The first major cup draw for the 2023/24 season takes place on Thursday ahead of the new campaign starting, with English Football League clubs set to find out how they will start life in this year’s Carabao Cup adventure. All 72 EFL sides feature in the first round, which is split into north and south sections for purposes of the draw. The victors will be joined by 12 Premier League teams in the second round, before the remaining eight join in at the third-round stage. For now though it’s all about the lower league sides and the start of their journey, on the day they also discovered their league fates with the 23/24 fixture lists revealed. Manchester United won the competition last term but now another opportunity for silverware arises, with League Cup round one matches starting from week commencing 7 August and the final set for Wembley on 25 February 2024. Follow the Carabao Cup first round draw live below: Read More Opening day fixtures 2023/24: Every Championship match in first round of games Opening day fixtures 2023/24: Every League One match in first round of games Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed

From a record-breaking mountain climber to a British adventurer who may have died searching for a city that doesn’t exist and beyond, these explorers have fates that are shrouded in mystery.

Stocks are ticking higher, adding to the strong run that has pulled Wall Street to its highest levels in more than 15 months

Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek were on target as West Ham strolled to a 2-0 victory over rock-bottom Sheffield United. The Blades, walloped 8-0 by Newcastle six days earlier, had the air of a team already resigned to relegation just seven matches into the season. Their visit to the London Stadium was a welcome one for West Ham, who had suffered back-to-back defeats by Manchester City and Liverpool. The only surprise was that the Hammers did not score more, although it could have been an entirely different story had the Blades opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Cameron Archer turned Kurt Zouma in the area, only for Nayef Aguerd to slide in and block his shot. That was pretty much their only glimpse of Alphonse Areola’s goal in the first half as West Ham went for the jugular. First Bowen out-muscled James McAtee on the byline and cut the ball back for Soucek, who blazed over the crossbar. Then, from a James Ward-Prowse corner, Bowen had a header saved at point-blank range by Wes Foderingham, with Aguerd’s follow-up headed off the line by Luke Thomas. The goal West Ham had been threatening arrived in the 24th minute when Vladimir Coufal crossed low into the penalty area. Bowen had timed his run into the box to perfection and arrowed a first-time finish past Foderingham for his sixth goal in the Premier League this season, and his first at home. West Ham, sensing they could fill their boots just like Newcastle did against the Blades a week earlier, poured forward with Michail Antonio curling a shot just wide and Soucek narrowly off target with a glancing header. Nine minutes before the interval they doubled their lead after the visitors lost possession as they tried to play out from the back. Emerson Palmieri’s pass along the edge of the box found Antonio, who unselfishly slipped in Soucek to slot the ball home. After the break Archer had a half chance in the area but his shot was deflected over the crossbar. And a miserable afternoon for the Blades got even worse when captain John Egan limped off. They should have been further behind when Bowen rounded Foderingham and pulled the ball back, but Antonio could not find the finish. Aguerd headed wide from another Ward-Prowse corner before Blades striker Oliver McBurnie could have set up a nervous finish for the hosts, only to see his header fly the wrong side of the near post. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Manchester United’s struggles continue as Crystal Palace win at Old Trafford Luton celebrate landmark Premier League win to turn up heat on Everton Kai Havertz off the mark for Arsenal in rampant 4-0 win at Bournemouth

Two-time champion France resumed its qualifying campaign for the European Championship with a fifth straight win Thursday, while the Netherlands eased to a 3-0 victory against Greece in Group B

Microsoft Corp. Xbox chief Phil Spencer said the software giant continues to work with UK regulators to sort

MEXICO CITY Precursor chemicals used by Mexican cartels to make deadly opioid fentanyl do not come from China,

By Selena Li HONG KONG Asian stocks fell on Tuesday as this week's soft Chinese economic data and

Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is considering whether to join the 2024 Republican governor’s race, nearly three years after his reelection bid was derailed by allegations that he drunkenly groped four women during a party

After trading away Kendrick Green to the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan signed one of their former players in All-Pro cornerback Desmond King.

A grenade blew off Hersh's arm from the elbow down while he was taking cover in a bomb shelter

Despite the dire need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, there would be no deliveries across the Rafah border crossing from Egypt on Friday, according to the communications director for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees