Why are Mercedes struggling to understand George Russell’s straight-line deficit? They must have all the data on his battery deployment, ICE output, e-motor power, plus how much drag his aero and car set-up, such as rake angle, generates – Sean

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes experienced unexplained behaviour from their power unit.

Russell suffered for this, by having a mystery lack of energy over a lap in qualifying. It cost him some but not all of his deficit to team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff put the loss from the engine at about 0.2-0.25 seconds.

A pretty much identical thing happened at McLaren to Oscar Piastri in relation to Lando Norris.

Both drivers also experienced a shortfall of energy on the first lap that contributed both to Russell’s incident with Hamilton and Antonelli being passed by Max Verstappen on the approach to Eau Rouge.

As Wolff said: “All Mercedes engines had a lack of energy out of Turn One so that wasn’t only George. It affected him more than Kimi but also Kimi had that issue to a certain degree.”

The one in the race was, Wolff said, “a new issue”.

Mercedes said they did not understand why either situation had happened.

The fundamental issue is that the latest F1 hybrid engines are highly complex, as are the rules by which they have to be operated, and the manufacturers and teams are still learning about them.

One of the impacts of this is that small nuances of driving can have a disproportionately large impact on energy availability. It’s one of the reasons why the drivers do not like these engines.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, among the best technical communicators in the sport, has talked about this extensively this season.

At the weekend in Spa he said: “To operate these power units, you don’t operate them in an open-loop way, whereby I would be able to have an off-line simulation and say, ‘Oh, that’s how the electrical power will be deployed and it will always be identical to itself’.

“There’s a large component of the controller that operates the power unit that happens with live calculations and the power unit forward-thinks, forward-calculates what it has to do. There’s a lot that happens as the car goes.

“This is why it’s not so easy to understand what kind of calculations have been made as the car was going.

“I’m sure we will understand the reason, but at the same time you need to be able to anticipate and make sure that the operation of the power unit unfolds as expected.

“Because this is not only for the influence it has in the power-limited sections, [and] in the straights, but also because it affects the braking points.

“Because if you have an additional amount of harvest before braking, then you are approaching the braking 10km/h slower and your braking point changes.

“This is quite difficult to master for the drivers, and it’s one of the reasons why they talk about the difficulties of exploiting the power unit from a driving point of view.

“It’s not only to get the most out of the power unit, but also because the variations of the power unit affect the references as you approach a corner.

“But the variations that are significantly relevant are so small that they may happen from one lap to the other, even if you have learned from the previous laps.”

This complexity also explains why McLaren have been frustrated this season by some aspects of their relationship with Mercedes, particularly in terms of how much information they have been given about the operation of the engine.

As Stella said: “It’s only now, and we are mid-season, that we are starting to have the required tools in order to be able to anticipate, optimise, and study these sensitivities.”

It was revealed to viewers of the ITV soap last month that Sarah was the one responsible for the abuser’s death

Coronation Street fans think they have rumbled what will happen to Sarah Platt following her arrest for the murder of Theo Silverton, and it could see her get away with it.

It was revealed to viewers of the ITV soap last month that Sarah was the one responsible for the abuser’s death, after he lured her to his flat under false pretences by using his husband Todd Grimshaw’s phone.

Corrie fans will recall that Theo’s lifeless body was found by a horrified Betsy Swain on the night of her mum, Lisa Swain’s, wedding to Carla Connor back in April.

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Viewers first learned that Theo was among the five villains at risk of being killed off during an episode of Corrie in February, which featured flashforward scenes showing Betsy being interviewed by the police about finding the dead body of someone she knew.

Eventually, a week after the wedding aired, it was revealed that Theo was the victim, which came after he tried to torment Todd one last time. His death has since triggered a murder investigation, with Corrie confirming Todd as a suspect, along with George Shuttleworth, Summer Spellman, Christina Boyd, Gary Windass and Danielle Silverton.

But as Corrie fans now know, it wasn’t any of the six, as it was Sarah who appeared to deal the blow that sent a drunk Theo tumbling off the scaffolding outside his flat and plummeting to the ground – before she called on her former flame, Gary Windass, for help.

Corrie fans later watched as Sarah confessed the truth to Todd, while Kit remained determined to pin Theo’s murder on Gary, not realising that he has been covering for Sarah. That was until she confessed to her copper beau last week, just as he was trying to pop the question.

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Kit eventually promised that he would protect Sarah from getting arrested and offered to get her and Gary’s phones scrubbed clean. However, he could be heard asking for a copy of the phone’s data, suggesting his plan wasn’t to help Gary at all. But it was during Monday’s (July 20) edition of Corrie that the police finally made a major move in their investigation.

Aware that the police were closing in, a panicked Sarah was disrupted by her brother, David Platt, who wanted them to record a birthday message with her son, Harry, for Audrey Roberts. Bethany went on to join them in Sarah and Kit’s flat, but they were soon interrupted by the police barging in through the door and arresting Sarah on suspicion of murder.

Down at Weatherfield police station, Lisa interrogated Sarah before providing evidence that they had found splatters of Theo’s blood on her clothing from the night of the crime, after her clothes were taken in as evidence from her own attack by Jodie Ramsey, which came after Theo’s murder took place.

Run by Breastfeeding Together, the free weekly walks are open to all ages and provide an opportunity for pregnant women to meet other mums, ask questions, and build new connections.

Parents with babies are also encouraged to join, with friends and family welcome too.

The walks take place every Monday from 10 am to 11 am, meeting at Horwich Library, BL6 7AJ, and every Thursday from 1 pm to 2 pm, meeting at Moss Bank Park, BL1 6LU.

No booking is required – people can simply turn up on the day.

For more information, call 07742 234496, email enquiries@breastfeedingtogether.co.uk, or visit Breastfeeding Together Bolton.

Nine-year-old Eva was watching an episode of the children’s show Horrible Histories about the stone age recently when a question popped into her head. The cave men were speaking a broken form of English, but Eva thought that didn’t sound right and she wondered: how was the first language formed?

She joined our host Eloise to get some answers from anthropologist April Nowell on The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast.

In each episode of The Conversation’s Curious Kids, a child joins host Eloise to ask a top researcher their burning question.

To listen to season two, follow us wherever you get your podcasts, or listen on the Yoto Player via the Discover section on the Yoto interactive audio platform for kids.

You can also listen back to season one and read lots of answers to questions sent in by children around the world in our Curious Kids series.

Got a question? Pop it in an email, or record it and send us the audio to curiouskids@theconversation.com.

This season of The Conversation’s Curious Kids is supported by the University of Southampton in the UK, a world-leading research-intensive university with a global network of international students and campuses in Malaysia and Delhi.

Disclosure statement

April Nowell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Credits

This episode of The Conversation’s Curious Kids was hosted and mixed by Eloise Stevens. The producer was Katie Flood and the executive producer was Gemma Ware. Credits in this episode to Horrible Histories, Pysched for Nature and Wild Ambience.

By HUGO DUNCAN, BUSINESS EDITOR

Updated: 08:15 BST, 21 July 2026

Andy Burnham has sent borrowing costs soaring as he vowed to exploit ‘any flexibility’ in the fiscal rules before naming John Healey Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The yield on ten-year gilts – a key measure of how much it costs the UK government to borrow – rose above 5.04 per cent yesterday afternoon as investors fretted over the new Prime Minister’s tax and spending plans.

It slipped to 5.03 per cent in early trading this morning amid ongoing nervousness about Mr Burnham’s ability to fund his spending spree. 

It puts the yield over the 5 per cent level that until this spring had not been breached since 2008 – and well above the levels seen under Liz Truss.

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The rise in UK borrowing costs was the fastest in the G7 in what Rupert Harrison, an advisor to George Osborne when he was Chancellor, described as ‘some early warning signs from the gilt market for Andy Burnham’.

It already costs Britain more to borrow than any other country in the G7 as investors demand more to lend to the UK than to the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

John Healey is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by new PM Andy Burnham

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Higher government borrowing costs feed through to mortgages and business loans – piling pressure on household finances and corporate profits.

Investors are fretting over Mr Burnham’s economic plans and what Mr Healey will announce in his first Budget expected this autumn.

It follows the sacking of Rachel Reeves, who also presided over a sharp rise in borrowing costs as Chancellor despite being seen as relatively ‘market-friendly’ due to her adherence to the fiscal rules.

The appointment of Mr Healey comes after weeks of speculation that the job would go to either Ed Miliband or Shabana Mahmood.

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Mr Healey quit Sir Keir Starmer’s government last month in a row over military spending.

He will now be charged with finding the money to fill a hole in the defence budget that Ms Reeves refused to fill.

In his first speech as Prime Minister, Mr Burnham promised ‘to give people some breathing space, now, some help with the cost of living’ but at the same time ‘meet our fiscal rules’.

He later added: ‘I’ve said we’ll stick to the fiscal rules, and by that I mean the existing fiscal rules, and use obviously any flexibility within them.’

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The comments fuelled fears he is planning a fresh round of tax hikes and more borrowing to fund increased spending – potentially triggering an adverse reaction on financial markets.

Matt Amis, investment director at Aberdeen, said talk of ‘using flexibility in the fiscal rules seems to have got the market’s attention.’

He added: ‘It just shows this week in particular the language from the Burnham administration, the new chancellor, is going to be key here. The gilt market is on edge.’

Mohamed El-Erian, chief economist advisor at Allianz and a bond market expert, said: ‘Once again, the UK is experiencing the largest move in government bond yields. This coincides with the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, recommitting to existing fiscal rules while also seeking “flexibility” within them.’

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Analysts said the reaction could have been worse had Mr Miliband been appointed Chancellor – but warned of uncertainty in the months ahead.

Enrique Díaz-Alvarez, chief economist at global financial services firm Ebury, said: ‘The lack of policy detail from the new premier casts a pall of uncertainty over British assets.’

Stuart Widdowson, a fund manager at Odyssean Investment Trust, said: ‘Each shift in leadership brings fresh uncertainty over tax, spending and regulation, and summer 2026 looks no different.’

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By ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 07:12 BST, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 08:07 BST, 21 July 2026

Activists accused of trying to develop an American-style ‘white-only’ community in the Welsh countryside face a confrontation with the local council after building on their woodland site without planning permission.

The Woodlander Initiative (TWI), led by veteran fascist Simon Birkett, has raised £235,000 of its £1million target towards buying land in every British county.

It appears to be an attempt to create a UK version of the American Return To The Land (RTTL) movement, which has set up a white separatist enclave in Arkansas with the goal of resegregating society.

Eric Orwoll, founder of RTTL, has said his organisation is allied with TWI, which has built two log cabins on land it bought from a farmer in the village of Llanafan Fawr, Powys.

Mr Birkett’s group has denied claims it is attempting to create a white-only enclave on the two plots of land and claims anyone is welcome to visit, camp, and help with the building work. 

But they risk a run-in with Powys Council after the authority confirmed that no applications had been made to build on the five-acre site, which is split between a steep field and an area of dense woodland. 

The TWI has also failed to apply for a change of use from agriculture to leisure or tourism, potentially putting them in breach of planning regulations.

One local farmer told the Daily Mail: ‘There’s building materials arriving regularly and three or four blokes working up there.

They risk a run-in with Powys Council after the authority confirmed that no applications had been made to build on the five-acre site

The Woodland Initiative (TWI) is run by former BNP and National Front member Simon Birkett. He’s seen speaking at the Patriotic Alternative annual conference in 2024  

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‘They’ve not upset anyone so far but like everyone else they are subject to planning laws which are quite strict around here. If I opened a caravan and camping site, the council would be knocking on my door straight away.’ 

No official complaints have been made to Powys Council but locals are concerned about the political background and objectives of their new neighbours.

A Powys Council spokesman said: ‘Our planning department have confirmed that we have no relevant recent planning history for the site.

‘We have also not received any formal complaints to date regarding the structures referred to in the email below.

‘The Development Management team will investigate the concerns that have been raised and take any appropriate action identified through that process.’

The TWI claims it’s not a political organisation but it is supported by Patriotic Alternative, Britain’s largest neo-Nazi group. 

Plaid Cymru, which runs a minority administration in the Senedd, has said fascists are not welcome in Wales.

Locals in Llanafan Fawr (population 470) cannot fathom why the group has chosen their village and point out that Powys is largely a ‘whites-only’ county already.

They confirmed that the workmen constructing the cabins and a small number of visitors who attended an open day last September were all white.

The two structures, visible from a stony track, are both unfinished, and no work was being carried out when the Mail visited last week.

The TWI claims it’s not a political organisation but it is supported by Patriotic Alternative, Britain’s largest neo-Nazi group 

A sign at the Powys site warning people against ‘trespass’. It refers to ‘federal authorities’, which do not exist in the UK 

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Powys Council confirmed it has not received any planning applications relating to the site 

One appears to be a hall or meeting room for visitors, the other is more of a lookout post perched in trees and overlooking the track, the only access route into the site.

The steep and overgrown field has a couple of large tents pitched on its perimeter along with a wooden latrine.

Locals have voiced their concerns that none of the structures look strong enough to withstand the wind and rain of a typical Welsh winter.

The Woodlander Initiative says its membership criteria does not mention colour or ethnicity and its constitution states it is a non-political organisation aimed at ‘building community, friendships, skills and fraternity.

On a previous visit one of the builders, who gave his name as Russ, said anyone was welcome. He cited the case of an Iranian man who had been given permission to use some of the group’s land in Wales.

The builder referred journalists to the TWI’s website which describes the organisation as a British organisation working to improve the future and safeguard the freedoms of British people.

It goes on to define British people as a ‘distinct group comprising of [sic] the English, Welsh, Scots and Irish’.

But the group is giving mixed messages to anyone who strays up the track to the entrance gate.

A wooden sign 10 yards past the gate says Welcome to the Woods but on the gate itself it states: ‘Warning deep unseen excavations. Woodland regeneration, strictly no entry’.

And a laminated sheet of A4 states ‘No Admittance’ and threatens a fine of £100,000 for anyone trespassing on Woodlander Initiative land.

The notice refers to ‘federal authorities’ despite no federal system existing in the UK. This appears to provide further evidence of TWI’s American influence. 

One of the tents that has been pitched at the five-acre countryside site 

The Woodlander Initiative threatens a fine of £100,000 for anyone trespassing on its land 

Their nearest neighbour, sheep farmer John Weedon, 80, said he’s had no problems since the Initiative took over the land next door.

He said: ‘I know all about their reputation but they’ve not inflicted anything on me. They seem ok.

‘I’ve seen the signs they put up, but if you stake your claim somewhere, you need to protect it.’

TWI leader Simon Birkett is a former member of the BNP and National Front. He spoke at the Patriotic Alternative annual conference in 2024. 

In an article for TWI members Birkett invoked conspiracy theories including the ‘Great Replacement’ and said the group was part of attempts to ‘create an elite, a vanguard, an alternative group who will actively do what’s best for us’.

Patriotic Alternative leader Mark Collett – a former British National Party official – has repeatedly championed the land-buying scheme and his activists have camped on the TWI land in Wales.

Writing in the neo-Nazi magazine Heritage and Destiny, Mr Collett described TWI as ‘a fantastic initiative that allows nationalists to pool their money in order to purchase land and property’.

‘This is a long-term plan that will hopefully catch on and turn into the establishment of indigenous heartlands; places for our people,’ he wrote.

Dr William Allchorn, a senior research fellow at Anglia Ruskin University who is an expert on the British far-Right, previously described how buying land is part of a broader strategy for fascist groups.

‘It’s the idea of creating a separate white heartland or parallel society where they can be completely off grid,’ he said.

‘This is worrying because while these camps can look fairly innocuous they involve things like paramilitary training or training in martial arts.’

No building work was being carried out at the site when the Daily Mail visited last week 

Locals in the village of Llanafan Fawr (population 470) point out that Powys is largely a ‘white’s only’ county already.

Dr Allchorn said it was concerning that TWI appears to have ‘progressed fairly far’ and that it has parallels with groups in the United States, East Germany and South Africa where ‘neo-Nazis have been buying up land in order to create white-exclusive towns or communities that live in the style of the Nazi past’.

He said that British far-Right groups had previously ‘flirted’ with buying land but had largely been focused on trying to enter electoral politics, but their focus has shifted since the pandemic.

‘They view this as a key moment,’ Dr Allchorn said. ‘If they can find land or they can find a place to build this enclave, it fits neatly with the broader ideological vision which all far-Right groups are aiming towards, which is the erasure and exclusion of minorities and migrants.’

The sides face off today in the qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League

Larne take on Red Star Belgrade this evening in UEFA Champions League qualifying action.

The Northern Irish side made it through a tough opening round with Tre Fiori, winning 3-1 on aggregate in what was a nervy enough encounter.

They will have their hands full this evening as they take on a side that are no strangers to competing at the top table of European football.

Here’s what you need to know about the game:

Where is the game being played?

Inver Park, Larne.

What time is kick-off?

The game will begin at 8pm.

Can I watch the game on TV or stream it live?

The game will be streamed live on NIFL TV.

Betting odds

Larne – 15/1

Draw – 13/2

Red Star – 1/10

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Elizabeth Rider, who played Ashley Peacock’s biological mother in Coronation Street, is reportedly making a comeback this summer, but in a brand new part.

Her return marks 20 years since she last appeared on the show.

Elizabeth Rider returning to Coronation Street after 20 years

Coming up on the Cobbles… Harper is home! But Sarah’s confession about Jodie attacking her might throw a spanner in the family party mood. 😬

Plus Cassie’s latest plot to expose Ross involves an introduction of an ex 👀

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Read more about what’s coming up via the link below 🔗… pic.twitter.com/fBHGZ5Kzsv

— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) July 20, 2026

“Corrie bosses are delighted to have tempted Elizabeth for a short stint on the cobbles,” a source told The Sun.

“She’s a legendary actress with a huge amount of talent and everyone’s thrilled she’s here.”

Newsquest has contacted ITV for comment.

This will be Ms Rider’s fourth role on the ITV soap, having previously appeared in two other parts as far back as 1999.

Her impressive career spans all four major British soaps, including EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks.

She also had a recurring role in the BBC One series Doctors, playing DCI Lynette Driver.

Ms Rider’s TV credits extend beyond soap operas.

She has appeared in critically acclaimed dramas such as Line of Duty, Doctor Foster, and Call the Midwife, as well as popular shows The Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who.

Coronation Street star weighs in on potential return to ITV soap

In other Corrie news, former star Charlotte Jordan has spoken on a potential return to the show one day.

She played the popular Daisy Midgeley on ITV’s Coronation Street from 2020 to 2025 and earned a British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance.

Now, Ms Jordan has weighed in on a potential return to Weatherfield, speaking to Radio Times.

She said: “Oh, well, nobody’s asked, but for now I’m happy to sort of just keep exploring and keep seeing what… I mean, I only left a year ago, it’s very early days, so now I’m happy to keep, keep giving it a good go.”

Since leaving the soap, she has taken on new roles in television, first in the radio soap opera The Archers.

Her latest role is in the new BBC period drama series The Hairdresser Mysteries, where she stars as Clary Coombs, alongside Sally Phillips, who plays the main character, Lily Petal.

It tells the story of upmarket hairstylist Lily, who leaves the city to run a hairdressers in a small town, and becomes the centre of gossip and secrets.

Ms Jordan revealed that the transition from Coronation Street to her latest project was relatively smooth.

She said: “I mean, speed-wise, it wasn’t an adjustment.

“Corrie was a fantastic training ground in that sense, for this particular job, but I did really like playing a character that couldn’t be more different from who I played, which was great.

“I was hoping for that.

“I wanted to play someone next who was the polar opposite, so I’m grateful for that.

“But no, it wasn’t super different technically, it was all sort of the same ingredients, but it was a very different world, and it’s a very different tone, and it’s obviously very different, it’s a different genre, different vibes.

“So that was great.”

What is one Coronation Street character you would love to see return to the show? Let us know in the comments.