For the past two decades, the Chinese Communist Party has been killing prisoners of conscience for their organs. The main victims are practitioners of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong and China’s Uyghur population. Some have called this large-scale transplant abuse a genocide. One of the foremost experts on this topic, David Matas, gave NTD an update […]

On the eve of Ukraine’s independence day, Boris Johnson said Russia must not be allowed to annex more Ukrainian territory and must pull its troops out of the entirety of the country. He also reassured the Ukrainian administration that the UK’s support will continue when he steps down in September.  

Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and challenger Anthony Joshua are going to have a highly anticipated rematch in Saudi Arabia. However, the rematch has drawn some criticism from human rights experts.

Statistics show people who died from COVID-19 have on average more than four conditions on their death certificates. These include diseases of the respiratory system, circulatory system, and pneumonia. Experts say headline death figures do not represent the actual number of COVID deaths.  

A drought has been declared for southern, central, and eastern England following the driest summer for 50 years. The Environment Agency has reassured the public that essential water supplies are safe.  

Police Scotland said a 39-year-old man has been charged following incidents in Skye and Wester Ross on Wednesday, some involving a firearm. A 47-year-old man died and three others were injured. A 32-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man are both in serious condition. The shootings have sent shockwaves through the island community.

The UK government will hold crisis talks with gas and electricity executives. It’s reported the ministers will hold the energy bosses to account for what they’re going to do with the huge profits they have made out of the energy crisis. Household energy debts have reached an all-time high, and 6 million homes owe an average of […]

A nationwide project is underway to replenish the UK’s native oyster populations. The Wild Oysters Project has introduced more than 140 oyster nurseries and found over 27,000 marine animals living among suspended oyster homes. Oysters can filter sea waters and have a huge ecological value.

Human rights group Amnesty International has accused Ukraine of endangering civilians by basing troops in schools, residential buildings, and other populated places during Russia’s invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the allegations, accusing the group of abetting what he called Russia’s unprovoked attacks.

A Commons report says health and social care services in England are facing “the greatest workforce crisis in their history” and would need about 1 million more staff in the next ten years, but the government has no credible strategy to make the situation better. It says this persistent understaffing poses a serious risk to […]

A deal has been signed to allow Kyiv to resume its grain exports through the Black Sea. The United Nations hopes the deal will allow millions of tonnes of grain exports to relieve the risk of hunger in some parts of the world. Turkey will place the role of an inspector while Russian grain and […]

After the warmest night on record on Monday, Britain has for the first time seen mercury pass 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), breaking the previous record by more than one degree. Record-breaking temperature brings about fires and drought. But for some parts of the country, showers are on the way.

As a heat wave is scorching the European continent and temperatures are reaching 40 degrees Celsius in some places, people find ways to cool down. In Germany, people are water jousting, while Spaniards are having a water fight. Here’s NTD’s Eddie Aitken with more.

Spain reported a second fatality in two days as it continues to battle wildfires. The body of a 69-year-old sheep farmer was found on Monday in the same area where a 62-year-old firefighter died a day earlier. More than 30 forest fires around Spain have forced the evacuation of thousands of people and blackened 85 square miles […]

A recent study said alcohol advice should vary according to age and gender. It suggests that young people should not drink, but older people may benefit from small amounts.

French senators said the chaos outside the national stadium that marred the Champions League football final was due to a series of mistakes by police and officials—and not the actions of previously blamed Liverpool fans. They pointed to “malfunction at every stage” of the final and urged French authorities to draw lessons from the May 28 incidents, as France is […]

Several wildfires are sweeping across Portugal and Spain, menacing villages, and causing the evacuation of hundreds of local residents. The fires come at a time the countries are enduring a sweltering heatwave, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (approximately 104 degrees Fahrenheit) in many parts.

European Union lawmakers have voted to include natural gas and nuclear in the bloc’s list of sustainable activities. The European Commission earlier this year made the controversial proposal as part of its plans for building a climate-friendly future, dividing member countries and drawing outcry from environmentalists as “greenwashing.”

Scientists at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens have discovered a new species of giant waterlily—the biggest in the world. And it turns out they already had the plant in their collection for nearly 180 years.

A cross-party review has recommended that members of parliament should not be allowed to bring babies into the House of Commons chamber during debates. MPs are allowed to take their babies with them when voting but not when participating in debates. The report was ordered amid an outcry over a Labour MP being told she can […]

NATO invited Sweden and Finland on Wednesday to join the military alliance in one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed the two countries to drop their traditional neutrality.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss used the NATO summit in Madrid to warn the Chinese Communist Party against invading Taiwan, and alert the West to not become strategically dependent on China.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and fellow G7 leaders condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine as the summit in Germany drew to a close. They pledged to impose tougher sanctions on Russia but refused to follow the White House’s request to impose a price cap on Russian oil.

Official figures show inflation in May remains at its highest level in 40 years, though only by 0.1 percentage point. The rise is mainly driven by food prices. Analysts say consumers are switching to cheaper brands and buying more food to eat at home rather than going to a restaurant.

French President Emmanuel Macron lost control of the National Assembly in legislative elections on Sunday. It’s a major setback that could throw the country into political paralysis unless he is able to negotiate alliances with other parties.

The EU has announced fresh legal action against the UK in response to the British government’s proposal to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Russian troops control about 80 percent of the fiercely contested eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk and have destroyed all three bridges leading out of the city. It’s a potential turning point for what Kyiv calls the key battle for the eastern Donbas region.

A royal warship that sank while carrying a future king, James Stuart, in the late 17th century has been discovered. A historian describes it as the most important maritime discovery since the Mary Rose, the warship from the Tudor navy of King Henry VIII.

The UK will send its first multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine, which can fire precision-guided missiles up to 50 miles, hoping to improve the country’s defence ability. Moscow warns that it will push Ukrainian forces back to protect from the West’s long-range weapons. Troops of Ukraine and Russia are engaging in intense street fighting in […]

Fighting rages in the Donbas region of Ukraine on Wednesday and U.S. President Joe Biden says Washington will supply precision rocket systems and munitions to the country. Ukraine marks Children’s Day with empty school buses to honor the 200 children killed in the war.

Ukrainian forces are resisting Russia’s all-out assault on a key city in Luhansk Province and both sides admit Russian troops now control up to half of the city. Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk sent out a ship loaded with thousands of tonnes of steel from Mariupol to Russia with Ukraine saying this amounts to looting.

More flights in the UK have been cancelled with many holidaymakers facing long queues at the airport. An aviation data company says nearly 300 flights have been axed since last Wednesday. Labour says the government has failed to step up support for airlines and airports, but the government says it’s the airlines who are to blame for not […]

Increasingly cut off due to western sanctions, the Russian economy plunges into recession amid double-digit inflation. President Vladimir Putin has raised pensions and the minimum wage whilst acknowledging a difficult year ahead. But he denied the country’s economic problems were all linked to the conflict in Ukraine.

Fighting rages in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. The governor of Luhansk Oblast says the situation is intense, with 90 percent of the region now under Russian control, and Ukrainian troops might withdraw further. Kyiv criticises the suggestions that Ukraine could give up its territory in exchange for peace as appeasing Nazi Germany in […]

The Russian soldier charged for killing an unarmed civilian in Ukraine has been jailed for life in the first war crimes trial since the invasion. Kyiv reveals that nearly 90 soldiers at a barracks were killed last week, its worst military loss in a single attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for full sanctions against Moscow.

Ukraine says the evacuation of its soldiers from the besieged Azovstal steelworks continues. On Monday, more than 260 soldiers were transported to Russia-controlled territory for treatment, including over 50 seriously wounded ones. Some Russian lawmakers say the surrendered soldiers from the Azov Regiment should not be released through war prisoner exchanges.

Millions of tonnes of grain are currently stuck in Ukraine because of Russian port blockades. This grain is needed in many parts of the world. At the G-7 foreign ministers meeting in Germany, diplomats discussed ways to mitigate a global food crisis.

Finland’s leaders say their country needs to apply for NATO membership without delay. A majority of the public and members of the Finnish Parliament are in favor of the move. They change their mind after witnessing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia says Finland’s move is definitely a threat and it will make a “decisive […]

Britain and Sweden have signed a security agreement, promising to defend each other in event of a crisis, including disasters or military attacks. The U.K. has offered to increase its military presence in Sweden to defend against the threat from Russia.

Ukraine is calling on the international community to take action to unblock its ports and resume wheat exports to prevent a global food crisis. The EU says Ukraine is sitting on wheat worth $8.6 billion but can’t export due to the conflict. Ukraine was the world’s fourth-largest exporter of maize last year and the No. […]

On one of Russia’s most important annual holidays, President Vladimir Putin sought to cast Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a forced response to Western policies. At a military parade on Red Square marking the World War II victory, Putin drew parallels between the Red Army’s fighting against the Nazi German troops and the Russian forces’ action in Ukraine.

How hard will it be to replace Russian oil? After the EU Commission proposed banning all oil from Russian imports by the end of the year, governments in Europe are trying to find ways to make up for a fifth of crude oil needs. One analyst says Asia will utilize the opportunity to snatch up the oil.

The United Nations says in its five-day operation, over 100 civilians were successfully evacuated from the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol to Ukraine-controlled territory. But many are still trapped there, and aid workers are worried that some elderly people could hardly walk to the pickup point. Russia is threatening to destroy convoys of arms shipments […]

On a visit to Moscow, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposes to coordinate with the Red Cross, Ukraine, and Russia to create humanitarian corridors out of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol. And residents of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine say they are struggling to survive without many of the basics.

Amid criticism over his leadership on Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is defending Germany’s commitment to secure arms for Ukrainians’ war effort. A leading lawmaker from the biggest opposition party is warning of fatal consequences if the German government does not quickly deliver heavy weapons.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is thought to have entered a second phase. Moscow’s troops have launched a new offensive on Ukraine’s eastern flank, targeting its industrial heartland. Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy says the Battle of Donbas has begun. The UK plans to provide Ukraine with vehicles that launch anti-aircraft missiles that can be used to shoot […]

Moscow is intensifying its airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine says a Russian attack killed at least seven people in Lviv, the first civilian victims in the western city. And Russia’s Defence Ministry says 400 mercenaries are encircled in a steelworks plant in the besieged city of Mariupol. Warning: This report contains some graphic video footage.

Two British men who surrendered to Russian forces in the besieged city of Mariupol appeared on Russian state TV. Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin had both been Ukrainian residents before the invasion and had joined the country’s military, serving as marines. They appealed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be part of an exchange with pro-Russian politician Victor Medvedchuk, who was arrested by Ukraine last week. Medvedchuk asked for […]

After 50 days of Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of trying to destroy the Donbas region—with no people left. And Russia says Ukrainian forces have hit residential buildings and injured seven people in a Russian village in a cross-border attack.

The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected U.S. President Joe Biden’s statement calling Russia’s actions in Ukraine genocide. It comes after evidence emerged of rape, torture, and killings of civilians in areas around Kyiv, including the town of Bucha, following the withdrawal of Russian troops. The Russian President this week said the footage from Bucha was fake. But what does […]