World

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of not telling the truth about the key military aim of defeating Hamas by a member of the country’s war cabinet. Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose son was killed fighting in Gaza, also cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages and said there was “no

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

One of the top leaders of a notorious Mexican drug cartel, which kidnapped four Americans and killed two of them last year, has been captured by marines. Jose Alberto Garcia Vilano, known by the nicknames La Kena and Cyclone 19, was seized at a shopping centre in an upmarket area on the outskirts of Monterrey.

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

Iran and Pakistan have accused each other of harbouring terrorists.  Fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force undertook a series of coordinated and targeted strikes using extended-range munitions against seven terrorist hideouts in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran. Follow live: US hits more Houthi targets – Pakistan explains Iran strikes In a statement,

At least seven people have been killed after Pakistan launched airstrikes on Iranian territory early this morning. The target of the attack is not known but the Pakistanis called the operation “Marg Bar Sarmachar”. In Iranian Farsi, “marg bar” means “death to” and in the local Baluch language, “sarmachar” means guerrilla and is used by

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

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

A barrage of British and American air and naval strikes against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen is a calculated escalation to deter threats – but it could yet trigger a regional war. The key test will be how the militants and their arch sponsor, Tehran, respond. The Houthis were quick to claim they would retaliate against

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