EA FC is one of the most popular video game series in the world, and reliably tops the UK charts each year. And as the trailer for the latest instalment of the annual football simulator dropped this week, one new addition drew a lot of attention. Previously, the game had been marked as 3+, meaning its content was considered suitable for most players. But last month the scope of those age ratings expanded to cover elements of the online experience including in-game purchases and mechanisms designed to encourage repeat play. In the case of EA FC, one of its most popular features has come under the new rules.

Yemen's Houthi fighters claim to have attacked shipping in the Red Sea - a move that threatens to further escalate the already volatile situation in the Middle East. By forcing ships to turn back from the narrow Bab El Mandeb strait, they have threatened to choke off the main maritime route from Europe to Asia. It comes as US-Iran strikes continue and while a deal to develop Saudi Arabia's nuclear industry prompts fears of an arms race. So is the Middle East becoming more dangerous? So far, 2026 is sadly proving to be one of the more violent years for parts of the Middle East. For 12 consecutive nights, US Central Command (Centcom) has carried out air strikes on Iranian coastal radar, drone and missile bases.

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Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has provided targeting and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region. WASHINGTON/RIYADH - Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Persian Gulf have prompted U.S. intelligence analysts to investigate whether Russia assisted by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, said four people familiar with U.S. intelligence. These people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters, said U.S. intelligence officials have not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. But they cited the strikes' effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia's broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence. It has been previously reported -- and U.S. officials have acknowledged -- that Russia has provided targeting and other support for Iran in its strikes on U.S. targets in the Gulf region generally, but the intelligence community's investigation of possible Russian involvement in supporting the CIA facility attacks has not been previously disclosed. At least two CIA sites were struck in March, it has been reported.

More than 1.5m foreign pilgrims begin Hajj despite Iran war fears Muslims have begun the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia against the backdrop of a region deeply shaken by the Iran war. Saudi authorities said last week that some 1.51 million pilgrims had arrived from outside the kingdom. That is 11,000 more than last year, despite concerns in the region about a resumption of the three-month-old conflict between the US, Israel and Iran. Before a fragile ceasefire took effect last month, Iran launched waves of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbours in retaliation for US and Israeli air strikes. Two civilians living in the central city of al-Kharj were killed in an Iranian attack on 8 March, along with a US service member stationed at the nearby Prince Sultan Air Base.

How Saudi Arabia's spending spree reached the end of the line Autocratic monarchs once left an echo of their glory in the ruins of the megaprojects they commanded at the peak of their unchallenged power. Those monumental physical traces are to be found in the fertile plains, mountainsides and deserts of the Middle East. But one of their most prominent modern counterparts may only have a digital footprint to leave behind for some of his most ambitious concepts. A decade ago, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman - or MBS as he is widely known - decreed a revisioning of his country that leapt from the realm of science fiction. It was called Vision 2030. Extraordinary monolithic structures were to help bring forth new technological marvels not just for the Kingdom but for the world.

The Iran war has strengthened Ukraine in surprising ways. Could a ceasefire with Russia be closer? When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, serious-faced and clad in black, strolled down a lilac carpet in Saudi Arabia in March, it marked a moment in the US-Israeli war in Iran. In a post on X, he said his visit was to strengthen the protection of lives. Zelensky, who carries the weight of Ukraine's own war with Russia on his shoulders, has been seizing the moment, flying to the Gulf to publicly showcase the international value and marketability of Kyiv's learned-on-the-battlefield military nous in drone warfare. Ukraine says it has now signed deals with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar - all hit by Iranian missiles and drones in recent weeks - to share drone expertise and technology, tightening alliances and benefitting from business - and it hopes defence deals - with wealthy US-allied countries.

At least seven people were killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine overnight, including five in the central city of Dnipro, where officials said an apartment building was hit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest attack lasted practically all night, while rescue workers were still searching for survivors under rubble in Dnipro on Saturday morning. British jets were scrambled from Romania during the heavy attack when Russian drones were detected near the border, though the UK Ministry of Defence rejected a report it had shot some down. Meanwhile, Ukraine carried out some of its longest-distance drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. In Yekaterinburg, almost 1,000 miles (1,600km) from Ukraine's border, the governor said six people were injured when a building was struck - while in nearby Chelyabinsk, a local leader said drones targeting an industrial facility were shot down.

Iran war: What is happening on day 19 of US-Israel attacks? Iran has pledged "revenge" after Israeli strikes killed security chief Ali Larijani and commander of Basij paramilitary forces Gholamreza Soleimani, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran's political system remains strong as the war entered its 19th day . Iran launched more attacks on Israel, causing extensive property damage, after an earlier strike killed two people in Ramat Gan. Political tensions are also rising in the United States, as senior counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigned, saying "we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby". Meanwhile, President Donald Trump criticised NATO allies and partners for failing to provide stronger military support in efforts to end Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Could Iran be using China's BeiDou system? Iran has pressed on with sustained missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region, despite repeated protests from its neighbours, in ongoing retaliation in the war launched by the United States and Israel . Tehran's strikes targeted multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, late on Friday and in the early hours of Saturday. The ministry also said late on Friday that the country's armed forces intercepted a ballistic missile launched towards the al-Kharj governorate. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Saturday that five US Air Force refuelling planes were damaged in recent days while on the ground at an airbase in Saudi Arabia. According to the WSJ, quoting unnamed US officials, the aircraft were damaged in an Iranian attack.