Opposition forces enter key towns north of Syria’s third largest city after taking control of Hama Syrian insurgents have entered towns north of the country’s third largest city, Homs, sweeping along a highway that eventually leads to the capital, Damascus, in a lightning-fast advance that has shaken the Middle East. […]

Courts logjam in England and Wales contributes to doubling in five years of victims pulling out of prosecutions ‘I’ve had four torturous years’: child abuse victims speak out The number of rape victims pulling out of prosecutions before trial has more than doubled in five years amid record delays in […]

White House games last-minute strategy to bolster Ukraine, including $20bn in loans and sweeping sanctions on Russia The White House has gamed out a last-minute strategy to bolster Ukraine’s war position that involves an avalanche of military assistance and sweeping new sanctions against Russia, according to a background briefing from […]

Approval for Marks & Spencer to rebuild flagship London store ends three-year planning battle over art deco building Marks & Spencer has been given the green light to demolish its flagship Oxford Street store, ending a fierce three-year planning battle over the art deco building. The housing secretary, Angela Rayner, […]

Minority coalition of PM Michel Barnier falls after three months, the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic France has been plunged into political crisis after a no-confidence vote brought down the government, ending the beleaguered minority coalition of the rightwing prime minister Michel Barnier after only three months. […]