On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy noticeRich foreigners paid large sums of money to shoot at terrified civilians during the 1990s siege of Sarajevo, according to extraordinary allegations being investigated by Italian prosecutors. open image in gallery A child during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992 ( Copyright 1992. Edin Subasic, a former Bosnian intelligence officer, said a captured Serb soldier told him Italians had paid to fire sniper rifles at civilians. Italian intelligence agency SISMI reportedly confirmed at the time that foreign “weekend snipers” had visited Sarajevo.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

The forecaster has issued a space weather warning for the natural phenomenon, also known as the aurora borealis, predicting it will be visible across parts of the UK on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. The dazzling display was spotted in the north east of the UK on Tuesday night. The Met Office added that the cloud may also break across south-east England through the night, potentially giving stargazers an opportunity to see the aurora. Met Office space weather manager Krista Hammond said: “Multiple coronal mass ejections have reached Earth in recent days, with another one likely to arrive later today. As these particles interact with the Earth’s atmosphere, they form a dazzling light display, commonly known as the Northern Lights.

The UK has begun testing a “contactless” border system that lets British passport holders enter the country without showing their passport. According to a report by The Times, trials at Manchester Airport in October used facial recognition technology to replace traditional passport checks, with Border Force reporting that processing times were “considerably reduced.”Phil Douglas, Director-General of Border Force, said, “So people approach the e-gate, it recognizes them [as] already on our database, and they’re checked through.” The three-week trial used existing e-gates, which normally require passengers to insert a passport before having their image captured. “We’ve got a new contract for gates and we’re going to be expanding them even further,” Douglas said. He noted that airports have raised concerns about passengers reaching baggage reclaim too quickly, but performance this year “competed pretty well with almost any other country.”E-gates, initially restricted to British and EU arrivals, now include passengers from countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand South Korea , and the US. Douglas said the contactless gates aim to bring the UK border to a “gold standard” seen in countries like Dubai, the US, and Australia, contrasting with stricter EU measures that will require fingerprints and photos for all British passport holders entering or leaving the bloc.The trials reflect the UK’s push to modernise its border control system while maintaining security and public confidence.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

The place to stay in these parts is the Grand Forest Metsovo, a family-run hotel opposite the traditional alpine village of Metsovo in the region of Epirus. Or you can join the Ursa Trail, a 25-mile hiking path that’s used for an annual trail-running event. Spinach and feta pies are popular all over Greece, but in this region they are double the usual thickness and extra moreish. You can hunt for truffles here year-round, with different varieties of black and white truffle available in different seasons. AdvertisementThis article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenueLizzie Frainier was a guest of Grand Forest Metsovo (grand-forest.gr), which has B&B doubles from £240.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

CyberSentriq recognised among Europe’s most innovative cybersecurity companies, securing sixth place in TechRound’s Cybersecurity40 listCyberSentriq has been recognised as one of the UK and Europe’s most innovative cybersecurity companies, earning 6th place in TechRound ‘s prestigious Cybersecurity40 list for 2025 . Launched in 2025 following the merger of Redstor and TitanHQ, CyberSentriq provides a unified platform designed to simplify cybersecurity and data protection for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). James Griffin, CEO at CyberSentriq, commented on the achievement: “From day one, our mission has been to set a new standard for MSP-first cybersecurity. See results here https://techround.co.uk/cybersecurity/6-cybersentriq/About TechRoundAbout CyberSentriqCyberSentriq is an integrated cybersecurity and data protection platform that leverages solutions from two best-of-breed vendors in the MSP space. The CyberSentriq platform offers:● AI-driven threat intelligence and detection● Advanced email security at both the Mail Exchange (MX) and Integrated Cloud Email Security (ICES) layers.

Trump threatens to sueA lawyer for Trump is demanding a retraction, apology and compensation from the broadcaster over the allegedly defamatory sequence in a documentary broadcast last year. Legal experts say Trump is likely too late to sue the BBC in Britain, because a one-year deadline to file a defamation suit has expired. Near the BBC’s London headquarters, some passersby said the scandal would further erode trust in a broadcaster already under pressure. A growing number of people argue that the license fee is unsustainable in a world where many households watch little or no traditional TV. She said the government would ensure the BBC is “sustainably funded [and] commands the public’s trust,” but did not say whether the license fee might be scaled back or scrapped.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

For the BBC, President Trump’s threat of a $1 billion lawsuit has thrust the already-reeling British broadcaster into uncharted territory. For its American media counterparts, being threatened by the litigious president is familiar terrain. The record of Mr. Trump’s litigation in the United States offers both hope and warning to the BBC, which has been convulsed by the resignation of two top executives, and by uncomfortable questions about its journalism. As in some of the American cases, lawyers said, Mr. Trump would face formidable hurdles if a suit ever went to trial. He would have to persuade a court that a misleadingly edited clip in a BBC documentary caused him to “suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm,” as his lawyer claimed in a letter to the BBC on Sunday.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

Kash Patel has been stung by a leak from British intelligence following a dramatic dispute over his armed security detail ahead of a dinner attended by King Charles. Soon after the FBI agent was reassigned to the US, saving the agency money but left British spy officials shocked, according to NY Times. British cops, moreover, demanded Patel's security detail not be armed due to the country's strict gun control laws. McCallum, according to the Times, is a mild-mannered Scotsman known for his cozy relationship with Patel's FBI predecessor Christopher Wray. It is not clear if Patel was aware of that development before he made his promise to British security officials.

No 10 has singled out the Health Secretary to warn off other potential leadership challenges from senior Labour figures including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, the reports said. But a spokesman for Mr Streeting said the claims he is willing to challenge Sir Keir “are categorically untrue”. The Prime Minister would fight any challenge to his leadership, the senior figure said, but added launching one would be irresponsible, and insisted Sir Keir was focused on governing. Challengers for the Labour leadership can initiate an election with the support of 20% of the party’s MPs, which currently means 80 nominations would be needed. Labour affiliates, including the trade unions, would be able to vote in the ballot alongside individual members.