These are trying times. The pandemic has left us steeped in worry, grief, and isolation.

A top U.N. official says he hopes for a breakthrough soon after months of efforts to ensure that Russian food and fertilizer can be shipped to developing countries struggling with high prices

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Bernie Ecclestone – the former supremo of Formula 1 – has pleaded guilty to fraud at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday but has been spared jail. The 92-year-old failed to declare more than £400 million of overseas assets to the government, namely a trust in Singapore with a bank account of around $650 million. He was sentenced to 17 months in jail, suspended for two years. He has agreed a civil settlement of £652,634,836 in respect of sums due to HMRC over the course of 18 years. The billionaire, who has courted controversy throughout his life, was in charge of F1 for over 40 years before relinquishing his role in 2017 when current owners Liberty Media took over the running of the sport. The Independent takes a look at Ecclestone’s life and times through his tenure in motorsport and beyond: 1930 – Ecclestone born on 28 October, son of Sidney and Bertha Sophia, in St Peter, Suffolk. 1952– Marries first wife, Ivy Bamford, at 21-years-old. They have a daughter, Deborah, born in 1955. The pair divorce in the 1960s. 1958 – Entered two F1 races as a driver, at Monaco and Silverstone, after purchasing two chassis from the disbanded Connaught Formula One team. Failed to qualify for either race. 1972 – Buys Brabham F1 team for £100,000. Tastes success with Nelson Piquet’s two world titles in 1981 and 1983, though only records a best result of second in the constructors’ championship. 1974 – Forms the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA). Played crucial role in negotiating F1’s television rights. Becomes chief executive in 1978. 1984 – Slavica Radic, later his second wife, becomes pregnant and second daughter Tamara is born. Marries Radic in 1985. 1988 – Sells Brabham for more than $5 million to Swiss businessman Joachim Luhti. 1988 – Ecclestone’s third daughter, Petra, is born in London. 1997 – Embroiled in a dispute with the Labour Party over tobacco sponsorship of Formula 1, in contrary to the new government’s health position. After a meeting with prime minister Tony Blair alongside Max Mosley (a fellow Labour Party donor), the government make an exemption for F1. 2005 – Farce embroils the United States Grand Prix, with seven teams refusing to participate due to safety concerns over the Michelin tyres used. No compromise was reached, and only six cars (using Bridgestone tyres) started the race. 2008 – Radic files for divorce, which is settled in March 2009. She receives a reported settlement of $1 billion. 2009 – Crashgate. F1 descends into chaos after cheating scandal which saw Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crash a year earlier in Singapore to aid his team-mate, race winner Fernando Alonso. It later emerges, in 2023, that Ecclestone and then-FIA boss Mosley knew about the scandal at the time. Felipe Massa is now in the process of pursuing legal action for damages, having lost the 2008 world title to Lewis Hamilton. 2009 – Ecclestone widely condemned after remarks that were positive about Adolf Hitler. He said to The Times: “Terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was – in the way that he could command a lot of people – able to get things done”. Ecclestone later apologised for his comments. 2012 – Marries vice-president of marketing for the Brazilian Grand Prix Fabiana Flosi, 46 years his junior. 2014 – Paid a £60 million settlement to end a bribery trial in Germany without admitting guilt. Prosecutors had accused him of bribery of banker Gerhard Gribkowsky. 2017 – Removed from position as CEO of Formula One Group after its £6.4 billion takeover by Liberty Media. Retains title of Chairman Emeritus until January 2020. 2020 – Ecclestone has first son, Ace (Alexander Charles Ecclestone), at age 89. 2020 – Criticised by F1 and Lewis Hamilton after comments made in wake of the murder of George Floyd. Ecclestone says to CNN: “In a lot of cases, black people are more racist than what white people are.” 2022 – Arrested by Brazilian authorities for illegally carrying a firearm while boarding a private plane to Switzerland. Ecclestone paid bail and was freed to travel to Switzerland. 2022 – Ecclestone says on Good Morning Britain that he would “take a bullet” for Russia president Vladimir Putin because he was a “first class person,” adding that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was just a “mistake” that businessman make. He later apologised for his comments. 2023 – Pleaded guilty to £400m fraud. Sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for two years. Read More Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response to Felipe Massa’s legal action over 2008 F1 title F1 given new deadline by Felipe Massa’s lawyers – who label Lewis Hamilton title a ‘sham’ ‘More teams, less races’: FIA boss outlines aspirations for future of F1 F1 reveal unique Las Vegas GP schedule and ‘opening ceremony’ plans Lance Stroll ‘may have contravened FIA rules’ during furious outburst in Qatar

Reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian says she still has “imposter syndrome”, despite the global success of her multi-million dollar shapewear brand Skims. Kardashian, 42, revealed the brand, founded in 2019, has exceeded “everything that I ever imagined”. Celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Michelle Obama have also shared the imposter syndrome obstacles they have faced. So, why might you feel ‘imposter syndrome’ in spite of success, and what does it even mean? What is imposter syndrome? Imposter syndrome is “a feeling that we’re going to be found out, feeling like we are a fraud, that we aren’t as good as people think we are”, says psychologist and author of Self Care For Tough Times, Suzy Reading. “It’s where we downplay our successes and where we doubt our ability moving forwards, even though we’ve demonstrated the same skills and strengths countless times in the past.” What causes it? “Quite often, it is caused by caring deeply and wanting to get it right,” Reading continues. “It can be seen as part of us assessing our readiness, or preparation or skill, in delivering something important to us. It’s also a safeguard against becoming arrogant, conceited, boastful or underprepared. Other causes include personality traits like perfectionism, or being raised in a family environment that focuses on high achievement above all else.” What are the signs? Kardashian is not alone. “Even the most talented, accomplished, experienced, educated, successful people have this experience,” says Reading. “It is very common. We can all relate to the feeling and it can manifest in different ways, including self-doubt, insecurity, fear of making mistakes, fear of failure, self-criticism, negative self-talk, an inability to accept praise or compliments, undervaluing your own contributions, or attributing accomplishments to external variables. It can lead to self-sabotage, and eventually burnout.” How can you get rid of it? “Here’s the good news – we don’t need to eradicate it,” Reading explains. “Make peace with that voice of self-doubt, allow it to be there, and understand that it is a reflection of how much you care – and not your ability. “Remember your thoughts are not facts and we don’t have to invest our identity in them. Don’t try to silence the voice of the inner critic, but also, don’t amplify it. Let it speak, but then pass the mic to the voice that cheers you on, encourages you – the compassionate voice we can all cultivate,” she adds. “I’d also recommend looking for evidence contrary to the voice of your imposter – challenge it, dispute it, remind yourself of your strengths, your values, your accomplishments and all the work you’ve done to reach this point in your life. “Get your body involved too – it’s not just about using your mind – stand tall because our posture has an impact on our feelings of personal power, soothe your nervous system with calm, relaxed breathing, releasing physical tension, and remember: you are capable, you are resourceful”.

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For black women living with breast cancer, it can be especially difficult to talk about what they’re going through – for various reasons. A study by Cancer Research UK and NHS Digital published earlier this year in BMJ Open found black women were more likely than white women to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer, when the disease is generally harder to treat – with lack of awareness, delays in seeking help and barriers to accessing diagnostic tests all cited as contributing factors. Stigma and myths around cancer in the black community can also play a part. “Speaking freely isn’t something that black women do naturally,” says Jacqueline Bassaragh, 56, who joined The Black Women Rising cancer support project in 2018, after struggling with the aftermath of her own breast cancer diagnosis at 51. The groups gave her a much needed safe space to open up. “If I felt angry, sad, even joyous and really happy, I could share every emotion I was going through without judgement,” Bassaragh adds of the flagship programme of The Leanne Pero Foundation, a registered UK charity which supports people of colour affected by cancer. Bassaragh says she initially “shut down” emotionally after receiving her diagnosis. She experienced a post-menopausal bleed, after not having had a period for years, and two days later her left breast started leaking and became very hard, hot to touch and painful. When it had calmed down, she felt a lump and booked an appointment with her GP, who referred her to the local hospital. “The consultant shared that I had breast cancer in such a crude way. I asked if my son could join me — he was in the waiting room — and he repeated himself in the exact fast and crude way again,” Bassaragh recalls. “I was feeling angry inside, but when I looked over at my son and could see his eyes watering up, in that instance — as we do as black women — I just shut down my emotions and asked what we needed to do next. I hadn’t actually cried about it until April this year.” Rhakima Khan recalls how her first reaction when told she had hormonal-based breast cancer on Valentine’s Day, 2022, was laughter. “It’s a coping mechanism I’ve had since I was a child,” says Khan, 36. “The nurse was so taken aback, as she was expecting me to break down. At that moment, I accepted the news and just wanted to know what we were going to do next. “But when I walked out of that consultant room and went to the toilet, I cried. Not because I was sad, angry or frustrated. I cried because they diagnose you with breast cancer and then immediately flood you with information. That can be very overwhelming.“ Khan had discovered a lump near her sternum whilst having a shower after working a late shift as a theatre practitioner at Bristol Children’s Hospital. “I went across my chest with my sponge and thought, that wasn’t there before. I had checked my breasts the previous month but hadn’t checked them yet that month, so I lifted my hands and began,” she says. “I found a decent-sized lump that wasn’t very visible but hard and rigid. It just didn’t sit right with me.” She remembers being determined to stay alive for her son, who was nine, and daughter, who was two. “If it meant I’m going to lose two breasts — though the NHS would only allow me to have a single mastectomy because I didn’t have an aggressive form of cancer — so be it. My breasts don’t make me a woman, they were there to feed my children. It’s society that has sexualised them,” Khan says. She also took up blogging, documenting her journey to encourage other black women to regularly check their breasts . This is how Khan got involved in the new Primark and Breast Cancer Now campaign in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month; the retailer will be donating £300,000 to the charity for support and research. Toye Sofidiya, 33, was first diagnosed and treated in 2016. The cancer returned in 2020 just before the first lockdown, and she eventually had a mastectomy in September that year. “I haven’t come to terms with it,” says Sofidiya. “It’s been three years since my body has gone through a major change – it’s not something you ever get used to. Going on holidays, gaining weight, having to always wear a bra, having to look extra hard for outfits that I would be comfortable and still stylish in. “I sometimes even forget to wear my prosthetic boob, which I can only wear with mastectomy or post-op surgery bras. I don’t mind wearing a lot of T-shirts, tank tops and bandeaus, but I’m really limited as a young woman. I’m worrying about things my friends don’t have to consider. “It’s important to know your body,” she adds. “I knew my body, and as soon as something seemed out of place for me, I knew I had to get checked, because I have a history of cancer in my family. I just didn’t think I would get it.” Neither did Deandra Paul, 29, who found a “tiny lump” on her left breast, two days after finding out she was pregnant with her second child, after being prompted by an Instagram post to do a self-examination. Paul had only recently stopped breastfeeding her baby daughter – but wanted to be sure so she booked a GP appointment, only to be told there probably wasn’t anything to worry about. “I wasn’t happy and wanted to get checked out properly,” Paul recalls. “So the GP made a referral to [the hospital] where I had a physical examination. They told me the same thing and said it was probably just [benign]. But due to their policy, they still had to do a biopsy and two weeks later on June 27, 2022, they told me I had breast cancer. “I remember having an out-of-body experience, where I could see and hear myself shrieking like a hyena. My husband, who was with me at the appointment, was just quiet. I was so alarmed because I have no history of breast cancer in my family. They never told me what to do, but said I could either keep or terminate the baby. “Most people in the black community would assume you can’t do chemotherapy or a mastectomy whilst you’re pregnant, but you can. It’s what I decided to do after going into research mode, to see if anyone has ever done it before,” adds Paul. “I stumbled across the Cancer and Pregnancy Registry, run by an American lady who has been studying cancer and pregnant patients. None of the women looked like me, but thankfully, someone had a similar story to mine.” After surgery to remove the lump and some chemotherapy, she decided to switch to London Bridge Hospital to receive private healthcare from HCA Healthcare UK, where she had more treatment and a skin-sparing mastectomy (with plans for an implant in the future). “Invest in your health,” she Paul. “If you have had the experience of not being listened to, or fear that your health is dismissed by the system, then try and seek a second opinion. If you or your partner have private healthcare through work, use it. If you don’t, research your options for health insurance and really consider if there’s something else that you can give up in your monthly expenses to invest in your health. Health truly is wealth.” Read More See Madonna’s extravagant tour outfits – including an updated cone bra Halloween pumpkins – how to grow your own Presenter Louise Minchin: Menopause conversations are no longer taboo – but we need to keep going Online apps recommended to manage lower back pain From choppy bobs to fox red, 5 celebrity-approved hair trends for autumn The UK’s first dedicated male breast cancer organisation has launched

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Bella Hadid has told fans she will be back to work "when I'm ready" after lengthy treatment for Lyme disease, scotching rumors she had stepped...

Even marijuana use in early pregnancy can significantly harm a developing fetus, a new study found, putting children at risk for developmental delays, higher rates of ADHD and learning disabilities, and higher rates of emotional problems.

We’ve made it to November, cosmic beings, and while eclipse season is now behind us we’ll continue to feel the aftermath of this astrologically awakening season for months to come. This penultimate month of the year is filled with opportunities to invite grounding and imaginative energy into our lives.