For Louise Oliver, it is the work of Charles Dickens that best describes her current predicament. “It’s a tale of a woman who has her lovely old shop taken over by a nasty piece of work,” she said, evoking Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop.
In this instance, the identity of this “nasty piece of work” may come as a surprise. In 1844, three years after Dickens published the tragic tale of Little Nell, the world’s first successful cooperative shop opened in Rochdale. It put power into the hands of the community, who were sick of being fleeced by the powers above.
Now, the Co-op, which traces its roots back to the Rochdale outfit, finds itself playing the bad guy, according to locals in Brighton. The retailer plans to expand one of its shops in the tight-knit Seven Dials area of the city, in doing so it will boot out two small, local businesses.
The salt in the wound for Brighton locals? The nearest Co-op to the one being extended is just 200m away. A three minute walk, according to Google Maps.
Map
Oliver, the owner of the independent wine seller Seven Cellars in Seven Dials, who could be forced to shutter her shop as early as November, said the move flies in the face of the Co-op’s claim to being an ethical business.
“Everything about the Co-op is a complete lie,” she said. “They’ve been very lucky to pretend to be the good guys all this time. I’m really happy that we’re able to point out that it’s nonsense.”
Oliver has been at Seven Dials for 10 years. “This shop is the only one I’ve ever opened where I’ve had the wonderful experience of people coming in and saying: ‘thank you for opening’,” she said.
Her landlord had sold the overarching lease of her premises to the Co-op, which operates a branch next door. Despite denials at first that anything would change, Oliver said she “realised there was something going on” when men with tape measures started turning up outside her shop.
“They sent a guy down in a suit with pens and papers and structural engineers and so on. We realised that they wanted to move into our shops,” she said. Soon after, she said she received an eviction notice.
The Co-op said they had given both businesses until January to leave but Oliver disputes this, saying the only date that has been communicated to her is in November.
The fact that the area is hardly starved of a larger Co-op makes the supermarket’s decision all the more baffling, she said. “I did the walk [from one Co-op to the other] the other day. It took me one minute and 45 seconds.”
Co-Op plan to evict Seven Cellars and Latina cafe so they can expand. Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian
If Oliver is forced out of her current premises, she said it could cost her £60,000. She has an alternative location in mind, but the rent is double what she pays now. “It’s got no lighting, no flooring, no heating. There’s no shelving, everything will have to be recreated,” she said. Though Oliver is owed a mandatory payment of about £8,500 for not having her lease renewed, she would have to cover the rest of the costs herself.
The Co-op recently admitted to more than 100 breaches of a rule that prevents supermarkets blocking rivals from opening competing shops nearby, which the UK competition watchdog said represented “a significant failure of compliance for a business of Co-op’s size”.
Siân Berry, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, has supported Oliver and the owner of Latina cafe, the other small business affected. She said: “Ever since last year, I have stressed to Co-op the strength of local feeling and urge them to pause this expansion. The future of these properties is the Co-op’s decision, and they should make the right one in line with their values that protects the life of the local community.”
Despite the stress of the situation, Oliver has been heartened by the community’s response. A Change.org petition in support of her campaign has collected nearly 12,000 signatures. “It’s been amazing,” she said. “Everybody has pulled together and just said no.”
She also believes the city overall, which is known for its quirky independent shops, needs to stand up to big high street chains. “We want a bustling, busy, wonderful, wonderful place. We need to preserve it. We need to protect it,” she said. “It’s not on for these big supermarkets who are never going to be happy until we’re all just playing into the system.”
The past few months have been tough, but Oliver is fighting on. “We used to be known as a nation of shopkeepers. I’m a retailer, my dad was a shopkeeper. It’s important to me and I want to keep it going. The Co-op won’t defeat me.”
A Co-op spokesperson said: “Co-op is committed to acting fairly, and the tenant leases are being fully honoured. They are now coming towards an end; something both tenants have long been aware of and we have offered an extension of the tenancies into the start of the new year to help and support the two businesses over the key Christmas trading period.
“Alternative plans to make the necessary changes to our store, which did not affect the neighbouring outlets, were initially submitted however planning permission was rejected.”
In the first episode of Lena Dunham’s new Netflix sitcom Too Much, viewers might be taken with cameos from Dunham, Jessica Alba and the model Emily Ratajkowski, or the burgeoning romance between Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe. But – as far as fashion is concerned – it’s nighties that have a starring role.
Early in the episode, Stalter wears a short frilled red nightie, with her dog in a matching design. Later, she wears a white frilled floor-length design, and it’s clear the item is something of a signature. If it’s a cute quirk for a character, it’s also in line with wider trends.
Pyjamas have come out of the bedroom and into daywear over the last decade. Nighties might be in line to perform the same trick. The actor Daisy Edgar-Jones and model Kaia Gerber have worn nightdresses in daylight, with Gerber collaborating with the California-inspired brand Dôen last year to create her own. Sabrina Carpenter is known for her babydoll nighties, while Addison Rae wore a nightie-like dress for her performance at Coachella.
Sabrina Carpenter – and dancers – on her appropriately-named Short n’ Sweet tour last year. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AEG
Most people will still associate pyjamas and nighties with bed – a private space which has, until recently, been free from fashion trends. A survey by YouGov in 2022 found that most people in the UK slept in pyjamas (47%) while 20% slept in their underwear and 20% slept naked.
Post-pandemic, clothing worn at home is much more on the radar of fashion. Like Parker Posey’s in The White Lotus, Stalter’s nightie is likely to prompt others to think about switching from pyjamas when turning out the light.
The design, which costs £130, is made by a British nightie brand If Only If. Its owner, Emily Campbell – who also made the bespoke nightie for the dog – says the popularity is already increasing. “Our annual growth is between 80% and 90% and this year is looking to be more,” she says. She anticipates that Too Much will increase the demand, although she won’t alter her small-batch production model. “They will sell out,” she says. “I’m fine with that. I’m never going to over-produce and have a load of nightgowns left over.”
Chelsea Swain, Leslie Hayman, Kirsten Dunst and AJ Cook as four of the five Lisbon sisters in The Virgin Suicides (1999). Photograph: American Zoetrope/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock
The high street is also seeing more interest in the nightie. John Lewis reports searches for “nightdress” increased by 21% from 2024 to 2025, with sales up 14%. Cotton designs – such as a £34 white seersucker nightie – are particularly popular this summer.
The heatwave might well be a factor for a rise in popularity – cotton nighties are a cool option. If Only If was founded by Campbell’s mother, Issy Falkner, who was going through menopause at the time. “I think that definitely had a bearing on her wanting to wear natural materials,” says Campbell. The brand’s cotton is organic, and “just the most beautiful thing to sleep in”.
If Too Much is the latest example of the nightie on screen, other notable moments include Sofia Coppola’s first film, The Virgin Suicides, and Grace Kelly’s nightwear in Rear Window. Elena Babić documents these moments in her Instagram account Nightgowns in Cinema. “Nightgowns have charm and grace,” she says. “They make you feel like an old Hollywood star about to dramatically crash into silky bedsheets and cry, [or] like a 2000s teen girl about to call her best friend from a spiral-cord phone.”
Addison Rae performs at Coachella. Photograph: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella
In recent years, pyjamas have dominated romcom screen time – as worn by Bridget Jones in the original 2001 film – and they remain a popular bedtime choice.
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Another trend at John Lewis is mix-and-match designs – with sales up 55%. Marks & Spencer, meanwhile, reports that pyjamas with shorts are popular, with sales up 20% this year.
Naomi Pike, a commissioning editor at Elle UK, has about 20 pairs of pyjamas. “It helps how I sleep,” she says, “if I have clean pyjamas that fit well, feel good.” She buys two or three sizes up for extra comfort. Meanwhile, Babić – despite her love of the nightie – wears an oversized T-shirt and shorts to bed. “[Nighties] make me feel trapped,” she says.
“We admire them, but when it’s time for real rest, we always reach for the comfiest and safest option.”
Of course, an alternative is nighties making the move from bed to daywear. “It feels like it will be this summer’s story,” says Pike. “They feel quite gentle … we all need a bit more gentleness.”
If, up till now, sightings of the nightie trend has been limited to thin celebrities, Stalter will open the trend up. “It can bring liberation to people who aren’t used to seeing their figure on the screen so much,” says Pike. “I think it could encourage [people to] think ‘Oh, I’m a curvier figure and I can still wear this trend, and I will wear this trend, and this is how I can wear it.’”
Sudoku is a popular puzzle game that some studies have shown could help the cognitive performance of people over 50 years old. And when Apple released iOS 18.2 in December, that update brought those puzzle games to the News app.
Everyone can try a few sudoku puzzles for free, but Apple News Plus subscribers can play new puzzles every day. An Apple News Plus subscription is $13 a month and gives you access to daily sudoku and other puzzles, like Quartiles, as well as stories from publications like the New Yorker and the Wall Street Journal.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About iOS 18 Before iOS 26
Here’s where you can find sudoku on your iPhone and what to know about the game.
Where can I find the sudoku puzzles on iPhone?
1. Open News. 2. Tap Following across the bottom of your screen. 3. Tap Puzzles. 4. Tap Sudoku.
There are three puzzles near the top of the menu marked as Free to Play that everyone — even non-Apple News Plus subscribers — can play. These puzzles are usually at least a week old, and Apple also marks these as Easy, Moderate and Challenging, denoting each puzzle’s difficulty. Tap any of these to play. Below the Free to Play puzzles you’ll find new daily puzzles and an archive of puzzles Apple News Plus subscribers can play at their leisure.
What do I need to know about sudoku on iPhone?
Apple/CNET
In sudoku, you have to place the numbers 1 to 9 into a square 9-by-9 grid. There are nine 3-by-3 blocks within that grid, and you have to place the numbers in each block, row and column so there are no duplicate numbers in each. That means a block can’t have the number 2 twice, for example, and the same goes for each row and column.
On iPhone, you can enter a number into a space by tapping the Pen option beneath the puzzle, tapping the space you want to answer for and then tapping the number at the bottom of the screen. If a particular space can have two or three numbers in it, you can tap Notes next to Pen and then choose all the numbers that can be placed in the space to keep track of things.
How do I know if a number is in the right spot?
Here’s how to check your number placements with Autocheck.
1. Open News. 2. Tap Following across the bottom of your screen. 3. Tap Puzzles. 4. Tap Sudoku. 5. Tap a puzzle. 6. Tap the button with a checkmark in the top right. 7. Tap Autocheck.
Now if you place a number in the wrong spot, your iPhone will mark the number with a red slash through it. Your iPhone won’t mark numbers placed in the correct spot.
How do I restart a puzzle if I need to?
Here’s how to restart a puzzle for any reason.
1. Open News. 2. Tap Following across the bottom of your screen. 3. Tap Puzzles. 4. Tap Sudoku. 5. Tap a puzzle. 6. Tap the button with a checkmark in the top right. 7. Tap Clear Puzzle.
All your answers will vanish and you can start the puzzle fresh.
For more on iOS 18, here’s what you need to know about iOS 18.5 and iOS 18.4, as well as our iOS 18 cheat sheet. You can also check out what you should know about iOS 26 and how the upcoming OS lets us kill the alarm’s 9-minute snooze.
Watch this: Flagship Phones Don’t Matter if ‘Budget’ Is This Good
Long series are not common in the gaming landscape, thanks to a wide range of factors. Franchises that stand the test of time face the challenge of keeping new iterations relevant to modern audiences while staying true to what the games mean. The Final Fantasy series, which began 43 years ago and is still running, is moved by the force of the classic titles that originated the series, but also due to never settling down to the obvious. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Final Fantasy 9 crystallized the series’ identity by making a point that a Final Fantasy game is made out of the desire to tell a good story and the courage to tell an authentic and fresh one.
Final Fantasy 9 starts with a familiar feeling, a kind of fantasy tale you might have heard once or twice. The kingdom of Alexandria is in celebration. On this auspicious day, fate puts a princess, Garnet, who’s trying to escape from her castle, on the path of thief Zidane, who was sent to the castle to kidnap her disguised as a member of the Tantalus Theatre Troupe. Steiner, an uptight knight, wants to desperately save the princess from being taken away from the safety of her home — which is exactly what she wants. Ignorant of these events, another character, a little boy wearing a pointy hat, Vivi, runs from guards who found him watching the shows in the castle without a ticket. The paths of all these characters converge on the main stage where Queen Brahne and the guests are waiting to watch a play. The commotion blends with the festival, making it all look like part of the show.
Image: Square Enix via Polygon
The goofiness of the starting segment of Final Fantasy 9 establishes the light tone the whole game will have, to some extent. However, the adventure of this group of iconic figures slowly unfolds into an intricate plot involving political conspiracies, militarization of nations, aeon-old civilizations hidden in plain sight, and a face-off with the materialization of “the darkness of eternity”. As I progressed through the four CDs of Final Fantasy 9, it was impossible not to feel awe at how the story grew more grandiose with each act.
Image: Square Enix via Polygon
Facing the imminent end of the world after experiencing a great journey with charismatic characters (maybe not all of them, right, Squall?) was something Final Fantasy games were already doing. Nevertheless, because the two previous games, Final Fantasy 7 and 8, strongly shifted away from the traditional narrative of medieval-esque fantasy that originally defined the series in favor of a sci-fi inspired setting, it felt like such distancing meant progression — as if sci-fi settings or realistic models were the natural step forward that afforded more serious and dramatic storytelling. Leaning toward cute character models and a simple fantasy setting gave many players the impression that Final Fantasy 9 was a childish game.
The success of Final Fantasy 7 could have justified making the next games in the series around the same concept, themes, or aesthetic. In Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2, there’s a short passage where Toshiyuki Itahana, who worked on character design, background production, and minigame design in Final Fantasy 9, tells that event designer Kazuhiko Aoki — known for being the producer who put together the stellar team behind Chrono Trigger — said to his team that “there is a magic in Final Fantasy that stays with you to the very end.”
Would Square be able to capture this magic if it kept following the same recipe of Final Fantasy 7? Actually, doing so would go against the ideals behind these games. Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy games, said in an interview with Eurogamer that, in his opinion, making a game for the series involves using “cutting-edge technology” and “having a very strong story as a backbone,” but also the “desire to challenge the status quo.”
Image: Square Enix via Polygon
Final Fantasy 9, by being responsible for returning to the series’ roots, made its mission to show the soul of the series. It did so not only by using crystals and castles to tell a story, though. Final Fantasy 9 looked for technological improvement, presenting a step up to visuals compared to previous games with beautiful cutscenes. Square used the PlayStation hardware potential and came up with the Active Time Event (ATE) system, a new tool to enrich the narrative, which gave us a peek at what other characters are doing while the main events are taking place. But on top of all of that, Final Fantasy 9 gathered the courage to go against expectations.
Final Fantasy 9 marks the series’ history by cementing that what makes a Final Fantasy game is a great story, and that the developers behind them are capable of creating such memorable experiences regardless of how they choose to do it. Like artists who mastered their craft after having pushed their limits by moving out of their comfort zone, Square returned the series to its origins in Final Fantasy 9 with the confidence of knowing what it is, a clear vision that opened the path to all the new ideas and worlds we came to know in the following games.
I get it. Wi-Fi routers are ugly. Your first impulse is probably to tuck your router away and hide ugly cords to reduce clutter, and I don’t blame you. When it comes to optimizing your internet connection throughout your home, router placement is key. If you’ve noticed your Wi-Fi struggling in certain rooms, it’s worth rethinking your router placement — even with a mesh system.
As an expert, I’ve been testing and reviewing router performance for years, and I’ve found that few things are as critical to Wi-Fi speeds as the location of your router. While a traditional Wi-Fi router sends out a signal from a single point in your home, a mesh system uses multiple devices to emit signals from various points. That makes it more like a team of routers that work together to relay your traffic back to the modem.
It’s a much better approach to home networking, particularly in large, multistory homes, where a traditional, single-point router will likely leave you with dead zones in the rooms that are farthest away.
Still, location is everything when setting up your router and satellite extenders, which are also sometimes called nodes (or Points if you use Nest Wi-Fi). Their specific location significantly affects the system’s performance. Internet is already expensive, with over 63% of US adults paying $195 or more on average, so if you’ve invested in a mesh router system, you should be getting the speeds you’re paying for. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you go. (You can also check out our tips on the best location for your Wi-Fi router and how to protect your home Wi-Fi network from hackers.)
Where is the best location to place your mesh router?
Mesh routers and other Wi-Fi devices perform their best when they’re located out in the open, and up off of the ground.
Netgear
First, you’ll want the main router, or the mesh device wired to your modem, to be located as centrally in your home as possible. That’s the same approach you’d take with a single router, and the reasoning is the same: Routers put out Wi-Fi signals in all directions, so placing your router in a central location within your home will maximize your connection.
That goes double for mesh systems, where the strength of the connection near your nodes will largely depend on the strength of the incoming signal from the main router. A stronger connection between the two will help ensure you’re getting the fastest Wi-Fi speeds throughout your home.
Your options for moving the router might seem limited by the location of your modem and the incoming wiring for your home’s internet connection, but an extra-long Ethernet cable can come in handy here, allowing you to move the router away from where the modem sits if necessary. If that’s impractical or you’d prefer to keep the cables to a minimum, you’ll at least want to move that main router out into the open, preferably as high off the ground as possible.
This guide from Asus highlights a mesh rule of thumb — for the best performance, try to keep each device in your setup no more than two rooms away from another one.
Asus
Move those extenders around
Once the main router is situated in the best spot possible, you’ll want to pick out good spots for the extenders. With most systems, you can connect each device to the main router with an Ethernet cable for the fastest speeds possible, but most people prefer to connect everything wirelessly to reduce clutter. Since Wi-Fi is slower than Ethernet, you’ll want to be extra strategic about where you place the extenders throughout your home. To learn more, read our guide on the difference between a Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet connection.
Again, out in the open and off the ground is your best bet for a clear signal, but you’ll also want to consider the layout of your home, as physical obstructions between the main router and the extenders can slow things down.
Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is to try and keep the devices in your mesh setup no more than two rooms away from each other. The thickness and material of your walls can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal, especially if they’re built with dense materials like brick or concrete, which can make it difficult for Wi-Fi signals to penetrate. You’ll also want to watch out for electronic interference from TVs and other large appliances. If you’re sticking a mesh extender in the kitchen, resist the urge to hide it on top of the fridge; move it away from your appliances altogether.
Most mesh systems come with companion apps that include placement guides for your devices, signal strength checks, and other diagnostic tools to help you make sure you’ve got everything in the best spot possible.
Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET
Furniture can also block Wi-Fi signals, so if you have anything large or bulky between two of your mesh devices, consider relocating it. Aquariums are another classic antagonist for your mesh setup, as Wi-Fi has difficulty transmitting through water.
The best way to ensure that your mesh network is as well-connected as possible is to open its app and check the signal strength of each device, which is something most systems offer. You can also find system-specific guidance online at the links below:
Avoid these dead zones
If you’ve got a back corner of your home where the signal drops out, it might be tempting to stick a mesh extender smack in the middle of that dead zone to boost your speeds. In a lot of cases, that’d be a mistake.
Remember, like your phone or laptop, your mesh extenders need to connect wirelessly with the main router in your setup. If that back corner is a dead zone for your phone or laptop, it’ll likely be a dead zone for your mesh extender too.
The better approach is to place that extender adjacent to the dead zone in a spot where it’ll have an easier time connecting with the main router. In some cases, that might be halfway between the dead zone and the main router, but you might need to experiment a bit. Hit the sweet spot, and the Wi-Fi signal it puts out should be a healthy one, and one that’ll extend into the dead zone to bring it back to life.
A good speed test will help you understand how your Wi-Fi is holding up from room to room.
James Martin/CNET
Run a speed test
Apart from the diagnostic tools in your mesh router’s app, the fastest way to check on your system’s performance is to run speed tests. There are plenty of free services online that we recommend, any of which will tell you in a minute or less the upload and download speeds on whatever device you’re using. However, our top recommendation is Ookla thanks to its consistency and reliability. This is also a tool that we often use to determine speeds offered by different internet providers. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
For the best intel, grab your laptop or phone and run multiple speed tests in each room of your house where you need a usable Wi-Fi signal. Ultimately, you should have a good ballpark sense of where speeds are the steadiest and where they dip. From there, you could try moving your extenders to try and balance things out, or you could consider buying an additional extender to fill in any gaps. Either way, your home should be all set with a strong signal wherever needed.
Running a speed test can help you figure out the best spot to put your mesh router.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Other considerations for your mesh router
Just remember that your mesh router can only offer speeds that are as fast as what you’re paying for from your ISP. If speeds are widely insufficient in your home, then it might be time to consider upgrading to a faster plan (and it might be worth seeing if your ISP will let you try a faster plan for a few days to see if that is, indeed, the problem). Your ISP might also be able to provide you with an updated modem that’ll bring better, faster speeds to your mesh system to begin with. Can’t hurt to ask.
If speeds still seem slower than you’d like, and your ISP isn’t the answer, there are a few other things you can try. For starters, if your provider’s modem is a gateway device that doubles as a router, you’ll want to disable its Wi-Fi network so that it doesn’t interfere with your mesh system’s Wi-Fi network.
Speaking of interference, it’s possible that a neighbor’s Wi-Fi network is interfering with yours. To remedy that, hop into your mesh router’s app and look for channel settings that let you tune your network to a different part of the Wi-Fi airwaves, potentially steering away from whatever channel nearby networks use. You’ll also want to ensure that your mesh system’s firmware is updates, which should be easy to check within its app.
For more, check out our picks for the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, and how to find free secure Wi-Fi wherever you go.
Mesh router placement FAQ
Where is the best mesh node placement?
The best place for your mesh router nodes depends on the layout of your house and whether there are any dead zones. Additionally, you’ll have to decide if you want to connect your mesh nodes with an Ethernet cable, for the fastest possible speeds, or wirelessly. If you opt for an Ethernet cable connection, you’ll be more limited with how far away you can place the nodes, but a good rule of thumb is to keep the mesh nodes no more than two rooms away from each other, away from blockage from bulky furniture or electronics and in an upraised position.
Instead of placing your mesh node in the middle of a dead zone, try placing it adjacent to or near the dead zone. That way, your node will still be close enough to your main mesh router to carry the signal.
…Read more
Does mesh make internet faster?
A common misconception about mesh routers is that they make your overall internet speeds faster. A mesh router network is perfect for ensuring consistent speeds throughout the house — and keeping any dead zones to a minimum — but they won’t necessarily bring faster speeds. Like a standard Wi-Fi router, mesh router systems can only deliver the speeds that you’re paying for from your ISP. Updated router equipment, optimized router location and an Ethernet connection are ultimately the easiest ways to get faster internet speeds.
…Read more
What is a major disadvantage of a mesh network?
One of the major downsides of a mesh router system is its high price: High-performing mesh routers tend to be more expensive than traditional Wi-Fi routers. If you’re trying to boost your Wi-Fi, you should exhaust other options before investing in a brand-new mesh router system.
Additionally, mesh routers tend to have fewer ports for connecting USB jacks or Ethernet cables, and some don’t have any extra ports at all.
…Read more
Is a mesh network better than a Wi-Fi extender?
Mesh router networks are much more efficient at boosting connectivity and reliability throughout the whole house than a Wi-Fi extender. A Wi-Fi extender may work if you already have a top-notch router and you only need improved connectivity in one area of the house. Mesh router systems act as a replacement for your Wi-Fi router and can offer whole-home coverage.
Mitch Evans managed to secure his first Julius Baer Pole Position of the year over a rain-soaked qualifying session in Berlin, with the Jaguar TCS Racing driver setting the best time of the two group sessions.
After a delayed start due to inclement weather, qualifying got underway at 12:00 local time. The wet weather made for challenging conditions, and the format was tweaked slightly with the Duels cancelled as part of the session. Instead, the rules were changed and the fastest drivers in their respective groups would sort the grid.
Mitch Evans was the fastest man across the field of 22 drivers, locking in and setting a lap time almost a second quicker than anyone else in his group. Lining up on the second row of the grid is Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns who is a beast in these wet weather conditions – setting his last Formula E pole here during similar conditions in Season 9.
Oliver Rowland will be third for Nissan, a solid starting position for a race where he could mathematically seal the deal for the drivers’ World Championship. He will line up with fellow countryman Jake Hughes (Maserati MSG Racing) in fourth, with Maximilian Guenther fifth for DS PENSKE.
RESULTS: Qualifying for 2025 Hankook Berlin E-Prix, Round 13
Group A
Cars made their way onto the track at midday local time, the rain continued to fall. The tricky conditions were clear, with cars slipping and sliding around the former airport in the damp. One man looked comfortable from the outset though: Mitch Evans.
The Kiwi was flying on his lap, banking purple sectors every time his Jaguar was on track and finding more and more time in the wet. This continued, and Evans finished his final lap improving in the second and third sectors to stay top with a time of 1m11.021s.
His nearest threat was Oliver Rowland, but was almost a second down on Evans. Rowland did also complain that he suffered from a power cut on his final lap, as he fights to wrap up the drivers’ title in Berlin this weekend.
Third was Maximilian Guenther for DS PENSKE, with Antonio Felix da Costa making a mistake on his final lap to prevent him from bettering a fourth place. CUPRA KIRO’s Dan Ticktum was fifth in his group, with Edoardo Mortara and Nico Mueller behind.
Sam Bird was eighth, with Jake Dennis only managing ninth and Zane Maloney in his Superman-themed Lola Yamaha ABT rounding out the top 10. Sergio Sette Camara was 11th upon his return, almost three seconds off Evans in his first race with Nissan in Formula E.
Group B
Next up was Group B, with the track conditions improving as expected. Robin Frijns loves these wet conditions, and it showed with him setting purple sectors to go top of the group – just off the time of Evans. Behind him was Jake Hughes for Maserati MSG Racing, with the Brit looking at home in the rainy conditions.
Pascal Wehrlein has a three-place grid penalty for causing a collision with da Costa yesterday, and finished third in the session which demotes him to ninth ahead of today’s race where his rival Oliver Rowland could wrap up the drivers’ World Championship. Nick Cassidy was commenting that he had technical problems with his brakes during the group session and finished ninth but also has a 20-place grid-drop after exceeding his number of MCUs this season.
With a 40-place penalty Sebastien Buemi didn’t participate in the session, and he would line up at the back of the grid no matter where he qualified.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Hankook Berlin E-Prix Rounds 13 & 14
Qualifying: 11:20 (09:20 UTC), Saturday 12 July Round 13: 16:00 (14:00 UTC), Saturday 12 July
Free Practice 3: 09:00, (07:00 UTC) Sunday 13 July Qualifying: 11:20 (09:20 UTC), Sunday 13 July Round 14: 16:00 (14:00 UTC), Sunday 13 July
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Police in Japan’s Shiga prefecture have arrested an Indian man for allegedly raping a teenage girl last month, local news outlet Kyoto Shimbun reported.
Shiga’s Otsu police arrested the man, identified as a 24-year-old temporary worker, on Thursday on suspicion of assaulting and raping a teenage high school girl.
The man allegedly assaulted the “girl living in the prefecture, including by choking her, and then having sexual intercourse with her at a hotel in Otsu city”.
The incident took place in the early hours of June 21, according to the report, which was also carried by Tokyo Reporter.
It quoted the Otsu police as saying that the suspect and the girl did not know each other. The man had gone with her to the front of a hotel under the pretence of asking for directions, then forced her into a room, the police said.
The suspect denied the charges and was quoted as saying, “I did not force her.”
In May, Japanese police said they arrested a former taxi driver on suspicion of drugging and raping a female passenger, with media reports saying police found about 3,000 videos and images of him sexually assaulting around 50 women in his taxi or his home.
In India, a court jailed a 31-year-old man for life in February following the rape and murder of a young Irish woman in the tourist resort state of Goa, nearly eight years after the crime.
The month prior, a Kolkata court handed a life sentence to a police volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a doctor, a crime that sparked nationwide protests and hospital strikes last year.
In March 2024, police in Dumka district of India’s Jharkhand state arrested eight men in connection with the gang rape of a Spanish tourist.
In 2016, five Indians who raped a Danish tourist after she asked for directions in New Delhi were sentenced to life in prison.
European powerhouses Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain will clash in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the United States of America, in the early hours of Monday.
The Chelsea v PSG CWC final starts at 12:30 AM IST on Monday and will be available to watch on live streaming and live telecast in India.
Chelsea have lost just one game in the Club World Cup after going down against Brazilian outfit Flamengo in the group stage.
The Blues won the UEFA Conference League in May and will be targeting their second piece of silverware in less than two months when they meet PSG in the final.
Chelsea, two-time European champions, lifted the FIFA Club World Cup once in 2021 and were runners-up in 2012 – both under the tournament’s previous format.
PSG also head into the final with just one loss against Brazil’s Botafogo in the group stage.
The Parisians will be looking to add the Club World Cup title to their trophy cabinet after completing the treble by winning their first-ever UEFA Champions League crown last month.
The French giants will look to keep their bid for an unprecedented septuple alive as they chase a maiden FIFA Club World Cup title.
Having already clinched Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Champions League crown, PSG are now eyeing three more trophies as they look to etch their name in football history.
Victory at the Club World Cup, followed by triumphs in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, will see Luis Enrique’s side become the first club to complete a septuple.
Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona famously secured the sextuple in 2009.
The head-to-head between the teams is tilted slightly in PSG’s favour. The French side has won three times, while Chelsea have two wins. Two matches between these teams have ended in draws.
Where to watch Chelsea vs PSG FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final live in India
Live streaming of the Chelsea vs PSG FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final will be available on the FanCode app and website in India. DAZN will also live stream the Club World Cup final for free globally. Live telecast of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final will be available on the Eurosport TV channels in India.
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP):Civil society activists have called for the expansion of the Pink Bus Service across Pakistan to ensure safer, more accessible and dignified travel options for women, especially those commuting from rural and suburban areas to cities for education and employment.
Talking to APP here Saturday, Advocate Aliya Faheem, a traveler welcomed the initiative and emphasized the growing demand for such gender-sensitive transport. “The Pink Bus service is not just a transportation option, rather, it is a step toward women empowerment. It enables women to travel without fear and with dignity,” she stated.
Launched under the tag line “No Fear, No Barrier,” the Pink Bus project is a government-led effort, supported by various public transport authorities and local administrations, aimed at improving woman’s access to public spaces by providing female-only transport.
The service primarily benefits female students commuting to schools, colleges, and universities and working women, including nurses, teachers, and office employees,domestic workers and low-income women who lack private transport options.
Noreen Fatima that the number of buses is insufficient to meet current demand, often resulting in overcrowding and long waiting times. “An increase in the fleet and route coverage will help bridge the urban-rural mobility gap and encourage more women to participate in public life,” she said.
The initiative is seen as part of broader efforts to promote gender-inclusive urban planning and uphold women’s right to safe mobility, which is essential for achieving gender equality in Pakistan, She added.
Civil society members also urged provincial governments and transport departments to allocate more funds to expand the initiative and ensure its sustainability. In some cities, such as Lahore, the Pink Bus Service had faced operational challenges in the past, including fuel shortages and maintenance issues, but advocates believe that with proper policy support, the service can be scaled up effectively.
Currently operational in selected cities like Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi
and Multan, these buses operate on fixed routes during peak hours and are exclusively for female passengers. They are staffed with female conductors and, in some areas, even female drivers to ensure comfort and a sense of security for the passengers.
