6 d. ago ‘I look up to her’: Phoebe Litchfield learning from captain Alyssa Healy at Women’s Cricket World Cup

Young gun inspired by Healy’s back-to-back centuries and 7,000 international runsAustralia has locked in semi-final place and next plays EnglandPhoebe Litchfield may go on to become an all-time batting star for Australia, but for the moment the young gun is simply enjoying the best view in the house as her fellow opener and skipper shows her the path to success.Litchfield watched in awe from the other end as Alyssa Healy first caned India on Sunday then Bangladesh on Wednesday for thrilling back-to-back centuries that have helped to push the champions into the semi-finals in their Women’s Cricket World Cup title defence. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago NATO jets scramble to intercept Putin spy plane off Norway as WW3 fears escalate

Two NATO F35 stealth fighters have been sent to intercept a Russian spy plane flying near Norway amid heightened tensions as Vladimir Putin continues to test Western defences

Politics

9 d. ago Russia could strike ‘deep into Europe’, Poland’s foreign minister warns

Radoslaw Sikorski urged European leaders to invest in a drone wall to defend the continent’s eastern flank

Events

9 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Poland minister shows Shahed drone and warns of ‘deep’ Russian threat

Radoslaw Sikorski, speaking in London, urges drone wall and three-year plan to back Ukraine; Odesa mayor’s ‘citizenship suspended’. What we know on day 1,330 Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago ‘People screamed. Cried. Threw up’: 10 extraordinary life lessons from Ozzy Osbourne’s new memoir

The man who ended up smoking 30 cigars a day after trying to quit cigarettes also comes across in his book as level-headed, self-aware and savagely funny. Here’s what the late rock legend can teach us about addiction, fame and how to choose just the right support act“Here’s the thing, man,” wonders the late Ozzy Osbourne in his new memoir. “Why would anyone want life advice from me?”Yes, he gave us Iron Man, War Pigs, Planet Caravan and so many other metal classics. But, by his own admission, Osbourne was also a criminal, a cheat and an addict, who routinely risked his and others’ lives and bit the head off a bat. (In his defence, he says, he thought it was a toy.) Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Vladimir Putin 'discussing attack on NATO' as warning issued to all of Europe

EU defence chief Andrius Kubilius said the continent should be prepared to defend itself from Russia and take a leaf out of Ukraine's book when it comes to drones

Events

3 w. ago Britain will be forced to build its own 'drone wall' after EU leaders UK military leaders out of talks

Britain will be forced to build its own 'drone wall' after EU leaders froze UK military leaders out of talks. EU officials met to speed up plans to defend the eastern flank, leaving this country exposed.

Events

3 w. ago Europe in ‘most dangerous situation’ since second world war, Danish PM warns

Mette Frederiksen tells EU leaders all countries are affected by ‘Russian hybrid war’ via drones or sabotageEurope live – latest updatesEurope is in its “most difficult and dangerous situation” since the end of the second world war, Denmark’s prime minister has said at an EU summit dedicated to advancing the continent’s battle readiness by the end of the decade.Mette Frederiksen is hosting EU leaders in Copenhagen for talks on aiding Ukraine and firming up European defence projects intended to ensure the continent is ready to deter invaders by 2030. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Europe ‘in most difficult and dangerous situation since second world war,’ Danish PM warns – Europe live

Mette Frederiksen says she backs the European Commission’s proposal for a reparation loan for Ukraine, secured on frozen Russian assetsSiliņa says the EU should move on drones very quickly, as she rejects some criticism that fully developing the bloc’s “drone wall” could take up to three-four years.“We don’t need three years, and I believe we can do it in a much shorter time.It just depends on the leaders [if] we can agree on a much shorter time, because with drones, how they’re developing so fast, three years is too long.” Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Nato ramps up defences in Baltic Sea as drones menace military bases and airports across Europe in ‘hybrid war attack’

NATO has ramped up defences in the Baltic Sea after mysterious drones continued to menace military bases and airports across Europe. It comes just a day after suspected drones swooped over Denmark's largest military base - sparking security fears. More drones were observed over Danish military sites overnight for the second straight day, Denmark's army said...

Events

3 w. ago Britain will create 'drone wall' to protect Nato and Ukraine from Russia amid rising tensions over suspected Kremlin incursions

The British made drones have been developed in collaboration with Ukraine as the countries scramble to protect the alliance's eastern flank amid threats from Vladimir Putin's jets and drones.

Events

3 w. ago ‘A donkey cart out of El Fasher costs more than a new car’: how 500 days under siege is tearing the city apart

The ongoing attacks on North Darfur’s capital has left its people facing starvation, blockade and bombardment, with scant hope of reliefSpecial report: ‘We will never, ever escape’: inside the ever-tightening siege of the Sudanese city of El FasherFor 17 months, since May 2024, El Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, has been trapped in one of the longest urban sieges of modern warfare, a slow war of attrition that recalls the destruction of Stalingrad and the starvation of Leningrad, combining both cruelties in a single city.The siege, progressively tightened by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has transformed the city. Trenches cut through neighbourhoods. Civilians move block by block in search of safety, while self-defence groups fight alongside entrenched garrisons. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Frontline European countries to develop 'drone wall' to control Russian attacks after Danish airports buzzed for third night in a row

The Kremlin has instigated a continent-wide offensive, brazenly invading Polish, Estonian, Romanian and Danish airspace in recent weeks.

Events

3 w. ago EU to move forward with plans for drone wall amid Russian incursions

Ministers aim to bolster defences after spate of airspace violations, amid rising momentum for €140bn loan to UkraineThe EU has agreed to move forward with plans for a drone wall at the heart of its eastern defences, as momentum grows for a €140bn loan to Ukraine, based on Russian frozen assets.After a meeting with ministers from 10 mostly central and eastern European member states, plus Ukraine, the EU’s defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, said a drone wall to protect against incursions from the skies was an immediate priority and core element of the bloc’s eastern flank defences. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago EU ‘drone wall’ to protect entire continent, says defence chief

Europe aims for interlinked defences after spate of Russian airspace violations

Events

4 w. ago Russia has bad intentions towards the whole world, Polish PM says, as EU countries and Ukraine discuss ‘drone wall’ – Europe live

Numerous European countries to discuss plans to counter growing threat of incursions later todayPolish prime minister Donald Tusk warned that “Russia has ill intentions towards the whole world” as he spoke about the need for European allies to remain united and vigilant in the face of Moscow’s increasingly aggressive stance.“European allies have never been so united... we need to be vigilant. Russia has ill intentions towards the whole world, and those who border with it are the first to feel it,” Tusk told reporters when asked about recent drone incidents, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago European countries to hold talks on ‘drone wall’ later today to counter growing threat – Europe live

Numerous EU countries and Ukraine to discuss plans to counter growing threat of incursions from Russia and other actors Numerous European countries are holding talks this afternoon on the bloc’s plans for “a drone wall” to counter growing threat of incursions from Russia or other actors.The issue is seen as increasingly urgent after recent Russian drone incursions into Lithuania, Poland and Romania, and recent run of so far unattributed drone sightings over Denmark. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago European countries meet to discuss a 'drone wall' as airspace violations mount

Representatives from European countries with borders close to Russia and Ukraine are holding talks on building a drone wall to plug gaps in their defenses following several airspace violations

Events

4 w. ago Europe prepares for war with Putin: EU plans 'drone wall' to stop Russian attacks as Poland vows to shoot down UAVs over Ukraine and Kremlin threatens direct conflict with NATO

Ten nations, including Denmark, Finland, and Poland will join Ukraine at a summit to thrash out plans for what EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has described as 'the bedrock of credible defence.'

Events

4 w. ago New Zealand man convicted of murder for boarding house fire that killed five tenants

The 2023 Loafers Lodge fire provoked outrage about the dilapidated and often unregulated state of boarding houses in New ZealandA New Zealand jury has convicted a man of murder and arson for setting fire to a Wellington boarding house where he lived that killed five fellow tenants, in a case which provoked outrage about the dilapidated and often unregulated state of boarding houses, which mostly accommodate low-income people with few options.The jury at the high court in Wellington reached the verdicts against Esarona David Lologa after less than three days of deliberations, rejecting the defence of insanity argued by Lologa’s lawyers. Continue reading...

Events