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  Russia’s Defence Ministry says air defences shot down 555 Ukrainian drones over several regions overnight. Ukrainian drones have hit a Moscow oil refinery for the second time ⁠this week while Russia fired missiles at Kyiv, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks support from the United States and Europe to reach a deal to end the war. Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its air defences shot down 555 Ukrainian drones over several regions overnight, with almost 200 intercepted as they were approaching the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said several drones hit an oil refinery. “Air defence forces continue to repel a massive attack. Several drones managed to reach the Moscow oil refinery,” Sobyanin said, adding that a shopping centre also suffered minor damage. The attack on the oil facility is the second this week, after a  drone attack on Tuesday  halted operations at the refinery, according to the Reuters news agency, as widespread damage to Ru...

  The Bayern Munich striker scored twice as the Three Lions beat Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup group L opening fixture. England head coach Thomas Tuchel hailed captain Harry Kane’s “complete performance” as the Three Lions kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday. Two goals from Kane, including a re-taken penalty kick, plus strikes from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford gave England an impressive victory against the team that defeated them in the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After scoring his two goals in the first half, the second a powerful header, Kane was the first person to jump on the back of Bellingham after the midfielder had put England ahead on 47 minutes. Then in the 94th minute, Kane was on defensive duty, blocking a close-range shot. “See the commitment of our captain, our No. 9,” said England coach Tuchel. “Complete performance, absolute leader and he’s all in. He's all in physically, he'...

  Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says the agreement has been finalised and signed with the US. The United States and Iran have electronically signed a  memorandum of understanding  to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said late on Wednesday that the agreement had gone into effect. “The text of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was finalised with the signatures of the presidents,” Baghaei told the news agency IRNA. “Now it is time to test the implementation of the agreement.” Trump told reporters that he had signed the memorandum with Iran at the Palace of Versailles, near the French capital, Paris. “It’s signed,” Trump said as he left Versailles. “I signed it in Versailles,” he added. “Just signed it.” The White House later confirmed that Trump ⁠had signed ⁠the breakthrough agreement. Since February 28, the US and Israel have been jointly engaged in a war...

  The 41-year-old Portugal captain was hit by a barrage of criticism after a display that fell short of expectations at what is his sixth and, possibly, last World Cup. Portugal drew 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup. The disappointing result made headlines not only in the domestic press but also internationally, with outlets taking aim at Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance on the pitch. The 41-year-old Portugal captain was hit by a barrage of criticism after a display that fell short of expectations at what is his sixth and, possibly, last World Cup. The newspaper The Independent described Ronaldo as “a statue” and said that Portugal had sacrificed “yet another World Cup to Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego”. The Telegraph, meanwhile, compared the No. 7’s performance with Lionel Messi’s, rekindling an old debate. “The day after Lionel Messi showed why he remains in the Argentina squad, Portugal were perhaps given a reminder of why Cris...

  Brent crude drops to lowest price since early March before signing of framework deal to end US-Israel war on Iran. Oil prices are continuing to drop, as hopes rise for a return to stability in global energy markets before the signing of a framework agreement on ending the United States-Israel war on Iran. Futures for Brent crude due for delivery in August dipped nearly 1 percent on Wednesday, extending declines of about 5 percent on each of the previous two days. The international benchmark stood at $78.24 a barrel as of 08:00 GMT, the lowest price since March 3, three days after the start of the war. After rising more than 50 percent during the conflict, the price of crude on Wednesday afternoon in Asia was only about 7 percent higher than before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. “The immediate prognosis, it seems, is optimistic and assumes no significant setbacks,” Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates in London, said in a commentary. “Over the ...

  Argentina open defence of their World Cup crown with a Lionel Messi-inspired 3-0 win against Algeria at 2026 edition. Lionel Messi  marked his record sixth World Cup appearance with his first hat-trick at a FIFA tournament – also becoming the joint-highest scorer at a World Cup – as Argentina  beat Algeria 3-0  to open the defence of their global crown. The former 38-year-old forward thought he had opened the scoring in the eighth minute in Kansas City on Tuesday when he slotted home from close range, but the offside flag was raised. The dream start to his record-setting appearance, which will be matched by Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday, was not to be denied for long, though. A trademark, mazy run was capped by a drive on the edge of the box from that famed left foot. The power was too much for Algeria keeper Luca Zidane, son of World Cup winner with France, Zinedine. Messi doubled his tally on the hour mar...