98 m. ago King and Starmer join veterans at thanksgiving service to mark 80th anniversary of VE Day

VE day marks 80 years since Germany officially surrendered to the Allied powers, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe

Politics

7 h. ago Pakistan and India trade accusations of drone attacks as conflict escalates

Pakistani military official accuses Delhi of ‘another blatant act of aggression’ a day after Indian strikes killed dozensPakistan and India accused each other of overnight drone and missile attacks, with Delhi claiming to have thwarted strikes on more than a dozen cities and Islamabad claiming to have shot down 25 Indian drones.The allegations levelled on both sides marked a stark escalation of the conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations, after Indian missile strikes on Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday killed 31 people. Continue reading...

Events

9 h. ago VE Day latest: King to attend service as UK marks 80 year anniversary of allied victory in Europe

VE day marks 80 years since Germany officially surrendered to the Allied powers, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe

Politics

10 h. ago VE Day latest: UK marks 80 year anniversary of allied victory in Europe with country

VE day marks 80 years since Germany officially surrendered to the Allied powers, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe

Politics

10 h. ago Germany will turn away migrants without papers at the border under pledge by new chancellor Friedrich Merz as he scraps Angela Merkel's disastrous open doors policy on first day in office

Newly elected German chancellor Friedrich Merz has scrapped Angela Merkel's open border policy, and has issued orders to turn undocumented migrants away from the nation. 

Events

10 h. ago LGBT ban victims take part in official VE Day celebrations for the first time

They'll take part in a service at Westminster Abbey, and in a concert in the evening on nearby Horse Guards Parade

Politics

10 h. ago VE Day latest: Britain marks 80 years since allied victory in Europe with celebrations across the country

VE day marks 80 years since Germany officially surrendered to the Allied powers, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe

Politics

24 h. ago Vance calls US and Europe ‘real friends’ but says Trump wants self

Vice-president also jokes about his confrontational speech at Munich security conference, telling interviewer US and Europe ‘got a little bit off track’Biden accuses Trump of ‘modern-day appeasement’ towards RussiaBritain is in “active discussions” with US officials over the extraordinary 100% tariff on all movies produced outside the US proposed by Donald Trump, as it tries to protect one of its biggest creative industries.“We are already in active discussions with the top of the US administration on this subject. We are working hard to establish what might be proposed, if anything, and to make sure our world-beating creative industries are protected,” creative industries minister Chris Bryant told parliament. Continue reading...

Politics

26 h. ago New German government plans to boost border controls to curb migration

Germany’s new government says it will start increasing border controls to clamp down on migration

Politics

26 h. ago Jury deliberates for 2nd day in trial of 3 former Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols' death

Jurors are deliberating for a second day in the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols

Events

26 h. ago Friedrich Merz arrives as a humbled new German chancellor – but that may not be the worst way to start | Jörg Lau

Defeat in the first round of a confirmation vote was humiliating. It could be the lesson Merz needed to change his leadership styleThere goes the cliche about German politics being stable but dull. Germany finally has a new leader, but only after a day of drama, suspense and historic twists. The conservative Friedrich Merz failed to secure a majority confirming him as chancellor in the first round of voting in the Bundestag. In eight decades of postwar Germany, this has never happened before.When Merz’s cabinet was finally sworn in later on Tuesday afternoon, after a successful second round, both parties in the governing coalition – the conservative CDU/CSU and the Social Democrats (SPD) – were eager to play down the failure as a mere hiccup. But the high drama indicates a new degree of fragmentation and instability in the German party system. It is certain to affect the way this new administration will govern.Jörg Lau is an international correspondent for the German weekly Die Zeit...

Politics

27 h. ago Challenges facing Europe ‘enormous’, says Merz on first trip abroad

The new German chancellor promised a ‘push for Europe’ in a joint press conference with Emmanuel Macron in ParisFrance and Germany will seek to jumpstart their relationship, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz have said on the new German chancellor’s first trip abroad, working “systematically together” in a “new push for Europe”.Merz told the two leaders’ joint news conference in Paris on Wednesday that a reset in Franco-German relations was vital to help Europe become more secure, competitive and unified so it can overcome “enormous” security and economic challenges. Continue reading...

Politics

31 h. ago Ryan Reynolds got unexpected phone call when he told Wrexham stars 'call me for anything'

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has revealed that one Red Dragons player took his open-door policy a little too literally following another promotion for the Welsh side

Politics

33 h. ago Friedrich Merz to visit Warsaw and Paris in first trip as German chancellor to stress European unity

Friedrich Merz has made his world-affairs debut as Germany’s new chancellor

Events

44 h. ago Friedrich Merz warns the US to ‘stay out’ of Germany’s politics

Germany’s new chancellor cautions after far-right AfD receive strong backing from Donald Trump alliesGermany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned the US to “stay out” of his country’s politics after the far-right AfD received strong backing from allies of the US president, Donald Trump.Merz, 69, a conservative who was elected as chancellor of Europe’s biggest economy earlier in the day, also said he planned to speak by phone with Trump on Thursday. Continue reading...

Events

44 h. ago Friedrich Merz calls for US to ‘stay out’ of German politics

Germany’s new chancellor issued warning after far-right AfD received strong backing from Donald Trump alliesGermany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned the US to “stay out” of his country’s politics after the far-right AfD received strong backing from allies of the US president, Donald Trump.Merz, 69, a conservative who was elected as chancellor of Europe’s biggest economy earlier in the day, also said he planned to speak by phone with Trump on Thursday. Continue reading...

Politics

48 h. ago Germany’s Merz confirmed as chancellor in second parliamentary vote after shock first

New leader suffered humiliating loss in the first round, falling six votes short of an absolute majority

Politics

48 h. ago The Guardian view on Germany’s political uncertainty: Merz must recover from this rocky start | Editorial

The initial failure of coalition members to back the new chancellor in sufficient numbers was a bad beginning at a treacherous moment for the nationThe election of Friedrich Merz as chancellor by German legislators on Tuesday morning was meant to end months of political instability, since the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s government half a year ago – itself the result of bitter infighting at the top. Many fear that this could be the last chance to keep out the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). But the humiliating result of the first ballot – in which Mr Merz became the first chancellor designate to fail to secure the majority needed in the Bundestag since the second world war – was a bad beginning.It was supposed to be a straightforward confirmation; instead, he was hobbled by rebels from his own coalition. Only 310 of its 328 legislators backed him, short of the 316 required. He was approved by 325 in a hastily scheduled second&nb...

Politics

49 h. ago Foreign Office issues VE Day warning for heightened threat to travellers

The advice particularly affects cities including Lviv, Odesa and Kyiv in the run up to the anniversary of the end of the Second World War

Events

50 h. ago Friedrich Merz WINS second vote to become German chancellor hours after suffering humiliating defeat that sparked calls for his resignation

Germany had been thrown into political chaos earlier today as Merz's bid to become the country's 10th chancellor shockingly failed in the first round of voting in parliament by just six votes this morning.

Politics