Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said there will be no more wars after Ukraine if Russia is treated with respect - and claims that Moscow is planning to attack European countries are "nonsense".

In a marathon televised event lasting almost four and a half hours, he was asked by the BBC's Steve Rosenberg whether there would be new "special military operations" - Putin's term for the full-scale war.

"There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect, if you respect our interests just as we've always tried to respect yours," he asserted.

His remarks were in line with a recent comment in which he said Russia was not planning to go to war, but was ready "right now" if Europe wanted to.

He also added the condition,"if you don't cheat us like you cheated us with Nato's eastward expansion".

He has long accused Nato of going back on an alleged 1990 Western promise before the fall of the Soviet Union. It was denied years afterwards by late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The "Direct Line" marathon combined questions from the public at large and journalists from across Russia in a Moscow hall, with Putin sitting beneath an enormous map of Russia that encompassed occupied areas of Ukraine, including Crimea.

Russian state TV claimed more than three million questions had been submitted.

Although it was largely choreographed, some critical comments from the public appeared on a big screen, including one that referred to the event as a "circus", another bemoaning internet outages and one that highlighted poor-quality tap water. Mobile internet outages have been blamed by authorities on Ukrainian drone attacks.

Putin also addressed Russia's faltering economy, with prices rising, growth on the slide and VAT going up from 20 to 22% on 1 January. One message to the president read: "Stop the crazy rise in prices on everything!"

The Kremlin regularly uses the end-of-year event to highlight the resilience of the economy and, as Putin spoke, Russia's central bank announced it was lowering interest rates to 16%.

Foreign policy issues were mixed with musings about the motherland, praise for local businesses, fish prices and the importance of looking after veterans.

But the issue of almost four years of full-scale war in Ukraine was never far away and it was often in the background of many of the questions.

Putin again claimed to be "ready and willing" to end the war in Ukraine "peacefully" but offered little sign of compromise.

He repeated his insistence on principles he had outlined in a June 2024 speech, when he demanded that Ukrainian forces leave four regions Russia partially occupies and that Kyiv gives up its efforts to join Nato.

Chief among Russia's demands is full control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas, including about 23% of Donetsk region which Russia has not been able to occupy.

Putin argued Russian forces were making advances across the front line in Ukraine and he ridiculed Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the front line at Kupiansk last week, when the Ukrainian leader was able to refute Russia claims that it had captured the town.

Putin has also demanded new elections in Ukraine to be included in the peace proposals that US President Donald Trump has submitted as part of his efforts to bring the conflict to an end. At his news conference, Putin offered to stop bombing Ukraine when voting took place.

Ukraine's SBU security service said on Friday it had for the first time hit an oil tanker operating as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Mediterranean. Putin said it would not lead to the result that Kyiv wanted and would not disrupt Russian exports.

Most of the questions from Russian media or from the public made little attempt to challenge Putin, but two were allowed from Western correspondents, Keir Simmons of US network NBC and the BBC's Steve Rosenberg.

When Simmons asked if Putin would feel responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians if he rejected the Trump peace plan, Putin praised the US president's "sincere" efforts to end the war, but said it was the West not Russia that was blocking a deal.

"The ball is in the hands of our Western opponents," he said, "primarily the leaders of the Kyiv regime, and in this case, first and foremost, their European sponsors."

Trump has said a peace deal is closer than ever and, despite Putin's apparent refusal to compromise, the US president has said he hopes "Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there".

A Ukrainian delegation is holding talks in Miami on Friday with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. German, French and British officials are also there, days after they met the US officials in Berlin.

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is also expected in Miami over the weekend, according to reports.

Putin told the BBC's Russia Editor: "We are ready to work with you - with the UK and with Europe in general and with the United States, but as equals, with mutual respect to each other.

"We are ready to cease these hostilities immediately, provided that Russia's medium- and long-term security is ensured, and we are ready to cooperate with you."

He accused the West of creating an enemy out of Russia. Skating over his decision to mount a full-scale invasion in February 2022, he said: "You are waging a war against us with the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis," he added, repeating his regular diatribe against Ukraine's democratically elected leaders.

European intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is only a few years away from attacking Nato. The Western defensive alliance's chief Mark Rutte said this month that Russia was already escalating a covert campaign and the West had to be prepared for war.

While many of the questions were benign, including several from children, from a one reporter from Yakutia in north-eastern Siberia highlighted a tenfold increase in energy prices in the past four years. Putin told her that his team would look into alternative sources of energy and "keep Yakutia in mind".

Towards the end of the TV marathon, Putin was asked a series of quickfire questions, touching on his views on friendship, religion, the motherland and love at first sight. He said he believed in love at first sight - then added that he himself was in love, without divulging any more details.

At least three people have been killed and five others injured as a knife-wielding attacker ‍went ‍on a ​rampage in the Taiwanese capital Taipei.

The 27-year-old suspect set off smoke bombs at Taipei's main metro station on Friday, before running to another station in a busy shopping district, stabbing people along the way, Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said.

The suspect later died after falling from a building, Cho added. His motive remains unclear.

Attacks of this kind are rare in Taiwan, which has low rates of violent crime. The last time a similar incident struck Taipei was more than a decade ago in 2014.

Friday's attack took place during the city's evening rush hour. Videos shared on social media show people fleeing the scene in panic.

Cho said the suspect had detonated smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at Taipei's Main Station, which is connected to a busy underground shopping street.

A man reportedly tried to stop the attacker but was struck with a blunt object and later died in hospital.

The suspect then went to another subway station about 800m away, where he set off more smoke bombs and stabbed more people.

Cho said he had ordered increased security at metro and railway stations, as well as airports, in response to the attack.

"We will ‌investigate [the suspect's] background and associated relationships to understand his motives and ‍determine ‌if there are other connected factors," Cho was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying.

Taiwan's President William Lai also promised a swift investigation.

The last major incident of this kind, in 2014, saw a man kill four people on an underground train in Taipei, shocking people in Taiwan. The perpetrator of that attack was executed two years later.

The widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has said the Turning Point USA organisation he founded will help elect JD Vance as president in 2028, despite the current US vice-president having yet to announce he is running.

Erika Kirk's endorsement on Thursday came on the opening day of Turning Point's annual America Fest conference, the organisation's largest gathering since her husband was shot dead in September.

"We are going to get my husband's friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible," Kirk said, referring to the 48th president. Trump is the 47th.

Vance, meanwhile, is scheduled to speak at the event on Sunday.

Turning Point has been credited with helping Republican President Donald Trump expand his coalition of support, leading to his 2024 presidential election victory.

Her announcement ahead of Trump's one-year mark in office signals early jockeying to be his successor ahead of the 2028 election.

After Kirk gave her opening remarks, the stage at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona turned into a political mudslinging contest as tensions within the conservative movement were laid bare.

Podcaster Ben Shapiro lobbed attacks at media rivals Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Steve Bannon, calling them "fraudsters and grifters".

"The people who refused to condemn Candace's truly vicious attacks - and some of them are speaking here tonight - are guilty of cowardice," Shapiro said.

Owens, a former Turning Point employee who hosts a popular podcast, has been a thorn in Republicans' side and pushed various conspiracy theories, including baseless suggestions about Charlie Kirk's murder.

It comes at a time when there has been growing speculation about Trump's hold on the Republican party and infighting among factions of the president's supporters about the future of the Maga movement.

Shapiro also criticised former Fox News host Carlson for interviewing Nick Fuentes, a far-right political commentator and Holocaust denier, on his podcast in late October, drawing widespread condemnation.

After Shapiro, Carlson took the stage and shot back at Shapiro.

"That guy is pompous," Carlson said. "Calls to deplatform at a Charlie Kirk event? That's hilarious."

Charlie Kirk's Turning Point events were known for addressing controversial and divisive topics. Supporters saw it as necessary for free speech. Critics saw it as hate-mongering.

Authorities said Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin - Tyler Robinson - told his romantic partner that he killed Kirk because he "had enough of his hatred".

Erika Kirk told the Turning Point conference: "You won't agree with everyone on this stage this weekend. And that's okay. Welcome to America."

Since the assassination, she said, "we've seen fractures, we've seen bridges being burned that shouldn't be burnt".

Trump has recently encountered a series of setbacks within his Republican party, including a public falling out with his former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene and the impending release of the Epstein files, which a majority of Republicans voted for despite Trump's initial discouragement.

The four-day America Fest conference was scheduled to continue through the weekend, with Vance and Donald Trump Jr scheduled as guest speakers on Sunday.

A Paris court has rejected an effort by the French government to suspend the website of fast-fashion giant Shein in response to it selling childlike sex dolls on its platform.

The court said the request for a three-month suspension was "disproportionate" - but did order age verification for the sale of adult products.

The action against Shein was taken after France's consumer watchdog last month reported it to authorities for selling "sex dolls with a childlike appearance" and weapons.

Shein said its priority remained protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance.

In its judgement, the court acknowledged the seriousness of selling the childlike sex dolls and weapons, but said these had been isolated incidents.

It noted that the Chinese company had taken action to remove the offending items once they were made aware of them, and that the issues related to a small number of the hundreds of thousands of products on sale on its site.

In response to the initial controversy, Shein announced it would be banning the sale of all sex dolls on its site internationally.

A request by the French government for Shein to be forced to suspend the sale of third-party items on its website - the source of the initial offending items - was also rejected.

In ordering age verification measures to be put in place for the sale of adult items, the court said the fine for each breach would be €10,000 (£8,700; $11,700).

The decision to suspend Shein's website in early November coincided with the company opening its first physical store in the French capital.

Its launch drew both shoppers and protesters, with opposition related to the sale of childlike sex dolls, and also its profile as a fast fashion retailer.

In a statement, Shein said: "We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry.

"Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations."

A court in the German city of Aachen has sentenced a man to eight-and-a-half years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his wife, filming the acts and then posting them online.

The man, named only as Fernando P in line with German privacy laws, was found guilty of aggravated rape, grievous bodily harm and violation of personal privacy.

The court found the 61-year-old, who is originally from Spain, guilty of sedating and raping his wife at their home for a period of several years from 2018 to 2024.

A spokesperson for the court, Katharina Effert, said the man also filmed the abuse and shared it online.

"He uploaded videos of these acts to chat groups and internet platforms, making them available to other users," she said.

Much of the trial was held behind closed doors to protect the identity of his wife.

Her lawyer, Nicole Servaty, told journalists that she "really had a voice in this proceeding", adding: "She was able to testify, to express her feelings and everything that has burdened her."

She said the ruling could not make up for what happened. "But it might help a bit to cope with things and process them."

The verdict is still subject to appeal.

German media say the case bears similarities to the high-profile case in France last year concerning Dominique Pelicot.

He was found guilty of secretly drugging his wife, Gisèle, and inviting scores of men to rape her while she was unconscious for years.

Gisèle's decision to waive her anonymity and hold a public trial turned her into a feminist icon, celebrated for her powerful testimony and courage.

Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, the BKA, says that the victims of sedation and subsequent sexual abuse are "almost exclusively women".

It says such crimes "usually take place by exploiting a relationship of trust" in marriage, partnerships, families or among close acquaintances.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said there will be no more wars after Ukraine if Russia is treated with respect - and claims that Moscow is planning to attack European countries are "nonsense".

In a marathon televised event lasting almost four and a half hours, he was asked by the BBC's Steve Rosenberg whether there would be new "special military operations" - Putin's term for the full-scale war.

"There won't be any operations if you treat us with respect, if you respect our interests just as we've always tried to respect yours," he asserted.

His remarks were in line with a recent comment in which he said Russia was not planning to go to war, but was ready "right now" if Europe wanted to.

He also added the condition,"if you don't cheat us like you cheated us with Nato's eastward expansion".

He has long accused Nato of going back on an alleged 1990 Western promise before the fall of the Soviet Union. It was denied years afterwards by late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

The "Direct Line" marathon combined questions from the public at large and journalists from across Russia in a Moscow hall, with Putin sitting beneath an enormous map of Russia that encompassed occupied areas of Ukraine, including Crimea.

Russian state TV claimed more than three million questions had been submitted.

Although it was largely choreographed, some critical comments from the public appeared on a big screen, including one that referred to the event as a "circus", another bemoaning internet outages and one that highlighted poor-quality tap water. Mobile internet outages have been blamed by authorities on Ukrainian drone attacks.

Putin also addressed Russia's faltering economy, with prices rising, growth on the slide and VAT going up from 20 to 22% on 1 January. One message to the president read: "Stop the crazy rise in prices on everything!"

The Kremlin regularly uses the end-of-year event to highlight the resilience of the economy and, as Putin spoke, Russia's central bank announced it was lowering interest rates to 16%.

Foreign policy issues were mixed with musings about the motherland, praise for local businesses, fish prices and the importance of looking after veterans.

But the issue of almost four years of full-scale war in Ukraine was never far away and it was often in the background of many of the questions.

Putin again claimed to be "ready and willing" to end the war in Ukraine "peacefully" but offered little sign of compromise.

He repeated his insistence on principles he had outlined in a June 2024 speech, when he demanded that Ukrainian forces leave four regions Russia partially occupies and that Kyiv gives up its efforts to join Nato.

Chief among Russia's demands is full control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas, including about 23% of Donetsk region which Russia has not been able to occupy.

Putin argued Russian forces were making advances across the front line in Ukraine and he ridiculed Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the front line at Kupiansk last week, when the Ukrainian leader was able to refute Russia claims that it had captured the town.

Putin has also demanded new elections in Ukraine to be included in the peace proposals that US President Donald Trump has submitted as part of his efforts to bring the conflict to an end. At his news conference, Putin offered to stop bombing Ukraine when voting took place.

Ukraine's SBU security service said on Friday it had for the first time hit an oil tanker operating as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Mediterranean. Putin said it would not lead to the result that Kyiv wanted and would not disrupt Russian exports.

Most of the questions from Russian media or from the public made little attempt to challenge Putin, but two were allowed from Western correspondents, Keir Simmons of US network NBC and the BBC's Steve Rosenberg.

When Simmons asked if Putin would feel responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians if he rejected the Trump peace plan, Putin praised the US president's "sincere" efforts to end the war, but said it was the West not Russia that was blocking a deal.

"The ball is in the hands of our Western opponents," he said, "primarily the leaders of the Kyiv regime, and in this case, first and foremost, their European sponsors."

Trump has said a peace deal is closer than ever and, despite Putin's apparent refusal to compromise, the US president has said he hopes "Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there".

A Ukrainian delegation is holding talks in Miami on Friday with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. German, French and British officials are also there, days after they met the US officials in Berlin.

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is also expected in Miami over the weekend, according to reports.

Putin told the BBC's Russia Editor: "We are ready to work with you - with the UK and with Europe in general and with the United States, but as equals, with mutual respect to each other.

"We are ready to cease these hostilities immediately, provided that Russia's medium- and long-term security is ensured, and we are ready to cooperate with you."

He accused the West of creating an enemy out of Russia. Skating over his decision to mount a full-scale invasion in February 2022, he said: "You are waging a war against us with the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis," he added, repeating his regular diatribe against Ukraine's democratically elected leaders.

European intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is only a few years away from attacking Nato. The Western defensive alliance's chief Mark Rutte said this month that Russia was already escalating a covert campaign and the West had to be prepared for war.

While many of the questions were benign, including several from children, from a one reporter from Yakutia in north-eastern Siberia highlighted a tenfold increase in energy prices in the past four years. Putin told her that his team would look into alternative sources of energy and "keep Yakutia in mind".

Towards the end of the TV marathon, Putin was asked a series of quickfire questions, touching on his views on friendship, religion, the motherland and love at first sight. He said he believed in love at first sight - then added that he himself was in love, without divulging any more details.

The family of nine-year-old Aria Thorpe, who died from a single stab wound in Weston-super-Mare on Monday, have described her as "the most beautiful little soul".

In a statement, they added: "Our hearts are broken in a way we never imagined possible."

Aria's father, Tom Thorpe, said her death was "devastating" and added: "You will be greatly missed, you special little angel. A life gone far too early but I hope a life lived well. We all love you dearly. Goodnight darling."

A 15-year-old boy appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday charged with her murder.

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Scotland's resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay - the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers.

Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels.

With 92% voting in favour, strike dates have been set for 07:00 on Tuesday 13 January to 07:00 on Saturday 17 January 2026.

However, BMA Scotland said it still believed a resolution could be found and called for the Scottish government to get back to the negotiating table and present a "credible offer".

The Scottish government has been contacted for comment.

Resident doctors - who used to be called junior doctors - make up almost half of the medical workforce in Scotland.

They range from newly qualified doctors to those with up to 10 years experience.

Scotland had been the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action by NHS workers.

With 5,185 resident doctors in Scotland eligible to vote, turnout was 58% with a total of 3,008 votes cast.

A strike in the summer of 2023 was called off at the last minute after a deal was agreed.

As part of that, BMA Scotland said the government committed to making "credible progress" towards restoring pay to 2008 levels in each of the three following financial years.

Dr Chris Smith, chairman of the BMA resident doctors committee, said: "The result of this ballot shows that resident doctors in Scotland are united in anger over the Scottish government breaking the deal they agreed over pay just two years ago.

"This is not where we wanted to be. However, we have sent a message loud and clear – the government cannot brazenly renege on its commitments without expecting to be held to account.

"Instead of negotiating with resident doctors to make credible progress towards pay restoration, as they agreed to do, they have imposed a pay uplift that is the lowest average award received by resident doctors anywhere in the UK."

He said the deal the Scottish government agreed to in 2023 was the only reason strike action had been avoided.

"It was working for doctors and the health service," he said. "By turning their backs on this deal, the Scottish government is forcing a dispute and knowingly putting the NHS in Scotland at risk of disruptive strike action."

Dr Smith said there was still time to avoid strikes.

"BMA Scotland resident doctors remain committed to the deal when it is being upheld in its entirety," he said.

"If we don't take a stand now when the government have broken a commitment agreed to in good faith, they will take this as licence to do it again and again, including on issues such as contract negotiations and more training jobs for resident doctors as part of future medical workforce planning.

"This matters not just for doctors, but for patients and for the future of the entire NHS in Scotland, which relies on today's resident doctors to stay here and become the GPs, specialist doctors and consultants of tomorrow."

What was the Scottish government's offer?

The two-year offer from the Scottish government was for a 4.25% increase in 2026/26 and 3.75% in 26/27.

It is the same offer that nurses, paramedics and other NHS workers accepted earlier this year.

BMA Scotland said it would have been the lowest in the UK and was less than was recommended by the independent pay review body.

The current offer would see the basic pay for a newly qualified doctor rise from £34,500 to £37,345 for 2026/27 and for a doctor with 10 years experience rise from £71,549 to £77,387.

Medics will often be expected to work night shifts, weekend or longer hours for which they will receive extra payments.

A series of strikes by resident doctors in England has led to thousands of operations and procedures being cancelled.

An ongoing five-day walkout is causing further disruption and has been described as "dangerous and utterly irresponsible" by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Any strike in Scotland would be a major blow to the Scottish government's promise to end long waits for procedures and appointments by March 2026 and would put even more pressure on an overstretched NHS in an election year.

So far, Scotland is the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action by NHS workers.

Best-selling children's author and comedian David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher HarperCollins, the company has said.

A spokesman for the publisher said: "After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams."

The Telegraph reported that the decision was made after an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women.

HarperCollins did not confirm the reasons for its decision, adding: "We do not comment on internal matters." Walliams has not yet responded to the decision or the Telegraph report.

Walliams is one of the UK's most successful children's authors, having sold more than 60 million copies worldwide in 55 languages.

Some of his books, including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, have also been adapted into television films.

He rose to fame on TV sketch series Little Britain and has also won National Television Awards for his work as a judge on Britain's Got Talent.

He was made an OBE in 2017 his services to charity and the arts.

The Duchess of Sussex has shared a family photo taken with the Duke of Sussex and their two children alongside a Christmas message.

In the photo shared on Instagram, Prince Archie is seen hugging his father, while Meghan is bending down and holding hands with Princess Lilibet. They are standing on a small, wooden bridge in a woodland.

"Happy Holidays! From our family to yours," her message reads.

Separately, the duke and duchess have also released a Christmas card and end-of-year video highlighting their charitable endeavours.

Six-year-old Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, four, also feature in the nearly two-minute long video, helping their parents bake cookies ahead of Thanksgiving with a local charity.

The video depicts work the duke and duchess have done under their Archewell Foundation, which has now changed its name to Archewell Philanthropies.

Announcing the rebrand on the Archewell website on Friday, Prince Harry and Meghan said the charity allowed the couple and their children to "expand upon their global philanthropic endeavours as a family".

The charity was established in 2020 after the couple stepped down from royal duties and moved to the US.

Meanwhile, the couple's Christmas card message reads: "On behalf of the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Archewell, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year."

It comes a day after the Prince and Princess of Wales released a new family portrait which featured on their Christmas card this year.

The image shows Prince William and Catherine surrounded by daffodils, alongside their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Earlier this month, King Charles III and Queen Camilla released their own Christmas card with a photo of them in Rome, Italy.