A plan to withdraw police officers from lifeguard duty on French beaches is facing fierce opposition by mayors concerned about public safety and terrorism. For six decades, strapping riot police standing in as lifeguards have been a reassuring presence on French beaches. But many have been stood down in recent years and the rest are…

Donald Trump has attacked local officials in Washington DC for forcing the postponement of his prized military parade amid reports the cost had soared to $92 million (£72m), accusing them of inflating the price and declaring: “Now we can buy some more jet fighters!” Mr Trump, who reportedly wanted tanks rolling through the streets of…

Donald Trump nearly started a conflict with North Korea in early 2018, when he proposed a tweet that "scared the daylights" out of his defence secretary James Mattis, a new book claims. “This is all about leader versus leader,” said Mr Trump, according to Fear, an upcoming book by legendary Watergate journalist Bob Woodward seen…

Italian mountaineers have been left aghast this summer at the number of ill-prepared day trippers trying to climb some of the country’s highest Alpine peaks in shorts and trainers. There have been a spate of incidents in which bewildered climbers have come across tourists wearing jeans and sweatshirts trudging through the snow at altitudes of…

Vladimir Putin has backtracked on pension reforms in Russia that included hikes to the retirement age for men and women and caused an outcry across the country, even hitting his personal approval ratings.   The Russian president toned down the controversial proposals in a special address to the nation on Wednesday. He said women would be…

Mario Rabbids will be updated with a new competitive multiplayer mode as of tomorrow, allowing two players to go head-to-head locally. Best of all, it’s free. Versus Mode plays a little differently to the core game, with players being limited to just a handful of actions per turn, helping prevent one player from immediately dominating…

A searing United Nations report on Monday called for the investigation and prosecution of Burma’s top military generals for genocide and accused Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s civilian leader, of failing to use her “moral authority” to prevent violence against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state. Among the senior military leader who the report by…

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, will meet Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, on Saturday for talks about conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline – but not before stopping off to be a surprise guest at a wedding in Austria. Mr Putin will attend the wedding of the country’s foreign…

Microsoft is adding a ‘do not disturb’ option to Xbox One. The feature is designed for people who want to play games without being bothered by friend messages, party invites or other notifications, while still staying connected online. The option is rolling out now to users signed up to the Xbox Insider beta, and will…