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Syrian rebels have breached Aleppo for the first time since the country's government recaptured the city in 2016, according to war monitors and fighters.Insurgents led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham have been advancing towards Aleppo - seizing towns and villages along the way - since launching a shock offensive on Wednesday. "Relentless attacks" over the past three days in north-western Syria have killed 27 civilians, including eight children, a UN official has said.Insurgents today blew up two car bombs and clashed with government forces on the city's western edge, according to war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Projectiles fired by rebels killed four people, including two students, when they landed on accommodation buildings at Aleppo's city centre u...

Security in the United States will be at risk if Vladimir Putin succeeds in Ukraine, the head of Britain's secret intelligence service has said in a warning for Donald Trump.Sir Richard Moore said Russia would not stop at Ukraine's borders and he said China would "weigh the implications, North Korea would be emboldened and Iran would become still more dangerous". The spy chief offered warm words to the incoming US administration though, using an annual public speech to say he had worked successfully with the first Trump White House and that he is "looking forward to doing so again".As well as talking about Ukraine, the head of MI6 - or Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) - also raised the alarm about:• A "staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe"• The potential for terror...

A cryptocurrency entrepreneur has kept his promise and eaten a banana he bought for $6.2m (£4.9m). Justin Sun snapped up viral art piece Comedian - consisting of a single banana duct-taped to a white wall - in an auction at Sotheby's in New York last week. The Chinese-born businessman immediately revealed his plan to destroy the artwork by enjoying the fruit as a snack and at a news conference today, he delivered on his word.At a Hong Kong hotel, the 34-year-old took a bite and told reporters: "It's much better than other bananas. It's really quite good."After purchasing Comedian, Mr Sun previously said the piece "represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community". "Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as ...

A small number of young Israelis are refusing national service, and being jailed as a result.In Israel, young people are conscripted into the army for at least 24 months but a small number are objecting due to Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.They are supported by Mesarvot, a small group supporting conscientious objectors whose name means 'we refuse'.Three of Israel's young objectors spoke to Sky News ahead of refusing to sign up to serve on Wednesday.They followed in the footsteps of Tal Mitnick who became the first person since the 7 October attack to be jailed for refusing to enlist.He spent 185 days in jail in total, before receiving an exemption in June. Image: Tal Mitnick previously spoke to Sky News about objecting to joining ...

As the world-famous Notre-Dame cathedral burned in a devastating 2019 fire, Parisians watched on in tears.Now, after more than five years of frenetic reconstruction work, the world has been given a first glimpse inside the revived 12th-century landmark. Today, President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the site to see the restored interiors for himself before the Gothic cathedral reopens for its first worship next month.The televised visit is set to usher a series of events leading up to the reopening of the cathedral - the reconstruction of which has been hailed as a symbol of national unity and French can-do spirit. Image: Brigitte Macron (2R) greets Paris' archbishop Laurent Ulrich, (C) next to Paris' mayor Anne Hidalgo (L), Ile-de-France's Pres...