence, but instead the former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld paired her gold pencil skirt and kitten heels with a Sex Pistols tee. Elsewhere, Emily Blunt wore a high- shine patent black pencil skirt with matching heels and a high-contrast red cardigan, and Hannah Waddingham took colour-scheme cues from her red and white checked skirt, adding white stilettos and a red quilted Chanel bag. Yes, they were all wearing heels — but then they were walking red carpets or congregating in Paris for haute couture fashion week. For less high-stakes dress codes (which is all of

them) even a low and still very walkable heel will look great, and you can also wear your pencil with flats. Look for an open-toed sandal or a pointed-toe flat (as opposed to a round toe) that will elongate the leg. Definitely no trainers, because that look will for ever read as a City type on her commute. In this weather, lighter fabrics with less structure appeal. Reformation’s Helen skirt is pure silk, so a far cry from a rigid, hobbling pencil. It comes in tiger print, floral sequinned yellow or lilac, and a beautiful deep orange (from £218, thereformation.com). Wear similar tones up top for a smarter look, or clash your colours and prints. Cos’s black-checked pistachio green cotton-mix (£95, cos.com) is on the longer side, so particularly good if you’re tall, and would look great with a stripe up top. Damson Madder’s brown viscose has a subtle ruffle over one hip for a bit more movement (£70, damson

Page 67

madder.com), and the red polka dots mean that a red top would work particularly well. For high-impact colour and print, John Lewis’s bright red with monochrome flowers will do the heavy lifting in any outfit (£59, johnlewis.com). Once the weather turns and that September feeling makes you want to throw your summer dresses out of the window, a bit more rigour may appeal. Baukjen’s Carmen stretch leather skirt in an oxblood colour (£299, baukjen. com), or Mango’s brown mock croc (was £45.99, now £25.99, mango.com), would give the desired vintage wiggle without straying into vintage sexy secretary territory. You can wear your pencil to the office, of course — add a white or pale blue shirt — but the

Meghan is 45 — and it’s

a big disappointment... She thanked her followers for ‘birthday love’ — but who will have swum in later to get the sunglasses? By Shane Watson I

t’s Meghan’s 45th birthday, and this is the sort of occasion we have come to expect will deliver extraordinary outpourings on social media. It’s the one time of the year when you can guarantee a mega-dump of personal pictures on Instagram and maybe video footage of the birthday celebrity blowing out candles or dancing in the kitchen with a dressed up dog, or snuggled up with one of those very big glasses of wine on a sundeck somewhere with an ocean view. Birthdays are, in celebrity world, as we all know well, a special opportunity for some carefully curated self-publicity, and the Duchess of Sussex, as we are also well aware, is in the super-league as far as self promotion goes. So it’s fair to say that Meghan’s birthday Instagram reveal — two black- and-white pictures, posted with a caption thanking fans for their “birthday love” — has been a medium to huge disappointment. It’s possible this is just a teaser and somewhere someone is working through the night putting together a little montage of images with a soundtrack — Sweets for My Sweet? Uptown Girl? — but so far this is all we have to go on, and they’re not even close-ups. The first is of Meghan leaping into a swimming pool wearing a high-cut black (we assume, could be dark navy or brown) swimming costume, brandishing a load of balloons, some of them bearing the message “happy birthday”. The second is of the after- splash, with nothing to see but plumes of water (probably the idea was that Meghan should be smiling and dripping, head thrown back, arms raised, but for that you need the pool floor to push up off, and that doesn’t work so well from the jumping-in point of view. Just guessing). Anyway. At least someone is thinking about these things, because honestly, talk about a wasted opportunity. If these were spontaneous pictures of Meghan larking about at a pool party then fine, but of course this is a set-up pair of pictures that have been discussed, planned, planned some more, executed, checked and double- checked and finally posted. Meghan will have chosen between four or five costumes for the pool jump, wrestled over whether or not to wear the sunglasses (on the pro side, with sunglasses looks more spontaneous and fun times. Jumping into a pool wearing sunglasses, notwithstanding that we’ve all done it, forgetting we had them on, feels more of a Harry thing to do. We’re not buying that Meghan would forget to take them off so it feels even less authentic). The point is, trouble has been taken over this slim pickings of a birthday Insta drop, so why not go the usual Sussex route and do mega-schmaltz plus branding: have a picture of the birthday girl drifting around her kitchen garden barefoot wearing shorts and a white shirt, with Archie

The Duchess of Sussex’s birthday photos on Instagram

It was not

the usual Sussex route of mega- schmaltz

times2

MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX/INSTAGRAM

and Lili clinging to her, one on each hip (backs to camera, naturally)? At least then you’d have As Ever vibes, a potential percentage of sales of the white shirt and shorts, and maybe that good straw hat she was wearing in the homeware shop in Portugal (last drop from their European holidays). Or why not have a picture of her and Harry nuzzling nose-to-nose over a piece of cake (on brand, especially if the flower sprinkles are visible and the glass is As Ever rosé)? Or what about her and the rescue dog/dogs and the kids (yes, back views!) gazing up at the happy birthday Mommy posters they made in class? The possibilities are virtually endless — this is a glaringly obvious opportunity to get in some product placement or at least some connected friends (how about a video of Meghan receiving a surprise message from the whole cast and crew of MasterChef Australia plus the Australian actress Nicole Kidman?). It’s just so very disappointing. When it’s clear someone is hellbent on securing her place in lifestyle history, and everything the Sussexes do is done with maximum profit foremost in their minds, this seems like a dropped ball you cannot fathom given they live in California and do this for a living. It makes you wonder if there’s something else bigger afoot. Do hope so.

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I

t is one of the deadliest public health disasters in modern American history. Hundreds of thousands of people have died as a result of the opioid epidemic, which began with prescription painkillers — most notoriously OxyContin — before spreading to heroin and illicit fentanyl. For the composer Missy Mazzoli, two of those victims are not just statistics — they were her cousins. Mazzoli, 45, is one of the most celebrated American composers today, with a string of successful works to her name, particularly in opera. The hit rate in that tricksiest of forms is low, but Mazzoli has had remarkable success. Breaking the Waves, her grungy, disturbing adaptation of the Lars von Trier film that starred Emily Watson, has been seen around the world and is being mounted by English National Opera in February next year. This October, she will premiere Lincoln in the Bardo at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, an adaptation of the Booker prizewinning novel by George Saunders. Her next opera, though, will be much more personal. The Galloping Cure, having its world premiere this month at the Edinburgh International Festival directed by Tom Morris, is inspired by the opioid epidemic and some of its chief players: the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, the company that supplied OxyContin. “It’s about addiction, the dark interplay between pharmaceuticals, doctors and capitalism,” says Mazzoli, speaking from New York. Mazzoli explains what happened to her 25-year-old cousins who grew up, like her, in small-town Pennsylvania. One had been in “a minor car crash, was prescribed OxyContin for the pain, took too much and died”. The other “became addicted to OxyContin after it was prescribed for a minor injury, again, and then very quickly moved to heroin. She went to rehab, came back from rehab, overdosed and died the next day.” Naively, I had assumed that the OxyContin disaster had mostly hit those on the fringes of society. “That’s not the case,” Mazzoli replies. “I think that was part of the push by the pharmaceutical industry to malign people who were addicted. They would say, ‘Oh, it’s not the drug that’s addictive, it’s people with addictive personalities — like, if you’re programmed to be an addict, that’s your problem. And that stigma has continued, when in reality, thinking about the Sackler family, they had people, they had secretaries working for them who were addicted to OxyContin and who lost their jobs. So they had people literally in the building where they’re peddling this supposedly non-addictive drug, falling prey to addiction. It was everywhere.” The victims also included a mutual friend of Mazzoli and her regular librettist Royce Vavrek. “He was a professional musician, a performer, this sort of nerdy guy in a band who became addicted to OxyContin, then became addicted to heroin, overdosed and died.” It has taken eight years for Mazzoli and Vavrek to come up with the right material for an opera inspired by this tragedy. “It was a very positive channelling of my anger, my frustration and the sort of helplessness that I felt in watching how my aunts and uncles who had lost their children had to suffer on... it was something

My opera about

the opioid crisis

The composer Missy Mazzoli lost two cousins to addiction.

Now they have inspired a new work, she tells Neil Fisher

very real and visceral for us, but we couldn’t figure out a way to put it into an opera without sounding preachy or simplistic.” With the help of a treatment by the writer Karen Russell, and some influences from Franz Kafka’s story A Country Doctor, they arrived at something less literal — what Mazzoli calls “a dark fairytale”. In The Galloping Cure a stranger comes into town peddling a cure for pain in the form of a carousel. “And for a while everything is fine,” Mazzoli explains. “But then he starts marketing home [carousel] ‘horses’. You get all the same effects as the carousel, but you can do it alone at home. Then things take a dark turn when people realise they can’t pay for it any more.” The stranger’s price is sinister in the extreme — he takes body parts, first the hair, then the knees, then the eyes and tongue. “Then you realise he’s using these body parts to erect the carousel in the next town — so it’s the cyclical nature

The Galloping Cure by Missy Mazzoli, top

of addiction, of the destruction wrought by the opioid crisis. And it just keeps feeding itself.” A musical motif seeped in very quickly — the day after the commission. “I started to listen to carousel music in Paris, where we were doing Breaking the Waves. And it’s really creepy if you try to sit in one place and just listen to this kind of Doppler effect of sound going around — it’s very trippy, very strange. So I did try to recreate that. There’s a sort of careening, simplistic motif that tears through the orchestra and cycles around in a very menacing way. And this very creepy kind of kids’ tune becomes more like a psychotic dance.” In March the opera’s co-producer John Berry was reported in The Times as saying that opera needed to tell different stories “to own the zeitgeist”. He suggested that writers on Netflix series such as Adolescence needed to be attracted to the art form.“I don’t think every opera needs to be ripped

from the headlines,” Mazzoli says. “The work I create is usually trying to tap into something to provoke conversation, to give a new perspective on things we’re obsessed with now. But there is room for all of it. “It’s very, very hard when there are opera companies with seasons where they might have only three operas, and then it’s tempting to say, ‘Well, you should be spending your resources on preserving La bohème, or creating an opera about Trump.’” If there is only one new work a year, “we put a false pressure on those composers and those pieces”. There will also be considerable pressure for Lincoln in the Bardo to fly. But Mazzoli came to the commission with her eyes open. “[At the Met] you have to fill 4,000 seats a night. So you need something with name recognition. That is really hard. So there is the name recognition of Abraham Lincoln and people love the novel.” When Mazzoli contacted Saunders, “He replied: ‘I’m so glad you wrote [to me] because when I wrote this novel I actually imagined it as an opera.’” The composer embraces the surrealism of Saunders’s scenario, which imagines the grieving Lincoln visiting his dead son Willie in a purgatorial afterlife populated by ghosts. “Ninety-nine per cent of the people in the book, and the opera, are dead — and that gives me tremendous freedom musically.” Mazzoli did not grow up in a musical family. Her first artistic passion was the riot grrrl movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s — “a subset of punk, often all-female groups, who were vocally feminist and very vocally political, and for 14-year-old me it was like discovering this glorious planet of people”. The Galloping Cure has an orchestra but the score also takes in rave beats — Mazzoli has worked with two electronic music producers. Organs and synthesizers will be part of the soundscape in Lincoln in the Bardo. Mazzoli’s love of opera came after punk. “I grew up with a lot of MTV. I loved that, and I loved the idea that music could drive a story,” she says. “As a living composer, it’s really helpful for me to stand in front of people and say, ‘Yeah, I grew up in a small town, driving around, listening to punk music, just like half of you.’ I’m not interested in making it more complicated… For me music is my way of understanding the world, and I think it can be that for other people.” The Galloping Cure has allowed Mazzoli to try to understand the tragedy that befell her family — and so many others. The fallout has not led to anything like justice, she says. The Sackler family is understood to have paid more than $6 billion in compensation but it is “like a drop in the bucket”. The legacy of the epidemic remains. Mazzoli thinks of her home town, its main street “abandoned and decimated”. An hour away, in Philadelphia, she says, people can still be seen in what has become known as the “fentanyl fold”, bent almost double after taking the drug, still on their feet but “not quite conscious”. Those are the realities beneath the dark fairytale of The Galloping Cure. And they still lead her back to the same questions. “What would America be if this crisis had not happened? Where would these people be? Where would my cousins be?” The Galloping Cure is at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Aug 9, 11 and 12

Page 69

‘Nonna-maxxing’? Why aren’t

we celebrating British nans?

Enough videos of

elderly Italians making pasta, says Jack Burke. It’s time we praised the virtues of our own grandmothers I

n kitchens across Italy elderly women are becoming influencers by doing what they have been doing all their lives. They roll pasta, simmer tomato sauces, knead bread and shell beans while millions of younger viewers watch, slack-jawed. For those unacquainted with the trend, it has a name: nonna-maxxing. Some nonnas command enormous social media followings. Breathless grandchildren film them cooking, gardening, gossiping and issuing instructions in kitchens unsullied by modern convenience. The nonna might be wearing an apron, possibly standing beneath a pergola, her arthritic fingers making the pasta shape she has made every Thursday since 1958. To a generation exhausted by screens, devoid of human connection and fattened by ultraprocessed food, the Italian grandmother has become an unlikely spiritual and wellness guide. It is easy to see the appeal. But I am not Italian. I do not have an ancestral home in Puglia, an olive grove or a grandmother who communicated her love through ossobuco. I am British. More

specifically, I am a Londoner. And we have our own indigenous grandmother tradition, although we have been slower to recognise its potential as a lifestyle brand. Why, I wondered, is nobody nan-maxxing? I could give you the picture-postcard version of British nanhood here: a lilac cardigan, handkerchief tucked up her sleeve, jam cooling on the windowsill. This is the nan of village imaginations, who plays bingo, attends the church fête and boils vegetables until their remains are unidentifiable. Her front room is saved for best, replete with porcelain animals, ticking clocks and a gas fire nobody is permitted to stand too close to. She calls everyone “dear”. But that was not my nan. Joan Burke, née Sands, was my dad’s mum — a born-and-bred Londoner from Cricklewood, toughened by the Blitz and later transplanted to Kenton. She was a battleaxe, tough as nails. Loyal, kind, funny, fearsome, heroically indiscreet and extremely fond of a drink. She had 14 grandchildren, three of whom were boys. It’s fair to say I was the favourite boy. Nan considered it important that everybody knew. When I was small

Joan was

fearsome, heroically indiscreet and extremely fond of a drink

she would bounce me on her lap and simply announce to the room: “He is the one.” By the standards of contemporary nonna- maxxing Joan was surprisingly accomplished. She cooked from scratch: roast chickens, casseroles, apple pies, jam tarts, sausages and, after approximately 1975, curries. Some weeks there were steaks, depending on what was lobbed out the back of an unmarked lorry that used to do the neighbourhood rounds. She avoided food waste. She walked to the shops. She maintained an intricate social network of siblings, neighbours, children and grandchildren. She believed in long, unhurried meals, although these generally involved getting pissed with her brothers and sisters over Sunday lunch at the Captain Digby after they had all decamped south to Broadstairs in their seventies. She was thrifty, capable of making a pound note stretch like a fiver, but rejected the joyless accumulation of money. “There’s no pocket in a shroud,” she once told me, a profligate lesson that has stayed with me. When I was old enough I would be dispatched to Safeway to buy Nan’s weekly stockpile of white wine. Her

only stipulation was that it contain more than 13 per cent alcohol. On one occasion I returned with a crate of bottles coming in at 11.5 per cent. She grabbed me by the collar and pulled my face towards hers. “If I want water,” she hissed, “I’ll go to the tap.” Nonna-maxxing draws on a nostalgia for a simpler, more substantial life. The problem is not that Britain lacks its own version — it’s that ours has proved harder to photograph attractively. Italian grandmotherhood arrives bathed in sunshine and olive oil. British nanhood comes beneath strip lighting, carrying a handbag full of tissues, betting slips and boiled sweets. Yet the underlying philosophy is the same. It’s about feeding people, maintaining friendships, protecting your own. Don’t waste your money, but don’t worship it either. Take pleasure in the simple things, say what you mean and enjoy yourself while you’re alive. Whether nonna-maxxing represents a genuine reckoning by a generation fed up with the way the algorithm has stripped their lives of anything substantial, or merely another form of monetised nostalgia, glorifying the past while airbrushing away its hardships, is impossible to say. But I know which life I would rather have. And I know exactly what my nan would have said if I had tried to film her unscrewing the chardonnay at four o’clock on a Tuesday.

Page 70

10 Wednesday August 5 2026 | the times times2 Your weekday brain boost

Every day, Monday to Thursday, a page of extra

puzzles to give your brain an extended workout Samurai difficult

SAMURAI

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.

Sakuro

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

Mini

Sudoku

SUDOKU

MINI SUDOKU

Fill in the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x2 box contains the digits 1 to 6

Play Mini Sudoku every day Monday-Sunday online at thetimes.com and on Live app

Codeword

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.

Sudoku easy

Killer gentle

KILLER

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.

Yesterday’s solutions

Train Tracks

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.

FUTOSHIKI

More

puzzles

Pages 14-16

Page 71

T

A pleasure to go back behind bars at HMP Slade

Ben

Dowell TV review

Joe and David’s Magical Sitcom Tour U&Gold {{{((

here is something about comedy that stays in your bones more than anything else on TV. It’s why sitcoms from the past are lovingly repeated years after they were first shown, provoking fond memories of laughing with the family in your jim-jams. The personalities follow you in later life when you encounter people who remind you of Godber, Partridge or Mainwaring. That is the lovely thinking behind Joe and David’s Magical Sitcom Tour, in which likeably lugubrious Joe Wilkinson (now best known for The

BBC Proms

Radio 3, 8.10pm

A double bill begins with a concert recorded in Middlesbrough that is part of the Proms Across the UK series. Featured are the Unthanks, above, and guests English Teacher, Conor J O’Brien and Jodie Nicholson, accompanied by the Royal Northern Sinfonia conducted by Ellie Slorach. At 10.15pm is the live Prom Under African Skies: The Songs of Graceland, which marks the 40th anniversary of Paul Simon’s album. Simon’s collaborators on the album, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and their guests perform with the Nu Civilisation Orchestra. Lopa Kothari presents the concert. Clair Woodward

Celebrity Traitors) and his writing partner David Earl take each other on a tour of locations from their favourite shows, starting with Porridge, the Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais 1970s classic that a young, jim-jammed Wilkinson watched adoringly with his mum and dad. TV needs more ideas like this — ones that serve comic talent in clever ways (think Last One Laughing and Taskmaster) rather than going for the obvious stage and microphone set-up in flat formats such as (the now axed) Live at the Apollo. The problem was that Wilkinson and Earl slightly, but only slightly, fluffed their lines. They were too in love with the idea, spending far too much time on a sofa watching Earl take Wilkinson to Porridge locations and chuckling about it like a pair of executive producers viewing the rushes and deciding on the final edit. Did that time Earl got his mate to stand in Ronnie Barker’s former living room give a tingle? And what about the visit to the long since demolished site of the rehearsals? How emotional did he feel? Why did he cry at that bit and not the other? I wanted more reflections on what exactly it was about Barker’s tubby con Fletcher and Richard Beckinsale’s adorable Godber that touched Wilkinson’s soul. Still, there were some delightful sequences among some odd ones.

Times Radio Digital, web, smart speaker, app

5.00am Tom Nunan 6.00 Kate McCann and Stig Abell with Times Radio Breakfast 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm The Times at One: with Sebastian Payne 2.00 Jane Garvey and Fi Glover 4.00 John Pienaar with Times Radio Drive 7.00 The Evening Edition with 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 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dommett 7.00 Jo Whiley 9.00 The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe 10.00 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 Elizabeth Alker introduces highlights from the Proms, including music by Scriabin, chamber performances from the 2026 Ryedale Festival and Baroque music from Fribourg.
BBC Proms: Tchaikovsky
(Violin Concerto in D, Op 35); International Sacred Music Festival, Fribourg: Galuppi (Nisi Dominus); BBC Proms: Scriabin (Symphony No 2 in C); Ryedale Festival: Wagner (arr. A. Bonardi) (Wesendonck Lieder) 3.00 Choral Evensong From St James’s Picadilly, London, with Genesis Sixteen, with music by Lassus and Eoghan Desmond. Robert Quinney is the organist

David Earl and Joe Wilkinson recreated the cell from Porridge

4.00 Composer of the Week: Mozart (1756-1791) Kate Molleson looks at Ƽve people who inƽuenced Mozart and his music, continuing with Joseph Haydn, who became a mentor
and a father Ƽgure 5.00 In Tune 6.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 Kahchun Wong conducts the
Hallé in music by Ravel and Rachmaninov with pianist Alexandra Dariescu joining them for Nadia Boulanger’s poetic Fantasy for piano. Ravel orch. Colin Matthews (La vallée des cloches); Boulanger (Fantasy for piano and orchestra) 6.25 Interval 6.45 Rachmaninov (Symphony
No 2 in E minor) 8.10 Choice BBC Proms 2026 The Unthanks and friends with Royal Northern Sinfonia recorded in concert at Middlesbrough Town Hall. Presented by Elizabeth Alker. The Unthanks, English Teacher, Jodie Nicholson, Royal Northern Sinfonia, conductor Ellie Slorach 10.15 Live BBC Proms 2026 Ladysmith Black Mambazo and guests celebrate 40 years of Paul Simon’s Graceland album. Presented by Lopa Kathari, from the Royal Albert Hall, London 11.45 ’Round Midnight 12.30am Through the Night (r)

Radio 4 FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 BBC Inside Science (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Sideways Matthew Syed explores why positivity is often the default response to diƾcult news (4/8)

9.30 Breakin’ the Cycle Colin and D begin production,
but remain tempted by their lucrative drug business (2/6) 10.00 Woman’s Hour 11.00 A Romanian Ransom (r) 11.40 This Week in History 11.45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away Tony hears about disputes
over inheritance (3/5) (r) 12.04pm You and Yours 1.00 The World at One 1.45 The Bare Necessities The construction of houses on stilts in Perthshire (3/5) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: United Kingdoms Five short plays on the theme
of Hoping (3/5) (r) 3.00 Precious Stones (r) 3.30 The Ocean within Us Why the human body contains
so much water 4.00 The Power of Guilt (3/5) (r) 4.15 The Media Show 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O’Clock News 6.30 Best Medicine (2/6) 7.00 The Archers 7.15 Front Row 8.00 AntiSocial (5/6) (r) 8.45 Café Hope GP Dr Susan Taheri discusses the Growing Well Garden (6/7) (r) 9.00 Invisible Hands The man who started the Cold War with a telegram (2/6) (r) 9.30 Inside Health (5/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of WakeƼeld (3/10) 11.00 Sunil Patel: An Idiot’s Guide to Living Forever Sunil tries to make a baby (5/6) 11.15 Follow the Rabbit (2/5) (r) 11.30 Hollywood and the
Adland Five (3/4) 12.00 News and Weather

PETE DADDS/UKTV

12.30am Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (3/5) (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra Digital only 8.00am Bridget Christie: Mortal 8.30 Following Pappano 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Best Medicine 9.30 Behind the Taverna 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Sound of Cinema 11.00 The Waiting Game 11.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 12.00 After Henry 12.30pm Hancock’s Half Hour 1.00 Bridget Christie: Mortal 1.30 Following Pappano 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Ultimate Choice 2.30 Getting Nowhere Fast 3.00 A Wizard of Earthsea 4.00 Sound of Cinema 5.00 The Waiting Game 5.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 6.00 After Henry 6.30 Hancock’s Half Hour 7.00 Bridget Christie: Mortal 7.30 Following Pappano 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Ultimate Choice 8.30 Getting Nowhere Fast 9.00 A Wizard of Earthsea 10.00 Comedy Club: Best Medicine 10.30 Mitch Benn’s Crimes Against Music 11.00 Dave Podmore’s Cricket Night 11.30 Dial M for Pizza

Radio 5 Live MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 5 Live Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Sarah-Jane Mee 2.00pm Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 Cricket 9.30 Sport’s Strangest Crimes Presents… 10.00 Johnny I’Anson 1.00am Dotun Adebayo

Much of the budget (£8,000, in fact) was blown on recreating Barker and Godber’s cell set that played host to a set piece visit from Christopher Biggins, who was the prison cook (and knitter) Lukewarm. But this was less of a surprise because we had seen him in the opening credits. And why no acknowledgment of Lukewarm being one of British sitcom’s pioneering gay characters? Why take Wilkinson from the site of Barker’s old home to Ealing Studios in a black cab with a not especially accurate and mute Barker lookalike? Earl’s incessant talk about resurrecting “ghosts” from the show got on even his mate’s nerves. As likeable as these two were, this was more of an experience for them than for the viewers. Even their chinwag with Clement and La Frenais didn’t yield anything particularly surprising. Yes, they got the idea of prison life as a series of small victories from a real former lag. And yes, they were flattered and delighted that the show was still loved, with no one saying that they knew at the time how adored it would be (which all TV folk say, so as not to appear big-headed). Later episodes on The Office and Fawlty Towers are better, but this opener showed the flaws of a format a little too in love with its cleverness and so boxed in by its conceit that even a governor’s pardon couldn’t set it free.

10.00 Adam Catterall & Darragh McAnthony 1.00pm Max Rushden
& Charlie Baker 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 The Transfer Insiders 10.00 The Sports Bar 1.00am
Extra Time with Paul Ross

Talk Digital only 6.00am Ian Collins 10.00
Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm
Mark Dolan 4.00 Kevin O’Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 10.00 Petrie Hosken 1.00am Paul Ross

6 Music Digital only 5.00am Chris Hawkins 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Emily Pilbeam 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 6 Music Artist in Residence: Ezra Collective 12.00 Freak Zone Playlist 1.00am This Cultural Life 2.00 This Cultural Life 3.00 6 Music Live Hour 4.00 6 Music’s Jukebox

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 Goldierocks 2.00am Stu Elmore

Classic FM FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Dan Walker 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evenings with Zeb Soanes 9.00 Classic FM’s Composer Carousel With Zeb Soanes 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton
4.00 Early Breakfast

Page 72

PICKS OF THE DAY

Mary Beard Remembers —

Ultimate Rome: Empire

Without Limit

BBC4, 8.55pm

In 2016 Mary Beard presented Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit, a series that set out to ask how “a piddling little cattle town in central Italy” became an imperial mega-power. Here, the classicist shares her memories of working on the series, discussing how she

BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 Channel 4 5 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) (AD) 12.15pm Bargain Hunt (r) (AD) 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. Sarah Moore tries to trick the eye by updating a display cabinet 2.45 Escape to the Country. Sonali Shah tours the East Midlands in search of a property to suit buyers who, for the past 23 years, have been living in the USA (r) 3.45 The Bidding Room. A small package holding 400 years of history is revealed 4.30 The Answer Run. Quiz show
presented by Jason Manford 5.15 Pointless. Quiz hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Konnie Huq (r) 6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

7.00 The One Show Presented by Alex

Jones and Vernon Kay

7.30 EastEnders Mark tries to win

Lauren’s attention, while Sheila
puts her plan into action (AD)

8.00 The Repair Shop Experts restore a

pair of original seats from Arsenal’s Highbury stadium, a broken locket from the Second World War, a shop ledger from 1909 and a chapel from a model village (r) (AD)

9.00 Murder 24/7 Part two of two. The

documentary follows police attempts to build a case against Matthew Jonathan for the murder — and the bloody footprint that provided a breakthrough (6/8) (AD)

10.00 BBC News at Ten

10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.40 FILM: You’re Cordially Invited (15,

2025) Two different wedding parties discover they have been accidentally booked on the same day at the same dream venue. Comedy starring Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon and Meredith Hagner. See Ƽlm choice

12.25am The Hit List Celebrity Special Marvin and Rochelle Humes present as
radio host Chloe Burrows and rapper
Aitch, Gladiators stars Sabre and Nitro,
and Emmerdale actors Lisa Riley and Dominic Brunt compete in the quickƼre music quiz (r) 1.15-6.00 BBC News

wanted to underline the diversity and geographical reach of the Roman Empire. The first episode is repeated tonight at 9.10pm, exploring Rome’s earliest origins as a place of asylum for exiles and outsiders, before Beard heads to Greece and France. First, though, hear her reminisce about filming the show in various locations, recalling terrible weather, an embarrassing attempt at reading an inscription lying down outside Seville Cathedral and the historical use of pizza. Victoria Segal

6.30am Money for Nothing (r) 7.15 The Bidding Room (r) 8.00 Sign Zone: Great Japanese Railway Journeys (r) (AD, SL) 8.30 Great Continental Railway Journeys (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC News 1.00pm Richard Osman’s House of Games. With Sean Fletcher, Louise Minchin, Chris Washington and Kimberly Wyatt (r) 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz (r) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (r) 2.45 Live Cricket: The Hundred: Trent Rockets Women v Birmingham Phoenix Women. (Start-time 3.00). Coverage of the match from Trent Bridge. The Phoenix won the toss and elected to bat when these teams faced each other at Edgbaston last year, and went on to post a total of 148/5 from their 100 balls, which proved to be enough for victory as the Rockets fell 11 runs short in their innings, despite Nat Sciver-Brunt scoring 64 from 40 deliveries

6.00 Live Cricket: The Hundred: Trent

Rockets Men v Birmingham Phoenix Men (Start-time 6.30). Coverage of the match from Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The Rockets claimed
a six-wicket victory when these teams clashed at Edgbaston last season, thanks largely to the efforts of fast bowler Lockie Ferguson
who three wickets with his 20 balls and helped restrict the Phoenix to 122/6, which the Rockets surpassed with 22 balls to spare

9.30 Live at the Apollo Ria Lina hosts the

comedy show, introducing Lucy Beaumont and Josh Pugh (2/7) (r)

10.00 The Big Cases — The Funeral Home

Horror How an undertaker betrayed families. See picks of the day (AD)

10.30 Newsnight Headline analysis

presented by Victoria Derbyshire

11.05 Uncanny The case of a student

house believed to be haunted by a malevolent entity, which is one of the most unsettling cases Danny Robins has come across (3/3) (r) (AD)

12.05am The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke Ruby and Jodi’s partnership deepens as together they reshape the
family (r) (AD) 12.55-1.50 Sign Zone: Amityville: An Origin Story. Ronnie DeFeo
Jr is accused of murder after his family
is found shot to death (r) (AD, SL)

Two very different builds are featured in this episode, as Tinie Tempah first meets a couple who are lavishing a whopping £3.5 million on transforming their home into a Marbella-inspired luxury resort, complete with pool house, nightclub, wellness space, fire pit and outdoor kitchen. Lucky neighbours. Meanwhile, in southwest London we follow the progress of a couple who want to Mary Beard (BBC4, from 8.55pm)

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 the team are in Oldham, where Simon Schneider is squeezed to splash the cash
for some stunning candlesticks (r) (AD) 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts as another contestant tries to open the 22 red boxes in the right order, taking
on the infamous Banker for the chance to win a life-changing cash prize (r) (AD) 4.00 Tipping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r) 5.00 The Chase. Bradley Walsh hosts as contestants from Glasgow, Surrey, Essex and Leicester join forces in the hope that their four brains can beat one (r) 6.00 Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather

7.30 Deal or No Deal: Banker’s Best

Battles Stephen Mulhern revisits
two battles between hopeful players and the infamous Banker

8.00 Emmerdale A decision is made to

give the dog a good send-off (AD)

8.30 Coronation Street Kit tells Bethany of

Gary’s role in Sarah’s crime (AD)

9.00 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Big-prize quiz hosted by Jeremy Clarkson in which another line-up
of contestants answer questions
that could change their lives (r)

10.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed

by Regional News

10.45 Long Lost Family: Born Without

Trace Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell investigate the cases of foundlings from Leicester and London in 1983 and 1960 (r) (AD)

11.45 The Assembly Rapper Aitch is

interviewed by neurodivergent individuals (5/8) (r)

12.10am Shop on TV 3.00 Love & Death. Allan grows concerned when his repeated calls to Betty go unanswered (r) (AD, SL) 3.50 Inside the Langham: Britain’s First Grand Hotel (r) (AD, SL) 4.15 Unwind 5.35-6.00 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy. Tom forages for truƿes in Umbria (r) (AD, SL)

Extraordinary Extensions

Channel 4, 8pm

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 head to Suffolk (r) (AD) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway.
A pair of Ƽrst-time renovators take on a dormer bungalow in Anglesey (r) 2.10 Countdown. With Ade Adepitan 3.00 A Place in the Sun. Ben Hillman helps
a couple from Clacton-on-Sea Ƽnd a permanent home in Almeria, Spain (r) 4.00 Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. The owners of Elizabethan Pitchford Hall in Shropshire are puzzled by dangerous sinkholes on the estate (r) (AD) 5.00 Château DIY. A pair of new chateau owners uncover a nasty surprise (r) (AD) 6.00 American Pickers. Mike Wolfe
makes a move on Gypsy Grandma, the queen of arcade games (r) (AD)

7.00 Channel 4 News

8.00 Extraordinary Extensions A couple

who are turning their Surrey home into a Marbella-inspired party pad, complete with dance ƽoor and pool house. Plus, experimental Chinese timber architecture in London.
See picks of the day (AD)

9.00 The Undeclared War Barbara comes

under Charlie’s scrutiny as tragedy strikes GCHQ. Meanwhile, Danny, Saara and Roz try to help Vadim escape, and Danny makes an earth-shattering discovery (5/6) (AD)

10.00 The Undeclared War Danny puts

everything on the line in order to
right some wrongs, and Roz and the team race against the clock to Ƽnd out what the malware is searching for. Last in the series (AD)

11.00 24 Hours in A&E A 21-year-old man

is rushed in after a motorbike accident leaving him with leg and lung injuries. A 69-year-old, who has locked-in-syndrome, has trouble breathing (6/7) (r) (AD)

12.05am Celebrity Hunted (r) (AD, SL)
1.50 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (r) (SL) 2.40 Dictator: The Hitler Interviews (r) (AD, SL) 3.30 Dover 24/7 (r) (AD, SL) 4.30 Grand Designs (r) (AD, SL) 5.20 Kirstie
and Phil’s Love It or List It: Brilliant Builds (r) (AD, SL) 5.50-6.30 Countdown (r)

bring a taste of experimental Chinese timber architecture to their terraced home. Joe Clay

Voices of the Valleys

Sky Arts/Now, 8pm

“It’s the sound of pride and identity… it’s a brotherhood.” So says one of the members of a Welsh male-voice choir that is featured in this stirring three-part documentary series. It follows three choirs, hailing from different parts of Wales, and their

6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.15 FILM: A Town Called Murder (PG, TVM, 2023) A couple break down on a road trip through the desert, and as they head to a nearby town, one of them suddenly goes missing. Thriller starring Kayleigh Ruller 4.00 Castle. An old friend of Castle hires him to Ƽnd out if her husband is cheating on her, but when he witnesses her being killed he has no proof a murder has taken place (r) 4.55 Love Nature. The colony of Atlantic puƾns on St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Majorca: A Year in the Sun. Cameras focus on a Michelin starred ex-pat chef who is on a mission to celebrate the best of Majorca’s produce, while a group of volunteers dives into the unknown (r) 6.55 5 News Update

7.00 Car Pound Cops With exclusive

access to car pounds, police forces, local council enforcement agencies and national organisations, we
track cars as they are seized
for a variety of offences (6/8) (r)

7.55 5 News Update

8.00 Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts

A former nurse is brought in with a suspected dislocated ankle, and paramedics rush in a 70-year-old with a low heart rate. Last in the series

9.00 999: Critical Condition A woman

arrives potentially paralysed following a car crash and a man faces life-threatening surgery to remove a tumour from his head

10.00 Ambulance: Code Red Paramedics

respond to calls of a man who has collapsed in a hotel bathroom, a head-on collision between two motorcyclists, and a woman
with a broken leg (r) (AD)

11.05 Cause of Death Lancashire Police

investigate when the body of a
man is found in a Ƽeld, part
of his ear is missing and he is discovered to be laid on top of
his wellington boots (8/10) (r)

12.05am A&E After Dark (r) (AD) 1.00 Cruise TV with LoveitBookit (r) 2.00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 2.50 Castle (r)
3.40 Friends. American comedy (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)

Page 73

conductors (one of whom is a woman) as they all prepare for key events in the choral calendar. As with all docuseries of this ilk, it is as much about the people as their craft, painting a picture of life in Wales and the problems facing men in deindustrialised communities. Joe Clay

The Funeral Home Horror

BBC2, 10pm

In 2025 Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral

BBC4

7.00pm Great British Railway Journeys. York to Skipton (AD) 7.30 Wainwright Walks (AD) 8.00 The Treasures of Ancient Rome. Documentary (2/3) 8.55 Mary Beard Remembers — Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit. The historian looks back to her 2016 series. See picks of the day 9.10 Mary Beard’s Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit. The myths and revolutions of the Roman Empire. See picks of the day (AD) 10.10 I, Claudius (3/12) 11.05 I, Claudius (4/12) 11.55 The Treasures of Ancient Rome. How sex and violence was depicted in Roman art (2/3) 12.55am Wainwright Walks (AD) 1.55 Mary Beard’s Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit (AD, SL) 2.55am-3.25 Great British Railway Journeys. York to Skipton (AD, SL)

BBC3

U&Drama

7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60 7.30 Deadly 60 8.00 Top Gear. The Lotus T125
and a demolition challenge 9.00 Top Gear. A road trip across Australia’s Northern Territory 10.00 Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee. New series. Hannah Gadsby and Lloyd Langford join a panel of comedians taking on TV’s silliest spelling test 10.50 Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee. A fresh panel of comedians to spell their way through a dating round 11.40 Dinosaur (AD) 12.05am Dinosaur (AD) 1.00 Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out (AD) 2.00 James Arthur: Out of Our Minds (r) (AD) 3.00am-4.00 Zara McDermott: Disordered Eating (AD, SL)

PBS America

Variations

BBC1 Scotland 12.25am Scotcast (r) 12.55-1.45am The Hit List Celebrity Special (r)

BBC1 Wales 8.00pm Shift the Thrift (r) 8.30-9.00 Our Lives: The Last Miner in the Band 10.40 Undercover: Cancer Cure or Con? 11.00 FILM: You’re Cordially Invited (2025) 12.45am The Hit List Celebrity Special (r) 1.30am-6.00 BBC News

Live

BBC2 N Ireland 9.30pm-10.00pm The Band (r)

STV 9.00pm-10.00pm Coroner:
STV Player Presents

Directors in Hull, was charged with preventing 30 “lawful and decent” burials and fraud relating to the ashes of many more. This edition of The Big Cases follows the investigation, with shocking footage of the police raids that uncovered 35 decomposing bodies, 167 sets of human ashes and widespread fraud. Some of the betrayed families feature, revealing how they were given strangers’ remains, while personal items of the deceased were carelessly “tossed aside”. JC

Sky Arts 8.00am The Joy of Painting 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Richard Harris (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: James Coburn (AD) 5.00 Best of Portrait Artist of the Year 2021 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 Voices of the Valleys. Three male voice choirs from across Wales. See picks of the day 9.00 Bryn Terfel: Celtic Beethoven 10.25 Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show. At Dublin’s 3Arena 12.25am The Eighties (AD) 1.20
Rik Mayall’s Sketches: Rare and Unseen 2.15-3.10 Cleo Laine:
The Unseen Home Movies (AD)

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 8.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 9.20 The Only Way Is Essex 10.15 Dawson’s Creek 11.10 Charmed 12.10pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.10 Supermarket Sweep 2.10 The Floor USA (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. The trip to Santorini culminates in a dramatic Ƽnal dinner 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 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bob’s Burgers (AD) 1.00am-2.40 The Real Housewives of Orange County

11.15 Inside the Langham: Britain’s First Grand Hotel. The CEO arrives 11.45pm-12.10am Deal or No
Deal: Banker’s Best Battles

BBC Scotland 7.00pm News 7.30 Scotland’s Home of the Year 2024 (r) 8.00 Island Crossings (r) 9.00 David Wilson’s Crime Files (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Icons of Football (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 Des Doesn’t Do — Winter Sports (r)

sport

S4C 6.00am Cyw 10.00 Blociau Rhif (r) 10.05 Crawc a’i Ffrindiau (r) 10.15 Deian a Loli (r) 10.30 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 12.00 News 12.05pm Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2.00 News 2.05 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 7.30 News 7.50 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 9.45 Pawb a’i Farn 10.45 Y Babell Lên 11.15pm-12.20am Ty FƼt (r)

STREAMING CHOICE

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Netflix

Picking up where season one left off, with the death of José Arcadio Buendía (Diego Vásquez) and Colonel Aureliano Buendía (Claudio Cataño) saved from death by firing squad, the second and final part of this epic, Spanish-language adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s 1967 magical realist masterpiece continues at the same

More4

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 (AD) 6.50 Car SOS (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. A home shaped like two enormous periscopes in Norfolk (6/10) (AD) 9.00 The Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts. The anthropologist explores key sites
of the Roman empire (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in Police Custody: The Butcher of Suburbia. Part one of two. The inside story of the murder of a 74-year-old woman (AD) 11.05 24 Hours In Police Custody: The Butcher of Suburbia (2/2) (AD) 12.10am 999: On the Front Line 1.15 24 Hours in Police Custody: The Butcher of Suburbia (AD) 2.20 24 Hours In Police Custody:
The Butcher of Suburbia (AD) 3.25am-3.55 A Place in the Sun

ITV3

6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (AD) 11.30 Heartbeat (AD) 1.35pm Midsomer Murders. Crime drama (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD)
5.50 Heartbeat (AD) 8.00 Midsomer Murders. A land dispute leads to murder (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. A student from a prestigious all-female college is found dead (1/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester. Will and Leonard witness a deadly and deliberate hit-and-run (2/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Three-part drama. A teacher is found dead and her boyfriend is arrested (5/10) 12.50am Wycliffe 2.00am-2.25 George and Mildred

8.00am America the Bountiful 8.35 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall 9.40 Pirates: Behind the Legends 10.40 Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation 11.55 Hitler’s Gold 1.00pm America the Bountiful 1.35 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall 2.35 Hitler’s Gold 3.35 Pirates: Behind the Legends 4.35 Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation 5.50 Hitler’s Gold 6.50 Conquistadors: The Rise
and Fall. Documentary 7.50 Pirates: Behind the Legends 8.50 Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation. How, by late 1949, Soviet domination of
Eastern Europe was total (2/3) 10.00 Hitler’s Gold 11.00 Pirates: Behind the Legends 12.00 Iron Curtain: Living Under Soviet Occupation 1.15am-2.00 America the Bountiful

stately pace. This time the muggy opulence has been replaced by a mood of desolate valediction. The show continues to be strange and unsettling, reworking the clichés of the historical family saga in many subtle ways. Andrew Male

FILM CHOICE

You’re Cordially Invited (15, 2024)

BBC1, 10.40pm

The writer-director Nicholas Stoller has taken an exhausted genre (the

today

Live Men’s Cycling World Tour TNT Sports 3, 11am-3.45pm Coverage of the third stage of the 2026 Tour of Poland

Live Tour de France Women TNT Sports 1, 12.30pm-5.45 Coverage from the Ƽfth stage of the Grand Tour race, a 140km route from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais

Live Test Cricket: West Indies v Pakistan TNT Sports 2, 2.30pm-11.00 Coverage of the fourth day of the second and Ƽnal Test in the series from Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago

Live MLB: Chicago Cubs v
Los Angeles Dodgers TNT Sports 1, 7.15pm-10 (Start-time 7.20). Coverage of the National League match

Live Tennis Sky Sports Tennis, 12midnight-4am The Canadian Open.
Further coverage from day
four of the ATP 1000 event
in Montreal and the WTA
1000 event in Toronto

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.20 Heated Rivalry (r) (AD) 12.30pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) (AD) 4.40 Heated Rivalry (r) (AD) 6.50 The Penguin (r) (AD) 7.55 The Penguin. Oz tries to play the Falcone and Maroni families to his advantage (2/8) (r) (AD) 9.00 House of the Dragon. Game of Thrones prequel following the story of House Targaryen. Matt Smith
and Emma D’Arcy star (r) 10.15 Station Eleven. Miranda reƽects on her relationships with Arthur and Dr Eleven (3/10) (r) 11.15 Station Eleven (4/10) (r) 12.15am True Detective: Night Country (r) (AD) 1.30 Sort Of (r) (AD) 2.00 Possession. New series. Supernatural thriller starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw (AD) 4.05 Billions (r) (AD) 5.10am-6.00 Urban Secrets (r)

Talking Pictures

6.00am FILM: Sandokan: Pirate of Malaysia (PG, 1964) 8.10 FILM: Guilty? (PG, 1956) (b/w) 10.00 FILM: The First of the Few (U, 1942) (b/w) 12.20pm Scotland Yard 1.00 The Buccaneers (b/w) 1.35 London’s Canal Ride in the 1950s 1.45 FILM: Up in the World (U, 1956) (b/w) 3.30 Look at Life
3.45 Dial 999 (b/w) 4.20 FILM:
The Bells Go Down (U, 1943) (b/w) 6.10 So This Is London 6.30 Give Us a Clue 7.00 Out of Town 7.30 Travelling Man (6/7) 8.35 An Englishman Abroad 9.50 FILM: From Here to Eternity (PG, 1953) Second World War drama starring Burt Lancaster (b/w) 12.10am FILM: The Brave Don’t Cry (U, 1952) (b/w) 2.00 FILM: The Night Visitor (15, 1971) 4.00-5.00 Stagecoach West (b/w)

ITV4 6.00am Magnum, PI (AD) 8.05 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 9.05 Boon 10.15 The Professionals (AD) 11.25 Robin of Sherwood 12.30pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.35 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.40 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.55
Minder. Arthur cashes in on a footballer’s disappearance (AD) 7.00 Aussie Pickers. A collection of Aussie memorabilia that has been voted as the best in Australia 8.00 Beat the Chasers — Celebrity Special. Nish Kumar, Chris McCausland, Mary Earps and Alexander Armstrong take part 9.00 FILM: RoboCop (18, 1987) Sci-Ƽ thriller starring Peter Weller 11.05 All Elite Wrestling: Collision. Hard-hitting action from the US 1.05am Minder (AD, SL) 2.00am- 3.00 The Professionals (AD, SL)

Sky Docs 6.00am The 2000s (r) 7.00 Discovering: Bruce Willis (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 AKA Mr Chow (r) 1.50pm My Icon: Pam Cookey (r) (AD) 2.00 FILM: SpitƼre (PG, 2018) The story of British single-seat Ƽghter plane the Supermarine SpitƼre 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Bruce Willis (r) (AD) 5.55 JFK: Destiny Betrayed (r) 7.00 The Alien Autopsy Scandal. Documentary about an alleged Ƽlm of an extra-terrestrial (r) (AD) 8.00 Blur: To the End (r) 10.00 Groomed: The Truth Behind the Lie (1/3) (r) (AD) 11.00 Murder at the Post Oƾce (r) 12.00 Murder at the Post Oƾce (r) 2.00am-5.00 Kings from Queens: The Run DMC Story (r)

wedding comedy) and brought the whole thing to vivid, side- splitting life. Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell play the antagonists of a weekend wedding nightmare that occurs when two fraught nuptials are accidentally booked for the same date, on the same tiny, alligator- infested island in Georgia. Ferrell plays the dad of the first bride, while Witherspoon is the alpha sister of the second bride. The gag- per-minute ratio is staggering. (109min) Ed Potton

Film4

11.00am My Spy (12, 2020) Comedy starring Dave Bautista 12.55pm Monkey Business (U, 1952) Comedy starring Cary Grant (b/w) (AD) 2.50 Siege at Red River (U, 1954) Western starring Van Johnson 4.35 Heaven Knows, Mr Allison (PG, 1957) Second World War romantic drama starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr 6.40 Steel Magnolias (PG, 1989) Drama starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton (AD) 9.00 Speed (15, 1994) A cop tries to save the passengers on a bus that is wired to explode if it goes below 50mph. Action thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock 11.15 Ambulance (15, 2022) Crime drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal (AD) 2.00am-3.45 Downhill (15, 2020) Comedy with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrell and Miranda Otto

6.00am Teleshopping 7.25 The Bill 8.15 Doctors 9.25 Classic Holby City 10.45 Casualty (AD) 11.45 The Bill 12.45pm 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 7.20 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 9.00 The Chelsea Detective. Emma admits that a huge rift came between her and her father when he had an affair with her friend, but she denies murdering him (6/9) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. The squad reinvestigates the disappearance of a political activist (6/8) (AD) 11.20 Luther. The detective faces suspension (3/6) (AD) 12.40am Lovejoy 1.50 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD)
2.50-4.00 Hotel PortoƼno (SL)

U&Yesterday

6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 The Green Planet. The methods plants use to thrive in the changing seasons (AD) 8.00 Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime. Michael Palin revisits his travel series, beginning with
Around the World in 80 Days 9.00 Simon Reeve’s South America 10.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 1.00am Find It,
Fix It, Flog It (AD) 2.00-3.00 Abandoned Engineering (AD)

Page 74

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Poker Byron Jacobs

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The price of equanimity

Last week’s article dealt with an interesting concept for cash game play (not tournaments) that is now routinely offered by most sites. There will come occasions when one of the players compet- ing in a pot is all-in (ie has no further chips to bet). At this point the music stops, hands are turned face up and the remaining board cards are dealt. Whoever then has the best hand scoops the pot.
Clearly this element of the game is decided purely by luck. When the players’ hands are revealed, it is possible to calculate the equity each player has in the pot. This may seem like a complicated pro- position but, of course, the soft- ware does it instantly. Let’s assume the pot is (conveniently) exactly $100. Maybe it’s close. Player A has 55 per cent equity and player B 45. Either can “cash out” their equity (A receiving $55 and B $45). They don’t both have to agree for this to happen. If one takes the offer and the other prefers to “gamble” they can do so.
In principle, it makes no differ- ence whether you cash out or not. You win or lose on an individual hand but, in the long run, luck will even out. In poker terms it is a “neutral EV decision”. The EV is “expected value” and every poker decision you make should be an attempt to maximise your EV. However, there is a crucial factor involved: the sites don’t offer this service free of charge. If you elect

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For more puzzles, including

Mini Sudoku, extra Codeword, Train Tracks and Futoshiki

Winning Move

KenKen Medium No 6903

using the

to cash out, you pay a small “admin fee”, generally one per cent, and this instantly changes the EV situation. Now cashing out generates (a small amount of) neg- ative EV and allowing the cards to be dealt is neutral.
Here is where this gets inter- esting. The above argument, which is perfectly valid, implies that tak- ing the cash out makes as much sense as paying $101 for a $100 note. Assuming an experienced player knows the site charges this fee (it is not exactly emphasized when the offer appears on the table), they would surely never accept it – right? Not necessarily. Sometimes even experienced play- ers take up the offer, knowing full well what they are doing. Why? The answer is wrapped up in loss aversion. Imagine you are not about 50/50 in the $100 pot but you have K-K, Villain has 10-10 and the board is J-9-4-4 with one card to be dealt. Only a 10 will scupper you and you have over 95 per cent equity. If you don’t take the “insurance” of the cash out you risk losing $95 just to chase an extra $5. If you know that losing this pot will disturb you (it shouldn’t but, unless you are a stoic philosopher, that’s easier said than done) and have a serious detrimental effect on your future play, you may prefer to take the small hit to maintain emotional equanimity. On occasion we can all be willing to pay a little to avoid psychological discomfort. Poker players are no exception.

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White to play. This position is from Zierk- Hnatyshyn, chess.com 2026.

At first sight this appears to be a straightforward position. The black knight on f5 is threatened and there seems no good reason not to play 1 gxf5. However,
1 gxf5 would be met by 1 ... Qg4+ when, perhaps surprisingly, Black’s counterplay is enough to secure a draw by perpetual check. White found a far more creative solution. Can you see it?

Codeword No 5911

Every letter in this crossword-style grid is represented by a number from 1 to 26.

Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already

provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid

and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been

accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. Yesterday’s solution, right

Cluelines Stuck on Codeword? To receive 4 random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text

TIMECODE to 64343. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company’s network access

charge. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. For the full solution call

0905 757 0142. If you have an old newspaper and need clues from the past 7 days,

call 0905 624 0024. Calls to 0905 cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s

network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm).

Lexica Easy No 9035 Hard No 9036

O Y

Slide the letters either horizontally or vertically back into the grid to produce a

completed crossword. Letters are allowed to slide over other letters

Futoshiki No 5451

only. The

Kakuro No 4410

Train Tracks No 2936

© PUZZLER MEDIA

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.

Quintagram®

Solve all five cryptic clues using each

letter underneath once only

1 Weathercock is useless to auditor (4)

2 Wafer-thin goth holding lump of metal (5)

3 Silicon jewellery for sister perhaps (7)

4 Simpers about stamp (7)

5 Convey delight (9)

A A B E E G G I

I I I L M N N N

N O O P P R R R

S S S S T T T V

Try Wordhunt and Picle,

our new online Quick Play puzzles at thetimes.com/ puzzles and on the Live app

No 2638

Fill the grid

numbers 1 to 9

numbers in each

horizontal or

vertical run of

white squares

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

Page 75

the times | Wednesday August 5 2026

15 MindGames

N

times2 Crossword

No 10,227 Brain Trainer

Brain

Trainer

1

2 3 4 5 6

10

11

12

13

14

15 16

18

19

÷ 9

Across

 1   Contemptible (9)
 7   Dry and barren (4)
 8   Alec ---, celebrated actor (8)
 9   Slow-paced, unhurried (6)
10   Handful of earth (4)
12   Craft of fitting padded

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coverings to furniture (10)

14   (Of a vehicle) turn less

sharply than expected (10)

Solution to Crossword 10,226

&

7 5 $ & 2 9 ( 5 $ * ( ' + 2 : 0 1 5 & - 8 % , 7 ( 7 + ( ' 8 6 7

+

$ 1 ' 6 2 % ( 5 2 1 7 5 , 9 , $ ( 2 & ' / ( $ 1 ( 5 & + $ 6 ( 5 + ( $ 5 7 , 0 0 2 5 7 $ / , 6 ( 9 ( , 1 2 $ ' ( $ 1 7 2 . ( 1 , 6 0 7 < < (

Need help with today’s puzzle? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers.

ANSWER

ANSWER

ANSWER

Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s network access

charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).

Bridge

Andrew Robson

Modern Bidding Developments

31. Fourth Suit Forcing

Priority Replies Traditionally, and in my previous writings, these have been opener’s priority replies to Fourth Suit Forcing (after an auction such as 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦). 1 - Go back to responder’s suit with three cards. 2 - Repeat your second suit with five cards. 3 - Repeat your first suit with six cards. 4 - Bid Notrumps with a stopper in the fourth suit. 5 - Go back to responder’s suit with a good doubleton. It’s time to bring ourselves in line with modern expert thinking. Being pedantic, the first priority ought to be raising the fourth suit with four cards in that suit. I used to leave this out, as it doesn’t hap- pen very often. But with, say, ♠4, ♥AQ72, ♦AJ53, ♣K732, or ♠-, ♥AQ632, ♦J872, ♣A962, (after 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦), you raise to 3♦. I want to talk about traditional priorities No 1 and No 5 above. Say you have ♠962, ♥AQJ72, ♦3, ♣A832. You open 1♥ and partner responds 1♠. It is a mistake to rebid 2♣. The problem is that if respon- der now makes a non-forcing bid such as 2♥, 2NT or 3♣, you are not strong enough to make a third bid, so cannot show your three-card spade support; a 5-3 spade fit may easily be missed. The solution, therefore, is to raise 1♠ to 2♠. If you have the 3♠5♥1♦4♣ shape with extra values, 16 or more points, you are correct to bid 2♣ (strong enough to make a third

DOUBLE

20

21

17 Pungent perfume

ingredient (4)

18   Rich cake (6)
20   Expressed contrition (8)
22   Military dining hall (4)
23   Flyer of newly developed

aircraft (4,5)

Down

 1   Multiply by two (6)
 2   Wind-created formation in

a desert or on a beach (4,4)

 3   Vote in favour (3)
 4   Legally terminated

(a marriage) (9)

 5   Enclosed patch of land (4)
 6   Very chilly, raw (6)
11   Type of reference book (9)
13   Battery contact (8)
15   Arrange tidily (6)
16   Upward movement (6)
19   Compass direction (4)
21   Audible time signal (3)

bid) — but now you should jump

in reply to FSF. It follows, there- fore, that you’ll never have three cards for 1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦-2♠: you’ll always have only two cards. So the modern revised priority replies to FSF (when unable to jump to show 16 points) are: 1 - Raise the fourth suit with four cards. 2, 3 and 4 as before. 5 - Go back to responder’s suit with a doubleton (any), something of a default reply (see next Wednesday).

A trump-leading auction, West led ♦5. Winning dummy’s ♦A, declarer led to ♠A and ruffed ♠2. She crossed to ♦J and ruffed ♠4 (with ♦Q), East discarding. She now crossed to ♣A, cashed ♦K and conceded ♠5. West won and switched to ♣Q but declarer could win ♣K, cash ♥A dropping ♣7, ruff back to hand and enjoy ♠87. Slam made, with 3NT failing. andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk

N W E S

U N A B L E

♠6

♥A986 ♦AQ72 ♣K652 ♠Q10 ♥Q107432 ♦1098 ♣108

Dealer: North

Vul: Neither

♠KJ93

♥KJ5 ♦65 ♣QJ94 ♠A87542 ♥- ♦KJ43 ♣A73

S W N E

1♥ Pass

    1♠       Pass          2♣         Pass         
    2♦(1)   Pass          3♦(2)    Pass         
    6♦(3)   End

(1) FSF, setting up a game-force and asking for more information (shape prioritising). (2) First priority: four cards in the fourth suit. (3) Asking for aces won’t help, given the void.

EASY

30 x 4 ÷ 6 + 83 – 17 – 75

MEDIUM 60 + 95

DOUBLE

÷ 5

– 64

HARDER 90

– 460 x 9

x 4

÷ 12 x 23

÷ 6

DOUBLE

Polygon

Set Square No 4413

Solutions

Killer Tricky No 10,860

Killer

Deadly No 10,861

As with standard Sudoku, fill the grid so that every column,

the grid, so that

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

2

1/ OF IT +

2

1/ OF IT +

TRIPLE

TRIPLE

x 3

• 29

HALVE

HALVE

– 173

From these letters, make words of

four or more letters, always including

the central letter. Answers must be in

the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding

Concise

capitalised words, plurals, conjugated

verbs (past tense etc), adverbs ending

in LY, comparatives and superlatives.

How you rate 16 words, average;

22, good; 25, very good; 28, excellent

Yesterday’s answers

aloe, alto, avo, iota, loa, lot, loti, lovat,

love, oat, oil, olé, olive, oval, ovate, toe,

toea, toil, toile, veto, viol, viola, violate,

violet, voe, voila, voile, vole, volet, volt,

volte, vote

Quick Cryptic 3371

Cryptic

Sudoku 16,998

Sudoku 16,999

Sudoku 17,000

Killer 10,858

Killer 10,859

Cell Blocks

No 5794

© PUZZLER MEDIA

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Codeword 5910

Tetonor 697

59

136

25

144

1 x 59 4 x 34 9 + 16 16 x 9

135

31 168 32

5 x 27 7 + 24 24 x 7 27 + 5

60

38 196

4 + 34 98 x 2 2 + 24 1 + 59

100

198 48 69

3 x 66 24 x 2 66 + 3 98 + 2

Lexica 9033 Cell Blocks 5793 Set Square 4412

Futoshiki 5450

KenKen 6902

Today’s solutions

Quintagram

Quintagram

1 Vane

2 Ingot 3 Sibling 4 Impress 5 Transport

1 Watch

2 Regard 3 Survey 4 Monitor 5 Checkout

Word watch

Eupatrid (b) A hereditary

noble or landowner (Collins) Orecchiette (c) Small concave discs of pasta (Chambers) Balaam (a) Trivial filler for a newspaper column (OED)

Chess — Winning Move

1 Qxf8+! Kxf8 2 Rc8+ Ke7

3 R1c7+ Qd7 4 gxf5 exf5 5 Nd4 and when White captures the black queen he will emerge a piece ahead

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 six sums

work. We’ve

placed two

numbers to get

you started.

Each sum

should be

calculated left

to right or top to

bottom.

Kakuro 4409

Train Tracks 2935

C R A M P

A O

S O A R

Lexica 9034

R O D H

E R A Y

C A M

V E S T N

S T U M P

Sakuro 4812

Easy 36

Medium 261 Harder 171

Quiz

1 Nottingham 2 California

3 Michelin 4 Vampire bat 5 Edward the Confessor 6 Edward Elgar 7 Rocky IV 8 JMW Turner 9 Cinnamon 10 Bassenthwaite Lake 11 Fortunes of War 12 Durban 13 LTJ Bukem (Danny Williamson) 14 York City 15 Jack Whitehall

Page 76

Sudoku Difficult No 17,001 Fiendish No 17,002 Super fiendish No 17,003 Word watch

David Parfitt

Eupatrid a An advocate of monetary union b A hereditary noble c Completely decomposed

Orecchiette a A dungeon accessed through its roof b An egg-shaped wind instrument c Small concave discs of pasta

Balaam a Trivial filler for a newspaper column b A respectful gesture of salutation c Whalebone

The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjortomt

1 Robin Hood Adventures is an extension of the Rebellion Gallery in the castle in which Midlands city?

2 In which US state did Disneyland open in 1955?

3 Which French company is the largest tyre manufacturer by annual revenue in Europe?

4 Draculin is a natural anticoagulant glycoprotein found in the saliva of which bat, aka Desmodus rotundus?

5 Which king of England died without a direct heir on January 5, 1066?

6 In 2006, Anthony Payne created a sixth Pomp and Circumstance march from which

The Times Quick Cryptic No 3372 by Jalna

    

  



   

  

  

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

English composer’s sketches?

7 Dolph Lundgren played the Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in which 1985 film?

8 Which English painter’s Snow Storm — Steam-Boat off a

LISA O’CONNOR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Lake District with “lake” in its official name?

11 The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy form which 1960-80 series of novels by Olivia Manning?

12 Formerly named Port Natal, what is the busiest port city in sub-Saharan Africa?

13 Classically trained as a pianist, which British drum and bass DJ founded Good Looking Records in 1991?

Harbour’s Mouth was first exhibited in 1842?

9 Produced by Lucas Bols, the Dutch liqueur Gold Strike is flavoured primarily with which spice?

14 Which EFL League Two football club is nicknamed “the Minstermen”?

15 Which English comedian is pictured?

10 What is the only body of water in the

Across 6 Colour of old stove (6) 7
Rubbish tee shot heading for lake (6) 9 Single river heading west in

US city (4) 10 Dreary, accomplished

performers (8) 11 Total struggle to cross line (8) 13 Shelter made of some fine

sticks? (4) 15 Beloved person each doctor

nurses (4) 16 Impressive and popular, as

many churches are (8) 18 Weakness not hard to detect

(4,4) 20 Excessively large plane, for

example (4) 21 Lodger deprived of a bed (6) 22 Leguminous plant close to

coastal inlet flourished (6)

Sakuro No 4812

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

For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com

Down 1
Horrible, liquid food almost finished by a few (8) 2 New indoor carpet is included

(12) 3 Calm sales agent boasted from

time to time (6) 4 Stick publicity material in this

place (6) 5 Result of food fight in military

dining hall? (4) 8 Non-scientist weirdly playing

fast and loose (12) 12 Characters winding up

arrogant people on X (3) 14 Hurry and deal with creepy-

crawly? (4,2,2) 16 Bestow one politician with

sculpture, perhaps (6) 17 Make your home somewhere

in the Yorkshire Dales (6) 19 Leaders of one band offended

every music producer (4)

© PUZZLER MEDIA

Subscribe

for more puzzles

• Puzzles updated daily

• Play against the clock

• Compete in our leaderboard

• Play off line and online

To try a digital subscription, visit thetimes.com/subscribe

05.08.26

QA Report - The Times - 05.08.2026.pdf

Pipeline

• Extraction route: pymupdf-column-aware
• extraction_route=pymupdf-column-aware
• Translation chunks: 192

Non-model Checks

• WARNING: translated output has low semantic coherence score (0.03)
• WARNING: missing numeric tokens from source: 05.08.26, 10.25, 10.6, 10.8, 1066, 13.5, 17001, 17002, 17003, 1842
• WARNING: Missing proper nouns in translation: Aaron Wan, Abandoned Engineering, Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, Aberdeen Aberporth Anglesey Aviemore Barnstaple Bedford Belfast Birmingham Bournemouth Bridlington Bristol Camborne Cardiff Edinburgh Eskdalemuir Glasgow Hereford Herstmonceux Ipswich Isle, Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Exeter Glasgow Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Norwich Penzance Sheffield, Abolfazl

Safari, Abolfazl Sepahi, Abraham Lincoln, Activist Gary Stevenson, Adam Armstrong - WARNING: source dates, money, or percentage tokens may be missing

Model QA

《泰晤士报》PDF翻译质量检查报告

1. 遗漏

• Page 1: 伯纳姆妻子全名"Marie-France van Heel"未完整翻译（仅译为"玛丽-弗朗斯·范·希尔"）。
• Page 37: "Smith & Nephew" 部分数据遗漏（如"第二季度收入增长1.6%，未达到分析师预期的3.7%"）。
• Page 38: "Palantir" 财报细节遗漏（如"美国政府收入增长 90 per cent，达到 $809 million"）。

2. 错译/误译

• Page 1: "£9 billion" 错译为"£9亿英镑"（应为"90亿英镑"）。
• Page 37: "1.5 million homes" 错译为"1.5 million套"（应为"150万套"）。
• Page 37: "£314 million" 错译为"£314万英镑"（应为"3.14亿英镑"）。
• Page 38: "€670" 与 "€67800" 单位混淆（前者应为"6.7亿欧元"，后者为"6.78亿欧元"）。

3. 残留英文

• Page 1: "How to Fail" 播客名称未译。
• Page 37: "Santyl" 药品名称未译。
• Page 38: "AI"、"NHS"、"BP" 等缩写未展开。

4. 格式/标签问题

• Page 1: "‘Not again’" 标点符号未统一（中文应为“‘又来？’”）。
• Page 37: "£141 million" 格式不一致（部分使用"亿英镑"，部分保留原文）。
• Page 75: 密码字谜提示（如"Cluelines"）未清理。

5. 结构问题

• Page 1: "首相表示，玛丽-弗朗斯·范·希尔对他决定重返西——" 截断未处理。
• Page 38: "GUIDED TOUR ONLY" 标签未译且格式突兀。

6. 其他

• Page 37: "Catalystem" 医疗术语未确认（疑为"Catalys"误译）。
• Page 75: 数学题目（如"BODMAS"）未解释。

---

结论

存在遗漏、错译、残留英文、格式不统一等问题，需修正。无严重截断或章节顺序错误。