World

A 10ft-tall statue of the Greek god of the sea erected in Mexico has been “closed” and could be removed altogether because it offends the beliefs of local indigenous groups. The statue depicts a trident-wielding Poseidon appearing to rise from the sea metres from the beach near the town of Progreso, Yucatan. But Mexico’s environmental

Nappy makers in Japan are switching focus to the rapidly expanding adult market after births dropped to a record low. In the face of an ageing population, companies are targeting resources at this growth area. The number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth year running in 2023. Image: Pic: Reuters Japan’s population

A fight for better pay among workers at South Korea tech giant Samsung will now result in an indefinite strike, according to a top union official. A walkout over pay and conditions by members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) in the country began on Monday. But a row over the apparent effectiveness of

Former French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been charged with pressuring a witness who accused ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy of receiving illegal campaign financing from Libya. The former supermodel has been put on bail which stops her from contacting any of those involved in the proceedings with the exception of her husband, according to an official

Spain’s captain Alvaro Morata was seen limping and holding his knee after a security guard slipped and slid into him after his side’s semi-final win over France. Morata, who was substituted after 76 minutes, was seen in pain after the incident which happened as Spain’s players were celebrating in front of their fans. Reports have

Ukraine has published what it says is “unequivocal” evidence a Russian missile hit Kyiv’s largest children’s hospital. The Okhmatdyt hospital treats 20,000 people a year. A two-storey wing helping children with cancer was destroyed in the attack. It was part of a barrage across Ukraine that was the deadliest for months – on the eve

Fifty feet underground, in one of the most secure rooms in Israel, is the country’s blood vault. We’re told we can’t say its exact location and they won’t reveal what measures have been taken to protect it, but it is safe against missile, chemical, and cyber attacks, and in the air-conditioned room are boxes and

France have suspended full-back Melvyn Jaminet after he posted a video on social media making a racist comment. The 25-year-old, who plays for Toulon, came off the bench during France‘s win against Argentina in Mendoza on Saturday. In a video posted on his Instagram account, the 20-times capped player is heard saying: “The first Arab

This is an astonishing result, perhaps the biggest surprise in the history of French elections. Nobody saw it coming – the pollsters, the public or the politicians. France will not have a far-right government, but that answer, that single fact, does not cover another crucial point. The country is still cloaked in uncertainty. An election

Emmanuel Macron has refused the resignation of France’s prime minister after the country’s parliamentary election results left the government in limbo. The French president has asked Gabriel Attal to remain in office temporarily “in order to ensure the country’s stability,” Mr Macron’s office said. Follow latest: France braced for ‘instability, political chaos and gridlock’ Mr

Voters have gone to the polls for the second time in France in crucial parliamentary run-off elections that threaten political deadlock. While Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party is expected to win most votes, it faces falling short of a majority. This raises the prospect of a hung parliament, denting the authority of President

Ukraine’s air force has claimed it tricked Russian forces into hitting dummy versions of warplanes and air defence systems. Air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said mock-ups were put in place at an airfield near the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih and a district of the Black Sea port of Odesa. He shared a video

Police in Ecuador say 49 kidnapping victims have been rescued from a crime gang in the south of the country. Two suspected kidnappers were arrested during the raid in a mining region in Azuay province. Police said the Los Lobos (The Wolves) crime gang was behind the kidnappings. An earlier statement from the armed forces

Germany has summoned Turkey’s ambassador as the row over a Turkish player’s ultra-nationalist gesture at Euro 2024 grows. UEFA is investigating Merih Demiral for mimicking a wolf’s head with his fingers – a symbol linked to a far-right group known as the Grey Wolves – after scoring against Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday. Turkish President

A German city has shaken off its name and dubbed itself “Swiftkirchen” as it prepares for the arrival of Taylor Swift and many thousands of her adoring fans. The world’s biggest music star is due to play three dates at Gelsenkirchen, near the Dutch border in western Germany, later this month and ahead of her

Google has admitted its greenhouse gas emissions have risen 48% over the past five years – largely because of artificial intelligence – scuppering its climate aims. AI systems require intense levels of computational power, and this has piled pressure on the tech giant’s data centres around the world. In its latest environmental report, Google went

UEFA has launched an investigation into Turkey’s Merih Demiral for allegedly making a political gesture as he celebrated his country’s Euro 2024 victory over Austria. The 26-year-old defender was the match-winner as he scored both of his side’s goals in a 2-1 win to secure his nation a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament

Vinod Kumar, 36, is inconsolable. He’s just identified the body of his wife and eight-year-old daughter at the district hospital in Hatras.  “My world has crashed, I can’t find my mother, I don’t know where she is. I can’t even find her body. And no one is telling me anything,” he told Sky News. The

Joe Biden has said he “nearly fell asleep” during last week’s first presidential debate and put his poor performance down to travel exhaustion after going “around the world a couple of times” shortly before it. The US president, 81, said he “wasn’t very smart” for having travelled extensively in the weeks leading up to the

Australian police are searching for a 12-year-old child who was reportedly attacked by a crocodile while swimming. The alert was raised on Tuesday night in Palumpa, a remote Northern Territory town about seven hours drive from Darwin. Police said the child was last seen swimming in a creek and that “initial reports stated the child