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NEW DELHI India's fiscal position remains solid with steady revenue growth, and headline inflation is likely to remain

European natural gas prices slumped as traders weighed mild weather forecasts and rising fuel supplies against the possible

Airbus said on Monday it had signed two contracts valued at 1.2 billion euros ($1.27 billion) for capability

Monday's football transfer rumours include Kevin De Bruyne, Casemiro, Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies & more.

Former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia believes Virgil van Dijk will prove this season he is once again the best centre-back in the Premier League. The Netherlands international has faced questions about whether can rediscover the form which arguably made him the world’s top defender prior to a knee ligament injury in October 2020. However, there are signs the current Reds skipper is edging closer to his best with his commanding performance in the weekend’s Merseyside derby win over Everton another indicator of a return to his previous high level. “He is one of the best in the business in the world,” Hyypia told the PA news agency at a Nike Game On initiative which, in conjunction with the LFC Foundation, has provided more than 8,000 local schoolchildren with access to a range of sports. “I think he has raised the standard with everyone expecting him to play at that level every time and that is very difficult. “But he is doing well, he is a big part of our team and a big leader of the team so I think we all need to be patient and his best is coming. “I think this season he has shown in some games he is still at the level and I have no doubts he will be the best centre-back in the league this season.” Despite their good start to the season there has been scrutiny on Liverpool’s defence, with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold now operating in a hybrid midfield playmaker role in possession and opponents seeking to exploit the space in behind. The focus is likely to intensify following the news left-back Andy Robertson will be sidelined for three months after shoulder surgery, with Kostas Tsimikas having to deputise. I have no doubts he will be the best centre-back in the league this season Sami Hyypia on Virgil van Dijk But Hyypia has faith in both Liverpool’s full-backs, adding: “Trent is like a midfield player. He can pass short and long and has the vision to see the passes. “I think this role suits him well and when he is in the midfield position he doesn’t have that big distance to go back defending when we lose the ball.” On Tsimikas, the former Finland international said: “I think he will get a lot of responsibility now and he has his chance to show what kind of player he is. “Hopefully he is courageous and takes his chance. If that is not going to work then Jurgen (Klopp) needs to think of something else to solve the problem but I have confidence in Tsimikas that he can do the job.” Having come through a testing set of fixtures Liverpool sit third in the table, a point behind leaders Manchester City. With games to come against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Luton – all teams in the bottom six – and Brentford before a late November trip to the Etihad Stadium, Hyypia believes the platform has been laid for another title challenge. “The ambition is to win the league,” he said. “As long as we are competing until May to be the champions I think we can say we will have had a successful season. “The top four is always the minimum target to reach but everyone wants success and some trophies this season. “It would be foolish to look at what the others are doing. We just concentrate on what we are doing and do what we do best and then we see what the result is.” The first three years of Game On programme, funded by Nike and delivered by the LFC Foundation, has engaged more than 8,000 children – including 950-plus disabled and 1,000-plus ethnically-diverse participants – aged between seven and 12 and 46 grassroots sports clubs with coaching delivered in 15 different sports. “Game On is about using the power of sport, Nike and Liverpool to engage local young people in sport – unusually for us not football,” said LFC Foundation chief executive Matt Parish. Read More Brydon Carse backed to take on Liam Plunkett role after England World Cup call The sporting weekend in pictures Philadelphia Eagles sink Miami Dolphins as Super Bowl rivals set the pace Man Utd expect to pay further tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton on Tuesday night Pep Guardiola admits winning treble has taken toll on Manchester City Gary O’Neil determined to repay Wolves for their faith after Bournemouth sacking

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is exploring an initial public offering of the kingdom’s largest medical procurement firm,

Eni SpA signed a 27-year liquefied natural gas deal with QatarEnergy, marking the Gulf nation’s third major contract

Volkswagen shares fell to their lowest since April 2020 on Monday after the German carmaker cut its profit

US President Joe Biden and the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and Canada spoke on Sunday about

Lewis Hamilton said he was “disappointed” after his shock disqualification from the United States Grand Prix – while Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted “we got it wrong.” Hamilton finished the race in second, behind race winner Max Verstappen, but was later disqualified alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for breaching the rules governing the floor of their cars. Hamilton therefore loses the 18 points earned from his second-place finish, while Leclerc loses eight points. It is thought Mercedes won’t be appealing the decision. In a Mercedes press release, Wolff explained how Mercedes fell foul of the rules. “Turning to the race result and the disqualification, set-up choices on a sprint weekend are always a challenge with just one hour of free practice - and even more so at a bumpy circuit like COTA and running a new package,” he said. “In the end, all of that doesn’t matter; others got it right where we got it wrong and there’s no wiggle room in the rules. “We need to take it on the chin, do the learning, and come back stronger next weekend.” Hamilton said: “It is of course disappointing to be disqualified post-race but that doesn’t take away from the progress we’ve made this weekend.” Mercedes chief Andrew Shovlin admitted the team need to “go away and learn from this.” “We are of course naturally very disappointed to lose our podium finish,” he said. “Unfortunately, it is one of the pitfalls of the sprint format where we have a solitary hour of running before parc fermé. “Without running at a race fuel load in FP1, combined with a circuit as bumpy as this and the parts of the track where the drivers have to put the car during the Grand Prix, have contributed to the higher than expected wear levels. “We will go away and learn from this but also take the positives from our experience as a whole.” Read More Logan Sargeant earns first F1 point in bizarre circumstances Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from United States GP Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been disqualified from Sunday’s United States Grand Prix after breaching the rules governing the floor of their cars in a shock end to the race weekend. Hamilton and Leclerc, who finished second and sixth respectively in the 56-lap race won by Max Verstappen, were being investigated by the stewards following a plank wear inspection in Austin. The original report from FIA technical delegate Joe Bauer stated: “A physical floor and a plank wear inspection was carried out on car numbers 16 [Leclerc] and 44 [Hamilton]. “The skids located in this area are found to be not in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations. I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.” Personnel from both Mercedes and Ferrari were summoned to see the stewards and, just after 7pm local time in Austin and more than three hours after the race finished, their disqualification from the race was confirmed. Hamilton therefore loses the 18 points earned from his second-place finish, while Leclerc loses eight points. Both drivers, however, do have the right to an appeal but it is understood Mercedes will not appeal the FIA’s verdict. In a Mercedes press release, Hamilton stated he was simply “disappointed” with the penalty, while team boss Toto Wolff admitted “we got it wrong.” The FIA note reveals that the cars of Verstappen and Lando Norris (who now moves up to second from third in the final classification) were also inspected, but passed the checks. The section of the rulebook referred to reads: “The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm [plus or minus] 0.2mm and must be uniform when new. “A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.” The ruling means Williams driver Logan Sargeant earns his first F1 point in bizarre circumstances at his home race. The final stewards report said: “During the hearing, the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race. NEW TOP-10 - UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lando Norris 3. Carlos Sainz 4. Sergio Perez 5. George Russell 6. Pierre Gasly 7. Lance Stroll 8. Yuki Tsunoda 9. Alex Albon 10. Logan Sargeant “The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. “In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear. “Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed.” Breaches of technical checks of the car often result in disqualification, with a recent example being Hamilton from qualifying in Brazil in 2021. Michael Schumacher was disqualified from the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix for an illegal floor, allowing Damon Hill to win the race. Hamilton was already in hot water with the FIA for an unrelated matter, after crossing a live track at the last race in Qatar and was spoken to again in Texas due to his status as a “role model.” Leclerc started Sunday’s race on pole but, opting for a different strategy, fell behind after Norris stole a march on the Ferrari at the start. Hamilton, meanwhile, came close to victory after reeling in Verstappen - who was booed on the podium - at the end. The 38-year-old has not won in nearly two years, with his last victory coming in Saudi Arabia in December 2021, but this disqualification will be a bitter pill for the seven-time world champion to swallow ahead of the next race, this weekend in Mexico. Read More Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes react to shock disqualification from United States GP Logan Sargeant earns first F1 point in bizarre circumstances Lando Norris reflects on 2023 win prospects after another near-miss in Austin Lewis Hamilton rues Mercedes error which cost him victory at US Grand Prix Max Verstappen booed by American fans on podium after victory Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States Grand Prix victory

Rebecca Adlington has said she’s “truly heartbroken” as the British swimmer announced she had a miscarriage at 20 weeks pregnant. Adlington, 34, said she went for her 20-week scan earlier this week and was informed her baby had no heartbeat, adding she and husband Andy Parsons, 31, “will forever love and remember” their daughter. She wrote on Instagram: “I don’t really have the words right now but unfortunately we went for our 20-week scan this week and they discovered no heart beat [sic].” Adlington added that she gave birth to the baby – who the couple named Harper – on Friday (20 October) and “we held her, and had time with her”. The two-time Olympic gold medallist thanked the staff at the Wythenshaw hospital in Manchester for their “incredible” kindness and care, and Parsons for his “selfless support, love, and help”. “I don’t have the strength or words right now and don’t feel ready to share this news,” Adlington continued. “However, I can’t pretend to be okay or fake a smile. I can’t have people ask me how pregnancy is or when I am due as I still look pregnant. I don’t have the strength to tell this news individually.” The former I’m a Celebrity contestant announced she was pregnant on 1 October, sharing a photograph of her family taken at Disneyland Paris. Former track athletes Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford, ex-hockey player Sam Quek, former swim champion Adam Peaty, and presenters Angellica Bell and Helen Skelton shared messages of support in the comments section of Adlington’s Instagram post. Ennis-Hill wrote: “Oh Becky I’m sending you and your family so much love. I’m so sorry xxxx.” Rutherford said: “Sending love to you. So sorry to read this Becky xx.” Quek also wrote: “Becky, I know no words will ease the pain… my entire heart is with you all.” Peaty’s message read: “I’m so sorry to hear this, my prayers are with you all” alongside a heart and praying hand emoji. Adlington previously revealed she had a miscarriage 12 weeks into her pregnancy last August, sharing the news on Instagram at the time. The mother-of-two wrote: “It’s such a devastating time but important in times like these we remember we aren’t alone and have so much support. “Long way to go but I’m in the right place,” she added. “Once I’m able to leave hospital I’m extremely grateful I get to go home and give my 2 little ones the best hugs!” Adlington, who has also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, shares one son, Albie, two, with Parsons. She also has an eight-year-old daughter, Summer, from her first marriage to swimmer and personal trainer Harry Needs. You can contact the Miscarriage Association helpline on 01924 200799 or email the charity at info@miscarriageassociation.org.uk. The helpline is open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. For more information, help and support regarding pregnancy loss, you can contact Tommy’s on 0800 0147 800. To contact Petals to enquire about the charity’s counselling services, you can call 0300 688 0068 or email counselling@petalscharity.org. Read More Should we stop putting the clocks back? What the experts think ‘I lost over a stone on Ozempic, but now it’s run out what am I to do?’ Consistent lack of sleep may increase risk of future depressive symptoms – study Should we stop putting the clocks back? What the experts think ‘I lost over a stone on Ozempic, but now it’s run out what am I to do?’ Consistent lack of sleep may increase risk of future depressive symptoms – study