Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is a target for Juventus, Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has a release clause in his Al-Nassr contract and Napoli are set to hold talks to extend Scott McTominay's contract.

Newcastle United and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, 25, is Serie A side Juventus' top transfer target for the summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)

Barcelona are considering offering 37-year-old Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, whose deal with them runs out in the summer, a contract extension for another season but on reduced wages. (ESPN)

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Al-Nassr is in doubt and the 41-year-old has a £44m release clause in his contract with the Saudi Pro League club. (Athletic - subscription required)

Scotland international Scott McTominay and Napoli are set to hold talks about extending the 29-year-old's contract beyond 2028, with the Serie A club keen to secure the midfielder to a new deal until 2030. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian)

Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 22, is set to join Zenit St Petersburg on loan after ending his season-long stint at Fenerbahce from Al-Nassr.(Talksport)

Feyenoord are among the clubs to have explored a move for England forward Jesse Lingard, who is available on a free transfer after leaving FC Seoul. The 33-year-old's former Manchester United team-mate Robin van Persie is in charge of the Dutch club. (Mail)

Leeds United are reportedly targeting a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window. It is understood Daniel Farke has been underwhelmed by Brazilian signing Lucas Perri, 28, who arrived at Elland Road in July 2025 for £13.9m. (Teamtalk)

Tottenham's 22-year-old Argentine striker Alejo Veliz, who is on loan at Rosario Central, is set to join Brazilian club Bahia in the summer in a deal worth 9m euros (£7.8m) plus add-ons. (Fabrizio Romano)

Atletico Madrid showed an interest in Spain's 23-year-old attacking midfielder Gabri Veiga in the last couple of days of the winter transfer window but Porto rejected the La Liga club's approach. (Fabrizio Romano)

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Several people have accused a former NBA player and Atlanta Hawks assistant coach persuaded them to invest thousands of dollars by promising large returns, only to leave them unpaid, according to a Channel 2 Action News investigation.

The alleged victims told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln that Tyrone Hill approached them in social settings and pitched investment opportunities that ultimately failed to pay out. Multiple victims say their combined losses exceed $1 million.

Lincoln spoke with several victims and their attorneys who say Hill lured them in with the promise of “‘generational wealth,’ only to leave them with nothing.”

Several victims said Hill initiated contact at restaurants, lounges or cigar clubs before proposing investments.

“I sat down, had a drink, and we started talking about investments,” said Katrina Stuart, one of the alleged victims.

Ashley Madison said Hill told him he owned a company that serviced airports and encouraged him to invest. Madison said he loaned Hill $35,000 to help manage Hill’s grease trap business, EMC Clean Energy LLC, which had been contracted by the city of Atlanta to service restaurants at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Madison said the money has not been repaid.

“As a grown man, he asked me to look in a bank account for money he knew he hadn’t sent,” Madison said.

Stuart said she invested $10,000 after Hill promised a return of $16,000 within six months. She said the money never arrived and that she later confronted Hill at a warehouse in Forest Park. Stuart said a business partner eventually returned $5,000.

“I just want my money, what he owes me,” Stuart said.

Two women who said they invested the largest amounts asked Channel 2 not to identify them. One filed a lawsuit after Hill allegedly failed to return more than $80,000 from her father’s inheritance. The other said she and a business partner invested more than $1 million and were repaid only $30,000.

Court records reviewed by Channel 2 show at least one woman sued Hill for more than $1 million. Her attorney said Hill has paid only a fraction of what he owes.

Another alleged victim said Hill has faced multiple civil lawsuits.

“At that point, you’re just getting in line,” one woman said.

Hill denied intentionally deceiving investors when reached by phone.

“I’m not trying to deceive anyone,” Hill said. “If things work out, I would pay them.”

Hill also said his company is legitimate and told Channel 2 that disputes over unpaid investments should be handled in court.

His attorney sent Channel 2 a statement:

“This matter involves private business disputes that are being addressed through the appropriate legal channels. On advice of counsel, Davis Law Group-Trial Attorneys, Mr. Hill will not be providing any further comment or interviews at this time.”

City officials told Channel 2 that in 2025 Hill, through one of his companies, was removed as a subcontractor from an airport project for improper disposal of grease.

Legal experts say cases like this are often handled as civil matters unless prosecutors can prove intent to defraud, meaning the individual never planned to repay the money. Victims told Channel 2 they hope speaking publicly will draw the attention of law enforcement.

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Indiana men’s basketball did itself a pair of huge favors last week, with a home win over Purdue followed by a road win at UCLA, the first Quad 1 wins of the season for the Hoosiers. There was a chance for a third Tuesday night at USC, but the loss means that Indiana is stuck with just those two wins in the first quadrant for now.

With a shocking win over Michigan State, Minnesota’s NET ranking improved so that Indiana’s loss there is now a Quad 1 loss, leaving the Hoosiers 1-0 in Quad 2 games, but 2-8 in Quad 1 likely won’t cut it come March.

The Hoosiers have eight games left to improve their tournament resume, mainly lacking wins against quality opponents. There are four Quad 1 wins left on the schedule as of now, with two of those being major uphill battles on the road at Illinois and Purdue.

Which brings us to Saturday against Wisconsin, the first of Indiana’s two remaining home games against Quad 1 teams.

Following the loss to USC, Bart Torvik gives Indiana an 89.1% chance to make the NCAA Tournament, likely landing either an eight or nine seed. This assumes the Hoosiers finish out the way Torvik predicts them to, which means winning out at home to finish 11-9 in conference play.

On the other hand, KenPom has Indiana finishing 10-10 in conference play, losing a home game to Michigan State, the other Quad 1 home game left on the schedule. The two models disagree as to the result of that MSU game, but both agree that Wisconsin is the easier of the two remaining Quad 1 games.

If Indiana drops the game against Wisconsin, the Hoosiers likely need to win one of their road games at Purdue or Illinois AND the home game against MSU to feel good on Selection Sunday. That’s also likely the only route back to .500 in conference play, assuming Indiana doesn’t drop one of the easier games left on the slate.

Finishing 10-10 in conference play wouldn’t necessarily doom Indiana to the NIT or the Crown, but it would heighten the pressure of the Big Ten Tournament, an event Indiana has never performed well in.

In normal circumstances, a coach would get a pass for missing the NCAA Tournament in his first year, but, as we’ve pointed out, this is a roster built to win now.

No matter what happens, Darian DeVries is going to have to replace a significant portion of this roster and the large majority of his offensive production. Getting to the NCAA Tournament would serve as an important proof of concept for players in the high school and college ranks that this staff pursues going forward.

Have any thoughts on how important this game is? What about the first season under Darian DeVries in general? Share them below:

Fiorentina gets a chance to snap a 3-game skid when it hosts Torino. The Granata snapped a 4-game skid of its own last week with a close-fought win over Lecce before washing out of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday. That means the Viola have a rest advantage over their visitors, which of course won’t mean anything if they continue soiling their shorts every weekend. Speaking of which, the reverse fixture ended scoreless after Moise Kean turned in the clubhouse leader for Serie A’s Miss of the Season and gave us our first indication that this year would be cursed.

The match will be played on Saturday, 7 February 2026, at 19:45 GMT/2:45 PM EST at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in beautiful Firenze. There’s currently a severe rain watch on for Tuscany but the skies should be mostly finished dumping their contents by Saturday, although there’ll likely be some intermittent drizzle to ensure the playing surface is fully soaked.

Three things to watch for

1. Set piece struggles cut both ways

I’ve written time and again about Fiorentina’s struggles to defend dead balls this year. David de Gea stays glued to his line at all times and only Robin Gosens is above-average in the air for his position; every other player in the squad struggles to defend high balls. That shortcoming, combined with a physically small roster, means that every opponent is licking its lips whenever it wins a corner or a free kick in the Viola half.

Except, perhaps, for Torino. In a stunning display of set piece futility, il Toro has scored just twice from dead balls (excluding penalties, obviously). That’s fewer than everyone in Serie A, even with Lazio (huh?) and Hellas Verona. It’s not just a statistical quirk, from what I can tell. Torino’s also got an aerially-unimpressive squad despite playing 3 at the back. Marco Baroni could look to get more size in his XI to take advantage of Fiorentina’s obvious shortcomings here but I’m expecting a true battle of futility whenever Andrea Colombo blows the whistle.

2. Torino’s skeleton crew

Torino’s missing something like 12 first team players and is heading into its 3rd game in 7 days. Baroni’s got a fine head of hair but you fear for it a bit as he tries to figure out how to create a lineup. Given his tactical proclivities and the situation, Torino will probably focus on the defensive side of their game first and foremost, sitting deep and attempting to frustrate their hosts while relying more on individual skill from Duván Zapata and Sandro Kulenović up front.

That’s the best way to beat Fiorentina right now, of course. Despite scoring in 3 straight games, the Viola have scored 2+ goals just twice in Serie A this year. Designed (poorly) to hit on the break, they lack the on-ball creativity to solve deep blocks. Albert Guðmundsson slithers in and mostly out of games, Nicolò Fagioli is shackled to a deeper role, and everybody else is a blunt instrument rather than a flickering poniard.

Paolo Vanoli should have Moise Kean ready to start for the first time in a month but the striker will be rusty and is at his best attacking space over the top. My guess is that he’ll deploy his mezzale as box crashers and place the burden of actually breaking Torino down on his wide players. If Torino can push everything down the wings and turn Fiorentina into a crossing team, Baroni will feel he’s obtained a tactical victory. It’s on Vanoli and his players to find an avenue through the middle as well.

3. The fabled front 5

Now that Kean’s back, Vanoli can trot out an XI featuring his 5 most attacking players: Moise up front, Guðmundsson and Manor Solomon on the wings, and Marco Brescianini and Giovanni Fabbian as the mezzale getting forward. In theory, that’s an interesting approach. Solomon can hold the width on the right and combine with Dodô as Kean, Brescianini, and Fabbian provide 3 big targets in the box. On the left, Guðmundsson can drift around and thread balls through to the midfield runners.

In practice, I doubt it’s so simple. For one thing, none of these players has been all that good of late, and the best-laid schemes collapse if the players aren’t good. For another, Torino will, as mentioned earlier, welcome a series of crosses into a packed penalty box if it means denying space in behind and between the lines. Finally, these are all dribblers or off-ball runners rather than passers, maybe excepting Guðmundsson (and what he does best remains a mystery). I don’t think these pieces complement each other and anticipate a lot of kludginess.

Possible lineups

Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Department

The bookies favor Fiorentina pretty strongly, considering that this is the 3rd-worst team in Serie A, has lost 3 straight, and has taken just 1 more game at home than on the road. To that latter point, the Franchi’s reduced capacity and the team’s own haplessness have squelched the match-day atmosphere. Torino’s been fairly bad on the road too but the bigger problem is all the absences. Quite frankly, though, this looks like a low-scoring draw to me. It’s two bad teams dealing with all kinds of internal problems.

Because of the curse, though, I’ll take Fiorentina to snap its skid and come out with a 2-1 win behind a brace from Kean to exorcise his demons from that first meeting. Picking a Torino scorer is trickier with both Cristiano Biraghi and Giovanni Simeone doubtful but I’ll say it’s Zapata bullying Marin Pongračić to turn home a cross. I’m also expecting a slow, sloppy game, both due to the weather and the relative form of these clubs, with a lot of unpleasant passages of play. Should be uh not fun.

Forza Viola!

A recent update in The Athletic has claimed that Alexis Mac Allister was well-liked by Real Madrid during Carlo Ancelotti's reign and that he could become an option for the Spanish side again as signing a midfielder will be a priority for them in the summer.

Liverpool may be open to selling their Argentine midfielder. Mac Allister has been a brilliant player but it feels like he suits the intensity of the Premier League and Arne Slot's system the least of the current midfield options.

So, letting him go for an alternative would make sense. The only question then becomes on what terms would Liverpool be willing to let him go? And are those terms something Real Madrid would be prepared to pay?

Or there's an alternative solution. There's a world in which the two sides could very well complete a sensational swap deal involving one of Real Madrid's own stars.

Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti named the date of Indiana’s upcoming 2026 spring game during an appearance on The Triple Option podcast hosted by Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone.

The Hoosiers’ spring game will take place on Thursday, April 23, the same week of the annual Little 500 races in Bloomington. The format will be similar to the past years, Cignetti added. This year will offer fans a look at new pieces like quarterback Josh Hoover, running back Turbo Richard and cornerback AJ Harris, among others.

The program’s annual spring game made a return under Cignetti in 2024 after it became a scrimmage in 2023. Indiana played spring games in 2024 and 2025 under Cignetti. Fans flocked to this past season’s spring game following the successes of

Unlike past seasons, there will be no spring transfer portal window. Indiana has made key additions during that period in the past, such as signing defensive tackle CJ West in 2024.

Do you plan on attending Indiana’s spring game? Any suggestions for ways to entertain fans? Thoughts on rally towel designs? What about the elimination of the spring transfer portal window? Share them below, and sign up to join the conversation:

Throughout the season, the New England Patriots offensive line has gone out to dinner every Thursday night.

Despite the team spending the week on the road in California as prep for Super Bowl LX continued, they were not going to let a tradition die.

On Wednesday night before families arrived into town from home, the group took their final trip of the season — which included some new guests such as Drake Maye, Hunter Henry, TreVeyon Henderson and more.

“Favorite part of this week is just being with teammates, just being in the hotel for a week, getting to experience a lot of time. We had the O-line dinner last night, and it’s an experience,” Maye said. “You feel like you’re kind of living with your best friends again in college, in training camp, back in high school. You feel like you’re just around your teammates 24-7. It’s something that makes the experience just more special.”

The dinner of choice was Mastro’s Steakhouse in Santa Clara. A high-quality selection of steaks — that included a $200 tomahawk steak and a highly reviewed A5 Wagyu — made it’s way to the table in their private room. One lineman joked he didn’t even want to look at the bill, which is usually paid by a different player each week. Last night’s tab payer remained a mystery.

The group also made sure to get their usual order of Shirley Temples — the only mandatory purchase for each person in attendance in a tradition that started after a dinner at Kosmos, a Greek restaurant in Walpole, ahead of Week 2.

One lineman estimated roughly 50 were purchased last night.

“It was pretty absurd,” center Garrett Bradbury said. “It’s the same routine. We sit down, look at the menu. We get five appetizers of everything on the menu. We get 18 Shirley temples. It was awesome, one of the better dinners we had this year. I think the guys really enjoyed it.”

A seven-year veteran, Bradbury was the one who had initiated the dinners for the unit to bond and build camaraderie together away from the field. It has helped translate to success on it for a unit that featured four new starters.

“I give praise to Garrett Bradberry, first of all,” right tackle Morgan Moses said. “He leads us. He’s our center. We believe in him. He keeps us going and the bond that we build in this offensive line is undeniable. You can see how we talk to one another, how we cheer each other on, how when one guy’s missing for a game, another guy steps in and he feels like he’s a part of this because he worked his ass off to be here. 

“And that’s what it’s about. That’s what it’s about is being brothers and just sticking together.”

On Wednesday night, the fun included the veterans leading some light hazing as rookies were forced to perform their college fight songs. Some players drew better reviews than others.

As the group now turns attention back to football, they hope to end things off with a Super Bowl championship Sunday night. 

“I don’t want the year to end,” rookie left guard Jared Wilson said. “Man, this group is just — I’m a rookie in the NFL, I don’t know how it is every other place, it’s my first year, but if this is what it’s like this is lovely with these guys.”

Repetition is the root of commonality, but there was actually a time when the Dodgers weren’t seen as the prohibitive favorites heading into every playoff series. The stage was quite different back in 2013. Largely propelled by first-year impactful performances from Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke, a Dodgers squad without the depth we’ve grown accustomed to returned to the postseason for the first time in four years to play a 96-win Braves team. After a playoff hiatus towards the end of the Brian Cox tenure, Atlanta was making the postseason for the third time in the last four years and was the more experienced team.

One big advantage the Dodgers had over the Braves in that particular series was in the form of high-end starting pitching. While Atlanta had a very successful campaign with the likes of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, and Kris Medlen — the latter faced Clayton Kershaw in Game 1. Los Angeles had two established aces and a number three in Hyun Jin-Ryu that rivaled any team in that period. Now, the depth after those three was very shaky, which led Kershaw to start Game 4 on short rest even though Los Angeles had the lead in the series, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

Back then, when pitchers still hit, the Braves only trailed the Rockies in slugging percentage among National League teams, finishing the year at .402. Those numbers were a bit worse against southpaws, which made sense given how lefty-heavy that Braves team was at the top, with the likes of Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, and Brian McCann.

On the road, against a tough opponent, and at the height of his powers, coming off what would be crowned his second Cy Young win in the last three years, Kershaw dominated in a manner that we don’t even see from the aces these days, pushed well beyond the currently acceptable levels, finishing his outing with a whopping 124 pitches.

Setting the tone early, Kershaw finished the opening frame with bookend strikeouts against Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, utilizing that patented down-and-away slider to lefties to punch out Heyward and then blowing a heater by Freeman. Back then, the Kershaw had an easy 95-mph heater he could turn to, something he had to adapt to being without for the second half of his career.

Scoring in every inning between the second and fourth, the Dodgers took a commanding 5-0 lead that felt insurmountable with Kershaw on the mound, particularly with a couple of shutdown frames in the second and third. Trailing 5-1, the Braves had an opportunity to get back into things with Andrelton Simmons up, two on and two out, but once again, that slider bailed him out. Kershaw threw a down-and-in breaking ball to the Braves’ shortstop, who couldn’t help but swing on top of it, thus ending the threat.

Kershaw would leave that game with 12 punchouts, which would remain his career high in the postseason for many years until a marvelous eight-inning performance against the Brewers in 2020, in which he recorded 13 Ks, eventually helping the Dodgers win their first championship that year.

Starting a trend that would remain for the better part of Kershaw’s prime, the Dodgers’ ace was called upon to pitch on three days rest in Game 4 of this series, as the Dodgers hoped to avoid having to go back to Atlanta for a Game 5. Holding his own as he would routinely do in such instances, Kershaw tossed six strong with two unearned runs in a game ultimately decided in the late innings by a Juan Uribe go-ahead homer.

That Dodgers team faltered in the NLCS, but for where it was in its contention window, it had a decent run, and if it even got as far as the NLCS, it owed a lot of it to Kershaw, who played a humongous role in this series against an equally strong Braves team.

Men's Six Nations

France (22) 36

Tries: Bielle-Biarrey 2, Jalibert, Ollivon, Attissogbe Cons: Ramos 4 Pen: Ramos

Ireland (0) 14

Tries: Timoney, Milne Cons: Prendergast 2

Ruthless France inflicted more pain on Ireland as the Six Nations holders opened their title defence with a bonus-point victory at a buoyant Stade de France.

Having crushed Ireland's title hopes in emphatic fashion in Dublin last year, Les Bleus - with returning captain Antoine Dupont pulling the strings - roared into a 22-0 half-time lead following a one-sided first half that was not without controversy.

France's first try was scored by the electric Louis Bielle-Biarrey, but only after what appeared to be a forward pass in the build-up.

Matthieu Jalibert and Charles Ollivon also crossed in the first half before 2025 top try-scorer Bielle-Biarrey's second secured France's bonus point seven minutes after the interval.

At that point, France looked poised to surpass the 42 points they managed in Dublin last year, but Ireland refused to give in and narrowed the deficit with tries from replacement forwards Nick Timoney and Michael Milne.

The hosts, however, had the final word when Theo Attissogbe capped a thoroughly satisfying evening for the tournament favourites.

The Irish leave the French capital bruised and empty-handed and must regroup in time to face Italy in Dublin on 14 February, with France travelling to Wales the following day.

• Ireland well beaten by France to start Six Nations - reaction

France blow Ireland away in first half

With an extensive injury list, this was always going to be a big ask for Ireland.

Severely depleted at both prop positions and without potential gamebreakers like Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen, Farrell's hand was weakened before he brought his squad back to the scene of their agonising World Cup quarter-final loss to New Zealand in 2023.

But even if Ireland feel hard done by calls that did not go their way, there is no question that they were simply outplayed at times by a scintillating French outfit driven on by a delighted Parisian crowd.

While Ollivon's knock-on denied France a second-minute try, Bordeaux speedster Bielle-Biarrey beat Jamison Gibson-Park, rode Sam Prendergast's tap tackle and ghosted past Jacob Stockdale to finish a move that featured a suspected forward pass from Nicolas Depoortere to Yoram Moefana.

The high-intensity, unstructured nature of the game suited France's fleet-footed backline, but it was an Irish defensive lapse that led to the home side's second.

After Jamie Osborne was forced to dot the ball down in the Irish in-goal area and concede a scrum, Dupont - making his Test return after suffering a serious knee injury against Ireland last year - popped the ball to Jalibert for the fly-half to mark his first international appearance since last year's Six Nations with a well-taken try.

With Ireland already on the ropes, Ollivon surged past Caelan Doris and slid across the whitewash to give the hosts a commanding halfway lead.

Ireland fight back in vain

When Bielle-Biarrey scampered clear for his second and France's fourth, Ireland looked on course to be on the end of one of their heaviest defeats.

But a gutsy second-half display that echoed November's chaotic defeat by South Africa allowed them to at least get a few scores on the board, with Timoney finishing after a linebreak from his Ulster team-mate Stuart McCloskey.

Then replacement tight-head prop Milne marked his Six Nations debut when he burrowed over after another McCloskey surge.

A third Irish try would have stirred French nerves, but while Farrell's side applied pressure, France's defence stood firm, allowing their backs to finish with a flourish as Attissogbe crossed in the corner to cap a fine French performance and complete a miserable Stade de France return for Ireland.

Without established Test veterans Uini Atonio, Gregory Alldritt, Damian Penaud and Gael Fickou, this was a glimpse into France's destructive potential.

For Ireland, however, they face into a difficult week following their autumn losses to New Zealand and South Africa with another humbling reverse against a fellow member of the world's top five.

Line-ups

France: Ramos; Attissogbe, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Marchand, Aldegheri, Ollivon, Guillard, Cros, Jegou, Jelonch.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Montagne, Auradou, Meafou, Nouchi, Serin, Gourgues.

Ireland: Osborne; O'Brien, Ringrose, McCloskey, Stockdale; S Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Loughman, Sheehan, Clarkson, McCarthy, Beirne, C Prendergast, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Kelleher, Milne, Bealham, Ryan, Conan, Timoney, Casey, Crowley.

Match officials

Referee: Karl Dickson (Eng)

Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Aus) & Jordan Way (Aus)

Television match official: Ian Tempest (Eng)

Foul play review officer: Richard Kelly (NZ)

Juventus' 2025/2026 Coppa Italia run has ended in the quarterfinals, with the hosts advancing in Bergamo.

MATCH REPORT

Juventus approached the match with character and intensity, taking control of the game from the start. The first real chance came from the right wing after 15 minutes: Conceicao delivered a powerful cross into the box aiming for a well timed David run but he was unable to convert the chance. Conceicao was once again showing signs of danger shortly after, aggressively progressing with the ball and finding himself one-on-one with Carnesecchi, who saved his shot very well. The Portuguese winger didn't stop there, trying again in the 20th minute, cutting back with his left foot before letting off a powerful shot that crashed against the crossbar. During Juventus's strongest section of the match, Atalanta managed to find the net in the 27th minute with a penalty from Scamacca. The Bianconeri responded immediately: first, Bremer rose in the box following an attacking move, but his header went just wide; Then, following a corner, McKennie was found by David in the box, but the Nerazzurri defense managed to close down the ball just as he was about to shoot. Half-time ended with the home team leading 1-0.

Spalletti's team dominated the first quarter of an hour, maintaining possession. There was a potential great chance for David, but Kalulu's pass into the box was blocked at the last moment. Midway through the second half, Cambiaso created a fine chance for David in the box: the striker laid it off to McKennie, who quickly turned with his left foot, but his shot went just wide of the post. Boga, making his Juventus debut, immediately got into the thick of things and played a perfect pass from the three-quarter line to Kelly, who took his time in the box but failed to direct his header on target. Another clear chance came from the left, with Boga using his powerful acceleration to beat his man before sending an inviting ball into the six-yard box: McKennie attacked the space, but was unable to find the decisive touch just meters from the goal line. In the final minutes, the Bianconeri pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Atalanta counterattacked and scored two goals through Sulemana and Pasalic, sealing the result and ending the Italian Cup run for the Bianconeri.

Gallery | Coppa Italia | Atalanta-Juventus

Last September, former AEW International Champion Will Ospreay underwent successful neck surgery after an MRI revealed that he had two herniated discs. This week on "AEW Dynamite," fans saw Ospreay resurface in a video package proclaiming that he was focused on rebuilding himself physically so he could repay them for their support. According to Dave Meltzer of "Wrestling Observer Radio," that still doesn't mean that "The Aerial Assassin" will be imminently returning to action.

"He ain't coming back anytime soon," Meltzer said. "The last I heard, he was going to start very light training this month, but I mean, it's a long way away. He had major surgery. I know everyone thinks that that means he's going to be back for All In, and I know that that's certainly [the goal]. I don't know if he will or he won't. I know it's the goal. It still feels too quick, but I'm sure that's the goal."

Two weeks ago, reports indicated that Ospreay traveled to Orlando, Florida to get checked out by AEW's medical team backstage at "Dynamite." At the time, it was noted that this meeting merely marked the start of the process for his potential AEW return, though it did signal good news for those that expected him to be sidelined for a full year.

Ospreay last wrestled at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, which emanated from his home country of England on August 24. There, he and several other beloved babyfaces enjoyed a Lights Out Steel Cage match victory over The Young Bucks, Gabe Kidd, Jon Moxley, and Claudio Castagnoli. To write Ospreay off of television, Castagnoli and Moxley then wrapped a chair around his injured neck and stomped on it.

Read more: AEW Stars: Meet Their Spouses & Partners

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Tonight is the NFL Honors. Where the NFL hands out it's annual awards. Among the awards presented tonight include MVP, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year.

As you might suspect, there are no current Raiders among the nominees for any of these awards. However, one of those awards has both a recent Raiders head coach as well as a soon-to-be head coach.

Among those nominated for Assistant Coach of the Year are Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak.

McDaniels was the head coach for the Raiders for 25 games over the 2022-23 seasons before being fired. Then after a season out of football, he joined newly hired Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

Kubiak recently interviewed for the Raiders head coach job and is expected to officially be hired as the new head coach in Las Vegas after the Super Bowl.

The two OC's are joined by three defensive coordinators -- Vic Fangio (Eagles), Brian Flores (Vikings), and Vance Joseph (Broncos) as this year's nominees.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Honors nominees features recent and future Raiders head coaches

PARIS (AP) — France began its Six Nations title defense with five tries and a bonus point after a dominant 36-14 win against Ireland on Thursday.

France scored a tournament-record 30 tries last year and a rout looked on the cards at a rainy Stade de France. France led 29-0 thanks to prolific left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey's second try, but Ireland rallied with two second-half tries.

Bielle-Biarrey scored the first try in the 12th minute and recalled flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert got the second with just over 20 minutes played.

A slick move worthy of France's backs — but orchestrated at speed by three of its forwards — led to third scored by rampaging lock Charles Ollivon.

Although the opening exchanges were close enough, that was only until Bielle-Biarrey showed just why he was voted the tournament’s best player last year after scoring eight tries.

He broke two tackles down the left wing, including one that briefly dropped him onto his knees, before powering over.

Ramos converted that one but missed his next attempt after Jalibert had cut through a weak tackle from opposite number Sam Prendergast for his fourth international try, one year after a poor performance on his last appearance for France.

A Ramos penalty moved Les Tricolores 15-0 up, and the third try soon followed. Prop Jean-Baptiste Gros picked up a loose ball and passed to lock Mickaël Guillard, who offloaded to give Ollivon his 18th international try, converted by Ramos.

Ireland did not resist for long after the break.

Ramos set up Bielle-Biarrey for his second try with a soccer-style flick with the outside of his foot, sending the jet-heeled winger scampering into the left corner for his 22nd international try in just 23 tests.

Ireland finally got on the board with tries in quick succession from back-rower Nick Timoney and prop Michael Milne, who both came off the bench.

Prendergast's pass allowed center Stuart McCloskey to break the line and he offloaded for Timoney to score, and a strong driving maul allowed Milne to bulldoze over for his try.

Prendergast converted both.

Lock James Ryan flattened Jalibert with a spiteful challenge off the ball in the closing stages. Jalibert recovered and fed Théo Attissogbe in the right corner with seconds left for another converted try.

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

France will be out to defend their Six Nations crown as rugby’s annual spring spectacular returns.

Les Bleus pipped England and Ireland to last year’s title and started in style with a big win over Ireland, with Steve Borthwick taking his side to Paris on the final weekend in this year’s tournament.

The removal of one rest weekend has slightly condensed the campaign, which may serve to further underline the competitiveness of a competition that always seems to deliver.

Is this the year Scotland finally get over the hump despite some November struggles? Can Italy claim another statement win or two? And is there any hope for Wales amid questions on and off the field?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Six Nations 2026 schedule

(all times GMT)

Round One

Thursday 5 February: France 36-14 Ireland

Saturday 7 February: Italy vs Scotland (2.10pm, Rome)

Saturday 7 February: England vs Wales (4.40pm, Twickenham)

Round Two

Saturday 14 February: Ireland vs Italy (2.10pm, Dublin)

Saturday 14 February: Scotland vs England (4.40pm, Edinburgh)

Sunday 15 February: Wales vs France (3.10pm, Cardiff)

Round Three

Saturday 21 February: England vs Ireland (2.10pm, Twickenham)

Saturday 21 February: Wales vs Scotland (4.40pm, Cardiff)

Sunday 22 February: France vs Italy (3.10pm, Lille)

Round Four

Friday 6 March: Ireland vs Wales (8.10pm, Dublin)

Saturday 7 March: Scotland vs France (2.10pm, Edinburgh)

Saturday 7 March: Italy vs England (4.40pm, Rome)

Round Five

Saturday 14 March: Ireland vs Scotland (2.10pm, Dublin)

Saturday 14 March: Wales vs Italy (4.40pm, Cardiff)

Saturday 14 March: France vs England (8.10pm, Paris)

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch every match live on the BBC and ITV, who are in the first year of their a new joint agreement for the television rights. Live streams will be available via the BBC iPlayer and ITVX, and viewers can also watch some games on Premier Sports.

As the 2025/26 Premier League season enters its most critical phase, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are searching for any edge to climb their mini-leagues.

Gameweek 25 presents a unique landscape of high-stakes matchups and favorable fixture swings that could define your season.

Whether you are chasing a leader or defending your rank, selecting the best player pick for game week 25 requires a balance of current form and upcoming schedule difficulty.

In this guide, we break down the top assets to target—from Chelsea’s resurgent stars to Arsenal’s defensive stalwarts—to help you lock in those green arrows.

Robert Sanchez – Chelsea

Chelsea has an incredible run of fixtures starting in Gameweek 25, facing Wolves, Leeds, and Burnley.

Sanchez is guaranteed to start all three and has proven to be an elite shot-stopper recently.

Under new head coach Liam Rosenior, the Blues have looked far more solid defensively.

In addition to clean sheet potential, Sanchez is a prime candidate for save points and bonus points, making him a top-tier goalkeeper option among EPL GW-25 FPL player picks.

Gabriel Magalhaes – Arsenal

Arsenal’s defense remains the gold standard, and Gabriel is the jewel in that crown.

Facing Sunderland at home in GW25, followed by a confirmed Double Gameweek in GW26 against Brentford and Wolves, the Brazilian is an essential recruit.

Beyond clean sheet potential, his threat from set-pieces remains elite.

He is currently the highest-scoring defender in the game, averaging 7.2 points per match, making him a premier selection for both the immediate deadline and the long term.

Jurrien Timber – Arsenal

With the Double Gameweek in GW26 on the horizon, tripling up on Arsenal assets is a savvy move.

Timber has become an ever-present figure in the Gunners’ backline this calendar year and offers great potential going forward.

For GW25, Arsenal has a league-high 56% clean sheet probability against Sunderland. Timber ranks second among defenders for goal involvements recently, making him a fantastic value-add for your squad.

Trevoh Chalobah – Chelsea

Having racked up 15 points in his last three appearances, Chalobah is finding excellent form at the right time.

He offers a significant threat from set-pieces and sits in a Chelsea defense primed for clean sheets over the next three weeks.

If you are looking for a guaranteed 90-minute starter in a resurgent backline, Chalobah is a strong defensive player pick.

Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea

Arguably the most in-form midfielder in the league, Enzo Fernandez is currently leading all midfielders in expected non-penalty goal involvement (npxGI).

With Cole Palmer’s minutes being managed, Enzo has even seen an increase in his penalty share.

He is a standout among game week 25 player picks because Chelsea’s schedule is enticing; facing the league’s bottom-dwellers provides a massive ceiling for returns.

Antoine Semenyo – Manchester City

Fresh off a high-profile winter move to the champions, Semenyo has hit the ground running with goals against Wolves and Spurs.

He has quickly become a reliable part of Pep Guardiola’s rotation.

While a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool is a daunting task, Semenyo’s explosive pace and clinical finishing make him a threat against any high line. If any City player is likely to exploit the champions, he is the man.

Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa

With 12 points in his last three appearances, Morgan Rogers is finding his stride.

Villa’s upcoming schedule is highly promising, featuring a trip to Bournemouth followed by home games against Brighton and Leeds.

Bournemouth’s defense currently ranks in the top four for goals conceded this season, making Rogers a high-potential differential among your EPL GW-25 FPL player picks.

Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United

Since Michael Carrick’s appointment, Bruno has been involved in 50% of United’s goals, playing in a more advanced role.

In GW25, United faces a shaky Spurs defense that is currently dealing with an injury crisis.

Bruno is a bonus point magnet and the team’s primary set-piece taker. He isn’t just a top pick; he is a premier captaincy candidate for this weekend.

Declan Rice – Arsenal

As the third piece of an Arsenal triple-up, Declan Rice offers security and points at both ends of the pitch.

With Bukayo Saka currently an injury doubt, Rice’s role on corners and free-kicks becomes even more vital.

He is a “safe” pick who is guaranteed minutes in both games of the upcoming Double Gameweek 26.

Jarrod Bowen – West Ham

Bowen remains the focal point for a West Ham side desperate to climb the table.

He faces a Burnley side that has struggled significantly with goals conceded lately.

As the primary penalty taker and a rare attacker who earns “defensive contribution” points, the West Ham talisman is a sturdy and reliable option to round out your midfield.

Joao Pedro – Chelsea

The Brazilian attacker has been sensational, amassing 30 points over his last three appearances.

Following a clinical brace in Europe and consistent returns in the league, he is easily the best player pick for game week 25 for those seeking a reliable forward.

With Chelsea’s favorable fixtures continuing, he is a “set and forget” asset for the foreseeable future.

Do you have a transfer dilemma? Comment below with your current lineup, and I’ll help you decide on the best move to help you rate my FPL GW-25 team like a pro!

As a result of her legendary women's college basketball head coaching career and work as a color analyst for the Big Ten Network and NBC/Peacock, Lisa Bluder has been honored with the 2026 Joe Lapchick Character Award.

Presented annually since 2007, the Joe Lapchick Character Award celebrates the basketball figures from all levels of men's and women's basketball who have demonstrated honorable character throughout their careers.

This year, Bluder is joined by Notre Dame men's basketball head coach Mike Brey, Yale men's basketball head coach James Jones, and sportscaster and longtime host of "Inside the NBA," Ernie Johnson Jr.

Thank you to the Joe Lapchick Character Award Foundation for this recognition.

— Lisa Bluder (@LisaBluder) February 4, 2026

Bluder spent her final 24 seasons of an incredible 40-year head coaching career with Iowa women's basketball, where she finished as the Hawkeyes' and Big Ten Conference's winningest women's basketball coach (528-254). She retired in 2024 after leading the Hawkeyes to the national championship game in two straight seasons while coaching the legendary Caitlin Clark.

She began her coaching career as the head coach at St. Ambrose University for six seasons (1985-90), leading the Bees to two NAIA Final Four appearances. She then spent 10 years at Drake, where she coached current Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, before coming to Iowa in 2000.

When she retired from coaching after the Hawkeyes' appearance in the 2024 National Championship Game, she had 894 all-time wins, ranking her No. 3 among active head coaches at the time.

With Bluder scheduled to cover Iowa's (18-4, 9-2 Big Ten) Feb. 5 matchup against Minnesota (17-6, 5-6 Big Ten) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena as color commentator for the Big Ten Network's coverage, she will likely be acknowledged by the Hawkeyes for her latest achievement during the broadcast.

Fans can tune into Bluder's call tonight when Iowa and Minnesota tip off at 6 p.m. CT.

Contact/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: @SpringgateNews

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women's basketball legend receives Joe Lapchick Character Award

NBA fans have been lighting up the internet as each trade is announced, eagerly anticipating the next move. The NBA trade deadline isn’t for the weak, and the internet is undefeated when it comes to jokes, chaos, and viral reactions.

From shocking player moves to unexpected deals, social media is buzzing with reactions, memes, and hot takes. Whether celebrating, panicking, or just scrolling for the drama, NBA fans are making it clear: deadline day is pure chaos.

And now that the deadline has officially passed, let's deep dive into what the fans are talking about.

What NBA Trades Are Fans Going Crazy Over?

 

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There have been some trades no one saw coming and some that everyone pretty much anticipated would happen. 

Shams Charania, ESPN Senior NBA Insider, has been working overtime to report each trade and share anticipation on who was possibly next. Some of the big trades fans are discussing include James Harden, Jared McCain, Rob Dillingham, Kristaps Porzingis, Jonathan Kuminga, Lonzo Ball, Chris Paul, Collin Sexton, and Anthony Davis. 

When Charania announced Davis was being traded in what he called “an NBA trade deadline week stunner,” fans immediately took to the comment section of the IG post. 

“Anthony Davis for Khris Middleton and some picks there’s no way,” one fan wrote. Another said, “Congrats Mavericks, you traded Luka for absolutely nothing!” One other fan shared, “Dallas is literally giving up.” 

Fans Joke About James Harden Jumping From Team To Team

 

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Sportscenter shared the news that Harden “is a Cavalier” and that “Cleveland becomes his sixth team in his NBA career” on their IG page. 

It didn’t take fans long to share their thoughts on Harden being traded to the Cavs. 

“This would’ve made the world explode in 2016,” one fan joked. Another asked, “Who won this trade?” And one other shared, “Now LeBron has to return to Cleveland for the Last Dance.” 

One other fan said what many might be thinking right about now - “Around the same time next year, James Harden?”

Jared McCain Gets Traded And NBA Fans Are Divided

One trade that seemed to have mixed reviews right down the middle is Jared McCain. McCain, well known both on the court and on TikTok as a dancing content creator, was traded to Oklahoma City Thunder from the Philadelphia 76ers. 

DraftKings wrote, “Thunder are STACKED” in the comment section of Charania’s post. 

One viewer said, “TikToks boutta be egregious.” Another added, “Thunder front office is genuinely insane.” One fan shared, “he’s gonna have SO much fun w this team I already know.” 

McCain has nearly 5 million followers on TikTok. His last post on the app was a few days prior to being traded, but fans are taking to the comment section of that latest video to share some thoughts.

“Go win a ring in OKC,” one person wrote. Another said, “He was supposed to be a Sixer for life.” Many of the comments were positive about the change and welcomed him to OKC. There were also plenty of people sad about McCain leaving Philly and shared that in the comments.

Many NBA Fans Were Waiting In Anticipation To Hear About A Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

 

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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the talk of the internet for some time regarding a trade. Most NBA fans were waiting for that big news, but it appears that if he gets traded, it will be during the offseason. 

One fan was clearly tired of Charania talking about the possibility of a trade and took to X to make a bet.

The account BucksRealm shared, “If GA gets moved before the deadline, you can have the deed to my home and my 2025 Grand Cherokee. If nothing happens yet again, you convince ESPN to let me square up with you for just 37 seconds so I can rearrange your entire f-cking face.” 

Shortly after that post, Charania shared, “The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN.” 

One Thing Many Fans Didn't Expect: Ja Morant Stays With The Memphis Grizzlies

 

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Many fans not only were watching to see if Antetokounmpo was headed to a new team, but many were watching Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

Charania posted on IG shortly after the deadline passed, "Ja Morant remained with the Memphis Grizzlies past today's NBA trade deadline. Multiple teams were intrigued by Morant's talent but none were willing to make a serious offer, sources said."

"Miami Heat running it back," one fan took to the comments to say. Another added, "He’s coming to Miami in the offseason."

One fan was clearly not amused by the way this trade season went and said, "Is the Trade deadline over? If yes, it gotta be the worst and most boring trade deadlines in recent years."

Real Betis 0-5 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid have become the fourth and final team to book their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, having swept aside Real Betis in emphatic fashion at La Cartuja.

Diego Simeone opted to give a first start to winter transfer window signing Ademola Lookman, who partnered Antoine Griezmann in attack. And on 12 minutes, Los Colchoneros opened the scoring when Koke Resurreccion’s corner was glanced home by David Hancko, although Betis goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel should have done much better.

On the half hour mark, Atleti made it 2-0. Matteo Ruggeri’s pass found Giuliano Simeone, and he made no mistake to double the visitors’ advantage, which soon became three when an incisive counter-attack ended with Pablo Barrios playing in Lookman to score his first goal for his new club on his debut.

Image via Diario AS

Minutes into the second half, Atleti lost Barrios to injury, but they did not let that affect them. Just beyond the hour mark, they made it 4-0 when Lookman slipped in Griezmann, whose thunderous strike slipped through Adrian’s hands and into the back of the net via the woodwork. The visitors were not done yet, as on 83 minutes, they wrapped up their dominant performance with a fifth goal, which was scored by substitute Thiago Almada.

Reasons to be cheerful for Atleti and Simeone

It has not been an easy season for Atleti, who have struggled to keep pace with Barcelona and Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. However, this will be a massive confidence-boosting for them, and it keeps them on pace for a first Copa del Rey title in 13 years.

Atleti join Barcelona, who defeated Albacete on Tuesday, in the semi-finals, as well as Wednesday’s winners Athletic Club and Real Sociedad. All four clubs will find out their opponents for the next stage on Friday, ahead of the first legs taking place next midweek.

Liverpool will pay Chelsea at least £2.8m after a tribunal ruled on the compensation owed for winger Rio Ngumoha (17) following his move from Stamford Bridge.

The Professional Football Compensation Committee has set the initial fee for the 17-year-old, reflecting the cost of his training and development during his time in Chelsea’s academy. The figure could rise further through performance-related add-ons, while Chelsea are also entitled to 20% of any future profit should Liverpool sell the player, BBC Sport reports.

Ngumoha joined Liverpool in September 2024 after opting to leave Chelsea and signed his first professional contract at Anfield a year later. Highly rated throughout his youth career, the England Under-19 international believed his route to senior football would be clearer on Merseyside, despite Chelsea offering assurances and improved terms to keep him.

The decision already appears vindicated. Ngumoha has made 13 appearances in all competitions this season and announced himself in dramatic fashion by scoring a 100th-minute winner against Newcastle on his Premier League debut. At 16 years and 361 days, he became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history.

He also became the club’s youngest ever starter in the FA Cup earlier this year. While Liverpool have not disclosed the length of his contract, the tribunal’s ruling underlines the growing value of one of English football’s brightest young talents.

GFN | Finn Entwistle

Atlético Madrid put on a show in the city of Sevilla, pummeling Real Betis 5-0 to progress to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

With a starting debut handed to new signing Ademola Lookman, Atleti were totally dominant against a pitiful Betis, going three up before half time. Goals from Dávid Hancko, Giuliano Simeone and Lookman himself put the visitors in the driving seat, before Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada added to the fun in the second half.

There were debuts off the bench for Rodrigo Mendoza and Obed Vargas too, in what was nearly the perfect night for Diego Simeone, Mateu Alemany and the whole rojiblanco outfit.

Here are Into the Calderón’s player ratings for this Copa del Rey quarter-final (with a huge “Betis were awful” asterisk).

Player Ratings

Juan Musso: Made an important save from Ezzalzouli Abde to quell any possibility of a Betis comeback early on in the second half. Wasn’t called upon too much apart from that from a shot-stopping point of view, but liked to keep us all on our toes with his shaky moments with the ball at his feet. 6

Marcos Llorente: The jet plane skeptic had an imperious quality about him tonight, collating all of the best parts of his game into a top performance. His early-career guise as a pivot shone through in the way he moved the ball about his area of the pitch, and his defensive robustness as a remade right back was ever-present as well. He was moved into the right interior position that he dominated the year Atleti last won the league, as a result of Pablo Barrios’ injury. 8

Marc Pubill: We’re getting accustomed to a mature, solid performance from Pubill these days. One half played in the middle of defence, and the other half played over on his favoured right side, the youngster is a gem that we all hope stays at this club for many years. 7

Dávid Hancko: Someone in an Atlético Madrid fan group chat I’m in compared the Slovakian to Diego Godín tonight. As well as it being unfair on the legendary Godín to compare such a new player to his greatness, their profiles are very different to each other. Yes, Hancko has the defensive strength that a top-level center back should have, but he also has the ability to find himself with a shooting opportunity in the opposition’s box from open play. I’m unaware of another Atleti player, past or present, who had that weapon in their arsenal. Hancko opened the floodgates tonight with a well-taken header from a Koke corner, but could have added another from the ground too. 9

Matteo Ruggeri: We saw the best of the Italian in the creation of the team’s second goal. The way Ruggeri played off Baena and Lookman reminded us of why the club went after him in the summer in the first place. His partnership with the newly-arrived Nigerian was crucial to Atalanta’s 2024 Europa League winning team, so let’s hope they are able to replicate such success at this one step up. 8

Koke: The commentators on my totally-legal Colombian stream for this match referred to Koke as “el director de la orquesta” on numerous occasions. The way he conducted his team to dance around their Andalucian counterparts really made the comparison apt. The captain constantly offered himself short when the team needed to work their way out from the edge of their own box. Koke also delivered a gorgeous cross from the first corner of the match to assist Hancko’s header. 8

Pablo Barrios: What a lovely football player. I should probably write more about Pablito, but quite frankly, that’s all that needs to be said. Watching him knock the ball around the Betis midfield gave massive “older cousin at younger cousin’s 10th birthday party” vibes. Plus the way he assisted Lookman with a sweeping ball over to the left after busting a lung to progress the ball down the pitch was very impressive. Heartbreaking to watch him pull up with a hamstring injury just minutes after the restart. Hopefully it’s nothing that keeps the boy out for too long. 8

Álex Baena: The arrival of Lookman has given Baena the chance to join Koke and Barrios in an all-Spanish midfield three that completely dominated Betis with touch, movement and all-round class. Our number 10 certainly looks a lot more effective from a more central position on the ball, filtering angled passes through the defence to Lookman out wide, or straight down the middle to Griezmann to run onto. He often popped up in a deeper playmaking position that we haven’t seen as much of as well.

Could Baena be the player who benefits the most from Atleti finally signing a dribbling left winger? 8

Giuliano Simeone: Rounded off a great team move with a simple tap-in for 2-0. Takes his Copa del Rey total to three in the last two seasons. It will be interesting to see how much of the play is taken away from his right-hand side now that another genuine threat is placed on the left, but the more that the opposition turns their attention toward stopping Lookman, the more space Giuliano will have to cause issues of his own. Off on 66 minutes. 7

Antoine Griezmann: It’s been a long time since I remember seeing the Frenchman start as a solo striker for such a big game, and his evolution as a player over the years was clear in how he played the role. Gone are the days of being able to be put through to finish 1v1 with the keeper, instead a more “associative” (as the Spaniards would say) job was necessary tonight. His finish for Atleti’s fourth was so much fun. Playing from start to finish allowed Julián Alvarez to rest in the absence of Alexander Sørloth. 8

Ademola Lookman: Missed two big chances to put Atleti two up, but made up for it with a moment of individual brilliance in the box to put his new team 3-0 up before half time. A constant option down the left side, Lookman was involved almost every time Atlético went forward, offering a threat to cross with his left foot, or cut inside to shoot with his right. Slipped in an assist for Griezmann too.

Although we’re well aware of his brilliance as shown for Atalanta and the Nigeria national team, there’s still an element of rawness about the winger. Once he settles in Madrid, he could become a real problem for LALIGA defences. 9

Substitutes

José María Giménez: Came on completely cold when Barrios suddenly pulled up, and it showed to begin with. The Uruguayan was loose with his early touches but soon sured himself up for the remainder of the second half. 6

Nahuel Molina: I think Molina came on to play right wing, guys. Someone needs to check the touchline of La Cartuja stadium, because I think his boots are still glued to it. 5

Rodrigo Mendoza: Absolutely loved this guy’s energy off the bench. He appeared across the midfield, flowing off Koke and the forwards, showing some silky touches and confident passes. 7

Thiago Almada: Quality player who created his own fortune with a fantastic run forward, a pass slipped through to Griezmann and when his shot was saved by Adrián, Almada was on hand to slot the ball into a half-empty net. 7

Obed Vargas: Nice to see him already in an Atleti shirt when it seemed he might be instantly loaned out. Nothing to report due to how brief his cameo was. n/a

Law Murray: Koby Altman strongly refutes reports that Cavs were frustrated with Darius Garland's durability and injury prevention, calling it "BS" "He was getting back to a high level of play, and when he got hurt in that Philly game, we've had him for seven years. He's a great worker."

x.com

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Koby Altman on reports Cavs were frustrated with Darius Garland's durability: That's BS

Law Murray: Altman also added that Garland was on a return to play protocol from his current toe injury. "He was getting over that. He was in a return to play protocol, and so he wasn't far away."

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: He was in a return to play protocol, and so he wasn't …

Law Murray: "He's a great, he has a great attitude. And so when you hear stuff like that, it's just, it's not fair to Darius, and it's not true... Believe me, he's invested a lot in his own rehab.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Believe me, he's invested a lot in his own rehab

Joel Lorenzi: Asked Artūras if he’s still staying away from the word rebuild, and he says yes, saying “this is a stage we’re in.” Says he, the Reinsdorfs and Billy Donovan are “in lockstep.”

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Arturas Karnisovas says Reinsdorfs, Billy Donovan, himself are 'in lockstep' with direction of team

Joel Lorenzi: AK, previously not so fixated on acquiring youthful players and assets, on what changed: “The timing. (The) stage we’re in as a team. We started this last year, and going into the season a lot of decisions had to be made. That was a great opportunity for us during trade deadline to get a lot of draft capital.”

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “The timing. (The) stage we’re in as a team. We …

Adam Himmelsbach: According to a league source, the Celtics acquired two-way contract guard John Tonje in the deal that sent Chris Boucher to the Jazz.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: According to a league source, the Celtics acquired …

Milwaukee Bucks: Just In: Conversations have started about @ShamsCharania ’s future, and discussing whether the ESPN Senior NBA Insider’s best fit is staying on Giannis’ All-Star Celebrity team or elsewhere.

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Just In: Conversations have started about @ShamsCharania’s future, and discussing whether the ESPN Senior NBA Insider’s best fit is staying on Giannis’ All-Star Celebrity team or elsewhere. pic.twitter.com/IS6XMlQSPf

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 5, 2026

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: And discussing whether the ESPN Senior NBA Insider’s …

National Signing Day has came and passed, with Michigan State wrapping up its 2026 class this week.

New Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald put a bow on the 2026 class with a massive signing of four-star wide receiver Samson Gash on signing day. That signing of Gash helped bolster the Spartans' class and provided a speedy playmaker to spearhead the Michigan State rebuild.

But what was my overall thoughts on this class? Was it a success? How did Fitzgerald do in keeping the pieces together after taking over only a few days before the early signing period? Here are a few takeaways on this 2026 Michigan State football class:

1. Solid save by Fitzgerald and co.

For Michigan State to finish with 19 commitments, including some high-level guys at key positions, is a huge win by Fitzgerald and his staff. Especially considering that he was officially hired just a few days before the early signing period opened.

If you look at some of the other Big Ten schools that went through a coaching change this year, you'll only see rival Michigan finishing with a better class than the Spartans. But that isn't necessarily a fair comparison considering that Sherrone Moore was fired following the early signing period.

2. Don't worry about class ranking

If you're looking strictly at the class ranking, then you could say that this was an underwhelming class for the Spartans. While I'm not going to say you should disregard the ranking -- which was No. 47 nationally and No. 12 in Big Ten -- I don't think you should get too caught up in that number.

Again, Michigan State was in the midst of a transition period with Fitzgerald taking over only a few days before the early signing period. That's a big factor and lead to a few of the Spartans' verbal commits flipping during the period. Additionally, the smaller class number (19 signings) results in a lower ranking -- again, this was impacted by the coaching staff changes right before the early signing period.

This time next year, I'll be expecting a final ranking closer to the top 25, but for this "first" Fitzgerald class, I'm not too worried about it being in the bottom half of the Big Ten.

3. Gash, Campbell, Coffman were major wins

It's not a huge class for the Spartans, but there are some major wins at the top that excite me about the future of the Spartans.

Holding onto Gash over Penn State, Georgia and others was huge for Fitzgerald and his staff. Combine that with retaining four-star offensive tackle Collin Campbell and four-star quarterback Kayd Coffman, and we are looking at three very high-level players at the top of this class. There are some other gems in this well-rounded class as well, but being able to retain the commitments of these three guys will go a long way towards Michigan State's rebuild.

Bonus: Time to look ahead to 2027 class

The book is essentially closed on the 2026 class now, and that means it's time to look ahead to 2027 for Fitzgerald and co. This next class will have a huge impact on the future of Michigan State under his leadership.

The Spartans have already picked up a pair of commitments -- both three-star midwest guys on the offensive side of the ball -- and I'm anticipating we will see a few more sprinkle in before we hit the summer when things really ratchet up. The next few months we will monitor how Fitzgerald is handling recruiting and get an idea of what kind of players he'll be bringing to campus for summer official visits. This will be telling in both where Michigan State currently sits in the recruiting landscape but also the type of players Fitzgerald wants part of his program.

As I said earlier, I'm expecting a larger and higher ranked class this time next year than this year. While the transfer portal is a major part of team's success and rebuilding a program, recruiting still leads the way in building a winning team. Michigan State needs to get back to having top 25 classes and hopefully it'll start with this 2027 class.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Three takeaways on Michigan State football's 2026 recruiting class

After he was snubbed in the initial selection for Team Canada’s Olympic roster, Seth Jarvis is headed for Milan Cortina.

Thursday, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis was named to the 2026 Team Canada Olympic Roster to replace Brayden Point. Jarvis, who leads the Hurricanes in goal this season with 25, won gold with Team Canada in the Four Nations Faceoff last February.

After the final home game before the Olympic break, Jarvis spoke candidly on how he felt about his chances for the Olympics.

“I think I blew that opportunity already, I think that part’s done,” Jarvis said. “I mean, you never know – I’m just trying to play the best hockey I can for the Hurricanes, and whether that results in me somehow ending up in the Olympics, that’d be cool.

“But that’s definitely not my focus; I’m focusing on the guys in here, the team in here, winning however we can.”

Point, who notched a goal and an assist during the Four Nations Faceoff, will be sorely missed for Team Canada – but there couldn’t be a better alternative to cover his spot on the ice in his absence than Jarvis.

In the past, Jarvis has spoken on modeling parts of his game after Point, who is also under six feet tall, and frequently cited him as the player he looks to when working on his offensive game.

Tripp Tracy asked Seth Jarvis what other smaller player in the NHL he looks to for confidence to reach the inside. His answer? Tampa Bay Lightning forward and 4 Nations Faceoff teammate Brayden Point.#CarolinaCulture#FlyTogether#GoBolts#NHLpic.twitter.com/1T88CQL7QW

— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) January 9, 2026

Jarvis, alongside Olympians Jaccob Slavin (USA), Sebastian Aho (Finland), and Nikolaj Ehlers (Denmark), will all play in Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers. Frederik Andersen (Denmark) will serve as the backup goaltender for the match.

Also Read:: Hurricanes Game 57: Lines, Notes, and How to Watch vs. Rangers

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MADRID (AP) — Ademola Lookman scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis on Thursday that sent Diego Simeone's team to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey.

David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as it advanced to the last four for the third straight season.

Atletico will try to reach its first Copa final since winning the competition for the last time in 2012-13.

The draw for the semifinals — which also includes Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad — will be on Friday.

Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a breakaway in the 37th. Griezmann scored the fourth goal in the 62nd and Almada closed the scoring in the 83rd.

Lookman was signed from Atalanta near the end of the winter transfer window. The 28-year-old Nigeria forward had requested to leave Atalanta citing broken promises and poor treatment.

Atletico and Betis will meet again on Sunday in the Spanish league, with Atletico as the host. Atletico is third in the league, with Betis in fifth place but 10 points behind Atletico.

On Wednesday, Iñaki Williams scored six minutes into stoppage time as Athletic Bilbao won 2-1 at Valencia to reach its sixth Copa semifinal in seven seasons, while Basque Country rival Real Sociedad made it to the last-four for the third straight season by winning 3-2 at Alaves.

On Tuesday, Barcelona beat second-division Albacete 2-1. Albacete had eliminated Real Madrid in the round of 16.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

On a night dominated by tactical control and strategic maturity, FC Barcelona Femení emphatically secured their place in the semifinals of the Copa de la Reina with a resounding 4-0 victory over Real Madrid.

From the very first quarter of an hour, the match followed the expected script: Barça controlled possession, moving the ball patiently and trying to break through on the wings, while the Whites looked for order and quick transitions.

  The first goal came in the 21st minute, when Alexia Putellas rose above everyone after a corner to head the ball in and open the scoring, unleashing the visiting fans’ cheers and forcing Madrid to regroup.   

  Already in the second half, Barça’s dominance became even more pronounced. In the 67th minute, Ewa Pajor finished coolly after a combination on the edge of the box to make it 2-0.   

  Just six minutes later (73rd minute), Salma Paralluelo broke through the lines and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to extend the lead.  

And in the 81st minute, Pajor scored her second goal, finishing from inside the box after an assist that definitively dashed any remaining hopes for the Whites.

Real Madrid tried with overlapping runs from Athenea del Castillo and combinations in the final third, but Barcelona’s solid defense and the inspiration of their goalkeeper extinguished any chance of a comeback.

Thus, Barça not only dominated the scoreboard, but did so with authority, reflecting their superiority in key phases of the game and securing their place in the next round of one of the most prestigious competitions in Spanish women’s football.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

Blue Jays' Andres Gimenez has some big shoes to fill this upcoming season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Blue Jays were one of the most aggressive teams over the bulk of the offseason. They made a ton of moves that should help improve this team's chances of being contenders once again in 2026. 

However, with all those additions, you cannot overlook the loss of Bo Bichette. While his glove has taken a hit over the years, he has remained one of the best-hitting shortstops around the league. 

Now, the slugger will be suiting up for the New York Mets. He and the club agreed on a three-year, $126 million deal.

MORE: Blue Jays predicted to trade for $3 million All-Star lefty ace to balance righty-dominant lineup, compensate for missing out on Kyle Tucker

Blue Jays' andres Gimenez has some big shoes to fill this upcoming season

Whether the Blue Jays retained Bichette or not, it was looking like Andres Gimenez would be the club's starting shortstop moving forward. He has an excellent glove and has a ton of range to get some balls that other infielders would not be able to get a glove on. 

However, it is his bat that he needs to make an improvement. He is coming off a season where he hit .210/.285/.313 with seven home runs and 35 runs batted in. That is nothing compared to what Bichette did with the bat in his hands last season. 

So, MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan puts the pressure on Gimenez to get the bat going this year. 

"Due to his superior glove, Gimenez likely would have become the Blue Jays' new starting shortstop whether Bo Bichette returned or not. That said, Bichette's departure has made Gimenez's bat more important. While the addition of third baseman Kazuma Okamoto should help mitigate the loss of Bichette, Toronto also needs Gimenez to improve his offensive performance after producing just a 70 wRC+ in 2025."

Gimenez does not have to have a career-year offensively; he just needs to piece together a few more hits, preferably with runners on base. If he can do that, he could put Toronto in a great position to fight for a division title once again.

More MLB news:

• Rays' young pitcher must step up with the loss of Shane Baz
• MLB analyst puts pressure on Cubs' Moises Ballesteros to perform
• The addition of Seranthony Dominguez frees up this exciting young arm for a bigger role
• Austin Hays' introductory comments should fire up White Sox fans
• MLB analyst makes the case for the Phillies to sign 2x All-Star arm

A golden opportunity for Manchester United to finally secure their long-term defensive target, Jules Kounde, is emerging.

Kounde has been on United’s radar since his Sevilla days. Yet it was Barcelona who won the race, prising him away from the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in the summer of 2022 for around £48 million.

Right move

At Camp Nou, Kounde’s quality and versatility saw him quickly establish himself as a permanent fixture in the Catalan giants’ line-up, rotating seamlessly between central defence and right-back.

His ability to blend elite athleticism with composure on the ball and tactical intelligence has elevated him into one of the world’s finest defenders. Unsurprisingly, his exploits in Catalonia have made it difficult for United to erase him from their transfer wishlist.

Under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils again attempted to bring him to Old Trafford, but they were unable to pull off a deal. Barcelona, at the time, were unwilling to let one of their best players leave so easily.

A big summer ahead for Kounde and Barcelona

While the Spanish champions have been resisting selling their defender, going so far as to offer him a new five-year deal last year, they now appear ready to make a U-turn.

Fichajes report:

“Barcelona are willing to listen to offers for Jules Koundé in the summer, with his starting price being close to 80 million euros.”

Explaining the shift, the report adds:

“Barcelona is not currently experiencing a period of complete sporting stability, and this situation has put several key players in the squad under scrutiny. Among them is Jules Koundé.”

It is not solely about sporting stability either. The feeling at Camp Nou is that the Frenchman’s performances in recent weeks have dipped, further opening the door to a potential exit.

Likely destination

With Barcelona’s intention to sell now clear, the question turns to where Kounde could move next. Bayern Munich have been linked.

However, the Spanish giants are keen to do business with Premier League sides, believing they are the ones capable of meeting their asking price.

In England, Fichajes note:

“Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool are all closely monitoring the situation of the French centre-back.”

Naturally, Old Trafford faithful will hope it is United who act decisively and win the race.

If they do, Kounde could be the ultimate replacement for Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof, while Harry Maguire is also expected to leave. Who knows? He might be the statement defensive signing Ineos choose to make.

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Atletico Madrid thrashed Real Betis 5-0 in the Copa del Rey quarter-final at Estadio de La Cartuja on Thursday evening, continuing their dominance over Manuel Pellegrini’s side in the competition.

Atleti have now eliminated Betis six times from the Copa del Rey and remain unbeaten in 11 games against them in the competition.

David Hancko gave Atleti the lead in the 12th minute, rising highest to plant Koke’s corner past Adrian.

Shortly after, Atleti almost doubled their lead when debutant Ademola Lookman evaded his markers, but shot wide.

Just before the half-hour mark, Nelson Deossa missed an opportunity to restore parity, rifling a rebound wide.

A minute after Deossa’s missed chance, Atletico doubled their lead as Matteo Ruggeri cut the ball back to Giuliano Simeone, who finished neatly for 2-0.

Lookman increased the visitors’ advantage in the 37th minute, showing clever footwork and composure to blast the ball past the outstretched Adrian.

Antoine Griezmann compounded Betis’ woes in the 62nd minute. After getting teed up by Lookman, the Frenchman rifled into the far corner for 4-0.

Lookman became the first Atleti player to score and assist on his full debut against a La Liga opponent in any competition since the 2013/14 season.

Thiago Almada completed the rout in the 83rd minute, burying a rebound home.

Atleti, along with Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Sociedad, have all reached the semi-finals. The draw will take place on Friday.

Stats from OptaJose

And they said that Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibeart couldn’t play together; consider that notion most definitively dismissed. On a night of real Gallic charm, France laid down a Six Nations marker with a display of ambition and attacking skill to rival any that they have produced during the recent restoration of the French monarchy in this competition. Led by their half-backs, the defending champions looked down on a fellow contender and perhaps exiled them for good, leaving Ireland confronting the grim realities of what feels a sharp decline.

These two have shared a few epics in their shared recent duopoly of this championship. This was not an occasion of that type. Virtually from the first peep of Karl Dickson’s whistle, the victor was clear as France found a level that Ireland could not match. With Louis Bielle-Biarrey adding two more tries to his rapidly-swelling tournament tally, France provided the first 29 points of what plenty felt might be a nip-and-tuck contest to cement their place as title favourites.

The hypothesis was that Dupont and Jalibert were an ill-matched half-back pairing, two of rugby’s premier talents never managing to find the symbiosis required at Test level. It was a theory backed up by the evidence of the last two times they had started in partnership: the quarter-final defeat to South Africa at the 2023 World Cup and the insouciant display against England last year. Galthie’s seeming distaste for the fly half had not helped matters, with the relationships built between Dupont and his teammates at Toulouse generally deemed preferable to the considerable gifts Jalibert could bring.

This felt like the first time that both have really clicked in the same French side, each bouncing with ideas and invention, with Jalibert accepting of his role as second. fiddle. It could perhaps be said that France felt the benefit of the bounce of the ball, yet much of their interplay was delicious regardless. It is hoped that Dupont’s usual running-mate Romain Ntamack will be back from a kidney issue for next week’s trip to Wales, but Jalibert could have done little more to stake a claim to remain. Dupont certainly will – France’s win over Ireland last year had ended in agony for the France captain after tearing his ACL; now he could share fully in the ecstasy.

The road to this year’s Six Nations title will surely travel through Paris, with England here on the final weekend. The Stade is a special place on nights like these with the tricolores waving and lights flashing to a Parisian beat, with a glitterball draped from the ceiling only accentuating the discotheque feel. With such an atmosphere and such a side, it will take some team to stop them again.

France did not quite find their groove in November but were soon moving to their music here. It took just two minutes for Bielle-Biarrey to produce his first moment of magic, a gorgeous chip-and-chase which would have led to a try if not for a fumble from a sliding Charles Ollivon at the last. The wing soon took matters out of his teammates hands. A sublime bit of skill from Sam Prendergast saw the fly half hook the ball back into play on the volley to prevent a 50:22, but his failure to find touch gave France a chance in transition. Enter Bielle-Biarrey, ghosting past three would-be tacklers without having to use the full extent of the proverbial phone box.

Prendergast had managed to tap the speedster’s ankle to no avail, though did save a score after intercepting a pass from Nicolas Depoorteere within metres of his own line. His wretched toss thereafter, though, kept Ireland under pressure, and Jalibert glided in down the blindside from the resultant scrum. A Thomas Ramos penalty extended the advantage to 15 points, which felt almost unassailable.

When Ollivon, surer of hand taking a pass from ubiquitous second-row partner Mickael Guillard, finished a lovely move that followed a Jalibert chip, France were pretty much out of sight. They had married daring with discipline – their first penalty conceded did not arrive until the 45th minute. That was two minutes before their fourth try, which was finished off by Bielle-Biarrey following can-can kicks from Dupont and Ramos.

Replacement Nick Timoney broke Ireland’s duck, scooting under the posts on the hour, before Michael Milne punched in to continue the fightback, with Prendergast finding a degree of confidence after the introduction of fellow fly-half Jack Crowley. It was a rally that will hearten Andy Farrell and his staff somewhat, and give hope of better times to come in the campaign, but it felt striking for a game between two top-tier nations to be decided so early. The general trend in international rugby over the last few years has been for tight Tests settled in the final quarter – the sight of a Mexican wave in Paris on the 65-minute mark said plenty. Fittingly, a Frenchman in Theo Attissogbe had the last word.

Ireland had been brutalised by the Springboks in November but escaped with positives in the fight they had shown. There will be fewer for Farrell to find here.

The Colorado Buffaloes' 2025 season can be summed up in one word: disappointing.

Entering the year, there was a belief it would be a stepping-stone season, but no one expected the Buffs to finish with just three total wins and only one in Big 12 play. Deion Sanders' health played a role, as he missed nearly the entire offseason while dealing with cancer, and the team's transfer portal additions largely failed to make an impact, aside from a few. Change was needed heading into 2026, and it has already begun through significant roster and coaching shakeups.

That change continued this offseason as Sanders revamped his coaching staff with several head-turning hires, including Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator, Chris Marve coaching linebackers, Aaron Fletcher working with cornerbacks, Josh Niblett leading the tight ends, and Rashad Rich stepping in as director of recruiting.

Colorado also experienced heavy turnover in the transfer portal, losing a significant number of players while bringing in plenty of new faces. That makes the upcoming depth chart especially intriguing as the Buffs prepare to open the season in Atlanta against Georgia Tech on Sept. 5.

Here at Buffaloes Wire, we take a shot at projecting the depth chart early and often throughout the offseason, and with the transfer portal now closed, it's time for our first look at what the depth chart could resemble heading into spring ball.

First up is the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback

Starter: Julian Lewis

Backup: Isaac Wilson

Julian Lewis showed real promise down the stretch in 2025, even while operating behind a makeshift offensive line. In new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's system, Lewis has the skill set to pilot a fast-paced, high-scoring offense. Isaac Wilson, the brother of NFL quarterback Zach Wilson, joins the room as a capable and reliable backup.

Running Back

Starter: Richard Young

Backups: Damien Henderson II, Jaquail Smith, Micah Welch

Henderson II and Smith followed Marion from Sacramento State and already have a firm grasp of his Go-Go offense. Young arrives from Alabama as a former four-star prospect out of Florida. Expect all three backs to be deployed in a variety of sets and looks as the season unfolds.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Danny Scudero, DeAndre Moore Jr., Joseph Williams

Rotation: Kam Perry, Ernest Campbell, Hykeem Williams and Quentin Gibson

Despite losing some quality wide receivers to the transfer portal, Colorado reloaded with legitimate talent for 2026. Scudero led the nation in receiving yards in 2025 at Sacramento State, while DeAndre Moore Jr. finished second on the Texas Longhorns in receiving yards. Both Williams return for the Buffs this season, and Kam Perry and Ernest Campbell arrive as undersized playmakers with elite speed and big-play ability. Gibson fits that mold as well after serving as Colorado's kickoff specialist last year. It's an intriguing group with the potential to generate splash plays at any moment.

Tight End

Starter: Zach Atkins

Backups: Brady Kopetz and Corbin Laisure

Atkins finished 2025 with 20 catches for 149 yards, ranking fifth on the team in receiving. He'll look to carve out a larger role in 2026 within Marion's offense, with added development under new tight ends coach Josh Niblett. Kopetz and Laisure are both big-bodied options who add valuable depth to the room.

Offensive Line

Starters: LT Bo Hughley, LG Yahya Attia, C Demetrius Hunter, RG Jayvon McFadden, RT Larry Johnson III

Backups: T Taj White, T Jayven Richardson, G Jose Soto, G Aki Ogunbiyi, C Sean Kinney

This unit had the makings of one of the best in the Big 12 if Jordan Seaton had stayed instead of departing for LSU this offseason. Even so, it still has the potential to be an excellent group, bringing together experience and talent from across the country. Hughley arrives from Georgia, Hunter transfers in from Houston, and McFadden, the cousin of Jordan Seaton, comes over from Ohio State. Attia and Johnson III also return for the Buffs in 2026.

The depth is equally impressive, with Soto emerging as a potential contender for the starting right guard spot after transferring from Sacramento State and already being familiar with the offense Marion wants to run.

There is plenty of turnover for Colorado heading into 2026. Still, if everything clicks and the transfers mesh quickly, this offense could emerge as one of the Big 12's biggest surprises and most dangerous units.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football 2026 way-too-early offensive depth chart projection

There is something powerfully ancient about the game of rugby: for as long as there have been people, surely, they have locked together in fierce and physical clashes to decide who among them is the most fearsome. It is a game of grit and muscle, won by the people most gifted with heft and speed and the skill to use those things to their own advantage. There might, in short, be nothing less obviously technological, even if the work is intensely technical.

That’s clear as the England team practice their scrum at their training camp outside of Girona, days before the beginning of the Six Nations and the team’s first match, against Wales. The heaving, hefty mass of 16 of the strongest men in the country binding together in an astonishing crush; incredible amounts of human force matched only by the equally incredible amounts of human force on the other side of the scrum. A 32-legged monster set against itself, giving everything to go barely anywhere.

But look up above this sunlit, war-like field and you will see something altogether more dainty. There, in the sky, hovers a drone, looking down on that scrum with elegant exactitude. And up on a hill at the side of the field, watching from afar, stands the drone’s headquarters: an assembled group of cameras, computers and coaches ready to analyse that power with pinpoint precision.

This is the modern game of rugby: powerful players backed by equally powerful equipment, aimed at analysing that team to ensure they are the best they can be. The array of equipment is vast: not only hovering above the field, but on it and beside it, too. Dotted around the training field are a series of iPads, offering instant replays. Up above the training field, on that hill, stands a series of cameras all feeding their video into a set of MacBooks. Analysts sit at those computers, marking up the footage as it arrives so that it can be watched by coaches and turned into immediate feedback for those players.

This kind of analysis isn’t new, of course; that’s what coaches do. But what is new is the technology that powers it: the robustness and the speed of the technology means that the analysis can be provided instantly, and the players can react as it happens.

“There’s a lot of analysis that goes into it these days, and it’s analysis of the opposition but more importantly analysis of us as well. So we review training hard, we review games hard,” says George Ford, an England fly-half.

“And obviously what the tech does is just make that process a lot easier, cleaner, simpler for us. The ability to just upload stuff on iPhones, iPads, whatever it might be – we’re just picking up and off we go straight away,” says Ford, who at age 32 is among the more senior members of the team, a role he embraces by helping out with tactics and with training.

“I think the biggest thing that’s changed – and the most impressive thing these days – is how live that can be. Which helps us as players, because say if we’re training or playing then the analysis guys can show us straight away what it looks like, as it’s happening. So then hopefully we can adapt stuff and find solutions quicker than we did in the past.”

Ford points to the training that’s taking place behind him, that afternoon. As they work on defending, for instance, analysts are watching to ensure that they are properly covering space, if they’re reacting to the right triggers and cues that show what an attacker might be doing. “If we’re not, then they’ll come over straight away and go: look, you need to be maybe five metres that way, and start your movement later. Because sometimes when you’re out there, you feel, but you don’t quite always see it like you can from above.

“Everything’s happening at 100 miles an hour and it’s sometimes hard to see where the space is. It’s difficult to see, or pull yourself out of the game to see the bigger picture, and that gives you a good idea if there’s anything that’s changing or even things you need to keep doing.”

When Ford was growing up, playing at 16 or 17, he got some of the same analysis but it took much longer. “You played on a Saturday, and you won’t see footage until Monday – whereas now, obviously, we’ve seen training while it’s going on, we’re seeing stuff in the game while it’s going on, never mind as you’ve finished. The biggest thing to change I just how instant it can be, how live it can be, and how helpful that is.

“Because the big thing I like doing is seeing if how we feel on the field matches up with what it looks like. Because sometimes you feel something completely different. You come off [the pitch] having a certain thought in your head as to why things happened, and then that might change entirely after you watch the analysis.”

For all of its bellicose heft, rugby can be decided in a matter of moments, and by a matter of metres. But the quick and complicated nature of the play means that understanding those very fine details can be difficult amid a mass of crashing limbs. That is made nowhere more clear than in the scrum, in which players are wrapped in each others’ arms and looking down, and so can struggle to understand exactly what went right and wrong. Once again, technology is improving that, by allowing players to see themselves from the outside. As the players engage with each other to train the scrum, two iPads sit on stands just metres away, ready to provide instant feedback.

“You need to create a connection between: this is what it looks like and this is how it feels – so that we can repeat it, repeat it, repeat it,” says Tom Harrison, a former player and now coach who oversees the scrum. “The scrum is eight blokes, doing the same thing at the same time, and it comes down to split seconds. So the ability to have it on a delayed replay” is key, he says. “There’s immediate feedback on the iPad – so they get up and they’re watching it. You’re giving that feedback from there, straight away.”

The speed of being able to do that work has been transformative, he says. Once, doing that analysis would mean loading it up into a computer, chasing them around the team hotel as they try to recover, “running around with laptops” trying to show players what happened that afternoon. Now, they are able to watch on iPads on a 20-second delay, ready to integrate what they learn not the next day but the next scrum.

There is a huge amount going on in a given rugby game, or training session. Some of the job of Carwyn ‘Caz’ Morgan and his analyst colleagues is knowing what not to look at, to ensure that they are giving proper attention to the right things. As such, they will know the aims of the session and will tailor their work around whatever the team are trying to improve.

“Because there is so much information, you have to sort of use that as an anchor to work towards. You want to look at everything – but it’s about guiding your attention to one specific thing” and seeing how the information is shaped around that, he says, likening it to looking at a specific part of a tree to get a sense of “how everything grows around it,” Morgan says.

The more important this analysis is, however, the more dangerous the loss of it might be. Once, that was a real threat: dying batteries, crashing computers, and a range of other threats meant that analysts had to be constantly aware of their limits. The improvements in the MacBooks they use – they point specifically to the recently introduced Apple Silicon, which dramatically improved not only the power of those computers but also their resilience, by improving battery life – have meant that the feedback is not only quicker but much more reliable.

“We know it's going to work. Even four, five years ago – you weren't quite sure. And if you wanted to push and do a little more, like get an extra angle or something like that, you might crash the whole thing. The robustness has been massive,” Morgan says. A crashing computer could be the difference between winning and losing, he suggests, pointing to a game years ago in which things didn’t work properly.

“We've beating Wales in Cardiff, and things have gone really well,” he remembers. “But the second half we lost, and we couldn't answer the question of why. So we've had a massive push in the last three to four years: how can we be more intuitive? How can we be more engaged in this? That's the skill: to develop that and know what you're looking at.”

The England team are days out from their first game of the Six Nations, against Wales at Twickenham, which will set the tone for the whole competition, and in turn the team’s journey to the World Cup next year. And the training is not just for the players: the analysts too are preparing for that game.

The setup is largely the same in a real game, but the analysts don’t actually need to take video, since they have the six or sometimes eight broadcast feeds that are used to show the match streaming into their Macs, as well as third-party data that is arriving live and fed into custom dashboards. But, once again, the real work can be knowing where not to look.

That focus becomes more important than ever at half time in a big game. There are only 15 minutes to go around, and the coaches and analysts have to share that with all of the other demands on players’ time. Plus “you’ve got all the emotion, there’s a lot on the line”, Caz notes; “the teams are starting to feel each other a little bit”.

“This the only proper intervention you get, so it becomes a really critical piece,” he says. Having the right piece of video on hand to illustrate a coach’s point could be the difference between fixing it for the second half; that second half could be the difference between winning and losing; that could be what decides whether, for instance, England wins the World Cup, as the team hopes to next year. One clip, and one computer to find it, could be the point on which the whole rugby world turns.

The months of waiting came to an end as Arrow McLaren opened the doors to its new home, the McLaren Racing Center, on Wednesday evening in Indianapolis.

Formerly the home of Andretti Global, the team acquired the building in June 2025. Through a fast-paced renovation, the building was expanded and received an immersive lobby, extended the second-floor mezzanine and introduced a state-of-the-art fitness and recovery center.

"We’re very excited to be operating out of the McLaren Racing Center with the space, technology and infrastructure we need all under one roof,” said Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren Team Principal.

“Our focus hasn’t changed: continued growth, winning the Indy 500 and fighting for the championship remain the standard as we move forward in our new home. We set the bar high in 2025, and we are only looking higher this season. We’ve got the team in place to keep fighting.”

The McLaren Racing Center, nearly tripling the team’s previous operational footprint, will serve as McLaren Racing’s base of operations in North America. The opening also saw the team unveil the three liveries for its full-time entries, driven by Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard, and Nolan Siegel. 

This is their power stance. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qTTFOJ9Qqh

— Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (@ArrowMcLaren) February 5, 2026

"This event marked a significant milestone and the start of a new chapter for Arrow McLaren,” said Kevin Thimjon, President of Arrow McLaren. “The McLaren Racing Center reflects the legacy our racing teams have built since Bruce paved the way in 1963. We wanted the design to scream McLaren and be a state-of-the-art home for the organization in North America. We are proud to share this moment with our partners and guests.”

Zak Brown “would love” Indy 500 reunion with Fernando Alonso

Mick Schumacher found the limit “pretty early” in maiden oval test

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

NEED TO KNOW

• Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence opened up to PEOPLE about his long-running relationship with his wife, Marissa, on Thursday, Feb. 5
• He recalls meeting his life partner back in fifth grade, saying that it was "close to" love at first sight for them
• The couple exchanged vows in 2021 and welcomed their first child together a few years later in January 2025

Trevor Lawrence has known his wife, Marissa, for most of his life, and they've seen each other through a lot over the years.

Speaking to PEOPLE at Radio Row on Thursday, Feb. 5, the 26-year-old quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars shares that he met his wife of five years when they were both in fifth grade.

"We haven't necessarily been dating since fifth grade," he explains. Regardless, they've "known each other for a long time."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While they didn't spend all those years as a couple, Lawrence adds that they did date "a little bit" in grade school. They rekindled their relationship in high school and again in college, with him attending Clemson University and Marissa playing soccer at Anderson University.

"You know, from there on we've been going strong," he says about his relationship. All things considered, the NFL star says that it was "close to" love at first sight.

Lawrence also recognizes the value of their longstanding bond, saying, "We've seen each other grow up, and I think that's a really cool thing. And she's seen the best and worst of me, and she stuck around. I'm thankful for that."

"Just to have her in my corner, I think, is so important," he says elsewhere in the conversation. "I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have her, you know, just so much of our life. She manages everything so well. I think it takes a special person to do what she does and to have to kind of balance all the craziness that we go through."

Continuing to praise her, he says, "I mean, all the things that I would ever have wished for in a wife, she is all those things. Yeah. So it's, it's pretty special to have her and, and to know her for so long."

Together, the couple recently expanded their family after welcoming daughter Shae Lynn in January 2025.

"It's gone by really fast," Lawrence says about their first year as parents.

He describes himself as a "fun" and "goofy" dad, saying that his goal is to make his daughter "laugh as much as possible," adding, "That's the best thing: Hearing her laugh and just having fun running around."

Meanwhile, his wife is a bit more disciplined and is in charge of the schedule because "she's really good about that stuff."

Lawrence tells PEOPLE that he dreams of the day that he can play in the Super Bowl. However, this year, he will be watching at home in Florida with friends and family.

He'll rely on Zevo to keep the house bug-free when everyone's over.

"We love to host going back and forth [between inside and outside], and bugs are a problem with all the food," he says. "So it's been awesome for us and our family, and it's been a lifesaver for sure," he adds about the product.

Read the original article on People

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nobody on the Seattle Seahawks has supported Sam Darnold quite like Ernest Jones IV.

When Darnold threw four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams in a 21-19 loss in Week 11, Jones had his quarterback’s back. The second-team All-Pro linebacker wouldn’t allow Darnold to take the blame.

“Sam’s been balling,” Jones said after that game. “If we want to try and define Sam by this game, man, Sam’s had us in every game. So, for him to sit there and say, ‘Yo, that’s my fault,’ no, it’s not. There were plays defensively we could have made plays, or opportunities where we could have got stops.

“This is football. He’s our quarterback and we’ve got his back.”

Darnold rewarded his teammate’s faith. He led the Seahawks back from a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit to an overtime win against Los Angeles in the next meeting and was sensational in Seattle’s 31-27 victory over the Rams in the NFC championship game.

“Like I said, doubt Sam if you want to, Sam’s gonna show you every time,” Jones said afterward. “That’s who we know, and that’s why I stood on that, and I’ll do it all over again.”

Darnold has earned plenty of trust in the locker room in his first season in Seattle after a breakout year in Minnesota. Once considered a bust after the Jets drafted him No. 3 overall in 2018, Darnold — on his fifth team in eight seasons — is one victory away from leading Seattle to the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.

Darnold and the Seahawks face Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday in a rematch from a matchup 11 years ago.

Tom Brady and the Patriots won that one, 28-24, after Russell Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line in the final minute was intercepted by Malcolm Butler.

That gave Brady, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots the fourth of their sixth Super Bowl rings before the dynasty ended.

First-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, a standout linebacker on three of those championship teams, has quickly turned a team that was coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons into a winner.

Maye has been the catalyst for New England’s impressive turnaround.

“From Day 1, I feel like the guys have really taken what Coach Vrabel has wanted to do with us and have just really applied it to their lives in every single way,” Maye said.

“Whether it’s on the field, off the field, getting treatment, doing little things, making great decisions off the field. I think the biggest thing is just — Coach Vrabel always says he treats us how we treat the team. I think that’s how guys have taken this year, and I think it’s just rallying together and wanting to play for each other. From there on, we just have had fun doing it every single day since, and it’s been a ride. Looking forward to trying to finish it off.”

Brady also was a second-year quarterback when he led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in the 2001 season.

They were double-digit underdogs when they beat the Rams. The Pats were favorites in their next eight Super Bowl appearances until now. New England is a 4 1/2-point underdog this time around.

The 23-year old Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft, will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger was the youngest to win one when he led Pittsburgh to a victory over Seattle in the 2005 season.

Maye has demonstrated plenty of poise in clutch situations. He changed a play and ran a bootleg to extend the drive on third down late in the AFC championship game against Denver to seal a 10-7 victory in the snow.

“I think just as we’ve gone through this entire year in this program, and the more that he’s been out there and the games have kind of built up on us that, really, we’ve done a nice job in those situations,” Vrabel said of Maye’s maturity in big moments. “I think he’s improved in them, and he’s a big part of why we’re here, obviously.”

Of course, both teams are far more than just their quarterbacks.

Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, running back Kenneth Walker and Seattle’s defense is the stingiest in the league. The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the NFL and have standout players at every level. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Jones and cornerback Devon Witherspoon were second-team All-Pros. Safety Nick Emmanwori had a standout rookie season.

Maye has running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the defense has been dominant in the playoffs.

Only one team will leave Santa Clara, California, with the Lombardi Trophy.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

The English Football League's (EFL) 72 clubs are set to discuss introducing a third promotion place from the National League next month.

An all-club meeting is scheduled for 4 and 5 March, though no formal vote is expected at this stage.

Currently, the National League champions are promoted alongside one play-off winner.

This meeting follows the National League's '3UP' campaign, launched a year ago to advocate for the expansion.

An EFL spokesperson said: “Earlier today the EFL board considered recent correspondence received from the National League in respect of its 3UP campaign.

“Following discussion, the board agreed that the most appropriate way to move matters forward was to further discuss alignment requirements with clubs at the all‑club meeting in March.

“The league maintains that this is not a single-issue matter and one which requires detailed consideration of the other related issues and regulations at play, and close cooperation and constructive dialogue across the pyramid.”

For a change to be made, it would require a majority among the 24 Championship clubs and an overall majority among the 72 clubs.

The 2026 Winter Games are already underway, and with them, wagering on the multitude of events that will play out over the next few weeks in northern Italy. 

To be sure, the Olympics (especially the Winter Games) aren’t going to be every bettors’ cup of tea. It’s not the Super Bowl, March Madness, or the World Cup. But the Games are happening, and can be bet on, so people are going to do it, and perhaps more than you think.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) estimated that around US$13 billion was bet on the 2024 Olympics in Paris, a record amount and up more than 20% from the 2021 Tokyo Games and 50% from Rio 2016.

What’s more, these Olympics arrive during an interesting time for online sports betting, which continues to boom.

Among other things, a de facto version of sports wagering has bloomed in the U.S. via federally regulated prediction markets, a significant change from the last Olympics. 

There also continues to be concern about how legal and illegal sports betting is affecting the integrity of all sport, not just the Olympics. Various integrity scandals continue to pop up, prompting concern from lawmakers and regulators. 

“Generally, I would say the risk of competition manipulation in sport is high, and it is a serious issue that needs to be focused on,” Jeremy Luke, president and CEO of Sport Integrity Canada, told Covers on Thursday.

The IOC said there were a few betting-related issues identified during the Paris Games “involving athletes and entourage members.”

After further investigation, though, it was determined “there was no manipulation of competitions and/or intention to manipulate any event in any of these situations.”

Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman are already on a roll at #MilanoCortina2026 ending the reigning Olympic champs 22-game win streak‼️🥌

Read more here: https://t.co/WAhMvCrE6rpic.twitter.com/CdU9gfnzK4

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 5, 2026

So, betting on the Olympics isn’t new, and the IOC is indeed focused on the issue of match-fixing, having already announced several initiatives to ensure events remain on the level. Olympians, too, have been briefed on various betting-related concerns and responsibilities they’ll have, such as not betting on the Games.

In short, while there should be a fair share of money staked on the Olympics, there is confidence that its integrity will remain intact. 

The IOC says it has been tracking betting across all Olympic events since the London Games in 2012 “using advanced analytical tools and human expertise.” 

Those tools will be in place again for the 2026 Games, with further help from outside entities like the International Betting Integrity Association and sportsbook operators themselves.

For example, the IOC announced in December that a “Joint Integrity Unit” (JIU) will operate during the Winter Games “to prevent and address integrity breaches during Milano Cortina 2026.”

“It is designed to ensure rapid and effective information sharing between sports disciplinary bodies and law-enforcement agencies - a system successfully implemented at every edition of the Games since London 2012,” the committee said.

The IOC’s chief ethics and compliance officer, Giuseppe Deleonardis, noted in a press release that “integrity breaches” can range from attempts at match-fixing to bribery to “unethical behaviour by accredited individuals.”

Crash course in competition manipulation

Match-fixing is always a particular concern, though. The IOC noted the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC) has an "Integrity Betting Intelligence System" in place to pick up on any suspicious wagering activity. Given all this, there is confidence that anything untoward will be detected.

“Building upon the experience of many past editions of the Games, and most recently on the strong cooperation with the French stakeholders during Paris 2024, we are fully confident in our ability to monitor the Games effectively, communicate swiftly with partners, and identify potential breaches,” said Friedrich Martens, head of the OM Unit PMC, in a press release.

There are also efforts to prepare athletes on a country-to-country basis. Luke said Sport Integrity Canada designed education modules not just for use by Canadian Olympians, but also trainers and coaches and other members of the Canadian Olympic delegation. 

Those modules help get the audience up to speed on competition manipulation, the obligations of athletes and staff, and where they can turn to report suspicious activity. 

“We ensure that every participant who goes to the Games has gone through that level of education before they go,” Luke said. 

The type of education that athletes and others are receiving has evolved with the business of sports betting as well. For example, the rise of microbetting means athletes need to know that match-fixing could extend to manipulating outcomes within an event itself, such as a single serve in tennis. 

“So I'd say our education is trying to evolve to help people understand what competition manipulation is, how it can manifest, and how it relates to gambling and developments within the gaming world,” Luke said. 

Some athletes may be more aware than others. A player on the Canadian hockey team is likely more versed in sports betting than, say, a cross-country skier. 

An athlete who plays a sport that doesn’t pay much, or at a lower level than a professional, could also pose a greater integrity risk than one earning millions of dollars. 

“So we want to make sure we educate people at that level before they end up on the Olympics team as well,” Luke said.

Only one day to go... In every love story there's a moment when you 'just know'. The air feels different, you smile for no reason... That moment is NOW! Tomorrow, the #MilanoCortina2026 Opening Ceremony kicks off the #WinterOlympics love story, Italian style. 🫶🇮🇹😍 📆… pic.twitter.com/0fkTQu9XsY

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 5, 2026

With all that being said, there may be room for improvement. Canada, for instance, is not a signatory to the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, otherwise known as the Macolin Convention. 

The convention is “a legal instrument and the only rule of international law on the manipulation of sports competitions,” the Council of Europe’s (COE) website explains. 

“It requests public authorities to co-operate with sports organisations, betting operators and competition organisers to prevent, detect and sanction the manipulation of sports competitions,” the COE adds. “It proposes a common legal framework for an efficient international cooperation to respond to this global threat.”

Having that sort of help could come in handy for Canada, the U.S., or Mexico with an event much more heavily bet than the Olympics coming to North America later this year, the World Cup.

“That's a step that we’d really like to see,” Luke said.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Martin Zubimendi drops strong words about Real Madrid

On fire at Arsenal, Martin Zubimendi recently took a jab at Real Madrid.

Long before his move to Arsenal, Martin Zubimendi was one of Xabi Alonso's favorite targets to strengthen Real Madrid. The former Madrid coach believed that Zubimendi's qualities would have been a huge asset to the team.

Martin Zubimendi revealed his thoughts months later. "Real Madrid have enough good players to get the job done, so they don't need me," the Spanish international told Cadena SER.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (32) is closing in on a move to Celtic as the Scottish champions look set to add a high-profile free agent to their squad, according to reports from BBC Sport.

The former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder has been without a club since leaving Besiktas in August and, after spending time training with Arsenal, a switch to Celtic Park now appears increasingly likely, although a deal has yet to be finalised.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill confirmed this week that talks have taken place and indicated there is genuine interest from both sides. The prospect of a central role and a fresh challenge north of the border has appealed to the 32-year-old, who remains keen to continue his career at the highest possible level.

Oxlade-Chamberlain brings vast experience if the move is completed. He won three FA Cups during a six-year spell at Arsenal before joining Liverpool for £35m, where he collected major honours including the Premier League and Champions League. His career has also been shaped by injury setbacks, with long spells on the sidelines interrupting his time at Anfield.

After a season in Turkey with Besiktas, where he made 46 appearances, a move to Celtic would offer the England international a chance to relaunch his career in a familiar footballing environment, while for Celtic, the potential signing would represent a statement of intent, blending pedigree and experience as they push for the title.

GFN | Finn Entwistle

Aston Villa will clash heads with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this Saturday as they hope to secure a win on the road in the Premier League. The Villans suffered a lackluster 1-0 loss against Brentford recently, so they would be keen on bouncing back by putting in a good showing this weekend.

Unai Emery will set his players up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a couple of tweaks to his first team for this game. Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana could both play from the start of this contest.

4-2-3-1 Aston Villa Predicted Lineup To Face Bournemouth

Defence

Emiliano Martinez will feature in goal for the Villans after he conceded one goal in his last outing. Ezri Konsa will operate alongside Pau Torres at the centre of the Aston Villa backline as they look to keep a solid shape on the defensive end of the field.

Matty Cash will try to put in a solid performance as the right-back, while Ian Maatsen looks to catch the eye on the other flank as the left-back. Both of them will have to pick and choose their moments to join in on the attack.

Victor Lindelof and Tyrone Mings will be named on the bench as they provide cover for the defensive positions.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 01: Ezri Konsa of Aston Villa in action during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brentford at Villa Park on February 01, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Midfield

Douglas Luiz will anchor the midfield along with Amadou Onana as they focus on establishing their superiority over the opposition at the centre of the park.

The gifted trio of Emi Buendia, Morgan Rogers and Jadon Sancho will operate just ahead of them as part of the Aston Villa attack. All three of them will have to combine well if the Villans are to create enough chances in the final third.

Ross Barkley and Harvey Elliott will have to settle for a place on the bench as they wait for their chance to influence the game in the second 45 minutes if needed.

Attack

Ollie Watkins will lead the charge for the West Midlands club if he can recover in time for this game.

Leon Bailey will make up the numbers on the bench and might come on to make an impact in the final quarter of the game if the Villans are in need of a goal by then.

Nvidia’s RTX 60 series may have been pushed back to 2028 According to The Information (paywalled article), Nvidia has delayed its “Kicker” (RTX 50 SUPER) GPU lineup, citing memory shortages. As a knock-on effect, this change delays the next-generation of Nvidia GPUs, the RTX 60 series, until at least 2028. In December, Nvidia reportedly delayed […]

The post Nvidia delays next-gen RTX 60 series GPUs to 2028, report claims appeared first on OC3D.

Parano.ai delivers AI-assisted competitive intelligence that tracks competitors’ marketing, product updates, pricing, reviews, hires, funding, and website changes in real time. It sends executive summaries, change-detection comparisons, and tailored alerts to your inbox, Slack, or Microsoft Teams.

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Carnival Cruise Line is doubling down on Baltimore with a historic move.

For the first time in the cruise line’s history, two ships will homeport simultaneously in Maryland’s largest city starting in fall 2027.

Carnival Miracle will join Carnival Pride in Baltimore beginning November 20, 2027, following a 15-day transatlantic crossing from Civitavecchia, Italy.

The addition marks an expansion for Carnival, which has operated from Baltimore for more than two decades since establishing year-round service at the Port of Baltimore’s South Locust Point cruise terminal in 2009.

What Carnival Miracle Will Offer From Baltimore

The 88,500-ton Spirit-class ship will operate a range of Caribbean itineraries, including seven-, eight-, and nine-day sailings to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.

Longer Carnival Journeys voyages of 12 and 14 days will visit destinations like Dominica, Guadeloupe, and St. Maarten.

Carnival Miracle accommodates approximately 2,124 passengers at double occupancy and features Guy’s Burger Joint, a specialty steakhouse, WaterWorks aqua park, Playlist Production shows, Alchemy Bar, and The Punchliner Comedy Club.

Carnival Pride Staying Year-Round

Carnival Pride, which has been the sole Carnival ship based in Baltimore, will continue its year-round operations with seven-day Bahamas and Bermuda cruises, plus extended nine-, 12-, and 14-day Carnival Journeys to Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Tortola, and Martinique. The Spirit-class sister ship also carries about 2,100 passengers.

The dual-ship deployment positions Baltimore to compete more effectively with nearby Mid-Atlantic homeports, including Norfolk and Cape Liberty, which have seen increased cruise activity in recent years.

The expansion is part of an industry trend as cruise lines seek alternatives to congested Florida ports and target drive-to markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Carnival Firenze Getting New Homeport

In related deployment news, Carnival Firenze will shift to Port Canaveral starting fall 2027, offering four- to 14-day Caribbean itineraries.

Sailings will include short Bahamas getaways with stops at Celebration Key, as well as longer Eastern and Southern Caribbean voyages.

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Google's John Mueller offered a simple solution to the question of whether a passage is indexed and is ready to rank.

The post Google Shows How To Check Passage Indexing appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Porter Airlines is making it easier for Canadians to experience the Bahamas with the launch of its new nonstop route from Montreal (YUL) to Nassau (NAS), starting on February 5, 2026. This exciting new service, operated on the E195 E2 aircraft, promises to bring increased convenience for travelers looking to explore one of the Caribbean’s most sought-after destinations. The introduction of this route marks a significant milestone in Porter Airlines’ expanding network, offering passengers more direct options to the Bahamas from Canada’s bustling Montreal airport.

The addition of the Montreal to Nassau route is part of Porter Airlines’ continued commitment to providing accessible, premium travel experiences for both leisure and business travelers. By connecting two key destinations, Porter Airlines is helping to boost tourism and create new opportunities for travelers to explore the Bahamas without the hassle of layovers.

Why the New Montreal to Nassau Route is Important for Travelers

The new route between Montreal and Nassau offers Canadians a convenient and direct way to visit the Bahamas, one of the top travel destinations in the Caribbean. Nassau, the vibrant capital of the Bahamas, is known for its stunning beaches, rich cultural heritage, and thriving tourism industry. Whether you’re looking to relax on pristine white-sand beaches, explore the local culture, or enjoy watersports, Nassau has something for everyone.

For Montreal-based travelers, this new service eliminates the need for long and expensive connecting flights, making it easier to reach Nassau from Canada. The E195 E2 aircraft used for this route offers a more comfortable, modern flying experience, with increased efficiency and a quieter, smoother ride. With 132 seats and advanced features, the E195 E2 is designed to enhance the passenger experience, providing travelers with more space, comfort, and convenience on their journey.

For Bahamian travelers, the direct connection to Montreal opens up a wealth of opportunities, offering easy access to Quebec’s largest city and one of Canada’s cultural and financial hubs. As Montreal continues to attract international visitors for business, events, and tourism, the new service will provide travelers from Nassau with a seamless way to visit Canada.

Porter Airlines’ E195 E2: The Future of Travel to Nassau

Porter Airlines’ decision to operate this new route on the E195 E2 aircraft shows the airline’s commitment to modernizing its fleet and providing high-quality travel options for passengers. The E195 E2 is designed with passenger comfort in mind, offering larger windows, quieter cabins, and increased fuel efficiency compared to older aircraft models. These features contribute to a greener flying experience, as the aircraft is known for its low emissions and eco-friendly design.

In addition to being a more sustainable option for air travel, the E195 E2 enhances the overall travel experience by providing ergonomically designed seats with more legroom, making it ideal for both short and medium-haul flights like the Montreal to Nassau route. With its streamlined design and advanced technology, the E195 E2 provides a superior flight experience that aligns with Porter Airlines’ commitment to offering premium service at competitive prices.

The Impact on Montreal and Nassau Tourism

The introduction of this new route is expected to have a positive impact on both Montreal and Nassau’s tourism industries. For Montreal, the flight to Nassau presents an exciting opportunity to attract more tourists from the Caribbean and the Bahamas, who can now enjoy easy access to Montreal’s top cultural attractions, festivals, and events. Montreal, known for its European charm, thriving arts scene, and culinary diversity, is one of the most popular destinations in Canada. As one of the most multicultural cities in North America, Montreal has seen a steady rise in tourism in recent years, and the new route to Nassau further supports this growth.

For Nassau and the Bahamas, the new flight route is expected to bring in more tourists from Canada, one of the top sources of visitors to the islands. The Bahamas has long been a favorite vacation spot for Canadians, with its proximity to Florida and easy access from major Canadian airports. With Porter Airlines’ new service, the Bahamas will become an even more attractive destination for Canadian travelers, who now have a direct flight option from Montreal, one of the busiest airports in Canada.

The Bahamas’ tourism industry, already one of the most important economic drivers for the islands, is poised to benefit from the increased air traffic that this new route will bring. As Canadians continue to look for sunny destinations to escape the winter cold, Nassau’s beach resorts, cultural festivals, and natural beauty will remain key selling points for the Bahamas.

Looking Ahead: What This Means for Future Travel Routes

The new Montreal to Nassau route is just the beginning of Porter Airlines’ expansion into Caribbean markets. As the airline continues to grow its network, travelers can expect more nonstop flights to key destinations in the Caribbean and beyond. Porter Airlines has consistently focused on providing premium travel experiences on regional flights, and the addition of this new route is a reflection of their ongoing efforts to meet the needs of travelers seeking convenient, comfortable, and affordable air travel options.

With continued growth in both the Caribbean and North American markets, Porter Airlines is likely to expand its service offerings to other sought-after destinations. As international demand for leisure and business travel continues to rise, Porter Airlines is positioning itself as a leader in the competitive air travel industry, offering more connections for both short and long-haul travel.

Conclusion: A Win for Travelers Between Montreal and Nassau

For those traveling between Montreal and Nassau, Porter Airlines’ new nonstop route is an exciting and convenient option. With the E195 E2 aircraft providing a comfortable and efficient flying experience, travelers will have more freedom to explore both destinations and make the most of their trip. Whether it’s for a tropical getaway in Nassau or an adventure in Montreal, this new flight will offer greater accessibility and more choices for both business and leisure travelers.

As travel continues to evolve in 2026, Porter Airlines is paving the way for more seamless connections and memorable journeys to popular destinations like Nassau and beyond.

Image Source: Skies Mag

In the heart of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, Gore Mountain stands as a hallmark of winter adventure, drawing skiers and travellers from across the Northeast to glide its celebrated slopes. This past Wednesday, what began as a perfect winter’s day for nearly 70 visitors turned into an unexpected emergency rescue that has now become an inspiring example of preparedness and professionalism in mountain operations.

The Northwoods Gondola, a popular lift at the resort that provides scenic access to elevated trails and panoramic views of the region, halted mid‑operation shortly after 9 a.m. local time on 4 February 2026 due to a mechanical alignment issue in the lift system. The stoppage left skiers suspended in enclosed cabins high above the forested slopes, igniting a coordinated rescue effort that captured the attention of travel enthusiasts and safety officials alike.

A Stunning Morning Turns Serious: Mechanical Issue Halts Gondola

Visitors on the gondola that morning had anticipated the usual blend of radiant snow‑covered peaks and crisp winter air that defines Gore Mountain’s appeal. Instead, they found themselves paused in mid‑air when one of the lift’s wheel assemblies slipped out of alignment, triggering an automatic safety sensor. This precautionary safety system halted the cabin line immediately — a standard procedure but one that left guests lingering far above the ground.

Officials from the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), the state agency responsible for managing the resort’s operations, clarified that the incident was not caused by a power failure or emergency system breakdown, but rather a non‑emergency mechanical alignment concern. The sensor shutdown, although unsettling for those aboard, worked exactly as designed to prevent greater risk.

For travellers who had made plans around skiing and winter exploration, the moment was both an adventure and a learning experience — one that underscored the inherent unpredictability of outdoor travel. Yet, the swift safety response by trained personnel ensured that the day would end well for everyone involved.

Rescue Operation: Methodical, Coordinated and Focused on Safety

Rescue teams from ORDA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forest rangers were quickly mobilised once the gondola came to rest. Operating in collaboration with local emergency services, the teams began assessing the situation and preparing for a careful evacuation — a process that would take several hours to complete.

The DEC forest rangers, many of whom had recently completed specialised training on lift evacuation protocols ahead of the ski season, climbed up lift towers and used ropes and harnesses to access the stranded cabins. The rescue teams instructed passengers to sit low and prepare near cabin doors while personnel lowered guests one at a time using pulley systems.

“I never thought I’d be sitting above the treetops on a ski trip,” said one rescued visitor later, describing the surreal moments between rescue team arrivals. Although cold temperatures and high winds added to the drama, enclosed cabins provided shelter, and no injuries were reported throughout the operation.

Safety in Action: Training Makes Preparedness Visible

A critical takeaway from the incident was the evidence that pre‑season training and well‑established emergency procedures drastically influenced the outcome. ORDA and DEC officials emphasised that both staff and rangers participated in practice rescue operations in November 2025, well ahead of this real‑world scenario. Those drills allowed responders to move confidently and methodically, reducing panic and streamlining each step from rope access to safe lowering.

Gore Mountain’s leadership has reaffirmed that safety remains paramount in every aspect of their operations. In a post‑incident statement, ORDA reiterated that elevators and lifts will only return to service after all inspection and safety criteria are fully satisfied.

For travellers planning future ski trips, this development serves as both reassurance and reminder: reputable resorts invest heavily in training and procedures exactly for unexpected moments like this — and that such protocols can mean the difference between chaos and controlled, successful outcomes.

Tourism Impact: Confidence and Caution on New York Winter Slopes

Travel professionals tracking the incident noted that although the gondola malfunction caused a temporary interruption, the broader appeal of Gore Mountain and its world‑class terrain remains strong. The Adirondacks have long been recognised as a winter playground, with the resort’s slopes attracting families, adventure seekers, and international visitors alike.

“This event, while unusual, underscores why travellers choose state‑operated destinations like Gore Mountain,” said one industry observer. “Here, prepared staff, trained responders and systematic safety protocols helped ensure a positive ending, even in an unexpected situation.”

From a travel angle, the incident highlights the importance of understanding safety procedures and being informed about resort operations when planning alpine or adventure trips — not as a deterrent, but as an assurance that robust systems are in place. For many travellers, the story may even elevate their confidence in visiting such destinations, knowing that meticulous emergency planning exists behind the scenes.

Aftermath and Forward Look: Back on the Slopes Tomorrow

By the following day, officials confirmed that the gondola had resumed operations after thorough inspections and necessary adjustments were made. All lifts and trails not involved in the incident continued normal activity, and no injuries or long‑term disruptions were reported.

For the visitors who were part of the rescue saga, the story is likely to be retold for years — not as a travel horror story, but as an example of how safety systems and trained specialists work together in real time. It’s a testament to how modern travel and outdoor adventures are supported by layers of preparation, care and competence.

Traveller Advice: Preparing for Alpine Adventures

While incidents like this are rare, they remind travellers to follow a few practical tips when heading to mountains and winter resorts:

• Check resort safety information and weather advisories before departure.
• Follow all instructions from resort staff and emergency personnel.
• Dress in layers and prepare for cold conditions even in enclosed areas.
• Keep emergency contacts and insurance details accessible.

With these measures in place, future visitors can enjoy Gore Mountain’s breadth of ski trails from gentle slopes to expert runs — confident that behind every cable and cabin is a well‑practised safety network.

Starting on 12 February 2026, Avianca will begin once again offering daily, nonstop flights between Bogotá, Colombia, and Caracas, Venezuela, making Avianca the first airline to bring back the Colombia-Venezuela air link that was disrupted throughout 2025. This reestablished link between the capitals of the two countries will demonstrate the continuing normalization of Venezuela and Colombia commercial air travel after a lengthy period of reduced operations due to safety and airspace concerns.

With the daily flights, Bogotá and Caracas will once again have daily flights in both directions. The scheduled flights will provide additional travel options for passengers. Both countries have adequate regional airport infrastructure to support the increased frequency of the flights. This will be especially valuable for passengers who want to travel to/from the Caracas to Bogotá flights and travel to/from the flights to/from other countries in and outside the region.

Restoration of a Major Air Link After Suspension

Once again operating nonstop daily flights between Bogotá and Caracas will also be the first time since the Colombia-Venezuela air link was closed, and Avianca was the first airline to bring back the Colombia-Venezuela air link since it was closed throughout 2025. This will be the first time balloons have taken place in Colombia-Venezuela air travel since air travel began in Venezuela. This will also be the first time service will return to Caracas after the two European scheduled air carriers that operated services into Caracas suspended services on account of increased operating complexities.

On November 29, 2025, due to the constructed safety zones in and around the Venezuelan Airspace, Avianca, along with other scheduled service carriers, ceased all service to the Republic of Venezuela.

Venezuela’s National Institute of Civil Aviation (INAC) responded by revoking operating licenses of certain carriers after those suspensions.

This scenario highlights the airlines’ specific operational context as they re-evaluated their scheduling and routing priorities. The resumption of flights, therefore, reflects a more positive and responsive operational collaboration within the stream of civil aviation services, especially the Colombian Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil) and airline services, aimed at establishing and sustaining the reliability of the connectivity for passengers to fly between the two capitals.

The Previous Limitation of Cross-Border Aviation Services

The reopening of the cross-border services, particularly the Bogotá-Caracas route, has been, and will continue to be, a major contributor to further enhancing the level of cross-border aviation services in Latin America, especially within the scope of the increasing demand for air travel. El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá is also one of the major airports in the region, providing a wide range of passengers over the Caribbean, Central, and South America. The daily direct flights between the two capital cities will further facilitate business, family, and leisure travel.

Numerous travel specialists and route developers have pointed to the strengthening of air service as a way to improve the bilateral cross-border relations between the two nations and, particularly, the gradual re-closure of Venezuela’s commercial airspace and the return of foreign air carriers.

Weekly flights for this route will create more seamless travel for border crossers and those connecting to additional flights through Bogotá’s highly integrated airport network.

Strategic Importance for Tourism and Binational Movement

For tourism, trade, and the economic relationship between Colombia and Venezuela, the restoring of this air link is of utmost importance. Bogotá–Caracas was, before the disruptions, one of the most important north-south air travel connections for the Bogotá–Caracas corridor.

Analysts say the scheduling of daily flights is expected to promote tourism between the two countries, and will provide more options for travel to/from Bogotá and Caracas, including the ability to plan a trip at short notice, along with arrangements for cultural, historical, and family reunification travel. Cross-border commerce has been facilitated with the direct flights, and is expected to grow further with the flights being scheduled for daily operations.

Flight Safety and Operational Considerations

Avianca and the respective civil aviation authorities have worked to address the applicable safety standards and regulations, and have worked to address the international safety standards and the local standards to define the operational safety parameters, and determine the appropriate civil aviation regulations to define the operational parameters.

The decision to re-establish service was influenced by the carrier’s relationship in the region and its presence in Venezuela for more than six decades.

Travelers seeking a new and convenient way to fly between Vancouver and Phoenix, Arizona, have exciting news. Starting February 2, 2026, Porter Airlines began offering a new nonstop route between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). This new service is operated on the state-of-the-art E195 E2 aircraft, bringing passengers a modern flying experience to the sun-kissed destination of Phoenix, a city known for its vibrant culture, warm weather, and bustling tourism scene.

The new Vancouver to Phoenix route marks an important milestone in Porter Airlines’ expansion, allowing travelers to enjoy direct flights to one of the fastest-growing U.S. destinations. The airline’s commitment to offering seamless travel options is evident with the launch of this new route, which caters to both leisure and business travelers looking for a nonstop flight option between these two dynamic cities.

Porter Airlines’ New Route: Connecting Vancouver to Phoenix with Convenience and Comfort

Porter Airlines is introducing a much-needed connection between Vancouver and Phoenix, two cities that are experiencing increased demand for both business and leisure travel. The new service offers a fast and efficient way to travel, cutting down on layovers and providing a direct connection to one of the most desirable vacation spots in the United States.

The flight is operated using the E195 E2 aircraft, known for its fuel efficiency and comfort. This modern jet offers seating for 132 passengers and features larger windows, quieter cabins, and a more comfortable flying experience compared to older aircraft models. With this new addition, Porter Airlines continues to enhance its reputation for offering a superior travel experience with a focus on customer service and comfort.

Why the Vancouver to Phoenix Route Matters for Travelers

The launch of the Vancouver to Phoenix nonstop route is significant for several reasons. For one, it provides a direct connection between two major cities on opposite sides of the continent, offering travelers a convenient way to visit Phoenix without the hassle of connecting flights. Whether you are flying for business or pleasure, the new route makes it easier to explore Phoenix’s rich cultural offerings, thriving arts scene, and year-round outdoor activities.

Phoenix, Arizona, has become a prime destination for both tourists and business travelers. With its warm, sunny climate, cultural landmarks, and proximity to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, Phoenix offers something for everyone. Whether travelers are visiting for a weekend getaway, attending a business conference, or exploring Arizona’s stunning natural landscapes, the new route will make their journey more accessible and hassle-free.

For residents of Vancouver, the new flight option to Phoenix opens up many opportunities for travel, particularly for those looking to escape the cold winter months in Canada. Phoenix’s year-round sunshine and unique blend of urban and outdoor experiences make it an attractive destination for Canadians seeking a warm retreat.

The Impact of the E195 E2 Aircraft on the Travel Experience

The E195 E2 aircraft is the newest addition to Porter Airlines’ fleet, and it brings several notable advantages to passengers. Designed with efficiency and comfort in mind, the E195 E2 boasts larger windows, offering improved natural light during the flight. The seats are ergonomically designed for comfort, providing passengers with extra space and a smoother ride. The cabin is also quieter, thanks to the modern engines, making the flight more pleasant for everyone onboard.

Porter Airlines’ decision to use the E195 E2 aircraft for this route shows their commitment to offering passengers a top-tier flying experience. This aircraft is part of Porter Airlines’ efforts to modernize its fleet and offer the best travel experience possible. The E195 E2 is also known for its environmental efficiency, with lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions, making it an eco-friendly choice for airlines and passengers alike.

Expanding Options for Travelers: What’s Next for Porter Airlines?

The launch of this new Vancouver to Phoenix flight is just one step in Porter Airlines’ expansion strategy. The airline has steadily increased its presence in North American air travel in recent years, offering new routes and increasing frequency on high-demand flights. With the new Phoenix route, Porter Airlines continues to solidify its position as a leader in offering accessible, efficient, and comfortable travel options across Canada and the U.S.

Looking ahead, Porter Airlines is likely to continue expanding its network, with additional destinations across North America, focusing on routes that cater to both business and leisure travelers. The airline’s growing fleet of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft ensures that it can meet rising demand while maintaining the comfort and service standards that passengers expect.

How This New Route Will Benefit Both Vancouver and Phoenix

For Vancouver, the new flight will likely lead to increased visitation from Phoenix, especially in the summer months when Canadians seek warmer climates. The ease of direct travel between these two cities could stimulate tourism and increase business opportunities as well.

For Phoenix, the new route strengthens its appeal as a destination for international travelers, particularly Canadians, who make up a significant portion of the U.S. tourism market. This enhanced connectivity supports Phoenix’s tourism sector and business travel, making the city an even more accessible and attractive destination.

Looking Forward: What to Expect from the New Vancouver to Phoenix Service

With the Vancouver to Phoenix nonstop route, Porter Airlines is opening doors for more travelers to experience both cities in a new and convenient way. Whether you’re heading to Phoenix to enjoy its warm weather or to Vancouver to experience its stunning natural beauty, this new route promises to make travel easier and more enjoyable. Travelers can look forward to a smooth flight experience aboard the E195 E2, with great service and modern amenities that cater to both short-term visitors and frequent flyers.

As the route continues to build momentum, more travelers from across the continent are expected to take advantage of this new direct service, whether for business or leisure. With Porter Airlines leading the way in providing premium travel experiences, this is a development that travelers won’t want to miss.

Prague has been selected as the pioneering European destination for STARLUX Airlines, with nonstop flights from Taipei commencing on August 1, 2026. This development positions Prague at the forefront of enhanced tourism connectivity between the Czech Republic and Taiwan. The route promises to elevate tourism by drawing more Asian visitors to explore Prague‘s historic charm and cultural landmarks.

The Taiwanese carrier plans initial operations three times weekly, expanding to four frequencies from October 2026. Prague Airport anticipates over ninety-five thousand passengers annually, significantly impacting inbound tourism to the Czech capital. This influx will stimulate local economies through increased stays, dining, and sightseeing.

Strategic Choice for Prague

STARLUX Airlines opted for Prague due to its central European location, ideal for onward travel across the continent. The city’s appeal to Taiwanese travelers, combined with strengthening economic bonds in sectors like semiconductors, underpins this selection. Such ties will amplify business-related tourism, blending leisure with professional visits.

Prague‘s catchment area spans 8.5 million people within a one hundred twenty-minute radius, making it a prime gateway for Central and Eastern Europe. Access to over forty UNESCO sites nearby further bolsters its tourism draw. The new service will connect seamlessly to STARLUX‘s Asian network, including hubs like Tokyo and Singapore, fostering reciprocal tourism flows.

Flight Details and Schedule

Departures from Prague to Taipei are scheduled Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays initially, adding Mondays later. The Airbus A350-900 aircraft, featuring four classes, ensures a premium experience across three hundred six seats. This modern fleet aligns with sustainable tourism goals through efficient operations.

Flight timings include Prague departures at 10:20 arriving Taipei at 05:10 the next day, and returns from Taipei at 00:10 landing in Prague at 07:50. Generous baggage allowances and advanced inflight entertainment enhance traveler satisfaction, encouraging longer tourism itineraries. The schedule optimizes connections, positively impacting tourism volume.

Premium Travel Experience

STARLUX Airlines emphasizes luxury with First Class suites, lie-flat Business seats, spacious Premium Economy, and comfortable Economy options. Cabin designs by BMW Designworks and Michelin-inspired catering elevate the journey, attracting high-end tourism segments. These features will draw discerning visitors to Prague, boosting luxury tourism spending.

Every seat offers personal screens with extensive content, supporting family and solo tourism. The all-new Airbus fleet reduces emissions, promoting eco-conscious tourism practices vital for Prague‘s heritage preservation. This service sets a benchmark for long-haul tourism routes into Europe.

Tourism Impact on Prague

The route is projected to transform Prague‘s tourism landscape by introducing direct access from Asia’s dynamic market. Increased Taiwanese arrivals will heighten demand for Prague‘s castles, bridges, and festivals, extending visitor stays. Local hospitality sectors stand to gain from this sustained tourism surge.

Prague Airport highlights the partnership’s role in bilateral tourism growth between Czechia and Taiwan. Enhanced connectivity will diversify visitor demographics, reducing seasonality in tourism. Sustainable practices, like efficient aircraft use, ensure long-term tourism viability amid global environmental concerns.

Economic Ties Driving Growth

Growing semiconductor collaborations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic fuel demand for reliable air links. Prague benefits as a business hub, where professional trips evolve into cultural tourism extensions. This synergy will amplify economic contributions from tourism, supporting jobs in aviation and hospitality.

STARLUX‘s network integration allows Czech travelers easy access to Asian gems, reversing flows for balanced tourism. Prague‘s role as Europe’s central gateway strengthens with such routes, attracting more international carriers. The initiative underscores aviation’s pivotal role in tourism recovery and expansion.

Exploring Prague’s Appeal

Prague captivates with its medieval architecture, vibrant arts scene, and culinary offerings, ideal for tourism newcomers from Taiwan. Proximity to natural escapes and UNESCO treasures like Cesky Krumlov enhances multi-day tourism packages. The city’s efficient infrastructure welcomes the anticipated passenger rise.

Inbound tourism will spotlight Prague‘s beer heritage, thermal spas, and Christmas markets, tailoring experiences for Asian preferences. Outbound Czech tourism to Taipei‘s skyscrapers and temples gains momentum, creating cultural exchanges. This route cements Prague‘s status in global tourism networks.

Future of Regional Tourism

As STARLUX Airlines enters Europe via Prague, expectations rise for further expansions, solidifying the city’s aviation prominence. Tourism authorities foresee ripple effects, with increased frequencies signaling confidence. Sustainable tourism strategies, including capacity management, will safeguard Prague‘s allure.

This milestone aligns with Prague Airport‘s vision of over one hundred twenty-seven global destinations, prioritizing long-haul growth. Enhanced tourism metrics will reflect in higher occupancy and events, driving regional prosperity. The Prague–Taipei link exemplifies innovative aviation fostering enduring tourism bonds.

Image Credit: STARLUX Airlines Co. Ltd.

This February, Shangri-La Eros New Delhi is inviting food lovers to embark on a refined culinary adventure with its month-long Celebration of Duck at the renowned Shang Palace. From 1 to 28 February 2026, the luxury hotel’s signature restaurant will offer a distinguished exploration of one of Chinese cuisine’s most treasured ingredients—duck. With its unique flavours and rich culinary heritage, this experience offers a perfect blend of tradition, technique, and artistry, promising a memorable dining affair.

A Tribute to Tradition and Innovation

Shang Palace, with its understated yet elegant design, provides the perfect backdrop for this immersive dining experience. The restaurant’s spacious interiors and private dining rooms set the stage for a celebration that values precision and flavour, allowing guests to savour every moment of their meal in a relaxed yet sophisticated setting.

The Celebration of Duck takes diners on a journey that blends time-honoured culinary techniques with modern interpretations. Each dish is meticulously crafted to showcase the versatility of duck, inviting guests to discover its complex flavours and textures through a thoughtfully designed three-course journey. Available à la carte, this exclusive menu allows diners the freedom to curate their own experience, appreciating each preparation for its individual character.

The Journey Begins

The experience starts with lighter, refreshing dishes that set the tone for the meal ahead. A Crispy Duck Salad with Pomelo and Micro Greens offers a burst of freshness, complemented by the contrasting textures of crispy duck and vibrant greens. This opening dish primes the palate for the rich flavours to come.

The story deepens with an array of delicious dim sums and appetisers, such as the Duck & Chestnut Dumpling, Crispy Duck Cheung Fun, and Barbeque Duck Puff. These creations showcase the skill and craftsmanship involved in balancing richness with lightness, a hallmark of Shang Palace’s dedication to culinary excellence.

The Signature Three-Course Roasted Peking Duck

At the heart of the Celebration of Duck is the iconic Three-Course Roasted Peking Duck—a true highlight of the menu. This time-honoured dish begins with Crispy Duck Skin and Sliced Meat, elegantly served with soft pancakes. The second course reimagines the traditional, offering Duck Cheung Fun with Mushroom & Chestnut, a refreshing twist on the classic. The journey culminates with a hearty Duck Wonton Soup, creating a final, soothing chapter that showcases the full depth of duck’s flavour and versatility.

Deepening Flavours and Complex Dishes

As the meal progresses, the flavours become bolder and more intricate. The Double Cooked Duck with Green Sichuan Pepper and Dry Red Chilli provides a warming experience, offering a perfect balance of spice and depth without overwhelming the palate.

Main courses continue to explore duck’s versatility, with options like Six-Hour Braised Duck with Shaoxing Wine, Soya Sauce, and Star Anise. This dish highlights patience and precision, allowing the duck to tenderize and absorb the aromatic flavours. Another standout is the Steamed Duck with Silken Tofu in Black Pepper Sauce, where delicate flavours are balanced with a rich, velvety sauce.

For those seeking contemporary twists, dishes like E-Fu Noodles with Smoked Duck Breast and Duck Pot Rice with Egg and Edamame offer comforting yet luxurious renditions of duck, rounding off the meal with an air of opulence.

A Flexible Dining Experience

Available daily for both lunch and dinner, the Celebration of Duck is served exclusively through an à la carte menu, allowing guests to personalise their dining experience. Whether they choose to explore the full duck journey or select individual dishes, this limited-time celebration is designed to cater to different tastes and preferences.

A Celebration of Culinary Heritage

Set against the serene backdrop of Shang Palace and complemented by Shangri-La Eros New Delhi’s renowned hospitality, the Celebration of Duck is more than just a meal; it is a tribute to the craftsmanship and heritage of Chinese cuisine. Duck, with its rich history, requires time, respect, and a deep understanding of flavour and technique. This celebration invites diners to appreciate this prized ingredient in its many forms, all while enjoying an experience that epitomises luxury dining.

For those who savour exquisite flavours and appreciate the finer details of fine dining, the Celebration of Duck at Shang Palace promises to be an unforgettable journey—a true expression of culinary excellence.

For many travellers planning flights to or from Sydney, Melbourne and beyond, the experience of booking Qantas flights is set to feel markedly different. From early 2026, Navan, a leading travel and expense platform, has enhanced its direct connection to Qantas Airways’ Premium New Distribution Capability (NDC) offering — a move expected to benefit both frequent flyers and business travellers. This upgrade brings travellers closer to the airline’s most comprehensive fare and service content, delivered through modern API technology and bypassing many traditional constraints of older distribution systems.

What the Navan–Qantas Premium NDC Upgrade Actually Means

The aviation industry has been shifting away from legacy booking standards toward more modern distribution frameworks defined by IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC), and Qantas has been at the forefront of this change. Qantas Premium NDC is described by the airline as its most complete indirect content channel, allowing partners to access the widest range of fares without additional surcharges.

Navan’s upgraded integration ties its booking and travel management technology directly into this premium content channel. As a result, users of Navan’s travel platform — including corporate travel buyers and individual travellers — are now able to see and book superior Qantas fares, including dynamic pricing and personalised service options not always visible through older systems.

Better Pricing, Broader Fare Access and More Personalised Service

One of the biggest travel‑related benefits of this upgrade is access to better pricing and a wider selection of fares. Under the Premium NDC model, Navan can display the most extensive range of Qantas content with no distribution surcharges — a significant advantage compared with standard indirect booking routes.

According to Qantas’s official documentation, travelling agents connected via Premium NDC can access all published sale fares — often including lower domestic pricing and greater visibility on ancillary services such as seat selection and frequent flyer benefits.

From a travel‑planning perspective, this means travellers using Navan can discover and book offers that might not have shown up via older channels, making trip planning for destinations like Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Melbourne’s laneways, or Perth’s beaches easier and more cost‑effective.

Enhanced Technology Helps Business Travellers Too

For business travellers and travel managers, the upgrade is especially significant. The new generation of NDC APIs enables more seamless end‑to‑end booking and servicing, including streamlined handling of ticket changes, disruptions and refunds — areas that were previously cumbersome under legacy systems.

Navan reports that a majority of Qantas bookings on its platform are now processed through this Premium NDC connection, which indicates rapid adoption by corporate clients seeking more agility and control over travel programmes.

This shift reflects a broader industry trend toward technology‑driven retailing and away from traditional agent‑centric booking channels, positioning both airlines and travel platforms for future growth.

What This Means for Frequent Flyers

Travellers loyal to Qantas’ Frequent Flyer programme may find additional perks as a result of the Premium NDC integration. Because the upgraded connection exposes more fare options and seat selections, members can manage and tailor itineraries with better visibility into status credits, Qantas Points and ancillary benefits.

Importantly for those booking with Navan, the integration can mean free selection of standard seats on Qantas‑ticketed flights — a benefit that may improve the travel experience, especially on popular routes connecting Australia with Asia, the UK or Europe.

Airline Retailing Reinvented

Navan’s strengthened partnership with Qantas under the Premium NDC model shows how airlines and travel tech platforms are modernising distribution and reshaping how travellers interact with flight offers. Qantas’s global rollout of its new distribution model — which opened access to Premium NDC by invitation and partner agreements starting mid‑2025 — underscores the industry’s push toward more dynamic, data‑rich retailing.

Under this model, travel partners can deliver more personalised booking experiences, richer fare options, and more efficient post‑booking support — a shift that carries implications far beyond any single carrier.

Travel Planning and Real‑World Impact

For travellers heading to Australia — whether for a holiday exploring the Great Barrier Reef, business meetings in Sydney’s CBD, or leisure stays in Melbourne’s premium hotels — this technological upgrade has practical benefits.

By accessing Qantas fares through Navan’s Premium NDC integration, users can take advantage of real‑time pricing updates, improved fare transparency, and more customisable itineraries. This can translate into more affordable and flexible travel options at critical times like peak summer holidays or corporate peak seasons. It also means that travel managers and bookers have more choice and control when assembling travel plans for teams, contributing to better expense management and overall travel efficiency.

The Future of Flight Booking Is Here

As the airline industry accelerates its transition to more modern distribution standards, travellers and travel professionals alike stand to benefit from greater choice, reduced costs and enhanced booking experiences. The collaboration between Navan and Qantas Airways’ Premium NDC programme is a tangible example of this transformation taking place in real‑time — redefining how travellers view flight offers and airline retailing in the digital age

For anyone planning trips in and out of **Australia — from the vibrant cities of Sydney and Melbourne to international gateways beyond — the enhanced Navan‑Qantas Premium NDC connection promises a smarter, fairer and more personalised way to book flights, reflecting the future of travel distribution.

Thailand is gearing up for an unforgettable celebration of the Chinese New Year 2026, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announcing a series of events across the country under the theme “Amazing Thailand Chinese New Year.” This year marks the Golden Horse year and the 51st anniversary of Thailand-China diplomatic relations, setting the stage for an event that will showcase vibrant cultural performances, traditional festivals, and large-scale celebrations. With flagship events in Bangkok and Hat Yai, supported by festivities in Nakhon Sawan and Suphan Buri, TAT’s initiative is expected to drive travel demand and reaffirm Thailand’s position as a leading destination for Chinese New Year celebrations outside of mainland China.

The grand announcement was made at TAT Headquarters in Bangkok, attended by prominent officials including Mr. Yang Xiaolong, Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Thailand, and Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, along with representatives from regional provinces and the Tourist Police Bureau. Their collective participation highlights the strong cooperation among local and national institutions to deliver an event of national significance.

Bangkok: A Dazzling Display of Culture and Tradition

From February 7 to March 1, Yaowarat Road in Bangkok will come alive with stunning festive illuminations. With the theme “Ride the Fortune, Share the Future,” this iconic street will transform from Odeon Circle to Chaloem Buri Intersection into a spectacle of lights, drawing both locals and international visitors alike. The illuminations will be on display daily from 18:00 to 23:00 hrs, creating a dynamic evening atmosphere and setting the tone for the celebrations.

Siam Paragon will be the epicenter of the celebrations, hosting the Amazing Thailand Happy Chinese New Year 2026 from February 14 to 18. This five-day festival will run from 16:00 to 22:00 hrs each day and kick off with an auspicious Thai-Chinese greeting ceremony on February 14. A major highlight will be the spectacular lantern displays, showcasing the skill of Chinese artisans and their rich traditions. Cultural performances by renowned troupes from Beijing, Chongqing, Henan, and Fujian provinces will add to the festival’s festive flair.

Festival-goers will also have the chance to participate in a variety of activities, such as Chinese lantern crafting, Chinese calligraphy, and khon mask painting. For those interested in astrology, there will be opportunities to explore Chinese astrology and enjoy traditional arts like Chinese paper cutting and Thai embroidery. Exclusive performances will feature famous Chinese artist Zhu Zhengting and popular Thai artists including Daou Pittaya, Klear, Better Weather, and many others, promising a diverse entertainment lineup for all ages.

Hat Yai: A Southern Thai Celebration of Culture and Tradition

Hat Yai, in Songkhla, is also preparing to host a unique celebration for Amazing Thailand Chinese New Year 2026, from February 17 to 20. The festivities along Saneha Nusorn Road will bring to life the region’s cultural and traditional ties to China, with performances from Fujian Province, acrobatic shows, and the ever-popular lion dance. The night-time light displays will add an enchanting glow to the celebration, providing a festive atmosphere for both regional and cross-border travelers. This event aims to position Hat Yai as a key tourism hub in Southern Thailand, drawing in visitors from neighboring countries and reinforcing the city’s tourism appeal.

Nationwide Celebrations: Extending the Festivities Beyond the Main Cities

While Bangkok and Hat Yai take center stage, TAT is also supporting celebrations in other parts of the country, particularly those with a strong Thai-Chinese heritage. In Nakhon Sawan, the Chao Pho–Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho procession will take place from February 10 to 21, showcasing the region’s deep-rooted cultural traditions. Meanwhile, Suphan Buri will celebrate the Chinese New Year with the “18 Years of the Heavenly Dragon” festival at the Dragon Descendants Museum on February 17 and 18, further expanding the reach of the festival beyond the major urban centers.

These regional events are part of a broader strategy by TAT to spread the benefits of tourism throughout the country, ensuring that the festive season boosts local economies and tourism sectors nationwide.

A Collective Effort to Boost Thai Tourism

The Amazing Thailand Chinese New Year 2026 festival is made possible through the collaboration of a wide network of public and private-sector partners. Key sponsors include Siam Paragon, ICONSIAM, CentralWorld, The Mall Group, and Thai Beverage Public Company Limited. This strong partnership aims to stimulate travel flows, encourage longer visitor stays, and help distribute tourism revenue more evenly across the country, benefiting both popular and lesser-known destinations.

A Prosperous Travel Forecast for Chinese New Year 2026

With the Chinese New Year travel period set from February 13 to 22, TAT forecasts that Thailand will welcome approximately 1.25 million international visitors, a 10% increase from the previous year. Additionally, domestic travel is expected to see 2.3 million trips, a 3% year-on-year growth. The total projected tourism revenue during this period is expected to reach 42.23 billion Baht, representing a 13% increase from 2025. This growth underscores the strategic importance of major festivals like Chinese New Year in advancing Thailand’s quality-led tourism agenda and ensuring a year-round tourism flow that benefits both visitors and the local economy.

A Bright Future for Thailand’s Tourism Industry

With its exciting lineup of events, vibrant cultural showcases, and strong institutional backing, Amazing Thailand Chinese New Year 2026 is set to be a landmark celebration. It not only honors the deep ties between Thailand and China but also exemplifies Thailand’s continued efforts to position itself as a leading global tourism destination. By tapping into the growing trend of Chinese New Year travel, TAT is further solidifying Thailand’s reputation as a cultural hub, ensuring that it remains a top choice for travelers seeking memorable and meaningful experiences.

Avianca, LATAM, Spirit, Air Canada, and other major airlines are experiencing significant travel turmoil across Colombia today. The situation has led to 129 delays and three cancellations, disrupting flights at key airports like El Dorado and Alfonso Bonilla Aragon. Passengers traveling from Bogotá and Cali are facing challenges, as flight operations are heavily impacted by these delays. These delays are particularly concerning for travelers relying on airlines like Avianca, LATAM, and Spirit, which are among the hardest hit. Additionally, international airlines such as Air Canada are also experiencing disruptions.

El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá and Alfonso Bonilla Aragon Airport in Cali are at the epicenter of this chaos, causing significant inconvenience for travelers in these major Colombian cities. If you’re flying through these airports, it’s essential to stay informed and contact your airline for updates and potential rebooking options.

Total Delays and Cancellations Across Key Latin American Airports

The travel industry faced significant disruptions today, particularly affecting airports in Colombia and across Latin America. With a combination of delays and cancellations at major hubs, passengers are advised to check their flights and consider alternative arrangements.

• Total Delays: 129 delays at major airports, including El Dorado International Airport and Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport.
• Total Cancellations: 3 cancellations were reported across these three airports.

Analysis of Affected Airports, Cities, and Airlines

The disruptions have primarily impacted travelers in Colombia and Ecuador, with significant delays recorded at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, the main gateway for travelers to and from Colombia. This airport saw 108 delays and 2 cancellations. The delays at this busy airport are notable, especially given its position as one of the busiest airports in Latin America.

Additionally, Alfonso Bonilla Aragon International Airport in Cali, Colombia, reported 21 delays and 1 cancellation, making it another focal point of today’s travel challenges. Although the number of cancellations was low, the volume of delays has raised concerns about how effectively airports are managing their operations during peak travel times.

Airlines Affected by Delays and Cancellations

The airline industry also faced disruptions, with several major carriers experiencing delays and cancellations. Avianca, one of Latin America’s largest airlines, was the most affected, with 33 delays and 1 cancellation at El Dorado alone. This points to potential operational issues with the airline’s scheduling or aircraft management at its hub.

Other airlines, including Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Colombia, and Spirit, were also heavily impacted. LATAM Colombia, for example, had 11 delays, which could indicate a strain on the airline’s regional operations. Spirit, known for its low-cost flights, had 3 delays, reflecting a pattern of operational slowdowns across budget carriers during peak times.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

For passengers affected by the travel disruptions, it is crucial to stay updated with the latest flight statuses. Airlines, including Avianca and LATAM, are expected to offer rebooking options for passengers facing cancellations or long delays. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for information on rescheduling or potential refunds.

Travelers should also prepare for potential extended wait times at airports. In the case of major delays, it is wise to explore lounge access options, if available, to ensure comfort during prolonged wait times. Airport staff will be providing updates throughout the day, and affected passengers can seek assistance for rebooking or compensation in cases of significant delays.

In some cases, airlines may offer vouchers, accommodation, or meal compensation for extended delays, particularly if passengers are stranded overnight. Keep an eye on announcements from the airlines and consider using mobile apps for real-time updates.

Conclusion

The combination of 129 delays and 4 cancellations across key airports in Bogotá and Cali, underlines the challenges facing the travel sector in Latin America today. Avianca, LATAM, and other major airlines are working to resolve the disruptions, but passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information and alternative travel options.

Source: FlightAware and affected airports

Turkey’s impressive feat recognizes the country as a major player in the global tourism industry. In 2025, the country reached a record high of 65.2 billion USD for its tourism revenue. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey attributes this success to 63.94 million international traveler arrivals, breaking the record for the most visitors in Turkish republic history. This solidifies Turkey’s position as a growing influence in the global tourism industry.

Also impressive is the sheer number of international travelers visiting Turkey. With the number of international travelers consistently growing, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reflects on the strategic changes in the country. Turkey has for years been a popular summer destination for its beaches but has more recently expanded its offerings. Now, Turkey is a year-round destination, with activities including but not limited to cultural and food tourism.

Strong Performance Across Key Markets

One of Turkey’s record-breaking year’s biggest contributors is the rise of visitors from the core European and Eurasian markets like Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In 2025, Russia was still Turkey’s largest inbound market, recording 6.90 million people. This shows the continued popularity of Turkey’s Mediterranean resorts to the Russian tourist market. Because of the growing relations of the two countries, especially along the lines of tourism and business, it is assumed to be a major factor in the sustained demand.

Germany was the second-largest contributory market for Turkey, securing Turkey’s second-largest source of visitors in the same year, accounting for 6.75 million travelers. This strong demand from the German tourist market is a solid testament to Turkey’s long-standing appeal and Germany’s loyalty and consistency as a contributory market to the tourist sector of the country. German tourists are known to demand a mix of rich culture, natural wonders, and urban life, which Turkey has in great supply. According to projections for 2025, the third position for inbound travel was occupied by the United Kingdom, with 4.27 million travelers. Since 2019, there has been a considerable rise in UK travelers visiting Turkey. Apart from the beach vacations, there has been an increasing interest in Turkish gastronomy, the UK culture, and the vibrant cities. The increasing figures of travel from the UK to Turkey highlight the many experiences the country now has to offer and its ability to brand itself as a top travel destination.

Turkey Successfully Managed the Sustainable Growth of its Tourism Sector

Turkey has managed to position itself successfully in the travel market for those visitors looking for more than sun and sea. The diverse range of services and travel experiences offered by Turkey has continued to attract international travel. Turkey has successfully managed many competing influences in the travel market and successfully balanced competing influences. The increasing number of travelers from Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom has contributed to the increasing range of different urban, gastronomic, and cultural experiences offered throughout the country.

Turkey has successfully managed to balance beach vacations with other wellness travel offerings. Turkey’s many world-class spas, natural healing resources, and wellness resorts have made many destinations like Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Pamukkale year-round travel destinations.

Analyzing Turkey’s Outlook and Tourism Strategy

Turkey has reworked its strategy to improve its tourism sector by focusing on the activities the country has the potential to develop. With an emphasis on sustainable tourism in developing the country, in addition to cultural tourism, gastronomy, and urban experiences, it has become a destination for diverse market segments.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has a positive outlook and trusts the trends will help improve Turkey’s position as a globally preferred destination. Improving the country’s position as a preferred destination will keep Turkey’s Vision for Tourism focused on improving infrastructure, enhancing the experience for visitors, and broadening the variety of tourism products offered.

Turkey is in the top 10 countries in the world for travel and tourism. They raked in 65.2 billion USD in 2025 and it is only expected to grow with the consistent tourism coming in from these countries: Germany, Russia, and the UK. Turkey is continuing to expand tourism, and with these factors, Turkey should keep driving to be the best in tourism. Turkey’s attractions have always been beyond the beach and now, with a focus on tourism from all over the world and including attractions beyond the beach, they are now catering to a more global audience. From expanding tourism to its adaptable nature, it truly is a strong contender for the top global tourism nation!

Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is a small ring-like device, and it has a battery inside. Now, users of Galaxy Ring are facing issues that show why it is important to be careful with devices that have dead or broken batteries.

One user had their Galaxy Ring for nine months when the battery stopped holding a charge. Instead of getting a replacement from Samsung, they kept wearing the ring because they liked how it felt.

But one night, when they tried to charge it, the ring didn’t fit properly anymore. The battery had swollen, and the ring got stuck on their finger. In the end, the user had to have it cut off to get it off safely. They even called it a “ticking time bomb.”

Before you worry, it’s important to know this is very rare. Samsung investigated and confirmed that most Galaxy Rings are safe, and there is no widespread issue with battery swelling. If your ring’s battery stops working while it’s still under warranty, Samsung can replace it for free.

The problem here wasn’t the product, as it was continuing to wear a device with a broken battery. Lithium batteries can be risky if they swell or leak, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Devices sometimes fail, and that’s normal. It doesn’t mean the Galaxy Ring is unsafe. But your safety should always come first. If your ring stops working, stop wearing it and contact Samsung for a replacement. Follow the instructions for charging and care, and don’t ignore a defective battery.

When used correctly, the Galaxy Ring is reliable and fun. This story is a good reminder – pay attention to your gadgets, handle them carefully, and never take unnecessary risks with electronics that touch your body.

The post Dead battery in your Galaxy Ring? Stop using it appeared first on Sammy Fans.

Infinix introduced its own take on Android 16 with XOS 16. It refines the visual design aspect for future Infinix phones and brings new personalization features alongside a lengthy list of AI features. On the visual front, Infinix is going for a more refined look dubbed Glow-space. It arrives alongside updated liquid motion animations which are faster and smoother than before. Users are also treated to new personalization options with new system app icons, wallpapers, lock screen options and custom themes as well as an optional depth effect for lock screen and home screen. There’s even...

For the first time in days, Cristiano Ronaldo has reason to look ahead rather than sideways. Amid speculation, tension, and a title race balanced on a knife-edge, Al-Nassr has quietly completed a move that could reshape the short-term picture, and possibly the long-term one too. Official approval has arrived, paperwork has cleared, and a new Saudi international has walked through the doors. What remains unanswered is the one question everyone is asking ahead of one of the season’s biggest fixtures.

The timing is no coincidence. With a Clasico looming and pressure mounting both on and off the pitch, Al-Nassr’s latest development lands at a moment when margins matter, and depth could decide everything.

On Tuesday, Al-Nassr officially unveiled Abdullah Al-Hamdan as a new player, completing his signing on a free transfer following the early termination of his contract with rival Al-Hilal. The 26-year-old Saudi striker finalized his deal on Monday evening before undergoing a medical examination and joining group training.

The club wasted no time in celebrating the arrival. Through its official platforms, the Knight of Najd welcomed the striker and wished him “brilliance and success” in the yellow jersey, a message that quickly resonated with supporters. His unveiling images reportedly drew nearly 1.5 million views in under two hours, underlining the excitement surrounding the move.

Al-Hamdan brings a pedigree with him. A Saudi Arabia international with over 40 caps and 10 goals, he has long been considered one of the country’s most reliable domestic forwards, a profile Al-Nassr has been keen to reinforce as it pushes on multiple fronts.

Why Al-Hamdan matters now amid Ronaldo’s saga

This is not a signing for optics alone. Al-Nassr reportedly views Al-Hamdan as a key addition to the attacking line, offering local depth, tactical flexibility, and experience in high-pressure matches. With domestic and continental ambitions still alive, the club has prioritized balance rather than marquee headlines.

There is also an unspoken subtext. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding Ronaldo’s future beyond the 2026 World Cup, some reports have framed Al-Hamdan as a rotation option, or even a long-term contingency. According to ESPN Brazil and Portuguese outlets, Ronaldo has been frustrated by unmet conditions tied to league and PIF management, with speculation suggesting a possible summer exit tied to a reported $59 million release clause.

For now, the Portuguese remains present in training, and some sources have dismissed the noise as exaggerated—still, Al-Nassr’s recruitment hints at a club planning ahead rather than reacting late.

Will Al-Hamdan be able to feature against Al-Ittihad?

Speculation intensified when Al-Hamdan was spotted fully participating in group training after completing all contractual and financial formalities. His sharp involvement only fueled anticipation ahead of Al-Nassr vs. Al-Ittihad, one of the most high-profile fixtures in Saudi soccer.

According to Al-Riyadiyah, Al-Nassr has received official approval from the Saudi Football Federation’s Professionalism Committee to register Abdullah Al-Hamdan until 2030. All administrative procedures have been completed, making the striker legally and technically eligible for the upcoming clash.

This means Al-Hamdan is available for selection against Al-Ittihad, scheduled for Friday at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. Whether he starts or appears from the bench will be Jorge Jesus’ call, but the option now exists, and that alone changes the dynamic.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s season in Saudi Arabia was supposed to be defined by records, goals, and silverware. Instead, as the Saudi Pro League reaches a critical phase, frustration has begun to overshadow brilliance. The Portuguese icon, still central to Al-Nassr’s identity and ambitions, finds himself watching from the sidelines once again. However, with every missed match, the chase for individual glory grows more complicated.

For a player who measures time in goals and milestones, absence carries consequences. While the Portuguese superstar remains one of the league’s most feared finishers, recent events have shifted the narrative away from dominance and toward tension, protest, and uncertainty.

Ronaldo is set to boycott a second successive Saudi Pro League match, a decision that sources say stems from growing dissatisfaction with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its handling of Al-Nassr. According to ESPN, the forward deliberately sat out the club’s 1-0 victory over Al-Riyadh, despite being fit and available. “Cristiano Ronaldo is set to boycott his second-straight Saudi Pro League match amid frustrations with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund,” both ESPN and Fabrizio Romano confirmed.

The boycott is not due to injury or fitness concerns. Instead, it reflects the 41-year-old’s belief that Al-Nassr has been weakened by internal interference, particularly during the most recent transfer window. His frustration intensified after senior figures within the club, sporting director Simao Coutinho and CEO Jose Semedo, were suspended by PIF, a move that coincided with reduced spending and stalled recruitment.

Stark contrast with a title rival

While Al-Nassr struggled to reinforce, the situation elsewhere painted a very different picture. ESPN adds that Al-Hilal received a major financial injection from Saudi businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, allowing the club to significantly strengthen its squad. “All of Al-Hilal’s signings in this window were funded by Prince Alwaleed,” ESPN‘s sources revealed, noting that the prince controls 25% ownership, with the remaining stake held by PIF.

The failed attempt to redirect Karim Benzema away from a rival, a move Ronaldo reportedly tried to block, became a breaking point. Ronaldo allegedly viewed the transfer outcome as deliberately tilting the title race, deepening his sense of injustice.

Another absence takes its toll

Despite the standoff, Ronaldo has continued to train normally and even posted images of himself in Al-Nassr colors. However, internally, he has communicated clear conditions for his return. As reported, “his comeback depends on the quick reactivation of the club’s management powers and an end to external interference in transfer decisions.”

While politics and protest dominate headlines, the sporting consequences are already visible. Cristiano Ronaldo last scored on January 30, opening the scoring in a 3-0 win over Al-Kholood. Since then, his absence has stalled his momentum and allowed another striker to quietly move ahead. That striker is Ivan Toney.

The English forward struck again on Thursday as Al-Ahli defeated Al-Hazem 2-0, scoring his 19th league goal and pushing his club into second place, leapfrogging Al-Nassr. According to official data, Toney has now edged ahead in the Golden Boot race, capitalizing on Ronaldo’s absence at a decisive moment.

The 29-year-old now leads the scoring charts with 19 goals, while Ronaldo follows closely with 17 goals from 18 matches. The gap remains narrow, but time and minutes are becoming precious.

Arsenal has many players capable of playing in top clubs in the world. One of them is Martín Zubimendi, the midfielder who was a target for Real Madrid in the most recent transfer market at the request of former manager Xabi Alonso.

The ex Real Sociedad star moved to England partly because Florentino Pérez believed Alonso didn’t need more midfielders. However, that area of the field is the current biggest weakness. This made fans return to the idea of signing Zubimendi, who spoke about that possibility on the Spanish TV show “El Larguero.”

Zubimendi shut the door on a potential move, explaining his view with a humble response. “I don’t think they need me. The truth is Real Madrid has enough players to do it right, so no.”

Zubimendi’s transfer to Arsenal and his statistics

Real Madrid has grown used to signing star players on free transfers in recent years. That may have played a role in viewing Zubimendi’s price as too high. The player was interested in joining the Spanish giants, but Arsenal signed him for €70 million (more than $80 million).

That fee for a central midfielder could be seen as an overpay by some, but that argument has been challenged by Arsenal’s solidity in the Premier League, where the team has shown balance and control.

Zubimendi quickly became a key piece for Mikel Arteta. The midfielder has played 24 Premier League matches with four goals, and his influence goes beyond the numbers, a level of performance that many Real Madrid fans may wish they had in their own squad.

Zubimendi’s Champions League favorites

Arsenal was the clear best team in the league phase of the competition. With a perfect record in eight matches, they remain favorites, but Zubimendi doesn’t rule out the Spanish clubs.

“The qualifying was good, but it’s about winning it. Anything can happen in the Champions League,” the Arsenal player said in the same interview. “You can’t discard the Spanish teams. Barcelona reached the semifinals last year, Real Madrid is Real Madrid, and Atlético have great players too.”

Throughout the 2025–26 season, Real Madrid have faced significant defensive challenges, with David Alaba, Éder Militão, and Antonio Rüdiger missing a considerable number of matches due to injuries. As a result, Kylian Mbappé’s team has been linked to several defenders for the upcoming season. Although a Premier League star was previously ruled out as a free agent, the Spanish are now reportedly reconsidering his arrival under one condition.

According to Rodra of ESPN, Real Madrid are determined to pursue the signing of a new center-back for the 2026–27 season. As a result, they could once again consider the arrival of Ibrahima Konaté as a free agent. However, Los Blancos are said to have set a key condition: The Frenchman must lower his hefty salary demands, something that reportedly prevented an agreement in recent weeks.

While Konaté has been one of Liverpool’s best players in recent years, the Frenchman has disappointed many fans with his level this season. He has not only shown worrying lapses in concentration, but has also made several mistakes in one-on-one situations. Because of this, his potential move to Real Madrid does not fully convince everyone, especially as the possible departures of David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger would require a defender who is in peak form.

Having already signed Jérémy Jacquet for €63.60 million, Ibrahima Konaté’s tenure at Anfield appears set to close at the end of the 2025-26 season. Unlike a few weeks ago, the Frenchman does not have multiple options to join another club as a free agent due to his reportedly high salary demands. Consequently, Konaté might need to accept different terms to join Real Madrid, as a return to the Reds seems unlikely.

Report: Real Madrid also chase two other defenders, not just Konate

While Ibrahima Konaté could reportedly be included once again among Real Madrid’s potential targets, he is supposedly not the priority. Not only have his high salary but also his inconsistent performances at Liverpool raised doubts within the Spanish side. As a result, they have reportedly turned their attention to two other defenders ahead of the 2026–27 season, who generate far greater consensus.

Both Nico Schlotterbeck and Castello Lukeba have emerged as the best-positioned players thanks to reports from Juni Calafat’s scouting team, according to Rodra on ESPN. Unlike the Frenchman, both defenders could be involved in million-dollar transfers, as they have valid contracts with their teams. However, they are in top form and could bring more security to Real Madrid. In fact, the German defender is reportedly the Spanish side’s top priority.

In recent months, the eternal rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid has been embodied by two names: Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe. They are the main stars of their respective teams and both wear the No. 10 shirt, placing them at the center of fan debates surrounding the two clubs. The young Spanish winger holds a clear edge in one specific La Liga ranking.

In the current 2025-26 season, Yamal is the player with the most dribbles attempted and completed in La Liga. Across the 22 matches played in the competition so far, he has attempted 201 dribbles against opposing defenders, successfully completing 98 of them.

That gives him a clear advantage over Mbappe. The French star ranks second, with 60 successful dribbles out of 125 attempts. Still, he is far from matching Yamal’s numbers. Third place belongs to another Real Madrid star, Vinicius Junior, who has recorded 53 successful dribbles from 155 attempts.

The top 10 does not include any other players from the two Spanish giants. Fourth place belongs to Osasuna’s Victor Muñoz (50), followed by Real Oviedo’s Hassan (46), Athletic Club’s Nico Williams (45), Elche’s Aleix Febas (36), Real Sociedad’s Ander Barrenetxea (35), Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu (33), and Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios (32).

Lamine Yamal’s dominance in this statistic reflects not only his immense talent in that specific aspect of the game, but also his growing influence on Barcelona’s play. That an 18-year-old player has attempted and completed such a high number of dribbles speaks to a collective structure that allows him that freedom, knowing it can generate clear benefits for the team.

Yamal’s and Mbappe’s numbers this season

Lamine Yamal’s clear advantage in total dribbles this season highlights his individual ability to unbalance defenses, making him one of the most decisive players not only in La Liga but in world soccer.

That does not mean Kylian Mbappe has been any less decisive. In fact, the Real Madrid forward is La Liga’s leading scorer this season, with an impressive 22 goals in 21 matches. In that ranking, Lamine Yamal sits sixth with nine goals.

At this point, however, it is important to consider the characteristics of each player. While Mbappe is a forward whose primary responsibility is scoring goals, Yamal is a more creative player who also takes on playmaking duties.

Lamine Yamal is currently La Liga’s top assist provider with eight. In that same category, Kylian Mbappe has recorded just four assists. As a result, when combining total goal contributions in the 2025-26 La Liga season, the Real Madrid star still holds a narrower advantage: 26 compared to 17 for the Barcelona winger.

Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated headlines in Saudi Arabia in recent days after deciding to sit out Al Nassr’s last match as a form of protest toward the country’s Public Investment Fund. With a new issue reportedly emerging, Ronaldo is now also set to miss the crucial Saudi Pro League clash against Al Ittihad.

The situation came to light last Monday, when Ronaldo was left out of the squad for the match against Al Riyadh despite having no reported injury or personal issue. Subsequent reports revealed that the decision was linked to his dissatisfaction with the PIF, specifically over what he views as a lack of investment in Al Nassr during the now-closed winter transfer window.

Al Nassr are scheduled to face Al Ittihad on Matchday 21 in a pivotal SPL fixture, with Ronaldo’s side currently sitting third on 46 points, four behind leaders Al Hilal, who have played one more game. Al Ittihad sit sixth, and a win would significantly tighten the title race, but despite the importance of the matchup, Ronaldo appears poised to maintain his stance.

When Al Nassr released their squad list for the Al Ittihad match, Ronaldo was again absent, confirming he will miss his second consecutive league game. According to Fabrizio Romano, the forward’s frustration with the PIF has not eased, and while no further signings are possible with the transfer window closed, Ronaldo’s position remains unchanged.

Now 41, Ronaldo has previously emphasized his desire to maintain peak fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which he has said will be his final major tournament. This marks only the second SPL match he has missed this season, but the ongoing boycott could impact not only his pursuit of the 1,000-goal milestone, but also his long-term match readiness.

New issues rise between Ronaldo and the PIF

With the PIF overseeing Saudi Arabia’s four biggest clubs (Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli) Ronaldo’s frustration reportedly centers on what he perceives as preferential treatment toward Al Hilal. Tensions recently escalated when Ronaldo’s protest was said to be aimed at preventing Karim Benzema’s move from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal, an effort that ultimately failed, and new complications have since emerged.

According to A Bola, the PIF is now dealing with significant delays in salary payments. The Portuguese outlet reports that Ronaldo intends to wait for the situation to be resolved before making his return to competitive action.

Al Nassr’s next fixture beyond the Al Ittihad match is scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, against Turkmenistani side FK Arkadag in the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16. With that match falling outside the SPL, it remains unclear whether Ronaldo’s boycott will extend into continental competition as well.

proved his class to win the WBO super-lightweight world title on Saturday night and the American is already eyeing up a showdown with a man referred to as boxing’s ‘mini Mike Tyson’. Stevenson dominated Teofimo Lopez in what was anticipated to be his toughest test to date, but ultimately proved to be as comfortable as […]

The post Shakur Stevenson wants to fight boxing’s ‘mini Mike Tyson’: “Easy work” appeared first on Boxing News.

‘s next opponent appears to be on the verge of being announced. Usyk was last in action in July 2024 when he became undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time with a fifth round knockout victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in London. That undisputed reign ended later in the year when Usyk opted […]

The post Frank Warren appears to confirm who Oleksandr Usyk will fight next appeared first on Boxing News.

Fotospor bir gün önce yeni transfer Anthony Musaba'nun UEFA listesine yazılma ihtimalinin tehdit altında olduğunu duyurdu... bu akşam Tedesco, Hollandalı oyuncuya kötü haberi verdi.

Fenerbahçe’nin devre arası transfer hamlelerinin ardından merakla beklenen "UEFA listesne kimler eklenecek?" sorusu yanıtını buldu. Fotospor'un bir gün önceden "Musaba Şoku" diyerek duyurduğu gelişme, teknik direktör Domenico Tedesco’nun açıklamalarıyla resmiyet kazandı.

Fotospor dün yaptığı haberde Fenerbahçe'nin devre arasında kadrosuna kattığı Guendouzi, Kante, Sidiki Cherif, Musaba ve Mert Günok arasından yalnızca 3 ismin UEFA listesine yazılabileceği vurgulanmıştı. Haberde, yıldız isimlerin önceliği nedeniyle Mert Günok ve Musaba'nın liste dışı kalacağı öngörülmüştü.

Fenerbahçe'ye Musaba şoku! UEFA engel çıkardı

Bugün düzenlenen basın toplantısında konuşan teknik direktör Domenico Tedesco, kadro mühendisliği konusundaki son kararını şu sözlerle duyurdu:

- Oyunculara kararımı bildirdim. Mert'le birlikte 5 yeni oyuncu var elimizde ancak kurallar gereği sadece 3 ismi UEFA listesine ekleyebiliyoruz. Mert Günok bu listenin dışında olacak ve aynı zamanda Musaba da listenin dışında kalacak.

Watch as former Atalanta striker Ademola Lookman takes just 37 minutes to score his first goal for Atletico Madrid on his debut.

The Nigeria international was a deadline day transfer from La Dea to the Colchoneros at a cost of €40m including performance-related bonuses.

He was thrown straight into the starting XI for tonight’s Copa del Rey quarter-final trip to Real Betis.

Lookman opens Atletico Madrid account

Ademola Lookman gets his debut goal for Atletico Madrid

A brilliant counter attacking move sees the visitors take a 3-0 lead before half-time #ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/KXAjI6aKD6

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) February 5, 2026

Atletico Madrid were already leading 2-0 when Lookman added a third just before half-time, completing the rapid counter-attack sparked by Pablo Barrios.

He still had work to do, cutting inside past two defenders to create the space for the finish.

It was the Nigerian’s fourth goal of the season in club football, having netted three with two assists in 19 Atalanta games.

The Inter supporter who threw the firework that struck Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero has apologised ‘to the player, the two clubs and all the fans.’

The incident during last week’s Serie A match at the Stadio Zini saw a firework thrown from the away end, hitting Audero on the leg and exploding right next to him.

He was able to continue after treatment, but it could’ve been so much worse, and drew condemnation from all areas of Italian football.

Inter fan arrested after throwing firework

The fan has been identified as a 19-year-old who damaged two fingers by trying to throw another firework soon after in the same game.

He was arrested and is now facing prison for his actions.

“I apologise to Audero, to the two clubs, and to all the fans,” was his statement given to news agency ANSA.

His lawyer also explained the approach that they were taking to this court case, with Inter adding their names as parties who sustained financial damage from the €50,000 fine for his actions.

“He should not have thrown that firework, but he did not think about the possible consequences, which were that the goalkeeper could get close to it and be stunned by the explosion.”

The initial request awaiting trial is for the teenager to be confined to house arrest.

Roma have confirmed their Europa League squad list for the knockout rounds, bringing in Donyell Malen, Bryan Zaragoza and Robinio Vaz, but cutting Artem Dovbyk and Angelino.

The Giallorossi are the only Italian side who managed to avoid the play-offs in Europe, as they finished eighth in the big Europa League table and therefore qualified directly for the Round of 16.

It means they have two fewer games on the fixture list and can take more time to get their new January signings to settle in.

Those include Malen, Robinio Vaz and Zaragoza, who are introduced into the squad for the knockout phase of this tournament.

However, coach Gian Piero Gasperini has chosen to remove two big names in order to make room for the new signings.

They are centre-forward Dovbyk and winger Angelino, who have both struggled for playing time in recent months due to recurring injuries.

Leon Bailey was also removed after his return to Aston Villa from the loan experience.

As Niccolò Pisilli is a youth academy product, he can still be registered in the B List, freeing up a space in the senior squad.

Roma Europa League list

Celik, Cristante, Dybala, El Aynaoui, El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Ghilardi, Gollini, Hermoso, Kone, Malen, Mancini, Ndicka, Pellegrini, Rensch, Soulé, Svilar, Tsimikas, Vaz, Wesley, Zaragoza, Ziolkowski

Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in what is set to be a cracking showdown between two of Premier League’s best teams over the last decade.

The Reds need a win to continue their growing momentum in the second half of the season.

While Man City can not afford to lose any more points if they want to catch up with Arsenal at the top of the table.

Tension will be high on Merseyside, and fans will be desperate to witness the spectacle firsthand. If you are looking to be there in person, you can find information on how to buy Liverpool vs Manchester City tickets.

Liverpool predicted XI vs Man City

Arne Slot is expected to keep the same lineup that beat Newcastle 4-1 last weekend.

Most notably, Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to continue his “inverted” role at right-back, filling in for the injured Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley while adding extra midfield presence in possession.

The only change in defence we expect is for the experienced Andy Robertson to replace Milos Kerkez for this encounter.

Ibrahim Konate is expected to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the defence while Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

In attack, the partnership between Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike has been the talk of the Premier League.

Ekitike, who scored twice against Newcastle, starts up top, flanked by the ever reliable Mohamed Salah and the versatile Cody Gakpo.

GK: Alisson Becker

RB: Dominik Szoboszlai

CB: Ibrahima Konaté

CB: Virgil van Dijk

LB: Andy Robertson

CM: Ryan Gravenberch

CM: Alexis Mac Allister

LW: Cody Gakpo

AM: Florian Wirtz

RW: Mohamed Salah

ST: Hugo Ekitike

Form Comparison: Liverpool vs Manchester City

The two giants enter this fixture with contrasting momentum. Liverpool have found their rhythm in early 2026, while City have struggled with uncharacteristic inconsistency and a rare goal drought for Erling Haaland.

Liverpool’s Last Six (PL):

• W 4-1 vs Newcastle

• L 2-3 vs Bournemouth

• D 1-1 vs Burnley

• D 0-0 vs Arsenal

• D 2-2 vs Fulham

• D 0-0 vs Leeds

Manchester City’s Last Six (PL):

• D 2-2 vs Spurs

• W 2-0 vs Wolves

• L 0-2 vs Man United

• D 1-1 vs Brighton

• D 1-1 vs Chelsea

• D 0-0 vs Sunderland

While City won the reverse fixture 3-0 in November, Anfield has rarely been a kind hunting ground for Pep Guardiola.

With Liverpool’s new look attack starting to click, the Reds are expected to be much more of a threat compared to the game at the Etihad.

The post Liverpool vs Man City: Slot’s predicted XI as Szoboszlai continues at right-back but one key change expected appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has addressed the inevitable future of the club without captain Virgil van Dijk, insisting that while the defender remains vital, the hierarchy is already preparing for a transition.

Speaking ahead of a crurcial clash with Manchester City, Slot emphasised that Liverpool’s recruitment strategy is based on long-term stability rather than reactive “panic.”

The comments come on the heels of the Reds securing a €60 million deal for Rennes’ 20-year-old sensation Jeremy Jacquet, widely viewed as the long-term successor to the Dutch giant.

Slot lays out Liverpool plan for Virgil van Dijk

Slot was candid about the reality of aging stars, noting that while Van Dijk’s current contract runs until June 2027, the club must look ahead.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game against City, he said (via BBC Sport): “Everything done over here is never from panic, it’s always long term idea and or something that has been thought about for a long time and not only one person.

“Of course, we are aware of the fact that Virgil won’t play for 10 years but he has one-and-a-half years [of] contract left, so he will be with us for that time, maybe longer even longer if he keeps staying fit as fit as he is now.

“What a compliment to him at his age to play every three days, not only now for our club but for his country for seven or eight months already.

“Hopefully, he can stay as fit as he is for multiple years but this club is not stupid. We do know somewhere in the upcoming years, there is life for this club after Virgil.

“You are talking about Virgil but I can say this for every position. This club is not only thinking short-term future but also the mid to long-term future.”

? "There is life for this club without Virgil."

Arne Slot addresses Virgil van Dijk's Liverpool future. pic.twitter.com/xOPKNTKrGt

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 5, 2026

Van Dijk has been an outstanding servant for Liverpool

Since his transformative £75 million move from Southampton in 2018, Virgil Van Dijk has anchored the most successful period in Liverpool’s modern history.

Having led the team to Premier League and Champions League titles, his influence remains immense.

Even at 34, his statistics remain elite. This season, he has won more aerial duels (119) than any other defender in the Premier League.

Van Dijk can play at elite level for another several years

Despite the club signing younger reinforcements like Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, Van Dijk’s fitness proves he can continue playing at the top level for another several years.

The manager suggested that as long as the fitness levels hold, an extension beyond 2027 is a genuine possibility.

With his leadership in the dressing room and his unmatched reading of the game, Van Dijk remains the gold standard.

While the club is wisely building the mid-to-long-term future, the immediate priority remains centered around the man who redefined the Liverpool defense.

The post Arne Slot puts Liverpool star’s future in doubt with concerning comments appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United are looking to improve the attacking unit with the signing of Yan Diomande at the end of the season.

The 19-year-old has performed well for RB Leipzig and has attracted the attention of top teams. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Manchester United are keeping tabs on the Ivorian, and they could be leading the race for him in the summer.

Man United eye Yan Diomande

“One name emerging strongly is Yan Diomande. Indeed, there is a growing feeling within recruitment circles that Diomande could be the first option United explore as a replacement [for Rashford].

“Other clubs who have enquired about the RB Leipzig winger have come away with the understanding that United are very much in the picture and could lead the race for his signature when the summer window opens.”

The report further claims that the player dreams of a move to Liverpool. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League champions are willing to make a move for him. They could use more quality and depth in the wide areas. They need an upgrade on Cody Gakpo.

Diomande will add explosive pace and flair to their attacking unit. He has 14 goal contributions this season.

More Stories / Latest News

Liverpool vs Man City: Slot’s predicted XI as Szoboszlai continues at right-back but one key change expected

Feb 5 2026, 21:19

Arne Slot puts Liverpool star’s future in doubt with concerning comments

Feb 5 2026, 20:27

14-G/A star dreams of Liverpool move but Man United “could lead the race” in summer

Feb 5 2026, 20:00

Man United to sign Diomande?

Meanwhile, Manchester United have signed Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to strengthen the flanks at the start of the season, and it remains to be seen how they accommodate Diomande in the starting lineup.

The 19-year-old will look to join a team where he can play a prominent role. Sitting on the bench will not be an option for him. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. He is a tremendous prospect with a bright future, and he could develop into a world-class player with the right guidance. He is unlikely to be a cheap acquisition either.

The post 14-G/A star dreams of Liverpool move but Man United “could lead the race” in summer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal are interested in signing the Borussia Dortmund left-back, Daniel Svensson.

According to BILD, Arsenal will compete with Leeds United for the 23-year-old, and it remains to be seen whether they can complete the deal.

The defender is valued at £26 million, and Arsenal certainly have the financial muscle to complete the deal. However, it would be quite surprising if they invested in the Swedish defender. They already have players like Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori. They might not be able to accommodate Svensson in the starting lineup.

Svensson has also been linked with Liverpool in the past.

Arsenal move might not be ideal for Daniel Svensson

The Bundesliga fullback needs to play regularly at this stage of his career, and sitting on the bench at Arsenal would be detrimental to his growth. On the other hand, moving to Leeds United could be ideal. He could play regularly with them, and exposure to the Premier League could further improve and accelerate his development.

The asking price is affordable for both clubs. It will be interesting to see if they follow up on the interest with an official proposal to get the deal done.

More Stories / Latest News

Liverpool vs Man City: Slot’s predicted XI as Szoboszlai continues at right-back but one key change expected

Feb 5 2026, 21:19

Arne Slot puts Liverpool star’s future in doubt with concerning comments

Feb 5 2026, 20:27

14-G/A star dreams of Liverpool move but Man United “could lead the race” in summer

Feb 5 2026, 20:00

Svensson move could spell the end of Lewis-Skelly

If Arsenal do proceed with their interest in signing the player, it could mean the end of the road for Lewis-Skelly.

The young defender has been linked with a move away from Arsenal, and Chelsea are keen on him, as per TEAMtalk. The Blues will certainly look at the situation as encouragement to continue their pursuit. It remains to be seen how the situation unfolds.

Svensson has performed well in Germany and has the quality to thrive in English football as well. He could be an asset in the right team. Although he is naturally a left back, he can operate as a winger as well as a central midfielder.

The post Arsenal eye shock move for £26m wide man & it could trigger a Chelsea transfer twist appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Anthropic on Thursday rolled out Claude Opus 4.6, its newest and most advanced AI model, pitching it as a system that can handle longer assignments, handle deeper code work, and deliver professional-grade outputs that go beyond quick answers and short […]

The post Anthropic launches Claude Opus 4.6, a more powerful AI model built for coding, finance, and enterprise work first appeared on Tech Startups.

A quiet release from Anthropic set off one of the most violent software selloffs in years, erasing roughly $285 billion in market value across software, legal tech, financial services, and asset management. The trigger was not a new model. It […]

The post Anthropic’s Claude plugins spark $285 billion software stock selloff as AI targets entire SaaS workflows first appeared on Tech Startups.

January opened with a jolt for the U.S. labor market. Employers announced more than 108,000 job cuts in the first month of the year, the highest January total in 17 years and the steepest start to a year since the […]

The post January layoffs hit a 17-year high as employers slash jobs at fastest pace since the Great Recession, report first appeared on Tech Startups.

For most people, hiring a lawyer still feels slow, expensive, and unpredictable. Lawhive is betting that software can finally change that. The UK-founded legaltech startup has raised $60 million in Series B capital as it pushes deeper into the US […]

The post Lawhive raises $60M Series B funding to expand across 35 US states first appeared on Tech Startups.

It’s Thursday, February 5, 2026, and here are the top tech stories making waves today — from AI and startups to regulation and Big Tech. Today’s tech headlines reveal an industry straining at its limits. From Big Tech committing national-scale […]

The post Top Tech News Today, February 5, 2026 first appeared on Tech Startups.

Bitcoin slipped below $70,000 on Thursday, a level traders had treated as psychological bedrock for months. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to an intraday low of $69,322.212, its weakest print since November 2024, closing out a bruising stretch that has […]

The post Bitcoin price drops to $69,322.21 amid massive ETF outflows; falls further to $62,473 in latest selloff [UPDATE] first appeared on Tech Startups.

It’s Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and we’re back with today’s top startup and tech funding news. Today’s deals spotlight a surge of investor interest in adaptive AI architectures, AI-optimized semiconductor infrastructure, and autonomous systems for heavy industry. As the race […]

The post Top Startup and Tech Funding News – February 4, 2025 first appeared on Tech Startups.

It has been only a few days since Apple's new AirTag 2 hit the store shelves. Yet, iFixIt is now out with a teardown of the device, revealing interesting insights about the coin-like tracker. iFixIt: Apple AirTag 2 still does not sport "tamper proof" speakers iFixIt's teardown of the AirTag 2 has revealed a few interesting aspects about the new device: For the benefit of those who might not be aware, the new AirTag's key specs include: The new AirTag is available at the same $29 price point. You can also buy a bundle of 4 for $99.

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-airtag-2-speakers-still-not-tamper-proof-as-per-an-ifixit-teardown/

AT&T’s subpar service and customer service were quickly in the negative spotlight when a customer on Reddit explained his horrible experience with the U.S. carrier concerning an iPhone 17 Pro that was supposed to arrive brand new at the designated address. Unfortunately, not only was the box shipped with a broken factory seal, but the device also had a smudged display, clearly indicating it had been opened before. Naturally, the first instinct would have been to return the product, which would have been a simple process, right? Wrong, and after the customer endured the excruciating after-sales support, he was charged triple […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/customer-says-att-iphone-17-pro-had-broken-seal-was-charged-triple/

A 12-month longitudinal study found that infants who are put to bed with a bottle at 2 months of age tended to display more sleep problems at 6 months of age. They needed a longer time to fall asleep, spent more time awake, and woke up during the night more often. Mothers of infants who displayed more sleep problems at 6 months of age were more likely to keep putting them to bed with a bottle at 14 months of age. The paper was published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

Many infants have sleep problems, particularly in the first year of life. These include difficulty falling asleep, frequent or prolonged night wakings, short nighttime sleep duration, and an inability to soothe themselves back to sleep. These problems are important because they are linked to later risks for both child and family well-being.

Poor infant sleep has been associated with outcomes such as overweight, obesity, and difficulties in emotional and behavioral regulation. Sleep problems also affect parents, contributing to higher depressive symptoms, lower energy, and less adaptive parenting practices. Research suggests that infant sleep and parenting behaviors influence each other in a bidirectional, transactional way over time.

One parenting practice of interest is putting an infant to bed with a bottle, which is believed to interfere with the infant’s ability to self-soothe to sleep. Feeding infants to sleep is associated with shorter nighttime sleep duration, more frequent night wakings, and greater sleep fragmentation. Expert guidance therefore emphasizes putting infants to bed while drowsy but still awake, rather than using feeding as a sleep aid.

Providing a bottle at bedtime has also been identified as a feeding practice that promotes obesity, linking sleep routines to physical health outcomes. Poor infant sleep may, in turn, increase parents’ reliance on bottle-to-bed practices as a way to manage nighttime distress.

Study author Esther M. Leerkes and her colleagues wanted to examine associations between putting the infant to bed with a bottle and maternal-reported infant sleep problems. They conducted a 12-month longitudinal study in which they followed a group of infants and their mothers from the infants’ 2nd month of life until the infants were 14 months old.

Pregnant women in their third trimester were recruited in and around Guilford County, North Carolina, to participate in the Infant Growth and Development Study. The primary goal of that larger study was to identify early life predictors of childhood obesity. Originally, 299 women were recruited. The average age of these mothers was approximately 30 years (mean age 29.71).

Data from participating women were collected when their infants were 2 months, 6 months, and 14 months old. 90% of these women provided data at the 2-month wave, 81% at 6 months, and 76% at 14 months.

Mothers reported how often they put their infant to bed with a bottle of formula, breast milk, juice, juice drink, or any other kind of milk by providing ratings on a 5-point scale. They reported infants’ sleep problems using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire.

The study authors included data on maternal education, race, and their participation in the Women, Infant and Children Special Food Supplemental Program (WIC) in their analyses. They also controlled for maternal depressive symptoms, maternal sleep quality, breastfeeding status, and weekly work hours. WIC is a U.S. federal nutrition assistance program that provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, and health referrals to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children.

Results showed that infants who were put to bed with a bottle more frequently at 2 months of age tended to display more sleep problems at 6 months of age. They needed a longer time to fall asleep, spent more time awake at night, and had more frequent night wakings.

Mothers whose infants woke up more frequently and less time sleeping during the night at 6 months were more likely to be putting them to bed with a bottle at 14 months of age.

“In conclusion, putting infants to bed with a bottle and infant sleep problems influence one another across infants’ first year and into their second year. Given infant sleep problems are a predictor of maladaptive infant, parent and family outcomes, efforts to prevent parental use of this strategy are important to promote infant and parent well-being,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about infant sleep patterns. However, it should be noted that both infants’ sleep quality and bottle-to-bed practices were reported by mothers, leaving room for reporting and common method bias to have affected the results.

The paper, “Transactional Associations Between Bottle to Bed and Infant Sleep Problems Over the First Year,” was authored by Esther M. Leerkes, Agona Lutolli, Cheryl Buehler, Lenka Shriver, and Laurie Wideman.

“Barselona”nın baş məşqçisi Hans-Diter Flik hesab edir ki, Markus Reşford potensialını hələ tam şəkildə ortaya qoymayıb.

Komanda.az “Mundo Deportivo”-ya istinadən xəbər verir ki, ingiltərəli futbolçu mütəmadi olaraq məhsuldar çıxışı ilə yadda qalsa da və gözləntiləri xeyli üstələsə də, almaniyalı mütəxəssis onun oyununda inkişaf üçün hələ də yer olduğunu düşünür.

“Barsa”nın çalışdırıcısı Reşforddan rəqib qapısı önündə daha effektiv olmağı tələb edir. Söhbət xüsusilə, son ötürmə və zərbələrin keyfiyyətindən gedir. Flikin fikrincə, 28 yaşlı hücumçu bu komponentlərdə irəliləyiş etsə, öz potensialını tam şəkildə reallaşdıra bilər.

“Barselona” Reşfordu mövsümün sonuna qədər “Mançester Yunayted”dən icarəyə götürüb. Kataloniya klubunun onu 30 milyon avroya satın almaq hüququ da var.

The post Flikin Reşforddan tələbi appeared first on Komanda.az.

Türkiyə kubokunun qrup mərhələsində 3-cü tura yekun vurulub.

Komanda.az xəbər verir ki, bu gün daha 4 oyun baş tutub.

“Konyaspor” evdə “Aliağa”ya, “Fənərbağça” “Ərzurumspor”a qalib gəlib. Səfərdə “Keçiörengücü” ilə qarşılaşmış “Qaziantep” darmadağına sevinib. “Kocaelispor” – “Beşiktaş” matçında isə qalib müəyyənləşməyib.

Türkiyə kuboku
Qrup mərhələsi, 3-cü tur
5 fevral

B qrupu
Konyaspor – Aliağa 4:0

C qrupu
Kocaelispor – Beşiktaş 1:1
Fənərbağça – Ərzurumspor 3:1
Keçiörengücü – Qaziantep 1:5

The post “Fənərbaxça”dan inamlı qələbə appeared first on Komanda.az.

“Milan”ın sabiq müdafiəçisi Alessandro Kostakurta mövsüm irəlilədikcə komandanın daha da inkişaf edəcəyinə şübhə etmir.

Komanda.az xarici KİV-ə istinadən xəbər verir ki, o, eyni zamanda, komandaya əsas töhfəni verə biləcək futbolçuların adlarını çəkib:

“Mən Rafael Leaodan, eyni zamanda, Kristian Pulişiçdən danışıram. Pulişiç mövsümün ilk yarısında yaxşı oynadı, amma indi görünmür. Kristofer Nkunku da indikindən daha çox töhfə verə bilər. Düşünürəm ki, “Milan” inkişaf edə bilər”.

“Milan” hazırda A Seriyasının turnir cədvəlində lider “İnter”dən 5 xal geridədir.

The post “Pulişiç mövsümün ilk yarısında yaxşı oynadı, amma indi görünmür” appeared first on Komanda.az.

Türkiyə Kubokunda qrup mərhələsinin III turunun oyunları keçirilir.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, “Konyaspor” “Aliağa” klubunu darmadağın edib – 4:0. “Beşiktaş” səfərdə “Kocaelispor”la heç-heçə edib.

“Fənərbağça” azarkeşləri önündə “Ərzurumspor”a 3 qolla qalib gəlib.

Türkiyə kuboku
Qrup mərhələsi, III tur
5 fevral

B qrupu
Konyaspor – Aliağa 4:0

C qrupu
Kocaelispor – Beşiktaş 1:1
Fənərbağça – Ərzurumspor 3:1
Keçiörengücü – Qaziantep 1:5

Azərbaycanın U-21 millisinin məşqçisi Qara Qarayevə ağır itki üz verib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, mütəxəssisin atası Elxan Qarayev vəfat edib.

O, müalicə aldığı Mərkəzi Gömrük Hospitalında dünyasını dəyişib. (Qafqazinfo)

21 yaşadək futbolçulardan ibarət Azərbaycan milli komandasının məşqçisi vəzifəsini icra edən Qara Qarayev futbolçu kimi “Qarabağ”, “Neftçi”, “Araz-Naxçıvan” klublarında çıxış edib.

Roborock has launched the A30 2.0 floor scrubber, introducing key upgrades to its home cleaning lineup. The new model delivers 25,000Pa of suction power and features a redesigned wastewater deodorization system aimed at improving hygiene during and after cleaning. The product is priced at 1,999 yuan ($288) and is now available on JD.com.

Roborock A30 2.0 Specifications

The A30 2.0 supports a flat-lie design with a thickness of 12.5cm, allowing it to reach under low furniture like beds and sofas. The unit comes equipped with an 870ml clean water tank and a built-in battery that delivers up to 60 minutes of runtime. Roborock says this design enables it to clean larger areas in a single session.

The floor scrubber uses a dual shark-tooth system to manage hair tangles. It includes 141 dense shark teeth positioned to capture longer hair strands early, while a secondary scraper handles short pet hair and fine debris. The system directs collected debris into the wastewater tank to prevent brush clogs.

To tackle odor, Roborock has added a new deodorization module that separates solids from liquids and uses silver-ion technology to inhibit microbial growth. The company says this approach helps eliminate odor at the source and reduces the risk of secondary contamination over time.

The A30 2.0 also introduces a 95°C high-temperature self-cleaning cycle. This mode uses heat to dissolve grease and grime, followed by a quick drying sequence that restores the roller brush to a dry and fluffy state. Roborock has implemented a sealed heating system to prevent accidental contact and to protect children and pets from burns.

The vacuum offers five suction levels and multiple water spray modes for different surfaces. Its internal system includes a dry-wet separation layout and large-capacity water tanks to ensure uninterrupted cleaning without frequent refills.

In terms of physical design, the vacuum cleaner comes with an approximate height of 1170 mm and a width of around 260 mm. The body weight is about 4.8 kg.

In related news, DJI has recently launched the ROMO robot vacuum with 25,000Pa suction and up to 200 days of maintenance-free operation, while Roborock has unveiled the G30S Pro featuring 35,000Pa suction, Chassis Lift 3.0, sonic mopping, and AI-powered navigation.

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

Stay ahead in tech! Join our Telegram community and sign up for our daily newsletter of top stories!

(JD)

The post Roborock launches A30 2.0 floor scrubber with 25000Pa suction and new odor-control system appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s latest HyperOS 3.1 update isn’t just about new UI tweaks and ecosystem features. One of the biggest changes is the way system updates are downloaded and installed on devices. With this release, Xiaomi is introducing a new update architecture called SOTA (Super-OTA), designed to make the update process much smoother, faster and less disruptive for users.

What is SOTA and Why it Matters?

Traditionally, installing a system update on a smartphone or tablet involves downloading a patch, which then needs to be installed by rebooting your device so that the software can be applied. This can interrupt whatever you’re doing, whether you’re gaming, working, or using an application. Depending on how large an update is, this can lead to long waiting times while the device restarts and configures the new software build.

With HyperOS 3.1’s SOTA update structure, Xiaomi changes this behavior significantly. Instead of delivering large, fragmented patches that need separate restarts, the OS bundles system software and core app updates into a single unified package that can download and install in the background without forcing an immediate reboot. The only time your Xiaomi device needs to reboot is when there is a core component change. Even the, the process is much less disruptive.

Every Way SOTA Improves the User Experience

• Install quietly in the background, so you can keep using your device uninterrupted.
• Reduce the frequency of reboots, especially for minor fixes and app-module patches.
• Deliver faster bug fixes, since smaller packages can be rolled out and applied more efficiently without waiting for a big OS update cycle.

Update builds that use SOTA will typically include labels like C05 or C06 in their build number, indicating that both system and app modules have been included in a combined patch that avoids rebooting unless absolutely necessary.

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

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The post Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3.1 Makes Software Updates Seamless and Easier to Install with Super OTA appeared first on Gizmochina.

HKC has launched a new 27-inch QD-Mini LED gaming monitor, the G27M5Pro, under its Nebula series lineup. The monitor is now available on JD.com with an introductory price of 1,699 yuan ($244) during the first sales phase.

HKC G27M5Pro Specifications

The G27M5Pro uses a Fast IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a 16:9 aspect ratio. It supports an overclocked refresh rate of 340Hz and a 1ms GtG response time.

HKC uses a QD-Mini LED backlight system that includes 1,152 local dimming zones for precise control of brightness and contrast. The monitor reaches 550 nits of SDR brightness and up to 1,400 nits in HDR mode. It also holds VESA DisplayHDR 1400 certification.

For colors, the panel supports 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100% of the sRGB color space. HKC factory-calibrates the display and maintains an average Delta E value of 2 or less. The panel supports 10-bit color depth through 8-bit plus FRC, allowing it to display 1.07 billion colors.

The G27M5Pro integrates DIC 2.0 motion blur reduction technology. It allows users to choose from three levels of motion clarity enhancement. HKC synchronizes this with HDR and local dimming so that motion sharpness does not compromise image contrast. The monitor also supports LCD light tracking to reduce halo effects and improve responsiveness during fast transitions.

The monitor has a three-sided narrow-bezel design and a compact stand. The stand supports height adjustment, tilt, swivel, and pivot rotation. For connectivity, the monitor includes two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm audio output. The display also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and comes with a 100 x 100 mm VESA mount.

In related news, TCL has recently introduced the Thunderbird Q7A Pro QD-Mini LED gaming monitor featuring a 27-inch 2K 320Hz display, while BenQ has launched the MA270UP and MA320UP monitors in India, offering 4K IPS panels and USB-C connectivity tailored for Mac users.

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

Stay ahead in tech! Join our Telegram community and sign up for our daily newsletter of top stories!

(JD)

The post This 2K 340Hz QD-Mini LED gaming monitor from HKC costs less than $250 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Only days after its initial launch, Xiaomi has updated the Redmi Turbo 5 Max with a new model. The variant brings a higher RAM and storage configuration, giving buyers even more room for apps, photos, and games. This will be the new top end version that joins the existing Turbo 5 Max models.

Redmi Turbo 5 Max launches in 16GB + 1TB option

The Chinese tech giant just announced the release of the Redmi Turbo 5 Max in a 16GB + 1TB storage configuration. But aside from this bump in storage, it is practically the same as the other available variants. So it still sports a tall 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and up to 3,500 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, the device is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s chipset.

A massive 9,000mAh battery pack powers this model, which supports 100W wired fast charging and 27W reverse wired fast charging. For optics, the rear has a 50MP Light Fusion 500 main camera along with an 8MP ultra wide angle lens. Other notable features include NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, WiFi 6, and IP69K water and dust resistance. Previously, the Redmi Turbo 5 Max topped out at 16GB + 512GB, but you’re now getting 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage as the best variant.

Keep in mind that this new model is only available in China, and it is being sold in limited quantities due to the high production cost. Meaning, it is only being made in a small initial batch at the moment. The brand has priced the 16GB + 1TB Turbo 5 Max at around 3,399 Yuan, which is roughly about 490 US Dollars.

For more daily updates, please visit our News Section.

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The post Xiaomi Upgrades Redmi Turbo 5 Max with New 16GB + 1TB Model appeared first on Gizmochina.

Realme has begun sales of the Realme P4 Power 5G in India, and early numbers show a strong start. The phone went on sale at 12 PM today via realme.com, Flipkart, and offline retail stores. Realme says sales volume in the first hour was 291 percent higher than the previous generation, pointing to strong early demand in the mid-range segment.

The Realme P4 Power 5G was launched last week and is built around a 10,001mAh battery, which stands out in its price range. The company says the early response is driven by the large battery, high refresh rate display, and performance-focused hardware.

The phone features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution of 1280 × 2800 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It supports HDR10+, a 144Hz refresh rate, and up to 6500 nits peak brightness. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. Powering the device is the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra chipset built on a 4nm process. It has an octa-core CPU clocked up to 2.6GHz and a Mali-G615 MC2 GPU.

The Realme P4 Power 5G comes in three variants: 8GB RAM with 128GB storage, 8GB RAM with 256GB storage, and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage. RAM is LPDDR4X, and storage uses UFS 3.1. The phone runs Android 16 with realme UI 7.0. It supports dual nano SIM cards.

For cameras, the phone has a 50MP main rear camera with a 1 by 1.95-inch IMX882 sensor, f/1.8 aperture, and 2-axis OIS. It is paired with an 8MP ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Rear video recording goes up to 4K at 30fps. On the front, there is a 16MP Sony IMX480 camera with an f/2.4 aperture and 1080p video support.

Other features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, infrared sensor, USB Type-C audio, and a single bottom-ported speaker. The phone has IP66, IP68, and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings. It measures 162.26 × 76.15 × 9.08mm and weighs 219g. Connectivity options include 5G SA and NSA support across multiple bands, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and GPS with GLONASS and Beidou. The 10,001mAh battery supports 80W fast charging.

Pricing starts at an effective ₹23,999 with launch offers, going up to ₹28,999 for the top variant. First-sale offers include bank or exchange discounts, no-cost EMI options, and a limited four-year battery warranty.

(Source)

The post Realme P4 Power 5G Goes on Sale in India, Records 291% Higher First-Hour Sales appeared first on Gizmochina.

Portronics has launched the Moji 10, a compact 10,000mAh magnetic wireless power bank designed for users who prefer portability without compromising on fast charging capabilities.

Pricing and Availability

The Moji 10 is now available for purchase across Portronics.com, Amazon.in, other major e-commerce platforms, and authorised retail outlets in India. It comes in two colour options: White and Mocha, and is priced at ₹1,549 ($17).

Portronics Moji 10 Specifications

The Moji 10 supports 15W wireless magnetic charging with a stronger magnetic hold for improved stability. It works with MagSafe-compatible smartphones and can also be used with non-magnetic phones by attaching the included metal ring to the back.

The power bank also supports 20W wired Power Delivery output via a bi-directional Type-C port. The same port functions as an input for fast recharging of the power bank itself. Portronics includes a detachable Type-C cable with the Moji 10, allowing users to charge their phones without needing to carry separate accessories.

The Moji 10 weighs 160 grams and has a pocket-sized form factor that fits easily into a bag or hand. It features an LED battery indicator that shows the remaining power level. The design focuses on minimalism and portability, making it suitable for everyday carry and travel use.

Portronics has positioned the Moji 10 as its smallest wireless power bank to date. It supports wireless charging for devices such as smartphones and earbuds, including AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2. It also supports fast top-ups for phones, charging up to 50% in 30 minutes using the 20W wired connection. The product comes with a 12-month warranty.

In related news, Anker has recently launched the Zolo 35W 10,000mAh power bank with dual USB-C cables, while Baseus introduced a 200W 25,000mAh model featuring dual USB-C cables and 140W fast charging support.

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Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy A07 5G in India, expanding its popular A-series with a feature-packed yet affordable 5G phone. It is positioned in the budget segment, offering a smooth display, a sizeable battery, and long term software support, all for an affordable price tag.

Samsung Galaxy A07 5G Specs

The South Korean tech giant’s new Galaxy A07 sports a tall 6.7-inch LCD panel with an HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 800 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, the new entry-level phone is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, which is coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. This configuration should offer balanced performance for everyday use and some casual gaming. Out of the box, the Galaxy A07 runs on the Android 16 OS based One UI 8 custom skin.

Samsung is promising 6 major OS updates for this phone and another 6 years of security updates, which is uncommon in the budget segment. For photography, the rear has a 50MP primary shooter along with a 2MP depth sensor, while the front houses an 8MP camera for selfies and video calls. A large 6,000mAh battery pack powers this phone, with support for 25W wired fast charging. Other notable features include Samsung Knox Vault for data privacy, an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, and a microSD card slot for storage expansion up to 2TB.

Pricing and Availability

Samsung’s Galaxy A07 5G model was just announced in India in three color options, namely Black, Light Green, and Light Violet. The base 4GB + 128GB variant costs Rs 15,999, while the 6GB + 128GB model carries a Rs 17,999 price tag. It is available for purchase on Amazon India and the brand’s official website with a Rs 1,000 instant bank discount as a part of the launch offer.

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Infinix has officially introduced XOS 16, its latest operating system focused on delivering a simpler and more efficient smartphone experience. The update highlights improvements in AI capabilities, personalization, and gaming performance, while also refining the overall interface design to reduce clutter and improve everyday usability.

AI-focused features and smarter system experience

XOS 16 introduces a redesigned visual theme known as Glow-space, featuring fluid animations and a cleaner layout aimed at improving navigation and usability. Personalization receives a significant upgrade, allowing users to create custom themes, wallpapers, and visual styles using AI tools. Features such as Depth Effect aim to create continuity between lock screen and home screen elements, enhancing the immersive feel of the interface.

The new software places strong emphasis on AI-powered productivity. Tools like FlashMemo can convert notes into actionable tasks such as calls, reminders, or routes, while the AI assistant helps organise content and refine text inputs. Smart recommendations learn user behaviour over time and suggest apps or actions when needed.

Content consumption is also optimized through features like video summaries and energy-saving options during streaming sessions. Gaming performance has also been enhanced with frame interpolation and dedicated gaming tools designed to maintain stable frame rates and improve thermal efficiency.

Additional features such as voice commands and gaming-focused enhancements aim to deliver a more responsive and immersive experience. Battery intelligence is another key area of focus, with technologies intended to improve long-term battery health, manage heat during heavy use, and extend device lifespan.

Infinix XOS 16 availability

Infinix has confirmed that XOS 16 will debut on upcoming smartphones and will later roll out to eligible existing devices through phased updates. The company has not yet revealed the list of supported models, but more details regarding availability are expected to be announced soon.

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Announced in September 2025, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the company’s most powerful smartphone chipset until its successor arrives later this year. This flagship SoC already dominates some of the most popular benchmarks among all smartphone chipsets, and has been a strong choice for top-tier performance and excellent power efficiency.

Here, we’ll look at the benchmark scores of Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 from some popular and reliable platforms, including AnTuTu, Geekbench, and 3DMark.

Note: To obtain the benchmark scores, the tests have been performed on the iQOO 15, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 AnTuTu score

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered iQOO 15 achieves a total score of over 3.7 million on the AnTuTu benchmark (v11). The major contribution comes from the GPU, with a score of 1.4 million, while the CPU gets a little over a million. The memory and UX scores are also impressive at 435K and 827K, respectively.

While the iQOO 15 can’t reach the 4 million AnTuTu mark, the RedMagic 11 Pro, powered by the same chipset, does. This gaming smartphone unlocks the maximum performance of the device at the cost of high battery consumption, achieving an impressive 4,002,199 AnTuTu points.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Geekbench score

On Geekbench, the iQOO 15 (powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5) gets 3,649 points in the single-core test and 10,682 points in the multi-core test. These are solid Geekbench scores, which outperform MediaTek’s most powerful Dimensity 9500 chipset and, obviously, older Snapdragon chips with a big margin.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 3DMark score

The 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test shows results that are rather different from those of AnTuTu and Geekbench. Here, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered iQOO 15 reaches a high score of 7,240 and a low score of 3,219. Surprisingly, the Vivo X300 Pro, powered by Dimensity 9500, gets better scores.

The OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 15R, which are powered by older Snapdragon 8-series chipsets, also obtains higher low-score than the iQOO 15. What surprises me the most is that the iQOO 15 has the lowest stability of 44.5% of among all the devices the list.

Note that a chipset alone isn’t entirely responsible for the performance, as other aspects like OEM’s implementation, software optimizations, and cooling mechanism also play important roles. The result would be different on a different device powered by the same Qualcomm/MediaTek chipset.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 spec sheet

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Vivo, a brand known for its smartphones and high end mobile photography, is reportedly planning to enter the vlogging camera market with a new compact gadget that might be targeting creators and content makers. So here’s everything we know so far.

Vivo Vlogging Camera: New DJI Osmo Pocket Series Rival?

According to a fresh report, the Chinese tech giant is working on a dedicated vlogging camera device that is expected to launch by the end of this year. The new compact vlogging camera that could compete with DJI’s popular Osmo Pocket series of portable gimbal cameras. This would mark a notable expansion for Vivo beyond smartphones and accessories. It also signals its ambition to branch into dedicated imaging hardware that appeals to vloggers who want lightweight, handheld tools that deliver stabilised, high-quality footage without lugging around larger rigs.

Details about Vivo’s vlogging camera remain scarce, and the company has not officially revealed the product name, specs or price. However, insiders say the device is positioned to compete with DJI’s Osmo Pocket lineup, like the upcoming Osmo Pocket 4 and Pocket 3. Both of these are pocket friendly cameras that feature mechanical gimbal stabilization, touchscreen controls and high-resolution video capture.

If Vivo’s compact camera sees the light of day in 2026 as tipped, it could give creators a new vlogging camera option outside of popular brands like DJI, GoPro, and Insta360. Vivo has been collaborating with Zeiss for its lens and tuning on its flagship X series of smartphones, so we might also see an expansion of this partnership. Although, this is just a speculation at this point, so take this news with a pinch of salt.

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A new gaming-oriented mini PC has arrived that aims to deliver desktop-class performance in a highly compact system. The tiny new computer combines Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU with a top tier Intel Core Ultra series processor, and generous memory options. So here’s what SimplyNUC’s Jean Canyon NUC 15 Performance has to offer.

Jean Canyon NUC 15 Performance Specs: Beast of a Mini PC

Under the small hood, the mini PC can be configured with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, which is coupled with the RTX 5070 laptop GPU that offers 8GB of VRAM. But one of the highlights is the memory capacity, with the option to buy the tiny system with a whopping 96GB of DDR5 RAM. This makes it one of the few mini PCs that is capable of supporting this much RAM.

In other words, you can expect great heavy multitasking, visualizing, and large scale creative workflows, apart from just gaming. Storage is handled via dual M.2 SSD slots with support for PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 drives, and users can scale up to 8TB total capacity. Despite its small footprint (around 3 liters in volume), the system doesn’t skimp on connectivity. It offers a wide range of ports, including multiple USB-A (USB-3.2 Gen2), Thunderbolt 4/USB4 Type-C, dual HDMI 2.1, dual DisplayPort 2.1, 2.5 Gb Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

As of right now, the pricing details of the Jean Canyon NUC 15 Performance are still at large. But the brand has confirmed the base storage configuration, which will start from 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. So the higher end options are likely quite expensive, especially considering the current pricing for PC components like RAM. In related news, Minix recently announced the new Neo Z95 mini PC with modest specs.

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Oppo is said to be working on two Find X9s-branded phones. Recent reports have revealed that the Dimensity 9500-powered Find X9s Pro may launch in China by March alongside the Find X9 Ultra and the Find N6 foldable. However, a new report claims that there is another Find X9s variant in development, featuring a different Dimensity chipset specifically aimed at global markets.

Oppo Find X9s specifications (rumored)

According to the report, the global Find X9s may feature a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. In terms of cameras, it is expected to include a triple rear setup comprising a 200-megapixel main camera and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens. Interestingly, these specifications appear similar to those rumoured for China’s Find X9s Pro, which is also said to feature the same display and camera configuration.

The key difference between the two models could lie in the chipset. The global Find X9s is said to be powered by the recently launched Dimensity 9500s, which is believed to be slightly less powerful than the standard Dimensity 9500. On the other hand, the Find X9s Pro intended for the Chinese market is expected to feature the regular Dimensity 9500.

Other details about the Find X9s remain under wraps, but early speculation suggests that both models may include batteries around the 7,000mAh mark. The device is also expected to arrive in colour options such as Titanium, Orange, and Blue.

Oppo Find X9s global launch timeframe (rumored)

The report indicates that Oppo could introduce the Find X9s in Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, with India also expected to receive the device during the second quarter of the year. It remains unclear whether the global versions of the Find X9 Ultra and the Find N6 foldable will be unveiled alongside the Find X9s, but more clarity may emerge closer to launch.

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(source)

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Honor has confirmed that it will be present at MWC 2026, which will take place between March 2 and 6. The brand is expected to showcase its futuristic Robot phone alongside unveiling the Honor Magic V6 foldable. Ahead of the anticipated launch, the device is already securing multiple certifications. In the latest development, it has received approval from China’s 3C authority, revealing what could be the fastest charging speeds ever seen on a foldable smartphone.

Honor Magic V6 3C certified

An upcoming Honor phone carrying two model number variants, PNM-AN10 and PNM-AN20, has appeared on the 3C certification platform. The PNM-AN10 is believed to be the standard version of the Honor Magic V6, while the PNM-AN20 is said to be the Beidou edition (supporting short message service via satellite connection).

Both models reportedly support 120W fast charging, a significant milestone that could set a new benchmark for foldable devices. Reports also suggest that “PNM” may be an internal codename referring to Phenom.

Last month, batteries associated with the Magic V6 were also approved through 3C filings. Its top-end variant is expected to feature a large 7,000mAh rated dual-cell battery with a typical capacity of around 7,150mAh. The other variant may include a 6,700mAh rated battery with a typical capacity of approximately 6,850mAh.

Honor Magic V6 specifications (rumored)

The Honor Magic V6 is rumored to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and is expected to support wireless charging. The current engineering prototype reportedly includes a 200-megapixel main camera alongside a mid-tier periscope telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom. Additional expected features include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a fibreglass build with dust and water resistance, and a thinner profile compared to its predecessor.

Colour options tipped for the device include Snow White, Velvet Black, Red Hare, and Sunrise Gold. For reference, the previous generation measured around 4.1 to 4.2mm when unfolded, 8.8 to 9mm when folded, and weighed 217 / 222 grams, suggesting that the upcoming model could aim for even slimmer dimensions while improving battery capacity and charging speeds.

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