Reports are emerging that the US and Israel are supporting separatist groups in Iran to launch attacks. The reports claim its part of an evolving US strategy to weaking Iran’s defences and possibly collapse the Islamic Republic. Soraya Lennie breaks it down.
Victims of a coach who avoided prison despite secretly filming women footballers in changing rooms and showers have called for him to receive a global lifetime ban.
Petr Vlachovsky was given a suspended one-year prison sentence and five-year coaching ban in the Czech Republic after being convicted of filming 14 players over four years.
He coached girls and women at 1. FC Slovacko for almost 15 years, and previously led the Czech Republic Under-19s women’s team.
Once voted the best women’s coach in the Czech Republic, Vlachovsky was arrested in September 2023 after police discovered the covertly filmed footage online.
He was also found in possession of child sexual abuse material.
Leading players’ union Fifpro reported that players of 1. FC Slovacko only learned they had been secretly filmed after the arrest. He was given a one-year suspended prison sentence in May last year, and recently a group of the victims came forward to demand further action.
Fifpro – the global representative organisation for professional footballers – said the players were filmed on Vlachovsky’s camera hidden in a backpack, and the youngest was aged 17.
“Because the Czech criminal process and the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FACR) administrative proceedings are separate and can run in parallel, the union is challenging the FA to implement a lifetime football ban for Vlachovsky and all sexual offenders,” Fifpro said.
“Fifpro is exploring possible legal avenues on behalf of players to achieve a global ban.
“The victims did not have the opportunity to attend a public trial and could not file an appeal against what players view as extremely lenient sentencing.”
Players spoke to Czech media publication Seznam Zpravy after Vlachovsky’s sentencing, saying it had left them afraid to sleep at night and anxious about being in public in case they were being filmed.
FACR chairman David Trunda told Seznam Zpravy that the association had not historically addressed these issues and wanted to “turn the tide” and pay more attention to the safety of children and players.
Global energy markets remain in a state of high alert after several Gulf states suspended oil and gas production following escalating tensions in the region.
Since Saturday’s attacks by the United States and Israel, Tehran has targeted various sites in Israel and across several Gulf countries.
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Initially, these Iranian attacks focused primarily on US military assets, but Gulf states have reported that Iran has since broadened its scope to target civilian infrastructure, including hotels, airports and energy facilities. Iranian officials have publicly denied targeting Gulf energy facilities, however.
The Middle East remains the world’s dominant source of hydrocarbon reserves and a major driver of crude oil and natural gas output.
Nearly half of the world’s oil reserves and exports come from the Middle East, which contains five of the seven largest oil reserves in the world.
Once refined, crude oil is used to make various products, including petrol, diesel, jet fuel and a wide range of household items such as cleaning products, plastics and even lotions.
After Venezuela, which has 303 billion barrels, Saudi Arabia holds the world’s second-largest proven crude oil reserves, estimated at 267 billion barrels.
The Middle East’s largest oil reserves:
Saudi Arabia is also the world’s top oil exporter with an estimated $187bn of crude in 2024, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).
Other Middle Eastern countries with sizeable oil exports include: Oman ($28.9bn), Kuwait ($28.8bn) and Qatar ($21bn).
In addition to crude oil, the Middle East is a global powerhouse for natural gas, accounting for nearly 18 percent of global production and approximately 40 percent of the world’s proven reserves.
Natural gas is primarily used for electricity generation, industrial heating, and in chemicals and fertilisers.
The heart of Middle Eastern gas is a single, massive underwater reservoir called the South Pars/North Dome field. It is the largest gasfield in the world, and it is shared directly between Qatar and Iran.
Gas is transported either through pipelines or by tankers. When using pipelines, the gas is pressurised and moved through steel networks. When pipelines are not feasible, such as across oceans, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is used.
To create LNG, the gas is cooled to approximately -162C (-260F), shrinking its volume and allowing it to be safely loaded onto specialised tanker ships for global transport.
To transport oil and gas, tankers from various Gulf states must navigate the narrow waterway known as the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas passes through this strait, primarily heading to major markets in Asia, including China, Japan, South Korea and India, as well as to Europe.
Here are the facilities which have recorded damage as of Wednesday:
On Monday, one of the world’s largest oil refining complexes, the Ras Tanura oil refinery owned by Saudi Aramco, was forced to halt operations after debris from intercepted Iranian drones caused a small fire.
Saudi Aramco is one of the world’s largest companies, with a market capitalisation exceeding $1.7 trillion and revenue of $480bn. Headquartered in Dhahran, in eastern Saudi Arabia, Aramco controls 12 percent of global oil production, with a capacity of more than 12 million barrels per day (bpd).
On Wednesday, Saudi defence officials reported a second drone attempt on the facility but this was successfully intercepted with no damage or disruption to operations reported.
On Monday, Qatar’s Ministry of Defence reported that Iranian drones had targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan belonging to QatarEnergy, the world’s largest LNG producer.
While no casualties were reported, QatarEnergy suspended the production of LNG and other products at the impacted sites.
QatarEnergy’s 81 million metric tonnes of LNG exports are mostly bound for Asian markets, including China, Japan, India, South Korea, Pakistan and other countries in the region. The halt in production hiked global gas prices to a three-year high this week.
Qatar’s Defence Ministry said the country was attacked by a second drone launched from Iran on Monday, targeting a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, without reporting any casualties.
On Tuesday, QatarEnergy also stopped production of some downstream products like urea, polymers, methanol, aluminium and others.
On Monday, a fire broke out at Mussafah Fuel Terminal in southwest Abu Dhabi after it was struck by a drone.
On Tuesday, falling debris from a drone interception caused a fire at the Fujairah Oil Terminal along the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates. No injuries were reported.
On Tuesday, multiple Iranian drones struck fuel tanks and a tanker at the port of Duqm, with at least one direct hit on a fuel storage tank, causing an explosion.
On the same day, a drone strike was recorded at the Port of Salalah, which handles fuel and industrial minerals.
On Monday, the Athe Nova, a Honduran-flagged tanker positioned off the coast of Khor Fakkan, UAE, was struck by Iranian drones as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze. Despite the fire, the vessel managed to exit the chokepoint into the Gulf of Oman, and no casualties were reported.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the strike, identifying the Athe Nova as an “ally of the United States”.
On the same day as the attack, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, warning that any ship attempting to pass would be “set ablaze”.
Since then, several other tankers have been hit.
Although not directly targeted, the following energy sites suspended operations in response to Iranian retaliatory attacks:
Israeli offshore gasfields – Major gas production fields such as Leviathan and Tamar were shut down as a precaution following regional drone and missile launches linked to Iran.
Oil fields in semiautonomous Iraqi Kurdistan – Producers including DNO, Gulf Keystone and Dana Gas halted output as a safety measure amid the escalation.
Rumaila oilfield – Operations at Iraq’s largest oilfield – operated by BP – in southern Iraq were halted on Tuesday as a security precaution due to its proximity to the escalation zone.
Tranmere Rovers have sacked manager Andy Crosby, 10 months after he was appointed on a permanent basis.
Crosby leaves Prenton Park off the back of 10 losses from 11 League Two games, which has left Tranmere 19th in the table.
The club are eight points off the relegation places with 11 games of the season remaining.
“Andy did a great job for us last year and has undoubtedly been dealt a tough hand this season with the exceptionally high level of injuries we have experienced,” said chairman Mark Palios.
“However, I felt a change was unfortunately necessary to try to address the poor run of results.
“I have no doubt that Andy has put his all into the role over the last 12 months in difficult circumstances, and I wish him all the best for the future.”
Crosby initially led the club on an interim basis after former boss Nigel Adkins was dismissed in February 2025 before being appointed on a permanent deal in May.
He earned six wins and five draws from 13 games in charge of Tranmere at the tail end of last season as they avoided relegation by finishing 20th and nine points clear of the drop zone.
Their recent form has taken a drastic turn in comparison to their finish last term, however, with the club winning just twice since the turn of the year.
Following their 2-0 victory at Harrogate on New Year’s Day, Tranmere have picked up three points from a possible 33.
During that period, the gap between themselves and the bottom two has decreased from 15 to eight points, while they have conceded 10 goals in their past three games, including a 5-0 hammering by Notts County on 21 February.
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has lauded Nollywood icon Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, describing her as ‘a treasure’ for the nation’s development.
He spoke at the actress’ directorial debut, Mother’s Love, which premiered in Lagos on Sunday at Alliance Française in Ikoyi.
When asked about the “A-list” actress, Obasanjo drew her close in a show of fatherly pride, stating, “We have a treasure that we must keep and utilise for the development and growth of Nigeria, and there are many (other filmmakers) like that.
“We have to keep them and bring them to make meaningful contributions.”
[embedded content]While Nigerian movie premieres attract high-profile guests, it was unusual to have a former president attend such events.
The 88-year-old former military head of state, adorned in a white ‘Agbada’ and blue ‘fila,’ did not just attend; he immersed himself in the festivities, taking pictures and engaging with the press.
As expected, the sight of ‘Baba’ at the movie premiere sent social media into a frenzy.
Reactions online were diverse: many netizens found the former president’s appearance heartwarming and a “big win” for Nollywood’s validation, while others viewed the high-profile guest list as a masterstroke of marketing.
READ ALSO: Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Premieres Directorial Debut Mother’s Love In Lagos
The premiere served as a dual celebration, marking Omotola’s 30th year on stage.
Having started her career in the early 90s, she has appeared in over 100 films—including classics like Mortal Inheritance and international hits like Ije and Alter Ego.
Omotola’s latest stride is not a solitary one.
She represents a decade-long surge in Nollywood’s evolution, where talents are no longer just “actors” but significant cultural exports.
With Mother’s Love, she steps behind the camera to empower bold storytelling.
The film, which stars Olumide Owuru, Noray Nehita, and Ifeanyi Kalu, explores the visceral reality of sacrifice, a theme that resonates with Omotola’s own life as a mother of four and wife to Capt. Matthew Ekeinde.
By taking the director’s chair, she joins the ranks of visionaries like Kunle Afolayan, Funke Akindele, Niyi Akinmolayan, Toyin Abraham, and Genevieve Nnaji, all of whom have contributed significantly to the industry’s economic and creative growth.
Nick Timoney has been handed his first Six Nations start as Ireland head coach Andy Farrell makes five changes to his XV for Friday’s match against Wales in Dublin (20:10 GMT).
The Ulster back row has been rewarded by Farrell after making an impact off the bench in the games against France, Italy and England.
Timoney, 30, is one of two changes to the back row as Jack Conan is recalled after he missed the emphatic win over England at Allianz Stadium because of illness, meaning Tadhg Beirne shifts to the second row.
Farrell has also made two changes to the front row with Ulster’s Tom O’Toole replacing the injured Jeremy Loughman at loose-head prop and Ronan Kelleher recalled at hooker.
In the only change to the backline, Jacob Stockdale replaces the injured James Lowe on the left wing.
With right winger Robert Baloucoune and inside centre Stuart McCloskey retained after their sparkling displays against England, there are five Ulster players in Farrell’s starting team and two – Tom Stewart and Nathan Doak – on the bench.
In contrast, there were no Ulster players in Ireland’s matchday squad for the 27-18 win over Wales in Cardiff last year.
Doak is set to win his first cap as scrum-half cover for Jamison Gibson-Park – who will make his 50th Ireland appearance – while hooker Stewart will make his Six Nations debut.
“We have two special milestones in the squad this week at opposite ends of the scrum-half spectrum,” said Farrell.
“I would firstly like to congratulate Nathan on his first international selection. Nathan has been around a few Ireland camps in recent years and has impressed with the consistency and quality of his play in training and with Ulster over a longer period.
Ireland v Wales, Aviva Stadium
2026 Six Nations
Munster centre Tom Farrell is also set to make his Six Nations debut off the bench with Bundee Aki not included despite returning from a four-game ban for verbally abusing a referee.
Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier drop to the bench while Dan Sheehan is not included.
Wales named their team earlier on Wednesday with wing Ellis Mee recalled as one of three changes made by head coach Steve Tandy.
Ireland have won the past four Six Nations meetings with Wales and have not lost to this fixture at home since 2012.
Ireland: Osborne; Baloucoune, Ringrose, McCloskey, Stockdale; Crowley, Gibson-Park; O’Toole, Kelleher, Furlong, Ryan, Beirne, Conan, Timoney, Doris (capt).
Replacements: Stewart, Milne, Clarkson, McCarthy, Van der Flier, Doak, Farrell, Frawley.
Wales: Rees-Zammit; Mee, James, Hawkins, Adams; Edwards, T Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Francis, D Jenkins, Carter, Mann, Botham, Wainwright.