World

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

Iran and Pakistan have accused each other of harbouring terrorists.  Fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force undertook a series of coordinated and targeted strikes using extended-range munitions against seven terrorist hideouts in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran. Follow live: US hits more Houthi targets – Pakistan explains Iran strikes In a statement,

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

China has criticised the UK, US and other governments for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election. Beijing accused several nations of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” after world leaders sent messages to president-elect Lai Ching-te following his victory on Saturday. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and considers it a breakaway

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

A football team from Martinique which made an 8,000 mile (12,900km) round-trip to play a cup tie in France lost the match 12-0. Golden Lion are the reigning champions on the island, an overseas region of France in the Caribbean, and one of several teams from outside the country to enter the French cup. Unfortunately

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

Israel’s defence minister has outlined his vision for the next stage of the war in Gaza, including a more targeted approach in the north while fighting Hamas in the south “for as long as necessary”. Yoav Gallant explained his proposal for how Gaza could be run once Hamas is defeated, with Israel keeping security control

A drone boat packed with explosives has detonated in the Red Sea. The US navy says the vessel belonged to Houthi rebels, and no damage or casualties have been reported since the blast. Houthis, who control much of Yemen and are aligned with Iran, have launched multiple attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II rode through the country’s capital in a gilded, horse-drawn coach as she concluded her New Year celebrations and made her final public appearance as monarch before abdicating this month. Europe’s current longest-serving monarch will step down on Sunday 14 January – exactly 52 years to the day of her accession to

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