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The Fifa men’s World Cup 2026 could be too big for its own good

Nomi2626/Shutterstock The Fifa men’s football World Cup is one of the most powerful brands in sport, attracting global attention with a simple formula of rarity, intensity and consequence. Every four years, this high-stakes tournament feels distinct from everything else in the football calendar. So changing the format is a gamble. But the 2026 World Cup, […]

How migration became a key to World Cup success

Morocco had more foreign-born players than any other nation at the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Abdelrahman Emam / Shutterstock Few would have predicted Morocco’s success at the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Heading into the tournament, they were ranked 22nd in the world and had never progressed beyond the round of 16. Yet they beat Belgium, […]

Poetry can give voice to Ireland’s unspoken abortion stories

People protesting for abortion rights in Ireland in 2017. Briley/Shutterstock I moved to Ireland in 2019, a year after abortion had become legal. As a woman born and raised in Germany, reproductive rights had never been a concern for me. I knew that if needed it, I had the option of termination. I wasn’t aware […]

Ebola: vaccines alone won’t stop an outbreak – here’s what else is needed

Tensions have recently emerged around the Ebola response in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These tensions have manifested in a series of incidents, including the burning of an Ebola treatment facility in Mongbwalu, confrontations involving families seeking to reclaim the bodies of relatives who had died from the disease, and reports of police […]

Child drownings spike during heatwaves – and it’s a serious climate justice issue

At least 15 people drowned in open water in the UK’s recent heatwave, mostly children and teenagers. The public response is understandably urgent: warnings are issued, parents are told to talk to their children, and young people are reminded that rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals can be dangerous. Those warnings matter. Open water can be […]

Heartbreaking historical tales, unsettling scenes and shortlisted non-fiction – what to read, watch and see this week

This curation of The Conversation UK’s arts and culture coverage was first published in our fortnightly newsletter, Something Good. Maggie O’Farrell is responsible for some of my biggest COVID cries (impressive, considering how hotly contested that category is). Hamnet hit home with its uncanny parallels to pandemic life with shuttered playhouses, quarantines and families separated […]

How a simple blood test could help detect heart damage during breast cancer treatment

Dragon Images/Shutterstock Modern breast cancer screening and treatment have transformed survival. Many women now live long and healthy lives after diagnosis, thanks to increasingly effective chemotherapy and targeted therapies: medicines designed to attack particular features of cancer cells. But as cancer outcomes improve, another challenge has become more apparent: protecting the heart from the side-effects […]

Yes, you really can be allergic to exercise – and the symptoms can be serious

The condition can cause intense itching all over the body and difficulty breathing. CHAjAMP/ Shutterstock People who don’t like to workout will sometimes joke that they’re “allergic” to exercise. But what many don’t realise is that an allergy to exercise is a real thing – and it can be dangerous if not caught in time. […]