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New Zealand football players have expressed their willingness to play their FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Iran outside the United States, citing the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran. The match, scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles, has been put into doubt due to Iran's threat to boycott fixtures on US soil.The Iranian Football Federation has raised concerns over the fixture, following the recent escalation of tensions between Iran and the US-Israel alliance. Despite this, New Zealand's players remain committed to the match and are prepared to adapt if necessary.Ryan Thomas, a Netherlands-based midfielder for New Zealand, emphasized that Iran has earned its spot in the World Cup and that the team would be able to manage the extra attention generated by the match. 'They deserve to be there as qualifiers,' he told Reuters. 'If we've got to play them in Mexico or Canada, then yeah, we play them there. It's not really a big deal for me.'New Zealand's team is set to be based in San Diego, California, which is close to the Mexican border. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has indicated that her country would be open to hosting Iran's World Cup fixtures, should a venue switch be necessary.Kosta Barbarouses, an Australia-based winger for New Zealand, echoed Thomas's sentiments, stating that a venue switch would not disrupt the team's preparations. 'I don't think it would derail our preparation at all,' he told Reuters. 'We've got a base before our first game, anyway. So, yeah, I don't see why not.'FIFA has declined to comment on the possibility of switching venues for Iran's games but has stated that it is in contact with the Iranian Football Federation and looks forward to teams competing as per the current match schedule.

Double world darts champion Luke Littler recently visited the England squad at their St George's Park training base, where he hosted a special darts tournament for the players as they prepare for upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.The 19-year-old darts star shared dinner with the footballers before organizing the "Three Lions darts championship" at their Burton base on Tuesday night. In a surprising turn of events, Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale claimed the title of camp champion, leaving Littler thoroughly impressed despite Phil Foden hitting a notable 180 in the final."It was a dream as a football fan to come here to see the facilities, meet all the players and sit down and have dinner and have a laugh with them," said Littler, who is set to travel to Berlin for the latest round of Premier League darts action. "We played a bit of darts – as they were warming up, Thomas Tuchel told me to teach these boys a lesson! There's some good potential there in Phil Foden and Aaron Ramsdale. James Trafford had a little bit as well. The others not so much!"During his visit, Littler was presented with a signed shirt from the England squad, with Jude Bellingham adding a personal touch by giving him a signed jersey featuring the encouraging message "keep smashing it" on the back. The darts champion wished the England squad luck for their upcoming international campaign, expressing hope that they could "bring it home" this summer.

Hong Kong police have been granted the authority to require individuals suspected of violating the city's national security law to provide passwords to their mobile phones or computers. This measure, which took effect on Monday, is part of the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The new provisions empower police to require a person under investigation suspected of endangering national security to provide any password or decryption method for electronic devices and to provide the police “any reasonable and necessary information or assistance”. Refusing to comply could lead to up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 Hong Kong dollars ($12,768), while providing false or misleading information could bring up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 500,000 Hong Kong dollars ($63,840). The imposition of the 2020 national security law, supplemented by a second component in 2024, has led to a marked decline in civil liberties in the former British colony returned to China in 1997, according to human rights advocates. The new amendments have sparked concerns over the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy and its status as an international financial and business centre. Urania Chiu, a law lecturer in the UK researching Hong Kong, said the new provisions interfered with fundamental liberties, including the privacy of communication and the right to a fair trial. “The sweeping powers given to law enforcement officers without any need for judicial authorisation are grossly disproportionate to any legitimate aim the bylaw purports to achieve,” Chiu told the Reuters news agency. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said the amended rules conform to the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and its human rights provisions, and “will not affect the lives of the general public or the normal operation of institutions and organisations”. According to the Security Bureau, a total of 386 people have been arrested for national security crimes so far, with 176 people and four companies convicted.

French striker Kylian Mbappe has announced that he has made a full recovery from a knee injury and is eager to play all of Real Madrid's remaining matches in the season run-in. His goal is to build momentum towards the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place from June 11 to July 19.Mbappe, 27, had missed four league games this year due to the lingering knee issue. However, he made a comeback by featuring off the bench in Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Atletico on Sunday.The forward has been named in the French national squad for friendlies against Brazil on March 26 and Colombia three days later in the United States, which is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico.“I have made a 100 percent recovery,” Mbappe told online sports newspaper AS. “I prepared for the last two World Cups in the best way possible, which is to play, score goals, win titles, and fight until the last minute for my club, and this year I am going to do the same to arrive in top form.”Mbappe had a standout performance in the 2022 World Cup, scoring a hat-trick in France's final loss to Argentina and winning the tournament's golden boot award with eight goals.He also expressed frustration with speculative reports about his recovery, stating that “some false things have been said” about his return for the 1998 and 2018 world champions.France will compete in Group I at the World Cup alongside Norway, Senegal, and the winner of an intercontinental playoff.

James Garner has described this year as a defining moment in his career, and his recent first England call-up is a testament to his hard work. The 25-year-old Everton midfielder could make his international debut in upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.Garner had a clear goal at the start of the season: to showcase his abilities and prove himself. Despite facing challenges, including serious back injuries and Everton's relegation battles, he has emerged as an integral member of David Moyes's side, who currently sit eighth in the Premier League.His versatility, playing both as a central midfielder and right-back, and his expertise in set-pieces, make him a valuable asset. Garner expressed his satisfaction with the season's progress, stating, “I told myself at the start of the season that this season has to be the season that I can show everyone what I can do and I think so far I have done.”Having previously represented England at youth levels and winning the Under-21 European Championship in 2023, Garner aims to make a significant impact with the senior team. He shared his excitement about the opportunity, mentioning his family's pride, especially his father's, who is a Liverpool supporter.Garner's journey from Manchester United's youth ranks to Everton and now to the England squad highlights his determination and talent. As he prepares for a potential debut, he remains focused on contributing to England's success and hopes to win a trophy with the senior team.

The UK's green energy landscape is experiencing a significant shift as Jürgen Maier, the boss of GB Energy, joins other prominent renewable energy leaders in advocating for increased North Sea oil and gas production. This move comes as the UK government faces mounting pressure to address an impending energy cost crisis. Maier, in a social media post on LinkedIn, emphasized that while more North Sea oil and gas may not directly reduce energy costs, which have surged due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, it could bring substantial economic benefits, including more jobs and higher tax revenues. He described himself as “a supporter” of a well-managed energy transition that includes “all energy,” later clarifying in a separate post that he fully supports the government’s ban on new oil and gasfield exploration licences. Maier suggested that utilizing existing fields and tiebacks—allowing new deposits to be extracted from existing infrastructure—aligns with an 'All Energy' approach. This strategy, he argues, would give supply chain companies sufficient time to transition while renewables remain the long-term goal. The comments from Maier follow similar endorsements from other green energy leaders, such as Greg Jackson, the Octopus Energy boss, and Tara Singh, the new chief executive of RenewableUK. Jackson, who sits on the Cabinet Office board, told the Daily Telegraph that the UK needs more “sovereign energy,” which requires practical decisions, including leveraging North Sea resources. Singh argued that Britain should produce more energy “of every kind” and called for taking energy out of the culture wars. Despite these calls, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ruled out new licences for the North Sea, though decisions on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, which were licensed under the previous government, are still pending. Industry sources expect these fields to be approved soon, potentially beginning production by the end of the year, which could provoke backlash from green groups. The government recently dismissed warnings from Offshore Energies UK that failing to produce more North Sea oil and gas would increase the UK's reliance on imports amid rising global instability. A government spokesperson stated that new licences would not enhance energy security or reduce bills, highlighting that oil and gas prices are set internationally. A Great British Energy spokesperson reiterated the company's focus on driving the clean energy transition to deliver a more secure and independent energy system. They emphasized that oil and gas will remain part of the energy mix for decades, and preserving the skills of oil and gas workers is crucial for a clean energy future.

Pakistan's military leadership has been playing a crucial role in attempting to broker negotiations between the US and Iran. The country's army chief, Asim Munir, recently had a call with US President Donald Trump to discuss the conflict. Diplomatic sources indicate that the US and Iran could meet for negotiations in Islamabad as early as this week to discuss an end to the war, which began almost a month ago. While Islamabad has yet to be officially confirmed as the venue, sources suggest that Tehran prefers Islamabad. Pakistani sources mention that US Vice-President JD Vance is being considered as a probable chief negotiator from the US side, rather than Trump's Middle East envoy Witkoff or Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Vance is viewed as a sceptic of the US decision to bomb Iran and has largely kept quiet on the conflict. After the phone call between Trump and Munir, Pakistan's Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday. According to an official readout of the call, they agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy. Sources suggest that Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is likely to lead any talks from the Iranian side. However, Ghalibaf has dismissed reports of talks between the two sides as 'fake news'. An Iranian diplomatic source confirmed that talks are expected this week but expressed 'zero trust' in Washington. They stated that Iran would not accept Witkoff and Kushner as negotiators for any discussions. Negotiations between the US and Iran were ongoing when the US began its bombing campaign. The Iranian regime views these negotiations as an attempt by the Trump administration to deceive Iran into thinking it wanted a diplomatic solution while planning to attack. On Monday, Trump indicated that he would be willing to halt US strikes, claiming that 'strong talks' were being held between Iranian officials and Witkoff and Kushner. Trump told reporters that they had 'very, very strong talks' and that they had 'major points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement'. The US president has given a five-day deadline to an ultimatum he gave over the weekend, threatening to 'obliterate' Iran's power plants and energy infrastructure if they did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route currently being blockaded by Iran's military. Trump's announcement of talks helped boost markets, bringing oil prices sharply down to below $100 (£75) a barrel, the lowest in days.

NASA has announced a significant shift in its lunar exploration strategy, cancelling plans for a lunar orbit space station known as Gateway. Instead, the agency will utilize the station's components to construct a $20bn base on the moon's surface over the next seven years.The decision was made by NASA's new chief, Jared Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December. Isaacman outlined the changes to the agency's flagship moon program, Artemis, at an event at NASA's Washington headquarters."It should not really surprise anyone that we are pausing Gateway in its current form and focusing on infrastructure that supports sustained operations on the lunar surface," Isaacman told delegates at the event.The Lunar Gateway station, largely already built with contractors Northrop Grumman and Lanteris Space Systems, owned by Intuitive Machines, was meant to be a space station parked in a lunar orbit. Repurposing the craft for a lunar surface base is not simple, but Isaacman emphasized that the agency can repurpose equipment and international partner commitments to support surface and other program objectives.The changes imposed by Isaacman on the flagship US moon program in recent weeks are reshaping billions of dollars' worth of contracts under the Artemis effort, sending companies scrambling to accommodate the extra urgency as China makes progress toward its own 2030 moon landing.

The UK defence industry is in a state of crisis as a long-delayed military spending plan has left firms 'bleeding cash' and in 'paralysis'. The six-month delay to the defence investment plan (DIP) has resulted in some companies going bust, while others are struggling to stay afloat.Industry groups have warned that the delay has left the UK behind Germany and the US in attracting investment from global investors. The DIP, originally expected last autumn, has been repeatedly postponed amid warnings that the military faces a £28bn funding gap over the next four years.Samira Braund, the defence director of the ADS Group trade body, described the situation as 'paralysis', stating that the government has not put effective mitigation plans in place. The boss of BAE Systems, Europe's biggest defence contractor, has urged ministers to publish the plan, while some smaller firms have been forced out of business.One such company was MTE Heat Treatment, a Yorkshire-based manufacturer with just over 30 employees that helped make turbine blades for jet engines. It fell into administration in February. Andrew Kinniburgh, the head of the trade body Make UK's defence arm, warned that the delay risks deterring investment in the UK at a time when the US and Europe are also raising military spending.The DIP will show how the government plans to fund its strategic defence review, the blueprint for transforming the military amid growing threats from Russia, rising commitments to Nato and against the backdrop of the US-Israel war on Iran. Ministers accepted all the review's recommendations when it was published last June, but the head of the military, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, told MPs in January that defence cuts would be needed without more funding.