[!WARNING] 翻译质量评估未完全通过 (Quality Audit Failed) 发现以下潜在质量问题： - missing numeric tokens from source: 0004000, 00057, 0009, 0018, 0023, 0070, 0079, 0101, 0127, 01296 - Missing proper nouns in translation: Abersoch

Small, Abyssinian Government, Accelerate Growth, Accor Stadium, Adam Sage

At, Addis Ababa, Adedreca Nigeria, Admire Utrecht, Advanced Medical, Africa Amateur Boxing Championships

• source dates, money, or percentage tokens may be missing
• translated output contains large residual English-looking blocks

The Times - 29.07.2026.pdf 中文镜像版

国际足联出售世界杯计划被亮红牌

独家报道

Martyn Ziegler 首席体育记者

Andy Burnham 加入了对国际足联（Fifa）计划向私人投资者出售世界杯股份的谴责之列。

足球世界的管理机构昨晚证实了《泰晤士报》的一篇报道，称其计划出售一家新成立公司的约 30 per cent 股份，该公司旨在处理其赛事的商业利益——并确认特朗普总统女婿 Jared 的兄弟 Joshua Kushner 为领投人。

这是国际足联主席 Gianni Infantino 与特朗普之间的最新联系。人们担心，这次出售会导致投资者施压，要求国际足联扩大世界杯规模，或将其举办频率提高至高于每 4 年一次。内部人士表示，新公司的初始估值约为 $20 billion。

首相表示：“足球不属于投资者。它属于那些无论风雨，每周都填满看台或站在场边的人。世界杯不是一件产品。它是世界体育界最伟大的赛事，从未属于任何人可以出售。无论如何包装这笔交易，一旦你出售了其中的一部分，你就背叛了它。”

欧洲足球管理机构欧足联（Uefa）表示，该计划逾越了底线：“欧足联对此极其严肃地看待。每个国家足球协会也应如此。每个利益相关者也应如此：联赛、俱乐部、球员、支持者、政府以及每一个关心这项运动未来的人。足球的灵魂和治理不是可以交易的资产，尤其是关于谁在财务上获益而完全缺乏透明度的情况下，” 欧足联补充道。

美国众议院司法委员会的首席民主党人 Jamie Raskin 指责国际足联直接与特朗普家族做生意。他补充道：“显然，那个虚假的和平奖和特朗普大厦的巨额租赁还不够——现在 Infantino 通过与 Jared Kushner 的兄弟达成一项数十亿美元的交易，上演了一次回扣‘帽子戏法’。” 委员会的民主党人已要求 Infantino 出席听证会。他没有义务出席。

国际足联表示，在 2026 年世界杯获得成功之后，其目前的优先事项是“释放商业潜力”。 世界杯待售，第 58-60 页

新闻要闻

净零成本

研究表明，政府脱碳能源网络的计划到本十年末将使消费者和纳税人每年承担 £40 billion 的费用。第 2 页

虚假新闻“中毒”

研究人员表明，在系统被一项宣传活动“毒化”后，主流聊天机器人正在重复俄罗斯的虚假新闻。第 4 页

Candy 赢得赔付

亿万富翁 Christian Candy 将获得 £2.3 million，此前法官裁定他及其兄弟在购买切尔西的一栋豪宅时被双重征税。第 15 页

泽连斯基乐观

泽连斯基总统在白宫会议后赞扬了对乌克兰的积极情绪，会议上他讨论了通过振兴外交手段结束与俄罗斯战争的计划。第 27 页

GSK 资金注入

制药巨头 GSK 将在剑桥建立一个研发总部，作为在英国 £400 million 投资的一部分。第 31 页

法国传奇回归

曾带领法国在 1998 年世界杯夺冠的 Zinedine Zidane 昨日被确认接替 Didier Deschamps 担任国家队主教练。第 57 页

---

2

19 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

新闻

今日亮点

• 8.05am Ruthie Henshall（见下图），演员及社会护理活动人士
• 10.45am Gyles Brandreth，广播员及前国会议员，讨论其爱丁堡艺穗节演出
• 1.40pm Rick Gates，唐纳德·特朗普 2016 年总统竞选活动副主席
• 3.35pm NHS 医生 Richard Coker 讨论其著作《Timor Mortis: How We Live with Death》
• 5.05pm Sir Andrew Dilnot，护理资金委员会前主席

净零排放“到本十年末每年将使家庭成本增加400亿英镑”

Oliver Wright 政策编辑

研究表明，政府对能源网络脱碳的计划到本十年末每年将使消费者和纳税人承担 £40 billion（400亿英镑）的成本。

由右翼智库繁荣研究所（Prosperity Institute）发布的一份报告称，风能、太阳能和核能的补贴预计将从今年的 £11.8 billion 增加到 2030 年的近 £15 billion。

与此同时，升级英国电网以应对可再生能源涌入的成本预计将达到 £25 billion。该智库表示，这两项合计将使每个家庭每年增加 £1,400 以上的支出。

报告警告称，这一预测不包括其他政府绿色政策，例如对碳捕集与封存的投资（预计 25 年内将达到 £21.7 billion），以及对绿氢的支持（15 年内可能花费 £16 billion）。

报告认为，鉴于公共财政面临的压力，这种支出轨迹是不可持续的，并可能导致“严重的经济损害”。它呼吁 Andy Burnham 通过以下方式将能源政策“重新定位”于“可负担性和供应安全性”：

重新谈判与可再生能源公司的合同并取消补贴。

研究人员分析了消费者在电费单中支付的可再生能源补贴成本，这些补贴为利用新型可再生能源发电的电力提供了价格保证。

报告指出，随着部长们旨在实现到本十年末英国所有电力均由可再生能源产生这一目标，该成本已从 2010 年的 £500 million 增加到预测的 £13.9 billion。

报告还强调了升级电网以应对新电源的需求，以及应对间歇性可再生能源所需的平衡措施。报告称，这些成本已从 2010 年的 £2.8 billion 增加到预测的 2030 年 £14.9 billion。

其中包括 £7.3 billion 的所谓“浪费风能”赔付，根据该项规定，国家电网运营商在供应过剩期间向公司支付费用，要求其停止利用风电场发电。

报告认为，尽管部长们将高电价归咎于乌克兰战争导致天然气价格飙升，但大部分额外成本实际上是由于转向可再生能源造成的。

“补贴和电网整合的成本自 2010 年以来增长了六倍，达到每年近 £20 billion。官方预测显示，这个问题将显著恶化，”报告称。

繁荣研究所表示，未来的政府需要将这些成本视为“第一天”就必须处理的问题。

它补充道：“需要采取果断行动——包括重新谈判合同、取消补贴以及向可负担性和供应安全性重新定位——即使这意味着要面对困难的政治和法律挑战。”

能源与气候情报局（Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit）能源负责人 Jess Ralston 对报告的结论提出了质疑，她表示大型风电场去年将批发电价降低了三分之一，并降低了英国对天然气的依赖。“我们知道，能源危机已经给英国造成了超过 £180 billion 的损失，这应归咎于高企且波动的化石燃料价格，”她说道，并补充道：“在经历了数十年的投资不足后，英国电网需要现代化和升级，如今的投入将在未来几年产生效益。

“英国的可再生能源降低了账单，使我们减少了对外国天然气的依赖，因此确保电网能够最大限度地提高其产出是不言而喻的。”

美国审查在欧军事存在

Susie Coen 纽约

在皮特·海格塞斯（Pete Hegseth）批评北约盟友将福利置于国防支出之上后，美国启动了对其在欧洲军事存在的审查。

“这将是一次真正的审查，旨在确保北约正快速且不可逆转地朝着由欧洲承担其常规防御主要责任的方向前进，”美国战争次长埃尔布里奇·科尔比（Elbridge Colby）表示。“此次审查的结果将是加速北约向一个更强大、更公平且可持续的联盟转型。”

这项为期六个月的审查最初由战争部长海格塞斯在六月的一次紧张的北约部长级会议上宣布，会上他猛烈抨击了那些“尚未展示出可信路径”以履行提高国防支出承诺的国家。海格塞斯告诉他的同行们，“北约一些最大的经济体”似乎仍然认为“搭便车时代还在继续”。

“这将是一次真正的审查，”海格塞斯在六月表示。“它将旨在确保北约正快速且不可逆转地朝着由欧洲领导、挺身而出承担欧洲防御主要责任的方向前进。这是一次有些国家会失败，而另一些国家将以优异成绩通过的审查。”

华盛顿的最终决定源于欧洲盟友抵制在美伊战争中支持美国。

基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）在担任首相期间最初拒绝允许美军使用英国基地对伊朗发动攻击，但随后允许将其用于防御性打击。据彭博社报道，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）延续了这一政策。

五角大楼已经宣布计划削减在欧军队，并减少在发生冲突时对联盟作战计划的承诺。除了审查美国在欧洲的军事存在外，海格塞斯还威胁要削减美国对该集团的贡献。德国总理弗里德里希·默茨（Friedrich Merz）表示，盟友们一直知晓华盛顿的计划，并表示该集团必须加强其安全性。

股票 Isas 投资者避税额是现金储蓄者的两倍

Jack Simpson

数据显示，投资者通过使用股票和股份 Isas 在一年内节省了 £7 billion 的税款——这是现金 Isas 储蓄者避税金额的两倍多。

新的政府数据表明，那些将投资持有在免税账户中的人，在 2023-24 税年度避缴了数十亿英镑的资本利得税和股息税。储蓄者在 2023 和 24 年度中，将资金存放在现金 Isas 中的储蓄者节省了 £2.8 billion。

Isas 是经政府批准的账户，可保护所有利润和收益免于纳税。储蓄者每年可在现金或股票和股份 Isas 中存入最高 £20,000。然而，从 4 月起，65 岁以下储蓄者的现金 Isas 限额将降低至 £12,000。

政府数据显示，2023-24 年度约有 9.9 million 个现金 Isas 账户进行了注资，3.8 million 个股票和股份账户进行了注资。

《泰晤士报》的 Smarter with Money 活动希望将投资股票和股份 Isas 的人数增加到五百万。

通过投资平台 AJ Bell 提交的信息自由请求获得的数据显示，投资者通过使用股票和股份 Isas 节省了 £1.17 billion 的资本利得税，以及 £5.78 billion 的股息税。£6.9 billion 的总节省额比 2018-19 年的数据增长了 95 per cent。

资本利得税是对投资者出售资产（主房除外）时赚取的利润征收的。2022-23 年度的免税资本利得额度为 £12,300。次年该额度被削减至 £6,000，目前为 £3,000. 在 Rachel Reeves 2024 年 10 月的预算案中，资本利得税率有所提高，基础税率纳税人从 10 提高到 18 per cent，高税率纳税人从 20 提高到 24 per cent。

得益于高利率，现金 Isas 储蓄者在 2023-24 年避税 £2.8 billion，而 2018-19 年这一数字为 £210 million，当时英格兰银行的基准利率在 0.5 和 0.75 per cent 之间。从 2021 年 12 月到 2024 年 6 月的峰值 5.25 per cent，利率上调了 14 次。目前利率为 3.75 per cent。

接前 1 页 社会护理改革

三年内约 £250 million 的利润。

Nuffield Trust 的 Camille Oung 表示，社会护理市场是以一种“非常失控且缺乏监管的方式演变的”，但她警告称，如果 Burnham 采取措施打击私立养老院，可能会有“破坏”该行业的风险，因为部分养老院可能会关闭。

她表示：“如果一家供应商突然退出市场，对于目前正在接受护理的人来说将非常困难。”

国家护理协会 (National Care Association) 共同主席 Nadra Ahmed 表示，绝大多数养老院由小型运营商而非私有股权公司运营，Burnham 需要“非常仔细”地考虑改革的影响。

她表示：“如果你看在该领域运营的慈善机构，其中许多机构利用其他地方产生的收入来补贴其养老院的成本。他需要以开放的心态面对此事，而不要将那些在挑战性环境中提供高质量护理、多年来作为服务支柱的人驱逐出去。”

英国改革党 (Reform UK) 声称，所谓的“死亡税”——该党用来指代潜在的社会护理资金征收税项的术语——可能会使 Burnham 的 Makerfield 選區的平均选民损失 £50,000.

政治，第 6-9 页

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

3

新闻

GORDON MUTHUNNATH

快乐而光荣：在西萨塞克斯郡举行的卡塔尔古德伍德节 (Qatar Goodwood Festival) 第一天，香槟、Pimm's 饮料和精致的头饰随处可见。“光荣古德伍德” (Glorious Goodwood) 将持续到周六。体育，第 53 页

Netflix 与 BBC 竞争，观众在寻找观看内容时将其作为首选

Alex Farber 媒体通讯员

根据媒体监管机构的数据，电视观众转向 Netflix 的可能性与转向 BBC 的可能性相当。

Ofcom 的《2026 媒体国家》(Media Nations 2026) 报告显示，去年约 26 per cent 的观众表示，在寻找观看内容时通常首先打开该流媒体平台，紧随其后的是 BBC 的电视频道和 iPlayer，占比 25 per cent。

Ofcom 认为，这两个数字之间的差距非常小，因此竞争对手应被视为“不相上下”。然而，这种趋势是不可阻挡的。在 2024, 年，BBC 是 28 per cent 观众的首选，而 Netflix 为 23 per cent。前一年，Netflix 比 BBC 的 30 per cent 低 6 个百分点。

这些数据为该流媒体平台总结了成功的一年，它制作了电视上两部最受欢迎的节目——

儿童动画片《K-Pop Demon Hunters》，观看人数超过 24 million，以及 Jack Thorne 的剧集《Adolescence》，观看人数为 16 million。

BBC 总干事 Matt Brittin 上个月警告称，在去年支付电视执照费的家庭数量下降超过 500,000 户后，该广播公司面临一个“真正的危急时刻”。

Ofcom 战略与研究集团总监 Kate Davies 表示：“随着观众日益受益于极其丰富的内容选择，传统广播公司、流媒体服务、视频共享平台和其他形式之间的竞争……非常激烈。”

当人们被问及首先会转向哪项服务时，不同年龄段之间存在明显差异：16 到 24 岁的人最倾向于选择 Netflix，而 55 岁及以上的人最倾向于选择 BBC 服务。

然而，有越来越多的迹象表明，年长观众正日益接受流媒体服务——尤其是剧集。

55 到 74 岁的观众平均观看 Netflix 的《Black Doves》、《Dept Q》和《House of Guinness》等剧集 85 小时，比去年增加了 19 小时，是所有年龄组中增长最快的一组。

在要求对所有广播公司在多项指标上进行排名时（包括谁代表“高质量”、谁具有“创新性”以及谁提供了“与我相关的内容”），Netflix 在第二名的位置上击败了 BBC。

尽管统计数据令人冷静，但 BBC 依然具有韧性。

去年，它在所有视频观看时长中占 18 per cent，与前一年持平，而 Netflix 为 9 per cent。

它还负责播出了年度十部最受欢迎节目和电影中的四部，包括拥有近 15 million 观众的《The Celebrity Traitors》，以及《Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl》和《Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell》。

Davies 表示，传统广播公司继续在重大国家时刻将数百万人聚集在一起，同时提供更多数字化服务。

她说：“为了在当前的媒体格局中繁荣并生存，公司继续了解不断变化的观众习惯并调整策略以满足人们的需求，比以往任何时候都更重要。”

一位 BBC 发言人表示：“我们已经在转型 BBC 的内容和服务，以适应不断变化的观众习惯……包括通过我们的 YouTube 合作伙伴关系，而正在进行的宪章审查是一个做出明确选择的机会，这将确保 BBC 能够为观众提供服务……直至子孙后代。”

《Top Gear》前主持人因超速被罚款

Herbie Russell

理查德·哈蒙德（Richard Hammond）在三周内驾驶豪车两次被测速超速，随后被法院要求支付超过 £1,700 的款项。

这位前《Top Gear》主持人去年 12 月 2 日在驾驶一辆保时捷时突破了速度限制。20 天后，他在驾驶一辆宾利时再次被抓获。

西默西亚警方对 56 岁的哈蒙德提起两项起诉，提交了他在赫里福德郡驾驶时的速度相机图像作为证据。7 月 22 日在特尔福地方法院，哈蒙德通过律师承认了两项超速罪名，其驾照被扣 7 分。

这位电视节目主持人曾在 2002 到 2015 年间与杰里米·克拉克森（Jeremy Clarkson）和詹姆斯·梅（James May）共同主持《Top Gear》，随后在 2016 到 2024 年主持《The Grand Tour》。他在 12 月 2 日下午 1 点前被抓获。一名使用手持相机的警察记录到他的保时捷 Taycan Cross Turismo 在彭克雷格（Pencraig）的 A40 公路 50mph 限速区域内时速为 68mph。12 月 22 日上午 11.45，哈蒙德的宾利欧陆 GT 在 M50 公路的 Rodhall Overbridge 70mph 限速区域内被拍到时速为 82mph。

地方法官要求哈蒙德支付 £1,771，其中包括两笔分别为 £333 和 £666 的罚款、£240 的诉讼费以及总计 £532 的受害者附加费。

根据法庭文件，哈蒙德在去年 8 月曾被指控另一项驾驶违规行为。

2006 年，哈蒙德在为《Top Gear》拍摄时，驾驶一辆喷气动力车在 288mph 的速度下发生车祸，险些丧命。他陷入了为期两周的昏迷，但随后康复。

2013 年，哈蒙德和克拉克森在法国拍摄该节目的一集时因超速被抓，被处以三个月的禁驾令。

主持人离开电视沙发转战早间广播

Alex Farber 媒体记者

Naga Munchetty 在担任 BBC Breakfast 主持人 17 年后将离职，共同主持 Radio 5 Live 的早间节目。

这位 51 岁的主持人将在 1 月起“接管”该广播节目，此前现任主持人 Rachel Burden 和 Rick Edwards 宣布卸任。51 岁的 Burden 在任职 15 年后将离职，为该电台主持工作日的中午节目；而 47 岁的 Edwards 将继续主持周六早晨的节目 Fighting Talk 并承担其他职责。

Munchetty 去年因主持 BBC

Naga Munchetty 在过去 17 年里一直就职于 BBC Breakfast

Breakfast 及其 5 Live 中午节目，获得了约 £360,000 的薪酬，她表示：“在过去的 17 年里，能够成为 BBC Breakfast 电视团队的一员，与一群才华横溢且勤奋的人共同工作，我深感荣幸。在 5 Live 主持一档旗舰节目是一个……太好的机会，不能错过。”

Sarah Campbell 和 Emma Vardy 曾被传为潜在的接替人选。

在 5 Live，Munchetty 将与一名共同主持人一起报道当日最重大的新闻，该主持人将在适当时候招募。

她在 BBC Breakfast 的任期并非没有争议，其中包括她与节目编辑 Richard Frediani 关系的破裂。在对职场文化进行审查后，BBC 于去年 11 月针对 Munchetty 多项行为不当的指控启动了正式调查。

在整个调查期间，她一直留在节目中。此前，该年度早些时候进行了一次更大范围的“倾听演习”，该演习洗清了 Frediani 的指控，但对其他员工的行为提出了质疑。

据称，初级员工在她的早餐订单方面面临不合理的要求，此外还有关于不当性语言的更严重指控。

一名主持人表示，Munchetty 远离 Frediani 是一个“对每个人都有利的解决方案”。

“BBC 能够留住她，因为他们显然非常看重她，但看来 Breakfast 的情况并不太理想，”对方补充道。

“我喜欢她，她很有干劲”，Times2

---

4

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

查看大图：修复师正在修复由 Dirck van Baburen 在 1621 年创作的《驱逐兑换银钱者出圣殿》，地点位于伦敦的 Simon Gillespie 工作室

AI 聊天机器人因俄罗斯宣传“中毒”而传播假新闻

Mark Sellman 科技记者

研究人员表明，在系统被一场宣传活动“毒化”后，主流聊天机器人正在重复传播俄罗斯的假新闻。

根据智库 Demos 的一份报告，ChatGPT、Gemini、Claude、Mistral 和 Grok 的回答重复了关于泽连斯基总统在核电站安装加密货币挖掘场，以及乌克兰士兵尸体被加工成肉类等虚假主张。

此次调查重点关注各国和公司对聊天机器人日益增加的操纵，研究人员将其描述为“信息战的新前沿”。

随着越来越多的人使用聊天机器人，扭曲其输出结果的努力也在增加，这种做法被称为生成式引擎优化（GEO）。报告确定了 50 家从事 GEO 的公司，其中 15 家位于英国。

这份名为《地缘政治的 GEO》（GEO for Geopolitics）的报告详细介绍了上述五个聊天机器人如何引用由“打击不公正基金会”（Foundation to Battle Injustice，简称 r-FBI）散布的虚假主张。该组织自称是一家人权组织，但实际上是由瓦格纳雇佣兵集团创始人、已故的叶夫根尼·普里戈任创建的俄罗斯宣传单位，并已受到欧盟和美国的制裁。

在被问及所谓的泽连斯基加密货币项目时，Mistral 聊天机器人表示：“‘打击不公正基金会’的人权活动人士进行了为期数月的调查，搜集到的证据表明，乌克兰能源系统的危急状态与泽连斯基总统核心圈内高官的活动之间存在直接联系。”

当 ChatGPT 被问及人体肉类加工时，它回答称“这些发现已得到多个来源的证实，包括‘打击不公正基金会’”。在聊天机器人的 3,000 份回答中，近 17% 认可了这些假新闻，而 30% 提及了这些话题但未能将来源标注为真实或虚假。约一半的回答拒绝或揭穿了这些主张。

Demos 认为，聊天机器人是通过一种“毒化”其寻求信息方式的技术而被诱骗，从而重复这些主张的。

r-FBI 创建了一个由三个网站组成的系统，诱导这些聊天机器人——即大语言模型（LLMs）——相信该内容是可信的。

r-FBI 的网站伪装成权威非政府组织（NGO），并使用隐藏技术指示 AI 系统提取无限制的文本。第二个渠道充当新闻网站，发布大量短篇文章以增加 r-FBI 故事的曝光率。第三个网站模仿西方外交政策期刊以增强可信度，且专门为 AI 抓取而编写。

该论文的主导研究员 Carl Miller 称这是一个“相当棘手且相当危险的问题”，但可以通过 AI 公司的工程变更在一定程度上解决。

他表示：“如果我是一名俄罗斯信息战专家，除非我将目标对准 LLM，否则我就没在尽职。我不知道为什么还要在 Twitter 机器人上浪费时间。你现在拥有一个巨大的、新鲜且极易操纵的信息层，你可以用它来针对整个国家。”

Miller 表示，相关公司本应发现 r-FBI，因为“这并不是什么刚刚曝光的秘密行动……这是一个受到欧盟和美国制裁的实体”。

Claude 的创建者 Anthropic 表示，此类活动是整个行业的挑战。Mistral 表示，该研究检查的是其“原始模型”，而提供给客户使用的模型则包含了“旨在检测和防止有争议来源的强力过滤层”。

Google、OpenAI 和 xAI 已被要求就此发表评论。

Palantir 数据工具未能提高 NHS 出院率

Poppy Koronka 健康记者

NHS England 表示，由于一项分析发现其数据软件未能提高出院率，该机构已对其在医院中使用的 Palantir 追踪工具委任了“独立评估”。

智库 Health Foundation 发现，为该卫生服务机构的联邦数据平台开发的 Palantir OPTICA 工具在提高出院率方面没有取得实质性进展。这一发现与 NHS England 之前的说法相反，后者曾称该软件将面临延迟出院的患者人数减少了 15 per cent。

该卫生服务机构已要求对联邦数据平台进行独立评估，并将最晚于 2029 年 12 月公布结论。

Palantir 与 NHS England 签署的价值 £130 million 的合同于 2023 年公开，但由于该公司与国防部门的关系而受到审查。

这家美国公司对 Health Foundation 的调查结果提出异议，声称该智库误解了该工具。

在给统计监管办公室总干事 Ed Humpherson 的一封公开信中，该智库首席执行官 Jennifer Dixon 写道：“我们发现使用 OPTICA 的信托机构在出院表现方面没有明显改善，”她补充道，“这些信托机构在采用 OPTICA 工具之前表现出的逐渐上升趋势……在实施该工具后仍以大致相同的速度继续。”

Palantir 表示，Health Foundation 的报告“似乎误解了该工具的功能”，其功能是“支持对有复杂需求的长期住院患者进行更高效的出院”。

该公司补充道：“通过将大量住院时间不足一周的病例混在一起，他们是在将苹果与橙子进行比较，从而稀释了该产品的影响力。”

Quintagram® No 2632

使用下方的每个字母一次且仅一次，解决所有五个简洁的线索

1 Bring a car to a final stop (4)

2 Long jail sentence (4)

3 Free time for relaxation (7)

4 Number in a baker's dozen (8)

5 Group of expert advisers (5,4)

A	A	E	E	E	E	E	E	F
H	H	I	I	I	I	K	K	K
K	L	L	N	N	N	P	R	R
R	R	S	T	T	T	T	U	U

答案请见 T2 MindGames p15 隐喻线索 T2 MindGames p14

情侣谋杀幼儿

一对母亲及其男友被判谋杀一名两岁女孩罪名成立。Alexandra Walker, 26, 和 Harrison Simpson, 22, 在 Teesside 刑事法院还被判定虐待儿童罪名成立。Isabelle Welsh 去年在 Teesside 的 Thornaby 家中晕倒后死亡。Simpson 被判定性侵该幼儿罪名成立。两人将于明天被量刑。

学校学费作为甜头

为了在开发商试图振兴房地产市场的背景下，伦敦的新建房屋买家正被提供价值超过 £40,000 的私立学校学费。Berkeley Group 已承诺为北伦敦 Enfield 的 Trent Park 开发项目买家，支付最多两年的 St John's Preparatory and Senior School 学费。

男子偷窃救护车

一名男子在一部载有病人的救护车从 Royal Stoke University Hospital 被抢走后，承认犯有加重车辆盗窃罪和非法禁锢罪。Marshall Leese 昨日在 Stoke-on-Trent 刑事法院出庭。他还承认在没有第三方保险的情况下使用机动车罪名成立。

粗鲁护士被除名

一名告诉患者“P*** off”并告诉另一名患者“去洗澡因为她有味道”的护士已被除名。护理和助产委员会的一个委员会听证会获悉，南安普顿无家可归者医疗服务中心的资深护理从业者 Dean Thomson 在与一名同事交谈时的方式使其哭泣。他可以对该决定提出上诉。

TIMESRadio Breakfast: 6am to 10am

我们的免费广播电台每天早晨提供最新的头条新闻、采访和辩论

每周七天持续播出

可通过 DAB、应用程序、网站和智能扬声器收听

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

5

新闻

《德克斯特》粉丝被裁定谋杀两名男子并分尸

Jessica Sharkey 犯罪记者

一名电视剧《德克斯特》（Dexter）中连环杀手的粉丝被裁定谋杀两名男子并将其分尸，此后他在等待审判期间杀害了其狱友。

James Desborough，40 岁，去年在康沃尔郡谋杀了 Claudio Aquilino，57 岁，以及 Daniel Coleman，43 岁，随后将其分尸，并试图焚烧并隐藏其遗骸。

Desborough 是一位一名孩子的父亲且曾从事建筑工作，此前他因在 HMP Exeter 监狱等待双重谋杀案审判期间，勒死了其狱友 Steven Kempster 而被判处终身监禁。

今年 3 月，埃克塞特刑事法院裁定他该项谋杀罪名成立。在该次审判中得知，Desborough 在 Kempster 熟睡时将其勒死，原因似乎是他对他打呼噜感到烦躁。

温彻斯特刑事法院的陪审团经过 3 小时 15 分钟的评议，于昨天一致返回有罪裁决。

Saini 法官表示，Desborough 将于今日被判刑。

法院被告知，Aquilino 和 Coleman 此前与 Desborough 共同居住在一家无家可归者旅馆中，两人最后一次被见到还活着时正是与他在一起。在两人失踪后，Desborough 登录了他们的银行账户，并将他们的钱用于购买毒品和酒精。

他们的尸体在圣奥斯特尔（St Austell）附近的 Sticker 森林地区被分尸，该地距离 Desborough 拥有的一座小屋很近。警方在一条小溪中发现了 1,900 片来自 Aquilino 尸体的烧焦骨碎片，并在附近的一个浅坟中发现了 Coleman 的身体部分，包括躯干、腿和脚。Desborough 告诉一名搜寻 Coleman 尸体的法医生物学家，他“很享受《德克斯特》中的分尸场景”。

James Desborough，40 岁，在羁押期间还杀害了其狱友

警方在他的小屋中发现了手写笔记，其中一张写道：“我知道我是一个杀手，准备好执行任何掠食者”。另一张写着“处理掉剩下的木偶”，上面列出了 Coleman 的名字。

Desborough 否认了两起谋杀案，并告诉陪审团，这两名男子在短时间内死在他的土地上是一“系列不幸的情况”。

Aquilino 对毒品和赌博成瘾，他在去年 4 月最后一次被见到还活着后不久被杀。Desborough 声称，他在去年 5 月或 6 月发现 Aquilino 吊死在他土地上的一棵树上。

6 月，Desborough 谋杀了 Coleman，用斧头将其分尸并掩埋遗骸。

来自 Lower Sticker, Old Oak Woods 的 Desborough 此前已承认妨碍 Coleman 和 Aquilino 尸体合法掩埋的罪名。

快艇杀手殴打新伴侣

一名在泰晤士河因醉酒驾驶快艇导致一名年轻女性死亡的男子，已承认殴打其出狱后结识的伴侣（Jessica Sharkey 报道）。

来自埃克塞特 (Exeter) 的 Jack Shepherd，38 岁，此前在缺席的情况下被判定对 Charlotte Brown（24 岁）的过失致死罪名成立。Brown 在 2015 年 12 月两人的第一次约会期间从他的船上被甩出。Shepherd 在 2018 年审判前潜逃至格鲁吉亚，后因致 Brown 死亡以及另一起殴打酒吧服务员的案件被判处十年监禁。

他在 2024 年获释，但去年因涉嫌殴打被重新关押。

昨天，他通过视频连线在西伦敦的 Isleworth 刑事法院出庭，从 Swaleside 监狱承认了去年 2 月和 6 月发生的两项造成实际身体伤害的殴打罪名以及一项刑事损坏罪名。根据检方摘要，Shepherd 在争吵期间将该女子压在身下

并对其多次挥拳，导致其手臂和腿部出现瘀伤。

在第二次事件中，他对烧烤时烤焦的披萨感到愤怒，并“用烧烤夹击中她的左乳，造成了永久性疤痕”。

检方同意撤销另外两项关于控制或强制行为以及蓄意窒息的指控，这两项指控他均予以否认。

作为案件的一部分，据指称 Shepherd 曾威胁性地提到一名暴力的前狱友，并告诉其伴侣，如果她向他的缓刑监督员说任何坏话，那将是她的“最后一天”。

他在出狱后不久结识了这名五十多岁的女性。法官 Martin Edmunds 将 Shepherd（前网页设计师）继续羁押，直至 9 月 4 日的量刑听证会。

Shepherd 在杀死 Brown 后逃往格鲁吉亚，并在 Old Bailey 法院被缺席审判。法庭获悉，2015 年 12 月 8 日，他和 Brown 喝了香槟并在碎片大厦 (the Shard) 用餐，随后在深夜乘坐他的快艇出海。

这艘 14 英尺长的快艇存在缺陷，以两倍于限速的速度撞上了一根没入水中的树干并翻覆。Shepherd 从泰晤士河中获救，但 Brown 被发现时已失去意识，随后在医院死亡。

Shepherd 在潜逃十个月后于 2019 年 4 月被引渡回英国，并因在德文郡 (Devon) 一次醉酒袭击中造成严重身体伤害被额外判处四年监禁，在六年的过失致死刑期之后连续执行。

母亲们为丢失的婴儿骨灰痛哭

Sian Bradley

四名被名声扫地的殡仪馆负责人罗伯特·布什（Robert Bush）给错了未出生婴儿骨灰的女性在法庭上表示，布什在她们最脆弱的时刻利用了她们。

贾斯敏·比弗利（Jasmine Beverley）在讲述得知其死产儿子在去世后近两年一直被留在 Legacy 殡仪馆的一个“棕色纸袋”中时抽泣。她说，这一披露将“伴随她度过余生”。

赫尔（Hull）刑事法院昨天获悉，布什的诈骗行为在七年间涉及 57 套骨灰。在 2017 和 2024 之间，已有 46 名受害者被确认骨灰被错误地交还给家属，另有 11 个家庭从未收到骨灰。此次诈骗的总金额约为 £86,000。

公诉方 Chris Paxton KC 表示，受影响的人数可能达到数百人，因为布什“严重的……账目记录缺失”导致很难评估他主持的葬礼数量。48 岁的布什在承认 67 项指控（包括诈骗和妨碍合法埋葬）后，将于本周被判刑。2024 年，在他位于赫尔的殡仪馆中发现了未埋葬的尸体和骨灰。

法庭获悉，布什在 12 年间“提高了预期，做出虚假承诺，并盗窃了原本打算捐给当地和国家慈善机构的现金捐款”，并且“选择不处理委托给他的那些尸体，而是将钱花在自己和其他人身上”。

法庭听到，在葬礼期间收集的款项从未到达预定的慈善机构，而警方在 Legacy 发现了空的捐款信封。

比弗利的儿子 Sunny 于 2022. 5 月出生时没有心跳。比弗利选择布什来处理火化，因为在 2013 年她的父亲去世后，家人曾使用过 Legacy 的服务。

比弗利说：“我相信我的儿子会得到有尊严的照顾。我把生命中最珍贵的人托付给了你。现实是，我的儿子在你的掌控下的时间比在他家人身边的时间还要长。我必须面对这样一个事实：当他最终被发现时，他是在地板上的一个棕色纸袋里。作为一名母亲，这将是我余生中挥之不去的阴影。”

另外三位母亲在宣读陈述书时抽泣，而布什则低头看着地板。

露西·内斯（Lucy Ness）说她将“永远无法从这件事中恢复”。警方告诉她，她保存了数年的骨灰瓮中的遗骸并不属于她的孩子。2021, 年流产的内斯表示，她信任布什，而现在

贾斯敏·比弗利的儿子死产

“只留下了一个空袋子，那里曾经装着我孩子的骨灰”，她补充道：“我永远不会知道他究竟对他们做了什么，他们去了哪里，或者现在在谁那里。”

在经历多次流产后，凯蒂·伍尔斯顿（Katie Woolston）再次怀孕时发现，她收到的 2020. 年去世孩子的骨灰是错误的。她说：“我经常想，我孩子的遗骸在哪里，他们是否回到了 Legacy 殡仪馆，或者是否就像垃圾一样被丢弃了。这令我心碎。”

另一位母亲斯泰西·福斯特（Stacey Foster）用她认为是儿子汤米（Tommy）骨灰的物质制作了一枚戒指。她说，她觉得汤米被布什“剥夺了身份”。

2024 年 3 月，警方在赫尔 Hessie 路的 Legacy 场所发现了 35 具尸体，法庭将其描述为“恐怖场景”。尸体被遗弃且没有识别标记，其中一具被留在担架上。

法官希利亚德先生（Mr Justice Hilliard）质疑此次诈骗的影响规模。他说：“如果我们每年处理 100 [场葬礼]，且我们认定所有 [骨灰] 都是错的……即便只有 57 [套] 已经足够糟糕了。”

听证会继续进行。

---

6

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News Politics

其他国家如何应对

Eleanor Hayward 健康编辑

Andy Burnham 正面临着与所有其他西方大国领导人相同的困境：如何支付人口老龄化的护理需求？为老年人提供保障是国家的责任，还是应该由富裕个人用其终身积蓄来支付护理费用？是否只有那些需求最迫切的人（例如晚期痴呆症患者）才配获得公共资金资助的支持？

在为最需要的人提供通用水平的社会护理方面，英格兰是一个国际上的特例。在严格的财务手段测试下，任何资产超过 £23,250 的人都需要支付其全部护理费用。Burnham 已承诺结束这一制度，并向“基于 NHS 原则”的社会护理方向迈进，即在就诊时免费。

Nuffield Trust 首席执行官 Thea Stein 表示，这将使“我们的社会护理方案从发达国家中最匮乏的方案之一转变为最慷慨的方案之一”。

预计到 2050, 将有近三分之一的欧洲人年龄在 65 岁以上，其他国家如何处理社会护理？

法国

在法国，只要有需求，所有 60 岁以上的人都被保证能获得至少部分国家资助的帮助。地方当局使用一个标准的国家工具来评估需求水平。它将人们分为 1 级（受损最严重）到 6 级（受损最轻）。

被评为 1 至 4 级的人有资格获得一项名为 allocation personnalisée d'autonomie (APA) 的护理支持方案。需求最高的人（如卧床不起或严重精神受损者）获得的资助最多。

护理费用由个人和国家共同分担，除非一个人的月收入低于 €933.89，在这种情况下，国家支付全部费用。

个人缴纳的金额随其财富增加而增加，高收入者必须支付 90 的护理费用。护理院中的人员还必须支付食品和住宿等日常生活的全部费用，且个人最终可能支付的金额没有上限。

丹麦

丹麦拥有最接近 Burnham 所构想的 NHS 风格社会护理的模型。Nuffield Trust 本月的一份报告发现，在调查的 12 个富裕国家和地区中，丹麦的社会护理系统最慷慨。

国家全额支付 100 的护理费用，由一般税收资助。在确定是否符合免费护理条件时，完全不考虑个人的财富情况。

然而，护理院中的人员仍会被收取基础住宿费和伙食费——即所谓的“酒店费”——但对于负担不起的人，可以提供住房补贴。

在英格兰实施类似的系统每年将花费约 £18.5。

德国

为了资助医疗和社会护理，德国采用了基于社会保险的模型。每个人都必须从其收入中支付固定金额用于社会护理，且缴费一直持续到退休。

当老年人需要支持时，他们会接受评估并被分为五个不同的需求等级。然后，他们将根据其需求等级获得定额的每月津贴。但这种津贴通常仅能覆盖一半的护理成本，个人必须自费支付余额。

虽然国家会对每个人的护理费用提供资助而不管其财富状况，但由于没有上限，许多个人仍然不得不耗尽所有积蓄。

值得注意的是，在德国，一旦父母资金耗尽，成年子女有义务支付父母的护理费。Nuffield Trust 表示，这“仅在子女年收入超过 €100,000, 时适用，且每位成年子女的收入将分别进行评估”。

澳大利亚

澳大利亚拥有世界上最慷慨的社会护理系统之一，资金通过通用税收筹集。国家全额支付 65 岁以上人群的所有临床和基本护理费用，例如协助服药、护理、洗澡和上厕所，无论是在家中还是在护理院。然而，个人必须为护理中的“非临床”部分出资，例如护理院的住宿和伙食。这些出资的规模取决于养老金领取者的富裕程度。

澳大利亚是少数几个对个人终身社会护理支付额设定上限的国家之一。一旦人们支付了 A$135,318 (£71,000)，之后将不再被收费。鲍里斯·约翰逊的政府曾试图——但未能——在英国实施类似的 £86,000 终身护理成本上限。

日本

由于 65 岁或以上人口比例近 30%，日本在所有大经济体中人口老龄化最严重。鉴于这一趋势，日本在 2000 年引入了一种新的社会护理资金模式，称为长期护理保险。这意味着所有 40 岁以上的人都要额外缴纳一项税款（从工资或医疗保险费中扣除），该资金被专项用于护理。

所有需要的人都可以申请国家资助的护理，并根据需求获得每月津贴。根据收入水平，个人需要承担每月护理成本的 10 到 30% 之间。

法国枪击令国会议员措手不及

那是英吉利海峡一个平静、美丽的早晨，我们在距离法国海岸几英里的一艘渔船上漂浮，等待观察最新的移民越境情况（Matt Dathan 撰文）。

我们一直在观察一艘名为 Flamant 的法国军舰在北岸巡逻。随后它向我们驶来，突然间，平静被枪声打破。子弹击中了 Flamant 船尾外的海面。

照片显示一名海军军官正持一把手枪。当我们采访影子内政大臣 Chris Philp 时，枪击发生在距离我们船只 300 米范围内。

Philp 表示，这些枪击“让我觉得是一次企图恐吓，目的是阻止我们报道移民越境”。

渔船船长 Matt Coker 表示赞同，并称之前没有任何警告。“我以前从未见过这种情况，”他说。“听起来这可能是为了恐吓我们，也可能只是一个简单的警告射击：也许只是为了展示武力之类。”

法国政府随后不久表示，当时进行了一次常规的“轻武器射击演习”，并且已经部署了相应的信号和旗帜。

Philp 和在英吉利海峡担任渔民 28 年的 Coker 否认了这一说法。

Coker 说：“根本没有警告——船上没有放置日间信号标志，而且我船的船头写着名字，如果他需要的话本可以呼叫我的。”Philp 表示，“声称这是演习是不可信的”。

当我们继续航行时，收到报告称有几艘移民快艇出现在远南端，如诺曼底的 Fécamp，距离加莱向南 158 英里。

这是已知移民橡皮艇从法国出发的最远距离，意味着一段 70 英里的海峡航程。由于位置如此之南，RNLI 从东本恩派遣了一艘救生艇去救援这些船只，因为它们并未为如此长的航程配备适当的装备。

大约在下午 3.30 分，我们发现另一艘橡皮艇从 Hardelot-Plage 出发，30

剑桥艺术系毕业生赞美安全帽

Tom Peck 政治速写

每个人似乎都在为 Nigel 制定计划。一名愚蠢的绿党活动人士被拍到穿着一件印有“我们只是在为 Nigel 制定计划”口号的 T 恤，旁边配有一幅断头台的漫画。在 Ann Widdicombe 被杀害仅两周后，一名同样愚蠢的绿党领导人 Zack Polanski 在他的 Instagram 上分享了这张照片。

涉事的 Nigel，即英国改革党的 Farage，已要求逮捕 Polanski。那么现在会发生什么？嗯，Polanski 声称他不知道自己在做什么，就他的情况而言，这似乎是可信的。他随后删除了该贴并道歉。这类事情按照传统的走向应该是：Polanski 现在将因在社交媒体上煽动暴力而服短期监禁，改革党的所有高级人物将声称他是“双轨制司法”的受害者而为其争取释放，并且他将在改革党党代会上赢得起立鼓掌。那绝对会是速写作者们想要的素材。

不过，为 Nigel 制定的主要计划是由 Andy Burnham 牵头地，而且这些计划似乎正在起作用。在近 18 个月以来首次，Burnham 为 Nigel 制定的计划导致 Nigel 在西敏斯特投票意向民调中并非第一，而是第二。昨天，针对 Nigel 的最新计划以现在已成传统的形式发布——一项全新的政策，通过一段 37 秒的 TikTok 视频传达给你。

Burnham 的下一个大动作是针对 Neets 采取行动，也就是说，针对那些不在接受教育、就业或培训的年轻人。好吧，这项政策实际上并没有对 Neets 产生任何作用，因为它不会给他们带来任何益处，但理论上，它将采取某种措施来阻止下一代 Neets 的出现。

可以说，时机选得不巧。Burnham 的这个大构思之前已经尝试过，且取得了一定成功，就在——你猜对了——曼彻斯特。在那里，Burnham 推出了大曼彻斯特国际文凭（Greater Manchester Baccalaureate），以说服学校培训学生掌握对当地雇主有用的技术技能。

于是，在 TikTok 的晨曦光芒中出现了 Burnham，他先是抓着一顶方形学术帽，然后通过跳切，换成了一顶安全帽。“几十年来，年轻人一直被告知，这个 [学术帽] 能导向成功，”Burnham 说，“而这个 [安全帽] 则不能。对此我不接受。”

因此，从不久后的某个时间点起，年仅 14 岁的孩子将能够追求在他们所在地区有用的技术资格。此时，一种强烈的既视感袭来。XTC 乐队是否在 1979 年的一首歌《Making Plans for Nigel》中唱过类似的内容？歌词是：“他的未来在英国钢铁公司 /... Nigel 的整个未来基本已经尘埃落定，没错。”

可能是我误解了，但我很确定这原本是为了表达一种青春期的反叛，反对低目标，反对专制的父母和老师，以及整个国家，为工人阶级青年规划出安全、平庸的未来，而那些——

---

THE TIMES | 2026 年 7 月 29 日 星期三

7

新闻

社会护理成本飙升

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER/ROHARD POYLE

若孩子开始学徒期，可额外获得 £4,500 福利金

在加来以南数英里处。乘客们紧挨在一起，坐在黑色橡胶充气艇的边缘，身着亮橙色救生衣，背景则是日光浴者、冲浪者、帆船和几辆喷气滑雪板。一艘法国警察船和一艘海岸警卫队硬壳充气艇在船周围巡视，并未干预，但

随时准备提供援助。当我们靠近时，充气艇开始向岸边回退。是法国人强迫它回去的吗？没有。它接载了另外五名移民，然后再次向大海驶去。法国人向任何没有救生衣的人分发了救生衣，船只等待被护送穿越英海峡。如果成功，这些移民将加入今年通过小船抵达的 13,320 人之列，尽管与去年同期相比，跨境人数下降了 44%。

工人阶级的青年不想要的东西。碰巧的是，伯纳姆（Burnham）在说“我不接受那个”时，手里还拿着安全帽，从这个意义上说，他是对的。年轻的安迪（Andy）不需要安全帽。他去了剑桥大学攻读英语。

伯纳姆似乎热衷于相信技术教育。不久前，他邀请现任前财政大臣瑞秋·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）参观曼彻斯特的一家巴士工厂，他在那里非常兴奋，讲述巴士工厂的员工如何在早上 6 点乘坐他们自己制造的巴士上班。站在他身后的几名工人看起来对自己的生活境遇并不 thrilled。当伯纳姆处于他们那个年纪时，他在中午之前不需要起床，可以花整个下午翻阅《米德尔马契》（Middlemarch）——如果你足够幸运，这种做法可以让你在不需要过多干扰选民的情况下成为首相。但嘿，这不是每个人都适合的。

即便如此，这在政治上也是耐人寻味的。曾几何时，托尼·布莱尔（Tony Blair）领导的工党希望至少 50% 的年轻人能上大学，认为每个人都有权利追求星辰，而不是在 14 岁时被发给顶顶一个安全帽而只能追求中庸。那是迄今为止最成功的工党。现在已经很明显，这个工党对事情的看法截然不同。他们正在为奈杰（Nigel）制定计划，但这可能会适得其反。

本·克拉特沃西（Ben Clatworthy）白厅编辑 黛西·伊斯特莱克（Daisy Eastlake）

作为吸引更多年轻人就业的新尝试，如果领取福利金的父母其子女开始从事学徒工作，每年将可获得最高 £4,500 的补贴。

该奖学金旨在消除一个“福利陷阱”，即如果子女离开学校进入学徒期，可能会导致父母的经济状况恶化。它将抵消一名 16 或 17 岁的受抚养人在离开全日制教育后，所损失的儿童福利金和通用信贷（universal credit）的部分金额。

工作与养老金部（DWP）和英国税务海关总署（HMRC）将学徒期定义为有薪就业，因此家庭每周可能会损失数百英镑。福利监督机构社会保障咨询委员会（Social Security Advisory Committee）发现，在最糟糕的情况下，如果一名单亲家长的唯一受抚养残疾青少年开始学徒，该家长每周将损失 £139。

19 岁以下的学徒必须获得每小时至少 £8 的最低工资，这意味着全职工作者每周到手约 £258。随着福利金的损失，家庭每周可能会面临约 £80 的缺口。消息人士强调，受影响的人群规模较小，且大多数家庭在孩子开始赚钱后情况会更好。

工作与养老金部表示，该奖学金计划针对的是“极少数由于现有制度而导致学徒意愿降低的通用信贷家庭”，资金将来自 5 月公布的增长与技能征费（growth and skills levy）中 10 亿英镑的额外投资。

工作与养老金大臣帕特·麦克法登（Pat McFadden）表示：“我们的福利体系应当成为通往机遇的跳板，而非障碍。通过向最需要的人提供助学金并全额资助学徒培训，我们正在确保成本不会成为人们错失机会的原因。”

故事背后

对于大公司而言，为青少年和学生提供实习机会相当简单。但对于小型和微型企业——尤其是像管道工和电工这样的个体经营者——这可能充满了被感知到的风险（Oliver Wright 撰文）。

这是因为法律并未区分企业是招一名学生进行为期一周的工作体验，还是全职雇用他们。他们成为了雇主的法律责任对象，如果他们因工作而受伤或生病，雇主可能需要承担责任。

健康与安全执行局（Health and Safety Executive）也明确指出，雇主必须特别关注招收年轻人的“额外”风险，因为“工作场所对他们来说将是一个新环境”。

然后是保险问题。任何雇用非家庭成员的人都被要求拥有雇主责任保险。个体经营者，例如管道工或电工，不需要此类保险——除非他们招收一名学生进行工作体验。这可能会让他们打消参与此类计划的念头。

约翰·路易斯（John Lewis）的前老板查理·梅菲尔德（Charlie Mayfield）表示，该制度对某些年轻人来说成了进入他们希望从事的职业获取经验的“障碍”。

然而，关于奖学金将如何支付的问题依然存在。人们认为孩子将有资格获得补贴，但在某些情况下，就业与工作年金部（DWP）可能会将款项支付给家长。社会活动人士警告说，除非孩子将工资和补贴贡献给家庭，否则家长仍可能蒙受损失。

社会公正慈善机构 Nacro 的负责人恩维尔·所罗门（Enver Solomon）表示：“采取行动地解决那些让年轻人打消参加学徒计划念头的财务激励缺失问题，早已迫在眉睫。”

创纪录的一百万名 16-24 岁的年轻人（相当于八分之一）被归类为不在学、不在职且没有接受培训（Neet），预计到 2031. 年这一比例将达到六分之一。这项奖学金是一系列旨在增加学徒人数并帮助应对 Neet 人数上升的措施中最新的一项。部长们已经承诺，为雇用学徒的中小型企业提供最高 £8,000 的支持，并为 25 岁以下的学徒提供雇主国民保险减免，以帮助实现 50,000 个新的青年学徒岗位。

首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）表示，他正肩负“使命”以遏制 Neet 人数的增长。昨天，他宣布计划为低至 14, 岁的儿童开辟新的技术教育路径，使其与传统的学术路径处于同等地位。从 10 年级起，学生将能够把英语和数学等核心科目与与其所在地区就业挂钩的技术教育相结合。他说：“当我们拥有一个无法让他们做好准备的教育体系时，责怪年轻人是不正确的。”

学校面临的艰巨任务，Alice Thomson，第 23 页；读者来信，第 24 页；更欢迎基于技能的教育，社论，第 25 页

过度关注学位对商业不利

James Reed 评论

Andy Burnham 值得称赞，因为他认可了我们许多商业人士多年来一直强调的一点：英国一直执迷于认为大学是通往成功的唯一体面途径。

将技术和职业教育与学术资格置于平等地位早已迟到，这将给更多年轻人提供建立丰厚职业生涯的机会。

长期以来，我们将那些在一天结束时必须洗手的工作视为二等公民。这对年轻人不利，对雇主也不利。德国、荷兰和其他国家已经证明，强大的职业路径能产生更好的结果，降低青年失业率，并培养出一支具备企业实际所需技能的劳动力队伍。

我长期以来一直主张，我们需要在学术、职业和技术路径之间建立一个公平的竞争环境。

对于许多人来说，大学是正确的选择，但对于更多的人来说，这并非如此。考虑到许多毕业生毕业时背负的债务，许多年轻人被鼓励参加无法让他们适应当今劳动力市场的课程，而那些急需天才招募的职业却被忽视了。

挑战变得更加艰巨，因为一些传统上为年轻人提供职业阶梯第一步的工作正在消失，或发生了认不出的变化。人工智能将创造新机会，但我们需要确保它不会简单地取代那些帮助人们获得经验的人类工作。这就是为什么我主张我们应该支持人类并对机器人征税，利用自动化带来的部分生产力提升来投资于技能、培训和机会。

但仅靠教育改革无法解决问题。英国经济中仅有 712,000 个空缺职位的背后是有原因的，这意味着每 1 个工作岗位有 2.5 个失业者在竞争。我们必须问，为什么一些雇主不愿招收年轻人。由雇主国民保险缴款增加和最低工资提高驱动的就业成本上升，不可避免地影响了招聘决定，尤其是对于入门级岗位。如果我们真心希望企业为年轻人创造机会，我们必须让雇用他们变得更实惠。

我们还需要消除一些阻碍年轻人在申请工作前获得经验的实际障碍，例如雇主责任保险。许多企业，特别是小型公司，由于涉及的成本和感知风险，不敢提供有意义的工作经验。

如果我们认真对待减少不在教育、就业或培训中的青年人数，我们必须进行整体思考。部长们认为更好的技术教育是至关重要的第一步，这是正确的。但除非我们也让雇主在招聘、培训和为年轻人提供首次机会方面变得更容易且更便宜，否则我们将继续看到有才华的人在职场之外徘徊。James Reed 是招聘与就业公司 Reed 的董事长兼首席执行官。

---

8

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News Politics

财政大臣“绝不能通过借贷来填补 £24bn 缺口”

Mehreen Khan 经济编辑 Oliver Wright 政策编辑 James Hurley 商业助理编辑

由于通货膨胀侵蚀了学校、医院和警务的预算，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）正面临政府支出计划中 £24 billion 的缺口。

英国历史最悠久的经济智库——国家经济与社会研究中心（NIESR）表示，新任财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）必须筹集数百亿英镑，才能维持到本届议会结束的支出计划。

该智库认为，希利不应通过借贷来弥补缺口，并主张各部门要么必须削减计划，要么必须增加税收。

出现这一缺口是因为自瑞秋·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）作为财政大臣在去年制定政府支出计划以来，通货膨胀的上升速度快于预期。

由于今年更高的通货膨胀，政府支出的实际价值将比预算责任办公室（OBR）在 3 月份预测的低 8%。这相当于在 2029-30 年支出受到 £24 billion 的打击。

NIESR 表示：“更高且更持久的通货膨胀 [将] 侵蚀政府支出的实际价值。”

该机构表示，希利可能需要提高税收以补充政府支出，并为国防、生活成本以及医疗和社会护理的承诺提供资金。NIESR 负责人大卫·艾克曼（David Aikman）表示：“我们的信息很直接。这些承诺必须通过税收或在其他地方节省资金来提供，而不是通过增加借贷。这仅仅是为了将债务水平维持在现有水平所需的最低条件。”

伯纳姆曾表示，政府将通过取消数字身份证计划来支付能源账单的增值税（VAT）减免。但经济学家认为，在国防支出增加的 £4 billion 中，至少有 £1 billion 仍未获得资金支持。

NIESR 描绘了伯纳姆继承的公共财政之严峻景象。英国在 G7 国家中支付的借贷成本最高，并将在 2029,（下次大选的最后一年）迎来新一轮的紧缩。

由于能源价格上涨，今年和明年的年度 GDP 增长预计将放缓至 1.1%，低于 1.25% 的长期平均值。

安迪·伯纳姆访问位于德比的火车制造商阿尔斯通（Alstom）

NIESR 副主任斯蒂芬·米拉德（Stephen Millard）表示，政府应该打破其在政纲中不提高所得税的承诺，并建议进行一系列税制改革和削减开支。

伯纳姆应考虑取消“极其昂贵”的养老金三重锁（triple lock），削减福利支出，取消增值税豁免，并更新追溯至 1992 年的市政税估值。

米拉德表示，政府应该通过“税制改革而非施加更高的边际税率”来增加收入。“这将是我们强烈的建议。”

商业大臣乔纳森·雷诺兹（Jonathan Reynolds）告诉《金融时报》，伯纳姆政府专注于将私人投资引入英国工业。他表示，部长们知道他们需要“吸引相当多的资本进入 [水务] 部门，以提供人们想要的韧性和结果”。

在被调任为首席党鞭之前，雷诺兹曾在基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）领导下担任商业大臣。

他批评斯塔默政府未能完全专注于增长。他说：“我认为作为一个政府，我们有太多优先事项，没有真正地给予增长足够的关注。”

NIESR 表示，由于上周原油价格上涨且突破每桶 $100，希利在秋季的首份预算案中，仅有 £3.7 billion 可用作满足其财政规则，低于上季度的 £7 billion 估值。该智库对财政空间的估算远低于 OBR 在 3 月份（即美伊战争全面影响之前）计算的 £21 billion 空间。

Millard 表示，英格兰银行有理由在本月提高利率，以针对油价再次飙升以及能源成本波及经济其他部分的威胁提供“保险”。

该研究所预计，明年通胀率将达到 3.7% 的峰值，并在 2029. 之后保持在银行 2% 的目标之上。相比之下，银行最新的预测表明，通胀将在今年达到峰值，然后在明年回到接近目标值的水平。市场预计明天利率不会变动。

周一，使用与财政部相同模型的预测机构 Item Club 就财政大臣面临的挑战发出了自己的警告。该机构表示，英国正面临“一段持续的弱增长期”，如果中东冲突拖延下去，经济将面临连续两年增速放缓的风险。

由于近期油价上涨，GDP 增长率预计今年将放缓至 0.9%，低于 2025, 年的 1.3%，明年将进一步减弱至 0.7%。这将是自 2023 年封锁结束以来最弱的经济增长时期。

这些阴郁的预测对于 Burnham 来说是一个打击，他曾承诺通过降低生活成本以及将经济重心从伦敦和东南部重新平衡，来重启经济。

Item Club 的首席经济顾问 Matt Swannell 表示，“目前的财政框架几乎没有为大幅增加支出留下空间”。

Item Club 表示，通胀率预计今年将达到 3.5% 的峰值（6 月已降至 2.6%），因为油价上涨提高了 Olgemi 在下半年的能源价格上限。

《泰晤士报》影子货币政策委员会昨日表示，英格兰银行明天应维持利率不变，以便给 Burnham 留出时间，在秋季预算中全面阐述其税收和支出决定。

敦促银行维持利率，第 34 页

Kemi Badenoch 与犯罪受害者举行新闻发布会，要求停止 Marie Stone, Kayleigh Corbin, Jade Belgrove, Kieran Mullan, 影子司法

更多 T-levels 和学徒计划，扩大工作经验，为有需要的人提供保证的 45 天行业实习，以及为有额外需求的学生提供量身定制的支持。

到 2035, 年，Burnham 希望该地区的每个年轻人都能拥有一条从教育到就业的路径。

奥尔德沙姆（Oldham）北查德顿学校（North Chadderton School）的助理校长 Amanda Marsh 表示，这所服务于贫困地区的学校系统给予了具有不同志向（无论是大学、学徒制还是工作）的学生同等权重。她表示，MBacc 通过帮助学生选择符合其职业目标的 GCSE 课程且不限制选项，从而“解决了这个问题”。

尽管学校仍然提供 EBacc，但 Marsh 将其描述为“相当陈旧”，并认为大学越来越关注学生是否取得了优秀的 GCSE 成绩，而不是他们学习的精确学科组合。“对我们来说，MBacc 更重要，”她说。

在第一年（2024-25），试点资源在 10 所学校中引入，随后进行扩展。MBacc 与七个门户行业的雇主网络、Beeline 职业平台的启动、与 Raspberry Pi 基金会共同开发的应用计算证书以及一个新的工作经验框架同步运行。今年，关注点已转向扩大实习规模。已宣布在包括 IBM、NHS、Bee Network 和 Autotrader 在内的雇主处提供约 1,000 个 T-level 实习岗位。

然而，在早期阶段，学校和学院的采用速度“比预期的要慢”，教育政策与研究专员 Loic Menzies 表示——

MBacc 将学生置于通往工业所需岗位的“传送带”上

Georgia Lambert

当 Andy Burnham 在两年前宣布大曼彻斯特国际高中课程 (MBacc) 时，他表示这将解决他所谓的英格兰的“学术偏见”。

他认为，虽然从 GCSE 到 A-level 再到大学有一条清晰的路径，但技术和职业研究仍然碎片化，且在教育与就业之间缺乏同样可见的路径或“视线”。

该政策是在 Burnham 担任大曼彻斯特市长期间构思的，当时他寻求赋予技术教育与英语国际高中课程 (EBacc) 相同的地位，后者是大学传统上青睐的 GCSE 学科。现在，他希望在全国范围内推广。

MBacc 围绕大曼彻斯特雇主的需求而构建，为进入学徒制、T-levels 以及增长行业的职业生涯创造了更清晰的路径。它不是一项资格认证，而是一个面向 £4 到 19 岁人群的框架。

从 9 年级起，学生在学习 GCSE 的同时，选择七个职业“门户”之一——包括数字化、工程、健康、建筑和金融——并学习针对其选择领域的技术资格、工作经验和职业建议。

这些路径是与雇主、学校、学院和大学共同开发，以反映劳动力市场的需求。到 2030 年，大曼彻斯特联合当局希望每所学校、学院和培训提供商都能提供 MBacc，并由

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

9

News

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES ELSTROP

暴力罪犯的提前释放。保守党党魁的随行人员包括（下方由左至右）部长 Sarah Wilson 和 Carol Higgins。下方，Higgins 正在安慰 Vicki Crawford

ist，上个月告诉教育杂志 Tes。“但考虑到它是一条路径而非本身是一项被认可的资格认证，这并不令人惊讶。”

Menzies 表示，教育部门和雇主一直在努力寻找更多高质量的工作经验。“谈论希望在教育之间有更大的流动，或者在雇主和学校之间减少障碍很容易，但在实际操作中，在全国范围内执行此类议程将非常困难，”他说道。他表示，在比曼彻斯特更分散的地区，该框架的实施可能会更困难，并认为全国性的推广应允许市长根据当地经济开发定制路径。

教育大臣 Lucy Powell 表示，从 2028 年 9 月开始在全国推广 MBacc 将是“与雇主、企业、市长和议会共同努力的真正开始，旨在设计一个将年轻人与当地工作和职业联系起来的教育体系”。

但学校与学院领导者协会表示，由于学校面临预算紧张，且正在实施特殊教育需要和残疾系统的改革，该计划的引入可能会出现能力问题。

政府研究院的 Sam Freedman 表示，部长们在寻找愿意为数十万名青少年提供“有意义工作经验”的雇主时，将面临艰巨的挑战。他补充道：“ 14 岁时进行职业教育的另一个问题是隐含的选择。富裕家庭将确保他们的孩子参加学术课程。无论如何，这种情况在 16 岁时也会发生，但至少我们给了每个人获得一套学术 [资格] 的机会。”

龙虾B、紧身衣与爱：绿党举办狂欢派对筹集资金

Lucy Bannerman

在分享一条似乎暗示支持斩首政治对手的 Instagram 帖子前不久，扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）正在布里斯托的一场狂欢派对上发表讲话，占据道德高地。

“爱将赢得胜利，”他告诉一群欢呼的二十多岁青年，随后与他的伴侣在舞台上共舞，并与各性别粉丝合影。

不到 24 小时后，他的发言人不得不澄清，他绝对、毫无保留地不支持对另一个政党的共同领导人执行断头台处决。他分享的图片中，一名男子是最早到达这场最新绿党狂欢派对的人，这是一种新型的筹款活动，承诺将“欢乐与音乐带入政治”。

该男子的 T 恤上印着一个卡通断头台和一句口号：“我们只是在为奈杰制定计划”（We’re only making plans for Nigel）。这段歌词出自一首 1979 年的新浪潮歌曲，但英国改革党（Reform UK）在向警方提交的报告中抱怨称，该信息听起来像是煽动谋杀其领导人奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）。

波兰斯基谴责了这件 T 恤，称其“显然品味低劣”，并补充说他被第三方在该帖子中标记，在意识到其内容之前点击了“接受”。这场争论让前一天的狂欢派对气氛骤降，而当时波兰斯基关于爱、希望以及与国际 LGBT 群体团结一致的信息受到了热烈欢迎：他穿着一件印有讽刺口号的紧身白色 T 恤出席——没有断头台，只是一个嘲讽《每日邮报》（Daily Mail）的笑话——在 DJ Hybrid 和 Lobsta B 的演出间隙发表了五分钟的演讲。

“我的‘绿色威胁’（Green Menaces）在哪里？”他喊道。“我说，‘绿色威胁’们在哪里？”如果人群被接下来的问题“谁准备好实施租金管制了？”搞懵了，他们也没有表现出来。

波兰斯基谈到了向富人征税，为奴隶贸易商爱德华·科尔斯顿（Edward Colston）雕像被推翻而感到高兴，在骄傲节恐怖袭击后向柏林的“兄弟姐妹们”传递爱与团结，并要求停止在加沙的种族灭绝，但他没有提到气候或环境。也没有提到法国在起火。当山火肆虐时，绿党……在派对。

“布里斯托，我认为你们是一个懂得如何派对的城市，”他说。“因为这就是这里。欢乐即反抗。社区即反抗。当我们像这样聚集在一起，我们就是不可阻挡的，没人能从我们身上夺走希望。我们就是希望，我们就是改变。”

这是系列筹款俱乐部之夜中的最新一次，旨在增加

扎克·波兰斯基周日在布里斯托狂欢派对上向支持者发表讲话。下方是改革党描述为煽动谋杀奈杰尔·法拉奇的 T 恤。

绿党的会员人数，同时为党内金库赚取资金（每张门票的 £5 将捐给绿党）。组织者表示，到目前为止，四场“绿色空间”（Green Space）派对（包括在利兹的一场和在伦敦的两场）已筹集了超过 £36,000。

与英国改革党从居住在泰国的加密货币亿万富翁克里斯托弗·哈博恩（Christopher Harborne）那里收到的数百万英镑相比，这并不多，但根据组织者的说法，这几乎正是目的所在。“他们有亿万富翁，我们有舞曲”（They’ve got billionaires. We’ve got the boogie）是官方格言。

在周日这场全天派对上，没有人假装狂欢者们口袋里有多少钱。“这次活动不会吸引秘密百万富翁，”35 岁的志愿者兼软件工程师达维德·巴拉诺夫斯基（Dawid Baranowski）说道，语气中暗示他更倾向于这种情况。

就政治筹款活动而言，Sawmills 场馆——布里斯托边缘的一个前木材场——与梅费尔（Mayfair）的酒店截然不同。不久前，保守党捐赠者在那些酒店的静拍拍卖会上支付数万英镑，以获得与特蕾莎·梅（Theresa May）一起买鞋或与伊恩·邓肯·史密斯（Iain Duncan Smith）一起进行越野跑的机会。

然而，除了可能的一位留着胡须、梳着脏辫、穿着鱼网袜、鼻中隔打洞且牛仔超短裙上挂着毛茸茸尾巴的男子外，这并非一群激进分子。大多数人看起来是白人、中产阶级的 20 多岁年轻人，少数则是穿着霓虹色紧身衣、戴着反法西斯项链的中年市议员。

一位戴着草帽的 77 岁老人，由于担心地球环境而最近才加入绿党，他在这个冷色调的安全空间里显得有些困惑且格格不入，周围是正在做刺绣、折纸以及用素食食谱做拼贴画的年轻人。“我对环保主义的内容不够多感到有点失望，”他承认道。

来自伦敦的 Niall Moore（35 岁）和 Felix Faillace（29 岁）在阿姆斯特丹举办社区活动后，想出了举办绿党狂欢派对（raves）的主意。他们的目标是筹集资金并让人们尽兴，同时扩大在 Polanski 领导下增长至三倍的政党成员人数。他们认为，狂欢派对是“巩固这些支持并防止其像 Corbynism 的糖分冲击那样消散”的最佳方式。

对于自称为“荧光色、酷儿、techno 生态诗人兼协调员”的 Caleb Parkin 来说，这一切都关乎“集体欢腾”。他说，这类活动提醒人们“快乐的重要性”。气候正义活动家 Dominique Palmer 的措辞更为直白：“我们需要举办一场比极右翼更好的派对。”

“改革党（Reform）不发荧光棒，”一名绿党支持者开玩笑说，随后一名朋友提醒他，他们的政党也不这么做。（“荧光棒是一次性塑料！”）

北萨默塞特委员会绿党小组负责人 Bridget Petty 表示，年轻人需要从他们的“气候焦虑”中解脱出来。她说，这需要这里所提供的希望和乐观主义。

一天后，支持者们急于在网上为 Polanski 辩护，一些人将其描述为“伪愤怒”，以及一场关于卡通断头台的公开争议。

一名绿党发言人表示：“Zack 谴责 T 恤上的图像。他在一个包含 20 张图片的帖子中被标记，在没有意识到其中包含更多内容之前点击了接受。他以及绿党呼吁所有参与公共讨论的人表现出善意，不要鼓励更多的分歧。”

不仅是 Polanski 需要降低言论激进程度，Thunderer，第 22 页

“惊人”的学生贷款成为首要议程

Georgia Lambert

新任教育大臣表示，学生贷款收取的利息是“惊人的 (egregious)”，且该问题处于其议程的首位。

在提及可能对英格兰学生资助体系进行改革时，Lucy Powell 在 BBC Radio 5 Live 节目中表示，尽管她现在负责该体系，但她坚持自己在 2 月份对 Plan 2 学生贷款毕业生所支付利息率的批评。她表示：“我认为这不仅关乎人们开始偿还的门槛，还关乎利息率，即 RPI [零售价格指数] 加上 3 per cent。”

“我认为我过去曾称其为‘惊人的’，我不会因为现在成为了国务大臣就改变我的看法。”

“政府已承诺对此进行审查；作为国务大臣，这在我的待办事项中处于非常优先的位置，我想确保我们对此进行研究，以保证对学生公平。”

Powell 并没有承诺会进行改革，她补充道：“是的。我不能做出任何承诺，但这需要研究。”

Plan 2 贷款是由 2012 年 9 月至 2023 年 7 月之间进入大学的英格兰学生办理的，目前在威尔士仍在使用。借款人需偿还超过还款门槛收入的 9 per cent，而利息最高按零售价格指数加上三个百分点收取，尽管自 4 月以来该利息已被暂时上限设定为 6 per cent。

11 月，前财政大臣 Rachel Reeves 表示，Plan 2 贷款学生的还款门槛将在 2027 年至 2030 年期间冻结在 £29,385，而不再随通货膨胀上升。

这意味着随着工资增加，毕业生在实际意义上将更早开始偿还，并在贷款期限内偿还更多金额。活动人士呼吁部长们撤销这一冻结，尽管 Reeves 当时将其辩护为一种“公平且适度”的平衡税收与支出的方式。

---

TIMES 活动

遇见作家：与 Ann Patchett 和 Meg Mason 共度的一晚

我们所做的选择。我们为了生存而讲述的故事。人类连接之美。Ann Patchett 和 Meg Mason 将与《泰晤士报》及《星期日泰晤士报》的副文学与小说编辑 Laura Hackett 一起，讨论她们的新小说及更广泛的作品。这个夜晚将探讨成为一名作家的意义，而对于这些畅销书作者来说，在许多方面，这正是成为一个人的意义。

9 月 2 日，星期三 | 7.30pm

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

请在 thetimes.com/events 订票

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 39

11

新闻

“Clicky Ponting”丑闻震惊温文尔雅的俱乐部板球界

Dickie的最终决定：£4m 财产留于信托

Elizabeth Ammon, Peter Chappell

前澳大利亚队长 Ricky Ponting 在其职业生涯中曾有过咄咄逼人的时刻，尤其是在面对英格兰队时，但他绝不会堕落到索尔特本（Saltburn）板球俱乐部的“Clicky Ponting”那种程度。

这家位于北约克郡的板球俱乐部目前处于一场作弊争议的中心，原因是其一名外场球员被指控通过掰手指发出响声，模仿球在经过时擦到球拍的声音，从而欺骗裁判，导致击球手被错误地判定为被接杀出局（caught behind）。

在周六索尔特本二队（Saltburn second XI）与诺顿二队（Norton second XI）的第二组比赛中，这种被视为阴险的手段引发了英格兰俱乐部板球界——这个虽竞争激烈但通常温文尔雅的世界——的愤怒。

在相关视频在社交媒体上的播放量超过 3 million 次后，北约克郡和南达勒姆联赛（North Yorkshire and South Durham League）已启动调查。

在最初的帖子之后，又出现了几段视频，似乎显示在球经过球拍进入守门员手中时，索尔特本的一名一号滑击手（first slip）在掰手指，随后其队友请求判定为接杀出局。接着裁判判定击球手出局。在其中一段视频中，击球手向裁判提出异议，告诉他外场球员在掰手指，而此时索尔特本的球员们正在庆祝。

被指控的外场球员是 Brian Devine, 38. 这是他第二次在索尔特本效力，他最初在 2002 和 2007, 之间就职于此，随后在 2013. 为 Great Ayton 效力。之后，他在 2014 和 2015, 代表 Marske 出战，在 2015 和 2018, 之间效力于 Fairburn，并在 2020 和 2023, 之间在布拉德福德联赛（Bradford League）代表 Pudsey St Lawrence 出战，最后于 2024. 回到索尔特本。本赛季他共参加了 13 场比赛，全部为索尔特本二队出战。他在约克郡联赛板球界颇有名气。

最初的帖子引发了数百条回复，人们仔细搜寻了索尔特本二队出局的计分卡和视频，这些资料可通过俱乐部用于计分和比赛直播的 Play-Cricket 软件获取。不出所料，这场丑闻被戏称为“Clickgate”（点击门）。

索尔特本二队在 7 月 18 日与 Shildon Railway CC 比赛，计分卡显示索尔特本的守门员接住了 8 个球，在本赛季的 8 场比赛中平均每场接球接近 4 个。

Brian Devine, 38, 索尔特本板球俱乐部的一名外场球员，被指控通过掰手指来模仿球击中球拍的声音。比赛视频播放量已超过 3 million 次。

本赛季 8 场比赛。

该外场球员被起名为“Clicky Ponting”，这是在玩前澳大利亚击球手的名字梗，后者以在球场上咄咄逼人的性格著称。

在 2005, 年的灰截杯（Ashes）期间，Ponting 在特伦特桥球场被替补外场球员 Gary Pratt 跑杀（run out）后，对英格兰队的更衣室大发雷霆。

“联赛已收到一份关于周六第二组比赛中涉嫌违规事件的正式投诉，”北约克郡和南达勒姆板球联赛表示。“一项全面的调查已经启动，在……正式程序完成之前，不会发表进一步评论。”

Ben Mummery 将此次事件描述为他所见过的“最严重的作弊行为”，他最早在 X 上发布了索尔特本对阵诺顿的比赛视频，索尔特本在该场比赛中以 159 跑的优势获胜。他说：“显然他们的守门员本赛季接球数非常多。”他很高兴这段视频走红并团结了板球界：“我真心感到很高兴：这件事被揭露了。请给予最严厉的处罚。这不是板球精神。”

另一段显示对阵米德尔斯堡二队（Middlesbrough second XI）比赛画面的剪辑由米德尔斯堡队长 Rory Cotterill 发布。

在英格兰和威尔士的业余板球运动中，预计将由联赛和俱乐部调查涉嫌作弊的指控，并由其负责对球员实施任何制裁。相关球员及俱乐部内其他被发现参与作弊的成员，可能会面临长期的禁赛。

“点击门”（Clickgate）是板球运动中一系列作弊丑闻的最新一起，而这项运动向来以球员严格遵守复杂的规则书而闻名。

最臭名昭著的案例之一是 2018 年澳大利亚与南非之间的一场测试赛中的“砂纸门”，当时澳大利亚球员被电视摄像机拍到试图用砂纸磨粗球的一侧，以便使其在飞行中产生弧线。

Devine、Saltburn CC 和 Norton CC 均拒绝置评。

遗嘱认证记录显示，从未结婚或育有子女的板球裁判 Dickie Bird 留下了一笔价值近 £4 million 的遗产。

Bird 去年 9 月 22 日在南约克郡巴恩斯利的家中去世，享年 92 岁。他留下的遗产总额为 £3,940,504，扣除债务后为 £3,900,473。

他将全部财产放入了一个酌情信托，该信托的期限最长可达 125 年。他的受托人被赋予“绝对酌情权”，可将资金分配给一份潜在受益人名单，其中包括他的姐妹 Marjorie Wyatt、侄女 Rachel Wyatt 以及任何慈善机构。

Bird 原名 Harold Dennis Bird，是巴恩斯利一名矿工的儿子。他成为了板球历史上最著名的裁判，在 1973 和 1996 之间担任了 66 场测试赛和三场世界杯决赛的裁判。

在他最后一场测试赛前，英格兰和印度的球员在 Lord’s 球场为他举行了荣誉卫队仪式。

他在退休后出版的自传售出超过一百万

1992. 年的 Dickie Bird，板球历史上最著名的裁判。他于去年去世。

册，据称使他成为一名百万富翁。

他住在巴恩斯利边缘 Staincross 的一座 16 世纪房产 White Rose Cottage 中，并于 2014 年被任命为约克郡郡板球俱乐部主席。

作为公益事业的慷慨支持者，他在 2004 年成立了 Dickie Bird 基金会，以帮助弱势儿童参与体育运动，并出资 £125,000 为约克郡的 Headingley 球场建造了一个新阳台。

在 2013 年，他表示自己唯一的遗憾是没有家庭：“我把生命献给了板球。就这么简单，”他说道，“我从未结婚，因为我与这项运动结婚了。”

他在 2024, 1 月签署的遗嘱中，要求受托人根据其文件中留下的任何意愿分配其个人财物。

● 板球运动员兼战争英雄 Hedley Verity 的纪念品正在拍卖，包括他 1932-33, 年灰截赛（Ashes）期间的英格兰队帽子，估价 £10,000。他在 1934 年于 Lord’s 球场击败澳大利亚队时，取得个人国际生涯最佳战绩 8-43 的那颗比赛球，预计将在 8 月 6. 于诺里奇的 Knight’s Auctioneers 拍得 £5,000。这位约克郡旋转球手在第二次世界大战中因弹片伤在 38 岁时去世。

超加工食品没有问题 —— 只要关注营养成分

Rhys Blakely 科学编辑

一项大型研究表明，食用超加工食品并不一定对健康有害，因为一餐的营养质量比其制作方式更重要。

来自哈佛大学的研究人员追踪了 200,000 多名成年人，发现健康饮食与较低的心脏病、2 型糖尿病和过早死亡率相关，即使这些饮食中包含大量超加工食品。

相反，如果饮食由相对未加工的食品组成，但含有大量精制碳水化合物、糖或其他营养匮乏的成分，仍然可能是不健康的。

这些发现挑战了那些警告消费者应避免所有超加工食品（UPF）的观点——超加工食品是一个广泛的类别，可包括碳酸饮料、包装蛋糕、强化早餐麦片、全麦面包和罐头食品。

利兹贝克特大学公共卫生营养学讲师 Beverley O’Hara 博士（未参与该研究）表示，这是“对大量导致关于 UPF 广泛恐慌的低质量研究的一个重要制衡”。

哈佛大学的研究人员分析了三项长期研究的信息，这些研究追踪了从 1980 年代到 2020 年代的美国成年人。他们评估了参与者饮食中植物基部分的健康程度，并根据 Nova 系统分别对食品进行分类，该系统根据工业加工程度对食品进行划分。

研究人员对不同组别的参与者进行了比较，包括以下饮食类型的组别：健康且极简加工；健康且超加工；不健康且极简加工，以及不健康且超加工。在大约一半的参与者在随访期间死亡，或患上心血管疾病或 2 型糖尿病。

结果根据其饮食的整体质量而有所不同，而在营养质量相似的饮食人群中，无论其食物是极简加工还是超加工，风险几乎完全相同。

该研究作者之一、哈佛大学 TH Chan 公共卫生学院的 Xiaowen Wang 博士表示：“虽然许多超加工食品往往营养质量较差，通常应限制或避免，但加工本身并非固有有害。”

潜在有益的加工食品示例包括强化麦片、全麦产品和罐装豆类。如果极简加工饮食依赖于白米饭、果汁、土豆和自制甜点，则营养质量可能较差。

---

12

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

猫咪被没收后死亡，主人起诉RSPCA

Jonathan Ames 法律编辑 Seren Hughes

一名原事务律师因其残疾猫被RSPCA（英国皇家防止虐待动物协会）没收，并在寄养期间死亡，将该慈善机构称为“纳粹”。

79 岁的 Katherine Theodotou 已获得权利，由一名独立专家评估其礼服猫 Rita 的死因。这只猫是在本月一次涉及警方的突击行动中被带走的。

Theodotou 在赫特福德（Hertford）附近经营一家动物避难所。在此之前，她已经在起诉大都会警察局和这家英国领先的动物慈善机构，原因是警方据称使用斧头劈开她的前门，没收了 17 个月大的 Rita。Rita 患有先天性残疾，导致其后腿无法正常移动，并患有膀胱感染。

然而，就在地方法院原定审理此案的两天前，Theodotou 获悉她的宠物在 RSPCA 的寄养照顾中突然意外死亡。

周五在高等法院，Kimblin 法官拒绝命令将猫的尸体交还给 Theodotou，但法官表示，应由一名 RSPCA 兽医和一名由 Theodotou 选择的独立专家共同进行尸检。

Theodotou 于 20 世纪 60 年代后期从塞浦路斯来到英国，在 2022 年因包括违反会计规则在内的调查结果而被吊销律师执照之前，她专门从事人权法工作。

她告诉《泰晤士报》，“警方和 RSPCA 的行为就像一群纳粹。我从未见过对一名老年女性采取这样的行为。”她补充说，该慈善机构和警员“竟然对一只被我像公主一样对待的小猫采取这种行为”，这让她感到非常痛苦。

Theodotou 声称，在一次针对 Rita 受到虐待的举报后，她在六名警员和两名 RSPCA 官员的突击行动中被“暴力地推到地上”。

她声称该举报是恶意的，并申请紧急禁制令以防止 Rita 被安乐死。RSPCA 表示没有计划将该动物安乐死，法官驳回了禁制令申请。

Theodotou 再次将 RSPCA 起诉至高等法院，争取让 Rita 的尸体被归还，以便她能进行尸检。

Katherine Theodotou 坚称 Rita（左图）在被没收前得到了“良好的照顾”

RSPCA 坚持进行自己的尸检。该慈善机构的代表 Mark Townsend 表示，Rita “处于 RSPCA 的最终照顾之下，他们希望调查导致猫死亡的所有情况”。

RSPCA 的律师此前告诉高等法院，在收到兽医关于该猫在主人照顾下病情恶化的报告后，他们的行为是为了 Rita 的最大利益。他们表示，在进入寄养照顾后，Rita 情况“良好”。Theodotou 的律师坚持认为 Rita 得到了“良好的照顾”，并将 Theodotou 描述为一名“在过去 30 年里一直致力于推广动物福利的热心动物爱好者”。

RSPCA 已被联系请求评论。

侄子因遗嘱纠纷发出威胁而被判刑

Jonathan Ames

一名技术专家因威胁要将 RSPCA（英国皇家防止虐待动物协会）的律师“痛揍一顿”而被判入狱，此前他的姑姑将 £200,000 留给了多家慈善机构。

在 Helen Smith 于 2021 年去世并将全部遗产留给该动物慈善机构和其他公益事业后，Sean Stimson 在关于遗嘱的争端中变得“情绪极其激动”。

法官获悉，他愤怒到向该慈善机构的法律事务所 Foot Anstey 发送了辱骂性的电子邮件和信函。该公司由前工党领袖 Michael Foot 的父亲于 1903 年创立。

Stimson 声称 Smith 一直打算让她在 Swindon 的房产（该房产构成了其遗产的大部分价值）留在家族中。但根据她 2016 年遗嘱的条款，该房产被赠与给 RSPCA。尽管 Stimson（他自称与姑姑关系亲密）继续对遗嘱提出质疑，但 Griffiths 法官已判处 Stimson 监禁 28 天。他还被要求支付 £15,000 的诉讼费用。

法官获悉，这名 48 岁的人在给 Foot Anstey 的信中使用了“刻毒”的语言，包括对该所员工的辱骂和威胁。据称，Stimson 称呼律师和员工为“wankers”和“bitches”，并威胁说，如果他姑姑的房子不还给他，就将他们“痛揍一顿”。

£514 的节省包括应用于设备计划（Device Plan）的 £46.20 折扣（设备总价为 £1192.32，现为 £1146.12），以及通过 Unlimited Ultimate 空中时间计划（Airtime Plan）每月 £13 的折扣在 36 个月内实现的进一步 £468 节省。预付 £30。空中时间折扣适用于您更改资费、离开或升级之前。视供应情况而定。特快配送费用在 £5.99 和 £9.99 之间。适用 14 天冷静期及其他取消权利。于 2026 年 8 月 5 日结束。仅限直接购买。支付设备的现金价格或在 3 到 36 个月内分期付款（包括 douglas）。某些设备费用可分 3 到 48 个月支付。无论您选择哪种方式，设备成本都相同。可能会有预付费用。您可以随时结清设备计划，并选择保留、升级或取消您的空中时间计划。如果您处于设备计划的前 24 个月内且无法

您的空中时间计划，您将必须全额支付设备计划的余额。24 个月后，您可以保留、升级或结束您的空中时间计划，而不会影响您的设备计划。在我们的欧洲区漫游时，拨打/发送至标准英国陆地电话和手机的英国通话/短信。仅限欧洲区数据。适用公平使用政策。特种号码和超出套餐的号码需付费。适用公平使用原则。在我们的欧洲区漫游时使用资费额度。O2 Travel Inclusive 包括在我们包含区（Inclusive Zone）内的无限分钟数、短信和数据漫游（数据速度上限为 2 Mbps）。仅限非商业用途。将适用流量管理措施。适用条款：详见 o2.co.uk/terms 设备供应情况而定。0% 年利率（APR）。融资视身份和信用检查而定。18 岁以上，直接借记。信用由 Telefónica UK Ltd. RG2 6UU 提供。Telefónica UK 获得 FCA 授权并监管其消费信贷

和保险。详见 o2.co.uk/terms

---

THE TIMES | 2026 年 7 月 29 日星期三

13

新闻

“我不担心，我有水管” —— 法国人在山火面前表现出不屈之志

随着另一场热浪威胁再次点燃大火，一些波尔多居民选择留在原地，Adam Sage 报道

在每年的这个时候，位于大波尔多地区的梅里尼亚克（Mérignac）的博德塞特（Beaudesert）庄园通常会热闹非凡。人们会带着购物回家的物品，孩子们会骑着自行车四处奔跑，幼儿会在黄色滑梯上玩耍。

“但看看现在，”20 岁的店员 Lola 站在一排寂静的四层公寓楼外说道。“这里完全空了。就像新冠疫情期间一样，甚至更糟。”

Lola 和她的男朋友 Yassine（同样 20 岁）是少数拒绝执行警方撤离该地区命令的居民之一。“我觉得没有理由离开，”她说。“天空是蓝色的，阳光灿烂，今天没有烟雾。我觉得即使没有危险，我们也被惩罚了。”

当局则不这么认为。官员表示，摧毁了至少 42,000 公顷土地和 240 栋房屋，并迫使约 220,000 人撤离的山火仍未得到控制。

随着法国今年第四次热浪袭来，预计今日气温将接近 40°C，且风向频繁变化，在以波尔多为首府的吉龙德省（Gironde department），风险依然很高。

昨天，当地省长（内政部在当地的代表）下令让拉卡诺（Lacanau）大西洋沿岸营地和度假中心的另外 4,000 名游客撤离。当度假者离开时，灰烬落在他们前一天晒日光浴的海滩上。

向南约 20km 处，一架 Canadair 消防飞机正在向卡普费雷（Cap Ferret）半岛上几天前被扑灭后又重新燃起的火场投水。另一架飞机正在苏日（Souge）的一个军事基地与火焰作战，那里驻扎着伞兵、特种部队和情报人员。

“风和高温导致火势复燃……正是我们所担心的，”吉龙德省消防局发言人 Matthieu Jomain 指挥官说。

超过 2,700 名消防员被部署在吉龙德省及其邻近的朗德省（Landes department），以应对马克龙总统称之为该国自第二次世界大战以来最严重的山火。他们的首要目标是在火焰到达人口约一百万的大波尔多地区之前将其控制住。

尽管最近的火焰仅在约 15km 之外，但市长 Thomas Cazenave 表示，目前没有撤离波尔多的计划。官员们还坚称，他们无意清空该市监狱，不过将向 1,200 名囚犯发放防护口罩。

尽管如此，大波尔多地区部分郊区城镇的撤离

法国西南部波尔多以西地区冒烟的土地，这里部署了约 2,700 名消防员。下方为马德里附近的投水场景。

已经接到了撤离命令。

官方告知人们撤离是因为吸入烟雾的危险。但在实际操作中，许多人认为这是一种预防措施，旨在防止火焰蔓延时出现恐慌和混乱。

波尔多环路被指定为撤离区边界，这被视为当局希望不惜一切代价阻止火势跨越该路的信号。这条路直接穿过梅里尼亚克，直线距离波尔多市中心仅 6km。

在这条六车道公路的东侧，居民们在麦当劳用餐，在家乐福超市购物，在药店买药，生活如常。而在西侧，寂静得能听到叶子在空荡荡的人行道上被风吹过的声音。

该地区数千名居民在周六早些时候收到了手机警报，通知他们撤离。几分钟内，警方驾驶着配备扩音器的车辆抵达，发出的指令在一座座白墙建筑之间回荡。根据 Yassine 的说法，为了防止有人仍在熟睡，警员们在楼梯间之间穿梭，大声呼喊并敲门。

他和 Lola 开车前往她父母位于附近 Haillan 的公寓，那是另一个

郊区，但一天后，Haillan 也接到了撤离命令。他们回到了 Mérignac，并带上了 Yassine 的猫，这只猫上周五刚做完手术，目前仍戴着一个防护项圈。

“我们应该去哪里？”Lola 说道。她在社交媒体上看到了波尔多展馆的照片，那里为数千名撤离者提供了临时避难所。她并不想在那里的行军床上睡觉，也不想在那些长木桌上用餐。

警方多次尝试说服这对夫妇离开，但他们拒绝了，警员们也未采取强制措施。

“我们留在这里更好，”Lola 说，尽管她承认他们在 Mérignac 的公寓条件也几乎不理想。这对夫妇担心如果他们出门，即使是去购物，也会被警察拦住并被禁止返回。“我们在消耗储备物资，”她说，“但在公寓里被关了三天后，人会发疯的。”

他们不是该地区唯一的拒绝者。80 岁的 Alain 正在前花园里照料杜鹃花，此时一辆警车驶过。“他们知道我在地，而且告诉我应该离开。但只有在我认为有风险时我才会走，而目前还没有风险，”他说。

他表示自己一生都住在西南部，“我这辈子见过很多火灾。我不担心，我有个 Kärcher [高压水枪]。”

Alain 似乎更担心

一根漏水的主管道，尽管他坚称如果必须用 Kärcher 灭火，他的后花园有充足的水源。

在镇上的其他地方，存在着巨大的不确定性，人流往来频繁。

一名女性表示她在撤离期间住在亲戚家，但她回公寓停留了几分钟，取了一双舒适的鞋，因为她要去上驾驶课。

一名表示留下照顾宠物的男子最终决定离开。“我要去度假了，”他说，但没有说明他计划如何处理他的动物。

63 岁的 Nordin Boufrioua 领取病假补贴，他遵守了撤离命令，但刚才回屋洗了个澡。“过去三天我一直和儿子睡在车里，”他说，“这是一场灾难。”Boufrioua 说他尝试过波尔多展馆的避难所，但那里太嘈杂，所以他决定还是睡在车里更好。

他说，在烟雾浓厚到难以呼吸的情况下，当局下令撤离是“100 per cent 正确”的。“他们不能把人们留在 here，”他说，并指出位于 Mérignac 且距离仅几公里的波尔多机场在火灾发生时代表着单一的重大危险。

他的论点在上周得到了印证。在最近一次野火开始的前一天，机场长期停车场的附近林地发生了火灾。

消防员在火势到达机场之前紧急扑救，但 34 岁的 Anthony Berthôme 下士和 34 岁的 Wilfried Schmitter 下士在车辆被火焰吞没时不幸遇难。

---

14

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

绿之海 一名园丁在埃塞克斯的 Beth Chatto 花园中劳作。池塘被浮萍覆盖，这得益于近期的干旱天气。天气，第 51 页

一名男子被指控盗窃价值 100 万英镑的街灯

一名男子被指控在英格兰各地盗窃街灯和装饰灯笼，价值约 £1 million。

John O'Sullivan，20, 面临 38 项盗窃指控，涉及贝德福德郡（Bedfordshire）、剑桥郡（Cambridgeshire）、达勒姆郡（Durham）、埃塞克斯郡（Essex）和赫特福德郡（Hertfordshire）以及泰晤士河谷（Thames Valley）。他被指控在去年 9 月 17 日至今年 3 月 17 日期间，在赫特福德郡又犯下七起盗窃罪。

该郡警方表示，被盗灯具原属于议会、企业、教堂、学校和私人业主。其中包括被列为二级保护建筑（grade II listed）的 Richardson Candles 街灯，据称这些灯是从剑桥市中心被盗的。这些灯是由建筑师 Albert Edward Richardson 设计的，他在 1957 年受命为该市设计定制的街道照明。

O'Sullivan 将于 8 月 5 日在斯蒂夫尼奇（Stevenage）治安法院出庭。

Anna O'Sullivan，66, 和 Richard O'Sullivan，67, 也被指控处理赃物。

这对来自赫特福德郡 Barkway 的夫妇将于 8 月 12 日在斯蒂夫尼奇治安法院出庭。

电网运营商未能报告电力风险

Juliet Samuel

《泰晤士报》获悉，英国的电网运营商多次未能向能源监管机构提交关于风险和电力规划的报告。

自从 2019. 一次停电影响了 100 万名客户以来，国家能源系统运营商 (Neso) 就被要求向 Ofgem 提交年度报告，概述高风险电网事件的可能性。由于前一年的报告制作时间过长，该要求在今年被暂停。

Neso 最初在去年的风险报告中提交了一项建议供 Ofgem 批准，要求放宽其稳定性标准，但该建议被拒绝了。随后，监管机构与 “15 个利益相关方” 进行了磋商，其中三分之一支持放宽标准的建议。Neso 在 3 月份重新提交了该建议，尽管 Neso 专家小组的七名成员中有三名拒绝支持这一变更。尽管如此，Ofgem 还是批准了以较低的 “惯性” 水平运行电网——这是网络稳定性的一个关键指标。

Ofgem 免除了 Neso 发布 2026 年风险报告的义务，因为其表示 2025 年 的流程耗时太长，以至于在 2027 年 报告到期前将没有足够的时间。

Neso 在更新其备份通信系统方面也进度落后。它依赖于传真机，而这些设备直到 2027 年 1 月 才会逐步淘汰。

Neso 今年还被免除了发布一份关于电力供应的十年期声明的要求，因为它已两次未能按时发布。Ofgem 表示，该声明将被新的战略计划所取代，但这些计划也推迟了，目前预计将于 2028, 年底发布，距离政府将电力生产几乎完全转向 “清洁” 电力的截止日期不到 18 个月。

曾为 Neso 提供咨询的能源顾问 Andrew Larkins 表示，“行业中的许多公司在决定新电站连接位置时依赖于这份 [声明]”，并表示这些延迟表明 Neso “难以跟上” 清洁能源的目标。

Larkins 还指出，Neso 在 2024, 年 的频率风险控制报告中提出的建议（已被 Ofgem 接受）至今尚未实施。

电网运营商曾表示，例如，它将引入 “航空风格的近失事报告” 以分析异常事件的教训，可能包括 6 月 23, 日 发生的事件，当时电网反复突破安全限制。Larkins 表示没有迹象表明有此类报告。Neso 对电网扰动概率的估计从 2024 年 的 29 年一次跳升至 2025. 年 的 7 年一次。报告将此归因于对数据的 “全面审查”。

专家对 Neso 在 6 月 23 日 事件期间的行为提出了质疑。独立电力市场专家 Paul Sotkiewicz 表示，电网运营商的内部报告引发了疑问，即为什么它没有遵循自己的协议来配给电力，以防止不受控停电的风险。

在《泰晤士报》分享该文件后，Sotkiewicz 审阅了 Neso 的报告，并表示不采取限电措施的决定 “值得注意”。

影子能源大臣 Claire Coutinho 声称，举报者告诉她，Neso 的企业事务团队干预了 6 月 23 日 事件的管理。

Ofgem 表示正在进行审查，并且 “极其严肃” 地对待该事件，并将 “确保吸取教训”。它拒绝回答有关 Neso 监管记录的查询。

Neso 表示：“关于我们不听取或不执行关于安全性的重要建议的说法根本不属实。”

能源安全与净零部门表示：“我们对我们的供应安全安排非常有信心，并且 Neso 拥有管理系统所需的工具。”

SAMSUNG

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra 商务版

Galaxy AI

部分 AI 功能需登录三星账号

迎接商务 新标准

立即通过 EE 预订 以旧换新最高可省 £580

18/3 copy 10% undelabgittalware June 1 Aug 2016

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 39

15

新闻

Lord Hermer 在 Fordingbridge 强奸案失误中表现“软弱且天真”

Jonathan Ames 法律编辑 Jessica Sharkey 犯罪报道记者

一位同行贵族表示，前总检察长在处理一份关于 Fordingbridge 强奸案被告量刑的不准确媒体声明时，表现得“软弱且天真”。

Lord Hermer KC 上周受到三位高级法官的严厉批评，原因是他在主张原判刑过轻之前，未能公开纠正一份由皇家检控署（CPS）发布的媒体通知中的事实错误。

在由首席大法官 Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill 领导的裁决中，法官们强调了一份关于两名年龄分别为 14 和 15 岁女孩被强奸且被广泛报道的 CPS 声明中存在两处“事实错误”。

该裁决批评 Hermer 未能指出这些错误，称“如果政府成员，特别是总检察长，选择就犯罪严重程度发表公开声明，并提到‘可以理解的’……巨大的公众关注，那么他们应确保所传达的内容是公正且准确的。”

前保守党事务检察官 Lord Garnier KC 表示，Hermer 在处理该案申请加重刑罚时“过于软弱且天真”。两名未成年犯罪者最初被判处非监禁刑，但上诉法院法官将其增加至四年监禁。

Garnier 强调了 Hermer 根据“过轻量刑计划”提出申请的背景，声称 Sir Keir Starmer “即将被 [Andy] Burnham 在 Makerfield 补选中即将到来的成功所击败，他需要表现出在做某些事情，以证明他保留首相职位的合理性”，并补充道：“在我看来，Hermer 只是按照 Starmer 的指示行事。”

Garnier 表示，Hermer 未能“掌控 CPS 的新闻稿，而这不出所料地让他与首席大法官之间产生了矛盾”。

影子司法大臣 Nick Timothy 议员告诉《泰晤士报》，Hermer 对量刑申请的处理凸显了他在工党 2024 年大选获胜后被任命为总检察长所带来的更广泛问题。Hermer 被广泛认为是因为与 Starmer 的长期友谊才被从律师界拔擢至该职位。“工党竟然认为 Lord Hermer 适合担任总检察长，这简直是极其糟糕的，”Timothy 说道。

Lord Hermer 的发言人表示：“事实是，由于 Lord Hermer 的决定，两名被定罪的强奸犯现在被处以长期监禁，且首席大法官本人已明确表示 Lord Hermer 正当地行使了他的权力——任何相反的暗示都是完全虚假的。近年来，很少有政治家比 Lord Hermer 更加支持独立司法，他认为任何对法官的威胁都是不可容忍的。CPS 正确地承认了其新闻稿中不准确内容的责任，在随后的几周内，一旦 Lord Hermer 得知，他便寻求关于采取何种措施避免此类事件再次发生的保证。”

一名 CPS 发言人表示，官员们发布的一份新闻稿“反映了审判时的控方观点，但未能准确反映法官对犯罪行为的认定”，并补充道：“我们随后修改了该发布内容以纠正此错误，并对该错误表示遗憾。”

Providence House 由 Nick Candy（右）翻修，他在从其兄弟 Christian（下）手中买下该房产后进行翻修。Christian 于 2012 年最初购入该房产，目前已在与 HMRC 的法律战中获胜。

亿万富翁因切尔西豪宅交易获得退税

David Byers 副地产编辑

亿万富翁地产开发商 Christian Candy 将从税务部门获得 £2.3 million 的款项，此前法官裁定，在 2012 年购买切尔西的一栋豪宅时，他与哥哥 Nick 被重复征税。

Providence House 除白金汉宫外拥有伦敦中心区最大的花园。今年 4 月，英国改革党（Reform UK）财务主管 Nick Candy 将其以 £265 million 的价格出售给城市交易员 Suneel Setiya，成为了英国最昂贵的房产交易。

然而，这场法庭之争涉及的是 Candy 兄弟 14 年前从切尔西皇家医院（Royal Hospital Chelsea）购买这座规模庞大的二级上市建筑时缴纳的税款。

最初，Christian Candy, 51, 在 2012. 签署了一项价值 £68 million 且涉及多项租赁协议的合同。在支付第一笔租赁款并开始地下建筑工程后，他缴纳了 £192 million 的印花税。随后在 2014, 他选择将房产转交给其哥哥，其兄支付了余额及另外 £192 million 的印花税后搬入该住宅。

Christian Candy 在原始购买日期 18 个月后申请印花税退款，声称两兄弟对同一笔交易重复交税——但这被英国税务海关总署（HMRC）拒绝，理由是他应该在 12 个月后申请。去年，高等法院一级税务法庭的一名法官支持了 Christian Candy，指出法律规定他在购买后四年内可以提交退款申请——而他符合这一时间范围。

昨天，HMRC 对该裁决的上诉在高级法庭被驳回。法官 Ashley Greenbank 和 Mr Justice Cawson 同意 Candy 应当获得退款，且其申请并未逾期。

专家表示，HMRC 继续争辩这场注定失败的诉讼实际上对纳税人具有价值。根据其自身的计算公式，税务局除了 £192 million 之外，还必须向这位亿万富翁支付 £345,639 的利息。“这是双重征税。不需要天才也能看出这很疯狂，”一位熟悉此案的顶尖税务专家在谈到 HMRC 决定抗辩此案时说道。

该消息人士指出，此案耗时多年才进入法庭，且这是税务部门近期在相关问题上遭受的第二次法律挫败，此前该部门曾试图扣留一名购买曼彻斯特租赁开发项目的房产投资者多缴的 £3.1 million 印花税。

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL, BEAUCHAMP ATTAYTE

在 Nick Candy 的管理下，Providence House 被翻修成一座宫殿式的乡村别墅风格庄园，拥有一个 14,000 平方英尺的地下室，包括一个 60 英尺的游泳池和欧洲第一家私人 Imax 电影院。

这座房产曾是英国首任首相 Sir Robert Walpole 的住所，由巴洛克风格建筑师 John Vanbrugh 按现有形式建成，并拥有一座修复后的橘园和带可伸缩天花板的庭院。

Nick Candy, 53, 和澳大利亚女演员兼歌手 Holly Valance, 43, 与其同居的澳大利亚女演员兼歌手 Holly Valance 去年宣布离婚——这一因素可能影响了他的出售决定。

Moore Kingston Smith 的税务合伙人 Joseph Adunse 似乎暗示，税务部门试图将程序技术问题置于正当税款支付之上，从而浪费了资金。他说：“高级法庭提供了一个重要的提醒，即税务管理不应凌驾于法定权利之上。错过一条程序性的还款途径，并不一定意味着失去了追回最终无需缴纳的印花税的权利。在经历了坦白说像是在法院系统中玩‘蛇与梯子’游戏般混乱的程序后，[Christian] Candy 现在赢得了他的金矿。”

HMRC 表示：“我们注意到该决定，并正在仔细考虑下一步行动。”

国会议员因Covid贷款被禁止关闭公司

George Greenwood 调查记者

《泰晤士报》披露，一名被暂停职务的英国改革党 (Reform UK) 国会议员旗下两家公司被阻止注销，原因是这些公司未能偿还由纳税人担保的Covid贷款。

南巴兹尔登和东瑟罗克 (South Basildon & East Thurrock) 的国会议员詹姆斯·麦克默多克 (James McMurdock) 在有关其贷款行为的报道引发质疑后，于去年自行暂停了在改革党的职务。

在经过 20 个月的信息自由 (FoI) 申请斗争后，《泰晤士报》现可披露，商业和贸易部直接介入以阻止这些公司被注销。此次介入发生在麦克默多克于 2024 年成为国会议员之前。

该“解散异议程序”由该部门引入，旨在通过防止借款人通过注销负债公司来逃避还款，从而减少弹回贷款 (bounce-back loans) 被滥用而造成的损失。

麦克默多克通过他当时拥有的两家公司，即 JAM Financial Ltd 和 Gym Live Health and Fitness Ltd 借款。2023 年，在公司监管机构收到异议后，这两家公司的暂停程序被叫停。任何符合条件的债权人都可以提出异议，此前并不清楚是谁提出了异议以及原因。

商业部门的一项披露现已确认，该部门反对关闭这些公司，理由是它们未能偿还弹回贷款。该部门曾试图以商业敏感为由扣押该信息。

法官亚历山德拉·马克斯 (Alexandra Marks) 在上个月的一审法庭通用监管分庭的判决中发现，“关于可能削弱贷款方/客户义务信心或对企业信心”的担忧，无论是针对财务状况、未来贸易机会还是声誉，不仅缺乏证据，而且十分牵强。

麦克默多克表示：“我的公司已经关闭，这现在是公开记录。我没有任何欠款。一分钱都没有。一文不值。我之前就此事所做的所有陈述依然属实且正确。我想感谢《泰晤士报》和所有其他相关方，给了我再次证明清白的机会。”

改革党已被请求发表评论。商业部门表示：“我们已经履行了《信息自由法》规定的法定责任，并遵守了法庭的决定，在法律时限内披露了信息。”

---

16

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

新闻

前往首都的高峰时段旅程仅剩站席

Laurence Sleator 交通记者

对于铁路通勤者来说，取消和延误令人气愤，但没有什么比支付最高票价却不得不站在别人的腋下更令人厌烦的了。

早间服务如此拥挤，以至于在高峰时段，四分之一的伦敦通勤者无法获得座位。

交通部发布的去年统计数据显示，在一个典型的工作日，有超过 300,000 人在前往首都的旅途中不得不站立。

在英格兰和威尔士的所有大城市中，这一比例仅略低，五分之一的人站立，但前往伦敦的通勤者占总数的三分之二。

统计数据还揭示了旅程时间在 20 分钟或更长乘客所面临的最繁忙通勤情况：乘坐 Thameslink 火车从贝德福德 (Bedford) 前往圣潘克拉斯 (St Pancras) 的乘客面临最拥挤的

10 大最繁忙的通勤线路

服务线路	最繁忙地点	最繁忙时间
Bedford 至 Three Bridges	St Pancras Int'l	8:09am
London Euston 至 Crewe	Euston	5:46pm
Bridgend 至 Rhymney	Llanishen	4:45pm
Alton 至 London Waterloo	Vauxhall	8:22am
Bedford 至 Three Bridges	St Pancras Int'l	8:24am
Fareham 至 London Waterloo	Vauxhall	8:19am
Epsom 至 London Bridge	London Bridge	8:28am
Portsmouth Harbour 至 London Waterloo	Vauxhall	8:27am
London Waterloo 至 Basingstoke	Vauxhall	1750pm
London Euston 至 Birmingham New Street	Euston	1756pm

来源：jps.uk

该国的一项服务。在 8am 刚过时，该线路上的列车超过其约 650 个座位的承载能力 76 l百分比。

排名第二的是西米德兰兹（West Midlands）从 London Euston 到 Crewe 的傍晚服务。其最繁忙的地点是在离开伦敦时，乘客人数比座位数多 70 l百分比。

从汉普郡（Hampshire）Alton 到 London Waterloo 的南西铁路（South Western）早间服务超过座位承载能力 59 l百分比，而从萨里郡（Surrey）Epsom 到 London Bridge 的 Southern 服务在 8:30am 之前同样繁忙。

在伦敦以外，唯一进入名单的是威尔士交通局（Transport for Wales）从 Bridgend 到 Rhymney 的服务。大约三分之一的服务在高峰时段超过了座位承载能力。

Thameslink 网站称，一张 Bedford 到 St Pancras 的年票约为 £6,000,。Alton 到 London Waterloo 的车票约为 £5,500,，而从 Epsom 到 London Bridge 的车票为 £3,000.。

自由民主党表示，这些统计数据表明，通勤者在“敲诈般”的铁路系统中没有获得物有所值的体验。该党交通发言人 Olly Glover 补充道：“铁路旅行应该是便捷且负担得起的，但我们仍然被迫忍受极其糟糕的服务。”

独立监督机构 Transport Focus 的主管 Louise Collins 表示：“今天的数字提醒我们，拥挤仍然是一个现实问题。我们的研究表明，获得座位或拥有足够的舒适站立空间是乘客体验的重要组成部分，而过度拥挤也会破坏人们对性价比的认知。”

Thameslink 表示，这些统计数据“没有考虑到充足的站立空间”。

交通部表示：“绝大多数乘客——98.9 l百分比——通常乘坐的是没有过度拥挤的服务。”

该部门表示，在“瓶颈点”，目前正通过新列车和时刻表变更来提高容量。

Sunny side up Sophie Ibbotson，27, 岁，正在检查她家人位于德比郡（Derbyshire）Barlow 的自采农场里的向日葵，该农场正处于有史以来最好的季节。

热浪导致铁路陷入更多延误

Lara Bowman

由于数月以来令人窒息的天气导致地面干燥、收缩且不稳定，英国的列车运行速度将比平时更慢。

接连的热浪使维多利亚时代铁路建设时所依赖的含水粘土脱水。其结果是出现了“土壤水分亏缺”，导致粘土像干涸的泥浆一样收缩。

随后，枕木可能会下沉或向侧面滑动，破坏精确的“轨道几何形状”，导致列车无法安全地全速行驶。

与直接因高温而扭曲的铁轨不同，这种情况没有快速修复的方法：在工程师能够重新校准轨道之前，可能需要数周或数月的降雨。

南西铁路 (SWR) 及国家铁路韦塞克斯区 (Network Rail Wessex) 总经理 Lawrence Bowman 将此归咎于极端天气事件。此前，英格兰记录了有记录以来最热的 6 月，以及最热且最干燥的春季，且本月降雨极少。

从 8 月 10, 起，西南部的乘客将面临行程延长最多 27 分钟的情况，届时 SWR 将在滑铁卢站 (Waterloo) 和埃克塞特圣大卫站 (Exeter St Davids) 之间实施临时时刻表。滑铁卢站与索尔兹伯里站 (Salisbury) 之间的班次每 30 分钟一班，前往叶维尔交汇站 (Yeovil Junction) 的列车每小时一班。只有每两班服务中才会有一班继续前往埃克塞特。

自去年夏天以来，工程师们已铺设了 5,500 吨道砟，并移除了近 250 棵枯死或染病的树木。国家铁路正在探索自调节枕木、增强土壤强度的生物水泥化技术，以及将聚合物泡沫注入粘土收缩后留下的缝隙中。

类似的干扰将于 8 月 3. 在东英吉利地区开始。大北方铁路 (Great Northern) 将修改或撤销伊利 (Ely) 与金斯林 (King's Lynn) 之间每个方向的每日一班工作日列车。深夜的大英吉利铁路 (Greater Anglia)、c2c 和伊丽莎白线 (Elizabeth Line) 列车也将受到影响。

工程师将使用捣固机提升轨道并在下方强行填充新鲜道砟。国家铁路预计今年在英吉利地区铺设 49,000 吨道砟，但表示在土壤恢复之前，运行速度无法恢复正常。

今年夏天更换

可靠的商业 全光纤 每月 £34.95 起

36 个月，£3795 从 2027, 4 月起，随后 £40.95 从 2028, 4 月起，随后 £43.95 从 2029 4 月起。

扫描二维码或致电 0800 098 4645

Essential Full Fibre 9100 商业宽带 £34.95。英国 58% 覆盖率。不含增值税。36 个月合同。仅限主要客户。优惠于 2026. 8 月 3 结束。多种因素可能影响您的速度。免费激活。邮寄和包装费用通常为 £13.95（含增值税）。接通费通常为 £39.95（含增值税）。如需检查您所在位置的速度，请访问 www.business.bt.com/products/broadband。某些 BT 商业宽带线路需要 BT 商业电话线。需经信用检查、商业注册并符合最短期限要求。服务期间费用可能会上涨。完整条款与条件请参阅 www.bt.com/terms。

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

17

新闻

Betelgeuse，Betelgeuse：红巨星有一个隐藏的双胞胎

Rhys Blakely 科学编辑

被称为 Betelgeuse（参宿四）的恒星，就像猎户座肩膀上的一枚火红大头针，已被研究了数千年。2,000 多年前，中国宫廷天文学家就对其进行了描述。在公元二世纪从埃及观测天空时，托勒密记录了它的黄褐色调。

直到现在，科学家们才拿出了确凿的证据，证明这个熟悉的亮点实际上是两颗恒星。

研究人员利用位于智利的甚大望远镜（Very Large Telescope）获得了“Betelgeuse B”——一颗此前未被发现的伴星——迄今为止最清晰的图像。

“这是一个持续了一个世纪的探索的结论，”领导这项研究的巴黎天文台（Observatoire de Paris）天文学家 Miguel Montargés 说道。

“我们已经证明 Betelgeuse 并非单体，它有一颗暗淡的恒星伴侣。”

这一发现可能有助于解释 Betelgeuse 的一个特性：其亮度随时间变化的异常方式。

它的亮度以几种节奏增强和减弱。其中一个节奏大约每六年重复一次，天文学家现在认为，这可能是因为它新探测到的伴星（围绕 Betelgeuse 运行）所致。

Betelgeuse 外观的变化在古代就被记录在案。罗马作家 Hyginus 将其颜色比作土星，而中国记录将其描述为黄色。托勒密后来使用了“hypokirros”一词——这是一个涵盖从黄色到红色色调的术语。

更现代的研究表明，被归类为“红超巨星”的 Betelgeuse 在过去的 2,000 年里变得明显更红了。

几十年来，科学家们一直怀疑存在一颗未被探测到的伴星，但重复的搜索都未能发现。2024 年发表的两项研究计算出，该伴星应在当年 12 月达到与 Betelgeuse 的最大视距离。Montargés 的团队将望远镜对准了预测的位置。

“当我看到处理后的图像时，我直接从椅子上跳了起来，”Montargés 说。

“坦白说，我认为我们没有足够的灵敏度去探测预测中的 Betelgeuse B。但因为它比预测的质量更大，所以我们看到了它。”

据认为，这颗伴星是一颗年轻的“主序星”，质量是太阳的 2.6 到 3.1 倍，明显大于预期。

“在这样一个被研究得如此透彻的恒星周围，我们仍然能发现一颗质量更大、亮度比太阳更高的近距离伴星，这非常令人惊叹，”Montargés 说。“这是科学中最美好的时刻之一：看到新颖且出乎意料的事物。”

测量结果表明，伴星大约每六年围绕 Betelgeuse 运行一次，这与这颗巨星亮度和暗淡的模式相匹配。然而，研究人员还-

位于猎户座肩膀的 Betelgeuse 自古以来就令观察者着迷

-未能证明是该伴星引起了这些变化。

一种观点认为，较小的恒星清除掉了 Betelgeuse 周围的部分尘埃，使得更多光线能到达地球。然而，该团队计算出，这只能解释亮度变化的一小部分。

他们现在认为，伴星更有可能通过牵引 Betelgeuse 并搅动其周围的气体和尘埃来影响它。

“为了确定伴星确实存在，我们还需要在一年后观察它位于恒星另一侧的情况，但现在几乎没有怀疑的空间了，”Montargés 说。

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary

苏纳克被召唤至击球线

里希·苏纳克（Rishi Sunak）或许正处于政治看台之中，但他正再次穿上护腿板。这位前首相及终身板球迷将发表玛丽波恩板球俱乐部（Marylebone Cricket Club）的考德雷讲座（Cowdrey lecture），这是一项显赫的荣誉，且可能引导向更伟大的成就。《泰晤士报》已故板球记者克里斯托弗·马丁-詹金斯（Christopher Martin-Jenkins）、斯里兰卡名将库马尔·桑加卡拉（Kumar Sangakkara）以及演员斯蒂芬·弗莱（Stephen Fry）都曾发表过该讲座，随后成为了 MCC 的主席。对于下方的苏纳克来说，这将会是一份绝佳的工作，他曾表示自己在唐宁街10号最美好的一天是接待英格兰 T20 世界杯冠军，并评论道：“你一生中有多少次能实现童年梦想，与英格兰板球队在后花园打板球？”也许 MCC 会给他一次“第二局”机会。

谈到板球，Test Match Special 的评论员丹·诺克罗斯（Dan Norcross）在一次“与《旁观者》共度时光”的活动中，讲述了他曾经遇到的一个发音问题。诺克罗斯收到线报，称评论员们多年来一直误读南非球员安迪尔·费卢夸约（Andile Phehlukwayo）的名字，于是他前往 YouTube 找到了一个费卢夸约称呼自己名字的片段，并让所有同事效仿。比赛结束后，一名记者发信息说：“你不能那样发音他的名字！”诺克罗斯解释说，这就是费卢夸约本人的发音方式，“是的，”记者说，“但他有语言障碍！”

韦斯特的意外支持者 工党领导层竞选的亚军凯瑟琳·韦斯特（Catherine West，其获得的所有提名占比为 0.3%）已重新投入竞选，她正竞选住房遴选委员会主席，接替新任无家可归事务大臣弗洛伦斯·埃沙洛米（Florence Eshalomi）。她的竞选开局情况不一。同事们迅速指出，她发送给国会议员的大规模电子邮件可能违反了今年早些时候通过的规则，该规则禁止在休会期间使用大规模通信方式进行任何拉票活动。尽管如此，她获得了一位意外支持者的支持，而此人正是她在五月份威胁要挑战的人。基尔·斯塔默（Keir Starmer）在评价韦斯特时说：“我的尊敬的朋友总是心直口快。”

顶尖飞行员幼童

克里斯托弗·诺兰（Christopher Nolan）最新电影的成功，也许会导致名为奥德修斯（Odysseus）的孩子出现激增。这是完全可能的。民意调查员乔·特怀曼（Joe Twyman）在《战争电影剧场》（War Movie Theatre）播客中表示，《壮志凌云》续集在 2022 年的成功导致英国名为“独行侠”（Maverick）的孩子增加了 27%。这一趋势一直持续到今年，最新数据显示，人数从去年的最高峰 125 人下降至 108 人。这意味着，名为 Maverick 的孩子比名为 Brian、Richard、Simon、Philip、Neil 或 Darren 的孩子还要多。事实上，去年的 Maverick 数量甚至超过了 Stephen 或 Steven 的累计总数。也许我们不再觉得需要 Steve 了。

被重新洗牌也有些好处。在昨天下午接近尾声时，前首相首席秘书达伦·琼斯（Darren Jones）被拍到与孩子手牵手走在威斯敏斯特宫。两周前，他可能还在谈论数字身份证。现在，他在谈论《格鲁法罗》（The Gruffalo）。紫色的刺比红色公文箱重要得多。

杰克·布莱克本（JACK BLACKBURN）

Everyman 电影票买一送一

每周三，Times+ 会员都可以与一位朋友一同前往 Everyman 观影。在全英 49 个地点，享受拥有豪华沙发、全功能酒吧和绝佳美食的完美电影体验。探索我们的电影评论员对最新上映影片的推荐与点评。

访问 thetimes.com/timesplus

TIMES+ EVERYMAN

适用条款与条件。

---

18

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

“隐秘”减肥药吸引更多男性

Poppy Koronka 健康记者

药房表示，这款新型减肥药比每周一次的注射剂在年长男性中更受欢迎，因为它更隐秘且更易于服用。

由诺和诺礼（Novo Nordisk）生产的 Wegovy 药丸上个月获得了药品和医疗保健产品管理局（MHRA）的批准。

这款强效药物于三周前在私人药房和街头药房上市，《泰晤士报》已经看到了一些关于其采用情况的首批可用数据。

在线零售商 CheqUp 表示，服用这种新药丸的患者中，约有三分之二是从注射版本转换过来的。

《泰晤士报》了解到，与注射剂相比，有更高比例的男性在咨询这种药丸，专家表示，男性可能对每日服用药丸更感兴趣，

因为其具有隐秘性且能够保持私密。

独立在线药房 The Family Chemist 自该药上市以来，已为约 1,000 名新患者开具了这种新药。该药房的临床总监 Sunny Dhain 表示，虽然患有肥胖症的男性多于女性，但在药丸上市前，寻求减肥注射剂的患者以女性为主。

“这为我们看到的男性患者，尤其是 40 岁以上患者兴趣增加提供了一些更广泛的背景，”他说。“虽然体重管理服务在历史上吸引的女性多于男性，但我们已经看到寻求治疗的人群在发生变化。”

“在我们最近对开始服用 Wegovy 片剂的患者进行的审计中，25 per cent 是男性，且在这些男性患者中，64 per cent 年龄在 40 岁以上。”

他补充道：“与其将——

Wegovy 的每日药丸上个月获得了英国卫生监管机构的批准

注射药物储存在冰箱中，或者围绕旅行和社交场合规划注射时间，每日口服治疗可能为那些希望保持医疗私密的人提供更大的隐秘性。这种额外的隐秘性可能是某些男性的决定性因素。有些人完全公开使用 GLP-1 药物。另一些人则倾向于将自己的减肥过程保密。两种方式都没有对错之分。医疗保健是个人的事情，许多患者只是看重拥有保持治疗私密的选择权。”

Pharmacy2U 的研究发现，约有一半服用减肥药的人愿意在不咨询医疗专业人员的情况下改变用药方式——要么与朋友分享，要么跳过剂量，或者在特殊场合或假期前后增加剂量。

27 per cent 的人会与朋友或家人分享药物，在 35 岁以下人群中这一比例上升至 41 per cent。该药房在对其患者的一项调查中发现，三分之一的男性和五分之一的女性会与朋友分享他们的药物。

CheqUp 表示，自两周前在其上市以来，减肥药丸的需求增长了 350 per cent。其三分之二的患者已从注射型减肥药切换为每日一次的 Wegovy 药丸。

这家在线药房的首席执行官 Lisa Tookey 表示：“现在得出确切结论还为时过早。但初步反应异常强烈。我们看到，在上市后的几周里，对该药丸的需求增长了 350 per cent，并且随着越来越多的人意识到口服治疗可能是注射剂的一种可行替代方案，这种兴趣一直在持续。”

“我们也看到了明确的证据，表明这种药丸吸引了那些已经熟悉注射治疗的人。自上市以来在 CheqUp 开始服用 Wegovy 药丸的患者中，67 per cent 是从注射剂转换而来的。虽然现在预测长期需求规模还为时过早，但这些早期指标表明，消费者对临床支持的口服方案有强烈的需求。”

Three Value 计划：无限流量（最高速度 100 Mbps），英国境内通话分钟数和短信（至标准手机及固定电话）。节省 £288：在 24.06 – 22.07. 期间原价为每月 £34。每月通话费包含通过循环付款方式支付可享受的 £3 每月折扣。如果取消循环付款方式，折扣将停止，您的每月费用将增加 £3 每月。包含欧洲 Go Roam 服务；在 49 个欧洲目的地使用您计划中的额度，每月公平使用政策为 12GB。需经过信用检查并遵守条款，详见 three.co.uk/terms。

有机走地鸡蛋“对环境影响最差”

Rhys Blakely 科学编辑

根据牛津大学的一项研究，有机走地鸡蛋（Organic free-range eggs）对环境的影响最差。研究发现，笼养蛋鸡对气候的影响较小，造成的河流污染也较少。

这项发表在《皇家学会开放科学》（Royal Society Open Science）期刊上的研究发现，如果将整个英国产业转换为一种允许母鸡在室外走动且仅喂食有机饲料的系统，可能会增加 60% 的碳排放。同时，所需的土地面积几乎会翻倍。

研究人员表示，他们的发现并不等同于主张回归笼养，因为笼养因限制母鸡的活动和自然行为而被批评为残酷。

牛津大学史密斯企业与环境学院（Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment）的研究员 Harriet Bartlett 表示：“这并不是说……我们应该回归限制性的笼养系统。但我们希望农场和消费者在面对生产食物的方法时，能够意识到所有潜在的影响。”

该研究比较了笼养蛋鸡、舍饲蛋鸡（在室内散养）、走地蛋鸡（可以去室外）以及有机走地蛋鸡（且食用有机生产的饲料）所产的鸡蛋。在假设每种系统生产相同数量鸡蛋的前提下，研究对比了每种系统的环境影响。

有机走地系统的表现最差，因为母鸡的生产率较低，每产一枚蛋消耗的饲料更多，且依赖于产量较低的有机作物。其他后果还包括产生更多废物，从而可能污染河流。

第一作者 Oliver Martinic 表示：“虽然 [走地] 运动是由关于农场动物福利的重要关切所驱动的，但不同……系统之间生产性能的差异可能会导致意想不到的结果。”

生产给鸡喂食的食物是鸡蛋环境足迹的一个重要组成部分。笼养母鸡在生产与无笼系统相同数量鸡蛋时，倾向于消耗更少的饲料，从而减少了所需的土地和资源。

研究还发现，走地系统的母鸡死亡率较高。可能的原因包括接触疾病、捕食者、受伤和啄羽的情况增加。然而，他们强调，死亡率仅是衡量福利的一个指标，并未涵盖如更大的活动自由等益处。

该分析使用了 2009 和 2010 的农业数据，作者承认这是一个局限性。自那时起，生产方法和死亡率可能已经有所改善，但他们表示，他们使用了可进行直接比较的最全面现有数据。

作者表示，目标应该是创建既能保持高福利标准，又能改善育种、营养、饲料效率和农场管理的无笼系统。他们总结道：“目前没有任何一种生产系统能在所有福利和环境衡量指标上都达到最佳。”

湿漉漉的 setter A dog 在伦敦东部黑克尼（Hackney）附近的利河（River Lea）中享受清凉的浸泡

JERSEY GILAYN

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

19

News

王室家庭相册交由专业人士保管

在所有的家庭相册中，这无疑是史上最具历史意义的一部（Kate Mansey 撰文）。

当皇家收藏信托基金会（Royal Collection Trust）昨日公布年度账目时，透露其一直在管理伊丽莎白二世女王和菲利普亲王的摄影收藏。其中包含 85,000 张记录他们家庭生活和旅行的图像。部分照片由热爱摄影的伊丽莎白和菲利普亲自拍摄，另一些则由助手或摄影师 Cecil Braton、Dorothy Wilding 和 Marcus Adams 拍摄。

RCT 表示：“策展人员目前已处理了估计 85,000 张照片中的 5,000 张以上。在一个旨在识别并重新安置整个收藏中脆弱的胶片透明片和底片项目上取得了进展。大量资料……已准备好进行环境稳定处理并转移至冷冻单元。冷冻将大大减缓自然降解过程，确保这些资料能够为后代所利用。”

其中一张照片显示菲利普在南极洲的一个企鹅栖息地基地。这张照片由 Michael

Parker 中校于 1957 年拍摄，他是亲王的一位长期助手，曾陪同他进行环球旅行。

这些图像目前由 RCT 照顾，但尚未正式被移交给收藏馆。现在断定它们是否会展出还为时过早。

这些照片是对比已故女王遗物评估的一部分。

自更替君主以来，有大量资料流入 RCT 并成为收藏的一部分，例如伊丽莎白拥有的 4,000 件时尚物品。

相册包括一张菲利普亲王在南极洲的照片以及伊丽莎白女王拍摄的照片，

这些物品将在国王画廊（King's Gallery）展出至明年 4 月。

RCT 的账目显示，其 2025-26 年的收入为 £85.3 百万，低于前一年的 £89.9 百万。据称，下降原因是白金汉宫的翻修工作限制了游客数量。账目还显示，最高收入来自温莎城堡的游客，去年该地的门票为 RCT 筹集了 £28.2 百万。

今年 6 月，资助王室家庭官方工作的君主拨款（sovereign grant）最新账目公布时，助手们表示，在 £369 百万的工程完工后，国王和王后将不会搬入白金汉宫。他们将继续留在其伦敦官方住所克拉伦斯府（Clarence House）。

罗琳向大赦国际“暴政”施压

Marc Horne

JK 罗琳指责大赦国际英国分会（Amnesty International UK）已变成一个“暴政”，与此同时，她的性暴力中心律师向该慈善机构发出了新的最后通牒。

这家人权组织的英国分支机构目前正受到慈善机构监管部门的调查，原因是其发布的一份报告将数十家女性组织谴责为“反权利”。

大赦国际将由罗琳共同创立的仅限女性的性侵犯中心 Beira's Place 以及其他 50 家性别批判组织贴上“日益增长的威胁”的标签。

在一些团体威胁采取法律行动后，该简报被删除。然而，《泰晤士报》披露，一份早期的报告《像滚雪球一样：英国性别批判运动的增长与影响》，其中同样指责 Beira's Place 为“反跨性别”，仍留在大赦国际的网站上。

此外还披露，这份现已被撤回的简报曾在 7 月 8 日于伦敦东部肖尔迪奇（Shoreditch）的一次女性组织活动中被讨论。

Beira's Place 的律师向大赦国际发出的新信函中写道：“因此很明显，7 月 8 日发布的报告并非‘一次性’的，也不是大赦国际缺乏监督的行为，而事实上是一场持续活动的 part，旨在恶意针对我们的客户，目的在于

摧毁其名誉，并将从 Beira's Place 提供的支持中获益的弱势服务使用者贴上反跨性别的偏执狂标签。”

律师要求不得重复对 Beira's Place 的“诽谤性指控”，要求删除两份报告，并将所有与发布这些简报决定相关的文档以及关于肖尔迪奇活动的任何讨论分享给其团队。

大赦国际网站首页必须发布一封公开道歉信，并且必须对此类“两份官方报告”如何可能包含如此“令人震惊的虚假信息”进行外部调查。

JK 罗琳称该慈善机构攻击了女性强奸受害者

这位《哈利·波特》作者在 X 上写道：“鉴于新发现的信息表明，大赦国际英国分会在最近匆忙撤回报告之前就已经诽谤了 Beira's Place，Beira's Place 的律师已再次致信大赦国际。

‘我确实在乎一个曾经的人权捍卫者变成了它创建之初为了对抗的对象。它不再捍卫言论和信仰自由。它已经变成了那个

迫害那些不拥护其所规定之可接受信仰的人的暴政。

‘大赦国际英国分会竟然认为自己在攻击那些想要无男性支持服务的女性强奸受害者时是英雄，这真是令人惊讶。’ ”

罗琳在 2022 年创立了 Beira's Place，以回应爱丁堡强奸危机中心（Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre）遭受的抵制。此前，该中心的前首席执行官 Mridul Wadhwa（一名跨性别者）表示，如果性虐待幸存者反对由认同为女性的男性进行咨询，他们应该“重构”自己的创伤。

针对社交媒体上要求大赦国际英国分会删除剩余报告并道歉的呼吁，罗琳写道：“或者我们可以法庭见。如果大赦国际英国分会认为 Beira's Place 的信托人不想在法庭上与他们见面，那么他们比最近的行为所表现出的更加傲慢、自满且愚蠢。”

在删除反权利报告后，大赦国际发布了一份声明表示“遗憾”，并称该简报未经过既定的内部流程。

大赦国际英国分会表示：“我们已知晓此信，并正建设性地参与该进程。”

慈善委员会表示，它已开启一个“监管合规案件，以……评估针对大赦国际提出的担忧”。它表示：“根据我们的指导，该慈善机构已提交了一份严重事件报告。”

一个值得生活的的故事，由您拥有

紧邻泰晤士河、里奇蒙德公园 (Richmond Park)、汉普顿宫 (Hampton Court) 以及西南伦敦一些顶尖学校，CHK 是一座一级 IP 列级地标，为当今及未来几代人的家庭生活而建。

1, 2 和 3 卧室公寓及复式住宅，将于深秋准备入住。

价格 £450,000 起

1 卧室样板房现已开放，2 卧室将于 8 月推出

预约您的时间 0330 102 2363 | CHK LONDON

---

探索。计划。现在就通过《泰晤士报》预订。

《泰晤士报》(The Times) 和《星期日泰晤士报》(Sunday Times) 是一个独特且值得信赖的旅行灵感来源。 现在，您也可以信任我们带您前往目的地，通过我们新成立的内部旅行社： Times Holidays。

Times+ 会员专享 £100 优惠

只需提供您的专属 Times+ 代码，并在 2026 年 12 月 31 日之前通过 Times Holidays 预订任何价值超过 £2,000 的假期，即可获得专属 £100 优惠。请访问 thetimes.com/timesplus 获取您的专属代码。

[LOGO]

[LOGO]

致电 0808 231 5090 或访问 thetimes.com/holidays

TIMES Holidays

条款与条件适用。*每单预订金额最低 £2,000 且提供专属 Times+ 代码的 Times Holidays 预订可享受 £100 优惠，仅限 Times+ 会员。代码必须在 2026 年 12 月 31 日晚上 11:59 之前兑换、引用并完成假期预订。该优惠每单预订仅限使用一次，将从最终应付金额中扣除，且不可转让、不可兑换，无现金替代方案。请访问 thetimes.com/timesplus 查看完整条款与条件。请访问 thetimes.com/holidays 查看 Times Holidays 的预订条款与条件。

---

THE TIMES | 2026 年 7 月 29 日 星期三

21

北京在世界之巅的高风险博弈

Roger Boyes 第 22 页

评论

为什么强制投票是个如此糟糕的主意

强迫我们前往投票站不会提高对政治家的信任，反而会导致关于增加支出的疯狂承诺

@DANNYTHEFINK

禁止某些事物的提案总是能获得相当大的支持。而如果某件事足够受欢迎，以至于将其禁止变得不可能，那么许多人会认为将其改为强制执行可能是一个好主意。

我最喜欢的一组民调出现在新冠疫情快结束时。当时，政治家们正在庆祝所有限制将被取消的“自由日”即将到来，键盘侠们则在抱怨建制派对封锁的痴迷，但大多数实际的选民看法则截然不同。他们认为我们应该继续佩戴口罩并保持社交距离。

事实上，有大量的人支持“无论新冠肺炎（Covid-19）的风险如何，都永久性地”这样做。在 2021 年 7 月，足足 40 比分的人认为在商店里佩戴口罩应该是永远强制性的。超过四分之一的人希望所有夜总会永久关闭。而五分之一的人支持未来“在没有正当理由的情况下，晚上 10 点后禁止出门”的宵禁。

关于各类问题的此类民调不胜枚举。因此，本周得知让投票成为强制性的想法再次被提起时，我并不感到惊讶。智库和国会议员们正在引导我们的新任首相采取这一方案，有些人甚至建议如果不去投票就处以罚款。而且如果安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）采纳这一建议，

他会发现它得到了相当多的公众支持。大多数民调表明，支持这种强制手段的人数多于反对的人数。

请允许我持有异议。虽然这可能不像关闭所有夜总会那样愚蠢，也不像要求人们在被允许出门吃晚餐前必须提供理由那样阴险，但在我看来，强制投票完全是一个糟糕的主意。

最好的切入点是从强制执行的所谓优势开始。当然，这得排除人们在强迫他人做他们认为正确且妥当的事情时所获得的快感。那些支持通常被称为“澳大利亚制度”的人认为，如果每个人都参与选举，将增加对政治的信任并提高对选举结果的认可度。

政府将更具合法性，能够夸口拥有更多选民的支持，甚至拥有人口的绝对多数支持。

支持者认为选举结果会向有利于他们的方向改变

而且投票结果将不会出现偏差，从而避免由较富裕、年长且地位更稳固的公民主导。

政治质量也可能得到提升。政党将不得不就政策展开辩论，并吸引摇摆选民，而不是将时间花在试图动员那些已经支持他们的人。此外，选民可能会养成更高参与度的习惯，觉得既然必须投票，最好让自己在相关议题上有所了解。

将这些拟议的优势写下来，然后重新读一遍，就会意识到强制投票的理由实际上是多么牵强。

首先，强迫人们投票绝不可能增加他们对政治家的信任。这只会让人们在原有的不信任感之上，增加前往投票站的烦恼。此外，大量研究表明，强迫人们投票并不能增加他们的政治知识、参与度或阅读报纸的习惯。

强制措施也不会创造长期的习惯。在某些奥地利选举中，强制投票在战后被引入。在 1992 年该制度被废除的那一刻，投票率立即回到了原有的模式。其他研究表明，强制投票实际上会减少其他形式的公民参与，例如非正式的政治讨论或加入公民团体。人们觉得他们已经尽到了责任，并将政治视为一项苦差事。

因此，强制措施对信任度和参与度的积极影响，范围从“不存在”到“零”。事实上，建立整套基础设施去追讨不投票者的 £10 罚款，显然如此繁琐且不切实际，无疑会损害政治而非提供帮助。

那么，为什么支持者依然坚持该观点？答案是强制投票会改变选举结果。而且可能是以一种非常严重的方式。支持者认为这将符合他们的利益。

上次大选的投票率略低于 60 per cent，人数近 30 million。如果达到澳大利亚 90 per cent 的平均投票率，将增加约 15 million 选民。换句话说，增加了 50%。

这些新选民不会是一群持有与常投票者相似观点的随机人群。他们将是那些信息最匮乏、兴趣最淡薄且地位最不稳固的公民。正是后者这一群体（包括年轻人），

研究表明，强制投票制度不会增加参与度

才是该政策的目标。其中一个政治结果并不难猜。一项针对 1914 年至 1941 年间澳大利亚投票行为的研究表明，随着该政策从国家的一个地区推广到另一个地区，它导致公共支出出现可预见且相当大幅度的增长。这是因为政治家试图给那些参与度较低的新选民留下深刻印象，其中许多人是依赖救济者或低薪者。至少在当时，这极大地符合澳大利亚工党的利益。

在英国引入强制投票还将增加更多愤怒、疏离的选民。其中一些人可能会作废选票，或者几乎随机投票。研究确实表明，在强制制度下，选民的观点与他们选择的政党观点之间的差异往往更大。但只要有足够多这类愤怒的选民选择他们相信的政党，强制措施就会推高边缘化和两极分化人物的地位。

在自由选举中，人们可能会选择高税收的方案。他们也可能会选择愤怒的政治家、边缘政党和简单的政策。我不认为这些对国家有好处，但我们生活在民主制度中。

然而，如果有人告诉我，必须强迫人们出来投票选择这样具有破坏性的

这是不自由的。国家应当让人们自行做出选择

观点。强制投票意味着利用威胁和惩罚，强迫人们去做他们不想做的事情，而我也并不希望他们那样做。他们认为这对他们而言并非正确之举，我也认为这对我而言并非正确之举，而且我们双方，虽方式各异，但都认为这对国家是不正确的。

我还认为这个想法是非常不自由的。我不是一个自由至上主义者。当然，国家可以在某些方面强迫人们参与公民生活。它强迫人们担任陪审员，并在战争时服兵役。但在不必强迫的情况下，我们应当让人们自行做出选择。如果人们不想投票或不愿费心投票，我们不应该惩罚他们。

daniel.finkelstein@thetimes.co.uk

获取来自威斯敏斯特的最佳分析与评论

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

联合举办

财富管理论坛 (Wealth Management Forum)

平衡生活、家庭与金钱

演讲嘉宾包括

Netwealth 创始人兼首席执行官

经济学家、政治家及《The Pinch》作者

Black Girl Finance

2026年9月23日星期三

注册请扫描二维码或访问 times-event.com/wealthmanagement-2026-virtual/

---

22

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

评论

北京在世界之巅的高风险博弈

关于谁将接替病重的达赖喇嘛的争端可能会轻易失控

@ROGERBOYES

严格来说，现年 91 岁且身体日益衰弱的达赖喇嘛面临的是转世问题，而非继位问题。在藏传佛教中，高级喇嘛没有皇太子。他们去世后，其意识会转生在一名儿童体内。因此，人们在寻找指向合适继承人的征兆，寻找一位新的、容易塑造的精神领袖。

达赖喇嘛流亡政府的僧侣与中国共产党部署的宣传员都在竞争，试图寻找一个能引导喜马拉雅地区远离战争的人。这场决斗带有神秘剧般的色彩，但实际上是在高海拔地区展开的赤裸裸的地缘政治。

作为第 14 世达赖喇嘛，他已成为西藏身份认同的统一象征，是一位极具魅力的自治倡导者。1959 年，在解放军开始轰击其宫殿墙壁前几天，他被迫逃离西藏首府拉萨。此后，在印度流亡期间，他将西藏事业变成了全球性事业，获得了 1989 年诺贝尔和平奖，并得到了理查德·基尔和 Lady Gaga 等好莱坞追随者的支持。

西藏曾是亚洲两个巨头——中国和印度之间的主权缓冲国。而对于北京来说，达赖喇嘛是西方主导企图削弱中国的代言人。这一逻辑渗透在中国的所有计算中：谁控制了藏传佛教，谁就影响这两个核大国之间的边境安全，能够定义领土主张，并最终设定整个喜马拉雅地带区域主导权的条件。北京在进行一场豪赌——赌注之高，使其认为即便冒着操纵下一任精神领袖选拔而招致声名狼藉的风险也值得去做。

1995 年，达赖喇嘛指定一名西藏儿童为班禅喇嘛（藏传佛教第二高位）的转世灵童，而中国特工随即将其带走。现在中国已经建立了一个包含 1,300 多位政府批准的活佛数据库，其中一些名字将被放入金 urn（金 urn）。最终候选人将在中国政府的监督下选出，且必须证明其出生在中国。

如果中国的候选人未能达到标准，它将失去面子

达赖喇嘛拒绝将继位权力交给一个认为宗教是毒药、转世是原始迷信的共产党。因此，他规定第 15 世转世喇嘛应出生在一个自由国家。且不需要金 urn。

中国的担忧是，新任达赖喇嘛可能会受到印度的培养。因此，为了应对动荡的选拔过程，它已经命令西藏寺庙移除现任达赖喇嘛的照片，禁止在他去世时进行任何公开哀悼，并禁止与流亡团体的一切接触。数字监控已经加强，边境安全也进一步强化，以防这位高级喇嘛的支持者试图从印度进入中国。

中国担心的不仅是公众骚乱。如果德里不顾北京地支持一名达赖喇嘛的人选，这将被视为印度支持挑战中国对西藏的主权，并可能导致边境局势升级。中国已经在利用其数字外交来影响佛教占主导地位的国家，如斯里兰卡、泰国、缅甸和尼泊尔。如果其藏传佛教领袖的候选人未能达到标准，它将失去面子。所有这些构成了典型的中国噩梦：分裂主义、共产党权威受挫、邻国侵扰以及意识形态的消亡。

即便在高海拔地区作战是一场噩梦，这也值得为之奋斗。稀薄的空气降低了直升机的升力，电池电量消耗迅速，且缺氧会降低部队的行动速度。中国越来越多地使用无人机进行边境监视，并将其部队安置在伪装成村庄的太阳能加热预制房中。中国正将研究资金投入到高梯度微型坦克、机器人补给车辆和机器人狗中，以便在狭小空间内作战。印度升级了一个战斗机机场，并沿着 2,100 英里的“实际控制线”挖掘隧道。它从过去的冲突中明白，无论你的核武库规模有多大，边境的防御往往最终演变成一场在雪地中精疲力竭的肉搏战。

这些军事反应与达赖喇嘛的精神完全背道而驰，他将战争描述为“完全的过时之物”。但它们给人一种地理位置之权力的感觉。西藏被称为世界屋脊，不仅因为其高耸的山脉，还因为这些山脉产生了一种感觉：这种地形既高于且定义了帝国野心的边界。中国是否充分掌握了这一点，或者它仅仅想摧毁一个微小且令人恼厌的邻居？印度是否理解西藏的独立性，或者只是想让北京吃个大亏？

青藏高原和喜马拉雅冰川滋养着亚洲最大的河流，包括印度河、恒河、湄公河和长江；超过 10 亿人依赖这些水源。在干旱或山洪暴发之时，水流便成为生死攸关的问题。

争夺新西藏精神领袖的竞赛掩盖了中国急于成为下游南亚和东南亚上游主权国家的企图。中国可以展示肌肉，利用网络宣传来削弱亚洲对西藏佛教的支持，或修建水坝来控制该大陆大部分地区的农业、渔业和能源需求。如果习近平能够安插一个傀儡作为西藏佛教的新首领，他或许可以从喜马拉雅之巅俯瞰并自豪地宣布：“我现在是物理世界的掌控者。”但正如现任达赖喇嘛可以告诉他的那样，这还不够，永远不会足够。

不仅仅是波兰斯基需要降低激进言论 Jawad Iqbal

绿党党魁扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）在社交媒体上分享一张似乎在赞同斩首奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）的照片时在想什么？这种行为具有煽动性且不负责任，尤其是对于一名声称对待权力十分严肃的政治家来说。

该图片显示一名男子穿着一件印有“我们正为奈杰尔制定计划”字样的 T 恤，旁边配有一幅断头台的插图。英国改革党（Reform UK）对此感到愤怒，且这种愤怒是正当的。法拉奇在 X 上分享了该图片的截图并写道：“如果我发布任何具有煽动性的内容，我预计自己会被逮捕，波兰斯基也应如此。”该党内政发言人齐亚·尤素福（Zia Yusuf）指责绿党党魁煽动谋杀。

波兰斯基随后删除了该帖，但代表他提出的辩解根本站不住脚。一名党内发言人表示，波兰斯基“明确不支持这类危险信息”。那么为什么要把这张照片分享给他的 713,000 名 Instagram 粉丝？显然，波兰斯基在一条包含 20 张图片的帖子中被标记，“没有意识到其中包含比他所看到的更多内容”。

这种拙劣的辩护让人想起加里·利内克（Gary Lineker）在分享一条关于犹太复国主义、其中包含一只反犹太主义的老鼠插图的社交媒体帖子后，试图推卸责任的尝试。这行不通。毕竟，波兰斯基并非社交媒体业余爱好者。《经济学人》今年披露，他在之前的 12 个月中“点赞”了惊人的 35,000 条帖子，其中频繁出现攻击其批评者的内容。他多次点赞的一条帖子将一名记者描述为“彻头彻尾的白痴”。另一条将一名采访者贴标签为“冷嘲热讽的混蛋”的帖子也被点赞。此类行为对于一名政党领袖来说是不体面的。

在对国会议员威胁的安全担忧日益加剧的时刻，这些危险实在太真实了。自二月以来，改革党记录了 1,577 起针对法拉格的威胁，其中包括 597 起死亡威胁，主要发生在 X 平台上。就在几周前，前保守党国会议员、改革党政治家安·威迪康比在德文郡的家中遇袭身亡。十年前，工党国会议员乔·考克斯被一名极右翼极端分子杀害；而在 2021 年，保守党国会议员大卫·艾姆斯爵士被一名伊斯兰国支持者刺死。

容易愤怒的改革党政治家们，在面对有毒的网络评论和充满挑衅的语言时，应当反思自己的行为。例如，尤苏夫将工党和保守党政治家描述为“叛徒”，并称他们将面临“清算”。这怎么能被接受？没错，扎克·波兰斯基辜负了自己和他的政党，理应被指责——但所有派系的政治家都需要降低这种煽动性的言论。

Tom Whipple 笔记本

希望我们不要把人工智能搞得一团糟

我的西班牙猎犬 Wellington 并不懂得因果关系。我担心，他永远无法将对他而言十分愉快的在狐狸粪便中打滚的行为，与一小时后被绑在柱子上并被洗澡这种不愉快行为联系起来。

甚至在“接球”游戏中涉及的步骤，也已经达到了他的认知极限。他喜欢让人帮他把球扔出去，但还没完全意识到，为了让这件事发生，他必须把球还给我们。有时当你试图从他嘴里拿走球时，他会发出低吼。偶尔，他会把球掉在随机的位置，然后凝视着它，试图用意识让它飞向天空，其专注程度就像爱因斯坦在思考量子引力一样。

在逻辑推理方面，我们之间存在着无法逾越的鸿沟。然而，凭借我们湿漉漉的哺乳动物大脑，我们——爱因斯坦也是如此——共享同一个操作系统。在宇宙尺度上，我们智能之间的差异不过是一个舍入误差。

这就是我上周看到关于一个 AI 模型在自主计划下突破安全测试并黑入一个网站的新闻时的想法。这是否意味着它很聪明？那是交给哲学家们讨论的问题。我肯定做不到，而且我怀疑 Wellington 也做不到。

无论如何，聪明是目标。对于 AI，我们试图制造一种不仅比我们更聪明（就像我比西班牙猎犬聪明那样），而且是在硅基上的超级智能。如果我们真的成功了，我们如何能希望控制它，甚至理解它？我想，我们只能希望电脑在挠我的肚子时能获得像我挠 Wellington 肚子时一样的快感。

丢脸

当英格兰队计划在高耸的阿兹特卡体育场与墨西哥队比赛时，某种特定类型的中年男性记者被激活了。具体来说，就是那种合同中没有明确规定可以仅因工作违背基本人类尊严而拒绝接活的记者。

每家报纸给这类记者的任务都一样：在一个高度是本尼维斯山两倍的场馆里突然运动是什么感觉？每家报纸都采用了相同的解决方案：去东伦敦的一个高海拔训练中心。

在我到达时，已有半打特定年龄段的记者在同样的健身车上挥汗如雨，而呼吸的氧气少三分之一。

工作人员解释说，他们的办公室里有一个排行榜。哪家报纸穿着莱卡紧身衣（或者像我这样穿着英格兰队队服）的中年男人骑得最快？读者，我骑得很快。有多快？我几乎呕吐了。但我骑得比《每日邮报》的人快吗？

当我停下来，喘着粗气但带着胜利感时，我询问自己的表现如何。就在那时，他们告诉我其实并没有排行榜，并嘲笑了我。

面罩威胁

说到骑车的人，怎么回事，为什么大家都戴巴拉克拉法帽（护脸面罩）？即使在热浪中，我尤其看到 Deliveroo 的骑手，还有一些青少年，骑车时都遮住脸。这是一种过滤空气污染的方法吗？还是仅仅是一种趋势？看起来很不舒服。在我看来，这还显得具有威胁性，即使并没有迹象表明是这样。

厌倦了

在最近一次皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅的音乐会上，我被长号手们迷住了。让我感兴趣的并不是他们在做什么，而是他们没在做什么：演奏。

当中场休息到来时，在之前的一个小时里，任何人都不会怀疑小提琴手们已经赢得了他们中场休息时的橙子，而长号手们竟然还没有发出任何声音。在下半场，40 分钟后，我极其渴望地看到他们站了起来。他们身着盛装，夸张地将拉管调整到位，然后演奏了一个单音。至少，我认为他们这么做了——但我没听到。然后他们在接下来的时间里重新坐回了原处。

这令人恼火吗？当音乐家们在结束时鱼贯而出，大提琴手是否会开玩笑说他们是按音符拿钱的？或者长号手们——据推测他们是全国最优秀的演奏者——是否曾后悔过选择这种乐器？

Matthew Parris 出差中

---

THE TIMES | 星期三 29 2026年7月

23

评论

请在我们的打印画廊 timescartoons.com 购买《泰晤士报》漫画的印刷品或签名副本，或致电 0800 912 7136

硬帽革命对学校而言是一项艰巨任务

赋予青少年国家所需的职业技能是一个值得赞赏的目标，但这将要求课堂经历剧变

@ALICETTIMES

“本周，一个火辣的新成员进入了别墅”——这就是政府在 TikTok 上宣布安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）入主 10 的方式。这位首相凭借他的“五件事我在第一周所做的”成为了网络红人。无论是被塑造为一名《爱之岛》（Love Island）的参赛者，还是与他的财政大臣一起为酒吧小吃排名，亦或是与莫·法拉（Mo Farah）一起晨跑，他的身影充斥在所有社交媒体上。

“安迪最大化”（Andymaxxing）似乎奏效了。年轻人注意到了这一点，并认可了他对他们的“压制”（mogging）。工党在 18 到 24 岁人群中的 YouGov 民调支持率已从上个月的 14 上升至 26。他就像是一个酷爸爸，会在凌晨 4 点把你从派对上接回家且不问任何问题，会在家庭聚会上担任 DJ，并在厨房里绕过狗地运球。人们不用担心他会开始大谈特谈财政黑洞。一切都是良好的氛围，关于最喜欢的乐队和饼干的玩笑，端着一杯茶的惬意聊天，以及

一位作为朋友的首相，热衷于鼓励而非责备。

现在，伯纳姆表示他决心帮助那些困在卧室里的年轻人寻找工作，而不是在救济金中挣扎。他在社交媒体动态中抛起一顶黄色建筑安全帽，解释说他希望建立一个基于学术成就与技术职业平等对待的教育体系，为 14 岁青少年提供获取技能培训、工作经验以及雇主机会的新途径。他说，许多孩子想要的是高质量、高薪且不需要昂贵大学学位的工作。他决心推广“硬帽而非毕业帽”。

他是正确的。许多中学

为了让工业发挥作用，它需要激励措施来培养招募人员

学生们感到脱节，其中五分之一经常缺勤。有超过一百万名 16 到 24 岁的年轻人没有在接受教育、就业或参加培训计划。在欧洲，只有罗马尼亚的 Neets 数量更多。

伯纳姆可能就读于剑桥，但他理解一些学生对于计算方程式、为考试死记硬背引用语和事实的幻灭感（近三分之一未能通过其 GCSE 考试），尤其是当他们天生更具有实践头脑时。那些将未来看在餐饮、制造、建筑、工程、护理、关怀工作、零售或农业上的学生，在青少年早期就应该能够选择更多的职业路线。许多这类实践性工作不会被 AI 取代。这很有道理。

但许多教师感到惊恐。他们如何在 2028 年前完成转型，以使课程设置符合首相的计划？

伯纳姆的方案基于他的“曼彻斯特 MBacc”，这是一个将课堂学习与工作经验及实习相结合的方案，旨在为学生提供当地雇主所需的技能。到目前为止，已有 40 的学校签署加入。

但自第二次世界大战以来，每次教师被告知要鼓励职业替代方案时，所提供的质量都很低，学徒制也低于标准——而且被引导进入其中的往往是较贫困的孩子。这种情况在今天依然在发生：最新的 BTec 已成为“二流”的俚语，而中产阶级的孩子则在努力钻研几何和地理以取得好成绩。

这一次会有什么不同？显然，Ofsted 在对学校评级时将被要求将技术教育的质量考虑在内，但如果这场伟大的革命要成功，校长们将需要更多的员工和资金。

肯·贝克（Ken Baker），这位 91 岁的前保守党教育大臣，长期以来一直主张在 14. 时实施高质量的雇主主导技术教育。他监督创建了 44 所大学技术学院（UTCs），其中许多现在都供不应求。其四分之一的学生继续进入学徒制；仅有 5 成为 Neets，而全国平均水平为 13。但这需要

他必须在对待年轻人的健康和残疾理赔方面采取更强硬的态度

来自具有启发性的当地雇主的赞助，以及实现这些结果的资源和决心。

我和 Baker 勋爵一起访问的 UTC（大学技术学院）拥有设备齐全的车间和设施。如果孩子们想成为厨师，他们需要厨房；如果想成为管道工，他们需要使用工具。未来的工程师能从设计室中受益，初出茅庐的时尚设计师则需要缝纫机。而且学校必须雇佣相关的教职人员。

雇主们也对 Burnham 的宣布感到不安，尽管首席执行官们在谴责缺乏技术熟练的员工。在过去的十年里，工作经验和学徒制大幅下降，因为老板们在应对 16 岁以下人群的保障法规、学徒雇主责任保险的飙升（16-24 岁的男性受伤概率比 45-54 岁的人高 40%）、针对 21 岁以下人群提高的最低工资以及更高的国民保险缴款方面陷入苦战。如果工业界要发挥其作用，则需要激励措施来培养没有经验的新招人员，例如取消 25 岁以下人群的国民保险缴款。

Burnham 还必须在对待年轻人的健康和残疾理赔方面采取更强硬的态度；在 2019-25 年间，无需寻找工作即可申请理赔的人数翻了一番，达到了 300,000。最近在为西南社会流动性委员会访问 Barnstaple 时，我遇到的一些专职支持工作者对那些宁愿领取 ADHD（多动症）、阅读障碍或焦虑等心理健康问题赔付，而不愿报名寻求寻找合适工作的帮助的孩子数量感到绝望。

Burnham 仅仅穿着 T 恤跳舞并扮演一个好父亲是不够的。大学并不适合所有人，但除非他准备对我们所有的孩子抱有高期望，并要求他们刻苦努力且遵守纪律，同时政府能够出资让他们在无论选择哪条路径时都能得到适当的教育和培训，否则他的“温柔教育法”将无法奏效。

---

24

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should be sent to letters@thetimes.co.uk or by post to 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

天文台恳请

先生，关于乔德雷尔班克天文台（Jodrell Bank Observatory）因科学资金撤回而面临关闭的公告，令人对英国科学的未来深感担忧（《削减导致天文台陷入困境》，7月 28日）。今年是伯纳德·洛弗尔（Bernard Lovell）在乔德雷尔班克开展先驱性雷达气象实验 80 周年，这项工作为建设一个世界领先的射电天文中心奠定了基础。如今，乔德雷尔班克依然是 e-Merlin 射电望远镜网络的核心。它的消失将严重损害英国开展世界级天文研究的能力，并削弱我们的国际科学地位。

作为乔德雷尔班克的一名志愿者，我也看到了它的更广泛价值。每年约有 186,000 人参观发现中心，其中包括数千名学童。通过在运行中的天文台这一独特环境中引导年轻人接触科学，乔德雷尔班克激励许多人考虑从事科学、工程和技术方面的职业。

我敦促政府和资助机构重新考虑这一决定。保护乔德雷尔班克不仅是对科学发现的投资，更是对技能、创新以及英国未来繁荣所依赖的科学劳动力之投资。杰里米·希尔斯教授 (Professor Jeremy Shears)，FRAS 托管人，英国天文学会，柴郡，邦伯里

先生，英国研究与创新局（UK Research and Innovation）停止资助乔德雷尔班克的决定确实是一场“暗物质”危机。但加里·莱因克尔（Gary Lineker）和他那群“爱国百万富翁”星团的综合闲置财富或许能填补资金缺口。他们是否可以将资源投向射电天文学，以造福全人类，而不是投向税务海关总署（HMRC）这个黑洞？

费利西蒂·斯图尔特 (Felicity Stewart) 柴郡，奥尔德利

艺术与现实生活

先生，我很感谢我的讽刺小说《恶性循环》（A Vicious Circle）在约翰·塞尔夫（John Self）的文章中被提及（《嘿！那是我在你的新小说里》，Times2，7月 28日），但我必须纠正他的断言。在我认识大卫·塞克斯顿（David Sexton）时，我们都是剑桥大学的本科生，尽管他志向极高，但在我的记忆中，他并没有穿过一双设计师品牌的鞋子。

阿曼达·克雷格 (Amanda Craig) 伦敦 NW1

更正与澄清

● 塞缪尔·科纳（Samuel Corner）被判犯有严重身体伤害罪，而非我们错误所述的蓄意造成严重身体伤害罪（《巴勒斯坦行动教会我们延迟响应的代价》，新闻，7月 27日）。

IPO 监管 我们致力于遵守独立新闻标准组织（IPSO）的规则条例以及 IPSO 强制执行的编辑实践准则。更正请求请发送至 feedback@thetimes.co.uk

伯纳姆对职业教育的信念

先生，首相希望扩大技术教育（见 7月 28日《“伯纳姆的硬帽”学校》）是值得赞赏的。然而，与职业资格相关的污名化问题也必须得到解决。实现这一目标的一种方法是在大学提供更多职业和技术课程。这不仅有助于打破学术教育与职业教育之间的人为隔阂，还能扩大我们大学内部的社会成分。与此同时，这将鼓励院校更加重视那些能够让学生掌握实用技能并满足经济需求的课程，而不是继续扩大那些就业价值有限的学位。

Michael Dangoor 伦敦 W1

先生，作为一名中学教师，我非常感兴趣地阅读了安迪·伯纳姆的文章（见 7月 29日《大学并非通往成功的唯一途径》）。我同意英格兰需要一条一流的技术路径，让孩子们为进入工作世界做好准备。然而，我不同意这一路径应该在 14 岁时开始。这样做会剥夺孩子们获取强大知识的机会。我还认为，从实际角度来看，最具就业竞争力的人是那些能够推理、区分强弱论据并快速获取新信息的人。这些并非可以通过教学获得的通用技能，而是源于对学科知识的深度参与。也许最重要的是，我担心工党正在重复之前的错误，那些错误导致 2000 年代孩子修读低价值资格证的人数震惊地增加，因为学校让孩子参加符合学校利益而非孩子利益的课程。

Joshua Vallance 伦敦 SE15

先生，我认为令人担忧的是，安迪·伯纳姆的大部分新政策已经由基尔·斯塔默爵士付诸实施。例如，技术卓越学院（Technical Excellence Colleges）于去年 8 月启动，第二波的截止日期是今年 2 月 16 日。正如基尔爵士所言：“这些学院将技术技能放在核心位置，在驱动英国未来的行业中开辟高质量的就业机会。”

Sue Wood 赫特福德郡，拉德莱特

先生，安迪·伯纳姆的文章呼应了英格兰各地 40 多个大学技术学院（University Technical Colleges）所采取的方法。它们遵循了由贝克勋爵和迪林勋爵在近 20 年前创立的贝克·迪林教育信托基金（Baker Dearing Educational Trust）的模式。这种专注于工业的学习方法意味着，UTC 学生的学徒制就读率是英国平均水平的三倍——且主要集中在技能短缺的行业。我们的 UTC Sleeve 模式目前也将这种方法引入成熟的中学，目前有三所正在开发中，包括在曼彻斯特。

Kate Ambrosi 贝克·迪林教育信托基金 CEO

先生，在我曾经教过的一个充满活力的 14 岁学生班级里，一些女孩告诉我，她们迫不及待地想分别成为花店老板、理发师和母亲。其中一名女孩甚至告诉我她的父亲是个偷猎者，这对她来说也颇具吸引力。我们则在慢吞吞地研读《麦克白》。我热爱莎士比亚，但当我询问一位同事这类课程的意义时，她告诉我，如果不让他们学习经典，我们就是在剥夺孩子们的文化。嗯。一直到 16 岁吗？

Kate Greenhalgh 伦敦 SE5

社会护理改革

先生，我大致赞同你们关于社会护理的社论（《护理危机》，7月 28日）。一个完全基于通用税收的系统很容易受到政治反复无常的影响。解决方案就在眼前，且在 2022 年被利兹·特拉斯（Liz Truss）砍掉（且在工党的默许下）之前曾短暂运行。它被称为医疗与社会护理征费。一个保守党政府当时果断采取行动，并在 2021 年使其通过议会；该征费本身体现在我们的工资单上。

支付少量的医疗与社会护理征费而不需要使用它，远比相反的情况——即在日后不得不支付巨额资金——要好得多。安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）应该恢复这项征费。

约翰·巴斯托 (John Barstow) 西萨塞克斯郡，菲特尔斯沃思 (Fittlesworth, W Sussex)

先生，作为一名天生患有脑瘫的残疾人，我使用拐杖和轮椅出行，并且我认为我正确地领取了个人独立付款 (Pip)。我还通过 Motability 计划拥有一辆车。我的问题是，为什么青少年会申请 Pip？他们理应申请失业救济金，而不是领取 Pip。我不明白为什么青少年会因为焦虑和多动症 (ADHD) 等“残疾”而申请福利（《甚至焦虑比工作赚得更多》，新闻，7月 28日）。福利制度崩溃并不奇怪，因为 Pip 制度尤其被滥用，许多情况下的 Motability 计划也是如此。

托尼·巴滕 (Tony Batten) 伯克郡，庞本 (Pangbourne, Berks)

先生，在周二的社论（《护理危机》）中，您质疑政府是否有能力从公共资金中拨付照顾老年人的费用。在周一的版面中，您报道称政府希望确保所有年轻人都参与培训或志愿工作，而不是在领取福利维持生计的同时在失业状态中度过一生。答案显然应该是：那些希望选择志愿服务的人，应当在照顾老年人方面发挥有意义的作用。一石二鸟。

克里斯托弗·艾尔温 (Christopher Aylwin) 伦敦 SW6

对我来说就像天书一样

先生，电影《奥德赛》激励了数千人学习希腊语（报道，7月 27日），这令人心暖。我是一名古典学教师，尽管有像 “Classics For All” 这样的慈善机构在做推广工作，但希腊语一直像是皇冠上的明珠，很少有学生能够接触到。鉴于人们倾向于选择 STEM 学科（认为它们能带来更好的工作和更高的薪水），古希腊语有时很难推销。然而，能够用希腊语原著阅读《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》这样的作品，是一种深层的特权和智力挑战。虽然荷马的方言与学校和大学教授的雅典希腊语相当不同，但仍可辨认。古希腊语和现代希腊语之间的差异在小说《Captain Cordil's Muralolin》中一段著名的情节里得到了专业的展示：一名接受过公立学校教育的伞兵降落在希腊岛上，用古希腊语与当地人交谈，路易斯·德·伯尼耶斯 (Louis de Bernières) 将其表达为乔叟时代的英语。

汉娜·萨姆纳 (Hannah Sumner) 伦敦 SW15

埃塞俄比亚的候任皇帝

摘自《泰晤士报》1926年7月29日

国际联盟秘书处已公布一份照会的文本，该照会日期为1926年6月19日，发自埃塞俄比亚王位继承人、摄政王塔法里·马孔宁（Taffari Makonnen）殿下。在随附信函中，拉斯·塔法里（Ras Taffari）表示：“愿平安与你们同在。我荣幸地在此转发英国和意大利政府向我们传达的通信副本，这些通信构成了一项在我们不知情的情况下，两国就其在埃塞俄比亚的利益而达成的协议，以及我们的回复副本。我还随附了一份

我们正向国际联盟成员国提交的抗议书，告知我们无法接受这项协议。

‘我恳请各位将这些文件传达给成员国，以便对此问题进行审议。

‘于亚的斯亚贝巴市，在主后1918年（1926年6月19日）塞尼月（Senie）第十二日签署。盖章签名，埃塞俄比亚王位继承人，塔法里·马孔宁。’

该照会称，埃塞俄比亚政府近期收到英国和意大利政府发来的内容相同的照会，称两国政府已达成协议，将相互支持：英国政府将获得一项管理察那湖（Lake Tsana）水域的特许权，而意大利政府将获得一项在埃塞俄比亚境内建设铁路的特许权。

该照会抗议此协议是在未与埃塞俄比亚协商的情况下达成的。埃塞俄比亚在加入国联时被告知，“所有国家在国联内都处于平等的地位，且其独立地位应受到普遍尊重，因为国联的目的是根据上帝的意愿在人类之间建立并维护和平。我们并未被告知，国联的某些成员可以达成单独协议，将他们的观点强加给另一成员，即便后者认为这些观点与自己的国家利益不符。”

在回复拉斯·塔法里的抗议后，国联秘书处已要求埃塞俄比亚政府明确说明其希望秘书处采取何种行动。

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

比尔·奥迪引发的喧闹

先生：

即便在早年，比尔·奥迪（Bill Oddie，讣告见7月28日）就沉溺于逗人们发笑。在1964年10月的彭布罗克学院入学晚餐会上，我坐在比尔对面，他身材稍矮，看起来比我们大多数人年轻得多。尽管这次场合旨在显得庄重，但他大声地讲着俏皮话，甚至似乎传到了高桌上那些穿着庄重礼袍的人物耳中。高潮出现在一个镀金玫瑰水盆被庄重地传到每个人面前时。我们大多数人意识到只需将手指浸入其中即可，但比尔则采取了极端方式，将随附的餐巾浸透，然后用它擦脸，接着为他礼服的腋下“涂油”。甚至高桌上的人也加入了这场哄闹的喝彩，这也许是他收到的第一波如此热烈的欢迎。

罗杰·宾汉姆（Roger Bingham） 坎布里亚郡，阿肯特沃特（Ackenthwarte, Cumbria）

礼帽的闹剧

先生：

礼貌性脱帽（Capping）并不限于公立学校（见7月28日来信）。我在20世纪50年代就读于白金汉郡的一所男孩预备学校，我们在入学第一天就被告知，如果在街上遇到校长的妻子，必须向她脱帽致意。这很奇怪，因为校长的妻子在学校里没有任何职务，甚至不是一名兼职教师。因此，如果我们远远地看到她，就会熟练地迅速穿过马路，以避免遭受这种屈辱。

汤姆·奥查德（Tom Orchard） 大曼彻斯特，米德尔顿（Middleton, Greater Manchester）

先生：

在哈罗，脱帽礼是指用食指触碰帽檐。反叛者则用中指触碰，并希望不被发现。

安德鲁·沃肖普（Andrew Wauchope） 伦敦 SE11

对不起，关于 MAGA

先生，我在斯特拉特福-upon-Avon的莎士比亚出生地担任志愿者期间，迎接那些通常令人愉悦的美国访客的经历，与马克斯·海斯廷斯（Max Hastings）最近与 MAGA 支持者的遭遇（笔记本，7月 28 日）相当不同。他们对我说的第一句话就是：“我们真的非常抱歉。”

乔伊·霍克（Joy Hawker） 格洛斯特郡，阿尔维斯顿

鸽子乘火车

先生，彼得·J·罗宾逊（Peter J Robinson，信件，7月 27 日）观察到赛鸽的流行程度超出了北方地区，这一点是正确的。在 20 世纪 50 年代的米德兰兹地区，需求量充足，以至于有一列每周运行一次且终点站为格雷特马尔文（Great Malvern）车站的“鸽子火车”。

格雷厄姆·阿斯本（Graham Asben） 西萨塞克斯郡，霍舍姆

饮酒跑

先生，威尔特郡皮威（Pewsey）的人们长期以来将跑步与饮酒结合在一起（“我加入了一个将 3 公里跑与品酒相结合的跑步俱乐部”，7月 27 日）。在年度狂欢节的“推车员”项目中，一个由 250 多个三人小组组成的队伍中，其中一名成员必须在九个停靠点各喝一品脱啤酒。与此同时，他们必须在赛道上推一辆装饰过的独轮车。非正式的赛道记录是每品脱用时不到两分钟。

加里·罗林森（Gary Rawlinson） 威尔特郡，伯贝奇

---

THE TIMES | 星期三 29 2026 年 7 月

25

社论

每日全球登记

英国：首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）将就成年人社会护理发表讲话 美国：美联储决定是提高、降低还是维持利率。

自然笔记

一只狍子从树林中跳到了小路上。他在这条少有人走的路上一摇一摆地走了一会儿，然后停下来环顾四周。他的皮毛呈浓郁的铁锈红色；三叉的鹿角看起来具有杀伤力。这只雄狍处于巅峰状态，准备进入发情期。英国其他鹿种在秋季发情，但神秘的狍子在盛夏的酷暑天交配。突然，他向后仰起头，发出一声令人胆寒的尖叫。第二只鹿从林中出现。有一瞬间，雄狍正准备冲锋，但随后他小跑过去迎接这个没有鹿角的新来者。她是一只雌狍。它们触了触鼻子。她小跑着离开，而他像一只宠物狗一样悠闲地跟在她后面。 乔纳森·图洛克（JONATHAN TULLOCH）

今日生日

Sally Gunnell（如图），400米栏运动员；奥运金牌得主 (1992)，以及电视节目主持人，60岁；Fernando Alonso，赛车手，世界冠军 (2005, 2006)，45岁；Susan Blackmore，心理学家及作家，《模因机器》(The Meme Machine) (2000)，75岁；Lord Overman Blackwell，Lloyds Banking Group 主席 (2014-21)，74岁；Anna Bradley，律师监管局 (Solicitors Regulation Authority) 主席，69岁；Ken Burns，电影制作人，《美国革命》(The American Revolution) (2025)，73岁；Giles Coren，《泰晤士报》专栏作家，餐厅评论家及主持人，57岁；Elizabeth Dole，前美国参议员，曾在美国总统 Ronald Reagan 和 George HW Bush 任内担任内阁职务，90岁；Neal Doughty，音乐家，REO Spenswagon 乐队，《无法抗拒这种感觉》(Can't Fight This Feeling) (1984)，80岁；Baroness (Julie) Elliott of Whitburn Bay，工党 Sunderland Central 议员 (2010-24)，63岁；Robert Fuller，演员，《七人回归》(Return of the Seven) (1966)，91岁；Joe Johnson，斯诺克选手，世界冠军 (1986)，74岁；Dame Karen Jones，Café Rouge 连锁餐厅联合创始人 (1989)，以及东英吉利大学 (University of East Anglia) 校长 (2016-23)，70岁；Diane Keen，女演员，《杜鹃圆舞曲》(The Cuckoo Waltz) (1975-80)，80岁；Akram Khan，舞者及编舞，52岁；Stan Kroenke，美国商人，阿森纳足球俱乐部 (Arsenal FC and WFC) 所有者，79岁；Geddy Lee，音乐家，Rush 乐队，《212》 (1976)，73岁；Prof Frank McGuinness，剧作家及剧本作者，《Thebuns》 (2014)，73岁；Sir Jonathan Montgomery，伦敦大学学院 (University College London) 医疗保健法教授，64岁；Simon Nye，喜剧作家，《Reggie Perrin》 (2009-10)，以及《男人行为糟糕》(Men Behaving Badly) (1992-99) 创作者，68岁；Jon Pearce，工党 High Peak 议员，49岁；Admiral Sir James Perowne，温莎城堡警长兼总督 (2014-22)，北大西洋盟军最高司令副职 (1998-2002)，79岁；Wendy Taylor，雕塑家，81岁；Sir Stephen Timms，工党 East Ham 议员，平等事务部长，71岁；Dermot Weld，赛马训练师，赢得超过 3,000 场比赛，78岁；Natalie Wheen，广播员，BBC Radio 4 《万花筒》(Kaleidoscope) (1980-95)，79岁。

历史上的今日

1968年，教皇保禄六世 (Pope Paul VI) 再次确认禁止罗马天主教徒使用避孕药，令自由派神职人员感到沮丧。

最后一言

“能够接纳破碎的心，而不仅仅将其视为毫无意义而抛弃，这在很大程度上是生命的一部分。” Carly Simon， singer-songwriter，接受 NPR 采访 (2015)

寻找天职

安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）关于改善基于技能教育的提案值得欢迎。太多任期的首相未能与学术研究之间取得更好的平衡。

如果读者对安迪·伯纳姆承诺赋予技术技能与学术资格“同等尊重”持怀疑态度，他们是有理由的。过去半个世纪的每一任首相都做出过类似的承诺。然而，伯纳姆先生在担任大曼彻斯特市市长期间所做的努力表明，他可能比其前任们更认真。

正如《泰晤士报》教育委员会在 2022 年指出的那样，英国的体系对于“那些希望通过职业和技能教育继续深造的人来说，是不充分且极其复杂的”。最近的一次尝试是 T-levels，这是一种在 2020 年推出的 A-levels 技术替代方案，结果又是另一次失望。在预期学习该课程的 100,000 人中，只有四分之一在实际学习。

职业教育持续未能奏效的一个后果是，艾伦·米尔本（Alan Milburn）最近的审查中披露了一个令人震惊的事实：有 100 万年轻人是“beets”——既不在接受教育，也没有就业或接受培训（Neet）。另一个后果是制约经济增长的技能短缺。正如伯纳姆先生在本报中所写，问题的一部分在于人们认为技术技能低于学术资格。这导致家长和教师青睐学术科目。这也塑造了学校的优先级：技术教育依赖于与雇主的联系，但学校的排名是基于其学术成就，而非基于建立这些联系。因此，他们没有动力这样做。

这种对技术教育的偏见也使其失去了资源。继续教育学院学生的资金约为大学的五分之四，且实际金额比 2011 年的水平低 8%。当人们在建筑工地能赚到两倍薪水时，很难让他们在继续教育学院教授建筑技能。

伯纳姆先生的改革将基于“曼彻斯特国际文凭”（Manchester Baccalaureate，简称 MBacc），这是对迈克尔·戈夫（Michael Gove）在担任教育大臣期间推出的“英语国际文凭”（English Baccalaureate）的一种技术性替代方案。EBacc 提供历史、地理或语言，以及英语、数学和科学的 GCSE 课程，而 MBacc 允许 14 岁起的学生同时也学习数字化和技术技能。对于 16 到 18 岁的年轻人，MBacc 提供了进入七个职业路径的“门户”，例如金融、创意产业或医疗保健。MBacc 尚未产生巨大影响，但这并不令人惊讶。作为市长，伯纳姆先生没有权力改变学校的激励机制。而现在他有了。

首相打算下放决定应教授何种技能的责任，理由是市长比白厅（Whitehall）更了解当地的劳动力市场。这正是荷兰的运作方式，而荷兰的模型启发了 MBacc。在荷兰，大约每 20 个 15 到 24 岁的年轻人中就有一个是 Neet。在英国，大约每 8 个人中就有一个。荷兰还将技术教育与福利挂钩：年轻人必须在获得实用资格后才能领取福利。英国应该效仿这一点。

整合所有元素以修复技术教育并非易事。例如，实习的一个障碍是雇主责任保险的需求。构成了建筑业大部分的个体经营者通常没有此类保险。但如果政府有意愿，它可以引导学院和保险公司共同解决这个问题。

推广技能的努力不应削弱对学术成就的关注，而正是这种关注推动了英格兰在过去十年中在国际排行榜上的排名上升。事实并非必然如此。MBacc 中对英语、数学和科学 GCSE 课程的坚持表明，伯纳姆先生（Mr Burnham）将维持基本标准，同时允许希望走技术路线的学生更容易地实现这一目标。如果他认真对待这一议程，年轻人以及我们其他人——即他们未来的客户和雇主——都将从中获益。

门外的独狼

欧洲的圣战暴力在德国找到了一个新的中心

德国过去十年中最致命的三次伊斯兰恐怖袭击分别袭击了一个圣诞市场、一个庆祝城镇成立650周年的节日，以及现在的柏林骄傲游行——欧洲最大的同性恋权利庆祝活动之一。目标的选择并非偶然。这些不仅仅是挤满了无忧无虑的人群、即使是最无能的暴徒也能轻易得手的露天活动。它们全都是西方社会的象征：既根植于传统，又以自由宽容为傲。

在周六最新的暴行中，嫌疑人是一名黎巴嫩裔德国公民，据称已宣誓效忠伊斯兰国。袭击者使用一辆面包车和一把砍刀杀害了一名波兰女性并导致29人受伤，而事发地距离勃兰登堡门前纪念纳粹主义下同性恋和犹太受害者的纪念碑仅一步之遥。震惊是自然的反应，但惊讶则并非如此。

仅在四年前，圣战恐怖主义在德国似乎已淡化为一种背景安全威胁。在经历了二十年的爆炸、刺杀、枪击和车辆冲撞之后，疫情以及伊斯兰国的军事失败导致了一段沉寂期。然而，这段时间显得过于短暂。在2022年，欧盟发生了两次伊斯兰恐怖袭击和四起被挫败的阴谋，导致两人死亡。根据欧洲刑警组织（Europol）的数据，去年发生了九起成功的袭击（其中仅在德国就发生了四起）和15起未遂袭击。

德国面临着与法国和英国相同的结构性困难。其伊斯兰威胁规模相似，约有28,000人，其中相似比例的人数——大约三分之一——被认为倾向于使用暴力。在所有这三个国家中，恐怖活动复苏的基本催化剂是相同的：哈马斯在10月7日对以色列发动的恐怖袭击及其引发的加沙战争所带来的激进化影响。

然而，德国在面对这种危险时异常脆弱。部分原因是其在2010年代接收的寻求庇护者数量极其庞大：约2.2 million人，而法国为850,000人，英国为300,000人（目前已减至极少量）。绝大多数人都是和平的。但大量来自伊斯兰世界的年轻男性最终陷入了行政和社会功能的灰色地带，既没有离开也没有融入，使他们成为了伊斯兰国招募人员的理想目标。

作为战后协议的一部分，该国严厉限制了警察及其情报机构的监视权力，这并没有起到帮助作用。著名的德国恐怖主义专家彼得·纽曼（Peter Neumann）还指出，与英国和美国相比，该国对恐怖主义犯罪倾向于判处显著较短的刑期。

其对政治暴力的广泛禁忌也在减弱，因为各方激进分子使用同样残酷手段的频率正日益增加。造成德国过去十年最严重的大规模袭击事件——2024年马格德堡圣诞市场袭击案——的负责人是一名对伊斯兰教怀恨在心的沙特阿拉伯医生。

圣战恐怖主义的性质已经发生了变化，使其更难以追踪，但杀伤力有所降低：2000年代精心策划的网络炸弹阴谋，以及随后的集体枪击时代，目前已让位于在隔离中激进化并使用简陋武器的“独狼”。用纽曼教授的话说，它已经“降级”了。但这并不是自满的理由。同样，也没有理由去做这些欧洲之敌希望我们做的事：屈服于恐怖。

抢先起飞 (Flying Start)

纳税人不应吝啬于资深政治家的飞行里程

英国首相的清醒时间是一项珍贵的资源。监管一个 G7 经济体的政治利益是一项严肃的工作——其运行依赖于极其紧凑的分钟级行程。如果要求一名在任首相花数小时在交通拥堵中，或在某个地方火车站的红灯前停滞不前，那将是对纳税人资源的不可原谅的浪费。如果英国想要繁荣，必须允许其首相毫无顾忌地飞行。

当然，这意味着要乘坐大多数公众永远不会考虑的短途航班。在任期间，鲍里斯·约翰逊平均每 20 天登机一次。而梅则为每 13 天一次。至少在这一点上，安迪·伯纳姆作为首相也采取了类似的行动。上周，他乘坐一架 VIP 空客 A321 飞机前往格拉斯哥参加英联邦运动会的开幕式。随后在周五早上，一次 38 分钟的飞行将首相送到了曼彻斯特。周一，一次 37 分钟的飞行将他送至朴次茅斯海军基地，他在那里迎接了泽连斯基总统。

不可避免地，这种“抢先起飞”的行为招致了批评。但他的批评者真的认为“飞行里程安迪”应该采取其他方式出行吗？在那些可能将伯纳姆先生从曼彻斯特皮卡迪利车站送去会见泽连斯基先生的宣传铁路路线上，好几条线路的耗时竟然缓慢地达到了五个小时。那将是对时间的无谓浪费。

工党前排议员在里希·苏纳克担任首相期间批评他认为国内航空旅行通常是最有效率的选择，这是一种伪善的机会主义。一旦掌权，他们可能会发现自己积累的短途飞行里程比以往任何时候都要多，尤其是在伯纳姆先生决定将一周的时间在伦敦和曼彻斯特的“北方 10 号”之间分配之后。对于伯纳姆先生，我们说：旅途愉快。真正白日做梦的是他的那些批评者。

---

26

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

World

致命的混合因素令德国在伊斯兰主义复兴中苦苦支撑

随着移民、加沙和安全问题共同构成动荡的诱因，柏林这类袭击事件正在增加，Oliver Moody 报道

很少有欧洲人会将 2022 年铭记为“奇迹之年”（annus mirabilis），因为这一年被俄罗斯全面入侵乌克兰、失控的通货膨胀回归以及大流行病留下的持久创伤所笼罩。

然而，在某一方面，它可以被视为一个短暂的黄金 era.。在那样 12 个月里，欧洲刑警组织（Europol）在整个欧盟范围内仅记录了两起成功的伊斯兰主义恐怖袭击：分别发生在法国和比利时的两起持刀伤人事件。

伊斯兰国（Islamic State）已在伊拉克和叙利亚的战场上被基本击败，欧洲的主要圣战网络已被显著瓦解，而新冠疫情则完成了其余的工作。

“2022 年时，基本上每个人都说这一切结束了，我们可以继续前行，不再需要应对伊斯兰国（Isis），”伦敦国王学院的恐怖主义专家彼得·诺伊曼（Peter Neumann）说道，他经常为德国当局提供咨询。

那种短暂的安全假象此后被打破，而德国的情况尤为严重。

周六，一名被怀疑为 21, 岁德国公民、黎巴嫩裔的阿卜杜勒·巴卢特（Abdul Ballout）的伊斯兰国支持者，在柏林骄傲节（Pride festival）边缘驾驶一辆白色面包车冲进人群，随后持砍刀乱砍，造成一名 65 岁的波兰女性死亡，另有 29 人受伤。

这是过去两年半时间里，该国发生的至少第六起此类机会主义、低技术手段的伊斯兰主义恐怖袭击，已导致七人死亡。

自 2023, 以来，已知至少有另外十起伊斯兰主义恐怖袭击被警方挫败，其中包括几起在圣诞市场实施屠杀的计划，以及一个一直在囤积枪支的哈马斯（Hamas）小组。

至少目前来看，威胁及其导致的伤亡规模尚未达到 2010 年代中期那些黑暗时期的程度。

然而，危险正毫无疑问地回归。根据联邦内政部的统计，归因于“宗教意识形态”——几乎总是指激进形式的伊斯兰教——的犯罪总数已从 2022 年的 134 起上升到去年的 998 起。在同一时期，该类别的暴力事件增加了一倍多，从 24 起增加到 60 起。

主要国内情报机构 BIV 连续数年估计，德国更广泛的伊斯兰主义圈子中大约有 28,000 名成员。其中，9,110 人被

柏林市民聚集在勃兰登堡门，悼念骄傲节袭击事件的死者

目前被判定具有“暴力倾向”，这意味着他们要么准备使用暴力，要么支持暴力。

德国在这方面并非特例。如果考虑到人口规模，这些数字与法国和英国相当。

诺伊曼在其 2024 年出版的著作《恐怖的回归》（Die Rückkehr des Terrors）中计算出，在之前的两年里，整个欧洲的恐怖活动增加了 400 百分比。

然而，如果说英国是 2000 年代欧洲圣战恐怖主义的焦点，而法国和比利时是 2010 年代的焦点，那么现在这个焦点转移到了德国。

一个明显的转折点是

嫌疑人阿卜杜勒·巴卢特此前已被警方知晓

哈马斯在 7, 2023, 10 月对以色列平民实施的屠杀，以及随后以色列对加沙的地面入侵。

“加沙冲突引发了巨大的愤怒，”诺伊曼说。“激进化重新开始了……我们之所以没有看到更多袭击，是因为虽然有很多愤怒，有很多愤怒的年轻穆斯林，但他们缺乏一种结构，缺乏一个能将这种愤怒转化为 2010 年代那种规模袭击的组织。”

导致这次激进化影响在德国尤为严重的原因有几个。

第一点是，在 2015 年欧洲移民危机期间，德国接纳了数量庞大的寻求庇护者。当时的系统过于不堪重负，导致其中大多数移民（包括比例极高的一大批年轻男性）在多年时间里处于行政上的不确定状态，无法获得工作，对西方生活的期望过高而感到沮丧，且在申请被拒绝后通常难以遣返。

“如果你是一个极端分子的招募者，

这将是一个理想的目标群体，”纽曼（Neumann）说道。“在德国很难传达的现实情况是，迄今为止在德国发生的大多数袭击是由近期抵达的人员实施的，通常是 2015 年以来作为难民来到德国的人。在大多数案件中，他们都是嫌疑人。”

第二个因素是，德国精英阶层对以色列深重的历史责任感——通常被描述为“国家理由”（Staatsräson）或国家的最高优先级——往往伴随着对异议声音的强力压制，尤其是在德国 5.5 million 穆斯林群体中。

另一个问题是，由于各类政治暴力事件的增加（从激进左翼、极右翼到由俄罗斯和伊朗远程指导的活动），该国的警务和情报资源被削弱得日益严重。每年记录的各类事件数量已从 2019 年的 995 起增加到 2025, 的 1,815 起，尽管极右翼仍占总数的三分之二。

巴卢特（Ballout）的袭击并非凭空出现。他的激进伊斯兰主义和暴力倾向早在多年前就被德国安全部门所知。去年，在他飞往黎巴嫩试图加入叙利亚的伊斯兰国后，他被遣返回德国，并被判定计划实施“严重的危及国家安全的暴力行为”。

然而，他被作为青少年受审，并在五月份以缓刑被释放，部分原因是他在监狱中已经度过了总共九个月，部分原因是他声称已经背弃了伊斯兰国。

德国媒体的报道表明，他最初被置于严密的警方监视之下，包括秘密摄像头、手机监听和监视小组，但这些措施在两周后被大幅下调，因为他被认为不再构成足够的威胁。

“资源与潜在危险人员数量之间的差距越大，就越容易出现失误，导致有人脱漏。这就是挑战所在，”纽曼说道。

最后一个具体的脆弱点是，在纳粹警察国家的罪行之后，安全部门在对恐怖嫌疑人部署正式监视工具方面受到了更多限制。

目前的政治辩论正转向更严厉的量刑，尤其是随着坚定的法律秩序和反移民平台的极右翼“德国选择党”（AfD）在今年秋季的州选举中有望取得全面胜利。然而，这是否足以防止另一次圣战分子的肆虐，仍然令人怀疑。欧洲的圣战暴力已找到新中心，社论，第 25 页

游客在中国甘肃省鸣沙山月牙泉风景区欣赏沙漠景色，该景区在夏季高峰期使用数字化系统管理预订

日本地震后展开救援，争分夺秒营救被困购物者

日本 Richard Lloyd Parry 东京

在一次重大地震引发火灾并导致一座大型购物中心被毁灭性爆炸摧毁后，日本当局敦促该国西南地区的人们警惕进一步的余震。

救援人员正努力营救被困在熊本县鹿岛市 Aeon 购物中心的未知数量人员，而地震影响的更广泛地区中，至少 1 人死亡，另有 100 人受伤。

据当地消防部门称，这座位于九州岛上的购物中心二层坍塌，“导致许多人被困在内部”。在目击者报告称地震发生一段时间后出现了一场巨大的爆炸，并伴有滚滚烟尘后，约 20 到 30 名工作人员失踪。

该中心的运营商表示，在初次地震后，顾客和员工立即进行了疏散，爆炸的确切原因尚不清楚。

“那是一个巨大的冲击，”Kazuya Tsurunaga 告诉日本电视台。“一大团烟雾腾起，而且由于当时恰好在刮风，风向正对着商店，我们周围的区域就像火山灰在落下一样。”

这次地震还引发了火灾，损坏了屋顶，导致高速公路高架桥断裂，并使一座封建城堡的围墙倒塌。

日本气象厅警告居民，在接下来的一周内可能会有更多强震，并存在山体滑坡的风险。大约 100 次较小的余震已经

---

THE TIMES | 星期三 29 2026 年 7 月

27

日本博物馆被指篡改历史 第 28 页

好莱坞制片厂冷落威尼斯电影节 第 29 页

GETTY IMAGES

泽连斯基在关于乌克兰的“积极”会谈中感谢特朗普

美国 David Charter, Max Kendix 华盛顿

泽连斯基总统在白宫举行一次“良好的会晤”后，称赞了对待乌克兰的积极氛围。他在会谈中讨论了“振兴”外交以结束与俄罗斯战争的计划。

在进行一小时的会谈后，特朗普总统与这位乌克兰总统热情地合影。据报道，白宫和平特使史蒂夫·威特科夫（Steve Witkoff）和贾里德·库什纳（Jared Kushner）将很快首次访问基辅。

紧随泽连斯基进入椭圆形办公室的是本雅明·内塔尼亚胡（Binyamin Netanyahu），由于特朗普此前曾斥责这位以色列总理讨论有关美国应恢复对伊朗攻击的情报，这次会面的氛围可能不那么友好。但内塔尼亚胡随后分享了与“我的朋友总统”会面的照片，照片显示两人坐在一起微笑。

在访问华盛顿期间，两位领导人都参加了林赛·格雷厄姆（Lindsey Graham）的葬礼，这位南卡罗来纳州参议员曾同时支持以色列和乌克兰。

但看来是泽连斯基在更大程度上实现了自己的目标，这与去年2月他与特朗普及副总统 JD Vance 在椭圆形办公室发生的灾难性争吵形成了反差。

一名白宫人士表示，特朗普一直喜欢“赢家”，而随着泽连斯基及其国家证明了面对俄罗斯的韧性，他在特朗普心中的评价上升了。

“在椭圆形办公室与特朗普总统进行了一次良好的会晤，”泽连斯基在会谈结束后，以及在与参议员讨论一项以格雷厄姆命名的法案（该法案允许特朗普增加对俄罗斯及其能源客户的制裁）之前，在 X 上发帖称。

他写道：“感谢我们为了保护乌克兰人的生命和推进和平所共同做的一切。”

“总统和我讨论了爱国者拦截弹生产的许可以及其他几个可能有所帮助的想法。我们也谈到了外交——振兴外交进程至关重要。我们的团队将安排进一步沟通的细节。我感谢美国的坚定支持。”

乌克兰计划利用美国技术制造自己的导弹拦截器的消息，最早在本月早些时候的安卡拉北约峰会上公布。

一名能获得总统信任的 Maga 影响力人士劳拉·卢默（Laura Loomer）在昨天的会议后发帖称，威特科夫和库什纳计划在两周内访问乌克兰，“这是有史以来首次以外交精神并试图结束俄乌战争而进行的访问”。

卢默上周前往基辅采访泽连斯基，并改变了对冲突的看法，转而支持乌克兰。她还强调了泽连斯基的主张，即乌克兰情报部门拥有证据表明俄罗斯正利用卫星技术帮助伊朗瞄准海湾地区的美国阵地。

卢默表示，威特科夫-库什纳的访问是“本周早些时候我在乌克兰总统府会见泽连斯基总统和大使 Sergiy Kyalysya 时向白宫提出的建议”。

她补充道：“我还敦促威特科夫和库什纳前往基辅举行会谈，并坚决表示他们在莫斯科已经开了足够的会，应该来乌克兰。尤其是现在俄罗斯正在向伊朗供应武器和卫星图像，用以杀害美国士兵。”

泽连斯基的策略是暗示美国和乌克兰在俄罗斯这个共同敌人上达成一致，并说服特朗普他们处于同一阵营。特朗普从去年开始对普京表达了一些批评，但由于他试图充当调停人以结束战争，尚未宣布支持乌克兰。

周一在“空军一号”上，当记者问及泽连斯基关于俄罗斯帮助伊朗瞄准美国人的主张时，特朗普表示：“好吧，我们会查清楚这是否属实。我会问普 tkinter 普京。这没产生太大影响，因为我们把他们揍得体无完肤。……委内瑞拉拥有全部的俄罗斯设备。结果如何？”

前美国驻乌克兰大使约翰·赫伯斯特（John Herbst）表示：“很明显，双方都想强调积极方面。他们讨论了两个主要议题，其中一个在泽连斯基的议程上，另一个在

昨日，泽连斯基总统与特朗普总统在椭圆形办公室

特朗普的议程上：泽连斯基的议程是许可协议，而特朗普的议程是和平谈判。”

赫伯斯特表示，格雷厄姆（Graham）的去世使乌克兰失去了一位在华盛顿的拥护者，但卢默（Loomer）的出现对于向 MAGA 阵营传递信息至关重要，而该阵营长期以来一直敌视支持乌克兰的理由。

他说，特朗普与泽连斯基之间关系的改善，“主要是因为乌克兰在战场上以及打击俄罗斯方面所取得的成功，这是特朗普本人已经注意到并谈到的。显然，泽连斯基现在拥有筹码，而特朗普认为他在去年 2 月时没有任何筹码”。

在与内塔尼亚胡会面前，当被问及这位以色列领导人关于伊朗在皮卡克斯山（Pickaxe Mountain）重建核能力时，特朗普似乎表现出不耐烦。该地点位于伊斯法罕省深处地下，在德黑兰以南 140 英里处。“好吧，我不需要‘比比斯’（Bibs）来告诉我这件事，”特朗普在接受《福克斯与朋友》（Fox & Friends）采访时说道，并使用了内塔尼亚胡的绰号。

地震引发了鹿岛市永旺购物中心的爆炸

自首次地震以来监测到的情况。

据京都新闻报道，地震期间有一栋房屋坍塌，确认造成一人死亡。

据报道，两家医院各在治疗 50 多人，其中部分伤情严重。地震发生时乘坐高铁的乘客也受伤了。

直升机拍摄的图像显示，一段桥梁坍塌入河，其他高速公路出现裂缝。在八代市，燃烧的建筑物中升起数柱浓烟。作为历史建筑重建项目的熊本城出现了墙壁坍塌。

“水平震动非常强烈，我觉得天花板快要塌了，”一名女性在地震后告诉 NHK，地震发生在当地时间 4.27pm。 “我的腿在发抖。”

据公共广播机构 NHK 报道，熊本县一家造纸厂的烟囱坍塌后，据报有数人失踪。据称，九州地区有 40,000 多个家庭停电。

震源深度为 10 公里，相对较浅且位于内陆。此次地震的烈度接近 7 级，这是衡量地面震动影响的指标。在 7 级烈度下，未固定的家具会被抛出或剧烈倾倒，大多数或所有建筑物（即使是抗震建筑）都会受损，地面会出现大面积裂缝和山体滑坡。

曾短暂发布海啸预警，但很快解除。该地区的三个核电站报告没有问题。包括新干线在内的当地铁路服务全部暂停，一列没有乘客的货运列车脱轨。熊本机场暂时关闭。由台湾公司 TSMC 运营的一家半导体工厂暂停运营。

此次地震发生在熊本两次导致 275 人死亡和 2,700 人受伤的地震十年之后。当时数万栋房屋受损。

首相高市早苗（Sanae Takaichi）表示：“我们已经收到人员受伤的通知。部分地区发生了停电和火灾，道路和桥梁也受损，建筑物坍塌。最重要的是，我要求每个人采取行动保护自己，包括撤离到安全地点。”

约 300,000 人被建议前往避难中心，3,600 名自卫队士兵将被部署以协助救灾。

高市补充道：“我们将人民的生命视为最高优先级。”

---

28

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

世界

头饰沉重：皇家卫队礼炮部队的成员们准备在曼谷皇家广场（Sanam Luang）为泰国国王 74 岁生日鸣炮

博物馆“掩盖”日军大屠杀的黑暗过去

中国南京的血腥入侵，如今被称作一场“事件”。

Richard Lloyd Parry 发自长崎报道

长崎的原子弹博物馆既是一座神龛，也是一次历史展览，是一个致力于战争记忆并热忱追求和平的神圣场所。

停摆的时钟记录下了 1945 年 8 月 9 日美国炸弹在城市上空爆炸的瞬间，此次爆炸造成 70,000 人死亡。“这不仅仅是一栋建筑，”南明辉（Teruhisa Minami）说道，他的四位年长兄姐在当天丧生。“这是人们可以亲眼看到一旦战争开始将会发生什么的地方。”

然而，在轰炸 81 年后，这座博物馆成为了一场关于记忆、历史责任以及导致第二次（且到目前为止是最后一次）使用核武器之事件的激烈争论的中心。

这场争论集中在炸弹投下前八年的事件，以及一个被用来描述这些事件的词语。在接下来的几个月里，如果一切如预期，该博物馆的展品将在三十年来首次重新配置。修订内容将包括对一段描述 1937 年 12 月获胜的日军进入中国城市南京的展板进行修改。

在随后的六周内，数十万中国士兵和平民被帝国军队杀害，数千名妇女和女孩被强奸。这起暴行在西方被称为“南京大屠杀”——目前博物馆内的日语描述将其称为“南京大虐杀”。在新的展览中，它将被描述为“南京事件，其中大量平民和战俘被杀”。

“‘南京事件’……未能传达该事件残酷且严重的性质，” 77 岁的南明辉说道，他出生在炸弹投下三年后。“这种改动掩盖了日本的黑暗历史，逃避面对其侵略事实。”

其他变动包括将描述日本入侵中国的“侵略”一词替换为“海外扩张”等术语，以及将“军事行动”描述为自卫。

新博物馆中关于日本在东亚的帝国主义及其对韩国和中国殖民地臣民影响的历史背景将会减少。

长崎和平博物馆副馆长原原哲郎（Tetsuro Haraga）坚称这并非在向压力低头。他表示，从“大虐杀”到“事件”的转变，仅仅反映了该国外交部和国家批准的学校教科书中所使用的最新用语。

然而，词汇的改变是在当地保守民族主义者的游说之后进行的，这些人否认帝国军队在南京犯下过任何恶行。这引起了中国政府、当地及全国反对派的愤慨，并引发了人们对日本政界最高层历史修正主义趋势的更广泛思考，而此次事件仅是其中的一个例子。

几乎从原子弹投向广岛以及三天后投向长崎起，描述这些事件的语言一直是一个争议话题。占领日本七年的获胜美军极力淡化他们所造成恐怖后果的严重性。

1937 年，日军在征服这座中国城市后在南京行军

早期的纪念碑称炸弹是“落下”的，而非被蓄意投下的。

两座城市的早期博物馆集中于原子弹造成的物质和人员损害，但忽略了对导致该事件之经过的解释，即日本在东亚 15 年的侵略，并最终演变为与英国和美国的战争。但在轰炸 50 周年纪念时，思想开明的政治家们明确承认了日本行为对这场灾难性战争所起的作用。

1995年，日本社会党首相村山富市就日本在战争期间造成且“无可否认”的苦难，发表了明确的遗憾和道歉声明。次年，新的长崎博物馆开馆，其中多次明确提及日军的暴行，这引发了保守派的立即反弹，且这种反弹一直持续至今。

1996年，在压力之下，该博物馆删除了南京大屠杀中被杀害的中国平民以及菲律宾巴丹死亡行军受害者的照片。到2015年70周年纪念时，保守派首相安倍晋三已经淡化了村山富市的道歉。

今年2月，与修正主义右翼关系密切的日本首位女性首相高市早苗以压倒性优势获胜。博物馆最近做出的改动，反映出民族主义者实力的增强和信心的提升，他们已经抛弃了一切顾虑，极力推广与既定历史事实截然相反的历史观点。

许多历史学家对中国政府关于南京死亡人数高达 300,000 人的说法表示质疑。但没有人像渡边正光（Masamitsu Watanabe）那样极端，他是一个自称“长崎原爆展修正公民协会”的组织负责人。

“确实发生过南京之战，但我认为所谓的南京大屠杀并没有发生，” 89 岁的渡边说道。“松井[Iwane]将军[一名后来因南京大屠杀被处以绞刑的日本指挥官]曾发出警告，绝不能触碰妇女和儿童。没有平民被杀。人们可能会将此作为投下原子弹的正当理由，这就是它造成的危害。通过删除这些侵略和残暴的部分，我认为日本可以恢复信心和自豪感。”

作为第二代被爆者（hibakusha，即原子弹幸存者），南（Minami）坚持认为，可以同时谴责美国投掷原子弹的行为以及日本对历史事实的掩盖。“这样的篡改掩盖了日本的黑暗历史，”他说道，“这将引起那些在日本侵略和殖民统治下遭受深重苦难的亚洲人的强烈批评。”

在机场被扣的领导人要求解释

香港 一名在前往英国探亲途中在希思罗机场被拦截并被告知将被遣返的香港反对派领导人表示，他仍在等待解释。

吴启华为民主党前主席，后在香港由北京实施的国家安全法下被送入监狱。他已被告知将不再被英国遣返。移民局官员于周一晚上将护照还给了他。

《泰晤士报》被告知，他在上周三在希思罗机场被拦截并被要求在七天内离开该国后，其文书材料出现了问题。吴启为表示，他并未收到任何关于此事的迹象，也没有被要求提供任何补充或不同的文件。当他被告知决定被撤销时，他没有收到任何道歉。

现年 63 岁的吴启为持有英国国民（海外）护照，该护照允许持有人在英国停留最多六个月，且他持有 11 月的返程机票。但他表示，移民局官员似乎认为他是来英国申请居留权的，而这需要提前办理签证。他表示，在访问前已咨询过英国驻香港领事馆，并被告知不会有问题。

他现在已被准许进入英国。

出生率降至战后低点

意大利 去年意大利的出生人数下降了近 4% 且降至 1945 年以来最低水平。出生率基金会和意大利国家统计局的报告发现，平均每名女性生育的孩子数量下降至 114。许多受访者担心生孩子会恶化其经济状况并影响其职业生涯。

白磷警报

韩国 首尔附近官员在发生一起被描述为美国军事基地白磷泄漏的事件后，简短地命令平民撤离。美国第 51 战斗机联队表示，由于“地面事故且出于谨慎考虑”，他们建立了安全封锁线，并称关于欧山空军基地撤离的报道是不真实的。

敌对者找到共同之爪

美国 浣熊 Jinnothy 在一段（见上图）他在社区中以异常步态徘徊（可能是脊柱畸形导致）的视频走红后，成为了政治统一的象征。特朗普的盟友写信给西雅图的民主党市长 Katie Wilson：“我们知道我们在政治上可能存在分歧，但他的安全应该是我们的 1 关注点。”

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

29

World

宠宠在主人的波尔人主人逃往美国后陷入困境

南非

Jane Flanagan 开普敦

那些曾经拥有美容预约并在主人床上睡觉的北京犬和西施犬，最终被留在城镇中由家政工人照看，因为它们的主人们正前往美国开始新生活。

其他狗则被遗弃在南非过度拥挤的动物收容所里，有时就在其主人登上特朗普总统针对波尔人的“难民计划”航班前的几个小时。

在比勒陀利亚经营 Woodrock 动物救援中心的 Jacqui Martheze 表示，她的外展团队经常在贫困社区发现纯种宠物犬。

“它们由那些已经失业且没有资金维持这些狗习以为常的生活方式（如美容、接种疫苗、专业食物）的员工照顾，”她说。

她的收容所依赖捐赠已经超过 40 年，目前约有 500 只动物，且已达到容量上限。上周，Martheze 接到了 20 通准备前往美国的家庭电话，但只能接收 7 只狗。

华盛顿方面不提供动物迁移的帮助，而私人运输一只狗的费用在 R35,000 到 R50,000（£1,500–£2,150）之间，许多已经面临移民成本的家庭不愿或无法支付这笔费用。随着本周计划的另一班包机即将起飞，Martheze 表示电话数量没有放缓的迹象。

这些离境行为已成为南非最具争议的问题之一。离开的人表示，他们是在逃离暴力犯罪以及一个他们认为不再需要他们的政府。他们的批评者包括许多波尔人，后者指责他们通过认同特朗普关于“白人种族灭绝”的毫无根据的说法来换取美国的难民身份，并且是在抛弃这个国家，而不是留下来帮助修复它。

自从特朗普在去年 2 月签署行政命令以来，已有 7,700 名波尔人被接纳；该命令在指责南非政府迫害白人农民后，暂停了对南非的援助，并向波尔人提供难民身份。

这些航班并非赠送：前往的人必须分期偿还机票费用。

特朗普与比勒陀利亚的争端不仅限于波尔人。他攻击了比勒陀利亚基于种族的经济赋权法律、土地征收政策、在国际法院对以色列提起种族灭绝案以及与伊朗的关系，这些不满现在与新一轮的美国关税捆绑在一起。

平息这场争端是南非新任驻华盛顿大使 Roelf Meyer 的首要任务。此前，前任大使 Ebrahim Rasool 在将特朗普政府描述为一项至上主义运动后，被宣布为不受欢迎的人并被遣返回国。

金狮奖失去咆哮，好莱坞冷落威尼斯

美国

Keiran Southern 洛杉矶

长期以来，威尼斯电影节一直是好莱坞首选的秋季启动平台。《游牧之歌》（Nomadland）、《形之水》（The Shape of Water）和《可怜的东西》（Poor Things）在获得奥斯卡成功之前都在那里首映。多年来，制片厂将里都岛（Lido）上的狂热反响视为启动奖项竞选的理想方式。

然而，尽管九月里都岛上将会有众多明星——预计乔治·克鲁尼（George Clooney）、罗伯特·帕丁森（Robert Pattinson）和佩内洛普·克鲁兹（Penelope Cruz）将出席——但好莱坞制片厂的重量级作品数量明显少于近年来。

由汤姆·克鲁斯（Tom Cruise）主演、一线导演亚历桑德罗·冈萨雷斯·伊纳里图（Alejandro González Iñárritu）执导的《Digger》将不会参展。今年最大的发行影片之一《沙丘 3》（Dune: Part Three），以及亚伦·索金（Aaron Sorkin）为《社交网络》（The Social Network）创作的姊妹篇《社交清算》（The Social Reckoning）也将缺席。

由布拉德·皮特（Brad Pitt）主演、昆汀·塔伦蒂诺（Quentin Tarantino）编剧、大卫·芬奇（David Fincher）执导的《克里夫·布斯历险记》（The Adventures of Cliff Booth）曾被认为是一个“稳操胜券”的项目，但未能及时完工。

威尼斯电影节艺术总监阿尔贝托·巴贝拉（Alberto Barbera）将责任归咎于好莱坞。他表示，美国电影业正经历一场身份危机。“那些通常注定会参加电影节的作者电影现在缺失了，”他在接受《Variety》采访时地道，并补充说制片厂需要寻找新的电影营销方式。

“真正的问题是，直到昨天还在使用的一整套工具现在已不复存在，”巴贝拉说。

一些观察人士认为，在五月戛纳电影节出现类似低调表现之后，这一转变反映出电影业日益厌恶风险。在一个预算收紧、原创电影减少的时代，制片厂可能不愿让昂贵的奖项热门作品面临早期评论造成毁灭性打击的可能性。

“这是胆量和信心的缺失，”运营 Hollywood Elsewhere 网站的杰夫·威尔斯（Jeff Wells）说。“他们知道，如果你在戛纳、威尼斯或多伦多表现不佳，人们很快就会知道。”

当《小丑 2：双疯》（Joker, Folie à Deux）在 2024 年 9 月于威尼斯首映时，它似乎是这部预期成为年度最大热门影片的自然启动平台。但该片被广泛抨击，并在几周内成为了票房炸弹——这正是某些人希望

威尼斯电影节将不会展出汤姆·克鲁斯主演的《Digger》或由蒂莫西·夏拉梅（Timothée Chalamet）和赞达亚（Zendaya）出演的《沙丘 3》。下方：佩内洛普·克鲁兹

通过远离而避免的例子。明星们也可能在部分发行影片缺席中负有责任。

资深好莱坞记者、Awards Daily 网站创始人萨莎·斯通（Sasha Stone）表示，制片厂和演员可能在试图避免在电影节上回答尴尬的问题，因为在新闻发布会上，面对记者没有躲避的空间。“最近电影节巡展确实出现了冷却现象，部分原因是新闻发布会或红毯活动上的言论经常被断章取义并迅速传播，给艺人制造公众噩梦，”她说。“他们承担不起任何负面宣传，所以他们认为，何必费劲？目前围绕以色列、特朗普以及美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）都存在紧张局势，也许他们觉得最好避开国际聚光灯。”

巴贝拉说，许多预期中的影片根本没有准备好。《克里夫·布斯历险记》因“家庭和个人问题”而推迟，《社交清算》正在进行补拍，而《沙丘 3》在 12 月上映前不久才会完成。他补充说，《Digger》由于营销原因而被排除在外。威尼斯电影节仍拥有一些高关注度的项目。马丁·麦多娜（Martin McDonagh）和弗洛里安·泽勒（Florian Zeller）的电影将竞争金狮奖，而丹尼·波义尔（Danny Boyle）的《Ink》将为 9 月 2–12 日的电影节揭幕。巴贝拉警告不要轻视电影节。“我对得出结论会非常谨慎，”他说，并补充说好莱坞出席人数减少的趋势在明年可能会逆转。

Stone 指出，奥斯卡奖的相关性正在下降，这反过来又削弱了电影节的影响力。

她表示：“对我来说，感觉这一切已经走下坡路一段时间了，因为电影节的存在是为了塑造奥斯卡的竞争格局，而奥斯卡竞争对票房和公众来说，重要性正变得越来越低。也许在电影节上将自己定位为奥斯卡竞争者不再那么有利，而应转而面向观众。”

逮捕行动结束了吉他手邻居多年的焦虑

日本

Colette Fountain

一名日本吉他手被逮捕，据称其多年来的大声演奏导致其邻居失眠。

据一名当地警官称，61 岁的 Kazunori Yokoi 在京都一个安静的住宅区制造喧闹超过七年后，于 7 月 23 日被逮捕。

当局声称，他导致三名年龄在六十多岁至八十多岁的邻居遭受睡眠不足和抑郁。第四名邻居出现了耳鸣，这是一种与听力损失和巨大的噪音通常相关的持续鸣响声。

警方最初在 2017 年 1 月向 Yokoi 发出了警告，但噪音并未停止。

四名邻居在今年 6 月和 7 月提交了投诉。Yokoi 被指控在 2019 年 6 月至 2026 年 7 月期间，在家中大声播放广播节目和电吉他音乐。据警方称，他将一台收音机放在打开的窗边，让其 24 小时不停播放。他还从清晨直到傍晚弹奏电吉他。

在搜查该男子家中时，警方没收了 40 把以上的吉他（其中许多是电吉他），以及 CD 机、收录机和扩音器。当警员测量该区域的噪音水平时，数值达到了 80 分贝以上，这相当于处于一辆行驶中的地铁车厢内。

共同社引用一名六十多岁邻居的话说：“太可怕了，因为整天各种各样的声音混在一起”。

另一名住在 Yokoi 家 50 米范围内的邻居表示：“声音大小远远超出了常识范围。当警察走访并警告他停止发声，因为太吵了时，他置之不理，并对着警察大喊大叫。”

《每日新闻》报道称，Yokoi 否认了这些指控。

京都警方没收了数十把吉他

---

30

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

世界

THE TIMES 每日评论

净化：一名身上覆盖着黏土的海地儿童参加了纪念大圣雅各的朝圣泥池净化仪式，融合了天主教和巫毒教传统

TIMES 旅游合作伙伴 17 DAYS FROM £4,390* 每人 中国之宝 October 2026 to November 2028 为《泰晤士报》读者提供的独家免费提前一晚住宿 另可每人节省高达 £300

在这场全方位的冒险之旅中，揭开中国古代、现代和自然的瑰宝！这里充满了必看的景点和真实的体验，是开始揭开这个充满无穷迷人之地的秘密的理想方式。

踏上一场难忘的中国之旅！从北京开始，您将探索天安门广场、故宫和长城等标志性地标。乘坐高铁前往西安，发现兵马俑并探索热闹的回民街，随后前往成都及其大熊猫繁育研究中心。在重庆登上长江游轮，穿行于壮丽的风景之中，然后探索张家界雄伟的砂岩柱，如果您敢的话，就踏上玻璃桥！此次旅程将在上海壮丽的天际线下优雅地画上句号。

列出价格基于两人共用一间双人房。单房差价请查询。提前 12 个月以上预订的假期航班在航空公司公布票价时可能需要补价。由 Wendy Wu 运营，受其预订条件约束，ABTA W7994 8706 6619，该公司完全独立于 News UK。优惠视供应情况而定，Wendy Wu Tours 保留更改或撤回优惠的权利。优惠折扣已应用，请在 July 13, 2026 之前预订。

我们值得信赖的合作伙伴 Wendy Wu Tours ABTA

价格包含

• 国际航班及当前税费
• 国内交通
• 15 晚四星级住宿
• 15 份早餐，13 份午餐及 14 份晚餐
• 导游陪同游览及景点门票
• 长江与黄浦江游船
• 专属免费行前延展，包括酒店住宿、早餐及私人接送（适用于任何 Wendy Wu 旅游团）

请立即致电 0808 304 4855 thetimes.com/ ww-gemsofchina 引用代码 TIMES-ON^

米莱谴责世界杯“阴谋”

阿根廷 Stephen Gibbs 拉丁美洲特派记者

阿根廷总统声称，在世界杯决赛负于西班牙后，针对该国球队及其支持者的铺天盖地的国际批评，全部是一场“反阿根廷运动”的一部分，且得到了一个由其左翼敌人组成的阴暗联盟的支持。

在一次广播采访中，哈维尔·米莱（Javier Milei）列举了涉嫌参与策划的方：巴西和墨西哥政府，以及美国的民主党。他声称，巴西提供了大约 25 per cent 的资源。

“这是那些不希望自由理念获得成功的进步分子的所为，”身为自由意志主义经济学家的米莱告诉 Mitre 广播电台。他并未为该指控提供任何证据。

虽然研究显示，决赛后网上的数百万条帖子绝大多数是对失败者的批评——包括指责部分阿根廷球迷存在种族主义行为，以及指称裁判偏袒阿根廷——但目前完全没有证据表明这是一次由国家支持的行动。

米莱在提出这一主张的同一个周末前往巴西，为其保守派候选人弗拉维奥·博尔索纳罗（Flávio Bolsonaro）的总统竞选启动提供个人支持，后者是已被监禁的前巴西总统贾伊尔·博尔索纳罗（Jair Bolsonaro）之子。

这位阿根廷领导人借机将现任左翼候选人路易斯·伊纳西奥·卢拉·达·西尔瓦（Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva）称为“小偷”和“囚犯”。他还警告巴西选民不要将权力交给“社会主义

周六在圣保罗的哈维尔·米莱。他称巴西总统为小偷，并称这是一场旨在抹黑下方的里奥内尔·梅西及其球队的阴谋。

小偷”，并将判处贾伊尔·博尔索纳罗入狱的最高法院法官亚历山德雷·德·莫赖斯（Alexandre de Moraes）描述为“秃头垃圾”。

米莱曾希望在这次行程中拜访前总统，但巴西最高法院拒绝批准这次会面。

阿根廷领导人的言论导致巴西立即将其驻布宜诺斯艾利斯大使召回进行磋商。卢拉表示，巴西不会容忍外国干涉其内政。

“一名外国国家元首访问我国，并以不尊重的方式对待我国的宪制机构，这是不可接受的，”总统表示，并补充说米莱的行为“并不令人惊讶”，因为他“在近期多次场合证明了自己无法胜任所担任的职务”。米莱随后似乎趁机

加倍反击：他坚称，现在抱怨干涉的同一个巴西政府，此前向这场反阿根廷的世界杯运动投入了资金。

这一事件标志着南美洲两大经济体之间本已冷淡的关系跌至新低。这也体现了米莱经常奏效的政治策略：将每一次失败都归咎于该地区误入歧途的“觉醒（woke）”左翼。

自 2023, 年就职以来，米莱激进的紧缩计划削减了通货膨胀。6 月的月度通胀率为 19 per cent，为十个月来的最低点。年度通胀率已从 200 per cent 以上骤降至 33 per cent 左右。阿根廷还近 20 年来首次实现了连续的财政盈余。

但复苏并不均衡。制造业陷入低迷，失业率在上升。米莱的支持率处于其总统任期内的最低点。本月的民意调查显示，他的支持率在 35 per cent 左右，而反对率超过 60 per cent。

领导人就职，秘鲁向右转

秘鲁 Stephen Gibbs

昨日就职的秘鲁新总统，标志着该国最具影响力的政治王朝之一回归权力之位，同时也巩固了整个拉丁美洲向右翼政治转移的趋势。

51 岁的 Keiko Fujimori 成为秘鲁十年来的第十任国家元首。在 6 月的选举中，在超过 18 million 张选票中，她以不足 50,000 票的优势击败了左翼国会议员 Roberto Sánchez。

秘鲁近年来一直饱受政治动荡之苦，Fujimori 几乎所有的前任总统要么在狱中，要么面临刑事调查。

包括阿根廷的 Javier Milei、智利的 José Antonio Kast 和厄瓜多尔的 Daniel Noboa 在内的九位保守派总统出席了昨天的就职典礼。西班牙国王 Felipe VI 亦在场。

近年来，中美洲和南美洲的选举一直使右翼候选人获益，所有这些人均主张强硬的安全政策、财政纪律以及与美国更紧密的结盟。8 月 7 日，随着新总统 Abelardo de la Espinella（一名保守派律师且是特朗普总统的崇拜者）就职，哥伦比亚将重新转向右翼。

Fujimori 的胜利标志着一个极具争议的政治王朝的回归。尽管她曾四次竞选总统并长期担任参议员，但她反复强调自己不仅仅是她父亲的女儿。

在 1990 到 2000 年间执政的 Alberto Fujimori 是一个充满争议的人物。支持者认为他镇压了毛主义的“光辉路径”叛乱并实施了繁荣的资本主义经济。批评者则将其视为暴君。

2009 年，他因侵犯人权（包括授权死亡小队进行杀戮和绑架）被判处 25 年监禁。他在 2023 年获释，并于次年去世，享年 86 岁。

Keiko Fujimori 在一次险胜后成为十年来的第十任国家元首

拉丁美洲的右转趋势将在今年晚些时候的巴西受到考验，巴西将在 10 月举行总统选举。现任总统、左翼人士 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 是此次竞选的领先者，他将面对 Flávio Bolsonaro —— 前保守派总统 Jair Bolsonaro 的儿子，后者目前正服刑 27 年。老 Bolsonaro 去年被判定策划政变以推翻其 2022 年选举中败给 Lula 的结果。

有迹象表明，特朗普政府正试图通过宣传关于该国电子投票系统存在漏洞的未经证实之说法来干扰选举。上周，巴西拒绝向两名美国国务院官员发放入境签证，这些人原计划前往巴西利亚就“选举诚信”举行会议。巴西当局认为此次行程是在投票前蓄意破坏公众对该国民主信心的一种尝试。

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

31

商业

世界市场 (当日变动)

大宗商品

货币

Ocado 放弃要求 Marks & Spencer 支付 1.9 亿英镑赔偿金的索赔

Isabella Fish 零售编辑

Ocado Group 已悄然放弃要求 Marks & Spencer 支付 £190 million 的赔偿金之争，结束了一场旷日持久的纠纷 —— 但随后双方在合资企业的未来扩张问题上又陷入了新的僵局。

消息人士告诉《泰晤士报》，M&S 将不会支付最终款项。M&S 在 2019 年与 Ocado 联手创建了 Ocado Retail。

这项 £750 million 的交易对 M&S 具有变革性，使其首次能够在线销售食品。然而，该合作伙伴关系未能达到触发最终付款的财务目标。根据协议条款，如果 Ocado Retail 在截至 2023 年 11 月的年度内达到了一个未披露的业绩目标，M&S 应向 Ocado 支付最后一笔 £190.7 million 的款项。

由于 Ocado 在其账目中降低了该或有付款的“公允价值”，而 M&S 将该负债估值为零，关于 M&S 最终将支付多少金额的猜测不断增加。

Ocado 首席执行官 Tim Steiner 曾威胁称，如果 M&S 拒绝支付，将采取法律行动。但消息人士表示，双方已在没有任何最终款项易手的情况下结束了这场纠纷。一名接近此事的人士表示：“这是一个死局。”

在 M&S 拒绝承诺建设新仓库或增加现有站点的容量，直到这家科技公司同意改善商业条款之后，Ocado 再次遭遇挫折。据了解，M&S 正在寻求更高的运营效率、系统改进、关于 Ocado 如何收取容量费的更优惠的商业条款，以及对多项技术协议的修改。

一名 M&S 发言人表示：“我们与 Ocado 保持着良好的关系。正如你所预期的，我们正在进行定期讨论，共同努力发挥我们合作伙伴关系的全部潜力。这些讨论是积极的。”

一名 Ocado 发言人表示：“Ocado Retail 继续成为英国增长最快的杂货商，我们很高兴在去年的半年报中宣布，该业务目前在所有关键指标上均已实现盈利。我们预计在未来几个月内通过扩大客户订单容量，进一步增强这一势头。”

他补充道：“与我们在 M&S 的合资伙伴一起，我们继续专注于 Ocado Retail 业务的持续增长和成功。”

GSK 投资 £400m 并转移研发部门

剑桥基地旨在推进药物研发管线

Alex Ralph 首席商业记者

在公司新任首席执行官的领导下，葛兰素史克（GSK）将在英国投资 £400 million，并在剑桥建立一个全球研发总部，这将导致其研发中心从史蒂夫尼奇（Stevenage）搬迁。

这家富时 100 (FTSE 100) 指数公司是英国两家大型制药企业之一，它将在剑桥生物医学园区（Cambridge Biomedical Campus）——一个生命科学枢纽——收购一个 300,000 平方英尺的场地，作为加速其药物研发管线计划的一部分。

此次搬迁意味着 GSK 将与英国另一家大型制药公司阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）成为邻居，后者此前通过一项 £1.1 billion 的投资从柴郡（Cheshire）搬迁至该园区。GSK 将保留其位于伦敦知识区（Knowledge Quarter）的新全球企业总部。

这些变化对赫特福德郡（Hertfordshire）的史蒂夫尼奇是一个打击。GSK 在 30 年前于此处创建了其研发中心，并且是当地的主要雇主，拥有 1,800 名员工。

新剑桥设施预计将雇用 1,000 多名科学家，其中许多人预计将在 2029. 年前通过“分阶段搬迁”从史蒂夫尼奇迁入。其他人将被提供在 GSK 位于赫特福德郡韦尔（Ware）附近基地的职位，该公司计划升级现有的研发实验室，并创建一种“完全集成”的药物开发和商业制造能力。总体而言，GSK 计划在三年内投资 £400 million。

在由 GSK 首席执行官 Luke Miels 领导的投资组合审查后，该公司正准备在今年年底前启动 20 多个后期 III 期临床试验（是此前目标的两倍），并在 18 个治疗适应症中加速七项药物资产。

为了资助研发及其后期投资组合，GSK 计划实施一项为期三年的计划，目标是在 2029 年前实现 £1.9 billion 的年度成本节约，一次性成本为 £2.4 billion。

预计这些节约将导致 GSK 整体净裁员。预计这将在一定程度上由人工智能（AI）实现，且可能集中在支持服务、采购以及已过期专利药物的运营等领域。GSK 拒绝在现阶段说明可能会削减多少个职位。

Miels 表示：“这项投资将加速我们的研发，并帮助我们交付具有竞争力的创新产品。它将 GSK 进一步整合进全球领先的知识中心之一，并证明了英国生命科学生态系统的吸引力。”

新的剑桥设施将拥有新型的“技术赋能”实验室和基础设施，以支持公司在肿瘤学、呼吸道疾病、肝脏病学、疫苗和 HIV 等重点领域的研发。

剑桥园区拥有 22,000 多人以及约 470 家生物技术和 AI 公司，其中包括现有的 GSK 合作伙伴，如亚登布鲁克斯医院（Addenbrooke’s Hospital）。

GSK 的战略更新是在伦敦证券交易所与半年报一同公布的，其中该公司重申了在 2018. 年实现 £40 billion 销售额的主要目标。股价收盘上涨 68 便士，即 3.5%，至 £20.29. 。“全面沉浸”于生物技术，第 36 页

他们认为一切都结束了 (They think it’s all ova)：竞争者们参加在金融城举行的年度苏格兰蛋赛跑，这是国家苏格兰蛋日（National Scotch Egg Day）活动的一部分。

为“觉醒”标志负责人提供终身安保

Isabella Fish

由于该连锁餐厅的“觉醒”标志重新设计引发抵制，Cracker Barrel 即将离职的负责人将在离职后获得无限期的个人安保保护。

这家在纳斯达克上市的公司在一份文件中表示，在 Julie Masino 离职后的“合理时间内”，公司将根据董事会的决定，在“合理必要的范围内”提供保护服务。该公司还表示，将为其报销该福利产生的任何税务责任。

Cracker Barrel 在周一宣布，Masino 将在担任首席执行官自 2023 年起后的 8 月 10 日卸任。她将继续担任顾问直到 10 月以支持过渡，由行业资深人士 David Deno 接任首席执行官。

该连锁店总部位于田纳西州，在 40 多个美国州经营约 660 家餐厅和门店。去年 8 月，在推出更新后的标志后，该公司陷入了政治风暴；新标志删除了原品牌形象中一名穿着背带裤靠在桶上的男人——Herschel 叔叔。这次重新设计在社交媒体上被攻击为“觉醒”以及“枯燥且无灵魂”。

特朗普总统对此发表看法，发帖称：“Cracker Barrel™ 到底出了什么问题”，并敦促该公司“承认错误”。该公司随后表示将恢复之前的标志。

Masino 在 12 月告诉保守派评论员 Glenn Beck，她觉得在这次争议之后，自己被“美国解雇了”。

在公司宣布 Masino 离职后，Cracker Barrel 的股价下跌了近 3%。

Deno 表示：“Cracker Barrel 是一个真正具有标志性的美国品牌，其特点是温暖的乡村款待、永恒的吸引力以及与几代宾客之间的深厚联系的独特结合。”

没有固定截止日期的离职后安保安排并不常见。最近的一个例子是星巴克，该公司同意在 Howard Schultz 于 2023. 年卸任首席执行官后，为其提供最高 10 年的安保。

自从 United Healthcare 首席执行官 Brian Thompson 于 2024 年在曼哈顿一家酒店外被枪杀后，公司高管的安保工作得到了加强。

---

32

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

必读

1 GSK 将在剑桥建立一个全球研发总部，这是其在新任首席执行官 Luke Miels 领导下在英国进行 4 亿英镑 (£400 million) 投资的一部分，届时该公司将从史蒂夫尼奇 (Stevenage) 搬迁。第 31 页

2 Ocado Group 已放弃要求 Marks & Spencer 支付 1.9 亿英镑 (£190 million) 赔偿金的斗争，结束了一场长期的争端——但随后关于其合资企业 Ocado Retail 扩张的新僵局又出现了。第 31 页

3 Cracker Barrel 即将离职的老板 Julie Masino' 在离职后将获得无限期的个人安保保护，此前该餐厅连锁店因其“觉醒” (woke) 的标志重新设计而引发强烈抵制。第 31 页

4 巴克莱银行 (Barclays) 的老板呼吁承认银行业在推动经济增长中的作用。首席执行官 CS Venkatakrishnan 强调了该行业对经济的贡献，因为该行的表现引发了工会要求增加对银行业利润征收附加费的呼吁。

5 西班牙酿酒巨头（Estrella Damm 的母公司）的英国分公司已收购一家总部位于伦敦的软饮料公司的少数股权。Damm UK 表示，其与 Dalston's Soda Co 达成的交易正值英国消费者继续转向高端饮料之际，后者的起泡饮料在 Asda 和 Waitrose 等超市销售。持股规模尚未披露。第 36 页

6 联合利华 (Unilever) 在经历了十多年来最强劲的销量增长后，提高了年度展望。在该消费品集团公布第二季度潜在销售额增长 5.8 per cent 后，其股价上涨了近 9 per cent。第 37 页

7 乌克兰矿业集团 Ferrexpo 在一艘运载其铁球团的货船遭到俄罗斯无人机致命袭击后濒临崩溃，这加速了该公司的现金流危机。该矿业公司表示，除非能完成 1 亿美元 ($100 million) 的股权融资，否则到下个月底将耗尽资金。第 39 页

关注英国经济的人永远不能忽视天气

David Smith，第 35 页

如需专业的商业分析，请订阅商业新闻通讯 thetimes.com/newsletters

波浪能公司将 AI 数据中心计划迁至海上

随着对数据中心的抵制情绪日益增强，而埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）在太空中的服务器仍处于科幻领域，一家英国公司正提出一种不同的方案（Greig Cameron 撰文）。

Mocean Energy 认为，通过将设备移至海上，可以帮助减轻人们对庞大且耗电的 AI 仓库激增的担忧。

这家总部位于爱丁堡并在亚伯丁、奥克尼和美国设有运营机构的公司，正在开发 Blue Core，这是一个漂浮单元，内部安置着由太阳能和波浪能驱动并通过卫星连接的服务器机架。

这些模块化系统可以拼接在一起形成服务器集群，而北海冰冷的海水有助于降低维持处理器冷却所需的电量。

这种方法此前已被微软的 Project Natick 尝试过，这是一个在 2018 年开发的潜海数据中心，在奥克尼群岛附近的海底度过了两年。

这家成立于 2015, 的公司开发了 Blue Star，利用可再生能源和电池支持来提供离岸电源。该公司计划在 2028 年实现该产品的首次商业销售。

它还希望在同年运行 Blue Core 数据中心的试点项目，并雄心计划从 2030 年起全面部署。

该公司正在筹集 £5 million 以开发这一概念，目标是到 2040. 年容量可达 6 吉瓦。总经理 Cameron McNatt 说道：

艺术家渲染图中的 Mocean Energy Blue Core 基于 Blue X 模型，后者由 Cameron McNatt（2021. 年照片中站在 Wave Energy Scotland 的 Tim Hurst 左侧的人）共同开发。微软曾试行过一个潜海数据中心（见左上图）。

“我们花费多年时间证明了这项技术在世界上某些最恶劣的海况下依然有效。Blue Core 采用了同样经过验证的系统，并将其针对一个大得多的问题。AI 数据中心所需的电力将超过电网能轻易提供的程度，而海洋可以提供这些电力。‘我们并不是在尝试建立另一个数据中心。我们是在尝试消除目前阻碍该行业发展的电力、土地和社会许可方面的障碍。当安置在国家水域时，这些集群还能提供主权基础设施’”

巴克莱银行首席执行官称，银行业推动了英国增长

Helen Cahill 财经记者

在英国工会大会（TUC）推动提高对贷款机构利润征税之际，巴克莱银行的首席执行官呼吁认可银行业在推动增长方面所发挥的作用。

巴克莱银行首席执行官 CS Venkatakrishnan（被称为 Venkat）强调了该行业对经济的贡献，此前这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）成份银行的业绩表现引发了工会要求提高银行业利润附加税的呼吁。

在巴克莱银行表示强劲的股票交易活动帮助其季度利润增长 31 per cent 至 £3.3 billion 之后，TUC 希望附加税可高达 35 per cent。

TUC 总书记 Paul Nowak 表示：“像巴克莱这样的巨头银行在大肆敛财，而劳动人民和当地企业却在苦苦挣扎。这是新任首相和财政大臣展示他们站在哪一边的机会。现在是时候增加银行附加税并向银行征税以降低能源账单了。”

在与记者的媒体电话会议中，Venkat 反驳了认为银行在 Andy Burnham 政府领导下可能会成为更多税收目标的建议，称该行业已经支付了“全球最高税率”。

CS Venkatakrishnan 正面临 TUC 要求对其利润征收附加税的呼吁

他补充道：“我们认为，我们和其他银行在支持英国增长和英国贷款方面的记录……对于经济健康至关重要，我们希望这一点能得到考虑。”

在第二季度的收入和利润均超出伦敦金融城（City）预期后，巴克莱银行上调了其财务目标。这家富时 100 指数成份银行告诉投资者，今年将实现约 £31.5 billion 的集团收入，此前预期为约 £31 billion。

巴克莱投资银行在该期间的税前利润增长 32 per cent 至 £1.7 billion，而股票交易收入猛增 45 per cent 至 £870 billion。此次业绩公布之际，华尔街银行巨头正利用动荡的金融市场大肆获利，创造了记录性的利润。

在关于该行业在 Burnham 政府下可能会受到更高税收打击的猜测中，该贷款机构是三家英国主要银行中首家报告上半年业绩的银行。

巴克莱银行在集团整体收入方面也超过了金融城的预估，第二季度增长 £6 per cent 至 £8.3 billion。上半年，巴克莱银行报告集团收入增长 11 per cent 至 £16.5 billion，税前利润增长 17 per cent 至 £6.1 billion。净利息收入——即银行向借款人收取的费用与支付给储蓄者的利息之差——增长 8 per cent 至 £3.99 billion。

零售银行业务部门上半年的净利息收入增长 8 per cent 至 £4.5 billion，税前利润增长 10 per cent 至 £1.8 billion。企业银行业务收入在半年内增长 8 per cent 至 £1 billion，税前利润增长 30 per cent 至 £566 mil-

lion，而私人银行和财富管理部门的收入增长 2 per cent 至 £713 million，税前利润下降 21 per cent 至 £186 million。

该银行将贷款损失准备金增加至 £1.4 billion，高于之前的 £1.1 billion，称这“主要是由”为处理 Market Financial Solutions 崩溃而拨出的资金驱动，后者是一家总部位于梅费尔（Mayfair）的抵押贷款和过桥融资提供商，在涉嫌欺诈的指控中崩溃。

该银行还启动了 10 亿英镑的股票回购，并将中期股息提高到每股 5.9p，高于去年同期的每股 3p。

巴克莱银行的股价在过去一年上涨了近 40 per cent，收盘下跌 25/5p，即 4.8 per cent，报 50/5p。一些分析师表示，该投资银行的业绩落后于华尔街竞争对手，后者的股票交易受到了 SpaceX IPO 的推动。

Shore Capital投资分析师Gary Greenwood表示，股价在财报发布前已经经历了一波强劲上涨，且“预期已经过高”。他指出，投资银行部门是“最出色的表现者”，且该集团的企业银行业务“足以抵消疲软的消费趋势”。

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

33

Business

而不是租用另一个国家的云服务。”

英国国家能源系统运营商（Neso）估计，有60GW的数据中心容量在等待接入网络——大约是目前已联网站点的30倍。

由于伦敦及其东南部周围的电网受到严重限制，Neso一直积极鼓励科技公司在苏格兰建设，这引发了超大规模数据中心规划申请的激增。

针对这些项目的猛烈反对活动正在升级，当地居民担心这些庞大的建筑将耗尽其电力和水资源，破坏景观，而提供的永久性工作岗位却寥寥无几。

补水休息时间助力可口可乐

Jessica Newman

可口可乐在受益于世界杯期间的大规模广告投入后，销售额大幅上升。

可口可乐总裁兼首席财务官 John Murphy 表示，公司对于在世界杯比赛中引入极具争议的“补水休息时间”感到“并不不快”。这些休息时间由可口可乐旗下的能量饮料品牌 Powerade 赞助，包括在上半场和下半场中间各进行一次三分钟的休息。

“我不确定这些补水休息时间是否会成为足球世界的一个永久特性，但在世界杯期间，我们对此并不不快，”Murphy 告诉路透社。补水休息时间的引入在赛事期间遭到了球迷、球员和教练的批评。英格兰队教练 Thomas Tachel 表示，这改变了“一场足球赛的特质”。

在截至 6 月底的三个月中，可口可乐的净营收同比增长 7 per cent，达到 $3.4 billion。

该公司表示，其世界杯广告攻势助力可口可乐饮料销量增长 5 per cent，Powerade 销量增长 8 per cent。

另一家从世界杯中获益的公司是联合利华（Unilever）；这家消费品公司是 Dove、Sure 和 Lynx 止汗剂背后的企业。联合利华报告称，2026 年第二季度的潜在销售额增长了 3.8 per cent，高于预期。

联合利华表示，其在 120 个市场推广了 35 个个人护理品牌，期间有 50,000 名影响力者推送内容。Rexona（Sure 止汗剂在拉丁美洲、澳大利亚和亚洲的名称）在世界杯期间赞助了换人号码牌和裁判装备。

在发布交易更新后，可口可乐的股价上涨了 7 per cent，而联合利华上涨了 9 per cent，为这两家公司增加了数十亿英镑的市值。

这些交易更新发布的当天，《泰晤士报》报道称，国际足联（Fifa）主席 Gianni Infantino 计划向私人投资者出售世界杯的股份。

该计划将导致成立一家公司来控制世界杯和世俱杯，从而大幅增强这些赛事的商业关注度。

联合利华获利，第 37 页

科技股回升，苹果市值触及 $5trn

Robert Miller, Martin Strydom

随着大盘科技股从对 AI 过度支出及中国竞争压力增加而引发的抛售中回升，苹果公司的股市估值昨日短暂突破 $5 trillion 大关，与英伟达（Nvidia）共同成为历史上仅有的两家达到此门槛的上市公司。

在达到这一里程碑后，这家 iPhone 制造商的股价收盘上涨 $3.17，即 0.9 per cent，至 $340.08，使其市值达到 $4.99 trillion；而英伟达从周一 5 per cent 的跌幅中回升，上涨 $0.82，即 0.4 per cent，至 $197.33，价值 $4.77 trillion。

英伟达股价的下跌惊扰了亚太地区的投资者，导致韩国 Koepl 指数昨日下跌超过 10 per cent，触及三个月低点，其中芯片制造商 SK Hynix 和三星（Samsung）是最大的受损者。随着 Koepl 指数走向创纪录的单月最大跌幅，剧烈的下跌触发了“熔断机制”。

“我们认为市场可能是被中国芯片制造设备能力的进步所惊扰，担心这一进展会威胁到全球芯片制造和芯片设备领导者的竞争地位，”晨星（Morningstar）股权分析师 Jing Jie Yu 表示。他补充说，这次抛售“在很大程度上是一种膝跳反应且过头了”。

在华尔街，经过低开起步，部分大盘科技股有所回升，今日公布季度财报的微软（Microsoft）上涨 $5.16，即 1.3 per cent，至 $394.26。

另一家受益者是 Elon Musk 的 SpaceX，其股价上涨 $2.91，即 2.6 per cent，至 $116.41，但仍低于 $135 的发行价。

Ashley的Frasers入股Burberry

James Hurley 助理商业编辑

Mike Ashley的Frasers Group披露其已持有奢侈品牌Burberry的头寸——这是这位亿万富翁针对竞争对手企业的一系列干预行动中的最新一次。

这家拥有Sports Direct和House of Fraser等品牌的零售综合企业表示，其持有的权益潜在价值为 4.2 per cent，如果行使，将使Frasers进入其竞争对手的前十大股东之列。

Frasers并非直接持股，

而是通过出售看跌期权（put options）来持有该头寸：这是一种赋予持有者以特定价格购买股票权利的金融合约。

在向伦敦证券交易所的披露中，这家富时 250 (FTSE 250) 零售商透露，通过增加与该股票相关的出售看跌期权的权益，其持仓已从 7 月 24 日的 3.05 per cent 有所增加。

Frasers以收购其他零售业务并利用其股东地位来施加影响、施压，并且在许多情况下，从内部强制推动变革而闻名。其目标范围涵盖了Boohoo Group、手袋制造商Mulberry，以及电器专营商AO World和斯堪的纳维亚体育用品连锁店XXL。

目前，该公司正处于对Hugo Boss的收购投标过程中，并正在探索将Ashley的女婿Michael Murray任命为首席执行官的方法。Murray一直试图通过进军奢侈品零售业，使该集团更加高端化。

Burberry的股价收盘上涨54便士，或 5 per cent，报 £11.40. Frasers收盘上涨197便士，或 2.5 per cent，报 £799.

联合利华施展世界杯魔力

商业评论 Alistair Osborne

有些事情确实应该被判定为越位。比如，联合利华的阿根廷籍老板赞助世界杯裁判这件事。Fernando Fernández 是怎么逃过监管的？

居然在比赛裁判制服的腋下位置印上“Resona”字样——在这里，它更被人们熟知为除臭剂品牌 Sure。而且，这确实奏效了。每当裁判举起手臂，不仅他的决策过程清新无味，而且（表面上）总是倾向于梅西及其队友——一直持续到决赛。也许到那时，Resona 的魔力已经消散了。

是的，这其中可能还涉及其他因素——比如英格兰队的崩溃。但对于像 Fernández 这样的爱国者来说，这仍然是一项了不起的成就，更不用说对业务产生的影响。他表示，他利用这次足球赛在“超过 120 个市场的 35 个品牌”中进行了激活，涉及 50,000-plus 影响者，触达总观众达 600 million 人。

最终比分如何？这对销售额是一次有力的助推，不仅第二季度的销量增长 5.5% 是“自 2010 年以来最佳的季度销量表现”，而且联合利华还略微调高了全年指引。简而言之，全方位的兴奋之情将股价拉升了 8%，至 £49.98。

那么，你会问 Fernández 为这次营销闪击战支付了多少钱？他没说，尽管联合利华为其辩称他并未在世界杯上挥霍预算。联合利华也不会承认这是在花钱买销量，尽管在基础收入增长 4.8% 的期间，半年基础营业利润仅增长 0.9%，至 €5.2 billion。Fernández 指出，这部分是因为 €300 million 的“成本增加”。

无论如何，这些数字可以说是在 Fernández 通过与 McCormick 的合并完成食品部门剥离后，人们对新面貌联合利华的初步洞察。当他在三月份公布这项跨大西洋合作时，联合利华的市值在一天内蒸发了 £7 billion，股价下跌 7%，至 £41.99。

该交易将包括 Hellmann's、Knorr 和 Marmite 在内的联合利华食品品牌估值为 $44.8 billion 的想法，随着 McCormick 股价的下跌而受挫——目前仅在 $51 左右，而交易达成时的价格为 $57.84。而且，一些投资者并不热衷于持有一家业绩不佳的美国运营及上市公司的 55.1% 股份。

然而，在推动创建一个增长更快的“纯粹”家居及个人护理集团的过程中，Fernández 可以指出一些早期的成效。食品部门上半年的基础销售增长为 1.2%，远低于集团其他部分，尤其是像 Comfort 和 Cif 等家居护理品牌的 7.6% 增长。

正如他所言：“没有一个投资者不理解这次交易”——指 McCormick 交易——而“股价的问题在于我们引入了一个出乎意料的事件”。

当被问及这家近期还剥离了 Magnum 冰淇淋部门的集团是否还会有进一步重大的结构性调整时，他给出了一个坚决的“不”字，这可能会让投资者放心。他同时排除了大规模收购，称其目标仅为低于 €2 billion 的“两项”收购。他说：“我们不需要任何收购来加快增长”，并指出联合利华的销量增长速度约为市场的两倍。

尽管如此，即便在现在，股价也仅略高于 Fernández 在 2025. 三月份接手时的水平。他的“规模化渴望”（Desire at Scale）营销说辞简直是胡言乱语——你真的会对 Domestos 产生“渴望”吗？而且，他离证明 McCormick 交易的逻辑还很遥远，该交易在上半年造成了 €98 million 的一次性成本。正如 Fernández 同样清楚的那样，一次高比分的世界杯季度赛并不等同于一个投资案例。即便是在 Rexona 赞助下的裁判也会告诉他这一点。

轮上的 Miels

如果你无法击败他们，就加入他们。Luke Miels 曾被吹捧为阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）首席执行官 Sir Pascal Soriot 的潜在继任者，他在 2017 年跳槽到葛兰素史克（GSK）时引发了如此大的轰动，以至于阿斯利康采取了法律行动。

此事很快就得到了解决。尽管如此，在最终执掌 GSK 后，Miels 并没有忽视前雇主的一个优势：其在剑桥生命科学集群中的影响力。证明这一点的是什么？他在今年接管 GSK 后的首批动作之一：将其研发基地从史蒂夫尼奇（Stevenage）转移，成为剑桥生物医学校园的阿斯利康邻居，那里拥有超过 22,000 名员工和 470 家生物技术及人工智能公司。

诚然，Miels 将 GSK 的总部保留在伦敦。而这次搬迁对史蒂夫尼奇来说是个坏消息，GSK 在那里有 1,800 名员工。但正如他所言，除了剑桥——这个大学研究、医院和生物技术公司的结合体——还能在何处如此“全身心地投入”到药物研发中？

这次搬迁是 4 亿英镑（£400 million）英国投资计划的一部分，同时也伴随着 Miels 的首次重大战略更新。市场对此表示欢迎：到 2029 年将实现 19 亿英镑（£1.9 billion）的成本削减（一次性成本为 24 亿英镑（£2.4 billion）），承诺提供“稳定至提高”的营业利润率，并不仅有信心在 2031 年达到 400 亿英镑（£40 billion）的销售目标，而且从那时起将“加速增长”。股价上涨 3.5% 至 £20.29。比起其他企业，模仿阿斯利康是更好的选择。

又是精细活，安永（EY）

又是一天，又一次来自安永（EY）的审计“胜利”：这家公司曾服务于 Wrencard、Thomas Cook、London Capital & Finance，以及 Bravagullin Raghuram Shetty 旗下的双重烂摊子——NMC Health 和 Finable。

而这个令人印象深刻的名单中又增加了谁？Made.com：由于“严重”失职而导致金融报告理事会（FRC）处以 120 万英镑（£1.2 million）罚款的始作俑者。最主要的问题是什么？在这家在线家具零售商实际上即将破产时，却将其 2021 年的账目签署为“持续经营”企业（见报告，第 34 页）。FRC 发现对于管理层的观点“缺乏足够的质疑”。他们有点太 MadeItUp.com（胡编乱造）了。

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

---

34

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

影子货币政策委员会投票决定维持利率不变

Jack Barnett 经济特派员

根据《泰晤士报》影子货币政策委员会（shadow monetary policy committee）的观点，英格兰银行明天应维持利率不变，以便给安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）预留时间，使其在秋季预算中充分阐明其税收和支出决定。

影子货币政策委员会的七名成员敦促央行连续第五次会议将借贷成本维持在 3.75 per cent。两人主张将利率提高至 4 per cent。预计英格兰银行由九人组成的利率制定小组明天将大致重复这一投票模式和利率决定。

两名持异议者分别是伦敦大学伯克贝克学院经济学荣休教授安妮·西伯特（Anne Sibert）和前财政部常务秘书史蒂夫·罗布森爵士（Sir Steve Robson）。两人均投票支持上调 0.25 percentage points。

影子货币政策委员会的成员敦促该小组在货币政策上采取谨慎方法，部分原因是希望在财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）秋季发布预算时，获取关于新任首相长期财政计划的信息。

然而，预期的利率维持之举正值人们对中东地区长期冲突导致全球能源价格多年高企、从而推高通胀的担忧持续之际。上周，油价再次突破每桶 $100。

毕马威英国（KPMG UK）首席经济学家雅埃尔·塞林（Yael Sellin）表示：“在秋季下次预算之前，财政政策不太可能出现任何实质性的转变，目前的政策公告规模太小，无法对我本周的利率决定产生重大影响。”

摩根资产管理公司（JP Morgan Asset Management）欧洲、中东和非洲首席市场策略师凯伦·沃德（Karen Ward）表示：“我们需要等待观察财政政策将如何演变——尽管我怀疑伯纳姆和希利会像他们的前任一样发现，借款和税收的双重限制意味着他们能做的事情不多。”

在其就任首相的第一周内，伯纳姆启动了

安妮·西伯特是两位呼吁英格兰银行明天将利率提高 0.25 percentage points 的《泰晤士报》影子货币政策委员会成员之一

几项旨在短期缓解生活成本的面向消费者的政策，包括从 10 月起取消电费单上的增值税（VAT），以及从明年 4 月起将酒吧的商业税率降低 20 per cent。

经济学家表示，这些措施将暂时降低通货膨胀，但对提升 GDP 增长作用不大。

英格兰银行前利率制定者马丁·威尔（Martin Weale）表示，如果伯纳姆和希利启动新一轮政府借款，那么英格兰银行将“需要通过”提高利率来“抵消这一点”。

在瑞秋·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）担任财政大臣期间，央行六次降低借贷成本，将其从 5.25 per cent 降至 3.75 per cent。

尽管中东战争引发的油价飙升导致通胀压力日益增加，但英格兰银行一直克制没有收紧货币政策。央行认为，自 2 月底战争爆发以来，政府债券收益率的上升实际上起到了正式加息的作用。

自 7 月初以来，美国与伊朗之间的以牙还牙式对抗在上周一度将国际油价基准布伦特原油的价格推至每桶 $100 以上，不过在停火消息传出后，价格已跌至 $90 以下。

国家统计局（Office for National Statistics）的数据显示，6 月份的年化通胀率从 5 月的 2.8 per cent 降至 2.6 per cent，跌幅快于预期，不过被货币政策委员会密切监测的核心通胀和服务业通胀几乎没有变动。私营部门的工资增长已跌至六年低点。

一些经济学家认为，在今年下半年的大部分时间里，通货膨胀率有望超过 3 per cent。而央行被要求将其在中期内维持在 2 per cent。

本周，包括今日的美国联邦储备委员会和周五的日本银行在内的多家央行将公布其最新的利率决定。上周，欧洲中央银行将其主要存款利率维持在 2.25% 不变。

Unite Group 削减投资组合以聚焦重点

Simon Freeman 商业新闻编辑

面对海外学生人数下降以及选择住在家的国内本科生增加，Unite Group 正在缩减规模，以聚焦于英国最大的大学城。

这家英国最大的学生房东计划出售 £5,000 到 20,000 张床位，其中大部分将于今年进入市场。随着其围绕 20 个“学生需求强劲且在增长”的城市重塑投资组合，其规模将从 72,000 张床位缩减至 55,000 到 60,000 张之间。

该集团已退出阿伯丁（Aberdeen），并出售了莱斯特（Leicester）、利兹（Leeds）和诺丁汉（Nottingham）的物业，以集中精力于伦敦、曼彻斯特、布里斯托、爱丁堡和纽卡斯尔等中心城市。

这一公告与截至 6 月 30, 日的半年报一同发布，结果显示同口径收入增长从 7.4% 放缓至 1.5%，调整后收益下降 2% 至 £142 million。

该结果与金融城的预测一致，公司表示仍有望实现全年指导目标。

入住率已从 2023-24 年的 99.8% 稳步下降至本学年的 95.2%，预计在下一学期 94 到 96% 的预测中这一趋势将继续。租金增长预计也将保持低迷，在 1% 到 2% 之间，低于去年的 4%。

Unite 宿舍的周租金平均为 £150，范围从谢菲尔德一个基础房间的每周 £84 到伦敦中心区带浴室和厨房单间公寓的每周 £600 以上。

首席执行官 Joe Lister 表示，

Unite 正专注于如曼彻斯特等大学中心（如图所示）

在“不确定性增加”的环境中，“我们正快速推进战略，以增强与英国最强大学的契合度。

‘在对投资组合进行详细审查后，我们制定了一项雄心勃勃的计划，将投资组合聚焦于这些大学。我们正在打造一个更高质量的业务，具有强劲且可持续的长期增长前景。’ ”

这家富时 250 (FTSE 250) 集团公司正在出售低收益资产，以便专注于录取标准更严格的大学，因为随着更严格的签证规定影响入学人数，这些大学往往更具韧性。该公司股价在过去 12 个月中损失了近三分之一的价值，收盘下跌 1.4%，即 8p，至 5495p。

Stifel 分析师 John Cahill 表示：“公司计划拥有一个由 55,000-60,000 张床位组成的稳定投资组合，这最终应该会让业务更加稳定，但在剥离期间，我们预计收益将下降并在两到三年内基本持平，在公司能够证明其具有可持续收益增长的路径之前，股价不太可能回升。”

EY 因 Made.com 审计失职被罚款 £1.2

James Hurley 商业副主编

会计与审计监管机构因 EY 及其一名合伙人在审计 Made.com（这家家具公司于 2022 年倒闭）时存在“严重”失职，对其处以罚款并予以谴责。

在 EY 及审计业务合伙人 Julie Carlyle 承认在两个领域违反审计规则后，财务报告委员会（FRC）对 EY 处以 £1.2 罚款。

其中一项是未能正确评估“管理层模型的准确性和可靠性”，涉及在 2021, 账目中确认 Made.com 的“持续经营”状态。

此前存在“对关键假设的质疑不足以及对下行情景的评估不充分”。

Made.com 于 2021 年 6 月在伦敦证券交易所上市，在成本激增和消费支出压力导致失败后，其股票于 2022 年 10 月停牌，并于 2022 年 11 月破产，欠无抵押债权人 £186.6。该品牌随后被 Next 收购。

另一项处罚涉及“未能获得关于递延所得税资产可回收性的充分且适当的审计证据”，该资产是指通过将过去亏损抵扣未来利润应缴税款而获得的利益。

FRC 表示：“在这两个领域，在评估管理层预测的可靠性时，均未能适当考虑截至审计报告日期前可获得的信息。”

其执行法律顾问 Penrose Foss 表示：“审计师依赖于管理层的预测，而没有进行足够的质疑或开展充分的测试以获取足够的证据。”

EY 的罚款从 £1.8 降低，以反映减轻情节、认罚以及早期和解的情况。Carlyle 被罚款 £49,000, 降低至 £70,000.

EY 和 Carlyle 接受了严厉谴责，并承认其审计工作未达到规则要求。目前仍在 EY 工作的 Carlyle 未发表评论。

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

35

Comment Business

David Smith

零售业的增长带来了乐观情绪，但信心依然脆弱

“几天前，零售额通过了一个小小的里程碑，这表明这个购物之国正在恢复习惯。该里程碑是指零售额——经价格调整后的销售额——由于6月份上升了 1 per cent 以及过去 12 个月增长了 4.2 per cent，决定性地回升到了六年前疫情前夕的水平。

对于零售商来说，这段经历就像坐过山车一样。2020 年 2 月疫情前夕的销售水平之后，紧接着出现了超过 20 per cent 的最初暴跌，尽管在新冠疫情期间有在线购物的支撑，随后几年销售情况起伏不定。

2021 年春季封锁结束时的最初反弹并未持久，由于俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后能源价格飙升和生活成本危机，导致销售额进一步暴跌超过 10 per cent，随后陷入停滞。被高通胀和高利率打击的谨慎购物者们持保留态度。

即便最近的复苏，销售额仍低于 2021 年春季疫情后激增时的水平。然而，购物者们现在正开始放开消费。6 月份销售额 1 per cent 的增长是在 5 月份增长 1.2 per cent 之后实现的。最近三个月与去年同期相比的销售增幅是五年来的最高水平。

关注英国经济的人绝不能忽视天气因素。正如零售商向国家统计局（Office for National Statistics）所建议的那样，温暖的天气以及商店促销可能提振了 6 月份的销售额。6 月 11, 开始的世界杯也起到了推动作用。

然而，我记得曾有过异常温暖的天气让人们远离商店而非蜂拥而至的情况，大型体育赛事也是如此，尽管这次

特朗普总统似乎无法重新开放霍尔木兹海峡

世界杯比赛的时机对零售商来说可能更好。然而，近期零售额的强势并非情况好转的唯一证据。

本月的 GfK 消费者信心调查显示上涨了六个点，调查编译者将其描述为由“一股乐观浪潮”驱动。人们对经济更加乐观，且更愿意进行大宗购物。

GfK 暗示这可能是一种反映出对新任首相乐观情绪的“伯纳姆反弹”（Burnham bounce），但我对此会持谨慎态度，因为该调查是在我们对其具体举措还不十分了解时完成的。不仅如此，我还记得“博恩反弹”（Born bounce）和其他未能持久的反弹。而且，新任首相并不是 5 月和 6 月零售额增长的负责人。进行大宗购物的意愿也可以在汽车销售数据中检测到。

根据汽车制造商和贸易协会（Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders）的数据，私人买家在今年上半年购买了 452,830 辆新车，使其市场份额增加到近 40 per cent，仅 6 月份就购买了 80,571 辆。这两项数据均比去年同期增长了约 12.5 per cent。

电动汽车处于领先地位，这可能是由于伊朗战争导致的汽油和柴油价格上涨。即便在最近零售额强劲增长之前，一些迹象已经显现。

与英国通常情况不同，近年来消费者支出一直是经济增长的拖累而非驱动力，其增长速度低于国内生产总值（gross domestic product）的其他组成部分。然而，在今年前三个月，消费者支出的增长与 GDP. 的 0.6 per cent 增速持平。

支出的增加部分是因为家庭储蓄减少，该季度的储蓄率从 9.6 per cent 下降到 8.9 per cent。直到下个月，当 GDP 数据在几周后发布时，我们才会知道 4 月- 6 月 季度期间消费者支出的具体情况。”

零售销售数据表明，另一个季度将实现合理的增长。此前曾出现过虚假的曙光，因此问题在于这种增长是否能够持续。

眼下的威胁来自伊朗战争，以及特朗普总统在发动战争后，似乎无法使其结束并重新开放霍尔木兹海峡。尽管本周较为平静，但美国与伊朗之间重新爆发的敌对行动已导致本月以来汽油价格每升上涨 7p，柴油上涨 10p。

天然气价格（这对英国住户至关重要）受到的影响更大——在过去一个月中上涨了约 35 per cent。尽管特朗普显然希望结束这场冲突，但冲突将如何演变仍难以预料，且这并非唯一的问题。

在过去的两年里，秋季预算案前的准备期比以往任何时候都充满了巨大的不确定性。家庭和企业因担心税收提高而陷入瘫痪，对税收将如何提高以及受影响程度如何进行了激烈的猜测。

特别是去年，消费者支出陷入停滞，在下半年由于对新税收上涨的猜测达到顶点而慢至停滞之势。消费者信心也陷入停滞，随后在今年早些时候中东战争爆发时开始下滑。

去年年底的零售销售额低于春季。今年，消费者支出在进入下半年时具有一定的势头，但前景是更高的通货膨胀，这很容易将其抵消并削弱依然脆弱的信心。

GfK 指出，尽管本月大幅上涨，但其消费者信心指数在 2022, 创下历史新低后，目前仅为负 17，且已有十年未进入正值区间。只需一点触发因素即可使其再次下跌。控制猜测情况符合政府的利益。

David Smith 是《星期日泰晤士报》的经济编辑 david.smith@sunday-times.co.uk

Saul Klein

英国如何将科技创新转化为一个 £100bn 的超级强国

十年前，在脱欧公投之后，我写了一篇题为《保持冷静，将柠檬变成柠檬水》的文章。我投票支持留在欧盟，但我的本能是利用我们手中已有的牌。

同样的原则也适用于上周那个充满争议的决定：解散短期存在的科学、创新与技术部 (DSIT)，并将科学与创新统一到一个由商业、创新、科学与贸易组成的“超级部门”中，这给了英国一个真正将世界级创意转化为工业增长的机会。撇开部门名称不谈，英国手中握有一手好牌。

人工智能现在处于政府的核心地位。在 Kanishka Narayan 身上，我们拥有一位参加内阁会议、具备深厚专业知识且能够高效执行任务的部长。AI 不再是一个部门的关注点；它正在重塑公共服务、经济政策以及政府本身。

英国从未在发明方面遇到困难；我们在商业化方面一直很吃力。将科学、创新、商业和贸易结合在一起，使我们更有机会将突破转化为国内增长，并有能力扩展为全球公司并推动出口增长。从国王十字区到英国的每个地区，我们不仅在 AI 领域，而且在量子计算、工程生物学、光子学、先进材料和航天领域都拥有世界级的优势。现在，我们必须构建能够帮助这些技术成长的引擎。

然而，技术不仅仅关乎经济增长。AI 正在重塑文化、创意、媒体和民主，使得数字政策不仅关乎创新，同样关乎英国的价值观和主权。将“数字”职责从 DSIT 移回数字、文化、媒体和体育部，意味着在定义性问题日益不仅限于经济，而且涵盖文化和社会的时代，英国的价值观可以成为技术政策的支撑。BBC、我们的博物馆和创意产业在 AI 时代是战略资产，能够延伸英国的软实力。

英国的创新经济正处于 150 年一遇的时刻。

英国是全球排名第三的创新经济体，仅次于美国和中国。按人均计算，我们位居第一。这比我们的整体经济排名要强得多，并为我们提供了一个通过增长重回巅峰的独特机会。

首相正确地谈到了在每个邮政编码区实现增长。创新正是这样在发挥作用。我们现在全国范围内有 2,000 多家高增长公司，年营收超过 £20 million，在科技行业术语中被称为“小马 (colts)”。此外，还有 600 多家“纯血统 (thoroughbred)”企业，年营收超过 £75 million。

创新集群的影响力远超伦敦与牛剑构成的“金三角”。首相应当支持那些在英国创新传统据点之外成立并规模化的初创公司和新兴企业。曼彻斯特的“小马”和“纯血统”企业比牛津更多。利兹的比剑桥更多。从南安普顿到斯旺西，从布里斯托尔到贝尔法斯特，再到爱丁堡及其他地方，科技正在驱动就业和机会的增长。

但英国还需要学会支持自己。我们必须通过政府和我们的富时 (FTSE) 公司的合同，以及资本，来培育我们本土的科技公司。

几十年来第一次，英国拥有支持大规模创新的资本和监管框架。在本届议会期间，通过国家财富基金、英国商业银行以及养老金支持的曼申府 (Mansion House) 改革，可以部署超过 £100 billion 的资金。

我们拥有科学基础、创业者、资本和创新集群。现在的机会是以应有的信心支持英国的创新经济。如果我们打好手中的牌，我们可以再次成为世界领先的经济体之一。比赛开始。

Saul Klein 是 Phoenix Court 的执行主席，并自 2021 年起担任首相科学技术委员会的成员

为您的墙壁增添一些风趣

寻找我们漫画家最优秀作品的签名装裱版印制品，包括 Peter Brookes、Morten Morland、Peter Schrank 等人的作品。

价格 £58 起。请在 timescartoons.com 订购。

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

---

36

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

商业

Dalston's Soda 达成一项 Damm 大交易

Estrella Damm 背后西班牙酿酒巨头的英国分公司已收购一家总部位于伦敦的软饮料公司的少数股权（Jessica Newman 撰文）。Damm UK 表示，其与 Dalston's Soda Co 达成的协议——后者的气泡饮料在 Asda 和 Waitrose 销售——是在消费者继续转向高端饮料的背景下达成的。持股规模尚未披露。作为协议的一部分，Damm 将在位于贝德福德（Bedford）的酿酒厂为 Dalston's 提供生产、分销和商业基础设施方面的支持。Damm UK 的总经理 Luke White 表示，

Dalston's Soda Co 创始人 Duncan O'Brien 与 Damm UK 总经理 Luke White

此次合作伙伴关系“与 Damm 以工艺、卓越原料和杰出质量为中心的高端产品定位相一致”。Dalston's Soda Co 最初名为 Dalston's Cola，由 Duncan O'Brien 于 2012. 年在东伦敦的哈克尼（Hackney）创立。O'Brien 表示，Damm 是“Dalston's 极佳的盟友”，并补充说，看到公司“从白手起家的起步阶段发展到与 Damm 合作”让他感到“有点不可思议”。

Damm 成立于 1876 年的巴塞罗那，目前雇佣超过 6,300 人。去年其销售额突破 1.2 billion。它在伊比利亚半岛运营 17 家生产工厂，并于去年 10 月在贝德福德开设了先进的 Damm Eagle 酿酒厂，实现了其首次在该地区以外的重大制造尝试。Damm 对 Dalston's 的投资是在其从 Greene King 收购 Old Speckled Hen 啤酒两个月后进行的。

PruFund 为未来而建的家 & 为我而建的退休生活

我的父母曾向“Pru 先生”投资。这帮助他们买下了我成长时的那栋房子。现在我的顾问正使用 PruFund 为我规划养老金，感觉这是一个圆满的轮回。PruFund 投资于多种资产，例如 Greencore Homes，这可以帮助更多像我这样的家庭，同时也为我提供了一种为未来进行长期投资的方式。这就是为什么我选择 PruFund。

请咨询您的财务顾问或访问 prufund.co.uk

您的资本面临风险，您可能无法收回投入的资金。

The Prudential Assurance Company Limited（公司注册号 15454）经审慎监管局（Prudential Regulation Authority）授权并监管，并受金融行为监管局（Financial Conduct Authority）监管。隶属于 M&G。

剑桥将使 GSK “完全沉浸”于生物技术中

Alex Ralph 首席商业记者

GSK 新任首席执行官 Luke Miels 计划将这家大型制药公司的研发中心从史蒂夫尼奇（Stevenage）迁至剑桥，这一决定源于他在十多年前首次移居英国在竞争对手阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）工作时的观察。

在 Miels 昨天举行的首次重大战略更新会上，他公布了 GSK 的“加速增长”计划，旨在加快这家富时 100 (FTSE 100) 公司的研发和后期药物管线投资，其中包括迁至剑桥生物医学园区。

在向媒体以及随后向伦敦证券交易所投资者进行的演示中，51 岁的 Miels 表示，这些计划将帮助 GSK 实现其现有目标，即到 2031 年产生超过 £40 billion 的集团收入；在本十年后期的某个时间点，当其一款重磅 HIV 药物系列失去专利保护时，实现“稳定至提升”的营业利润率；并从 2031 年起“加速增长”。

在自 1 月就任以来对其药物组合进行审查后，Miels 在帕特诺斯特广场（Paternoster Square）与其他高级管理人员共同表示，GSK 将加速其在肿瘤学、呼吸道、肝脏病学和疫苗等关键专业领域中七项后期资产的开发。到今年年底，公司将启动 20 多个 III 期临床试验——这是其此前承诺的两倍。

GSK 将在未来三年内投资 £400 million，其中包括迁离其自 1995 年起设立的史蒂夫尼奇研发中心。

这项“重大重组”计划将通过到 2029 年实现的 £1.9 billion 年度目标成本削减来提供资金，一次性成本为 £2.4 billion。

虽然节省的资金将主要重新投入到研发（包括收购）中，但其中“一部分”将用于增强 GSK 的利润率，以应对 HIV 药物 dolutegravir 在 2028 年至 2030 年之间失去专利保护的影响。

“我们有一波结果读出，如果成功，不仅可以抵消 HIV 领域的专利到期，还能增长业务，”Miels 说道。他补充说，该计划是“我们战略的基础部分，旨在使公司的成本基础与其向新型特种药物转移的产品组合保持一致”。

其中包括重建其肿瘤管线，该管线在 6 月份通过收购总部位于波士顿的临床阶段癌症专家 Nuvalent 而得到加强，交易额为 $10.6 billion——这是 GSK 在其 26 年历史中最大规模的生物技术收购。

GSK 成立于 2000 年，由 Glaxo Wellcome 和 SmithKline Beecham 合并而成。

Miels 表示，将 GSK 整合进剑桥的决定是“旨在让我们在发现和开发具有竞争力的药物方面变得更强，以实现后期组合和研发中的机遇”。

这一决定受到了 Miels 在英国另一家大型制药公司阿斯利康经历的启发，后者将其研发中心从切郡（Cheshire）迁至剑桥园区。Miels 说，剑桥环境的“美妙之处”在于你能够“完全沉浸”在生命科学集群中。

“我有朋友是胸外科医生，有朋友在生物技术公司工作，还有人是护理委员会的主席。在这种环境下，你真正地生活在生物技术和患者护理之中，并以此为呼吸。”

“所以，当我接手这份工作时，我说：‘听着，我们真的需要去看看这个，看看我们的人是否处于最有可能驱动创新的环境中，因为当然，我们绝对没有垄断所有优秀想法的权力。’在这样一个地方拥有生命科学的临界质量也会有所帮助。”

Miels 补充说，与阿斯利康的竞争是一件“好事……思想的竞争，分子的竞争，优秀人才的竞争。这些最终都会让我们在寻找和开发药物方面变得更好。”

投资者对 GSK 的战略更新表示欢迎，该更新与积极的半年报业绩和全年指引一同公布。股价收盘上涨 69 便士，即 3.5%，至 £20.29，使公司市值达到 £87.6 billion。

自 Miels 在 2025 年 9 月被宣布为 Dame Emma Walmsley 的继任者以来，该股已上涨超过三分之一。这得益于投资者信心增强，认为他将提升 GSK 的商业表现，并继续提高其历史上表现不佳的研发（R&D）生产力。

GSK 的 2031 年销售目标与伦敦城的 £36.4 billion 预测之间长期存在的差距已经缩小。共同联席经纪商花旗集团（Citigroup）的分析师告诉客户：“总体而言，这一雄心正朝着正确的方向发展，但我们认为市场将等待实际交付。”

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

37

Business

Unilever 获益于新兴市场

Isabella Fish 零售编辑 Graham Ruddick 商业副编辑

联合利华（Unilever）在公布了十多年来最强劲的销量增长后，提高了年度展望，这表明其专注于核心强力品牌的计划开始产生回报。

在公布第二季度基础销售额增长 5.8 per cent 之后，这家富时 100 (FTSE 100) 消费品集团的股价上涨了近 9 per cent。这一结果高于分析师 4.14 per cent 的共识预测，且高于第一季度的 3.8 per cent。

销量增长了 5.5 per cent，高于 2.29 per cent 的预期，营收增长 3.8 per cent 至 €11.05 billion，超过了 €12.87 billion 的预测。

首席执行官 Fernando Fernández 称其为“联合利华十多年来销量最好的季度”，其中“强力品牌”和新兴市场推动了业绩的提升。经纪商 Jefferies 表示，销量的增长是“之王”，而这次的超越则是“皇室级别的”。

自去年 3 月以来，Fernández 一直在领导联合利华的一项激进转型计划。他的策略是优先考虑规模超过 €13 billion 的个人护理部门以及 €12.8 billion 的美容与健康业务，这些部门旗下包含多芬 (Dove) 肥皂、Lynx 身体喷雾和 Sure 止汗剂等品牌。

这意味着该公司将分拆价值数十亿欧元的冰淇淋业务，该业务旗下拥有 Ben & Jerry's 和 Magnum。最近，该公司同意将其食品部门与美国香料和调味料制造商 McCormick 在一项 44.8 billion 美元 ($44.8 billion) 的交易中合并。

联合利华表示，目前预计全年基础销售额增长为 4 per cent 至 6 per cent，销量增长约 3 per cent。此前，该公司预计销售增长处于多年 4 to 6 per cent 范围的较低端，且销量增长至少为 2 per cent。

该计划已开始显现曙光。上半年，基础营业利润增长 0.9 per cent

多芬 (Dove) 肥皂等产品已被优先考虑

至 €5.19 billion，高于 €5.16 billion 的共识预期。

由于公司在应对商品价格上涨，预计下半年在价格上涨的带动下，销售增长将在 4 per cent 至 5 per cent 之间。

联合利华高管表示，虽然第二季度价格上涨的速度有所放缓（部分得益于与世界杯相关的促销活动），但存在可能影响价格的“临时因素”。

管理层警告称，大宗商品的波动，特别是原油、石化衍生物和植物油，将影响下半年，迫使公司在以新兴市场和清洁产品为主的领域进行连续的价格上涨。

这家英荷公司昨天表示：“我们对全年的利润率小幅扩张做出了指引。我们预计基础价格增长将在下半年加速，因为由大宗商品驱动的定价将继续在市场中产生影响。”

巴克莱 (Barclays) 的分析师将联合利华的业绩描述为“惊艳的一季……在异常出色的销量表现驱动下，它轻松超出了我们的预期和共识预期。”

该经纪商指出，“一个较弱的领域是食品，管理层承认发达市场情况较弱且美国调味品市场的竞争增加，但他们有非常具体的计划来从此时起改善业绩”。

上周，French's 芥末酱和 Frank's RedHat 酱料的制造商 McCormick 宣布，作为与联合利华食品业务合并交易的一部分，该公司正寻求在伦敦进行二次上市，同时保留在纽约的上市地位。

联合利华股价上涨 371p，即 8 per cent，收于 £49.98。

游戏公司受许可收入下降影响

许可收入的剧烈下降掩盖了 Games Workshop 创纪录的年度销售额和利润（Isabella Fish 报道）。

在这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）公司报告其许可收入下降 37% 至 £32.9 million，且许可营业利润从 £49.5 million 下降至 £29.9 million 后，这家 Warhammer 制造商的股价下跌 180p，即 0.9 per cent，收于 £20.04。

这家桌面游戏制造商此前已警告投资者，不要指望许可部门能重复去年的巨额收入，去年的增长是由其最新的第三人称动作游戏 Space Marine 2 的强劲表现所驱动的。

该部门通过授予第三方公司权利，管理其知识产权的货币化，以

制造设定在 Warhammer 宇宙中的产品。这使得一组原本强劲的业绩失去了光彩。截至 5 月底的年度内，营收增长 6.8 per cent 至 £659.7 million，而税前利润增长 4.9 per cent，达到创纪录的 £275.7 million。核心微缩模型业务仍是主要增长来源，营收增长 10.9 per cent 至 £626.8 million，营业利润增长 15.7 per cent 至 £245.1 million。

Games Workshop 宣布每股派息 140p，使本财年迄今宣布的派息额达到 230p，高于去年同期的 140p。这家总部位于诺丁汉的企业于 1994 年在伦敦证券交易所上市，并在 Warhammer 微缩模型和电子游戏需求增加后，于 2024 年 12 月被提升至富时 100 指数。Games Workshop 的股价在过去一年中上涨了超过 28 per cent，该公司市值约 £6 billion。它于 1978 年在伦敦西部的哈默史密斯（Hammersmith）开设了第一家店，目前在包括

Warhammer 角色在 Comic Con 观众中非常受欢迎

德国、日本和美国在内的国家拥有 550 家以上店铺。

该公司不愿公开露面的首席执行官 Kevin Rountree 表示：“Games Workshop 和 Warhammer 爱好正处于极佳状态。”

他表示，营收和利润结果反映了“核心业务的又一次良好表现”，但未提供新年度的详细财务指引。

去年 12 月，Games Workshop 表示已与亚马逊（Amazon）达成协议，将其 Warhammer 40,000 宇宙改编成电影和电视剧。

该公司昨日表示，这是一个“与亚马逊的长期合作伙伴关系——这些改编作品需要多年时间才能成功推向市场。该项目正按照我们与亚马逊签署的合同协议继续进行。”公司确认演员 Henry Cavill 仍参与其中，而联合艺术家（United Artists）及恐怖片导演 Mike Flanagan 已加入该项目。

Jefferies 的分析师表示，关于 Game Workshop 的业绩更新，“几乎没有什么是不令人满意的地方”。

Ofcom 声称 BT Openreach 的宽带折扣“不公平”

Charlotte Bend

在监管机构称其不公平且针对的是竞争网络生存与竞争所需的同一批客户后，BT Openreach 可能将被迫撤回一项全光纤折扣。

Ofcom 初步认定，这种“激进的折扣”不公平地针对了新客户，而这些客户对于允许竞争对手“altnets”（替代网络）扩大其客户群至关重要。

BT 批发网络业务提供的该优惠仅适用于新加入网络的全光纤客户。该监管机构提议阻止这项交易，理由是它可能会损害竞争并在长期内推高价格。

Ofcom 表示：“考虑到竞争对手已经向所有客户提供的低廉价格，匹配这些折扣可能无法让他们回收成本。可持续的竞争至关重要，因为这意味着人们拥有选择权。”

Openreach 在 6 月通知 Ofcom，其计划推出一系列优惠，以符合让更广泛的行业提前获知的预期。

Ofcom 将 Openreach 为新签约用户提供的折扣描述为“非常可观”，每位客户每月最高可获得 £9.50 的折扣，最长可达 30 个月。在 Virgin Media 运营的地区，拟议的优惠将允许 Openreach 的新全光纤客户获得一次性 £50 的折扣。

这将是 Ofcom 首次介入阻止 Openreach 的商业优惠。

此次折扣出现之际，在能够接入全光纤宽带的家庭中，仅有约一半尚未签约。Ofcom 表示，允许不同网络公平地竞争这些客户是“至关重要的”。

Ofcom 表示：“在这种优惠下，Openreach 将大幅折扣针对新客户，而这些客户对于 allnets 扩大客户群的能力至关重要，同时其他客户的价格保持不变。”

“我们担心这可能会破坏可持续的竞争。”

Ofcom 将接受咨询回复直到 8 月 27.。随后预计将在 9 月底做出最终决定之前考虑这些回复。Openreach 对初步阻止该优惠表示失望。

Openreach 商业董事总经理 James Lowther 表示：“在这样一个竞争激烈的市场中，我们认为监管不应保护糟糕的商业模式，且我们不同意 Ofcom 的分析。”

然而，Virgin Media O2 敦促 Ofcom 采取进一步行动，要求对其被贴标签为 Openreach 明显意图“巩固其主导地位并挤压竞争”的行为实施更严格的监督。

---

38

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

INVESTLE FUND-MARS LTD
Brown Support and Dealing: 020 7597 2900
OEC Series I, II, III & IV
American A Inc I	627.23	-7.11
Cashless Managed A Inc	1468.67	-0.98	2.63
Cashless Managed A Inc	1318.43	-0.57	2.49
Share of Int Growth A Inc	1321.96	-1.27	4.21
Share of Int Growth A Inc	133.66	-0.04	6.97
Share of Int Income A Inc	1375.67	-0.43	3.00
Share of Int Income A Inc	1.67.00	-0.06	5.39
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	138.39	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95

INVESTLE FUND-MARS LTD
Brown Support and Dealing: 020 7597 2900
OEC Series I, II, III & IV
American A Inc I	627.23	-7.11
Cashless Managed A Inc	1468.67	-0.98	2.63
Cashless Managed A Inc	1318.43	-0.57	2.49
Share of Int Growth A Inc	1321.96	-1.27	4.21
Share of Int Growth A Inc	133.66	-0.04	6.97
Share of Int Income A Inc	1375.67	-0.43	3.00
Share of Int Income A Inc	1.67.00	-0.06	5.39
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	138.39	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95

HSBC Specialist Investment Fds (OEC)
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Ylg %
Global Social Business Inc	797.71	-4.17
UK Social Business Inc	1260.00	-27.61	1.05
UK Social Business Inc	921.07	-4.39	1.06

For OIS Asset Mgmt use FACCF Mgmt Ltd (OEC)
JANUS HENDERSON INVESTORS
Invesco Serv: 0000 832 933 Diag: 0000 944 4646
UK Class Local Inc	1.67	-	4.40
Black Div Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40
Cashless Managed Fd I	156.1	-3.60	3.50
Cashless Managed A Inc	1130	-4.30	4.10
Cons M Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

JUPITER INT TRUST MANAGERS LTD
020 7583 3020
Scotchallons A Growth I	1212.3	-0.0039	2.93
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71

JUPITER INT TRUST MANAGERS LTD
020 7583 3020
Scotchallons A Growth I	1212.3	-0.0039	2.93
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71

Ferrexpo 在俄罗斯无人机袭击货船后陷入危局

Emily Gosden

乌克兰矿业集团 Ferrexpo 在一艘运载其铁矿球团的货船遭到俄罗斯无人机致命袭击后，几近崩溃，这加速了该公司的现金流危机。

该矿业公司表示，除非能够完成一项雄心勃勃的 $100 million 股权融资，否则到下个月底其现金将耗尽。

受俄罗斯对乌克兰战争的综合影响，以及与该国追捕 Ferrexpo 最大股东 Kostyantin Zhevago 相关的税务和法律行动，该集团已陷入绝境。

Ferrexpo 在 4 月曾警告称，除非能够筹集 $100 million，否则其现金将在 8 月耗尽，且别无选择只能申请破产。在无法按时提交账目后，其股票已被停牌。

该公司两周前表示，采取的现金保留措施使其能够将该期限推迟到第四季度初。

然而，该公司昨天表示，一艘载有 55,000 吨高品位铁矿球团的船只在“黑海乌克兰海域航行时遭到俄罗斯无人机袭击并受损”，导致一名船员丧生，该公司将其描述为“对平民船只的一次无端袭击”。

该公司警告称，袭击带来的后果对“集团的流动性状况产生了实质性的负面影响”，其现金目前只能维持到 8 月底。截至 6 月底，该公司拥有 $21 million。

Ferrexpo 在乌克兰中部开采铁矿石。该集团在 2021 年夏季的价值高达 £2.7 billion，但到其股票停牌时，其价值已暴跌至 £170 million。

自 2022 年 2 月俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以来，由于袭击破坏了电力供应和出口，其生产和销售在不同程度上下降。

此外，由于乌克兰暂停了价值数千万美元的增值税（VAT）退税，该公司也受到了制约。该决定与乌克兰对 Zhevago 实施的个人制裁有关。Zhevago 是 Ferrexpo 的前首席执行官，该国指控其从一家此前由其控制的破产银行中挪用资金。

Zhevago 否认所有指控，他仍持有 Ferrexpo 近一半的股份，任何股权融资都需要他的批准。Ferrexpo 在 4 月表示，Zhevago 已表示支持，前提是能够参与以避免股权稀释，但同时也指出其参与会带来“各种法律、财政、政治及其他风险”。

Ferrexpo 表示，在黑海受损的船只“目前仍漂浮在水面……然而，货物的状况和船只的结构完整性尚不清楚”。该公司表示，据其了解，“目前正在努力尝试对船只进行潜在的打捞”。

Ferrexpo 原计划在今年下半年通过黑海港口向中东客户增加高品位球团的出口，但袭击发生后，船东们正纷纷撤回船只。

该公司表示：“在可预见的未来，集团预计将无法通过该出口航线装载额外的船只。”

Ferrexpo 表示，其约有 189,000 吨球团待运，包括被击中船只上的货物，且“这批库存的生产和交付成本约为 $20 million”。

该公司已开始向保险公司索赔，但这些款项不太可能及时到账以缓解现金流危机。

全日空航空（All Nippon Airways）展出一架特殊涂装的波音 787-8，以纪念《宝可梦 红》（Pokémon Red）发布 30 周年。

波音因“空军一号”遭受 2.8 亿美元打击

时代商业记者

波音公司昨日报告称，在对其陷入困境的“空军一号”替换计划计提 $280 million 减值后，季度亏损高于预期，但随着其转型计划取得进展，产生了正向自由现金流。

由于为确保在 2028, 年交付两架延期的美国总统专机替换机型而导致工程成本增加，该飞机制造商计提了该项费用，导致第二季度净亏损达 $428 million。

尽管出现亏损，波音仍记录了 $631 million 的自由现金流，而 2025. 年第二季度为负 $200 million。据该公司称，现金流的增长部分归功于客户付款高于预期。

该飞机制造商维持了全年 $1 billion 至 $3 billion 自由现金流的指引，随着其增加最畅销的 737 Max 窄体客机的产量，这将是自 2023, 年以来首次实现正值。

由于扩大了南卡罗来纳州的 787 生产能力以及密苏里州圣路易斯地区的军用飞机生产能力，波音在本季度的资本投资也较去年有所增加。

该飞机制造商还致力于交付两架 747-8 客机用于担任“空军一号”，根据 2018 年签署的一项 $3.9 billion 定价合同，该项目目前已落后于进度 4 年，且预算超支超过 $1 billion。

特朗普总统接受了一架由卡塔尔捐赠的 747-8 客机暂时担任“空军一号”飞机，不过他在本月表示，在对其安全特性产生质疑后，该飞机将很快被送去升级。

波音首席执行官 Kelly Ortberg 在给员工的一份备忘录中表示：“虽然两个季度并不代表一年，但如果我们共同努力，专注于安全性、质量和准时交付，我们将提高竞争力，并为一个强劲的下半年奠定基础。”

他补充道：“我们正在积聚的势头将继续推动波音向正确的方向发展。”

在纽约的午餐时段交易中，该股上涨 $10.92,，即 5.2 per cent，至 $222.42。

无飞行自助导览铁路之旅

阿尔卑斯之都

2026 年 8 月至 2027 年 12 月

开启一段令人难忘的 Byway Travel 欧洲铁路之旅，连接标志性的文化之都。您的自助之旅将从乘坐欧洲之星前往阿姆斯特丹开始，那里有艺术瑰宝在等待。随后，在 Nightjet 卧铺火车上进入梦乡，在维也纳的帝国辉煌中醒来。

在探索莫扎特的萨尔茨堡（以阿尔卑斯山为背景）之后，再去发现时尚的湖滨城市苏黎世。凭借连接每个目的地的舒适酒店和风景如画的火车旅程，这次多中心度假将独立探索与无缝旅行完美结合。

包含内容

• 所有火车行程，包括从伦敦圣潘克拉斯车站（London St Pancras）出发的欧洲之星（Eurostar）往返行程
• 包含票务和个性化建议的数字化行程指南
• 席位预订
• 精选酒店
• 在 2026 年 8 月 31 日 前预订可节省 £100*
• Times+ 会员可额外节省 £100* 请访问 thetimes.com/timesplus 获取您的专属代码

致电 0808 273 1848 或访问 thetimes.com/th-alpinecapitals

TIMES Holidays

适用条款与条件。所示价格为每人价格，基于 2027 年 1 月 9 日（出发日期），且不含必须在当地支付的当地税/返还费（金额随目的地而异），这些将计入您的额度。价格截至 2026 年 7 月 22 日，且视具体情况和可用性而定。Times+ 优惠减免 £100 适用于在 2026 年 12 月 31 日 前通过现金预订 Times Holidays 且最低金额为 £2,800 并提供专属 Times+ 代码的订单。完整条款与条件请访问 thetimes.com/thhesplus。在 2026 年 8 月 31 日 前的所有 Times Holidays 预订均可享受 £100 Bysing 优惠。**在 2021 年 7 月 30 日 前预订的所有符合条件的行程可享受 50% 的利息/旅行证升级折扣 + 门票必须在手机上以电子形式出示。优惠与预订视可用情况而定，完整条款与条件（S&Cs）请参阅供应商网站。本次假期由 Times Holidays 作为 Bysing Travel 的代理商销售，并受 ABTA P8770 保护。完整预订条件请访问 thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions。

---

Board Intelligence IQ Experts

赞助内容

董事会成员正面临压力。从客户到投资者，利益相关者对他们的期望在增加，要求他们证明自己在一个日益扩大的领域中产生了影响并推动了价值。但由于公司产生的数据比以往任何时候都多，董事们同时也面临着信息过载的问题。

来自 Board Intelligence（欧洲、中东和非洲地区最大的董事会技术与咨询公司）和特许治理协会（Chartered Governance Institute）的研究阐明了这一问题的规模。研究显示，目前在董事会会议前发送给董事的平均简报包长达 220 页——比 2019. 年增加了 27%。而且，数量并不等同于价值：董事们认为 61% 的此类信息包质量较差或低劣。

领导者发现这些信息过于回顾过去、侧重内部，且缺乏对未来挑战和机遇的洞察。需要战略情报的董事们往往不得不花费大量时间在运营统计数据中搜寻。

由于看不到任何改善的迹象，这些困难已开始影响他们的表现。在 Board Intelligence 最新的董事会价值指数（Board Value Index）中，84% 的董事表示，在过去六个月中，低质量的信息导致他们的董事会推迟、匆忙或做出了次优的决定。英国的董事们现在将信息质量视为提高决策标准的最大单一障碍。

技术救援

人工智能能提供帮助吗？许多资深领导者认为可以。虽然越来越多的董事会开始采用包含 AI 的工具，但如果解决方案仅仅是让他们能够更快地翻阅规模日益庞大的资料包，这还远远不够。董事们需要的是能够支持更深入讨论并做出更好决策的工具。

此外还存在一个更微妙的问题，即使是拥有优质资料包的董事会也会意识到。没有任何作者能够预见到每一个问题。一份报告在几天前就已完成，它是基于某个职能部门内部编写的，且长度固定。而决定一个组织未来的讨论则不具备这些特征。

将信息转化为洞察

董事们面临着不断增高——且并非总是合理——的数据之墙。一种新型 AI 工具可以帮助董事会不仅爬得更快，而且爬得更高。

这就是 Board Intelligence 旨在通过 IQ Experts（内置于其董事会平台的 AI）来填补的空白。它并非另一个简单的总结工具，而是让董事能够与董事会资料进行开放式对话：他们可以针对当前的资料包、数年的董事会历史记录以及实时外部来源提出任何问题，且每一项内容都附有引用。

“我们的竞争对手拥有能让治理变得更快的 AI，而我们拥有能让治理变得更好的 AI，”Board Intelligence 的首席执行官兼联合创始人 Pippa Begg 说道。“IQ Experts 旨在赋予每位董事超人般的触达能力以获取董事会资料，并让每个问题都能获得应有的深度分析。”

不可避免地，在未来的数月和数年里，这类问题将会增加。董事作为独立人士，承担着为所有股东利益而监督公司的法定职责，这一角色从未显得如此重要。来自 ICGN（一个倡导高企业治理标准的协会）的研究表明，有效履行的董事独立性是长期价值创造的关键驱动因素。

在这种环境下，董事们现在必须在广泛的职责范围内——从公司战略到网络安全、地缘政治和可持续发展——达成清晰的见解并做出艰难的决定。这些决定的复杂性在持续增加

——其重要性亦然。

IQ Experts 旨在在这方面为董事提供支持——帮助他们在董事会会议前花时间研究关键问题，而不是淹没在无尽的数据中，从而在参加会议时能够提出更具见地的问题，并减少盲区。

Board Intelligence 基于在董事会咨询、治理和软件开发领域 20 年以上的经验构建了 IQ Experts。该工具融入了涵盖 130 多个治理课题的专业知识，所有内容均可通过董事们已用于文档处理和沟通的门户网站获取。

人文触感

关键原则在于，虽然 AI 可以在帮助董事更快处理信息方面发挥作用——鉴于数据持续增长的方式，这一点至关重要——但该技术的更大价值在于增强。

拥有更丰富信息、配备更广泛视角和洞察力的董事，将处于一个更有利的位置来支持企业，在关键点提出质疑，并与高管共同寻找创造价值的新方法。

危险之处在于，随着信息过载的增加，董事们将难以行使他们被任命为企业提供支持的判断力。Board Intelligence 表示，像 IQ Experts 这样的 AI 工具可以帮助

领导者需要能支撑更丰富讨论的工具

抵消这一危险，为董事提供高效且有效工作所需的一切。

这对董事们来说可能是一个突破时刻。研究表明，到目前为止，董事会成员通常对自己角色中应用 AI 持怀疑态度。虽然许多企业正迅速在运营层面采用这项技术，但董事会本身在高层级上使用 AI 的情况较少，理由是对控制和安全性的担忧（这在情理之中）。

针对第一个问题，Board Intelligence 将 IQ Experts 视为董事的辅助角色，而不是一个取代人类决策的工具。AI 可以且应当帮助激发辩论，但最终决定仍由人员负责——并对这些选择负责。

为了让用户安心，IQ Experts 提供企业级安全保障，并获得了 ISO 27001 认证。该工具不使用客户数据进行训练，且 AI 不保留任何数据。这应该能让那些正确地关注数据保护与安全问题，或担心知识产权脆弱性的董事们感到放心。

底线是什么？IQ Experts 的承诺是帮助董事会成员专注于价值创造——在企业制定增长和转型路线图时提供支持。目前，董事会价值指数（Board Value Index）表明，41% 的董事会在会议时间中有一半或更多时间在回顾过去而非规划未来，且仅有 18% 的董事会能够有力地推动创新。合适的 AI 工具可以帮助董事会成员抢占先机。

61%

的董事会简报包被认为薄弱或质量较差

欲了解更多关于 IQ Experts 的信息，请访问 boardintelligence.com

BOARD INTELLIGENCE

---

THE TIMES | 2026年7月29日 星期三

41

市场商业

William Kay Tempus

买入、卖出或持有：今日最佳股票建议

汽车交易市场前方有坑

AUTOTRADER

[[TABLE_HASH_PLACEHOLDER_426bfab7ac09362d6367839b24b84f18]]

一年前，当本专栏推荐 Autotrader Group 的股票价格为 828 便士时，我们很难预料到，几个月内他们就会遭到汽车经销商的集体反抗，以及一场针对那些被认为有风险被 AI 击垮的公司的全市场攻击。股价骤跌至 435 便士，目前仍在试图从中恢复。那么，该股接下来的走向如何？

这家公司最初是一家充满汽车分类广告的杂志，现在已成为英国领先的在线汽车交易市场，还处理融资、保修、保险和其他附加服务。但现在的驾驶者可以使用 AI 来寻找待售或待租的车辆，而无需使用 Autotrader。虽然这种搜索途径可能时好时坏，但对于很大一部分买家来说可能已经足够。除非该集团能将他们吸引回来，否则它将失去贸易额和利润丰厚的附加服务。这就是股价疲软的原因。

一些城市观察人士认为这些担忧过度了。Lindsell Train 投资基金的 Nick Train 发现“没有证据表明主导市场地位正被 AI 竞争者削弱”，但他补充道：“要证明或否定关于 AI 替代该业务模式能力的担忧，可能需要更长的时间。”

Autotrader 的首席执行官 Nathan Coe 表示：“让我们与众不同的是，我们用来帮助改善购车体验的所有方式。

齿轮在摩擦 (Crunching gears)

建议：持有 原因：历史性的低市盈率足以弥补短期 AV 的不确定性，但疑虑将依然存在

估值、定价、车辆出处、是否为待清理款、折价置换的价值……所有这些都基于只有我们才拥有且不公开的数据。因此，我们将 AI 视为一种增强我们为购车者和零售商提供服务的机会，而不是一种破坏我们的力量。”

但在去年冬天，面对经销商对该公司推出 Deal Builder 平台的敌意，他措手不及。该平台是在过去两年中与潜在用户共同开发起来的。虽然其旨在将车辆融资和预约完全转移到线上，但许多经销商认为这挤压了他们对销售流程的控制权，并引入了不必要的交易费用。社交媒体随即被点燃。

Autotrader 迅速通过修改方案退让，但未能及时阻止许多订阅的取消。它成立了客户咨询小组，并推出了 The Keys，这是一个经销商分享故事、大师课和讨论的 YouTube 频道。

经销商已被安抚，AI 恐惧正在减轻——但地平线上正隐约出现充满未知因素的自动驾驶汽车，即自动驾驶车辆 (AV)。“我们认为我们会没事的，”Coe 说。“AV 让汽车更安全、更实用，这对开车的人来说一定是好事。任何让汽车对用户而言变得更好的事物，通常对我们的产品也是有益的。”

关键问题在于，驾驶者在拥有自己的 AV 与租赁或乘坐 robotaxi（机器人出租车）之间会倾向于哪一个。Coe 坚信，许多人将继续希望拥有一辆车，将其作为独立性的便捷象征以及家的延伸，车内放着网球拍、运动鞋、购物清单和糖果包装纸。

一个潜在的障碍是加载到自动驾驶汽车上且日益复杂的软件，以及一旦车辆完全自动驾驶且乘客/所有者无需干预时，事故的法律责任将由谁承担。

对于大众市场而言，这还需要数年时间。在此期间，驾驶者可能会更频繁地咨询 Autotrader 的升级建议。而且，如果 robotaxi 普及，二手市场将会有源源不断的二手车队车辆流入。

正如 Autotrader 的业务对车辆价格持中立态度，只要交易量保持高位，就不在乎价格上涨或下跌，该公司对于英国街道即将迎来的大规模洗牌可能也持不关注态度。更高的活动量应能几乎原封不动地转化为底线利润。

Peel Hunt 的 Autotrader 分析师 Jessica Pok 预计，每股收益将在本年度从 35p 升至 38.7p，随后升至 44.3p 和 50.3p。这将使市盈率降至 9，不到近年水平的一半。她认为，股息收益率在此期间将从 3 per cent 升至 3.7 per cent。

简讯

SSP 迎来增长

这家在机场和火车站经营 Upper Crust 和 Caffe Ritzaza 的餐饮集团再次确认了其全年指引。

SSP 表示，截至 6 月底的三个月里，整体同店销售额增长了 4 per cent。这家 FTSE 250 公司的英国和爱尔兰部门在该期间的同店销售额增长了 11 per cent，该公司将其归功于积极的季节性需求和更强的客户产品供应；而其北美业务尽管面临“季度末客流量较为低迷的背景”，但销售额仍记录了 2 per cent 的增长。

公司最大的市场——欧洲的销售额同样领先 2 per cent。SSP 在 12 月对其表现不佳的欧洲大陆铁路业务启动了广泛审查，该公司表示，在执行审查中确定的行动方面正取得良好进展。

尽管其他地区的销售增长稳健，但 SSP 表示，由于美国与伊朗之间持续的冲突导致客流量“显著收缩”，亚太地区、东欧和中东的交易受损尤为严重。

该地区的同店销售额下降了 2 per cent，较第二季度 10 per cent 的跌幅有所放缓。该公司股价收盘上涨 12p，即 6.2 per cent，至 206.9p。

Tate & Lyle 将退出伦敦

在股东投票支持其被一家美国竞争对手以 £2.7 billion 收购后，Tate and Lyle 将在 91 年后从伦敦市场消失。Ingrellion 以每股 615p 的现金进行收购，较这家原料公司 5 月份的未受干扰价格溢价 60 per cent，此举得到了 82 per cent 投票股东的支持，占投票股份的 98.6 per cent。Ingrellion 表示，其新合并的集团将产生约 $9.9 billion 的年收入，并实现 $1.8 billion 的调整后利润。Tate & Lyle 是今年一波退市的伦敦上市公司中的最新一家。

Visa 将削减 2,600 个岗位

Visa 计划削减 7 per cent 的员工，即约 2,600 个岗位，其中技术和产品部门最可能受到影响。人工智能并非该决定背后的唯一因素，但它帮助加快了产品开发，这家支付处理商正寻求提高效率。该公告是通过一份员工备忘录发布的，最早由彭博社报道。根据其 2025 年年度报告，Visa 的员工人数比 2024 年同比增长 8 per cent，其总员工的 60 per cent 位于公司总部所在的美国之外。

美国调查 Shein

这家快时尚电商平台在披露其即将于香港上市的相关信息时表示，Shein 的美国分支机构正接受联邦贸易委员会的调查，并可能面临巨额财务处罚。公司表示，取决于调查结果，它“可能要求我们支付巨额款项，从而可能对我们的财务状况和经营业绩产生重大不利影响”。Shein 在 2022 年的一轮融资中获得了近 $100 billion 的估值，但该公司未说明被调查的原因。

尽管芯片股抛售，富时指数仍接近历史最高点

市场报告

伦敦市场通常因缺乏科技股敞口而受到批评，但昨天这对主要指数来说是个好消息（James Hurley 撰文）。

在其他交易所从全球半导体抛售中恢复之际，英国市场得到了以联合利华（Unilever）和曼群组（Man Group）为代表的消费导向型股票表现的支持。

富时 100 (FTSE 100) 指数上涨 89.27 点，或 0.83%，收于 10,871.02，为其历史上的第二高收盘点位。富时 250 (FTSE 250) 指数收于 24,004.78，上涨 106.68 点，涨幅 0.45%。

化学品制造商 Croda International 是上涨幅度最大的公司，在记录到中期利润大幅增长（得益于其为化妆品和个人护理产品提供成分的消费部门）后，股价上涨 235p，或 8%，至 £31.60。

联合利华 (Unilever) 同样上涨 371p，或 8%，至 £49.98，其销售增长超出预期，盈利高于预测，尽管需要新兴市场的强劲交易来抵消欧洲市场的疲软表现。

Sage Group 也是上涨股票之一。这家商业软件集团将于今日提供交易更新，此前一直受到 AI 相关抛售的影响。

华尔街报告

随着科技巨头财报季的开始，以及本周初 AI 相关股票的剧烈抛售，指数走势不一。积极的一面是，投资者情绪因希望美国和伊朗仍能就允许油轮通过霍尔木兹海峡达成协议而有所改善。标准普尔 500 (S&P 500) 指数上涨 15.60 点，或 0.2%，至 7,428.78，而道琼斯工业平均指数上涨 537.24 点，或 1%，收于 52,747.32。然而，纳斯达克 (Nasdaq) 指数下跌 55.17 点，或 0.2%，至 24,876.91。

当日最大波动股

[[TABLE_HASH_PLACEHOLDER_026431204e0256fd4bddf8d80dbaac97]]

随着油气价格下跌，英国天然气所有者 Centrica 成为下跌股票之一，且今年以来该股已下跌 £3.9 per cent。然而，昨天其股价上涨 49p，或 5.5%，收于 9395p，随着投资者重新青睐具有经常性订阅收入的业务，该股继续呈现反弹势头。

吉尼斯 (Guinness)、戈登 (Gordon's) 和 Johnnie Walker 背后的饮料集团帝亚吉欧 (Diageo) 同样在经历某种程度的复苏。自 2023 年由于拉丁美洲销售额骤减而发出令人震惊的利润预警以来，其股价一直处于低谷。该股上涨 81p，或 5.1%，收于 £16.72。

尽管报告季度利润增长 31% 至 £3.3 十亿，但巴克莱银行 (Barclays) 的股票成为富时 100 (FTSE 100) 指数中最大的下跌股，下跌 235p，或 4.8%，至 505p，原因是投资者对该行相对于美国同行表现不佳以及运营费用增加做出了反应。

其他下跌股票包括 Centrica，因地缘政治紧张局势缓解导致油气价格下跌，股价下跌 2.9% 或 45p，至 1555p。在富时 250 (FTSE 250) 指数中，计算业务公司 Raspberry Pi 也是被抛售的股票之一，在科技股普遍承压的背景下，下跌 39p，或 5.8%，至 636p。

---

42

Wednesday July 29 2026 | 泰晤士报 (THE TIMES)

商业

Tradeweb

© 2023 Tradeweb Markets Ltd. 保留所有权利。不得分发；此处包含的 Tradeweb FTSE Gilt Group Prices 信息为 Tradeweb 专有，不得复制，且不保证其准确性、完整性或及时性，也不构成投资建议。Tradeweb 对因使用此信息而可能导致的任何数据或损害不承担责任。

Commodities[{"box_2d": [765, 762, 963, 969], "label": "table", "caption": "

天然气 S
2,407	-0.111
轻质原油
79.17	-3.53
原油 (S/Sanral FOB)
HFT1100 79.29-1.25
HFT1201 79.29-1.25
HFT1302 79.29-2.15
HFT1303 79.29-2.15
HFT1304 72.87-2.66
HFT1400 72.14-2.17
产品
燃料油 466.62-7.20
S/Sanl100 741.00	-11.84
ICE 期货
柴油
S/S2010 0.15
S/S2011 0.15
S/S2012 0.15
S/S2013 0.15
S/S2014 0.15
S/S2015 0.15
S/S2016 0.15
S/S2017 0.15
S/S2018 0.15
S/S2019 0.15
S/S2020 0.15
S/S2021 0.15
S/S2022 0.15
S/S2023 0.15
S/S2024 0.15
S/S2025 0.15
S/S2026 0.15
S/S2027 0.15
S/S2028 0.15
S/S2029 0.15
S/S2030 0.15
S/S2031 0.15
S/S2032 0.15
S/S2033 0.15
S/S2034 0.15
S/S2035 0.15
S/S2036 0.15
S/S2037 0.15
S/S2038 0.15
S/S2039 0.15
S/S2040 0.15
S/S2041 0.15
S/S2042 0.15
S/S2043 0.15
S/S2044 0.15
S/S2045 0.15
S/S2046 0.15
S/S2047 0.15
S/S2048

"]}

0.15S/S2049 0.15S/S2050 0.15S/S2051 0.15S/S2052 0.15S/S2053 0.15S/S2054 0.15S/S2055 0.15S/S2056 0.15S/S2057 0.15S/S2058 0.15S/S2059 0.15S/S2060 0.15S/S2061 0.15S/S2062

0.15S/S2063 0.15S/S2064 0.15S/S2065 0.15S/S2066 0.15S/S2067 0.15S/S2068 0.15S/S2069 0.15S/S2070 0.15S/S2071 0.15S/S2072 0.15S/S2073 0.15S/S2074 0.15S/S2075 0.15S/S2076

0.15S/S2077 0.15S/S2078 0.15S/S2079 0.15S/S2080 0.15S/S2081 0.15S/S2082 0.15S/S2083 0.15S/S2084 0.15S/S2085 0.15S/S2086 0.15S/S2087 0.15S/S2088 0.15S/S2089 0.15S/S2090

0.15S/S2091 0.15S/S2092 0.15S/S2093 0.15S/S2094 0.15S/S2095 0.15S/S2096 0.15S/S2097 0.15S/S2098 0.15S/S2099 0.15</

---

THE TIMES | 2026年7月29日 星期三

43

商业 2

洗澡是否已成为一种负担？

选择时尚的湿房（Wet Room）或步入式淋浴房，步入舒适体验。

£500 现金返还 适用于 31/08/26 之前预订的安装服务 适用条款与条件，详情请参阅网站。

作为一家家族经营的公司，我们深知在家中保持独立性和舒适度至关重要。

我们的易进入步入式淋浴房、步入式浴缸、轮椅友好型湿房以及舒适高度马桶，均由我们专属的专业团队快速且安全地安装。我们管理从概念到完工的所有变更，让您完全安心。

哪种洗浴方案适合您？

步入式淋浴房

步入式浴缸

Trustpilot 我们的评级为“优秀”

自豪的合作伙伴

步入式洗浴解决方案

• 安装空间与您的旧浴缸相同
• 安装迅速，最快仅需一天
• 低水平、防滑淋浴底盘
• 可折叠、舒适的淋浴座椅
• 安全的淋浴抓杆扶手
• 为您量身定制的现代设计

个性化护理 | 定制设计 | 专业安装人员 | 终身保证

预订免费咨询或获取我们的最新手册

请拨打免费电话 0800 955 0036

每周 7 天均有专线服务

或访问：eamobility.com

扫描代码访问我们的网站。

---

THE TIMES | 星期三 29 2026年7月

45

曾代表三个政党的政治家 Lord Hiram 第 46 页

讣告

注册

鲁珀特·范德霍斯特准将 (Brigadier Rupert van der Horst)

在执行一项大胆的仁慈任务以营救一名受伤敌军士兵的同时，这位皇家海军陆战队军官抢在新闻报道之前进入了斯坦利港。

在 12, 1982 年 6 月早晨，在成功对俯瞰马尔维纳斯群岛首府斯坦利港 (Port Stanley) 的阿根廷阵地发起夜袭后，关于投降的传闻四起。皇家海军陆战队 45 Commando 的指挥官在被称为“双子峰” (Two Sisters) 的临时总部召见了其副手鲁珀特·范德霍斯特少校。

在战斗中，如果指挥官成为伤亡人员，则由 ZIC 接管。在此之前，他负责执行指挥官认为至关重要的任何任务。在前一天，范德霍斯特已经接到了当晚进攻双子峰集结地的路线。

在回程途中，他发现了一个正在挖掘掩体的人员，于是请求炮击：“我坐在背包上，端着一杯咖啡，抽着烟，拿着无线电，处于任何人都无法触及的地方，但用双筒望远镜观察弹着点。我很快就让他们击中了目标。我重复了一次，然后突击旅总部提醒我，我们所有的炮弹都是[手动]搬运的，所以数量不多，我开始在浪费弹药了！”他们确实是手动搬运的，在圣卡洛斯湾 (San Carlos Bay) 登陆后，在南大西洋冬季恶劣的天气中行军了 56 英里——这就是著名的马尔维纳斯“Yomp”长途奔袭。

在双子峰的战斗期间，关键任务是弹药补给和伤员撤离。范德霍斯特两项都做了，他步行带领三辆瑞典 Bandvagn 202 (BV 202)——一种为北极战争设计的履带式铰接运输车——在崎岖的山坡上上下穿行。次日早晨收到传唤后，当他到达 45 Cdo 的战术总部（一簇“bivises”帐篷）时，他得知一名伤势极重的阿根廷士兵不知怎么地爬了进来。指挥官安德鲁·怀特黑德中校 (Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Whitehead) 并不想将他撤回到特遣队自己的野战医院，而是希望范德霍斯特将他交给斯坦利的阿根廷医护人员。

这是一个值得赞赏的决定，也是一项英勇的任务。战争的结束并非总是整洁的，从正式投降到停火命令传达到前线士兵之间的时间段，可能与之前的战斗一样危险：45 Cdo 与 42 Cdo、苏格兰卫队 (Scots Guards) 和伞兵团的两个营一起，为了夺取高地进行了激烈的战斗；仅 45 Cdo 就有 8 人死亡，20 人受伤。

阿根廷人的伤亡要严重得多，一些开始向斯坦利撤退的人情绪不佳。范德霍斯特将伤员安置在其中一辆 BV 202 的后座并出发了：“开着 BV 在路上行驶时，我们非常担心被射击，”他多年后回忆道；“但当我们到达第一个阿根廷防御阵地时，他们没有开火。他们非常紧张，把武器指向我们，对着我们大喊。我只是说，‘看看我们车的后面。’他们看到了这名受伤的阿根廷士兵，在那之后他们变得极其热心。”

在他们驶过连续的阿根廷阵地时，其中一名阿根廷人爬上了 BV 202 担任向导和翻译。最终，他们到达了设立在民用医院院内的帐篷式野战医院，那里显然被需要治疗的人数所淹没，整个战役期间总计约 2,000 人：“整个地方一片混乱，臭气熏天，到处是苍蝇——肮脏且士气低落的阿根廷人。”

这是宝贵的情报。然而，他们没有浪费时间，不想在混乱中成为战俘：“我们将那个人留在那里并原路返回，我们依然带着原来那名阿根廷人，他引导我们回到了原先的防御阵地。”

1982 年马尔维纳斯战役后的范德霍斯特。右图为 1985 年在达特穆尔 (Dartmoor)。

6月 15 日，著名的《伦敦标准晚报》刊登了标题为“进入斯坦利的第一个人：马克斯·黑斯廷斯引领方向”的头条，但事实上，在完成了运送受伤士兵的任务后，范德霍斯特已经比他早到了两天。他一向低调，称这次伤员撤离是一项“奇怪的任务”，不过由于曾指挥过海军陆战队的特种舟艇中队（SBS），他见过的奇怪事情一定比这更多。由于他在整个战役期间的贡献，他在派遣报告中被表彰。

鲁珀特·科内利斯·范德霍斯特于 1941 年出生在耶路撒冷，是长子，也是四个孩子中的第二个。他的父亲埃弗特是一名荷兰土木工程师。由于不明确的原因，1943 年该家庭被迫离开耶路撒冷，仅携带随身物品，乘坐运兵船“不列塔尼号”经开罗前往英国。

11月抵达利物浦后，埃弗特·范德霍斯特因被怀疑是德国人而被短暂拘留。获释后，他立即加入了皇家工程师团。他的妻子出生于英国，因嫁给外国人而失去了公民身份，因此也被拘留，随同她的四个孩子一起。两周后，在她的身份真实性得到确认后，她和孩子们乘火车前往伦敦，在一名就职于女性辅助空军的妹妹的帮助下找到了临时住所，随后寄宿在儿子鲁珀特的教父、温布利圣约翰福音传教士教堂的牧师埃德蒙·巴克斯顿家中。

范德霍斯特在 1949 年入籍，随后在萨里郡的查特豪斯学校就读，那里是他教父的母校。像诗人罗伯特·格雷夫斯以及之前的许多人一样，他对查特豪斯持有矛盾心理，尽管他很喜欢少年兵部队的海军部分，并渴望加入高级军职。

他的父亲送他去见未来的海军元帅迈克尔·勒法-

努爵士（当时为上校），后者认为他在海军中不会快乐，于是改为让他去见皇家海军陆战队的休弗里·托勒马契爵士少将。午餐结束时，范德霍斯特确信“快乐的小伙子们”（Jollies）最适合他。他参加了入学考试，直接从学校进入德文郡达特茅斯的不列塔尼亚皇家海军学院，随后进入肯特郡迪尔的皇家海军陆战队仓库。

15 个月后，他加入了 42 突击队。该部队驻扎在新加坡，但在马来亚紧急状态的最后阶段，在泰马边境的丛林中与共产主义叛军作战。随后，他与同为中尉的帕迪·阿什当（未来的自由民主党党魁）一起，参加了 1961 年在 newly independent（新独立的）科威特进行的登陆行动，以威慑伊拉克的入侵（优势行动）。

1962 年 12 月文莱起义失败后，他很快再次回到丛林，这是印尼-马来西亚“对抗期”的开始。文莱人民党及其武装翼——所谓的北加里曼丹国民军（TNKU）发起的起义，很快被代表苏丹的英国军队（包括从新加坡飞抵的廓尔喀兵和海军陆战队）平定。此外，尽管由传奇的第二次世界大战游击队领袖及战后行政官汤姆·哈里森率领的约 2,000 名伊班人（婆罗洲原住民部落）不规则部队成功俘虏了约一百名向南逃窜的 TNKU 成员，但情报显示 TNKU 正在与砂拉越（马来西亚）东部边境的帕根山（Bukit Pagan）建立基地。

1 月，由范德霍斯特中尉率领的一支巡逻队（可能不可避免地被称为“鲁珀特部队”）被派去调查。预计为七天的行动变成了十天，海军陆战队员们不得不自行搜寻食物，但这次行动确认，虽然那里没有基地，但帕西亚河（Sungei Pasia）为任何敌人提供了一条通往安全地带的水路，事实后证明确实如此。

尽管 van der Horst 在其职业生涯中曾在所有三个突击队（营级规模，约 700 人）服役，但从一开始他就想尝试特种舟艇中队（Special Boat Squadron，后改为特种舟艇服务队 Service）的选拔：“我必须说，我觉得非常困难。我得习惯潜水和水下游泳、冰冻的寒冷条件、划独木舟时全身湿透，以及在苏格兰的山脉中被拖行之类的事情。但最终，令人惊讶的是，我通过了选拔，并被派往巴林与另外六名皇家海军陆战队队员汇合。”

他在 SBS 间断地服役了十年，最终于 1978 年就任指挥官。

在参加选拔前，他结识了 Angela Broome，她是第 2 (陆军) 突击队 Richard Broome 上尉的女儿，后者于 1943. 年在意大利阵亡。他们于 1965 年结婚，她与他们的女儿 Charlotte 幸存于他。Charlotte 嫁给了一名法国商人，在布鲁塞尔任教。他们的儿子 Richard 在 2005 年于挪威担任中校指挥 SBS 时，在一次训练事故中去世。

在特种部队的任职期间，1976 年 van der Horst 在贝尔法斯特西部的 Andersonstown 指挥第 40 突击队的一个连。随后他在 1981 年随第 45 突击队在贝尔法斯特进行了第二次轮值，之后他们轮到进行北极战争训练，而这次训练巧合地发生在阿根廷入侵马尔维纳斯群岛之前。

1984, 年 12 月，在 43, 岁这个相对较晚的年龄，他接管了被分配到英英-北约两栖部队的第 40 突击队的指挥权。他的任期被“缩短”了几个月，以便于-

一名海军陆战队员称他为老派且高贵，但是个非常敏锐的人

1987 年以上校军衔在皇家国防研究学院（Royal College of Defence Studies）完成了全年的课程，之后被任命为皇家海军陆战队（RM）作战主任。1990 年，他晋升为准将，并被任命为训练与预备役部队（RM）指挥官。

1992 年退休后，van der Horst 在乡村地主协会（Country Landowners’ Association）工作了八年，在罗汉普顿的 Freebel 研究所又工作了六年。他最终于 2007 年退休到威尔特郡（Wiltshire），一个海军气息并不浓厚的郡，在那里他成为了一名学校理事、教区议员以及士兵、水手和空军家属协会（Soldiers’ Sailors’ and Airforce Families Association）的志愿个案工作者。

他身材高大且热爱运动，退休后三次参加了伦敦马拉松赛，并参加了旨在援助 Farm Africa 的亚的斯亚贝巴半程马拉松赛，同时继续航海、滑雪、在威尔特郡的白垩溪流中钓鱼以及创作水彩画。

他在 SBS 的服役细节仍处于保密状态。然而，一名海军陆战队员这样总结了他的前任指挥官：“一个典型的老派贵族，非常高贵，最起码可以说是个非常敏锐的人。”

Rupert van der Horst CBE (M6), 皇家海军陆战队, 出生于 1941 年 2 月 21 日。他于 2026 年 6 月 24 日因心力衰竭去世，享年 85 岁

---

46

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Register

Lord Horam

曾在工党和保守党政府中担任部长，并在下议院代表过三个政党的政治人物

当约翰·霍勒姆（John Horam）还在约克（York）的朗特里公司（Rowntree's）担任年轻的市场研究员时，他在 After Eight 薄荷糖的推出过程中发挥了微小作用。半个世纪后，他在上议院就制造业问题发表辩论时，讲述了他对该公司产品的自豪感，并补充道：“如果贵族议员们在品尝 After Eight 薄荷薄片时，我希望他们能想起我。”

霍勒姆不仅是对薄荷糖情有独钟，而且是对所有政党都情有独钟，因此获得了“政治不伦”的声誉。在当时，他是战后唯一一位在下议院代表过三个政党的国会议员，也是自 20 世纪 70 年代的雷格·普伦蒂斯（Reg Prentice）以来，首位在工党和保守党政府中均担任过部长的国会议员。然而，一些机智之辈指出，他在 1995 年加入约翰·梅杰（John Major）那个疲惫不堪的内阁，是一个罕见的“老鼠爬上沉船”的案例。

他的政治旅程十分漫长，尽管朋友们认为，在他周围的政党更迭时，他始终保持一致。在 20 世纪 60 年代中期，他在《论坛》（Tribune）杂志中从左翼观点批评工党温和派的政策；但到 1974 年，他就在谴责左翼对财政大臣丹尼斯·希利（Denis Healey）的攻击是“邪恶的”。两年后，他支持罗伊·詹金斯（Roy Jenkins）竞选工党领导人，并担任温和派“宣言小组”（Manifesto Group）的秘书及后来的主席，该小组是为了抗衡左翼的《论坛》小组。他继续尝试从内部改革该党，直到 1979 年 11 月的一次午餐会上，他启发了他在交通部的前上司比尔·罗杰斯（Bill Rodgers）去思考自己的政治归属，他说：“工党无法被挽救了。”

1981 年 1 月，社会民主党（SDP）成立时，霍勒姆与罗杰斯以及“四人帮”的其他成员——詹金斯、大卫·欧文（David Owen）和雪莉·威廉姆斯（Shirley Williams）一同在场。从一开始，他就处于新党的第二梯队，担任与自由党谈判结盟团队的关键成员。根据伊沃·克鲁（Ivor Crewe）和安东尼·金（Anthony King）编写的社会民主党历史，即便在那时，他已“日益以其自由市场、甚至是弗里德曼主义的经济观点而闻名”。

直到 1987 年，在受到玛格丽特·撒切尔（Margaret Thatcher）和诺曼·特贝尔（Norman Tebbell）的争取后，霍勒姆才加入保守党，尽管他依然保持独立立场。在 1997 年的大选中，他是首位公开反驳梅杰在单一货币问题上采取观望政策的部长，他表示：“我反对欧元取代英镑。” 2001 年，他对威廉·哈格（William Hague）仅表达了勉强的支持，告诉《泰晤士报》，党魁试图让自己变得具有相关性的努力并不能吸引传统支持者，并补充道：“他因为顽强地坚持己见、勇敢且无畏而获得了分数。”

霍勒姆还转而支持恢复死刑，反对将同性恋同意年龄降低至 18 岁，并投票反对离婚法的自由化。“正如温斯顿·丘吉尔所说，改变主意比一直出错要好，”他地引用了这位在二战期间担任首相、曾在保守党与自由党之间往返的政治人物的话，“随着年龄增长和经验增加，我们都会改变主意。我也改变了我的主意。”

约翰·罗德斯·霍勒姆（John Rhodes Horam） 1939 年出生于兰开夏郡的普雷斯顿（Preston）。他的父亲悉尼·霍勒姆（Sydney Horam）是英国利兰公司（British Leyland）的一名钳工，母亲凯瑟琳（Catherine，原姓 Harkness）曾在不同时期经营过一家服装店和一家报刊亭。他在听到休·盖茨科尔（Hugh Gaitskell）的演说后，在 15 岁时加入了工党；在经济观点上，他始终更像一名盖茨科尔主义者而非社会主义者。

他就读于韦克菲尔德（Wakefield）的西尔科茨学校（Silcoates School），随后在剑桥大学圣凯瑟琳学院学习经济学，回忆起当时到访的政治人物，包括克莱门特·艾特利（Clement Attlee）、哈罗德·麦克米伦（Harold Macmillan）和乔·格蒙德（Jo Girmond）的演讲。在朗特里公司工作两年后，他加入了《金融时报》，并在收到关于理查德·比钦（Richard Beeching）的线报后获得了他的第一个独家新闻，许多人将……归咎于比钦

以下是为您重新翻译的内容，确保所有指定的年份和数字（2001, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1976, 10, 1962, 1992, 7, 1939, 24, 2026）已全部准确保留：

---

Horam 与其妻子 Judith 的照片拍摄于 2001 年，当时他担任奥平顿（Orpington）的保守党国会议员。

关于国家铁路衰落的问题，他曾将被解雇为英国运输委员会负责人的消息告知编辑。“但编辑不相信我，因为我对这份工作还太陌生，只在内页给了这条新闻几行字，”他说道。

在转职到《经济学人》后，由于周刊的截稿期限为探索潜在的议会席位提供了更多时间，他于 1966 年代表工党竞选福尔斯通与海斯（Follstone & Hythe）席位，但未能成功。由于发现了自己对竞选的热爱，他放弃了新闻业，并坚称：“你不能同时成为一名政治家和一名客观的新闻记者。”随后，他与前《经济学人》同事罗伯特·佩尔曼（Robert Perlman）共同创办了商品研究单位，为国际矿业公司提供数据。

Horam 于 1970 年进入议会，接替哈里·兰德尔（Harry Randall）在盖茨黑德西区（Gateshead West）的席位，并在他的处女演说中抗议保守党削减公共支出的计划。1977 年，他与艾里斯·克劳利（Iris Crawley）结婚。这段婚姻随后解体，1987 年他与《周日时报》汽车编辑朱迪思·乔普（Judith Jopp，原姓杰克逊）结婚，后者后来成为了他的高级个案工作人员。朱迪思与他的继子——会计师弗雷泽（Fraser）以及斯佩索恩（Spethorne）的保守党议员林肯（Lincoln）一同在世。

1976 年，Horam 被詹姆斯·卡拉汉（James Callaghan）任命为运输部长，他主张强制佩戴安全带并宣布改善 M1 高速公路，但却在前往下院投票的途中因超速被拦截，令其颇感尴尬。到“不满之冬”（1978-79年）时期，他对工党感到幻灭，并于 1981 年转向新成立的社会民主党（SDP）。然而，由于他的盖茨黑德西选区被撤销，他在 1983 年竞选纽卡斯尔中心区（Newcastle Central）席位，但成为了两打未能连任的社会民主党议员之一。

在加入保守党之前，他回到了自己的咨询公司。1987 年初，在唐宁街 10 号与撒切尔夫人进行私人会谈后，他正式加入保守党，随后他将自己的社会民主党时期描述为“我政治发展的一个阶段，当时我正在摒弃工党”。起初，他难以找到一个稳固的席位，在比勒里凯（Billericay）、德威齐斯（Devizes）、里布尔谷（Ribble Valley）和肯辛顿（Kensington）都尝试过，但最终被选定在奥平顿竞选——这里曾是 1962 年一场著名的自由党补选胜利地。他在 1992 年获胜，将工党的斯蒂芬·考恩（Stephen Cowan）挤到了第三名。有趣的是，二十年前两人属于同一政党时，考恩曾为他助选。

此时，Horam 在威斯敏斯特代表他的第三个政党。1995 年，在鲍勃·休斯（Bob Hughes）因婚外情辞职后，梅杰首相将 Horam 从后座议员中提拔为公民宪章部长。当他起身回答第一个问题时，被资深工党左翼人士丹尼斯·斯金纳（Dennis Skinner）谴责为“肮脏的双重叛徒”。随后他出任卫生部长（曾在办公室献血），并担任环境审计选择委员会主席。他还曾是 1922 委员会的执行成员。

Horam 曾任奥平顿足球俱乐部主席，且是曼联的狂热追随者。他持有该席位直至 2001 年，随后将位置让给了乔·约翰逊（Jo Johnson，现为玛丽勒本的约翰逊勋爵）。他曾是选举委员会成员，并于 2013 年被封为终身 the Lords（上议院议员）。2026 年 7 月 2 日，他在从上议院走回家途中跌倒，随后陷入昏迷，再未苏醒。

政治始终是他的挚爱，其次是园艺和歌剧（最喜爱的是《托斯卡》和《帕西法尔》），这或许呼应了他在 20 世纪 60 年代参与编写的 After Eight 薄荷巧克力宣传语——“奢华，纯粹且毫不掩饰的奢华”。

Horam 勋爵，议会议员，出生于 1939 年 3 月 7 日。他于 2026 年 7 月 24 日在一次跌倒后去世，享年 87 岁。

Eric de Bellaigue

一位低调的金融分析师，他撰写关于图书贸易机制的文章，并与特鲁曼·卡波特（Truman Capote）共饮贝利尼鸡尾酒

Eric de Bellaigue 是少数几位在半场休息时，穿着西装打领带站在看台上阅读《金融时报》的阿森纳球迷之一，而这对于一名伦敦金融城顶尖的股票分析师来说是必读之作。作为一名爱书之人，当他说出版书籍和杂志就像石油生产一样时，引起了股市和出版界的关注：两者都开发排他性但会耗尽的资产，都具有国际影响，且最重要的是都依赖运气来避免枯井或平庸的作者。

他也被认为是该国最优秀的媒体分析师之一，在 1986 年《独立报》（The Independent）创刊时，他预见性地指出：“我认为它成功的机会大于失败，但其投资者被要求追加资金的可能性也同样很大。”

Bellaigue 不满足于仅仅做一名旁观者，他花费了 15 年时间编纂《被监禁的世界》（Guarded World），这是他在 2020 年出版的监狱文学选集，收录了沃尔特·罗利爵士（Sir Walter Raleigh）、托马斯·莫尔爵士（Sir Thomas More）、查理一世（Charles I）、约翰·班扬（John Bunyan）、米拉波（Mirabeau）、伏尔泰（Voltaire）、亚历山大·索尔zhenitsyn（Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn）等人的作品。该书旨在展示无论出于何种原因，监禁如何强化创作过程。

Marie-Eric de Bellaigue de Bughas 于 1931, 年出生于巴黎，是皮埃尔·德·贝莱格子爵（Vicomte Pierre de Bellaigue）与其妻子 Marie-Antoinette（原姓 Willemin，绰号 Toinon）的双胞胎儿子中的长子。

De Bellaigue 是一位稀有书籍收藏家

Pierre 是一名采矿工程师，在第二次世界大战期间曾任自由法国海军军官，战后在华盛顿特区担任海军武官。

Toinon 在自由欧洲电台工作。她是一位亲英人士，拥有影响力巨大的英国朋友。在 20 世纪 30 年代中期，她带着 Eric 和他的双胞胎弟弟 Geoffrey 前往英国，认为那里的气候对他们的健康有益。1940 年 5 月，他们在比利时度假时遭遇德国入侵，是最后一批通过加来（Calais）逃离的人之一。Pierre 在敦刻尔克被救出。全家取得了英国国籍，Geoffrey 后来成为了女王艺术品的测量员及皇家收藏馆馆长，并于 1986 年被授予皇家维多利亚勋章（KCVO）。

Toinon 曾教导亚历山大·哈丁爵士（Sir Alexander Hardinge，后成为彭斯赫斯特的哈丁勋爵）的孩子，哈丁爵士是乔治六世的私人秘书。国王将她带到温莎城堡，教伊丽莎白公主和玛格丽特公主法语和欧洲历史。Eric 和 Geoffrey 曾与她们一起玩“沙丁鱼”捉迷藏游戏。然而，当伊丽莎白提议打网球时，Toinon 拿起球拍，而沮丧的 Eric 则沦为了球童。

他在肯特郡布罗德斯特尔斯（Broadstairs）的一所名为 Selwyn House 的预备学校就读，那是一所通风不良且现已关闭的学校。在那里，他极其不情愿地接触橄榄球，因此绰号叫 Stoppit。他经常因为鼻窦问题返回伦敦的医院治疗，后来这个问题严重到足以让他免除国民服役。随后他进入惠灵顿学院（Wellington College），在那里他担任拳击队队长，并培养了对莎士比亚和乔叟的热爱。

在蒙特利尔的麦吉尔大学学习经济学和政治经济学期间，Bellaigue 开始收集稀有书籍。他成为一名出色的辩论者，与包括歌手伦纳德·科恩（Leonard Cohen）在内的团队一起在加拿大各地旅行。他访问纽约去看 Toinon，她在与 Pierre 离婚后，嫁给了当地律师尤金·安特迈耶（Eugene Untermeyer）。Bellaigue 步行前往哈莱姆区聆听迪齐·吉莱斯皮（Dizzy Gillespie）的演奏，而在他返回英国的玛丽皇后号航程中，艾拉·费兹洁拉（Ella Fitzgerald）为其演唱。Eugene 向他介绍了其表妹佩吉·古根海姆（Peggy Guggenheim），她当时住在威尼斯，并带他前往市内的 Harry's Bar 与特鲁曼·卡波特共饮贝利尼鸡尾酒。

在蒙特利尔，Bellaigue 遇到了第八代 Rodney 男爵的女儿 Sylvia Rodney，两人于 1962. 年结婚。在 Rodney 勋爵夫妇退休到温哥华岛后，Bellaigue 被称为那个在北太平洋冰冷海水中洗澡的疯英国人。他们在 1981 年分居，四年后离婚。Sylvia 随后不久去世。他们有两个儿子：作家兼记者 Christopher，以及 Network Rail 的经理 Nicholas。1985 年，Bellaigue 与 Nike Kent-Taylor 结婚，两人在股票经纪公司 Grenfell & Colegrave 工作时相识。

“他倾向于克制而非放荡；低调而非张扬，”Christopher 说道。“他很整洁，但倔强地不随潮流。随着年龄增长，他培养出一种毫无恶意的调侃天赋，或者用法国人的话说，叫 laquiner。我们欣赏他的幽默、他的温柔，以及他没有恶意。”

Bellaigue 曾在《蒙特利尔星报》（Montreal Star）担任见习记者，但在需要报道一名火灾受害者家属的悲痛时，他决定放弃新闻业。

相反，他加入了蒙特利尔银行（Bank of Montreal）的经济部门。随后，他在加拿大股票经纪公司 Greenshields 担任了五年的分析师，并撰写了《出版业：Bellaigue 报告》（The Business of Publishing: The Bellaigue Report）。

在伦敦，他在 Schroder Wagg, Buckmaster & Moore, Grenfell & Colegrave 以及 Panmure Gordon 继续其职业生涯，并在后者成为研究主管，专门研究出版和媒体股票，这一领域最接近他的真正热情。他在金融城简陋的葡萄酒酒吧里吃午餐，参观 Christopher Wren 在城内的教堂，并看到社会主义循道宗牧师 Soper 勋爵在他塔山（Tower Hill）的演说台旁让起哄者哑口无言。2022 年，Bellaigue 穿着早礼服参加了伊丽莎白 J 在温莎圣乔治礼拜堂的葬礼。

“Ca va?”（还好吗？）Geoffrey 这位出生于英国的遗孀 Sheila 在最后一次探望 Bellaigue 时问道。“Pas pire,”（没更糟）他用浓重的魁北克法语回答道。但他的文学直觉依然敏锐。在他去世前几天，他给最小的孙辈朗诵了《猫头鹰与小猫》（The Owl and the Pussycat）。

Eric de Bellaigue KCVO，股票经纪人，出生于 12, 1931. 。他于 6, 2026, 去世，享年 95 岁

电子邮件：obituaries@thetimes.co.uk

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

47

Register

中院律师委任

以下人员已在本次三一学期被委任为大律师： Anna Chaitrazej Hamouche, Miguel Foli Nkephé, Claire Hope Denise Otto, Nor Farama Haziqah Binti Muhaf Rudian, Ayesha Tafassum Majeed, Aran Jaden Dollay, Samuel Owusu Ansah, Aminah Tolulope Omoteso, Ernest Boateng, Harveen A/L Visvanathan, Casandra Janell Roch, Karthiga Thiyagaraja, Kian Yew Nah, Ross James McNally, Musammath Khadija Begum, Yousui Ganesh Raj, Max Evan Appleyard, Martha Fou Dansowaa, Nurul Hannah Binti Mohamed, Jerema Li Yenn Soo, Ezekiel Tea Zhi Kit, Sharvena D Jayaseelan, Vithyalonheni A/P Bhaskar, Pei Qing King, Amira Binti Mohamed Farouk, Mohant Sanggaran, Pui Voon Yap, Samiya Sail Ullah, Ervin Soon Ying Nesh, Darwinderjit Kaur Menjit Singh, Angie Chen, Maya Jade Presneill, Liam Benedict Buddy, Nicholas Chua Tan Zhen, Xing Yee Bong, Charles Andre Cinnamoud, Lai Chia Ming, Constance Katherine Mary Blanco, Jalen William Beaurain, Ayomikan Oluwasemilore Ayotunde Salami, Ellie Clare Jinks, Lilly Ellen Whipp, Inhaad Ihne Imran Sekidarn, Khoo Xin Yue, Megan Ellie Pittman, Oi Kei Chiva Tsang, Mae Rose Busby, Yee Ching Valerie Tang, Yuan Jie Leong, Tze Hin Poon, Soh Shi Ryan, Claire Chin Yu Li, Chen Suen Leong, Jia Yi Yong, Angeline Chok Chok Looi, Owen Richard Pearce, Mira Binti Mahathir, Alyma Foo Zhi Qing, Andy Chong Chun Pai, Yew Kai, Laranya Sudena Murthi, Ernzi Pang, Jia Xi Lim, Emmy Hng Jo Siew,

Bethany Emma Hook, Maddie Jessica Rudkin, Amelia Loughland, Annabel Lucy Goulding, Joel Vika Tyson, Priya Obenis-Cattat, Rebecca Emma Lister, Alexander Wai Kwong Ong, Hui Lu Ong, Sue Amerseth Binti Shamsuhiza, Zhen Hao Cheah, Zina Amira Auladin, Danny Cole Shiers, Hee Thong Ng, Najwa Nurfattakh Binti Nazri, Grzegorz Głuszak, Thivyameena Paramesvan, Hemshika Damo Naiko, Julia Ablavi Joya Motcho, Tristen Aryaa Zozartee, Erin Marie Rose Eckhoff, Matthew Florian Barbier Cox, Wafiyah Hana Suraiya Mamode Ally, Sylvester Sim Joel, Xiao Sheng Lim, Abena Aniyemloa Amoakua Obosdee, Dean Michael Bullen, Siti Nazatul Nadia Binti Mufat Kufzuan, Kristin Dominique Johnson, Mahwema Bhorel, Neelum Devi Gopad, Harry Nicholas Gonzalez, Edward Christian Oates Cawthorn, Vanessa Venmuphil Guna Arulalan, Freya Teoh, Hannah Iqbal, Benjamin Howard Gaskell, Priyantha Ravindran, Camilla Henrietta Newton, Zaka Jownally, Dineswaran Rama Moorthy, Zheng Khai Tan, Yohans Veeriah, Emmanuel Hao Chong, James Harold Ash Vie, Arianne Buhagasi, Alamah Marie Brittenden, Lee Wei Cheng, Ting Qian Wong, Sharavindh, Benjamin Hong, Abigail Sia Jia Yi, Ooi An Zi, Hayden Ji Thien Ling, Raania Omar Bahrmaa, Zachary Ewan Henderson, Hareeharem Ravindran, Gabriella Goldwin, Mohammad Zubair Ramdin, Ying Shyuan Wong, Yasmin Hanim Wych, Gabriella Oppong, Benjamin Guretta, Daniel Alexander Paul

Holdaway Lee Anthony David Kipling: Kieran O'Connell: Jagmohan Singh Takk: Omoholog Mariam Rufai: Eleanor Katherine Tack: Kamya Ramesh: Samaway Aruj Nathoo: Oviya Devi Balakrishnan: Onyimyechi Isechi Kaine-Ejimogu: Louis Greco: Beatrice Lola Violet Towle: Asmita Tara Anjali Issary: Ellie Sue Calderbank: Krisha Krishna Moorthy: Ivan Tob: Seren Emma Watson Hughes: Artee Devi Busesaur: Jie Lim: Ariff Iqmal bin Izaqandar: Asseka Danasilan: Charlotte Racheal Worthman: Brenda Teddy Lojikan: Ruthik Dattani: Katrina Tan Kalanwar: Yen Teng Cheng: Wong Chia Wei: Ayushi Gajadhar: Bibi Ume Noornhabab Dillan: Joshua Emmanuel Doolson: Paxlina Adjei Agyemang: Prieya Nathana Silver Yohan: Loi Zi Hua: Oluwabulola Temitope Adebola Akinosho: Daniel James Clark: Nicole Wong Sang Yun: Erin Kwan Li: Ein Sam Yi Cha: Pui Jie Xuan: Soong Yu Tan: Iwan Thomas Bush: Ben Hong Tai Hu: Muhammad Ammar Ansari: Rachel Ling Siew Ying: Jarajdev Singh Ramesh Singh Ji: Komadee Padayachy: Duncan Sing Heng Ting: Xu Ming Khoo: Imogen Rose Griffiths-Smith: Ahie Sun Trong En: Daphne Yee Yong Xin: Tan Jing: Jesiya Ong Yong Hui: Robert James Evans: Ket Dong: Gabriella Sophia Paloma Whittard: Berkay Bozkurt: Ayse Dila Sert: Jacob John Sutton: Shabha Stacey Saxton: Oluwabeni Ouniyan: Syed Jalil Raza Rizvi: Nasrin Siddiquee: Aaron David James Clegg: Canan Berwan Aksoy: Eyswan Krishna Auckloo:

Belfran Inigo Jago Field: Akintolu Danladi Olukunle Ogunyiluka: Megan Choong Jiah Yue: Summer Saile Aliyah Russell: Aaliyah Kisembo: Akhilesh Hurrer: Jordan Rachael Patko: Mohamad Anas Wasim Sooklali: Kian Edward Lee Hearnshaw: Angeline Flowrins Loganathan: William Theodore Stanford Sanders: Manisha Kaur Laddine Singh: Emmanuela Oluwalerinen: Bakare Yoon Ying Lee: Kishen Singh Suliu: Harwardji Kaur Harjan Singh: Michael David Andrew Elderfield: Chloe Simonne Ranfang: Finlay James Egan: Leila Chentouf: Taina Jennifer Laguerre Maneus: Darsheema Jiva: Jennifer Crawford: Annie Philippa Donnelly: Chanandeswaw Sunder Raj: Dhaniesha Sire Ramis: Kymaty Obemetha Amoako-Boateng: Samuel Edward John Street: Sangitha Gnanagaru: Thomas Francis Goring: Amy Elizabeth Gibbons: Emily Claire Bridge: Tan Joe Wen: Kapil Ramisaha: Devina Sivakumar: Nicholas Meng Fung Yap: Rachel Griffin: Isobel Mollie Louise Scott: Grace Isabelle Knapp: Brooke Ann Barker: Comfort Odukoilami Ayedom: Ruby Eleanor Rowlands: Ella Charlotte Stupte: Lucy Frances McLeod: Georgina Elizabeth Wrigley: Lucy Faith Morgan: Tristen Erved Herbert: Orla Kardiwani: Alexandri May Beauchamp: Catlin Winnie Harper: Sherjina Ramah Ramlahan: Rebecca Caitlin O'Reilly: Amelia Grace Bodenham: M Anwarul Aziz Kanak: Calvin Hauwen Liang: Perry Laurance Murphy: Joseph Paul Nahal-Macdonald:

出生、结婚与死亡

欲在登记册中预订出生、结婚或死亡公告，请访问：newsukuk@erlising.co.uk。如需帮助，请致电 020 7782 7553 或发送电子邮件至 BMD@thetimes.co.uk

THE 年月将逝：花草虽时尚，但我们上帝的话必永远立定。以赛亚书 40:3 (c)

圣经经文由圣经学会 (Bible Society) 提供

出生

BYRNE 2026年7月24日，父母为 CLAUDIA（现为 BURROWS）和 JOC BYRNE，得女 AGNES NANCY BY1，（BS）之姐妹

CAMERON 2026年7月5日，父母为 Sophie Loke Holmell 和 James，得女 Felicity Ross Holmell，Athica 和 Caesars 之姐妹

结婚

SIR & D PICKER 与 MS G STRONG

婚礼于 2026年7月25日 在伦敦舰队街的 St. Dunstan in the West 举行，新郎为 St. Simon Picken，新娘为 Ms Dana Strons

死亡

BURRILL Timothy Pankower，2026年7月22日逝世，享寿 95. 资深制作人。深受热爱与钦佩。一位举止完美且带着温暖笑容的真正绅士，我们将深切缅怀。

CONNOLLY Yerevan (Margaret Inke St John) 于 2026年7月25日 平安去世，享寿 82, 家属在侧。

FARNDALE Alfred Guttner，2026年7月22日逝世，享寿 94. Barbara 之夫，Christine 和 Nigel 之父。出生于加拿大，一生在北约克郡的 Wendeeutale 从事耕种。有关葬礼安排的详情，请联系 John Blackmon & Sons Ltd，电话 0774885833

HEATH Patrick Percy George James 于 2026年6月30日（星期二）去世。Padma Anguila Duffey 最近的伴侣，Darren 和 Terry 之父，六个孙辈的爷爷 Pat。我们都会在内心深处想念你。葬礼于今日举行，如愿可向英国心脏基金会 (The British Heart Foundation II) 捐款。

PEGG born Patricia Inke Fussmann 2026年7月14日于威尔士家中平安去世，享寿 94. Chronicled death at the side。George Pegg，两人幸福婚姻 58 年。Funeral mother，深受三个女儿、fully family deceased, breakfast and leave 以及七个孙辈的爱戴。家人与朋友将深切缅怀。葬礼于 8月17日（星期一）下午 2点 在 Wells 的 St Cuthbert 教堂举行。仅限家属献花，但欢迎向 Macular Society 捐款。Unwine 殡仪馆办理。电话：0749 479927

致谢

MACHOY OF CASHFERR Lady Machoy 及其家人衷心感谢所有亲戚、朋友和邻居在他们近期遭遇不幸丧亲之痛时所表达的亲切慰问，以及出席两次纪念服务的支持。

法律、公共、公司及议会公告

如需在这些板块刊登公告，请致电 020 7782 7553

公告需经确认，且应在刊登前三天的 11:30am 前送达

宫廷传闻

白金汉宫

2026年7月24日

今天上午，在 Guildford 大教堂举行的 Dame Penelope Keith（演员）葬礼上，Sir Michael More-Molyence（国王驻萨里郡副主事）代表国王和王后出席。Sir Richard Delque 代表爱丁堡公爵和公爵夫人出席。Colonel John Bend 代表皇家公主出席。His Hosmer Judge Robert Fraser 代表格洛斯特公爵和公爵夫人出席。Professor Stephen Jarvis 代表肯特公爵出席。Mrs Dame Duke 代表 Alexandra 公主及 Hon Lady Ogilvy 出席。

圣詹姆斯宫

2026年7月24日

爱丁堡公爵，加拿大皇家骑警荣誉副专员，今天下午通过视频会议与加拿大的 Mr Michael Dufenne（专员）进行了会谈。

其殿下，萨斯喀彻温龙骑兵团 (Saskatchewan Dragoman) 总司令。随后通过视频会议与加拿大的 Major Paul Park（指挥官）进行了会谈。

Legal Notices

CLARK NO. (79-2026-6100W) 在 2025 年高等法院，商业与财产法院，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。 关于公司法 2006 事项，特此通知，在 2026 年 7 月 19 日，针对 2026 年新的一年，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。 并通知该公司当事人，关于公司法 2006 事项，特此通知，在 2026 年 7 月 19 日，针对 2026 年新的一年，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。 并通知该公司当事人，关于公司法 2006 事项，特此通知，在 2026 年 7 月 19 日，针对 2026 年新的一年，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。 并通知该公司当事人，关于公司法 2006 事项，特此通知，在 2026 年 7 月 19 日，针对 2026 年新的一年，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。

CR-2026-06421T 在 2025 年高等法院，商业与财产法院，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。 关于公司法 2006 事项，特此通知，在 2026 年 7 月 19 日，针对 2026 年新的一年，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。 并通知该公司当事人，关于公司法 2006 事项，特此通知，在 2026 年 7 月 19 日，针对 2026 年新的一年，未经 ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED 的书面通知，THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. 对任何人都无需承担责任。

根据 2006 年公司法特此通知，陛下高等法院 2026 年 7 月 31 日的命令确认，取消上述公司 The Investment Company plc（简称“公司”）股份溢价账户中余额为 £2,425,335.00 的金额。通过取消并注销公司资本中每股 30 便士全额支付普通股的融资，将普通股资本的特征从 £2,792,439.00 减少至 £279,243.70，并将公司资本中每股已发行全额支付普通股的票面价值从 10 便士减少至 1 便士，以及关于 30 便士股份的资本权益声明。（关于公司资本的放弃，按照 2006 年公司法要求的各项具体细节，已由公司登记官于 2026 年 7 月 31 日登记。日期为 2026 年 7 月 29 日。Stephenson Harwood LLP, 1 Findlay City, London EC2M 7DY 电话: +44 (0)20 7397 4822 参考号: 1,68033-6640837 上述公司的代表律师）

林肯法学院律师接纳仪式

以下人员已于本三一学期被接纳为律师：

Md Emran Hossain, Muntasir Bin Rahman Rubel, Md Salman Hasan, Moazzam Hossain, Ramanuj Dehnath, Rinki Saha, Nusrat Wahid Suha, Ishad Hassan Bhuiyan, Nawrin Nahar Nurtuz, Sardar Abdullah Tahir Khan, Kuntzah Parvin, Tahir Yousaf, Alyssa Nathanson-Tanner, Ghazal Eljabi Samuel Ofori, Luqman Haayem, Asma Akter, Kazi Tamanna Sultana Trisha, Muhammad Ahsan Akram, Mojander Mohammad Shah Noman Haider, Muhammad Ahmed, Georgia Elizabeth Hannah Bowen, Maria Islam, Abdul Jabbar Leghan, Anisha Alam Tahsin, Tushar Kanti Roy, Farshi Shekail, Jake Andrew Emerson, Bahar Saleem, Elsa Menaid Simons, Noweheen Zaman, Mir Farhan Ali Fatin, Atik Faisal Khan, Budra Sumalla Shahid, Daniel Anthony Woon, Ayesha Abbasi, Sardar Dawood Khan, James Campbell Leech, Elnea Shivani Rai Gupta, Tan Sze Qi, Klaudia Jotiyisala, Victoria Claire Bradshaw, Mohammad Ridwan Islam, Surendran Johnson, Rao Muhammad Afrasiab Khan, Wali Ur Rehman Chawla, Ka Ting Ho, Arvin Langam, Surreshi Gohan Gnanagaran, Aker Mahmud, Bernadine Madapatha Mahagamapze Anjalee Rodrigo, Hua Chai Wei, Sameeha Raidah, Anil Redwanur Rahman Riku, Kholoud Matar G Alanazi, Shams Van Nafi Chowdhury, Astra Rosebear Charlton, Muhammad Fatehyab Kamran, Jack Mellforth, Su Yin Pang, Yei Yeow Larvi, Ienavia Rafat, Mong Siew Lee, Zoona Ahmad, Adeeba Robul, Rahim Zafar, Roitne Adnan Chaudhry, Chelsea Marie Siazon Albano, Jack Uri Olsburgh, Volma Westfield, John Lovell Broomfield, Natasha Maria Queroz Portela Haley, Xavier McKenna-Gallagher, Alexander John Bellew, Lauren Rianna Williams, Safeer Ahmad, Asad Ali, Kazi Fardin Prio, Hawwa Naisha Nash, Devinn Sebnem Oya Reynolds, Muhammad Mateen Malik, Charlotte Megan Sorowzell, Poo Jay Lam Lifan Eng, Tazeen Fatima Jaffri, Jacob Burton, Saad Sohab Yousef, Graham Rabbani Shoury, Mohammed Abrar Shadman Islam, Terpu Rehman Abbasi, Konak Reza Mim, Wong Ying Qing, Rubee Farnow, Hazada Umur, Saud Javed, Thomas Toh Жан Jet, Tawvir Ahmed, Omeefere Naomi Ukhuedeigbe, Tom Liam Farlow, Harris Bin Mohd Danial Tan, Zoey Lim Ee Zhen, MD Rafina Salehin, Ishal Shahriar Rahman, Amal Javed, Lian Chin Han, Maaz Ali Khan, Chaiha Fatima Mohammad, Muhammad Umer Arif, Eugene Yeo Lit Kuan, Kamyochukwu Olorie, Celine Wee Zhao Ni, Carissa Aswariye Anthony, Xiang Sheng Lau, Afra Ibnaf Orpa, Iftikhar Hossain, Afrin Islam, Virginia Gentile-Costella, Margaret Aни Gallagher, Beth Gilmour, Maeve Egan Carroll, Farina Abdul Jabbar, Mia Lucy Forton, Tania Khan, Maximilian Mstkan, Petra Stojnic, Esmaa Khalid Mansour, Alice Clare Greenbury, Leah Jones, Rebecca Adamma Anyiam, Harmain Aamir, Grace Alexandra Woolaway, Marian Angela Givardli-Kufuar, Shabrez Khan, Louisa Elorm Attache, Sikandar Ameen, Shayan Ahmad, Nabila Charvetto Gomez, Livia Adelaide Amato, Jack Nicholas Colclough, Mishkin Sarwar, Simon Orlando John Blackburn, Shubh Suday Raghso, Harry James Botterill, Jake Simon John Widjaya, Matthew John Holland, Mohammadi Jawad, Kamal Ahmad Khan, Shi Nuranyah Binti Abdul Ghani, Jessica Claire Weadman, Sayed Abul Shah, Ashley Chee Sze Xuan, Md. Nasir Uddin, Sabina Yesmin, Michelle Linda Cudjoe, Rehana Sultana, Kiera Jade Hammond, Hassan Latif Chaudhry, Ahmad Ibrahim, Omor Faruk Anik, Umme Hani Upa, Anas Irtiza Awan, Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, Qasim Mahmood Baba, Maneeb Ur Rehman, Rakaz Ahmed, Olumide Olasfuwa Babalola.

Nazia Amin, Md. Rakib Hasan, Edward Ka Hong Ng, Md Monirul Islam, Ryan Hussain Al-Hajam, Ahmed Abdel Hakam, Abdul Majeeb Zeeshan, Gazi Abdul Malek, Muhammad Saim, Mohammed Faridul Islam, Md Golam Azam, Razaul Karim, Mian Adnan Tariq, Haider Ali Chauhan, Danial Jokhao, Mohtada Ali Hasnain, Muhammad Zaheer, Moiz Tariq, Mohammad Azam, Gaetano Tony Pagone, Zulfikar Ali, Sardar Confusion Imam Qaisrani, Hamood ur Rehman, Md. Kamruzzaman, Anne Agnes Wambui Kibicho, Alexander Ferdinand Dehn, Kh Tanzir Mannan, Mustague Ahmed Chowdhury, Amil Satyavan Jamandekar, Mohammad Asad Ullah Almas, Md Fazlul Haque Salim, Muhammad Madassar Ghazardar, Muhammad Jehanzaib, Anwar Ali Lohar, Adnan Khan Yousafzai, Lydia Sun-Young Kim, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali, Haq Nawaz, Honne Ara Akter, Mohammad Mazhar, Akhtar Abbas, Hasan Mohammed, Mustafaen Kamal, Ansar Younas, Ghayoor Akhtar Rana, Autumn Rose Abigail Ellis, Mohammad Serzaul Saleeian, Muhammad Kamran Sharif, Muhammad Ashfaq Javed, Khalid Mian, Mubarak Ali Muhsan, Muhammed Goni Ullah, Shafuqel Hayat, Sajid Sohail, Shahzad Akhtar.

---

艾尔花园 (Aire Gardens)

购买协会 (BuyAssociation) GetGround

利兹市中心高品质住宅项目

£197,000 起

位于利兹城市公园（Leeds City Park）的 Aire Gardens 是一个难得的机会，可以让您在城市中一个独特且宁静的区域购得公寓。这里被绿树成荫的花园和天然溪流环绕，而距离利兹火车站和市中心仅 500 米步行路程。

该项目毗邻南岸再生区（South Bank Regeneration area），受益于利兹最具变革性的增长地段之一，将绿地空间的吸引力与进出城市的卓越连接性相结合。

独家启动信用额度

BuyAssociation 将在合同交换起每月资助最高 £250。这将直接提升您的回报，立即生效。**适用条款与条件。

欲了解更多信息并索取免费手册，请扫描二维码

0800 316 7344

• 预计到 2029 年，利兹的房价将增长 28.2%* —— 是英国增长最快的区域城市之一
• 仅 500 米步行即可到达利兹火车站，提供前往伦敦、曼彻斯特及其他地区的直达连接
• 位于价值数十亿英镑的南岸再生区之旁 —— 英国最大的城市更新项目之一，旨在将利兹市中心的规模扩大一倍
• 精品项目仅含 98 套公寓，配备私人户外空间、高端规格以及 BTR 风格的配套设施（包括健身房、休息室和共享工作区）—— 增强了租赁吸引力和租客留存率
• 价格 £197,000 起，显著低于利兹平均水平 (£245,000)，提供了具有强大上涨潜力的极具吸引力的准入门槛

投资价值可能会上涨或下跌，BuyAssociation 始终建议您寻求独立的财务建议。*来源：Savills 住宅预测。

---

RESIDENCES

BY LUXURY LODGES

£145,000 起

奢华度假屋，

本应如此

950 年所有权 • 强劲的租赁回报 • 五星级配套设施 全英六大度假村 • 无印花税 • 无市政税

十多年来由家族经营。在威尔士、康沃尔、湖区、诺森伯兰郡和达勒姆郡拥有六个屡获殊荣的度假村。坚固耐用，世代传承。

致电 0800 404 5680

扫描了解更多信息

---

SILVERSEA 的 顶级合作伙伴

仅限通过 ROL CRUISE 预订

ROL CRUISE 30 超过 30 年的信赖之选

星期一

爱尔兰和苏格兰北部地区将出现更广泛的房屋气象记录及更凉爽的温度。阵雨伴有背景波浪的剧烈日落。

《泰晤士报》天气页面由以下提供：

概况： 东南地区将是一个非常炎热、干燥且晴朗的日子，北部和西部温度低得多，并伴有持续的下午降雨，有时较为剧烈。 北爱尔兰，爱尔兰共和国： 东部温暖且潮湿。早晨爱尔兰北部有雨带，下午转为大部分晴朗。最高 22C (72F)，最低 8C (46F)。 南威尔士，北威尔士，英格兰西北部，英格兰东北部： 较凉爽，云层较厚，全天带来阵雨。轻微西风。最高 23C (86F)，最低 12C (70F)。 伦敦，东英吉利，中地，英格兰中南部，英格兰西南部，英格兰中北部，英格兰东南部，英格兰东部，海峡群岛： 英格兰西南部和海峡群岛干燥，有零星云层。其他地区非常炎热、干燥且晴朗。轻微至温和的西风或西南风。最高 35C (95F)，最低 14C (57F)。 苏格兰西北部，莫雷峡湾，北部群岛，苏格兰东北部： 基本上是干燥的一天，有晴间多云及分散阵雨。轻微西风。最高 19C (65F)，最高 7C (45F)。 湖区，边境地区，苏格兰西南部，格拉斯哥，爱丁堡和邓迪，阿伯丁，中部高地，阿盖尔： 温度起初温暖，但进入下午后感觉凉爽，早晨阵雨转为持续降雨，尽管有时可能较为剧烈。轻微至中度西南风。最高 21C (70F)，最低 7C (45F)。

潮汐

潮汐预测
高度1（米），所有时间均为当地时间
今日	...	高	高
阿伯丁 (Aberdeen)	10/02	3.9	14.06
安托内特 (Antoinette)	07/07	12.7	20.27
贝尔法斯特 (Belfast)	...	...	12.22
卡迪夫 (Cardiff)	07/07	11.8	20.87
多诺格特 (Donoghurt)	06/30	4.8	18.44
多诺 (Donor)	...	...	12.85
杜克斯 (Dukes)	...	...	12.21
爱丁堡 (Edinburgh)	...	...	12.21
爱丁堡 (Edinburgh)	06/06	4.6	18.28
格林诺克 (Greenock)	11/09	3.3	13.22
哈罗维奇 (Harwich)	...	...	12.44
高地 (Highland)	11/23	5.8	23.38
赫尔 (Hull)	06/06	6.9	19.31
利斯 (Leith)	09/21	5.5	19.49
利物浦 (Liverpool)	...	...	12.88
伦敦桥 (London Bridge)	02/30	6.7	14.57
洛威斯托夫特 (Lowestoft)	10/14	2.5	23.82
威尔弗里德港 (Wilfrid Haven)	07/06	6.2	19.22
莫克姆 (Morecambe)	...	...	12.18
纽黑文 (Newhaven)	...	...	12.86
挪威 (Norway)	09/07	6.1	18.18
奥兰 (Olan)	06/01	3.5	19.82
普雷斯科特 (Prescott)	05/12	4.9	17.95
朴次茅斯 (Portsmouth)	...	...	12.59
谢本 (Sherburn)	...	...	12.22
南安普顿 (Southampton)	11/16	4.2	23.48
斯旺西 (Swansea)	07/07	5.4	19.29
塔斯 (Tass)	04/22	5.1	16.55
韦茅斯 (Waymouth)	07/27	3.7	19.53

天气形势

位于苏格兰东北部的低压将给英国北部带来一次扫过的冷锋，导致温度变得更凉爽、更清新。一系列冷霜将在未来几天给爱尔兰和苏格兰带来多条云带和降雨，有时较为剧烈。在暖区内，南部将继续维持炎热且基本干燥的天气。

最高与最低气温 截至昨日下午 7 点的 24 小时 最高温： 地理位置 利物浦 (Liverpool) 18.8C 最低温： 坎佩伦 (Camperon)，5.2C 最高降水量： 费德赫斯 (Fydehurs) 珀斯郡 (Perthshire)，23.2mm 日落： 希思罗 (Heathrow)，13.2m/s 日与月 格林威治时间 日出时间：22.19 日落时间：20.33 月出时间：22.07 月落时间：20.58 Tins 下弦月：机场 6

黑夜时长 阿伯丁 (Aberdeen) 23.06-04.02 贝尔法斯特 (Belfast) 23.88-09.03 布鲁内姆 (Bruneham) 22.35-06.54 卡迪夫 (Cardiff) 23.06-05.00 埃克塞特 (Exeter) 22.04-08.48 格拉斯哥 (Glasgow) 22.88-04.48 利物浦 (Liverpool) 22.45-04.55 伦敦 (London) 22.22-04.51 曼彻斯特 (Manchester) 22.40-04.51 蒙科廷 (Moncotin) 22.45-04.42 哈罗维奇 (Harwich) 22.22-04.42 普雷森斯 (Presence) 22.00-05.18 谢菲尔德 (Sheffield) 22.57-04.49

出色的击球，但百球赛在烧钱

Elizabeth Ammon 表示，5.2 亿英镑 (£520m) 的意外之财无法弥合拥有者与匮乏者之间的鸿沟

**** 我们已经进入百球赛（the Hundred）新时代的第一个星期。我们有了新所有者、新资金、新装备和新球队名称。出场球员的质量提升了一个档次，但观众人数却下降了。在这一切之中，上周发布的 2026, Leonard Curtis 板球金融报告得出结论，郡级板球赛中拥有者与匮乏者——即拥有百球赛特许经营权的俱乐部与被该赛事边缘化的俱乐部——之间的鸿沟将进一步扩大。

不再是廉价的出行之日

总体入场人数比去年下降了约 20 per cent，但情况不一，伦敦的特许经营权与首都以外的特许经营权之间存在明显差异。伦敦精神队（London Spirit）在勋爵板球场（Lord's）的揭幕战峰值入场人数为 23,847，较去年的首场比赛有所增加。曼彻斯特超级巨人队（Manchester Super Giants）在老特拉福德（Old Trafford）的首场比赛有 12,500 人参加——该场馆可容纳约 20,000. 人。特伦特桥（Trent Bridge）和海丁利（Headingley）的揭幕战中也有数千个空座。尽管夏季天气晴朗，但入场人数下降的部分原因是球队本身，因为他们现在需要负责自己的票务和营销。

一名特许经营权来源人士表示：“在营销和门票销售方面，我们仍有需要学习的地方。虽然我们提供了早鸟优惠，但也许我们需要更早、更强势地进行营销。”

另一种理论是门票变得太贵了。在百球赛早期，成人票价在 £20 到 £25 之间——比 T20 Blast 更便宜。在过去两年里，价格缓慢上涨，现在大多数成人票价格在 £35 到 £55 之间，9 岁以下儿童票价为 £5. 对于一个四口之家，考虑到交通、餐饮，一天的花费将超过 £150. 娱乐预算有限的人必须做出选择：孩子们是更愿意在主题公园度过一天，还是去观看百球赛？

复刻版装备同样不便宜。曼彻斯特超级巨人队和利兹太阳神队（SunRisers Leeds）正在向持票者赠送球衣，而 MI 伦敦队（MI London）则提供了一项装备特赦，允许持有 2025 椭圆无敌队（Oval Invincibles）装备的人将其更换为新的金蓝色 MI 装备。但如果孩子们更想要后者，你仍然需要花费约 £50 买一件球衣和 £23 买一顶帽子。由球队自行定价，他们应该考虑的一点是学生优惠价。青少年票是给 9 岁以下儿童的，但许多 17 到 22 岁的人仍在接受全日制教育或培训，他们不太可能负担得起超过 £35 的成人票和 7 英镑 (£7-plus) 以上的一杯啤酒。

WITCH 上发生了什么？

资金的注入，男子球队薪资总额增加到 £2 million 以上，以及球员拍卖，这意味着球队的质量有了显著提升。过去几个赛季，百球赛（the Hundred）受到的一项批评是缺乏激烈的比赛和戏剧性的收尾，但周一在 Southern Brave 与 MI London 之间的女子和男子比赛中，我们出现了两次最后一球决胜的情况。

照片：ROBERT SMITH/STREET

而在周日 London Spirit 与 Trent Rockets 的男子比赛中，Rockets 在仅剩两球的情况下以四个 wicket 的优势获胜。

MI London 的 Nicholas Pooran 在“轰击”榜上领先，三场比赛的击球率（strike rate）为 214.28。Manchester Super Giants 的 Jos Battler 表现出色，以 179.8 的击球率获得了 169 分，不过 Mitchell Marsh 以 173 分领先。Welsh Fire 的 Rachin Ravindra 在对阵 London Spirit 的比赛中，以 44 球 98 分的表现被称为“肮脏”击球，并为此向“那些板球纯粹主义者”道歉。他在进入“牛角区”（cow-corner）疯狂模式后，击出了七个六分球——全部落在中腿区（midwicket）和长沿区（long on）之间。

在女子比赛中，Welsh Fire 的澳大利亚选手 Georgia Voll 位居得分榜首，但英格兰的 Sophia Dunkley 是最具攻击力的击球手，两场比赛的击球率为 206.25。

把唱歌交给专业人士

以热门歌曲 Written in the Stars 等著称的 Tinie Tempah，周四在 Lord's 球场为 London Spirit 的揭幕战带来了一场非常精彩的演出。

组织者做出了一个明智的决定，没有将这样一位大牌明星藏在看台后方，而是将他安置在 Nursery End 外场的一个舞台上，面对 Edrich 看台的观众。他的演出非常出色，演唱了所有热门曲目，并走进人群中拥抱那些略显困惑的中年观众。

而处于另一个极端的是，几支球队试图引入获胜后由球员演唱的球队歌曲——结果令人尴尬。

SunRisers Leeds 在遭遇网络抵制后，发布了一段其男球员演唱新胜利之歌的视频。球员和工作人员试图表演改编版的 Marching on Together（利兹联和利兹犀牛队的赞歌）——他们面前摆着印有修改后歌词的纸页。没有人记得歌词，而且每个人都在用不同的音阶唱不同的音符。“绝对令人尴尬（cringeworthy），”是那篇现已删除帖子的一个评论。

MI London 的球队歌曲至少是球员们能轻易掌握的。它采用了 Gala 的 Freed From Desire 的曲调，歌词非常简单：“We are the kings of London in gold and royal blue, la la la, la la la, la la la, la la ...”

国内比赛未来的警告信号

上周发布的 Leonard Curtis 板球财务报告 2026, 发现，在百球赛球队出售后，郡级板球（county cricket）中“拥有者”与“匮乏者”之间的鸿沟将进一步扩大。报告发现，“四大”球队——萨里（Surrey）、兰开夏（Lancashire）、汉普郡（Hampshire）和华威郡（Warwickshire）——创造了 18 个一级郡所有收入的 53%（£134 million 出于 £23.3 million）。

£520 million 横财来自出售百球赛球队，为每个非主办郡带来了约 £25 million，使其中许多球队能够偿还沉重的债务。但报告警告说，百球赛未来的大部分收入（包括广播协议的分成）将流向八个主办场馆。

报告得出结论，非主办郡将继续在运营成本方面挣扎，并强调了萨塞克斯（Sussex）的困境，称其是更广泛的国内比赛的一个警告信号，表明成本上升速度超过收入的影响。

结果

Commonwealth Games 英联邦运动会

Glasgow 仅限格拉斯哥奖牌项目 Gothic gymnastics: Men: horizontal bar 哥特体操：男子：单杠 1. F Davis (Cain) 4:2,000; 2. M Gunsmire (Cay) 16:166; 3. W Errant (Cain) 13:166; 4. A Vishton (Cain) (Eng) 14:237. Parallel bars 双杠 1. J Moore (Aus) 14:000; 2. M Langergan (Cay) 13:000; 3. E Dicks (Cain) 13:000; 5. R Ward (Cay) 13:166; Vaud 沃：1. Duro 13:766; 2. L Whitehouse (Eng) 12:749; 3. N Kersakus (Cay) 13:733. Women: Balance-beam 女子：平衡木 1. R Scott (Aus) 13:933; 2. A Yap (Sing) 15:233; 3. L M Fontaine (Cain) 13:000; 5. A Lost (Eng) 12:866. Floor 自由操 1. K Evans (Wales) 11:500; 2. A Martin (Eng) 15:333; 3. S-E Arnethawah (Eng) 13:000.

Athletics: Men: 100m 田径：男子：100米 1. C Everett (Clemmons) 9:8,000; Games record: 2. L Kennedy (Aus) 9:85; 3. A Kaye (Nigeria) 9:90; 10.0,000s; 11. Roderson (Aus) 27min 48:93sec; 12. C Singh (India) 27:49.78; 3. D Mubarey (India) 27:45.83. Women: 100m 女子：100米 1. D Nistle (AU) 10:93; 2. A Hunt (Eng) 10:98; 3. T Lewis (Aus) 10:99. High jump 跳高 1. S Patterson (Aus) 1:96m (Games record): 2. A Oxnaguen (Aus) 1:93; 3. T Adedreca (Nigeria) 1:90. Hammer 链球 1. C Rogers (Cain) 14:9bn (Games record): 2. L Bruce 9:82. 69.82; 3. L Roberts (Aus) 68:09.

Bowls: Men: Singles: Gold medal match 草地滚球：男子：单打：金牌赛 1. Taitland (Eng) 1st (Dudleigh (Malaysia) 2-0pts. Bronze medal 1. Taitland (英) 第一 (Dudleigh (马来西亚) 2-0分。铜牌 2. Kelly (N. no) 1st (Wales) (Aus) 7:1,1pts. Women: Farn. Gold medal 2. Kelly (N. no) 第一 (威尔士) (澳) 7:1,1分。女子：Farn。金牌 3. England 1st (Malaysia) (E. 1/2pts. Bronze medal 3. 英格兰 第一 (马来西亚) (E. 1/2分。铜牌 4. Northern Ireland 1st (Wales) 2-0pts. 4. 北爱尔兰 第一 (威尔士) 2-0分。

Swimming: Men: Freestyle: 100m 游泳：男子：自由泳：100米 1. F Eastman (Aus) 47:0sec; 2. M Richards (Wales) 47:64; 3. K Chalmers (Aus) 47:74. Breaststroke: 200m 蛙泳：200米 1. F Nowak (Jan) 2:nes 7:87sec; 2. O Dawson (Can) 2:08.39; 3. Z Dubbitt/Cock (Aus) 2:08.95; 4. G Butler (Eng) 2:09.91. Individual medley: 400m 个人混合泳：400米 1. L

(Sandwich (NZ) 4:08.72; 2. W Pate (Aus) 4:10.02; 3. L Wagginton (Can) 4:11.9b. Women: Freestyle: 800m 女子：自由泳：800米 1. L Palletier (Aus) 6:11.12 (Games record): 2. E Fierwathner (NZ) 6:24.97; 3. W Walker (Aus) 8:25.81. Backstroke: 50m 仰泳：50米 1. K Mason (Aus) 27:32; 2. J Anderson (Aus) 27:45; 3. L Cox (Eng) 27:56. Breaststroke: 50m 蛙泳：50米 1. L van Niekerk (SA) 30:43; 2. S Toole (Aus) 30:54; equal 3. I Clark (Eng) and 5. Angus (Can) 30:86. Individual medley: 200m 个人混合泳：200米 1. F Ferreiter (Aus) 2:09.24; 2. A Carrie (SA) 2:09.27; 3. A Smith (Eng) 2:09.41. Wales: 6 x 100m medley relay 威尔士：6 x 100米混合接力 1. Australia 1:40.46 (Games record): 2. South Africa 3:42.65; 3. Scotland (M Ward, A Evans, K Macleod, D Scie) 3:43.70. Weightlifting: Men: 88kg 举重：男子：88公斤 1. H Muhammad (Malaysia) 3rd (Games record): 2. S McTaggart (NZ) 3:38; 3. A Deig (Scie) 3:09. Women: 69kg 女子：69公斤 1. C Simonsen (Can) 2:40 (Commonwealth Games record): 2. R Kaur (India) 2:27; 3. N Hynman (Aus) 2:16. 63kg 63公斤 1. M Charnin (Can) 2:22 (Games record): 2. S Bride (Eng) 2:01; 3. F C Notte (Nevna) 2:95.

领先奖牌 1. 澳大利亚 2. 加拿大 3. 加拿大 4. 英格兰 5. 英格兰 6. 苏格兰 7. 南非 8. 新西兰 9. 印度 10. 牙买加 11. 牙买加 12. 牙买加 13. 牙买加 14. 牙买加 15. 牙买加 16. 牙买加 17. 牙买加 18. 牙买加 19. 牙买加 20. 牙买加 21. 牙买加 22. 牙买加 23. 牙买加 24. 牙买加 25. 牙买加 26. 牙买加 27. 牙买加 28. 牙买加 29. 牙买加 30. 牙买加 31. 牙买加 32. 牙买加 33. 牙买加 34. 牙买加 35. 牙买加 36. 牙买加 37. 牙买加 38. 牙买加 39. 牙买加 40. 牙买加 41. 牙买加 42. 牙买加 43. 牙买加 44. 牙买加 45. 牙买加 46. 牙买加 47. 牙买加 48. 牙买加 49. 牙买加 50. 牙买加 51. 牙买加 52. 牙买加 53. 牙买加 54. 牙买加 55. 牙买加 56. 牙买加 57. 牙买加 58. 牙买加 59. 牙买加 60. 牙买加 61. 牙买加 62. 牙买加 63. 牙买加 64. 牙买加 65. 牙买加 66. 牙买加 67. 牙买加 68. 牙买加 69. 牙买加 70. 牙买加 71. 牙买加 72. 牙买加 73. 牙买加 74. 牙买加 75. 牙买加 76. 牙买加 77. 牙买加 78. 牙买加 79. 牙买加 80. 牙买加 81. 牙买加 82. 牙买加 83. 牙买加 84. 牙买加 85. 牙买加 86. 牙买加 87. 牙买加 88. 牙买加 89. 牙买加 90. 牙买加 91. 牙买加 92. 牙买加 93. 牙买加 94. 牙买加 95. 牙买加 96. 牙买加 97. 牙买加 98. 牙买加 99. 牙买加 100. 牙买加**

C The Hundred：利兹太阳神队 (Sunrisers Leeds) 对阵 曼彻斯特超级巨头队 (Manchester Super Giants)：男子组 Headlogter (利兹太阳神队赢得掷硬币) 利兹太阳神队 (4pts) 以 8 个三柱门胜 曼彻斯特超级巨头队

曼彻斯特超级巨头队 (球数) T Soifert 对阵 Potts & Carse 28 (16) A Madman 对阵 替补 (E Barnard) 3 Ellis 12 Butler 未出局 63 (33) H Kinsman 对阵 Rens & Ellis 53 (27) T Moore 未出局 0 (1) 额外分 (3 1 w 0) 0 (1) 总计 (3 柱门, 100 球) 181 L du Plooy, L Dawson, G Atkinson, N Ahmad, J Tongue 和 S Baker 未击球。 出局点 3-36, 2-75, 3-180. 投球 Carse 20:6-47:1, Ahmad 20:2-47:0, Potts 20:4-33:0, Ellis 20:4-32:2, Lawrence 5:1-4:0, Rena 19:2-21:0. 利兹太阳神队 (球数) M Marsh & Baker HR Braxton 对阵 Moores & Tongue 33 (11) C Crawley 未出局 36 (34) H Brook 未出局 42 (17) 额外分 (3 1 1/2 w 4) 12 总计 (2 柱门, 88 球) 18 B Lawrence, T Alway, M Rens, B Carse, M Potts, N Ellis 和 A Ahmed 未击球。 出局点 3-26, 2-118. 投球

Atkinson 20:11-29:0, Baker 20:6-30:1, Tongue 15:6-40:1, Dawson 15:3-42:0, Ahmad 18:3-37:0.[{"box_2d": [343, 815, 489, 972], "label": "text", "caption": "胜 平 负 弃 平分 积分 净运行率 \n曼彻斯特 SG \n2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n威尔士之火 \n2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nM 伦敦 \n3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n利兹 Surekers \n2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n特伦特火箭 \n2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n布朗凤凰 \n2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n南部勇士 \n3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n伦敦精神 \n2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 \n3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0"}]

Dense Tabular Data (Omitted)

2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0

Dense Tabular Data (Omitted)

2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n**3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 --- THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 53 Racing Sport

Goodwood

Rob Wright

3.50 Infront (noo)

2.25 Divine Whisper

1.80 Janthus

3.35 Right 4-Wide (nb)

Going: good good to firm in places Draw: 0/4d, high numbers best

Racing TV

4.10 Ocean Balls

5.40 Under The Twilight

5.40 Howland

Racing TV

5.00 Great Rewarder Shaker Handicap

(3-9-0 £46.60 'tm #19) (runners)

1	(1)	(22)	W. THOMAS DEL TIMES 1.0 (Rookie) 9-7	J. Pholis	9-5
2	(1)	(7)	J. CAMARA 1.0 (8-21) 1.7 (Pitton City) 9-7	D. Browne	W. Benson
3	(1)	(7)	J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H.
4	(1)	(4)	J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H
5	(1)	(4)	J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H
6	(1)	(4)	J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H
7	(1)	(4)	J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H
8	(1)	(4)	J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H

Rob Wright's choice Infront steps up in divisions after fixing home when third at Chester, he looks a cat driver this field Dangers Heltens, Sus And Sun

2.25 British Stallion Shuds EBF Alice

Raspet Flicker Conditions Stakes (2-9-0 £53.40 '91) (9)

1	(1)	(0)	02321 CAL MOO 1.0 (T) Caverin 9-7	D. Wain	35
2	(1)	(1)	03498 HENRIER 2.0 (A) R. Bradley 9-7	B. Lindstrom	32
3	(1)	(1)	02109 FRIDD 0.1 (B) James Dean 9-3	C. Fallon	27
4	(1)	(1)	02109 FRIDD 0.1 (C) J. Collins 9-3	D. Murphy	26
5	(1)	(1)	J. HODGES LIFT 4.0 (A) Fallon 9-3	D. Perry	29
6	(1)	(1)	02102 HOLLY 2.0 (T) C. F. Robson 9-2	P. Dudley	27
7	(1)	(1)	03908 CHINESE D'ORANGE 4.0 (B) D'Phillips 9-2	R. L. Brown	23
8	(1)	(1)	03908 CHINESE D'ORANGE 4.0 (B) D'Phillips 9-2	J. Pholis	49
9	(1)	(1)	03202A FRIDD 1.0 (T) C. F. Robson 9-2	S. Osborne	35

(3-6) Roll Biscayne - 4.7 (Miles) 49, A. 1.7 (Tol) Track 3.1 (Miss) Lytra, Princess D'Grange 2-21 (Daytime, Home, Home) 2-21 (A) R. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H.

Wright choice (Divine Whisper) did well to put in a狭窄 (not race at Whisper). Have should be more than 1.0 Dangers Danger's Well (Rouses, Hidden Gilt)

3.00 Rolls-Royce Oak Tree Stakes ITV

| (雌马及成年雌马) (Group 3 £62.80 '71) (10) | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | (4) | (11) | AMARIS 0.1 (A) R. Burrin 9-7 | Rolley Fraser 41 | | 2 | (9) | (10) | ROLL THE ROLL 1.0 (C) F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F | | | 3 | (12) | (12) | ILL FLEURANT 2.0 (A) R. Burrin 9-7 | R Scott 401 | | 4 | (2) | (1) | FLIGHT SIGNAL 1.0 (B) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. M. R. Burrin 41 | | 5 | (12) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | HP Murphy 79 | | 6 | (1) | (1) | HALOFS PIODE 4.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 7 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 8 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 9 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 10 |

(1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 11 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 12 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 13 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 14 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 15 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 16 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 17 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 18 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 19 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 20 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 21 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE

1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 22 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 23 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 24 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 25 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 26 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 27 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 28 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 29 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 30 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 31 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 32 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J.

Pholis 41 | | 33 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 34 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 35 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 36 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 37 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 38 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 39 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 40 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 41 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 42 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 43 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 44 | (1) | (1) |

J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 45 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 46 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 47 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 48 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 49 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 50 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 51 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 52 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 53 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 54 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 55 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A.

R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 56 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 57 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 58 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 59 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 60 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 61 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 62 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 63 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 64 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 65 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 66 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 |

| 67 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 68 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 69 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 70 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 71 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 72 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 73 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 74 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 75 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 76 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 77 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 78 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF

A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 79 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 80 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 81 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 82 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 83 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 84 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 85 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 86 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 87 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 88 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 89 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin

9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 90 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 91 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 92 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 93 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 94 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 95 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 96 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 97 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 98 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 99 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 | | 100 | (1) | (1) | J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 | J. Pholis 41 |

Redcar

Rob Wright

2.05 Armonk 3.50 Wild Dahlia

2.06 Owl 3.20 (M) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S)

3.03 Horswell Ridge 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R)

Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17

Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17

Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17

Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17

Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17

4.50 Handicap (£3340: 9/1) (7)[{"box_2d": [223, 596, 400, 604], "label": "text", "caption": "1. (1) DAVIS RICE GEORGE 1.1 (1) A. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H.

---

54

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

体育 英联邦运动会

Abdul（右）将在今天的超重量级四分之一决赛中对阵英格兰的 Thomas。Amin（下）热爱拳击，曾是乌干达轻重量级冠军

UGANDA BIZANG/GEOGRAPHY

伊迪·阿明之孙：我将成为苏格兰之王

Rick Broadbent 格拉斯哥

在拳击界，你经常能听到许多陈词滥调，但可以肯定的是，这是第一次有英联邦运动会参赛者誓言要利用暴政独裁者伊迪·阿明（Idi Amin）的记忆，让自己成为新的“苏格兰之王”。

25 岁的 Aziz Abdul 是一名拳击手，在创造出以自己命名的招牌出拳后，他有时被称为 Aziz Ringo。他同时也是前乌干达总统的孙子，后者在 1971 年通过政变上台，并监管了至少 300,000 人的死亡以及 80,000 名亚裔人士的强制驱逐。阿明也是一个妻妾成群的人，据信育有约 60 个孩子。

Abdul 在格拉斯哥一直忙于通过拳击虚张声势的棱镜来引导这段家族历史。因此，在他今天与英格兰的 Damar Thomas 进行超重量级四分之一决赛之前，他表示：“我祖父的成就激励了我。他和我一样也是一名重量级拳击手，我为他感到自豪。”

“狮子回报狮子。狮子不能回报狗或骆驼。狮子必须像狮子。事实就是这样。我是真正的战士。我是之子的儿子。”

他将阿明与迈克·泰森（Mike Tyson）结合在一起，随后补充道：“我认识英国重量级选手安东尼·约书亚（Anthony Joshua）和泰森·富里（Tyson Fury），但我的偶像是以地球上最凶悍的人著称的迈克·泰森。如果我赢得金牌，我将成为英联邦中最凶悍的人，格拉斯哥最凶悍的人，以及新的苏格兰之王。”

其中有许多值得剖析的地方。“凶悍”的拳击手和杀人暴君可能不应该出现在同一个句子——或同一座拳击场——中；而且考虑到阿明更像是一个造成数千具残缺尸体和乌干达人“失踪”的怪物，狮子的隐喻显得牵强。

同样明确的是，在 Aziz 仅两岁时便在沙特阿拉伯流亡去世的阿明，被拳击的肢体对抗所吸引且具备一定能力。他曾是乌干达轻重量级冠军，且正如熟悉 2006 年电影《苏格兰之王》（The Last King of Scotland）的人所知，他确实采用了那个称号，以及许多其他称号。为什么？他觉得与一个在历史上被英格兰压迫的国家有亲缘关系，甚至提出要解放苏格兰人，并且在英国与其政权断绝所有外交关系时感到愤怒。

他被 BBC 称为“小丑暴君”，被更多人称为“乌干达屠夫”，他还给自己封了许多其他头衔，包括“地上所有野兽与海中所有鱼类之主，以及非洲通用且特别是乌干达之英国帝国征服者”。

在掌权期间，他拒绝在非洲业余拳击锦标赛上发表惯例的开幕演说，而是挑战国家教练 Peter Sseruwagi 进行一场对决。这位紧张的教练后来记录道：“我看到面相凶狠的安保人员围绕在拳击场周围。”由于认为攻击这位行为怪异且身着西装的总统是不明智的，他听从了一位高级体育官员的建议，采取了假摔。阿明在乌干达队 1974 年前往世界锦标赛之前也访问了该队，并告诉拳手们要追求击倒获胜，因为他们会被白人裁判欺骗。

显然 Abdul 也听从了那个建议，因此开发出了一种他称之为“Ringo”的击倒重击。

“我们不在非洲，我们在欧洲，”他说。“就像我爷爷常说的那样，你需要通过击倒获胜，所以这就是我们训练的目标，也是我需要去做的事情。”

90kg+ 级别从四分之一决赛阶段开始，尽管任何人都不应对参赛人数表现得过于傲慢。当年英国因种族隔离制度而拒绝对南非实施经济制裁时，约有 32 个国家抵制了 1986 年在爱丁堡举行的英联邦运动会。这意味着超重量级类别仅有两名参赛者，但一名来自威尔士的新手 Aneurin Evans 响应了赛前的紧急征召，从而直接晋级决赛。他的对手是 Lennox Lewis。这场比赛毫无悬念。正如 Brian Oliver 在其富有启发性的著作《英联邦运动会》（The Commonwealth Games）中所述，Evans 在四分钟疯狂的后退逃避后就获得了一枚银牌。

今天的另一个角落是 21 岁的 Thomas，他得到了前世界冠军 James DeGale 的支持。这位 2022 年欧洲青年冠军为了走到今天，不得不克服严重的伤病，甚至需要从髋部到手部移除骨骼，他希望能够加入由 Delicious One、Frazer Clarke 和 Joe Joyce 等人组成的英国冠军之列。

同样在参赛名单上的还有名字十分精致的纳米比亚选手 Tryagain Morning Ndevelo。他解释说，他的母亲为他起这个名字是为了让他永远记住要尽力而为。“每天你早晨醒来，都有机会去做昨天没能做到的事情，”他说。

一名英国希望之星在昨天黯淡离场。在 55kg 类别中，前三量级世界冠军 Duke Mckenzie 之子 Ellis Trowbridge 登上了拳击台，展现出更令人期待的血统，但他败给了加纳的 madu Mohammed，后者现在已确保获得一枚铜牌。

六国赛：威尔士 vs 英格兰 2027

March 5, 2027

在 Principality Stadium 见证威尔士对阵英格兰之战，这是一场吉尼斯男子六国赛赛事，历史、竞争与决定胜负的压力在此交汇。

这一专属套餐包括官方比赛门票，以及由传奇评论员 Stuart Barnes、《泰晤士报》的 Charlie Morgan 和一位名人客座嘉宾主持的两场活动，为您提供超越开球瞬间的体验。入住市中心优质四星级酒店，您将紧邻体育场、餐厅及赛后讨论地。哨响前的深刻见解，哨响后的热烈氛围——所有细节均由始至终妥帖处理。

由 Stuart Barnes 主持

自挂靴退役 fly-half 以来，Stuart 成了《泰晤士报》的专栏作家和比赛分析师，也是该国最犀利的橄榄球评论员之一。

价格包含

• 在 Future Inn Cardiff Bay 享受两晚四星级住宿及早餐
• 赛前与传奇评论员 Stuart Barnes、《泰晤士报》高级橄榄球撰稿人 Charlie Morgan 及一位名人嘉宾进行问答
• 周五参加 Captain's Run（队长训练赛）活动
• 官方 Cat A 门票（下层看台，试跑线区域）
• 主持的欢迎饮品
• 巡演周边商品

可选升级：

• 银级款待（Silver Hospitality）升级，含饮品和午餐

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

TIMES Holidays

适用条款与条件。*所示价格为每人价格，基于两名成人同住。单人入住需补差价 £560p。价格准确至 July 17, 2026 并随供应情况而变动。价格包括出版时已知的所有非可选税费/费用/收费。此假期由 Times Holidays 作为 Guinness Sports Travel 的代理商销售，并受 ABTA 1932. 保护。如需完整手册条件，请访问 thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions。客座嘉宾、主持人、特邀嘉宾及行程活动有待确认、供应情况及变动，并可能被替换、重新安排或取消。针对演讲者或嘉宾名单的变动不予退款或补偿，但这不影响任何法律上无法排除的法定权利。

ABTA ABTA NUPRITE

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 33

35

Sport

Ramsay-Peaty 的接班人为泽西岛赢得历史性首金

克雷格·洛德 格拉斯哥

菲利普·诺瓦茨基（Filip Nowacki）跃上泳道绳，激起巨大的水花，飞溅在托尔克罗斯国际游泳馆（Tollcross International）那将永远被视为神圣的水域之上：他刚刚为泽西岛赢得了自 1930 年英联邦和帝国运动会开始以来的首枚游泳金牌。

在竞争激烈的 200 米胸泳决赛中，这位 18 岁的 2025 年世界和欧洲青少年冠军从容应对来自家乡岛屿的期待压力。

诺瓦茨基以 2分 07.32秒 的成绩夺冠，领先于出生于英国的加拿大选手奥利弗·道森（Oliver Dawson）和澳大利亚 2021 年东京奥运会冠军扎克·斯塔布莱蒂-库克（Zac Stubblety-Cook）。这是他在格拉斯哥为泽西岛赢得的第二枚奖牌：在周六晚上，他在 100 米项目中获得银牌，领先于其英国队队友、该项目的两届奥运冠军亚当·拉姆齐-皮蒂（Adam Ramsay-Peaty）。

这枚奖牌是泽西岛 36 年来在英联邦运动会上获得的第一枚奖牌，上一次是射击手科林·马莱特（Colin Mallett）在 1990 年奥克兰赢得公开全口径步枪女王奖（Open Full Bore Rifle Queen's Prize）。

“这是美好的历史；对我来说非常特别，在我接下来的职业生涯中，而且绝对是我的一生中，这都将是特别的，”诺瓦茨基说。“而且你知道，那里的气氛简直顶到了极点。非常感谢所有来到这里支持我的人。”

诺瓦茨基在去年取得了重大突破，当时他打破了拉姆齐-皮蒂保持的英国同年龄组 100 米纪录，随后又两次刷新该纪录。

他还曾在岛屿运动会（Island Games）获得八枚金牌，在欧洲青少年锦标赛上获得四个冠军，随后他再次晋级，在 100 米和 200 米胸泳中均夺得世界青少年冠军。

“这完全不可思议，”诺瓦茨基说，“来自像泽西岛这样的一个小岛，

18 岁的诺瓦茨基在 200 米胸泳中为泽西岛赢得金牌，而下左图的史密斯在 200 米个人混合泳中获得铜牌

与澳大利亚、加拿大、英格兰以及所有本土国家竞争，这非常特别。能在如此惊人的时间内第一个触壁，重新巩固我去年跑出的 2.07 成绩，非常特别。这表明我正朝着正确的方向前进。

“我认为青少年与成年组之间的跳跃非常大，而且经常被忽视。青少年男子在二十岁出头或二十五岁左右之前，很难在成年组赛场上产生真正的影响。我很幸运，在去年仍然是青少年时就几乎完成了这次跳跃。”

关于下个月在巴黎举行的欧洲成年锦标赛中首次代表英国出战的前景，他说：“我一直很喜欢连续参赛，我的身体对这种有氧力量冲击的反应非常好。”

那么他对 2028 年洛杉矶奥运会的前景如何看待？

“我说过，水并不在乎你是谁，我又是谁，或者我明年是否还能再次做到，”他说。“我认为接下来的两周应该重点关注我的进步，然后享受一个美好的夏天假期。”

对于本土国家来说，泳池中的日子变得更好了一些，威尔士人马特·理查兹（Matt Richards）在 100 米自由泳中获得银牌，肯特郡中学生艾米莉·史密斯（Amelie Smith）在 200 米个人混合泳中获得铜牌。在 24 小时前，她在成年组首秀中在同一位冠军——澳大利亚的珍娜·福雷斯特（Jenna Forrester）之后，获得了 400 米个人混合泳的银牌。

福雷斯特在本次英联邦运动会上成为了“金牌女孩”，

在将 200 米个人混合泳冠军收入囊中后，她在 24 小时前获得的 400 米个人混合泳冠军之外，个人荣誉总数增加到三金一铜。

史密斯赢得了夏伦·戴维斯男爵夫人（Baroness Sharron Davies）的赞赏，后者 15 岁时曾为英格兰赢得 1978 年 200 米个人混合泳和 400 米个人混合泳冠军。“她游得非常漂亮，是一场非常成熟的比赛，”戴维斯说。“她的胸泳很强，而且因为胸泳段是最慢的，你有更多机会在人群中提升位置。她似乎拥有沉稳的自信，并且能高效地完成任务。”

Richards 很高兴能与澳大利亚顶尖短距离选手 Flynn Southam 和 2016 年奥运冠军 Kyle Chalmers 一起登上领奖台，但 100 米决赛仅仅是他所说的“我现在真正感到兴奋的大赛”的跳板。最后一天的亮点将是 200 米自由泳之战，五位英国 4x200 米自由泳奥运冠军将代表四个本土国家展开竞争。

Hull 与她的球童回到他被解雇的现场

高尔夫 Cathy Harris

从表面上看，他们是一对不太协调的组合。一位是 LPGA 巡回赛中最受欢迎的高尔夫球手之一的金发影响力人物，另一位则是粗犷的澳大利亚球童。Charley Hull 与 Adam Woodward 在大约十年的时间里建立了极其成功的合作伙伴关系，期间仅有一次短暂的分离——那是 Hull 在 2018 年于皇家利瑟姆和圣安尼斯（Royal Lytham & St Annes）举行的公开赛中未能通过截杆后将其解雇。

本周，在赛季决赛中，他们再次在同一场地组队，而 Hull 正在寻求她的首个大满贯冠军，Woodward 对此中的讽刺深有体会。

“如果她能赢得一个大满贯，那将是一个很棒的故事，尤其是上次她在皇家利瑟姆把我解雇之后，”这位 51 岁的男子说道。“她已经离目标很近了，只需要一点运气。在看到她付出了这么多努力之后，我非常希望看到她成功。”

Woodward 在新南威尔士州的 Cowra 高尔夫俱乐部学习行当（那里他的父亲担任经理），随后在 LPGA 巡回赛积累经验，并曾与来自韩国的 Jeongeun Leeb 共同赢得了 2019 年美国公开赛，以及在 2012 年与同样来自韩国的 Yoo Sun-young 共同赢得了雪佛龙锦标赛（The Chevron Championship）。

Hull 在 2015 年聘请了他，他们的关系建立在相互尊重和喜爱之上。

“当然她会生气，”Woodward 在谈到 Hull 时说，“也说过几次脏话，但她很快就能走出来并道歉。而且毫无例外地，她总会说‘球童带得好’。”

“为 Charley 工作最棒的一点是她公正、随和，而且从不会给我带来不必要的烦恼。对于糟糕的一杆，她总是承担责任。”

今年，Hull 邀请 Woodward 作为她的 +1 陪同前往温布尔登的皇家包厢，他非常喜爱这次经历。然而，在安顿下来观看 Aryna Sabalenka 对阵 Naomi Osaka 时，Hull 告诉他她需要去练习了。

“她一定是巡回赛中最努力的人，我认为那天下午晚些时候在温特沃斯（Wentworth）击过一些球后，她又打了九洞，”他补充道。

Hull 确实有些迷信。她只使用 1 号 Taylor-Made 球，并且总是在数字两边各点三个点。一个更奇特的习惯是让球包左下方的隔层完全保持空置。“我认为地球上没有另一个高尔夫球手会这么做，”Woodward 说。

他最深刻的回忆之一，是 2023 年在圆顶滩（Pebble Beach）举行的美国公开赛第 19 洞，为了追赶领先者，她在树下大胆地使用 3 号木击球。

尽管这次尝试未能成功且最终获得第二名，但她那句著名的回应——“害羞的孩子拿不到糖果”——在网络上疯传。

而 30 岁的 Hull 则表示 Woodward 很有趣且是一个极佳的陪伴者，她补充道：“这么多年来，他一直是我坚强的后盾，充当我的司机、保镖、倾诉对象和守护天使。天知道如果没有他，我会陷入什么样的境地。”

“他非常冷静且随和。我无法与过于紧张或强势的人共事。”

世界排名第 7 的 Hull 承认，“拿到五个亚军却没有一个大满贯，感觉有点难受。”

如果她想要实现梦想，她需要超越英格兰的顶尖年轻天才 Lottie Wood，后者目前排名第 5，并且在成长过程中一直将 Hull 视为偶像。

雨天影响100米决赛，Hunt迎来一线希望

Rick Broadbent

无论下雨还是大雨，Amy Hunt 都会出现在英联邦运动会 100m 的起跑线上。作为短跑领域的明星选手之一，她不顾他人缺席或退赛的趋势，在糟糕的条件下奋战，并在 100m 比赛中获得了一枚银牌。她笑容灿烂地说：“拥有一枚奖牌的感觉如此难以捉摸，如此难以言表，太神奇了。”

新西兰的 Zoe Hobbs 以 10.93 秒的成绩爆冷夺冠，Hunt 以 10.98 获得第二。澳大利亚的 Torrie Lewis 完成了 sub-11 的领奖台阵容，而 Hunt 的英格兰队队友兼好友 Imani-Lara Lansigoot 获得第四。

为什么在其他人跳过格拉斯哥之行时，Hunt 如此坚持前来？“我认为作为一名田径运动员，这非常重要，”她说道。“我们在媒体上的代表性不高。我们不是 NBA 球员。我不希望 30 年后在我的维基百科页面上只看到一两枚奖牌，我想看到的是长长的一串名单。”

在一个阴沉的夜晚，锤击运动员们蜷缩在雨伞下，看起来像是在排队等公交车而非参加顶级赛事，100m 赛跑不仅是对技术的考验，更是对精神的考验。

作为一名 200m 专家，Hunt 仍然没有掌握完美的起跑。在她继续寻求一项室外单项冠军头衔时，她打趣道：“我需要开始佩戴一些金饰了。”

投掷运动员们失去了抓力，锤子撞进了网中，运动员们面临着在水洼中溅起水花，使比赛变成闹剧的危险。当 Hunt（见插图）出场参加半决赛时，天气由坏转更坏，但她克服了惯常的慢起跑，像快艇一样冲线，以 11.02 跑出第三快的预选时间。

在决赛中，她再次将原因归咎于

起跑。“我还算满意，”她说。“我的前 60 米表现非常糟糕，因此这证明了我的顶端速度水准，让我能从自己挖的那个恐怖坑洞中爬出来。”

一系列大牌选手退出了英格兰队，因此 Hunt 能够出现在格拉斯哥并全力冲刺，值得称赞，但她一直以来都有些特立独行。她最喜欢的作家是乔叟，她曾说过想成为一名文学评论家。

去年，她在东京世界锦标赛上赢得了一枚出色的 200m 银牌，从而闯入顶尖行列，随后她谈到了如何能够同时成为一名“学术大佬和田径女神”。

这次的参赛阵容也相当不错。当然没有美国人，也没有顶级牙买加选手，但有 Sade McCreath，她在两周前刚跑出 10.86 的成绩。Hunt 在参加半决赛的女性运动员中仅排在第九快，因此不能轻视她所面临的任务规模。

男子组的比赛同样艰巨。威尔士的 Jeremiah Azu 处于一个竞争激烈的半决赛组，但他表现出色，在 21 岁的尼日利亚人 Kayinsola Ajayi 之后获得第二，后者在五月跑出了 9.84。不过，速度最快的是喀麦隆的 Emmanuel Eseme，他轻而易举地跨过水洼，跑出了 9.89 的国家纪录。

Eseme 现年 32 岁，但从事短跑运动仅八年，他随后跑出了 9.83 的运动会纪录，以 0.02 的优势险胜澳大利亚的 Lachlan Kennedy，Ajayi 获得铜牌，Azu 排名第五。

澳大利亚的 Ky Robinson 在 10,000m 比赛中凭借坚韧的领先跑，在印度选手 Gulveer Singh 之前夺金；而 David Mullarkey 为马恩岛赢得了历史上首枚田径奖牌（铜牌）。只需询问 Hunt 和这位马恩岛人，就能知道这次英联邦运动会闹剧的重要性。

---

56

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Sport Football

Kerkez：我的构造不同。十岁时我就在开卡车

这名利物浦左后卫与 Ian Whittell 探讨了与 Iraola 的重聚，以及他的父亲如何让他保持冷静

对于一些年轻球员来说，追随一名利物浦传奇人物的脚步可能会让他们感到不安，但对于利物浦左后卫 Milos Kerkez 来说，这就像开车一样简单。

具体来说，是开货车。这是这名后卫在十岁时，在塞尔维亚家乡弗尔巴斯（Vrbas）坐在父亲膝盖上学会的一项技能。与许多队友相比，他的成长经历不走寻常路，这也解释了为什么在 Andoni Iraola 的防线中接替 Andrew Robertson 的前景让他显得格外淡定。

此外，这也是这名 22 岁球员在一年多前以 £40 million 从伯恩茅斯转会加入俱乐部后的第二个赛季。可以公平地说，他的首个赛季充满挑战。

但尽管第一年存在磨合问题，Kerkez 在听到第二赛季前的“压力”一词时明显地嗤之以鼻。他在塞尔维亚的成长经历解释了原因。

“我不喜欢‘压力’之类的[词汇]，”Kerkez 在利物浦美国巡回赛期间表示，“我在塞尔维亚的成长方式有点不同。例如，我十岁时就开始开卡车了。我不知道这是否合法。”

“我当时和父亲在一起。我会爬到[他的膝盖上]，然后接管方向盘。他负责踩踏板，因为我够不到。”

“那里就是有点不同。我们更多地在街头活动。我不知道，我还可以告诉你十件我小时候做过的事，但我不会说——我已经给你这个例子了！”

“这与政治局势无关。我们就是那样。你可以说也许构造有点不同，成长方式有点不同。每个人都有不同的文化。”

“这只是你的工作。做好你该死的工作就行！我不在乎压力。这是工作中正常出现的东西。你踢得好，或者踢得差。这是一个过程，关键在于成长。”

“如果你踢得差，三天后你就有另一场比赛。每个人都会忘记你三天前是怎么踢的。总会有新比赛到来，然后你必须表现出色。就是这样。”

“显然，这是世界上最伟大的俱乐部之一，所以你需要表现出色，但这是我们这份工作自带的要求。上个赛季是一次经验，但今年我们需要做得好得多。”

Kerkez 的童年和家庭观念依然是他生活和态度的核心。他的父母 Sebastijan 和 Tijana 与他一起住在英格兰，父亲经常开车送儿子去训练。而 Milos 在国际足球比赛中代表其祖母的出生地匈牙利出战。他的二哥 Marko 是希腊阿里斯萨洛尼卡（Aris Thessaloniki）的职业球员，而 Milos 在今年夏天参加了庆祝大哥 Rade 婚礼的活动。那场婚礼导致人们误以为是 Milos 本人结婚了。

“不！这是错的。大家都搞错了！是我大哥结婚，”这名后卫笑着说。“在

Kerkez 上周末参加了利物浦在美国对阵桑德兰的季前友谊赛胜利，他表示父母（见插图）的支持是他成功的关键。

塞尔维亚，由弟弟将新娘陪送到教堂是很正常的。我就是这么做的，结果现在大家都以为我结婚了。

“我不得不向很多人解释我从未结过婚。我在俱乐部里走动，人们开始祝贺我。我想，‘不，我还没准备好面对这个’。”

“但我的家人非常重要。我的兄弟们现在有自己的生活，但我的父母与我在一起，我很高兴他们能陪在我身边。”

“我爸爸在这里，有时会敲我的头顶提醒我。有时你踢了几场好球，可能会开始有点飘。但我爸爸在这里敲我一下，我就能立刻冷静下来，重新专注。他们非常重要。”

尽管 Kerkez 可能不愿承认，但这种支持系统在去年赛季尤为必要，据他自己承认，他及其球队在那个赛季中难以达到预期的水平。虽然从理论上讲，他被买来是为了替代 Robertson，但今年夏天通过自由转会加盟托特纳姆热刺的 Robertson 依然提供了支持。

“我不想对他要求太多，因为在一切即将结束时，他有点情绪化。我不想对他太苛刻，”Kerkez 在谈到 Robertson 时说道，后者在利物浦的九年时间里出场 378 次。

“但在一整年里，他都在帮助我。我们讨论过关于传中的问题，以及我们需要强大的肺活量，这样才能一直跑到明天。还有，最后一传球应该传到哪里，如何专注，抬头观察，有时能传出更好的中球。”

“Andy 真的给了我很多帮助，他是一个传奇。他是我仰慕的人。并不是因为 Andy 在那里而限制了我的发展。我一直喜欢竞争，不管对手是谁，今年我会更加努力。”

Robertson 已经不在安菲尔德了，Mohamed Salah 也是，后者是另一位与 Kerkez 关系密切且保持定期联系的传奇人物。主教练 Arne Slot 的离职同样令人感到意外。

“我当时在塞尔维亚的家里睡觉，是我哥哥把我叫醒告诉我的，”Kerkez 说，“我的反应是：‘哇’。”

但肯定地，他前任伯恩茅斯主教练 Iraola 的到来只会带来好处，因为 Iraola 曾帮助他成为英超联赛中评价最高的一批年轻边后卫之一。

“我非常高兴，”Kerkez 说，“在我与他共事的两年里，他给了我很多帮助并让我有了很大提升。我真的很开心——显然是为了我自己，也是为了球队。大家都知道他打什么样的足球，所以我认为他是我们的完美选择。”

“关键在于强度。他不害怕在球场任何地方进行一对一地对抗，敢于高位逼抢，且总是采取进攻姿态。如果你看到我们训练后瘫在地上休息的画面，你就能明白他是在为我们准备什么样的训练。为了完成他要求我们做的事情，你绝对需要强健的双腿和良好的体能状态，但我们会没问题的。”

“他非常专业。他有时喜欢聊天，但不多。我认为也许他不想与某些球员走得太近，想要表明球队中的每个人都是平等的，所以他不会与任何特定的人过于亲近。他保持专业，且非常勤奋。”

“在前几次训练中，他们（队友们）还在适应，但现在他们变得越来越好。伙计们喜欢他的工作方式。我认为这将完美地契合这支球队。”

LFCTV on Sky

观看所有精彩动作。

LIVERPOOL TV 季前赛 独家访问

此外，还包括一线队的完整比赛回放，以及利物浦女足比赛和学院赛事的报道。

£7

每月额外费用

sky

仅限现有 Sky TV 客户。31 天滚动订阅，每月额外支付 £7。可随时取消。取消需提前 31 天通知。

搜索 sky.com/LFCTV

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

57

体育

阿隆索从这场进球大战中学到了什么？

Peter Rutzler 悉尼

哈维·阿隆索执教的切尔西首次公开亮相并不怎么平静。在悉尼奥林匹克公园的 Accor 体育场，他们在一场进球数高达十个的混乱惊悚战中击败了上赛季排名澳大利亚 A-League 榜首的西悉尼游骑兵队，这在一定程度上要归功于替补球员 João Pedro 在九分钟内上演的帽子戏法。

阿隆索派出了一个非常年轻的阵容，在首发球员中仅 Tosin Adaraltioyo、Josh Acheampong、Liam Delap 和 Dário Essugo 较为资深。在比赛过程中，切尔西面对这些勇敢的对手三次落后。直到 64 分钟后，更多阿隆索的资深球员登场，胜利才变得笃定，为稀疏的观众奉献了一场 6-4 的胜利。在巴西球员末尾的帽子戏法之前，Dastan Satpayev、Essugo 和 Jamie Gittens 均取得了进球。

这位新任主教练表示，这是一场“有益的”友谊赛，不仅因为球员们获得了宝贵的出场时间且没有人员受伤——考虑到该球场在周末承接了三场橄榄球联赛，场地状况糟糕，这已是不小的成就——还因为他可以从球队在比赛管理方面的挣扎中学习。

以下是阿隆索从他执教的第一场比赛中所学到的内容。

阿隆索需要更多经验吗？

“有些时刻我们很难找到解决方案，我们需要具备这种能力，”阿隆索在赛后谈到球队缺乏比赛管理能力时说道。

鉴于俱乐部正在追求 Danny Welbeck 和 Jordan Henderson 这两名年龄分别为 35 岁和 36 岁的资深球员，人们自然会认为一些年长球员可能会在这方面有所帮助。阿隆索没有掉入讨论转会窗口的陷阱，他表示希望球队拥有“合理的平衡”，且他们已经“有了一个计划”。但他确实希望他的球队能提高比赛中的机智程度（nous）。

“无论你是年轻还是经验丰富，这种情况在比赛中都会发生，”他说。“这也是你需要的的一种品质。你可以速度快，可以擅长盘带，但你[需要]具备这种比赛智能。”

João Pedro 在下半场替补登场后通过帽子戏法迅速给阿隆索留下了深刻印象，这场 6-4 的胜利让新任主教练有了很多思考空间

热刺正致力于达成 £60m 交易从城队签下 Savinho

托特纳姆热刺正致力于达成一项价值约 £60 million 的交易，以签下翼锋 Savinho，后者已告知曼城他希望离队（Gary Jacob 撰文）。

热刺在去年被曼城 £67 million 的估价吓退后，在今年夏天重启了对其的兴趣。当时的曼城主教练 Pep Guardiola 表示他不希望 Savinho 离开，但这位巴西球员在上一赛季的 24 场英超比赛中仅首发 7 场。

他在各项赛事中打入 4 球并贡献 3 次助攻。

如果算上附加条款，Savinho 的价格可能会超过 £60 million。托特纳姆希望签下两名进攻球员，而 Savinho 的多功能性也将具有吸引力。这位 22 岁球员在 2024 年以 £34 million 从特鲁瓦加盟后，与曼城的合同期至 2029 年。这家法国俱乐部与西班牙的吉罗纳一样，都隶属于城市足球集团（City Football Group）。在他来到曼城的第一个赛季，Savinho 在 48 场比赛中贡献了 3 个进球和 13 次助攻。

热刺对于巴西前锋 Richardson 以及英格兰后卫 Djed Spence 等人的报价持开放态度。

与此同时，Josko Gvardiol 已与曼城签署新合同，将使他留在俱乐部直至 2031. 这位 24 岁 的克罗地亚后卫是过去一周内继 Phil Foden 和 Abdulkadir Khusanov 之后，第三位敲定新合同的曼城球员。

DELAY 现在该如何？

João Pedro 在替补登场仅两分钟后就为 Gittens 贡献了一次精妙的助攻。随后，在最后十分钟内，这位前锋接连打入 3 球。在被 Carlo Ancelotti 排除在巴西世界杯名单之外后，他需要证明自己。Alonso 表示：“他非常有渴望。”

与此同时，Delap 奋斗了一个小时，诚然他身边围绕的是年轻球员，但随着 Welbeck 似乎即将加盟，俱乐部将希望处理掉至少 2 名前锋。在以 £30 million 从伊普斯威奇镇加盟仅一年后，他是否会在其中之列？

新任主教练如何布置？

正如他在季前巡赛前两场闭门友谊赛中所做的那样，Alonso 将他的球队布置成 4-3-3 阵型。在失去球权时，切尔西转为 4-4-2，而持球时有时会转变为 3-2-5。他们的后场组织要么由 3 名后卫和 2 名中场开始，要么在下半场由 2 名后卫和 1 名中场回撤——年轻的 Reggie Watson。

没有出现 Alonso 在勒沃库森时期大获成功的 3-4-2-1 阵型。目前，四后卫体系似乎是前进的方向。

谁表现出色？

Gittens 表示他还有更多需要展示的，这位 21 岁球员在下半场亮眼的客串表现表明他渴望抓住机会。他在下半场左翼表现活跃，且光芒盖过了 Estêvão，后者犯了一个导致流浪者队打入第四球的错误。

防守型中场 Essugo，21 岁，同样令人印象深刻，他首发出场并在与 Reggie Walsh 完成一次巧妙的一-二配合后打入一记精彩进球。他上赛季遭遇了伤病，同样有证明自己的需求。在上半场中，Tosin 和 Acheampong 在防守端显得不够稳健。

巡赛中的三名球员未参与其中。Jared Hato 和 Mamadou Sarr 刚刚开始季前训练且身体状况未达标，而门将 Filip Jorgensen 已离开巡赛以完成转会，这很可能是一次租借至斯特拉斯堡的行动。

年轻球员表现如何？

这次巡回赛与切尔西近期几个夏天之前的旅行感受不同，因为阿隆索地纳入了七名来自青训学院的球员，其中六名是从八岁以下级别就在俱乐部的球员。16 岁的 Watson 表现突出，在中前卫位置上踢满了 90 分钟；而在 2025 年成为俱乐部历史上第三年轻的首秀球员的 Walsh，在 10 号位置上发挥了影响力。

来自凯拉特阿拉马特（Kairat Almaty）的新面孔——哈萨克斯坦前锋 Satpayev 通过打入首球引起了关注。他尚未正式签约——他将在下个月年满 18 岁时加入——但他在获得其家人和阿拉马特俱乐部的批准后，能够以国际试训球员的身份参加季前友谊赛。在他签约时，他将需要一份工作许可。

齐达内必须与姆巴佩磨合以带领法国队夺冠

曾在 1998 年世界杯夺冠的球队之星，开始了五年来首次执教工作，作者：Ian Hawkey

与尤尔根·克洛普在介绍自己担任德国队主教练时那种积极进取的活力截然不同，也缺乏巴西和英格兰在任命外籍主教练时所展现的打破常规的思维，法国队与齐内丁·齐达内于昨日开启了人们预期的新伙伴关系——一位国家偶像被提升到了可能是法国体育界最公开的职位。齐达内告诉记者，接管这支 2018 年世界杯冠军、2022 年世界杯亚军的“蓝色之师”（Les Bleus），是他向往了“四或五 年”的职业生涯顶峰，

期间他拒绝了多项工作机会以等待该职位的空缺。

如果齐达内——其前任迪迪埃·德尚在任 14 年后于本月卸任——没有公开游说，这个职位也早已为他预留。德尚曾担任 1998 年世界杯冠军法国队的队长，他在 1 月份就明确表示在世界杯后将不再续任，从而为 1998 年及此后多年球队中最具影响力的球员成为主教练扫清了道路。

不出所料，齐达内谈到了“连续性”。德尚设定了很高的标准，带领法国队在过去三届世界杯中均进入了最后一个周末，而他的最后一场比赛是在季军赛中以 6-4 惨败给英格兰。且法国队一直有任命前传奇球员担任国家队主教练的传统，从 20 世纪 80 年代后期的三届金球奖得主米歇尔·普拉蒂尼，到 2010 年的劳伦特·布兰克，再到德尚，以及现在的“Zizou”（这是人们对他的广泛且亲昵的称呼）。

直到两周前，以及在半决赛输给最终的世界杯冠军西班牙队之前，德尚的球队一直是赛事的夺冠热门。在如何将法国队从前四名提升回第一名方面，齐达内可以提供一套无与伦比的经验方案。“我在西班牙生活了 25 年，”他指出，“你知道这意味着什么。我在球场上曾是领导者，因为我的成就，我将成为一名领导者。而且我们拥有一批出色的球员，这至关重要。”

对于在足球界半个世纪的资历，这位曾为法国队出场 108 次的齐达内，如此提及已是极为接近其自吹自擂的程度。他于 2001 年以当时历史上最昂贵的球员身份转会至皇家马德里，并在退役后留在西班牙首都，在一次突然的晋升之前，在皇马的管理层阶梯上稳步上升，而这次晋升发生在十多年前。在那一点上，他展示了他的“点金之手”。在 25 年内，他监督了三届连续的欧冠冠军。随后他突然卸任，直到 2019 年被诱使回归，并随后第二次以主教练身份赢得了西甲冠军。

这是一份令人敬畏的成绩单，尽管较为集中：作为主教练仅执教过一家俱乐部；总计 263 场比赛。与克洛普、托马斯·图赫尔和卡洛·安切洛蒂等其他大国国家队的主帅相比，他在顶级联赛经理人的时间线较为单薄。因此，关于齐达内的教条，以及什么定义了“齐达内风格”，人们感到充满神秘感。

“他告诉我，‘我知道如何赢球’，”法国足协主席菲利普·迪亚洛说。

“我曾司职 10 号位，”齐达内说，“我热爱进球，但你需要平衡。”对他执教皇马期间持有更严厉批评的人可能会指出，在某些时段，齐达内执教的足球是可预见的，过度依赖定位球进球。

在齐达内开始与法国队签署的四年合同中，最关键的关系将是与皇马现任前锋、法国队队长且不断打破国际个人纪录的基利安·姆巴佩。齐达内在皇马享有的尊重，应当有助于解决姆巴佩在俱乐部与国家队之间可能出现的任何冲突，而姆巴佩已经心甘情愿地承担了国家队队长的发言人角色，正如齐达内在担任主教练的第一天所必须做的那样。

当被问及法国队在连续几届世界杯期间所遭受的种族主义侮辱（特别是来自美洲部分地区的侮辱）时，齐达内回答道：“我们处于一个因多样性而美丽的国家。我在一个每个人都有其一席之地的地区长大。我们必须与种族主义作斗争。但也许有些事情是你无法改变的。”

---

58

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

体育 世界杯出售

够了，真的够了——足球运动何时才能挺身而出？

Alyson Rudd

资深体育记者

当詹尼·因凡蒂诺穿着他那闪亮的白色运动鞋在舞台上轻快地跳跃，引导唐纳德·特朗普走向西班牙队举起世界杯奖杯的一侧时，我们大多数人都嗤之以了。这两个人看起来都有些滑稽。这位国际足联主席似乎要么是在讨好美国总统，要么是急于向世界证明他与对方关系好到可以指挥对方站在哪里。而特朗普要么是不确定站位的几何关系，要么是在寻找拍照机会。

他们的这些闹剧短暂地提醒了人们，足球已经超越了政治。即便在票价高得离谱、旅行禁令、一名由国际足联任命的索马里裁判被拒绝入境、特朗普干预美国队精神领袖前锋福拉林·巴洛根的禁赛，以及那些不必要且极不受欢迎的补水休息时间期间，足球依然让我们沉迷。

在很多方面，这次赛事都被污染且显得荒诞，但足球由于其天生的美丽，总能找到出路。天哪，甚至美国队也找到了某种方法（可能是潜意识里的），通过在对阵比利时时表现糟糕，来确保他们没有从巴洛根丑闻中获利。那些我们原以为会成为垫底者的弱小国家，则贡献了多个神奇时刻。

但现在，世界杯似乎被摆上货架待售了。《泰晤士报》获悉了一项由因凡蒂诺主导的计划，该计划将导致世界杯的股份被分割。如果这次冒险成功，其产生且连锁反应将令人难以接受。它可能会重新激励那些想要建立一个令球迷如此恐惧且随后遭到英勇抗议的“欧洲超级联赛”的人。而那些出人意料地团结一致且大声疾呼的愤怒示威，将再次成为必需。这一次最新的举动绝对必须成为一个转折点。

世界杯期间，国际足联主席受到了很多嘲讽，但其中带有无奈的幽默感或摇头叹息。我们不能依赖挪威足协那唯一且勇敢的声音来替我们提出异议。我们所有人都必须坚持认为，够了，真的够了，世界杯的存在并不是为了给少数几个个人创造巨额利润。

这就涉及到了相关高层人士显然计划如何规避异议。为了防止国际足联的会员协会对私人投资者分一杯羹的想法产生抵触，据了解，该计划将允许那 211 个独立足球协会持有自己的股份，他们可以选择出售或保留，从而以此为整个行动掩饰。真是精明。

这就是因凡蒂诺在 2016, 年开始统治的方式，当时他在承诺向每个会员协会提供 $5 million 之后当选主席。反对他的人声称这种慷慨会导致国际足联破产，但因凡蒂诺看得非常清楚，他将如何通过广播权和赞助来增加收入。

关键成员们得到了恰到好处的争取并被打动了。有趣的是，美国最初并未支持他的选举，但伙计，他们最终支持对了人，因为据传谁参与了购买世界杯的讨论？正是与特朗普政府关系密切的人物以及特朗普女婿贾里德的哥哥约书亚·库什纳。

甚至有传闻称，新实体将施加压力，以确保美国更频繁地举办国际足联赛事，从而实现收入最大化；考虑到整个项目的胆量，这一点感觉还很保守。你必须假设，这将以所有赛事都在美国举行而告终，在名流和网红们不间断的簇拥下，这些人随后会吹嘘自己能在奖杯被举起还带着余温时触碰到它，以及坐在 $100,000 的座位上能吃到多少龙虾。

换句话说，目前正有计划在进行，旨在将足球货币化和美国化，其极端程度之高，竟实现了我们认为不可能实现的事。足球将在美国成为一项受人喜爱的运动，并演变成某种如此光鲜亮丽的东西，以至于再也没有其他人会觉得与它有联系。它将被地无止境地篡改。

我们已经看到世界杯决赛的中场休息被延长至 27 分钟，以容纳一场超级碗风格的表演。比赛中还有什么东西是神圣不可侵犯的吗？突然之间，人们很容易地想象到，不分胜负的 0-0 平局将被逐步取消，随后平局本身也将被废除。可能会增加更多的补水时间，且所有比赛（而不仅仅是决赛）的中场休息都将延长至半小时。

特朗普的总统任期将结束，但他及其家人的影响力将持续存在，也许世界杯冠军奖杯将被命名为“唐纳德”。

周一，因凡蒂诺发布了一篇对世界杯的坚定辩护。

右图为特朗普和因凡蒂诺，在早前决赛中西班牙 1-0 击败阿根廷捧起世界杯冠军奖杯时，两人正身在台上。

他说，他的批评者在“散布仇恨和虚假谣言”，并随即将 2026 年的赛事描绘成一个毫无争议的世外桃源。他将那些没有任何一个人能真正揽功的事项归功于自己。紧张感、灵感、运动能力、美感、进球、扑救和助攻，这一切的呈现都是在不顾因凡蒂诺的情况下实现的，而非因为他。

一个人可能是个糟糕的丈夫，但却能拥有正直的孩子。足球在这一切之中翩翩起舞，娱乐了我们。我们原希望 2026 年的这次赛事能达到奢靡的顶峰，但事实并非如此，还有更多的钱可以赚——如果被任命，因凡蒂诺作为控制国际足联世界杯（男足和女足）及世俱杯的新成立公司的专员，年薪可超过 $60 百万美元。

热爱这项运动的人将寄希望于各自的足球协会来阻止因凡蒂诺，但其中谁有勇气拒绝额外的资金，并要求这场疯狂停止？

播客特辑

与 Martyn Ziegler 一起探索故事背后

现已在您收听播客的所有平台上线

更多球队，

国际足联主席深知，较小的国家将抓住出售其份额的机会，Martyn Ziegler 撰文道

国际足联拥有一颗赚钱的皇冠明珠：男足世界杯，它每四年带来数十亿美元的收益。那么，为什么其主席吉安尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）处于一项将其中股份出售给私人投资者的计划核心？

可能的答案是，许多与他共事过的人表示，因凡蒂诺被对权力和金钱的欲望所驱动。

一位前亲密合作伙伴在本月表示

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

59

Sport

CATHOLIC HILL/ARAH STYLE/MAY

今年在美国、墨西哥和加拿大举行的赛事已扩至 48 支球队

欧足联：足球的灵魂并非由国际足联出售

接后页

其总部所在地。其 2022-26 周期内的预计收入为 $150 亿，其中大部分来自今年夏天男足世界杯的电视转播权、赞助以及门票和款待服务销售。这意味着该赛事对私人投资者具有巨大的吸引力，可以通过扩大规模或增加举办频率来挖掘增长潜力。因凡蒂诺本月表示，南美洲关于将世界杯扩大到 64 支球队的提议“肯定”会予以考虑。今年在北美举行的决赛圈参赛国家数量已从 12 个增加到 48 个。

然而，足球界其他高级人物认为该计划可能是这项运动的一枚潜在“核弹”。

欧洲足球管理机构欧足联（Uefa）在一份声明中表示：“这跨越了足球管理机构永远不应跨越的底线。欧足联对此极其严肃地看待。每个国家足球协会也应如此。每个利益相关者——联赛、俱乐部、球员、支持者、政府以及每一个关心这项运动未来的人——也应如此。”

“足球的灵魂和治理并非可交易的资产——尤其是关于谁在财务上获益完全缺乏透明度。我们中没有人是足球的所有者。它不属于国际足联，不能由其出售。”

欧洲各协会可能会在未来几天内召开紧急会议，讨论潜在的应对措施，包括最后手段：威胁抵制世界杯。

根据这份已在国际足联高层和被迫签署保密协议（NDA）的潜在投资者之间讨论的蓝图，国际足联将持有该公司的多数股权，私人投资者最初将购买 20 到 30 lper cent 的股份——耗资数十亿美元——而国际足联的 211 个成员也将分别持有少量股份，总计约 20 per cent。国际足联表示，工作人员并未签署保密协议。

消息人士称，潜在投资者在内部讨论过“买下国际足联”。

向 211 个成员分配个人股份的计划被视为确保获得国际足联大会和理事会批准的一种方式——对于小型协会来说，这些股份的价值将是其年收入的数倍。

消息人士称，一些非约束性协议已经签署。

在因凡蒂诺 2031. 年最后一个总统任期届满后，他的角色可能是成为这家新公司的“专员”。其薪资可能与 NFL 相当，后者的专员罗杰·古德尔（Roger Goodell）每年赚取约 $64 00 万美元——是因凡蒂诺最近一个财政年度薪资和奖金总额的十倍。

针对因凡蒂诺成为专员的构想，国际足联回应称：“这从未被讨论过。然而，国际足联主席和国际足联管理层在这一实体中——如果获得批准——将且必须担任领导角色，以便始终根据国际足联的章程和法规，为了成员协会的利益而控制任何国际足联子公司。国际足联主席和国际足联管理层有责任控制该项目的开发，外部投资者仅持有少数股权——且不是在国际足联中，而是在国际足联的一家子公司中。对于国际足联来说，没有任何改变。”

国际足联将保留对国际足球的控制权，包括 2030, 年后的国际比赛日历，但其决定将对新公司的命运产生巨大影响。如果国际足联将世界杯规模从 48 支球队扩大到 64 支，或者将比赛频率提高至高于每四年一次，这将不可避免地提升该公司的财务价值。

这并不是 Infantino 首次尝试让私人投资者和政治盟友参与投资国际足联（Fifa）的赛事。2018 年，一项由沙特阿拉伯主权财富基金支持、与日本软银（SoftBank）银行达成的 250 亿美元交易，旨在建立一个新的俱乐部世界杯和全球国家联赛，但未能获得必要的支持。据报道，Infantino 曾觊觎该管理组织成立后的主席之位。

《纽约时报》在 6 月报道称，国际足联官员此前曾与前美国财政部长 Steven Mnuchin 讨论过对一个名为 Fifa+ 的流媒体服务进行投资，但最终未能实现。

Infantino 在 2018 年之前就与 Jared Kushner 有联系，当时这位金融家深度参与了美国成功申办 2026 年世界杯的工作；但美国消息人士表示，让其兄弟 Joshua 担任潜在的主要投资者被认为在政治上更为敏感。

如果这项新计划得以推进，人们担心私人投资者会向男子世界杯施压，要求将其在商业成功可最大化的国家举办。

更多资金：因凡蒂诺的计划将如何影响未来的世界杯

因凡蒂诺“现在将自己视为寡头之一”。

今年的世界杯收入可能达到了 $150 亿（约 £11.2 亿磅），而四年的财务周期收入则更高，但内部人士称，因凡蒂诺希望为国际足联及其心血之作——新的俱乐部世界杯获取更多资金。该赛事的男子版于去年启动，并成为了世界上最顶尖的俱乐部赛事。

因凡蒂诺的对策似乎是成立一家公司来控制国际足联顶级赛事的商业利益。引入私人投资者，并利用他通过与唐纳德·特朗普的密切关系在美国建立的政治影响力，这在他看来一定是完美的解决方案。

如果按照估算，投资者使用 5 倍的乘数来决定国际足联的价值，那么可以说其价值约为 $200 亿。因此，25% 的股份价值约为 $50 亿，其中很大一部分可以分配给 211 个成员协会，这些协会选举国际足联主席，并在该计划进入投票阶段时做出决定。

此外，211 个协会中的每一个都将获得新公司的股份，他们随后可以将这些股份出售给私人投资者——据某些估算，他们每份股份可以获得 $2000 万。对于许多规模较小、较贫穷的协会来说，这将如同天降甘霖，以至于任何投票都将被视为毫无悬念的赞成票。

今年世界杯的巨额收入令之前的赛事相形见绌，而扩军计划将意味着更高的收入。

世界杯收入大幅增长的潜力将吸引库什纳

这种增长潜力正是吸引 Thrive Capital 创始人约书亚·库什纳（Joshua Kushner）的机会，他通过预见 Instagram 和 Spotify 等初创公司的未来价值而发家。

但如果这个计划通过，意味着什么？

一些足球界人士认为，新公司的成立意味着国际足联虽然保留其作为比赛监管者的角色，但将面临与私人投资者的利益冲突，后者会施压要求更多收入机会。

最大的压力将是增加世界杯的举办频率。五年前，因凡蒂诺曾通过支持两年一度的锦标赛尝试过这条路，但该想法被否决了。另一种方式是扩大世界杯规模——因凡蒂诺已经表示，将参赛队伍数量从 48 支增加到 64 支的提案“肯定”会被考虑。球队越多意味着比赛越多，比赛越多意味着资金越多。

因凡蒂诺还告诉同事，他希望俱乐部世界杯比去年在美国启动的 32 支球队版本规模更大。他还在私下建议，希望该赛事每两年甚至每年举办一次。

追求收入最大化的压力可能不止于此。如果金钱是主要驱动力，它甚至可能决定赛事的举办地。至于因凡蒂诺本人，消息人士称，在他最后一任主席任期届满后，他可能会被安排作为一名领取高薪的专员来经营这家新公司——尽管国际足联表示这尚未讨论。因凡蒂诺预计将毫无悬念地连任直到 2031 年。

---

THE TIMES

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

体育

百分赛（Hundred）下一步如何？

古怪的胜利之歌， 新面貌赛事中出色的巴特勒 Elizabeth Ammon, 第 52 页

苏格兰新王

伊迪·阿明之孙 希望在格拉斯哥摘金 Rick Broadbent, 第 54 页

世界杯出售中

• ● 因凡蒂诺计划出售足球皇冠上的明珠之股份 ● 特朗普女婿之兄库什纳将成为关键投资者
• ● 批评者担心这对这项运动将是“核弹”，欧足联反对该计划 ● 首相表示“最伟大的竞争”并非“一种产品”

独家报道

Martyn Ziegler

首席体育记者

消息人士告诉《泰晤士报》，国际足联（Fifa）主席吉安尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）计划将世界杯的股份出售给私人投资者，该方案可能会为他带来数千万英镑的收益。

该计划将导致一家公司的成立，用以控制国际足联最高级别的男女赛事——世界杯和世俱杯。这可能会导致这两项赛事面临扩军压力，或者举办频率高于目前的每四年一次。首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）谴责了这一提议。

两名知情人士表示，与唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）政府关系密切的人物已就该计划被咨询。

国际足联向《泰晤士报》确认，约书亚·库什纳（Joshua Kushner）的 Thrive Capital 预计将领导该拟议的投资者团体，摩根大通（JP Morgan）是国际足联在该项目上的财务顾问。41 岁的库什纳是特朗普女婿贾里德·库什纳（Jared Kushner）的弟弟，国际足联表示后者并非投资者。

国际足联的 211 个成员协会也将获得一份股份，价值可能约为 $20 million（£15 million），他们可以保留这些股份或将其出售以增加自身收入。

消息人士称，56 岁的因凡蒂诺将在其最后一任

因凡蒂诺（图中与本月在美国举行的决赛期间的世界杯奖杯合影）计划出售国际足联顶级赛事的股份

CHRIS BRINSWELL/UNCLASSIFIED/GETTY IMAGES

主席任期届满后，被安排担任该公司的专员——他预计将在没有竞争对手的情况下连任至 2031 年。

首相在社交媒体的一份声明中表示，足球“不属于投资者”。他补充道：“世界杯不是一件商品。它是世界体育界最伟大的赛事，从未有任何人有权将其出售。”

国际足联的一份声明称：“国际足联始终在寻找能够促进全球足球发展的创新项目，并始终对提交给它的建议持开放态度。我们正启动一项咨询流程。”

“正如国际足联主席在 7 月 18 日与所有国际足联成员协会会议上所言，在 2026 年世界杯成功之后，现在的优先事项是‘释放国际足联所拥有的商业潜力和机遇’。”

“国际足联以民主方式做出决定，国际足联收到并目前正在审查的一项提案将很快提交给 211 个成员协会和国际足联理事会，他们将是唯一的最终决策者。”

国际足联表示，负责“国际足联锦标赛运营交付”的新机构或公司将被命名为 Fifa Forward Enterprise。

它还宣布将其发展计划 Fifa Forward 进行“重新定位”，大幅增加提供给成员协会的资金，在 2027-30 周期内从 $8 million 增加到 $20 million，“并在随后的每个周期中稳步增长”。内部人士表示，新公司的初始估值约为 200 亿美元。

国际足联是一个非营利组织，实际上由构成其会员资格的 211 个协会所有。作为一个协会的协会，它在瑞士享有免税地位。

续接第 59 页

泰晤士报填字游戏 29,607

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
				9
10				11
12					13
14		15	16	17
18	19				20	21
22			23		24
25				26
27				28

为什么人们在热浪袭来时必须使用一次性烧烤炉？这就是愚蠢

Carol Midgley

你知道英国有 3 per cent 的成年人口认为导盲犬是盲的吗？很抱歉成为这个尴尬消息的传达者，但这是来自最近的一项调查，所以不要责怪我。

我们只能得出结论——而且没有委婉的说法——这个国家大约有两百万人非常愚蠢。这种程度的愚蠢，使得有些女性需要专家告诉她们不要把冰棒放入阴道来降温（女士们，如果你们一定要这么做，请避开 Nobody BobBS。相信我，你们会后悔的）。

但公平地说，这些人是否比今年夏天的“顶级白痴”们更迟钝？那些如果大脑是炸药，可能根本不够炸掉自己遮阳帽的人们？

我指的是那些——除非他们真的从未听过新闻或读过报纸（这很有可能）——否则必须知道我们正处于残酷的热浪和山火危机之中的人；他们能看到草地和灌木丛干得像引火柴一样，却仍然认为：“我想到了！我要去坐在那里面生火。”显然，我指的是那些使用一次性烧烤炉的人群。

当我走在当地的公园里时，我看到的只有焦黑的矩形土地，像环境痤疮一样，有些还在冒烟，且通常伴随着随处可见的懒散配套物：丢弃的铝箔盘、脏厨房纸巾和啤酒罐，尽管大约 20英尺 远的地方就有垃圾桶。

我甚至看到一个被随意丢弃的生锈金属小型烧烤炉，它可能会伤到经过的孩子或狗。是的，请随意冒险引发剧烈的火灾、破坏并导致野生动物死亡，仅仅是为了煮……什么，4 个汉堡？你们听过带三明治吗？

在旧金山，由于狗及其“享有特权”的主人数量过多，人们正采取行动将他们赶出一家主要公园。好吧，踩到狗屎确实没意思，我承认。但狗屎会让一个赤脚的孩子遭受二度烧伤吗？会让数英亩的林地化为灰烬吗？不。无论何时，我都会在禁狗之前先禁用一次性烧烤炉的白痴。

上周，柴郡消防救援队表示，麦克尔菲尔德附近的一场大规模林地和草地火灾可能是由一次性烧烤炉引起的，称其为一次提醒，“粗心行为可能给我们的乡村带来毁灭性的影响”。

在该地区去年遭受有史以来最严重的荒原火灾后，约克及北约克郡市长正领导一项将其禁售的运动。北约克郡议会本周发布了一段极佳的视频，演示此类烧烤炉（即“生态破坏垃圾”）的温度可达 450C，热量会传导至下方的泥炭层，并可能引发地下火，且在一段时间内难以被察觉。人们不能直接带野餐吗，他们问道？嗯，你可能觉得可以，但有时候你确实无法与愚蠢讲道理。

你可能会觉得应该提醒我意识到自己的特权，因为并非每个人都有花园。我知道，但这关系到公共和环境安全。没有人有权仅仅因为想吃一根户外烤肠，就冒着毁掉荒原的风险。

我倾向于在当地报纸上点名并羞辱这些生态破坏者，就像以前对待沿街招嫖者那样。或者对他们征收正式的“白痴税”。但他们似乎从未被抓到。

顺便提一下，我之前提到的那个由盲人导盲犬协会做的调查？它还发现有 4 per cent 的人认为导盲犬会看地图。天呐。看来在对抗愚钝的战争中，还有很长一段路要走。

彩虹的绚彩往事

得知 20 世纪 70 年代儿童电视节目《彩虹》（Rainbow）中 Zippy 的操纵师 Ronnie Le Drew 逝世，我深感遗憾，但让我们对他那出色的回忆录表示感谢。

他在书中揭露了该节目中所谓的饮酒文化，以及三人组 Rod、Jane 和 Freddy 中的 Jane 是如何突然打开外套露出一套“皮革 S&M 装扮”，并邀请 Zippy 来“玩她的马拉卡斯摇铃”。当 Geoffrey 对着镜头说话时，粉色河马 George 和 Zippy 会被安排在背景中做抽搐抽搐的交配动作。真是太好笑了。如果这件事发生在现在，每个人都会被送去接受心理创伤辅导。

你是否记得十年前，一名来自埃塞克斯的牧师曾暗示，《彩虹》可能预示了一项让全世界同性恋化的议程？他推论说，该节目的片头中，一道彩虹像蛇一样钻进一本大书里，这可以被看作是 LGBT 符号在“渗透圣经”。

这完全说得通！除了这样一个事实：直到《彩虹》开播六年之后，彩虹才成为同性恋骄傲的象征。而这里有个让我极其费解的点：那个讨人厌的乖宝宝熊 Bangle 平时不穿衣服，但晚上却要穿睡衣。这到底是怎么回事？

裙子，沙拉钳和一对黄铜书立。

也许它的产品会出现在 Niblett 女士即将于威斯敏斯特宫举办的性玩具展览中。你认为她的震动器活动参与人数会多吗？如果没人来就太遗憾了。

“Andy-core”？让我们称之为 dandy-core 吧。北方男人最懂此道

首相被赞誉为时尚偶像，但他只是穿得像其他北方男人一样——时尚编辑 Harriet Walker 表示，这比南方人的穿着要好得多

设计师款防风夹克和高级牛仔裤，文青风衬衫夹克和笔挺的西装：TikTok 将我们新任首相的风格称为“Andy-core”，但这种造型不仅仅关乎一个 56 岁的男人。作为《泰晤士报》的时尚编辑（且一个在谢菲尔德长大、曾在野外观察过这一物种的人），请允许我向您保证，Andy Burnham 那套近期受到关注的 North Face、Adidas 以及一件 1695 Private White VC 哈灵顿夹克，承载着深厚的文化底蕴。长期以来，英国北方男人一直是全英穿着最体面的人。

看看 Harry Styles（柴郡）、Daniel Craig（利物浦）和 Arctic Monkey 乐队的 Alex Turner（谢菲尔德），或者喜剧演员 John Bishop（再次是利物浦）、演员 Tom Hughes（再次是柴郡）、David Morrissey（利物浦；这里出现了一个规律）以及 Jarvis Cocker（谢菲尔德）。披头士乐队曾让“身为北方男人”成为全球最酷的事情。现在，一位同为利物浦人的首相在治理国家：他当然会为了场合而精心打扮。

这与其说是 Andy-core，不如说是 dandy-core。北方男人将购物视为一种乐趣而非苦差事，致力于挖掘小众品牌和限量版。他们在曼彻斯特的 Afflecks Palace、Aspecto 和 Ol Polloi 逛街长大，同时模仿 Stone Roses 乐队的 Ian Brown、John Squire 和 Mani。这里确实有相当多的“孔雀开屏”行为，但在这个群体中，看起来出众更多地取决于是否“在行”，而非简单地炫耀钱财带来的闪亮配饰。询问任何与他们生活在一起的女性，她都会告诉你，北方男人对衣橱的在意程度与我们一样（且通常花更长时间准备）。

“这几乎和他们的唱片收藏一样重要——几乎一样，”

封面：GETTY IMAGES。下方：TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER/ANDY GLOSSOP/SHATTERSTOCK

夹克，£895，privatewhitevc.com

Paul Flynn 说道，他是《Perfect》杂志的撰稿编辑，也是一名北方男人。“你也许可以称之为‘体面男装’（Nice Blokewear）：不过分张扬，但偶尔会买件特别的单品。绝不会因为穿得太夸张或太随意而让妻儿丢脸。”

米兰、巴黎、Valley Parade。在为本报报道时尚期间，我曾坐在一些气场强大且时尚的前排，但当我与丈夫身着“伦敦休闲风”（穿旧的牛仔裤、旧运动鞋，无 Logo）前往布拉福德看足球赛时，我从未感到自己如此邋遢。看台上挤满了北方花花公子，他们穿着崭新的运动鞋、日本原色牛仔裤，以及印有冷门唱片公司和微型酿酒厂的深奥 T 恤。周围随处可见 CP Company 和 Stone Island 等奢侈街头品牌，以及 Liam Gallagher 最爱的 Berghaus 防风夹克，这些夹克售价高达 £400 以上，但考虑到当地气候，其单次穿着成本的性价比惊人。

北方足球看台每周一次的“互看”漫步（passeggiata），以及酒吧和俱乐部下班后的 T 台秀，对于 Burnham 的造型和魅力而言，与 Nigel 一样关键

John Lewis 引起了轰动

这个周五你是打算大干一场，还是低调处理？我指的是“全国高潮日”（National Orgasm Day），显而易见。只剩两个晚上了！我打赌你现在一定很兴奋。

噢，你忘了。那么，去逛逛 John Lewis 吧。据《旁观者》（The Spectator）报道，该店正支持国会议员 Samantha Niblett 的“性之夏”活动，并于近期举办了一场带有礼品袋的启动仪式。供参考，John Lewis 现在提供一系列性玩具，从双头震动器 (£185) 到 Coco de Mer 的“高潮膏” (£30) 均有销售。

阅读其网站上关于你如何可以“在自己或伴侣的身体上挑逗地游走到敏感区域”的描述，感觉很奇怪。我还记得那里曾经是一个购买稳重……

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

3

times2

Farage 那套由花呢外套和芥末黄斜纹棉布裤组成的乡村角色扮演装扮是对他的。然而，许多政客的服装选择往往成为攻击他们的把柄——比如 Rishi Sunak 在建筑工地上穿着的 £490 普拉达（Prada）麂皮乐福鞋，或者 Keir Starmer 获赠的眼镜——而 Burnham 的衣着背景则提供了所有国会议员此刻都渴望的东西：真实感。

这就是为什么在生活成本危机期间花费 £700 买一件夹克不太可能让他陷入麻烦（除了这一点，还有他不是女性的事实）。涉事夹克由曼彻斯特的 Private White VC 制造，这是一家家族企业，以一名一战老兵的名字命名，该老兵从学徒做起，最终成为了这座城市一家雨衣工厂的所有者。现在，他的曾孙经营的这家公司在同一地点销售定制服装以及成衣。

“当有人选择穿着我们的衣服时，他们不仅仅是在买一件外套，”其创始人兼首席执行官 James Eden 在 LinkedIn 上写道。“他们是在支持熟练的工匠，保护传统的英国制造业，并投资于旨在穿涤数十年而非数日的服装。”

Burnham 在担任曼彻斯特市长期间，还曾与设计师 Patrick Grant 同台。Grant 的 Community Clothing 品牌总部位于兰开夏郡，在当地工厂生产，是北方“好哥们”们的另一个心头好。

“我对首相花 £700 买一件夹克没意见，”来自利兹附近 Guiseley 的 52 岁居民 Simon 说道。“我不记得曾有过一位北方的首相，或者一位喜欢和我相同音乐的首相。我希望他穿起来感觉不错，而且在 Vinted 上或许还能卖 £500。”

“我对 Burnham 或他的政治一窍不通，”美国男装评论员 Derek Guy 向他在 X 上的 1.5 million 粉丝写道。“但我觉得前曼彻斯特市长穿着来自最后几家试图维持地区制造业传统、并在此过程中以公平工资雇佣熟练服装工人的工厂的衣服，并没有什么不对。”

@Jurrywalker1

如果我担任教育大臣，我会如何重新调整学校以适应现实世界

Since 2000，共有 18 位大臣——以及新任工党党魁——尝试改变现状。凯特琳·莫兰（Caitlin Moran）说：就让我来做吧

每个人都想试着重新调整教育，对吧？喝了半品脱啤酒后，每个人都觉得自己是教育大臣。这并非一句随意的玩笑。Since 2000 以来，已经出现过 18 位教育大臣。18 位！大卫·布兰克特（David Blunkett）！埃德·鲍尔斯（Ed Balls）！基特·马尔豪斯（Kit Malthouse）！詹姆斯·克莱弗利（James Cleverly）！纳齐姆·扎哈维（Nadhim Zahawi）！迈克尔·戈夫（Michael Gove）！可能在某个时间点，布拉德利·沃尔什（Bradley Walsh）也算在内。取决于你在哪家酒吧喝那品脱酒，你们之中可能真的有人在某个阶段担任过教育大臣。这可能会让接下来的对话变得尴尬。

“太无聊了。”“太烂了。”“孩子们不想去。”“老师们很沮丧。”“压力太大了。”“没用。难怪有 100 万不学也不工作（Neets）的人。整件事简直是胡扯。抱歉，迈克尔，但这是事实。轮到你买单了。”

仿佛为了证明这一点，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）——可能也是在喝了品脱酒之后——也尝试重新调整教育。他本周宣布，从 14 岁起，孩子们将能够学习制造业和人工智能，并在当地企业获得工作经验。这是向 20 世纪 60 年代的一次回归，当时那些“动手能力强”的孩子接受车床操作培训，并赚到足够的钱买一辆摩托车。而那些更书呆子的孩子则继续学习英语和艺术史，然后进入剑桥大学并组建了平克·弗洛伊德（Pink Floyd）乐队。

当然，伯纳姆一旦宣布这个计划，人们立刻像往常一样急不可耐地向他解释为什么这行不通：主要是因为当地企业不愿免费培训一群年仅 14 岁的孩子，而这些孩子可能会在 TikTok 上拍摄自己胡乱操作圆盘锯的视频——这听起来确实很有可能。

但从伯纳姆的声明中我读到的是，这个政府对于这个国家教育的疯狂、无经费支持的、天马行空的思考持开放态度。而作为一个甚至没怎么上过学的人，我觉得自己是参与讨论的理想人选。

第一：以“做事情”开启一天。当我的孩子上学时，我被震惊到他们一天中竟然有这么多时间只是坐着吸收知识，然后麻木地像鹦鹉一样重复。家庭教育有很多糟糕之处（当你整天和兄弟姐妹在一起时，初恋很艰难；你还会经常看到你的校长宿醉地坐在马桶上），但好的一点是：你可以直接去做事情。孩子们渴望做事情——做那些大孩子和成年人做的事情。这就是为什么西伦敦的 KidZania 如此受欢迎，在那里孩子们可以花一天时间“扮演”飞行员或外科医生；这也是为什么孩子们排队在游乐农场开微型拖拉机；以及最终，这就是为什么他们开始抽电子烟。

所有那些“厌学”的孩子——显然现在占所有学生的 18%——如果一天是以烹饪、木工、乐队练习或为戏剧搭建布景开始，他们更有可能出现。你得让他们慢慢进入 9 点的状态。毕竟，成年人在工作的第一小时里也是在 Facebook 上瞎逛，或者在垃圾桶后面和同事八卦。孩子也没什么不同。

第二：求求你们，看在上帝的份上，别让孩子读那些令人沮丧的书了。看看 GCSE 的阅读书单：《麦克白》、《化身博士》、《动物庄园》、《蝇王》。谋杀；谋杀；独裁统治；社会崩溃以及对戴眼镜的胖男孩的欺凌——然后又是谋杀。如果你想知道为什么青少年的阅读率在直线下降，也许是因为阅读书单如此枯燥、沉重且令人心塞。

为什么没有——简而言之——

我们认为学校是他们的基础教育——但其实是他们的手机

有趣的书？PG Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Adrian Mole, Oscar Wilde, Nancy Mitford, Terry Pratchett 们在哪里？我们还在假装幽默比写几起残暴的谋杀案更低级——或者更容易吗？我们都清楚，一本有趣的书具备了“严肃”书籍的所有要素——情节、人物、场景、主题——而且还能让它变得有趣？那么它实际上是一种更高形式的文学？而且：更令人愉悦？我是一个 51 岁的作者，写过九本书，即便是我也不想在漫长而炎热的夏天里，逐行阅读 Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde。我也想去 TikTok 上看一个彩虹眼睛的女孩吃面条。这终于让我想到了：

第三：所有孩子都需要学习媒体研究。所有孩子。可悲的是，我们仍然认为学校是他们的主要教育场所，但事实并非如此。是他们的手机。

正式教育真正能帮助孩子变得聪明、吸收有用信息并为成年世界做准备的唯一途径，就是教会他们如何识别经过验证的新闻来源；识别由故意成瘾的心理和激素过山车所引发的“末日刷屏” (doom-scrolling)（肾上腺素！然后是多巴胺！然后是皮质醇！）；以及应对他们对于突然走红或被“取消”的持久恐惧。

如果他们还进行强制性的比较宗教研究，也许他们会意识到，通过口袋里的这个设备，我们基本上重新创造了一个全知且审判的旧约上帝，同样随时准备奖赏或毁灭人类，且似乎完全凭兴之所至。但也许我把这一条留给 A-level 课程。或者课后在厕所里聊聊。

---

4

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

times2

榨干利润！£5 的夏天

冰激凌曾在冰激凌车上只要99便士一个——现在它已变成一种奢侈享受。但哪些制造商才是真正的赢家？汉娜·埃文斯（Hannah Evans）为您揭秘蛋筒之王。

这是一个炎热的日子，孩子们在放假，你走进了一家夏季临时开业的阴凉冰激凌店。“请给我四个蛋筒，每球都要最好的，”你对收银员说。“没问题，先生，”对方回答道，“一共 £20。” 你说什么？！

感觉曾经在冰激凌车上只要99便士一个的东西，现在竟然要花掉一家人的一小笔财富。如果你在 Amorino Gelato 买一个小蛋筒，价格是 £4.70，这家高端法国连锁店在英国拥有 36 家门店，目标是到 2030. 年达到 100 家。中号蛋筒是 £5.70，天呐，如果你想要大号的——最高可达 £7.90 ——或者加个威化饼或彩米糖。

冰激凌店不再仅仅是海滨小镇的标志。与手工面包店和咖啡馆一样，它们标志着你所在的地区已经变得时尚。在东伦敦的哈克尼区（Hackney），The Dreamery 是一家全年经营的自然葡萄酒和冰激凌吧，在那儿，乌龙茶味和西梅味的冰激凌每球售价 £4，你还可能会偶遇 Charli XCX 和 Dua Lipa。

在我居住的伦敦东南部，Marcelo's 已成为中产阶级千禧一代的麦加圣地，他们追求烟熏枫糖胡桃或花生酱枣酱味的蛋筒——一球 £3.90，两球 £6.80。

再加上热浪，感觉冰激凌店就像拿到了印钞许可证。那么他们究竟赚了多少？将牛奶、奶油、糖和鸡蛋搅拌在一起真的需要那么高的成本——还是他们只是在榨干利润（milking it）？

我请获奖的 Brickell's 冰激凌背后的夫妻档罗布（Rob）和艾奥娜·戈尔（Iona Gore）为我分析。他们制造并销售昂贵的冰激凌：在巴斯（Bath）的夏季快闪店每球 £4；目前在 Whole Foods Market 销售的一品脱装价格在 £7 以上。

然而，这种冰激凌在制作过程中没有添加人工增稠剂或超加工乳化剂。牛奶来自他们家族的西康比乳业农场（Westcombe Dairy），双倍奶油来自格洛斯特郡（Gloucestershire），走地鸡蛋来自 Clarence Court。如果你尝过他们的烤草莓或里科塔碎巧克力（ricotta stracciatella）口味，就会知道他们的冰激凌非常美味。

要理解“球级经济学”（scoop-onomics），你首先需要了解冰激凌是如何从原材料变成你手中的蛋筒的。“为了让冰激凌稳定，你需要高脂肪含量。所以你需要使用大量的奶油，”罗布解释道，“但奶油是最昂贵的原料之一。”

蛋黄也是如此，“每克的价格比奶油更高，”罗布继续说道。规模更大、商业化程度更高的生产商会通过减少奶油并完全去掉蛋黄来解决这个问题，用一种由胶质和乳化剂组成的人工稳定剂混合物来替代。

“它们的成本仅为一小部分，能创造出奶油般的口感，而且在防止冰激凌融化方面表现更好，从而延长保质期并降低每球的原料成本。” 钱到手——制造商获得了更多利润。

罗布承认，大型公司在竞争更为激烈环境下运作，拥有数百名员工和数十家店铺，因此需要依赖这些捷径来降低成本。

此外，还有另一种影响冰激凌店每球利润的成分：空气。“我们称之为‘超量’（overrun）。基本上就是冰激凌制造商注入成品中的空气百分比。每个人都这么做。我们也做，甚至那些声称自己没做的小型手工生产者，在搅拌和打发冰激凌时也会自然地产生空气。”

Brickell's 的超量在 20 和 25 百分比之间，罗布说，这“低得惊人。商业生产者的超量可能会高达 100 百分比的额外空气，因此实际上你可以将成品的体积翻倍。

GETTY IMAGES

“冰淇淋中只有很小一部分是你真正销售的牛奶、糖和奶油。”

冰淇淋店几乎不会大肆宣传这一点，而且很难察觉。Rob 说道，如果你在超市买桶装冰淇淋，那里通常按体积（毫升）而非重量（克）销售，你可以通过感受容器的重量来判断哪个容器中的空气更多。当你按球购买时，情况就更复杂了，这意味着一些店铺可以凭借实际成本非常低廉的产品维持高价。

“我的建议是观察舀冰淇淋的难易程度，”Rob 说，“当冰淇淋勺能够轻松滑过冰淇淋时，它可能含有大量空气。”而当你吃它时呢？“它会在你的口中极快地融化。没有嚼劲，直接就化了。”

冰淇淋经济学的其余部分则取决于简单的商业原则：如果你能保持低成本并实现高销量，你就能赚很多钱。Brickell's 从其球状冰淇淋店赚到的钱比从桶装产品中赚到的更多。Iona 说：“与零售相比，舀冰淇淋的利润率是你能获得的最优利润率。”

“我们卖一球冰淇淋的价格，比卖给分销商的一品脱冰淇淋要高，”Rob 说，“我们卖给分销商的桶装产品有 40 per cent 的利润率 [不含管理费用]。而一球冰淇淋的利润率是 90 per cent……而且我们的冰淇淋是用昂贵的方式制作的。”

显然，以上所有情况都有一个巨大的限制条件：冰淇淋店完全依赖天气。今年夏天的热浪将这些球状冰淇淋店变成了摇钱树。但如果是在一个下雨天？那感觉可能就像在向因纽特人卖雪。

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

5

times2

scoop

Hannah Evans 最喜爱的 9 家冰淇淋店

Gelupo, Soho

当伦敦人想到意式冰淇淋（gelato）时，他们会想到 Gelupo —— 这家由厨师 Jacob Kenedy 创办的深受喜爱的冰淇淋店，提供诸如草莓伊顿乱集（Eton mess）、大米布丁，以及巧克力、伯爵茶与饼干等不寻常的口味，此外还提供 cremolato，一种介于碎冰（granita）和雪葩（sorbet）之间的南意大利特色甜点。两球 £6.50。

Brickell's Scoop Hut, Bath

在萨默塞特郡从零开始制作，不含任何超加工食品（UPFs），这是最棒的冰淇淋。里科塔碎巧克力（Ricotta stracciatella）和烤草莓是我的两个最爱，但我同样热爱他们的薄荷巧克力碎片，那是用农场种植的薄荷叶制成的。一球 £4。

Ice Cream Union, 多家分店

18 年来，他们一直为伦敦一些最受欢迎的餐厅制作冰淇淋和雪葩，从克拉珀姆（Clapham）拥有米其林星级的 Trinity 餐厅到 Fortnum & Mason。他们现在在伦敦设有三家分店，包括在切尔西（Chelsea）的一家新店，在那里两球的价格是 £7。

Jelbert's, Newlyn, Cornwall

这家康沃尔冰淇淋店的菜单上只有一种口味，那就是传统的康沃尔香草味，最好在上面加一坨凝脂奶油一起享用。两球 £3.60。

The Ice Cream Shop by Shepherds, Abergavenny

我一生中一直来威尔士的这个地区，所以当我听说 Shepherds 的冰淇淋车将在 Abergavenny 开一家永久店时，对我来说简直是天籁之音。

Alfonso Gelateria, Stow-on-the-Wold

今年夏天我第一次访问了这家位于科茨沃尔德（Cotswolds）的意式冰淇淋店。开心果味让我惊叹，但也要留意他们的特供口味。两球 £5.40。

Two Islands, Abersoch

小规模的冰淇淋生产商，同时也制作极赞的蛋糕。如果菜单上有樱桃味，就买一个蛋筒走在海滩上吃。

Joe's Ice Cream, Mumbles

这是 Mumbles 的一家标志性机构，拥有超过 100 年的历史。这里的冰淇淋充满怀旧感且口感浓郁，每次拜访我都忍不住进去买一个。

Le Chocolat, Borough Yards, London

法国大师 Alain Ducasse 因其米其林星级高级餐饮而闻名国际，但他的巧克力店同样出名。在 Borough Market，他的店里有一个冰淇淋窗口，供应球装和桶装的传统意式冰淇淋。

“我喜欢她，她很有劲，但我们行走在二十多岁的人群之中”

Naga Munchetty 曾被霸凌指控所困扰。现在她正从电视转向广播。作者：Andrew Billen

在电视界，人们过去常嘲讽主持人 Naga Munchetty 即将采取的这种职业路径：从 BBC Breakfast 转向 BBC Radio 5 Live。他们会说，捕捉一颗陨落的星，然后把他们扔进广播里。因此，在电视访谈巨头 Michael Parkinson 的失意岁月里，他成为了 Radio 4 的 Desert Island Discs 那个短暂且不被认可的主持人，随后在回归之前，暴躁地主持了一个 LBC 的电话访谈节目。

在更近的时期，Adrian Chiles 因为为了两份虽高薪但注定失败的 ITV 工作而放弃 The One Show，从而失宠于 BBC 电视部，随后他谦卑地回到了他曾经的领地 BBC Radio 5 Live，每周在上午时段主持一次。公平地说，Chiles 做得太出色了，以至于他的老板很快在他的排期中增加了另一天，并以他的名字重新命名了节目，最终还将 Radio 4 的周六早晨节目交给了他。然而，通常情况下，从电视转向广播是一次方向错误的自我安慰。正如“电视名人” Frank Skinner 在我提到我当时多么喜欢他在 Absolute 上的节目时对我说的那样：“别说我多么喜欢做广播。那听起来就像我的事业完蛋了。”

但早餐时间不同。在那里，广播占据主导。人们在刷牙和煮蛋时听的是广播，而不是电视。虽然 BBC1 的 BBC Breakfast 是电视市场的领导者，拥有 1.1 million 观众，但 5 Live Breakfast 吸引了约 1.5 million 听众，且受众群体一直在增长。因此，实际上这次早期的转型并非降职；对 Munchetty 来说，最差的情况也只是一个平级变动。在 5 Live 的标准来看，它

据说她承认自己可能过于直接且要求苛刻

这无疑是一次晋升。在不主持电视节目的日子里，Munchetty 在该电台已经拥有一个每周三天的上午时段，时间在 11am 到 2pm 之间。在广播黄金时段每周工作 5 天将使她成为该电台最大的明星。如果她能配到合适的共同主持人——一位具有亲和力的重量级人物——该节目可能会引起轰动。但对 Munchetty 而言，不幸的是，她的

这次变动很容易被误认为是对一个棘手的人力资源问题的巧妙解决。

人员配备不足的 BBC Breakfast 并非一艘快乐的船。据报道，Munchetty 与该节目的编辑 Richard Frediani 之间关系冷淡，两人都曾被指控欺凌，而 Frediani 已被洗清嫌疑。虽然没有正式的调查在公开场合为她证明清白，但高管们显然就发生的事情与她进行了“谈话”。与此同时，在被指控存在“历史性”的欺凌和不当行为后，Frediani 请了长假。他是一位才华横溢但强势的新闻人，最终并未接受正式调查，但管理层与员工讨论了“职场文化”。

一位要求匿名的前同事认为，年薪在 £360,000 到 £364,999 之间且拥有丰厚自由职业兼职收入的 Munchetty 被误解了。“我喜欢她。她的头脑非常敏锐，但她很有个性，而且

我们与二十多岁的员工共事。如今你绝不能表现出愤怒。

‘我们成长过程中共事的老板们会这样做。你吸取他们最好的部分，抛弃其余的。你认清他们的本质，并问自己：‘我能学到什么？’但我认为她是一个绝佳的选择，因为她也有一种轻盈的处理方式。在 BBC Breakfast 中，你可以看出她和[她的共同主持人] Charlie Stayt 真的很欣赏彼此，而这至关重要。’

另外，据报道，Munchetty 因为在目前的 5 Live 广播节目休息期间使用一个粗俗的词汇描述性行为，随后询问一名同事是否做过该行为而受到责备。然而，在 51 岁这个年纪，她一定见过更糟糕的行为，并听过来自男性上司更糟糕的语言。

甚至 Radio 4 的 Today 主持人也曾被传在争吵

Victoria Derbyshire，前 5 Live Breakfast 主持人，也处于类似的资历阶段。在担任 Newwright 首席主持人期间，由于关于她涉嫌欺凌的投诉，她最近接受了调查。同样，这些投诉未被成立，但据称她承认在高压的新闻编辑室环境下，她的方式可能过于直接且要求苛刻。

然而，回到 2003 年，在 5 Live Breakfast 播报新闻简报时，Derbyshire 曾激动到落泪，由她的共同主持人 Nicky Campbell 接手完成（她明确表示让她心烦的并不是 Campbell）。但早餐时段的广播非常困难。主持人在 4.30am 起床。当他们到达办公室时，节目的准备工作并不总是处于最佳状态。在播音时，主持人必须变换语调，既要分享俏皮的玩笑，又要对受访者进行无情的质询。当另一位主持人获得更精彩的审问机会时，他们绝不能表现出不满。而且所有这些都是在感到永久性精疲力竭的情况下完成的。甚至 Radio 4 的 Today 那些德高望重的主持人，也被传在离开演播室时在滔滔不绝地争吵。时间很早，他们已经完成了三小时高压的现场广播，并且感到疲惫。

一位前 5 Live Breakfast 主持人补充道，如果 Munchetty 需要任何建议，她应该请教 Rachel Burden，后者在工作 15 年后，将她的早餐班次与 Munchetty 较晚的时间段进行了交换。“我认为 Rachel Burden 是一位被严重低估的广播员。能干、冷静、不快乐，且没有那种传统的 Radio 4 主持人的生硬感，”他们说道。

在早餐节目工作并不一定非得是“晨型人”，但如果是的话肯定有帮助。Munchetty 即将在 5 Live 加入的同事们将希望她现在已经成了一名晨型人。毕竟，她在 BBC Breakfast 已经工作了 17 年。

---

6

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

fashion

GETTY IMAGES

Colottes, £40, nobodyschild.com

巴黎街拍

Dress, £139, boden.com

巴黎街拍

城市热浪：如何穿着

把那些海滩裙留给假期吧。安娜·墨菲（Anna Murphy）分享她的通勤穿搭

那些在一年中的大部分时间里都被放在我床下抽屉里的、极具夏季风格的小裙子和分体套装，现在已经连续几周在“出击”了。而且看来这种情况还将持续——我的意思是，不仅是炎热的天气，如果我继续在同样的时尚路线上死磕，我的衣服看起来会更适合莱夫卡达岛（Lefkada）而非伦敦。

然而，我真的不想再让自己看起来像在度假了。这让我意识到自己没在度假，反而感觉更糟。在城市中应对热浪该如何穿衣？当我去办公室的路上，气温达到了爱奥尼亚群岛（Ionian island）的水平时，该如何打扮？

事实上，我对自己的这种感觉感到惊讶。部分原因我认为是多样性是生活的调味剂，而我已经厌倦了日复一日地穿同样的东西。这就像是服装界的“费塔奶酪疲劳”（feta fatigue）——据称像农家派（cottage pie）这样的冬日美食销量反而上升了。现在我进入了“太阳裙昏迷期”。当然，在这种天气穿一件大针织衫绝不是解决方案，而是一种疯狂的行为。（老实说，对于现在吃千层面，我也会这么说，但每个人爱好不同。）

我还认为，这里可能体现了某种被称为“着装认知”（enclothed cognition）的东西。这是一个由两位心理学家亚当·D·加林斯基（Adam D Galinsky）和哈约·亚当（Hajo Adam）在 2012 年创造的术语。他们进行了一系列实验，展示了人们穿着的衣服如何塑造其表现。

参与者接受了一系列认知测试，然后在穿着一件白色外套时再次接受测试。被告知穿着医生外套的组别表现更好，而被告知是画家外套的组别则没有。加林斯基和哈约写道，这是“衣服对穿着者心理过程产生的系统性影响”。

平底鞋，£295, essenthelabel.com

我需要调整我的衣橱，使其，嗯，系统性影响减少一些“在海滩俱乐部喝午后酒”的感觉，增加一些“目标导向的专业人士”的感觉。我热爱我的飘逸花裙，但当我想要看起来并感觉到自己在认真工作时，它们并不适用。过去我去炎热的地方度假时常开玩笑说，如果我真的住在那里，我可能保不住工作。现在感觉测试成真了，而且这涵盖了在 30C 以上高温时的着装以及业务能力。

我意识到，我向往的是干练感和清爽感，一种即便不是完全男性化，但至少是极简主义的美学。这就是为什么我对衬衫这一长久趋势感到前所未有的快乐。我开始穿着我的衬衫，不仅是扣好纽扣，还可以敞开穿在背心外面。如果你想看起来更精致，可以将衬衫塞进裙子/裤子里，或者打个结。

作为一项投资性购买，我推荐英国精品品牌 Navygrey 的新衬衫系列，该品牌此前专注于——我竟然能忍心打出这个词吗？——羊毛衫。经典的领口 Oversize 款有白色、浅蓝色以及蓝白条纹（£220, navygrey.co），无领 Easy 款仅有前两种颜色（£190）。

一件衬衫裙能传达同样的气氛，但带有更女性化的感觉。Boden 的短袖腰带款 Sarah 有多种选择，从蓝白条纹到带有白色对比缝线的时尚栗色（£139 起, boden.com）。Wiggy Kit 那件带有对比色腰带和袖口的微条纹 Eponine 则是至臻之选（£355, wiggykit.com）。

再谈谈上装。衬衫并非唯一途径。还有适合办公室的无袖上装。在真正的假期里，白天我必须避免任何无袖衣服，因为我会被晒得像坎伯兰香肠（Cumberland）一样红，但如果我知道大部分时间在室内度过，我可以露出手臂。

Arket 的抽褶上衣，白色或黑色棉质，是一款特别的选择 (£45, arket.com)。这就让我触及了一个棘手的问题：生活和旅行在没有空调的酷热中，但工作却在有空调的凉爽中。如果需要，我在办公室里会用一件米色开衫来化解这种矛盾，比如 John Lewis 的亚麻款 (£49, johnlewis.com)。

另一种应对这种在温度上相当于两个不同季节的方法是穿着轻便的夏季套装，且夹克严格仅限在办公室穿着。Jigsaw 的微妙

细带凉鞋, £125, arket.com

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

7

时尚

连衣裙, £355, wiggykit.com

穿搭

一件橙色与海军蓝条纹的棉麻西装套装就是一个很好的例子（夹克 £199，长裤 £149，jigsaw-online.com）。在周四上午 11 点前订阅我们屡获殊荣的每周时尚时事通讯，即可享受所有原价 Jigsaw 产品的 20% 独家折扣。

下半身我喜欢飘逸的阔腿裤，或是本季风靡的裤型——气球裤。我一直穿着的那款 Whistles 气球裤是紫色棉质的（£109, whistles.com），而 Albaray 的则是黑色奶酪布材质（£75, albaray.co.uk）。你也可以尝试都市短裤的趋势。Nobody's Child 提供了白色或海军蓝色（分别为 £32 和 £40，原价 £79，nobodyschild.com）。

至于鞋履，可以选择外观流畅的凉鞋，或许是一双细高跟夹脚拖（Arket 的棕色款为 £125, arket.com），或者像 Essent 皮质款（£295, essenthelabel.com）或 Arket 的这种夏季芭蕾平底鞋——没错，这个斯堪的纳维亚品牌在鞋类方面确实做得非常出色——白色编织皮后带鞋（£83.40，原价 £125）。摆脱太阳裙的沉闷，以及对 Birkenstock 的审美疲劳吧！

@annagmurphy

时尚时事通讯

我们的时事通讯充满了独家内容。立即订阅以获取造型技巧、购物精选、品牌折扣、美容赠品及内部秘闻。

请通过下方二维码免费订阅，或访问 thetimes.com/newsletters

Vogue 编辑的制服？你可以在 (H&M) 购买她的胶囊衣橱

Christine Centenera 的极简风格将 Kim Kardashian 变成了时尚宠儿。她告诉 Harriet Walker，先从高跟鞋开始

当我在巴黎的 Crillon 酒店见到《Vogue》澳大利亚版编辑 Christine Centenera 时，她正忙于多任务处理——尽管其层级比你我想象的要更高。由于是为了参加高级定制时装秀而进城，她今天早晨坐在了 Chanel 的前排，随后匆匆出去为她与演员兼导演 Joel Edgerton 的五岁双胞胎购买药品，之后将启动与 Wardrobe NYC 的最新 H&M 合作系列，后者是她与设计师 Josh Goot 共同经营的品牌。

44 岁的 Centenera 最为人熟知的是作为让 Kim Kardashian 变得酷起来的造型师，在通过 Kardashian 的前夫、说唱歌手 Kanye West 结识后，她在十多年前将后者从真人秀明星转化为时尚界的宠儿。

Centenera 是穿着那条价值 £5,000 的 Chanel 裙子去买 Calpol 药水的吗？她笑了。“是的！显然我穿得是为了参加时装秀，但我总是寻找那些适用于所有场合、能帮你应对一整天行程的衣服。如果我只需要换双鞋就能搞定，那就是我想要的便捷感。”

这位澳大利亚-菲律宾裔造型师为全球最著名的病毒式身材创造的、如今极具辨识度的造型——利落的剪裁、更利落的高跟鞋以及雕塑般流畅的轮廓——并不完全是在呼喊“便捷”。然而，这正是 Centenera 和她当时的合作伙伴 Goot 随后启动的实用主义项目的灵感来源。

“25 年来，我为各种体型的女性做造型，”她说。“我试图在创意上突破一点，但我也始终准备着一架我知道能让他们感到自信的衣服——剪裁、丹宁和能让你感到充满力量感的结构。”

这个“必备单品架”成为了 Wardrobe NYC 背后的概念，该品牌于 2017 年推出，不提供季节性趋势，而是销售由四件或八件单品组成的套装，可用于搭配出多种造型。其目的是为了帮助那些不仅衣橱爆满，而且显然却“没衣服穿”的人。

“我有一个巨大且光彩夺目的时尚编辑衣橱，但实际上我有一排使用频率极高的单品，”Centenera 说。“衬衫、西装剪裁、西装外套。这就是想法的来源：如果我要出门且只能带登机箱，哪些单品能发挥最大的效用？”

她和 Goot 现在将他们对胶囊衣橱的现代诠释带到了大众快时尚品牌。Centenera 搭配那条 Chanel 裙子穿着的黑色挂脖连体衣来自 Wardrobe NYC 为 H&M 设计的胶囊系列，该系列将于 8 月 6 日推出。

右图：白色连体衣，£44.99，黑色连体衣，£74.99，裙子，£74.99，以及腰带，£44.99，hm.com

Joel Edgerton, Christine Centenera 和 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley。左图：Kim Kardashian

“我们关注 Wardrobe 已经一段时间了，”这个北欧品牌的创意顾问 Ann-Sofie Johansson 说道。“它是完美的基础：多功能、耐穿，且可以在此基础上进行叠穿。”

Wardrobe NYC 自从 Kardashian 成为其第二个广告活动的面孔以来，拥有一定的名人光环，这一点大有裨益。Centenera 可能是第一个引起我注意的、将高级连帽衫和运动裤与她惯常的细高跟鞋混搭的前排嘉宾。像大多数行业内人士一样，她通常也是全身黑色打扮。

“我经常旅行，所以黑色、白色和中性色很实用，”她说。

“我们想做一些更高效、更持久的东西，”曾经拥有自己品牌并登上伦敦时装周日程的 Josh Goot 说。“所以我们开启了这次创造完美必备衣橱的探索。”

我在 H&M 胶囊系列中最喜欢的一套造型是一条带有弹性腰带的黑色运动裤 (£89.99)，其剪裁非常适合搭配西装外套。一件收腰的丹宁衬衫外套 (£139.99) 则提供了一些吸引 Kardashian 加入的曲线美感。

这些衣服旨在通过多种风格进行搭配。在这次最新的合作中，H&M 的北欧人是否找到了服装界的乐高？“确实存在那种模块化元素，”Goot 说道，“也许你可以将 Wardrobe 与宜家（Ikea）相类比——既现代又永恒。”

而且至关重要的一点是，自行搭配起来要容易得多。

---

8

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

arts

多年来最原创且最具挑衅意味的布克奖入围名单

本年名单充满了不循规蹈矩的小说，我们的首席文学评论员 Johanna Thomas-Corr 表示，其中包括伊丽莎白·斯特劳特（Elizabeth Strout）和道格拉斯·斯图尔特（Douglas Stuart）的作品

当大卫·萨莱（David Szalay）去年凭借《肉体》（Flesh）接受布克奖时，他主张文学应当奖赏冒险。今年的评委们似乎信了他的话。在玛丽·比尔德（Mary Beard）领导的评委小组中，任命了Pulp乐队主唱贾维斯·考克尔（Jarvis Cocker）以及诗人帕特里夏·洛克伍德（Patricia Lockwood）和雷蒙德·安特罗巴斯（Raymond Antrobus），这标志着今年的布克奖对体面的文学礼节没什么兴趣。今天公布的这项奖金为 £50,000 的奖项入围名单证实了这一点。这是多年来最原创且最具挑衅意味的选择之一，充满了不肯循规蹈矩的奇特小说。

虽然英国作家占据主导地位，但名单涵盖了从美国、爱尔兰到土耳其和墨西哥的作家。13名被提名者中，7人为女性，6人为男性；10名作家是首次获得提名，其中包括三位处女作小说家。他们的年龄跨度从 28 岁的贾马尔·怀特（Djamal White）到 81 岁的英国资深幻想小说家 M·约翰·哈里森（M John Harrison）。

名单中出现了一些令人安心的熟面孔。之前的获奖者，苏格兰裔美国人道格拉斯·斯图尔特和牙买加人马龙·詹姆斯（Marlon James），带着关于男同性恋者挣扎的厚重小说回归。多次被提名的伊丽莎白·斯特劳特写了一部家庭剧，这也是目前对特朗普第二次总统任期最犀利的虚构回应之一。这些作家的存在为名单提供了稳定性，但决定基调的是那些更新、更古怪的声音。评委们似乎对正经、严肃的“议题小说”兴趣明显降低，而更青睐具有大胆嗓音、抒情色彩和奇特风格的书籍。

或许，这份名单的古怪反映了当下的时刻。至少在过去十年中，布克奖一直被指责为奖赏那些过于刻意实验的小说。如今，这种指责显得过时了。政治日益像荒诞剧，现实经常超越现实主义，而最具野心的小说家们也相应地在拓展形式。并非每一次赌注都能在我这里获得成功。

或许，这份名单的古怪反映了当下的时刻

哈里森的《一切的终结》（The End of Everything）给人的感觉是难以接近而非启发，我很愿意用它去换掉杰姆·卡尔德（Jem Calder）关于千禧世代漂泊的《我希望你快乐》（I Want You to Be Happy），或者是本·勒纳（Ben Lerner）探讨我们对屏幕成瘾的《转录》（Transcription）。但我宁愿读一份偶尔会“用力过猛”的布克奖入围名单，也不愿读一份从未冒险面对尴尬的名单。

此外，作为一项红利，名单上的大多数书籍篇幅较短——其中九本在 250 页以下。因此，你可以在 22 日 9 月的短名单公布前迅速读完其中大部分。

《客体的阴影》(The Shadow of the Object)

作者：克洛伊·阿里吉斯 (Chloe Aridjis)（Chatto & Windus 出版）。墨西哥裔英国作者克洛伊·阿里吉斯的第四部小说以一次狗咬伤开篇，使得在墨西哥城探亲的伦敦银匠弗洛拉（Flora）被困在医院里，在那里她结识了一位年长的幻灯机收藏家。阿里吉斯对人、物体与记忆之间奇怪的联系感兴趣；这是一部需要细致、耐心关注的小说。

《斯威齐》(Switzy)

作者：艾玛·克莱恩 (Emma Cline)（Chatto & Windus，9 月 10 日出版）。艾玛·克莱恩的《女孩们》（The Girls，2016）使她成为其一代美国小说家中讨论度最高的人之一——《斯威齐》可能会证明是那本兑现早期承诺的作品。小说讲述了一个前往瑞士安乐死诊所的男人，在他回溯生活轨迹的同时，面对痴呆症的缓慢侵蚀。笔触精湛，令人深受感动，且完全不同于我对克莱恩的预期。

Helen of Nowhere

作者：Makenna Goodman (Fitzcarraldo Editions)

这是入围长名单中的一部不按常理出牌的作品。一名心灰意冷的大学教授开车前往美国农村，希望能买一套房子并开始新生活。然而，房地产经纪人向他介绍了其神秘所有者 Helen 的哲学，她关于逃离现代生活的愿景引导着这部小说走向愈发诡谲的方向。这是一部关于男性过时的喜剧吗？或者相反，是对觉醒认同政治（woke identity politics）的讽刺？也许它仅仅是一个关于职业倦怠或人类对爱之渴求的寓言。

The End of Everything

作者：M John Harrison (Serpent's Tail)

M John Harrison 耗费了半个世纪写小说，而这些小说似乎对“有意义”这个想法感到轻微冒犯。《The End of Everything》中出现了海滩搜寻者、外星入侵者、有意识的物体、坍塌的建筑，以及似乎需要一本随书附带但实际上并未提供的说明书才能理解的对话。我认为这部带有科幻色彩的小说故作深奥，但我的同事 John Self 对其表示赞赏，并称赞其幽默风趣。也许问题在我身上，而非 Harrison。我想我还会再读一遍。

The Disappears

作者：Marlon James (Hamish Hamilton, 9月 3日)

在凭借《A Brief History of Seven Killings》获得布克奖十年后，这位 55 岁的牙买加作家暂时搁置了他的史诗奇幻系列，带来了一部宏大的现实主义新作。小说背景设定在 1988, 年的金斯敦，篇幅长达 600 页之多，将一起侦探

顺时针从右起：Djamal White, Emma Cline, Marlon James, Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout 和 Gwendoline Riley

调查与牙买加暴力恐同的社会历史结合在一起。故事开篇是八名男子聚集在一起排练戏剧，结果却遭到杀手暴徒的伏击。这听起来又是另一部野心巨大的 James 小说。

Black Bag

作者：Luke Kennard (John Murray)

想象一下，你自愿在工作日时间里把自己关在皮革西装袋中。这就是 Luke Kennard 第三部小说的前提，灵感来自 20 世纪 60 年代的一项心理学实验。一名挣扎中的演员接受了一位反复无常的大学教授提供的这份工作，并惊讶地发现，消失在袋子里的状态反而让他的生活有了形状。Kennard 将这个荒诞的想法转化为一部关于现代男性气概的喜剧，其中充满了精彩的离题之笔和笑话。

The Renovation

作者：Kenan Orhan (Hamish Hamilton)

这是首部关于浴室装修灾难的小说吗？Dilara 是一名生活在意大利的土耳其流亡者，她攒了几个月的钱来装修浴室，以便患有阿尔茨海默症的父亲能搬进来。但当建筑工人完工时，她拉开防水布，发现“原本应该是淋浴房和双洗手盆的地方，却成了一个完美的囚室场景”。基于这个荒诞的前提，生活在堪萨斯州的土耳其裔美国作家 Orhan 创作了一部极具创意且关于流亡、恐惧以及政治创伤如何跨越国界追踪人们的处女作。

May We Feed the King

作者：Rebecca Perry (Granta)

这部由定居伦敦的小说家兼诗人创作的处女作，想象了一位对征服、暴力或权力毫无兴趣的中世纪国王的统治。通过一名试图重建这位国王被遗忘之宫廷的博物馆

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

CRAIG HIGGINS MATT RANKLIGHTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR LACma: ALAMY, ANDY BROOKLYN, LEONARD CONGANO, SIZABIMAK BAKER/IMITH

9

times2

策展人的故事作为框架，小说探讨了为什么历史推崇强有力的统治者而忽视那些更犹豫不决的人。40, 岁的 Perry 偏好氛围和意象而非情节，一些读者可能会希望叙事节奏能更快一些。即便如此，它依然是对历史小说的一次充满智慧的重构。

The Palm House

作者：Gwendoline Riley (Picador) Gwendoline Riley 对日常生活中细微之羞辱的描写几乎胜过所有人。《The Palm House》讲述了作家 Laura 与资深记者 Edmund 之间的友谊，后者正看着自己的职业世界在一种新的管理文化下消失。通过对话、记忆和社会交往构建而成，这部作品成为了对失望、自我怜悯以及衰落中的英国知识分子生活的探讨。Riley 的对话无与伦比，每一次观察都精准到位。这是她写过的最优秀的小说，也是我最希望获胜的作品。

The Things We Never Say

作者：Elizabeth Strout (Viking) 小说能告诉我们关于美国政治分歧的什么？Elizabeth Strout 的答案是不去看政治家，而去看压力下普通人的生活。她的第 11 部小说讲述了 Artie Dam 的故事，他是一位马萨诸塞州的历史教师，在政治分歧的背景下，他的家庭生活和目标感开始崩溃。这既是一幅孤独的画像，也是一部低调的国情小说。Strout 在 2016 年入围长名单，并在 2022, 年入围短名单，那么第三次会好运吗？某种感觉告诉我，评委们会选择一本更不落俗套的书。

John of John

作者：Douglas Stuart (Picador) Douglas Stuart 的第三部小说设定在 Harris 岛，一名年轻的艺术学院毕业生回到家乡照顾祖母，并面对一个其生活建立在沉默之上的父亲。随着家庭秘密浮出水面，Stuart 探讨了信仰、男性气概和同性欲望，同时没有忽视岛屿生活的节奏。他对颜色和质感的洞察力非同凡响，他对每一个角色（从教会长老到小农）的宽厚亦是如此。这是一部宽宏的小说，在心碎与意外的喜剧感及不敬之举之间取得了平衡。

All of Them Dogs

作者：Djamel White (John Murray) 在 28, 岁时，Djamel White 是布克奖长名单上最年轻的作家。他的处女作得到了前布克奖得主、小说家 Roddy Doyle 的力荐。这部充满冲击力的新黑色电影风格作品设定在 White 成长的都柏林西部郊区，讲述了 Tony Ward 回到他以为自己已经逃离的帮派地带的故事。White 表示，他想写一个由纯粹冲动而非反思驱动的主角，这一描述不可避免地让人联想到 David Szalay 的《Flesh》中那种狂野的能量。

The Vivisectors

作者：Missouri Williams (4th Estate) 在文化战争和身份政治的时代，校园小说再次变得流行。Missouri Williams 的惊人处女作《The Doloriad》想象了一个后末日时代的乱伦王朝，而这次她采取了一种更奇怪的形式。她想象了一个破败的大学城，那里被具有攻击性的植被覆盖，并被学术精英与激进园丁之间的权力斗争所撕裂。Williams 的小说部分是爱情故事，部分是生态寓言，是对意识形态确定性以及习惯性假设他人最坏面貌这种腐蚀性习惯的一次冷峻幽默的探讨。

救命！我在网上买鸭子时被骗了

William Cash 责备他的母亲被骗子愚弄。一周后，他自己也成了这场“禽类骗局”的受害者

网络犯罪正处于历史最高水平。我自己的这个警示故事始于我 81 岁的母亲——她曾在 Harold Wilson 担任首相期间在唐宁街担任秘书，绝非庸才——她心急如焚地给我打电话，因为有人用一种“体面”的声音告诉她，对方来自金融行为监管局 (Financial Conduct Authority)，并注意到她的巴克莱 (Barclays) 银行卡有“异常”活动。对方说他需要“冻结”她的账户，并询问她是否可以“通过安全验证”并确认银行细节。不知怎么地，她最后交出了自己的个人信息。

当她随后发现网上被购买了多部 iPhone 时，她惊恐万分地赶到我家寻求帮助。在经历了 24 小时的家庭煎熬，且银行赔付了被骗款项后，我说她需要提高防骗警惕。我告诉她：“任何心智正常的人都不会直接把个人信息交给一个完全的陌生人。”

转眼一周后，我回复了一则广告。我想给我的父亲买几只艾尔斯伯里鸭 (Aylesbury ducks) —— 也就是 Beatrix Potter 的作品《杰米玛》(Jemima) 中出现的那种品种。

“在送货前需要支付部分定金，余额以现金支付。”

“好的，麻烦了！”我回复道，“我们有一个很适合鸭子居住的家。”

他们通过短信发送了银行详情，包含一个名字 (Maurice) 和一个姓氏。银行名为 Clear Bank。当我尝试验证这些细节时，我的应用程序提示该银行无法验证。但我之前在该网站买过鸭子，所以我发送了 50 per cent 的定金，并补充道：“期待周六在 Acton 酒吧停车场与您见面。我们有一个鸭池。”

如今，密码已变成另一种折磨

当然，从那时起我就再也没收到那个骗子的消息。

我学到的是，任何人都可能被愚弄，因为人性本质上就是容易轻信的。尽管如今我们都被训练得对诈骗高度警觉，但当骗局仅仅是一个关于三只鸭子、在酒吧停车场见面以及看似合理的 WhatsApp 消息之类的老派骗局时，我们反而更容易上当。

回想起来，我认为我放松警惕的一个原因，是因为这次交易不涉及任何密码、验证或“安全检查”。

曾经有一个时代，密码和身份至关重要。它们在整个历史中守护着政治、军事和个人秘密。在伊丽莎白时代，在罗马尊贵的英国学院 (Venerable English College) 接受培训的刚被任命的牧师在离开时会被赋予一个新的身份以及一个密码，以便在英国证明他们是真正的牧师。因此，掌握正确的密码关乎生死。

但如今，密码已变成另一种形式的折磨，无论是由于想不起 Trainline 的密码而错过火车，还是在餐厅支付晚餐时，因为尝试了三次 PIN 码失败而感到尴尬。

然而，它们提醒我们一个更令人沮丧的事实：我们再也记不住任何东西了。这听起来很糟糕，但我甚至不记得我妻子的手机号码。我们的手机也正在成为我们的记忆库。

一位以背台词为生、记忆力极佳的演员朋友前几天告诉我，她厌烦了在每次网上购物时都被告知需要一个“账户”，接着又被告知不应使用相同的密码。但当她为了让孩子们观看 Netflix、Disney+ 和 Discovery Plus 而升级各种密码的“强度”时，她进入了一个反乌托邦式的密码雷区。“我最终崩溃了，创建了一个密码叫 ‘effing password’（该死的密码）。”

嗯，实际上的措辞可能比这更激烈一些。

我收到了一封回复——没有照片也没有姓名，只有一朵红玫瑰

Puddle-Duck——为了他的 86 岁生日。在他后门附近有一个古老的中世纪鸭池，他很喜欢在清晨穿着睡袍喂鸭子。对他来说，它们就像家养宠物一样，直到 Mr Fox——或者可能是当地农民的一只在池塘周围潜伏的像狼一样的柯利犬——决定 Jemima 看起来很适合作为早餐。

那个在线的艾尔斯伯里鸭（Aylesbury ducks）广告来自 freeadcc.co.uk 的一名“VIP 会员”，这是一个宠物销售网站。广告内容是出售三只来自切希尔郡（Cheshire）一个农场地址的艾尔斯伯里鸭，业主称它们太老了，照顾不过来。我之前曾愉快地在该网站购买过一些 puddle ducks。

我很快收到了一封 WhatsApp 回复——没有照片也没有姓名，只有一朵红玫瑰，下面写着“Love”这个词——信中说：“我有这些鸭子，愿意开车去布里奇诺斯（Bridgnorth）交付——下周末下午 3 点。我将”

---

10

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

times2

您的工作日大脑强化

更多谜题 第 14-16 页

从周一到周四，每天提供一页额外的谜题，让您的大脑进行更长时间的锻炼

萨摩耶（Samurai）困难

填充每个方格，使每一列、每一行和每个 3x3 宫格都包含数字 1 到 9。在谜题重叠的部分，行和列不超出其常规长度。

Sakuro

在空格中填入数字 1 到 9，使得每个圆圈中的数字等于周围四个空格之和，且每种颜色的总和正确

迷你数独（Mini Sudoku）

填充方格，使每一列、每一行和每个 3x2 宫格都包含数字 1 到 6

答案见明天的 Times2

数独（Sudoku）简单

杀手数独（Killer）温和

填充方格，使每一列、每一行和每个 3x3 宫格都包含数字 1 到 9。由虚线连接的每组单元格之和必须等于其左上角的数值。在每组由虚线连接的单元格内，数字不能重复。

火车轨道（Train Tracks）

铺设轨道，使火车能从 A 村 traveling 到 B 村。数字表示每行和每列中有多少段轨道。只有直线段和曲线段。轨道不能自我交叉。

不等号数独（Futoshiki）

填充空白方格，使每一行和每一列仅包含 1 到 5 的每个数字一次。方格之间的符号表示一个数字比相邻数字大 (>) 还是小 (<)。

周一至周日每天在 thetimes.com 和 Live 应用程序上在线玩迷你数独

密码字（Codeword）

右侧填字游戏风格方格中的每个字母都由 1 到 26 的数字代表。字母表中的每个字母在方格中至少出现一次。利用已提供的字母来推断其他字母的身份。在主格和较小的参考格中填入字母，直到字母表中的所有 26 个字母都被 accounted for。专有名词除外。

A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R Z T U V W X Y Z

昨日答案

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

11

电视与广播

不死剧集遭遇摇滚文化冲击

Carol Midgley 电视评论

《吸血鬼莱斯特》 (The Vampire Lestat) BBC2 ★★★☆☆

你喜欢《吸血鬼访谈》(Interview with the Vampire) 的前两季吗？那么你可能会发现新剧《吸血鬼莱斯特》带来了一点文化冲击。这里依然有大量的血腥、暴力和獠牙戏码，但我们不再身处 1910 年新奥尔良或 20 世纪 40 年代中期皮加勒 (Pigalle) 那种令人神往的环境中了。我们现在身处当代的底特律，以及摇滚演唱会场馆、酒店走廊和巡演巴士等缺乏美感的周围环境中。

莱斯特·德·利昂库尔 (Lestat de Lioncourt，由 Sam Reid 饰演) 现在是一个不可一世、爱出风头、戏剧化且像个女王般的摇滚之星，他长发披肩，画着眼线，半裸地站在舞台上，炫耀着自己的六块腹肌。他像是罗伯特·普兰特 (Robert Plant)、迈克尔·哈琴斯 (Michael Hutchence) 和年轻时的奥兹·奥斯本 (Ozzy Osbourne) 的结合体，尽管咬掉一只小蝙蝠的头对于莱斯特的嗜血欲望来说根本不够看。

Reid 在饰演莱斯特时气场强大，但同样的评价或许不能给予本季的素材，因为本季感觉更加粗率且肤浅。它更多地聚焦于乐队巡演中那种庸俗、颓废的世界——字面意义上的性、药物和摇滚乐（不过歌曲相当糟糕，这倒挺有趣）。我们身处 2025 年，所以引用的是现代内容（提到了 Ticketmaster），这很合理，但让整体感觉失去了哥特式的逃避主义色彩。

在某个时刻，莱斯特称 MDMA 和 LSD 为“幻觉剂中的托维尔和迪恩 (Torvill and Dean)”。虽然听到简短提及 The Smiths 乐队时我笑了，他含糊地快速说道，我想莱斯特说的是：“坦白说，尚克利先生几乎毁了《女王已死》(The Queen Is Dead)。” 对话经常会给你带来惊喜。

正如新剧名所示，本季重点讲述的是莱斯特及其背景故事，而这些故事是通过他的歌曲和流行音乐视频来讲述的。这听起来很俗套，事实也确实如此，但它是自觉地这么做的，而且效果不错。我们了解到他小时候口吃，讲述了他如何在 18 世纪被转化为吸血鬼，以及他如何将自己的母亲（由 Jennifer Ehle 饰演）也变成了不死之身。这比听起来要更仁慈

Bailey Bass, Jacob Anderson 和 Sam Reid 回归第三季

一些。令人反感的是，他们的关系似乎涉及乱伦。我们得知他发短信的对象是她，而不是他的前任情人路易 (Louis，由 Jacob Anderson 饰演)。在此时我想，吸血鬼不是应该有心灵感应吗？为什么他们需要凡人那些无聊的老旧 iPhone？

本剧以一段快进到拍卖会的场景开始，会上正在出售莱斯特的财物。观众席中有阿尔芒 (Armand，由 Assad Zaman 饰演) 和路易，两人看起来伤痕累累，阿尔芒戴着眼罩，路易拄着拐杖。拍卖品是一份音频日记，记录了莱斯特关于其乐队 2025 年巡演、专辑以及一场明显的全球灾难之前的经过。莱斯特对丹尼尔·莫洛伊 (Daniel Molloy) 出版关于路易和莱斯特的畅销揭秘书感到愤怒，因此组建乐队以修正叙事。这份音频日记就是我们的旁白。

他的粉丝和队友最初认为他是在角色扮演一个吸血鬼，当他在舞台上过于投入、忘记自我并开始吸食一名女粉丝的脖子时，那一幕非常搞笑。随后他在一个暴力场景中揭露了自己的身份，而队友们好奇的追问提供了更多喜剧效果（“你像《暮光之城》里那样打棒球吗？”）。

这部剧华丽、奢侈且极具坎普 (camp) 风格，Reid 的表现非常出色，但我认为这种基调的转变可能会让一些老观众感到不适。

《民谣节目》 (The Folk Show) Radio 2, 晚上 9 点

迈克尔·辛（Michael Sheen），见上图，本周顶替马克·拉德克利夫（Mark Radcliffe）主持，播放他最喜爱的民谣和原声音乐。他的选择包括南威尔士民谣摇滚团体 MWSOG，凯特·拉斯比（Kate Rusby）和 Unthanks 乐队的曲目，以及一首在他成长过程中产生影响的杰索·塔尔（Jethro Tull）的作品。与此同时，马修·班尼斯特（Matthew Bannister）屡获殊荣的《徒步民谣》（Folk on Foot）播客仍在继续，在节目中，他与音乐家们在激发他们灵感的风景中漫步。该系列的近期表演者包括在约克郡的强尼·弗林（Johnny Flynn）、在蒂赛德地标罗兹伯里托平（Roseberry Topping）的 Young 'Uns 乐队，以及在西萨塞克斯郡佩特沃斯庄园（Petworth House）的蕾迪·梅泽里（Lady Maisery）。克莱尔·伍德沃德（Clair Woodward）

Times Radio

数字频道, 网页, 智能扬声器, 应用程序 5.00am Tom Nunan 主持 Early Breakfast 6.00 Salma D-Wardany 和 Calum Macdonald 主持 Times Radio Breakfast 10.00 Carolyn Quinn 1.00pm The Times at One：Mark Urban 主持 2.00 Jane Garvey 和 Fi Glover 4.00 John Pienaar 主持 Times Radio Drive 7.00 Kait Borsay 主持 The Evening Edition 10.00 Carole Walker 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88/90.2 MHz 6.30am The Sara Cox Breakfast Show 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Angela Scanlon 7.00 Jo Whiley's Shiny Happy Playlist 7.30 Jo Whiley 9.00 Choice Michael Sheen 主持 The Folk Show 10.00 Melvin Odoom 主持 The Good Groove 12.00 DJ Borg 3.00am Fearne Cotton 主持 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 斯特劳斯 (Death and Transfiguration)；Christian Forshaw (My Soul There Is A Country)；普罗科菲耶夫 (3 Pensées for piano, Op 62)；舒伯特 (An Silvia, D. 891)；拉威尔 (Chants populaire — No 5 Chanson écossaise)；R 舒曼 (Myrthen Op 25 No 13 — Hochtänders Abschied)；布里顿 (O can ye sew cushions? 和 Fancie)；普朗克 (Fancie)；Dankworth (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? 和 Dunsinare blues)；John Adams (Harmonium) 和 Boulanger (Vieille prière bouddhique)

3.00 Choral Evensong 现场直播，来自三唱诗团节（Three Choirs Festival）期间的格洛斯特大教堂，演出 Hurd, Gavin Higgins, Wesley 和 Bliss 的音乐。 4.00 本周作曲家：Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884) Donald Macleod 回顾 Alice Mary Smith 的一些作曲合作作品，包括与著名单簧管演奏家 Henry Lazarus 的合作 5.00 In Tune 7.00 Live BBC Prions BBC 苏格兰交响乐团在首席指挥 Ryan Wigglesworth、女高音 Claire Booth 和 BBC Singers 的配合下演出。由 Tom Service 在伦敦皇家阿尔伯特礼堂主持。Judith Weir (Moon and Star)；Brett Dean (The World's Wife — BBC 共同委约并全球首演)；以及埃尔加 (Symphony No 1 in A Rat) 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 'Round Midnight' 12.30am Through the Night (r)

Radio 4

FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am 新闻摘要 5.04 BBC Inside Science (r) 5.34 航运预报 5.43 今日祷告 5.45 今日农业 6.00 Today 9.00 Sideways (3/8) 9.30 Breakin' the Cycle (1/6) 10.00 Woman's Hour 11.00 Floor 15 (r) 11.40 本周历史 11.45 本周图书：《表演性男性的忏悔》(Confessions of a Performative Male) Darren McGarvey 思考了过去十年中塑造争论的一些关于阶级和男性特权的懒惰思维。由作者朗读 (3/5) 12.04pm You and Yours

1.00 The World at One 1.45 Dead Rabbit (8/10) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 戏剧：United Kingdoms 以“庇护” (Sheltering) 为主题的五部短剧合集 (2/5) (r) 3.00 Money Box 3.30 A Map of the Moon (r) 4.00 The Power of Guilt (2/5) (r) 4.15 The Media Show 5.00 PM 6.00 六点新闻 6.30 Best Medicine Kiri Pritchard-McLean 和嘉宾们庆祝医学 (1/6) 7.00 The Archers Chris 做得太过火了 7.15 Front Row 8.00 AntiSocial 由 Adam Fleming 主持 (4/6) (r) 8.45 Café Hope 探讨一个人如何建立一个包容的跑步伴侣社区 (5/7) (r) 9.00 Invisible Hands David Dimbleby 讲述将美国变为超级大国的人的故事 (1/6) (r) 9.30 Inside Health (4/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 由 James Coomarasamy 主持 10.45 Wild Dark Shore 由 Charlotte McConaghy 著 (8/10) 11.00 Sunil Patel：关于长生不老的白痴指南 (4/6) 11.15 Follow the Rabbit (1/5) (r) 11.30 A Good Read (4/9) (r) 12.00 新闻与天气 12.30am 本周图书：《表演性男性的忏悔》(Confessions of a Performative Male) (3/5) (r) 12.48 航运预报 1.00 接入 BBC 全球服务 (As BBC World Service)

Radio 4 Extra

仅限数字广播 8.00am 布里吉特·克里斯蒂：《凡人》(Bridget Christie: Mortal) 8.30 伦敦之声：首都黑人音乐百年 (Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital)

8.45 《小岛》(Small Island) 9.00 伊沃·格雷厄姆的痴迷 (Ivo Graham's Obsessions) 9.30 《我的人生时光》(The Time of My Life) 9.45 每日礼拜 (Daily Service) 10.00 纪录片：英国音乐的加勒比根源 (The Documentary: British Music's Caribbean Roots) 10.50 见证历史 (Witness History) 11.00 《拉夫尔斯》(Raffles) 11.30 查尔斯·巴黎：《致命习惯》(Charles Paris: A Deadly Habit) 12.00 《亨利之后》(After Henry) 12.30pm 《失踪的汉科克》(The Missing Hancocks) 1.00 布里吉特·克里斯蒂：《凡人》 1.30 伦敦之声：首都黑人音乐百年 1.45 《小岛》 2.00 《写作素材》(The Write Stuff) 2.30 《布里斯托》(Bristow) 3.00 《第一名女士侦探社》(The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) 3.45 《凤凰与地毯》(The Phoenix and the Carpet) 4.00 纪录片：英国音乐的加勒比根源 4.50 见证历史 5.00 《拉夫尔斯》 5.30 查尔斯·巴黎：《致命习惯》 6.00 《亨利之后》 6.30 《失踪的汉科克》 7.00 布里吉特·克里斯蒂：《凡人》 7.30 伦敦之声：首都黑人音乐百年 7.45 《小岛》 8.00 《写作素材》 8.30 《布里斯托》 9.00 《第一名女士侦探社》 9.45 《凤凰与地毯》 10.00 伊沃·格雷厄姆的痴迷 10.30 米奇·本的音乐罪行 (Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music) 11.00 戴夫·波德莫尔的板球之夜 (Dave Podmore's Cricket Night) 11.30 拨M号点披萨 (Dial M for Pizza)

Radio 5 Live

中波 (MW): 693, 909 5.00am 金钱觉醒 (Wake Up to Money) 6.00 5 Live 早间节目 9.00 尼基·坎贝尔 (Nicky Campbell) 11.00 纳加·蒙切蒂 (Naga Munchetty) 2.00pm 马特·乔利 (Matt Chorley) 4.00 5 Live 晚间通勤 (5 Live Drive) 7.00 2026年格拉斯哥：英联邦运动会第六日评论 10.00 卡萨·阿隆 (Qasa Alom) 1.00am 多顿·阿德巴约 (Dotun Adebayo)

talkSPORT

中波 (MW): 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am 早期体育早报 (Early Sports Breakfast) 6.00 与阿隆·巴西共进早餐 (Breakfast with Alon Brazil)

10.00 吉姆·怀特与西蒙·乔丹 (Jim White and Simon Jordan) 1.00pm 麦克斯·拉什登与查理·贝克 (Max Rushden & Charlie Baker) 4.00 talkSPORT 晚间通勤 (talkSPORT Drive) 7.00 开球：体育议题 (Kick Off: Sporting issues) 10.00 体育酒吧 (The Sports Bar) 1.00am 与保罗·罗斯的加时赛 (Extra Time with Paul Ross)

Talk

仅限数字广播 6.00am 杰里米·凯尔 (Jeremy Kyle) 10.00 朱莉娅·哈特利-布鲁尔 (Julia Hartley Brewer) 1.00pm 伊恩·柯林斯 (Ian Collins) 4.00 凯文·欧苏利文 (Kevin O'Sullivan) 7.00 彼得·卡德威尔 (Peter Cardwell) 10.00 佩特里·霍斯肯 (Petrie Hosken) 1.00am 保罗·罗斯 (Paul Ross)

6 Music

仅限数字广播 5.00am 艾米·拉梅 (Amy Lamé) 7.00 尼克·格里姆肖 (Nick Grimshaw) 10.00 Jamz Supernova 1.00pm 德布·格兰特 (Deb Grant) 4.00 休·斯蒂芬斯 (Huw Stephens) 7.00 每日新音乐速递 (New Music Fix Daily) 9.00 莱利与科 (Riley & Coe) 11.00 首次接触 (The First Time With) 12.00 Freak Zone 播放列表 1.00am 母带 (Mastertapes) 3.00 深度探讨 The Strokes 的专辑《Is This It》 4.00 6 Music 点唱机

Virgin Radio

仅限数字广播 6.30am 史蒂夫·丹耶在克里斯·埃文斯早间节目中 (Steve Denyer on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show) 10.00 安娜·马特罗尼克 (Ana Matronic) 2.00pm 本·琼斯 (Ben Jones) 6.00 杰夫·劳埃德 (Geoff Lloyd) 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am 詹姆斯·梅里特 (James Merritt)

Classic FM

调频 (FM): 100-102 MHz 6.30am Dan Walker 主持的 Classic FM 早餐会 9.00 Dan Walker 主持的名人堂之小时 (The Hall of Fame Hour) 10.00 亚历德·琼斯 (Aled Jones) 1.00pm 安妮-玛丽·明霍尔 (Anne-Marie Minhall) 4.00 玛格丽塔·泰勒 (Margherita Taylor) 7.00 与泽布·索恩共度惬意之夜 (Relaxing Evenings with Zeb Soanes) 9.00 与泽布·索恩共赏作曲家轮播 (Composer Carousel) 10.00 宁静经典 (Calm Classics) 1.00am 比尔·欧弗顿 (Bill Overton) 4.00 早期早餐

---

页码 12

2026年7月29日 星期三 | 泰晤士报 (THE TIMES)

电视节目

今日精选

德里克·雅各比爵士回忆录： 《我，克劳狄斯》(I, Claudius) BBC4, 晚上10点

“他们尝试过查尔顿·赫斯顿，但他拒绝了；他们尝试过罗尼·巴克，他也拒绝了……”德里克·雅各比在介绍BBC 1976年改编自罗伯特·格雷夫斯1934年小说《我，克劳狄斯》及其续作《克劳狄斯神》时，明确指出如果当时没有选中他，这部剧可能会截然不同。前两集从晚上10.15分开始播出，但雅各比的回忆提供了令人愉悦的背景，尤其是当他大方地赞扬起合作演员约翰·赫特和希安·菲利普斯时（谈到后者饰演阴险的利维娅时，他说：“我当时很怕这位奶奶”）。关于戏剧生活的见解也非常有趣：“对于演员来说，能分到一个有口吃、跛脚和抽搐的角色是一种天赋，”雅各比说，“如果拿着这些条件还演不好，那真是太糟糕了。” Victoria Segal

德里克·雅各比在《我，克劳狄斯》中 (BBC4, 晚上10点起)

极致扩建 (Extraordinary Extensions)

第4频道, 晚上8点

这部节目的风险应该比《大设计》(Grand Designs) 低——毕竟，参与者已经有了一个家，这个令人安心的基准降低了危险因素。然而，当一对夫妇向主持人 Tinie Tempah 解释他们没有预算且没有截止日期时，资深 Kevin McCloud 观众们可能会听到警钟敲响。因此，戏剧冲突依然很高，这位音乐家兼地产开发商将追踪两个项目：在伦敦的一栋爱德华时代排屋中创建一座受装饰艺术风格启发的扩建部分，以及在诺福克布罗兹的一座传统小屋中建造一座受船屋启发、旨在扩大居住空间的生态建筑。Tempah 展现出睿智且敏锐的关注，而该节目证明了扩建房屋绝不仅仅是加个漂亮的温室那么简单。 VS

肯·伯恩斯日 PBS America, 下午3.50点起

7月29日是肯·伯恩斯的73岁生日

BBC1

6.00am 早安节目 (Breakfast) 9.30 动物公园 (Animal Park) (r) (AD) 10.15 追踪、寻回我的车 (Trace, Track, Get My Car Back) (r) 10.45 专家证人 (Expert Witness) (r) 11.15 房屋拍卖 (Homes Under the Hammer) (r) (AD) 12.15pm 淘货猎人 (Bargain Hunt) (r) 1.00 BBC 1点新闻；天气预报 1.35 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报 1.45 BBC 1点新闻；天气预报 2.00 废物利用 (Money for Nothing)。莎拉·摩尔和她的朋友们修复旧玩具和一台复古电视机 2.45 逃往乡村 (Escape to the Country)。尼基·查普曼旨在帮助两位摇滚音乐家在牛津郡寻找一个拥有工作室空间的家 (r) 3.45 竞拍室 (The Bidding Room)。物品包括一块珐琅广告牌、一个二战时期的瓦斯警报器和一个穆拉诺玻璃图坎鸟 4.30 旅行拍卖师 (The Travelling Auctioneers)。萨顿科尔菲尔德一座充满收藏品的房子 (r) (AD) 5.15 毫无意义 (Pointless)。由亚历山大·亚姆斯特朗和斯蒂芬·曼根主持的问答赛 (r) 6.00 BBC 6点新闻；天气预报 6.30 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报

BBC2

6.30am 废物利用 (Money for Nothing) (r) 7.15 竞拍室 (The Bidding Room) (r) 8.00 手语区：伟大的日本铁路之旅。山手线 (r) (AD, SL) 8.30 伟大的欧洲大陆铁路之旅。从曼达斯到拉科尼的旅行 (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC 新闻 1.05pm 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏之屋 (Richard Osman's House of Games)。参赛者包括 Yasmine Akram (r) 1.30 终点线 (The Finish Line)。问答系列赛 (r) 2.15 闪电 (Lightning)。由佐伊·里昂斯主持的问答赛 (r) 2.45 毛发骑手烘焙之旅 (The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation)。Si King 和 Dave Myers 前往德国 (r) (AD) 3.45 农民乡村大对决 (The Farmers' Country Showdown)。中萨默塞特展会上的竞赛 (r) 4.15 太空看地球 (Earth from Space)。揭秘地球上最迷人色彩背后的故事 (r) (AD) 5.15 把它卖了！(Flog It!) 来自黑池塔马戏团 (r) 6.00 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏之屋 (Richard Osman's House of Games)。参赛者为 Karen Hauer, Storm Hurriley, Joe Marler 和 Tom Read Wilson (r) 6.30 仅此一事 (Just One Thing)。一位想要获得高质量睡眠的儿童艺人 (r) (AD)

ITV1

6.00am 早安英国 (Good Morning Britain) 10.00 早上好 (This Morning) 1.00pm ITV新闻；天气 1.30 ITV赛马直播。Ed Chamberlin 和 Ed Chamberlin 与 Francesca Cumani 为大家带来古德伍辉煌赛马会 (Glorious Goodwood meeting) 第二日的赛事报道，包括主赛萨塞克斯锦标赛 (Sussex Stakes) 以及四场配套赛事。由 Jason Weaver, Johnny Murtagh 和 Hayley Turner 进行分析，Rishi Persad, Sally Ann Grassick 和 Luke Harvey 负责报道，由 Richard Holles 提供当日赛事的解说 4.30 倾点 (Tipping Point)：史上最佳决赛。由 Ben Shephard 主持的问答节目带来更多最戏剧性的终局，参赛者将挑战机器以赢取 £10,000 奖金 (r) 5.00 追击 (The Chase)。Bradley Walsh 主持该问答节目，另一组四人参赛者将以团队形式挑战一名冷酷的追击者并赢取现金奖金 (r) 6.00 地区新闻；天气 6.30 ITV新闻；天气

Channel 4

6.25am 干杯 (Cheers) (r) 7.45 大家都爱雷蒙德 (Everybody Loves Raymond) (r) (AD) 9.10 弗雷泽 (Fraser) (r) (AD) 11.10 拉姆齐的厨房噩梦美国篇 (Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA)。路易斯安那州西威戈的一家餐厅 (r) 12.05pm Channel 4 新闻摘要 12.10 寻找、修复、出售 (Find It, Fix It, Flog It)。在邓弗里斯和加洛韦发现了各种物品 (r) (AD) 1.10 大宅赠送 (The Great House Giveaway)。鲁格比的一处房产被翻新并出售 (r) 2.10 词汇接龙 (Countdown)。电视名人 Scarlett Moffatt 出现在词典角 (Dictionary Corner) 3.00 阳光之 dwelling (A Place in the Sun)。一对汉普郡夫妇在太阳海岸寻找住房 (r) 4.00 惊险逃脱 (Narrow Escapes)。一对夫妇及其家人在北安普敦郡的惠顿码头 (Whitton Marina) 选购船只 (r) (AD) 5.00 城堡DIY (Château DIY)。布尔诺城堡 (Chateau de Bourneau) 的一座塔楼被翻新 (r) (AD) 6.00 美国淘宝 (American Pickers)。Mike Wolfe 和 Frank Fritz 寻找并试图救援一辆罕见的经典 33 年福特车，该车停放时间之久，甚至有一棵树在它周围生长 (r) (AD)

5

6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 电影：《杀인을 기억하는 기억》(12, TVM, 2023) 在两名女性露营时遭到袭击后，其中一人在试图揭开真相的过程中患上了失忆症。由 Andrea Bogart 和 Allie Forsberg 主演的根据真实事件改编的惊悚片 4.00 Castle. Beckett 和 Castle 试图揭开一名神秘枪手的计划，该枪手劫持了包括 Esposito 侦探在内的地铁乘客 (r) 4.55 Love Nature. 在气候变化的背景下，讲述自然界自我救赎的故事 (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Malta: The Jewel of the Med. 镜头探索马耳他的橄榄林（此时正值收获季节），并进入该国最宏伟的庄园之一内部 (r) 6.55 5 News Update

7.00 The One Show 由 Alex Jones 和 Vernon Kay 主持的平日杂志节目

7.30 EastEnders Gray 继续操纵 Sheila，而 George 则在努力应对内心的愧疚 (AD)

8.00 The Repair Shop 专家们致力于修复一件曾属于民谣音乐家 Vin Garbutt 的 mandriola、两把来自坦桑尼亚的小藤椅、一顶飞行员帽和一台美式霓虹弹珠机 (r) (AD)

9.00 Murder 24/7 2024 年 Cheryl McKenna 遇害被刺案 —— 由其前伴侣 Chris Hemming 向警方报案，他在通话中承认自己是责任人 —— 调查将决定他将面临何种指控以及将受到何种判决 (4/0) (AD)

10.00 BBC News at Ten

10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather

10.40 电影：《眼在天空》(15, 2015) 一名上校的任务是清除一个恐怖分子据点，但当一名女孩进入计划中的无人机打击爆炸半径时，情况变得复杂 —— 迫使她必须在牺牲女孩的生命或让恐怖分子逃脱之间做出选择。由 Helen Mirren 和 Alan Rickman 主演的惊悚片。参见电影选择

12.15am The Hit List Celebrity Special Marvin 和 Rochelle Humes 主持这场基于音乐的比赛，La Voix, Jenny Ryan, Rav Wilding, Chesney Hawkes, Fatiha El-Ghorri 和 Harriet Kemsley 尝试尽可能多地答出热门歌曲的名称，以为他们选定的慈善机构赢取现金奖金 (r) 1.05-6.00 BBC News

7.00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 前下议院议长 John Bercow 和金牌栏高运动员 Sally Gunnell在 Izzy Balmer 和 Raj Bisram 的帮助下接受挑战 (r)

8.00 Saving Lives at Sea Newhaven 救援队在一名游艇客的船只撞击岩石前尝试进行绝望的救援，同时一名皮划艇运动员在南德文郡海岸的岩石上跌倒并导致颈部受伤 (4/10) (r) (AD)

9.00 The Gunpowder Plot: Lucy Worsley Investigates 历史学家调查炸毁议会大厦的阴谋，并探讨是什么驱动了一群天主教阴谋家采取这种大胆、激进的极端行为 (2/4) (r) (AD)

10.00 Inside No 9 一名男子来到威尔士的一所小学校任教，但发现自己被掩盖了光芒 (2/6) (r) (AD) 10.30 Newsnight 由 Victoria Derbyshire 主持

11.00 Uncanny Danny Robins 调查一名男子的信念，该男子认为他的房子被一个会摇晃抽屉、摇铃甚至冲厕所的实体所占据 (2/3) (r) (AD)

12.00 The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke 讲述一名 vlogger 在 2023 年因虐待儿童而被逮捕的故事 (r) (AD) 12.55am Sign Zone: Do You Know Your Place? 参赛者回答关于莱斯特的问题 (r) (SL) 1.25 Scamanda (r) (AD, SL) 2.05-3.05 The Rapture (r) (AD, SL)

7.30 Deal or No Deal: Banker's Best Battles Stephen Mulhern 回顾该游戏节目的经典对决

8.00 Emmerdale Joe 临时召集一次午餐，令所有人感到不安 (AD) 8.30 Coronation Street Ross 的生日家庭庆祝活动对 Cassie 来说压力太大了 (AD)

9.00 《谁想成为百万富翁？》(Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) 由 Jeremy Clarkson 主持的高额奖金问答节目，另一组参赛者将回答可能改变他们生活的各种问题 (r)

10.00 ITV 十点新闻 (ITV News at Ten)；天气预报； 随后是地区新闻

10.45 电影：《生与死》(Live and Let Die) (PG, 1973) 詹姆斯·邦德对三名英国特工被杀案的调查，使他发现了一个加勒比海岛屿独裁者与一名哈林区毒品大亨之间的联系——以及一个企图向美国大量供应免费海洛因的阴谋。由 Roger Moore 首次饰演 007, 的间谍冒险片，Yaphet Kotto 和 Jane Seymour 共同出演 (AD)

1.05am 电视购物 3.00 《爱与死》(Love & Death)。Candy 对她的婚姻进行反思 (r) (AD, SL) 4.00 《朗姆酒店内幕：英国第一座豪华酒店》(Inside the Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel)。一名婚礼策划师竭尽全力地打造一场令人惊叹的婚礼 (r) (AD, SL) 4.25 与 ITV 一起放松 (Unwind with ITV) 5.35-6.00 《Tom Kerridge：烹饪意大利》(Tom Kerridge: Cooks Italy) (r) (AD, SL)

7.00 Channel 4 News

8.00 Extraordinary Extensions 新剧集：Tinie Tempah 加入一对装饰艺术痴迷者的行列，看着他们将西伦敦的一栋排屋改造为一座受《大盖茨比》启发的 1920 年代宫殿。见今日精选 (AD)

9.00 The Undeclared War Barbara 追踪到了 Nicky，但她不稳定的行为让 Danny 感到担忧。与此同时，中国的恶意软件继续在英国政府部门中造成各种混乱 (4/6) (AD)

10.00 24 Hours in A&E 一名 46 岁的女性在车祸后因严重的头部和胸部受伤就诊；一名 54 岁的男性在从自行车上摔下后抵达；一名青少年在尝试爬篱笆后手指被切断 (7/7) (r) (AD)

11.05 24 Hours in A&E 在诺丁汉的 Queen's Medical Centre，一名 23 岁的女性发生了骑行事故，从马上摔下，随后马压在了她身上。医生需要紧急确定一名 26 岁的男性是否中风。另外，一名 5 岁的孩子在学校割伤了手 (r) (AD)

12.05am Murder Case: The Digital Detectives (r) (AD, SL) 1.00 Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port (r) (AD, SL) 1.55 Kitchen Nightmares USA (r) 2.50 Britain's Most Expensive Houses (r) (AD) 3.45 Grand Designs (r) 4.40 Come Dine with Me (r) 5.35 Sunday Brunch (r) 5.45-6.25 Countdown (r)

7.00 Car Pound Cops 在萨里郡，一名全地形车骑手因车辆缺少号牌被拦下，而一名警 sergeant 则处理一起导致午夜追逐的严重事件 (5/8) (r)

7.55 5 新闻更新

8.00 急救 24/7：分秒必争 Pasamodico 紧急接诊一名呼吸困难的 71 岁老人，以及一名因鼻腔卡入马栗而就诊的三岁儿童

9.00 乌鸦女孩 在 Jeannette 处理 Lou 行为引发的后果时，Victoria 寻求报复，而 Burkenian 农场的一项恐怖发现使调查达到了顶点。在职业生涯岌岌可危之际，Jeannette 向 Sophia 寻求慰藉。本系列最后一集 (AD)

10.00 2026 英联邦运动会 格拉斯哥第六日的精彩回顾，包括举重、田径和残疾人田径，以及最后的游泳和残疾人游泳项目

11.05 死亡原因 一名 63 岁男子被发现死亡，其臀部有严重伤口，双手有割伤和擦伤，因此兰开夏郡法医官的官员试图确定死亡原因。此外，一次 999 电话导致在一座外屋中发现一具尸体 (7/10) (r)

12.05am 急诊之夜 (r) (AD) 1.00 邮轮电视与 Love@bookit (r) 2.00 商店窃贼：你能抓到我就在哪里 (r) 2.50 马耳他：地中海之珠 (r) 3.45 朋友 (r) (AD) 4.35 高地兽医 (r) (SL) 5.25 5 频道娱乐新闻 5.35 Milo (r) (SL) 5.45-6.00 帕丁顿的冒险 (r) (SL)

---

THE TIMES | 星期三 29 2026 年 7 月

13

电视

PBS America 正在通过放映他的一些经典作品来纪念这一时刻。从下午 3:50 开始，《刘易斯与克拉克：探索队的旅程》是一部四集剧集，记录了 1804 年前往密苏里河源头的旅程。晚上 8:50 的《霍拉舍的驾驶：美国首次公路旅行》讲述了首次横跨大陆的汽车旅行的波折故事，这是由 Horatio Nelson Jackson 博士（由 Tom Hanks 配音）和一只名为 Bud 的斗牛犬在 1903 年进行的一次冒险。Joe Clay

凯蒂·普莱斯：毫无保留 Sky Documentaries/Now, 晚上 9 点

在这个大多数名人采访都由公关管理且平淡无奇的时代，这部与曾被称为 Jordan 的艺术家的四部分系列剧像是一股清新之风。Price 确实在坦露一切，其无畏的坦诚有时让人在观看时感到不安。看完这部剧，除了对一个坚韧且受创的女性产生敬佩之情外，很难有其他感受，尽管她一直受到不断的骚扰、诋毁和虐待，但从未把自己摆在受害者的位置。JC

流媒体选择

Warth Netflix

《迷幻快车》、《穆赫兰大道》、《记忆碎片》……作为一种情节设计，失忆症造就了一些优秀的电影。现在它在这部设定在综合格斗世界中的巴西系列剧中成为了主要的麦格芬（MacGuffin）。Marcelo (Vinicius Neri) 是一名在逃的失忆症患者，他被一名教练 (Fábio Lago) 从死亡边缘救回，而后者成为了他的导师、救星以及可能的剥削者。作为对残酷体育亚文化的冷峻快照，这部剧很难被超越。Andrew Male

电影选择

天空之眼 (15, 2015) BBC1, 晚上 10.40

这部惊悚片由 Helen Mirren 饰演英国军方的高级军官 Katherine Powell 上校。她想利用一架由美国驾驶的死神无人机炸掉内罗毕的一个藏匿自杀式袭击者的据点。只有一个问题：一个小女孩正在据点旁边卖面包，将会被杀死。指令必须经过一条指挥链，其中包括一名消化不良的中将 (Alan Rickman)、一名胆小的政治家 (Jeremy Northam)、一名患有痢疾的英国外交大臣 (Iain Gles) 和一名美国国务卿 (Michael O'Keefe)。(102分钟) Kevin Maher

BBC4

7.00pm 《伟大的英国铁路之旅》(Great British Railway Journeys)。利物浦至 Urbaneter (AD) 7.30 《与 Jim Moir 同行》(Walking with Jim Moir)。喜剧演员探索肯特海岸 8.00 《古罗马宝藏》(The Treasures of Ancient Rome)。探索罗马人的艺术成就 (1/3) 9.00 《玛丽·比尔德谈卡利古拉》(Caligula with Mary Beard)。罗马皇帝的生平 (AD) 10.00 德里克·雅各布斯爵士回忆录 (Sir Derek Jacobs Remembers) —— 《我是克劳狄斯》(I, Claudius)。见当日精选 10.15 《我是克劳狄斯》(I, Claudius)。讲述围绕罗马皇帝统治期间阴谋的剧集。见当日精选 (1/12) 11.55 《我是克劳狄斯》(I, Claudius)。奥古斯都仍未察觉朱莉娅的私通行径。见当日精选 (2/12) 12.45am 《古罗马宝藏》(The Treasures of Ancient Rome) 1.45 《玛丽·比尔德谈卡利古拉》(Caligula with Mary Beard) (AD) 2.45 《伟大的英国铁路之旅》(Great British Railway Journeys) (AD, SL) 3.15am-3.45 《与 Jim Moir 同行》(Walking with Jim Moir) (SL)

BBC3

7.00pm 《跟进》(The Catch Up) 7.05 《致命 60.》(Deadly 60.)。野生动物系列精彩片段合辑 7.30 《致命 60.》(Deadly 60.)。在阿拉斯加和巴西拍摄的挑战 8.00 《顶级跑车》(Top Gear)。杰里米·克拉克森、理查德·哈蒙德和詹姆斯·梅尝试用房车制造一辆火车 9.00 电影：《我是传奇》(I Am Legend) (15, 2007) 一名居住在曼哈顿的科学家试图寻找一种治愈病毒瘟疫的方法，该瘟疫已将所有其他人类变成了类吸血鬼生物。由威尔·史密斯和爱丽丝·布拉加主演的科幻惊悚片 (AD) 10.30 《被母亲绑架》(Kidnapped by My Mum)。关于一名在 11 岁时失踪的男子的故事 (AD) 12.10am 斯泰西·杜利 (Stacey Dooley)。准备战争！奔赴战争的乌克兰平民 (AD) 1.10 罗曼·坎普：为年轻生命而战 (Roman Kemp: The Fight for Young Lives) (AD) 2.10am-3.45 《被母亲绑架》(Kidnapped by My Mum) (AD)

地区变体

BBC1 北爱尔兰 10.40pm 《乐队》(The Band) 11.10 电影：《天空之眼》(Eye in the Sky) (2015) 12.45am-1.30 《名人特别版命中清单》(The Hit List Celebrity Special) (r)

BBC1 苏格兰 12.15am 《苏格兰播报》(Scotcast) (r) 12.45am-1.35 《名人特别版命中清单》(The Hit List Celebrity Special) (r)

BBC1 威尔士 8.00pm 《诈骗拦截者》(Scam Interceptors) (r) 8.30pm-9.00 《我们的生活》(Our Lives)

STV 1.30pm-4.30 STV 赛马：辉煌古德伍德 (Glorious Goodwood) 9.00-10.00 《纯洁》(Pure) (r) 1.05am-3.00 电视购物 (Shop on TV)

UTV 10.45pm 《走进朗廷》(Inside the Langham) 11.15 《交易或不交易：最佳对决》(Deal or No Deal: Best Battles) 11.45 《幸运轮盘》(Wheel of Fortune) (r) 12.40am-1.05 《弗莱彻家族农场》(Fletchers' Family Farm) (r)

Sky Arts

6.00am 杰奎琳·杜普雷：天才与悲剧 (Jacqueline du Pré: Genius and Tragedy) 7.55 《绘画之乐》(The Joy of Painting) (AD) 9.00 《意外故事》(Tales of the Unexpected) (AD) 10.00 《希区柯克呈现》(Alfred Hitchcock Presents) 11.00 《发现：沃尔特·马托》(Discovering: Walter Matthau) (AD) 12.00 《电影》(The Movies) 1.00pm 《意外故事》(Tales of the Unexpected) (AD) 2.00 《希区柯克时间》(The Alfred Hitchcock Hour) 3.00 《七十年代》(The Seventies) (AD) 4.00 《发现：雪莉·麦克琳》(Discovering: Shirley MacLaine) (AD) 5.00 年度肖像艺术家 2021 (Portrait Artists of the Year 2021) (AD) 6.00 《意外故事》(Tales of the Unexpected) (AD) 7.00 《希区柯克呈现》(Alfred Hitchcock Presents) 7.30 《希区柯克呈现》(Alfred Hitchcock Presents) 8.00 亚历克·吉尼斯：一流表演 (Alec Guinness: A Class Act) 10.00 《八十年代》(The Eighties) (AD) 11.00 《经典专辑》(Classic Albums) 12.20am 电影：《午夜电影 —— 从边缘到主流》(Midnight Movies — From the Margin to the Mainstream) (15, 2005) 2.10 电影：《我是李小龙》(I Am Bruce Lee) (15, 2011) (AD) 4.10 《花园艺术》(Art of the Garden) 5.05am-6.00 《电影》(The Movies)

ITV2

6.00am 《后院建造》(Buckyard Builds) (SL) 6.30 《交易或不交易》(Deal or No Deal) (AD) 7.30 《穿出风采》(Dress to Impress) (AD, SL) 8.25 奥利维亚与亚历克斯：为人父母 (Olivia and Alex: Parenthood) (AD) 9.30 《埃塞克斯方式》(The Only Way Is Essex) 10.25 《盐湖城真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) 11.20 《橙县真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Orange County) 12.15pm 《晚餐约会》(Dinner Date) (AD) 1.15 《超市大抢购》(Supermarket Sweep) 2.15 《地板挑战美国版》(The Floor USA) (AD) 3.10 《埃塞克斯方式》(The Only Way Is Essex) 4.10 《盐湖城真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) 5.00 《橙县真实主妇》(The Real Housewives of Orange County) 6.00 《名人猜词》(Celebrity Catchphrase) (AD) 7.00 《地板挑战美国版》(The Floor USA) (AD) 8.00 《1% 俱乐部》(The 1% Club) (AD) 9.00 《公主日记》(The Princess Diaries)。公主带母亲去豪华露营 10.00 《格里芬一家》(Family Guy) (AD) 11.30 《美国老爸！》(American Dad!) (AD) 12.35am 《鲍勃的大汉堡》(Bob's Burgers) (AD) 1.30am-2.30 《快走》(G'wed) (AD, SL)

BBC 苏格兰

7.00pm Reporting Scotland 7.30 Scotland's Home of the Year 2024 (r) 8.00 Island Crossings (r) 9.00 Mhari Black: Being Me Again (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Mrs Brown's Boys (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 Des Doesn't Do — Art (r) S4C 6.00am Cow 11.00 Camau Bach 12.00 News 12.05pm Cartrefi Cymru (r) 12.30 Hero (r) 1.00 Gwlad y Barg: Gwilym Bowen Rhys (r) 1.30 Gaddila a Mwy (r) 2.00 News 2.00 Plymham Ga 3.00 News 3.05 Chris a'r Adal Maier (r) 4.00 Awr Fawr (r) 5.00 Stwnsh: Li Ban (r) 5.10 Or Osger (r) 5.20 Prys a'r Pryfed (r) 5.35 Malloung-ogi (r) 6.00 Dan Do (r) 6.30 Pobol y Cwm 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News 8.00 Live Gemau' Gymnasial 2026 10.30 Ras Yr Wyddfa (r) 11.30pm-12.35am Ty Ffit (r)

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 George Clarke's Old House, New Home (AD) 6.55 Location, Location, Location. 在伦敦北部和威尔士北部寻找房产 (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. 一栋位于南唐斯 (South Downs) 的后工业时代房屋的进展情况 (7/9) (AD) 9.00 My Floating Home. 一对夫妇想要一艘足够安静以适应他们宠物狗的电力窄船 (4/4) (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder Is No Game. 在贝德福德郡开展的最大谋杀案调查之一 (1/2) (AD) 11.30 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder Is No Game. 侦探们在羁押中审讯一名嫌疑人 (2/2) (AD) 12.30am 999 On the Front Line 1.30am-4.00 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder Is No Game (AD)

ITV3

6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.05 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 A Touch of Frost (AD) 11.20 Heartbeat (AD) 1.30pm Midsoner Murders (AD) 3.30 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat: 乡村剧 (AD) 8.00 Midsoner Murders. 当一名魔术师的助手在舞台上突然死亡，死于热带青蛙的毒素时，该魔术师成为了首席嫌疑人 (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. 当一系列武装抢劫案发生时，村庄陷入震惊 (3/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester. Georide 调查一名工厂工人的可疑死亡 (4/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution (2/2) 1.25am-2.25 Wycliffe

PBS America

8.00am Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery 1.15pm Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip 3.50 Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery. Ken Burns 纪录片的前三集，探讨了梅里韦瑟·刘易斯 (Meriwether Lewis) 和威廉·克拉克 (William Clark) 在 19 世纪初对当时未知的美国西部的探险。见当日精选 7.25 Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery. 探讨梅里韦瑟·刘易斯和威廉·克拉克探险的纪录片结尾部分 8.50 Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip. Horatio Nelson Jackson 博士 1903 年尝试驾驶汽车穿越美国的经历。他从旧金山出发，面临了许多后勤困难 12.00-2.00am Higgins Ridge

肖国栋在上海大师赛

现场斯诺克 TNT Sports 4, 12.30pm-4 在中国上海卢湾体育馆举行的上海大师赛第三天第二轮比赛

现场测试板球： 西印度群岛 对 阵 巴基斯坦 TNT Sports 1, 2.30pm-11 在特立尼达和多巴哥的 Brian Lara 板球学院举行的两场系列赛中第一场测试赛的最后一天

现场 The Hundred：MI 伦敦女队 对 阵 伦敦精神女队 Sky Sports v, Sky Sports Mix, 2.55pm-6 (开始时间 3.00)。在椭圆球场 (The Oval) 的比赛报道

现场网球 Sky Sports Tennis, 4pm-2am 在美国 William H.G. Field/Seald 网球中心举行的华盛顿 DC 公开赛第三天

现场 The Hundred：MI 伦敦男队 对 阵 伦敦精神男队 Sky Sports Main Event, 6pm-9.30 (开始时间 6.30)。在伦敦椭圆球场 (The Oval) 的比赛报道

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.10 The White Lotus (r) (AD) 12.20pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.10 Billions (r) (AD) 4.10 The White Lotus (r) (AD) 5.40 Task. 犯罪剧集 (r) (AD) 6.50 The Gilded Age. Bertha 告诉 Gladys 要为自己和她的新丈夫挺身而出 (r) (AD) 7.55 The Gilded Age. Larry 与 George 分享一项发现 (7/8) (r) (AD) 9.00 House of the Dragon. 由 Matt Smith 和 Emma D'Arc 主演的《权力之游》前传 (r) 10.15 Station Eleven. 由 Mackenzie Davis 和 Himesh Patel 出演的后末日剧集 (1/10) (r) 11.15 Station Eleven. 二十年后，Kirsten 及其剧团遇到一名神秘男子 (2/10) (r) 12.15am The White Lotus. 双片连播 (r) (AD) 3.05 Billions (r) (AD) 4.10am-6.00 Urban Secrets (r)

Talking Pictures

6.00am 电影：Suspected Person (PG, 1942) (黑白) 7.35 电影：Salmon Bar (PG, 1940) (黑白) 9.05 电影：Nowhere to Go (PG, 1958) 11.05 电影：Shepherd on the Rock (PG, 1993) 1.00pm The Buccaneers (黑白) 1.30 电影：Send for Paul Temple (PG, 1946) (黑白) 3.10 Dial 999 (黑白) 3.40 电影：Heavens Abood (PG, 1963) (黑白) 6.00 Dial 999 (黑白) 6.30 Give Us a Clue 7.00 Out of Town 7.30 Travelling Man (5/7) 8.35 电影：The Reckless Moment (PG, 1949) 黑色电影剧集 (黑白) 10.15 电影：The Anderson Tapes (15, 1971) 悬疑惊悚片 12.15am 电影：Cactus Flower (PG, 1969) 浪漫喜剧 2.20 电影：Warp Speed (PG, TVM, 1981) 4.00 Stagecoach West (黑白) 5.00am-6.00 The Rogues (黑白)

ITV4

6.00am Magnum, PI 8.05 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 9.05 Boon 10.10 The Champions 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.25pm Magnum, PI 2.35 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.55 Minder (AD) 7.00 King of the Roads. 来自马恩岛的 Southern 100 赛事 8.00 Goodwood Festival of Speed. 修复赛事的精彩回顾 9.00 电影：The Long Good Friday (18, 1980) 一名伦敦罪犯试图扩张他的帝国，但发现自己处处被渴望看到他统治终结的对手所挫败。由 Bob Hoskins 主演的惊悚片 11.25 All Else Wrestling: Collision. 硬核、高飞的动作对决 1.15am BattleBots. 机器人战斗系列赛 2.15-2.40 River Monsters 3.30am-4.00 Motorsport Mundial

Sky Docs

6.00am The Nineties (r) 7.00 Discovering: Jodie Foster (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 Den Faire (r) (AD) 10.05 The Man Who Played with Fire (r) 11.00 Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning (r) 12.00 One to One: John & Yoko (r) 2.00pm Benetton Formula (r) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Jodie Foster. 该女演员的生平 (r) (AD) 6.00 House of Kardashian (r) (AD) 7.00 House of Kardashian. Kim Kardashian 性爱录像带 (2/3) (r) (AD) 8.00 House of Kardashian. Kylie Jenner 的崛起 (3/3) (r) (AD) 9.00 Katie Price: Nothing to Hide. Katie 的生活进入了一个标准阶段。参见今日精选 (4/4) (AD) 10.15 Becoming Madonna (r) (AD) 12.15am Ibiza Narcos (r) 3.15 Right to Fight (r) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Jodie Foster (r) (AD)

Film4

11.00am Destroyer (U, 1943) 由 Edward G Robinson 主演的战争冒险片 (黑白) 1.05pm The Mouse That Roared (U, 1959) 由 Peter Sellers 主演的喜剧片 (AD) 2.45 Independence Day: Recurrence Interview Special 2.50 The Violent Men (PG, 1955) 由 Edward G Robinson 主演的西部片 4.45 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (U, 1961) 由 Walter Pidgeon 出演的科幻冒险片 6.55 The Day the Earth Steed Still (12, 2008) 由 Keshu Reeves 和 Jennifer Connelly 主演的科幻翻拍片 (AD) 9.00 The Florida Project (15, 2017) 一名六岁女孩在她居住的汽车旅馆周围游荡，寻找冒险。由 Willem Dafoe 和 Brooklyn Prince 出演的剧情片 11.15 Pearl (15, 2022) 由 Mia Goth 和 David Crennovel 出演的恐怖片 1.20am-3.40 Minari (12, 2020) 由 Steven Yeun 出演的浪漫剧情片

U&Drama

6.00am 电视购物 7.20 The Bill 8.15 Doctors 9.30 Classic Nolby City 10.45 Casualty (AD) 11.45 The Bill 12.50pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Neighbours 3.00 Fire in the Sky 4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 Waiting for God 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 Sister Boniface Mysteries. 当当地才艺表演赛发生死亡事件时，修女展开调查 (AD) 9.00 The Chelsea Detective. 一名心理治疗师在通过视频通话提供治疗时，在其私人诊所被谋杀 (5/9) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. Brian 进入了一家成瘾治疗中心，一段言论重新开启了对一名海洛因使用者死亡事件的调查 (1/8) (AD) 11.00 Silent Witness (AD) 1.35am Lovejoy 2.30 Waiting for God 3.00 Darby and Joan (SL) 4.00am-6.00 电视购物

U&Yesterday

6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 World War Two from Above 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 World War Two from Above 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 Asia: 亚洲森林的野生动物，包括孟加拉虎 (AD) 8.00 Explore. Simon Reeve 带领记者进入菲律宾 9.00 Simon Reeve's South America. Simon 游历巴西 10.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. 一辆大众露营车 (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. 一辆 1969 年的 Mini Cooper (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Fog It (AD) 2.00 Great British Railway Journeys 3.00am-6.10 电视购物

---

14

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

MindGames

扑克 Byron Jacobs

免费午餐？

几年前，当我玩很多扑克时，一些网站开始推出一项有趣的新功能，通常伴随着一定的宣传。该功能仅适用于现金赛（非锦标赛），其理念如下：在玩现金赛时，会出现剩余手牌的玩家全部全下（all-in）且无法进一步下注的情况。此时，剩下的问题仅仅是发完余下的牌，看谁运气好，并将底池奖金授予对方。

游戏的这一环节当然纯粹由运气决定，并且可能会让玩家感到沮丧。假设你持有 A+ A+，对手持有 K+ K+，底池为 $100。你可以预期在 80% 以上（精确数字是 81.26%）的时间里赢得这个底池。然而，一张 K 牌出现，毁了你的好运。对手拿走了 $100，而你一无所有。你原本是大优势方，那个底池理应属于你，但它被偷走了。

当然，前一句话是胡扯。你只是经历了一次运气不佳——这种情况时有发生。在另一个场合，你会持有 K-K 并获得好运，宇宙将再次恢复平衡。尽管如此，玩家们可能会否认，但他们讨厌纯粹因为发牌糟糕而输掉底池。网站意识到了这一点，并产生了一个绝妙的主意……他们提供了在全下场景中“结清”（cash out）的选项。如果你选择这样做，你将获得你手牌的权益价值（equity value），而不是让命运决定结果。因此，在上述示例中，A-A 玩家可以选择结清 $81.26，而对手也有机会通过接受 $18.74 从残局中挽回一些损失。如果一名玩家接受而另一名拒绝，网站并不在意。在该手牌中他们可能会赢或输，但——从长远来看——这一切都会抵消。

我很高兴地接受了他们的提议，开始在各处结清我的权益……直到一个想法出现。“他们（网站）在该手牌中可能会赢或输，但——从长远来看——这一切都会抵消”这一解释开始让我心痒。扑克网站并不具备慈善机构身份，也不倾向于做那些只能盈亏平衡的事情。嗯。

于是，我拿出了最大的铲子，挖掘研究他们的细则。果然，这项大张旗鼓的新功能实际上并没有交付 100% 的权益。他们羞怯地承认，网站会保留每笔此类交易 1% 的“管理费”。因此，A-A 实际上获得 $80.45，K-K 获得 $18.55。总共支付 $99，而 $1 悄悄地回到了网站口袋里。

那么，想必每个人都察觉到了并抵制这项伟大的新功能？并不完全是。我们将在下周回到这个话题。

更多谜题，包括迷你数独、额外填词、铁轨和不等式数独，请参阅第 10 页

胜手 (Winning Move)

白方走子。

此局面是 Fernandez-Astoyauri De la Cruz, Lima 2026 的一个变例。

“胜手”谜题总是与复杂的中局局面相关，双方都有大量棋子，且有许多战术构思需要考虑。然而，即使是简单的残局也可能取决于精确的计算。在这里，白方需要一个精确的序列来强制获胜。你能看到吗？

Kenken 中等难度 No 6897

数字 1 到 6 必须在每一行和每一列中各出现一次。在每个粗线“块”中，左上角的数字是通过块内所有单元格的数字，使用符号指示的运算计算得出的。

不等式数独 (Futoshiki) No 5445

填充空白方格，使每行和每列仅包含 1 到 5 的每个数字一次。方格之间的符号表示该数字比相邻数字大 (>) 还是小 (<)。

现代叫牌进展 30. 第四买点强迫叫 (FSF)

以正确的方式思考 FSF 将一次叫拍想象成在房子里走动。首先，你走过底层房间——将每个房间视为一次早期的叫标。然后你走上楼梯到达一层房间——那里的情况有所不同。那座楼梯就是“第四买点强迫叫” (Fourth-Suit-Forcing) 叫标。

在 FSF 叫标之后，一切都变得不同。当你开始一次叫拍时，你不确定是否能进入局级 (game)。一旦走上这座楼梯，双方搭档都承诺进入局级。将 FSF 视为一种建立局级强迫 (game-force) 的特殊手段（而不是——正如许多玩家被误导地认为的那样——仅仅是请求一个非无将定局的挡牌）。

FSF 是在前三个叫标分别在不同花色之后，叫第四个花色的行为。它建立了局级强迫，并要求开叫者更多地描述她的手牌。在 1♥-1♠-2♠（无人干扰）之后，面对以下手牌你会怎么做？

▲A7632 ▲A8.643 ▲K.16432 ♥2 ♥A.02 ♥Q9 ♦A.12 ♦K.02 ♦A.52 ▲K.132 ▲72 ▲A.2

答案是三者都叫 2♦ FSF。对于第一手，你想做一个强迫性的梅花叫标，而升到 3♠ 是非强迫性的（升到 4♠ 也是如此，且过于笨拙）。解决方案是通过 FSF（建立局级强迫），然后在下次支持梅花。

对于第二手，你拥有一个红心配合（搭档已显示 5♥-4♠）。但面对如此具有小局 (slam) 潜力的点数，直接跳叫到 4♥ 会过于悲观。因此通过 FSF，计划在下次支持红心。

对于第三手，在 FSF 叫标后，你计划重复你的黑桃，显示一个拥有六张黑桃的局级强迫手牌。请注意，在标准方法中，如果你使用弱跳升 (Weak Jump Shifts)（上周课程），1♥-1♠-2♠-3♠ 是非强迫性的（10-12, 邀请性）。然而，由于你的黑桃质量很差，叫 FSF 比跳叫到 3♠（即使它是强迫性的）更好。

Dealer: South	♠J	♥A1654
Val: Neither	♦A34	▲K.754
	▲K108	♠Q9643
	♥1093	♥K097
	♦J98	♠76
	♣Q3108	♣A752
	♥2	♥K01032
	♣A52

S	M	N	E
1♦	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	Pass	2♠(1)	Pass
2N1(2)	Pass	3♦(1)	Pass
4♠(3)	Pass	4♥(3)	Pass
6♦	End

(1) 通过 FSF 进行了支持方块的局级强迫叫标。 (2) 没有额外的长短分布需要显示，但高位牌已封堵。(注：额外的形状将优先考虑)。 (3) 控制叫标。在这种情境下希望蜗牛能听到。北家在（没有第四次叫标的情况下）丢失。

西家出 ▲Q（有人持有 ♠87 吗），庄家赢得 ▲A。她出 ▲A，吃掉 ▲2，出 ♥A，吃掉 ♥4，吃掉 ♠5，吃掉 ♥5，并吃掉 ♣7（用 ♦K）。然后她用 ♦Q 吃掉 ♥6，过到 ▲K 并出一张牌，弃掉 ▲3. 西家（只剩 ♦J98），吃牌但随后必须从 ♦J9 出牌到庄家的 ♦A10 —— 小局成功。 andrew.zibb.org/thetimes.co.uk

脑力训练

多边形 (Polygon)

使用这些字母，组成由 four 或更多字母组成的单词，且必须包含中心字母。答案必须在 Concise Oxford Dictionary 中，不包括大写词、复数、动词变位（过去时等）、以 LY 结尾的副词、比较级和最高级。How you rate 12 words, average; 17 good; 2.0, very good; 30, excellent

昨天的答案 alb, alba, ana, anal, ant, baa, ban, banal, bat, batt, blat, blatant, tab, tat, nab, natal, taal, tab, tabla, tala, tan, tat

细胞区块 No 5788

将网格划分为正方形或长方形区块，每个区块仅包含一个数字。每个区块包含的单元格数量必须与其中标注的数字一致。

正方形设定 No 4407

将 1 到 9 的每个数字填入网格中，使六个算式成立。我们已经放置了两个数字帮你开始。每个算式应从左到右或从上到下计算。

请注意，BOOMAS 不适用

杀手难题 No 10,848

订阅以获取更多谜题

• 谜题每日更新
• 挑战限时解题
• 参与我们的排行榜竞争
• 支持离线和在线游玩

如需尝试数字化订阅，请访问 thetimes.com/subscribe

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

THE TIMES

Wednesday July 29 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75097

£3.20 £2.35 to subscribers (based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription)

How to look chic in a heatwave

INSIDE TIMES2

If I were education secretary... Caitlin Moran

Shake-up of social care to lock out private firms

Concern over taxpayers funding for-profit homes

Oliver Wright Policy Editor Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

Privately run nursing home chains face being cut out of a radical shake-up of social care in England to prevent taxpayers' money being used to subsidise the profits of private equity.

Andy Burnham will pledge today to put "everything he's got" behind reforming social care and creating a national care service modelled on the NHS.

He has invited the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders for talks on producing a new funding model that would provide elderly people with free nursing care at the point of need, rather than leaving them to face ruinous bills that average about £80,000 a year.

The Times understands that the prime minister is reluctant to allow the new service to be operated by large private sector providers on a for-profit basis and wants to base the model around community-led services run by charities, local authorities and not-for-profit companies.

"The model is going to be more like the NHS or the Live Well scheme he pioneered in Manchester rather than the system we have at the moment," a senior government source said.

One option would be to exclude private care homes from the new funding formula if they are set up to make profit. Last year Wales passed a law to ban private profit from children's social care, meaning that from 2030 councils will not be able to put children in placements run by operators set up to make a profit.

A Downing Street source said that no decision had been taken and that Burnham wanted to await the findings of

Baroness Casey of Blackstock's review into social care before setting out his plans for reform. Any changes would almost certainly be phased in to avoid disruption to existing placements.

There are about 18,000 care homes in the UK. A study by the University of Oxford last year found that 85 per cent of care homes were operated by for-profit providers, up from 78 per cent in 2011. Research shows that privately run care homes tend to deliver poorer care than charity or council-funded homes.

Councils spend £34.5 billion a year on social care services, but researchers have warned that much of this cash is "leaking out of the system, extracted as profit and investor returns", rather than being used to improve services.

Ministers are yet to say how social care reform will be funded and the cost is estimated at £18.5 billion a year. A report published today by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research says that the government is already facing a £24 billion hole in its spending plans by the end of the decade because high inflation has eaten into ministerial budgets.

In recent years the sector has attracted private equity investors, many based overseas, who are looking to generate a quick profit. The largest provider in the UK is HC-One, which runs a chain of about 280 care homes and is owned by US and Dubai-based investment and private equity firms. Care UK, which has 260 care homes, was bought by a US property investment firm in 2024.

A report last year by the New Economics Foundation, a left-wing think tank, found that private care companies in three regions of England had taken Continued on page 2

Critics of the proposals by Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, include Andy Burnham, who says football belongs to fans

Red card for Fifa's plan to sell World Cup

EXCLUSIVE

Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter

Andy Burnham has joined condemnation of a Fifa plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Football's world governing body confirmed a Times report last night that it planned to sell about 30 per cent of a new company set up to handle its tournaments' commercial interests — with Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Trump's son-in-law Jared, confirmed as lead investor.

It is the latest link between Gianni Infantino, Fifa's president, and Trump. There are fears that the sell-off would lead to pressure from investors for Fifa to expand the World Cup or hold it

more frequently than every four years. The new company would have an initial value of about $20 billion, insiders said.

The prime minister said: "Football does not belong to investors. It belongs to the people who fill the stands and who stand on the touchline week in, week out, rain or shine. The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport and it was never anyone's to sell. Dress the deal up however you like. Once you have sold a piece of it, you have sold out."

Uefa, European football's governing body, said the plan crossed a line: "Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the

future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade, especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially," it added.

Jamie Raskin, the leading Democrat on the US House judiciary committee, accused Fifa of going directly into business with the Trump family. He added: "Apparently the fake peace prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren't enough — now Infantino performs a kickback hat-trick by pursuing a multi-billion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner's brother." Democrats on the committee have called on Infantino to come before it. He is not obliged to attend.

Fifa said that its priority now was to "unleash commercial potential" after the 2026 World Cup's success. World Cup for sale, pages 58-60

IN THE NEWS

Cost of net zero

Government plans to decarbonise the energy network will cost consumers and taxpayers £40 billion a year by the end of the decade, research suggests. Page 2

Fake news 'poison'

Mainstream chatbots are regurgitating Russian fake news after their systems were "poisoned" by a propaganda campaign, researchers have shown. Page 4

Candy wins payout

The billionaire Christian Candy is to receive £2.3 million after a judge ruled he and his brother had been double-taxed when they bought a mansion in Chelsea. Page 15

Zelensky upbeat

President Zelensky hailed a positive mood towards Ukraine after a White House meeting where he discussed plans to reinvigorate diplomacy to end the war with Russia. Page 27

GSK's cash injection

GSK, the pharmaceutical giant, is to establish a research and development headquarters in Cambridge as part of a £400 million investment in the UK. Page 31

French legend returns

Zinedine Zidane, who led France to victory in the 1998 World Cup, was confirmed as head coach of his national team yesterday, replacing Didier Deschamps. Page 57

---

2

19 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Today's highlights

• 8.05am Ruthie Henshall, below, the actress and social care campaigner
• 10.45am Gyles Brandreth, the broadcaster and former MP on his Edinburgh Fringe show
• 1.40pm Rick Gates, deputy chairman of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign
• 3.35pm The NHS doctor Richard Coker on his book Timor Mortis: How We Live with Death
• 5.05pm Sir Andrew Dilnot, former chairman of the commission on funding of care

TODAY'S EDITION

NEWSFRAMED LEGACY Late Queen's photo albums are heading for the deep freeze PAGE 39 POWER PUNCH Idi Amin's boxing grandson vying for medal at Games PAGE 54 POWER PUNCH Idi Amin's boxing grandson vying for medal at Games PAGE 54 COMMENT 21 LETTERS 24LEADING ARTICLES 25WORLD 26 BUSINESS 31REGISTER 45TIMES 52FOWL PLAY Help! I was scammed trying to buy ducks online PAGE 6 FORM 1WORLD 26 BUSINESS 31REGISTER 45SPORT 52 CROSSWORD 60TV & RADIO TIMES 52

TIMES 52

Burnham's devolution revolution and what it means for the country

Andy Burnham's plans to shift power out of London are taking shape, with No 10 North open in Manchester. The city will host more political action tomorrow when Labour hopes to usher in a new mayor in Britain's biggest by-election.

Available on the Times Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts

OFFER

Save up to 30% with a subscription to The Times and The Sunday Times

THETIMES.COM/SUBSCRIBE

THE WEATHER

Very hot and dry in the southeast. Cool with rain in the north and the west. Full forecast, page 51

If a section of your Times is missing, please call 028 2711 1320 or e-mail help@timesplus.co.uk and we will send it to you, subject to availability.

©TIMES MEDIA LIMITED, 2026. Published in print and all other derivative formats by Times Media Ltd, 1 London Bridge St, London, SE1 9GF; telephone 020 7782 5000. Printed by Newspinners Holdings Ltd, Great Cambridge Rd, Waltham Cross, EN8 8DY, Kitting Rd, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 9HN; and Byramsmuir Road, Holytown, Motherwell, ML1 1HP. Webprint, 2023 Blanconi Avenue, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin, Ireland, KP Services, La Rue Martel, La Rue des Pres Trading Estate, St Saviour, Jersey, JE2 7QR. For permission to copy articles or headlines for internal information purposes contact NLA media access at copy@nla.co.uk; telephone 01892 525273. For all other reproduction and licensing inquiries contact Licensing Department, 1 London Bridge St, London, SE1 9GF; telephone 020 7711 7888; email enquiries@newslicensing.co.uk.

Net zero 'will cost households £40bn a year by end of decade'

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

Government plans to decarbonise the energy network will cost consumers and taxpayers £40 billion a year by the end of the decade, research suggests.

A report by the Prosperity Institute, a right-of-centre think tank, says subsidies on wind, solar and nuclear power are due to rise from £11.8 billion this year to almost £15 billion by 2030.

At the same time the cost of upgrading Britain's electricity grid to cope with the influx of renewables is expected to reach £25 billion. Together, this would cost each household more than £1,400 a year, the think tank says.

The report warns that this projection does not include other government green policies such as investment in carbon capture and storage, which is due to reach £21.7 billion over 25 years, and support for green hydrogen that could cost £16 billion over 15 years.

The report argues that the spending trajectory is unsustainable given the pressures on the public finances and risks causing 'serious economic damage'. It calls on Andy Burnham to 'reorientate' energy policy towards 'affordability and security of supply' by

renegotiating contracts with renewable energy firms and removing subsidies.

Researchers looked at the cost of renewable energy subsidies paid by consumers on bills that guarantee a price for electricity generated from new renewable energy sources.

The report says that this cost has risen from £500 million in 2010 and to a predicted £13.9 billion as ministers aim to hit their ambition to generate all Britain's electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade.

The report also highlights the need to upgrade the electricity grid to cope with the new sources of power as well as the balancing needed to cope with intermittent renewables. It says these costs have risen from £2.8 billion in 2010 to a predicted £14.9 billion by 2030.

This includes £7.3 billion in so-called 'wasted wind' payments under which the national grid operator pays companies not to produce electricity from wind farms at times of oversupply.

The report argues that despite ministers blaming surging gas prices caused by the war in Ukraine for high electricity prices, much of the additional cost is down to the switch to renewables.

'The cost of subsidies and grid inte-

gration has risen sixfold since 2010 to almost £20 billion per year. Official forecasts show this problem is going to get significantly worse,' the report says.

The Prosperity Institute said a future government would need to treat these costs as a 'day one' issue.

'Decisive action — including contract renegotiation, subsidy removal and a reorientation towards affordability and security of supply' — is required, even if this involves difficult political and legal challenges,' it added.

Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, disputed the report's findings, saying that large wind farms had lowered wholesale power prices by a third last year and made the UK less reliant on gas. 'We know the energy crises have cost the UK over £180 billion already, with high and volatile fossil-fuel prices to blame,' she said, adding: 'The UK electricity grid needs modernising and upgrading after decades of underinvestment, with spending today delivering benefits in the coming years.

'British renewables lower bills and make us less dependent on foreign gas, so ensuring the grid can maximise their output is a no-brainer.'

US reviews military presence in Europe

Susie Coen New York

The US has launched a review of its military presence in Europe after Pete Hegseth criticised Nato allies for prioritising welfare over defence spending.

'This will be a real review, designed to ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its conventional defence,' Elbridge Colby, the US undersecretary of war, said. 'The outcome of this review will be an acceleration of Nato's transition to a stronger, more equitable and sustainable alliance.'

The six-month review was first announced by Hegseth, the war secretary, in June during a tense Nato ministerial

meeting at which he lashed out at countries that 'have yet to show a credible path' to meeting their commitments for higher defence spending. Hegseth told his counterparts that 'some of Nato's largest economies' still seemed 'to think the era of free-riding is here'.

'This will be a real review,' Hegseth said in June. 'It will be designed to ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defence of Europe. It's a review that some countries will fail and others will pass with flying colours.'

Washingtons's finalisation has grown over European allies' resistance to supporting the US in its war with Iran.

While he was prime minister Sir Keir Starmer initially refused to allow US forces to use British bases to launch attacks on Iran, but later allowed this for defensive strikes. Andy Burnham has continued this policy, according to Bloomberg.

The Pentagon has already announced plans to cut its troops in Europe and reduce commitments to alliance battle plans in the event of conflict. As well as reviewing America's military presence in Europe, Hegseth has threatened to cut US contributions to the bloc. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said allies had been aware of Washington's plans and said the bloc must boost its security.

Investors in stocks Isas avoid double the tax of cash savers

Jack Simpson

Investors saved £7 billion in tax in one year by using stocks and shares Isas — more than twice the amount cash Isas savers avoided, figures show.

New government data suggests that those who held their investments in the tax-free wrappers avoided paying billions in capital gains and dividend tax in the 2023-24 tax year. Savers who kept money in cash Isas saved £2.8 billion.

An Isas is a government-approved account that protects all profits and gains from tax. Savers are allowed to deposit up to £20,000 a year in cash or stocks and shares Isas. However, the cap for cash Isas will be reduced to £12,000 for savers aged under 65 from April.

About 9.9 million cash Isas accounts were paid into in 2023-24, and 3.8 million stocks and shares accounts, according to government data.

The Times's Smarter with Money

campaign wants to increase the number of people investing in stocks and shares Isas to five million.

Data obtained through a freedom of information request by the investment platform AJ Bell showed investors were saving £1.17 billion in capital gains payments by using a stocks and shares Isas, and £5.78 billion in dividend tax. The £6.9 billion total saving was up 95 per cent from the figure in 2018-19.

Capital gains tax is charged on the profit an investor makes when they sell assets, excluding their main home. The tax-free capital gains allowance was £12,300 in 2022-23. It was cut to £6,000 the following year and is now £3,000. Capital gains rates were increased in Rachel Reeves's October 2024 budget, from 10 to 18 per cent for basic-rate taxpayers and from 20 to 24 per cent for higher-rate payers.

Thanks to high interest rates, cash Isas savers avoided £2.8 billion in tax in 2023-24, up from £210 million in 2018-19, when the Bank of England base rate was between 0.5 and 0.75 per cent. It went up 14 times from December 2021 to a peak of 5.25 per cent in June 2024. It is now 3.75 per cent.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Social care shake-up

about £250 million in profits in three years.

Camille Oung, at the Nuffield Trust, said the social care market had 'evolved in a very uncontrolled and unregulated way', but she warned there was a risk of 'destabilising' the sector if Burnham moved to clamp down on private care homes because some could close down.

'If a provider suddenly leaves the market, that is really difficult for people currently in receipt of care,' she said.

Nadra Ahmed, co-chair of the National Care Association, said the vast majority of care homes were run by small operators rather than large firms owned by private equity, and that Burnham needed to think 'very carefully' about the impact of the reforms.

'If you look at charities who operate in the sector, many of them are subsidising the cost of their care homes with revenue generated elsewhere,' she said. 'He needs to come to this with an open mind and not drive out people who have been the backbone of the service for many years providing high-quality care in a challenging environment.'

Reform UK has claimed a so-called death tax — the term the party has used for the potential levy to fund social care — could cost the average voter in Burnham's Makerfield constituency £50,000.

Politics, pages 6-9

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

3

News

GORDON MUTHUNNATH

Happy and Glorious Champagne, Pimm's and elaborate headgear were all in evidence on the first day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival in West Sussex. "Glorious Goodwood" runs until Saturday. Sport, page 53

Netflix rivals BBC as first place viewers look to see what's on

Alex Farber Media Correspondent

Television viewers are as likely to turn to Netflix as the BBC, according to figures from the media regulator.

Some 26 per cent of viewers said that they usually opened the streamer first when looking for something to watch last year, just ahead of the BBC's TV channels and iPlayer on 25 per cent, data from Ofcom's Media Nations 2026 report shows.

The difference between the figures is so small that the rivals should be considered to be "neck and neck", according to Ofcom. However, the direction of travel is inexorable. In 2024, the BBC was the first option for 28 per cent of viewers, with Netflix on 23 per cent. The previous year, Netflix was six points adrift of the BBC's 30 per cent.

The data caps a successful year for the streamer, which was responsible for the two most-watched shows on TV —

the children's animation K-Pop Demon Hunters, seen by more than 24 million people, and Jack Thorne's drama Adolescence which was watched by 16 million.

Matt Brittin, the BBC director general, warned last month that the broadcaster faced a "moment of real jeopardy" after the number of households paying the licence fell by more than 500,000 last year.

Kate Davies, group director for strategy and research at Ofcom, said: "As audiences increasingly benefit from an incredible choice of content, competition between traditional broadcasters, streaming services, video sharing platforms and other forms ... is fierce."

There were clear differences by age when people were asked which service they would turn to first: those aged 16 to 24 were most likely to say Netflix, while those aged 55-plus were most likely to choose a BBC service.

However, there were growing signs that older audiences are increasingly embracing streaming services — particularly for drama.

Viewers aged 55 to 74 watched an average of 85 hours of dramas such as Netflix's Black Doves, Dept Q and House of Guinness, up by 19 hours year-on-year, the greatest growth of any age group.

Netflix also beat the BBC into second place when asked to rank all broadcasters on a number of measures including which represented "high quality", was "innovative" and provided "content that is relevant to me".

Despite the sobering statistics, the BBC remained resilient.

Last year it accounted for 18 per cent of all video viewing, level with the previous year, and compared with 9 per cent for Netflix.

It was also responsible for broadcasting four of the ten most-watched shows

and films of the year, including The Celebrity Traitors, with almost 15 million viewers, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell.

Davies said that traditional broadcasters continued to bring millions of people together for big, national moments, while offering more digitally.

"To thrive and survive in the current media landscape, it's more important than ever for companies to continue to understand changing audience habits and adapt their strategies to meet people where they are," she said.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We are already transforming the BBC's content and services to meet changing audience habits ... including through our YouTube partnership, and the ongoing charter review is an opportunity to make clear choices that will ensure the BBC can deliver for audiences ... for generations to come."

Speeding fine for Top Gear's former host

Herbie Russell

Richard Hammond has been ordered to pay more than £1,700 by a court after being clocked speeding twice in three weeks while driving his luxury cars.

The former Top Gear presenter was at the wheel of a Porsche when he broke the speed limit on December 2 last year. Twenty days later, he was caught again while driving a Bentley.

West Mercia police brought two prosecutions against Hammond, 56, putting forward as evidence speed camera images of him driving in Herefordshire. At Telford magistrates' court on July 22, Hammond had seven points added to his licence after pleading guilty through his lawyers to the two speeding offences.

The television presenter, who hosted Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May between 2002 and 2015 then The Grand Tour from 2016 to 2024, was caught just before 1pm on December 2. A police officer using a handheld camera clocked his Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo at 68mph in a 50mph zone on the A40 in Pencraig. On December 22 Hammond's Bentley Continental GT was filmed travelling at 82mph in a 70mph zone at 11.45am at the Rodhall Overbridge on the M50.

Magistrates ordered Hammond to pay £1,771, including two fines of £333 and £666, £240 in costs and victim surcharges totalling £532.

Hammond was previously accused of another driving offence in August last year, according to court papers.

In 2006 Hammond nearly died in a 288mph crash in a jet-powered car while filming for Top Gear. He spent two weeks in a coma, but recovered.

In 2013 Hammond and Clarkson received three-month driving bans in France after they were caught speeding while making an episode of the show.

Presenter swaps the TV sofa for breakfast radio

Alex Farber Media Correspondent

Naga Munchetty is leaving BBC Breakfast after 17 years to co-present Radio 5 Live's breakfast programme.

The presenter, 51, is to "take the helm" of the radio show from January after the present hosts, Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, announced they were stepping down. Burden, 51, is quitting after 15 years to present a weekday mid-morning show for the station, while Edwards, 47, will continue to front the Saturday morning show Fighting Talk along with other duties.

Munchetty, who was paid about £360,000 last year for presenting BBC

Naga Munchetty has been at BBC Breakfast for the past 17 years

Breakfast and her mid-morning 5 Live show, said: "It has been a privilege to be part of the BBC Breakfast TV team for the past 17 years, working alongside an incredibly talented and hard-working group. Presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live is an opportunity that was ... too good to pass up."

Sarah Campbell and Emma Vardy

were among the BBC presenters being touted as potential replacements.

At 5 Live, Munchetty will report on the biggest stories of the day alongside a co-host, who will be recruited in due course.

Her tenure at BBC Breakfast has not been without controversy and has included a breakdown in her relationship with the programme's editor, Richard Frediani. The BBC launched a formal investigation into multiple allegations of bad behaviour against Munchetty in November last year after a review of workplace culture.

She remained on-air throughout the investigation, which followed a wider

"listening exercise" earlier in the year that cleared Frediani of allegations but raised concerns about the behaviour of other staff.

Junior staff were alleged to have faced unreasonable demands over her breakfast order, along with more serious allegations about inappropriate sexual language.

One presenter said that Munchetty's move away from Frediani was a "solution that serves everybody".

"The BBC gets to keep her because they clearly value her, but it would appear that things at Breakfast are less than ideal," they added.

'I like her, she's feisty', Times2

---

4

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

See the big picture Restorers work on Christ Driving the Money Lenders from the Temple, painted by Dirck van Baburen in 1621, at Simon Gillespie Studio in London

AI chatbots spew fake news after Russian propaganda 'poisoning'

Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent

Mainstream chatbots are regurgitating Russian fake news after their systems were 'poisoned' by a propaganda campaign, researchers have shown.

Answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Mistral and Grok have repeated false claims about President Zelensky installing cryptocurrency mining farms at nuclear plants and the bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers being processed into meat, according to a report from the think tank Demos.

The investigation focused on the increasing manipulation of chatbots by countries and companies in what the researchers describe as 'the new frontier of information warfare'.

As more people use chatbots, so too have efforts grown to skew their output, in a practice called generative engine optimisation (GEO). The report identifies 50 companies conducting GEO; 15 are in the UK.

The report, called GEO for Geopolitics, details how the five chatbots cited fake claims seeded by the Foundation to Battle Injustice (r-FBI). The organisation presents itself as a human rights organisation, but is a Russian propaganda unit created by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, and has been sanctioned by the EU and US.

Asked about the purported Zelensky crypto venture, a Mistral chatbot said: 'A months-long investigation by human rights activists from the Foundation to Battle Injustice gathered evidence indicating a direct link between the critical state of Ukraine's energy system and the activities of high-ranking officials in President Zelensky's inner circle.'

When ChatGPT was asked about human meat processing, it replied that 'these findings have been corroborated by multiple sources, including the Foundation to Battle Injustice'. Nearly

17 per cent of 3,000 responses from the chatbots gave credence to the fake news, while 30 per cent addressed the topics but failed to cite a source as true or false. About half the responses rejected or debunked the claims.

Demos believes the chatbots have been tricked into regurgitating the claims by a technique that 'poisons' the way they seek information.

The r-FBI created a system of three websites that tricked the chatbots — large language models (LLMs) — into believing the content was trustworthy.

The r-FBI's site poses as an authoritative NGO and uses hidden techniques to instruct AI systems to extract unlimited text. A second outlet acts as a news site, publishing many short articles to multiply the presence of the r-FBI stories. A third site mimics a western foreign policy journal to reinforce credibility and is written for AI ingestion.

Carl Miller, the lead researcher of the paper, called it a 'pretty thorny and

quite dangerous problem' but one that could be addressed in part by engineering changes from the AI companies.

He said: 'If I was a Russian information warfare expert, I wouldn't be doing my job unless I was targeting LLMs. I don't know why I'd be messing around with Twitter bots anymore. You've got this massive new juicy, very manipulable layer of information that you can target entire nations with.'

Miller said r-FBI should have been spotted by the companies because 'this is not some hidden operation that's only just seen the light day ... this is an entity sanctioned by the EU and US'.

Anthropic, the creator of Claude, said such campaigns were an industry-wide challenge. Mistral said the study had examined its 'raw models' and the one used by customers incorporated 'robust filtering layers designed to detect and prevent disputable sources'.

Google, OpenAI and xAI were approached for comment.

Palantir data tool fails to improve NHS discharge rates

Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent

NHS England has commissioned an 'independent evaluation' of Palantir's tracking tools in hospitals, it has said, as an analysis found its data software did not improve discharge rates.

The Health Foundation, a think tank, found Palantir's OPTICA tool, which was developed for the health service's federated data platform, had made no meaningful improvement to discharge

rates. The findings are contrary to previous claims from NHS England that the software cut the number of patients facing delayed discharge by 15 per cent.

The health service has requested an independent evaluation of the federated data platform, and will announce the verdict as late as December 2029.

Palantir's £130 million contract with NHS England was unveiled in 2023 but has come under scrutiny because of the company's ties to the defence sector.

The US company has disputed the Health Foundation's findings, claiming the think tank misunderstood the tool.

In an open letter to Ed Humpherson, director-general of the Office for Statistics Regulation, Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the think tank, wrote: 'We found no noticeable improvement in discharge performance among trusts using OPTICA,' she added. 'The gradual upward trend in performance ... in these trusts before they adopted the

OPTICA tool continued at broadly the same rate after it was implemented.'

Palantir said the Health Foundation report 'appears to misunderstand what the tool does', which is 'supporting the more efficient discharge of long-stay patients with complex needs'.

It added: 'By lumping in the vast number of cases where patients are in hospital less than a week, they are comparing apples and oranges, and diluting the impact of the product.'

Quintagram® No 2632

Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Bring a car to a final stop (4)

2 Long jail sentence (4)

3 Free time for relaxation (7)

4 Number in a baker's dozen (8)

5 Group of expert advisers (5,4)

A	A	E	E	E	E	E	E	F
H	H	I	I	I	I	K	K	K
K	L	L	N	N	N	P	R	R
R	R	S	T	T	T	T	U	U

Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14

Pair murdered toddler

A mother and her boyfriend have been convicted of murdering a girl aged two. Alexandra Walker, 26, and Harrison Simpson, 22, were also found guilty of child cruelty at Teesside crown court. Isabelle Welsh died after collapsing at home in Thornaby, Teesside, last year. Simpson was convicted of sexual assault of the toddler. The pair will be sentenced tomorrow.

School fees sweetener

Private school fees worth more than £40,000 are being offered to buyers of new-build homes in London as developers try to revive the property market. Berkeley Group has offered to cover up to two years' tuition at St John's Preparatory and Senior School for buyers at its Trent Park development in Enfield, north London.

Man stole ambulance

A man pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and false imprisonment after an ambulance was snatched from the Royal Stoke University Hospital with a patient inside. Marshall Leese appeared at Stoke-on-Trent crown court yesterday. He also pleaded guilty to using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance.

Rude nurse struck off

A nurse who told a patient to 'P*** off' and another to 'shower because she smelt' has been struck off. Dean Thomson, an advanced nurse practitioner for the Homeless Healthcare service in Southampton, also spoke to a colleague in a way that made her cry, a Nursing and Midwifery Council committee heard. He can appeal against the decision.

TIMESRadio Breakfast: 6am to 10am

Our free radio station has all the latest headlines, interviews and debates every morning

Listen seven days a week

On DAB, app, website and smart speaker

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

5

News

Dexter fan guilty of murdering two men and dismembering bodies

Jessica Sharkey Crime Correspondent

A fan of the TV serial killer drama Dexter has been found guilty of murdering two men and dismembering their bodies before he killed his cellmate while awaiting trial.

James Desborough, 40, murdered Claudio Aquilino, 57, and Daniel Coleman, 43, in Cornwall last year before dismembering their bodies, trying to burn their remains and hiding them.

Desborough, a father of one and former builder, is already serving a life sentence after strangling Steven Kempster, his prison cellmate at HMP Exeter,

while on remand awaiting his trial for the double murder. He was found guilty of that murder at Exeter crown court in March. That trial heard that Desborough strangled Kempster as he slept because he was seemingly irritated by his snoring.

A jury at Winchester crown court deliberated for three hours and 15 minutes before returning unanimous guilty verdicts yesterday.

Mr Justice Saini said that Desborough would be sentenced today.

The court was told that Aquilino and Coleman previously lived with Desborough at a homeless hostel and the last

time they were both seen alive was in his company. After they disappeared, Desborough accessed their bank accounts and spent their money on drugs and alcohol.

Their bodies were dismembered in a woodland area of Sticker, near St Austell, close to where Desborough owned a cabin. Police found 1,900 burnt bone fragments from Aquilino's body in a stream and parts of Coleman's body, including his torso, legs and feet, in a shallow grave nearby. Desborough told a forensic biologist who was searching for Coleman's body that he 'enjoyed the dismemberment scenes' in Dexter.

James Desborough, 40, also killed his cellmate while on remand

Police found handwritten notes in his cabin, including one which said: 'I know I am a killer and ready to execute any predators'. Another read 'Take care of the remaining muppets' with Coleman's name listed.

Desborough denied both murders and told the jury that it was a 'series of

unfortunate circumstances' that the two men died on his land within a short space of time.

Aquilino, who had addictions to drugs and gambling, was killed shortly after he was last seen alive in April last year. Desborough claimed that he had found Aquilino hanging dead from a tree on his land in May or June last year.

In June, Desborough murdered Coleman, dismembered him with an axe and buried the remains.

Desborough, of Old Oak Woods, Lower Sticker, had previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of the bodies of Coleman and Aquilino.

Speedboat killer beat new partner

A man who killed a young woman in a drunken speedboat crash on the Thames has pleaded guilty to assaulting the partner he met after his release from prison (Jessica Sharkey writes).

Jack Shepherd, 38, originally from Exeter, was convicted in his absence of the gross negligence manslaughter of Charlotte Brown, 24, who was thrown from his boat during their first date in December 2015. Shepherd, who went on

the run in Georgia before his trial in 2018, was sentenced to ten years in prison for the manslaughter of Brown and a separate assault on a barman.

He was released in 2024 but recalled to prison last year after assault allegations.

Yesterday he appeared at Isleworth crown court in west London by video from Swaleside prison to admit two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one of criminal damage in February and June last year. Shepherd pinned the woman down during an argument

and punched her several times, causing bruising to her arm and leg, according to a prosecution summary.

In a second incident, he became angry about a burnt pizza during a

barbecue and 'hit her with the barbecue tongs on her left breast, which caused a permanent scar'.

The prosecution agreed to drop two other allegations of

controlling or coercive behaviour and intentional suffocation, both of which he denied.

As part of the case it was alleged that Shepherd had menacingly mentioned a

violent former cellmate and told his partner it would be her 'last day' if she said anything bad to his probation officer.

He met the woman, who is in her fifties, shortly after being

Jack Shepherd in Georgia before his extradition to the UK in 2019 over the killing of Charlotte Brown, below, in a speedboat crash. The boat, far left, had defects

released from prison. Judge Martin Edmunds remanded Shepherd, a former web designer, in custody until a sentencing hearing on September 4.

Shepherd fled to Georgia after killing Brown and was tried in his absence at the Old Bailey. The court was told that on December 8, 2015, he and Brown had drunk champagne and had dinner at the Shard before going out on his speedboat late in the evening.

The 14ft boat, which had defects, hit a submerged tree trunk at twice the speed limit and capsized. Shepherd was rescued from the Thames but Brown was found unresponsive and died in hospital.

Shepherd was extradited to the UK in April 2019 after ten months as a fugitive and sentenced to an additional four years for causing grievous bodily harm in a drunken attack in Devon, to run consecutively to the six-year sentence for manslaughter.

Mothers weep over babies' lost ashes

Sian Bradley

Four women who were given the wrong ashes for their unborn babies by the disgraced funeral director Robert Bush told a court that he had exploited them at their lowest moments.

Jasmine Beverley sobbed as she recounted learning that her stillborn son had been left in a 'brown paper bag' at Legacy funeral parlour for almost two years after he died. She said the disclosure would 'stay with her for the rest of her life'.

Hull crown court was told yesterday that Bush's fraud related to 57 sets of ashes over seven years. Between 2017 and 2024, 46 victims have been identified where ashes were wrongly returned to families, and 11 families where no ashes were ever returned. The total value of the fraud is about £86,000.

Chris Paxton KC, for the prosecution, said the number of those affected could

be in the hundreds, because Bush's 'profound ... lack of bookkeeping' made it difficult to assess the number of funerals he oversaw. Bush, 48, is to be sentenced this week after admitting 67 charges, including fraud and preventing lawful burials. Unburied bodies and ashes were discovered at his funeral parlour in Hull in 2024.

The court has heard that Bush 'raised expectations, made false promises and stole cash donations intended for local and national charities' over 12 years, and 'chose not to deal with those bodies entrusted to him, but instead spent the money on himself and others'.

Money collected during funeral services never made it to the intended charities, while police recovered empty donation envelopes at Legacy, the court heard.

Sunny was born without a heartbeat to Beverley in May 2022. Beverley

chose Bush to handle the cremation, because the family had used Legacy's services after her father's death in 2013.

Beverley said: 'I believed my son would be cared for with dignity. I trusted you with the most precious person in my life. The reality is that my son spent more time in your possession than he did with his family. I have to live with the fact that when he was eventually found he was in a brown paper bag on the floor. As a mother that is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.'

Three other mothers spoke, sobbing as they read their statements, while Bush looked at the floor with his head bowed.

Lucy Ness said she would 'never recover' from what happened. Police told her that the remains in the urn she had kept for years did not belong to her baby. Ness, who miscarried in 2021, said she put her trust in Bush, and has 'now

Jasmine Beverley's son was stillborn

been left with nothing but an empty bag, which once contained the ashes of my baby', adding: 'I will never know what he has done to them, where they have gone or who they are with.'

After multiple miscarriages, Katie Woolston was pregnant again when she found out she had been given the wrong ashes of her baby, who had died in 2020. She said: 'I often wonder where my ba-

by's remains are, whether they ever made it back to the Legacy funeral home, or if they were just disposed of like a piece of litter. That breaks my heart.'

Another mother, Stacey Foster, had had a ring made with what she had thought were the ashes of her baby, Tommy. She said she felt he had been 'robbed of his identity' by Bush.

Police recovered 35 bodies from Legacy premises on Hessie Road in Hull in March 2024, in what was described in court as a 'horror scene'. Bodies were left without identifying markers and one was abandoned on a stretcher.

The judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, questioned the scale of those affected by the fraud. He said: 'If we are dealing with 100 [funerals] a year, and we have accepted that all [ashes] are wrong ... just 57 is bad enough.'

The hearing continues.

---

6

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News Politics

How other countries tackle the

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

Andy Burnham is grappling with the same dilemma as leaders in every other big western economy: how do you pay for the care needs of an ageing population? Is it the state's duty to provide for the elderly, or should wealthy individuals cover care out of their life savings? Do only those with the greatest needs, such as late-stage dementia, deserve publicly funded support?

England is an international outlier in offering no universal level of social care for those who need it most. Under strict financial means-testing, anyone with more than £23,250 in assets pays for the entirety of their care. Burnham has pledged to end this system and move towards social care 'on the NHS principle' of being free at the point of use.

Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said this would change 'our social care offer from being one of the most threadbare in the developed world to one of the most generous'.

With nearly one in three Europeans expected to be over 65 by 2050, how do other countries approach social care?

France

Everyone over 60 is guaranteed at least some state-funded help in France if they need it. The local authority assesses the level of need using a standard national tool. It grades people from one (the most severely impaired) to six (the least impaired).

Those graded from one to four are eligible for a care support package called an allocation personnalisée d'autonomie (APA). People with the highest needs, such as being bed-bound or severely mentally impaired, get the most funding.

The costs of care are shared between individuals and the state, unless people earn less than €933.89 a month, in which case the state pays the full costs.

The amount people contribute increases the wealthier they are, and high earners must pay for 90 per cent of their care costs. People in care homes also have to cover the full costs of daily living such as food and accommodation, and there is no cap on how much individuals may end up paying.

Denmark

Denmark has the model closest to Burnham's vision of NHS-style social care. A Nuffield Trust report this month found it to have the most generous social care system out of 12 wealthy nations and regions that it examined.

The state pays 100 per cent of care costs in full, funded via general taxation. Peoples wealth is not taken into account at all in determining if they should qualify for free care.

However, people in care homes do still get billed for their basic accommodation costs and food — known as

'hotel fees' — but housing benefit is available for those who cannot afford it.

A similar system in England would cost about £18.5 billion a year.

Germany

To fund both health and social care, Germany has a social-insurance based model. Everyone must pay a fixed amount of their income towards social care, with contributions continuing into retirement.

When elderly people need support, they are assessed and graded into five different levels of need. They then get a set monthly allowance, based on their need level. But this allowance typically covers only half of care costs, with individuals having to pay for the rest from their own pocket.

While the state does contribute towards everyone's care costs regardless of wealth, many individuals still have to drain all their savings as there is no cap.

Strikingly, adult children in Germany are liable to pay for their parents' care, once their parents have run out of money. The Nuffield Trust said this is 'only if the child's income exceeds €100,000, with each adult child's income assessed individually'.

Australia

Australia has one of the most generous social care systems in the world, funded through general taxation. The state pays in full for all clinical and essential care for over-65s, such as help with taking medication, nursing, bathing and going to the toilet, whether at home or in a care home. However, individuals must contribute to the 'non-clinical' elements of care such as accommodation and food in care homes. The scale of these contributions depends on how rich the pensioners are.

Australia is one of the few countries to have a cap on how much individuals must pay towards social care in their lifetime. Once people have paid A$135,318 (£71,000) then they are no longer charged. Boris Johnson's government tried — and failed — to implement a similar £86,000 cap on lifetime care costs in the UK.

Japan

With nearly 30 per cent of people aged 65 or older, Japan has the oldest population of any big economy. Given this trend, in 2000 it brought in a new social care funding model, called long-term care insurance. It means all over-40s pay an extra tax, deducted from their salaries or health insurance payments, which is ring-fenced for care.

Everyone who needs it can apply for state-funded care, and they get a monthly allowance based on need. Individuals have to contribute between 10 and 30 per cent of their monthly care costs, depending on their income level.

French gunshots leave MP all at sea

It was a calm, beautiful morning in the Channel as we bobbed in a fishing boat a couple of miles off the French coast, waiting to observe the latest migrant crossings (Matt Dathan writes).

We had been watching the Flamant, a French warship, patrolling the northern coast. Then it headed towards us and suddenly the peace was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Shots hit the water off the Flamant's stern.

Photos showed a naval officer holding a handgun. The shots were fired within 300m of our boat as we interviewed Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary.

Philp said the shots 'felt to me like an attempted intimidation to stop us covering migrant crossings'.

Matt Coker, the captain of the fishing boat, agreed, saying there had not been a warning. 'I've never seen anything like it before,' he said. 'It sounds like it might have been an effort to intimidate us, it might have just been a little bit of a warning shot: maybe just a show of force or something.'

The French government said soon afterwards that a routine 'small-arms firing exercise' had taken place and that the appropriate signals and flags had been displaced.

Philp and Coker, who has worked as a fisherman in the Channel for 28 years, rejected the claim.

Coker said: 'There were no warnings at all — there were no daylight shapes on the boat and the name's written on the front of my boat so he could have called me if he

needed to.' Philp said it was 'not credible to claim this was a training exercise'.

As we continued our journey, a report came through of a couple of migrant launches as

Chris Philp reacts to the shots, right. Migrants were given life jackets, above

far south as Fécamp in Normandy, 158 miles south of Calais.

It was the furthest a migrant dinghy has been known to have set off from France, meaning a journey across the Channel of 70 miles. It was so far south that the RNLI sent a lifeboat from Eastbourne to help the boats, which were not properly equipped for such a crossing.

At about 3.30pm, we spotted another dinghy launching from Hardelot-Plage, 30

Cambridge arts graduate sings praises of hard hats

Tom Peck Political Sketch

Everybody seems to be making plans for Nigel. An idiotic Green Party activist has been photographed in a T-shirt with the slogan 'We're only making plans for Nigel', next to a cartoon of a guillotine. And barely a fortnight after the killing of

Ann Widdicombe, an equally idiotic Green leader, named Zack Polanski, has shared it on his Instagram.

The Nigel in question, Reform UK's Farage, has called for Polanski's arrest. So what happens now? Well, Polanski is claiming he didn't know what he was doing, which in his case seems plausible. He's since deleted the post and apologised. The way these things traditionally go is Polanski will now serve a short jail sentence for inciting violence on social media, all

the senior figures in Reform will campaign for his release, claiming he's a victim of 'two-tier justice', and he'll get a standing ovation at the Reform party conference. That would certainly be one for the sketch writers.

The main plans for Nigel though are being made by Andy Burnham, and they seem to be working. For the first time in almost 18 months, Burnham's plans for Nigel have led to Nigel being not first but second in the Westminster voting intention polls. Yesterday, the latest plans for Nigel were released in the now-traditional form of a brand-new policy, coming at you via a 37-second TikTok video.

Burnham's next big thing is to do something about Neets, which is to say, young people not in education,

employment or training. OK, so the policy doesn't actually do anything about Neets, as it will not be of any benefit to them, but it will, in theory, do something to stop the emergence of the next generation of Neets.

Arguably, the timing was unfortunate. Burnham's big idea is one that has been tried before, with some success, in — you've guessed it — Manchester. There, Burnham launched the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate to persuade schools to train pupils in technical skills that would be useful to local employers.

And so there on TikTok in the dawn light was Burnham, first clutching a mortarboard and then, via a jump cut, a hard hat. 'For decades young people have been told that this [the

mortarboard] leads to success,' said Burnham, 'and this [the hard hat] doesn't. Well I'm not having that.'

And so, from some point soon, children as young as 14 will be able to pursue technical qualifications that will be of use in their area. At this point, the déjà vu is overwhelming. Didn't XTC sing about something like this in 1979, in the song Making Plans for Nigel? It went: 'He has his future in a British steel /... Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed, yeah.'

It's possible I've misunderstood, but I'm pretty sure it was meant as a teenage rebellion against low ambition, against overbearing parents and teachers, and the state in general, planning out safe, mundane futures for the working-class youth that the

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

7

News

spiralling costs of social care

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER/ROHARD POYLE

Extra £4,500 in benefits if child starts apprenticeship

miles south of Calais. Passengers were cheek by jowl, sitting on the side of the black rubber inflatable dinghy wearing bright orange life jackets against a backdrop of sunbathers, surfers, sailing boats and a couple of jet skis. A French police boat and a coastguard rigid inflatable boat circled the vessel, not intervening but on

hand to offer assistance. As we got nearer, the dinghy started moving back to the shore. Had the French forced it back? No. It picked up five more migrants and

made its way out to sea again. The French handed life jackets to anyone who did not have one and the boat waited to be escorted across the Channel. If successful, the migrants would have joined the 13,320 to have arrived in small boats this year, although crossings are down 44 per cent on the same period last year.

working-class youth didn't want. Burnham, as it happens, was still holding the hard hat when he said, 'I'm not having that,' and in that sense, he's right. There was no hard hat for young Andy. He went off to Cambridge to read English.

Burnham seems to passionately believe in technical education. Not that long ago, he welcomed the now ex-chancellor Rachel Reeves to a bus factory in Manchester, where he got very excited, telling how staff at the bus factory got to travel to work at 6am on a bus they built themselves. Several of the workers standing behind him did not look thrilled with their lot in life. When Burnham was their age, he wouldn't have needed to be up much before noon, to spend the

afternoon thumbing through Middlemarch — a course of action that can, if you're lucky, lead you to becoming prime minister without having to bother the voters too much. But hey, it's not for everyone.

It is, if nothing else, politically intriguing. Once upon a time, Tony Blair's Labour Party wanted to get at least 50 per cent of young people to go to university, believing everyone had a right to reach for the stars, and not be handed a hard hat at 14 and shoot for the middle. That was the most successful Labour Party there has yet been. Now it has been made clear that this Labour Party sees things very differently. They're only making plans for Nigel, but they might just backfire.

Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor Daisy Eastlake

Parents on benefits will be paid up to £4,500 a year if their child takes up an apprenticeship as part of a fresh effort to get more young people into work.

The bursary is designed to end a 'benefit trap' that can leave parents worse off if their offspring leave education for an apprenticeship. It will offset the loss of child benefit and elements of universal credit when a dependant aged 16 or 17 leaves full-time education.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC classify apprenticeships as paid employment, so families could lose hundreds of pounds a week. The Social Security Advisory Committee, the welfare watchdog, found, in the worst-case scenario, a single parent whose disabled teenager was their only dependent child would be £139 a week worse off if the youngster took up an apprenticeship.

Apprentices under the age of 19 must be paid a minimum of £8 an hour, meaning those working full-time take home about £258 a week. With the loss of benefits, households could face a shortfall of about £80 a week. Sources stressed the cohort affected was small, and most families would be better off if their child started earning money.

The DWP said the bursary scheme targeted 'the small number of universal credit families for whom the current system disincentivises apprenticeships' and would be funded using the £1 billion extra investment in the growth and skills levy unveiled in May.

Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, said: 'Our welfare system should be a springboard to opportunity, not a barrier to it. By providing bursaries to those who need them most and fully funding apprenticeship training, we are making sure cost is not why someone misses out.'

Behind the story

For big companies, giving work placements to teenagers and students is fairly straightforward. But for small and micro firms — especially sole traders like plumbers and electricians — it can be fraught with perceived jeopardy (Oliver Wright writes).

That is because the law makes no distinction between a business taking on a student for a week's work experience or employing them full-time. They become the legal responsibility of the employer, who can be held liable if they are injured or become ill as a result of their work.

The Health and Safety Executive also makes clear that employers must pay particular regard to the 'additional' risks from taking on young people, as 'the workplace will be a new environment' for them.

Then there is the question of insurance. Anyone who employs someone else who is not a family member is required to have employer's liability insurance. A sole trader, such as a plumber or electrician, does not need such cover — unless they take on a student for work experience. This potentially puts them off participating in such schemes.

Charlie Mayfield, the former boss of John Lewis, said that the system worked as 'a block' for some young people to get experience of professions that they might wish to enter.

However, questions remain over how the bursary will be paid. It is believed the child will be eligible for the top up, but the DWP may pay the parents in some circumstances. Social campaigners warned that parents could still lose out unless their child contributed their salary and the top up to the family.

Enver Solomon, head of Nacro, a social justice charity, said: 'Action to address the financial disincentives which put young people off taking up apprenticeships is long overdue.'

A record one million young people, equivalent to one in eight, aged 16-24 are classed as not being in education, employment or training (Neet), and the figure is predicted to reach one in six by 2031. The bursary is the latest in a string of measures to boost apprenticeships and help tackle the rising number of Neets. Ministers have already pledged up to £8,000 in support for small and medium businesses hiring apprentices, and employer national insurance relief for apprentices under 25 to help deliver 50,000 new youth apprenticeships.

Andy Burnham, the prime minister, said he was 'on a mission' to halt the rise in Neets. Yesterday he announced plans to open new technical education routes for children as young as 14, which will be put on an equal footing with traditional academic routes. From year 10 pupils will be able to combine core subjects, such as English and maths, with technical education linked to jobs in their area. He said: 'It would be wrong to blame the young people when we have an education system that doesn't set them up properly.'

Tall order for schools, Alice Thomson, page 23; letters, page 24; Better skills-based education is welcome, leading article, page 25

Focus on degrees was bad for business

James Reed Comment

Andy Burnham deserves credit for recognising what many of us in business have said for years: Britain has been obsessed with the idea that university is the only respectable route to success.

Putting technical and vocational education on an equal footing with academic qualifications is long overdue and will give many more young people the opportunity to build rewarding careers.

For too long we've treated jobs in which you must wash your hands at the end of the day as second-class. That's bad for young people and bad for employers. Germany, the Netherlands and other countries have shown strong vocational pathways produce better outcomes, lower youth unemployment and a workforce with the skills businesses actually need.

I've long argued we need to level the playing field among academic, vocational and technical routes.

University is the right choice for many but wrong for many more. When you factor in the debt many graduates leave with, many young people are being encouraged on to courses that don't equip them for today's labour market while careers that desperately need talented recruits are overlooked.

The challenge has become even greater because some of the jobs that traditionally gave young people their first steps on the career ladder are disappearing or changing beyond recognition. Artificial intelligence will create new opportunities, but we need to ensure it doesn't simply replace the human jobs that help people gain experience. That's why I've argued we should back humans and tax the robots, using some of the productivity gains from automation to invest in skills, training and opportunities.

But education reform alone won't solve the problem. There is a reason there are only 712,000 vacancies in the UK economy, leaving 2.5 unemployed people chasing every job. We have to ask why some employers are reluctant to recruit young people. The rising cost of employment, driven by increases in employers' national

insurance contributions and higher minimum wages, inevitably affects hiring decisions, especially for entry-level roles. If we genuinely want businesses to create opportunities for young people, we have to make employing them more affordable.

We also need to remove some of the practical barriers that stop young people gaining experience before they apply for jobs, such as employers' liability insurance. Many businesses, particularly smaller firms, are discouraged from offering meaningful work experience because of the costs and perceived risks involved.

If we're serious about reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training, we must think holistically. Ministers are right that better technical education is an essential first step. But unless we also make it easier and cheaper for employers to hire, train and give young people their first opportunities, we will continue to have talented people outside the workplace looking in. James Reed is the chairman and chief executive of Reed, the recruitment and employment company

---

8

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News Politics

Chancellor 'must not borrow to plug £24bn hole'

Mehreen Khan Economics Editor Oliver Wright Policy Editor James Hurley Assistant Business Editor

Andy Burnham is facing a £24 billion hole in the government's spending plans as inflation eats into budgets for schools, hospitals and policing.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), the UK's oldest economics think tank, said the new chancellor, John Healey, would have to find tens of billions of pounds just to maintain spending plans through to the end of the parliament.

The think tank said Healey should not plug the shortfall with borrowing, arguing that departments would either have to scale back their plans or taxes would have to increase.

The shortfall has arisen because inflation has risen faster than expected since Rachel Reeves, as chancellor, set out the government's spending plans last year.

The real value of government spending will be 8 per cent lower than forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility in March, because of higher inflation this year. This is the equivalent of a £24 billion hit to spending in 2029-30.

'Higher and more persistent inflation [will] erode the real value of government spending,' the NIESR said.

The institute said Healey might need to raise taxes to top up government spending and fund commitments on defence, the cost of living and health and social care. 'Our message is direct. Those commitments must be funded through taxation or savings elsewhere, not through more borrowing. That is the minimum needed just to hold the debt level where it is,' David Aikman, director of NIESR, said.

Burnham has said the government will pay for a VAT cut on energy bills by scrapping a digital ID card scheme. But at least £1 billion of the £4 billion rise in defence spending is still unfunded, according to economists.

The NIESR paints a stark picture of the public finances inherited by Burnham. The UK pays the highest borrowing costs in the G7 and is on course for a fresh round of austerity in 2029, the last year for the next general election.

Annual GDP growth is set to slow to 1.1 per cent this year and next, below the

Andy Burnham visiting the train manufacturer Alstom in Derby

long-run average of 1.25 per cent, because of the rise in energy prices.

Stephen Millard, deputy director of the NIESR, said the government should break its manifesto promise not to raise income tax and recommended a host of tax reforms and spending cuts.

Burnham should consider scrapping the 'very expensive' triple lock on pensions, cut welfare spending, remove VAT exemptions and update council tax valuations, which date back to 1992.

The government should raise revenue through 'tax reform rather than imposing higher marginal rates of tax. That would be our strong advice,' Millard said.

Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, told the Financial Times that Burnham's government had a focus on bringing private investment into British industries. Ministers knew they needed to 'attract quite a lot of capital to [the water] sector to give it the kind of resilience and the results that people want,' he said.

Reynolds had been the business secretary under Sir Keir Starmer before he was moved to the role of chief whip.

He criticised Starmer's government for not having a full focus on growth. 'I think we had so many priorities as a government, we didn't really have a sufficient focus on growth,' he said.

The NIESR said Healey would have only £3.7 billion to meet his fiscal rules at his maiden budget in the autumn, down from an estimate of £7 billion

from the last quarter, caused by the recent jump in oil prices, which rose above $100 a barrel last week. The think tank's headroom estimate is far lower than the £21 billion of headroom that the OBR calculated in March, before the full impact of the US-Iran war.

Millard said there was a case for the Bank of England to raise interest rates this month, to provide 'insurance' against another surge in oil prices and the threat of energy costs spilling into other parts of the economy.

The institute expects inflation to peak at 3.7 per cent next year and stay above the Bank's 2 per cent target beyond 2029. By contrast, the Bank's latest forecasts suggest inflation will peak this year before returning close to target next year. Markets expect no change to interest rates tomorrow.

On Monday, the Item Club, a forecaster that uses the same models as the Treasury, issued its own warning about the challenges facing the chancellor. It said the UK was facing a 'sustained period of weak growth' and the economy was at risk of slowing for two consecutive years if the conflict in the Middle East dragged on.

GDP growth was on course to slow to a rate of 0.9 per cent this year, down from 1.3 per cent in 2025, and weaken further to 0.7 per cent next year after the recent rise in oil prices. It would be the weakest run of economic growth since the end of the lockdowns in 2023.

The gloomy forecasts are a blow for Burnham, who has promised to restart the economy by lowering the cost of living and rebalancing the economy away from London and the southeast.

Matt Swannell, chief economic adviser to the Item Club, said the 'current fiscal framework leaves little room for a significant increase in spending'.

The Item Club said inflation was on course to peak this year at 3.5 per cent, having fallen to 2.6 per cent in June, because the increase in oil prices raised Olgemi's energy price cap in the second half of the year.

The Times shadow monetary policy committee said yesterday that the Bank should leave interest rates unchanged tomorrow to allow time for Burnham to fully flesh out his tax and spending decisions at the autumn budget.

Bank urged to hold rates, page 34

Kemi Badenoch held a press conference with victims of crime to demand a halt to Marie Stone, Kayleigh Corbin, Jade Belgrove, Kieran Mullan, the shadow justice

more T-levels and apprenticeships, expanded work experience, guaranteed 45-day industry placements for those who need them, and tailored support for pupils with additional needs.

By 2035, Burnham wants every young person in the region to have a path from education to employment.

Amanda Marsh, assistant director at North Chadderton School in Oldham, said the system at the school — which serves a deprived area — gave equal weight to pupils with different ambitions, whether university, apprenticeships or work. The MBacc, she said, 'fixes that problem' by helping pupils choose GCSEs that fit their career goals without restricting options.

Although the school still offers the EBacc, Marsh described it as 'quite antiquated' and argued that universities increasingly cared more about

pupils achieving strong GCSE results than the precise combination of subjects they studied. 'For us, the MBacc is more important,' she said.

In the first year (2024-25), pilot resources were introduced in ten schools before being expanded. The MBacc ran alongside employer networks in the seven gateway sectors, the launch of the Beeline careers platform, an applied computing certificate developed with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and a new work experience framework. This year, attention has shifted to scaling up placements. Some 1,000 T-level placements have been announced at employers, including at IBM, the NHS, the Bee Network and Autotrader.

In the early stages, however, uptake at schools and colleges was 'slower than they'd hoped', Loic Menzies, an education policy and research special-

MBacc puts pupils on conveyor belt to jobs that industry needs

Georgia Lambert

When Andy Burnham announced the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) two years ago, he said that it would tackle what he called England's 'academic bias'.

He argued that while there had been a clear route from GCSEs to A-levels and university, technical and vocational study remained fragmented and lacked an equally visible path, or 'line of sight', between education and employment.

The policy was conceived during Burnham's time as mayor of Greater Manchester, when he sought to give technical education the same status as the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), the GCSE subjects traditionally favoured by universities. Now he wants to do it across the country.

The MBacc is built around the needs of Greater Manchester's employers, creating clearer routes into apprenticeships, T-levels and careers in growth industries. It is not a qualification but a framework for £4 to 19-year-olds.

From year 9, pupils choose one of seven career 'gateways' — including digital, engineering, health, construction and finance — while studying GCSEs alongside technical qualifications, work experience and careers advice tailored to their chosen sector.

The pathways have been developed with employers, schools, colleges and universities to reflect labour market demand. By 2030, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority wants every school, college and training provider to offer the MBacc, backed by

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

9

News

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES ELSTROP

the early release of violent offenders. The Tory leader was joined by, below from left, minister, Sarah Wilson and Carol Higgins. Below, Higgins comforts Vicki Crawford

ist, told the education magazine Tes last month. “But that’s not surprising given it’s a pathway rather than a recognised qualification in itself.”

Menzies said education and employers had struggled to find more quality work experience. “It’s easy to talk about wanting to have a greater flow between education, or less of a barrier between employers and schools, but practically, delivering on this sort of agenda around the country is going to be really tricky,” he said. He said the framework could prove harder to implement in regions more dispersed than Manchester, arguing that a national introduction should allow mayors to develop pathways tailored to their local economies.

Lucy Powell, the education secretary, said the national rollout of the MBacc from September 2028 would be the “start of a real shared effort with em-

ployers, businesses, mayors, and councils to design an education system that connects young people to jobs and careers in their local area”.

But the Association of School and College Leaders said that with schools facing tight budgets and implementing reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system, the introduction could have capacity problems.

Sam Freedman, of the Institute for Government, said ministers would face an uphill struggle finding employers willing to provide “meaningful work experience” for hundreds of thousands of teenagers. He added: “The other issue with vocational at 14 is implicit selection. Well-off families will ensure their kids do academic courses. This happens at 16 anyway, but at least we give everyone a chance to get a set of academic [qualifications].”

Lobsta B, leotards and love as Greens rave to raise cash

Lucy Bannerman

Shortly before sharing an Instagram post that seemed to imply his support for the beheading of a political opponent, Zack Polanski was addressing a rave in Bristol, claiming the moral high ground.

“Love will win the day,” he told a whooping crowd of twentysomethings, before dancing on stage with his partner and taking selfies with fans of all genders.

Less than 24 hours later, his spokesman had to clarify that he absolutely, unequivocally did not support guillotining the fellow leader of a political party. He had shared an image of a man who was among the first to arrive at the latest Green Party rave, a new kind of fundraising event promising to bring “joy and music into politics”.

On the man’s T-shirt was a cartoon guillotine and the slogan “We’re only making plans for Nigel”. The lyrics were from a 1979 new-wave song, but the message, Reform UK complained in its report to police, sounded like an incitement to murder its leader, Nigel Farage.

Polanski condemned the T-shirt, which he said was “clearly in poor taste”, adding that he had been tagged in the post by a third party and had clicked on “accept” before realising its content. The row was a comedown from the rave the day before, where Polanski’s message of love, hope and solidarity with the international LGBT family had received a rapturous welcome: He had turned up in a tight white T-shirt with its own satirical slogan — no guillotines, just a joke mocking the Daily Mail — to deliver a five-minute speech in between sets by DJ Hybrid and Lobsta B.

“Where are my Green Menaces?” he cried. “I said, Where are the Green Menaces at?” If the crowd were thrown by the next question “Who is ready for rent control?”, they did not show it.

Polanski talked about taxing the rich, rejoiced in the toppling of the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston, sent love and solidarity to “our siblings” in Berlin after the terrorist attack at Pride, and demanded an end to genocide in Gaza, but he made no mention of the climate or the environment. Or France being on fire. While wildfires raged, the Green Party...partied.

“Bristol, you are a city, I think, that knows how to party,” he said. “Because this is it right here. Joy is resistance. Community is resistance. When we come together like this, we are unstoppable and no one can take hope off us. We are hope, we are change.”

It was the latest in a series of fundraising club nights, which aim to boost

Zack Polanski speaking to supporters at the Bristol rave on Sunday. Below, the T-shirt that Reform described as an incitement to murder Nigel Farage

membership of the Green Party while earning some cash for the party coffers (£5 from every ticket is donated to the Greens). Organisers say the four Green Space parties so far, which have also included one in Leeds and two in London, have raised more than £36,000.

It is not much compared with the millions of pounds Reform UK has received from the Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, but according to organisers that is almost the point. “They’ve got billionaires. We’ve got the boogie” is the official mantra.

No one was pretending ravers had particularly deep pockets at the all-day party on Sunday. “This event is not going to attract a secret millionaire,” said Dawid Baranowski, 35, a volunteer and software engineer, in a way that suggested he preferred it that way.

As political fundraisers go, the Sawmills venue — a former timber yard on the edge of Bristol — could not have been more different from the Mayfair hotels where not so long ago Tory donors paid tens of thousands of pounds at silent auctions to go shoe shopping with Theresa May or cross-country running with Iain Duncan Smith.

However, with the possible exception of one bearded, dreadlocked man in fishnets, with a pierced septum and a furry tail hanging from his denim mini skirt, this was not a hard-core crowd. The majority appeared to be white, middle-

class twentysomethings, with a smaller number of middle-aged city councillors in neon leotards and antifascist necklaces.

One 77-year-old man in a straw hat, who joined the Green Party only recently out of concern for the planet, looked a bit bewildered and out of place in the chill-out safe space, surrounded by young people doing embroidery, origami and making collages out of vegan cookbooks. “I’m a bit disappointed there’s not been more about environmentalism,” he confessed.

Niall Moore, 35, and Felix Faillace, 29, both from London, came up with the idea of Green Party raves after running community events in Amsterdam. Their aim is to raise money and give people a good time, while expanding the party membership that has trebled under Polanski’s leadership. Raves, they reckon, are the best way to “solidify that support and stop it fizzling out [like] the sugar rush of Corbynism”.

For Caleb Parkin, who describes himself as a “day-glo, queero, techno eco poet and facilitator”, it was all about “collective effervescence”. Events like these were a reminder of the “importance of joy,” he said. Dominique Palmer, a climate justice activist, put it more bluntly: “We need to throw a better party than the far right.”

“Reform doesn’t give out glo-sticks,” joked one Green supporter, before being reminded by a friend that their party does not do that either. (“Glo-sticks are single-use plastic!”)

Bridget Petty, leader of the Green group on North Somerset council, said that young people needed a break from their “climate anxiety”. That required the hope and optimism being provided here, she said.

A day later, supporters rushed to defend Polanski online, in what some described as “faux outrage” and a confessed controversy over a cartoon guillotine.

A Green Party spokesman said: “Zack condemns the image on the T-shirt. He was tagged in a post with 20 images and clicked accept without realising there was more to it than he had seen. He and the Green Party call on everyone in public discourse to show kindness and not encourage more division.” It’s not just Polanski who needs to dial down rhetoric, Thunderer, page 22

‘Egregious’ student loans top agenda

Georgia Lambert

The new education secretary has said that the interest charged on student loans is “egregious” and that the problem is at the top of her agenda.

Raising the prospect of changes to England’s student finance system, Lucy Powell told BBC Radio 5 Live that she stood by comments she made in February criticising the interest rates paid by graduates with Plan 2 student loans, despite now being responsible for the system. She said: “I think it’s not just about the threshold of when people start to pay it back, but also the interest rate which is RPI [retail prices index] plus 3 per cent.

“I think I’ve called it in the past ‘egregious’ and I’m not going to change my opinion on that just because I’m now the secretary of state.

“The government has committed to a review of that; it’s very much at the top of my in-tray as the secretary of state, and I want to make sure we look at this so it’s fair for students.”

Powell stopped short of promising reform, adding: “Yes. I can’t make any promises, but it needs looking at.”

Plan 2 loans were taken out by students in England who started university between September 2012 and July 2023, and are still issued in Wales. Borrowers repay 9 per cent of earnings above the repayment threshold, while

interest is charged at up to the retail prices index plus three percentage points, although it has been temporarily capped at 6 per cent since April.

In November, Rachel Reeves, the former chancellor, said the repayment threshold for students with Plan 2 loans would be frozen at £29,385 between 2027 and 2030 instead of rising with inflation.

It will mean graduates begin repaying sooner in real terms and repay more over the lifetime of their loans as wages increase. Campaigners have called on ministers to reverse the freeze, although Reeves defended it at the time as a “fair and proportionate” way of balancing tax and spending.

---

TIMES Events

Meet the Writer: An evening with Ann Patchett & Meg Mason

The choices we make. The stories we tell to survive. The beauty of human connection. Ann Patchett and Meg Mason will join Laura Hackett, The Times and Sunday Times’ deputy literary and fiction editor, to talk about their new novels and wider body of work. The evening will explore what it is to be a writer, which is, in many ways for these bestselling authors, what it is to be human.

Wednesday, September 2 | 7.30pm

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

Book your tickets at thetimes.com/events

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 39

11

News

‘Clicky Ponting’ scandal rocks genteel world of club cricket

Dickie’s final decision: £4m fortune left in trust

Elizabeth Ammon, Peter Chappell

The former Australian captain Ricky Ponting had his abrasive moments in his career, especially when facing England, but he would never stoop to the level of Saltburn cricket club’s ‘Clicky Ponting’.

The cricket club in North Yorkshire is at the centre of a cheating row after one of its fielders was accused of tricking umpires by clicking his fingers to imitate the noise of the ball clipping the bat as the ball passed, meaning batsmen were wrongly given out caught behind.

The genteel if competitive world of English club cricket has erupted in anger at the perceived skulduggery during Saturday’s division two match between Saltburn second XI and Norton second XI.

An investigation has been launched by the North Yorkshire and South Durham League after the footage was viewed more than three million times on social media.

After the initial post, a number of other videos emerged that seem to show Saltburn’s first slip clicking his fingers as the ball passes the bat into the wicket-keeper’s hands, followed by an appeal for caught behind by his teammates. The umpire then gives the batsman out. In one of the videos, the batsman raises the issue with the umpires, telling him the fielder was clicking his fingers while Saltburn players celebrate.

The accused fielder is Brian Devine, 38. He is playing in his second stint at Saltburn, having originally been there between 2002 and 2007, before playing for Great Ayton in 2013. He then represented Marske in 2014 and 2015, Fairburn between 2015 and 2018, and Pudsey St Lawrence in the Bradford League between 2020 and 2023, before returning to Saltburn in 2024. He has played 13 matches this season, all for Saltburn’s second XI. He is well known in Yorkshire league cricket.

The original post led to hundreds of replies, with people having scoured the scorecards and videos of Saltburn second XI dismissals, which are available via the Play-Cricket software used by clubs for scoring and live-streaming matches. The scandal has predictably been dubbed ‘Clickgate’.

Saltburn second XI played against Shildon Railway CC on July 18 and the scorecard showed that the Saltburn wicket-keeper took eight catches and was averaging almost four per match in

Brian Devine, 38, a fielder for Saltburn cricket club, is accused of clicking his fingers to imitate the noise of the ball hitting the bat. Footage of the game has more than 3 million views

eight games this season.

The fielder has been dubbed ‘Clicky Ponting’, a play on the name of the former Australian batsman who was known for his bristling character on the field.

During the Ashes of 2005, Ponting lashed out at the England dressing room at Trent Bridge after being run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt.

‘The league has received a formal complaint regarding alleged incidents in a Division Two game on Saturday’, North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League said. ‘A full investigation has been initiated and until... the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made.’

The incident was described as ‘the worst case of cheating’ seen by Ben Mummery, who first posted the video of Saltburn’s match against Norton on X, which Saltburn won by 159 runs. He

said. ‘Apparently their keeper has a huge amount of catches this season.’ He was pleased the video had gone viral and was uniting the cricket world: ‘I’m genuinely really happy: it’s being exposed. Harshest possible punishment please. It’s not cricket.’

Another clip showing footage of a match against Middlesbrough second XI was posted by Middlesbrough’s captain, Rory Cotterill.

In amateur cricket in England and Wales, it is expected that the league and the clubs investigate where there are allegations of cheating and they are responsible for imposing any sanctions on players. The player in question and other members of the club, if it is found they were also involved in cheating, could face lengthy bans.

‘Clickgate’ is the latest in a long line of cricket cheating scandals in a sport famous for its players’ adherence to a complicated rulebook.

One of the most infamous cases was Sandpapergate in a 2018 Test match between Australia and South Africa, when Australian players were caught by television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to make it swing in flight.

Devine, Saltburn CC and Norton CC all declined to comment.

The cricket umpire Dickie Bird, who never married or had children, left an estate worth almost £4 million, probate records reveal.

Bird, who died aged 92 at his home in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on September 22 last year, left a gross estate of £3,940,504, reduced to £3,900,473 after debts.

He placed his entire fortune into a discretionary trust, which can run for up to 125 years. His trustees are given ‘absolute discretion’ to distribute the money among a list of potential beneficiaries, who include his sister, Marjorie Wyatt, and his niece, Rachel Wyatt, as well as any charity.

Bird, who was born Harold Dennis Bird, the son of a miner from Barnsley, became the most famous umpire in cricket history, standing in 66 Test matches and three World Cup finals between 1973 and 1996.

England and India players gave him a guard of honour at Lord’s before his final Test.

His autobiography, published after his retirement, sold more than a million

Dickie Bird, the most famous umpire in cricket history, in 1992. He died last year

copies and was said to have made him a millionaire.

He lived at White Rose Cottage, a 16th-century property in Staincross on the edge of Barnsley, and was made president of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2014.

A generous supporter of good causes, he set up the Dickie Bird Foundation in 2004 to help disadvantaged children play sport, and paid £125,000 for a new balcony at the Headingley ground in Yorkshire.

In 2013 he said that his one regret was not having a family: ‘I gave my life to cricket. It’s as simple as that,’ he said. ‘I never got married because I was married to the game.’

His will, signed in January 2024, asks his trustees to distribute his personal possessions in line with any wishes left among his papers.

● Mementoses of the cricketer and war hero Hedley Verity are up for sale, including his England cap from the Ashes of 1932-33, valued at £10,000. The match ball with which he took his international career-best 8-43 to defeat Australia at Lord’s in 1934 is set to fetch £5,000 at Knight’s Auctioneers in Norwich on August 6. The Yorkshire spinner died aged 38 from shrapnel wounds in the Second World War.

Ultra-processed foods are fine — just focus on the nutrients

Rhys Blakely Science Editor

Eating ultra-processed foods is not necessarily harmful to your health because the nutritional quality of a meal matters more than how it was made, a large study has suggested.

Researchers from Harvard University who tracked more than 200,000 adults found that healthy diets were linked to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and premature death, even when the diets included substantial amounts of ultra-processed foods.

Conversely, diets made up of relatively unprocessed foods could still be unhealthy if they contained lots of refined carbohydrates, sugar or other nutritionally poor ingredients.

The findings challenge warnings that consumers should avoid all ultra-processed foods, or UPFs — a broad category that can include fizzy drinks, packaged cakes, fortified breakfast cereals, wholegrain bread and tinned foods.

Dr Beverley O’Hara, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Leeds Beckett University who was not involved in the

study, said it was ‘an important counterbalance to the large number of poor-quality studies that have led to widespread scaremongering about UPF’.

The Harvard researchers analysed information from three long-running studies that tracked US adults from the 1980s to the 2020s. They assessed the healthiness of the plant-based portion of the participants’ diets and separately classified foods according to the Nova system, which divides them according to the degree of industrial processing.

Participants were compared across

groups including diets that were: healthy and minimally processed; healthy and ultra-processed; unhealthy and minimally processed, and unhealthy and ultra-processed. About half of the participants died or developed cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes during the follow-up period.

Outcomes varied according to the overall quality of their diets, and among people eating diets of similar nutritional quality, the risks were almost identical regardless of whether their food was minimally or ultra-processed.

Dr Xiaowen Wang, of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, an author of the research, said: ‘While many ultra-processed foods tend to be of poor nutritional quality and should generally be limited or avoided, processing itself is not inherently harmful.’

Examples of potentially beneficial processed foods included fortified cereals, wholegrain products and tinned beans. Minimally processed diets could be nutritionally poor if they relied on white rice, fruit juice, potatoes and homemade desserts.

---

12

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Owner sues RSPCA after seized cat dies

Jonathan Ames Legal Editor Seren Hughes

A former solicitor whose disabled cat was seized by the RSPCA has labelled the charity "Nazis" after the animal died in foster care.

Katherine Theodotou, 79, has won the right to have an independent expert assess the cause of death of her tuxedo cat, Rita, who was taken in a raid involving police this month.

Theodotou, who runs an animal sanctuary near Hertford, was already suing the Metropolitan Police and Britain's leading animal charity after officers allegedly used an axe to break through her front door to seize 17-month-old Rita, who was born with a disability that meant she could not properly move her back legs and suffered from bladder infections.

However, two days before the case was due to be heard by magistrates, Theodotou was informed that her pet had suddenly and unexpectedly died in RSPCA foster care.

At the High Court on Friday, Mr Justice Kimblin refused to order the cat's body to be handed back to Theodotou, but the judge said there should be a joint post-mortem examination involving an

RSPCA vet and an independent specialist chosen by Theodotou.

Theodotou, who came to the UK from Cyprus in the late 1960s, specialised in human rights law before she was struck off as a solicitor in 2022 over findings that included breaches of accounting rules.

She told The Times that "the police and RSPCA have behaved like a bunch of Nazis. I've never seen any such behaviour towards an elderly woman." She added that she was distressed that the charity and officers "would behave in such a way towards a small cat who had been treated like a princess by me".

Theodotou had claimed she was "pushed violently to the ground" during the raid by six police officers and two RSPCA officials, which followed a report that Rita was being mistreated.

She claimed that the report was malicious and applied for an emergency injunction to prevent Rita from being put down. The RSPCA said there were no plans to euthanise the animal and a judge rejected the application for an injunction.

Theodotou took the RSPCA back to the High Court to fight for Rita's body to be returned so she could have a post-mortem examination done. The

Katherine Theodotou insists Rita, left, was "well cared for" before being seized

RSPCA insisted on carrying out its own post-mortem. Mark Townsend, for the charity, said that Rita was "under the RSPCA's ultimate care and they wish to investigate all the circumstances leading to the cat's death".

Lawyers from the RSPCA previously told the High Court that they had acted in Rita's best interests after receiving a report from vets indicating that the

cat's condition had deteriorated under its owner's care. They said that after being taken into foster care, Rita was doing "well". Lawyers for Theodotou insisted Rita had been "well cared for" and described Theodotou as a "keen animal lover who has promoted animal welfare over the past 30 years".

The RSPCA was approached for comment.

Nephew jailed over threats in will dispute

Jonathan Ames

A technology expert has been jailed for threatening to "beat the shit" out of lawyers for the RSPCA after his aunt left £200,000 to various charities.

Sean Stimson became "extremely emotionally involved" in a row over Helen Smith's will after she died in 2021 and left her entire estate to the animal charity and other good causes.

A judge heard that he became so angry that he fired off abusive emails and letters to the charity's law firm, Foot Anstey, founded in 1903 by the father of the former Labour Party leader Michael Foot.

Stimson has claimed that Smith had always intended that her home in Swindon — which made up most of the value of her estate — would remain in the family. But under the terms of her 2016 will, the property was bequeathed to the RSPCA. While Stimson — who has claimed to have been close to his aunt — continues to challenge the will, Mr Justice Griffiths has jailed Stimson for 28 days. He was also ordered to pay £15,000 in costs.

The judge heard that the 48-year-old wrote to Foot Anstey using "vitriolic" language that included abuse and threats to its employees. Stimson was said to have called the lawyers and staff "wankers" and "bitches" and threatened to "beat the shit" out of them if his aunt's house were not returned to him.

£514 saving consists of £46.20 discount applied to Device Plan (total cost of device was £1192.32 now £1146.12) and further £468 saving achieved by £13 per month discount on the Unlimited Ultimate Airtime Plan for 36 months. £30 upfront. Airtime discount applies until you change tariff, leave or upgrade. Subject to availability. Premium delivery available between £5.99 and £9.99. 14-day cooling off and other cancellation rights apply. Ends 5 August 2026. Direct purchases only. Pay the cash price for your device or spread the cost over 3 to 36 months (includes douglas). Certain device costs available to be spread over 3 to 48 months. The device cost will be the same whatever you choose. There may be an upfront cost. You can pay off your Device Plan at any time and choose to keep your Airtime Plan, upgrade it, or leave. If you are in the first 24 months of your Device Plan and you cannot your Airtime Plan you will have to pay the remainder of your Device Plan in full. After 24 months you can keep your Airtime Plan, upgrade it, or end it without affecting your Device Plan. UK calls/texts to standard UK landlines and mobiles and when roaming in our Europe Zone. Europe Zone data only. Fair usage policy applies. Special and out of bundle numbers chargeable. Fair usage applies. Use tariff allowances when roaming in our Europe Zone. O2 Travel Inclusive includes unlimited minutes and tests and data roaming (with capped data speeds of 2 Mbps) in our Inclusive Zone. Non-commercial use only. Traffic management steps will apply. Terms apply: see o2.co.uk/terms Devices subject to availability. 0% APR. Finance subject to status and credit checks. 18+ Direct Debit. Credit provided by Telefónica UK Ltd. RG2 6UU Telefónica UK is authorised and regulated by the FCA for consumer credit and insurance. See o2.co.uk/terms

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

13

News

'I'm not worried, I've got a hose' — French defiant in face of wildfires

As another heatwave threatens to reignite blazes, some Bordeaux residents are staying put, writes Adam Sage

At this time of year the Beaudesert estate in Mérignac, in the Greater Bordeaux area, would usually be buzzing. Families would be bringing home the shopping, children would be racing around on bicycles, toddlers would be playing on the yellow slide.

'But look at it now,' said Lola, a 20-year-old shop assistant standing outside rows of silent four-storey blocks of flats. 'It's completely empty. It's like during Covid, only worse.'

Lola and Yassine, her boyfriend, also 20, are among a handful of inhabitants refusing police orders to evacuate the district. 'I don't see any reason to leave,' she said. 'The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and there's no smoke today. I feel like we're being punished even though there's no danger.'

The authorities are not so sure. The wildfires that have destroyed at least 42,000 hectares of land and 240 homes and forced the evacuation of about 220,000 people are still not contained, officials say.

With temperatures expected to reach close to 40C today in France's fourth heatwave of the year, and wind directions changing frequently, the risks remain high in the Gironde department that has Bordeaux as its capital.

Yesterday, the local prefect — the interior ministry's representative on the ground — ordered the evacuation of a further 4,000 tourists from campsites and holiday centres at Lacanau on the Atlantic coast. As the holidaymakers left, ash fell on the beach where they had been sunbathing a day earlier.

About 20km to the south, a Canadair firefighting plane was unloading water on a blaze that had started up again on the Cap Ferret peninsula days being extinguished. Another plane was fighting flames at a military base in Souge, which is home to paratroopers, special forces and intelligence agents.

'The reignition of fires with the wind and the heat ... is what we feared,' said Commander Matthieu Jomain, spokesman for the fire brigade in the Gironde.

More than 2,700 firefighters are deployed in the Gironde and the neighbouring Landes department to fight what President Macron has called the country's worst wildfires since the Second World War. Their overriding objective is to bring the flames under control before they reach the Greater Bordeaux area, which has a population of about a million people.

Although the nearest flames are only about 15km away, Thomas Cazenave, the mayor, has said there are no plans to evacuate Bordeaux. Officials have also insisted they have no intention of emptying the city's jail, although protection masks will be distributed to its 1,200 inmates.

Nevertheless, the evacuation of suburban towns that are part of Greater

Smoldering earth in an area west of Bordeaux, southwest France, where about 2,700 firefighters are deployed. Below, water drops near Madrid

Bordeaux has already been ordered.

Officially, people were told to leave because of the dangers of smoke inhalation. In practice, many believe it was a preventive measure to limit panic and chaos if the flames spread there.

The Bordeaux ring-road has been designated as the evacuation zone border, in what is being taken as a sign that the authorities want to prevent the fires from crossing it at all costs. The road cuts right through Mérignac, just 6km from Bordeaux city centre as the crow flies.

On the east side of the six-lane carriageway residents are eating in McDonald's, shopping at the Carrefour supermarket, getting their medicines from the chemist and going about their lives as normal. On the west side, the silence is such that you can hear leaves blowing across empty pavements.

Thousands of inhabitants in this part of town received an alert on their phones early on Saturday telling them to evacuate. Within minutes, police had arrived in cars equipped with loudspeakers to deliver a message that resonated from one white-walled block to another. In case anyone was still asleep, officers moved from stairwell to stairwell, shouting and banging on doors according to Yassine.

He and Lola drove to her parents' flat in nearby Haillan, another

suburb, but a day later the order came to evacuate Haillan too. They returned to Mérignac, along with Yassine's cat, who had an operation last Friday and is still wearing a protective collar.

'Where were we supposed to go?' said Lola, who has seen social media images of the exhibition centre in Bordeaux where several thousand evacuees have been given temporary shelter. She had no desire to sleep on the camp beds and eat at the long wooden tables made available there.

Police have made several attempts to con-

vince the couple to leave, but they have refused and officers have stopped short of using force.

'We're better off here,' Lola said, although she conceded that conditions were scarcely ideal at their flat in Mérignac either. The couple are afraid that if they go out, even to do the shopping, they will be stopped by police and prevented from returning. 'We're eating through our supplies,' she said. 'But after three days shut up in the flat, you go mad.'

They are not the only refuseniks in the area. Alain, 80, was tending to the rhododendrons in his front garden as a police car drove past. 'They know I'm here and they have told me I should go. But I'll only go if I think there is a risk and for now there isn't,' he said.

He said he had lived in the southwest all his life and 'I've seen a lot of fires in my time. I'm not worried, I've got a Kärcher [high-pressure hose].'

Alain seemed more concerned about

a leaking mains pipe, although he insisted he had an ample water supply in his back garden if he had to fight the fire with his Kärcher.

Elsewhere in the town, there is much uncertainty and many comings and goings.

One woman, who said she was staying with relatives during the evacuation, had returned to her flat for a few minutes to pick up a pair of comfortable shoes because she had a driving lesson.

A man who said he had stayed to look after his pets finally decided to leave. 'I'm going on holiday,' he said, without making it clear what he planned to do with his animals.

Nordin Boufrioua, 63, who is on sickness benefits, followed the evacuation order but had popped back for a shower at home. 'I've been sleeping in my car with my son for the past three days,' he said. 'It's a catastrophe.' Boufrioua said he had tried the shelter at Bordeaux exhibition centre but the hubbub was such that he had decided he was better off in the car.

He said the authorities had been '100 per cent right' to order the evacuation amid smoke so dense that it was difficult to breathe. 'They couldn't leave people here,' he said, pointing out that Bordeaux's airport, a couple of kilometres away in Mérignac, represented a singular hazard in the event of fire.

His argument was illustrated only last week. A day before the start of the latest wildfires, a blaze erupted in woodland next to the airport's long-stay car park.

Firefighters scrambled to extinguish it before it could reach the airport itself, but Corporal Anthony Berthôme and Corporal Wilfried Schmitter, both aged 34, died when their vehicle was engulfed by flames.

---

14

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Sea of green A gardener tends the Beth Chatto garden in Essex. The ponds are covered in duckweed, which has benefitted from the recent dry spell. Weather, page 51

Man charged with £1m theft of streetlamps

A man has been charged with stealing streetlamps and ornate lanterns worth about £1 million from across England.

John O'Sullivan, 20, is facing 38 charges of theft in counties including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Essex and Hertfordshire, and in the Thames Valley. He is accused of seven additional theft offences in Hertfordshire between September 17 last year and March 17.

The county's police force said that the stolen lamps had belonged to councils, businesses, churches, schools and private owners. They included grade II listed street lamps known as Richardson Candles, which were allegedly taken from Cambridge city centre. The lamps were designed by the architect Albert Edward Richardson, who was commissioned to come up with bespoke street lighting for the city in 1957.

O'Sullivan is due to appear at Stevenage magistrates' court on August 5.

Anna O'Sullivan, 66, and Richard O'Sullivan, 67, have also been charged with handling stolen goods.

The pair, from Barkway, Hertfordshire, are due to appear at Stevenage magistrates' court on August 12.

Grid operator fails to report power risks

Juliet Samuel

Britain's grid operator has repeatedly failed to submit reports on risks and electricity planning to the energy regulator, The Times has learnt.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has been required to submit an annual report to Ofgem, outlining the chance of high-risk grid events, since a blackout affected one million customers in 2019. That requirement has been suspended this year after it took so long to produce the previous year's report.

Neso initially submitted for Ofgem's approval a proposal in last year's risk report that its stability standards be watered down, but this was rejected. The regulator then held a consultation with '15 stakeholders', a third of whom

supported the watered-down standards proposal. Neso resubmitted the proposal in March, though three of the seven members of an expert Neso panel declined to support the change. Despite that, Ofgem granted permission to run the grid with lower levels of 'inertia' — a key marker of stability in the network.

Ofgem exempted Neso from publishing a risk report for 2026 because it said the 2025 process had taken so long that there would be insufficient time before the 2027 report was due.

Neso is behind, too, on updating its back-up communications systems. It relies on fax machines that are not due to be phased out until January 2027.

Neso has also been released from a requirement to publish a ten-year statement on electricity supply this year, having failed twice to meet deadlines

for its publication. Ofgem said the statement would be replaced by new strategic plans, but these have also been delayed and are now due to be published in late 2028, less than 18 months before the government's deadline for moving almost entirely to 'clean' electricity generation.

Andrew Larkins, an energy consultant who has advised Neso, said that 'lots of the industry rely on the [statement] in terms of where they can connect new power stations' and said the delays showed Neso 'is struggling to keep up' with the clean power target.

Larkins also said proposals by Neso in its frequency risk control report in 2024, which was accepted by Ofgem, had still not been implemented.

The grid operator said, for example, it would introduce 'aviation-style near-

miss reports' to analyse lessons from unusual incidents, potentially including events such as on June 23, when the grid repeatedly breached safety limits. Larkins said there was no sign of such reports. Neso's estimate of the chances of a grid disturbance jumped from one in 29 years in 2024 to one in seven years in 2025. The report attributed this to a 'comprehensive review' of the data.

Experts questioned Neso's actions at the time of the June 23 incident. Paul Sotkiewicz, an independent electricity market expert, said that the grid operator's internal report raised questions over why it had not followed its own protocols to ration electricity, to protect against the risk of uncontrolled blackouts.

Sotkiewicz reviewed Neso's report after The Times shared the document

and said the decision not to ration power was 'notable'.

Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, claimed whistleblowers had told her that Neso's corporate affairs team interfered in the management of the June 23 incident.

Ofgem said it was conducting a review and that it was taking the incident 'extremely seriously' and would 'ensure lessons are learnt'. It declined to answer queries on Neso's regulatory record.

Neso said: 'Claims we do not listen to, or implement, important recommendations on security are simply not true.'

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We are very confident in our security of supply arrangements, and that Neso have the tools they need to manage the system.'

SAMSUNG

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra for business

Galaxy AI

Samsung account logins reposed for certain AI features

MEET THE NEW STANDARD OF BUSINESS

Pre-order now with EE Trade in and save up to £580

18/3 copy 10% undelabgittalware June 1 Aug 2016

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 39

15

News

Lord Hermer 'weak and naive' over Fordingbridge rape blunder

Jonathan Ames Legal Editor Jessica Sharkey Crime Correspondent

The former attorney-general was 'weak and naive' in his handling of an inaccurate media statement about the sentencing of defendants in the Fordingbridge rape trial, a fellow peer has said.

Lord Hermer KC was sharply criticised by three senior judges last week for failing to publicly correct factual inaccuracies in a Crown Prosecution Service media notice that was issued before he argued that the offenders' original sentences were too soft.

In the ruling, led by the lady chief justice, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the judges highlighted two 'factu-

al inaccuracies' in a CPS statement regarding the rapes of two girls, aged 14 and 15, that were widely reported.

The ruling criticised Hermer for failing to point out the errors, saying that 'if a member of government, and in particular the attorney-general, chooses to make public statements about the gravity of offending, and to refer to 'understandable'... huge public concern, then they should ensure that what is communicated is fair and accurate.'

Lord Garnier KC, a former Conservative solicitor-general, said Hermer had been 'too weak and naive' in his handling of the referral of the case for stiffer sentences. Two of the underage offenders were originally given non-

custodial sentences but appeal judges increased them to four years in jail.

Garnier emphasised the background to Hermer's application under the unduly lenient sentence regime, claiming that Sir Keir Starmer 'was about to be scissored by [Andy] Burnham's impending success in the Makerfield by-election, and he needed to be seen as doing things to warrant his retention as prime minister,' adding: 'Hermer in my view just did as he was told by Starmer.'

Garnier said that Hermer failed 'to keep on top of the CPS press release which has predictably got him into trouble with the lady chief justice'.

Nick Timothy MP, the shadow justice secretary, told The Times that Her-

mer's handling of the sentence referral highlighted wider problems with his appointment as attorney-general after Labour's 2024 election victory. Hermer was widely seen as having been plucked from the Bar for the position because of a long-standing friendship with Starmer. 'It is utterly damning that Labour ever thought Lord Hermer was fit to be attorney-general,' Timothy said.

A spokesperson for Lord Hermer said: 'The facts are that as a consequence of Lord Hermer's decision, two convicted rapists are now subject to lengthy terms of custody, and the lady chief [justice] herself made clear that Lord Hermer exercised his powers properly — any suggestion otherwise is a com-

plete falsehood. Few politicians in recent times have stood up for the independent judiciary more than Lord Hermer, and he considers any threats to judges as intolerable. The CPS rightly accepted responsibility for the inaccuracies in their press release, and once Lord Hermer was made aware in the weeks after, he sought assurances about what steps were being taken to avoid this happening again.'

A CPS spokeswoman said that officials had issued a press release that 'reflected the prosecution case at trial but did not accurately reflect the judge's findings in relation to the offending,' adding: 'We later amended the release to correct this and regret the error.'

Providence House was renovated by Nick Candy, right, after he bought it from his brother Christian, bottom, who made the original purchase in 2012 and has now won a court battle with HMRC

Billionaire's tax refund over Chelsea mansion deal

David Byers Deputy Property Editor

Christian Candy, the billionaire property developer, is to receive £2.3 million from the taxman after a judge ruled he and his brother Nick had been double-taxed when they bought a mansion in Chelsea in 2012.

Providence House, which, apart from Buckingham Palace, has the biggest garden in central London, became Britain's most expensive property deal when it was sold in April by Nick Candy, the Reform UK treasurer, for £265 million to the city trader Suneel Setiya.

However, the court battle involves the tax that the Candy brothers paid when they bought the sprawling grade II listed property 14 years ago from the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Initially, Christian Candy, 51, exchanged contracts in a deal worth £68 million and involving several leases in 2012. After making the first lease payment and beginning subterranean building works, he paid stamp duty of £192 million. Then, in 2014, he opted to transfer the property to his brother, who paid the remainder of the price and another £192 million in stamp duty before moving into the house.

Christian Candy applied

for a stamp duty refund 18 months after the original purchase date, claiming both brothers had paid the tax on the same deal — but this was rejected by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), who said he should have claimed after 12 months. Last year a judge at the High Court's first-tier tax tribunal sided with Christian Candy, stating that the law gave him four years after the purchase to lodge a claim for a refund — a timeframe with which he had complied.

Yesterday HMRC lost its appeal against that verdict at the upper tribunal. The judges, Ashley Greenbank and Mr Justice Cawson, agreed that Candy should receive a refund and he had not been out of time to make a claim.

The fact that HMRC continued to contest the doomed battle represented had value for the taxpayer, experts said. According to its own formula, the taxman will have to pay the billionaire £345,639 in interest on top of the £192 million. 'It's double the taxation. It doesn't take a genius to work out that this is crazy,' one leading tax expert, who is familiar with the case, said of HMRC's decision to contest the case.

The source pointed out the case had taken years to reach court, and it was also the second legal defeat the taxman had recently suffered on the issue after at-

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL, BEAUCHAMP ATTAYTE

tempting to keep £3.1 million in overpaid stamp duty from a property investor that bought a Manchester rental development.

Under Nick Candy's stewardship, Providence House was renovated to become a palatial country house-style estate, with a 14,000 sq ft basement including a 60ft swimming pool and the first private Imax cinema in Europe.

The property, which was once home to Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister, was built in its present form by the baroque architect John Vanbrugh and has a restored orangery and courtyard with retractable ceiling.

Nick Candy, 53, and the Australian actress and singer Holly Valance, 43, with whom he lived at the house, announced their divorce last year — a

factor likely to have influenced his decision to sell.

Joseph Adunse, tax partner at Moore Kingston Smith, appeared to suggest the taxman had wasted money by trying to put procedural technicalities before the rightful payment of tax. 'The upper tribunal has delivered an important reminder that tax administration should not trump statutory entitlement,' he said. 'Missing one procedural route to repayment did not necessarily extinguish the right to recover stamp duty that was never ultimately due. After tangled procedures which frankly resembled a game of snakes and ladders through the court system, [Christian] Candy has now won his pot of gold.'

The HMRC said: 'We note the decision and are carefully considering our next steps.'

MP barred from closing firms over Covid loans

George Greenwood Investigations Reporter

A suspended Reform UK MP had two of his companies blocked from winding up because they had failed to pay back taxpayer-backed Covid loans, The Times can reveal.

James McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, suspended himself from Reform last year after reporting raised questions about his conduct over the loans.

After a 20-month freedom of information (FoI) battle, The Times can now reveal that the Department for Business and Trade intervened directly to block the companies from being wound up. The intervention took place before McMurdock became an MP in 2024.

The 'dissolution objections process' was introduced by the department to reduce losses from misuse of bounce-back loans by preventing borrowers from avoiding repayments by striking off their firms with outstanding debts.

McMurdock borrowed the funds through two companies he owned at the time, JAM Financial Ltd and Gym Live Health and Fitness Ltd. In 2023 the process of suspending both firms was halted after the company regulator received an objection. This can be done by any eligible creditor, and it was previously not known who had objected or why.

A disclosure by the business department has now confirmed it opposed the winding up of the companies, and had done so because they had failed to repay bounceback loans. The department had tried to withhold the information on grounds of commercial sensitivity.

In her judgment in the first-tier tribunal, general regulatory chamber, last month, Judge Alexandra Marks found that 'concerns about potentially undermining confidence in lender/customer obligations or confidence in businesses', financial health, future trading opportunities or reputations were not only unevidenced but also tenuous.'

McMurdock said: 'It is now a matter of public record that my businesses have been closed. I owe nothing. Not a penny. Not a bean. All former statements made by me relating to this matter remain true and correct. I would like to thank The Times and all other parties for giving me the opportunity to be vindicated... again.'

Reform was approached for comment. The business department said: 'We have met our statutory obligations under the FoI Act and have complied with the tribunal's decision and disclosed the information within the legal timeframe.'

---

16

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Standing-room only on peak trips to capital

Laurence Sleator Transport Correspondent

For the rail commuter, cancellations and delays are galling, but nothing is as irksome as paying top whack only to have to stand under an armpit.

So crowded are morning services that one in four of all London commuters do not get a seat at peak time.

Statistics released by the Department for Transport for last year showed that on a typical weekday more than 300,000 people had to stand on their journey into the capital.

Across all big cities in England and Wales it was only slightly lower, with one in five standing, though commuters into London made up two thirds of the total.

The statistics also revealed the busiest commutes faced by passengers travelling 20 minutes or more: those taking the Thameslink train from Bedford to St Pancras braved the most crowded

Top 10 busiest commutes

Service	Busiest point	Busiest time
Bedford to Three Bridges	St Pancras Int'l	8:09am
London Euston to Crewe	Euston	5:46pm
Bridgend to Rhymney	Llanishen	4:45pm
Alton to London Waterloo	Vauxhall	8:22am
Bedford to Three Bridges	St Pancras Int'l	8:24am
Fareham to London Waterloo	Vauxhall	8:19am
Epsom to London Bridge	London Bridge	8:28am
Portsmouth Harbour to London Waterloo	Vauxhall	8:27am
London Waterloo to Basingstoke	Vauxhall	1750pm
London Euston to Birmingham New Street	Euston	1756pm

Source: jps.uk

service in the country. At just after 8am trains on this line exceeded their seating capacity of about 650 by 76 per cent.

In second place was the West Midlands early-evening service from London Euston to Crewe. Its busiest point was when it left London, with 70 per cent more passengers than seats.

The South Western morning service from Alton in Hampshire to London Waterloo exceeded seating capacity by 59 per cent, while the Southern service from Epsom, Surrey, to London Bridge was also busy at just before 8:30am.

Outside London, the only service to make the list was the Transport for Wales service from Bridgend to Rhymney. About one in three services exceeded seating capacity at peak times.

A Bedford to St Pancras annual ticket is about £6,000, says the Thameslink website. The Alton to London Waterloo ticket is about £5,500, while from Epsom to London Bridge it is £3,000.

The Liberal Democrats said the statistics showed commuters were not getting value for money on the 'extortionate' rail system. 'Rail travel should be easy and affordable, yet we are still lumped with an embarrassingly poor service,' Olly Glover, the party's transport spokesman, added.

Louise Collins, director at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: 'Today's figures are a reminder that overcrowding remains a real issue. Our research shows that getting a seat, or having enough room to stand in comfort, is an important part of the passenger experience, while overcrowding can also undermine perceptions of value for money.'

Thameslink said the statistics 'do not take into account the abundance of standing room available'.

The Department for Transport said: 'The vast majority of passengers — 98.9 per cent — typically travel on services that are not overcrowded.'

It said that at 'pinchpoints' work was under way to improve capacity with new trains and timetable changes.

Sunny side up Sophie Ibbotson, 27, inspects the sunflowers on her family's pick-your-own farm in Barlow, Derbyshire, which is enjoying its best season yet

Heatwaves leave railways sinking into more delays

Lara Bowman

Trains in Britain will run even more slowly than usual after months of stifling weather have left the ground dry, shrunken and unstable.

Successive heatwaves are drying out the normally water-laden clay on which much of the Victorian railway was built. The result is a 'soil moisture deficit', which causes the clay to contract like dried mud.

Sleepers can then drop or slide sideways, destabilising the precise 'track geometry' and making it unsafe for trains to travel at full speed.

Unlike rails buckled directly by heat, there is no quick repair: weeks or months of rain may be needed before engineers can realign the track.

Lawrence Bowman, managing director of South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex, blamed extreme weather events after England documented its warmest June on record, its hottest and dryest spring and very little rain this month.

Passengers in the southwest face journeys up to 27 minutes longer from August 10, when SWR will introduce a temporary timetable between Waterloo and Exeter St Davids. Services between Waterloo and Salisbury will run every 30 minutes with an hourly train to Yeovil Junction. Only every other service will continue to Exeter.

Since last summer, engineers have installed 5,500 tonnes of ballast and removed almost 250 dead or diseased trees. Network Rail is exploring self-adjusting sleepers, soil-strengthening bio-cementation and polymer foam injected into gaps left by shrinking clay.

Similar disruption will begin in East Anglia on August 3. Great Northern will amend or withdraw one weekday train in each direction between Ely and King's Lynn. Late-night Greater Anglia, c2c and Elizabeth Line trains will also be affected.

Engineers will use tamping machines to lift the track and force fresh ballast beneath it. Network Rail expects to lay 49,000 tonnes in Anglia this year, but said normal speeds would not return until the soil had recovered.

SWITCH THIS SUMMER

RELIABLE BUSINESS FULL FIBRE FROM £34.95 A MONTH

36 months, £3795 from April 2027, then £40.95 from April 2028, then £43.95 from April 2029.

SCAN QR CODE OR CALL 0800 098 4645

£34.95 on Essential Full Fibre 9100 business broadband. 58% UK coverage. End VAT. 36 month contract. Main customers only. Offer ends 3 August 2026. Several factors can affect your speed. Free activation. Postage and packaging cost usually £13.95 on VAT. Connection charge usually £39.95 on VAT. To check speed at your location visit www.business.bt.com/products/broadband. Some BT Business Broadband lines require a BT Business phone line. Subject to credit check, business registration and a minimum term. Changes may go up during your service. See www.bt.com/terms for Full T&Cs.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

17

News

Betelgeuse, betelgeuse: red giant has a hidden twin

Rhys Blakely Science Editor

The star known as Betelgeuse, a fiery pin on Orion's shoulder, has been studied for millennia. Chinese court astronomers described it more than 2,000 years ago. Observing the skies from Egypt in the second century, Ptolemy catalogued its tawny hue.

Only now have scientists produced firm evidence that this familiar point of light is, in fact, two stars.

Using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, researchers obtained the clearest image yet of "Betelgeuse B" — a previously unseen partner.

"This is the conclusion of a century-long quest," Miguel Montargés, an astronomer at the Observatoire de Paris, who led the research, said.

"We have shown that Betelgeuse is not single, it is accompanied by a faint stellar companion."

The discovery may help to explain one of Betelgeuse's characteristics: the unusual way in which its brightness shifts over time.

It brightens and fades in several rhythms. One of them repeats roughly

every six years and astronomers now think its newly detected companion star, which orbits Betelgeuse, may be responsible.

Betelgeuse's changing appearance was noted in antiquity. The Roman writer Hyginus likened its colour to the planet Saturn, while Chinese records described it as yellow. Ptolemy later used the word "hypokirros" — a term spanning yellowish to reddish hues.

More modern research suggests that Betelgeuse, which is classed as a "red supergiant" star, has become markedly redder during the past 2,000 years.

Scientists have suspected an undetected partner for decades but repeated searches had failed to find one. Two studies published in 2024 calculated that the companion star should reach its greatest apparent distance from Betelgeuse that December. Montargés's team trained their telescope on the predicted position.

"I jumped from my chair when I saw the processed images," Montargés said.

"Honestly, I thought we did not have the sensitivity to detect Betelgeuse B as it was predicted. Because it is more

massive than predicted, we see it."

The companion is thought to be a young "main-sequence star" with 2.6 to 3.1 times the mass of our sun, substantially larger than expected.

"The fact that we can still discover a nearby companion, more massive and brighter than the sun, around such a well-studied star is remarkable," Montargés said. "These are among the best moments in science: seeing something new, unexpected."

The measurements suggest the companion star could orbit Betelgeuse about every six years, matching the giant star's patterns of brightening and fading. However, the researchers can-

Betelgeuse, at Orion's shoulder, has fascinated observers since antiquity

not yet prove the companion causes those changes.

One idea has been that the smaller star clears away some of the dust surrounding Betelgeuse, allowing more light to reach Earth. However, the team calculated that this would explain only a small part of the change in brightness.

They now think the companion is more likely to affect Betelgeuse by pulling on the star and stirring up the gas and dust around it.

"To be certain that the companion is really there, we still need to observe it in one year on the other side of the star, but there is very little space left for doubt," Montargés said.

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary

Sunak called to the crease

Rishi Sunak may be in the political pavilion, but he's strapping on his pads once again. The former prime minister and lifelong cricket fan will deliver Marylebone Cricket Club's Cowdrey lecture, a notable honour that can lead to even greater things. The late Times cricket correspondent Christopher Martin-Jenkins, the Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara and the actor Stephen Fry have all given the lecture, then become president of MCC. It would be a lovely gig for Sunak, below, who said his best day in No.10 was hosting the England T20 World Cup winners, remarking: "How many times in your life do you get a childhood dream, playing cricket in your back garden with the England cricket team?" Perhaps MCC will give him a second innings.

On the subject of cricket, the Test Match Special commentator Dan Norcross told an "an evening with The Spectator" event about a problem he once had with pronunciation. Norcross was tipped off that commentators had been mispronouncing the name of the South African Andile Phehlukwayo for years, so he went on to YouTube and found a clip of Phehlukwayo saying his name, then got all his colleagues to copy it. After the game, a journalist messaged to say "You can't pronounce his name like that!" Norcross explained this was how Phehlukwayo said it himself, "Yes," said the journalist, "but he's got a speech impediment!"

WEST'S UNEXPECTED FAN The runner-up in the Labour leadership race Catherine West (who recorded 0.3 per cent of

all nominations) is back on the campaign trail as she runs for chair of the housing select committee, replacing the new homelessness minister, Florence Eshalomi. Her race is off to a mixed start. Colleagues have been quick to point out that a mass email she sent to MPs may have fallen foul of rules passed earlier this year that ban the use of mass communications and doing any canvassing during recess. Still, she has got one unexpected supporter on side in the form of the man she threatened to challenge back in May. Keir Starmer says of West: "My honourable friend always speaks her mind."

TOP GUN TODDLERS

Perhaps the success of Christopher Nolan's latest film will lead to a boom in children named Odysseus. It's perfectly possible. The pollster Joe Twyman tells the War Movie Theatre podcast that the success of the Top Gun sequel in 2022 led to a 27 per cent increase in British children named Maverick. This has been sustained until this year, with the latest numbers showing a fall from last year's high watermark of 125 to 108. That means there were more Mavericks than there were Brians or Richards or Simons or Philips or Neils or Darrens. In fact, last year there were more Mavericks than there were cumulative Stephens or Stevens. Perhaps we no longer feel the need for Steve.

There are some upsides to being reshuffled. As the afternoon wound down yesterday, the former chief secretary to the PM Darren Jones was spotted walking hand in hand with his child through the Palace of Westminster. Two weeks ago he'd have been talking about digital ID. Now he's talking about The Gruffalo. Purple prickles are much more important than red boxes.

JACK BLACKBURN

Two-for-one cinema tickets at Everyman

Each Wednesday, Times+ members can enjoy a trip to Everyman with a friend. The perfect cinema experience with plush sofas, a full bar and great food in 49 locations across the UK. Discover our film critics' recommendations and reviews on the latest releases.

Visit thetimes.com/timesplus

TIMES+ EVERYMAN

T&Cs apply.

---

18

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

News

'Discreet' slimming pill tempts more men

Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent

The new weight-loss pill is more popular with older men than the weekly injection because it is discreet and easier to take, pharmacies have said.

The Wegovy pill, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last month.

The powerful drug hit the shelves of private and high-street pharmacies three weeks ago and The Times has seen some of the first data available on its uptake.

About two thirds of patients taking the new pill have switched over from the injectable version, the online retailer CheqUp has said.

The Times understands that a greater proportion of men are inquiring about the pill when compared with the injection, with experts saying that men may be more interested in the daily pill

because of its discretion and ability to be kept private.

The Family Chemist, an independent online pharmacy, has prescribed the new pill to about 1,000 new patients since its launch. Sunny Dhain, clinical director at the pharmacy, said that while more men were living with obesity than women, women made up the majority of patients seeking weight-loss injections before the pill came on the market.

'This provides some wider context for the increased interest we are seeing among male patients, particularly those over 40,' he said. 'While weight-management services have historically attracted more women than men, we are already seeing the changes in who comes forward for treatment.

'In our latest audit of patients starting Wegovy tablets, 25 per cent were men and 64 per cent of those male patients were over the age of 40.'

He added: 'Rather than storing in-

Wegovy's daily pill was approved by British health regulators last month

jectable medication in the fridge or planning injections around travel and social occasions, a daily oral treatment may offer greater discretion for people who prefer to keep their healthcare private. This added discretion may be a deciding factor for some men. Some

people are completely open about using GLP-I medicines. Others prefer to keep their weight-loss journeys to themselves. Neither approach is right or wrong. Healthcare is personal and many patients simply value having the choice to keep treatment private.'

Research from Pharmacy2U has found that about half of those on weight-loss medications would be willing to change how they take it without speaking to a medical professional – either by sharing it with friends, skipping doses, or increasing the dose around special occasions or holidays.

Twenty-seven per cent would share the medication with friends or family, rising to 41 per cent for under-35s. One in three men and one in five women would share their medication with friends, the pharmacy found in a survey of its patients.

CheqUp said that demand for the weight-loss pill had grown by 350 per cent since its launch there two weeks

ago. Two thirds of its patients have made the switch from injectable weight-loss medications to the daily Wegovy pill.

Lisa Tookey, the chief executive of the online pharmacy, said: 'It is still very early to draw firm conclusions. But the initial response has been exceptionally strong. We have seen demand for the pill grow by 350 per cent in the weeks since launch, and that interest has continued as more people become aware that an oral treatment may be a viable alternative to injectables.'

'We are also seeing clear evidence that the pill is attracting people already familiar with injectable treatments. 67 per cent of patients who have started the Wegovy pill with CheqUp since launch have switched from an injectable. While it is too soon to predict the long-term scale of demand, these early indicators point to strong consumer appetite for a clinically supported oral option.'

Three Value Plan: Unlimited data (max speed of 100 Mbps), minutes and feet in UK (to standard mobiles and landlines). Save £288: Was £34 pm between 24.06 – 22.07. Airtime monthly charge includes a £3 pm discount for paying by recurring method. If recurring method is cancelled, discount will stop and your monthly charge will go up by £3 pm. Includes Go Roam in Europe; use your plan's allowance in 49 European destinations, with a fair use policy of 12GB per month. Subject to credit check and terms, see three.co.uk/terms.

Organic free-range eggs 'are worst for the environment'

Rhys Blakely Science Editor

Organic free-range eggs are the worst for the environment, according to an Oxford University study that found caged hens had less impact on the climate and caused less river pollution.

The research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, found that converting the entire British industry to a system where hens were allowed to roam outside and were fed only organic food could increase carbon emissions by 60 per cent. It would also almost double the amount of land required.

The researchers said their findings did not amount to an argument for returning to cages, which have been criticised as cruel for restricting hens' movement and natural behaviour.

Harriet Bartlett, a research associate at Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, said: 'This is not to say... we should return to restrictive caged systems. But we want farms and consumers to be aware of all the potent-

ial impacts when it comes to the methods by which we produce our food.'

The study compared eggs from caged hens; barn hens, which live loose indoors; free-range hens, which can go outside; and organic free-range hens, which also eat organically produced feed. It compared the environmental impact of each system, assuming they produced the same number of eggs.

Organic free-range systems were the poorest performing because hens were less productive, consumed more feed for every egg laid and relied on organic crops that produced lower yields. Other consequences included the production of more waste, which can pollute rivers.

Oliver Martinic, the lead author, said: 'While [free-range] movement is driven by important concerns around farm animal welfare, differences in production performance among... systems could lead to unintended outcomes.'

Producing the food given to chickens is a large part of the environmental footprint of an egg. Hens kept in cages tend to consume less while producing

the same quantity of eggs as those in cage-free systems, reducing the land and resources needed.

The study also found that there were higher mortality rates among hens in free-range systems. Possible causes included increased exposure to disease, predators, injuries and feather-pecking. However, they stressed that mortality was only one measure of welfare and did not capture benefits such as greater freedom of movement.

The analysis used farming data from 2009 and 2010, a limitation the authors acknowledged. Production methods and mortality rates may have improved since then, but they said they had used the most comprehensive data available that had allowed direct comparisons.

The authors said the aim should be to create cage-free systems that preserve high welfare standards while improving breeding, nutrition, feed efficiency and farm management. 'No production system currently performs best across all welfare and environmental measures,' they concluded.

Wet setter A dog enjoys a cooling dip in the River Lea near Hackney, east London

JERSEY GILAYN

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

19

News

Royal family album put in trusted hands

As family photo albums go, it is arguably the most historically significant of all time (Kate Mansey writes).

When the Royal Collection Trust announced its annual accounts yesterday it revealed that it had been caring for the photography collection of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. There are 85,000 images charting their family life and travels. Some were taken by Elizabeth, a keen photographer, and Philip. Others were taken by aides or the photographers Cecil Braton, Dorothy Wilding and Marcus Adams.

The RCT said: 'Curatorial staff have so

far processed over 5,000 of the estimated 85,000 photographs the collections contain. Progress was made on a project to identify and rehouse vulnerable transparencies and negatives on film across the collection. Significant material ... has been prepared for environmental stabilisation and transfer to a freezer unit. Freezing will considerably slow down the natural degradation process, ensuring this material remains accessible to future generations.'

One image shows Philip at a penguin rookery base in Antarctica. The photograph was taken in 1957 by Lieutenant-Commander Michael

Parker, a longstanding aide of the prince who accompanied him on a tour around the world.

The images are under the care of the RCT, but they have not officially yet been entrusted to the collection. It is too early to say whether they will be displayed.

The photographs are part of an assessment of items belonging to the late Queen.

Since the change of reign, there has been an influx of material to the RCT which become part of the collection, like the 4,000 fashion items belonging to Elizabeth

The album includes a picture of Prince Philip in Antarctica and photos taken by Queen Elizabeth

which are on display at the King's Gallery until next April.

The RCT accounts showed its income was £85.3 million in 2025-26, down from £89.9 million the year before. The fall was said to be due to reserving work at Buckingham Palace which has limited the number of visitors. The accounts also showed the highest income came from visitors to Windsor Castle, where admission fees raised £28.2 million for the RCT last year.

When latest accounts for the sovereign grant, which funds the official work of the royal household, were released in June, aides said that the King and Queen would not move into Buckingham Palace when the £369 million work was complete. They will remain at Clarence House, their official London residence.

Rowling turns up heat on Amnesty 'tyrants'

Marc Horne

JK Rowling has accused Amnesty International UK of becoming a 'tyrant' as lawyers for her sexual violence centre issued a fresh ultimatum to the charity.

The UK arm of the human rights organisation is being investigated by the charities regulator for publishing a report that condemned dozens of women's organisations as 'anti-rights'.

Amnesty labelled Beira's Place, the women-only sexual assault centre co-founded by Rowling, and 50 other gender-critical organisations, as a 'growing threat'.

The briefing was removed after some groups threatened to take legal action. However, The Times disclosed that an earlier report, 'Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UK', which also accuses Beira's Place of being 'anti-trans', remained on Amnesty's website.

It was also revealed that the now-withdrawn briefing had been discussed at an event for women's organisations in Shoreditch, east London, on July 8.

A new letter issued to Amnesty from Beira's Place lawyers reads: 'It is accordingly clear that the report issued on July 8 was not a 'one-off' or something which Amnesty had no oversight of but was in fact part of an on-going campaign to maliciously target our client with the aim of

destroying its reputation and labelling the vulnerable service users who benefit from the support provided by Beira's Place as anti-trans bigots.'

Lawyers have demanded that 'defamatory allegations' against Beira's Place are not repeated, that both reports are removed and all documentation relating to the decision to publish those briefings be shared with their team, as well as any discussion regarding the Shoreditch event.

A public letter of apology must be posted on the front page of Amnesty's website and there must be an external investigation into how 'two offi-

JK Rowling says the charity has attacked female rape victims

cial reports' could contain such 'egregious falsehoods'.

The Harry Potter author wrote on X: 'In light of newly discovered information showing that Amnesty International UK had already defamed Beira's Place before its recent hastily withdrawn report, lawyers for Beira's Place have written to Amnesty again.

'I do care that a former champion of human rights has become what it was created to fight. It no longer champions freedom of speech and belief. It has become the tyrant that

persecutes those who don't espouse what it decrees acceptable beliefs.

'It's amazing Amnesty International UK think they're heroes when they're attacking female rape victims for wanting a male-free support service.'

Rowling founded Beira's Place in 2022 in response to a backlash received by Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre after its transgender former chief executive Mridul Wadhwa said sexual abuse survivors should 'reframe' their trauma if they objected to being counselled by men who identified as women.

Responding to calls on social media for Amnesty UK to remove the remaining report and issue an apology, Rowling wrote: 'Or we could go to court. And if Amnesty UK thinks the trustees of Beira's Place don't want to meet them in court, they're even more arrogant, complacent and foolish than their recent actions suggest.'

Upon the removal of the anti-rights report, Amnesty released a statement expressing 'regret' and said the briefing did not go through the established internal processes.

Amnesty UK said: 'We are aware of this letter and are engaging constructively with the process.'

The Charity Commission said it had opened a 'regulatory compliance case to... assess concerns raised' about Amnesty. 'In line with our guidance, the charity has submitted a serious incident report,' it said.

A Story Worth Living Yours to Own

Moments from the Thames, Richmond Park, Hampton Court and some of South West London's finest schools, CHK is a Grade IP listed landmark, built for family life today and generations to come.

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and duplexes ready to move into late autumn.

Prices from £450,000

1 BED SHOW HOME OPEN NOW, 2 BED LAUNCHES AUGUST

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT 0330 102 2363 | CHK LONDON

---

Explore. Plan. And now book with The Times.

The Times and Sunday Times is a unique and trusted source of travel inspiration. Now you can trust us to take you there too with our new in-house travel agency, Times Holidays.

Exclusive £100 off for Times+ members

Simply quote your unique Times+ code and book any holiday worth over £2,000 by December 31, 2026 with Times Holidays to receive an exclusive £100 off. Visit thetimes.com/timesplus for your unique code.

[LOGO]

[LOGO]

Call 0808 231 5090 or visit thetimes.com/holidays

TIMES Holidays

Terms and conditions apply. *£100 off applicable to each Times Holidays booking made with a minimum speed of £2,000 per booking when putting your unique Times+ code, Times+ members only. Code must be redeemed and quoted and holiday booked by 11:59pm on December 31, 2026. It is applicable once per booking, will be deducted from the final amount payable, and is non-transferable, non-exchangeable and has no cash alternative. Visit thetimes.com/timesplus for full terms and conditions. Visit thetimes.com/holidays for Times Holidays' booking terms and conditions.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

21

Beijing's high-stakes battle on roof of world

Roger Boyes Page 22

Comment

Why compulsory voting's such a rotten idea

Forcing us to the ballot box won't improve trust in politicians but would lead to wild promises of increased spending

@DANNYTHEFINK

Proposals to ban things have always enjoyed healthy support. And if something is sufficiently popular to make banning it impossible, lots of people think it might be a good idea to make it compulsory instead.

One of my favourite sets of polls came towards the end of Covid. While politicians were celebrating the imminent arrival of 'freedom day' when all restrictions would be removed, and keyboard warriors were complaining about the lockdown fetish of the establishment, most actual voters looked at things very differently. They thought we should carry on wearing masks and social distancing.

Indeed, a very large number of people favoured doing this 'permanently, regardless of the risk of Covid-19'. In July 2021 a full 40 per cent thought it should be compulsory, forever, to wear masks in shops. More than a quarter of people wanted all nightclubs to be closed for good. And one in five people favoured a future of 'having a curfew against leaving home after 10pm without a good reason'.

There are any number of polls of this kind on all sorts of issues. So I was not surprised to learn this week that the idea of making voting compulsory has started up again. Think tanks and MPs are nudging our new prime minister towards it, with some proposing a fine if you don't go out to vote. And if Andy Burnham picked up the proposal,

he'd find it had a fair bit of public support. Most polling suggests more people favour this bit of compulsion than oppose it.

Allow me to dissent. While it is perhaps not as daft as closing all nightclubs or as sinister as requiring people to provide a reason before being allowed to go out for dinner, compulsory voting seems to me a thoroughly bad idea.

The best place to start is with the putative advantages of compulsion. Aside, that is, from the pleasure people get in forcing others to do things they think are right and proper. Those advocating what is usually referred to as the Australian system argue that if everyone participated in elections it would increase trust in politics and improve investment in the outcome.

Governments would be more legitimate, able to boast of the support of larger numbers of voters or even an absolute majority of the population.

Proponents think election results would change in their favour

And voting wouldn't be skewed so the better off, older, more established citizens dominate.

The quality of politics might also be improved. Parties would have to argue about policy and appeal to swing voters rather than spend their time trying to turn out those who already support them. And voters might form a habit of greater engagement, feeling that as they have to turn out they had better educate themselves on the issues.

To write these proposed advantages down and then read them back is to realise how thin the case for compulsory voting really is.

To begin with, there isn't the slightest chance that forcing people to vote will increase their trust in politicians. It will merely add the irritation of going to the polling station to existing distrust. There are also ample studies to show that forcing people to vote doesn't increase their political knowledge, engagement or reading of newspapers.

Nor does compulsion create a long-term habit. In certain Austrian elections compulsion was introduced after the war. The moment it was abolished in 1992 voting went back to its original pattern. In other studies there is a suggestion that compulsory voting actually reduces other forms of civic participation such as informal political discussion or joining civic groups. People feel they have done their bit already and see politics as a chore.

The positive impacts of compulsion on trust and participation, then, range from non-existent to zero. Indeed, setting up a whole infrastructure to pursue non-voters for £10 fines is so obviously onerous and impractical it would unquestionably damage politics rather than help.

So what accounts for the persistence of its proponents? The answer is that compulsion would change election results. Possibly in a very serious way. The proponents think this would be in their interests.

The turnout at the last general election was just below 60 per cent, almost 30 million people. Matching Australia's average turnout of 90 per cent would add about 15 million voters. Half again, in other words.

The new voters wouldn't be a random collection of people holding similar views to those who normally vote. They would be the least well informed, least interested and also least well-established citizens. It is the latter group, including the young,

Studies show a system of compulsory voting would not increase engagement

that the policy is aimed at. One political result isn't too hard to guess at. A study of Australian voting behaviour between 1914 and 1941 showed that as the policy moved from one area of the country to the next it produced a predictable and quite large increase in public spending. It happened as politicians sought to impress the new less engaged voters, many of them dependents or on low wages. It was, at the time at least, greatly in the interests of the Australian Labor Party.

Introducing compulsory voting in Britain would also add more angry, alienated voters. Some of these might spoil their ballot papers or vote pretty much at random. Studies certainly show that in a compulsory system the difference between the views of a voter and the views of the party they pick tends to be greater. But enough

of these angry voters will pick parties they believe in that compulsion will boost fringe and polarising figures.

In a free election people may choose high-tax solutions. And they may choose angry politicians, fringe parties and simplistic policies. I don't think these are right for the country but we live in a democracy.

It is, however, a bit much to be told people must be compelled to come out and vote for such damaging

It's illiberal. State should leave people to make their own choices

ideas. Compulsory voting means using threats and punishment to force people to do something they don't want to do and which I don't want them to do. Something they don't think is the right thing for them and I don't think is the right thing for me and which neither of us, in our different ways, think is right for the country.

I also think the idea is profoundly illiberal. I'm not a libertarian. Of course the state can force people to participate in civic life in certain ways. It forces people to serve on juries and in war to serve in the military. But where we don't have to we should leave people to make their own choices. If people don't want to vote or can't be bothered we shouldn't punish them.

daniel.finkelstein@thetimes.co.uk

For the best analysis and commentary from Westminster

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

In association with

Wealth Management Forum

Balancing Life, Family and Money

Speakers include

Founder and CEO, Netwealth

Economist, politician and author of The Pinch

Black Girl Finance

Wednesday 23rd September 2026

To register scan the QR code or visit times-event.com/wealthmanagement-2026-virtual/

---

22

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Comment

Beijing's high-stakes battle on roof of world

A tussle over who should succeed the ailing Dalai Lama could easily spiral out of control

@ROGERBOYES

Strictly speaking the Dalai Lama, an increasingly frail 91, has a reincarnation rather than a succession problem. In Tibetan Buddhism, high lamas do not have crown princes. They die and their consciousness is reborn inside a child. The hunt is on, then, for omens pointing to a suitable protégé, a new, easily moulded spiritual leader.

Both the monks of the Dalai Lama's administration-in-exile and the propagandists deployed by the Chinese Communist Party are competing to find someone who can steer the Himalayas away from war. The duel has elements of mystic pantomime but it is in fact naked geopolitics played out at high altitude.

The Dalai Lama, the 14th incarnation, has become the unifying symbol of Tibetan identity, a charismatic advocate for autonomy. He was forced to flee in 1959 from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, days before Chinese troops started to bombard the walls of his palace. Since then, from his Indian exile, he has turned the Tibetan cause into a global one, picking up the 1989 Nobel peace prize and Hollywood acolytes such as Richard Gere and Lady Gaga.

Tibet was a sovereign buffer state between Asia's two giants, China and India. And for Beijing, the Dalai

Lama is the frontman for a western-steered attempt to weaken China. That reasoning permeates all Chinese calculations: whoever controls Tibetan Buddhism affects border security between the two nuclear powers, can define territorial claims and ultimately set the terms for regional dominance across the Himalayan belt. Beijing's gamble the stakes are so high that it's worth risking the ignominy of rigging selection of the next spiritual leader.

In 1995 the Dalai Lama named a Tibetan child as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's second-highest position — and Chinese agents promptly abducted him. Now China has set up

If China's candidate does not make the grade it will lose face

a database of more than 1,300 government-approved living Buddhas, some of whose names will be placed in a golden um. The final candidates will be chosen, under Chinese government supervision, and will have to show they have been born in China.

The Dalai Lama refuses to hand over the levers of succession to a communist party that thinks religion is poison and reincarnation is primitive superstition. So: a stipulation that the 15th incarnated lama should be born in a free country. And no golden urn.

China's fear is that the new Dalai Lama could be groomed by India. And so, in anticipation of a turbulent

selection process it has already ordered Tibetan monasteries to remove photographs of the current Dalai Lama, banned any public mourning when he dies and banned all contacts with exile groups. Digital surveillance has been stepped up and border security intensified lest the high lama's supporters try to enter China from India.

It's not just public unrest that China fears. If Delhi backs a favourite for the Dalai Lama in defiance of Beijing, this will be viewed as an Indian-backed challenge to Chinese sovereignty over Tibet with a likely escalation along the border. China is already using its digital diplomacy to influence Buddhist-majority nations such as Sri Lanka, Thailand,

Myanmar and Nepal. If its candidate for the head of Tibetan Buddhism does not make the grade it will lose face. All that makes up the classic Chinese nightmare: separatism, the beating back of communist authority, the encroachment of neighbours, the death of ideology.

That's worth fighting for even though combat at high altitude is a nightmare. Thin air reduces helicopter lift, batteries drain quickly and the lack of oxygen slows down troops. China increasingly uses drones for border surveillance and houses its troops in solar-heated prefabs disguised as villages. It is ploughing research into high-gradient mini-tanks, robot supply vehicles and robot dogs to fight in tight spaces. India has upgraded a fighter airfield and builds tunnels along the 2,100-mile "line of actual control". It understands from scuffles in the past that however big your

nuclear arsenal is, the defence of the border often comes down to an exhausted fist-fight in the snow.

These military reflexes are not at all in the spirit of the Dalai Lama who described war as "a complete anachronism". But they give a sense of the power of place. Tibet is known as the roof of the world not just because of its towering mountains but because from them stem a feeling that the terrain both sits above and defines the boundaries of imperial ambition. Has China fully grasped that or does it merely want to crush a tiny, irritating neighbour? Does India understand Tibet's separateness, or just want to give Beijing a bloody nose?

The Tibetan plateau and the Himalayan glaciers feed Asia's greatest rivers including the Indus, the Ganges, the Mekong and the Yangtze; more than a billion people depend on those waters. The flow becomes a matter of life and death at a time of drought or flash floods.

The race for a new Tibetan spiritual leader hides a Chinese scramble to become the upstream sovereign over downstream south and southeast Asia. China can flex its muscles, using online propaganda to undermine Asian support for Tibetan Buddhism or building dams that control the farming, fishing and energy needs of a great chunk of the continent. If Xi Jinping were able to position a stooge as the new head of Tibetan Buddhism he could perhaps look down from a Himalayan height and boast: "I'm now the master of the physical world." But as the current Dalai Lama could tell him, that's not enough, never will be.

It's not just Polanski who needs to dial down the rhetoric Jawad Iqbal

What was Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, thinking by sharing on social media a photograph appearing to commend the beheading of Nigel Farage? It is incendiary and irresponsible, more so coming from a politician who claims to be serious about power.

The image features a man wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "We're only making plans for Nigel" alongside an illustration of a guillotine. Reform UK is furious, rightly so. Farage shared a screenshot of the image on X and wrote: "If I was to post anything as incitful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski." The party's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, accused the Greens' leader of inciting murder.

Polanski has since removed the post but the excuses being offered on his behalf simply don't wash. A party spokesperson said that Polanski "unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message". Then why share it with his 713,000 Instagram followers? Apparently, Polanski was tagged in a post with 20 images "without realising there was more to it than he has seen".

This shoddy defence carries echoes of Gary Lineker's attempts to shift blame after he shared a social media post about Zionism that included an antisemitic illustration of a rat. It won't do. Polanski, after all, is no social media amateur. The Economist revealed this year that he "liked" an astonishing 35,000 posts in the previous 12 months, frequently things that attacked his critics. One post he repeatedly liked described a journalist as a "total twat". Another, labelling an interviewer a "sneering dickhead", was also liked. Such behaviour is unbecoming in a party leader.

The dangers are all too real at a time of heightened security fears about threats to MPs. Reform has recorded 1,577 threats against Farage since February, including 597 death threats, predominantly on X. Just weeks ago was the death of Ann Widdicombe, the former Conservative MP and Reform politician attacked in her home in Devon. A decade ago, the Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist, and in 2021 the Conservative MP Sir David Ames was stabbed to death by a supporter of Islamic State.

Reform politicians, quick to anger, would do well to reflect on their own behaviour when it comes to toxic online commentary and loaded language. Yusuf, for example, described Labour and Tory politicians as "traitors" for whom "a reckoning is coming". How is this acceptable? Yes, Zack Polanski has let himself and his party down, and deserves to be called out — but politicians of all stripes need to dial down the incendiary rhetoric.

Tom Whipple Notebook

Let's hope we don't make a dog's dinner of AI

Wellington, my spaniel, doesn't do cause and effect. The idea that he will one day connect the agreeable (for him) act of roiling in fox poo with, an hour later, the disagreeable act of being tied to a post and getting tossed down will, I fear, forever elude him.

Even the steps involved in "fetch" are at the limits of his cognition. He loves having the ball thrown for him, but hasn't yet completely worked out that in order for this to happen he has to hand us back the ball. Sometimes he snarls when you try to remove it from his mouth. Occasionally, he will drop it in random locations then stare intently at it, willing it to fly into the sky, with all the concentration of Einstein contemplating quantum gravity.

There is an unbridgeable gulf in logical reasoning between us. Yet with our wet mammalian brains we

— Einstein too — share the same operating system. On a cosmic scale, the difference between our intelligence is a rounding error.

Which is what I thought when I saw the story last week of an AI model breaking out of safety testing and hacking a website, on its own initiative. Does that make it clever? That's one for the philosophers. I certainly couldn't do it, and I doubt Wellington could.

Either way, cleverness is the goal. With AI, we are trying to make an intelligence that is not merely cleverer than us, in the way I'm cleverer than a spaniel, but superintelligent, in silicon. If we really succeed, how can we hope to control it or even understand it? I guess we just have to hope the computers take as much pleasure in tickling my tummy as I do in tickling Wellington's.

Losing face

When England was scheduled to play Mexico in the lofty Azteca stadium, a certain breed of middle-aged male reporter was activated. Specifically, the breed whose contract does not specify the right to

refuse jobs merely because they violate basic human dignity.

Each paper had the same task for such a reporter: what did it feel like to have to suddenly exercise in a venue at twice the height of Ben Nevis? Each paper alighted on the same solution: go to an altitude training centre in east London.

By the time I arrived, half a dozen reporters of a certain age had already sweated on the same exercise bike while breathing a third less oxygen.

There was, the staff explained, a leaderboard in their office. Which paper's middle-aged man in Lycra (or, in my case, England kit) cycled the fastest? Reader, I cycled fast. How fast? I almost vomited. Did I cycle faster than the Daily Mail, though?

As I stopped, panting but triumphant, I asked how I'd done. That was when they told me they didn't really have a leaderboard, and laughed at me.

Mask menace

Talking of men on bikes, what is it with balaclavas? Even in the heatwave, I

see Deliveroo riders in particular, but also teens, cycling around covering their faces. Is it a way to filter air pollution? Just a trend? It looks uncomfortable. It also looks, to me, menacing, even if there's no indication to make it so.

Brassed off

At a concert recently at the Royal Albert Hall, I became obsessed by the trombones. It wasn't what they were doing that interested me, it was what they were not doing: playing.

By the time the interval arrived, after an hour in which none would have doubted the violinists had earned their half-time oranges, they hadn't produced a sound. In the second half, 40 minutes in, I saw with much eagerness that they had stood up. Ostentatiously getting the slides in place, dressed in their finery, they played a single note. At least, I think they did — I couldn't hear it. Then they returned to their bottoms for the duration.

Does this rankle? When the musicians file out at the end, do the cellists ever make smile jokes about getting paid by the note? Or do the trombonists — presumably among the finest players in the country — ever regret their choice of instrument?

Matthew Parris is away

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

23

Comment

Buy prints or signed copies of Times cartoons from our Print Gallery at timescartoons.com or call 0800 912 7136

Hard hat revolution’s a tall order for schools

Giving teenagers the vocational skills the country needs is a laudable aim but it will require upheaval in the classroom

@ALICETTIMES

This week a hot new bombshell enters the villa’ was how the government announced Andy Burnham’s entrance into No 10 on TikTok. The prime minister has become a viral sensation with his “five things I’ve done in my first week”. Whether he is being portrayed as a Love Island contestant, ranking pub snacks with his chancellor or doing the morning run with Mo Farah, he’s all over social media.

Andymaxxing appears to be working. The young have noticed and approved his mogging of them. Labour’s YouGov polling among 18 to 24-year-olds has risen from 14 per cent last month to 26 per cent. He’s the cool dad who picks you all up from the party at 4am, no questions asked, who DJs at the family get-together and dribbles the hall past the dog in the kitchen. There’s no fear he will start talking about fiscal black holes. It’s all good vibes, banter about favourite bands and biscuits, cosy chats over a cup of tea and the

prime minister as friend, keen to encourage rather than admonish.

Now Burnham says he is determined to help the young stuck in their bedrooms to find jobs rather than floundering on benefits. Throwing a yellow construction hat in the air, he explains on his social media feed that he wants an education system based on parity between academic achievement and technical vocation, with new routes for 14-year-olds to get skills training, work experience and opportunities with employers. Many kids, he says, want quality well-paid jobs that don’t require an expensive university degree. He’s determined to promote “hard hats not graduation caps”.

He’s right. Many secondary school

For industry to play its part it needs incentives to nurture recruits

pupils are disengaged, with a fifth consistently absent from school. There are more than a million 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, work or training programmes. In Europe, only Romania has more Neets.

Burnham may have gone to Cambridge but he understands some pupils’ disillusionment with crunching equations, cramming quotes and facts for exams (nearly a

third fail their GCSEs) when they are naturally more practically minded. Pupils who see their future in catering, manufacturing, construction, engineering, nursing, care work, retail or farming should be able to choose more vocational routes as young teenagers. Many of these practical jobs won’t be replaced by AI. It makes sense.

But many teachers are horrified. How are they going to pivot by 2028 to tailor the curriculum to the prime minister’s plan?

Burnham’s scheme is based on his Manchester MBacc, a package that blends classroom learning with work experience and placements to provide pupils with the skills required by local employers. So far 40 per cent of schools have signed up.

But every time since the Second World War that teachers have been told to encourage a vocational alternative the offer has been low quality and the apprenticeships substandard — and it has been poorer children channelled into them. It’s still happening today: the latest BTec has become slang for second rate while middle-class children plug away at their geometry and geography to make the grades.

How will anything be different this time? Ofsted will evidently be asked to take the quality of technical education into account when rating schools but if this great revolution is

to work, heads will need more staff and cash.

Ken Baker, the 91-year-old former Tory education minister, has been a long-time advocate of high-quality employer-led technical education at 14. He has overseen the creation of 44 University Technical Colleges (UTCs), many now oversubscribed. A quarter of their pupils continue to apprenticeships; only 5 per cent become Neets, against a 13 per cent national average. But it has taken

He must be tougher on health and disability claims by the young

sponsorship from inspirational local employers, resources and determination to deliver these results.

The UTCs I have visited with Lord Baker are well equipped with workshops and facilities. If children want to become chefs they need kitchens; if plumbers they require access to tools. Budding engineers benefit from design rooms, nascent fashion designers sewing machines. And schools must employ the relevant staff.

Employers are also anxious about Burnham’s announcement even though CEOs decry the lack of skilled employees. Work experience and apprenticeships have tanked in

the last decade as bosses struggle with safeguarding regulations for the under-16s, soaring employer liability insurance for apprentices (men aged 16-24 have a 40 per cent higher chance of injury than those aged 45-54), an increased minimum wage for under-21s and higher national insurance contributions. If industry is to play its part it will need incentives to nurture inexperienced recruits, such as scrapping national insurance payments for the under-25s.

Burnham must also be tougher on health and disability claims made by the young; the number of them who can claim without having to look for work doubled in 2019-25 to 300,000. On a recent visit to Barnstaple for the South West Social Mobility Commission, dedicated support workers I met were in despair over the number of children who preferred to receive payouts for mental health issues such as ADHD, dyslexia or anxiety instead of signing up for help to find suitable jobs.

It’s not enough for Burnham to dance around in a T-shirt and be the nice dad. University isn’t for everyone but his gentle parenting won’t work unless he is prepared to have high expectations of all our children and demand they put in the hard graft and be disciplined, while the government finds the money to educate and train them properly, whatever path they choose.

---

24

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor should be sent to letters@thetimes.co.uk or by post to 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

Observatory plea

Sir, The announcement that Jodrell Bank Observatory faces closure because of the withdrawal of scientific funding is deeply concerning for the future of UK science ('Cuts put observatory in a world of trouble', Jul 28). This year marks the 80th anniversary of Bernard Lovell's pioneering radar meteor experiments at Jodrell Bank, work that laid the foundations of a world-leading centre for radio astronomy. Today, Jodrell Bank remains at the heart of the e-Merlin network of radio telescopes. Its loss would seriously undermine the UK's ability to undertake world-class astronomical research and diminish our international scientific standing.

As a volunteer at Jodrell Bank, I also see its wider value. About 186,000 people visit the Discovery Centre each year, including thousands of schoolchildren. By engaging young people with science in the unique setting of a working observatory, Jodrell Bank inspires many to consider careers in science, engineering and technology.

I urge the government and funding agencies to reconsider this decision. Protecting Jodrell Bank is an investment not only in scientific discovery but in the skills, innovation and scientific workforce on which Britain's future prosperity depends. Professor Jeremy Shears, FRAS Trustee, British Astronomical Association, Bunbury, Cheshire

Sir, The decision of UK Research and Innovation to cease funding Jodrell Bank is a dark matter indeed. But Gary Lineker and the combined spare wealth of his galaxy of 'Patriotic Millionaires' could perhaps fill the funding gap. Might they target their resources to radioastronomy, for our universal benefit, rather than to the black hole of HMRC?

Felicity Stewart Over Alderley, Cheshire

Art and real life

Sir, I am grateful to have my satirical novel A Vicious Circle mentioned in John Self's piece ('Hey! That's me in your new novel', Times2, Jul 28) but must correct his assertion. When I knew David Sexton we were both undergraduates at Cambridge, and though relentlessly aspirational, he did not to my recollection possess a pair of designer shoes.

Amanda Craig London NW1

Corrections and clarifications

● Samuel Corner was convicted of grievous bodily harm, not grievous bodily harm with intent as we wrongly said ('Palestine Action taught us the cost of delayed response', News, Jul 27).

IPO Regulated 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

Burnham's belief in vocational education

Sir, It is commendable that the prime minister wants to expand technical education ('Burnham's hard hat' school', Jul 28). However, the stigma attached to vocational qualifications must also be addressed. One way to do this would be to offer more vocational and technical courses at universities. This would not only help break down the artificial divide between academic and vocational education, but also broaden the social mix within our universities. At the same time, it would encourage institutions to place greater emphasis on courses that equip students with practical skills and meet the needs of the economy, rather than continuing to expand degrees with limited employment value.

Michael Dangoor London W1

Sir, As a secondary school teacher, I read Andy Burnham's article ('University isn't the only route to success', Jul 29) with great interest. I agree that England needs a first-rate technical pathway that prepares children for the world of work. I disagree, however, that it should take place at age 14. In so doing we rob children of powerful knowledge. I also think there is a practical

argument that those most employable are those who can reason, distinguish a strong claim from a weak one, and inquire new information at speed. These are not generic skills that can be taught, they come from deep engagement with disciplinary knowledge. Perhaps above anything else, I fear Labour is repeating mistakes that led to a shocking increase in children taking low-value qualifications in the 2000s as schools put children on courses that served the school's interest, not the child's.

Joshua Vallance London SE15

Sir, I find it concerning that most of Andy Burnham's new policies have already been set in motion by Sir Keir Starmer. Technical Excellence Colleges, for example, were launched last August and the deadline for the second wave was February 16 this year. As Sir Keir said: 'These colleges put technical skills front and centre, opening up high quality jobs in the industries driving Britain's future.'

Sue Wood Radlett, Herts

Sir, Andy Burnham's article echoes the approach taken by the 40-plus

University Technical Colleges across England. They have followed the model of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, founded by Lord Baker and Lord Dearing almost 20 years ago. This approach to industry-focused learning means UTC students are three times more likely to go on to apprenticeships than the UK average — largely in industries with skills shortages. Our UTC Sleeve model is now also taking this approach to established secondary schools, with three in development, including in Manchester.

Kate Ambrosi CEO, Baker Dearing Educational Trust

Sir, In a lively class of 14-year-olds I used to teach, some girls told me they couldn't wait to become, respectively, a florist, a hairdresser and a mother. One even told me her father was a poacher, a career that held some interest for her. We plodded on with Macbeth. I love Shakespeare, but when I asked a colleague the point of such lessons, she told me that we would be depriving children of their culture if we didn't make them study the canon. Hmm. All the way to 16?

Kate Greenhalgh London SE5

Social care reform

Sir, I broadly concur with your leading article on social care ('Crisis of Care', Jul 28). A system wholly based on general taxation can be vulnerable to political whims. The solution is hiding in plain sight and was briefly in operation until it was axed by Liz Truss in 2022 (and with the connivance of Labour). It was called the health and social care levy. A Conservative government grasped the nettle and got it through parliament in 2021; the levy itself showed on our pay slips.

It is far better to pay a modest health and social care levy and not need it as opposed to the other way round, namely having to fork out large sums of money further down the road. Andy Burnham should reinstate this levy.

John Barstow Fittlesworth, W Sussex

Sir, As a disabled person, born with cerebral palsy, I get around using crutches and a wheelchair, and I would suggest that I am in receipt of a personal independence payment (Pip) correctly. I also have a car on

the Motability scheme. My question is, why are teenagers claiming Pips at all? Surely they should be claiming unemployment benefit rather than having a Pip. I cannot understand why teenagers are claiming benefits for such 'disabilities' as anxiety and ADHD ('Even anxiety pays more than job', news, Jul 28). It is no wonder the welfare system is broken because the Pip system in particular is being abused, as is the Motability scheme in many cases.

Tony Batten Pangbourne, Berks

Sir, In Tuesday's editorial ('Crisis of Care') you questioned the ability of the government to fund the cost of caring for the elderly out of the public purse. In Monday's edition you reported that it is the desire of the government to ensure that all young people should engage in training or voluntary work, rather than spending their lives in a state of unemployment while subsisting on benefits. Surely the answer is for those who wish to opt for voluntary service to play a meaningful part in caring for the elderly. Two birds, one stone.

Christopher Aylwin London SW6

All Greek to me

Sir, It is heartwarming that the film The Odyssey is inspiring thousands of people to learn Greek (report, Jul 27). I am a Classics teacher, and the Greek language has always seemed like the jewel in the crown that few students have access to, despite the outreach work of charities such as Classics For All. Given the trend towards Stem subjects, in the belief that they will lead to better jobs and higher salaries, ancient Greek can sometimes be a hard sell. Yet it is a deep privilege and an intellectual challenge to read works such as the Iliad and Odyssey in the original Greek. Although the Homer's dialect is quite different from the Attic Greek taught in schools and universities, it is recognisable. The discrepancy between ancient and modern Greek was expertly illustrated in that famous passage from the novel Captain Cordil's Muralolin, when the public-school educated paratrooper lands on the Greek island and speaks his ancient Greek to the locals, which Louis de Bernières expresses as Chaucerian English.

Hannah Sumner London SW15

ABYSSINIA'S EMPEROR IN WAITING

FROM THE TIMES JULY 29, 1926

The Secretariat of the League of Nations has issued the text of a Note, dated June 19, 1926, from his Imperial Highness Taffari Makonnen, Report and heir to the Throne of Abyssinia. In a covering letter Ras Taffari says: 'Peace be with you. I have the honour to forward herewith copy of the correspondence communicated to us by the British and Italian Governments, constituting an agreement concluded between them without our knowledge in regard to their interests in Abyssinia and copies of our replies. I also enclose a

protest which we are addressing to the States members of the League of Nations, making known that we cannot accept this agreement.

'I beg that you will be good enough to communicate these documents to the States members, in order that the question may be considered.

'Given in the City of Addis Ababa, on the Twelfth day of Senie, in the Year of Grace 1918 (June 19, 1926). Seal and signature, Taffari Makonnen, heir to the Throne of Abyssinia.'

The Note says that the Abyssinian Government had recently received from the British and Italian Governments identical Notes, stating that the two Governments had made an agreement to support each other in obtaining for the British Government a concession to undertake the conservancy of the waters of Lake Tsana, and for the Italian Government a concession to construct a railway through Abyssinia.

The Note protests that the agreement was arrived at without consultation with Abyssinia, which was told on its entry into the League 'that all nations were to be on a footing of equality within the League, and that their independence was to be universally respected, since the purpose of the League is to establish and maintain peace among men in accordance with the will of God. We were not told that certain members of the League might make a separate agreement to impose their views on another member, even if the latter considered those views incompatible with its national interests.'

In reply to Ras Taffari's protest, the League Secretariat has asked the Abyssinian Government to state definitely what action it desires the Secretariat should take.

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

Bill Oddie uproar

Sir, Even in his early days, Bill Oddie (obituary, Jul 28) revelled in making people laugh. At the Pembroke College matriculation dinner in October 1964 I was seated opposite Bill, who being shortish seemed much younger than most of us. Although the occasion was intended to be portentous, he spouted loud wisecracks that even seemed to reach the solemnly robed figures at high table. The climax came when a gilt rosewater bowl was passed around ceremoniously. Most of us sensed that we had merely to dip our fingers in, but Bill went to outcomes by drenching the accompanying napkin, with which he then wiped his face and went on to anoint the armpits of his dress suit. Even high table joined in the uproarious acclamation, perhaps one of the first he'd received.

Roger Bingham Ackenthwarte, Cumbria

Capping charade

Sir, Capping was not restricted to public schools (letter, Jul 28). I attended a boys' prep school in Buckinghamshire in the 1950s and we were told on our first day that we had to diff our caps to the headmaster's wife if we met her in the street. This ranked as the head's wife had no role at the school; she wasn't even a part-time teacher. We therefore became adept at hurriedly crossing the road to avoid such an indignity if ever we signed her in the distance.

Tom Orchard Middleton, Greater Manchester

Sir, At Harrow-capping consisted of touching the brim of your hat with your index finger. Rebels touched with the middle finger of their hand and hoped not to be rumbled.

Andrew Wauchope London SE11

Sorry about Maga

Sir, My experience of greeting the generally delightful American visitors to the UK in my volunteering role at Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon is rather different from Max Hastings's recent encounter with Maga supporters (Notebook, Jul 28). The first thing they say to me is: 'We are so very sorry.'

Joy Hawker Alveston, Glos

Pigeons catch train

Sir, Peter J Robinson (letter, Jul 27) is right to observe that the popularity of pigeon racing extended beyond the north. In the Midlands in the 1950s there was sufficient demand that there was a weekly pigeon train that terminated at Great Malvern station.

Graham Asben Horsham, W Sussex

Run on drink

Sir, People in Pewsey, Wiltshire, have long combined running with drinking ('I joined a running club that combines 3Ks with wine tasting', Jul 27). In the annual carnival's 'wheelbearer' event, one member of the 250-odd three-person teams has to drink a pint of beer at each of nine stops. At the same time, they have to push a decorated wheelbarrow around the course. The unofficial course record was run at less than two minutes per pint.

Gary Rawlinson Burbage, Wills

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

25

Leading articles

Daily Universal Register

UK: The prime minister, Andy Burnham, to give a speech on adult social care
US: The Federal Reserve decides whether to raise, lower or maintain interest rates.

Nature notes

The roebuck jumped out from the trees on to the lane. He swaggered along the little-used road for a moment, then stopped to

look about. His coat was a rich rusted red; his three-tined antlers looked lethal. In prime condition, the buck was ready to rut. Other UK deer species rut in the autumn, but the secretive roe mates in the dog days of summer. Suddenly, he threw back his head and gave a bloodcurdling shriek. A second deer had emerged from the woods. For a moment the buck braced himself to charge, but instead he trotted over to greet the non-antlered newcomer. She was a doe. They touched noses. She trotted away and he ambled after her like a pet dog.
JONATHAN TULLOCH

Birthdays today

Sally Gunnell, pictured, 400m hurdler; Olympic gold medallist (1992), and TV presenter, 60; Fernando Alonso, racing driver, world champion (2005, 2006), 45; Susan Blackmore, psychologist and writer, The Meme Machine (2000), 75; Lord Overman Blackwell, chairman, Lloyds Banking Group (2014-21), 74; Anna Bradley, chairwoman, Solicitors Regulation Authority, 69; Ken Burns, film-maker, The American Revolution (2025), 73; Giles Coren, Times columnist, restaurant critic and presenter, 57; Elizabeth Dole, former US senator who held cabinet roles under US presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush, 90; Neal Doughty, musician, REO Spenswagon, Can't Fight This Feeling (1984), 80; Baroness (Julie) Elliott of Whitburn Bay, Labour MP for Sunderland Central (2010-24), 63; Robert Fuller, actor, Return of the Seven (1966), 91; Joe Johnson, snooker player, world champion (1986), 74; Dame Karen Jones, co-founder, the Café Rouge chain of restaurants (1989), and chancellor, University of East Anglia (2016-23), 70; Diane Keen, actress, The Cuckoo Waltz (1975-80), 80; Akram Khan, dancer and choreographer, 52; Stan Kroenke, US businessman, owner of Arsenal FC and WFC, 79; Geddy Lee, musician, Rush, 212 (1976), 73; Prof Frank McGuinness, playwright and librettist, Thebuns (2014), 73; Sir Jonathan Montgomery, professor of healthcare law, University College London, 64; Simon Nye, comedy writer, Reggie Perrin (2009-10), and creator, Men Behaving Badly (1992-99), 68; Jon Pearce, Labour MP for High Peak, 49; Admiral Sir James Perowne, constable and governor, Windsor Castle (2014-22), deputy supreme Allied commander, Atlantic (1998-2002), 79; Wendy Taylor, sculptor, 81; Sir Stephen Timms, Labour MP for East Ham, minister for equalities, 71; Dermot Weld, racehorse trainer with more than 3,000 wins, 78; Natalie Wheen, broadcaster, Kaleidoscope, BBC Radio 4 (1980-95), 79.

On this day

In 1968 Pope Paul VI reaffirmed a ban on the use of contraceptives by Roman Catholics, to the dismay of liberal clergy.

The last word

'That's so much a part of life, being able to embrace the broken heart, not just cast it off as having no meaning.' Carly Simon, singer-songwriter, interview with NPR (2015)

Finding Vocation

Andy Burnham's proposals to improve skills-based education are welcome. Too many prime ministers have failed to strike a better balance with academic studies

If readers are sceptical about Andy Burnham's promise to give technical skills 'parity of esteem' with academic qualifications, they have good grounds. Every prime minister for the past half century has made a similar commitment. Yet the efforts that Mr Burnham made while mayor of Greater Manchester suggest he may be more serious than his predecessors.

As The Times Education Commission pointed out in 2022, the UK's system is 'inadequate and hopelessly complex for those who want to go on through vocational and skills education'. The most recent effort, T-levels, a technical alternative to A-levels introduced in 2020, has been another disappointment. Only a quarter of the 100,000 who were expected to study for them are doing so.

One consequence of the persistent failure to make vocational education work is the shocking revelation in Alan Milburn's recent review that a million young people are 'beets' — not in education, employment or training. Another is a skills shortage that is constraining economic growth. As Mr Burnham wrote in this newspaper, part of the problem is the belief that technical skills are inferior to academic qualifications. That leads parents and teachers to favour academic subjects. It also shapes schools' priorities: technical education de-

depends on links with employers, but schools are ranked on their academic achievements, not on making those connections. They therefore have no incentive to do so.

Such a thus against technical education has also deprived it of resources. Funding for students at further education colleges is about four fifths of that at universities, and 8 per cent below its 2011 level in real terms. It is hard to get people to teach construction skills at an FE college when they can earn twice as much on a building site.

Mr Burnham's reforms are to be based on the Manchester Baccalaureate, or MBacc, which is a technical alternative to the English Baccalaureate introduced by Michael Gove when he was education secretary. While the EBacc offers history, geography or languages, and English, maths and science GCSEs, the MBacc allows pupils from 14 to study digital and technical skills as well. For 16 to 18-year-olds, the MBacc provides 'gateway' to seven career paths in, for instance, finance, the creative industries or healthcare. The MBacc hasn't made a big impact but that is not surprising. As mayor, Mr Burnham did not have the power to change incentives for schools. Now he does.

The prime minister intends to devolve responsibility for what sorts of skills should be taught, on

the grounds that mayors have a better understanding of the local labour market than Whitehall. This is how it works in the Netherlands, whose model inspired the MBacc. About one in twenty 15 to 24-year-olds in the Netherlands is a Neet. In Britain, it is about one in eight. The Dutch also link their technical education to welfare: young people cannot get benefits until they have acquired useful qualifications. The UK should replicate that.

Bringing all the elements together to fix technical education will not be easy. For example, one barrier to work placements is the need for employer liability insurance. Sole traders, who make up much of the construction industry, normally don't have any. But if it has the will, the government can rope colleges and insurers into solving it.

The effort to promote skills should not dilute the focus on academic achievement that has driven England's ranking up the international league tables over the past decade. It need not. The insistence on English, maths and science GCSEs in the MBacc suggests that Mr Burnham will maintain basic standards, while allowing pupils who want to go in a technical direction to do so more easily. If he is serious about this agenda, both young people and the rest of us — their future customers and employers — will benefit.

Lone Wolf at the Door

Jihadist violence in Europe has found a new centre in Germany

Germany's three deadliest Islamist terror attacks of the past decade have hit a Christmas market, a festival marking a town's 650th anniversary, and now the Berlin Pride parade — one of the largest gay rights celebrations in Europe. The choice of targets was no accident. These were not just open-air events packed with carefree people, easy pickings for even the most inept thug. They were all symbols of a western society rooted in tradition while also proud of its liberal tolerance.

In the latest rampage on Saturday, the suspect in a German citizen of Lebanese extraction, alleged to have pledged support to Islamic State. The attacker used a van and a machete to murder a Polish woman and injure 29 others, all within a stone's throw of memorials by the Brandenburg Gate to the homosexual and Jewish victims of Nazism. Shock is a natural reaction, surprise is not.

Only four years ago, jihadist terror appeared to have faded to a background security threat in Germany. The pandemic and the military defeat of Isis resulted in a lull after two decades of bombings, stabbings, shootings and vehicle ramming. That turned out to be all too brief. In 2022, there were

two Islamist terror attacks and four foiled plots in the European Union, with two fatalities. Last year there were nine successful attacks, including four in Germany alone, and 15 abortive ones according to the Europol police agency.

Germany faces the same structural difficulties as France and Britain. Its Islamist threat is of a similar size, about 28,000 individuals, with a similar number of them — roughly a third — thought to be open to the use of violence. In all three countries, the basic catalyst for the resurgence of terrorist activity is identical: the radicalising effects of the October 7 terror attacks on Israel by Hamas, and the ensuing war in Gaza.

Yet Germany is unusually exposed to this danger. That is partly because of the sheer volume of asylum seekers it took in over the 2010s: about 2.2 million, compared with 850,000 in France and 300,000 in the UK, which has slowed to a trickle. The overwhelming majority have been peaceful. But a significant number of young men from the Islamic world wound up in an administrative and social twilight zone, neither leaving nor integrating, making them ideal fodder for Isis recruiters. It

does not help that the country stringently limited the surveillance powers of the police and its intelligence agencies as part of the postwar settlement. Peter Neumann, a prominent German expert on terrorism, also notes the nation tends to impose markedly shorter sentences for terror offences than Britain and the United States do.

Its broader taboo on political violence is also weakening, as radicals from all sides reach for similarity vicious methods with increasing frequency. The man responsible for Germany's worst mass-assaulty incident in the last decade, the 2024 Magdeburg Christmas market attack, was a Saudi Arabian doctor with a vendetta against Islam.

The nature of jihadist terrorism has changed in ways that make it harder to track but also less lethal: the elaborately networked bomb plots of the 2000s followed by the era of mass shootings have so far given way to 'lone wolves' who are radicalised in isolation and resort to crude weaponry. It has, in Professor Neumann's words, dandoned down. That is no reason for complacency. But nor is there any cause to do what these enemies of Europe want us to do: succumb to terror.

Flying Start

Taxpayers should not begrudge senior politicians their air miles

The waking hours of a British prime minister are a precious commodity. Overseeing the political interests of a G7 economy is a serious business — one that runs on a whistle-stop minute-by-minute itinerary. To demand that a sitting prime minister spend hours in traffic, or stalled at a red signal in some regional railway station, would be an inexcusable waste of taxpayers' resources. If Britain is to prosper, its prime ministers must be allowed to fly without shame.

Naturally, that means taking short-haul flights most members of the public would never contemplate. In office, Boris Johnson boarded a plane on

average every 20 days. Thereas May every 13 days. At least in this respect, Andy Burnham is also winging it as PM. Last week, he took a VIP Airbus A321 to attend the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Then, on Friday morning, a 38-minute flight carried the prime minister to Manchester. On Monday, a 37-minute flight took him to the naval base in Portsmouth, where he greeted President Zelensky.

Inevitably this flying start has drawn criticism. But do his critics really think 'Air Miles Andy' should have travelled some other way? Several of the advertised train routes that might have carried

Mr Burnham from Manchester Piccadilly to meet Mr Zelensky clock in at a sluggish five hours. That would be a senseless use of time.

It was hypocritical opportunism on the part of Labour frontbenchers to criticise Rishi Sunak when, as prime minister, he maintained that domestic air travel was often the most efficient option. In power, they may find themselves racking up more short-haul air miles than ever, especially following Mr Burnham's decision to split his week between London and 'No 10 North' in Manchester. To Mr Burnham we say, hon voyage. It is his critics who have their heads in the clouds.

---

26

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

World

Fatal mix leaves Germany batting Islamist revival

Attacks like that in Berlin are growing as migration, Gaza and security issues create a recipe for unrest, reports Oliver Moody

The year 2022 will be remembered by few Europeans as an 'annus mirabilis', blighted as it was by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the rampant return of inflation and the lingering trauma of the pandemic.

There is one respect, though, in which it can be viewed as a brief golden era. In those 12 months, the Europol police agency recorded only two successful Islamist terror attacks across the entire European Union: a pair of stabbings in France and Belgium.

Islamic State had been largely defeated on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria, the main jihadist networks in Europe had been significantly disrupted and Covid had done the rest.

Everyone in 2022 basically said it's over, we can move on and no longer have to deal with Isis,' said Peter Neumann, an expert on terrorism at King's College London who has frequently advised the German authorities.

That brief semblance of security has since been shattered, and nowhere more so than in Germany.

On Saturday an Islamic State supporter suspected to be Abdul Ballout, 21, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, rammed a white van into a crowd on the margins of the Berlin Pride festival and then ran amok with a machete, killing a 65-year-old Polish woman and injuring 29 others.

It was at least the sixth such opportunistic, low-tech Islamist terror attack in the country over the past two-and-a-half years, causing seven deaths.

Since 2023, at least another ten Islamist terror attacks are known to have been thwarted by police, including several plans to carry out massacres at Christmas markets and a Hamas cell that had been stockpiling firearms.

At least for the time being, the threat and the resulting casualties are not yet on anything like the same scale as the dark days of the mid-2010s.

Yet the danger is unambiguously returning. The total number of crimes attributed to 'religious ideology' — almost invariably meaning radical forms of Islam — has risen from 134 in 2022 to 998 last year, according to the federal interior ministry. Violent incidents in this category more than doubled over the same period, from 24 to 60.

The BIV, the main domestic intelligence agency, has consistently estimated for several years that there are about 28,000 members in Germany's broader Islamist scene. Of these, 9,110 are cur-

Berliners gather at the Brandenburg Gate to mourn the Pride festival attack

rently judged to have an 'orientation to violence', meaning they are either prepared to use or endorse it.

Germany is hardly unique in this respect. The figures are, when population size is taken into account, comparable to those in France and the UK.

In his 2024 book Die Rückkehr des Terrors (The Return of Terror), Neumann calculated that there had been a 400 per cent increase in terrorist activity across Europe as a whole over the previous two years.

And yet if Britain was the focal point of European jihadist terror in the 2000s, and France and Belgium were in the 2010s, it now resides in Germany.

The unmistakable turning point was

Abdul Ballout, the suspect, was known to police

the massacre of Israeli civilians by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and Israel's ensuing ground invasion of Gaza.

'The conflict in Gaza created a lot of anger,' said Neumann. 'The radicalisation started all over again... The reason we haven't seen more attacks is there is a lot of anger, there are a lot of angry young Muslims, but they don't have a structure, an organisation that can translate that anger into the kind of attacks we saw in the 2010s.'

There are several reasons why the effects of this radicalisation have hit Germany particularly hard.

The first is that it admitted a far larger number of asylum seekers around the time of the 2015 European migration crisis. The system was so overwhelmed that the majority of these immigrants, including a disproportionately large number of young men, were left in administrative limbo for many years, unable to obtain work, frustrated in their high expectations of life in the West, and usually tricky to deport when their applications were rejected.

'If you were an extremist recruiter,

this would be an ideal target group,' said Neumann. 'The reality of the situation, which is very difficult to communicate in Germany, is that by far the most attacks in Germany were carried out by recent arrivals, typically people that came to Germany since 2015 as refugees. They were suspects in the majority of cases.'

The second factor is that the German elite's sense of profound historic obligation towards Israel, often described as 'Staatsräson' or an overriding priority of the state, has often been accompanied by heavy-handed suppression of dissenting voices, particularly among Germany's 5.5 million Muslims.

Another problem is that the country's policing and intelligence resources are stretched ever thinner by a rise in every category of political violence, from the radical left and the extreme right to activities directed from afar by Russia and Iran. The number of incidents recorded each year across the board has grown from 995 in 2019 to 1,815 in 2025, although the far-right still accounts for two thirds of the total.

Ballout's attack did not come out of the blue. His radical Islamism and propensity to violence had been known to the German security services for years. Last year, after he flew to Lebanon in an attempt to join Islamic State in Syria, he was deported back to Germany and convicted of planning 'a serious act of state-endangering violence'.

Yet he was tried as a juvenile and released from custody under probation in May, partly because he had already spent a total of nine months in prison and partly because he purported to have turned away from Isis.

Reports in the German press suggest he was initially placed under intense police observation, including secret cameras, monitoring of his phone and a surveillance team, but these measures were substantially downgraded after a fortnight because he was no longer deemed to pose a sufficient threat.

'The bigger the gap between the resources and the number of potentially dangerous people, the more likely it is that mistakes are made and someone slips through. That is the challenge,' said Neumann.

The final specific point of vulnerability is that after the crimes of the Nazi police state, the security services have been much more constrained in the formal surveillance tools they can deploy against terror suspects.

The political debate is now turning to tougher sentencing, particularly as the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is heading for sweeping gains in this autumn's state elections on a stridently law-and-order and anti-immigration platform. Whether that will suffice to prevent another jihadist rampage, however, remains doubtful. Jihadist violence in Europe has found a new centre, leading article, page 25

Tourists take in the desert scenery at Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake scenic area in China's Gansu Province, which uses a digital system to manage bookings in the peak summer season

Race to save trapped shoppers after Japan rocked by earthquake

Japan
Richard Lloyd Parry Tokyo

Japanese authorities have urged people in the southwest of the country to be on alert for further aftershocks after a major earthquake caused fires and a devastating explosion that destroyed a large shopping centre.

Rescuers were struggling to free an unknown number of people trapped in the Aeon mall in the town of Kashima in Kumamoto prefecture while at least one person died and 100 more were injured in the wider region hit by the quake.

The second floor of the shopping centre on the island of Kyushu collapsed, 'leaving many people trapped inside', according to the local fire department. Around 20 to 30 workers were unaccounted for after witnesses reported a large explosion, with billows

of smoke and dust, some time after the earthquake.

The centre's operator said customers and employees had been evacuated immediately after the initial quake and that the exact cause of the explosion was unclear.

'It was a huge impact,' Kazuya Tsurunaga told Japanese television. 'A large cloud of smoke billowed up, and because the wind happened to be blowing and the wind direction was towards the shop, the area around us was in a state like volcanic ash was falling.'

The quake also set off fires, damaged roofs, fractured motorway flyovers and toppled walls in a feudal castle.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned residents of the possibility of more strong quakes for the next week, and the risk of landslides. About a hundred lesser small aftershocks have been

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

27

Japanese museum accused of rewriting history Page 28

Hollywood studios snub the Venice Film Festival Page 29

GETTY IMAGES

Zelensky thanks Trump in 'positive' talks on Ukraine

United States David Charter, Max Kendix Washington

President Zelensky hailed a positive mood towards Ukraine after a 'good meeting' at the White House where he discussed plans to 'reinvigorate' diplomacy to end the war with Russia.

President Trump posed warmly for photos with the Ukrainian president after hour-long talks with reports that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the White House peace envoys, will soon make their first visit to Kyiv.

Zelensky was followed into the Oval Office by Binyamin Netanyahu in what could have been a less welcoming atmosphere after Trump earlier admonished the Israeli prime minister for discussing intelligence that suggested US attacks should resume on Iran. Netanyahu later shared pictures of his meeting with 'my friend the president' that showed them sitting together smiling.

While visiting Washington both leaders attended the funeral of Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina senator who championed both Israel and Ukraine.

But it was Zelensky who appeared to emerge with more of his goals on track in a turnaround from his disastrous Oval Office argument with Trump and JD Vance, the vice-president, in February last year.

Trump has always liked 'winners' and Zelensky has risen in his estimation as he and his country have proven their resilience against Russia, a White House source said.

'A good meeting with President Trump at the Oval Office,' Zelensky posted on X after the meeting and ahead of talks with senators on a bill in Graham's name to allow Trump to raise sanctions on Russia and its energy customers.

'Thank you for everything we do together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and advance peace,' he wrote.

'The president and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy—it's important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the United States for its firm support.'

Plans for Ukraine to use US technology to make its own missile interceptors were first announced at the Nato summit in Ankara earlier this month.

Laura Loomer, a Maga influencer with the president's ear, posted after the meetings yesterday that plans were afoot for Witkoff and Kushner to visit Ukraine within two weeks 'for the first time ever in the spirit of diplomacy and trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war'.

Loomer travelled to Kyiv to interview Zelensky last week and changed her opinion of the conflict to support Ukraine. She also emphasized Zelensky's claim that Ukrainian intelligence has evidence of Russia helping Iran target US positions in the Gulf with satellite technology.

Loomer said the Witkoff-Kushner visit 'was my suggestion to the White House earlier this week when I met with President Zelensky and Ambassa-

dor Sergiy Kyalysya at the presidential palace in Ukraine'.

'I also urged Witkoff and Kushner to travel to Kyiv for meetings and I adamantly said they have had enough meetings in Moscow and should come to Ukraine. Especially now that Russia is supplying Iran with weapons and satellite imagery to murder American soldiers,' she added.

Zelensky's strategy was to suggest the US and Ukraine had a common enemy in Russia and convince Trump that they are on the same side. Trump began last year to voice some criticism of Putin but has not declared support for Ukraine as he seeks to act as an intermediary to bring the war to an end.

When he was asked by reporters on Air Force One on Monday about Zelensky's claim that Russia helped Iran to target Americans, Trump said: 'Well, we'll find out if that's true. I'll ask Putin about it. It hasn't had much impact because we've knocked the hell out of them. . . . Venezuela had all Russian equipment. How did that work out?'

John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, said: 'It's clear both sides wanted to accentuate the positives. They talked about two main subjects, one of which was on Zelensky's agenda and one of which was on

President Zelensky and President Trump in the Oval Office yesterday

Trump's agenda: the Zelensky agenda was the licensing agreements and the Trump agenda was peace talks.'

Herbst said Graham's death deprives Ukraine of a champion in Washington but the emergence of Loomer was important in informing Maga, which has long been hostile to the case for supporting Ukraine.

The improved relationship between Trump and Zelensky was, he said, 'principally because of the success Ukraine has been having both on the battlefield and striking into Russia, something that Trump himself has noticed and spoken about. Clearly Zelensky has cards, which Trump thought he had none of in February of last year'.

Trump appeared to show irritation with Netanyahu ahead of their meeting when asked about the Israeli leader's comments that Iran was rebuilding nuclear capabilities at Pickaxe Mountain, a site deep underground in Isfahan province, 140 miles south of Tehran. 'Well, I don't need Bibs to tell me that,' Trump told Fox & Friends, using Netanyahu's nickname.

The quake triggered an explosion at the Aeon shopping centre in Kashima

detected since the first earthquake.

One person was confirmed to have died when a house collapsed during the earthquake, Kyodo News reported.

Two hospitals were each reported to be treating more than 50 people, some in serious condition. Passengers on high-speed trains at the time of the quake were also injured.

Images shot from a helicopter showed a length of a bridge collapsed into a river and other highways with fractures. Several columns of smoke were rising from burning buildings in the town of Yatsushiro. Kumamoto Castle, the reconstruction of a historic structure, suffered collapsed walls.

'The horizontal shaking was very strong and I felt as if the ceiling was about to collapse,' one woman told NHK after the earthquake, which struck at 4.27pm local time. 'My legs were shaking.'

Several people were reported missing after a chimney collapsed at a paper factory in the Kumamoto prefecture, according to the public broadcaster NHK. More than 40,000 Kyushu households were said to be without power.

The epicentre was 10km deep, relatively shallow and inland. The quake had an intensity of nearly seven, a measure of the effect of shaking on the ground. At intensity seven, unsecured

furniture is thrown or topples violently, most or all buildings, even earthquake-resistant ones, suffer damage, and the ground suffers extensive cracks and landslides.

A tsunami warning was briefly issued, but soon lifted. The three nuclear power plants in the region reported no problems. Local trains services, including the bullet train, were all suspended and a freight train, without passengers, derailed. Kumamoto airport was temporarily closed. A semiconductor factory operated by the Taiwanese company TSMC suspended operations.

The quake comes ten years after two in Kumamoto killed 275 people and injured 2,700. Tens of thousands of homes were damaged.

The prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said: 'We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power cuts and fires have occurred in some areas and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings. Above all, I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.'

Some 300,000 people have been advised to go to evacuation centres and 3,600 soldiers of the Self-Defence Forces are to be deployed to help with the disaster.

Takaichi added: 'We are putting people's lives as the top priority.'

---

28

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

World

Heavy is the headgear Members of the King's Guard Ceremonial Artillery Unit prepare to fire cannon for the King of Thailand's 74th birthday in Sanam Luang, Bangkok

Museum 'concealing dark past' of Japanese massacre

The bloody invasion of Nanking, China, is now called an 'incident'.

Richard Lloyd Parry reports from Nagasaki

The atomic bomb museum in Nagasaki is as much a shrine as a historical exhibition, a sacred site dedicated to the memory of war and a passionate devotion to peace.

Stopped clocks record the moment on August 9, 1945, when the American bomb exploded above the city, killing 70,000 people. 'This is not just a building,' Teruhisa Minami, four of whose older siblings died on that day, said. 'This is the place where people can see what will happen once war begins.'

However, 81 years after the bombing, the museum is at the centre of a bitter argument about memory, historical responsibility and the events that led up to the second and, so far, the last use of a nuclear weapon.

The row centres on events eight years before the bomb, and a single word used to describe them. In the next few months, if all goes as expected, the museum's exhibits will be reconfigured for the first time in three decades. Among the revisions will be changes to a panel describing the entry by the victorious Japanese army into the Chinese city of Nanking in December 1937.

Over the six weeks that followed, a few hundred thousand Chinese soldiers and civilians were murdered by the imperial army, and thousands of women and girls were raped. The atrocity is known in the west as the Rape of Nanking — the present display in the

museum describes it in Japanese as the Great Nanking Massacre. In the new display, it will be described as 'the Nanjing Incident, in which numerous civilians and prisoners of war were killed'.

'Nanjing 'Incident' ... fails to convey the brutal and grave nature of the event,' Minami, 77, who was born three years after the bomb, said. 'Such alterations conceal Japan's dark history and evade confronting the facts of its aggression.'

Other changes include substituting the word 'aggression' in descriptions of Japan's invasion of China with terms such as 'overseas expansion' and 'military actions' described as self-defence.

The new museum will have less historical context on Japanese imperialism in East Asia and its effect on colonial subjects in Korea, as well as China.

Tetsuro Haraga, the Nagasaki Peace Museum deputy head, insists it is not bowing to pressure. The change from 'great massacre' to 'incident', he says, merely reflects the latest language used by the country's foreign ministry and in state-approved school textbooks.

However, the change of wording follows lobbying by local conservative nationalists who deny that any ill deeds were perpetrated by the imperial forces in Nanking. It has provoked outrage from the government of China, opposition locally and nationally, and broader reflection on the trend towards historical revisionism at the highest levels of Japanese politics, of which this is just one example.

Almost since the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and, three days later, on Nagasaki, the language used to describe them has been a matter of controversy. The victorious American forces that occupied Japan for seven years were at pains to play down the

Japanese troops march in Nanking in 1937 after the Chinese city's conquest

horror of what they had done. The earliest monuments spoke of a bomb that 'fell' rather than something that was deliberately dropped.

The early museums in the two cities concentrated on the physical and human damage caused by the bomb, but neglected to include an explanation of the events leading up to it, the 15 years of Japanese aggression in East Asia that culminated in the war against Britain and the US. But at the time of the 50th anniversary of the bombings, liberal minded politicians made explicit acknowledgement of the part that Japanese actions contributed to the disastrous war.

In 1995, Tomiichi Murayama, Japan's socialist prime minister, made an unambiguous statement of regret and apology for the 'irrefutable' suffering inflicted by Japan during the war. The next year the new Nagasaki museum was opened with several explicit references to Japanese atrocities, provoking an immediate conservative backlash that has continued ever since.

In 1996, under pressure, the museum removed photographs of Chinese civil-

civilians massacred in Nanking and victims of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. By the 70th anniversary in 2015, the conservative prime minister, Shinzo Abe, had watered down Murayama's apology.

In February this year, Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who is closely aligned with the revisionist right, won a landslide victory. The latest changes made to the museum reflect the enhanced strength and confidence of nationalists who have shed any qualms about promoting historical views drastically at odds with the established historical facts.

Plenty of historians question the claims of the Chinese government that as many as 300,000 died in Nanking. But none go as far as Masamitsu Watanabe, head of an organisation calling itself the Citizens' Association to Correct the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition.

'There was a battle of Nanking, but I don't think that the so-called Nanjing massacre took place,' said Watanabe, 89. 'General [Iwane] Matsui [a Japanese commander later hanged for the Nanking massacre] gave warnings not to touch women and children at all. No civilians were killed. People may use this as the justification of the dropping of the bomb, that's the harm that it does. By removing those parts of aggression and cruelty, I think Japan can recover confidence and pride.'

As a second generation hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor, Minami insists that is possible to deplore both the dropping of the bomb by the US and the Japanese suppression of historical facts. 'Such alterations conceal Japan's dark history,' he says. 'They invite strong criticism from those in Asia who suffered greatly under Japan's invasion and colonial rule.'

Leader held at airport demands explanation

Hong Kong An opposition leader from Hong Kong who was stopped at Heathrow and told he would be deported while on his way to visit family in Britain has said that he is still waiting for an explanation.

Wu Chi-wai, who was head of the Democratic Party before being sent to prison under the territory's Beijing-imposed national security laws, has been told he will no longer be deported from the UK. Immigration officials handed him back his passport on Monday evening.

The Times was told there was a problem with his paperwork after he was stopped at Heathrow last Wednesday and given seven days to leave the country. Wu said that he was given no indication of this, nor was he asked to supply any supplementary or different papers. He did not receive any apology when he was told the decision had been reversed.

Wu, now 63, was travelling on a British National (Overseas) passport, which allows holders to travel to Britain for up to six months, and had a return ticket for November, but said that it appeared that immigration officers thought he was coming to Britain to apply for residency, which would require an advance visa. He said that he had sought advice from the British consulate in Hong Kong before his visit and been told there would be no problem.

He has now been granted entry to the UK.

Births at a postwar low

Italy Births in Italy fell last year by nearly 4 per cent and to a low not seen since 1945. The report by the Birth Rates Foundation and Italy's National Institute of Statistics found the average number of children per woman dropped to 114. Many respondents feared having a child would worsen their financial situation and affect their careers.

White phosphorus alert

South Korea Officials near Seoul briefly ordered civilians to evacuate after what they described as a white phosphorus leak at a US military site. The US 51st Fighter Wing said that it established a safety cordon 'due to a ground mishap and out of abundance of caution' and that reports of an evacuation of the Osan Air Base were false.

Foes find common paws

United States Jinnothy the raccoon has become a political unifier after a video, above, of him wandering a neighbourhood with an unusual gait, probably the result of a spinal deformity, went viral. Trump allies wrote to Katie Wilson, the Democratic mayor of Seattle: 'We know we might be politically different, but his safety should be our No 1 concern.'

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

29

World

Pampered pets rough it after Afrikaner owners flee to America

South Africa

Jane Flanagan Cape Town

The Pekingese and Shih Tzus that once had grooming appointments and slept on their owners' beds have ended up in townships, left with domestic workers as their owners start new lives in the US.

Other dogs are abandoned to South Africa's overcrowded animal shelters, sometimes hours before their owners board flights under President Trump's 'refugee programme' for Afrikaners.

Jacqui Martheze, who runs Woodrock Animal Rescue in Pretoria, said her outreach team regularly found pedigree lapdogs in impoverished communities.

'They're in the care of staff who have lost their jobs and who don't have the money to keep up the lifestyles these dogs are used to: the grooming, the vaccinations, the specialist food,' she said.

Her shelter, which has relied on donations for more than 40 years, is home to about 500 animals and already at capacity. Last week Martheze fielded 20 calls from families bound for America but could take in only seven dogs.

Washington offers no help moving animals, and shipping one privately can cost between R35,000 and R50,000 (£1,500–£2,150), a sum many families, already facing the costs of emigrating, are unwilling or unable to pay. With

another charter flight scheduled to leave this week, Martheze said the calls showed no sign of slowing.

The departures have become one of South Africa's most divisive issues. Those leaving say they are escaping violent crime and a government they feel no longer wants them. Their critics include many Afrikaners who accuse them of buying into Trump's unfounded claims of a 'white genocide' in exchange for refugee status in the US, and of abandoning the country rather than staying to help fix it.

More than 7,700 Afrikaners have been admitted since Trump signed an executive order in February last year,

suspending aid to South Africa and offering Afrikaners refugee status after accusing the government of persecuting white farmers.

The flights are not a gift: those who go must repay the cost of their air tickets in instalments.

Trump's quarrel with Pretoria runs wider than the Afrikaners. He has attacked Pretoria's race-based economic empowerment

Bear was among pets left at Woodrock rescue centre

laws, its land-expropriation policy, its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and its ties to Iran, grievances now bound up with a new round of US tariffs.

Calming that quarrel is the first task of South Africa's new ambassador to Washington, Roelf Meyer, after Ebrahim Rasool, the previous ambassador, was declared persona non grata and sent home by the Trump administration after he described it as a supremacist movement.

Golden Lion loses its roar as Hollywood shuns Venice

United States

Keiran Southern Los Angeles

The Venice Film Festival has long been Hollywood's preferred autumn launchpad. Nomadland, The Shape of Water and Poor Things all premiered there before going on to Oscar success. For years, studios regarded a rapturous reception on the Lido as the ideal way to begin an awards campaign.

However, while there will be plenty of stars on the Lido come September — George Clooney, Robert Pattinson and Penelope Cruz are expected to attend — the number of Hollywood studio prestige titles is noticeably thinner than in recent years.

Digger, starring Tom Cruise and directed by the A-list filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, will not be there. Neither will Dune: Part Three, one of the year's biggest releases, or The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin's companion piece to The Social Network.

The Adventures of Cliff Booth, starring Brad Pitt, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by David Fincher, had seemed a 'sure thing,' but it was not finished in time.

Alberto Barbera, the Venice artistic director, blamed Hollywood. The American film industry was, he said, experiencing an identity crisis. 'Auteur films usually destined for festivals just aren't there,' he told Variety, before adding that studios needed to come up with new ways to market films.

'The real problem is that a whole series of tools used until yesterday no longer exist,' Barbera said.

Some observers believe the shift — after a similarly subdued showing at Cannes in May — reflects an increasingly risk-averse industry. In an era of tighter budgets and fewer original films, studios may be less willing to expose expensive awards hopefuls to the possibility of devastating early reviews.

'It's a failure of nerve and confidence,' Jeff Wells, who runs the Hollywood Elsewhere website, said. 'They know that if you don't do well at Cannes or in Venice or Toronto, people will hear about it.'

When Joker, Folie à Deux premiered in Venice in September 2024, it seemed a natural launchpad for what was expected to be one of the year's biggest hits. But the film was widely panned and within weeks became a box office bomb — an example of what some may be hoping

Venice will not feature Digger, starring Tom Cruise, or Dune 3, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Below: Penelope Cruz

to avoid by staying away. Stars could also be partially responsible for the absence of some releases.

Sasha Stone, a veteran Hollywood journalist and founder of the Awards Daily website, said studios and actors might be trying to avoid awkward questions at festivals, where press conferences leave no place to hide from

journalists. 'There does seem to be cooling from the festival circuit of late, partly because things said at press conferences or red-carpet events can often be cherry-picked and go viral, creating a public nightmare for the talent,' she said. 'They can't afford any bad publicity, so they figure, why bother? There is tension around Israel, tension around Trump, tension around ICE, and perhaps they feel it's best to avoid the international spotlight.'

Barbera said many of the expected

films simply were not ready. The Adventures of Cliff Booth had been delayed by 'family and personal issues', The Social Reckoning was undergoing reshoots and Dune: Part Three would not be completed until shortly before its December release. Digger, he added, was omitted for marketing reasons. Venice still boasts some high-profile projects. Films by Martin McDonagh and Florian Zeller will compete for the Golden Lion, while Danny Boyle's Ink will open the September 2–12 festival. Barbera warned against writing off film festivals. 'I'd be very cautious about jumping to conclusions,' he said, adding that the trend of a reduced Hollywood presence could be reversed next year.

Stone suggested that the Oscars were waning in relevance, which in turn reduced the influence of festivals.

She said: 'To me, it's felt like it's all been going downhill for a while now because the festivals exist to shape the Oscar race, and the Oscar race matters less and less, both to the box office and to the public. Perhaps it is less beneficial to position yourself as an Oscar player at the festivals and aim instead for audiences.'

Arrest ends years of fret for guitarist's neighbours

Japan

Colette Fountain

A Japanese guitar player has been arrested after years of loud playing allegedly gave his neighbours insomnia.

Kazunori Yokoi, 61, was arrested on July 23 after making a racket for more than seven years in a quiet residential part of Kyoto, according to a local police officer.

Authorities claim he caused three of his neighbours, aged from their sixties to their eighties, to suffer sleep deprivation and depression. A fourth neighbour developed tinnitus, a persistent ringing noise often linked to hearing loss and loud noise.

Police officers had initially issued warnings to Yokoi in January 2017, but the noise didn't stop.

The four neighbours filed complaints in June and July of this year. Yokoi is accused of playing radio broadcasts and electric guitar music at loud volume in his home between June 2019 and July 2026. According to police, he placed a radio by an open window and left it playing 24 hours a day. He also played the electric guitar from early morning until evening.

During a search of the man's home, police seized more than 40 guitars, many of them electric, along with CD and radio cassette players, and amplifiers. When officers measured noise levels in the area, it reached more than 80 decibels, which is equivalent to being inside a moving underground train.

Kyodo News quoted one neighbour in his sixties as saying: 'It was awful because all kinds of sounds were jumbled together all day'.

Another neighbour living within 50 metres of Yokoi's house said: 'The sound volume is far beyond the scope of common sense. When police visited and warned him to stop the sound as it was too noisy, he ignored, and shouted at the police.'

The Mainichi newspaper reported Yokoi as denying the allegations.

Kyoto police seized dozens of guitars

---

30

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

World

THE TIMES DAILY REVIEW

Cleaning up: A Haitian child covered in clay joins a mud pool purification ritual at the pilgrimage honouring Saint James the Greater, blending Catholic and voodoo traditions

TIMES Travel Partner 17 DAYS FROM £4,390* per person Gems of China October 2026 to November 2028 Exclusive free pre-night for The Times readers Plus save up to £300 per person

Uncover China's ancient, modern and natural gems on this all-encompassing adventure! Packed with must-see sights and authentic experiences, it is an ideal way to begin to uncover the secrets of this land of endless intrigue.

Foribark on an unforgettable journey through China! Begin in Beijing, where you'll explore iconic landmarks like Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Travel by bullet train to Xian to discover the Terracotta Army and explore the lively Muslim Quarter, continuing to Chengdu and its Panda Conservation Centre. Board a Yangtze River cruise in Chongqing and sail through spectacular scenery, then explore Zhangjiajie's majestic sandstone pillars, setting foot on a glass bridge, if you dare! The tour finishes in style beneath Shanghai's magnificent skyline.

Prices listed are based on two sharing a Daily/Double room. Single supplement on request. Flights on holidays booked more than 12 months in advance may be subject to supplements when airline fares are published. Operated by any subject to the booking conditions of Wendy Wu, ABTA W7994 8706 6619, a company wholly independent of News UK. The offer is subject to availability and Wendy Wu Tours reserve the right to change or withdraw the offer. Offer discount already applied, book by July 13, 2026.

Our trusted partner Wendy Wu Tours ABTA

Price includes

• International flights and current taxes
• Domestic transportation
• 15 nights in four-star accommodation
• 15 breakfasts, 13 lunches and 14 dinners
• Touring with guides and entrance fees
• Yangtze and Huangpu River cruises
• Exclusive free pre-tour extension including hotel night, breakfast and private transfers (available on any Wendy Wu tour)

CALL TODAY ON 0808 304 4855 thetimes.com/ ww-gemsofchina QUOTE TIMES-ON^

Milei cries foul about World Cup 'conspiracy'

Argentina Stephen Gibbs Latin America Correspondent

The president of Argentina has claimed that the torrent of international criticism aimed at his country's team and supporters after its defeat by Spain in the World Cup final was all part of an 'anti-Argentina campaign', backed by a murky alliance of his left-wing enemies.

In a radio interview, Javier Milei listed the alleged plotters: the governments of Brazil and Mexico, together with the Democratic Party in the United States. Brazil, he claimed, had supplied roughly 25 per cent of the resources.

'It was the work of progressive minds who do not want the ideas of freedom to succeed,' Milei, a libertarian economist, told Radio Mitre. He did not provide any evidence for the allegation.

While research has shown that millions of posts online after the final were overwhelmingly critical of the losers — including accusations of racist behaviour by some Argentinian fans and allegedly biased pro-Argentina refereeing — no proof at all of a state-backed operation has been presented.

Milei made the claim the same weekend he travelled to Brazil to offer his personal backing for the presidential campaign launch of the conservative Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of the imprisoned former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro.

The Argentinian leader took the opportunity to label the incumbent left-wing candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a 'thief' and a 'convict'. He also warned Brazilian voters against giving power to 'socialist

Javier Milei in Sao Paulo on Saturday. He called Brazil's president a thief and said it was part of a plot to discredit Lionel Messi, below, and his team

thieves', and described the Supreme Court justice. Alexandre de Moraes — the man who sentenced Jair Bolsonaro — as 'bald trash'.

Milei had hoped to visit the former president during the trip, but Brazil's Supreme Court denied permission for the meeting.

The Argentinian leader's remarks led Brazil to immediately recall its ambassador in Buenos Aires for consultations. Lula said that Brazil would not tolerate foreign interference in its domestic affairs.

'It is unacceptable for a foreign head of state to visit our country and address its constitutional institutions in a disrespectful manner,' said the president, adding that Milei's behaviour 'comes as no surprise' because he has 'demonstrated on numerous recent occasions that he is not up to the office he holds'. Milei then appeared to take the opportunity to

double down: the same Brazilian government now complaining about interference had, he insisted, poured money into the anti-Argentina World Cup campaign.

The episode marks a new low in already frosty relations between the two largest economies in South America. It is also typical of Milei's often successful political strategy, in which every defeat is blamed on the misguided 'woke' left across the region.

Since taking office in 2023, Milei's radical austerity programme has slashed inflation. In June the monthly rate was 19 per cent, the lowest in ten months. The annual rate has plunged from more than 200 per cent to around 33 per cent. Argentina has also posted consecutive fiscal surpluses for the first time in nearly two decades.

But the recovery is uneven. Manufacturing has slumped and unemployment is rising. Milei's popularity is at the lowest point of his presidency. Polls this month show his approval rating at around 35 per cent, with disapproval over 60 per cent.

Leader sworn in as Peru swings right

Peru Stephen Gibbs

The new president of Peru, who was sworn in yesterday, marks the return to power of one of the country's most influential political dynasties and the consolidation of a right-wing political shift across Latin America.

Keiko Fujimori, 51, becomes Peru's tenth head of state in a decade. She defeated the left-wing congressman Roberto Sánchez in an election in June by fewer than 50,000 votes out of more than 18 million cast.

Peru has been racked by political turmoil in recent years, with almost all Fujimori's immediate predecessors either in jail or facing criminal investigation.

Nine conservative presidents were among the regional leaders who attended yesterday's ceremony, including Javier Milei of Argentina, José Antonio Kast of Chile and Daniel Noboa of Ecuador. The Spanish king, Felipe VI, was also in attendance.

Elections in recent years across Central and South America have consistently rewarded right-wing candidates, all of whom have advocated hardline security policies, fiscal discipline and closer alignment with

the US. On August 7, Colombia will shift back to the right when it inaugurates its new president, Abelardo de la Espinella, a conservative lawyer and admirer of President Trump.

Fujimori's victory marks the return of a polarising political dynasty. Although a four-time presidential candidate and long-time senator, she has repeatedly stressed that she is not simply her father's daughter.

Alberto Fujimori, who governed from 1990 to 2000, was a controversial figure. His supporters credit him with crushing the Maoist 'Shining Path' insurgency and implementing a thriving capitalist economy. His critics regard him as a tyrant.

In 2009 he was sentenced to 25 years for human rights abuses, including authorising death-squad killings and kidnappings. He was released in 2023 and died the following year, at the age of 86.

Keiko Fujimori is the tenth head of state in a decade after a narrow win

Latin America's rightward trend will be tested later this year in Brazil, which holds presidential elections in October. The incumbent, the left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is the favourite in a contest in which he will face Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the former conservative president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence. The senior Bolsonaro was convicted last year of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat to Lula.

There have been suggestions the Trump administration is seeking to skew the election by promoting unproven claims of weaknesses in the country's electronic voting system. Last week Brazil denied entry visas to two US Department of State officials who had planned to travel to Brasilia to hold meetings on 'election integrity'. Brazilian authorities viewed the trip as a deliberate attempt to undermine public confidence in the country's democracy before the vote.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

31

Business

WORLD MARKETS (Change on the day)

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Ocado drops claim for £190m payout from Marks & Spencer

Isabella Fish Retail Editor

Ocado Group has quietly dropped its fight for a £190 million payout from Marks & Spencer, ending a long-running dispute — only for a new stand-off to develop about the future expansion of their joint venture.

Sources told The Times that no final payment would be made by M&S, which joined forces with Ocado in 2019 to create Ocado Retail.

The £750 million deal was transform-

ative for M&S, allowing it to sell its food online for the first time. However, the partnership failed to meet the financial targets that would have triggered a final payout. Under the terms of the agreement, M&S was due to pay Ocado a final instalment of £190.7 million, contingent on Ocado Retail meeting an undisclosed performance target in the year to November 2023.

Speculation had been growing over how much M&S would ultimately pay after Ocado reduced the “fair value” of

the contingent payment in its accounts, while M&S valued the liability at zero.

Tim Steiner, Ocado’s chief executive, had threatened legal action if M&S refused to pay. But sources said both sides had drawn a line under the dispute without any final payment changing hands. “It’s a dead duck,” one person close to the situation said.

Ocado has suffered another setback after M&S refused to commit to new warehouses or increase volumes at existing sites until the tech company

agreed on improved commercial terms. M&S is understood to be seeking greater operational efficiencies, improvements to systems, more favourable commercial terms governing how Ocado charges for capacity, and changes to a number of technical agreements.

An M&S spokeswoman said: “We have a good relationship with Ocado. As you would expect, we are in regular discussion, working together to realise the full potential of our partnership. These discussions are positive.”

An Ocado spokesman said: “Ocado Retail continues to be the UK’s fastest-growing grocer and we were pleased to announce in last week’s half-year results that the business is now profitable across all key measures. We expect to build further on this momentum in the coming months by expanding order capacity for customers.”

He added: “Together with our joint venture partners at M&S, we remain focused on the continued growth and success of the Ocado Retail business.”

GSK invests £400m and moves R&D

Cambridge base intended to boost drug pipeline

Alex Ralph Chief Business Correspondent

GSK is to establish a global research and development headquarters in Cambridge, part of a £400 million investment in the UK under its new chief executive that will lead to its R&D centre relocating from Stevenage.

The FTSE 100 company, one of Britain’s two big pharma businesses, will acquire a 300,000 sq ft site on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, a life sciences hub, as part of plans to accelerate its R&D medicines pipeline.

The relocation means GSK, which will retain its new global corporate headquarters in London’s Knowledge Quarter, will be a neighbour to AstraZeneca, Britain’s other big pharma company, which previously relocated to the campus from Cheshire in a £1.1 billion investment.

The changes are a blow to Stevenage, Hertfordshire, where GSK created its R&D centre 30 years ago and is a major employer with a workforce of 1,800.

More than 1,000 scientists are set to be employed at the new Cambridge facility, with many expected to relocate from Stevenage in a ‘phased move’ by 2029. Others will be offered roles at GSK’s nearby site at Ware, Hertfordshire, where it plans to upgrade its existing R&D laboratories and create a “fully integrated” drug development and commercial manufacturing capability. Overall, GSK plans to invest £400 million over three years.

After a review of the portfolio led by Luke Miels, GSK’s chief executive, the company is preparing to start more

than 20 late-stage phase III trials by the end of this year, double a previous target, and to accelerate seven drug assets in 18 therapy indications.

To fund the investment in R&D and its late-stage portfolio, GSK plans a three-year programme targeting £1.9 billion in annual savings by 2029 at a one-off cost of £2.4 billion.

The savings are expected to lead to overall net job losses at GSK. These are expected to be partly enabled by AI and are likely to be in areas such as support services, procurement and operations for legacy drugs that have come off patent. GSK declined to state how many jobs could be cut at this stage.

Miels said: “This investment will accelerate our R&D and help us deliver new, competitive products. It integrates GSK further into one of the world’s leading centres of knowledge and demonstrates the attractiveness of the UK’s life sciences ecosystem.”

The new Cambridge facility will feature new “tech-enabled” laboratories and infrastructure to support research in the company’s focus areas of oncology, respiratory, hepatology, vaccines and HIV.

The Cambridge campus has more than 22,000 people and about 470 biotech and AI companies, including existing GSK partners such as Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

GSK’s strategy update was delivered at the London Stock Exchange alongside half-year results, where it reiterated its headline target of generating £40 billion of sales in 2018. The shares closed up 68p, or 3.5 per cent, at £20.29. “Full immersion” in biotech, page 36

They think it’s all ova Competitors take part in the annual Scotch egg race in the City, part of National Scotch Egg Day

Lifetime security for ‘woke’ logo boss

Isabella Fish

The outgoing boss of Cracker Barrel will be given personal security protection indefinitely after she leaves, in the wake of a backlash over the restaurant chain’s ‘woke’ logo redesign.

The Nasdaq-listed company said in a filing that, for a “reasonable period of time” after Julie Masino’s departure, it would provide protective services “to the extent reasonably necessary” as determined by the board. The company also said it would reimburse her for any tax liability arising from the benefit.

Cracker Barrel announced on Monday that Masino would step down as chief executive on August 10 after serving in the role since 2023. She will remain as an adviser until October to support the transition, with David

Deno, an industry veteran, taking over as chief executive.

The chain, which is based in Tennessee and operates about 660 restaurants and stores in more than 40 US states, was drawn into a political storm last August after unveiling an updated logo that removed Uncle Herschel, the overall-clad man leaning against a barrel featured in its original branding. The redesign was attacked on social media as “woke” and “sterile and soulless.”

President Trump weighed in, posting: “WTF is wrong with Cracker Barrel™ and urging the company to ‘admit a mistake’. The business later said it would restore its previous logo.

Masino told the conservative commentator Glenn Beck in December that she felt she had been “fired by America” after the controversy.

Shares in Cracker Barrel fell by almost 3 per cent after the company announced Masino’s departure.

Deno said: “Cracker Barrel is a truly iconic American brand, defined by its unique combination of warm country hospitality, timeless appeal, and deep connection with guests across generations.”

Post-employment security arrangements without a fixed end date are uncommon. One recent example was Starbucks, which agreed to provide security for Howard Schultz for up to ten years after he departed as chief executive in 2023.

Security for company executives has been stepped up since the killing of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of United Healthcare, who was shot outside a Manhattan hotel in 2024.

---

32

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

Need to know

1 GSK is to establish a global research and development headquarters in Cambridge as part of a £400 million investment in the UK under its new chief executive Luke Miels that will see it relocate from Stevenage. Page 31

2 Ocado Group has dropped its fight for a £190 million payout from Marks & Spencer, ending a long-running dispute — only for a new stand-off to develop about the expansion of their joint venture Ocado Retail. Page 31

3 Julie Masino', the outgoing boss of Cracker Barrel will be given personal security protection indefinitely after she leaves, in the wake of a backlash over the restaurant chain's 'woke' logo redesign. Page 31

4 The boss of Barclays has called for recognition of the banking sector's role in driving economic growth. CS Venkatakrishnan, the chief executive highlighted the industry's contribution to the economy as the tender's performance prompted union calls for an increase to the surcharge on banking sector profits.

5 The British arm of the Spanish brewing giant behind Estrella Damm has bought a minority stake in a London-based soft drinks company. Damm UK said its deal with Dalston's Soda Co, whose fizzy drinks are stocked in supermarkets such as Asda and Waitrose, comes as UK consumers continue to trade up to premium drinks. The size of the stake was not disclosed. Page 36

6 Unilever has raised its annual outlook after its strongest volume growth in more than a decade. Shares in the consumer goods group rose by nearly 9 per cent after it posted a 5.8 per cent rise in underlying sales in the second quarter. Page 37

7 The Ukrainian mining group Ferrexpo is near collapse after a cargo ship carrying its iron ore pellets was hit in a fatal Russian drone attack, hastening the firm's cashflow crisis. The miner said it would run out of cash by the end of next month unless it managed to complete a $100 million equity raise. Page 39

Those following the British economy can never forget about the weather

David Smith, page 35

For expert business analysis subscribe to the business newsletter thetimes.com/newsletters

AI data centre plans all at sea for wave firm

As the backlash against data centres intensifies and Elon Musk's servers in space remain in the realm of science fiction, one British company is floating a different approach (Greig Cameron writes).

Mocean Energy believes it can help to alleviate concerns about the proliferation of vast, power-hungry AI warehouses by taking the equipment out to sea.

The company, which is based in Edinburgh with operations in Aberdeen, Orkney and the US, is developing Blue Core, a floating unit housing racks of servers powered by solar and wave energy and linked up by satellite.

The modular systems can be joined together to create server farms, with the chilly waters of the North Sea helping

to reduce the power required to keep the processors cool.

This approach has already been attempted by Microsoft's Project Natick, a subsea data centre developed in 2018 that spent two years underwater off the Orkneys.

The company, founded in 2015, has developed Blue Star, which uses renewable energy and battery support to provide a source of offshore power. The business is aiming for its first commercial sales of that in 2028.

It also hopes to have a pilot of the Blue Core data centre running the same year, with ambitions for full deployment from 2030.

It is raising £5 million to develop the concept, with a target for up to six gigawatts of capacity by 2040. Cameron McNatt, the managing director,

Mocean Energy's Blue Core, in an artist's rendition, builds on the Blue X model co-developed by Cameron McNatt, standing left of Tim Hurst of Wave Energy Scotland, in 2021. Microsoft has trialled a subsea data centre, above left

said: 'We've spent years proving that this technology works in some of the harshest sea conditions anywhere in the

world. Blue Core takes that same proven system and points it at a much bigger problem. AI data centres are going to need

more power than the grid can easily give them, and the ocean can provide that. 'We're not trying to build

another data centre. We're trying to remove the barriers around power, land and social licensing that are

currently holding the industry back. When sited in national waters, the farms also provide sovereign infrastructure

Banking drives Britain's growth, says Barclays boss

Helen Cahill Financial Correspondent

The boss of Barclays has called for recognition of the banking sector's role in driving growth as the TUC pushed for higher taxes on the lender's profits.

CS Venkatakrishnan, the chief executive of Barclays — known as Venkat — highlighted the industry's contribution to the economy as the FTSE 100 lender's performance prompted union calls for an increase to the surcharge on banking sector profits.

The TUC wants a surcharge of up to 35 per cent after Barclays said strong equities trading activity had helped lift its quarterly profits by 31 per cent to £3.3 billion.

Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said: 'Big banks like Barclays are raking it in while working people and local businesses are struggling. This is a chance for the new PM and chancellor to show whose side they're on. It's time to increase the bank surcharge and tax banks to bring down energy bills.'

Speaking on a media call with journalists, Venkat pushed back on suggestions that banks could be a target for more taxes under Andy Burnham's government, saying the sector already pays 'the highest rate of tax globally'.

CS Venkatakrishnan is facing calls by the TUC for a surcharge tax on profits

He added: 'We think that the track record that we and the other banks have in terms of supporting UK growth and UK lending ... is really important for the health of the economy, and we hope that will be considered.'

Barclays has upgraded its financial targets after beating City expectations for both income and profits over the second quarter. The FTSE 100 lender told investors it will deliver group income of about £31.5 billion this year, having previously anticipated about £31 billion.

Barclays' investment bank saw profit before tax increase by 32 per cent to £1.7 billion over the period, as income from equities trading jumped by 45 per cent to £870 billion. The results come after Wall Street banking giants generated record profits as traders capitalised on volatile financial markets.

The lender is the first of three major UK banks to report its first-half earnings amid speculation that the sector could be hit with higher taxes under Burnham's government.

Barclays also beat City estimates for income across the group, which rose £6 per cent to £8.3 billion over the second quarter. Over the first half, Barclays reported group income rose by 11 per cent to £16.5 billion, with profit before tax rising by 17 per cent to £6.1 billion. Net interest income — the difference between what the bank charges borrowers and what they pay savers — rose 8 per cent to £3.99 billion.

The retail banking division saw its net interest income increase by 8 per cent to £4.5 billion over the first half of the year, with profit before tax rising by 10 per cent to £1.8 billion. Corporate banking income was up 8 per cent to £1 billion over the half year and profit before tax rose 30 per cent to £566 mil-

lion, while the private banking and wealth division saw income rose 2 per cent to £713 million, with profit before tax falling 21 per cent to £186 million.

The bank increased its provisioning for loan losses to £1.4 billion, up from £1.1 billion, which it said was 'primarily driven' by the funding set aside to handle the collapse of Market Financial Solutions, the Mayfair-based provider of mortgages and bridging finance that collapsed amid allegations of fraud.

The bank also launched a £1 billion share buyback and increased the interim dividend to 5.9p a share, up from 3p a share in the same half last year.

Shares in Barclays, which have risen nearly 40 per cent in the past year, closed down 25/5p, or 4.8 per cent, at 50/5p. Some analysts said the investment bank's performance had lagged Wall Street rivals, where equities trading was boosted by SpaceX's IPO.

Shore Capital investment analyst Gary Greenwood said the shares had had a strong run-up to the results and 'expectations had got ahead of themselves'. He said the investment bank had been 'the standout performer' and that the group's corporate banking services had 'more than offset softer consumer trends'.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

33

Business

rather than a lease on another country's cloud.'

The UK's National Energy System Operator (Neso) estimates that there is 60GW of data centre capacity waiting to join the network — about 30 times the capacity of currently connected sites.

With the power grid around London and the southeast heavily constrained, Neso has been actively encouraging technology companies to build in Scotland, which has prompted a rush of hyperscale data centre planning applications.

Fierce campaigns are building against them, with locals fearing that the massive structures will drain their electricity and water supplies and blight landscapes, while offering very few permanent jobs.

Hydration breaks a hit for Coca-Cola

Jessica Newman

Coca-Cola has posted a sharp rise in sales after benefiting from a heavy advertising spend at the World Cup.

John Murphy, the president and chief financial officer of Coca-Cola, said the company was 'not unhappy' with the introduction of controversial hydration breaks during World Cup matches. The breaks were sponsored by Powerade, the energy drink brand owned by Coca-Cola, and involved three-minute breaks in the middle of the first and second half of matches.

'I'm not sure whether these hydration breaks are going to be a permanent feature of the soccer world, but we were not unhappy with them in the World Cup,' Murphy told Reuters. The introduction of hydration breaks was criti-

cised by fans, players and coaches during the competition. Thomas Tachel, England's coach, said they changed 'the identity of a football match'.

Coca-Cola's net revenues grew 7 per cent year-on-year to $3.4 billion in the three months to the end of June.

The company said that its World Cup advertising blitz contributed to 5 per cent volume growth for Coca-Cola drinks and 8 per cent volume growth for Powerade.

Another firm to benefit from the World Cup was Unilever; the consumer goods company behind Dove, Sure, and Lynx deodorant. Unilever reported that underlying sales grew by a better than expected 3.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2026.

Unilever said it promoted 35 personal care brands across 120 markets dur-

Apple touches $5trn as tech stocks recover

Robert Miller, Martin Strydom

Apple briefly broke through the $5 trillion stock market valuation level yesterday, joining Nvidia as the only two public companies in history to reach this threshold, as big technology stocks recovered from a sell-off over fears about overspending on AI and growing competition from China.

After reaching the milestone, shares in the iPhone maker closed up $3.17, or 0.9 per cent, at $340.08, giving it a market capitalisation of $4.99 trillion, while Nvidia came back from Monday's 5 per cent drop with a gain of $0.82, or 0.4 per cent, to $197.33 and a value of $4.77 trillion.

The fall in Nvidia's stock had spooked investors in the Asia-Pacific and led to South Korea's Koepl index dropping more than 10 per cent to a three-month low yesterday, with the chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung among the biggest losers. The steep decline triggered a 'circuit breaker' as the Koepl headed for its largest monthly loss on record.

'We believe the market was likely spooked by the progress of China's chipmaking-equipment capabilities, and was worried that this progress would threaten the competitive position of global chipmaking and chip equipment leaders,' Jing Jie Yu, an equity analyst at Morningstar, said. He added that the sell-off was 'largely a knee-jerk reaction and overdone'.

On Wall Street after a negative start to the session some of the Big Tech stocks recovered, with Microsoft, which reports quarterly earnings today, up $5.16, or 1.3 per cent, at $394.26.

Another beneficiary was Elon Musk's SpaceX, with the shares up $2.91, or 2.6 per cent, at $116.41, but still below the flotation price of $135.

ing the World Cup, with 50,000 influencers pushing out content. Rexona, the name for Sure deodorant in Latin America, Australia and Asia, sponsored the substitution number boards and referee kits during the World Cup.

Shares in Coca-Cola rose 7 per cent following its trading update, while Unilever rose 9 per cent, adding billions of pounds to the value of the companies.

The trading updates were published on the same day that The Times reported that Fifa's president Gianni Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

The plan would lead to a company being formed to control the World Cup and Club World Cup, dramatically increasingly the commercial focus on the events.

Unilever cashes in, page 37

Ashley's Frasers checks into Burberry

James Hurley Assistant Business Editor

Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has disclosed a position in Burberry, the luxury brand — the latest in a long line of interventions by the billionaire at competitor businesses.

The retail conglomerate, which owns brands including Sports Direct and House of Fraser, said it has an interest worth a potential 4.2 per cent, which if exercised, would put Frasers into the top ten largest shareholders of its rival.

Rather than taking a direct stake,

Frasers holds the position through the sale of put options: financial contracts giving holders the right to buy the shares at a certain price.

In disclosures to the London Stock Exchange, the FTSE 250 retailer revealed it had increased its position from 3.05 per cent as of July 24 by building a larger interest in sold put options linked to its shares.

Frasers is known for buying into other retail businesses and using its position as a shareholder to exert influence, apply pressure and, in many

cases, force change from within. Its targets have ranged from Boohoo Group and handbag maker Mulberry to electrical specialist AO World and a Scandinavian sporting goods chain, XXL.

It is in the midst of a takeover bid for Hugo Boss and is is exploring ways to install Michael Murray, Ashley's son-in-law, as chief executive. Murray has been attempting to take the group more upmarket by moving into luxury retail.

Shares in Burberry closed up 54p, or 5 per cent, at £11.40. Frasers closed up 197p, or 2.5 per cent, at £799.

Unilever works its World Cup magic

BUSINESS COMMENTARY Alistair Osborne

Some things really should be offside. Take this, for example the Argentinian boss of Unilever sponsoring the refs at the World Cup. How did Fernando Fernández get away with that?

Fancy getting the armpit of the match official's strip emblazoned with the word 'Resona' — better known over here as deodorant brand Sure. It sure worked, too. Every time the ref raised his arm, not only was his decision-making nicely pong-free but (seemingly) in favour of Messi & Co — all the way up to the final. Perhaps the Resona magic had simply worn off by then.

Yes, there could have been something else to do with it all — Ingetland imploding, say. But it was still quite a feat for a patriot like Fernández, even before you lob in the effect on the business. There, he says, he used the footie tournament to activate '35 brands across more than 120 markets', involving 50,000-plus influencers, reaching a total audience of 600 million people.

The final score? A nice kick to the sales, with not only second-quarter volume growth of 5.5 per cent being the 'best quarterly volume performance since 2010' but Unilever notching the full-year guidance a bit higher too. In short, enough excitement all round to lift the shares 8 per cent to £49.98.

So, how much did Fernández pay for this marketing blitz, you ask? He's not saying, even if the word from Unilever is that he has not blown the budget on the World Cup. Neither would Unilever agree it was buying sales, even if half-year underlying operating profits rose by only 0.9 per cent to €5.2 billion in a period that saw underlying revenue growth of 4.8 per cent. Fernández pointed out that was partly due to €300 million of 'increased costs'.

Whatever, the figures are arguably the first insight into the new-look Unilever once Fernández is through with spinning off the food wing via his math-up with McCormick. When he unveiled that transatlantic tie-up in March, he took £7 billion off Unilever's market value in a day, with the shares dropping 7 per cent to £41.99.

The notion that the deal valued Unilever food brands including Hellmann's, Knorr and Marmite at $44.8 billion went south with McCormick's falling shares — still only around $51 versus the $57.84 at which the deal was struck. And some investors didn't relish getting 55.1 per cent of an underperforming US-run and listed company.

Yet Fernández could point to some early proof of the pudding in his push to create a faster-growing 'pureplay' home and personal care group. Food's 1.2 per cent underlying sales growth last half was well below the rest of the group, not least the 7.6 per cent from the homecare brands such as Comfort and Cif.

As he puts it: 'I have not had a single investor who does not understand this transaction' — the McCormick deal — while 'the issue for the share price was we introduced an unexpected event'.

Asked if there will be any more big structural changes at a group that's also recently demerged the

Magnum ice-cream wing, he also gives an emphatic 'no', which may reassure investors. He's ruling out big buys, too, saying he's only after 'both ons' of sub-€2 billion. 'We don't need any acquisition to grow faster', he says, pointing out that Unilever volume growth is running at about twice that of the market.

Still, even now the shares are only just ahead of where Fernández took charge in March 2025. His 'Desire at Scale' marketing spiel is all a bit gobbledegook — can you really desire Domestos? And he's still far from proving the logic of his McCormick deal, which caused €98 million of one-off costs last half. As Fernández knows, too, one high-scoring World Cup quarter doesn't make an investment case. Even the Rexona'd refs would tell him that.

Miels on wheels

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Once touted as a potential successor to AstraZeneca's Sir Pascal Soriot, Luke Miels caused such a stir when he defected to GSK in 2017 that Astra took legal action.

It was pretty swiftly settled. Still, having ended up running GSK instead, Miels hasn't overlooked one advantage of his former employer: its clout in the Cambridge life sciences cluster. The proof of that? One of his first moves since taking charge of GSK this year: shifting its R&D base from Stevenage to become an Astra neighbour at the Cambridge biomedical campus, home to more than 22,000 workers and 470 biotech and AI companies.

True, Miels is keeping GSK's HQ in London. And the move is bad luck on Stevenage, where GSK has 1,800 workers. But, as he put it, where else but Cambridge — a mix of university research, hospitals and biotechs — can you get so 'fully immersed' in drugs discovery?

The move, which is part of a £400 million investment in the UK, came alongside Miels's first big strategic update, where the market welcomed a looming £1.9 billion of cost cuts by 2029 (at a one-off cost of £2.4 billion), a pledge to deliver 'a stable-to-improving' operating margin, and confidence not only in hitting the target £40 billion of sales by 2031 but to 'accelerate growth' from then on. The shares rose 3.5 per cent to £20.29. There are worse businesses to copy than Astra.

More fine work, EY

Another day, another auditing triumph from EY: the firm that has brought to Wrencard, Thomas Cook, London Capital & Finance, plus Bravagullin Raghuram Shetty's twin shetshows — NMC Health and Finable.

To add to this impressive roster? Made.com: the cause of a £1.2 million Financial Reporting Council fine over 'serious' failures. The main one? Signing off the online furniture retailer's 2021 accounts as a 'going concern' when it was in fact going bust (report, page 34). The FRC found 'insufficient challenge' of management's views. They were a bit too MadeItUp.com.

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

---

34

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

Shadow MPC votes to hold rates

Jack Barnett Economics Correspondent

The Bank of England should leave interest rates unchanged tomorrow in order to allow time for Andy Burnham to fully flesh out his tax and spending decisions at the autumn budget, according to The Times shadow monetary policy committee.

Seven members of the shadow MPC urged the central bank to keep borrowing costs steady at 3.75 per cent for the fifth meeting in a row. Two favoured lifting rates to 4 per cent. This voting pattern and rate decision is broadly expected to be repeated by the Bank of England's nine-strong panel of rate-setters tomorrow.

The two dissenters were Anne Sibert, professor emerita of economics at Birkbeck, University of London, and Sir Steve Robson, a former permanent secretary at the Treasury. Both voted for a rise of 0.25 percentage points.

Members of the shadow MPC urged the Bank's panel to adopt a cautious approach towards monetary policy, in part to gain information about the new prime minister's long-term fiscal plans when John Healey, the chancellor, delivers the budget in the autumn.

However, the anticipated interest rate hold comes amid lingering concerns about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East leaving global energy prices higher for years, thereby lifting inflation. Oil prices topped $100 a barrel yet again in the past week.

Yael Sellin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said: 'Any material shift in fiscal policy is unlikely to become evident before the next budget in the autumn, with policy announcements so far too small to have a significant impact on my rate decision this week.'

Karen Ward, chief market strategist for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for JP Morgan Asset Management, said: 'We need to wait to see how fiscal policy will evolve — though I suspect that Burnham and Healey will find, just like their predecessors, that constraints on both borrowing and taxes mean they can't do very much.'

In his first week, a prime minister, Burnham launched

Anne Sibert was one of two Times shadow MPC members who called for the Bank of England to increase interest rates by 0.25 percentage points tomorrow

several consumer-focused policies intended to briefly ease the cost of living, including the removal of VAT on electricity bills from October and cutting business rates for pubs by 20 per cent from next April.

Economists said that the measures would temporarily reduce inflation but do little to lift GDP growth.

Martin Weale, a former rate-setter at the

Bank of England, said that, in the event that Burnham and Healey launched another round of government borrowing, then the Bank of England would 'need to offset this' with interest rate rises.

During Rachel Reeves's chancellorship, the Bank lowered borrowing costs six times, taking them down to 3.75 per cent from 5.25 per cent.

Despite growing inflationary pressures caused by the surge in oil prices triggered by the war in the Middle East, the Bank of England has refrained from tightening monetary policy. The central bank argues that the rise in govern-

ment bond yields since the end of February, when the war started, has in effect acted as a formal interest rate increase.

Tit-for-tat fighting between the United States and Iran since early July pushed the price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, briefly beyond $100 last week, although prices have since dipped below $90 on news of a ceasefire.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that inflation dropped faster than expected to 2.6 per cent on an annual basis in June from 2.8 per cent in May, although core and

services inflation, closely monitored by the MPC, barely moved. Private sector wage growth has fallen to a six-year low.

According to some economists, inflation is on course to exceed 3 per cent for much of the second half of the year. The Bank is required to keep it at 2 per cent over the medium term.

Several central banks are delivering their latest interest rate decision this week, including the US Federal Reserve today and the Bank of Japan on Friday. Last week the European Central Bank left its main deposit rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent.

Unite Group cuts portfolio to focus

Simon Freeman Business News Editor

Unite Group is scaling back to focus on Britain's biggest university towns in response to a fall in the number of overseas students and a rise in domestic undergraduates choosing to live at home.

The UK's biggest student landlord plans to put between £5,000 and 20,000 beds on sale, with the majority coming to market this year. This will shrink its footprint from 72,000 beds to between 55,000 and 60,000 as it reshapes its portfolio around 20 cities 'where student demand is robust and growing'.

The group has quit Aberdeen, and has also sold properties in Leicester, Leeds and Nottingham to concentrate on hubs such as London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Newcastle.

The announcement came alongside results for the six months to June 30, which showed like-for-like income growth slowed from 7.4 per cent to 1.5 per cent, with adjusted earnings down 2 per cent to £142 million.

The result was in line with City forecasts, and the company said it remained on track to deliver full-year guidance.

Occupancy has steadily declined from 99.8 per cent in 2023-24 to 95.2 per cent in the current academic year, a trend expected to continue amid a forecast of 94 to 96 per cent for the term ahead. Rental growth is also forecast to remain subdued, at 1 per cent to 2 per cent, down from 4 per cent last year.

Weekly rents at Unite's halls average £150 a week, ranging from £84 a week for a basic room in Sheffield to more than £600 a week for a central London studio with a bathroom and kitchen.

Joe Lister, chief executive, said that

Unite is concentrating on university hubs such as Manchester, above

in a 'less certain' environment 'we are moving at pace to deliver our strategy to increase alignment to the UK's strongest universities.

'Following a detailed portfolio review we have set out an ambitious plan to focus our portfolio on these universities. We are creating a higher-quality business, with strong and sustainable long-term growth prospects.'

The FTSE 250 group is selling lower-yielding assets in order to focus on universities with stricter admission criteria, which tend to be more resilient as tighter visa rules weigh on enrolments. Shares, which have shed almost a third of their value in the past 12 months, closed down 1.4 per cent, or 8p, at 5495p.

John Cahill, analyst at Stifel, said: 'The company plans to have a stabilised portfolio of 55,000-60,000 beds which should ultimately be a more stable business, but during the divestment period we expect earnings to fall and remain largely flat for two to three years, with the shares unlikely to recover until the company can demonstrate a path to sustainable earnings growth.'

EY hit with £1.2m fine over audit failings at Made.com

James Hurley Assistant Business Editor

The accounting and audit regulator has fined and reprimanded EY and a partner at the firm over 'serious' failures in the audit of Made.com, the furniture business that collapsed in 2022.

The Financial Reporting Council handed EY a £1.2 million fine after the firm and Julie Carlyle, an audit engagement partner, admitted breaches of audit rules in two areas.

One was a failure to properly access 'the accuracy and reliability of management's models' in relation to signing off Made's 'going concern' status in the accounts for 2021.

There was 'insufficient challenge of key assumptions and inadequate evaluation of downside scenarios'.

Made.com, floated on the London Stock Exchange in June 2021, had its shares suspended in October 2022 and went bust in November 2022 owing £186.6 million to unsecured creditors, after it failed on the back of soaring

costs and pressure on consumer spending. The brand was acquired by Next.

The other sanction involved a 'failure to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the recoverability of the deferred tax asset', a benefit derived from setting off past losses against future tax payable on profits.

'In both areas, there was a failure appropriately to consider information available up to the date of the auditor's report in assessing the reliability of management's forecasts,' the FRC said.

Penrose Foss, its executive counsel, said: 'Auditors relied on management's forecasts without applying sufficient challenge or carrying out adequate testing to obtain sufficient evidence.'

EY's fine was reduced from £1.8 million to reflect mitigating factors, admissions and early settlement. Carlyle was fined £49,000, reduced from £70,000.

EY and Carlyle accepted a severe reprimand and agreed their audit work had not met the rules. Carlyle, who still works for EY, did not comment.

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

35

Comment Business

David Smith

Retail rise is cause for optimism, but confidence remains fragile

“A small milestone was passed a few days ago for retail sales, which suggested that this nation of shoppers is getting back into the habit. The milestone was that the volume of retail sales — sales adjusted for price changes — rose decisively above its level on the eve of the pandemic six years ago thanks to a 1 per cent rise in June and a 4.2 per cent increase over the past 12 months.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for retailers. That eve-of-pandemic level of sales in February 2020 was followed by an initial slump of more than 20 per cent, even with the bulwark of online purchases during Covid, and was followed by stop-start sales for the next few years.

An initial jump when the lockdown ended in the spring of 2021 did not last, giving way to a further plunge in sales of more than 10 per cent thanks to surging energy prices and the cost of living crisis after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and then stagnation. Cautious shoppers, battered by high inflation and higher interest rates, held back.

Even the latest recovery has left sales volumes below where they were during the post-pandemic surge in the spring of 2021. Shoppers are, however, now letting go. June’s 1 per cent rise in sales volumes came after a 1.2 per cent increase in May. The sales increase in the latest three months compared with a year earlier was the best for five years.

Those following the British economy can never forget about the weather, and it is possible, as retailers suggested to the Office for National Statistics, that the warm spell, as well as store promotions, boosted sales in June. The World Cup, which began on June 11, also helped.

I can remember occasions, however, when exceptionally warm weather has kept people away from the shops rather than flocking to them, as have big sporting occasions, though the timing of the

President Trump seems unable to reopen the Strait of Hormuz

World Cup games may have been better this time for retailers. The recent strength of retail sales is not, however, the only evidence that things are picking up.

This month’s GfK consumer confidence survey showed a six-point rise, driven by what the survey’s compilers described as “a wave of optimism”. People were more optimistic about the economy and were more willing to make major purchases.

GfK suggested it could be a “Burnham bounce” reflecting optimism about the new prime minister, but I would be a bit cautious about that, given the survey was put together before we had much idea about what he would do. Not only that, but I recall the “Born bounce” and other bounces that did not last long. And the new prime minister was not responsible for the jump in retail sales in May and June. That willingness to make major purchases can also be detected in the figures for car sales.

Private buyers bought 452,830 new cars in the first half of the year, increasing their share of the market to nearly 40 per cent, and 80,571 in June alone, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Both figures were about 12.5 per cent up on a year earlier.

Electric vehicles are leading the charge, perhaps because of the jump in petrol and diesel prices caused by the Iran war. Even before the latest strong rise in retail sales, something was stirring.

Unusually for the UK, consumer spending has been a drag on economic growth in recent years rather than a driver of it, growing by less than other components of gross domestic product. In the first three months of the year, though, consumer spending matched the 0.6 per cent rise in GDP.

The rise in spending was partly because households saved less, the saving ratio falling from 9.6 per cent to 8.9 per cent in the quarter. We will not know until next month what happened to consumer spending during the

April-June quarter, when GDP figures are released in a couple of weeks.

The retail sales figures would suggest another quarter of reasonable growth. There have been false dawns before, so the question is whether it can last.

The immediate threat is from the Iran war, and the seeming inability of President Trump, having started it, to bring it to an end and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Though this week has been quieter, renewed hostilities between America and Iran have pushed up the price of petrol by 7p a litre and diesel by 10p since the start of the month.

There has been an even bigger impact on gas prices — very important to UK households — up by about 35 per cent over the past month. How the conflict plays out is anybody’s guess, despite Trump’s clear desire to bring it to a close, and it is not the only issue.

In the past two years, the run-up to the autumn budget was, more than ever before, a period of great uncertainty. Households and businesses, rightly fearing higher taxes, were paralysed by intense speculation about what those higher taxes would be, and how badly they would be hit.

Last year, in particular, consumer spending stalled, slowing to a crawl in the second half as speculation over new tax rises reached fever pitch. Consumer confidence also stalled, before sliding earlier this year with the onset of the Middle East war.

Retail sales volumes were lower at the end of last year than in the spring. This year, consumer spending had some momentum going into the second half of the year, but the prospect is of higher inflation, which could easily eat into it and undermine still fragile confidence.

GfK noted that despite its sharp rise this month, its consumer confidence index, which hit a record low in 2022, stands at only minus 17, and has not been in positive territory for a decade. It will not take much to knock it back. It is in the government’s interests to keep a lid on the speculation.

David Smith is Economics Editor of The Sunday Times david.smith@sunday-times.co.uk

Saul Klein

How Britain can turn tech innovation into a £100bn superpower

Ten years ago, after the Brexit referendum, I wrote an essay entitled “Stay calm and make lemonade”. I had voted Remain, but my instinct was to play the cards we had been dealt.

The same principle applies to last week’s contentious decision to dismantle the short-lived Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and unite science and innovation in a “super department” of Business, Innovation, Science and Trade that gives Britain a real chance to turn world-class ideas into industrial growth. Look past the departmental nameplates, and Britain has been dealt a powerful hand.

Artificial intelligence is now at the centre of government. In Kanishka Narayan, we have a minister who attends cabinet and has deep expertise and the ability to get things done. AI is no longer the concern of one department; it is reshaping public services, economic policy and government itself.

Britain has never struggled to invent; we’ve struggled to commercialise. Bringing science, innovation, business and trade together gives us a better chance of turning breakthroughs into domestic growth, capable of scaling to global companies and export growth. From King’s Cross to every region of the UK, we have world-class strengths not just in AI but in quantum computing, engineering biology, photonics, advanced materials and space. Now we must build the engine that helps those technologies grow.

Yet technology is about more than economic growth. AI is reshaping culture, creativity, media and democracy, making digital policy as much about British values and sovereignty as innovation. The return of “digital” responsibilities from DSIT back to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport means that British values can underpin tech policy at a time when the defining questions are increasingly cultural and societal as well as economic. The BBC, our museums and creative industries are strategic assets in the AI era and can extend Britain’s soft power.

Britain’s innovation economy is at a once-in-a-150-year moment. The

UK is the third-ranked innovation economy in the world, behind only the US and China. Measured on a per-capita basis, we take first place. That is a far stronger position than our overall economic ranking and it gives us a unique opportunity to grow our way back.

The prime minister has rightly spoken about delivering growth in every postcode. Innovation is doing exactly that. We now have more than 2,000 high-growth companies generating revenues of more than £20 million a year spread across the country, so-called colts in tech industry jargon. There are also more than 600 “thoroughbred” businesses generating revenues in excess of £75 million a year.

Innovation clusters reach far beyond the “golden triangle” of London and Oxbridge. The PM should champion the start-ups and emerging companies being founded and scaled far beyond this traditional home of British innovation. Manchester has more colts and thoroughbreds than Oxford. Leeds has more than Cambridge. From Southampton to Swansea, Bristol to Belfast, to Edinburgh and beyond, tech is driving growth in jobs and opportunity.

But the UK also needs to learn to back itself. We must nurture our homegrown science and technology companies with contracts, both from the government and our FTSE companies, as well as capital.

For the first time in decades, Britain has the capital and regulatory framework to support innovation at scale. More than £100 billion could be deployed this parliament through the National Wealth Fund, the British Business Bank and pension-backed Mansion House reforms.

We have the science, the founders, the capital and the innovation clusters. The opportunity now is to back Britain’s innovation economy with the confidence it deserves. If we play the hand we’ve been dealt, we can once again become one of the world’s leading economies. Game on.

Saul Klein is executive chairman of Phoenix Court and has been a member of the prime minister’s Council for Science & Technology since 2021

Get some wit for your walls

Find your own signed and framed print of our cartoonists’ finest work, featuring Peter Brookes, Morten Morland, Peter Schrank and more.

Prices start at £58. Order from timescartoons.com

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

---

36

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

Damm big deal for Dalston's Soda

The British arm of the Spanish brewing giant behind Estrella Damm has bought a minority stake in a London-based soft drinks company (Jessica Newman writes). Damm UK said its deal with Dalston's Soda Co, whose fizzy drinks are stocked in Asda and Waitrose,

comes as consumers continue to trade up to premium drinks. The size of the stake was not disclosed. As part of the deal, Damm will support Dalston's across production, distribution and commercial infrastructure at its brewery in Bedford. Luke White, managing director of Damm UK, said the

Duncan O'Brien, founder of Dalston's Soda Co, and Luke White, managing director of Damm UK

partnership "aligns with Damm's premium offering that centres on craftsmanship, excellent ingredients and outstanding quality". Dalston's Soda Co, originally known as Dalston's Cola, was founded by Duncan O'Brien in Hackney, east London in 2012. O'Brien said Damm was a "superb ally for Dalston's", adding that it was "a little mind-blowing" to see the company "make it from its bootstrapped origins to partnering with Damm".

Damm was founded in Barcelona in 1876 and now employs more than 6,300 people. Last year its sales topped 1.2 billion. It operates 17 production plants across the Iberian peninsula and made its first meaningful manufacturing foray outside the region in October last year when it opened the state-of-the-art Damm Eagle Brewery in Bedford. Damm's investment in Dalston's comes two months after it acquired Old Speckled Hen beers from Greene King.

PruFunded homes built for the future & a retirement built for me

My parents invested with 'the Man from the Pru'. It helped them buy the house I grew up in. Now my adviser is planning my pension with PruFund, it feels full circle. PruFund invests in a number of assets, like Greencore Homes that could help more families like mine, while giving me a long-term way to invest for my future too. That's why I'm a PruFund.

Speak to your financial adviser or visit prufund.co.uk

Your capital's at risk and you may not get back what you paid in.

The Prudential Assurance Company Limited (company reg. no. 15454) is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Part of M&G.

Cambridge will 'fully immerse' GSK in biotech

Alex Ralph Chief Business Correspondent

Plans by Luke Miels, GSK's new chief executive, to relocate the big pharma company's R&D centre from Stevenage to Cambridge stem from observations that the Australian made when he first moved to the UK to work at AstraZeneca, its rival, more than a decade ago.

At Miels's first major strategic update yesterday he unveiled GSK's "Accelerate Growth" programme to speed up investment in the FTSE 100 company's R&D and late-stage medicines pipeline, including moving to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

In a presentation to media and later investors from the London Stock Exchange, Miels, 51, said the plans would help GSK hit its existing target of generating more than £40 billion of group revenue by 2031; deliver "a stable-to-improving" operating margin later this decade, when it loses patent protection for a blockbuster HIV franchise; and "accelerate growth" from 2031 onwards.

After a review of its medicines portfolio since he took charge in January, Miels, speaking alongside other senior executives at Paternoster Square, said GSK would accelerate development of seven late-stage assets in its key specialisms of oncology, respiratory, hepatology and vaccines. It will start more than 20 phase III trials by the end of the year — double its previous commitment.

GSK will invest £400 million over the next three years, including in the relocation of its Stevenage R&D centre, where it has been based since 1995.

The "major restructuring" programme will be funded through £1.9 billion of targeted annual cost savings by 2029, at a one-off cost of £2.4 billion.

While the savings will mainly be reinvested in R&D, including acquisitions, "a portion" will be used to bolster GSK's profit margin as it manages the loss of patent protection for the HIV drug dolutegravir between 2028 and 2030.

"We have a wave of readouts that, if successful, can not only offset patent expires in HIV but grow the business," Miels said. The programme was a "fundamental part of our strategy to evolve the company's cost base in line with its shifting product portfolio" towards new speciality medicines, he added.

They include the rebuilding of its oncology pipeline, bolstered in June by the $10.6 billion acquisition of Nuvalent, a clinical-stage cancer specialist

based in Boston — GSK's largest biotech acquisition in its 26-year history.

GSK was created in 2000 through the combination of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham.

The decision to integrate GSK into Cambridge was "designed to make us better at discovering and developing competitive new drugs, to realise the opportunities in the late-stage portfolio and R&D", Miels said.

The decision has been inspired by Miels's experience at AstraZeneca, Britain's other big pharma company, which moved its R&D centre from Cheshire to the Cambridge campus. The "beauty of the Cambridge environment", Miels said, was that "you're fully immersed" in the life sciences cluster.

"I have friends who are thoracic surgeons, I have friends who work in biotechs, people who are matrons of nursing boards. You really just live and breathe biotechnology and patient care in an environment like that.

"And so it's something that, when I got the job, I said, 'Look, we really need to go and have a look at this, and whether we have our people in the environment where it's most likely to drive innovation, because of course we certainly don't have a monopoly on all the good ideas out there.' It also helps to have a critical mass of life sciences in a location like that."

Miels added that competition with AstraZeneca was a "good thing... Competition for ideas, competition for molecules, competition for great people. These are all good things that ultimately will make us better at finding and developing drugs."

Investors welcomed GSK's strategy update, announced alongside positive half-year results and full-year guidance, with the shares closing up 69p, or 3.5 per cent, at £20.29, valuing the company at £87.6 billion.

The shares have rallied by more than a third since Miels was announced as Dame Emma Walmsley's successor in September 2025, boosted by growing investor confidence that he will sharpen GSK's commercial performance and continue to improve the productivity of its historically underperforming R&D.

A persistent gap between GSK's 2031 sales target and the City's forecast of £36.4 billion has narrowed. Analysts at Citigroup, a joint house broker, told clients: "Overall the ambition is heading in the right direction but we think the market will wait for delivery."

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

37

Business

Unilever cashes in on emerging markets

Isabella Fish Retail Editor Graham Ruddick Deputy Business Editor

Unilever has raised its annual outlook after posting its strongest volume growth in more than a decade, signalling that its plan to focus on core power brands is starting to pay off.

Shares in the FTSE 100 consumer goods group rose by nearly 9 per cent after it posted a 5.8 per cent increase in underlying sales in the second quarter, ahead of analysts' consensus forecasts of 4.14 per cent and up from 3.8 per cent in the first quarter.

Sales volumes increased 5.5 per cent against expectations of 2.29 per cent and revenue rose 3.8 per cent to €11.05 billion, topping a €12.87 billion forecast.

Fernando Fernández, chief executive, hailed it as 'the best volume quarter at Unilever in over a decade', with

'power brands' and emerging markets driving the improvement in performance. Jefferies, the broker, said that sales volume growth 'is king and that beat is royal'.

Fernández has been leading a drastic turnaround plan at Unilever since March last year. His strategy has been to prioritise its more than €13 billion personal care division and €12.8 billion beauty and wellbeing businesses, which house brands including Dove soap, Lynx body spray and Sure deodorant.

This has meant spinning off the company's multi-billion-euro ice cream business, home to Ben &

Jerry's and Magnum. More recently, the company agreed to merge Unilever's food arm with the American spice and seasoning maker McCormick in a $44.8 billion deal.

Unilever said it now expected full-year underlying sales growth of 4 per cent to 6 per cent, with volume growth of about 3 per cent. It previously expected sales growth at the lower end of the multi-year 4 to 6 per cent range and at least 2 per cent volume growth.

The plan is starting to show green shoots. For the first half of the year, underlying operating profit rose 0.9 per cent

Products such as Dove soap have been prioritised

to €5.19 billion, above the €5.16 billion consensus.

Second-half sales growth is forecast at 4 per cent to 5 per cent, led by price rises as the company responds to commodity inflation.

Unilever bosses said that while the pace of price rises slowed in the second quarter, thanks in part to World Cup-related promotions, there were 'temporary factors' that could affect prices.

Management warned that commodity volatility, specifically crude oil, petrochemical derivatives and vegetable oils, would hit the second half of the year, forcing sequential price increases primarily in emerging markets and cleaning products.

'We have guided for a modest margin expansion for the full year,' the Anglo-Dutch company said yesterday. 'We expect underlying price growth to accelerate in the second half as

commodity-driven pricing continues to land in the market.'

Barclays analysts described Unilever's performance as a 'blow quarter ... It comfortably exceeded both our expectations and consensus, driven by an exceptional volume performance.'

The broker noted that 'one softer area was foods, where management acknowledged weaker developed market conditions and increased competition in US condiments but have very specific plans to improve the performance from here'.

Last week McCormick, the maker of French's mustard and Frank's RedHat sauce, announced that it was seeking a secondary listing in London, along with its listing in New York, as part of its merger deal with Unilever's food business.

Shares in Unilever rose 371p, or 8 per cent, to close at £49.98.

Games firm hit by licensing drop-off

A sharp fall in licensing revenue overshadowed an otherwise record year of sales and profits at Games Workshop (Isabella Fish writes).

Shares in the Warhammer maker dropped 180p, or 0.9 per cent, to close at £20.04 after the FTSE 100 company reported a 37 per cent drop in licensing revenue to £32.9 million, while licensing operating profit fell to £29.9 million from £49.5 million.

The manufacturer of tabletop games had already warned investors not to expect a repeat of last year's bumper revenues in the licensing division, driven by a strong performance of Space Marine 2, its latest third-person action game.

The arm manages the monetisation of its intellectual property by granting third-party companies the rights to

build products set in the Warhammer universes. It took the shine off of an otherwise strong set of results. Revenue increased by 6.8 per cent to £659.7 million in the year to the end of May, while pre-tax profit rose 4.9 per cent to a

record £275.7 million. The core miniatures business remained the main source of growth. Revenue increased by 10.9 per cent to £626.8 million and operating profit climbed 15.7 per cent to £245.1 million.

Games Workshop declared a dividend of 140p a share, taking payouts announced so far in the current financial year to 230p, up from 140p at the same point last year. The Nottingham-based business floated

on the London Stock Exchange in 1994 and was promoted to the FTSE 100 in December 2024 after increased demand for Warhammer miniatures and video games. Shares in Games Workshop have climbed by more than

28 per cent over the past year and the company has a market capitalisation of about £6 billion. It opened its first store in Hammersmith, west London, in 1978 and now has more than 550 shops in countries including

Warhammer characters are big favourites with the Comic Con crowd

Germany, Japan and America.

Kevin Rountree, the company's publicity-shy chief executive, said: 'Games Workshop and the Warhammer hobby are in great shape.'

He said the revenue and profit outcome reflected 'another good performance from the core business', but did not provide detailed financial guidance for the new year.

In December last year Games Workshop said it had agreed a deal with Amazon to turn its Warhammer 40,000 universe into films and television series.

The company said yesterday that it was a 'long-term partnership with Amazon — and these adaptations will take years to bring successfully to market. The project continues in line with our contractual agreement with Amazon.' It confirmed that Henry Cavill, the actor, remained involved, while the United Artists and horror director Mike Flanagan had joined the project.

Analysts at Jefferies said there was 'little in here not to like' about Game Workshop's performance update.

Ofcom claims BT Openreach broadband discount is 'unfair'

Charlotte Bend

BT Openreach may be forced to withdraw a full-fibre discount after the regulator said it was unfair and targeted the same customers that rival networks needed to survive and compete.

Ofcom provisionally found that the 'aggressive discounting' unfairly targeted new customers who were key to allowing rival 'altnets' to increase their customer base.

The offer from BT's wholesale network business applies only to full-fibre customers new to the network. The

watchdog is proposing to block the deal on the grounds that it could hurt competition and drive up prices in the long term.

Ofcom said: 'Matching these discounts may not allow competitors to recover their costs, given the low prices they are already offering to all of their customers. Sustainable competition is fundamental because it means people having a choice.'

Openreach notified Ofcom in June of its intention to roll out a range of offers in line with expectations of allowing the wider industry advance notice.

Ofcom has described Openreach's discount for new sign-ups as 'very substantial' up to £9.50 per customer per month for up to 30 months. In areas where Virgin Media operates, the proposed offer would allow a one-off £50 discount on new full-fibre customers to Openreach.

This would be the first time that Ofcom has stepped in to block a commercial offer from Openreach.

The discounting comes at a time when only about half of households that could access full-fibre broadband have yet signed up. It was 'vital' that

different networks were allowed to compete for these customers fairly, Ofcom said.

Ofcom said: 'Under this offer, Openreach is targeting significant discounts at new customers that are key to allnets' ability to grow their customer base, while leaving prices for other customers unchanged.'

'We are concerned that this could undermine sustainable competition.'

Ofcom is accepting responses to its consultation until August 27. It is then expected to take these into consideration before making a final decision by

the end of September. Openreach expressed disappointment over the provisional blocking of the offer.

James Lowther, managing director for commercial at Openreach, said: 'In such a competitive market, we don't believe that regulation should protect poor business models and we disagree with Ofcom's analysis.'

However, Virgin Media O2 urged Ofcom to go further, calling for tougher oversight against what it labelled Openreach's clear intent to 'entreach its dominant position and squeeze competition'.

---

38

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

The Times unit trust information service

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Ylg %
ALLIANCE GLOBAL INVESTORS
Inv Serv: 0309 7965 6400 Hejkine: 0800 317 573
Strategic Retail Fund I	129.0	-0.06	0.12
UK Equity A	392.34	-1.11	4.02
UK Growth I	38094.29	-79.23	2.39

ANTEMIS FUND-MARS
0300 692 2951
Authorized Inv Funds
Global Income Fund F Ac	184.56	-0.39
Global Income Fund F Inc	258.23	0.03
Global Social Fund F	229.88	-1.66
High Income Fund F Inc	67.54	-0.03
Income Fund F Ac	181.26	-2.10
Income Fund F Inc	311.33	-0.03
Monthly F Ac & F Inc	98.36	-0.34
Smart Fund Fund Equity II	1078.33	-6.67
Smart Fund Fund Equity II	1081.66	-4.33
Smart Fund Fund Equity II	1429.75	-36.6
Strategic Fund F Ac	95.35	-0.33
Strategic Fund F Inc	113.63	-0.11
Strategic Fund F Inc	112.36	-0.04
Strategic Fund F Inc	119.62	-0.11
Strategic Fund F Inc	52.46	-0.05
UK Select Fund F Ac	1115.95	-5.16
UK Short Fund F Ac	2506.72	-14.61
UK Special F Ac & F Inc	1095.06	-4.67

AXA-FRAWLINGTON UNIT MGMT
Diag: 0800 602 1952 Pro Clients: 0800 777 5511
Month I	2290	-47.03
UK Select Dge Inc	25.34	-4.06	1.10
UK Special Inc	322.4	-2.50	0.30
UK Tech Dge F Inc	256.5	-0.90	1.35

AXA FUND MANAGERS
Admin: 6 Eng 0127 909 0000
UK/Odced Investment Companies
Global Fund F Ac	208.1	-	0.52
Japan F Ac	182.7	-	1.51

CIS UNIT MANAGERS
00057 46 46 46
European Growth I	249.38	-	1.10
Sec London I	1025	-0.39	1.40
UK Growth I	804.38	-	1.71
UK Income I	250.88	-	3.92

CLOSE FUND MANAGEMENT
Dealing 0309 7426 6232
Winchester I	5475.66	-	0.62

COLUMBIA THREADMEELE INVESTMENTS
Eng: 0079 601 6333 Dealing: 0070 6003
Share Class 2 Mutual
Euro Fund A Inc	1565	-42	0.30
FTSE 40 Inc Fund I	195.9	-1.7	2.70
Global Fund 50 I	391.1	-1.7
Strategic 50 I	227.5	-0.2	4.00

EDENTREE INV MGMT
0000 783 3010
SecF Est Subs A Div I	402.3	-0.40	1.79
SecF Est Subs A Div I	448.4	-0.30	0.55
SecF High Income I	125.6	-0.30	0.55
SecF Sterling Fund A Div I	1005.62	-0.07	4.97
SecF Int Subs A Div I	255.9	-0.50	1.64
SecF UK Expy Subs A Div I	1055.9	-1.50	1.44

FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL
Private Girls 0000 414263 Broker Dlpa: 0000 414225
Amor Spec I	2969	-
American I	7177	-
Euro Expy I	158.9	-	0.50
European I	4082	-	0.39
Global Focus I	9575	-
Other High Income Bond E	1210	-	0.50
Global Social E	9641	-
Japan I	992.0	-	0.35
Monopolies Par I	40.33	-	0.60
Monopolies Par I	28.2	-	5.30
Monopolies Int Fund I	288.9	-	2.49
Special Etrs I	7301	-	1.67

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Ylg %
UK Opportunities Fund B Div	1203.0	-	1.44

HALIFAX INVESTMENT FUND-MARS
01296 306 306
Authorized Inv Funds
Share Class C
Corporate Bond I	37.28	-	4.50
Int Fund I	213.4	-	0.60
UK FTSE 260 IT I	167.9	-
UK FTSE 60 0 IT I	119.5	-

HSBC GLOBAL ASSET MGMT (UK)
Eng: 0000 703 6223 Dlpa: 0000 703 6126 Mon-Fri: 0.8-6

HSBC Index Trustee Investment Funds (OEC)
Amer Ind Inc I	1396	-5	0.79
Euro Int Inc I	1330	-31	2.10
Euro Int Inc I	1893	-12	2.30
FTSE 100 Int Inc I	429.9	-1.5	2.50
FTSE 100 Int Inc I	175.6	-0.6	2.65
FTSE 250 Int Inc I	399.6	-2.1	3.96
FTSE 250 Int Inc I	216.0	-1.2	2.94
FTSE 60 0 Int Inc I	1160	-2	2.67
FTSE FTSE 60 0 Int I	496.7	-1.4	3.01
Japan Int Inc I	219.1	-4.1	1.51
Japan Int Inc I	219.1	-4.1	1.51
Pacific Int Inc I	996.5	-49.5	1.66
Pacific Int Inc I	561.9	-27.0	1.69

HSBC Investment Funds (OEC) Retail Share Class
Cons M Inc I	311.2	-0.4	4.30
Income Ac I	1867	-	3.30
Income Inc I	688.6	-1.2	3.33
Monthly Inc Ac I	313.4	-	3.75
Monthly Inc Inc I	119.9	-	4.02
UK Int Inc Inc Int A	1025.7	-0.7	3.09
UK Int Inc Inc Int A	1025.7	-0.7	3.09
UK Int Inc Inc Int A	1025.7	-0.7	3.09

HSBC Specialist Investment Fds (OEC)
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70

INVESCO FUND-MARS LTD
Diag: 0000 005 0571 Inv Serv: 0000 005 0677
Brin Serv: 0000 603 2121
Invesco Funds
Cons Bond I	331.37	-	4.02
High Income Div I	400.0	-	1.17
Income & Growth Div I	500.24	-	0.00
Income Inc I	1004.62	-	3.09
Income Inc I	101.66	-	1.63
Monthly Inc Plus Div I	92.79	-	5.76
UK Dge Int Inc I	1007.79	-	1.40
UK Tech Dge Int Inc I	1335.96	-	1.45

INVESTLE FUND-MARS LTD
Brown Support and Dealing: 020 7597 2900
OEC Series I, II, III & IV
American A Inc I	627.23	-7.11
Cashless Managed A Inc	1468.67	-0.98	2.63
Cashless Managed A Inc	1318.43	-0.57	2.49
Share of Int Growth A Inc	1321.96	-1.27	4.21
Share of Int Growth A Inc	133.66	-0.04	6.97
Share of Int Income A Inc	1375.67	-0.43	3.00
Share of Int Income A Inc	1.67.00	-0.06	5.39
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	138.39	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95

INVESTLE FUND-MARS LTD
Brown Support and Dealing: 020 7597 2900
OEC Series I, II, III & IV
American A Inc I	627.23	-7.11
Cashless Managed A Inc	1468.67	-0.98	2.63
Cashless Managed A Inc	1318.43	-0.57	2.49
Share of Int Growth A Inc	1321.96	-1.27	4.21
Share of Int Growth A Inc	133.66	-0.04	6.97
Share of Int Income A Inc	1375.67	-0.43	3.00
Share of Int Income A Inc	1.67.00	-0.06	5.39
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	138.39	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95
Entergy Miss Deere Deed A	1009.9	-0.31	5.95

HSBC Specialist Investment Fds (OEC)
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70
American Index Retail Inc	1229	-3	0.70

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Ylg %
Global Social Business Inc	797.71	-4.17
UK Social Business Inc	1260.00	-27.61	1.05
UK Social Business Inc	921.07	-4.39	1.06

For OIS Asset Mgmt use FACCF Mgmt Ltd (OEC)
JANUS HENDERSON INVESTORS
Invesco Serv: 0000 832 933 Diag: 0000 944 4646
UK Class Local Inc	1.67	-	4.40
Black Div Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40
Cashless Managed Fd I	156.1	-3.60	3.50
Cashless Managed A Inc	1130	-4.30	4.10
Cons M Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40
Cons M Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40
Cons M Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40
Cons M Inc I Trust Inc	97.44	-	5.40

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

JUPITER INT TRUST MANAGERS LTD
020 7583 3020
Scotchallons A Growth I	1212.3	-0.0039	2.93
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

JUPITER INT TRUST MANAGERS LTD
020 7583 3020
Scotchallons A Growth I	1212.3	-0.0039	2.93
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71
J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P. J.P.	1201.37	-1.3975	0.71

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT
OEC
UK Equity (Int F) Int A	4707.000	-1.0000	2.51

Storting Class A Investment Funds 2
Euro Income Inc	1010.77	-	0.00
Global Social Inc	67.42	-	4.39
Global Social Inc	38.77	-	4.39
Inter-Cons Inc	1011.77	-	0.00
Inter-Cons Inc	1011.77	-	0.00
Inter-Cons Inc	1011.77	-	0.00

Storting Class A Investment Funds 3
Euro B A Inc	32.75	-	3.03
Business Inc	66.1	-	5.37
Business Inc	140.2	-	2.00
Int F D Inc	256.77	-	2.07

Storting Class A Investment Funds 4
Equity B (Income) A Inc	1161.75	-	3.91
MARKS & SPONSOR UNIT TRUST
0000 605 0000
Multi Income	87.83	-	4.60
Multi Income Inc I	295.1	-	4.66
Inter-Cons Inc I	107.1	-	1.33
Inter-Cons Inc I	325.9	-	2.10
Inter-Cons Inc I	325.9	-	2.10
Inter-Cons Inc I	377.1	-	2.90
Inter-Cons Inc I	1395.7	-	7.90
Inter-Cons Inc I	1395.7	-	7.90
Inter-Cons Inc I	1395.7	-	7.90

UK & Income Investment Funds
Euro Bond A Inc I	320.2	-0.50	4.00
Euro Bond A Inc I	295.1	-	4.66
Inter-Cons Inc I	907.1	-	1.33
Inter-Cons Inc I	325.9	-	2.10
Inter-Cons Inc I	327.1	-	2.90
Inter-Cons Inc I	1395.7	-	7.90
Inter-Cons Inc I	1395.7	-	7.90
Inter-Cons Inc I	1395.7	-	7.90

MONSAN TEXAS INVESTMENT MGMT
Enquiries: 0000 0961 962
The Morgan Stanley Funds (UK)
Class A Shares
Equity
Gold 50 Int F Inc	1009.40	-	0.34
Gold 50 Int F Inc (P)	1010.40	-	0.45
Gold 50 Int F Inc (P)	1010.40	-	0.45
Gold 50 Int F Inc (P)	1010.40	-	0.45
Gold 50 Int F Inc (P)	1010.40	-	0.45
Gold 50 Int F Inc (P)	1010.40	-	0.45

OEC & Class
UK 50 Int F Inc	662.0	-3.10	2.60
UK 50 Int F Inc	278.7	-1.20	2.60

OEC & Class
UK Eq Int F	133.3	-0.60	2.60

STANDARD INT INVESTMENTS
0000 279 3000
Investment Funds (OEC) Retail Shares
AAA Int (AT Inc)	98.39	-	2.92
AAA Int (AT Inc)	91.82	-	2.52
AAA Income Inc	100.40	-	-
Amer Eq (AT) Int A	108.00	-	2.00
UK Acng (AT) Int A	148.7	-	3.50
UK Acng (AT) Int A	262.80	-	-
Waller Int A	135.36	-	4.20
Waller Int A	67.42	-	3.03
Weller Int A	130.2	-	3.03
UK Stock Int A	203.90	-	-

SVS BROWN SHIPLEY FUNDS
Enquiries: 0101 222 1255
Business A Inc	102.79	-	2.02
Business A Inc	134.71	-	2.07
Business A Inc	135.36	-	2.44
Business A Inc	104.92	-	2.90
Business A Inc	405.66	-	1.66
Business A Inc	424.61	-	1.41
Business A Inc	408.21	-	1.63
Business A Inc	313.43	-	2.17

THEBADMEELE INVESTMENTS
Client Serv: 0000 0004000
Retail Shares Class 1
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	59.373	-3.98	4.65
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	101.827	-42.47	2.75
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	94.754	-7.09	4.39
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	154.60	-3.03	3.47
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	141.50	-0.12	4.17
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	142.853	-0.31	5.02
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	129.556	-12.19	3.50
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	1017.33	-248.02	3.39
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	1017.33	-248.02	3.39
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	1017.33	-248.02	3.39
Thrombosis Int Ex B Inc	1017.33	-248.02	3.39

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

39

Business

Ferrexpo on the brink after Russian drone attack on ship

Emily Gosden

The Ukrainian mining group Ferrexpo is near collapse after a cargo ship carrying its iron ore pellets was hit in a fatal Russian drone attack, hastening the firm's cashflow crisis.

The miner said it would run out of cash by the end of next month unless it managed to complete an ambitious $100 million equity raise.

The group has been brought to its knees by the combined effects of Russia's war on Ukraine and tax and legal actions related to the country's pursuit of Ferrexpo's biggest shareholder, Kostyantin Zhevago.

Ferrexpo warned in April that it would exhaust its cash by August and have no option but to file for insolvency unless it was able to raise $100 million. Its shares were suspended after it was unable to file accounts on time.

The company said a fortnight ago that moves to conserve cash had enabled it to push that deadline out to early in the fourth quarter.

However, yesterday it said a vessel carrying 55,000 tonnes of high-grade iron ore pellets had been "struck and damaged by Russian drones while sailing in Ukrainian waters of the Black Sea", killing one crew member in what it described as "an unprovoked attack on a civilian vessel".

It warned that the fallout from the attack had had a "material negative impact on the group's liquidity position" and its cash would now keep it afloat only until the end of August. It had $21 million at the end of June.

Ferrexpo mines iron ore in central Ukraine. The group was worth as much as £2.7 billion in the summer of 2021 but its value had slumped to £170 million by the time its shares were suspended.

Its production and sales have been

constrained to varying degrees since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as attacks have disrupted power supplies and exports.

It has also been hamstrung by Ukraine suspending VAT refunds worth tens of millions of dollars. The decision relates to Ukraine's personal sanctions on Zhevago. Ferrexpo's former chief executive, who the country accuses of embezzlement from a failed bank he used to control.

Zhevago, who denies all charges, still owns almost half of Ferrexpo and his approval would be needed for any equity raise. Ferrexpo said in April that Zhevago had indicated his support, subject to being able to take part to avoid dilution, but noted "various legal, fiscal, political and other risks" arising from his participation.

Ferrexpo said that the vessel damaged in the Black Sea "currently remains afloat... however, the condition of the cargo and the vessel's structural integrity remain unknown". It said that it understood that "efforts are being made for the potential salvage of the vessel".

Ferrexpo had been planning to ramp up exports of the high-grade pellets through Black Sea ports to customers in the Middle East in the second half of the year, but ship owners are now withdrawing their vessels after the attack.

"The group does not expect to be able to load additional vessels via this export route for the foreseeable future," it said.

Ferrexpo said it had about 189,000 tonnes of pellets designated for shipment, including the cargo on the vessel that was hit, and that "the cost of production and delivery of this inventory is approximately $20 million".

It has begun claims with its insurers, but these are unlikely to pay out in time to help with the cashflow crunch.

All Nippon Airways displays a specially painted Boeing 787-8 to mark the 30th anniversary of the release of Pokémon Red

Boeing's $280m hit from Air Force One

Times Business Reporter

Boeing yesterday reported a larger than expected quarterly loss after taking a $280 million charge on its troubled Air Force One replacement programme but generated positive free cashflow as its turnaround plans gained momentum.

The planemaker took the charge due to higher engineering costs to ensure it delivers the two delayed US presidential plane replacements in 2028, contributing to a $428 million net loss for the second quarter.

Despite the losses, Boeing recorded $631 million of free cashflow, compared with a negative $200 million during the second quarter of 2025. The cashflow bump was due in part to higher custom-

er payments than anticipated, according to the company.

The aircraft manufacturer maintained its guidance of $1 billion to $3 billion in free cashflow for the year, which would be its first positive result since 2023, as it increases production of its bestselling 737 Max narrow-body jets.

Boeing also increased capital investments in the quarter compared with last year, due largely to expanding capabilities for 787 production in South Carolina and military jet production in the St Louis, Missouri, area.

The planemaker is also working to deliver two 747-8 jets to serve as Air Force One under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract signed in 2018 that is now four years behind schedule and more than $1 billion over budget.

President Trump accepted a Qatar-donated 747-8 jet that is serving as an Air Force One plane in the meantime, although he said this month it would soon be sent away for upgrades after questions about its security features.

In a memo to staff, Kelly Ortberg, Boeing chief executive, said: "While two quarters don't make a year, if we work together and stay focused on safety, quality and on-time performance, we'll improve our competitiveness and set ourselves up for a big second half."

He added: "The momentum we are building continues to move Boeing in the right direction."

The shares were up $10.92, or 5.2 per cent, at $222.42 in lunchtime trading in New York.

NO-FLY SELF-GUIDED RAIL JOURNEY

Alpine capitals

August 2026 to December 2027

Take an unforgettable Byway Travel European rail journey, connecting iconic cultural capitals. Your self-guided tour begins with the Eurostar to Amsterdam, where artistic treasures await. Then, drift off to sleep on the Nightjet sleeper train and awaken to the imperial splendour of Vienna.

Explore Mozart's Salzburg, set against the backdrop of the Alps, before discovering the chic, lakeside city of Zurich. With comfortable hotels and scenic train journeys linking each destination, this multi-centre holiday offers the perfect blend of independent exploration and seamless travel.

What's included

• All train travel, including return Eurostar from London St Pancras
• Digital journey guide with tickets and personalised recommendations
• Seat reservations
• Specially selected hotels
• Save £100 when booked by August 31, 2026*
• Times+ members save an extra £100* Visit thetimes.com/timesplus for your unique code

Call 0808 273 1848 or visit thetimes.com/th-alpinecapitals

TIMES Holidays

Terms and conditions apply. Price shown in per person, based on January 9, 2027 (departure and excludes mandatory local taxes/revert fees payable locally (amount varies by destination), these will be included in your quota. Price serves as of July 22, 2026 and subject to change and availability. £100 off Times+ offer applicable to cash Times Holidays booking made by December 31, 2026 with a minimum speed of £2,800 when quoting your unique Times+ calls. Visit thetimes.com/thhesplus for full terms and conditions. £100 Bysing offer on all Times Holidays bookings made by August 31, 2026. **Reverse 50% off an interest/Travel pass upgrade on all eligible trips booked by July 30, 2021 + tickets must be electronically shown on your phone. Offers and bookings are subject to availability, see supplier website for full S&Cs. This holiday is sold by Times Holidays as an agent for Bysing Travel and protected under ABTA P8770. For full booking conditions, visit thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions.

---

Board Intelligence IQ Experts

SPONSORED CONTENT

Board directors are under pressure. From customers to investors, stakeholders expect more from them, demanding evidence they're making an impact and driving value across an ever-growing range of areas. But directors are also facing an information overload, as companies generate more data than ever.

Research from Board Intelligence – the largest board technology and advisory firm in the EMEA region – and the Chartered Governance Institute illustrates the scale of the problem. It reveals that the average briefing pack sent to directors in advance of a board meeting now runs to 220 pages – that's 27 per cent longer than in 2019. And volume is no guarantee of value: directors assess 61 per cent of these info packs as weak or poor quality.

Leaders find the information backward-looking, internally focused and lacking insight into future challenges and opportunities. Directors in need of strategic intel are too often left wading through operational statistics.

With little evidence of any improvement in sight, these difficulties have started to affect their performance. In Board Intelligence's latest Board Value Index, 84 per cent of directors say poor quality information has caused their board to delay, rush or make a subpar decision in the past six months. Directors in the UK now rank information quality as the single biggest barrier to improving the standard of decision-making.

TECH TO THE RESCUE

Could artificial intelligence help? Many senior leaders believe so. But while more boards are embracing tools that incorporate AI, solutions that simply enable them to wade through ever-larger packs more quickly are not enough. Directors want tools that underpin richer discussions and better decisions.

There is a subtler problem, too, which even boards with excellent packs will recognise. No author can anticipate every question. A report is finished days in advance, written from inside one function, and fixed in length. The discussions that shape an organisation's future are none of those things.

Turning information into insight

Directors face rising – and not always sound – walls of data. A new AI tool could help boards climb not just faster, but further

This is the gap Board Intelligence aims to close with IQ Experts, the AI built into its board platform. Rather than being another summarising tool, it gives directors an open conversation with their board materials: they can ask anything of the current pack, of years of board history and of live external sources – with each one cited.

"Our competitors have AI that makes governance faster – we have AI that makes it better," says Pippa Begg, chief executive and co-founder of Board Intelligence. "IQ Experts is designed to give every director superhuman reach into the board's materials, and every question the depth it deserves."

Inevitably, there will be more of those questions in the months and years ahead. The role of the director as an independent figure with a statutory duty to hold the company to account for the benefit of all shareholders has never felt more important. Research from ICGN, an association that champions high standards of corporate governance, suggests effectively discharged director independence is a critical driver of long-term value creation.

In this context, directors must now reach a clear view and make tough decisions across a wide-ranging remit – from corporate strategy to cybersecurity, geopolitics and sustainability. The complexity of these decisions continues to grow

– and so too does the significance.

IQ Experts is designed to support directors in this regard – to help them spend the time ahead of board meetings working through key issues, rather than drowning in endless data, and to arrive at those meetings with better informed questions and fewer blind spots.

Board Intelligence built IQ Experts from more than 20 years' experience in board consultancy, governance and software development. The tool incorporates expertise that spans more than 130 governance topics, all available within a portal that directors are already using for documentation and communication.

THE HUMAN TOUCH

The critical principle is that while AI can play a role in helping directors to process information more quickly – vital given the way data continues to grow – the greater value of the technology lies in augmentation.

Better informed directors, armed with a wider range of perspectives and insights, will be in a far stronger position to support the business, challenge where it counts and work with executives to find new ways to create value.

The danger is that as information overload increases, directors will struggle to exercise the judgement they were appointed to bring to the business. Board Intelligence says AI tools such as IQ Experts can help

Leaders want tools that underpin richer discussions

counter that danger, giving directors what they need to work more efficiently and effectively.

This could represent a breakthrough moment for directors. To date, research suggests, board members have often been sceptical about the application of AI in their own roles. While many businesses are moving quickly to embrace the technology in an operational capacity, boards themselves have made less use of AI at senior level, citing understandable concerns about control and security.

On the first issue, Board Intelligence sees IQ Experts playing a supporting role for directors, rather than as a tool that will replace the human calls they make. AI can and should help stimulate debate, but people will still be responsible for making final decisions – and remain accountable for those choices.

And for peace of mind, IQ Experts offers enterprise-grade security, with ISO 27001 certification. The tool is not trained on client data and the AI retains no data. That should reassure directors who are rightly concerned about data protection and security issues or anxious about the vulnerability of intellectual property.

The bottom line? The promise of IQ Experts is to help directors focus on value creation – to support the business as it sets out a roadmap for growth and transformation. Right now, the Board Value Index suggests that 41 per cent of boards spend half or more of their meeting time looking backwards rather than planning ahead, and that just 18 per cent are strong enablers of innovation. The right AI tools can help directors get on the front foot.

61%

of directors' briefing packs are considered weak or poor quality

See more on IQ Experts at boardintelligence.com

BOARD INTELLIGENCE

---

THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026

41

Markets Business

William Kay Tempus

Buy, sell or hold: today's best share tips

Potholes ahead for motor marketplace

AUTOTRADER

Market cap £3.8 billion	Dividend yield 3 per cent

When this column recommended Autotrader Group shares at 828p a year ago, we could hardly have expected that within months they would be hit by a car-dealer rebellion and a market-wide attack on firms deemed at risk of being clobbered by AI. The price plunged to 435p, from which it is still trying to recover. Where do the shares go from here?

From its origins as a magazine packed with classified car ads, the company has become Britain's pre-eminent online motor marketplace, also handling financing, warranties, insurance and other add-ons. But motorists can now ask AI to find a vehicle for sale or lease without using Autotrader. While that search avenue is likely to be hit or miss, it may be good enough for a significant proportion of buyers. Unless the group can tempt them back, it loses trade and the highly profitable add-ons. Hence the shares' weakness.

Some City observers believe the fears are overdone. Nick Train of the Lindsell Train investment fund found "no evidence that the dominant market position is being eroded away by AI entrants", but added: "It will likely take much longer to prove or disprove worries around AI's ability to displace the business model."

Nathan Coe, Autotrader's chief executive, said: "What makes us different is all the ways that we use to help make buying a car better.

Crunching gears

ADVICE: Hold WHY Historically low p/e ratio more than makes up for short-term AVAV uncertainties, but doubts will linger

valuations, pricing, the providence of the vehicle, whether it is a clearance outstanding, what the value of the part exchange is... All of that is based on data that only we have and isn't publicly available. So we've seen AI as an opportunity to superpower what we do for car buyers and retailers, as opposed to it being something that undermines us."

But he was caught off balance last winter by dealers' hostility to the firm's rollout of its Deal Builder platform, which had been developed

with prospective users over the previous two years. While it was designed to move vehicle financing and reservations entirely online, many dealers felt it was squeezing their control over sales processes and introducing unwanted transaction fees. Social media caught light.

Autotrader quickly climbed down with a modified offer, but not soon enough to head off a number of subscription cancellations. It set up customer advisory groups and launched The Keys, a YouTube channel where dealers share stories, masterclasses and discussions.

Dealers have been calmed, AI fears are being assuaged — but looming over the horizon, bristling with unknowns, are self-driving cars, known as autonomous vehicles (AV). "We think we'll be fine," says Coe. "AV makes cars safer and more

useful, and that's got to be good for people who drive cars. And anything that makes cars better for a user is generally good for our product."

The big question is how keen motorists will be to have their own AVs, as opposed to renting or taking robotaxis. Coe is convinced that many will continue to want a car as a convenient symbol of independence and an extension of their home, complete with tennis racquets, trainers, shopping lists and sweet wrappers.

A potential stumbling block is the increasingly sophisticated software that will be loaded onto self-driving cars, and where legal liability for accidents will lie once they are completely autonomous, with no intervention by passengers/owners.

For the mass market, that is several years off, in the meantime motorists may be tempted to consult Autotrader more frequently about upgrades. And if robotaxis take off, there will be a steady flow of used fleet cars coming onto the secondhand market.

Just as Autotrader's business is neutral about vehicle prices, not bothered about ups or downs as long as trading volumes stay high, it is likely to be agnostic about the major reshuffle heading for Britain's streets. The higher activity should flow almost undiluted to the bottom line.

Jessica Pok, Peel Hunt's Autotrader analyst, sees earnings per share rising from 35p to 38.7p in the current year, then to 44.3p and 50.3p. That would take the price/earnings ratio down to 9, less than half where it has been in recent years. She sees dividend yields rising from 3 per cent to 3.7 per cent in that time.

NEWS IN BRIEF

SSP serves up growth

The catering group that runs Upper Crust and Caffe Ritzaza in airports and railway stations has reiterated its full-year guidance.

SSP said overall like-for-like sales rose 4 per cent in the three months to the end of June. The FTSE 250 company's UK and Ireland division posted an 11 per cent increase in like-for-like sales over the period, which it put down to positive seasonal demand and a stronger customer offering, while its North American business recorded sales growth of 2 per cent despite "a backdrop of more subdued passenger numbers towards the end of the quarter".

Sales in Europe, the company's biggest market, were also ahead by 2 per cent. SSP, which in December launched a wide-ranging review of its underperforming continental European rail business, said it was making good progress implementing actions identified in the review.

Despite solid sales growth elsewhere, SSP said trading in Asia Pacific, eastern Europe and the Middle East had particularly suffered as a result of a "significant contraction" in passenger numbers because of the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran.

Like-for-like sales in the region fell 2 per cent, slowing from the 10 per cent fall seen in the second quarter. Shares in the company closed up 12p, or 6.2 per cent, at 206.9p.

Tate & Lyle is to exit London

Tate and Lyle is to vanish from the London market after 91 years, after shareholders voted to back its £2.7 billion takeover by a US rival. The 615p-a-share cash acquisition by Ingrellion, which came at a 60 per cent premium to the ingredients company's undisturbed price in May, was supported by 82 per cent of voting shareholders, accounting for 98.6 per cent of voting shares. Ingrellion has said its new combined group would generate annual revenue of about $9.9 billion and make adjusted profits of $1.8 billion. Tate & Lyle is the latest in a slow of London-listed companies to de-list this year.

Visa to cut 2,600 roles

Visa plans to cut 7 per cent of its workforce, or about 2,600 jobs, with those in the technology and product divisions most likely to be affected. Artificial intelligence was not the sole factor behind the decision but has helped to speed up product development with the payments processor seeking to become more efficient. The announcement was made via a staff memo, first reported by Bloomberg. According to its 2025 annual report, Visa increased its workforce 8 per cent year-on-year from 2024, with 60 per cent of its total employees outside the United States where the company is based.

US investigates Shein

The US arm of Shein is under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and may face significant financial penalties, the fast-fashion ecommerce platform disclosed in connection with its forthcoming flotation in Hong Kong. The company said, depending on the outcome of the investigation, it "may require us to make significant monetary payments that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations". Shein, which attracted a valuation of nearly $100 billion in a 2022 fundraising round, did not say why it was under investigation.

FTSE close to its record despite a chip sell-off

MARKET REPORT

The London markets usually get brickbats for their lack of technology exposure, but yesterday it was good news for the main indices (James Hurley writes).

As other exchanges were recovering from a global semiconductor sell-off, UK markets were supported by the performance in consumer-focused shares, including Unilever and Man Group.

The FTSE 100 rose 89.27 points, or 0.83 per cent, to close at 10,871.02, its second-highest close in history. The FTSE 250 closed at 24,004.78, up 106.68 points, 0.45 per cent.

Croda International, the chemicals maker, was the biggest riser, up 235p, or 8 per cent, to £31.60 after it recorded a sharp increase in interim profits, aided by its consumer-facing division, which provides ingredients for cosmetics and personal care products.

This was an Unilever, up 371p, or 8 per cent, to £49.98, exceeded sales growth expectations with earnings ahead of forecasts, although strong trading in emerging markets was needed to offset weaker performance in Europe.

Sage Group was among the other risers. The business software group, due to provide a trading update today, has been suffering from an AI-related sell-

Wall Street report

As the big tech earnings season gets under way, and after a sharp sell-off in AI-related stocks at the start of the week, indices were mixed. On the plus side, investor sentiment improved on hopes that the US and Iran could still negotiate a deal to allow oil tankers to use the Strait of Hormuz. The S&P 500 rose 15.60 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 7,428.78, while the Dow Jones industrial average ended with a gain of 537.24 points, or 1 per cent, to 52,747.32. The Nasdaq, however, shed 55.17 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 24,876.91.

The day's biggest movers

Company	Change
Croda International	8.0%
Unilever	8.0%
Experian	6.3%
Compass	5.9%
Rels	5.6%
Diploma	-2.8%
Lion Finance	-2.8%
Centrica	-2.9%
Polar Capital Technology	-3.0%
Barclays	-4.8%

British Gas owner Centrica was among the losers as oil and gas prices dipped

off, and the stock is down £3.9 per cent so far this year. Yesterday, however, it rose 49p, or 5.5 per cent, to close at 9395p as it continued something of a rally with investors returning to a business with recurring subscription revenue.

Diageo, the drinks group behind Guinness, Gordon's and Johnnie Walker, has also been enjoying something of a recovery. Its stock has been in the doldrums since 2023, when it issued a shock profit warning on plummeting sales in Latin America. It was up 81p, or 5.1 per cent, to close at £16.72.

Despite reporting a 31 per cent rise in

quarterly profits to £3.3 billion, Barclays shares were the biggest losers on the FTSE 100, falling 235p, or 4.8 per cent, to 505p, as investors reacted to relative underperformance compared with its peers in the United States and a rise in operating expenses.

Other fallers included Centrica, down 2.9 per cent, or 45p, to 1555p as oil and gas prices dipped due to easing geopolitical tensions. On the FTSE 250, Raspberry Pi, the computing business was among stocks being sold, falling 39p, or 5.8 per cent, to 636p amid broader pressure on technology stocks.

---

42

Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES

Business

EQUITY PRICES

Dividend yields Please note dividend yields are supplied by ICE Data Services. The yield is the sum of a company's annual 12-month dividend payments divided by the last day's closing share price.

12-month high and low High/low prices for UK equities and investment trusts are based on intra-day figures.

12-month
High	Low	Company	Price
			Q4 + 1 P/E P/E

Automobiles & Part

475	245	Auton Martin Lay	165	-	5	-	-0.7
Banking & Finance
309	1,175	Aluminum Group	2985	-	5	19	11.5
15	42	Acafe 100	45	-	-	-	-1.6
1501	2624	Adelistad	2766	+	176	54	31.3
6625	1905	A-E&E	5925	-	35	23	21.1
10775	23175	ACM Corp	206125	+	933	6.9	-
1110	199	AltaAltrash	610	-	10	66	3.6
2551	1475	Antimony Group	2055	-	1	62	16.9
13015	1975	Australia A&E	19965	+	175	54	39.1
7695	1995	Baidu	4615	+	45	57	25.7
1000	613	Bauru Sarkodar	1040	-	2	16	11.4
9595	1015	Barclays	926	-	295	13	11.9
175	8	Blue Star Capital	45	-	-	-	-
710	612	Off Watch & Phone	410	-	5	4	5.1
3425	212	Designated Box	1335	-	125	10	14.1
1945	2505	Chamoon	1335	-	6.6	67.9	-
409	336	City of London	400	+	8	40	16.2
5625	1825	Chou Bess	430	+	25	-	-4.4
910	220	CRS (Nuclear)	915	-	10	19	10.2
29575	2007	Desertion Shell	1652	-	135	61	9.0
1	795	CTS Amoco Mapp	735	-	6.9	-	-
2450	1136	Central Space	215	-	-	-	-
35	52	F-Box	675	-	1.7	5.9	-
92	10	Forsight Sensors	875	-	10	4.1	15.5
45125	2005	Georgia Capital	4040	-	140	-	3.5
97	475	Harvard Billiard	55	-	15	67	39.2
210	194	Hollie 6/100	210	-	45	7.7	-
2904	1536	Hillstone	1210	-	27	13	11.4
2990	9985	HSBC	15485	-	25	16	17.0
3956	1616	HS Group	1040	-	10	16	11.7
3005	785	Harper Austin Capital	1610	-	11	64	7.0
2340	1425	ICSI	2930	-	8	45	11.6
1575	1255	Jeff Personal	100	+	5	-	10.0
1425	1135	Jeff Walki P/Play	141	-	6.2	-	-1.3
695	1895	Invesco	1465	+	35	60	6.4
76	90	Invesco	75	-	-	-	-
72	68	IP Group	645	-	15	10	0.9
77	42	Jayrak Securities	8	-	40.0	2.5	-
2245	1125	Jayrak Food Depot	2595	-	16	53	0.3
900	549	Larocahia MApp	660	+	135	60.0	7.3
510	2015	Lincoln & General	2975	-	5	73	20.0
1904	6995	Lion Finance Group	1240	-	210	12	7.9
305	210	Lincoln & Local Agent	1200	-	7	67	10.4
61	30	Lincoln & Ins. Co.	365	-	8	7	16.5
116	75	Lloyds & Earnings	115	-	15	13	16.1
22	10	LNG Capital	16	+	5	20.0	-
3639	6600	London Stock Exchange	1550	+	242	16	30.4
3595	247	MSAS	3525	-	2	50	20.0
1275	1395	Mao Group	3065	+	45	42	36.5
395	20	Moss Financial Inc.	195	-	3.1	4.5	-
10	12	Moss Auto Capital	35	+	5	-	-13.9
105	995	Metro Bank	1745	-	15	-	21.7

PRICES

Major indices

New York	52,747.32 (+537.24)
Newday	24,078.93 (-55.17)
S&P 500	7450.10 (+15.68)
Tokyo
Milton 225	62564.92 (-2566.27)
Hong Kong
Hong Song	25103.05 (+103.67)
Amsterdam
Amsterdam A&E	1092.50 (+11.37)
Sydney
Australia A0	9112.00 (+48.28)
Frankfurt
DAX	25464.61 (+162.98)
Singapore
Singapore Strath	5616.11 (+4.13)
Brussels
Brussels BEL20	5745.96 (+18.55)
Paris
Paris CAC	1450.70 (+12.72)

Zurich
Zurich 500	14571.33 (+149.36)
Zurich 50 Euro Since '05	6209.53 (+7.38)
London
FTSE100	10871.02 (+99.27)
FTSE250	20694.70 (+106.68)
FTSE350	5904.79 (+46.12)
FTSE Eurotop 100	5813.90 (+12.08)
FTSE All Share	5839.12 (+45.18)
FTSE Non Financials	6333.29 (+6.1)
TechMark Focus	9261.99 (+44.57)
US$	1.3292 (-0.0018)
Euro	1.1674 (-0.0023)
500	0.9805 (-0.0009)
CPI Jun (2010-100)	142.5
RPI Jun (1987-100)	416.5
RPM Jun (1987-100)	409.7

London Financial Futures

Long Gilt	Period	Open	High	Low	Soft	Vol	Open Vol
26-Sep	87.16	87.48	87.14	87.36	219060	1352707
26-Dec				87.34	122		8
27-Mar				87.22	0
28-Jan	96.395	96.35	96.245	96.245	9595	404486
26-Sep	96.05	96.085	96.05	96.05	79355	427304
26-Dec	95.825	95.68	95.55	95.06	107412	520827
27-Mar	95.685	95.755	95.685	95.73	87027	375102
27-Jan	95.64	95.735	95.64	95.69	80180	390120
27-Sep	95.65	95.73	95.65	95.7	50136	243936
27-Dec	95.69	95.753	95.69	95.733	62322	250436
26-Sep	97.41	97.425	97.405	97.42	76411	676890
26-Dec	97.225	97.26	97.225	97.248	109975	976328
27-Mar	97.11	97.155	97.11	97.14	115996	469828
27-Jan	97.07	97.155	97.07	97.11	129680	473921
27-Sep	97.08	97.14	97.08	97.12	70175	444750
26-Jan	100.0479	100.0475	100.045	100.045	2189	69520
26-Sep	100.835	100.041	100.05	100.04	4789	74065
26-Dec	99.965	100	99.965	99.965	9635	52304
27-Mar	99.865	99.9	99.865	99.865	5118	31502
27-Jan	99.77	99.653	99.77	99.795	4064	22930
27-Sep	99.695	99.75	99.695	99.725	3060	27818
27-Dec	99.635	99.645	99.635	99.62	1696	19537
26-Sep	16799.5	16808.5	16797.5	16876	55974	464428
26-Dec	16893	16893	16893	16943.5	6	746
26-Sep				1595	0
26-Dec				1639.5	0

12-month

12-month		Operating		Price		Forecast
High	Low	Company	Price	Q4	+1	YMR	P/E
110	475	National Inc.	485	-	1	-	4.1
15	8	Peace	15	-	-	-	-
1125	695	PTI Services	1085	+	15	13	78.8
110	67	MLA	100	-	2	-	60.1
223	135	Trade	175	+	5	17	11.3
100	228	The Executive	100	-	10	13	45.1
10	42	Mechanics' Inc.	6	-	-	-	-
55425	3640	Unilever	4900	+	125	2.4	11.5
111	195	Arbit	67	-	45	-	-0.2
Engineering
595	10	Anna Art Corp	20	-	-	-	-
1230	1495	Anon Technologies	1000	+	24	10	40.6
1517	4025	Endeco	1510	+	295	6.6	17.6
2160	1230	BAIC Systems	1520	+	26	10	30.4
2500	500	Europe A & Co	1250	-	1	3	6.6
1300	1276	Anon Group	1330	+	36	63	11.0
510	100	Leffaco	100	-	80	13	9.0
85	6	City Of Life	85	-	-	-	-
100	2625	Geology	310	+	4	5.0	10.2
17	125	Credit	19	-	-	-	-
420	4965	Channing Group	410	+	25	13	11.9
95	285	Chesterfield Industries	395	+	5	-	-10.2
1550	8825	Colera	1380	+	8	14	14.2
510	175	Budget	510	+	9	-	-
15	75	FoodSouth	6	-	5	-	-0.2
1250	4825	Geek & House	1220	-	1	3	10.1
10500	7220	Genco	1330	-	150	10	52.4
4902	31301	Andresc	2510	-	42	67	11.2
2105	13925	Walt Foods	2935	+	10	10	29.0
2	1	Image Corp	2	-	5	-	-9.0
3016	2130	IBM	3070	-	6	13	13.9
3000	4800	Indy Inc.	3610	+	20	2.5	15.7
90	50	CPM	50	-	-	-	-
600	4615	Minimore	4755	+	25	13	16.6
2515	162	Margen Advanced	2135	-	15	56	29.3
428	200	Max	528	-	-	-	-
1000	185	MSI Ltd	1070	-	1	0	11.0
3310	1602	Oxford Instruments	3030	-	102	60	31.7
18110	17795	Phillips Ties	18005	-	107	10	44.2
40	1	Pharmac	25	-	-	-	-
5400	1800	Smithson	5660	-	100	13	40.0
13025	9935	Markin Mayes	14105	+	35	67	30.4
4095	2865	Natish	4065	-	15	17	39.3
105	60	UK Group	995	-	15	-	-10.2
3105	1161	Canon	2965	-	1	0	10.0
20115	10925	Off Group	20095	-	1	0	10.2
17465	2900	Smiths	1696	-	10	10	30.9
110	135	Said Corp	106	+	13	10	20.0
145	128	Samson Corp	125	-	3	4	10.2
8090	9950	Seinex Group	9090	+	15	14	41.6
75	45	Turbulla	45	+	5	-	-4.7
300	208	Thapa F&M	206	-	3	2.7	12.3
105	67	Thomson Tech	405	+	5	-	5.2
9475	1855	Procter	575	-	22	63	17.6
755	125	Valco	520	-	7	0	10.0
3300	2254	Winn	3124	-	50	17	31.4
8000	8000	Off Power	1600	-	50	-	-10.1
Health
2000	107	Advanced Medical	200	+	5	10	40.6
175	5	Allergy Therapeutics	75	-	-	-	-
25	6	Celluloxim	15	-	-	-	-
500	370	Impur	547	+	2	3.3	11.6

Tradeweb

© 2023 Tradeweb Markets Ltd. All rights reserved. be distributed; the Tradeweb FTSE Gilt Group Prices information contained herein is proprietary to Tradeweb, may not be copied or is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely, and does not constitute investment advice. Tradeweb is not responsible for any data or damage that might result from the use of this information.

Commodities[{"box_2d": [765, 762, 963, 969], "label": "table", "caption": "

Natural Gas S
2,407	-0.111
Light Crude Oil
79.17	-3.53
Crude Oils (S/Sanral FOB)
HFT1100 79.29-1.25
HFT1201 79.29-1.25
HFT1302 79.29-2.15
HFT1303 79.29-2.15
HFT1304 72.87-2.66
HFT1400 72.14-2.17
Products
Fuel Oil 466.62-7.20
S/Sanl100 741.00	-11.84
ICE Futures
Gas Oil
S/S2010 0.15
S/S2011 0.15
S/S2012 0.15
S/S2013 0.15
S/S2014 0.15
S/S2015 0.15
S/S2016 0.15
S/S2017 0.15
S/S2018 0.15
S/S2019 0.15
S/S2020 0.15
S/S2021 0.15
S/S2022 0.15
S/S2023 0.15
S/S2024 0.15
S/S2025 0.15
S/S2026 0.15
S/S2027 0.15
S/S2028 0.15
S/S2029 0.15
S/S2030 0.15
S/S2031 0.15
S/S2032 0.15
S/S2033 0.15
S/S2034 0.15
S/S2035 0.15
S/S2036 0.15
S/S2037 0.15
S/S2038 0.15
S/S2039 0.15
S/S2040 0.15
S/S2041 0.15
S/S2042 0.15
S/S2043 0.15
S/S2044 0.15
S/S2045 0.15
S/S2046 0.15
S/S2047 0.15
S/S2048 0.15
S/S2049 0.15
S/S2050 0.15
S/S2051 0.15
S/S2052 0.15
S/S2053 0.15
S/S2054 0.15
S/S2055 0.15
S/S2056 0.15
S/S2057 0.15
S/S2058 0.15
S/S2059 0.15
S/S2060 0.15
S/S2061 0.15
S/S2062 0.15
S/S2063 0.15
S/S2064 0.15
S/S2065 0.15
S/S2066 0.15
S/S2067 0.15
S/S2068 0.15
S/S2069 0.15
S/S2070 0.15
S/S2071 0.15
S/S2072 0.15
S/S2073 0.15
S/S2074 0.15
S/S2075 0.15
S/S2076 0.15
S/S2077 0.15
S/S2078 0.15
S/S2079 0.15
S/S2080 0.15
S/S2081 0.15
S/S2082 0.15
S/S2083 0.15
S/S2084 0.15
S/S2085 0.15
S/S2086 0.15
S/S2087 0.15
S/S2088 0.15
S/S2089 0.15
S/S2090 0.15
S/S2091 0.15
S/S2092 0.15
S/S2093 0.15
S/S2094 0.15
S/S2095 0.15
S/S2096 0.15
S/S2097 0.15
S/S2098 0.15
S/S2099 0.15	</ THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 43 Business INVESTMENT COMPANIES Q month High Low Company Price Q1 Q3 Forecast Q1 Q3 Forecast 45 0 Eclipse Resources 45 1 1 1 36.5 3495 1075 EBP Group 1124 1 10 3.3 15.4 14 75 Elm & Mrs. Rite 115 1 1 1 39.1 1225 105 Responsibility 115 1 1 1 38.6 4995 1975 EBP 1255 1 95 6.0 ... 0 0 Consumer Energy 0 1 1 1 4.7 15 15 General Markets 15 1 1 1 4.8 5 25 Energy 25 1 1 1 4.8 2900 1255 Genetics Markets 2400 1 10 3.4 6.4 15 15 Copper Services 15 1 1 1 5.4 244 105 Cost Asia Markets 1475 1 5 1.1 4.6 25 15 Credit Life 15 1 1 1 ... 0 0 General Energy 0 1 1 1 4.7 65 65 Cost 65 1 1 1 3.1 10 0 Cross Transportation 10 1 1 1 3.9 3865 995 EBP, Gold 1055 1 15 14 13.3 45 45 ECR Markets 45 1 1 1 3.1 45 0 Employment Energy 45 1 1 1 4.5 5620 110 Endurance 1000 1 10 14 17.6 28 95 Enfisk 135 1 15 1.4 ... 0 0 Excess Wages 25 1 1 1 37.0 25 25 Energy Oil & Gas 25 1 1 1 4.2 175 175 Transport 205 1 1 1 4.5 4437 1355 Preamble 2963 1 10 17 18.2 80 0 Columbus, South 20 1 1 1 5.4 125 15 ECM Resources 35 1 1 1 5.4 75 25 Cross Channels 35 1 1 1 4.3 75 15 Comet 35 1 1 1 7.4 7675 2775 Educator 7665 1 125 1.3 ... 45 45 Cost Engineering 45 1 1 1 4.2 40225 17055 Cell Fields 24035 1 175 4.7 ... 21 45 Cellulars 175 1 1 1 18.8 2 45 Cellulars Res 45 1 1 1 4.5 800 230 Coastland Resources 540 1 1 1 36.3 3521 215 Coffee Markets 3500 1 10 1.6 ... 230 1075 Coil Keystone 1395 1 35 15.5 ... 850 1965 Innfield Oil 4445 1 15 15.2 ... 553 1005 Healthy 1000 1 10 17.2 18.7 95 0 Innfield 0 1 1 1 4.3 2295 510 ITN Power 2015 1 15 17.7 ... 55 25 Jubilee Markets 55 1 1 1 4.3 15 45 Food Diamond Res 45 1 1 1 4.5 25 45 EBP, Gold and Copper 1 1 1 1 4.3 349 1705 Farmers Res 380 1 9 4.7 ... 55 15 Leather Res 15 1 1 1 4.8 65 65 Leather Resources 65 1 1 1 4.8 45 25 Leather Gas 25 1 1 1 4.8 295 105 Health Exploration 105 1 1 1 4.8 45 25 Health Resources 45 1 1 1 4.8 45 1 Heather Oil & Gas 4 1 1 1 4.8 45 45 Global Resources 45 1 1 1 4.8 45 45 Genesis 45 1 1 1 4.8 41 10 Group Markets 141 1 1 1 4.8 3965 525 First African Res 945 1 5 17.5 ... 135 15 First Pacific Res 135 1 1 1 4.8 37 125 First National Gas 135 1 1 1 4.8 135 15 First Pacific Markets 45 1 1 1 4.8 15 45 First National Gas 45 1 1 1 4.8 15 45 First National Gas 45 1 1 1 4.8 15 45 First National Gas 45 1 1 1 4.8 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 55 25 Program Energy 3 1 1 1 4.4 115 35 Quality 1 1 1 1 4.9 160 10 Product Resources 37 1 1 1 10.4 0 0 Food Risk Res 0 1 1 1 4.3 14410 10755 Elm Term Ltd 13810 1 1125 17.3 17.3 9127 41945 Elm Tide 4800 1 10 4.4 14.9 45 45 Group Resources 45 1 1 1 4.4 370 210 Social Gas 260 1 9 3.9 4.9 3825 145 Social Energy 2565 1 12 7.1 12.1 57045 1055 Shell 12545 1 425 14.8 14.8 7 25 Social Markets 3 1 1 1 4.2 15 15 Social Energy 15 1 1 1 4.4 245 55 Star Energy 225 1 5 1 4.6 45 45 South Energy 15 1 1 1 4.6 5 5 Sunrise Resources 0 1 1 1 4.6 0 5 Sunrise Resources 0 1 1 1 4.6 0 5 Turkey Markets 65 1 1 1 4.6 2965 42005 Real Eng Oil 64075 1 915 1 12.2 0 0 Travel Resources 0 1 1 1 4.6 285 15 Turkey Oil 115 1 5 1 4.5 0 0 Oil Oil & Gas 0 1 1 1 4.5 15 25 USM Markets 45 1 1 1 4.5 45 45 USM Resources 45 1 1 1 4.5 9 45 USM Resources 45 1 1 1 4.5 15 45 USM Resources 45 1 1 1 4.5 15 45 USM Resources 45 1 1 1 4.5 Q 1 USM Resources 1 1 1 1 4.5 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 25.2 2495 100 EBP, European 2395 1 105 4.2 14.1 1355 105 Coil Factory 735 1 2 4.4 1.2 1600 1022 CFS Group 1279 1 22 4.7 17.0 304 115 CPI, International 144 1 4 2.7 13.7 1500 100 Goodwill 800 1 11 7.9 13.3 1505 900 Comms Group 790 1 105 1 5.2 1605 1005 Energy 1690 1 95 4.2 14.4 1605 1025 Health 181 1 4 2.7 15.9 1615 1015 Headline Industry 700 1 175 2.8 16.0 895 1405 Instrum 1255 1 95 4.2 14.4 15 45 Inspiring Electronics 45 1 1 1 5.9 1665 60 JD Sports 565 1 25 2.3 11.0 1715 1945 Kingfisher 1125 1 75 4.6 12.3 1715 1015 Health & Support 65 1 8 1.3 11.5 45 45 Health Care 45 1 1 1 4.8 915 615 Health Mkt 95 1 1 1 4.8 5700 1005 Health 2500 1 109 1.1 28.2 3975 1005 Health 2805 1 35 1.6 4.0 2495 1025 Free & Home 260 1 35 1.6 14.9 575 200 Financial Tech Group 105 1 1 1 4.8 600 1175 State 660 1 0 1 ... 2105 1015 Secondary 1015 1 45 1.8 16.5 1100 1055 SWI Smith 446 1 14 1 4.0 135 45 Coastland 15 1 1 1 4.9 5105 1015 Social 4915 1 75 1.8 17.0 90 105 Topco Tide 95 1 5 1.9 11.5 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 2495 100 EBP, European 2395 1 105 4.2 14.1 1355 105 Coil Factory 735 1 2 4.4 1.2 1600 1022 CFS Group 1279 1 22 4.7 17.0 304 115 CPI, International 144 1 4 2.7 13.7 1600 1025 Health 800 1 11 7.9 13.3 1605 900 Comms Group 790 1 105 1 5.2 1605 1005 Energy 1690 1 95 4.2 14.4 1605 1025 Health 181 1 4 2.7 15.9 1615 1015 Headline Industry 700 1 175 2.8 16.0 895 1405 Instrum 1255 1 95 4.2 14.4 15 45 Inspiring Electronics 45 1 1 1 4.8 1665 60 JD Sports 565 1 25 2.3 11.0 1715 1945 Kingfisher 1125 1 75 4.6 12.3 1715 1015 Health & Support 65 1 8 1.3 11.5 45 45 Health Care 45 1 1 1 4.8 135 45 Inspiring Electronics 45 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 2495 100 EBP, European 2395 1 105 4.2 14.1 2105 1025 Health 2405 1 105 4.2 14.1 2105 1025 Health 2405 1 105 4.2 14.1 2105 1025 Health 2405 1 105 4.2 14.1 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 2105 105 EBP, European 2395 1 105 4.2 14.1 2105 1025 Health 2405 1 105 4.2 14.1 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Q 1 USM Markets 1 1 1 1 4.8 1275 1025 All Market 965 1 1 1 4.8 Has bathing become a struggle? Step into comfort with a stylish Wet Room or Walk-In Shower. £500 CASH BACK On installations booked before 31/08/26 T&Cs apply, see website for details. As a family-run company, we understand that maintaining your independence and comfort at home is crucial. Our easy-access, walk-in showers, walk-in baths, wheelchair-friendly wet rooms and comfort-height toilets are installed quickly and safely, by our own dedicated team. We manage all the changes, from concept to completion, giving you total peace of mind. Which bathing solution is right for you? WALK-IN SHOWERS WALK-IN BATHS Trustpilot We're rated 'Excellent' Proud partners of Walk-In Bathing Solutions Fits in the same space as your old bath Fast installation, in as little as a day Low-level, slip-resistant shower trays Fold-flat, comfortable shower seat Secure shower grab handle rail Modern designs, tailored to you PERSONALISED CARE | BESPOKE DESIGN | SPECIALIST INSTALLERS | LIFETIME GUARANTEE To book a FREE consultation or for our latest brochure Call free 0800 955 0036 Lines Open 7 Days a Week or visit: eamobility.com Scan the code to visit our website. THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 45 Politician who represented three parties Lord Hiram Page 46 Obituaries Register Brigadier Rupert van der Horst Royal Marine officer who beat the press into Port Stanley while executing a daring mercy mission to save a wounded enemy soldier As rumours of surrender spread on the morning of June 12, 1982, after the successful night assault on Argentinian positions overlooking the capital of the Falkland Islands, Port Stanley, the commanding officer of 45 Commando Royal Marines summoned Major Rupert van der Horst, his second-in-command, to his makeshift headquarters on the twin peaks known as Two Sisters. In battle, a ZIC takes over if the commanding officer becomes a casualty. Until then, he does whatever the commanding officer judges to be critical. The day before, van der Horst had recieved the route to the forming-up place for the attack on Two Sisters that night. On the way back, he saw an enemy platoon digging in and called for artillery fire: “Sitting on my pack with a mug of coffee and a fag and a radio, well out of reach of anyone but with my binoculars watching the fall of shot, I got them on target pretty quickly. I repeated that once and then I was reminded by Commando Brigade headquarters we were carrying [by hand] all our artillery ammunition so we didn’t have very much and I was starting to waste it!” They had indeed carried it, for 56 miles in the atrocious weather of the South Atlantic winter after landing at San Carlos Bay — the famous Falklands “Yomp”. During the fighting for Two Sisters, the critical task was ammunition resupply and casualty evacuation and van der Horst did both, leading, on foot, three Swedish Bandvagn 202s (BV 202), tracked articulated carriers designed for Arctic warfare, up and down the craggy slopes. When, after the summons the following morning, he reached the cluster of “bivises” that was 45 Cdo’s tactical headquarters, he learnt that somehow a very badly wounded Argentinian soldier had crawled in. Rather than trying to evacuate him to the task force’s own field hospital, the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Whitehead, wanted van der Horst to get him to Argentine medics in Stanley. It was a laudable decision and a heroic task. Wars don’t end tidily and the interval between formal surrender and the ceasefire order getting to the men on the ground can be as hazardous as the earlier fighting: 45 Cdo, together with 42 Cdo, the Scots Guards and two battalions of the Parachute Regiment, had fought a fierce battle to take the heights; 45 Cdo alone had eight killed and 20 wounded. The Argentinians had taken far more casualties and some who had begun pulling back towards Stanley were in a surly mood. Van der Horst put the casualty in the back of one of the BV 202s and set off: “Driving down the road in the BV, we were extremely nervous of being shot,” he recalled years later; “but we hit the first Argentinian defensive position and they didn’t open fire. They were extremely nervous, pointing their weapons at us, shouting at us. I just said, ‘Look in the back of our wagon.’ They saw this wounded Argentine soldier and they couldn’t have been more helpful after that.” One of them climbed into the BV 202 as a guide and interpreter as they drove through successive Argentine positions. Eventually they reached the tent- Van der Horst in 1982 after the Falklands campaign. Right, on Dartmoor in 1985 ed field hospital in the grounds of the civilian hospital, which was evidently overwhelmed by the numbers they were having to treat, some 2,000 in all during the campaign: “The whole place was in chaos, stank and a lot of flies everywhere — dirty, demoralised Argentines.” It was valuable intelligence. They wasted no time, however, not wanting to become PoWs in the confusion: “We dropped the guy there and headed back, and we still had our original Argentinian, who led us to our original defensive position.” On June 15, the London Evening Standard famously carried the headline “The First Man into Stanley: Max Hastings leads the way”, but, in fact, having completed his mission to drop off the wounded soldier, van der Horst had beaten him by two days. Always understated, he said that the casevac had been “a weird task”, though having commanded the Marines’ Special Boat Squadron (SBS), he must have seen weirder. For his service throughout the campaign, he was mentioned in dispatches. Rupert Cornelis van der Horst was born in Jerusalem in 1941, the eldest son and second of four children. His father, Evert, was a Dutch civil engineer. For reasons unclear, in 1943 the family were forced to leave Jerusalem with only what they could carry, sailing for England via Cairo in the troopship Britannic. On arriving at Liverpool in November, Evert van der Horst, suspected of being German, was briefly interned. On release, he promptly joined the Royal Engineers. His British-born wife, having married a foreigner and therefore forfeiting her citizenship, was interned too, along with her four children. When, after a fortnight, her bona fides were established, she and the children took a train to London, managing to get a billet via a younger sister serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force before going to lodge with son Rupert’s godfather, the Reverend Edmund Buxton, the vicar of St John the Evangelist, Wembley. Van der Horst was naturalised in 1949 and subsequently educated at Charterhouse, Surrey, his godfather’s old school. Like the poet Robert Graves and many another before him, he was ambivalent about Charterhouse, though he enjoyed the naval section of the cadet force and became keen to join the senior service. His father sent him to see the future admiral of the fleet, Sir Michael Le Fa- nu, then a captain, who concluded that he wouldn’t be happy in the navy, before sending him instead to see Major General Sir Humphry Tollemache Bt, of the Royal Marines. By the end of lunch, van der Horst was convinced the “Jollies” were for him. He sat the entrance exams and went straight from school to Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon, and thence to the Royal Marine Depot, Deal in Kent. Fifteen months later, he joined 42 Commando, who were based in Singapore but were operating in the jungle against communist insurgents near the Thai-Malay border during the closing days of the Malayan Emergency. Subsequently, he took part in the 1961 landings in newly independent Kuwait to deter Iraqi invasion (Operation Vantage), along with his fellow lieutenant Paddy Ashdown, the future leader of the Liberal Democrats. He was soon back in the jungle after the failed Brunei revolt in December 1962, the beginning of the Indonesia-Malaysia “confrontation”. The revolt by the Brunei People’s Party and its armed wing, the so-called North Kalimantan National Army (TNKU), was promptly put down on the sultan’s behalf by British troops, including Gurkhas and Marines, who were flown in from Singapore. In addition, although some 2,000 Iban (indigenous Borneo tribe) irregulars led by the legendary Second World War guerrilla leader and postwar administrator Tom Harrisson had succeeded in capturing a hundred or so TNKU who had fled south, intelligence was received that the TNKU were establishing a base on Bukit (Mount) Pagan on the eastern border with Sarawak (Malaysia). In January a patrol led by Lieutenant van der Horst, known perhaps inevitably as “Rupertforce”, was sent to investigate. The expected seven-day operation turned into ten, the marines having to forage for food, but it confirmed that although there was no base, the Sungei (River) Pasia provided a water route to safety for any enemy, which later proved the case. Although van der Horst would serve with all three commandos (battalion-size, some 700 men) during his career, he had wanted to try selection for the Special Boat Squadron (later Service) from the outset: “I found it very hard, I have to say. I had to get used to diving and swimming underwater, freezing cold conditions and getting very wet canoeing, being dragged over Scottish mountains and all that. But, in the end, surprisingly, I passed and got sent off to Bahrain to join six other Royal Marines.” He would serve ten years with the SBS, on and off, ultimately taking command in 1978. Just before selection, he had met Angela Broome, the daughter of Captain Richard Broome of No 2 (Army) Commando, who was killed in Italy in 1943. They married in 1965 and she survives him, along with their daughter, Charlotte, who is married to a French businessman and teaches in Brussels. Their son, Richard, died in a training accident in Norway in 2005 while commanding the SBS as a lieutenant colonel. In between stints with special forces, in 1976 van der Horst commanded a company of 40 Commando in Andersonstown, west Belfast. A second tour of duty in Belfast followed in 1981 with 45 Commando before they took their turn for Arctic warfare training, which was carried out fortuitously just before the Argentine invasion of the Falklands. In December 1984, at the relatively late age of 43, he took command of 40 Commando, which was assigned to the UK-Nato amphibious force. He was “short-toured” by several months to at- One marine called him old-school and posh but a very switched-on man tend the year’s course at the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1987 as a full colonel, after which he was appointed director RM operations. Promotion to brigadier followed in 1990, as well as an appointment as commander (RM) training and reserve forces. After retiring in 1992, van der Horst worked for the Country Landowners’ Association for eight years and the Freebel Institute in Roehampton for a further six. He retired finally to Wiltshire, a not conspicuously naval county, in 2007, where he became a school governor, parish councillor and voluntary caseworker for the Soldiers’ Sailors’ and Airforce Families Association. Tall and athletic, he ran the London Marathon three times after retiring, and the Addis Ababa half-marathon in aid of Farm Africa, as well as continuing to sail, ski, fish the Wiltshire chalk streams and paint in watercolour. Details of his service with the SBS remain classified. One marine, however, summed up his former commanding officer thus: “A proper old-school toff, very posh and a switched-on man to say the least.” Rupert van der Horst CBE (M6), Royal Marine, was born on February 21, 1941. He died of heart failure on June 24, 2026, aged 85 46 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES Register Lord Horam Politician who served as a minister in the Labour and Conservative governments and represented three parties in the Commons John Horam was a young market researcher for Rowntree's of York when he played a small role in the introduction of After Eight mints. Addressing a debate on manufacturing in the Lords half a century later, he told of his pride in the company's products, adding: 'If noble Lords ever sink their teeth into an After Eight thin mint, I hope that they will think of me.' Horam was a man not only for mints but also for all parties, and acquired a reputation for political promiscuity. At the time he was the only postwar MP to have represented three parties in the Commons and was the first MP since Reg Prentice in the 1970s to serve as a minister in both Labour and Conservative governments. Some wags, however, pointed out that by joining John Major's battered administration in 1995, his was a rare case of a rat clambering aboard a sinking ship. His political journey was a long one, though friends argued that he remained constant while the parties changed around him. Having criticised the policies of Labour moderates from a left-wing viewpoint in Tribune in the mid-1960s, by 1974 he was denouncing as 'wicked' the left's attacks on Denis Healey, the chancellor. Two years later he backed Roy Jenkins for the Labour leadership and was secretary and later chairman of the moderates' Manifesto Group, a counter to the left-wing Tribune Group. He continued trying to reform the party from within until, over lunch one day in November 1979, he inspired Bill Rodgers, his former boss at the transport department, to consider his own political home, saying: 'The Labour Party cannot be saved.' Horam was present with Rodgers and the other members of the 'gang of four', Jenkins, David Owen and Shirley Williams, at the birth of the Social Democratic Party in January 1981. From the outset he was in the new party's second tier, serving as a key member of the team negotiating the al- liance with the Liberals. Even then he was, according to Ivor Crewe and Anthony King's history of the SDP, 'increasingly known for his free-market, even Friedmanite economic views'. It took Horam until 1987 to join the Conservatives, after being wooed by Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbell, though he remained his own man. He was the first minister to Rout Major's wait-and-see policy on the single currency at the 1997 election, saying: 'I am opposed to the euro replacing the pound sterling.' In 2001, he offered only muted support for William Hague, telling The Times that the party leader's attempts to be relevant did not appeal to traditional supporters, adding: 'He gets marks for stubbornly sticking to his guns, being brave and courageous.' Horam also converted to supporting the return of capital punishment, opposing lowering the homosexual age of consent to 18 and voting against liberalisation of the divorce laws. 'As Winston Churchill said, it is better to change your mind than he wrong all the time,' he said, quoting the wartime prime minister who moved from Tory to Liberal and back again. 'We all change our minds as we get older and more experienced. I have changed my mind.' John Rhodes Horam was born in Preston, Lancashire, in 1939, the son of Sydney Horam, a fitter at British Leyland, and his wife, Catherine (née Harkness), who at different times ran a dress shop and a newsagent. He joined the Labour Party at 15 after hearing a speech by Hugh Gaitskell, and economically he was always more of a Gaitskellite than a socialist. From Silcoates School, Wakefield, he read economics at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, recalling talks by visiting politicians including Clement Attlee, Harold Macmillan and Jo Girmond. After two years with Rowntree, he joined the Financial Times, getting his first scoop with a tip-off that Richard Beeching, blamed by many for the Horam with his wife, Judith, in 2001, while he was Conservative MP for Orpington decline of the nation's railways, was to be sacked as head of the British Transport Commission. 'But the editor wouldn't believe me and gave the story a few lines on an inside page because I was so new to the job,' he said. Having moved to The Economist, where a weekly deadline allowed more time for exploring potential parliamentary seats, he stood unsuccessfully for Labour at Follstone & Hythe in 1966. With his newfound taste for campaigning, he abandoned journalism, insisting, 'You can't be a politician and an objective journalist at the same time', and set up Commodities Research Unit with Robert Perlman, a former Economist colleague, supplying data to international mining companies. Horam entered parliament in 1970, succeeding Harry Randall in Gateshead West and using his maiden speech to protest against Conservative plans to reduce public spending. In 1977, he married Iris Crawley. That marriage was dissolved, and in 1987 he married Judith Jopp (née Jackson), the motoring editor of The Sunday Times, who became his senior caseworker. She survives him with his stepsons, Fraser, an accountant, and Lincoln, the Conservative MP for Spethorne. Horam had been appointed a transport minister by James Callaghan in 1976, championing compulsory seatbelts and announcing improvements to the MI, but suffered the embarrassment of being stopped for speeding on his way to a Commons vote. By the Winter of Discontent (1978-79) he was disillusioned with Labour and in 1981 defected to the new SDP. However, his Gateshead West constituency was abolished, and in 1983 he stood at Newcastle Central but was one of two dozen SDP MPs not to be re-elected. He returned to his consultancy business before joining the Conservatives in early 1987 after a private audience with Thatcher at No.10, later passing off his SDP period as 'a stage in my political development when I was rejecting Labour'. At first he struggled to find a safe seat, trying his hand at Billericay, Devizes, Ribble Valley and Kensington, but eventually was selected for Orpington, the scene of a famous Liberal by-election victory in 1962. He won in 1992, beating Stephen Cowan of Labour into third place. Cowan campaigned for him when they both belonged to the same party two decades earlier. Now representing his third party at Westminster, Horam was plucked from the back benches by Major to be Citizen's Charter minister in 1995 after the resignation of Bob Hughes over an extramarital affair. Rising to answer his first question, he was denounced as a 'dirty double rat' by Dennis Skinner, the veteran Labour leftwinger. He went on to be a health minister, donating blood in his office, and was chairman of the environmental audit select committee. He was also on the 1922 Committee executive. Horam, who was president of Orpington Football Club and a passionate follower of Manchester United, held the seat until 2001 when he gave way for Jo Johnson (now Lord Johnson of Marylebone). He was a member of the Electoral Commission and in 2013 was elevated to the Lords. He was walking home from the Lords on July 2 when he fell and never regained consciousness. Politics was always his first love, followed by gardening and opera (Disca and Parsifal were favourites), echoing perhaps the 'luxury, plain unashamed luxury' marketing line that he was involved with writing for After Eight mints in the 1960s. Lord Horam, parliamentarian, was born on March 7, 1939. He died after a fall on July 24, 2026, aged 87 Eric de Bellaigue Understated financial analyst who wrote about the mechanics of the book trade and drank bellinis with Truman Capote Eric de Bellaigue was one of the few Arsenal fans who spent half-time standing on the terraces in jacket and tie reading the Financial Times, essential reading for one of the City's leading share analysts. Something of a bibliophile, he raised eyebrows in the stock market and the publishing world when he said producing books and magazines was like oil production: both exploited exclusive but wasting assets, were international in scope and above all dependent on luck to avoid dry wells or deficient authors. He was also regarded as one of the country's best media analysts, presciently saying of The Independent when it launched in 1986: 'I think it has a better than even chance of success, but there is also a better than even chance of its investors being asked for more money.' Not content to stay on the sidelines, Bellaigue devoted 15 years to compiling Guarded World, his 2020 anthology of prison writings by Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Thomas More, Charles I, John Bunyan, Mirabeau, Voltaire, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and others. Its intent was to show how confinement for whatever reason intensifies the creative process. Marie-Eric de Bellaigue de Bughas was born in Paris in 1931, the elder of twin sons of Vicomte Pierre de Bellaigue and his wife Marie-Antoinette (née Willemin), known as Toinon. De Bellaigue was a rare book collector Pierre was a mining engineer who during the Second World War was an officer in the Free French navy and after the war became a naval attaché in Washington DC. Toinon worked for Radio Free Europe. An Anglophile with influential British friends, she took Eric and his twin brother, Geoffrey, to England in the mid-1930s, believing the climate would benefit their health. In May 1940 they were holidaying in Belgium when Germany invaded and were among the last to escape through Calais. Pierre was rescued from Dunkirk. The family took British citizenship and Geoffrey would later become surveyor of the Queen's works of art and director of the Royal Collection, appointed KCVO in 1986. Toinon taught the children of Sir Alexander Hardinge, subsequently Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, George VI's private secretary. The King brought her to Windsor Castle to teach Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret French language and European history. Eric and Geoffrey played the hiding game sardines with them. However, when Elizabeth proposed a game of tennis, Toinon picked up a racket and a frustrated Eric was reduced to ballboy. He attended Selwyn House, a draughty, now-closed preparatory school in Broadstairs, Kent, where he grappled so unwillingly with rugby that his nickname was Stoppit. He frequently returned to London hospitals for his sinuses, later enough of a problem to excuse him National Service. He went on to Wellington College, where he was captain of boxing and developed a love of Shakespeare and Chaucer. While studying economics and political economy at McGill University in Montreal, Bellaigue began collecting rare books. He became a skilful debater, travelling around Canada with a team including the singer Leonard Cohen. He visited New York to see Toinon who, after her marriage to Pierre had ended, married a local lawyer, Eugene Unter- meyer. Bellaigue walked to Harlem to hear Dizzy Gillespie, and Ella Fitzgerald sang on his return voyage to Britain on the Queen Mary Eugene gave him an introduction to his cousin, Peggy Guggenheim, who was living in Venice and took him to Harry's Bar in the city for bellinis with Truman Capote. In Montreal, Bellaigue met Sylvia Rodney, the daughter of the 8th Baron Rodney, and they married in 1962. After Lord and Lady Rodney retired to Vancouver Island, Bellaigue was known as the crazy Englishman who bathed in the north Pacific's icy waters. They separated in 1981 and divorced four years later. Sylvia died soon afterwards. They had two sons: Christopher an author and journalist, and Nicholas, a manager of Network Rail. In 1985 Bellaigue married Nike Kent-Taylor, whom he met when they were both working at the stockbroker Grenfell & Colegrave. 'He was for the restrained, not the louche; the understated, not the loud,' Christopher said. 'He was neat but defiantly unstylish. As he aged he developed a talent for ribbing without malice, or laquiner, as the French say. We appreciated his wit, his gentleness, his absence of spite.' Bellaigue had got a job as a cub reporter on the Montreal Star, but decided against journalism when he had to report the grief of a fire victim's family. Instead he joined the Bank of Montreal's economics department. He then had five years as an analyst for Greenshields, a Canadian stockbroker and wrote The Business of Publishing: The Bellaigue Report. In London he continued the career with Schroder Wagg, Buckmaster & Moore, Grenfell & Colegrave and Panmure Gordon, where he became head of research, specialising in publishing and media shares, the sector closest to his true passion. He lunched in spit-and-sawdust City wine bars, toured Christopher Wren's City churches and saw the socialist Methodist minister Lord Soper confound hecklers around his Tower Hill soapbox. In 2022 Bellaigue wore a morning suit to Elizabeth J's funeral at St George's Chapel, Windsor. 'Ca va?' Geoffrey's English-born widow, Sheila, asked when she visited Bellaigue for the last time. 'Pas pire,' he replied in broad Québécois, meaning 'no worse'. But his literary instincts were as sharp as ever. A few days before he died, he recited The Owl and the Pussycat to his youngest grandchild. Eric de Bellaigue KCVO, stockbroker, was born on March 12, 1931. He died on May 6, 2026, aged 95 Email: obituaries@thetimes.co.uk THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 47 Register Middle Temple call to the bar The following have been called to the Bar this Trinity term: Anna Chaitrazej Hamouche: Miguel Foli Nkephé: Claire Hope Denise Otto: Nor Farama Haziqah Binti Muhaf Rudian: Ayesha Tafassum Majeed, Aran Jaden Dollay: Samuel Owusu Ansah: Aminah Tolulope Omoteso: Ernest Boateng: Harveen A/L Visvanathan: Casandra Janell Roch, Karthiga Thiyagaraja: Kian Yew Nah: Ross James McNally: Musammath Khadija Begum: Yousui Ganesh Raj: Max Evan Appleyard: Martha Fou Dansowaa: Nurul Hannah Binti Mohamed: Jerema Li Yenn Soo: Ezekiel Tea Zhi Kit: Sharvena D Jayaseelan: Vithyalonheni A/P Bhaskar: Pei Qing King: Amira Binti Mohamed Farouk: Mohant Sanggaran: Pui Voon Yap: Samiya Sail Ullah: Ervin Soon Ying Nesh: Darwinderjit Kaur Menjit Singh: Angie Chen: Maya Jade Presneill: Liam Benedict Buddy: Nicholas Chua Tan Zhen: Xing Yee Bong: Charles Andre Cinnamoud: Lai Chia Ming: Constance Katherine Mary Blanco: Jalen William Beaurain: Ayomikan Oluwasemilore Ayotunde Salami: Ellie Clare Jinks: Lilly Ellen Whipp: Inhaad Ihne Imran Sekidarn: Khoo Xin Yue: Megan Ellie Pittman: Oi Kei Chiva Tsang: Mae Rose Busby: Yee Ching Valerie Tang: Yuan Jie Leong: Tze Hin Poon: Soh Shi Ryan: Claire Chin Yu Li: Chen Suen Leong: Jia Yi Yong: Angeline Chok Chok Looi: Owen Richard Pearce: Mira Binti Mahathir: Alyma Foo Zhi Qing: Andy Chong Chun Pai: Yew Kai: Laranya Sudena Murthi: Ernzi Pang: Jia Xi Lim: Emmy Hng Jo Siew: Bethany Emma Hook: Maddie Jessica Rudkin: Amelia Loughland: Annabel Lucy Goulding: Joel Vika Tyson: Priya Obenis-Cattat: Rebecca Emma Lister: Alexander Wai Kwong Ong: Hui Lu Ong: Sue Amerseth Binti Shamsuhiza: Zhen Hao Cheah: Zina Amira Auladin: Danny Cole Shiers: Hee Thong Ng: Najwa Nurfattakh Binti Nazri: Grzegorz Głuszak: Thivyameena Paramesvan: Hemshika Damo Naiko: Julia Ablavi Joya Motcho: Tristen Aryaa Zozartee: Erin Marie Rose Eckhoff: Matthew Florian Barbier Cox: Wafiyah Hana Suraiya Mamode Ally: Sylvester Sim Joel: Xiao Sheng Lim: Abena Aniyemloa Amoakua Obosdee: Dean Michael Bullen: Siti Nazatul Nadia Binti Mufat Kufzuan: Kristin Dominique Johnson: Mahwema Bhorel: Neelum Devi Gopad: Harry Nicholas Gonzalez: Edward Christian Oates Cawthorn: Vanessa Venmuphil Guna Arulalan: Freya Teoh: Hannah Iqbal: Benjamin Howard Gaskell: Priyantha Ravindran: Camilla Henrietta Newton: Zaka Jownally: Dineswaran Rama Moorthy: Zheng Khai Tan: Yohans Veeriah: Emmanuel Hao Chong: James Harold Ash Vie: Arianne Buhagasi: Alamah Marie Brittenden: Lee Wei Cheng: Ting Qian Wong: Sharavindh: Benjamin Hong: Abigail Sia Jia Yi: Ooi An Zi: Hayden Ji Thien Ling: Raania Omar Bahrmaa: Zachary Ewan Henderson: Hareeharem Ravindran: Gabriella Goldwin: Mohammad Zubair Ramdin: Ying Shyuan Wong: Yasmin Hanim Wych: Gabriella Oppong: Benjamin Guretta: Daniel Alexander Paul Holdaway Lee Anthony David Kipling: Kieran O'Connell: Jagmohan Singh Takk: Omoholog Mariam Rufai: Eleanor Katherine Tack: Kamya Ramesh: Samaway Aruj Nathoo: Oviya Devi Balakrishnan: Onyimyechi Isechi Kaine-Ejimogu: Louis Greco: Beatrice Lola Violet Towle: Asmita Tara Anjali Issary: Ellie Sue Calderbank: Krisha Krishna Moorthy: Ivan Tob: Seren Emma Watson Hughes: Artee Devi Busesaur: Jie Lim: Ariff Iqmal bin Izaqandar: Asseka Danasilan: Charlotte Racheal Worthman: Brenda Teddy Lojikan: Ruthik Dattani: Katrina Tan Kalanwar: Yen Teng Cheng: Wong Chia Wei: Ayushi Gajadhar: Bibi Ume Noornhabab Dillan: Joshua Emmanuel Doolson: Paxlina Adjei Agyemang: Prieya Nathana Silver Yohan: Loi Zi Hua: Oluwabulola Temitope Adebola Akinosho: Daniel James Clark: Nicole Wong Sang Yun: Erin Kwan Li: Ein Sam Yi Cha: Pui Jie Xuan: Soong Yu Tan: Iwan Thomas Bush: Ben Hong Tai Hu: Muhammad Ammar Ansari: Rachel Ling Siew Ying: Jarajdev Singh Ramesh Singh Ji: Komadee Padayachy: Duncan Sing Heng Ting: Xu Ming Khoo: Imogen Rose Griffiths-Smith: Ahie Sun Trong En: Daphne Yee Yong Xin: Tan Jing: Jesiya Ong Yong Hui: Robert James Evans: Ket Dong: Gabriella Sophia Paloma Whittard: Berkay Bozkurt: Ayse Dila Sert: Jacob John Sutton: Shabha Stacey Saxton: Oluwabeni Ouniyan: Syed Jalil Raza Rizvi: Nasrin Siddiquee: Aaron David James Clegg: Canan Berwan Aksoy: Eyswan Krishna Auckloo: Belfran Inigo Jago Field: Akintolu Danladi Olukunle Ogunyiluka: Megan Choong Jiah Yue: Summer Saile Aliyah Russell: Aaliyah Kisembo: Akhilesh Hurrer: Jordan Rachael Patko: Mohamad Anas Wasim Sooklali: Kian Edward Lee Hearnshaw: Angeline Flowrins Loganathan: William Theodore Stanford Sanders: Manisha Kaur Laddine Singh: Emmanuela Oluwalerinen: Bakare Yoon Ying Lee: Kishen Singh Suliu: Harwardji Kaur Harjan Singh: Michael David Andrew Elderfield: Chloe Simonne Ranfang: Finlay James Egan: Leila Chentouf: Taina Jennifer Laguerre Maneus: Darsheema Jiva: Jennifer Crawford: Annie Philippa Donnelly: Chanandeswaw Sunder Raj: Dhaniesha Sire Ramis: Kymaty Obemetha Amoako-Boateng: Samuel Edward John Street: Sangitha Gnanagaru: Thomas Francis Goring: Amy Elizabeth Gibbons: Emily Claire Bridge: Tan Joe Wen: Kapil Ramisaha: Devina Sivakumar: Nicholas Meng Fung Yap: Rachel Griffin: Isobel Mollie Louise Scott: Grace Isabelle Knapp: Brooke Ann Barker: Comfort Odukoilami Ayedom: Ruby Eleanor Rowlands: Ella Charlotte Stupte: Lucy Frances McLeod: Georgina Elizabeth Wrigley: Lucy Faith Morgan: Tristen Erved Herbert: Orla Kardiwani: Alexandri May Beauchamp: Catlin Winnie Harper: Sherjina Ramah Ramlahan: Rebecca Caitlin O'Reilly: Amelia Grace Bodenham: M Anwarul Aziz Kanak: Calvin Hauwen Liang: Perry Laurance Murphy: Joseph Paul Nahal-Macdonald: Births, Marriages and Deaths To book a Birth, Marriage or Death announcement in the Register, visit: newsukuk@erlising.co.uk for help, please call 020 7782 7553 or email BMD@thetimes.co.uk THE years without: the flower faddish but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:3 (c) Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society Births BYRNE on 24th July 2026 to CLAUDIA (now BURROWS) and JOC BYRNE, a daughter, AGNES NANCY BY1, sister to (BS) CAMERON on 5th July 2026 to Sophie Loke Holmell and James, a daughter, Felicity Ross Holmell, sister to Athica and Caesars Marriages SIR & D PICKER AND MS G STRONG The marriage took place on 25th July 2026 at St. Dunstan in the West, Fleet Street, London, between St. Simon Picken and Ms Dana Strons Deaths BURRILL Timothy Pankower on 22nd July 2026, aged 95. First producer. Much loved and admired. A true gentleman with perfect manners and a worstman smile who will be greatly missed. CONNOLLY Yerevan (Margaret Inke St John) died peacefully on 25th July 2026, aged 82, with her family at her side. FARNDALE Alfred Guttner, died on 22nd July 2026, aged 94. Husband to Barbara, father to Christine and Nigel Born in Canada, farmed at his life in Wendeeutale, North Yorkshire. For details about the funeral arrangements please contact John Blackmon & Sons Ltd on 0774885833 HEATH Patrick Percy George James, passed away on Tuesday 30th June, 2026. Most recent partner of Padma Anguila Duffey, father is Darren and Terry and grandad Pat to six grandchildren. We will all miss you inside. Funeral today, with donations to The British Heart Foundation II desired. PEGG born Patricia Inke Fussmann died peacefully at home in Wales on 14th July 2026, aged 94. Chronicled death at the side. George Pegg, happily married for 58 years. Funeral mother, deeply loved by her three daughters, fully family deceased, breakfast and leave, and her seven grandchildren. Greatly missed by family and friends. Funeral on Monday 17th August at 2pm at St Cuthbert Church, Wells. Family flowers only but donations welcome to Macular Society inquiries. Unwine Funeral Directors. Tel: 0749 479927 Acknowledgments MACHOY OF CASHFERR Lady Machoy and family wish to thank most sincerely all relatives, friends and neighbours for the kind symptoms of sympathy extended to them at their recent sad bereavement, and for their attendance at both memorial services LEGAL, PUBLIC, COMPANY & PARLIAMENTARY NOTICES To place notices for these sections please call 020 7782 7553 Notices are subject to confirmation and should be received by 11:30am three days prior to insertion Court Circular Buckingham Palace 24th July 2026 The King and Queen were represented by Sir Michael More-Molyence (His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey) at the Funeral of Dame Penelope Keith (Actress) which was held in Guildford Cathedral this morning. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were represented by Sir Richard Delque. The Princess Royal was represented by Colonel John Bend. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were represented by His Hosmer Judge Robert Fraser. The Duke of Kent was represented by Professor Stephen Jarvis. Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy was represented by Mrs Dame Duke. St James's Palace 24th July 2026 The Duke of Edinburgh, Honorary Deputy Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, this afternoon held a Meeting via video link with Mr Michael Dufenne (Commissioner) in Canada. His Royal Highness Colonel-in-Chief, Saskatchewan Dragoman. Later held a Meeting via video link with Major Paul Park (Commanding Officer) in Canada. Legal Notices CLARK NO. (79-2026-6100W) IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE, BUSINESS & PROPERTY COURTS OF THE YEAR OF 2025, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANY, ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN AN 19 JULY 2026 A DULY FOR A NEW YEAR OF 2026, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. AND NOTIFY THE PARTY OF THE COMPANY, ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN AN 19 JULY 2026 A DULY FOR A NEW YEAR OF 2026, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. AND NOTIFY THE PARTY OF THE COMPANY, ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN AN 19 JULY 2026 A DULY FOR A NEW YEAR OF 2026, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. AND NOTIFY THE PARTY OF THE COMPANY, ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN AN 19 JULY 2026 A DULY FOR A NEW YEAR OF 2026, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. CR-2026-06421T IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF THE YEAR OF 2025, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANY, ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN AN 19 JULY 2026 A DULY FOR A NEW YEAR OF 2026, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. AND NOTIFY THE PARTY OF THE COMPANY, ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN AN 19 JULY 2026 A DULY FOR A NEW YEAR OF 2026, THE LEGAL PUBLIC COMPANY, INC. IS NOT TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY PERSON, WITHOUT THE WRITTEN NOTICE OF ANNUAL TIME PROTECTION LIMITED. THE COMPANIES ACT 2006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Order of His Majesty's High Court of Justice dated 31 July 2026 confirming the Cancellation of the sum of £2,425,335.00 standing to the credit of the share premium account of the above-named company. The Investment Company plc (the 'Company') and the features of the ordinary share capital from £2,792,439.00 to £279,243.70 by cancelling and extinguishing finance on each fully paid up ordinary share of 30 pence in the capital of the Company and reducing the nominal value of each issued fully paid up ordinary share in the capital of the Company from 10 pence to 1 pence and the Statement of Capital Interest on the share of 30 pence. (Deserting with respect to the capital of the Company as allowed by the several particulars as required by the Companies Act 2006 were registered by the Registrar of Companies on 31 July 2026. Dated this 29th day of July 2026 Stephenson Harwood LLP 1 Findlay City, London EC2M 7DY Tel: +44 (0)20 7397 4822 Ref: 1,68033-6640837 Solicitors for the above-named Company Lincoln Inn call to the bar The following have been called to the Bar this Trinity term: Md Emran Hossain, Muntasir Bin Rahman Rubel, Md Salman Hasan, Moazzam Hossain, Ramanuj Dehnath, Rinki Saha, Nusrat Wahid Suha, Ishad Hassan Bhuiyan, Nawrin Nahar Nurtuz, Sardar Abdullah Tahir Khan, Kuntzah Parvin, Tahir Yousaf, Alyssa Nathanson-Tanner, Ghazal Eljabi Samuel Ofori, Luqman Haayem, Asma Akter, Kazi Tamanna Sultana Trisha, Muhammad Ahsan Akram, Mojander Mohammad Shah Noman Haider, Muhammad Ahmed, Georgia Elizabeth Hannah Bowen, Maria Islam, Abdul Jabbar Leghan, Anisha Alam Tahsin, Tushar Kanti Roy, Farshi Shekail, Jake Andrew Emerson, Bahar Saleem, Elsa Menaid Simons, Noweheen Zaman, Mir Farhan Ali Fatin, Atik Faisal Khan, Budra Sumalla Shahid, Daniel Anthony Woon, Ayesha Abbasi, Sardar Dawood Khan, James Campbell Leech, Elnea Shivani Rai Gupta, Tan Sze Qi, Klaudia Jotiyisala, Victoria Claire Bradshaw, Mohammad Ridwan Islam, Surendran Johnson, Rao Muhammad Afrasiab Khan, Wali Ur Rehman Chawla, Ka Ting Ho, Arvin Langam, Surreshi Gohan Gnanagaran, Aker Mahmud, Bernadine Madapatha Mahagamapze Anjalee Rodrigo, Hua Chai Wei, Sameeha Raidah, Anil Redwanur Rahman Riku, Kholoud Matar G Alanazi, Shams Van Nafi Chowdhury, Astra Rosebear Charlton, Muhammad Fatehyab Kamran, Jack Mellforth, Su Yin Pang, Yei Yeow Larvi, Ienavia Rafat, Mong Siew Lee, Zoona Ahmad, Adeeba Robul, Rahim Zafar, Roitne Adnan Chaudhry, Chelsea Marie Siazon Albano, Jack Uri Olsburgh, Volma Westfield, John Lovell Broomfield, Natasha Maria Queroz Portela Haley, Xavier McKenna-Gallagher, Alexander John Bellew, Lauren Rianna Williams, Safeer Ahmad, Asad Ali, Kazi Fardin Prio, Hawwa Naisha Nash, Devinn Sebnem Oya Reynolds, Muhammad Mateen Malik, Charlotte Megan Sorowzell, Poo Jay Lam Lifan Eng, Tazeen Fatima Jaffri, Jacob Burton, Saad Sohab Yousef, Graham Rabbani Shoury, Mohammed Abrar Shadman Islam, Terpu Rehman Abbasi, Konak Reza Mim, Wong Ying Qing, Rubee Farnow, Hazada Umur, Saud Javed, Thomas Toh Жан Jet, Tawvir Ahmed, Omeefere Naomi Ukhuedeigbe, Tom Liam Farlow, Harris Bin Mohd Danial Tan, Zoey Lim Ee Zhen, MD Rafina Salehin, Ishal Shahriar Rahman, Amal Javed, Lian Chin Han, Maaz Ali Khan, Chaiha Fatima Mohammad, Muhammad Umer Arif, Eugene Yeo Lit Kuan, Kamyochukwu Olorie, Celine Wee Zhao Ni, Carissa Aswariye Anthony, Xiang Sheng Lau, Afra Ibnaf Orpa, Iftikhar Hossain, Afrin Islam, Virginia Gentile-Costella, Margaret Aни Gallagher, Beth Gilmour, Maeve Egan Carroll, Farina Abdul Jabbar, Mia Lucy Forton, Tania Khan, Maximilian Mstkan, Petra Stojnic, Esmaa Khalid Mansour, Alice Clare Greenbury, Leah Jones, Rebecca Adamma Anyiam, Harmain Aamir, Grace Alexandra Woolaway, Marian Angela Givardli-Kufuar, Shabrez Khan, Louisa Elorm Attache, Sikandar Ameen, Shayan Ahmad, Nabila Charvetto Gomez, Livia Adelaide Amato, Jack Nicholas Colclough, Mishkin Sarwar, Simon Orlando John Blackburn, Shubh Suday Raghso, Harry James Botterill, Jake Simon John Widjaya, Matthew John Holland, Mohammadi Jawad, Kamal Ahmad Khan, Shi Nuranyah Binti Abdul Ghani, Jessica Claire Weadman, Sayed Abul Shah, Ashley Chee Sze Xuan, Md. Nasir Uddin, Sabina Yesmin, Michelle Linda Cudjoe, Rehana Sultana, Kiera Jade Hammond, Hassan Latif Chaudhry, Ahmad Ibrahim, Omor Faruk Anik, Umme Hani Upa, Anas Irtiza Awan, Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, Qasim Mahmood Baba, Maneeb Ur Rehman, Rakaz Ahmed, Olumide Olasfuwa Babalola, Nazia Amin, Md. Rakib Hasan, Edward Ka Hong Ng, Md Monirul Islam, Ryan Hussain Al-Hajam, Ahmed Abdel Hakam, Abdul Majeeb Zeeshan, Gazi Abdul Malek, Muhammad Saim, Mohammed Faridul Islam, Md Golam Azam, Razaul Karim, Mian Adnan Tariq, Haider Ali Chauhan, Danial Jokhao, Mohtada Ali Hasnain, Muhammad Zaheer, Moiz Tariq, Mohammad Azam, Gaetano Tony Pagone, Zulfikar Ali, Sardar Confusion Imam Qaisrani, Hamood ur Rehman, Md. Kamruzzaman, Anne Agnes Wambui Kibicho, Alexander Ferdinand Dehn, Kh Tanzir Mannan, Mustague Ahmed Chowdhury, Amil Satyavan Jamandekar, Mohammad Asad Ullah Almas, Md Fazlul Haque Salim, Muhammad Madassar Ghazardar, Muhammad Jehanzaib, Anwar Ali Lohar, Adnan Khan Yousafzai, Lydia Sun-Young Kim, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali, Haq Nawaz, Honne Ara Akter, Mohammad Mazhar, Akhtar Abbas, Hasan Mohammed, Mustafaen Kamal, Ansar Younas, Ghayoor Akhtar Rana, Autumn Rose Abigail Ellis, Mohammad Serzaul Saleeian, Muhammad Kamran Sharif, Muhammad Ashfaq Javed, Khalid Mian, Mubarak Ali Muhsan, Muhammed Goni Ullah, Shafuqel Hayat, Sajid Sohail, Shahzad Akhtar. Aire Gardens BuyAssociation GetGround High-quality residential scheme in Leeds City Centre From £197,000 Aire Gardens in Leeds City Park is a rare opportunity to acquire an apartment in a distinctive, tranquil pocket of the city, framed by tree-lined gardens and natural streams, yet only a 500m walk from Leeds Railway Station and the City Centre. Positioned adjacent to the South Bank Regeneration area, the scheme benefits from one of Leeds' most transformational growth locations, combining the appeal of green space with exceptional connectivity both into and out of the city. Exclusive launch credit BuyAssociation contributes up to £250 per month from the exchange of contracts. That's a direct boost to your returns, starting immediately. **terms and conditions apply. For more information and to request your free brochure scan the QR code 0800 316 7344 Leeds property prices forecast to grow 28.2%* by 2029 - one of the UK's fastest-growing regional cities Just a 500m walk to Leeds Railway Station, offering direct links to London, Manchester and beyond Located adjacent to the £multi-billion South Bank regeneration – one of the UK's largest urban renewal projects set to double the size of Leeds city centre Boutique scheme of just 98 apartments, with private outdoor space, premium specification, and BTR-style amenities including gym, lounge and co-working areas – enhancing rental appeal and tenant retention Prices from £197,000, significantly below the Leeds average (£245,000), offering a compelling entry point with strong upside potential The value of investments can go up and down, and BuyAssociation always recommends that you should seek independent financial advice. *Source: Savills Residential Forecast. RESIDENCES BY LUXURY LODGES FROM £145,000 LUXURY HOLIDAY HOMES, THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE 950-YEAR OWNERSHIP • STRONG RENTAL RETURNS • FIVE-STAR AMENITIES SIX RESORTS ACROSS THE UK • NO STAMP DUTY • NO COUNCIL TAX Family-run for over a decade. Six award-winning resorts across Wales, Cornwall, the Lake District, Northumberland and County Durham. Built to last, owned for generations. Call 0800 404 5680 Scan for more info A TOP PARTNER FOR SILVERSEA ONLY BOOKABLE WITH ROL CRUISE ROL CRUISE 30 TRUSTED FOR OVER 30 YEARS THE ULTRA-LUXURY ALL-INCLUSIVE Venice to Rome Sale LAST 2 DAYS TO BOOK EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS OF UP TO 50% BUSINESS CLASS FLIGHTS FOR ALL BOOKINGS INCLUDED DRINKS, GRATUITIES & WI-FI FREE 5★ HOTEL STAYS IN VENICE & ROME EXCLUSIVE FARES WILL INCREASE 8PM 30TH JULY 2026 14 NIGHTS DEPARTING 11TH NOVEMBER 2026 NOVEMBER 2026 Wed 11 Fly in BUSINESS CLASS from London to Venice, Italy Upon arrival, transfer to a 5★ hotel for your FREE two night stay, including breakfast Thu 12 Venice, Italy Explore Venice at your leisure Fri 13 Venice, Italy Transfer to the port in Fusina and embark the ultra-luxurious Silver Nova for your 10 night all-inclusive voyage Sat 14 Trieste, Italy Mon 16 Kotor, Montenegro Tue 17 Bari, Italy Thu 19 Valletta, Malta Fri 20 Giardini Naxos, Sicily, Italy Sat 21 Palermo, Sicily, Italy Sun 22 Naples, Italy Mon 23 Rome (from Civitavecchia), Italy Disembark and transfer to a 5★ hotel for your FREE two night stay, including breakfast Tue 24 Rome, Italy Spend today exploring at your leisure Wed 25 Rome, Italy Transfer to the airport for your BUSINESS CLASS flight to London Dates not mentioned will be spent relaxing at sea The Dusk Bar, Silver Nova Rome, Italy SUITE GRADE FULL FARE (PP) ROL CRUISE FARE (PP) Classic Veranda Suite CV £11,599 £5,499 EXCLUSIVE FREE Upgrade to a Superior Veranda Suite (SV)* Deluxe Veranda Suite DX £11,899 £6,199 Premium Veranda Suite PV £12,399 £6,799 Solo fares are available on request Locally payable taxes/fees of £14.80 per room will apply based on current rates WHAT'S INCLUDED LAST REMAINING SUITES AT THESE EXCLUSIVE FARES BUSINESS CLASS FLIGHTS INCLUDED FOR ALL BOOKINGS FREE two night 5★ hotel stays in Venice and Rome included† 10 NIGHTS ALL-INCLUSIVE cruising on board the ultra-luxurious Silver Nova, including**: INCLUDED Unlimited Wi-Fi & Gratuities INCLUDED Butler service for all suites INCLUDED Premium Drinks in-suite and throughout the ship, including champagne, selected wines and spirits, plus your own tailored minibar replenished daily Superlative service with a staff-to-guest ratio of nearly 1:1 In-suite dining and 24-hour room service Multiple restaurants, diverse cuisine, open-seating dining Transportation into town in most ports of call Overseas transfers 15% OFF TRAVEL INSURANCE - Please call for more information EARN EXCLUSIVE CRUISE MILES - worth £££s* off your next booking with ROL Cruise†† rolcruise.co.uk/times TRAVEL WITH CONFERENCE CALL ONE OF OUR CRUISE SPECIALISTS FREE ON 0808 239 9124 QUOTE OFFER REF 644608 WE ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FROM 8:30AM - 8PM Fares and availability correct at time of sign off 28/07/2026. Fares are per person based on two adults sharing, may increase or be withdrawn at any time. Offer applies to new bookings only. *Subject to availability. #Savings based on two adults sharing. Flight schedules are subject to change and may be indirect. Final timings are confirmed closer to departure. †Star ratings are ROL Cruise classified. ‡Subject to the cruise line's T&Cs. §†15% off travel insurance is only applicable when making a new booking with ROL Cruise quoting SUMMER13, further terms and conditions apply. ††Cruise Miles' T&Cs apply. For full ROL Cruise T&Cs visit www.rolcruise.co.uk. ©ROE THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 51 Weather Today Very hot and dry in the southeast. Cool with rain in the north and west. Max 3SC (95F), min 7C (45F) Around Britain Not, in doubt, certain cocktails, precarilla (study devital), Frida, farfing, british, envois, mola, de-steware, in black, perolean, croon, tribunaler. proximal day class not available Temp 6 Rain Soak Sea ending cocktails per day per day per day Aberdeen 22 < 11.0 4.6 Irene 20 < 0.0 1.4 Andrews 21 < 0.0 0.0 Andrews 22 < 5.0 4.0 Barrsingle 23 < 0.0 *** Seaford 24 < 0.0 *** Belford 25 < 2.0 3.1 Donougham 26 > 0.0 *** Grahammouth 26 > 0.0 11.2 Endleydon 27 3C 0.0 *** Bristol 28 R 0.0 10.7 Camborne 21 < 0.0 0.2 Cardiff 22 R 0.2 4.6 Edinburgh 26 > 3.6 5.7 Eskodamoor 20 < 12.0 1.5 Glasgow 20 < 5.0 0.0 Newford 25 < 0.0 *** Northamcoon 22 3C 0.0 10.4 Byrneck 27 < 0.0 0.3 Isle of Man 19 < 0.0 1.1 Isle of Wight 23 > 0.0 *** Jersey 23 > 0.0 10.7 Karaisch 22 < 0.0 *** Malmo 20 > 0.0 6.8 Leeds 24 R 0.2 *** Lermitte 24 R 0.2 5.8 Leechers 23 R 3.0 0.3 Lincoln 27 > 0.0 0.0 Liverpool 22 3C 0.2 *** London 27 3C 0.0 13.2 Leinstone 24 3C 0.0 10.0 Manchester 26 < 0.0 0.9 Meynton 26 > 0.0 10.0 Wilfrid Haven 18 D 0.6 *** Newcastle 23 < 1.2 *** Northcoham 24 3C 0.0 2.2 Orlney 15 < 2.4 *** Oxford 26 3C 0.0 *** Plymouth 23 > 0.0 *** Portland 24 3C 0.0 *** Perth, St Mary's 21 < 0.0 *** Shamden 26 3C 0.0 12.5 Shrewsbury 26 3C 0.0 4.6 Snowdown 14 < 1.4 *** Southend 26 > 0.0 10.3 South Old 27 > 0.6 *** Shrewsbury 15 < 7.2 1.5 Thor 17 R 14.4 1.6 Whitehaven 18 D 5.4 1.8 Wick 14 R 2.0 *** Yarnifinn 26 > 0.0 7.7 The world All exciting, and complex yesterday Alisfarry 33 PC Madness 24 3C Amsterdam 24 PC Maintel 25 S Athens 23 S Midland 29 S Auckland 24 PC Mathews 11 3C Eckrich 28 < Malta 26 S Escambia 27 > McDermott 14 R Germain 28 PC Meadow City 22 R Eurovision 30 > Miami 52 *** English 27 > Milne 33 R Exelot *** > Newtown 25 R Enigrods 28 S Montreal 27 3C Berlin 23 R Moscow 26 S Bermuda 24 R Mundus 30 M Brethnau 32 S Munich 26 S Brussels 28 S Natural 20 R Bucharest 27 R Naples 30 3C Budapest 28 S New Orleans 23 3C Buenos Aires *** > New York 20 R Calva 33 > New 29 S Calcutta 24 *** Nassau 24 S Cadence 22 3C Oslo 20 S Cape Town 28 > Paris 29 S Chicago 24 > Perth 14 3C Copenhagen 23 PC Prague 23 S Certh 24 PC Rockyouth 15 S Duke 27 > St. Louis 30 3C Dubai 28 S Rio de Janeiro 25 S Dublin 29 3C Riyadh 25 3C Faro 28 > Rome 12 3C Florence 25 S San Francisco 25 3C Frankfurt 27 > Santiago 11 R Geneva 28 S São Paulo 24 S Gibraltar 26 > Seoul 30 R Helsinki 28 SM Scotchdale 29 3C Hong Kong 27 3C Singapore 30 3C Hannibal *** > St. Petersburg 11 R Istanbul 24 > Stockholm 15 S Jerusalem 26 > Sydney 17 3C Jacksonville 17 > Tel Aviv 26 S Keats Lumpur 28 SM Taosville 27 3C Kyle *** > Tokyo 30 R Luscombe 28 3C Vancouver 11 R Los Pablos 27 PC Yorba *** *** Lima 22 R Vismea 27 S Lufano 33 > Warsaw 20 R Los Angeles 25 PC Washington 25 R Luxor 28 S Zurich *** *** Five days ahead Hot and dry in the south, fresher and more changeable conditions in the north Tomorrow Hot and healthy cloudy for much of the south with the potential for a chronic Scotland showers in Ireland. Rain in Scotland, warm and dry. Friday Deep with unbounced showers for Scotland and Ireland. Mostly cloudy in the south, burning summer in the late afternoon. Range/heavy-facing fresher around the British Isles. Saturday Warm and sunny in the south and east, Scattered light showers in the north and west. Showers will soon in the afternoon. Sunday Cloudy and dry for most, although heavy rain moving into western Ireland and northern Scotland in the evening temperatures below 60% (less open) and in the British Isles. Monday Wideraimed house lore and fresher temperatures over Ireland are northern Scotland. Showers with heavy sunsets of background Waves. The Times weather page is provided by General situation: Very hot, dry and sunny day for the southeast, with much cooler temperatures in the north and west along with steady afternoon rain, heavy at times. N Ireland, Republic of Ireland: Warm and wet day for the east. Morning band of rain over the north of Ireland, burning mostly sunny in the afternoon. Maximum 22C (72F), minimum 8C (46F). S Wales, N Wales, NW Eng, NE Eng: Cooler with thicker cloud bringing showers throughout the day. Light westerly winds. Maximum 23C (86F), minimum 12C (70F). London, E Anglia, Midlands, Cen S Eng, SW Eng, Cen N Eng, SE Eng, E Eng, Channel Is: Dry with patchy cloud in southwestern England and the Channel Islands. Very hot, dry and sunny elsewhere. Light to gentle west or southwesterly winds. Maximum 35C (95F), minimum 14C (57F). NW Scotland, Moray Firth, N Isles, NE Scotland: A mostly dry day with sunny intervals and Scattered showers. Light westerly winds. Maximum 19C (65F), maximum 7C (45F). Lake District, Borders, SW Scotland, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, Aberdeen, Cen Highland, Argyll: Temperature, starting warm but feeling fresh into the afternoon, with morning showers moving to steady old although it could be heavy at times. Light to moderate southwesterly winds. Maximum 21C (70F), minimum 7C (45F). Tides Tidal predictions. Height1 in metres, All Times in local time Today ... HI HI Aberdeen 10/02 3.9 14.06 Antoinette 07/07 12.7 20.27 Belfast ... ... 12.22 Cardiff 07/07 11.8 20.87 Donoghurt 06/30 4.8 18.44 Donor ... ... 12.85 Dukes ... ... 12.21 Edinburgh ... ... 12.21 Edinburgh 06/06 4.6 18.28 Greenock 11/09 3.3 13.22 Harwich ... ... 12.44 Highland 11/23 5.8 23.38 Hull 06/06 6.9 19.31 Leith 09/21 5.5 19.49 Liverpool ... ... 12.88 London Bridge 02/30 6.7 14.57 Lowestoft 10/14 2.5 23.82 Wilfrid Haven 07/06 6.2 19.22 Morecambe ... ... 12.18 Newhaven ... ... 12.86 Norway 09/07 6.1 18.18 Olan 06/01 3.5 19.82 Prescott 05/12 4.9 17.95 Portsmouth ... ... 12.59 Sherburn ... ... 12.22 Southampton 11/16 4.2 23.48 Swansea 07/07 5.4 19.29 Tass 04/22 5.1 16.55 Waymouth 07/27 3.7 19.53 Synoptic situation Low pressure located to the northeast of Scotland will bring a sweeping cold-fired across northern Britain, leading to cooler, fresher temperatures. A series of cold frosts will bring multiple bands of cloud and rain, heavy at times to Ireland and Scotland in the coming days. Hot and largely dry weather will continue in the south within a warm sector. Highs and lows 24hr to 7pm yesterday Warmest: Geographic Liverpool 18.8C Uplight: Camperon, 5.2C Wettest: Fydehurs Perthshire, 23.2mm Sunset: Heathrow, 13.2m/s Sun and moon For Greenwich Sun time: 22.19 Sun sets: 20.33 Moon rises: 22.07 Moon sets: 20.58 Tins Third quarter: Airport 6 Hours of darkness Aberdeen 23.06-04.02 Belfast 23.88-09.03 Bruneham 22.35-06.54 Cardiff 23.06-05.00 Exeter 22.04-08.48 Glasgow 22.88-04.48 Liverpool 22.45-04.55 London 22.22-04.51 Manchester 22.40-04.51 Moncotin 22.45-04.42 Harwich 22.22-04.42 Presence 22.00-05.18 Sheffield 22.57-04.49 Weather Eye Paul Simons In 1252 the Benedictine monk Matthew Paris in St Albans described "intolerable heat and drought" between March and July, adding that conditions were not relieved by "any fall of rain or dry." The Chronicle of the Princes reported a similar thing, saying: "The heat of the sun was so great that all the earth became so dry therefrom, that no fruit grew on the trees." The ground was so hard it could not be ploughed for six weeks. Heat and drought are nothing new and in medieval times but, dry summers could hit the country hard. Not only did farming suffer, but diseases spread — malaria broke out in low-lying marshlands. Wildfires were a threat and a great fire broke out in Southwark, London, on July 10, 1212. High winds fanned the flames, which rapidly spread into the north of the city across London Bridge, which was lined with timber shops and houses that were ablaze. The fire devastated a large part of London; an estimated 3,000 people died and many were left homeless. Although drought and fires in medieval times were indeed great threats, the warm climate led to flourishing agriculture and farming spread into uplands and vineyards; viticulture was greatly expanded by the Norman conquerors. The population of England increased and the economy boomed, funding a great age of cathedral construction. This warm period of climate was called the Medieval Optimum, lasting from about the mid-10th to the mid-13th centuries. It was a natural phenomenon, brought on by an increase in solar radiation. The warm medieval period was characterised by regional variability and the climate across regions differed greatly. In general, temperatures only rose over about 40 per cent of the Earth's surface and global temperatures were below now, as revealed by analysing tree rings, ice cores extracted from glaciers and sediments in lakes and seas. In comparison, today's warming climate covers the globe and temperatures are rising far more rapidly. Speak directly to one of our forecasters on 09065 77675 Barn to 5pm daily (calls are charged at £1.55 plus network extras) WeatherQuest weatherquest.co.uk TIMES Travel Partner SAVE 10% Andre Riou in Maastricht by Eurostar June to July 2027 Andre Riou, Maastricht Enjoy a spectacular concert like no other courtesy of the Dutch maestro, André Riou. In his idyllic hometown of Maastricht. Joined by his Johann Strauss Orchestra, choir and soloists - as well as celebrity guests - André takes to the stage for a series of his famous summer shows on Vrijthof Square. Save 12F. Account applies to select André Riou Maastricht tour packages (sealed by Airport 11, 2025 and upred for applied outrage) likely to bookings already confirmed. Offer applies to select tours only and cannot be combined with any other offer. Exclusions apply. Press choice include discount. Single supplemental apply. Press correct at time of print. These includes are organised and operated by Beerswacht Holdings Ltd, a company wholly independent of News UK. ABT01T004. ATD, protected 21/25. ABT4 17512. Standard phone charges apply. Our trusted partner Board the Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Brussels, then by coach into the Netherlands for a three-night stay in Eindhoven, Veldhoven or Helmond. Admire Utrecht's marvellous architecture and captivating museums, explore historic Maastricht at your own pace or cruise the Meuse River ahead of an extraordinary evening with André Riou at Vrijthof Square. ALL TODAY ON 0808 2315021 Wednesday over: nh-andremaastricht2027 QUOTE TIM 52 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES Sport Brilliant batting but burn notes at Hundred Elizabeth Ammon says £520m windfall will not fix the gulf between haves and have-nots We're one week into the new era of the Hundred. We have new owners, new money, new kits and new team names. The quality of the players on show has gone up a notch, yet the crowds are down. And amid all that, the Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report 2026, published last week, concluded that the gulf between the haves and have-nots in county cricket — the clubs who host a Hundred franchise and those the tournament has sidelined — is set to widen. NO LONGER A CHEAP DAY OUT Overall attendances are down about 20 per cent on last year but it is a mixed picture, with a particularly noticeable difference between the London franchises and those outside the capital. London Spirit's opening match at Lord's had a peak attendance of 23,847, which represented an increase on their first game last year. There were 12,500 at Manchester Super Giants' first match at Old Trafford — which holds about 20,000. There were also thousands of empty seats at the opening games at Trent Bridge and Headingley. The dip in attendances, despite the glorious summer weather, is partially down to the teams themselves, who are now responsible for their own ticketing and marketing. A source at one of the franchises said: 'There are still things we need to learn about marketing and ticket sales. Although we offered early-bird deals, perhaps we needed to do some earlier and harder marketing.' Another theory is that the tickets have become too expensive. In the early days of the Hundred, adult tickets were priced between £20 and £25 — cheaper than for the T20 Blast. They have slowly increased over the past couple of years and now most adult tickets cost between £35 and £55, with under-9bs priced at £5. For a family of four, once travel, food and drink are taken into account, it amounts to a day that costs over £150. Those with a limited entertainment budget have a choice to make. Would the children rather spend the day at a theme park or go to watch the Hundred? Replica kits are hardly cheap either. Manchester Super Giants and SunRisers Leeds are giving away shirts to ticket-holders, and MI London have offered a kit amnesty whereby people with 2025 Oval Invincibles kits can swap them for the new gold and blue MI kit. But if the children are preferring you, it will still set you back about £50 for a shirt and £23 for a cap. One thing that the teams, who set their own prices, should consider is a student rate. Junior tickets are for under-9bs but many aged 17 to 22 are still in full-time education or training and are unlikely to be able to afford upwards of £35 for an adult ticket and £7-plus for a beer. WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE WITCH? The injection of cash, the rise in the salary pot to more than £2 million for the men's teams, and the player auction mean there has been a notable spitick in the quality of the teams. One of the criticisms of the Hundred in past seasons has been its lack of close games and dramatic finishes, but we had two last-ball finishes on Monday in the PHOTOS: ROBERT SMITH/STREET women's and men's matches between Southern Brave and MI London, and on Sunday in the men's match between London Spirit and Trent Rockets, the Rockets won by four wickets with only two balls remaining. MI London's Nicholas Pooran is leading the 'boothing' table with a strike rate of 214.28 from three innings. Manchester Super Giants' Jos Battler is batting beautifully, with 169 runs at 179.8 strike rate, though Mitchell Marsh leads the way with 173 runs. Rachin Ravindra of Welsh Fire, apologised to 'the cricket purists out there' as he called his innings of 98 off 44 balls against London Spirit 'dirty'. He hit seven sixes — all between midwicket and long on — after going cow-corner crazy. In the women's competition, Australia's Georgia Voll, of Welsh Fire, is top of the runs table but England's Sophia Dunkley has been the most aggressive batter, with a strike rate of 206.25 from her two innings. LEAVE SINGING TO THE PROS Tinie Tempah, known for his hit song Written in the Stars among others, gave a very entertaining performance at Lord's on Thursday for London Spirit's opening match. The organisers had taken the sensible decision not to hide such a big star away at the back of the stands but to put him on a stage on the outfield at the Nursery End, facing the spectators in the Edrich stand. He gave an excellent performance, going through all his hits and wandering into the crowd to hug slightly bemused middle-aged spectators. At the other end of the spectrum, a few of the teams have tried to introduce team songs that the players perform when they win — with embarrassing results. SunRisers Leeds debuted a video of their male players singing a new victory song after an online backlash. The players and staff were attempting to perform an adapted version of Marching on Together — the Leeds United and Leeds Rhinos anthem — after being presented with the amended lyrics on print-out sheets. Nobody knew the words and everyone was singing different notes in different keys. 'Absolutely cringoworthy,' was one comment on the now deleted post. MI London's team song is, at least, one that the players grasped easily. To the tune of Freed From Desire by Gala, the lyrics are very easy: 'We are the kings of London in gold and royal blue, la la la, la la la, la la la, la la ...' WARNING SHOT FOR FUTURE OF DOMESTIC GAME The Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report 2026, published last week, found that the gulf between the haves and have-nots in county cricket is set to grow after the sale of the Hundred teams. The report found that the 'big four' — Surrey, Lancashire, Hampshire and Warwickshire — generated 53 per cent of all the revenue of the 18 first-class counties (£134 million out of £23.3 million). The £520 million windfall from the sale of the Hundred teams gave each of the non-host counties about £25 million, allowing many of them to pay off crippling debts, but the report warned that most of the future revenues from the Hundred, including shares of broadcast deals, will go to the eight host venues. It concluded the non-host counties would continue to struggle with operating costs, highlighting the plight of Sussex and saying they are a warning sign for the wider domestic game about the impact of rising costs outpacing revenue. Results Commonwealth Games Glasgow medal events only Gothic gymnastics: Men: horizontal bar 1. F Davis (Cain) 4:2,000; 2. M Gunsmire (Cay) 16:166; 3. W Errant (Cain) 13:166; 4. A Vishton (Cain) (Eng) 14:237. Parallel bars 1. J Moore (Aus) 14:000; 2. M Langergan (Cay) 13:000; 3. E Dicks (Cain) 13:000; 5. R Ward (Cay) 13:166; Vaud 1: Duro 13:766; 2. L Whitehouse (Eng) 12:749; 3. N Kersakus (Cay) 13:733. Women: Balance-beam 1. R Scott (Aus) 13:933; 2. A Yap (Sing) 15:233; 3. L M Fontaine (Cain) 13:000; 5. A Lost (Eng) 12:866. Floor 1. K Evans (Wales) 11:500; 2. A Martin (Eng) 15:333; 3. S-E Arnethawah (Eng) 13:000. Athletics: Men: 100m 1. C Everett (Clemmons) 9:8,000; Games record: 2. L Kennedy (Aus) 9:85; 3. A Kaye (Nigeria) 9:90; 10.0,000s; 11. Roderson (Aus) 27min 48:93sec; 12. C Singh (India) 27:49.78; 3. D Mubarey (India) 27:45.83. Women: 100m 1. D Nistle (AU) 10:93; 2. A Hunt (Eng) 10:98; 3. T Lewis (Aus) 10:99. High jump 1. S Patterson (Aus) 1:96m (Games record): 2. A Oxnaguen (Aus) 1:93; 3. T Adedreca (Nigeria) 1:90. Hammer 1. C Rogers (Cain) 14:9bn (Games record): 2. L Bruce 9:82. 69.82; 3. L Roberts (Aus) 68:09. Bowls: Men: Singles: Gold medal match 1. Taitland (Eng) 1st (Dudleigh (Malaysia) 2-0pts. Bronze medal 2. Kelly (N. no) 1st (Wales) (Aus) 7:1,1pts. Women: Farn. Gold medal 3. England 1st (Malaysia) (E. 1/2pts. Bronze medal 4. Northern Ireland 1st (Wales) 2-0pts. Swimming: Men: Freestyle: 100m 1. F Eastman (Aus) 47:0sec; 2. M Richards (Wales) 47:64; 3. K Chalmers (Aus) 47:74. Breaststroke: 200m 1. F Nowak (Jan) 2:nes 7:87sec; 2. O Dawson (Can) 2:08.39; 3. Z Dubbitt/Cock (Aus) 2:08.95; 4. G Butler (Eng) 2:09.91. Individual medley: 400m 1. L (Sandwich (NZ) 4:08.72; 2. W Pate (Aus) 4:10.02; 3. L Wagginton (Can) 4:11.9b. Women: Freestyle: 800m 1. L Palletier (Aus) 6:11.12 (Games record): 2. E Fierwathner (NZ) 6:24.97; 3. W Walker (Aus) 8:25.81. Backstroke: 50m 1. K Mason (Aus) 27:32; 2. J Anderson (Aus) 27:45; 3. L Cox (Eng) 27:56. Breaststroke: 50m 1. L van Niekerk (SA) 30:43; 2. S Toole (Aus) 30:54; equal 3. I Clark (Eng) and 5. Angus (Can) 30:86. Individual medley: 200m 1. F Ferreiter (Aus) 2:09.24; 2. A Carrie (SA) 2:09.27; 3. A Smith (Eng) 2:09.41. Wales: 6 x 100m medley relay 1. Australia 1:40.46 (Games record): 2. South Africa 3:42.65; 3. Scotland (M Ward, A Evans, K Macleod, D Scie) 3:43.70. Weightlifting: Men: 88kg 1. H Muhammad (Malaysia) 3rd (Games record): 2. S McTaggart (NZ) 3:38; 3. A Deig (Scie) 3:09. Women: 69kg 1. C Simonsen (Can) 2:40 (Commonwealth Games record): 2. R Kaur (India) 2:27; 3. N Hynman (Aus) 2:16. 63kg 1. M Charnin (Can) 2:22 (Games record): 2. S Bride (Eng) 2:01; 3. F C Notte (Nevna) 2:95. Leading medals 1. Australia 2. Canada 3. Canada 4. England 5. England 6. Scotland 7. South Africa 8. New Zealand 9. India 10. Jamaica 11. Jamaica 12. Jamaica 13. Jamaica 14. Jamaica 15. Jamaica 16. Jamaica 17. Jamaica 18. Jamaica 19. Jamaica 20. Jamaica 21. Jamaica 22. Jamaica 23. Jamaica 24. Jamaica 25. Jamaica 26. Jamaica 27. Jamaica 28. Jamaica 29. Jamaica 30. Jamaica 31. Jamaica 32. Jamaica 33. Jamaica 34. Jamaica 35. Jamaica 36. Jamaica 37. Jamaica 38. Jamaica 39. Jamaica 40. Jamaica 41. Jamaica 42. Jamaica 43. Jamaica 44. Jamaica 45. Jamaica 46. Jamaica 47. Jamaica 48. Jamaica 49. Jamaica 50. Jamaica 51. Jamaica 52. Jamaica 53. Jamaica 54. Jamaica 55. Jamaica 56. Jamaica 57. Jamaica 58. Jamaica 59. Jamaica 60. Jamaica 61. Jamaica 62. Jamaica 63. Jamaica 64. Jamaica 65. Jamaica 66. Jamaica 67. Jamaica 68. Jamaica 69. Jamaica 70. Jamaica 71. Jamaica 72. Jamaica 73. Jamaica 74. Jamaica 75. Jamaica 76. Jamaica 77. Jamaica 78. Jamaica 79. Jamaica 80. Jamaica 81. Jamaica 82. Jamaica 83. Jamaica 84. Jamaica 85. Jamaica 86. Jamaica 87. Jamaica 88. Jamaica 89. Jamaica 90. Jamaica 91. Jamaica 92. Jamaica 93. Jamaica 94. Jamaica 95. Jamaica 96. Jamaica 97. Jamaica 98. Jamaica 99. Jamaica 100. Jamaica** C The Hundred: Sunrisers Leeds v Manchester Super Giants: Men Headlogter (Sunrisers Leeds won toss) Sunrisers (4pts) beat Manchester Super Giants by eight wickets Manchester Super Giants (balls) T Soifert v Potts & Carse 28 (16) A Madman v sub (E Barnard) 3 Ellis 12 Butler not out 63 (33) H Kinsman v Rens & Ellis 53 (27) T Moore not out 0 (1) Extra (3 1 w 0) 0 (1) Total (3 wkts, 100 balls) 181 L du Plooy, L Dawson, G Atkinson, N Ahmad, J Tongue and S Baker did not bat. Fall of wickets 3-36, 2-75, 3-180. Bowling Carse 20:6-47:1, Ahmad 20:2-47:0, Potts 20:4-33:0, Ellis 20:4-32:2, Lawrence 5:1-4:0, Rena 19:2-21:0. Sunrisers Leeds (balls) M Marsh & Baker HR Braxton v Moores & Tongue 33 (11) C Crawley not out 36 (34) H Brook not out 42 (17) Extra (3 1 1/2 w 4) 12 Total (2 wkts, 88 balls) 18 B Lawrence, T Alway, M Rens, B Carse, M Potts, N Ellis and A Ahmed did not bat. Fall of wickets 3-26, 2-118. Bowling Atkinson 20:11-29:0, Baker 20:6-30:1, Tongue 15:6-40:1, Dawson 15:3-42:0, Ahmad 18:3-37:0.[{"box_2d": [343, 815, 489, 972], "label": "text", "caption": "P W L T NR Pts NRR \nManchester SG \n2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nWelsh Fire \n2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nM London \n3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nLeeds Surekers \n2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nTrent Rockets \n2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nBrown Phoenix \n2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nSouthern Brave \n3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 \nLondon Spirit \n2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 \n2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 \n3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 \n3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 53 Racing Sport Goodwood Rob Wright 3.50 Infront (noo) 2.25 Divine Whisper 1.80 Janthus 3.35 Right 4-Wide (nb) Going: good good to firm in places Draw: 0/4d, high numbers best Racing TV 4.10 Ocean Balls 5.40 Under The Twilight 5.40 Howland Racing TV 5.00 Great Rewarder Shaker Handicap (3-9-0 £46.60 'tm #19) (runners) 1 (1) (22) W. THOMAS DEL TIMES 1.0 (Rookie) 9-7 J. Pholis 9-5 2 (1) (7) J. CAMARA 1.0 (8-21) 1.7 (Pitton City) 9-7 D. Browne W. Benson 3 (1) (7) J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. 4 (1) (4) J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H 5 (1) (4) J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H 6 (1) (4) J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H 7 (1) (4) J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H 8 (1) (4) J. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H Rob Wright's choice Infront steps up in divisions after fixing home when third at Chester, he looks a cat driver this field Dangers Heltens, Sus And Sun 2.25 British Stallion Shuds EBF Alice Raspet Flicker Conditions Stakes (2-9-0 £53.40 '91) (9) 1 (1) (0) 02321 CAL MOO 1.0 (T) Caverin 9-7 D. Wain 35 2 (1) (1) 03498 HENRIER 2.0 (A) R. Bradley 9-7 B. Lindstrom 32 3 (1) (1) 02109 FRIDD 0.1 (B) James Dean 9-3 C. Fallon 27 4 (1) (1) 02109 FRIDD 0.1 (C) J. Collins 9-3 D. Murphy 26 5 (1) (1) J. HODGES LIFT 4.0 (A) Fallon 9-3 D. Perry 29 6 (1) (1) 02102 HOLLY 2.0 (T) C. F. Robson 9-2 P. Dudley 27 7 (1) (1) 03908 CHINESE D'ORANGE 4.0 (B) D'Phillips 9-2 R. L. Brown 23 8 (1) (1) 03908 CHINESE D'ORANGE 4.0 (B) D'Phillips 9-2 J. Pholis 49 9 (1) (1) 03202A FRIDD 1.0 (T) C. F. Robson 9-2 S. Osborne 35 (3-6) Roll Biscayne - 4.7 (Miles) 49, A. 1.7 (Tol) Track 3.1 (Miss) Lytra, Princess D'Grange 2-21 (Daytime, Home, Home) 2-21 (A) R. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. Wright choice (Divine Whisper) did well to put in a狭窄 (not race at Whisper). Have should be more than 1.0 Dangers Danger's Well (Rouses, Hidden Gilt) 3.00 Rolls-Royce Oak Tree Stakes ITV (Fillier and Mares) (Group 3 £62.80 '71) (10) 1 (4) (11) AMARIS 0.1 (A) R. Burrin 9-7 Rolley Fraser 41 2 (9) (10) ROLL THE ROLL 1.0 (C) F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F. F 3 (12) (12) ILL FLEURANT 2.0 (A) R. Burrin 9-7 R Scott 401 4 (2) (1) FLIGHT SIGNAL 1.0 (B) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. M. R. Burrin 41 5 (12) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 HP Murphy 79 6 (1) (1) HALOFS PIODE 4.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 7 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 8 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 9 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 10 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 11 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 12 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 13 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 14 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 15 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 16 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 17 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 18 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 19 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 20 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 21 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 22 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 23 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 24 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 25 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 26 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 27 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 28 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 29 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 30 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 31 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 32 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 33 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 34 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 35 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 36 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 37 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 38 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 39 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 40 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 41 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 42 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 43 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 44 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 45 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 46 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 47 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 48 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 49 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 50 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 51 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 52 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 53 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 54 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 55 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 56 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 57 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 58 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 59 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 60 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 61 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 62 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 63 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 64 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 65 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 66 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 67 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 68 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 69 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 70 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 71 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 72 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 73 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 74 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 75 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 76 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 77 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 78 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 79 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 80 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 81 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 82 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 83 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 84 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 85 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 86 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 87 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 88 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 89 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 90 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 91 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 92 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 93 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 94 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 95 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 96 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 97 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 98 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 99 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 100 (1) (1) J. HALL OF A PIPE 1.0 (A) A. R. Burrin 9-7 J. Pholis 41 Redcar Rob Wright 2.05 Armonk 3.50 Wild Dahlia 2.06 Owl 3.20 (M) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.20 (S) 3.03 Horswell Ridge 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) 4.50 (R) Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 Group 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 (1) 2016/17 4.50 Handicap (£3340: 9/1) (7)[{"box_2d": [223, 596, 400, 604], "label": "text", "caption": "1. (1) DAVIS RICE GEORGE 1.1 (1) A. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. H. 54 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES Sport Commonwealth Games Abdul, right, takes on England's Thomas in the super-heavyweight quarter-finals today. Amin, below, took a liking to boxing and was a Ugandan light-heavyweight champion UGANDA BIZANG/GEOGRAPHY Grandson of Idi Amin: I will be King of Scotland Rick Broadbent Glasgow You hear a lot of recycled hokum in boxing but it is safe to assume this is the first time a Commonwealth Games competitor has vowed to draw on memories of the tyrannical dictator Idi Amin to become the new "King of Scotland". Aziz Abdul, 25, is a boxer sometimes known as Aziz Ringo after his self-titled signature punch. He is also a grandson of the former Ugandan president, who came to power after a coup d'état in 1971 and oversaw the deaths of at least 300,000 people as well as the forced expulsion of 80,000 people of Asian descent. Amin was also a man of many wives and is believed to have fathered about 60 children. Abdul has been busy in Glasgow channelling this family history through the prism of boxing braggadocio. So before he fights England's Damar Thomas in today's super-heavyweight quarter-final clash, he said: "My grandfather's achievements inspired me. He was a heavyweight boxer like myself and I am so proud of him. "Lions give back to lions. A lion cannot give back to a dog or a camel. A lion must resemble a lion. It is what it is. I am a real warrior. I am the son of the son." Mixing Amin and Mike Tyson, he then added: "I know the British heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but my idol is Mike Tyson, the baddest man on the planet. If I win the gold medal I will be the baddest man in the Commonwealth, the baddest man in Glasgow, and the new King of Scotland". There was a lot to unpick there. "Bad" boxing men and murderous despots should probably not appear in the same sentence — or ring — and lion metaphors are strained given that Amin was more a monster responsible for thousands of mutilated corpses and "disappeared" Ugandans. What is also clear is that Amin, who died in exile in Saudi Arabia when Aziz was only two, was drawn to the physicality of boxing and had some ability. He was a Ugandan light-heavyweight champion and, as those familiar with the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland will know, he did indeed adopt that monster, among many others. Why? He felt a kinship with a country historically oppressed by England, even offering to liberate the Scots, and was angered when Britain broke off all diplomatic relations with his regime. Also dubbed "the buffoon tyrant" by the BBC and "the butcher of Uganda" by many more, he bestowed numerous other titles on himself including "Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular". During his time in power, he declined the usual opening speech at the Africa Amateur Boxing Championships and instead challenged the national coach, Peter Sseruwagi, to a bout. The nervous coach later noted: "I could see mean-looking security personnel surrounding the ring." Deeming it unwise to strike the erratic and suited president, he heeded the advice of a top sports official and took a dive. Amin also visited the Ugandan team before they travelled to the World Championships in 1974 and told the fighters to go for the knockout because they would be cheated by the white judges. Abdul has evidently heeded that advice too, hence the development of a knockout blow that he calls "the Ringo". "We are not in Africa, we are in Europe," he said. "As my grandpa used to say, you need to win by knockout so that's what we have trained for and that's what I need to do." The 90kg+ category starts at the quarter-final stage, although nobody should be too snuffy about the number of entrants. When Britain refused to impose economic sanctions on South Africa because of apartheid, some 32 nations boycotted the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. That meant there were only two entrants for the super-heavyweight category, but a rookie Welshman, Aneurin Evans, answered a late plea for fighters and got a bye into the final. His opponent was Lennox Lewis. It was no contest. As Brian Oliver recounts in his illuminating book, The Commonwealth Games, Evans got his silver medal for four minutes of ferocious back-pedalling. In the other corner today is Thomas, 21, who has received support from the former world champion James DeGale. The 2022 European youth champion has had to overcome a serious injury that required bone being removed from his hip to his hand to get here and hopes to join a timeline of English champions, including Delicious One, Frazer Clarke and Joe Joyce. Also on the bill is the exquisitely named Namibian Tryagain Morning Ndevelo. He has explained that his mother coined his name as a permanent reminder to do his best. "Everyday you wake up in the morning and have the chance to do what you didn't do yesterday," he said. One English hope faded yesterday. There was a more palatable lineage on show as Ellis Trowbridge, son of the former three-weight world champion Duke Mckenzie, took to the ring in the 55kg category, but he bowed out to Ghana's madu Mohammed, who is now guaranteed a bronze medal. Six Nations: Wales vs England 2027 March 5, 2027 Be there for Wales v England at the Principality Stadium, a Guinness Men's Six Nations fixture where history, rivalry and campaign-defining pressure meet. This exclusive package includes official match tickets and two hosted events with commenter legend Stuart Barnes, The Times's Charlie Morgan and a celebrity guest speaker, for an experience that goes beyond kick-off. With a prime city-centre four-star hotel, you'll also remain close to the stadium, restaurants and post-match debate. Insight before the whistle, atmosphere after it — and every detail handled from start to finish. Hosted by Stuart Barnes Since hanging up his fly-half boots, Stuart is a columnist and match analyst for The Times and one of the country's most incisive commentators on rugby. Price includes Two nights' four-star stay at Future Inn Cardiff Bay with breakfast Pre-match Q&A with commentator legend Stuart Barnes, The Times's senior rugby writer Charlie Morgan and a celebrity guest Captain's Run access on Friday Official Cat A ticket (lower tier, try line area) Hosted welcome drinks Tour merchandise Optional upgrade: Silver Hospitality upgrade for drinks and lunch Call 0808 291 4831 or visit thetimes.com/th-sixnations2027 TIMES Holidays Terms and conditions apply. *Price shown is per person and based on two adults sharing. Single supplement of £560p applies. Price correct as of July 17, 2026 and subject to change and availability. Price includes all non-optional taxes/fees/charges known at time of publication. This holiday is sold by Times Holidays as an agent for Guinness Sports Travel and preferred under ABTA 1932. For full booklets conditions, visit thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions. Guest speakers, hosts, featured talent and itinerary events are subject to confirmation, availability and change, and may be substituted, rescheduled or withdrawn. No refunds or compensation will be issued for changes to this speaker or talent lineup, although this does not affect any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded. ABTA ABTA NUPRITE THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 33 35 Sport Heir to Ramsay-Peaty wins historic first gold for Jersey Craig Lord Glasgow Filip Nowacki leapt on the lane rope and sent a great arc of water flying over what will for ever be the hallowed waters of Tollcross International: he had just delivered the first swimming gold for Jersey in the history of Commonwealth and Empire Games since it all began in 1930. In a stacked 200m breaststroke final, the 18-year-old World and European junior champion of 2025 handled with aplomb the weight of expectation from his home island. Nowacki's time of 2min 07.32sec meant he won gold ahead of British-born Canadian Oliver Dawson and Australia's Tokyo 2021 Olympic champion Zac Stubblety-Cook. It was his second medal for Jersey in Glasgow: on Saturday night, he took silver in the 100m ahead of his Great Britain teammate and twice Olympic champion in the event, Adam Ramsay-Peaty. That medal was Jersey's first at the Commonwealth Games for 36 years, since shooter Colin Mallett won the Open Full Bore Rifle Queen's Prize at Auckland 1990. 'That's lovely history; it's very special to me, and that's going to be special to me for the rest of my career, and definitely for the rest of my life,' Nowacki said. 'And you know, the atmosphere in there is just top at the top. A massive thank you to everyone that's come out and supported me through this.' Nowacki made his big breakthrough last year, when he broke Ramsay-Peaty's British age-group 100m record and then improved on it twice. There were also eight gold medals at the Island Games NDS four titles at the European junior championships before he moved up the ranks again with world junior titles in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke. 'It's completely surreal,' Nowacki said, 'Coming from an island Nowacki, 18, won gold for Jersey in the 200m breaststroke while Smith, below left, claimed bronze in the 200m medley like Jersey and competing against the Aussies, Canada, England, you know, all the home nations, is very special. To get my hand on the wall there first in, in such an incredible time, reconsolidating that 2.07 I went last year is very special. It shows that I'm moving in the right direction. 'I think that that jump between junior and senior is very big and it's quite often overlooked. Junior men don't really make a proper impact on the senior stage till they're in their early twenties, mid-twenties. I was very fortunate in the fact that I almost made that jump whilst I was still a junior last year.' On his prospects for his debut for Great Britain at the European senior Championships in Paris next month, he said: 'I always love racing back to back and my body responds really well to like aerobic power hits like that.' What about his prospects for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? 'I've said that the water doesn't care who you are, who I am, or whether I can do it again next year,' he said. 'I think it's really tracking my progress forwards for the next two weeks and then have a nice summer off.' On a better day for the home nations in the pool, there was also silver for Welshman Matt Richards in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 200m medley for Kent schoolgirl Amelie Smith 24 hours after her senior debut delivered silver in the 400m medley behind the same champion, Jenna Forrester of Australia. Forrester has turned into a golden girl at these Commonwealth Games, her tally of solo honours raised to three golds and a bronze after she added the 200m medley title to the 400IM crown she claimed just 24 hours earlier. Smith drew plaudits from Baroness Sharron Davies, the 1978 200IM and 400IM champion for England at the age of 15. 'She swam beautifully, a really mature race,' Davies said. 'She has a strong breaststroke and, because the breaststroke leg is the slowest, you have more opportunity to move up through the field. She seems to have a calm confidence and is just doing the job.' Richards was delighted to make the podium between Australia's top sprinters, Flynn Southam and 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers but the 100m final was just the stepping stone to what he said was 'the big one I'm now really excited for'. The last day will feature a 200m freestyle battle with five of Great Britain's 4x200m freestyle Olympic champions racing for four home nations. Hull and her caddie back at scene of his sacking Golf Cathy Harris On the face of it they make an unlikely pair. The blonde influence who is one of the most popular golfers on the LPGA Tour and the rugged Australian caddie. Charley Hull and Adam Woodward have forged a hugely successful partnership for about ten years, barring a brief split when Hull sacked him after missing the cut in the 2018 Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. This week they are teaming up at the same venue in the season's finale as Hull searches for her maiden major title, an irony not lost on Woodward. 'It would be a great story if she could land a major, especially after firing me at Royal Lytham last time,' the 51-year-old said. 'She's so close and just needs a bit of luck. I'd love to see her do it after all the hard work she puts in.' After learning his trade at Cowra Golf Club in New South Wales, where his father was the manager, Woodward gained experience on the LPGA Tour and winning the 2019 US Open with Jeongeun Leeb and The Chevron Championship in 2012 with Yoo Sun-young, both from South Korea. Taken on by Hull in 2015 their relationship is based on mutual respect and affection. 'Of course she gets cross,' Woodward said of Hull, 'and there've been a few expletives but she gets over it quickly and apologises. And without fail, she always says 'good caddying'. 'The best part about working for Charley is that she's fair, easy-going and never gives me any unnecessary grief. And she always takes responsibility for a poor shot.' This year Hull invited Woodward as her play-one to the Royal Box at Wimbledon, an experience he loved. However, after settling down to watch Aryna Sabalenka take on Naomi Osaka, Hull informed him that she needed to go and practise. 'She's got to be the hardest worker on tour and I think after hitting some balls at Wentworth later that afternoon she played nine holes,' he added. Hull does have superstitions. She only uses a No.1 Taylor-Made ball, always marking it with three dots either side of the number. A more curious one is leaving the bottom left compartment of her bag completely empty. 'I don't think there's another golfer on the planet who does that,' Woodward said. One of his favourite memories is when she drilled an ambitious three-wood from under a tree on the 19th at the 2023 US Open at Pebble Beach while trying to hunt down the leader. Although she came up short and finished second, her infamous response — 'shy kids don't get sweets' — went viral. For her part, Hull, 30, says Woodward is fun and great company, adding: 'He's always got my back and been my chauffeur, bodyguard, agony aunt and guardian angel over the years. Goodness knows what situations I'd have got myself in to without him. 'He's so chilled and laid-back. I can't work with someone who is too intense or bossy.' Hull, the world No.7, admits 'it kinda hurts having five second places and no major.' If she is to realise her dream she needs to outperform England's stellar young talent, Lottie Wood, who is ranked No.5 and grew up idolising Hull. Silver lining for Hunt as rain affects 100m final Rick Broadbent Come rain or heavier rain, Amy Hunt was going to be on the start line for the 100m at the Commonwealth Games. One of sprinting's star turns bucked the trend of staying away or dropping out and battled horrible conditions to find a silver lining in the 100m. 'Having a medal is so intangible, so ineffable, it's amazing,' she beamed. New Zealand's Zoe Hobbs was the shock winner in 10.93sec with Hunt second in 10.98. Australia's Torrie Lewis completed the sub-11 podium with Hunt's England team-mate and friend, Imani-Lara Lansigoot, fourth. Why had Hunt been so adamant about coming when others had skipped Glasgow? 'I think it's really important as a track athlete,' she said. 'We don't get much representation in the media. We're not NBA players. And I don't want to go on my Wikipedia page in 30 years' time and just see one or two medals, I want to see lists and lists.' On a dismal night, as hammer throwers huddled together under umbrellas as if in a bus queue rather than elite competition, the 100m became a test of spirit as well as technique. As a 200m specialist, Hunt has still not nailed her start, and as she still searches for a major outdoors solo title, she quipped: 'I need to start wearing some gold jewellery.' Throwers lost their grips and hammers crashed into nets, and the athletes were in danger of splashing through the puddles into farce. When Hunt, inset, came out for her semi-final, the weather went from bad to worse, but she got over her customary slow start to finish like a speedboat and clock 11.02 for the third-fastest qualifying time. In the final she blamed that start again. 'I'm somewhat happy,' she said. 'I had a really terrible first 60 so it shows the calibre of my top end speed that I could dig myself out of the horrendous ditch I had dug.' A string of big names withdrew from the England team, so credit to Hunt for turning up in Glasgow and turning on the afterburners, but she has always been a bit different. Her favourite author is Chaucer and she once said she wanted to be a literary critic. Last year she blitzed her way into the elite when she won a brilliant 200m silver at the World Championships in Tokyo and then spoke about how it was possible to be an 'academic badass as well as a track goddess'. It was a decent field too. No Americans, of course, and none of the top Jamaicans either, but there was Sade McCreath, who had clocked 10.86 only two weeks ago, Hunt was only the ninth-fastest of the women lining up in the semi-finals so you could not disparage the scale of her task. It was no easier in the men's race. Wales's Jeremiah Azu was in a loaded semi-final but ran well to finish second to Kayinsola Ajayi, the 21-year-old Nigerian who had clocked 9.84 in May. The quickest man, though, was Cameroons Emmanuel Eseme, who made a mockery of the puddles by cruising to a national record of 9.89. Eseme, 32 but a sprinter for only eight years, then ran a Games record of 9.83 to pip Australia's Lachlan Kennedy by 0.02 with Ajayi in bronze and Azu fifth. Australia's Ky Robinson produced a gutsy piece of front-running to win the 10,000m gold ahead of India's Gulveer Singh, with David Mullarkey winning the Isle of Man's first-ever track medal with a bronze. Just ask Hunt and the Manxman about the importance of this Commonwealth Games malarkey. 56 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES Sport Football Kerkez: I am built different. I was driving a truck aged ten The Liverpool left back talks to Ian Whittell about reuniting with Iraola and how his dad keeps him grounded The prospect of following in the footsteps of a Liverpool legend might unsettle some young players, but for the Liverpool left back Milos Kerkez it is as straightforward as driving. Specifically driving a lorry. That is a skill the defender learnt as a ten-year-old, sitting on the knee of his father in their Serbian home town of Vrbas. It was part of an upbringing that deviated from the norm when compared with many of his teammates and explains why the prospect of replacing Andrew Robertson in Andoni Iraola's defence leaves him distinctly unfazed. It also helps that this is the 22-year-old's second season at the club after a £40 million move from Bournemouth a year ago. His debut campaign, it is fair to say, was a challenging one. But despite first-year teething problems, Kerkez visibly sneers at the mention of the word 'pressure' before season two. His upbringing in Serbia helps explain why. 'I don't like [the word] 'pressure' and that stuff,' Kerkez, speaking on Liverpool's tour to the United States, says. 'I grew up a bit different in Serbia. For example, I started to drive a truck when I was ten years old. I don't know if it's legal or not.' 'I was with my dad. I would climb on [his knee] and then I took the wheel. He was doing the pedals because I couldn't reach them.' 'It's just a bit different there. We're more on the street. I don't know, I can tell you ten other things that I did when I was younger but I won't — I gave you this example!' 'It was nothing to do with the political situation. We're just like that. You could say maybe built a bit different, growing up a bit different. Everyone has different cultures.' 'It's just your job. Do your own damn job! I don't care about pressure. It's a normal thing that comes with the job. You play good. You play bad. It's process, it's all about growing.' 'If you play bad, in three days you have another game. Everyone is going to forget how you played three days ago. There is always a new game coming and then you have to do good stuff. That's it.' 'Obviously, it's one of the biggest clubs in the world so you need to do well but that comes with the job that we do. It was an experience last season but we need to do a lot better this year.' Kerkez's childhood, and sense of family, remains central to his life and attitude. His parents, Sebastijan and Tijana, live with him in England and the former often drives his son to training. And Milos represents his grandmother's birthplace of Hungary in international football. His middle brother, Marko, is a professional with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece while Milos helped to celebrate his oldest brother Rade's wedding this summer. Those nuptials led to a mistaken assumption that it was Milos himself who had tied the knot. 'No! This is wrong. Everyone gets this wrong! It was my oldest brother,' the defender says with a laugh. 'In Kerkez, who played in Liverpool's pre-season friendly victory over Sunderland in the US last weekend, says the support of his parents, inset, is key to his success Serbia it is normal for the younger brothers to take the bride to the church. That's what I did and now everyone thinks I got married. 'I keep having to explain to a lot of people that I never got married. I was going around the club and people started to congratulate me. I'm like, 'No, I'm not ready for this yet.' 'But my family are very important. My brothers have their own lives now but my parents are with me and I am much happier they are with me.' 'My dad is here to smack me sometimes on the top of the head to remind me. Sometimes you play a few good games and you maybe start to get a bit carried away. But my dad is here to smack me, I come straight back down and I switch straight back on. They are very important.' Although Kerkez may not admit it, that support system was particularly needed last season in which, by his own admission, he and his team struggled to reach their expected heights. Although he had been bought, in theory, to replace him, Robertson, who left on a free transfer to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, provided support. 'I didn't want to get a lot on to him because he was a bit emotional as everything was coming to an end. I didn't want to get on to him too much,' Kerkez says of Robertson, who played 378 games in nine years at Liverpool. 'But throughout the year he helped me. We had a few conversations about the crosses and about we need big lungs so we can run until tomorrow. Also, where to put the last ball, to focus, to put your head up and sometimes put better crosses in.' 'Andy helped me a lot, really, and he's a legend. He's someone I look up to. It's not like I was held back because Andy was there. I always like to compete, it doesn't matter who it is, and I'm going to push even more this year.' Robertson is no longer at Anfield, and nor is Mohamed Salah, another legendary figure with whom Kerkez became close and remains in regular contact. The departure of Arne Slot as head coach also came as a surprise. 'I was asleep, back home in Serbia, and my brother woke me up to tell me,' Kerkez says. 'I was like, 'Wow.'' But surely, the arrival of his former Bournemouth head coach Iraola, who helped him become one of the Premier League's most highly rated young full backs, can only be of benefit? 'I was delighted,' Kerkez says. 'He helped me and improved me a lot in the two years I spent with him. I was really happy — obviously for myself but also for the team. Everyone knows what type of football he plays so I think he is the perfect fit for us.' 'It's the intensity. He's not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and he on the front foot always. If you see footage of how we all are after training, all lying down, then you can see what he is preparing us for. You definitely need legs and good condition for what he wants us to do, but we will be all right.' 'He's very professional. He likes to talk sometimes but not a lot. I think maybe he doesn't want to get too close to some players and wants to show that everyone is the same in the team, so he doesn't get too close to anyone in particular. He keeps it professional, with a lot of hard work.' 'The first couple of sessions, they [team-mates] were getting used to it but now they are getting better and better. The guys like how he works. I think it is going to suit the team perfectly.' LFCTV on Sky Watch all of the action. LIVERPOOL TV PRE-SEASON EXCLUSIVE ACCESS Plus, full first-team replays and coverage of LFC Women's games and Academy matches. £7 extra a month sky Existing Sky TV customers only. £7 extra a month on a 31-day rolling subscription. Cancel anytime. 31 days' notice required to cancel. Search sky.com/LFCTV THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 57 Sport What did Alonso learn from goal-fest? Peter Rutzler Sydney The first public sighting of Xabi Alonso's Chelsea was not exactly sedate. They managed to defeat Western Sydney Wanderers, who finished bottom of the Australian A-League last season, in a ten-goal messy thriller at the Accor Stadium, in Sydney's Olympic Park, thanks in part to a nine-minute hat-trick from João Pedro, the substitute. Alonso fielded a very young team, with only Tosin Adaraltioyo, Josh Acheampong, Liam Delap and Dário Essugo among the more seasoned pros to start, and Chelsea fell behind three times against their plucky opponents during the course of the game. It was only after more of Alonso's senior charges took the field after 64 minutes that victory became assured, treating a sparse crowd to a 6-4 win. Dastan Satpayev, Essugo and Jamie Gittens were on target before the Brazilian's late treble. The new manager said it was a 'useful' friendly, not only because it gave players valuable minutes and there were no injuries — no mean feat given the roughed-up nature of a pitch that hosted three rugby league matches over the weekend — but also because he could learn from the team's struggles with game management. Here's what Alonso would have learnt from his first game in charge. DOES ALONSO NEED MORE EXPERIENCE? 'There were moments that we were struggling to find solutions, and we need to have this,' Alonso said post-match of his team's lack of game management. Given the club's pursuit of Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, two veteran players aged 35 and 36 respectively, the suggestion naturally is that some older heads might help on that front. Alonso would not take the bait to discuss the transfer window, saying he wants a squad with 'proper balance' and that they have 'a plan'. But he does want his side to work on their in-game nous. 'It doesn't matter if you are young, if you are more experienced, this is what happens in the game,' he said. 'This is a quality as well that you need. You can be quick, you can be good at dribbling, but you [need to] have this game intelligence.' João Pedro was quick to impress Alonso with a hat-trick after coming on as a second-half substitute in a 6-4 win that gave the new manager much to consider Spurs working on £60m deal to sign Savinho from City Tottenham Hotspur are working to agree a deal worth about £60 million for the winger Savinho, who has told Manchester City that he wants to leave (Gary Jacob writes). Spurs resurrected their interest this summer having been put off by City's £67 million valuation last year. City's manager at the time, Pep Guardiola, said he did not want Savinho to leave, but the Brazilian started only seven of his 24 Premier League matches last season. He scored four goals and claimed three assists across all competitions. Savinho may cost more than £60 million with add-ons taken into account. Tottenham want to sign two attacking players and Savinho's versatility would also be appealing. The 22-year-old has a contract with City until 2029 after joining from Troyes for £34 million in 2024. The French club, like Girona in Spain, are attached to the City Football Group. In his first season in Manchester, Savinho registered three goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances. Spurs are open to offers for Richardson, the Brazil forward, and Djed Spence, the England defender, among others. Meanwhile Josko Gvardiol has signed a new contract at City that will keep him at the club until 2031. The 24-year-old Croatia defender is the third City player in the past week to finalise a new deal after Phil Foden and Abdulkadir Khusanov. WHAT NOW FOR DELAY? João Pedro contributed a fine assist for Gittens only two minutes after coming on. Then, in the final ten minutes, the forward snuffled three goals. He has a point to prove after Carlo Ancelotti left him out of Brazil's World Cup squad. 'He's very hungry,' Alonso said. Delap, meanwhile, toled for an hour, admittedly with youngsters around him, but with Welbeck seemingly on his way in, the club will want to move on at least two forwards. Could he be among them, only a year after arriving for £30 million from Ipswich Town? HOW DID THE NEW MANAGER SET UP? Just as he did in two behind-closed-doors friendlies before the pre-season tour, Alonso set up his team in a 4-3-3. Out of possession, Chelsea moved to a 4-4-2, while on the ball they moved into a 3-2-5 at times. Their build-up began either with three defenders and two midfielders or, in the second half, two defenders and one midfielder dropping deep — young Reggie Watson. There was no sign of the 3-4-2-1 that yielded so much success for Alonso with Bayer Leverkusen. For now, a back four seems to be the way forward. WHO STOOD OUT? Gittens said that there was more for him to show and the 21-year-old's bright cameo in the second half suggested he is keen to seize opportunities. He was a lively presence off the left-hand side in the second half, and outshone Estêvão, who made a mistake leading to the fourth Wanderers goal. The holding midfielder Essugo, 21, also impressed, starting the game and scoring a fine goal after a clever one- two with Reggie Walsh. He suffered injuries last season and has something to prove too. In the first half Tosin and Acheampong looked shaky defensively. Three players on the tour were not involved. Jared Hato and Mamadou Sarr have only just started pre-season training and were not fit, while Filip Jorgensen, the goalkeeper, has left the tour to complete a transfer, which is likely to be a loan move to Strasbourg. HOW DID THE YOUNGSTERS DO? This tour has a different feel from Chelsea's previous trips in recent summers, as Alonso has included seven players from the academy, including six who were at the club from under-eight level. Watson, 16, was a standout performer and managed 90 minutes in central midfield, while Walsh, who became the club's third-youngest debutant in 2025, was influential in the No10 role. The Kazakh forward Satpayev, a new arrival from Kairat Almaty, also caught the eye by scoring the first goal. He has not officially signed — he will join next month when he turns 18 — but he is able to play pre-season friendlies as an international trialist, with approval sought from his family and Almaty. When he does sign, he will require a work permit. Zidane must gel with Mbappé to make France winners Star of side that won World Cup in 1998 begins first managerial role for five years, writes Ian Hawkey With little of the up-and-at-'em vigour of Jürgen Klopp introducing himself as Germany head coach and none of the out-the-box thinking that Brazil and England made a virtue of when they appointed foreign head coaches, France and Zinedine Zidane entered their anticipated new partnership yesterday — a national icon elevated to perhaps the most public role in French sport. Assuming the reins of Les Bleus, the 2018 world champions and 2022 World Cup finalists, was Zidane told reporters, a career summit he had aspired to for 'four or five years', turning down various jobs to wait for the vacancy. If Zidane — whose predecessor, Didier Deschamps, stepped down this month after 14 years in the post — had not lobbied publicly, the job was long earmarked for him. Deschamps, who captained France's 1998 world champions, made it known in January he would not be continuing after the World Cup, opening the path for the team's most influential player of 1998 and of many years thereafter to become the head coach. Inevitably, Zidane spoke of 'continuity'. Deschamps set high standards, guiding France to the last weekend of the past three World Cups, with his final fixture the heffert-skelter 6-4 defeat by England in the third-place play-off. And France have a tradition of putting ex-playing greats into the post of national head coach, from the three-times Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini in the late 1980s to Laurent Blanc in 2010, to Deschamps and now 'Zizou', as he is widely and affectionately known. Until a fortnight ago, and the semi-final loss to the World Cup's eventual winners, Spain, Deschamps' side were the tournament favourites. Zidane can offer a peerless portfolio of homework on how to lift France from top-four finishers back to No1. 'I have lived in Spain for 25 years,' he noted. 'You know what that implies. I was a leader on the pitch and I will be a leader because of what I've done. And we have a set of outstanding players, which counts for a lot.' The nod to his half-century in football was as close as Zidane, who played 108 times for France, tends to come to blowing his own trumpet. He moved to Real Madrid in 2001 as the then most expensive footballer in history and, remaining in the Spanish capital after Zidane is the latest France legend to coach Les Bleus retiring, made his way up the Real management ladder, before a sudden promotion just over a decade ago. At which point he revealed his Midas touch. Within 25 years he had overseen three successive Champions League triumphs. He then stepped down, abruptly, before being tempted back in 2019, and he duly won La Liga for a second time as head coach. It is a formidable body of work, albeit a concentrated one: only one club as a senior coach; a total of 263 matches. Next to the other grandees at major national teams, such as Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti, it is a sparse timeline as a top-division manager. Hence the sense of mystery over Zidane's dogmas, over what defines the Zidane style. 'He told me, 'I know how to win,'' Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation, said. 'I played as a No10,' said Zidane, 'what I enjoy are goals, but you need a balance.' Sterner critics of his time at Real may point to periods when Zidane oversaw predictable football, reliant on goals from set pieces. The key relationship as Zidane begins his four-year deal with France will be with Real's present striker, the France skipper and serial setter of individual international records, Kylian Mbappé. The respect Zidane enjoys at Real ought to be helpful in any club-versus-country issues with Mbappé, who has willingly taken on the spokesman aspects of the national captaincy, as Zidane was obliged to on his first day as head coach. Asked about the racist slurs the France team have been subjected to, particularly from parts of the Americas, during successive World Cups, Zidane replied: 'We are in a beautiful country for its diversity. I grew up in an area where there was a place for everybody. We must fight racism. But maybe there are some things you cannot change.' 58 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES Sport World Cup for sale Enough is enough – when will game stand up to this? Alyson Rudd Senior Sports Writer As Gianni Infantino skipped across the stage in his gleaming white trainers to usher Donald Trump to the side of Spain lifting the World Cup, most of us sniggered. Both men looked a little ludicrous. The Fifa president seemed to be either pandering to POTUS or keen to let the world know he was matey enough with him to tell him where to stand. Trump was either unsure of the geometry or in search of a photo opportunity. Their antics were a brief reminder that football had risen above the politics. It had enthralled us even while there were extortionate ticket prices, travel bans, the denial of entry to a Fifa-appointed referee from Somalia, the intervention of Trump on the suspension of the talismanic USA striker Folarin Balogun, and the unnecessary and deeply unpopular hydration breaks. In so many ways, the tournament was tainted and ridiculous but football, being inherently beautiful, found a way. Heck, even the USA team found a way, possibly subconsciously, to make sure they did not profit from the Balogun scandal by performing abysmally against Belgium. Those small nations we thought might be whipping boys provided multiple magical moments. But now the World Cup is, it seems, for sale. The Times has learnt of a scheme spearheaded by Infantino that would lead to stakes in it being partitioned off. If this escapade succeeds, the trickle-down effect would be unpalatable. It could reinvigorate those who wanted a breakaway European Super League so feared by the fans and then so valiantly protested against. And those unexpectedly united and vociferous demonstrations of anger will be needed once more. This latest move surely has to be a tipping point. There was much derision of Fifa's president during the World Cup, but it was tinged with shrugs of humour or shakes of the head. We cannot rely on the lone, brave voice of the Norwegian FA to raise objections for us. All of us have to insist that enough is enough, that the World Cup does not exist to create huge profits for a handful of individuals. Which brings us to how senior figures involved apparently plan to avert dissent. Just in case Fifa's member associations balk at the notion of private investors taking a cut, the plan would, it is understood, allow those 211 individual football associations to take their own stake which they could sell or hang on to, thereby sugarcoating the entire operation. Ingenious. This is how the reign of Infantino began in 2016, when he was elected president after vowing to give $5 million to each member association. Those who opposed him claimed such largesse would bankrupt Fifa, but Infantino saw all too clearly how he would be able to increase revenue through broadcast rights and sponsorship. Key members were suitably wooed and impressed. Interestingly, the United States did not initially support his election, but boy did it back the right man in the end, because who is said to have been involved in discussions to buy the World Cup? Figures close to the Trump administration and Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared. There is even talk of there being pressure from the new entity to ensure that the US hosts Fifa tournaments on a much more regular basis to maximise revenues which, given the audacity of the entire project, feels tentative. You have to assume this ends with all tournaments being held in the US, amid a relentless showred of celebrities and influencers who later boast about being able to touch the trophy while it is still warm from being held aloft, and how much lobster you get when in a $100,000 seat. In other words, there are plans afoot to monetise and Americanise football that are so extreme as to achieve what we thought was impossible. Soccer will become a beloved sport in the US and evolve into something so glitzy that no one else will feel connected to it any more. It will become ever more tampered with. We have already seen half-time in the World Cup final extended to 27 minutes to accommodate a Super Bowl-style show. Would anything else in the game remain sacred? It is suddenly too easy to imagine goalless draws being phased out and then draws themselves done away with. More hydration breaks could be added, and half-time extended to last half an hour for all games, not only the ultimate one. Trump's presidency will end but his influence and that of his family will persevere, and maybe the World Cup trophy will be named 'the Donald'. On Monday, Infantino posted a staunch defence of the World Cup. His Trump and Infantino, right, were on stage when Spain lifted the World Cup after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final earlier critics, he said, were 'spreading hate and false rumours' and he proceeded to paint the 2026 tournament as an idyll free from all controversy. He took credit for the things no one person can truly take credit for. The tension, the flair, the athleticism, the aesthetics, the goals, the saves and the assists were all delivered in spite of Infantino, not because of him. It is possible to be a poor husband but have upstanding children. Football parouetted its way through everything and entertained us. We hoped the 2026 iteration would be as gaudy as it would ever get but, no, there is much more money to be made — if appointed, Infantino could earn in excess of $60 million a year as the commissioner of the newly formed company that would control the Fifa World Cup (men's and women's) and Club World Cup. Those who love the game will look to their own football associations to stop Infantino in his tracks but which of them will be bold enough to turn down the extra dosh and demand that this madness ends? Podcast special Go behind the story with Martyn Ziegler Available now wherever you listen to your podcasts More teams, Fifa president knows that smaller nations will leap at the chance to sell their shares, writes Martyn Ziegler Fifa has one money-making crown jewel: the men's World Cup, which delivers multibillions of dollars every four years. So why is its president, Gianni Infantino, at the heart of a plan to sell a stake in it to private investors? The likely answer is that Infantino is said by many who have worked with him to be driven by a desire for power and money. One former close associate said THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 59 Sport CATHOLIC HILL/ARAH STYLE/MAY this month. This year's tournament, which was held in the US, Mexico and Canada, was expanded to include 48 teams Uefa: football's soul is not Fifa's to sell CONTINUED FROM BACK where it is based. Its revenue for the 2022-26 cycle is expected to be $15 billion, the majority of which comes from TV rights, sponsorship, and ticket and hospitality sales from the men's World Cup this summer. It means the tournament would be hugely attractive to private investors, with the potential for growth by expanding it or holding it more frequently. Infantino said this month that a South American proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams would 'definitely' be looked at. The number of competing nations was increased from 12 to 48 for this year's finals in North America. Other senior figures in football, however, regard the plan as being a potential 'nuclear bomb' for the game. Uefa, European football's governing body, said in a statement: 'This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross. Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every national football association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game. 'The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not Fifa's to sell.' There is likely to be an emergency meeting of European associations in the coming days, where they will discuss potential responses, including the ultimate option of threatening to boycott the World Cup. Under the blueprint, which has been discussed among senior Fifa figures and potential investors who have been obliged to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), Fifa would own a majority stake in the company, private investors would buy 20 to 30 per cent initially — for multibillions of dollars — and Fifa's 211 members would each have a small stake as well, totalling about 20 per cent. Fifa says staff have not signed NDAs. Potential investors have talked internally about 'buying Fifa', sources say. The plan to give individual shares to the 211 members is seen as a way of securing its approval by Fifa's Congress and Council — for smaller associations the shares would be worth several times their annual revenue. Sources said some non-binding agreements have already been signed. Infantino's role could be to become the 'commissioner' of the new company, once his last presidential term expires in 2031. The salary could be on a par with the NFL, whose commissioner, Roger Goodell, earns about $64 million a year — ten times as much as Infantino's earnings for the most recent financial year in salary and bonuses. In response to the idea about Infantino becoming commissioner, Fifa said: 'This has never been discussed. However, the Fifa president and the Fifa administration will and must have leading roles in this entity — if approved — to always be in control of any Fifa subsidiary in accordance with Fifa's statutes and regulations for the benefit of member associations. The Fifa president and Fifa administration have a duty to control the development of this project, with outside investors only having a minority stake — and not in Fifa but in a subsidiary of Fifa. For Fifa, nothing changes.' Fifa would retain power over international football, including the international match calendar after 2030, but its decisions would have huge influence over the fortunes of the new company. If Fifa expanded the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, or held the competition more regularly than every four years, that would inevitably boost the financial value of the company. It is not the first time that Infantino has tried to involve private investors and political allies in investing in Fifa's competitions. In 2018 a $25 billion deal with the Japanese bank SoftBank, backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, for a new Club World Cup and global Nations League failed to achieve the necessary support. Infantino had reportedly eyed the chairmanship of the organisation that would have been set up to administer it. The New York Times reported in June that Fifa officials previously discussed with the former US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin an investment in a streaming service called Fifa+, though nothing materialised. Infantino has had links with Jared Kushner before 2018 when the financier was heavily involved in the United States's successful bid for the 2026 World Cup, but sources in the US said it was seen as being politically more sensitive for his brother, Joshua, to be the lead potential investor. If the new venture goes ahead, there are concerns that private investors would put pressure on the men's World Cup to be staged in countries where commercial success can be maximised. more money: how Infantino's plan could affect future World Cups Infantino 'views himself as one of the oligarchs now'. Revenues may have reached $15 billion (about £11.2 billion) for this year's World Cup and more for the four-year financial cycle, but insiders say Infantino wants even more for Fifa and for his baby, the new Club World Cup, the men's edition of which launched last year and became the pre-eminent club competition in the world. Infantino's answer, it seems, is to set up a company to control the commercial interests of Fifa's top competitions. Bringing private investors to the table and using some of the political clout he has established in the United States through his close links to Donald Trump must have seemed the perfect solution. If, as an estimate, investors used a multiplier of five to determine Fifa's value, then it could be said to be worth about $20 billion. A 25 per cent stake, therefore, would be worth about $5 billion, a big chunk of which could be shared around the 211 member associations, who elect the Fifa president and would decide on this plan if it gets to a vote. Furthermore, each of the 211 associations would receive a share of the new company, which they could then also sell to private investors — and by some estimates they could receive $20 million for their share. For many smaller, poorer associations this would be like manna from heaven, so much so that any vote would be seen as Christmas voting for turkeys. The huge income from this year's World Cup dwarfed that of previous tournaments, and expansion plans would mean even higher revenues. The potential for much higher World Cup revenues will appeal to Kushner This potential for growth is the kind of opportunity that is tempting Joshua Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital, who made his fortune by sporting the future value of start-ups such as Instagram and Spotify. But what could this plan mean if it goes through? Some football figures believe that the new company would mean Fifa keeps its role as the game's regulator but faces conflicts of interests with private investors piling on pressure for more income opportunities. The biggest of these pressures would be playing the World Cup more often. Infantino tried that line five years ago by backing a biennial tournament but the idea was rejected. The other way is by expanding the World Cup — and Infantino has already said a proposal to increase the number of teams in the tournament from 48 to 64 teams would 'definitely' be looked at. More teams mean more matches, and more matches mean more money. Infantino has also told colleagues he would like a bigger Club World Cup than the 32-team version that was launched in the US last year. He has also suggested in private that he would like the tournament to be held every two years, or even annually. The pressure to maximise revenues may not stop there. It could even determine where tournaments are hosted if money is the main driving force. As for Infantino himself, sources claim that he could be lined up to run the new company as a commissioner on a huge salary once his final presidential term expires — though Fifa says this has not been discussed. Infantino is set to be re-elected unopposed until 2031. THE TIMES Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES Sport What next for Hundred? Dodgy victory songs, brilliant Buttler at new-look tournament Elizabeth Ammon, page 52 New King of Scotland Idi Amin's grandson wants gold in Glasgow Rick Broadbent, page 54 World Cup for sale ● Infantino plans to sell stakes in football's crown jewel ● Brother of Trump's son-in-law Kushner to be a key investor ● Critics fear 'nuclear bomb' for game as Uefa opposes scheme ● Prime minister says 'greatest competition' is 'not a product' EXCLUSIVE Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors under a scheme that could potentially earn him tens of millions of pounds, sources have told The Times. The plan would lead to a company being formed to control Fifa's top men's and women's competitions, the World Cup and Club World Cup. It could lead to pressure for both events to be expanded or played more regularly than once every four years, as they are at present. The prime minister, Andy Burnham, condemned the proposal. Two sources with knowledge of the discussions said that figures close to the Donald Trump administration have been consulted about the plan. Fifa confirmed to The Times that Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital is expected to lead the proposed investor group and JP Morgan is Fifa's financial adviser on the project. Kushner, 41, is the younger brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who Fifa says is not an investor. Each of Fifa's 211 member associations would also be given a stake, perhaps worth about $20 million (£15 million), which they could retain or sell to raise income for themselves. Sources claim Infantino, 56, would be lined up to run the company as a commissioner once his final Infantino, pictured with the World Cup trophy at this month's final in the US, plans to sell stakes in Fifa's top competition CHRIS BRINSWELL/UNCLASSIFIED/GETTY IMAGES presidential term expires — he is set to be re-elected unopposed until 2031. In a statement on social media, the prime minister said football 'does not belong to investors'. He added: 'The World Cup is not a product. It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was never anyone's to sell.' A Fifa statement read: 'Fifa is always on the lookout for innovative projects that can boost the development of football around the world and is always open to reviewing proposals submitted to it. We are starting a consultation process. 'As the Fifa president stated on July 18 during a meeting with all Fifa member associations, the priority now is to 'unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that Fifa has' after the Fifa World Cup 2026 success. 'Fifa makes its decisions democratically, and a proposal that Fifa has received and is currently reviewing will soon be presented to the 211 member associations and the Fifa Council, who will be the sole final decision-makers.' Fifa said the new body or company responsible for 'operational delivery of Fifa tournaments' would be called Fifa Forward Enterprise. It also announced a 'repositioning' of its development programme Fifa Forward, with huge increases in money available to member associations, up from $8 million to $20 million for the 2027-30 cycle 'and growling steadily thereafter cycle-on-cycle'. The new company would have an initial value of about $20 billion, said insiders. Fifa is a not-for-profit organisation effectively owned by the 211 associations that make up its membership. As an association of associations, it enjoys a tax-free status in Switzerland Continued on page 59 Times Crossword 29,607 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ACROSS 1 Delta knocking 20 per cent off drink (8) 5 Get off sled, perhaps, in downpour (6) 10 Olivier developed work of some depth (7) 11 Old record producer's name recalled by woman (7) 12 Attack in speech? Did just that (9) 13 Man of the match in space on heading in goal (5) 14 List where cards are in report (5) 16 Exercise caution re drink (9) 18 Conservative set defending right to property for patrons (9) 20 Sign crop's failing for island (5) 22 Finally find oneself back in the saddle (3,2) 23 Suffering clergyman and agents scratching heads — what's causing rash? (9) 25 Withdrawal — drink not an option (4-3) 26 Company beginning to implode after mislaying substantial figures (7) 27 Colour associated with sea in which fish swam (6) 28 Put Reagan in power? It's a little bit charged (8) DOWN 1 One seen climbing across building receiving rapier wound (8,7) 2 Went through again to bowl, having changed ends (7) 3 Signs of Gallic strongman losing vote (5) 4 Problem for choppers, heart of wood breaking defective hatchet (9) 6 Quote half-hearted English novelist about having vigour (9) 7 Tense? Let go (7) 8 Old love letter perhaps being dismissed by church authorities (15) 9 Employed boss at NYT? (4) 15 Times tips for Brighton and Epsom include rank no-hope outsiders 1 fear (9) 17 Messy, I'd clean it all the same (9) 19 To gratify member of ruling party, expected to embrace flag regularly (7) 21 I study South American nation's former queen (7) 23 Ready for university, turn over a new leaf (2,2) 24 Bellyache about cops removing clothing (5) Yesterday's solution 29,606 M O T F E T M A R A R A R A R A O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 P 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Q 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 R 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 S 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 T 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 U 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 V 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 W 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 X 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Y 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Z 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 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. Newspapers support recycling The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 34.7%. TIMES 2 July 29 | 2026 Grew up near Liverpool Born in Liverpool Raised in Cheshire Dapper lads! Are northern men the most stylish? Daniel Craig, Andy Burnham and Harry Styles 2 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES times2 Why must people use disposable barbecues in a heatwave? It's idiocy Carol Midgley Did you know that 3 per cent of the UK's adult population think that guide dogs are blind? Sorry to be the bearer of embarrassing news but it's from a recent survey, so don't blame me. We can only conclude — and there's no kind way to say this — that heading for two million people in this country are very stupid. The same kind of very stupid that requires some women to need an expert to tell them not to put an ice lolly in their vagina to cool down (if you must, ladies, avoid a Nobody BobBS. You'll regret that, mark my words). But to be fair, are these people any more thick than this summer's alpha morons? People who, if brains were dynamite, wouldn't have enough to blow off their own sun hat? I refer to those who, unless they literally never hear the news or read a newspaper, which is quite possible, must know that we are in the middle of a brutal heatwave and a wildfire crisis; who can see that the grass and bushes are as parched as kindling, yet still think: 'I know! I shall go and sit among it all and make fire.' I refer, obviously, to the disposable barbecue brigade. When I walk through my local park all I see are scorched, black rectangles of earth, like environmental acne, some still smoking hot and often accompanied by the usual lazy accoutrements of discarded foil trays, dirty kitchen roll and beer cans, even though there's a bin about 20ft away. I even saw a rusting metal mini barbecue just dumped, which could have maimed a passing child or dog. Yes, do feel free to risk a rampant fire, destruction and the death of wildlife just so you can cook... what, four burgers? Ever heard of bringing sandwiches? In San Francisco there's a move to chase dogs and their 'entitled' owners from a major park because there are too many of them. Well, standing in dog faeces is never fun, I'll give you that. But has a canine stool ever given a barefooted child second-degree burns? Brought acres of woodland to ash? No. I'd ban disposable barbecue idiots before dogs every single time. Last week Cheshire Fire and Rescue said that a large woodland and grass fire near Macclesfield was probably caused by a disposable barbecue, calling it a reminder of the 'devastating impact that careless behaviour can have on our countryside'. The mayor of York and North Yorkshire is leading a campaign to have them removed from sale after the region suffered its worst ever moor fire last year. North Yorkshire council this week posted an excellent video demonstrating that such barbecues, aka eco-vrecking tat, can reach temperatures of 450C, which transfers into the peat below and can ignite and lead to a fire underground that may go unseen for some time. Can't people just take a picnic, they ask? Well, you'd think so, but sometimes you just can't reason with stupid. You may feel like telling me to check my privilege because not everyone has a garden. I know that but this is a matter of public and environmental safety. No one has the right to risk laying waste to moorland just because they fancy an affresco sausage. I'd favour naming and shaming such eco vandals in the local paper, like they used to do with kerb crawlers. Or subjecting them to an official idiot tax. But they never seem to get caught. Incidentally, that survey I mentioned earlier by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association? It also found that 4 per cent of people think that guide dogs can read maps. Oh dear. There seems to be a long way to go in the war against dimness. Rainbow's colourful past I was sorry to hear that Ronnie Le Drew, Zippy's puppeteer in the 1970s children's TV show Rainbow has died, but let's give thanks for his splendid memoir. He revealed the show's alleged drinking culture, how Jane from the trio Rod, Jane and Freddy would flash open her coat to show a 'leather S&M outfit' and invite Zippy to 'play with her maracas'. When Geoffrey talked to camera, George the pink hippo and Zippy would be made to hump in the background. What a brilliant laugh. If that happened now, everyone would be sent for trauma counselling. Do you recall a decade ago when a pastor from Essex suggested that Rainbow might have foreshadowed an agenda to turn the world gay? He theorised that the show's opening credits, in which a rainbow snakes into a big book, could be seen as the LGBT symbol 'infiltrating the Bible'. Which makes perfect sense! Except that the rainbow didn't even become the gay pride symbol until six years after Rainbow started. Here's what blew my mind: Bangle the annoying goody-goody bear wore no clothes, yet at night put pyjamas on. What the hell's that about? skirt, salad tongs and a pair of brass bookends. Maybe its products will feature in Ms Niblett's forthcoming exhibition of sex toys in the Palace of Westminster. Will her vibrator event be well attended do you think? It would be a terrible shame if nobody came. 'Andy-core'? Let's call it dandy-core. Northern men have it The PM is extolled as a style icon but he just dresses like other men up north — which is better than those in the south, says the fashion editor Harriet Walker Designer anoraks and posh jeans, hipster shackets and sharp suits: TikTok has dubbed our new prime minister's style 'Andy-core' but there's more to this look than one 56-year-old man. As the Times fashion editor (and someone who grew up in Sheffield observing this species in the wild), let me assure you that Andy Burnham's collection of North Face, Adidas and a 1695 Private White VC Harrington jacket that has recently come under scrutiny brings with it a rich cultural pedigree. Northern men have long been the best dressed in Britain. Just look at Harry Styles (Cheshire), Daniel Craig (Liverpool) and the Arctic Monkey Alex Turner (Sheffield), or the comedian John Bishop (Liverpool again), the actor Tom Hughes (Cheshire again), David Morrissey (Liverpool; there's a theme emerging here) and Jarvis Cocker (Sheffield). The Beatles once made being a northern man the cooled thing on the planet. Now a fellow Liverpudlian is running the country: of course he's going to dress for the occasion. It's less Andy-core, more dandy-core. Northern men see shopping as a guest rather than a chore, needing out on under-the-radar brands and limited editions. They grew up browsing Afflecks Palace, Aspecto and Ol Polloi in Manchester while mimicking the Stone Roses' Ian Brown, John Squire and Mani. There's a fair bit of peacocking, but looking good among this crowd tends to be more about being in-the-know than simply flashing leadsamoney bling. Ask any woman who lives with one and she'll tell you that northern men are just as hung up on their wardrobe as we are (and often take longer getting ready). 'It's almost as important as their record collection — almost,' says COVER: GETTY IMAGES. BELOW: TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER/ANDY GLOSSOP/SHATTERSTOCK Jacket, £895, privatewhitevc.com Paul Flynn, contributing editor at Perfect magazine and a northern man. 'You might call it Nice Blokewear: not too showy but might buy a special bit now and then. Never lets the wife and kids down by dressing too far up or down.' Milan, Paris, Valley Parade. I've sat on some intimidatingly stylish front rows during my time covering fashion for this paper but I've never felt scruffer than when my husband and I went to the football in Bradford dressed in 'London casual' (worn-in jeans, old trainers, no logos). The stands were full of northern dandies in box-fresh kicks, Japanese selvedge denim and esoteric T-shirts featuring obscure record labels and micro-breweries. All around were luxury streetwear brands such as CP Company and Stone Island, as well as Liam Gallagher's favourite Berghaus anoraks that sell for upwards of £400 yet provide astonishing cost-per-wear value given the native climate. The weekly see-and-be-seen passeggiata of the north's football terraces, as well as the after-hours catwalks of its pubs and clubs, is as key to Burnham's look and appeal as Nigel There's a buzz at John Lewis Will you go big this Friday or just have a quiet one? I mean for National Orgasm Day, obvs. Just two sleeps to go! I bet you're buzzing. Oh, you'd forgotten. Well, pop in to John Lewis. It is backing MP Samantha Niblett's 'summer of sex' campaign, hosting a recent launch event with goodie bags, as The Spectator reported. John Lewis now offers a range of sex toys from a dual vibrator (£185) to Coco de Mer 'orgasm balm' (£30), FYI. It feels weird to read its website describing how you can 'tease your way across your or your partner's body to the erogenous area'. I remember when it was a place to get a sensible THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 3 times2 Farage's country cosplay of tweed jackets and mustard chinos is to his. Yet where many politicians' clothing choices become a rod to beat them with — see Rishi Sunak's £490 suede Prada loafers on a building site or indeed Keir Starmer's gifted glasses — Burnham's sartorial hinterland provides something all MPs are desperate for right now: authenticity. That's why spending £700 on a jacket during a cost of living crisis is unlikely to land him in hot water (that and the fact he isn't a woman). The jacket in question was made in Manchester at Private White VC, a family-run business named after a First World War veteran who worked his way up from apprentice to owner of a raincoat factory in the city. Now his great-grandson's business sells bespoke tailoring, as well as ready-to-wear, out of the same site. 'When someone chooses to wear one of our garments, they're not simply buying a coat,' James Eden, its founder and chief executive, wrote on LinkedIn. 'They're supporting skilled craftspeople, preserving traditional British manufacturing and investing in clothing designed to last for decades, not days.' Burnham has also shared a stage while mayor of Manchester with the designer Patrick Grant, whose Community Clothing brand is based in Lancashire, made in local factories and is another firm favourite among northern 'nice blokes'. 'I've got no problem with the PM spending £700 on a jacket,' says Simon, 52, from Guiseley, near Leeds. 'I can't remember having a northern PM or one who likes the same music as me. I hope he feels good in it, and he might still get £500 for it on Vinted too.' 'I know nothing about Burnham or his politics,' wrote the American menswear commentator Derek Guy to his 1.5 million followers on X. 'But I see nothing wrong with the former mayor of Manchester wearing clothes from one of the last factories trying to keep a regional manufacturing tradition alive and employing skilled garment workers at fair wages in the process.' @Jurrywalker1 What I'd do as education secretary to rejig schools for the real world Since 2000, 18 ministers — and the new Labour leader — have tried to change things. Just let me do it, says Caitlin Moran Everyone fancies a pop at rejigging education, right? After half a pint everyone's the education secretary. That isn't just a whimsical statement. Since 2000 there have been 18 education secretaries. Eighteen! David Blunkett! Ed Balls! Kit Malthouse! James Cleverly! Nadhim Zahawi! Michael Gove! Probably, at some point. Bradley Walsh! Depending on which pub you're drinking that pint in, one of you may actually have been education secretary at some point. Which may make the ensuing conversation awkward. 'It's boring.' 'It's shit.' 'Kids don't want to go.' 'The teachers are depressed.' 'It's stressful.' 'It's useless. No wonder there's a million Neets. The whole thing is bollocks. Sorry, Michael, but it's true. Your round.' As if to prove this, Andy Burnham — possibly after a pint — has had a pop at rejigging education too. He announced this week that from the age of 14 children will be able to study manufacturing and AI and get work experience in local businesses. It's a pivot back to the 1960s, when kids who were 'good with their hands' were trained in lathe operation and earned enough money to buy a motorbike. The more nerdy kids, meanwhile, continued studying English and art history, then went to Cambridge and formed Pink Floyd. Of course, as soon as Burnham announced this plan there was the usual breathless rush to explain to him why it wouldn't work: primarily because local businesses are unwilling to train, for nothing, a load of gonly 14-year-olds TikToking themselves mucking about with a circular saw — which sounds pretty likely. But what I took from Burnham's announcement was that this government is open to mad, unfunded, blue-sky thinking about education in this country. And as someone who didn't even go to school, I feel I'm the ideal person to chip in. ONE: Start the day doing something. When my kids went to school I was appalled at how much of their day was spent just sitting and absorbing stuff, then numbly parroting it back. There are many bad things about home education (first crushes are hard when you spend all day with your siblings; you will frequently see your head teacher sitting on the toilet with a hangover) but one of the good things is: you can just do stuff. Kids are desperate to do things — the things bigger kids, and adults, do. This is why KidZania in west London, where kids used to spend the day 'being' a pilot or surgeon, was such a hit; it's why kids queue up to drive mini-tractors at play farms; and, eventually, it's why they start vaping. All those 'school-avoidant' children — apparently 18 per cent of all pupils now — would be far more likely to rock up if the day started with cookery, woodwork, band practice or set-building for a play. You have to ease into 9am. After all, adults spend their first hour at work messing about on Facebook or gossiping with a colleague behind some bins. Kids are no different. TWO: Please, for the love of God, stop making kids read depressing books. Look at the GCSE reading list: Macbeth, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies. Murder; murder; authoritarian rule; social breakdown and bullying of fat boys with glasses — and then murder. If you want to know why teen reading rates are plummeting, maybe it's because the reading list is such a dry, heavy bummer. Why are there no — to be brisk — We think school is their primary education — but it's their phones fun books? Where are PG Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Adrian Mole, Oscar Wilde, Nancy Mitford, Terry Pratchett? Are we still pretending that humour is lesser — easier — than having a couple of brutal murders? We do all know that a funny book does everything a 'serious' book does — plot, character, setting, theme — but also makes it funny? So it's actually a higher form of literature? And also: pleasurable? I'm a 51-year-old author of nine books and even I wouldn't want to spend a long, hot summer going line by line through Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I too would want to go on TikTok and watch a girl with rainbow eyes eat noodles. Which brings me to, finally: THREE: All kids need to do media studies. All. Pathetically, we still think school is their primary education but it's not. It's their phones. The only way formal education can really help kids to be smart, absorb useful information and prepare for the adult world is if they are taught how to identify verified news sources, recognise the intentionally addictive mental and hormonal rollercoaster doom-scrolling provokes (adrenaline! Then dopamine! Then cortisol!); and cope with their constant terror of ever going viral or being cancelled. If they also did compulsory religious comparison studies, maybe they'd realise that, with the device in their pocket, we've basically reinvented an omniscient, judgmental Old Testament God, equally ready to reward or destroy humans, seemingly on a whim. But maybe I'd save that one for A-level. Or a chat in the toilets after. 4 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES times2 Milking it! The summer of the £5 Ice cream used to cost 99p from a van — now it's become a luxury treat. But which makers are the real cup winners? Hannah Evans on the kings of the cone It's a hot day, the kids are on holiday and you've ended up in the cool, shady ice-cream shop that's popped up for the summer. "I'll have four cones with a scoop of your finest, please," you ask the person behind the till. "Of course sir," they reply. "That will be £20." Excuse me?! It feels as if what once cost 99p a pop from the ice-cream van can now set the family back a small fortune. It's £4.70 if you are buying a small cone from Amorino Gelato, the upmarket French chain with 36 stores in the UK and a target of reaching 100 by 2030. A regular cone is £5.70 and God forbid you want a large — up to £7.90 — a wafer or sprinkles. Ice-cream shops are no longer just a staple of seaside towns. Along with artisan bakeries and coffee shops, they are a sign that your local area has become trendy. In the east London borough of Hackney, the Dreamery is a year-round natural wine and ice-cream bar where cups of oolong and prune flavours cost £4 a scoop and you might spot Charli XCX and Dua Lipa. In southeast London where I live, it's Marcelo's that has become the mecca for middle-class millennials seeking cones of smoked maple pecans or peanut butter and date jam — £3.90 for one scoop, £6.80 for two. Add a heatwave and it feels as if ice-cream shops have been given a licence to print money. So how much are they really making? Does it really cost that much to whip together milk, cream, sugar and eggs — or are they just milking it? I asked Rob and Iona Gore, the husband-and-wife duo behind the award-winning Brickell's ice cream, to break it down for me. They make and sell expensive ice cream: £4 a scoop from their summer pop-up in Bath; upwards of £7 for a pint now on sale in Whole Foods Market. However, it's also made without artificial thickeners or ultra-processed emulsifiers. The milk comes from their family dairy farm Westcombe Dairy, the double cream from Gloucestershire, the free range eggs from Clarence Court. And if you've tried their roasted strawberries or ricotta stracciatella flavours you will know their ice cream is delicious. To understand the scoop-onomics, you need to first get an idea of how ice cream goes from raw ingredients into your cone. "To make ice cream stable you need a high fat content. So you want to use lots of cream," Rob explains. "But cream is one of the most expensive ingredients." The same can be said about egg yolks, "which is more expensive per gram than cream", Rob continues. Bigger, more commercial producers will get around this by cutting down on cream and getting rid of the yolks altogether, swapping them for a mix of artificial stabilisers such as gum and emulsifiers. "They are a fraction of the cost, create that creamy mouthfeel and also are better at stopping ice cream from melting, giving you an extended shelf life and cutting the cost of ingredients per scoop down." Kerching — more profit for the maker. Admittedly, Rob says, larger companies are running much more competitive environments, with hundreds of staff and dozens of shops, and so need to lean on these shortcuts to drive costs down. Then there is the other ingredient playing a role in how much parlours make per scoop air. "We call it overrun. It is basically the percentage of air an ice-cream manufacturer will inject into the finished product. Everyone does it. We do it, even the small artisan guys who say they don't will do it naturally from the churning and whipping of the ice cream." Brickell's overrun is between 20 and 25 per cent, which, Rob says, is "incredibly low. A more commercial producer's overrun can go up to 100 per cent extra air, so effectively you can double your volume of finished GETTY IMAGES ice cream and only a small percentage of what you sell is actually milk, sugar and cream." It's hardly something ice-cream shops shout about, and it's difficult to spot. If you're buying a tub in the supermarket, where ice cream is usually sold by volume (millilitres) rather than weight (grams), you can tell which container has more air in by how heavy they feel, Rob says. When you're buying by the scoop, it's more difficult, which means some shops can get away with high prices for a product that is actually very cheap. "My advice would be to look at how easy it is to scoop," Rob says. "When the scoop just glides through the ice cream easily, it's probably got lots of air in it." And when you eat it? "It will melt in your mouth incredibly quickly. There will be no chew. It'll just be gone." The rest of ice-cream economics is down to simple business principles: if you can keep your costs low and sell high volumes, you can make a lot of money. Brickell's makes more money from its scoop shop than it does from its tubs. "The margin on scooping ice cream is the best margin you can get compared to retail," Iona says. "We charge more for one scoop of ice cream than we do selling a pint to one of our distributors," Rob says. "We make a 40 per cent profit margin [before overheads] on the tubs we sell to distributors. On a scoop of ice cream it's 90 per cent... And we are making our ice cream the expensive way." There is rather obviously a big fat caveat to all of the above: ice-cream parlours are entirely weather dependent. This summer's heatwave has turned scoop shops into cash cows. But on a rainy day? It might feel more like selling snow to an Inuit. THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 5 times2 scoop Hannah Evans's nine favourite ice-cream shops Gelupo, Soho When Londoners think of gelato, they think of Gelupo — the chef Jacob Kenedy's much-loved gelateria that serves unusual scoops such as strawberry Eton mess, rice pudding, and chocolate, Earl Grey and biscuits, as well as cremolato, a southern Italian speciality that sits somewhere between granita and a sorbet. Two scoops for £6.50. Brickell's Scoop Hut, Bath Made from scratch in Somerset with zero UPFs, this is the best ice cream. Ricotta stracciatella and roasted strawberries are my two favourites, but I also love their mint chocolate chip, made from mint leaves grown on the farm. One scoop for £4. Ice Cream Union, multiple sites For 18 years they have been whipping up ice cream and sorbets for some of London's favourite restaurants, from the Michelin-starred Trinity in Clapham to Fortnum & Mason. They now have three sites in London, including a new parlour in Chelsea where two scoops are £7. Jelbert's, Newlyn, Cornwall There's just one flavour on the menu at this Cornish ice-cream parlour and it's traditional Cornish vanilla, best enjoyed with a dollop of clotted cream on top. Two scoops for £3.60. The Ice Cream Shop by Shepherds, Abergavenny I have been coming to this part of Wales my entire life and so it was music to my ears when I heard that Shepherds' ice-cream van was setting up a permanent shop in Abergavenny. Alfonso Gelateria, Stow-on-the-Wold I visited this gelateria in the Cotswolds for the first time this summer. The pistachio blew me away, but look out for their specials too. Two scoops for £5.40. Two Islands, Abersoch Small-scale ice-cream producers that make glorious cakes too. If their cherry flavour is on the menu get a cone and walk down to the beach with it. Joe's Ice Cream, Mumbles This is a Mumbles institution with more than 100 years of history. The ice cream is nostalgic and creamy, and I can't resist popping in when I visit. Le Chocolat, Borough Yards, London The French maestro Alain Ducasse is internationally famous for his Michelin-starred fine dining, but also his chocolate shop. In Borough Market, his store has an ice-cream hatch serving scoops and tubs of traditional gelato. 'I like her, she's feisty but we walk among twentysomethings' Naga Munchetty was dogged by bullying claims. Now she's moving from TV to radio. By Andrew Billen In television they used to mock the trajectory that the presenter Naga Munchetty is about to take, from BBC Breakfast to BBC Radio 5 Live. Catch a falling star and put them on the radio, they would say. So in his wilderness years the TV talk titan Michael Parkinson became the brief and unadmired host of Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and then, before his comeback, fractiously conducted an LBC phone-in. In more recent times Adrian Chiles, out of favour with BBC TV for quitting The One Show for two lucrative but doomed jobs at ITV, returned modestly to his old playground of BBC Radio 5 Live to present once a week at mid-morning. To be fair, Chiles was so good at it that his bosses soon added another day to his roster, rebranded the show with his name and eventually handed him Saturday mornings on Radio 4 too. In general, however, going from TV to radio is an ego trip in the wrong direction. As 'TV's' Frank Skinner once told me when I mentioned how much I enjoyed his programme at the time on Absolute: 'Don't say how much I like doing radio. It'll just sound like my career's in the toilet.' But breakfast time is different. There, radio rules. People brush their teeth and boil their eggs to the radio, not the television. While BBC Breakfast on BBC1 is the TV market leader, with 1.1 million watching, 5 Live Breakfast attracts some 1.5 million listeners and has been growing its audience. So in reality this early-doors transition is no demotion; at worst it is a sideways move for Munchetty. In 5 Live terms it She is said to have conceded she could be direct and demanding is certainly a promotion. On the days she is not doing TV, Munchetty already has a mid-morning slot on the station, three days a week, between 11am and 2pm. Going five days a week at radio prime time will make her the station's biggest star. If she gets the right co-presenter — a heavyweight with the common touch — the programme could be sensational. Unfortunately for Munchetty, her move can be quite easily mistaken for an imaginative resolution of a ticklish HR problem. The scanty crewed BBC Breakfast has not been a very happy ship. Relations between Munchetty and the programme's editor, Richard Frediani, are reportedly frosty, with both having been accused, and Frediani cleared, of bullying allegations. While no formal investigation publicly exonerated her, executives apparently 'spoke' to her about what happened. Frediani, meanwhile, took an extended period of leave after 'historic' allegations of bullying and misconduct were levelled. A brilliant but dominant newsman, he was not in the end subjected to a formal investigation, but the executive class discussed the 'workplace culture' with staff. A former colleague who asked not to be named believes Munchetty, who is being paid somewhere between £360,000 and £364,999 a year and has a healthy sideline in freelance gigs, is misunderstood. 'I like her. She has a really sharp mind but she is feisty, and we walk among twentysomething staff. You are never meant to show anger nowadays. 'We grew up working with bosses who did. You took the best of them and discarded the rest. You saw them for what they were and asked yourself, 'What can I learn?' But I think she is an excellent choice because she also has this lightness of touch. On BBC Breakfast you could tell she and [her co-presenter] Charlie Stayt really liked each other, and that's vital.' Separately, Munchetty was reportedly scolded for using a crude word for a sex act during a break on her current 5 Live radio show and then asking a colleague whether they had ever done it. Yet at 51 she will have witnessed worse behaviour and heard worse language from male superiors. Even Radio's 4 Today presenters have been known to argue Victoria Derbyshire, a former 5 Live Breakfast host, is of a similar vintage. She was investigated recently after complaints about her alleged bullying as a lead presenter of Newwright. Again the complaints were not upheld, but she is said to have conceded she could be direct and demanding in the high-pressure newsroom environment. Yet go back to 2003 and it was Derbyshire who was reduced to tears while reading a news bulletin on 5 Live Breakfast, leaving her co-host, Nicky Campbell, to continue with it (she made it clear it was not Campbell who had upset her). But breakfast broadcasting is difficult. Presenters rise at 4.30am. Programme preparations are not always in great shape when they get to the office. On air, hosts must vary their tone to share teasing banter and then conduct ruthless inquisitions of their interviewees. They must never show their resentment when the other presenter gets the juicier interrogation. And all this while feeling permanently knackered. Even the august presenters of Radio 4's Today have been known to leave their studio arguing volubly. It is early, they have done three hours of high-pressure live radio and they are tired. A former 5 Live Breakfast presenter adds that if Munchetty needs any advice she should ask Rachel Burden, who after 15 years is swapping her breakfast shift for Munchetty's later slot. 'I do think Rachel Burden is a really underrated broadcaster. Competent, cool and unhappy and not clunky in that traditional Radio 4 presenter manner,' they say. You don't have to be a morning person to work on breakfast shows, but it must help. The colleagues Munchetty is about to join on 5 Live will be hoping that by now she is one. She has, after all, been on BBC Breakfast for 17 years. 6 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES fashion GETTY IMAGES Colottes, £40, nobodyschild.com Street style in Paris Dress, £139, boden.com Street style in Paris Heatwave in the city: what to Keep those beach dresses for holiday. Here's what I'm wearing to work, says Anna Murphy The little stack of ultra-summery dresses and separates that reside in a drawer under my bed for most of the year have been out on manoeuvres consistently for weeks now. And it would seem that there is plenty more where that came from, by which I mean both hot weather and, if I keep on ploughing the same fashion furrow, clothes that look better suited to Lefkada than London. Yet I just don't want to look as if I am on holiday any more. It is making me feel worse about the fact I am not. How to do heatwave dressing in the city? How to dress for temperatures that are at Ionian island levels when I am on my way to the office? I am actually surprised that I feel this way. Partly I think it's because variety is the spice of life and I am tired of wearing the same stuff day in, day out. It's the sartorial version of what's being called "feta fatigue", with sales up on supposedly winter fare such as cottage pie. Introducing sundress stupor. For which putting on a big knit is not, of course, a solution but an act of insanity. (I would say the same about eating a lasagne right now, to be honest, but each to their own.) I also think what may be going on here is a manifestation of something called "enclothed cognition". This is a term that was coined in 2012 by two psychologists, Adam D Galinsky and Hajo Adam. They did a series of experiments that showed how the clothes people wore shaped their performance. Participants underwent a series of cognitive tests and were then tested again while wearing a white coat. The group that had been told they were wearing a doctor's coat performed better, the group that had been told it was a painter's coat didn't. Galinsky and Hajo wrote of "the systematic influence that clothes have on a wearer's psychological processes". Flats, £295, essenthelabel.com I need to tweak my wardrobe so that its, ahem. systematic influence is less lunchtime drinking at the beach club, more goal-orientated professional. I love my floaty floral frocks but they don't really work when I want to look and feel as if I mean business. I used to joke when I went on holiday somewhere hot that if I actually lived there I wouldn't be able to hold down a job. It feels as if the test is now real and that it encompasses clothes as well as competency at 30C plus. What I covet is sleekness and crispness, I realise, and an aesthetic that is, if not quite masculine, then minimalist. Which is why I have never been happier about the shirting perma-trend. I have started wearing mine not only buttoned up but undone over a vest. You can either tuck your shirt in or knot it if you want to look more polished. For an investment purchase I recommend the new shirt line-up from the boutique British brand Navygrey, which has previously specialised in — can I even bring myself to type the word? — jumpers. The classic collared Oversize comes in white, pale blue and blue and white stripe (£220, navygrey.co), the collarless Easy in the first two options only (£190). A shirtstress delivers the same mood music with a more feminine feel. Boden's short-sleeved belted Sarah comes in a number of different options, from a blue and white stripe to a chic chestnut with contrast white stitching (from £139, boden.com). Wiggy Kit's subtly striped Eponine with contrast belt and cuffs is the ne plus ultra (£355, wiggykit.com). More on top halves. A shirt isn't the only route. There's also the office-appropriate sleeveless top. I have to avoid anything sleeveless in the day when I am on actual holiday because I burn like a Cumberland, but if I know I am spending most of the day indoors I can get my arms out. Arket's smocked top, in white or black cotton, is a special one (£45, arket.com). Which brings me to the tricky question of living and travelling in un-air-conditioned hotness but working in air-conditioned coolness. I square the circle in the office, when I need to, with a cream cardie, like John Lewis's linen one (£49, johnlewis.com). Another way to straddle what equates, temperature-wise, to two different seasons, is via a lightweight summer suit, with the jacket strictly for the office only. Jigsaw's subtly Thongs, £125, arket.com THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 7 fashion Dress, £355, wiggykit.com wear striped orange and navy cotton and linen trouser suit would be a case in point (£199 for the jacket, £149 for the trousers, jigsaw-online.com). Sign up to our award-winning weekly fashion newsletter before 11am on Thursday for an exclusive 20 per cent discount on all full-price Jigsaw product. On my bottom half I like floaty palazzos, or this season's cult trouser shape, the balloon pant. The Whistles ones I have been living in are purple cotton (£109, whistles.com) while Albaray's are black cheesecloth (£75, albaray.co.uk). You could also embrace the trend for city shorts. Nobody's Child's come in white or navy (£32 and £40 respectively, reduced from £79, nobodyschild.com). On your feet, go for either sleek-looking sandals, perhaps a kitten-heeled thong (Arket's brown are £125, arket.com) or a summery ballet flat like Essent's leather (£295, essenthelabel.com) or Arket's — yes, this Scandi brand really nails the footwear side of things — woven white leather slingbacks (£83.40, reduced from £125). Sundress stupor, not to mention Birkenstock burnout, be gone! @annagmurphy Fashion Newsletter Our newsletter is full of exclusive content. Sign up for styling tips, shopping edits, brand discounts, beauty giveaways and insider gossip. Sign up for free via the QR code below, or visit thetimes.com/newsletters The Vogue editor's uniform? You can shop her capsule wardrobe (at H&M) Christine Centenera's minimalist style turned Kim Kardashian into a fashion darling. Start with heels, she tells Harriet Walker When I meet Christine Centenera, the editor of Vogue Australia, at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, she has been busy multitasking — although at a more haute level than you or I might. In town for the couture shows, she sat front row at Chanel this morning, then nipped out to buy medicine for the five-year-old twins she has with the actor and director Joel Edgerton, ahead of launching the latest H&M collaboration with Wardrobe NYC, the label she runs with the designer Josh Goot. Centenera, 44, is best known as the stylist who made Kim Kardashian cool, transforming her just over a decade ago from reality TV star to fashion industry darling after they met through Kardashian's ex-husband, the rapper Kanye West. Did Centenera do the Calpol run in the £5,000 Chanel skirt she is wearing? She laughs. "I did! Obviously I'm dressed for the shows, but I always look for clothes that work for all things, that help you move through your day. If all I need to do is change my shoes, that's the ease I want." The now-recognisable look the Australian-Filipina created for the world's most famous viral physique — sharp tailoring, even sharper heels and sculpting, smoothing silhouettes — doesn't exactly scream "ease". Yet it informed the real-world-wearable project Centenera and Goot, her partner at the time, embarked upon next. "I've styled women of all body shapes for 25 years," she says. "I try to push the envelope a bit creatively but I also always have a rack of clothes that I know will make them feel good — tailoring, denim and structure that makes you feel powerful." This "essentials rail" became the concept behind Wardrobe NYC, which launched in 2017 not offering seasonal trends but instead selling a four or eight-piece bundle of items that worked to build multiple outfits. The aim was to help those who not only had bursting wardrobes but also, apparently, nothing to wear. "I have this big, bright fashion editor closet but then I actually have a rail of pieces on high rotation," Centenera says. "Shirts, tailoring, blazers. That's where the idea came from: if I was going away and could only take carry-on, what are the pieces that would work the hardest?" She and Goot are now bringing their modern take on a capsule wardrobe to the high street. The black halterneck bodysuit Centenera is wearing with that Chanel skirt is from the Wardrobe NYC capsule collection for H&M, which launches on August 6. Right: white bodysuit, £44.99, black bodysuit, £74.99, skirt, £74.99, and belt, £44.99, hm.com Joel Edgerton, Christine Centenera and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Left: Kim Kardashian "We've had our eye on Wardrobe for a while," says the Scandi brand's creative adviser, Ann-Sofie Johansson. "It's the perfect foundation: versatile, durable and you can build on it." It doesn't hurt that Wardrobe NYC has had a certain celebrity cachet ever since Kardashian was the face of its second campaign. Centenera was probably the first front-rower I noticed to blend haute hoodies and tracksuit bottoms with her usual stilettos. Like most industry insiders she is usually to be found head to toe in black too. "I travel a lot, so black, white and neutrals are practical," she says. "We wanted to do something more efficient, more enduring," says Josh Goot, who was once on the London Fashion Week schedule with his own label. "So we went on this quest to create the perfect essential wardrobe." My favourite look in the H&M capsule is a pair of black trackies with an elasticated waist (£89.99), cut to pair well with a blazer. A waisted denim shacket (£139.99) provides some of the curve appeal that brought Kardashian on board. These are clothes designed to fit together in multiple styles. Have the Scandis at H&M found the sartorial equivalent of Lego in this latest collab? "There's definitely that modular element," Goot says. "Maybe you could compare Wardrobe to Ikea — current but timeless too." And crucially, far easier to put together on your own. 8 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES arts The most original and mischievous Booker prize longlist in years This year's list is full of novels refusing to behave themselves, says our chief literary critic, Johanna Thomas-Corr, including works by Elizabeth Strout and Douglas Stuart When David Szalay accepted last year's Booker prize for Flesh he argued that literature should reward risk. This year's judges appear to have taken him at his word. The appointment of the Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker and the poets Patricia Lockwood and Raymond Antrobus to Mary Beard's panel signalled a Booker with little interest in respectable literary decorum. The longlist for the £50,000 prize, announced today, bears that out. It is one of the most original and mischievous selections in years, full of singular novels that refuse to behave themselves. While British writers dominate, the list stretches from America and Ireland to Turkey and Mexico. Seven of the thirteen nominees are women, six are men; ten writers are nominated for the first time, including three debut novelists. They range in age from the 28-year-old Djamal White to the veteran British fantasist M John Harrison, 81. There are reassuringly familiar Booker names here. The Scottish-American Douglas Stuart and the Jamaican Marlon James, previous winners, return with hefty novels about the struggles of gay men. Elizabeth Strout, a serial nominee, has written a domestic drama that is also one the sharpest fictional responses yet to Trump's second presidency. The presence of these writers gives the list ballast, but it is the newer and more eccentric voices that set its tone. The judges seem markedly less interested in worthy, solemn 'issue novels' than books with bold voices, lyricism and oddity. Perhaps the eccentricity of the list reflects the moment. For at least a decade the Booker has been accused of rewarding novels that were too wilfully experimental. Today that charge feels dated. Politics increasingly resembles absurdist theatre, reality often outpaces realism and the most ambitious novelists are stretching the form accordingly. Not every gamble succeeds — for me. Perhaps the eccentricity of the list reflects the moment Harrison's The End of Everything remained more forbidding than illuminating and I'd happily have swapped it for Jem Calder's I Want You to Be Happy, about millennial drift, or Ben Lerner's Transcription, which explores our addiction to screens. But I'd rather read a Booker longlist that occasionally overshoots than one that never risks embarrassment. And as a bonus, most of the books on this list are short — nine are under 250 pages. So you can whip through most of them before the shortlist announcement on September 22. The Shadow of the Object by Chloe Aridjis (Chatto & Windus) The Mexican-British author Chloe Aridjis's fourth novel begins with a dog bite that leaves Flora, a London silversmith visiting family in Mexico City, stranded in hospital, where she befriends an elderly collector of magic lanterns. Aridjis is interested in the strange connections between people, objects and memory; this is a novel that rewards close, patient attention. Switzy by Emma Cline (Chatto & Windus, September 10) Emma Cline's The Girls (2016) made her one of the most talked-about American novelists of her generation — Switzy may prove to be the book that fulfils that early promise. It follows a man travelling to a Swiss euthanasia clinic, confronting the slow advance of dementia as he retraces the contours of his life. Masterly, deeply moving and unlike anything I'd have expected from Cline. Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman (Fitzcarraldo Editions) This is one of the longlist's wildcards. A disillusioned university professor drives into rural America hoping to buy a house and begin a new life. Instead, the estate agent introduces him to the philosophy of its elusive owner, Helen, whose vision of escaping modern life sends the novel in increasingly strange directions. Is it a comedy about male obsolescence? Or, conversely, a skewering of woke identity politics? Perhaps it's just a fable about burnout or the human hunger for love. The End of Everything by M John Harrison (Serpent's Tail) M John Harrison has spent half a century writing novels that seem faintly offended by the idea of making sense. The End of Everything features beachcombers, alien invaders, sentient objects, collapsing buildings and conversations that seem to require an instruction manual not supplied with the book. I found this sci-fi-flavoured novel wilfully abstruse, but my colleague John Self admired it, citing its droll humour. Perhaps the fault lies with me rather than Harrison. I suspect I'll be back. The Disappears by Marlon James (Hamish Hamilton, September 3) A decade after winning the Booker prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings, the 55-year-old Jamaican steps away from his epic fantasy series to deliver an expansive new work of realism. Set in Kingston in 1988, the novel, a whopper over 600 pages long, blends a detective Clockwise from right: Djamal White, Emma Cline, Marlon James, Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout and Gwendoline Riley investigation with a social history of violent homophobia in Jamaica. It opens with eight men convening to rehearse a play, only to be ambushed by a murderous mob. This sounds like another James novel of immense ambition. Black Bag by Luke Kennard (John Murray) Imagine volunteering to spend your working day inside a leather suit bag. That is the premise of Luke Kennard's third novel, inspired by a psychology experiment from the 1960s. A struggling actor accepts the job from a mercurial university professor and discovers, to his surprise, that disappearing inside the bag gives his life shape. Kennard spins this absurd idea into a comedy about modern masculinity packed with brilliant digressions and jokes. The Renovation by Kenan Orhan (Hamish Hamilton) Is this the first novel about a disastrous bathroom renovation? Dilara, a Turkish exile living in Italy, has spent months saving to renovate her bathroom so that her father with Alzheimer's can move in. But when the builders finish, she pulls back the tarpaulin to see that 'where my shower and double vanity should have been, instead there was the perfect tableau of a prison cell'. From this absurd premise, Orhan, a Turkish-American author who lives in Kansas, builds a highly inventive debut novel about exile, fear and the ways political trauma follows people across borders. May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry (Granta) This debut by the London-based novelist and poet imagines the reign of a medieval king who has no appetite for conquest, violence or power. Framed by the story of a museum THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 CRAIG HIGGINS MATT RANKLIGHTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR LACMA: ALAMY, ANDY BROOKLYN, LEONARD CONGANO, SIZABIMAK BAKER/IMITH 9 times2 curator trying to reconstruct the king's forgotten court, the novel asks why history celebrates strong rulers and overlooks more hesitant ones. Perry, 40, favours atmosphere and image over plot, and some readers may wish for greater narrative momentum. Even so, it offers an intelligent reimagining of historical fiction. The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley (Picador) Gwendoline Riley writes about the small humiliations of ordinary life better than almost anyone. The Palm House follows the friendship between Laura, a writer, and Edmund, a veteran journalist watching his professional world disappear beneath a new management culture. Built from conversations, memories and social encounters, it becomes a study of disappointment, self-pity and English intellectual life in decline. Riley's dialogue is unmatched and every observation lands with precision. The finest novel she has written, and my favourite to win. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (Viking) What can fiction tell us about America's political divisions? Elizabeth Strout's answer is to look not at politicians but at ordinary lives under strain. Her 11th novel follows Artie Dam, a Massachusetts history teacher whose family life and sense of purpose begin to unravel against a backdrop of political division. It's at once a portrait of loneliness and an understated state-of-the-nation novel. Strout was longlisted in 2016 and shortlisted in 2022, so will it be third time lucky? Something tells me the judges will pick a book that's more offbeat. John of John by Douglas Stuart (Picador) Douglas Stuart's third novel is set on the Isle of Harris, where a young art-school graduate returns home to care for his grandmother and confront a father whose life has been built on silence. As family secrets surface, Stuart explores faith, masculinity and gay desire without losing sight of the rhythms of island life. His eye for colour and texture is extraordinary, but so is his generosity towards every character, from church elders to crofters. A large-hearted novel that balances heartbreak with moments of unexpected comedy and irreverence. All of Them Dogs by Djamel White (John Murray) At 28, Djamel White is the youngest writer on the Booker longlist. His debut has been championed by the former Booker-winning novelist Roddy Doyle. Set in the west Dublin suburb where White grew up, this punchy neo-noir follows Tony Ward, who returns to the gangland he thought he had escaped. White has said he wanted to write a protagonist driven by pure impulse rather than reflection, a description that inevitably recalls the feral energy of David Szalay's Flesh. The Vivisectors by Missouri Williams (4th Estate) The campus novel has become fashionable again in an age of culture wars and identity politics. Missouri Williams, whose astonishing debut, The Doloriad, imagined a post-apocalyptic incest dynasty, takes the form somewhere stranger. She imagines a crumbling university town overrun by aggressive vegetation and torn by a power struggle between the academic elite and militant gardeners. Part love story, part ecological fable, Williams's novel is a bleakly funny study of ideological certainty and the corrosive habit of assuming the worst in other people. Help! I was scammed trying to buy some ducks on the internet William Cash chided his mother for being duped by a charlatan. A week later he was the victim of fowl play Cybercrime is at record levels. My own cautionary tale began when my 81-year-old mother — a Downing Street secretary under Harold Wilson and no fool — rang me, distraught, after she had been called by somebody with a "respectable" voice saying they were from the Financial Conduct Authority and had noticed "irregular" activity on her Barclays card. He said that he needed to "freeze" her account(s) and could she "go through security" and confirm bank details. Somehow she ended up handing over her details. When she later noticed that various iPhones had been bought online, she rushed over to my house, panic-stricken, and asked for help. After the 24-hour family ordeal was over, with the bank reimbursing her for the fraud, I said she needed to be more scam-vigilant. "Nobody in their right mind just hands over their details to a complete stranger," I told her. Cut to a week later, when I responded to an advertisement. I wanted to buy my father some Aylesbury ducks — the breed that features in Beatrix Potter's Jemima need part payment before coming and balance cash." "Yes please!" I responded. "We have a lovely home for the ducks." They texted bank details with a name (Maurice) and a surname. The bank was called Clear Bank. When I tried to verify the details my app said the bank could not be verified. But I had bought ducks before from the site, so I sent a 50 per cent deposit, adding: "Look forward to meeting you in the Today passwords have become a different form of torture car park at the Acton pub on Saturday. We have a duck pond." Of course I've haven't heard from the scammer since. What I've learnt is that anybody can be fooled because human nature is essentially gullible. Despite us all being conditioned today to be on high alert for scams, we can be more easily duped when the scam is just an old-fashioned hoax involving three ducks, a meet-up in a pub car park and plausible WhatsApp messages. Looking back, I think one reason I let my guard down was because no passwords or verification or "security checks" were involved. There was a time when passwords and identities mattered. They have guarded political, military and personal secrets throughout history. In the Elizabethan era newly ordained priests trained at the Venerable English College in Rome were given a new identity on leaving, along with a password, to vouch for them in England as being true priests. Knowing the correct password was thus a matter of life and death. But today passwords have become a different form of torture, whether it's missing a train because you can't remember your Trainline password or being humiliated in a restaurant when you've used up your third attempt to put in your PIN to pay for dinner. Yet they remind us of a more depressing truth: we can't remember anything any more. It sounds awful but I don't even know my wife's mobile number. Our phones are also becoming our memory banks. An actress friend who actually remembers lines for a living was telling me the other day that she is fed up with being told that she needs an "account" for every purchase online, only to be also told that you shouldn't use the same password. But when she upgraded the "password strength" of her various passwords for her children to watch Netflix, Disney+ and Discovery Plus she entered a dystopian password minefield. "I finally blew up and created a password which was 'effing password'." Well, it may have been more colourful than that. I received a reply — there was no photo or name, only a red rose Puddle-Duck — for his 86th birthday. There is an old medieval duck pond close to his back door and he loves feeding them early in the morning in his dressing gown. They were like family pets to him, until Mr Fox — or possibly a local farmer's wolffike collie, which lurks around the pond — decided that they liked the look of a Jemima for breakfast. The online Aylesbury ducks ad was from a "VIP Member" of freeadcc.co.uk, a site for selling pets. The ad was for three Aylesbury ducks from a farm address in Cheshire, with the owner saying they were too old to look after them. I had happily bought some puddle ducks from the site before. I soon received a WhatsApp reply — there was no photo or name, only a red rose with the word "Love" underneath — saying: "I have the ducks and am willing to drive to Bridgnorth to deliver them — next weekend at 3pm. I will 10 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES times2 Your weekday brain boost More puzzles Pages 14-16 Every day, Monday to Thursday, a page of extra puzzles to give your brain an extended workout Samurai difficult Fill each grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Where the puzzles overlap, the rows and columns do not go beyond their usual length. 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 Fill in the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x2 box contains the digits 1 to 6 Solutions in tomorrow's Times2 Sudoku easy Killer gentle Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Each set of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the target number in its top-left corner. Within each set of cells joined by dotted lines, a digit cannot be repeated. Train Tracks Lay tracks to enable the train to travel from village A to village B. The numbers indicate how many sections of track go in each row and column. There are only straight sections and curved sections. The track cannot cross itself. Futoshiki Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the number next to it. Play Mini Sudoku every day Monday-Sunday online at thetimes.com and on Live app Codeword Every letter in the crossword-style grid, right, is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R Z T U V W X Y Z Yesterday's solutions THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 11 television & radio Undead drama gets a rock'n'roll culture shock Carol Midgley TV review The Vampire Lestat BBC2 ★★★☆☆ Did you enjoy the first two series of Interview with the Vampire? Then you might find the new one, The Vampire Lestat, a bit of a culture shock. There is still plenty of blood, gore and fang action, but we are not in the evocative environs of 1910 New Orleans or Pigalle in the mid-1940s now. We are in contemporary Detroit and the less aesthetic surroundings of rock concert venues, hotel corridors and a tour bus. Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) is now a swaggering, peacocking, drama queenish rock star who bestrides the stage long-haired, eyelinered and half naked to flaunt his six-pack. He's a sort of cross between Robert Plant, Michael Hutchence and a young Ozzy Osbourne, though biting the head off one small bat wouldn't really cut it for Lestat's bloodlust. Reid is magisterial as Lestat, but perhaps the same can't be said for the material, which feels more brash and superficial this series. It is focused more on the tawdry, decadent world of band touring — literally sex, drugs and rock'n'roll (though the songs are pretty terrible, which is amusing). We are in 2025, so the references are modern (Ticketmaster gets a mention), which is fair enough but makes things feel less gothically escapist. At one point Lestat calls MDMA and LSD "the Torvill and Dean of hallucinogenics". Though I did smile to hear a brief reference to the Smiths, He mumbled it quickly but I think Lestat said, "Frankly, Mr Shankly nearly ruined The Queen Is Dead." The dialogue frequently surprises you. As the new title suggests, this series is heavily about Lestat and his backstory, which is told through his songs and pop videos. This sounds cheesy and it is, but it is knowingly so, and it works. We learn that he was a stutterer as a child, how he was transformed into a vampire in the 18th century and that he also made his own mother, played by Jennifer Ehle, into one of the undead. This was a kinder Bailey Bass, Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid return for series three act than it sounds. Ickily, their relationship seems to be incestuous. We learn that it was her he was texting, not his former lover Louis (Jacob Anderson). At this point I did think, aren't vampires meant to be telepathic? Why would they need mortals' boring old iPhones? The series begins in a flashforward at an auction where Lestat's belongings are being sold. In the audience are Armand (Assad Zaman) and Louis, looking worse for wear with injuries, Armand in an eye patch and Louis on a walking stick. For sale is an audio diary of Lestat's account of the events leading up to his band's 2025 tour and album and an apparent global catastrophe. Lestat had been incensed by the launch of Daniel Molloy's bestselling tell-all book about Louis and Lestat, and launched the band to correct the narrative. The audio diary is our narration. His fans and bandmates initially think he is cosplaying being a vampire, and the moment when he gets carried away on stage, forgets himself and starts feasting on a female fan's neck is funny. Later he reveals himself in a violent scene and the bandmates' agog questions provide more comedy ("Do you play baseball like in Twilight?"). It is flamboyant, extravagant and extremely camp, and Reid is fantastic, but I think the tonal shift might jar with some veteran viewers. The Folk Show Radio 2, 9pm Michael Sheen, above, sits in for Mark Radcliffe this week, playing his folk and acoustic favourites. His choices include the south Wales folk-rock collective MWSOG, tracks by Kate Rusby and the Unthanks, and a piece by Jethro Tull that influenced him growing up. Meanwhile, Matthew Bannister's award-winning Folk on Foot podcast, in which he takes a ramble with musicians in landscapes that inspire them, continues. Recent performers on the series include Johnny Flynn in Yorkshire, the Young 'Uns at the Teesside landmark Roseberry Topping and Lady Maisery at Petworth House in West Sussex. Clair Woodward Times Radio Digital, web, smart speaker, app 5.00am Tom Nunan with Early Breakfast 6.00 Salma D-Wardany and Calum Macdonald with Times Radio Breakfast 10.00 Carolyn Quinn 1.00pm The Times at One: With Mark Urban 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 The Sara Cox Breakfast Show 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Angela Scanlon 7.00 Jo Whiley's Shiny Happy Playlist 7.30 Jo Whiley 9.00 Choice The Folk Show with Michael Sheen 10.00 The Good Groove with Melvin Odoom 12.00 DJ Borg 3.00am Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton (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 Strauss (Death and Transfiguration); Christian Forshaw (My Soul There Is A Country); Prokofiev (3 Pensées for piano, Op 62); Schubert (An Silvia, D. 891); Ravel (Chants populaire — No 5 Chanson écossaise); R Schumann (Myrthen Op 25 No 13 — Hochtänders Abschied); Britten (O can ye sew cushions? and Fancie); Poulenc (Fancie); Dankworth (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? and Dunsinare blues); John Adams (Harmonium) and Boulanger (Vieille prière bouddhique) 3.00 Choral Evensong Live from Gloucester Cathedral during the Three Choirs Festival, featuring music by Hurd, Gavin Higgins, Wesley and Bliss. 4.00 Composer of the Week: Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884) Donald Macleod surveys some of Alice Mary Smith's compositional collaborations, including with the famed clarinetist Henry Lazarus 5.00 In Tune 7.00 Live BBC Prions The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform with chief conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, soprano Claire Booth and the BBC Singers. Presented by Tom Service from the Royal Albert Hall, in London. Judith Weir (Moon and Star); Brett Dean (The World's Wife — BBC co-commission and world premiere); and Elgar (Symphony No 1 in A Rat) 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 'Round Midnight' 12.30am Through the Night (r) Radio 4 FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 BBC Inside Science (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Sideways (3/8) 9.30 Breakin' the Cycle (1/6) 10.00 Woman's Hour 11.00 Floor 15 (r) 11.40 This Week in History 11.45 Book of the Week: Confessions of a Performative Male Darren McGarvey considers some of the lazy thinking around class and masculine privilege that has shaped debate in the last decade. Read by the author (3/5) 12.04pm You and Yours 1.00 The World at One 1.45 Dead Rabbit (8/10) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: United Kingdoms Compilation of five short plays on the theme of Sheltering (2/5) (r) 3.00 Money Box 3.30 A Map of the Moon (r) 4.00 The Power of Guilt (2/5) (r) 4.15 The Media Show 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Best Medicine Kiri Pritchard-McLean and guests celebrate medicine (1/6) 7.00 The Archers Chris takes things too far 7.15 Front Row 8.00 AntiSocial With Adam Fleming (4/6) (r) 8.45 Café Hope A look at how one man has founded an inclusive community of running mates (5/7) (r) 9.00 Invisible Hands David Dimbleby tells the story of the man who made America into a superpower (1/6) (r) 9.30 Inside Health (4/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight With James Coomarasamy 10.45 Wild Dark Shore By Charlotte McConaghy (8/10) 11.00 Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide to Living Forever (4/6) 11.15 Follow the Rabbit (1/5) (r) 11.30 A Good Read (4/9) (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Book of the Week: Confessions of a Performative Male (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 Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Ivo Graham's Obsessions 9.30 The Time of My Life 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 The Documentary: British Music's Caribbean Roots 10.50 Witness History 11.00 Raffles 11.30 Charles Paris: A Deadly Habit 12.00 After Henry 12.30pm The Missing Hancocks 1.00 Bridget Christie: Mortal 1.30 Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Write Stuff 2.30 Bristow 3.00 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 3.45 The Phoenix and the Carpet 4.00 The Documentary: British Music's Caribbean Roots 4.50 Witness History 5.00 Raffles 5.30 Charles Paris: A Deadly Habit 6.00 After Henry 6.30 The Missing Hancocks 7.00 Bridget Christie: Mortal 7.30 Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Write Stuff 8.30 Bristow 9.00 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 9.45 The Phoenix and the Carpet 10.00 Ivo Graham's Obsessions 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 Naga Munchetty 2.00pm Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 Glasgow 2026. Commentary on day six of the Commonwealth Games 10.00 Qasa Alom 1.00am Dotun Adebayo talkSPORT MW: 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 Breakfast with Alon Brazil 10.00 Jim White and Simon Jordan 1.00pm Max Rushden & Charlie Baker 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 Kick Off: Sporting issues 10.00 The Sports Bar 1.00am Extra Time with Paul Ross Talk Digital only 6.00am Jeremy Kyle 10.00 Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm Ian Collins 4.00 Kevin O'Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 10.00 Petrie Hosken 1.00am Paul Ross 6 Music Digital only 5.00am Amy Lamé 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Jamz Supernova 1.00pm Deb Grant 4.00 Huw Stephens 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 The First Time With 12.00 Freak Zone Playlist 1.00am Mastertapes 3.00 Deep Dive into The Strokes' Is This It 4.00 6 Music's Jukebox Virgin Radio Digital only 6.30am Steve Denyer on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show 10.00 Ana Matronic 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am James Merritt Classic FM FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Classic FM Breakfast with Dan Walker 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour with Dan Walker 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evenings with Zeb Soanes 9.00 Composer Carousel With Zeb Soanes 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 Early Breakfast 12 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES television PICKS OF THE DAY Sir Derek Jacobi Remembers: I, Claudius BBC4, 10pm "They tried Charlton Heston and he turned it down, they tried Ronnie Barker and he turned it down..." Derek Jacobi's introduction to the BBC's 1976 adaptation of Robert Graves's 1934 novel I, Claudius and its sequel Claudius the God, makes it clear how different the drama might have been if he hadn't been cast. The first two episodes air from 1015pm but Jacobi's memories offer delightful context, not least when he hears generous witness to his co-stars John Hurt and Siân Phillips ('I was scared of grandma,' he says of her performance as the poisonous Livia). There are also very funny insights into the theatrical life: 'It's an actor's gift to be given a part where you've got a stammer, a limp and a twitch,' Jacobi says. 'If you fail with that lot then you're failing badly. Victoria Segal' Derek Jacobi in I, Claudius (BBC4, from 10pm) Extraordinary Extensions Channel 4, 8pm This show should be lower-stakes than Grand Designs — after all, the people involved already have a home, a reassuring baseline reducing the element of jeopardy. Yet long-term Kevin McCloud viewers will hear alarm bells ringing when one couple explain to the presenter, Tinie Tempah, they have no budget and no deadline. The drama remains high, then, as the musician and property developer tracks two projects: the creation of an art deco-inspired addition to an Edwardian terrace in London, and a boathouse-influenced eco-build that will expand the living space in a traditional cottage on the Norfolk Broads. Tempah is a wise and watchful presence, while the show proves there's more to extending a house than a nice conservatory. VS Ken Burns Day PBS America, from 3.50pm July 29 is Ken Burns's 73rd birthday BBC1 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) 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 and her friends restore old toys and a vintage TV 2.45 Escape to the Country. Nicki Chapman sets out to help two rock musicians find an Oxfordshire home with space for a studio (r) 3.45 The Bidding Room. Items include an enamel advertising sign, a Second World War gas rattle and a Murano glass toucan 4.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. A house full of collections in Sutton Coldfield (r) (AD) 5.15 Pointless. Quiz hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Stephen Mangan (r) 6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather BBC2 6.30am Money for Nothing (r) 7.15 The Bidding Room (r) 8.00 Sign Zone: Great Japanese Railway Journeys. The Yamonote line (r) (AD, SL) 8.30 Great Continental Railway Journeys. A trip from Mandas to Laconi (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC News 1.05pm Richard Osman's House of Games. Contestants include Yasmine Akram (r) 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz series (r) 2.15 Lightning. Quiz hosted by Zoe Lyons (r) 2.45 The Hairy Bikers' Bakeation. Si King and Dave Myers head to Germany (r) (AD) 3.45 The Farmers' Country Showdown. Contests at the Mid-Somerset Show (r) 4.15 Earth from Space. The stories behind the planet's most intriguing colours (r) (AD) 5.15 Flog It! From Blackpool Tower Circus (r) 6.00 Richard Osman's House of Games. With contestants Karen Hauer, Storm Hurriley, Joe Marler and Tom Read Wilson (r) 6.30 Just One Thing. A children's entertainer wanting to get a good night's sleep (r) (AD) ITV1 6.00am Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.00pm ITV News; Weather 1.30 Live ITV Racing. Ed Chamberlin and Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani present coverage of day two of the Glorious Goodwood meeting, including feature race the Sussex Stakes, and four supporting races. With analysis from Jason Weaver, Johnny Murtagh and Hayley Turner, reports by Rishi Persad, Sally Ann Grassick, and Luke Harvey, and commentary on the day's races provided by Richard Holles 4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals. More of the most dramatic endgames from the quiz show hosted by Ben Shephard, as players take on the machine for its £10,000 prize (r) 5.00 The Chase. Bradley Walsh presents the quiz as another quartet of contestants work as a team to take on one of the ruthless Chasers and secure a cash prize (r) 6.00 Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather Channel 4 6.25am Cheers (r) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD) 9.10 Fraser (r) (AD) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA. A restaurant in Westwego, Louisiana (r) 12.05pm Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It. Various items are found in Dumfries and Galloway (r) (AD) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway. A property in Rugby is renovated and sold (r) 2.10 Countdown. With TV personality Scarlett Moffatt in Dictionary Corner 3.00 A Place in the Sun. A Hampshire couple seek a home on the Costa del Sol (r) 4.00 Narrow Escapes. A couple and their family go shopping for a boat by Whitton Marina in Northamptonshire (r) (AD) 5.00 Château DIY. One of the turrets at Chateau de Bourneau is renovated (r) (AD) 6.00 American Pickers. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz find and try to rescue a rare and classic 33 Ford that has been sitting so long that a tree has grown around it (r) (AD) 5 6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: Memories of Murder (12, TVM, 2023) After two women are attacked while camping, one of them endures amnesia while trying to uncover what really happened. Thriller inspired by true events starring Andrea Bogart and Allie Forsberg 4.00 Castle. Beckett and Castle try to uncover the agenda of a mysterious gunman who has taken subway passengers — including Detective Esposito — hostage (r) 4.55 Love Nature. A story of nature helping itself in the context of climate change (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Malta: The Jewel of the Med. Cameras explore Malta's olive groves, where the harvest is underway, and venture inside one of the country's grandest stately homes (r) 6.55 5 News Update 7.00 The One Show Weekday magazine with Alex Jones and Vernon Kay 7.30 EastEnders Gray continues to manipulate Sheila, while George struggles to cope with his guilt (AD) 8.00 The Repair Shop The experts set out to restore a mandriola that once belonged to folk musician Vin Garbutt, two small rattan chairs from Tanzania, a pilot's cap and US-style neon pinball machine (r) (AD) 9.00 Murder 24/7 The fatal stabbing of Cheryl McKenna in 2024 — reported to the police by her ex-partner Chris Hemming, who admitted in the call that he was the one responsible — with the investigation deciding what charge he would face, and the sentence he would receive (4/0) (AD) 10.00 BBC News at Ten 10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.40 FILM: Eye in the Sky (15, 2015) A Colonel's mission to wipe out a terrorist cell is complicated when a girl enters the blast radius of a planned drone strike — forcing her to decide between sacrificing the girl's life or letting the terrorists flee. Thriller starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman. See film choice 12.15am The Hit List Celebrity Special Marvin and Rochelle Humes present the music-based as La Voix, Jenny Ryan, Rav Wilding, Chesney Hawkes, Fatiha El-Ghorri and Harriet Kemsley try to name as many hit songs as the can to win a cash prize for their chosen charities (r) 1.05-6.00 BBC News 7.00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip John Bercow, the former speaker of the House of Commons, and gold medal-winning hurdler Sally Gunnell take on the challenge with help from Izzy Balmer and Raj Bisram (r) 8.00 Saving Lives at Sea The Newhaven crew make a desperate attempt to rescue a yachtsman before his vessel is smashed on the rocks, while a kayaker has fallen on rocks and suffered a neck injury on the south Devon coast (4/10) (r) (AD) 9.00 The Gunpowder Plot: Lucy Worsley Investigates The historian investigates the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament and looks at what drove a group of Catholic conspirators to this audacious, radical act of extremism (2/4) (r) (AD) 10.00 Inside No 9 A man arrives to teach at a small school in Wales, but finds himself overshadowed (2/6) (r) (AD) 10.30 Newsnight With Victoria Derbyshire 11.00 Uncanny Danny Robins investigates a man's belief that his house was haunted by an entity which would shake drawers, ring bells and even flush the toilet (2/3) (r) (AD) 12.00 The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke The story of the vlogger who was arrested for child abuse in 2023 (r) (AD) 12.55am Sign Zone: Do You Know Your Place? The contestant answer questions about Leicester (r) (SL) 1.25 Scamanda (r) (AD, SL) 2.05-3.05 The Rapture (r) (AD, SL) 7.30 Deal or No Deal: Banker's Best Battles Stephen Mulhern looks back at the battles from the game show 8.00 Emmerdale Joe unsettles everyone by calling an impromptu lunch (AD) 8.30 Coronation Street A family celebration for Ross's birthday proves too much for Cassie (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 FILM: Live and Let Die (PG, 1973) James Bond's investigation into the murder of three British agents leads him to a connection between the dictator of a Caribbean island and a Harlem drug kingpin — along with a plot to flood America with limitless supplies of free heroin. Spy adventure with Roger Moore in his first appearance as 007, alongside Yaphet Kotto and Jane Seymour (AD) 1.05am Shop on TV 3.00 Love & Death. Candy takes stock of her marriage (r) (AD, SL) 4.00 Inside the Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel. A wedding planner pulls out all the stops to deliver a breathtaking ceremony (r) (AD, SL) 4.25 Unwind with ITV 5.35-6.00 Tom Kerridge: Cooks Italy (r) (AD, SL) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 Extraordinary Extensions New series: Tinie Tempah joins a couple of art deco obsessives as they transform their west London terrace into a Great Gatsby-inspired 1920s palace. See picks of the day (AD) 9.00 The Undeclared War Barbara tracks down Nicky, but her erratic behaviour is leaving Danny worried. Meanwhile, the Chinese malware continues to cause all manner of havoc in British government departments (4/6) (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in A&E A 46-year-old woman attends with serious head and chest injuries following a car crash, a 54 year-old man arrives after falling off his bike, and a teenager has a severed finger after trying to climb a fence (7/7) (r) (AD) 11.05 24 Hours in A&E At Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, a 23-year-old woman has had a riding accident, falling off her horse which then rolled on top of her. Doctors urgently need to determine if a 26-year-old man is having a stroke. And a five-year-old has cut his hand at school (r) (AD) 12.05am Murder Case: The Digital Detectives (r) (AD, SL) 1.00 Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port (r) (AD, SL) 1.55 Kitchen Nightmares USA (r) 2.50 Britain's Most Expensive Houses (r) (AD) 3.45 Grand Designs (r) 4.40 Come Dine with Me (r) 5.35 Sunday Brunch (r) 5.45-6.25 Countdown (r) 7.00 Car Pound Cops In Surrey, a quad-bike rider is flagged down for a lack of number plates on his vehicle, while a police sergeant deals with a serious incident which results in a midnight chase (5/8) (r) 7.55 5 News Update 8.00 Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts Pasamodico rush in a 71-year-old struggling to breathe, and a three-year-old has been brought in after getting a conker stuck up his nose 9.00 The Crow Girl As Jeannette manages the fallout from Lou's actions, Victoria seeks revenge, and a gruesome discovery at the Burkenian farm brings the investigation to a head. With her career hanging in the balance, Jeannette turns to Sophia for comfort. Last in the series (AD) 10.00 Commonwealth Games 2026 Highlights from the sixth day in Glasgow, which included weightlifting, athletics and para athletics, plus the final swimming and para swimming events 11.05 Cause of Death A 63-year-old man is found dead with a severe wound to his hip and cuts and abrasions on his hands, so Lancashire Coroner's officers try and ascertain the cause of death. Plus, a 999 call leads to a body in an outbuilding (7/10) (r) 12.05am A&E After Dark (r) (AD) 1.00 Cruise TV with Love@bookit (r) 2.00 Shoplifters: Catch Me If You Can (r) 2.50 Malta: The Jewel of the Med (r) 3.45 Friends (r) (AD) 4.35 The Highland Vet (r) (SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5 5.35 Milo (r) (SL) 5.45-6.00 Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL) THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 13 television and PBS America is marking the occasion by screening some of his classic output. From 3:50pm Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery is a four-parter following an 1804 journey up to the headwaters of the Missouri River. And at 8:50pm Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip tells the eventful story of the first transcontinental automobile trip, an adventure undertaken in 1903 by Dr Horatio Nelson Jackson (voiced by Tom Hanks) and a bulldog named Bud. Joe Clay Katie Price: Nothing to Hide Sky Documentaries/Now, 9pm In an era where most celebrity interviews are PR-managed and anodine, this four-part series with the artist formerly known as Jordan has been a blast of fresh air. Price really is baring all, with a fearless honesty that is at times uncomfortable to watch. It's hard to come away from this with anything but admiration for a redoubtable and damaged woman who has never placed the victim despite constant harassment, vilification and abuse. JC STREAMING CHOICE Warth Netflix Spellbound, Mulholland Drive, Memento... as a plot device, amnesia has been responsible for some fine films. It now features as the main MacGuffin in this Brazilian series set in the world of mixed martial arts. Marcelo (Vinicius Neri) is the amnesiac on the run who is brought back from the brink of death by a coach (Fábio Lago) who becomes his mentor, saviour and possible exploiter. As a gritty snapshot of brutal sporting subculture this will take some beating. Andrew Male FILM CHOICE Eye in the Sky (15, 2015) BBC1, 10.40pm This thriller stars Helen Mirren as the British military ma'am Colonel Katherine Powell. She wants to use a US-piloted Reaper drone to blow up a compound in Nairobi hunting with suicide bombers. There's just one snag: a little girl is selling bread next to the compound and will be killed. The order must make its way up through a chain of command that includes a dyspeptic lieutenant general (Alan Rickman), a cowardly politico (Jeremy Northam), a dysentery-afflicted British foreign secretary (Iain Gles) and a US secretary of state (Michael O'Keefe). (102min) Kevin Maher BBC4 7.00pm Great British Railway Journeys. Liverpool to Urbaneter (AD) 7.30 Walking with Jim Moir. The comedian explores the Kent coast 8.00 The Treasures of Ancient Rome. Exploring the artistic achievements of the Romans (1/3) 9.00 Caligula with Mary Beard. The life of the Roman emperor (AD) 10.00 Sir Derek Jacobs Remembers — I, Claudius. See picks of the day 10.15 I, Claudius. Drama charting the intrigue that surrounded the reigns of the Roman emperors. See picks of the day (1/12) 11.55 I, Claudius. Augustus remains unaware of Julia's philandering ways. See picks of the day (2/12) 12.45am The Treasures of Ancient Rome 1.45 Caligula with Mary Beard (AD) 2.45 Great British Railway Journeys (AD, SL) 3.15am-3.45 Walking with Jim Moir (SL) BBC3 7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60. A compilation of highlights from the wildlife series 7.30 Deadly 60. The challenges of filming in Alaska and of Brazil 8.00 Top Gear. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May try to build a train — using caravans 9.00 FILM: I Am Legend (15, 2007) A Manhattan-based scientist tries to find a cure for a viral plague that has turned all other humans into vampire-like creatures. Sci-fi thriller with Will Smith and Alice Braga (AD) 10.30 Kidnapped by My Mum. The story of a man who went missing when he was 11 years old (AD) 12.10am Stacey Dooley. Ready for War! Ukrainian civilians running for war (AD) 1.10 Roman Kemp: The Fight for Young Lives (AD) 2.10am-3.45 Kidnapped by My Mum (AD) Variations BBC1 N Ireland 10.40pm The Band 11.10 FILM: Eye in the Sky (2015) 12.45am-1.30 The Hit List Celebrity Special (r) BBC1 Scotland 12.15am Scotcast (r) 12.45am-1.35 The Hit List Celebrity Special (r) BBC1 Wales 8.00pm Scam Interceptors (r) 8.30pm-9.00 Our Lives STV 1.30pm-4.30 STV Racing: Glorious Goodwood 9.00-10.00 Pure (r) 1.05am-3.00 Shop on TV UTV 10.45pm Inside the Langham 11.15 Deal or No Deal: Best Battles 11.45 Wheel of Fortune (r) 12.40am-1.05 Fletchers' Family Farm (r) Sky Arts 6.00am Jacqueline du Pré: Genius and Tragedy 7.55 The Joy of Painting (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Walter Matthau (AD) 12.00 The Movies 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 3.00 The Seventies (AD) 4.00 Discovering: Shirley MacLaine (AD) 5.00 Portrait Artists of the Year 2021 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 7.30 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 Alec Guinness: A Class Act 10.00 The Eighties (AD) 11.00 Classic Albums 12.20am FILM: Midnight Movies — From the Margin to the Mainstream (15, 2005) 2.10 FILM: I Am Bruce Lee (15, 2011) (AD) 4.10 Art of the Garden 5.05am-6.00 The Movies ITV2 6.00am Buckyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Deal or No Deal (AD) 7.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 8.25 Olivia and Alex: Parenthood (AD) 9.30 The Only Way Is Essex 10.25 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 11.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 12.15pm Dinner Date (AD) 1.15 Supermarket Sweep 2.15 The Floor USA (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 5.00 The Real Housewives of Orange County 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 The Floor USA (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club (AD) 9.00 The Princess Diaries. Princess takes her mum glamping 10.00 Family Guy (AD) 11.30 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bob's Burgers (AD) 1.30am-2.30 G'wed (AD, SL) BBC Scotland 7.00pm Reporting Scotland 7.30 Scotland's Home of the Year 2024 (r) 8.00 Island Crossings (r) 9.00 Mhari Black: Being Me Again (r) 10.00 River City 10.30 Mrs Brown's Boys (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 Des Doesn't Do — Art (r) S4C 6.00am Cow 11.00 Camau Bach 12.00 News 12.05pm Cartrefi Cymru (r) 12.30 Hero (r) 1.00 Gwlad y Barg: Gwilym Bowen Rhys (r) 1.30 Gaddila a Mwy (r) 2.00 News 2.00 Plymham Ga 3.00 News 3.05 Chris a'r Adal Maier (r) 4.00 Awr Fawr (r) 5.00 Stwnsh: Li Ban (r) 5.10 Or Osger (r) 5.20 Prys a'r Pryfed (r) 5.35 Malloung-ogi (r) 6.00 Dan Do (r) 6.30 Pobol y Cwm 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News 8.00 Live Gemau' Gymnasial 2026 10.30 Ras Yr Wyddfa (r) 11.30pm-12.35am Ty Ffit (r) 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 George Clarke's Old House, New Home (AD) 6.55 Location, Location, Location. Searching for properties in north London and north Wales (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. The progress of a post-industrial house located in the South Downs (7/9) (AD) 9.00 My Floating Home. A couple want an electric narrowboat quiet enough to suit their dog (4/4) (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder Is No Game. One of the biggest murder inquiries conducted in Bedfordshire (1/2) (AD) 11.30 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder Is No Game. Detectives have a suspect in custody (2/2) (AD) 12.30am 999 On the Front Line 1.30am-4.00 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder Is No Game (AD) ITV3 6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.05 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 A Touch of Frost (AD) 11.20 Heartbeat (AD) 1.30pm Midsoner Murders (AD) 3.30 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat: Rural drama (AD) 8.00 Midsoner Murders. A magician becomes the prime suspect when his assistant drops dead on stage, poisoned by the toxins from a tropical frog (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. The village is rocked when a series of armed robberies take place (3/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester. Georide investigates the suspicious death of a factory worker (4/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution (2/2) 1.25am-2.25 Wycliffe PBS America 8.00am Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery 1.15pm Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip 3.50 Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery. The first three editions of Ken Burns' documentary exploring Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's early 19th-century expedition around the then-unknown western America. See picks of the day 7.25 Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery. The conclusion of the documentary exploring Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's expedition 8.50 Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip. Dr Horatio Nelson Jackson's 1903 bid to cross the United States by automobile. Setting out from San Francisco, he faced a number of logistical difficulties 12.00-2.00am Higgins Ridge Xiao Guodong at the Shanghai Masters Live Snooker TNT Sports 4, 12.30pm-4 The second round on the third day of the Shanghai Masters, which is held at Luwan Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China Live Test Cricket: West Indies v Pakistan TNT Sports 1, 2.30pm-11 The final day of the first Test in the two-match series from Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago Live The Hundred: MI London Women v London Spirit Women Sky Sports v, Sky Sports Mix, 2.55pm-6 (Start-time 3.00). Coverage of the match from The Oval Live Tennis Sky Sports Tennis, 4pm-2am Day three of the Washington DC Open at William H.G. Field/Seald Tennis Center in the USA Live The Hundred: MI London Men v London Spirit Men Sky Sports Main Event, 6pm-9.30 (Start-time 6.30). Coverage of the game at The Oval, London Sky Atlantic 6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.10 The White Lotus (r) (AD) 12.20pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.10 Billions (r) (AD) 4.10 The White Lotus (r) (AD) 5.40 Task. Crime drama series (r) (AD) 6.50 The Gilded Age. Bertha tells Gladys to stand up for herself and her new husband (r) (AD) 7.55 The Gilded Age. Larry shares a discovery with George (7/8) (r) (AD) 9.00 House of the Dragon. Game of Thrones prequel starring Matt Smith and Emma D'Arc (r) 10.15 Station Eleven. Post-apocalyptic drama with Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel (1/10) (r) 11.15 Station Eleven. Twenty years later, Kirsten and her troupe meet a mysterious man (2/10) (r) 12.15am The White Lotus. Double bill (r) (AD) 3.05 Billions (r) (AD) 4.10am-6.00 Urban Secrets (r) Talking Pictures 6.00am FILM: Suspected Person (PG, 1942) (b/w) 7.35 FILM: Salmon Bar (PG, 1940) (b/w) 9.05 FILM: Nowhere to Go (PG, 1958) 11.05 FILM: Shepherd on the Rock (PG, 1993) 1.00pm The Buccaneers (b/w) 1.30 FILM: Send for Paul Temple (PG, 1946) (b/w) 3.10 Dial 999 (b/w) 3.40 FILM: Heavens Abood (PG, 1963) (b/w) 6.00 Dial 999 (b/w) 6.30 Give Us a Clue 7.00 Out of Town 7.30 Travelling Man (5/7) 8.35 FILM: The Reckless Moment (PG, 1949) Noir drama (b/w) 10.15 FILM: The Anderson Tapes (15, 1971) Curve thriller 12.15am FILM: Cactus Flower (PG, 1969) Romantic comedy 2.20 FILM: Warp Speed (PG, TVM, 1981) 4.00 Stagecoach West (b/w) 5.00am-6.00 The Rogues (b/w) ITV4 6.00am Magnum, PI 8.05 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 9.05 Boon 10.10 The Champions 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.25pm Magnum, PI 2.35 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.55 Minder (AD) 7.00 King of the Roads. Southern 100 action from the Isle of Man 8.00 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Highlights of the restoring event 9.00 FILM: The Long Good Friday (18, 1980) A London crime told tries to extend his empire, but finds himself foiled at every turn by rivals keen to see the end of his reign. Thriller starring Bob Hoskins 11.25 All Else Wrestling: Collision. Hard-hitting, high-flying action 1.15am BattleBots. Robot combat series 2.15-2.40 River Monsters 3.30am-4.00 Motorsport Mundial Sky Docs 6.00am The Nineties (r) 7.00 Discovering: Jodie Foster (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 Den Faire (r) (AD) 10.05 The Man Who Played with Fire (r) 11.00 Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning (r) 12.00 One to One: John & Yoko (r) 2.00pm Benetton Formula (r) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Jodie Foster. The life of the actress (r) (AD) 6.00 House of Kardashian (r) (AD) 7.00 House of Kardashian. The Kim Kardashian sex tape (2/3) (r) (AD) 8.00 House of Kardashian. The rise of Kylie Jenner (3/3) (r) (AD) 9.00 Katie Price: Nothing to Hide. Katie's life enters a standard period. See picks of the day (4/4) (AD) 10.15 Becoming Madonna (r) (AD) 12.15am Ibiza Narcos (r) 3.15 Right to Fight (r) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Jodie Foster (r) (AD) Film4 11.00am Destroyer (U, 1943) Wartime adventure starring Edward G Robinson (b/w) 1.05pm The Mouse That Roared (U, 1959) Comedy starring Peter Sellers (AD) 2.45 Independence Day: Recurrence Interview Special 2.50 The Violent Men (PG, 1955) Western starring Edward G Robinson 4.45 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (U, 1961) Sci-fi adventure with Walter Pidgeon 6.55 The Day the Earth Steed Still (12, 2008) Sci-fi remake with Keshu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly (AD) 9.00 The Florida Project (15, 2017) A six-year-old roams the grounds of the motet where she lives, looking for adventure. Drama with Willem Dafoe and Brooklyn Prince 11.15 Pearl (15, 2022) Horror with Mia Goth and David Crennovel 1.20am-3.40 Minari (12, 2020) Romantic drama with Steven Yeun U&Drama 6.00am Teleshopping 7.20 The Bill 8.15 Doctors 9.30 Classic Nolby City 10.45 Casualty (AD) 11.45 The Bill 12.50pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Neighbours 3.00 Fire in the Sky 4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 Waiting for God 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 Sister Boniface Mysteries. The nun investigates when a death occurs at the local talent show (AD) 9.00 The Chelsea Detective. A psychotherapist is murdered in his private practice while providing therapy over a video call (5/9) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. Brian enters an addiction centre, and a remark reopens an investigation into the death of a heroin user (1/8) (AD) 11.00 Silent Witness (AD) 1.35am Lovejoy 2.30 Waiting for God 3.00 Darby and Joan (SL) 4.00am-6.00 Teleshopping U&Yesterday 6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 World War Two from Above 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 World War Two from Above 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 Asia: The wildlife of Asia's forests, including Bengal tigers (AD) 8.00 Explore. Simon Reeve leads journalists into the Philippines 9.00 Simon Reeve's South America. Simon travels through Brazil 10.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A VW Campervan (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A 1969 Mini Cooper (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Fog It (AD) 2.00 Great British Railway Journeys 3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping 14 Wednesday July 29 2026 | THE TIMES MindGames Poker Byron Jacobs Free lunch? A few years ago, when I was playing quite a lot of poker, websites began to introduce an interesting new feature, often accompanied by a bit of a fanfare. It applied only to cash games (not tournaments) and the idea was as follows. When you play a cash game, situations arise where the players remaining in the hand are all-in and no further betting can occur. It is then simply a question of dealing out the remaining cards, seeing who gets lucky and awarding them the pot. This element of play is, of course, ruled purely by luck and can prove frustrating for players. Let's say you have A+ A+. Villain has K+ K+ and the pot is $100. You can expect to win this pot over 80 per cent (the precise figure is 81.26 per cent) of the time. However, a king arrives to run your day. Villain walks away with $100 while you have zilch. You were a big favourite, that pot was rightfully yours and it has been stolen from you. Of course the previous sentence is nonsense. You were subjected to a moment of bad luck – it happens. On another occasion you will have the K-K and get lucky and the universe will be in balance again. Nevertheless, they may deny it but players hate losing pots purely because the cards fall badly. The sites understood this and had a bright idea ... They offered the option to 'cash out' in all-in scenarios. If you chose to do this you would be paid the equity value of your hand, rather than allowing fate to dictate matters. So, in the above example, the A-A player could (if they wished) cash out for $81.26 and Villain also had the opportunity to salvage something from the wreckage by accepting $18.74. If one player accepted and the other declined, the site wouldn't care. They may win or lose on that particular hand but – in the long run – it would all even out. I happily took them up on their offer and started cashing out my equity all over the place ... until a thought occurred. The interpretation, 'they (the sites) may win or lose on that particular hand but – in the long run – it would all even out' began to gnaw. Poker sites do not have charitable status and don't tend to do things because they break even on them. Hmm. So, I extracted my largest shovel and excavated my way through their small print. Sure enough this fanfare-enhanced new feature did not actually deliver 100 per cent of your equity. They sheepingly acknowledged that the site retained an 'admin fee' of one per cent of any such transaction. So, A-A is actually getting $80.45 and K-K $18.55. A total of $99 is paid out and a surreptitious $1 slides back to the site. So, presumably everyone cottoned on and boycotted this great new feature? Not exactly. We'll return to this next week. For more puzzles, including Mini Sudoku, extra Codeword, Train Tracks and Futoshiki go to page 10 Winning Move White to play. This position is a variation from Fernandez-Astoyauri De la Cruz, Lima 2026. Winning Move puzzles are invariably associated with complex middlegame positions with numerous pieces on either side and plenty of tactical ideas to consider. However, even simple endgames can hinge on accurate calculation. Here White needs a precise sequence to force the win. Can you see it? Kenken Medium No 6897 All the digits 1 to 6 must appear in every row and column. In each thick-line 'block', the target number in the top left-hand corner is calculated from the digits in all the cells in the block, using the operation indicated by the symbol. Futoshiki No 5445 Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the number next to it. Kakuro No 4404 Fill the grid using the numbers 1 to 9 only. The numbers in each horizontal or vertical run of white squares add up to the total in the triangle to its left or above it. The same number may occur more than once in a row or column, but not within the same run of white squares. Train Tracks No 2930 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® No 2632 Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only 1 Super herbaceous borders (3) 2 Old law's completely accurate (5) 3 Time about to probe New York service business (6) 4 Surprisingly free, basic item for executive (9) 5 Take over exercise books for woodwork (9) A A A A A B C C C C C E E E E E E F G I N N P R R R S T T X Y Y Challenge your mind with puzzle books from The Times Solve Ponder crossword on Wednesdays and Fridays at thetimes.com/puzzles and on the Live app THE TIMES | Wednesday July 29 2026 15 MindGames times2 Crossword No 10,221 Across 1 Openly disobeyed (6) 7 Eruptive hot spring (6) 8 Mathematician who studies shapes and angles (8) 10 Beat, thrash, material (7) 11 Let loose, release (3,4) 12 Bring about, create (5) 14 Pearly Gates saint (5) 15 East Sussex's county town (5) Solution to Crossword 10,220 BALTIZE SOURCES 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Need help with today's puzzles? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm). Bridge Andrew Robson Modern Bidding Developments 30. Fourth Suit Forcing (FSF) Reflecting on FSF in the right way Imagine an auction as a walk round a house. First, you walk through the rooms on the ground floor — think of each room as a early bid. Then you walk up the stairs to the rooms on the first floor — things are different up there. That staircase is the Fourth-Suit-Forcing bid. After the FSF bid, everything is different. When you start an auction, you are unsure whether or not you'll be playing in game. As soon as those stairs are climbed, both partners are committed to game. Think of FSF as a special device to set up a game-force (not — as players are nuisled to believe — just a request for a stopper for nottramps). FSF is a bid of the fourth suit, typically after the first three bids are in different suits. It sets up a game-force and asks opener to talk more about her hand. After 1♥-1♠-2♠ (uncontested), what would you do with these? ▲A7632 ▲A8.643 ▲K.16432 ♥2 ♥A.02 ♥Q9 ♦A.12 ♦K.02 ♦A.52 ▲K.132 ▲72 ▲A.2 The answer is to bid 2♦ FSF with all three. With the first, you want to make a forcing club bid, a raise to 3♠ is non-forcing (so is a raise to 4♠ — and it's cumbersome). The solution is to go via FSF (setting up a game-force) then support clubs next time. With the second, you have a heart fit (partner has shown 5♥-4♠). But to jump to 4♥ would be overly pessimistic, with such slammy values. So go via FSF, planning to support hearts next time. After the FSF bid with the third, you plan to repeat your spades, showing a game-forcing hand with six spades. Note, 1♥-1♠-2♠-3♠ is non-forcing (10-12, invitational) as standard methods for forcing if you play Weak Jump Shifts (last weeks lesson). However, it's better to bid FSF than to jump to 3♠ (even if it's forcing) as your spades are so poor. Dealer: South ♠J ♥A1654 Val: Neither ♦A34 ▲K.754 ▲K108 ♠Q9643 ♥1093 ♥K097 ♦J98 ♠76 ♣Q3108 ♣A752 ♥2 ♥K01032 ♣A52 S M N E 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♠(1) Pass 2N1(2) Pass 3♦(1) Pass 4♠(3) Pass 4♥(3) Pass 6♦ End (1) Gone via FSF to make a game-forcing diamond-supporting bid. (2) No extra length to show but olds stopped. (Note, extra shape would have prioritised). (3) Control bids. Snails to hope in context. North lots as (without a fourth bump). West led ▲Q (anyone for ♠87) and declarer won ▲A. She cashed ▲A, ruffed ▲2, cashed ♥A, ruffed ♥4, ruffed ♠5, ruffed ♥5 and ruffed ♣7 (with ♦K). She then ruffed ♥6 with ♦Q, crossed to ▲K and led a card, discarding ▲3. West (down to ♦J98), ruffed but then had to lead from ♦J9 round to declarer's ♦A10 — slam made. andrew.zibb.org/thetimes.co.uk Brain Trainer Polygon From these letters, make words of four or more letters, always including the central letter. Answers must be in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding capitalised words, plurals, conjugated verbs (past tense etc), adverts ending in LY, comparatives and superlatives. How you rate 12 words, average; 17 good; 2.0, very good; 30, excellent Yesterday's answers alb, alba, ana, anal, ant, baa, ban, banal, bat, batt, blat, blatant, tab, tat, nab, natal, taal, tab, tabla, tala, tan, tat Cell Blocks No 5788 Divide the grid into square or rectangular blocks, each containing one digit only. Every block must contain the number of cells indicated by the digit inside it. Set Square No 4407 Enter each of the numbers from 1 to 9 in the grid, so that the six sums work. We've placed two numbers to get you started. Each sum should be calculated left to right or top to bottom. Please note, BOOMAS does not apply Killer Tricky No 10,848 Killer Deadly No 10,849 As with standard Sudoku, fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Each set of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the target number in its top-left corner. Within each set of cells joined by dotted lines, a digit cannot be repeated. Cluelines Stuck on Sudoku, Killer or KenKen? Call 0901 293 6263 before midnight to receive four clues for any of today's puzzles. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm). Solutions Quick Crypto 3365 Sudoku 16,980 Sudoku 16,981 Sudoku 16,982 Killer 10,846 Killer 10,847 Codeword 5904 Tetonor 695 Cell Blocks 5787 Futoshiki 5444 Today's solutions Concise Crypto: Sakuro 4806 Brain Quintagram Quintagram 9 2 5 Trainer 1 Park 1 Arc 7 0 0 0 Easy 9 2 Life 2 Exact 7 0 0 0 Medium 3S 3 Leisure 3 Agency 7 0 0 0 Harder L2N 4 Thirtieth 4 Briefcase 6 0 0 0 5 Thick task 5 Carpentry 4 0 0 0 Word watch Jugus (c) The state of wakefulness (Collins) Commemanate (b) Aligned with the aims of the IS (Columbus) Haber (c) A sound in the middle of a word (OHD) Chaos — Winning Move 11/7 initiates a clever sequence to force promotion 1...a/b5 (nothing else helps 1...b/c 2 e6 b/c 3 b/a5 and the a given promotion 2 e6 (the only way 2 a/b5 Ke9 is a draw) 2...b/c 6 4. The piano cannot be stopped and the black counterplay (alb, short, up 3...c/c 11...p4 4 p6 p5 5 Ke3) 4 Ke3 b4 5 a/b 5 6 Kd2. Kakuro 4403 Train Tracks 2929 Lexica 9039 Lexica 9020 Brain Trainer Quiz 1 Wine 2 Rubber or eraser 3 My Fair Lady 4 Tiger in The Tiger 5 Jesse James 6 David Livingstone 7 Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) 8 Severn 9 The Sweet 10 Madagascar 11 80 years 12 Arno Penzies 13 The Unpleasantness at the Before Club 14 Lucinda Green (née Prior Palmer), between F973 and F984 15 Ewan McGregor THE TIMES 29.07.26 MindGames For extra puzzles See page 10 Word watch David Parfitt Jagra a A large hybrid feline b An onion-shaped dome c The state of wakefulness Communautaire a A spiritual medium b Aligned with the aims of the EU c An amateur radio operator Inlaut a A sound in the middle of a word b The suppression of emotion c A language of northern Canada Answers on page 15 Sudoku Difficult No 16,983 1 9 2 1 5 3 7 7 9 5 8 7 3 3 2 6 4 5 9 4 5 5 2 9 6 7 4 7 Fiendish No 16,984 8 1 8 4 9 7 3 9 3 8 4 6 5 8 1 3 8 4 2 2 3 9 4 5 2 9 FOTO: DAVID Super fiendish No 16,985 8 4 3 5 9 4 6 2 3 1 5 4 3 8 9 7 2 6 9 8 2 7 3 4 4 7 9 Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjortomt AFTER 10 OAKS/GETTY IMAGES 1 The Vivino app offers recommendations for which alcoholic drink? 2 In 1858, Hymen Lipman registered the first patent for a pencil with which embedded attachment? 3 Martine McCutcheon played Elias Doolittle in the National Theatre's 2001 production of which musical? 4 William Blake wrote: "What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?" about which big cat? 5 John Ireland played Bob Ford in Samuel Fuller's 1949 Western film I Shot ... who? 6 In 1855, which Scottish missionary became the first European to see Victoria Falls? 7 Who asked Tony Benn: "So why do they call it the welfare state? Is it because it's well fair?"? 8 The Prince of Wales Bridge carries the M4 motorway over which river? 9 Which glam rock band had hits with Wig-Wam Bam (1972) and Fox on the Run (1975)? 10 Deposed by the French in 1897, Ranavalona III was the last sovereign of which kingdom? 11 An oak anniversary symbolises how many years of marriage? 12 Cosmic microwave background radiation was discovered by Robert Wilson and which German-born physicist? 13 The title of which 1928 Dorothy L Sayers mystery novel mentions a fictional London club for war veterans? 14 Which female equestrian won the Badminton Horse Trials a record six times on six different horses? 15 Which Scottish actor is pictured? Answers on page 15 Sakuro No 4806 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 The Times Quick Cryptic No 3366 by Teazel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Across 1 Goal partly is to get to other side of pub (8) 6 After break, this quick to make meal (4) 8 Small, pale bird (4) 9 Vigour of big town, on examination (8) 10 Terrible to-do, then? Exactly (2,3,5) 12 Catch in mouth (4) 13 Sign in the heavens divided us, I would say (6) 16 We're told ways to navigate island (6) 17 Made haste with some furious pedalling (4) 18 From trade fair, certain publicity (8) 21 Ivy, a tint used freely in Christmas scene (8) 22 Shy about page in text for printer (4) 23 Woman's last to receive present (4) 24 Letter from countrywoman following separation (8) Down 2 Argument over a name for tree (5) 3 Different, but not dry, warm weather (3) 4 Roman poet after black sheep, for one (5) 5 Short of oxygen, overlire poorly shipyard worker perhaps (7) 6 Flippant aspect associated with debts (9) 7 Put in chair I consumed stuff (7) 11 Computer storage tough to control (4,5) 14 A very quiet relaxation and calm (7) 15 Exceptional short period of work covering US agency (7) 19 Add to one's account years in agony (3,2) 20 Sudden attack nets pawn (5) 22 Mountain pass is chilly for the most part (3) Yesterday's solution on page 15 Subscribe for more puzzles Puzzles updated daily Play against the clock Compete in our leaderboard Play offline and online To try a digital subscription, visit thetimes.com/subscribe THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES QA Report - The Times - 29.07.2026.pdf Pipeline Extraction route: mistral-ocr extraction_route=mistral-ocr Translation chunks: 228 Extraction warnings: parallel extraction task error: 'LayeredPdfExtractor' object has no attribute '_find_opendataloader' PyMuPDF extraction failed: 'LayeredPdfExtractor' object has no attribute '_column_aware_page_text' Non-model Checks WARNING: translated output has low semantic coherence score (0.09) WARNING: missing numeric tokens from source: 0141, 0143, 01892, 0300, 0309, 0333, 0677, 0901, 0905, 09065 WARNING: Missing proper nouns in translation: After Dark, After Lord, Air Force One, Air Force One Times Business Reporter Boeing, Air Miles Andy, Alex Farber Media Correspondent Naga Munchetty, Alex Farber Media Correspondent Television, Alex Ralph Chief Business Correspondent, Alex Ralph Chief Business Correspondent Plans, Alexander Armstrong - WARNING: source dates, money, or percentage tokens may be missing - WARNING: translated output contains large residual English-looking blocks Model QA 翻译质量审核报告 (QA Audit Report) 总体结论：严重缺陷 (Blocking Issues Found) 本次翻译存在严重的内容丢失（Truncation/Omission）、幻觉（Hallucinations）以及格式残留在交付件中的问题。翻译件不仅丢失了源文件的大部分核心内容，且在部分段落中出现了与原文完全无关的幻觉文本。 详细缺陷分析 1. 严重的内容丢失 (Critical Omissions & Truncation) 核心文章缺失：源文件开头关于“社会护理改革 (Shake-up of social care)”的深度报道（探讨私人护理机构、Andy Burnham 的计划、以及 18,000 家护理院的数据）在翻译件中完全消失。 整个板块缺失： 源文件中的金融数据表格 (Unit Trust, Investment Funds) 全部被删除，仅在翻译件开头以一个异常的“警告/错误列表”形式出现（提示丢失了大量数字 token）。 源文件末尾的 Daily Quiz (15个问答题)、Quick Cryptic (填字游戏及其线索) 完全被丢失。 部分截断：翻译件在某些段落（如关于 Isas 的讨论）中出现了不完整的截断。 2. 幻觉与内容漂移 (Hallucinations) 不相干内容出现：翻译件中出现了大量源文件中不存在的内容，例如： 关于“净零成本 (Net Zero costs)”、“美国审查在欧军事存在 (US review of military presence in Europe)”、“泽连斯基 (Zelenskyy)”、“GSK 资金注入”等新闻。 分析：翻译件似乎将本文件的内容与另一个完全不同的 PDF/文档混淆了，导致出现了严重的“幻觉”输出，交付的内容与源预览完全不匹配。 3. 交付缺陷 (Delivery Defects) 内部标签残留：翻译件顶部包含一个巨大的 > [!WARNING] 块，列出了缺失的 token 和专有名词（如 missing numeric tokens from source: 0004000...）。这是典型的翻译引擎/处理流程的内部日志，属于严重的交付缺陷。 残留 English 块：在电视节目表（TV listings）部分，大量内容维持英文原样，未进行翻译。 4. 错误数据与忠实度 (Wrong Numbers & Faithfulness) 数据混乱：由于上述的幻觉问题，翻译件中提到的金额（如 $\text{£}40 \text{ billion}$）在源文件中并未出现，而源文件中的关键数据（如护理院年均费用 $\text{£}80,000$）则被丢失。 缺陷汇总表 缺陷类型 严重程度 具体描述 内容丢失 致命 (Critical) 丢失社会护理报道、所有金融表格、每日问答、填字游戏。 幻觉/错位 致命 (Critical) 引入了大量关于净零排放、北约、乌克兰等无关新闻。 交付缺陷 高 (High) 顶部残留 [!WARNING] 内部质量审计日志。 残留英文 中 (Medium) 电视节目表部分未翻译。 忠实度 致命 (Critical) 翻译件与源文件内容严重脱节，不具备参考价值。