Normal view

Today — 28 October 2025Main stream

South Korea's president faces high-stakes diplomacy at APEC summit

South Korea’s new president is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, bringing together leaders from 20 countries, including the United States and China, whose leaders are set to hold a high-stakes meeting on the sidelines

© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

More than 100 former Justice Department officials call for ‘vindictive’ case against former FBI Director James Comey to be dismissed

28 October 2025 at 07:43

Scholars of authoritarianism including Francis Fukuyama also asked the judge to throw out the charges, saying they were a clear example of an autocratic leader abusing the justice system to consolidate power

© J. Scott Applewhite

Federal food benefits and preschool aid to run dry starting Saturday if shutdown continues

28 October 2025 at 01:43
Federal funds could begin running dry on Saturday that help tens of millions of Americans buy food for their families and send their toddlers to preschool if the government shutdown persists

© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Yesterday — 27 October 2025Main stream

British political commentator Sami Hamdi detained by federal authorities at California airport

Officials say British political commentator Sami Hamdi has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at San Francisco International Airport

© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The government shutdown staring contest will finally get real this week: Who blinks first?

27 October 2025 at 20:34

Up until now, most of the American public has been insulated from the shutdown’s effects, Eric Garcia writes. But with SNAP recipients going hungry, labor groups demanding the government reopen and ongoing health insurance enrollment, Trump and Democrats might be forced to find a solution.

© AFP via Getty Images

Before yesterdayMain stream

Trump live: President threatens to send National Guard into more cities – ‘We can do as we want’

President Trump met with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a conservative nationalist, in Tokyo and inked a deal to strengthen US access to rare earth minerals

© AFP via Getty Images

Barger, Varsho, Kirk lead homer barrage as Blue Jays rout Dodgers 11-4 in World Series opener

25 October 2025 at 07:34
Addison Barger launched the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, Alejandro Kirk added a two-run homer in a nine-run sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays overwhelmed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1

© ASSOCIATED PRESS

Trump’s latest Time Magazine cover is a chilling homage to a portrait of a war criminal, report says

25 October 2025 at 02:01

The image shows the president with hands clasped leaning over the Resolute Desk in a pose some have suggested is reminiscent of a famous portrait of a notorious war criminal – something Time has denied

© Time Magazine/ Stephen Voss

Why Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries finally broke down and endorsed Zohran Mamdani

25 October 2025 at 00:48

The House minority leader’s endorsement of the socialist upstart says as much about Jeffries’ stewardship of Democrats in Washington as it does New York, Eric Garcia writes

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Who slept worst last night: Zak Brown

Motorsport photo

McLaren has seen much calmer days this Formula 1 season. But Zak Brown’s empire is now showing cracks on all fronts.

The team did wrap up the constructors’ championship early in Singapore, and Brown is understandably basking in the glow of that “important” achievement. But let’s be honest: for the public, that title barely matters.

In Formula 1, only the drivers’ championship counts – that’s the one with real prestige, the ultimate prize.

And right now, that ultimate prize is slipping away from McLaren.

The results since the summer break speak for themselves: Max Verstappen and Red Bull are back in full force. They have nothing to lose – and everything to gain.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

McLaren, on the other hand, can only lose – and in recent weeks, the team has looked more nervous than at any other point this season. Strategy calls have become less precise, pitstops are no longer flawless, and even the drivers are showing cracks under pressure.

Of course, we could have once again crowned Oscar Piastri the ‘worst sleeper’ of the night. But the situation at McLaren goes far beyond their championship leader’s current dip.

All these ‘side battles’ have clearly left their mark on the team. The constant chatter, speculation, and media pressure have created a climate of uncertainty – and it’s showing on track.

Hovering over all of this, like a sword of Damocles, are McLaren’s self-imposed ‘Papaya Rules’ – in other words, the rules McLaren has shackled itself with. Because the team is increasingly tripping over its own code of conduct.

Every minor incident is dissected, every tiny contact scrutinized. One internal review follows another. And anyone who says this leaves no mark on the people expected to perform on race weekends is fooling themselves.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Norris and Piastri may insist otherwise, but the ‘papaya ghost’ still haunts their minds – just listen to Piastri’s radio messages after the Singapore clash, or Norris’ comments following the sprint incident. Everything at McLaren now revolves around one question: how does this fit into the internal racing code, and what are the consequences?

Those very “consequences” for Norris, announced after Singapore, were another self-inflicted wound. When you chase irreproachable fairness, you inevitably lead whoever feels wronged to speak up. If there were consequences for Norris after Singapore, will there be some for Piastri after Austin?

That’s the vicious circle McLaren has created – and can no longer escape.

The team has even missed a chance to calm things down: in Austin, Brown spoke about “transparency”, yet failed to truly be transparent. Since then, those “consequences” have kept coming back to bite him.

Because one thing’s clear: nothing is clear. And that uncertainty is palpable. Every media session has become a balancing act.

And right in a phase where clear communication is valued more than ever, Brown is also fighting a legal battle with IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who accuses him of breaking his word and claims Brown failed to honor their agreements. If anything, that’s ironic, given that the very ‘Papaya Rules’ are based on mutual agreement and the principle of fair play.

Read Also: Alex Palou blames McLaren in court over F1 deal, Zak Brown denies misleading him Zak Brown responds to Alex Palou’s “ludicrous” claim about Oscar Piastri signing

Meanwhile, more and more voices are saying what many have long suspected: McLaren’s pursuit of absolute fairness between its two drivers simply isn’t possible. And every attempt to enforce it only makes things worse.

Where this will lead, nobody knows – not even Zak Brown. But one can safely assume that his thoughts are racing when he tries to sleep at night – especially after the weekend in Austin. If anyone had a rough night after the United States GP, it was the McLaren boss. For more reasons than one.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

❌
❌