NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has embraced President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to send 5,000 US troops to Poland, a move that reverses an earlier plan shelved as Washington pressed Europe to shoulder more of its own defence. "Of course, I welcome the announcement," Rutte told reporters before a meeting of alliance foreign ministers in Sweden, saying NATO's "military commanders are working through all the details". Trump caught allies off guard by unveiling the deployment only hours before Secretary of State Marco…

International condemnation mounted after Israel’s far-right security minister released a video showing Gaza-bound flotilla activists pinned to the ground and mocked, as two detainees later said they were physically assaulted while in custody. The police treatment of the group, carried out under the authority of Itamar Ben-Gvir, prompted criticism not only from Western governments but also from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States, Israel’s closest ally. The activists had been attempting to bring…

Keir Starmer has said he will join the campaign trail for Andy Burnham in the north-west England bye-election, throwing his weight behind a figure widely seen as a possible rival for the Labour leadership. At the same time, the British prime minister and Labour leader tried to shift attention onto his government’s record and away from what he called “all the other discussions that are going on” — an apparent nod to the leadership speculation that has shadowed him since Labour’s heavy losses in local and devolved elections…

Queen Elizabeth II was "very keen" for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to assume a "prominent role in the promotion of national interests", according to a senior official’s memo sent to the then-foreign secretary before his appointment as trade envoy in 2001. In the note to Robin Cook, dated 25 February 2000, David Wright, then chief executive of British Trade International, wrote that Queen Elizabeth’s "wish" was for Andrew, then the Duke of York, to take up the position. Mr Wright outlined a job that would involve regional…

More than 16 years after Air France Flight AF447 plunged into the Atlantic, a Paris appeals court has convicted Airbus and Air France of corporate manslaughter in the 2009 Rio-Paris disaster, the deadliest plane crash in France's history, which claimed 228 lives. Among those killed were three Irish women: Jane Deasy of Co Dublin, Eithne Walls of Co Down and Aisling Butler of Co Tipperary. All three were doctors travelling home after a holiday in Brazil. The ruling marks a new chapter in a long-running legal battle that has…

Outrage spread across Western capitals after Israel’s far-right security minister released a video showing Gaza-bound flotilla activists pinned to the ground, a scene that quickly deepened into a diplomatic row when two detainees later alleged they were physically assaulted in custody. The handling of the activists by police officers operating under Itamar Ben-Gvir’s authority also prompted criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and from the United States, Israel’s staunchest ally. The activists had been…

Mount Everest saw an unprecedented rush of climbers yesterday, with a record 274 people reaching the summit from the Nepali side in a single day — the most ever to stand atop the world’s highest mountain in 24 hours. Rising 8,849 metres, Everest sits on the border between Nepal and China’s Tibet region, and expeditions can approach the peak from either side. But expedition operators said no climbers attempted the mountain from the Tibetan side this year after Chinese authorities did not issue permits. Among those who reached…

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite company, has filed for what could become the biggest initial public offering ever, outlining plans to raise as much as $75 billion from public investors. If the deal goes ahead on those terms, the company’s market debut would eclipse every previous IPO on record. The filing states that after the offering, Mr Musk would serve as chief executive, chief technology officer and chair of the board. US media reports said SpaceX is seeking to raise $75bn and secure a valuation of up to $1.75…

Iran signaled on Thursday that it is weighing Washington’s latest position on ending the war, after President Donald Trump said he was willing to wait only a few days for what he called the “right answers” from Tehran and warned that fresh attacks could follow if no deal is reached. "We have received US views and are reviewing them," Iranian state-run agency Nour News quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying. Baghaei added that Pakistan, which hosted peace talks last month and has served as the channel…

Ireland has stepped up pressure on Brussels after the detention of EU citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, with the Taoiseach urging European leaders to confront Israel’s actions at next month’s summit. Micheál Martin has written to European Council President António Costa calling for Israel’s treatment of the group to be discussed by EU leaders, and saying they should examine whether all or part of the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended over what he described as the illegal detention of EU citizens by…