23:34

Diplomacy and trade

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledge deeper trade ties and fairer market access

Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed on Wednesday in Beijing to strengthen economic cooperation while addressing trade imbalances, market access concerns, and the war in Ukraine, during Merz’s first official visit to China since taking office.

02:17

Politics

Zelenskyy urges Hungarian prime minister to block support to Russia instead of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should block financial support to Russia rather than Ukraine, as Budapest opposes the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow.

00:46

Politics

U.N. chief: Ukraine war ‘a stain on our collective conscience’ and urges unconditional ceasefire

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has called for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, describing the conflict as “a stain on our collective conscience”.

23:48

UEFA

Newcastle United defeat Qarabağ FK 3–2 in Champions League play-off return

Newcastle United secured a 3–2 victory over Qarabağ FK in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League play-offs at St James’ Park.

22:35

Museum Heist

Louvre museum chief resigns after $102m heist

Laurence des Cars, director of the Louvre Museum, has resigned months after a $102 million daylight heist at the museum, which prompted a parliamentary inquiry.

17:37

Russia-Ukraine war

Ukraine war in numbers: Financial and military sustainment

Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war can be measured not only in lives and territory, but in money. In Part One, the war’s cost was measured in casualties and kilometres. In Part Two, it is measured in billions of dollars.

08:50

Russia-Ukraine War

Ukraine war in numbers: Human and territorial cost

Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the war is no longer defined by shock but by scale.

12:43

Politics

European Union unlikely to reach Russia sanctions deal as internal dispute deepens

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has said the bloc is unlikely to reach agreement on a new package of sanctions against Russia at Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, as continued Hungarian opposition keeps consensus out of reach.

08:36

North Korea

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un re-elected as top leader of Workers’ Party

North Korea’s Workers' Party of Korea has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary during the party congress in Pyongyang state media reported.

06:30

Politics

World Bank grants Syria $50 million to upgrade transport infrastructure

Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.

04:40

Politics

Hungary threatens to block EU Russia sanctions package over pipeline dispute

Hungary has said it will block the European Union’s latest sanctions package against Russia unless oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are restored, deepening a dispute with Brussels and Kyiv over energy security.

03:25

Sports

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics closes with ceremony celebrating sport, art and unity

Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.

01:37

Politics

UK defence secretary expresses hope to deploy British troops to Ukraine when the war ends

The United Kingdom Defence Secretary John Healey has said he hopes to be the minister who oversees the deployment of British troops to Ukraine, arguing that such a move would signal the end of Russia’s war.

23:59

Politics

U.S. and Iran to hold fresh nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, Oman confirms

The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.

22:54

Cartel chief killed

Mexican cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ killed in military operation, triggering nationwide violence

Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.

13:42

Politics

Iran designates EU naval and air forces as ‘terrorist entities’ in reciprocal move

Iran announced on Saturday (21 February) that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

06:30

Abandoned baby monkey

Baby monkey abandoned by mother goes viral after bonding with stuffed orangutan

A seven-month-old Japanese macaque has drawn international attention after forming an unusual bond with a stuffed orangutan toy after being rejected by its mother.

04:55

Politics

Ukraine imposes new sanctions targeting Russian maritime and defence supply chains

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved new sanctions targeting Russian maritime operators, defence-linked companies and individuals connected to Moscow’s military and energy sectors, according to official decrees issued on Saturday.

03:20

Politics

Google AI boss calls for more study of potential AI threats

The chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has called for more urgent research into the risks posed by artificial intelligence, warning that stronger safeguards are needed as systems become more advanced.

01:50

Accident Investigation

Eight killed after Chinese tour bus plunges into frozen Lake Baikal

Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of on Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.

23:11

Space Exploration

NASA Artemis II launch delayed after helium system fault cancels March window

A technical fault in the helium system of NASA’s next-generation Moon rocket was announced on Saturday, ruling out the planned March launch window for the Artemis II mission.

11:51

Politics

UK government weighs removing Andrew from royal succession line

UK politicians have renewed calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to be removed from the line of succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and revelations over his links to convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

05:00

Food Crisis

WFP warns Somalia food aid at risk of halting by April

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that its life‑saving food and nutrition assistance in Somalia could end by April without urgent funding, leaving millions at risk of severe hunger.

02:55

ASOS co-founder dies

ASOS co-founder Quentin Griffiths dies in Thailand after balcony fall

Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS, has died in Pattaya, Thailand, after falling from the 17th floor of a condominium on 9 February, Thai police confirmed.