The costs and challenges of the 2026 World Cup

The World Cup officially began this week, but alongside the football come questions about heat, cost, environmental impact and travel restrictions.

BBC Analysis Editor Ros Atkins looks at the challenges facing this year’s tournament.

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The all-male crew is expected to take off in 2027 to test the systems before the planned moon landing.

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For the first time since a tenuous ceasefire began two months ago, Israel and Iran have exchanged missile strikes.

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President Trump denies promising “no new wars.” BBC Verify found several examples of his remarks during the 2024 US election campaign.

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Iran’s World Cup soccer team arrives in Mexico amid row over US visas

Players and staff will have to fly in and out of the United States for each of their group stage matches.

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A group of men exiting a plane with bright green suitcases.

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Some wore matching suits and others carried identical green bags as they arrived, just days before the tournament kicked off.

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Video shows complex drug trafficking tunnel between US and Mexico

Four people have been arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine worth more than $45 million, according to federal officials.

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Split screen. On the left, Ana Rosa Romero is pictured. On the right, we see a high-rise building.

Cuba’s power outages leave residents of high-rise buildings in constant uncertainty

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On the left, a man in a dark green shirt. On the right, a man in a white shirt plays football.

Pitches, PlayStation and Protein Ice Cream – A Look at Brazil’s World Cup Base Camp

BBC’s Brandon Livesay visited the Columbia Park training facility in Morris Township, New Jersey, which will host the team in the coming weeks.

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Split screen. On the left, three people participating in a rally in support of Castro. On the right, Will Grant is pictured.

“Long live Raúl!” – Castro’s supporters in Cuba mobilize in his defense

The BBC’s Will Grant reports from a pro-government protest held after the US indictment of the former president.

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On the left, a Cuban speaks to the camera. On the right, a Cuban woman waves her finger.

What Cuban-Americans think about the indictment of Raúl Castro

The DOJ charged the former Cuban leader with murder and other crimes for his alleged role in the downing of two civilian planes in 1996.

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Watch: Why is the United States going after Cuban Raúl Castro 30 years later?

BBC correspondent Will Grant reports from Havana, hours after the United States accused the former Cuban leader of plotting to kill American nationals and other crimes.

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An old image of Bill Clinton standing at a podium at the White House.

Watch reporting from 1996 on the fatal plane attack at the heart of the Castro indictment

The U.S. government has accused the former Cuban president of plotting to kill U.S. nationals and other crimes related to the downing of the two planes.

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See: Did Trump and Putin benefit from the same treatment in China?

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russia’s Vladimir Putin with a ceremony almost identical to Trump’s last week.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) attend the Victory Day military parade.

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Laura Bicker and Steven Rosenberg explain the relationship between the leaders during their meeting in Beijing.

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Split screen. Will Grant is on the left and Juan Orlando Hernández is on the right.

Watch key moments from BBC interview with pardoned former Honduran president

Juan Orlando Hernández was controversially pardoned by Trump in December while serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking.

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On the left, a woman smiles at the camera. That's right, the Greek entrance dance.

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American Eurovision Song Contest fans gathered in Washington DC to cheer on their favorite European artists.

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BBC asks Trump if China will help open the Strait of Hormuz

The BBC’s Tom Bateman asked President Trump about China’s willingness to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

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Split-screen image - Laura Bicker (left) and Presidents Xi and Trump (right)

Watch: What did we learn from Trump’s China visit?

President Trump concluded a two-day visit to Beijing with a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

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Two people wearing life jackets are hoisted to safety in the waters.

Watch: US Air Force rescues 11 after plane crashes off Florida coast

Passengers spent hours on a floating life raft after their 20-minute flight between two islands sank.

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U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping sing their countries' national anthems during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 14, 2026.

Watch: What happened on the first day of Trump’s visit to China?

China welcomed US President Donald Trump on Thursday with enthusiastic children and a parade of troops, before a nearly two-hour meeting with Xi-Jinping.

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