2 h. ago Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Iran’s supreme leader makes first public appearance since Israel war

People burst into cheers and chanted slogans as Ayatollah Khamenei entered a mosque in Tehran, state TV showed

Politics

3 h. ago The UN is our best defence against a third world war. As Trump wields the axe, who will fight to save it? | Simon Tisdall

If the US cuts off the cash it will have world-changing effects, but it’s not the only country falling short in its obligations to the United Nations The United Nations and its agencies have long struggled with funding shortfalls. Now an entrenched problem is becoming an acute crisis in the shadow of Donald Trump’s executioner’s axe. The US is the biggest contributor, at 22%, to the UN’s core budget. In February, the White House announced a six-month review of US membership of all international organisations, conventions and treaties, including the UN, with a view to reducing or ending funding – and possible withdrawal. The deadline for decapitation falls next month.Trump’s abolition of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and scrapping of most aid programmes, has already badly damaged UN-led and UN-backed humanitarian operations, which rely on discretionary funding. Yet Trump’s axe symbolises a more fundamental threat – to multilateralism and the much-battered inter...

Politics

3 h. ago Sandy Gall: Journalist who took on war zones around the world

As well as being one of the faces of ITV’s ‘News at Ten’, the foreign correspondent forged a career covering the world’s most dangerous places

Events

5 h. ago Vladimir Putin's war machine 'given £127m in taxes from Glasgow firm shipping Russian gas'

Seapeak Maritime Ltd manages seven 'shadow tankers' which ferry gas from Russia to the rest of the world, helping to bankroll Putin's war on Ukraine.

Economics

29 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: power to Zaporizhzhia plant cut off as UN watchdog warns nuclear safety ‘extremely precarious’

IAEA chief says electricity restored after 3½ hours as Ukraine blames Russian shelling for outage; Kyiv accuses Putin of ‘humiliating’ Trump with attack on capital. What we know on day 1,228Read all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Events

38 h. ago Jamie Smith’s sensational century gives England hope but India seize their moment

Second Test, D3: India 587 and 60-1; England 407Wicketkeeper hits unbeaten 184 but India in chargePressure? What pressure? Or to pinch a line from Keith Miller, the great Australian all-rounder and a fighter pilot during second world war: “There is no pressure in Test cricket. Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse.”Notwithstanding this old truism, there was still a fair bit on the line when Jamie Smith strode out to middle at 11.12am here on the third morning. Joe Root had been uncharacteristically strangled down leg, Ben Stokes had been blown away by a brutish first ball and Mohammed Siraj, a fiery fast bowler known to get on a roll, was eyeing up a hat-trick. Oh, and England were 84 for five, 503 runs behind India’s first innings. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago US and Ukraine to work on strengthening air defences, Zelenskyy says, after call Trump says was ‘meaningful’ – Europe live

All-night attack on Kyiv followed conversation between US president and PutinRussian drone attack on KyivKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would continue its war on Ukraine as it was unable to achieve its goals through “diplomatic means.”“We are interested in achieving our goals in the course of the special military operation and it is preferable to do it by political and diplomatic means,” Peskov said, as reported by AFP.“But until that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation.” Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago Dutch intelligence services say Russia has stepped up use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine

Two Dutch intelligence agencies say that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin

Events

42 h. ago Zelenskyy has ‘important, meaningful’ call with Trump after huge Russian attack on Kyiv – Europe live

All-night attack on Kyiv as US president says he was ‘disappointed’ over his call with PutinRussian drone attack on KyivKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would continue its war on Ukraine as it was unable to achieve its goals through “diplomatic means.”“We are interested in achieving our goals in the course of the special military operation and it is preferable to do it by political and diplomatic means,” Peskov said, as reported by AFP.“But until that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation.” Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine ‘widespread and growing’ European intelligence warns

Moscow is accused of using deadly choking agent chloropicrin to flush Kyiv’s troops out of trenches

Events

47 h. ago Russia launches hundreds of drones at Ukraine just hours after Putin

All-night attack on Kyiv injured at least 23 people, damaging railway infrastructure and setting buildings and cars on fire throughout the cityPolish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told US president Donald Trump in a social media post that Russia’s Vladimir Putin was “mocking your peace efforts” as he urged him to “restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor.”Sikorski added that the massive Russian attack last night has caused “fires and much damage, including to the Polish consulate in Kyiv.” Continue reading...

Politics

50 h. ago Explosions rock Kyiv as Putin's forces bombard Ukraine's capital and Trump says 'no progress' on ceasefire

Air raid alerts sound through the night as Putin’s forces launch waves of attacks

Events

51 h. ago How War of the Worlds became Spielberg’s most controversial movie: ‘He lost his sense of decency’

Arriving four years after the attack on the Twin Towers, Spielberg’s loose adaptation of the HG Wells classic – which turned 20 this week – utilised 9/11 imagery and a very era-specific sense of American panic to tell the story of an alien invasion. Many championed it. Others found it tasteless, writes Al Horner

Events

51 h. ago How War of the Worlds became one of Spielberg’s most controversial movies: ‘He lost his sense of decency’

Arriving four years after the attack on the Twin Towers, Spielberg’s loose adaptation of the HG Wells classic – which turned 20 this week – utilised 9/11 imagery and a very era-specific sense of American panic to tell the story of an alien invasion. Many championed it. Others found it tasteless, writes Al Horner

Events

55 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Trump says he ‘didn’t make any progress’ with Putin after call

Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv hours after presidents’ phone call; US company Techmet to bid in first pilot project of US-Ukraine minerals fund. What we know on day 1,227Read all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

Politics

63 h. ago Airstrikes and shootings kill 94 Palestinians in Gaza including dozens trying to get aid, officials say

Israel is facing ongoing criticism of its handling of food aid in the war-torn enclave, as efforts to forge a ceasefire continue

Events

69 h. ago Second World War hero says secret to reaching 106 is classic UK food he eats each day

Leslie Lemon celebrated his 106th birthday recently and has shared what he believes is the reason for his long life.

Society

3 d. ago Tensions are rising between Russia and Azerbaijan. Why is it happening now?

A rift has developed between Russia and Azerbaijn

Events

3 d. ago Ukraine war briefing: Washington downplays halt of some weapons shipments as Kyiv calls in US ambassador

Ukraine warns that any cut-off will ‘only encourage the aggressor’ while Pentagon spokesperson says Donald Trump still has ‘robust options’ for military aid to Ukraine. What we know on day 1,226Read all our Ukraine war coverageA decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv on Wednesday that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. Ukraine said it had called in the acting US envoy to Kyiv to underline the importance of military aid from Washington continuing, and cautioned that any cut-off would embolden Russia in its war in Ukraine. The Pentagon’s decision – tied to concerns that US military stockpiles are too low – began in recent days and includes 30 Patriot air defence missiles, which Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, four people familiar with the decision told Reuters on Wednesday. It also includes nearly 8,500 155mm artillery shells, ...

Events

3 d. ago One household item could save you during WW3 after government's chilling warning

The government has advised UK citizens on how best to prepare for emergencies, including packing a 'grab bag', as the world continues to teeter on the edge of all-out war

Events