World

Warfare is a brutal and unforgiving undertaking.  However, the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of its people and its national interests, so military capability is a cornerstone of national capability. But, military forces provide options and are a means to an end – not an end in itself – and when all

North Korea says it has tested an underwater nuclear attack drone in response to a “reckless” and “hostile” combined naval exercise by the US, South Korea and Japan. The underwater drone, which North Korea claims can carry a nuclear weapon, was first tested by the country in 2023. The system, named Haeil-5-23, was also tested

An aircraft hangar and fuselage have been hired by the Home Office for security officials to practise forcing asylum seekers on to deportation flights to Rwanda, it has been reported. Guards have undergone special training programmes to deal with “disruptive” people, according to The Times. This includes individuals resorting to violence to prevent being put

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US calls for the development of a Palestinian state, as he vowed the offensive in Gaza would press ahead for many months. In a nationally televised news conference on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu struck a defiant tone, repeatedly saying that Israel would not halt its offensive until it achieves

An explosion at a fireworks factory in Thailand has killed at least 23 people, officials in the country say. Rescue workers at the scene – some 60 miles north-west of the capital, Bangkok – said no survivors had been found. The cause of the blast in Suphan Buri province is under investigation, but police confirmed

Pakistan has said two “innocent children” were killed and three others wounded in strikes by neighbouring Iran in an “unprovoked violation of its airspace”. Pakistan’s foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement confirming and condemning Tuesday’s attack on its Baluchistan province – which according to Iranian media reports (that were later withdrawn) were aimed at

Another cargo vessel has been targeted and hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen, according to reports. The Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia with 24 crew on board was sailing empty of cargo from Vietnam to Israel, a Greek shipping ministry source told Reuters news agency. The vessel was hit by a missile

The lawyer for Austrian sex offender Josef Fritzl, who kept his own daughter prisoner for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, is applying for his release from prison. Astrid Wagner told Sky News on Tuesday she hopes to move him to a nursing home. Fritzl, now 88, was jailed for life in 2009

At least 14 people have been injured in an attack near Tel Aviv in Israel, according to emergency services. According to local media, they were injured in a suspected car-ramming and stabbing attack, in Raanana. Police say the incident is “increasingly likely” to be terror-related. A 70-year-old woman is said to be in a critical

Khalid Abo Middain used his hands, a hammer and a small shovel to build his own shelter on the outskirts of a fast-growing refugee camp near Rafah City in southern Gaza. The father-of-three arrived there with his family after fleeing four times from Israel’s war against Hamas over the course of three months. They originally left

Denmark has a new king following the historic abdication of the country’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Margrethe II. Thousands of people converged on central Copenhagen for the succession where the 83-year-old passed on the throne to her eldest son with the signing of a declaration in parliament. King Frederik X is now the head of Europe’s

A volcano has erupted in the same peninsula in southwest Iceland where molten rock was seen spewing from fissures in the ground in December. The eruption began north of the town of Grindavik, which this weekend was evacuated over fears an eruption might be imminent amid a swarm of seismic activity. Barriers of earth and

“Suspicious” small boats have reportedly approached merchant ships near Yemen despite attacks on Houthi targets by the US and UK. American and British planes, ships and submarines launched dozens of airstrikes across the country overnight in retaliation against Iran-backed Houthi forces for months of attacks on Red Sea shipping. As Houthis threaten a response, the

Despite an international coalition providing a protective umbrella over the Red Sea – Op Prosperity Guardian – the Houthi attacks against merchant shipping continued. Shortly before midnight on Thursday, the US and UK launched a wave of attacks on 60 Houthi military targets using over 100 guided munitions, predominantly Tomahawk cruise missiles. The UK contribution

The candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions autonomy from China, has won Taiwan’s presidential election. Lai Ching-te, who is the current vice president, is set to replace Tsai Ing-wen, who has served the limit of two terms. With 95% of polling stations declaring, Mr Lai appeared to have an unassailable lead.

The airstrikes in Yemen expand the war in the Middle East, draw Britain and America in deeper and risk an even wider conflagration. Both countries have chosen a risky option that may not work and could make matters worse. And in the minds of millions across the region, the UK and US will be seen

South Africa has formally accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in a hearing at the United Nations’ International Court of Justice. During opening arguments, a lawyer for South Africa said the latest war is part of decades of Israeli oppression. Adila Hassim told a packed room at the Peace Palace in The Hague that

An oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman was boarded by “unauthorized” people in military uniforms on Thursday morning, an advisory group run by the British military and a private intelligence firm warned. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said the incident began early in

British and US forces appear to be gearing up to strike an Iranian-backed militant group in Yemen after the Houthi rebels defied a warning to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary, accused Iran of meddling and declared “enough is enough” in an escalating crisis that could ignite a

A British warship and US forces have destroyed “multiple drones” launched by Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in the Red Sea, the British defence secretary has said. Grant Shapps said it had been the largest attack in the region by the militants to date, with drones heading towards HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer that was deployed