World

A 19th-century dispute, which has gone through decades of court procedures, has finally culminated in the Ram Temple. Consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this temple site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of the most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon. The city of Ayodhya in India’s most populous state

A cat has died in Russia after being thrown from a train by its conductor. The ginger and white cat, Twix, was travelling with its owners when it escaped from its crate and a female member of staff threw it from the carriage, according to local media reports. She is believed to have mistaken it

Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer has said he “feels like things will never change” after alleged racist abuse was aimed at him in the closing stages of their 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday. Palmer, 27, was seen going to retrieve the ball from behind the goal, before sharply turning away and motioning towards match referee

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

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

Japan hopes it is about to join an exclusive club of just four other nations that have successfully executed a “soft” landing on the moon. Its garden shed-sized Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, isn’t the biggest, or most ambitious robotic mission to our satellite – but it’s bidding to be the most precise

Detectives investigating the disappearance of a Royal Navy sailor more than 37 years ago are searching a car park in Gibraltar after receiving new information. Simon Parkes, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986 when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, was docked in the territory. His disappearance has previously been part

The world’s five richest men have more than doubled their fortunes to £688bn in three years – while the wealth of the poorest 60% has fallen, according to Oxfam. It says the first trillionaire could emerge within a decade but that poverty won’t be eradicated for 229 years. The charity’s report, Inequality Inc, comes as

Denmark has a new king following the historic abdication of the country’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Margrethe II. Thousands of people converged on central Copenhagen for the succession where the 83-year-old passed on the throne to her eldest son with the signing of a declaration in parliament. King Frederik X is now the head of Europe’s

Iran has condemned US and British military attacks on Yemen, calling them “a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty”. Britain and the US have started launching strikes from the air and sea against military targets linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen, in response to the movement’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea in support

Rishi Sunak will visit Kyiv today as he announces a new package of military aid, security assurances and humanitarian support. Mr Sunak will sign a UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – committing the UK to provide intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training, and defence industrial cooperation. The UK will

Two tech giants are battling it out for the title of the world’s most valuable company. Microsoft had overtaken Apple for the first time since 2021 to become the world’s most valuable firm by market capitalisation – which measures the value and number of a company’s shares. Money latest:‘Huge announcement’ on car finance could see

An oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman was boarded by “unauthorized” people in military uniforms on Thursday morning, an advisory group run by the British military and a private intelligence firm warned. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said the incident began early in

Senior politicians from a German far-right party reportedly met neo-Nazi activists to discuss a proposal to deport “unassimilated” immigrants – even if they had citizenship. Investigative portal Correctiv said Roland Hartwig, the personal assistant to the leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, attended the meeting in a hotel near Berlin late last year.

Spain is to reintroduce the mandatory wearing of face masks in hospitals after a spike in flu and COVID cases. The nationwide mandate by Spain’s central government is due to come into force on 10 January – despite opposition from some regional health authorities. Spain’s minister of health, Monica Garcia, said the move was necessary

German and World Cup football legend Franz Beckenbauer has died aged 78. The German defender – nicknamed “Der Kaiser” because of his sublime talent – was regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was also famed for carving out his own role as a sweeper – now often known as a

Russia has launched a large-scale missile attack across Ukraine, injuring several people and hitting residential and industrial buildings, Ukrainian officials have said. All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts from around 6am local time (4am UK time) with Ukraine’s Air Force saying thecountry was under threat from several waves of cruise missiles and in

The bodies of two hikers have been found in the Italian Alps near Switzerland after they were struck by an avalanche. The force of the avalanche, which hit at around 12pm on Sunday, pushed one of the victims into a lake near the bottom of the slope, while the other body was found buried in