(AP) — Former captain Vladimír Darida has agreed to come out of international retirement to help the Czech Republic try and qualify for the World Cup.
The 35-year-old Darida retired from internationals in 2021 after the Czechs were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the European Championship.
The playmaker agreed to rejoin the team after he was approached by coach Miroslav Koubek and Czech Football Association general manager Pavel Nedvěd.
Darida said on Tuesday his decision was not about his personal ambitions but about “doing together the maximum to return Czech football to the World Cup.”
The Czechs last appeared in the World Cup in 2006.
Darida debuted for the national team in 2012 and played 76 games, scoring eight times. After previously playing in Bundesliga sides Freiburg and Hertha Berlin and Greece’s Aris Thessaloniki, Darida returned home last summer and captains Hradec Králové in the Czech league.
The Czechs are in the World Cup playoffs after finishing runner-up in their qualifying group behind Croatia. They meet Ireland in a single elimination game on March 26 at home. The winner then will host Denmark or North Macedonia for a spot at the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The team that makes the tournament will join Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A.
Fresh off his star turn at the Winter Olympics in Italy, Snoop Dogg has made his way over to south Wales to get acquainted with his latest sporting love: Soccer team Swansea City.
The American rapper and entertainment icon will make his first appearance in front of Swansea’s fans since becoming an investor of the team when he attends its home match against Preston on Tuesday.
Snoop Dogg has asked Swansea supporters to serenade him by twirling towels — emblazoned with the words “Make some noise” — when he walks on the field ahead of the second-tier Championship game.
“I have heard so many great things about the atmosphere, especially when we play under the lights,” Snoop Dogg said in comments carried on Swansea’s website last week.
Snoop Dogg, who became what Swansea described as a “co-owner and investor” last July, was recently at the Milan Cortina Games where he worked as an NBC correspondent and honorary coach for the U.S. team.
He also was seen asking British curlers Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds for a photo at a mixed doubles match, and previously carried the Olympic flame.
The size of Snoop Dogg’s stake in Swansea hasn’t been disclosed. The club also counts American businesswoman and media personality Martha Stewart and Croatia soccer star Luka Modric as minority owners.
Their involvement shines a spotlight on another unheralded team from Wales, after Wrexham’s well-documented journey under the ownership of Hollywood celebrities.
Swansea is 15th in the 24-team Championship. The team was most recently in the Premier League in 2018.
(AP) — Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was disappointed with José Mourinho’s criticism of teammate Vinícius Júnior, who accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of racism.
Courtois spoke on Tuesday, a day before Madrid hosted Benfica in their Champions League playoffs second leg. Madrid’s 1-0 win in Lisbon last week was overshadowed by Vinícius’ allegation that Prestianni called him “monkey” after the Brazil forward scored and celebrated by the Benfica corner flag.
Prestianni denied racially insulting Vinícius while confronting him with his shirt over his mouth but was provisionally suspended for one match by UEFA and will not play Wednesday’s game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. He and Mourinho, who is also suspended after being sent off late in the game for referee dissent, still travelled to Madrid.
Mourinho, a former Madrid coach, said Vinícius shouldn’t have provoked Benfica fans by dancing in front of the Benfica flag to celebrate his second-half winner. The coach suggested something always happens in stadiums where Vinícius plays.
Courtois said it wasn’t right to use Vinícius’ celebration to justify the alleged act of racism.
“Mourinho is Mourinho, and as a coach he will defend his club and what his player told him,” Courtois said. “The only thing that disappoints me is that he used Viní’s celebration. He didn’t do anything wrong. He celebrated like many of our rivals have, because when they score on us, the euphoria is double or triple. But it’s over, we have to move on.”
Mourinho did not speak in Benfica’s news conference at the Bernabeu on Tuesday; an assistant spoke instead.
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany was among those who also criticized Mourinho for attacking Vinícius after last week’s match.
Benfica has defended Prestianni, saying the Argentine player was the victim of a “defamation campaign.” It lamented that he was provisionally suspended by UEFA while an investigation remained open.
Madrid was fully behind Vinícius and coach Álvaro Arbeloa said on Tuesday that UEFA had a chance to do more against racism.
“We are facing a great opportunity to make a significant step forward in the fight against racism,” he said. “UEFA has always been a strong advocate in the fight against racism, and now they have the opportunity not to leave it as just a slogan or a nice banner before matches. I hope they seize this opportunity.”
Arbeloa added Vinícius, who has five goals in his last four matches, was “very motivated” for Wednesday’s match.
“Vini has always shown great courage and character,” Arbeloa said. “I don’t know how anyone else in his situation would react. He has always done so bravely, showing tremendous personality. That has always been his response and it always will be because he is a fighter. Tomorrow he will come out to fight and play a great match, showing that he is one of the best players on the planet.”
(AP) — Inter Milan must overturn a two-goal deficit against Bodø/Glimt in Tuesday’s Champions League playoffs if it is to avoid becoming the latest giant to be cut down by the tiny Norwegian team.
Bodø/Glimt leads 3-1 after the first leg and has its sights on the round of 16.
Inter — the beaten finalist in two of the last three seasons — plays the second leg at home but is in danger of suffering one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.
“We should have done better, and there’s a lot of disappointment,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said. “But we’ve reset and I’m now interested in our approach and our confidence, being the best version of ourselves and knowing we can turn it around.”
“We feel we can compete with most teams but at the same time we have nothing to lose,” Bodø/Glimt midfielder Patrick Berg said.
Atletico has work to do after drawing at Club Brugge 3-3.
Newcastle appears to be cruising into the next round after a 6-1 win in Qarabag, while Bayer Leverkusen is in control against Olympiakos following a 2-0 win in the first leg.
Safaricom PLC has firmly rejected a demand for Ksh 200 million in compensation by a university student who was acquitted in a high-profile cybercrime case, setting the stage for a major constitutional battle over data privacy and the role of telecommunications companies in criminal investigations.
David Ooga Mokaya, a student at Moi University, has filed a constitutional petition before the High Court in Nairobi, accusing Safaricom of unlawfully sharing his personal data with law enforcement agencies, which he claims led to his arrest, prosecution and prolonged trial.
Through his lawyers, Danstan Omari & Associates Advocates, Mokaya argues that the release of his mobile phone data without his consent violated his constitutional rights to privacy and protection of personal information.
The petition arises from Mokaya’s arrest in November 2024 over allegations that he had published false information on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), under the account “LANDLORD@bozgabi,” suggesting the death of President William Ruto.
He was subsequently charged in Milimani Law Courts in Criminal Case No. MCCR/E1161/2024, but was acquitted on February 19, 2026, after the court found that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.
In her ruling, Magistrate Caroline Nyaguthii held that key evidence relied upon by investigators had been obtained irregularly, raising concerns over the handling of digital data in criminal investigations.
Following his acquittal, Mokaya moved to court, claiming that his prosecution was built on data allegedly obtained from Safaricom without his knowledge or consent.
He maintains that the alleged unlawful sharing of his personal information subjected him to a full criminal trial, disrupted his education, and caused him significant financial and emotional distress.
In court filings, Mokaya states that he was forced to travel repeatedly from Eldoret to Nairobi to attend court proceedings, placing a heavy burden on both himself and his family.
“I have suffered immense violation of my rights from my arrest in November 2024 until my acquittal in February 2026,” he states in a supporting affidavit.
He further argues that had his private data not been shared, the charges against him would not have arisen.
The petitioner is seeking, among other orders, a declaration that his constitutional rights were violated, compensation for damages suffered, and court orders restraining Safaricom from disclosing personal data without consent or a valid court order.
However, Safaricom has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
In a response dated February 24, 2026, addressed to Mokaya’s lawyers, the telecommunications company rejected the demand for compensation, stating that the criminal court did not make any finding of civil liability against it.
“Safaricom does not admit, and expressly denies, any liability as alleged,” the company stated.
The firm further argued that its cooperation with law enforcement agencies does not automatically translate into constitutional liability.
“Observations in the judgment concerning investigative practices cannot be construed as imposing strict constitutional liability on a telecommunications provider acting in compliance with formal requests from law enforcement agencies,” the letter reads.
Safaricom also dismissed the demand for Ksh 200 million as “unequivocally rejected,” warning that it will vigorously defend itself in any litigation arising from the matter.
The company maintained that any suggestion that it acted unlawfully in providing data to investigators is “misconceived.”
Mokaya’s lawyers have certified the petition as urgent, arguing that the case raises critical constitutional questions on the protection of personal data and the need for clear safeguards when private information is shared with state agencies.
They contend that the matter goes beyond the individual case, warning that failure to address the issues raised could expose other Kenyans to similar violations.
“It is in the best interest of justice that this Honourable Court reasserts the place of private data and the need for consent before sharing personal information,” the application states.
The case is expected to test the limits of data privacy laws in Kenya, particularly in relation to cooperation between telecommunications providers and law enforcement agencies.
It also raises broader questions about accountability where digital evidence forms the basis of criminal prosecutions.
The High Court is now set to determine whether Safaricom can be held liable for the alleged breach of privacy and whether stronger legal safeguards are needed to protect citizens from unlawful data sharing.
Chocolate bars are being locked in plastic boxes in some UK shops as retailers and police forces warn thieves are stealing them to order.
Sainsbury’s said it had begun using “boxes on products which are regularly targeted”, with £2.60 bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk locked up in one London branch.
Chocolate was more recently being “sold on by criminals and is now being targeted more frequently by prolific offenders,” according to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).
Some individual police forces told us they had seen a specific trend of chocolate being targeted. The National Police Chiefs’ Council said it was working to tackle this type of crime.
In recent months some police forces have posted videos of chocolate being stolen to highlight the issue.
Cambridgeshire Police told the BBC: “Chocolate is one of a number of high-value items thieves often target, along with products such as alcohol, meat and coffee.
“Retail theft has a real and lasting impact – not just on businesses, but on the staff who have to deal with related abuse and intimidation.”
Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium’s annual crime report found there were 5.5 million detected incidents of shop theft last year, and 1,600 daily incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers. Although this was down by a fifth on the previous year, it was still the second highest on record.
‘Swiping the whole shelf’
Supermarkets have also been stepping up security on chocolate bars, with Tesco and Co-Op as well as Sainsbury’s using the transparent boxes which customers have to ask staff to open.
The Heart of England Co-Op group, which runs 38 stores in the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, told the BBC chocolate theft cost it £250,000 last year. It was the group’s most stolen product in 2024 and topped only by alcohol in 2025, it said.
Chief executive Steve Browne told the BBC chocolate theft was a “massive issue”.
“In a particular shop, one individual could cost us thousands of pounds in a week,” he said. “They were coming in… then literally swiping the whole shelf.”
He said a shelf of chocolate could be worth £500 and the group had spent £3m on security and other measures to prevent thefts.
Sunita Aggarwal has reduced the amount of chocolate on display in her Sheffield store because of increasing theft
Sunita Aggarwal runs two convenience stores in Leicester and Sheffield.
“People are just coming in, and nicking boxes and boxes of chocolate,” she said.
“We know illicit trade is definitely on the up. As retailers, we know it goes on in front of us.”
Aggarwal says she has installed more than 30 CCTV cameras and uses AI technology to detect thieves, with pictures of known shoplifters at the till.
Her team now only half-fill the shelves to limit losses and have stopped promoting chocolate on easy access end-of-aisle positions.
Fiona Avenal Malone runs a shop in Tenby, Wales and says she is losing £200-£300 a week on chocolate thefts.
“We noticed that we’ve put out a whole line of chocolate bars, and then all of a sudden there’s only one left,” she said.
“Then you go and check the CCTV, and then you see it happening, on the screen, which is really frustrating.”
Fiona Avenal Malone says thieves steal hundreds of pounds of chocolate a week from her shop
‘Chocolate is primetime’
Paul Cheema, owner of Malcom’s convenience stores in Coventry, said: “Chocolate is the new buzzword for organised crime.
“It was razors, cheese, coffee. Today, these people that are taking stock from convenience stores, from supermarkets, it’s taken to order. So chocolate is primetime now.”
Cheema said stock was sold on “whether it goes back into another convenience store, a cafe, a bar, restaurant. It’s prolific at the moment,” adding that shoplifters easily take “£200, maybe £250 of chocolate in the back of a rucksack”.
In order to tackle chocolate theft, the ACS says shopkeepers need more help from police and stronger sentences for criminals.
Chief executive James Lowman said: “Confectionery, like other products commonly stolen from local shops, is being re-sold through illicit markets that help fund wider criminal activity.
“Alongside better police support and effective sentences for repeat offenders, we need action to shut down the networks re-selling stolen goods.”
A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson said its Retail Crime Strategy “brings together policing, retailers, the security industry and academia to collectively tackle this crime type”.
They said this included training and support for retailers, advising on best use of security and investment in technology and quicker and easier reporting systems.
They added it was seeing “much progress in police forces developing their response to retail crime”. They said Opal, policing’s central intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime, collates intelligence from retailers and police forces to map out potential organised crime activity across the country.
The team works with police forces to develop investigations and bring offenders to justice, they said.
India and France have revised a three-decade-old tax treaty, reducing dividend levies for large French investors while expanding Delhi’s powers to tax some transactions.
The changes could benefit major companies such as Sanofi, Renault and L’Oreal, which have expanded their investments in India over the past few years.
The agreement also gives Delhi the right to tax capital gains arising from the sale of shares, including transactions where a French entity owns less than 10% of an Indian company.
The revised treaty also removes a most-favoured-nation (MFN) clause which had allowed French entities to claim a lower tax rate in India.
It will come into effect after completing formalities and legal approvals in both countries.
The details of the amended treaty were released by India’s finance ministry on Monday, days after French President Emmanuel Macron visited India.
During the visit, the countries announced the elevation of their relationship to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” and deepened cooperation in areas such as defence and space technology.
In a joint statement on 17 February, they welcomed the amendment to the bilateral tax treaty. They said it would “secure economic activity for French and Indian businesses and pave the way for greater investments and collaborations between the two countries”.
As of January 2026, France-based foreign portfolio investors held shares worth $21bn (£15.6bn) in Indian companies, according to data cited by Reuters news agency.
Bilateral trade between India and France stood at $15bn last year.
Under the new rules, French companies holding at least a 10% stake in an Indian company will have to pay 5% tax on dividends – down from 10% earlier.
However, the tax on dividends for French investors holding less than 10% in an Indian company would rise from 10% to 15%.
The removal of the MFN clause is in line with a 2023 judgement by India’s Supreme Court.
In this case, the clause allowed countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to claim the benefit of lower tax rates if India later granted more favourable terms under a separate treaty to another member of the multinational forum. While France is a member of OECD, India is a key partner.
However, the top court ruled that such benefits cannot be applied automatically in such treaties and required a notification to be issued.
The revised treaty “realigns the bilateral trade framework with India’s current treaty policy” and international tax standards, global consultancy and financial services firm KPMG said in a statement.
“It also underscores India’s efforts to safeguard its tax base and promote a stable investment environment,” it added.
Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff led the tributes to her former on-screen father, writing on Instagram: “This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend.”
Born on 24 March 1954, Carradine was the youngest son of John Carradine and a brother of actors David and Keith Carradine.
Encouraged by his brother David, Robert Carradine auditioned for 1972’s The Cowboys, a John Wayne film that became his first screen role.
He went on to appear in and Martin Scorsese’s 1973 film Mean Streets, Oscar-winning Coming Home (1978), alongside Jane Fonda, The Long Riders (1980), with Mark Hamill, The Big Red One (1980) and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained in 2012.
Carradine (second right) played Hilary Duff’s father in the early-2000s Disney Channel series Lizzie McGuire
But he was best known for playing the head nerd, Lewis Skolnick, in Revenge of the Nerds – which became one of the most popular film franchises of the 1980s, and the father of Lizzie McGuire in the noughties Disney Channel series.
Paying tribute, Lizzie McGuire star Duff said: “There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents.
“I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”
In a statement, Carradine’s family announced his death “with profound sadness”, adding that the US actor was a “beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother”.
“In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon on light to everyone around him,” they said.
“We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder.
“We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.”
The statement added: “At this time we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion.”
In his own separate statement to Deadline, Carradine’s brother Keith added: “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul.
“He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day. We will take solace in how funny he could be, how wise and utterly accepting and tolerant he was. That’s who my baby brother was.”
Police in Mexico are searching a number of inmates sprung from a prison in Puerto Vallarta during a wave of attacks launched by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) on Sunday.
Puerto Vallarta, a beach resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, was among the towns where the CJGN blockaded roads and torched cars in retaliation for the killing by security forces of their leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”.
During the unrest, armed men rammed one of the prison gates with a car, paving the way for 23 prisoners to escape, an official said.
More than 70 people – including 25 National Guard members – were killed in the operation to capture El Mencho and the violence which followed.
Juan Pablo Hernández, security secretary for the state of Jalisco, said that his office was working with other states to capture the fugitives.
Officials have not yet released details of the identities of the prisoners who escaped.
Cartel members torched several vehicles across Puerto Vallarta on Sunday.
Tourists and locals were urged to seek shelter and not venture out and footage they recorded showed black plumes of smoke rising above the popular beach resort.
A number of airlines temporarily halted their flights and at least two major cruise liners said their ships would skip planned stops in Puerto Vallarta.
The Mexican government said on Monday that most of the road blocks erected by cartel members had been cleared.
But El Universal newspaper reports that in the state of Morelia, where drug lord El Mencho was born, armed men continued to spread fear on Monday, torching cars and vandalising shops and public buildings.
El Mencho was Mexico’s most wanted man. Under his leadership, the CJGN became a powerful transnational criminal organisation which spread from its stronghold in the state of Jalisco into many other Mexican states, where it engages in drug production and trafficking.
It often resorts to extreme violence and has been behind a number of high-profile attacks on the security forces and government officials.
The Trump administration had described El Mencho as a “top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland” and had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to his capture.
The drug lord was captured by Mexican security forces in the town of Tapalpa, in Jalisco state, on Sunday.
Mexico’s defence minister said they were able to locate him by following one of his “romantic partners”.
He died shortly after being captured due to injuries in the firefight which broke out between his security guards and Mexico’s special forces sent to arrest him.
Wolves forward Mateus Mane is at the centre of a tug of war between England and Portugal.
The 18-year-old is wanted by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez following his Premier League breakthrough.
Martinez played with Wolves technical director Matt Jackson at Wigan and has been proactive in Portugal’s chase.
Mane, born in Barreiro, Portugal, has played for England Under-18s, making his debut in 2024.
But Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca, who was appointed last year, is an admirer of Mane and keen to convince him to play for Portugal.
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley is also taking a firm interest.
Mane, who moved to England aged eight, may initially be called for Portugal U21s but could also train with the seniors, with Martinez keen to fast-track him into his squad after the World Cup.
No decision on Mane’s international future has been made, sources have told BBC Sport, with Mane keen to focus on his club form.
He joined Wolves from Rochdale in February 2024 and made his debut under Vitor Pereira in a 2-0 defeat by Brighton in May.
This season Mane has been one of the few bright spots in Wolves‘ wretched campaign after making a first-team breakthrough under Rob Edwards.
Mane has scored twice in 20 games – he became the club’s youngest Premier League goalscorer – but Wolves are bottom of the Premier League and expected to be relegated.
Since making his full debut at Liverpool in December, Mane has started Wolves‘ past 11 league games.
They are 17 points adrift of safety with 10 games left, having won only once, and host Aston Villa on Friday.
Wolves need two points to avoid breaking Derby’s Premier League record low points total of 11 in 2007-08.
