CATEGORIES

Assad wanted to stay and keep fighting, he claims

Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad said that he wanted to stay in the country after rebels captured the capital, but the Russian military evacuated him from their base in western Syria after it came under attack.

'In the last week, there were no attempts to kill anyone'

Sitting in the police headquarters of Homs, in an office that, until last week, was run by the feared intelligence network of Bashar al-Assad, Alaa Omran is holding court.

Germany on course to hold snap election in February

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has lost a confidence vote, putting the European Union’s most populous member and biggest economy on course to hold an early election in late February.

The silent war taking place on Nato's eastern fringes

Narva, on Estonia’s border with Russia, has been targeted by the Kremlin since 2022. Millie Cooke talks to residents and discovers that anti-Russian feeling is by no means universal

New homeschooling laws after murder of Sara Sharif

The right to home education will no longer be automatic for parents of the most at-risk children, under proposed legislation being unveiled in parliament today.

Government accused of sewage discharge failure

The government and regulators breached the law by allowing water firms to discharge sewage, a watchdog has ruled.

Archbishop apologises for handling of sex abuse case

The church of England’s second-most-senior bishop, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, has apologised for not acting sooner in the case of sexual abuse carried out by a Church of England priest.

New top mandarin echoes PM's warning to Whitehall

The new cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald has delivered a stark pre-Christmas warning on his first day on the job as Britain’s top civil servant. In a message to all civil servants across Whitehall, Sir Chris echoed the comments of the prime minister that they must stop being a block to progress, with an enjoinder that “we must do things differently”.

How will Labour's plans for devolution actually work?

Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and still the darling of her party, is a restless woman.

Starmer reset blow as EU sues over free movement

The European Commission is taking Britain to court over its alleged failure to comply with EU law on freedom of movement after Brexit.

Tax changes will risk loss of 125,000 jobs, Reeves is told

Rachel Reeves has been warned that her so-called tractor tax” will not just hit farms but will also put tens of thousands of family businesses at risk along with 125,000 jobs.

Follow our lead on defence or pay price, Estonia warns

Starmer urges allies to double down on support for Ukraine

Letby's lawyers seek appeal after expert ‘changed mind'

Lucy Letby's lawyers are seeking to launch a fresh appeal over her convictions after claiming that the prosecution's lead witness was \"not reliable\".

MPs raise fears over China's reach as 'spy' is identified

An alleged Chinese spy who became a close confidant of the Duke of York has been named as Yang Tengbo following a court ruling, as concerns grow over Beijing's reach within British society.

Inside 10 Downing Street

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of acting more like a civil servant than a PM, as Isabel Hardman explores the internal power struggle that’s afflicting the government’s early tenure

Out of office? Happy for you.But spare us the details, eh?

For the holidaying employee, there are, in fact, few more delightful moments. You’ve hurried and harried to get as much done as you can before you start your annual leave.

How to talk to your children about money this Christmas

I find that often, people think teaching kids about money is about sitting them down and taking them through how to draw up a budget, teacher-pupil classroom style.

My toddler now knows about Santa - and that's a problem

“Do you think Father Christmas has his Christmas tree up yet?”; “Will Father Christmas still come if it’s rainy?”; “What do you think Father Christmas will get for Christmas?”

Age could ultimately decide the Fury vs Usyk rematch

All the talking finally stopped, and nobody will ever forget round nine of the first fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in Riyadh back in May.

Celtic edge Old Firm epic to win League Cup final

Brendan Rodgers hailed a classic Old Firm cup final at Hampden Park last night, but was glad his Celtic side emerged victors over Rangers in a 5-4 penalty shootout to lift the Scottish League Cup.

Crafty Cucurella fires up Chelsea's title challenge

A frantic London derby built on instinct and emotion naturally propelled Marc Cucurella into the spotlight again. Enzo Maresca refuses to acknowledge Chelsea as title contenders, but for large spells, amid such intensity from Thomas Frank’s excellent Brentford, they thrived and eventually held on for a precious victory, cutting the gap to leaders Liverpool to just two points, with the Reds holding a game in hand.

City just can't win as Diallo takes the fast track to glory

If it were a contest to find the most troubled club inside the M60, Manchester City were the derby winners. In every other respect, it was another disastrous day for them.

Israel to close embassy in Ireland over ‘antisemitism'

Israel has said it will close its Dublin embassy, accusing Ireland of crossing every red line”.

Spy ship rumours as drones spotted over New Jersey

Drones of indeterminate origin have been flying over New Jersey, prompting a mixed bag of responses from lawmakers.

South Korea opposition will not seek to impeach acting president over martial law

South Korea’s main opposition party has decided not to impeach acting president Han Duck Soo, providing a critical lifeline to the country’s leadership amid continuing political upheaval over Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law.

Hundreds feared dead after cyclone hits Mayotte island

Aid being sent to tiny French territory off Mozambique coast

Syrian defector who laid bare Assad torture regime warns thousands have died

Photographer Caesar’ smuggled 53,000 images of those tortured and killed by the Assad regime out of the country

Love Island star reveals her desperate bid to escape ex

A reality TV star has said she was forced to move home four times to escape her ex-partner’s relentless harassment as she told of how he would jump balconies” to track her down.

Vicar sorry for telling crying children that Santa isn't real

A vicar in Hampshire has apologised to upset children and their angry parents after telling year 6 pupils that Santa Claus wasn’t real.

Two-year-old boy killed by stolen Porsche hit-and-run

A two-year-old boy has been killed in a hit-and-run crash involving a stolen Porsche in the West Midlands.