Author: Andrew Rogers

Los Angeles FC star Son Heung-min is now the second-highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, earning $10.4 million in annual salary and $11.2 million in total compensation, according to league figures. Son joined LAFC in August after over a decade at Tottenham Hotspur and has scored nine goals in 10 MLS matches. Only Lionel Messi earns more — the Inter Miami captain receives $12 million in base salary and $20.4 million total compensation. Messi recently agreed to a contract extension through 2028. His new teammate Rodrigo De Paul earns $1.5 million annually, with $3.6 million in total compensation. Other top…

New national climate plans from more than 60 countries would reduce global carbon emissions by only 10% by 2035, just a fraction of what is needed to meet the 1.5C Paris Agreement target, according to a UN analysis released on Tuesday. The plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), outline how countries intend to cut emissions over the next decade. The UN’s review found progress but warned that the pace of change remains far too slow. “We have a serious need for more speed,” said Simon Stiell, the UN’s top climate official. “That acceleration must start now.” Some major emitters,…

Juventus have dismissed head coach Igor Tudor following an eight-game winless streak across all competitions, the club confirmed on Monday. “Juventus FC announces that it has today relieved Igor Tudor of his duties as coach of the men’s first team, along with his staff,” the club said in a statement, one day after a 1-0 defeat to Lazio. Reserve-team boss Massimo Brambilla will take temporary charge. Tudor, who replaced Thiago Motta in March, was Juventus’s first foreign manager since Didier Deschamps in 2006–07. A former centre-back for the club, he spent nearly a decade in Turin, winning two Serie A…

U.S. and China have reached a preliminary trade deal framework ahead of a major summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. The agreement aims to ease tensions and create a foundation for broader economic cooperation. The preliminary deal includes a delay in implementing planned steep tariffs on key imports. Both countries hope this pause will create a more stable environment for trade negotiations and avoid disruptions to global markets. A major component of the framework is the potential approval of the TikTok sale in the United States. Discussions are ongoing about the terms and timeline for the social…

The US and China have agreed on a final deal to transfer ownership of TikTok’s US operations, according to Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, marking a major step in negotiations that have stretched across multiple administrations. “We reached a final deal on TikTok,” Bessent said during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday. He added that the agreement was completed in Madrid and will be formally signed by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting in Korea later this week. While Bessent declined to reveal specifics, he said the TikTok arrangement was part of a larger US–China…

The Co-op has instructed staff to promote vapes more prominently in stores as part of a drive to recover sales lost following a major cyber-attack earlier this year, internal documents reveal. According to a leaked briefing titled Powering Up: Focus Sprint: Cigs, Tobacco and Vape, the retailer has been losing about £1m in sales per week since the April hack disrupted operations and caused widespread stock shortages. The document says around 100,000 transactions per week have been lost, with many customers forming “new habits” by shopping elsewhere for cigarettes and vapes. To address this, the Co-op is expanding its vape…

Experts are calling for cigarette-style cancer warnings on bacon and ham sold in the UK, warning that chemicals used in their production are linked to bowel cancer. The demand comes a decade after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meats such as bacon and ham as carcinogenic to humans, placing them in the same category as tobacco and asbestos. Despite this, scientists say successive governments have done “virtually nothing” to address the risk from nitrites, which are used to cure meat and preserve its pink colour. According to researchers, inaction since the WHO’s 2015 declaration has led to 54,000…

The weight-loss drug semaglutide — best known under the brand name Wegovy — significantly lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, even in patients who do not lose much weight, according to a major international study published in The Lancet. Researchers from University College London analysed data from more than 17,600 adults across 41 countries who were overweight or obese. Half received weekly semaglutide injections, while the others were given a placebo. The study found that those taking semaglutide had a 20% lower risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death — regardless of…

A major UK study has found that different antidepressants can vary significantly in their side-effects, including changes in weight, heart rate, and blood pressure. Researchers from King’s College London and the University of Oxford analysed data from 151 clinical trials involving more than 58,000 participants who took 30 different antidepressants. They discovered that some medications can lead to noticeable physical changes within just two months of use. For instance, the drug maprotiline was linked to an average 2kg weight gain, while agomelatine was associated with an average 2.5kg weight loss — a 4kg difference overall. Nearly half of patients taking…

Pizza Hut is closing 68 restaurants across the UK, along with 11 delivery-only sites, after the company behind its UK operations, DC London Pie, went into administration. The restructuring, overseen by corporate finance firm FTI Consulting, puts around 1,210 jobs at risk. However, a pre-pack administration deal with US parent company Yum! Brands — which also owns KFC and Taco Bell — will preserve 64 restaurants and secure 1,276 jobs. The closures span the country, from Finchley Lido in London to Carlisle in Cumbria and Rhyl in north Wales. The surviving restaurants will now be operated directly by Yum! Brands.…