Month: December 2023

Keld Navntoft By Jacqueline Howard & Oliver Slow BBC News Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has announced her surprise abdication in a new year TV address. She will abdicate on 14 January, which will be 52 years to the day since she became queen. “I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” she

Reuters By Adam Durbin BBC News The US Navy has destroyed Houthi “small boats” attempting to board a container ship in the Red Sea. Four vessels from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired upon the Maersk Hangzhou and got to within metres of the ship, the US military said. Helicopters from nearby US warships responded to

Reuters Ukraine has carried out a series of deadly air strikes on targets in south-west Russia over the past 24 hours, according to Russian officials. Latest reports say four people have been killed in Belgorod and Bryansk – with children among the victims. The Russian defence ministry also said it had destroyed dozens of missiles

PA Media By Doug Faulkner & James Gregory BBC News Eurostar services to and from London St Pancras International have been cancelled due to flooding in a tunnel as festive disruption continues. At least 14 services have been cancelled so far. Eurostar said it was “working hard” to ensure later trains could run, but warned

PA/Getty By Sarah Bell BBC News Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis and bestselling writer Jilly Cooper are among those recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours list. Actress Emilia Clarke is named MBE alongside England goalkeeper Mary Earps, while captain Millie Bright and singer Leona Lewis become OBEs. Ex-rugby league players Rob Burrow and Kevin

David Chambers By PA Media & Tim Dale BBC News A man who was killed when he was hit by a car as he was helping an unconscious woman in a street had “devoted his life to others”, his family said. Chris Marriott, 46, described by police as a “Good Samaritan”, was helping the woman

South Yorkshire Police A man who died after a car hit a group of people in Sheffield was a Good Samaritan who came to another victim’s aid, police said. Father-of-two Christian Marriott had stopped to help an unconscious woman after a row between two groups in Burngreave on Wednesday afternoon. As emergency crews responded to

Reuters/Phil Noble By Emma Stanley & Fiona Trott BBC News Roofs were torn off houses, trees blew down and walls collapsed as a small “tornado” tore through Greater Manchester during Storm Gerrit. Police declared a major incident in Tameside at about 23:45 GMT on Wednesday “due to the severity of the damage caused and potential

Reuters Former European Commission President Jacques Delors – described as the architect of the modern EU – has died aged 98, his daughter says. He helped create the single market allowing the free movement of people, goods and services within the bloc. Serving from 1985 to 1995, Delors also laid the groundwork for the single

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry has said at least 241 people were killed in the past 24 hours, as Israel’s military operation continues in the territory. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called the war a “grave crime” against

Reuters Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is alive and being held in a penal colony in Siberia, according to his spokeswoman. “We found Alexei Navalny,” Kira Yarmysh said on 25 December, adding that he was now in northern Russia. His team had had no contact with him since 6 December, after he was moved from a

Reuters Russia has confirmed that one of its warships has been damaged in the Black Sea during an attack by Ukraine. The strike took place in the port of Feodosiya in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on Monday. The Ministry of Defence said the large landing ship Novocherkassk was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying guided missiles. Earlier,

Office of Israeli PM By Raffi Berg BBC News Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will intensify its fight against Hamas in the coming days. He told members of his party that he had visited Gaza on Monday morning and that Israel’s military campaign there was “not close to being over”. His comments come

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. By Shaimaa Khalil in Jerusalem And Youssef Taha in London BBC News Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says an Israeli air strike killed at least 70 people in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of the strip.

Last updated on 27 minutes ago27 minutes ago.From the section Man Utd British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25% stake in Manchester United for about $1.3bn (£1.03bn). Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group will take control of football operations. The 71-year-old will also provide $300m (£236m) for future investment into the club’s Old Trafford

EPA By Ione Wells Political correspondent Home Secretary James Cleverly has been criticised for making a comment about spiking his wife’s drink at a Downing Street reception. He reportedly said the ideal spouse is “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there”. According to the Sunday