World

A 21-year-old national guardsman in the US is facing espionage charges over the leaking online of highly classified military documents. The disclosure of confidential details about the Ukraine war and other spying activities has caused embarrassment in Washington and threatens to strain ties with key allies. The Pentagon has described it as a “very serious

Protesters have stormed the headquarters of luxury fashion label Louis Vuitton on the eve of an expected ruling on controversial pension reforms in France. Striking railway workers invaded the Paris headquarters of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) – which also represents brands including Christian Dior, Fendi and Givenchy – on Thursday. They joined demonstrators

A gruesome video appearing to show a Ukrainian captive being beheaded by a Russian soldier has been condemned by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The clip appears to show a man in green fatigues wearing the yellow armband typically used by Ukrainian soldiers. He is heard screaming before another man apparently uses a knife to decapitate him. Sky

A space mission with a name like no other is about to embark on a journey to find alien life on the moons of Jupiter. Juice (that’s short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) is a European Space Agency (ESA) venture to make unprecedentedly detailed observations of the gas giant. It will include searching its icy

The Ministry of Defence says there is “a serious level of inaccuracy” in leaks which claim UK special forces have been operating in Ukraine. The claims have been widely reported after US classified military documents were allegedly leaked and published online. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson has warned against taking allegations contained in the reported

The world economy is entering a “perilous phase” of low economic growth and high financial risk, the International Monetary Fund has warned in its latest set of assessments. The IMF, which is holding its spring meetings in Washington this week, downgraded its outlook for global growth and said its medium term forecast for economic output

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said his defence minister will remain in post, despite being sacked two weeks ago. Mr Netanyahu said Yoav Gallant was being removed from his post after he gave a televised statement urging a halt to controversial judicial reforms. The news sparked immediate and dramatic protests, including the temporary

The Dalai Lama has apologised after footage emerged showing him kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to “suck my tongue”. The Buddhist spiritual leader’s office said he wanted to apologise to the boy and his family “for the hurt his words may have caused”. It said the 87-year-old “often teases people

Eight people are feared to be trapped under the rubble of two buildings that collapsed following an explosion in the south of France. TV footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the ruins as firefighters tried to douse the flames in Marseille. Sniffer dogs are searching for victims. The cause of the explosion is not

Nearly 20 military ships – about 10 Chinese and 10 Taiwanese – are involved in a stand-off near the Taiwan Strait’s sensitive median line, Reuters reports. China also conducted simulated attacks on foreign military targets off Taiwan’s southwest coast on Sunday, the agency said, citing a source familiar with the situation. It comes on the

Six rockets have been fired from Syria towards Israel overnight, according to the Israeli military. Only three of the missiles fell within Israeli territory – two on open ground and one intercepted by air defence systems, the military said. There were no reports of casualties. Syrian state media later reported explosions in and around the

China has begun three days of military exercises around Taiwan in retaliation for a meeting between the US House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. A Chinese amphibious landing ship – capable of transporting troops, craft and vehicles – began live-fire drills in the seas facing the Taiwan

Three people have died across Israel and the West Bank in terrorist attacks as violence in the region continues. An Italian tourist, 30, was killed and five others were wounded in a Tel Aviv car ramming attack on Friday, Israeli and Italian officials said. An Israeli security source identified the assailant as an Israeli Arab

Two women killed in a shooting in the West Bank were British nationals, according to a UK official. The women were sisters – one aged 15 and the other in her 20s, according to local media. Their mother was also seriously injured when their car was attacked on Friday near the Hamra settlement, about 30

Israeli strikes hit Lebanon and Gaza early on Friday, in response to rocket attacks it blamed on militant group Hamas. Tensions have flared in the region following police raids on the al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem this week. Blasts rocked different areas of Gaza, as Israel said its planes hit targets including tunnels and weapons

Emmanuel Macron has told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the war in Ukraine has hit stability and ended decades of peace in the country. The French president is visiting Beijing alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an attempt to use Xi’s influence over Russia to promote a peace settlement. Mr Macron said

Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukaemia after he was admitted to hospital, Reuters reports. The 86-year-old was being treated in intensive care at Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on Wednesday after suffering breathing problems. Reuters cited a source who said he had been diagnosed with leukaemia, confirming what was previously reported

A man armed with a hatchet has killed four children after he attacked a nursery in Brazil. At least three others are injured and have been taken to hospital. The man has been arrested in the southern city of Blumenau. Local media reports that the attacker scaled a wall to enter the nursey, named Cantinho

Israeli riot police have fired stun grenades and tear gas inside al Aqsa Mosque in clashes with Palestinian worshippers in the early hours of Wednesday morning.  Twelve Palestinians were reportedly injured according to the Palestinian Red Crescent and dozens were arrested. Video footage from inside the mosque shows police beating Palestinians. The incident occurred after

Finland has officially become a member of NATO after concerns over Russia’s aggression. The Kremlin has said it could be forced to take “counter measures” to ensure its own border’s security in response. Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, setting aside years of military nonalignment to seek protection under the organisation’s security umbrella