The document marks a powerful foray by the leader of the Roman Catholic church into the debate about the misuse or overuse of artificial intelligence.

For the second successive season, Liverpool ended with a 1-1 draw at Anfield, bidding farewell to a wonderful full-back after taking just two points from their final four games. There the similarities ended. Liverpool’s faltering form at the end of the 2024-25 campaign could be explained by the fact they had already won the title. Twelve months on, they had more to play for and limped into the Champions League at the last.The verdict from the captain was unsparing. “This poor season, the most challenging of my career,” said Virgil van Dijk. It was Liverpool’s worst for a decade, certainly in terms of the points tally: just 60, 24 down on the previous year, scoring 23 fewer goals, while conceding more than 16th-placed Nottingham Forest.Which, it is fair to say, is not what was anticipated when Liverpool spent £450m last summer. “Not what I would have loved us to achieve this season,” said Arne Slot. “But taking everything into account, what has happened to us this season, I’m today happy that we’ve qualified for the Champions League.”Liverpool’s dismal title defence was not what was expected when they spent £450m last summer (Reuters)It amounted to a damage-limitation exercise. He seemed to be studying the fates of Chelsea and Tottenham when he said: “When you take a look at the league table, big clubs are not able to qualify for Champions League or Europe. So we can never take it for granted but it’s clear and obvious that we wanted more. But I’m really proud of the players, what they’ve done this season, because it’s been a very, very, very tough season for us, with all the things we had to experience.” That pride stemmed in part from the circumstances. Liverpool’s campaign began under the shadow of the tragic death of Diogo Jota; as Andy Robertson admitted last week, it took a huge toll. Neither Slot nor his players ever used it as an explanation, let alone an excuse.There were, though, failings which could be examined. Fortune was involved as Liverpool won their first five league games; thereafter, though, they only took 45 points from the last 33. Their chances of retaining their title disappeared in a run of seven league matches, six of them defeats. There were common denominators. Conceding late goals was an unfortunate habit, in part because, lacking options on the bench, they seemed tired against fresher opponents. Set-pieces often formed part of their undoing; the probable arrival of Etienne Reijnen, a coach who worked with Slot at Feyenoord and a specialist in that department, may offer some hope of improvement.It also shows the spectre of Xabi Alonso no longer haunts Slot. He can be grateful to Chelsea for their meltdown, rendering it easier for Liverpool to finish fifth, and then for hiring the manager many a fan wanted to be his successor.Slot and director of football Richard Hughes shared a hug on the pitch after the 1-1 draw with Brentford. The Dutchman’s continued employment points to an understanding from those above him, perhaps an admission of their own shortcomings. Asked if he would have done anything differently this year, Slot said: “Yeah, many things.” But some, he felt, were out of control: many a selection was determined simply by who was available. “If you asked me one word to describe this season, I would describe that with the word ‘injury’,” added Slot. And among the absentees, Liverpool’s expensive recruitment looked still worse. They spent a record sum and left Slot short-staffed. They paid £300m for attacking talents and scored too few goals. Alexander Isak was the common denominator in everything: the £125m British record buy who was by and away the worst signing of the season. The Swede got half as many goals as Van Dijk. He ended his campaign an unused substitute; perhaps Slot, scarred by Isak’s propensity to break down, did not want to risk bringing him on. Or maybe he just assumed Isak wouldn’t score anyway. Alexander Isak has been the common denominator in Liverpool’s failings this season (PA)His troubles were compounded by an underwhelming debut year from Florian Wirtz, who did not register a goal or an assist against any top-half finisher. One damning detail about Liverpool’s spending spree was that none of their newcomers started the last game of the season. It was only partly explained by the wish to give Mohamed Salah and Robertson a final outing.Salah’s decline was a factor in Liverpool’s. It was highlighted by the explosive interview at Elland Road that made his eventual departure inevitable. It was compounded by the way Liverpool never properly replaced Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold, lacking energy on the flanks and creativity respectively. Mohamed Salah’s exit was inevitable amid decline and a growing rift with Slot (PA Wire)Alexander-Arnold was always a unique player. Jeremie Frimpong made him look an irreplaceable one. It became the season of the seven right-backs for Liverpool: perhaps there was something symbolic in that their last goal of the campaign was scored by a midfielder playing right-back, in Curtis Jones.It became a theme. Dominik Szoboszlai was a lone beacon of excellence and some of his finest goals – the free-kicks against Arsenal and Manchester City, for instance – came while operating at the back. The Hungarian had looked the man endangered by Wirtz’s arrival. He ended the campaign as the only contender for Liverpool’s player-of-the-year award.Too many others regressed, Alexis Mac Allister particularly grievously, while Cody Gakpo’s goals dried up and Ibrahima Konate’s campaign was decidedly mixed. Van Dijk’s form was imperfect but he at least shouldered a colossal burden, playing every minute of the league campaign.Alexis Mac Allister's drop-off was sharp this season (Getty)Rio Ngumoha’s emergence brought promise but Liverpool’s second best player of the season – a distant second to Szoboszlai – was Hugo Ekitike, who at least compensated for Isak’s ineffectiveness, even if it remained hard to detect a strategy to get the best from the two strikers and Wirtz. But there was something sadly fitting that Ekitike ended the season injured.Liverpool ended it with pride bruised and reputations damaged. The boos that greeted Slot’s decision to substitute Ngumoha against Chelsea showed a growing opposition to him. But the year ended with Slot still in a job, Liverpool back in the Champions League. As Slot said, it could have been worse. But for him and Liverpool, next year has to be considerably better.

The conference tournaments are complete. It's just hours before the NCAA baseball tournament field of 68 will be set by the committee on Monday, May 25.Some business is already known. The 16 host schools were announced Sunday with the SEC, unsurprisingly, dominating the list with seven teams. However, it's expected that Big Ten champion UCLA and ACC champion Georgia Tech will be the top two seeds. Georgia, which won the regular season and the conference tournament, looks to be slotted into the No. 3 spot. Texas, Auburn, Alabama and Florida are all in the mix to be among the top eight, which would guarantee a home series through the super regionals.Down at the bottom of the field, there were several difficult decisions with the conference tournament creating some bid thieves and some smaller schools possibly getting nudged from the bubble. So without further ado, here's our projection for how the field will look when unveiled on Memorial Day.NCAA baseball tournament bracket projections(Teams that are automatic qualifiers are in bold.)Los Angeles regionalUCLA (1)Liberty (32)Arizona StateSouth Dakota StateAtlanta regionalGeorgia Tech (2)Oklahoma (31)Louisiana-LafayetteWisconsin-MilwaukeeAthens regionalGeorgia (3)Virginia (30)Central FloridaIllinois-ChicagoChapel Hill regionalNorth Carolina (4)UC Santa Barbara (29)KentuckyLong IslandAuburn regionalAuburn (5)Missouri State (28)Boston CollegeHoly CrossAustin regionalTexas(6) Jacksonville State (27)Virginia TechLipscombTuscaloosa regionalAlabama (7)Miami (26)East CarolinaAlabama StateGainesville regionalFlorida (8)Coastal Carolina (25)MercerYaleTallahassee regionalFlorida State (9)Tennessee (24)TroyRiderCollege Station regionalTexas A&M (10)Oklahoma State (23)PittsburghSaint Mary’sHattiesburg regionalSouthern Mississippi (11)Wake Forest (22)The CitadelBinghamtonStarkville regionalMississippi State (12)Southern California (21)Tarleton StateSt. John’sLawrence regionalKansas (13)Oregon State (20)Northern IllinoisArkansas-Little RockEugene regionalOregon (14)Cincinnati (19)Cal PolyWashington StateLincoln regionalNebraska (15)Mississippi (18)USC UpstateLamar Morgantown regionalWest Virginia (16)Arkansas (17)Virginia CommonwealthNortheasternLast four inKentucky, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Troy. Last four outTCU, Michigan, Texas State, North Carolina State.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA baseball tournament bracket projection before field announcement

On paper, there is no denying that the Pittsburgh Steelers roster is better than the 2025 version. Coming from a roster last season that didn't have a clear-cut No. 1 at multiple positions, we now have several spots where we will have a showdown between two (or more) players who could end up on top. Let's look at six positional units loaded and who we think will come out on top.Running backRico Dowdle vs Jaylen WarrenWe are always going to root for Jaylen Warren as he's the longer-tenured running back but Dowdle is a career overachiever and a guy head coach Mike McCarthy likes a lot for his scheme. McCarthy picked him to come in over other free-agent backs as well as Kaleb Johnson so we are predicting him to end up the team's top rusher.Wide receiverDK Metcalf vs Michael Pittman Jr.Calling Metcalf or Pittman a true No. 1 receiver might be a reach at this point in both of their careers but in terms of the Steelers, it's a classic case of Pittman will be the guy getting more targets due to his route tree and Metcalf leading the team in yards because he can focus on being a deep threat.Tight end Pat Freiermuth vs Darnell WashingtonThe Pat Freiermuth revenge tour starts now. Former head coach Mike Tomlin and former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith did Freiermuth a massive disservice last season and we expect McCarthy to do a much better job in having him on the field and involved in the passing game.Outside linebackerT.J. Watt vs Alex Highsmith vs Nick HerbigThis competition is going to come down to reps. If the split is even close to even, we like Nick Herbig to have a breakout campaign and surpass T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Having said that, we won't be shocked if two of three finish with double-digit sacks.Inside linebackerPatrick Queen vs Payton WilsonWe aren't at all convinced the Steelers are sold on Patrick Queen as a featured inside linebacker. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has already said the team will run mostly nickel with five defensive backs, meaning only one inside linebacker on most plays. Our money is on Payton Wilson to take over that role and continue to be the best pursuit player and tackler on the roster.CornerbackJoey Porter Jr. vs Jamel DeanJoey Porter Jr. has been the most underrated cornerback in the NFL over the past two seasons and Jamel Dean was one of the top overall cornerbacks in the NFL last season. Now they are on the same team and form maybe the best tandem in the NFL. Who will have a better year? This one is a push for us. They are both shutdown players and elite at their position.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: This or that: Which Steeler will be better in 2026?

COLUMBUS - The Newark baseball team is in the midst of one of its best seasons in two decades, and several Wildcats recently were honored for their contributions during a memorable regular season.Senior Moses Crane was voted Co-Player of the Year for the Buckeye Division by the Ohio Capital Conference coaches. Crane is a two-way standout both at the plate and from the mound or shortstop for Newark, which finished runner-up in the Buckeye standings.Joining Crane on the first team was senior Bodie Smith. Smith excelled defensively in center field and offensively as a run-producing bat in the middle of the Wildcats’ order.Senior Brody Driskel and sophomore Brody Randall second team were named to the second team, senior Luke Miller to the special mention list and Cale Saunders to the honorable mention list. Senior Blake Newsome was honored as the Wildcats’ scholar athlete.SoftballJunior Lexi Shanaberg was named to the OCC-Buckeye softball first team. The junior catcher recently became the Wildcats’ all-time leader in home runs.Senior Mallory Back was named to the second team and honored as the Wildcats’ scholar athlete. Junior Savannah Woody was named to the special mention list, and senior Maygen Woody was named to the honorable mention list.Boys TennisFreshman Wes Arnold was named to the OCC-Buckeye boys tennis second team for his play at No. 3 singles.Sophomore Isaac DeVries and junior Bradley Pastorius were named to the third team at No. 2 doubles.Boys LacrosseJunior Kolin Clark was named to the OCC-Ohio boys lacrosse honorable mention list for his play as an attacker.Senior Harrison Walsh was honored as the Wildcats’ scholar athlete.Girls LacrosseSenior Carly Samples was honored as Newark’s scholar athlete for OCC-Ohio girls lacrosse.Boys VolleyballSenior Miles Drake was named to the OCC-Ohio boys volleyball second team for his play as a setter and outside hitter. He also was honored as the Wildcats’ scholar athlete.Zalyn Hanzey was named to the honorable mention list.This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark Wildcats spring athletes earn Ohio Capital Conference honors

Texas A&M's pursuit of several priority prospects in the 2027 recruiting class, including five-star cornerback John Meredith, who, after receiving an early prediction to land with the Aggies, is now slightly favored to commit to the Texas Longhorns ahead of his official visit to Austin (TX) this summer. Just weeks after Meredith's prediction to Texas, the Aggies gained a prediction and plenty of momentum to gain a commitment from fellow five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, who will head to College Station for his OV on June 5. However, coach Mike Elko and his staff will not stop pursuing John Meredith, who is currently taking part in this weekend's Nike-sponsored The Opening event at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.Meredith is scheduled to take his Texas A&M official visit next weekend, and before making the trek to College Station, the blue-chip defender stated to AggieYell insider Joseph Hastings that Texas A&M has been there since "day one" and will continue to play a significant role in his final decision, no matter how much progress the Longhorns have made. Meredith's relationship with Mike Elko and new cornerbacks coach, Bryant Gross-Armiento, continues to be the driving force behind the Aggies' early momentum in his recruitment. Still, College Station's appeal has yet to taper off, as Hastings asked Meredith about the feeling he gets every time he makes his way to campus. “It feels great,” Meredith stated. “Home, it feels like home. It comes with the ins and outs."While Elko and Gross-Armiento still have plenty of work ahead of them to land Meredith's commitment, making this weekend's OV absolutely critical. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 2027 5-star CB John Meredith previews Texas A&M OV this weekend

Nature, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01621-6Billie Goolsby’s experience with hearing loss helped her to develop a robotic tadpole for deciphering the secret lives of amphibians.

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants appear to be heading for a leadership overhaul after enduring successive dismal IPL campaigns, with Director of Cricket Tom Moody indicating significant changes, while also admitting that skipper Rishabh Pant has struggled to handle the pressures of captaincy.Moody said the leadership group will “seriously” review the future and that the team may need a “reset”, with LSG finishing at the bottom of the points table with four wins and 10 losses. Their campaign ended with a defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their final league match on Saturday.On Pant’s captaincy, Moody said, “From a captaincy point of view, he’s found it challenging, obviously, and the results reflect that. And you have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected with his performance with the bat. I know that this season has been a difficult season for us, but we will reflect on it.“It will take time. We’ll consider all things, but certainly we haven’t lived up to the expectation or the standard that we expect of ourselves.” Moody said, suggesting that the franchise would consider changes across the setup.“When it comes to the leadership of the franchise, it’s certainly something that we’ll be taking some very serious consideration to what it looks like in the future. Like every department, when you do reflect on the off season, we will be making some considered decisions, but it certainly looks like that, you know, we’re needing to consider a reset,” he said.The franchise’s leadership group this season included Moody, strategic advisor Kane Williamson and head coach Justin Langer, but results did not improve. After finishing seventh in IPL 2025, LSG are set to end IPL 2026 in either ninth or 10th place, depending on Mumbai Indians’ final result.Under captain Rishabh Pant, LSG have managed 10 wins in 28 matches across the last two seasons. Pant, signed for a record Rs 27 crore, also struggled with the bat this season, scoring 312 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 138.05. “To be honest with you, you only have to look at the two years. We came seventh last year. Obviously this is my first year with the franchise. This year we have come last,” Moody said.Asked about responsibility for the poor season, Moody said accountability was shared across the group. “I think we’re all responsible. I don’t think it’s a time to point the finger at any individual. I think we all take accountability and as I said, now’s not the time to be portioning blame in any particular department,” he said.

Sevilla emerge as an option for Barcelona loanee following 12-goal season – reportFollowing a fairly solid season on loan at AS Monaco, FC Barcelona forward Ansu Fati’s future is expected to be resolved in the coming weeks.The first step depends on Monaco, who must decide whether to activate their €11 million purchase option for the forward. However, the 23-year-old forward himself will have a major say in the process.After an impressive season in Ligue 1, during which he scored 12 goals, the Barcelona academy graduate is expected to have several attractive options on the table.His biggest personal wish would be a return to Barcelona, although that currently appears unlikely given that he is not believed to be part of Hansi Flick’s plans.Sevilla an option for AnsuMeanwhile, a new possibility has started to emerge. Indeed, according to SPORT, the new Sevilla project led by Sergio Ramos is interested in exploring a move for Ansu if the player prioritizes staying in Spain.What next for Ansu? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)The speculation gained momentum after the La Masia graduate was spotted in the stands at Balaidos attending the Celta Vigo vs Sevilla match, where his friend Ilaix Moriba was playing.His presence immediately triggered rumours and discussions about a possible connection with the Andalusian club.Sevilla’s situation still unresolvedHowever, for now, Sevilla’s own future remains uncertain. Sergio Ramos and Five Eleven Capital need to submit financial guarantees related to the purchase of the club in order for the operation to continue.They are said to be confident that everything will be completed within the required timeframe and intend to inject funds through a capital increase, something considered necessary if they want to operate strongly in the transfer market.At this stage, several aspects remain unresolved, but the intention is reportedly to build an ambitious project. Could Ansu end up at Sevilla? (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)This is where Ansu Fati could potentially fit in. The Sergio Ramos-led group sees the Barcelona forward as an ideal candidate to join Sevilla and become one of the flagship players of a new era at the club.However, several conditions would need to be met before anything could happen. First, Ansu would have to decline the possibility of staying at Monaco.Then Barcelona and Sevilla would need to reach an agreement under financial terms similar to those Monaco had been expected to assume.Relations between the two clubs had become strained in recent years, but changes at ownership level could potentially reopen the door to a more cooperative relationship.

Inside Arsenal's London title party: Arteta dancing, Rice rapping and live performance of North London Forever originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Arsenal are Premier League champions once again after 22 years - and the players spent Sunday evening making the most of a historic night in London.After a season defined by resilience, consistency and belief, Mikel Arteta's squad finally had the chance to let their hair down following the club’s long-awaited return to the summit of English football.The Gunners' triumph marks their first Premier League title since the famous Invincibles campaign of 2003/04, ending more than two decades of waiting for supporters who have seen their side come close on several occasions in recent years.While the hard work on the pitch has been carried by the players, Arteta and his coaching staff, there was also a brief moment of respite for the wider group behind the scenes.Staff members, players and those close to the club were able to celebrate together after what has been a demanding but unforgettable campaign.The title party, understood to have taken place at Bacchanalia restaurant in Mayfair, included several memorable moments as Arsenal's stars marked the achievement in style.Declan Rice dancing with the Premier League trophy last night. 🏆🕺🎶 Rice, Rice Baby! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/X1ijII6vYD— afcstuff (@afcstuff) May 25, 2026Footage from the evening showed Arteta dancing with his players to Argentinian trap song 'La Morocha', a rare public glimpse of the Spaniard enjoying the reward for years of work in transforming Arsenal back into serious title contenders.The Arsenal boss has often spoken about the importance of connection, culture and unity within the club, and the celebrations reflected a squad that appears closely bonded both on and off the pitch.One of the standout moments of the night involved Declan Rice, who was seen rapping along to Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby', as team-mates and guests joined in around him.There was also a live performance of North London Forever from Louis Dunford, the song which has become deeply associated with Arsenal’s modern identity under Arteta.Louis Dunford singing ‘The Angel’, during the afterparty for Arsenal players, staff & families, after lifting the Premier League trophy today. ❤️🎶 pic.twitter.com/yk6E1i8Lzq— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) May 24, 2026The anthem has become a key part of matchdays at Emirates Stadium, sung by supporters before kick-off and embraced by the squad as a symbol of togetherness between the team and the fanbase.A specially designed drinks menu included cocktails named after members of the squad, with options such as Palomodegaard, a nod to captain Martin Odegaard, Tommy’s Margarita, Mosqui’s Mojito and Trossard’s Tipple.There were also non-alcoholic options available, including The Zubi Zero, named after midfielder Martin Zubimendi.Despite the lively scenes, it is understood most of the playing staff headed home at a reasonable time compared to last week's celebrations.Arteta's side still have one final major challenge ahead, with the Champions League final to come in less than a week.The Spaniard is understood to have reminded his players of that responsibility, as the squad were able to enjoy their title success without losing focus on the chance to complete an extraordinary double.Monday was a day off for the Gunners, giving players and staff time to recover after an emotional end to the Premier League campaign.

Manchester City won their first WSL title in 10 years [Getty Images]Another Women's Super League season is complete, but how did each club get on in 2025-26?Manchester City were crowned champions, while Leicester City were relegated with defeat by Charlton Athletic in the inaugural play-off.Newcomers London City Lionesses quickly settled in, but Tottenham were the surprise package, finishing the best of the rest outside the traditional top four.But who else impressed and who failed to meet expectations?Champions: Man CityPrediction: 3rdIt has been the perfect season for Manchester City as they claimed their first league title in a decade and in manager Andree Jeglertz's debut campaign.With no Champions League football to distract them, City were able to throw everything at the WSL title and they swept up the opposition.They went on a 13-game winning streak between September and February and, at one point, had a 12-point lead over Chelsea.They also kept key players Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema fit, with the two scoring a combined 31 goals - half of the club's overall tally.With a squad packed with talent and depth, City will hope to compete on several fronts in Europe next year, but must replace Shaw, who looks set to leave.2nd: ArsenalPrediction: 2ndHaving been crowned European champions last year, there were high hopes for Arsenal in their pursuit of a first WSL title since 2019.But injuries and a disappointing handful of performances left them chasing early on, and that was enough to give City in the title race.Another strong run to the semi-finals of the Champions League was a welcome addition to an otherwise steady season.It will be a bit of a transitional year in 2026-27 with senior players departing and fresh faces arriving, but Arsenal are in a good place to challenge for more silverware.Why Arsenal have fallen short in WSL and Champions League this season3rd: ChelseaPrediction: ChampionsAfter winning six successive WSL titles Chelsea signed forward Alyssa Thompson and defender Ellie Carpenter, so it was hard to look past them in the summer.But an injury crisis up front and disruption behind the scenes, with the departure of much-loved head of women's football Paul Green, impacted a disappointing season.Manager Sonia Bompastor had heat on her from fans for most of 2026, but her side were still able to win the League Cup in March.However, a team of Chelsea's stature want to win bigger things and Bompastor has rightly called on the club to ensure they build a deep squad next season.How do Chelsea rebuild for next season's WSL?4th: Man UtdPrediction: 4thIt was always going to be hard for Manchester United to finish above their top three rivals and navigate a debut campaign in the Champions League.They can be pleased with their European exploits. Reaching the quarter-finals with a relatively small squad should be celebrated.However, their league form took a hit when they reached the knockout stages, with key midfielder Ella Toone unavailable for most of 2026.A frustration is the lack of competition they provide for the top three rivals. They have conceded the most WSL goals against Chelsea (26), Manchester City (21) and Arsenal (15) under manager Marc Skinner. That has to change.Champions League at risk for Man Utd so what next for Skinner?5th: TottenhamPrediction: 11thThe biggest surprise of the season is without a doubt Tottenham's revival under manager Martin Ho.Having arrived last summer, Ho took over a squad who finished second-bottom in 2024-25 and were tipped to be involved in another relegation battle.He turned them into one of the league's most competitive sides and they impressed in showdowns with Manchester United and Arsenal.Shrewd business in the January transfer window gave Spurs another boost and the club look ambitious for next season. A hugely successful year.6th: London City LionessesPrediction: 5th The WSL newcomers, backed by billionaire Michele Kang and with no affiliation to a men's club, attracted a mountain of intrigue before the season began.It felt like they were never going to be a club fighting relegation but instead one that could disrupt the usual order and produce a bang in the WSL.They showed signs of what they could do and a sixth-placed finish in their debut season in the top flight is certainly an achievement. But sacking manager Jocelyn Precheur at the midway point felt unnecessary and it is still unclear what direction Eder Maestre will take the club in next season.7th: BrightonPrediction: 7th It has been a season of ups and downs for Brighton, who are preparing to play in their first FA Cup final on Sunday - a sign of growth.But Dario Vidosic's side have shown on several occasions they have what it takes to finish higher up the table - they are just not able to produce it consistently enough.That will be a frustration, especially considering London City Lionesses and Tottenham had much more work to do in the summer.Tragedy hit in January when Vidosic's father and club employee Rado died, so the club can be proud of their response.Brighton plan Europe's first purpose-built £80m women's stadium8th: EvertonPrediction: 6th It has been a disappointing season for Everton, who had high hopes following the arrival of new owners and a strong foundation built by former boss Brian Sorensen.But a poor start to the campaign led to Sorensen's sacking, a day after the winter transfer window shut, and, while they recovered, it stumped their progress.Interim boss Scott Phelan has steadied the ship, but Everton go into the summer with work to do to improve the squad and to appoint a permanent manager.9th: Aston VillaPrediction: 9th Aston Villa had high hopes for the new season after bringing in young talent in the transfer window, but it has not gone to plan.Natalia Arroyo's side have been inconsistent and have not been able to compete as much as they would have liked with teams around them.Defeats by London City Lionesses and West Ham in May were concerning results, but Villa performed well against Chelsea and Manchester City in March.Villa desperately crave stability, so they need to perform better next season, particularly with the budget available to them, if they are to progress.10th: West HamPrediction: 10thWest Ham sacked manager Rehanne Skinner after winning only one of their opening 11 games and hired Rita Guarino in December.They lost key players yet again in January but did boost the squad with fresh additions who fitted Guarino's philosophy.That helped them move away from relegation danger and they finished the season strongly, bringing a sense of optimism for next year.But West Ham have toyed with relegation for a number of years. The club must invest if they are to stay in the WSL, with ambitious sides coming into the league.11th: LiverpoolPrediction: 8th Liverpool warned supporters it could be a difficult campaign following a disruptive summer which included the departure of star player Olivia Smith and vice-captain Taylor Hinds, both to Arsenal.Manager Gareth Taylor was appointed late due to issues with his previous contract at Manchester City and serious injuries to key players saw Liverpool drop to the bottom of the table.The death of former manager Matt Beard in September also led to unimaginable challenges for the club.But new signings in January was a welcome boost and Liverpool clawed their way off the bottom of the table with encouraging performances.12. Leicester City (relegated)Prediction: 12th Sacking Amandine Miquel 10 days before their season opener against Manchester United meant Leicester were always on the backfoot.It led to a poor campaign which ended in relegation on Saturday after a five-year stay in the WSL.Rick Passmoor's squad lacked identity and netted only 11 goals, leaving them as the league's lowest scorers.A 13-game losing run in 2026 left them bottom of the table and they could not secure their survival in the play-off defeat by Charlton.It will be an uncertain time for players facing contract renewal discussions in the next few weeks and Leicester will have to compete with richer clubs in WSL 2.Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

After an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, Caitlin Clark has begun her third WNBA season on a scorching hot pace, recording at least 20 points in all five games played so far.Clark and the Indiana Fever (4-2) will set a record during the 2026 WNBA season for the most games played on national television (44). Indiana is also the only team in the league to have all of its games nationally broadcast, according to the team.Despite the games being nationally televised, many fans in the state of Iowa have grown frustrated with the constant switching between TV subscriptions and streaming platforms needed to watch the former Hawkeye legend play this season. Fortunately, there is a way for central and eastern Iowa residents to watch a select number of Indiana Fever games for free using a basic TV antenna, according to Cooper Worth of the Des Moines Register.Here's where and when you can find those games locally on TV in Iowa:Where to watch Indiana Fever games in IowaCentral Iowa's WOI Local 5 and KCWI 23, along with WQAD (subchannel, MyTV 8-3) in the Quad Cities, will broadcast 22 of the Fever's 44 total games this year. All three stations are owned by TEGNA.The first began May 9 and will conclude when the Fever play former Hawkeye star Lucy Olsen and the Washington Mystics on Sept. 20.Which Indiana Fever games will be shown free in Iowa?Here are Fever games that will air for free on WOI, KCWI, and WQAD.It should be noted that Local 5 may move games between WOI and KCWI based on network programming, and it will also carry four additional Fever games as an ABC affiliate.June 8 at Washington Mystics, 6 p.m. CT (KCWI, MyTV 8-3)June 11 vs. Chicago Sky, 6 p.m. CT (KCWI, MyTV 8-3)June 13 at Connecticut Sun, 5 p.m. CT (KCWI, MyTV 8-3)June 16 vs. Toronto Tempo, 6 p.m. CT (KCWI, WQAD OR MyTV 8-3)June 18 vs. Atlanta Dream, 6:30 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)June 20 at Atlanta Dream, 12 p.m. CT (ABC national broadcast on WOI/WQAD)June 22 vs. Phoenix Mercury, 7 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)June 24 vs. Phoenix Mercury, 6:30 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)July 8 at Los Angeles Sparks, 9 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)July 9 at Phoenix Mercury, 9 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)July 15 vs. Golden State Valkyries, 7 p.m. CT (KCWI, WQAD)July 22 vs. Connecticut Sun, 7 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)July 28 at Seattle Storm, 8:30 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)July 31 at Portland Fire, 9 p.m. CT (WOI, WQAD)Aug. 2 at Minnesota Lynx, 12 p.m. CT (ABC national broadcast on WOI/WQAD)Aug. 8 at Chicago Sky, 2:30 p.m. CT (ABC national broadcast on WOI/WQAD)Aug. 18 at Toronto Tempo, 6 p.m. CT (WOI/WQAD)Aug. 20 at Dallas Wings, 7 p.m. CT (WOI/WQAD)Sept. 20 vs. Washington Mystics, 3 p.m. CT (WOI/WQAD)These games won't be available on the stations' streaming apps and can only be watched on broadcast TV or through a cable/satellite subscription.Additionally, in central Iowa, Hearst Television's KCCI will air four Fever games locally. Those four games are:May 30 at Portland Fire, 7 p.m. CT (CBS, KCCI)June 6 at New York Liberty, 7 p.m. CT (CBS, KCCI)June 27 vs. Los Angeles Sparks, 7 p.m. CT (CBS, KCCI)July 18 vs. New York Liberty, 7 p.m. CT (CBS, KCCI)Caitlin Clark statsNote: Shooting percentages are broken down as overall FG % / 3-point % / FT %2024 (40 games): 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 5.6 TO, 41.7/34.4/90.6 shooting2025 (13 games): 16.5 points, 5 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 5.1 TO, 36.7/27.9/82.0 shooting2026 (5 games): 23.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.0 blocks, 5.2 TO, 43.2/34.8/96.4 shootingContact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNewsThis article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Which Caitlin Clark games will air for free on Iowa TV stations?

S&P 500 futures were up slightly in what may be a sign that investors and analysts are waiting to see if a deal is finalized.

The U.S. oil blockade has left millions without cooking gas. In Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of the Cuban revolution, apartment tower residents resort to charcoal and firewood.

“The stupid stuff is killing our chances,” said a retiring Republican senator.

On this Memorial Day, families of those killed in the Iraq War reflected on the sacrifice and offered advice to today’s military families.

Democratic leaders accused Maureen Galindo of antisemitism and are trying to stop her from winning the party’s primary in a contested U.S. House district.

Tyrell Malacia sends farewell message after final Man United appearance Tyrell Malacia sent a farewell message to fans, staff and his teammates after making his final appearance for Manchester United during Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.Exit sealedUnited announced that Malacia will be leaving last week after the thrilling 3-2 win against Nottingham Forest.The defender was an unused substitute, but head coach Michael Carrick still invited the fans to applaud him in his post-match speech at Old Trafford.Malacia joined United from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022, arriving as the first signing of the Erik ten Hag era. He enjoyed a very positive maiden season at United that saw him make 35 appearances across all competitions.But he was unable to build on it as he sustained a serious injury that necessitated multiple surgeries. He was sidelined for 17 months and only returned to action in November 2024.But he found playing time extremely hard to come by under Ruben Amorim. This prompted the club to loan him out to PSV Eindhoven for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign. He didn’t pull up any trees there and the Eredivisie outfit opted against keeping him permanently.United attempted to sell him last summer but a move did not materialise. The Dutchman came off the bench in the closing stages of the triumph against Brighton, in what was his final appearance for the Red Devils.Malacia’s messageThe 26-year-old took to X and posted a farewell message to United and everyone associated with the club.He wrote, “Grateful for every moment, every challenge and every memory.”“Thank you to the fans, my teammates, the staff and everyone at the club for the support throughout this journey. It’s been an honour to wear this shirt.”“Wishing the club all the best for the future.”With the season over, United’s attention now shifts to the summer window. A left-back addition could be in the works, with the club expected to find a competitor for Luke Shaw.Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Imagesonline pollsThe Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

The New York Giants organization reportedly views quarterback Jaxson Dart's decision to introduce President Donald Trump at a political rally in Rockland County as a misstep, primarily due to the unnecessary distractions it created for the franchise.On Friday afternoon, the 23-year-old Dart took the stage at Rockland Community College, greeting the crowd with “Big Blue Nation” and “Go Big Blue” references before presenting Trump as the “45th and 47th President of the United States.”Trump praised the young quarterback as a "future Hall of Famer."While the team respects Dart’s personal rights, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post indicates the Giants were caught off guard, learning of the appearance shortly before it occurred. The organization prefers to keep politics at arm's length, a stance complicated by the co-owners' differing private political leanings and donations, and the intense scrutiny of the New York market.This was a misstep by Dart, in the eyes of the Giants. This was not a Giants pep rally. There was no need for him to interject anything about his team. This was not the Giants Town Hall held a few days earlier, where talk of “kicking the Cowboys’ (expletive)’’ was embraced, even by Harbaugh. There is a time and place for everything.Dart did not come to the Giants for approval after he received the invitation from Trump’s camp. This was on Dart’s personal time and he did not need permission from the Giants, but if he did reach out, he would have been advised to 1) be aware of the ramifications and 2) remember you are representing yourself and not the Giants.Head coach John Harbaugh, who held his own meeting with President Trump last July, addressed the matter directly with Dart, reinforcing that actions carry consequences.The Giants completed their first week of organized team activity practices and this is a mess that new head coach John Harbaugh now has on his plate. He has already started trying to clean things up. Wasting no time, he has spoken to Dart about this, a source told The Post, with plenty more discussions to follow. Harbaugh will want to listen first and react second. Then Harbaugh and the players will decide how to deal with all this moving forward, using a flashpoint as an opportunity to establish a shared understanding.Dart's decision sparked brief internal friction when teammate Abdul Carter publicly questioned the move on social media with “What we doing, man?” before the two spoke privately and clarified that everything was fine. Offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor also later stated the locker room was “fine” and the drama had been put to rest.The episode serves as a reminder of the challenges young athletes face when stepping into the political arena in a divided environment. The Giants now aim to refocus on preparations for the upcoming season.This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants view Jaxson Dart's introduction of President Trump as a 'misstep'

When the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament field was announced three weeks ago, conventional wisdom among professional analysts and casual observers alike was that the event would be a wide-open affair.In the end, however, it’s the top two seeds left standing who will square off for the title on Memorial Day in Charlottesville, Virginia. Furthermore, both finalists reached this point by winning their three previous tournament contests in decisive fashion. In short, they’ve left little doubt that they are the two best teams.We’ll soon learn which powerhouse program will emerge victorious in 2026. Here’s everything you need to know about Monday’s matchup.No. 1 Princeton (16-2) vs. No. 2 Notre Dame (13-2)Time/TV: 1 p.m. ET, ESPN.Championship history: Over the course of nearly four decades, Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan gradually built the Fighting Irish program up to elite status, and the team now goes for its third title in four seasons. Princeton claimed six national championships from 1992 through 2001 under coaching legend Bill Tierney, and the Tigers now look to complete the long climb back to the top of the mountain with Matt Madalon at the helm.Keys to victory: First and foremost, both teams have been getting superb goaltending in the month of May. Notre Dame’s Thomas Ricciardelli and Princeton’s Ryan Croddick each rank in the top 10 nationally in save percentage, and both were outstanding in their respective semifinal wins Saturday. … Concurrently, both keepers have been getting excellent support from their close defensive units. Shawn Lyght is the headliner of the group for Notre Dame, but long-stick midfielder Will Donovan is also a major takeaway threat. Tigers’ shutdown defender Jack Stahl usually draws the assignment of marking the opponent’s principal attackman. … Ah yes, scoring. Normally that’s the first thing we talk about when discussing championship caliber teams in this sport. To be sure there’s fire power for both these squads, but they’re here mainly because of their balance. The Tigers have more depth at the offensive end, with the attack trio of Nate Kabiri, Chad Palumbo and Colin Burns are supported by a deep midfield corps. The breakout star for the Notre Dame attack has been Josh Yago, a grad transfer from Air Force who has notched seven goals and seven assists over the last two games.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA lacrosse tournament title game matches Princeton, Notre Dame

It took the Brandon Valley baseball team 21 innings in just about 25 hours and lots of stress, but the Lynx became the first team since Brookings in 2015 and 2016 to repeat as Class A state champions.The state championship run started late on Friday, May 22, with play delayed until 2 p.m. due to rain. With three games before, Brandon Valley didn't throw the first pitch against O'Gorman until 9:46 p.m. The final out of that 10-7 win was recorded at 12:10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23.The game was initially scheduled for 8 p.m. after the delay, but the games before kept running long.The Lynx then had to bounce back for the semifinals at 3:30 p.m. against Sioux Falls Jefferson in a rematch of the 2025 state championship game. Senior Taylor Melby, the tournament MVP, tossed a complete game with one run allowed to send his team to the title game.No. 8 Watertown awaited Brandon Valley in the championship game, with first pitch coming just before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Lynx scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to come back and earn the state title.Brandon Valley was down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh in the championship game, but the team went into the dugout all fired up and the pro-Brandon Valley crowd decided to join that effort. The crowd on both sides was hanging on every pitch, with one half groaning and one half cheering every time."We got a huge crowd, huge community coming to support us," Stroh said. "The dugout was amazing. Amazing people, amazing family. I just love my community and I love Brandon Valley."The dramatic comeback felt like it happened in slow motion, with eight players getting to the plate. Head coach Jeremy VanHeel never doubted his guys' ability to come back, and felt it was because of their togetherness."Everybody loves everybody," VanHeel said. "It's a tight-knit group. There's just something special about this group from when we started in Kansas. We were undefeated at home and it just carried over."It was a long two days with three difficult matchups and lots of players had to step up for the Lynx to defend their crown."It's been pretty tiring, I have to admit," senior Bryton Stroh said. "Playing until 12:30 at night, then waking up the next morning and getting back to the field at 1 o'clock, then right back at it. It gets pretty tiring, but I love the energy, love the guys I'm with and love the overall feeling of it."Brandon Valley had lots of veteran leadership on this 2026 team and those players came up big in the state championship game against Watertown. Senior Luke Felderman threw 5.2 scoreless innings in relief, Stroh had the game-tying single, Bryce Plucker and Max Peters each drove in a run and Grady Gindorff and Brayden Knutson both reached base twice.Those efforts, combined with Melby's gem, showed just how special this senior class is. VanHeel was thrilled they got their moment in the sun on Saturday."They are the culture of the program," VanHeel said. "They believe in everything that we do. They show it. They live it, and I'm very proud of that."The head coach is hoping some of the underclassmen can learn how to win from this senior group. Knuston, Plucker, Peters, Stroh, Mason Veld and Gindorff were all in the starting lineup consistently and got the job done.This 2026 team was slightly different from the 2025 team, even with just a few departures. The players and coaches all felt a different dynamic and sense of family this season."This group was amazing," Felderman said. "We've got big hitters. We've got great pitchers. We knew coming into this thing we could easily do it."These seniors get to end their careers winning the last game of the season twice in a row. They weren't focused on defending a state championship as much as winning the 2026 title, but once they got it done it stamped their place in South Dakota baseball history."Once you go back-to-back, there's no better feeling than that," Stroh said. "We've got the team to do it and we've got amazing, amazing guys. It's just an amazing feeling. No words can come to it."This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Brandon Valley baseball finishes off back-to-back state championships

The Wisconsin Badgers find themselves in the top four for an extremely talented class of 2027 wide receiver.Chanin "Choo" Harris is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound wideout who hails from Duncan, SC. He currently plays for Byrnes High School.On Saturday, May 23, Harris announced the following schools made his final four: Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin.Currently, 247Sports has him listed as the No. 13 player in South Carolina. Overall, he's the No. 71 wide receiver recruit.Looking ahead, Harris has quite a few visits lined up that should make his decision much easier. First, he's making a stop in Syracuse on May 29. Next, he heads to Madison for a June 5 visit that's followed up at Virginia Tech on the 12th. Finally, he's visiting with Virginia on both June 16 and 19.Where’s home ? 👀 https://t.co/L8eKumQvow— Chanin “Choo” Harris (@ChooHarris) May 23, 2026Shockingly, Wisconsin doesn't have a single commitment from a wide receiver yet. Harris would be a huge get for the team's offensive potential, and he would immediately become the team's highest-rated national recruit in the class of 2027.Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Four-star wide receiver Chanin Harris places Wisconsin in top four

The contest between the incumbent John Cornyn and his challenger Ken Paxton will culminate in a Tuesday runoff. Here are the developments that shaped the campaign.

Mr. Gore is still giving the slide show that “An Inconvenient Truth” was built around, but with changes that reflect a shift in the discussion of climate change.

In the Desert and Mountain West, towns like Kearny, Ariz., are already warning residents they could soon run out of water, but rationing so far has been patchy.

The nation’s founding document has a blind spot. Trump is making it visible.

Little is left of Kostiantynivka, a city on the front lines. Rescuers risk their lives to ferry out the few who remain.

TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: On a pleasant Sunday evening in Dharamshala, Jos Buttler was the first Gujarat Titans player to walk onto the ground. He paused for a moment, looked around at the majestic Dhauladhar range in the backdrop, and slowly took out his phone to capture the picturesque venue.Buttler was not the only one soaking in the scenery. The Indian players, led by the duo who recently earned their maiden Test call-ups, Gurnoor Brar and Manav Suthar, also stepped out with their phones in hand. IPL 2026 Orange Cap holder Sai Sudharsan took it a step further, sipping a cup of coffee while asking left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya to record a video of him standing against the breathtaking Himalayan backdrop.Titans strength and conditioning coach Darren Veness appeared the most starstruck of them all. Like a kid in a candy shop, the Englishman wandered around the ground with his phone in hand before rounding off the evening with a selfie alongside his fellow countryman, Buttler.It almost felt like a ritual. Players walked onto the field carrying their mobile phones instead of their kits, and who could blame them? It is not every day that you train under the watchful gaze of the snow-capped Himalayas and for most GT players, this was their first date with beauty.Buttler's unique range-hittingJos Buttler was the first to pad up and enter the nets.Interestingly, in IPL nets, you rarely see batters working on their technique. It is mostly slam-bang cricket, with players generally focusing on their range-hitting.The 35-year-old Buttler, who seems to have rediscovered his rhythm with back-to-back half-centuries in the last couple of matches, had a special request for the side-arm throwers and the spinners. During the 35 minutes he spent at the nets, the Titans No. 3 faced only low full tosses. Initially, he struggled to generate power against the dipping deliveries, but as the session progressed, he began tonking them into the stands.It was a very interesting training session from Buttler, with coach Ashish Nehra watching the action from behind the nets and applauding every clean strike.Watch out for this TitanConnor Esterhuizen, who joined the Titans as an injury replacement for Tom Banton, looked at his pristine best.Sandeep Raju, the Titans' performance analyst, called upon pacers Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan and Kulwant Khejroliya for an extended spell against Esterhuizen. Right-arm seamers Prasidh and Brar tested him with short-pitched deliveries, while left-arm quicks Arshad and Khejroliya targeted the pads and outside off stump respectively.No one was spared. The 24-year-old pulled, hooked and even played ramp shots against the pace of Prasidh and Brar. The shorter they bowled, the quicker the ball flew into the stands. Arshad and Khejroliya were also treated with disdain. Whenever Esterhuizen was batting, nobody around the nets felt safe. The cries of "watch out" only grew louder with every ball he faced.It is highly unlikely that Esterhuizen, who made his T20I debut earlier this year during South Africa's tour of New Zealand, will get a game for the Titans, with their four overseas slots seemingly locked in by Jos Buttler, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada. But the swashbuckling Proteas batter certainly looks like an extraordinary weapon in the Titans' armour.

NORMAN — Oklahoma baseball is projected to be firmly in the NCAA Tournament field ahead of selection day.Following their 6-2 loss to LSU in the SEC Tournament, the Sooners are viewed as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the field. OU was in play to host regional games before dropping its final four SEC series during the regular season.Entering conference tournament week, the Sooners ranked No. 21 nationally in RPI.More: Can OU baseball make run in SEC, NCAA tournaments? We examine Sooners' postseason resumeWhere Oklahoma baseball stands in NCAA bracket projections entering selection dayUSA TODAY: No. 2 seed in Tallahassee RegionalD1 Baseball: No. 3 seed in Tallahassee RegionalBaseball America: No. 2 seed in Atlanta RegionalOn3: No. 2 seed in Chapel Hill RegionalWhat time is NCAA baseball bracket revealed?Date: Monday, May 25Time: 11 a.m. CTNCAA baseball selection day: How to watch NCAA Tournament bracket get revealedTV channel: ESPN2Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU baseball's bracketology, 2026 NCAA tournament resume

Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley has vowed to "repay the faith that has been shown in me" after signing a new six-year contract with the club.Miley previously penned a long-term deal with Newcastle in 2024, but the club wanted to offer him improved terms in recognition of his impressive progress since then."I'm really pleased to sign this new contract and commit my future here," he said. "It's a dream to be representing Newcastle United, so this is a proud moment for me."I'm really grateful to everybody who has played a part in helping me get to where I am today, especially the support of my family and the trust that the club has put in me from such a young age."It's been an amazing journey so far and I'm so excited for what's ahead. I'm now working hard every day to get back on the pitch even stronger next season and start to repay the faith that has been shown in me."Miley is currently sidelined with a broken leg, but no other English teenager played more minutes in the Premier League before his 20th birthday earlier this month.The academy graduate flourished in a new position at right-back and head coach Eddie Howe said "his willingness to try new roles is a reflection of his selfless approach to the team"."Lewis fully deserves his new contract as recognition for everything he has achieved over the past few years," he added."It's also a reflection of the potential for further growth that we all see in him. He's earned every opportunity and has proven himself to be more than capable of performing at the highest level."Players like Lewis are a dream to work with – not only is he immensely talented, he's keen to learn and approaches everything with a brilliant attitude."

[BBC]We asked for your views on Burnley's draw against Wolves on the final day of the Premier League season. Here are some of your comments:Alan: This feels different to previous relegations. The lack of fight and direction from management - more than anything else - makes it seem like we are heading for another 50 years in the Football League wilderness.Mark: At last it's over! Bring on the Championship - the better league.Steve: Poor season, but so unlucky at times with VAR and several decisions. What was the point of Armando Broja and Lyle Foster? And Florentino Luis for that matter. Kyle Walker should have stepped up more as well.Robert: Typical. Poor manager and the players lacked effort and talent. It's a shame when they worked so hard to get back into the Premier League.John: A fighting display in the second half is, hopefully, a sign of things to come. Loum Tchaouna and Lesley Ugochukwu have been rejuvenated since Scott Parker. We are resigned to losing some of our stars but we must retain the core squad. With some coming and goings we can be competitive in the Championship. We must learn from Sunderland about building the foundations of a team that can be competitive in the Premier League, as well, if we make it back.Steve: Give Mike Jackson at least a full season and get Ashley Barnes on the coaching staff to give them some bite. The Championship is a tough league and completely different to the Premier League. On the upside, no VAR. Football can be fun again.

[BBC][Getty Images]We asked for your as a disappointing Newcastle season ended with defeat at Fulham.Here are some of your comments:Samuel: When Newcastle were taken over in 2021 we were promised change. You can't deny that we've been very successful since the days of Mike Ashley, but taking 17 defeats in a season is very bruising. The ambition to compete at the top level exists at the club, there's just something missing. This will be an interesting summer…Gareth: Eddie Howe has took us as far as he can, thanks for the trophy but it's time to go.Richard: It was an entirely predictable result and probably good in that recent results have been a little better and it wouldn't be helpful for the enormity of the rebuilding task needed this summer to be fudged by a few almost half decent performances. This season was a disaster before it even started and although I don't want a change in manager (just yet) I will expect things to be very much improved next season. This game typified our turgid, guileless and insipid season and, frankly, I'm just glad it's over.Rollo: A miserable season right to the end. Howe's teamsheet, at times, has been bewildering to say the least. Last summer's buys have been damp squibs, totally out of their depth and what quality is in the team will be moving on. My opinion is a whole new back shop is needed as we seem to be out-thought every game tactics- wise.Kevin: Absolutely shocking again. In my opinion, Eddie is responsible for this mess and should be held accountable. The team look like they have no idea what's happening and how to fix the mess. Eddie is the one person who's responsible for this situation. He bought the majority of the players in and has no idea what's happening.E Walton: The pressure is ramping up for Howe. We need to hit the ground running next season or I'm afraid Eddie could be an early managerial casualty. Being beaten twice by the Mackems is not acceptable.Decka: Sunderland rub salt into the self-inflicted Newcastle wounds. Well done to them. We will fight another day. No more panic buys. No more players holding a team - no, a whole city - to ransom.Gary: Absolutely pitiful display from Howe's team - clueless, lacklustre, disinterested, I could go on. It's been a shambles of a season from start to finish and I'm pleased it's over. It feels like Eddie has come to the same point as he did at Bournemouth - he's relying on the same team around him, no new ideas or thoughts. Keep on doing exactly the same things you get the same results time after time.

David Jones has been the principal clarinetist of the Kennedy Center’s orchestra for five presidents. A cascade of cancellations means he hasn’t played there since February.

The Park Slope Food Co-op, a socially conscious grocery store in a liberal neighborhood, has devolved into dysfunction ahead of a Tuesday vote on the proposed boycott.

The group of friends had used the same corner on the Upper West Side to unwind for years. By the end of the night, two people would be dead after a speeding S.U.V. drove into a crowd.

New York State’s budget is the most delayed it’s been since 2010. That means legislators have gone without pay, creating financial hardships familiar to many New Yorkers.

If you happen to be near a body of water (salt, fresh, chlorinated or otherwise), here are the books you’ll need.

Felix Rosenqvist thought his car was good enough to win the previous four Indianapolis 500s. On Sunday, the 34-year-old Swede finally got to celebrate with a sip of milk.The difference: He was more focused on being a dad and felt less pressure to reach victory lane.Rosenqvist responded by making a daring, outside move in the closing yards, sling-shotting past leader David Malukas and across the yard of bricks by half a car-length in the closest race in 500 history and cap the most memorable month of his life.The 0.023-second victory was his second in 120 career IndyCar starts, his first on an oval and came exactly 20 days after he welcomed his first child, daughter Stella.“After we had our baby, Stella, I was like I’ve already won the month of May,” said Roseqvist, whose only other win came in July 2020 at Road America. “But winning was the cheery on top of an incredible month.”Neither Rosenqvist’s wife, Emille, nor his newborn daughter were at the track.Rosenqvist jumped on top of his Meyer Shank Racing car, pumping his arms in the air before tasting the milk and then dumping it over his head. And why not savor it after what he’s endured on this iconic 2.5-mile track.Rosenqvist entered race day with five straight top nine 500 qualifying runs but no poles. He’d also finished fourth in the race twice over the past four years, including 2025, while winding up 27th in the other two.And it looked as if this one might be slipping away, too, when the red flag came out with seven laps to go and he got passed on the ensuing restart and again when Malukas appeared to be pulling away while Rosenqvist and teammate Marcus Armstrong were racing wheel-to-wheel on the final lap.“I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who finished fifth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything different.”With Armstrong out of the way, Rosenqvist pulled up behind Malukas, swung his car to the outside and pushed the car as hard as he could. The momentum — and the tow — sent him past Team Penske’s top finisher, relegating Malukas to runner-up status for the second straight year.Meyer Shank earned its second 500 win and Helio Castroneves, one of four four-time 500 winners, celebrated his first as a team owner.The victory margin was even closer than the 1992 race when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear to the finish line by 0.043 seconds. But that was little consolation to Malukas. Even moving up to second in the points standings was little consolation to the 24-year-old American.“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” an understandably distraught Malukas said. “We were driving 150% that whole time. We had the fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”Malukas seemed to be in position to win with four turns left.He beat leader Marcus Armstrong off the final restart with one lap to go and led through each of the final four corners as Rosenqvist tried to snake his way down Indy’s front straightaway and moved to the outside.This time, Rosenqvist timed it perfectly, stayed on the high driving line and didn’t think twice about going for it. He’s the third Swede to win the 500, joining Kenny Brack in 1999 and Marcus Ericsson in 2022.Rosenqvist even had to hold off his best friend in racing, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren. The two-time race runner-up finished fourth — his fourth top-five finish in four years — behind Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin. Armstrong wound up fifth.“I haven’t seen a finish like that ever,” Rosenqvist said. “So initially, I was like ‘OK, I’m second’ because this never happens, you never have enough time to get that pass. But it happened and it’s just incredible.”It was a wild conclusion to a strange race day that included a handful of crashes, two red flag delays — a 12-minute stoppage midway through the race because of rain and the 10-minute delay after Indy rookie Caio Collet slammed hard into the wall with eight laps to go.But just as it appeared Rosenqvist and O’Ward might come up short again, they got another chance when Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champ Michael Schumacher, brushed the second turn wall with 3 1/2 laps leftThat contact set up the final one-lap shootout and this time, Rosenqvist sensed it was going to be different.“I think somehow this was the first time I felt less (pressure) because I had so much to come home to at night, and I’m like happy,” Rosenqvist said before telling reporters he had already spoken with his wife after the race. “It’s actually kind of nice when taking more pressure off of yourself in a way when you think about the right stuff because because we all put enough pressure on these folks. I think actually it turned out to be a good point to become a dad.”Alex Palou, the pole winner and defending Indy champ, extended his lead to 37 points after leading the most laps (59) and making the most on-track passes (60). But he settled for seventh.Palau was penalized five points after for a technical violation found in the post-race inspection, with IndyCar saying the “non-compliance was the result of an assembly error and not an intentional modification.”Double troubleKatherine Legge’s attempt to become the first woman to complete “The Double” ended after just 17 laps when she couldn’t avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spinning car. Legge’s car skidded down the track and into the inside wall in Turn 2.The English driver was checked at the track’s infield medical care center and was released. She was still planning to travel to Charlotte, North Carolia, for Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600. She’s scheduled to start 37th. 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The NCAA is pushing a new rule that would end Greg Gard's recruiting strategy as we know it.Not only are the Wisconsin Badgers looking at major changes for the future, but there's a chance this greatly affects their 2026-27 season.Jonathan Givony simplified the NCAA's new international recruiting guidelines, which he says are pushing international players out of college sports entirely."ACB, France, Italy, Australian NBL and anyone who's ever played for a EuroLeague team, even for next to nothing, are suddenly permanently ineligible?" Givony asked in response to Kevin Sweeney's post with the NCAA's official statement.For reference, Wisconsin has six players currently on its roster who have played overseas: Austin Rapp, Hayden Jones, Isaac Riddle, Jackson Ball, Owen Foxwell, and Victory Onuetu.This rule wouldn't only affect Wisconsin, far from it, but is there a scenario where this passes ahead of the 2026-27 season, and the Badgers are forced to forfeit the season? While that seems unlikely, crazier things have happened, and a team like LSU is sweating more than they ever have before.Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin men's basketball stuck waiting on new NCAA recruiting rules

MUMBAI: IPL-2026 has delivered thrilling cricket, explosive batting and dramatic finishes, but the tournament has also witnessed heated on-field moments — from aggressive celebrations and unnecessary send-offs to visible player frustration.One such incident came after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad on Friday, when Virat Kohli appeared to avoid shaking hands with Australia opener Travis Head after the match. During the chase, Kohli was also seen exchanging words with Head.In another flashpoint earlier this week, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya broke the stumps in frustration after teammates Deepak Chahar and Robin Minz dropped a catch during MI’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders recently in Kolkata.Reacting to such incidents, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar said emotions can boil over in high-pressure situations.“In the heat of the moment, things happen. Anybody can snap,” Gavaskar said on Sunday at the launch of the eighth edition of Midwicket Stories.“Everybody wants to be the best role model possible, but all of us are human and sometimes we fail those standards. Today, everything comes into the public domain much quicker than before,” he added.Meanwhile, TOI has learnt that neither the BCCI nor the IPL is likely to censure Kohli for not shaking hands with Head, as handshakes fall under the “spirit of cricket” and are not mandatory.“Even India and Pakistan players don’t always shake hands after matches,” a BCCI source said.

Liverpool’s Biggest Transfer Deals of All Time: Top 10 Most Expensive Signings RankedLiverpool are no longer the club which built a dynasty on finding value where others were not looking. The analytical model which defined the Jurgen Klopp years has not been abandoned, but it has been supplemented by something more direct: the willingness to pay what the market demands for players who can change a season. Under Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes, Anfield has become one of the most active destinations for elite talent in world football.For bettors in the UK, you will most likely know that a record signing does more than strengthen the squad. It shifts expectations and odds, and could be the deciding factor in whether you win an accumulator bet or not. Liverpool fans using betting sites will notice how quickly the markets in the top bookmakers react when a deal of this size is confirmed.Ranking the Liverpool top 10 most expensive signings means understanding how the club balances financial sustainability against the pressure of competing with state-backed clubs. The highest transfer fees paid by Liverpool in recent windows confirm that FSG will sanction significant outlay when the right player becomes available. Below, we rank the most significant financial investments in the club’s history.How Liverpool’s Transfer Strategy Evolved in the Modern EraLiverpool spent years finding players others had undervalued. That approach still exists, but it no longer defines the club’s recruitment. They now compete consistently in the £60m+ bracket. Shift from Bargain Signings to Elite-Market InvestmentsSustained Champions League involvement has been central to that capacity, with European revenue and Premier League broadcast income providing the liquidity for signings like Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai. The data operation underpinning every decision is among the most sophisticated in the sport. The recruitment structure built under Michael Edwards and continued by Hughes uses performance metrics, injury profiling and tactical fit modelling to inform every major decision. When LFC break their transfer record, the groundwork has typically been laid over months rather than weeks.Financial Discipline Under FSG OwnershipFSG’s sustainability model runs alongside the ambition, with significant spending offset by significant sales. The sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona remains the clearest example: that fee funded the arrivals of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker in 2018 and transformed the team’s structural foundation overnight. Liverpool’s most expensive signings from Transfermarkt data shows how the baseline has shifted across the decade. What constituted a club record in 2011 is now closer to a squad player valuation. External investment in rival clubs has driven the market upward and the Reds have had to adjust their definition of elite accordingly.What Defines a Record-Breaking Liverpool SigningTo secure their most expensive signings, Liverpool have consistently had to out-negotiate Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester City, which drives fees upward and requires decisive action when a target is identified.Market Competition and Transfer Fee InflationSigning for Liverpool carries weight that few clubs can match. The history and the intensity of the support mean that record fees create immediate scrutiny. Players who take time to settle can find themselves labelled as failures before they have had a fair opportunity to prove otherwise. Whether it was Klopp’s gegenpressing or Slot’s more controlled tactical framework in 2025/26, physical output is non-negotiable.10 Most Expensive Signings in Liverpool HistoryThese are the 10 players to have commanded the biggest transfer fees ever invested by Liverpool:1. Alexander IsakIn September 2025, Liverpool paid £125m to Newcastle United for Isak, the headline figure in any list of the Reds’ most expensive signings. Several European clubs were tracking him before the move to Anfield. The Swede is 6 foot 4 with the movement of a winger, capable of linking play in tight spaces and finishing cleanly under pressure. A broken leg at Christmas interrupted his first full season but his underlying numbers, averaging 0.85 non-penalty expected goals per 90 minutes, hint at better things to come for the 26-year-old.2. Florian WirtzLiverpool purchased their new creative fulcrum in a £116m deal last June. Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen as the most decorated young playmaker in Germany, the product of a two-year scouting process to identify who could carry the midfield creative responsibility in the next phase of the club’s development.He operates in the half-spaces between the lines in a way which breaks down organised defenses, and his technical security and vision have changed how Liverpool build in transition. Players of his profile rarely become available and the Reds moved quickly when the transfer window opened.3. Darwin NunezThree seasons at Anfield and then a move to Al-Hilal in August 2025 for £46m – Nunez is gone but the fee that Liverpool paid for him keeps him on this list.Signed in an £85m deal, the Urugyayan polarised opinion. His finishing was streaky and his decision-making occasionally maddening, but he was part of the squad which won the 2024/25 Premier League, and his pressing and physical presence contributed more to that than the debate around him ever acknowledged. Selling him for £46m funded the arrival of Hugo Ekitike, with the sell-to-buy model working exactly as intended.4. Hugo EkitikeSigned for £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2025, Ekitike offers a different profile to Nunez: technically cleaner, more comfortable dropping deep to create midfield overloads, better suited to combining in the final third.Just 22 years old when he was signed, the investment was built around long-term returns as much as immediate contribution. Eleven goals in his first 27 appearances confirmed the early promise and established him as one of the more complete forwards in the Premier League.5. Virgil van DijkThe Dutch giant is now fifth on the list of the Reds’ most expensive signings, but he’s arguably the most important piece of business the club has ever done. The £75m paid in January 2018 changed not just the backline but the entire defensive identity of the team.Before Van Dijk arrived, Liverpool’s defensive line sat deep out of necessity. He changed that almost immediately. The high line became possible because he was behind it, and the goalkeeper and full-backs could operate with a freedom they didn’t have before. Take him out of the picture and the domestic titles, the Champions League, the records: none of it follows in the same way.6. Alisson BeckerA few months after Van Dijk arrived, Liverpool paid £65m to Roma for the goalkeeper and addressed a long-standing weakness in one transaction.Alisson’s distribution made him central to how the team played out under pressure and his shot-stopping set the standard for the position across the entire Premier League. His contribution to points accumulated season after season is difficult to overstate.7. Dominik SzoboszlaiThe £60m release clause activated in summer 2023 was the first clear signal that Liverpool were rebuilding rather than patching.Szoboszlai brought an engine and a long-range shooting threat which had been missing from the midfield, and his coverage of the ground allowed the press to function through a transitional period when several experienced midfielders had departed simultaneously.8. Jeremy JacquetThe Reds agreed a £55m deal with Rennes in January for a player who will join the club in the summer.Jacquet is 20 years old, ball-playing, quick in recovery, and identified as the long-term answer to who follows Van Dijk in the defensive hierarchy. The planning is deliberate and the fee reflects how seriously the club is treating succession planning at the back.9. Naby KeitaJoining for £52.7m from RB Leipzig in 2018. Keita sits in a complicated place in Liverpool’s most expensive signings, because the talent was genuine but the injury record was brutal.He contributed to every major trophy between 2019 and 2022 and, when fit, his technical ceiling was as high as almost anyone in the squad. The frustration around his Liverpool career has always been about what might have been due to the sheer number of games that he missed.10. Luis Diaz£50m was paid to acquire him from Porto in January 2022, and within weeks Diaz looked like he had been at Anfield for years.The Colombian winger took almost no time to settle. His debut half-season contained everything which made him a fan favourite since:Fearless in one-on-one situations, willing to run at defenders repeatedly rather than looking for the safe pass.Pressing intensity from the front that matched what Klopp demanded from his wide players.Physical output across 90 minutes that never visibly dropped, even in the biggest games.He came close to being part of a quadruple-winning side in that first half-season, which remains one of the better first impressions that any Liverpool signing has made.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Future Direction of Liverpool Transfer SpendingThe current recruitment model prioritises players aged between 19 and 22. High fees for young talent are accepted as the cost of long-term squad stability, rather than avoided as a financial risk.Maintaining a world-class squad while adhering to FSG’s sustainability model will likely require continued significant sales to fund the next generation of record arrivals. As Arne Slot noted in early 2025: “With a lot of signings we have made, you can see the progression they are making in terms of adjustment to the team and also in terms of power and being able. That is the way this club is run. We sign young players with a lot of room for development, although they are already really good.”Final ThoughtsThe highest transfer fees in Liverpool’s history will keep climbing, but the challenge for the next five years will be maintaining a world-class starting XI while adhering to the sustainability model. More record-breaking sales to fund the next generation of record-breaking arrivals is the most likely path forward, and the market will keep inflating, but the hit rate at Anfield has been high enough that confidence in the process should be well-founded.FAQsWho is Liverpool’s most expensive signing of all time?Alexander Isak, signed from Newcastle United for £125m.How do Liverpool fund these massive transfer fees?Through Champions League revenue, Premier League broadcast income, and sales.What is the status of Jeremy Jacquet’s transfer?The deal was agreed in the early weeks of 2026 for £55m. He joins the Reds’ squad ahead of the 2026/27 season.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Motorsport photoGeorge Russell might have endured a heartbreakingly premature end to his fight for the Canadian Grand Prix win with Mercedes team-mate and championship rival Kimi Antonelli, but he remained very much on-message in praising the impact of Formula 1’s controversial new technical regulations.Russell got off to a sluggish start from pole position but passed Antonelli for the lead at the final chicane at the end of lap five, where the cars came within inches of colliding as Antonelli locked a wheel while trying to defend the position. From there until Russell’s car halted with a power unit issue on lap 30, the team-mates stalked each other and swapped positions in a battle which regularly had the crowd on its feet.“I loved it, I thought it was great,” he told media including Motorsport.com afterwards. “And I've not had a battle like this in years. I haven't seen a battle like this probably since Lewis [Hamilton] and Nico [Rosberg] in Bahrain 2014.“And these new cars allow you to do that. These new engines allow you to do that.“I don't know why anybody wants to change them, because we had amazing battles in Melbourne. We had great battles in China. Kimi and I have had a great battle today and yesterday, and that's only possible because of how these power units are.”Russell is not quite comparing like with like here, since many of the overtaking moves in races earlier this season were of the much-derided ‘yo-yo’ variety, dictated by cars being in differing states of electrical charge.Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, MercedesAndrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, George Russell, MercedesThe 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix was indeed defined by a titanic battle between Hamilton and Rosberg, then Mercedes team-mates, although there were plenty of other battles through the field. But the quality of the racing was more a factor of differing tyre strategies in a hot location, on highly abrasive asphalt, rather than engine performance.What Canada 2026 and Bahrain 2014 do have in common is that they took place early in the season against a background of dissatisfaction with new engine rules. 2014 was the year the 1.6-litre hybridised turbo format was adopted, Mercedes proved to be dominant, and the likes of F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo were publicly decrying the lack of engine noise.On race day in Canada this weekend, all the drivers had to contend with very cold temperatures which made it difficult to generate tyre grip, making the cars very skittish. The track layout also militated against the kind of yo-yo overtaking that his angered the drivers as well as a large segment of the fan community.Although ‘energy poor’ in terms of the ratio of straights to corners, and the number of short-duration corners, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve offers very little room for variation in energy harvesting and deployment strategies, so it presented a less unflattering picture of the present technical regulations.Talks have been taking place between the FIA, the teams and the engine manufacturers over the weekend to reach a compromise solution over proposals to shift the ratio of internal combustion engine power to electrical output for next season. Mercedes is one of the few teams which has been able to persuade its drivers to abstain from criticising the new rules in public. Read Also: F1 exploring shorter races to unlock 2027 engine changes “I think it was circuit-specific that it [the race] was particularly good,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “There will be more difficult ones. But you know, we keep saying this for a long time, every single race was in itself good entertainment.“So it was today again. I've already said it – we need to dissect those rules with a scalpel and make it better, rather than overshooting or undershooting and make it actually worse.” Read Also: Max Verstappen: "Not doable" to stay in F1 if rules aren't improved for 2027 To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Napoli confirm Conte’s exit with four-word messageNapoli confirmed Antonio Conte’s exit with a heartfelt message on social media on Monday: ‘Thanks for everything, coach!’Conte has left Napoli after two seasons in which the Italian tactician secured a Serie A title and a Supercoppa Italiana.NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 24: Antonio Conte SSC Napoli head coach during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and US Cremonese at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 24, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)Italian media had been extensively reporting on Conte’s departure even before Sunday’s last game against Udinese.Napoli confirm Conte’s exitAfter yesterday’s match, Conte confirmed his departure in a press conference with club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.Napoli sent a social media message to Conte on Monday morning, posting on both the Italian and English official X accounts.“Thanks for everything, coach,” wrote the Partenopei, sharing a picture of a smiling Conte with the 2024-25 Serie A winners’ medal around his neck.Thanks for everything, coach! 💙 pic.twitter.com/Ojka3u96ovConte joked that if he didn’t find a new team this summer, he might join De Laurentiis in Los Angeles to watch the World Cup.

Impact players at IPL 2026: Comprehensive list of every impact player used by Indian Premier League teams originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.KEY TAKEAWAYS:The Indian Premier League season will run from March 28, 2026, to May 31, 2026, featuring 10 franchises.Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter the season as defending champions after winning the 2025 title.Shubman Gill and most of IPL captains expressed concern over the Impact Player rule.All impact players used at IPL 2026Several Indian Premier League captains have expressed their reservations regarding the Impact Player rule in India's premier T20 competition, ahead of the IPL 2026 season.Just days before the start of the 19th season of the IPL, all 10 skippers came together for a captain's meet, where they interacted with the media.A source from the IPL told NAI that during the captain's, the majority of them expressed unhappiness over the Impact player rule. The source said: "Majority of the captains gave their inputs on the Impact Player rule and expressed their reservations even though the BCCI has extended the rule till 2027. They were told it can only be reviewed after the 2027 edition and not before that."Earlier, Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel echoed a similar sentiment, as the all-rounder said: "Earlier we used to pick all-rounders for this role (batting and bowling). Now the team management goes with a particular batter or bowler, they say why do we need an all-rounder? Being an all-rounder myself, I don’t like it but at the same time, rules are rules. We have to follow them. But personally, I don’t like it."MORE:Suresh Raina reveals if MS Dhoni will play in IPL 2027What is the Impact Player rule in IPL?The Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute a player during their innings based on match conditions, adding a dynamic element to the game. For example, if a team is batting first, they can field eight batters in their lineup and keep a bowler as an Impact Player. Once their batting is over, the team can immediately bring in the extra bowler from reserves and use him as the Impact Player in the match.This way, teams benefit both while batting and bowling during the course of a game.MORE: Ishan Kishan taunts Chepauk crowd with 'whistle podu' gesture after SRH beat CSKComprehensive list of every impact player used by Indian Premier League teamsMatch No.DateMatchVenueImpact Players Used 1Mar 28RCB vs SRHBengaluruDevdutt Padikkal, David Payne2Mar 29MI vs KKRMumbaiSurya Kumar Yadav, Kartik Tyagi3Mar 30RR vs CSKGuwahatiSarfaraz Khan4Mar 31PBKS vs GTNew ChandigarhPriyansh Arya, Prasidh Krishna5Apr 1LSG vs DCLucknowShahbaz Ahmed, Sameer Rizvi6Apr 2KKR vs SRHKolkataFinn Allen, Eshan Malinga7Apr 3CSK vs PBKSChennaiRahul Chahar, Priyansh Arya8Apr 4DC vs MIDelhiSameer Rizvi, Mayank Markande9Apr 4GT vs RRAhmedabadShahrukh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi10Apr 5SRH vs LSGHyderabadEshan Malinga, Ayush Badoni11Apr 5RCB vs CSKBengaluruSuyash Sharma, Kartik Sharma12Apr 6KKR vs PBKSKolkataN.A13Apr 7RR vs MIGuwahatiRavi Bishnoi, Sherfane Rutherford14Apr 8DC vs GTDelhiSameer Rizvi, Prasidh Krishna15Apr 9KKR vs LSGKolkataVaibhav Arora, Ayush Badoni16Apr 10RR vs RCBGuwahatiVaibhav Sooryavanshi, Venkatesh Iyer17Apr 11PBKS vs SRHNew ChandigarhNehal Wadhera, Jaydev Unadkat18Apr 11CSK vs DCChennaiAkeal Hosein, Ashutosh Sharma19Apr 12LSG vs GTLucknowGeorge Linde, Shahrukh Khan 20Apr 12MI vs RCBMumbaiSherfane Rutherford, Rasikh Dar21Apr 13SRH vs RRHyderabadSakib Hussain, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi22Apr 14CSK vs KKRChennaiAkeal Hosein, Finn Allen23Apr 15RCB vs LSGBengaluruVirat Kohli, George Linde24Apr 16MI vs PBKSMumbaiAm Ghazanfar25Apr 17GT vs KKRAhmedabadShahrukh Khan, Varun Chakaravarthy 26Apr 18RCB vs DCBengaluruRasikh Dar, Karun Nair27Apr 18SRH vs CSKHyderabadLiam Livingstone, Ayush Mhatre 28Apr 19KKR vs RRKolkataAngkrish Raghuvanshi, Yash Raj Punja29Apr 19PBKS vs LSGNew ChandigarhVyshak Vijaykumar, Himmat Singh30Apr 20GT vs MIAhmedabadRahul Tewatia, Ashwani Kumar31Apr 21SRH vs DCHyderabadDilshan Madushanka, Ashutosh Sharma32Apr 22LSG vs RRLucknowHimmat Singh, Shubham Dubey33Apr 23MI vs CSKMumbaiDanish Malewar, Akeal Hosein34Apr 24RCB vs GTBengaluruJacob Bethell, Prasidh Krishna35Apr 25DC vs PBKSDelhiAuqib Nabi, Nehal Wadhera36Apr 25RR vs SRHJaipurRavi Bishnoi, Travis Head37Apr 26GT vs CSKAhmedabadSarfaraz Khan38Apr 26LSG vs KKRLucknowHimmat Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy39Apr 27DC vs RCBDelhiAbishek Porel, Jacob Bethell40Apr 28PBKS vs RRNew ChandigarhHarpreet Brar, Shubham Dubey41Apr 29MI vs SRHMumbaiShardul Thakur, Aniket Verma42Apr 30GT vs RCBAhmedabadRahul Tewatia, Venkatesh Iyer43May 1RR vs DCJaipurTushar Deshpande44May 2CSK vs MIChennaiKartik Sharma, Raghu Sharma45May 3SRH vs KKRHyderabadSakib Hussain, Finn Allen46May 3GT vs PBKSAhmedabadRahul Tewatia, Vyshak Vijaykumar47May 4MI vs LSGMumbaiRohit Sharma, M Siddharth48May 5DC vs CSKDelhiSameer Rizvi49May 6SRH vs PBKSHyderabadHarsh Dubey, Priyansh Arya50May 7LSG vs RCBLucknowMayank Yadav, Tim David51May 8DC vs KKRDelhiKuldeep Yadav, Finn Allen52May 9RR vs GTJaipurVaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sai Kishore 53May 10CSK vs LSGChennaiPrashant Veer, Avesh Khan54May 10RCB vs MIRaipurDevdutt Padikkal55May 11PBKS vs DCDharamshalaYash Thakur, Ashutosh Sharma56May 12GT vs SRHAhmedabadPrasidh Krishna, Travis Head57May 13RCB vs KKRRaipurDevdutt Padikkal, Saurabh Dubey 58May 14PBKS vs MIDharamshalaVishnu Vinod (wk), Rohit Sharma59May 15LSG vs CSKLucknowJosh Inglis, Gurjapneet Singh60May 16KKR vs GTKolkataMatheesha Pathirana, Rahul Tewatia61May 17PBKS vs RCBDharamshalaMarcus Stoinis, Rasikh Dar62May 17DC vs RRDelhiAshutosh Sharma, Dasun Shanaka 63May 18CSK vs SRHChennaiMukesh Choudhary, Travis Head64May 19RR vs LSGJaipurVaibhav Sooryavanshi, Digvesh Singh65May 20KKR vs MIKolkataFinn Allen, Am Ghazanfar66May 21CSK vs GTChennaiPrasidh Krishna, Kartik Sharma67May 22SRH vs RCBHyderabadHarshal Patel, Tim David68May 23LSG vs PBKSLucknowDigvesh Singh, Marcus Stoinis69May 24MI vs RRMumbaiRohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja70May 24KKR vs DCKolkataFinn Allen, Kuldeep YadavWho do you think will win IPL 2026?To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.

There was a time in George Russell’s seven-year Formula 1 career that he could afford a cruel instance of racing misfortune. In fact, every single one of those seasons, before this 2026 campaign. But not now. Not amidst an intra-team championship battle which, to his utter dismay, is currently only heading in one direction. Yet one man’s chagrin is another man’s exultation. For Kimi Antonelli, life does not get any better right now. Not only did he claim his fourth victory in a row on the streets of Montreal – the first driver ever to win their first four races consecutively – but he stood on top of the podium alongside two of the sport’s greats and two of his closest mentors: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Want to wipe the smile off the 19-year-old’s face? Good luck with that. Kimi Antonelli claimed his fourth win in a row in Canada (Getty)Of more significance, of course, is the impact of Antonelli’s 25-point boost in the face of Russell’s unfortunate mechanical retirement. Both Mercedes drivers battled in thrilling, close-to-the-bone fashion in the first-half of the race, swapping the race lead as they refused to give each other an inch. It was only late in the day when the Silver Arrows urged their drivers to relent; Toto Wolff and his team should be applauded for permitting such wheel-to-wheel combat, a decade on from Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s infamous Barcelona crash in similar title-inducing, nerve-shredding circumstances. But on lap 30, everything changed. Not that Russell will view it as such, but there is some irony that Mercedes’s power unit – unequivocally the most dominant in the field this year – was what gave up the ghost. An engine failure nobody saw coming brought a sorry end to the drama. Russell, aghast with rage, threw his head restraint out of his cockpit, an action he would later receive a suspended £4,300 fine for, and ripped his gloves off in disgust. “Right now it’s [Antonelli’s] to lose,” Russell said. The 28-year-old now trails his teammate by 43 points. “So many points ahead, it feels like the gods don’t want me to be in this fight. The pressure is off, I’ll go out and enjoy every single race, try and win every single race and I’ve got nothing to lose.Russell and Antonelli exchanged the lead on several occasions throughout the race (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)“I don’t want to be stood here talking like that and of course I’m frustrated and want to be in that fight… hopefully the luck turns.”TOP-10 - F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 131 points2. George Russell (Mercedes) - 88 points3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 75 points4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 72 points5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 58 points6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 48 points7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 43 points8. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 20 points9. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 18 points10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 16 pointsTo his credit, Antonelli did not rub salt into the wounds. A day on from his radio outburst in the face of contact between the pair in the sprint race, the Italian acknowledged his teammate’s bad luck and their captivating on-track conflict. “It was very close and the (car failure) was a shame for him as it would have been a very cool battle,” he said. “But we will take it, another win.”“It was nice to end the weekend well, not really the way I wanted to win, it was a close fight and I think it would have gone down right until the end.” Much like Lando Norris’s crestfallen experience in the Zandvoort sand dunes after his late retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix last year, the snapshot of a gutted Russell watching his broken Mercedes car getting wheeled off the track could be one of the pictures of the season. HEARTBREAK FOR GEORGE! 😢💔#F1#CanadianGPpic.twitter.com/vbnkl34w4X— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2026Yet how the British driver responds, as we head back to the traditional set of European races this summer, will define his campaign. While Norris only had nine rounds remaining to overturn a 34-point lead, Russell still has 17 races left to gradually chip away at the deficit. What he cannot allow to happen, however, is for Antonelli to run over the hills and far away. By the time he claimed his world championship in Abu Dhabi last year, Norris acknowledged that his brush with misfortune last year was the best thing that could have happened to him. Afterwards, relieved of pressure, he threw caution to the wind and reeled in McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri rapidly. Russell, who has more time on his side, does not need to invoke such aggressions just yet. Yet there may well come a time when he will have to replicate his compatriot’s 2025 change of approach. In fact, who knows: Sunday’s desperate DNF could be the best thing to happen to Russell, if it reinvigorates his crumbling title charge.

The 2026 Canadian Grand Prix was completely chaotic from the very beginning. But the FIA stewards just handed out one of the strangest penalties we have seen in modern Formula 1. Nico Hulkenberg managed to run into major trouble before the lights even went out on Sunday. And his punishment has left a lot of fans scratching their heads.The whole situation started during a very messy pre-race sequence. After an aborted start caused multiple formation laps, the starting procedure got complicated. According to official FIA Document 99, Hulkenberg was completely out of position as the grid approached Safety Car Line 1.The Audi Revolut driver was reportedly very slow to get away, which caused Car 30 to pass him. Because of this delay, both cars ended up crossing the safety car line out of order.Under the strict Formula 1 rulebook, if a driver fails to start the formation lap in the correct order, they are supposed to head straight into the pit lane to start the race. Hulkenberg completely ignored this step. The stewards’ report confirmed that Car 27 failed to enter the pits as required by the regulations. The governing body ruled this a direct breach of Article B5.6.4.The Suspended Punishment For HulkenbergNormally, ignoring a formation lap protocol results in an immediate, race-ruining penalty. The rulebook dictates a mandatory stop-and-go penalty for this exact offense. But the stewards decided to go down a very unusual route.May 23, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Audi driver Nico Hulkenberg (27) during the qualifying session of the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn ImagesBecause Hulkenberg’s mistake didn’t actually delay the start of the race or mess up the overall grid order, the officials felt a full stop-and-go was extremely harsh. Instead of pulling him into the pits during the race, they imposed the penalty after the checkered flag and immediately suspended it.According to the official document, this punishment is suspended until the final race of the 2026 Championship. Hulkenberg will only have to actually serve the stop-and-go if he commits another similar breach before the season ends.On top of the looming threat, the German driver was also handed his first official reprimand of the season for failing to start the formation lap in the correct order. Suspended grid drops and fines happen all the time. But a suspended stop-and-go penalty is definitely a rare sight in the paddock. Hulkenberg escaped Montreal without an immediate time penalty, but he is now walking a very thin line for the rest of his campaign with Audi.

Pisilli on Gasperini’s impact: “He’s helped us improve a lot.”After an early part of the season in which Niccolò Pisilli seemed on the fringes of Gian Piero Gasperini’s project, the 2004-born player has become indispensable, or almost. He finished the season with 1,885 minutes, four goals, and four assists, leaving an indelible mark on the Giallorossi’s fourth-place finish. A few hours after the team returned to Fiumicino, the Giallorossi youth product made some comments on the sidelines of the Ussi awards ceremony. The midfielder began by celebrating the milestone: “Yesterday was a beautiful evening. Returning to the Champions League after so many years is a great feeling; we’ve been working towards this all year.”Pisilli, as reiterated by all the key figures in Roma’s run, admitted he never stopped believing in reaching the top four: “We believed in it all year, we were always in the top four, and there was never a significant gap in points from fourth place.” The midfielder concluded by praising Gasperini: “Gasperini was important; he brought his ideas, and we did well to follow him. In the second half of the season, we were able to better implement his ideas on the pitch, we understood his concepts better, and thus we played good football. His story speaks for itself; he helped so many players improve. I’ve always followed him, I’ve grown with each training session, and I’ve carved out my own space.”

We remember those who gave their lives in service to the United States.

NEW DELHI: Australian cricketer David Warner has once again hinted that his relationship with Sunrisers Hyderabad remains strained, revealing that the IPL franchise still appears to have him blocked on Instagram. Warner shared a screenshot of SRH’s profile on his Instagram story where the account showed up as “private", something users usually see when they are blocked.The issue gained more attention after a fan asked SRH to unblock Warner in the comments section of one of his posts. Replying to the fan, Warner wrote, “They would never unblock me."The latest social media exchange has brought back memories of Warner’s messy exit from the Hyderabad franchise despite being one of the most successful captains and batters in the team’s history.Warner joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 and quickly became the face of the franchise. Under his captaincy, SRH won their first IPL title in 2016, with Warner playing a huge role both as captain and opener. He also won the Orange Cap three times and remains one of the franchise’s highest run-scorers with more than 4000 runs in 95 matches.Apart from his performances, Warner became hugely popular among fans because of his Telugu reels and strong connection with the “Orange Army”.The relationship between Warner and SRH started falling apart during the 2021 IPL season after the team struggled badly. Warner was removed as captain midway through the tournament and was later dropped from the playing XI completely.Fans also noticed him sitting away from teammates during matches in the UAE leg of the tournament, showing how distant things had become. SRH eventually released him before the 2022 mega auction.

Juventus miss out on Senesi as Tottenham reach agreement with Bournemouth defenderMultiple sources claim that Tottenham have reached an agreement with Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, beating Juventus to the signing of the Argentine centre-back.Juventus are expected to miss out on the signing of Bournemouth centre-back Senesi, who is available as a free agent as his contract with the English club expires this coming June.Juventus target Senesi has an agreement with TottenhamThe Bianconeri had been linked with the 29-year-old, but it was already evident a few weeks ago that the Serie A giants were not the favourites to sign the Argentine, who had attracted interest from the Premier League and Barcelona.Multiple sources, including TEAMTalk and German transfer expert Florian Plettenberg, claim that Spurs have now reached an agreement with the Bournemouth defender over a free move this summer.MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 10: Marcos Senesi of Argentina lines up prior to the International Friendly between Argentina and Venezuela at Hard Rock Stadium on October 10, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)Sportmediaset confirms the agreement between Senesi and Tottenham, but suggests that Liverpool are expected to make one final attempt for the 29-year-old.Tottenham secured Premier League survival on the final matchday, beating Everton 1-0 at home on Sunday.Juventus finished the 2025-26 campaign in sixth and will be playing in the Europa League next season.