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  • Kambundji shocks in Tokyo as Swiss peaks to take 100m hurdles gold | News | Tokyo 25

    Kambundji shocks in Tokyo as Swiss peaks to take 100m hurdles gold | News | Tokyo 25

    Prior to Monday night, Ditaji Kambundji was not even the biggest athletics name in her family, let alone the field for the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

    And yet the Swiss athlete upstaged a series of more heavily fancied rivals to seal a shock gold, shattering her personal best in the process.

    Kambundji, whose sister Mujinga is a double world champion indoors and a global medallist outdoors, had struggled to translate her own indoor form in 2025 to the outdoors.

    But when it mattered, she produced the race of her lifetime to win in a time of 12.24, which was just shy of Yordanka Donkova’s 27-year-old European record but well below the 12.40 Ditaji had run in Rome last year and Zurich this year.

    While the 23-year-old had not been tipped as one of the favourites, the final still appeared to be wide open.

    There was the Olympic champion Masai Russell, who had fallen at the last World Championships but was the fastest woman in the world this year with a 12.17 to put her second on the world all-time list.

    And there was the one woman faster than her, the Nigerian Tobi Amusan as well as Russell’s US teammate Grace Stark, who has been arguably the most consistent sprint hurdler this season with three Diamond League victories prior to Tokyo.

    But Kambundji had a great start and was never bettered as she took the line ahead of Amusan in second with Stark rounding off the podium. Following the win, she had a look of utter disbelief at the result amid emotional celebrations.

    Meanwhile, Russell, was thrown off her rhythm by hitting a number of hurdles and missed out on the medals in fourth place.

    There was a shock in the semifinals earlier in the evening when Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent missed out on a place in the final, narrowly edged out of the second of the two non-automatic qualifying spots.

    The 23-year-old has been one of the more consistent athletes on the world stage this season after taking out a series of the Tokyo finalists in Eugene and Zurich, the latter resulting in her winning the first Diamond League title of her career.

    Stark, in the same semifinal, won that ahead of Kambundji. Semifinal two followed the form book as Amusan edged out Nadine Visser to be the fastest into the final.

    The world record-holder’s time of 12.36 was just a one hundredth of a second quicker than Stark whose teammate Russell had to work hard to get through the field to win the third semi-final.

    Come the final, Kambundji turned the world order on its head for comfortably the biggest win of her nascent career.

    Matt Majendie for World Athletics

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  • Mondo Duplantis soars to pole vault gold and 14th world record

    Mondo Duplantis soars to pole vault gold and 14th world record

    The rise and rise of Mondo Duplantis: What’s next for track & field’s greatest entertainer?

    Seeing Duplantis vault in an international competition has become its own special type of show. It is rare that an athlete is so universally loved, and the expectation that comes with watching him — that a world record may be set every time he competes — can be felt throughout the stadium with each gasp of the crowd.

    This particular show had a little of everything. He played to the Tokyo audience by striking a Shohei Ohtani pose after clearing 6.15m, motioned downwards to calm their emotions when he scraped the bar on his second 6.30m attempt, and leapt in among them when he finally broke the world record.

    But showmanship would mean nothing without the stats to back it up. And Duplantis has them in abundance.

    14 world records. Two Olympic titles. Three world championship golds. Five Diamond League titles.

    The list goes on.

    And yet it watching Duplantis at his brilliant best never gets old. His victory in Tokyo and the roars from the crowd that accompanied it are a testament to the fact that this is one of the greatest athletes operating in the world today.

    At Paris 2024, Duplantis suggested to Olympics.com that the height he conquered this evening might be his long-term goal, saying: “I know I can jump higher, and I want to jump a lot higher. I would like to jump over 6.30m.”

    Now with that mark scuppered, like the 13 other world records before it, the question is, what’s next for Mondo Duplantis?

    And while the world is eager for an answer to that question, it’s one for another day. For now, he is content to revel in the present as he continues his history-making journey in sport.

    “I don’t know what is next for me at this moment,” he said, with the expected uncertainty of someone whose goals constantly need to change. “I don’t care. I will just enjoy this right now.”

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  • expert reaction to UK-US deal on energy security

    Scientists comment on news of a UK-US deal on nuclear energy.

     

    Professor Fiona Rayment, President of the Nuclear Institute, said:

    “We welcome today’s news of the US-UK deal to enable major expansion of new nuclear projects in the UK, building on investment in Sizewell C, SMRs, fusion and defence nuclear earlier this year.

    “This announcement again confirms nuclear’s vital role in ensuring energy and national security, as well as delivering high-skilled, well-paid jobs across the country. New nuclear projects, both large and small, are crucial to meeting our energy needs.”

     

     

     

    Declared interests

    No reply to our request for DOIs was received.

     

     

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  • ‘We were being watched by the KGB’: how Scorpions made Wind of Change | Culture

    ‘We were being watched by the KGB’: how Scorpions made Wind of Change | Culture

    Klaus Meine, vocals/songwriter

    Being a West German band made playing the Soviet Union in the late 1980s particularly special. We’d grown up in a divided country and had tried many times to play in East Germany, but they would never let us in. When we did our first gig in what was then Leningrad, the atmosphere was a bit grey, not very colourful or rock’n’roll – but hearts started opening up over the course of the 10 gigs we did in the city. It ended up a bit like Beatlemania, with fans circling our cars after every show.

    In Leningrad, we realised we were being watched by the KGB. But when we played the Moscow Music Peace festival the following year, the soldiers in the stadium turned to face the bands, joined in the cheering and became part of the audience. It was like the world was changing in front of our eyes. Suddenly, with Mikhail Gorbachev in the Kremlin – and perestroika and glasnost – it was possible for this Russian Woodstock to happen. It was hard to believe that people had been sent to prison for listening to western rock music – because now there was a Russian audience going nuts to Rock You Like a Hurricane.

    In September, after I came home, I started fiddling around with my little keyboard. Wind of Change was not some kind of fantasy: it was one of those songs that comes from deep in your soul and you just try to express what you’ve lived through. The lyric refers to Moscow’s landmarks because when we played the festival there, all the bands went for a boat ride on the Moskva, all the way to Gorky Park.

    The whistling was a result of me having no guitar when I was writing it. The record company in the US later called me and said: “You have to take the whistle out.” I said: “No way.” When the song went through the roof, the same guy came to me, bending over and saying: “Klaus, I was wrong. Please forgive me – you can kick my ass!”

    Matthias Jabs did a wonderful kind of Hendrix guitar intro, while Rudolf Schenker played a fantastic guitar solo – and it all just came together. But not one of us thought about the political side of Wind of Change. Nobody had a master plan. For me, it was just a reflection of what we saw, this change in the air. It’s a song of hope for a peaceful future, perfect for that historical moment.

    When Patrick Radden Keefe – a very serious journalist from the New Yorker – confronted me with the theory that the CIA wrote Wind of Change to bring the cold war to an end, I had to laugh. Not in your wildest dreams would you think of something like that. But in the end, his podcast was a huge promotion for the song.

    A line in Wind of Change says: “We could be so close, like brothers.” That was exactly the way we felt at the Moscow Music Peace festival. Now, 35 years later, it’s like the clock is ticking backwards. It’s very sad.

    Rudolf Schenker, guitar

    In Leningrad, we were playing to over 10,000 people each night. By the time of the Moscow Music Peace festival, we were big in Russia. But MTV wanted Bon Jovi to headline. The fans went crazy while we played – then Bon Jovi came on and they all left the stadium. We saw Jon Bon Jovi do an interview later that night and he said: “I’ll never play after the Scorpions again!”

    We could already feel the world drastically changing. And after we came back from Moscow, Klaus called me and said: “I have a song.” Normally, Klaus didn’t write music, just lyrics. But he played me Wind of Change and I told him: “It’s great, but there’s one thing missing – a chorus.” He came back with the full song when we went to Vancouver to record the Crazy World album.

    I worked hard on the guitar solo, because I’d realised the song’s potential. I’m not the best guitarist – normally I’m the rhythm player. So I remember sitting with my headphones on, tracking take after take, trying to put down a solo that would lift up the lyrics for a powerful finale.

    Wind of Change was released in January 1991, and I said to Klaus: “You know what? We also have to record a version in Russian.” Pirate radio was born at that time in Russia, and at six every morning, they’d start by playing that song. It became the soundtrack to the most peaceful revolution on Earth. Now, we have a whole different world. In 2022, Klaus said, “I can’t sing Wind of Change the way it was” – and he changed the lyrics he sings live to ones that support Ukraine.

    The new Scorpions compilation, From the First Sting, is out on 26 September via BMG

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  • Two new polio cases reported in southern KP, taking country-wide tally to 26 – Pakistan

    Two new polio cases reported in southern KP, taking country-wide tally to 26 – Pakistan

    Two fresh polio virus cases have been detected in the south of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, taking the nationwide tally to 26, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Monday.

    Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.

    According to a press release issued by the NIH, one of the cases was detected in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali tehsil in a 19-month-old infant, while the other case was confirmed in an 11-month-old infant in Lakki Marwat’s Suleman Khel tehsil.

    The two new cases have taken the total number of cases reported in KP to 18, the highest out of any province in the country. The nationwide tally now stands at 26, with six cases from Sindh, 18 from KP and one each from Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, NIH said.

    Detailing the results of August’s environmental sewage samples regarding polio — collected from 87 districts across the country — the NIH said, “of the 126 environmental samples tested, 75 were found negative with no poliovirus detected, while 51 samples tested positive.”

    As per NIH, out of a total of 23 samples tested for polio in Balochistan, only one was positive, while in KP, out of 34 samples tested, 10 were found to be positive.

    Punjab recorded 14 polio-positive samples, out of 31 tested; Polio virus was found in 24 of the 29 samples tested in Sindh, 12 of which were in Karachi, as per the NIH.

    One sample each was found positive for the virus in GB and Islamabad.

    “Balochistan reported a marked reduction, with only one positive environmental site in July and August, down from 19 in January,” the press release said.

    “In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, positive environmental sites dropped from 13 in April to 10 in August,” it noted, adding that “seven out of the 10 positive sites were in the south of the province, while all samples from Peshawar tested negative for the virus.

    “In Islamabad, the number of positive environmental sites has decreased from three in July to one in August,” the press release said.

    NIH expressed concern at the “continued detection of cases, particularly in southern KP,” stating that “children living in hard-to-reach areas and those in communities with low vaccine acceptance remain most at risk.”

    In connection with that, a sub-national polio campaign began in southern KP today and is set to run for the next three days until September 18.

    “A special action plan for southern KP was developed and [is] being implemented under the supervision of Chief Secretary KP, focusing on strengthening monitoring, addressing access challenges, and promoting community-led initiatives to reach unreached children in high-risk areas,” the statement read.

    KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah has “directed urgent, intensified efforts to ensure no child is left unvaccinated,” the press release said.

    “Earlier this month, the National Emergency Operations Centre conducted a sub-national polio vaccination campaign from 1–7 September 2025 in 81 districts across the country, successfully reaching more than 19.8 million children under five,” it added.

    NIH urged parents and caregivers to play their part in helping eradicate polio.

    Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the oral polio vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, along with the timely completion of all essential immunisations.

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  • World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025: Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji scores shock win in women's 100m hurdles – Olympics.com

    World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025: Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji scores shock win in women's 100m hurdles – Olympics.com

    1. World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025: Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji scores shock win in women’s 100m hurdles  Olympics.com
    2. Tokyo 2025: Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan storms into 100mH final  Vanguard News
    3. World Athletics Championship: Ditaji Kambundji runs national record to take gold for Switzerland  BBC
    4. JUST IN: Amusan storms into 100m hurdles final at World Championships  Premium Times Nigeria
    5. Gold in Tokyo: Ditaji Kambundji writes Swiss athletics history  blue News

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  • Landmark EPD squads for U16 boys and girls named

    Landmark EPD squads for U16 boys and girls named

    The two EPD squads follow a comprehensive talent identification process during the recently held FNB Grant Khomo and FNB Girls Week for U16s in Pretoria and Johannesburg, with the groups ultimately forming the bedrock of the national pathway process for these promising players.

    According to Herman Masimla, SA Rugby’s Senior Manager; Development in the Participation & Development Department, the two squads represent the next generation of South African rugby excellence.

    “The naming of our first-ever Under-16 Girls EPD squad is a landmark achievement in our journey to elevate women’s rugby,” said Masimla.

    “It’s also a powerful intervention at a critical stage in the development of these young players. Their inclusion signals our commitment to building a truly inclusive and representative pathway for young girls in South African rugby.”

    Masimla explained there is a comprehensive strategic plan in place for the two camps which will be held simultaneously in the week of 5 to 11 October in Paarl.

    “We will fully assess players on all rugby aspects, especially the fundamentals of the game, which will allow us to develop a player profile for each player, and that tool will then be used to assess and monitor youngsters,” he said.

    “Based on the individual assessments, we can then use the player profiles to design intervention strategies, where necessary, to assist with the growth and development of the players.”

    Masimla further emphasised that these profiles will also be shared with the respective schools and provincial union of each player: “If all goes according to plan, and especially if the intervention strategy does what is necessary, then we expect most of these two groups to be included in next year’s U17 EPD intake as they continue their journey through the SA Rugby talent identification pathway.”

    During their week-long get together, the U16 EPD boys’ group will be taken through their paces by the 2025 SA Schools coaches, Lwazi Zangqa, Cobus van Dyk, Flash Malinga and Clinton van Rensburg, while former SA Schools head coaches Sean Erasmus and Katlego Lynch will oversee the girls’ squad assessment activities.

    Boys U16 EPD group (5-11 October at Boland Landbou):

    Props: Clement Makelele (Sharks, Kearsney College), Ziaan Slabbert (Bulls, Affies), Thomas Meyer (WP, Paul Roos), Lelethu Nono (EP, Grey High), Entle Nqcaba (EP, St Andrews), Tunga Griffiths (Sharks, Kearsney College), Liam De Jager (Bulls, Affies), Rossouw de Waal (Cheetahs, Grey College).

    Hookers: Iglesias Bruiners (Lions, Noordheuwel), Hendre Ehlers (Bulls, Affies), Luka van der Westhuizen (WP, Paarl Gim), Nyakallo Masiloene (Sharks, DHS).

    Locks: Bulelani Cebani (Sharks, DHS), Aobakwe Moeng (Sharks, DHS), Werner de Bruin (WP, Paul Roos), Alexander Muller (Bulls, Affies), Franklin Stevens (Griquas, Diamantveld), Derrick Groenewald (WP, Paarl Gim), Mbala Ndima (Bulls, Pretoria Boys High).

    Loose forwards: Siphesihle Marule (Pumas, Uplands College), Thubelihle Marule (Pumas, Uplands College), Siyaya Menzi (Pumas, Middelburg), Jaydon Jubber (Sharks, Michaelhouse), Janu Pretorius (WP, Rondebosch), Keegan Fourie (Bulls, Affies), Henre Valentyn (WP, Paarl Boys’ High), Amayo Egbujor (Boland, HTS Drostdy), Caleb Pretorius (Bulls, Affies), Corne Ferreira (WP, Paarl Gim), Luniko Marivate (WP, Paarl Boys’ High), Niel du Randt (Cheetahs, Grey College), Lwango Ntantala (Sharks, Hilton College).

    Scrumhalves: Rufagon Hendricks (SWD, Outeniqua), Theuns van Rensburg (Griffons, Trio), Ben Hughes (Sharks, Michaelhouse), Jordan Forbes (WP, SACS).

    Flyhalves: Tanwill Onkers (SWD, Outeniqua), Daniel Miskey (Sharks, Kearsney College), Ndzalama Mbhalati (Lions, Jeppe), Reuben Smith (Bulls, Affies).

    Centres: Anfred Jansen (EP, Grey High), Elgenio Oerson (Sharks, Glenwood), James Sale (WP, SACS), De Waal Vivier (WP, Paarl Gim), Asa Mgwatyu (Lions, KES), Danre Brink (Bulls, Affies).

    Wings: Rosco Williams (Sharks, Glenwood), Kingsley Pule (Cheetahs, Grey College), Blessing Manoreng (Lions, Monument), Darnell Delport (SWD, Outeniqua), Sterlin Padi (Sharks, DHS), Rhandzu Mkhabela (Pumas, Nelspruit).

    Fullbacks: Ray-Nathin van Kolver (Lions, Monument), Kyle van Staden (Bulls, Affies), Hadley Erasmus (WP, Durbanville).

    Girls U16 EPD group (5-11 October at La Rochelle Girls’ High School):

    Props: Fetumane Endinako (Border, Ngangelizwe), Zayaan Majiet (WP, Manenberg), Fiona Sehlangu (Limpopo, Magoza), Thando Hlakanyana (Lions, Krugersdorp), Amahle Tole (EP, Motherwell), Rethabile Kubequ (Lions, Altmont Tech), Zingce Lofana (WP, Zimasa Primary), Maphanga Ludumo (Pumas, Lowveld), Agnes Maoka (Limpopo, Northern Academy), Sanga Makalane (EP, Port Alfred).

    Hookers: Shanelia Heugh (WP, HTS Bellville), Robyn Scheepers (WP, Curro Delft), Pobana Musawenkosi (Border, Tsholomnqa), Alwandle Ngcobo (KZN, uMlazi Cotech).

    Locks: Ntuli Ntwariso (Lions, Altmont Tech), Ogbu Nicole (Lions, Sir John Adamson), Karabo Mokale (Bulls, Phatheng Secondary), Magriet de Klerk (WP, DF Malan), Sine Sezelwa (Border, Kalalo Junior), Tsakani Chauke (Lions, Kwabhekilanga Secondary).

    Loose forwards: Inathi Nxiweni (WP, Athlone), Nokuthula Dube (Bulls, Kgomotso Secondary), Sarender Chauke (Limpopo, Magoza), Erin Ogram (Sharks, Richardsbaai), Nqadini Palisa (EP, Mzontsudu), Hlatshwayo Onthathile (Pumas, Lowveld), Mtebele Noluthando (Leopards, Bothoka THS), Chemike Visser (Bulls, Concordia).

    Scrumhalves: Sontsethe Elihle (Border, Kalalo Junior), Larissa Kriel (Lions, Marais Viljoen), Imange Norayose (Border, Silimela), Brumilda Fitzgerald (EP, Middelande).

    Flyhalves: Jehoma Danrica (WP, Simon’s Town), Alice Ncube (Lions, Kwabhekilanga), Angel Nxasane (Pumas, Standerton), Nxumalo Noxolo (Pumas, Lowveld).

    Centres: Landor Azraa (WP, Manenberg), Mia Kanka (WP, Rusthof Secondary), Angel Minnaar (EP, Middelande), Sherezaan Fortune (WP, Manenberg), Tatum-Joy Kaboni (SWD, George), Pathakge Ralley-Amahle (Pumas, Hill Crest).

    Wings: Kali Liyabona (Border, Hlumani), Jacobs Cassidy (Boland, Gansbaai), Letticia Prins (WP, Scottsville), Sibongiseni Gumede (Lions, Vorentoe), Madiniyah Joseph (WP, Downeville Primary), Nkosi Ayanda (Pumas, Azalea).

    Fullbacks: Chariva Visagie (EP, Middelande), Chibandika Joan (Pumas, Hill Crest).

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  • World Athletics Championships 2025: Geordie Beamish’s bounces back to clinch world title: From face spike to 300om steeplechase gold

    World Athletics Championships 2025: Geordie Beamish’s bounces back to clinch world title: From face spike to 300om steeplechase gold

    Geordie Beamish kissed the ground at Tokyo’s National Stadium and shook his head in disbelief.

    The Kiwi steeplechaser had just produced one of the biggest upsets at this year’s World Athletics Championships, stunning 3000m steeplechase defending champion Soufiane El Bakkali to win gold in 8:33.88 on Monday (15 September).

    Morocco’s two-time Olympic champion appeared to have the race locked up as he approached the finish line. But he did not see Beamish charging from behind until it was too late.

    The New Zealander surged past him in the final strides, snatching the world title by just 0.07 seconds.

    El Bakkali had to settle for silver (8:33.95).

    Beamish was already the talk of the athletics worlds on Saturday after a dramatic fall in the heats. The former world indoor champion took a tumble over a barrier on the final lap. Canada’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés went down with him. A photo later shows how his running shoe is making contact with Beamish’s face.

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  • 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

    5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

    With the European swing of races now complete, it’s time for the 2025 Formula 1 season to enter its final third. Sixteen races down, eight still to go, and the remaining flyaway rounds kick off with a visit to Baku, which can often be a chaotic weekend…

    McLaren on the verge of the Constructors’ Championship

    So much of the focus this season has been on the battle between the two McLaren drivers, as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris duel it out for the Drivers’ Championship in what has become a two-driver race.

    With both performing at such a high level – seven wins for Piastri, five for Norris, and seven 1-2s within that – the byproduct of such impressive point-scoring is McLaren have a significant lead over the chasing pack in the Constructors’ Championship. So significant, in fact, that they could wrap up the title this weekend in Baku.

    A combined finish of first and second, or first and third, would be enough for McLaren to become champions regardless of what second-placed Ferrari do, while beyond that they just have to outscore the Scuderia by nine points. If they manage to do that, then as long as they don’t lose 12 points to Mercedes, or 33 points to Red Bull, then McLaren will be champions.

    Should the title be secured this weekend, it would mark the earliest point in a season that it has been won, with seven rounds still remaining after the trip to Azerbaijan.

    Can Red Bull repeat their Monza form?

    Despite standing on the verge of winning a championship, McLaren were actually beaten for the first time in six races at Monza, and it wasn’t by their nearest title chasers.

    Ferrari were victorious at their home race a year ago, but this time around it was Red Bull who took the win, with the result marking a significant turnaround in fortunes at Monza over the past 12 months.

    From being over half a minute adrift of the race-winner in 2024, Max Verstappen beat the two McLarens by over 19 seconds this time around to secure his third win of the season. It was Verstappen’s first win since the other Italian round in Imola – a run of nine races.

    While Verstappen appears too far back in the title fight to hold any realistic ambitions of his own, he could still be a major factor if Red Bull can replicate their Monza pace at any other venues. A new floor introduced last time out delivered a step forward, but both Verstappen and Red Bull pointed to setup choices as particularly significant.

    Baku will provide a very different challenge and was another track that Verstappen struggled at a year ago as Red Bull’s form declined, so this weekend will give us further evidence of whether Monza was a one-off due to the unique track characteristics, or if McLaren could face more regular opposition from the defending champion.

    Antonelli’s response after Wolff’s comments

    Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli has enjoyed very strong support from Mercedes throughout his career so far, both during his junior years and since making the step up to race for the team alongside George Russell this year.

    That support remains, but team principal Toto Wolff was the most critical we have heard him be towards Antonelli after the Italian Grand Prix, a race weekend that Wolff described as “underwhelming”.

    Antonelli spun off during FP2 and then struggled at times to make progress through traffic during the race itself, picking up a penalty for forcing Alex Albon off track – described by the stewards as “erratic driving” – as he was classified ninth.

    That was actually Antonelli’s best result of a difficult European part of the season, with his only other score coming courtesy of a tenth place in Hungary. So the return to tracks in different parts of the world could actually mark a change in form for the 19-year-old.

    The last time he raced outside Europe, in Canada, he was on the podium for the first time, and the Italian has previously said he was putting too much pressure on himself to perform on European tracks he knows. Baku was a happy hunting ground in F2 for Antonelli last year as he secured a feature race podium, and offers the chance to reset after Monza.

    Bearman at risk of a ban

    Not for the first time this season, we’re entering a race weekend with a driver within just two penalty points of being banned for an event. And while Ollie Bearman should be reflecting positively on the anniversary of his racing debut for Haas, he is the driver who is most at risk.

    It was actually a race ban for Kevin Magnussen – earned when he exceeded the 12 penalty point limit at Monza a year ago – that opened the door for Bearman to drive at Baku in 2024, and he duly took it by securing a point in tenth place. That made Bearman the first driver in F1 history to score points in his first two races for two different teams.

    But this year, he arrives in a similar situation to Magnussen. A penalty earned at Monza – for causing a collision with Carlos Sainz – leaves Bearman with 10 penalty points on his licence. Two more would trigger an automatic one-race ban, a tightrope that Bearman will have to walk until after the Mexico City Grand Prix in four races’ time.

    The penalty points system, and penalties in general, could become a talking point among the drivers this weekend, after Williams managed to successfully overturn Sainz’s penalty regarding his collision with Liam Lawson in Zandvoort. The team said the decision to request a right of review was “important for us to understand how to go racing in future”, and the stewards agreed new footage showed it was a racing incident, leading to the rescinding of penalty points Sainz was given.

    A unique venue with a chance of chaos

    The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has become a bit of a fan favourite during its relatively short time on the Formula 1 calendar, with its eight editions so far generally taking on one of two guises. There have been a few largely incident free runs to the flag, or there have been some extremely dramatic races.

    Drivers appeared to play it safe for the inaugural race in Baku back in 2016, expecting to bank a good result if they stayed out of trouble based on extremely chaotic support races. When that led to little in the way of incidents, the approach changed a year later for what was perhaps the most chaotic race of the lot in 2017.

    There was plenty of drama in 2021, too, while last year’s race also provided brilliant action courtesy of a thrilling fight for the win between Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, and a last-lap collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.

    Baku’s extremely tight and twisty castle section, paired with an extremely long flat-out run at the end of the lap, creates a unique challenge of a high speed street circuit with plenty of overtaking potential, while also punishing mistakes.

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  • Jason Wu Collection Spring 2026 Ready to Wear Runway, Fashion Show & Collection Review

    Jason Wu Collection Spring 2026 Ready to Wear Runway, Fashion Show & Collection Review

    “What I really like about fashion is it’s about the reflection of what’s happening in our society, and it’s a time that I think we need to,” Jason Wu said backstage of his pretty spring show while putting the finishing touches on an upholstery-inspired gown. Putting on one show a year has given the designer the freedom to imbue his clothes with more meaning, which has resulted in designs seen through the lens of deconstructed, raw beauty and to special artists partnerships. 

    This season Wu partnered with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, which is marking its 100th birthday, to explore the dialogue between art and fashion through collage. Granted access to the archive, Wu focused on 10 of the artist’s works from his ‘70s Hoarfrost series and Airport Suite editions that feature layered translucent textiles, unexpected materials like cardboard and solvent-transferred images. They were reflected not only through Wu’s clothes, but were also present, on loan from the foundation, within his industrial show space.

    “It marks a time that we’re in right now. I think now we need beauty more than ever, but yet, it’s also a reflection of me. I’m a collage — I’ve lived everywhere, and New York is the biggest collage place ever,” he mused.

    He translated the artist’s methodology by collaging and patchworking his Purina dog chow bags and retro lingerie works with trompe-l’oeil effect into ample airy, sheer organza garments. Wu continued to fill the collection with artisanal texture, combining stripes of printed washed satin into fringes; peeling back the layers of a cardboard-inspired brown corset dress, and tacking on draped sheer and printed panels to add new dimension to his undone evening and sportswear works. A beautiful balance of art and fashion. 

    “For the first 10 years of my career, I was trying to be very perfect because I thought that’s what people wanted to see. I’m taking my DNA, but doing it as I would do it now, with a little more guts,” Wu said.

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