PARIS The French economy managed to grow significantly more than expected in the second quarter, preliminary data from

Singer Sandy Shaw was inspired by the midwife after hearing her on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.

By Tom Westbrook SINGAPORE Asian stocks braked around two-month highs on Thursday, while the dollar nursed modest losses,

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To get OG Black Widow in Fortnite, players must purchase the skin from the Item Shop for 1,500 V-Bucks before it leaves Fortnite on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. ET.

The Yankees now have to worry about the Drake Curse after Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton joined the rapper at his concert.Things were just starting to look up for the Yankees. They swept the Royals over the weekend and finally have hope of getting Aaron Judge back soon.But then Drake happ...

Megyn Kelly choked up as she found it 'incredibly difficult’ to report on the deadly Israel-Hamas conflict

Ukraine has achieved the “functional defeat” of Vladimir Putin’s prized Black Sea fleet with intensified attacks in recent weeks, a UK defence minister has suggested – but warned that Western allies are running out of ammunition to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invasion. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum from the Polish capital on Tuesday, James Heappey said the kneecapping of the major Russian naval force – including the recent strike on its Crimean headquarters – was “every bit as important” as Ukraine’s gains in Kharkiv last year. While “nobody can pretend otherwise” that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has progressed slowly, the UK’s armed forces minister told delegates it was “simply wrong” to suggest there has been no progress at all – with gains “every single day” after breaching Russia’s “enormous defensive belt and minefield”. But comparing Kyiv’s relatively minor gains to those achieved last year “diminishes the importance of what has happened in the Black Sea over the last couple of weeks, where a Russian submarine and a Russian ship have been put out of action, and the headquarters of the Black Sea fleet has been put out of action too”, he said. “The functional defeat of the Black Sea fleet – and I would argue that is what it is because it has been forced to disperse to ports from which it cannot have an effect on Ukraine – is an enormous credit. And [it is] every bit as important – every bit as much progress – as what was happening in the Kharkiv Oblast last year.” The Black Sea fleet, of huge symbolic value to Russia, has been an increasing target of Ukrainian drone attacks in recent weeks. Throughout the war, the fleet has been used to launch missile attacks on Ukraine and to threaten Kyiv’s vital shipped grain exports. With Russia finally pulling out of a UN-brokered grain deal in July, Kyiv has since sought to establish a new corridor hugging the coastline, through which two Marshall Islands and Cameroon-flagged vessels were said to be the latest ships to sail to the port of Odesa on Tuesday. And the UK’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday that the Black Sea fleet was “[struggling] to deal with concurrent threats”, with Russia resorting to using air power to “project force” over the area as fleet activities relocate from under-fire Sevastopol to Novorssiysk, some 322km (200 miles) east. But Mr Heappey and Nato’s most senior military official, Admiral Rob Bauer, were among those to warn that Kyiv’s allies are running out of ammunition, with the latter lamenting that “the bottom of the barrel is now visible” and urging nations to “ramp up production in a much higher tempo”. “We need large volumes,” the admiral said. “The just-in-time, just-enough economy we built together in 30 years in our liberal economies is fine for a lot of things – but not the armed forces when there is a war ongoing.” Also warning that Western stockpiles are “looking a bit thin”, Mr Heappey said: “If it’s not the time when there is a war in Europe to spend 2 per cent on defence, then when is?” Underscoring such warnings, US president Joe Biden – who is struggling to pass a package of aid for Ukraine through Congress – convened a phone call of G7 and Nato leaders on Tuesday in which he expressed determination to secure the funding, with Rishi Sunak also vowing to support Kyiv for “as long as it takes”. The comments came as Ukraine’s airforce claimed to have destroyed 29 of 31 drones launched by Russia and one cruise missile, most of them targeting the regions of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk in the south and east, in an overnight barrage of attacks lasting three hours. With counteroffensive operations continuing in Zaporizhzhia and near Bakhmut, president Volodymyr Zelensky also visited troops and commanders in the northeast near Kupiansk, where the Ukrainian military says Russian forces have also been staging attacks. Meanwhile, a report alleged that hundreds of drunk, insubordinate and mutinous Russian soldiers have been pressed into penal units known as “Storm-Z” squads and sent to the frontlines as punishment for their behaviour. “If the commandants catch anyone with the smell of alcohol on their breath, then they immediately send them to the Storm squads,” one soldier told a Reuters investigation, which cited 13 people with knowledge of the matter, including five fighters in such units. Read More ‘Keep an eye on Crimea’: Ukraine’s costly battlefield gains ‘prelude battle to retake peninsula’ How Ukraine’s forces have surged back against Russia Putin’s ‘punishment battalions’ full of convicts and drunk recruits: ‘They’re just meat’ Elon Musk’s mockery of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky ‘unhelpful’

Mikel Arteta insists he will continue to speak freely on refereeing decisions despite being handed a Football Association charge for comments he made after Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle. The Gunners boss labelled VAR’s decision to not overturn Anthony Gordon’s 64th minute winner “an absolute disgrace”. Arteta, who said that he has submitted observations he made during the match to the FA, highlighted the importance of freedom of speech and believes communication is key if the standards of refereeing are to improve. He said: “I am going to speak (in the future). I think you have to be yourself and as a leader you have to be authentic. You can not be someone you are not and this is who I am. “We have (sent our observations to the FA) and we will try to give our point and the reasons why and there’s not a lot I can comment on. “When you get asked to give your observation you have to do it in the right way and there’s a process in place to do that. “It is good that we are communicating and we all want to improve the game. Referees, managers, officials, sporting directors, journalists, we all want a better game. “To get a better game we need freedom of speech, respectfully and in a constructive way but we have to promote that. “It is good that they are talking in front of the media about decisions because it brings clarity.” Arsenal face Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday bidding to build on their dominant 3-1 victory over Burnley. Arteta branded the west-London club as one of the best run in the league and reflected on Arsenal’s opening day 2-1 defeat to the Bees in 2021. “Two years ago we had a really tough start to the campaign there,” Arteta added. “We have learnt from that, they are a really tough opponent and it’s a really difficult place to go to. They make it extremely difficult, they are really effective, they are well coached and it will be a tough match. “With Thomas (Frank), the coaching staff and the club, they are one of the best run clubs in the league. To get a better game we need freedom of speech, respectfully and in a constructive way but we have to promote that. Mikel Arteta “I’ve followed them for many years and the things they do with their structure and process alongside their vision is incredible to achieve what they have so credit to them. “They have achieved to get to this level and have maintained it with so many demands as well.” Arteta also emphasised Takehiro Tomiyasu’s influence at the club despite recent reports linking the defender with a move away from the Emirates. “I really want him to stay,” Arteta said. “I value the player a lot and I really like him. He’s loved and respected by everyone at the club, he’s getting a lot of minutes at the moment and he will remain with us.” Read More Manchester United ‘identify candidates’ for Raphael Varane successor Dallas Cowboys cruise to Thanksgiving win over Washington Commanders Jack Draper suffers opening-rubber defeat as Serbia seize control at Davis Cup Man Utd forward Rasmus Hojlund in race to be fit to face Everton Ben Curry has career goal of playing for England alongside twin brother Tom ‘Grass ceiling’ facing black footballers highlighted by new diversity data

Martin Brundle believes that Formula 1 can create a series of “thrilling” Saturdays in 2024 by making tweaks to the sprint races. Introduced during the 2021 F1 season, the condensed races were designed to provide a short, fast-paced spectacle to enhance the standard Sunday racing. Having been trialled at three events that year and in 2022, the number of sprints on the calendar was doubled ahead of this season, with the format also adapted to no longer set the grid for Sunday’s race and instead operate as a standalone event for which points were awarded. The six sprints this season have consisted of sprint qualifying on Saturday morning before the sprint race later in the day, with grand prix qualifying held on a Friday. Fans, however, have questioned the revamp, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted that the current system is “confusing”. F1 bosses are contemplating restructuring the weekend schedule for next year, perhaps by moving race qualifying until Saturday afternoon and holding the sprint race that morning. And Sky Sports pundit Brundle believes that could create a spectacular day of action for spectators to enjoy. “The sprint format will be tweaked for next year and qualifying for the main race will revert to Saturday afternoon, I suspect,” former F1 driver Brundle explained in his Sky Sports column. “Saturday will become a thrilling day should they schedule the sprint race in the morning and qualifying in the afternoon, although teams will be nervous of having sufficient time to repair any damage from the morning event. “Friday will then be one practice session in the morning, which I believe should revert to 90 minutes, and the Sprint Shootout qualification in the afternoon. Another very decent day for the fans trackside and watching on TV or online. “That chronology flows more logically, and tyre allocations should be standardised for every weekend - we already talk more than enough about tyres.” The final sprint race of the season was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with the Dutchman subsequently extending his unassailable advantage at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings with race victory. Verstappen has now won seven of the 12 sprint races since the format’s introduction at the 2021 British Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver has admitted, though, that he is not entirely enamoured with the extra racing, but Brundle believes that it is here to stay and significantly better than the traditional three free practice schedule. “I see a lot of social media traffic, as well as talking with fans, friends, and media, where many say they don’t like sprint format at all,” Brundle outlined. “Despite being a pure racer and having won many of them, Verstappen says the same. “That’s all valid opinion, but the TV audience numbers show a lot more eyeballs watching these ‘appointments to view’ live sport. And that’s fact. “As I said in our shows, the worst Sprint will always be better than the best FP2, because in free practices nothing is decided, and the teams need to keep the cars well apart on track and use as little tyre and power unit life as possible. The sprints simply must be more entertaining trackside too for those splashing their hard-earned cash. “The whole sprint format needs sharpening up schedule wise, and then it can likely work at a few more circuits. Let’s see what the F1 Commission come up with after their meeting in Abu Dhabi.” The Formula 1 season will conclude with back-to-back race weekends in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi on 18 and 26 November. Read More Max Verstappen thwarts Lando Norris’s bid for first F1 win in Brazil sprint Lewis Hamilton makes dispiriting Red Bull prediction ‘for next couple of years’ Toto Wolff blasts ‘horrible’ and ‘unacceptable’ Mercedes form after Lewis Hamilton struggles Machine Gun Kelly defends bizarre clash with F1 presenter at Brazilian Grand Prix Martin Brundle responds to bizarre Machine Gun Kelly dispute Machine Gun Kelly storms off after bizarre ‘air guitar’ exchange with Martin Brundle

Ethiopian troops appeared to be pushing back militia fighters in two cities in the conflict-hit Amhara region, residents said Wednesday, after local authorities reported that...