Greenland and the Panama Canal aren’t for sale. Why is Trump threatening to take them?
Trump's promises to use America's strength to its advantage helped propel him twice to the White House.
Greenland and the Panama Canal aren’t for sale. Why is Trump threatening to take them?
Trump's promises to use America's strength to its advantage helped propel him twice to the White House.
Ukraine’s war stamps put humour, patriotism and swearing in the post
Ukraine's war stamps, some with swear words, boost morale at home and promote its image abroad.
Ukraine’s war stamps put humour, patriotism and swearing in the post
Ukraine's war stamps, some with swear words, boost morale at home and promote its image abroad.
DJ Alfredo, icon of Ibiza’s dance music scene, dies aged 71
DJ whose anything-goes spirit had a huge influence on British club culture had suffered a stroke in 2021
DJ Alfredo, who had a significant influence on Ibiza becoming a global centre for dance music culture, has died aged 71.
Amnesia, the club where he held a residency during the 1980s, announced the news, writing on Instagram: “Thank you for the nights and beats we shared together. Your music and vision shaped the sound of Balearic Beat and the soul of Amnesia. So many memories were made through your energy, your legacy will live on our dancefloor forever. You will never be forgotten.”
Continue reading...Modernism and Islamic motifs: How Indian artists envisioned Christ’s birth
Over the centuries, painters in India have depicted Jesus's birth from a uniquely local perspective.
Toxic spill fears follow deadly Brazil bridge collapse
Lorries containing pesticides and sulphuric acid plunged into the Tocantins river in the north of the country.
Pope opens Holy Door to kick off special jubilee year
More than 30 million Catholic pilgrims are expected to head to Rome for the jubilee, which takes place once every 25 years.
Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO has dementia, lawyers say
The legal team behind Mike Jeffries, arrested earlier this year on sex trafficking charges, has requested a hearing to determine his fitness to stand trial.
Ex-drug lord Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia after 20 years in US prisons
Victims of Medellín cartel demand justice as some express dismay former mob boss faces no charges in Colombia
The return of the former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia following his deportation from the United States has reopened old wounds among victims of the Medellín cartel, with some expressing dismay at the Colombian authorities’ decision to let Ochoa walk free.
Some of the cartel victims said they were hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning.
Continue reading...Mauritius holds out on Chagos Islands deal over Diego Garcia lease
UK government accused of ‘nitpicking about compensation’ after being told to pay more to retain military base
Mauritius is holding out over a deal to gain control of the Chagos Islands from the UK, leaving ministers less than a month to rescue the agreement.
The government in Mauritius, which took office last month, has made clear it is dissatisfied with the terms negotiated by the previous administration. Over the weekend the deputy prime minister accused the British government of “nitpicking about the compensation”.
Continue reading...Middle East crisis: one child killed every hour in Gaza, UN says – as it happened
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Middle East here
Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian man in a dawn raid on a refugee camp near the city of Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials said. The Israeli military said the man was killed in a “counter-terrorism” operation that resulted in 18 arrests, Reuters reports. Palestinian news agency Wafa said that Fathi Saeed Odeh Salem died after snipers shot him and fired on ambulance crew. We have not yet been able to independently verify any of this information. Meanwhile, medics said at least nine Palestinians, including a member of the civil emergency service, were killed in four separate Israeli airstrikes across the territory today.
At least 45,338 Palestinian people have been killed and 107,764 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Shyam Benegal, influential director of India’s ‘parallel cinema’, dies aged 90
The film-maker challenged mainstream Bollywood and pioneered a new wave cinema movement in the 1970s that tackled social issues
Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian film-maker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died aged 90 after suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai’s Wockhardt hospital and his cremation took place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting his daughter Piya. “Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That’s the reason for his death,” Piya said.
Many paid tribute to the film-maker on social media platform X. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life,” India’s prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after explosion in engine room
Two crew members from Ursa Major are missing and 14 have been rescued, Russian foreign ministry says
An engine room explosion sank a Russian cargo ship called Ursa Major in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian foreign ministry has said.
The vessel, built in 2009, was controlled by Oboronlogistika, a company that is part of the Russian defence ministry’s military construction operations, which had previously said it was en route to the Russian far-eastern port of Vladivostok with two giant port cranes lashed to its deck.
Continue reading...Four revelations from the House ethics report on Matt Gaetz
The report gives fresh details about the former Florida congressman's alleged payments for sex and drugs.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni: What you need to know
The feud between Lively and Baldoni is alleged to have started during filming of It Ends With Us.
Syrian family left in limbo over Christmas as UK halts asylum claims
Decisions on fate of 6,500 Syrian asylum seekers suspended amid push to repatriate refugees after fall of regime
A Syrian family say they are “fearing for their future” this Christmas after having an imminent decision on their asylum application stopped by the UK government.
Bilal*, 39, worked as a bank manager in Damascus, and has been living in Sheffield with his wife and four children for the past year. He had his second interview about his asylum application in November and had been told by the Home Office that a decision on his case was “very close”.
Continue reading...Hong Kong police issue bounties for six more overseas activists
HK$1m rewards target people accused of national security crimes who fled after pro-democracy protests
Hong Kong police have announced bounties of HK$1m (about £105,000) for information leading to the arrest of six democracy advocates based overseas and accused of national security crimes.
Authorities also said they would cancel the passports of seven others for whom bounties had already been issued, including the former lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, local media said.
Continue reading...Fireworks explode as US house burns down
No injuries were reported from the fire but two homes were destroyed, firefighters say.
The famous Christmas carol inspiring Ukraine’s defenders
Carol of the Bells was written in Pokrovsk, a key target for advancing Russian troops in Ukraine.