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Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The World Cup has been increased from 32 to 48 teams for 2026 By Harry Poole BBC Sport journalist England will begin their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia, while Scotland have been drawn alongside Brazil at next summer's tournament. Thomas Tuchel's England will open their tournament in Dallas

The US is considering a much broader range of sanctions on the belligerents in the war in Sudan, in a tacit acknowledgment of the inability of the US envoy Massad Boulos to persuade the parties to accept a ceasefire. Last week Donald Trump announced that work had begun to end the war after a personal

Mark Savage Music correspondent Watch: Which countries are boycotting Eurovision and why? Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after Israel was allowed to compete. They were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over the war in Gaza, as well as accusations

The Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has become the first African to be named the most influential figure in the art world in ArtReview magazine’s annual power list. Mahama, whose work often uses found materials including textile remnants, topped the ranking of the contemporary art world’s most influential people and organisations as chosen by a global

Reuters US special envoy and the US President's son-in-law Jared Kushner attended talks in Moscow this week US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet the head of Ukraine's national security council, Rustem Umerov, for talks in Miami on Thursday, the White House has confirmed. The meeting comes after Witkoff spent almost five hours with Russian

Donald Trump on Tuesday called Somali immigrants “garbage” and said they should be sent back home in a rant that came as the administration is reportedly increasing immigration enforcement against undocumented Somalis in Minnesota. In a xenophobic rant during a cabinet meeting, Trump went off on Somalis and Ilhan Omar, the congressional representative who is

Maia Davies and Laura Gozzi Five hours of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's senior negotiator appear to have failed to produce a breakthrough on securing a Ukraine peace deal. A Kremlin spokesman said the Moscow meeting was "constructive", but parts of the plan remained unacceptable to Russia. Trump's special

Five South Africans have appeared in court on charges relating to recruitment and fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine, amid allegations that 17 South Africans had been tricked on to the frontlines of the conflict. A female suspect was arrested on Thursday on her return to South Africa at OR Tambo international airport

Archie Mitchell and Rachel Clun, Business reporters BBC/House of Commons Richard Hughes said he took "full responsibility" for the shortcomings identified in the report; Rachel Reeves thanked him for his service The chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has resigned following the Budget day error which saw a key document published early. Richard

African leaders are pushing to have colonial-era crimes recognised, criminalised and addressed through reparations. At a conference in the Algerian capital, Algiers, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism. Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf said Algeria’s