Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Jump to content
Sign up to our newsletters
Independent
US election
More
Best
Climate
TV

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

World

<p>Alaa Omran in his office as police chief of the city of Homs</p>
On the GroundBel Trew

Syria’s rebels took Homs back from Assad in a matter of days. Now they have to police it

<p>‘Dragon’s teeth’ anti-tank fortifications at the Narva crossing</p>
Europe

The silent war going on inside a city at Nato’s eastern border

Africa

Aid rushed to French island Mayotte after ‘horrific’ cyclone

<p>German chancellor Olaf Scholz </p>
Europe

Germany set for snap election after vote of no confidence in Scholz

Just in

<p>Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said she was concerned by the Labour government’s approach to China</p>
UK Politics

UK should designate China a national security threat, says Priti Patel

<p>A tank drives through the streets of Taoyuan as part of a military exercise in Taiwan in July</p>
China

China warns US ‘playing with fire’ by supplying weapons to Taiwan

<p>File. US Air Force firtruck sprays water near plane hangars at Andersen Air Force base in Guam </p>
Americas

Seven Chinese nationals tried to illegally enter Guam, US says

<p>File. Police officer takes position at the Sarband police station on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, on 9 February 2023 </p>
South Asia

Militants kill 16 security personnel in northwest Pakistan

<p>A fishing trawler believed to be carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar rescued by Sri Lankan army</p>
South Asia

Sri Lanka rescues 102 ‘Rohingya refugees’ from fishing trawler

East Asia

Japanese city to publicly shame people who break bin separation rules

<p>Arnon Nampa, a human rights activist and a key protest leader is seen wearing wizard cloak, while giving speech during the Harry Potter-themed protest in Bangkok</p>
Southeast Asia

Poet sentenced for criticising monarchy while dressed as Harry Potter

<p>Representational: The hacks targeted investment firms and exchanges</p>
East Asia

North Korean hackers account for 60% of cryptocurrency stolen in 2024

<p>André Gleissner, nine, was the youngest victim of the Christmas market attack in Germany </p>
Europe

Mother pays tribute to boy, 9, killed in Christmas market attack

Europe

Mother pays tribute to boy, 9, killed in Christmas market attack

<p>André Gleissner, nine, was the youngest victim of the Christmas market attack in Germany </p>
<p>Gisele Pelicot leaves the courthouse after hearing the verdict of the court that sentenced her ex-husband to the maximum term of 20 years jail</p>
Europe

The unanswered questions after Gisele Pelicot rape trial

LiveEurope

Nine-year-old boy killed in Christmas market attack named – latest

Africa French Military
Africa

Why African countries are ousting France’s military, one by one

Europe

Anger grows over missed chances to stop German Christmas market attack

Europe

Anger grows over missed chances to stop German Christmas market attack

<p>Debris litters the floor of the Christmas market following the attack </p>
Europe

German market attack: Everything we know about car attack so far

<p>The suspect’s car pictured behind a police cordon </p>
Europe

Who is the German Christmas market attack suspect?

Explore news for you

Middle East

<p>The Christmas tree in Aleppo, attacked in the immediate aftermath of the ouster of Assad, is restored in the centre of Syria’s second city</p>
Middle East

Christians in Aleppo are celebrating Christmas – but fear for future

<p>A fire is seen burning through a window of Kamal Adwan Hospital after the latest Israeli bombing in northern Gaza</p>
Middle East

17 Palestinians killed as Israel attacks Gaza school and hospital

<p>File. A fighter jet maneuvers on the deck of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower carrier in the Red Sea on 11 June 2024</p>
Middle East

Two US navy pilots shot down over Red Sea

<p>Ahmed (not his real name), a grave digger, points to where he was forced to dig trenches for a mass grave, next to a local opposition fighter</p>
Middle East

‘I feared I would end up in the trench’: Digging Assad’s mass graves

<p>Pope Francis arrives to meet the donors of the fir tree set up in St. Peter’s Square</p>
Middle East

Vatican’s Nativity scene raises eyebrows and then disappears

<p>Abu Mohammed al-Golani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus </p>
Middle East

Syria’s de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West

<p>Ahmed (not his real name), a grave digger, points to where he was forced to dig trenches for a mass grave, next to a local opposition fighter</p>
Middle East

‘I feared I would end up in the trench’: Digging Assad’s mass graves

<p>Pope Francis arrives to meet the donors of the fir tree set up in St. Peter’s Square</p>
Middle East

Vatican’s Nativity scene raises eyebrows and then disappears

<p>Abu Mohammed al-Golani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus </p>
Middle East

Syria’s de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West

<p>A fire burns inside a Palestinian house during the ongoing Israeli military operation, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip </p>
Middle East

US and Qatar intensify efforts for Gaza ceasefire with deal close

Middle East

US and Qatar intensify efforts for Gaza ceasefire with deal close

<p>A fire burns inside a Palestinian house during the ongoing Israeli military operation, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip </p>
<p>Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Syria late on Tuesday </p>
Middle East

Gaza ceasefire believed to be close as expectations grow over deal

<p>Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu </p>
Middle East

Netanyahu says Israeli troops to stay in Syria buffer zone

<p>A Palestinian man sits inside a destroyed building in the Nuseirat refugee in the central Gaza Strip on December 13</p>
US politics

Gaza families sue Biden administration to block military aid to Israel

<p>Assad was forced out by rebels last week </p>
Middle East

France flies flag over Damascus embassy for first time in decade

<p>Assad was forced out by rebels last week </p>
Middle East

France flies flag over Damascus embassy for first time in decade

<p>CNN correspondent Clarissa Ward helps a man who was detained in an abandoned Syrian prison. Now, the outlet admits the man provided a false identification </p>
Middle East

CNN admits ‘prisoner’ freed from Syrian jail wasn’t a victim

<p>Marcus Fakana, 18, faces a year in jail after having sex with a 17-year-old girl in Dubai </p>
Middle East

David Lammy accused of failing to help detained teenager in Dubai

US

<p>Former Rep. Matt Gaetz speaks Sunday ahead of an appearance by Donald Trump at the AmericaFest 2024 conference sponsored by conservative group Turning Point in Phoenix, Arizona. </p>
US politics

Matt Gaetz considering running for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat

<p>A woman has died after being set on fire while sleeping on a New York City subway car</p>
US Crime News

Woman dies after being set on fire on New York City subway

<p>Trump accused Panama of charging American vessels ‘exorbitant prices’ to use the vital waterway</p>
LiveUS politics

Trump delivers first rally-style speech since election win: Live

<p>Joe Biden’s age was a major concern for Democrats and independents alike, according to polls, but his party only mobilized to urge him to step aside when the damage was done </p>
US politics

Aging DC in the spotlight after ‘confused’ congresswoman located

<p>Kay Granger, who represents Texas’s Tarrant County in the House of Representatives, has been living in an assisted living facility and as a result has been absent from Congress for months.</p>
US politics

Republican congresswoman living in care facility

<p>A Starbucks strike, expected to last until Christmas Eve, has now expanded to 10 major US cities – bad news for last minute shoppers looking to stop for a coffee break</p>
Americas

Starbucks strike expands to 10 major cities during busy holiday season

<p>Trump repeats tariff threats on EU</p>
New Articles

“They better be careful”: Trump repeats tariff threats on EU

<p>Trump has threatened to retake the Panama Canal in a post on Truth Social </p>
US politics

Trump threatens to retake Panama Canal in Truth Social post

<p>The war in Gaza has caused mass starvation in the small strip of land. Pictured, Palestinians stand in wait for a food portion at a distribution centre </p>
US politics

Why a group of Palestinian-Americans are suing the State Department

US politics

Why a group of Palestinian-Americans are suing the State Department

<p>The war in Gaza has caused mass starvation in the small strip of land. Pictured, Palestinians stand in wait for a food portion at a distribution centre </p>
OpenAI Whistleblower Death
Americas

OpenAI whistleblower found dead at home aged 26

<p>Elon Musk’s praise of the AfD has provoked widespread backlash </p>
US politics

Cuban uses Grok to shoot down Musk’s praise of far-right German party

Chicago Transit Trump
Americas

Isolated Chicago communities secure money for a coveted transit project before Trump takes office

<p>The Wall Street Journal editorial board slammed Trump and Musk over the ‘budget fiasco’ </p>
US politics

Wall Street Journal flames Trump and Musk over ‘budget fiasco’

<p>The Wall Street Journal editorial board slammed Trump and Musk over the ‘budget fiasco’ </p>
US politics

Wall Street Journal flames Trump and Musk over ‘budget fiasco’

<p>Rubi Vergara, 14, was killed in the rampage at the school in Madison </p>
US Crime News

Family of Wisconsin victim hold ‘no bitterness’ against teen shooter

<p>Lara Trump has dropped out of the running to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate </p>
US politics

Lara Trump drops out of running for Senate, teases ‘big announcement’

Europe

<p>A police officer stands in front of a damaged multi-storey residential building following an alleged Ukrainian drone attack </p>
LiveEurope

Kyiv strikes Russian skyscrapers in major drone attack – war latest

Greece-Royal-Family
Europe

The royals making landmark move to return home after decades in exile

News

Watch: Far-right protesters rally after German market attack

<p>Tributes piled up as state leaders visited the site of the attack where a driver ploughed a car into crowds at around 7pm on Friday</p>
Europe

German city mourns as death toll rises after Christmas market attack

Europe

Ukraine strikes heart of Russia with attack 1,000km beyond frontline

<p>Emmanuel Macron has been accused of making a racist remark to his former health minister </p>
Europe

Emmanuel Macron accused of ‘racist and sexist’ comments

<p>‘The people say it very well: Gossip is zero,’ said the pontiff </p>
Europe

Pope Francis warns Vatican staff over gossiping and backstabbing

News

Police swarm to arrest after Christmas market attack kills five

<p>Gisèle Pelicot was informed by police that her husband had been abusing her for a decade </p>
Europe

How Gisèle Pelicot discovered her husband was drugging and raping her

Europe

How Gisèle Pelicot discovered her husband was drugging and raping her

<p>Gisèle Pelicot was informed by police that her husband had been abusing her for a decade </p>
<p>Musk sparked outrage with his comments on social media </p>
Europe

Backlash as Elon Musk claims only far-right AfD can ‘save Germany’

<p> Police scour scene of fatal German Christmas market attack</p>
News

Watch live: Police scour scene of fatal German Christmas market attack

Europe

Two dead after car ploughs 400m into crowded Christmas market

<p>Donald Trump said the European Union needs to purchase ‘large-scale’ amounts of U.S. gas and oil or face tariffs </p>
US politics

Trump threatens EU with tariffs unless it purchases US gas and oil

<p>Donald Trump said the European Union needs to purchase ‘large-scale’ amounts of U.S. gas and oil or face tariffs </p>
US politics

Trump threatens EU with tariffs unless it purchases US gas and oil

<p>Residents say Emmanuel Macron has abandoned the island in the wake of cyclone Chido</p>
Africa

Macron swears as he’s heckled during visit to cyclone-hit Mayotte

<p>Ukrainian law enforcement officers inspect damage to a building following a missile attack in Kyiv</p>
Europe

Russia launches deadly missile attack on Kyiv during rush hour

Africa

Nigeria Christmas Lights
Africa

Dozens killed in deadly stampedes for Christmas gifts in Nigeria

Africa

Dozens killed in deadly stampedes for Christmas gifts in Nigeria

Nigeria Christmas Lights
South Sudan Flooding
Africa

Overflowing River Nile forces thousands to survive on edge of canal

<p>A stempede in Nigeria has killed 35 children </p>
Africa

Stampede at Christmas fair in Nigeria kills at least 35 children

<p> Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly</p>
Africa

Egypt’s PM pauses televised news conference after falling ill

<p>A pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte</p>
News

Cyclone Chido before and after images show ‘nuclear war-like’ damage

<p>A pile of debris of metal sheets, wood, furniture and belongings after the cyclone Chido hit France's Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte</p>
News

Cyclone Chido before and after images show ‘nuclear war-like’ damage

<p>Chido hit Mayotte with winds of over 200kmph</p>
Africa

Cyclone Chido map: ‘Horrific’ devastation hits Mayotte

<p>File. Panzi hospital in southwestern Congo</p>
Africa

WHO provides update on cause of ‘mystery disease’ in patients in Congo

<p>A supporter of former Ghana president and presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party John Mahama wearing a t-shirt with the party's colours gestures</p>
Africa

Ghana’s former president wins historic comeback election victory

<p>Namibia Election</p>
Africa

Namibia elects Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as first woman president

<p>People scramble in Nzerekore where local officials said a stampede occurred following clashes at a football match</p>
Africa

Dozens crushed to death in stampede at Guinea football match

<p>Relatives and friends protest near a reformed gold mineshaft where illegal miners are trapped in Stilfontein</p>
Africa

What to know about standoff between police and miners in South Africa

<p>Conservative MP Gavin Williamson is a passionate supporter of Somaliland</p>
UK Politics

Trump set to recognise African state as country, says ex-Tory minister

<p>A woman who fled war in Sudan and requested anonymity because she feared retribution after reporting sexual exploitation</p>
Africa

Women in refugee camps say they’re being forced to have sex to survive

South Africa Miners Trapped
Africa

South Africa says it won’t help 4,000 miners stuck inside closed mine

Ethiopia Electric Vehicle Challenges
Motoring News

It was the first country to ban petrol car imports. Is it working?

Asia

<p>Representational. Senior citizen at the Kelvinside weekly tea dance</p>
Science

Liver acid could be ‘elixir’ to extend life, scientists say

<p>File. Playing cards showing missing children are displayed in Beijing, China, in 2007 </p>
China

Chinese court upholds death sentence of notorious child trafficker

<p>Firefighters extinguish a fire at a karaoke bar in Hanoi on 19 December 2024</p>
Southeast Asia

Suspect arrested for arson after karaoke bar fire in Vietnam kills 11

<p>Indian and Chinese soldiers greet each other along the Line of Actual Control near the Karakoram pass in Ladakh on 31 October 2024</p>
India

China has not scaled down troop deployment on Indian border, US says

<p>File. Tsuneo Watanabe </p>
Japan

Japanese media mogul and baseball visionary Tsuneo Watanabe dies at 98

<p>Indian navy boat is seen just before crashing into a passenger ferry in Mumbai </p>
India

Ferry disaster passenger accuses Indian navy vessel of ‘showing off’

<p>Indian and Chinese soldiers greet each other along the Line of Actual Control near the Karakoram pass in Ladakh on 31 October 2024</p>
India

China has not scaled down troop deployment on Indian border, US says

<p>File. Tsuneo Watanabe </p>
Japan

Japanese media mogul and baseball visionary Tsuneo Watanabe dies at 98

<p>Indian navy boat is seen just before crashing into a passenger ferry in Mumbai </p>
India

Ferry disaster passenger accuses Indian navy vessel of ‘showing off’

<p>File. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with soldiers during a visit to a training base in North Korea on 6 March 2024 </p>
East Asia

Kim Jong Un ‘personally overseeing’ North Korean training for Ukraine

<p>Tourists are seen at Fuji Subaru Line 5th station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail for hikers climbing Mount Fuji, in Yamanashi Prefecture on 19 June 2024</p>
Japan

Japan breaks annual visitor record with 33.4 million in just 11 months

<p>File. A ship is seen docked at the Kiel naval base on the Baltic Sea in Germany</p>
China

Chinese man arrested at German naval base could face spying charges

<p>Aung San Suu Kyi, eighty next year, is locked in a jungle jail with no prospect of release</p>
Southeast Asia

Who is to blame for Myanmar’s collapse into military tyranny?

<p>Wirot Arayankeht posted videos promoting cycling on Facebook and YouTube</p>
Southeast Asia

Train crushes cycling YouTuber to death in Thailand

<p>US air force B-52H Stratofortress bombers on Diego Garcia</p>
UK Politics

Fears Starmer’s deal won’t stop China building rival Chagos base

<p>Passengers who were rescued after a boat that capsized off the coast in Mumbai, India on December 18</p>
India

Thirteen dead after navy vessel hits boat off Indian tourist spot

<p>Mary Jane Veloso is reunited with her sons and her father in Manila, Philippines, on 18 December 2024</p>
Southeast Asia

Filipino woman returns to joyous welcome after escaping firing squad

Australasia

<p>Chief health officer Ben Cowie has issued new warnings over the disease </p>
Australasia

Rise in flesh-eating bacteria cases in Australia as warnings issued

Australasia

Rise in flesh-eating bacteria cases in Australia as warnings issued

<p>Chief health officer Ben Cowie has issued new warnings over the disease </p>
<p>File. Thermal stations powered by coal near Muswellbrook in Hunter Valley, Australia </p>
News

Australia expands coal mines despite climate ‘death sentence’ warning

<p> Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House (L) during New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney on January 1, 2024</p>
Australasia

Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks could be cancelled due to train strike

<p>The 29-year-old, real name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, appeared in Perth Magistrates Court</p>
World - Crime

YouTuber Yung Filly admits to speeding while on bail in Australia

<p>Former radio broadcaster Alan Jones leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, Wednesday, 18 December 2024</p>
Australasia

Broadcaster Alan Jones denies dozens of sexual assault allegations

<p>Former radio broadcaster Alan Jones leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, Wednesday, 18 December 2024</p>
Australasia

Broadcaster Alan Jones denies dozens of sexual assault allegations

<p>A building damaged in Port Vila, Vanuatu, following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, 17 December 2024</p>
Australasia

Vanuatu earthquake kills 14 as prime minister declares emergency

<p>A major 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck around 30km west of Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila</p>
Australasia

Massive 7.3-magnitude Vanuatu earthquake triggers tsunami warnings

<p>Remaining ‘Bali Nine’ members return to Australia</p>
Australasia

Five Bali Nine prisoners return to Australia after nearly two decades

<p>Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, right, shakes hands with Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape</p>
Australasia

Australia deploys rugby diplomacy to tempt neighbour away from China

<p>File. Indigenous Maori ‘haka' chants rang out across New Zealand’s capital on 19 November as thousands rallied against a conservative proposal accused of stoking racial divisions</p>
Australasia

Why New Zealand’s Maori are fighting to save the Treaty of Waitangi

<p>Representative. </p>
Australasia

Man sentenced for falsely claiming to be paramedic and treating child

<p>Members of the Maori community and their supporters take part in protest outside parliament in Wellington on 19 November 2024</p>
Australasia

Māori tribes in New Zealand appeal to King Charles for intervention

<p>Police stand near houses vandalized with anti-Israel slogans in Sydney suburb of Woollahra, Australia, Wednesday, 11 Dec 2024</p>
Australasia

Australian PM condemns anti-Israel graffiti as ‘hate crime’

<p>File. Melissa Hoskins was pronounced dead after being rushed to a hospital</p>
Australasia

Champion cyclist pleads guilty over Olympian wife’s death in Australia

<p>File. New Zealand proposes ban on greyhound racing</p>
Australasia

New Zealand aims to ban greyhound racing by 2026 over welfare concerns

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in