manager

The BBC has confirmed the start date for the second series of The Night Manager, as a new trailer has been released for the upcoming series.

After nearly ten years of anticipation, BBC viewers were delighted to discover that a fresh instalment of The Night Manager was being developed.

In 2016, the gripping thriller proved hugely successful as it chronicled former soldier Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) working as a hotel night manager who becomes enlisted by British intelligence operative Angela Burr (Olivia Coleman).

The eagerly-awaited second instalment will resume years following the dramatic conclusion, with audiences witnessing Jonathan as a junior MI6 operative managing a discreet surveillance team in London dubbed ‘The Night Owls’.

This week, the BBC unveiled a thrilling trailer for the upcoming series, confirming it will broadcast on January 1.

The preview reveals Jonathan in his fresh position, whilst a narrator directs him to ‘watch, listen and report’. Yet the voice then sternly warns: “You do not hunt down.”

Cutting to Colombia, the MI6 operative must investigate Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), suspected of trafficking weapons into the nation with British Intelligence assistance, reports the Express.

Adopting a fresh identity, Jonathan becomes deeply entangled in a deadly conspiracy. Betrayal appears imminent as he challenges Agent Burr, declaring she ‘lied’ to him, prompting her reply: “I had no choice!”

A montage of rapid-fire sequences follows, featuring heart-stopping pursuit scenes and Jonathan fleeing through a structure as explosions erupt around him.

In a chilling moment, Jonathan is seen being restrained by Teddy as he questions, ‘Who are you, Matthew?Why are you really here?” While a woman’s voice accuses him of ‘playing her’.

The trailer, shared on social media, sparked an immediate reaction from fans, with many expressing their excitement for the show’s return. One fan exclaimed: “Wow wow wow wow.” Another chimed in: “FINALLY!!!!”

Speaking about the series, Tom Hiddleston told the BBC: “The first series of The Night Manager was one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on. “”The depth, range and complexity of Jonathan Pine was, and remains, a thrilling prospect.

I’m so looking forward to reuniting with Simon and Stephen Cornwell, David Farr and Stephen Garrett, and to working with Georgi Banks-Davies to tell the next chapter of our story. I can’t wait.”

The BBC has also confirmed that The Night Manager will be returning for another series following this upcoming one.

Tune into the new series of The Night Manager from 1 January on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and from 11 January on Prime Video where available.

TORONTO — It was a game that started on Saturday and ended on Sunday, a World Series contest so packed with the rare, the historic and the dramatic that it couldn’t possibly be confined to one day.

At 11 innings, it was the longest Game 7 this century, and it equaled the longest in more than a century. It was the first Game 7 that had a ninth-inning home run to tie the score and the first to feature two video reviews that prevented the go-ahead run from scoring.

“It’s one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after his team outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 to win its second straight World Series and end the longest season in franchise history, one that began in Japan and ended in Canada.

The victory made the Dodgers the first team to win back-to-back titles in 25 years and with that championship, Roberts’ third, he passed Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda to become the second-most-decorated Dodger manager ever. He now trails only Walter Alston, another Hall of Famer, who won four World Series with the team.

Roberts, however, won his three titles over six seasons, something no Dodger skipper has ever done.

“It’s hard to reconcile that one,” said Roberts, whose jersey from Saturday’s game is on its way to Cooperstown, joining the cap the Hall of Fame requested after last year’s World Series win.

“I’m just really elated and really proud of our team, our guys, the way we fought. We’ve done something that hasn’t been done in decades. There was so many pressure points and how that game could have flipped, and we just kept fighting, and guys stepped up big.”

So did the manager.

Every move Roberts made worked, every button he pushed was the right one. Miguel Rojas, starting for the second time in nearly a month, saved the season with a game-tying home run in the top of the ninth while Andy Pages, inserted for defensive purposes during the bottom of the inning, ran down Ernie Clements’ drive at the wall with the bases loaded to end the threat.

In the 11^th he had Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch around Addison Barger, putting the winning run on base. But that set up the game-ending double play three pitches later.

“Credit to him, man. Every single move he did this postseason was incredible,” said Tyler Glasnow, one of four starting pitchers Roberts used in relief Saturday. And he had a fifth, Clayton Kershaw, warming up when the game ended.

Added Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson: “He did some coaching tonight. This was a great manager’s game from him. He’s proven how great a manager he is. He’s a Hall of Famer.”

Roberts asked Yamamoto, who pitched six innings Friday to win Game 6, to throw another 2 2/3 innings in Game 7. It worked; Yamamoto won that game too.

“What Yoshi did tonight is unprecedented in modern-day baseball,” said Roberts, who came into the postgame interview room wearing ski goggles and dripping of champagne. “It just goes down to just trusting your players. It’s nice when you can look down the roster and have 26 guys that you believe in and know that at some point in time their number’s going to be called.”

And Roberts needed all 26 guys. Although the Dodgers players wore t-shirts with the slogan “We Rule October” when they mounted a makeshift stage in the center of the Rogers Centre field to celebrate their victory early Sunday, October was only part of it. Their year started in Tokyo in March and ended in Toronto in November, making it the first major league season to begin and end outside the U.S.

“We really extended the season,” Max Muncy, whose eighth-inning homer started the Dodgers’ comeback, said with a grin after the team’s 179^th game in 226 days.

“Look back at the miles that we’ve logged this year,” Roberts said. “We never wavered. It’s a long season and we persevered, and we’re the last team standing.”

That, too, is a credit to Roberts, who has made the playoffs in each of his 10 seasons and went to the World Series five times, trailing only Alston among Dodger managers. His .621 regular-season winning percentage is best in franchise history among managers who worked more than three seasons. And he figures to keep padding those records.

“We’ve put together something pretty special,” said Roberts, who celebrated with his family on the field afterward. “I’m proud of the players for the fans, scouting, player development, all the stuff. To do what we’ve done in this span of time is pretty remarkable.

“I guess I’ll let the pundits and all the fans talk about if it’s a dynasty or not. But I’m pretty happy with where we’re at.”

On Sunday morning Glasnow, who missed the playoffs last season with an elbow injury, was pretty happy with where he was at as well.

“To be a part of the World Series is crazy,” he said, standing just off the infield as blue and gold confetti rained down. “You dream about it as a kid. To live it out, I feel so lucky. This group of guys, I’m so close to everyone. So many good people on this team. It’s just the perfect group of guys.”

The perfect manager, too.

Was Edgardo Henriquez the best option to pitch to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the seventh inning with two outs and runners on the corners?

Maybe, maybe not.

And that was the problem.

The problem was that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t have a choice that was clearly better than to place the game in the hands of a hard-throwing but unreliable 23-year-old rookie.

Henriquez walked Guerrero on a 99.9-mph fastball that sailed into the opposite batter’s box, evading the grasp of catcher Will Smith and allowing Addison Barger to score.

A manageable two-run deficit was now three and about to become four.

The Dodgers were on their way to a 6-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night, the Game 5 result placing them at a three-games-to-two deficit in this World Series.

For Roberts, that seventh inning didn’t represent a manager’s nightmare. That was a manager’s night terror.

What else could Roberts do?

Stick with starting pitcher Blake Snell? Snell had already pitched to Guerrero three times and his pitch count was at 116.

Use closer Roki Sasaki as a fireman? He’s their only dependable reliever and Roberts wasn’t about to use him in a non-elimination game in which his team was down.

Turn to last year’s postseason hero Blake …? Never mind, that question isn’t even worth being asked in its entirety.

“It’s hard because you can only push a starter so much,” Roberts said. “I thought Blake emptied the tank.”

The Dodgers somehow concealed their piñata of a bullpen in the three previous rounds of the postseason, but that bullpen is now catching up with them.

Reversing their series deficit will almost certainly require some of their starters to pitch in unfamiliar roles over the next two games, including Shohei Ohtani as an opener on three days’ rest in a potential Game 7.

Snell figures to be a candidate to also pitch in Game 7, perhaps as a middle reliever. Tyler Glasnow is expected to be available out of the bullpen in at least one of the two remaining games.

Besides Sasaki, the relievers can’t be trusted.

In each of the team’s three losses in this series, the games turned when the starting pitcher was removed with men on base. In all three instances, the bullpen made a mess of the game, allowing the inherited runners to score.

“You look at the three games that we lost, it spiraled on us with guys on base,” Roberts said. “Guys got to be better.”

They can’t.

This reality makes the bullpen’s heroic performance in the 18-inning victory in Game 3 all the more miraculous. The Dodgers are fortunate this series isn’t already over.

The construction of this particular bullpen has to be one of the greatest front-office blunders in franchise history, as it could cost the team a World Series in a season in which it has Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and a billion-dollar rotation.

How did this happen?

Start with Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. The Dodgers committed a combined $85 million to the two relievers and neither of them is even on the roster.

Look at the injured list. Brusdar Graterol missed the entire season with shoulder problems. Evan Phillips underwent Tommy John surgery.

Finally, examine what the Dodgers didn’t do at the trade deadline. Everyone — and by everyone, I mean everyone except Andrew Friedman’s front office — knew they were in desperate need of bullpen help. Counting on some internal solutions working out, the only reliever they acquired was Brock Stewart. The notoriously brittle Stewart went down with a shoulder injury and didn’t pitch in the postseason.

What the Dodgers did was the baseball equivalent of building a breathtaking mansion but forgetting to install any toilets.

Now, the entire residence stinks, the Dodgers one loss away from losing a World Series that should be theirs.

O’Neill managed Celtic from 2000-05, winning three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, and a League Cup. He also took the club to a Uefa Cup final.

However, he has not managed a club since he being sacked by Nottingham Forest in June 2019 – more than six years ago.

Coincidentally, the former Republic of Ireland manager was on TalkSport earlier on Monday taking about the Scottish title race – and his belief that Hearts could become the first non-Old Firm side to win it since 1985.

“Hearts have shown a great determination. Their record is great, at this minute,” O’Neill said. “With Celtic not being as strong, as physically as strong, as maybe you would want them to be. It is possible.

“Celtic can actually lose games now, whereas before, they looked invincible in matches. Rangers are no threat whatsoever. They are so far adrift it’s untrue.

“But this is the moment, this is the time for Hearts. They have gone eight points clear. That is a decent enough lead, really. Their confidence has grown, and it will grow from that victory.”

O’Neill will be joined by Maloney, who had two spells as a player with Celtic and was part of Belgium’s coaching staff for a stint after retiring.

The Scotland international took on his first job with Hibs in 2021 but lasted just four months.

Then he took charge of Wigan Athletic in January 2023 but was dismissed in March of this year, having won 42 of his 115 games in charge.

Kurt Suzuki wrapped up his 16-year playing career with the Angels in 2022.

Now, three years later, he is starting his professional coaching career with the same team, as multiple media outlets are reporting that the Angels are set to hire Suzuki as their next manager.

The Angels have yet to finalize or announce the deal.

Suzuki, a World Series champion with the Washington Nationals in 2019, played for the Angels in 2021 and 2022. After retiring as a player, he has served as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

Suzuki will be the Angels’ fifth manager since 2018, when the organization parted ways after 18 seasons with Mike Scioscia — who led the team to its only World Series title in 2002.

He will replace Ron Washington, who was manager the past two seasons but missed roughly half of the 2025 season after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Ray Montgomery was interim coach in Washington’s absence but wasn’t considered for the job on a permanent basis.

The Angels went a franchise-worst 63-99 in 2024 after losing Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers in free agency. They were 72-90 in 2025, their 10th consecutive losing season.

Born in Wailuku, Hawaii, Suzuki hit the game-winning single that clinched the College World Series title for Cal State Fullerton in 2004. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2004 draft and spent his first five-plus MLB seasons with the organization. He also played for the Minnesota Twins.

The Angels are said to have considered fellow former team members Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter for the manager job as well.

Staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.

Callum: This is becoming the worst disgrace in the history of Scottish football. When are the powers that be at Ibrox going to realise that if it is Thelwell and Stewart that continue to be the stumbling block then they have to be removed immediately? Three potential managers have turned us down in a little more than a week. Shocking and embarrassing.

Michael: Thelwell and Stewart want too much of an input into first-team affairs and this is what seems to be the breakdown. Both of them need to go. If Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe wanted Gerrard and Muscat then the deal should have happened – after all, they are the ‘bosses’.

Isobel: The club knew Muscat’s situation at the outset, so why go ahead at all if they were so desperate to get someone in ASAP? It is utter incompetence and breathtaking arrogance to believe they could get him in earlier given he was on the cusp of a second title. The whole management group including the Americans have dragged a proud club into the gutter in this continuing omnishambles. It is absolutely disgraceful and I actually feel for the players in all this, left leaderless, rudderless and hung out to dry.

Neil: It’s becoming clear that if the new manager wants control of recruitment then Thelwell is going to be the problem. Time for the owners to take control and show they are capable of running the club.

Stuart: I’ve supported this club since my late dad took me to my first game back in the late 1970s, spent thousands travelling across the UK and Europe to watch them and this is quite ‘simply the worst’ I’ve ever seen from top to bottom. Poor boardroom choices, poor management and poor recruitment. Thelwell and Stewart have to go as they’re simply filling their pockets whilst making a complete mockery of what was once a proud club.

Sonny: Sack the board. The Americans have somehow managed to turn the club into a bigger shambles than the previous administration, which I thought was impossible. We’re a laughing stock and there’s hardly an array of great candidates remaining. Embarrassing.

Brian: What a shambles and what an absolute shocker from those in charge – the blame must lie with Stewart and Thewell, who could not even make a double act as a pantomime horse. I am at a complete loss bordering on despair.

Alexander: The main problem appears to be Thelwell and Stewart. If these two are the reason we can’t get a deal finalised then get rid of them. Rangers are too big to be run in such a haphazard way. The supporters aren’t going to take much more of this nonsense, maybe an empty Ibrox and not renewing season tickets will wake the owners up.

Those at the top at Barcelona initially wanted someone with club connections to be Sir Bobby’s assistant, but he insisted it had to be Mourinho.

For good reason.

Sir Bobby was walking into a divided club following the departure of legendary manager Johan Cruyff and needed someone he trusted implicitly, who could help get his message across in another foreign language.

By this stage, Mourinho’s role had long since evolved.

He helped out on the training ground. He produced scouting dossiers on the opposition that Sir Bobby rated as the best he had ever seen. Crucially, he was used to dealing with international players.

In a testing environment, the pair complemented each other once again as midfielder Guillermo Amor explained.

“They managed to create a good atmosphere and make a very strong team,” he said.

“Jose had more contact with the players due to his fluency in the language and his age, which was very similar to ours.

“He had great respect for Bobby and Bobby had great faith in everything Jose could do on the field and in the locker room.”

Sir Bobby went on to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Cup in what proved to be his final season with Mourinho before the Barcelona manager was moved upstairs and replaced by Louis van Gaal.

Mourinho told Sir Bobby he wanted to leave out of loyalty but his mentor convinced him to stay, having already briefed van Gaal about the merits of keeping his assistant.

Had Mourinho not spent three further three years at the Nou Camp under van Gaal, the Portuguese could well have followed Sir Bobby to Newcastle in 1999.

Instead he went it alone – but Sir Bobby’s influence lives on.

To this day, Mourinho cherishes those moments the pair’s families shared in Sitges, the meals Sir Bobby never let him pay for and the lessons he taught him about life.

It is why the 62-year-old considers himself a “little Magpie”.

“The club up there know how much love and respect I have for them,” he told CBS earlier this month. “I learned that love from Mr Robson.”

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis sacked Nuno just three matches into the campaign and replaced him with Postecoglou.

The Australian failed to win a game and his dismissal – 39 days after his appointment on 9 September – meant his stint at Forest is the shortest permanent managerial reign in Premier League history.

Dyche was on the books of Forest as a youth team player in the late 1980s while Brian Clough was manager, but never made a first-team appearance.

He has not had a managerial job since being sacked by Everton in January after just under two years in charge of the Toffees.

Dyche won 21, lost 31 and drew 23 of his 75 Premier League matches as Everton boss, guiding the club to 17th and 15th-place finishes.

Prior to that Dyche spent nearly a decade as Burnley manager between October 2012 and April 2022, twice winning promotion to the top flight and helping the Clarets qualify for Europe for the first time since 1967.

He also had a stint in charge of Watford for the 2011–2012 season, only to lose his job following a change of ownership.

Kettering-born Dyche spent his entire playing career as a defender outside of the top flight, making more than 500 appearances for clubs including Chesterfield, Bristol City, Millwall, Watford and Northampton.

Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Nottingham Forest following the side’s 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at the City Ground.

The Australian’s dismissal – 39 days after his appointment on 9 September – means Postecoglou’s stint at Forest is the shortest permanent managerial reign in Premier League history.

The former Tottenham boss failed to win any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two draws and six defeats across all competitions.

Forest collected just one point from Postecoglou’s five Premier League matches in charge, leaving the side one point above the relegation zone in 17th.

“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect,” a Forest statement read.

“The club will make no further comment at this time.”

On October 14, 2025, CCLA Investment Management disclosed it had sold its entire position in NICE (NICE -1.26%) in an estimated $120.03 million transaction.

What Happened

According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated October 14, 2025, CCLA Investment Management exited its holding in NICE by selling all 710,865 shares, with an estimated trade value of $120.03 million.

What Else to Know

CCLA Investment Management sold out of NICE, reducing its post-trade stake to zero; the position now represents 0% of 13F AUM.

Top holdings following the filing:

• NASDAQ:MSFT – $369.63 million (5.9% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
• NASDAQ:GOOGL – $345.87 million (5.5% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
• NASDAQ:AMZN – $269.0 million (4.3% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
• NASDAQ:AVGO – $207.92 million (3.3% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
• NYSE:V – $180.65 million (2.9% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025

As of October 13, 2025, shares of NICE were priced at $132.00, marking a 23.8% decrease over the year ended October 13, 2025. Over the same period, shares have underperformed the S&P 500 by 35.5 percentage points.

Company Overview

Company Snapshot

NICE Ltd. delivers AI-powered cloud software solutions designed to optimize customer experience and enhance compliance for enterprises and public sector organizations worldwide. The company leverages a broad portfolio of proprietary platforms and analytics tools to address complex business needs in digital transformation, financial crime prevention, and operational efficiency.

The company offers AI-driven cloud platforms for customer experience, financial crime prevention, analytics, and digital evidence management, including flagship products such as CXone, Enlighten, and X-Sight.

NICE Ltd. serves a global client base of enterprises, contact centers, financial institutions, and public safety agencies seeking advanced automation, compliance, and customer engagement solutions. It operates a subscription-based business model, generating revenue from cloud services, software licensing, and value-added solutions for enterprise and public sector clients.

Foolish Take

In a recent regulatory filing, CCLA Investment Management revealed that it has completely sold out of its ~$120 million position in NICE, an Israeli software company. This move comes following a tough period for NICE stock.

Over the last five years, the company’s stock has consistently underperformed the broader market. Shares have logged a total return of (44%) over this period, equating to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of (11%). This compares quite unfavorably to the S&P 500, which has generated a total return of 105% over the last five years, equating to a CAGR of 15%.

All that said, NICE’s stock performance doesn’t reflect its underlying fundamentals. Total revenue, net income, and free cash flow have all increased significantly over the last five years, indicating strength in the company’s business model, which relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to power applications serving contact centers, financial institutions, and public safety organizations. Moreover, the company recently announced plans to buy back up to $500 million worth of its outstanding shares, which could help put a floor under its share price.

While CCLA’s recent sale does indicate the deterioration of some institutional support, retail investors may want to take a look at NICE — an under-the-radar AI growth stock.

Glossary

13F reportable assets: Assets disclosed by institutional investment managers in quarterly SEC Form 13F filings.

AUM (Assets Under Management): The total market value of investments managed by a fund or investment firm on behalf of clients.

Quarterly average price: The average price of a security over a specific quarter, often used to estimate transaction values.

Post-trade stake: The number of shares or value held in a position after a trade is completed.

Flagship products: A company’s leading or most prominent products, often representing its brand or core offerings.

Cloud platforms: Online computing environments that provide scalable software and services over the internet.

Digital evidence management: Systems for storing, organizing, and analyzing electronic data used in investigations or compliance.

Financial crime prevention: Technologies and practices designed to detect and stop illegal financial activities, such as fraud or money laundering.

Compliance: Adhering to laws, regulations, and industry standards relevant to a business or sector.

TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

Operational efficiency: The ability of a company to deliver products or services using minimal resources and costs.

Former Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere has been named manager of League One side Luton Town.

The 33-year-old succeeds Matt Bloomfield, who was sacked earlier this month having spent less than a year in charge at Kenilworth Road.

It is Wilshere’s first full-time managerial role, taking over a Luton side 11th in the third tier following back-to-back relegations.

He beat Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens to the role and is believed to have signed a three-year deal.

Chris Powell has also joined Luton as Wilshere’s assistant – the former England left-back had been at Walsall for just two weeks as interim first-team coach, coming in to cover for Gary Waddock as he recovers from ankle surgery.

“It’s a huge honour and a privilege to be named Luton Town manager,” Wilshere told the club’s official site, having left the Hatters aged nine to join Arsenal.

“It feels like a full-circle moment for me. I was eight when I first came to Luton as a boy, so I guess you could say it’s fate that my first full-time club managerial position is at this club.

“This club’s story inspires me. Built on belief, unity, and hard work.

“The club have shown incredible character on and off the pitch in recent times, and I’m honoured to lead to take the responsibility to lead this group into the future.”

On October 7, 2025, Moulton Wealth Management, Inc disclosed a new position in VanEck Semiconductor ETF(SMH 2.68%), acquiring 8,932 shares valued at approximately $2.92 million.

What happened

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing dated October 7, 2025, Moulton Wealth Management, Inc disclosed a new position in VanEck Semiconductor ETF, adding 8,932 shares. The estimated transaction value was approximately $2.92 million. The fund reported 45 total positions and $137.49 million in reportable U.S. equity assets.

What else to know

This is a new position; SMH now accounts for 2.1% of the fund’s 13F assets under management.

Top holdings after the filing:

• SPLG: $12.93 million (9.4% of AUM)
• USFR: $10.40 million (7.6% of AUM)
• TFLO: $10.37 million (7.5% of AUM)
• SJNK: $9.82 million (7.1% of AUM)
• FLOT: $9.73 million (7.1% of AUM)

As of October 7, 2025, shares were priced at $337.05, up 35.79% over the past year.

Company overview

Company snapshot

The investment strategy seeks to replicate the performance of the fund’s benchmark index by investing at least 80% of assets in U.S. exchange-listed semiconductor companies.

The portfolio is concentrated in common stocks and depositary receipts of semiconductor companies, including both domestic and foreign issuers.

Fund structure is non-diversified with a passively managed approach.

VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) provides targeted exposure to the semiconductor sector by tracking a benchmark index of leading U.S.-listed semiconductor companies. The fund’s substantial asset base and focused portfolio offer investors a liquid and efficient vehicle for accessing this critical technology industry.

Foolish take

I’m a longtime bull on the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) for one very simple reason: Semiconductors are a critical component within the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, and AI is the most important technological innovation of this decade.

Therefore, this fund’s core holdings read like a who’s who of top-performing stocks. There’s Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Intel, and many more.

Obviously, many of these stocks have soared to new heights as the AI revolution has picked up steam. Nvidia is now the world’s largest company by market cap; Broadcom is now the 7th-largest American company with a market cap north of $1.6 trillion.

What’s more, organizations are still spending tens of billions on new AI infrastructure investments — much of it coming in the form of purchases of semiconductors.

For example, according to estimates compiled by Yahoo Finance, Nvidia’s annual sales should rise to over $200 billion this year, up from $26 billion in 2022.

All that said, semiconductors have historically been a cyclical industry, and have endured many boom-bust cycles. So investors should remain cautious about how much exposure they may have to the semiconductor industry, given its volatile history.

However, for most growth-oriented investors, semiconductors are now a must-own sector. So for those investors, the Van Eck Semiconductor ETF is one fund to consider for the long term.

Glossary

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): An investment fund traded on stock exchanges, holding assets like stocks or bonds.

13F assets under management: The value of U.S. equity securities reported by institutional managers in quarterly SEC filings.

New position: The initial purchase of a security or asset not previously held in a portfolio.

Benchmark index: A standard index used to measure the performance of an investment fund or portfolio.

Depositary receipts: Negotiable certificates representing shares in a foreign company, traded on local stock exchanges.

Non-diversified fund: A fund that invests a large portion of assets in a small number of issuers or sectors.

Passively managed: An investment approach that aims to replicate the performance of a benchmark index, not outperform it.

Expense ratio: The annual fee expressed as a percentage of assets, covering a fund’s operating costs.

Asset base: The total value of assets held by a fund or investment vehicle.

Reportable position: A holding that must be disclosed in regulatory filings due to its size or regulatory requirements.

Ultimately, despite the backing of a new contract that was to run until Euro 2024, Baraclough would lose his job after a record of six wins and eight draws from 28 games and was replaced by the same man he had succeeded in the role, Michael O’Neill.

“There were times we were going over and applauding the fans and you could see that they were frustrated because we weren’t getting the results, but I knew deep inside that this was a project that was going to last much longer than the period of a campaign,” Baraclough says.

“I’d signed a new contract that would take me up to the last Euros campaign, but things happen, Michael becomes available from Stoke, for instance, and decisions will be made that are out of your hands.

“At the time, I found it very, very disappointing that I didn’t get a World Cup and a Euros because that was what, ultimately, you were going to be judged on and I ended up being judged on a Nations League campaign where we were absolutely flooding the squad with these young players. That was the disappointment for me, but, look, there’s no bitterness.”

As such, Baraclough has enjoyed watching from afar as a number of his former players become seasoned internationals.

“Maybe the fans thought that the previous campaign should have yielded more than what it did, but there was no way it was going to just materialise that you go away to the likes of Greece and turn them over,” he adds.

“This World Cup campaign was somewhere where we looked into the distance and thought realistically this is the best time for this group to really start making an impact because players will now have 100, 150 first-team games under their belts, they’ll have 20 to 25 senior caps or beyond under their belts, and now they’re just starting to feel comfortable at this level.

“It’s now come to fruition. To see those players come through and be doing so well at a senior level, it’s fantastic.

“It’s not one person per se that can lay claim to somebody’s success but, just for me, I love looking back and saying I really enjoyed my time working with them and hopefully I helped in some way in developing them as people and as players.”

After starring in The Night Manager, Tom Hollander plays another villainous character with shady motives in The Iris Affair, sharing the spotlight with a Malpractice star.

Niamh Algar is no stranger to shaking things up. After gripping viewers as Dr Lucinda Edwards in Malpractice, she’s stepping into even higher-octane territory as Iris Nixon in Sky Atlantic’s new thriller, The Iris Affair.

“I’ve loved playing Iris – she’s so many characters in one,” Niamh Algar says. “Then there’s the adrenaline side: gunfights, jumping off boats, leaping from buildings, blowing up things. Racing a Ferrari at high speed was the absolute highlight.”

Created by Neil Cross and filmed in Italy, the eight-part series sees Iris as a brilliant codebreaker, living life on the run with a bounty on her head.

“She is obsessive, manipulative and unpredictable,” Niamh says. “She’s not motivated by romance or defined by trauma, but shaped by her intelligence and curiosity.”

She’s recruited by Cameron Beck (Tom Hollander), a charismatic tech billionaire who believes he needs her to relaunch a quantum computer nicknamed Charlie Big Potatoes. Cameron believes the machine could change – even save – the world, but Iris is convinced it could destroy it.

READ MORE: ‘I tested this £28 foundation – it’s a dream and made my face glow all day’

The quantum computer was originally launched by Jensen Lind, a Norwegian scientist played by Game Of Thrones alumni Kristofer Hivju. Jensen and Cameron once worked together on the project, until Jensen stopped it.

“Something makes Jensen try to destroy 10-15 years of working in this compound making the biggest revolutionary device in history,” Kristofer says. “That’s the mystery – why?”

Kristofer admits the science was a challenge, saying, “My Chat GPT has overheated. I have had to go into Hindu cosmology and quantum physics just to understand my lines.”

Meanwhile, Tom Hollander insists his character isn’t the villain audiences might expect. “He’s not a bad guy. He wants good outcomes,” Tom says. “He thinks it’s capable of curing climate change.

What’s really motivating Cameron is he’s in fear for his own life. He’s a rich man who has over-borrowed, so effectively he actually doesn’t have anything.”

Cameron faces a shadowy organisation called The Money, with Harry Lloyd joining the cast as the cryptic Hugo Pym. “He is this guy who is somewhat psychotic and deranged,” Harry says.

“The Money are this ‘Intra Group Committee’ and Hugo is someone who has recently been made head of it.” Caught up in the middle is Joy Baxter, played by Meréana Tomlinson, with whom Iris forms a connection.

“Iris sees something of herself in Joy,” Niamh says. “Joy is essentially a token child in a wealthy household that doesn’t really notice her, and Iris has always felt like she didn’t belong in any system or structure.”

When Cameron kidnaps Joy to pressure Iris into working for him, the stakes become terrifyingly personal. “It becomes a real test for her,” Niamh says. “It also highlights how much she cares for Joy.”

Joy is loyal to Iris but this is tested when she meets Cameron. “Cameron is more alike with her in terms of her emotional wellbeing and her emotional state,” says Meréana. “She latches on to him for survival and then that turns into companionship.”

Meréana bonded quickly with the team, saying, “I have a quote book in my Notes app. It’s just funny things that people have said.” And Neil Cross’s reaction to the book was priceless, she adds. “He sat there giggling at it for five minutes.”

The Iris Affair airs on Thursday, October 16th on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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Manchester United are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League, where they also finished last season.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim defended his tactical approach, insisting his much-criticised 3-4-2-1 system is not to blame for the team’s struggles as he prepares for his 50th game in charge against promoted Sunderland.

The Portuguese faces mounting pressure after United slumped to 14th in the Premier League with two wins from six games after last weekend’s 3-1 loss at Brentford prompted club great Wayne Rooney to say he had no faith in Amorim turning things around.

With United already out of the League Cup and having failed to qualify for Europe following last season’s 15th-place finish, the pressure is on Amorim to deliver in the league where they are already eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

“You cannot run away from the results and then your baggage from last season. But last season for me doesn’t matter. We’ve had six games this season and we’ve lost three. We have to look to the games that we lost,” Amorim told reporters on Friday.

“I am not saying this team would play better in another system or not, that is not my point. My point is that if I look back at the games we lost, the most important thing when I watch the game is not that we lost because of the system.

“That is my opinion. People have different opinions, that s OK.”

While United’s squad are still coming to terms with Amorim’s philosophy, the manager admitted his side’s performance at Brentford was ‘disjointed’ but argued that inconsistency rather than tactics was the root problem.

“You cannot say one thing that doesn’t work when it works on one weekend and on the other weekend it doesn’t work. When something doesn’t work, it doesn’t work every day,” he added.

“When it works one day and the other day it doesn’t, then the next day it works really well again, it is something about the way we do the same thing. So we need to do the same thing in the same way every day, and we are not doing that.”

Asked if he had a message for the fans to give them hope of a victory at Old Trafford on Saturday, Amorim said: “It is not time to say, it is time to show.”

Amorim was generous in his praise for Sunderland’s French boss Regis Le Bris, who has guided his side to fifth place in the standings after six games, four points behind Liverpool.

“It is a team that plays really well. It is a clear system with a lot of rotations on the side of the pitch. They know we are going to be under pressure and we need to be able to play with that,” Amorim said.

“It is not just the table and all the results that matters most, but the way they play. They have a clear identity. It is a very good manager and a very good team.”

United will also hold a minute’s silence and wear black armbands following Thursday’s attack at a synagogue in Manchester in which two men were killed.

Sept. 27 (UPI) — Howard Rubin, a former prominent bond trader, and his ex-personal assistant are facing charges of sex trafficking and transporting women across state lines for commercial sex acts over course of a decade.

Rubin, 70, was arrested Friday at his home in Fairfield, Conn, the Department of Justice said.

At a hearing, he pleaded not guilty and federal Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo in Brooklyn, N.Y., ordered him held without bond. His attorney Benjamin Rosenberg had hoped for a $25 billion bond.

Rubin worked for Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and billionaire George Soros‘ investment company from 1982 to 2015.

If convicted of sex trafficking, Rubin and his assistant, Jennifer Powers, 45, each face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, DOJ said. If convicted of transporting women to engage in commercial sex acts, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count.

If Rubin is convicted of bank fraud, that charge carries a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment.

Prosecutors said they feared Rubin was a flight risk and he was considering hiring a “hit man to target women who had filed a civil suit against him.”

Rubin had more than $74 million in a Cayman Islands account, prosecutors wrote in a letter to the judge, which is just a portion of his “extraordinary wealth,” including funds held in accounts overseas. The prosecutors also noted allegations of previous witness intimidation and victims that were “universally” afraid of him.

“Today’s arrests show that no one who engages in sex trafficking, in this case in luxury hotels and a penthouse apartment that featured a so-called sex ‘dungeon,’ is above the law, and that they will be brought to justice,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement.

“Human beings are not chattel to be exploited for sex and sadistically abused, and anyone who thinks otherwise can expect to find themselves in handcuffs and facing federal prosecution like these defendants,” she said.

Rubin’s hearing was delayed by a medical incident and then he was evaluated at a hospital after he had a stroke in July, according to his attorney.

At least $1 million of Rubin’s money was spent on the alleged sex trafficking, prosecutors said. The incidents occurred from at least 2009 through 2019, according to the indictment, with the victims were listed as “Jane Does” in the filing.

In addition to Jane Does listed in the charges, federal prosecutor Tara McGrath said that there are dozens more unnamed victims and that there are 10 other people who helped Rubin carry out the scheme who have not been charged, the New York Times reported.

In the 10-count indictment obtained by CNBC, Rubin is accused of participating in sex acts with women in luxury hotels in New York City. He later created a “sex dungeon” — which included equipment for bondage and a device to “shock or electrocute women” — in a leased penthouse apartment in Manhattan near Central Park, according to the indictment. The apartment, it said, was rented for $18,000 per month from 2011 to 2017.

“During many of these encounters, Rubin brutalized women’s bodies, causing them to fear for their safety and/or resulting in significant pain or injuries, which at times required women to seek medical attention,” the indictment read.

The women were allegedly given drugs and alcohol before their sex acts, and Rubin the required the women to sign nondisclosure agreements.

The agreements “purported to require the women to assume the risk of the hazards and injury of the BDSM encounters with Rubin, prohibit the disclosure of information about the BDSM sex with Rubin and require the payment of damages in the event of a breach,” the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“Rubin used the NDAs to threaten the women with legal consequences and public shaming if they sought legal recourse,” the office said.

Powers, who allegedly spent $1 million of Rubin’s money for “operating and maintaining the trafficking network, was arrested at her home in Southlake, Texas. She is scheduled to appear at a hearing in the Northern District of Texas next week and then will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York.

In the indictment, Rubin and Powers discussed electrocuting a tied-up woman’s genitals.

“I don’t care if she screams,” he wrote, along with the laughing face emoji, according to the indictment.

“This was not a one-man show,” Harry T. Chavis, special agent in charge in New York, said in a statement. “While Rubin dehumanized these women with abhorrent sexual acts, Powers is alleged to have run the day-to-day operations of the enterprise and got paid generously for her efforts.”

The women would receive $5,000 per encounter, but if he was left unsatisfied, they would be paid several thousand dollars less, according to prosecutors. Powers arranged women’s flights to New York from LaGuardia or John F. Kennedy International airports.

This is not the first time Rubin has been in legal trouble over sex abuse or sex trafficking allegations.

In November 2017, three Playboy models sued him, claiming they were beaten, sexually abused and rape by him in New York City in 2016.

In April 2022, a civil jury in Brooklyn federal court found Rubin guilty of sex trafficking six women. He was ordered to pay $3.85 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Powers was not found liable in this case.

Rubin’s longtime wife, Mary J. Henry, accused him of sexual abuse in divorce papers filed in 2021. They were married in 1985.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office didn’t comment to CNBC on why it was eight years between the first lawsuit and a criminal indictment.

Michael Lewis‘ book, Liar’s Poker, examined the workings of Solomon Brothers in the 1980s.

“Of all the traders, Rubin displayed raw trading instinct,” Lewis wrote about Rubin, who joined the firm in 1982.

After working for Salomon Brothers, Rubin went to Merrill Lynch in 1985. He was fired from Merrill Lynch in 1987 after making unauthorized trades that contributed to $250 million loss from mortgage securities.

Rubin later became a fund manager at Bear Stearns and then Soros Fund Management.

West Ham have appointed former Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach after sacking Graham Potter.

Nuno, 51, has signed a three-year contract with the Hammers and will take charge of his first match on Monday away at Everton in the Premier League.

Potter was dismissed on Saturday morning after only eight months in charge, with the club 19th in the table.

Nuno joins West Ham after being sacked on 9 September by Forest, who he guided to seventh in the Premier League last season – their highest finish since 1994-95.

“I am very pleased to be here and very proud to be representing West Ham United,” he said.

“My objective is to work hard to get the very best from the team and ensure that we are as competitive as we possibly can be. The work has already started and I am looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”

Nuno joins West Ham shortly after a 21-month stint at the City Ground, where he was sacked only three games into this season.

He took his first training session in east London on Saturday afternoon before the club’s match at Everton on Monday.

West Ham said Nuno will be assisted in the interim by academy coaches Mark Robson, Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, with a further announcement on his coaching and backroom staff to be made in due course.

The Hammers took only three points from their opening five league games this season under Potter.

After dismissing the 50-year-old, West Ham said they believed “a change is necessary in order to help improve the team’s position in the Premier League as soon as possible”.

They added: “Results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of the 2025-26 season have not matched expectations.”

In a statement via the League Managers Association, Potter said: “I am incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in east London.

“I do, however, fully acknowledge that the results have just not been good enough up to now.”

Kelly: What was it like growing up? Talk to me about your family.

Andoni: Since I was 10 or 11 years old, I always used to go to school on the train alone to San Sebastian. After school, I took a bus to training, and after I finished training my father came to take me. Both of my parents were working – they have been working always. I am used to moving myself since I was young, which has been good for my independence. When I moved, I was 16 and had to go to a new place. I was living alone which is not the easiest thing. But I think it has been good for me.

Kelly: Did you have any brothers or sisters?

Andoni: No.

Kelly: Who did you play football with growing up?

Andoni: In Spain, when you have a school, you have your morning, you have lunch then you have two hours free. Some people go home, and then they come for the afternoon and evening classes, so it was two halves of the day. In between I used to play football all the time. I couldn’t go back home so I stayed there playing football.

Kelly: If you hadn’t been a professional footballer or manager, what would you have done?

Andoni: I started two careers. I haven’t finished any! I started engineering – too ambitious because I was already playing football. I did more than half of the career but I didn’t finish it.

Kelly: How do you escape football?

Andoni: For me, it is quite easy. I have my wife and two kids and they are not much into football. Once I leave the work environment I go home and sometimes we don’t speak anything about football. It’s very good for me. When I have a day off my wife puts lots of plans in place!

Kelly: Your family have travelled around with you. Is it important to have them with you?

Andoni: My family is very important. They are sacrificing a lot. I am going from country to country to the best clubs I have the opportunity to go, and they have to come with me. I am very clear I couldn’t do this without them. If they tell me one day ‘I want to go back home’, I am leaving. We will go back home. I know there will be a moment in my career when I will have to not be the protagonist, when my kids are older and I won’t be the boss any more. I will be happy and we will go back home and I will be the supporting team behind. I know this moment will arrive.

Kelly: If your wife didn’t plan anything for your day off, what would you do for yourself?

Andoni: I live in a place for nature and walks – Bournemouth is one of the best places in the country.

Kelly: I read you are big into reading. Is that a way you escape?

Andoni: Yes. For me, reading is a big help. You forget a little bit about everything else happening around you. It’s something that has helped me from the mental side. I use reading and I use the bike. They are the two ways I forget about the problems you always have when you are a manager.

Kieran McGeeney will return as Armagh senior football manager for 2026, having been ratified at a meeting of the county’s committee on Monday.

McGeeney will remain the longest serving inter-county manager as he approaches his 12th season at the helm of his native county.

The Mullaghbawn native guided Armagh to the 2024 All-Ireland title, completing a personal double having won Sam Maguire as captain in 2002.

As a player, he also won six Ulster titles with the Orchard County, but is still seeking that elusive Anglo Celt as manager with Armagh falling short at the final hurdle in each of the past three seasons with penalty shootout defeats to Derry in 2023 and Donegal in 2024, while they were edged out by Jim McGuinness’ Donegal in extra-time this year.

Armagh’s defence of the All-Ireland title came to an end at the quarter-final stage to eventual winners Kerry and in the aftermath, admitted he was unsure what the future held.

“I sit down every year [to reflect], and my thing is always about players,” he said in June.

“It’s all about the players first and foremost and what they want and how much they want to push on.

“My appetite for football has always been the same. I love it, I enjoy it despite the abuse, it’s just one of those things – maybe it’s an addiction. I haven’t even thought about that [the future], to be honest.”