World

Pope Francis is “progressively improving”, the Vatican has said, after he was admitted to hospital with a respiratory infection. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old – who had part of one lung removed as a young man – had rested well overnight. He ate breakfast, read the newspapers and was working from his room at

A US reporter has been arrested in Russia for allegedly spying for Washington, Russian security services have said. Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich was held in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg accused of trying to obtain classified information, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday. Mr Gershkovich, 31, is the first reporter

At least 28 people have died after a ferry carrying about 250 passengers and crew caught fire in the southern Philippines. The Coast Guard Commodore Rejard Marfe confirmed that 28 people had drowned or died in the blaze However, Jim Hataman, governor of Basilan, the southern island province near where the ferry caught fire, said

Former president Jair Bolsonaro has arrived back in Brazil where he is facing several investigations – including over his alleged role in encouraging protests that ended with his supporters storming several government buildings. The 68-year-old had been in self-imposed exile in Florida for three months but has now returned to Brazil for the first time

Pope Francis will need to spend “a few days” in hospital for treatment for a respiratory infection, the Vatican says. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old had complained of breathing difficulties in recent days and went to the Gemelli hospital for tests. The pontiff does not have COVID-19 but requires several days of therapy, he

The trans community is fearing a “backlash” following the school shooting in Nashville. Six people, including three nine-year-old children, were killed after Audrey Hale opened fire in the Christian Covenant School in the Tennessee state capital. Shortly after police revealed that Hale, a former pupil at the school, identified as a transgender man, the hashtag

More than 220,000 Russian troops and mercenaries have been killed or injured in Ukraine, according to the latest US assessment, Britain’s defence secretary has revealed. Ben Wallace also confirmed the first British tanks have arrived in Ukraine but said there is “still quite some considerable amounts of training to go” before Ukrainian forces are ready

Strikes on Iranian-linked bases will be met with an “immediate counter-response” after the reported deaths of 19 people in US attacks on Syria, an Iranian security spokesperson has warned. Keyvan Khosravi made the remarks after the US carried out a series of strikes on the east of the country in one of the deadliest exchanges

The Pope has updated the church’s rules for dealing with sexual abuse, expanding its scope to include lay Catholic leaders and spelling out that both minors and adults can be victims. It follows a landmark decree in 2019 that made it obligatory for all priests and members of religious orders to report any suspicions of

India’s key opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being disqualified from parliament. Mr Gandhi, 52, was expelled on Friday after he was sentenced to two years in jail for making defamatory remarks relating to Mr Modi’s surname at a 2019 rally, before the last general election. Mr Gandhi – who

Germany’s largest bank has become the focus in a new wave of selling across banking and wider financial stocks, less than a week after the forced takeover of Credit Suisse. Deutsche Bank shares were down 11% on the day at one stage, in volatile trading, after a sharp jump in the cost of insuring against

TikTok’s chief executive has sought to reassure US Congress that the Chinese-owned video app is not “an agent” of Beijing and poses no risk to national security. Shou Zi Chew faced hours of tough questioning by deputies in the House of Representatives convinced that the popular app is a “tool” of the Chinese Communist Party.

Two pickup trucks with half a dozen heavily armed men on board escort us on the journey into the besieged city of Taiz. They stay with us the entire three days we are inside the city. The talk may be increasingly of potential peace in Yemen but the war has never stopped in Taiz. The

World Athletics has decided to exclude transgender women who have gone through male puberty from female events. The body’s president, Lord Coe, said “decisive action” had been taken to “protect the female category in our sport”. Lord Coe told a news conference in Monaco: “The council has agreed to exclude male-to-female transgender athletes, who have

A new and “rare” species of giant trapdoor spider has been discovered in Australia. The large eight-legged arachnid is so big that it has been named “Euoplos dignitas” – meaning dignity or greatness in Latin – in honour of its “impressive” size. Researchers say the female spiders, which are typically larger than the males, can

The UK has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately spreading false information about a British decision to send tank shells that contain depleted uranium to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said such material is “standard” for rounds that have the ability to pierce through armour and that they have nothing to do with