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The race for the final seven places in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase reaches its decisive stage this week, with 14 clubs set to battle across seven play-off ties. The first legs will be played on August 18 and 19, with the return fixtures scheduled for August 25 and 26. The seven winners will secure places in the Champions League league phase, while the losing teams will drop into the UEFA Europa League league phase. Here are the seven play-off fixtures: Champions League Play-Off Fixtures Fenerbahçe vs Lyon Celtic vs LASK N.E.C. vs Bodø/Glimt AEK Athens vs Levski…

MultiChoice Nigeria on Monday revealed the reasons behind Chinaecherem “Neche” Maduagwu’s exit from the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality show. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the 25-year-old, who served as the Head of House for the week, voluntarily withdrew from the show shortly after Sunday’s live eviction show. The lawyer and entrepreneur did not disclose the reason for her decision, leaving her fellow housemates emotional and her fans surprised. However, in a statement posted on the show’s Instagram page, the organisers said Neche left the reality show due to pressing personal matters. The statement read in part: “MultiChoice Nigeria and the…

Epic Systems is working with medical care providers and an increasing number of health insurers to modernize prior authorization, the controversial process of insurers reviewing hospital admissions and medications. In this photo, Epic founder and chief executive officer Judy Faulkner speaks at the annual Forbes Healthcare Summit December 4, 2025 at NYU Langone Health in New York City.Jamel ToppinEpic Systems is working with medical care providers and an increasing number of health insurers to modernize prior authorization, the process of insurers reviewing hospital admissions and medications.Meeting this week at its Verona, Wis., headquarters for its annual users group meeting, the…

YouTube will soon count a view as soon as a video starts to play, lining up with the system used by Instagram, TikTok, and its Shorts videos. The update will go into effect on August 24th, “which means creators will likely see their total view counts increase faster moving forward,” the platform says.YouTube says it’s going to keep its original view-counting method under an “engaged views” metric in its Analytics dashboard. As my colleague David Pierce notes, it’s not entirely clear how YouTube counted views before this, but “it’s generally accepted wisdom that you have to watch 30 seconds of…

Reform’s deputy leader has been accused of spreading misinformation after he dismissed efforts to tackle the climate crisis and urged British people to enjoy the warmth of the recent heatwaves.Richard Tice prompted a backlash from nurses, medical experts and green campaigners on Monday after he told a press conference he believed it was “arrogant” to try to stop the climate emergency, while encouraging people to focus on upsides such as better English wine.Asked about the recent extreme heat, Tice told a press conference: “Of course, the climate changes, but where is the evidence that net zero is going to stop…

Lagos-based rising Afrobeats singer Oladikupo David, popularly known as DaveCash, has recounted how he bounced back from an unsuccessful audition to emerge first runner-up of the inaugural Next Afrobeats Star, securing a ₦100 million music deal. DaveCash’s journey in the competition almost ended before it began. At his initial audition, three judges voted against his progression, leaving him out of the next stage. Rather than give up, the singer took another route, submitting a demo through the competition’s online entry platform. His submission was selected, handing him a second chance that eventually took him all the way to the finale.…

Mark Chapman and guests debate the weekend’s football.

Ngozi Adeleke, wife of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has revealed that her husband’s famous dancing skills predate his political career, recalling how he danced at their traditional wedding. Speaking in a recent interview with Vanguard, Adeleke said her husband’s dancing earned him the nickname ‘Jackson’, adding that she enjoys watching him display his famous moves. She explained that her husband was not involved in politics when they got married, saying his elder brother was the one active in politics at the time. The governor, who has earned the nickname “Dancing Governor”, has made his energetic dance moves a defining…

Key eventsThat’s all, folks!Jess Cartner-Morley​That was so much fun! Thanks for all the great questions. Love that we covered everything from Oscar Wilde and Andy Burnham to synthetic fibres and the future of the French Tuck. You guys are the best, a pleasure to chat with you so come say hi if you see me in the wild!ShareDoes fashion week matter now?InJoch asks: Do fashion weeks actually matter anymore? Why do we care what the top designers are saying/doing? Don’t people just wear whatever they want now?Jess: double quotation markFashion weeks matter as much as ever but for totally different…

* 61,888 cases, 1,230 deaths recorded across Africa in five months Michael Olugbode in Abuja The European Union (EU)  has released €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria and three other African countries to contain the spread of cholera, as the disease continues to pose a major public health threat across the continent. Nigeria will receive the largest share of the intervention, €1.5 million, to strengthen its response to the outbreak, including the deployment of additional intervention teams, provision of cholera kits and intensified water, sanitation and hygiene measures. The European Commission announced the funding on Monday, saying the…