title

Britain’s Tom Aspinall has vacated his UFC heavyweight title because of complications in his recovery from an eye injury, but says he has no plans to retire.

The 33-year-old has not fought since October 2025, when the first defence of his title against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest following several eye pokes.

Aspinall was diagnosed with a rare eye condition, and has had persistent double vision and several operations.

“I am absolutely gutted. I have chased this dream since I was 10 years old,” he said in a statement.

“I know what it’s like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title.”

In June Aspinall said he had returned to full training for a rematch with France’s Gane and suggested they could fight in September.

In August Aspinall rejected reports that he would leave the UFC.

“I am not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,” he said on Monday.

“I will continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.”

UFC president Dana White hinted over the weekend that Aspinall could be stripped of the title.

This month Valentina Shevchenko vacated the women’s flyweight title because of persistent injuries.

Gane beat Alex Pereira to win the interim heavyweight title in June before calling for a rematch with Aspinall.

NEW YORK: Alexander Zverev won his second major championship and kept American men without a Grand Slam title since 2003, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday in the US Open final.

Zverev finally broke through in the majors by winning this year’s French Open and followed up by finally adding the title in New York that he so painfully let slip away in 2020.

The No. 1 seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, he capitalized on Shelton’s shaky start in his first major final, played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve and then turned back Shelton’s comeback attempt in front of a crowd that desperately cheered him on.

Shelton was trying to win the first title by an American man since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, as well as the first by a Black man since Arthur Ashe in 1968.

But Zverev was too good in majors this year and apparently didn’t even know how good he was. He finished the match on his serve but didn’t seem to realize it, dropping back behind the baseline as if set to return. Only a few moments later did he figure out he had won, raising his arms in celebration.

Alexander Zverev used his greater experience to beat home hope Ben Shelton in the US Open final and quiet a partisan crowd hoping to laud a rare American men’s champion.

German top seed Zverev lifted a heavy burden by winning his first major title at this year’s French Open and has quickly added another with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 6-2 victory over Shelton in New York.

At the start of the season, there were question marks over whether 29-year-old Zverev would ever win one of the sport’s biggest prizes.

Now he is celebrating becoming a multiple Grand Slam singles champion, having seen the path to glory partially cleared by injuries to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner and Alcaraz swept the board between them at the majors in 2024 and 2025 – and Zverev has taken full advantage against the rest of the field in their absences.

Big-hitting Shelton has long been identified as a player who can win the most prestigious titles, but ultimately came up short in his first Grand Slam final against a rejuvenated Zverev.

Eighth seed Shelton was aiming to become the first American man to win a major title since Andy Roddick in 2003, but losing serve in the first game of the match set the tone as Zverev controlled the opening two sets.

The momentum shifted in the third set, however, as Shelton finally started applying serious pressure on Zverev’s serve.

Taking his third break opportunity provided encouragement to the 24,000 home fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Zverev quickly reasserted his authority early in the fourth to extinguish American dreams.

Zverev did not initially know he had secured victory when Shelton hit a return long on championship point, only breaking out into a broad and slightly surprised smile after his team pointed out the score to him.

LAS VEGAS — After taking 10 years to win his first world championship, Ryan Garcia needed only 4 minutes and 25 seconds to finish off Conor Benn on Saturday night in the first defense of his WBC welterweight title.

“I kind of figured he would just come at me crazy,” Garcia said. “Second round, I said I’m tired of him coming forward; I’m gonna stand my ground a little bit … and then he got caught with a hellacious one.”

Garcia’s sharp right hand to the jaw put Benn on the canvas early in the second round. Moments later, with the Englishman on the ropes, Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs) served a flurry of punches that prompted referee Thomas Taylor to step in and end the contest at the 1:25 mark and send the announced sold-out crowd of 18,855 into a frenzy.

”He’s exactly what I thought he was; he went in and tried to fight me. I think he needs to be a little bit more patient,” Garcia said. “I don’t think he has enough experience. I think he will be back. I have a new level of respect for him.”

Garcia closed -300 at BetMGM, meaning bettors would have had to put down $300 to win $100.

WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia celebrates after defeating Conor Benn in the second round Saturday.

(Steve Marcus / Getty Images)

The bout was more than another high-profile main event, as it marked a career-defining crossroads for both fighters.

For Garcia, he solidified himself in the 147-pound weight class as a durable, legitimate titleholder rather than a gifted attraction whose career has often been defined by controversy, inconsistency and unrealized potential.

The convincing victory positioned Garcia for a lucrative welterweight fight against the division’s other leading names, including Teofimo Lopez, who was ringside, or another major showdown with Devin Haney, who was also in attendance.

For the 29-year-old Benn (25-2), it’s likely back to the middleweight division after failing in his first world-title opportunity and a chance to escape the considerable shadow of his father, former two-division champion Nigel Benn.

Benn was transported to a hospital after the fight for observation.

In the co-main event, Jai Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) patiently weathered several cagey rounds before stopping Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round of their scheduled 12-round lineal cruiserweight championship fight.

Opetaia stunned Mikaelian (28-4) with a multi-punch combination and two crushing hooks, then sent him backward into the ropes with a powerful right hand. Referee Harvey Dock administered a standing eight-count before determining Mikaelian could not continue, ending the competitive fight by TKO at 1:30.

Da’Mazion Vanhouter (13-0, 10 KOs) wasted no time in his scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout, delivering a crushing right hand at the 1:58 mark of the first round for a knockout of Raphael Akpejiori (19-4).

In the 10-round lightweight bout that opened the main card, Andres Cortes (26-0) retained his belt with a unanimous decision over Mark Magsayo (29-3), with all three judges scoring the fight 97-93.

Ramirez writes for the Associated Press.

Rybakina rarely shows emotion on the court but there was a brief flash of a smile as she clinched her second major victory of an outstanding 2026 season.

That illustrated the sense of satisfaction she felt after winning a title few had predicted – not only because she had never previously gone beyond the last 16 in New York but the circumstances coming into the final major of the season.

With her penetrating serve and thunderous groundstrokes, Rybakina has a brand of first-strike tennis that can take the racquet out of anyone’s hands.

Therefore it has been a surprise she has not enjoyed greater success on the Flushing Meadows hard courts, perhaps a result of her personality not being particularly suited to the brash nature of New York.

“I was coming here for the last 10 years and it was never successful. I’m falling in love with New York more and more,” Rybakina, 27, said.

What makes the second seed’s victory even more remarkable is that she was unsure if she would be fit enough to even play.

Rybakina was unable to walk for several days after injuring her ankle in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals, putting her chances of competing here in serious jeopardy.

Not only was Rybakina able to play, but she cruised through her opening four matches thanks to a huge service game that rarely allowed opponents to get into points.

Rybakina’s next two wins over China’s Zheng Qinwen and home favourite Coco Gauff required more work after losing the first sets, proving she had the durability to come through tough battles.

Against Sabalenka, she showed both facets of her game, bullying her from the baseline and digging in when necessary to leave her only a French Open title away from the career Grand Slam.

“Some magic is happening. I was unlucky with injury and just going day by day,” Rybakina told Sky Sports.

“We didn’t know how it was going to be so I’m super happy and still can’t believe it.”

NEW YORK: Elena Rybakina won her first US Open title and punctuated her climb to the top of women’s tennis by beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Saturday.

Rybakina had already been guaranteed to replace Sabalenka at No. 1 in the rankings next week and for good measure took the US Open title that Sabalenka had won the previous two years.

“It’s tough to find words right now, honestly,” Rybakina said. “I don’t expect nothing like this coming to this tournament. I’ve been dealing with a little bit with an injury, but somehow everything aligned together on my side.”

It was the third Grand Slam title for Rybakina and the second this year — both against Sabalenka on hard courts. She opened the season by beating Sabalenka for the Australian Open title.

This time, she stopped Sabalenka’s 19-match winning streak at the US Open, where she hadn’t lost since falling to Coco Gauff in the 2023 final.

“I really felt like home here and cannot wait to come back next year,” Sabalenka said. “I wish I could perform a little bit better but I guess next year.”

Rybakina earned $5.5 million, the largest prize in Grand Slam history, and tied Sabalenka and French Open winner Mirra Andreeva with a tour-high three titles this season.

Sabalenka took home $2.8 million but it was clear how little that meant to her, as she smashed her racket after a brief hug with Rybakina at the net.

Sabalenka was trying to become the first person since Serena Williams from 2012-14 to win three in a row at Flushing Meadows.

Rybakina dethroned the champ without even having her best stuff. The WTA Tour leader in aces got less than half of her first serves in but instead put Sabalenka under constant pressure with a strong return game, racking up 12 break chances and converting three, which was all she needed.

The third meeting of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in a US Open women’s final since 2000 was the first to go the way of the challenger. Williams was the top seed for the other two, beating her sister Venus in 2002 and Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

The numbers didn’t signify much this time, because they are going to flip Monday. Sabalenka has held the top spot for 99 consecutive weeks, but Rybakina gained enough points to unseat her simply by reaching the semifinals.

She didn’t stop there.

The 27-year-old who was born in Russia but represents Kazakhstan won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2022 and now needs just the French Open to complete the career Grand Slam.

And it’s clear her power — and her ability to absorb her opponent’s — was something that unnerved Sabalenka.

A native of Belarus, Sabalenka sometimes swings from her heels, like a golfer trying to unleash a 300-yard drive, grunting “Aaaaahhhh!” as she takes her mighty cuts.

Rybakina’s power comes more easily. There is little sound coming from her side of the net besides the squeaking of her sneakers, and she rarely shows any hint of stress.

“I think Elena is probably — not nonchalant, I don’t want to say that, because she’s not nonchalant — but just no reaction ever,” Gauff said after losing to Rybakina in the semifinals.

Rybakina did show some frustration after pulling a backhand wide with a break point in the opening game of the third set, but soon she had taken charge of the match for good.

Sabalenka had won the two other meetings this season, on the hard courts at Indian Wells and Miami, and leads their rivalry 10-8.

But her season then took a strange dip after those victories. Sabalenka fell to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round at Wimbledon, then returned to action with consecutive fourth-round exits in Toronto and Cincinnati.

Rybakina had to take a brief break after she was forced to stop playing in her quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati because of a foot injury, but she was healthy in time for a tournament where she had never done particularly well, failing to advance past the fourth round until this year.

“I honestly was coming here for the last 10 years, and it was never successful — nothing close to that,” Rybakina said. “It’s just incredible. I’m falling in love with New York more and more.”

Arthur Ashe Stadium, meanwhile, had been Sabalenka’s house, with four straight trips to the final and six to at least the semis. Whatever troubled her during the summer seemed forgotten once she was back in New York — until Saturday.

Sabalenka repeatedly looked toward her coaches’ box with her palms up, wondering why everything was going so poorly, and showed much more frustration than that when she double-faulted to hand Rybakina a 3-2 lead in the first set. Rybakina hit the serve back and the ball bounced directly to Sabalenka, who whacked it into the crowd, earning a warning from the chair umpire.

Sabalenka eventually began putting consistent pressure on Rybakina in the second set. She picked up two break points with a chance to end the set with a 5-4 lead, and though Rybakina won four straight points to get out of that jam, Sabalenka got another chance in the next service game and this time capitalized, stepping into a return to set up a miss by Rybakina.

NEW YORK: Big-serving Ben Shelton overpowered US compatriot Frances Tiafoe in four sets on Friday to reach the first Grand Slam final of his career, booking a US Open title showdown with Alexander Zverev.

Eighth-seeded Shelton blasted 20 aces on his way to a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Top seed Zverev held off 50th-ranked Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (8/6) to reach his third straight Grand Slam final – a run that delivered his maiden major at the French Open and saw him finish runner-up at Wimbledon.

Shelton – who took down defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals – will now have the chance to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since 2003, when Andy Roddick triumphed at the US Open.

“It’s a lot of emotion,” Shelton said in an on-court interview. “My dad, my mom have sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position today. My dad lost his mom earlier this year, and she’s the reason that he was able to play tennis.

“Without her, there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. So this one is for her. And I’m gonna need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy. I’m going for it. I’m gonna leave it all on the court.”

Zverev is eager for the chance to play spoiler.

“Hopefully I can not make the American dream come true on Sunday,” the German said.

The pulsating all-American semi-final played out in front of a star-studded crowd, with tennis legends including Serena Williams, Stan Smith and Lindsey Davenport on hand along with actors Ben Stiller and Rami Malek and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

Tiafoe claimed the first set after Shelton uncharacteristically double-faulted to trail at 5-4.

They traded breaks early in the second, but Shelton took advantage of Tiafoe’s increasingly erratic serve to break for a 5-3 lead and level the match.

The momentum was all with Shelton, who broke for a 3-2 lead then seized the set with a break in a marathon ninth game that went to deuce seven times.

The tension was mounting in the fourth set, but Shelton kept his composure as Tiafoe raised his level and gained the crucial break in the final game.

On Sunday he’ll be up against an experienced opponent in Zverev, who after laboring through two five-setters to open the tournament has steadily upped his game.

‘Anything but straightforward’

Zverev doused Khachanov’s hopes of reaching a first Grand Slam final, although the Russian – who fell to Zverev in the Olympic gold medal match in Tokyo in 2021 – put up a spirited challenge in the second and third sets.

“Straight-set win, but anything but straightforward,” Zverev said. “He played incredibly well, fought incredibly well.”

Khachanov denied Zverev on two set points in the second set tiebreaker with a thumping forehand and a brilliant backhand down the line before Zverev closed out the set.

Neither player mustered a break point in a tense third set. But when Khachanov took a 6-4 lead in the tiebreaker he surrendered both set points with forehand errors. Zverev came up with his 15th ace and sealed the win when Khachanov sent a forehand long.

“Second and third set I think it’s more than obvious that they could have gone both ways,” Zverev said. “I just played a few points better here and there.”

A somber note was struck during the national anthem ceremonies of both the day and night sessions on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

“It’s a difficult day to be out here playing,” Shelton said in his remarks to the crowd. “My thought and payers go out to all the families affected by 9/11.”

The women’s final is on Saturday, when Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina will try to deny Aryna Sabalenka a third straight title just days after ending the Belarusian’s near two-year reign atop the world rankings by reaching the semi-finals.

NEW YORK: Aryna Sabalenka moved a win away from her third straight US Open title, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday night.

Sabalenka blasted her way out of what was a dead-even match for most of the first set, pouncing on Pegula’s second serves and turning the second set into perhaps her most impressive stretch of tennis in the tournament.

“No complaints,” Sabalenka said. “I’m just super happy that I was able to pull out such tennis.”

The No. 1 seed will face No. 2 Elena Rybakina or No. 4 Coco Gauff on Saturday, needing a victory to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14.

Rybakina will replace Sabalenka atop the women’s tennis rankings next week, and Sabalenka said this week she would be fine ceding No. 1 after she held it 99 consecutive weeks if it she was able to win another US Open trophy.

It will be hard to prevent that if she hits the ball Saturday the way she did against Pegula.

Sabalenka pounded 29 winners to Pegula’s 12, turning their third straight meeting at the end of the US Open into a rout, after her victory in the 2024 final and 2025 semifinals were tight most of the way.

“I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly,” Sabalenka said.

She has won 19 straight matches at the US Open since losing to Gauff in the 2023 final.

Sabalenka began the match in cruise control, breaking in sixth seed Noskova’s opening service game and racing into a 5-2 lead, before being broken as she served for the set.

Although she dominated the subsequent tie-break, the double fault she hit in her last service game – one of four in the match – would prove a feature of her performance, as would her failure to convert break points.

She wasted three early in the second set before conceding a break in the sixth game with a double fault at 30-40 as Noskova forced a decider.

After hitting two more double faults to be broken for a third time, she looked down and out after Noskova held to love for a 4-2 lead, but won the next three games to turn the match around.

She then won the tie-break – for a 10th successive time at the US Open, in a run dating back to 2021 – to complete her comeback, sealing the victory with a nerveless second-serve ace.

This was only Sabalenka’s second quarter-final victory since March, with the top seed unable to replicate her early season hard-court success – which included titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami – on the clay or grass.

She suffered last-16 exits in Toronto and Cincinnati in the build-up to the US Open, but has rediscovered something approaching her best form at the tournament where she is yet to lose a quarter-final in six attempts.

For Noskova, this defeat, during which she hit more winners, fewer unforced errors, and saved seven of her nine break points, ends a run of 11 consecutive singles wins at Grand Slams.

EW YORK: Aryna Sabalenka kept alive her hopes for a third straight US Open championship by fighting off Linda Noskova 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) on Tuesday in a thrilling quarterfinal matchup of major champions.

Sabalenka finished off the match with a second-serve ace to turn back the Wimbledon champion and reach the semifinals in Flushing Meadows for the sixth straight year.

Sabalenka — who needed to win to maintain the No. 1 ranking — will face either No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 26 Emma Navarro on Thursday in the semifinals.

Noskova, the No. 6 seed, won her first major title at the All England Club and narrowly missed becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to follow a title on the grass by reaching the final four on the hardcourts of New York.

Known for being ‘The GC’ on screen and larger than life, viewers will see a different side to Gemma Collins in her new Sky documentary series.

Gemma Collins admits she has had “the worst year of her life” which corresponded with a time she had cameras following her every move.

The former TOWIE star, also known by her celebrity persona ‘GC’, and was due to get married to partner Rami and start a family during filming for Sky documentary series called ‘Gemma Collins: Everything. All At Once’. The series was originally called Four Weddings and a Baby, but as Gemma admits “things didn’t go to plan”.

Her relationship with Rami has had issues, the pair have also been sadly unable to conceive, and worst of all Gemma’s beloved mum Joan died at the end of July after several years of health issues. Admitting her life and TV series hasn’t been going to plan, 45-year-old Gemma said: “Mum’s been unwell for sixteen years and I’ve been dealing with that on the side, but her health started going downhill during filming and she passed away last month[actually July 2026].

“My fiancé Rami has also been struggling with his mental health and using alcohol to cope, and on top of that we had fertility issues. It was like drowning. It was the worst year of my life. I couldn’t keep hiding it.

“Being The GC was escapism. I could put the make-up on, get the hair big, and forget what was going on in the real world. But there’s been a real turn in media where people want to see the real me again. They’re sick of the bluff. I’m not afraid and I know I don’t need to deal with all this on my own.”

In the eight part series viewers will see Gemma embark on her fertility journey, and she questions whether she has left things too late, putting her career before having a family. On trying for a baby Gemma says: “Rami and I went to the Portland, and I started thinking maybe there could be a miracle. We could get an egg donor and make it work. But, as you’ll see on the show, it got increasingly difficult.

“I still have Tristan, and my nephews. I’ve known Tristan since he was three: I did his nappies, I gave him his bottles. I love that boy. With my mum gone, I’m going to be the mum of the family now, the matriarch, and I’m really happy and excited for that. If it’s meant to happen, my mum will send it to me, and a miracle will happen. If it doesn’t, I’m at peace with that.”

Gemma admitted she found filming on some days very hard but insisted she had to continue. The other deeply personal issue in the series is the loss of her mum Joan, and Gemma allows the cameras into moments like when she deals like this and when the bravado she usually uses on screen drops.

She said: “The camera crews are at your house and you’re thinking, ‘This is my life, it’s so s**t. How can I let people see it?’. But unless you go through hard times, I don’t think you grow as a person. This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the thing I’m most proud of.”

On her mum Gemma added: “My mum passed away peacefully, and we were all in the room. She’s come back to me in so many ways already, which gives me great comfort. She comes back to me in spiritual ways and sends me signs. There was this butterfly in the house towards the last few days of my mum living, and it wouldn’t go away. When she passed, Tristan went to me, ‘There’s Nanny’. He went, ‘Nanny, if that’s you, flap your wings ten times,’ and it did.”

* Gemma Collins: Everything. All At Once launches 15 September on Sky and streaming service NOW.

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Caracas, September 4, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Dozens of campesino families in Bolívar State, southeastern Venezuela, are calling for support from the acting Delcy Rodríguez government after their land title was arbitrarily revoked.

“This should not happen. We have worked the land which we fought for and secured legally,” campesino spokeswoman Zurima Carvajal told Venezuelanalysis.

Carvajal belongs to the “Ojo de Agua Las 3 Raíces” campesino council, which brings together 41 families in a 470-hectare land estate with the same name located in the Padre Pedro Chien municipality of Bolívar state.

The rural organization denounced that their collective land title was arbitrarily revoked in 2024 but local authorities did not give any notice for more than two years. In recent weeks, the campesino families have denounced intimidation and attempts at eviction.

“A few days ago there were shots fired against my house,” Carvajal stated. “Local police came and wrote a report, but then nothing happened.” 

The campesino leader denounced that a local family who claims to own the land has ties to military officials, National Assembly legislators, and Bolívar State Governor Yulisbeth García. Carvajal added that she has received recurring threats and that a group of men hired to intimidate the campesino council destroyed a fence, causing the families to lose five heads of cattle which ran into nearby fields.

“We urge national authorities, from Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to Agriculture Minister Vladimir Padrino, as well as the Land Institute (INTI), to investigate this case and restore our land deed,” Carvajal concluded. “There has to be a mechanism to protect those who work the land.”

The Ojo de Agua campesino council began its struggle in 2016, reporting to authorities that vast tracts of land were abandoned in the Padre Pedro Chien municipality. Shielded by Venezuela’s Land Law, which protects rural collectives who occupy and produce in idle estates, the campesino families began to settle in the area in 2018.

Carvajal recalled that the organization immediately faced intimidation and violence from would-be landowners who could not produce any property deeds after the INTI opened an investigation. However, they repeatedly destroyed the campesinos’ crops, while bringing legal charges that led to the jailing of several activists.

The Ojo de Agua organization had a decisive breakthrough after joining the 2018 Admirable Campesino March that saw hundreds of rural activists march for hundreds of kilometers to demand that the Nicolás Maduro government address agrarian issues, including landowner violence and the judicial persecution of local organizers.

With support from other campesino organizations, Ojo de Agua received its land title from the Maduro government in 2020. Carvajal affirmed that the land has been permanently productive, with a variety of crops including corn, sugar cane, beans, and vegetables, as well as a small herd of cattle.

Land struggles have recently intensified in rural Venezuela, with a growing number of rural collectives denouncing the arbitrary revocation of titles. Opposition party Vamos Vamos Venezuela, backed by agroindustrial and cattle rancher lobbies, has campaigned for the repeal of the landmark 2001 Land Law, approved by former President Hugo Chávez, in order to turn Venezuela into “a country of property owners.”

Campesino movements have vowed to fight to defend the popular gains in the countryside.

The Venezuelan acting government and parliament have yet to comment on a potential reform to the Land Law. However, the National Assembly preliminarily approved a law to “protect cattle rearing activities,” with legislature President Jorge Rodríguez publicly criticizing the nationalization of large land estates under Chávez.

In parallel with land issues, Venezuelan rural organizations have also denounced that national production is at risk due to unrestrained imports of foodstuffs such as corn, rice, and sugar. Small-scale producers have pointed the finger at agribusiness corporations for resorting to imports during harvest season in order to drive down crop prices.

The US is the second largest source of agricultural imports to Venezuela by volume, totaling $758 million in 2025. Researcher Felipe Pacheco reported that corn imports from the US more than quadrupled in the first five months of 2026, compared to the average of the prior five years.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.

Viewers tuning in to the new series of The Grand Tour have been left curious about the title card

The Grand Tour fans have been left intrigued by a title card featured in one episode.

The six-part series premiered on Prime Video today (September 4) with a fresh set of hosts: Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman and Thomas Holland. The trio replace veteran stars Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond, who gladly handed over the baton to the newbies.

The new series of The Grand Tour even saw the former Top Gear trio make appearances throughout the episodes. Jeremy appeared in the opening episode as he gave some blunt advice to the newbies, while Richard helped to judge a competition to find the toughest car, and James hosted the line-up in his pub.

Episode five of The Grand Tour featured an exciting race between Thomas in a hypercar against Francis and James on a train as they tried to get from the UK to the Belgian Grand Prix. The instalment titled A Relaxing Spa Weekend also featured James delving into the incredible history of the BMW Isetta and its Cold War history.

The episode ended with a title card which featured two images of Klaus-Günter Jacobi, who built the smallest-ever escape car used to cross the border between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Many are curious about the figure mentioned in the title card. Here’s what you need to know.

Who is Klaus-Gunter Jacobi?

Klaus-Günter Jacobi was a mechanic who helped his best friend escape from East Berlin into West Berlin, crossing the heavily guarded border crossing of Checkpoint Charlie. He hid his best friend Manfred Koster in a tiny and concealed compartment in the BMW Isetta.

Manfred was trying to escape East Germany as he was set to be drafted into the army. Thankfully, his friend Klaus came up with the cunning plan.

Klaus-Günter modified the Isetta, reduced the fuel tank to a bare minimum and managed to build in the hiding space. He had also removed other unnecessary components and provided heat protection.

However, they only had an hour to cross the border before it closed for the night. The men were delayed and almost didn’t make it, with sniffer dogs checking for anything suspicious.

If they had been caught, the pair might have paid with their lives for trying to leave. The guards inspected the vehicle thoroughly and let Klaus through without suspecting what he was carrying.

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Klaus’ story was immortalised in the mini-film The Small Escape, which was produced by the BMW Group. After word spread of the escape, the Isetta was used by other defectors to escape East Berlin.

The BMW Isetta was conceived post-WWII by Italian refridgerator company boss Renzo Rivolta and his company Iso Spa. The car essentially had the engine of a scooter, the door of a fridge and seating for two people. BMW was on the verge of bankruptcy when they licensed the design from Iso Spa and set about making it more into one of their cars, thus saving the firm from ruin.

After sharing the unbelievable true story, James then asked Thomas to try and get into a similar-sized space. Despite his best efforts to assume a foetal position, Thomas was unable to get into the space and this illustrated just how tiny this compartment was.

Later in the episode, the two men stopped at a pedestrian crossing as Klaus walked across and waved at them. He now serves as a tourist guide at the Berlin Wall Museum in Friedrichstrasse.

The Grand Tour is streaming on Prime Video now

Sabalenka’s pace and power was too much for world number 160 Iatcenko, who managed just three winners compared to the 24 put away by the top seed.

Iatcenko looked a bundle of nerves in the biggest match of her career, but composed herself to get on the scoreboard for 5-1 and immediately broke out into a relieved smile.

It was merely respite as Sabalenka held to love in less than 90 seconds to clinch the opening set.

Despite only being on court for 24 minutes, Iatchenko decided she wanted a bathroom break to change her kit – but more likely for a mental reset than anything else.

Sabalenka kept loose while she waited by practising her serves and maintained her rhythm as she surged a double break ahead for 3-0 in the second set.

It was not all plain-sailing for Sabalenka as she lost serve in a sloppy fourth game, but reasserted her authority with two more breaks as Iatchenko was taught a harsh lesson.

The Russian can console herself with the knowledge she has gained valuable experience against the world number one on the biggest court on the planet – and a bumper paycheck.

Coming into the US Open, she had earned $300,000 (£220,000) in her career but takes another $190,000 (£140,000) home from New York to reinvest into her future.

Earlier on Wednesday, third seed Pegula continued her quest for a maiden Grand Slam singles title with a comfortable victory over fellow American Sofia Kenin.

Pegula also has a shot of replacing Sabalenka as world number one if she wins the title, as does fourth seed Coco Gauff, and kept her dream alive with a 6-3 6-1 win.

There were also straight-set wins for Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova, two-time major semi-finalist Marta Kostyuk and teenage American sensation Iva Jovic as the patten of few shocks in the women’s draw over the opening two rounds continued.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Juriensly De Windt and Shardijon De Lanoi combined to drive in six runs, and Curaçao won its second Little League World Series title, beating Nevada 11-2 in the championship game on Sunday.

De Windt started on the mound and gave up two runs in three innings. Giendry Ryan and Steven Felix were nearly flawless in relief with four strikeouts over the final three innings for the tiny island nation, which previously won the tournament in 2004.

Curaçao had advanced to the finals by winning the international title in 2005, 2019, 2022 and 2023. This time, the group from Pariba Little League in Willemstad had enough firepower from the mound and at the plate to beat the U.S. champion.

Curaçao went unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament before overcoming an early two-run deficit to the team from Henderson, Nev.

Ryan fanned four in 2⅓ innings. Felix forced Nevada’s final batter to pop out to Giendry in center field. Once the ball was safely in his glove, the celebration began.

Giendry tossed his glove in the air as his teammates swarmed him in the outfield. Curaçao’s infielders showered each other with water as a pack of fans tucked behind the third base dugout waved the Curaçao flag.

They were quiet early as it looked like Nevada, the first U.S. team to advance to the championship without a home run, would finally crack Curaçao’s standout pitchers.

Following a bunt from Nevada’s Michael Kleiner, Maddox Bryan hit a line drive to center field, driving in two runs.

Curaçao tied it when De Lanoi lined a ball off the glove of a diving Kleiner at second base.

The international champions took the lead for good on a two-run double by Jaymiell Martina in the fourth. De Windt added a bases-clearing hit in the fifth.

Nevada also was the runner-up last year, falling to Taiwan in the championship game.

Harkins writes for the Associated Press.

Tour Championship, final leaderboard

-16 S Scheffler (US); -13 V Hovland (Nor); -12 R Gerard (US); -11 A Fitzpatrick (Eng), C Gotterup (US), R McIlroy (NI), R Henley (US), MW Lee (Aus), J Bridgeman (US), L Aberg (Swe)

Selected others: -10 T Fleetwood (Eng), C Young (US), A Scott (Aus); -9 C Morikawa (US); -7 J Rose (Eng); -5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), W Clark (US); E R MacIntyre (Sco)

Full leaderboard

At times it felt like there was a certain inevitability about Scottie Scheffler collecting his second Fedex Cup title on Sunday.

As those around him began to falter, the world number one, who started the day three strokes adrift of overnight leader Viktor Hovland, produced a typically metronomic performance with the winning cheque in sight.

And what a prize. Scheffler’s reward for his 22nd career victory at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta will see his bank account credited to the tune of $10m (£7.4m).

The 2024 champion also joins Tiger Woods (2007 and 2009) and Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019 and 2022) to have won the event on multiple occasions.

“To come from behind and be able to win tournament is a really cool feeling,” Scheffler said.

“There were a lot of talented guys in front of me on the leaderboard. I was fortunate to get off to a good start and put myself in the mix. It’s a gift to be out here on tour. Each and every day I’m going to try to give it my best.”

Across the final three pairings, Scheffler’s four-under 66 was the only round to break par with his superb ability to find green after green giving him a substantial edge over his rivals.

Hovland, whose driving became more erratic, also found that his putter had gone cold when he most needed it, and the Norwegian signed for a two-over 72 as he finished three back in second place.

American debutant Ryan Gerard, who started one behind Hovland, ended the day in the same position and third overall on 12 under par after also taking 72 shots.

McIlroy was unable to rediscover the rhythm that rocketed him into contention on Saturday, with his topsy-turvy round of 69 containing four birdies and an eagle mixed with five bogeys.

Aside from the Northern Irishman there were few moments of sparkle on show elsewhere among the potential contenders, albeit Justin Rose’s hole-in-one on the ninth was an obvious exception.

While Rose was unable to gather any momentum from that to seriously challenge, ending the day at seven under overall, another Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick matched Scheffler’s 66, the lowest round of the day, to catapult himself up the leaderboard to conclude the tournament alongside six-time major winner McIlroy at 11 under.

It earned the 27-year-old a tie for fourth on his debut to cap a remarkable season in which he won his first DP World Tour event at the Indian Open before teaming up with his elder brother, the 2022 US Open champion Matt, to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event.

Filip Hrgovic is the first Croatian to become a world heavyweight boxing champion after beating Briton Moses Itauma.

Filip Hrgovic of Croatia beat Britain’s Moses Itauma via a ninth-round stoppage to win the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) world heavyweight title in a thrilling contest in London.

Itauma, bidding to become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion after Mike Tyson, was on top during the fight’s early stages but had to be carried from the ring on a stretcher and taken to hospital from the O2 Arena on Saturday.

Facing the toughest test of his 15-fight professional career against an experienced Olympic medal winner, the 21-year-old Itauma tired against an opponent with a granite chin.

Itauma’s trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel in the ninth round, but by that time referee Howard Foster had stopped the fight in Hrgovic’s favour as the Croat won the world heavyweight title vacated by Ukrainian boxing great Oleksandr Usyk.

It was Itauma’s first time beyond the sixth round and at one point in the ninth he looked as if he was about to topple.

“I don’t know from where I got energy in that [ninth] round,” said the 34-year-old Hrgovic, almost as spent physically as his beaten opponent.

“It was really not my strength. It was Holy Spirit. He gave me strength in this camp to endure everything, to have [the] best camp of my life, he put me in touch with this great coach Abel Sanchez.”

Hrgovic saluted the courageous Itauma by adding: “I’m the present, and he’s definitely [the] future. He’s an amazing fighter. He’s one of a kind. He’s the best I’ve been in a ring with, but he needed more experience.

“I felt the pace of the fight. I knew I was losing rounds, but I knew that I had that pace in my favour. He was gassing out.”

Itauma landed with several straight left hands early on and Hrgovic was given a standing eight count in the second after being caught with a right hook.

Itauma’s uppercut at the end of the fifth round had home fans in a partisan crowd standing in appreciation.

But come the eighth, both boxers appeared out on their feet, with Hrgovic somehow still standing despite several punishing blows.

Hrgovic was landing powerful shots of his own and, with a dazed Itauma lurching around the ring, Foster called a halt in the ninth round.

Promoter Frank Warren said after the bout that Hrgovic is set to next fight Cuban Frank Sanchez, but the Croatian himself said he instead wants to take on WBO champion Daniel Dubois and then WBC title holder Agit Kabayel — both of whom were ringside at the O2 Arena.

“I want unification. Frank Sanchez will wait,” Hrgovic said.

Hrgovic’s only loss came to Dubois in 2024. Hrgovic was bleeding from deep cuts above his eyes that time when the ringside doctor recommended the fight be stopped.

Daniel Dubois will defend his WBO heavyweight world title against former champion Fabio Wardley in a highly anticipated rematch on 17 October at London’s O2 Arena.

Londoner Dubois, 28, dethroned Wardley with an 11th-round stoppage in a thrilling all-British showdown in Manchester in May to become a two-time world champion.

It was announced during Saturday’s undercard of Moses Itauma’s IBF world title fight with Filip Hrgovic, with Dubois and Wardley facing off in the ring.

The first meeting lived up to its billing, with two of the division’s biggest punchers producing a dramatic fight that showcased the power of both men.

Wardley dropped Dubois twice early in the contest, but a bloodied Wardley absorbed heavy punishment before the referee stopped the bout.

It was the first defeat of the 31-year-old’s professional career in his 22nd bout.

The Ipswich fighter’s rise through the sport has been remarkable. Having only taken up boxing at the age of 19, he progressed through the unlicensed white-collar scene before reaching the top of the heavyweight division.

Dubois, meanwhile, has experienced the full spectrum of boxing’s highs and lows.

The 26-fight veteran has suffered three defeats during his career but rebuilt himself to claim world honours twice, with his victory over Wardley marking the latest chapter in his comeback story.

The winner of the rematch could be in line for a blockbuster fight next summer against fellow Briton Itauma, provided the heavyweight prospect secures a world title of his own.

The winner of the contest between Itauma and Hrgovic will be required to face mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez.

Should Itauma – who is aiming to become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history after Mike Tyson – come through both fights, promoter Frank Warren has suggested a potential Wembley Stadium clash with the winner of Dubois-Wardley II next summer.

The heavyweight division remains fragmented following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate his titles. Russian Murat Gassiev currently holds the WBA belt, while Germany’s Agit Kabayel is the WBC champion.

Moses Itauma says Filip Hrgovic’s comments are starting to “wind him up” before their IBF heavyweight world title fight on Saturday.

A victory at the O2 Arena would mean 21-year-old Itauma becomes the second youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind only Mike Tyson.

The British fighter is the favouite going into the contest, but Hrgovic has been trying to taunt his rival by calling him a “kid” and “inexperienced”.

“I tell myself there’s nothing that this Hrgovic guy can do to get in my head but he’s starting to wind me up,” Itauma said.

“In an interview earlier, apparently he said I wake up and I just hug trees. He’s really starting to annoy me.

“In my mind if somebody’s trying to get one up on you, or trying to get in your head, it’s because they’re not confident in themselves. Obviously Hrgovic is a talker.”

Croatia’s Hrgovic, 13 years Itauma’s senior, has suggested that victory for his opponent could have a negative affect on Itauma’s future and that losing the fight would “save his soul”.

“Other than the needle drops, this is probably my favorite part about making ‘Beef,’” says creator Lee Sung Jin of the show’s episodic title cards, which in Season 2 marry historical paintings with abridged quotations from authors and poets. For the finale, which sees its two feuding couples (Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton) swept up in a seemingly inescapable fight for survival, the paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s “The Four Seasons” matched with the title “It Will Stay This Way And You Will Obey,” a reference to a passage in Marion Woodman’s “Coming Home to Myself: Reflections for Nurturing a Woman’s Body & Soul.” “It’s almost prisonlike because these very prominent faces of literally nature have created this wall that the title is stuck in. We wanted to express the cycles and how the four seasons come for you no matter what,” Lee says, alluding to the season’s central idea that people often repeat the same destructive habits. “The final shot is homage to the Buddhist concept of samsara. It was important for us to allow the audience to take a moment after all the craziness of the season to think about their own lives, think about society at large … and depending on where you are, come to your own conclusion.”

Brace yourselves, BookTok: Bestselling romantasy author Sarah J. Maas just dropped the titles and covers for the sixth and seventh “A Court of Thorns and Roses” books.

Maas scrubbed her Instagram of all previous posts for the big reveal, and digital billboards in Los Angeles, Denver and New York City also broadcast the book news. In March, Maas announced on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast that the two new books were on their way, ending a five-year drought since the fifth installment, “A Court of Silver Flames.”

The sixth book, “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” will hit bookshop shelves Oct. 27. According to news media materials, in the sixth installment of the romantasy phenomenon, “what was broken will be remade.” As Koschei the Deathless stirs from millennia-long captivity, powerful allies close in to reclaim the human lands. To counter the growing threat across Fae territories, Prythian’s fractured Night Court must overcome internal rifts and recent betrayals to restore former alliances.

And in the seventh book, “A Court of Forgotten Melody,” which is slated for publication Jan. 12, diplomacy is failing and traditional alliances are falling apart as the threat of Koschei the Deathless reaches a critical point. Desperate for any advantage, the Night Court’s Inner Circle must scatter far and wide to face emerging past enemies and salvage Prythian’s fragile peace.

The first installment of the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series was released in 2015, but the series garnered widespread popularity on BookTok during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The books follow Feyre Archeron in the faerie lands of Prythian and her steamy love story with the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand.

Maas is one of the pioneers of the modern romantasy boom and widely credited with taking “fairy porn” or “faerie smut” into the mainstream. But Maas told Cooper in May that although she loves writing hot sex scenes, she has a bone to pick with people dismissing her work as “smut.”

“I find that there is a tendency for people to roll their eyes at things that bring women joy,” she told Cooper. “Anytime a woman writes something and there’s even a little hint of sex that’s not fade to black or very artistically mentioned, it’s like suddenly it devalues the work, and it doesn’t matter what else is in that book. … I don’t understand because you’re writing a thing that is so accurate to life, and sex is a part of life.”

Times staff writer Katie Simons contributed to this report.