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When United World, the company through which Prince Abdullah owned the club, sold to CSBL the story did not end there.

The Blades were deducted two points in the 2024-25 Championship season because of missed transfer payments under Prince Abdullah in the 2022-23 campaign.

CSBL made an initial payment upon close of sale, but the first instalment - due last year - was late and paid only after a statutory demand, and sent on the deadline.

This High Court date comes down to another £35m payment, a debt which the new owners have not denied is outstanding.

Here is where matters become complicated for the English Football League (EFL) and its regulations.

In June, the shares in the club were transferred from CSBL into a new US-based company, 1919 Partners LLC, which became the "parent company of Sheffield United", external.

In effect, CSBL no longer has any say in the running of the South Yorkshire club.

But even though Wednesday's court case is against CSBL, there is still a link to the Blades.

CSBL is led by businessmen Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, who remain on Sheffield United's board as co-chairmen through 1919 Partners LLC.

On Monday, United World issued a statement in which it claimed the creation of 1919 Partners LLC was "an attempt to avoid paying CSBL's creditors".

It added that since the winding-up order was issued no offer has been made to settle the debt and that Rosen and Eltoukhy are "trying to take the club without paying for it".

Sources close to the Sheffield United ownership then issued a statement which did not directly address the accusations.

"We are disappointed Prince Abdullah is trying to hurt the club and its supporters with publicity stunts," it read.

"The deal between sophisticated parties in 2024 was well-advised by his financial advisors.

"Sheffield United is financially healthy, unlike under Prince Abdullah when the club incurred a points deduction for missing payments to football creditors.

"Nonetheless, Helmy Eltoukhy and Steven Rosen invited Abdullah to reinvest in the club and join the ownership of Sheffield United and to help use his skills to support our promotion efforts.

"Helmy and Steve are focused on the sustainability of the club and the season ahead."

United World responded on Tuesday, adding in a statement that "sophisticated and well-advised parties pay the price they agreed".

"An offer of shares in the company that was sold, instead of the money owed for it, was not part of the agreed deal and is not payment," it added.

"If Sheffield United is as financially healthy as its owners claim, and the owners themselves have the means they are widely reported to have, then the money can be paid.

"Paying it would answer all questions about the club's situation at once. Instead, the owners are running a club they have not paid for and the club's financial health, such as it is, is the result of the owners' scheme to avoid paying for the club."

Neither the EFL nor the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has commented on the share transfer to 1919 Partners LLC.

When approached by the BBC, the IFR confirmed it was in contact to gain more information about the events.

"We are aware of the winding-up petition in relation to COH Sports Bidco," the IFR said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We are engaging with the club and relevant organisations on this issue, but we cannot comment further at this stage."

Unlike when a club goes into administration, a 'group undertaking' - a company rather than a club - suffering an insolvency event is a more nuanced situation.

The regulations direct the EFL board to take into account a number of factors, including "the need to protect the integrity and continuity of the competition" and "the reputation of the league".

If the High Court chooses to wind up CSBL, then it does present a clear question for the EFL.

A club's owners could be considered to have moved shares into a new company to leave a sizeable purchase debt in the previous company, and effectively write it off.

That alone could be considered a breach and result in sanctions from the EFL, and the board could choose to impose a 12-point deduction for an insolvency event.

Though not a direct comparison, in 2009 Southampton were docked 10 points by the EFL after their parent company went into administration.

An investigation found the football club and the parent company were "inextricably linked as one economic entity", and applied their mandatory penalty.

"As the former owners of SUFC, United World does not want to see SUFC facing months of uncertainty that will follow the winding-up order being granted on 19 August," the statement from the former owners added.

"But in the absence of Eltoukhy and Rosen, both billionaires, agreeing to pay what they owe, we have no alternative but to take all legal steps to protect our interests."

The next step is the High Court on Wednesday.

If there is no compromise before then, or if the winding-up order is issued, this story has a lot further to run. %!s()

At least 133 operations were conducted against “the capabilities and elements of the terrorist Houthi militia”, with the participation of army units stationed along front-line positions, Yemen army spokesperson Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili posted on X on Tuesday.

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The latest offensive by the Saudi-backed government came after Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed an attack on “a Saudi-led coalition landing ship and four accompanying warships” near the Yemeni port city of al-Makha (Mocha), located in Taiz province.

In recent weeks, fighting has erupted across multiple fronts, with clashes reported in several provinces – including Marib, al-Jawf, Hadramout, Hodeidah, Taiz, al-Dhale and Lahj. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control vast swaths of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, have also launched strikes beyond the country’s borders, targeting Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping.

An informal, years-long period of calm that began with a temporary United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 has come to an end, as the Arab region’s most impoverished nation teeters on the edge of yet another bout of civil war.

What caused the fighting?

The eruption of fighting is linked to local as well as regional developments.

In late June, as regional tensions rose due to the United States-Iran war, both Yemen’s internationally recognised government and its opponent, the Houthi armed group, began mobilising some of their fighters.

Then in July, a strike claimed by the Yemeni government on Sanaa airport – in an effort to stop a plane from Iran landing – led the Houthis to declare a naval blockade of the kingdom and initiate a general mobilisation. This was followed by an escalation in attacks on Red Sea shipping and strikes on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities.

The government forces launched a preemptive operation on August 6 against what they called Houthi weapons-smuggling routes. The heaviest Houthi bombardment in years followed, with a chain of escalations afterwards.

Who’s fighting whom?

Ali al-Dhahab, an expert in military and strategic affairs, told Al Jazeera that the Houthis are backed by Iran and by allied groups including Hezbollah, Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces factions and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Their support ranges from weapons and training to intelligence, he said.

Facing off against them is Yemen’s internationally-recognised government, comprising an alliance of armed factions opposed to Houthi control and backed by a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states.

Al-Dhahab said the factions have moved closer to integration under Yemen’s Ministry of Defence. They include the Joint Forces on the western coast, Nation’s Shield Forces, Emergency Forces and the Southern Giants Brigade.

Where is fighting occurring?

Fighting has occurred on a number of fronts simultaneously. They include:

Marib and Hadramout

In Marib, which is largely held by government forces, the line of contact forms an arc stretching from the northwest to the southeast of the province, with clashes on fronts all across the line.

Houthi missiles and drones have also struck deep inside the province, including hits on Marib city and several displacement camps. The province hosts more than two million displaced people.

The most intense Houthi strike came on August 6, when a number of missiles and drones targeted government military camps in al-Ruwaik and al-Thaniyah in Marib and al-Abr in Hadramout, killing and injuring dozens.

For more than a week, Houthis have continued intermittent attacks on positions inside government-controlled areas of Marib and Hadramout.

Al-Jawf

Al-Jawf forms part of a desert belt extending between Marib and the border with Saudi Arabia in the north. The area has witnessed repeated Houthi attempts to penetrate army lines, which government forces have repelled.

Taiz and Hodeidah

In the contested Taiz province, on the Bab al-Mandeb strait, government forces hold Taiz city while the Houthis control the areas surrounding it to the north. Intermittent artillery and machinegun clashes have occurred across the front line.

Since August 9, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted the port city of al-Makha with missiles and drones. At least seven people were killed and 35 others injured in an August 9 attack.

In Hodeidah, which is largely under Houthi control, fighting has concentrated near the southwestern cities of Hays and al-Khawkhah, which are government-held.

On August 8, government forces carried out a dawn attack on Houthi command centres and fortifications in contested southern Hodeidah. Intermittent strikes and clashes between the two sides continue in the area.

Al-Dhale and Lahj

The contested province of al-Dhale, bordering the Houthi-controlled Ibb, is witnessing direct ground clashes.

A tense situation persists around areas of northern Lahj, where the Houthi presence extends into the largely government-controlled province.

What has changed on the battlefield?

Brigadier General Abdul Rahman al-Rubaie, a researcher in military and strategic affairs, believes that the outbreak of fighting on multiple fronts reflects a change in strategy by pro-government forces, which now “treat any Houthi attack on any front as an attack on the entire national body”.

He said it’s a consequence of the restructuring of the forces aligned with the government, working through joint operations rooms that encircle the Houthis from four directions, rather than an attempt to redraw zones of influence.

Al-Dhahab said pro-government forces have switched from a defensive posture to simultaneous preemptive strikes, and that the tactic itself is not new, but the years-long truce “kept it out of the media spotlight for a long time”.

What do the Houthis say?

Hamid Asim, deputy governor of Sanaa in the Houthi administration, told Al Jazeera that the escalation is meant “to prevent the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia”.

He accused Riyadh of starting the escalation by bombing Sanaa airport, preventing ailing civilians from travelling abroad for treatment. He also accused Riyadh of massing fighters, vehicles and weapons on the outskirts of the capital, Sanaa.

“Are we supposed to wait until these people reach Sanaa to fight us?” he asked. “We will prevail, God willing, because we are defending ourselves.”

Riyadh has denied Houthi accusations and says it will continue to back Yemen’s government through the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, which has operated since 2015.

What happens next?

Analysts who spoke to Al Jazeera are divided over what comes next.

Al-Dhahab says a full-scale confrontation is unlikely soon, arguing that regional conditions do not yet afford the government and its coalition backers a decisive battle with “guaranteed results”.

He added the Houthis are trying to “hasten” a battle they know is unavoidable, making a large-scale confrontation possible before the year’s end.

Al-Rubaie, on the other hand, says the balance has tilted towards the government, and that a decisive outcome would come through a Yemeni decision backed by regional and international support. %!s()

They consist of the best-placed finishers across Europe's top-ranked leagues from the 2025-26 season. The best-placed teams from the lower-ranked European nations entered qualifying rounds.

Qualifying consists of four rounds, with the last of those four rounds taking place across this week and next week.

Five of the seven remaining places are between teams in the champions path, consisting of sides who won their respective league title from lower-ranked nations.

The other two places will came from the league path which is contested by teams who did not win their league titles last season, but did still earn a place to reach the qualifying rounds.

A total of five English clubs qualified. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool qualified for finishing in the Premier League's top five, while Aston Villa earned their spot for winning last season's Europa League.

Spain also have five teams in the league phase. They will be represented by Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis.

Traditionally, England is awarded four places in the Champions League. But strong performances in Uefa club competitions last season mean that they and Spain were each given one of two Elite Performance Spots (EPS), resulting in Liverpool and Real Betis qualifying.

Italy and Germany have four representatives each. Inter Milan, Napoli, Roma and Como will be joined by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Stuttgart.

France have three direct qualification spots. Lens and Lille qualified by finishing in second and third respectively.

Paris St-Germain won the Ligue 1 title. However, because they won last season's Champions League, they took the place allocated to the defending champions. Shakhtar Donetsk, the winner of last season's Ukrainian top-flight, were handed direct qualification in place of PSG's spot for winning Ligue 1.

Because Aston Villa both finished in the Premier League's top five and won the Europa League, their league spot was surrendered and Liga Portugal runners up Sporting.

The other teams to have already qualified are PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Porto, Club Brugge, Slavia Prague and Galatasaray.

Two places for this season's Champions League league phase go to the winners of last season's Champions League and Europa League.

Following that, to determine how many places each nation gets, Uefa uses its association rankings from the five-year period ending two seasons prior to that campaign.

For example, for the 2026-27 season, places are used based on Uefa rankings between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 seasons.

With England, Italy, Spain and Germany ranked first to fourth respectively, the top four teams in their leagues qualify straight to the league path.

From France, which ranks fifth, the top three teams in Ligue 1 directly qualify. Fourth place will also earn a spot in the third qualifying round of the competition.

The Netherlands is ranked sixth and is awarded spots for the top two Eredivisie sides, with the third-placed domestic side entering the third qualifying round.

Portugal, Belgium, Czech Republic and Turkey, ranked seventh to 10th in order, are given two places each. The league winners from all four countries get a spot in the league phase. The league runners-up in Portugal, Belgium and the Czech Republic all get a place in the third qualifying round, while Turkey are given an extra team in the second qualifying round.

Norway, Greece, Austria and Scotland are the nations ranked 11th to 14th. The winners of each league get a place in the play-off qualifying round, effectively the fourth and final round of qualifying. All four countries also get a second place in the second qualifying round.

Poland, ranked 15th, will have its top two clubs enter in the second qualifying round. All other nations only get one team each, all of which will enter in either of the first two rounds of qualifying.

Through qualifying, seven spots in the league phase are available. Teams are split into the 'champions path' and the 'league path'.

Champions path clubs, who are league winners from nations outside the top 10 during the qualifying period, will compete for five spots.

The other two spots go to league path clubs, a separate qualifying route for clubs from nations given multiple qualifying spots without winning their domestic league.

The EPS spots for this season went to teams from England and Spain.

The winners of this season's Champions League - Paris St-Germain - have already qualified for next season's competition because of performances in their domestic league.

Uefa has awarded the spot set aside for the holders to the league winner that has yet to directly qualify for the Champions League with the highest club coefficient ranking over a five-year period ending this season.

This spot was won by Shakhtar.

Like in the Champions League, this season's Europa League winners Villa had already qualified for this season's competition prior to beating Freiburg in the final.

Because of England's EPS and Villa not finishing outside of the top five, England only got five qualification places instead of six.

As they finished in the top four, they surrender their Europa League title-winner spot to the best-ranked team in Uefa's club coefficient rankings to only reach the qualifying rounds.

In that scenario, Portuguese side Sporting will move up from the league path of the third qualifying round to the league phase. %!s()

Walter bought his share from the Buss family last year for about $10bn (£7.45bn) in a deal that ensured Jeanie remained as governor until 2030.

The Buss family, who have been either a primary or minority owner of the Lakers since 1979, released a statement on Monday saying they had voted to sell their remaining 17.8% stake to the incoming owners.

"We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction," the statement read.

"We love the Lakers, Lakers fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can."

However, Jeanie's lawyer has now said she plans to fight her siblings' plan to sell.

The Buss family trust comprises of Jerry Buss' six children, with Jeanie serving as the governor of the Lakers since her father's death in 2013.

Jeanie's lawyer Adam Streisand said in a letter to her five siblings that any vote for a sale "would be and is void" because her approval as one of three co-trustees, along with siblings Joey and Janie Buss, is needed for such a move.

"Co-trustees are bound to vote to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain controlling owner," the letter said, according to ESPN, external.

"Any attempt by the co-trustees to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.

"On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed 'vote' to sell the 17.8% stake." %!s()

Bangladesh's first-ever Test win in Australia put pressure on the national cricket selectors for an overhaul of their aging line-up, with Weatherald replaced by Matt Renshaw in a bid to stabilise the top order.

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Weatherald was out for 23 in the first innings and did not score in the second innings of his hometown Test, leaving him averaging 20.36 in his 12 Test innings, with Renshaw a likely contender to replace him to open with Travis Head.

"There was some change to Jake in terms of where he lined up and his movement patterns," coach Andrew McDonald said of Weatherald. "It's always hard to critique small sample sizes on whether it holds up [at international level].

"He dragged one on and drove at one in the first innings and was dismissed; it's probably harder with that smaller sample size to say, 'Yep, that's going to hold up under pressure'. But there was some change though."

Renshaw made his debut in 2016 and played 11 Tests before being dropped in 2018, then was recalled in 2023 for three Tests, but has only played in the shorter formats for Australia since.

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He averages 29.31 with one century in 14 Tests although he impressed for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield last season, scoring three centuries among his 499 runs from six matches.

Marnus Labuschagne, who scored one and 31, was retained in the squad despite averaging 25.23 from his last 42 Test innings and not making an international century in nearly three years.

"It's easy for me to sit here and try to defend that [Labuschagne's form]," McDonald added. "But ultimately, it's 31. It's not a big score. He's lacked runs. He feels that. We feel that. We're working incredibly hard as a coaching group … we've got to get the best out of Marn as well.

"He's had a bit of a lull. He knows that he's gone to work. I think we saw some change in the way that he played, so that's good. Some of that work that he had done feels as though it's stuck up under pressure."

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

Watch the three-Test series between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from August 19. Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW. %!s()