Rhodes: Holidaymaker criticises Tui for flying to fire-hit island
Matthew Guy and his family were taken straight from the airport to an evacuation centre.
2023-07-25 20:25
iPhone 15 reviews: top 3 things people dislike about it.
The iPhone 15 reviews have crashed the internet, including our own in-depth look into the
2023-09-20 18:23
There’s So Much Milk That US Farmers Are Dumping It in the Sewer
There’s more milk than ever in the US but nowhere left to process it, forcing farmers across the
2023-07-12 00:52
'Culprits' review: A heist-o-rama drama that sticks to the plan
Why do we bloody love a heist? Most of us are unlikely to actually execute
2023-11-07 21:18
London celebrates its 'fearless' young fashion designers
The story of how British designer Lee Alexander McQueen's legendary first "Taxi Driver" collection was lost after he showed it on a clothes rack at the Ritz Hotel is told...
2023-09-15 18:21
US family reaches deal over cells harvested in 1950s
A US biotechnology company has reached a settlement with the family of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cells were used for groundbreaking...
2023-08-02 04:23
F1 2023 calendar: Every Grand Prix race this season
The 2023 Formula 1 season is here and the new campaign has seen Red Bull pick up where they left off in 2022. This year sees 23 races held in a record-breaking calendar, as Max Verstappen looks to make it three in a row following back-to-back World Championship triumphs. Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team have found further improvements so far this year following a disappointing 2022 season. Meanwhile Ferrari are struggling to match their strong start to 2022. There are new faces on the grid too - such as Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant - and all 20 drivers will be itching to get back on track after a three-month break with the official pre-season test in Bahrain before the first race of the season a week later. This year’s biggest shake-up so far came mid-season when AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries was dropped almost immediately after Silverstone as he failed to impress the higher-ups at Red Bull. He has been replaced by returning favourite Daniel Ricciardo. Here is everything you need to know. What is the 2023 F1 calendar? ROUND 1 —BAHRAIN Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - 3-5 March ROUND 2 - SAUDI ARABIA Jeddah Corniche Circuit - 17-19 March ROUND 3 - AUSTRALIA Albert Park, Melbourne - 31 March-2 April ROUND 4 - AZERBAIJAN (sprint weekend) Baku City Circuit - 28-30 April ROUND 5 - MIAMI Miami International Autodrome, Hard Rock Stadium - 5-7 May ROUND 6 - EMILIA ROMAGNA CANCELLED Imola Circuit - 19-21 May ROUND 7 - MONACO Circuit de Monaco - 26-28 May ROUND 8 - SPAIN Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - 2-4 June ROUND 9 - CANADA Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal - 16-18 June ROUND 10 - AUSTRIA (sprint weekend) Red Bull Ring, Spielberg - 30 June-2 July ROUND 11 - GREAT BRITAIN Silverstone Circuit - 7-9 July ROUND 12 - HUNGARY Hungaroring, Budapest - 21-23 July ROUND 13 - BELGIUM (sprint weekend) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 28-30 July ROUND 14 - NETHERLANDS Circuit Zandvoort - 25-27 August ROUND 15 - ITALY Monza Circuit - 1-3 September ROUND 16 - SINGAPORE Marina Bay Street Circuit - 15-17 September ROUND 17 - JAPAN Suzuka International Racing Course - 22-24 September ROUND 18 - QATAR (sprint weekend) Lusail International Circuit, Lusail - 6-8 October ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES (sprint weekend) Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 20-22 October ROUND 20 - MEXICO Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 27-29 October ROUND 21 - BRAZIL (sprint weekend) Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 3-5 November ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Street Circuit - 16-18 November ROUND 23 - ABU DHABI Yas Marina Circuit - 24-26 November When and where does the 2023 F1 season start? The first race of the season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, takes place from Friday 3 March - Sunday 5 March at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Qualifying on Saturday 4 March starts at 3pm (GMT) with the race on Sunday also at 3pm (GMT). When is pre-season testing? Pre-season testing takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit the week before the first race, from Thursday 23 February - Saturday 25 February. Running will take place between 7am and 4:30pm (GMT) on each of the three days. There will be an hour’s break midway through each session for lunch. Each driver will have one-and-a-half days worth of time in the car. How can I watch it online and on TV? The Bahrain Grand Prix, as well as pre-season testing, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky Sports subscribers can watch pre-season testing on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. What has been said? Max Verstappen has challenged Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes to raise their game and provide him with the championship battle that Formula One needs. Verstappen ran away with last season’s title, winning 15 of the 22 races, to secure his second championship with four rounds to spare. In contrast, Hamilton, in his under-performing Mercedes, endured the worst year of his career as he failed to win a race and finished 214 points adrift. But when addressing the prospect of renewing his rivalry with Hamilton at Red Bull’s season launch in New York, Verstappen, 25, said: “In the interest of the sport you always want the teams to be super-close. “I do think it was close last year, but as a team we executed a lot of things better than the others and that was why the points gap was so big. I never felt, apart from two or three races, that we absolutely dominated. But for the general interest of Formula One, everyone wants a title battle with multiple teams involved.” What are the driver line-ups for 2023? RED BULL Max Verstappen Sergio Perez FERRARI Charles Leclerc Carlos Sainz MERCEDES Lewis Hamilton George Russell ALPINE Esteban Ocon Pierre Gasly McLAREN Lando Norris Oscar Piastri ALFA ROMEO Valtteri Bottas Zhou Guanyu ASTON MARTIN Fernando Alonso Lance Stroll HAAS Kevin Magnussen Nico Hulkenberg ALPHATAURI Yuki Tsunoda Nyck de Vries WILLIAMS Alex Albon Logan Sargeant *italics represents new addition to the grid/change of team Read More F1 makes South African Grand Prix call for 2024 calendar George Russell sends stark warning to F1 bosses: ‘There will be crashes’ Eddie Jordan makes bold Max Verstappen prediction: ‘He will be the greatest’ Poignant Netflix film captures the many facets of legendary Schumacher What happened to Michael Schumacher and what’s latest health update? Schumacher’s F1 career highlights as Netflix documentary is released
2023-07-25 01:53
On Mexico-US border, fentanyl poses growing hidden danger
Elena Ruelas prepares a syringe of heroin, a drug that she has been using for 20 years. These days, however, it is almost certainly...
2023-05-30 10:15
Spotify cuts 2 percent of its workforce, mainly in podcasts
Spotify is cutting two percent of its workforce, affecting around 200 employees mostly in the
2023-06-05 22:47
Trump's Republican rivals jump on his abortion comments
Former President Donald Trump faced blowback this week from his Republican presidential rivals over his recent comments to NBC News on abortion, in which he called Florida's six-week abortion ban a "terrible mistake" and said that he'd be willing to work with both parties on the issue.
2023-09-22 03:47
Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory
Max Verstappen defied Lewis Hamilton to win a cat-and-mouse United States Grand Prix at a sizzling Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Verstappen has been on easy street this season, but the triple world champion was made to fight for the 50th win of his career – becoming only the fifth driver to reach a half-century. Indeed, at one stage, Hamilton dared to dream of ending a losing streak which stands at 686 days and counting. Yet, as so often been the case this year, Verstappen’s speed in his all-conquering Red Bull machine came to the fore. He moved ahead of Lando Norris on lap 28 of 56 to all but seal the win. Hamilton might bemoan a questionable strategy decision which saw him lose 10 seconds to Verstappen in the opening round of pit stops. But in reality, he probably did not have the pace to stop the Dutchman from claiming his 15th wins from the 18 rounds so far. He crossed the line an agonising 2.2 sec behind Verstappen with Norris hanging on to the final spot on the podium. Hamilton could count himself unfortunate to drop from third to fourth at the start. The seven-time world champion enjoyed a decent getaway, but he was blocked by Norris under braking allowing Sainz to sneak through. Norris had seen off pole-sitter Leclerc with a lunge at the first bend to assume top spot. As Norris set about building a lead – already two seconds clear of Leclerc at the end of the second lap – Hamilton set about passing both scarlet cars. First up was Sainz. Hamilton used the tow to latch on to the back of Ferrari on the 210mph drag to Turn 12, and, assisted by DRS, drew alongside Sainz before sliding underneath the Spaniard. On the following lap, Verstappen, who started in sixth after his pole lap in qualifying was chalked off for exceeding track limits, relegated Sainz another place when he made his move at the same corner. Hamilton has won six times across the Pond – with five of those victories here in Austin – and the 38-year-old required only two laps to swat Leclerc aside for second. Deeper on the brakes at Turn 12, Hamilton sailed round the outside of the Monegasque at the left-hander, with Norris now three seconds up the road. Behind, and Verstappen was not finding it as easy to make progress. He was stuck behind Leclerc for an additional five laps before finally making his move on the Monegasque. He trailed Norris by seven seconds, and Hamilton by four. In the Mercedes garage, Prince Harry cut a pensive figure as he gnawed at his fingernails. The Duke of Sussex has been something of lucky charm for Hamilton. He was a guest of Mercedes when Hamilton secured his second title in the 2014 season decider in Abu Dhabi, leading the congratulations to his fellow Briton on the radio. Verstappen was the first in for new rubber at the end of lap 16 with Norris stopping the next time round. But Hamilton stayed out. Were Mercedes attempting a one-stopper? Hamilton did not seem convinced. Asked if he could complete another five laps on his current set of tyres, Hamilton replied: “I am not sure, man. It is pretty tough.” You have given me a hell of a gap to close Lewis Hamilton on the team radio Hamilton then locked up before his race engineer Peter Bonnington was back on the intercom to inform Hamilton that Verstappen – who on new tyres had just lapped three seconds faster than the Briton – was now likely to gazump him when he eventually stopped. “No s***, man,” yelled Hamilton. “I am struggling out here.” On lap 20, in came Hamilton, and a slow front-right tyre change added to his woes by costing him a needless second. When Hamilton emerged from the pits, he had dropped to third, five seconds adrift of Verstappen. “I came out so far behind,” he said with a hint of dejection. When the opening stops were completed, Norris led Verstappen by 2.4 sec with Hamilton 7.5 off the lead. By virtue of taking on another set of mediums, Verstappen had to stop again, but Norris and Hamilton – now both on the hards – could, if their rubber allowed, go all the way to the end. Hamilton, failing to make any inroads and sensing his best chance of ending a 22-month winning streak had faded, expressed his frustrations. “You have given me a hell of a gap to close,” he said. On lap 28, Verstappen dived underneath Norris for the lead at Turn 12. Norris had a nibble back at the Red Bull heading into the ensuing right hander, but he failed to make it stick. The question now was whether Norris, and indeed Hamilton – now less than five seconds off the lead – could make their tyres last. The answer arrived on lap 34 when Norris dived in for a fresh set of boots. Verstappen followed in on lap 35, and despite, a slow left-rear tyre change, retained his position ahead of Norris. Three laps later and Hamilton was in, changing to the faster medium compound. Hamilton had the bit between his teeth and within 10 laps he was crawling all over the back of Norris’ McLaren. Norris slung his McLaren to the inside on the entry to the first corner in a move to stop Hamilton, but the older Brit gained better traction out of the corner to slingshot by in his Mercedes. Verstappen was five seconds ahead and Hamilton started to reel his old nemesis in only to run out of laps. Sainz took fourth ahead of Sergio Perez with Leclerc sixth and George Russell seventh for Mercedes. Read More I can do something wiser with my time – George Russell stops using social media Charles Leclerc snatches pole position after Max Verstappen’s lap was deleted Daniel Ricciardo ready for AlphaTauri return at United States Grand Prix On this day in 2009: Jenson Button crowned Formula One world champion in Brazil FIA to review Qatar GP as ‘dangerous’ temperatures prompt driver complaints F1 United States Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and results in Austin
2023-10-23 05:25
H&M starts charging shoppers £1.99 for online returns
High street fashion retailer H&M has joined other companies in charging shoppers who return items purchased online. Customers must now pay £1.99 to return parcels either in store or online, with the cost of the return being deducted from their refund. Rival high street stores including Zara, Boohoo, Uniqlo and Next already charge for online returns, with retail experts predicting that even more are likely to follow suit. During the pandemic, when online shopping inevitably soared in popularity, customers became increasingly more reliant on returning items when they did not fit. However, this also led to a rise in people buying items in bulk and returning almost all those items, some of them worn. While most online and high street retailers do not formally announce the move to charge for returns, many have introduced the change under the radar, with H&M implementing the return fee this summer. Business analysts have told the BBC that other retailers are likely to do the same. "It’s interesting that companies seem to be doing it by stealth, but it’s a sensible thing to be doing," retail expert Jonathan De Mello told the outlet. "It makes economic sense, as it discourages shoppers from bulk buying online products and then returning the majority of them. That’s been a real problem for companies." While H&M shoppers might be disappointed in the extra returns fee, added De Mello, most might understand why a company would need to make this decision, especially when it comes to the environment. Many shoppers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of deliveries and returns, from courier vans to wasted packaging. Retail expert and analyst Natalie Berg wrote on Twitter/X that retailers have “created a monster” with free returns. “​​H&M charging for returns. Retailers have created a monster with free returns. It makes financial and environmental sense to put an end to this ‘buy to try’ mentality.” But Berg pointed out that customers who have signed up to H&M membership would be exempt from the extra fee for returning items. “This is actually a really delicate way to tier your customers,” Berg said of the membership scheme. “Slowly climb down from costly promises by limiting those benefits to loyalty members. Retailers have become too generous over the past decade. Save that generosity for your most valuable customers.” Read More Inside London’s first Vogue World: Thong leotards and Anna Wintour’s VIP assembly line Voguewashing London Fashion Week won’t pay the wages of Britain’s young fashion designers Bridesmaid who “didn’t love” her dress spends 35 years wearing it around the world Meghan Markle praised for mixing high-fashion with affordable pieces Vogue World wowed but won’t pay the wages of young fashion designers Ukrainian designers prove beauty can come from darkness at London Fashion Week
2023-09-19 22:54
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