NASA’s Artemis 2 mission blasted off successfully, but the crew encountered an early systems glitch when a toilet controller and a water tank valve failed shortly after liftoff.Mission leaders described the issue as not unexpected and said the team is only at the start of the flight, with crew members safe and in good spirits.A separate, short-lived communications interruption occurred during a...

Prince William travelled to Wiltshire today to meet troops from 1 Mercian Regiment, using his role as Colonel-in-Chief to focus on the perspectives of women serving in the Army.Dressed in military fatigues, he took part in a roundtable with a female soldiers’ network and listened to their accounts of serving life and frontline duties.Women currently make up around 12% of the UK Regular Forces,...

President Trump has signaled a desire to step back from the conflict with Iran, but his approach remains muddled as Washington balances threats and talks.In a dramatic 48-hour stretch this week, the Pentagon ordered more than 1,000 paratroopers toward Iran while US negotiators sent Tehran a new 15-point peace proposal.The White House publicly urged acceptance even as it warned of tougher action...

This Nowruz has a different feel: homes are being swept and prepared for spring, but celebration is muted by war, internet blackouts and a sense of danger.Families who would normally gather are cut off from loved ones and struggling to get news from the outside.Reporters working with people inside Iran have been sent accounts under strict anonymity for safety. The government has tightened online...

Drones launched by Ukraine overnight crossed into Estonian and Latvian territory as part of a wider strike on Russian Baltic ports, authorities in Tallinn and Riga said.One unmanned aircraft struck the chimney of a power plant in Auvere, Estonia, while another fell and detonated in Latvia’s southern Krāslava region.Officials reported no serious damage or injuries. The incidents happened...

A major industry group is warning the UK it must boost domestic oil and gas production to avoid growing dependence on imported fuel as global tensions push prices higher.Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) says the government should rethink its ban on new North Sea exploration licences, arguing that Britain risks exposure to supply shocks if more home-grown output is not allowed.Energy markets have...

Two years after Dutch schools removed smartphones from the school day, teachers and education officials are reporting calmer corridors and sharper attention in class.Devices including phones, smartwatches and tablets are now kept out of classrooms, hallways and cafeterias across the country as part of a nationwide agreement reached with schools, parents and teachers rather than through new...

Five women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein met on camera for the first time in a BBC Newsnight session to share how the crimes still shape their lives.One of them, Joanna Harrison, said she had kept silent for years but was forced into the open when US government files were published with insufficient redactions.That disclosure stripped her of anonymity and pushed her to speak. The...

President Donald Trump said there were "very strong talks" with Iran and hinted at a chance for a full halt to hostilities, but Tehran quickly denied any formal negotiations and described the claims as misleading.What exists so far are tentative, low‑level contacts rather than a clear breakthrough.Officials familiar with past discussions say exchanges between Iranian foreign minister Abbas...

Slovenia has moved to limit how much fuel each motorist can buy, becoming the first EU member state to introduce nationwide rationing as regional tensions push up prices.The government says the measure responds to market disruptions driven by recent strikes in the Middle East that have shaken global energy supplies and sent pump prices higher.Under the new rules, private drivers may purchase up...