Mizuho Financial Group Inc. plans to increase its investment in Rakuten Group Inc.’s online securities arm, which isn’t

'Dance Moms' alum Maddie Ziegler's mother Melissa never wanted to 'hurt' her daughters

Investors shouldn’t count on the European Central Bank’s unprecedented bout of interest-rate increases ending in July, as the

Rodin Cars have revealed their application to join the Formula 1 grid in 2026 – with a female driver in one of their two seats – has been rejected by the FIA. The statement from the New Zealand-based outfit added that they expect Andretti Global’s bid to be the only successful application. Rodin’s founder David Dicker released a statement on Thursday explaining the decision and the main aspects of Rodin’s bid, detailing they would have had “no hesitation” in putting three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick in a race seat. Formula 1 has not had a female racer since 1976, with Jessica Hawkins last week becoming the first woman in nearly five years to test an F1 car. They also would have been based out of New Zealand, making them the only manufacturer in the southern hemisphere, and would have pursued a potential collaboration with Ferrari. “Rodin Cars participated in the recent FIA process aimed at gaining entry into the prestigious Formula 1 World Championship - unfortunately, our bid was not successful,” Dicker said in a statement. “This statement is intended to provide insight into the key points of our bid that we believe justified its merit. We wish to emphasise that our objective here is not to criticise the FIA or seek a reconsideration of its decision. We fully respect and accept the outcome.” The statement adds that they have tested Chadwick and New Zealand drivers Liam Lawson – currently filling in for Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri – and youngster Louis Sharp in F3 cars and their own Rodin FZed car, which they claim is quicker than an F2 car. Dicker also emphasised that Carlin have a history of junior open-wheel programmes in F4, GB3, F3 and F2, while Andretti only has a history in US racing. The Australian chief insisted Rodin cars is “financially equipped to fully fund the Formula 1 program (sic) from the personal wealth of our founder” but nonetheless “extended our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid.” The FIA opened an expressions of interest process at the start of the year, with prospective entries invited to bid for a spot as an 11th team on the grid, potentially as early as when new regulations come into play in 2026. Andretti - owned by Michael Andretti, the son of 1978 F1 world champion Mario - has already announced a partnership with General Motors’ brand Cadillac, while other applications include from British racing team Hitech GP. The FIA and Formula 1 are yet to formally comment on the ongoing process. Read More Jessica Hawkins becomes first woman to drive F1 test in five years Jamie Chadwick on her new adventure in IndyCar and ‘ultimate goal’ of F1 seat Aussie billionaire David Dicker enters race for new team to join F1 grid Adrian Newey reveals ‘emotional’ Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton regret Christian Horner gives Lando Norris update amid Red Bull link George Russell ‘can’t argue’ with Lewis Hamilton’s status at Mercedes

Rishi Sunak has been compared to Alan Partridge after discussing his favourite band… The Beatles. The PM was asked to name his favourite musical group, and he told GB News reporter Darren McCaffrey that his favourite band was the fab four. Instantly, people compared him to Steve Coogan’s comedy creation due to one moment from the classic sitcom. In one telling scene from I’m Alan Partridge, the Norwich-based radio DJ is asked what his favourite Beatles album is. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “Tough one. I think I’d have to say the best of the Beatles,” he replies. After Sunak’s comments came to light on Tuesday, people couldn’t help but see the similarities between the PM and Partridge. Alan Partridge - What´s Your Favourite Beatles Album? www.youtube.com It’s not the first time Sunak has been compared to Partridge, either. The 42-year-old was mocked online after a video resurfaced of him telling school pupils he is a “total coke addict” last year, before clarifying he meant Coca-Cola and not cocaine. In the footage, the chancellor can be seen telling two schoolboys: “I’m a Coke addict. A total Coke addict.” After a brief pause he clarifies: “Coca-Cola addict. Just for the record. Just to be totally clear. I am a Coca-Cola addict. I have seven fillings to show for it.” 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.

A France team spokesman says captain Antoine Dupont is “doing as well as possible” six days after surgery on his facial fracture at the Rugby World Cup

Jewel Crowder was arrested as a suspect in the killing of Ryan Demby, who was fatally shot during an altercation in front of a Baltimore bar

A woman has revealed that she was pronounced dead for three minutes after battling with heatstroke – and claims that watches “stop working” whenever she wears them. When Jade visited a friend for a relaxing summer afternoon, she didn’t expect for her life to be hanging in the balance only hours later. She recalls the heat in Green Bay, Wisconsin, US, reaching 32 degrees and with the high humidity, this made the temperature “unbearable.” Soon, she started experiencing frequent bouts of nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and exhaustion which caused her to collapse on the living room sofa. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter As Jade, aged 36, was rushed to hospital, medics pronounced her dead for three minutes and said the culprit was heatstroke. Now, in a bid to raise awareness, she’s shared her story on TikTok, racking up 191,000 views and over 20,000 likes and says that the experience has made her “unafraid” of death. “I had experienced an extreme fear of dying prior to this incident, but when it actually happened, I had zero fear,” the content creator, from Wisconsin, told NeedToKnow.co.uk. “I remember feeling consistently yucky and really gross. I was rundown, lethargic and sick to my stomach, with my mouth bone dry. “I went out to smoke and the moment that I finished and stood up, I knew I was in trouble. My priority immediately became getting back inside and I don’t think I understood at this point that I was dying, but I did understand that I was going down.” Jade recalls stumbling into the apartment and slumping onto the couch, before making a gurgling sound. She said: “Everything must have happened in a matter of moments, but it felt like much longer and this profound feeling of utter sickness hit me like a tonne of bricks. “My head felt like it was inflating, yet my entire body as if it was shrinking. I had never known anything like it before. It made me completely OK with dying because I wanted to sleep forever. “Then, everything went black and that was the moment I knew I was about to pass away.” Jade was rushed to St Vincent’s hospital via ambulance, where she was revived via a defibrillator. As she arrived, she fell in and out of consciousness, but imaging tests of her head were carried out, along with blood tests and electrocardiograms, a test to check the heart’s rhythm. Over the next four days, she received injections to prevent blood clots and soon, medics told her she had been pronounced “dead” for three minutes on arrival with heatstroke. In the clip, she discusses her story and the “weird” occurrences which have happened since. Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many detailing their own experiences. “I fainted TWICE that summer,” one person said. Someone else commented: “I was pregnant that summer. The heat was HORRIBLE!!!” “Your story was very interesting. Glad your safe,” another person added. Lauren said: “Was it scary? What did you see? I really panic about the thought of death.” “The thought of dying scares me so much I couldn’t even sit thru listening to this,” one user commented. [sic] “June 3, 2022 I died. My husband did cpr for 37 minutes until EMS took over,” Kate added. Jade was born with Wolff Parkinsons’ White and postural tachycardia syndrome, which both cause abnormalities with increased heart rate. Often, she feels like she’s going to “throw up” her heart and sometimes, extreme shakiness, as well as fainting spells. Due to this, she finds intense heat triggers these episodes and while her near death experience in July 2011 hasn’t made these worse, she believes they were a contributing factor. Jade said: “My symptoms are still mild, but I have been getting new ones, such as a low grade fever and muscle weakness. I'm not sure if these are related to the heatstroke. “I’m still waiting for a final diagnosis, as this has only occurred after my incident, but I will always fight for myself and my life.” Since then, Jade has also suffered with frequent seizures, which she had never had prior to the incident. She said: “At first, I thought it was heatstroke again, but I just passed out and doctors believe it’s because I’m still so exhausted from all the anxiety of almost dying. “But, I have been admitted a few times for these and I’ve had tests such as MRIs and more blood work done, as well as seeing a neurologist and I’ve been diagnosed with epilepsy. “Now, I don’t have them so much, but I’ve been in touch with other near death experience survivors who said they had seizures for a while after, but then they suddenly stopped.” Jade has also experienced other “strange anomalies” such as not being able to wear regular watches as they would stop working once she put them on. She added: “It wasn’t something that happened before and the only watches that are safe are expensive smart watches. “I’ve given up on them entirely, but vape pens also shut down even with a full battery. “I’ve also had a lot of spooky things happening, such as hearing voices and seeing things that aren’t there. “Sometimes it’s been whispers or dark hazy figures and I began recording my home because I was petrified that I was losing it. “I believe this is telling me that life continues after death. “I feel like I’m in a special club and it’s made me learn how to take better care of myself, as well as valuing life more. “I don’t live in fear of death and I know that when my time comes, any fear will melt away like it did before. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it is absolutely true what they say – the fear itself is always worse than the thing we actually fear.” 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.

Western hopes for Ukraine’s counteroffensive to achieve a dramatic breakthrough have been significantly pared back, with US officials now reportedly forecasting that Kyiv will fall short of its key aim of severing Russia’s land bridge with occupied Crimea. One of the significant challenges confounding Kyiv’s efforts to redraw the frontline is the millions of mines Russia has laid in their path, to the extent that Ukraine is now being described as the most heavily mined country in the world. “What we are seeing is an industrial level of mine-laying, particularly anti-tank mines,” said Paul McCann, of the Halo Trust, the world's largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation. “Nothing like it [has been] seen in Europe since the Second World War.” In one part of the liberated Mykolaiv region, close to lands flooded by the Khakovka Dam attack, clearance workers found “incredibly dense” fields of powerful anti-tank mines, with one explosive for every square metre, Mr McCann said. But Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov has warned that the minefields on Russian-held territory – spanning the length of the 1,000km frontline – are up to five times as dense as those found in Mykolaiv. They also deep – with reports of as many as five anti-tank mines being stacked one on top of the other – capable of destroying even tanks equipped with mine ploughs. The painstaking efforts by Ukrainian troops to clear paths towards the enemy through the fields of explosives – often under heavy shelling and other fire – mean that, at one key hospital in Dnipro, the number of wounded troops arriving with mine-related injuries is now said to be second only to victims of artillery fire. Experts have told The Independent that Western hesitance to supply Kyiv with the necessary weapons for its counteroffensive this summer had allowed Russia time to create formidable defences, and lay millions of mines – meaning hopes of a “Hollywood”-style breakthrough are likely “unrealistic”. The minefields are “a serious problem”, warned Mark Galeotti, of the Mayak Intelligence consultancy. “If you’re facing a heavily mined battlefield, you have to move slowly ... at the speed of anti-mining tanks or engineers moving through marking mines, so you are therefore vulnerable to being caught under artillery fire. “Mines fix you slowly or they channel you – often into a ‘kill zone’ where they’re waiting to drop volleys of artillery shells on you. They deny the Ukrainians that kind of fluidity and speed of movement [seen during last year’s lightning counteroffensive].” Meanwhile, as Ukrainians risk their lives to clear the minefields, “the Russians can replenish them if nothing else just by using rocket launchers that scatter mines”, Mr Galeotti added. Mines can even be laid in this fashion to trap Ukrainian troops who have just cleared a path through, often by hand. The mines “would be vastly less formidable”, however, were they not “part of a very complex defensive setup”, said the author and honorary professor at University College London. He was alluding to the array of trenches, anti-tank ditches, “dragon’s teeth” barricades and other obstacles Russia has constructed. “It’s always a danger to underestimate Russians in the defence, they can be very dogged,” Mr Galeotti said. Following initial attempts to punch through Russia’s defences which likely proved costly in both manpower and Western-supplied equipment, including tanks, Ukraine now appears to have broadened its focus to target supply lines, decimate key artillery systems and exhaust the Russian military with drone strikes on targets such as Moscow, Belgorod and the Black Sea fleet. “The change in tactics at the line of contact on the battlefield has been towards using lighter footprints, small units on foot, but in the grander scheme of things we’re seeing a lot of these asymmetric cheap attacks being conducted,” said Dr Marina Miron, of King’s College University’s war studies department. “They don’t want to waste the Nato-trained brigades to run against a concrete wall, which is basically those minefields and the Russian defences,” Dr Miron added. Mr Galeotti estimates that Ukraine has already committed half of its new 10th Corps, comprising troops trained and equipped by Nato – a tens of thousands-strong grouping initially intended to hold back and capitalise on any breakthroughs rather than toil at creating them. The minefields and resulting casualties have been “leading to a degree of fatigue even within the [rest of the] country”, Mr Galeotti believes – pointing to recent reports suggesting that the days of “lines of volunteers eager to sign up” to Ukraine’s war effort are “long gone”. However, Ukraine has been buoyed this week by successes in breaking through the first line of Russian defences near the Zaporizhzia village of Robotyne – a first step on the path to severing Russia’s land bridge with Crimea. This breakthrough is “tactically significant” in that it may allow Kyiv’s forces to start operating beyond Russia’s densest minefields, according to the Institute of the Study for War. The gains have prompted some suggestions that further advances could finally allow Kyiv’s troops to pour through paper-thin gaps in the minefields to establish some control over a vast area between Russian lines. “If the Ukrainians are going to break through, it’s going to be like bankruptcy – it’s gradually then all at once,” said Dr Patrick Bury, a senior lecturer at Bath University and former Nato analyst. “That’s what you’re looking for – you get through the defences and suddenly you’re out in the open,” said the former British Army infantry captain. “Basically, you tell tanks and armoured infantry to drive hell for leather and you’re trying to get to undefended towns and cities because they’re your logistics and transport hubs. “They’ll be trying to drive [as] fast as they can towards the Sea of Azov. It’s not as if they want to cut the Russians off completely but they want to force them to withdraw ... Once you break out and you’re inside, it’s about momentum, decision-making, and you’re the one imposing your tempo on the enemy. You move and they have to react.” But while the gains near Tokmak show “progress”, with Dr Bury also pointing to fighting near the village of Urozhaine as “the one to watch”, he believes the chances of a sudden breakthrough are “50/50 at the moment”. “It’s hanging in the balance, and I think the next few weeks are going to be pretty decisive, one way or the other.” Read More Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv claims five Moscow fighter jets hit by drones, as Prigozhin ‘confirmed dead’ Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West On the ground in Ukraine, the desperate fight to protect a key city from 100,000 of ‘Putin’s thugs’ Wagner Group: Timeline of Yevgeny Progozhin’s private army as leader ‘killed in plane crash’ Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘Ask Me Anything’ - expert Tim White answers your questions Wagner chief ‘killed’ in crash

Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal have submitted a world record 300 million euro (£259m) bid for Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, the PA news agency understands. Mbappe’s future in Paris is in serious doubt after the 24-year-old was left out of the club’s pre-season tour of Japan. PA understands Al Hilal have submitted a bid in writing for the player, who is out of contract next summer. Sources close to the French club say there has also been interest in the player from other clubs in recent days, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Barcelona. The current world record transfer fee was paid by PSG, when they signed Neymar from Barcelona for a deal reported at the time as £200m. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Yankees star Aaron Judge recently showed off his class in a short but funny exchange with Seattle Mariners' Teoscar Hernandez.New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge can do it all. He hit two homers in Monday's win over the Seattle Mariners and also robbed one on defense.The Mariners ...

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he didn’t invite Bank of Portugal Governor Mario Centeno to be