World

The number of people killed after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Japan has risen to at least 30. A series of quakes struck Ishikawa prefecture on Monday afternoon, triggering a now-cancelled tsunami alert that caused some to flee to higher ground. Buildings collapsed, cracks opened in roads and fires broke out – with Japan‘s prime minister

Israel’s Supreme Court has struck down a controversial law passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government that rolled back some of the high court’s power and sparked nationwide protests. The new legislation had removed one of the methods by which the Supreme Court can quash government and ministers’ decisions. The law would have stripped

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said in his televised New Year address that his country’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable, renewing Beijing’s threats to take over the self-ruled island. Taiwan split from China amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to regard the island of 23 million people as its territory. In recent years,

Denmark’s queen has unexpectedly announced her abdication in her traditional New Year’s Eve speech. Margrethe II will formally step down from the throne on 14 January – exactly 52 years to the day of her ascension to the throne in 1972. She will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. This breaking news

At least 14 people – including two children – have been killed and more than 100 injured during shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod, officials in Moscow say. They have accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack – a day after an 18-hour aerial Russian barrage across Ukraine killed at least 39 people.

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem faced a second opponent during a match in Brisbane – one of Australia’s most venomous snakes. The former world number three was facing Australia‘s James McCabe during a first round qualifier at the Brisbane International when the snake slithered on to the court. The umpire stopped play after the

Two British skiers have been killed by an avalanche on Mont Blanc in France. Mountain rescuers found a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son dead under snow that hit a narrow gulley around Saint-Gervais, a resort near Chamonix, on Thursday afternoon. Officials believe it may have been triggered by two ski tourers who were uphill

An airstrike that killed 86 people at a Gaza refugee camp was a “regrettable mistake”, an Israeli government spokesperson has admitted. Eylon Levy told Sky News the incident at the Maghazi site on Christmas Eve was down to the use of an “incorrect munition” and “should not have happened”. But he refused to apologise for

Overnight, Russia launched several waves of drone attacks on Ukraine causing widespread damage across the country. Ukraine claims a total of 46 attacks were conducted using a blend of ballistic and cruise missiles, plus Shahed 136 drones (supplied by Iran). The Ukrainian air defence systems are becoming increasingly effective at defeating these attacks, with Ukraine

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being petitioned to apologise to British child migrants who suffered “shame and isolation”.   It is the latest move by campaigners demanding an official apology for the treatment endured by youngsters shipped to Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries. The petition, initiated by the group Home Children Canada, states

Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza will expand over the coming days, Benjamin Netanyahu has warned, as attacks appeared to intensify on Christmas Day. The Hamas-led Gaza health ministry says 250 Palestinians have been killed and 500 wounded in the past 24 hours – with 106 of those said to have died in an airstrike on

Ukraine is officially marking Christmas on 25 December for the first time today – after it continued to fend off Russian drone attacks overnight. Traditionally, Ukrainians have celebrated on 7 January, in line with the Russian Orthodox Church. But in July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed legislation moving the Christmas holiday to 25 December. On Sunday,

Around 300 Indian travellers are stuck in a French airport after their flight was grounded in a human trafficking investigation. Those on board the Romania-based charter company Legend Airlines plane from Fujairah airport in the United Arab Emirates to Managua, in Nicaragua, included families and children. The youngest passenger is a 21-month-old toddler while some

A former TV journalist hoping to challenge Vladimir Putin in Russia’s next presidential election has been barred from standing. Independent politician Yekaterina Duntsova hoped to run on a platform to end the war with Ukraine. But on Saturday, she was disqualified after members of the central electoral commission voted unanimously to reject her candidacy, citing

Ukraine’s military has claimed it shot down three Russian fighter jets in the south of the country. The Su-34 fighter bombers were reportedly brought down in the Kherson region on Friday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the air force. President Zelenskyy praised Odesa’s anti-aircraft unit in his nightly video address. Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukrainian

The chancellor has signed a deal aimed at boosting financial services ties with Switzerland, describing the arrangements as a “global first”. It is aimed at boosting access to each other’s markets and is based on mutual recognition of laws and market regulations in both countries. The Treasury said the Berne Financial Services Agreement marked a

People in Iceland have been told to stay at home and “get into the Christmas spirit” rather than attempt the risky journey to the site of the erupted volcano. A gash two miles long has opened up on the Reykjanes peninsula, spewing between 100 and 200 cubic metres of lava every second. Though the lava

Africa’s first female billionaire has lost her High Court fight against an application to freeze up to £580m of her assets. Businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, whose father Jose Eduardo dos Santos ruled Angola for 38 years until 2017, is being sued by Unitel, a telecoms operator in the African country. The firm asked London’s High

For the first time in India’s parliamentary history, 78 lawmakers were suspended in a single day. A large swath of INDIA Alliance MPs were dismissed on Monday, with a further 49 excluded today making a total of 141 suspended. The alliance, which has 142 MPs in the lower house and 101 MPs in the upper

Israel will compete at Eurovision next year, despite calls for the country to be banned over its conflict with Hamas, organisers have said. Artists from Iceland had called for a boycott of the contest in Malmo, Sweden, unless Israel was prevented from taking part, after its ground invasion of Gaza. Irish broadcaster RTE has also