World

A senior Taliban leader has told Prince Harry that the militants he killed in Afghanistan were “not chess pieces, they were humans”. Responding to revelations in Harry’s forthcoming memoir that he killed 25 Taliban fighters, Anas Haqqani tweeted: “Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who

More than 40% of Earth’s glacial mass could disappear if humanity keeps investing in fossil fuels, warns a stark new projection. The bleak scenario would mean more than two thirds of the total number of glaciers would vanish by the end of the century, contributing to ever-increasing sea levels around the world. Lead researcher David

The landscape around the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut has come to resemble a First World War battlefield, the ground carved up by artillery and cut with networks of trenches. For months, Russian forces including Wagner Group mercenaries have relentlessly attacked the city as they pursue full control of the Donbas region, but to no avail.

He made history during his life and now Pope Benedict XVI will do so in death. For the first time in many hundreds of years, the Vatican will hold a funeral service for a former pope, presided over by the present Pope. The service will begin in the morning, after three days in which Benedict’s

Who is Kevin McCarthy and what are his goals if elected speaker? Kevin McCarthy, 57, was first elected to Congress in 2006 and currently serves California’s 23rd district in the House of Representatives. After winning $5,000 (£4,142) on a lottery scratch card at the age of 20, Mr McCarthy took all of his cash and

The coffin of football legend Pele has been carried through the streets of Santos in Brazil as the public paid their final respects to the sporting icon. Thousands of fans gathered to watch the procession to say their last goodbye to the three-time World Cup winner ahead of his private burial. The casket, draped in

Edson Arantes do Nascimento wasn’t born here, and he didn’t die here. But for 19 seasons, Pelé put this place on the map – so much so, the Brazilian government made him an official national treasure, so he couldn’t play anywhere else. The return of a king to his beloved Santos was welcomed with flags,

Thousands of football fans are saying a final farewell to Brazil football hero Pele at the home of his former club Santos. The coffin of the three-time World Cup winner was carried to the centre circle of the Brazilian’s club’s Vila Belmiro stadium where he will lie in state for 24 hours. The sporting icon,

Two helicopters have collided near a marine theme park in the Australian state of Queensland, killing four people and leaving three others critically injured. The mid-air collision, just outside Sea World on the Gold Coast, happened at around 2pm local time when the park would have been busy with families enjoying the summer school holidays.

Brazil officially has a new but familiar president as Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in for the third time. The leftist politician, known as Lula, had held Brazil’s highest office between 2003 and 2010 after three attempts to get the top job. Now aged 77, he entered office having defeated far-right candidate Jair

Pope Francis has prayed for his predecessor Benedict XVI at a special New Year’s Day Mass. At the service in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the pontiff prayed aloud for Benedict and implored the Virgin Mary to “accompany him in his passage to the hands” of God. It comes after the Pope Emeritus, as

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced strikes on Ukraine and accused Vladimir Putin of hiding, as explosions rocked locations across the country on the final day of the year. People throughout Ukraine were urged to take cover on New Year’s Eve amid what Ukrainian officials said was a barrage of Russian missiles. One person has been killed

Former pope Benedict XVI, who became the first pontiff to resign in some 600 years, has died aged 95. Pope Francis, who replaced him as head of the Catholic Church, had asked the faithful to pray for him at the end of his general audience on Wednesday morning. The Vatican said Benedict’s body will lie

People arriving in England from mainland China will have to provide a negative COVID test before flying, the government has said. A growing list of countries, including the US, have announced similar rules in recent days. The Department of Health and Social Care said the “precautionary and temporary” measure would take effect from 5 January.

Brazil has entered three days of mourning following the death of football superstar Pele. The 82-year-old – the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player – died on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. A 24-hour wake will be held on Monday in the centre of the field at

Brazilian football star Pele has died at the age of 82, his agent has confirmed. The former Santos FC star, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had been at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo since 29 November. A medical report just before Christmas showed that he needed