MEXICAN Sergio Perez saw a bright future for Force India after the Formula One team finally confirmed last Thursday (18) that he would continue racing for them in 2019.
“I definitely want to be part of this next generation of the team,” he told reporters at the US Grand Prix. “We have very promising times ahead of us.”
Force India have yet to name their other driver but there is no doubt it will be Canadian Lance Stroll, whose billionaire father Lawrence heads a consortium that now controls the Silverstone- based outfit.
Perez, whose extension effectively means current team mate Esteban Ocon will not be part of the racing lineup next year, said Stroll senior was up to speed and taking a hands-on approach.
“He’s very motivated with his new project,” he said.
Perez, 28, played a major role in events leading to the takeover of the team in August and has said for some time that he knew where he would be racing next year. He declined to give details about the contract or when he had signed it.
Force India, previously co-owned by financially-troubled Indian magnate Vijay Mallya, went into administration at the end of July after Perez made a claim for $4.01 million that was owed to him.
The action was supported by engine provider Mercedes and team sponsor BWT, which were also owed significant sums.
The team, now known as Racing Point Force India to distinguish them from predecessors Sahara Force India who finished fourth overall for the last two years but are now seventh, are expected to change name next year.
Perez, who joined Force India in 2014 after a difficult year with McLaren following two seasons with Sauber, has had five podium finishes with the team including third in Azerbaijan last April.
The sport’s sole Mexican driver, the best of the rest this season outside the top three teams, has also brought significant sponsorship.
“I’ve been here five years and I know the potential,” said Perez. “Everyone here has been very loyal as well. We went into a big uncertainty with our futures and everyone stuck together. It’s great to see the outcome for the team.
“Now we are going to have more resources in place, we should have the right guidance and be really strong.”
Force India team principal Otmar Szafnauer said Perez had established himself as “one of the most talented and consistent drivers on the F1 grid”.
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves arrived in Banff, Canada, on Monday for a two-day G7 summit with finance ministers from leading democracies. Reeves is expected to focus on the UK’s recent trade deals and economic performance.
She said, “This Government is laser-focused on delivering for the British people. That’s why in the past two weeks we have struck three major deals with the US, EU and India that will kickstart economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change.”
The UK recently signed agreements with the US, EU and India. The deal with the EU is expected to add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040.
The India trade agreement is projected to increase GDP by £4.8 billion and wages by £2.2 bn annually in the long run. A separate agreement with the US includes tariff cuts and protections for British businesses.
Reeves is expected to meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and Canadian finance minister François-Philippe Champagne during the summit. She will also hold discussions on Ukraine with Ukrainian finance minister Sergii Marchenko.
The chancellor will reiterate UK support for Ukraine and highlight the latest UK sanctions on Russia’s oil exports.
She will also outline steps taken by the UK government to reduce interest rates and provide economic stability.
The population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat has increased significantly, rising from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025, according to the latest census results announced by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday.
The figures were gathered during the 16th Asiatic lion census, which was carried out over four days from 10 to 13 May across 11 districts in the state. This marks a notable rise of over 32 per cent in the number of lions over the past five years.
The large-scale survey covered an estimated 35,000 square kilometres and involved around 3,000 personnel, including regional, zonal, and sub-zonal officers, enumerators, assistant enumerators and inspectors. The team conducted a preliminary count on 10 and 11 May, followed by the final phase on 12 and 13 May.
The census was conducted across 58 talukas, including the districts of Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Botad.
Asiatic lions, a distinct sub-species of lions, are exclusively found in Gujarat, primarily in and around the Gir National Park. The region is globally recognised as the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion, and conservation efforts in the state have been instrumental in helping the species recover from the brink of extinction.
The rise in lion numbers is being viewed as a major success for India’s conservation programme, with authorities crediting effective wildlife management and local community involvement for the growing population.
The 2020 census had also shown an increase, with the population then having risen from 523 in 2015 to 674. With the current count at 891, Gujarat continues to be the stronghold for the world’s only wild population of Asiatic lions.
(PTI)
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FILE PHOTO: Pakistan's players, (L-R) Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
PAKISTAN dropped stars Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan on Wednesday (21) as they named a new-look squad for three home Twenty20 internationals against Bangladesh.
Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson will take charge for the first time after being appointed last week, replacing Aaqib Javed.
Salman Ali Agha will captain Pakistan as they look towards next year's Twenty20 World Cup, to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Fast bowler Shaheen had played in Pakistan's last T20 series in New Zealand in March, but batsmen Azam and Rizwan were omitted for the second consecutive T20 series after being criticised for slow scoring.
"The squad has been selected based on players' performances in the ongoing Pakistan Super League, which concludes on May 25," the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
Shaheen has taken 12 wickets for Lahore Qalandars in 10 PSL matches at an economy rate of 8.20. Opener Sahibzada Farhan earned a recall after topping the PSL batting charts with 394 runs.
Batsmen Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman return after missing the New Zealand tour with injuries.
Fast bowler Hasan Ali is back after being sidelined with multiple injuries since May last year.
The PCB said that the matches, which have been affected by a 10-day delay to the PSL caused by the deadly India-Pakistan conflict, will be held in Lahore on May 28, 30 and June 1.
Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub
(AFP)
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Asap Rocky and Rihanna at the Gucci show during Milan Fashion Week
Rihanna recently stepped out in Cannes, France, confidently showing off her baby bump during a date night with partner A$AP Rocky. The singer wore a daring black dress with a high slit and bold cutouts that highlighted her growing belly. Her outfit was simple yet elegant: a one-shoulder gown paired with black heels and a small purse. Rocky complemented her look, dressed in a dark trench coat and grey trousers.
This appearance came just days after Rihanna’s big pregnancy reveal at the 2025 Met Gala in New York City, where she stunned attendees by proudly displaying her bump. At the gala, she arrived wearing a stylish grey skirt set earlier in the day and later changed into a chic cropped suit with a pinstripe skirt and a dramatic hat. She finished the night at the afterparty in an all-black ensemble that also showed off her bump.
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna share a sweet moment under an umbrella at the Cannes film festivalGetty Images
Rihanna and Rocky have been in Cannes for the film festival, supporting the premiere of Rocky’s new movie, Highest 2 Lowest. Despite rainy weather, the couple posed under an umbrella on the red carpet, with Rocky affectionately cradling Rihanna’s belly. For the premiere, Rihanna chose a flowing electric-blue halter dress with cut-outs that complemented her maternity glow. The look was finished with delicate jewellery and a matching clutch.
The couple is already parents to two sons, RZA, 3, and Riot, 1. Although Rihanna hasn’t revealed the gender of their third child, fans are speculating she might be expecting twins. Rocky recently hinted on Late Night with Seth Meyers that their new baby’s name will follow their tradition of starting with the letter “R.”
Rihanna’s chic maternity fashion continues to impress from Met Gala to Cannes eventsGetty Images
Rocky also spoke openly about sharing their pregnancy news, expressing relief and happiness after keeping it private for so long. Their appearance at Cannes marks Rihanna’s first red carpet there since 2017.
With the upcoming release of Highest 2 Lowest this August, where Rocky stars alongside Denzel Washington, the couple is balancing their personal joy with professional milestones.
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Keir Starmer gestures during a reception in Downing Street, central London. (Photo by HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday (21) signalled he was open to reversing a widely criticised cut in winter fuel payments to the elderly, weeks after a bruising set of local election results for his Labour party.
Starmer told parliament he recognised that older people were still feeling the pressure of a cost-of-living crisis and he wanted to ensure that more pensioners become eligible for winter fuel payments.
"As the economy improves, we want to take measures that will impact on people's lives, and therefore we will look at the (winter payment) threshold, but that will have to be part of a fiscal event," he said, referring to a budget expected in October.
Starmer's Labour government announced the cut soon after taking office last July as part of wider spending reductions which it said were necessary to fix a hole in the public finances left by the previous Tory administration.
The cuts were cited as one factor in Labour losing ground to Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party in local elections earlier this month. Reform also leads in opinion polls.
The payments, worth £200-£300, subsidise winter heating bills for millions of older people.
Offering them to more pensioners by adjusting the threshold at which people receive them will be viewed as an embarrassing U-turn for Starmer, who had refused to back down on the issue despite opposition from dozens of Labour lawmakers as well as trade unions close to the party.
Government ministers had argued that many of the fuel payments were received by wealthy people who did not need the help.
Media reports in recent weeks have said the government was considering reversing the cuts following the poor local election results.