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The 2026 NBA playoffs are shaping up to be a thrilling competition, with several top teams vying for the championship. Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions and are favored to repeat, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.However, teams like the San Antonio Spurs, led by rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, are looking to make a deep run. The New York Knicks are also a strong contender, with Jalen Brunson leading the charge.The Miami Heat are considered a dark horse, with a strong team culture and Bam Adebayo leading the way. The Boston Celtics are also a top contender, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the team.In the Western Conference, the Thunder are favored to make it to the finals, but teams like the Spurs and Pelicans could make a surprise run. In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks and Celtics are the top contenders.The playoffs are expected to be highly competitive, with several teams having a legitimate chance of winning it all. Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander are considered two of the most important players in the postseason.

Stuart Heritage revisits Hacks as its final season rolls out on Sky Atlantic, Now, HBO Max and Stan, asking whether the series can recapture the brilliance that earned it an Emmy for Best Comedy in 2024.When the show first burst onto the scene, it was hailed as the pinnacle of comedy, outshining drama‑heavy series like The Bear. Its early acclaim rested on the razor‑sharp chemistry between Jean Smart (Deborah Vance) and Hannah Einbinder (Ava), a dynamic that felt both vicious and hilarious.That reputation has been challenged by newer satire such as The Studio, which swept the 2025 Emmys with bigger stars and slicker production. In contrast, Hacks managed only supporting trophies for Smart and Einbinder, prompting the question: can the show rally in its swan song?The latest run marks a noticeable upgrade from the muddled third and fourth seasons, where Vance’s late‑night talk‑show stint exposed the series’ structural cracks. This season, Vance is slapped with a Conan O’Brien‑style gag order that bans her from public jokes, giving her a fresh, if absurd, source of conflict.Early episodes burst with energy as Vance concocts wild schemes—pursuing an EGOT, penning a memoir, even eyeing a Madison Square Garden gig. The momentum feels promising, yet the show’s signature venomous satire is muted.Where Hacks once thrived on Vance’s bitter, anti‑heroic edge and her hostile banter with Einbinder’s Ava, the current tone has softened into a more amicable camaraderie. This shift defangs the series, making it feel less like the cutting industry critique it once was.The finale lands as a bewildering, almost ChatGPT‑generated one‑act play, delivering an unearned climax that feels more like a stunt to secure another Emmy for Smart than a satisfying narrative closure.Despite uneven seasons, the core performances remain the show’s strongest asset. Smart and Einbinder continue to deliver compelling, powerhouse portrayals that will likely be the lasting memory of Hacks for its fans.In the end, the final season offers moments of fun but ultimately signals the end of the series’ once‑sharp satire, leaving viewers to mourn the loss of its original bite.

The newly opened V&A East Museum in Stratford marks the latest milestone in the East Bank cultural quarter on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The £135 million, architect‑designed outpost sits beside the V&A Storehouse—recently listed among Time’s “World’s Greatest Places to Visit 2026”—and joins Sadler’s Wells East, the London College of Fashion and the forthcoming BBC Music Studios.Once described by V&A East director Gus Casely‑Hayford as “a place where fridges went to die”, the area has been transformed into a vibrant creative hub. Yet outside London, many venues face falling visitor numbers, job cuts and closures, highlighting a stark contrast with the newly polished facilities.Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is betting on the Arts Everywhere Fund—a £1.5 billion package over five years announced in 2025—to shore up the sector’s creaking infrastructure. This week, £130 million was distributed to more than 130 museums, theatres, venues and libraries, representing the largest cash injection into the arts for a decade.The funding reaches a diverse range of institutions, from Newcastle’s iconic Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art to the modest Armitt Museum in Ambleside, and from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford to Gloucestershire’s trailblazing TwoCan Theatre Company, which offers workshops for deaf, neurodivergent and disabled participants.Despite these initiatives, the UK remains among the lowest spenders on culture in Europe, with per‑capita public funding down nearly a third since 2010. Nevertheless, the cultural sector contributed an estimated £40 billion to the economy in 2024, underscoring its role as a significant wealth generator and a soft‑power asset.Financial support must also reach the people who run these institutions. Over the past year, staff at several leading museums have staged protests and faced redundancies, and even before its doors opened, V&A East workers sent an open letter demanding a living wage for all employees.In its inaugural year, the V&A Storehouse attracted 500,000 visitors, many of whom were younger, more diverse and locally based than the museum’s traditional audiences. The new V&A East hopes to replicate this success, emphasizing the need for parallel investment in arts education to nurture future audiences.Decades of neglect cannot be reversed overnight, and costs continue to rise. While the Arts Everywhere Fund is a cause for celebration, it also signals Labour’s broader commitment to making art accessible to everyone, reinforcing the message that, even in tough times, culture matters.

Disney introduced InfinityVision at this year’s CinemaCon, positioning it as a certification for premium large‑format (PLF) auditoriums that meet or exceed undisclosed standards for screen size, brightness and sound quality. While the name sounds like a Marvel spin‑off, the label applies to any film, not just superhero titles. Disney claims roughly 300 screens worldwide already carry the badge, though a public directory has yet to appear. The timing is strategic: Disney’s Avengers: Doomsday is slated for a December debut that coincides with the release of the third Dune film, which has secured a limited run on coveted Imax screens. By promoting InfinityVision, Disney hopes to reassure audiences that alternative PLF venues—such as Dolby, RPX and other branded auditoriums—can deliver an equally spectacular experience, a tactic the author dubs screenmaxxing. Screenmaxxing has become a lifeline for a theatrical sector under pressure from streaming and rising ticket prices. Even the smallest multiplex PLF screens dwarf the televisions owned by the majority of consumers, yet theatres cannot simply charge a $5 premium for a larger screen; they need to sell a demonstrably superior visual and auditory package. Today’s market offers a bewildering array of PLF options, especially in cities where multiple chains compete. Directors like Ryan Coogler (Sinners) and the team behind Project Hail Mary use the variety of formats as a marketing hook, explaining aspect‑ratio differences and visual nuances to fans. Even legacy formats have resurfaced: Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another revived the rarely used VistaVision, an analog high‑definition process dormant for half a century, alongside traditional 70mm and Imax prints. Adding to the mix, a new digital projector brand—HDR by Barco—is being rolled out to compete with Dolby‑branded auditoriums. The technology promises deeper blacks, heightened contrast and unprecedented brightness, and has already been adopted by the Alamo Drafthouse chain for its dine‑in locations. Many of these Barco‑equipped rooms also feature Dolby Atmos sound, though the author cautions against conflating sound systems with projection technologies. To gauge HDR by Barco’s performance, the writer visited the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse, one of three New York venues using the system (the others are Regal locations equipped with RPX screens). While the recent Super Mario Galaxy movie showcased the projector’s vivid palette, the reviewer chose a more demanding test: Lee Cronin’s horror‑reimagining The Mummy. Compared with a prior Dolby projection of the same film, the Barco version delivered a noticeable boost in clarity—especially in shadow‑heavy scenes—without the oversharpening or motion‑smoothing artifacts sometimes seen on consumer TVs. The experience was “brighter” yet retained natural colour balance, offering a subtle but real upgrade over standard cinema projection. Despite the technical gains, the piece questions whether another premium brand can truly shift audience habits. The author argues that healthy competition among laser‑projection systems may prevent theatres from settling for “dim” images, encouraging cinephiles to seek out PLF venues. However, blockbuster spectacles like the climactic battle in Avengers: Endgame remain visually underwhelming even on an InfinityVision‑certified screen, suggesting that format alone cannot rescue a film’s visual impact. Ultimately, the most compelling case for premium formats may be the construction of genuine Imax theatres, not retrofits. True Imax auditoriums prioritize height over width, delivering an immersive field of view that even high‑end digital projectors struggle to match. Yet only a few dozen such venues exist worldwide; most “Imax” screens are simply Dolby, Barco or RPX rooms equipped with the brand’s hardware. Screenmaxxing, therefore, is likely to remain a niche pursuit rather than a universal solution for the exhibition industry. While hunting for the loudest, sharpest presentation can be entertaining, an overabundance of competing formats may reinforce the perception that a standard movie‑going experience is insufficient—potentially undermining the very audience the industry hopes to attract.

Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United hangs in the balance as his loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona come to an end. The 28-year-old has not played for United since December 2024 and is currently on loan at Barcelona, who have the option to purchase him for €30m (£26m).Manchester United sit comfortably in third place in the Premier League, seven points above sixth-placed Chelsea, but will not want to see the gap close come full time at Stamford Bridge. A return to Europe's top table is vital for United, which would result in players' wages increasing, including Rashford's salary reaching £325,000 per week on his deal, which runs until 2028.Michael Carrick, United's manager, has stated that the door is not completely closed on Rashford playing for United again. 'There's decisions to be made in time on certain things, and obviously Marcus is in that situation. But at this point in time, nothing's been decided,' Carrick said. 'Certainly from my perspective, whoever's here I want to work with, make the best out of, and help them improve.'Rashford's situation is complicated by United's desire to sell him, but few clubs could match his current earnings. Carrick will want to see his team bounce back from Monday night's home defeat by Leeds, but faces a defensive crisis with Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martínez out of the lineup.

Wrexham AFC, the football club co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, has been awarded a £3.8m government grant without a contract or a completed state aid assessment in place. This has raised questions over whether the award was lawful.The club has received a total of £18m in taxpayer-funded grants to help redevelop its stadium, the Racecourse Ground. This is significantly more than any other club in the UK.Responses to freedom of information requests suggest that Wrexham county borough council awarded the money before completing the usual steps. Alexander Rose, a partner specialising in subsidy control at law firm Ward Hadaway, stated that the lack of a final state aid assessment at the time the grant was awarded would have left it vulnerable to legal challenge by a rival.However, there is little prospect of Wrexham AFC being forced to repay the cash, as the one-month window for challenges to be filed has since closed. The leader of Wrexham council, Mark Pritchard, said: “All due diligence and checks were in place ahead of the transfer of any funding and we refute any accusations to the contrary.”Reynolds and Mac took over the club in 2021, bringing with them a wave of sponsorship and global interest via their Disney TV series Welcome to Wrexham. The club has been able to far outspend their lower-league rivals, transforming the club’s fortunes.Wrexham, which was granted city status in 2022, awarded the £18m to the star-studded club as part of its “Wrexham Gateway” urban improvement scheme. Most of the money went towards developing the stadium, despite the club having deep-pocketed owners.The first £3.8m tranche of cash was awarded on 8 February 2022, less than a year after Reynolds and Mac’s takeover. Another £14m was awarded in September 2025.Public authorities that give out grants are required by law to judge if they comply with the principles of subsidy control, to ensure taxpayer money is not misspent. However, in response to a freedom of information request, Wrexham council said it only had “draft assessments” in place before the money was awarded.The council said the final assessment it provided was submitted nearly five months later, on 6 July 2022. In response to questions, the council shared a draft assessment it said dated from 7 September 2021.Rose said: “At the time the £3.8m grant was awarded there was a duty to carry out a principles assessment. Evidence that this assessment wasn’t finalised when the grant was given would certainly have helped a challenger, for example a rival football club.”“Subsidy control rules exist to ensure there’s a level playing field in which businesses can compete,” he added. “That includes in professional football. They’re also an important protection for the taxpayer, preventing wasteful and unnecessary subsidies from being awarded.”Recipients of large grants almost always sign contracts to ensure taxpayer money is spent as promised. Yet the council said the grant was authorised by its executive board and “provided in advance of the finalisation of the grant funding agreement”.The council said the grant funding agreement – apparently covering the whole £18m – was only created in July 2023.The contract was then completed on 17 September 2025, when the £14m tranche was awarded.The two-year delay between the creation of the contract and its signing also offered another potential benefit to Wrexham council: new subsidy control laws that came into force days earlier in August raised the threshold for mandatory scrutiny of the grant by the Competition and Markets Authority.Delaying the subsidy meant the award to Wrexham AFC was not subject to this scrutiny.While it was tapping taxpayer money, the club was also able to raise huge amounts from private backers. In the year to June 2025 it raised £36m through share issues. Three months after the second grant, Reynolds and Mac announced the sale of a stake in the club to Apollo, one of the world’s largest private equity firms.Bloomberg reported that Wrexham was valued as high as £350m. The club then raised another £47.8m in January, according to corporate filings.In the year before it received the £14m grant, Wrexham was able to repay loans worth £10.6m to Ryan Reynolds’s company, according to accounts published last month. It also lost £3.8m from the collapse of Argentex, a currency brokerage that entered special administration in July 2025 because of failed foreign exchange trades.Pritchard, the council leader, said: “The grant represents a small investment compared to what the club will be investing at the Racecourse … In fact, as the club has grown in both stature, ambition and from external investment, the percentage of public investment compared to that of the club has shrunk from roughly 68% of the project costs to around 25% currently.“This demonstrates further value for money in regard to the initial investment from the public purse.”Wrexham AFC said the club is itself making a “significant financial investment with the support of our ownership group and investors”. Accounts published last month show the club has signed a £69.2m contract to build a new stand.The spokesperson said the “funding ensures the facility can be brought up to the required standard to host international sporting events, including international football and rugby matches (as opposed to just meeting domestic football criteria)”

Dyson Daniels, the Australian guard for the Atlanta Hawks, is poised to make a significant impact in the NBA playoffs. Daniels has emerged as a key player for the Hawks, who are considered a dark horse in the Eastern Conference bracket.Daniels had a taste of the playoffs two years ago with New Orleans, but enters the 2026 post-season as a key protagonist in one of the first round's marquee match-ups against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.“It's going to be fun, it's going be a lot, the Garden's going to be popping,” he says. “But these kinds of opportunities you live for and you dream for, and the only way to prepare for it, really, is to just trust your work, trust yourself.”The Hawks have played into form since trading All-Star guard Trae Young in January, led by forward Jalen Johnson and off-season acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Yet perhaps no player on the roster has the potential to turn a playoff series like Daniels, after his prominence in the team's 28-win, 15-loss run to close the season.Daniels may not have the touch of the league's finesse shooters, but he has found a way to contribute on offence to complement his defensive strengths. Measuring the Australian's contribution by his impact on the scoreboard when he is on the floor compared to when he is off it, he – alongside veteran guard CJ McCollum – is the Hawks' most important player, according to advanced stats site Cleaning the Glass.The New York Post recognised Daniels' influence this week when covering the challenge he will pose for the Knicks' floor general and leading scorer, Jalen Brunson, describing him as a “defensive stopper”. No player has guarded Brunson more in the past two seasons than Daniels.

Olivia Rodrigo returns with “Drop Dead,” a single that instantly grabs listeners with a razor‑sharp lyric about online stalking and instant infatuation. The opening couplet—“One night I was bored in bed / And stalked you on the internet”—sets a tone of modern romance that feels both playful and unnervingly catchy.The 23‑year‑old, who burst onto the global stage in 2021 after a Disney Channel stint, has built a reputation for “acute, obsessive” love songs that balance self‑awareness with raw emotion. Her debut “Drivers License” cemented her as a heartbreak anthem, while the pop‑punk edge of her first album Sour and the riot‑grrrl‑infused follow‑up Guts displayed her versatility.“Drop Dead” marks a decisive pivot from the punk‑kiss‑off expectations that surrounded her recent breakup. Instead of a straightforward revenge track, the song delivers a “gorgeous rush of romantic intensity,” aiming to freeze a fleeting moment before plunging back into it with relentless momentum.The track’s production, helmed by longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, layers lush strings and bright power‑pop guitars, creating a sound that feels “one bauble short of festive.” Critics note a vocal delivery that stays in Rodrigo’s highest register throughout the chorus, with melodic bends that echo both Chappell Roan’s maximalism and Taylor Swift’s signature style.Visually, the music video—directed by Petra Collins and filmed at the Palace of Versailles—portrays Rodrigo as a runaway figure reminiscent of Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” and Emma Corrin’s Diana in “The Crown.” The lavish setting amplifies the song’s theatricality.Adding a rock pedigree, the single includes a subtle nod to Rodrigo’s friendship with The Cure’s Robert Smith, referencing his classic “Just Like Heaven.” Their rapport, highlighted in a recent Vogue cover story, underscores Rodrigo’s expanding artistic circle.Overall, “Drop Dead” blends maximalist pop production, romantic lyricism, and rock‑infused credibility, delivering a track that feels both instantly addictive and deliberately chaotic—mirroring the messy emotions it portrays.

Dan Skelton is already set to be crowned the United Kingdom’s champion trainer over jumps for the first time this season, yet he still has several objectives left as the campaign reaches its climax.Earlier this month Skelton made history by becoming the first trainer to surpass £4 million in prize money during a British jumps season. With a 320‑mile journey to Ayr scheduled for Saturday, he will field five runners and hopes to chip away at the £200,000 needed to break the £5 million barrier.His yard has already recorded victories at 39 of Britain’s 41 jumping tracks this season. The only venues still without a win are Perth and Plumpton, where Skelton entered twenty runners – including several favourites – but fell short. Two of his horses will contest Plumpton’s Sussex Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle on Sunday.“It’s never been done before, so we’re going to give it our best shot,” Skelton said on Friday. “We just can’t quite seem to get over the line at Plumpton, but maybe Sunday will be the day that we do.”The Scottish Grand National has become a pivotal fixture in the trainers’ championship over the past two years. With Willie Mullins already out of contention for the title, his stable will field only one runner at Ayr as he attempts a third consecutive Grand National double – winning at Aintree and then at Ayr.Patrick Mullins, who rode unshipped from Grangeclare West at Aintree last weekend, will take the reins on Road To Home. The horse was narrowly beaten in the Fulke Walwyn/Kim Muir at Cheltenham last month and will carry six pounds more on Saturday.Among the local contenders, King Of Answers (currently 3.35 odds) trained by Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore appears a strong bet at about 7‑1. The horse was a runner‑up in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and will be only three pounds heavier for the four‑mile test at Ayr.Other notable entries include Traprain Law for Patrick Wadge, who previously won the course‑and‑distance race, and Diamond Dealer, whose front‑running style could prove decisive if the horse settles into its usual rhythm.In the broader betting market, Gibbs Island (2.20) and Twistthenightaway (2.55) are also highlighted as potential performers, while Pride Of Arras (2.35) aims to repeat its Dante success.Overall, Skelton’s pursuit of the £5 million season total adds extra intrigue to an already high‑stakes Scottish Grand National, promising a decisive showdown for the jumps championship.