World

Syria’s new rebel leaders are facing the daunting task of healing a divided nation – and the toppling of the Assad regime has not put an end to fighting in the country. In northern Syria, Turkey-backed opposition fighters are still battling US-allied Kurdish forces, while both Israel and the US have today launched airstrikes on

The lightning collapse of Bashar al Assad’s regime in Syria exposes the brittleness of even the most brutal dictatorship when under pressure, but it also creates a security vacuum that carries great risk. Once the scenes of rebel euphoria subside on the streets, much will rest on the powerful group, Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS),

The sound of psalms and hymns echoed hauntingly across Paris. Musical notes reaching the ears of those beyond the newly restored walls of Notre-Dame. Despite the bitterly cold and driving rain, masses lined the Seine to witness and be near this beloved French monument at its moment of triumph. The lights illuminating the spire on

An explosion has destroyed several apartments and injured multiple people in the Netherlands. Residents of Mariahoeve neighbourhood in The Hague said they heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. One woman told local media she thought there had been an earthquake. Part of one apartment complex collapsed and a fire broke out. Four people

Any evidence that Russia tried to influence an election in a NATO state would expose a form of hybrid attack that is designed to weaken the alliance from within. So-called “political influence operations”, which can use social media to amplify a particular candidate to boost their chances of success, are deliberately difficult to attribute –

Prince William will be attending the ceremony marking the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday. The world-famous cathedral burned in a devastating fire in 2019. Now, after more than five years of frenetic reconstruction work, the 12th-century landmark has been revived. A spokesman for Kensington Palace said on Friday: “The Prince of Wales will travel

Russia’s ability to outmatch Ukraine with artillery barrages on the battlefield has significantly reduced to just 1.5 Russian rounds for every Ukrainian shell fired back, Western officials have said. This compares with Russian forces launching at least five times as many artillery rounds as Ukraine could in the war previously – with the ratio at times

Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians during its war against Hamas in Gaza. The human rights group said Israel sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by launching deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of food, medicine and other aid. It said such actions met the legal threshold for the

Georgia’s prime minister had vowed to punish those participating in the anti-government protests that have engulfed the capital Tbilisi. On Wednesday, it seems, the crackdown began. Police launched multiple raids on opposition party offices, with one leader reportedly detained and beaten unconscious. In footage shared by the Coalition for Change party, its leader Nika Gvaramia

A gunman has tried to assassinate a prominent Indian politician at the Golden Temple in the Indian city of Amritsar, The assailant fired at Sukhbir Singh Badal, the former deputy chief minister of Punjab, at one of the holiest shrines in the Sikh religion on Wednesday. No injuries were reported. The suspect, later identified as

Russian President Vladimir Putin is using Ukraine as a “testing ground for experimental missiles” and is “not interested in peace”, NATO’s secretary general has warned. Mark Rutte made the remarks as foreign ministers from the alliance’s 32 members gathered in Brussels for a two-day meeting where there will be several discussions on Ukraine. In a

Three climbers are missing after failing to return from a planned ascent of New Zealand’s highest peak, authorities say. Two Americans and a Canadian flew to a hut part way up the Aoraki mountain on Saturday to begin their climb, but failed to meet their prearranged transport on Monday after their trek. Both Kurt Blair,

Fianna Fail is the largest party in Ireland on 48 seats out of 174 in parliament, with Sinn Fein on 39 and Fine Gael on 38. Fianna Fail also secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s vote, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. The result, after three

Two people have died and more than 30 others have been injured after their coach crashed on a mountainous road in the Pyrenees in southern France. A total of 47 people including the driver were on board when the collision happened on Sunday at 5pm near the ski resort of Porte-Puymorens, the regional administration said.

Violence has broken out in Georgia for a fourth night in a row – with fireworks fired at police who hit back with tear gas and water cannon. The unrest – over the freezing of talks to join the EU – also appears to be spreading beyond the capital Tbilisi. People turned out again on

Donald Trump promised retribution on the campaign trail and his nomination of ultra-loyalist Kash Patel to FBI director is a sure-fire sign that he plans to deliver on it. That bodes ill for a huge cast of characters, across the US’s top law enforcement agency and the Department of Justice, who have sought to investigate