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Guardian writers’ predicted position: 2nd (NB: this is not necessarily Jamie Jackson’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 2ndProspectsEnzo Maresca was already in herculean task mode by signing on as the man charged with continuing the dynasty built by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before Rodri decided to leave the club and join Barcelona. The 30-year-old may be headed for a second Ballon d’Or after his displays in Spain’s triumphant World Cup campaign, so the loss of a midfielder capable of moulding games domestically and in the Champions League represents a sizeable blow for Maresca.There are…

Afrobeats star David “Davido” Adeleke has reflected on his uncle, Ademola Adeleke’s re-election as Osun State governor, claiming that he took on 17 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors with just his mobile phone. The “Unavailable” hitmaker, who played a key role in Adeleke’s re-emergence as governor, also spoke about President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, among others, during an interview with News Central TV on Tuesday. The singer said: “I defeated 17 governors with all their power, with all their immunity, with all their aides, with all their escort commanders, with all their…

 Anayo Okolie As Clan Chief Francis Udochukwu Nwaogwugwu, popularly known as Mune, clocks 40 years today, it has become imperative to celebrate a man who has demonstrated determination, generosity and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Turning 40 is more than a celebration of age; it is a celebration of a journey marked by experiences, challenges, victories, lessons and accomplishments. For Mune, the milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on the path he has travelled and the impact he has continued to make in the lives of those around him. Over the years, Mune has distinguished himself as a passionate entrepreneur…

  The Nigerian Exchange Limited and Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited have called for greater participation in market making and securities lending to deepen liquidity, improve price discovery and strengthen the efficiency of Nigeria’s equities market. The call was made on Tuesday during a webinar themed, “Unlocking Liquidity in the Equities Market: The Role of Market Making and Securities Lending.” The event brought together market operators and stakeholders to examine how both mechanisms could support trade execution and broader participation in the secondary market. Opening the session, the Chief Executive Officer of NGX, Jude Chiemeka, described liquidity as the “lifeblood of…

The Pentagon has contracted a defence manufacturer to increase the output of cruise missiles.It’s a multibillion-dollar deal that some military analysts say confirms suspicions that the United States is running out of critical munitions.The Pentagon has contracted defence company Raytheon to significantly increase its output of Tomahawk missiles.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listRaytheon has supplied the US with weapons for decades, but this time is different.The company is set to deliver the Tomahawks at an unprecedented scale and speed.How important are these missiles to US defence strategy?And could this ignite a global arms race – and lead to…

Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, speaks to members of the media on the Senate Subway while heading to a meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 29, 2026.Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesOpenAI on Tuesday announced ChatGPT for Teens, a dedicated chatbot experience for users under 18 that the company said is designed to include “stronger built-in safety protections.” ChatGPT for Teens builds on several features that OpenAI has launched over the last year, including Study Mode, which aims to help students work through problems step-by-step, as well as age prediction and a number of parental controls. The…

OpenAI on ⁠Tuesday said it had slowed down the ⁠pace of ⁠its ​AI development while it overhauled its ⁠research and training systems.The company’s researchers were ⁠caught unaware last month ​when an ‌AI agent ‌under testing hacked another AI ‌firm, Hugging Face.The AI research lab behind ChatGPT said its new measures included pausing its model testing for two ‌weeks and investing more in adding other AI ​systems to monitor the activities of AI agents in testing. Some of ⁠the company’s largest planned training runs ​remain ​on hold, ​the company said.The company ​did ‌not reply ​to ​questions about when the slowdown began…

Andy Burnham has registered accepting £345,000 of donations over the past year including £164,347 from businessman Lord Sainsbury. The donations, listed in the most recent version of the MPs’ register of interests,, external are the prime minister’s first declarations since he was elected to Parliament in June. Separately, Burnham has also listed hospitality and gifts he received in the year before he returned to Parliament, including trips to Glastonbury, Lancashire Cricket Club and the Aintree Racecourse.A Labour Party spokesperson said: “It’s right that political campaigns are funded by the generous support of party donors, rather than via the public purse.”All…

Kratom, a psychoactive plant that can produce opioid like effects at high doses, has been linked to a sharp rise in poison center reports and serious medical outcomes across the United States. New research published in Addiction found that reported kratom exposures have increased dramatically over the past decade. According to the study, kratom exposures reported to America’s Poison Centers climbed from just 19 cases in 2010 to 1,242 cases in 2023. That represents an increase of more than 65 times (6,500%). Serious cases also became much more common. There were no severe outcomes reported in 2010 (2012 was the…

The top stories and transfer rumours from Wednesday’s newspapers…PREMIER LEAGUEBarcelona and Spain midfielder Gavi has rejected the chance to join Manchester United – The Mirror Marcus Rashford has left Manchester United officials ‘seriously impressed’ following his return to the club after his loan spell at Barcelona – Daily Mail Watch Paper Talk on Sky Sports News Paper Talk is a review of the sports headlines from the national newspapers, every Monday to Friday, live on Sky Sports News from 10.30pm. Missed the show? Catch up on the latest news with the Paper Talk podcast. Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton is…