World

Russia was responsible for the 2006 assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. Mr Litvinenko was a former Russian FSB agent who went on to work with MI6 after fleeing to the UK. He died an agonising death after being poisoned in London in 2006 with Polonium 210,

Boris Johnson has criticised other world leaders over their efforts to tackle climate change, telling them he is growing “increasingly frustrated” that their commitments are “nowhere near enough”. Speaking during a meeting at the United Nations in New York, the prime minister said the gap between what has been promised by industrialised nations and what

At least eight people have been killed and several are injured after a gunman opened fire at a university in the Russian city of Perm, officials have said. The shooter at Perm State University has since been “neutralised”, according to the independent Russian news agency Interfax. Students and staff of the university locked themselves in

Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is expected to secure an emphatic win as polls close in the country’s parliamentary election. Preliminary results from the Central Election Committee, based on just 9% of ballots counted, showed that United Russia had won 38.57% of the vote. Initial results also showed the Communist Party finishing in second place

The Taliban has replaced Afghanistan’s women’s ministry with an all-male “vice and virtue ministry”. The new ministry is tasked with enforcing the group’s extreme interpretation of Islam. Officials at the ministry told the Associated Press they had not been informed whether a new women’s ministry is being planned. Please use Chrome browser for a more

Maintaining unity between Western allies will “require a lot of effort” in light of an unfolding rift between France and members of a new security partnership, Germany’s ambassador to the UK has said. Andreas Michaelis was responding to France recalling its ambassadors to the US and Australia, after the latter’s government ditched a multi-billion dollar

The Pentagon has admitted a drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians, including up to 7 children, was a “tragic mistake”. General Kenneth Franklin McKenzie Jr, head of US central command, said it is “unlikely” the vehicle targeted on 29 August – or those who died – were associated with ISIS-K or were a

France has recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia in a backlash over a new security partnership. The country’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made the announcement following the deal between the UK, US and Australia – which aims to help Australia obtain nuclear-powered submarines. Mr Le Drian said in a statement that

Italy is to become the first European country to make a vaccine passport system compulsory for all workers. Proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from infection must be provided or staff will be suspended without pay and face a fine. However, they cannot be sacked. The law set to apply to both

Around 3,000 health workers in France have been suspended, reportedly without pay, for failing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of a deadline this week to have at least one jab. It comes as care workers in England must get their first vaccine dose by today and be double jabbed by 11 November to keep

The UK, Australia and the United States have agreed a “landmark” partnership to boost their defences and share nuclear submarine secrets at a time of growing concern over China. The initiative will focus initially on helping the Australian navy procure a multi-billion-pound fleet of nuclear-powered submarines – a move that Beijing will likely see as

The doctor in front of us has had multiple Taliban death threats – he hasn’t been paid for months and yet he’s still working at one of the government hospitals in Kabul. Many of his staff are too – for free. About 20% of the staff have left, unable to carry on working and feeding

Analysis by Tom Cheshire, Asia correspondent Not long ago, you couldn’t go a week without a North Korean missile launch. But the country has been quieter for a while, perhaps while it dealt with COVID or challenging economic conditions. Normal service has been very much resumed, though. And, just like buses, after a long wait

Many of the women of Afghanistan are frightened right now. And those who worked for the foreigners who’ve pulled out of the country, are even more so. They are some of the top Taliban targets and too many of them are telling us how the Taliban are going from door to door, trying to find

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has met Vladimir Putin in Moscow – their first meeting in the Russian capital since 2015. Mr Putin congratulated his counterpart on winning May’s presidential election, according to the Kremlin. The election – in which Mr Assad is said to have won 95% of the vote – was dismissed as

An Afghan man suspected of raping and killing a 13-year-old girl in Austria has been arrested in the UK and faces extradition. Rasuili Zubaidullah, 22, entered the UK on a boat of refugees and claimed asylum using a fake name, only weeks after the girl was found dead in Vienna. He was housed at a

North Korea has successfully fired a new long range cruise missile, its state media has said. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the missile hit targets 932 miles away, flying along different patterns, in tests over North Korea during the weekend. It described the missile as “a strategic weapon of great significance”. South

The notorious detention centre built by the Americans inside the huge Bagram military base is a terrifying place even when empty. It’s known locally as Afghanistan‘s Guantanamo. Those who were held here feared they’d never leave. Many who did leave have never been the same since. We’re the first Western television team to get inside the

For 20 years now, New Yorkers have woken up to this day – to relive, to remember. Some find themselves forced to, others want to. In a church yard – just yards from Ground Zero – a group gathered as a bell rang out. Five strikes, repeated four times, the traditional firefighters’ salute to the

The Taliban fighters we are with are on a charm offensive. “We have changed. We have changed a lot,” one of them tells us. “Praise God, our behaviour is very good now…we are polite, our manners are good and our behaviour is much improved. We’re much better than the last government. Kabul is safe now.