Greece’s finance minister has promised to step up inspections of beach bars and other businesses renting out seaside sunbeds and umbrellas

Max Verstappen took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite an X-rated radio row with his race engineer. Verstappen was embroiled in a squabble with Gianpiero Lambiase after he only just made it through to Q3 during a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Daniel Ricciardo is back – and this time he wants to go out on top But the championship leader regained his composure at the business end of qualifying to demolish the opposition, finishing eight tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Sergio Perez third in the other Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth. However, Verstappen will only start Sunday’s race from sixth position as he serves a five-place grid drop for exceeding his gearbox allocation. Follow live updates from the Belgian Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’ Max Verstappen receives penalty for Belgian Grand Prix

Even before there was a full trailer, Greta Gerwig’s third feature film Barbie has been a source of debate. In a cinematic landscape drowning in IP, would a live-action film about the Barbie doll, Mattel’s flagship toy, be held up as proof of the continued commodification of cinema as an artform? And in a more progressive cultural landscape, could a woman-directed film about Barbie dolls be feminist? This of course comes on the heels of 15 years of Marvel’s male-led domination at the box office, as well as the DC cinematic universe, the resurgence of the Star Wars franchise, the Lord of the Rings prequels, and continued presence of Transformers movies. As budgets continue to get bigger while mid-budget films are treated to an abbreviated stay at the box office, it’s understandable to be frustrated. Is there a place for independent film in this new world? How should we feel about our indie filmmaker darlings, like Gerwig, tackling big-budget fare? And as film moves in this direction, is it fair to look to blockbusters for astute social commentary?

Hi, it’s Lisa Fleisher, your luxury correspondent for the Middle East. The Gulf is barreling toward the busy

Blake Shelton has speaken about his experience of being a stepfather. The country music singer appeared on the Today show to promote his new restaurant opening soon in Las Vegas. The interview also featured The Voice alum’s take on parenting since being a stepdad to his wife Gwen Stefani’s three sons. “I’ve had stepparents,” Shelton said. “I think it’s, in some ways, harder more difficult. I try to be careful about when to step back ... and just talk, but no matter what, always be there if I’m needed.” Stefani shares her three children, 17-year-old Kingston, 15-year-old Zuma, and nine-year-old Apollo, with her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. Soon after divorcing Rossdale, the “Just a Girl” singer met Shelton while being coaches on The Voice together. The two tied the knot in 2021. “I didn’t see any of this coming with Blake. This was just a big old ‘What?’ It was an amazing gift to experience love like that for the first time,” Stefani confessed in an interview with People. “He’s changed my life ... when I [started dating] Blake, that’s when I felt home, like: ‘Oh, this is where I’m supposed to be, with this guy.’” Their home base is now in the “Sooner State” amid open land. For Stefani, who grew up in Southern California, she has been surprised to find she is now a “garden flower nerd”. “When I was young, I’d walk home from school and see my mom in her shorts doing her gardening, and my dad would be cutting the trees and make me pick up the branches,” Stefani said. “I’d be like: ‘I’m never having a tree at my house.’” “When we get to Oklahoma, we’re constantly working — and it’s a different kind of work,” she continued. “It’s probably what my mom was doing back in the day, and now I get it!” In conversation with People, she opened up about prioritising her children, and spoke about a special time in her life when she brought her eldest on tour with her. “I took Kingston on a world tour [when he was nine months old]. I would have to nurse him, then get onstage, come off, and he would twirl my ponytail,” Stefani remarked. “That’s when things got really hard for me emotionally. That time is so precious, and you don’t want to miss anything.” Though she’s continuing her journey as a mentor on The Voice, Stefani’s trying her best to manage a balance between work and home. “When my kids were teenagers, I really wanted to make sure that I was home for them,” she noted. “And here we are.” While Shelton has since become a stepfather to Stefani’s three sons, her ex-husband recently revealed on the Not So Hollywood podcast that he doesn’t “really co-parent” with Stefani and her new husband. The rocker cited their “opposing views” stemming from the fact that both parties are “really different people.” “I think you can go one of two ways,” Rossdale explained on the podcast in June. “You can either do everything together... or you can just parent. And I think we just parent.” Read More To shave or not to shave: How women can participate in No-Shave November Game of Thrones actor announces ‘unbearable loss’ of baby after stillbirth Nicki Minaj opens up about navigating parental anxiety after birth of her son To shave or not to shave: How women can participate in No-Shave November Game of Thrones actor announces ‘unbearable loss’ of baby after stillbirth Nicki Minaj opens up about navigating parental anxiety after birth of her son

SAVE $40: Amazon discounted the Google Nest Thermostat to just $89.99 during its October Prime

Amber Waterman’s husband, Jamie, reportedly told cops his wife took the life of Ashley Bush and they both burnt her body before discarding it

Most antivirus companies that publish macOS antivirus tools started with Windows security products. Not Kyiv-based

An 87-year-old Maine woman ably fought off a teenage attacker before feeding him because he said he was “awfully hungry.”

NBC's 'Today' show host Dylan Dreyer embraces a gluten-free lifestyle for son Calvin's Celiac Disease prioritizing his well-being

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

'Worst Cooks in America: Love at First Bite' Season 27 has 16 singles learn culinary skills to impress people and find love