The latest rugby news from around the world

These are your evening rugby headlines on Thursday, February 19.

Six Nations coach ‘disgusted’

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says the racist abuse aimed at lock Edwin Edogbo following his Test debut is “disgusting”, as he backed the 23-year-old to “crack on and ignore all the BS”.

The Munster star was targeted on social media after winning his first cap for his country in their 20-13 Six Nations win over Italy in Dublin last weekend, having come off the replacements’ bench in the 70th minute.

After Edogbo – who was born and raised in County Cork to Nigerian parents – was subjected to racist abuse, the Irish Rugby Football Union has launched an investigation.

Farrell, who on Thursday named his team to face England this weekend, condemned the abuse against his player as he said there is “no need for it in society”.

“First and foremost, it’s all about the player, nothing but about how he is and how it’s affecting him or not,” he told reporters. “We’ve had the conversation and he’s fine, thankfully. But it’s obviously disgusting. There’s no need for it in society.

“I didn’t read it. I don’t want to read it, I don’t want to give people anything to even think that I’m even commenting on some of the stuff that has been said really because they certainly don’t deserve that.

“But as far as I’m concerned, Edwin’s fine, he’s strong, he’s been brought up in the right way,” Farrell added. “We met his family last week, his mother and his two brothers and his sister.

“His father couldn’t make it because he works all hours God sends as an A&E nurse there down in Cork, which says it all. He’s made of the right stuff, and that’s why he’s able to just crack on and ignore all the BS.”

Returning Scotland duo ‘hugely determined’

By Anthony Brown, Press Association

Gregor Townsend expects Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe to be fuelled by “huge determination” against Wales after they were restored to Scotland’s starting XV for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash in Cardiff.

The British and Irish Lions duo were high-profile omissions from the 23 for the first two championship matches against Italy and England amid question marks about their form.

Toulouse back Kinghorn will start at full-back in place of Tom Jordan, who drops to the bench, while Van der Merwe, Scotland’s record try-scorer, returns at wing to take over from Jamie Dobie, who is out due to injury.

“Blair was back playing on Sunday night for Toulouse so it’s good to get an outlet when you’ve not been selected,” said head coach Townsend after naming his squad to face Wales.

“He played really well in that game and he’s recovered quickly after that evening game. Duhan’s trained really well and very much been part of our squad, so there’ll be a freshness around both of them coming back in and huge determination to play well.

“Like any player, you want to be part of the squad and for those players that have been in our squad for a few years, it’ll be tough for them to take.

“But they’ve backed the team and they understand the reasons why we had different selections going into our opening two games. And now they have an opportunity to represent their country again.”

There are three further changes to the Scotland XV that started the 31-20 victory over England last weekend – all of them in the pack.

Dave Cherry replaces George Turner at hooker, with the latter dropping to the bench.

Back-rowers Jamie Ritchie and Jack Dempsey miss out through injury, with Matt Fagerson coming in at number eight and the versatile Gregor Brown, who started in the second row last weekend, moving to blindside flanker. Glasgow lock Max Williamson comes in to take Brown’s place in the second row.

Scotland, who have been training in Spain this week, are hot favourites to defeat an ailing Wales side who have lost heavily to France and England in their opening two matches.

“I’m sure last week a lot of people thought England were clear favourites (against Scotland), so the game is not about predictions and previous form,” said Townsend. “It’s a lot about what you do in those 80 minutes, and we’ve got to make sure that we get our game out.”

Dropped star ‘will bounce back’

By Edward Elliot, Press Association

Ireland boss Andy Farrell backed Sam Prendergast to bounce back from being dropped as he admitted neither of his leading fly-halves were in particularly good form ahead of the Guinness Six Nations.

Prendergast has been left out of the matchday squad for Saturday’s round-three clash away to England following a tough outing in last weekend’s tense 20-13 win over Italy.

Jack Crowley will start at Twickenham after his impressive cameo against the Azzurri, with Ciaran Frawley providing back-up from the bench. Prendergast, 23, began six of Ireland’s last seven Six Nations fixtures and has been overlooked for a matchday 23 in the championship for the first time.

“Sam’s a fantastic international player,” head coach Farrell told a press conference, according to the Irish Independent. “He’s on a journey that’s obviously learning like all of us. That will never stop. It’s the same for Ciaran Frawley.

“We’ve talked all along about the four lads (Crowley, Prendergast, Frawley and Harry Byrne) competing against one another and the balance is right for this team this weekend. Everyone gets feedback and we talk it through and we use it in the right manner to see where we’re going to go in the not too distant future.

“I think the two lads (Prendergast and Crowley) probably came into camp, I think they’ve probably been in better form. I’m not saying they were in bad form, but you see during training which way that you’re going to go through performance.”

Crowley played every minute of Ireland’s triumphant 2024 Six Nations campaign but his only start in the tournament following Prendergast’s Test debut in November of that year came away to Italy last March.

The 26-year-old will partner recalled scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park as part of five personnel changes, with prop Tadhg Furlong and back-rows Tadhg Beirne and Josh van der Flier also returning.

Asked why he opted for Crowley, Farrell said: “Because of what we’ve seen and how he’s come through and performed and playing confidently. You back what you see and all of that.

“I suppose sometimes you see people come from the back, have nothing to lose and then just rip in. And we’ve not just seen that with Jack, we’ve seen it with James Ryan – not selected to start in the first game, came on against France (a 36-14 loss) and had a storming game and has continued that.

“I saw that with James as well with the (British and Irish) Lions, when he was behind the eight ball there with a quad injury and he was chasing his tail to try and get into the squad and played his best rugby within that tour.

“That’s because people are able to sit back a bit, make sense of it and rip into the performance. I think you saw that with Jack’s performance last week.”

Versatile Frawley is poised to win his first international cap – and 10th overall – since coming on at centre in last summer’s 106-7 demolition of Portugal.

“He’s 100 per cent excited,” Farrell said of the 28-year-old. “He’s been certainly frustrated with the lack of game time, certainly in the autumn. From what we’ve seen in training, how sharp he is and how eager he is to get going and the balance that he gives us on the bench, he’ll be ready to go.”

As the 21st century dawned, a newly elected Vladmir Putin was making friends on the world stage. He smiled for photo ops at G8 meetings, and was the first foreign leader to call George W. Bush after the attacks of 9/11, offering his support against terrorism.

So what changed? To understand Russia’s view of the world now – and its continued aggression towards Ukraine – it helps to know more about the psyche of the country and its leader.

In today’s episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we talk to James Rodgers, a reader in international journalism at City St George’s, University of London, about how a festering sense of national humiliation after the collapse of the Soviet Union hardened Putin’s tough man regime and led Russia to turn its back on the west.

In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, many in the west believed liberal democracy and free markets had won in Russia. The cold war was over and Russia would join the community of democratic nations. But that’s not what happened.  Instead, Russians experienced economic freefall, large-scale poverty and a sense of national humiliation.

“People felt this great loss of status,” says Rodgers, who has just written a new book called The Return of Russia about why it came into confrontation with the west.

“With the coming of new western ideas of the free market, a lot of people lost their jobs and the status that went with them,” says Rodgers. “Russia also lost the standing on the world stage that the Soviet Union had enjoyed.”

Putin became president on the eve of the new millennium. Rodgers says, Putin had not forgotten the economic pain and humiliation of the 1990s, and understood its importance to his constituency in Russia. “He understood the political potential of that humiliation in a way that I think some western policymakers did not understand the possible political consequences of it.”

Soon after, the 9/11 attacks in 2001 pushed the US to war in the Middle East. Whatever support Putin had pledged western governments began to crumble, particularly over the invasion of Iraq. Through interviews with former top western officials, Rodgers pinpoints that Russian foreign intelligence knew Iraq’s leader Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction, and they were certain that the CIA and other western intelligence agencies knew that.

“Russia determined that the west was acting in bad faith about the reason that they’d given for going to war in Iraq, and this was actually about regime change and not at all about weapons of mass destruction,” says Rodgers. He says the invasion made Putin deeply suspicious of western motives in foreign relations, who began to think: “If they can do this to Saddam Hussein, then maybe one day the west will try to decide to do it for me.”

Listen to the interview with James Rodgers on The Conversation Weekly podcast. This episode was written and produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware with editing help from Ashlynne McGhee. Mixing by Eleanor Brezzi and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Gemma Ware is the executive producer.

Newsclips in this episode from BBC News, AP Archive, ABC News, C-Span, CNN, The Phoenix ReNasCor, DW News and
Voice of America.

Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.

A toxic gas leak at a mine in Nigeria has killed 37 people and left 26 injured in hospital. 

Poisonous lead, sulphur and carbon monoxide was suddenly discharged into the shaft, killing nearly 40 miners working underground.

They were said to have not realised they were breathing in deadly fumes until they started to become unwell, according to the Nigerian government.

The victims were taken ill in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Kampani Zurak, a police spokesman said.

Alfred Alabo said: “A preliminary investigation revealed that the miners faced a sudden discharge of lead oxide and other associated gases like sulphur and carbon monoxide.

“These gases are toxic and poisonous to humans, particularly in a confined or poorly ventilated environment.”

He added that the bodies of the deceased had been released to their families for burial in accordance with their religious practices.

The Nigerian government has closed the mining site and an investigation into the leak is continuing.

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The miners were unaware of the toxic nature of the emissions and continued their operations, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake said.

It’s not clear what was being mined at the site and whether the mine was operating legally.

Nigeria is trying to rein in illegal gold mining operations across the country that have killed hundreds of people over the years.

During freezing winter weather, it’s all too easy to twist the thermostat up a notch (or three). But while it may end with a toasty home, it can also result in an energy bill that leaves you questioning every degree of comfort. In some cases, a decent electric heater is the smarter move, as it warms the space you’re in, rather than empty rooms.

Luckily, there’s a heater for every budget, from basic VonHaus models to high-end technology from Dyson that doubles as a fan and comes with app connectivity. The best designs warm up chilly rooms quickly, feature adjustable thermostats and timers, and operate quietly enough to avoid disturbing you. Look for integrated safety features, and watch out for power-hungry models that may be costly to run.

To help you choose, we’ve found the best electric heaters, covering every price point and size. We tested 16 models in total, with 12 reviewed below, plus answers to frequently asked questions.

The best electric heaters in 2026: At a glance

How to choose the best electric heater

Picking an electric heater isn’t just about grabbing the cheapest one on the shelf. For starters, there are several types to choose from. Brian Horne, technical knowledge lead at Energy Saving Trust, says: “Oil-filled, convector, halogen and fan electric heaters are equally efficient, but they distribute heat differently.”

Consider your room size when choosing between them. Horne says: “Oil-filled heaters heat up and cool down slowly, so are best for providing low level heat for an extended period.” This also makes them well suited to living rooms as they can distribute heat across a bigger area. Similarly, “convector heaters warm the air which then circulates around the room, making them effective for heating the whole space”.

For smaller spaces, Horne recommends fan or halogen heaters: “Fan heaters blow hot air directly at you, offering a quick burst of warmth when needed. Halogen heaters emit radiant heat that warms only what’s in front of them, so are best for keeping you warm without heating the rest of the room.”

Power output, measured in Watts, determines how quickly a heater can warm a space and running costs (higher Watts mean faster heating and higher electricity consumption). Charlotte Friel, director at Ofcom, says: “Using heaters all the time can quite quickly increase energy bills, so if possible, use them for short bursts or to heat one room and not as an alternative to central heating.”

Adjustable thermostats and timers help prevent energy waste once the room reaches temperature, while tip-over and overheat protection are must-haves for homes with pets or children. And don’t forget noise levels, as some heaters hum quietly in the background, others sound like a jet engine.

“If you need to use an electric heater, choose the type that best suits what you want to heat and for how long. Position the heater in the part of the room you want to warm, keeping it at a safe distance from yourself and any furniture,” concludes Horne. “Remember to always follow the safety instructions that come with the product.”

Marcus Rashford looks set to join Barcelona on a permanent deal this summer after his loan spell from Manchester United though his game time may not be guaranteed

Marcus Rashford could be battling for game time next season if Barcelona make his loan switch permanent, given their search for a ‘mobile striker’ should Robert Lewandowski depart. The Manchester United star is currently enjoying a season-long stint with the Catalan giants under Hansi Flick.

Although Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are all established first-team regulars at the Camp Nou and take precedence over Rashford, the 28-year-old has still racked up 10 goals and 13 assists from 34 outings across all competitions. Barcelona also possesses an option to sign Rashford permanently at the end of the 2025/26 campaign for approximately £26million – a clause they appear increasingly likely to trigger given his reliable displays.

However, the versatile forward could also encounter more competition for playing time with the La Liga heavyweights next season should he complete a transfer. At 37 and with his deal running out at the end of the current campaign, Lewandowski’s future with Barcelona has come under scrutiny.

This is despite the Polish striker demonstrating he’s still got plenty to offer with 10 La Liga goals to his name this term. Consequently, Sport reports that the club are preparing to explore the market this summer for a mobile striker who can combine effectively with team-mates in attack and apply pressure when Barca are out of possession.

READ MORE: Barcelona release fresh Marcus Rashford statement as Man Utd get update on transfer impact

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Dusan Vlahovic has surfaced as a possible option for the position, given he ticks all the boxes and his Juventus contract expires at the end of the Serie A campaign, meaning a financially cautious Barcelona wouldn’t need to fork out a substantial fee for him. Tuttosport also report that Vlahovic has informed his agent that his preference is to join Barcelona, though he’s awaiting an official approach from the club.

Should no offer materialise, the 26-year-old is also said to be willing to negotiate fresh terms with the Old Lady. This could ultimately create complications for Rashford, though, as the forward has demonstrated his adaptability by operating as a central striker beyond his preferred left-wing position.

With two-and-a-half years remaining on his existing United deal, his long-term prospects at the club remain uncertain. The England international lost his place under Ruben Amorim shortly after his arrival in November 2024, spending the final months of last season on loan at Aston Villa.

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Still considered expendable by the Portuguese manager upon his return, Rashford subsequently moved to Barcelona on a temporary basis in the summer. However, with Amorim having been shown the door at Old Trafford and Michael Carrick now in charge until the end of the season, the door could be open for Rashford to return to the club he has devoted his entire career to should he wish to.

Much will hinge on whether Barcelona make his loan move permanent, what Carrick thinks of the forward should he be handed the role on a full-time basis, or whether an incoming manager arrives who sees Rashford fitting into his plans.

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The actress says that living in Pontypridd keeps her grounded as “nobody cared”

When it comes to Welsh actors, we can’t help being proud of one of our own and celebrate every role and on-screen appearance. However, there’s one thing the Welsh do well and that is keep people humble.

That was the case for Kimberley Nixon, who is best known for starring as Josie in the comedy sitcom Fresh Meat, as well as numerous early 2000s coming of age movies, and more recently the Sky series Under Salt Marsh. You can read more about the true story behind the TV show here.

The actress from Pontypridd said that even when she was appearing in major motion pictures, the local community kept her grounded as “nobody cared” and she hardly ever gets recognised.

Speaking to Bronwen Lewis on BBC Radio Wales, the actress shared an anecdote of when she worked with Colin Firth on the movie Easy Virtue.

Kimberley explained that she wasn’t sure how to become an actress when she was from a small town in Wales. She said: “You know, I grew up in Ynysybwl just outside Pontypridd. How do I get into those rooms in London and beyond to make that a reality?”

The host replied: “I bet there’s so many kids out there, you know, listeners thinking, ‘oh, you know, yeah, my kid or I want to be an actor and it is having to get used to rejection’. But do you think that having Pontypridd as that base then has almost, that is your grounding, that’s your rooting and whatever happens I’m going back to a family and a place that loves me.”

The actress replied: “That’s exactly what it is, because there were two things. One, in the olden days, I used to travel on the train to London, go and do an audition. It could go brilliantly, it could go terribly, and there were a lot of those, really, really badly.

“Then I would get back on the train, come home to Ponty, and my life here had nothing to do with that. My value wasn’t placed on whether I got that job or not. You know, which was incredible.

“The other thing, I was shooting a film called Easy Virtue with Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas through the week, and then I would come home for the weekend, and I remember being in Ponty in the Opticians on a Saturday, and they were like, ‘oh, are you filming with that Colin Firth?’ And I was like, ‘sort of, yeah’. But mainly, nobody cared. Nobody.”

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Bronwen responded: “Oh, it’s refreshing, isn’t it?”

Kimberley continued: “I never get recognised in Ponty, hardly ever. People go, ‘what’d you do?’ And you go, ‘you know, an actress’,

“The say ‘what were you in?’ And you say, and they go, ‘all right, okay.’ They’re just not interested, but in a wonderful way.”

Bronwen added: “Because they’re interested in who you are as a person.”

The actress said: “Exactly that. I think what helped me stay who I am is that I’ve lived in Pontypridd the entire time.”

Kimberley currently stars in Sky’s Under Salt March as Shell Hill, the mother of nine-year-old Cefin who was found dead by his teacher (played by Yellowstone’s Kelly Reilly).

The series follows the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen, as they not only deal with the tragic death of one of their own, but the community faces an impending storm which threatens the residents with dangerous flooding.

You can watch Under Salt Marsh on Sky Atlantic, Sky on demand or Now TV. If you haven’t already signed up for Sky, you can do so here.

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A new Switch 2 Edition game has just been announced, available as a full game or an inexpensive upgrade from the Switch 1.

There have been two Nintendo Directs this year so far, but neither had any updates on Nintendo’s actual video game plans for 2026. The first was just a trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the second was only for Tomodachi Life: Living The Dreamm and the third covered third party games from other studios like Bethesda.

A first party showcase is sure to drop sooner rather than later, but if there’s one thing that won’t be unveiled during it, it’s a Nintendo Switch 2 port of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition.

That’s because it was just unveiled out of nowhere earlier today and is available for purchase right now, albeit only digitally.

This isn’t one of those simple free updates either, but a full-on upgrade, which means even if you already own the Switch 1 version, you need to pay for it.

The upgrade costs £4.19, making it one of the cheaper upgrade packs alongside Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ Switch 2 version, which launched last month.

If you don’t own the original game, it’s also available as a separate digital purchase of £54.99, with a physical version releasing on April 16. However, it doesn’t appear to include any new content.

Both Nintendo’s announcement and its eShop listing only mention improved resolutions up to 4K in TV mode and improved performance upwards of 60 frames per second.

This is likely why the price for upgrading isn’t as high as other Switch 2 upgrade packs, like the ones for Super Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby And The Forgotten Land.

On one hand, this news isn’t super surprising as fans already suspected that Xenoblade Chronicles X would see a Switch 2 port as early as last March, after a hidden 60fps mode was found in the game’s executable file.

That said, it is a bit strange that Nintendo would just announce and release it with zero build-up, but the game’s Switch 1 version was also randomly revealed with a surprise trailer, so Nintendo is being consistent.

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What is definitely odd is that Nintendo would prioritise a Switch 2 port of the Xenoblade spin-off rather than any of the mainline numbered games. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 did receive a free update (which made ‘several adjustments’ to the gameplay), but none of them have dedicated Switch 2 upgrades that boost their performance.

It’s unclear if Nintendo plans on further Xenoblade upgrades, although some fans believe developer Monolith Soft teased one for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 via social media last year.

Speaking of Xenoblade, earlier this month the fanbase went into a tizzy when it was alleged that voice actress Caitlin Thorburn, who voiced the character KOS-MOS in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, had updated her profile on casting website Spotlight to mention she had reprised the role for a Xenoblade Chronicles game out in 2026.

A screenshot of this was shared to Famiboards and quickly spread among the Xenoblade community, sparking theories of either a brand new game or a Switch 2 re-release of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It doesn’t have anything to do with Xenoblade Chronicles X, though, since KOS-MOS doesn’t appear in that game and nor does Thorburn provide any voicework.

Assuming another Xenoblade game is being planned for 2026, it might be revealed in the next Nintendo Direct, which is likely to take place in March or April.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently claimed that the UK had been ‘colonised by immigrants’, and although he apologised for his comments, the Manchester United part-owner continues to receive backlash

Manchester United fear missing out on millions in new sponsorship deals in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial comments about immigration in the UK. United are still without a training kit partner, while the club’s shirt sleeve sponsor deal will expire this summer.

And United’s owners the Glazers have raised concerns to senior figures about the club’s chances of securing new partners, after its image and reputation took a huge hit following Ratcliffe’s recent interview. The co-owner apologised to the Glazers after sparking outrage when he claimed immigrants had ‘colonised’ the UK.

The backlash has been immense, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer demanding the billionaire apologise – which he did. The FA are still examining the comments and could decide to launch a full-scale investigation.

The Glazers regard United’s commercial value as one of the main reasons the Floridians have never agreed to sell their stake in the club. And the Americans are now worried about the impact Ratcliffe’s comments will have on the club’s chances of securing lucrative new deals moving forward.

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READ MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe apologises to Glazers over immigration comments as Man Utd concerns mountREAD MORE: Man Utd rage at Marcus Rashford mistake as they think £50m transfer now possible

The Glazers know bluechip companies only want to be associated with forward-thinking and progressive clubs. While the situation could be made even worse if United fail to secure Champions League qualification this season.

The situation will pile even more pressure on interim boss Michael Carrick to secure a top-four finish. Carrick, who is unbeaten in five games since taking charge, will take his side to face Everton on Monday night.

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And he is preparing to face a grilling about Ratcliffe’s comments – and the club’s response to them – when he faces the media on Friday lunchtime.

It’s understood United’s communications team has briefed Carrick on what to expect and how to deal with questions about Ratcliffe, in the hope of not making the situation worse.

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