Lewis Hamilton insists Mercedes should have pitted him earlier after Max Verstappen’s victory at the United States Grand Prix. Hamilton, who started third on the grid, was closing in on Verstappen in the final laps but in the end crossed the finish line two seconds behind the Dutchman, who claimed his 15th win of the season. Mercedes executed a slightly different two-stop strategy and, as Hamilton acknowledged afterwards, in hindsight should have pitted the seven-time world champion earlier in the first half of the race. “We should’ve stopped before Lando [Norris],” said Hamilton. “I don’t know why we didn’t… the deficit was so hard. We’ve got some work to do.” Mercedes came to Austin with an upgraded floor and it seemed to improve performance, with Hamilton satisfied with the team’s latest step despite the near-miss. However, the seven-time world champion added that the pit stops weren’t quite top-notch in Texas. “Other than that, it’s a step forwards,” he continued. “We need to pick up on some areas, the pit stops and strategy maybe, but it’s right there. “Verstappen started sixth and he was out in front. They [Red Bull] are still ahead and they’re not developing now – they’re just chilling. “We’ve got a huge amount of work to do.” It is the closest Hamilton has come to winning a race this season. The 38-year-old still hasn’t won a race since December 2021 in Saudi Arabia, but is now closing in on Sergio Perez for second place in the world championship. Read More Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory

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A former Apprentice star has caused a stir on social media after calling solo diners "pathetic" who need to make friends. Earlier this week, Good Morning Britain delved into the divisive topic of solo dining which saw Ryan Mark Parsons go head-to-head with Kiss FM presenter Alex Mansuroglu, who believes it is "freeing". An opinionated Parsons did not hold back, sharing: "I think people that do it are pathetic. I think Alex is one of those losers that goes to restaurants alone, and it's weird. He continued: "I go to restaurants and see solo diners and I'm just uncomfortable. I question the motives, I think it's really really bizarre." Meanwhile, Mansuroglu explained: "I lead a very busy life, I have two kids at home. "If I can have a 30-minute Nando's to myself before I get home and then pick up a little takeaway for my kids and fiance, that's great, it's freeing. "People sometimes think I might have been stood up, I might get a free dessert in this, I might get 10 per cent off the bill, I think it's amazing and great," he added. A snippet of the chat has since been shared on TikTok, which saw thousands of users chime in with their opinions. Many of which hit back at Parson's take, with one writing: "So he needs constant companionship… no that’s odd". @goodmorningbritain Fans of 'solo dining' claim it promotes healthier 'mindful' eating as they focus on their food, rather than being distracted by chatter. Online searches for 'solo dining' soared by 357% in 12 months and the report by hospitality experts is urging pubs and eateries to cater for loners by playing background music to 'fill the void of no conversation.' What do you think? #GMB#goodmorningbritain#debate Another joked: "Wait until he finds out people travel alone". A third wrote: "He clearly isn't comfortable with himself if he can't do things like that alone, what difference is eating alone at a restaurant or at home". Others were quick to jump to the defence of solo diners, with one calling it "impressive." They commented: "I think the opposite, I think people doing things alone are impressive. They’re content in their own company and have the confidence to do it". Meanwhile, another quoted novelist Charles Bukowski, who famously said: "Beware those who seek constant crowds, for they are nothing alone." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Jane Birkin, style mogul and the namesake behind the most expensive bag in the world, has died at age 76. On Sunday 16 July, the British-born actress and singer was found deceased inside her Paris apartment, with French President Emmanuel Macron confirming her death in a tweet, in which he described her “a French icon”. The icon became the muse for Hermès’ archetypal accessory and defined the classic Parisian-chic look in the 70s. Since Birkin’s unlikely 1981 run-in with the brand’s former chairman and head designer, she’s held the highest of honours in luxury fashion. The chance encounter happened when Birkin found herself on the same Air France flight as Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas when a bag that was holding her belongings broke and she angrily blamed Hermès for not making a big enough bag to fit her stuff. She complained out loud, unaware that the brand’s artistic director was sitting directly next to her. Not long after, the French fashion house debuted the “Birkin bag,” only offered in a large size to satisfy her wishes. Birkin recalled the consequential interaction in a 2020 interview with Christiane Amanpour from CNN, where she remembered: “I said: ‘Why don’t you make a bag that’s sort-of four times the [size of the] Kelly that you could just leave open and sort of half the size of my suitcase?’” She continued: “He said: ‘well, draw it for me.’ And I think I drew it on the sick bag, a vomit bag in the aeroplane.” Eventually, Dumas turned Birkin’s wishes into a reality. Before she went to purchase the accessory she inspired, Dumas told her she could have one free of charge if he could name it after her. In a 2012 interview with Vogue, Birkin admitted the Hermès had paid her £30,000 for her annual royalty, but she opted to donate the money to her preferred charities. “I got Hermès to fork out for my charities once I saw the fortune they were making. A certain amount of money every year goes straight to my charity and it will continue to after my death,” she said while speaking to WWD in 2011. Hermès will continue to honour her legace by donating to Birkin’s preferred charities in the wake of her passing. Known to cost upwards of $10,000, the Birkin bag is a status symbol as much as an emblem of the relationship between designer goods and practicality. With a waitlist and limited supply of this delicately crafted leather accessory, an air of exclusivity is achieved amongst the fortuitous owners. Vintage models from previous collections are priced and sold anywhere between $30,000 and $500,000 depending on their year, according to Sothebys. These highly regarded handbags mesh conservative and mod fashion codes, celebrating the intersection between Birkin’s and Hermès’ styles. However, following a 2015 investigation into the brand by PETA, which revealed the treatment of crocodiles for their skin, Birkin requested that her name be removed from the bags that were made out of the animal. “Jane Birkin has expressed her concerns regarding practices for slaughtering crocodiles. Her comments do not in any way influence the friendship and confidence that we have shared for many years. Hermès respects and shares her emotions and was also shocked by the images recently broadcast,” the fashion house said at the time. Hermès respected her decision then, but she ended up dropping her request as she was satisfied with how the brand handled the situation, labelling it as an “isolated irregularity.” In a statement, the brand said: “Jane Birkin has advised us that she is satisfied by the measures taken by Hermès.” She was known for her transcendent performances both on set and stage as a movie star and singer, respectively. However, Birkin’s “French girl” aesthetic will have forever affected the fashion industry’s perception of timeless looks. Birkin was a trendsetter, but not in a cyclical way. She would don silk blouses with sheer tights, monochromatic pieces decorated with statement belts, and pendant necklaces. Birkin, who previously favoured large wicker baskets to hold her belongings instead of handbags, would wear a simple white T-shirt and vintage denim combination, taking the most effortless outfit making it elegant. Following the creation of the Birkin bag, she was also looked to as the perfect example for how the expensive bag was meant to be used, with Birkin photographed with her own overflowing Hermès handbag on a number of occasions. “I love the way she wears her bag... Carefree, nonchalant, unpretentious, so iconic,” one person tweeted, while another said: “A well-loved bag should show a little shamble.” Read More Jane Birkin death: ‘Je t’aime... moi non plus’ singer and actor dies aged 76 The most iconic Hermès Birkin bags inspired by Jane Birkin Jane Birkin: Singer, actor and inspiration behind iconic Birkin bag dies aged 76 The most iconic Hermès Birkin bags inspired by Jane Birkin Kim Kardashian’s Skims is now worth $4bn TikTokers are showing off pink outfits they’re going to wear to watch Barbie movie

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A 29-year-old woman was in for a rude awakening when she asked the internet if her mother was in the wrong for refusing to babysit her newborn for free. “Am I the a**hole if my mom refused to help me take care of my baby while I go back to work?” u/erika_urrrika asked the popular Reddit forum. In her post, the new mother wrote that both she and her partner work full-time and cannot afford to have one parent stay home with their baby. The Redditor explained that their jobs don’t allow them to work from home, and they wanted to avoid spending money on childcare. In addition to being the breadwinner of the household, she is also saving money to pay off credit card debt and move to a bigger apartment. However, the grandmother refused to look after her grandchild for free, noting that she was “too old” and had “already raised her kids”. “Mind you, my mom is 64, has been a homemaker/stay-at-home-mom since 1992, and hasn’t been part of the workforce since then,” the daughter wrote. “She also added that if I really wanted this baby, then maybe I should have thought about staying home like she did to take care of it while my partner goes to work and provides for us like a ‘traditional’ family, and that if she any my dad were able to work it out, so can we.” When the Reddit user detailed her financial situation to her mother, she asked to be compensated $20 an hour for each hour she looks after her grandchild, including late fees for pickup. “So, am I the a**hole for wanting my mom, who again is at home all day long (trust me, she does not do anything besides watch TV and cook meals), to take care of my baby for free while me and my partner try to fix our finances?” she asked. In the comments, many Reddit users called the daughter “entitled” for expecting her mother to take care of her child for free. “Sorry to be blunt and rude but maybe don’t have a child if you can’t afford to take care of them,” replied one person. “And if your plan was always to go back to work you should have discussed that during the pregnancy with your mom.” “Your mother is under no obligation to babysit for you,” another user said. “Why are you having a child you don’t seem to know what to do with? And why have you not worked all this out before now?” A third person wrote: “Your mom is in no way obligated to care for YOUR BABY. It’s generous of her to be willing to do it for pay, and you have the gall to be mad she won’t do it for free? She is entitled to spend her life and free time however the hell she wants. It’s not her fault you’re in debt and decided to have a baby you can’t afford. The only thing she may have done wrong at some point along the line is raise you to be this horribly entitled.” “You chose to have a child, not your mother. Your mother isn’t a free babysitter,” another said. “She is right, she raised her children. Her babysitting on occasion would be kind and appreciated but you sound entitled thinking you are owed childcare.” One person simply commented, “You’re not the a**hole for wanting her too. But you’re the a**hole for expecting her to.” According to Sittercity, the average hourly rate of babysitters in the US in 2023 is $18.50 per hour, while the average hourly rate of nannies who “typically work on a full-time or set schedule basis” is $20 an hour. This isn’t the first time a babysitter has caused a stir on Reddit. Recently, a woman sparked a debate after revealing that she asked a family who cancelled on her babysitting services last minute to pay her half of the $840 she planned to charge them. The babysitter told Reddit’s AITA forum that she usually charges a “flat rate of $100 a night” while babysitting overnight. “Overall, the price for those three days was going to be $840,” she said. But when she received a text from the parents cancelling her babysitting services, she explained that she was “out three days pay”. In response to the last-minute cancellation, she asked the customer for $480, the “minimum [she’d] make at work in those three days”. She said the mother declined the request and said she was being “ridiculous”. While the babysitter noted that she and the family didn’t have a contract, “which in hindsight was stupid” and that “legally they don’t have to pay” her, she still felt that the right thing for the family to do was pay her. Read More Woman questions whether it was ‘selfish’ to refuse boyfriend’s request for $5,000 loan Babysitter asks family to pay half of $840 bill after they cancelled last minute People divided over whether you should switch tables in a restaurant if seated next to a crying baby Woman questions whether it was wrong to refuse boyfriend’s request for $5,000 loan Women urged to check blood pressure – here’s what you need to know Denise Welch remembers ‘losing sense of reality’ while facing post-natal depression