World

Global economies face a period of lacklustre growth and pressure from rising debt piles, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. In an assessment that may chime with Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she ponders her first budget, managing director Kristalina Georgieva warned that growth will not deliver the tax revenues required to

Bondi Beach was shut after thousands of mysterious tar balls washed up on Australian shores in recent days. The popular tourist attraction was among seven beaches that were totally, or partially, shut in Sydney on the east coast. Tar balls are formed when oil comes into contact with debris and water, often as a result

Thomas Tuchel has told Sky News he will “start learning” the national anthem following questions over whether he will sing it before England games. The 51-year-old German, who has been officially unveiled as the Three Lions’ new head coach, told a news conference he had not yet made up his mind over the issue. However,

Police in Ireland have launched a murder investigation after an eight-year-old boy went missing from his home. Kyran Durnin was last seen in Drogheda, County Louth, on 30 August, and is presumed dead, Irish police said. “Despite extensive enquiries carried out to date, we have been unable to either locate Kyran, identify any information on

Archaeologists have discovered a secret tomb at the Treasury monument in Petra, Jordan – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A long-buried tomb containing the remains of 12 ancient skeletons and grave offerings were found beneath the monument after research teams used remote sensing technology. The discovery comes more than two decades after

Zoo experts are investigating after nine monkeys died in two days in Hong Kong’s oldest zoo. Eight of the animals were found dead on Sunday and another died on Monday after displaying unusual behaviour at Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Parts of the zoo have been sealed off and disinfected and experts have been

Canada and India have each expelled six diplomats in tit-for-tat moves in an escalating row over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in September last year there were credible allegations the Indian government was linked to the assassination in his country of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in

Israel has named the four teenage victims of a Hezbollah drone strike on a military base – as at least 23 people were reportedly killed in an attack on a central Gaza school. Local hospitals said the school in Nuseirat was sheltering people displaced by the war when it was hit on Sunday night. Israel

Ukraine says nine of its “drone operators and contractors” have been killed by Russian troops after they had surrendered. DeepState, a Ukrainian battlefield analysis site close to Ukraine’s defence ministry, alleges the prisoners of war were shot on 10 October in the Russian region of Kursk, where Kyiv launched an incursion in August. Ukraine’s human

Stargazers across the globe managed to capture the “comet of the century” as it whizzed across the northern hemisphere.  Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, did not disappoint astronomers who were anticipating how bright and visible it might be as it came within approximately 44 million miles of Earth on Saturday. Snaps from across the

Scottish DJ and producer Jackmaster has died aged 38 after suffering a head injury, his family has said. The musician, whose real name was Jack Revill, died in Ibiza on Saturday morning following complications arising from the accidental injury, according to a statement posted on his Instagram page. “It is with profound sorrow that we

Police in the US have found drugs inside a bag labelled “definitely not a bag full of drugs”.  The stash was discovered in Portland, Oregon, when officers stopped a driver and passenger inside an allegedly stolen car. Posting about the incident on X, Portland Police Bureau said scales, cash and a loaded gun were also

Eighteen people needed medical attention during an opera that features nuns, sex scenes, mutilation and real blood. Florentina Holzinger’s Sancta also includes naked roller-skating nuns and a depiction of a wall of crucified naked bodies. During performances on 5 and 6 October in Stuttgart, Germany, 18 people needed medical attention from staff, a spokesperson for

Breakdancers have been warned repetitive headspins may cause them to develop a “cone-head”. It follows the case of a man in his 30s in Denmark who developed a “breakdance bulge” after “extensive” breakdancing for almost two decades. Image: An MRI scan shows the ‘breakdance bulge’ on the man’s head. Pic: BMJ Case Reports/PA His training

A UN inquiry has accused Israel of carrying out a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system in actions that amount to war crimes and “extermination”. Navi Pillay, a former UN high commissioner for human rights who is chairing the inquiry, said Israel has carried out “relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities”

A woman was forced to flee her home after 50 to 100 raccoons surrounded it and demanded food – hounding her day and night. She told officials in Poulsbo, in the US state of Washington, she started feeding a family of raccoons decades ago. That seemed harmless until the number showing up at her property