The Times

The boss of the UK’s largest water provider has warned that the regulator’s planned cuts to its spending plans could “prevent the turnaround and recovery” of the crisis-hit business. Chris Weston, chief executive of Thames Water, said Ofwat’s proposals would mean the utility’s business plan for 2025 to 2030 would not be backed by investors and was “therefore not deliverable”

Was it really 33 days ago that Paris was first doing this? When vandalism hijacked rail services, a smurf hosted a woke Last Supper (allegedly), and when it rained? Oh, how it rained. It was almost the first Olympic opener held underwater, let alone the first outside a stadium. For the Paralympic sequel, there was no frantic searching for same-day Scuba delivery. There were only the wispiest of clouds and the temperature only dipped below 30C shortly before the show started. Until it went down early for the night — this ceremony was slated to last 3hr 26min 28sec, and not a second less — the sun shone on the Paralympics. Paris hosted the Olympics in 1900 and 1924, but this is its first Paralympics. They dispensed with the Seine flotilla and paraded nations down the even more exalted Champs-Élysées. If it seemed less innovative than five weeks ago, it was still the first Paralympic opening ceremony outside a stadium, and it looked even more stunning

Gary Lineker says that he has been put off using X, describing it as a “very unpleasant world”. The Match of the Day host has been on the social media site since 2012 and has almost nine million followers. However, his recent activity has been confined to comments about his podcast when previously he would regularly talk about current affairs or football-related news

Ministers are “rolling the dice” by releasing thousands of prisoners next month in an effort to tackle the overcrowding crisis, the chief inspector of probation has warned. It is “inevitable that things will go wrong” when inmates are freed under an early release scheme because those in charge of monitoring them lack the resources to cope. Martin Jones accepted there were “no risk free options available” but said the move would put extra strain on the probation service

Lego, still family-owned and based in Denmark, has been experimenting in recent years to find alternative sources that reduce its reliance on oil and other fossil fuels. Bosses have set a goal of having all of its products made entirely from renewable or recycled materials by 2032. The latest approach is to use a plastic resin partially made from renewable or recycled materials, and to gradually incorporate more of these eco-friendly ingredients as the technique is refined

What’s your favourite Oasis song, I ask the magnificently eyebrowed model and musician Gene Gallagher. Silence. Is there more than one? Or maybe he hates them all? “No, no, there’s definitely one,” he says. “No one will know it though … it’s off one of those weird ones …” He picks up his pint, his sharp blue eyes full of Gallagher mischief. “Wonderwall,” he says and bursts out laughing. The musician supported his father on tour — but getting the gig wasn’t as easy as you’d think, he shares (as well as his thoughts on an Oasis reunion…)

Efforts to raise compassionate and understanding generation were announced by Attal at the end of last year following a spate of high-profile bullying cases, some of which had driven pupils to suicide. Proponents say that in an era of individualism and social media children need to be taught the basic language of human relations. They should learn to distinguish, for example, between facial expressions that signify happiness, fear or anger

Tommy Robinson has been issued with a second contempt of court notice via his X account, after emails to the far-right activist went unanswered. The attorney-general’s office, on behalf of Sarah Sackman, the solicitor-general, confirmed that it had taken the unusual step to serve the notice via social media to Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, after it was sanctioned by the judge, Mr Justice Johnson

Jonathan Reynolds said that the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on inflation and energy bills in Britain highlighted the country’s vulnerability to shocks elsewhere in the world

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