World

Ukraine has hit two Russian ships at the Crimean port of Sevastopol, hampering Vladimir Putin’s hold over the Black Sea, the UK’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed. The two large landing ships were struck by missiles early on Sunday, the Ukrainian military said. They also damaged a communication centre and Russian navy infrastructure. Russia-Ukraine

Four gunmen are among 11 people arrested following a shooting massacre in a packed Moscow concert hall, according to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Videos broadcast on Russian media appear to show the detention and violent interrogation of the suspects. In one piece of footage a man was marched out of a forest, his face covered

Vladimir Putin has linked the deadliest attack in Russia for years to Ukraine – despite a branch of Islamic State claiming responsibility. The Russian president may have ignored Western intelligence that came two weeks ago warning the terrorist group was planning an attack. Survivor describes ordeal as mourners lay flowers; follow Russia latest Here Sky

As Russia reels from a devastating attack at a concert hall, Kyiv is worried Vladimir Putin will exploit the bloodshed to escalate his war in Ukraine regardless of who is to blame. On Friday night, the extremist Islamist militant group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the mass shooting that left at least 40 people dead

At least 40 people have been killed after gunmen burst into a concert hall in Moscow and fired at the crowd, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service. The gunmen, wearing combat fatigues, also caused a huge blaze at the Crocus City Hall. Russian media reported the venue’s roof was collapsing. The attack, which Russian authorities

Former football star Robinho has been arrested in Brazil, more than 10 years after he was first accused of raping a woman in Italy. The former Manchester City player will start his nine-year prison term after a court decision this week authorised the transfer of the sentence from Italy. In a statement, police said Robinho,

Russia has returned five Ukrainian children to Kyiv with thousands still believed to be held by Moscow. A report from Russian news agency TASS said that six children were reunited with their families after mediation at the Qatari embassy in Moscow. Five of the children were sent to Ukraine, and one was returned to relatives

The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says he has been blocked from entering Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini claimed it was the first time this had happened to an UNRWA commissioner-general in its history. Speaking on Sky News’ The World With Yalda Hakim, Mr Lazzarini said it would be “easy to flood Gaza

Ireland’s Leo Varadkar has announced he is stepping down as prime minister. In a statement delivered this afternoon in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said his reasons for leaving were “both personal and political”. He said he believed a new leader “will be better placed than me” to gain seats for his party Fine Gael in the

The death of Chen Almog-Goldstein’s 20-year-old daughter Yam was just the start of her ordeal. The final time Chen saw her, Yam was convulsing on the floor of their home after being shot in the face by a Hamas terrorist; minutes earlier, Chen’s husband Nadav had also been killed by a bullet in his chest.

Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his determination to carry out a ground invasion of Rafah, despite growing pressure from Western allies. The Israeli prime minister rebuked Joe Biden, saying he made it “supremely clear” to the US president he intended to go ahead with an assault on the southern Gaza city where he believes Hamas‘s remaining

Vladimir Putin has been cheered by large crowds in central Moscow after securing his fifth term as Russian president – in what Western nations have condemned as an “undemocratic” election. Thousands of people had gathered for an open-air concert to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea, which is internationally recognised as

Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in an election he said showed the people had “trust” and “hope” in him. Sunday was the last day of a presidential election that offered Russians no real alternatives to Mr Putin after he ruthlessly cracked down on dissent. Early returns after the polls closed showed he is poised to

Across three days of voting there have been scattered incidents of Russians defying authorities in acts of protest against Vladimir Putin. The president is all but assured to win another six-year term in office, facing a lack of any credible opposition and amid reports of voting irregularities. Despite the seemingly preordained outcome, some Russians engaged

A volcano in Iceland erupted on Saturday for the fourth time since December after previous eruptions destroyed roads and forced a town to evacuate. Livestreams from the area showed fountains of molten rock soaring from fissures in the ground. Authorities had warned for weeks that an eruption was imminent on the Reykjanes peninsula, just south

India is to elect a new parliament in what is the largest democratic exercise with 970 million registered voters. The Indian Election Commission said on Saturday that the elections will take place in seven phases from 19 April to 1 June, stretched over 44 days. The gigantic exercise will be conducted by a 15 million-strong

For weeks, the ceasefire talks have been at a virtual standstill – not completely broken down but with little movement to report. Hamas’s new proposal though, is a potential – albeit small – breakthrough in the deadlock. Until now, Hamas had insisted on a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a

Around 2,000 Nepali men have been recruited by Russia to fight in its war against Ukraine, Sky News understands. Driven by poverty, many of the Nepali mercenaries are now desperate to return. Ganesh, 35, is one of the few recruits lucky enough to have made it home. He spent four and a half months fighting

Russia embarks this Friday on three days of voting to reconfirm the inevitable, which is another six-year presidential term for Vladimir Putin. Given the fact this is simply a matter of going through the motions for Putin and for the public, why does it matter and why does his administration go to such lengths to

A Holocaust survivor in Belgium says she knows Jewish people who have packed their bags ready to flee amid a spike in antisemitism. Regina Sluszny, 84, from Antwerp, says incidents have rocketed since the outbreak of the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas. Authorities in the city, which has the largest Hasidic Jewish population in

Josh Cavallo, who in 2021 became the first openly gay male professional footballer, is engaged after an on-pitch proposal to his partner, Leighton Morrell, at Adelaide United’s home ground. The 24-year-old made international headlines when he came out publicly in an emotional video, announcing: “There’s something personal that I need to share with everyone: I’m

Russia has been hit this week inside its own territory with several strikes carried out. In the past three days, there have been skirmishes and incursions across its southern border, and drones have successfully targeted sites important to its economically crucial oil and gas sector. On 15-17 March, Russian citizens are scheduled to vote in

A long-time ally of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been attacked with a hammer near his home in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Lithuanian police are investigating the assault on 43-year-old Leonid Volkov as it remains unclear who carried it out – and their motive. A pine forest near Mr Volkov’s house was

Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been arrested in Romania over allegations of sexual aggression. The brothers were detained on Monday night on charges that date back to between 2012 and 2015. They were handed a European arrest warrant by UK authorities – and an investigation is pending. Andrew and

Powerful Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier has been out in the streets of Port-au-Prince calling for the international community to “give a Haiti a chance” – as he drew a rifle and fired his pistol in a show of force. Cherizier, a former police officer who is known as Barbecue among Haiti’s people, made the

The UK government has warned against all travel to Haiti as intense fighting and gang violence continues to spiral in the Caribbean nation. It follows US secretary of state Antony Blinken heading to Jamaica in an attempt to solve the crisis, which threatens to bring down Haiti’s government. Attacks by powerful gangs on key government

At least 50 people have been injured after an “incident” on an in-bound flight at Auckland International Airport. The LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland suffered a technical problem which caused a strong movement, according to local media reports. Ambulance service Hato Hone St John said around 50 people were assessed and treated at

Fireworks were ignited and eggs thrown as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Amsterdam where a new National Holocaust Museum has been opened. The Israeli president’s visit to the newly-opened National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam has sparked protests in the city. Thousands of protesters were heard chanting “never again is now” and “ceasefire now” at Waterloo Square

There’s a renewed urgency to the delivery of food to Gaza but it’s still struggling to keep pace with the escalating humanitarian catastrophe inside the besieged enclave. We joined the small kingdom of Jordan’s air force crew coordinating the multi-nation coalition to get aid to the thousands of Gazans cut off in the north of

Fifteen drones fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been shot down by the American military and its allies this morning, authorities say. US Central Command, also known as Centcom, said it had responded to a “large-scale” attack early on Saturday. The uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) presented

Lying on the hard desert ground, a lion is reduced to a pile of fur and bones – drained of all the strength and power we associate with the ferocious predator. So emaciated, he is barely even recognisable. He gently squirms as a towel is placed over his eyes by a rescue worker. There is

Gaza’s population, displaced and devastated by Israel’s continuing offensive against the narrow strip, is on the brink of famine. International efforts to get aid in have faced challenges, so much so that President Joe Biden announced on Thursday night that the US would build a temporary port on Gaza’s coast. Follow latest: Aid ship ‘heading

Mohammed looks at me, his eyes wet from tears, and shakes his head gently. Grief is like a weight around him, which he meets with forced smiles and choked-back tears. “Every day, I think of dying a hundred times,” he says. Next to him is his wife, Nour, heavily pregnant and sobbing into her hands.