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Damon Hill has praised Lewis Hamilton for the “admirable” way he “kept his chin up” after the controversy of Abu Dhabi – and believes the Mercedes man is “absolutely motivated” to win a record eighth world title. Eighteen months have passed since Hamilton lost out to Max Verstappen at the contentious season finale, with his Dutch rival going on to take last year’s title too. And Verstappen, 69 points clear in this season’s championship, is primed to complete his hat-trick. Hamilton, 38, has not won a race since the penultimate round of the 2021 campaign – the longest losing streak of his career – but he heads to this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix following two consecutive podium finishes in his revamped Mercedes machine. “It is admirable the way Lewis kept his chin up after what happened in Abu Dhabi,” Hill, the 1996 world champion, told the PA news agency. “He got back on with the task in hand and he is driving better again this year than he has done before. He is starting to gel with that car now and he has solved some of the problems he faced. “So I would be amazed if he doesn’t want to go out on a high by winning that eighth title, and he is absolutely motivated by that. He has got that longevity and he looks after himself. “He needs a competitive car, half-a-chance, and someone like Lewis will rise up to that challenge and find more in himself. At the moment we are seeing a happier Hamilton, and a happy Hamilton is a fast Hamilton.” The British driver’s future on the grid, however, remains a hot topic of speculation. Hamilton has entered the final six months of his current £40million-a-season contract with Mercedes. But despite a string of recent discussions with team principal Toto Wolff, a conclusion to the saga is not understood to be imminent. “The talk is that Lewis is finalising a much longer-term deal that goes beyond his racing career,” added Hill, 62. “The car company itself is involved, so there is a bit more bureaucracy in this deal.” Hamilton is already 93 points behind Verstappen in the standings after the Red Bull driver raced to his sixth victory from eight rounds to equal Ayrton Senna’s career tally of 41 wins last time out in Canada. Following Verstappen’s triumph, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said his star driver must now be considered among Formula One’s all-time greats. “Comparing different eras is quite difficult,” said Hill, who was speaking at his Halow Project charity event in Sandown following a world-first kart run on Zero synthetic fuel. “They do many more races than they used to in the sport. But, nevertheless, in every era there are one or two drivers who are the cream of the crop, and you have to say Max is one of them, along with Lewis and Fernando (Alonso). “I certainly see him having his own era called ‘the Max Verstappen era’ where he wins practically everything. “If you appreciate great drivers and the job they do then it is great to watch. But I understand people want to see a race and not a demonstration and we have to be patient and hope the others catch him up pretty quickly.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Horner details what makes ‘mega talent’ Verstappen so special Max Verstappen aims to ‘keep winning’ after matching Ayrton Senna’s 41 victories Max Verstappen claims pole position during rain-hit qualifying for Canadian GP

A combative three-judge panel at one of the most conservative courts in the country grilled attorneys for the federal government and a drug manufacturer as anti-abortion activists continue a legal battle to overturn the government’s approval of a widely used abortion drug. On 17 May, the case against mifepristone returned to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, where attorneys for the US Department of Justice and drug manufacturer Danco Laboratories faced skeptical Republican-appointed judges hearing oral arguments in a case that could upend abortion care for millions of Americans. Within seconds of her opening argument, Justice Department attorney Sarah Harrington was interrupted by Judge James Ho, a Donald Trump appointee, who challenged her description of the legal challenge against the drug’s approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. “I don’t think there’s ever been any court that has vacated an FDA determination that a drug is safe to be on the market,” she replied. “FDA can make that determination based on exercising its own scientific expertise, but it’s not a court’s role to come in and second-guess that expertise.” “Why not focus on the facts,” Judge Ho said, “rather than this ‘FDA can do no wrong’ theme.” The judges repeatedly interrupted Ms Harrington and appeared sympathetic to the plaintiffs: an anti-abortion group represented by influential right-wing legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, whose senior counsel Erin Morrow Halley – the wife of Republican senator Josh Hawley – baselessly asserted that medication abortion is “particularly dangerous”. Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, who was appointed by George W Bush, also took a moment to chastise lawyers for their “unusual remarks” in filings objecting to the widely derided lower-court decision from a former right-wing activist attorney who was appointed to the federal bench by Mr Trump. Judge Elrod suggested their criticisms amounted to personal attacks and suggested that the attorney retract the statements and apologise. “Those statements reflect our view that the district court was very outside the bounds,” said Jessica Ellsworth, an attorney for Danco. “I don’t think those remarks, any of them, were intended as any personal attack.” The judges are not expected to rule immediately. But a decision from the panel judges – each with a history of support for abortion restrictions – is likely to return the case to the US Supreme Court, which has paused any action on mifepristone until the legal challenge plays out. In her arguments, Ms Hawley conflated the risk of serious complications from mifepristone – which is less than 1 per cent – with the risk that a medication abortion failed and would then require medical attention. Her arguments suggested that doctors are enduring a moral harm by providing abortion care, without evidence that doctors have been forced to do so, while also claiming that the FDA illegally approved the drug when it was approved more than 20 years ago. The judges repeatedly questioned the FDA’s approval process for mifepristone, which plaintiffs argued was done too hastily through an expedited process that is typically reserved for treating serious or life-threatening illnesses. But the FDA did not do that with mifepristone; it took years of study before the FDA’s approval. The part of that process that the agency invoked for mifepristone’s approval allowed the FDA to add safety restrictions, such as a requirement that physicians be able to diagnose ectopic pregnancies. But judges appeared to argue that because pregnancy is not an illness, mifepristone should not have been approved through that process at all, repeating plaintiffs’ false claim that the FDA called pregnancy a “life-threatening illness.” “When we celebrated Mothers’ Day, were we celebrating illness?” Judge Ho said at one point. “The arguments today demonstrated in detail that the case has no legal or scientific merit and should have been laughed out of court from the very start,” Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the deck is stacked as the judges hearing this case are well known for their extraordinary hostility to abortion,” she added. “The whole point of the case is to prevent anyone in America, no matter where they live, from using a medication that has been safely used in this country for decades and is used in most abortions today.” Major medical groups and research from hundreds of studies over the last two decades have confirmed the overwhelming safety and efficacy of the drug, one of two drugs used in a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion, the most common form of abortion care in the US. Studies show it is as safe to use as common over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and the protocol for medication abortion is used in more than 60 other countries. The drug was first approved by the FDA in 2000 and is approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. A vast majority of abortions occur within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. From 2019 through 2020, nearly 93 per cent of all abortions were performed before the 13th week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mifepristone is also used to treat miscarriages. Roughly 10 per cent of clinically recognised pregnancies end in miscarriages, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association also joined a brief in the challenge opposing arguments from anti-abortion groups. Last year, Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Amarillo, Texas on behalf of a group of anti-abortion activists incorporated as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which was organised that same month with an address in Amarillo. The Alliance Defending Freedom also led the challenge at the Supreme Court that ultimately struck down Roe v Wade. In April, US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk – a former right-wing activist lawyer who was appointed to the federal judiciary by then-President Trump – issued a ruling to suspend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, which was immediately challenged by abortion rights advocates, providers, major medical groups, drug manufacturers and the Biden administration. An appeal landed at the Fifth Circuit court, which has jurisdiction over the Amarillo court. A three-judge panel blocked a part of the judge’s ruling, and a subsequent ruling at the Supreme Court paused the lower-court ruling as the legal challenge continues. Read More North Carolina Republicans approve 12-week abortion ban as sweeping restrictions spread across US South Nebraska Republicans approve combined gender-affirming care ban and anti-abortion bill after epic filibuster Anti-abortion laws harm patients facing dangerous and life-threatening complications, report finds A Texas man sued his ex-wife’s friends for allegedly helping her with an abortion. Now they’re suing him Louisiana Republicans refuse rape and incest exceptions to state’s sweeping anti-abortion law What is mifepristone? The widely used pill in the abortion rights battle at the Supreme Court

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Yoga and breathing control, in combination with aerobic training, can help improve lung function in adults with asthma, a new study suggests. The findings highlight the importance of integrating appropriate exercise training into asthma management plans, researchers say. The study indicates how specific types of exercise training can be effective in enhancing lung function for adults with the condition. Lead author Shuangtao Xing, an associate professor at the School of Physical Education at Henan Normal University in China, said: “Breathing training combined with aerobic training, and yoga training, appear to be particularly advantageous – offering potential avenues for effective treatment approaches. These findings should provide valuable insight for healthcare professionals prescribing exercise training for the management of adult asthma patients Shuangtao Xing, Henan Normal University “Larger, well-designed randomised controlled trials are now needed to more accurately estimate the benefits of exercise training for individuals with asthma. “These findings should provide valuable insight for healthcare professionals prescribing exercise training for the management of adult asthma patients. “However, it is essential to consider individual factors, such as family history, duration of the condition, and environmental influences, when designing exercise rehabilitation programmes. “Tailoring interventions to individual physical and mental health conditions, with careful consideration of exercise intensity, frequency and duration, is important for optimising treatment outcomes.” Asthma is a chronic lung condition that affects around 339 million people worldwide, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) states that in the UK, more than eight million people, or approximately 12% of the population, have been diagnosed with asthma. However, some may have grown out of the condition, and around 5.4 million people are receiving asthma treatment. In the past, exercise was considered a potential risk factor for people with the condition, as it was believed to trigger or worsen acute asthma attacks. However, recent studies have revealed that exercise training can actually enhance lung function and exercise capacity in adult patients. To address challenges posed by variations in the specific exercises featured in research, researchers compared results from multiple treatments across 28 studies, including 2,155 patients. They examined the effects of breathing training, aerobic training – which increases the rate at which oxygen inhaled is passed on from the lungs and heart to the bloodstream – relaxation training, yoga training, and breathing combined with aerobic training, on lung function. All five types of exercise demonstrated greater effectiveness in improving lung function, the study found. Specifically, the researchers found that breathing training, aerobic training, relaxation training, yoga training, and breathing combined with aerobic training, led to improvements in the amount of air that a person could force out of their lungs in one second (FEV1), and the levels of air flowing out of the lungs (PEF). Aerobic training, breathing training, yoga training and breathing combined with aerobic training, improved the level of the amount of air that could be forcibly exhaled from the lungs after the deepest breath possible was taken (FVC). Breathing training, aerobic training and yoga training improved the FEV1/FVC ratio, the study published in the Annals of Medicine journal found. The researchers highlight that the majority of patients in the study were under 60 years of age, so exercise interventions may yield different responses in older people. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 7 ways to ease back-to-school worries What is the best type of facial for your age range? King Charles reshuffles military roles with new duties for William and Kate

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ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 3, 2023--

People are coming to a woman’s defence after she claimed that she was told not to breastfeed on a plane because it would make other travellers “uncomfortable”. Chelsea Williams took to Facebook on 7 August to describe what she says was her experience with TUI Airways, a British airline owned by the TUI Group. She claimed that while she was in her seat during a recent flight and breastfeeding her child, one of the plane’s crew members told her to stop. “During our outbound flight I was told I was not allowed to breastfeed (even though we were both buckled) during takeoff and landing,” she wrote. “I have never had this with other airlines, in fact, it is encouraged to help with baby ear pain!” She then claimed that, after the experience, she was encouraged to reach out to TUI about its travelling regulations. “Before my inbound flight, I thought I’d check what the official rules were as I was shocked it wasn’t allowed as it left my baby screaming as a consequence,” she wrote. William’s post went on to include the message that her husband, Thomas, sent to TUI, asking if his partner could breastfeed their five-week-old baby while their plane is taking off and landing. According to the screenshot of the message, TUI then responded by encouraging Thomas’ wife to avoid breastfeeding on the plane, for the sake of other passengers. “There are no official restrictions, however, we would not recommend it because it could make other people uncomfortable,” the message read. Williams also added that the response from TUI was “complete discrimination and majorly disappointing”. Speaking to The Independent, Williams said that while on her first flight with TUI, the airline employee tried to “disguise the airline’s discrimination with the guise of a ‘safety issue’ but later retracted that”. “The cabin crew member said: ‘You’ll need to stop feeding as it is not permitted on takeoff and landing,’” she explained. “She then said my five-week old had to forward face, I said that she doesn’t have sufficient neck support at that age, which was answered with: ‘Maybe you could just sit her against you facing forward and lean back a bit.’” She also specified that, despite what TUI had allegedly told her husband in its message, she was able to breastfeed her daughter on her flight back home. Her Facebook post has since gone viral, with more than 1,200 reactions. In the comments, many people have gone on to defend Williams while criticising TUI for its “damaging” message about mothers breastfeeding in public. “Oh TUI - it’s damaging comments like this that can deter women from breastfeeding or breastfeeding in public,” one person wrote. “What’s so offensive about feeding a baby and if people are uncomfortable about a baby feeding in the most natural way by milk that is designed for HUMANS then that is their issue not hers or her baby’s fault.” “If other people are allowed to eat and drink in public then why is breastfeeding our children not allowed. What a disgusting response!!!” another added. “To all the breastfeeding moms out there, keep going. We’ve got this. Screw what other people say and think. Just smile at them and carry on, that will make them uncomfortable!” “This is absolutely disgraceful!!” a third wrote. “I am flying with TUI next month and have every intention of breastfeeding during take off and landing whether anyone feels ‘uncomfortable’ or not!” TUI has since responded to the comments on Williams’ post, with the company stating that it is “aware of the situation and are conducting an internal investigation”. TUI also added that “breastfeeding is permitted” on its flights, while the company “advises against it during takeoff and landing for safety reasons”. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their children “during takeoff and landing when travelling by airplane,” as “this will help to protect your child from ear pain due to cabin pressure changes”. The health agency also encourages mothers to feed their children “on demand,” noting that the best way for them to “maintain [their] milk supply is to breastfeed whenever [their] baby is hungry”. Speaking to Metro, Williams opened up about the breastfeeding incident during her first TUI Airways flight, which was from England to Spain. She said that after she stopped breastfeeding, after the airline employee had asked her to do so, her “baby was obviously crying”. “Quite drastically because I had cut her feed while she was in the middle of it - and the toddler was crying,” she added, referring to her two-year-old child. “I was sweating, I was on the verge of tears. I felt like everyone’s eyes were on us because obviously the baby was screaming and I obviously looked not great at that moment. The baby’s cries were getting worse – she was obviously in pain, she was obviously hungry as well.” Williams said that she waited until the seatbelt lights went off to start feeding her baby again. In a statement toThe Independent, TUI said: “We are really sorry for the distress caused to Ms Williams and her infant. As a family friendly travel company we support breastfeeding on our flights at any time. We will be making sure that all colleagues are retrained on our breastfeeding friendly policy.” Williams told The Independent that she “had a call with TUI” and talked to the company about some of the changes she hopes to see implemented. “They did sound receptive to some of the points raised, I will continue to push them to ensure these changes are made,” she said. 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