World

Japan’s moon lander touched down with “pinpoint” precision, its space agency has said, after the country become the fifth in the world to successfully reach lunar soil. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), also known as the “moon sniper”, landed within 100m (328ft) of its target, out-striping conventional accuracy targets, it was announced on

Turkey’s parliament has approved Sweden’s application to join NATO – lifting a key barrier to its entry into the military alliance. The decision means Hungary is the only NATO member yet to ratify Sweden’s application after 20 months of delays. Sweden’s membership would enhance the military alliance’s defences in the Baltic Sea region facing Russia.

The children of dozens of same-sex couples in Italy could see the name of their non-biological parent removed from their birth certificates, an ongoing trial may soon rule. Last June, a state prosecutor in Padua, northern Italy, demanded the cancellation of 33 birth certificates issued to the children of same-sex couples in the city since

A 19th-century dispute, which has gone through decades of court procedures, has finally culminated in the Ram Temple. Consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this temple site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of the most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon. The city of Ayodhya in India’s most populous state

Today we launch a new show – The World with me, Yalda Hakim. From Monday to Thursday, between 9pm and 10pm, we’ll be sharing with you the most important stories of our times – exploring not just the headlines of the day but also what’s happening behind them. And what a time to be launching

A cat has died in Russia after being thrown from a train by its conductor. The ginger and white cat, Twix, was travelling with its owners when it escaped from its crate and a female member of staff threw it from the carriage, according to local media reports. She is believed to have mistaken it

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

Russia could attack NATO within five years, the German defence minister has warned, as the alliance prepares to launch its biggest military exercises in decades amid increasing global uncertainty. Boris Pistorius told German news outlet, Der Tagesspiegel: “Our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible. “We hear

A teacher in the US has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly being caught on hidden camera poisoning her husband’s smoothie. Sarah Scheffer’s husband installed the surveillance equipment after suspecting his wife had been contaminating his food and drink over a number of weeks, causing him to feel unwell. When questioned by police in

An aircraft hangar and fuselage have been hired by the Home Office for security officials to practise forcing asylum seekers on to deportation flights to Rwanda, it has been reported. Guards have undergone special training programmes to deal with “disruptive” people, according to The Times. This includes individuals resorting to violence to prevent being put

Japan hopes it is about to join an exclusive club of just four other nations that have successfully executed a “soft” landing on the moon. Its garden shed-sized Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, isn’t the biggest, or most ambitious robotic mission to our satellite – but it’s bidding to be the most precise

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,

US ships and submarines have fired at Houthi positions in Yemen after another American-owned vessel was attacked near the Red Sea. Fourteen missile sites were targeted at around 11.59pm local time on Wednesday, said US Central Command. Latest updates – US carries out new wave of strikes It said they were an “imminent threat to

A bobsleigh team from Tunisia is preparing for its own Cool Runnings moment after qualifying for the Winter Olympics. The squad from the North African country is going for glory at the Youth Winter Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea. Joanthan Lourimi, 17, Sophie Ghorbal and Beya Mokrani, both 15, will compete separately in the monobob

Standing on the hill overlooking the eruption site, it’s clear how perilously close it is to the Icelandic town of Grindavik. A search and rescue team going into the exclusion zone, past the Blue Lagoon spa and towards the evacuated town, can see the fire fountains spouting molten rock and lava sweeping towards people’s homes

Lava has flowed into the evacuated Icelandic town of Grindavik after a volcano blasted orange smoke into the night sky and spewed molten rock from the Reykjanes peninsula. A fissure has bypassed barriers that were put in place to protect the town – with the country’s prime minister calling it a “very serious situation” and

The world’s five richest men have more than doubled their fortunes to £688bn in three years – while the wealth of the poorest 60% has fallen, according to Oxfam. It says the first trillionaire could emerge within a decade but that poverty won’t be eradicated for 229 years. The charity’s report, Inequality Inc, comes as

China has criticised the UK, US and other governments for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election. Beijing accused several nations of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” after world leaders sent messages to president-elect Lai Ching-te following his victory on Saturday. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and considers it a breakaway