World

British and US aid workers have been asked to leave Yemen by Houthi authorities in the country, a letter seen by Sky News shows. In the letter, the Houthi-controlled foreign affairs ministry to the country’s United Nations coordinator requests aid workers with US and British citizenship to leave within 30 days. It follows the second

The Israeli army says 21 soldiers have been killed in central Gaza – the deadliest day for its forces since the war began. It said the soldiers were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings on Monday when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a nearby tank, setting off the explosion prematurely and causing the buildings

A teenager behind videos filmed onboard a ship being held by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has called on the UK and US to “stop this war”. Rashid al Haddad’s social media videos include him being seen on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, which was hijacked by the Houthi militant group last November. The

A 19th-century dispute, which has gone through decades of court procedures, has finally culminated in the Ram Temple. Consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this temple site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of the most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon. The city of Ayodhya in India’s most populous state

Women and girls in Gaza are being forced to use scraps of tents during their periods as they have no sanitary products, aid workers say. With more than 1.9 million Gazans displaced since 7 October, a tent “city” of almost two square miles has been set up in Rafah, south of the strip. No food

Residents of a town in Mexico attacked numerous officers and vandalised a local government building as protests erupted after a 27-year-old man was shot dead by police. Neighbours in the town of Lerdo de Tejada – just off the Gulf coast state of Veracruz – clashed with officers at the scene and overturned a police

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of not telling the truth about the key military aim of defeating Hamas by a member of the country’s war cabinet. Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose son was killed fighting in Gaza, also cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages and said there was “no

Warfare is a brutal and unforgiving undertaking.  However, the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of its people and its national interests, so military capability is a cornerstone of national capability. But, military forces provide options and are a means to an end – not an end in itself – and when all

One of the top leaders of a notorious Mexican drug cartel, which kidnapped four Americans and killed two of them last year, has been captured by marines. Jose Alberto Garcia Vilano, known by the nicknames La Kena and Cyclone 19, was seized at a shopping centre in an upmarket area on the outskirts of Monterrey.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US calls for the development of a Palestinian state, as he vowed the offensive in Gaza would press ahead for many months. In a nationally televised news conference on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu struck a defiant tone, repeatedly saying that Israel would not halt its offensive until it achieves

Iran and Pakistan have accused each other of harbouring terrorists.  Fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force undertook a series of coordinated and targeted strikes using extended-range munitions against seven terrorist hideouts in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran. Follow live: US hits more Houthi targets – Pakistan explains Iran strikes In a statement,

At least seven people have been killed after Pakistan launched airstrikes on Iranian territory early this morning. The target of the attack is not known but the Pakistanis called the operation “Marg Bar Sarmachar”. In Iranian Farsi, “marg bar” means “death to” and in the local Baluch language, “sarmachar” means guerrilla and is used by

The new Argentinian President Javier Milei has told Sky News he has begun discussions with the UK about the Falkland Islands, and that he expects future negotiations over the sovereignty of the British territory. The comments, made on the fringes of the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, followed Mr Milei’s first bilateral meeting with

Pakistan has said two “innocent children” were killed and three others wounded in strikes by neighbouring Iran in an “unprovoked violation of its airspace”. Pakistan’s foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement confirming and condemning Tuesday’s attack on its Baluchistan province – which according to Iranian media reports (that were later withdrawn) were aimed at

Another cargo vessel has been targeted and hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen, according to reports. The Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia with 24 crew on board was sailing empty of cargo from Vietnam to Israel, a Greek shipping ministry source told Reuters news agency. The vessel was hit by a missile

An inquest will reveal what happened to two British aid workers who died in Ukraine – as the family of one say they were executed, possibly by Wagner Group mercenaries. Chris Parry, 28, and Andrew Bagshaw, 47, went missing in January last year while trying to evacuate civilians from Soledar on the eastern frontline, amid

At least 14 people have been injured in an attack near Tel Aviv in Israel, according to emergency services. According to local media, they were injured in a suspected car-ramming and stabbing attack, in Raanana. Police say the incident is “increasingly likely” to be terror-related. A 70-year-old woman is said to be in a critical

Khalid Abo Middain used his hands, a hammer and a small shovel to build his own shelter on the outskirts of a fast-growing refugee camp near Rafah City in southern Gaza. The father-of-three arrived there with his family after fleeing four times from Israel’s war against Hamas over the course of three months. They originally left

Denmark has a new king following the historic abdication of the country’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Margrethe II. Thousands of people converged on central Copenhagen for the succession where the 83-year-old passed on the throne to her eldest son with the signing of a declaration in parliament. King Frederik X is now the head of Europe’s

Zambia is dealing with one of its worst cholera outbreaks in recent years as nearly 10,000 active cases have been registered. Climate change has fuelled heavy rains which have contaminated drinking water in overpopulated and impoverished urban areas, mostly in the capital Lusaka. Health workers are scrambling to contain a crisis that has the potential

The US has launched a new strike against a Houthi target in Yemen. A statement from US Central Command said: “This strike was conducted by the USS Carney using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles and was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes taken on 12 January designed to degrade the Houthi’s

Despite an international coalition providing a protective umbrella over the Red Sea – Op Prosperity Guardian – the Houthi attacks against merchant shipping continued. Shortly before midnight on Thursday, the US and UK launched a wave of attacks on 60 Houthi military targets using over 100 guided munitions, predominantly Tomahawk cruise missiles. The UK contribution

The airstrikes in Yemen expand the war in the Middle East, draw Britain and America in deeper and risk an even wider conflagration. Both countries have chosen a risky option that may not work and could make matters worse. And in the minds of millions across the region, the UK and US will be seen

A barrage of British and American air and naval strikes against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen is a calculated escalation to deter threats – but it could yet trigger a regional war. The key test will be how the militants and their arch sponsor, Tehran, respond. The Houthis were quick to claim they would retaliate against

An oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman was boarded by “unauthorized” people in military uniforms on Thursday morning, an advisory group run by the British military and a private intelligence firm warned. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said the incident began early in

British and US forces appear to be gearing up to strike an Iranian-backed militant group in Yemen after the Houthi rebels defied a warning to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary, accused Iran of meddling and declared “enough is enough” in an escalating crisis that could ignite a

A British warship and US forces have destroyed “multiple drones” launched by Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in the Red Sea, the British defence secretary has said. Grant Shapps said it had been the largest attack in the region by the militants to date, with drones heading towards HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer that was deployed

Hooded gunmen have burst onto a live TV set in Ecuador. Live television images broadcast on Tuesday showed hooded people – some waving guns – inside Ecuador’s TC Television station in Guayaquil. They were seen telling staff to lie down on the floor and shouted that they had “bombs”, while shouting and noises similar to

Israel is defending itself at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) today against claims it is committing genocide in Gaza. South Africa filed the case, arguing that Israel is breaching the UN convention on genocide by “killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting on them conditions of life calculated

Last year was the hottest on record, new data has confirmed, as scientists warn 2024 could be worse. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service today confirmed 2023 was indeed the warmest year since 1850 – a trend scientists were confident about before the year was out because it had been so exceptionally hot. The global

A state of emergency has been declared in Ecuador after one of the country’s most-notorious drug gang bosses escaped from prison. Adolfo Macias – also known as Fito – was first reported missing from his cell on Sunday. Ecuador‘s prosecutors then filed charges against two prison guards as part of their investigation into the alleged

German and World Cup football legend Franz Beckenbauer has died aged 78. The German defender – nicknamed “Der Kaiser” because of his sublime talent – was regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was also famed for carving out his own role as a sweeper – now often known as a

Israeli police have accidentally killed a young Palestinian girl after opening fire on a car suspected of a ramming attack, emergency services in Israel have said. The border police said they fatally shot the girl, reported to be three or four years old, after firing at a couple in a car who, they said, rammed