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Verstappen wins to close in on Piastri and Norris

Reuters
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Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were put under more pressure by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen winning the American Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari were the other two drivers in the top five spots, Norris and Piastri finishing second and fifth.

With only five races left, Briton Norris cut Piastri’s championship lead to 14 points, while Verstappen reduced his deficit to 40 points for the Australian.

Verstappen, who won the sprint on Saturday, had a dominant lead at the first corner, putting a stranglehold on the race, which he has now won seven times, totaling total control.

When questioned about his chances of winning the title, the four-time champion responded, “For sure, there is a chance.” All we need to do is try to deliver these weekends until the weekend. We’ll make every effort possible. I’m very excited right up until the very end of it because it’s exciting.

Norris was largely defeated by Leclerc’s use of a different tire strategy for the majority of the grand prix.

The main moments of an unfavorable grand prix were:

In the end, Norris wins Leclerc.

Verstappen and Norris were the only riders in the front row, hoping that McLaren’s consistently strong race performance would allow them to challenge the Red Bull driver, who had already triumphed in two of the previous three races and had already beaten McLaren in each of them.

However, Norris’ hopes of winning quickly vanished as Leclerc jumped into second place at the first corner using the extra grip of the soft tires, which he was the only driver in the top 10 to choose them for the start, with everyone else using mediums.

Verstappen grew his lead after a collision between Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Carlos Sainz in the early virtual safety car period. After the stewards determined that the Spaniard was “predominantly to blame,” the stewards forced the Spaniard to leave the race and later issued a five-place grid penalty for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday.

Hamilton was present throughout Norris’ unsuccessful attempt to pass Leclerc. At Turn 12, at the end of the long back straight, Norris had to fight back on the outside, but never really tried to get a pass.

Verstappen continued to advance as he built his lead until just before lap 22 when he stopped for new tires, fitting the medium compound.

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Norris waited another 10 laps before coming back behind Ferrari when he stopped to fit the soft tires.

Within four laps, Leclerc had already surpassed the Briton, who came second.

He was soon on the radio telling him that his tires were gone, but once more he was unable to pass.

Will Joseph, Norris’ race engineer, instructed him to slow down and restart after a few laps to cool his tires.

With five laps left, Norris completed the task. He briefly made it past Turn One before Leclerc cut back and reclaim the spot.

After a half-lap, Norris went for the position once more in Turn 12, dummying Leclerc and making the move stick.

McLaren's Lando Norris challenging Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for second place during the United States Grand PrixGetty Images

Verstappen earns 23 points on Austin’s Piastri.

Norris never learned whether he could have defeated Verstappen during the conflict with Leclerc, but he had a much better afternoon than Piastri.

The Australian struggled to control Hamilton in front of him all weekend, despite fending off Mercedes’ George Russell for fifth overall.

Verstappen has scored 23 points in the championship leader’s first-place race at this grand prix with his victory in Saturday’s sprint following Piastri and Norris’ initial collision.

Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull placed seventh, rising from 13th to 11th on the first lap before benefiting from the Sainz-Antonelli incident to win a strong grand prix.

    • two days ago

Analysis: “all to play for the moment”

Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, appeared on Radio 5 Live.

Another masterclass, another masterclass. Verstappen is persistent.

Top 10

 Top 10 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)2. Lando Norris (McLaren)3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)6. George Russell (Mercedes)7. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)8. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)9. Oliver Bearman (Haas)10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)Getty Images

What comes next?

    • last 4 hours
Norris rides atop a lifted off-road truck during the drivers’ paradeGetty Images
Max Verstappen seated in a camouflage-patterned off-road vehicle during the drivers’ paradeGetty Images
Charles Leclerc waves to fans from a black off-road vehicle during the drivers’ paradeGetty Images

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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,334

On Monday, October 20, 2025, this is how things are going:

Fighting

  • A gas processing plant in Russia’s Orenburg region was struck by a “large-scale fire,” according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces in a Facebook post.
  • The largest facility of its kind in the world, the Orenburg gas processing plant, was ordered to stop importing gas from Kazakhstan in the wake of the Ukrainian drone attack, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy.
  • Yevgeny Solntsev, the governor of Orenburg, claimed earlier on Sunday that the plant, owned by Gazprom, had been partially damaged and that the drone attack had set a fire in a workshop at the facility. According to the operator, Kommersant reported that the blaze was later contained.
  • The Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in the Samara region of Russia was also hit by Ukraine’s General Staff.
  • Private Ukrainian energy company DTEK reported in a post on Telegram that Russian forces “massively” attacked a coal mine in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine. 192 mineworkers, who were underground at the time of the incident, were being evacuated.
  • According to Russia’s state news agency, the Ministry of Defense defeated 323 Ukrainian drones, two guided bombs, and three rocket launchers in a single day.
  • In a Facebook post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote that Russia had recently launched nearly 50 missiles, 1, 370 guided aerial bombs, and 3, 270 attack drones.

diplomacy and politics

    During a White House meeting on Friday, US President Donald Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy to give up territory to Russia, which disappointed the Ukrainian delegation, according to Reuters, citing two unidentified officials.

  • According to the Financial Times, the meeting was heated, with Trump threatening to “destroy” Ukraine if Kyiv refused to agree to Moscow’s terms for a resolution to end the conflict.
  • On Sunday, Polish President Donald Tusk stated on X that “none of us should put pressure on Zelenskyyy when it comes to territorial concessions.”
  • Since the Russian leader is “more powerful than Hamas,” Zelenskyy told NBC that more pressure must be placed on Putin.
  • Additionally, the Ukrainian president added that Putin and Trump should discuss their future interactions in Hungary.
  • Trump once more stated in an interview with Fox News that he was not interested in sending more weapons to Ukraine, saying, “We have to remember one thing. We also require them for ourselves. We can’t, you know, give Ukraine all of our weapons, right?
  • In a post on X, the German Federal Foreign Office stated that the country’s “leadership has for months been agitating against the EU, Germany, and the German ambassador personally.

Mary Berry’s husband rushed to hospital as Bake Off star issues worrying health update

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After he broke ribs, Mary Berry discusses her nearly 60-year marriage and nursing husband.

Dame Mary Berry is caring for her husband after a recent fall left him with broken ribs – but says it deepened their bond and made them even closer.

The TV cook and author has been married to 93-year-old Paul for almost 60 years. Asked about their relationship by Saga magazine, she said: “He’s just had a tumble with broken ribs. I’m very sympathetic about that. But he’s getting better day by day. Soon we’ll have him back to his own old self.’

I’ve been in love with my husband for a long time. He’s not doing well right now in his dotage. Because he is so appreciative, it’s a pure pleasure to watch him. You’re aware that as a child, he always comes first.

He appreciates the things I do for him and is now very thoughtful. I must do more, but it’s a pleasure. Many of your friends are no longer here, which saddens you 90.

They are dying, so I have many girlfriends who don’t get a husband like I do, which is very sad for them.

When Paul, a former owner of an antique book, returns to exercise, he and Mary play croquet twice weekly.

Mary continued, “I absolutely adore it.” “My husband is superior to me.” He played rugby for the Saracens and is a sportsman. I told him I would play croquet because he’s 93 and he already decided to. Although we work together, it’s great that I’m not as good as him.

She insisted she is keen to stay active, adding: “My mother was 105 when she died, so I’ve got pretty good genes. I’m immensely grateful for that. My fitness routine is to walk the dogs. Darcey and Freddie are working cocker spaniels.”

The former Great British Bake Off judge Mary and Paul married in 1966, and she revealed in an interview earlier this month that the secret to a happy marriage was leaving when a disagreement was imminent.

She remarked, “Paul always believes that the key to our successful marriage is his saying, “Yes, dear,” to everything before going his own way. But we don’t argue. I open the back door to resolve any disagreements and simply leave with the option to pick up some flowers or get some apples. If you can leave, it’s amazing.

“Of course, that would be challenging if I were residing in a top-floor apartment.” However, we have mutual respect. And I have a very good fortune. He has grown accustomed to my appreciation and has mellowed as a result.

Continue reading the article.

“I look after him, and it’s a pleasure to do so. I made the promise to do that. For better or worse, for the rich or the poor. And our time is very enjoyable.

* The full interview with Mary is in the November issue of Saga Magazine. Mary will be back on screen later this month in BBC series Mary at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking.

Tel Aviv derby called off by police after ‘violent riots’

Police in Israel

Prior to Sunday’s kick-off, the Israeli Premier League game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was postponed due to what police described as “public disorder and violent riots.”

Israeli police posted on X, adding that “this is disorder and serious violence,” and that “dozens of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were thrown.”

According to the police, 12 civilians and three officers were hurt, and 16 were detained for questioning and nine were arrested.

In the run-up to the highly anticipated game, Hapoel Tel Aviv criticized the derby cancellation, accusing Israeli police of “preparing for a war, not a sporting event.”

The shocking events that occurred outside the stadium and the reckless and scandalous decision not to play the game only show that Israel Police have taken control of the game, according to Hapoel Tel Aviv’s statement on X.

Only to confirm that the game was canceled, Maccabi Tel Aviv has yet to comment.

The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) in Birmingham’s decision to forbid Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from the Aston Villa game on November 6 has sparked widespread criticism.

Since then, the UK government has stated that it is working to overturn the ban and is looking into possible additional resources to make sure the event can be hosted safely.

Villa claimed to have no obligations to their matchday attendants and that they were aware that some “may have concerns.”

West Midlands Police said on Thursday that it supported the ban and that, based on intelligence and previous incidents, it regarded the fixture as “high risk.”

That included “violent clashes and hate crimes” between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a game in Amsterdam in November 2024, when more than 60 people were detained.

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  • Football

More on this story.

    • two days ago
    A graphic of Premier League players from every team in the division in 2025-26 season, with the Premier League trophy in front of them.
    • August 16
    BBC Sport microphone and phone

GB win two more world golds on final day

SWPix

On the final day of the Rio de Janeiro Para-cycling Track World Championships, Great Britain added two more gold medals.

The bronze medal contest between Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl and Australia’s Jess Gallagher and Jacquie Mengler-Mohr was won by Elizabeth Jordan and pilot Dannielle Khan.

In the men’s B sprint final, James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd defeated Australian rivals Kane Perris and Luke Zaccaria to claim their second gold.

Graham previously won a silver medal in the men’s C3 10km scratch race, bringing his total medal total to five in Brazil.

Archie Atkinson, who finished in the men’s C4 elimination race a close second to Frenchman Gatien Le Rousseau, also won a silver medal in Rio.

With those accomplishments, the British team, who won the paralympics track title last year in Paris, came in second place behind Australia.

World Para-cycling Track Championships medals won by GB.

Gold (nine):

Elizabeth Jordan and Dannielle Khan (women’s B 1km time trial, women’s B sprint), James Ball and Steffan Lloyd (men’s B 1km time trial, men’s B sprint), Jody Cundy and Stephen Bate and Christopher Latham (men’s tandem individual pursuit), Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl (women’s B individual pursuit), and Sophie Unwin and Sophie Unwin (women’s B individual pursuit) are among the participants.

Silver (eight) :

Fin Graham (men’s C3 elimination, men’s C3 10km scratch), Archie Atkinson (men’s C4 1km time trial, men’s C4 elimination), Kadeena Cox (women’s C4 sprint, women’s C4 1km time trial), Blaine Hunt (men’s C5 1km time trial), Fin Graham, Jody Cundy (mixed C1-5 750m team sprint),

Bronze (six):

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