Alex Thomson , Chief Correspondent

At least 44 people have now lost their lives in the wildfires sweeping California, as winds spread the flames still further. Many people are still missing, with specialist search teams combing the town of Paradise which was left almost totally destroyed by flames.

While fracking has only just begun in this country, the Dutch are waving goodbye to years of riches from gas extraction. Why? Because they can no longer stand the social and economic cost of hundreds of small earthquakes and thousands of properties damaged by the tremors gas extraction causes. The Dutch were told extraction was safe and…

Standing before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin the French President warned old demons are resurfacing and condemned nationalism.

Theresa May is showing no sign of changing her position on Brexit despite warnings from both the opposition and her party that her deal lacks support.

Tropical forests being cleared at an unprecedented rate, overfishing and pollution in the oceans and wildlife populations on land plummeting.  A new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature paints a bleak picture of the state of the planet.

The American Pastor freed from a Turkish jail yesterday is now on his way to meet President Trump. His release is being seen as a diplomatic triumph for Mr Trump. Relations between Turkey and the US had become strained over the Pastor’s detention. The Pastor has always denied he did anything wrong.

The Westminster Bridge attacker Khalid Masood was lawfully killed by a police officer. The verdict was delivered after two hours and 20 minutes of deliberations by the inquest jury at the Old Bailey in London this afternoon.

Some of the planet’s most extraordinary species – including tigers, lions, rhino and elephants – face extinction in the wild. One reason is the global trade in illegal wildlife, which is reckoned to be worth £18 billion each year. Today, governments and organisations from over 80 countries met in London for the largest conference of its kind. It’s mission: to…

The inquest into the death of the Westminster Bridge attacker today heard from the two armed officers who confronted him. Giving evidence anonymously, they described Khalid Masood as a man with a clear intention to kill them.

The shale gas firm Cuadrilla is expected to start its long delayed work on a well in Lancashire next week, after years of protests and planning battles.

Volunteers have already buried hundreds of people in a mass grave. Now they’ve been warned to make room for hundreds more. Many victims are feared unlikely to have survived the devastation, caused by collapsed buildings and severe flooding.

A mission worker for the “Free Church of Scotland Continuing” has started a petition, now signed by around 600 people, objecting to “Proud-Ness”.

Workers coming to the UK from European countries should not be given preferential treatment over those from the rest of the world, according to a major report commissioned by the government.

It’s cost £80m, twice the original estimate, but the stunning new geometric building which is home to Dundee’s new V&A is an integral part of the city’s revival. Inspired by the cliffs of north-east Scotland, it’s the work of the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. He’s described it as “the new living room for the city”,…

World leaders have backed the UK’s claim that the Salisbury Novichok attack was carried out by two Russian agents – almost certainly at the orders of the Russian government.