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For all the talk about new signings – of which Liverpool will certainly make more this transfer window – Szoboszlai’s new contract will be one of the most important deals in Andoni Iraola’s first summer at Anfield.Szoboszlai is a brilliant footballer and Liverpool see him as a future leader. Securing his services with his best years ahead of him is a much better look for the club after the way they lost Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid.With the dressing room losing the likes of Salah, Robertson and Konate this summer – and Alisson and Virgil van Dijk’s…

India’s local box office closed the first six months of 2026 at INR6,398 crore ($664.7 million), the highest-grossing first half of any year since the pandemic, according to a new report from Ormax Media. The figure, which does not include global collections, surpasses the same period in 2025 by nearly INR650 crore ($67.5 million). “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” was the standout performer of the period, contributing approximately 20% of the total India box office for the first half of the year – a concentration that points to a widening gap between tentpole releases and the rest of the market. Six films…

Like many people, I’m becoming more concerned about sustainability and the ingredients in my personal care products. Natural deodorants have become more appealing, especially with refillable options becoming more common. Unlike antiperspirants, which tend to use aluminium salts to reduce sweating, natural deodorants are usually aluminium-free. Instead, many use absorbent powders, such as tapioca starch, to soak up moisture, alongside ingredients such as sodium bicarbonate to help neutralise the odour caused by bacteria.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Once confined to health shops, they’re now firmly mainstream, with…

Michael Olugbode in Abuja China has announced plans to offer developing countries 5,000 opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) training and seminars over the next five years, as President Xi Jinping called for a new global system to ensure that the rapidly advancing technology does not deepen inequality between rich and poor nations. Xi made the announcement on Friday at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, where he unveiled a broad international cooperation agenda targeting AI development, capacity building and governance. The Chinese leader also announced plans to establish…

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The head of Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mrs. Clementine Wamba, has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over. She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan. Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country…

Lagos, Nigeria– CardinalStone Partners, Nigeria’s leading independent investment banking and multi-asset management firm, has been recognised with two of the industry’s highest honours at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, winning Nigeria’s Best Investment Bank for M&A and Nigeria’s Best for Capital Markets Advisory. The awards were presented at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence ceremony in London, which brought together leading financial institutions from across the world to celebrate excellence in banking and financial services. Widely regarded as one of the most respected benchmarks of excellence in global financial services, the Euromoney Awards for Excellence recognises institutions that have demonstrated…

Smoke from devastating wildfires in Canada is blanketing a large swath of the Midwest and Northeast this week, causing cities across the region to issue air quality warnings.The extreme levels of smoke mean that even able-bodied adults would be wise to take some precautions to protect their health. The increasing severity of wildfires across the continent—driven in part by climate change—means that even places where blazes aren’t burning will still suffer the impact.More than 100 fires are burning out of control across Canada as of Wednesday, with hundreds more being monitored or battled. The smoke has drifted south and east,…

Original SinKathryn Paige Harden Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2026)A 2021 analysis of genetic data from 1.5 million people, co-published by psychologist Kathryn Paige Harden, concluded that some DNA sequences were more common in people with an addiction than in those without. “This conflation of genetics with incorrigibility is yet another legacy of the doctrine of original sin,” Harden remarks in her intriguing study of what causes human wrongdoing, informed by a Christian upbringing that she later rejected. DNA, as with original sin, “cannot definitely say that you will commit a crime”.Tell Me Where It HurtsRachel Zoffness Grand Central (2026)Pain is a…

United States President Donald Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, with the White House confirming that he will make his first appearance at the tournament for its showpiece finale at the New Jersey Stadium. The announcement ends weeks of speculation over the US leader’s involvement in the closing stages of the competition, after FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed in June that Mr Trump would attend the final and present the World Cup trophy to the newly crowned champions. Although Infantino’s comments had not been officially confirmed at the time, the White…

The first official images from the highly anticipated fantasy film Children of Blood and Bone have been unveiled, offering audiences their clearest look yet at the adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling novel and its imagined world of Orïsha. The newly released promotional stills showcase several of the film’s principal characters in elaborate costumes, armour and regal attire, highlighting the production’s West African-inspired aesthetic. First look, Cast The images feature lead actress Thuso Mbedu as Zélie Adebola, alongside Tosin Cole as Tain, Amandla Stenberg as Princess Amari, and Damson Idris as Prince Inan. Damson Idris and Cynthia Erivo (CREDIT: BellaNaija) Tosin…