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India has secured the fastest Test victory in history to produce a winner, with their seven-wicket triumph over South Africa achieve in only a day and a half. The visitors levelled the series at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town with the match completed in 642 balls (107 overs). Previously, the record was 656 balls

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II rode through the country’s capital in a gilded, horse-drawn coach as she concluded her New Year celebrations and made her final public appearance as monarch before abdicating this month. Europe’s current longest-serving monarch will step down on Sunday 14 January – exactly 52 years to the day of her accession to

India secured the fastest Test victory in history to produce a winner, with their seven-wicket triumph over South Africa achieved in only a day and a half. The visitors levelled the series at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town with the match completed in 642 balls (107 overs). Previously, the record was 656 balls when

Microsoft is adding a dedicated AI button to its Windows keyboards – the first significant change to its consoles in nearly 30 years. Starting this month, many of Microsoft’s new Windows 11 computers, including upcoming Surface devices, will feature the “Copilot” key, a button that launches its AI companion. By pressing the ribbon-like button, the

At least 20 people have been killed at a cemetery in Iran where a ceremony was being held to mark the 2020 killing of Iran’s top commander Qassem Soleimani, state media has reported. The reports added there were two explosions at the site in the city of Kerman where the former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

As firefighters and rescue crews work on the ground following a huge plane fire at Tokyo’s Haneda airport in Japan, investigators behind the scenes will try to piece together how it happened. Captured in dramatic footage from the scene, a Japan Airlines aircraft can be seen bursting into flames and moving along the runway in

The number of people killed after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Japan has risen to at least 30. A series of quakes struck Ishikawa prefecture on Monday afternoon, triggering a now-cancelled tsunami alert that caused some to flee to higher ground. Buildings collapsed, cracks opened in roads and fires broke out – with Japan‘s prime minister

Israel’s Supreme Court has struck down a controversial law passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government that rolled back some of the high court’s power and sparked nationwide protests. The new legislation had removed one of the methods by which the Supreme Court can quash government and ministers’ decisions. The law would have stripped

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said in his televised New Year address that his country’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable, renewing Beijing’s threats to take over the self-ruled island. Taiwan split from China amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to regard the island of 23 million people as its territory. In recent years,

Denmark’s queen has unexpectedly announced her abdication in her traditional New Year’s Eve speech. Margrethe II will formally step down from the throne on 14 January – exactly 52 years to the day of her ascension to the throne in 1972. She will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. This breaking news

At least 14 people – including two children – have been killed and more than 100 injured during shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod, officials in Moscow say. They have accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack – a day after an 18-hour aerial Russian barrage across Ukraine killed at least 39 people.

Russia has launched fresh airstrikes on Ukraine’s biggest cities, officials have said, hours after Moscow accused Kyiv of shelling the Russian border city of Belgorod, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 110. Ukraine’s air defence systems surrounding Kyiv were engaged overnight to repel Russia’s drone attack, the military administration of the region

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem faced a second opponent during a match in Brisbane – one of Australia’s most venomous snakes. The former world number three was facing Australia‘s James McCabe during a first round qualifier at the Brisbane International when the snake slithered on to the court. The umpire stopped play after the

Two British skiers have been killed by an avalanche on Mont Blanc in France. Mountain rescuers found a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son dead under snow that hit a narrow gulley around Saint-Gervais, a resort near Chamonix, on Thursday afternoon. Officials believe it may have been triggered by two ski tourers who were uphill

A plane crash in Nepal that killed 72 people earlier this year was caused by an accidental cutting of the aircraft’s power by its pilots, government investigators have found. This meant the engine lost thrust, leading to “aerodynamic stall”, a report by the government-appointed panel said. The ATR 72, operated by Yeti Airlines, crashed on

An airstrike that killed 86 people at a Gaza refugee camp was a “regrettable mistake”, an Israeli government spokesperson has admitted. Eylon Levy told Sky News the incident at the Maghazi site on Christmas Eve was down to the use of an “incorrect munition” and “should not have happened”. But he refused to apologise for

Overnight, Russia launched several waves of drone attacks on Ukraine causing widespread damage across the country. Ukraine claims a total of 46 attacks were conducted using a blend of ballistic and cruise missiles, plus Shahed 136 drones (supplied by Iran). The Ukrainian air defence systems are becoming increasingly effective at defeating these attacks, with Ukraine

Russia has completed its shipments of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, according to the country’s president, raising international concern. At a meeting of a Moscow-led economic bloc in St Petersburg, Alexander Lukashenko said the deliveries were finished in October – though he didn’t say how many or where they have been deployed. Tactical nuclear weapons,

Jailed Russian politician Alexei Navalny has been tracked down to one of the country’s toughest prisons, after supporters lost touch with him for more than two weeks. Mr Navalny – seen as a leader for those in Russia who oppose President Vladimir Putin – is in the IK-3 prison in Kharp, about 1,200 miles (1,900km)

Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza will expand over the coming days, Benjamin Netanyahu has warned, as attacks appeared to intensify on Christmas Day. The Hamas-led Gaza health ministry says 250 Palestinians have been killed and 500 wounded in the past 24 hours – with 106 of those said to have died in an airstrike on