Great Britain’s Josh Tarling produces a blistering display to win his first track world title in the men’s 40km points race at the UCI Track World Championships.
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A TINY station in Northumberland that was closed from the 1960s until last year, has been crowned ‘Britain’s most life-changing station.’
It beat 330 stations across the country for the award – known as ‘The World Cup Of Train Stations,’ and the town itself also has a rich celebrity past from sportsmen to actors.
‘The World Cup Of Stations’ was launched in honour of 200 years of railways in Britain, to bring attention to the stories behind the stations and how much they’ve changed and brought communities together.
Ashington train station, up the road from Newcastle upon Tyne, opened in December last year as part of the restoration of the Northumberland Line.
It was shut due to Beeching cuts to the railway in the 1960s which resulted in the closure of thousands of stations, but Ashington has made a mighty comeback.
Ashington competed against 330 nominations, which were whittled down to 20 by a judging panel.
It stood against the likes of Liverpool Lime Street, London Paddington, London Waterloo, Vauxhall and York.
In just over five days, over 24,000 people voted, with Ashington being one of the country’s newest stations in the shortlist.
Trains started running between Newcastle and Ashington in December last year, and it’s not even finished yet as additional stations along the line are set to open next year.
Jacqueline Starr, Rail Delivery Group chief executive officer said: “As we celebrate 200 years of rail history, Ashington shows how investing in stations can transform lives linking people to opportunity, pride, and possibility.”
The Northumberland Line was one of many to be axed as part of the Beeching cuts to the railway in the 1960s but was brought back as part of a £298.5 million redevelopment project.
Ashington sits 15 miles north of Newcastle, close to the coast and was once centre of the coal mining industry.
It was the birthplace of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars like Bobby and Jack Charlton, who were both part of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup against West Germany.
Jackie Milburn, also born in Ashington and went on to be one of the most legendary players for Newcastle United.
Cricketing brothers Steve and Ben Harmison were born there, and after retiring from cricket, Steve managed his hometown football club in Ashington.
The TV and actor and popstar Robson Green hails from the town too – going on star in top shows like Casualty, Soldier Soldier and more recently, Grantchester.
The top things to do in Ashington on Tripadvisor include exploring the Woodhorn Museum which is based on the town’s mining history.
Inside is memorabilia, gallery exhibitions and trinkets from the days it operated as a mining hub.
It’s known for having lots of woodland and green spaces too which you can see by visiting the Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, or taking a walk around the Wansbeck Riverside Park.
On Tuesdays, Ashington holds a market where sellers sell all sorts from food to clothing and gifts.
The town is very close to Newcastle, which is a 30 minute drive away, or along the Northumberland Line, a 48 minute train journey.
It’s not all towns and cities, Ashington is minutes from the coastline with some of the nearest beaches in neighbouring Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.
The small seaside town has a north, south and east beach where you’ll spot a fleet of traditional fishing boats – but the coastline is a great spot for paddling in the summer and rock pooling.
Newbiggin is also known to be one of Britain’s most budget-friendly seaside resort.
At the seaside town, you can get a bargain ice cream at Caffe Bertorelli and cheap pints at The Coble pub.
Ashington is near Cresswell Beach too, a sandy spot known for being dog-friendly and a starting point for the Northumberland Coastal Path.
Another great beach is Druridge Bay which has rugged coastline, a seven-mile beach, sand dunes and is popular for activities like birdwatching and horse riding.
These beaches might be about to get even more popular as this year, Northumberland beaches became one of the world’s trending destinations.
The northern county of Northumberland has been getting lots of attention over the summer, with plenty of pretty beaches that are usually less busy than those in the south.
Airbnb said: “Northumberland is drawing more summer visitors, with searches up over 50 per cent this summer, thanks to its pristine North Atlantic beaches.”
These include Embleton Bay, Low Newton-by-the-Sea and the seaside town of Bamburgh.
Writer Jenna Stevens headed up to Newcastle for the opening of the UK’s first Greggs pub…
When I heard that Greggs were opening a pub, my first thought was “a Greggs sausage roll and a pint in one place? Sign me up!”
But what I wasn’t expecting to find at The Golden Flake Tavern was a traditional, homely pub with an impressive menu that could take on the best of boozers.
The room was decked out with local art, a jukebox, board games and cosy booths. From branded Golden Flake coasters and napkins, to a framed painting of Geordie legends Ant and Dec.
Newcastle is the birthplace of Greggs, so it’s only fitting that the pub has opened in its city centre.
The Golden Flake Tavern’s menu is loaded with Greggs’ best-loved bakes, reimagined as pub dishes.
I opted for the Greggs pub staple: the Sausage Roll and Mash and was wowed by the dish’s posh presentation. The sausage roll had been sliced in half and carefully propped up against the mash like a Michelin star meal.
I tried the Gosforth 1939 Stottie Lager (£6.50) – a beer named with Greggs’ history in mind – and all cocktails are priced at £11.50.
The Golden Flake Tavern is open daily from 11am – 7pm at Fenwick Newcastle. And you need to visit soon as the pub is open to visitors until February 2026.
Read more on the English port town that stars in Hollywood’s top films – from Indiana Jones to Batman and Paddington Bear – with a train station also making the shortlist.
Plus, these two huge cities north of London have been tipped for direct trains to Europe.
Verstappen’s wire-to-wire victory in Austin narrows the drivers’ championship gap to 40 points behind Oscar Piastri, with six races remaining.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominated the US Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday, leading every lap to take another significant chunk out of Oscar Piastri’s Formula One championship lead on a perfect weekend in Texas.
McLaren’s Piastri finished fifth with his teammate and closest rival, Lando Norris, seconds after passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, last year’s winner, five laps from the chequered flag.
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Piastri now leads Britain’s Norris by 14 points, with five rounds and two sprints remaining, while Verstappen has slashed his gap to the Australian to 40 after being 104 behind at the end of August.
Verstappen also won the Saturday sprint from pole position at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, while the McLarens collided and retired, on a weekend of maximum points for the four-time world champion.
McLaren has already sealed the constructors’ title.
“For sure, the chance is there,” Verstappen said of the title battle. “We just need to try and deliver these weekends until the end.
“We will try whatever we can. It’s exciting,” he added after his third win in the last four races and 68th of his career.
Piastri said he still had full confidence in his ability to become Australia’s first champion since Alan Jones in 1980.
“I’d still rather be where I am than the other two,” added the 24-year-old.
Norris lost out to Leclerc at the start and then took 21 laps to find a way back past as the Monegasque, on the faster but less durable soft tyres, held a defensive masterclass.
Leclerc then battled with Lewis Hamilton, who started on mediums, before pitting on lap 23 and coming back out in ninth place, with his teammate moving up to third and Piastri to fourth.
Verstappen, by then, was 10 seconds down the road from his closest rival.
Once the rest of the frontrunners had made their pitstops, Leclerc was again second on the road – but more than six seconds behind Verstappen – with Norris third and having to overtake all over again with a track limits warning hanging over him.
Job done, Norris pulled away and finished 7.9 seconds behind Verstappen and 7.4 ahead of the Ferrari.
“It was tough. We did everything we could,” he said of a battle that gave the fans some excitement as Verstappen completed lap after lap largely absent from the global television feed.
“I expected a slightly easier second attempt to get through, but it wasn’t the case. Charles drove a very good race. It was good fun, good battles. So we have to take second. Not a lot more we could’ve done today.”
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella said, however, that Norris could have fought for the win had he not been held up by the Ferrari.
Hamilton was fourth, with Piastri just 1.1 seconds behind, and George Russell – the winner last time out in Singapore – taking the chequered flag in sixth for Mercedes.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh, ahead of Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and Haas’s Oliver Bearman. Fernando Alonso took the final point for Aston Martin.
The virtual safety car was deployed on lap seven when Mercedes’ Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Carlos Sainz collided, with the Spaniard retiring after trying to overtake on the inside for seventh place.
Stewards handed Sainz a five-place grid penalty at next weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, plus two penalty points, for causing the collision.
Sainz’s teammate Alex Albon had also been caught up in a first corner collision with Sauber’s Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto.
The weekend was declared a heat hazard, although the air temperature during the race was lower than feared at about 28.6 degrees Celsius (83.5 Fahrenheit).
Norris started alongside Verstappen on the front row, hoping McLaren’s usually strong race performance would allow him to challenge the Red Bull driver, who had won two of the past three races and beaten the McLarens in all of them.
But Norris’ hopes of the win evaporated quickly as Leclerc used the extra grip of the soft tyres – he was the only driver in the top 10 to pick them for the start, with everyone else on mediums – to catapult into second place at the first corner.
As Verstappen built his lead, through an early virtual safety car period caused by a collision between Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Norris tried in vain to pass Leclerc, with Hamilton in close attendance.
Several times Norris challenged Leclerc on the outside at Turn 12, at the end of the long back straight, but he was never close enough to really try for a pass.
As Verstappen built his lead, Leclerc held on until just before he stopped for fresh tyres on lap 22, fitting the medium compound.
Verstappen stopped a couple of laps later, never losing the lead and enjoying an untroubled win, his third in four races and fifth of the season, matching Norris’ tally.
Norris stayed out for a further 10 laps, dropping behind the Ferrari again when he stopped to fit the soft tyres.
The Briton emerged 2.4 seconds behind Leclerc and within four laps was on the Ferrari’s tail.
But again he could not pass and soon he was on the radio saying his tyres we’re gone.
Norris was advised by his race engineer Will Joseph to back off for a few laps to cool his tyres and try again.
Norris did so, and closed in with five laps to go. He challenged into Turn One, briefly getting past, only for Leclerc to cut back and reclaim the place.
But half a lap later, Norris went for the position again into Turn 12, dummying Leclerc and this time making the move stick.
By this stage, Hamilton had dropped back and took a lonely fourth place.
Lisa Tertsch claimed the world triathlon title for the first time as Great Britain’s Beth Potter had to settle for third place in the overall standings.
Tertsch won gold in the World Triathlon Championship finals in Wollongong, Australia, with a time of one hour 56 minutes 50 seconds.
The 26-year-old German finished 14 seconds clear of Italy’s Bianca Seregni, with France’s Emma Lombardi a further 12 seconds back.
Tertsch collected 1,250 points for winning the event, which took her overall tally to 3886.26 as she leapfrogged defending champion Cassandre Beaugrand (3577.04) of France and Potter (3313.18) into top spot.
Olympic bronze medal winner Potter was bidding to win the title for a second time, following victory in 2023, but could only finish 16th in the final event.
The 33-year-old Scot was joint leader with Beaugrand before the event began but Tertsch, who had been fourth, produced a superb performance to seal victory.
Beaugrand lost ground early in the 10km run, in hot and blustery conditions, while Potter failed to keep pace with the leading pack – which allowed Tertsch to cash in as she excelled on a steep course.
In the men’s event, Australian Matt Hauser capped a dominant season as he won gold in a time of 1:42:42 to clinch his first world title success.
Hauser finished with 4,250 points, comfortably clear of Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo and Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca.
The crash was a gift for Verstappen, who McLaren have always insisted remained a threat in the championship despite his significant deficit, especially as Red Bull have returned to form in recent races.
The crash brought out the safety car for five laps and after the restart Verstappen was tracked by Russell, who made a bold move into Turn 12 on lap seven, a late dive that ended up with both going off the track.
Verstappen retained the position and soon began to edge away and took control of the race.
Sainz was no threat to Russell, but he had to watch his mirrors for Hamilton.
The seven-time champion passed team-mate Charles Leclerc on lap eight down the back straight after the Monegasque lost control of his car through the high-speed Esses earlier in the lap.
Leclerc had a snap through the Esses, cut one of the corners, and that allowed Hamilton to close up. He then passed down the straight as Leclerc edged him right to the edge of the track on the inside.
Leclerc tried to fight back through the series of slower corners through the stadium section but Hamilton held on.
Leclerc took fifth place, with Williams’ Alex Albon sixth and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda seventh.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli took the final point after a 10-second penalty for Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who was adjudged to have gained an advantage by leaving the track after the Italian tried a passing move into Turn 12 late in the race.
Bearman could not believe the penalty when told about it by his team during the race, obviously feeling Antonelli had forced him off track with his late move.
The race ended under another safety car after Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll T-boned Esteban Ocon’s Haas into the first corner, leaving his team with a massive repair job on both cars in the gap before grand prix qualifying at 22:00 BST.
UK court to hear challenge to the pro-Palestine group’s ban under ‘anti-terrorism’ laws after government loses appeal.
The United Kingdom government cannot block the cofounder of pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action from bringing a legal challenge over the banning of the group under “anti-terrorism” laws, a court has said.
Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, was on Friday given permission to challenge the group’s proscription on the grounds that the ban is a disproportionate interference with free speech rights, with her case due to be heard next month.
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Britain’s Home Office, the interior ministry, then asked the Court of Appeal to overturn that decision and rule that any challenge to the ban should be heard by a specialist tribunal.
Judge Sue Carr rejected the Home Office’s appeal, saying challenging the proscription in the High Court was quicker, particularly where people have been charged and are facing trial for expressing support for Palestine Action.
The court also ruled that Ammori could challenge the ban in the High Court on additional grounds, which Ammori said was a significant victory.
BREAKING: The government LOST their appeal and failed to stop the legal challenge of the Palestine Action ban.
That means the Judicial Review will go ahead on November 25-27th.
Not only that, but we won TWO MORE grounds to argue the illegality of the ban.
Huge victory.
— Huda Ammori (@HudaAmmori) October 17, 2025
“It’s time for the government to listen to the overwhelming and mounting backlash … and lift this widely condemned, utterly Orwellian ban,” she said in a statement.
“The Judicial Review will go ahead on November 25-27th,” Ammori said in a post on X later on Friday.
She hailed the group’s win to challenge “two more grounds to argue the illegality of the ban”.
“Huge victory,” she added.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a “terrorist” organisation by the government in July, making membership a crime which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
More than 2,000 people have since been arrested for holding signs in support of the group, with at least 100 charged.
Before the ban, Palestine Action had increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, sometimes spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment.
It accused the UK government of complicity in Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly denied committing war crimes in its two-year genocidal campaign, which has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians. Rights groups have accused Israel of repeatedly committing abuses in its war in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.
Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire last week.
Palestine Action particularly focused on Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, and Britain’s government cited a raid by activists at an Elbit site last year when it decided to outlaw the group.
The group was banned a month after some of its members broke into the RAF Brize Norton air base and damaged two planes, for which four members have been charged.
Palestine Action describes itself as “a pro-Palestinian organisation which disrupts the arms industry in the United Kingdom with direct action”. It says it is “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.
Critics of the ban – including United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and civil liberties groups – argue that damaging property does not amount to terrorism.
However, Britain’s former interior minister Yvette Cooper, who is now foreign minister, previously said violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest.
Jody Cundy claimed his 22nd world track gold medal with victory in the 1km time trial at the Para-Cycling World Championships in Rio de Janeiro.
Cundy, 47, led home a British one-two in the men’s C4 event, finishing 1.7 seconds ahead of Archie Atkinson.
It is an incredible 16th C4 1km world title in a row for the English rider.
Cundy – who has six Paralympic golds in cycling and three in swimming, first competed at the track worlds in 2006, two years after team-mate Atkinson was born.
Reigning champion Blaine Hunt was second in the MC5 1km time trial, with Matthew Robertson third in the MC2 10km scratch race.
The finals run until Sunday and are the fourth edition of the event to be held in the Olympic Velodrome in Rio, after 2018, 2021 and 2024.
SAM Fender has won the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album People Watching.
The singer-songwriter nabbed the prestigious award at the ceremony in his native Newcastle – the first time it has been held outside London.
He won with his third album ahead of a star-studded pack of 12 nominees, including Pulp, Wolf Alice, FKA Twigs, PinkPantheress and Pa Salieu.
Sam was not fancied by the bookies, so his victory is something of a shock.
The Geordie name checked fellow nominees during his acceptance speech to an ecstatic crowd.
He said: “I just I really didn’t – we did not expect this at all. I want to say thank you – I cannot think.”
Sam then grabbed his guitar and launched into a rendition of his album’s titular track, People Watching.
Sam also thanked Annie Orwin, the inspiration behind the song, for being like a “surrogate mother”.
Judges said they loved People Watching’s “character and ambition”, adding: “It felt like a classic.”
Wolf Alice and Pulp have both won the award in the past.
If either of them had taken it home, they have become just the second act to win it twice, joining PJ Harvey.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It figures that a billionaire would win big in Las Vegas.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker reported a gambling windfall of $1.4 million on his federal tax return this week.
The two-term Democrat, often mentioned as a 2028 presidential candidate, told reporters in Chicago on Thursday that he drew charmed hands in blackjack during a vacation with first lady MK Pritzker and friends in Sin City.
“I was incredibly lucky,” he said. “You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere.”
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, has a net worth of $3.9 billion, tied for No. 382 on the Forbes 400 list of the nation’s richest people. A campaign spokesperson said via email that Pritzker planned to donate the money to charity but did not respond when asked why he hadn’t already done so.
Pritzker, who intends to seek a third term in 2026, was under consideration as a vice presidential running mate to Kamala Harris last year. He has deflected questions about any ambition beyond the Illinois governor’s mansion. But he has used his personal wealth to fund other Democrats and related efforts, including a campaign to protect access to abortion.
His profile has gotten an additional bump this fall as he condemns President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement in Chicago and the president’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops there.
The Pritzkers reported income of $10.66 million in 2024, mostly from dividends and capital gains. They paid $1.6 million in taxes on taxable income of $5.87 million.
Pritzker is an avid card player whose charitable Chicago Poker Challenge has raised millions of dollars for the Holocaust Museum and Education Center. The Vegas windfall was a “net number” given wins and losses on one trip, he said. He declined to say what his winning hand was.
“Anybody who’s played cards in a casino, you often play for too long and lose whatever it is you won,” Pritzker said. “I was fortunate enough to have to leave before that happened.”
O’Connor writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sophia Tareen contributed to this report from Chicago.
The news comes just days after Maria Corina Machado was announced the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
Published On 14 Oct 202514 Oct 2025
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Venezuela says it will close its embassy in Norway, just days after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was announced the winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
A Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told the Reuters news agency that the Venezuelan embassy did not give a reason for shutting its doors for its decision on Monday.
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“It is regrettable. Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction,” the spokesperson said.
The ministry also stressed that the Nobel Committee overseeing the prize is an independent body from the Norwegian government.
Corina Machado, who has been in hiding since 2024, was declared the Nobel Peace Prize winner on Friday for her “extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times”.
She was barred from standing in last year’s election in Venezuela, which was won by President Nicolas Maduro in a widely disputed result.
Corina Machado dedicated her Nobel Prize win to United States President Donald Trump and the “suffering people of Venezuela”.
Venezuela has also decided to shutter its embassy in Australia, in addition to Norway.
Instead, it plans to open two new embassies in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe, countries it described as “strategic allies in the anti-colonial fight and in resistance to hegemonic pressures”.
Neither Norway nor Australia has an embassy in Venezuela, and consular services are handled by their embassies in Colombia.
Both countries are longtime allies of the US, which, under Trump, has launched an official war against Latin American drug cartels like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua.
The US military has since September carried out at least four strikes on boats operated by alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean under orders from the White House.
Maduro has accused Washington of trying to instigate regime change in Venezuela and called for the United Nations Security Council to take action.
Fox College Football tweeted that “The Jerry Neuheisel Era has begun with the Bruins.”
ESPN personality Pat McAfee added to the chorus of adoration for UCLA’s new playcaller, tweeting that Neuheisel “just might be a football wizard.”
Other media and sports betting sites tweeting about the Bruins’ turnaround from 0-4 to darlings of the college football world prominently featured pictures of the blond-haired assistant coach.
It was enough to prompt the sports media website Awful Announcing to ask: “Does anyone know that Tim Skipper is actually UCLA’s interim head coach, not Jerry Neuheisel?”
Having been preoccupied with saving a season, Skipper acknowledged being blissfully unaware of any narratives about who’s done what to spark his team’s turnabout.
“I guess it’s good that I don’t get on social media and all that stuff right now because I don’t feel that way,” Skipper said Monday when asked about the notion that he wasn’t getting proper credit. “But I don’t really know what’s happening in the outside world [because] I’m in this [practice] building so much.
“But I love what I’m doing, I’m just working, man, and I just try to put us in the best position to be successful on Saturday.”
Part of any credit distortion might be associated with Skipper having presided over the Bruins’ 17-14 loss to Northwestern after replacing DeShaun Foster. The next week, Neuheisel was elevated to playcaller, helping the Bruins (2-4 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) revive a dreadful offense and roll up a combined 80 points during victories over Penn State and Michigan State.
In truth, there have been enough fingerprints on UCLA’s resurgence to leave countless smudge marks.
UCLA coach Tim Skipper stands on the sideline during the Bruins’ win over Penn State on Oct. 4.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Skipper has provided energy, meticulousness and drive, and his motivational tactics — including leaving printouts asking “ARE YOU A ONE-HIT WONDER?” on players’ seats on the team plane last week — had their intended effect during a runaway victory over Michigan State.
Neuheisel has undoubtedly elevated an offense that struggled mightily under predecessor Tino Sunseri.
Kevin Coyle, the de facto defensive coordinator who was brought in before the Northwestern game to replace Ikaika Malloe, has unleashed an aggressive, disciplined style that has largely compensated for shortcomings that were previously exposed.
There’s also been a host of other contributors, from the scouting staff that helped identify the weakness leading to a successful onside kick against Penn State, to the security guards outside Drake Stadium who continually encouraged players walking into practice amid loss after loss to start the season.
And, of course, don’t forget the players — quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s leadership and poise alongside a slew of others who have risen to the moment after so much early struggle.
The Bruins are favored against Maryland (4-2, 1-2) on Saturday at the Rose Bowl for the first time since they faced New Mexico, and it might be easy to envision their success snowballing. But Skipper said he wasn’t going to introduce the idea of making a bowl game as his next motivational device.
“I’m all about the moment that you’re in, man,” Skipper said. “… This week, kind of, [the mantra] is the standard is the standard and don’t get bored with success. We have to keep doing what we’re doing and always be on the rise, you know?”
As he neared the one-month mark since his Sept. 14 promotion, Skipper acknowledged having initially worried about keeping his roster intact since players could enter the transfer portal or redshirt.
“When I first took over, it was, like, every time I talked to you guys, everybody was asking about who’s redshirting, who’s going to the portal?” Skipper said. “That was the theme that was, like, the No. 1 question. And we’ve been able to keep the team intact, you know, and that’s an everyday thing. I think we’ve shown them that, hey, we can make it, make it a good environment here, even though we have all this change and stuff, just stick with us and we’re going to be all right.”
A clean locker room and the smiles and excitement that come with winning have been among the big changes in the aura around the team that Skipper said he’s noticed since taking over.
“It looks like the guys are in good spirits and things like that, and they know that tomorrow’s gonna be a work day and they better be ready to go,” Skipper said. “But I think we’re giving the guys the ‘why’ and the reasons why we do things, and that’s helping them know what to expect.”
UCLA unveiled a sturdy offensive weapon late in the third quarter against Michigan State.
It was Siale Taupaki, a 337-pound defensive lineman used as a blocker when the Bruins reached the red zone. Going in motion on a direct snap to running back Jaivian Thomas, Taupaki flattened a defender as Thomas scored on the second-and-goal play.
“He was begging to be able to do something on the offensive side,” Skipper said of the redshirt junior, who has vacillated between the offensive and defensive lines during his seven seasons with the team. “Sure enough, he went out there and did his job, so that gave us some juice on the sideline and it was good to see.”
Skipper said the team’s improved tackling in recent weeks was more of a function of fundamentals than scheme. “We do drills when we get [individual] time that are specifically to use your weapons — your eyes, feet and hands,” Skipper said, “and we’re learning how to wrap up and move our feet on contact because the hardest thing to do is re-start your feet when they stop.” … The University of California regents are scheduled to meet in a closed session Tuesday in San Francisco to discuss the compensation package that will be made available to UCLA’s next coach.
Reigning Masters champion Murphy, 43, was aiming for back-to-back ranking tournament victories after winning last month’s British Open in Cheltenham.
The Englishman continued his excellent form in China to reach another final, but was punished for any errors he made during an opening session which his opponent dominated with ruthless efficiency.
Williams seized control by winning the first four frames, pinching the third and fourth frames with contributions of 56 and 68 respectively after Murphy had held significant leads in both.
A superb 127 break in frame eight, to go with his six earlier half-centuries, ensured Williams went into the concluding session 7-1 ahead.
He compiled a 122 break in the ninth frame to extend his advantage further and although Murphy won two frames in a row to reduce his deficit to 8-3, Williams took the next two either side of the mid-session interval to create snooker history.
Keira Walsh’s “unbelievable strike” breaks the deadlock in the second half for Chelsea against Tottenham.
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Marco Penge held his nerve in a play-off to defeat fellow Englishman Daniel Brown and take the Spanish Open title in Madrid.
Penge held a four-shot lead over nearest challenger Joel Girrbach going into the final round, while he was five shots better off than Brown.
However, he only had a one-shot advantage going to the 18th on Sunday after his lead was trimmed.
After Penge made par to finish with a one-over 72 for his final round at the Club de Campo, Brown sank a birdie putt for a 67 which forced a play-off as both finished on 15 under.
At the first time of asking in the sudden-death play-off, Penge birdied the 18th with an eight-foot putt to secure a third European Tour title of the season.
Penge’s victory in Spain also means he has automatically qualified for the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale next year.
“It was a strange day for me,” said Penge, who carded 66, 67 and 64 in his first three rounds.
“I had it in my head that the golfing gods were kind of against me in a way. Dan and Joel played great, they were holing putts and putting the pressure on me.
“I just couldn’t get it in the hole. It felt like I was really up against it, but I felt like I managed myself really well.”
Penge was given a three-month ban in December 2024 for placing bets on multiple events, with one month suspended for a year.
He has resumed his career in fine fashion and said: “I think tee to green I played solid and it was just a matter of the putts – I think I used them all yesterday, but holing that one [on the play-off hole] was worth the wait.”
Switzerland’s Girrbach finished with a 69 as he ended up in third place on 14 under.
Three-time champion Jon Rahm carded a closing 65, which included seven birdies and a bogey, as the Spaniard finished tied for ninth at his home Open.
Xander Schauffele won his first title since last year’s Open Championship at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
American Schauffele carded a final-round 64, featuring eight birdies, to finish one shot clear of compatriot Max Greyserman on 19-under at Yokohama Country Club.
It was Schauffele’s first event since the United States’ Ryder Cup defeat by Europe at Bethpage Black in New York.
The 31-year-old struggled with a rib injury at the start of the year which disrupted the momentum generated by his 2024 Open victory at Royal Troon, which came only two months after his maiden major win at the PGA Championship.
“It feels good, it’s nice to know I’ve still got it,” said Schauffele. “It was a rough year but my team dragged me through it.
“Hopefully I’m catching my stride. It was a big learning experience with the injury this year.”
Schauffele added that it was “special” to win in Japan, where his mother grew up and his grandparents still live.
Michael Thorbjornsen, who briefly tied for the lead after an eagle at the fourth hole, finished three strokes behind Schauffele in third on 16 under par.
Schauffele’s Ryder Cup team-mate Collin Morikawa finished tied for 14th on 10 under.
American Matt McCarty had the round of the day, hitting 12 birdies – including eight in a row on the back nine – for a final-round 11-under 60, with only a bogey at the 18th denying him a sub-60 round.
Britain’s Kat Matthews claimed silver at the World Ironman Championship, but compatriot Lucy Charles-Barclay was forced to pull out while leading as competitors battled sweltering conditions in Kona, Hawaiʻi.
Matthews benefited from the late withdrawals of Charles-Barclay and American Taylor Knibb to finish second behind Norway’s Solveig Lovseth, who claimed her first Ironman world title.
Charles-Barclay was leading after 10 miles of the marathon but visibly began to struggle as temperatures pushed 28C with 70% humidity.
She eventually pulled out with about nine miles remaining after consulting with her husband at the side of the road.
That seemingly left the path clear for Knibb to take the title, but the 27-year-old withdrew with four miles left, sitting down on the tarmac as Lovseth and Matthews ran past her.
Matthews finished strongly and completed the marathon in a course record two hours, 47 minutes, but it was not enough to reel in Lovseth.
The Norwegian crossed the line in a time of eight hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds, with Matthews just 35 seconds behind for her third Ironman silver medal. Germany’s Laura Philipp was more than eight minutes further back in third.
“I worked really hard and I’m very proud of my finish,” said Matthews. “I’m happy for Solveig, she was incredible to watch. I had a very up and down day.”
The Ironman course consists of a 2.4-mile (3.8 km) swim, 112 miles (180 km) cycling and the final marathon, which is 26.2 miles (42.2 km), for a total distance of 140.6 miles.
Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s World Championships will reunify in 2026 after three years as separate events.
The Championships were split in 2023 to ease entry back-logs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patrick Herminie wins 52.7 percent of the vote, denying incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan a second term in office.
Seychelles’s opposition leader, Patrick Herminie, has won the country’s presidential race, defeating incumbent leader Wavel Ramkalawan in a run-off vote, according to the electoral commission.
Herminie won 52.7 percent of the vote, while Ramkalawan took 47.3 percent, official results announced early on Sunday showed.
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In his victory speech, Herminie pledged to lower the cost of living, revive public services and unite the island nation.
“The people have spoken,” the 62-year-old said at the headquarters of the electoral commission.
“I am deeply humbled for the trust that the people have placed in me. I will be the president of all Seychellois, and I will end divisions by ceasing preferences, and giving everyone the opportunity to thrive,” he said.
Herminie’s victory gives his United Seychelles party full control of the government after it also reclaimed a majority in parliament during the first round of the general election last month.
The win is also a complete turnaround for Herminie, who in 2023 was arrested on charges of witchcraft that were later dropped. He previously served as speaker of the country’s parliament from 2007 to 2016.
Ramkalawan, who attended the electoral commission’s announcement of the results, congratulated Herminie, who becomes Seychelles’s sixth president.
“I leave with a legacy that makes many presidents blush… I hope President Herminie continues to maintain such a level,” he said.
Images published by the Seychelles Nation newspaper showed the two leaders shaking hands after the announcement.
Outside the electoral commission headquarters, thousands of Herminie’s supporters erupted in cheers and waved the country’s flag and party banners as they greeted him following his proclamation as the winner, according to videos on social media.
The race between the two main contenders was decided in a run-off after there was no outright winner in the presidential vote two weeks ago. Early voting began on Thursday, but most people in the island nation voted on Saturday.
Herminie and Ramkalawan ran spirited campaigns trying to address key issues for voters, including environmental damage and a crisis of drug addiction in a country long seen as a tourist haven.
Ramkalawan campaigned for re-election on his management of Seychelles’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and expansion of social protections.
But voters opted for Herminie, who accused Ramkalawan of presiding over a proliferation of corruption, and promised to cancel a hotel project permitted by his government that environmentalists say threatens a UNESCO-listed coral atoll.
Herminie has also pledged to lower the retirement age from 65 to 63 and implement recommendations from a truth and reconciliation commission that examined human rights abuses related to a 1977 coup and its aftermath.
A physician by training, he previously headed the government’s anti-drug agency, and has promised to tackle the country’s sky-high heroin addiction, blamed in part on the fact that the islands sit on a drug route between Africa and Asia.
The country’s Agency for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation says that 5,000 to 6,000 people use heroin out of a population of about 120,000. Other estimates put the figure as high as 10,000.
Seychelles, a nation of 115 islands, is Africa’s wealthiest country per capita.
Located across 1.2 million square kilometres (463,000 sq miles) in the western Indian Ocean, it is a prime tourist destination as well as a target for investment from, and security cooperation with, China, Gulf nations and India.
HumAngle has just been announced winner of the Illicit Financial Flow category in the 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Conference Awards (WAMECA) for our investigation into The Internet Fundraising Marathon Behind IPOB’s Armed Struggle. Kunle Adebajo, HumAngle’s former Investigations Editor, who authored the story, also emerged as the West Africa Journalist of the Year. It is the second time in three years that a HumAngle journalist will receive the honour.
The announcement was made during an awards ceremony in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday evening, Oct. 11, with several journalists from across Africa in attendance.
WAMECA is an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and is currently in its eighth edition. The award has been described as West Africa’s biggest and most prestigious journalism award.
Two of our reports had been shortlisted under the same category. The MFWA said it received a total of 793 entries from more than 600 media outlets across 15 West African countries, with 335 of those entries coming from Nigeria. The shortlist of 26 had come from these entries, with Nigerian media dominating the list, including TheCable, Premium Times, Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daily Trust, and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
The other HumAngle report that was shortlisted was by Al’amin Umar, Climate Change Reporter. Al’amin’s work focuses on the complex intersections of environmental change, conflict, and sustainability efforts. He was a 2024 participant of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, as well as a 2025 grantee of the Earth Journalism Network’s Biodiversity Media Initiative.
His shortlisted report, ISWAP’s ‘Tax’ System is Bleeding Farmers Dry in Northeastern Nigeria, investigated how terrorists from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been bleeding farmers dry in Borno, northeastern Nigeria, through an illegal taxation system. The report was done with support from the Pulitzer Centre.
Kunle, whose report won the award, was HumAngle’s Investigations Editor until October 2024, and now sits on the Advisory Board. His work for HumAngle covered conflict alongside its many intricacies and fallouts. He also writes about disinformation, the environment, and human rights. He’s won many journalism awards, including the 2021 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Journalism, the 2022 African Fact-checking Award, and the 2023 Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling.
The judges noted an improvement in the quality of entries received this year, as well as more diversity in the countries represented.
They said the winning story was “bold, data-driven, and unflinchingly relevant. The story by HumAngle in Nigeria stands out for its extraordinary synthesis of digital forensics, conflict analysis, and accountability reporting. Through meticulous open-source intelligence and cross-border research, the reporter traced how diaspora money or diaspora-led crowdfunding and cryptocurrency networks were financing violence in Nigeria’s South East… This investigation does more than say money is moving; it actually shows how it moves, who moves it, where it goes, and what it buys…”
HumAngle had won the environmental reporting category of the award in 2023 with our first interactive story, All Die Na Die: At The Heart Of Nigeria’s Soot Problem. Merging audio and visuals, the story showed the genesis and process of illegal oil bunkering in Rivers State, Nigeria, and the extent of the resultant soot problem in the state, showing its effects on water, the soil, and even air quality. The author of the investigation, HumAngle’s former Interactive Editor, Temitayo Akinyemi (FKA Muhammed Akinyemi), was also awarded Journalist of the Year.
Commenting on HumAngle’s winning the award for the second time in three years, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Ahmad Salkida, said it was a testament to the commitment and excellence with which our journalists approach their profession.
“Both Kunle and Al’amin continue to personify the excellence that HumAngle stands for and the conviction upon which the organisation is built,” he said. “The conviction that journalism is powerful enough to influence history and shape perception and understanding. HumAngle is proud to have won this award again and will continue to be dedicated to our mission. I am also hopeful that this recognition will translate to even more impact, policy change, and wider understanding of terror financing and the magnitude of the insecurity issues in Nigeria’s South East.”
Accepting the award, Kunle said he was deeply honoured. “I stood on this stage in 2019 to receive a similar award,” he reminisced.”Between then and now, I think my craft has improved significantly… I want to thank the MFWA for their consistent support, for not just awarding journalists, but also making us feel special. I wish you more resources and willpower to continue to do this.”
HumAngle has won the Illicit Financial Flow category at the 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Conference Awards (WAMECA) for their investigation into IPOB’s armed struggle financing, and Kunle Adebajo was named West Africa Journalist of the Year. The awards were announced in Accra, Ghana, with entries from numerous West African media, particularly from Nigeria, dominating the shortlist.
The award recognized the investigative brilliance of HumAngle’s team, particularly Kunle’s extensive work in conflict reporting, utilizing digital forensics to unveil how diaspora funds and cryptocurrency were fueling violence in Nigeria’s South East. Another HumAngle report by Al’amin Umar, addressing illegal taxation by ISWAP on farmers, was also shortlisted, showcasing the organization’s breadth in impactful investigative journalism.
Founder Ahmad Salkida attributed this achievement to the commitment of HumAngle’s journalists, emphasizing the power of journalism to influence and bring awareness to significant issues like terror financing in Nigeria. As a testament to continuous excellence, HumAngle had previously won the 2023 WAMECA award for environmental reporting, highlighting their consistent contribution to journalism in the region.
A LUCKY viewer of a brand new ITV game show has walked away with an eye-watering £1million.
Sienna McSwiggan, 20, secured the top prize last night on Win Win with People’s Postcode Lottery on Saturday night.
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The hotel manager from The Black Country took home the £1million cash prize, as well as two cars, two luxury holidays, a trip to Australia to see The Ashes and Take That tickets.
After answering the winning question correctly, Sienna questioned if it was real and said the money would be life-changing for herself and family.
She said: “I don’t even know what to say. I am in shock.
“I’ve literally got a penny in my account.
“I’m over the moon. It feel like a dream and someone’s gonna wake me up any minute.”
Hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the quiz show sees contestants battling it out in the studio.
At home viewers can also get involved and play for prizes.
However, the show’s format also allows these viewers to become contestants in the studio.
Once they have bagged a prize, players have to face the ultimate decision.
They must choose between keeping their original prize or risk it all and trade it in to join Millionaire’s row.
Sienna took the gamble and traded a trip to the Maldives for a chance to win big.
The risk saw her take home one of the UK’s biggest telly prizes.
Last month, The Sun reported that another contestant took home a huge £20,000 jackpot.
After answering the final question correctly, Shayanne took home the winning prize.
Previously discussing the format, Mel Giedroyc said: “This quiz is so extra!
“Imagine winning something like a car just by playing along with a gameshow you’re watching on a Saturday night in your pyjamas?
“I can’t wait!”
Sue Perkins added: “If I wasn’t hosting this, I’d be playing it at home; sat in my leopard print onesie, cuddling the dog whilst trying to figure out The Nation’s favourite chocolate bar. Bring it on!”
Speaking to The Mirror ahead of yesterday’s finale, Sue added: “Saturday’s show really is going to be a night like no other.
“The thrilling thing, of course, is that all of this is going to be won by one person, and that person might even be a viewer turned contestant, who simply signed up, joined in from their sofa and got the surprise of their life.”
Would you know the answers to some of quizzing TV’s hardest questions
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