Flynn can’t believe his luck. Autocar’s photographer needs a picture of the 12-year-old at the wheel of the Vauxhall Corsa as he steers it around the driving route laid out at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury, Surrey. The thing is, the lad has only just returned from doing the same thing – a gift from his dad, Steve, who bought the 30-minute driving experience offered by Young Driver, an organisation that offers 10-to-17-year-olds their first taste of driving in a dual-control car. In the company of a qualified instructor, Flynn and his fellow youngsters follow a route on a closed circuit marked out with cones and road signs and which, depending on the venue (there are 70 across the UK) might also feature a hill start and other technical challenges. Flynn returned from his first drive cock-a-hoop at the experience – “I got the car to 26mph in third gear and did an emergency stop!” – and now he’s being offered another go, which, frankly, has stunned him. I’ve dropped by Kempton Park this hot Saturday morning to see a Young Driver experience for myself and to find out, against a backdrop of conflicting attitudes towards the car, what today’s youngsters – the drivers of tomorrow – think about this mode of transport and, crucially, its future. Obviously, the many youngsters who, over the course of the day, will guide Young Driver’s 17 Corsas around Kempton Park are already sold on driving, but even so, their views are bound to be nuanced. I’m expecting to hear Greta Thunberg’s name mentioned… By the time the youngest drivers at today’s event begin their driving lessons on the road at 17, the current drift to EVs will have gathered pace and their instructor’s car could very well be an electric model with an automatic gearbox. That’s fine if mum and dad can afford to furnish them with a new or used EV when they pass their test, but most will have to make sure they learn in a manual car to take advantage of the many thousands of used petrol models that will still be around at lower prices. They can always step up to an EV later. Not that Flynn is thinking EV. “My favourite cars are the Mazda RX-7 and the Koenigsegg Agera RS,” he says. “I like the old petrol cars with their big engines, but I think that when I pass my test [in 2025 at the earliest], around 50% of new cars will be hybrid or electric, so I had better get used to the fact that when I’m older, I’ll be driving one.” His acceptance is borne out by the 2020 RAC Report on Motoring, which found that people aged 17 to 24 are almost twice as likely to consider buying a pure EV than older drivers. Apparently, the same age group is also more concerned about the environment than older drivers. On that point, as Flynn heads off for his second spin of the day, I spy 13-year-old twins Immie and Issie returning from their half-hour drives. How do they square concern for the environment with driving a metal box on already congested roads? A certain Swedish activist’s name is quickly forthcoming… “I think what Greta Thunberg says about our responsibility to the environment and making greener choices is right,” says Immie. “She hasn’t put me off the car or driving, though. Electric cars are the answer.”

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Small SUVs may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’ve gone from strength to strength. With their funky looks, compact size and low running costs, it’s not hard to see why they’re so po[CENSORED]r. The C3 Aircross is Citroën’s offering in this class. With chunky styling and off-roader-inspired accessories, including roof bars and extra black plastic body cladding, it’s a tough-looking and desperately cute little thing that neatly superseded the boxy, MPV-like C3 Picasso. The engine options start with an 82bhp 1.2-litre petrol, then get more exciting with two turbocharged 1.2-litre petrols that make 108bhp and 128bhp. There are also two 1.5-litre diesel offerings, producing 99bhp and 118bhp. Post-2020 models give you three engines to choose from: the same 1.2-litre turbo petrols plus an updated 1.5-litre diesel with 108bhp. The more potent units offer a six-speed automatic gearbox as well as the standard six-speed manual. There were initially three trim levels: Feel, Origins and Flair. Even the most basic is well equipped, with a touchscreen infotainment system, air conditioning and cruise control. Origins offers mainly cosmetic upgrades, while Flair owners can boast of keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers and climate control. Citroëns ride well, right? Well, the C3 Aircross’s soft suspension and squishy seat cushions do initially seem inviting, but you find yourself being tossed from side to side on rougher surfaces and the body rolls quite a lot when you’re cornering. It’s quite refined, though, and it’s pleasant enough to drive, although the steering is vague and the numb clutch takes some getting used to. There’s more to get excited about inside the C3 Aircross than in most small SUVs. From the art-deco air vents to the silver accents below the touchscreen, everything has been designed to be interesting to look at rather than purely functional.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58245047 The prettily named village of Marceline is 30 minutes' drive north of Les Cayes. Before the earthquake hit it had two churches - Catholic and Baptist - a medical centre, a school and a voodoo community centre. A tarmac road runs through the village, and off that tight paths cross banana trees, meandering by cinder block houses. The town we arrive in is unrecognisable. The drive up to Marceline is marked by landslides, and huge fissures in the road. The driver at times slows the car to a stop so he can negotiate the cracks. The town of Les Cayes was badly affected by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake on 14 August. Perhaps one in six buildings collapsed. Here it's hard to find a house that is standing. Kelly Phildor was a 15-year-old boy who was preparing for a new school term. He was cheeky and full of life. His nickname was Kelly Forever, and he had scrawled that moniker on to his shirt. "I didn't realise his life would be so short," his mother, Marie Rose, says. Kelly had woken up early, and had left his home on Saturday morning. But his phone needed charging so he decided to return. When the quake hit, a wall made of chunks of heavy cement and rock fell on top of him. It broke both of his legs and his skull. He didn't stand a chance. "I don't know what to do. I have his shirt wrapped around my waist to give me strength," Marie Rose says. The level of destruction here is hard to comprehend. Both churches were obliterated. In the voodoo community centre, people were getting ready for a dance in the chapel. They were waiting for the priestess to start proceedings when the quake struck. The building caved in on itself. A neighbour tells us that they managed pull out the body of the priestess, but there could be more than 25 people still under the rubble. What everyone asks is why there is no help - no medicine, no search and rescue teams, no food and water - nothing. Margaret Maurice and her eight children managed to survive their house collapsing with only minor injuries. However, they are now left to fend for themselves, squatting on the rubble of their former homes. "Do I have to scream to get the government's attention," she says, "or are we being left to die?" She says she has little food and water, and the few aid trucks she's seen have passed them by. The government, aid agencies and the international community have all promised help. But those promises mean little to people here. The medical centre - a place where people could perhaps have sorted supplies - was also flattened. Here in the mountains it can get cold and wet at night. Some people have flimsy tarpaulins, and some don't even have that. Occasionally there are short jolts, aftershocks, that add to the stress. People here aren't thinking about their long-term future - they're focused on surviving. But with all the village's infrastructure utterly destroyed it's hard to see how Marcilene will recover. Haiti is currently in political turmoil. The former president was assassinated last month. The country simply isn't able to give villages like Marcilene the assistance they need. Everyone here has multiple friends and family members lost to this earthquake, which killed more than 2,000 Haitians. But now, there are worries that more could die - not from the earthquake - but because basic supplies that were needed, never came.

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/08/18/haitis-lack-of-preparedness-makes-bad-disasters-worse IF THERE were a prize for the world’s unluckiest country, then Haiti would surely be a contender. On August 14th the Caribbean country was hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, killing at least 2,000 people; the final death toll could be in the tens of thousands. (A slightly weaker earthquake in 2010 killed between 100,000 and 300,000 Haitians.) Just two days later, rescue efforts were paused when Tropical Storm Grace swept through. But as the poorest economy in the Americas, it is Haiti’s inability to cope with such disasters—rather than the frequency of the disasters themselves—that causes so much grief. Every year Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (the “Development Helps Alliance”), a network of German humanitarian outfits, produces a World Risk Report. They crunch 27 different types of data to score countries on various metrics, including “exposure”, ”susceptibility”, “adaptation” and “lack of coping” capabilities. In a report published in 2020, Haiti did not rank as the country hit most by extreme weather. On its measurement of exposure—the number and severity of natural disasters—Haiti took 32nd place out of 181 countries. Japan (10th), the Netherlands (16th) and Greece (30th) are all more disaster-prone. Even when compared with other countries in the Caribbean, Haiti is less exposed than countries such as Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago—countries that are rarely in the news for their earthquakes. But Haiti did come out worst among Caribbean countries on one metric: its lack of ability to cope with natural disasters. Its emergency services and hospitals do not have enough capacity when a catastrophe strikes. Its airports are so tiny it struggled to accept all the aid it was offered after the earthquake in 2010. On the global ranking for shortage of coping capacity, it comes ninth, behind countries such as Afghanistan and Syria, which are plagued by conflict. The most po[CENSORED]r explanation for Haiti’s bad luck is its poverty. It lacks the resources to recover from disasters or to protect against future ones. But history also plays a part. “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty” by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, two economists, argues that countries where colonialists introduced “extractive institutions” (ie, the elites extracted wealth from the rest of the po[CENSORED]tion) still suffer from poverty and poor governance. Haiti under French rule, the authors suggested in a subsequent blog post, was one of the most extractive colonies ever established by Europeans. Since the country achieved full independence in 1804, it has suffered from cycles of political instability. Last month the president was assassinated. A country that cannot govern itself can hardly cope with other disasters that nature puts in its way.

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The EQS isn’t just Mercedes-Benz's first all-in, no-holds-barred EV, and this drive isn’t just a first look at the all-new electrified S-Class - although both would be reason enough to be excited. It's also, as has long been the case with the brand's flagship, a first taste of the technology that will shape all future Mercedes from here on in - meaning every prospective customer of the brand for the future should be excited to read on. It’s also our first chance to test this car in the UK, albeit still in a late prototype form, and too early even to have a definitive price list to hand. As such, we’re looking more to verify whether the early 4.5-star rating from our previous test was justified or generous, rather than seeking to discover if that last half star is available. Any hope of that ultimate accolade will have to wait until more extensive testing and full specification details are released next month. Suspend your prejudices for a moment: whatever you expect from the photos, trust me, your eyes will be on stalks not long after you stride up to the EQS, pause as its door automatically pops open upon sensing your approach and your bum hits the gloriously - and appropriately - luxurious seat. Is. That. For. Real? Measuring 141cm from left to right, it’s the Hyperscreen, an optional three-in-one display that arcs across the dashboard in place of two standard (but still large) screens. If wow factor is your defining requirement of a car, buy this one. Captain Kirk would pass out from all the excitement. But, alas, there is a crucial yang to the ying delivered by its sheer scale. While it's relatively intuitive to use at a standstill, we found it better to use Mercedes’ impressively effective voice control than our fingers, both to avoid taking your eyes off the road and to avoid leaving greasy evidence of your hit and miss efforts. Experience would no doubt help. What's more, even on this greyest of days, there were also enough occasionally distracting reflections to make us pause to yearn for simpler times. So it is that the abiding impression of real substance left by the EQS is instead just how capable it is on the road. It has prodigious pace, even in this lower-powered form, delivers impressive poise and control, despite its near 2.5-tonne weight, and has a mind-boggling, if likely slightly optimistic, official 484 miles of range, boosted by its slippery shape – reputedly the most aerodynamic ever to feature on a production car. A 10-80% rapid charge can be done in as little as 30 minutes, although a more common 50kW charger will take about an hour-and-a-half.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58243126 Maki Kaji, the Japanese man known as the "Godfather of Sudoku", has died at the age of 69. Kaji gave the number puzzle its name after publishing it in his magazine Nikoli in the 1980s. Since then the po[CENSORED]r game - involving placing the numbers 1 to 9 in each row, column and square of a 9 by 9 grid - has spread around the globe. Tournaments take place across the world and it is estimated that millions play versions of the game each day. On Monday Nikoli published a statement on its website saying Kaji had died at his home in Tokyo from bile duct cancer on 10 August 2021. Kaji was born in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo in 1951. After dropping out of Keio University, he set up the puzzle magazine Nikoli, which published its first edition in August 1980. The origins of Sudoku are unclear. Some credit the 18th Century Swiss mathematician Euler as its creator, while others say it came to the Arab world from China via India in the 8th or 9th Century, according to the New York Times. French newspapers published a number of early versions of the game in the late 19th Century, including one called "le carré magique diabolique", or the evil magic square, published by La France newspaper in July 1895. But US architect Howard Garns is often credited as the creator of the modern version of the puzzle in the 1970s, under the name Number Place. It was this game that Kaji spotted in 1984. "It was a very interesting puzzle, fun to solve," he said in a 2008 speech. "But the name, Number Place, did not hit me. I wanted to create a Japanese name." Kaji landed on Suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru, meaning "Numbers should be single". Pushed by colleagues to come up with a catchier name as he rushed to get to a horse race, he said he came up with the name Sudoku "in about 25 seconds". The game became po[CENSORED]r in Japan but only turned into a global phenomenon in 2004, after The Times of London published a puzzle. Kaji did not trademark the game, and did not gain financially from its huge success. But he said the joy of the puzzle and of others enjoying the game was more important than any monetary reward. "I get really moved when I see a new idea for a puzzle which has lots of potential," he told the BBC in 2007. "I get really excited about it. It is like finding treasure." line

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58244927 The UK's evacuation programme in Afghanistan is "operating at full pace" but the changing political situation means it "can't afford to pause and wait", a military commander has said. Vice Adm Sir Ben Key, who is running the evacuation, said around 300 people had been flown out so far. But Sir Ben said the operation was dependent on the security situation. Boris Johnson said any recognition of a Taliban government would "be subject to them upholding" human rights standards. In total, the UK hopes to help 6,000 to 7,000 British nationals and eligible Afghan staff to leave, he said. Home Secretary Priti Patel said around 2,000 former Afghan staff and their families had been resettled in the UK since 22 June under an existing resettlement scheme. There were chaotic scenes at Kabul airport on Monday, as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized control of the capital. A number of people died and large crowds on the runway led to all flights being halted for several hours. However, Chief Joint Operations Vice Admiral Sir Ben said the situation was now "much calmer". "I'm very confident that we now have a stable airfield in which we can get on with the business, alongside all of our allies and partners, that we need to do," he said. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I expect that we will increase our aid budget for development and humanitarian purposes - probably by 10%, is what I have in mind - on last year. We want to try and make sure it doesn't go through the Taliban." One would assume by "last year" that Mr Raab was referring to aid spending in the 2020-21 financial year, when the UK gave £167.5m of aid to Afghanistan. That was before the government cut the foreign aid budget earlier this year. Prior to today, aid to Afghanistan was set to fall to £37.5m - an annual reduction of £130m. However, if, as Raab has implied, a further 10% were added to the aid given in 2020-21, it would bring the UK's spending in Afghanistan up to £184.25m. If a 10% increase was applied to the post-cuts budget then it would represent a massive decrease on the 2020-21 budget. We have asked the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to clarify the position but they have yet to comment. He said three flights had landed in Kabul so far on Tuesday and more were planned. Military aircraft are also flying from Afghanistan to airports across the region, where people can then be put on civilian charter flights, he added. The UK has sent about 900 troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate British nationals and Afghans who are eligible to resettle in the UK. This group includes Afghans who worked for the British government, as well as interpreters, cultural advisers and embassy staff. Others eligible are those deemed to be at high and imminent risk, according to the Ministry of Defence.

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