"We're never going to give up." Those were the words earlier this month from the parents of Madeleine McCann, who vanished as a toddler without a trace while on vacation in Portugal in 2007. Born May 2003, Madeleine's family marked her 20th birthday this month.

Provides an overview of Solomon Islands, including key facts about this Pacific island nation.

Manchester United hit back from conceding twice in the first four minutes to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 on Saturday as Arsenal dropped Premier League points for the first time this season...

Nikola Kutansky was reportedly struggling with mental health issues and a synthetic marijuana addiction at the time of his arrest

A Mississippi judge has declared a mistrial in the trial of two white men charged in the attack on a Black FedEx employee who was making a delivery

A couple in Los Angeles attempt to cash in dozens of bags filled with the coins found in a basement.

An Arkansas man who propped his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in a widely circulated photo from the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced Wednesday to more than four years in prison

WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans picked Majority Leader Tom Emmer as their nominee for speaker on Tuesday, making him

The seeds of the Gaga-Aguilera feud were planted in 2008 when Lady Gaga, then a rising star, accused Christina Aguilera of copying her style

By Charlie Devereux MADRID (Reuters) -Alberto Nunez Feijoo likes to cultivate a reputation for dullness - and it's a personality

Russian textbooks praising President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine are an attempt to encourage “self-sacrifice” among schoolchildren, experts have warned. In September, Russia rolled out new history textbooks to schools that claim Ukraine is an “ultranationalist state” being used as a “battering ram” by the United States to “destroy Russia”. One chapter claims Ukrainian membership of NATO could have led to a catastrophic war and “possibly the end of civilisation” that Russia had to prevent. Jaroslava Barbieri, academic and author of dozens of articles on Russian affairs, said the textbooks and lessons instructing children on how to use drones were all part of a wider plan. “Patriotic education is nothing new,” Ms Barbieri, doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham, told The Independent. “But it has acquired new momentum under Putin. It is an attempt to indoctrinate the next generation, by equating patriotism to self-sacrifice.” The textbook, which devotes 28 pages to Russia’s war in Ukraine, is also intended to convince children Russia has “always been surrounded by enemies,” Ms Barbieri said. “It is about militarising the youth, making them believe they have always been surrounded by constant enemies and that they should serve the needs of the state,” she said. In July, the Russian Defence Ministry approved plans for new lessons instructing schoolchildren on how to operate combat drones, assault rifles and hand grenades. Deputy Minister of Defence Ruslan Tsalikov said the programme will include basic operating information and methods to counter enemy weapons, including UAVs. Ms Barbieri said this was evidence the Kremlin had recognised the changing nature of warfare and Ukraine’s extensive use of commercial drones – as well as contributing to a militarised society. Katie Stallard, Global Fellow at the Wilson Center think tank, said Putin has always been obsessed by history and the textbooks reflect his desire to have a firmer grip on Russia’s historical narratives. “Mr Putin has poured government money into patriotic education and other so-called patriotic initiatives during his two decades in power,” she told the Independent. “It has long been clear he was not just seeking to promote a glorious, idealised version of the Russian past, but to limit challenges to the official narratives so he can consolidate power.” Between 2016 and 2020, Russia’s federal budget allocated about £18.5m to military-patriotic education, research shows. The implementation of military-patriotic education is guided by the military, schools and clubs, research suggests. “Control of the past has become a political priority as Mr Putin attempts to consolidate power in the present, particularly since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” Ms Stallard added. But so far, the Kremlin’s indoctrination tactics have not led to “queues of would-be soldiers lining up outside recruitment offices”, Ms Stallard said. “In fact, the opposite has happened, with the authorities tightening controls to make it harder for citizens to avoid military service,” she added. “There is little evidence that this will make much difference to the Russian war effort in the short term by generating an outpouring of public support.” In February 2022, an estimated 300,000 people fled Russia when its military invaded Ukraine. This number increased to about 700,000 by the end of the year, some estimates suggest. “Tighter education doesn’t mean Mr Putin will succeed and people will unquestionably believe what they read in their school history books. “The Soviet approach did not succeed either. It was a population skilled in understanding the correct sentiments to voice in public, while voicing their dissatisfaction in private,” Ms Stallard said. Read More Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch? Kremlin rushes out schoolbook praising Putin’s Ukraine invasion

By Jarrett Renshaw President Joe Biden's name will not be on New Hampshire's primary ballot, but top Democrats