The English Premier League was the league phase’s strongest division. Three of the Premier League’s four teams – Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa – finished in the top eight and went straight into the last 16. The other, Manchester City, sneaked into the play-off round with a final-day win over Club Brugge. Spain’s La Liga…

Getty Images Meta has defended its $65bn (£52bn) investment in artificial intelligence (AI) days after US tech stocks wobbled in the wake of Chinese AI app DeepSeek’s sudden rise. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said to investors on Wednesday there was a lot to learn from DeepSeek, but that it was too soon to have “a…

Dominic Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News PA A new method for detecting bowel cancer is more than 90% accurate at predicting which higher-risk people will develop the disease, according to research. About 500,000 people in the UK live with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Currently, they are offered regular checks for…

Getty Images Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Wednesday that “economic growth is the number one mission of this government” as she unveiled a series of proposals to boost the UK’s economy. But how quickly could the government get growth from the plans she announced? Critics have argued some of the projects – such as expanding…

Alix Hattenstone & Kristian Johnson BBC News Handout Sarah says her family holiday in Turkey was an educational experience “My son doesn’t do well in large crowds,” says Sarah, who paid a £320 fine for taking her two children on holiday with her partner during school term time. Sarah’s 10-year-old son, Tyler, has autism and…

BBC News Mercy Muroki feels police probably would have taken it more seriously if it was Islamic terrorism. Three women stalked by the same man say police ignored red flags that resulted in repeat offending. Far-right supporter Callum Parslow, who had already served time for stalking, was jailed earlier this month for attempted murder. Mercy…

Celtic’s enthralling defeat at Aston Villa was a near-perfect illustration of the club’s gripping, and ultimately successful, Champions League campaign. A campaign which now rolls on to a tantalising two-legged play-off against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in less than two weeks. In Birmingham, there were shades of the Borussia Dortmund horror show as…

Nadine Yousif and Mike Wendling BBC News Watch: Protesters, McDonald’s and onesies – RFK Jr’s confirmation hearing President Donald Trump’s pick for US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, was questioned by senators at his first confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The post of health secretary is a key federal government position that oversees public health…

Aston Villa have rejected an approach from Arsenal for England striker Ollie Watkins. Sources confirmed to BBC Sport the Gunners made their enquiry for the 29-year-old on Monday. Reports of a £60m Arsenal bid first surfaced just hours before Aston Villa’s Champions League game against Celtic on Wednesday night at Villa Park. Watkins started and…

The cast have been arriving for the world premiere of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy premiere in London. Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Chiwetel Ejiofor were among the stars on the red carpet in Leicester Square. The film is the fourth instalment in the franchise, which takes its title from the latest Bridget Jones…