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Everton Football Club is set to offer David Moyes a new contract this summer, recognizing his achievements in turning the team around from relegation threats to potential European qualification contenders. Moyes, who took over in January of last year, has led the team to eighth place in the Premier League, just three points shy of the Champions League qualification spots. Initially viewed as a short-term solution by Everton's owners, the Friedkin Group, Moyes has proven his worth, prompting the club to consider extending his two-and-a-half-year deal. The Friedkin Group, who completed their £400m takeover of Everton the previous month, are now convinced that Moyes is the right manager to lead the club forward. Moyes' potential new contract could also come with increased influence over player recruitment, similar to his first stint at Everton from 2002 to 2013. The 62-year-old manager has downplayed discussions about a new deal, stating, 'I'm not too worried about that, I'm fine.' Everton's improvement under Moyes is notable, especially considering his preference for working with more experienced players, such as Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who joined last summer. This strategy contrasts with younger players like Tyler Dibling, who has made limited appearances. A potential complication for Everton's European aspirations is the ownership situation, as the Friedkin Group also owns AS Roma, currently sixth in Serie A. UEFA regulations prevent clubs under the same ownership from competing in the same European competition. However, the Friedkin Group is confident in their compliance and has an alternative solution in place to ensure both clubs can participate if they qualify for the same competition.

Saudi Arabia has urged the US to ramp up attacks on Iran, a Saudi intelligence source has confirmed, while it is weighing a decision on whether to join the fight directly. The Saudi source confirmed reporting that the kingdom’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has urged Donald Trump not to cut short his war against Iran, and that the US-Israeli campaign represented a “historic opportunity” to remake the Middle East.The intelligence source said Riyadh was not just calling for the military campaign to be continued, but to be intensified. Trump appeared to confirm the report about the crown prince’s role, telling journalists on Tuesday: “Yeah, he’s a warrior. He’s fighting with us.”There are no reports of active Saudi military involvement in the nearly four-week-old war so far, but a Saudi political analyst said the kingdom was likely to take that step if current peace efforts led by Pakistan failed.“What matters now is Iran’s decision,” Mohammed Alhamed, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, said. “If Iran engages seriously, there is still a path to contain escalation. If it rejects the conditions and continues its attacks, the threshold for Saudi action will be crossed.”Alhamed added that Saudi Arabia “is not reacting impulsively”.“It is calibrating its response and preparing for a scenario where escalation, if it happens, will be deliberate and decisive,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia “has not been pushing for war.”“It has been trying to avoid being drawn into it, while keeping all options on the table,” he said.Saudi Arabia has come under Iranian drone attack, as part of Tehran’s response to the US-Israeli attack on 28 February. One drone strike a week ago hit an oil refinery in Yanbu on Saudi Red Sea coast.The attack on Yanbu signalled an Iranian warning that it could also threaten that economic lifeline.“I believe that Saudi Arabia still maintains cautious neutrality in the Iran-Israel-US war,” Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi defence expert told Agence France-Presse. But he added: “If the Houthis strike Saudi assets, Riyadh may shift toward defensive coalition support or limited retaliation.”The crown prince solidified his hold on power by cultivating a close relationship with Trump, but will now have to rethink Saudi reliance on the US for its security, observers have argued.“MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] has lost the bet on all his investments over the last several years,” Ellie Geranmayeh, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations said. “He financially invested in Trump and Trump’s family and his corporation and his White House, but at the end of the day the views of the Saudis and of the whole Gulf have been sidelined by the wishes of Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Europe is facing growing concerns about an impending energy crisis. Rising demand and supply chain disruptions have led to worries about the continent's ability to meet its energy needs. The situation has sparked fears of potential shortages and price hikes, which could have far-reaching impacts on the region's economy and households. As the situation continues to unfold, energy security has become a top priority for European policymakers, who are working to mitigate the risks and ensure a stable energy supply.

Fears of economic strain are mounting across Europe as the United States-Israel conflict with Iran approaches its one-month anniversary. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has described the situation as an economic 'catastrophe' for global economies, with impacts already becoming evident.Speaking during a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, Pistorius emphasized Germany's willingness to contribute to peace efforts. He stated that Germany is 'ready to secure any peace' and would discuss operations to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire were implemented.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has further exacerbated concerns by revising global growth projections. The international body cut its 2026 forecast for British economic growth by half a percentage point to just 0.7 percent, while downgrading the eurozone by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, the US received a 0.3 percentage point upgrade to its growth forecast.Addressing reporters in Canberra, Pistorius criticized the lack of consultation with Germany before the commencement of hostilities. 'Nobody asked us before. It's not our war, and therefore we don't want to get sucked into that war,' he stated, adding that there is no clear strategy, objective, or exit plan from the conflict.The economic repercussions are particularly severe in energy markets. Natural gas prices in the European Union have surged by more than 30 percent since the conflict began, with prices spiking following Israel's attack on Iran's critical South Pars gasfield and subsequent Iranian retaliation against Qatar's Ras Laffan facility.European leaders are increasingly vocal about the economic dangers. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen has called for negotiations with Iran and an end to hostilities, while urging member states to accelerate preparations for meeting winter gas storage targets. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described the situation as 'far worse' than the 2003 Iraq invasion, warning of broader and deeper potential impacts.The economic consequences extend beyond Europe, with the OECD noting that the global economy, previously on a path toward growth, has now veered from that trajectory. Planned fiscal tightening and higher energy prices are expected to keep growth subdued in the United Kingdom, though somewhat mitigated by lower policy rates anticipated for the following year.

The United Nations has taken a significant step towards acknowledging the atrocities of transatlantic slavery, adopting a resolution that labels it as the 'gravest crime against humanity'. The resolution, proposed by Ghana, was passed with 123 countries in favor, 3 opposed, and 52 abstaining.The resolution is not legally binding but carries substantial political weight. It calls for reparations and urges member states to engage in dialogue on the issue, including issuing formal apologies, returning stolen artifacts, providing financial compensation, and ensuring guarantees of non-repetition.Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, a key architect of the resolution, hailed its adoption as 'a route to healing and reparative justice'. The resolution's passage is seen as a crucial step towards addressing the ongoing impacts of slavery, which saw at least 12.5 million Africans abducted and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries.Despite the progress, there is growing backlash from Western leaders who oppose discussing reparations, arguing that today's states and institutions should not be held responsible for historical wrongs. The EU and the US expressed concerns that the resolution could imply a hierarchy among crimes against humanity.The Netherlands remains the only European country to have issued a formal apology for its role in slavery. The resolution comes after the African Union set out to create a 'unified vision' among its 55 member states about what reparations for slavery may look like.

The European Commission has initiated an investigation into Snapchat over concerns that the social messaging app is putting children at risk of grooming, sexual exploitation, and other criminal activities. This probe is part of the EU's efforts to enforce its Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to protect European society from a wide range of internet harms, including child safety provisions to combat cyberbullying, exposure to adult content, and illegal products.In a separate decision, the commission also accused four pornographic websites - Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos - of failing to prevent minors from accessing adult content, which could lead to mental health issues, negative gender attitudes, and increased tolerance of violent sexual behaviors.The investigations follow a landmark ruling in a Los Angeles court that found two social media companies, Meta and YouTube, had deliberately created addictive products that harmed a young user. The EU is now considering whether to follow Australia and ban social media for under-16s.Snapchat reports 94.7 million monthly users in the EU and is hugely popular among teenagers and young people. However, EU regulators believe the company is failing to ensure its age limit of 13 is respected, and users are not given adequate guidance on privacy and safety features.The commission's tech spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, described the situation as 'quite terrible' in EU member states, citing statistics on the prevalence of minors accessing pornographic websites. The companies may now examine the findings and mount a defense, before any final decision is taken. If the complaint is upheld, the four websites could be fined up to 6% of global annual turnover.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to address addictive features in social media platforms, signaling a potential regulatory shift following a significant US court ruling that held Meta and YouTube accountable for harms caused by their technology designs.The prime minister emphasized that the recent California court verdict reflects rising public expectations for more aggressive regulation of social media platforms. "I'm absolutely clear that we need to go further," Starmer stated, adding that "the status quo isn't good enough" in terms of protecting children online.Starmer specifically mentioned that the government is consulting about banning social media for under-16s and expressed strong commitment to addressing addictive features within social media platforms. These remarks come amid growing international pressure on tech companies to address the potential harms of their products on young users.In the landmark US case, a California jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for failing to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers of their platforms. The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman who claimed she became addicted to social media during her childhood, was awarded $6 million (£4.5 million) in damages, with Meta responsible for 70% of the payment and YouTube covering the remainder.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed the verdict as "a reckoning" for tech companies, stating in a joint statement: "For too long, families have paid the price for platforms built with total disregard for the children they reach." They emphasized that "today, the truth has been heard and precedent has been set" regarding children's safety versus corporate profits.Both Google, which owns YouTube, and Meta have indicated they will challenge the decision. Google claimed the case "misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site," while Meta stated it "respectfully disagrees with the verdict and is evaluating our legal options." The verdict came after nine days of deliberation in the first lawsuit concerning social media's alleged harm to young people to reach trial.The ruling has resonated beyond the courtroom, with European Commission digital chief Henna Virkkunen noting that such cases send "a very clear message" to online platforms about the risks they pose. Campaigners for safer social media have celebrated the decision as a potential watershed moment in regulating platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X.The Molly Rose Foundation, established after the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell who was exposed to harmful content on Instagram, called for legislation that would make "safety and wellbeing the price for tech firms to pay for doing business in the UK." Thomas Lancaster, a computing expert at Imperial College London, emphasized that policies must be effectively enforced to protect those they're designed to safeguard.Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, declared that "the era of big tech invincibility is over," suggesting that the verdict validates concerns about tech platforms' impact on young people that have been raised for years.

Paris Saint-Germain's highly anticipated visit to Lens in Ligue 1 has been postponed to May 13, allowing the team more time to focus on their upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool. The match, initially scheduled for April 11, could have significant implications for the Ligue 1 title race, with PSG currently leading Lens by a single point.The decision to reschedule the match has been met with some resistance from Lens, who expressed concerns that the French league is being treated as an adjustment variable to accommodate the European imperatives of certain teams. The Ligue de Football Professionnel justified the move by citing the strategic goal of helping France maintain its fifth place in the UEFA coefficient rankings, which would secure four places in the Champions League.PSG is set to face Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final on April 8 at the Parc de Princes, with the second leg taking place at Anfield six days later. This extra time could prove crucial for PSG as they look to advance in the competition.In addition to the PSG-Lens match, Strasbourg's visit to Brest on April 12 has also been rescheduled to May 13, as Strasbourg prepares for their Europa Conference League last-eight games against Mainz.

The World Cup playoffs have reached a critical stage, with several high-stakes matches set to determine which European teams will qualify for the tournament. Gennaro Gattuso's Italy are facing a significant challenge against Northern Ireland, a team they have not beaten in a competitive match since 1983.Craig Bellamy's Wales are also in action, taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina in a match that promises to be closely contested. The winner of that tie will face either Poland or Albania in the playoff final.The Republic of Ireland, who reached the playoffs thanks to Troy Parrott's late winner in Hungary, have a tough match against the Czech Republic in Prague. The victor will play either Denmark or North Macedonia at home on Tuesday.Graham Potter's Sweden are another team in action, facing Ukraine in Valencia with the winner hosting Poland or Albania next week. If Sweden win both ties on penalties, they will become the first team to qualify for a World Cup without winning a single match since Hungary in 1954.These matches represent the final hurdle for several teams hoping to qualify for the World Cup, and the pressure is on for managers like Gattuso, Bellamy, and Potter to deliver results.