World

This is a troubling moment on many levels. It represents yet another clear indication that America and its allies are facing a regional conflict in the Middle East. It is a conflict in which they are protagonists, a conflict they are struggling to influence and a conflict which they have not contained. It’s moments like

Israel’s war against Hamas could be paused for two months should US negotiators reach a deal where dozens of hostages captured in the 7 October attack would be released, according to two senior administration officials. The American officials, who wished to remain anonymous, said the terms of the deal in progress would play out in

Ukraine would win the war faster if it had permission to fire British and other Western weapons against targets deep inside Russia, the head of the Ukrainian navy has signalled. Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa told Sky News the course of the entire conflict would have been very different had Ukrainian forces been allowed to use

The UK will temporarily pause funding to the UN’s relief agency in Gaza over claims members were involved in Hamas’ attack on Israel. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said on Friday it sacked “several” employees over accusations by Israel that 12 employees were involved in the 7 October attack. In the wake

An oil tanker is on fire in the Red Sea after a missile attack by Houthi fighters. In a statement, the ship’s owner Trafigura, which has offices in Britain, said firefighting equipment on board was being deployed to control the flames and the safety of the crew is its “foremost priority”. A spokesperson for the

An international court has not ordered Israel to end its offensive in Gaza – but demanded that it does everything in its power to prevent acts of genocide. The ruling by judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) comes at an early stage in South Africa’s case alleging that Israel’s military action in its

Josef Fritzl – who kept his daughter captive for 24 years, raped her thousands of times, and fathered seven children with her – can be moved to a regular prison, a court has ruled. The 88-year-old Austrian – who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 for incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement, and the

Invading Russian troops – arms up, faces scared – drown in a river in the frontline city of Kherson as a Ukrainian soldier watches on, rifle raised. The image, drawn by a child, is among a line of pictures, including of jets, tanks and corpses, that illustrates Ukraine’s lost childhood after almost two years of

A major monument dedicated to peace and the possibility of reunification between North Korea and South Korea appears to have been demolished under the orders of Kim Jong Un. Mr Kim recently vowed to launch new spy satellites, build military drones and boost his nuclear arsenal, saying US policy was making war inevitable. Last week,

The brother of two men still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza has said his life “stopped on 7 October”, the day his loved ones were taken. Liran Berman said he “needs his little brothers home” as he spoke on behalf of the families and loved ones of more than 130 hostages who remain

Rishi Sunak has said the UK is “not seeking a confrontation” with Yemen’s Houthi fighters – but it will strike again if their attacks in the Red Sea continue. Royal Air Force jets took part in a second wave of joint US-UK action against the group on Monday night after attacks on the vital shipping

The US and UK have carried out joint attacks on Houthi military targets in Yemen for the second time, US officials have said. Tomahawk missiles – launched from warships and submarines – and fighter jets attacked Houthi missile storage sites and launchers, American officials said, according to the AP news agency. It follows the bombing

Dozens of family members of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have stormed into a meeting in the Israeli parliament to demand action be taken to release their relatives. They entered a Finance Committee meeting in the Knesset in Jerusalem and shouted “you won’t sit here while they are dying there!”. One woman held

Tens of thousands of Germans have taken to the streets to protest against the far-right. The demonstrations are in response to a report claiming that several members of the far-right Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) had taken part in a meeting where plans to deport migrants en masse were discussed. In Berlin, crowds braved freezing

Women and girls in Gaza are being forced to use scraps of tents during their periods as they have no sanitary products, aid workers say. With more than 1.9 million Gazans displaced since 7 October, a tent “city” of almost two square miles has been set up in Rafah, south of the strip. No food

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of not telling the truth about the key military aim of defeating Hamas by a member of the country’s war cabinet. Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose son was killed fighting in Gaza, also cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages and said there was “no

An online predator who blackmailed dozens of women around the world into performing sexual and degrading acts, including child abuse, has been jailed for 24 years. Anthony Burns, originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk, used multiple online identities when engaging with the women on the internet. On one occasion he posed as the head of a

Warfare is a brutal and unforgiving undertaking.  However, the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of its people and its national interests, so military capability is a cornerstone of national capability. But, military forces provide options and are a means to an end – not an end in itself – and when all

North Korea says it has tested an underwater nuclear attack drone in response to a “reckless” and “hostile” combined naval exercise by the US, South Korea and Japan. The underwater drone, which North Korea claims can carry a nuclear weapon, was first tested by the country in 2023. The system, named Haeil-5-23, was also tested

An aircraft hangar and fuselage have been hired by the Home Office for security officials to practise forcing asylum seekers on to deportation flights to Rwanda, it has been reported. Guards have undergone special training programmes to deal with “disruptive” people, according to The Times. This includes individuals resorting to violence to prevent being put