German police arrested three people today over an alleged attack plot targeting the cathedral in Cologne on New Year’s Eve. The “alleged means of attack” was a car, said police in the western city, adding that security measures had been stepped up around the site. The three suspects are believed …

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II will abdicate on 14 January after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she said her annual New Year’s speech this evening. The 83-year-old queen, who took over the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in …

Fergal O’Brien will retire from professional snooker at the end of the current season, ending a career which has spanned over 30 years. The former British Open winner and 2001 Masters finalist has decided to move into other aspects of the game including media work and coaching. O’Brien was relegated …

Luton captain Tom Lockyer has thanked the heroes that saved his life after suffering a cardiac arrest at Bournemouth earlier this month. The 29-year-old collapsed in the 59th minute of the Premier League clash at Vitality Stadium, resulting in the 16 December fixture being abandoned. Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest …

Investigative journalist John Pilger has died aged 84, his family has announced. The Australia-born documentary maker was known for his work covering the aftermath of Pol Pot’s regime in Cambodia and also looked into the Thalidomide scandal along with his war correspondent work. A statement to his X, formerly Twitter, …

Lewis Capaldi has said he is “going to continue taking some time to carry on looking after myself” after his six-month hiatus from touring resulted in an improvement in his health. The Scottish singer-songwriter announced in June he would be taking a break from touring “for the foreseeable future” after …

The Vatican marked the first anniversary of the death of Pope Benedict XVI, with one of his closest aides saying he never would have approved a recent declaration allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, who was the Church’s doctrinal chief under Benedict, and Archbishop Georg Gänswein, …

China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable, President Xi Jinping has said in his New Year’s address, striking a stronger tone than he did last year with less than two weeks to go before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader. The 13 January presidential and parliamentary elections are happening at …

The US has said it has destroyed anti-ship missiles and boats operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels after a failed attempt by the Iran-backed group to board a container ship in the Red Sea. Shipping giant Maersk suspended the passage of its vessels through the key Red Sea strait for 48 …

It’s a year since the death of Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope Emeritus had lived on the grounds of the Vatican in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery for ten years while his successor, Pope Francis, took the reigns steering the Catholic church towards reform. During that time, Pope Francis was subjected …