World

The Kremlin has criticised President Joe Biden for adding “fuel to the fire” after giving Ukraine permission to launch US missiles into Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to… continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict.”

Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to begin firing US-supplied rockets deep into Russia – as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to push for “further support” for Kyiv at the G20 summit. Mr Biden’s policy shift means Kyiv will now be able to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for long-range attacks, two American officials have told

Joe Biden’s belated decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied, long-range missiles inside Russia will be cheered by Kyiv and will almost certainly prompt the UK to follow suit. But the stunning shift in US policy – just weeks before Donald Trump takes over as US president – will also trigger fury and fresh threats

Several people have been killed after Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since August. More than 200 missiles and drones were deployed, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as he condemned a “massive combined strike” on “all regions”. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said “peaceful cities” and “sleeping civilians” were targeted. Ukraine war – latest updates

Ten newborn babies have died after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in northern India. The fire, which also injured 17 other babies, spread quickly through the ward in Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi city late on Friday, where 49 infants were being treated, according to state deputy

Outgoing US President Joe Biden is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for what is likely to be his last time as US president. The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Peruvian capital, Lima. It comes against the backdrop of

New pictures show the moment of impact as an Israeli missile hit a Beirut apartment block and exploded. The block was one of five buildings destroyed by airstrikes on Friday alone. Israel launched airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut in a fourth consecutive day of intense attacks. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

UN climate talks are “no longer fit for purpose” and should only be hosted by countries who are trying to give up fossil fuels, veterans of the process have said. An open letter to the United Nations, signed by former UN chief Ban Ki-moon, makes an explosive intervention in the 29th COP climate summit, under

A body has been recovered from a South African mine after police cut off basic supplies in an effort to force around 4,000 illegal miners to resurface. The body has emerged from the closed gold mine in the northwest town of Stilfontein a day after South Africa’s government said it would not help the illegal

An Israeli hostage said “I miss my freedom” in a video released by the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Alexander Troufanov was among the dozens of people taken prisoner by militants during the 7 October attacks last year. And while many hostages have since been released or liberated – or found dead – Mr Troufanov’s family

Headlights illuminate a group of soldiers smoking and drinking steaming cups of coffee on the side of a road in northeastern Ukraine. A fine sleet on another freezing night falls on the silhouetted barrel of a Soviet-era anti-aircraft gun mounted on an ancient, battered lorry. These are the men of a mobile air defence unit,

At least 14 people have been killed after a bus carrying wedding guests crashed into a river in Pakistan. The bus was carrying around two dozen passengers. Searches continue for bodies and survivors. There are differing reports about the number of people who have died, with some local officials saying 18 people had been confirmed

As a famous orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Adnan Al-Bursh spent much of his career fixing broken limbs and broken bodies at Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital. One of the best-trained doctors in the enclave, a photo showing him covered in blood in Al-Shifa’s operating theatre went viral in 2018. When war broke out last October, he worked around

Satellite images show that smog in Pakistan can be seen from space, as the country battles record levels of air pollution. Images from NASA Worldview show the east of the country cloaked in a toxic haze, with smog also reaching into India’s northern regions and New Dehli. Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab region and

Sir Keir Starmer has “no plans” to meet with the Taliban during the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, Downing Street said. The militant group confirmed on Sunday that it will be sending delegates to the UN-led conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, which took place as the US, UK,

A malnourished emperor penguin has been found in Australia for the first time – more than 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. The adult male was discovered on 1 November on a tourist beach in the town of Denmark in southwest Australia. The emperor is the largest penguin species and has never been reported

More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters have been taken away by police during a banned demonstration in Amsterdam following “antisemitic” violence in the wake of a football game. Hundreds of people had defied an order banning protests and gathered in the city’s Dam Square on Sunday, chanting “Amsterdam says no to genocide” and “free Palestine”. A

Thousands of people have marched in Valencia and demanded the resignation of the region’s president over the response to devastating flooding that left more than 220 dead. Protesters filled the centre of the eastern Spanish city and chanted “killers!” as they called for Carlos Mazon to go. Some dumped muddy boots outside a regional government

Qatar has told Hamas that it will no longer host its political office unless the militant group and Israel engage in constructive and meaningful talks. The Gulf country will stop trying to mediate a ceasefire deal until Hamas and Israel “demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table with the objective of putting

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 40 injured in a bomb blast at a train station in Pakistan. The bomb exploded in the southwestern city of Quetta when nearly 100 passengers were waiting for a train to travel to Rawalpindi. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, have claimed responsibility