World

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

For David, the streets of Seoul are a much longed for safe haven. To the casual observer, there is nothing out of the ordinary about him. He is a slight man, softly spoken, dressed in baggy jeans and wide glasses that are fashionable in South Korea. But his story and what he has been through

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

French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed to Xi Jinping to “bring Russia back to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table” over the Ukraine war. The Chinese leader called for peace talks but he gave no indication that Beijing would use its leverage as President Vladimir Putin‘s diplomatic partner to press for

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

For Donald Trump’s most entrenched supporters, this indictment is simply another cause to rally around. They gather on one side of the bridge that links the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate with Palm Beach, eagerly awaiting the passing of his motorcade on the way to the airport. Some wave Trump 2024 flags, others hold signs saying

Russian officials say they have arrested a suspect over the death of a pro-war military blogger killed in an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg. Daria Trepova, 26, has been detained following the death of Vladlen Tatarsky in the blast, which took place at a cafe as he held a talk on Sunday, Russia’s

Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed after an explosion tore through a St Petersburg cafe he was in on Sunday. Russian officials said Tatarsky, who was a strident supporter of the war in Ukraine, was killed as he was leading a discussion at the cafe on the bank of the Neva River in

One person has died and at least 16 people have been injured in a blast in a cafe in St Petersburg, Russia. Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky died in the explosion, the Russian interior ministry said. Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had more than 560,000 followers on Telegram and was one of

Three British men are being held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan – including so-called “danger tourist” Miles Routledge who returned to the country after being evacuated by British armed forces less than two years ago. The other two men are charity medic Kevin Cornwell and another unnamed UK national who manages a hotel in Kabul. They

In the vast windswept cemetery on the outskirts of Dnipro low clouds drift and mist drizzles over the graves of the fallen in this war. There is no noise apart from the flapping of hundreds of Ukraine flags – blue for the sky, yellow for the wheatfields of this farming country. Mounds of freshly dug

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been released from jail in Romania. He and his brother have been placed under house arrest instead. The 36-year-old former professional kickboxer and his brother Tristan are being investigated over allegations of sexual assault and exploitation. They are also being detained on suspicion of organised crime and human trafficking. The