Los Angeles FC locked in one of Major League Soccer’s most prolific attackers on Wednesday, announcing a contract extension with forward Denis Bouanga that runs through the 2028 season as a Designated Player, with an option for 2029-30.

The deal secures Bouanga’s future with the club amid reported interest from abroad during the offseason, including bids from Brazil’s Fluminense and MLS rivals Inter Miami. Bouanga, 31, has established himself as LAFC’s all-time leading scorer since joining from Saint-Étienne in August 2022.

“I’m grateful to LAFC for the trust they’ve shown in me,” Bouanga said in a statement released by the club. “From the beginning, my family and I have felt at home in Los Angeles. It’s an honor to represent this club and our supporters every time I put on the jersey. I believe in what we are building here, and I’m motivated to keep improving, winning more trophies, and helping this club reach even higher.”

Bouanga’s commitment comes as LAFC aims to build on recent successes, including multiple trophies and consistent deep playoff runs. The Gabon international has been a cornerstone of the team’s attack, particularly in tandem with global superstar Son Heung-min, who joined LAFC from Tottenham Hotspur in August 2025.

The partnership between Bouanga and Son has already produced historic moments. Late in the 2025 season, the duo combined for 18 consecutive goals for LAFC from late August to early October, setting an MLS record for the most consecutive goals scored by two teammates. Together, they accounted for 25 goals and eight assists after Son’s arrival, powering a strong finish that included a 9-2-4 record in their remaining matches.

South Korean media highlighted Bouanga’s re-signing in the context of his on-field chemistry with Son. One report noted that the two forwards “were jointly responsible for 18 consecutive LAFC goals last season,” underscoring their lethal synergy. Bouanga vowed to pursue more silverware alongside Son, emphasizing his excitement for the continued collaboration under new head coach Marc Dos Santos.

“More history to make,” the club posted on social media alongside the announcement, reflecting optimism for the 2026 campaign.

Bouanga’s statistical impact since arriving in MLS has been remarkable. He has tallied a club-record 105 goals and 43 assists in 155 appearances across all competitions. He led the team in scoring in each of his three full seasons, including a Golden Boot-winning 2023 campaign with 38 goals in 48 games. His consistency earned him three consecutive MLS Best XI selections.

LAFC Sporting Director and General Manager John Thorrington praised Bouanga’s contributions.

“Denis has delivered at an elite level with historic consistency since the day he arrived, and he has helped us win multiple trophies,” Thorrington said. “This new contract reflects that. We’re proud of what he’s accomplished here and are motivated to continue building on that success together.”

The extension provides stability for a squad that has been among MLS’s elite in recent years. LAFC has reached at least the conference semifinals in the MLS Cup Playoffs for four straight seasons — a feat unmatched by any other club — and finished in the top four of the regular-season standings multiple times. The club is viewed as a top contender for the 2026 MLS Cup, bolstered by Bouanga’s retention and the established attacking core.

Bouanga’s decision to stay quells speculation that intensified over the winter. Reports indicated offers exceeding $15 million from interested parties, but LAFC’s commitment as a Designated Player — allowing the club to allocate significant salary budget resources — proved decisive.

The forward’s journey to MLS stardom began in France, where he developed at clubs including Lorient and Saint-Étienne before making the move to Los Angeles. His explosive pace, clinical finishing and versatility on the wing or centrally have made him a nightmare for defenses.

With the 2026 MLS season approaching, Bouanga’s extension positions LAFC to challenge for more titles. The team enters the year with high expectations, fueled by the proven partnership between Bouanga and Son, a dynamic that has already rewritten record books.

Bouanga expressed confidence in the project’s trajectory.

“I’m motivated to keep improving, winning more trophies,” he reiterated, signaling his intent to add to the hardware already in the club’s cabinet while forming an even stronger bond with Son on the pitch.

As LAFC continues its pursuit of sustained excellence in MLS, retaining a player of Bouanga’s caliber represents a major win both on and off the field. The Black & Gold now look ahead to what promises to be another competitive season, with their star forward firmly committed to the cause.

But, Roy added, the Treasury and the Department of Work and Pensions are coming back to perceived unaffordability of Westminster’s welfare budget, so we can expect new approaches to cuts and reduced entitlement. If that goes ahead, Holyrood will find itself facing further cuts in block grant.

The wavy hair products company has struck a major deal with the retail giant

An innovative haircare company launched in lockdown by a North Tyneside couple has sealed a deal that will see its products stocked by high street giant Boots. Merwave was established by Abi and Tom Reid, of Whitley Bay, five years ago after they spotted a gap in the market for hair products for people with wavy hair.

Keen to care properly for her tresses, Abi worked with teams of experts to create the formulas for products she hadn’t been able to find anywhere else. The resulting Merwave kit comprises five separate products to “help women awaken their natural waves”.

They became an instant hit, buoyed by successful online marketing and viral videos of women using the products. New products have been added to the original five-step shampoo, conditioner, wave cream, cast foam and gel kit, and all of the products are silicone, sulphate and paraben‑free, and cruelty free.

The couple gave up different careers to launch the business, with Abi leaving a marketing position at a North East housebuilder, and e-commerce specialist Tim putting his consultancy skills to use with Merwave’s viral advertising. The company now has a fulfilment centre in Gateshead shipping out orders across the UK, and it also setting up an EU warehouse.

At the moment it employs three full-time staff members as well as six freelancers. Since launch the firm has seen huge growth, from first year turnover of £1m to current sales of around £5m. And that figure is set to increase on the back of a huge deal that will see its products stocked in scores of Boots stores around the UK.

Merwave is now stocked in 215 UK Boots stores, including Eldon Square and the Metrocentre, and the pair describe the deal as a “huge pinch-me moment”. Tom initiated the deal by contacting Boots to point out that, while its shelved were well-stocked with products for curly hair, there was nothing for wavy hair – and the two hair types require different products.

Boots soon entered into talks, and the deal was struck. Abi said: “It’s a massive opportunity for us. Our big goal is to grow the number of stores we launch in, after the initial 215 stores. A key goal is for us to define the category, create it and be the leader of wavy hair.”

Tom said: “Our goal here is to really grow that. So that’s one big focus. The next big focus is expanding to the European marketplaces – hence why we’ve got a warehouse in Europe, I’m distributing around there. And then we also want to keep growing in the UK as well.”

Abi added: “This is a really big step for us. We don’t have experience in this. This isn’t our background as we’ve never been in retail. We positively avoided it for the four to five years. It only launched on Monday but we will make it work. Obviously you can see Merwave on our website, but it just feels different seeing it in Boots.”

In 2022 Abi was named as one of the UK’s most inspirational female founders. Her story impressed judges at the national Everywoman Awards which single out female entrepreneurs. She collected the Artemis Award – a category that singles out the most inspirational woman running a business trading from 18 months to three years. Sara Davies of Crafter’s Companion is a previous winner of the Artemis award.

The chief executive of PizzaExpress, the founder of MOBO Awards and the co-founder of one of Europe’s fastest-growing matcha brands are among the finalists for the 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Awards.

Now in its 54th year, the awards are the longest-running international honours dedicated to celebrating women in business. Founded in tribute to Madame Clicquot — who took over the Champagne house at 27 and defied the conventions of her era — the programme recognises women who combine commercial success with bold, transformative leadership.

The awards are split into two categories: the Bold Woman Award, honouring established leaders, and the Bold Future Award, spotlighting emerging entrepreneurs shaping the next generation of enterprise.

Among this year’s senior leaders is Paula MacKenzie, chief executive of PizzaExpress. Since taking the helm, MacKenzie has overseen a nationwide refurbishment programme, introduced new concepts including the PizzaExpress Pod, and expanded the brand both domestically and internationally. Under her leadership, the company has achieved record customer satisfaction levels and launched PX Records, its own record label, while raising more than £1m for charity.

Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of the MOBO Group, is also shortlisted. Over three decades, she has grown the MOBO Awards from a niche celebration into a globally recognised cultural platform. In recent years she launched House of MOBO in South London and introduced MOBOLISE, a UK-first initiative aimed at equipping 100,000 Black talents with AI literacy and career development opportunities. The MOBO Awards mark their 30th anniversary in 2026.

Completing the trio is Smruti Sriram OBE, CEO of Bags of Ethics under parent company Supreme Creations. Sriram has positioned the business as a global leader in reusable packaging, working with brands including Dior, Harrods and Nike. Her vertically integrated supply chain model, which employs an 80% female workforce, has helped eliminate more than 30 billion single-use items worldwide while delivering consistent double-digit growth.

The Bold Future Award highlights ambitious founders building high-impact ventures.

Alisha Fredriksson, co-founder and CEO of Seabound, has developed a modular carbon capture system that can retrofit existing ships and reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 95%. In under four years, she has taken the business from concept to commercial deployment with major shipping operators, building a specialist team and securing £8.5m in funding.

Josephine Philips, founder of SOJO, has modernised the clothing repair sector by integrating proprietary technology, logistics and in-house operations. The platform now partners with brands including Ralph Lauren, Selfridges and Marks & Spencer.

Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed, rounds out the shortlist. At 28, she has helped scale the matcha-based drinks brand to a reported £50m in annual recurring revenue, with distribution in more than 30,000 retail and café locations across over 50 countries.

Previous winners of the awards include Julia Hoggett, Professor Sarah Gilbert and Anne Pitcher, reflecting the breadth of sectors represented, from finance and science to retail and culture.

Thomas Mulliez, president of Veuve Clicquot, said this year’s shortlist reflects the pioneering spirit of Madame Clicquot. “They are redefining what business can be — from tackling plastic pollution and fashion waste to cementing Black music at the heart of British culture.”

Sian Westerman, board member of the British Fashion Council and a judge for the awards, said the finalists exemplify resilience in the face of structural barriers that continue to challenge women in leadership and entrepreneurship.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 20 May, bringing together senior figures from across business, culture and industry to celebrate audacious female leadership.

Amy Ingham

Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares rose 0.64% to close at $312.90 on Feb. 25, 2026, extending a strong recovery as the Google parent company continues to demonstrate accelerating revenue growth fueled by artificial intelligence advancements and surging demand for Google Cloud, even as massive capital expenditures raise questions about near-term returns.

The modest daily gain came amid elevated trading volume of nearly 30 million shares and followed a period of consolidation after the stock hit a 52-week high near $349 earlier in February. Year-to-date, Alphabet has lagged the broader market slightly but remains up more than 70% over the past 12 months, reflecting sustained investor enthusiasm for its AI leadership despite a recent pullback from peaks.

The primary catalyst remains Alphabet’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings reported Feb. 4, 2026, which showcased record performance. Consolidated revenues jumped 18% year over year to $113.8 billion, surpassing expectations, while net income rose 30% to $34.5 billion and diluted earnings per share climbed 31% to $2.82, beating consensus estimates of around $2.61. Google Services revenues increased 14% to $95.9 billion, driven by 17% growth in Search & other and strong contributions from subscriptions and devices. YouTube ads and subscriptions pushed the platform’s full-year revenue above $60 billion for the first time.

Google Cloud delivered standout results, with revenues surging 48% to $17.7 billion amid booming demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise solutions. The segment’s operating income turned sharply positive, highlighting improved profitability as AI tools like Gemini integrate deeply into customer workflows. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted that the Gemini app now exceeds 750 million monthly active users, with first-party models processing over 10 billion tokens per minute via API.

To fuel this momentum, Alphabet guided 2026 capital expenditures to $175 billion-$185 billion — nearly double the $91.4 billion spent in 2025 — primarily for AI data centers, compute capacity and infrastructure to meet exploding demand. The forecast, announced alongside earnings, initially pressured shares due to concerns over elevated spending and uncertain monetization timelines in a competitive AI landscape. However, analysts have increasingly viewed the investment as a moat-widening move, positioning Alphabet ahead in the race against rivals like Microsoft and Amazon.

Recent developments reinforce this narrative. On Feb. 25, Alphabet announced that its robotics software company Intrinsic, formerly an “Other Bets” moonshot, would fold into Google to accelerate physical AI integration. The move streamlines operations and aligns robotics efforts with broader AI ambitions. Alphabet has also secured major clean energy deals, including partnerships with Xcel Energy in Minnesota and AES in Texas, to power new data centers sustainably amid regulatory and grid constraints.

The company raised over $30 billion in a global debt offering earlier in February to support these expenditures, underscoring confidence in long-term cash flows despite higher leverage. Alphabet maintains a robust balance sheet with significant net cash and initiated or increased dividends, including a $0.21 quarterly payout (ex-date March 9, 2026).

Regulatory and competitive dynamics persist as risks. Antitrust scrutiny continues following prior rulings, though favorable outcomes — such as avoiding severe remedies like divesting Chrome or Android — have eased overhangs and boosted sentiment. Ongoing cases in the U.S. and EU could influence future operations, but analysts note Alphabet’s data advantages and scale provide resilience.

Institutional activity reflects mixed but generally positive views. Some funds trimmed positions modestly, while others added significantly; Stratos Wealth Partners increased holdings by millions. Consensus analyst targets hover around $366-$376, implying 17-20% upside from current levels, with a “Moderate Buy” rating. Valuation stands at a forward P/E near 28x based on projected 2026 earnings, elevated from historical averages but justified by accelerating growth.

Broader market context includes AI sector enthusiasm, with peers facing similar capex pressures. Bond investors have flagged AI spending bubbles as a top risk, yet Alphabet’s execution — including Gemini integrations with partners like Apple for Siri enhancements and Walmart for shopping — demonstrates tangible progress toward monetization.

As the company prepares for Q1 2026 earnings in late April, focus will remain on cloud backlog (nearing $240 billion), AI-driven search expansions like AI Overviews, and capex deployment efficiency. With annual revenues surpassing $400 billion for the first time in 2025 and clear paths to higher margins, Alphabet appears well-positioned to capitalize on the AI era despite short-term spending headwinds.

Investors continue monitoring geopolitical factors, energy costs for data centers and competitive AI model releases. For now, the stock’s resilience amid heavy investment signals market belief in Alphabet’s ability to convert scale and innovation into sustained leadership and shareholder value.