El Máster Edwin

The Real Italian Car Company has plans to electrify the stone-cold Italian classic As compact and adorable as the current Fiat 500 electric is, a car restoration company in Italy is planning on revealing a fully electrified version of the even more compact, impossibly adorable original Fiat 500. The Real Italian Car Company – whose fine work we sampled recently – explained to TopGear.com there are plans to electrify the Italian classic, turning it into a zero-emission, congestion and ULEZ charge-exempt runaround. The team is currently analysing a number of proposals from various suppliers, though at this early stage they’re still determining the overall vehicle concept. “We’re going into the realms of proper engineering, it’s not back-of-a-cigarette-packet stuff,” said TRICC’s Anthony Peacock. “We’ll set out the parameters like weight, range and packaging, and see where we go from there.” The proposals hail from the UK, the USA and Italy, with a range of different options – batteries and a motor in the rear boot, for example, or up front, or indeed front and back. “Like all electric cars it’s a trade off,” he said, “between weight, range and space. “A huge number of batteries gives you a lot of range, but that increases the weight. And do you really need 200 miles of range in a car like this? And while the concept of having batteries front and back might balance the car, we need to think about luggage space. “We’re leaning towards the solution with the batteries in the boot at the moment, but it’s early days,” he added. The plan is to have a working electric Fiat 500 prototype by early next year. “We have to do it in a sustainable, scalable way,” Peacock said. “It’s got to be with the right partner.” In the meantime, they’re busy fulfilling the increased order bank of original, restored combustion-engined 500s. Link

The no-jury trial in Manhattan is expected to last nearly three months. Former President Donald Trump and several of his children are listed as potential witnesses. Donald Trump was in the courtroom Monday for the beginning of the $250 million civil fraud trial brought by the New York attorney general’s office against the former president, his company and two of his children — a case that could have widespread implications for the former president's businesses. Trump, who was not required to attend the trial, sat with his arms crossed for most of AG attorney Kevin Wallace’s presentation to Judge Arthur Engoron, occasionally tapping his foot. The trial puts into focus Trump’s business acumen, as the AG’s office seeks to portray the image-fixated ex-president as a fraud who intentionally overstated his successes. After opening statements were done, Trump walked out of the courtroom shooting an angry glare at Attorney General Letitia James. “We’re going to be here for months with a judge that already made up his mind. It’s ridiculous,” Trump complained to reporters during the lunch break, amping up his attacks on Engoron, whose rulings in the case could cost Trump’s company hundreds of millions of dollars and impact its ability to do business in New York. “This is a judge that should be disbarred. This is a judge that should be out of office. This is a judge that some people say could be charged criminally for what he’s doing. He’s interfering with an election, and it’s a disgrace,” Trump said. In his opening statement, Wallace told Engoron that Trump and officials at his company had engaged in "persistent illegal acts" with overly inflated financial statements with values that were "determined by Donald Trump." He said Trump overvalued his financial statements between $812 million and $2.2 billion, knew that they were false and used them to obtain benefits including loans at terms he was not entitled to. Trump tried to blame former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg for the financial certifications at his deposition in the case, Wallace said, but "he was lying." The civil trial kicks off what may be a series of courtroom appearances by Trump, who is also facing criminal charges in four different jurisdictions, including two cases in connection with his bid to overturn the 2020 election. Trump has sought to paint all of his legal woes as an effort to keep him from returning to power and political retribution as he holds onto the lead in the Republican primary. Trump's attorney Christopher Kise said in his opening statement that the evidence would show Trump "made many billions of dollars being right about real estate investments" and "building one of the most successful real estate empires in the world" and "one of the most successful brands." He told the judge that valuations are subjective, and noted that Trump never defaulted on any of the loans. "There was no fraud," Kise said. "President Trump did not make any false statements." The no-jury trial in Manhattan is expected to last about three months, concluding by Dec. 22, and will be decided by Engoron. Kise was followed by combative Trump attorney Alina Habba, who's clashed with the judge in the past. Habba called former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, one of the AG's witnesses in the case, a "liar," suggested James' investigation was politically motivated and complained that James was undervaluing Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida club, which she said is "worth at least a billion dollars." The AG's office said its value is closer to $75 million. Habba also complained that her client "did want a jury" to hear the case, but Engoron noted that Trump's team had never asked for a jury trial. The first witness called by the AG's office was Donald Bender, Trump's former accountant. Bender testified at last year's criminal tax fraud trial against two Trump Organization companies that were ultimately convicted and fined $1.6 million. On Monday, Bender testified about how he would compile Trump's financial statements — the documents the AG said had inflated values. Bender said he used information that was sent to him from the company to put them together. Though Bender was speaking in fairly dry technical terms, many in the courtroom seemed to be enthralled. As the testimony went on through the afternoon, Trump appeared agitated at times, his face beet-red while he whispered to his attorneys. His demeanor changed at the end of the court day, when the judge told the AG's office some of Bender's testimony was redundant and needed to be tied into contracts within the statute of limitations in the case to be considered relevant. Kise stood up and said he agreed, and Trump gave two thumbs up. Bender's testimony will resume Tuesday morning. Earlier, Trump addressed the media assembled outside the courtroom as he arrived for the trial at 10 a.m., attacking James and accusing her of filing the case to damage him politically. "They’re trying to damage me so I don’t do as well as I’m doing," Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination said. The judge recently sided in part with James' office, finding that Trump committed repeated acts of fraud for years that included lying to banks and insurers by both overvaluing and undervaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth by billions of dollars. Trump’s arguments to defend the fraudulent statements are based in “a fantasy world, not the real world,” Engoron wrote in a 35-page ruling last week. The ruling, which allowed the case to go to trial this week, will also have practical repercussions for Trump's numerous limited liability companies, or LLCs. The judge's order set in motion a dissolution process for entities like Trump Organization LLC, which has helped expand the Trump brand over the years. The outstanding issues in the case, beyond what Engoron ruled on last week, will be resolved at trial. Kise has called that ruling “outrageous” and said he planned to appeal. Trump has repeatedly disparaged Engoron, including as recently as Sunday night when he called Engoron a “Trump Hating Judge who is unfair, unhinged, and vicious in his PURSUIT of me” in a post on Truth Social. New York Attorney General Letitia James at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference National Town Hall in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21. Trump confirmed Sunday on Truth Social that he would be in the courtroom for the opening of the trial "to fight for my name and reputation.” He's expected to attend the first two days of the proceedings. James was in the courtroom Monday for the beginning of the trial. Trump did not acknowledge her as he walked in, followed by his son Eric. Before entering, Trump delivered remarks in the hallway in which he criticized James directly, calling her a "corrupt attorney general." “Everything was perfect. There was no crime. The crime is against me," Trump said in the courthouse, where Walt Nauta, his aide and co-defendant on federal charges he mishandled classified documents, was in his entourage. James said in a statement ahead of the trial “No matter how rich or powerful you are, there are not two sets of laws for people in this country. The rule of law must apply equally to everyone, and it is my responsibility to make sure that it does." She told reporters on her way into court that "no one is above the law. And it is my responsibility and my duty and my job to enforce it." Trump and three of his children, Don Jr. and Eric, who both serve as senior executives in the Trump Organization, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, are among the 28 witnesses the A.G.'s office plans to call. Allen Weisselberg, the company’s former chief financial officer, is also set to take the stand, in addition to Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer. In a criminal trial last year, Weisselberg testified against the Trump Organization and was sentenced to five months in jail in connection with his role in the company’s 15-year tax fraud scheme. The Trump Organization was convicted on 17 counts related to conspiracy, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records and was hit with $1.6 million in fines. Link

Young men from Africa and the Middle East are making the journey through Europe on foot In a corner of the Italian Alps, a queue of Sudanese and Afghans are swapping their sandals for hiking boots and replacing flip-flops with sturdy trainers, preparing, they hope, for their trek to freedom. They are today's arrivals - around 150 - at a makeshift camp in the picturesque town of Oulx manned by local volunteers. They give out donated coats to the migrants to help them survive the mountain temperatures on the arduous journey ahead. For even here, having reached Italy from across Africa and the Middle East, these groups of mostly young men want to go on to France and beyond. More than 130,000 migrants have entered Italy this year - almost double the same period in 2021, following a surge of arrivals by boat to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. Numbers travelling north to the border with France have doubled in the past few months. But France's authorities are detaining and pushing back undocumented migrants, having reintroduced controls on its border with Italy, suspending parts of the Schengen free movement regulations. The European Court of Justice recently ruled that the pushbacks breach EU law and that migrants detained should be subject to an official return decision, adding that forced removal should only be "a last resort." Migrants don warm clothes and boots for the dangerous trek over the Alps One of those trying to make the journey to France is Omar, from Nigeria, who spent months in Libya before paying smugglers the equivalent of $800 (£660) to make the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean to Lampedusa. From there, he was moved to two camps elsewhere in Italy, before managing, he says, to get out and walk to the French border. Now his aim is to reach the UK. "I just want to have a good life and study there," he tells me, his foot bandaged from an injury at sea. I ask whether he's seen pictures or heard stories of economic migrants being refused asylum in France or the UK and being sent back. He has, he says, but even if he meets the same fate, he will try again. "If I have to return to Nigeria, my parents will be so sad, because their dreams didn't become true," he adds. Some fail early. We watch as an Italian police car drives an Egyptian migrant back to the makeshift camp, caught before he could make the crossing. But the checks on this side of the border are rare, with volunteer Elena telling me she's only seen it happen two or three times in the couple of months she's been there. So are the Italian police turning a blind eye, I ask? "They know exactly what we're doing here, they know exactly what these people are here for, so it's like a game somehow," she says. "They know, but they pretend not to know." People like Elena help out the migrants who are trying to cross into France I put it to her that some would see her work as encouraging illegal migration. Just last week, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hit out at Germany's government for funding NGOs that help migrants around Italy, denouncing them as "a pull factor." "I don't care," Elena says. "If you see somebody who needs something, and you know the risks in the mountains, can you allow people to walk like this? This is the responsibility of all of Europe." After a short bus ride to the town of Claviere, the migrants reach the border. But, fearing police, most avoid the road up to the official crossing. Instead, they scatter into the forest, hiding and waiting to dash across the mountains, away from prying eyes. Shrouded in mist, and with temperatures dropping fast, the perilous rocky paths have already claimed several lives. Some migrants have died trying to make the dangerous journey through the mountains Others search for alternative routes, four hours' drive south in the Italian coastal city of Ventimiglia, close to Nice. Here, migrants camp out at the station, trying their luck on a cross-border train. But France's controls are stringent; we accompany French police who stop every train arriving from Italy, asking for identity papers from passengers and even checking toilets for stowaways. In one carriage, a handful of Africans are caught without documents, led off to be sent back across the border to Italy, from where they will almost certainly try again. The rapid rise in migrant arrivals here is infuriating Ventimiglia's mayor, Flavio di Muro, from the far-right Lega party. He hits out at France's suspension of the Schengen free movement zone on this border, which has facilitated the checks and pushbacks. "The EU is not working," he laments. "Each country is setting its own migration limits and Italy has to shoulder the burden alone. I've put armed guards in the cemetery because migrants were entering to spit on graves, urinate and vandalise the bathrooms," he claims. "We've reached our limit. We could become the Lampedusa of the north." On the Alpine border in Claviere, the temperature is dropping fast as autumn wears on. At night, groups of migrants huddle together under the shelter of the church, some lighting a fire to help pass the hours until their attempt to cross the mountains undetected. Red Cross workers come to distribute food and water - one telling me of migrants they found who needed their fingers amputated after catching frostbite. Amid the forests of the Alps and the railways of Ventimiglia, a new bottleneck in Europe is emerging. And whatever the continent's leaders seem to do, the determination of the desperate is proving impossible to quash. Link

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Nick movie: Despicable Me 2 Time: June 5, 2013 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 98 M Trailer:

Government lauds vastly more cost-effective way of linking London and Birmingham Here’s TopGear.com’s roving correspondent, Cory Spondent, with his mostly incorrect exclusives from the world of motoring The entirety of the HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham is to be scrapped and replaced with a train of Dacia Sanderos welded together, the government has announced. The move will slash tens of billions of pounds off the ballooning cost of the project, and could - in the words of an insider - free up enough funds to make the under-threat Phase 2 leg to Manchester “potentially worth bothering with after all”. Although the Sandero train won’t be capable of anything like the 200mph+ speeds that HS2 initially promised, exclusive use of the hard shoulder along the M1 and M6 will allow passengers to point and laugh at miserable drivers stuck in traffic. Apparently transport chiefs believe this’ll make commuters and voters alike forget that journey times of 52 minutes between the UK’s two biggest cities were ever thought possible, never mind pledged by successive administrations. “Replacing HS2 with a train of Sanderos makes so much sense,” said the insider. “When the idea was first mentioned in the office we all laughed, but it slowly dawned on us that it would solve literally all of our problems. “We’ll complete the work under budget, there’s no need to bulldoze through mile after mile of green belt, and keeping a Sandero in good nick is child’s play compared to a state-of-the-art train carriage. “Sadly there’ll be no food or drinks service on the Sandero train, but once you’ve paid for the ticket you won’t be able to afford bottled water or a Snickers anyway. Win win.” Asked if the leg to Manchester could now go ahead as planned, the insider said: “Hmm, we’re still not sure. Lot of potholes to fix in the north, you see. A spare wheel on a boggo Sandero is 300 quid these days, so we’re running the numbers to see what’s cheapest.” Link

Scott Hall is the first person to plead guilty in the 19 defendant case. ATLANTA — Scott Hall, one of the 18 defendants charged along with former President Donald Trump for allegedly interfering with the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, pleaded guilty Friday. Hall is the first defendant to enter a plea in the case. Under the terms of an agreement with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' office, Hall pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges and will be sentenced to five years' probation, if he abides by the terms of the deal. He also agreed to testify in related court hearings and trials stemming from the sprawling 41-count indictment that was unsealed in August. Scott Hall. “Do you understand that conditions of your probation in this sentence is that you testify truthfully at any further court proceedings to include trials of any co-defendants that is listed on the original indictment in which you were charged,” the DA's office asked Hall in a Friday afternoon hearing before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. “Yes, ma’am,” he responded. Hall pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of an election. Hall, 59, is a bail bondsman who was hit with charges relating to a voting system breach in Georgia’s Coffee County in early 2021. He was also the first of the 19 defendants charged in the case to surrender last month. Also named in the indictment as participating in the Coffee County conspiracy was former Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who is scheduled to stand trial on those charges in late October. Powell has pleaded not guilty. In the indictment, Hall was charged with numerous felony counts: violation of the Georgia RICO Act; two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud; conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; and conspiracy to defraud the state. Under the terms of the plea deal, Hall will also have to write an apology letter to the state for his conduct, pay a $5,000 fine, serve 200 hours of community service and provide the DA's office with a recorded statement, which he has already done. A spokesperson for the DA’s office declined comment on the plea deal. An attorney for Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In other court activity Friday, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones denied bids by former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and three so-called "alternate electors" to move their cases to federal court. The four were among the 19 indicted in Fulton County last month. Clark had argued that he was acting in his federal capacity when he urged DOJ brass to intervene in the 2020 election. He allegedly pressed then-acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to send an official Justice Department letter to Georgia’s governor and legislative leaders on Dec. 28 saying the DOJ had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia.” Rosen refused to do so despite pressure from Trump — who had threatened to fire and replace him with Clark — because the Justice Department had found no evidence of significant fraud. The DA's office noted that Clark's duties at the Justice Department did not having anything to do with election fraud, and contended that Clark had exceeded his authority. At a hearing on the issue this month, a lawyer for Clark suggested — but did not explicitly state — that Clark was working at Trump's direction. In his ruling Friday, Jones found "Clark has submitted no evidence that the December 28 letter was written within the scope of his role" at the Justice Department. "To the contrary, the evidence before the Court indicates the opposite: Clark’s role in the Civil Division did not include any role in the investigation or oversight of State elections," the judge wrote, denying his bid to move the case. An attorney for Clark did not respond to a request for comment. In separate rulings Friday, Jones also rejected similar requests from defendants David Shafer, Shawn Still and Cathy Latham, who acted as 2020 electors for Trump in Georgia. The indictment said the three, who've pleaded not guilty, “unlawfully falsely held themselves out as the duly elected and qualified presidential electors from the State of Georgia,” even though Joe Biden had won the state. The three defendants argued they were carrying out federal duties in their role as electors, and should therefore have their case heard in federal court. Jones disagreed. "In sum, the Court finds that presidential electors, or the Republican nominated presidential electors in this case, are not federal officers," the judge wrote in one of his rulings. "Even though electors are engaging in a federal functions when they meet and cast their ballots, that is insufficient to make someone a federal officer. To find otherwise would convert all citizens who can lawfully vote into federal officers when they cast their ballot for U.S. House of Representatives," Jones wrote. William Cromwell, an attorney for Latham, said, "We plan to appeal this decision." Craig Gillen, a lawyer for Shafer, said he was reviewing the decision and declined comment. An attorney for Still did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night. The judge denied a similar bid by former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows this month. Meadows is appealing the ruling. In a court filing Thursday, attorneys for Trump said the former president would not seek to move his Georgia election interference charges to federal court. Trump had previously indicated in a court filing that he might seek to move his case to a federal venue. “This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia,” Trump attorney Steven Sadow wrote in a letter to McAfee. Link

A state of emergency has been declared in New York City as strong storms bring flash flooding. Many of the city's subway systems, streets and highways have flooded, while at least one terminal at LaGuardia Airport closed on Friday. Up to 8in (20cm) of rain fell in some parts of the city, and another few inches are expected later on Friday, forecasters said. "This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm," Governor Kathy Hochul has said. "I am declaring a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the extreme rainfall we're seeing throughout the region," Gov Hochul said on X, formerly known as Twitter. She urged people to take steps to stay safe and "never attempt to travel on flooded roads". No deaths or critical injuries have been reported. A state of emergency was also declared in the New Jersey town of Hoboken, just across the Hudson River from New York City. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, warned people it was a time for "heightened alertness and extreme caution" as the state of emergency was put in place. "Some of our subways are flooded and it is extremely difficult to move around the city," he told a press briefing. On Friday evening, Mr Adams told CBS, the BBC's partner in the US, that there were 15 rescues from cars and three rescues from basement apartments. Flooding caused major disruptions to New York's subway system and the Metro North commuter rail service, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Agency. Some subway lines were suspended entirely, and many stations were closed. In Mamaroneck, a Westchester County suburb north of the city, emergency officials used inflatable rafts to rescue people trapped in buildings by floods, Reuters reported. Pictures and video footage showed people wading through water reaching up to their knees, as streets and subways were hit by heavy rain. Several videos posted to social media appeared to show water pouring from the ceiling and walls of subway stations and onto inundated platforms. Can New York make basements units safe from floods? More than 2.5in of rain was reported in one hour in Brooklyn Navy Yard. In a virtual briefing, New York's chief climate officer Rohit Aggarwala said that the city's sewage system was only designed to handle 1.75 inches an hour. "It's no surprise that parts of Brooklyn have borne the brunt of this," he said. In South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, workers waded through knee-high water as they tried to unclog a drain as cardboard and other debris floated by. One resident, Kelly Hayes, told the BBC that she estimated that the flood damage to her bar and kitchen in the Gowanus neighbourhood will cost between $25,000 and $30,000 (£20,500-$24,500). Residents escape the rising floodwaters in New York City Terminal A at La Guardia Airport was closed because of flooding, authorities said. Passengers were advised to check with their airline before travelling. The New York Police Department also announced multiple road closures and said the National Guard had been deployed. Elsewhere, traffic hit a standstill as water rose above cars' tires along a stretch of the FDR Drive - a major road along the east side of Manhattan. New York City has had nearly 14in of rain so far this month, making it the wettest September since 1882, according to National Weather Service data. Link

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Nick movie: Iron Man 2 Time: April 26, 2010 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 125 M Trailer:

Silvia Macías of Mexico City had traveled to the Chipinque Park to celebrate the 15th birthday of her son, Santiago, who has Down syndrome, when the bear showed up. MEXICO CITY — A Mexican mother bravely shielded her son after a bear leapt on a picnic table and devoured the tacos and enchiladas meant for the boy’s birthday dinner, inches from his face. Silvia Macías of Mexico City had traveled to the Chipinque Park on the outskirts of the northern city of Monterrey to celebrate the 15th birthday of her son, Santiago, who has Down syndrome. Soon after they sat down to eat the food they had brought, the bear showed up and gulped down french fries, enchiladas, tacos and salsa. A video shot by her friend, Angela Chapa, shows Macías sitting stoically, inches from the bear’s mouth, holding Santiago and shielding his eyes with her hand. She kept her eyes downcast, to avoid anything the bear might consider a challenge. A woman shields her son as a bear leaps on their picnic table and eats tacos and enchiladas in Monterrey, Mexico, on Monday. “The worst thing was that Santiago might get scared,” Macías recalled Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. “Santiago is very afraid of animals, a cat or a dog, any animal scares him a lot.” “That’s why I covered his eyes, because I didn’t want him to see it and scream or run. I was afraid that if he got scared or screamed or scared the bear, that the bear would react,” she said of the incident Monday. Macías said that she and Chapa had previously thought about the possibility of a bear encounter — they are not unknown in the park, though usually the bears come out more toward dawn or dusk, not midday — and they had come up with a plan. “We are going to play a game where we cover Santiago’s eyes and we are going to act like statues,” she recalled rehearsing the plan. And that is exactly what they did: Santiago remained motionless, even though “the bear was very close to us, we heard him as he growled, as he ate, you could smell the bear. It was really very very close.” Asked if he had been scared, Santiago, who attends middle school in Mexico City, said “yes, a lot.” Their resourceful friend Chapa, who filmed the scene, lives in Monterrey and knew the proper behavior for a black bear encounter: never run. She noticed a plate of enchiladas the bear had not eaten — the bear appeared to prefer french fries and had eaten the salsa — and she tossed the enchilada far away, after showing it to the animal. As expected, the animal followed the food and Angela stood in front of the bear, shielding Macías and her son and allowing them to retreat quietly and slowly. Eventually, the bear went away. Santiago got his birthday tacos replaced, and all ended well. Macías says she doesn’t consider herself a hero. “I just think I’m a mother who protected her cub,” she said. Link

New Zealand carmaker confirms its bid to join F1 has been denied, despite billionaire funding and plans to run a female driver Rodin Cars - the New Zealand-based, single-seater track car maker and owner of junior motorsport outfit Carlin - has confirmed that its application to start an F1 team has been rejected. The FIA had called for potential new F1 teams to step forward in January, and a joint Andretti-Cadillac bid was the first to go public just two days later. Rodin was one of three other entities to join the formal bidding process with less fanfare, but reports suggest only Andretti has reached the final stage and while we’ve heard nothing formal just yet, even Rodin admits the Americans’ joint pitch will be “the only successful applicant”. However, it seems Rodin is a bit narked at being told ‘thanks, but no thanks’. In a statement penned by billionaire founder David Dicker, it points out several key areas where it thinks it had the edge over Andretti’s proposal. These include its ‘state-of-the-art facility in New Zealand’, the fact that it’s a car manufacturer, its ownership of Carlin and therefore ability to prepare drivers in the likes of Formula 3 and Formula 2, potential talks over a ‘collaboration’ with Ferrari (you’d think regarding an engine), and adequate funding thanks to its owner's deep pockets. Rodin also says it would’ve ‘guaranteed’ a female driver on the grid. It claims to have tested Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri’s current super sub for the injured Daniel Ricciardo), Jamie Chadwick and British F4 driver Louis Sharp in an F3 car and its own F2-beating, V8-engined FZed single seater (pictured). “Jamie performed exceptionally well, and if she was available, we would have no hesitation in putting her in a seat.” Wow. “Rodin Cars participated in the recent FIA process aimed at gaining entry into the prestigious Formula 1 World Championship,” said Dicker. “Unfortunately, our bid was not successful. 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. Our sole purpose is to release information we consider in the public interest to inform the Formula 1 community. “We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the FIA process and extend our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid. Rodin Cars remains committed to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and will continue to pursue excellence in the world of racing.” Should F1 and the FIA be more open to smaller entries like Rodin’s, even if they seem a little riskier? Link

The notification comes weeks after the former president’s attorneys said that he was considering attempting to move the case to a federal venue. Former President Donald Trump at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on March 18. Former President Donald Trump will not seek to move his criminal election interference case in Georgia to federal court, according to a court filing Thursday. The filing comes weeks after the former president's attorneys notified Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, that he might attempt to pursue a federal venue. "This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia," Trump attorney Steven Sadow wrote. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment. Trump is facing charges related to allegations that he and 18 co-defendants sought to overturn his election loss in Georgia. Some of his co-defendants have made efforts to move their cases to federal court, which would allow them federal defenses to the charges and could offer more favorable jury pools. All 19 defendants have pleaded not guilty in the case. A federal judge on Sept. 8 denied former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to move the Georgia criminal case against him to federal court. That ruling came a day after a Trump attorney said the former president might seek a similar move. During a hearing last week, lawyers for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, also pressed to move their client's case to federal court, arguing that Clark was operating in his official capacity when he prepared a document that falsely claimed the Justice Department had identified “significant concerns” that may have affected the outcome of the election in Georgia and other states. As Trump's civil and criminal cases pile up, with one scheduled to go to trial next week and others scheduled to start when the GOP primary season is in full swing next year, he has argued that such trials should be postponed until after the 2024 presidential election. Link

Harry Potter co-stars of Sir Michael Gambon, who played Professor Albus Dumbledore in six films, are among those paying tribute to the stage and screen legend after his death aged 82. Daniel Radcliffe said the "brilliant, effortless" actor "loved his job but never seemed defined by it". Emma Watson thanked Sir Michael for "showing us what it looks like to wear greatness lightly". Writer JK Rowling hailed a "wonderful man" and "outstanding actor". Another Potter star, Fiona Shaw, said Sir Michael has shown during his long and varied life that he "could do anything" as an actor. The Dublin-born actor, who died in hospital after a bout of pneumonia, worked in TV, film, theatre and radio in his six-decade career. He won four Baftas. Sir Michael Gambon: A career in pictures Stage and TV star who became Hogwarts headmaster Sir Michael's family had moved to London when he was a child but he made his very first stage performance in Ireland, in a production of Othello in Dublin in 1962. His career took off when he became one of the original members of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre acting company in London. He went on to win three Olivier awards for performances in National Theatre productions. Although he always regarded his theatre work as the most important, he won acclaim for a series of key TV and cinema roles in the 1980s and 1990s. These included the ground-breaking and controversial BBC One drama The Singing Detective, in which he played the eponymous sleuth in a complex tale from writer Dennis Potter. He played a very different detective, Parisian Jules Maigret, in two series of an ITV adaptation of Georges Simenon's classic novels, and portrayed Oscar Wilde in 1985 in a three-part BBC Two series focused on the writer's criminal trial and imprisonment. One of his most memorable cinematic outings was as the gluttonous and irredeemable "thief" in 1989's The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover, Dame Helen Mirren - who played his adulterous wife, said he was a "naughty but very, very funny" friend. In an interview for this weekend's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Dame Helen recalled how he had kept her "constantly in laughter" during filming and also when they appeared on stage in Antony and Cleopatra seven years previously. She added that in recent times the two had discussed growing older, and how that affected their work: Sir Michael was "utterly realistic" about his situation, she said. "He found it increasingly difficult to remember lines, which I have the greatest of sympathy with, and that sort of took him away from theatre," she said. Sir Michael played Dumbledore in six Harry Potter films Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe described Sir Michael as one of the most "brilliant, effortless" actors Other notable film roles in the following decade saw him playing opposite some of Hollywood's biggest names, in big-screen hits such as Toys, Sleepy Hollow, Gosford Park. There was even time for a comedic cameo as the prime minister in Ali G Indahouse. 'Magnificent trickster' But when a fellow acting titan, Richard Harris, died in 2002, Sir Michael accepted the challenge of succeeding him in the role of Dumbledore - headmaster of wizarding school Hogwarts - in the hit Harry Potter series. In her tribute on X, formerly Twitter, JK Rowling - the creator of the books - said: "The first time I ever laid eyes on him was in King Lear, in 1982, and if you'd told me then that brilliant actor would appear in anything I'd written, I'd have thought you were insane. "Michael was a wonderful man in additional to being an outstanding actor, and I absolutely loved working with him, not only on Potter but also The Casual Vacancy." As Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe ended up working with Sir Michael throughout his teenage years and he issued a statement that said: "Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I've ever had the privilege of working with,but, despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job." Recalling Sir Michael's habit of "blurring the lines of fact and fiction" when speaking to journalists at press event, Radcliffe added: He was silly, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job, but never seemed defined by it." Emma Watson, who played Hermione Grainger, said in a post on Instagram: "You never took it too seriously but somehow delivered the most serious moments with all the gravitas." Rupert Grint said his "personal role model" had "brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set". Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the series, wrote on social media: "I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective - complex, vulnerable and utterly human. "The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me." Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley in the films, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "He varied his career remarkably and never judged what he was doing, he just played." She said she would always think of him "as a trickster, just a brilliant, magnificent trickster", adding: "With text, there was nothing like him. He could do anything." The actor had an illustrious theatre career And James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the films, called Sir Michael "a legend" in a tribute on X, formerly known as Twitter. He also recalled that Sir Michael once offered to go over lines one weekend when he had a part in Peter and the Wolf with the Manchester Halle Orchestra. "We spent what should have been his downtime going over my weekend gig. It is a memory that I've always had as one of the highlights of my (Harry Potter) days," he said. Dame Joan Collins, who played Sir Michael's wife in BBC sitcom Mama's Back in 1993, called him a "great actor and great fun". Dame Eileen Atkins, a longstanding friend of Sir Michael, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One he was "a great actor, but he always pretended he didn't take it very seriously" and that he had amazing stage presence. "He just had to walk on stage and he commanded the whole audience immediately," she said. "There was something very sweet about him, this huge man who could look very frightening - but there was something incredibly sweet inside Michael." She added: "I will always remember that man." Sir Michael starred alongside Sir Michael Caine in 2018 film King of Theives 'The Great Gambon' His other film work that he juggled alongside the Potter movies in later years included the big screen adaptation of Dad's Army and the King's Speech, in which he portrayed King George V, father of the stammering King George VI. He was nominated for Emmy awards for his role as Mr Woodhouse in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma in 2010, and for playing President Lyndon B Johnson in Path to War in 2002. He also got a Tony nomination in 1997 for a role in David Hare play Skylight. He was knighted for services to the entertainment industry in 1998. Although Irish-born, he had become a British citizen in his childhood. The actor, known as "The Great Gambon" in acting circles, had last appeared on stage in 2012 in a London production of Samuel Beckett's play All That Fall. American actor Ryan Phillippe said he felt "so lucky" to work with Sir Michael on Gosford Park. He recalled that Sir Michael was in his 60s at the time and he was only 25, but they "got along like schoolmates due to his irrepressibly youthful spirit". "The car rides home from work, in his vintage convertible, at breakneck speed, with the Stones full volume on the radio, will stay with me forever.. Rest in peace, mate," he said in a post on X. Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar paid tribute, saying: "A great actor. Whether performing in Beckett, Dennis Potter or Harry Potter, he gave his all to every performance." Additional reporting by Rachel Russell. Link

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