CCTV shows the moment a car hits a Muslim woman in broad daylight in southeast London before the driver speeds away. The woman survived, and an investigation is ongoing, but no suspects have been arrested yet.
Published On 14 Mar 202614 Mar 2026
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Italian teenager breaks an 18-year-old record in China to become the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history.
Published On 14 Mar 202614 Mar 2026
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Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli said it was “just the beginning” after he set a pole record in China with Mercedes predecessor and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton lavishing praise on him.
At 19 years, six months and 17 days Antonelli became the youngest Formula One driver ever to take pole position for a full Grand Prix on Saturday.
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“A great record. It’s going to take a while for someone to ever get close to that one,” Ferrari driver Hamilton, whose seat Antonelli took in 2025, told a news conference after qualifying third.
The previous record was set by now-retired German driver Sebastian Vettel when he put Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) on pole at the age of 21 and 72 days at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
Big question marks hung over Antonelli when he arrived at Mercedes as a rookie alongside George Russell, the current championship leader, after Hamilton shocked the sport by moving to rivals Ferrari.
Pundits questioned whether the then-18-year-old could live up to Hamilton’s legacy, even as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff consistently touted the Italian as a top-tier talent.
“He took my seat! And he hit it hard from the get-go, so it’s really great to see him progressing and he really deserves it,” a beaming Hamilton said while sat next to Antonelli.
The Italian was his country’s first pole sitter since Giancarlo Fisichella for Mercedes-powered Force India, the team that is now Aston Martin, in Belgium in 2009.
“I’m very happy because at the end, you know, it’s just the beginning,” said Antonelli, who had a sprint pole in Miami last year but has yet to win a race.
“Obviously there’s a lot more to come. And, yeah, really looking forward to tomorrow … the car is feeling really good, the car is strong so, yeah, a lot to play for tomorrow.”
Antonelli was helped by Russell having no battery and getting stuck in gear at the start of the final phase and then getting only one flying lap for pole, which he converted into second place on the grid.
“Many said the kid was too young to be in a Mercedes, we should have prepared him otherwise. He did good today,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
“It’s a shame that George couldn’t do the lap.”
Former champion Max Verstappen was only eighth fastest, continuing an unhappy weekend in a clearly struggling Red Bull.
Sunday’s Grand Prix will be raced over 56 laps of the 5.451km (3.387-mile) Shanghai International Circuit.
Who: Manchester United vs Aston Villa
What: English football’s Premier League
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Sunday March 15, at 2pm (14:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live coverage begins at 11:00 GMT
Manchester United and Aston Villa face a crunch clash on Sunday in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.
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The pair hold third and fourth spots respectively in the Premier League, with United edging Villa on goal difference, while Chelsea and Liverpool sit three points behind the pair in fifth and sixth.
With only the top four being guaranteed a place at the top table of European football, the encounter at Old Trafford holds huge value to both with nine games to go of the season.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the match.
Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick on Friday said his players were “itching to get going” again, after suffering their first defeat under his leadership.
Last week, 10-man Newcastle United ended Carrick’s unbeaten run since he replaced Ruben Amorim in January.
“I understand the first defeat feels different but it was going to come at some point. Most teams have suffered that at some point,” Carrick told reporters.
“It has been a really good week in some ways, we have put ourselves in a position where there is a lot to play for.”
United’s defeat by Newcastle prompted a dig from former player Paul Scholes, who wrote on Instagram: “Michael has definitely got something special about him … cos Utd have been crap last four games.”
Asked about his former teammate’s comment, Carrick said: “It was nothing really, nothing to say about it really.
“I think that is just where we are in terms of social media and things, and captions and quotes. It can be taken in different ways, so just be calm about it and understand the real meaning of things.
“Listen, there are different opinions out there and it’s fine. People can have different opinions.
“It’s just things get taken from one extreme to another. It is what it is. I am not worried about it and don’t make a big deal of it either.
“There’s nothing to say about it, really,” he said.
Villa had a turbulent start to the campaign, as they failed to register a win in their first five league matches – losing two. A run of 12 league wins in 13, however, propelled them into a title challenge by the turn of the year.
A 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on New Year’s Eve marked the start of another downturn, though, with only three wins recorded in 11 games starting with the defeat in London.
The midlands club have lost three of their last five on the road in the league, recording only one win in that time.
United suffered their first defeat under Carrick in their match at Newcastle United on March 4.
The home side were reduced to 10 men when Jacob Ramsey was sent off on the stroke of half-time.
It came in a frantic end to the first half that saw Anthony Gorden give Newcastle an injury-time lead from the penalty spot, only for Casemiro to head home an equaliser to send the sides in level.
William Osula netted the winner in the 90th minute to give Eddie Howe’s side all three points despite their numerical disadvantage.
“It was disappointing the way the game ended (against Newcastle) but we have digested that, looked at it and learned from it,” Carrick said ahead of the Villa match.
“We have trained really well this week and the boys are itching to get going.”
Villa were 1-0 winners at Lille in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, ending a four-game winless streak that included three defeats.
Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute.
The return leg will be played at Villa Park on Thursday.
Villa recorded a 2-1 win in the reverse Premier League fixture at Villa Park in November, despite an encouraging display for Ruben Amorim’s United.
Morgan Rogers scored both goals for Villa – his first was scored in the 45th minute but United were level in first-half stoppage time through Matheus Cunha.
United were 2-1 winners in the Premier League match at Old Trafford last season.
The Red Devils were greatly aided by the sending off of Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez just before the break.
Amad Diallo and an 87th minute Christian Eriksen penalty sealed the win for the home side.
This will be the 202nd meeting between the clubs with Manchester United winning 107 of the matches. Aston Villa have won 52 of the encounters, which date back to November 1892 and a 2-0 home win for United in the old Division One.
Carrick said Mason Mount had taken a “big step” and could return from a two-month absence against Villa this weekend.
The midfielder missed their last six league games due to injury.
“He is an important player for us,” he said.
“He is not 100 percent and he has only trained for a small period of time. But he is back and that’s good for us. We will see if he is involved on Sunday. That is it in terms of the players coming back.”
Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Mason Mount all remain absent though, and Lisandro Martinez has been added to that list with a calf injury, while there remains an injury doubt over Luke Shaw.
The defender was forced off with injury in the defeat by Newcastle, but Noussair Mazraoui, who also came off injured in that game, is set to be available.
Midfielder John McGinn returned to action at Lille on Thursday night and could be in line for a start at Old Trafford.
Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara remain absent through injury, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Villa lineup.
Right-back Matty Cash is also a doubt having missed the Lille match after picking up a knock in Villa’s last Premier League outting.
Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana, Sancho, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins
Voters in the Republic of Congo will choose their next president on Sunday, although longtime leader Dennis Sassou Nguesso is likely to be elected unchallenged, analysts say.
The central African nation, which has been led almost continuously by Nguesso for more than 40 years, is one of the most politically repressive in the world, with Freedom House giving it a 17 out of 100 rating for freedom.
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The country is Africa’s third-largest oil exporter. It sells between 236,000 and 252,000 barrels per day, alongside copper and diamonds.
Congo is also highly biodiverse. Sprawling expanses of tropical rainforest in the country form part of the Congo Basin – the second-largest rainforest network in the world after the Amazon. The Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the north is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to elephants, endangered lowland gorillas, and chimpanzees.
Still, the country of 6 million people is racked by economic woes. Corruption and mismanagement, analysts say, contribute to Congo being 171st of 193 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index.
A fractured political opposition, meanwhile, has only allowed Nguesso’s governing Congolese Labour Party (PCT) to consolidate power over the years, although a newcomer is raising hopes.
Here’s what we know about Sunday’s polls:
Polls will open on Saturday, March 15, between 6am (05:00 GMT) and 6pm (05:00 GMT). More than 2.6 million people are eligible to vote; that is, they are more than 18 years old and have been registered.
Voter turnout in 2021 — during the last election — was 67.70 percent according to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Authorities have announced that borders will be closed during voting.
Candidates with an absolute majority usually win the elections, or in rare cases, a run-off will be called between the two top polling candidates.
Presidential terms in Congo are for five years. While the constitution had previously allowed a maximum of two terms and an age limit of 70, those were removed in 2015.
Dennis Sassou Nguesso: The 82-year-old was first elected to office in 1979 and led the country for 12 years under a one-party state. He lost elections after opposition lawmakers voted to introduce a multiparty system. On his second attempt in 1997, he seized power in a bloody civil war and has remained in office since. He is Africa’s third-longest serving ruler.
Nguesso’s legacy has been one of gross underdevelopment and corruption, said Andrea Ngombet, the exiled founder of Sassoufit, a group advocating for Nguesso’s exit. In 2015, Nguesso pushed through a controversial referendum that reset presidential term limits from two to three. It also completely removed age restrictions, allowing him to run for the fifth consecutive time in 2021.
A strong hold on the country’s judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Body (CENI) has helped secure Nguesso’s hold, analysts say. His strategic international alliances, from Beijing to Moscow to Paris, have ensured foreign investments and boosted his influence, according to Ngombet. However, since 2013, France has launched investigations into his family’s numerous assets in Europe and the US under pressure from civil society. French authorities seized property belonging to his son, Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso, in 2022.
Melaine Deston Gavet Elengo: At only 35, Elengo’s candidacy has caused ripples. The oil sector engineer leads the Republican Movement and is the youngest contender in the race. Although a first-time presidential candidate, Elengo appears to be pulling an unusual amount of interest as he presents himself as a departure from the old system. His campaign has emphasised a government built on transparency, an independent justice system, and inclusive development.
“He could secure at least 20 percent of the vote, signalling a generational shift,” Ngombet said.
“His unique advantage lies in the unspoken support from UPADS dissidents frustrated with the boycott,” he added, referring to the opposition party, Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), which boycotted the March 21, 2021, presidential election over concerns of integrity. UPADS is doing the same this year but has called on its supporters to go out and vote according to their “conscience”.
Elengo is also closely allied with political heavyweights like the opposition Union of Humanist Democrats, founded by the popular opposition figure, late Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, who came second in 2016.
Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou, 73: The veteran lawmaker is the leader of the political party The Chain and represents the southwestern Lekoumou department. He has run several times in the past without much success, with his 2021 bid resulting in just 0.62 percent of the vote. Mboungou’s campaign promised political change and an economy that diversifies from oil, while reducing poverty.
Uphrem Dave Mafoula, 43: The economist is leader of the New Start party. He is making his second bid for the top post after running as the youngest candidate in 2021 and securing just 0.52 percent of the vote. Mafoula’s goal, he says, is to implement governance reforms, create jobs, and reduce inequalities.
Vivien Romain Manangou, 43: The independent first-timer is a university lecturer campaigning on institutional reforms, improving public finances, and promoting national unity.
Mabio Mavoungou Zinga, 69: Running under the opposition coalition Alliance party, the retired customs inspector and former member of parliament promises to tackle corruption and free jailed opposition leaders. It’s his first bid.
Anguios Nganguia Engambe, about 60: The president of the Party for Action of the Republic is running for his fourth time as presidential candidate. In 2021, he won only 0.18 percent of the vote. This time, he has pledged to bridge political divisions in the country and foster better political participation.
Several opposition leaders are either jailed or have fled into exile. Some are:
Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko,78: A former chief of the army and an adviser to Nguesso, who turned against the president and ran for elections in 2016. He called for protests after the results showed that he won 13.74 percent and placed third. He was arrested afterwards on charges of undermining state security and was in 2018 sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Andre Okombi Salissa: a one-time leading member of the governing Congolese Labour Party, and a former minister, Salissa also switched to the opposition in 2016 to contest the polls. He was arrested shortly after, also on security charges. In 2019, he was sentenced to 20 years of hard labour.
Analysts have long warned that a lack of economic diversification hurts the country’s prospects. As Africa’s third-largest oil producer, Congo earns more than 80 percent of its export revenue from oil, according to the World Bank, making the economy vulnerable to shocks.
Government investment in hydrocarbons has only intensified in recent years. In 2015, authorities aimed to boost daily output to 500,000 barrels of oil per day within three years. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and export also began in 2024.
Despite this, around half the population lives below the poverty line. Most live in the main cities of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire where access to electricity and roads is available but dismal. The situation is even worse in rural areas, analysts say.
While the population is young, with nearly half under 18, job creation is weak. Many young people with degrees have to turn to menial work for survival. The unemployment rate hovers at approximately 40 percent, with inadequate electricity being one of the major barriers for business, according to the World Bank.
Before it began extracting oil in the 1970s, agricultural produce and timber were the biggest revenue generators in Congo.
However, Congo has become reliant on food imports amid the shift to oil.
Although the country has up to 10 million hectares (24 milllion acres) of arable land, only a small percentage is being cultivated, and that’s mostly for low-yield subsistence farming.
The government has touted plans to boost cassava, maize, sorghum, and soy farming, along with developing fisheries and poultry.
Meanwhile, deforestation in the Congo Basin, which encompasses parts of Congo and five neighbouring countries, nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020, compared to the previous decade.
Protests are rare in the country as authorities don’t provide permits and respond with violence when demonstrators gather, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Opposition members are routinely jailed. Nguesso appoints national judges himself, meaning the judiciary is not independent.
Many Congolese expect Nguesso to win Sunday’s elections, so much attention is now on who will likely take over leadership in the country in the coming years.
Analysts say an intense succession race is already brewing behind the scenes.
Denis-Christel Nguesso, the president’s son and minister of international cooperation, is the clear favourite, but he faces challenges from the president’s nephew and Head of National Security Jean-Dominique Okemba.
The Nguessos’ cousin, Jean-Jacques Bouya, who is currently the minister of planning and works, is another contender.
Ghana international Thomas Partey faced initial charges of rape just days after leaving Arsenal last summer.
Published On 13 Mar 202613 Mar 2026
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Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey intends to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape, his lawyer told a London court on Friday.
The 32-year-old Ghana midfielder, who now plays for Spanish club Villarreal, is separately awaiting trial on five counts of rape related to two women and one count of sexual assault involving a third woman.
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The new charges were brought after a different woman alleged Partey twice raped her on the same day in December 2020. According to a court hearing on Friday, the new allegations arose after the first set of charges were publicised.
Partey was not required to attend Friday’s preliminary session at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. His lawyer, Emma Fenn, indicated he intends to plead not guilty to both charges. The next court date for the case is April 10.
Partey pleaded not guilty to the first set of charges and faces trial in November at Southwark Crown Court. Those alleged offences were between 2021 and 2022, prosecutors have said.
The midfielder had joined Arsenal in 2020 from Atletico Madrid.
He was initially charged last July, just days after his Arsenal contract expired. Villarreal signed him in August, two days after he was granted bail.
Ghana has qualified for the World Cup and is in the same group as England, Croatia and Panama.
Partey played in three World Cup qualifying games in September and October. He has made more than 50 appearances for Ghana.
A FUTURISTIC theme park has just been named one of the best in Europe and you can fly there for just £13.
Futuroscope in France is a theme park dedicated to “multimedia, cinematography and emerging technologies”.
Named 15th on Blooloop’s best theme parks in Europe list, the theme park appeals to both adults and children.
The attraction originally opened back in 1987 and can be found just outside the city of Poitiers.
Speaking to Blooloop in 2024, Rodolphe Bouin, Futuroscope’s CEO, said: “Futuroscope is unique because it aims to develop visitors’ curiosity, not just entertain them.”
The park has even been dubbed as the “equivalent to Universal Studios in Europe”, by theme park content creator That’s So Mid on TikTok.
Read more on travel inspo
The park features several attractions including an astronaut training programme-themed rollercoaster and the Mission Bermudes boat ride.
For adrenaline junkies, there’s Tornado Chasers, where you get to ride into a tornado on a rotating platform, with the world’s largest indoor LED screen.
Toddlers haven’t been forgotten either, with little electric cars, a small floating log ride and Waterworks play area.
There’s also a number of playgrounds including an airport theme one with a plane climbing frame.
In fact there are over 40 attractions at the park and three shows.
New for this year is the Greenhouse of Worlds, which is an immersive greenhouse that comes to life as you walk through it.
Another new attraction for this year is T.Rex – a 6K laser projection show that follows the true story of three children who discover a Tyrannosaurus fossil with a team of palaeontologists.
Opening on April 4, there will be Pulse! The Electric Odyssey as well.
The new attraction explores all the forces of nature, with interactive activities for children of all ages.
Parents can enjoy the experience too by heading to Bar Lab to try futuristic cocktails.
And more recently, in 2024, the theme park opened its second park called Aquascope – an immersive indoor waterpark.
Inside visitors can expect eight “XXL size” slides and four themed universes.
The indoor water park is also home to Les Abysses de lumière, which is Europe’s first aquatic cinema.
One interactive part of the aquatic cinema is The Eauculus, where visitors can dive under the water and discover a seabed of strange creatures.
There’s a lazy river as well that takes you on a journey through Aquascope.
Smaller children can make a splash in the Aquatic Maze or head to the Musical Cave to come up with a melody.
One visitor said: “Aquascope is a kind of aquatic nightclub crossed with a James Cameron film.
“Between the digital projections on the walls and the 29°C water, you no longer know if you’re there to swim or to attend a contemporary art performance.
“The ‘Luminous Abyss’ zone is the highlight of the show – swimming amidst interactive projections that react to your movements is the ultimate experience for anyone who has ever wanted to live in Avatar.”
Another person said: “The scenery is magnificent; it’s like being in Avatar!”
On sunny days, there is an outdoor pool and terrace too, with The Aquadynamic – a river course with effects throughout.
When it comes to having a bite to eat, head to the Space Loop restaurant – the only rollercoaster restaurant in France.
Inside, guests will be served their food via a small rollercoaster where dishes spiral down to where you are sat.
As this is an experience as well as a restaurant you do have to book and it does cost an extra €27.50 (£23.76) for adults and €16 (£13.82) for children.
Food then includes burgers, risotto and pork tenderloin costing around €16 (£13.82) each.
If you want to extend your stay, you can do at the Hotel Station Cosmos which is themed to be a space station, with themed rooms.
The hotel costs from €196 (£169.35) per night and includes a show, breakfast and access to Futuroscope park.
Other hotel options at the theme park include Hôtel Ecolodgee Futuroscope which features nature-themed lodges from €166.50 (£143.86) per night or the Hôtel du Futuroscope, with basic family rooms from €126 (£108.89) per night.
A day ticket to Futuroscope and Aquascope costs from €68.80 (£59.49) per adult or child aged over 13-years-old and from €56.80 (£49.11) per child between five and 12-years-old.
Children between zero and four-years-old go free.
The closest airport to the park is Poitiers Airport, which is about 17 minutes away by driving or just under an hour on public transport.
Flights from London Stansted cost as little as £13 one-way in April and the flight only takes an hour and a half.
In other theme park news, an English seaside theme park has scrapped its entry fees and will soon have a huge new ‘showstopper ride’.
Plus, the European theme park you won’t have heard that’s revealed a huge £78million expansion plan and you can fly there for £14.
Where does that leave Rangers, then?
Head coach Danny Rohl has been the subject of criticism from fans of the Ibrox club after his players failed to capitalise on total domination during their Old Firm cup exit last weekend.
And with the German’s side six points off top spot – a margin that could be extended by the time they start against managerless St Mirren on Sunday (12:00) – there is increased pressure and little room for error.
Craig McLeish, Jamie Langfield and Allan McManus will lead an interim team for the League Cup holders and Scottish Cup semi-finalists, who are scrapping for their top-flight status, following Stephen Robinson’s departure to Aberdeen.
The Paisley club have won just one of their past 13 Premiership matches – which came against leaders Hearts – but Rangers’ recent form is not too clever either.
Rohl and his players are now facing questions about mentality – an all too familiar story at Ibrox – despite the 36-year-old saying a month ago that he was heartened by a mindset shift in his players.
A defeat at Tynecastle in December was followed by a run of seven wins and a draw in eight league matches, but Rangers have since won one of their past four league games – a 4-2 victory against Hearts.
That form stretches to one win in five when you include Sunday’s cup game. In fact, they have won just three of their past nine in all competitions.
If this alarming drop-off is not addressed urgently, it will prove terminal for Rangers’ title hopes and intensify the pressure on Rohl from a demanding support.
Who: Real Madrid vs Elche
What: Spanish football’s La Liga
Where: Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
When: Saturday, March 14 at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport’s live coverage begins at 17:00 GMT
After stuttering and spluttering in Spain’s La Liga of late, Real Madrid stormed back into life with a resounding win in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
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Now the record La Liga winners return their focus on catching league leaders, and defending champions, Barcelona, in the Spanish top flight.
Elche arrive in Madrid with major concerns of their own, sitting one place above the relegation zone.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game.
Barcelona are four points clear of Real, having both played 27 matches. Barca have won 22 of their matches and lost four, while Real have lost that same number but have only won 20, drawing two more games than their rivals.
Barcelona entertain 14th-placed Seville on Sunday, meaning Real can cut the lead to just a point if they beat Elche.
The turbulent time that marked the end of Xabi Alonso’s spell as Real manager appeared to return in recent weeks, with Los Blancos losing two on the bounce in La Liga for the first time this season.
With a tricky trip to Celta Vigo following the defeats by Osasuna and Getafe, Real’s title challenge appeared on the line.
A 2-1 win in Vigo, thanks to goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, last Friday cut Barca’s lead at the top to only a point, only for the Catalan club to restore their advantage with a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Los Blancos had won 13 of their opening 14 games in all competitions this season, only dropping points in the 5-2 defeat in the Madrid derby at Atletico.
The two wins in eight that followed set the tone for the remainder of Alonso’s time in charge, even five wins on the bounce thereafter couldn’t save the former Real midfielder from the chop, with the end coming following the Spanish Super Cup final 3-2 defeat by Barcelona.
Interim head coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, endured a torrid start – with a humiliating 3-2 defeat at Albacete in the Copa del Rey, but won the next five league games on the bounce to renew hope of catching Barcelona.
Elche were unbeaten in their opening seven games of the season, all in the league, winning four.
A seven-match winless run followed in La Liga, plunging the Alicante-based club into the relegation scrap.
Their latest winless run stretches to 11 matches – 10 in La Liga – with seven defeats in that time and only four league points snared.
Eder Sarabia’s side are now just one point and one place above the bottom three and are the only side in the competition yet to win away from home this season – losing nine of their 13 games on the road.
Real’s season was given a welcome boost in midweek with a resounding 3-0 win against Manchester City – led by former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola – in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Valverde, who netted the winner last weekend in Vigo, scored a first-half hat-trick to hand Los Blancos a significant advantage heading to Manchester for the return fixture.
Elche were defeated 2-1 at Villarreal in La Liga last Sunday, in what was their fifth consecutive defeat on their travels.
The last four of those came in the league, while the run began with their Copa del Rey exit at Real Betis.
Leo Petrot had given Elche the lead in the 58th minute, but a double from Chimy Avila turned the game.
Elche are yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels in the league this season. In the 13 games on the road, they have conceded 26 goals – but, on a more optimistic note, they have managed to score in all but two of those games.
Elche secured a valuable point in a 2-2 draw in the reverse match against Real in La Liga this season.
Aleix Febas and Alvaro Rodriguez twice gave the home side the lead, the latter netting in the 84th minute, but Dean Huijsen and Jude Bellingham twice levelled for Los Blancos, before Victor Chust was sent off for the home side in injury time.
Real were 3-0 winners in this fixture in October 2022, with Federico Valverde, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio netting the goals.
Los Blancos took the reverse fixture 4-0 in February 2023.
It has been a long wait for Elche to come away with the spoils in this fixture, with their last win – a 3-1 victory – coming in 1978.
The teams have met 54 times, with Real winning 35 of the encounters. Elche have emerged victorious on six occasions.
All six of Elche’s victories have come at home.
Kylian Mbappe’s absence remains Real’s major frustration, but the French striker heads a long list of absentees.
Ferland Mendy is a major doubt, having been forced off in the victory against Manchester City due to injury.
The defender could join Mbappe, Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Rodrygo on the sidelines
Franco Mastantuono is suspended for the game, but Alvaro Carreras and David Alaba are both close to shaking off calf injuries.
Hector Fort, who is on loan from Barcelona, is out with a shoulder injury.
Pedro Bigas and John Donald are both injury doubts and face late fitness tests.
Courtois; Carvajal, Asencio, Huijsen, F Garcia; Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni; Guler; Vinicius, Brahim
Dituro; Chust, Affengruber, Petrot; Josan, Febas, Aguado, Valera; Neto; A Silva, Rodriguez
Energy markets remain on tenterhooks as the prospect of prolonged war in the Middle East grows.
Published On 13 Mar 202613 Mar 2026
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Oil prices have again risen above $100 per barrel as energy markets see little relief amid the biggest disruption to global energy supplies in a generation.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, surged more than 9 percent on Thursday as traders weighed the prospect of weeks, or even months, of turmoil in energy markets as the United States and Israel wage war on Iran.
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Brent futures, which are traded outside of regular market hours, were priced at $101.13 as of 03:00 GMT.
Asian stock markets, including exchanges in Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong, opened sharply lower on Friday, following steep losses on Wall Street overnight.
The latest surge in oil prices came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei pledged to maintain the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally transports about one-fifth of global oil supplies.
In a statement read out on his behalf on Iranian state television, Khamenei described Tehran’s threats against shipping in the waterway as a “lever” that “must continue to be used”.
US President Donald Trump struck a similarly defiant tone on Thursday, posting on Truth Social that stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons was of “far greater interest and importance” than rising oil prices.
Traffic through the strait has effectively ground to a halt due to Iranian threats, with only a handful of vessels passing through each day, many of them claiming links to China, Iran’s key economic partner.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre, no more than five ships have passed through the waterway each day since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, compared with an average of 138 daily transits before the war. At least 16 commercial vessels have been attacked in the region since the start of the conflict, according to the UKMTO.
Tehran has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, including a strike on Wednesday that crippled a Thai-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman.
Efforts to bring calm to the market have so far done little to tame prices, which are up nearly 40 percent compared with before the start of the war.
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) announcement on Wednesday that member countries would release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency stockpiles drew a tepid response among traders eyeing a daily shortfall in global supplies estimated at 15-20 million barrels.
The US Department of the Treasury’s issuance on Thursday of a temporary licence authorising countries to purchase sanctioned Russian oil that has been stranded at sea also failed to move the market, with Brent crude staying above $100 a barrel after the Treasury announcement.
“The key problem is a lack of tangible goals in this war,” said Adi Imsirovic, an energy security expert at the University of Oxford.
“It makes it hard for oil traders to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of using the US Navy to escort commercial shipping through the strait, but the Pentagon has yet to conduct such operations amid concerns about the risks posed by Iranian attacks in the narrow waterway.
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Washington was “not ready” to provide navy escorts but that such operations could begin by the end of the month.
“It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now,” Wright said.
Protesters in Athens have marched to the US Embassy to condemn the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, joining protests held worldwide over the escalating conflict.
Published On 13 Mar 202613 Mar 2026
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As oil prices surge, some economies benefit while others face rising costs.
The war in the Middle East is exposing how dependent the world is on a handful of strategic chokepoints.
The Strait of Hormuz – a narrow waterway in the Gulf – is closed.
The longer this goes on, the faster the global energy map could be reshaped.
From Europe to Asia, countries are facing mounting supply risks and the threat of an inflation shock.
If the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran drags on, alternatives will be hard to find.
But, Russia is shaping up to be a major beneficiary, with soaring prices filling Moscow’s coffers despite Western sanctions.
Published On 12 Mar 202612 Mar 2026
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HUNDREDS of flights across Europe are being cancelled due to a two-day airline strike and thousands of Brits will be affected.
Lufthansa pilots are walking out today for a 48-hour period, over a dispute in regard to pay and pensions.
The airline has since been forced to cancel a huge part of the flight schedule until the strike ends on Saturday.
Around 50 per cent of all Lufthansa flight will be cancelled, which includes 40 per cent of long-haul flights..
This works out to around 300 flights a day, so 600 flights in total, according to Andreas Pinheiro, the head of the union.
Munich and Frankfurt have been hit with the most cancellations.
A number of UK flights are included in this today, such as:
A similar number are cancelled tomorrow as well, meaning thousands are affected travelling from the UK.
A statement from Lufthansa reads: “Lufthansa is working intensively to keep the impact on our passengers as low as possible and has published a special flight schedule for both strike days.
“According to this schedule, more than 50 percent of the originally planned flight program can be operated on Thursday and Friday.
“For long-haul connections, the share is as high as 60 percent.”
Passengers affected can request a refund or move their flight date for free up until March 23.
The cancellations are far fewer than the previous strike which saw up to 800 flights cancelled.
Back in February, the airline was forced to cancel 90 per cent of it’s planned flights, affecting 200,000 passengers.
Flights to the Middle East have have been excluded from the current strike action, due to the Iran conflict.
But the continued attacks across the Middle East are continuing to cause huge travel disruption.
More than 32,000 flights have been cancelled across the Middle East in the past three weeks due to the ongoing crisis, according to experts.
Our Travel Expert has answered all of your questions about any upcoming holiday.
Irish rapper Liam O’Hanna welcomes ruling in case he says was ‘never about any threat to the public, never about terrorism’.
Published On 11 Mar 202611 Mar 2026
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British prosecutors have lost an appeal seeking to reinstate a “terrorism” charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap accused of waving a Hezbollah flag during a gig in London.
London’s High Court on Wednesday rejected prosecutors’ attempts to challenge a lower court’s decision to throw out the case against Liam O’Hanna in September due to a technical error.
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The decision means the case will not proceed. In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said the High Court had “clarified how the law applies” to such cases and that it accepted “the judgement and will update our processes accordingly”.
O’Hanna – also known as Liam Og O hAnnaid (his name in Gaeilge, the Irish language) and by the stage name Mo Chara (“My Friend”) – was charged in May of last year with displaying a Hezbollah flag during a November 2024 concert in London, in violation of the United Kingdom’s 2000 Terrorism Act.
Kneecap’s members – who rap in Gaeilge and English and have been outspoken in their condemnation of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – have called the attempted prosecution a “British state witch-hunt”.
O’Hanna welcomed the ruling on Wednesday, saying during a news conference in Belfast that the case was “never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about terrorism”.
“It was always about Palestine, about what happens if you dare to speak up, about what happens if you can reach large groups of people and expose their hypocrisy, about the lengths Britain will go to cover up Israeli and US war crimes,” he said.
Cheered by supporters at the event, O’Hanna was joined by Kneecap bandmates JJ O Dochartaigh and Naoise O Caireallain – better known by their respective stage names, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap.
“Your own High Court ruled against you,” O’Hanna added, addressing the UK government.
“The pathetic thing about this whole process is that you falsely tried to label me a terrorist when it is the British government ministers that are arming and assisting a genocide in Gaza, the destruction of Lebanon, and the senseless slaughter of schoolkids in Iran.”
Warning comes as 400 million barrels of oil are being released from global reserves during waterway’s closure.
Published On 11 Mar 202611 Mar 2026
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it will not allow “a litre of oil” through the Strait of Hormuz as the closure of the key Gulf waterway continues to roil global energy markets during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
A spokesperson for the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters said on Wednesday that any vessel linked to the United States and Israel or their allies “will be considered a legitimate target”.
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“You will not be able to artificially lower the price of oil. Expect oil at $200 per barrel,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The price of oil depends on regional security, and you are the main source of insecurity in the region.”
Global oil prices have fluctuated wildly this week during continued US-Israeli attacks against Iran, which has retaliated by firing missiles and drones at targets across the wider Middle East.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies transit, and production slowdowns in some Gulf countries have raised concerns of further disruptions.
Concerns around the duration of the war, which began on February 28 and has shown no sign of abating, are also adding to uncertainty, sending oil prices soaring.
On Wednesday, three ships were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and risk firms said, including a Thai-flagged cargo vessel that came under attack about 11 nautical miles (18km) north of Oman.
World leaders, including members of the Group of Seven (G7) and the European Union, have been mulling what action to take in response to the war’s impact on global economies.
Christian Bueger, a professor of international relations at the University of Copenhagen and an expert in maritime security, said Europe will be facing “a major energy supply crisis” if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
“For the shipping industry right now, it’s impossible to go through the Strait of Hormuz,” Bueger told Al Jazeera. “And if there are not stronger signals in the near future that they can at least try to go through the strait, then we are looking at a major shipping crisis, which can last weeks if not months.”
On Wednesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that its 32 member countries had unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to try to lower prices.
“This is a major action aiming to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said during an address from the agency’s headquarters in Paris.
“But to be clear, the most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.
The reserve supplies will be made available “over a timeframe that is appropriate” for each member state, the IEA said in a statement without providing details.
German Economy and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche said earlier in the day that the country would comply with the release while Austria also said it would make part of its emergency oil reserve available and extend its national strategic gas reserve.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said it would release about 80 million barrels from its private and national oil reserves.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the country, which gets about 70 percent of its oil imports through the Strait of Hormuz, would begin releasing the reserves on Monday.
Motorists around the globe are already feeling the impact of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, with fuel prices sharply rising since the war began.
In the US, a gallon of regular petrol that averaged $2.94 in February now costs $3.58, marking a 20 percent increase, according to data from AAA Fuel Prices, a retail fuel price tracker from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
While each US state sets its own petrol prices, several states have surpassed $4 per gallon, with California exceeding $5 per gallon, the highest level it has been in more than two years.
According to data analysed from Global Petrol Prices, a data platform that tracks and publishes retail energy prices across approximately 150 countries, at least 85 countries have reported increases in petrol prices following the initial attacks on Iran by the US and Israel on February 28. Some nations announce price changes only at the end of each month, so higher prices are expected for many others in April.
Vietnam recorded the highest petrol price increase of nearly 50 percent, rising from $0.75 per litre of 95-octane on February 23 to $1.13 on March 9. Laos follows with a 33 percent increase, then Cambodia at 19 percent, Australia at 18 percent, and the US at 17 percent.
The table below shows the countries that have increased petrol prices at the pumps.
Asia is disproportionately dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for the delivery of its oil and gas, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war. The strait joins the Gulf – also referred to as the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Gulf – to the Gulf of Oman and is the only passage for the region’s oil producers to the open ocean.
Japan and South Korea are among the most vulnerable, importing 95 percent and 70 percent of their oil from the Gulf, respectively.
Both East Asian nations have enacted emergency measures to stabilise their energy markets. On March 8, Japan instructed its oil reserve sites to prepare for a potential release of strategic reserves. The next day, South Korea introduced a maximum price cap on petrol and diesel for the first time in 30 years.
In South Asia, the impact of the war is more severe than in East Asia because countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh have much thinner financial buffers and smaller strategic reserves.
In an attempt to conserve energy, Bangladesh‘s government has ordered all public and private universities to close immediately. In Pakistan, government offices will now operate a four-day workweek, while schools have closed, and a 50 percent work-from-home policy has been enacted to save fuel.
In Europe, the Group of Seven finance ministers convened an emergency meeting to discuss rising prices, with French President Emmanuel Macron raising the possibility of releasing 20-30 percent of emergency strategic reserves to ease the pressure on consumers.
Oil prices and food prices move in lockstep, with energy prices affecting every stage of the food supply chain, from the fertilisers used in the fields to the trucks that carry food from field to supermarket shelf.
Rising oil prices also directly affect shipping and the cost of transport.
“The lifeblood of the global economy is transport,” economist David McWilliams told Al Jazeera. “It’s getting stuff from A to B – it’s a logistics problem, a supply chain problem, and ultimately transportation is the energy of the global economy.”
Fears of stagflation – increasing inflation and rising unemployment, which major oil shocks have historically summoned – are rising. Economists point to the crises of 1973, 1978 and 2008 as evidence that every significant spike in oil prices has been followed, in some form, by global recession.
In lower-income countries, where populations spend a far greater share of their income on food and import large quantities of grain and fertiliser, rising oil prices could rapidly translate into food shortages.
Oil and gas are used for far more than just fuel. They are raw materials for thousands of everyday products.
Plastics, including water bottles, food packaging, phone casings and medical syringes, are all derived from crude oil.
Crude oil is also the hidden ingredient in synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, which are used to make everything from sportswear to carpets. It also underpins the cosmetics industry, as it is used to make products such as petroleum jelly (Vaseline), lipsticks and concealers.
Household items also rely on oil-based ingredients, with laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids, and paints all derived from petroleum products.
The global food supply is essentially built on natural gas in the form of fertilisers, used to enhance crop yields and ensure that food production can meet demand.
Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum has been named chairman of Walt Disney Co.’s experiences division, the company said Tuesday.
Mazloum succeeds soon-to-be Disney Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro as the head of the Mouse House’s vital parks portfolio, which has become the economic engine for the Burbank media and entertainment giant. His purview includes Disney’s theme parks, famed Imagineering division, merchandise, cruise line, as well as the Aulani Resort and Spa in Hawaii.
Jill Estorino will become the head of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. She previously served as president and managing director of Disney Parks International and oversaw the company’s theme parks and resorts in Europe and Asia.
Estorino and Mazloum will assume their new roles on March 18, the same day as D’Amaro and incoming Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden.
“Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a genuine appreciation for our cast members and a proven track record of delivering growth,” D’Amaro said in a statement. “His focus on service excellence, broad international leadership and strong connection to the creativity that brings our stories to life make him the right leader to guide Disney Experiences into its next chapter.”
Mazloum had been about a year into his tenure at Disneyland. Prior to that, he was head of Disney Signature Experiences, which includes the cruise line. He was trained in hospitality in Europe.
In his time at Disneyland, Mazloum oversaw the park’s 70th anniversary celebration and recently pledged to eliminate time limitations for park-hopping, which are designed to manage foot traffic at Disneyland and California Adventure.
Mazloum will now oversee a 10-year, $60-billion investment plan for Disney’s overall experiences business, which includes new themed lands in Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. At Disneyland, that expansion could result in at least $1.9 billion of development.
The size of that investment indicates how important the parks are to Disney’s bottom line. Last year, the experiences business brought in nearly 57% of the company’s operating income. Maintaining that momentum, as well as fending off competitors such as Universal Studios, is key to Disney’s continued growth.
In his new role, Mazloum will have to keep an eye on “international visitation headwinds” at its U.S.-based parks, which the company has said will likely factor into its earnings for the fiscal second quarter. At Disneyland Resort, that dip was mitigated by the park’s high percentage of California-based visitors.
Times staff writer Todd Martens contributed to this report.
