World
Updated
Royalty
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe to abdicate, paving the way for Prince Frederik
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II will abdicate on January 14 after 52 years on the throne, she said in her annual New Year’s Eve speech on Sunday.
- by Rob Harris
Analysis
Royalty
A shocking certainty, Princess Mary’s elevation to queen nears completion
- by Rob Harris
Fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas rages after nearly 200 killed in Gaza
- by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Arafat Barbakh
Opinion & Perspectives
What to expect around the world in 2024
Amid hope for less war and a better year, our correspondents take a look at the major issues they will be watching in their patch.
How the watermelon emoji got tied up with the Israel-Hamas war
On and off social media, watermelons are being used as a symbol to communicate solidarity with Palestinians – but the story goes back much further than the current conflict.
Callie Holtermann
Doubts over Israel’s ability to dismantle Hamas grow
Israel has “been saying this for a while, that Hamas is collapsing,” said one intelligence expert. “But it’s just not true.”
Neil MacFarquhar
North America
World of photos, January 2, 2024
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.
World of photos, January 1, 2024
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.
Europe
Analysis
Royalty
A shocking certainty, Princess Mary’s elevation to queen nears completion
- by Rob Harris
Updated
Royalty
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe to abdicate, paving the way for Prince Frederik
- by Rob Harris
Analysis
World politics
What to expect around the world in 2024
- by Eryk Bagshaw, Chris Barrett, Lucy Cormack, Rob Harris, Farrah Tomazin, Lia Timson and Matt Wade
Asia
Updated
Tsunami
Japan issues tsunami warnings following powerful earthquake
A powerful earthquake struck central Japan and its western coast on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and knocking out power to thousands of homes.
Xi says China will ‘surely be reunified’ with self-ruled Taiwan in New Year’s address
China has described Taiwan’s January 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between war and peace.
North Korea warns war inevitable, builds up spy satellites and nuclear arsenal
- by Cynthia Kim, Josh Smith and Jack Kim
How US fast food giants are supersizing investment in China
- by Aamer Madhani, Paul Wiseman and Elaine Kurtenbach
Also in World
First cats took over this prison. Then they stole its prisoners’ hearts
Chilean prison officials realised, after decades ignoring them, that the feline residents were not only good for the rat problem: they were also good for the inmates.
- by Jack Nicas
Many months of war predicted as Netanyahu defies US talk of Palestinian rule
- by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Arafat Barbakh and Dan Williams
Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border, reversal of 2005 withdrawal
- by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Arafat Barbakh and Dan Williams
Graphic content
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
How Hamas weaponised sexual violence
- by Jeffrey Gettleman, Anat Schwartz and Adam Sella