The i - 14.08.2026.pdf

THE i PAPER

公正新闻 + 深度辩论

£1.10

2026年8月14日，星期五

第 4,907 期

theipaper.com

专访

The Kinks 乐队 Dave Davies

“我与 Ray 的关系 简直是一场噩梦”

天气

西米德兰兹郡

在年度最热日 发生房屋火灾

• » 市长称局势“极其令人担忧”，消防员正全力扑救多处火灾
• » 英国最高气温达到 38.1°C，英格兰中南部 40 个地区气温达到 36°C 或更高

P6

独家

2400 万人面临

水费进一步上涨 ……而相关公司 每日漏水达 12 亿升

• » 水务监管机构准备允许五家供应商在未来几年内合计增加 34 亿英镑的费用
• » Ofwat 此前已允许公司在 2025 年至 2030 年间向客户加收 36% 的服务费 —— 但首相警告不得开“空白支票”

教育

大学学费 到 2030 年 预计将达到 每年 1.1 万英镑 导致今年的新生 可能背负高达 10 万英镑的债务

• » A-level 成绩 打破纪录

P8

体育

短跑名将 Hunt 再创辉煌 夺得 200 米金牌

P54

观点

20 多岁的男人 总是在撩我 我想给他们的 母亲打个电话 作者：Kate Lister

P22

CAROLINE HIRONS - 年长女性是我最喜欢雇佣的人 P35 文化 - 最好的希腊神话重述 P43

不要满足于第二名

A level 和 GCSE 重考

• 每科平均提高两个等级
• 极高比例进入罗素大学集团
• 以考试为导向的课程，小班教学

预约学术咨询

伦敦 020 7835 1355

伯明翰 0121 454 9637

剑桥 01223 350 158

mpw.ac.uk/retakes

M|P|W

Zahra 的成绩 从 B 提高到了 A* 从而确保进入 莱斯特大学 学习医学。

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星期五

14

八月

每日金句

炎热的天气是拖延之母 —— 托马斯·爱迪生

生日

詹姆斯·巴克利（演员，39岁）、帕迪·麦金尼斯（喜剧演员，53岁）、莎拉·布莱曼（女高音，66岁）、史蒂夫·马丁（演员，81岁）、哈莉·贝瑞（下方，演员，60岁）、埃尔文·“魔术师”·约翰逊（前篮球运动员，67岁）、琳恩·切尼（作家、前美国第二夫人，85岁）

纪念日

1040 年 8 月 14 日，星期五 普拉加韦尼战役爆发。苏格兰国王邓肯一世率军进入莫雷与对手麦克白交战。后者在埃尔金附近获胜，邓肯在战斗中阵亡 —— 而非像莎士比亚剧作中那样死在床上 —— 从而使麦克白夺得苏格兰王位。

索引

纵横字谜	25
电视与广播	26
益智游戏	27
书籍	42
金融	44
天气	48

新闻矩阵

今日概览

法庭

驾驶员三次撞击骑行者

一名驾驶员在萨里郡吉尔福德出庭，因在埃尔布里奇发生的三起独立货车碰撞事故导致骑行者受伤而被指控驾驶罪。来自沃尔顿-昂-泰晤士的 55 岁男子斯图尔特·普林格被指控危险驾驶、碰撞后未停车、殴打及药物驾驶。

美国

肯尼迪中心将关闭两年

华盛顿的肯尼迪中心将关闭两年，以便对该表演艺术场馆进行大规模翻修，但部分户外活动可能会继续进行。两名不愿透露姓名的知情人士在昨晚官方宣布之前披露了这一计划。

人物

游泳运动员可暂缓查看 A-level 成绩

一名创造了泽西岛 36 年来首位英联邦运动会奖牌获得者历史的青少年，因参加游泳锦标赛而推迟查看 A-level 成绩。菲利普·诺瓦基在巴黎欧洲水上运动锦标赛代表英国队完成比赛后才会收到成绩。第 8 页

交通

巴士司机因高温环境罢工

由于伦敦再次遭受热浪袭击，该市的巴士司机正因高温天气下的工作条件而举行罢工。

联合工会（Unite union）表示，超过 1,500 名 Arriva 北伦敦巴士司机于今日采取工业行动，原因是他们担心该公司并未严肃对待这一问题。

工会称，Arriva 北伦敦运营的大多数巴士配备的空气冷却系统仅能降低约 2℃ 至 3℃ 的温度，而非更有效的空调系统。

这意味着巴士内部对司机和乘客而言都极其炎热，从而导致健康问题。

北爱尔兰

家庭轿车在种族主义纵火袭击中被焚毁

在安特里姆郡（Co Antrim）的纽顿阿比（Newtownabbey），一个有两个幼子的家庭成为了目标，警方将其视为一起“种族动机的纵火袭击”。昨天凌晨 1.45am 左右，警方接报称车站路（Station Road）一户人家门外的车辆起火。大火虽被扑灭，但车辆已被毁。

清单

经历过，也掉进过旅游陷阱

超过五分之一的英国度假者表示，他们在出国期间掉进了旅游陷阱，平均损失 £200。根据 Airolo 的研究，最常见的陷阱包括：

1. 由于地处封闭区域，食物、饮料和商品被以虚高价格出售
2. 出租车费用过高，或司机故意绕路以增加车费
3. 外出就餐时的隐藏费用（例如，为留在桌上的“赠送面包”买单）
4. 昂贵的当地纪念品结果是量产产品
5. 在餐厅被收取高于当地人的费用
6. 刷卡机或 ATM 机秘密收取高额兑换费
7. 赠送树木礼物或手链，随后被要求付费
8. 导游欺诈（即为低质量行程支付高额费用）
9. 旅游照片骗局（例如，被意外收取照片费用）
10. 在交通枢纽为未经请求的行李“帮助”付费

犯罪

男子从 Aldi 商店偷窃 1,900 英镑 肉类

肯特郡警方表示，一名 25 岁男子被指控从 Aldi 偷窃了超过 1,900 英镑 的肉类。来自海斯（Hythe）的 Tristan Crisford 在周三于该镇高街（High Street）被捕后，被指控八项盗窃罪。他被传唤于 12 月 16 日在福克斯通（Folkestone）治安法院出庭。

人物

戴维斯感谢粉丝的善意

演员露西·戴维斯（Lucy Davis）在透露自己被诊断出患有无法治愈的乳腺癌后，感谢了粉丝们的“善意与支持”。这位 53 岁的《办公室》（The Office）明星在周二透露了自己的病情，并表示她不知道自己还“剩下多少时间”。此后，朋友和粉丝在网上发布了支持她的信息。

日本

致命洪水导致东京停电

昨日，破纪录的强降雨袭击了日本东部，导致道路和房屋被淹，交通中断，并在东京附近引发停电。至少发现一人死亡。日本气象厅向 14 个市町村发布了最严重的强降雨警告，提醒居民注意洪水和山体滑坡。

人物

蓝色牌匾表彰铁路工人

英国遗产委员会（English Heritage）在 Asquith Xavier（1920-1980）曾居住的诺丁山旧居安装了一块蓝色牌匾。这位铁路工人对种族歧视的挑战，帮助结束了伦敦尤斯顿车站（Euston Station）的“肤色禁令”。

1966 年，Xavier 住在 Ledbury 路 149 号，当时他挺身反对歧视性做法，这些做法此前一直阻碍他获得尤斯顿车站薪资更高的列车员职位。

英国遗产委员会的 Howard Spencer 表示：“Asquith Xavier 的斗争始于一个简单的愿望，即获得公平的机会来养家糊口，但这成为了反对职场歧视的一个里程碑……”

ThePage3Profile

马修

麦康纳，

抢了奥斯卡的风头

一场弥撒集会。

马修·麦康纳会见了利奥教皇——他将这次经历比作撰写奥斯卡奖的获奖感言。

麦康纳，56岁，本月早些时候在圣彼得大教堂的一次礼拜仪式中会见了教皇。

音乐

Roxy Music 将发行未公开曲目

Roxy Music 将发行其 20 世纪 70 年代经典时期的未公开曲目，作为《For Your Pleasure》新豪华版的组成部分。

该乐队于 1973 年发行了他们的第二张专辑，其中包含《Do The Strand》和《Editions Of You》等歌曲。新版本将收录未公开的录音室录音、排练片段、弃用片段以及现场录音。

“那是一种良性的压力，”歌手 Bryan Perry 表示。“意识到现在有了可以为其创作的观众。一群聪明的观众。”

“我觉得我对作品负有一种责任感，这在第一张专辑时是没有的，尤其是在歌词方面。”

报纸支持回收。2024 年英国报纸的再生纸含量为 37.2%。

© 由 Harmsworth Media 出版，地址：9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HX。在英格兰和威尔士注册，编号 00284121。印刷厂：Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Broadourne), Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Knowsley), KP Services (Jersey) Ltd, Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Euracentral), Lanarkshire, Irish Times (Citywest, Dublin), Ireland。往期报纸可通过 Historic Newspapers 获取，邮箱：info@historic-newspapers.com。2026 年 8 月 14 日，星期五。已在邮政局注册为报纸。

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最新？ 2:35

观点 15:22

电视 28:31

星期五 17:43

莫奈 44:48

体育 49:56

星期五 2026 年 8 月 14 日

3

在梵蒂冈城，参加教皇的每周公开接见。

这位屡获殊荣的演员在妻子 Camila Alves 的陪同下参加了仪式。

弥撒结束后，教皇与这位演员握手并交谈了几分钟。

交谈之美。

在美国的吉米·法伦（Jimmy Fallon）主持的《今夜秀》（The Tonight Show）节目中，麦康纳希表示：“这是一个坐在那个位置上代表世界道德指南的人。”

“过去的教皇可能拥有更多的政治权力之类的东西，但与他见面，我有一些想和他谈谈的事情。”

他说，他为这次会面所做的准备感觉就像是“为奥斯卡奖准备演讲稿”。

他补充道：“你不知道自己是否会赢，所以如果你赢了然后掏出一份演讲稿，这有点傲慢，对吧？但我得和他谈一些美好的事情。”

引导幽默感……

麦康纳希说教皇拥有

“极佳的幽默感”，并补充道：“他让我笑了，我认为这是世界上最神圣、最具有精神追求的人们身上一致的特质之一。”

这位出生于德克萨斯州的演员在出演《迷失与困惑》（Dazed and Confused）后成名，他在浸信会家庭长大，现在参加一个非宗派的基督教教会。

他此前曾坦率地谈到宗教在他生活中的重要作用。

Laura Butler

文化

RSC 推迟女性版《奥赛罗》

由于主演兼歌手 Sharon D Clarke 正在接受癌症治疗，皇家莎士比亚剧团（Royal Shakespeare Company）推迟了即将上演的《奥赛罗》，由 Sharon D Clarke 饰演主角。该剧原定于明年 2 月 13 日至 3 月 3 日在斯特拉特福-upon-Avon 的天鹅剧院（Swan Theatre）上演。

音乐

Fatboy Slim 首张专辑重新发行

Fatboy Slim 正在让他的首张专辑《Better Living Through Chemistry》获得“第二次生命”，在原版发行 30 年后重新发行。这位音乐制作人和 DJ（原名 Norman Cook）将以数字形式发行该专辑，特别版 LP 和 CD 版本随后推出。

美国

单张 Powerball 彩票赢得 10亿美元 奖金

在伊利诺伊州一家加油站售出的一张 Powerball 彩票成为 10亿美元 (7.4 亿英镑m) 头奖的唯一赢家，结束了长达三个月无人领取头奖的局面。该彩票在昆西购买，位于州首府斯普林菲尔德以西 100 英里处。中奖号码为 4-26-66-67-69，Powerball 号码为 9。

保加利亚

布尔加斯确认成为欧洲歌唱大赛举办地

2027年欧洲歌唱大赛将在保加利亚的布尔加斯举行。在保加利亚歌手 Dara 今年5月于奥地利维也纳举行的赛事中夺冠后，该国获得了举办此次大赛的权利。欧洲广播联盟和保加利亚国家电视台在一份联合声明中公布了举办地。

环境记者来信 Lucie Heath

提高水费令人愤慨

这足以让人血脉偾张（如果昨天的酷暑还没让你如此的话）。

五家大型水务公司已获准共同将水费再提高34亿英镑（34亿英镑），而与此同时，它们每天因泄漏而损失的水量超过10亿升。

水务公司会辩称，这正是为了保障我们应对未来极端天气所需的投资。

但这些价格上涨——是在2024年已达成一致的此前涨价基础之上的——在已知多年来投资者抽走了多少资金的情况下，简直令人愤慨。

安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）昨天表示，“不能将客户视为一张空白支票”，他的政府将采取什么措施来挑战那些将成本转嫁给家庭的公司，仍有待观察。

这并不是说问题不存在，或者不需要改进。如果不对供水系统进行加固，汉普郡约有155,000人面临缺水风险——这发出了严厉警告，表明该国部分地区距离大规模短缺已近在咫尺。

维持水龙头出水是要付出代价的。当泰斯特河（River Test）水位降至如此低点时，继续从中取水将对该白垩溪流的生态系统造成毁灭性影响。

当然，解决方案是有的。水务公司正在建设九座新水库，这是30多年来的首次。

令人欣慰的是，看到了一些无论规模大小的自然修复项目照片，这些项目在这次干旱期间帮助我们将水分留在土地上。

解决方案就在那里。也许这个夏天的事件会促使某些人采取行动。

《新科学家》探索之旅

在地球上的最佳观测点观看下一次日全食

2027 埃及 • 摩洛哥 • 西班牙 / 2028 澳大利亚 • 新西兰

由天文学专家引领的科学之旅，旨在将您带到全食带上。

欲了解更多信息，请访问

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4

新闻

NHS

“激增”导致超过 3,000 名医院患者在走廊就诊

作者：Storm Newton

由于 NHS 经历了“夏季激增”，英格兰在医院走廊或临时区域接受护理的患者人数连续第二个月保持在每天 3,000 人以上。

卫生官员表示，在两次热浪期间，上个月急诊（A&E）就诊人数达到了创纪录的 250 万 次。

卫生大臣伊薇特·库珀（Yvette Cooper）警告称，医疗服务部门必须像规划冬季压力一样开始规划夏季压力。

然而，数据显示，在连续两个月上升后，6 月份治疗的整体等待时间略有下降。

7 月份，英格兰急诊部门每天平均有 2,300 名患者在走廊接受护理，另有 728 名患者在医院病房的其他地方接受护理，总计 3,029 人。

这比 6 月份每天平均 2,439 名急诊部门患者和 749 名病房患者（总计 3,188 人）略有下降。

这是 NHS England 第三次公布走廊护理数据。

该数据涵盖了接受走廊护理至少 45 分钟的患者。

2.5m

上个月在两次热浪期间创纪录的急诊就诊人数

这意味着护理并非在临床适当且安全的环境中进行，在这种环境中，患者应拥有隐私，能够获得食物、水和厕所，并且可以关闭灯光并降低噪音水平以保证睡眠。

纳菲尔德信托基金（Nuffield Trust）研究副主任莎拉·塞希（Sarah Seshie）博士表示：“我们在 NHS 中甚至需要一个正式的走廊护理定义和数据，这一事实就表明急诊绩效已经失控到了什么程度。”

库珀感谢 NHS 工作人员在“这个极具挑战性的夏天里所做出的非凡努力”。

鱼鹰在英国正在恢复，研究显示这归功于那些倾向于在远离主群体的地方筑巢的“先驱配偶”。SWNS

生态学

凭借繁殖配偶，鱼鹰重现身影

作者：Stephen Beech

研究显示，鱼鹰在英国正在恢复，这归功于那些倾向于在远离主群体的地方筑巢的“先驱配偶”。

环保人士表示，这些配偶可能是增加这种猛禽分布的关键。鱼鹰曾在 1916 年在不列颠群岛灭绝，随后在 1954, 年重新定居。

研究人员查看了一组罕见的长期数据集，涵盖了苏格兰北部鱼鹰重新定居的 54 年时间。

他们调查了巢穴的分布和密度以及随之而来的定居模式，以了解鱼鹰如何扩散以及是什么驱动了空间恢复。

这项发表在《动物生态学杂志》（Journal of Animal Ecology）上的研究由波恩茅斯大学博士研究员布里塔尼·麦克斯泰德（Brittany Maxted）领导，并与慈善机构普尔港鸟类协会（Birds of Poole Harbour）和罗伊·丹尼斯野生动物基金会（The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation）合作完成。

鱼鹰曾遍布英国大部分地区，但到 1916 年，由于狩猎和采集鸟蛋，它们已经消失。

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新闻 2-20

观点 18-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

周五 2026 年 8 月 14 日

5

网上分享的照片显示，在昨天下午的脱轨事故后，至少有三节车厢侧翻，两名乘客站在车顶上

交通

萨塞克斯郡刘易斯附近火车脱轨，两人重伤

作者：Harry Goodwin

昨日，萨塞克斯郡一列火车侧翻脱轨，导致两人受重伤。

昨晚，应急服务部门已抵达位于海沃兹希思（Haywards Heath）与刘易斯（Lewes）之间脱轨现场。车上约有 150 人。

网上分享的照片显示，火车至少有三节车厢侧翻，两名乘客站在车顶。预计今日该线路将出现运行中断，包括前往盖特威克机场（Gatwick Airport）的服务。

该列火车是下午 2.24 分从伦敦维多利亚站（London Victoria）出发前往东本（Eastbourne）的班次。

下午 3.50 分左右，当这列由八节车厢组成的火车行驶在库洛布里奇（Coolobridge）与刘易斯之间，时速低于 40 英里时，其后三节车厢脱轨。

乘客罗布·布拉德利（Rob Bradley）当时与他六岁的女儿在车上。

“我们感觉到火车好像在加速，然后开始摇晃，”他告诉 BBC。

“在那一刻我知道情况非常奇怪。接着我们的车厢实际上垂直向上跳了一下，我们意识到发生了脱轨。”

“随后火车启动了紧急制动，所有东西都被甩到了前面——我的笔记本电脑、我的 AirPods，还有我们的包。”

他描述称，烟雾和灰尘从火车后方“涌入车厢”。他和女儿均未受伤。

刘易斯的自由民主党国会议员詹姆斯·麦克利里（James MacCleary）表示，他最近就该地区轨道的状况提出了担忧。

“我们确实讨论过轨道问题，以及最近几个月行驶起来有点颠簸的事实，这可能是由于我们最近经历的极热天气造成的，”他告诉 Times Radio。

麦克利里表示，铁路公司曾报告称，极度干燥的条件正在影响路堤和轨道状况。

“最近该地区有很多限速措施，这与高温直接相关。”

“我们将看看调查结果如何，但最近确实有人对轨道的状况表示担忧。”

昨晚，英国运输警察（British Transport Police）表示：“我们正与医护人员和消防部门共同应对，并将尽快提供更多信息。”

铁路事故调查局表示，已派遣一支检查员团队前往现场。

消费者

日食导致沥水篮库存告罄，邦妮·泰勒经典名曲热度飙升

作者：Sean O'Grady

日食引发了沥水篮销量的剧增以及一系列天体主题歌曲的播放量上涨，其中邦妮·泰勒（Bonnie Tyler）的《Total Eclipse of the Heart》增幅最大。

在周三，这首强力情歌在 Spotify 上的播放量在英国上升了 94%，全球上升了 14%，而她在 7 月 8 日去世已五周。

其他几首歌也获得了巨大的推动，包括摇滚乐队 Evolfo 的《Moon Eclipsed the Sun》（在英国增长 12,817%，全球增长 1,251%）。

Chris Staples 的《Dark Side of the Moon》在英国上升了 2,805%，全球上升了 405%。

数据将日食当天（8 月 12 日）的播放量与 8 月 1 日至 11 日的日均值进行了对比。

Spotify 高级编辑 Shannon Carragher 表示：“看到重大文化事件如何瞬间反映在英国人的听歌习惯中，总是令人着迷。”

“像日食这样的文化现象自然会将人们聚集在一起，而我们会本能地寻找完美的配乐。”

“无论是集体回归像《Total Eclipse of the Heart》这样的标志性名曲，还是寻找更多隐藏的天体主题瑰宝，这些播放量的巨大激增表明，在共同的人类体验中，我们在现实世界里多么深地依赖音乐来提升情感并将我们联系在一起。”

周三下午 6 点到 8 点 15 分之间，太阳的 90% 以上被月球遮挡，这是自 1999 年全食以来，英国上空太阳被遮挡程度最高的一次。

Aods 表示，在日食临近期间，沥水篮的销量增长了 168%。

据认为，这种增长是由购物者使用沥水篮在无需特殊眼镜的情况下安全观看日食所驱动的。

根据社交媒体分析公司 Sprout Social 的数据，周二在 X、Reddit 和 YouTube 上的沥水篮提及次数为 150 次，而周三则增加到 6,000 次以上。

邦妮·泰勒的《Total Eclipse of the Heart》在 1983 年曾登顶榜首

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6

新闻

气候

今年迄今最热的一天在野火肆虐中被记录

作者：Emily Beaumont

昨日，随着“末日般”的火灾在西米德兰兹肆虐，英国记录到了今年迄今为止最热的一天。

根据英国气象局（Met Office）的数据，昨日伦敦西部的 Kew Gardens 温度攀升至 38.1℃，成为有记录以来第五热的一天。

据预报员称，英格兰中部和南部的 40 个地点记录到了 36℃。

这一新高超过了 2026, 之前的最热日，当时 6 月的热浪中记录到了 38℃。

一年中温度两次达到 38℃ 的唯一另一次是在 2022, 当时英国记录到了有史以来最高温度。

昨日，西米德兰兹的 Stourbridge 一场大规模草地火灾在一家高尔夫球场附近开始后迅速蔓延至住宅区。数栋房屋起火，两人受伤。

无人机画面显示，当烟雾在城镇上空翻滚时，一道火墙正威胁着住宅。

目击者 Max Beckerleg 告诉 BBC：“整个地区都被厚厚的烟雾覆盖。”

“我看着高尔夫球场上的林地陷入火海，而我们试图用叶子和树枝将其扑灭，以防止火势进一步向高尔夫俱乐部蔓延。”

“一名高尔夫俱乐部会员被快速移动的火势困住，随后被其他会员用高尔夫球车救出。”

当地议员 Andrew Tromans 表示：“Norton 和整个 Stourbridge 的末日景象令人悲哀，如果我们不采取行动，这仅仅是未来将要发生的事情的一个缩影。”

Stourbridge 的数处房产受到火灾影响

昨晚有 60 名消防员在扑救大火。Stourbridge 市政厅被设立为被迫逃离家园者的救援中心。

西米德兰兹的其他几个地方也爆发了多场大火，包括 Stratford-upon-Avon、Stoke-on-Trent、伯明翰的 Castle Vale 地区以及伍斯特郡的 Pershore。Stratford-upon-Avon 的火灾部署了 10 辆消防车。

西米德兰兹市长 Richard Parker 将“我们地区发生的多次火灾”描述为“极其令人担忧且发展迅速的情况”。

由于浓烟飘向车道，伯明翰附近 M6 高速公路的一段北行方向被关闭，导致出现两小时的排队车龙。

救援人员仍在与一场野火作斗争，该火灾在周日 Ringwood 附近的 A31 公路上的一辆面包车起火后，袭击了新森林（New Forest）的受保护荒原。

昨日，英格兰大部分地区处于极端高温的琥珀色预警中，正经历今年的第六次热浪。干燥的天气给英格兰大部分地区和整个威尔士带来了干旱。

今天，英格兰大部分地区仍处于琥珀色高温健康警报中。

官员们敦促人们采取简单的预防措施，例如在一天中最热的时段避免阳光直射，关注弱势的朋友和家人，并保持水分。

由于气候变化，英国正面临日益极端的状况，如热浪、干旱和野火。

气候顾问敦促部长们采取步骤，让英国为日益恶化的极端天气做好准备。他们的建议范围从让农民更容易建造水库，到在医院安装空调以及为弱势家庭提供补贴。

领导独立咨询机构英国气候变化委员会（CCC）适应工作的 Julia Brown 男爵夫人警告称，在温室气体排放总量削减至零（即净零排放）之前，情况将“从此恶化”。

英格兰和威尔士今年经历的野火次数已经与整个 2025 一样多。

根据英国国家消防局长委员会分享的数据，今年英格兰和威尔士记录了约 1,037 起野火，与去年创纪录的总数相同。

封面故事

水务公司在每日泄漏10亿升水的情况下仍将提高账单费用

独家报道 作者：Eleanor Langford 政治记者

近 2500 万 人正面临水务公司额外的账单涨价，而这些公司每天因泄漏损失的水量超过 10 亿升。

五家供应商——Severn Trent、Southern、Thames、Wessex 和 South East——将被允许在未来几年内共同增加 34亿英镑 的账单费用。

《i报》的分析发现，这些公司每天因泄漏损失 12 亿加元 升的水。

监管机构英国水务监管局（Ofwat）此前已允许这些公司在 2025 和 2030 之间将其服务费用提高 36 per cent。

根据监管机构的数据，Southern 公司的客户到 2030, 平均每张账单将额外支付 £80，该公司每天因泄漏损失的水量高达 1.046 亿 升。

该公司在汉普郡和怀特岛的 100 万名客——

Thames 是五家可以进一步提高客户账单的供应商之一

首相 Andy Burnham 昨日批评了这些公司，称客户“不能被当作一张空白支票”，并警告说，试图将不必要成本转嫁给家庭的公司将面临挑战。

他补充道：“多年来，客户一直被要求支付更多费用，但污染事件却处于历史最高水平，管道仍在泄漏。”

包括 River Action 竞选负责人 Amy Fairman 在内的活动人士将批准进一步涨价的决定称为“一种侮辱”。

她补充道：“30 年来，我们破旧的基础设施投资在哪里？数百亿资金流向了投资者，而必要的工程和污水处理工程却被忽视。我们得到的是泄漏、污染和飙升的账单。”

英国水务监管局（Ofwat）表示，额外的资金将帮助公司跟上住房建设和数据中心带来的需求增长，并解决污染物问题。近三分之一的资金已被拨用于维护

569.

根据英国水务监管局（Ofwat）的数据，这是 2024-25, Thames 每天因泄漏损失的水量（升）。

户目前因干旱而受到软管禁令的限制。

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新闻 2-26

观点 16-23

电视 26-31

周五 17-23

莫奈 44-48

体育 49-56

周五 2026年8月14日

7

环境

随着公司敦促采取进一步限制措施，部分城镇面临缺水风险

作者：Lucie Heath

环境记者

如果不对水资源采取进一步限制措施，包括南安普顿和诺里奇在内的地区将面临缺水风险。

根据南水公司（Southern Water）设定的最糟糕情况，汉普郡约 165,000 人可能在六周内面临供水限制。

该公司已向政府申请，允许其继续从泰斯特河（River Test）取水，并限制部分企业的用水，以避免枯竭。

与此同时，由于河流水平低得令人担忧，安格利安水务公司（Anglian Water）已告知诺里奇的客户仅将水用于基本用途。

该公司尚未请求政府允许其引入进一步的限制措施，但如果情况恶化，这仍是一个选项。

本周，伯恩茅斯水务公司（Bournemouth Water）也要求客户减少用水，因为该公司正难以应对需求激增，部分原因是为应对新森林（New Forest）的山火而采取的行动。

水务公司通常在河流和水库水位达到低点时实施这些限制措施。

7月31日，南水公司向政府申请了一项干旱令，这将允许其禁止企业从事某些活动，例如使用软管洗车、洗窗以及维护游泳池。

另一项干旱令申请则旨在允许其从泰斯特河取水量超过通常允许的水平，目前该河水位已接近被认为足以破坏环境的低点。

该公司表示，如果被禁止取水，165,000 人将在两周内“受到显著的供水影响”。

Arup 的水资源政策专家 Alastair Chisholm 表示，政府“几乎肯定”会批准此类申请，因为向家庭供水被认为比保护环境更重要。

他说：“环境几乎总是最先感受到干旱影响的。这反映了一个事实，即作为一个社会，人们被放在首位。这是一种我们不得不以这种方式去管理的遗憾情况。”

安格利安水务公司是最新一家要求部分客户将水安全用于基本用途的公司。

截至周三，由于温萨姆河（River Wensum）水位异常低，诺里奇的客户已被要求限制用水。

该公司建议，这可能包括采取一些措施，例如使用冷却后的煮面水给植物浇水、缩短淋浴时间以及在刷牙时关闭水龙头。

《i报》获悉，目前的限制措施仅为自愿性质，但如果情况恶化，该公司将考虑申请干旱令。

由于消防员扑救新森林山火的行动给供水带来了压力，伯恩茅斯水务公司要求客户在可能的情况下减少用水。

在经历多次停水后，肯特郡和萨塞克斯郡的人们也被要求仅将水用于基本用途，因为东南水务公司（South East Water）正难以应对需求激增。

虽然到目前为止南水公司仍是唯一一家申请干旱令的公司，但环境局（Environment Agency）表示，其他公司也在考虑这一措施。

英国环境、食品和农村事务部的一位发言人表示：“如果需要，本届政府已准备好采取行动以帮助保障水供应。”

英国全境共有九家水务公司实施了软管禁令，这意味着这些地区的客户如果被发现使用软管，将面临最高 1,000 英镑 的罚款。

公用事业

苏格兰水务公司高管去年获得 25.8 万英镑 奖金

作者：Craig Meighan

该公共机构最新的财务报表显示，苏格兰水务公司（Scottish Water）的高管在过去一年中获得了超过 25 万英镑 的奖金。

苏格兰水务公司首席执行官 Alex Plant 在其 31.5 万英镑 薪资之外获得了 11.5 万英镑，使其包括福利在内的总薪酬包达到 43.2 万英镑。

首席财务官 Alan Dingwall 在其 27.2 万英镑 薪资之外获得了 7.9 万英镑 的奖金，总薪酬为 36.3 万英镑。

首席运营官 Peter Farrer 在其 17.6 万英镑 薪资之外获得了 6.4 万英镑 的奖金，总薪酬包为 28 万英镑。

总体而言，这三人共获得了 25.8 万英镑 的绩效付款。

苏格兰水务公司在 4 月将客户账单提高了 8.7%，导致平均每个家庭每年多支出 £42。

苏格兰工党代理领导人 Jackie Baillie 爵士表示：“对于苏格兰水务公司的高管来说，这些数额简直令人瞠目结舌。”

Baillie 补充说，在苏格兰民众难以支付账单的时刻，这些支出是“不对的”。

自由民主党指责苏格兰政府在“为水务公司的失败给予奖励”。

自由民主党苏格兰议会议员 Sanne Dijkstra-Downie 表示：“苏格兰水务公司在向那些监管着肮脏污水倾倒并向客户开出更高账单的高管支付巨额奖金。”

“苏格兰的污水倾倒仍然受 30 年前的污水规则管辖，而政府自己的监管机构表示这些规则已经失效。”

苏格兰水务公司的一位发言人表示：“与绩效相关的付款是适用于整个苏格兰水务公司的全组织计划的一部分。”

“这并非自动发放，只有在组织达到绩效目标时才可支付。”

与此同时，由于污染，File 的一个热门海滩面临失去官方洗浴水域地位的风险。

金霍恩海滩（Kinghorn Beach）已连续第五年收到水质评级较差的通知。

行业监管机构已要求苏格兰水务公司在年底前找到解决方案。

监管机构表示，这涉及水务服务。该决定是初步的。

此次上涨发生在英国水务监管局（Ofwat）允许水务公司在 2030 年前将账单提高 36% 的近两年之后，许多家庭去年的平均涨幅为 £123。账单在今年继续上涨，平均上涨 5.4%，使家庭成本增加了约 £33。

根据英国水务监管局（Ofwat）最新的 2024-2025 年数据，泰晤士水务公司（Thames Water）的漏水损失最高，每天 5.601 亿 升。

泰晤士水务公司的一位发言人表示，目前的漏水量比“2019-20 年的基准线低 15.1%”，并补充说这一改善是通过“对网络进行持续投资”实现的。

该公司表示，作为其“最大河流网络升级”的一部分，自 2025 年 4 月以来已更换了 60 多英里的陈旧净水干管，并承诺在 2025 年 4 月至 2030 年 4 月期间投入 33亿英镑 用于解决漏水问题。

塞文特伦特水务公司（Severn Trent ）估计每天损失 3.351 亿 升。该公司表示，作为 1.38 亿英镑 投资计划的一部分，将更换 870 英里的水管。

东南水务公司（South East ）每天损失 1.048 亿 升，威塞克斯水务公司（Wessex ）损失 6909 万 升。

南水务公司（Southern ）的一位发言人表示，英国水务监管局（Ofwat）的决定“承认了我们在致力于实现改善的过程中成本有所上升”。

他们补充说：“额外的资金反映了不可避免的成本增加，如果我们想要履行保护环境并确保人口所需的长期水供应的严格义务，那么这些资金是必要的。”

东南水务公司表示：“我们的优先级仍然是提供确保长期水供应、改善客户服务和保护环境所需的关键基础设施改进。”

该公司漏水主管 Robert Anthony-Scorse 表示，东南水务公司正在“全力以赴地减少整个网络的漏水”，并补充说，该公司每年花费约 6300 万英镑 寻找并修复泄漏点，并雇佣 400 名员工进行维修。

英国水务监管局（Ofwat）表示，在提交的 43亿英镑 支出请求中，该局拒绝了 7.52 亿英镑m。

该监管机构的临时主管海伦·坎贝尔（Helen Campbell）表示：“我们将跟踪绩效，以确保各公司能够实现预期的改进。如果未能实现，相关支出将被追回。”

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8

新闻

教育

大学学费到 2030 年可能上涨至每年近 1.1 万英镑

作者：Alexa Phillips 教育记者

《i报》披露，预计到 2030, 大学学费每年将达到近 1.1 万英镑，这将使今年部分入学的新生背负高达 10 万英镑 的债务。

就读四年制课程的学生在最后一年的学费预计将增加 £800 以上。

在昨天的 A-level 成绩公布日，英格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰有创纪录数量的学生被录取进入本科课程，但专家警告称，他们被要求进入陷入困境的大学。

英格兰的学费在今年秋季将达到 9,780 英镑，明年将达到 10,050 英镑。前首相基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）表示，学费将随通货膨胀继续上涨。

他的继任者安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）在致力于降低生活成本的行动中，面临着帮助学生解决学生贷款成本的压力。

尽管随后几年的学费尚未最终确认，但根据《i报》利用预算责任办公室（Office for Budget Responsibility）的通胀预测进行的分析，学费在 2028-29 年度将攀升至 10,328 英镑 左右，在 2030-31 年度将达到 10,898 英镑。

一名在今年秋季开始就读四年制本科、并申请最高额度学生贷款的毕业生，将面临约 40,800 英镑 的学费债务及利息。

如果他们不在父母陪同下居住在伦敦，并申请最高额度的生活费贷款，他们在毕业时的学生贷款总债务将接近 30 万英镑 加上利息。

不在父母陪同下居住在伦敦以外的学生，如果申请最高额度生活费贷款，离开大学时的债务将为 85,900 英镑，而与父母同住的学生则将积累约 78,800 英镑 的贷款及利息。

整个贷款每天都会产生利息，对于今年开始就读学位的毕业生，利息将与零售价格指数挂钩。

在 2012 年 9 月至 2023, 7 月期间在英格兰发放的较早的“计划 2”（Plan 2）贷款，其利率设定为零售价格指数加 3%。

全国学生联合会（National Union of Students）副主席刘易斯·威尔逊（Lewis Wilson）表示，学生们背负了“房贷规模”的债务。

“这是一项终身的毕业生税，但它完全不公平，”他说。“这是一项富人可以完全选择不参与的税，因为他们不需要申请学生贷款。”

他表示，由于政府“拒绝”为大学提供充足资金，导致学生面临巨额账单，这是“不公平的”。

政府此前宣布计划重新引入生活补助金，但这将仅限于工程和医疗保健等学科，且将经过资产审查，直到 2028-29 年度才会生效。

高等教育政策研究所（Higher Education Policy Institute）智库主任尼克·希尔曼（Nick Hillman）表示，学费的上涨对于帮助教育机构来说“远远不够”，其中一些机构已处于破产边缘。

从 2017 年到 2025.，英格兰境内英国学生的大学本科学费被冻结在 9,250 英镑。这一时期的通货膨胀意味着提供学位的成本已经超过了学费，使得教育机构日益依赖国际学生学费带来的额外资金，而国际学费每年可高达 7 万英镑。

然而，移民管控的加强导致海外学生人数下降。

希尔曼表示，伯纳姆是否会执行其前任将学费上涨写入法律的计划，目前仍存在疑问。

教育部已收到置评请求。

上个月，教育大臣露西·鲍威尔（Lucy Powell）表示，学生贷款问题“在我的待办事项清单中优先级非常高”，并将“计划 2”贷款的利息费用描述为“令人震惊”。

Coleg Gwent Blaenau Gwent 学习区的学生们在庆祝

教育

青少年以此致敬亡母——并向星辰大海进发

作者：Tom Wilkinson

一名青少年在获得航空航天工程专业学习名额后，正沿着他亡母希望他走上的道路前行。

来自布拉德福德的 18 岁少年 Abdullah Mahmood 在 A-level 学习最后一年年初失去母亲的情况下，依然在数学中取得了 A¹，在进阶数学中取得 A，在物理中取得 A，在计算机科学中取得 A²。

这名布拉德福德文法学校的学生已获得利兹大学的录取名额，他表示：“我的母亲鼓励我追求自己的热情。”

“她传播这样一种观念，即知识就是力量，并希望我朝着成为一名航空工程师的目标努力。”

“所有的努力都得到了回报，我很高兴能去利兹学习。”

他的父亲 Sajid 表示：“我今天为他感到非常高兴，尤其是之前我一直担心他在没有母亲陪伴的情况下生活。他做得非常好。”

Abdullah 的亡母 Misbah 曾是一名数学教师。Abdullah 是通过资助名额进入这所独立学校的第六年级（sixth form）学习的。

校长 Simon Hinchliffe 表示：“在展现出如此尊严、成熟和沉稳力量的同时，还能取得如此优秀的学术成绩，这非常了不起。”

人物

成绩优异的双胞胎姐妹分道扬镳

一对从未分开超过三周的双胞胎姐妹在取得 A-level 顶尖成绩后，将前往不同的国家学习。

Olivia 和 Natasha Ikeda 在西米德兰兹的索利哈尔学校取得了所需的成绩，她们表示，彼此相隔如此之远将感觉“非常奇怪”。

Olivia 取得了 A¹ 和三个 A，将在巴斯学习会计与金融；而 Natasha 取得了 A²AA，将前往西班牙瓦伦西亚，追求成为一名牙医的梦想。

Natasha 表示：“今年夏天我们获得了一点独立空间，分别去旅行了。”

姐妹俩表示，那三周是她们分开最长的时间。

人物

乌克兰难民获得大学录取名额

作者：Tom Wilkinson

一名四年前逃离俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的青少年已获得达勒姆大学法律专业的录取名额。

18 岁的 Oles Kuzomko 在抵达时仅具备基础英语水平，并且不得不面对父亲的去世——他的父亲留在当地协助战争。

这名布拉德福德文法学校 (BGS) 的学生在 A-level 考试中，历史取得了 A，心理学取得了 A²，俄语取得了 A⁴，商业取得了 A，同时在扩展项目资格证 (EPQ) 中取得了 A⁵。

他和母亲于 2022 年 2 月离开基辅，三个月后定居在西约克郡的希尔斯登，此前他们曾住在农村

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新闻 2-20

观点 16-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

周五 2026 年 8 月 14 日

9

数据概览 A-level 成绩

28.5%

获得 A 或 A 的 A-level 报考比例，其中 A 占 9.6%

78.4%

今年获得 C 级或以上成绩的报考总份额

97.5%

整体通过率，即成绩在 A* 到 E 之间，仅少数获得 U（不及格）

32.7%

伦敦地区获得 A 或 A* 的报考比例——英格兰最高

23.1%

东北英格兰和东米德兰兹的 A-A* 份额，并列英格兰最低

906,425

今年授予的 A-level 总数，比去年的 882,853 增加了 2.7%

教育

A-level最高等级成绩上升——男生表现优于女生

作者：Alexa Phillips

A-level考试获得最高等级成绩的比例已连续第三年上升，且A-level的总报考人数首次突破900,000人。

昨日，英格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰的数十万青少年收到了考试成绩。英国超过四分之一（28.5 per cent）的报考科目获得了A或A*等级，比去年的28.3 per cent上升了0.2个百分点。

今年获得最高等级A*的英国报考比例也上升了0.2个百分点，达到9.6 cent。

数学依然是今年A-level最受欢迎的科目——这已是该科目连续第13年位居榜首。

最新数据显示，英国所有A-level报考科目中，有超过八分之一（12.7 ）是数学。但该科目存在明显的性别差异，选择该科目的男生多于女生。

今年A-level数学的男生报考人数为72,619人，占报考总数的63 ，而女生报考人数为42,761人。

在最高等级成绩方面，男生再次表现优于女生；去年是他们七年来首次实现反超。

总体而言，今年夏天男生A-level报考科目中获得A*或A的比例为28.9 ，而其女性同学的比例为28 ——差距为0.9个百分点。

经济学今年的受欢迎程度激增。它现在成为学生选择的第五大热门科目，高于2025.年的第10位。英国经济学的总报考人数超过47,000人。

考试监管机构Ofqual负责人伊恩·布克汉姆爵士（Sir Ian Buackham）表示，“可以认为”就业前景正在影响学生在学习科目上的选择。

埃克塞特大学社会流动性教授Lee Elliot Major表示：“年轻人比以往任何时候都更倾向于问一个简单的问题：机会将在哪里出现？”

数据显示，英格兰最高表现地区与最低表现地区之间的差距已扩大至历史最高水平。

在伦敦，32.7 cent的A-level成绩被评为A*或A，高于去年的32.1 。

但在东北部和东米德兰兹，这一比例为23.1 ——差距为9.6个百分点，高于去年的9.2个百分点。

随着新科目的推出，今年获得T-level成绩的学生人数大幅增加。

英格兰有超过19,600名学生获得了政府技术资格认证成绩，而去年约为11,900人。

超过四分之三的人（76.7 ）完成了技术资格认证，高于去年的73.1 。

王室

威塞克斯伯爵取得农村学位所需成绩

作者：Tony Jones

国王的侄子在取得了所选课程所需的成绩后，将就读于皇家农业大学。

18, 岁的威塞克斯伯爵詹姆斯（James）在获得A-level成绩后，将在位于赛伦塞斯特（Cirencester）的该大学攻读农村土地与财产管理学位。

他在牛津郡私立拉德利学院（Radley College）学习的科目及其成绩尚未公开。

今年夏天早些时候，伯爵的妹妹露易丝·温莎小姐（Lady Louise Windsor）从圣安德鲁斯大学毕业，获得英语与国际关系学位，其父母——爱丁堡公爵与公爵夫人陪同在侧。

她将在探索职业机会之前先休学一年。

电影

《奥德赛》可能会鼓励人们学习古典学

作者：Alison Kershaw

据建议，大片《奥德赛》可能会推动更多青少年在 A-level 阶段学习古典学。

官方数据显示，今年古典希腊语的报考人数仅为 168 人，使其成为学生选择最少的第三门科目——排在建筑环境和圣经希腊语之后。

但剑桥 OCR 考试委员会董事总经理迈尔斯·麦金利（Myles McGinley）认为，由克里斯托弗·诺兰爵士改编、马特·达蒙（插图）主演的荷马史诗电影可能会引发一种“奥德赛效应”。

他说：“今年证明了古典学对每个人来说都可以很有趣。”

从主图起顺时针方向：学生在巴金和达格纳姆学院庆祝他们的 BTec 和 T-level 成绩；哈维·麦克劳林（Harvey McLaughlin）持有他的 T-level 和 BTec 证书；哈里斯温布尔登学院的学生通过 MOKAN ISABEL (NRANTES) 路透社获取成绩

语言

法语的人气低于“其他语言”

乌克兰，并经过波兰和捷克。

他们通过“乌克兰之家”计划在英国定居，尽管他的父亲罗曼留在那里并于 2023 年死于败血症。

库佐姆科（Kuzomko）在学校学习过英语，但在英国开始学习时，他并不流利，且无法熟练表达。

但他在 A-level 阶段的刻苦学习得到了回报。

库佐姆科希望留在英格兰，他说：“我真的不能回乌克兰，因为那里我已经没有什么东西，也没有任何人了。”

作者：伊恩·琼斯（Ian Jones）

成绩数据显示，本十年以来，法语的 A-level 报考人数首次低于“其他现代语言”类别的报考人数。

该类别包含 15 种不同的语言，从今年有 1,644 人报考的中文，到仅有 6 人报考的古吉拉特语。

总体而言，今年夏天报考非法语、德语或西班牙语的现代外语 A-level 人数为 6,944 人，高于 2025 年的 4,672 人。

这一增长足以使“其他现代语言”的排名超过法语，后者的报考人数为 6,888 人。

A-level 法语一直处于长期下降趋势，报考人数自 2010 年以来已减半。

其他现代语言报考人数的增加是由俄语和波兰语受欢迎程度的激增所推动的。

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10

新闻

补选

法拉奇在克拉克顿创纪录的 34 人竞争场中静候命运

作者：David Hughes

奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）昨晚正在等待，以确认他是否在克拉克顿（Clacton）补选中成功留任其席位。

这位改革英国党（Reform UK）的领导人此前辞去国会议员职务以触发此次补选，旨在抗议媒体和议会对来自其支持者的捐款所进行的审查，这些支持者包括被定罪的诈骗犯乔治·科特雷尔（George Cottrell）和加密货币大亨克里斯托弗·哈博恩（Christopher Harborne）。

此次选举共有创纪录的 34 名候选人参选。在《i报》昨晚付印时，预计法拉奇将轻松获胜。

威斯敏斯特的主要政党抵制了这次补选，将其斥为一场噱头。据估计，此次补选花费了纳税人 25 万英镑。

法拉奇希望这次补选成为一场“人民对抗建制派”的决战。但最终，他的对手包括讽刺类候选人宾脸伯爵（Count Binface）、由演员转型的政治人物劳伦斯·福克斯（Laurence Fox）以及一系列名不见经传的独立候选人。

由于选票长达 90 厘米，计票时需要比平时更大的桌子。

预计结果将在克拉克顿休闲中心的地面上公布，而非在舞台上，以便容纳所有候选人。

负责报道计票情况的摄影师和电视摄像机收到建议，需要使用广角镜头才能将所有人拍进同一个画面中。

在离开威斯敏斯特之前，法拉奇正接受议会标准专员丹尼尔·格林伯格（Daniel Greenberg）的调查，原因是他在就任下议院席位前收到了来自哈博恩的一笔 500 万英镑m 的赠礼。

根据下议院规则，新任议员必须登记在过去 12 个月内收到的价值超过 £300 的任何礼物，除非该礼物“在他人看来不合理地认为”与其政治活动相关。

当法拉奇辞职时，该调查被暂停。但如果他如预期般获胜，调查将重启。

法拉奇还可能因受到被定罪诈骗犯科特雷尔的支持而面临调查。

据报道，科特雷尔在总选前招募并支付了三名员工在法拉奇的社交媒体上工作，并且一直允许他使用位于白金汉宫附近的一栋五层乔治亚风格房产。

如果法拉奇被认定违反规则并被处以 10 天以上的停职，这可能会触发撤职请愿，导致法拉奇失去席位，从而迫使进行第二次竞选。

在 2024 年总选中，法拉奇以 46.2% 的得票率和 8,405 票的领先优势赢得了克拉克顿席位。

政治

年轻的改革党领导人因虚构性别争议而受指责

作者：Harry Goodwin

一名 20 岁的改革党（Reform）议会领导人因声称当地人投诉当地图书馆存在“性别意识形态”而受到指责。

乔治·芬奇（George Finch）去年在 19 岁时被选为沃里克郡议会（Warwickshire county council）的领导人。

此后，他经历了三次行为准则调查和一次不信任投票，而他在不信任投票中仅以一票之差获胜。

今年 6 月，芬奇表示他收到了“若干”投诉，称沃里克郡的图书馆正在“推广有争议的性别意识形态”。

但北沃里克郡和贝德沃思（North Warwickshire and Bedworth）的工党议员瑞秋·泰勒（Rachel Taylor）通过一项信息自由请求发现，自 2024 年 3 月以来，该郡的图书馆没有收到任何关于不当书籍的投诉。周二，她指责芬奇试图“制造愤怒”。

对此，芬奇表示他曾就该问题与人们进行过“私人交谈”，并指责泰勒是在“绝望地试图制造政治争端”。

此前，芬奇在上个月被指控欺凌议会职员（相当于地方政府的公务员）。

绿党议员尼基·斯科特（Nicki Scott）在一次议会会议上表示：“每周都有职员联系我，表达他们对欺凌、骚扰以及针对某些职员生活方式的特定且不合理攻击的担忧。”

芬奇将欺凌指控斥为“谎言”。

他告诉《卫报》：“职员的作用是提供建议，成员负责决定，这就是运作方式。”

白厅

数千名公务员全职居家办公

作者：Harry Goodwin

就业与养老金部（DWP）有 2,000 多名公务员无需前往办公室。

就业与养老金部负责政府的就业政策，包括努力让“尼特族”（Neets，指不就业、不教育也不参加培训的青年）进入职场。

据《泰晤士报》报道，该部门披露其 2,413 名员工在合同上无需前往办公室。

在整个白厅，至少有 3,884 名员工签署了类似的仅限远程办公的合同，其中包括环境、食品和农村事务部的 688 人，以及教育部 492 人。

一些公务员已经超过两年没有去过办公室，其中包括交通部的 82 人。

地方议会也为许多员工提供了永久居家办公合同。埃塞克斯郡的绍森德议会（Southend Council）雇佣了 197 名签署仅限远程办公合同的员工。根据国家统计局的数据，公共部门的生产力仍低于疫情前水平。

今年第一季度，公务员系统的生产力增长率同比上升 0.1。而在前一个季度，同比下降了 0.3%。

一名政府发言人告诉《泰晤士报》：“这些数据仅代表极小一部分员工。政府关于办公室出勤的政策没有变化。”

“最低 60% 的办公室出勤率仍然是我们员工和公众的最佳选择。”

消费者

伯纳姆的推介为 Greggs 带来增长

在安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）表示香肠豆奶酪熔岩面包（sausage, bean and cheese melts）是他的首选后，Greggs 记录到该产品的销量激增。

周二在 LBC 的电话访谈中，这位首相被问及他最喜欢的 点心。伯纳姆说那是“香肠豆奶酪那个东西”。

“销量已经爆棚，”一名 发言人说，“谢谢你，安迪。”

顺应伯纳姆的描述，为“那个香肠豆奶酪东西”发起了一场新的广告活动。

报告其香肠豆奶酪熔岩面包的销量有所上升

广告语写道：“首相同款。”

据报道，位于曼彻斯特市中心新 10 号北办公室外的 分店销量翻了一番。

2,000

就业与养老金部无需前往办公室的公务员人数

---

西部 2-21

观点 16-22

周四 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

2026 年 8 月 14 日，星期五

11

退伍军人在喷火战斗机中实现梦想

第二次世界大战退伍军人 Ivan Staines（99岁，左下）、Paul Terry（105岁）和 Alfred Cooley（100岁，右）在肯特郡的比金希尔机场首次乘坐喷火战斗机飞行，在退伍军人出租车慈善机构（Taxi Charity for Military Veterans）的帮助下实现了夙愿。该慈善机构通过提供娱乐、出游和专业设备来帮助退伍军人。ANDREW MATTHEWSIPA

房产

临时住房人数创历史新高

作者：Áime Fox

英格兰临时住宿家庭的数量在去年年底轻微下降后，现已上升至历史最高水平。

截至 3 月底，共有 135,580 个家庭处于这种情况，其中包括 177,530 名儿童。

处于临时住宿（一种无家可归的形式）的儿童人数也创下历史新高，住房慈善机构 Shelter 指出，这是儿童无家可归人数连续第 18 个季度上升。

根据住房、社区和地方政府部发布的数据，此类住宿中的儿童人数比去年同期的 168,710 人增长了 5.2%。

这是 Andy Burnham 就任唐宁街 10 号后的首组数据，尽管这些数据涵盖了他前任 Sir Keir Starmer 担任首相期间。

移民

成为寻求庇护者争议中心的村庄

皮丁顿附近的一个前国防部基地可能会安置移民。作者：Cahal Milmo

上个月，牛津郡皮丁顿（Piddington）的居民宣布计划就脱离英国举行全民公投，起因是一项在附近的前国防部（MoD）场地安置寻求庇护者的提案。

本周，在首相呼吁英国的“富裕地区”接纳更多经由英吉利海峡抵达的移民后，他们的愤慨情绪进一步升级。

这个村庄——一条点缀着村委会大厅和一座中世纪教堂的优美、蜿蜒的英格兰乡村地带——距离比斯特卫戍区（Bicester Garrison）的 A 场地大约半英里。

这个被封存的国防部物流基地是政府希望安置 1,250 名男性寻求庇护者的地方，这也是其承诺停止使用酒店安置移民的一部分。

然而，对于皮丁顿约 350 名居民来说，这是一个孤立且选择不当的场地，与一个社区紧邻。该社区正礼貌地对一种显而易见的暗示表示不满，即他们反对该项目是出于保护特权阶层地位的愿望。

在皮丁顿居住超过 20 年的居民约翰（John）是周三在酷暑中少数敢于出门的房主之一，他这样描述道：“这与财富无关，而是一个极小的地方吸收大量人口的能力问题。”

“认为我们都住在豪宅里，不想尽自己一份力，这种想法实际上有点冒犯。这个社区里有各种各样的人，他们有权对拟议方案感到担忧。”

皮丁顿位于比斯特以南几英里处，通常不是那种积极寻求参与国家议题的地方。

当《i报》本周访问时，在村中能找到的最接近“戏剧性”的事件，是村委会大厅外的一则告示，寻求为一只在街上游荡的“热爱自由”的乌龟寻找主人。

但无论好坏，在教区议会宣布因寻求庇护者安置计划而计划举行脱离英国的投票后，该村在近几周成为了全国头条新闻。

村口白色栅栏上的整洁名称标牌现在配有额外的告示牌，上面写着：“反对比斯特国防部寻求庇护者中心”。

在经过上个月的一项初步投票显示 96% 的居民支持公投后，关于成为“皮丁顿公国”这一引人注目的提案的正式全民公投现定于 9 月中旬举行。

该提议面临着实际的挑战，即法律禁止社区自愿退出英国，这意味着

前国防部场地被指定安置 1,250 名男性寻求庇护者

一个新成立的、破产的牛津郡微型国家若要诞生，需要通过一项议会法案。

但作为一种引起关注的手段，组织者称这揭露了在 A 场地计划中涉嫌缺乏咨询或影响力的民主缺失，此举取得了巨大的成功，获得了包括埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）和演员约翰·克里斯（John Cleese）在内的人物的支持。

本周在被问及皮丁顿时，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）表示：“我会倾听人们的说法，并回应他们提出的担忧。”

首相表示，比斯特卫戍区方案是英格兰三个拟安置总计 3,750 名移民的前国防部场地之一，其目的是为寻求庇护者的安置创造“安全空间”。

这与财富无关，而是一个极小的地方吸收大量人口的能力问题

内政部随后澄清，虽然比斯特场地将是独立封闭的，但安置在其中的人员可以自由出入。

对于皮丁顿教区议会（Piddington Parish Council）充满活力的主席蒂姆·麦克纳利（Tim McNally）来说，首相对该话题的关注应当受到热烈欢迎。

他说：“我们并不是要求免除责任。真正的寻求庇护者应该获得他们所需的适当支持。”

“这里的问题在于拟议方案的规模、地点和流程。我们可能是一个富裕地区，但这并不意味着我们有能力处理拟议中的方案。”

内政部坚称，它将倾听比斯特（Bicester）以及萨福克郡的伯纳姆（Burnham）和北约克郡的林顿-昂-乌兹（Linton-on-Ouse）拟议安置点周边社区提出的担忧。

但皮丁顿的居民担心，部长们面临着必须被视为正在处理移民危机的压力，特别是政府承诺到 2029 年停止使用酒店，这将意味着比斯特计划实际上将被强加在他们身上。

麦克纳利表示：“我们举行全民公投的想法并非某种诡计或政治作秀。事实上，这是一种展示现状的方式——当人们觉得全民公投是他们被听到唯一途径时，这个国家正在发生什么。”

移民

当局“将试图破坏伯纳姆计划”

作者：Adam Forrest

安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）收到警告，英格兰南部富裕地区的当地政府将试图利用规划控制手段，来阻止安置寻求庇护者的方案。

目前，内政部对支付给多人合租房（HMOs）房东的租金设有上限，这意味着寻求庇护者会被送到租金更便宜的地区——即较贫困的社区。

内政部正在考虑提高该上限，这将使得寻求庇护者能够被安置在租金更昂贵地区的多人合租房中。

但首相被其对手指责为“伪君子”，因为他一方面承诺向地方议会下放更多权力，另一方面却试图将寻求庇护者“强加”给他们。

改革英国党（Reform UK）和保守党政治家希望议会负责人利用第 4 条指令（Article 4 orders）来防止其辖区内出现新的多人合租房；该指令要求房东在将房产转换为多人合租房前必须申请规划许可。

汉普郡郡议会改革党小组负责人乔治·马德威克（George Madgwick）表示，“伯纳姆建议他们 [寻求庇护者] 应该住在中产阶级地区，这极其不恰当”。

政府发言人表示：“我们已经在努力在全国范围内公平地安置寻求庇护者。”

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12

新闻

美国

美女冠军或成特朗普下一任咄咄逼人的发言人

作者：Kieron Monks

在那些擅长捕捉话题的人看来，最有可能成为唐纳德·特朗普下一任官方发言人的人，是一位前选美冠军，也是一名自称“狗狗痴迷者”且经常在社交媒体上发布宠物照片的女性。

但 29 岁的安娜·凯利（Anna Kelly）同时也是一名特朗普忠实追随者。在她目前担任即将离职的白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt）副手的职务期间，她表现出与总统相似的倾向，即攻击那些提出尖锐问题的、被视为媒体敌人的对象。

特朗普在周三宣布，28 岁的利维特（insot）将于本月底离职，以便花更多时间陪伴家人。他补充道：“卡罗琳现在将成为我的顶级外部顾问之一，并在共和党内部成为一个有影响力的声音。”利维特在 5 月生下了第二个孩子。

利维特的离职留下了一个难以填补的空缺。她是历史上最年轻的白宫新闻秘书，也是特朗普任内任职时间第二长的发言人，被公认为总统最器重的人之一。

这种喜爱体现在特朗普为利维特离职撰写的一封热情信函中，信中赞扬她完成了“卓越的工作”。

凯利在政治领域有长期的资历。她出生并成长在华盛顿郊区的费尔法克斯，母亲是一名女商人，父亲是一名抵押贷款经纪人。这位终身共和党人将她的家庭描述为“在政治上直言不讳”。

2012 年，在她十几岁中期时，她开始在弗吉尼亚州当地的一个共和党委员会担任竞选实习生。她学习了政治学，并谈到了她为提高学生对政治的参与度所做的努力。

但凯利也抽时间参加了 2018 年在弗吉尼亚州举行的州博览会小姐（Miss State Fair）比赛并获胜。

在乔治·华盛顿大学攻读政治管理硕士期间，她成为了共和党全国委员会威斯康星州分会的通讯总监。

随后，她在 2023 年担任威斯康星州国会议员德里克·范·奥登（Derrick van Orden）的通讯总监，当时她在一场关于他辱骂青少年的丑闻中为他辩护。

随后，凯利转而担任共和党的新闻秘书，并在 2025 年特朗普重返白宫时开始了目前的职务。

这位年轻的公关专家的公开输出呈现出一种混合状态：一方面是在社交媒体上发布与朋友及救助犬雷米（Remi）在一起的温馨帖子，另一方面则是发表声明支持其上司在媒体、移民和国际事务上的强硬立场。

凯利迅速采用了特朗普标志性的“假新闻”措辞以及侮辱对话者的习惯，追随了利维特的脚步——后者曾将《国会山报》（The Hill）的白宫记者尼尔·斯坦奇（Niall Stanage）称为“左翼后卫”。

在西班牙发生移民危机后，凯利警告称，“极左的全球主义政策，包括允许大规模移民”，可能会导致欧洲国家的“灭亡”。她还迎合了特朗普对伊朗的好战言论，告诉记者：“伊朗人民欢迎炸弹的声音，因为这意味着他们的压迫者正在失败。”

然而，一位共和党大佬告诉《每日邮报》，她“尽管曾是选美参赛者，但仍需要更多地提升气质”。一名政府官员表示，凯利“在电视上表现不错，但我不会说她能完全接替卡罗琳的位置”。

凯利似乎很享受聚光灯。在最近接受广播节目《The Clay Trusts of Buck Sexton Show》采访时，她说她在白宫的职责“非常令人兴奋，我们玩得非常开心”。她补充道：“我们每天都在赢。”

其他几位候选人也在被讨论。其他热门人选包括特朗普的前律师艾琳娜·哈巴（Alina Habba）、好战的白宫通讯总监史蒂文·张（Steven Cheung）以及共和党政治战略家斯科特·詹宁斯（Scott Jennings）。

我的观点，第 19 页

愤怒中的葡萄...

昨日，巴勒斯坦农民阿卜杜勒·卡里姆·沙米亚赫（Abdul Karim Shamiakh）在加沙城的谢赫·阿杰林（Sheikh Ajlin）社区采摘葡萄。一个空弹壳就躺在他身边，身后是建筑物的残骸。

定居者围困，第 33 页

分析师

伊朗与美国在“胆小鬼博弈”中等待对方先眨眼

Anchal Vehra

唐纳德·特朗普正寄希望于伊朗的经济危机来实现美国火力无法达成的目标。本周早些时候，这位总统告诉 Axios 网站，美国正在“低调处理”军事打击。他表示，伊朗的经济处于“非常糟糕的状态”，并补充说，随着通货膨胀上升和生活水平下降，他正在“观察伊朗”。

这些言论表明战略发生了转变：从 6 月份承诺分阶段解除制裁并设立 8300 亿（2220亿英镑）重建或投资基金的谅解备忘录，回到了特朗普在 2018 年退出核协议并重新实施制裁时发起的经济压力运动。

一些人认为总统可能走在正确的道路上。如果经济压力得以维持，抗议者可能会重新走上街头，伊朗可能会被迫达成协议。

特朗普因在以色列的支持下于 2 月份袭击伊朗，而未咨询美国的任何其他地区盟友或听取顾问意见，被指责将世界推入了一场新危机。

一位前高级亚洲外交官表示，现在的危机在于谁会先眨眼，因为美国和伊朗都在寻求最大利益。他表示，伊朗在霍尔木兹海峡拦截船只的尝试可能会导致其他水道被武器化。

卡内基国际和平基金会的 Eric Lob 上个月将这种情况描述为一场“意志力的考验”，以观察伊朗政府愿意承受多少经济痛苦，以及在 11 月的中期选举前，这会给美国政府带来多少政治责任。

全球经济吸收了大部分冲击，这被用作证明美国比伊朗有更多时间，无需匆忙敲定协议。一些保守派人士表示，没有协议比一个糟糕的协议要好。

上个月，国际货币基金组织（IMF）的经济学家表示，石油市场通过动用现有库存、增加其他地区的产量以及海湾国家调整出口方向，在很大程度上应对了局面。

6 月，保守派智库民主防御基金会的高级顾问 Richard Goldberg 建议美国和以色列应该武装伊朗的抗议者。他说：“如果我们还没有与以色列人开展秘密行动来武装民众，那就是失职。”

一名居住在海外的英籍伊朗人根据他与德黑兰亲友的交谈表示：“伊朗人正抬头看向天空，担心无人机和战斗机投下炸弹。只有在炸弹停止后，他们才有心力就经济混乱质问政府。”

根据伊朗政府的估计，仅在最初 40 天内，战争造成的损失就高达 2700亿美元 (2000亿美元)。到 4 月底，里亚尔汇率跌至历史低点，到 6 月，消费价格比去年上涨了近 90%。超过 20,000 家工厂的产出被摧毁或损坏。

伊朗的经济困境并非始于战争，但即使是政府也承认，

这是一场意志力的考验，以观察伊朗承受多少经济痛苦，以及美国承担多少政治责任

这是决定冲突结果的关键因素。伊朗总统马苏德·佩泽什基安（Masoud Pezeshkian）承认存在经济压力，并警告不要让“公众不满情绪扩大”。

佩泽什基安（插图）支持通过外交手段解决冲突，但专家认为，伊朗强硬派掌握着主导权，并可能推动扩大使用“影子舰队”以缓解经济压力。

尽管鹰派呼吁对伊朗保持强硬，但担忧依然存在。对于许多欧盟和亚洲国家来说，能源成本已经变得更高。

Anna Kelly 目前担任白宫副新闻秘书

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新闻 2-20

观点 18-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

德黑兰 2026年8月14日

13

此外，12月抗议期间政府的镇压导致数千人死亡，这可能会威慑伊朗人再次走上街头。一旦轰炸停止，这种情况仍有可能发生，但起义通常需要一个火花。其时机无法预先确定。

伊朗政府正将赌注押在特朗普缺乏耐心且反复无常的性格上——问题在于它能撑多久。

Anchal Vohra 是《外交政策》（Foreign Policy）杂志的专栏作家，也是欧洲和中东问题评论员。

波兰

俄罗斯企图刺杀美国公民的阴谋失败

作者：Claudia Clobann

波兰总理昨日表示，波兰在一次俄罗斯企图在华沙刺杀一名乌克兰裔美国公民的阴谋实施前将其挫败。这是几十年来，西方领导人首次公开指责莫斯科策划刺杀美国公民。

西方官员警告称，自总统弗拉基米尔·普京 2022 年入侵乌克兰以来，俄罗斯加强了针对性杀戮行动，并表示他们已在欧洲各地瓦解了数起阴谋。

唐纳德·图斯克表示，这是首次出现“受俄罗斯指使的人”试图在另一个北约国家领土上袭击美国公民。

波兰负责情报服务的部长托马什·谢莫尼亚克表示，此次行动是与美国情报部门合作开展的。

俄罗斯长期以来一直被指控在海外针对其敌人。

德国当局表示，俄罗斯组织了 2019 年对泽利姆汉·胡戈肖维利的杀害行动，这位前车臣反叛军指挥官在柏林的一个公园内被杀手瓦迪姆·克拉西科夫枪杀；克拉西科夫在一次间谍交换中被换回后，受到了普京的迎接。10

中东

美国水手在部署期间落海

作者：Kit Gillet

一名美国官员告诉 CNN，上个月，部署在中东的“亚伯拉罕·林肯”号（USS Abraham Lincoln）航空母舰上有一名水手落海。

据该官员称，该水手被迅速救起并接受了医疗评估，但此次事件发生之际，关于这艘核动力舰艇上条件恶化和士气低落的报道正日益增多。

上个月，该舰创下了美国历史上航空母舰在没有靠港的情况下连续在海上停留时间最长的记录。

据报道，家属已向海军代理部长洪·曹（Hung Cao）发出警告，担心舰上 5,000 多名水手和美国海军陆战队员中会出现自杀事件。

“林肯”号已连续在海上航行 250 多天，其中 40 多天处于与伊朗的战斗状态。

部署的航空母舰通常每 45 天至少靠港一次。

家属表示，水手的心理健康面临直接风险，且有报道称一名船员被同事阻止跳海。

阿富汗

一个男人可以合法殴打妻子并娶儿童的国家

塔利班已颁布 200 项限制女性自由的法律。作者：Jessie Williams

在塔利班重新夺取阿富汗政权五年后，女性和女孩的生活仍在恶化，她们几乎无法离开家门。

该政权目前已颁布约 200 项限制女性人口自由的法令，包括禁止 12 岁以上的女孩就学，禁止女性进入大学及从事几乎所有形式的就业，并禁止她们在没有完全遮盖身体且没有男性监护人陪同的情况下离开房屋。

塔利班最近的一项法令允许男性殴打妻子，前提是不折断骨头或留下可见的持久伤口。另一项法令则使女性离开婚姻变得更加困难，同时保留了男性的离婚权，并含蓄地允许童婚。

根据联合国妇女权利组织的说法，由于对行动和进入公共空间的严厉限制，目前有一半的阿富汗女性每月仅离开家门一两次。

“作为女性，我们不能轻易出去为自己买东西并带回来，”23 岁的 Prima 告诉《i报》。“例如，购买杂货或任何我们需要的东西，这项责任落在我们的丈夫身上。他才是那个必须出门为家里买东西的人。”

Prima 在伊朗与家人生活并从事刺绣工作八年后，最近被强制返回阿富汗。他们现在住在一个天花板已经坍塌的院落里。

我们的团队收到了关于女性和女孩因未来缺乏选择而尝试自残的报告

塔利班于 2021 年 8 月重新夺取阿富汗政权

“我们所有的财产，无论我们拥有什么，都花在了返回阿富汗的旅费上，”她说。“我们没有东西吃，没有衣服穿。”

Prima 的丈夫失业了，而她因为塔利班的禁令而无法工作。

40 岁的 Farrana 住在阿富汗西部，在伊朗生活了 20 多年后，她也在 3 月初被强制遣返。

“我的女儿们不能去学校，”她说。“我们不能工作，也不能自由行动。”

人权律师兼“结束性别隔离”（End Gender Apartheid）运动法律顾问 Giosou Nia 表示，这种情况已引发了一场心理健康危机。

“令人悲哀的是，我们的团队收到了关于女性和女孩尝试自残的报告，她们对未来缺乏选择而感到绝望，”她说。

该运动呼吁将“性别隔离”——这一术语在 20 世纪 90 年代末塔利班首次接管阿富汗期间也被使用过——定义为反人类罪。

明天将标志着塔利班重新掌权届满五年，其对女性和女孩权利的剧烈削减几乎将她们从公共生活中完全抹除。

尽管面临风险，一些女性仍在国内进行抗议，而流亡海外的人士则在向国际社会施压，要求采取更多行动追究塔利班的责任。

欧盟 6 月在布鲁塞尔与塔利班就遣返申请庇护失败者举行会谈，此举引发了愤怒。

阿富汗女性权利活动人士 Metra Mehran 表示：“塔利班正在被正常化，这让我感到心痛。存在外交接触。欧洲在邀请他们 [进行会谈]，所以我认为这也为其他国家如何与塔利班政权接触和互动创造了法律义务。”

Mehran 表示，将性别隔离定为反人类罪的运动将有助于防止全球其他压制性政权采取类似政策。

6 月 2 日，关于修改联合国《反人类罪条约》的第一轮正式提案发布，其中七个国家在提交的方案中将性别隔离纳入其中。

14 个国家已公开表示支持——但英国不在其中。

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14

新闻

犯罪

伦敦警察局局长批评司法系统，导致罪犯在保释期间自由杀人

作者：Pol Allingham

在杀手西蒙·莱维（Simon Levy）被判处终身监禁后，伦敦警察局局长马克·罗利爵士（Sir Mark Rowley）再次加强了对司法系统的批评，并表示最近又有另一名性犯罪者被安置在距离其受害者仅两户之隔的住址。

此前，罗利批评法院此前将莱维保释，同时试图为其警队在司法系统的一系列失效中所扮演的角色进行辩护，这些失效导致这名连环性袭击者被反复释放。

40岁的莱维在2025年3月谋杀53岁的祖母卡门萨·瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略（Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo），以及同年8月谋杀39岁的四个孩子的母亲谢丽尔·威尔金斯（Sheryl Wilkins）时，正处于保释状态并受到警方监控。

昨天，罗利在BBC的《今日》（Today）节目中表示：“法院服务部门、英国皇家检察署（CPS）以及缓刑监督部门中，没有一个人站出来谈论他们的失败。”

他补充说，伦敦警察局“将始终在公众面前承担责任，因为我们是与公众最接近的机构”。

“我们之所以对目前发生的事情感到真正担忧和不安，是因为我们每天都在面对受害者……前几天我们遇到一个案例，一名本应被羁押的性犯罪者被安置在距离其受害者仅两户之隔的住址。”

“这些事情正在持续发—

马克·罗利爵士还表示，警察部门存在“系统性的投资不足”

—生，这让我们非常担心，因为我们与这些受害者距离很近。”

他表示，他的警员经常处理那些“惯犯刀具犯罪者”的案件，这些人多次被指控携带武器，有时甚至使用武器，但随后又被放回街头。

“让这些案件通过法院审理变得越来越困难。我们在伦敦有一些案件，包括袭击紧急工作人员的案件、家庭暴力三角关系案件，被列在2029, 2030年的日程表上——这些风险被带到了社区中，”罗利说道。

他补充说，当罪犯因违反电子脚镣规定被逮捕时，什么都不会发生，“所以如果‘零风险’，这就变成了一项毫无意义的努力”。

罗利在节目中透露，目前伦敦有10,800名登记在册的性犯罪者，且人数每三个月增加100人。

“与此同时，我今天领导的伦敦警察局比四年前减少了4,000人，这是历届政府对保障人们安全的机构（警察、监狱、法院等）所进行的系统性投资不足。”

“整个系统都在挣扎，而由于风险最终落在社区中，人们就会说，‘那么，警察需要处理这件事’——我们需要对能够实现的目标保持现实的态度。”

莱维在出于性动机的袭击中将两名女性窒息而死。瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略女士被发现于伦敦东南部艾尔斯伯里（Aylesbury）住宅区一个基本废弃的公寓楼内，而威尔金斯女士则被发现于伦敦北部托特纳姆高街（Tottenham High Road）附近的一个停车场围墙后。

莱维此前已经在发现威尔金斯女士尸体的同一个停车场对第三名女性实施了强奸，而幸存者曾告诉警方袭击者的住址。

但在莱维杀人两次之后，她才被正式询问。在司法系统的一系列失效中，尽管针对女性的袭击次数不断增加，莱维仍被反复保释释放。

司法部和英国皇家检察署（CPS）已被要求就此发表评论。

威尔士

102岁“受欢迎”老人酒吧遇袭后去世

作者：Eleanor Storey

一名102岁的曾祖父在据称于一家酒吧遭到袭击后去世，他的儿子表示，父亲是一位“知名人物”，当地人经常请他喝酒。

来自南威尔士库姆布兰（Cwmbran）的菲利普·奥默罗德（Phillip Ormerod）在 1 August 发生事件后，于本周在医院去世。

他的儿子罗伯特·奥默罗德（Robert Ormerod）表示，他的父亲患有认知障碍症，独自住在 Llanyrafon 社区，他曾在这里抚养家庭。

他表示，父亲过去经常光顾 Crow's Nest 酒吧，并将其描述为一个受欢迎的人物，年轻人经常请他喝啤酒。

奥默罗德先生说：“我感到很悲伤——尽管因为年龄和认知障碍症，他有时可能比较难相处，但你还是习惯了他的陪伴。”

“虽然我想他不可能永远活下去，但我认为他本可以再撑一段时间。”

菲利普·奥默罗德在退休前担任设计绘图员。

在妻子 40 年前去世后，他继续住在 Llanyrafon，两个儿子经常来看望他。

奥默罗德先生说：“我以前经常去看他，后来在临终前，我和我哥哥尽可能地帮他打扫房屋，并帮他买食物，因为他的视力已经下降了。”

“他几年前被诊断出患有认知障碍症，但可能在那之前就已经患病了。”

他补充道：“他在这一带很有名，尽管他那一代的人大多已经不在了。”

他表示，父亲每周会去酒吧两三次喝啤酒，并描述了他是如何成为一些当地熟面孔的。

他补充说：“那里变成了一家年轻人的酒吧，尽管它曾经是一家所有年龄段的人都会去的当地酒吧，而且我记得当时的店主管理得非常严格。”

8月 1 晚上 10. 25 左右，在接到一起袭击事件的报告后，应急服务部门被召至该酒吧。

一名来自拉内利（Llanelli）的 56 岁男子因涉嫌违反第 20 条款的袭击罪被逮捕，目前仍在调查中。

法院

主教因在朝圣后强奸少女被起诉

作者：Tristan Kirk

北安普顿主教因涉嫌在前往卢尔德朝圣后强奸一名少女而出庭。

70, 岁的大卫·奥克利（David Oakley）被指控在 2000 年代初期两次与该女孩发生性关系，该女孩当时 15 岁。

奥克利当时 40 多岁，担任天主教神父。在斯塔福德郡警方强奸与严重性犯罪小组的调查后，他于 6 月被指控两项强奸 16, 岁以下女孩的罪名。

他昨天通过视频链接从其律师事务所出庭，首次面对指控。

检察官莎拉·马登（Sarah Madden）告诉法院，奥克利和该女孩“在前往卢尔德朝圣后开始约会……”。

马登说：“她回忆起至少有两次与被告发生性关系。”

卢尔德位于法国西南部。

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新闻 2-25

观点 15-22

电视 25-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

周五 14 AUGUST 2026

15

体育

非洲足联支持因凡蒂诺，并告知批评者“等待选举”

作者：Harry Goodwin

非洲足球联合会负责人及六个阿拉伯国家已表示支持陷入困境的国际足联主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺。

尽管面临巨大的辞职压力，因凡蒂诺依然保住了他作为足球管理机构主席的职位。

在因凡蒂诺透露计划将世界杯的商业股份出售给私人投资者后，欧洲足球联合会（欧足联）威胁要抵制世界杯。

这一威胁迫使因凡蒂诺放弃了该提案。

上周，在国际足联董事会于摩洛哥举行的一次特别会议上对因凡蒂诺表示支持后，欧足联再次发出了抵制威胁。

但国际足联副主席兼非洲足球联合会（CAF）主席帕特里斯·莫特塞佩表示，因凡蒂诺的未来只能由明年的选举决定。

“如果任何人对任何人有任何问题，无论是对詹尼，还是对其他任何人，请遵循流程，遵循国际足联的流程，就这么简单，”莫特塞佩告诉天空新闻（Sky News）。

“如果你想让他下台，就通过选举；让 211 个成员协会来决定。”

“你必须非常小心。明年将举行选举。难道我们不应该让这个进程继续下去吗？”

六个阿拉伯足球联合会的负责人昨天也表达了对因凡蒂诺的“全力支持”和“信心”。

这些支持来自 2030 年世界杯共同主办国摩洛哥和 2022 年主办国卡塔尔，以及埃及、毛里塔尼亚、黎巴嫩和苏丹。其中四个是国际足联理事会成员。

非洲足联主席帕特里斯·莫特塞佩与詹尼·因凡蒂诺在世界杯期间

因凡蒂诺的许多支持者来自发展中国家，这些国家将从他扩大世界杯规模以及承诺分配赛事收入中获益。

与此同时，他的批评者由欧洲足联领导，其中包括英格兰和今年夏天的世界杯冠军西班牙。

根据国际足联的规则，每个国家的投票权重相等。

墨西哥和阿根廷上周宣布了他们的忠诚，加入了众多亚洲国家的行列。

爱尔兰足球协会（FAI）昨天成为最新一个撤回对因凡蒂诺连任支持的国际足联成员。

英格兰和威尔士的足协上周也采取了同样行动，而北爱尔兰则支持欧足联的立场。

因凡蒂诺自 2016 年起担任国际足联主席，尚未面临严重的挑战。国际足联已将挑战者提出的截止日期定为 11 月 18 日。

体育版，第 56 页

动物

RSPCA警告“弗兰肯斯坦猫”数量在增加

作者：劳拉·巴特勒 (Laura Butler)

领先的动物慈善机构正向公众发出警告，提醒注意“弗兰肯斯坦猫”的增加。

Cats Protection 和 RSPCA 表示，“残酷的育种行为”可能很快导致猫在外观上与传统的猫类几乎没有相似之处。

“数百年来，猫的身体形状大致保持不变，但在相对较短的时间内，这种情况发生了剧烈变化，”Cats Protection 副主任麦迪逊·罗杰斯 (Madison Rogers) 表示。

这两家慈善机构表示，社交媒体以及近年来的名人趋势，推动了人们对具有极端且不寻常特征的猫的需求。

这意味着人们在育种时倾向于选择折耳、无毛、四肢短小和缺失尾巴等特征。

“不能因为某些人类认为理想的身体特征，而强迫猫承受不必要的痛苦，”RSPCA 科学与政策官员爱丽丝·波特 (Alice Potter) 表示。

“在已有数千只猫需要寻找领养家庭的情况下，培育患有已知疼痛健康状况的动物，越来越难以证明其合理性，”波特补充道。

每年吸引大批朝圣者前往卢尔德圣母圣地。

奥克利 (Oakley) 出生于西米德兰兹的斯图尔布里奇 (Stourbridge)，于 1980 年被任命为神父，并于 2020 年成为北安普顿主教。

他目前已被暂停公开传教工作，此前他于 2025 年 9 月首次被警方逮捕。

在法庭上，由于首席地方法官保罗·戈德斯普林 (Paul Goldspring) 将此案移交给中央刑事法院（Old Bailey），他无需对两项指控进行答辩。

“鉴于此案的影响力以及被告之前的职业，此案应移交给中央刑事法院，”法官表示。

他在 10 September（9 月 10 日）的答辩听证会之前，准许奥克利保释，条件是不与涉嫌受害者及其家人接触。

在刑事指控的消息传出后，北安普顿天主教教区表示，奥克利在针对“非近期保护指控”的调查后被起诉。

教区补充道：“我们理解这对所有相关人员来说都将是非常令人痛苦的，但我们无法对正在进行的法律程序发表进一步评论。”

房产

空调房搜索量翻倍

作者：薇琪·肖 (Vicky Shaw)

与去年相比，在一家房产网站上，搜索带空调待售房屋的人数在春末和夏季月份增加了一倍多。

Rightmove 表示，与去年同期相比，其网站在 1 May（5 月 1 日）至 31 July（7 月 31 日）期间的搜索量增长了 104%。

Rightmove 的科琳·巴布考克 (Colleen Babcock) 表示：“今年夏天的热浪似乎在影响人们对住房的看法。”

Mark Wiggin 房地产中介公司的负责人马克·威金 (Mark Wiggin) 表示：“能源效率以及房屋全年保持舒适的能力已成为更为重要的考虑因素。”

足球

剑桥房价令新援望而却步

作者：哈里·古德温 (Harry Goodwin)

俱乐部表示，剑桥高昂的生活成本正让足球运动员不愿加入剑桥联队。

这座城市是英国最昂贵的城市之一。5 月的平均房价为 46.7 万英镑，比全国平均水平高出近 20 万英镑。这家英甲球队的足球总监马克·邦纳 (Mark Bonner) 表示，生活成本是部分球员拒绝加盟的原因之一。

“如果你不是那些高薪球员，但却面临联赛中最高的房产成本，那么这种平衡很难克服，”他说道。

104%

5 月 1 日至 7 月 31 日期间，带空调房屋的搜索量较去年同期增长的比例

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新闻

新闻 2-26

观点 16-22

电视 28-31

星期五 37-43

莫奈 44-48

体育 49-56

2026 年 8 月 14 日 星期五

17

苏格兰

《古战场》（Outlander）取景地“恶魔讲坛”出售，或将成为游客中心

作者：劳拉·巴特勒（Laura Butler）

在热门电视剧《古战场》（Outlander）中作为揭露真相之泉出现的苏格兰峡谷现正出售。

“恶魔讲坛”（Devil's Pulpit）是一个深 80 英尺的红砂岩峡谷，是 23 英亩的芬尼奇峡谷（Finnich Glen）的一部分。

该峡谷附带已获批准的游客中心、咖啡馆和停车场的规划方案。

“恶魔讲坛”位于斯特林郡（Stirlingshire）的基尔恩（Killearn）附近，在《古战场》系列中被称为“圣尼尼安之泉”（St Ninian's Spring），出现在今年早些时候播出的第八季（也是最后一季）中。

在剧中，那些在饮用泉水时撒谎的人将遭受痛苦并死亡，这使得粉丝们将其戏称为“谎言之泉”。

该峡谷是一个亚冰川融水通道，由洛蒙德湖（Loch Lomond）退缩冰川在 10,000 多年前创造。它被描述为苏格兰的“微缩大峡谷”。

砂岩基岩营造出红色水流在岩石间流动的错觉，这也是其民间名称“恶魔讲坛”的由来。

这个隐秘的地点多年来一直吸引着剧组拍摄，还曾出现在盖·里奇（Guy Ritchie）的《亚瑟王：权力之剑》和《夏洛克·福尔摩斯》中。

这个偏远的地点距离格拉斯哥 40 分钟车程，每年吸引 70,000 名游客。

但由于交通不便，在游客被困在峡谷近乎垂直的台阶上后，当地山地救援队多次接到出警请求。

去年 6 月，一名格拉斯哥的学生在水中陷入困境，在该地丧生。

斯特林市议会此前在 2020 年因安全担忧封锁了进入该峡谷的公共通道，因为有车辆危险地停在峡谷边缘。议会还报告称，游客在这一自然美景区留下了垃圾。

当地农民大卫·杨（David Young）和卡罗尔·杨（Carole Young）自 20 世纪 80 年代初起就拥有该峡谷，但现在决定出售。

他们表示：“我们觉得生活已经到了一个阶段，新的

苏格兰芬尼奇峡谷的“恶魔讲坛”（上图）曾作为《古战场》的热门拍摄地（上图） GETTY, SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

所有者将能够推进我们的愿景……并以一种与这一独特房产相兼容的方式开发这一机遇。

“该峡谷需要管理以进行维护和保护……

“但无论谁购买芬尼奇峡谷并将其带入下一个阶段，都有机会追随巨人的脚步。”

这项 200 万英镑m 已获批准的开发计划包括一个 150 个车位的停车场和咖啡馆，并为游客提供安全的观景平台。此举旨在将该地点的年访问量提升至预计的 300,000 人次。

佳士得公司（Christie and Co）的挂牌信息补充道：“其电影般的氛围使芬尼奇峡谷成为备受追捧的影视取景地，出现在包括《古战场》、《鹰》（The Eagle）、《名侦探皮卡丘》、《夏洛克·福尔摩斯》、《巢》（The Nest）和《塔加特》（Tuggart）在内的好莱坞电影和电视作品中。

“获批的方案旨在提升游客体验，同时尊重自然景观。新的步道、桥梁和观景点将提高安全性，保护场地，并为游客和电影制作公司创造令人难忘的视角。”

芬尼奇峡谷此前曾在 2022 年出售，现再次上市，价格未公开，且此次附带规划许可。该房产以永久产权（freehold）形式出售。

自然

英国皇家园艺学会可能将植物移至北方以避暑

作者：劳拉·巴特勒（Laura Butler）

英国皇家园艺学会（RHS）可能会将植物移至北方以在极端高温中生存。

园艺师计划将 RHS 位于萨里郡威斯利（Wisley, Surrey）旗舰花园中的植物进行复制，以便在英格兰北部建立一个稀有物种的“保险”收藏集。

由于担忧夏季气温飙升至 36℃，威斯利的园艺师已从其珍贵的绣球花收藏中采集了插条。

他们将在大曼彻斯特地区的 RHS 布里奇沃特花园（RHS Garden Bridgewater）建立新的储备，那里的气候预计将保持较低温且更湿润，从而让这些作物有更好的生长机会。

但工作人员仍在评估 Wisley 是否有更阴凉的地点可以作为绣球花的安置新家。

植物遗产组织（Plant Heritage）的保护顾问露西·皮特曼（Lucy Pitman）表示，复制整个花卉收藏是一个“新概念”。

她告诉《泰晤士报》：“但更好的做法是通过繁殖，利用原植株培育新植株，并将它们分发到其他地方重新种植。”

RHS 的首席园艺师盖伊·巴特（Guy Barter）告诉《卫报》，随着气候变化，园艺师们“在种植绣球花的位置选择上必须更加谨慎”。

曼彻斯特的布里奇沃特场地将比萨里郡凉爽得多

人物

麦克伦感谢丹奇缓解其舞台恐惧

作者：Sean O'Grady

伊恩·麦克伦爵士表示，在得到合作演员朱迪·丹奇爵士的支持之前，他一直处于“极度的舞台恐惧”之中。

在最新一集的《与朱迪·丹奇共饮下午茶》（Tea with Judi Dench）节目中，两位演员探讨了他们的生活与职业生涯，麦克伦在萨里郡的家中与丹奇会面。

两人已结友数十年，曾于 1967 年在舞台剧《承诺》（The Promise）、1975 年的《太真而不能好》（Too True to be Good）以及最著名的 1976 年《麦克白》（Macbeth）中共同演出。

在节目的预告片段中，

朱迪·丹奇和伊恩·麦克伦出现在《与朱迪·丹奇共饮下午茶》节目中

麦克伦告诉丹奇：“我当时处于极度的舞台恐惧之中。你拥有多么神奇的共情能力。”

他还透露，在两人成为朋友之前，他就是她的粉丝，他说：“我一直远距离地仰慕你，但我想我们之前从未见过面。”

丹奇说：“噢，我想回到过去把这一切重新体验一遍。”

在节目中，麦克伦还谈到了自己公开出柜以及他反对第 28 条法律（Section 28）的斗争，该法律是在玛格丽特·撒切尔执政期间引入的，旨在“禁止地方当局宣传同性恋”。

他还谈到了他最大的遗憾之一：从未向父母坦白自己的性取向。

五线索隐喻填字游戏 No 4907

答案见第 49 页

横向

3 多个大湖蒸汽船环绕 (6) 4 / 5 电梯严重腐烂，位于海边 (7,6)

纵向

1 英国城市首先投资于 50% 的雨具 (7) 2 在德文郡河流中留下记录 (6) 3 在小型破旧住所中发现的工具 (6)

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18

@theipaper

@theipaper.com

所有信函请附上联系地址

观点矩阵

来自国内外的评论

户外

气候挑战

我们正面临全球性的粮食安全危机

卫报（The Guardian）

在土壤干涸的英国，市场分析师警告称，我们正面临数十年来最严重的粮食安全危机。在正常年份，得益于全球贸易，国内的作物歉收不会威胁到我们的安全。但这并非正常年份，因为问题现在已是全球性的。(George Monbiot)

金融时报（Financial Times）

投资者应该担心的是，随着这些事件变得更加频繁，它们可能对高负债主权国家财务产生的影响。现在的危险是出现一个新兴的“气候-主权末日循环”。(Simon Nixon)

叙利亚政权

总统必须在两种危险之间寻找出路

华盛顿邮报（Washington Post）

特朗普政府目前方案的核心前提是，接触将使叙利亚政府温和化。但当一个政权的政治生存依赖于武装分子的支持时，温和化很难实现。(Ilan Berman)

世界报（Le Monde）

总统艾哈迈德·沙拉（Ahmed al-Sharaa）必须在两种危险之间寻找出路。他必须让叙利亚人相信，随着独裁的结束，逍遥法外的情况也将终结。他还需要确保正义是在无可争辩的基础上实现的。(社论)

法拉奇的未来

这位“可爱的无赖”有变成“投机商”的风险

苏格兰人报（The Scotsman）

过去几周的审视和嘲讽导致他本就参差不齐的个人民调支持率暴跌。对于任何政党领导人来说这都已经足够糟糕，但对于像 Reform 这样一个围绕法拉奇建立的近乎个人崇拜的政党来说，情况则更为糟糕。(Alistair Carmichael)

UnHerd

在这种情况下很难保持任何尊严。更糟糕的是，对法拉奇财务状况的关注可能会给人留下他是一个投机商（spiv）而非此前作为其最大卖点的“可爱的无赖”的印象。(Alwyn Turner)

生活在 AI 时代

有理由感到惊恐

《泰晤士报》

AI时代将充满各种职业，这些职业涉及实验、打破专业领域、获取新知识以及规避（或取代）官僚体制。AI本身不会消灭工作，就像图书馆没有消灭学校一样。（Juliet Samuel）

《纽约时报》

OpenAI不小心创建了一个自主的AI智能体集群，它们突破了受控的测试环境，并自发地策划了一场复杂且困难的网络攻击。我们应当对此感到惊恐。（Nate Soares）

A-LEVEL 成绩

奖项应基于实际表现而非预测

《旁观者》

在世界上其他所有发达国家，大学录取名额都是根据学生在考试中实际取得的成绩来授予的，而不是根据教师对其可能取得成绩的预测。（Kristina Markett）

《对话》

在英格兰、北爱尔兰和威尔士，法语、德语和西班牙语（“现代外语”）的A-level总报考人数略有增加——从2025年的17,407人增加到2026年的17,616人。但这仍然落后于A-level报考人数的整体增长速度。（Sascha Stollhorn）

日食眼镜

我错过了准备通知

《新政治家》

直到周一早上我才突然意识到，我可能错过了时机。我没有日食眼镜。读报后我对这次天文事件了如指掌。但就像一个把圣诞购物拖到最后一刻的恋人一样，我搞砸了。（Rhi Storer）

《伦敦人》

造成这场混乱的原因？日食眼镜。而那些排队的人绝不会在没买到眼镜的情况下离开。在人群之中，一名蓄胡男子焦虑地冲向队列末尾，因为他已经错过了一次秘密的凌晨2点补货。（Andrew Kersley）

今日金句

我每次都试图胜过他，而他也试图胜过我。这简直像是一场战斗。

Agra Starr 这位歌手在谈到与 Stevie Wonder 的对话时如是说

生活简讯

文森特·帕斯托（VINCENT PASTORE）《黑道家族》演员

文森特·帕斯托是一位经常饰演黑帮分子和硬汉的老牌演员，最著名的角色是在《黑道家族》（The Sopranos）中饰演萨尔瓦多·“大普西”·邦彭谢罗（Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero）。

帕斯托的职业生涯始于在《好家伙》（Goodfellas）、《科利托的道路》（Corlito's Way）和《曼哈顿谋杀谜案》（Manhattan Murder Mystery）等电影中饰演小角色。随后，他出演了HBO电影《高蒂》（Gotti）、《米奇蓝眼睛》（Mickey Blue Eyes）、梦工厂的《鲨鱼黑帮》（Shark Tale）以及《发条》（Revolver）。他经常饰演帮派分子，而他最广为人知的正是其中一个角色：在30集中饰演邦彭谢罗，他是托尼·索普拉诺的朋友，后来成为了FBI的线人。

2007年，ABC宣布帕斯托将参加《与星共舞》（Dancing with the Stars）第四季——这是《舞动奇迹》（Strictly Come Dancing）的美国版。

他在仅参加一周后便退出。帕斯托表示，他发现必要的训练和准备工作

对体能要求过高。2013年，他以“文森特·帕斯托意大利酱”（Vincent Pastore's Italian Sauce）之名创办了一家番茄酱公司。

他的最后几部作品是Showtime的讽刺剧集《诅咒》（The Curse）和惊悚剧集《黄蜂》（Yellowjackets）。

根据IMDb上的传记，帕斯托出生于布朗克斯，在纽约州纽罗谢尔的郊区长大。他在越南战争期间加入了海军，后来就读于佩斯大学（Pace University）。

帕斯托在2014年被诊断出患有前列腺癌。同年，他担任了布朗克斯哥伦布日游行的总指挥。

自帕斯托出演《黑道家族》以来一直担任其经纪人的鲍勃·麦高恩（Bob McGowan）表示，在几天没有收到帕斯托的消息后，人们在纽约市岛（City Island）的家中发现了他。他享年80岁。麦高恩说，他此前一直试图

联系帕斯托商谈一项潜在的工作。“他是最忠诚的客户，而且总是做慈善，”麦高恩说，“他是那种会帮助任何人的家伙，这在我的行业中很少见。”

罗伯特·阿特曼（Robert Attermann）在帕斯托出演《黑道家族》之前曾代表他工作了30多年。阿特曼表示，虽然人们会记得帕斯托是“大普西”，但他的内涵远不止于此。

“文尼是我认识的最善良、最慷慨的人之一，”阿特曼说。“他以热情和尊重对待每一个人，从未拒绝过想要合影或签名的粉丝。他由衷地感激支持他的人，并总是让他们感到被重视。”

阿特曼说，帕斯托对自己的艺术充满热情，同时一直鼓励年轻演员，“只要有机会，就会花时间提供指导和支持。”迈克尔·因佩里奥利（Michael Imperioli）

是一位 longtime 朋友和合作伙伴，他在Instagram上表示，感觉自己好像认识帕斯托一辈子一样。

“我们一起做了很多工作，走遍了美国以及意大利和澳大利亚。有很多美好的时光，很多欢笑，”因佩里奥利说。“文尼是一个心地善良的兄弟，深爱他的家人和朋友。我将永远想念他。”

他的女儿蕾妮·帕斯托（Renee Pastore）在世。

出生于1946年7月14日 逝世于2026年8月1日

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新闻 2-35

观点 18-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

莫奈 44-48

体育 49-56

2026年8月14日，星期五

19

我的观点

詹姆斯·鲍尔（James Ball）

“啦啦队长”的离职可能会让特朗普陷入困境

这位易怒的总统依赖于新闻秘书的青春活力

白宫新闻秘书这份工作从来都不是一件容易的事。担任这一角色的人必须成为政府中仅次于总统的第二张公众面孔，每周都要就几乎任何话题回答媒体的提问。

然而，在唐纳德·特朗普的领导下，这份工作的难度提升到了一个全新的水平，因为他的新闻秘书必须确保自己在媒体的猛攻中生存下来，同时又绝不能反驳总统每天发表的那些往往古怪且荒谬的言论。

一名普通的新闻秘书必须为上司的政策决定、同事的丑闻以及偶尔在开启麦克风时说出的失言进行辩护。而特朗普的新闻秘书则必须解释为什么总统似乎在告诉公众给自己注射漂白剂（指的是特朗普曾公开质疑是否可以通过注射消毒剂来治疗新冠肺炎——特朗普后来声称这只是讽刺），为他关于赢得 2020 年大选的无休止主张辩护，对关于特朗普家族商业行为的没完没了的提问不屑一顾，并解释特朗普在社交媒体上的帖子。

那么，现任新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特（Karoline Leavitt）将在本月底离职，或许也就不足为奇了。有些奇怪的是，考虑到莱维特是以与媒体打交道为生，她的离职是由特朗普本人通过 Truth Social 宣布的。

特朗普将忠诚看得高于一切，他经常对离开他服务的人冷嘲热讽——但即便在宣布莱维特离职时，他仍对她赞赏有加。

他将她描述为他“最信任的助手”之一，并解释说她离职是为了能“花更多时间陪伴她美丽的年幼孩子和家人”，并承诺她将成为他的“顶级外部顾问之一”以及“共和党内部一个有影响力的声音”。

对于特朗普这样一个不以仁慈著称的人来说，这种感激程度是不寻常的。莱维特正是总统想要的那种新闻秘书：一名强大的沟通者，天生的电视面孔，拥有与其 28. 岁年龄不符的敏锐和自信。但这可能也反映了莱维特以及新闻秘书这一角色对特朗普的重要性。

“在讲台上完全不知羞耻”：即将卸任的卡罗琳·莱维特擅长以坚定的信念为不可辩护之事辩护。ALEX BRANDON / AP

我们可能生活在互联网时代，但特朗普是一位真人秀总统。如果没有电视的魔力，他不会成为总统；而电视正是特朗普了解世界的主要方式——多篇人物报道讨论了他每天如何花数小时观看福克斯新闻（Fox News），有时会给主持人打电话或发短信，经常在团队成员出现在电视上时讨论他们的表现。

在特朗普的世界里，很少有比在电视上表现糟糕更严重的罪过——其中一项就是在直播时与特朗普产生分歧。因此，无论谁担任新闻秘书，都处于整个政府中特朗普最在意、最关注的职位之一。

这可能会成为麻烦的根源。在 2017, 年特朗普第一次宣誓就职后的几个小时内，人们就意识到他的新闻秘书的工作将与前任截然不同。特朗普的就职典礼出席人数稀少，部分原因是天气恶劣，部分原因是华盛顿特区这座城市极其自由派，天生没有那么多特朗普的支持者。然而，总统希望全世界都知道他吸引了创纪录的人群——尽管随便看一眼众多人群照片就能发现事实并非如此。

总统的第一任新闻秘书肖恩·斯派塞（Sean Spicer）在就任后的首次简报会之一中，尽职地走到媒体面前，就创纪录的人群发表了毫无根据的断言

他正在失去他最显眼的公开捍卫者，以及他的心理慰藉之一

• 肯定怀疑眼前的人们一秒钟都不会相信他。

斯派塞完全按照特朗普的要求去做，但在执行时显得极其不自在。他没能撑多久。在六个月内，他就丢了这份工作，而特朗普仅在第一任期内就更换了四位不同的新闻秘书。

然而，利维特则不同。金发、纤瘦、迷人，且愿意说任何特朗普想让她说的话，利维特在讲台上的样子显得毫无羞耻心。即使面对来自爱泼斯坦文件的证据，利维特要么对眼前的实事耸耸肩不予理会，要么愤怒地攻击媒体。她会说，爱泼斯坦文件“绝对证明不了任何事情”，“除了证明特朗普总统没有做错任何事”这一事实之外”。

随着步入老年，特朗普越来越依赖周围的年轻员工。利维特在公开场合为他辩护，而他的执行助理纳塔莉·哈普则不断地

在总统心情不佳时，通过向他递交支持者和粉丝的推文打印件来安抚他——同时还将他自己社交帖子的打印草稿递交给他批准。

随着利维特的离职，特朗普失去的是他最显眼的公开捍卫者，也是他的心理慰藉之一，一个他已经产生依赖的人。而这一切就发生在期中选举前几个月，这可能会导致一场灾难性的尴尬，并赋予民主党向他的政府施压的力量。

特朗普正接近其总统任期的黄昏，以及权力的衰落。利维特的离职可能是众多离职事件中的第一起。特朗普不仅变得越来越脆弱，他可能很快会发现自己变得越来越孤独。

詹姆斯·鲍尔（James Ball）是《新世界》报的政治编辑

l@theipaper.com

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国际足联董事会缺乏骨气

正如安·瓦茨（Ann Watts，见 8 月 12 日“您的观点”栏目）所言，詹尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）依然在任这一事实仍让我感到极其愤怒。

他不知通过何种手段掌控了许多足球协会，并得到了一个唯唯诺诺的国际足联董事会的支持，尽管他在制定出售计划时完全没有咨询过他们。

同样令人愤慨的是他对国际批评的反应，他指责批评者在“散布仇恨”，而这些人仅仅是在要求监督。

然而，当更有权势的领导人经常采用这类手段时，我们难道还需要对此类策略感到惊讶吗？ 伊娃·沃罗比耶茨（EVA WOROBIEC） 多塞特郡，韦勒姆（WAREHAM, DORSET）

被垄断的人权

英国的住房危机并非谜团，而是将房屋视为投资工具而非基础建设的必然结果。

住房负担能力已经崩溃，拥有住房正变得遥不可及，而政策依然执着于扩大债务而非减少短缺。

但更深层的矛盾在于：如果充足的住房是一项保障安全、和平与尊严的基本人权，为什么我们允许这项权利被垄断？

我们使这样一个系统常态化：获取住房取决于继承或杠杆，而非需求。数百万人无限期地租房，为他人的资产买单，而自己却永远无法积累资产。

一个声称住房是权利的国家，必须将其作为权利来监管。

扩大非市场供应，重新平衡权力，并将负担能力视为一项公共义务而非私人赌博。 理查德·埃尔特林厄姆（RICHARD ELTRINGHAM） 莱斯特（LEICESTER）

“南半球”并非全是美好

虽然我完全理解移居澳大利亚的愿望（见 8 月 12 日《为什么现在是考虑移居南半球的时候》），但遗憾的是，情况并不像描述的那样美好。

生活成本更高，公共医疗体系有其缺陷，你会听到许多与这里相同的抱怨，而且一段时间后，除了城市之外，除了单调乏味的广袤景色外，真的没有什么地方可去。

话虽如此，内陆地区（Outback）和丛林的道路非常空旷，我的儿子在那里生活了 28 年，他不想搬回来。

但请注意！那里有巨大的蜘蛛，而且最好避开棕蛇。 帕特·考德尔（PAT CAUDLE） 萨默塞特郡，韦洛（WELLOW, SOMERSET）

部分罪犯无需入狱

在我看来，解决监狱危机的答案是法院应减少将人们送入监狱。

英国的人均囚犯人数在西欧最高。我们的罪犯肯定不像其他国家的罪犯那样糟糕！

过度拥挤的监狱无法为囚犯提供任何康复机会，因此我们拥有较高的重新犯罪率也就不足为奇了。

历届政府试图通过对罪犯采取惩罚态度而非投资于治疗来赢得人气。

一位读者写道，澳大利亚的内陆道路非常安静 GETTY

暴力犯罪确实值得严惩。然而，对于轻微罪犯来说，监狱没有任何作用。

我的职业生涯都在刑事司法系统中度过，我希望领导者能尽快有勇气意识到，对于较轻的罪犯应避免监禁。 艾莉森·弗拉斯（ALISON FLATH） 萨福克郡，贝里圣埃德蒙兹（BURY ST EDMUNDS, SUFFOLK）

账单折扣计划令人担忧

我就住在电线塔 500 码范围内。请问我未来的账单可以减免 2,500 英镑 吗？

我们都看到身边出现了前所未有的开发项目——道路、HS2 以及绿带上的大规模住宅区。这是人口增长的代价。

任何人都不应获得特殊待遇，尤其是当我们其他人将为这些让步买单时（买单的不会是电力公司）。

请我们在处理这个问题时运用常识，因为我们深知，一旦开了先例，就会给更多投机者提供利用的空间。 雷·斯塔基（RAY STARKEY） 北安普顿（NORTHAMPTON）

午睡可能是未来的方向

如果夏天成为常态，我们可能不得不转向欧陆的工作时间，提前开始工作，这样在午餐后，员工可以在家午睡休息。

我的意大利岳母提到，在某些时段，孩子们被禁止使用操场，以便在一天中留出一段安静的时间。

莎拉·高尔（SARAH GALL） 大曼彻斯特郡，威根

美国的自信给了我们特朗普

我为莎拉·卡森（Sarah Carson）采用了美国式的自信而感到高兴（“美国方式增强了我的信心”，12 August）。

然而，由于美国的自豪和自我推销文化给了世界美国总统唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）和皮特·海格塞斯（Pete Hegseth），或许一点英国式的谨慎仍然具有吸引力。 帕特里夏·邓恩（PATRICIA DUNN） 柴郡，赛尔

我们以前每周洗一次澡

对于那些对缩短淋浴时间表现出的明显不安，我不得不轻笑一声。

我来自一个大家庭，我们每周只有一次洗澡，在指定的洗澡日进行。

在剩下的六天里，我们被教导如何进行“维多利亚式”洗澡。

一块洗脸布（我们各自的颜色）、一块肥皂、一条铺在在地板上的大毛巾，以及一个装了三分之二温水的洗脸盆。然后我们开始揉搓和刷洗，不要忘记耳后和脚趾之间。

冲洗和擦干是匆忙地完成的，然后我们飞快地跑下楼坐在火炉前。

大功告成。 朱莉娅·科尔克劳（JULIA COLCLOUGH） 东萨塞克斯郡，贝克斯希尔海滨

给高龄母亲更多支持

更多女性在人生较晚阶段怀孕并不令人惊讶（“在工作中生孩子的真相”，13 August），而且在人们公开对英国等国家出生率下降表示担忧的时期，也许我们应该心存感激！

生物钟并不总是与我们的财务稳定性相匹配，因此许多夫妇别无选择，只能推迟为人父母。

在任何年龄成为父母都有利有弊，但底线是：如果你想要为人父母的体验，并且相信自己负担得起，那就去做吧。

你绝不想在回顾往事时想到“我本该如此”，而现在你可以说“我很高兴我这么做了”。

艾米莉·麦克雷（EMILIE McRAE） 威尔特郡，特罗布里奇

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我们的承诺

我们非常严肃地对待维护高编辑标准的责任，并感谢读者指出任何错误。《i报》遵守独立新闻标准组织（ipso）的行为准则。如果您想投诉我们的编辑报道，特别是关于不准确或侵扰的问题，请致信 The Editor, The i Paper, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY，或发送电子邮件至：readm@theipaper.com。您也可以直接联系 ipso，地址为 50 Eastcheap, London, EC2M 1AI，电话 0300 523 2220，或发送电子邮件至：info@ipso.co.uk

一分钟 Wijuko

玩法：在网格中将 1 - 9 各放置一次，遵守方格对之间的求和结果

答案：第 49 页

周一，在 《i报》中

生活方式 我试用了一款 £180 的水分追踪器一周——这是我的心得

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社会 社交尴尬

Z世代据称很孤独，但他们是否只是更喜欢独处？

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新闻 2-20

观点 18-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

理财 44-48

体育 49-56

2026年8月14日，星期五

21

不要把所有财富都赠予——你可能会后悔

理财

Hamish McRae

试图在去世时不再拥有任何资产——即在有生之年花光或赠予一生所赚的钱——是一个极具诱惑力的想法。一方面，这听起来很有趣。而且，由于本届政府提高了遗产税，这一想法得到了极大的推动。

如果他们引入传闻中由一项针对个人财富的新征税来资助的“死亡税”，这个想法将变得更加流行。但这绝对是一个糟糕的主意——原因如下。

2020年，美国一位富有的对冲基金经理比尔·珀金斯（Bill Perkins）出版了《Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life》（暂译：《零资产离世：从金钱与生命中获得一切》）。该书成为了畅销书。

这个想法很简单。正如出版商的简介所言：“本书旨在面向那些认为终身难忘的体验远比单纯为所谓的‘黄金岁月’赚钱和积累财富更为重要的人。”简而言之，珀金斯希望将你从“过度储蓄而生活不足”的状态中解救出来。

你可以看到这个想法的威力。这并不是在鼓吹挥霍所有财产的不负责任行为；你实际上是被解救了，并获得了一个获得终身体验的机会。然而，这里存在一个问题。事实上，我认为这简直是疯了，至少有五个理由。

首先是最显而易见的：我们不知道自己能活多久。人们通常会低估自己的预期寿命。男性可能会比预期多活4年，女性则多活7年。

其次，国家支持怎么办？任何关于养老储蓄的决定，实际上都是在对40年或更长时间后将掌权的政府类型做出政治判断。然而，我们确实知道人口正在老龄化。简单的数学计算告诉我们，将有大量老年人依赖于数量不断减少的年轻工人。唯一合理的假设是，国家支持将仅限于那些绝对需要它的人。

第三，我们不知道家庭情况将如何发展。我们会拥有伴侣，还是独身？我们是否需要支持其他家庭成员？

第四，在早年选择储蓄而非消费，会极大地增加我们一生中拥有的总资源。在任何长期周期内，投资于全球股票的资金其实际价值每年增长约5%。简单利息每20年使资金翻倍。而复利（即任何回报都被重新投资）则意味着资金在14年内翻倍。

最后，对极富之人有效的方法，对我们其他人并不适用。珀金斯估计的净资产至少有1 亿英镑m（7410 万英镑m）。在那种财富水平上，你确实可以赠予或花掉大部分财富，且仍有足够的余额确保生活安全。但如果你是一个普通的英国家庭，你的处境完全不同。

人们通常会低估自己的预期寿命

这并不是在号召苦行僧式的节俭。你不想错过一生一次的体验。然而，这是一个关于储蓄和消费，以及更广泛的生活方式的常识性论点。一些最伟大的体验是免费的。日食无疑就是其中之一。

如果你真的、非常反感在去世时留下任何钱被政府拿走，那么请写一份遗嘱，将所有资金——或者至少是超过遗产税上限的余额——捐给慈善机构，为社会尽一份力。

探索夏季

从玫瑰园和村庄小径，到海滨大道和林间小道。Lisbeth 使用 Trionic Walker 14er 重新发现了她对徒步的热爱。充气大轮胎和卓越的稳定性可以帮助您舒适地在碎石路、草地和不平整的小径上滑行——让您自信地享受每一步。

TRIONIC

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我44岁了，20多岁的男人竟然在撩我——太诡异了！

生活 凯特·利斯特 (Kate Lister)

某种非常奇怪的事情开始发生在四十多岁的女性身上——我想五十岁、六十岁及以后也是如此：她进入了“性感熟女”阶段，而二十多岁的年轻男人开始撩她。当然，中年女性被撩并不奇怪——当然不奇怪，我们性感得要命——但当你没有预料到时，这可能会让人非常不安。很大程度上是因为当你处于四十多岁时，二十多岁的人看起来极其年轻。简直是年轻得离谱。

这里存在着严重的错位。年轻小伙觉得自己风度翩翩、优雅迷人，酷且自信。与此同时，他倾慕的对象却在努力回想自己是不是在儿子的体操队里见过他。

在过去的几周里，这种情况在我身上发生了两次，而且两次我都没有立即意识到自己正在被搭讪。

诡异的是，两次都发生在火车上，年轻小伙们，这可是很大胆的行为。在现实生活中，直接走到火车上的一个完全陌生人面前开始调情，这是老派的做法，是我没预料到 Z 世代会这么做的事情。我原以为如果他们想调情，会给我某种二维码，或者邀请我参加 TikTok 直播，这可能部分解释了为什么我没明白发生了什么。

但我困惑的最大原因是，在我看来，他们像迪士尼的小老鼠（Mouseketeers），所以我的反应更多是母性的，而不是心动。

第一个心怀希望的人在火车站走到我身边坐下，开始问我应该坐哪趟车。我回答了他的问题，但随后对话变成了“这附近哪里有好吃的？”以及“你出去玩喜欢去哪里？”

然而，因为他看起来太年轻了，我回答他的问题时就像在对待一个刚开始问我关于火车问题的幼儿。“你喜欢火车？我也喜欢火车！你一个人在这儿吗？真是长大了。”

直到我离开他，坐在 12:00 开往谢菲尔德的火车上时，我才意识到他那些执着的提问是在尝试调情。难怪当我建议玩“我看见”（I-spy）游戏时，他看起来那么沮丧。

第二次是在火车上，一个二十多岁的人走过来坐在我旁边。他先是问我的手表，然后转向他多么喜欢我的穿着、发型等等。

在我看来，他穿着宽大的衣服，看起来像是要去参加睡衣派对或者准备小睡，所以我压根没意识到这是在尝试诱惑。我将其视为一个真诚的服装建议请求，并开始给出建议。这简直是一场灾难，我们两人离开时都感到很困惑。

有人曾告诉我，他们在你看来有多年轻，你在他们看来就有多成熟。我一直认为这是一个非常睿智的建议，但现在情况似乎发生了变化，而且不是从我的视角来看。他们在我看来依然很年轻，但现在，显然，我成了值得尝试攻略的对象。

这其中有一种奇怪的讽刺。我终于进入了我的“千禧时代”（Mill era），但无法将任何 30 岁以下的人看作除了像小流浪儿以外的任何样子。“女士，请给我多来一点好吗？”不，你他妈绝对不能！现在立刻回家，否则我就给你妈打电话！

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教育

Simon Kelner

大学教育永远值得投入

与数千名成年人一样，昨天早上八点刚过，我的手机响了。是我名义上的教女发来短信，告诉我她已经达到了在曼彻斯特大学学习戏剧所需的成绩，她、她的家人，以及我本人，都感到无比欣喜。

在那个时刻，没有人会对大学教育的成本效益分析产生丝毫兴趣。谁知道戏剧学位会将 Evie 推向何方？我只知道：作为一个从未上过大学的人，我羡慕她在接下来的几年里能体验到独立真正的含义。

我认为，这比学术资格更能体现大学教育的价值，而我们应该接纳这一点。

一个陈旧的论点是，学习戏剧不像工程学位那样是通往高薪未来的通行证，但其框架总是相同的：学位是一项投资，而投资是通过财务回报来评判的。事实未必如此。

英语学位可能不被认为是可以轻易转化为工业巨头职位的敲门砖，但我们的首相——第一位以英语专业毕业生身份担任该职位的首相——提供了一个有趣的对比。

显然，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）在唐宁街 10 号的任期还处于起步阶段，但评论人士已经指出，对英国文学的研究让首相更加意识到沟通的价值，更深刻地理解人类生存状态，并能够构建有效的叙事。

在没有学位的情况下，我在一个主要看重功绩的行业中表现得相当不错。事实上，当我第一次去报社面试时，编辑问我是否上过大学。当我告诉他没有时，他只是回答道：“很好”。但即便在现在，我相信如果我上过大学，我会阅读更多书籍，拥有更全面的观点，简单来说，会有更多的知识。

所以，亲爱的 Evie，这是我对你以及当今数千名学生的建议。你赢得了一张金票，不要让任何人告诉你并非如此。但奖赏是不确定的。学习本身就是一种美德。而且，尽管你可能在生命的大部分时间里都被债务困扰，但这一切都将是值得的。

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新闻

新闻 2-20

观点 18-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

2026 年 8 月 14 日，星期五

23

娱乐

并非残酷之夏：凯尔斯回顾“梦幻”婚礼

作者：Pierra Willis

特拉维斯·凯尔斯（Travis Kelce）首次公开谈论他与泰勒·斯威夫特（Taylor Swift）的婚礼，称其为“我人生中最美好的一夜”。

这位歌手与 NFL 球员于 2 July 在纽约的麦迪逊广场花园结为夫妻。

超过 1,000 名宾客出席了此次活动。虽然此后许多人在社交媒体上发布了当晚的照片，但这对新婚夫妇尚未分享任何大日子现场的照片或细节。

不过，凯尔斯在与他的球队堪萨斯城酋长队（Kansas City Chiefs）进行一次训练赛后，分享了对近期婚礼的看法。

这位美国足球运动员表示：“伙计，这是一个愉快的休赛期。婚礼是我人生中最美好的一夜，我感谢所有前来参加、与我们一起庆祝并享受快乐的人。”

他接着称这是一个“疯狂的夜晚”，且“充满了大量的庆祝活动”。

这位 NFL 球员还分享道，前往麦迪逊广场花园一直是他的“童年梦想”。

他说：“我一直告诉自己，要在[纽约]尼克斯队（Knicks）气氛最热烈的时候去参加一场季后赛。”

“当我被困在训练营时，我妻子去了。那时我没有机会去。”

“所以，能够在这个场馆——所有体育场馆的麦加——实现我的童年梦想，感觉真的很酷。”

他补充道：“能够在那儿结婚……我无法充分感谢麦迪逊广场花园（MSG）的所有者，在知道我们想要一场私人活动的情况下仍给了我们这个机会，一切都太完美了。空调开得很足……那是最好的部分。”

婚礼由

特拉维斯·凯尔斯表示，与泰勒·斯威夫特结婚是他“人生中最美好的一夜”

亚当·桑德勒（Adam Sandler）主持，其他宾客包括赛琳娜·戈麦斯（Selena Gomez）、艾德·希兰（Ed Sheeran）、吉吉·哈迪德（Gigi Hadid）、布拉德利·库珀（Bradley Cooper）、佐伊·克拉维茨（Zoë Kravitz）、格雷厄姆·诺顿（Graham Norton）和休·格兰特（Hugh Grant）。

人物

基德曼离婚后感到“恐惧”

作者：Pierra Willis

妮可·基德曼（Nicole Kidman）在与基思·厄本（Keith Urban）离婚后感到“恐惧且深感脆弱”。

在结婚 19 年后，这位 59 岁的澳大利亚女演员于去年与她 58, 岁的乡村歌手丈夫分道扬镳，随后两人的离婚手续于 1 月正式完成。

在接受《Vogue》采访时，基德曼表示：“曾有一个阶段我感到非常恐惧且深感脆弱，这让我觉得自己毫无遮掩。”

这位女演员补充道：“与此同时，我想，‘好吧，我没预料到会这样。我对未来的生活有不同的看法，但现在就是这样了’，”她说道。

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慈善

已故“毛发骑士”遗物将拍卖捐赠给 NSPCC

作者：Laura Butler

属于“毛发骑士”戴夫·迈尔斯（Dave Myers）的个人物品将进行慈善拍卖。

下个月，这位已故名厨（见插图）的 320 多件个人物品将被拍卖，这正值他 69 岁生日之际。

他的遗孀莉莉·迈尔斯（Lili Myers）表示：“决定舍弃戴夫的一些遗物并不容易。每一件物品都承载着一段回忆、一个故事，或是我们共同生活的提醒。”

此次拍卖将展出涵盖迈尔斯生活与职业生涯的遗物，包括他标志性的机车皮衣和头盔，以及电视纪念品和古董。

在拍卖品中，还将出现迈尔斯在电影和电视领域担任化妆师这一较少为人知的时期的物品。在此期间，他曾与罗杰·摩尔爵士（Sir Roger Moore）、帕特里克·斯图尔特（Patrick Stewart）和丹尼斯·霍珀（Dennis Hopper）等明星合作。

戴夫凭借与西·金（Si King）共同主持的烹饪与机车电视系列节目《毛发骑士》（The Hairy Bikers）而走红。

该节目随后播出了多个衍生系列，直到迈尔斯于 2024 年因癌症去世。

莉莉表示，部分收益将捐给 NSPCC，“以帮助延续对戴夫而言至关重要的善良与慷慨精神。”

拍卖将于 9 月 8 日在伯克郡纽伯里的特别拍卖服务公司（Special Auction Services）举行。

BTS 成员 V（原名金泰亨）在服 mandatory 兵役期间右耳出现问题 NICOLE VASQUEZ / MLB / GETTY

韩国

BTS 成员透露听力受损

作者：Laura Butler

韩国流行歌手、BTS 成员 V 在乐队世界巡演期间透露，他一直在接受一只耳朵听力受损的治疗。

在一次直播中，这位 30 岁的歌手表示，他一直在应对这个问题，该问题始于 mandatory 兵役期间，至今已持续约两年半。

原名金泰亨的 V 说：“如果我的左耳听力是 100，那么右耳只有大约 30。”

他表示，在服兵役期间，他的听力变得更差了。

这是粉丝们第一次听说这一损伤，因为 V 说：“我以前从未告诉过 Army（指该男团的粉丝群）这件事。”

起初他并未将其视为严重问题，说服自己这只是“心态问题”，但现在他经常前往医院就诊。

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新闻

新闻 2-20

观点 16-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

2026 年 8 月 14 日，星期五

25

科学

“生物黑客”在网上推广肽类产品——但风险严重

减肥与抗衰老主张背后的危险。作者：克莱尔·威尔逊 (Clare Wilson)

如果你使用社交媒体，可能已经注意到越来越多关于名为“肽”（peptides）产品的广告，声称它们能以各种方式增强健康。

你之前可能听说过肽是护肤霜中的成分，或者记得在学校学过，肽是人体内天然存在的小型类蛋白质分子。

但这些广告推销的是一种新型的注射肽，网红们正将其推广用于减肥、肌肉生长、组织再生以及作为广泛的“抗衰老”工具。

专家警告称，这些是尚未经过临床试验或通过监管批准的实验性药物，因此带有巨大的健康风险。

已有报道称出现了严重的副作用，一名三十多岁的英国男子在服用一种名为 retatrutide 的肽类药物后死亡——尽管尚未确认该药物是否为死因。肽类药物之所以有如此多不同的声称用途，是因为它们是一个广泛的生化类别。

在人体内的天然形式中，它们是传递不同细胞之间指令的信号分子，通常充当激素。

肽已被转化为医药药物。

糖尿病患者使用的胰岛素就是一种肽，减肥针 Wegovy 和 Mounjaro 也是如此。

从受监管的在线药房购买 Wegovy 或 Mounjaro 没有严重的健康顾虑，因为这些药物已经通过了安全测试并获得了监管机构的批准。

但这些减肥针可能促成了肽类产品的热潮。当 于 2021 年首次在美国上市时，大多数人难以负担，每月费用高达 $1,350。

于是，总部位于中国的可疑制造商填补了这一空白，他们在无需医生处方的情况下销售与 和 Mounjaro 相同的化合物。

注射肽——类蛋白质分子——正由网红宣传其一系列“益处” GETTY

牛津在线药房 (Oxford Online Pharmacy) 的首席药剂师罗伯特·布拉德福德 (Robert Bradford) 表示：“在 10 年前，任何人都无法接受注射一种在网上购买的药物。”

虽然 和 Mounjaro 的价格随后有所下降，但现在人们对其他种类肽的兴趣正在增长，这同样受到健康和“生物黑客”网红增长的推动——这些网红通常从卖家那里获得回扣。

最受欢迎的肽类产品之一是第三种减肥针，名为 retatrutide——也被称为 reta 或 reta peptide。这是一种合法的药物，制造商 E3i Lilly 正在通过临床试验对其进行研究——但该药尚未获得 MHRA 的批准，因此仍被归类为实验性药物。

然而，在 2023 年，有消息传出 retatrutide 在一项小型早期临床试验中引起的体重减轻程度甚至超过了 和 Mounjaro——减轻了 24%，而另外两种针剂分别约为 15% 和 20%。

Retatrutide 在男性健身人群中似乎尤为受欢迎，因为其推广者声称它在减轻脂肪的同时还能帮助增加肌肉。Chemist 41 的杰森·墨菲 (Jason Murphy) 表示：“虽然早期研究前景乐观，但在 retatrutide 能被视为安全且经过批准的治疗方案之前，还需要更多证据和监管审查。”

其他用于不同用途研究的肽类药物在线销售量激增，尽管其中大多数仅在非常有限的人体研究中进行了测试。

这些肽类产品的主张包括组织再生、睡眠调节和抗衰老效果。

由于这些药物尚未

在 10 年前，任何人都无法接受注射一种在网上购买的药物

通过大规模临床试验证明其安全有效，这些实验性肽带来了额外的风险。布拉德福德说：“任何事情都可能发生，从严重疾病到死亡。”

目前无法得知在线销售的具体规模，但仅搜索“肽”（peptides）一词就能搜到大量卖家的帖子。

据《英国医学杂志》报道，目前已有 76 起关于 retatrutide 的不良反应报告提交给了英国药品和医疗产品管理局（MHRA）。

很难知道监管部门如何才能根除这种贸易。在线卖家通常将产品标明为“仅用于研究目的”或“非人类食用”，这意味着从技术层面来说，他们的行为并不违法。

布拉德福德表示：“除非你使用的是受监管的药房，否则不要注射任何在网上购买的药物，因为你根本无法确定其中含有什么，无法确定它们是否有效，以及你是否面临对自己造成严重伤害的风险。”

隐喻填字游戏

第 4843 期 作者：WIGLAF

横向

9 水手被海军上将促使，在战斗中挥舞旗帜 (9)

10 蜂鸟鸣叫的声音，以诗歌形式呈现 (5)

11 作者加入 Jessica 在 7 中，组成混杂物 (7)

12 长途旅行者，距离数秒差距 (7)

13 一个人无法在多元宇宙中飞行 (3)

14 非洲国家没有首都，有时进入负利润 (3,3,5)

17 最终升级的工艺协会 (5)

18 准备好前往特兰西瓦尼亚，以及阿尔及利亚的部分地区 (3)

19 为长电影增加刺激感，且结尾已互换 (5)

21 花园飞虫在植物周围飞翔 (5,6)

23 沙漠地区，例如，没有河流 (3)

25 前首相被抓住，将王子击出 (7)

27 当我潜入异国海域时遇到的测量值 (7)

28 丈夫在教会州打破誓言 (5)

29 具有两个头的拜占庭教堂特征 (5,4)

纵向

1 面对关于主要道路封锁的投诉 (6)

2 一个宗教教师在吃完鸡蛋和奶酪后倾倒 (8)

3 蔚蓝海岸度假胜地提供带有晋升机会的电池 (10)

4 失业时盯着搜索引擎看 (4)

5 变异者遗憾地显示出捏 (10)

6 年迈的英雄古怪地倒立以观察月亮 (4)

7 顽皮的墨西哥人拍摄成人电影 (6)

8 细微之处被引入？那是个害虫 (8)

15 埃格洛-爱尔兰公爵还是威尔士公爵？ (10)

16 儿子受训对 11 而言很重要 (10)

17 负责众多恒星的职能部门女孩 (8)

20 在艾奥纳的乡村中形成概念 (8)

22 舞者肆无忌惮地勒死债务催收员 (6)

24 见 26

26 / 24 据说作曲家有一辆医院推车 —— 这位作曲家 (4,6)

27 一次几乎完全没有水的旅程 (4)

昨日隐喻填字游戏答案

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完整条款和条件见第 29 页

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电视节目 8月14日 星期五

评论员推荐

GERARD GILBERT

今日精选

He Had It Coming

11.15pm, BBC Three & BBC iPlayer

一部校园悬疑剧，讲述两名学生（Lydia West 和 Natasha Liu Bordizzo，两人均在左侧）发现她们的女性主义艺术作品被一名杀手利用。这部澳大利亚喜剧剧集中的性别政治笔触粗犷，但 West（《Big Mood》、《It's A Sin》）和 Liu Bordizzo（《星球大战》）这两位主演表现出色。她们饰演性格截然不同的学生：Elise 是一名尴尬的英国奖学金学生，而 Barbara 则是受欢迎的时尚影响力者。在经历了一系列与男性的不快之后，两人建立了情谊，并在醉酒后决定损毁大学男性创始人的雕像，结果却发现学院的明星运动员被谋杀，并被陈列在她们的政治声明旁边。

贝多芬第七交响曲

在 The Proms 音乐节上

7pm, BBC Four

委内瑞拉大师古斯塔沃·杜达梅尔（Gustavo Dudamel）在世界杯决赛中场秀惊喜亮相后，将带领洛杉矶爱乐乐团在二十多年来首次参加 Proms 音乐节。贝多芬的《第七交响曲》将与加布里埃拉·奥尔蒂斯（Gabriela Ortiz）的《Revelacion Domontine》共同演出，后者灵感来自墨西哥 2019 年的“闪光革命”。

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欧洲田径

锦标赛：

2026年伯明翰

8pm, BBC One

锦标赛中最受期待的赛事之一将为夜晚收尾，由英国卫冕冠军基莉·霍奇金森（Keely Hodgkinson）出战。荷兰 400 米世界纪录保持者 Femke Broeders-Bol 和瑞士新星 Audrey Werro 预计都将竞争女子 800 米。男子跳高、400 米栏、200 米以及女子铁饼的决赛也将举行。

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Gardeners' World

[...OMITTED...]

晚上8点，BBC Two

当前的干旱迫使蒙蒂·唐（Monty Don）重新考虑 Longmeadow 的种植计划并繁育具有韧性的植物，同时修剪一株攀缘玫瑰并收获蔬菜。与此同时，弗朗西丝·托菲尔（Frances Tophill）在北德文郡的科韦利（Covelly）探索悬崖顶花园，亚当·弗罗斯特（Adam Frost）则参观了诺福克郡的一座历史悠久的厨房花园。

揭秘

超富阶层的手术

晚上8点，Channel 4

总部位于切希尔（Cheshire）的美容企业家凯蒂（Katie）在年满 40 岁之前，选择在局部麻醉下进行微创拉皮手术，这是年轻女性中日益增长的“抢跑抗衰”趋势的一部分（起售价 6,000 英镑）。与此同时，美容记者艾玛（Emma）接受了一项先驱性的纳米脂肪治疗，利用自身纯化的脂肪细胞来使皮肤恢复年轻并针对眼下阴影进行治疗。

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弗兰克·斯金纳：30年的污垢 (Frank Skinner: 30 Years Of Dirt)

节目的20周年纪念 (S) / 7.00 欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰 2026 (S) / 7.30 Abbey Clancy: 名人住宅 Abbey 访问 Olivia Bowen 和 Emma Thynn 的家 (R) (S) / 7.00 第4频道新闻 (S) / 7.00 Tom Reed Wilson 的大旅行 (L) (S) 系列节目中 (R) (S) 7.55 5 News Update (S) / 7.00 逍遥音乐会上的贝多芬第七交响曲 (S) / 7.15 电影：《地平线》(Horizon Line) (Mikael Marcimain 2020) 惊悚片：由 Allison Williams 主演 (S) / 7.00 The Floor 剩余的 57 名参赛者争夺更多方格 (S) / 8pm / 8.00 欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰 2026 (S) / 8.00 花园世界 (S) / 8.00 Emmardola (S) 8.30 Coronation Street Lucy 的出现引发了街道上的冲突 (S) / 8.00 超富阶层的手术秘密 (S) / 8.00 Alexander Armstrong 在斯里兰卡 Alexander 探索这个国家 (R) (S) / 8.25 TOTP: 2000 Gail Porter 主持流行音乐排行榜节目

8.00 The 1% Club 由 Lee Mack 主持的问答节目 (S) / 9pm / 9.00 Bergerac 关于 Cat 被谋杀之夜的一个揭露改变了一切 (S) 9.45 QI XL (R) (S) / 9.00 想成为百万富翁吗？名人特辑 (R) (S) / 9.00 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (R) (S) / 9.00 1975 年的大干旱 一场持续 16 个月的打破纪录的异常天气 (R) (S) / 9.05 TOTP: 2000 Gail Porter 主持流行音乐排行榜节目 9.25 TOTP: 1985 (S) / 9.00 电影：《狂怒》(Fury) (David Ayer 2011) 由 Brad Pitt 主演的第二次世界大战剧 (S) / 9.00 电影：《疾速追杀 2》(John Wick: Chapter 2) (Chet Stahelin 2017) 动作续集，由 Keanu Reeves 主演 (S) / 10pm / 10.00 BBC 十点新闻 (S) 10.30 BBC 地区新闻：天气 (S) 10.40 Ann Droid (S) / 10.30 Newsnight (S) / 10.00 Amanda Knox 的扭曲故事 在入狱四年后，Amanda 和 Raffaele 获得了自由 (S) / 10.00 Big Fat Quiz: 精选片段 该节目最大失败案例的合集 (S) / 10.30 Piers Morgan: Uncensored 新闻与辩论 (S) / 10.05 TOTP: 1986 (S) 10.35 BBC 终极翻唱版本 (S) / 11pm / 11.10 电影：《母亲的直觉》(Mothers' Instinct) (Benoit Dalhomme 2021) 首播：剧情片，由 Anna Hathaway 主演 (S) / 11.05 电影：《坠落》(On Falling) (Laura Carmona 2021) 首播：剧情片，由 Joana Santos 和 Inés Vaz 主演 (S) / 11.00 ITV 新闻 (S) 11.35 ITV 地区新闻 (S) 11.50 Inside The Langham: 英国第一座豪华酒店 (S) / 11.05 Sarah Millican: Chatterless 现场脱口秀，2011 年在伦敦录制 (R) (S) / 11.35 BBC 终极翻唱版本：第二卷 包含 Adela, Annie Lennox 和 Happy Mondays (S) / 11.40 电影：《邀请》(The Invitation) (Jessica M Thompson 2022) 由 Nathalie Emmanuel 出演的恐怖惊悚片 (S) / 11.25 Family Guy Gennie 对 ADHD 药物产生依赖 (S) 11.55 Family Guy (S) / 深夜

12.45 BBC 新闻 (S) / 12.45 手语区：晚餐 (R) (S) 1.45 这是 BBC Two (S) / 12.15 电视购物 3.00 自然之力 (R) (S) 3.20 Howitz 长青 (R) (S) 4.45 Unwind With ITV (S) / 12.10 Bill Bailey 现场：部分足迹 (R) (S) 1.35 Ramsay 的酒店大厅 (R) (S) 2.25 Four-Four-fest (R) (S) 4.35 夫妻来我家吃饭 (R) (S) 5.30 Kirstie 的工艺之家 (R) (S) 5.40 阳光之城 (R) (S) / 12.05 Fara Dodgers 与法律对抗 (R) (S) 1.00 与 Loveldooids 一起邮轮电视 (R) (S) 2.00 娱乐新闻指南 (S) 2.10 GPs: 闭门之后 (R) (S) 3.00 Castle (R) (S) 3.45 Friends (R) (S) / 1.35 TOTP: 2000 2.05 TOTP: 2000 2.35 TOTP: 1985 (S) 3.05 TOTP: 1986 (S) 3.35 结束 / 1.45 电影：《无尽泳池》(Infinity Pool) (Brendan Crowding 2023) 由 Alexander Stansgate 主演的恐怖悬疑片 (S) 4.00 结束 / 12.25 American Dull (S) 12.55 American Dull (S) 1.35 Bob's Burgers (S) 4.50 Bob's Burgers (S) 1.65

Unwind With ITV (S) 3.00 Teledupping |

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i tv 3

6.00 George And Mildred (1) 8.35 George And Mildred (1) 7.95 Classic Emnerdale (1) 7.35 Classic Emnerdale (1) 8.05 Coronation Street (1) 8.40 Coronation Street (1) 9.10 Agatha Christie's Forest (1) 10.25 Agatha Christie's Forest (1) 11.10 Heartbeat (1) 12.35 Heartbeat (1) 1.35 Midwinter Marines (1) 2.30 Emnerdale (1) 4.95 Emnerdale (1) 4.40 Coronation Street (1) 5.15 Coronation Street (1) 5.50 Heartbeat (1)

6.55 Heartbeat 悲剧袭击村庄 (5)

8.00 Doc Martin 西格妮·韦弗客串出演该系列最终集 (5)

9.00 Doc Martin 马丁的医疗职业仍受到审查 (5)

10.00 Grantchester 一起可疑死亡事件打断了复活节 Flake (5)

11.00 Grantchester (5) 11.50 Trial & Retribution 在一座废弃的外屋中发现了一具尸体 (5)

12.10 Trial & Retribution (1) 1.55 George And Mildred (1) 2.10 Unwind Wild (1) 2.30 Teleshopping

6.00 Modern Family (1) 6.55 Rodelahl Tube Diaries (1) 7.00 Caupita Come Dine With Me (1) 8.00 Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares USA (1) 9.00 Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares USA (1) 10.00 America's Funniest Home Videos (1) 11.00 Below Deck: Mediterranean (1) 12.00 The Simpsons (1) 12.20 The Simpsons (1) 1.00 The (1) 1.30 The (1) 2.00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1) 2.30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1) 3.00 Modern Family (1) 3.30 Modern Family (1) 4.00 Modern Family (1) 4.30 Modern Family (1) 5.00 The (1) 5.20 The (1)

**6.00 The ** 巴特被送往少年拘留中心 (5)

6.30 The ** (5) 7.00 The ** Chouiloh 万圣节恶作剧 (5) **7.30 The ** 巴特坠入爱河 (5)

8.00 The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer (5)

9.00 Gegglabox 为 Stand Up to Cancer 制作的两部分特别节目合集 (5)

10.00 电影：American Reunion (Jion Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, 2012) 喜剧续集 (5)

11.10 24 Hours In A&E 一名 19 岁女性因疑似脊髓受伤被送入院 (5)

8.15 Final It, Fix It, Flag It (1) 10.00 Four In A Bed (1) 10.35 Four In A Bed (1) 11.45 In A (1) 12.10 In A (1) 14.40 Come Dine With Me (1) 1.10 (1) 1.40 (1) 1.55 (1) 2.50 (1) 2.10 In A (1) 3.10 In A (1) 4.00 In A (1) 5.20 In A (1) 5.50 Car S.O.S (1)

6.50 Car S.O.S Fuzz Townshend 和 Tim Shaw修复了他们处理过的最小的一辆车 (5)

7.55 Grand Designs 在峰区的一个村庄里建造一座家庭住宅 (5)

8.00 An Idiot Abroad (4) (5)

9.00 Carpe Diem 汤姆代表一名承认谋杀的渔民 (5)

10.05 24 Hours In A&E 一名九岁男孩心率高得危险 (5)

12.15 999 On The Front List (1) 1.15 24 Hours In A&E (1) 2.05 24 Hours In A&E (1) 3.05 A Place In The Sun (1) 3.15 Close

6.00 Mornings Jones And Melbourne (1) 6.30 Mornings Jones And Melbourne (1) 7.00 Mornings Jones And Melbourne (1) 7.20 Mornings Jones And Melbourne (1) 8.00 Sturges SG-4 (R) (1) 9.00 Sturges SG-4 (R) (1) 10.00 Will & Grace (R) (1) 10.20 Will & Grace (R) (1) 11.00 The (R) (1) 11.20 The (R) (1) 11.50 Big Cats Small World (R) (1) 1.50 Hawaii Five-n (R) (1) 2.00 Hawaii Five-n (R) (1) 2.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1) 2.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1) 3.00 The (R) (1) 5.30 The (R) (1)

**6.00 The ** 荷马加入了发电厂的垒球队 (R) (5)

**6.30 The ** (R) (5)

**7.00 The ** Sideshow Bob 和 Selma 被取消衍生剧 (R) (5)

**7.30 The ** (R) (5)

9.00 Frank Skinner: 30 Years Of Dirt 一场回顾这位喜剧演员职业生涯的 30 周年节目 (5)

10.00 Grimsburg (5) 10.30 Grimsburg 马文需要一名新搭档来抓捕 Carlshead Killair (5)

11.00 Grimsburg 斯坦扇了他失踪 (5) 11.30 An Idiot Abroad (4) (5)

12.30 Grimes (R) (5) 1.30 The Force Manchester (R) (1) 2.10 Road More (R) (1) 2.30 Hawaii Five-n (R) (1) 4.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1) 5.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1)

8.00 Fish Town (R) (5) 7.00 Fish Town (R) (5) 8.00 Billions (R) (5) 9.05 Billions (R) (5) 10.15 House Of The Dragon (R) (5) 11.15 House Of The Dragon (R) (5) 12.15 Hominick Life On The Street (R) (5) 1.30 Hominick Life On The Street (R) (5) 2.30 Billions (R) (5) 3.35 Billions (R) (5) 4.35 The Last Of Us (R) (5) 5.40 The Last Of Us (R) (5)

6.40 House Of The Dragon (R) (5)

7.45 House Of The Dragon Rhaenyra 试图与 Rhaenyra 达成协议 (R) (5)

9.00 Station Eleven Kirstan 直面她内心最深处创伤的根源 (5)

10.00 Station Eleven Kirstan 到达 Severn City 以营救 Travelling Symphony (5)

11.00 House Of The Dragon Rhaenyra 渴望能出现一个她将获胜的迹象 (R) (5)

12.15 House Of The Dragon 1.40 Billions (R) (5) 2.40 Billions (R) (5) 3.40 The Good Wing (R) (5) 4.35 Sort Of (R) (5) 5.05 Urban Secrets (R) (5)

广播

BBC Radio 1

6.15am Newsbeat 新闻快讯 7.00 Radio 1 Breakfast 与 Greg James 10.00 Radio 2 Airthorns 与 Nat 和 Vicky 11.00 Radio 1x Group Chat 与 Nat 和 Vicky 12.45pm Newsbeat 新闻快讯 1.00 Myle And Rose 2.00 Radio 2 Dance Party Starters 舞会热身 4.00 Radio 1 官方排行榜 与 Jack Saunders 5.45 Newsbeat 新闻快讯 6.00 Radio 1x Dance Party 与 Danny Howard 8.00 Radio 1x Future Dance 与 Sandi Story 10.00 First Tired 12mdr1 Radio 1x Essential Mix 精选混音 2.00 Radio 1 Dance Presents 3.00 Danny Howard Club Mix 俱乐部混音 4.00 Radio 1 Dance Party Starters 舞会热身 5.00 Radio 1x Happy Airthorns

BBC Radio 1Xtra

6.30am Ultra Playlist 超级播放列表 7.00 Ultra Breakfast 与 Nadia 3.00 10.00 Thus Johnson 12.15pm Newsbeat 新闻快讯 1.00 Kyster Golding 4.00 Rami Burgt 5.45 Newsbeat 新闻快讯 6.00 Rami Burgt 7.00 Kash & Pharaoh 8.30 Kash & Pharaoh 9.00 Ultra Ray Show 与 Kenny Allstar 10.20 Kenny Allstar - Pooh to Mix 11.00 Ultra's Friday Night Party 与 Izzy Bossy 12.30am Ultra's Friday Night Party 与 Izzy Bossy 1.00 Ultra's Rave Show 与 Jeremiah Alsamah 2.30 Jeremiah Alsamah's Get Lo Mix 3.00 Ultra's K&B Show 与 Double 4.30 Ultra's K&B Show Jams Mix 与 Double 5.00 Ultra Salutes

BBC Radio 2

6.30am The Sato Coo Breakfast Show 早间节目 9.30 Version Key 12noon Jeremy Vine 2.00 Mark Gauder 4.00 Joel Donnelli 7.00 Michelle Village 8.30 Michelle Villagris Rambag Hits 9.00 Sophie Ellis - Booker's Kitchen Disco 厨房迪斯科 11.00 The Rock Show 与 Shaun Kaseony 12mdr1 Kenneth Forgyathan For The Love Of Hip-Hop 为了对嘻哈的热爱 1.00 Tony Blackburn's Sound Of Soul 灵魂之声 2.00 Pick Of The Pops 精选流行曲 3.00 Pick Of The Pops 精选流行曲 4.00 Radio 2 Unwind 与 Angela Griffin 5.00 Tracks Of My Years 岁月之迹

BBC Radio 3

6.30am Breakfast 早间节目 9.30 Essential Classics 经典精选 12pm Classical Live 古典现场 4.00 Composer Of The Week 本周作曲家 Warrigercast 5.00 In Type 7.00 BBC 2026 推广：Edwin Duhaeter 与 BBC CD 演绎另一场交响冒险 10.00 Lets Suncion：Savina Varnation 与 Johann 'Ma'ing' Santoso Prilacki 的合作作品 11.30 Round Midnight：Jamie Cullum 呈献来自 Round Midnight 的现场音乐 12.30am Through The Night 彻夜之曲

BBC Radio 4

6am Today 今日 8.00 Target Island Disco 目标岛迪斯科 10.00 Women's Hear 女性之声 11.00 The Food Programme 美食节目 12.45 Book Of The Week 本周之书 Hinoyama 8.15 The Lost Memoir 遗失的备忘录 12noon News 新闻 12.04 Rami Earth 12.17 Weather 天气 1.00 The World At One 一个世界 1.45 Human Intelligence 人类智能 2.00 The Archer 弓箭手 2.15 Drama Central Intelligence 戏剧：中央情报 2.45 Living On The Edge 走在边缘 3.00 Gardeners Question Time 园丁问答时间 3.45 Short Works 短篇作品 4.00 Lost World 迷失世界 4.20 Videways 5.00 FM 5.17 Weather 天气 6.00 Six O'Clock News 六点新闻 6.20 The People Have Sacked 人民已解雇 7.00 The Archer 弓箭手 7.15 Add To Playlist 新系列：Soweto Kinch 和 McLay 最新由英国黑人音乐艺术家创作的 Inside 8.00 Any Superland 由 Alex Forsyth 发起的专题讨论 8.15 This Week in History 本周历史回顾：回顾往年同日发生的事件 9.00 Natalie Haynes Danish Air For The Classics：代理人带来恐惧以回答重大问题 9.30 Dread in The Cycle：Calm 和 O' 决定关闭他们的毒品帝国 10.00 The World Tonight 与 Shaun Ley 今夜世界 10.45 Book At Bedtime 床边书：《韦克菲尔德的牧师》 11.00 American 美国 12.30 A Good Road 一条好路 12mdr1 News And Weather 新闻与天气 12.30 Book Of The Week 本周之书 Hiroshima 广岛 8.15 The Lost Memoir 遗失的备忘录 12.45 Shipping Forecast 航运预报 1.00 An BBC World Service BBC 全球服务 2.30 News Summary 新闻摘要 2.24 Shipping Forecast 航运预报 5.45 Prayer For The Day 今日祷告 5.45 Living On The Edge 走在边缘

BBC Radio 4 Extra

6am The Wolf Far-Hence 6.30 The Senior Partner 7.00 Flying The Flag 7.30 Beyond Our Ken 8.00 The Confessions 8.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Dipp Keith OK Composer 9.30 Following The Martian Invasion 9.45 Daily Silence 10.00 Soul Music 10.30 Hot 11.00 The Wolf Far-Hence 12.30 The Senior Partner 12noon Flying The Flag 12.30 Beyond Our Ken 1.00 The Confessions 1.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Museum Of Curiosity 2.30 Midport 3.00 The Hunting Of The Snark 3.45 Short Works 4.00 Soul Music 4.30 Pick 5.00 The Wolf Far-Hence 5.30 The World Partner 6.00 Flying The Flag 6.30 Beyond Our Ken 7.00 The

添加到播放列表 晚上 7.15， BBC Radio 4 萨克斯演奏家 Soweto Kinch (Island) 与 Jeffrey Bookie 和 Anna Phoebe 一起庆祝 V&A East 的新 展览 - The ** to Black A British Story - 并 选择五首曲目**

Confessions 7.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Museum Of Curiosity 8.30 Midport 9.00 The Hunting Of The Snark 9.45 Short Works 9.00 Comedy Club Dipp Keith OK Composer 10.30 Comedy Club Nipetti McGosh Becoming Nipetti 10.45 Rhys James Is 11.00 Vant 11.20 Laura Sclan 'Daring And Not' Daring 12mdr1 Soul 12.20 Pilot 1.00 The Wolf Far-Hence 1.30 The Senior Partner 2.00 Flying The Flag 2.30 Beyond Our Ken 3.00 The Confessions 3.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 3.45 Small Island 4.00 The Museum Of Curiosity 4.30 Midport 5.00 The Hunting Of The Snark 5.45 Short Works

BBC 5 Live

6am 11.00 Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Gordon Smart 12pm DJs James And John Robins 9.00 Matt Chonley 4.00 11.14 Drive 7.00 11.14 Sport 8.30 Athletics 10.00 Stephen Nolan 12pm Charlie Taylor 2.00 11.14 Boeing

**BBC 6 **

12pm N / A Sirenchaw 10.00 Lauren Laurens 12pm Craig Charles 4.00 How Stephens 7.00 The People's Party With From Kinnon 9.00 7 's Indie Forever 10.00 6 's Indie Forever 11.00 The 6 Mix With Mary Annie Hobbs 12mdr1 5 's Rave Forever 1.00 7 's Forever Dark 2.00 Focus Boats 4.00 Ambrant Focus

Classic FM

6.15am Classic FM Breakfast Tim Lhomisa 9.00 The Classic FM Hall Of Fancy Hour Tim Lhomisa 2.00 A Not Alad Jones 12pm Annie Marie Mitchell 4.00 Weight For Taylor 6.00 Classic FM All The Movies Jonathan Ross Jonathan 播放几部迪士尼经典电影的音乐 8.00 Classical Spotlight Alexander Armstrong: Alexander 重点介绍来自爱尔兰女高音 And Ricky 的音乐 10.00 Calm Classics 12pm Katie Breathnack

Absolute Radio

6am Dave Berry 10.00 Loma Graham 12pm Ben Burnett 4.00 Homelone Bush & Richie 7.00 Absolute Mix Claire Sturges 10.00 Sophie & 14pm Ben Casey

Heart

6.30am Heart Breakfast Jamie Thwaisson And Amanda Haden 10.00 Pandora Christie 12pm Matt Wilkinson 4.00 31 And Kelly Break 7.00 Heart's Classics John Hicks 11.00 Fuzzy Ghadjar 12pm Seb Barker

TalkSPORT

6am TAILSPORT Breakfast Alan Brazil 10.00 Sam McKerrison & MacCrock 12pm Homelone And Jacobs 4.00 TAILSPORT Drive 7.00 Kids Off 10.00 The Sports Bar Weekender 12pm Extra Time Ben Fletcher

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32

新闻

Panorama

用 10 个故事环游世界

乌克兰

无人机袭击俄罗斯境内深处炼油厂

作者：Ilia Novikov

发自 沃伊（VOY）

军方官员昨日表示，乌克兰无人机袭击了俄罗斯境内深处的一座大型炼油厂——这是基辅在继续开展旨在扼杀莫斯科关键石油部门的行动中，三天内发起的第四次此类袭击。

这些袭击削弱了俄罗斯的炼油能力，导致加油站出现短缺。基辅官员称，此次猛攻旨在迫使总统弗拉基米尔·普京寻求和平协议。但目前没有迹象表明该策略奏效。

乌克兰总参谋部表示，其部队袭击了位于俄罗斯巴什科尔托斯坦共和国的 Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat 炼油和石化综合体（见插图），引发火灾。该综合体距离乌克兰边境约 800 英里，是俄罗斯最大的炼油和石化设施之一。该工厂每年处理多达 7400 万 桶原油。

然而，俄罗斯也一直在袭击乌克兰的战略目标。周三夜间，俄方袭击了乌克兰最大的多瑙河粮食运输港，引发火灾。

位于南部敖德萨地区、靠近罗马尼亚边境的伊兹梅尔港（Izmail）负责处理乌克兰粮食和其他商品的出口。

地区政府在 Telegram 上表示，袭击造成了港口基础设施受损，并导致该市东南部停电。

此次袭击发生在前一天乌克兰袭击诺沃罗西斯克（Novorossiysk）之后，后者是俄罗斯黑海区域的主要粮食运输枢纽。

随着战争拖延，两国都在寻找破坏对方经济和士气的方法。

总统弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基表示，乌克兰需要更多美国的防空导弹以度过冬季。

在周三接受 CNN 采访时，他表示乌克兰至少需要目前美国爱国者拦截导弹库存的 5 per cent，以抵御俄罗斯弹道导弹袭击的激增。

特朗普政府不会向乌克兰提供自身的援助，但允许其他国家购买美国设备并将其转交给乌克兰。然而，由于与伊朗的战争，其导弹供应已大幅减少。AP

罗马尼亚

多瑙河水位低导致核反应堆停机

作者：Luisa Ilie

发自 鲁特马尼斯特（RUTMANIST）

罗马尼亚国有的核电生产商 Nuclearelectrica 昨日表示，由于多瑙河水位创历史新低，该公司已开始将其唯一运行的反应堆从电网中断开。

受干旱影响，该河流已迫使该公司在 7 月关闭了一个反应堆。该公司拥有两座 706 兆瓦的反应堆，占该国电力输出的五分之一。

罗马尼亚已宣布 8 月全月进入能源紧急状态，并要求企业和家庭在高峰时段减少用电。

罗马尼亚能源部表示，已启动一座 330 兆瓦的褐煤发电厂，并补充称目前还依赖于增加的风能和水电发电。政府已准备好一套系统，在必要时分阶段切断工业用户的电力。

此前，该公司曾试图通过爆破岩石障碍物、挖掘河床以及在多瑙河中沉入装满岩石的驳船以将水流重新引导至电厂周围，从而避免关闭反应堆。路透社（REUTERS）

水中收获

在中国江西省新余市附近，农民划船采集荸荠，水生作物的收获季节仍在继续。这种水生蔬菜生长在沼泽和泥地中，采收高峰期为 7 月至 11 月。农民们划着小船穿行在

太平洋

普京访问群岛，日本表示抗议

作者：Jokaterina Golubkova

发自东京

俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京昨日访问了千岛群岛。这一位于太平洋的岛链由俄罗斯控制，但日本也对其部分地区主张主权，此举引发了东京方面的最新抗议。

普京的此次访问发生在俄罗斯盟友朝鲜进行大规模海军演习和导弹发射的一天之后。

日本主张对该岛链最南端岛屿拥有领土权，将其称为“北方领土”，这些岛屿在第二次世界大战末期被苏联占领。

关于这些岛屿的争端使得两国一直未能签署正式的和平条约以结束敌对状态。

在这次被俄罗斯国家通讯社塔斯社描述为普京首次访问该岛链的行程中，他在监督俄罗斯远东地区的海军演习后，访问了伊图鲁普岛的一家鱼类加工厂。

照片显示，普京身着深色西装站在房间里，官员们正在讨论捕鱼和鱼类的迁徙行为。

日本对普京的访问表示抗议。外交大臣茂手光实（Toshimitsu Motegi）在 X 上写道：“包括依托鲁夫在内的北方领土，无论从历史还是国际法来看，都是日本固有领土。”

数十年的外交努力未能就这些岛屿达成解决方案，且莫斯科近年来增加了在该地区的军事部署。

周三，普京表示，千岛群岛的现状“作为第二次世界大战结果后产生的事实，已载入国际文件”。

但他表示，俄罗斯准备寻求解决方案，“目标是与日本签署和平条约”。路透社

---

西部 2-10

ORIGON 16-22

周二 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

2026年8月14日，星期五

33

被淹没的稻田，人们从泥中采集清脆的块茎。荸荠可以生吃作为甜点，新鲜地加入炒菜中以增加脆感，或者磨成粉制作传统的荸荠糕（matisgo），一种像果冻一样的甜点。第 17 卷

西岸

以色列向围困地点派遣更多军队

以色列军方昨日表示，已向西岸的一个村庄派遣更多军队。在该村，定居者将巴勒斯坦家庭困在家中，巴勒斯坦人称此次围困旨在强行驱逐他们。

围困始于周末，当时犹太定居者封锁了通往巴勒斯坦库斯拉村（Qusra）三栋房屋的道路，并在其前院搭建帐篷，拒绝任何人进入或离开。

定居者此前已切断了他们的电力和水源。以色列军方（insar）表示，正试图将定居者从该地区驱散，尽管本周早些时候的一段视频显示，几名身着绿色军装的以色列男子在帐篷中与定居者一起进行早祷。军方表示，将对任何涉事人员采取纪律处分。

联合国在一份声明中表示，约 15 名巴勒斯坦人（包括两名儿童）“在恐惧状态下被困在家中，无法满足基本需求，且无法获得水和电”。

该地区被围困的两个家庭表示，他们没有食物或药物，且定居者一直在破坏他们的财产、投掷石块并辱骂他们。路透社

厄瓜多尔

哈兰德面孔出现在可卡因砖块上

警方在哥伦比亚边境附近的一辆卡车中发现了印有挪威足球运动员埃尔林·哈兰德面孔的可卡因包裹。

周三在缴获这批 469kg 可卡因后，司机被逮捕。毒品贩子通常会在货物上贴上知名体育人物或其他名人的名字，以此标明该商品由哪个犯罪网络生产以及属于哪个客户。

特工在根据匿名举报开展行动时注意到了一辆可疑卡车。他们在车辆的夹层中发现了 370 个包裹。

曼城足球俱乐部前锋哈兰德并非毒品走私者选择的唯一足球运动员——另一件被缴获的包裹上出现了利昂内尔·梅西的图像。

据估计，如果这批货物是面向美国市场，其价值将超过 800 万英镑m。AP

明信片来自……亨廷顿

杰克·赫曼拿了一块冲浪板出门冲浪。但一小时后，他发现自己坐在救生员站，和另外四名海滩游客一起将脚浸在热水桶里。

来自新墨西哥州的游客赫曼表示，他在学习冲浪时从冲浪板上跳下，踩到了他认为是一根尖锐木棍的东西。

“疼得相当厉害，”他说，同时将他那阵阵作痛的脚浸入能忍受的最热的水中以缓解疼痛。

这是南加州常见的景象。由于海洋热浪吸引了更多黄貂鱼（以及人们）靠近海岸，被黄貂鱼尾部尖锐且有锯齿的刺扎伤的人数较一年前显著增加。

博尔萨奇卡（Bolsa Chica）和亨廷顿（Huntington）州立海滩报告今年至今已发生 3,100 起以上此类事件，是 2025 年全年的两倍。

在南加州，救生员每年处理的黄貂鱼伤者可达 10,000 人。在西尔海滩（Seal Beach），由于附近发电厂流入的热水，某个区域吸引了大量黄貂鱼，因此被称为“射线湾”（Ray Bay）。

在博尔萨奇卡州立海滩，脚侧和脚趾被刺伤的游泳者围坐在一起，不断往桶里加热水。

大多数刺伤不需要额外的医疗护理。

艾伦·劳里表示，他每周在另一处海滩游泳三次，虽然被刺伤很疼，但这不会改变他的习惯。

“通常情况下，一旦疼痛消失，第二天感觉就没事了，”他说。AP

艾米·塔克辛（Amy Taxin）

也门

五角大楼透露：美国对胡塞武装的袭击造成150名平民死亡

作者：本·芬利（Ben Finley） 发自华盛顿

根据五角大楼对袭击行动的一项审查，去年美国针对也门受伊朗支持的胡塞武装反叛分子的空袭造成150多名平民死亡。

与此同时，人们对特朗普政府领导的军事行动期间造成的平民伤亡表示担忧。

这份非机密评估报告作为年度平民伤亡报告的一部分被提交给国会。

在美国导弹于今年战争爆发之初击中一所伊朗小学并造成168人死亡后，美国军事行动造成的此类伤亡引起了关注。

五角大楼的审查重点关注了

2025年4月在美国针对胡塞武装的行动期间发起的三次空袭。报告称，这些袭击的目标是也门反叛分子控制的首都萨那及其附近，以及拉斯伊萨港。共有153名平民死亡，243人受伤。

对港口的袭击最为致命，造成80人死亡，171人受伤。

袭击导致巨大的火球冲向天空，并将油罐车（insar）变成了燃烧的残骸。

胡塞武装在其 Almasirah 卫星新闻频道上播出了事后惨烈的画面，显示港口到处是尸体。

负责监督中东军事行动的美国中央司令部当时表示，“此次袭击并非旨在伤害也门人民”。

审查报告称，司令部认定这三次袭击“极有可能”造成了平民伤害。

该信息基于美国情报来源、图像和开源报告。

美国首次在2023年拜登政府期间对胡塞武装发起攻击，此前该武装分子开始向红海的商业船只发射无人机和导弹。

胡塞武装表示，这些攻击旨在阻止以色列在加沙对哈马斯的战争。AP

新西兰

中国“试图安装空间卫星跟踪系统”

新西兰安全机构表示，它挫败了一家与中国政府有关的天文台试图在该国安装卫星跟踪基础设施的企图。

新西兰安全情报局（NZSIS）表示，总部位于中国且与北京政府关系密切的紫金山天文台试图通过一家当地公司安装地面空间基础设施，而该公司可能并不知晓该设备可以收集具有军事价值的情报。该机构没有指明这家新西兰公司，也没有详细说明计划是如何被挫败的。

这一警告出现在该机构的《2026年安全威胁环境》评估报告中，报告称中国是唯一被检测到在“大规模”进行间谍活动的国家。

新西兰安全情报局（NZSIS）局长安德鲁·汉普顿（Andrew Hampton）表示：“在过去12个月中，我们看到的这类恶意行为和活动，考虑到新西兰的规模及其在南太平洋的位置，证明对像新西兰这样的国家具有更大的威胁。”路透社

巴基斯坦

雪崩中寻获遗体

官员表示，一支当地志愿者队伍昨天寻获了一名巴基斯坦登山者的遗体，该登山者近两周前在博格峰的一场雪崩中丧生。

索海尔·萨基（Sohail Sakhi）的遗体自7月30日起失踪，当时由著名登山家尼尔马尔·普贾（Nirmal Purja）率领的一个10人国际探险队与大本营失去了联系。

当局表示，所有10名登山者都在巴基斯坦最严重的登山事故之一中丧生。搜救队目前已寻获八具遗体。AP

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34

新闻

生活方式

保持冷静，继续前行：夏季如何进行锻炼

安东尼娅·霍伊尔 (Antonia Hoyle) 请教专家并参考研究，为大家提供在高温环境下训练的一些顶尖建议。

现在是晚上 9 点，洗碗机在嗡嗡作响，狗在睡觉。我强撑着让自己离开沙发，穿着睡裤、一件旧背心，没穿胸罩，一脸痛苦地开始进行让大腿灼烧的负重弓步蹲。

我知道在这种高温下，如果我现在不把最厌恶的锻炼完成，我早上的整个日程都会被搞砸。

如果在热浪期间健身感觉格外艰苦，是因为你的身体在试图为肌肉提供能量的同时还要降低体温，这会导致心跳加快并增加疲劳感。

再加上睡眠被干扰而导致的精疲力竭——因为很难冷却到足以入睡的程度——我们集体运动量下降也就不足为奇了。

今年，一项发表在《公共经济学杂志》(Journal of Public Economics) 上、分析了佩戴 Fitbit 设备的人员 240 亿美元 分钟活动数据的研究发现，在炎热天气中，“活动量显著减少”。

另一项发表在《自然-人类行为》(Nature Human Behaviour) 杂志上的研究发现，当温度超过 28℃ 时，运动量就会下降——而英格兰大片地区感受到的 35℃ 高温则远超于此。

但如果我不能完成惯常的健身计划，我会变得有点疯狂。通过在前一天晚上完成部分训练来“解构”我的锻炼，是我应对这个夏天的一种方式。虽然你可能不像我这样循规蹈矩，但制定策略以保持运动仍然是明智的，因为《掌控你的更年期》(Owning Your Menopause) 的作者、私人教练凯特·罗韦-哈姆 (Kate Rowe-Ham) 表示，“即使在炎热的天气里，运动也会让你感觉没那么慵懒”。

力量教练莎拉·贝斯特 (Sarah Best, @findorfituk) 表示：“我们不能因为天气极热就按下暂停键。我们需要理智地去适应。”具体方法如下。

1%

当我们因体液流失而导致体重减轻仅此比例时，运动表现就可能开始下降。

让微风吹拂，并考虑健身房的空调

如果你在家里锻炼，风扇无法降低温度，但它能产生气流使汗液蒸发，帮助你保持凉爽。贝斯特在为她的 Fitness Bites 应用程序拍摄锻炼视频时，会使用一个从亚马逊购买的“基础风扇”，因为她的健身房像个“热箱，下午三点时感觉就像个桑拿房”。

在开始 Peloton 动感单车课程前，把我的那台用了 20 年的风扇放在面前，有助于让我坚持蹬车。

显然，大多数健身房具有空调的优势，因此考虑办理像 Pure Gym 这样的廉价连锁店的临时会员可能值得尝试。不过，我接受罗韦-哈姆的私人训练，她表示：“天气热的时候，对我来说，光是开车去健身房这一步就感觉太勉强了。”

不要害怕在户外举重

罗韦-哈姆建议，如果你在室内锻炼，请拉上窗帘并打开窗户。贝斯特补充说，在花园里找一个阴凉处可以帮助你保持凉爽，她在室外一个有顶棚的区域设有举重站。

“只要有一个平坦、坚固的表面，你完全可以在户外铺上垫子进行力量训练。”

如果你在户外锻炼时处于阳光下，请涂抹防汗防晒霜。罗韦-哈姆和贝斯特都使用 By Sarah 品牌。

在最凉爽的时候锻炼

贝斯特在“一大早，天气还没热到疯狂时”锻炼，罗韦-哈姆也是如此，她说：“我想把它完成，以免之后因为太热而懒得动弹。”但她说，在温度降低的晚上也是一个选择。虽然我一直习惯在早餐前锻炼，但我发现晚上 9 点是一个出奇地令人接受的时间段。

夜晚的宁静是对闷热天气的一种愉悦反衬，睡前几分钟的举重似乎有助于我入睡。

锻炼前洗澡并饮用冰沙

“我在锻炼前洗个温水澡，这比冷水澡能更有效地冷却身体，这样我开始锻炼时感觉很凉爽，”贝斯特说，“之后我会再洗一次澡。”

在《运动医学》（Sports Medicine）杂志上发表的一项关于炎热天气冷却策略的元分析发现，在运动过程中冷却颈部和饮用碎冰饮品是提高运动表现最有效的方法。

这并非因为这些方法能显著降低身体核心温度，而是因为它们让人们感觉更凉爽，从而使锻炼感觉更容易掌控。

在户外阴凉处举重或许仍然可行 GETTY

用“五分钟法则”训练你的心态

在高温环境下锻炼是一个心理雷区。《应用生理学杂志》（Journal of Applied Physiology）的一项研究发现，在 40℃ 环境中锻炼的参与者报告在约 50 分钟后感到精疲力竭，而在 18℃ 环境中，他们可以锻炼一小时而不会达到疲劳状态。

但研究人员得出结论，主要原因是高热对大脑和中枢神经系统的影响，而非肌肉。因此，试着说服自己坚持下去。“我会告诉自己就做五分钟，看看感觉如何，”Best 说道。

“如果你使用这个法则，通常一旦开始，你就会继续下去。”在锻炼后准备一份奖励。“冷冻蓝莓既健康又让人感觉凉爽，”Rowe-Ham 说道。

多喝水

出汗导致的脱水会迫使心脏工作更辛苦，并减少流向肌肉的血流量。《运动与健康科学杂志》（Journal of Sport and Health Science）的一项综述发现，当我们因液体流失而损失仅 1% 的体重时，运动表现就可能开始下降。

Rowe-Ham 在床边放一品脱水，以便醒来时饮用。“喝完咖啡后，我会喝更多的水——在炎热天气里我绝对会喝更多水，这给了我更多能量。”

她不使用电解质补充剂，这类补充剂用于补充通过汗液流失的钠和钾等矿物质，但对大多数人来说是不必要的。

“如果你是一个出汗很多或经常抽筋的人，那么使用它可能更有理由。”

如果愿意，可以穿睡衣并脱掉文胸

“棉质睡衣和标准文胸——或者完全不穿文胸——是举重时舒适的选择，”Rowe-Ham 说道。“在高温环境下，我绝对不会穿莱卡（Lycra）紧身裤——它们本质上就是塑料，”穿着短裤和背心的 Best 补充道。

除非在户外跑步，否则我已经放弃了背心；在需要时，我会选择我最旧、最松垮的运动文胸，这样脱下来时就不需要用撬棍。

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新闻 2-26

观点 18-22

电视 25-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

周五 2026年8月14日

35

缩短锻炼时间或

改变锻炼形式

Best 表示，20 分钟的“适度强度”是一个可以实现的目标，而 Rowe-Ham 则建议对现有的锻炼计划进行微调。

“这可能意味着将你的锻炼时段缩短为运动‘零食’，增加休息次数，或者将一次锻炼分为早晚两场。”

在极热的日子里，我将半小时的 Peloton 锻炼分成了三次 10 分钟的骑行，跨越几个小时完成。这意味着出汗后的黏腻感持续时间更长——但无论如何我反正都会出汗。

Rowe-Ham 建议尝试游泳，以获得力量、灵活性和心血管方面的益处——水比空气能更有效地将热量从身体中传导出去。

“了解一下你当地的休闲中心是否有泳池，或者探索附近湖泊的户外游泳选项。”

为更年期

做出调整

Rowe-Ham 表示，虽然运动可以改善围绝经期的症状，但围绝经期会让体温调节变得更加困难，因此在热浪期间，中年女性在锻炼时可能会感到格外吃力。

“如果你坚持原有的计划，可能会导致体力崩溃。一致性比强度更重要。”

必要时请减少锻炼量。Rowe-Ham 本人通常是一名跑步者，但在热浪期间，她更多地选择穿着 5kg 加重背心行走。“这是一种很好的心血管锻炼，且不会让人感到不堪重负。”

坚持下去——会变得更容易

研究表明，我们的身体最快在几天内就能开始适应在炎热天气下运动。“你做得越多，就越习惯在高温下锻炼，”Rowe-Ham 说道。

“你可能无法进行高强度训练，但值得重新审视你从运动中能获得什么。这样当天气好转时，你的体能依然足以让你立即恢复到平时的锻炼计划中。

“对我来说，这种力量感和韧性——始终是有回报的，而且在热浪期间，这比以往任何时候都更重要。”

工作

当然，年长女性是我最喜欢雇佣的人

她们坚韧、高效，且不害怕接听电话。卡罗琳·海伦斯（Caroline Hirons）写道，职场中没有年龄歧视的生存空间。

无论一周中的哪一天，我都会选择雇佣一名 50 岁的人而非 Z 世代。尤其是如果对方是一位在整个成年生活中一直处理多项任务的女性。在我们的办公室里，没有什么交给一个忙碌的女性而不能被高质量且高效地完成的。

这虽然是个陈词滥调，但之所以成为陈词滥调是有原因的。当然，从法律上讲，申请人不需要在申请表上列出年龄，你也不能询问，我也从未根据年龄雇佣任何人——但当一个人在职场打拼了一段时间，且表现出那种能把事情办成的人格特质时，你是能真正感觉出来的。

五十多岁的人可能更擅长沟通，而且他们会毫无顾虑地拿起电话。这显然是一个笼统的概括，但我确实发现年长者更擅长承担责任并表示：“是的，这是我的责任，是我搞砸了”，因为他们不再那么害怕出错。

当你经历过生活，你的恐惧会集中在真正重要的事情上。

如果你叫一个年轻人到办公室来，他们会认为自己要被训斥了。我们必须向他们解释，我们想和他们谈谈并提供反馈帮助他们。我觉得我得像对待孩子一样对待他们中的一些人，以免他们感到被冒犯而难过。我尝试做的仅仅是提供反馈，让你在工作中变得更出色！

年轻人对批评更敏感、自信心不足是很自然的。但 Z 世代似乎觉得负面反馈尤其难以接受。

我认为我们被迫变得更坚强，是因为抚养我们这一代的人并不那么在意我们的感受。

人们觉得这像个笑话，但我那一代人真的在早上 9.00am 之前就被赶出家门，你母亲会告诉你回来喝茶，然后你就一整天都不在家里。

随着我们长大并找到工作，我们知道必须自食其力，

而且我们的老板不会真的在意我们的感受。在我早年从事零售业时，如果有人请“心理健康假”，人们甚至不知道你是什么意思。他们会直接说：“噢，你有精神病吗？”我绝不是在说那是美好的旧时光，事情当时就是那样。办公室里的年长者有时很难对年轻人温柔体贴，因为他们自己当年往往没有得到过这样的对待。

我们还用零小时合同坑了职场上的年轻一代。再也没有人拥有终身职业，所以他们负担不起搬离家中的费用。如果你负担不起搬离家中的费用，你就不需要职业保障，没有账单或房贷，因此你进步的动力就较低。很多年轻人出于这个原因仍然住在家里，这是我这个年龄及更年长的人的错。

尽管如此，我们团队中有很多 Z 世代，而且我们很幸运地遇到了优秀的他们。当我们发现优秀的 Z 世代时，我们会紧紧抓住他们。

我发现我们团队中工作最努力、表现最好的 Z 世代是真正的苦干者，而且通常是由勤奋的 Z 世代抚养长大的。当他们谈到父母时，我会想：“天呐，是的，你母亲就像我一样”，主要是在对待工作、请病假和迟到的态度上。

你可以看出有些人接受了与我教育孩子相似的 upbringing——说请和谢谢，尊重长辈，良好沟通并拥有良好的职业道德。所以，有很多苦干的 Z 世代，我会留住团队里的每一个人——我绝对热爱他们。

对于一些年轻员工，我觉得我必须像对待孩子一样对待他们，以免他们感到被冒犯而难过

卡罗琳·海伦斯（Caroline Hirons）表示，50 岁以上的女性能把事情办成（见上图插图） GETTY

但在一个抚养过孩子、离开职场又重新回归的女性身上，有一种特定的职业道德，她绝不会将机会视为理所当然，并且会全力以赴。

而且，女性仅仅因为年龄较大而失去工作或无法找到工作，这简直令人愤慨。年龄本应是一项受保护的特征，但执行起来并非那么简单。

我今年 57 岁，我敢肯定，如果我现在是一名雇员而不是雇主，我一定会经历更多的年龄歧视。当我生孩子以及在最后几份企业工作中时，我虽然没有被解雇，但也没有被视为一个年轻且充满活力的人。我会说：“伙计们，我才 40 岁？”

如今，年龄歧视以其他方式表现出来。我不与造型师合作——有些人可能会笑并说这显而易见——因为造型师一旦看到我的年龄，坦白说，他们给我带来的衣服是我死也不会穿的。立刻就变成了全是松紧带的裤子、配套的裤装套装和裙子。我不穿裙子，通常也不穿连衣裙。

当我们构建 SkinRocks 网站时，我们的开发人员设置了年龄组，最后一个年龄组写的是“50 岁以上”。我看着他们说：“你是认真的吗？你是想告诉我，53 岁的我（那时我大约这个年纪）和 75 岁的人想法完全一样吗？”

对于在职场中年龄增长的人，我想给的一条建议是，绝对不能让自己减少大脑的使用。你必须掌控一切。你必须跟上最新的技术。你不需要知道如何操作所有东西，但你需要知道它是什么。

如果你是一名秘书却不了解最新的软件，你在面试中会陷入困境。如果你是一名平面设计师却不了解最新的软件，这就是个问题。

但你看，我想大多数人其实都跟上了进度，但他们在申请过程中被 AI 在早期阶段拒绝了，这可能会筛掉任何超过一定年龄的人。

我绝对不会拒绝有经验的人，而且我们在招聘时不使用 AI。我喜欢我们亲力亲为。

在职场以及生活中，面对年龄歧视可能很难知道如何处理，因为这可能会让人感到非常崩溃。你只需要时刻记住，你的位置是你凭本事赢得的。

Caroline Hirons 是一位护肤专家、作家，也是 SkinRocks 的创始人。

---

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14.08.2026

星期五

电影 音乐 电视 书籍

“我和 Ray 能再次同台？永远不要说绝不可能”

the Kinks 乐队的 Dave Davies 接受 Matt Charlton 采访，谈到了与 The Beatles 的竞争、他对失去初恋的遗憾，以及他与哥哥一生中的反目之争。

Dave Davies 正试图回想起 the Kinks 乐队的一首特定歌曲。他说，这首歌在某种程度上概括了他与哥哥 Ray 之间著名的、充满冲突的兄弟关系。 是 the 乐队的主创词曲作者兼主唱，而 the 与 The Who、The Stones 和 The Beatles 一起，被认为是 60 年代“英国入侵”时期的四大乐队之一。但他想不起是哪一首了。

他的私人助理兼相伴 14 年的女友 Rebecca Wilson 应其要求进入房间，一口气列出了一系列建议，这让我意识到 the 乐队拥有多么惊人的作品目录。

“‘You Really Got Me’？‘Lola’？‘Days’？‘Sunny Afternoon’？‘All Day and All of the Night’？‘Waterloo Sunset’？”

Davies 今年 79 岁，他用不耐烦的“不”否定了所有这些选项，显然对他目前的记忆水平感到沮丧——他在 2004 年 57 岁时曾中风，虽然恢复得很好，但说话时仍有些含糊，偶尔需要 Wilson 的提醒。

终于，他独立想了起来：“‘I’m Not Like Everybody Else’？”他如释重负地说。他手边没有可以播放的设备，于是我拿起手机，对着笔记本电脑的麦克风大声播放这首歌，我们两人静静地听了 30 秒，听着这首他在 60 年前录制的歌曲。

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38

星期五

音乐

“ 是一个非常有深度的人——和我相当不同”

他靠在椅子上，带着满意的微笑。“我在这里是为另一个人而唱；它有不同的含义。”他唱的是他哥哥写的词——这在当时很不寻常，因为歌曲通常由作者本人演唱。

在为《Sunny Afternoon》录制 B 面曲时，由于 The Animals 乐队拒绝了这首歌，Davies 在最后一刻接手了主唱。

“当时我和 意识到我们必须做点什么，而且必须快点做——这就是 60 年代的风格——然后 突然想到了这些点子，说应该由我来领唱……它的结构简直太棒了，”他回忆道。

“坦白说，[这段关系]一直很麻烦，但在很多方面又非常有益——我们在不知不觉中互相帮助。”

这对兄弟性格上的显著差异在他们最新的合作中得到了巧妙的捕捉。虽然不是歌曲或重聚演唱会，但仍是一次艺术尝试——《The : Brothers》是与肖像画家 Christian Furr 的合作，通过一系列混合媒介作品，重新构思了这对兄弟在 1968 年拍摄的一张护照亭照片。

在照片中，哥哥 显得更深沉且摆好姿势，而 Dave 带着半笑，看起来像是最后一刻心血来潮地把脸凑进镜头里。

the 乐队不仅受到兄弟竞争的驱动，早期还与 The Beatles 存在职业竞争——这种竞争可能比 The Fabs 与 The Stones 之间的竞争更具敌意。

在展览的启动活动上，Davies 说：“我热爱 George Harrison——他是我唯一喜欢的披头士成员，”现在他想对此做出澄清。“如果你不喜欢 The Beatles，那你就是个傻瓜，但我如此喜欢 George，是因为我能看到他内心深处潜藏着某种东西——非常深思熟虑。Paul 对 the 评价很高……但 和 John 之间有竞争。John 很难搞。”

我建议 John 和 在当时可能都相当尖锐，“尖锐——是的，就是这样。”

后来，他们成了曼哈顿的邻居， 住在离 Dakota 大厦仅几步之遥的地方，那里是 Lennon 在 1980 年被谋杀的地点。“我仍然感到愤怒，因为这太浪费了……但没错——The Beatles 写不出 的歌， 也写不出 The Beatles 的歌。”

“我曾四次赔光所有积蓄”

Green Man 音乐节的所有者菲奥娜·斯图尔特（Fiona Stewart）向艾米莉·布特尔（Emily Bootle）讲述经营音乐节的真实情况

菲奥娜·斯图尔特并非一直从事音乐行业。作为一名单身母亲，她必须接手任何能找到的工作：酒吧工作、服务员、行政。但所有这些经历后来都派上了用场。“我只是尝试去做任何人要求我做的事情，渐渐地人们听说了我，并将我推荐给其他人。”

如今 66 岁的斯图尔特是 Green Man 的所有者兼总经理。这是英国最后几个真正独立的音乐节之一，也是英国唯一由女性拥有的独立音乐节。

在今年 8 月 20 日音乐节开幕前两周，当我与她交谈时，斯图尔特显得很放松，尽管她已迫不及待地想要前往现场。

Green Man 取得了巨大的成功。该音乐节成立于 2003 年，坐落在布雷肯比肯斯（Bannau Brycheining），每年在任何演出阵容公布前数月，门票就会在几分钟内售罄。尽管许多音乐节不得不依赖 Live Nation 的收购和企业赞助才能在遭受重创的文化环境下生存，但观众仍然喜欢那种更自由、更独立的感觉。

在格拉斯顿伯里（Glastonbury）工作数年后，斯图尔特被邀请去经营位于多塞特郡的 The Big Chill 音乐节。“我立刻就对此产生了共鸣，”她说。但当那里“开始变得有点企业化，有点赞助化……我想拥有一些我可以保护的东西”——于是 2006 年，她接管了 Green Man。

“我见过一些活动因为财务原因而改变——有些变好了，有些变坏了。因为更多地由财务驱动，人们失去了对观众的兴趣或尊重。我不希望这种情况发生。”

我想知道在男性主导的行业中，女性身份如何影响了她的管理方式。“当我刚开始时，这个行业里根本没有女性，”斯图尔特说。“最关键的是让承包商信任我。”

斯图尔特与一名大帐篷承包商维持了七年的“伪装”。他会问她：“你的老板在哪里？”而她会假装打电话给他，以回答承包商的问题。最终，他识破了她：“你就是老板，对吧？”

斯图尔特自然地关注性别比例。“在 Green Man 工作的人中，女性比男性多得多，”她说——但她更普遍地主张维持一种“扁平化结构”。

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我请他给出四个形容他兄弟的形容词，以及四个形容他自己的。首先是雷（Ray）：“勤奋，深思熟虑……他是一个非常深刻的人，非常稳重……和我相当不同。”

现在到了更难的问题：他会如何评价自己？“每十年都会改变，很难客观地评价自己。”于是我询问威尔逊（Wilson）。“你会刻薄的！”他开玩笑说。

“他具有偶然的幸运（serendipitous）。”

“什么？”戴维斯（Davies）回答道。“这是英语吗？”

“就像偶然的魔法，”威尔逊解释道。“他就像迈达斯（Midas）。他不是经过计算的。我总说他没有心机。在创作上，我认为他非常纯粹。就像他割破音箱之类的一切。”

提到的割破音箱事件发生在戴维斯出于挫败感和实验精神，用刀割破了一个“垃圾”Zipico 音箱的扬声器纸盆，将其连接到一个更大的 Vox 放大器上，从而创造出了失真吉他音色，使 The Kinks 乐队在 1964 年 8 月凭借《You Really Got Me》获得了首支 No 1 冠军单曲。这确实是偶然的魔法。“我们当时并不真正知道自己在做什么，”戴维斯告诉我。“雷写了一段很棒的吉他重复段，一首很棒的歌，我们必须得把它呈现出来。它就那样自然而然地产生了。”

戴维斯是八个孩子中最小的一个，出生在伦敦北部马斯韦尔山（Muswell Hill）一个音乐氛围浓厚的工人阶级家庭。看来，他早年生活中的两件事可能将他变成了那个忧郁且冲动的年轻人，他

他在两本自传中写到了这两件事：他 10 岁时长姐的去世，以及一次青少年怀孕导致他有一个女儿，而他在 30 年间都没见过她。

我向他询问《卫报》对他最近一本自传（2022 年出版的《Living on a Thin Line》）的评论，该评论指责他缺乏悔意，并观察到他有“在出现更好的选择时随意抛弃妻子和幼子的习惯”。戴维斯看起来有些茫然，威尔逊介入提醒他：“我跟你说过那个。那太粗鲁了。那个评论员基本上是在说你是个花花公子。”

威尔逊现在对我说道：“首先……他当时 15 岁，他的女朋友 16 岁。他们把这些细节都省略了，你知道吗？他的女朋友被送进了一家未婚青少年母亲之家。所以当我看到[有人]根本不费心核实事实——核实时间线……我有时会想为他辩护。”

她再次离开，戴维斯有了一些时间来整理他的

当地英雄 Stewart 致力于通过她的节日来推进艺术发展并支持社区

“这里没有等级之分。管理员与管理大牌艺人的工作人员一样重要。”

到目前为止，一切看起来都很理想——但从“圣经级别的恶劣天气”到脱欧带来的破坏，Stewart 经历了不少艰辛。

“自从我开始参与 Green Man 以来，我所有的积蓄被赔光了四次，”她淡定地说，“在新冠疫情期间我损失了近 $750,000，因为票已经卖完了，我买好了所有的制作设备，结果活动没能举行。”

下议院的一个委员会在今年早些时候报告称，控制着英国 5,000 多个容量规模节庆活动四分之一以上的 Live Nation，由于其市场主导地位，在现场音乐产业中制造了一种“恐惧氛围”。

委员会主席、国会议员利亚姆·伯恩（Liam Byrne）指出，“人们深切担忧该行业的竞争现在是否对票务、艺术家、场馆和独立推广商公平。”

我问 Stewart 她会对他们说什么。“Live Nation 必须为它的股东创造利润，”她回答道。

“错误的是政府允许他们那样行事。

“独立市场需要得到保护。我们才是那些在几年后会登上 [Live Nation] 舞台的艺术家的培养者。”

“作为企业，我们是截然相反的。用‘节日’这个词来概括太荒谬了。这就像把麦当劳和一个小餐馆放在一起，并期望它们是一样的。”

而 Green Man 则不同：它自 2014 年起就运行着自己的慈善机构，用于艺术发展、社区支持和气候危机工作。该节日还与当地企业合作，并坚定地保持威尔士特色。

“我认为我们所做事情的价值不仅仅是金钱上的。我们在发展艺术、支持职业生涯早期的个体、为小企业和农村社区创造资金方面发挥着作用。这有诸多益处，”Stewart 说。

“我为什么要放弃它？这才是真正的富足，不是吗？”

星期五 2026 年 8 月 14 日

39

我很喜欢乔治·哈里森——他非常有思想。但约翰·列侬……约翰很棘手

思考。 “很难客观地看待他人的经历。我与女孩的第一次恋爱是一次非常美好且令人动容的经历。它教会了我如何生活。

“我与她躺在床上，我爱着她，那是一份礼物。我想人们忘记了这一点……但我早年生活一直深受第一次恋情的影响。如果你愿意这么认为的话，因为她被从我身边夺走而产生的愤恨，让我变成了一个有点‘轻浮’的小伙子。”

这种愤恨以多种方式表现出来，包括与兄弟之间的不和，这有时可能被懒政地比作加拉格尔兄弟。

“我爱加拉格尔兄弟，”他告诉我，“我觉得他们彼此之间如此不同，这很奇怪。他们身上有一种很奇怪但非常讨人喜欢的东西。”

我向他引用了 Oasis 乐队关于兄弟之爱的歌曲《Acquiesco》中的歌词：“因为我们需要彼此，我们相信对方……”

“是的，完全正确。我和雷的情况就非常像——他们必须经历恨这个阶段，现在又回到了正轨……这伴随着成熟而产生。你会意识到：‘这有什么意义？’然后重新思考事情。”

他说，当加拉格尔兄弟不说话时，“我记得我在笑，心想：‘等着瞧，等着瞧，你们会和好的！’”

那么，我们是否能在某个时刻看到戴夫和雷在舞台上重聚？“永远不要说绝不。我们每隔几个月会聊一次，但通常是关于阿森纳……就是些普通的事情，你知道，提醒我们自己也只是人类的一员。”

当然，有人可能会争辩说，在经历了如此动荡且非凡的一生之后，戴夫·戴维斯并不像其他任何人。

《The Kinks: Brothers》在伦敦 Gibson Garage 展出，直到 6 September

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40^{}[] 星期五

音乐

Martha Reeves 已经没有什么需要证明的了。作为 Motown 的传奇人物，她创作了如《Dancing in the Street》、《Nowhere to Run》和《Jimmy Mack》等永恒的经典之作；她获得了摇滚名人堂的表彰，并在好莱坞星光大道上拥有了一颗星，2024年的揭幕仪式吸引了 Smokey Robinson 和 Stevie Wonder 前来赞颂她。她刚刚年满 85 岁，完全有理由休息并安享晚年。

然而，Reeves 即将发行她 22 年来的首张专辑《Searching》。“我并不是在试图证明什么，”当我问及原因时， 说道，“我只是在做上帝让我做的事：他说要分享你的天赋。”

从三岁起就开始分享她的天赋。她出生在阿拉巴马州，在不到一岁时随家人搬到了底特律。音乐在家族中流传：她的母亲 Ruby 在给她梳头时会教她唱歌，而她的父亲 Elijah 曾与 John Lee Hooker 一起演奏蓝调吉他。

“当我三岁时，我和两个年长的哥哥在教堂唱歌赢得了糖果，” 通过从底特律发起的视频通话回忆道，“当我们站起来唱歌时，每个人都热爱我们。那是我第一次唱歌的经历，所以我从那时起就知道音乐就是我的天职。”

这种天职花了一些时间才转化为职业。毕业后， 白天工作，晚上唱歌。16 岁时，她加入了一个名为 The Del-Phis 的团体，在底特律各地演出。

她也唱独唱，在一次才艺之夜的获胜让她在底特律的一家俱乐部获得了驻唱机会。正是在那里，Motown 的 A&R 负责人 William “Mickey” Stevenson 注意到了她并邀请她参加试镜。

然而，当她到达录音室时，“我被要求进办公室接电话，他说他马上回来，”她回忆道，“他离开了三个小时，当他回来时，我已经把所有给他打电话的人整齐地记录在了一叠便条上。” 正是因为这些便条如此详尽，

“警察拦住了我们的巴士，告诉我们下车唱歌”

在发行二十多年来的首张专辑之际，Martha 在接受 Sarfraz Manzoor 采访时，谈到了在种族隔离的深南部演出、被九岁的 Stevie Wonder 震撼，以及那次帮她挽救生命的祈祷静修。

依然在街头起舞：左图为 在 2024 年演出《A Motown Christmas》；右图为 1975 年与 Vandellas 乐队合影。MICHAEL DONS ARCHIVEDGETTY

Stevenson 雇佣她担任他的秘书。

这并不是她预想中的试镜——但由于在 A&R（艺人与制作）部门工作，这意味着里夫斯（Reeves）经常是第一个接触新艺人的工作人员。她仍然记得被介绍给九岁时的史蒂夫·汪达（Stevie Wonder）的情景。“他们把那个孩子从学校接来，直接带到我面前，”她回忆道，“他能演奏任何东西——他把打字机当乐器弹，把电话当乐器弹。他天生就是个天才。”

摩城唱片（Motown）由曾在福特汽车工厂工作的贝里·戈迪（Berry Gordy）创立，他将那种生产模式应用到了自己的唱片公司中。像 Holland-Dozier-Holland 这样的词曲作者-制作人团队负责写歌，公司内部的 Funk Brothers 乐队几乎参与了每一首摩城歌曲的演奏，而艺人们则被指派演唱特定的歌曲。

有一天，当摩城传奇人物玛丽·威尔斯（Mary Wells）无法参加一次

“我们都嫉妒戴安娜·罗斯，因为每个人都想成为贝里的女人”

录音环节时，里夫斯自愿代替她演唱，并请来了 Del-Phis 乐队帮忙。就在那一天，“玛莎与范德拉乐队”（Martha and the Vandellas）诞生了。

很快，她开始定期与她的乐队录制歌曲。“制作人们会决定谁来唱这些歌，”里夫斯说，“但一旦开始录音，就会有其他人站在录音室外面偷听。我就是这样从马文·盖伊（Marvin Gaye）那里拿到那首歌的。”

那首歌就是《在街头起舞》（Dancing in the Street）。盖伊当时正在录制这首由他共同创作的歌曲，这时他看到了里夫斯并向她招手。“他说：‘帮我唱这首歌，’”里夫斯说，“我不知道他为什么把它给我，因为他唱得那么好，但当他们把我的声音加入轨道后，就把他的声音删掉了。我希望全世界能听到马文·盖伊演唱他自己的这首歌。”该曲在 1964 年发行后成为了巨大的热门。

玛莎·里夫斯与范德拉乐队是“摩城巡演”（Motortown Revue）的一部分，这是一个横跨美国并访问英国的综合巡演团。在不同阶段，演出阵容包括马文·盖伊、史蒂夫·汪达、至上女声组合（The Supremes）、斯莫基·罗宾逊（Smokey Robinson）、格拉迪斯·奈特（Gladys Knight）以及诱惑乐队（The Temptations）。

当巡演团穿过深南部地区时，他们遭遇了种族主义，在加油站面临武装威胁，酒店拒绝让他们入住，巴士遭到枪击，演出观众也被强制隔离。“我们会被警察拦下，他们会说如果我们

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FRIENDLY 2026年8月14日

真的是歌手，就得下车唱歌，”她说，“有时我们不得不这样做。”

南部地区并非全是阴郁之色——里夫斯回忆起前往肯塔基州并与穆罕默德·阿里（Muhammad Ali）见面的经历。“他太帅了，”她说，“我不记得他说了什么，因为他就像一场梦一样。”

这么多优秀的艺人乘坐同一辆巴士在全国旅行，这个想法似乎不可思议——当时是什么情况？

“我记得我们会在巴士上打牌、掷骰子，”她说，“我们会唱歌，在座位上排练，为下一场演出做准备。”

艺人们之间竞争激烈吗？“完全就是竞争！我们为了抢下一个演出的舞台而拼命。我们虽然比不过诱惑乐队，但也能撑起场面。”

在她 1994 年出版的名为《在街头起舞》的回忆录中，里夫斯详细描述了与贝里·戈迪的一次对话，戈迪告诉她，至上女声组合处于阶梯的最顶端，而里夫斯的乐队则在较低的一层。

这可能与戈迪当时在与戴安娜·罗斯（Diana Ross）约会有关。我问里夫斯是否曾对罗斯感到竞争心。“事实是我们都嫉妒戴安娜·罗斯，因为每个人都想成为贝里的女人。他是那个出主意的人，是那个拥有梦想的人。而且他的眼睛也很性感。”

里夫斯结过两次婚，这两段短暂的婚姻均以离婚告终。“我在约会方面一直没什么成功，”她说，“但我依然抱有希望，依然在寻找。”

显然，问题在于许多与她约会的男人也想与范德拉乐队的其他成员约会。“这种情况发生过。

“我当时约会的一个男人结果竟然在和我们三个同时约会，”她透露道，“当你发现这件事时，心里会很难受。”

我一时语塞。我最后建议道，这在乐队成员之间一定是一次非常尴尬的谈话。“你得尽量不要和你的合唱伙伴闹掰，”她说，“但这就是爱情的游戏——如果你允许，男人就会这么做。”

随着戈迪（Gordy）和摩城唱片（Motown）的注意力日益向罗斯（Ross）和至上女声组合（The Supremes）倾斜，里夫斯（Reeves）发现自己在唱片公司的地位被边缘化了——这一转变恰逢该组合的热门歌曲在 60 年代末逐渐枯竭，当时内部纷争开始出现，且里夫斯因疲劳而依赖于被开给她的处方药。一次被掺入酸类药物的饮料引发了严重的神经崩溃，导致她曾被短暂地送入精神病院并被束缚衣禁锢。

“当你出名时，一切都会向你袭来，”她说。“当人们带着微笑和魅力出现，让你对自己所做的事情感到良好时，你会很兴奋，飘飘然，然后他们说：‘试试这个’——于是你就试了。”

里夫斯继续与抑郁和成瘾作斗争，直到 1977 年，部分由于看到像珍妮丝·乔普林（Janis Joplin）这样的同辈被自身的过度放纵所摧毁而受到震撼，她参加了一次祈祷静修，戒了瘾，并成为一名重生基督徒。“如果不是因为那个，我早就死了，”她坚定地说。“我早就躺在坟墓里了。”

幸运的是，里夫斯远未死去。她曾涉足政坛，在 2005 年至 2009 年期间担任底特律市议会议员，但现在，随着《Searching》的推出，她回到了音乐创作中。她的外貌和声音状态都很好，在交谈中极具风趣。

“能活到 85 岁感觉很好，”她说。“我原以为自己在 35 岁时就没命了。我曾认为自己在这里没有位置，也没有更多可以实现的梦想。”

我假设作为一名基督徒，她相信天堂——但她认为天堂是什么样子的？“它是真实的，但它不是一个地方，”里夫斯回答道。“它在你的灵魂里，在你的思想里。当你快乐时，就是天堂。”我看着屏幕上微笑的女人，得出结论：玛莎·里夫斯（Martha Reeves）一定身在天堂。

玛莎·里夫斯的新专辑《Searching》现已通过 Fun Day Records 发行

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在明天的

周末版中

英国 40 条短途徒步路线

夏季葡萄酒终极指南

本月最佳平装书

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42 星期五

书籍

书架之爱：贝塔妮·休斯推荐的古代历史最佳书籍

贝塔妮·休斯（Bettany Hughes）是我们最著名的关于古代世界的作家和广播员之一。这位历史学家主持了50多档关于该主题的电视和广播节目，包括她最近在第四频道播出的《失落的世界：文明的黎明》（Lost Worlds: Dawn of Civilisations），她在节目中穿越古代安纳托利亚（即现代土耳其），探索塑造了数千年文化的考古发现、文化和景观。她的最新著作《你的学校里曾有个埃及人》（There Was an Egyptian in Your School）是一本面向儿童的指南，介绍了数千年前的教育情况，旨在激发各地初学历史者对古典文明的热爱。那么，休斯本人最喜欢的关于古代世界的书籍有哪些呢？

《若非如此，便是冬季》（IF NOT, WINTER） 萨福（Sappho）著，安妮·库兰（Anne Curran）译 (Virogo, £26.99)

“萨福的诗应该在所有学校阅读。这位来自希腊莱斯博斯岛的公元前7世纪诗人的作品敏锐且具有启发性，讲述了早期的爱情所带来的影响——既包括它的美好，也包括它的破坏力。萨福是第一个将爱情描述为‘苦乐参半’的人——不过有趣的是，她是先说甜，然后才说苦。”

《伊利亚特》（THE ILIAD） 荷马（Homer）著，艾米莉·威尔逊（Emily Wilson）译 (WW Norton, £14.99)

“只要有机会，我就会阅读这本书，以及荷马的《奥德赛》和《塞浦路斯史》（The Cypric）——另一首与特洛伊战争相关的古代诗篇，据信是由诗人斯塔西努斯（Stasinus）创作的。译者与文本之间的关系是非常亲密的——我很喜欢艾米莉为《伊利亚特》带来的新鲜感。但每部文本在很多方面都具有感染力——它们都是对爱琴海青铜时代和铁器时代史诗故事的不同解读。我最喜欢的活动之一就是尝试将考古证据与诗句中隐藏的‘偶然历史’相匹配。”

《亚马逊女战士》（THE AMAZONS） 艾德里安娜·迈耶（Adrienne Meyer）著 (普林斯顿大学出版社, £14.99)

“这是一本革命性的书籍，它颠覆了数千年来影响我们对亚马逊女战士认知的厌女症。通过在神话和考古学中追踪她们的故事，迈耶证明了从青铜时代起确实存在参加战斗的个体女战士。我见过其中一些女性的坟墓，骸骨的手臂、头部和腿部有切割痕迹——有些骨头中仍嵌着黑曜石箭头。亚马逊女战士真实存在过！”

《埃格里亚的旅行》（EGERIA'S TRAVELS） 约翰·威廉姆森（John Williamson）译 (利物浦大学出版社)

“埃格里亚可能是一名世俗修女，或者是来自西班牙、葡萄牙或法国南部的修女团体成员，她在公元4世纪独自旅行于她所认知的圣地。如今，她以书信形式记录的目击报告仍在印刷出版——它们提供了独特的历史记录。这些记录让我们对君士坦丁堡、土耳其南部、叙利亚和埃及有了迷人的洞察——在书中，她告诉世人，金字塔是圣经旧约先祖约瑟的‘粮仓’。”

《伯里克利》（PERICLES） 保罗·卡特利奇（Paul Cartledge）著 (Bradston Books, £15.99)

“这是一部详尽、严谨且宏大的研究，探讨了古希腊历史上最迷人的人物之一。对我而言，伯里克利的天才之处之一在于他从其情妇伴侣阿斯帕西亚（Aspasia）那里获得的灵感。这提醒我们，尽管女性在古雅典是二等公民——而阿斯帕西亚还是个外国人，因此享有的权利更少——但她们在世界历史上最具影响力的时代之一中，依然可以拥有地位和声望。”

《你的学校里曾有个埃及人》（There Was an Egyptian in Your School）(Puffin, £8.99) 现已出版

考虑到这些古老的故事在数千年来一直激励并感动着我们，宣称希腊神话正迎来一个“高光时刻”似乎有些滑稽。但今年夏天，人们对它的兴趣确实在增加——得益于克里斯托弗·诺兰改编的《奥德赛》大片，荷马这部有着 2,700 年历史的史诗作品销量激增。当你读完原诗后，还有许多当代对经典的重新演绎可以加入你的阅读清单，从炽热的酷儿爱情故事到心理惊悚片，再到女性主义的重构。以下是 12 本最好的……

《美国婚姻》（AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE） Teyari Jones (Oneworld, £9.99)

除非有人在阅读前告诉你，否则你未必能意识到《美国婚姻》正如 Jones 所言，是在与《奥德赛》进行对话。这部获得 2019 年女性奖（Women's Prize）的小说是一部关于冤狱和种族的感人且扣人心弦的作品，讲述了新婚夫妇罗伊和塞莱斯蒂尔的生活在罗伊被判定犯下他并未实施的罪行后被撕裂的故事。

但通过对一个被迫远离家园和妻子、这对夫妇的婚姻受到的影响以及他突然回归时发生之事的刻画，它显然是荷马故事的继承者——一个针对现代社会的、扣人心弦且情感丰富的更新版本。

《阿基里斯之歌》（THE SONG OF ACHILLES） Madeline Miller (Bloomsbury, £20.99)

如果你打算只读一本神话改编作品，那就选这一本。通过从阿基里斯的爱人帕特罗克洛斯的视角讲述《伊利亚特》的故事，它自然地为荷马史诗提供了一个开创性的视角——并为我们带来了有史以来出版的最浪漫的书籍之一。

Miller 表示，她希望通过这部获得 2012 年女性奖的小说探讨在暴力世界中做一个好人意味着什么，这在当代显得极其相关，对战争的残酷和无谓的代价有诸多深刻的论述。一部杰作。

《神话》（MYTHOS） Stephen Fry (Penguin, £20.99)

作为 Fry “希腊神话”系列的开篇，《神话》是进入古代传说世界的绝佳入门之作。这位喜剧演员兼广播员用他标志性的机智和才华更新了这些神话；《神话》带我们回顾了众神的早期历史以及

本周我们都见证了月亮的力量。或者更准确地说，当日食将光明变为黑暗、将我们的世界颠倒时，我们都眯起眼睛透过针孔观察，或者在头上扣上沥水篮。达伦·阿尔蒙德的《满月》（Fullmoon）（Taschen, £100）虽然没有达到那种程度，但他确实用一种全新的光芒重新塑造了我们周围的世界。这位出生于威根的英国艺术家在过去的二十五年里走遍全球，从日本到巴塔哥尼亚，从阿尔卑斯山到英国的草地，在满月的灯光下，使用超过 15 分钟的长曝光拍摄风景，用一种从阴影中散发出的光芒照亮河流、山脉和海岸，营造出一种崇高感。右图，《月虹》（Moonbow），2011。

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星期五 2016年8月14日

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也是一位出色的神话重构者，从他的短篇小说集《码头坍塌》（The Pier Falls）到 2024 年受希腊神话启发的选集《狗与怪物》（Dogs and Monsters）。

他在 2019 年那部闪耀的小说《白海豚》（The Porpoise）中将古代故事发挥到了极致。这部作品是对莎士比亚戏剧《佩里克利斯》的改编，而后者本身又是受更古老的年轻王子阿波罗尼乌斯传说的启发。小说讲述了一名年轻女性通过给自己讲受其阅读的所有神话启发的的故事，来寻求从虐待童年中的慰藉。当一名追求者挑战她的父亲决斗时，现实与她的想象之间的界限变得模糊——产生了令人兴奋且极具沉浸感的效果。

《秘密历史》（THE SECRET HISTORY） Donna Tartt (Penguin, £10.99)

受欧里庇得斯《巴克斯》的启发，塔特这部引起轰动的文学作品聚焦于一群新英格兰地区的古典文学学生，他们对演练古代狄俄尼索斯祭祀仪式的狂热，导致他们卷入了一起谋杀同学的案件。

书中对青春、权力以及有毒友谊的观察精准且闪光，是一次阅读享受——无论你是初次接触，还是第10次快速翻阅。

CIRCE 玛德琳·米勒 (Bloomsbury, £10.99)

这是名单上的第二本米勒的书——但我对此无需道歉。这部迷人的小说完全配得上它的位置。它为《奥德赛》中将英雄部下变成猪的女巫喀耳刻提供了一个不可抗拒的女性主义视角，并以令人惊叹的聪明洞察力探讨了创伤、权力、韧性，以及最令人动容的死亡。在初次阅读多年后，我依然时常想起它。

THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS 帕特·巴克 (Penguin, £9.99)

又一次“流动”的重述——这一次是从布里塞伊斯（Briseis）的视角出发。在阿喀琉斯洗劫了特洛伊附近的一座城镇后，布里塞伊斯被赏赐给他，而她也成为了阿伽门农与阿喀琉斯在诗篇核心的自尊冲突中争执的对象。

巴克在她的第一次世界大战《再生》（Regeneration）三部曲中证明了自己精于描绘士兵的创伤，而在这里，她在刻画女性在战争中遭遇的恐怖经历时同样毫不退缩——强奸、奴役、残害以及可怕的悲恸。这是一部激烈且重要、令人难以忘怀的小说。

最优秀的古希腊神话改编作品

如果克里斯托弗·诺兰的大片《奥德赛》让你意犹未尽，不妨尝试这些对经典故事进行精彩现代演绎的作品——从女性主义视角的重新聚焦，到设定在 80 年代新英格兰地区的谋杀之谜。作者：Gwendolyn Smith

凡人——雅典娜的诞生，珀耳塞福涅的被掳——均以一种极具吸引力且平易近人的对话风格呈现。

该系列的另外三部作品也值得阅读——其中最新的一部是《奥德赛》。

《克吕泰斯特拉》（CLYTEMNESTRA） Costanza Casati 著 (Penguin, £10.99)

克吕泰斯特拉因在丈夫阿伽门农从特洛伊战争返回后将其谋杀，通常被描绘成一个反派人物。在这里，Casati 为我们讲述了她的故事：作为一名王后，在丈夫竟然将他们的女儿当作祭品献祭后，她悄悄地策划报复这个她被迫嫁给的杀人犯。

这部小说的出彩之处在于 Casati 对人际关系的精准观察——从克吕泰斯特拉童年时期与姐姐海伦（后来的特洛伊海伦）之间的纽带，到她对生命中那些野蛮男人的刻骨仇恨。在心碎和绝望的愤怒驱动下，这是一次极具张力的改编。

《波西·杰克逊与神火之盗》（PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF） Zick Riordan 著 (Puffin, £9.99)

Riordan 灵感源自神话的《波西·杰克逊》系列在技术上可能是面向儿童的——但对于成年人来说，这也是一种消化古代故事的愉悦方式。

故事设定在 21 世纪一个由希腊众神居住的世界中。Riordan 的第一部冒险小说出版于 2005 年，讲述了普雷塞斯·“波西”·杰克逊的故事，他从一个普通青少年变成了发现自己是一名半神、波塞冬之子的身份。更糟糕的是，宙斯似乎认为波西偷走了他威力无穷的闪电之箭。

我们的英雄和他的朋友们必须与时间赛跑，抓住真正的窃贼并逃离宙斯的愤怒。

极其有趣——而且 Disney + 上还有改编的电视剧可以观看。

《国王必须死》（THE KING MUST DIE） Mary Renault 著 (Virugu, £10.99)

忒修斯一直不确定自己的父亲是谁。但当他发现自己实际上是雅典国王埃勾斯的儿子时，他便出发去追求自己的王室天命。这是一场惊心动魄的探索，最终以他在克里特岛米诺斯国王迷宫般的宫殿中试图杀死米诺陶牛的著名尝试而告终。

Renault 的这部小说出版于 1958 年，它启发了苏珊·柯林斯的《饥饿游戏》，是一部经久不衰的精彩成长故事，心理刻画敏锐，且生动地唤起了古典世界的氛围。

《千艘战船》（A THOUSAND SHIPS） Natalia Haynes 著 (Picador, £10.99)

《千艘战船》或许是当前出版界流行将古代神话进行女性主义改编的极致范例。它不仅仅挖掘一个女性的心理。相反，在 Haynes 对《伊利亚特》的全女性改编中，我们看到了所有不幸卷入特洛伊战争的女性的视角。

我们听到了女神、王后、寡妇和海妖的声音，Haynes 编织了一幅关于女性生活的精美且具颠覆性的织锦——以及那些被历史抹去的声音和故事。

《万物之下》（EVERYTHING UNDER） Daisy Johnson 著 (Vintage, £9.99)

Johnson 的处女作在 2018 年入围布克奖短名单时，使她成为有史以来最年轻的被提名者，当时她 27 岁。

该故事将俄狄浦斯神话更新到现代的牛津，中心人物是一名寻找失踪母亲的年轻女性。格蕾特最后一次见到莎拉已经是 16 年前了，莎拉在运河边抚养她长大，她的童年充满了秘密语言以及对一种被称为“Bonak”的奇怪水生物的恐惧。

格蕾特寻求团聚的尝试揭开了家庭秘密和黑暗的预言，这是一部诡谲且极具氛围感的小说。

《鼠海豚》（THE PORPOISE） Mark Hadden 著 (Vintage, £10.99)

Hadden 或许将永远以《深夜之狗离奇事件》的作者身份而被熟知，但他

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市场与商业

今日金句

博彩税的变更将产生巨大影响——约 2.5 亿英镑 ——但我们拥有非常强有力的缓解计划

Stella David 博彩集团 Entain 的首席执行官在看到“令人印象深刻”的势头后，承诺将增加在英国的投资

@theipaper business@theipaper.com

经济

英国经济增长抵御伊朗战争担忧——至少目前如此

作者：Holly Williams

尽管面临伊朗战争带来的成本压力，但国际足联世界杯以及6月份的创纪录高温帮助英国经济在第二季度保持了韧性，不过关于年底增长将受打击的警告正在增加。

官方数据显示，4月至6月期间国内生产总值（GDP）增长了0.4%，其中6月份的增长率为0.3%，高于此前预测。然而，这较第一季度记录的0.6%增长有所放缓。

6月份的增长出乎人们对持平表现的预期，此前5月份没有增长（此前估计增长0.1%，后下调），而4月份则收缩了0.1%。

食品和饮料公司是6月11日世界杯开赛的受益者之一，而电视和广告业也从该赛事中获益，英格兰队在7月进入了半决赛。

与此同时，炎热的天气提振了零售商、制造商、酒店以及游乐和娱乐部门的公司。

但这些数据是在对伊朗战争影响的担忧中出炉的。

周三披露的消息显示，财政部专家已向首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）简报，

虽然部分公司受益于炎热天气，但6月的极端热浪也打击了经济的部分领域。 一些建筑公司报告受到影响，而在教育领域，许多学校因热浪而关闭。

预计明年经济几乎不会增长，如果对霍尔木兹海峡的干扰持续到今年年底。

据政府消息人士透露，财政部的内部模型显示，明年英国GDP的增长率可能低至0.3%。

Item Club首席经济顾问马特·斯旺内尔（Matt Swannell）警告称，由于能源价格进一步上涨和燃料成本飙升压低了消费者的支出能力，下半年的增长将“非常疲软”。

由于伊朗战争导致批发成本激增，英国能源监管局（Ofgem）的能源价格上限在7月初上涨了13%，预计10月将再次上涨，不过其中一部分将被政府决定削减电费增值税（VAT）所抵消。

财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）表示：“我知道人们担心伊朗战争对生活成本的影响，生活成本已经过高且持续时间太长，这给英国企业增加了压力。”

热浪对游乐和娱乐部门来说是个好消息

“但这是一个积极、务实的政府，将英国利益放在首位——为感到压力的人提供喘息空间，增强我们国家的韧性并带回希望。”

英国国家统计局的数据显示，服务业在6月份增长了0.4%，但这被制造业0.5%的下降和建筑业0.1%的下降部分抵消。

哈维·尼科尔斯（Harvey Nichols）历史悠久的骑士桥门店是迈克·艾希利（Mike Ashley）旗下的 Frasers Group 收购的六家门店之一 GETTY

零售

艾希利趁势收购陷入困境的 Harvey Nichols

作者：Henry Saker-Clark

在这家历史悠久的百货连锁店陷入破产管理后，迈克·艾希利（Mike Ashley）旗下的 Frasers Group 已将其收购。

这意味着 Harvey Nichols 在短期内可能会变成一家“规模较小的企业”，因为 Frasers 将监督一次“重大重组”。该公司计划审查该零售商的店铺组合、组织结构、运营模式和成本。

在一次拍卖过程中，Frasers 击败了零售竞争对手 Next，取得了 品牌的控制权。

本周早些时候， 在公布年度亏损 4900 万英镑 后警告称，如果无法获得新投资，将在一年内“停止营业”。

该交易包括六家门店：分别位于伦敦骑士桥（Knightsbridge）、曼彻斯特、伯明翰、布里斯托、利兹和爱丁堡。

此次收购将保障 1,000 多名员工的未来，并包括 的在线业务及其产品库存。

作为交易的一部分， 的国际特许经营店将继续营业。

然而， 于 1996, 在伦敦南岸 OXO 塔大厦开设的 OXO 餐厅未被包含在内，已被另一买家收购。

Frasers 还对德国时尚品牌 Hugo Boss 发起了收购尝试，该公司此前已持有其部分股份。

首席执行官迈克尔·默里（Michael Murray）表示：“ 是一家具有重大潜力的标志性英国机构。”

“扭转局面需要做出艰难的选择，我们准备好做出这些决定，即使这意味着在短期内企业规模会缩小，以便为长期发展打造一个更强大、更可持续的 。”

房地产

房屋没收和抵押贷款欠款下降情况“令人鼓舞”

作者：Vicky Shaw

尽管房主和房东都面临财务压力，但英国被没收房屋的数量有所下降。

英国金融业协会（UK Finance）表示，2026, 第二季度约有 1,150 处房主抵押房产被没收，比前三个月减少了 8 per cent，比去年同期减少了 14 per cent。

此外，还有 630 处出租房抵押房产被没收，比上一季度减少了 22 ，同比下降 20 。

英国金融业协会表示，总体而言，没收数量仍显著低于长期平均水平，并且是自 2023 底以来首次出现同比下降。

该协会补充称，目前正在进行的没收主要与旧抵押贷款有关，超过三分之二的没收涉及至少十年前办理的抵押贷款。

今年第二季度，约有 77,940 房主抵押贷款的欠款达到或超过未偿余额的 2.5 或更多，比前三个月减少了 1 ，年度下降 11 。

英国金融业协会表示，另有 8,390 出租房抵押贷款处于此欠款水平，与上一季度相比下降了 6 ，年度下降 26 。

全国房地产代理协会 Propertymark 主席伊恩·哈里斯（Ian Harris）表示：“这些数据令人鼓舞。”

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房地产

[...OMITTED...]

“我卖掉了房子——买了一辆双层巴士住进去”

林齐·哈格雷夫（Lindzi Hargrave）花费了 5.5 万英镑 来翻新她新购买的 1.8 万英镑。作者：夏洛特·达克（Charlotte Duck）

当 39 岁的林齐·哈格雷夫卖掉位于莱斯特郡格伦菲尔德（Glenfield, Leicestershire）的一栋与哥哥共有的两居室房子时，她决定利用房屋净值买一个新的住处。不寻常的是，那个住处是一辆双层巴士。

“我一直对巴士着迷，”她说，“我小时候有图书巴士来到学校，到了 20 多岁时，我想买一辆。”

在以 2 万英镑 的价格卖掉她的排屋并获得约 4 万英镑 的净值后，林齐在 2023 年 5 月花费了 1.8 万英镑 买了一辆巴士，此前她支付了几千英镑的初始定金。

“这辆巴士曾被伦敦警察厅（Met Police）用于活动和招聘过程，”她说。

“当我接收她时，她只是一个空壳，座椅还在里面，只有几个隔断。”

现在巴士已经翻新完毕——上层包括卧室、浴室和办公区，并配有存储箱，可以将它们推在一起组成一张成人床或两张较小的儿童床。

下层有一个厨房和一个位于后方的生活区，后者兼作社区空间。

翻新巴士总共花费了 5.5 万英镑，其中包括办理 C 类驾照、支付理论和路考费用以及健康检查，总费用为 2,000 英镑。

安装新电力系统花费了 1 万英镑，其中 2,000 英镑 用于四块太阳能电池板，1,000 英镑 用于存储所产电力的锂电池。

其他大项支出包括一个 2,500 英镑 的木材燃烧炉、一个 £700 的堆肥厕所和一个 £700 的冰箱。

“其他所有东西都是从 Gumtree、FreeCycle 或 Facebook Marketplace 找来的，”林齐说，“我不希望巴士给人一种精致的感觉——我想把旧物改造升级，我为此付出的努力达到了让我再也不想看到油漆刷的程度！”

林齐表示，翻新后巴士的价值取决于具体情况。“如果我必须把她放到市场上，我可能只能拿到 3.5 万英镑 到 4 万英镑，但如果有人想要她，我可以想象会被出价 6 万英镑 或 7 万英镑。”

住在双层巴士上伴随着巨大的成本。“最大的开支是汽车保险，这使得它”

林齐曾是一名特殊教育教师，她将巴士作为一个安全空间，让人们了解神经多样性。

“相当于租房，”林齐说，“你因为不用缴纳市政税（移动房屋免税）而省下的任何钱都花在保险上了。”

在第一年，保险费高达 5,500 英镑，而到了第二年，降到了 3,500 英镑。

“尽管我作为汽车驾驶员有 20 年的无理赔记录，但你得从零开始，”林齐说。她通过剃光头筹集了 1,000 英镑，用于支付第二年的保险费。

“如果保费维持在高位，继续下去将是非常困难的。”她希望随着无理赔奖金的积累，这个数字会继续下降。

林齐可以将车免费停在路边停车区，但那里没有废物处理设施。“不在露营地可以省很多钱，但你仍然得弄清楚如何处理废物。一些露营地也不接收我，因为[巴士]太大了，”她说。

“市政当局在减少游牧人群的活动空间，这让我感到很遗憾。我不交市政税，但如果市政当局为我们提供空间，我们会付费的。”

林齐每月还支付 £15 的汽车税，并每月花费 £100 用于

最糟糕的部分是清理厕所。但我喜欢每天看到不同的风景：我是一个追求新鲜感的人

食物和水。在冬天，她将车停好以节省柴油费，但在夏天她开车环游全国时，这笔费用每月约为 £700。在冬天，她还需要每周预算 £100 用于巴士取暖，因此这影响了大部分的燃料节省。

“如果算平均值，这并不比传统生活方式更便宜，但我的心理健康状况好多了。这和独自租房住一样贵，但至少我不需要支付押金，而且这辆巴士是我的。这就像在租房生活中勉强维持生计一样，但我计划将其变成我的职业，”林兹（Lindzi）说道。

林兹此前在一家支持患有 ADHD（注意缺陷多动障碍）和自闭症儿童的行为单位担任教师，现在她计划前往全国各地的节日庆典，将巴士提供给人们作为一个安全空间，让他们可以在那里放松，并了解 ADHD 和神经多样性。

她将这个社区项目命名为“Bus Different”。到目前为止，这辆巴士已经去过 Vanlife、Replica、Barefoot 和 Watford Fringe 等节日庆典，在这些活动中，它被用作福利点或展示巴士，向人们展示其独特的改装结构。

她在西萨塞克斯郡、约克郡和威尔士之间穿行——考虑到沿途的维护问题，这是一个了不起的成就。“去年和今年都出了很多问题。在今年节日季开始前，巴士停止运行了，我经历了六周的噩梦，”林兹说。

当地的一家修理厂最终诊断并解决了问题，但标准维护费用每年为 £400，其他临时费用每年还会增加 1,000 英镑。例如，更换一条新轮胎需要 £700。

尽管如此，林兹并不认为成本是住在巴士上的缺点。相反，她说最糟糕的事情是“必须清理厕所”。

“你带到巴士上的所有东西，都必须亲手把它搬走。”当然，这种生活也有很多优点，包括“感觉与周围环境和季节变化融为一体”。

“今天早上，我在室外的田野里做了瑜伽拉伸。我喜欢每天看到不同的风景，因为我追求新鲜感，”林兹补充道。她会向他人推荐她的生活方式，但她说你必须对此充满热情。

“如果这是你的梦想，我会推荐它。这不是一件可以半心半意去做的事情；纯粹的热情让我能够克服重重障碍。而且这是一种很美好的生活方式。”

21 万英镑 第一次在伦敦是第一到第二年。下一次在伦敦也是第一到第二年。

就业

部长称禁止“零小时合同”是“公平的”

作者：David Lynch 和 George Thompson

在政府分析表明禁止零小时合同可能导致企业每年损失高达 3000 万英镑m 后，一名部长为该计划进行了辩护。

技能部长杰奎琳·史密斯男爵夫人（Baroness Jacqui Smith）在周三警告报告发布后表示，政府拟议的禁令将确保工人获得“公平的报酬”。

她表示：“我认为，如果一个人签署了一份合同，却完全不知道自己是否能工作，但又受该合同的约束，这是不公平的。”

一项影响评估还指出，拟议的改革预计将通过改善工人的条件来“支持增长”。

根据数据显示，禁令给雇主带来的整体直接成本每年可能在 3.5 亿英镑m 和 29亿英镑 之间，其中“指示性中心”估计值为 180 万英镑m。

政府正在就该政策是否适用于每周工作 48 小时的任何人进行磋商，但其倾向于将门槛设定在 8 到 20 小时之间。

但英国商会（British Chambers of Commerce）表示，潜在的成本可能会给“年轻人的就业前景带来沉重打击”。

其政策总监凯特·舒斯密斯（Kate Shoesmith）表示：“我们已经面临青年失业危机——现在不是增加雇主招聘成本的时候。”

AUTOMOTIVE

房地产

Canary Wharf 出售法兴银行办公楼

Canary Wharf Group 将其位于银行街 1-5 号的法国兴业银行（Société Générale）办公楼以 6.25 亿英镑m 的价格出售给了其支持投资者——布鲁克菲尔德公司（Brookfield Corporation）和卡塔尔投资局（Qatar Investment Authority）。该办公楼同时也是欧洲复兴开发银行的所在地。此次出售为该集团清偿了 4.5 亿英镑m 的债务。

矿业

救助计划挽救力拓冶炼厂

澳大利亚政府和新南威尔士州政府公布了一项 825亿 澳元（18亿英镑）的纳税人救助计划，以防止力拓（Rio Tinto）的 Tomago 铝冶炼厂关闭。根据一项为期 10 年的电力协议，该国最大的能源用户将在 2001, 年前过渡到 100% 可再生电力，力拓将投资 811亿 澳元用于该设施的脱碳。

媒体

内维尔凭借 Disney+ 交易获利

Disney+ 已获得加里·内维尔（Gary Neville）体育媒体品牌 The Overlap 的流媒体版权。它将播出 40 集《Stick to Football》以及 50 集由创作者 Mark Goldbridge 共同主持的新衍生节目《Stick to United with Wayne Rooney》。该品牌在保留 YouTube 渠道的同时，将为 Disney+ 订阅用户提供独家内容。

石油与天然气

运营商被要求尽早关闭油井

北海过渡管理局（NSTA）已命令石油和天然气生产商加速关闭油井，以防止成本飙升。NSTA 表示，目前有 500 口闲置油井积压，另有 1,000 口预计在 2011, 年前关闭。今年早些时候，EuQuest 因未能在截止日期前对 33 口闲置油井进行除役而被罚款 1650 万英镑m。

技术

Anthropic 上市可能打破纪录

Anthropic 的投资者押注这家 AI 初创公司在 10 月于纽约进行首次公开募股（IPO）时的估值为 82trn（£1.48trn），这将使其成为有史以来规模最大的完成上市企业，超越 SpaceX。在对其 Claude 模型的需求激增推动下，预计今年的年化收入将超过 81000亿（7.5 亿英镑m）。

航空

易捷航空股东失去权利

在 57亿英镑 的收购之后，易捷航空（easy Jet）的股东在新所有者 Apollo 旗下将拥有较少的权利。文件显示，如果投资者将其持股转移到新的私人机构中，将被剥夺投票权并被禁止参与治理。他们还面临通过“强制转让”而被没收股份的潜在风险，且不太可能获得股息。

金融科技

Revolut 进军机场休息室

Revolut 正在通过在欧洲各地推出自己的高端机场休息室网络，扩展至实体旅游款待业。通过与 Plaza Premium Group 合作，这家金融科技公司将于明年在哥本哈根机场开设首家品牌休息室。目前，它已提供全球 1,600 多个机场休息室的进入权限。

珠宝

消费转变利好施华洛世奇

施华洛世奇（Swarovski）首席执行官 Alexis Nasard 对奢侈品消费习惯中一个“令人欣慰且鼓舞人心”的转变表示赞赏，即越来越多的女性购买自己的钻石。Nasard 将这一趋势归功于流行且更便宜的实验室培育钻石，这导致女性开始为自己购买宝石，而非将其作为礼物接收。

市场行情

富时 100 指数昨日收盘下跌 60.18 点，跌幅 0.56%，报 10.772.67. 涨幅最大的是 Lion Finance，上涨 66bp 至 13.38bp，以及英美烟草（British American Tobacco），上涨 11bp 至 2.28bp。跌幅最大的是矿业公司 Antofagasta，下跌 2730 至 3.756p，以及力拓（Rio Tinto），下跌 35bp 至 7.166p。在法国，CAC40 下跌 0.28%，而德国 DAX 指数收盘下跌 0.12%。布伦特原油价格跌至每桶 $88.30。

***

在伦敦交易收盘时，英镑兑加元和欧元双双下跌，兑加元下跌 0.11 美分，报 $1.3695, ；兑欧元下跌 0.06 美分，报 €1.1699, 。

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48

Weath

地区 / 今日 / 明日

高地 / 1 苏格兰东北部 / 2 苏格兰中部 / 2 苏格兰边境地区 / 2 北爱尔兰 / 2 / 1 西北英格兰及赫西 / 3 / 1 东北英格兰 / 3 / 2 约克郡及亨伯 / 4 / 2 北威尔士 / 2 西米德兰兹 / 3 / 2 东米德兰兹 / 4 / 2 南威尔士 / 3 / 2 西南英格兰 / 3 / 2 东南英格兰 / 3 东部英格兰 / 4 / 3 大伦敦 / 3 / 2

总体情况：低压区今日将影响英国，降雨将影响苏格兰西北部和东北部、苏格兰西南部和东南部、北群岛、西群岛、北爱尔兰、英格兰东北部、米德兰兹、北威尔士及爱尔兰共和国。西北英格兰、西南英格兰、南威尔士和马恩岛多云。东英吉利、伦敦、东南英格兰和海峡群岛天气晴朗且有阳光。伦敦、东南英格兰、东英吉利、海峡群岛：预计早晨大部分地区天空晴朗，阳光充足。随着时间进入下午，气温将升高，最北部地区将感到温暖。傍晚时分，将有轻微的西北风，并有短暂阵雨的可能性。最高气温：34℃。今晚，天空晴朗。最低气温：16℃。中南英格兰、西南英格兰、米德兰兹、南威尔士、北威尔士：预计早晨开始多云，大部分地区在下午前保持干燥，气温温暖，尤其是米德兰兹地区，但最北部地区气温较低。傍晚时分，部分北部地区有轻微阵雨威胁，全程伴有温和的西北风。最高气温：29℃。今晚，小雨，有风。最低气温：16℃。苏格兰东南部、英格兰东北部、英格兰东部：预计早晨大部分时间多云，期间有阳光穿透。这种模式将持续到下午。傍晚时分，云层将继续存在，但最北部地区有小雨威胁。气温温和，伴有温和的西风。最高气温：32℃。今晚，多云，小雨。最低气温：13℃。西北英格兰、苏格兰西南部、北爱尔兰、爱尔兰共和国、马恩岛：预计全天大部分时间多云，有少量阳光间隔，尤其是在最北部地区。到下午，云层增厚，全天有小雨威胁，尤其是最西部地区。气温温和，全天伴有温和的西风。最高气温：22℃。今晚，小雨，有风。最低气温：13℃。苏格兰西北部、苏格兰东北部、北群岛、北群岛：北部大部分地区早晨多云，气温较低。随着时间推移，预计云层将持续存在，西南部有少量阳光。下午远北地区可能会有阵雨。风力温和，傍晚时分西部风力略有增强。最高气温：20℃。今晚，多云，小雨。最低气温：13℃。

图例：

3024

等压线

单位：百万

▲

暖锋

▲

冷锋

锢候锋

天气形势：一个中心位于北群岛的低压系统影响英国，导致苏格兰、北爱尔兰和东北部出现降雨。覆盖北爱尔兰的主导高压带向东延伸，使米德兰兹和威尔士的天气状况逐渐改善。随着天气从西部开始转晴，东南部天空晴朗。

拳击

沃伦暗示 富里与约书亚之战 可能无法举行

罗里·麦克罗伊在孟菲斯举行的联邦快递圣朱德锦标赛首轮比赛中，因后期出现一系列代价沉重的博基球（bogeys），导致成绩下滑至高于标准杆 4 杆。这位北爱尔兰选手（右）在 4 月成功卫冕大师赛冠军后，经历了一段时间令人失望的成绩，此前一直旨在为进入 PGA 巡回赛季后赛重建一些势头。目前在联邦快递杯排名中位列第 12 的麦克罗伊，在重返去年缺席的 TFC Southwind 赛事时，与世界 No 1 斯科蒂·舍夫勒被分在同一组焦点配对中。

尼尔·罗伯逊以 6-2 的自信比分击败司佳辉，晋级中国公开赛四分之一决赛，并继续朝着重返世界 No 1 的目标前进。

这位澳大利亚选手（上图）——如果他在太原的比赛中夺冠，本月晚些时候可能会在排名榜顶端超越贾德·特朗普——在比赛中分别打出了 89, 102 和 79 分的单杆得分，从而掌控了比赛，击败了司佳辉。

“在过去的两年里，我的表现非常稳定，并赢得了一些重大冠军，这使我处于一个有机会冲击 No 1 的位置。如果我有机会竞争，那么我理应全力以赴，”罗伯逊在世界斯诺克巡回赛网站的一段引语中说道。

里基·庞廷在澳大利亚队在达尔文举行的对阵孟加拉国的第一场测试赛中被以 198 分击溃后，对澳大利亚队的选拔人员提出了质疑。

卡梅伦·格林是首发 11 人中唯一一名 30 岁以下的成员，前队长庞廷（上图）认为，考虑到 10 月将与南非队进行系列赛，选拔人员没有启用年轻球员是一个失策。

“现在正是让几名年轻人在这两场测试赛中积累经验的正确时机，”庞廷说。“但他们决定不这样做。”

“但我担心的是，他们打算什么时候这样做？难道要在南非面对 [卡吉索] 拉巴达、[马尔科] 詹森等人时才让这些球员首秀吗？”

弗兰克·沃伦暗示，如果无法就场地达成一致，泰森·富里与安东尼·约书亚的重量级对决可能会被推迟。

这位推广人（上图）依然有信心这场备受期待的“英国之战”将在 11 月举行。

约书亚的推广人埃迪·赫恩本周表示，如果比赛在美国举行，他们将不会签署合同，对此必须进行“讨论”。

在回应赫恩时，沃伦告诉 Box Nation：“他们要么同意，要么不同意。如果他们不同意，那么这场比赛就不会举行。”

谜题答案

多米诺骨牌

Journey Finder

Making Tracks

数字方格

Idoku

Kakuro

Wijuko

Binary

ABC Logic

Zygolox

从左至右： gunk, daisy, sloshed; flowed, drunk, flower; drink, shrink, cower; slurp, cover, burp, lover, slump, lid.

每日测验

1. The Commodores
2. Elephant (in the room)
3. The Battle of the Bulge
4. Mexico

单词阶梯

数独

拼图数独

数字六边形

周四填字游戏 4584

单词轮盘

九字母单词 GRADUATED

其他单词 adage, adder, aged, argued, dare, dared, dart, darted, date, dated, dead, dear, drag, drat, dread, dreg, drudge, drug, duad, dude, duet, dura, egad, gadder, garda, gated, gaud, grad, gradate, gradated, grade, graded, graduate, grated, guard, guarded, raged, rated, read, rudd, rude, rued, tared, trad, trade, traded, tread, trudge, trudged, trued, turd, udder, urged.

杀手数独

扫雷

数字金字塔

Calcudoku

单词方格

骑士巡游

Pathfinder

Chain Link

Futoshiki

Hexalex

Word Fit

Cells

战舰

桥梁

单词搜索

五线索隐晦填字游戏

横向：3 5-Erie-5, 4 / 5 Coastal resort* 纵向：1 Br-1st-o(l)ies), 2D-EP-art, 3S-hovel

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50

体育

足球简讯

凯尔特人足球俱乐部

奥尼尔在住院治疗后感觉良好

凯尔特人足球俱乐部主教练马丁·奥尼尔表示，在上周接受了一次“小手术”后，他的健康状况良好。

奥尼尔在周日凯尔特人 5-1 击败基尔马诺克的比赛中缺席，但他在球员酒店进行了赛前动员。

当被问及感觉如何时，这位前爱尔兰共和国队主教练（上图）表示：“好多了，至少比上周好。是的，不幸的是，几种小病凑在了一起，但我正在康复中，这是个好消息。”

在取得大胜之后，奥尼尔又迎来了一个利好消息：凯尔特人足球俱乐部在周三晚上完成了从皇家奥维耶多签下埃及边锋海塞姆·哈桑的转会。这位 24 岁的前法国青年队国际球员在更改代表国家队后，在世界杯上给人留下了深刻印象。

阿斯顿维拉

麦金支持马乔成为之星

约翰·麦金支持新秀前锋布莱恩·马乔在本赛季为阿斯顿维拉发挥重要作用。

这位 15 岁（上图）的球员在周三维拉 2-1 负于巴黎圣日耳曼的比赛中，成为了超级杯历史上最年轻的进球者。

这位身高 6 英尺 4 英寸的青少年原本有机会上演帽子戏法，随后他在半场结束前将麦金的传中球凌空抽射入网，扳平比分。

这位 1 月份从梅斯转会而来的球员因国际足联关于签下 18 岁以下球员的规则争议，不得不等待八个月才迎来首秀。

“他绝对太棒了，身体素质极佳，”队长麦金说道。“在错失那些机会后，他很容易气馁，但优秀的前锋能让自己处于那些位置，他将成为我们的重要球员。”

苏格兰超级联赛

德国 U-21 国际球员米卡·鲍尔希望赢得奖杯：凯尔特人足球俱乐部

鲍尔的加盟增强了凯尔特人足球俱乐部的更新之感

作者：Ronnie Esplin

米卡·鲍尔（Mika Baur）在从德甲球队帕德博恩（Paderborn）加盟凯尔特人足球俱乐部后，表达了赢得奖杯的意愿。

这位 22 岁的德国中场球员签署了一份为期四年的合同，并附带一年续约选项。在卡米洛·杜兰（Camilo Duran）、卡斯珀·海格（Kasper Hegh）、海塞姆·哈桑（Haissem Hassan）加盟以及亚历克斯·奥克斯莱德-钱伯伦（Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain，右图）重新签约之后，他是这位苏格兰冠军球队的最新成员。

这位德国 Under-21 国家队成员的转会尚需获得国际许可，他告诉凯尔特人球迷自己已经“准备就绪”，旨在帮助这家帕克海德（Parkhead）俱乐部保持顶尖地位。

“这绝对是正确的一步，”鲍尔在俱乐部的官方网站上表示。“这是一个伟大的俱乐部，我听到了关于球迷们的惊人评价。”

这是一个伟大的俱乐部，我听到了关于球迷们的惊人评价

“凯尔特人是冠军。我想赢得一些荣誉，我认为我来到了正确的地方。”

“我和（前凯尔特人前锋）尼古拉斯·库恩（Nicolas Kühn）在同一家经纪公司，所以我给他打了电话，他的态度非常积极。他说，如果你有机会，就去做吧。”

“我经历了一个不错的季前赛，参加了高质量的比赛和艰苦的训练，所以我已经准备好出发了。”

鲍尔在弗赖堡（Freiburg）开始其职业生涯，随后在 2024 年加盟帕德博恩。在 2024-25 赛季的后半段租借至德累斯顿迪纳摩（Dynamo Dresden）后，他在上赛季帕德博恩重返德国顶级联赛的过程中发挥了作用。

主教练马丁·奥尼尔（Martin O'Neill）表示：“我很高兴我们能够将米卡带到凯尔特人。”

“他是一名拥有诸多优秀特质的球员，技术能力出色，在串联我们的进攻中将起到重要作用，而且他具有真正的多面性。”

“在与米卡交谈后，我能看出他对在凯尔特人迎接挑战的渴望，我相信他将成为球队的又一名优秀补充。”

“他在德国的俱乐部非常希望留住他，这一点我完全理解，因为他在球队升级德甲的过程中扮演了如此重要的角色，但我对我们为确保签下他而表现出的毅力和承诺感到非常满意。”

阿森纳

阿尔特塔对刘易斯-斯凯利传闻保持缄默

作者：Robert O'Connor

米克尔·阿尔特塔（Mikel Arteta）表示，如果其他俱乐部有兴趣签下迈尔斯·刘易斯-斯凯利（Myles Lewis-Skelly）是一个好迹象，但他不愿确认阿森纳是否会考虑出售这名青少年球员。

这位 15 岁的球员此前一直与曼联和切尔西联系在一起，因为他在上赛季赢得英超冠军的球队中难以获得位置。刘易斯-斯凯利去年夏天在酋长球场签署了一份长期合同，但在联赛中仅 5 次首发，不过他在欧冠决赛中进入首发阵容，但球队最终在点球大战中负于巴黎圣日耳曼。

阿森纳在周三与意甲球队科莫（Como）战成 1-1 平局，这是他们在周日对阵曼城足球俱乐部的社区盾杯揭幕战之前的最后一场季前友谊赛。刘易斯-斯凯利（左图）为枪手队打入一球，并在球队球迷面前充满激情地庆祝并做出激烈的手势。

“进球是一件好事，你应该充满感情，”阿尔特塔说。“如果关于我们的球员有猜测，这是一个好迹象。这意味着我们正在吸引关注并做得很好。”阿尔特塔补充道：“他经历了一个非常出色的季前赛。我们要求他尝试不同的位置，因为他之前更多地担任 6 号位。显然，由于国际比赛日，我们缺乏中场球员。我认为他的季前赛表现非常稳定。”

英甲

莱斯特城所有者在降级后寻求出售俱乐部

作者：Jim van Wijk

据报道，莱斯特城的所有者正寻求出售该俱乐部。这支曾在 2016 年赢得英超冠军的“狐狸队”在上赛季掉入了英甲联赛，此前因违反英格兰足球联赛（EFL）的利润与可持续性规则，在英冠联赛中被扣除 6 分。BBC 体育的一篇报道称，莱斯特城已委托一家领先的美国投资银行协助寻找买家，据称该俱乐部的资产估值超过 2 亿英镑m。莱斯特城拒绝就这些报道发表评论。

由 Srivaddhanaprabha 家族经营的泰国所有者 King Power 在 2010 年期间以 3500 万英镑m 从 Milan Mandaric 手中买下了莱斯特城。在 2019 年其父亲 Vichai 在体育场外的一场直升机事故中去世后，Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha 接任莱斯特城主席。

电视体育节目

田径：欧洲锦标赛

BBC One, 10:30am, 8pm

高尔夫：丹麦锦标赛

Sky Sports Golf, midday

板球：SunRisers Leeds v Southern Brave Women

Sky Sports Cricket, 2pm

网球：辛辛那提公开赛

Tennis, 4pm

板球：Manchester Super Giants v Leeds SunRisers Men

Cricket, 5:30pm

足球：狼队 v 布莱克本

Football, 7:15pm

足球：基尔马诺克 v 艾尔

Premier 1, 7:30pm

橄榄球联盟：赫尔 v 卡斯尔福德

Plus, 8pm

比分服务

[版面噪声，已略]

[版面噪声，已略]

曼联在出售这位身法轻盈且技术细腻的前锋前应三思，Pete Hall 撰文

我愿为此坚持到底：约书亚·齐尔克泽（Joshua Zirkzee）确实是一名真正的球员。这位曼联前锋正是那种非常享受季前赛的球员类型。在没有压力的情况下，他在球场上轻盈地滑行，就像骑着悬浮滑板的马蒂·麦法莱（Marty McFly）一样，沉浸在展示其全套灵巧技巧的快感中。

在季前赛模式下，进球接踵而至。在曼联与利兹在都柏林 1-1 战平的比赛中，他又一次完成了精妙的终结——这次是一次直接射门，随着新英超赛季的临近，齐尔克泽延续了不错的状态。

在这些时刻，当他展现出真实自我时，曼联支持者可以看到他的潜力。上赛季的首秀赛季过于断断续续——俱乐部的比赛场次少之又少，而齐尔克泽大多被限制在短暂的替补登场中——这让他根本无法找到真正的节奏。

如果现在允许齐尔克泽离开——尤文图斯正蓄势待发——曼联将失去一种阵容中其他任何人都不具备的技能。甚至连队长布鲁诺·费尔南德斯（Bruno Fernandes）也不具备。

而且，为了打造这支平衡精妙的进攻线所付出的所有努力——这支进攻线在某些时刻再次展现了其强大的威胁——都可能会付诸东流。

在爱尔兰足球比赛的纪录级观众面前，克罗克公园球场（Croke Park）在开球时笼罩在一种奇特的氛围灯光中。在开场 20 分钟里，曼联在黑暗中翩翩起舞，利兹的防守球员看起来就像是直视了日食一样。

这种流畅足球的核心在于齐尔克泽细腻的触球。无论是这里的轻触，还是那里的优雅摆脱，这位 25 岁的球员擅长的是通过一次肩部晃动将队友带入进攻，一次性化解两名防守球员。

他如此惊人的技能组合却让他面临离开老特拉福德的风险，原因在于上赛季，在他最需要的时候——在他证明自己的那些转瞬即逝的机会中——临门一脚的终结能力背离了他。

这通常是一个信心问题

对于一名在状态好时充满节奏感的球员来说，规律的比赛能为他的流畅度带来奇迹

——要么是不敢果断射门，引发全场观众的一阵叹息，要么是在射门时缺乏说服力。

在经历了 13 年令人眩晕的衰落螺旋后，曼联球迷已经没有足够的耐心允许这种情况再次发生。因此，大多数人更倾向于在曼联还有机会的时候现在就切断联系。

每支球队总有一个人能从季前赛中获益最多。由于未入选荷兰国家队，在队友们世界杯后享受漫长假期时，齐尔克泽参加了每一场友谊赛。

这代表了他一段时间以来在曼联队中连续出场时间最长的一次。即便这些比赛意义不大，但对于一名在状态好时充满节奏感的球员来说，规律的比赛能为他的流畅度带来奇迹。

齐尔克泽在曼联更衣室里也很受欢迎，而这间更衣室里的球员们每周看起来都相处得更加融洽。

在曼联赢得今年第二座重量级奖杯——博伊尔体育杯（Boyle Sports Cup），与壁炉上的骁龙冠军奖杯并列庆祝时，齐尔克泽正与甚至没入选大名单的科比·梅诺（Kobbie Mainoo）打闹。

他与费尔南德斯和卢克·肖（Luke Shaw）的关系也格外亲密。尽管在球队中几乎没有出场机会，但一个在边缘化时依然如此快乐的球员，其价值是值得探讨的。

良好的氛围是齐尔克泽可能依然有用之地的另一个原因。在比赛可能开始密集而快速地到来的一年里，再次将他租出去几乎毫无收获。

他具备球员的素质。他的季前赛状态证明了这一点。

现在，他必须在关键时刻证明自己。

卡里克：我们需要更多，但不会疯狂投入

作者：Ian Parker

迈克尔·卡里克承认曼联在这个夏天仍需加强阵容，但他们不会像其英超竞争对手那样挥金如土。

曼联在安德烈·桑托斯、尤里·蒂莱曼斯和卡尔·达洛身上花费了约 8500 万英镑m，但在其他球队经历另一个大手笔投入的夏天后，他们成为了英超“六大俱乐部”中唯一一家从未在单名球员身上突破 1 亿英镑m 大关的球队。

在重返欧冠联赛之前，曼联需要增加阵容深度，而其中场的补强是在卡塞米罗离队之后进行的。

“我们完成了非常出色的交易，并且拥有一些顶尖中的顶尖球员，”卡里克在曼联位于爱尔兰共和国的季前训练营中表示。“我们对此感到高兴。我们总是希望进步。我们想要更多，我们需要更多，我们一直在寻找实现这一目标的方法。这永远不会停止。”

但曼联正试图跟上步伐，因为切尔西在摩根·罗杰斯身上花费了 1.17 亿英镑m，同城死敌曼城以 1.16 亿英镑m 的价格签下了埃利奥特·安德森，而托特纳姆热刺则在了一笔最高可达 1 亿英镑m 的交易中引入了桑德罗·托纳利。

“钱就是钱，我明白这一点，”卡里克说。“关键仍然在于足球，竞争就在于此。当然，现状就是如此，无论是财务状况还是其他什么。目前，我们必须充分利用现有资源，但我们必须继续努力，突破我们能够突破的所有界限，以便能够再次获胜。”

当被问及为什么曼联的投入水平不如其他俱乐部时，卡里克补充道：“我没有这个答案。我们正努力在所有能做的事情上发力，以充分利用现有条件。”

马库斯·拉什福德在参加完世界杯后，本周回到了曼联。今年夏天早些时候，巴塞罗那在去年的租借期结束后放弃了购买这位英格兰边锋的选择权；尽管卡里克在谈论他的重新融入，但关于他的未来仍存在疑问。

当被直接问及这位 28 岁的球员是否在出售名单上时，卡里克说：“他是我们的球员，他是一名优秀的球员，他在球队中能给我们带来一些不同的东西。”

迈克尔·卡里克的球队在单名球员上的投入仍未突破 1 亿英镑m 大关

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52

体育

国际足联

爱尔兰足协撤回对因凡蒂诺的支持

■ 接续封底报道

明年。难道我们不应该允许那个进程继续吗？”

在因凡蒂诺的世界杯出售计划公开并引发国际足联陷入危机之际，莫特塞佩前往萨尔茨堡与欧足联主席亚历山大·切费林举行会谈。

“我听到了很多关于各种问题的传闻，在对任何事情做出判断时我会很谨慎，”莫特塞佩说。“每个人都有权被倾听。让我们举行听证会，建立一个正式的论坛、程序、法庭或任何形式，或者一个审判庭……每个人都有权获得公正的裁决和公平的对待。”

莫特塞佩表示，非洲足球联合会（CAF）已咨询律师，并声称秘密的世界杯出售谈判并未违反规则，因为这些提案将提交给成员进行最终批准。

“有很多问题是有争议且负面的，他们必须予以解决，”莫特塞佩说。“但他已经道歉，并表示也许这些事情应该以不同的方式处理，但我们也会听取建议。”

与此同时，爱尔兰足球协会成为了最新一个撤回支持因凡蒂诺连任的国际足联成员。

一份声明称：“协会感谢国际足联为爱尔兰足球提供的支持，但近期事件在治理、透明度以及缺乏实质性磋商方面引发了严重关切。”

北爱尔兰的爱尔兰足球协会表示：“我们认真对待作为欧足联和国际足联成员协会的责任。”

“我们支持欧足联在此事上的当前立场，并将继续就足球治理相关问题进行建设性参与。”

欧联杯

麦克因内斯任期由坏转糟，格拉斯哥流浪者被淘汰

格拉斯哥流浪者 尚克兰 点球 1

比亚韦斯托克雅盖隆尼亚 普雷莱茨 66

雅盖隆尼亚以总比分 3-2 晋级。

邦妮·埃斯普林报道 发自伊布罗克斯球场

在格拉斯哥流浪者在欧联杯资格赛中被比亚韦斯托克雅盖隆尼亚淘汰后，德里克·麦克因内斯作为流浪者主帅的短暂任期陷入混乱。

光蓝色军团在上周波兰的第一回合比赛中以 2-1 落败，但当队长劳伦斯·尚克兰在第 19 分钟通过点球将总比分扳平至平局时，球队一度充满乐观情绪。

然而，客队在第 65 分钟通过尼克·普雷莱茨扳平比分，这在当晚是实至名归的。而缺乏凝聚力的主队此后无法在比赛中重新站稳脚跟。全场比赛结束时，对赛季糟糕开局感到沮丧的球迷在球场周围发出了嘘声。

这位流浪者的新帅自夏季从哈茨队加盟以来，在四场正式比赛中未能取得一场胜利。这场令人沮丧的表现意味着流浪者将在欧协联附加赛中对阵来自捷克共和国的亚布洛内茨。

尽管夏季签下了九名新援，但流浪者在进入这场比赛时状态脆弱。前锋尤塞夫·切尔米蒂——据报道加拉塔萨雷曾出价 2200 万英镑m（俱乐部纪录）试图将其签下但未获成功——将因前交叉韧带（ACL）受伤长期缺阵，而左后卫陶尔·罗门斯则可能因腹股沟拉伤缺阵长达两个月。

比亚韦斯托克在伊布罗克斯球场毫无惧色。第 14 分钟，赫苏斯·伊马兹突破主队防线，射门击中门柱底端；几秒钟后，他将罗德里戈·孔塞桑的头球传球捅向流浪者门将伊沃·潘杜尔。

随后，流浪者取得了突破，前凯尔特人中后卫小林幸刚在禁区内手球，尚克兰将球射入中路，打入他的首个流浪者队进球。

客队始终构成威胁。潘杜尔虽然精湛地化解了伊马兹在禁区边缘的抽射，但普雷莱茨在 12 码处滑铲将罗德里戈·孔塞桑的传球顶出门柱。

普雷莱茨稍后没有浪费机会，他在后门柱以一记强力头球破门，引发了伊布罗克斯球场的哀叹。随着时间流逝，这支波兰球队看起来更有可能再次进球。

伊布拉欣·赛义德的双击确保了马瑟韦尔在费尔公园球场 2-0 击败赫尔辛基 HJK（总比分 3-1），从而晋级欧协联附加赛对阵弗赖堡。希伯尼安也击败了什克尔迪亚。

昨晚在伊布罗克斯球场被淘汰后，流浪者球员沮丧地走下球场 路透社

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Sky Sports 是英国和爱尔兰国内俱乐部足球的主阵地，本赛季将在英超联赛、女子超级联赛（WSL）、英格兰足球联赛（EFL）和苏格兰超级联赛中转播超过 1,500 场现场比赛。

仅在英超联赛中，Sky Sports 就将播出至少 215 场现场比赛。该频道每周拥有首选比赛权，并将继续在多个周末的周日下午 2 点播出多场比赛，确保整个赛季都有焦点赛事。

为了帮助球员在 2026 年世界杯后恢复体能，英超联赛的开赛时间比 25 / 26 赛季晚一周。卫冕冠军阿森纳将在 8 月 21 日周五主场对阵考文垂，以此开启 2026 / 27 英超赛季，Sky Sports 将进行现场直播。这场揭幕战将在酋长球场于晚上 8 点开球，由米克尔·阿尔塔拉（Mikel Artala）率领的“Dunners”——他们刚刚庆祝了 22 年来首次夺冠——主场迎战弗兰克·兰帕德率领的冠军球队。随后，阿森纳在接下来的两场比赛中将面临客场挑战阿斯顿维拉以及主场迎战哈比·阿隆索率领的切尔西等艰巨考验。

在首轮比赛中，Sky Sports 将直播六场英超赛事，其中包括安多尼·伊拉奥拉（Andoni Iraola）执掌利物浦后的首场比赛。红军将于 8 月 23 日周日下午 4.33 开球客场挑战纽卡斯尔。随后，利物浦将在 10 月与曼城和阿森纳展开对决，并在 11 月连续对阵死敌曼联和埃弗顿。

伦敦德比布伦特福德对阵热刺（8 月 22 日周六，下午 5.30）以及富勒姆对阵切尔西（8 月 24 日周一，晚上 8 点）也是首轮赛事的亮点，均由 Sky Sports 现场直播。

热刺球迷——他们目睹球队在过去两个赛季分别排名第 17 位——心中也将牵挂着赛季末的艰苦挑战。他们最后五场比赛包括客场挑战阿森纳（5 月 1 日周六），主场对阵切尔西（5 月 8 日周六）和曼联（5 月 23 日周日），而赛季最后一场比赛将于 5 月 30 日周日在阿斯顿维拉进行。

曼城在没有佩普·瓜迪奥拉的新时代将于 8 月 23 日周日下午 2 点在伊蒂哈德球场对阵伯恩茅斯拉开序幕。然而，他们与上赛季前五名球队的首次交手全部在客场。

冠军联赛附加赛获胜者赫尔城将在 8 月 22 日周六中午 12.30 在 MKM 球场迎来曼联，标志着其重返英超；而同样升级的伊普斯维奇将在波特曼路球场于下午 3 点对阵桑德兰。埃弗顿对阵欧协联冠军水晶宫，以及诺丁汉森林对阵利兹联定于 8 月 22 日周日下午 3 点开球；布莱顿对阵欧联杯冠军阿斯顿维拉则定于 8 月 23 日周日下午 2 点，由 Sky Sports 现场直播。

凭借更多的现场比赛、更广泛的覆盖面和更高的灵活性，Sky Sports 将 2026 / 27 赛季定位为“足球不停歇”的一年。

在圣诞节和新年期间，俱乐部在两场比赛之间将至少有 60 小时的休息时间。这符合向俱乐部做出的承诺，旨在解决在扩大的国际赛程中过于拥挤的赛程安排。

本赛季的节礼日（Boxing Day）还将有更完整的英超赛程。

随着赛季于 5 月 30 日周日结束，所有 10 场英超比赛将同时开球。决定性的最后一天所有比赛都将进行现场直播，从而营造出

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WEST 2-20

ORINON 11-22

TH 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPOKIT 49-56

2025 年 8 月 14 日周五

53

曼彻斯特城

“这家俱乐部对我意义重大” —— 多库续约五年

作者：伊恩·帕克 (Ian Parker)

热里米·多库 (Jérémy Doku) 已签署一份新的五年合同，将留在曼城足球俱乐部直到 2031 年夏天。

这位 24 岁的边锋自 2023, 年夏天从雷恩加盟以来，已成为曼城进攻端的核心成员。他表示，在恩佐·马雷斯卡 (Enzo Maresca) 开启的新时代之际，决定将未来托付给这家俱乐部是一个简单的决定。

“到目前为止，我非常热爱在曼城度过的时光，因此能有机会留在这里更久是一种极好的感觉，”多库说道。“这家俱乐部对我意义重大 —— 我在球员身份和个人成长方面都得到了提升。我觉得在这里很安定，并且我知道因为这里工作人员的努力，我每天都在进步。”

“很难解释这家俱乐部在帮助球员方面做得有多多。我并不将其视为理所当然，这让我变得更好。现在恩佐来到了这里，我对新赛季感到非常兴奋。他的足球风格是我们所热爱的那种，所以这对球员来说很令人期待。”

“曼城球迷也是我签署这份新合同的一个重要原因。我能感受到他们的爱与支持，这对我来说意味着全世界。我想专注于为他们带来应得的成功。”

与此同时，曼城拒绝就有关其否决巴塞罗那对西班牙中场罗德里 (Rodri) 提出的新一轮 5500 万英镑 报价的报道发表评论。

在曼城上周拒绝了对这位 30 岁、2024 年金球奖 (Ballon d'Or) 得主 3850 万英镑 的初步报价后，西班牙冠军巴塞罗那预计将提出一份更高的报价。罗德里目前已进入其曼城合同的最后一个赛季。

罗德里也受到了巴萨在西甲竞争对手皇家马德里的关注，但据了解，除非出价达到 €90 (6850 万英镑) 左右，否则曼城没有兴趣出售。

在曼城于首尔以 3-1 战胜马德里竞技的友谊赛后，

热里米·多库自 2023 年从雷恩加盟以来在曼城大受欢迎

马雷斯卡在周日表示，罗德里预计将于今日回到俱乐部。

据了解，曼城正与沙特阿拉伯俱乐部阿尔卡迪西亚 (Al Qadisah) 就可能出售荷兰中场蒂贾尼·赖因德斯 (Tijjani Reijnders) 进行谈判。

28 岁的赖因德斯于去年夏天从 AC 米兰加盟，在曼城度过了一个赛季后，其身价可能达到 5100 万英镑 左右。在该赛季的 50 场出场记录中，他打入了 7 个进球并贡献了 8 次助攻。

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SKY SPORTS 赛事直播

在 2027 年欧冠决赛前一周，可能会迎来一个戏剧性的收尾。

苏格兰超级联赛几乎已经有了时间表。周末的所有六场比赛均进行了直播，整个赛季预计将有高达 1.5m 人观看 Sky Sports。揭幕战中，邓迪联在 Decca 执教的最后一场联赛中 1-1 战平 Ravelina，而克雷格·麦克莱什（Craig McLeish）率领的圣米伦队击败了上赛季的亚军，使得圣约翰斯通和 Mourn 在开赛首个周末进入了欧协联资格赛。

联赛在经历了一周的戏剧性收尾后，看起来更加……Callis 在追赶赛季中取得了胜利。

凯尔特人和流浪者将进行本赛季的“老字号”德比。9 月， Park 将进行直播。双方将于 6 月 2 日星期六进行比赛，此前在 27. February 有过分赛区前的交手。而爱丁堡德比将于 9 月 2 日星期三举行。

哈茨。在英足联（EFL）方面， 今年投入了大量时间进行报道，继续让球迷们与自己的球队紧密相连。联赛、联赛杯（Carabao Cup）和英足联奖杯（EFL Trophy）中 1,000 多场球队比赛将在 上播出。本赛季，各俱乐部将有 20 多次直播机会。这意味着本赛季不仅会展示那些希望升级的球队和前英超球队，你还可以选择关注冠军联赛、英甲和英乙中每个俱乐部的故事。

9 月的英足联选赛展示了各种潜力。斯托克城将在周中面对诺里奇城，一场非常关键的 McGleabough 之战。顶级对决……伯明翰城、狼队、伯克菲尔德联（Birkfield United）的 2nd 和狼队，Sparal Real Bronx 以及俱乐部中经常进入季后赛的前两名俱乐部。

上提供了如此多的选择和如此多值得关注的故事线。

除此之外，本赛季联赛杯和 Vertu 奖杯的所有比赛将继续在 上播出。曼城在去年决赛中 2-0 获胜后，将力争卫冕联赛杯冠军。与此同时，卢顿镇在击败斯托克波特郡后，成为了 Vertu 奖杯的冠军。

Bet 英足联赛事将在 主频道或 + 上播出，所有电视频道均可通过流媒体服务观看。

女足报道的平均人数将达到 1.5m。 为 4x4.5m。该俱乐部为 1 5m。

全球足球

切尔西

费尔南德斯被设定硬性截止日期

切尔西为俱乐部竞购恩佐·费尔南德斯（Enzo Fernandez）设定了今天下午 5 点的截止日期，之后将不再考虑任何报价。

这名中场球员（右）在 5 月底告知俱乐部他希望离开，切尔西为其标价 1.2 亿英镑m；然而，在随后的两个月里没有出现具体的报价。

上赛季与费尔南德斯有传闻的皇家马德里在 7 月表示他们不感兴趣，

而此时曼城成为了一个可能的去向——尽管曼城不想支付 1.2 亿英镑m。

曼城由前切尔西主帅恩佐·马雷斯卡（Enzo Maresca）执教，费尔南德斯在两人共事 18 个月期间与他保持着良好的关系。斯坦福桥对媒体报道此事的进展感到沮丧，一名消息人士称此事是一场“马戏团”。

阿伯丁

两人离开 Dons，重建继续

随着迪米塔尔·米托夫（Dimitar Mitov）和基亚尔坦·基亚尔坦森（Kjartan Kjartansson）的离队，阿伯丁的夏季重建工作仍在继续。

主教练斯蒂芬·罗宾逊（Stephen Robinson）将米托夫转会至圣保利描述为对俱乐部而言是一笔明智的交易，而 20 岁的基亚尔坦森则被允许加盟挪威球队布兰（Brann）。

保加利亚门将米托夫（上图）在皮托德里球场度过了两年。冰岛 Under-21 中场基亚尔坦森去年夏天从 Stjarnan 加盟，但仅在四场比赛中首发。

托特纳姆热刺

德泽尔比主持传奇之日

罗伯托·德泽尔比（左）昨日在训练基地接待了一批热刺名宿并为他们准备了午餐。格雷厄姆·罗伯茨在 1984 年的欧联杯成功中发挥了关键作用，并在 80 年代初期参与了热刺两次赢得足总杯的历程。他在 X 上透露，一群俱乐部名宿在热刺训练基地（Hotspur Way）度过了“绝对美妙的一天”。

“刚和我们所有的传奇人物一起从训练基地回来，”罗伯茨说，“我们的主教练与我们打成一片，太棒了。”

ports

Fletcher League

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54

体育

欧洲田径锦标赛

亨特凭借短跑双金证明其伟大

作者：保罗·马丁（Paul Martin），发自沙姆罗坎（SHAMROCKAN）

英国新晋金女艾米·亨特（Amy Hunt）昨晚在亚历山大体育场以惊人的表现夺得 200m 冠军，完成了欧洲短跑双冠。

这位 24 岁的选手本周力争夺得历史性的四枚金牌，在以 22.19 秒横扫全场后，她已达成目标的一半。

迪娜·阿舍-史密斯（Dina Asher-Smith）是八年前在该赛事中最后一位实现双冠的短跑运动员，但此次她仅获得铜牌。

阿舍-史密斯的起跑更占优势，但亨特在最后的直道上反超，这场国内顶尖选手的对决不负众望。

“100 是在心理上最难，而 200 是在体力上最难。”

亨特赛后告诉 BBC：“我今年健康状况波动很大，出现过严重的低血压，跑 200s 时真的非常恐惧。”

“我必须在比赛中勇往直前，在弯道上保持勇敢。这是一场精彩的比赛。”

这两位英国选手分列爱尔兰选手拉希达特·阿德莱克（Rhasidat Adeleke）的两侧，后者以 22.28 的全国纪录获得银牌。

阿舍-史密斯目前已获得九枚欧洲锦标赛奖牌，距离历史最高纪录仅差 1 枚。

爱尔兰的马克·英格利什（Mark English）（右）创造了爱尔兰体育史上的重要里程碑，成为该国首位男子 800m 室外欧洲冠军。

这位 33 岁的选手在半决赛中打破了锦标赛纪录，他在最后直道掌控局面，最终以 45.26 完赛。

本·帕蒂森（Ben Pattison）获得第六名，而运气不佳的马克斯·伯金（Max Burgin）在热身时受伤，在决赛前退出。

扎内尔·休斯（Zharnel Hughes）相信他能在今晚的男子 200m 决赛中延续英国在欧洲短跑领域的统治地位。

这位 31 岁的选手曾在 2022 年夺得该距离的欧洲金牌，并在半决赛中以 20.05 轻松获胜。

休斯在接近终点线减速时有几次机会查看计时钟，他领先卫冕冠军蒂莫特·穆门塔勒（Timothé Mumenthaler）0.04 秒冲线。

他是参赛选手中唯一一名在过去拥有 sub-20 成绩的男子选手。在因伤在英联邦运动会半决赛出局后，他感觉自己已恢复到最佳状态。

“执行得很好，我完全按照要求做了，”他说。

“很有趣，英联邦运动会已经成为过去。我的左侧内收肌抽筋了，但已经康复。我来到这里是为了奔跑，为了以最高水平竞争。”

在充满戏剧性的下午，基利·霍奇金森（Keely Hodgkinson）继续推进她的欧洲三连冠计划。在比赛中，

艾米·亨特在伯明翰冲线夺得 200m 金牌 GETTY

她的主要对手奥德里·韦罗（Audrey Werro）不慎摔倒——随后被恢复资格参加决赛。

霍奇金森在第二场半决赛中以 57.38, 获胜，顶住了费姆克·布罗德斯-博尔（Femke Broeders-Bol）的压力，顺利晋级今晚本周最受期待的赛事之一。

这场比赛比第一场半决赛平静得多，后者在韦罗于最后一个弯道摔倒前一直由她主导。

韦罗在跌倒后爬起来蹒跚过线，经过成功的申诉，这位持有今年世界领先成绩的 22 岁选手也将出现在起跑线上。

霍奇金森对避开混乱感到庆幸，她表示：“你不能担心发生在别人身上的事情，但我希望她没事。”

“这种兴奋感让我很激动。我热爱挑战，希望比赛过程顺利，没有摔倒，也没有风。”

苏格兰选手杰玛·里基（Jemma Reekie）利用韦罗失误的机会率先冲线，以 58.61 晋级。

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新闻 2-25

观点 18-22

电视 26-31

周五 37-43

周一 44-48

体育 49-56

周五 2025年8月14日

55

田径主管因票价昂贵及座位空置而受指责

Cathal Dennehy 被告知，组织者辜负了参赛者

奥运选手兼电视评论员马丁·吉林汉姆（Martin Gillingham）猛烈抨击了在伯明翰举行的欧洲田径锦标赛的组织者，称其在票价制定上“错得离谱”，且因观众人数不足而辜负了运动员。

在亚历山大体育场（Alexander Stadium）的比赛中，运动员们经常在半空的看台前进行奔跑、跳跃和投掷。为 TNT Sports 报道此次赛事的吉林汉姆认为，英国田径协会的主管们犯了严重的错误。

“到目前为止，他们搞砸了，”他说。“不幸的是，英国田径协会一直有让运动员失望的习惯。看来有人在计算上出现了严重的失误。”

“对于艾米·亨特（Amy Hunt）或基利·霍奇金森（Keely Hodgkinson）来说，在主场赛事中进入一个基本满座的体育场，并在主场观众的欢呼声中比赛，没有比这更好的事情了。对于像这样一次赛事——英国首次举办欧洲锦标赛——制定一个定价模型并确保每个晚间场次都满座，这不应该是这项运动无法做到的。”

组织者表示，在英国的艾米·亨特夺得 100 米金牌的周一晚上，现场观众为 13,623 人，远低于体育场 23,000 人的容量，而昨晚的场次则有 14,098 人参加。

一名 Birmingham 2026 发言人表示，他们对门票销售情况感到“欣喜”，并强调周末的晚间场次“接近售罄”，其他场次也接近满员。

“我怀疑周末的出席率会好得多，但你可以说损害已经造成了，”吉林汉姆说。“对于一个为期七天的赛事，你必须从第一天起就做对，才能留下持久且积极的印象。在这方面，这项运动失败了。”

在本周早些时候，主看台的 A 类票定价为 £110，B 类票为 £90，而本周后期的 A 类票价格则为 £150。事实上，C 类和 D 类中一些较便宜的门票反而最难售出，许多人指出，由于在城市周围缺乏宣传，难以吸引更多普通观众。

对于那些致力于将 2029 年世界田径锦标赛引入伦敦的申办团队来说，这个时机非常不幸，因为最终的演示将于明天提交给世界田径联合会。组织者强调，在为期七天的赛事中，一半的门票定价在 £30 或更低，部分成人票起价为 £10。

十项全能选手在大量空座前进行 50cm 比赛 GETTY

“仍然有机会以极高的性价比参与锦标赛，”他们表示，并强调周五上午名为“Mondo”的 £6.31 儿童票（以向撑竿跳高世界纪录保持者蒙多·杜普兰蒂斯致敬而命名）让一个四口之家仅需花费 £30 即可观赛。

但当地的一对夫妇表示，与近期举办的赛事相比，伯明翰的票价有明显的上涨。他们参加重大锦标赛已有 30 多年。

“票价太贵了，不幸的是，这就是为什么看台半空的原因，”菲利普·哈里斯（Phillip Harris）说，他与妻子、兄弟和年幼的女儿一同观赛。“如果你想要满座，就必须提供廉价门票。”

哈里斯提到，2023, 他的兄弟在布达佩斯参加世界锦标赛时的体验截然不同。“当时每张票 £10 到 £15，而且座无虚席，”他说。“如果世界其他地方在观察，而他们看到的是空荡荡的看台，这看起来就完全不

出行大开支

基于本周末参加欧洲田径锦标赛的一个四口之家的计算

Category A tickets (no junior concessions offered) / £500

Park and ride / £22.50 Four bratwurst dogs / £60 Two coffees and two soft drinks / £14.30 Sweets to share / £4.40

总计

£701.20

好。有些门票要 £150. 对于一个四口之家来说，那就是 £600. 没人会付这个钱。”

哈里斯为周三的夜场每张票支付了 £60，由于体育场周围没有停车位，他使用了接驳停车计划，费用为 £22.50. 另一名球迷表示，他在距离体育场步行 10 分钟的住宅区租了一个周停车位，费用为 £211.

前阿斯顿维拉前锋斯坦·科利莫尔在 X 上写道，这种定价是“缺乏共情”的，并补充道：“天气非常好，这项运动需要尽可能多的人关注，所以孩子应该几乎免费！周末 3 个档位的票价 £150 / £100 / £70 是针对谁的？绝不是针对那些可能想成为运动员的家庭和孩子！”

吉林汉认为，考虑到项目的数量，为期七天的赛程太长了，决赛在这一周内分布得过于分散。他还指出，欧洲田径联合会实施的一套“荒谬”的系统允许排名在前 12 位的运动员在短跑项目中跳过预赛，这意味着许多明星选手在早场比赛中缺席。

“这对这项运动来说从根本上也是不公平的，而且对观众也没有好处，”他说。“如果你想让这项运动对英国家庭（尤其是那些想为英国田径衫加油的人）产生吸引力，那么这样做简直是疯了。这个原则在根本上也是错误且不公平的。这项运动正在辜负运动员。”

KJT在追求欧洲冠军荣耀前深挖个人往事

作者：Paul Martin

卡特里娜·约翰逊-汤普森（Katarina Johnson-Thompson）通过参加《你认为你是谁？》（Who Do You Think You Are?）节目，为她 2026 年的首场七项全能赛做热身。

到明天晚上，她希望用两个简单的词来回答那个问题——欧洲冠军。

作为 BBC 该节目追溯家族树的一部分，约翰逊-汤普森曾前往迈阿密和巴哈马。自去年 9 月在东京赢得世界锦标赛铜牌以来，她一直受到伤病困扰。

这位 33 岁的利物浦人今年仅参加过一次比赛，即 5 月在拉夫堡国际赛（Loughborough International）中的铅球项目，但她将于今天上午开始冲击她的首个欧洲冠军头衔。

最近，由于“无法恢复到”能够真实展现自身水平所需的水平，她退出了在格拉斯哥争取英联邦运动会三连冠的尝试。

“错过一场锦标赛绝非易事，但我知道这是正确的决定，”她说道。

当约翰逊-汤普森计划填补其履历中的空白并决定不前往边境以北（指苏格兰）时，她心中想到的正是这场赛事。八年前她在柏林赢得了银牌，但此后一直未能重返欧洲赛事的领奖台。

上次在罗马比赛时，约翰逊-汤普森在经过三项赛事后因右腿有“轻微不适”而退出。尽管她在室内五项全能赛中拥有两枚洲际金牌，但在该赛事的室外项目中，胜利至今仍难以企及。

比利时选手纳法图·蒂亚姆（Nafosatou Thiam）因腿筋受伤缺席，而她此前赢得了最近三届奥运会和欧洲赛事的冠军，这为其他追赶者留下了机会。

瑞士的安妮克·凯林（Annik Kälin）目前是领跑者，因为她记录了今年至今最高的两次得分，而约翰逊-汤普森还面临着来自爱尔兰海对岸的强力挑战。出生于纽里（Newry）并在邓多克（Dundalk）长大的凯特·奥康纳（Kate O’Connor）在格拉斯哥为北爱尔兰赢得了英联邦运动会金牌，现在准备首次亮相欧洲赛场。

蒂亚姆因伤缺席，为其他追赶者留下了机会。

“第一次参加欧洲锦标赛将是一次有趣的体验，”她说道。“竞争将会非常激烈，但计划是来到[格拉斯哥]，去除锈迹，向自己证明我状态良好。这让我对自己的能力充满希望。”

在格拉斯哥仅次于奥康纳获得英格兰银牌的杰德·奥多达（Jade O’Dowda）也参加了此次比赛。Novuna 是英国田径队的官方金融合作伙伴，也是 GB & NI 田径队的自豪赞助商。欲了解更多信息，请访问 www.novuna.co.uk

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体育

《i报》

2026 年 8 月 14 日

《i报》体育 @TheiPaperSport

足球

Baur 的到来 增强了 凯尔特人 日益强大的感觉

足球

“曼城对我意义重大”—— 多库续约五年

齐尔克泽

有些特别之处

皮特·霍尔（Pete Hall）写道，在出售这位强壮且技术细腻的前锋之前，曼联应该三思

卡里克

资金警告

主帅承认红魔 需要投入资金 才能跟上竞争对手的步伐

PS1

非洲足联主席警告

反对通过政变 罢免因凡蒂诺

莫特塞佩坚持认为只有投票才有效——爱尔兰共和国也加入了反对的声音

作者：Phil Blanche

非洲足球负责人帕特里斯·莫特塞佩表示，深陷困境的总裁詹尼·因凡蒂诺的职位只能由国际足联选举决定。

欧足联、亚足联（AFC）以及监管加勒比海、北美和中美洲足球的中北美及加勒比海足联（Concacaf）在因凡蒂诺放弃将男子世界杯股份出售给私人投资者的计划后，指责其存在“欺骗”行为。

据了解，这三方希望给因凡蒂诺机会辞职，使其在不寻求明年3月连任的情况下体面地离职。

但身为国际足联副主席兼非洲足球联合会（CAF）主席的莫特塞佩坚持认为，如果反对者想要“除掉”因凡蒂诺，必须通过投票箱来实现。

“如果任何人对任何人有任何问题，无论是对詹尼，还是对其他任何人，请遵循程序，遵循国际足联的程序，就这么简单，”莫特塞佩说。“如果你想让他下台，就进行选举；让 211 个成员协会来决定。这样做，投票将表达他们对他是否有信心。”

“你必须非常小心。目前正在进行选举

► 续见第52页

THE i PAPER

IMPARTIAL NEWS + INTELLIGENT DEBATE

£1.10

Friday 14 August 2026

No. 4,907

theipaper.com

INTERVIEW

The Kinks' Dave Davies

'My relationship with Ray has been a pain in the a***'

WEATHER

Homes blaze in the

West Midlands on hottest day of year

• » Mayor declares 'extremely worrying' situation as firefighters tackle multiple fires
• » UK hits peak of 38.1°C, with 40 places across central and southern England reaching temperatures of 36°C or higher

P6

EXCLUSIVE

24 million people

face paying even higher water bills ... to firms losing 1.2 billion litres a day from leaks

• » The water regulator is set to give five suppliers the green light to increase bills by an additional £3.4bn between them in the coming years
• » Ofwat had already given firms permission to charge customers 36% more for their services between 2025 and 2030 - but PM warns against 'blank cheque'

EDUCATION

University fees to hit £11,000 a year by 2030

• » A-level results break record

P8

SPORT

More glory for sprinter Hunt as she takes 200m gold

P54

OPINION

Men in their 20s keep hitting on me. I want to call their mothers by Kate Lister

P22

CAROLINE HIRONS - OLDER WOMEN ARE MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE TO HIRE P35 CULTURE - BEST GREEK MYTH RETELLINGS P43

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---

FRIDAY

14

AUGUST

Quote of the day

Hot weather is the mother of procrastination THOMAS EDISON

Birthdays

James Buckley, actor, 39, Paddy McGuinness, comedian, 53, Sarah Brightman, soprano, 66, Steve Martin, actor, 81, Halle Berry (below), actress, 60, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, former basketball player, 67, Lynne Cheney, author and former US second lady, 85

Anniversaries

Friday 14 August 1040 The Battle of Plagaveny is fought after King Duncan I of Scotland leads an army into Moray to fight his rival, Macbeth. The latter's forces win near Elgin and Duncan is killed in battle - not in his bed, as depicted in the Shakespeare play - allowing Macbeth to take the Scottish throne.

index

Crossword	25
TV & Radio	26
Puzzles	27
Books	42
Money	44
Weather	48

The News Matrix

The day at a glance

COURTS

Motorist hit cyclists on three occasions

A motorist has appeared in court in Guildford, Surrey, charged with driving offences after cyclists were injured in three separate van collisions in Elmbridge, Stuart Pringle, 55, of Walton-Upon-Thames, is charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop following a collision, battery and drug driving.

UNITED STATES

Kennedy Centre will close for two years

The Kennedy Centre in Washington will close for two years to allow for substantial renovation work at the performing arts venue, but some outdoor events may continue. Two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed the plan before an official announcement last night.

PEOPLE

A-level results can wait for swimmer

A teenager who made history as Jersey's first Commonwealth Games medallist in 36 years has delayed finding out his A-level results as he is competing in a swimming championship. Filip Nowacki will not get his results until he has finished swimming for Great Britain at the European Aquatic Championships in Paris. PAGE 8

TRANSPORT

Bus drivers strike over hot conditions

Bus drivers in London are going on strike over working conditions in hot weather as the city endures another heatwave.

The Unite union said more than 1,500 Arriva North London bus drivers were taking industrial action today over concerns that the firm was not taking the issue seriously.

Most buses operated by Arriva North London have air cooling systems that only manage to reduce temperatures by around 2°C to 3°C rather than more effective air conditioning, the union said.

This means buses are extremely hot for drivers and passengers, leading to health problems.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Family car burned in racist arson attack

A family with two young children have been targeted in what police are treating as a "race-motivated arson attack" in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. Reports of a car on fire outside a family home in Station Road were made to police around 1.45am yesterday. The blaze was put out but the vehicle was destroyed.

The List

Been there, done the tourist trap

More than a fifth of British holidaymakers say they have fallen into tourist traps while abroad, losing an average of £200. According to research from Airolo, the most common traps were:

1. Food, drinks, and merchandise sold at inflated prices because of a location's captive audience
2. Overpriced taxi rides or taxi drivers taking deliberately longer routes to increase the fare
3. Hidden charges while eating out (e.g. paying for 'complimentary bread' left on the table)
4. Expensive local souvenirs that turn out to be mass-produced
5. Being charged more than a local would be in a restaurant
6. Card machines or ATMs secretly applying large conversion fees
7. Tree gifts or bracelets that later require payment
8. Tour guide rip-offs (i.e. paying a premium for a low-quality tour)
9. Tourist photo scams (e.g. being charged unexpectedly for photos)
10. Paying for unsolicited 'help' with luggage at transport hubs

CRIME

Man stole £1,900 of meat from Aldi store

A 25-year-old man has been charged with stealing more than £1,900 of meat from Aldi, Kent Police have said. Tristan Crisford, of Hythe, was charged with eight counts of theft after he was arrested in the town's High Street on Wednesday. He was hailed to appear at Folkestone magistrates' court on 16 December.

PEOPLE

Davis thanks fans for their kindness

Actress Lucy Davis has thanked fans for their "kindness and support" after she revealed she had been diagnosed with incurable breast cancer. The 53-year-old The Office star revealed her condition on Tuesday, saying she did not know how long she "had left". Friends and fans have since posted messages of support for her online.

JAPAN

Fatal floods cause power cuts in Tokyo

Record-breaking heavy rain pounded eastern Japan yesterday, flooding roads and homes, stopping traffic and causing power cuts near Tokyo. At least one person was found dead. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its most severe warning for heavy rain in 14 municipalities, warning residents of floods and landslides.

PEOPLE

Blue plaque honours railway worker

English Heritage has installed a blue plaque at the former Notting Hill home of Asquith Xavier (1920-1980), the railway worker whose challenge of racial discrimination helped bring an end to a "colour bar" at London's Euston Station.

Xavier lived at 149 Ledbury Road in 1966 when he stood up against discriminatory practices that had prevented him from getting a better-paid role as a train guard at Euston.

Howard Spencer, of English Heritage, said: "Asquith Xavier's fight began with a simple desire for a fair opportunity to support his family, but it became a landmark... against workplace discrimination."

ThePage3Profile

MATTHEW

McCONAUGHEY,

OSCARS UPSTAGED

A Mass gathering.

Matthew McConaughey has met Pope Leo - and he compares the experience to writing an acceptance speech to the Oscars.

McConaughey, 56, met the pontiff earlier this month during a service at St Peter's Basilica

MUSIC

Roxy Music release unheard tracks

Roxy Music are to release unheard tracks from their classic 1970s period as part of a new deluxe edition of For Your Pleasure.

The band released their second record in 1973, containing songs such as "Do The Strand" and "Editions Of You", with the new version set to feature unheard studio recordings, rehearsals, outtakes and live sessions.

"It was a good pressure," singer Bryan Perry said. "Realising, now there's an audience to write for. An intelligent audience.

"I felt a responsibility for the work that I hadn't for the first album, certainly with regard to the lyrics."

Newspapers support recycling. The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 37.2%.

© Published by Harmsworth Media, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HX. Registered in England and Wales No. 00284121. Printed at Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Broadourne), Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Knowsley), KP Services (Jersey) Ltd, Newsprinters Holdings Ltd (Euracentral), Lanarkshire, Irish Times (Citywest, Dublin), Ireland. Back issues available from Historic Newspapers, info@historic-newspapers.com Friday 14 August 2026. Registered as a newspaper with the Post Office.

---

NEW? 2:35

OPINION 15:22

TV 28:31

FRIDAY 17:43

MONET 44:48

SPORT 49:56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

3

in Vatican City, during the Pope's weekly general audience.

The multi-award winning actor attended the service accompanied by his wife Camila Alves.

Following the Mass, the Pope and the actor shook hands and chatted for a few minutes.

It's good to talk.

Speaking on Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show in the US, McConaughey said: "This is a man who sits in a seat to represent the moral compass of the world.

"Popes in the past had maybe more political power and stuff, but to meet him, I had some things I wanted to talk to him about."

He said his preparation for his meeting felt similar to "preparing a speech for the Oscars."

He added: "You don't know if you're going to win, so if you win and you pull out a speech, it's kind of arrogant, right? But I got to talk to him about some nice things."

Shepherding a sense of humour...

McConaughey said the pontiff has a

"great sense of humour", adding: "He made me laugh, which is one of the things I think is consistent about the holiest and most spiritual people in the world."

The Texas-born actor, who rose to fame after his role in Dazed and Confused, was raised in a Baptist household and now attends a non-denominational Christian church.

He has previously spoken candidly about the prominent role religion plays in his life.

Laura Butler

CULTURE

RSC postpones female 'Othello'

The Royal Shakespeare Company has postponed its upcoming production of Othello, starring Sharon D Clarke in the title role, as the actress and singer undergoes cancer treatment. The show had been scheduled to run next year from 13 February until 3 April at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

MUSIC

Fatboy Slim's debut album reissued

Fatboy Slim is giving his debut album, Better Living Through Chemistry, "another lease of life", reissuing it 30 years after its original release. The music producer and DJ, whose real name is Norman Cook, will release the album digitally - with special-edition LP and CD editions set to follow.

UNITED STATES

Sole Powerball ticket winner of $1bn prize

A Powerball ticket sold at a petrol station in Illinois was the sole winner of the $1bn (£740m) jackpot, ending a three-month wait for someone to take the top prize. The ticket was bought in Quincy, 100 miles west of the state capital of Springfield. The winning numbers were 4-26-66-67-69 with the Powerball number of 9.

BULGARIA

Burgas confirmed as Eurovision venue

The Eurovision Song Contest 2027 will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria. The country secured the right to host the contest after Bulgarian singer Dara won this year's event in Vienna, Austria, in May. The European Broadcasting Union and Bulgarian National Television announced the venue in a joint statement.

Letter from the Environment Correspondent Lucie Heath cgtheipaper.com

Increasing water bills is galling

It is enough to make your blood boil (if yesterday's sweltering temperatures didn't manage that).

Five major water firms have been given the green light to increase bills by an additional £3.4bn between them, while also losing more than one billion litres of water a day to leaks.

Water companies will argue that this is the exact investment needed to safeguard ourselves against future extreme weather.

But these price rises - which come on top of previous hikes agreed in 2024 - are more than galling when we know how much money has been siphoned out by investors over the years.

Andy Burnham said yesterday that "customers cannot be treated as a blank cheque", and it remains to be seen what his Government will do to challenge firms passing costs to households.

That is not to say the problems and the need for improvements are not real. Around 155,000 people in Hampshire are at risk of running out of water if action is not taken to shore up their water supply - a stark warning of how close parts of the country are to widespread shortages.

Keeping the taps flowing will come at a price. Continuing to take water from the River Test when it reaches such low levels will be devastating for the ecosystem in the chalk stream.

Of course there are solutions out there. Water companies are building nine new reservoirs, the first in more than 30 years.

It has also been heartening to see photos of nature restoration projects, both big and small, that have helped keep water on our land during this drought.

The solutions are there. Perhaps the events of this summer will spur some into action.

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---

4

NEWS

NHS

'Surge' leaves more than 3,000 hospital patients in corridors

By Storm Newton

The number of patients in England being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas has remained above 3,000 a day for the second month in a row, as the NHS experiences a "summer surge".

Health officials said there has been a record 2.5 million A&E attendances last month amid two heatwaves.

Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warned the health service must start planning for summer pressures in the same way as winter.

However, the data shows overall waiting times for treatment fell slightly in June after rising for two months in a row.

An average of 2,300 patients received corridor care in A&E departments in England each day in July, along with 728 patients elsewhere in hospital wards, totalling 3,029.

This is down slightly from an aver-

age of 2,439 patients in A&E departments and 749 in hospital wards each day in June, totalling 3,188.

It is the third time corridor care figures have been published by NHS England.

The data cover patients who have been receiving corridor care for at least 45 minutes.

2.5m

The record number of A&E attendances last month amid the two heatwaves

This means care did not take place in a clinically appropriate and safe setting where patients have privacy, access to food, water and toilets, and lights can be turned off and noise levels minimised to allow sleep.

Nuffield Trust deputy director of research, Dr Sarah Seshie, said: "The fact that we even need a proper definition and data for corridor care in the NHS shows just how far A&E performance has spiralled out of control."

Cooper thanked NHS staff for "their extraordinary efforts over this hugely challenging summer".

Ospreys are recovering in Britain thanks to 'pioneering pairs' that prefer to nest away from the main population, the research reveals SWNS

ECOLOGY

Ospreys make a comeback thanks to breeding pairs

By Stephen Beech

Ospreys are recovering in Britain thanks to "pioneering pairs" that prefer to nest away from the main population, research reveals.

They could be key to increasing the spread of the raptors which became extinct in the British Isles in 1916 before recolonising in 1954, say conservationists.

Researchers looked at a rare long-term data set covering 54 years of recolonisation of ospreys in northern Scotland.

They investigated the distribution and density of nests and the resulting patterns of settlement to understand how ospreys spread and what drives spatial recovery.

The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, was led by Bournemouth University PhD researcher Brittany Maxted working with the charity Birds of Poole Harbour and The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

Ospreys once bred across much of Britain, but by 1916 they had disappeared as a result of hunting and egg collecting.

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NEWS 2-20

OPINION 18-22

TV 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

5

Photos shared online show at least three carriages laying on their side with two passengers standing on top after the derailment yesterday afternoon

TRANSPORT

Two seriously injured as train derails near Lewes in Sussex

By Harry Goodwin

Two people have been seriously injured after a train derailed on to its side in Sussex yesterday.

Emergency services were at the scene last night of the derailment between Haywards Heath and Lewes. About 150 people were on board.

Photographs shared online showed at least three carriages of the train lying on their side, with two passengers standing on top. Disruption is expected on the line today, including services to Gatwick Airport.

The train was the 2.24pm service starting at London Victoria and travelling to Eastbourne.

Its three rear carriages came off the tracks at around 3.50pm when the eight-carriage service was between Coolobridge and Lewes, travelling at less than 40mph.

Passenger Rob Bradley was on the train with his six-year-old daughter.

"We felt the train kind of speeding up, and then starting to rock," he told the BBC

"At that point I knew something was very strange. And then our carriage actually jumped vertically upwards and we could tell it was a derailment.

"The emergency brakes then went on the train and everything got

The train was travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne BBC NEWS

thrown forward - my laptop, my AirPods, our bags."

He described "smoke and dust pouring into the carriage" from the back of the train. Neither he nor his daughter were injured.

James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, said he had recently raised concerns about the condition of tracks in the area.

"We did discuss the track and the fact that it has been a bit bumpier in recent months, which is possibly a result of the incredibly hot weather we've had recently," he told Times Radio.

MacCleary said rail companies had reported that the extremely dry conditions were affecting embankments and track conditions.

"We've had a lot of speed restrictions in the area recently, which is directly related to the heat.

"We'll have to see what the investigation crops up but there have been concerns about the condition of the tracks recently, definitely."

Last night, British Transport Police said: "We're responding alongside paramedics and the fire service and will provide more information as soon as we can."

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said a team of inspectors has been sent to the scene.

CONSUMER

Eclipse drains colander stocks as Bonnie Tyler anthem soars

By Sean O'Grady

The solar eclipse sparked a huge increase in sales of colanders and streams of celestial anthems, with Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" recording the biggest increase.

Streams of the power ballad rose 94 per cent in the UK, and 14 per cent globally, on Spotify on Wednesday, five weeks after her death on 8 July.

Several other songs received a huge boost, including rock band Evolfo's "Moon Eclipsed the Sun" (12,817 per cent in the UK and 1,251 per cent globally).

Chris Staples' "Dark Side of the Moon" rose 2,805 per cent in the UK and 405 per cent globally.

Data compared streams on eclipse day, 12 August, against the 1-11 August daily average.

Shannon Carragher, senior editor at Spotify, said: "It is always fascinating to see how major cultural events instantly reflect in what the UK is listening to.

"Cultural phenomena like the solar eclipse naturally bring people together, and we instinctively look for the perfect soundtrack.

"Whether it's collectively returning to iconic anthems like 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' or seeking out more hidden celestial gems, these massive spikes in streaming show just how deeply we rely on music to elevate and connect us in the real world during shared human experiences."

More than 90 per cent of the Sun was obscured by the Moon between about 6pm and 8.15pm on Wednesday, the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.

Aods said that in the lead up to the eclipse, sales of colanders increased by 168 per cent.

The rise is thought to have been driven by shoppers using colanders to view the eclipse safely without special glasses.

According to data from social media analytics company Sprout Social, mentions of colanders increased from 150 mentions across X, Reddit and YouTube on Tuesday to more than 6,000 on Wednesday.

Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' reached No 1 in 1983

---

6

NEWS

CLIMATE

Hottest day of the year so far recorded as wildfires burn

By Emily Beaumont

The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far yesterday as "apocalyptic" fires raged across the West Midlands.

Temperatures climbed to 38.1°C at Kew Gardens in west London yesterday, according to the Met Office, making it the fifth hottest day on record.

Forty locations across central and southern England recorded 36°C, according to forecasters.

The new high surpasses the previous hottest day of 2026, when 38°C was recorded in the June heatwave.

The only other time temperatures have reached 38°C twice in a year was in 2022, when the UK recorded its hottest ever temperatures.

A major grass fire spread rapidly to homes in Stourbridge in the West Midlands yesterday, after starting near a golf course. A number of homes caught on fire and two people were injured.

Drone footage showed a wall of flames threatening homes as smoke billowed across the town.

"The whole area is covered in a thick layer of smoke," witness Max Beckerleg told the BBC.

"I watched as the woodlands went up in flames on the golf course while we tried to heat it out with leaves and sticks to prevent it spreading further up to the golf club.

"A member at the golf club was cornered in by the fast-moving fire before he was evacuated by other members in golf buggies."

"The apocalyptic scenes in Norton and across Stourbridge are sadly just a taste of what is to come if we don't act," local councillor Andrew Tromans said.

Several properties have been affected by the fire in Stourbridge

Sixty firefighters were tackling the blaze last night. Stourbridge town hall was set up as a rescue centre for people who have had to flee their homes.

Several other large blazes broke out across the West Midlands, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Stoke-on-Trent, the Castle Vale area of Birmingham and Pershore in Worcestershire. Ten fire engines were deployed to the fire in Stratford-upon-Avon.

West Midlands mayor Richard Parker described the "multiple fires across our region" as an "extremely worrying and fast moving situation".

A northbound stretch of the M6 motorway near Birmingham was shut after thick smoke drifted across the carriageway, causing two-hour queues.

Crews were also still battling a wildfire which hit protected heathland in the New Forest after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday.

Much of England was under an amber warning for extreme heat yesterday as it endured the sixth heatwave of the year. The dry weather has brought drought to most of England and the whole of Wales.

Amber heat health alerts are still in place for most of England today.

Officials have urged people to take simple precautions like staying out of the sun at the hottest part of the day, checking in on vulnerable friends and family, and staying hydrated.

Britain is facing increasingly extreme conditions like heatwaves, drought and wildfires because of climate change.

Climate advisers have urged ministers to take steps to prepare the UK for worsening extremes. Their recommendations range from making it easier for farmers to build reservoirs to putting air conditioning in hospitals and providing grants for vulnerable families.

Baroness Julia Brown, who chairs the independent advisory Climate Change Committee's adaptation work, warned it "gets worse from here" until greenhouse gas emissions are cut to zero overall, known as net zero.

England and Wales have already experienced as many wildfires this year as the whole of 2025.

About 1,037 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council, the same number as last year's record-breaking total.

COVER STORY

Water firms to raise bills as a billion litres a day leaked

Exclusive By Eleanor Langford POLITICAL REPORTER

Nearly 25 million people are facing extra bill hikes from water firms that have been losing more than a billion litres of water a day to leaks.

Five suppliers – Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and South East Water – are to be given the green light to increase bills by an additional £3.4bn between them in the coming years.

Analysis by The i Paper has found these companies have lost 1.2 billion litres of water a day to leaks.

Ofwat, the regulator, had already given firms permission to charge 36 per cent more for their services between 2025 and 2030.

Southern Water, whose customers face paying an extra £80 for the average bill by 2030, has lost up to 104.6 million litres a day to leaks, according to the regulator.

One million of the company's cus-

Thames Water is one of five suppliers that can raise customer bills further

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, criticised water companies yesterday, saying customers "cannot be treated as a blank cheque" and warning that firms seeking to pass unnecessary costs on to households would be challenged.

"Customers have been asked to pay more for years, yet pollution incidents are at record levels and the pipes are still leaking," he added.

Activists, including Amy Fairman, River Action's head of campaigns, have branded the decision to approve further bill rises "an insult".

"For 30 years, where was the investment in our crumbling water infrastructure? Tens of billions went to investors while essential water and sewage works were neglected. We got leaks, pollution and soaring bills," she added.

Ofwat said the extra funding would help companies keep pace with rising demand from housebuilding and data centres, and address pollutants. Nearly a third of the money has been earmarked for maintaining

569.1m

The daily amount in litres lost by Thames Water through leaks in 2024-25, according to Ofwat.

tomers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are currently subject to a hosepipe ban due to drought.

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NEWS 2-26

OPINION 16-23

TV 26-31

FRIDAY 17-23

MONET 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

7

ENVIRONMENT

Towns at risk of running out of water as companies urge further restrictions

By Lucie Heath

ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT

Areas including Southampton and Norwich risk running out of water if further restrictions are not brought in.

Around 165,000 people in Hampshire could face restrictions to their water supply within six weeks under a worst-case scenario set out by Southern Water.

The firm applied to the Government to allow it to continue to take water from the River Test and restrict some businesses' water use to avoid running dry.

Meanwhile, Anglian Water has told customers in Norwich only to consume water for essential use due to worrying low river levels.

The firm has not yet asked the Government to allow it to introduce further restrictions, but it remains an option if the situation deteriorates.

Bournemouth Water this week also asked customers to reduce their water usage as it is struggling to cope with a spike in demand, caused in part by efforts to tackle the wildfire in the New Forest.

Water companies typically bring in these restrictions when their rivers and reservoirs reach low levels.

On 31 July, Southern Water applied to the Government for a drought order, which would allow it to ban businesses from some activities, such as washing cars and windows with hosepipes and maintaining swimming pools.

A separate application was made for a drought order that would allow it to take more water than is typically

Baitings Reservoir near Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire yesterday

allowed from the River Test, which is approaching levels considered low enough to damage the environment.

If it was prevented from taking water, 165,000 people would be "significantly affected by significant water supply" within two weeks, the firm said.

Alastair Chisholm, water policy expert at Arup, said the Government would "almost certainly" approve such an application as supplying water to homes is considered more important than protecting the environment.

"The environment is almost always the first to feel the effects of drought," he said. "It is a reflection of the fact that, as a society, people do come first. It's an unfortunate cir-

cumstance that we kind of have to manage it that way."

Anglian Water is the latest company to ask some customers to use water safe for essential purposes.

As of Wednesday, customers in Norwich have been asked to restrict their use due to exceptionally low levels in the River Wensum.

This could include measures such as using cooled pasta water to water plants, shortening showers and turning off the tap while brushing teeth, the company suggested.

The restrictions are only voluntary as it stands, but the firm would consider applying for a drought order if the situation deteriorates, The i Paper understands.

Bournemouth Water asked customers to reduce their usage where possible, as efforts by firefighters to tackle a wildfire in the New Forest put pressure on their supply.

People in Kent and Sussex have also been asked to only use water for essential uses following multiple cuts, as South East Water struggles to deal with surges in demand.

While Southern Water remains the only company to have applied for a drought order so far, the Environment Agency has said other companies are considering this measure.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: "This Government is ready to take action to help secure water supplies if required."

Nine water companies across the UK have introduced hosepipe bans, which means customers in these areas face fines of up to £1,000 if they are found using a hosepipe.

UTILITIES

Scottish Water bosses received £258,000 in bonuses last year

By Craig Meighan

Scottish Water bosses received more than £250,000 in bonuses over the past year, the public body's latest accounts show.

Alex Plant, Scottish Water's chief executive, was given £115,000 on top of his £315,000 salary, bringing his total remuneration package to £432,000, including benefits.

Alan Dingwall, the chief financial officer, was given a £79,000 bonus on top of his £272,000 salary, with a total remuneration of £363,000.

Peter Farrer, the chief operating officer, received a £64,000 bonus on top of his £176,000 salary, with a total pay package of £280,000.

Overall, the three men were given £258,000 in performance payments.

Scottish Water raised customers' bills by 8.7 per cent in April, costing

the average household £42 more each year.

Dame Jackie Baillie, acting leader of Scottish Labour, said: "These are eye-watering sums for Scottish Water bosses to be picking up."

Baillie added that the payouts are "not right" at a time when people in Scotland are struggling to pay their bills.

The Liberal Democrats accused the Scottish Government of "rewarding their water company for failure".

"Scottish Water is paying out enormous bonuses to bosses who are presiding over filthy sewage dumps and hitting customers with bigger bills," Lib Dem MSP Sanne Dijkstra-Downie said.

"Sewage dumping in Scotland is

still governed by 30-year-old sewage rules which the Government's own watchdog says are failing."

A Scottish Water spokeswoman said: "Performance-related payments are part of an organisation-wide scheme that applies across Scottish Water.

"It is not automatic and is payable only if the organisation meets performance targets."

It comes as a popular beach in File risks losing its official bathing water status because of pollution.

Kinghorn Beach has received a fifth consecutive year of poor water quality ratings.

The industry regulator has given Scottish Water until the end of the year to find a solution.

water services, the regulator said. The decision is provisional.

The jump comes nearly two years after Ofwat gave water companies permission to increase bills by 36 per cent by 2030, with many households having an average rise of £123 last year. Bills have continued to increase this year, going up by 5.4 per cent on average, and adding around £33 to household costs.

Thames Water lost the most to leaks, at 560.1 million litres a day, according to Ofwat's most recent figures for 2024-2025.

A Thames Water spokesperson said leakage was now "15.1 per cent lower than our 2019-20 baseline", adding that the improvement had been "delivered through sustained investment in our network".

The company said it had replaced more than 60 miles of ageing clean water mains since April 2025 as part of its "biggest river network upgrade" and had committed to spend £3.3bn on tackling leakage between April 2025 and April 2030.

Severn Trent Water lost an estimated 335.1 million litres a day. The company said it would replace 870 miles of water pipes as part of a £138m investment package.

South East Water lost 104.8 million litres a day and Wessex Water 69.1 million litres.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said Ofwat's decision "recognises that costs have risen as we work to deliver improvements".

"The additional funding reflects unavoidable increased costs and is needed if we're to meet strict obligations to protect the environment and secure the long-term water supplies the population needs," they added.

South East Water said: "Our priority remains delivering the critical infrastructure improvements needed to secure long-term water supplies, improve services for our customers and protect the environment."

Robert Anthony-Scorse, the company's head of leakage, said South East Water was "working flat out to reduce leakage across our network", adding that it spends around £63m a year finding and fixing leaks and employs 400 staff on repairs.

Ofwat said it had rejected £752m of the £4.3bn in spending requests submitted.

Helen Campbell, the regulator's interim director, said: "We will track performance to ensure companies are delivering the expected improvements. If they don't, expenditure can be clawed back."

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8

NEWS

EDUCATION

University tuition fees likely to rise to nearly £11,000 a year by 2030

By Alexa Phillips

EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT

University tuition fees are expected to hit nearly £11,000 a year by 2030, leaving some of this year's freshers with debts as high as £100,000, The i Paper can reveal.

Students starting four-year courses are set to see their fees go up by more than £800 in their final year.

Record numbers of students were accepted on to undergraduate degree courses on A-levels results day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland yesterday, but experts warned that they are being asked to hail out struggling universities.

Tuition fees in England will reach £9,780 this autumn and £10,050 next year. Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said they would continue rising with inflation.

His successor Andy Burnham faces pressure to help students with the cost of student loans as part of his drive to lower the cost of living.

Although fees for the following years have not yet been confirmed, they are set to climb to around £10,328 in 2028-29 and £10,898 in 2030-31, according to analysis by The i Paper using inflation forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

A graduate beginning a four-year undergraduate degree this autumn, who is taking out the maximum student loans, would face tuition fee debt of about £40,800 plus interest.

If they live in London without their parents and take out the maximum maintenance loan, they would graduate with a total student loan debt of nearly £300,000 plus interest.

Students living without their par-

Students at Coleg Gwent Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone celebrate

ents outside London would leave university with debts of £85,900 if they take out the maximum maintenance loans, while those living with their parents would accumulate loans worth about £78,800 plus interest.

Interest accumulates daily on the entire loan and, for graduates starting their degrees this year, will be pegged to the retail prices index.

The older Plan 2 loans, issued in England between September 2012 and July 2023, are set at the retail prices index plus 3 per cent.

Lewis Wilson, vice president at the National Union of Students, said students were left with "mortgagesized" debts.

"It's a graduate tax for life, but it's completely unfair," he said. "It's a tax that wealthy people can completely opt out of because they won't have taken out student loans."

He said it was "unfair" that students were left with big bills because the Government "refuses" to adequately fund universities.

The Government previously announced plans to reintroduce maintenance grants but they will only be for subjects such as engineering and healthcare, will be means-tested and will not take effect until 2028-29.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think-tank, said the tuition fee increases were "nothing like enough" to help institutions, some of which are on the brink of bankruptcy.

University undergraduate tuition fees for UK students in England were frozen at £9,250 from 2017 to 2025. Inflation during this period means that the cost of delivering degrees has outstripped tuition fees, leaving institutions increasingly reliant on additional money from international student fees, which can be as high as £70,000 a year.

However, an immigration crackdown has led to falling numbers of overseas students.

Hillman said questions remain whether Burnham will see through his predecessor's plan to enshrine tuition fee increases in law.

The Department for Education was approached for comment.

Last month the Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, said the subject of student loans was 'very much at the top of my in-tray' and described interest charges on Plan 2 loans as 'agregious'

EDUCATION

Teen honours late mother - and reaches for the stars

By Tom Wilkinson

A teenager is following the path his late mother hoped he would take after securing a place to study aeronautical and aerospace engineering.

Abdullah Mahmood, 18, from Bradford, achieved an A¹ in maths, A in further maths, A in physics and A² in computer science despite his mother's death at the beginning of the final year of his A-level studies.

The Bradford Grammar School pupil, who has won a place at Leeds University, said: "My mother encouraged me to follow my passion.

"She propagated the notion that

knowledge is power and wanted me to work towards my goal of becoming an aeronautical engineer.

"All the hard work has paid off and I'm excited to be going to Leeds."

His father, Sajid, said: "I'm very happy for him today, especially as I was worried about him being here without his mum. He's done so well."

Abdullah - whose late mother Misbah was a maths teacher - joined the independent school's sixth form on an assisted place.

Headmaster Simon Hinchliffe said: "To achieve excellent academic results while showing such dignity, maturity and quiet strength is remarkable."

PEOPLE

A-grade twins go separate ways

Twin sisters who have not spent more than three weeks apart will study in different countries after achieving top A-level grades.

Olivia and Natasha Ikeda, who got the results they needed at Solihull School in the West Midlands, said it will be "really strange" to be so far apart.

Olivia, who got an A¹ and three As, will study accounting and finance in Bath, while Natasha, who achieved A²AA, will move to Valencia, Spain, to pursue her dream of becoming a dentist.

Natasha said: "This summer we've had a bit of independence and we've gone travelling separately."

The sisters said those three weeks was the longest amount of time they have spent apart.

PEOPLE

Ukrainian refugee earns place to study at university

By Tom Wilkinson

A teenager who fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago has won a place at Durham University to study law.

Oles Kuzomko, 18, only had basic English when he arrived and has had to overcome the death of his father who stayed behind to help in the war.

The Bradford Grammar School (BGS) pupil has achieved an A in history, A² in psychology, A⁴ in Russian and an A in business in his A-levels, along with an A⁵ in his Extended Project Qualification.

He and his mother Iled Kyiv in February 2022 and settled in Silsden, West Yorkshire, three months later, having stayed in rural

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FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

9

In numbers A-level results

28.5%

Proportion of A-level entries awarded an A or A 9.6 per cent being an A

78.4%

The total share of entries this year that received a grade C or above

97.5%

The overall pass rate, meaning grades from A* to E, with few receiving a U (a fail)

32.7%

The proportion of entries getting an A or A* in London – England's highest

23.1%

The A-A* share in the North East and East Midlands, the joint lowest in England

906,425

Total number of A-levels awarded this year, up 2.7 per cent on last year's 882,853

EDUCATION

Highest A-level grades rise – and boys outdo girls

By Alexa Phillips

The proportion of A-level entries awarded top grades has risen for the third year in a row, as the total number of A-level entries passed 900,000 for the first time.

Hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their exam results yesterday. More than a quarter (28.5 per cent) of UK entries were awarded an A or A*, up by 0.2 per cent percentage points on last year, when 28.3 per cent achieved top grades.

The proportion of UK entries awarded the top A* grade this year has also risen, by 0.2 percentage points to 9.6 per cent.

Maths remained the most popular subject at A-level this year – the 13th year in a row it has topped the table.

More than one in eight of all UK A-level entries (12.7 per cent) were for the subject, the latest figures showed. But there is a clear gender divide, with more boys choosing the subject than girls.

There were 72,619 boys' entries for A-level maths this year, making up 63 per cent of entries, compared with 42,761 for girls.

Boys have outperformed girls in terms of top grades again, after doing so for the first time in seven years last year.

Overall, 28.9 per cent of boys' A-level entries scored an A* or A this summer, compared with 28 per cent of their female classmates' entries – a gap of 0.9 percentage points.

Economics has surged in popularity this year. It is now the fifth most popular subject for students, climbing up from 10th in 2025. In total, there were more than 47,000 UK entries for economics.

The head of the exams regulator Ofqual, Sir Ian Buackham, said it was "plausible to suggest" that job prospects are influencing the choices that students make in terms of what they study.

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said: "More than ever, young people are asking a simple question: where will the opportunities be?"

The gap between the highest- and lowest-performing regions in England has grown to a record level, according to the figures.

In London, 32.7 per cent of A-level grades were marked at A* or A, up from 32.1 per cent last year.

But in the North East and the East Midlands, it was 23.1 per cent – a 9.6 percentage point gap, up from 9.2 last year.

The number of students getting T-level results this year has soared after new subjects became available.

More than 19,600 students in England were awarded results in the Government's technical qualifications, compared with around 11,900 last year.

More than three in four people (76.7 per cent) completed the technical qualifications, which is up on last year when 73.1 per cent finished their courses.

MONARCHY

Earl of Wessex achieves grades for rural degree

By Tony Jones

The King's nephew will attend the Royal Agricultural University after achieving the grades needed for his chosen course.

James, 18, the Earl of Wessex, will study for a rural land and property management degree at the university in Cirencester after getting his A-level results.

His grades and the subjects he studied at the private Radley College in Oxfordshire have not been disclosed.

The earl's sister, Lady Louise Windsor, was watched by their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, when she graduated from the University of St Andrews earlier this summer with a degree in English and international relations.

She will take a gap year before exploring career opportunities.

CINEMA

'The Odyssey' could encourage uptake of classics

By Alison Kershaw

The blockbuster The Odyssey could fuel an increase in teenagers studying the classics at A-level, it has been suggested.

There were just 168 entries for classical Greek this year, according to official figures, making it the third least popular subject for students – behind built environment and biblical Greek.

But Sir Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon (inset), could lead to an "Odyssey effect", according to Myles McGinley, managing director of exam board Cambridge OCR.

"This year has shown the classics can be interesting to everyone," he said.

Clockwise from main, students celebrate their BTec and T-level results at Barking & Dagenham College; Harvey McLaughlin with his T-level and BTec certificates; students at Harris Academy Wimbledon get their results via MOKAN ISABEL (NRANTES) REUTERS

LANGUAGES

French less popular than 'others'

Ukraine and moved through Poland and Czechia.

They settled in the UK through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, although his father Roman stayed there and died from sepsis in 2023.

Kuzomko had studied English at school but he was not fluent and could not speak it well when he began his studies in the UK.

But his dedicated studies have paid off at A-level.

Kuzomko wants to stay in England, saying: "I can't really go back to Ukraine because I have nothing and no one left there."

By Ian Jones

A-level entries in French have dropped below the number of entries in the "other modern languages" category for the first time this decade, results data show.

There are 15 different languages within the category, ranging from Chinese, which had 1,644 entries this year, to Gujarati, which had just six.

Overall there were 6,944 A-level entries this summer for a mod-

ern foreign language that was not French, German or Spanish, up from 4,672 in 2025.

The increase was enough to rank "other modern languages" ahead of French, which had 6,888 entries.

A-level French has been in long-term decline, with the number of entries halving since 2010.

The rise in entries for other modern languages is being driven by a jump in the popularity of Russian and Polish.

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10

NEWS

BY-ELECTION

Expectant Farage awaits fate in Clacton's record field of 34

By David Hughes

Nigel Farage was waiting last night to find out whether he has retained his seat in the Clacton by-election.

The Reform UK leader quit as an MP to trigger the by-election in protest at media and parliamentary scrutiny of donations from his backers, including convicted fraudster George Cottrell and crypto-currency tycoon Christopher Harborne.

A record 34 candidates stood in the election, which Farage was expected to win comfortably as The i Paper went to print last night.

The main Westminster parties boycotted the by-election, dismissing it as a stunt. It is estimated to have cost taxpayers £250,000.

Farage had wanted the by-election to be a "people versus the establishment" showdown. But he ended up facing opponents including satirical candidate Count Binface, actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox and an array of obscure independents.

The 90cm-long ballot paper meant larger tables than usual were required at the count.

The result was expected to be announced on the floor of Clacton Leisure Centre rather than on a stage to accommodate all the candidates.

Photographers and TV cameras covering the count were advised they would need a wide-angle lens to fit them all into a single shot.

Before quitting Westminster, Farage was being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5m gift from Harborne, before taking his seat in the Commons.

Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.

That investigation was paused when Farage resigned. But it will resume if, as expected, he wins.

Farage could also face an investigation over support by Cottrell, a convicted fraudster.

Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage's social media before the general elec-

tion, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property near Buckingham Palace.

If Farage is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trig-

ger a recall petition and the prospect of Farage losing his seat, forcing a second contest.

In the 2024 general election, Farage won Clacton with 46.2 per cent of the vote and a majority of 8,405.

POLITICS

Young Reform leader under fire over fake gender row

By Harry Goodwin

The 20-year-old leader of a Reform council is under fire over his claim that locals had complained about "gender ideology" in local libraries.

George Finch was elected leader of Warwickshire county council at the age of 19 last year.

Since then, he has survived three code of conduct investigations and a no-confidence call, which he won by just one vote.

In June, Finch said he had received "a number" of complaints that Warwickshire's libraries were "promoting contested gender ideology".

But a Freedom of Information request by Rachel Taylor, the Labour MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, shows no complaints had been made about inappropriate books in the county's libraries since March 2024. On Tuesday, she accused Finch of attempting to "manufacture outrage".

In response, Finch said he had "personally spoken" to people about the issue, accusing Taylor of a "desperate attempt to manufacture a political argument".

It comes after Finch was accused last month of bullying council officers, the local government equivalent of civil servants.

Nicki Scott, a Green councillor, told a council meeting: "I have officers contacting me on a weekly basis citing concerns around bullying, harassment and specific and unreasonable attacks on how some officers choose to live their lives."

Finch dismissed the bullying allegations as "lies".

"Officers are there to advise, members decide, that's how it works," he told The Guardian.

WHITEHALL

Thousands in Civil Service work from home full time

By Harry Goodwin

More than 2,000 civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) never have to go to the office.

The DWP is responsible for government employment policies, including efforts to get "Neets" into the workplace.

The department disclosed that 2,413 of its staff are not contractually required to attend the office, The Times reported.

At least 3,884 staff have similar remote-only contracts across

Whitehall, including 688 at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and 492 and the Department for Education.

Some civil servants have not attended their office for more than two years, including 82 at the Department for Transport.

Local councils have also offered many staff permanent work-from-home contracts. Southend Council in Essex

employs 197 staff on remote-only contracts. Public sector productivity lingers below pre-pandemic levels, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Productivity growth in the Civil Service rose by 0.1 year on year in the first quarter of this year. It contracted by 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter year on year.

"This data represents a tiny fraction of staff," a government spokesperson told The Times. "There has been no change to government policy on office attendance.

A minimum 60 per cent office attendance remains the best option for our staff and the public."

CONSUMER

Burnham plug gives Greggs boost

By Harry Goodwin

Greggs has recorded a surge in sales for sausage, bean and cheese melts after Andy Burnham said it was his order of choice.

The Prime Minister was asked for his choice of Greggs treat during an LBC phone-in on Tuesday. Burnham said it was the "sausage, bean and cheese thing".

"Sales have gone through the roof," a Greggs spokesman said. "Cheers, Andy."

Greggs has launched a new ad campaign for "The Sausage, Bean & Cheese Thing", in a nod to Burnham's description.

Greggs has reported a rise in sales for its sausage, bean and cheese melt

The strapline reads: "As Eaten by the Prime Minister."

Sales have reportedly doubled at the Greggs branch outside the new No 10 North office in central Manchester.

2,000

The number of civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions who never have to go to the office

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11

Veterans' dream day in Spitfires

Second World War veterans Ivan Staines, 99, (below left), Paul Terry, 105, and Alfred Cooley, 100 (right). fly in Spitfires for the first time from Biggin Hill Airport in Kent, fulfilling an ambition thanks to the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. The charity helps veterans by providing entertainment, outings and specialized equipment. ANDREW MATTHEWSIPA

PROPERTY

Temporary housing figures at record high

By Áime Fox

The number of households in temporary accommodation in England has risen to a record high, after a slight fall at the end of last year.

A total of 135,580 households were in this situation at the end of March, including 177,530 children.

The number of children in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness – is also at a record high, with housing charity Shelter noting it is the 18th consecutive quarterly rise in child homelessness.

The figure for children in this kind of accommodation is up 5.2 per cent from 168,710 at the same point last year, according to data published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The figures are the first since Andy Burnham took office in No 10, although they cover a period when his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer was prime minister.

MIGRATION

Village at centre of asylum-seeker drama

A former MoD base near Piddington could house migrants. By Cahal Milmo

Last month, residents of Piddington in Oxfordshire announced plans to hold a referendum on leaving the United Kingdom over a proposal to house asylum seekers on a nearby former Ministry of Defence (MoD) site.

And their indignation only increased this week after the Prime Minister called for "wealthies areas" in Britain to accommodate more migrants arriving across the English Channel.

The village – a pretty, winding strip of rural England punctuated by a village hall and a medieval church – sits roughly half a mile from Site A of the Bicester Garrison.

This mothbulled MoD logistics base is where the Government wants to house 1,250 male asylum seekers as part of its promise to end the use of hotels to accommodate migrants.

For Piddington's 350 or so residents, however, it is an isolated, ill-chosen site sitting cheek by jowl with a community who were politely bristling at the apparent suggestion that their opposition to the project is borne from a desire to protect a privileged upstrade.

As John, a Piddington resident of more than 20 years and one of the few homeowners venturing out in the broiling heat on Wednesday, put it: "This isn't about wealth, this is about the ability of a very small place to absorb a very large number of people.

"The idea that we're somehow all sat here in big houses and whatever, not wanting to do our bit, is actually a bit offensive. There are all sorts of people in this community and they have a right to be worried about what is proposed."

Piddington, situated a few miles south of Bicester, is not normally the sort of place that actively seeks to be part of the national discourse.

The closest thing to a source of drama that could be found in its midst when The i Paper visited this week was a notice outside the village hall seeking to reunite a "freedom-loving" tortoise found wandering the streets.

But for better or worse, the village has found itself in national headlines in recent weeks after its parish council announced plans to hold a vote leaving the UK altogether over the asylum seeker accommodation plans.

The neat name signs on white picket fencing that sit at the entrances to the village are now accompanied by additional boards announcing: "NO TO BICESTER MOD ASYLUM CENTRE."

A formal referendum on the eye-catching proposal to become the "Principality of Piddington" is now scheduled for mid-September after an indicative vote last month suggested 96 per cent of inhabitants were in favour of the plebiscite.

The proposition faces practical challenges in the shape of the fact that the law prevents communities voluntarily exiting Britain, which

The former MoD site is earmarked to house 1,250 male asylum seekers

means that it would take an Act of Parliament for a newly-ruined Oxfordshire micro-state to come into existence.

But as a means of drawing attention to what organisers say is the democratic deficit exposed by an alleged lack of consultation or influence over the plans for Site A, it has been wildly successful, drawing support from figures including Elon Musk and actor John Cleese.

When asked this week about Piddington, Andy Burnham said: "I will listen to what people are saying and respond to the concerns that they are putting forward."

The Prime Minister said the Bicester Garrison scheme, one of

This isn't about wealth, this is about the ability of a very small place to absorb a very large number of people

three former MoD sites in England where it is proposed to house a total of 3,750 migrants, was about creating "secure space" for asylum seeker accommodation.

The Home Office later clarified that while the Bicester site would be self-contained, those housed on it would be free to come and go.

For Tim McNally, the energetic chairman of Piddington Parish Council, the Prime Minister's engagement with the topic was to be warmly welcomed.

"We're not asking to be made exempt from responsibility. Genuine asylum seekers should receive the proper support they need," he said.

"The issue here is about the scale of what is proposed, the location and the process. We may be an affluent area but that does not mean there is anything like the capacity to deal with what is being proposed."

The Home Office has insisted it will listen to concerns raised by communities neighbouring the proposed accommodation sites at Bicester as well as Burnham in Suffolk, and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.

But residents in Piddington are concerned that the pressure on ministers to be seen to be dealing with the migrant crisis, and in particular the Government's promise to end the use of hotels by 2029, will mean the Bicester plan is effectively imposed on them.

McNally said: "The idea of our referendum is not about a trick or a piece of political theatre. It's actually a means of showing what is happening in this country when people feel a referendum is their only means of being heard."

MIGRATION

Authorities 'will try to scupper Burnham plans'

By Adam Forrest

Andy Burnham has been warned that local authorities in affluent areas in the south of England will try to use planning controls to block schemes to house asylum seekers.

At the moment the Home Office caps the rent it will pay to landlords of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), meaning that asylum seekers are sent to areas where the rent is cheaper – poorer neighbourhoods.

The Home Office is considering raising the cap, which would enable asylum seekers to be housed in HMOs in more expensive areas.

But the Prime Minister has been accused of "hypocrisy" by his opponents for promising to devolve more powers to councils while trying to "impose" asylum seekers on them.

Reform UK and Conservative politicians want council chiefs to prevent new HMOs in their areas using Article 4 orders, which requires landlords to seek planning permission to convert their properties into HMOs.

George Madgwick, Reform group leader at Hampshire County Council, said it was "wildly inappropriate for Burnham to suggest they [asylum seekers] should be in middle-class areas".

A Government spokesperson said: "We are already working to fairly house asylum seekers across the entire country."

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12

NEWS

UNITED STATES

Beauty queen could be next brash Trump mouthpiece

By Kieron Monks

The hookmakers' favourite to become Donald Trump's next official spokesperson is a former beauty queen and self-described dog obsessive who posts photos of her pets on social media.

But Anna Kelly, 29, is also a Trump loyalist who shares the President's propensity to attack perceived media enemies asking difficult questions in her current role as deputy to the outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Leavitt, 28 (insot), is stepping down at the end of the month to spend more time with her family, Trump announced on Wednesday. "Karoline will now be one of my top outside advisers, and an influential voice within the Republican Party," he added. Leavitt gave birth to a second child in May.

Leavitt's departure leaves big shoes to fill. She was the youngest White House press secretary in history and the second longest-serving under Trump, gaining a reputation as one of the President's favourites.

That affection was reflected in a warm note from Trump marking Leavitt's exit with praise for a "phenomenal job".

Kelly has a long record in politics. Born and raised in the Washington suburb of Fairfax, to a businesswoman mother and mortgage broker father, the lifelong Republican has described her household as "politically outspoken".

In 2012, when she was in her mid-teens, she started working as a campaign intern for a local Virginia Republican Committee. She studied political science and has spoken

about her efforts to boost student engagement with politics.

But Kelly also found time to enter and win the Miss State Fair contest in Virginia in 2018.

While studying for a masters in political management at George Washington University, she became communications director for the Wisconsin branch of the Republican National Committee.

There followed a role as communications director for Wisconsin Congressman Derrick van Orden in 2023, when she defended him in a scandal over swearing at teenagers.

Kelly then moved on to become press secretary for the Republican Party and began her current role when Trump returned to the White House in 2025.

The young spin doctor's public output is a mix of cosy posts on social media featuring her friends and rescue dog, Remi, and statements backing her boss's hardline positions on media, migration and international affairs.

Kelly has been quick to adopt Trump's trademark "fake news" phrase and habit of insulting interlocutors, following in the footsteps of Leavitt, who branded The Hill's White House correspondent Niall Stanage a "left-wing back".

Following the migrant crisis in Spain, Kelly warned that "far-left globalist policies, including enabling mass migration" could lead to the "demise" of European countries. She has also learnt into Trump's bellicose comments on Iran, telling reporters: "Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing."

However, one Republican grandee told the Daily Mail she "needs more polish despite being a former pageant contestant". An administration official said Kelly was "good on TV, but I wouldn't say she could completely fill Karoline's shoes".

Kelly appears to be revelling in the spotlight. In a recent interview with radio programme The Clay Trusts of Buck Sexton Show, she said her role in the White House was "so exciting and we are having so much fun". She added: "We are winning every single day."

Several other candidates are being mooted. Other front runners include Trump's former attorney Alina Habba, the bellicose White House communications director Steven Cheung and Republican political strategist Scott Jennings.

My View, page 19

Grapes among the wrath...

Abdul Karim Shamiakh, a Palestinian farmer, harvests grapes in the Sheikh Ajlin neighbourhood of Gaza City yesterday. An empty shell lies next to him, while the remains of buildings stand behind.

Settler siege, page 33

Analysts

Iran and US wait to see who blinks first in game of chicken

Anchal Vehra

Donald Trump is banking on the economic crisis in Iran to achieve what American firepower could not. The President told the Axios website earlier this week that the US was "low-keying" the military assault. Iran's economy is in a "very bad shape", he said, adding that he was "watching Iran" as inflation rose and living standards dropped.

The comments indicated a shift in strategy: from the June memorandum of understanding that promised phased sanctions relief and a 8300bn (£222bn) reconstruction or investment fund, back to the economic pressure campaign Trump unleashed in 2018 when he withdrew from the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions.

Some believe the President could be on the right track. If economic pressure is sustained, protesters could return to the streets and Iran could be forced to make a deal.

Trump has been blamed for plunging the world into a new crisis with his attack on Iran in February with Israel's support, without consulting any of the US's other regional allies or heeding advisers.

The crisis is now about who will blink first as both the US and Iran seek maximum gains, a former senior Asian diplomat said. He said Iran's efforts to charge vessels using the Strait of Hormuz could lead to other waterways being weaponised.

Eric Lob of the Carnegie Endowment described the situation last month as a "test of

wills" to see how much economic pain the Iranian government is willing to absorb and how much political liability it creates for the US administration ahead of November's midterm elections.

The global economy's absorption of much of the shock is being used as proof that the US has more time than Iran and need not rush to finalise a deal. No deal is better than a bad deal, some conservatives have said.

Last month, IMF economists said that the oil market had largely coped by withdrawing from existing inventories, increasing production elsewhere and because Gulf countries redirected exports.

In June, Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a

Anna Kelly is currently the deputy White House press secretary

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OPINION 18-22

TV 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPORT 49-56

TEHRAN 14 AUGUST 2026

13

conservative think-tank, suggested the US and Israel should be arming Iranian protesters. "If we haven't had a covert campaign already with the Israelis to arm people, that's malpractice," he said.

A British-Iranian suid, based on his conversations with relatives and friends in Tehran: "Iranians are looking above their heads, for drones and fighter jets dropping bombs. They will only have the mind space to question the government about the economic chaos once the bombs stop."

According to the Iranian government's estimates, the war inflicted costs of up to $270bn ($200bn) in the first 40 days alone. The risk fell to a record low by late April and by June, consumer prices were up by nearly 90 per cent from last year. Output at more than 20,000 factories has been destroyed or damaged.

Iran's economic plight did not start with the war but even the government has admitted that

It is a test of wills to see how much economic pain Iran absorbs and how much political liability the US

it is a key factor in deciding the outcome of the conflict. Iran's President, Masoud Pezeshkian, has acknowledged economic pressures and warned against "widening public dissatisfaction".

Pezeshkian (inset) has backed diplomatic means to resolve the conflict but experts suggested Iranian hardliners are calling the shots and could push to expand the use of the "shadow fleet" to ease economic pressure.

Despite calls from hawks to stay firm against Iran, there are concerns. Energy has been costlier for many EU and Asian countries.

Additionally, thousands were killed in government crackdowns during protests in December, which may deter Iranians from returning to the streets. It remains possible once the bombs stop, but uprisings are usually lit by a spark. Their timing cannot be predetermined.

The Iranian government is banking on Trump's impatient and fickle nature - the question is how long it can hold out.

Anchal Vohra is a columnist for 'Foreign Policy' magazine and a commentator on Europe and the Middle East

POLAND

Russian plot failed in bid to kill US citizen

By Claudia Clobann

A Russian plot to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw was thwarted by Poland before it could be carried out, the Polish prime minister said yesterday, marking the first time in decades that a Western leader has publicly accused Moscow of plotting to kill a US citizen.

Western officials have warned that Russia has stepped up a campaign of targeted killings since President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, saying they have disrupted several plots across Europe.

It was the first time that "someone on the order of Russia" sought to attack an American citizen on the territory of another Nato country, Donald Tusk said.

The operation was carried out in co-operation with US services, said Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister overseeing intelligence services.

Russia has long been accused of targeting its enemies abroad.

German authorities said Russia organised the 2019 killing of Zelimkhan Khungoshvili, a former Chechen rebel commander who was shot in a Berlin park by Vadim Krasikov, a hitman who was later greeted by Putin after he was exchanged in a spy swap. 10

MIDDLE EAST

US sailor went overboard on deployment

By Kit Gillet

A sailor went overboard last month from the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, a US official has told CNN.

The sailor was quickly rescued, according to the official, and was medically evaluated, but the incident comes amid growing reports of worsening conditions and sinking morale aboard the nuclear-powered vessel.

Last month, it set a record of having spent longer continuously at sea without a port call than any US aircraft carrier in history.

Families have reportedly warned the Acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao, that they were fearful of suicides among the more than 5,000 sailors and US marines aboard.

The Lincoln has been at sea for more than 250 consecutive days, and engaged in combat with Iran for more than 40 of them.

Deployed aircraft carriers normally make a port call at least once every 45 days.

Families say the mental health of sailors is at immediate risk, and there have been reports of a crew member being prevented by his colleagues from jumping overboard.

AFGHANISTAN

The country where men can legally beat their wives - and marry children

Taliban has issued 200 laws limiting women's freedoms. By Jessie Williams

Five years after the Taliban swept back into power in Afghanistan, life is still getting worse for women and girls, who can barely leave their homes.

The regime has now issued about 200 decrees restricting freedom for the female population, including prohibiting girls over 12 from attending school, barring women from university and nearly all forms of employment and forbidding them from leaving the house without being completely covered and accompanied by a male guardian.

One of the Taliban's latest decrees permits men to beat their wives, provided they do not break any bones or leave visible, lasting wounds. Another makes it far harder for a woman to leave a marriage, while preserving men's right to divorce and implicitly permits child marriage.

Half of Afghan women now leave home only once or twice a month because of the severe restrictions on their movement and access to public spaces, according to the UN Women rights group.

"As a woman, we can't easily go out to buy something for ourselves and bring it back," Prima, 23, told The i Paper. "For example, shopping for groceries, whatever we need, that responsibility falls on our husbands. He is the one who has to go and get things for the house."

Prima was recently forced to return to Afghanistan after eight years living in Iran with her family and working as an embroiderer. They now live in a compound with collapsed ceilings.

"All our possessions, whatever we

Our team gets reports of women and girls attempting self harm over lack of options in the future

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021

had, we spent on travel expenses to return to Afghanistan," she said. "We have nothing to eat, nothing to wear."

Primah husband is unemployed, and she cannot work because of the Taliban's ban.

Farrana, a 40-year-old woman living in western Afghanistan, was also forcibly deported from Iran in early March after living there for more than two decades.

"My daughters cannot go to school," she said. "We cannot work or move freely."

Giosou Nia, a human rights lawyer and legal adviser to the End Gender Apartheid campaign, said the situation had triggered a mental health crisis.

"Sadly our team receives reports of women and girls attempting self harm, of feeling despair at the lack of options for their future," she said.

The campaign is calling for the classification of gender apartheid - a term also used during the first Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in the late 1990s - as a crime against humanity.

Tomorrow will mark half a decade since the Taliban came back into power and its drastic rollback of rights for women and girls has almost completely erased them from public life.

Some women still protest inside the country, despite the risks, and those in exile are putting pressure on the international community to do more to hold the Taliban to account.

The European Union sparked anger when it held talks with the Taliban in Brussels in June on deporting failed asylum seekers.

Metra Mehran, an Afghan women's rights activist, said: "It hurts me that the Taliban are getting normalised. There is diplomatic engagement. Europe is inviting them [for talks], so I think that also creates legal obligations for other states on how they then engage and interact with the Taliban regime."

Mehran said the campaign to have gender apartheid made a crime against humanity will help to prevent other repressive regimes around the world from pursuing similar policies.

On 2 June, the first round of formal proposals for amendments to the UN Crimes Against Humanity treaty was released and seven countries included gender apartheid in their submissions.

Fourteen countries have publicly expressed support - though the UK is not among them.

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NEWS

CRIME

Met chief criticises justice system that left offender free to kill while on bail

By Pol Allingham

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, doubled down on his criticisms of the justice system in the wake of killer Simon Levy being given a whole life sentence, saying another sex offender was recently hailed to an address two doors down from his victim.

It comes after Rowley criticised the courts for previously releasing Levy on bail, while trying to defend his force's role in the catalogue of justice system failings which meant the serial sex attacker was repeatedly freed.

Levy, 40, was on bail and being monitored by police when he murdered grandmother Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in March 2025 and mother-of-four Sheryl Wilkins, 39, in August that year.

Yesterday, Rowley told the BBC's Today programme: "There's no one from the court service, no one from CPS, no one from probation stepping forward and talking about their failures."

The Met "will always be publicly accountable, we're the agency closest to the public", he added.

"The reason we're really worried and concerned by what's going on is we're the ones who see victims day in and day out... we had a case the other day of a sex offender who should have been remanded in custody hailed to an address two doors down from his victim.

"These things are happening rou-

Sir Mark Rowley also said there was 'systemic disinvestment' in police

tinsly and it really worries us because we're close to those victims."

His officers regularly handle cases of "prolific knife offenders" who are repeatedly charged with carrying the weapons, and sometimes using them, but hailed back onto the streets, he said.

"It's harder and harder to get these cases through the courts. We've got cases in London, assaulting emergency worker cases, domestic violence triangulation cases, being listed for 2029, 2030 – those risks are carried in the community," Rowley said.

Nothing happens when offenders are arrested for breaching their electronic tags "so it becomes a

pointless endeavour" if it is "zero jeopardy", he added.

There are currently 10,800 registered sex offenders in London and the number grows by 100 every three months, Rowley told the programme.

"Meanwhile, the Met that I lead today is 4,000 people smaller than it was four years ago, this is a systemic disinvestment by successive governments in the agencies that keep people safe: police, prisons, courts, etc.

"The whole system is struggling and because the risk eventually lands in communities, then people say, 'well, the police need to deal with this' – we need to be realistic about what's achievable."

Levy suffocated both women in sexually motivated attacks, with Ms Valencia-Trujillo found in a largely abandoned block of flats on the Aylesbury estate in south-east London, and Ms Wilkins behind a car park wall near Tottenham High Road, north London.

Levy had already subjected a third woman to a rape in the same car park where Ms Wilkins's body was later found, and the survivor had told police where her attacker lived.

But she was not formally interviewed until after Levy had killed twice, in a catalogue of justice system failings that meant Levy was repeatedly set free on bail despite a growing number of attacks on women.

The Ministry of Justice and the CPS were approached for comment.

WALES

'Popular' 102-year-old dies after pub attack

By Eleanor Storey

A 102-year-old great-grandfather who died after allegedly being assaulted at a pub was a "well-known character" who locals would buy drinks for, his son has said.

Phillip Ormerod, from Cwmbran in South Wales, died in hospital this week following the incident at the Crow's Nest pub in the town on 1 August.

His son, Robert Ormerod, said that his father had dementia and lived alone in the Llanyrafon neighbourhood where he had raised his family.

He said his father used to visit the Crow's Nest regularly and described him as a popular character who young people would buy beer for.

Mr Ormerod said: "I feel sad – even though he could be difficult because of his age and dementia, still, you get used to him being around.

"Even though I suppose he wouldn't go on for ever, he would've carried on I think for a bit."

Phillip Ormerod worked as a design draughtsman before retiring.

He continued living in Llanyrafon following the death of his wife 40

Phillip Ormerod died in hospital after the alleged assault earlier this month

years ago and was visited often by his two sons.

Mr Ormerod said: "I used to visit him regularly, and then towards the end me and my brother used to keep the house clean as best we could, and buy his food because his eyesight had deteriorated.

"He was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years ago, he probably had it before that."

"He's well-known around here, although a lot of his generation are gone," he added.

He said his father would visit the pub two or three times a week, where he would drink beers, and described how he became a familiar face to some locals.

"It became a youngsters' pub, although it used to be a local pub where all ages went, and it was run very strictly by the landlord at the time, I remember," he added.

Emergency services were called to the pub at about 10.25pm on 1 August following a report of an assault taking place.

A 56-year-old man from Llanelli was arrested on suspicion of section 20 assault and remains under investigation.

COURTS

Bishop charged over rape of teenage girl after pilgrimage

By Tristan Kirk

The Bishop of Northampton has appeared in court over allegations he raped a teenage girl after they went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes.

David Oakley, 70, is accused of twice having sex with the girl, who was 15 at the time, in the early 2000s.

Oakley, who was then in his mid-40s and working as a Catholic priest, was charged in June with two counts of rape of a girl under the age of 16, following an investigation by Staffordshire Police's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team.

He appeared at Westminster magistrates' court yesterday via videolink from his lawyer's office to face the charges for the first time.

Prosecutor Sarah Madden told the court Oakley and the girl "start-

David Oakley appeared in court via videolink from his solicitor's office

ed dating... after going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes".

"She recalls sex with the defendant on at least two occasions." Madden said.

Lourdes, in south-west France,

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OPINION 15-22

TV 25-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPORT 49-56

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SPORT

Africa federation backs Infantino and tells critics to 'wait for election'

By Harry Goodwin

The head of Africa's football federation and six Arab nations have backed embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

Infantino has held on to his job as president of football's governing body despite huge pressure to resign.

Uefa, the European football federation, threatened to boycott the World Cup after Infantino revealed plans to sell commercial stakes in the tournament to private investors.

The threat forced Infantino to scrap the proposal.

Uefa renewed its boycott threat last week after Fifa's board gave its backing to Infantino at a special meeting in Morocco.

But Patrice Motsepe, a Fifa vice-president and president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said Infantino's future can only be decided by next year's elections.

"If anybody has got any problem against anybody, whether it's Gianni, whether it is anybody else, follow the process, follow the Fifa process, simple as that," Motsepe told Sky News.

"If you want to take him out, go for elections; let the 211 member associations decide.

"You've got to be very careful. There are elections taking place next year. Shouldn't we allow that process to continue?"

The heads of six Arab football federations also expressed their "full support" and "confidence" in Infantino yesterday.

The backing came from 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco and 2022 host Qatar, as well as Egypt, Mauritania, Lebanon and Sudan. Four are Fifa council members.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe and Gianni Infantino at the World Cup

Many of Infantino's backers come from developing nations which stand to benefit from his expansion of the World Cup and promises to distribute revenues from the tournament.

His critics, meanwhile, are led by the European federation Uefa, including England and this summer's World Cup champions, Spain.

Under Fifa rules, the vote of every nation counts equally.

Mexico and Argentina declared their loyalty last week, joining a host of Asian countries.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) yesterday became the latest Fifa member to withdraw its support for Infantino to be re-elected.

England and Wales's federations did the same last week, while Northern Ireland backed Uefa's stance.

Infantino has been Fifa president since 2016 and is yet to face a serious challenger. Fifa has set a deadline of 18 November for challengers to come forward.

Sport, page 56

ANIMALS

'Frankenstein cats' on the rise, warns RSPCA

By Laura Butler

Leading animal charities are warning the public about the rise of "Frankenstein cats".

Cats Protection and the RSPCA say "cruel breeding practices" could soon lead to cats bearing little resemblance to the traditional feline.

"Cats' body shapes have remained broadly similar for hundreds of years, but in a relatively short space of time this has dramatically changed," said Madison Rogers, associate director at Cats Protection.

Social media, as well as celebrity trends in recent years, have driven

the demand for cats that have extreme and unusual features, the two charities say.

This means cats are being bred to favour traits such as folded ears, hairlessness, shortened limbs and missing tails.

"Cats must not be forced to suffer unnecessarily because of physical traits that some humans find desirable," said Alice Potter, scientific and policy officer at the RSPCA.

"With thousands of cats already needing homes, breeding animals with known painful health conditions is increasingly difficult to justify," Potter added.

attracts throngs of pilgrims every year to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes site.

Oakley, who was born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands and ordained as a priest in 1980, became Bishop of Northampton in 2020.

He is currently withdrawn from public ministry, having been first arrested by police in September 2025.

At court, he was not asked to enter pleas to the two charges as Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sent the case to the Old Bailey.

"Given the profile of the case and the former employment of the defendant, this ought to go to the Central Criminal Court," said the judge.

He released Oakley on bail, with conditions not to contact the alleged victim or her family, ahead of a plea hearing on 10 September.

After news broke of the criminal charges, the Catholic Diocese of Northampton said that Oakley had been charged after an investigation into "non-recent safeguarding allegations".

It added: "We understand that this will be very distressing for all concerned but cannot comment further on an active legal process."

PROPERTY

Searches for homes with air con double

By Vicky Shaw

Searches for homes for sale with air conditioning on a property website have more than doubled over the late spring and summer months compared with last year.

Rightmove said it registered a 104 per cent increase in searches on its website between 1 May and 31 July compared with the same period a year earlier.

Colleen Babcock, of Rightmove, said: "This summer's heatwaves appear to be influencing how people think about their homes."

Mark Wiggin, director of Mark Wiggin Estate Agents, said: "Energy efficiency and a home's ability to stay comfortable throughout the year have become much more important considerations."

FOOTBALL

New signings put off by Cambridge house prices

By Harry Goodwin

Cambridge's high cost of living is putting off footballers from joining Cambridge United, the club has said.

The city is one of the UK's most expensive. The average house price was £467,000 in May, nearly £200,000 more than the national average. Mark Bonner, director of football for the League One side, said living costs were one reason why some players had turned down a move.

"If you're not one of the higher-paid players but you've got the highest property costs in the league, it is quite a difficult balance to overcome," he said.

104%

The proportion by which searches for homes with air conditioning runs between 1 May and 31 July over last year

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NEWS

NEWS 2-26

OPINION 16-22

TV 28-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONET 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

17

SCOTLAND

'Outlander' site Devil's Pulpit up for sale and may become visitor centre

By Laura Butler

A Scottish gorge featured as a truth-revealing spring in television hit Outlander is up for sale.

Devil's Pulpit, an 80-foot deep red sandstone gorge, is part of the 23-acre Finnich Glen.

The glen comes complete with approved plans for a visitor centre, café and car park.

Devil's Pulpit, near Killearn in Stirlingshire, is known as St Ninian's Spring in the Outlander series, featuring in the eighth and final series which aired earlier this year.

In the show, those who lie while drinking from the spring will suffer and die, leading to fans dubbing it "Liars' Spring".

The glen is a sub-glacial melt-water channel created more than 10,000 years ago by the Loch Lomond readrancement glacier. It has been described as Scotland's "grand canyon in miniature".

Sandstone bedrock creates an illusion of red water flowing through the rocks, which forms the basis of its folklore name, Devil's Pulpit.

The secluded location has attracted firm crews for many years, also appearing in Guy Fichie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Sherlock Holmes.

The remote site is a 40-minute drive from Glasgow and attracts 70,000 tourists a year.

But this inaccessibility has led to several call-outs for the local mountain rescue team after visitors became stuck on the gorge's near-vertical steps.

In June last year, a Glasgow student lost his life at the site after getting into difficulty in the water.

Sterling council previously blocked public access to the glen in 2020 over safety concerns after cars parked dangerously close to the gorge's drop. The council also reported rubbish being left by guests in the natural beauty spot.

Local farmers David and Carole Young have owned the glen since the early 1980s, but are now selling up.

They said: "We feel we have reached a stage in life where new

The Devil's Pulpit at the Finnich Glen in Scotland (top) featured as a popular filming location for 'Outlander' (above) GETTY, SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

owners would be able to take forward our vision... and develop this opportunity in a way that is compatible with this unique property.

"The glen requires management to preserve and protect it...

"But whoever purchases Finnich Glen, taking it to the next phase, has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of giants."

The £2m approved development includes a 150-space car park and

café, with safe viewing platforms for guests. This aims to grow the site's annual visits to a projected 300,000.

The glen's listing on Christie and Co adds: "Its cinematic atmosphere has also made Finnich Glen a sought-after film and television location, appearing in Hollywood film and TV productions including Outlander, The Eagle, Detective Pikachu, Sherlock Holmes, The Nest and Tuggart.

"The approved scheme is designed to transform the visitor experience while respecting the landscape. New walkways, bridges and viewing points will improve safety, protect the site and create memorable vantage points for visitors and production film companies alike."

Finnich Glen was previously put up for sale in 2022 and is now on the market again for an undisclosed price, this time complete with planning approval. It is offered for sale on a freehold basis.

NATURE

RHS may move plants up north to protect them from the heat

By Laura Butler

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) may move plants up north to survive the extreme heat.

Gardeners plan to duplicate plants from the RHS's flagship garden in Wisley, Surrey, to create an "insurance" collection of rare species in northern England.

Concerned by soaring summer temperatures reaching up to 36°C, gardeners at Wisley have taken cuttings from its prized hydrangea collections.

They will establish new stocks at RHS Garden Bridgewater in Greater Manchester, where conditions are expected to stay cooler and wetter, giving the crops a better chance to thrive.

But staff are still reviewing whether there are shadier spots at Wisley that could be a new home for the hydrangeas.

Lucy Pitman, a conservation adviser at Plant Heritage, said duplicating entire flower collections was "a new concept".

"But you'd be better off propagating them, producing new plants from the original ones and distributing them to re-establish them in other places," she told The Times.

As the climate changes gardeners "will have to be more selective about where they plant hydrangeas," Guy Barter, the RHS's chief horticulturalist, told The Guardian.

The Bridgewater site in Manchester would be much cooler than Surrey

PEOPLE

McKellen thanks Dench over stage fright

By Sean O'Grady

Sir Ian McKellen said he was in "the depths of stage fright" until he received support from his co-star Dame Judi Dench.

The actors speak about their lives and careers on a new episode of Tea with Judi Dench, with McKellen joining Dench at her Surrey home.

The pair, who have been friends for decades, worked together on stage in The Promise in 1967, Too True to be Good in 1975 and most famously in Macbeth in 1976.

In a preview clip of the episode,

Judi Dench and Ian McKellen appearing on 'Tea with Judi Dench'

McKellen tells Dench: "I was in the depths of stage fright. What magic empathy you had."

He also reveals he was a fan of hers long before they became friends, saying: "I had admired you from afar, but we'd never met, I don't think."

Dench says: "Oh, I'd like to go back and do all that again."

Also during the episode, McKellen speaks about coming out as gay and his fight against Section 28, a law introduced under Margaret Thatcher that "prohibited the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities".

He also speaks about one of his greatest regrets: never sharing the truth about his sexuality with his parents.

The Five-Clue Cryptic Crossword No 4907

Solution, page 49

Across

3 More than one Great Lake steamship goes around (6) 4/5 Escalators rot badly in place next to the sea (7,6)

Down

1 English city first to invest in 50% of rain protectors (7) 2 Leave record in Devon river (6) 3 Tool found in small ramshackle dwelling place (6)

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18

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The Opinion Matrix

COMMENT FROM HOME AND ABROAD

OUTDO

CLIMATE CHALLENGES

We are facing food security crisis globally

The Guardian

In Britain, where soils have parched, market analysts warn that we're facing the most severe food security crisis in decades. In normal years, crop failures at home don't threaten our security, thanks to global trade. But this is not a normal year, because the problem is now global. (George Monbiot)

Financial Times

What should worry investors is the effect these events may have on the finances of highly indebted sovereigns as they grow more frequent. The danger now is an emerging climate-sovereign doom loop. (Simon Nixon)

SYRIAN REGIME

President has to navigate two dangers

Washington Post

The central premise of the Trump administration's current approach is that engagement will moderate the Syrian government. But moderation is difficult to achieve when a regime's political survival depends on the support of militants. (Ilan Berman)

Le Monde

President Ahmed al-Sharaa must navigate between two dangers. He must convince Syrians that impunity ended with the dictatorship. He also needs to ensure that justice is served on indisputable foundations. (Editorial)

THE FUTURE OF FARAGE

The 'lovable rogue' risks being 'a spiv'

The Scotsman

These past weeks of scrutiny and mockery have seen his already-mixed personal poll ratings drop off a cliff. That is bad enough for any party leader but it is even worse for a party like Reform which has been built as a near-personality cult around Farage. (Alistair Carmichael)

UnHerd

It's hard to retain any sense of dignity in these circumstances. Worse still, the focus on Farage's finances risks giving the impression of him being a spiv rather than the lovable rogue that has previously been his great selling point. (Alwyn Turner)

LIVING IN THE AGE OF AI

There are reasons to be alarmed

The Times

The AI age will be rich with careers that involve experimenting, tearing open specialist fields, gathering new knowledge and circumventing (or replacing) bureaucracy. AI itself isn't going to abolish work any more than libraries abolished schools. (Juliet Samuel)

The New York Times

OpenAI accidentally created an autonomous swarm of AI agents that broke out of a controlled testing environment and orchestrated a complex and difficult cyber-attack on its own initiative. We should find that alarming. (Nate Soares)

A-LEVEL RESULTS

Award on merit not prediction

The Spectator

In every other developed nation in the world, university places are awarded to students on the basis of the grades they actually achieve in their exams, rather than what their teachers predict they will achieve. (Kristina Markett)

The Conversation

Combined A-level entries in French, German and Spanish (the 'modern foreign languages') rose slightly in England, Northern Ireland and Wales – from 17,407 in 2025 to 17,616 in 2026. But this still lags behind the overall growth in A-level entries. (Sascha Stollhorn)

ECLIPSE GLASSES

I missed the memo on preparation

The New Statesman

It was only on Monday morning when it dawned on me. I might have missed the boat. I had no solar eclipse glasses. I knew all about this celestial event after reading the newspaper. But like a lover who had left Christmas shopping to the last minute, I had messed up. (Rhi Storer)

The Londoner

The reason for the scrum? Solar eclipse glasses. And those queuing up aren't about to leave without them. Amidst the throng, a bearded man dashes anxiously to the back of the queue, having already missed out on a secretive 2am drop. (Andrew Kersley)

Quote of the day

I was trying to one-up him every single time, and he was trying to one-up me. It was almost like a battle

Agra Starr The singer on a conversation with Stevie Wonder

Life In Brief

VINCENT PASTORE SOPRANOS ACTOR

Vincent Pastore, a veteran actor who played mobsters and tough guys, was best known for portraying Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.

Pastore started his career taking small parts in films such as Goodfellas, Corlito's Way and Manhattan Murder Mystery. He then appeared in the HBO film Gotti, Mickey Blue Eyes, DreamWorks's Shark Tale and Revolver. He often played gangsters. And it was one of those roles he is best known for: his 30-episode run as Bonpensiero, the friend of Tony Soprano who becomes an FBI informant.

In 2007, ABC announced that Pastore would participate in the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars – the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.

He withdrew after only one week. Pastore said that he found the necessary training and preparation

too physically demanding. In 2013, he launched a tomato sauce business under the name of Vincent Pastore's Italian Sauce.

His final roles were in the Showtime satirical series The Curse and the thriller series Yellowjackets.

Pastore was born in the Bronx and grew up in suburban New Rochelle, New York. He enlisted in the navy during the Vietnam War and later attended Pace University, according to his biography on IMDb.

Pastore was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014. He served as the grand marshal of the Columbus Day parade in the Bronx the same year.

Bob McGowan, who had managed Pastore since his run on The Sopranos, said Pastore was found in his home on New York's City Island after not being heard from for a few days. He was 80. McGowan said he had been trying to

reach Pastore about a possible job. 'He was the most loyal client, and he always gave to charity,' McGowan said, 'and he was the kind of guy who would help anybody, which is rare in my business.'

Robert Attermann represented Pastore for more than 30 years, before his time on The Sopranos. While Pastore will be remembered as 'Big Pussy,' he was so much more, Attermann said.

'Vinny was one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever known,' Attermann said. 'He treated everyone with warmth and respect, never turning down a fan who wanted a photo or an autograph. He genuinely appreciated the people who supported him and always made them feel valued.'

Attermann said Pastore was passionate about his craft while always encouraging young actors, 'taking the time to offer guidance and support whenever he could.' Michael Imperioli,

a longtime friend and collaborator, said on Instagram that it seemed as though he had known Pastore for ever.

'We did lots of work together and travelled all over the USA as well as Italy and Australia. Lots of good times. Lots of laughs,' Imperioli said. 'Vinny was a kind-hearted brother who cared deeply about his family and friends. I will miss him always.'

He is survived by his daughter, Renee Pastore. In

Born 14 July 1946 Died 1 August 2026

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My View

James Ball

Loss of cheerleader may expose Trump

Tetchy President depended on youthful zeal of press secretary

The job of White House press secretary has never been an easy one. The person filling this role has to be the second-most visible face of an administration, after the president himself, answering questions from the media on virtually any topic weekly.

Under Donald Trump, though, the job takes on a whole new level of difficulty, because his press secretary has to make sure they survive the onslaught of the media while also never contradicting the often bizarre and ridiculous pronouncements the president makes daily.

A normal press secretary has to defend the policy decisions of their boss, the scandals of their colleagues and the occasional gaffe on a hot mic. Trump's press secretaries have to explain why the President appeared to tell the public to inject themselves with bleach (a reference to Trump questioning publicly whether disinfectants could be injected to treat Covid - Trump later claimed this was sarcasm), defend his endless claims that he won the 2020 election, shrug off endless questions about the Trump family's business practices and explain Trump's social media posts.

Perhaps, then, it's no surprise that Karoline Leavitt - the current press secretary - is leaving the job at the end of the month. Somewhat oddly, given Leavitt talks to the media for a living, her departure was announced by Trump himself via Truth Social.

Trump, who values loyalty above everything else, is often scathing about people who leave his service - but he showered Leavitt with praise even as he announced her exit.

Describing her as one of his "most trusted aides", he explained her departure would be so she could "spend more time with her beautiful young children and family", promising she would be "one of my top outside advisers" and "an influential voice within the Republican Party".

That is an unusual level of gratitude from Trump, a man not known for such kindnesses. Leavitt has been exactly the kind of press secretary the President wanted: a strong communicator, a natural TV presence, possessed of a sharpness and confidence that belies the fact she's only 28. But it may also reflect the importance of Leavitt and the press secretary role to Trump.

'Utterly shameless at the lectern': Karoline Leavitt, who is stepping down, excelled at defending the indefensible with conviction. ALEX BRANDON/AP

We might be living in the internet age, but Trump is the reality TV President. He would not be President without the magic of television, and television is very much how Trump himself hears about the world - profile after profile discusses how he spends hours every day watching Fox News, sometimes phoning in or texting its hosts, often discussing the performance of members of his team while they're on TV.

In Trumpworld, there are few sins greater than being bad on television - one of which being disagreeing with Trump while on air. Whoever is in the press secretary role, then, is in one of the jobs across the whole government that Trump cares the most about and pays the most attention to.

That can be a source of trouble. Within hours of Trump taking the presidential oath for the first time in 2017, it became obvious the job of his press secretary would be different from those who went before him. Trump's inauguration had been

sparsely attended, partly due to bad weather, and partly because the city of Washington DC is extremely liberal and not naturally filled with Trump supporters. The President, though, wanted the world to know he had attracted a record-breaking crowd - even though a quick glance at any of the many crowd photos indicated otherwise.

The President's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, dutifully stepped out in front of the press for one of his very first briefings in his new job, and making bald assertions about the record-breaking crowds

He is losing his most visible public defender and also one of his comfort blankets

• surely suspecting that the people in front of him wouldn't believe him for a second.

Spicer did exactly what Trump wanted, but he looked acutely uncomfortable doing it. He didn't last. Within six months, he was out of the job and Trump cycled through four different press secretaries in his first term alone.

Leavitt, though, was different. Blonde, thin, attractive, and willing to say whatever Trump wanted her to say, Leavitt seemed utterly shameless at the lectern. Even when confronted with documents from the Epstein files, Leavitt would either shrug off the facts in front of her face, or angrily attack the media. The Epstein files prove "absolutely nothing", she would say, "other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong".

As he settles into old age, Trump is becoming increasingly dependent on the younger staff around him. Leavitt has defended him in public, while his executive assistant Natalie Harp constantly

soothes the President by passing him printed-out tweets from his supporters and fans when he's in a bad mood - as well as passing him printed drafts of his own social posts to approve.

With Leavitt's departure, Trump is losing his most visible public defender, but also one of his comfort blankets, someone upon whom he has come to depend. He is doing so just months before the midterms, which could be a catastrophic embarrassment, and one that gives Democrats the power to turn up the heat on his administration.

Trump is approaching the twilight of his presidency, and the diminishing of his power. Leavitt's departure could be the first of many. Trump is not just becoming increasingly vulnerable. He may soon also find himself increasingly alone.

James Ball is the political editor at 'The New World' newspaper

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Fifa board lacks backbone

Like Ann Watts (Your View, 12 August) I am still virtually spitting feathers over the fact that Gianni Infantino remains in post.

He somehow manages to exercise a hold over many football associations and receive the support of a supine Fifa board, even though he completely failed to consult them over his sell-off plans.

Just as outrageous was his reaction to international criticism, where he accused his detractors of 'spreading hate', even though they were just demanding scrutiny.

However, should we be surprised any more at these kinds of tactics, when more powerful leaders regularly employ them? EVA WOROBIEC WAREHAM, DORSET

A monopolised human right

Britain's housing crisis isn't a mystery, it's the predictable result of treating homes as investment vehicles rather than essential infrastructure.

Affordability has collapsed, ownership is drifting out of reach, and policy remains fixated on expanding debt rather than reducing scarcity.

But the deeper contradiction is this: if adequate housing is a fundamental human right guaranteeing security, peace and dignity, why do we allow that right to be monopolised?

We've normalised a system where access depends on inheritance, or leverage, not need. Millions rent indefinitely, paying for someone else's assets while never building their own.

A country that claims housing is a right must regulate it as such.

Expand non-market supply, rebalance power, and treat affordability as a public obligation rather than a private gamble. RICHARD ELTRINGHAM LEICESTER

Down Under is not all roses

While I fully understand the desire to move to Australia ('Why it's time to wonder about moving Down Under', 12 August), unfortunately all is not quite as rosy as painted.

The cost of living is higher, public healthcare has its faults, you'll hear many of the same complaints as here and after a while there really isn't anywhere to go outside the cities other than a vastness of unvarying scenery.

Having said that, the roads in the Outback and bush are pleasantly empty, and my son, who has been there for 28 years, wouldn't move back.

But be warned! There are large spiders, and the brown snake is best avoided. PAT CAUDLE WELLOW, SOMERSET

Some offenders don't need jail

In my opinion the answer to the prison crisis is for courts to send fewer people to prison.

The UK has the highest per capita prison population in Western Europe. Surely our offenders are not worse than those of other countries!

Prisons that are overcrowded afford no opportunities for any rehabilitation of inmates, so it is not surprising that we also have high reoffending rates.

Successive governments seek to make themselves popular by taking a punitive attitude to offenders instead of investing in treatment.

A reader writes that the Outback roads in Australia are pleasantly quiet GETTY

Crimes of violence certainly merit harsh punishment. However, prison serves no purpose for minor offenders.

I spent my working life in the criminal justice system and hope that leaders will soon have the courage to recognise prison should be avoided for less serious offenders. ALISON FLATH BURY ST EDMUNDS, SUFFOLK

Bill discount scheme worries

I live within 500 yards of an electricity pylon. Please may I have £2,500 off my future bills?

We are all seeing unprecedented developments near us - roads, HS2 and massive housing estates on green belts. It is the price of population growth.

Nobody should have special treatment, particularly when the rest of us will pay for the concessions (it will not be the electricity companies).

Please can we apply common sense to this

issue in the certain knowledge that once a precedent is set, it will open it up for more opportunists to exploit RAY STARKEY NORTHAMPTON

Siestas could be the way forward

If not summers become the norm, we may have to move over to continental working hours with an earlier start so that, after lunch, workers can rest in siesta time at home.

My Italian mother-in-law mentioned that during certain hours children were not permitted to use playgrounds to allow for a peaceful period in the day.

SARAH GALL WIGAN, GREATER MANCHESTER

US self-belief gave us Trump

I am pleased for Sarah Carson that she has adopted an American style of self-belief ('US approach boosted my confidence', 12 August).

However, as the US culture of self-pride and self-promotion has given the world US President Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, perhaps a bit of British diffidence is still appealing. PATRICIA DUNN SALE, CHESHIRE

We used to have a weekly bath

I have to chuckle at the apparent consternation about taking shorter showers.

Coming from a large family, we had one bath a

week, on our nominated bath day.

For the remaining six days we were taught how to have a 'Victorian'.

One flannel (our own colour) one bar of soap, a big towel spread over the floor, and a washbasin two-thirds full of warmish water. We then set about rubbing and scrubbing, not forgetting behind the ears and between the toes.

Rinsing and drying was a hasty affair before we galloped downstairs to sit in front of the fire.

Job done JULIA COLCLOUGH BEXHILL-ON-SEA, EAST SUSSEX

More power to older mothers

It is no surprise that more women are getting pregnant later in life ('The truth about having a baby in your job', 13 August) and during a time when people

have publicly expressed concerns over falling birth rates in nations like Britain, perhaps we should be grateful!

Biological clocks don't always match our financial stability and so a great deal of couples have no choice but to delay parenthood.

There are pros and cons to becoming a parent at any age but the bottom line is this. If you want a parenting experience, and believe you can afford it, go for it.

You never want to look back and think 'I should have' when you could be saying 'I'm glad that I did'.

EMILIE McRAE TROWBRIDGE, WILTSHIRE

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SOCIETY Socially awkward

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Don't give all your wealth away - you might regret it

MONEY

Hamish McRae

Trying to die with no assets - to use up or give away what you've earned in your life while you're still here - is a seductive notion. For one thing, it sounds like fun. And it's also an idea that has been given a big push by this Government's increases in inheritance taxation.

If they bring in the mooted "death tax" funded by a new levy on people's wealth, it will become even more popular. But it's a truly terrible idea - and here's why.

In 2020, a wealthy American hedge-fund manager, Bill Perkins, published Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life. It became a bestseller. The

idea was simple. As the publisher's hurb put it: "It's intended for those who place lifelong memorable experiences far ahead of simply making and accumulating money for one's so-called golden years." In short, Perkins wants to rescue you from over-saving and under-living."

You see the power of the idea. It's not a case of urging irresponsibility by spending all you have; you are actually being rescued and given an opportunity for lifelong experiences. There is, however, a problem. In fact, I can see at least five reasons why this is nuts.

Start with the most obvious. We do not know how long we will live. People generally underestimate their life expectancy. Men are likely to live four years longer than they expect and women seven years.

Next, what about state support? Anyone making a decision about saving for their pension is in effect making a political judgement about the sort of government that will be in power in 40 or more years' time. We do know, however, that our population is ageing. Simple maths tells us that there will be a lot of older people relying on a diminishing number of young workers. The only sensible

Spending all your money may not be the best retirement plan GETTY

assumption is that state support will be limited to those who absolutely need it.

Third, we don't know how our family circumstances will develop. Will we be in a life partnership, or be on our own? Will we have to support other family members?

Four, saving rather than spending in early life massively multiplies the overall resources that we will

have in our lifetimes. Over any long period money invested in global equities increases in real value by around 5 per cent a year. Simple interest doubles the money every 20 years. Compound interest, where any return is reinvested, means that money doubles in 14 years.

Finally, what works for the very rich does not work for the rest of us. Perkins has an estimated net worth

People generally underestimate their life expectancy

of at least £100m (£74.1m). At that sort of level you can indeed give away or spend most of your wealth and still have enough left to make sure you are secure. But if you're a normal British family you're in a totally different position.

This isn't a call for hair-shirt austerity. You don't want to miss once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It is, however, an argument for a common-sense approach not just to saving and spending but to life more generally. Some of the greatest experiences come free. The solar eclipse is surely one of those.

And if you really, really resent leaving any money at all to be taken by the Government when you die, write a will that leaves it all - or at least the balance over the inheritance tax cap - to a charity and do your bit for society too.

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I'm 44 and men in their 20s are hitting on me - weird!

LIFE Kate Lister

Something very strange starts to happen to a woman in her forties - and I imagine in her fifties, sixties, and beyond: she enters her sexy older woman phase and young men in their twenties start to hit on her. Now, it's not strange that women in middle age should be hit on - of course not, we are sexy as hell - but it can be very disconcerting when you are not

expecting it. Largely because when you are in your forties, someone in their twenties looks extremely young. Like, insanely young.

There is a serious mismatch here. The young fella sees himself as suave, debonair and charming. Cool and confident. Meanwhile, the object of his affection is trying to work out if she knows him from her son's gymnastic squad.

It's happened to me twice in the past couple of weeks and on both occasions, I didn't immediately clock that I was being chatted up.

Weirdly, both times were on trains, and that is a bold move, young fellas. To just wander up to a perfect stranger on a train, in real life, and start flirting is old school and not something I was expecting from a Gen Z. I had assumed if they wanted to flirt, I would be given some kind of QR code, or be invited to a TikTok live, which may partially account for my not understanding what was happening.

But the biggest reason for my confusion is that to me, they look like Mouseketeers, so my reaction is more maternal than mixx.

The first hopeful came and sat next to me in the train station and started asking me which train he should get. I answered his questions, but then the conversation changed to "where is good to eat around here?" and "where do you like to go when you go out?"

Yet because he looked so young, I responded to his questions as if he was a toddler who had started asking me about trains. "You like trains? I like trains too! Are you here all by yourself? That's very grown up."

I didn't realise his persistent questions were an effort to flirt until I was heading away from him, sat on the 12:00 to Sheffield. No wonder he looked so upset at my suggestion we play I-spy.

The second time was on a train when a twenty-something-year-old came and sat next to me. He began by asking me about my watch, before moving onto how much he liked my outfit, my hair, etc.

To me, in his oversized clothes, he looked like he was dressed for either a pyjama party or a nap, so it didn't occur to me that this was an effort at seduction. I viewed it as an earnest request for clothing advice and started giving tips. It was a disaster and both of us walked away from it confused.

Someone once told me that as young as they look to you is an old as you look to them and I have always thought this very sage advice, only now something seems to be shifting, and not from my perspective. They still look very young to me, but now, apparently, I am worth a shot at.

There's a strange irony to it. I am finally in my Mill era but can't look at anyone under 30 as being anything but urchin-like. "Please ma'am, may I have some more?" No, you may bloody well not! Now go home before I call your mother!

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EDUCATION

Simon Kelner

University is always worth the money

In common with thousands of adults, my phone pinged at just after eight yesterday morning. It was my honorary god-daughter who had texted me to say that she'd achieved the requisite grades to study drama at Manchester University, and she, her family, and indeed I, couldn't be more pleased.

In that moment no one is in the least interested in considering a cost-benefit analysis of a university education. Who knows where Evie's drama degree will propel her? All I know is this: as someone who never went to university, I envy her these next few years of experiencing what independence really means.

That, more than an academic qualification, is what I believe to be the value of a university education, and we should embrace this.

It is a well-worn argument that studying drama is not the passport to a high-earning future in the way

a degree in engineering might be, but the framing is always the same: a degree is an investment, and investments are judged by financial return. This is not necessarily so.

A degree in English may not be considered something that you can easily parlay into a position as a captain of industry, but our Prime Minister - the first to hold that position as an English graduate - provides an interesting counterpoint.

Clearly, Andy Burnham's tenure at No 10 is in its infancy, but commentators have already pointed out that the study of English literature has given the PM a greater appreciation of the value of communication, a greater understanding of the human condition and the ability to colour an effective narrative.

Without a degree, I did pretty well in a predominantly meritorious industry. In fact, when I went for my first interview at a newspaper, the editor asked if I'd been to university. When I told him that I hadn't, he just replied: "Good". But, even now, I believe I'd have read more, have more rounded opinions, and, put simply, have more knowledge, had I gone to university.

So, dear Evie, this is my advice for you and for the thousands of students today. You have won a golden ticket, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But the prize is indeterminate. Studying is its own virtue. And even though you may be saddled with debt for much of your life, it's all going to be worth it.

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NEWS

NEWS 2-20

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ENTERTAINMENT

Not-so-cruel summer: Kelce reflects on 'dream' wedding

By Pierra Willis

Travis Kelce has spoken publicly for the first time about his wedding to Taylor Swift, calling it the "best night of my life".

The singer and NFL player tied the knot at New York's Madison Square Garden on 2 July.

More than 1,000 guests attended the event and while many have since posted photos on social media from the night, the newlyweds themselves are yet to share any snaps or details from their big day.

But Kelce shared his thoughts

on their recent nuptials following a practice session with his team, the Kansas City Chiefs.

The American footballer said: "It was a fun off-season, man. Wedding was the best night of my life and I appreciate everybody who came out and celebrated and had fun with us."

He went on to call it a "crazy night" that was "full of a lot of celebration".

The NFL player also shared that it had been his "childhood dream" to go to Madison Square Garden.

"I always told myself I'd go for a play-off game when the [New York] Knicks were rocking," he said.

"My wife went when I was stuck in training camp. I didn't get my opportunity to go then.

"So, it's kind of cool to be able to live out my childhood dream of being in that venue... the mecca of all sports venues."

He added: "To be able to get married in there... I can't thank the owners of MSG enough for letting us get the opportunity to do that knowing that we wanted a private event and everything, it was perfect. The AC was cooking... that was the best part."

The marriage was officiated

Travis Kelce says marrying Taylor Swift was the 'best night of my life'

by Adam Sandler, with some of the other guests including Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, Zoë Kravitz, Graham Norton and Hugh Grant.

PEOPLE

Kidman 'fearful' after her divorce

By Pierra Willis

Nicole Kidman was "fearful and deeply vulnerable" following her divorce from Keith Urban.

After 19 years of marriage, the 59-year-old Australian actress split from her country singer husband, 58, last year, before their divorce was finalised in January.

Speaking to Vogue, Kidman said: "There was a point where I was very fearful and deeply vulnerable, which is exposing."

The actress added: "At the same time, I'm like, 'OK, I didn't expect this. I had a different view of what my life was going to be, but this is what it is now,' she said.

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CHARITY

Late Hairy Biker's belongings to be auctioned for NSPCC

By Laura Butler

Personal items belonging to Hairy Biker Dave Myers are set to be auctioned off for charity.

Next month, more than 320 personal items belonging to the late celebrity chef (inset) will go under the hammer, marking what would have been his 69th birthday.

"Making the decision to part with some of Dave's belongings has not been easy. Every item holds a memory, a story, or a reminder of the life we shared together," said his widow, Lili Myers.

The sale will feature relics spanning Myers' life and career, including his iconic biker leathers and helmets, as well as television memorabilia and antiques.

On offer will be items from the lesser-known part of Myers' life as a make-up artist in film and television. Here he worked with stars Sir Roger Moore, Patrick Stewart and Dennis Hopper.

Dave rose to fame thanks to his two-man cooking and biking television series with Si King called The Hairy Bikers.

The show then went on to broadcast several spin-off series until Myers died from cancer in 2024.

A percentage of the proceeds will go to the NSPCC said Lili, "helping to continue the spirit of kindness and generosity that was so important to Dave."

The auction takes place on 8 September at the Special Auction Services in Newbury, Berkshire.

BTS star V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung, developed a problem with his right ear during mandatory military service NICOLE VASQUEZ/MLB/GETTY

SOUTH KOREA

BTS star reveals hearing loss

By Laura Butler

Korean pop star V, a BTS member, revealed he has been receiving treatment for hearing loss in one ear, midway through the band's world tour.

During a live stream, the 30-year-old said he has been dealing with the problem, which started during mandatory military service, for around two and a half years.

"If the hearing in my left ear is at 100, it's only about 30 in my right," said V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung.

He said his hearing became worse when he was serving in the military.

This was the first time fans heard about the damage as V said, "I've never told Army about this before," referring to the boyband's fan base.

At first he did not take it seriously, convincing himself it was "a matter of mental strength" but he now frequently attends the hospital.

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SCIENCE

'Biohackers' are boosting peptides online – but the risks are serious

Dangers behind claims of weight loss and anti-ageing. By Clare Wilson

If you are on social media, you have probably noticed an increasing number of adverts for products called peptides, claimed to boost health in various ways.

You may have previously heard of peptides as ingredients in skin creams, or remember from school that peptides are small protein-like molecules found naturally in the body.

But the adverts are for a new breed of injectable peptides, which are being promoted by influencers for uses including weight loss, muscle growth, tissue regeneration and as broad "anti-ageing" tools.

They are experimental drugs that have not undergone clinical trials or passed regulatory approval and so carry great health risks, experts have warned.

Serious side effects have been reported and a UK man in his thirties has died after taking retatrutide, a peptide – although it has not been confirmed if the drug was responsible. The reason

peptides have so many different claimed uses is that they are a broad category of biochemicals.

In their natural form, in the body, they are signalling molecules that pass instructions between different cells, often acting as hormones.

Peptides have been turned into pharmaceutical drugs.

Insulin, used by diabetics, is a peptide, as are the slimming jabs Wegovy and Mounjaro.

There are no serious health concerns about Wegovy or Mounjaro when bought from regulated online

pharmacies, because these drugs have passed safety testing and been approved by regulatory bodies.

But the slimming jabs may have helped kick-start the peptides craze. When Wegovy first launched in the US in 2021, it was too expensive for most people to afford, costing up to $1,350 a month.

Into the breach stepped shady manufacturers based in China, which sold the same compounds as in Wegovy and Mounjaro without the need for a doctor's prescription.

Injectable peptides – protein-like molecules – are being advertised by influencers with a range of 'benefits' GETTY

Robert Bradford, superintendent pharmacist at Oxford Online Pharmacy, said: "The idea of injecting a drug that you bought online would have been anathema to anybody 10 years ago."

The prices of Wegovy and Mounjaro have since gone down, but now interest is growing in other kinds of peptides, also fostered by the growth of wellness and biohacking influencers – who often get kickbacks from sellers.

One of the most popular peptides is a third type of slimming jab, called retatrutide – also sold as reta or reta peptide. This is a legitimate pharmaceutical that the manufacturer E3i Lilly is investigating in clinical trials – but the drug has not yet been approved by the MHRA and so it is still classed as experimental.

In 2023, however, word spread that retatrutide had caused even more weight loss than Wegovy and Mounjaro in a small early-stage clinical trial – 24 per cent,

compared with about 15 and 20 per cent respectively for the other jabs.

Retatrutide seems particularly popular with male gym-goers as its promoters claim it helps build muscle as well as reduce fat. "While the early research is promising, more evidence and regulatory review is needed before retatrutide can be considered a safe and approved treatment option," said Jason Murphy of Chemist 41.

There has been an explosion of online sales of other kinds of peptide drugs that are being investigated for different uses, although most have been tested only in very limited human studies.

Claims for these peptides include tissue regeneration, sleep regulation and anti-ageing effects.

As these drugs have not yet

The idea of injecting a drug that you bought online would have been anathema to anybody 10 years ago

been shown to be safe and effective by large clinical trials, these experimental peptides bring additional risks. "Anything could happen, from serious illness to death," said Bradford.

It is impossible to know the extent of the online sales, but just searching for "peptides" brings up huge numbers of posts from sellers.

Already, there have been 76 adverse reactions from retatrutide reported to the MHRA, the British Medical Journal reported.

It is hard to know how authorities can eradicate the trade. Online sellers usually market their products as for research purposes only or not for human consumption, which technically means they are not acting illegally.

Bradford said: "Unless you're using a regulated pharmacy, do not inject any drugs that you buy online because you just cannot be sure of what's in them, whether they'll even work, and whether you risk serious harm to yourself."

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

No 4843 BY WIGLAF

ACROSS

9 Sailor prodded by Rear Admiral waving flag in battle (9)

10 The sound of humming birds call in verse form (5)

11 The writer joins Jessica in 7 for a medley (7)

12 Long-distance travellers, parsecs away (7)

13 One can't fly through the multiverse (3)

14 African state without capital goes into negative profit sometimes (3,3,5)

17 Finally upgraded craft association (5)

18 Ready for trip to Transylvania and even parts of Algeria (3)

19 Add excitement to long films having switched endings (5)

21 Garden fly is flying around plant (5,6)

23 Desert area, say, without river (3)

25 Former PM caught knocking prince out (7)

27 What measures I encountered when diving into a foreign sea (7)

28 A husband breaks vow in church state (5)

29 Byzantine church feature with two heads (5,4)

DOWN

1 Face complaint about major road block (6)

2 One religious teacher keeled over after eating egg and cheese (8)

3 Batteries available with promotion in Riviera resort (10)

4 Stare at search engine when out of work (4)

5 Mutant regrets nip is showing (10)

6 Aged hero oddly doing headstand to see the moon (4)

7 Naughty Mexican casts adults-only flicks (6)

8 Subtlety is introduced? That's a pest (8)

15 Aeglo-Irish Duke or Welsh Duke? (10)

16 Training of son matters for 11 (10)

17 Girl at function in charge of lots of stars (8)

20 Formation of concepts in countryside at Iona (8)

22 Dancer strangled debt collector with abandon (6)

24 See 26

26/24 It's said the composer has a hospital trolley – this composer (4,6)

27 A journey almost entirely without water (4)

Solution to yesterday's Cryptic

Stuck on the cryptic crossword? For today's solutions, call 0905 789 3580. Calls cost 90¢ per minute plus your network access charge. If you are having trouble accessing this number, please call our helpdesk on 0333 202 3390.

Full terms and conditions can be found on page 29

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Television Friday 14 August

CRITIC'S CHOICE

GERARD GILBERT

PICK OF THE DAY

He Had It Coming

11.15pm, BBC Three & BBC iPlayer

A campus whyslunit in which two students (Lydia West and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, both left) find their feminist artwork co-opted by a killer. The gender politics in this Australian comedy drama are painted in broad strokes, but it features winning leads in West (Big Mood, It's A Sin) and Liu Bordizzo (Mos系 Star Wars). They play chalk-and-cheese students Elise – an awkward British scholarship student – and Barbara, a popular fashion influencer. Bonding after a series of mishaps with men, they drunkenly decide to deface a statue of the university's male founder, only to discover that the college's star athlete has been murdered and displayed beside their political statement.

Beethoven's Seventh

At The Proms

7pm, BBC Four

Fresh from his surprise appearance during the World Cup final half-time show, Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its first Proms appearance in over two decades. Beethoven's Seventh Symphony is paired with Gabriela Ortiz's Revelacion Domontine, inspired by Mexico's 2019 "glitter revolution".

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European Athletics

Championships:

Birmingham 2026

8pm, BBC One

One of the most eagerly anticipated events of the championships brings

the night to a close, with reigning champion Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain. Dutch 400m world record-holder Femke Broeders-Bol and rising Swiss star Audrey Werro all expected to be in women's 800m contention. Finals also take place in the men's high jump, 400m hurdles and 200m, and the women's discus.

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Gardeners' World

8pm, BBC Two

The current drought forces Monty Don to reconsider Longmeadow's planting and propagate resilient plants, while also pruning a rambling rose and harvesting vegetables. Frances Tophill meanwhile explores clifftop gardening in Covelly, North Devon, and Adam Frost visits a historic Norfolk kitchen garden.

Surgery Secrets Of

The Super Rich

8pm, Channel 4

Cheahire-based beauty entrepreneur Katie upts for a mini facelift under local anaesthetic ahead of turning 40, part of a growing trend among younger women choosing to "get ahead of ageing" (starting price £6,000). Beauty journalist Emma meanwhile undergoes a pioneering nano-fat treatment, using her own purified fat cells to rejuvenate her skin and target under-eye shadows.

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Frank Skinner: 30 Years Of Dirt

9pm, Sky One

If you weren't one of the Skinner fans who caught his sellout UK tour in 2023, here's a stand-up special.

	ONE	TWO	iv1	4	5	FOUR	6	iv2
Daytime	6.00 Breakfast (S) 9.30 Animal Park (R) (S) 10.00 Track, Track, Get My Car Back (R) (S) 10.30 European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Coverage of the opening season on day five (S) 1.15 BBC News At One: Weather (S) 1.40 BBC Regional News: Weather (R) 1.50 BBC News At One: Weather (S) 2.00 The Hairdresser Mysteries (S) 2.15 Escape To The Country (R) (S) 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) (S) 4.30 The Answer Run (S) 5.15 Postclass (R) (S)	6.30 The Answer Run (R) (S) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) (S) 8.00 Sign Zone: Marcus Winning, Simply Presence (R) (S) 9.00 BBC News (S) 10.30 Antiques Read Trip (R) (S) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S) 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) (S) 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) (S) 1.20 The Finish Line (R) (S) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) (S) 2.45 The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart (R) (S) 3.45 The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart (R) (S) 4.35 Vintage Antiques Readshow (R) (S) 5.15 Plug M' (R) (S)	6.00 Good Morning Britain (S) 10.00 This Morning (S) 1.30 ITV News: Weather (S) 1.55 ITV Regional News: Weather (S) 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal (R) (S) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal (R) (S) 3.55 ITV Regional Weather (S) 4.00 Tipping Point (R) (S) 5.00 The Class (R) (S)	6.30 The King Of Queens (R) (S) 6.55 The King Of Queens (R) (S) 7.00 The King Of Queens (R) (S) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S) 8.10 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S) 8.50 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S) 9.00 Freezer (R) (S) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) (S) 12.15 Channel 4, News Summary (S) 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Plug It (R) (S) 2.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) (S) 2.10 Countdown (S) 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) (S) 4.00 Saving Country Houses With Penelope Keith (R) (S) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) (S)	6.00 Mikhchak! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S) 11.30 Storm & Alasta (S) 12.45 5 News At Lunchtime (S) 12.50 Matt Allwright (S) 2.20 FILM: My Husband's Seven Wives (Louise Alston 2021) Thriller: starring Brian Murdock (S) 4.00 Castle (R) (S) 4.55 Love Nature (R) (S) 5.00 5 News With Dan Walker (S)	6.00 Mikchak! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S) 11.30 Storm & Alasta (S) 12.45 5 News At Lunchtime (S) 12.50 Matt Allwright (S) 2.20 FILM: My Husband's Seven Wives (Louise Alston 2021) Thriller: starring Brian Murdock (S) 4.00 Castle (R) (S) 4.55 Love Nature (R) (S) 5.00 5 News With Dan Walker (S)	6.00 Mikchak! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S) 11.30 Storm & Alasta (S) 12.45 5 News At Lunchtime (S) 12.50 Matt Allwright (S) 2.20 FILM: My Husband's Seven Wives (Louise Alston 2021) Thriller: starring Brian Murdock (S) 4.00 Castle (R) (S) 4.55 Love Nature (R) (S) 5.00 5 News With Dan Walker (S)	6.00 Mikchak! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S) 11.30 Storm & Alasta (S) 12.45 5 News At Lunchtime (S) 12.50 Matt Allwright (S) 2.20 FILM: My Husband's Seven Wives (Louise Alston 2021) Thriller: starring Brian Murdock (S) 4.00 Castle (R) (S) 4.55 Love Nature (R) (S) 5.00 5 News With Dan Walker (S)
6pm	6.00 BBC News At Six: Weather (S) 6.30 BBC Regional News: Weather (S)	6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) (S) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) (S)	6.00 ITV Regional News: Weather (S) 6.30 ITV News: Weather (S)	6.00 American Pickers (R) (S)	6.00 Ibiza: Jewel Of The Med (R) (S) 6.55 5 News Update (S)	6.00 Icaza: Jewel of The Med (R) (S) 6.55 5 News Update (S)	6.00 Icaza: Jewel of The Med (R) (S) 6.55 5 News Update (S)	6.00 Icaza: Jewel of The Med (R) (S) 6.55 5 News Update (S)
7pm	7.00 The One Show At 20: Alex Jones and Roman Kemp celebrate the show's 20th anniversary (S)	7.00 European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 (S)	7.30 Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes Abbey visits the homes of Olivia Bowen and Emma Thynn (R) (S)	7.00 Channel 4 News (S)	7.00 Tom Reed Wilson's Grand Tour (L) (S) in the series (R) (S) 7.55 5 News Update (S)	7.00 Beethoven's Seventh At The Proms (S)	7.15 FILM: Horizon Line (Mikael Marcimain 2020) Thriller: starring Allison Williams (S)	7.00 The Floor The 57 remaining contestants fight for more squares (S)
8pm	8.00 European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 (S)	8.00 Gardeners' World (S)	8.00 Emmardola (S) 8.30 Coronation Street Lucy's presence stirs up conflict on the street (S)	8.00 Surgery Secrets Of The Super Rich (S)	8.00 Alexander Armstrong In Sri Lanka Alexander explores the country (R) (S)	8.25 TOTP: 2000 Gail Porter presents the pop chart programme		8.00 The 1% Club Quiz hosted by Lee Mack (S)
9pm		9.00 Bergerac A revelation about the night of Cat's murder changes everything (S) 9.45 QI XL (R) (S)	9.00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity Special (R) (S)	9.00 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (R) (S)	9.00 The Big Drought Of 1975 A record-breaking spell of erratic weather that stretched for 16 months (R) (S)	9.05 TOTP: 2000 Gail Porter presents the pop chart programme 9.25 TOTP: 1985 (S)	9.00 FILM: Fury (David Ayer 2011) World War II drama starring Brad Pitt (S)	9.00 FILM: John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chet Stahelin 2017) Action sequel, starring Keanu Reeves (S)
10pm	10.00 BBC News At Ten (S) 10.30 BBC Regional News: Weather (S) 10.40 Ann Droid (S)	10.30 Newsnight (S)	10.00 The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox After four years in prison, Amanda and Raffaele are free (S)	10.00 Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits A compilation of the biggest flops from the show (S)	10.30 Piers Morgan: Uncensored News and debate (S)	10.05 TOTP: 1986 (S) 10.35 Ultimate Cover Versions At The BBC (S)
11pm	11.10 FILM: Mothers' Instinct (Benoit) Dalhomme 2021 Premiere: Drama, starring Anna Hathaway (S)	11.05 FILM: On Falling (Laura Carmona 2021) Premiere: Drama, starring Joana Santos and Inés Vaz (S)	11.00 ITV News (S) 11.35 ITV Regional News (S) 11.50 Inside The Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel (S)	11.05 Sarah Millican: Chatterless Live Stand-up comedy show recorded in London in 2011 (R) (S)		11.35 Ultimate Cover Versions At The BBC: Volume 2 With Adela, Annie Lennox and Happy Mondays (S)	11.40 FILM: The Invitation (Jessica M Thompson 2022) Horror thriller with Nathalie Emmanuel (S)	11.25 Family Guy Gennie becomes addicted to ADHD medication (S) 11.55 Family Guy (S)
Late	12.45 BBC News (S)	12.45 Sign Zone: The Supper (R) (S) 1.45 This Is BBC Two (S)	12.15 Shop On TV 3.00 Force Of Nature (R) (S) 3.20 Long Live Howitz (R) (S) 4.45 Unwind With ITV (S)	12.10 Bill Bailey Live: Part Trail (R) (S) 1.35 Ramsay's Hotel Hall (R) (S) 2.25 Four-Four-fest (R) (S) 4.35 Couples Come Dine With Me (R) (S) 5.30 Kirstie's House Of Craft (R) (S) 5.40 A Place In The Sun (R) (S)	12.05 Fara Dodgers At War With The Law (R) (S) 1.00 Cruise TV With Loveldooids (R) (S) 2.00 Entertainment News Do's (S) 2.10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (R) (S) 3.00 Castle (R) (S) 3.45 Friends (R) (S)	1.35 TOTP: 2000 2.05 TOTP: 2000 2.35 TOTP: 1985 (S) 3.05 TOTP: 1986 (S) 3.35 Close	1.45 FILM: Infinity Pool (Brendan Crowding 2023) Horror mystery starring Alexander Stansgate (S) 4.00 Close	12.25 American Dull (S) 12.55 American Dull (S) 1.35 Bob's Burgers (S) 4.50 Bob's Burgers (S) 1.65 Unwind With ITV (S) 3.00 Teledupping

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Games&Puzzles

Dominoes

How to play All of the 28 domino pieces from 0-0 through to 6-6 have been placed once into the grid. Can you work out where each of them is placed?

0	4	1	3	2	2	1	0
3	5	5	6	1	6	1	3
2	6	5	4	4	6	3	6
6	5	5	3	4	2	6	4
0	1	5	2	2	0	4	6
3	1	2	5	4	1	3	0
3	4	2	0	1	0	0	5

	0	1	2	3	4	5	6
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Journey Finder

How to play Move between the numbers in order 12341234 and so on starting with the grey 1 and ending with the grey 4. On each step you may move one square in any direction (including diagonally). You must form a continuous path that visits every square exactly once.

1	2	3	3	2	1
4	1	4	4	3	4
3	3	2	2	1	1
4	2	1	4	2	4
1	1	2	3	4	3
2	3	4	3	2	1

Making Tracks

How to play

Numbers around the outside indicate how many squares in each row and column the track passes through between A and B. The track either passes straight through a square or turns at right angles in it.

Binary

How to play Complete the grid so that each row and column contains five 0s and five 1s. The same number cannot appear in more than two consecutive squares in any row or column. In the finished puzzle each row must have a different sequence of 0s and 1s to any other row and likewise for each column.

	1						1	1
1	1						0
					1			1
	0							1
1				0			1
		0	0	1				1
			0				0
1		0				1	1
		1
		0	0

Number Hexagon

How to play Each hexagon is divided into six triangles. The sum of these six triangles is always 25. Place a number from 1-9 in each empty triangle to complete the puzzle: you cannot repeat a number within a hexagon.

Pathfinder

How to play Moving from letter to adjacent letter can you create a continuous path that visits every square once and spells out all the words listed to the right of the grid? Start on the shaded square.

W	P	M	O	N	O	U	S	S	E
A	S	D	Y	E	N	P	R	I	I
R	A	E	O	M	I	E	D	V	Z
O	N	F	M	O	C	K	Y	E	E
E	G	O	R	H	F	E	C	I	C
V	E	M	Y	U	F	Y	N	N	D
I	I	A	G	L	R	F	E	R	E
T	N	F	U	F	E	Q	U	S	L
I	A	A	S	T	C	O	E	T	I
D	D	I	C	C	A	F	N	H	G

Battleships

How to play Locate the position of each of the ships listed below in the grid. Numbers around the edge tell you the number of ship segments in each row and column of the puzzle. Ships are surrounded on all sides by water including diagonally.

Chain Link

How to play Place the numbers 1-6 in each row column and along each series of squares linked by the chain.

Daily Quiz

1. Before he became a solo artist Lionel Richie was a member of which Motown group?
2. What animal features in the phrase about an obvious problem or controversial issue that everyone is plainly aware of, but no one wants to discuss?
3. The German Ardennes Offensive of December 1944-January 1945 was better known under what name?
4. In which country are you likely to encounter a mariachi band? Answers page 49

Jigsawdoku ● Zygolex ● Codeword ● Sudoku ● idoku ● Knight's Tour ● Word Wheel »

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Red Leicester, chard and mushroom gnocchi gratin

SERVES 6

• 300g rainbow chard
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 400g mushrooms, sliced (we used shiitake and Portobello)
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 25g butter
• 2tbsp plain flour
• ¼tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼tsp ground nutmeg
• 400ml milk
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 200g Red Fox or other Red Leicester cheese, grated
• 750g gnocchi
• 50g breadcrumbs

Remove the stems from the rainbow chard. Thinly slice the stems and thickly slice the leaves. Heat the olive oil in a shallow, flame-proof casserole dish on a medium heat.

Add the chard, leek and mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes until soft and starting to caramelise. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Remove to a plate.

Wipe out the pan with kitchen roll, then add in the butter. Sprinkle over the flour, cayenne and nutmeg and stir well. Then gradually add the milk, just a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to make a smooth sauce.

Stir in the mustard and half of the Red Fox cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the gnocchi, chard, mushrooms and leek and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring.

Sprinkle over the remaining Red Fox cheese and breadcrumbs, and bake in the oven at 180°C/160°C (and gas mark 4, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling). Carefully remove from the oven and serve.

Recipe from beltonform.co.uk

PUZZLES The country's best barred crossword every Saturday

Games & Puzzles

Kakuro

How to play Fill the white squares so that the total in each across or down run of cells matches the total at the start of that run. You must use the numbers from 1-9 only and cannot repeat a number in a run.

		28	8	11			6	19
	10					12
7						29
29					10
11			10	6	19
	18				3
	7	15					22
6		6						3
7				11		3
7				11
6				19

Jigsawdoku

How to play Place the numbers 1-9 once in each row column and bold-lined jigsaw region.

		3	6			1
	9						7
	7						6
8				9	4
				4
9				1	6
	8						2
	5						8
		7	9			2

Killer Sudoku

How to play Each row column and 3 by 3 box must contain each number (1 to 9) only once. The sum of all numbers contained within grey lines must match the number printed in its top-left corner. No number can appear more than once in an area formed by grey lines.

17	8		13	10	17	5		11
							13
14		10	11		9			4
7	19		19	13		10
						15		11
12	10		13			7
	7	12		14			5
7		10		14	8	16	23
	11

Zygolex® In The i Paper every day

Find the missing words by following the RHYME LETTERS and MEANING links – eg a word that rhymes with 'cheek' has one letter different from 'pear' and has the same meaning as mountain would be 'peak'. Full rules at zygolex.com. Solution page 49

Futoshiki

How to play Place the numbers from 1-5 exactly once in each row and column. The greater than and less than signs ('√' and '√') indicate where one cell is greater/less than the adjacent cell indicated.

Minesweeper

How to play Find all the mines in the grid. Numbers in certain squares indicate how many mines there are in the neighbouring squares including diagonally touching squares. Mines cannot be placed in squares with numbers.

4	2			1					1
		4		1	2		5
	0	2		1	1	4	4
5	4		3			0
			2	3	2
3	5	3					2
3		4		4	2	5
	1	1		3	2	4	3
			2	1	0	3		1
0	2		0	0				0
2			1		5	4	2	0
	1			3	3	2	1

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WEST 2-20

ORINON 18-22

TU 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONET 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

29

Number Square

How to play Fill the empty squares with numbers that will make the across and down calculations produce the results shown in the grey squares. Each numeral from 1 to 9 must only appear once. The calculations should be performed from left to right and top to bottom rather than in strict mathematical order.

Easier

	-	4	×		-5
×		-		×
6	-		×		36
-		-		-
	×		-		55
11		-6		44

Harder

	×		×		168
+		-		×
	+		-		-2
+		×		×
	-	3	-		4
17		3		64

Codeword No 4585

How to play The numbers in the grid correspond to the letters of the alphabet. Solve the puzzle and fill in the letters in the key as you discover them. Three letters are provided to give you a start. The solution will be printed in tomorrow's paper the solution to Thursday's codeword is on page 49.

7	25	11	14		22	14	7	19	16	22	21	19
24		18		22		16		4		6		16
1	9	18	1	25	7	1		12	17	22	23	1
18		1		10		22		1		19		8
24	4	16	1	16		7	1	16	4	1	7
1				22		19				11		24
16	1	26	10	8	1		15	11	22	16	16	20
3		22				5		25				3
	22	21	21	16	11	1		5	11	16	10	16
7		11		22		22		11		22		10
8	25	10	2	25		12	11	7	24	4	25	12
4		11		21		16		10		19		1
6	4	7	21	24	4	1	13		3	22	2	25
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

A B C D E F H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Need a little help getting started? Then call for up to four extra clue letters on 0905 292 5206. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge (if you are having trouble with the phone service call the helpline: 0333 202 3390). Or text THE! CLUE to $9500 to receive your clues. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge (if you are having trouble with the text service call the helpline: 0333 335 3351). Clues change each day at midnight.

Word Ladder

How to play

Convert the word at the top of the ladder into the word at the bottom of it using only the five rungs in between. On each rung you must put a valid four-letter word that is identical to the word above it apart from a one-letter change. There may be more than one way of achieving this.

idoku Exclusive to i

How to play Each numeral from 1 to 9 must appear (once only) in the squares forming the red letter i.

7				1		9
9					6	2
	4		8			3
2			4		8
		8		9		1
	7		2			1
4		3				7
8			7			4

Sudoku Easier

		9	8		7			1
	6	2		4			3
7	3			2		4		5
	8		5
4		1		6	2	9		3
					1		5
	7		4	1			2	6
	2	4		5		8
6				7	8	5

Tomorrow: Harder

ABC Logic

How to play Place the letters A B and C only once in each row and column. Each row and column has two blank cells. The letters at the edge of a row/column indicate which of the letters is the first/last to appear in that row/column.

Word Wheel

How to play How many words can you find using the letters in the wheel? We've found 54 including one nine-letter word. Each word must use the centre letter and at least three others. Letters may be used only once. You may not use foreign words proper nouns or plurals though you may use verb forms ending in 'i'.

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Conditions

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Concise Crossword No 4907

ACROSS

1 Diminutive of Richard (4) 3 Den (4) 7 Leave out (4) 8 Server at Mass (5,3) 9 Sales device (4,6) 11 Sheep's coat (6) 13 Plumlike fruit (6) 15 Rastafarian hairstyle (10) 19 Unsweetened biscuits (8) 20 Undergo combustion (4) 21 Askew (4) 22 Unit of heredity (4)

DOWN

1 Dwelling place (8) 2 Clique (7) 3 Big (5) 4 Revered person (4) 5 Couple (4) 6 Filament (6) 10 Interpret (8) 12 Tooth layer (6) 14 Gruesome (7) 16 Unstable (5) 17 Endure (4) 18 Forehead (4)

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Solution to yesterday's Concise Crossword

ACROSS 1 Fare, 3 Whether (Fair-weather), 8 Ounce, 9 Replica, 10 Proverb, 11 Ankle, 12 Fictional, 17 Atoll, 19 Dowager, 21 Episode, 22 Slain, 23 Osmosis, 24 Mesh DOWN 1 Floppy, 2 Ring off, 3 Word blindness, 4 Explain, 5 Horik, 6 Reader, 7 Here, 13 Callous, 14 Luggage, 15 Gazebo, 16 Branch, 18 Opium, 20 Wise.

Today's other puzzles Cryptic Crossword page 25

Five-Clue Cryptic page 17. One-Minute Wipako page 20

Puzzle solutions See pages 49

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30

GAMES & PUZZLES

Children's Corner Number Pyramid

How to play The value of each square in the number pyramid is the sum of the two squares directly under it.

Knight's Tour

How to play A chess knight visits each square of the grid exactly once starting at 1 and ending at 100 (these squares are shaded). Deduce the whole path of the knight – some of which is already given – and thus complete the grid. The knight moves either two squares horizontally followed by one square vertically or two squares vertically followed by one square horizontally.

21	4	11		23			96		64
	7					90	65	26
		17	10	67		95			100
			19	2		62
41	44	15		71	50			73
				92	1			88	29
						87	30	59
				52		76	79
39			82		56	33	84
36	47		53			80

Cells

How to play 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.

2
	3	2		6		2
4			4			5
			4
					5
			4	2	2
		4

Word Fit

How to play Can you fit all the words into the grid to complete the puzzle? Some words may initially fit in more than one place but there is only one way to fit all the words together to complete the grid.

4 Letters Acme Loin Rank

5 Letters Canoe Canon Peaty Tawny

6 Letters Acumen Embark Lastly Pincer Thrust

7 Letters Adaptor Censure Climate Drizzle Succumb

8 Letters Literacy Sideways Tutorial

Word Square

How to play Simply answer the clues alongside the grid writing the answers in the respective rows. The solution must read the same horizontally in each row as it does vertically in each column.

Prompts

Arm bone

Terminates

Cummerbund

Bridges

How to play Connect every island (represented by circles) into a single interconnected group. To do this draw bridges between islands. The number in each circle states how many bridges must be connected to that island. Bridges cannot cross each other can only be drawn horizontally or vertically and there can be a maximum of two bridges between any pair of islands.

Word Search

How to play The classic word-search puzzle, find all the words in the grid. Words may be hidden horizontally vertically or diagonally and in either a forwards or backwards direction.

L	V	D	R	O	Y	A	L	G	O	R	G	E	C	C
Q	R	R	V	A	S	C	O	D	A	G	A	M	A	S
Q	F	A	L	C	A	N	T	A	R	A	H	W	J	E
M	O	G	E	L	A	P	R	R	I	A	L	T	O	K
S	I	U	H	P	O	M	Z	F	Y	X	O	M	W	C
Z	H	D	G	S	Q	P	G	R	B	X	B	C	W	U
E	C	T	I	P	P	W	E	N	V	Z	B	H	E	R
C	C	N	R	K	R	N	K	S	I	E	S	A	S	B
H	E	O	J	N	J	I	O	U	O	S	U	R	Q	L
E	V	P	R	C	Y	L	Z	R	A	I	T	L	L	U
N	E	L	X	I	M	E	N	A	I	L	S	E	H	E
Y	T	H	X	B	I	H	S	D	T	U	L	S	C	P
I	N	O	T	F	I	L	C	B	K	R	K	I	C	A
X	O	V	L	L	N	R	A	T	S	O	M	U	M	K
M	P	H	A	N	Q	Z	H	O	U	B	A	Y	D	Z

ALCÂNTARA

CHARLES

CLIFTON

HANGZHOU BAY

IRON

KAPELLBRÜCKE

MÉNAI

MILLAU

MOSTAR

PEARL

PONT DU GARD

PONTE VECCHIO

RIALTO

ROYAL GORGE

SI-O-SE-POL

SZECHENYI

TSING MA

VASCO DA GAMA

Solutions: page 49

Calcudoku

How to play Place the numbers 1-6 once in each row and column obeying sums in bold-lined regions. The number in each region indicates the total for the region and the symbol shows which type of operation should be applied to the numbers. addition subtraction division or multiplication. Numbers may repeat within bold-lined regions. With subtraction always take the lower numbers away from the highest number in a region and with division divide the highest number by the lower numbers.

20×	2-		9+	1-
	10×			6×	2-
60×	12×
			6×		2+
2+		1-	6+
2×			120×

Hexalex

How to play Place each of the letters below once into the empty hexagons crossing them off as you do so. Enter the letters in such a way that it is possible to find all the words listed alongside the grid by moving from hexagon to adjacent hexagon to spell out each word.

AMID

ASK

BÉVY

BUN COT

COT GULF

HALF HASP

JIB PRY

WHAM

ZEBU

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WEST 2-26

ORINON 26-29

TH 26-31

FRIDAY 27-30

MONDAY 28-29

SUNDAY 29-30

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

31

recorded in front of a live audience in London (some of them no doubt regretting sitting in the front rows) With its title offline on his England football ditty, the comedian ranges from Prince William and the Beano

Ann Droid

10.40pm, BBC One

Having already been persuaded to visit the seaside and attend a funfair, in this penultimate episode of the Al sitcom, Sue (Sue Johnston) is swayed into going camping. Having wished she could see the Leonids meteor storm one last time in her life, Linda (Diane Morgan) persuades her to borrow a tent. Things go awry, however, when Linda (terrible) some youngsters and they go for a walk to get away from their fellow campers.

FILM CHOICE

LAURENCE PHELAN

FILM OF THE DAY

Mothers' Instinct 11.10pm, BBC One

(Benoit, Dothamme, 2024) Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain Both left) star as close friends and neighbours in the sort of gorgeously period-detailed 1960s suburbs that Mod Men could only swoon over, all pristine manicured gardens, expensive sublimed cars, laslie Onassis-style fits and sunglasses, and avocado and turquoise kitchen gadgets. Naturally, their domestic idyll is not sustainable, and after the unthinkable duly happens, one of them grows increasingly suspicious of the other is she being gaslit, is it psychosis, or is her best friend truly capable of murder? A slow-burning psychological thriller with tap-tier performances and devious touches.

American Reunion

10pm, E4

Jion Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, 2012) Now in their 30s and dealing with all the usual age-appropriate disappointments, the characters from the 1999 hit teen comedy American Pie reconvene to re-enact a lot of the same old gags. Which is awkward.

Infinity Pool

1.45pm, Film4

(Brandon Cronenberg, 2023) Temptress-tormenter Mia Goth seduces holidaying writer Alexander Skarsgård into a weird world of revelry and criminal abandon in this cunning psychosexual thriller/ wealth-gap morality tale/horror.

ON DEMAND

Spaced Out

Disney+

The universe seen through the Hubble Space Telescope – and its cultural impact.

Moria

Netflix

Biographical drama about Argentine entertainment icon Moria Casan

Brian De Palma Season

Mubi

Come and Dressed To Kill get the horror master retrospective under way

i tv 3

6.00 George And Mildred (1) 8.35 George And Mildred (1) 7.95 Classic Emnerdale (1) 7.35 Classic Emnerdale (1) 8.05 Classic Coronation Street (1) 8.40 Classic Coronation Street (1) 9.10 Agatha Christie's Forest (1) 10.25 Agatha Christie's Forest (1) 11.10 Heartbeat (1) 12.35 Heartbeat (1) 1.35 Midwinter Marines (1) 2.30 Classic Emnerdale (1) 4.95 Classic Emnerdale (1) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (1) 5.15 Classic Coronation Street (1) 5.50 Heartbeat (1)

6.55 Heartbeat Tragedy hits the village (5)

8.00 Doc Martin Sigourney Weaver guest stars in the series finale (5)

9.00 Doc Martin Martin's medical career remains under scrutiny (5)

10.00 Grantchester A suspicious death interrupts the Easter Flake (5)

11.00 Grantchester (5) 11.50 Trial & Retribution A body is found in an abandoned outcrow (5)

12.10 Trial & Retribution (1) 1.55 George And Mildred (1) 2.10 Unwind Wild (1) 2.30 Teleshopping

6.00 Modern Family (1) 6.55 Rodelahl Tube Diaries (1) 7.00 Caupita Come Dine With Me (1) 8.00 Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares USA (1) 9.00 Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares USA (1) 10.00 America's Funniest Home Videos (1) 11.00 Below Deck: Mediterranean (1) 12.00 The Simpsons (1) 12.20 The Simpsons (1) 1.00 The Simpsons (1) 1.30 The Simpsons (1) 2.00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1) 2.30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1) 3.00 Modern Family (1) 3.30 Modern Family (1) 4.00 Modern Family (1) 4.30 Modern Family (1) 5.00 The Simpsons (1) 5.20 The Simpsons (1)

6.00 The Simpsons Bart is sent to a juvenile detention centre (5)

6.30 The Simpsons (5) 7.00 The Simpsons Chouiloh Halloween Capers (5) 7.30 The Simpsons Bart falls in love (5)

8.00 The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer (5)

9.00 Gegglabox Omnibus of the two-part special for Stand Up to Cancer (5)

10.00 FILM: American Reunion Jion Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, 2012) Comedy sequel (5)

11.10 24 Hours In A&E A 19-year-old woman is brought in with suspect spinal injuries (5)

8.15 Final It, Fix It, Flag It (1) 10.00 Four In A Bed (1) 10.35 Four In A Bed (1) 11.45 Four In A Bed (1) 12.10 Four In A Bed (1) 14.40 Come Dine With Me (1) 1.10 Come Dine With Me (1) 1.40 Come Dine With Me (1) 1.55 Come Dine With Me (1) 2.50 Come Dine With Me (1) 2.10 Four In A Bed (1) 3.10 Four In A Bed (1) 4.00 Four In A Bed (1) 5.20 Four In A Bed (1) 5.50 Car S.O.S (1)

6.50 Car S.O.S Fuzz Townshend and Tim Shaw restore the smallest car they have ever worked on (5)

7.55 Grand Designs Building a family home in a village in the Peak District (5)

8.00 An Idiot Abroad (4) (5)

9.00 Carpe Diem Tom represents a fisherman who admits to murder (5)

10.05 24 Hours In A&E A nine-year-old boy has a dangerously high heart rate (5)

12.15 999 On The Front List (1) 1.15 24 Hours In A&E (1) 2.05 24 Hours In A&E (1) 3.05 A Place In The Sun (1) 3.15 Close

6.00 Mornings With Jones And Melbourne (1) 6.30 Mornings With Jones And Melbourne (1) 7.00 Mornings With Jones And Melbourne (1) 7.20 Mornings With Jones And Melbourne (1) 8.00 Sturges SG-4 (R) (1) 9.00 Sturges SG-4 (R) (1) 10.00 Will & Grace (R) (1) 10.20 Will & Grace (R) (1) 11.00 The Simpsons (R) (1) 11.20 The Simpsons (R) (1) 11.50 Big Cats Small World (R) (1) 1.50 Hawaii Five-n (R) (1) 2.00 Hawaii Five-n (R) (1) 2.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1) 2.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1) 3.00 The Simpsons (R) (1) 5.30 The Simpsons (R) (1)

6.00 The Simpsons Homer joins the power plant's softball team (R) (5)

6.30 The Simpsons (R) (5)

7.00 The Simpsons Sideshow Bob and Selma get unspunoff (R) (5)

7.30 The Simpsons (R) (5)

9.00 Frank Skinner: 30 Years Of Dirt A Show 30 which the comedian looks back at his career (5)

10.00 Grimsburg (5) 10.30 Grimsburg Marvin needs a new partner to catch the Carlshead Killair (5)

11.00 Grimsburg Stan slaps his disappearance (5) 11.30 An Idiot Abroad (4) (5)

12.30 Grimes (R) (5) 1.30 The Force Manchester (R) (1) 2.10 Road More (R) (1) 2.30 Hawaii Five-n (R) (1) 4.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1) 5.00 S.W.A.T. (R) (1)

8.00 Fish Town (R) (5) 7.00 Fish Town (R) (5) 8.00 Billions (R) (5) 9.05 Billions (R) (5) 10.15 House Of The Dragon (R) (5) 11.15 House Of The Dragon (R) (5) 12.15 Hominick Life On The Street (R) (5) 1.30 Hominick Life On The Street (R) (5) 2.30 Billions (R) (5) 3.35 Billions (R) (5) 4.35 The Last Of Us (R) (5) 5.40 The Last Of Us (R) (5)

6.40 House Of The Dragon (R) (5)

7.45 House Of The Dragon Rhaenyra tries to strike a bargain with Rhaenyra (R) (5)

9.00 Station Eleven Kirstan confronts the source of her deepest trauma (5)

10.00 Station Eleven Kirstan arrives in Severn City to rescue the Travelling Symphony (5)

11.00 House Of The Dragon Rhaenyra grows desperate for a sign that she will prevail (R) (5)

12.15 House Of The Dragon 1.40 Billions (R) (5) 2.40 Billions (R) (5) 3.40 The Good Wing (R) (5) 4.35 Sort Of (R) (5) 5.05 Urban Secrets (R) (5)

Radio

BBC Radio 1

6.15am Newsbeat 7.00 Radio 1 Breakfast With Greg James 10.00 Radio 2 Airthorns With Nat And Vicky 11.00 Radio 1x Group Chat With Nat And Vicky 12.45pm Newsbeat 1.00 Myle And Rose 2.00 Radio 2 Dance Party Starters 4.00 The Official Chart On Radio 1 With Jack Saunders 5.45 Newsbeat 6.00 Radio 1x Dance Party With Danny Howard 8.00 Radio 1x Future Dance With Sandi Story 10.00 First Tired 12mdr1 Radio 1x Essential Mix 2.00 Radio 1 Dance Presents 3.00 Danny Howard Club Mix 4.00 Radio 1 Dance Party Starters 5.00 Radio 1x Happy Airthorns

BBC Radio 1Xtra

6.30am Ultra Playlist 7.00 Ultra Breakfast With Nadia 3.00 10.00 Thus Johnson 12.15pm Newsbeat 1.00 Kyster Golding 4.00 Rami Burgt 5.45 Newsbeat 6.00 Rami Burgt 7.00 Kash & Pharaoh 8.30 Kash & Pharaoh 9.00 Ultra Ray Show With Kenny Allstar 10.20 Kenny Allstar - Pooh to Mix 11.00 Ultra's Friday Night Party With Izzy Bossy 12.30am Ultra's Friday Night Party With Izzy Bossy 1.00 Ultra's Rave Show With Jeremiah Alsamah 2.30 Jeremiah Alsamah's Get Lo Mix 3.00 Ultra's K&B Show With Double 4.30 Ultra's K&B Show Jams Mix With Double 5.00 Ultra Salutes

BBC Radio 2

6.30am The Sato Coo Breakfast Show 9.30 Version Key 12noon Jeremy Vine 2.00 Mark Gauder 4.00 Joel Donnelli 7.00 Michelle Village 8.30 Michelle Villagris Rambag Hits 9.00 Sophie Ellis - Booker's Kitchen Disco 11.00 The Rock Show With Shaun Kaseony 12mdr1 Kenneth Forgyathan For The Love Of Hip-Hop 1.00 Tony Blackburn's Sound Of Soul 2.00 Pick Of The Pops 3.00 Pick Of The Pops 4.00 Radio 2 Unwind With Angela Griffin 5.00 Tracks Of My Years

BBC Radio 3

6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 12pm Classical Live 4.00 Composer Of The Week Warrigercast 5.00 In Type 7.00 BBC Promo 2026 Edwin Duhaeter and the BBC CD perform another symphonic adventure 10.00 Lets Suncion: A collaboration between Savina Varnation and Johann 'Ma'ing' Santoso Prilacki 11.30 Round Midnight Jamie Cullum presents livemusic from the Round Midnight From 12.30am Through The Night

BBC Radio 4

6am Today 8.00 Target Island Disco 10.00 Women's Hear 11.00 The Food Programme 12.45 Book Of The Week Hinoyama 8.15 The Lost Memoir 12noon News 12.04 Rami Earth 12.17 Weather 1.00 The World At One 1.45 Human Intelligence 2.00 The

Archer 2.15 Drama Central Intelligence 2.45 Living On The Edge 3.00 Gardeners Question Time 3.45 Short Works 4.00 Lost World 4.20 Videways 5.00 FM 5.17 Weather 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.20 The People Have Sacked 7.00 The Archer 7.15 Add To Playlist New series: Soweto Kinch and McLay latest Inside by black British music artists 8.00 Any Superland Topical discussion started by Alex Forsyth 8.15 This Week in History A look: black & the events of this date in years past 9.00 Natalie Haynes Danish Air For The Classics: Agents bringing the dread to answer Ultra big questions 9.30 Dread in The Cycle: Calm and O' Decide to shut down their drug empire 10.00 The World Tonight With Shaun Ley 10.45 Book At Bedtime: The Vicar Of Wakefield 11.00 American 12.30 A Good Road 12mdr1 News And Weather 12.30 Book Of The Week Hiroshima 8.15 The Lost Memoir 12.45 Shipping Forecast 1.00 An BBC World Service 2.30 News Summary 2.24 Shipping Forecast 5.45 Prayer For The Day 5.45 Living On The Edge

BBC Radio 4 Extra

6am The Wolf Far-Hence 6.30 The Senior Partner 7.00 Flying The Flag 7.30 Beyond Our Ken 8.00 The Confessions 8.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Dipp Keith OK Composer 9.30 Following The Martian Invasion 9.45 Daily Silence 10.00 Soul Music 10.30 Hot 11.00 The Wolf Far-Hence 12.30 The Senior Partner 12noon Flying The Flag 12.30 Beyond Our Ken 1.00 The Confessions 1.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Museum Of Curiosity 2.30 Midport 3.00 The Hunting Of The Snark 3.45 Short Works 4.00 Soul Music 4.30 Pick 5.00 The Wolf Far-Hence 5.30 The World Partner 6.00 Flying The Flag 6.30 Beyond Our Ken 7.00 The

Add To Playlist 7.15pm, BBC Radio 4 Saxophonist Soweto Kinch (Island) joins Jeffrey Bookie and Anna Phoebe to celebrate V&A East's new exhibition - The Music to Black A British Story - and choose five tracks

Confessions 7.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Museum Of Curiosity 8.30 Midport 9.00 The Hunting Of The Snark 9.45 Short Works 9.00 Comedy Club Dipp Keith OK Composer 10.30 Comedy Club Nipetti McGosh Becoming Nipetti 10.45 Comedy Club Rhys James Is 11.00 Comedy Club Vant 11.20 Comedy Club Laura Sclan 'Daring And Not' Daring 12mdr1 Soul Music 12.20 Pilot 1.00 The Wolf Far-Hence 1.30 The Senior Partner 2.00 Flying The Flag 2.30 Beyond Our Ken 3.00 The Confessions 3.30 Adrian Mole The Cappuccino Years 3.45 Small Island 4.00 The Museum Of Curiosity 4.30 Midport 5.00 The Hunting Of The Snark 5.45 Short Works

BBC 5 Live

6am 11.00 Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Gordon Smart 12pm DJs James And John Robins 9.00 Matt Chonley 4.00 11.14 Drive 7.00 11.14 Sport 8.30 Athletics 10.00 Stephen Nolan 12pm Charlie Taylor 2.00 11.14 Boeing

BBC 6 Music

12pm N/A Sirenchaw 10.00 Lauren Laurens 12pm Craig Charles 4.00 How Stephens 7.00 The People's Party With From Kinnon 9.00 7 Music's Indie Forever 10.00 6 Music's Indie Forever 11.00 The 6 Mix With Mary Annie Hobbs 12mdr1 5 Music's Rave Forever 1.00 7 Music's Forever Dark 2.00 Focus Boats 4.00 Ambrant Focus

Classic FM

6.15am Classic FM Breakfast With Tim Lhomisa 9.00 The Classic FM Hall Of Fancy Hour With Tim Lhomisa 2.00 A Not Alad Jones 12pm Annie Marie Mitchell 4.00 Weight For Taylor 6.00 Classic FM All The Movies With Jonathan Ross Jonathan plays music from a few Disney classics 8.00 Classical Spotlight With Alexander Armstrong: Alexander features music from the Irish soprano And Ricky 10.00 Calm Classics 12pm Katie Breathnack

Absolute Radio

6am Dave Berry 10.00 Loma Graham 12pm Ben Burnett 4.00 Homelone With Bush & Richie 7.00 Absolute Mix With Claire Sturges 10.00 Sophie & 14pm Ben Casey

Heart

6.30am Heart Breakfast With Jamie Thwaisson And Amanda Haden 10.00 Pandora Christie 12pm Matt Wilkinson 4.00 31 And Kelly Break 7.00 Heart's Club Classics With John Hicks 11.00 Fuzzy Ghadjar 12pm Seb Barker

TalkSPORT

6am TAILSPORT Breakfast With Alan Brazil 10.00 Sam McKerrison & MacCrock 12pm Homelone And Jacobs 4.00 TAILSPORT Drive 7.00 Kids Off 10.00 The Sports Bar Weekender 12pm Extra Time With Ben Fletcher

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32

NEWS

Panorama

Around the world in 10 stories

UKRAINE

Drones set fire to refinery deep in Russian territory

By Ilia Novikov

IN VOY

Ukrainian drones struck a major refinery deep inside Russia, military officials said yesterday – the fourth such attack in three days as Kyiv continues its campaign to choke Moscow's vital oil sector.

The attacks have dented Russia's refining capacity, causing shortages at petrol stations. Kyiv officials say the onslaught seeks to compel President Vladimir Putin to seek a peace deal. There is no sign such a strategy is working.

Ukraine's General Staff said that its forces struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refining and petrochemical complex (inset) in Russia's republic of Bashkortostan, starting a fire. The complex, about 800 miles from Ukraine's border, is one of Russia's largest oil refining and petrochemical facilities. The plant processes up to 74 million barrels of oil annually.

However, Russia has also been striking strategic targets in Ukraine. Overnight on Wednesday it struck Ukraine's largest Danube grain shipment port, setting off a fire.

The port of Izmail, near the Romanian border in the southern region of Odesa, handles exports of Ukrainian grain and other commodities.

The regional state administration said on Telegram that the strikes had caused damage to port infrastructure and took out power in the south-east of the city.

That attack came a day after Ukraine hit Novorossiysk, a major grain shipment hub in Russia's part of the Black Sea.

As the war drags on, both countries are looking at ways to inflict damage to the other's economy and morale.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine needed more US air defence missiles to get through winter.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, he said Ukraine needed at least 5 per cent of the current US stockpile of Patriot interceptor missiles to ward off a surge in Russian ballistic missile attacks.

The Trump administration will not provide its own aid to Ukraine but is allowing other countries to buy US equipment that is then sent on. However, its supply of missiles has been much reduced by the war with Iran. AP

ROMANIA

Nuclear reactor going offline as Danube runs low

By Luisa Ilie

IN RUTMANIST

Romanian state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica has started the process of disconnecting its sole working reactor from the power grid due to record low Danube river levels, it said yesterday.

The drought-hit river already forced it to shut down one reactor in July. The company has two 706-megawatt reactors,

accounting for a fifth of the country's power output.

Romania has declared a state of energy emergency throughout August and asked companies and households to reduce consumption during peak hours.

Romania's energy ministry has turned on a 330-megawatt lignite-fired power plant, it said, adding it was also relying on increased wind generation and hydro power. The government has prepared a system to cut power for industrial consumers in stages if needed.

It had earlier sought to avoid closing the reactor through detonating a rock obstruction, dredging the riverbed and sinking rock-filled barges in the Danube to redirect flows to around the power plant. REUTERS

Aquatic harvest

Farmers row out to harvest water chestnuts near Xinyu City, part of China's Jiangxi province, as harvest season continues for the water

towne. The aquatic vegetables grow in marshes and mud, with peak harvesting from July to November. Farmers glide in small boats through

PACIFIC

Japan protests as Putin travels to islands

By Jokaterina Golubkova

IN TOKYO

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, visited the Kuril Islands, a Russian-controlled Pacific island chain also partly claimed by Japan, yesterday, drawing fresh protests from Tokyo.

Putin's visit came a day after major naval drills and a missile firing by Russian ally North Korea.

Japan asserts territorial rights over the southernmost islands of the chain, which it calls the Northern Territories and which were taken by the Soviet Union in the final days of the Second World War.

The dispute over the islands kept the countries from signing a formal peace treaty ending hostilities.

On the trip, which Russian state

news agency Tass described as Putin's first to the island chain, he visited a fish-processing plant on the island of Iturup, after overseeing navy drills in Russia's far east.

Images showed Putin in a dark

Vladimir Putin visits a plant that processes fish on Iturup island

suit standing in a room as officials spoke about fishing and the migratory behaviour of fish.

Japan protested Putin's visit. "The northern territories, including Etorofu, are Japan's inherent territory both historically and based on international law," foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, wrote on X.

Decades of diplomatic efforts have failed to reach a settlement over the islands, and Moscow has increased its military presence over the years.

On Wednesday, Putin said the current status of the Kuril Islands "is enshrined in international documents as a reality that arose following the outcome of the World War II".

But he said Russia was prepared to seek a solution "with the goal of concluding a peace treaty with Japan". REUTERS

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WEST 2-10

ORIGON 16-22

TU 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

33

Rooded paddy fields, gathering the crisp tubers from the mud. Water chestnuts can be eaten raw as a sweet snack, added fresh to stir-

fries for crunch, or ground into flour to make traditional water chestnut cake (matisgo), a jelly-like dessert. VOLUME 17

WEST BANK

Israel sends more troops to siege site

Israel's military said yesterday it had sent more troops to a West Bank village where settlers have trapped Palestinian families inside their homes, a siege the Palestinians say is aimed at forcibly displacing them.

The siege began at the weekend when Jewish settlers closed off the road to the three homes in the Palestinian village of Qusra and set up a tent in their front yards, refusing to allow anyone to enter or leave.

The settlers had earlier cut off their electricity and water. Israel's military (insar) says it is trying to disperse the settlers from the area, even as a video from earlier in the week showed

several Israeli men in green military garb joining the settlers in a morning prayer in the tent. The military said it was taking disciplinary action against any personnel involved.

The United Nations said in a statement that about 15 Palestinians, including two children, were "being trapped inside their homes in a state of terror, unable to attend to their basic needs and without access to water or electricity".

The two families under siege in the area say they have no food or medicine, and that the settlers have been damaging their property, throwing stones and insulting them. REUTERS

ECUADOR

Haaland face on cocaine bricks

Police found packages of cocaine featuring the face of Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland in a truck near the Colombian border.

The driver was arrested following the seizure of the stash of 469kg of cocaine on Wednesday. It is common practice for drug traffickers to label their shipments with the names of well-known sports figures and other celebrities, signalling which criminal network produced the merchandise and to which client it belongs.

Agents were conducting an operation following an anonymous tip when they noticed a suspicious truck. They found 370 packages hidden in a false bottom of the vehicle.

Manchester City striker Haaland was not the only footballer chosen by the drug smugglers – the image of Lionel Messi appeared on another seized package.

The value of the shipment was estimated at more than £8m, if it had been intended for the US market. AP

Postcard From... Huntington

Jake Hemann grabbed a board and headed out to surf. But an hour later, he wound up sitting at the lifeguard station soaking his foot in a pail of hot water alongside four other beachgoers.

Hemann, a tourist from New Mexico, said he was learning to surf when he hopped off his board and landed on what he thought was a sharp stick.

"It hurt pretty bad," he said, while sinking his throbbing foot into the hottest water tolerable to ease the pain.

It is a common scene in Southern California, where the number of people being hit by the sharp, serrated harbs found on the tails of stingrays has gone up significantly from a year ago, as a marine heatwave

draws more stingrays – and people – to shore.

Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beaches reported more than 3,100 incidents so far this year, twice the number for all of 2025.

In Southern California, lifeguards can treat 10,000 stingray injuries a year. In Seal Beach, one area draws so many due to an influx of warm water from a nearby power plant it is known as "Ray Bay".

At Bolsa Chica State Beach, swimmers suffering stings to the sides of their feet and toes sat in a circle refilling their pails with hot water.

Most stings don't require additional medical attention.

Allen Lowry said he swims three times a week at another beach, and getting stung, though painful, won't change that.

"Usually, once the pain you feel goes away, you feel fine the next day," he said. AP

Amy Taxin

YEMEN

150 civilians killed by US strikes on Houthis, reveals Pentagon

By Ben Finley IN WASHINGTON

US air strikes targeting Iranian-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen last year killed more than 150 civilians, according to a Pentagon review of the attacks.

It comes as concerns rise over civilian casualties during military campaigns under the Trump administration.

The unclassified assessment was sent to Congress as part of an annual report on civilian casualties.

Such injuries and deaths from US military operations have drawn concerns, after a US missile struck an Iranian primary school in the opening days of this year's war, killing 168 people.

The Pentagon review focused on

three air strikes in April 2025 that were launched during the US campaign against the Houthis. Those strikes targeted hostile forces in or near Yemen's rebel-held capital city of Sanaa as well as the Ras Isa port, the report said. A total of 153 civilians were killed and 243 injured.

The strike on the port was the most deadly, killing 80 people and injuring 171 others.

It sent massive fireballs following skyward and turned tanker trucks (insar) into burning wrecks.

The Houthis aired graphic footage of the aftermath on their Almasirah satellite news channel, showing corpses strewn about the port.

US Central Command, which

oversee military operations in the Middle East, said at the time that the "strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen".

The command determined that the three strikes "more likely than not" resulted in civilian harm, the review said.

The information was based on US intelligence sources, imagery and open-source reporting.

The US first launched attacks against the Houthis in 2023, during the Biden administration, after the militants started launching drones and missiles at commercial ships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said the attacks were aimed at stopping Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. AP

NEW ZEALAND

China 'tried to install space satellite-tracking system'

New Zealand's security agency said it had disrupted an attempt by a Chinese state-linked observatory to install satellite-tracking infrastructure in the country.

The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) said Purple Mountain Observatory, based in China and with close ties to the government in Beijing, had sought to fit ground-based space infrastructure through a local firm that was probably unaware the equipment could collect intelligence of military value. It did not identify the New Zea-

land company or detail how the plans were disrupted.

The warning appeared in the agency's Security Threat Environment 2026 assessment which said China was the only country detected conducting espionage "at scale".

"The kinds of malign behaviours and activities we have seen over the past 12 months are proving even more threatening for a country like New Zealand, given its size and location in the South Pacific," NZSIS director-general Andrew Hampton said. REUTERS

PAKISTAN

Body recovered from avalanche

A team of local volunteers yesterday recovered the body of a Pakistani climber killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak nearly two weeks ago, officials said.

The body of Sohail Sakhi had been missing since 30 July, when a 10-member international expedition led by renowned climber Nirmal Purja lost contact with base camp.

Authorities said all 10 climbers had died in one of Pakistan's deadliest mountaineering accidents. Search teams have now recovered eight bodies. AP

---

34

NEWS

LIFESTYLE

Keep cool and carry on: how to exercise through the summer

Antonia Hoyle asks the experts and consults research for some top tips on training in the heat

It's 9pm, the dishwasher's humming and the dog is sleeping as I haul myself off the sofa and, wearing pyjama shorts, an old vest, no bra and a grimace, subject myself to thigh-burning weighted lunges.

I know that in this heat, if I don't get the exercise I dread most over with now, I'll hail on my whole routine in the morning.

If keeping fit feels especially gruelling in a heatwave, it's because your body's trying to fuel your muscles while keeping your temperature down, making your heart beat faster and increasing fatigue.

Add in the exhaustion of disrupted sleep – because it's harder to cool down enough to nod off – and it's unsurprising we're collectively exercising less.

This year, a study analysing 24 billion minutes of activity on people wearing Fitbits, published in the Journal of Public Economics, found "significant reductions in activity" in hot weather.

Another study in the journal Nature Human Behaviour found exercise levels declined in temperatures of over 28°C – a snip compared with the 35°C heat being felt in swathes of England.

But if I don't fit in my usual fitness regime, I go slightly mad. "Deconstructing" my workout by doing some of it the night before is one way I'm managing this summer, and while you might not be as regimented, it's still wise to develop strategies to keep moving, because "even in hot weather, exercise will help you feel less sluggish", says personal trainer Kate Rowe-Ham, author of Owning Your Menopause.

Strength coach Sarah Best (@findorfituk) says: "We can't press pause because it's super-hot. We need to be sensible and adapt." Here's how.

1%

Athletic performance can start to decline when we lose just this amount of our body mass from fluid

GET A BREEZE BLOWING AND CONSIDER GYM AIR CON

A fan won't lower the temperature if you're working out at home, but it will create a draft that may evaporate sweat, helping you stay cool. Best uses a "basic fan" from Amazon while filming workouts for her app, Fitness Bites, in a "hot box gym that feels like a sauna at three in the afternoon".

Propping my 20-year-old fan in front of my Peloton before spin sessions helps keep me peddling.

Obviously, most gyms have the advantage of being air-conditioned, so temporary membership at a budget chain such as Pure Gym might be worth considering, although I do personal training with Rowe-Ham who says: "When it's hot, for me, getting into the car to make it there in the first place would feel a step too far."

DON'T BE AFRAID TO LIFT WEIGHTS OUTSIDE

If you're exercising indoors, shut the curtains and open the windows, says Rowe-Ham. Finding a shady spot in the garden can help you stay cool, adds Best, who has a weights station in a covered area outside.

"You can definitely do a weights session outside with a mat, as long as you've got a flat, sturdy surface."

If you are going to be in sunlight while exercising outdoors wear a

sweat-proof sunscreen. Rowe-Ham and Best both use By Sarah.

EXERCISE WHEN IT'S COOLEST

Best exercises "first thing, when it's not crazy hot", as does Rowe-Ham, who says, "I want to get it done and not risk feeling too hot to bother later." But in the evening, when temperatures have cooled, is also an option, she says, and although I've always exercised before breakfast I've found 9pm a surprisingly palatable window.

The peace is a pleasant counter to the stifling heat and a few minutes of weights before bed seems to help me sleep.

SHOWER BEFORE YOU WORK OUT AND DRINK ICE SLURRY

"I have a warm shower before I work out, which cools your body more effectively than a cool shower, so I start off feeling cool," says Best. "I re-shower afterwards."

A meta-analysis of cooling strategies in hot weather in the journal Sports Medicine found that cooling your neck and drinking a crushed ice drink during exercise were the most efficient methods for improving performance.

Not because they significantly reduced core body temperature, but because they made people feel cooler, and their workout, therefore, felt more manageable.

Lifting weights in a shady spot outdoors may still be possible GETTY

TRAIN YOUR MIND WITH THE FIVE-MINUTE RULE

Exercising in the heat is a psychological minefield. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found participants exercising in a 40°C environment reported being exhausted after about 50 minutes, while in 18°C they could work out for an hour without reaching exhaustion.

But researchers concluded the main reason was the effect hyperthermia had on the brain and central nervous system, not the muscles. So talk yourself into toughing it out. "I tell myself I'll just do five minutes and see how I feel," says Best.

"If you use this rule, invariably once you've started, you'll keep going." Keep a treat on hand for afterwards. "Frozen blueberries are healthy and feel cooling," says Rowe-Ham.

DRINK MORE WATER

Dehydration, caused by sweating, forces your heart to work harder and reduces blood flow to your muscles. A review in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found

athletic performance can start to decline when we lose just 1 per cent of our body mass from fluid loss.

Rowe-Ham keeps a pint of water by her bed to drink on waking. "After my coffee, I have more water – I definitely drink more in the heat, which gives me more energy."

She doesn't use electrolyte supplements, which replace minerals such as sodium and potassium lost through sweat, but are unnecessary for most.

"If you're someone who sweats a lot or regularly gets cramps, there might be more of a case."

WEAR PYJAMAS AND LOSE THE BRA IF YOU WANT

"Cotton pyjamas and a standard bra – or no bra at all – can be a comfortable option for lifting weights," says Rowe-Ham. "I definitely wouldn't wear Lycra leggings in the heat – they're essentially plastic," adds Best, who exercises in shorts and a vest.

I've ditched vests unless I'm running outdoors and, when required, opt for my oldest, saggiest sports bras that don't need a crowbar to peel on and off.

---

NEWS 2-26

OPINION 18-22

TV 25-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

35

CUT YOUR WORKOUTS OR

CHANGE THE FORMAT

Best says 20 minutes of “decent intensity” is an achievable goal while Rowe-Ham suggests tweaking your existing routine.

“This might mean shortening your sessions into exercise ‘snacks,’ taking more rest breaks or breaking your workout into morning and evening sessions.”

I’ve split my half-hour Peloton workout into three 10-minute rides over a couple of hours on really hot days. It means sitting around sweaty for longer – but I would have been sweaty anyway.

Rowe-Ham suggests giving swimming a go for strength, mobility and cardiovascular benefits – water transfers heat from the body more efficiently than air.

“Find out if your local leisure centre has a pool, or investigate outdoor swimming options in nearby lakes.”

MAKE ALLOWANCES

FOR HOBNOWS

While perimenopausal symptoms are improved by exercise, perimenopause makes temperature

regulation harder, so working out can feel especially challenging for mid-life women in heatwaves, says Rowe-Ham.

“Stick to your usual routine and you’ll probably crash. Consistency is more important than intensity.”

Reduce your routine if necessary. Ordinarily a runner, she’s been doing more walks with a 5kg weighted vests during heatwaves. “It’s a good cardiovascular workout without feeling overwhelming.”

PERSEVERE - IT GETS EASIER

Studies show our bodies can start to adapt to exercising in hot weather in as little as a couple of days. “The more you do it, the more accustomed you’ll get to exercising in the heat,” says Rowe-Ham.

“You might not be able to train as hard, but it’s worth getting your mindset around what you stand to gain from exercise, and when there’s a break in the weather you’ll still be fit enough to get straight back into your usual routine.

“For me, it’s the feeling of strength and resilience – always rewarding and, during a heatwave, more important than ever.”

WORK

Of course older women are my favourite people to hire

They’re tough, efficient and not scared of voice calls. There’s no place for ageism in the workplace, writes Caroline Hirons

I would hire someone who is 50 over a Gen Z any day of the week. Especially if they’re a woman who has multitasked her whole adult life. There’s nothing that you can’t give a busy woman in our office that won’t get done well, and efficiently.

It’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason. Legally, of course, someone doesn’t have to list their age on their application form, and you can’t ask them, and I’ve never hired anyone based on age – but when someone’s been in the working world for a while, and they just come across as someone who can get stuff done, you can really tell.

Someone in their fifties is likely to be better at communicating, and they’ll pick up the phone with no qualms. This is obviously a sweeping generalisation but I do also find that older people are better at taking responsibility and going, “Yep, that’s on me, that’s my had”, because there’s not the same fear of messing up.

When you’ve lived a life, your fears are homed in on the really important things.

If you call someone young into the office, they assume they’re going to be told off. We have to explain that we want to talk to them and help them with feedback. I feel like I have to parent some of them so that they don’t take offence and get upset. All I’m trying to do is give feedback to make you better at your job!

It’s natural that people are more sensitive to criticism and less confident when young. But Gen Z do seem to find negative feedback especially hard.

I think we were forced to be tougher because the people that raised people my age just didn’t give a shit about our feelings that much.

People think it’s a joke, but my generation really were kicked out of the house by 9.00am and your mum would tell you to come back for your tea, and you were gone all day.

As we grew up and got jobs, we knew we had to fend for ourselves

and that our bosses weren’t going to really care about our feelings. In my early days of retail, if someone was taking a mental health day, people wouldn’t have even known what you meant. They’d have literally said, “Oh, are you mental?” I’m not in any way saying those were the good old days, that’s just how things were. It’s sometimes harder for older people in offices to be soft and caring towards younger people because they didn’t tend to have that themselves.

We’ve also screwed the younger generation in the workplace with zero-hours contracts. No one’s got a job for life any more, so they can’t afford to leave home. If you can’t afford to leave home, you don’t need to have job security, you don’t have bills or a mortgage, so you’re less motivated to get ahead. A lot of young people still live at home for that reason, and that’s the fault of people my age and older.

Having said all that, lots of people on our team are Gen Z, and we’ve lucked out with them. When we find good ones, we cling on to them.

I find that the Gen Zs who work hardest and best in our team are proper grafters, but generally raised by hard-working Gen Zers. When they talk about their parents, I think, “God, yeah, your mum’s just like me”, mainly in their attitude to work, to being off sick, to being late.

You can tell someone who’s had a similar upbringing to the way I raise my kids – say please and thank you, respect your elders, communicate well and have a good work ethic. So, there are plenty of grafter Gen Zs, and I’d keep everyone on my team – I absolutely love them.

With some younger staff I feel I have to parent them so they don’t take offence and get upset

Women over 50 get things done, says Caroline Hirons (inset above) GETTY

But there is a certain work ethic in a woman who has raised children, who came out of the workplace and went back into it, who really doesn’t take it for granted, and goes for it at full pelt.

And it’s outrageous that women have lost their jobs or cannot find work because they’re simply older. Age is meant to be a protected characteristic, but it’s not that easy to enforce.

I’m 57, and I’m sure I would have experienced much more ageism if I’d been an employee at this point rather than an employer. When I had my kids and was in my last corporate jobs, I wasn’t dismissed but I also wasn’t seen as someone who was young and had energy. I’d be like, “guys, I’m 40?”

Nowadays, the ageism shows itself in other ways. I don’t work with stylists – and some people might laugh and say you can really tell – because as soon as stylists see my age then they bring me clothes I wouldn’t be seen dead in, frankly. It’s immediately all elasticated pants, matching trouser sets and skirts. I don’t wear skirts, or dresses in general.

When we were building the SkinRocks website, our developers would put age groups and the last age said “50 plus”. I just looked at them and said, “Are you serious? Are you telling me that me at 53, (that’s roughly what I was at the time) I think exactly the same way as a 75-year-old?”

One piece of advice I’d give people as they age in the workplace is that there’s certainly no room for letting yourself use your brain less. You must keep on top of everything. You must keep up with the latest tech. You don’t need to know how to work it all, but you need to know what it is.

If you’re a secretary and you don’t know the latest software, you’re going to come unstuck in an interview. If you’re a graphic designer and you don’t know the latest software, it’s an issue.

But you see, I imagine mostly people are up to speed and they’re being rejected for jobs at an earlier stage by AI in the application process, which maybe weeds out anyone over a certain age.

I certainly wouldn’t turn away someone with experience, and we don’t use AI when we’re hiring. I like us to be very hands-on.

It can be hard to know how to handle ageism in the workplace, and in life generally, because it can be very overwhelming. You just have to remember at all times that you’ve earned your place.

Caroline Hirons is a skincare expert, writer, and the founder of SkinRocks

---

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FRIDAY

Film Music Television Books

‘Me and Ray on stage again? Never say never’

The Kinks’ Dave Davies talks to Matt Charlton about rivalry with The Beatles, his regrets over his lost first love and a lifetime of falling out with his brother

Dave Davies is trying to remember a particular Kinks song. It is a track, he says, that somehow encapsulates his famously fractious sibling relationship with his brother Ray, chief songwriter and lead singer of The Kinks, one of the “big four” 60s British Invasion bands, along with The Who, The Stones and The Beatles. But he can’t remember what it is.

His PA, and girlfriend of 14 years, Rebecca Wilson, enters the room at his request and reels off a list of suggestions that reminds me what an astonishing back catalogue The Kinks have.

“‘You Really Got Me’? ‘Lola’? ‘Days’? ‘Sunny Afternoon’? ‘All Day and All of the Night’? ‘Waterloo Sunset’?”

Batting away all of these with an exasperated “no”, Davies, 79, is clearly frustrated at his level of recall – he suffered a stroke in 2004 at the age of 57, and, though he has made a very good recovery, he still slurs his words and occasionally needs a nudge in the right direction from Wilson.

Finally, it comes to him independently: “I’m Not Like Everybody Else?” he says, with great relief. He doesn’t have anything to hand to play it to me, so I pick up my phone and blast the song down my laptop mic, both of us sitting for 30 seconds listening to a song he recorded 60 years ago.

---

38

FRIDAY

MUSIC

'Ray is a very deep person - pretty different from me'

Continued from page 37

He sinks back into his chair wearing a satisfied smile. "I'm singing for another person here; it has a different meaning." He is singing his brother's words - unusual for a hand where the song was usually sung by its writer.

For the B-side to "Sunny Afternoon", Davies took the lead vocal at the last minute when The Animals rejected the song.

"It was me and Ray realising that we had to do something, and we had to do it quickly - that's what the 60s were about - and then Ray was just coming up with these ideas, and said I should take the lead... it was fabulously constructed," he recalls.

"[The relationship] has been a pain in the arse, to be honest, but it's been very beneficial in many ways - we've helped each other without realising it."

The marked difference in the brothers' personalities is deftly captured in their latest collaboration. Not a song or a reunion concert, but an artistic endeavour nevertheless, The Kinks: Brothers, a collaboration with portrait painter Christian Furr, reimagines a 1968 passport photo booth picture of the siblings through a series of mixed-media works.

In the shot, older brother Ray appears more contemplative and posed, while Dave, half-smiling, looks as if he has stuck his face in-shot at the last minute on a whim.

The Kinks were not only fuelled by a sibling rivalry, but an early professional

rivalry with The Beatles - perhaps more antagonistic than the one The Fabs had with The Stones.

At the exhibition's launch event, Davies said: "I loved George Harrison - he was the only Beatle that I liked," and now he wants to clarify. "You'd be a fool if you didn't like The Beatles, but I liked George so much because I could see something simmering underneath - very thoughtful. Paul said wonder-

ful things about The Kinks... but Ray and John had a rivalry. John was difficult."

I suggest that both John and Ray would both have been quite spiky at the time, "Spiky - yes, that's it."

Later, they became neighbours in Manhattan, Ray living moments from the Dakota building, the site of Lennon's murder in 1980. "I still get angry because it's such a waste... but yeah - The Beatles couldn't write Ray's songs and Ray couldn't write Beatles songs."

'I lost every penny I had four times over'

Green Man owner Fiona Stewart tells Emily Bootle what it's really like to run a music festival

Fiona Stewart hadn't always worked in the music industry. Being a single mum, she had to crack on with whatever work she could find: bar work, waitressing, admin. But all of that would come in handy. "I would just try to do whatever anyone asked of me, and then eventually people heard about me and would recommend me to somebody."

Now 66, Stewart is the owner and managing director of Green Man, one of the UK's last truly independent festivals - and the only independent festival in the UK owned by a woman.

When I speak to her a couple of weeks before this year's festival opening on 20 August, Stewart

seems relaxed, if champing at the bit to get on site.

Green Man is an enormous success. Nestled in the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheining), the festival, founded in 2003, sells out within minutes every year, months before any of the line-up is released. Though many festivals have had to rely on Live Nation takeovers and corporate sponsorship to survive a ravaged cultural climate, punters still like the freer, more independent feel.

After working for Glastonbury for several years, Stewart was asked to run The Big Chill in Dorset. "It just clicked with me," she says. But when it "started to get a bit more corporate, a bit more sponsory... I wanted to

own something I could protect" - and in 2006, she took over Green Man.

"I'd seen events change - some good, some bad - for financial reasons. People lost interest or respect for the audience because it was more financially driven. I didn't want that to happen."

I wonder how being female in a male-dominated industry has influenced her approach. "When I first started, there were no women in the industry at all," Stewart says. "The big thing was getting contractors to trust me."

Stewart maintained a "charade" with one big-top contractor for seven years. He would ask her: "Where's your boss?" and she would pretend to call him to answer the contractor's questions. Eventually, he sussed her out: "You're the boss, aren't you?"

Stewart is naturally conscious of the gender split. "There are many, many more women who work at Green Man than men," she says - but also more generally of maintaining a "flat structure".

---

I ask him to give me four adjectives that describe his brother, and four that describe him. First, Ray: "Studious, thoughtful... he's a very deep person, very measured... pretty different from me."

Now for the more difficult question: what would he say about himself? "Every decade, it changes, and it's difficult to be objective about yourself." So I ask Wilson. "You'll be mean!" he jokes.

"He's serendipitous."

"What?" replies Davies. "Is that English?"

"Like accidental magic," Wilson clarifies. "He's like Midas. He's not calculated. I always say he's gulletless. Creatively, I think he's very pure. Just everything from him slashing the amp and all that."

The amp slashing in question came when Davies, both through frustration and experimentation, slashed the speaker cone of a "crap" Zipico amp with a knife, wired it to a larger Vox amplifier, and birthed distorted guitar, giving The Kinks their first No 1 single with "You Really Got Me" in August 1964. Accidental magic indeed. "We didn't really know what we were doing," Dave tells me. "Ray had written this great riff, this great song, and we had to do something with it. It just came out of there, really."

The youngest of eight siblings, Davies was born into a musical working-class family in Muswell Hill, north London. It seems that two events from his early life may have turned him into the troubled, impetuous young man he has

written about in his two autobiographies: his eldest sister's death when he was 10, and a teenage pregnancy leading to a daughter whom he didn't meet for 30 years.

I ask him about a Guardian review of his most recent autobiography, 2022's Living on a Thin Line, which accused him of a lack of contrition, and observed a "habit of ditching wives and small children willy-nilly when a better offer came along". Davies looks a bit lost, Wilson stepping in to remind him: "I told you about that. That was so rude. That reviewer basically called you a womaniser."

Wilson addresses me now. "First of all... he was 15, his girlfriend was 16. They leave all these things out, you know? His girlfriend was put in a home for unwed teenage mothers. And so when I see [someone not] bothering to check the facts at all - the timeline... I feel defensive of him sometimes."

She leaves again, and Davies has had some time to gather his

Local hero Stewart is dedicated to advancing the arts and supporting the community through her festival

"There's no hierarchy. The steward is just as important as someone who manages big acts."

So far, so utopian - but from "biblical bad weather" to the ravages of Brexit, Stewart has had her fair share of strife.

"I have lost every penny I had four times over since I started at Green Man," she says matter-of-factly. "I lost nearly $750,000 during Covid because we'd sold out, I bought all the production, then it didn't happen."

A House of Commons committee reported earlier this year that Live Nation, which controls more than a quarter of the UK's 5,000-plus capacity festivals, had created a "climate of fear" in the live music industry due to its market dominance.

The committee chair, MP Liam Byrne, pointed to "deep concerns about whether competition in the industry is now working fairly for box, artists, venues and independent promoters".

I ask Stewart what she would say to them. "Live Nation has to achieve profit for its

shareholders," she replies.

"What's wrong is that the Government is allowing them to behave like that.

"The independent market needs to be protected. We're the people developing the artists who will be on [Live Nation's] stages in a few years' time."

"As a business, we are polar opposites. This word 'festival' is ridiculous. It's like having McDonald's and a little bistro and expecting them to be the same."

And Green Man is different: it has run its own charity since 2014, for arts development, community support and climate crisis work. The festival also works with local businesses and remains staunchly Welsh.

"I think the value of what we do is not just a monetary thing. We have a role developing the arts, supporting people in their early careers, generating money for small businesses and rural communities. There's a multitude of benefits," says Stewart.

"Why would I give that up? That's the richness, isn't it?"

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

39

Hliked George Harrison - very thoughtful. But John Lennon... John was difficult

thoughts. "It's difficult to be objective about someone else's experience. My first relationship with a girl was a very beautiful, moving experience. It taught me how to live.

"I was lying in bed with her, I was loving her, and it was a gift. And I think people forget that... but I suffered all my early life from my first relationship. It turned me into a little bit of a 'lad', if you like, because of the resentment that she'd been taken away from me."

This resentment manifested in many ways, including fallouts with his brother that have sometimes, maybe lazily, had them compared to the Gallaghers.

"I love the Gallagher brothers," he tells me, "and I think it's weird how different they are from each

other. They've got a strange thing about them that's very endearing."

I quote to him the lyric from "Acquiesco", Oasis's song of brotherly love: "Because we need each other, we believe in one another..."

"Yeah, that's exactly right. That's very much like me and Ray - they had to go through the hate thing, and it's back on course now... It comes with maturity. You realize: 'What's the point?' and then rethink things."

When the Gallaghers weren't talking, he says, "I remember laughing, thinking: 'You wait, you wait, you'll go back!'"

So might we see a Dave and Ray reunion on stage at some point? "Never say never. We talk every couple of months, but it's usually about the Arsenal... just normal stuff, you know, to remind us that we're just part of the human race."

Though one could argue, of course, that after such a tumultuous, extraordinary life, Dave Davies is not like anybody else.

'The Kinks: Brothers' is at Gibson Garage, London, until 6 September

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40^{}[] FRIDAY

MUSIC

Martha Reeves has nothing left to prove. She is the Motown legend responsible for such immortal classics as “Dancing in the Street”, “Nowhere to Run” and “Jimmy Mack”, she has been honoured by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and she has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, whose 2024 unveiling drew Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder to sing her praises. She has just turned 85 and would be well within her rights to be resting up and taking it easy.

Instead, Reeves is about to release her first album in 22 years, Searching. “I’m not trying to prove anything,” Reeves says when I ask why. “I’m just doing what God said to do: he said share your talent.”

Reeves has been sharing her talent since she was three years old. Born in Alabama, she moved with her family to Detroit before she was one. Music ran through the family: her mother, Ruby, would teach her songs while combing her hair, while her father, Elijah, had played blues guitar alongside John Lee Hooker.

“When I was three years old, my two oldest brothers and I won candy at the church for our singing,” Reeves recalls, speaking via video call from Detroit. “When we stood up and sang, everybody loved us. That was my first experience of singing, so I knew from then that music was my calling.”

That calling took a while to turn into a career. After graduating, Reeves worked by day and sang by night. At 16, she joined a group called The Del-Phis, with whom she performed across Detroit.

She sang solo, too, and a win at a talent night earned her a residency at a Detroit club. It was there that Motown’s A&R man, William “Mickey” Stevenson, spotted her and invited her to audition.

When she turned up at the studio, though, “I was asked to go into an office and answer a phone, and he said he would be right back,” she recalls. “He was gone three hours, and when he came back I had a neatly stacked bunch of notes of all the people that were calling him.” So thorough were

‘The police stopped our bus and told us to get out and sing’

On releasing her first album in more than two decades, Martha Reeves talks to Sarfraz Manzoor about playing the segregated Deep South, being wowed by a nine-year-old Stevie Wonder and the prayer retreat that helped save her life

Still dancing in the street Reeves playing ‘A Motown Christmas’ in 2024; right, with the Vandellas, 1975 MICHAEL DONS ARCHIVEDGETTY

those notes that Stevenson hired her as his secretary.

It wasn’t the audition she had in mind – but working in the A&R department meant Reeves was often the first person to meet new artists. She still remembers being introduced to a nine-year-old Stevie Wonder. “They brought that baby in from school and straight to me,” she recalls. “He played everything – he played the typewriter, he played the telephone. He was born a genius.”

Motown had been founded by Berry Gordy, who had worked at the Ford car factory, and he adapted that style of production for his record company. Songwriter-producer teams such as Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote the songs, the in-house Funk Brothers played on virtually every Motown song and the artists were assigned which song to sing.

One day, when Motown legend Mary Wells couldn’t make a

“We were all jealous of Diana Ross, because everyone wanted to be Berry’s woman”

recording session, Reeves volunteered to sing her part instead, and called in the Del-Phis to help. That was the day that Martha and the Vandellas were born.

Soon, she was regularly recording songs with her band. “The producers would decide who would sing the songs,” Reeves says, “but once they started recording, there would be others standing outside the studio, listening in. That’s how I got the song from Marvin Gaye.”

The song was “Dancing in the Street”. Gaye was recording the song that he had co-written when he saw Reeves and beckoned her over. “He said: ‘Sing this song for

me,’” Reeves says. “I didn’t know why he would give it to me, because he had sung it so well, but when they put my voice on the track, they took his off. I wish the world could have heard Marvin Gaye sing his song.” On its release in 1964, “Dancing in the Street” became a huge hit.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were part of the Motortown Revue, a package bus tour that criss-crossed the US as well as visiting Britain. The bill, at various points, featured Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and The Temptations.

The tour party encountered racism when it travelled through the Deep South, facing armed threats at petrol stations, hotels that refused to house them, gunfire aimed at their bus and shows performed to segregated audiences. “We would get stopped by the police and they would say if we

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FRIENDLY 14 AUGUST 2026

really were singers, we needed to get out of the bus and sing," she says. "And on occasion that's what we would have to do."

It wasn't all grim in the South - Reeves recalls travelling to Kentucky and meeting Muhammad Ali. "He was so fine," she says. "I can't remember what he said, because he was like a dream."

The idea of so many incredible artists travelling the country on the same bus seems extraordinary - what was it like?

"I remember we would play cards and dice on the bus," she says. "We would sing and we would be rehearsing in our seats, getting ready for the next show."

Was there much competition between the acts? "It was nothing but competition! We made the stage bat for the next act. We couldn't outdo The Temptations, but we held our own."

In her 1994 memoir, inevitably titled Dancing in the Street, Reeves details a conversation with Berry Gordy where he told her that The Supremes were on the top rung of the ladder and that Reeves's band was on the lower one.

This may have had something to do with the fact that Gordy was dating Diana Ross. I ask Reeves whether she ever felt competitive with Ross. "The truth is we were all jealous of Diana Ross, because everybody wanted to be Berry's woman. He was the one with the ideas. He was the one with the dream. Plus he had sexy eyes too."

Reeves has been married twice, with both short-lived marriages ending in divorce. "I have never had much success with dating," she says, "but I'm still hopeful, still searching."

The problem, apparently, was that many of the men who dated her also wanted to date the other Vandellas. "It has happened that

a man I was dating turned out to be dating all three of us," she reveals, "and when you find out it hurts your feelings."

I am momentarily lost for words. That must be an awkward conversation to have with your band members, I finally suggest. "You have to try not to break up with your fellow singing partners," she says, "but this is the game of love - men will do that if you let them."

As Gordy and Motown's attention increasingly tilted toward Ross and The Supremes, Reeves found herself pushed down the label's pecking order - a shift that coincided with the group's hits drying up by the late 60s, as infighting set in and Reeves developed a dependency on prescription drugs given to her for exhaustion. An acid-spiked drink triggered a full nervous breakdown so severe that she was briefly institutionalised and restrained in a straitjacket.

"When you get famous, everything comes at you," she says. "When people come smiling and charming and making you feel good about what you're doing, you're excited, your head's all up in the air, and they say: 'Try this' - and you do."

Reeves continued to struggle with depression and addiction until 1977 when, shaken partly by seeing contemporaries such as Janis Joplin destroyed by their own excesses, she attended a prayer retreat, got sober and became a born-again Christian. "If it wasn't for that, I would be dead," she says firmly. "I'd be dead in my grave."

Happily, Reeves is far from dead. She served a stint in politics, serving on Detroit's city council from 2005 to 2009, but now, with Searching, is back to making music. She looks and sounds great and is hugely entertaining in conversation.

"It feels good that I made it to 85," she says. "I thought I'd be gone by 35. I didn't think I had any place to be here or any more dreams to be fulfilled."

I assume that, as a Christian, she believes in heaven - but what does she think it looks like? "It is real but it's not a place," Reeves replies. "It's in your spirit and in your mind. Heaven is when you're happy." I look at the smiling woman on the screen and conclude that Martha Reeves must be in heaven.

Martha Reeves's new album, 'Searching', is out now via Fun Day Records

41

In tomorrow's

weekend

40 short walks around the UK

Ultimate guide to summer wines

Best paperbacks out this month

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42 FRIDAY

BOOKS

SHELF LOVE BETTANY HUGHES on the best books about ancient history

Bettany Hughes is one of our best-known writers and broadcasters about all things to do with the ancient world. The historian has presented more than 50 TV and radio programmes on the subject, including her most recent, 'Lost Worlds: Dawn of Civilisations' on Channel Four, in which she journeys across ancient Anatolia – modern-day Turkey – exploring the archeological discoveries, culture and landscape that have shaped culture for millennia. Her latest book, 'There Was an Egyptian in Your School', is a children's guide to what education looked like thousands of years ago, and is designed to ignite a love of classical civilisation in budding historians everywhere. But which are Hughes's own favourite books about the ancient world?

IF NOT, WINTER Sappho, translated by Anne Curran (Virogo, £26.99)

'Sappho's poems should be read in all schools. The works of the 7th-century BC poet from the Greek island of Lesbos are acute, inspiring and teach about the impact of early love – both how beautiful it is and how disruptive. Sappho was the first to describe love as bittersweet

– although, enjoyably, she says it is sweet and then bitter.'

THE ILIAD Homer, translated by Emily Wilson (WW Norton, £14.99)

'I read this whenever I can, along with Homer's Odyssey and The Cypric, another ancient poem linked to the Trojan War, which is supposedly by the poet Stasinus. The relationship between translators and their texts is a very intimate one – I enjoyed the freshness Emily brought to The Iliad. But each of the texts are transporting in so many ways – they are all slightly different takes on the epic

stories of the Aegean Bronze and Iron Ages. One of my favourite pursuits is to try to match archaeological evidence with the history-by-accident concealed within the verses.'

THE AMAZONS Adrienne Meyer (Princeton University Press, £14.99)

'A revolutionary book that turns on its head the misogyny that has coloured our ideas of the Amazons for thousands of years. Tracing their story in myth and archaeology, Mayor proved that there were indeed individual warrior women who fought in battle from the Bronze Age onwards. I have seen the graves of some of these women, the skeletons showing cut marks to their arms, heads and legs – some with obsidian arrow tips still lodged in their bones. The Amazons lived!'

EGERIA'S TRAVELS Translated by John Williamson (Liverpool University Press)

'Either a lay sister or part of a community of nuns from Spain, Portugal or southern France,

Egeria travelled solo through the Holy Land as she perceived it in the 4th century AD. Here, her eyewitness accounts in letter form are still in print – and they provide a unique historical record. They give us fascinating insights into Constantinople, southern Turkey, Syria and Egypt – where she tells the world the pyramids were the 'granaries' of the Biblical First Testament patriarch Joseph.'

PERICLES Paul Cartledge (Bradston Books, £15.99)

'An expansive, exacting and epic study of one of the most fascinating characters from Ancient Greek history. For me, one of the geniuses of Pericles was the inspiration he took from his courtesan consort Aspasia. A reminder that even though women were second-class citizens in ancient Athens – and Aspasia was a foreigner, so enjoyed even fewer rights – they could nonetheless have status and standing in one of the most influential epochs of world history.'

'There Was an Egyptian in Your School' (Puffin, £8.99) is out now

It seems faintly ridiculous to declare that Greek mythology is having a moment, given that these ancient stories have inspired and moved us for thousands of years. But it is certainly experiencing heightened interest this summer – thanks to Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film adaptation of The Odyssey, sales of Homer's 2,700-year-old epic have rocketed. Once you have finished reading that original poem, there are plenty of contemporary retellings of the classics to add to your reading pile, from smouldering queer love stories to psychological thrillers to feminist reframings. These are the 12 best...

AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE Teyari Jones (Oneworld, £9.99)

You wouldn't necessarily know unless someone told you before reading it that An American Marriage is, as Jones has put it, in conversation with The Odyssey. The 2019 Women's Prize-winning novel is a heartfelt page-turner about wrongful imprisonment and race, as the lives of newlyweds Roy and Celestial are ripped apart when he is convicted of a crime he did not commit.

But with its portrayal of a man forced to live away from his home and his wife, the impact it has on their marriage and what happens when he suddenly does come back, it is a clear successor to the Homer story – a gripping and emotionally rich update for the present day.

THE SONG OF ACHILLES Madeline Miller (Bloomsbury, £20.99)

If you are going to read only one mythological retelling, make it this one. By recounting the story of The Iliad from the perspective of Achilles's lover, Patroclus, it casually serves up a ground-breaking slant on a Homeric epic – and gives us one of the most romantic books ever published to host.

Miller has said she wanted to probe what it means to be a good person in a violent world with the novel – which won the 2012 Women's Prize – and it feels searingly relevant to the contemporary age, with so much to say about the brutality and senseless cost of war. A masterpiece.

MYTHOS Stephen Fry (Penguin, £20.99)

The first in Fry's 'Greek Myths' series, Mythos is an excellent initiation into the world of ancient legends. The comic actor and broadcaster has updated the myths with his trademark wit and flair; Mythos takes us through the early history of the gods and

We all saw the power of the Moon this week. Or rather, we all squinted through pinholes or put colanders on our heads, as the solar eclipse turned light into dark and our worlds upside-down. Darren Almond's 'Fullmoon' (Taschen, £100) doesn't quite go that far, but he does recast the world around us in a new light. The British artist, born in Wigan, has spent the past two-and-a-half decades traversing the globe, from Japan to Patagonia, the Alps to British meadows, photographing landscapes with long exposures of more than 15 minutes under the light of a full moon, illuminating rivers, mountains and seashores with a glow that emanates from the shadows to give a sense of the sublime. Right, 'Moonbow', 2011.

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FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2016

43

is also a wonderful reimaginer of mythology, from his short-story collection The Pier Falls to 2024's Greek myth-inspired anthology Dogs and Monsters.

He draws on ancient tales to the greatest effect in his shimmering 2019 novel The Porpoise. A reworking of Shakespeare's play Pericles, itself inspired by the much older legend of the young prince Apollonius, it follows a young woman who finds solace from her abusive childhood by telling herself stories inspired by all the mythology she reads. When a would-be suitor challenges her father to a fight, the line between reality and her imaginings blurs – to thrilling, immensely transporting effect.

THE SECRET HISTORY Donna Tartt (Penguin, £10.99)

Inspired by Euripides's The Bacchus, Tartt's literary sensation centres on a group of New England classics students whose fervour for enacting ancient Dionysian rites leads them to become involved in the murder of a classmate.

Glittering with deft observations about youth, power and toxic friendship, it is a treat of a read – whether you have never encountered it before, or are racing through it for the 10th time.

ORCE Madeline Miller (Bloomsbury, £10.99)

This is the second Miller book on the list – but I make no apology for that. This bewitching novel more than earns its place. Offering an irresistible feminist angle on Circe, the sorceress from The Odyssey who turns its hero's men into pigs, it terms with breathtakingly clever insights into trauma, power, resilience and, most movingly, mortality. Years after first reading it, I still think about it all the time.

THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS Pat Barker (Penguin, £9.99)

Another fluid retelling – this time from the vantage point of Briseis, the woman awarded to Achilles after he sacks one of the towns neighbouring Troy, and over whom Agamemnon and Achilles quarrel in the ego clash at the core of the poem.

Barker proved herself masterful at charting soldiers' trauma in her First World War Reppourution trilogy, and she is just as unflinching in her depiction of the horrors of the female experience of war here – the rape, the enslavement, the mutilating, terrible grief. A fierce and important novel that stays with you.

The best retellings of ancient Greek myths

If Christopher Nolan's blockbuster 'The Odyssey' has left you wanting more, pick up these gripping modern takes on classic tales – from a feminist refocus to a murder mystery set in 80s New England. By Gwendolyn Smith

mortals – the birth of Athena, the abduction of Persephone – in a winningly accessible conversational style.

The three other hooks in the series are worth reading too – the most recent being Odyssey.

CLYTEMNESTRA Costanza Casati (Penguin, £10.99)

Clytemnestra has generally been depicted as a villainous figure for her murder of her husband, Agamemnon upon his return from the Trojan War. Here, Casati gives us her side of the story, as a queen who quietly plots revenge on the murderous man she is forced to marry, after he – appallingly – uses their daughter as a human sacrifice.

What marks out the novel is how well Casati observes human relationships – from Clytemnestra's childhood bond with her sister, Helen (later to be Helen of Troy) to the blood-boiling hatred she harbours towards the barbaric men in

her life. Fuelled by heartbreak and desperate fury, this is an electric retelling.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF Zick Riordan (Puffin, £9.99)

Riordan's myth-inspired Percy Jackson series may technically be aimed at children – but they are also a joyous way for adults to digest some ancient tales too.

Set in a 21st-century world inhabited by Greek gods, Riordan's first adventure, published in 2005, follows Preseus 'Percy' Jackson, who goes from being a normal teenager to finding out he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon. What's more, it seems that Zeus believes Percy has stolen his all-powerful lightning bolt.

Our hero and his friends must race against time to catch the true thief and escape Zeus's wrath.

Tremendous fun – and there is a TV adaptation on Disney + to enjoy as well.

THE KING MUST DIE Mary Renault (Virugu, £10.99)

Theseus has never known for certain who his father is. But when he discovers he is in fact the son of Aegeus, the king of Athens, he sets out to claim his royal destiny. It is a white-knuckle quest that ends with his infamous attempt to slay the Minotaur in the labyrinthine palace of King Minos in Crete.

Published in 1958, Renault's novel – which inspired Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games – is an enduringly brilliant coming-of-age story, psychologically astute and richly evocative of the classical world.

A THOUSAND SHIPS Natalia Haynes (Picador, £10.99)

A Thousand Ships is perhaps the ultimate example of the current fashion in publishing for feminist

retellings of ancient myths. It doesn't just dig into the psyche of one woman. Instead, we get the perspectives of all of the women unlucky enough to be caught up in the Trojan War in Haynes' all-female retelling of The Ilind.

We hear from goddesses and queens, widows and sea nymphs, as Haynes weaves a beautiful, subversive tapestry of women's lives – and the voices and stories history has written out.

EVERYTHING UNDER Daisy Johnson (Vintage, £9.99)

Johnson's debut novel made her the youngest-ever person to be nominated for the Booker when it made the shortlist in 2018, when she was 27.

Updating the Oedipus myth to modern-day Oxford, the story centres on a young woman searching for her disappeared mother. It has been 16 years since Gretel last saw Sarah, who raised her on the canals in a childhood filled with secret languages and fears of a strange watery creature known as 'the Bonak'.

Gretel's bid for reunion brings to the surface family secrets and dark prophecies, in an eerie and supremely atmospheric novel.

THE PORPOISE Mark Hadden (Vintage, £10.99)

Hadden may be forever known as the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, but he

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Marvey & Business

Quote of the day

The gambling tax changes are going to have a massive impact – around £250m – but we have really strong mitigation plans

Stella David Chief executive of gambling group Entain pledges more UK investment after seeing 'impressive' momentum

@theipaper business@theipaper.com

ECONOMY

UK growth boost defies Iran war fears – at least for now

By Holly Williams

The Fifa World Cup and record hot weather in June helped Britain's economy remain resilient in the second quarter despite Iran war cost pressures, but warnings are mounting over a year-end hit to growth.

Official figures showed gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.4 per cent between April and June, with better-than-forecast growth of 0.3 per cent in June. However, it was a slowdown from the 0.6 per cent growth recorded in the first quarter.

The growth in June came against expectations for a flat performance and followed no growth in May, revised down from 0.1 per cent growth previously estimated, and a 0.1 per cent contraction in April.

Food and drink firms were among those to benefit from the start of the

World Cup on 11 June, while television and advertising also benefited from the event, in which England reached the semi-finals in July.

Meanwhile, hot weather boosted retailers, manufacturers, hotels and firms in the amusement and recreation sector.

But the data come amid worries over the effect of the Iran war.

It emerged on Wednesday that Treasury experts had briefed the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to

While some firms were helped by hot weather, June's extreme heatwave also knocked parts of the economy. Some construction firms reported a hit, while in education many schools were closed because of the heatwave.

expect the economy to barely grow next year if disruption to the Strait of Hormuz continued until the end of this year.

Internal modelling from the Treasury suggests UK GDP could grow by as little as 0.3 per cent next year, according to government sources.

Matt Swannell, chief economic adviser to the Item Club, cautioned growth would be 'very weak' in the second half with further energy price rises and soaring fuel costs weighing on consumer spending power.

Ofgem's energy price cap increased 13 per cent at the beginning of July and is expected to rise again in October as the Iran war sends wholesale costs surging, although some of this will be offset by the Government's decision to cut VAT from power bills.

The Chancellor, John Healey, said: 'I know people are worried about the

The heatwave is good news for the amusement and recreation sector

impact of the Iran war on their cost of living, which has been too high for too long, and it has added pressure on British businesses.

'But this is an active, hands-on Government, putting British interests first – giving breathing space to those feeling the strain, making our country more resilient and bringing hope back.'

The Office for National Statistics figures showed the services sector grew by 0.4 per cent in June, though this was partly offset by falls of 0.5 per cent in manufacturing and 0.1 per cent in construction.

Harvey Nichols' historic Knightsbridge store is one of six in the chain bought out by Mike Ashley's Frasers Group GETTY

RETAIL

Ashley swoops for stricken Harvey Nichols

By Henry Saker-Clark

Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has bought Harvey Nichols after the historic department store chain fell into administration.

It could mean Harvey Nichols becomes a 'smaller business' in the short term as Frasers oversees a 'significant restructuring'. It plans to review the retailer's shop portfolio, organisation structure, operating model and costs.

Frasers beat retail rival Next to take control of the Harvey Nichols brand in an auction process.

Earlier this week Harvey Nichols warned that it would need

to 'cease trading' within a year if it failed to secure new investment after posting a £49m annual loss.

The deal includes six stores: in London's Knightsbridge, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Edinburgh.

It will secure the future of more than 1,000 workers and includes Harvey Nichols's online business and its product inventory.

Harvey Nichols's international franchise stores will continue to trade as part of the deal.

However, the OXO restaurant launched by Harvey Nichols in 1996, at the OXO Tower building on London's South Bank, was not

included and has been acquired by another buyer.

Frasers has also launched a takeover approach for German fashion brand Hugo Boss, in which it already owns a stake.

Chief executive Michael Murray said: 'Harvey Nichols is an iconic British institution with significant potential.

'The turnaround will require tough choices and we are prepared to make those decisions, even if that means a smaller business in the near term, to create a stronger and more sustainable Harvey Nichols for the long term.'

PROPERTY

Repossessions and mortgage arrears fall is 'encouraging'

By Vicky Shaw

The number of homes being repossessed in the UK has fallen, despite financial squeezes on both homeowners and landlords.

About 1,150 homeowner mortgaged properties were repossessed in the second quarter of 2026, which was 8 per cent less than in the previous three months and 14 per cent less than the same period a year earlier, UK Finance said.

And 630 buy-to-let mortgaged properties were also repossessed, which was 22 per cent less than in the previous quarter and a 20 per cent fall year-on-year.

Overall, repossessions remain significantly below long-term averages, UK Finance said, and down year-on-year for the first time since late 2023.

It added that the repossessions currently taking place predominantly relate to older mortgages, with more than two-thirds of repossessions relating to mortgages arranged at least a decade ago.

About 77,940 homeowner mortgages were in arrears of 2.5 per cent or more of the outstanding balance in the second quarter of this year, which was 1 per cent fewer than in the previous three months and an 11 per cent annual fall.

And 8,390 buy-to-let mortgages were also in this level of arrears, which was a 6 per cent fall compared with the previous quarter and a 26 per cent annual decrease, UK Finance said.

Ian Harris, president of the National Association of Estate Agents Propertymark, said: 'These figures are encouraging.'

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45

PROPERTY

'I sold my house - and bought a double-decker bus to live in'

Lindzi Hargrave spent £55,000 on renovating her new £18,000 purchase. By Charlotte Duck

When Lindzi Hargrave, 39, sold the two-bedroom house in Glenfield, Leicestershire, which she co-owned with her brother, she decided to use the equity to buy a new place to live. Unusually, that place was a double-decker bus.

"I've always been obsessed with buses," she says. "The book bus came to schools when I was younger and, in my 20s, I wanted to get one."

Having sold her terraced house for £20,000 and making around £40,000 in equity, Lindzi spent £18,000 on buying a bus in May 2023, having put down an initial deposit of a few thousand pounds.

"The bus had been used by the Met Police for events and used in the recruitment process," she says.

"When I received her, she was an empty shell with the seats in there still and there were just a few partitions."

Now the bus has been renovated - the upstairs comprises a bedroom, bathroom and desk area, with storage boxes that can be pushed together to make a bed for an adult or two smaller children's beds.

Downstairs, there is a kitchen and a living area at the back which doubles as a community space.

Renovating the bus cost £55,000 in total, which included getting a Class C license, paying for theory and driving tests and a health check, at a total cost of £2,000.

Putting in new electrics came to £10,000, £2,000 of which was for four solar panels and £1,000 was for a lithium battery to store the electricity they produced.

Other big expenses were a log-burning stove for £2,500, a composting toilet for £700 and a £700 fridge.

"Everything else was sourced from Gumtree, FreeCycle or Facebook Marketplace," says Lindzi. "I didn't want the bus to have a polished feel - I wanted to upcycle stuff, and I did that to the point where I didn't want to see another paintbrush again!"

Lindzi says the value of the refurbished bus would be situational. "If I had to put her on the market, I might only get £35,000 to £40,000 but, if someone wanted her, I could imagine getting offered £60,000 or £70,000."

There are significant costs that come with living on a double decker. "The biggest expense is the car insurance which makes it

Lindzi, who used to be a special needs teacher, uses the bus as a safe space for people to learn about neurodiversity

equivalent to renting," says Lindzi. "Anything you might be saving from not paying council tax [mobile homes are exempt] goes on that."

In her first year, the insurance was a huge £5,500, while in the second, it's dropped to £3,500.

"Even though I've got 20 years of no claims as a car driver, you start from zero," says Lindzi, who shaved her head to raise £1,000, which she put towards her second year of insurance.

"Had it stayed higher, it would have been a real struggle to carry on." She's hopeful that as she builds up her no-claims bonus, this figure will keep going down.

Lindzi can park for free in lay-bys, but they don't have waste disposal facilities. "You can save lots of money by not being in a campsite, but you still have to find out how you are going to get rid of your waste. Some campsites also won't take me because [the bus is] so big," she says.

"It makes me gutted that councils are reducing the spaces there are for nomadic people. I don't pay council tax but if the council made a space for us, we would pay for it."

Lindzi also pays car tax at £15 a month and spends £100 a month on

The worst part is emptying the toilet. But I like having different views each day: I'm novelty driven

food and water. In the winter, she parks and saves money on diesel, but this comes to about £700 a month in the summer when she is driving around the country. In the winter, she also needs to budget £100 a week for heating the bus so this affects most of the fuel saving.

"If you average it out, it's not cheaper than living in the traditional way but my mental health is better. It works out as expensive as living on my own, renting in a house, but at least I don't have to raise a deposit and I own the bus. It's the same as keeping your head above water in a rental but I plan to make it my job," says Lindzi.

Previously, a teacher in a behavioural unit supporting children with ADHD and autism, Lindzi now plans to travel the country's festivals, offering up the bus as a safe space for people, where they can relax and learn about ADHD and neurodiversity.

She's named the community project Bus Different. So far, the bus has been to Vanlife, Replica, Barefoot and the Watford Fringe festivals, where it's been a welfare point or a display bus, showcasing an unusual build.

She's travelled between West Sussex, Yorkshire and Wales - an impressive feat considering the

maintenance issues along the way. "Both last year and this year, there have been multiple things go wrong. In the lead-up to the festival season this year, the bus stopped running and I had a six-week nightmare," says Lindzi.

A local garage finally diagnosed and fixed the problem, but the standard maintenance is £400 a year, with other, ad hoc costs adding an extra £1,000 annually. One new tyre, for example, costs £700.

Despite this, Lindzi wouldn't cite cost as a disadvantage of living on a bus. Instead, she says the worst thing is "having to empty the toilet."

"Everything you bring on to the bus, you physically have to take it off." There are plenty of advantages too, including "feeling at one with your surroundings and the seasonal changes".

"This morning, I've done yoga stretches in a field outside. I like having different views each day because I'm novelty driven," Lindzi adds. She would recommend her lifestyle to others, but she says you really have to be passionate about it.

"I'd recommend it if it's your dream. It's not something to do half-heartedly; pure passion has kept me overcoming the obstacles. "And it's a lovely lifestyle."

£210,000 The first time in London was a 1st to 2nd year. The next time in London was a 1st to 2nd year.

EMPLOYMENT

Zero-hours contracts ban 'fair' - minister

By David Lynch and George Thompson

A minister has defended plans to ban zero-hours contracts, after Government analysis suggested it could cost firms up to £30m a year.

Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said the Government's proposed ban would ensure workers are "fairly paid", after the warning was published on Wednesday.

"I don't think it's fair for somebody to be on a contract where they literally don't know whether or not they're going to be working at all, and yet they're bound by that contract," she said.

The proposed reforms are still expected to "support growth" by improving conditions for workers, an impact assessment also says.

The direct cost to employers of a ban as a whole could be between £350m and £2.9bn per year - with an "indicative central" estimate of £1.8m, according to the data.

The Government is consulting on whether to apply the policy to anyone working 48 hours a week, but its preference is for the threshold to be between eight and 20 hours.

But the British Chambers of Commerce said the potential costs risk "a hammer blow to young people's job prospects".

Kate Shoesmith, its director of policy, said: "We are already facing a youth unemployment crisis - now is not the time to make it even more costly for employers to hire."

AUTOMOTIVE

Fire at supplier causes slump in JLR sales

By Henry Saker-Clark

Jaguar Land Rover has revealed a slump in sales after the supply of new cars was hit by a fire at a parts supplier in Norway.

The company, owned by India's Tata Motors, said revenues were also dented by the planned wind down of a number of Jaguar models.

The UK's largest car manufacturer revealed that revenues fell by 9.6 per cent year-on-year to £6bn for the three months to 30 June due to a 9.2 per cent decline in car volumes.

JLR briefly paused production for its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models at its Solihull plant in March after a major fire at the factory of a component manufacturer in Norway.

Car sales volumes have also been impacted by Jaguar's decision to stop the production of numerous diesel and petrol-run models, including its F-Pace. It is transitioning to focus on electric models as part of a strategy overhaul designed to boost the brand's fortunes.

JLR reported a pre-tax profit of £109m for the quarter, down from £35m a year earlier.

---

46

BUSINESS

FTSE 100 down 0.56% at 10,772.67

Company	Price	Chg %	High	Low
SI Group	37360.0	-1.17%	4467.0	1825.0
Aberdeen Group	2414.4	-2.93%	265.0	177.5
AB Foods	26650.0	-11.08%	2359.0	1729.5
Admiral	18944.0	-1.72%	4006.0	2624.0
Arctic Africa	3291.2	+0.55%	438.2	231.8
Alliance Wifran	13900.0	+0.22%	3394.0	1178.0
Anglo-Amer	9970.0	-3.52%	4239.0	2115.0
ArdτόSports	9790.0	-8.78%	4479.0	2073.0
Adri-Glenco	11709.0	+0.05%	15772.0	9892.0
Autotrader Group	5258.8	+0.04%	831.2	478.8
Avion	7139.0	+1.36%	717.8	550.8
Babcock Intl	11815.3	-1.95%	3527.0	902.4
B&E Exelman	2239.0	-1.50%	2360.0	3529.0
Barrison	5159.0	-0.08%	554.1	352.5
Barnett Bedrow	2386.0	+2.37%	410.2	216.4
Beazley	5242.5	-5	1296.0	760.0
BF	5224.4	-1.56%	1604.4	394.4
British Tobacco	4264.0	+2.75%	5126.0	3677.0
British Land	4372.2	+0.32%	451.6	314.6
BT	3471.1	+1.03%	242.1	173.0
Brent	2746.0	-0.24%	2846.0	1081.0
Burberry	5098.0	-2.01%	1376.5	976.0
Castrica	1049.0	-0.10%	220.3	151.4
Coca-Cola Europac	7900.0	+0.38%	8545.0	6240.0
Coca-Cola MBC	4028.0	+1.37%	5139.0	3170.0
Compass	3407.4	-1.40%	2581.3	2000.0
Compasscenter	4938.0	+2.28%	4962.0	2234.0
Comedoc	2318.8	-0.80%	259.3	259.0
Crookmill	5289.0	+0.52%	5392.0	2437.0
DCC Energy	6370.0	-0.08%	6740.0	4188.0
Dispers	5752.0	-1.15%	2142.0	1255.5
Diploma	7385.0	-0.74%	7783.0	4970.0
DuQuenne Mining	4209.0	-4.37%	5620.0	2430.0
Exxon	5459.4	-2.57%	518.8	500.4
Experian	2811.0	-0.64%	3987.0	2203.0
F&I One Trust	3468.8	+0.17%	1332.0	525.8
Fresno	2673.0	-4.74%	4472.0	1617.0

Company	Price	Chg %	High	Low
Kansas Morris	19080.0	+0.47%	23540.0	10407.0
Elecomm	980.5	-2.09%	707.2	281.5
EDX	1896.5	-0.67%	2282.0	1298.6
Nabisco	3573.5	-0.58%	418.2	274.4
Nabisco	3744.0	-0.53%	4902.0	3354.0
Nissan	1785.0	-0.65%	1904.0	1257.2
Newellon Delivery	822.5	+0.49%	981.0	713.0
NIBC/Philip	1525.8	-0.78%	1810.0	928.1
SKG	442.5	+0.13%	492.9	332.7
ICS	3040.0	-0.25%	2340.0	1424.5
IG Group	1332.0	-1.62%	1856.0	1016.0
Net	3088.0	-2.56%	3166.0	2218.0
Imperial Brands	2643.0	+1.73%	3632.0	2052.0
Informal	621.6	+1.21%	1000.0	715.0
Intl.Ltd.Mills	11788.9	-0.31%	13300.1	8618.0
InterNet	5840.0	-0.00%	5855.0	3510.4
Investex	6753.1	+1.34%	6465.0	4304.4
JS Sports Fashion	63.4	+1.67%	108.2	64.0
Kingfisher	327.6	+1.68%	372.3	240.3
Land Svcs	709.0	+0.14%	726.0	522.5
Logist & Gen	299.2	-1.12%	318.1	227.2
Lion Finance	13380.0	+5.19%	15380.0	6908.0
Lincoln Bk Co	110.3	+0.09%	117.9	77.4
LionStock/Motris Prop	194.0	+2.57%	218.2	175.3
Lion Stock Ex	8590.0	-2.24%	10240.0	6884.0
M&L	353.4	+0.57%	387.1	247.0
M&L	390.7	+1.30%	418.3	302.1
Molinos Ind	492.3	-0.24%	589.0	409.9
Mellon Energy	4100.1	-4.36%	4494.7	2843.8
National Grid	1300.5	+0.33%	1428.5	1000.0
NatWest Group	705.6	-1.26%	726.0	500.2
Nest	10325.0	-0.03%	10300.0	11200.0
Pearson	1332.5	-5	1337.0	879.8
Pending Square	3868.5	-0.67%	5090.0	3636.0
Pendomax	1195.5	+2.22%	1052.0	947.4
Polar CapTech	685.0	+1.18%	743.0	364.0
Prudential	1017.5	+0.54%	1238.0	915.2

Company	Price	Chg %	High	Low
Reddit Ben	5140.0	+0.04%	6522.9	3664.0
RSLX	2491.0	-1.97%	3034.0	1991.0
Reeland Initial	351.4	-2.36%	507.0	329.6
Rio Tinto	7188.0	-4.77%	9117.0	4436.5
Rolls-Royce	3525.0	-1.36%	3580.0	990.0
Salmbury(2)	344.9	+2.07%	380.3	292.3
Schroders	666.0	+0.17%	1069.5	358.6
Scot short Inv Tot	1445.0	+1.66%	1563.0	1015.7
Sagro	367.6	+1.11%	367.6	603.0
Severn Trust	3104.0	-0.06%	3595.0	2381.0
Shell	3288.0	-1.04%	3758.0	2051.8
SmithKingsh	1105.5	+1.10%	1641.5	1050.0
SmithK Up	2612.0	-1.32%	2754.2	2088.0
Spitrac Group	7135.0	-1.11%	8050.0	5950.0
S&S	2431.0	-5	2767.5	1347.0
Stan Chart	1223.0	-0.09%	1379.0	1245.0
Standard Life	925.5	+0.71%	948.5	615.0
St. James's Place	1193.0	+0.05%	1577.0	1038.8
Tecro	480.7	+1.81%	510.4	411.1
The Sage Gra	1015.0	-0.49%	1185.0	775.7
Triton Big Ben	300.7	-0.52%	379.0	132.2
Unilever	4628.5	+1.27%	5542.1	3644.0
United Utilities	1423.0	-0.49%	1497.0	1072.0
Weldstone	120.2	+0.67%	131.1	83.4
Whip Group	3982.0	-3.62%	3980.0	2254.0
Whitehouse	2505.0	+1.05%	3302.0	2098.0

www.illinois.com/data For enquiries call +44 (0)20 7825 8300

Markets

FTSE 100	10772.67	-0.56%
FTSE 250	24837.7	+0.09%
FTSE All Share	5815.3	-0.48%
FTSE Eurofirst300	2634.8	-0.05%
Dow Jones*	53722.3	-0.09%
S&P 500*	7789.9	+0.53%
Nasdaq*	26745.56	+0.50%
DAX	26299.7	-0.12%
CAC 40	8650.6	-0.28%
Hong Sone	25396.5	-0.17%
Nikkei	68308.6	+1.16%

€1.1699

$1.06

EDRO/POUND

$1.3495

-0.11e

DOLLAR/POUND

$4.6655

-$32.00

GOLD

Per tinsy ounce. London pm 8e

$88.30 -$0.40

OIL

Brent crude per barrel.

PROPERTY

Canary Wharf in SocGen office sale

Canary Wharf Group has sold its Société Générale building at 1-5 Bank Street for £625m to its backing investors, Brookfield Corporation and the Qatar Investment Authority. The offices also hosted the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The sale cleared £450m in debt for the group.

MINING

Bailout saves Rio Tinto smelter

The Australian and New South Wales governments have unveiled a A82.5bn (£1.8bn) taxpayer bailout to rescue Rio Tinto's Tomago Aluminium smelter from closure. Under the 10-year power agreement, the country's largest energy user will transition to 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2001, with Rio Tinto investing A81.1bn to decarbonise the facility.

MEDIA

Neville scores with Disney+ deal

Disney+ has secured streaming rights to Gary Neville's sports media brand, The Overlap. It will broadcast 40 episodes of Stick to Football and 50 episodes of a new spin-off show, Stick to United with Wayne Rooney, co-hosted by creator Mark Goldbridge. While remaining on YouTube, it will offer exclusive Disney+ subscriber content.

OIL & GAS

Operators told to shut wells sooner

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has ordered oil and gas producers to accelerate well closures to prevent soaring coats. There is a backlog of 500 inactive wells with 1,000 more set to close by 2011, NSTA said. Earlier this year EuQuest was fined £16.5m for failing to decommission 33 inactive wells before a deadline.

TECHNOLOGY

Anthropic listing may break record

Anthropic investors are betting on the AI startup to float at a 82trn (£1.48trn) valuation at its initial public offering in New York in October, surpassing SpaceX as the largest ever completed. Driven by skyrocketing demand for its Claude models, annualised revenue is projected to eclipse 8100bn (£750m) this year.

AVIATION

Shareholders lose rights at easy Jet

Easy Jet shareholders will have fewer rights under the airline's new owners Apollo following its £5.7bn takeover. Filings reveal that investors will be stripped of voting power and barred from governance if they move their holdings into the new private vehicle. They also face potential stake seizures through "compulsory transfers" and are unlikely to receive dividends.

FINTECH

Revolut banks on airport lounges

Revolut is expanding into physical travel hospitality by launching its own network of premium airport lounges across Europe. Partnering with Plaza Premium Group, the fintech will open its first branded lounge at Copenhagen Airport next year. It already offers access to more than 1,600 airport lounges globally.

JEWELLERY

Spending shift suits Swarovski

Swarovski chief executive Alexis Nasard has hailed an "endearing and encouraging" shift in luxury consumer habits with more women buying their own diamonds. The trend, which Nasard puts down to popular, cheaper, lab-grown stones, has led to women buying gems for themselves rather than receiving them as a gift.

the markets

The FTSE 100 closed yesterday down 60.18 points, or 0.56 per cent, at 10.772.67. The biggest risers were Lion Finance, up 66bp at 13.38bp, and British American Tobacco, up 11bp at 2.28bp. The biggest fallers were miners

Antofagasta, down 2730 at 3.756p, and Rio Tinto, down 35bp at 7.166p. In France, the CAC40 fell by 0.28 per cent, while the DAX ended 0.12 per cent lower in Germany. The price of Brent crude oil fell to $88.30 a barrel.

***

The pound fell against both the dollar and euro, down by 0.11 cents to be worth $1.3695, and by 0.06 cents to be worth €1.1699, at the close of trading in London.

---

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---

48

Weath

Today's Weather

Sunny in the south and east with clear skies. Cloudy in the north and west with some rain in the Northern Isles. Warm temperatures in the south-east.

Today's high

330°

Today's low

130°

Mean Phase

0

Sunrise

0544

Sunset

2025

Around Britain

City	Temp. (per min max)		Rain (min)	Sun (min)
Aberdeen	23	C	1.0	10.5
Aberporth	23	S	0.0	14.2
Aberystwyth	23	S	0.0	14.1
Ancenure	24	C	2.1	8.8
Balliard	25	C	0.1	9.5
Birmingham	24	S	0.0	14.3
Beartrenshalt	27	S	0.0	14.4
Bridlington	25	S	0.0	14.2
Bristol	24	S	0.0	14.1
Cardiff	31	S	0.0	14.4
Cromer	27	S	0.6	15.2
Dunham	32	S	0.0	12.2
Eastbourne	28	S	0.0	15.2
Edinburgh	26	C	0.5	10.0
Edinburner	24	C	0.1	10.3
Glasgow	24	C	1.5	7.3
Hillphead	19	C	0.0	12.8
Hope	28	S	0.0	15.2
Hull	33	S	0.0	14.7
Huntingdon	34	S	0.0	15.2
Ipswich	31	S	0.0	15.3
Isle of Man	23	C	0.0	11.7
Isle of Night	30	S	0.0	14.8
Kintchhave	22	R	4.3	2.0
Kirkwall	19	C	1.1	5.9
Leeds	33	S	0.0	13.5
Lorwick	17	SH	1.0	3.4
Lovetare	27	C	0.2	10.5
Lincoln	32	S	0.0	15.0
Liverpool	28	S	0.0	13.6
London	33	S	0.0	15.4
Manchester	33	S	0.0	12.2
Margate	26	S	0.2	15.4
Midland Haven	27	C	0.0	14.7
Morecambe	25	S	0.0	14.3
Newcastle	33	C	0.0	11.5
Norwich	32	S	0.0	15.3
Nottingham	34	S	0.0	15.0
Stedempton	28	S	0.0	15.0
Oxford	31	S	0.0	15.2
Plymouth	29	S	0.0	15.0
Portland	24	S	0.0	14.6
Portsmouth	30	S	0.0	15.0
Prestwick	22	C	1.5	8.8
Rhyl	24	S	0.0	14.1
Sheffield	32	S	0.0	14.3
Shrewsbury	33	S	0.0	14.1
Sheppert	26	S	4.2	15.2
Southend	29	S	0.0	15.3
Stoke	33	S	0.0	14.3
Storrsway	28	R	2.7	1.6
Swansea	26	C	0.0	14.5
Trine	16	R	6.1	1.1

Global

City	Temp. Cond. (in °C)		City	Temp. Cond. (in °C)
Abu Dhabi	44	S	Miami	34	F
Abaza	35	TH	Miami	33	S
Alacanta	35	S	Missouri	14	SH
Amsterdam	31	S	Montreal	22	TH
Athens	32	S	Munich	28	S
Bangkok	33	TH	New York	28	S
Barcelona	33	S	Nice	32	S
Beijing	30	S	Palma	27	S
Berlin	26	S	Paris	34	S
Bryavala	31	S	Prague	25	S
Budapest	28	S	Budapest	14	C
Chicago	24	C	Río	22	C
Delhi	35	S	Rome	35	S
Dakar	40	S	Stockholm	24	F
Dublin	24	C	Strasbourg	32	S
Frankfurt	20	S	Sydney	18	S
Geneva	32	S	Toronto	27	F
Helsinki	18	F	Tokyo	27	TH
Hong Kong	32	F	Toronto	25	C
Istanbul	30	S	Vancouver	21	S
Johannesburg	31	C	Visalia	26	S
Lisbon	28	S	Warsaw	22	S
Los Angeles	24	C	Washington	29	S
Nashville	35	S	Wellington	14	R

Key: C=Cloudy, SH=Shroda

Fuller: FS=Fig. Harlan, M=Mat. Fullam,

S=Sunny, SH=Showers, SL=Slatt, SN=Snow.

SS=Sandstone, TH=Thunderstorm.

Air Pollution

Index

Air pollution levels

rate @ Very high/50

air-air deftu gas sk

Region	Today	Tomorrow
Highlands	1	1
North East Scotland	2	2
Central Scotland	2	2
Scottish Borders	2	2
Northern Ireland	2	1
North West & Hersey	3	1
North East	3	2
Yorkshire & Humber	4	2
North Wales	2	2
West Midlands	3	2
East Midlands	4	2
South Wales	3	2
South West	3	2
South East	3	3
Eastern	4	3
Greater London	3	2

GENERAL SITUATION An area of low pressure will influence the UK today with rain affecting north-west and north-east Scotland, south-west and south-east Scotland, Northern Isles, Western Isles, Northern Ireland, north-east England, Midlands, north Wales and Republic of Ireland. Cloudy across north-west England, south-west England, south Wales and Isle of Man. Clear and sunshine for East Anglia, London, south-east England and Channel Islands. London, SE Eng, East Anglia, Channel Is. The morning is forecast to begin with clear skies and plenty of sunshine across much of the

region. As the day progresses into the afternoon, temperatures will rise, bringing a warm feel in the most northern parts. By evening, there will be light north-westerly winds and a chance of a brief shower. Max temp: 34°C. Tonight, clear skies. Min temp: 16°C. Cen S England, SW England, Midlands, S Wales, N Wales. The morning is expected to begin cloudy with most areas staying dry into the afternoon, temperatures will be warm, especially in the Midlands, but remain cooler in the most northern parts. By evening, there is a threat of light showers in some northern areas with gentle north-west winds throughout. Max

temp: 29°C. Tonight, light rain, breezy. Min temp: 16°C. SE Scotland, NE Eng, E Eng. The morning is expected to begin mostly cloudy with some sunny spells breaking through. This pattern will persist into the afternoon. By early evening, the cloud cover will remain, but there is a threat of light rain in the most northern parts. Temperatures will be mild, with gentle westerly winds. Max temp: 32°C. Tonight, cloudy, light rain. Min temp: 13°C. NW Eng, SW Scotland, N Ireland, Republic of Ireland, IoM. The day is set to start mostly cloudy with a few sunny intervals, particularly in the most northern parts. By afternoon,

cloud cover thickens with a threat of light rain through the day, especially in the most western areas. Temperatures will be mild, with a gentle westerly breeze throughout the day. Max temp: 22°C. Tonight, light rain, breezy. Min temp: 13°C. NW Scotland, NE Scotland, N' Isles, N' Isles. The morning begins cloudy across much of the north with cool temperatures. As the day progresses, expect the cloud to linger, with some sunny spells in the south-west. Rain showers are likely in the far north through the afternoon. Winds will be gentle, picking up slightly in the west by evening. Max temp: 20°C. Tonight, cloudy, light rain. Min temp: 13°C.

Key:

3024

Isoborn air pressure

in millions

▲

Warm front

▲

Cold front

▲

Ccluded front

SYNOPTIC PRESSURE A low-pressure system centred over the Northern Isles influences the UK with rain across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north-east. A prevailing high pressure band over Northern Ireland extends eastward, gradually improving conditions in the Midlands and Wales. Clear skies in the south-east as the weather clears from the west

HIGHS AND LOWS

(Wednesday, up to 11pm)

Warmest: Ross-On-Wye. Herefordshire, 36°C

Coldest: South Newington. Oxfordshire, 8°C

Wettest: St Cumbrae Milport: Scotland, 4,000m

Sunniest: Marston, Kent. 13,0hrs

HOURS OF DARKNESS

Aberdeen	28.53-05.35
Birmingham	24.34-05.58
Bristol	20.34-05.55
Cardiff	20.37-05.57
Glasgow	20.55-05.48
Hull	20.32-05.39
Inverness	21.02-05.39
Liverpool	20.42-05.53
London	20.25-05.46
Manchester	20.39-05.48
Stornoway	21.14-05.47
Swansea	20.60-06.00
York	20.36-05.42

Five-day outlook

SATURDAY Mostly cloudy with sunny spells across the UK, with possible rain showers in north-west regions, fair and sunny in southern areas.

SUNDAY Mostly cloudy with some sunny spells across southern regions showers possible in western areas. Cool temperatures throughout the day.

MONDAY Rain dominates northern and western areas, while southern and eastern regions experience mostly cloudy skies with some sunny spells.

TUESDAY Rain in northern and western areas, with occasional showers and mostly cloudy skies and sunny spells in southern and eastern regions.

WEDNESDAY Potential rain showers in the north and west, mostly cloudy with sunny spells in eastern and southern regions, with light winds.

---

WEST 2-25

ORLANDO 16-22

TX 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

FEBRUARY 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

49

The Sport Matrix

The day's action at a glance

SNOOKER

Robertson 'might as well' go for the world No 1 spot

CRICKET

Ponting: Skittled Aussies need younger blood

BOXING

Warren hints Fury-Joshua may not happen

Rory McIlroy made a run of costly late bogeys as he slipped

to a four-over par opening round at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis. The Northern Irishman (right) had been aiming to rebuild some momentum heading into the PGA Tour play-offs, following a run of disappointing results after his successful defence of his Masters title in April. McIlroy, currently 12th in the FedExCup standings, was in a marquee pairing at TFC Southwind alongside world No 1 Scottie Scheffler on his return to the event he skipped last year.

Neil Robertson closed out a confident 6-2 win over St Jiahui to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open

and stay on course for a return to becoming world No 1.

The Australian (above) - who could surpass Judd Trump at the top of the standings later this month should he go on to win the tournament in Taiyuan - made breaks of 89, 102 and then 79 to take the match away from Si.

"In the last two years I have been very consistent and won some big titles, so it has put me in this position where I could get to No 1. If I am in the hunt I might as well go for it," Robertson said in a quote on the World Snooker Tour website.

Ricky Ponting has questioned Australia's selectors after they were skittled for 198 in the first Test against

Bangladesh in Darwin.

Cameron Green is the only member of the XI under the age of 30 and former captain Ponting (above) feels the selectors have missed a trick by not blooding younger players, with a series against South Africa in October.

"The time was right now to blood a couple of youngsters into these two Test matches," Ponting said. "So they decided not to do that.

"But my worry is, when do they do that? Are you going to debut these guys in South Africa against [Kagiso] Rahada and [Marco] Jansen and Co?"

Frank Warren has suggested Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua's heavyweight showdown

could be postponed if there is no agreement on a venue.

The promoter (above) remains confident that the eagerly-anticipated "Battle of Britain" will go ahead in November.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said this week they would not have signed the contract if the fight was in America and there has to be a "discussion around that".

Responding to Hearn, Warren told Box Nation: "They're either going to agree to it or not. If they don't agree to it then the fight won't happen."

Puzzle solutions

Dominoes

Journey Finder

Making Tracks

Number Square

Idoku

Kakuro

Wijuko

Binary

ABC Logic

Zygolox

LEFT TO RIGHT: gunk, daisy, sloshed; flowed, drunk, flower; drink, shrink, cower; slurp, cover, burp, lover, slump, lid.

Daily Quiz

1. The Commodores
2. Elephant (in the room)
3. The Battle of the Bulge
4. Mexico

Word Ladder

Sudoku

Jigsawdoku

Number Hexagon

Thursday's Codeword 4584

Word Wheel

NINE-LETTER WORD GRADUATED

OTHER WORDS adage, adder, aged, argued, dare, dared, dart, darted, date, dated, dead, dear, drag, drat, dread, dreg, drudge, drug, duad, dude, duet, dura, egad, gadder, garda, gated, gaud, grad, gradate, gradated, grade, graded, graduate, grated, guard, guarded, raged, rated, read, rudd, rude, rued, tared, trad, trade, traded, tread, trudge, trudged, trued, turd, udder, urged.

Killer Sudoku

Minesweeper

Number Pyramid

Calcudoku

Word Square

Knight's Tour

Pathfinder

Chain Link

Futoshiki

Hexalex

Word Fit

Cells

Battleships

Bridges

Word Search

Five-Clue Cryptic Crossword

Across: 3 5-Erie-5, 4/5 Coastal resort* Down: 1 Br-1st-o(l)ies), 2D-EP-art, 3S-hovel

---

50

SPORT

Football in brief

CELTIC

O'Neill feeling good after hospital stint

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill says he is in good health after undergoing a "small procedure" last week.

O'Neill was absent from Celtic's 5-1 win at Kilmarnock on Sunday but did deliver a pre-match team talk at the players' hotel.

When asked how he was feeling, the former Republic of Ireland manager (above) said: "Much better, than last week anyway. Yeah, a couple of ailments rolled into one, unfortunately, but I'm getting there, which is good news."

O'Neill was delivered another boost after the thumping win when Celtic completed the transfer of Egypt winger Haissem Hassan from Real Oviedo on Wednesday night. The 24-year-old former France youth international impressed in the World Cup after switching allegiances.

ASTON VILLA

McGinn backing Madjo to be a star

John McGinn has backed rookie striker Brian Madjo to play a big part for Aston Villa this season.

The 15-year-old (above) became the youngest Super Cup goalscorer during Villa's 2-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

The 6ft 4in teenager could have had a hat-trick before he volleyed home McGinn's cross to equalise just before half-time.

The January transfer from Metz had to wait eight months for his debut due to a wrangle over Fifa rules on signing under 18s.

"He was absolutely fantastic, such a great physical specimen," said skipper McGinn. "It would have been very easy for him to put his head down after those missed chances, but good strikers get themselves in those positions, and he's going to be a big player for us."

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP

Germany Under-21 international Mika Baur wants to win trophies: CELTIC

Baur's arrival adds to sense of renewal at Celtic

By Ronnie Esplin

Mika Baur signalled his intent to win trophies after joining Celtic from Bundesliga side Paderborn.

The 22-year-old German mid-fielder has joined on a four-year deal with the option of another year and is the latest addition to the Scottish champions, following the arrivals of Camilo Duran, Kasper Hegh, Haissem Hassan and the re-signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right).

The Germany Under-21 international, whose move is subject to international clearance, told Celtic fans he is "ready to go" as he looks to keep Parkhead club on top.

"It's absolutely the right move," Baur told the club's official website. "It's a great club and I've heard incredible things about the fans.

It's a great club and I've heard incredible things about the fans

"Celtic are the champions. I want to win something, and I think I'm in the right place for it.

"I'm in the same agency as [ex-Celtic striker] Nicolas Kühn so I called him and he was so positive. He said, if you have the chance, just do it.

"I've had a good pre-season with good matches and tough training sessions, so I'm ready to go."

Baur began his career with Freiburg before joining Paderborn in 2024, and after spending the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Dynamo Dresden he played his part in Paderborn's return to the German top flight last season.

Manager Martin O'Neill said: "I am delighted that we have been able to bring Mika to Celtic.

"He is a player with some excellent attributes, great technical ability, he will be important in linking our play and he has real versatility too.

"Having spoken to Mika, I can see the appetite he has for the challenges here at Celtic and I am sure he will be another great addition to the squad.

"Mika's club in Germany were very keen to keep him, which I fully understand, as he played such an important role in their Bundesliga promotion, but I am really pleased with the perseverance and commitment we have shown to secure his signing."

ARSENAL

Arteta keeps counsel on Lewis-Skelly rumours

By Robert O'Connor

Mikel Arteta said it is a good sign if clubs are interested in signing Myles Lewis-Skelly but would not confirm whether Arsenal would consider selling the teenager.

The 15-year-old has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea having struggled for a place in the team that won the Premier League last season. Lewis-Skelly signed a long-term deal at the Emirates Stadium last summer but started only five times in the league, though he was in the starting XI that lost the Champions League final on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsenal drew 1-1 with Serie A side Como on Wednesday, their final pre-season friendly before the campaign begins with Sunday's Community Shield against City, with Lewis-Skelly (left) scoring the Gunners' goal and gesturing emphatically while celebrating with vigour in front of his side's fans.

"It is good to score a goal, you should be emotional," said Arteta. "If there is speculation about our players it is a good sign. It means we are attracting interest and doing a good job." "He's had a really good pre-season," Arteta added. "We asked him to play in a different position because he played more as a No 6. We obviously lacked midfielders from international duty. I think he had a really consistent pre-season."

LEAGUE ONE

Leicester City owners looking to sell the club after relegation

By Jim van Wijk

Leicester's owners are seeking to sell the club, according to reports. The Foxes - who won the Premier League title in 2016 - dropped into League One last season having

been docked six points in the Championship for breaching the EFL's profit and sustainability rules. A report by BBC Sport says Leicester have commissioned a leading US investment bank to help find a buyer, with the club's

assets said to be listed at more than £200m. Leicester declined to comment on the reports.

Thai owners King Power, run by the Srivaddhanaprabha family, bought Leicester from Milan Mandaric during 2010 for £35m. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha took over as Leicester chairman following the death of his father Vichai in a helicopter crash outside the stadium in 2019.

Sporton TV

Athletics: European

Championships

BBC One, 10:30am, 8pm

Golf: Danish Championship

Sky Sports Golf, midday

Cricket: SunRisers Leeds v

Southern Brave Women

Sky Sports Cricket, 2pm

Tennis: Cincinnati Open

Sky Sports Tennis, 4pm

Cricket: Manchester Super Giants

v Leeds SunRisers Men

Sky Sports Cricket, 5:30pm

Football: Wolves v Blackburn

Sky Sports Football, 7:15pm

Football: Kilmarnock v Ayr

Premier Sports 1, 7:30pm

Rugby league: Hull v Castleford

Sky Sports Plus, 8pm

Results Service

EUROPEA LEAGUE THIRD QUAIL/FYING ROUND

SECOND LEX

Hearts 01 1 Benfica 01 1

Magnusson 06 Lakobour 73

Agg. p. 1: 51, Benfica won 1-2 on aggregate.

Rangers 01 1 Ingolstuna/Buljestech 01 1

Shankland on 8pm 1 Prison 01

Agg. 1: 1, Ingolstuna/Buljestech won 2-2 on aggregate.

UEFA EUROPE CONFIDENCE LEAGUE THIRD QUAIL/FYING ROUND SECOND LEX

Wolfsplund 01 2 Belvedere 01 2

Agg. 1: 1

Wolfsplund 01 2 HJK 01 0

Agg. 1: 1

Stadionne 01 2 Ajax 01 2

Agg. 1: 1

Strevelde 01 0 Hibernian 01 0

Agg. 1: 1

GOLF

OF WORLD TOUR, DANISH GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP, GREAT NORTHEIM and M. (Lion & Yves) on arenas

Jones v Far 1/2, 6g 1: 10 (H) 1: 1, BR 2: 10 (H) 1: 1, Barmapani (Dent) 6g 1: 1, Gland (Dent) 1: 1, Larkin (M) 1: 1, Wessner (Dent) 1: 1, Larkin (M) 1: 1, Wessner (Dent) 1: 1, Larkin (M) 1: 1, Wessner (Dent) 1: 1, Larkin (M) 1: 1, Wessner (Dent) 1: 1, Larkin (M) 1: 1, Wessner (Dent) 1: 1

SHOOKER

CHINA OPEN, NATIONAL CITY, year end, 2, Chang (Dent) 1: 1, Wessner (Eng) 1: 1, W. (H) 1: 1, King (H) 1: 1, Wilson

(Eng) 1: 1, S. (Eng) 1: 1, King (H) 1: 1, Wilson (H) 1: 1, G. (Dent) 1: 1, B. (Dent) 1: 1, S. (Dent) 1: 1

RUBBY LEAGUE

BETFRED SUPER LEAGUE

Hull 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

Leeds 01 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

TENNIS

ATP & WTA CINCINNATI OPEN, Men's 1st/1st, 1st

Caddellum (Sprint) 1: 1, Imper (D) 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

German (Tut) 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

Katrina Slot 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

TODAY'S FIXTURES

(1) (gpm, unless stated)

FOOTBALL

THE SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP

Wolverhampton - Blackburn 00

PREMIER SPORTS TOP SECOND ROUND

Kirkland (Larkin) 1: 1

PREMIERS

CRICKET

ONE GIFT TOP - QUARTER FINAL (1:1, 1:1)

Larkin (Dent) 1: 1, W. (H) 1: 1, B. (Dent) 1: 1, W. (H) 1: 1, B. (Dent) 1: 1, W. (H) 1: 1, B. (Dent) 1: 1, W. (H) 1: 1, B. (Dent) 1: 1, W. (H) 1: 1, B. (Dent) 1: 1

THE HUNDRED ELIMINATORS (The Fox Club)

TOP TIPS

BEST BET

Efsnteen

(5:23, Newbury)

Has not been seen

since debut at

Newmarket in May

when she sealed a

half-length success.

NEXT BEST

Evenfall

(4:45, Newbury)

Can make it two

from two after debut

win at Yarmouth.

NEWBURY GOOD TO AHEAD

A-1-1 NEWBURY'S HORSE FEEDS BEEF FILLIES' SERVICE STAKES (STB) (CLASS 2) (4/10) (Ex) (min added 1)

1 AL SAMSARA (2) 1 Hughes 0:5 Dautiful 3 2 ANGE, OF DESIRE 1:1 Arash 0:2 W. (H) 1:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

A-4-1 BEVICTOR WATCH WEEKEND WINNERS BEEF FILLIES' CONDITIONS STAKES (CLASS 1) (4/10) (Ex) (min added 1)

1 COAST OF RED (8) 5:8 E. Crockett 5:6 C. (H) 1:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100

BETTING: 0:0 Evenfall, 0:0 Burroughs, 0:0 Spinto (8) (pm), 0:0 others

A-2-1 (NOT MADE AT HIGHER STAKES (FILLIES' LISTED) CLASS 1) (4/10) (Ex) (min added 1)

1 KELLY, MCCLAIR STONE (2:00), 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00, 24:00, 25:00, 26:00, 27:00, 28:00, 29:00, 30:00, 31:00, 32:00, 33:00, 34:00, 35:00, 36:00, 37:00, 38:00, 39:00, 40:00, 41:00, 42:00, 43:00, 44:00, 45:00, 46:00, 47:00, 48:00, 49:00, 50:00, 51:00, 52:00, 53:00, 54:00, 55:00, 56:00, 57:00, 58:00, 59:00, 60:00, 61:00, 62:00, 63:00, 64:00, 65:00, 66:00, 67:00, 68:00, 69:00, 70:00, 71:00, 72:00, 73:00, 74:00, 75:00, 76:00, 77:00, 78:00, 79:00, 80:00, 81:00, 82:00, 83:00, 84:00, 85:00, 86:00, 87:00, 88:00, 89:00, 90:00, 91:00, 92:00, 93:00, 94:00, 95:00, 96:00, 97:00, 98:00, 99:00, 100

BETTING: 0:0 Acting Lady, 0:0 Van Hook, 0:0 Efsnteen, 0:0 others

---

NOV 2-20

OPINION 16-22

TV 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONET 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2026

51

MANCHESTER UNITED

United should think twice before selling the fleet-footed and silky striker, writes Pete Hall

I will die on this hill: there is a real player in Joshua Zirkzee. The Manchester United forward is exactly the type of player who relishes pre-season. With the pressure off, he glides around the pitch like Marty McFly on a hoverboard, revelling in showcasing his full catalogue of fleet-footed skills.

When in pre-season mode, the goals flow. Another fine finish, this time a first-time strike in United's 1-1 draw with Leeds in Dublin, continued Zirkzee's decent run of form as we approach the start of the new Premier League campaign.

In these moments, when he is his true self, United supporters can see what he is capable of. Last season's debut campaign was so stop-start – the club playing fewer games than ever and Zirkzee restricted largely to short cameos – that it was impossible for him to find any real rhythm.

By allowing Zirkzee to leave now – Juventus are lurking with intent – United would be letting go of a skill set nobody else in the squad possesses. Not even captain Bruno Fernandes.

And all the work that has gone into creating this finely balanced

strike force, which again showcased its potent threat at times, could be undone.

In front of a record attendance for a football match in Ireland, Croke Park was bathed in odd mood lighting as the match kicked off. Leeds' defenders looked like they had stared directly at a solar eclipse as United danced in the dark during the opening 20 minutes.

At the heart of the free-flowing football was Zirkzee's silky touch. Whether it was one touch here or a sashay there, what the 25-year-old excels at is bringing others into play with the drop of a shoulder, taking two defenders out of the equation at once.

The reason his incredible skill set leaves him open to a move away from Old Trafford is that, last season, the end product deserted him when he needed it most – during the fleeting opportunities he had to prove himself.

It was often a confidence issue

Regular football can do wonders for the flow of a player who oozes rhythm when on song

– either unwilling to pull the trigger, to a cacophony of groans from around the ground, or unconvincing when he did.

After 13 years in a dizzying spiral of decline, United fans are not patient enough to allow that to happen. Thus, the majority would prefer to sever ties now, while United have the chance.

There is always one figure in every team who benefits most from pre-season. As his teammates enjoyed an extended holiday after the World Cup, Zirkzee has featured in every friendly after being omitted from the Netherlands squad.

It represents his longest run in the United side for some time. Even if the

matches matter little, regular football can do wonders for the flow of a player who oozes rhythm when on song.

Zirkzee is also a well-liked figure in a United dressing room that looks more comfortable in each other's company by the week.

As the celebrations took place after United picked up their second prestigious trophy of the year, the Boyle Sports Cup, to go alongside the Snapdragon title on the mantelpiece, Zirkzee was play-fighting with Kobbie Mainos, who had not even been in the squad.

He enjoys a particularly close bond with Fernandes and Luke Shaw, too. Despite barely featuring in the team, there is something to be said for a player apparently this happy when left on the periphery.

The good vibes are another reason why Zirkzee could still have his uses. Loaning him out again achieves little in a year when the games could start to come thick and fast.

There is a player in there. His pre-season form proves that.

Now he has to do it when it matters.

Carrick: We need more but won't go crazy

By Ian Parker

Michael Carrick has admitted Manchester United still need to strengthen this summer but they will not be splashing the cash on the level of their Premier League rivals.

United have spent around £85m on Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, but after another big summer of spending elsewhere they are the only one of the Premier League's Big Six still never to have broken the £100m mark on a player.

United need to build depth ahead of a return to the Champions League, and their midfield reinforcements come after Casemiro's exit.

"We've done really good business and we've got really some top, top, top players," Carrick said at United's pre-season training camp in the Republic of Ireland. "We're delighted with that. We always want to improve. We want more, we need more, we keep looking for how we can do that. That never stops."

But United are trying to keep pace as Chelsea have spent £117m on Morgan Rogers, cross-city rivals City signed Elliott Anderson for £116m and Tottenham brought in Sandro Tonali in a deal that could rise to £100m.

"Money's money, I get that," Carrick said. "It's still about the football, and that's where the competition lies. Certainly the situation is what it is as well, whether that's finances or whatever. For now, we've got to make the most of it, but we've got to keep pushing and push everything and every boundary that we can to be able to win again."

When asked why United were not spending on the level of other clubs, Carrick added: "I haven't got the answers for that. We're working with pushing everything that we can to make the best of it."

Marcus Rashford is back with United this week after returning from the World Cup. Earlier this summer Barcelona declined their option to buy the England winger following last season's loan, and questions remain over his future despite Carrick talking up his reintegration.

When asked directly if the 28-year-old was for sale, Carrick said: "He's our player, and he's a good player and he gives us something a little bit different in the group."

Michael Carrick's side have still not broken the £100m mark on a player

---

52

SPORT

FIFA

FAI withdraws support for Infantino

■ Continued from back page

next year. Shouldn't we allow that process to continue?"

Motsrepe was in Salzburg to hold talks with Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin amid the crisis that has engulfed Fifa since Infantino's World Cup sell-off plans were made public.

"I've heard so many stories about

various issues and am careful to pass judgement on anything," Motsrepe said. "Everybody has a right to be heard. Let's have a hearing, and a proper forum, a proceeding, a court, or whatever it is, or a tribunal...everybody is entitled to fair judgement, to fair treatment."

Motsrepe said CAF had consulted lawyers and claimed there was no

breach of rules over the secret World Cup sell-off talks, because the proposals would be submitted to members for final approval.

"There's a lot that's problematic and negative that they have to fix," Motsrepe said. "But he has apologised and said maybe there's a different way these things should have been done, but we also take advice."

The Football Association of Ireland, meanwhile, has become the latest Fifa member to withdraw its support for Infantino to be re-elected.

"The Association is grateful for the support that Fifa provides to Irish football, but recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and

the lack of meaningful consultation," a statement read.

The Irish Football Association in Northern Ireland said: "We take our responsibilities as a member association of both Uefa and Fifa seriously.

"We support the current Uefa position on the matter and will continue to engage constructively on issues relating to football governance."

EUROPA LEAGUE

McInnes tenure goes from bad to worse as Rangers dumped out

RANGERS Shankland pen sp

JAGIELLONIA BIALYSTOK Prelec 66 Jagiellonia with 3-2 on aggregate.

By Bonnie Esplin AT IBROK

Derek McInnes's fledgling tenure as Rangers boss is in disarray after the Light Blues exited the Europa League qualifiers at the hands of Jagiellonia Bialystok.

The Light Blues had lost 2-1 in the first leg in Poland last week but there was optimism when captain Lawrence Shankland levelled the tie on aggregate with a penalty on 19 minutes.

However, the visitors deservedly equalised on the night in the 65th minute through Nik Prelec and the disjointed home side could not get a foothold in the game again, with the boss ringing out around the ground at full-time from fans frustrated at the calamitous start to the season.

The new Gers boss has failed to register a win in four competitive matches since moving from Hearts in the summer and the dispiriting performance means Rangers will take on Jablonec, from the Czech Republic, in the Conference League play-off round.

Rangers went into the game in a fragile state, despite nine new summer signings. Striker Youssef Cher-

miti – reportedly subject to a failed bid from Galatasaray for a club record fee of £22m – will be out for long spell with an ACL injury, while left-back Taur Rommens could be out for up to two months with a groin strain.

Bialystok did not show fear at Ibrox. In the 14th minute Jesus Imaz escaped the home defence and crashed a shot off the base of the post and seconds later poked a headed pass from Rodrigo Conceicao straight at Gers keeper Ivor Pandur.

Then Rangers made the break-through after former Celtic centre-half Yuki Kobayashi handled in the box and Shankland fired down the middle his first Rangers goal.

The visitors were a constant threat, though, Pandur made a fine save from Imaz's drive from the edge of the box and Prelec slid in to knock a pass from Rodrigo Conceicao past the post from 12 yards.

Pelec made no mistake a little later when he powered home a header at the back post to the groans of Ibrox, and as the minutes ticked down the Polish side looked the more likely side to score again.

Ibrahim Said's double ensured Motherwell progressed to a Conference League play-off round clash with Freiburg by beating HJK Helsinki 2-0 at Fir Park, 3-1 on aggregate. Hibernian also saw off Shkerdija.

Rangers players trudge off the pitch after their exit at Ibrox last night REUTERS

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FOOTBALL IS BACK, WITH 1500

Sky Sports is the home of domestic club football in the UK & Ireland and will broadcast over 1,500 live matches across the Premier League, WSL, EFL and Scottish Premiership this season.

In the Premier League alone, Sky Sports will show at least 215 live matches. It gets first pick of matches each week and will continue to show multiple games at 2pm on Sundays across multiple weekends, promising headline fixtures throughout the season.

The Premier League kicks off a week later than the 25/26 season to help players recover following the 2026 World Cup. Defending champions Arsenal will kick off the 2026/27 Premier League season at home to Coventry on Friday 21 August, live on Sky Sports. The curtain-raiser will see Mikel Artala's Dunners – fresh from celebrating their first title triumph in 22 years – play host to Frank Lampard's Championship winners in an 8pm kick-off at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal then face tricky tests at Aston Villa and home to Xabi Alonso's Chelsea in their next two fixtures.

There will be six Premier League games live on Sky Sports across the opening round, including Andoni Iraola's first match in charge of Liverpool. The Reds go to Newcastle on Sunday 23

August in a 4.33pm kick-off. Liverpool then have showdowns with Man City and Arsenal in October before taking on rivals Manchester United and Everton back-to-back in November.

London derbies Brentford vs Spurs (Saturday 22 August, 5.30pm) and Fulham vs Chelsea (Monday 24 August, 8pm) are also among the highlights of the opening round of fixtures, all live on Sky Sports.

Spurs fans – who have seen their side finish 17th in the past two seasons – will also have a hard end to the campaign in the back of their minds. Their final five matches include a trip to Arsenal (Saturday 1 May), home games against Chelsea (Saturday 8 May) and Manchester United (Sunday 23 May), with their final match of the season at Aston Villa on Sunday 30 May.

Man City's new era without Pep Guardiola begins at the Etihad Stadium against Bournemouth at 2pm on Sunday 23 August. However, their first meetings with last season's top five are all away from home.

Championship play-off winners Hull City welcome Manchester United to the MKM Stadium on their Premier League return at 12.30pm on Saturday 22 August, while fellow promoted side Ipswich begin at Portman Road with Sunderland

at 3pm. Everton vs Conference League winners Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest vs Leeds are scheduled as 3pm kick-offs on Saturday 22 August, with Brighton vs Europa League holders Aston Villa on Sunday 23 August at 2pm, live on Sky Sports.

With more live games, broader access and greater flexibility, Sky Sports is positioning the 2026/27 season as a year of non-stop football.

Over Christmas and the New Year, clubs will have at least a 60-hour break between fixtures. This is in keeping with commitments made to clubs to address the congested hedon schedule within the expanded international calendar.

There will also be a fuller schedule of Premier League fixtures on Boxing Day this season.

With the season concluding on Sunday 30 May, all 10 Premier League fixtures will kick off simultaneously. Every fixture from the decisive final day will be shown live, setting up

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WEST 2-20

ORINON 11-22

TH 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPOKIT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2025

53

MANCHESTER CITY

'This club means so much to me' – Doku signs on for five more years

By Ian Parker

Jérémy Doku has signed a new five-year contract to stay at Manchester City until the summer of 2031.

The 24-year-old winger has established himself as a key part of City's attack since joining from Rennes in the summer of 2023, and said it was an easy decision to commit his future to the club as they start a new era under Enzo Maresca.

"I have loved my time at City so far, so to have the opportunity to stay for longer is a fantastic feeling," said

Doku. "This club means so much to me – I have developed as both a player and a person. I feel settled here, and I know I am improving every day because of the work the staff here do.

"It's hard to explain just how much this club does to help players. I don't take it for granted and it makes me better. With Enzo here now I am really excited about the new season. His style of football is the kind we love, so that's exciting for the players.

"The City fans are also a huge reason I have signed this new contract. I feel their love and support, and it means the world to me. I want to focus on bringing them the success they deserve."

Meanwhile City have declined to comment on reports they have rejected a fresh £55m bid from Barcelona for Spain midfielder Rodri.

Spanish champions Barcelona were expected to make an improved offer after City last week rebuffed an opening bid of £38.5m for the 30-year-old 2024 Bullon d'Or winner, who has moved into the final season of his City contract.

Rodri has also been the subject of interest from Barça's LaLiga rivals Real Madrid, but it is understood City are not interested in selling unless the bidding reaches around €90m (£68.5m).

Speaking after City's 3-1 friendly win over Atletico Madrid in Seoul on

Jérémy Doku has been a hit for City since signing from Rennes in 2023

Sunday, Maresca had said Rodri was expected back at the club today.

It is understood that City are in talks with Saudi Arabian club Al Qadisah about the possible sale of Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.

The 28-year-old Reijnders, who joined from AC Milan last summer, could fetch a fee of around £51m after a single campaign in Manchester, during which he scored seven goals and registered eight assists across 50 appearances.

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MATCHES LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

a potentially dramatic finish one week before the 2027 Champions League final.

The Scottish Premiership has almost the time. All six matches across the weekend were shown live, with up to 1.5m set to be on Sky Sports across the season. The curtain-roove saw Ravelina a 1-1 draw by Dundee United in Decca's final league match in charge, while the wins for Craig McLeish's St Mirren against last season's runners-up have promoted St Johnstone and Mourn's Conference League entrance to the opening weekend.

The league looks more of the following the dramatic finish one week. Callis' triumph over chasing season.

Celtic and Rangers will be the Old Firm match of the season. September, live on Sky Sports Park. The sides will go home on Saturday 2 June, pre-split meeting back at 27. February. Across the Edinburgh derby will be the on Wednesday 2 September.

Hearts. In the EFL, Sky Sports continues to bring fans closer to their team with a huge amount of time to coverage this year. More than 1,000 of the team matches across the league, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy will be available on Sky Sports. The clubs will be shown live more than 20 times this season. That means the season won't just show the promotion hopefuls and former Premier League names; you'll be able to choose to follow every club's story across the Championship, League One and League Two.

September's EFL selections show the range of promise. Stoke City face Norwich City, a very need McGleabough in midweek. The top fixtures... Birmingham City, Wolves, Birkfield United's 2nd and Wolves, Sparal Real Bronx and the top two clubs and regular playoffs in the club.

on offer and so many storylines to follow on Sky Sports.

On top of all that, every match from the Carabao Cup and Vertu Trophy will continue to be available on Sky Sports this season. Manchester City will set out to defend their crown in the Carabao Cup after their 2-0 victory in last year's final. Meanwhile, it was Luton Town who emerged victorious in the Vertu Trophy with their triumph over Stockport County.

Sky Bet EFL fixtures will be broadcast on either a main Sky Sports channel or Sky Sports+, with all television stations they available on streaming service.

Women's football coverage will equal an average of 1.5m. The Sports is a 4x4.5m. The club is a 1.5m. The club is a 1.5m. The club is a 1.5m.

PLANET FOOTBALL

CHELSEA

Hard deadline set on Fernandez

Chelsea have set a deadline of 5pm today for clubs to bid for Enzo Fernandez, after which no offers will be considered.

The midfielder (right) told the club at the end of May that he wished to leave, with Chelsea placing a £120m price tag on him; however, there have been no concrete bids in the two months since.

Real Madrid, whom Fernandez was linked to last season, said in July they were not interested,

since when Manchester City have emerged as a possible destination – though City do not want to pay £120m.

City are managed by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who Fernandez had a strong relationship with during their 18 months together. There is frustration at Stamford Bridge with the way the story has played out in the media, with one source calling the matter a 'circus'.

ABERDEEN

Rebuild continues as duo depart Dons

Aberdeen's summer rebuild has continued with the departures of Dimitar Mitov and

Kjartan Kjartansson.

Manager Stephen Robinson described Mitov's move to St Pauli as a sensible deal for the club while 20-year-old Kjartansson has been allowed to leave for Norwegian side Brann.

Bulgaria goalkeeper Mitov (above) spent two years at Pittodrie. Iceland Under-21 midfielder Kjartansson arrived from Stjarnan last summer but only made four starts.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

De Zerbi hosts a legendary day

Roberto De Zerbi (left) hosted a collection of Spurs greats and put on lunch for them at

the training ground yesterday. Graham Roberts played a key role in Uefa Cup success in 1984 and was also involved in two FA Cup wins for Spurs during the early 80's. He revealed on X that a group of the club greats had experienced an 'absolutely amazing day' at Hotspur Way.

"Just back from the training ground with all our legends," Roberts said. "Our manager is fantastic mixing with us."

ports

Fletcher League

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SPORT

ATHLETICS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Hunt proves her greatness with double sprint gold

By Paul Martin IN SHAMROCKAN

Britain's new golden girl Amy Hunt completed a European sprint double with a stunning 200m triumph at Alexander Stadium last night.

The 24-year-old is seeking a historic four golds this week and is now halfway there after blitzing the field in 22.19sec.

Dina Asher-Smith was the last sprinter to double up at this competition eight years ago but could only manage bronze on this occasion.

Asher-Smith got the better start but Hunt surpassed her on the home straight as the domestic duel lived up to expectations.

"The 100 is the hardest mentally and the 200 is the hardest physically."

Hunt told the BBC afterwards. "I've had a lot of health things going on this year, some really low blood pressure, and the 200s have been really scary.

"I just had to go into that one, get on the bend and be really brave. It was an amazing race."

The British pair finished either side of Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke, who won silver in a 22.28 national record.

Asher-Smith has now won nine European medals, putting her one shy of the all-time record.

Ireland's Mark English (right) earned a big slice of Irish history as he became his country's first outdoor European champion in the men's 800m.

The 33-year-old, who broke the

Championship record in the semi-finals, took control down the home straight and crossed in 1:45.26.

Ben Pattison finished sixth, while the luckless Max Burgin withdrew before the final after picking up an injury in the warm-up.

Zharnel Hughes believes he can continue Britain's continental sprinting dominance in tonight's men's 200m final.

The 31-year-old won European gold over this distance in 2022 and cruised to victory in his semi-final in 20.05.

Hughes had several opportunities to look at the clock as he eased up towards the line, crossing four-hundredths of a second clear

of defending champion Timothé Mumenthaler.

He is the only man in the field with a sub-20 time under his belt in the past and feels back to his best after injury saw him exit the Commonwealth Games at the semi-final stage.

"It was well executed and I did exactly what I was told to do," he said.

"It was fun, Commonwealths are behind me. I got a cramp in my left adductor but I have recovered. I'm here to run and I'm here to compete at my highest."

Keely Hodgkinson kept her bid for a European hat-trick on track on a dramatic afternoon which saw

Amy Hunt crosses the line to win 200m gold in Birmingham GETTY

her main rival Audrey Werro take a tumble - before being reinstated for the final.

Hodgkinson won the second semi-final in 1:57.38, holding off Femke Broeders-Bol to safely advance to one of the most eagerly awaited events of the week tonight.

It was a far more serene race than the opening semi, which was dominated by Werro before she hit the deck on the final bend.

Werro picked herself up to stumble over the finish line and a successful appeal means the 22-year-old, who holds this year's world lead, will also be on the start line.

Hodgkinson was relieved to avoid the chaos and said: "You can't worry about what happened to other people, but I hope she's ok.

"The excitement makes me excited. I love a good challenge and I hope for a clean race with no falling over and no wind."

Scot Jemma Reekie took advantage of Werro's slip to cross the line first and advance in 1:58.61.

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NEWS 2-25

OPINION 18-22

TV 26-31

FRIDAY 37-43

MONDAY 44-48

SPORT 49-56

FRIDAY 14 AUGUST 2025

55

Athletics chiefs under fire for expensive tickets and empty seats

Cathal Dennehy is told competitors have been failed by organisers

Olympian and TV commentator Martin Gillingham has slammed the organisers of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, saying they got the ticket pricing “horribly wrong” and have failed athletes due to poor attendance.

The action at Alexander Stadium has often seen athletes run, jump and throw in front of half-empty stands and Gillingham, who is working on the event for TNT Sports, believes British Athletics chiefs have got it badly wrong.

“They’ve so far blown it,” he said. “Unfortunately, British Athletics has got a habit of letting down its athletes. It seems as if someone has very badly miscalculated.

“There’s nothing better for an Amy Hunt or Keely Hodgkinson to arrive at a home event in a largely full stadium to be cheered on by a home crowd. It shouldn’t be beyond the sport to create a pricing model for an event like this – the first time Britain has ever hosted the Europeans – and to have a full house for every evening session.”

Organisers said 13,623 fans were in attendance on Monday evening as Great Britain’s Amy Hunt claimed 100m gold, far below the stadium’s 23,000 capacity, while

14,098 attended last night’s session.

A Birmingham 2026 spokesperson said they were “delighted” with ticket sales and highlighted that the weekend evening sessions are “approaching sell-out”, with other sessions close to capacity.

“I suspect the attendances will be much better at the weekend but you could argue the damage has been done,” said Gillingham. “Having a seven-day event, you’ve got to get it right from day one to create a lasting, positive impression. In that respect, the sport has failed.”

Earlier in the week, Category A tickets in the main stand were priced at £110 with Category B tickets £90, while Category A tickets later in the week cost £150. Some of the cheaper tickets in the Category C and D categories have actually been the hardest to shift, and many have pointed to a lack of promotion around the city to help connect with more casual fans.

The timing is unfortunate for those behind the bid to bring the 2029 World Championships to London, with the final presentation set to be made to World Athletics tomorrow. Organisers stressed that half of tickets across the seven-day event had been priced at £30 and lower, with some adult tickets starting at £10.

Decathletes run the 50cm in front of a swaths of empty seats GETTY

“There are still opportunities to be part of the Championships at incredibly good value,” they said, highlighting that the “Mondo” £6.31 children’s ticket for Friday morning – named in honour of Mondo Duplantis’s pole vault world record – allowed a family of four to attend for just £30.

But one couple from the area, who have been attending major championships for over 30 years, said there was a noticeable rise in ticket prices in Birmingham compared to recent editions.

“The tickets are too expensive and that’s why you’ve got half-empty stands, unfortunately,” said Phillip Harris, who was attending with his wife, brother and young daughter. “If you want full stands, you’ve got to have cheap tickets.”

Harris noted how in 2023, his brother had a very different experience attending the World Championships in Budapest. “It was £10 to £15 a ticket and it was full,” he said. “If the rest of the world is looking on and they see empty stands, it just doesn’t look

A big day out

Based on a family of four at the European Athletics Championships this weekend

Category A tickets (no junior concessions offered)	£500
Park and ride	£22.50
Four bratwurst dogs	£60
Two coffees and two soft drinks	£14.30
Sweets to share	£4.40

Total

£701.20

good. Some tickets were £150. For a family of four, that’s £600. Nobody is paying that.”

Harris paid £60 for each ticket for Wednesday’s night session and given the absence of parking around the stadium, he utilised the park-and-ride scheme, which cost £22.50. Another fan said he rented a parking space for the week in a residential area a 10-minute walk from the stadium, which cost £211.

Former Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore wrote on X that the pricing was “tone-deaf”, adding: “Weather is amazing and the sport needs as many eyeballs as possible so kids for a quill! £150/ £100/ £70 for the 3 categories at the weekend is aimed at who? Not families and kids who may want to be athletes!”

Gillingham believes the seven-day schedule is too long given the number of events, with finals spread too thinly across the week. He also pointed to a “ludicrous” system implemented by European Athletics that allows the top 12 athletes by ranking to bypass the heats in sprint events, meaning many star names have been absent from morning sessions.

“That’s fundamentally unfair too for the sport, along with not being good for spectators,” he said. “It’s bonkers if you want to make something attractive for British families in particular who want to cheer on a British vest. The principle is also fundamentally wrong and unfair. The sport is letting the athletes down.”

KJT digs deep into her past before chasing Euro glory

By Paul Martin

Katarina Johnson-Thompson warmed up for her first heptathlon of 2026 by appearing on Who Do You Think You Are?

By tomorrow night, she will hope to answer that question with two simple words – European champion.

Johnson-Thompson, who travelled to Miami and the Bahamas as part of her trail through her family tree on the BBC show, has been hit by injuries since winning World Championship bronze in Tokyo last September.

The Liverpudlian, 33, has competed just once this year, in the shot put at the Loughborough International in May, but begins her bid for a maiden European title this morning.

Most recently, she pulled out of her bid for a Commonwealth Games hat-trick in Glasgow after “not being able to get back to the level” needed to give a true account of herself.

“Missing a championship is never easy, but I know it’s the right decision,” she said.

This was the event Johnson-Thompson had in mind when she opted against heading north of the border as she plots to fill a gap on her CV. She won silver in Berlin eight years ago but has not returned to the European podium since.

Johnson-Thompson withdrew after three events in Rome last time out with a “small niggle” in her right leg and though she has two continental indoor golds to her name in pentathlon, an outdoor triumph on this stage has so far proved elusive.

The absence of Nafosatou Thiam, the Belgian who has won the last three Olympic and European titles but has a hamstring injury, has left the door ajar for the chasing pack.

Switzerland’s Annik Kälin begins as the front-runner having recorded the highest two scores of the year so

Katerina Johnson-Thompson won bronze in Tokyo last September GETTY

far, while Johnson-Thompson also faces a strong challenge from across the Irish Sea. Kate O’Connor, born

in Newry and raised in Dundalk, won Commonwealth Games gold for Northern Ireland in Glasgow and is

The absence of Thiam, out with injury, has left the door ajar for the chasing pack

now set for her first appearance on the European stage.

“It will be a fun experience doing the European champs for the first time,” she said. “It’s going to be very stiff competition, but the plan was to come [to Glasgow], shake off the rust and show myself that I’m in good shape. It gives me a lot of hope for what I can do.”

Jade O’Dowda, who took silver for England behind O’Connor in Glasgow, is also part of the field. Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB & NI Athletics Team. Find out more at www.novuna.co.uk

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14 AUGUST 2026

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FOOTBALL

Baur's arrival adds to sense of growing Celtic strength

FOOTBALL

'City mean so much to me' - Doku signs for five more years

There's something

about Zirkzee

United should think twice before selling the physical, yet silky, striker, writes Pete Hall

Carrick cash

warning

Boss admits Red Devils need to spend to keep pace with rivals

PS1

CAF boss warns

against coup to oust Infantino

Only a vote will work, insists Motsepe - as Republic of Ireland adds to dissenting voices

By Phil Blanche

African football boss Patrice Motsepe says the position of embattled

president Gianni Infantino can only be decided by Fifa elections.

Uefa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, which

oversees football in the Caribbean, North and Central America, have accused Infantino of "deception" following his abandoned plan to sell

off stakes in the men's World Cup to private investors.

It is understood the trio want to give Infantino the chance to resign and leave his position with dignity without seeking re-election in March next year.

But Motsepe, a Fifa vice-president and president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), insists that if opponents want to "take out" Infantino they must go through the ballot box.

"If anybody has got any problem against anybody, whether it's Gianni, whether it is anybody else, follow the process, follow the Fifa process, simple as that," Motsepe said. "If you want to take him out, go for elections; let the 211 member associations decide. Do that and the vote will express whether they've got confidence in him or not.

"You've got to be very careful. There are elections taking place

► Continued on p52