News
- 93% of UK companies have faced a business-critical incident (86% globally)
- They're not testing recovery plans frequently enough, though
- Some are putting together inventories of critical systems
New research has warned UK companies could be at a higher risk of facing dangerous cyber incidents, with 93% having experienced a business-critical incident compared with 86% globally.
The data comes from a Commvault study in the months following the impactful attack on UK retail giant M&S and reveals a recent uptick in incidents, with 57% having occurred in the past 18 months.
However, despite the more at-risk nature of UK companies, 21% are less likely to have dedicated recovery environments than their global counterparts and 11% are less likely to have tested recovery plans in the last month.
UK firms get more cyberattacks than the global averageCommvault noted, even though British firms are more likely to experience "frequent devastating incidents," they're falling behind when it comes to their recovery readiness, and that's down to three key failures: the complexity of existing systems and applications (52%), the struggle to keep recovery plans in line with their changing needs (47%) and difficulties separating core systems from less business-critical operations (30%).
"Having a tested recovery plan in place and a dedicated recovery environment in the cloud can make all the difference between chaos and continuous business," Commvault EMEA SVP Richard Gadd explained.
However, tables and turning and companies are starting to lay the foundations of change. The report details how two in three (65%) have an inventory of business-critical systems and dependencies, which is higher than the global average (50%).
Looking ahead, companies can strengthen their cybersecurity postures by adopting zero trust and deny-by-default principles to prevent many threats while also deploying continuous monitoring systems.
With UK firms less likely to have conducted a recovery test in the past month, there's clear scope for further testing including both recovery and penetration testing to highlight any weak points before an attack takes place.
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- Gemini can now read your Google Doc for you
- Authors can also add buttons for readers to listen more easily
- It is only available in English for now, and you can even customize the voice
A new accessibility feature being added to Google Docs will let users generate audio versions of their documents for easy listening, but rather than traditional computer-read systems, it uses Gemini for a more natural language approach.
By using Gemini to read out your documents, Google hopes to improve intonation and personality to make it easier for listeners to understand and absorb information.
"Whether you want to hear your content out loud, absorb information better while reading, or help catch errors in your writing, audio versions of your documents provide you with clear, natural-sounding voices that read your documents aloud," Google summarized in a blog post.
Gemini will read your Google Docs to youThe feature, which will has already started rolling out to some users, allows eligible Google subscribers to change voices and playback speeds for optimum comfort.
There are two ways to access the Gemini-powered reader, including via Tools > Audio where a sound clip will be AI-generated.
Document authors can also choose to insert audio buttons directly into the document via Insert > Audio buttons so that readers can quickly click the button for a full read-out. Buttons can be customized with different styles and colors.
"This new audio feature in Docs helps you engage with your content in fresh ways and can improve accessibility of your documents," Google added.
Business Standard/Plus and Enterprise Standard/Plus accounts will be among the first to get access, as well as customers with the Gemini Education, Education Premium, Business or Enterprise add-ons.
Thankfully, it's not a feature that's reserved for companies, with Google AI Pro and Ultra plans also getting access.
However, from launch it will only work in English and on desktop versions of Docs – no future plans for availability have been confirmed at this stage.
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- The August update for Windows 11 and 10 broke recovery features
- That includes options to reset the PC and fix problems using Windows Update
- All of these fail to work after the most recent patch, but thankfully Microsoft has now deployed a fix
Microsoft has rushed out an emergency fix for a problem caused by the most recent Windows 11 update (and Windows 10 patch), which has broken reset and recovery features that are designed to rescue your PC when it runs into serious trouble.
Bleeping Computer spotted Microsoft's announcement of the release of the fix which has been delivered as an 'out of band' update, meaning it's a cumulative update that's been deployed outside the usual timing.
It's the resolution for a bug affecting the reset powers of Windows 11 (versions 23H2 and 22H2) and Windows 10 (22H2), which was introduced with the August updates that arrived for these operating systems last week. The cure is packed in cumulative updates that are the same as those original August patches, except for having the fix bundled in, too.
If you've installed Microsoft's August patch, and you're running one of the affected versions of Windows, you should therefore install this new update on top. It's labelled KB5066189 for Windows 11, and KB5066188 for Windows 10, and you can find it by checking for updates in the Windows Update panel. Note that it'll appear under optional updates.
If you haven't installed the August patch yet, you should simply apply this one instead (from optional updates).
(Image credit: Shutterstock / ra2 studio)Analysis: road to recovery leads to a dead endI should make it clear that this affects all versions of Windows 10 and 11 that are in support – except for the very latest take on Windows 11, 24H2. It's rare that those on Windows 11 24H2 aren't hit by a bug – those people have been suffering the most since that newest take on Microsoft's desktop OS came out.
As to the specifics of what the bug in question breaks, it’s the ability to reset the PC, which allows you to revert the system back to its original state – essentially a reinstall of Windows 11 – or reset and keep your personal data (but not apps or settings). A second option to 'Fix problems using Windows Update' is also affected, which is essentially the same as the latter reset option, where you keep your personal files, but this also holds onto apps and settings – so it's just reinstalling the Windows system itself.
Due to the glitch, all these processes will fail, which is obviously going to leave you very much in the lurch when it comes to trying to recover from a problem. You won't be able to get anywhere, although the bug itself won't cause any further detriment to the condition of your PC. The reset or recovery procedure will simply fall over.
These aren't features that you'll need to use often – hopefully – and so the effect of this bug may not have been felt all that widely initially (which is likely why the flaw didn't come to light immediately). Still, it's going to be pretty annoying if you do need a reset or repair for your Windows 11 or 10 PC – as obviously things aren't going well with the operating system if you're resorting to such measures – hence why Microsoft has been quick to push out this fix.
You might also likeWe all know that Prime Video’s most-watched show of the summer needs to end with Belly (Lola Tung) and Conrad (Christopher Briney) running off into the sunset, but The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 7 left me wanting to pelt them with tomatoes instead. We finally saw Conrad tell Belly that she should marry him instead of his brother Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), and it was word-for-word verbatim from the book series, so shouldn’t I be jumping for joy?
Up until now, Belly and Conrad have refused to give in to their obvious chemistry, which we've seen at countless points in the show – from the infamous peach stand scene to their tension at a memorial service for Conrad and Jeremiah's mother when the surprise engagement was originally announced. They are dancing around the inevitable, but season 3 episode 7 actually gives into it for once.
Instead of giving the latest episode a ferocious standing ovation, I hate Belly more than ever. Why? After Conrad wears his heart on his sleeve, she throws his feelings straight back in his face. In fact, she goes so far as to imply that Conrad treated her worse over the years than Jeremiah has. You mean to tell me that our sweet boy has put Belly through more heartbreak than the guy who cheated on her (twice), can't graduate and has nothing more to offer than a cheap ring and wandering eyes? Give me a break.
The Belly hate runs even deeper in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 7, and I bet it won't stopCONRAD FISHER DON'T BE WITH HIM. DON'T MARRY HIM. BE WITH ME. IS FINALLY REAL #thesummeriturnedpretty pic.twitter.com/mwmdrZVnbYAugust 20, 2025
Bear in mind that the majority of season 3 episode 7 takes place during Belly's bachelorette party, including the now-iconic scene on the beach between her and Conrad. Off the back of seeing Conrad's perspective in episode 5 and Jeremiah seemingly getting the boot in episode 6, Belly is putting on the mask of all masks. She twirls around the dance floor thinking only of her time with Conrad, tells her friends in the bathroom that she's only ever thought of ending up with him, and Jeremiah isn't given a second thought... well, not until Conrad overhears that Jeremiah's been cheating on her.
Logic tells us that as soon as Belly gets the chance, she'll call off her country club wedding and admit the true feelings that she's trying so badly to hide. But when Conrad chases after Belly at the end of the episode, she tells him "you and I were never anything... nobody has ever treated me the way Jeremiah has. I put up with a lot worse from you". Sorry, what?!
As if that isn't infuriating enough, sweet Conrad doubles down on what he wants to say (which is, luckily, exactly the same as in the book 'We'll Always Have Summer'). Then, the speech we've all been waiting for: "I see you again, and everything I planned goes to sh*t. It's impossible... I love Jere more than anybody. He's my brother, my family. I hate myself for doing this. But when I see you two together, I hate him too.
"Don't marry him. Don't be with him, be with me." Screaming, crying, throwing up. The gauntlet has been laid down, leaving Belly (much like us) on her knees crying in the sand.
Only when I was sure he couldn't see me, only when the house was in sight again, that was when I let myself cry. I dropped down in the sand and cried for Conrad and then for me. I cried for what was never going to be. #thesummeriturnedpretty pic.twitter.com/v5g37Hr0c3August 20, 2025
As the original book then tells us: "Only when I was sure he couldn't see me, only when the house was in sight again, that was when I let myself cry. I dropped down in the sand and cried for Conrad and then for me. I cried for what was never going to be." But what's stopping you from getting what you want, girl? Oh yes... your own bad choices.
Listen, I've been a Belly hater since the very beginning, and it's moments like this that make me feel incredibly vindicated. It was tough enough being a teenage girl in real life, but watching Belly destroy her own life for seemingly no reason? I can understand why outside eyes sometimes find us so insufferable.
If I was Conrad, I wouldn't forgive her for saying such unfair things in the face of always trying to make her life that little bit more bearable. But the heart wants what the heart wants, or more aptly, the heart wants what the showrunners want. They're going to put us through hell to get us to our happy ending, and if The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 7 is anything to go by, I'm not sure my blood pressure can take it.
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- The Miniot Wheel 3 has stunning sci-fi looks and genuinely clever design
- Optical stylus, hidden tonearm and integrated preamplifier
- €2,900 / $3,443 / £2,550 / AU$5,351
The new Miniot Wheel 3 is exactly what I expected the music hardware of 2025 to look like when I was growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s: I knew that in 2025 my enormous, airy and affordable apartment on the moon would be filled with friendly robots, holographic televisions and vertical vinyl. So it's nice to be proved right about one of those things, at least.
As the name suggests, the Miniot Wheel 3 is the third generation of Miniot's vertical vinyl player. And there's some clever tech to match the retro-futuristic design.
(Image credit: Miniot BV)A turntable that looks wheely goodThis isn't the only vertical turntable around: we've seen various models since the 1980s, and among the current crop you'll find Pro-Ject with its VTE vertical turntable and last year's Fuse Audio Kickstarter, which looked impressive.
But this is a much more premium model, with a price tag to match: it's listed at €2,900 / $3,443 / £2,550 / AU$5,351.
Miniot says that the stylus is optical. It's not a laser – it's a diamond stylus – but instead of using of magnets or coils to convert the vibrations the stylus reads into an audio signal, it uses an optical sensor.
The stylus is teamed with an optical sensor-controlled direct drive motor and an integrated preamplifier. There's a hidden tonearm beneath the record that moves vertically from bottom to center, and the Wheel 3 can be laid flat, hung on a wall or stood on its stand.
Although pre-orders began in May, I haven't been able to find any reviews of the Wheel 3 – but there are some reviews of the previous model on YouTube from the likes of Techmoan, who wasn't particularly enthusiastic or damning: it was an impressive bit of design and unlike anything else on the market, but audiophiles would likely get more mileage from something more traditional and affordable.
But then, you don't buy a record player like this for its sound. You buy it to blend in with the rest of your apartment on the moon.
The Miniot Wheel 3 is available now from miniot.com. US, Australian and UK orders are expected to ship in around 10 weeks.
You might also like- Stream all Women's Rugby World Cup games free on BBC iPlayer (UK)
- Stream from abroad with NordVPN (save 76% today's deal)
- Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 runs from Fri, Aug 22 to Sat, Sep 27
As both the No.1-ranked team in the world and the tournament hosts, there's no question that England are Women's Rugby World Cup favorites. The Red Roses have only ever lost seven games in the history of the competition, but six of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand – five in Women's Rugby World Cup finals, the other in a semi-final.
To decribe the No.3-ranked Black Ferns as England's bogey team, then, would be a colossal understatement. They're the only reason England have two world titles to their name rather than seven or eight.
Canada and France, ranked at No.2 and No.4 respectively, fall into the bracket just below them, although No.5-ranked Ireland seem to have a hold over the six-time world champions. The Canucks have made the last four fives times but only reached the final once, while Les Bleues have lost all seven of the Women's Rugby World Cup semi-finals they've contested.
While there's no question that Ilona Maher is the most famous female rugby player on the planet, USA face a tough task making it out of Pool A. England's reigning World Rugby player of the year Ellie Kildunne, New Zealand's Ayesha Leti-I’iga and Canada's Sophie de Goede look set to light up the tournament.
Read on below for a complete guide to where to watch Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 live streams online, on TV and potentially for free.
Can I stream Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 for free?All 32 games of the Women's Rugby World Cup are available to watch for free courtesy of BBC iPlayer in the UK. Select fixtures are also free-to-air on RTE Player in Ireland and 9Now in Australia.
Outside any of these countries on holiday? Access your RWC streams using NordVPN — more on that below.
Use a VPN to watch Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 from abroadYou can watch Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 from abroad at no extra cost with NordVPN, which we tested in-depth (see our best VPNs round-up).
Get a VPN, connect to your usual streaming service from anywhere, and watch the rugby live on your screen. Easy!
Resorting to illegal streams is a bad decision. If you're stuck abroad, consider a VPN to safely stream the Women's Rugby World Cup via an official platform such as BBC iPlayer, RTE Player or 9Now.
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How to watch Women's Rugby World Cup live streams in the USEvery game of the Women's Rugby World Cup is being live streamed on Paramount Plus in the US.
A subscription to Paramount Plus starts at $7.99/month, rising to $12.99 to remove ads. You can save on either package by committing to a yearly subscription.
All 32 games are also being shown on CBS Sports Network. If you're a cord-cutter, you can tune in via one of the best cable alternative services, such as Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and YouTube TV.
If you're a UK resident visiting the US during the Women's Rugby World Cup. Use a VPN to watch the tournament free on BBC iPlayer.
How to watch Women's Rugby World Cup live streams in the UKEvery game of the Women's Rugby World Cup is free-to-air on BBC iPlayerin the UK.
All England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland fixtures and the entirety of the knockouts are also being televised on either BBC One or BBC Two.
If you're on holiday outside the UK, you can use NordVPN to access the BBC's coverage. We've used it during The Hundred and it's been brilliant.
How to watch Women's Rugby World Cup live streams in AustraliaEvery Wallaroos game and the Women's Rugby World Cup final are free-to-air on Channel 9 or 9Gem in Australia, with live streaming available via 9Now.
However, every game of the tournament is being shown on Stan Sport. Prices start from $20 per month for the sport add-on (on top of a regular $12 Stan sub).
If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch Women's Rugby World Cup live streams, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.
How to watch Women's Rugby World Cup live streams in CanadaEvery game of the Women's Rugby World Cup is being shown on the TSN network of channels.
If you don't have cable, the TSN Plus streaming service costs CA$8 a month or $80 each year.
Outside Canada while the rugby's on? Simply use a VPN to watch from abroad.
Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 FAQsWhat are the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 pools?Pool A
Australia
England
Samoa
USA
Pool B
Canada
Fiji
Scotland
Wales
Pool C
Ireland
Japan
New Zealand
Spain
Pool D
Brazil
France
Italy
South Africa
(All times BST)
Group Stage
Friday, August 22
7.30pm – England vs USA | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Saturday, August 23
12pm – Australia vs Samoa | FREE on BBC iPlayer, 9Now
2.45pm – Scotland vs Wales | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
5.30pm – Canada vs Fiji | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
8.15pm – France vs Italy | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Sunday, August 24
12pm – Ireland vs Japan | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
2.45pm – South Africa vs Brazil | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
5.30pm – New Zealand vs Spain | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Saturday, August 30
12pm – Canada vs Wales | FREE on BBC iPlayer
2.45pm – Scotland vs Fiji | FREE on BBC iPlayer
5pm – England vs Samoa | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
7.30pm – USA vs Australia | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player, 9Now
Sunday, August 31
12pm – Ireland vs Spain | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
2pm – New Zealand vs Japan | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
3.30pm – Italy vs South Africa | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
4.45pm – France vs Brazil | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Saturday, September 6
12pm – Canada vs Scotland | FREE on BBC iPlayer
1.30pm – USA vs Samoa | FREE on BBC iPlayer
2.45pm – Wales vs Fiji | FREE on BBC iPlayer
5pm – England vs Australia | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player, 9Now
Sunday, September 7
12pm – Japan vs Spain | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
2pm – Italy vs Brazil | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
2.45pm – New Zealand vs Ireland | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
4.45pm – France vs South Africa | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Knockouts
Saturday, September 13
1pm – Quarter-final 1 | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
4pm – Quarter-final 2 | FREE on BBC iPlayer
Sunday, September 14
1pm – Quarter-final 3 | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
4pm – Quarter-final 4 | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Friday, September 19
7pm – Semi-final 1 | FREE on BBC iPlayer
Saturday, September 20
3.30pm – Semi-final 2 | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player
Saturday, September 27
12.30pm – Third-place playoff | FREE on BBC iPlayer
4pm – Final | FREE on BBC iPlayer, RTE Player, 9Now
Of course! Each of the major broadcasters has streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser.
You can also stay up-to-date with all of the key Women's Rugby World Cup moments on the official social media channels on TikTok (@RugbyWorldCup), Instagram (@RugbyWorldCup) and YouTube (@WorldRugby), and on the Women's Rugby World Cup website.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
- Intel has reportedly entered talks with the White House
- This could see the US Government taking a stake in the company
- Intel is the most prominent semiconductor manufacturer in the US
The White House has confirmed it is negotiating a deal that could hand over a 10% stake in Intel to the US government.
The chipmaker has faced serious uncertainty in recent months, with multiple quarters of revenue decline, but the agreement could involve trading Intel shares for existing government grants.
"The president wants to put America's needs first, both from a national security and economic perspective," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. "We should get an equity stake for our money. We'll get equity in return for that... instead of just giving grants away."
Trade warsIt's a surprise twist to see President Trump turning away from the lassiaze-faire liberal economic policies that have dominated the American economy for decades - all in order to prop up Intel.
Trump previously called for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign - calling him ‘highly conflicted’, most likely due to his stint as CEO of Cadance design systems, an organisation that recently plead guilty to illegally selling export-controlled tech to organisations with connections to the Chinese military.
Intel is perhaps the main US hope at rivaling Chinese and Taiwanese chipmaking giants - who are almost undoubtedly ahead in the semiconductor market battle.
However Intel’s recent layoffs have seen between 15-20% of US factory workers made redundant, indicating that domestic capabilities are not growing as the administration may have hoped.
The potential deal could give Intel the stability it needs to fully invest in domestic manufacturing, and could see the company build a flagship manufacturing hub in Ohio - although the White House dismissed the discussion of potential deals as ‘speculation’.
Fellow chipmaking giants Nvidia and AMD, agreed recently that 15% of chip sales will now go to the US government in exchange for export licences to China - despite growing national security concerns.
Via BBC
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If you're looking for Bonnie Blue, you came to the right place... if you love the blues. Feature length doc Bonnie Blue: James Cotton's Life in the Blues charts the music icon's extraordinary journey from the Mississippi Delta cotton fields to Austin's live music circuit, via Chicagoland.
You can watch Bonnie Blue online from anywhere with NordVPN – the app lets you watch any content safely, securely, anonymously Handy to have.
Runtime: 1 hour 26 minutes
Global stream: Buy or rent from Apple / Amazon / Google
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Born in 1935, Cotton didn't just bridge eras – he helped shape them. Having dragged himself up from the dirt, he as different to most artists, equally at ease rubbing shoulders with gangsters and thugs as he was tearing the house down from the stage. Another thing he delighted in was menacing his fellow performers, trying to sap their confidence before they were due to step out.
Hs 70-year career saw Cotton tour with Janis Joplin and Paul Butterfield, and play sessions with the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Steve Miller and B.B. King, but he never truly got the recognition that his influence, persona, talent and longevity warranted.
Directed by Bestor Cram, whose work includes Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Bonnie Blue weaves rarely seen archival footage, stills and anecdotes through an intimate concert held in Cotton's honor, featuring Steve Miller, James Montgomery, Annie Raines, Buddy Guy and many more.
Read on as we explain how to watch Bonnie Blue online from anywhere.
How to watch Bonnie Blue in the US, UK, Australia and CanadaBonnie Blue: James Cotton's Life in the Blues is available to buy or rent on Premium Video On Demand (PVOD) from Apple, Amazon and Google.
At the time of writing, the documentary doesn't feature in any streaming libraries.
Traveling abroad? You can watch Bonnie Blue online from anywhere with a secure VPN.
How to watch Bonnie Blue with a VPNIf you're keen to watch Bonnie Blue but you're away from home and access to the film or stream is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to access it instead (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.
Use one of the best VPNs to watch Bonnie Blue from anywhere:
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Bonnie Blue trailerCan I watch Bonnie Blue free?The Bonnie Blue film is available to watch online but it's not currently free anywhere. However, it is cheaper is some countries so if you are traveling abroad, use a good VPN to watch your usual streams safely and securely. That way, you can watch Bonnie Blue as if you were back home.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
South Park season 27 episode 3 has already been delayed by a week thanks to a planned break in the schedule, but judging by the first-look trailer, it was well worth the wait. It's reintroducing Towelie, the talking towel first seen all the way back in season 5. This time, he's set to take on the National Guard as he visits Washington DC – and I’m already dreading what’s to come.
After its controversial premiere and a second episode showing US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem shooting puppies in a pet store, the Paramount+ show is holding nothing back against the current US government. Unsurprisingly, the start of season 27 has drawn a lot of public criticism from those featured, which now includes a naked version of Donald Trump and a much smaller version of JD Vance. If anything, switching to Towelie's perspective is an incredibly smart move.
While we don't yet know what will happen in South Park season 27 episode 3 other than the initial teaser of Towelie getting off a bus in front of the US Capitol (which you can see below), a talking towel can't be taken as seriously as any human character seen facing off against political parodies. However, longtime fans of the show will understand how much damage Towelie could actually do... and frankly, I'm dreading it.
Towelie heads to Washington D.C. in South Park season 27 episode 3, and that's dangerous“Sickofancy”: Towelie goes to Washington, D.C.South Park’s 27th season continues this Wednesday, August 20 at 10/9c on Comedy Central and next day on Paramount+. pic.twitter.com/HVzao5ii4DAugust 20, 2025
In his initial character description that can be found on South Park Fandom, Towelie "is usually seen either appearing out of nowhere to give towel advice to the citizens of South Park or getting high". If there has ever been a sensible decision made by anyone living in South Park, I've yet to see it, and my best guess tells me that any advice given to our political parodies is either going to fall on deaf ears or escalate the situation. As you can see from the above clip, the National Guard has been deployed in the heart of Washington DC, with President Trump also deploying troops to the capital in real life as of August 11, 2025.
There's bound to be references to the US Capitol insurrection of January 6, 2021, especially considering the famous DC museum The Smithsonian changed an exhibit's wording on August 8 to recant Trump's involvement in inciting the violence. In short, it's the hottest national topic South Park could have chosen to illustrate, and surely nobody is coming out the other side unscathed.
Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic and Towelie will merely be able to reconnect with his long-lost son Washcloth against the backdrop of tanks and deployed soldiers, showing him the city's cultural offerings before anything further changes. But let's face it, that's not what we're doing here. Given that Towelie is almost always high, you best bet that Washington DC's views on marijuana are also going to be featured, and maybe, just maybe, we'll see some others indulging too.
I won't be surprised if Paramount+ follows in the footsteps of episode 2 and offers up another exclusive post-credits scene, either to show more content that couldn't be broadcast on cable TV (South Park airs on Comedy Central) or to add new scenes they've created since the episode was originally submitted. This is speculation for the time being, but I'd say it's worthwhile keeping an eye out.
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