By Deena Beasley Health insurer Cigna is in merger talks with Humana, a source familiar with the matter

American boat 11th Hour was named winner of The Ocean Race when the race jury awarded it four points in compensation for a collision with a competitor...

The Colorado Buffaloes will play another late game when they host Stanford on Friday night at sold-out Folsom Field

HAMAMATSU, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 20, 2023--

“If you don’t improve I’m selling you.” A young Jess Carter is sat in the middle of a white-walled room at Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham, a tactics board behind her, a fleet of analysts and fitness staff, all armed with laptops, positioned on the outside, quietly looking in. Carter is chewing gum and looks bored, frustrated to have been hauled aside to hear the same old message. Facing her is Emma Hayes. “I want you to show every f***ing day that you give a f*** about yourself,” Hayes says. “It’s up to you to decide your future.” Four years later, it is clear what future Carter decided to choose. Now 26, the Chelsea defender is an established England international, having just played a key role in the Lionesses reaching the World Cup final this summer. When Carter first arrived at Chelsea, Hayes found a player who struggled to keep herself fit or follow a regimented diet. Chelsea’s fitness staff were exasperated and Carter’s confidence was on the floor: she did not think she was good enough to play for her country, but Hayes saw and believed in her potential and, crucially, how it could be brought out. What followed won’t be included on Hayes’s list of honours or medals when the manager leaves Chelsea at the end of the season. “Highly decorated” does not even begin to cover what Hayes has achieved at Chelsea, or the legacy she will leave behind after the shock news that this season will be her last at Stamford Bridge and Kingsmeadow, with the glamour of the USA job calling. Under Hayes, the days of triumph and glory Chelsea have celebrated since her appointment in 2012 have been unrivalled, stretched across an unprecedented decade of dominance. Yet if the dynasty Hayes built can be measured in titles, its foundations are in success stories like Carter’s – and the manager who set the environment where she could become the player she is today. “If you sleepwalk your way through life, you won’t survive,” Hayes goes on to say in the DAZN documentary One Team, One Dream. Certainly, it reveals some insights into the ruthless trophy-winning machine that has dominated women’s football in England over the last decade, claiming six Women’s Super Leagues, five Women’s FA Cups and two League Cups, and which in recent years has barely given anyone else a sniff. That could change now Hayes will be leaving the WSL, heading towards a position that is outside club football altogether. The 47-year-old will take up the vacancy at the United States women’s national team, with the four-time World Cup winners appointing her as successor to Vlatko Andonovski after their disastrous last-16 exit from this year’s tournament. Hayes was said to be US Soccer’s first choice for the job and reports in the US suggest she will receive an equal salary to the men’s head coach Gregg Berhalter, at £1.3m per year – making her the highest-paid women’s football coach in the world. Given Hayes’s record in women’s football, such an offer from US Soccer should only be considered the minimum. The English manager is the outstanding club coach in the women’s game and the only area that Chelsea have fallen short in has been in their pursuit of a first Champions League title, after reaching the final in 2021 and the semi-finals last season. It would be fair to include this as a criticism, given how Hayes has been backed by Chelsea and the resources available to the club. After all, it was that support that led to Chelsea signing Sam Kerr, the striker who took Hayes’s side to another level and whose taste for the big moments came to mirror their own sense of inevitability. But in dominating the domestic scene, Hayes created a culture where the values of graft and grind were placed on a pedestal. Over the years, much of their trophy procession felt self-fulfilling. It came from the top, where Hayes reinforced the message and stamped out complacency at the start of every season, sustaining Chelsea’s superiority in a league that was so often decided by fine margins. If the history of team sports shows there are often natural, unavoidable drop-offs in performance and motivation following periods of success, there has been little hint of that at Chelsea in recent years. Which is what makes Hayes’s move to the USA so fascinating. “Arrogance” and “complacency” were the very words used to describe how the USA ceded their position as the dominant force in international women’s football, as illustrated by their disastrous defence of their World Cup title in Australia and New Zealand. Their performances up to and including that last-16 defeat to Sweden highlighted a squad that was long past its best, and a system where players had the power and were picked based on their reputations. Naturally, many of the issues that Hayes inherits will lie below the surface and could take years to resolve, primarily how the US has fallen behind Europe in the production of young talent. Hayes’s previous experience before arriving at Chelsea is set to be beneficial, given she started her coaching career in the US college system in the early 2000s and landed her first professional managerial position with the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League. As Hayes will remain with Chelsea until the end of the season, there is time to assess what is required ahead of what would be her primary goal of recapturing the World Cup in 2027. But it is in the dressing room where Hayes’s immediate targets and her strictest standards will be made clear – just like she told Carter all those years ago. “Get better or I’ll get someone else.” Perhaps the USA have not heard enough of that in recent years. Now a team in need of a reset will be charged with the ultimate cultural makeover. Before then, though, there are more trophies with Chelsea to win. Read More Emma Hayes: Winning Champions League would be fairytale end to time at Chelsea The ‘crazy’ debate once again at the heart of the Women’s Champions League Chelsea defeat Everton in WSL as Manchester City slip up against Brighton Emma Hayes says ‘time is right’ to move on from Chelsea after 12 years Emma Hayes to take charge of USA after final season at Chelsea Candidates to take over as Chelsea boss after Emma Hayes decides to move on

John Cena is undoubtedly one of the most iconic WWE Superstars of all time. Following his surprise appearance at The O2 London during WWE Money in the Bank, Cena will be returning to SmackDown on Friday 1st September at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania and appearing at WWE Superstar Spectacle at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, India, on Friday 8th September. Cena will also appear on SmackDown for seven consecutive weeks, beginning Friday 15th September through to the end of October. John Cena has proven himself to be the G.O.A.T. in a myriad of ways, from his big screen moments to his philanthropy. Here are six reasons why the WWE Universe keep wanting more: 1. His character: Cena's personality and strong connection with his audience, especially when it comes to his younger fans, cemented his status as a WWE legend long ago. His signature catchphrases - "Never Give Up and "You Can't See Me” - have transcended the WWE Universe and permeated mainstream global culture. His ability to create exciting matches, promos and voiceovers are what has made him one of the most loved WWE Superstars in history. 2. His trophy cabinet: During his expansive WWE career, Cena has become a 16-time WWE Champion - a record he currently shares with two-time WWE Hall of Famer, Ric Flair. During his time on the main WWE roster, Cena has feuded with other big-name WWE Superstars including Randy Orton, Edge, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. 3. His good heart: Cena's philanthropic efforts, including his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, have earned him a great deal of respect and admiration. Cena holds the current Guinness World Record for granting the most Make-a-Wish wishes in history - 650 and counting - which The Guinness World Records site hailed as a “herculean” effort. 4. His following: Almost 20 million people follow John Cena on Instagram, where his random approach to posting often leaves fans confused, but intrigued. Over on X, Cena likes to wax philosophical, with 14 million followers logging on for his daily nuggets of wisdom. “The real challenge often starts after the finish line”, Cena posted last week. 5. His acting skills: Cena's mainstream popularity extends well beyond the WWE Universe. John Cena has starred in blockbuster Hollywood movies including the "Fast & Furious" franchise, "Trainwreck," "Bumblebee" and of course, 2023’s hottest Hollywood release, “Barbie” - where he played Mermaid Ken, alongside Mermaid Barbie, Dua Lipa. 6. His gravitas: Many fellow wrestlers and industry professionals have spoken highly of Cena's professionalism, leadership, and willingness to help others succeed in the business. Click here to see Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair, Kevin Owens and The Miz share the lessons they’ve learned from the legendary John Cena. John Cena will make his triumphant return to SmackDown in Hershey, Pennsylvania this week, and in India just a week later. Tune in on TNT Sports Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

“This is one of those quick and easy recipes that can be thrown together in next to no time,” says British-Iranian chef and author, Sabrina Ghayour. “I love this kind of dish with a green leaf salad and a simple vinaigrette on the side, but you can also cut it into smaller portions and serve it as snacks or light bites with drinks, too.” Courgette, lemon, feta and pine nut tart Serves: 4 Ingredients: 200g feta cheese, finely crumbled 250g ricotta cheese 1 tsp dried mint 1 tsp dried wild oregano 2 tsp lemon extractfinely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet (about 350mm x 230mm) 1 courgette, very thinly slicedolive oil Handful of pine nuts 2 tbsp clear honey ½ tsp pul biber chilli flakes (omit if you prefer) Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan), gas mark 7. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 2. Put the feta, ricotta, dried herbs and lemon extract and zest into a mixing bowl with a good seasoning of salt and pepper and beat together until smooth. 3. Place the puff pastry sheet on the lined tray and score a 1cm-wide border around the edges, then spread the cheese mixture across the pastry up to the scored border. 4. Lay the courgette slices, slightly overlapping, on the cheese mixture, season well with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter over the pine nuts and bake for 16-18 minutes until the pastry edges are nicely browned. 5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the pul biber before serving. Crispy sticky harissa lamb “Cantonese crispy shredded chilli beef is one of my all-time favourite dishes,” says Ghayour. “This is very much my own creation and my nod to that wonderful combination of sweet and sticky, crispy and chewy bites of meat, but using lamb and adding peppers to the mix instead of carrots. It’s an explosion of flavour that ticks every box.” Serves: 3-4 Ingredients: 6 tbsp cornflour 350g lamb leg steaks, cut into 1cm-wide strips Vegetable oil, for frying 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into very thin strips 5 spring onions, thinly sliced from root to tip, reserve some for garnish Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Steamed white rice, to serve For the sauce: 5 tbsp clear honey 4 tbsp rose harissa 3 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp cornflour Method: 1. Mix the cornflour with a very generous amount of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, add the strips of lamb and really work the cornflour into the lamb for a minute or so. Set aside. 2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, pour in about 2.5cm vegetable oil and bring to frying temperature (add a little bit of a lamb strip: if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough). Line a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper. 3. While the oil is heating up, place a small saucepan over a medium heat, add all the sauce ingredients and whisk together until no lumps of cornflour remain and the mixture is smooth. Heat the sauce through, but do not let it bubble or burn, then remove from the heat. 4. Fry the lamb strips in batches in the hot oil for about two to three minutes, or until very crisp on the outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain. 5. Heat another large frying pan over a high heat, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and stir-fry the onion and red pepper until browned a little. Add the lamb strips followed by the sauce and toss together until evenly coated with the sauce, then add the spring onions and combine well. Serve immediately scattered with the reserved spring onions and alongside steamed white rice. This needs no accompaniment. Tahini, almond and chocolate crumble cookies “I cannot tell you how satisfying these cookies are – so much so that I usually have a bag of the cookie dough balls stashed in my freezer ready for baking whenever the craving hits,” says Ghayour. “The texture is crumbly in an almost sandy way and the absolute optimum moment to enjoy them is 30 minutes out of the oven, when the cookies have cooled down, but the chocolate is still gooey.” Makes: 14 Ingredients: 125g salted butter, softened 125g soft light brown sugar 75g caster sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon 100g tahini (use the solids and avoid the oil as much as possible) 150g plain flour ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 50g blanched almonds, roughly chopped 200g dark chocolate chunks (70% cocoa solids) Method: 1. Beat the softened butter, sugars and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Then add the tahini and mix until smooth. Next, add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix until evenly combined. Finally, add the almonds and dark chocolate chunks and mix until evenly distributed. 2. Weigh the cookie dough, divide into 14 equal portions and form each into a ball. Chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or overnight if preferred. Once chilled, you can then freeze the cookie dough balls for later use. 3. To bake, preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan), gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 4. Place your dough balls, well spaced out, on the lined tray and gently flatten them (omit this stage if using frozen dough). Bake for 16 minutes (or 18 from frozen). Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for 30 minutes, then enjoy. ‘Flavour’ by Sabrina Ghayour (Aster, £26). Read More Four delicious ways to use up leftover pumpkin this Halloween World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs How to make a classic lasagne Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider

It seems the Winter Express LTM will make its return in Apex Legends Season 15.

By Dietrich Knauth A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved Party City Holdco's Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan, which

An artificial intelligence system has achieved a key milestone by winning multiple races against three world-class drone-racing champions, marking the first time AI has beat humans at a physical sport. The AI system called Swift, developed by researchers from the University of Zurich in Germany and Intel, could prove its mettle in first-person view (FPV) drone racing – a sport in which pilots fly quadcopters at speeds exceeding 100kmph. Until now AI systems have achieved a number of remarkable victories over humans in a range of strategy-based games, including IBM’s Deep Blue winning at chess against Gary Kasparov in 1996 and Google’s AlphaGo defeating top Go champion Lee Sedol in 2016. However, physical sports are more challenging for AI as they are less predictable than board or video games. “We don’t have a perfect knowledge of the drone and environment models, so the AI needs to learn them by interacting with the physical world,” Davide Scaramuzza, one of the authors of the study from the University of Zurich, explained. AI-driven autonomous drones have until now taken twice as long as those piloted by humans to fly through racetracks unless an external position-tracking system was used to precisely control their trajectories. But the new Swift AI drone, described in a new study in the journal Nature, has demonstrated that it can react in real-time to the data collected by an onboard camera, just like the one used by human racers in the sport. Sensors on the drone measure acceleration and speed while the AI system uses data from the camera to locate the drone in space and detect the gates along the racetrack. A control unit in the drone, also based on AI, a control unit, then chooses the best action to finish the race circuit as fast as possible. Researchers say the Swift drone trained itself to fly in a simulated environment by trial and error. Using simulations, scientists could avoid destroying multiple drones in the early stages of learning when the system often crashes. “To make sure that the consequences of actions in the simulator were as close as possible to the ones in the real world, we designed a method to optimise the simulator with real data,” study first author Elia Kaufmann said. During the testing phase, the drone flew autonomously using very precise positions provided by an external position-tracking system, while also recording data from its camera. By comparing the two data sets, Swift could learn to autocorrect errors it made in interpreting information from the onboard sensors, scientists say. The AI was soon ready to challenge some of the world’s top human drone pilots – the 2019 Drone Racing League champion Alex Vanover, the 2019 MultiGP Drone Racing champion Thomas Bitmatta, and three-time Swiss champion Marvin Schaepper. In races that took place between 5 and 13 June 2022, on a special track designed in a hangar of the Dübendorf Airport near Zurich, Swift achieved the fastest lap, with a half-second lead over the best lap by a human pilot. The special track – about 25 by 25 meters in dimension – was built with seven square gates that had to be passed in the right order to complete a lap. Drones had to execute challenging maneuvers to successfully finish the track, including an acrobatic “Split-S” feature that involves half-rolling the drone and executing a descending half-loop at full speed. While Swift could record the fastest lap, humans are more adaptable than the AI drone, which failed when the conditions were different from what it was trained for, scientists say. However, they add that the new breakthrough in AI flight is an important way beyond drone racing. “Drones have a limited battery capacity; they need most of their energy just to stay airborne. Thus, by flying faster we increase their utility,” Dr Scaramuzza said. The new research, according to scientists, may lead to better drones for forest monitoring or space exploration, and in cases where flying fast is important to cover large spaces in a limited time. They say fast AI drones could also be used for shooting action scenes in movies and may also “make a huge difference” for rescue drones sent inside a burning building. Read More Ukraine launches ‘massive’ drone strikes on six regions of Russia – destroying war planes Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv’s huge drone attack as Putin floods frontline with ‘poorly trained troops’ To stop wildfires, residents in some Greek suburbs put their own money toward early warning drones Google launches AI to go to meetings for you Behind the AI boom, the armies of overseas workers in ‘digital sweatshops’ Nvidia sales hit record high as AI chip demand soars

Citigroup Inc. Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason said the firm’s recent job cuts will cause expenses to climb

Australia’s inflation eased more than expected in May, bolstering the case for the Reserve Bank to pause its