This is the moment (left) a mother visited the Swiss clinic where her son ended his life in secret despite not having a terminal illness. Chemistry teacher Alastair Hamilton, 47, (top right) paid more than £10,000 to die at the suicide clinic - which then kept his death a secret from his family. His distraught mother Judith, 81, (bottom right) broke down in tears as she visited 'cowboy clinic' Pegasos (inset) in Basel. The Hamilton family only learned Alastair had taken his life at the clinic after police examined his bank account statements and found that he had transferred thousands of pounds to Pegasos. Pegasos initially refused to speak to them about his remains, saying it was 'against our lawyer's recommendations'. Eventually the family received his ashes in the post - two months after he died.
The weight-loss drug that's better than Ozempic: Weekly injection could burn TWICE as much fat as rival treatments, study suggests
A new weight loss drug could see patients lose double the amount of fat they'd shift on popular medications like Ozempic, early trial data has shown. Obese patients taking the once-weekly injection lost roughly 19 percent of their body weight, on average, after five and a half months of the treatment. In comparison, a number of trials have shown that semaglutide - the medication in Wegovy and Ozempic - results in around 10 percent reduction in body weight after six months. Further, those with pre-diabetes on the new drug were all found to be in remission by the end of the trial.
Father screamed 'my boy is dead' after son, six, 'fell from kitchen window' of 15th floor flat in east London - as it emerges mother 'had written emails about dangerous windows to the council five times'
The Arsenal-loving youngster, named locally as Alam Makial, plunged from the 15th floor of Jacobs House on New City Road in Newham, east London , just after 6am. Akam's father could be heard screaming for help shouting 'My son, my son is dead.' Eyewitness JJ, who lives on the 12th floor, three floors below the flat where the boy fell from, told Mailonline : 'It was horrible. I felt so sorry for them. There was nothing that could be done. 'I heard the screaming and shouting and I thought it was someone we probably had a lot to drink because that happens a lot down here.' He said a female paramedic was in tears when she realised the boy had Passed away.'
- Heartbreaking moment mother visits Swiss clinic where son ended his life in secret: Teacher, 47, with no diagnosed illness took lethal drugs dose in unassuming office block - as clinic apologises for allowing him to die without telling his family
- Scientists discover a NEW weight loss shot that could burn twice as much fat as Ozempic
- Americans can finally understand British humour! Scientists develop a device that can detect when someone is being sarcastic
- RICHARD EDEN: The heartfelt royal gesture to help Lady Gabriella Windsor recover after the tragic death of her husband Thomas Kingston - and what this 'powerful signal' really means
- MoJ probes SECOND 'poison curry' at UK prison: 25 staff at HMP Swaleside 'eat Indian meal laced with Spice by inmates' - weeks after 15 fell ill at Lewes jail following Easter Maundy dinner
- Nuclear war expert reveals what would really happen after an atomic blast - and the safest part of the world to live
- Two thug brothers, 20 and 17, who stabbed university graduate, 29, to death for his mobile phone after cycling around London looking for people to mug are jailed
- Britain's 'kindest' plumber damaged my home - then boasted about it online: Disabled man says trader left him £12,000 out of pocket with 'bodged' work on his shower
- Father screamed 'my boy is dead' after son, five, 'fell from kitchen window' of 15th floor flat in east London - as it emerges mother 'had written emails about dangerous windows to the council five times'
- Boss of Met police officer who was found dead at home after suffering PTSD from Grenfell fire was a bully who made impossible demands, inquest hears
- Two boys, 12, stabbed teenager, 19, to death in park machete attack after victim 'shoulder-brushed' the pair - before one of the 'killers' was given a lift home by his gran, court told
- Clarifications and corrections
- Revealed: How British families are forking out up to £1,499 for a four night stay at Center Parcs across the UK - while our European neighbours get all the fun at a fraction of the cost
- The Netherlands says it will opt out of EU rules to bring in its 'strictest-ever' asylum policy that will see people removed 'by force' following Geert Wilders' election victory
- Was Prince Harry on a rare visa 'especially for royals' when he moved to the U.S.? Status would mean not having to answer questions about drug use, immigration expert says
- Theresa May warns that 'Nigel Farage is not a Conservative' and should not be allowed to join the party - as ex-leader says the Tories CAN win the next election because 'Keir Starmer is no Tony Blair'
- Man who vanished aged 17 is discovered ALIVE in a hole after being held captive by his neighbour for 27 YEARS: Footage shows moment Algerian is found cowering under hay bales - his family feared he died in country's civil war
- Instant karma on NYC's streets: Attacker who tries to ambush couple walking their dog is stabbed seven times when his assault plan spectacularly backfires
- Speed boat owner who 'hit and killed' ballerina Ella Adler, 15, is identified as new details of horror crash emerge
- Karen Read, America's 'happiest murder defendant' finally snaps in court after Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe was found dead
- Warren Buffett reveals the mysterious stock he has invested billions of dollars in after keeping it secret for a year - and it immediately jumps 8% to a record high
- Joe Biden is carrying a MASSIVE personal debt as it's revealed the President and wife Jill failed to sell books - netting zero royalties from three titles
- Trump reveals new details on Barron's plans after graduating high school as the former president's youngest son weighs up return to his childhood stomping ground
- Visa announces major changes that will see Americans carry fewer cards in their wallets
- What's REALLY behind Biden's utterly pathetic debate gambit: SCOTT JENNINGS reveals how Joe's cynical scheme could backfire... and finally convince Democrats to kick HIM off the ticket
- Hundreds gather for funeral of bullied 10-year-old Sammy Teusch who killed himself after being teased over his 'teeth and glasses'
- GMA host DeMarco Morgan's racy cycling selfies have 'alarmed' ABC execs who fear they're too explicit
- Europe on the edge as assassination attempt on pro-Putin Slovakian PM is branded 'a wake-up call to the West': Fears grow Russian President will exploit the attack - as badly wounded man's deputy insists he will SURVIVE gun attack
- Mexican taco stand becomes the first in the world to receive a coveted Michelin star - as chef dishes his cooking secrets
- Chris Pratt's stunt double from Guardians of the Galaxy dies aged 47: Family says death was 'unexpected and shocking'
- Inside the King's VERY celeb-filled Buckingham Palace garden party: How Charles hobnobbed with the cream of British TV stars, joked with Maya Jama about snogging on Love Island... and the Queen discussed M&S lingerie with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
- RICHARD EDEN: The heartfelt royal gesture to help Lady Gabriella Windsor recover after the tragic death of her husband Thomas Kingston - and what this 'powerful signal' really means
- MOST READ IN DETAIL
Revealed: How British families are forking out up to £1,499 for a four night stay at Center Parcs across Britain - while our European neighbours get all the fun at a fraction of the cost
Britons planning on a Center Parcs holiday in the UK could save nearly £1,000 on their accommodation by opting for a European site, it can be revealed today. The price of holidays at 32 of the chain's sites across England, France , Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany was found to vary wildly in peak school holiday periods. The costs of four-night stays for a family of four during five separate weeks in May, July, August and October were compared by experts at consumer champion Which?. They found average prices for UK resorts were 'considerably higher than prices paid elsewhere in Europe' and Brits could save 'hundreds of pounds' by going abroad. Across the five weeks, the average price for accommodation at a UK Center Parcs was £1,435, while Germany averaged £857 and the Netherlands £866. Savings could also be found in France, with an average of £1,098; and Belgium where it was £1,121. When MailOnline delved deeper into the figures for the last week of August - from the 26th to 30th, the cheapest price was in the Netherlands with £566 at Parc Sandur. In Germany it was Park Nordseeküste at £634, while the cheapest in France was Les Trois Forêts at £746, and in Belgium it was Les Ardennes at £755. This was well below all the UK sites - with Longleat Forest in Wiltshire at £1,499; then Elveden in Suffolk, Woburn in Bedfordshire and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire which were all at £1,399. The cheapest was Whinfell in Cumbria but this was still £1,249.
Dog-sitter, 37, stabbed man, 62, to death for letting her white Pomeranian therapy pet out - before boasting how she'd been a 'bad girl' on TikTok, court told
A dog-sitter 'stabbed a man to death' for letting her white Pomeranian out and then boasted of how she'd been a 'bad girl' on TikTok, a court heard today. Winter Swan-Miller, (pictured) 37, had 'no choice' but to kill 62-year-old Stuart Crocker because he let her therapy pet, Oblivion, escape and then be stolen, prosecutors said. Mr Crocker's body - which had been stabbed 26 times - was found in his flat 'surrounded by notes of confessions' which were written by Swan-Miller, the court heard. One note, according to prosecutors, said: 'How does his death feel haha. You thought I would let you get away with taking me for a f****** mug. Taking my dog, are you real.' The court heard that Swan Miller hoped to gain 'fame and notoriety' by posting what she had done on TikTok and saying 'I don't feel like I've done a bad thing at all'.
Revealed: Reservoir 'at heart of' Devon crisis that's left 40,000 homes with undrinkable water - as MP claims 'animal waste' may have got into damaged air valve as residents join mile-long queues for bottled drinks
Residents living close to the Hillhead Reservoir near Brixham, South Devon, have been warned by South West Water workers they will have to be switched onto alternative sources of water. Meanwhile, MP Anthony Mangnall has claimed 'animal waste' may have got into a damaged air valve, causing contaminated ground water to enter the local supply. This afternoon, around a dozen vans from South West Water were lined up outside a pumping station where the outbreak is believed to have been detected earlier this week. One local, James Martins, said: 'We have been ill for weeks with vomiting, diarrhoea and headaches. We are still feeling bad on an off.
Terrifying moment knife-wielding woman is arrested by police armed with Tasers on residential London street
Officers rushed to Cadoxton Avenue, Tottenham, north London, just after 8pm last night following reports of a woman with a knife. In the footage, members of the Met ordered the woman to 'get on the floor' as they aimed their stun guns at the suspect. She was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and taken into custody. There were no injuries related to the incident.
This is why you should NEVER stick a gas cannister in your wheelie bin! Moment binman ducks for cover as he's nearly hit by exploding cannister which sails through the air before bouncing along the road
CCTV footage shows two men dressed in orange hi-vis clearing bins in a close in Slough, Berkshire, on May 14. After one of the men places a bin in someone's driveway, he turns to meet his colleague who can be seen walking towards him from another house. The pair then start to walk back towards the bin lorry when a red gas cannister flies through the air.
Leeds United star Charlie Creswell's Land Rover smashes into police car outside stadium before team's must-win semi-final playoff
Leeds United's Charlie Cresswell's (right) Land Rover smashed into a police car outside the club's stadium - ahead of the team's must-win play-off semi-final tonight. The incident (the aftermath of which, is pictured, left) happened as players were set to report to Elland Road this morning ahead of the crunch second-leg Championship clash with Norwich City. Pictures show a Land Rover Defender (right), belonging to defender Charlie Cresswell, and a severely damaged West Yorkshire Police patrol car. Emergency services attended the smash, near to the club ticket office on Elland Road, which happened shortly before 10.15am this morning.
Rishi Sunak hints there won't be an election until AUTUMN during grilling on ITV's Loose Women - as he tells presenters the date will be 'good for your holidays'
Rishi Sunak suggested the date will be 'good for your holidays' as he braved a barrage of questioning from the panel, including Janet Street-Porter. It is another signal that Mr Sunak is hunkering down for the long haul, with Labour still miles ahead in polls. Most at Westminster now expect it in October or November, as the economy slowly recovers from recession and cost-of-living pressures ease. Rumours have been circulating about a showdown on Bonfire Night.
Enter Keir, the patriot! Starmer bursts out of a Union Jack in bizarre video as Labour leader - complete with 'everyman' rolled-up sleeves - lays out his 'six-pledge plan' to 'put country back in hands of working people'
Keir Starmer said the six commitments laid out his 'ambitions' if he wins power - saying he was ready to run the country for 'working people'. The speech - delivered with roll-up sleeves and no jacket in in Purfleet, Essex this morning - was accompanied by a big advertising push. A bizarre video circulated by Labour showed Sir Keir striding out of a Union Jack to highlight his 'first steps' in government. The use of a pledge card echoes Tony Blair 's tactics as he stormed to three election victories - but will also evoke memories of the notorious 'Ed Stone' episode, when Ed Miliband had his vows engraved on a three-metre high slab of granite in 2015. Mr Miliband was among the shadow cabinet ministers introducing Sir Keir at the event.
Police sergeant, 36, left unable to smile, sleep or eat properly for eight years after dentist 'botched her root canal op' wins £10,000 payout
A police officer has won £10,000 after a dental nightmare left her suffering in agony for eight years. Gemma Wardley (pictured) was unable to smile, sleep or eat properly after a dentist attributed her problems to a sinus infection. The 36-year-old from Swinton first visited the practice in 2013 after experiencing pain in the top-left of her mouth. Though the dentist carried out a root canal on one of her teeth, it did not stop the pain, forcing the police sergeant to return months later for the same treatment on an adjacent tooth. But when the pain persisted, Gemma went back to the practice in 2015 where the dentist noticed the root canal had not gone deep enough.
Moment shameless shoplifter barges two elderly shoppers to the ground and knocks one unconscious as he flees store after stealing £16 frozen lamb leg from Iceland
Shocking footage shows a shameless thief barge two elderly shoppers to the ground after stealing £16 worth of frozen meat from Iceland. Stephen Wray, 23, hid a frozen leg of lamb up his jumper before fleeing the busy supermarket in Peterlee, County Durham. CCTV shows the serial shoplifter running out of the store while being chased by a security guard on April 4 this year.
EXCLUSIVEHero cop is sacked and another given a final warning over vile racist and misogynistic texts including about Jimmy Savile and Katie Price's disabled son Harvey
EXCLUSIVE: PC Mark Coteman (right) and PC Oliver Austin, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, were found guilty of gross misconduct during a hearing this week. It heard that Coteman, who was previously awarded for bravery after he and colleagues saved the live of a man threatening to jump from a hospital car park, sent messages including a photo of Jimmy Saville with the caption 'Hello Childline, do you deliver?' The pair exchanged messages, sent between July and December 2022, which made fun of people with disabilities, as well as others that were racist and misogynistic.
Coroner's warning to the NHS over A&E wait times after inquest hears business student, 24, died from a blood clot by inhaling two to three large 'hippy crack' bottles a day
A coroner has issued a warning to the NHS over A&E wait times after a 24-year-old student died from a blood clot by inhaling two to three large 'hippy crack' bottles a day. Ellen Mercer, 24, from Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, died in hospital on February 9 last year after being rushed to hospital when she lost feeling in her legs. An inquest heard the business student spent 24 hours in the emergency department at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough without receiving any formal blood clot risk assessment. She subsequently died due to a clot caused by laughing gas use and immobility. Now, a coroner has issued a warning on the delays in carrying out blood clot risk assessments saying health service policy is unclear and long waits in emergency departments are not taken into account.
Parents fined £2,000 for taking sons on holiday in termtime have 'no regrets' and say they still saved £3,200 on cost of trip to Universal Studios and Disney World in Florida
Rebekah Richardson, 38, and Dale Wood, 46, wanted to take their children - Jacob, eight, and Oliver, seven - to Universal Studios and Disneyland in Florida. But when the couple, from Clowne, Derbyshire, compared the price of going in September during termtime to the October half term they were astonished to see a £5,000 price difference The parents decided to instead go during the school term but are now 'struggling to cope' as they are facing huge fines from their local authority. Derbyshire County Council issued a fixed penalty notice to both parents - ordering Rebekah to pay £924 and Dale £1,044.
Man found alive after he was kidnapped 26 YEARS ago was kept just a few minutes' walk from his family's home but never cried out because he was convinced his captor had 'cast a spell on him'
Omar Bin Omran vanished during the decade-long Algerian civil war of 1998, leading his family to assume that he was killed in the conflict. However, he was found amid haystacks on May 12 (pictured left) - now aged 45 - only about 200 yards away from his family's home in the city of Djelfa after the captor's brother aired grievances on social media, reportedly due to an inheritance dispute. The alleged culprit, a 61-year-old doorman at the municipality in the nearby town of El Guedid, was taken into custody after attempting to flee, the ministry said. Pictured right: Omran is seen as a younger man before he was kidnapped.
Slovakian PM 'will survive': Robert Fico's surgery has gone 'well' and he is no longer in a life-threatening condition after being repeatedly shot in 'politically motivated' assassination attempt, says his deputy
Robert Fico, 59, was targeted by a gunman as he greeted supporters in Handlova, north-east of the capital Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting yesterday. The shooter, 71-year-old Juraj Cintula from Levice, could be seen waiting at a barrier for the PM to approach before drawing his weapon in footage published by Slovak outlet RTV Prievidza. Despite being flanked by five guards, Cintula managed to fire off five shots at point-blank range before being taken down by the PM's security detail. The prime minister was rushed to a nearby hospital in a helicopter following the shooting and underwent lifesaving surgery. Slovakia's deputy prime minister Tomas Taraba said this morning that Mr Fico is 'not in [a] life-threatening situation at this moment'.
Pictured: Writer, poet and anti-violence movement founder, 71, who 'shot Slovakian PM Robert Fico' - as his son says he has 'no idea' what his father intended
The man accused of shooting the Slovakian prime minister is believed to be a writer and a poet, who founded an 'anti-violence' movement. Juraj Cintula, 71, from Levice has been identified by Slovakian media as the gunman in yesterday's assassination attempt on Robert Fico, 59. Fico was meeting a crowd of supporters in in Handlova, north-east of Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting when the shooter fired five times at point-blank range. In 2015 he is believed to have founded an anti-violence movement in his hometown.
EXCLUSIVEMother of dancer, 26, blames 'controlling' boyfriend for death of her daughter in sex game gone wrong saying she became 'submissive' when she started going out with 'manic and hyperactive' partner who then hanged himself
Georgia May Brooke (left), 26, and Luke Cannon (right), 31, had cocaine and alcohol fuelled rough sex after taking the illegal party drug GHB. But on February 3 2022 disaster struck after the personal trainer and gym teacher choked her unconscious and then maintained the grip on her neck until she went into cardiac arrest. After an inquest into both deaths came to an end on Wednesday, Georgia's mother Samantha Beaumont blamed the dancer's partner and accused Mr Cannon of being 'controlling' and 'coercive', and of telling her what to wear.
Meghan and Prince Harry beam as they talk to Nigerian charity workers in new Save the Children video from 'royal' trip as Prince William takes to social media to mark decade of African elephant conservation
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were beaming as they were introduced to two youth ambassadors - Maryam, 23, and 19-year-old Purity - in the Nigerian capital of Abuja last week. The charity workers told Harry and Meghan of work addressing issues such as child marriage, gender-based violence, access to education and healthcare and the plight of internally displaced children. In a clip shared on the charity's Instagram today, the Sussexs are seen shaking hands with Save the Children staff before they sit down for a chat with the two young ambassadors. It come as Prince William took to social media to mark a decade of African elephant conservation.
Britain's 'kindest' plumber 'exposed': Trader who received Pride of Britain award and pocketed £10k donation from Hugh Grant is accused of faking stories about helping vulnerable people and spending cash from the public on house and a car
Britain's 'kindest plumber' is at the centre of new claims after allegedly exploiting vulnerable people to make millions from donations - which he used to buy a house and a car. James Anderson, 56, has received plaudits including letters of thanks from the King and the late Queen and a Pride of Britain award for his 'selfless acts'. Yet his reputation as a do-gooder seems to be at risk of crumbling. Last year, MailOnline revealed the plumber who runs social enterprise Depher was accused of wrongly characterising one of his moving social media stories. Now, the supposedly chivalrous plumber has been accused in a BBC investigation of peddling lies and exploiting the vulnerable as made £2million in donations from the public as well as stars including Hugh Grant and Lily Allen . Anderson was even accused of making up claims he saved an 84-year-old woman from killing herself and publicising client's private information despite them refusing him permission.
Britain's biggest benefit cheats: How lowlife fraudsters fake needing wheelchairs, being single parents and even having dementia to swindle £56m out of taxpayers... before justice finally catches up with them
Shameless benefit cheats are costing British taxpayers billions of pounds every year. It was revealed in April that Universal Credit has cost £11 billion in fraud in the past two years, with £5.5 billion being pilfered last year alone, according to the National Audit Office. Some of the biggest scroungers have been shamelessly caught going on 5k runs or faking illnesses to rake in their ill-gotten gains to splash out on luxury holidays and live the high life. Only last month five Bulgarian crooks were convicted of carrying out the biggest con in British history after plundering a jaw-dropping £54 million. Here MailOnline looks at how some of the biggest swindlers have cheated the system to live a life of luxury before justice finally caught up with them.
EXCLUSIVEThe millennials taking over 'pensioner paradises': How 'Down From Londons' and under-40s are ditching the city for retirement hotspots in search of cheaper property and summers by the sea
Put off by London's ever-increasing rent prices and the cost of living in big cities, young families and those fresh out of university are opting to live in quieter, more rural towns across the UK. Margate in Kent is one of these places, with a high number of young people moving down from London to the pretty seaside town, locally referred to as 'DFLs'. Rebecca Onyett, 33, who moved to the town from London nine years ago and owns local shop Reo Jewels, said: 'Living in London, the rent prices just kept going up and I really wanted to have my own shop with the jewellery and it just seemed unfeasible, like it wasn't going to happen for a long time in London.
Daughter, 77, sues 'sicknote' brother, 75, who never left their parents' home after their 'vulnerable' mother drew up a new will leaving her entire £500,000 fortune to him - cutting out the rest of the family - before her death
A daughter is suing her 'sicknote' brother - who never left their parents' home - after their 'vulnerable' mother left her entire £500,000 fortune to him. Carol Scott, 77, left home at 19, building a career and family, but her brother John Jones, 75, lived with their mother Muriel Jones his whole life until her death in April 2017 at the age of 94. Muriel had lived close to all her children in Surrey until 2012 when she uprooted and moved to rural Wiltshire with John and his wife Bronwen. She subsequently drew up a new will, leaving everything to retired builder John and cutting out the rest of the family completely. Now Carol, backed by other brother Peter, is suing John as beneficiary and executor of their mother's will.
The perfect spot to barbecue this summer! £3million Surrey mansion with outdoor kitchen, fireplace and BBQ could be yours in latest Omaze draw
A luxury £3million mansion equipped with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and BBQ is up for grabs in the latest Omaze prize draw. The five-bedroom home, located near Farnham in Surrey, will be awarded to the winner of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw - along with a £100,000 cash prize. Complete with a pool house, gym and sauna, the home comes mortgage-free, with all stamp detail and legal fees covered. The winner of the draw can decide to live in the house, sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire, or rent it out, with an estimated rental value of up to £10,000 per month. The property includes 1.4 acres of land, and has an outdoor kitchen with concrete worktops, built-in cupboards and a gas BBQ, as well as an outdoor open fireplace. The Surrey edition of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK - the country's leading men's health charity.
'It's the worst illness I've ever had': Hundreds are struck down with parasite as South West Water tells Devon customers not to drink, cook or clean teeth with unboiled tap water - after firm first insisted water was safe
South West Water (SWW) has urged people to boil their tap water after hundreds were struck down with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pains linked to cryptosporidium, a parasitic bug that causes severe stomach issues. Residents across Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and north-east Paignton in Devon are all being told to boil water as a precaution, including when drinking it or using it to cook with and brush teeth. The water board initially claimed that its treatment works were not to blame but has since backtracked - prompting fury from local Tory MP Anthony Mangnall, who said its initial failure to act had been 'enormously frustrating'.
EXCLUSIVEFurious Cotswolds locals go to war with fish farm...over 'theme park' plans: Families fear one of Britain's most photographed villages could be overrun with tourists as council approves 'music, gin and beer parties' at trout farm
Families in one of Britain's most photographed idyllic villages could be overrun with tourists if a trout farm is developed into a 'full-blown theme park'. The famous tiny picturesque village in the Cotswolds could be spoiled if the plans are approved. Bibury, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, is on the River Coln and attracts tourists from all over the world. Its 14th century terrace of houses, Arlington Row, is one of the most photographed attractions in the Cotswolds. But villagers are worried that the idyllic nature of their community could change now plans for Bibury Trout Farm have been approved. The proposal is to create a visitor arts, activities and education area as well as remodelling existing fish raceways to form a new lake with a central island.
How Russian and NATO armies would size up in a WW3 doomsday scenario: Interactive map shows how alliance compares to Putin's depleted forces after Moscow warned it was prepared for conflict on Ukraine's battlefields
Despite all the capabilities of cutting-edge military tech on display in Ukraine, Moscow's primary frontline tactic appears ripped from the playbook of World War I generals - batter Ukrainians with artillery before dispatching waves of soldiers to secure territory inch by blood-soaked inch. It's a style of warfare reminiscent of the Battle of Passchendaele - but it has proved nonetheless effective with Vladimir Putin's forces gaining territory hand over fist in eastern Ukraine. So, until the AI overlords of the future swoop in to do the heavy lifting for us, George S. Patton's observation that 'wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men' looks set to endure. Patton was one of the United States' most revered generals, but it is in Russia where his axiom is perhaps best understood. It was only thanks to sheer Soviet manpower - and willingness to incur casualties on a scarcely believable scale - that the Allied powers were able to defeat the Nazis in World War II. Now, this week's round in the East-West war of words saw Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov goad Western leaders and declare his forces are ready to take on NATO should the security alliance deploy its own troops on Ukrainian soil. With that in mind, MailOnline takes a look at how the armies of Russia and NATO stack up, and outlines the tale of the tape for a potential future clash between East and West on the battlefield in Ukraine.
WORLD AT A GLANCE
China and India's 'stone age' border battle: Astonishing new footage of hand-to-hand 2021 clashes show soldiers throwing ROCKS, wielding sticks and forcing enemies into the water while beating them
Astonishing video shows the climax of intense clashes between Chinese and Indian troops in 2020-21, with soldiers resorting to hurling rocks and wielding sticks to beat each other into submission as they contested a delicate border region. At the height of tensions between the two superpowers around territory in Ladakh and Tibet, troops engaged in a gruelling melee, resorting to using improvised weapons to fight for strategic positions. The Chinese troops, identifiable by the Type 95 assault rifles strapped to their backs, seemed loathe to escalate the clashes to a conventional slog of armed warfare even when attempting to retake a high position from Indian troops with stones.