Prince William travelled to Wiltshire today to meet troops from 1 Mercian Regiment, using his role as Colonel-in-Chief to focus on the perspectives of women serving in the Army.Dressed in military fatigues, he took part in a roundtable with a female soldiers’ network and listened to their accounts of serving life and frontline duties.Women currently make up around 12% of the UK Regular Forces,...

British military units are poised to board and detain ships from Russia's so‑called shadow fleet after the prime minister authorised action against vessels operating near UK shores.The shadow fleet is accused of sailing without proper flags to sidestep sanctions and move oil that helps finance Moscow's war in Ukraine.Ministers say they identified a legal route in January under the Sanctions and...

This Nowruz has a different feel: homes are being swept and prepared for spring, but celebration is muted by war, internet blackouts and a sense of danger.Families who would normally gather are cut off from loved ones and struggling to get news from the outside.Reporters working with people inside Iran have been sent accounts under strict anonymity for safety. The government has tightened online...

Russia carried out an unprecedented drone offensive against Ukraine, firing 948 unmanned aircraft over a single 24‑hour period, Ukrainian authorities said.The country's Air Force reported 556 drones were launched from 09:00 local time in a rare daytime wave of strikes that struck cities across Ukraine.Officials said many machines were intercepted, but several made direct hits that caused deaths...

Four Syrian nationals have been detained in Germany after coordinated raids aimed at a criminal network that supplies boats and equipment for crossings of the English Channel.Police in North Rhine‑Westphalia seized inflatable boats, an engine, petrol cans, life jackets and boxes of tyre inner tubes during Wednesday’s early‑morning searches.The action follows a joint probe led by the UK’s...

After eight years of talks, Australia and the European Union have finalized a wide-ranging free trade agreement in Canberra valued at roughly A$10 billion.The pact removes almost all customs duties between the two sides and also deepens cooperation on defence, supply-chain resilience and critical minerals — steps officials said are designed to withstand growing global uncertainty.Tariffs on...

Bones uncovered beneath a church in Maastricht may belong to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the 17th-century soldier popularly known as d'Artagnan.The skeleton was found under the floor of St Peter and Paul Church after damaged tiles prompted a closer look.Jos Valke, a church deacon involved in the discovery, says he is almost certain the remains are those of the famed musketeer. Excavators say...

Matt Brittin, a former senior executive at Google, has been named the BBC's next director general.He succeeds Tim Davie, who stepped down following controversy over a Panorama edit that sparked widespread criticism.Brittin led Google's activities across Europe, the Middle East and Africa before leaving the company in 2025 after an 18-year tenure. BBC chairman Samir Shah argued the corporation...

Drones launched by Ukraine overnight crossed into Estonian and Latvian territory as part of a wider strike on Russian Baltic ports, authorities in Tallinn and Riga said.One unmanned aircraft struck the chimney of a power plant in Auvere, Estonia, while another fell and detonated in Latvia’s southern Krāslava region.Officials reported no serious damage or injuries. The incidents happened...

German politicians are preparing to make the creation and sharing of pornographic deepfakes a criminal offence after a high-profile complaint from a television actress sparked national debate.Collien Fernandes has lodged a legal complaint in Spain accusing her former husband, actor Christian Ulmen, of circulating sexualised images of her online.The allegation, first detailed in a German magazine,...