World

French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed to Xi Jinping to “bring Russia back to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table” over the Ukraine war. The Chinese leader called for peace talks but he gave no indication that Beijing would use its leverage as President Vladimir Putin‘s diplomatic partner to press for

Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukaemia after he was admitted to hospital, Reuters reports. The 86-year-old was being treated in intensive care at Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on Wednesday after suffering breathing problems. Reuters cited a source who said he had been diagnosed with leukaemia, confirming what was previously reported

A man armed with a hatchet has killed four children after he attacked a nursery in Brazil. At least three others are injured and have been taken to hospital. The man has been arrested in the southern city of Blumenau. Local media reports that the attacker scaled a wall to enter the nursey, named Cantinho

A 68-year-old Spanish actress has revealed how she used her son’s DNA to create a surrogate baby – to fulfil his dying wish to have a child. Ana Obregón said Aless Lequio García’s sperm was preserved before his death from cancer in 2020 – with the intention of conceiving a child with a surrogate mother.

Finland has officially become a member of NATO after concerns over Russia’s aggression. The Kremlin has said it could be forced to take “counter measures” to ensure its own border’s security in response. Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, setting aside years of military nonalignment to seek protection under the organisation’s security umbrella

A senior Islamic state leader who was responsible for planning ISIS attacks into Europe has been killed in Syria by the United States. Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri died in a unilateral strike that did not kill or injure any civilians, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Monday. He was a “senior ISIS

For Donald Trump’s most entrenched supporters, this indictment is simply another cause to rally around. They gather on one side of the bridge that links the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate with Palm Beach, eagerly awaiting the passing of his motorcade on the way to the airport. Some wave Trump 2024 flags, others hold signs saying

Russian officials say they have arrested a suspect over the death of a pro-war military blogger killed in an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg. Daria Trepova, 26, has been detained following the death of Vladlen Tatarsky in the blast, which took place at a cafe as he held a talk on Sunday, Russia’s

One person has died and at least 16 people have been injured in a blast in a cafe in St Petersburg, Russia. Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky died in the explosion, the Russian interior ministry said. Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had more than 560,000 followers on Telegram and was one of

Paris is voting on whether to ban rental e-scooters across the city. Self-hire e-scooters were first introduced to the French capital in 2018 as a greener alternative to cars and the public transport network. But an increased number of accidents and “irresponsible use” has seen Mayor Anne Hidalgo call a referendum on whether they should

Women will be prosecuted “without mercy” if they are seen in public without a veil, Iran’s judiciary chief has warned. Following protests in recent months, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Saturday: “Unveiling is tantamount to enmity with [our] values. “Those who commit such anomalous acts will be punished and will be prosecuted without mercy.” He

In the vast windswept cemetery on the outskirts of Dnipro low clouds drift and mist drizzles over the graves of the fallen in this war. There is no noise apart from the flapping of hundreds of Ukraine flags – blue for the sky, yellow for the wheatfields of this farming country. Mounds of freshly dug

The mother of Reeva Steenkamp has said Oscar Pistorius is “not remorseful or rehabilitated” ahead of a parole hearing that will decide if he will be freed from prison after he shot and killed his girlfriend in 2013. June Steenkamp said she was feeling “very stressed” ahead of the parole hearing which must determine if

In the midst of a comeback, it is quite the comedown. The courthouse in New York’s Bowery district – aka ‘Skid Row’ before its gentrification – has seen its share of society’s sad cases through the years. A former president could hardly fall any further. And yet its to this setting that Donald Trump will

Pope Francis is “progressively improving”, the Vatican has said, after he was admitted to hospital with a respiratory infection. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old – who had part of one lung removed as a young man – had rested well overnight. He ate breakfast, read the newspapers and was working from his room at

Pope Francis will need to spend “a few days” in hospital for treatment for a respiratory infection, the Vatican says. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old had complained of breathing difficulties in recent days and went to the Gemelli hospital for tests. The pontiff does not have COVID-19 but requires several days of therapy, he

On the southeast coast of South Korea its military is rehearsing. It’s simulating the storming of a contested beach. Waves of KAAV amphibious assault vehicles crash on to the sand, groups of infantry disembark and run to take up positions. It is an impressive display with a precise focus, to defend peace on this peninsula.

The boulevards of central Paris were once again choking up with the fog of tear gas. But even through the haze it’s clear this is becoming a significant crisis for President Macron’s government. Tens of thousands of people marched on the streets as part of rolling demonstrations organised by the unions. But they soon deteriorated

Several people have died in a fire at a migrant facility in northern Mexico, near to the US border, according to reports. Two local government sources told Reuters news agency there were at least 10 fatalities – while volunteer rescue workers said up to 37 people had been killed in the blaze. Footage from the

A pause – not a halt After hours hidden out of sight and in emergency negotiations with his coalition partners, Benjamin Netanyahu eventually bowed to the inevitable. As the sun was going down on an extraordinary day in Israel, news emerged that a deal had been struck. The party of Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would