The race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot has tightened into an unprecedented three-way tie, with France’s Kylian Mbappe, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Norway’s Erling Haaland all sitting atop the tournament’s scoring charts with seven goals apiece as the Round of 16 reaches its midpoint. It marks the first time in World Cup history that three players have reached seven or more goals in the same tournament.

Messi was the first of the trio to reach the mark, scoring in Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 extra-time win over tournament debutant Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on July 3. The goal also extended his standing as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, pushing his career World Cup tally to 20 goals, a record he has been steadily building throughout the competition. Messi’s tournament run has included a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening group-stage win over Algeria, a brace against Austria and a free-kick scored off the bench against Jordan, before his decisive goal against Cape Verde put him at the top of the leaderboard.

Mbappe matched Messi’s tally the following day, scoring the only goal in France’s 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16 to send the two-time reigning runner-up through to the quarterfinals. The goal, converted from the penalty spot, also gave Mbappe the tiebreaker advantage over his rivals, since he has recorded two assists so far in the tournament compared to Messi and Haaland, a distinction that would currently place him first in the official Golden Boot standings if the tournament ended today.

Haaland completed the three-way tie on July 5, scoring twice in the final 11 minutes of Norway’s stunning 2-1 upset over five-time champion Brazil in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The result sent Brazil home in its earliest World Cup exit since 1990 and pushed Norway into its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal. Haaland’s tournament has been defined by explosive, high-impact performances, beginning with a two-goal outing in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq in his first-ever World Cup appearance and continuing through the knockout rounds.

According to FIFA’s official tiebreaker rules for the adidas Golden Boot award, ties are broken first by total assists, then by fewest minutes played among the tied scorers. Under that criteria, Mbappe currently holds the lead by virtue of his two assists this tournament, ahead of Messi and Haaland, who have not recorded any assists so far. The tiebreaker situation could shift considerably as the tournament progresses through the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, with all three contenders’ teams still alive in the competition.

Beyond the three co-leaders, a group of players sits several goals back but remains within striking distance heading into the tournament’s final rounds. England captain Harry Kane has scored five goals so far, highlighted by a brace in the team’s Round of 32 comeback win over DR Congo that also made him England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer, surpassing former England striker Gary Lineker. Kane has previously won the Golden Boot once before, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and would join a short list of repeat winners if he were to capture the award again this year. No player in World Cup history has ever won the Golden Boot more than once.

A cluster of players including Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, England’s Jude Bellingham and France’s Ousmane Dembele are tied with four goals each, keeping them within reach of the leaders depending on how deep their respective teams advance. Dembele in particular surged up the standings with a first-half hat-trick during France’s group stage, while Oyarzabal has continued to contribute to Spain’s push through the knockout rounds.

Other notable performers earlier in the tournament included Germany’s Denis Undav, who scored efficiently off the bench before his team’s exit, Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr, who scored in three consecutive matches before his team was eliminated in the Round of 32, and Morocco’s Ismael Saibari, who scored in three straight group-stage matches to help lead his team’s run to the knockout rounds. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has also factored into the early scoring conversation, netting three goals through the tournament’s early rounds, though he will need to add to that total quickly if Portugal is to advance deep into the competition.

Historically, the Golden Boot has been awarded to a range of players across different scoring thresholds depending on the tournament. The all-time single-tournament scoring record belongs to France’s Just Fontaine, who scored an extraordinary 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, a mark that has stood for nearly seven decades. Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis scored 11 goals at the 1954 tournament in Switzerland, while West Germany’s Gerd Muller notched 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. With three players already at seven goals and roughly two weeks of competition remaining, questions have begun to surface about whether this year’s eventual Golden Boot winner could approach some of those historical benchmarks, particularly if Argentina, France or Norway make deep runs toward the final.

With the tournament’s remaining schedule featuring a quarterfinal matchup between Messi’s Argentina and Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, along with Mbappe’s France facing Morocco and Haaland’s Norway set to meet England, all three Golden Boot leaders will have additional opportunities to extend their tallies in the coming days. The eventual outcome of the award will likely hinge not only on continued individual scoring form, but also on how far each of their national teams progresses through the remainder of the tournament, with the final scheduled for July 19.

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The Nifty Bank index rose to 58,376, gaining nearly 1%. The index snapped a two-session losing streak today.

HDFC Bank Q1 business update

HDFC Bank shares were the top gainers on the index, jumping nearly 3% after India’s largest private lender reported gross advances at Rs 30.61 lakh crore at the end of the April-June quarter of FY27, marking a 15.4% year-on-year (YoY) rise from Rs 26.53 lakh crore reported in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.

Its period end deposits meanwhile rose 14.7% YoY to Rs 31.71 lakh crore at the end of the first quarter of FY27, as against Rs 27.64 lakh crore reported at the end of the corresponding quarter of FY26.

JM Financial noted that HDFC Bank reported healthy deposit mobilisation. “HDFC Bank reported robust loan growth, marginally ahead of estimates, while deposit growth was in line. Consequently, the CD ratio inched up to 95.8% (vs. 94.6% in Q4 FY26). We expect margins to contract slightly this quarter and, in our recent preview note, estimated a 2bp QoQ margin contraction,” said Motilal Oswal in its note.

Also read: HDFC Bank Q1 business update | Gross advances rise 15% to Rs 30.61 lakh crore

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AU Small Finance Bank and IndusInd Bank shares gained nearly 2% each. AU Small Finance Bank’s gross loan portfolio rose around 23% YoY to Rs 1.44 lakh crore, while total deposits gained nearly 24% to Rs 1.58 lakh crore. IndusInd Bank’s net advances however declined over 2% YoY to Rs 3.26 lakh crore, but deposits rose 4.5% YoY to Rs 4.15 lakh crore.
ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Federal Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank shares gained up to 1%, as seen at 11 am.Also read: Yes Bank shares gain after Q1 advances rise 18% to Rs 2.85 lakh crore, deposits up 14%

Kotak Mahindra Bank Q1 business update

Bucking the trend, Kotak Mahindra Bank shares crashed 4%, significantly weighing on the Nifty Bank index. This came after the private lender announced that its net advances for the quarter which ended on June 30, 2026, rose more than 15% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 5.12 lakh crore, from Rs 4.45 lakh crore reported in the same period last year. Deposits meanwhile grew nearly 12% YoY to Rs 5.73 lakh crore during Q1 FY27, from Rs 5.13 lakh crore in Q1 FY26. Sequentially however, the growth in deposits was marginal at 0.1% QoQ from Rs 5.72 lakh crore in Q4 FY26.

Motilal Oswal noted that Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Q1 loan growth remained largely in line with its estimate. However, deposits surprised negatively amid a sharp decline in CASA. As a result, the bank’s CD ratio increased to 89.4% vs 86.6% in Q4 FY26.

JM Financial also noted that Kotak Mahindra Bank reported relatively weaker deposit mobilisation. “ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Bank are expected to continue delivering strong earnings growth, while Ujjivan, City Union Bank and DCB Bank should remain among the better-performing mid-sized lenders supported by healthy business growth and improving operating metrics,” the domestic brokerage said.

Also read: Kotak Mahindra Bank shares fall over 4% after Q1 update; advances jump 15% to Rs 5.12 lakh crore

Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda shares meanwhile traded in the red with marginal losses.

Key technical levels for Nifty Bank

Following the sharp rally witnessed at the start of June, the banking index has entered a phase of time-wise correction, evident from the formation of three consecutive small-bodied candles on the weekly chart, Rajesh Bhosale, Technical Analyst at Angel One, had said after the two-session losing streak.

“Despite this consolidation, the broader structure remains constructive as Bank Nifty continues to hold above the breakout zone of the April month swing high around 57,500, which also coincides with the 200DSMA. The overall trajectory continues to remain positive, and the current consolidation appears to be a healthy pause within the prevailing uptrend. Momentum indicator RSI, which had earlier entered the overbought zone, has now cooled off towards the 60 mark, creating room for the next leg of the upmove to unfold. Hence, traders should continue to maintain a buy-on-dips approach,” he said.

Also read: Why the world’s biggest banks keep selling their India retail arms

The Nifty Bank index is likely to see resistance at 58,500–58,800, and a sustained move above this zone is likely to reignite the primary uptrend, according to the analyst. On the downside, he sees the banking index finding support at 57,000–56,500 zone. “From a stock-specific perspective, frontline private banking stocks continue to exhibit relative strength, while PSU banks were under pressure. Traders are therefore advised to be selective and focus on stronger private banking names for potential outperformance,” Bhosale said.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its knockout business end, with the field now trimmed to 16 teams and the tournament’s quarterfinal picture beginning to take shape as the Round of 16 continues across venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The tournament began with a record 48 teams split into 12 groups, later narrowed to 32 nations advancing through the group stage before the single-elimination Round of 32 further reduced the field to 16. That round produced several surprises, most notably the elimination of Germany at the hands of Paraguay and an early exit for the Netherlands, results that reshaped expectations heading into the tournament’s second knockout round.

Two of the four quarterfinal matchups are now confirmed. France booked its place in the last eight with a 1-0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia, a result built around a penalty conversion from Kylian Mbappe, who continues to lead the tournament’s Golden Boot conversation. France will face Morocco, which advanced with a commanding 3-0 win over co-host Canada in Houston. The victory made Morocco the first African nation to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals, continuing the momentum the team built during a memorable run to the semifinals in 2022. Canada’s elimination also made it the first of the tournament’s three co-host nations to be knocked out of contention, a distinction determined largely by the structure of the bracket rather than any single result. Morocco and France are scheduled to meet in the quarterfinals on Thursday, July 9, at Boston Stadium.

The tournament’s other confirmed quarterfinal matchup pits Norway against England, a meeting set for Saturday, July 11. Norway advanced with a stunning 2-1 upset over five-time champion Brazil in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with forward Erling Haaland scoring both of Norway’s goals to send Brazil home in its earliest World Cup exit since 1990. England, meanwhile, survived a chaotic Round of 16 clash with co-host Mexico at Estadio Azteca, winning 3-2 in a match that included two red cards and two penalties before England held on to advance to the quarterfinals for a third consecutive tournament.

The remaining half of the bracket is still being finalized, with four Round of 16 matches left to determine the tournament’s final two quarterfinal pairings. Portugal is set to face Spain, while the United States takes on Belgium, both matches scheduled for Monday, July 6. Portugal advanced to this stage with a 2-1 win over Croatia, while Spain cruised past Austria 3-0 in its own Round of 32 fixture. The United States, the tournament’s remaining co-host still alive in the competition, advanced past Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in extra time despite playing a portion of the match with a numerical disadvantage after forward Folarin Balogun was shown a red card, a decision that was later overturned by FIFA ahead of the Belgium match. Belgium reached this stage by overcoming Senegal 3-2 in a come-from-behind victory.

The winners of the Portugal-Spain and United States-Belgium matches will meet in the quarterfinals on Friday, July 10, at Los Angeles Stadium.

Two additional Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Tuesday, July 7. Argentina, the tournament’s defending champion, will face Egypt at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in a highly anticipated matchup between Lionel Messi and Mohamed Salah. Argentina reached this stage after needing extra time to eliminate tournament debutant Cape Verde, ultimately advancing 3-2 on the strength of a late own goal from the Cape Verdean defense. Egypt reached the Round of 16 for the first time in 92 years on the back of a penalty shootout win over Australia, a result that included a successful Panenka-style conversion from Salah.

Also on July 7, Switzerland will face Colombia, with both nations having advanced through their respective Round of 32 matchups. Switzerland eliminated Algeria to reach this stage, while Colombia edged past Ghana 1-0. The winners of the Argentina-Egypt and Switzerland-Colombia matches will meet in the quarterfinals on Saturday, July 11, at Kansas City Stadium.

With those results, the tournament’s quarterfinal schedule is nearly set. Morocco and France will open the round on July 9 in Boston, followed by the winners of Portugal-Spain and USA-Belgium meeting on July 10 in Los Angeles. On July 11, Norway will face England, while the winners of Argentina-Egypt and Switzerland-Colombia complete the round on the same day in Kansas City.

Beyond the sporting drama, this year’s tournament has continued to draw record global attention as the first World Cup jointly hosted by three nations and the first to feature the expanded 48-team format. The larger field has produced a total of 104 matches across 16 host cities spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico, a significant increase from the 64-match format used in previous 32-team tournaments. With Canada, Mexico and now potentially other co-hosts eliminated at various stages, the United States remains the last of the three hosts still alive in the competition heading into Monday’s match against Belgium.

Looking further ahead, the semifinal round is scheduled to follow the conclusion of the quarterfinals, with the tournament’s final set for July 19. As the bracket continues to take shape, storylines abound heading into the coming week, from Messi’s continued pursuit of a strong tournament with Argentina to Haaland’s push to add to his tournament-leading goal tally with Norway, alongside England’s bid to advance further than the team has in decades and the co-host United States’ attempt to extend its own historic run on home soil.

Fans looking to follow the remaining schedule can expect matches to continue nearly daily through the coming week as the field narrows from the current 16 teams down to the final four semifinalists, with official broadcast details for each remaining match available through FOX, FOX One, Telemundo and other regional broadcast partners covering the tournament across its host countries.

World Cup 2026 Bracket — Quarterfinals & Remaining Schedule

Confirmed Quarterfinals:

• Morocco vs. France — Thursday, July 9, Boston Stadium
• Morocco beat Canada 3-0 (first African team to reach back-to-back World Cup quarterfinals)
• France beat Paraguay 1-0 (Mbappé penalty)
• Norway vs. England — Saturday, July 11, Miami
• Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 (Haaland brace; Brazil’s earliest exit since 1990)
• England beat Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca (two red cards, two penalties)

Remaining Round of 16 (still to be played):

• Portugal vs. Spain — Monday, July 6
• Portugal beat Croatia 2-1; Spain beat Austria 3-0
• USA vs. Belgium — Monday, July 6
• USA beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 (AET); Belgium beat Senegal 3-2
• Argentina vs. Egypt — Tuesday, July 7, Atlanta (Messi vs. Salah)
• Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 (AET, own goal winner); Egypt beat Australia on penalties
• Switzerland vs. Colombia — Tuesday, July 7
• Switzerland beat Algeria; Colombia beat Ghana 1-0

Resulting Quarterfinals from those matches:

• Winner (Portugal/Spain) vs. Winner (USA/Belgium) — Friday, July 10, Los Angeles Stadium
• Winner (Argentina/Egypt) vs. Winner (Switzerland/Colombia) — Saturday, July 11, Kansas City Stadium

Key context:

• Field started at 48 teams → 32 after groups → 16 now in Round of 16
• Canada was the first co-host eliminated; USA is the only co-host still alive
• Semifinals follow the quarterfinals, with the final set for July 19
• Tournament format: first-ever 48-team World Cup, first jointly hosted by three countries (US, Canada, Mexico), 104 total matches

The proposals include a huge shop alongside a drive-through Starbucks and a DIY store

Developers have unveiled plans for a new Tesco in a Wiltshire town – and in a description more reminiscent of one of the county’s grand country estates, claiming it will be built in a ‘parkland setting’.

Should it receive planning permission, the Tesco would be surrounded by natural lakes, trees, and other landscaped features – a vision that English gardener Capability Brown would have applauded.

Robert Cort Properties is seeking to build a Tesco superstore, alongside a drive-through Starbucks and a DIY store, on land on the outskirts of the Devizes urban area, within the parish of Bishops Cannings.

The 7.4-hectare site sits next to a plot earmarked by Aldi for a new store. Its development partner, PRZM Real Estate, has already lodged a planning application for a £10m, 1,800 square metre store, along with a drive-through coffee shop, on the stretch of land running alongside the A361 London Road.

Also nearby is the former Cannings Hill filling station. Despite no longer operating as a fuel retailer, the site currently houses a car dealership, motor workshop, and hand car wash.

Last month, fast food giant McDonald’s announced its intention to build a drive-through restaurant on the site.

While Robert Cort Properties is headquartered in Reading, its managing director Jonathan Skull is no stranger to Devizes, having previously played cricket for the town. He also has family ties to Marlborough.

He told an online public meeting on Thursday: “I feel it could be a lovely plot that the community could benefit from.”

He revealed that his company had previously sought planning permission to construct a business park on the former MoD land, situated a mile and a half east of Devizes town centre.

Having been turned down by Wiltshire Council, the firm secured approval at a 2024 planning appeal. However, with little demand for a business park, the company has shifted its focus to retail, with the hope that the employment opportunities generated by the scheme will strengthen its planning case.

He said the development would provide a significant boost to the local economy, creating jobs and apprenticeships in the process. “A lot of young people, especially, are struggling to find jobs,” he said.

Architect Robert O’Reilly acknowledged the proposed site was just 400 metres from the boundary of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.

“We want to integrate a strong parkland look, with lakes and trees,” he said. “It won’t be boring grey boxes in a boring grey landscape.”

He also assured those present that sufficient parking would be provided to ensure shoppers did not spill over into surrounding residential streets.

Transport consultant Paul Greatwood argued that the new development was unlikely to generate additional traffic. On the contrary, he suggested it would allow residents in the rapidly-growing eastern part of the town to carry out their shopping without having to navigate through the town centre.

Lee Nicoll, from the property acquisition team at Tesco, confirmed the retailer had been “actively looking for a site for a large store” in Devizes for some time. He explained that at 40,000 sq ft, or 1,800 sq m, the supermarket would be “slightly larger than Marlborough, slightly smaller than Calne, and around a third of the size of the Trowbridge supermarket.

“The store will have a new look and feel. It will look really fresh,” he said.

Customers could anticipate fresh produce, an in-store bakery, a health and beauty section, clothing, and cash machines. Both click and collect, and home delivery services will be available.

What it won’t feature is a filling station. Approximately 75 to 80 new jobs would be created. The trading hours are expected to be 7am to 11pm.

Mr Greatwood indicated there would probably be four HGV deliveries daily, with one fresh produce delivery in the morning.

Devizes currently has a town centre Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s, as well as an edge-of-town Lidl. However, Mr Nicholl commented: “We’re confident there’s a place for us. We want to be in Devizes and believe the public will enjoy our products.”

He noted that the local economy in Devizes was losing £4m annually to Tesco at Trowbridge. The proposed store would retain more revenue within the local economy, he added.

The developers were questioned about whether there would be a coordinated approach to the area’s future development. “We’ve reached out,” said Mr Skull.

“The Aldi application and this one are likely to be considered together by Wiltshire Council, who will want us to take a holistic approach to deliver something that is right for the community.”

The partnership will be seeking public feedback until July 21. A planning application is set to be submitted to Wiltshire Council in September, with a decision anticipated in early 2026, paving the way for construction to commence in 2027.

A public consultation event will take place in person at Devizes Corn Exchange on Tuesday, July 7, running from 1pm until 7.30pm.

WASHINGTON — Anthony Davis has yet to play a single game for the Washington Wizards, but the 10-time All-Star has already become one of the most talked-about names of the NBA offseason, with multiple teams reportedly circling the veteran big man even as Washington insists it has no intention of trading him.

The Wizards acquired Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player trade at the deadline in February, a deal that also brought guards Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to Washington in exchange for forward Khris Middleton, guard AJ Johnson, guard Malaki Branham, center Marvin Bagley III and a package of draft picks. Davis never suited up for the Wizards last season, and questions about his long-term future in Washington have persisted throughout the summer as the team works to build around its young core.

Those questions intensified after the Golden State Warriors emerged as a serious suitor, driven in part by a desire to reunite Davis with LeBron James, his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate and the player with whom he won an NBA championship in 2021. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors explored the possibility of trading for Davis as part of a broader offseason plan that also included pursuing James in free agency. ESPN’s Shams Charania later reported that Golden State’s roster ambitions extended beyond James alone, describing the team’s larger vision. “The Warriors going into free agency dreamt up a grand plan of Draymond, Steph, LeBron,” Charania said, adding that the franchise viewed pairing James with Davis as a potentially decisive move in its pursuit of the four-time MVP.

Any Golden State package for Davis would likely have required including forward Jimmy Butler to satisfy salary-matching rules, a complication that several reports suggested made the scenario unlikely to materialize. Both Butler and his longtime agent, Bernie Lee, have indicated that the Warriors have consistently communicated their desire to keep Butler with the organization as he continues recovering from a torn ACL, according to multiple outlets covering the situation.

Skepticism about the Warriors-Davis rumors grew further after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested the speculation may have been driven more by negotiating leverage than genuine trade interest. Windhorst indicated that people around the league increasingly viewed the situation as a tactic benefiting multiple parties, saying it could ultimately lead to new contracts for several of the players involved rather than an actual trade. His comments came shortly after Golden State forward Draymond Green declined his $27.6 million player option, a move that added financial flexibility for the Warriors as they explored their options across free agency and the trade market.

Washington, for its part, has been unambiguous in shutting down the speculation. According to ESPN’s Marc Spears, a source told the network that the Wizards have no interest in trading Davis and are not entertaining offers involving him. Spears also reported that an unnamed NBA team executive described Wizards general manager Will Dawkins as a strong admirer of Davis’ game and presence within the organization. Dawkins himself addressed the rumors directly following the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Draft, telling ESPN that the team’s stance on Davis remains straightforward. “With AD again, he wants to be here and we want him here,” Dawkins said, adding that further conversations about his long-term future would take place in mid-August once contract extension eligibility rules allow for formal talks.

That timeline matters significantly for both sides. Davis has one guaranteed season remaining on his current contract, worth $58.5 million for 2026-27, along with a $62.8 million player option for the following season. Beginning August 6, he becomes eligible for a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million, a detail that has shaped much of the speculation about his future. Should he be traded before then, that extension eligibility resets, a factor that complicates any team’s motivation to pursue a deal in the near term.

Despite Washington’s public stance, additional trade proposals have continued to surface. One report floated by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor detailed a Warriors framework built around Jimmy Butler, in which Washington would receive Butler’s expiring $56.8 million contract, along with two future first-round picks and four first-round pick swaps in exchange for Davis. Separately, NBA reporter Sam Quinn proposed a hypothetical package involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which Cleveland would send center Jarrett Allen, guard Max Strus, guard Dennis Schroder and a first-round pick to Washington for Davis, tying into broader rumors linking Davis to a possible reunion scenario involving James in Cleveland rather than Golden State.

The Wizards’ broader offseason moves have added context to their stance on Davis. Washington used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to select forward AJ Dybantsa out of BYU and signed guard Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million contract extension shortly afterward. Those moves, combined with a young core that includes Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George, suggest a franchise focused on methodical, long-term development rather than pursuing immediate results through a marquee veteran. Washington finished with a 50-196 record over the past three seasons, a stretch that has shaped the front office’s current approach to roster building.

Davis’ injury history remains a relevant factor in any evaluation of his trade value. Over the past five seasons, he has appeared in just 243 of a possible 410 regular-season games, a durability concern that Washington and any potential trade partner would need to weigh carefully. When healthy last season with Dallas, Davis averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game across 20 appearances, shooting 50.6 percent from the field, numbers that continue to make him an attractive target for teams seeking immediate frontcourt production.

For now, Washington appears content to let the speculation play out without making a move, betting that Davis’ value could climb further if he performs well to open next season. Whether that patience holds through the coming months, particularly once his extension eligibility opens in August, remains one of the more closely watched storylines as the NBA heads toward the start of training camps later this year.

Two of the biggest fuel providers in the Channel Islands have said pump prices are steadily falling.

Both Rubis and ATF Fuels said recent drops in wholesale costs were now filtering through to local forecourts in Guernsey and Jersey.

The price of petrol and diesel reached an Iran war peak in May, before starting to fall.

A spokesperson for Rubis said if wholesale prices continued to fall it expected “to see further reductions passed on over time”.

In the last fortnight, global oil prices have returned to levels not seen since before the Iran war.

The RAC also reported the fastest monthly fall in diesel prices since 2000 in June with the cost falling by 17p a litre.

Petrol prices have also fallen, although with a more modest drop than diesel.

In an online post, external, the Jersey Consumer Council welcomed a reduction in prices but encouraged islanders to “shop around”.

It also told islanders not to expect prices to drop as quickly as they had risen.

“When wholesale prices rise, retailers typically pass these increases on swiftly. In contrast, when wholesale costs fall, reductions at the pump tend to happen more gradually”.

“This is partly due to consumer behaviour, as drivers are more likely to actively compare prices when costs are rising than when they are falling” it said.

The fall in prices comes after one Jersey politician proposed reducing fuel duty for three months to help islanders with the cost of living.