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MANDALIKA, Indonesia, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi staged a sensational comeback to win the Indonesian Grand Prix sprint on Saturday, overtaking Gresini Racing's 20-year-old rookie Fermin Aldeguer on the final lap at the Mandalika International Street Circuit. Bezzecchi, who started from pole position, endured a disastrous start and dropped several places before the 26-year-old Italian rallied to secure his third sprint win in MotoGP. Having led for most of the 13-lap sprint, Aldeguer was denied a historic triumph that would have made the Spaniard the youngest MotoGP sprint winner. Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez completed the podium after starting third on the grid. Newly-crowned 2025 MotoGP champion Marc Marquez struggled at Mandalika, a circuit where the seven-times MotoGP champion has never won. Marquez got a long lap penalty for contact with Yamaha's Alex Rins, resulting in the 32-year-old Spaniard finishing seventh. Despite his challenges, Marquez's points contribution helped Ducati clinch the teams' world championship after a dominant season featuring 13 Grand Prix wins and 15 sprint victories. Marquez's teammate and twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia had a day to forget as the Italian finished 14th, having also failed to qualify for Q2. KTM's Pedro Acosta also endured a tough day, crashing out of second place on lap five to end his hopes of a podium finish. (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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PRAGUE, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Czechs vote on Saturday in the final day of an election likely to return populist billionaire Andrej Babis to power on pledges to raise wages and lift growth, while reducing aid for Ukraine. The change from the current centre-right cabinet would boost Europe's populist, anti-immigration camp and could harden opposition to the European Union's climate goals. Czechs endured surges in inflation after the global pandemic and Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and have only slowly recovered from one of Europe's worst drops in real incomes. That, as well as several corruption scandals, damaged Prime Minister Petr Fiala's Spolu coalition and its liberal government allies, who focused during its term on a gradual reduction of the budget deficit. Babis, whose ANO party held double-digit leads in most opinion polls, is an ally of Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament. Babis, who was previously prime minister from 2017-21, has taken an ambivalent line on aid to Ukraine – a departure from Fiala's government which has supported Kyiv throughout the war with Russia. Under Fiala, Prague set up the "Czech initiative" pulling together traders and defence officials to find millions of artillery rounds around the world for Ukraine with financing from Western countries. Babis has pledged to end the ammunition project, saying it is overpriced. ANO wants NATO and the EU to handle aid for Ukraine, and has abstained in some European Parliament votes supporting Kyiv and its bid for EU membership, which Babis publicly opposed in the past. Voting in the election started on Friday and was to resume from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. (0600 until 1200 GMT) on Saturday. Results are expected on Saturday afternoon. BABIS NEEDS ALLIES Opinion polls pointed to Babis's ANO party winning more than 30% of the vote, about 10 points more than Fiala's coalition but still well short of a majority. Given its poor relations with Spolu and its allies, ANO may need support from anti-EU and anti-NATO fringe parties – the far-right SPD and the far-left Stacilo! – for its preferred one-party cabinet. If some smaller parties fall below the 5% threshold to get into parliament, that could favour the government parties. Babis has rejected steps towards an exit from the EU or NATO, including calls for referendums, countering accusations by the current government that he would drag the country off its democratic pro-Western course. His ANO has promised faster growth, offering higher wages and pensions, and lower taxes and tax discounts for students and young families to draw supporters. Babis must overcome other hurdles to become prime minister, including conflict-of-interest laws as owner of a chemicals and food empire as well as long-running fraud charges related to drawing an EU subsidy over 15 years ago. He denies wrongdoing. (Reporting by Jan Lopatka; editing by Mark Heinrich)

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MOSCOW, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Russia, the world's largest producer and exporter of oilseed flax, has introduced a 10% duty on exports of the crop, the government said on Saturday. The decision will remain in effect until August 31, 2026. "The measure will stimulate the capacity utilisation of flax processing and maintain a balance between the domestic market and export," the government said. (Reporting by Marina Bobrova Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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Oct 4 (Reuters) – India beat West Indies by an innings and 140 runs on day three of the opening test of the two-match series in Ahmedabad on Saturday. West Indies, who made 162 in the first innings, were bundled out for 146 in the second by India, who declared their first innings on 448-5. Alick Athanaze (38) and Justin Greaves (25) offered some brief resistance but India never took their foot off the gas. Ravindra Jadeja followed his hundred with 4-54 with the ball. The second and final test is scheduled in New Delhi from October 10. (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

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Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Attorney: Late LSU WR Kyren Lacy didn't cause fatal accident An attorney for the late Kyren Lacy, the former LSU wide receiver who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April after he was charged with negligent homicide and felony hit-and-run, said Friday that Lacy's car was nearly far behind the accident at the time of impact. Speaking over a surveillance video that caught the Dec. 17, 2024, collision in Lafourche Parish, La., attorney Matt Ory told Homa, La., TV station HTV10 that Lacy's car was so far behind the collision, it was not visible in the video at the time of the accident. Reports: Luke Evangelista signs 2-year deal with Predators Forward Luke Evangelista ended his training camp holdout and signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Nashville Predators on Friday, according to multiple reports. Evangelista, 23, was a restricted free agent and will become a restricted free agent again after the 2026-27 season. Stars 'evaluating all options' for new home venue The Dallas Stars might be headed for the suburbs when their lease at American Airlines Center ends in 2031. The NHL franchise is exploring sites for a new arena and has held talks with the cities of Plano, Frisco, The Colony, Arlington and Fort Worth, team president and CEO Brad Alberts told The Dallas Morning News on Friday. Former Ravens, Colts DE Arthur Jones dies at 39 Arthur Jones, who played in parts of seven NFL seasons and won a Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens, has died. He was 39. The Ravens announced Jones' passing in a social media post Friday afternoon. Other than to say his death was "sudden," the team did not reveal a cause or time of death. Basketball-WNBA commissioner Engelbert vows to "do better" after Collier criticism WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on Friday the league "has to do better" to make players feel valued after sharp criticism from Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier, while vowing to repair trust as the deadline for contentious collective bargaining talks looms. Collier, a five-time All-Star and vice president of the players' union, voiced her criticism after a controversial no-call in the final minute of the Lynx's Game 3 semi-final against Phoenix Mercury, accusing the league of a "tone-deaf, dismissive" approach to player concerns. Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo joining team after COVID-19 quarantine After missing the start of Milwaukee's training camp due to testing positive for COVID-19, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to join the team in Miami this weekend. Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters Friday that Antetokounmpo was set to fly in from Greece Friday night and would be reporting to training camp Saturday ahead of the Bucks' preseason opener Monday against the Heat. Mets overhauling coaching staff after failure to reach postseason New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza will be back in 2026, but the team is parting with a bevy of coaches after a swoon that saw the Mets tumble from first place in the National League East to out of the postseason. The Mets announced Thursday that pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez, and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh will not return. Rangers stay in house, hire Skip Schumaker as manager Former National League Manager of the Year Skip Schumaker is the Texas Rangers' new skipper. The team announced the hire Friday evening after president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters earlier in the day that Schumaker was his "focus" in the job search. Ravens OC Todd Monken responds to John Harbaugh's critique of KC plan Only the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills have more points than the Baltimore Ravens this season, so head coach John Harbaugh's critique of the approach and execution of play-caller Todd Monken at Kansas City raised a few eyebrows. Monken said he wasn't alarmed by anything Harbaugh said on the heels of the Ravens' third loss in four games, 37-20 to the Chiefs. The Ravens had a season-low 20 points, went 3 of 10 on third downs and 1 of 4 on fourth down in a game that ended with quarterback Lamar Jackson on the sideline nursing a hamstring injury. Yankees' Aaron Boone hasn't forgotten Jays announcer's criticism On Sept. 9, Toronto Blue Jays TV analyst and former manager Buck Martinez said the New York Yankees are "not a good team." A month later, New York manager Aaron Boone hasn't forgotten, and he let the media know when the Yankees touched down in Toronto on Friday ahead of the teams' American League Division Series matchup.

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Attorney: Late LSU WR Kyren Lacy didn't cause fatal accident An attorney for the late Kyren Lacy, the former LSU wide receiver who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April after he was charged with negligent homicide and felony hit-and-run, said Friday that Lacy's car was nearly far behind the accident at the time of impact. Speaking over a surveillance video that caught the Dec. 17, 2024, collision in Lafourche Parish, La., attorney Matt Ory told Homa, La., TV station HTV10 that Lacy's car was so far behind the collision, it was not visible in the video at the time of the accident. Reports: Luke Evangelista signs 2-year deal with Predators Forward Luke Evangelista ended his training camp holdout and signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Nashville Predators on Friday, according to multiple reports. Evangelista, 23, was a restricted free agent and will become a restricted free agent again after the 2026-27 season. Stars 'evaluating all options' for new home venue The Dallas Stars might be headed for the suburbs when their lease at American Airlines Center ends in 2031. The NHL franchise is exploring sites for a new arena and has held talks with the cities of Plano, Frisco, The Colony, Arlington and Fort Worth, team president and CEO Brad Alberts told The Dallas Morning News on Friday. Former Ravens, Colts DE Arthur Jones dies at 39 Arthur Jones, who played in parts of seven NFL seasons and won a Super Bowl title with the Baltimore Ravens, has died. He was 39. The Ravens announced Jones' passing in a social media post Friday afternoon. Other than to say his death was "sudden," the team did not reveal a cause or time of death. Basketball-WNBA commissioner Engelbert vows to "do better" after Collier criticism WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on Friday the league "has to do better" to make players feel valued after sharp criticism from Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier, while vowing to repair trust as the deadline for contentious collective bargaining talks looms. Collier, a five-time All-Star and vice president of the players' union, voiced her criticism after a controversial no-call in the final minute of the Lynx's Game 3 semi-final against Phoenix Mercury, accusing the league of a "tone-deaf, dismissive" approach to player concerns. Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo joining team after COVID-19 quarantine After missing the start of Milwaukee's training camp due to testing positive for COVID-19, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to join the team in Miami this weekend. Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters Friday that Antetokounmpo was set to fly in from Greece Friday night and would be reporting to training camp Saturday ahead of the Bucks' preseason opener Monday against the Heat. Mets overhauling coaching staff after failure to reach postseason New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza will be back in 2026, but the team is parting with a bevy of coaches after a swoon that saw the Mets tumble from first place in the National League East to out of the postseason. The Mets announced Thursday that pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez, and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh will not return. Rangers stay in house, hire Skip Schumaker as manager Former National League Manager of the Year Skip Schumaker is the Texas Rangers' new skipper. The team announced the hire Friday evening after president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters earlier in the day that Schumaker was his "focus" in the job search. Ravens OC Todd Monken responds to John Harbaugh's critique of KC plan Only the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills have more points than the Baltimore Ravens this season, so head coach John Harbaugh's critique of the approach and execution of play-caller Todd Monken at Kansas City raised a few eyebrows. Monken said he wasn't alarmed by anything Harbaugh said on the heels of the Ravens' third loss in four games, 37-20 to the Chiefs. The Ravens had a season-low 20 points, went 3 of 10 on third downs and 1 of 4 on fourth down in a game that ended with quarterback Lamar Jackson on the sideline nursing a hamstring injury. Yankees' Aaron Boone hasn't forgotten Jays announcer's criticism On Sept. 9, Toronto Blue Jays TV analyst and former manager Buck Martinez said the New York Yankees are "not a good team." A month later, New York manager Aaron Boone hasn't forgotten, and he let the media know when the Yankees touched down in Toronto on Friday ahead of the teams' American League Division Series matchup.

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Oct 4 (Reuters) – Donald Trump has called for Israel to halt its bombing of Gaza after Hamas said it was ready to release hostages and agreed to some aspects of the U.S. president's plan to end the war, although Israeli strikes still killed several people on Saturday. Here are some reactions from around the world to Hamas's comments and Trump's reaction: EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN "Hamas’ stated readiness to release hostages and engage on the basis of the recent @POTUS proposal is encouraging. This moment must be seized. An immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages are within reach. Europe will support all efforts aiming to end the suffering of civilians, and to promote the only viable solution for peace, the two-state solution," she wrote on X. AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE "Australia welcomes progress on President Trump's plan to bring peace to Gaza," he wrote on X. "Together with our partners, Australia will continue to support efforts to end the war and work towards a just and sustainable two-state solution." INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI "We welcome President Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace," he wrote on X. CANADA PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY "Canada welcomes commitments from Hamas to relinquish power and release all remaining hostages, living and deceased. We encourage all parties to immediately work to turn commitments into reality, and to advance peace and security in the region." "We stand ready to support the sustained, unimpeded, and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza." (Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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Oct 4 (OPTA) – Results from the WTA 125K Series, Suzhou WTA 125 Women's Singles matches on Saturday .. Semi Finals .. Katie Volynets (USA) beat Victoria Jimenez 7-5 6-2 Kasintseva (AND) 6-Viktorija Golubic (CHE) beat 2-Tatjana Maria (DEU) 6-3 6-3

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(Adds comment) TOKYO, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Sanae Takaichi is likely to be Japan's first female prime minister after winning the race on Saturday to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The former internal affairs minister, a conservative nationalist with an expansionary agenda, is expected to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba since the LDP is the largest in parliament. Below are comments on the outcome: TOMOHISA ISHIKAWA, CHIEF ECONOMIST, JAPAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE (On Takaichi’s advocacy of 'responsible proactive fiscal policy') "The key issue is whether it's possible to strike a balance between fiscal reconstruction and economic growth. Since the term 'responsible' is included, I hope that attention will be paid to fiscal discipline. That said, she has mentioned that issuing deficit-financing bonds is among the options, and given her stance of 'inheriting Abenomics,' we must be cautious about the risk of fiscal expansion." (On the BOJ's interest rate policy) "It may have become more difficult for the BOJ to raise interest rates. However, with the yen weakening and prices rising, it has become harder for politicians to interfere in monetary policy as they did in the past." (On overall economic policy) "I think economic policy has taken a slightly more realistic approach." SHIGENOBU TAMURA, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, TOKYO "I was surprised by Sanae Takaichi's victory, but I believe that her overwhelming results in the rank-and-file member votes influenced the parliamentary voting. It was also significant that former Prime Minister Taro Aso came out in support of Takaichi. "The birth of Japan's first female prime minister is a very welcome development and will be highly regarded internationally. I also expect that Takaichi will be able to win back the support of the solid conservative base that the LDP lost in lower house and upper house elections. "I expect that U.S. President Donald Trump will not take a strong stance against a female prime minister. Japan remains an important partner in the U.S. strategy towards China, so the relationship between the Takaichi administration and President Trump should be good." DAISUKE UNO, CHIEF STRATEGIST, SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORP "Amid a global political trend of 'putting one’s own country first' Japan seems to have elected someone who aligns with that sentiment. Within the LDP, there has been a swing back towards the former mainstream faction. Considering that Sanae Takaichi won the votes of party members and supporters, it appears that public sentiment has been reflected in the outcome. "If Takaichi seeks to collaborate with opposition parties going forward, she is likely to align with the Democratic Party for the People, which shares similar policy views. This could bring more attention to proactive fiscal policies. However, given that she reportedly received support from the Aso faction during the leadership race, and that her position will change as she assumes the role of Prime Minister, it remains uncertain whether she can implement the policies she has previously advocated. "An example is her proposed measures to address inflation that include abolishing the provisional gasoline tax rate and introducing refundable tax credits, which are somewhat different from a consumption tax cut (that she previously advocated). Therefore, concerns about aggressive fiscal policy may ease somewhat. "Regarding the Bank of Japan's monetary policy, based on Takaichi’s statement that 'the government sets the direction, and the BOJ determines the means,' it is expected that there will be some restraint on monetary tightening. "The recent speculation about an early interest rate hike by the BOJ is likely to recede. In fact, recent comments from the BOJ's governor and deputy governor have consistently aimed to balance against excessive expectations of rate hikes. With Takaichi's victory, it is expected that the outlook for BOJ rate hikes will be dampened. "At the start of the week, the yen bond market is likely to see buybacks led by the short- to medium-term zone, and long-term interest rates may fall below the 1.60% range. As for the super-long-term zone, upward pressure on interest rates is not expected to be significant. As the party's personnel appointments and potential coalition with opposition parties become clearer, fiscal policy will likely be reassessed." HIROKI TAKEI, STRATEGIST, RESONA HOLDINGS "This could be considered a positive surprise for stock prices. In the short term, Japanese equities are likely to react with gains. Prior to the announcement, overseas betting sites had viewed Farm Minister Shinjiro Koizumi as the frontrunner. "Recently, the Nikkei average has been trading near its highs, with an increase in the ratio of short-selling and a buildup of margin short positions. If short-covering is triggered, the rally could gain momentum, potentially pushing the index toward the 47,000 level. "On the policy front, Takaichi has strongly emphasised economic growth, which could benefit sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), space-related industries, defence enhancement, and national resilience. After the Japan-U.S. tariff agreement, there was a shift in capital from domestic demand stocks to export-oriented ones, but domestic demand stocks may once again become attractive investment targets. "The fact that she is the first female president of the LDP could strongly signal change to investors. If foreign investors, anticipating structural reforms, begin buying physical shares, a moderate medium- to long-term uptrend could be expected. However, if the rally is led by short-term players through futures trading, it could reverse quickly, so caution is warranted. "In terms of cooperation with opposition parties, the Democratic Party for the People is likely to be the closest in terms of policy alignment. In the short term, the stock market may focus on a growth-driven rally, but fiscal discipline could become more relaxed. As the market stabilises, concerns about over-valuation may emerge, and attention will need to shift to long-term interest rate trends." YOSHINOBU TSUTSUI, CHAIR, JAPANESE BUSINESS LOBBY KEIDANREN "Takaichi is a seasoned politician with deep expertise across a wide range of policy areas, including the economy and foreign affairs. "As the first female (LDP) president, we expect her to revitalise the LDP and address Japan's pressing challenges, including tax, fiscal and welfare system reform, labour market reform and energy security. "We hope that, under the new leadership, the LDP will unite and, together with its coalition partner Komeito, swiftly establish a stable political framework capable of steadily advancing key policies." TAKAHIDE KIUCHI, EXECUTIVE ECONOMIST, NOMURA RESEARCH INSTITUTE "Takaichi adheres to the traditional reflationist view that the government should determine the broad direction of monetary policy. As such, there is a possibility she may intervene in the Bank of Japan’s policy operations going forward. The interest rate hike expected in October – already priced in by about 60% of the market – may be delayed by the BOJ, as a failed hike could invite political interference. That said, unless the U.S. economy weakens significantly, I don't believe the Takaichi administration would halt the BOJ’s overall policy of rate hikes. "Among the five candidates, Takaichi has advocated the most expansionary fiscal policy. This could lead to rising interest rates, a weaker yen, and higher stock prices in financial markets. However, since the LDP is a minority ruling party in both houses of the Diet, cooperation from opposition parties is essential to implement her policies. Therefore, I expect the more extreme aspects of her proposals will be diluted during the legislative process. "To expand its coalition under Takaichi, the LDP would likely look to parties with similar policy positions. The Sanseito party is ideologically close, but a coalition with…

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