Vladimir Putin said he will match any move by the United States to deploy new nuclear missiles closer to Russia by stationing its own missiles closer to the US, or by deploying faster missiles, or both. The Russian President said he was not seeking confrontation and would not take the first step to deploy missiles in response to the US …

Theresa May has told MPs attempting to delay Brexit that it would not “solve the situation”. “The decision remains the same – the deal, no-deal or no Brexit,” she said at Prime Minister’s Questions. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused her of having a “closed mind” to other Brexit options, such as Labour’s plan for a customs union with the EU. …

Spanish border guards have discovered two migrants hidden inside mattresses strapped to the roof of a car at a checkpoint on the frontier with Morocco, video footage shows. The footage, published on social media by a senator in the Spanish parliament, is reported to have been filmed in Melilla, an enclave of Spain on the north African coast. Morocco has …

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal family have met with cheering crowds while attending a Christmas church service in Sandringham. The 92-year-old Queen arrived by car while the younger Royals walked from her country house to St Mary Magdalene Church. Prince Philip, who is 97 and largely retired from public life, did not attend the church service but a royal …

Sir David Attenborough says the “collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon” unless urgent action is taken against global warming. The 92-year-old famed British naturalist and BBC presenter blamed humans for the, “man-made disaster of global scale, our greatest threat in thousands of years”. “The world’s people have spoken, their …

The French Government is preparing to suspend fuel tax increases following weeks of protests that turned violent, according to a government source. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was due to announce the suspension on Tuesday, the source added, in what would mark President Emmanuel Macron’s first significant U-turn on a major policy since taking power in 2017. The so-called “yellow vests” …

Russia has seized three Ukrainian naval ships off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea after opening fire on them and wounding several sailors — a move that risks igniting a dangerous new crisis between the two countries. Russia’s FSB security service said early on Monday its border patrol boats had seized the Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea and used …

Cities across France are witnessing an eruption of fury as protesters demanding lower taxes and the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron fill the streets and clash with police. Paris saw the wildest protests, according to the Interior Ministry, while other cities also reported angry demonstrations as part of the so-called “Yellow Vest” movement against fuel-price hikes imposed as part of a …

EU leaders have approved an agreement on the UK’s withdrawal and future relations – insisting it is the “best and only deal possible”. After 20 months of negotiations, the 27 leaders gave the deal their blessing after less than an hour’s discussion. They said the deal – which needs to be approved by the UK Parliament – paved the way …

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to launch legal action against the government of Ecuador, accusing it of violating his “fundamental rights and freedoms”. The move comes several months after Ecuador cut off communications for Assange, who has been living inside the country’s embassy in London for more than six years. WikiLeaks lawyer Baltasar Garzon has arrived in Ecuador to launch …