World

Vladimir Putin has vowed to back soldiers who defend Russia’s interests and ordered his government to give greater support to those who fight – after two people were killed in the latest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. Speaking on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, the Russian president said on Saturday while meeting families of

A passenger on board the plane where part of the fuselage blew off in mid-air has said the experience was “jarring” and “disorienting”. Nicholas Hoch said he heard a “big boom” after a hole was ripped in the side of the Boeing 737-9 MAX jet, and each minute felt like an hour. “That was followed

Alaska Airlines has grounded all Boeing 737-9 MAX passenger planes hours after a window and chunk of fuselage blew out of a flight in mid-air shortly after take-off in the US state of Oregon. Photos and videos from passengers showed a gaping hole in the side of the plane next to passenger seats, with oxygen

Despite Russia having significantly greater firepower, its illegal invasion of Ukraine has not gone according to plan. Although Ukraine was not a member of NATO, the West responded to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s appeal for help with a mass of hi-tech weapons and ammunition. However, following nearly two years of high-intensity conflict, both sides are running

An alliance of rebel groups in Myanmar has taken control of a key city in the north of the country after government forces reportedly laid down their weapons and withdrew. The Three Brotherhood Alliance took control of the city of Laukkaing, located on the border with China, late on Thursday. Around 1,000 government troops put

Oscar Pistorius has been freed on parole nearly 11 years after murdering his girlfriend in a case that made global headlines. The former Paralympic champion – once celebrated as the ‘blade runner’ – was granted parole in November and today left a South African jail and is now at home, South Africa’s correctional services department

A full transcript detailing air traffic control conversations moments before the fatal plane crash at Tokyo’s Haneda airport has been released by authorities in Japan. The transcript shows the discussions between the airport’s control tower and the two planes – one a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger jet and the other a smaller coastguard plane –

The leader of Hezbollah has condemned the “dangerous” killing of Hamas’s deputy leader, and warned Israel there will be “no ceiling and no rules” if it wages war on Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah vowed Hezbollah “will not be silent” following the killing of Saleh al Arouri in a drone strike in southern Beirut yesterday. Hezbollah has

At least 20 people have been killed at a cemetery in Iran where a ceremony was being held to mark the 2020 killing of Iran’s top commander Qassem Soleimani, state media has reported. The reports added there were two explosions at the site in the city of Kerman where the former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Hamas has said one of its top officials, Saleh al Arouri, has been killed in an explosion in Beirut – blaming the “cowardly assassination” on Israel. Al Arouri was one of the founders of Hamas’s military wing and the deputy leader of the group’s political bureau. He also headed Hamas’s presence in the West Bank.

As firefighters and rescue crews work on the ground following a huge plane fire at Tokyo’s Haneda airport in Japan, investigators behind the scenes will try to piece together how it happened. Captured in dramatic footage from the scene, a Japan Airlines aircraft can be seen bursting into flames and moving along the runway in

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

A tsunami warning has been issued after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 hit Japan. The warning, issued by the country’s meteorological agency, covers western coastal regions of Ishikawa, Niigata and Toyama. Hokuriku Electric Power said it was checking for any irregularities at its nuclear power plants, Japanese broadcaster NHK said. Waves of

Britain is reportedly considering air strikes on Houthi rebels after the US Navy sank three boats that had been targeting a container ship in the Red Sea. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the government would not hesitate to take “direct action” to prevent further attacks on shipping. It comes after the US military said four

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

Houthi rebels in Yemen are showing no signs of ending their “reckless” attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a top US navy commander has warned. Attacks on commercial vessels in the region have continued even as more nations join the international maritime mission to secure the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick

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.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy started 2023 full of optimism. In Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces had demonstrated they could push Russian invaders back, and Western confidence in Ukraine’s ability to prevail was growing. Despite the risks to domestic national security, Western nations donated huge quantities of weapons, ammunition and high-tech capability from national stockpiles to support Ukraine’s proposed

Russia has launched one of its biggest aerial barrages on Ukraine since the start of the invasion, killing at least 27 people and wounding 144 others. Several cities were struck overnight as Russia launched more than 100 missiles and dozens of drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, with most of them being shot down. Ukrainian

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