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...

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has given a rare 16th-century collection of Viking sagas to the public library in Bryne, the town where he grew up.Haaland and his father bought the 1594 printed edition of Snorri Sturluson’s work in December for 1.3 million Norwegian kroner (about £100,000), a sum that set a new record for a book sale in Norway.The volume, believed to be the only...

Two Russian men have gone on trial in Angola accused of running a covert influence campaign to stir anti-government unrest and interfere in next year’s presidential vote.Igor Ratchin and Lev Lakshtanov were arrested in August and face 11 charges between them, including terrorism, espionage and influence peddling.Angolan prosecutors say the pair worked with a wider network that grew out of...

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...

Jannik Sinner extended a remarkable run at ATP Masters 1000 events, breaking Novak Djokovic's decade-old mark for consecutive sets won with a convincing victory at the Miami Open.The Italian, ranked world number two and just 24 years old, closed out Corentin Moutet 6-1 6-4 in 71 minutes to register his 25th and 26th straight sets at the Masters 1000 level, moving past Djokovic’s previous streak...

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,...

Denmark's Social Democrats emerged as the largest party in Tuesday's election but failed to secure the parliamentary majority needed to govern alone.Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's party took 21.9% of the vote and won 38 seats — its weakest result in more than a century.The left-leaning “red bloc” has a narrow lead with 84 seats, while the centre-right “blue bloc” holds 77. Neither...