So what to make of a day which delivered history for Scottish women’s sport, as well as a 12-try demolition?
It is true, England are not the benchmark for Scotland.
Victory away to Wales last week was a solid start, and now it is all about the response in Italy next week and trying to beat Ireland in the final game, either side of a home game against France.
But all performances are crucial to building momentum and keeping the fans coming back, as Malcolm herself said.
Just ask the Scotland women’s football team, who have seen crowds shrink back at Hampden amid a struggle to qualify for major finals.
The Scotland captain, as ever, got the tone spot on when summing up a strange day.
“Today was about so much more than just the game,” Malcolm said. “For those of us that have been around 10 years plus – we’ve come from back pitches with a couple of people in stands.
“To even arrive today and get the reception we got was phenomenal. It’s a result of the work we’ve done as players on the pitch to put in performances that make people want to come back.
“Today wasn’t one of them. But that doesn’t take away from what we’ve created over the last 10 years to make this happen.
“We’re at the beginning of a new journey. We’re going to keep pushing to get back to that point to put in a performance in that stadium that fans can be proud of.”
Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher told the UN Security Council that South Sudan is at risk of slipping into ‘full-scale famine and collapse’ as fighting intensifies and the UN peacekeeping mission is cut back.
Scotland fly-half Helen Nelson, who ranks fourth highest for the number of kicks out of hand in the English top-flight, may well look to exploit space around Kildunne, while Rhona Lloyd, who will line up opposite Kildunne, has scored 11 league tries for Sale so far this season.
Elsewhere prop Maud Muir wins her 50th cap for England as she starts at tighthead in place of Sarah Bern, who is part of a set of replacements which includes 112-cap Marlie Packer and Gloucester-Hartpury’s Mia Venner.
England are hunting their eighth successive Women’s Six Nations title, but are attempting to maintain their streak without a host of names who helped them to the World Cup last year.
Number eight Alex Matthews will miss the meeting with Scotland with a shoulder injury, while earlier on Thursday it was announced that prop Hannah Botterman had joined those sidelined for the tournament with an ankle injury.
Head coach John Mitchell will hope that the enforced changes will prove the making of a next generation of players, while maintaining the Red Roses’ grip on the tournament.
However Scotland, who will play in front of a 25,000-plus crowd at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in the biggest stand-alone women’s sporting fixture in their country’s history, will be primed to exploit any wobbles.
England: Sing; Breach, Jones (capt), Rowland, Kildunne; Harrison, L Packer; Clifford, Cokayne, Muir, Burton, Ives Campion, Short, Kabeya, Feaunati,
Replacements: Powell, Carson, Bern, Lutui, M Packer, Robinson, Aitchison, Venner
The experts call Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon on April 8 ‘a blatant violation of the UN Charter’.
Published On 15 Apr 202615 Apr 2026
A group of United Nations experts has denounced Israel’s attack on Lebanon a day after the United States and Iran agreed a ceasefire as illegal and urged UN member states to halt all arms transfers to Israel.
The 19 experts – including special rapporteurs and independent experts across a range of human rights mandates – issued the condemnation on Wednesday as Israel continued to pound areas of southern Lebanon, killing at least 16 people, including four paramedics, Lebanese state media reported.
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Referring to a devastating wave of Israeli attacks across Lebanon on April 8, which Lebanese authorities said killed more than 350 people, including 30 children, the experts said: “This is not self-defence. It is a blatant violation of the UN Charter, a deliberate destruction of prospects for peace, and an affront to multilateralism and the UN-based international order.”
They called for Israel to “cease all military operations in Lebanon” and urged UN member states to halt arms transfers to Israel while “there is credible evidence of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law”, according to the UN Human Rights Council.
Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon on March 2 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the US-Israel killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei two days earlier, the first day of their war on Iran.
Israel has carried out a devastating bombardment across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south, killing more than 2,000 people and forcibly displacing more than 1.2 million.
The UN experts said such forced displacement “of a civilian population constitutes crimes against humanity”. They also condemned Israel’s targeted “destruction of homes”, particularly in predominantly Shia areas of the south, as “a form of collective punishment” that “points to ethnic cleansing”.
Israel’s continuing bombardment of Lebanon has been a point of tension in US-Iran negotiations. Tehran said Lebanon should be covered in the ongoing ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire with Iran and Israel will continue to target Hezbollah “wherever required”.
On Saturday, days before Israel and Lebanon held rare, high-level diplomatic talks in the US, Netanyahu said Israel wanted long-term peace with Lebanon but on the condition that Hezbollah is disarmed.
The Reuters news agency quoted a senior Israeli official as saying Israel’s security cabinet planned to convene on Wednesday evening to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon. It also quoted several senior Lebanese officials as saying ceasefire efforts were under way.
McGann was not always as confident as her persona on TikTok suggests and credits Higgins for helping her come out of her shell.
The two first met at an Ireland sevens camp in Dublin at 16 and have stayed friends during their rise from playing for the sevens at the Olympics in 2024 to representing the 15s at a World Cup last year and various editions of the Six Nations.
“The first time I met Anna was a sevens camp at DCU [Dublin City University], there was a girl the side of the pitch not saying much. She didn’t speak really until our first Dubai Invitational and then you were like ‘who is this?'” Higgins joked.
“I was so shy. I think Eve and the girls were so good and a reason as to why I came out of my shell and was so comfortable and that didn’t happen until I was 21-22,” McGann explained.
“They helped shape me into the person I am and be more comfortable to be myself.”
Despite their closeness, Higgins says the two have never had a falling out, even though they share a room together during Ireland camps.
“Eve and I roomed together for five weeks at the World Cup and somehow we’re not sick of each other,” McGann said.
“We would know if we need to give each other space. That’s the best thing we have. We’ve known each other so long and have grown,” Higgins added.
As mentioned, both players made the transition from sevens to 15s rugby alongside countless others in Scott Bemand’s current squad.
Higgins believes that is the case for so many because it was the only real pathway available for players of her generation to play in a professional environment.
“It’s mostly because there’s not provincial teams for women. Sevens was an opportunity for women’s rugby players to train every week.
“Thankfully now there’s a women’s programme, so there’s 15s and sevens but at the time only seven players were contracted to train week in week out. That was the pathway for us to play semi-professional rugby.”
Should Lynn need any inspiration, he need not look far across the office.
Wales men’s head coach Steve Tandy helped his side end a three-year Six Nations losing streak with a final-round victory over Italy last month, while performances in defeat offered plenty of encouragement.
It is hoped the women can turn a similar corner in their campaign.
“I’ve worked really closely with Steve Tandy, I’ve been into his camp, it’s an open environment,” said Lynn.
“That’s what we’re about, supporting each other as a nation.”
Wales captain Kate Williams said: “We can be inspired by them [Wales men], but we’re not limited to what they’re doing as well.
“We’re looking internally about what we can do and finding confidence in ourselves to then be able to put out our own performance and write our own story.”
Following a highly successful Rugby World Cup last year, supporter numbers in the UK climbed from 7.94m pre-existing fans of women’s rugby to 13.21m, according to research commissioned by BBC Sport.
England’s victory over Canada in September’s final took place in front of 81,885 fans at Allianz Stadium – a record for a women’s rugby match and the second-highest attendance for a men’s or women’s World Cup final.
It was the most-watched women’s rugby match on UK television, with a record-breaking peak audience of 5.8m viewers. It also beat both the Six Nations and the British and Irish Lions’ winning tour of Australia to become the most-watched rugby match of last year.
Rugby union was the second most-watched women’s sport in 2025, so with momentum at an all-time high, this year’s Women’s Six Nations is set to be comfortably the biggest yet in terms of crowd numbers.
Pre-tournament demand has already broken records, with all four home nations staging fixtures at their national stadiums.
The record crowd for a Women’s Six Nations game is 58,498 for the Grand Slam decider between England and France in 2023.
That record is set to fall, with more than 75,000 tickets sold for England’s opener against Ireland at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
“There is probably a line of thinking that audiences will just keep growing, but they are actually hard to maintain,” Rugby Football Union director of women’s rugby Alex Teasdale told BBC Sport.
“The role of the Red Roses as ambassadors has helped sustain some of that strong buy-in, and the fans have had a brilliant time.
“It has been really pleasing to see, but anyone involved in women’s sport knows it is not a given.
“You have to work hard to give fans a brilliant experience so they want to keep coming back.”
Scotland will play their first Women’s Six Nations match in front of fans at Murrayfield when they host England next weekend.
Scotland women’s record home attendance of 7,774 was set at Hive Stadium in 2024, but more than 25,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture.
The expected record crowd will be the biggest for a standalone women’s sporting event in Scotland.
Ireland’s game against Scotland on the final weekend will be their first at the 51,711-capacity Aviva Stadium and their record home attendance of 7,754 is set to be smashed, with more than 16,000 tickets already reported to have been sold.
Wales, who play Scotland at Principality Stadium on the opening weekend, are aiming to better last year’s record crowd of 21,186 for a Wales women’s team event on home soil.
Meanwhile, France will host England at the 42,115-capacity Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux in the final round, where they will hope to have a full house for a possible Grand Slam decider.
But will the entertainment on the pitch match the clamour for tickets?
The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, has held global attention since Israel and the US began their war on Iran in February.
Until fighting began, the narrow channel, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are shipped from Gulf producers in peacetime, remained toll-free and safe for vessels. The strait is shared by Iran and Oman and does not fall into the category of international waters.
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After the US and Israel began strikes, Iran retaliated by attacking “enemy” merchant ships in the strait, effectively halting passage for all, stranding shipping, and creating one of the worst-ever global energy distribution crises.
Tehran continued to refuse to re-open the strait to all traffic at the start of this week, despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges if it did not relent. Trump backed away from his threat on Tuesday night when a two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, was declared.
That followed a 10-point peace proposal from Iran that Trump described as a “workable” basis on which to negotiate a permanent end to hostilities.
As part of the truce, Tehran has now issued official terms it says will guide its control of the Strait going forward. The US has not directly acknowledged the terms ahead of talks set to begin in Islamabad on Friday. However, analysts say Tehran’s continued control will be unpopular with Washington, as well as other countries.
During the crisis, only a few ships from specific countries deemed friendly to Iran and those which pay a toll have been granted safe passage. At least two tolls for ships are believed to have been paid in Chinese yuan, in what appears to be a strategy to weaken the US dollar, but also to avoid US sanctions. China, which buys 80 percent of Iran’s oil, already pays Tehran in yuan.
Here’s what we know about how shipments will work from now on:
(Al Jazeera)
Who is controlling the strait now?
On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Iran would grant safe passage through the strait during the ceasefire in “coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations”.
On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a map of the strait showing a safe route for ships to follow. The map appears to direct ships further north towards the Iranian coast and away from the traditional route closer to the coast of Oman.
In a statement, the IRGC said all vessels must use the new map for navigation due to “the likelihood of the presence of various types of anti-ship mines in the main traffic zone”.
Alternative routes through the Strait of Hormuz have been announced by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), providing new entry and exit pathways for maritime traffic [Screen grab/ Al Jazeera]
It is unclear whether Iran is collecting toll fees during the ceasefire period.
However, Trump said on Tuesday the US would be “helping with the traffic buildup” in the strait and that the US army would be “hanging around” as the negotiations go on.
The Strait will be “OPEN & SAFE” he posted on his Truth Social media site on Thursday, adding that US troops would not leave the area, and threatening to resume attacks if the talks don’t go well.
It’s not known to what extent US troops are directing what happens in the strait now.
Delhi-based maritime analyst C Uday Bhaskar told Al Jazeera that there is a lot of “uncertainty” about who can sail through the strait, and that only between three and five ships have transited since the war was paused.
How does Iran’s 10-point plan affect the Strait?
Among Tehran’s main demands listed on its 10-point plan are that the US and Israel permanently cease all attacks on Iran and its allies – particularly Lebanon – lift all sanctions, and allow Iran to retain control over Hormuz. The plan has not been fully published but is understood to be a starting point for talks.
Iranian media say Iran is considering a plan to charge up to $2m per vessel to be shared with Oman on the opposite side of the strait. Other reports suggest Iran could charge $1 per barrel of oil being shipped.
Revenues raised would be used to rebuild military and civilian infrastructure damaged by US-Israeli strikes, Tehran said.
Oman has rejected the idea. Transport minister Said Al-Maawali said on Wednesday that the Omanis previously “signed all international maritime transport agreements” which bar taking fees.
What does international law say about tolls on shipping?
Critics of Iran’s plan to charge tolls say it violates international law guiding safe maritime passage, and should not be part of a final ceasefire agreement.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) says levies cannot be charged on ships sailing through international straits or territorial seas.
The law allows coastal states to collect fees for services rendered, such as navigation assistance or port use, but not for passage itself.
Neither the US nor Iran has ratified that particular convention, however.
Even if they had, there could be ways to get around this law anyway. Analyst Bhaskar told Al Jazeera that if Iran instead charged fees to de-mine the strait and make it safe for passage again, that could be allowable under maritime laws.
There is no precedent in recent history of countries officially taxing passage through international straits or waterways.
In October 2024, a United Nations Security Council report alleged that the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen were collecting “illegal fees” from shipping companies to allow vessels to pass through the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, where it was targeting ships linked to Israel during the Gaza war.
Last week, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei suggested the Houthis could shut the Bab al-Mandeb shipping route again in light of the war on Iran.
(Al Jazeera)
How might countries react to a Hormuz toll?
Tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz would likely most affect oil and gas-producing countries in the Gulf, but ripple effects will spread to others as well, as the current supply shocks have shown.
Gulf countries, which issued statements calling for the reopening of the passage and praising the ceasefire on Wednesday, would also face a continuing degree of uncertainty, analysts say, as Iran could again disrupt flows in the future.
Before the ceasefire was announced, Bahrain had already proposed a resolution at the UN Security Council calling on member states to coordinate and jointly reopen the passage by “all necessary means”. It was backed by Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan. On April 7, 11 of 15 UNSC members voted in favour of that resolution.
But Russia and China vetoed the resolution, saying it was biased against Iran and did not address the initial strikes on Iran by the US and Israel.
Beyond the region, observers say the US is unlikely to accept indefinite toll demands by Iran as part of the negotiations expected to begin on Friday.
A toll to pass through the Strait of Hormuz “is not going to go down well with President Trump and his expectations that the strait should be open for everyone”, Amin Saikal, a professor at the Australian National University, said.
Other major powers have also voiced opposition. Ahead of the ceasefire, Britain had begun discussions with 40 other countries to find a way to reopen the strait.
Practical realities in the strait might see a different scenario play out with ship owners losing millions each day their vessels remain stranded seeking to get them out quickly and undamaged experts say. They are more likely to comply with Iran, at least for now.
“If I were the owner of a VLCC [very large crude carrier] which weighs about 300,000 tonnes, whose value could be a quarter billion dollars…I would believe the Iranians if they said we have laid mines,” Bhaskar said.
Erin King will make her first international appearance in a year as she captains Ireland in Saturday’s Six Nations opener in England.
King missed the World Cup last year after she sustained a knee injury in the defeat by the Red Roses in the 2025 Six Nations.
The 22-year-old has been named Ireland’s captain for the 2026 edition and will start at flanker against an England side who are looking to win an eighth Six Nations in a row.
She is joined in the back row by Brittany Hogan and Aoife Wafer, who was the Six Nations player of the championship in 2025 but had an injury-hit year.
Former England prop Ellena Perry will make her Irish Six Nations debut after switching allegiances ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
At the start of a new World Cup cycle and with a new coaching team in place, there’s a sense of a new page being turned in this Scotland set-up.
Bryan Easson departed after five years following that quarter-final exit to England, with former United States head coach Sione Fukofuka taking over.
Captain Rachel Malcolm says Scotland want to get to the stage of “fighting in that top four, top five in the world”, but warns with a new coach and a host of new players, the team may have to endure a step back to take a few forward.
Thankfully the build-up to this Six Nations has been less stressful than prior to the World Cup, when the squad were angered by a perceived lack of respect over contracts that left several players facing unemployment after the tournament.
Malcolm was in the thick of it as captain and spokesman, in negotiations with the Scottish Rugby hierarchy and in outlining the players’ position to the media.
Clearly not all the scars have healed – especially for those players left without a contract – but the mood music sounds a lot better than it did a few months ago.
“There is no-one in a position right now as stressful as those girls were put in, which is exactly what I want as a captain. I really want our focus and our energy to be going into the rugby,” Malcolm told the BBC’s Scotland Rugby Podcast.
Ireland scrum coach Denis Fogarty said the side must “not let the games go past us” during the Six Nations.
Ireland’s first fixture is against hosts England at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday [14:25 BST] with over 75,000 tickets sold, a tournament record.
World champions England are aiming to secure their eighth successive title and a fifth consecutive Grand Slam.
“One goal for us is to win all our home games, the last couple of years we have only won two games in the Six Nations. It didn’t feel right, we felt we were better than that,” Fogarty said.
“We looked at the occasion, I think it is important that we make our mark in these games and not let the games go past us, even at the back end of the games.
“Especially against England and France, we want to turn one of those teams over and that is our mindset going into it. Obviously, the home games will be really important for us overall.”
Last year, England were the comfortable 49-5 victors against Scott Bemand’s side at Virgin Media Park in Cork for their 12th successive victory over Ireland.
Fogarty also acknowledged that the side struggled with scrums during that match and it “has definitely hurt” him.
“We have spoken about it and the area has probably lingered around for quite some time, it has definitely hurt me and the players,” he continued.
“Even prepping for the World Cup and the World Cup, we have moved that forward, we knew we needed to.
“This week, they have really gone after this area to make sure we don’t let it happen again as it did have a big impact in the game. They have prepped really well and we are confident it will not happen again.”
Countries in the region welcome the temporary truce and urge negotiations for the war’s permanent end.
Iran and the United States have agreed to a two-week ceasefire and allow safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The warring sides agreed to suspend attacks as the war entered its 40th day, with hopes now pinned on a peace deal through talks set to begin in Pakistan on Friday.
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The truce in the early hours of Wednesday came after US President Donald Trump said he would suspend attacks, subject to Tehran agreeing to fully reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil flows.
Iran’s foreign ministry said a safe passage through the vital waterway will be possible for a period of two weeks through coordination with the country’s armed forces.
The weeks-long fighting had embroiled nearly the entire Middle East. Iran launched retaliatory attacks by claiming to target US assets in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Gulf states alleged the Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure as well.
Lebanon was also drawn into the war on March 2 after Tehran-aligned Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel. Israel has backed the two-week ceasefire with Iran, but has said it does not include Lebanon, despite Pakistan first announcing that the truce does.
Against this backdrop, here is how the Gulf and other Middle Eastern nations are reacting to the ceasefire announcement:
Saudi Arabia
The kingdom’s foreign ministry said it “welcomes” the ceasefire announcement. It urged an end to attacks on countries in the region and said that the Strait of Hormuz should be opened.
Saudi Arabia also hopes the ceasefire will “lead to a comprehensive sustainable pacification”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
United Arab Emirates
Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, said the “UAE triumphed in a war we sincerely sought to avoid”.
“We prevailed through an epic national defense that safeguarded sovereignty and dignity and protected our achievements in the face of treacherous aggression,” Gragash said in a post on X.
“Today, we move forward to manage a complex regional landscape with greater leverage, sharper insight, and a more solid capacity to influence and shape the future”, he added, hailing “the UAE’s renaissance model”.
Oman
Oman’s foreign ministry said in a statement published on X that it welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the US and appreciates “the efforts of Pakistan and all parties calling for an end to the war”.
“We affirm the importance of intensifying efforts now to find solutions that can end the crisis from its roots and achieve a permanent cessation of the state of war and hostilities in the region,” the ministry said.
Iraq
Iraq’s foreign ministry said it “welcomes” the ceasefire but called for “serious and sustainable dialogue” between the US and Iran.
The ministry “calls for building upon this positive step by launching serious and sustainable dialogue tracks that address the root causes of the disputes and strengthen mutual trust,” it said on X.
Iraq has been drawn into the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Tehran-backed armed groups and US forces trading fire in an escalating cycle of violence.
Egypt
The Egyptian foreign ministry said the ceasefire “represents a very important opportunity that must be seized to make room for negotiations, diplomacy, and constructive dialogue”.
The ministry said in a statement on Facebook that a truce must be built upon with a full commitment to “stopping military operations and respecting freedom of international navigation”.
The post also said that Egypt will continue efforts with Pakistan and Turkiye “to promote security and stability in the region”, and that the talks between the US and Iran “must take into account the legitimate security concerns” of Gulf nations.
Turkiye
Turkiye welcomed a ceasefire in the Iran war and said it would support negotiations set to take place in Islamabad, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
It stressed the need for the ceasefire to be fully implemented on the ground and said all parties must adhere to the agreement.
A total 11 out of 15 members supported the resolution, which was already watered down to evade vetoes.
Published On 7 Apr 20267 Apr 2026
Russia and China have vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The draft text, on which a vote was held on Tuesday, was proposed by Bahrain. Eleven of the 15 members of the UNSC voted in favour, and two abstained. However, Russia and China said that the measure was biased against Iran.
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Under the resolution, affected states would have been asked to “coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate to the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz”.
Shipping through the narrow waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and gas shipments previously passed, has effectively come to a standstill after Tehran threatened to attack vessels in response to the war launched against Iran by the United States and Israel on February 28.
The blockade has sent fuel prices soaring across much of the world and led some countries, particularly in Asia, to introduce restrictions on consumption and ration supplies.
A deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the water passage or else face even worse bombardment is set to expire later on Tuesday, after he repeatedly issued – and delayed – similar threats.
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, condemned the Russian and Chinese vetoes, saying they marked “a new low”, as Iran’s shutting of the strait was preventing medical aid and supplies from reaching humanitarian crises in the Congo, Sudan and Gaza.
“No one should tolerate that. They are holding the global economy at gunpoint. But today, Russia and China did tolerate it.”
France deplored the vetoes. “The aim was to encourage strictly, purely defensive measures to provide the security and safety for the strait without spiralling towards escalation,” its UN ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, said.
Russia and China said the resolution was biased against Iran.
China’s UN envoy Fu Cong said adopting such a draft when the US was threatening the survival of a civilisation would have sent the wrong message.
Russia’s UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, said Russia and China were proposing an alternative resolution on the situation in the Middle East, including maritime security.
Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, praised the Chinese and Russian moves, saying “Their action today prevented the Security Council from being misused to legitimise aggression.”
The wording of the resolution had been the subject of behind-the-scenes negotiations for days.
An earlier version of the document had explicitly referred to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which grants the UNSC the authority to take measures ranging from sanctions to the use of military force.
But after China’s opposition, Bahrain had significantly weakened its draft, dropping any authorisation of the use of force.
An explicit reference to binding enforcement, included in an earlier draft, was also left out.
To continue their upward trajectory, Bemand, who has signed a new deal to stay with Ireland until the conclusion of the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup, has freshened up his squad and opted for a change of captain.
There are nine uncapped players in the 36-strong panel while winger Amee-Leigh Costigan, who captained the side throughout last year’s championship, and former co-captain Edel McMahon, are out.
The armband has been passed to returning back row Erin King, who Bemand believes is the ideal candidate to lead the green wave into a new cycle.
He said: “Erin embodies the Ireland player of the future of how she attacks training and how she is – honest, driven and a resilient player.”
The 22-year-old recently returned from the serious knee injury which forced her to miss last year’s World Cup and is relishing her new role.
King believes Ireland must target being competitive in both games against the top two and it is not an unrealistic goal.
They were well in the game at half-time in Cork last year when they trailed 7-5, only for England to blow them away in the second half to win 49-5.
At the World Cup in the summer, Ireland led 13-0 at the break before France came back with 18 unanswered points to progress to the last four.
“We know we are bridging the gap to the top two teams – France and England. They’ve been professional for a lot longer than us but the last few years of our professionalism is paying off now,” she said.
“Last year we held it to England for a good while so it would be great if we could compete for the full 80 [minutes] against them and get to get one up on France, we can definitely compete with them.
“With the squad we have, we can do things we’ve never done before. We just want to get going.”
Wales open their campaign against Scotland, who crushed their World Cup hopes last summer in a sobering opening match.
In fact, Wales have not tasted victory over their Celtic rivals in more than three years, but George says Saturday will be far from a grudge match.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re coming up against in the first week, it’s the first game, so we really want to try and put a stamp down,” she said.
“It’s a fresh start, we’ve got new coaches coming in and a different style of playing.
“It’s the same for them, they’ve got new coaches. We don’t really know what they’re going to bring, but we’re concentrating on ourselves as much as we can. Obviously we’ll look a little bit at them, but the onus is on us.”
Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd from the popemobile after he presided over the Holy Mass on Easter Sunday at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday. It is Pope Leo’s first Holy Week as pontiff. Photo by Riccardo Antimiani/EPA
April 5 (UPI) — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday beseeched world leaders to “lay down” the weapons of war and use “dialogue” rather than force as the means to bring about peace.
In the annual Urbi et Orbi address delivered by the presiding Catholic pontiff each Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Leo said the holy day can provide a light from Christ allowing hearts “to be transformed by his immense love for us.
“Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace. Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue. Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them,” Leo said in his first Easter address as pontiff.
An estimated 50,000 people jammed the Roman square to hear Leo’s Urbi et Orbi Easter Mass homily, or “To the City and the World,” in which he warned against allowing “indifference” to blunt the impact of war’s devastation as conflicts raged in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere in the world.
“We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent,” he said. “Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel.”
Instead, he declared, “We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil!”
Leo, the first American pope, has been a frequent critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, but did not specifically mention him or any other leader or country during the Easter homily. Rather, he anti-war remarks were universal.
“On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination, and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil,” Leo urged.
In his time as pope, Leo has established a track record of issuing unambiguous calls for peace.
Last month, for instance, he voiced a direct demand for an end to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran as the conflict entered its third week.
“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East, and of all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: Cease fire!,” the pope said during the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on March 15.
Pope Leo XIV celebrates the Christmas vigil Mass on Christmas eve on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Vatican. Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo
The Middle East conflict has cut off 20 percent of the world’s fuel supply. Countries are scrambling for alternatives.
The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has cut access to one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply, leaving many countries scrambling for alternatives.
So what can they rely on to make up for the shortfall in a quick time?
Many Asian countries are turning to coal, reopening shuttered plants and expanding production.
Policymakers say immediate energy needs supplant environmental concerns.
Others are hoping to turn to renewables. Solar power is now the cheapest form of electricity in many parts of the world. But renewables, especially wind, have faced hostility from the Trump administration.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog says Iran’s Khondab heavy water production plant is no longer operational after suffering severe damage in an Israeli strike on March 27. The reactor, which contains no declared nuclear material, was hit along with other key infrastructure sites.
Just like last year and the year before, Wales’ Six Nations opener is against Scotland.
Wales had the upper hand in the Celtic clash up until 2023, but have failed to win in their past few encounters, including a sobering defeat at the World Cup.
The two sides will meet again at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 11 April (16:40 BST).
“They’ve got to be one of our biggest rivalries,” admitted Williams.
“A few years ago it was us on top and they’ve really turned it around. They’re one of our biggest challenges and one of the games that we’re going to go after.
“We do want to write some wrongs [from the World Cup].
And Williams insists they have the calibre of players to be able to beat the Scots.
“It is a big match, but these are the big moments that we’re excited to play. This is what we want to do as rugby players,” she added.
“I wouldn’t call it a grudge match or anything, but we’re looking to beat as many teams as possible, Scotland being one of them.”
After Scotland, Wales host France at Cardiff Arms Park on 18 April before travelling to face reigning champions England at Ashton Gate a week later.
A trip to Belfast follows to take on Ireland after the fallow week before Wales finish their campaign back at the Arms Park against Italy on 17 May.
Kano, Nigeria – On a bustling day in northern Nigeria, Marian Shammah made her way to the Sabon Gari Market, one of the largest electronics hubs in Kano state.
The 34-year-old cleaner was in need of a refrigerator, but with rising costs and a meagre income, she saw the second-hand appliances sold at the market as a lifeline.
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After locating the one she wanted, she paid the vendor 50,000 naira ($36) and took it home. But just a month later, the freezer collapsed.
“Only the top half of the refrigerator was working, and the freezer wasn’t working,” said Shammah.
Her food spoiled, her savings disappeared, and she was soon back in the market searching for another appliance.
Although Shammah could have bought a new local appliance for just over 30,000 naira ($30) more, she – like millions of Nigerians – believes second-hand products from America and Europe “last longer” than new products sold in Nigeria.
Observers say this trend is part of a larger crisis. Nigeria has become a major destination for the developed world’s discarded electronics – items often near the end of life, sometimes completely dead, and frequently toxic because they contain hazardous materials. When they break down, they add to landfills, worsening an already dire e-waste crisis on the African continent.
Around 60,000 tonnes of used electronics enter Nigeria through key ports each year, with at least 15,700 tonnes already damaged upon arrival, according to the United Nations.
The trade in used electronic goods is powered largely by foreign exporters. A UN tracking study between 2015 and 2016 showed that more than 85 percent of used electronics imported into Nigeria originated from Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, China, the United States, and the Republic of Ireland.
Many of these imports violate international restrictions, like the Basel Convention, an environmental treaty regulating the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous electronic waste to developing countries with weaker environmental laws.
Across West Africa, the Basel Convention’s “E-Waste Africa Programme”, a project focused on strengthening e-waste management systems across the continent, estimates that Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria collectively generate between 650,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes of e-waste annually – much of it the result of short-lifespan second-hand imports.
A man sorts out iron and plastic to sell while a bulldozer clears the garbage and birds surround it in a dump site in Lagos, Nigeria [File: Sunday Alamba/AP]
Health risks
The United Nations describes e-waste as any discarded device that uses a battery or plug and contains hazardous substances – like mercury – that can endanger both human health and the environment. Several of the toxic components commonly found in e-waste are included on the list of 10 chemicals of major public health concern maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the WHO, used electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) presents a growing public health and environmental threat across Africa, with Nigeria at the centre of the trade.
“Much of the equipment shipped as used electronics is close to becoming waste,” said Rita Idehai, founder of Ecobarter, a Lagos-based environmental NGO, warning that devices imported and sold as affordable second-hand goods often fail shortly after arrival and quickly enter the waste stream.
The consequences are far-reaching. Many imported fridges and air conditioners, for instance, still contain CFC-based and HCFC-based refrigerants such as R-12 and R-22 – chemicals banned in Europe and the US for causing ozone depletion or being linked to cancer, miscarriages, neurological disorders, and long-term soil contamination. These gases live for 12 to 100 years, meaning leaking equipment adds to a multi-generational environmental burden.
After these imported items stop working or fall apart, informal recyclers then dismantle the electronics with their bare hands, Al Jazeera observed. In Kano, the recyclers inhale poisonous fumes and manage the heavy metals without protection. Their work earns them a meagre 3,500–14,000 naira ($2.50-$10) per week, they said, and the after-effects linger – including persistent coughing, chest pain, headaches, eye irritation, and breathing difficulties after long hours of burning cables and dismantling electronic devices.
The health crisis extends into Kano’s communities.
Among casual recyclers and residents who live close to e-waste dumps, many report symptoms that range from chronic headaches and skin irritation to breathing issues, miscarriages and neurological concerns, according to health surveys done by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. These ailments are consistent with longtime toxic exposure, the researchers said.
Recent field assessments conducted by Nigeria’s Federal University Dutse also stressed that in and around Kano state, where the Sabon Gari Market is located, there are rising levels of heavy metals in soil and drainage channels.
Dr Ushakuma Michael Anenga, a gynaecologist at the Benue State Teaching Hospital and second vice president of the Nigerian Medical Association, warned that toxic exposure from informal e-waste recycling poses grave health risks to communities in Kano.
“Exposure to heavy metals and refrigerant gases in e-waste causes extreme brief and long-term health issues, generally affecting the breathing and renal organs,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Common casual practices like exposed burning and dismantling result in direct, high-level exposure for workers and nearby residents. Children and pregnant girls are particularly inclined due to the fact that those toxicants can disrupt development or even skip from mother to unborn baby, [while] recyclers who work without defensive equipment face repeated, frequently irreversible damage.”
Old computer monitors discarded as electronic waste are pictured at a recycling facility in Lagos, Nigeria [File: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters]
Profits over protection
In Sabon Gari Market, second-hand electronics are advertised as less costly lifelines for households and poor business owners burdened by inflation.
Many customers say foreign-used home equipment appears sturdier and seems like better value for money than new imports from the developing world. Meanwhile, others are just looking for cheap options in difficult economic times.
“I usually go for second-hand or foreign-used electronics because brand-new ones are too expensive for me,” Umar Hussaini, who sells used electronics at the market, told Al Jazeera.
“Sometimes you can get them for half the price of new ones, and they look almost the same, so it feels like a good deal at the time.”
But the last refrigerator he bought stopped cooling after just three months. With no warranty or guarantee, the seller refused responsibility.
“For weeks, we couldn’t store food properly at home, and we ended up buying food daily, which was more expensive,” he said. “However, I have to buy another one again.”
For small business owners like Salisu Saidu, the losses can be even more devastating. He bought a used freezer for his shop, believing it had been serviced. Within weeks, it failed.
“I lost a lot of frozen food, which meant I lost money and customers,” he told Al Jazeera.
Around his neighbourhood, broken electronics are often dumped out in the street, sometimes emitting smoke or sparks.
“There’s also a lot of electronic waste piling up around,” he said, calling for tighter import controls, proper certification, and mandatory warranties to protect buyers from being sold what he described as “damaged goods disguised as fairly used”.
Umar Abdullahi’s second-hand electronics shop in Kano, Nigeria [Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi/Al Jazeera]
Bought as bargains, sold as burdens
At Sabon Gari Market, another vendor, Umar Abdullahi, is surrounded by imported refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines stacked tightly together.
The products in his shop are advertised as “London use” or “Direct Belgium”, while he negotiates the sale of a double-door fridge for 120,000 naira ($87).
Abdullahi’s store is where Shammah returned after the refrigerator she bought failed. But he admits that much of what he sells to customers arrives unchecked.
“We buy them untested from suppliers in Europe, and we also sell them untested so we can make our profit,” he told Al Jazeera.
This despite the fact that international rules under the Basel Convention, as well as Nigerian environmental regulations, prohibit the shipment of material considered e-waste – with penalties including fines and jail terms.
Nwamaka Ejiofor, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), said the country does not permit the import of e-waste. However, the entry of used electronics is allowed under regulated conditions.
“The importation of used electrical and electronic equipment is regulated and may be allowed only where such equipment meets prescribed conditions, including functionality and compliance requirements,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Nigeria applies a combination of regulatory, administrative and enforcement measures to ensure that imported used electronics comply with national law and the country’s international obligations,” she added, listing out measures including environmental regulations, cargo inspection and verifying that imported equipment is “functional”.
However, despite this, some traders find loopholes in the system, including declaring cargo they plan to sell as personal belongings or second-hand household goods to avoid scrutiny.
Although NESREA says enforcement has improved, critics say the steady flow of mediocre goods continues largely unchecked. Even dealers at Sabon Gari Market acknowledge that most appliances are sold “as is”, without certification or guarantees.
Baban Ladan Issa’s worker washes a second-hand fridge before selling it to a customer [Abdulwaheed Sofiullahi/Al Jazeera]
‘Loopholes’
Behind the second-hand electronics trade is a network of collectors and exporters who source discarded appliances across Europe.
Baban Ladan Issa, who ships used electronics from Ireland to Nigeria, said items are gathered from weekend markets, private homes that are replacing old gadgets, and contractors clearing out equipment from offices, hotels and hospitals.
“Some suppliers mix working and damaged goods together,” he told Al Jazeera, noting that while he tries to avoid faulty items, not all buyers do the same.
Once assembled, shipments worth millions of naira are sent to Lagos through ships then down to sellers in the market in Kano state, sometimes packed in containers or hidden inside vehicles to reduce inspection risks.
Shipping records seen by Al Jazeera showed consignments labelled as “personal effects”, a classification that can limit detailed checks at ports.
Chinwe Okafor, an environmental policy analyst based in Abuja, said the problem is systemic.
“Exporting nations regularly take advantage of loopholes by means of labelling nonfunctional e-waste as ‘second-hand goods’ or ‘for repair,’” she told Al Jazeera. “In some instances, research estimates that over 75 percent of what arrives in developing countries is truly junk.”
“This permits wealthy countries to keep away from highly-priced recycling at home while pushing unsafe materials into nations with weaker safeguards.”
Ibrahim Adamu, a programme officer with the NGO Ecobarter, added that mislabelling, poor inspection technology and corruption at ports make enforcement difficult.
“The highest profits are captured by exporters and brokers who arbitrage the gap between disposal costs in Europe or Asia and the strong demand for ‘tokunbo’ goods in Nigeria,” he said, using the local name for used imported electronics.
To forestall this, he said Nigeria “must reinforce border inspections” and implement a policy whereby producers and manufacturers bear financial responsibility. At the same time, “the international network has to adopt binding bans that [hold] manufacturers and exporters responsible”, Adamu said.
People shop at a market in Nigeria [File: Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters]
Little oversight, mounting risks
Although Nigeria has regulations governing the import of electrical and electronic equipment, enforcement gaps keep exposing markets like Kano’s Sabon Gari to ageing and near-end-of-life appliances, locals say.
Ibrahim Bello, a used electronics importer with a decade in the business, said many shipments that arrive from Europe are in less-than-ideal condition.
“Around 20 to 30 percent of the items we receive have issues when they arrive,” he told Al Jazeera. “Some are already damaged, while others stop working after a short time because they are old.
“That’s just part of the business.”
Retailer Chinedu Peter gave similar estimates. “From what I’ve experienced, maybe 40 percent of the electronics have some fault as they come,” he said, adding that environmental and protection checks don’t happen as they are meant to.
“Such a lot of items enter without special checks.”
Both men feel that clearer rules and certified testing systems will improve trust. But until then, thousands of ageing, unsuitable products will continue to flood Nigeria.
Shammah, back at Sabon Gari Market just weeks after her refrigerator broke, was once again searching through rows of stacked appliances, hoping her next purchase might last longer than the last.
“I don’t really trust these fairly used appliances again, but I still have to buy something because we need it at home,” she told Al Jazeera.
“This time I’m thinking … I can buy a new one from a proper shop, even if it takes longer, because I don’t want to lose my money again.”
