World

Musician and singer Shane MacGowan, best known as the frontman of The Pogues, has died at the age of 65. His wife Victoria Mary Clarke said in a post on Instagram: “Shane will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life.” The

The ceasefire clock is ticking down and everyone in Gaza knows it. In the calm, people have been flooding to hospitals looking for treatment – almost overwhelming doctors. At a hospital in southern Gaza, a Sky News team filmed as patient after patient was brought in for treatment, many of them children, with undiagnosed illnesses.

Hamas has released two Russian-Israeli dual nationals and handed them over to the Red Cross under a separate agreement negotiated between Hamas and the Kremlin. Elena Trufanova, 50, and her mother Irina Tatti, 73, were released on Wednesday afternoon “in response to the efforts of the Russian President”, according to a statement by Hamas. That

Shiri Bibas and her children, four-year-old Ariel and 10-month-old Kfir are yet to be released and there has been no word of them. Their family has been told they might have been passed on by Hamas to another group in Gaza. Live updates: Hostages handed over in latest exchange; Hamas invites Elon Musk to Gaza

Thai nationals were the single largest group of foreign nationals held by Hamas in Gaza and the highest number killed in Israel – the fact that 17 were quickly freed is considered a diplomatic achievement. Behind the scenes, Thailand officials have been quietly working away at trying to get their citizens freed, attending meetings in

Rescuers have broken through debris that has trapped 41 men in an Indian tunnel, an official has said. The low-wage workers from India’s poorest states have been stuck in the three mile (4.5km) highway tunnel in Uttarakhand for more than two weeks. Last week, a drilling machine broke down, delaying the rescue operation. But on

Qatar has claimed that at least 40 women and children being held hostage in Gaza are not in the hands of Hamas – and are unaccounted for. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani said they may “never be able to reach them” – despite their communication lines with Hamas – and that locating

As the four-day truce between Hamas and Israel in Gaza enters its final 24 hours, calls for an extension are growing from various quarters. Hamas has said it is pushing for an extension to the temporary ceasefire if “serious efforts” are made to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel. Under the terms

The flight data recorder has been removed from a US navy surveillance plane that overshot a runway and ended up in the water off Hawaii. The large aircraft was on its approach to a marine base when it landed in Kaneohe Bay. Nine people, including three pilots and six crew members, were on board at

An Irish-Israeli schoolgirl is among 17 hostages freed by Hamas in return for dozens of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, in the second swap under a truce deal. Emily Hand, from Kibbutz Be’eri, celebrated her ninth birthday in captivity on Friday. The girl, who was one of 13 Israelis freed on Saturday, was among 240

An Israeli boy who was kidnapped by Hamas has been reunited with his family more than six weeks after he was taken prisoner. Ohad Munder, nine, was one of 13 hostages released after the warring sides agreed to a pause in the fighting. More hostages expected to be released – live updates In touching footage

Thirteen Israeli hostages released by Hamas have now crossed into Egypt, according to local media, as part of a truce deal with the militant group. Twelve Thai nationals have also been freed by Hamas, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has said. The Thai hostages were released as part of a separate deal with Hamas mediated

Thirteen Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas after being held for almost seven weeks. They include four children and a number of elderly women. Their handover coincides with the release of 39 prisoners by Israel after a deal that has paused fighting between the two sides. Sky News understands 10 Thai nationals and one

Thirty-four people have been arrested following “huge destruction by a riotous mob” in Dublin, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said. Three young children were injured in a stabbing outside a primary school which sparked violent protests and clashes with police. A five-year-old schoolgirl, and a woman in her 30s, described as a “member of staff caring

The World Health Organisation has asked China for more detailed information about an outbreak of a respiratory illness and reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children. Since mid-October, the WHO said northern China had reported an increase in influenza-like illnesses compared with the same period in the previous three years. In recent days, local media

Thirteen women and children hostages held by militants in Gaza will be the first to be released – as the the temporary truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas begins at 7am on Friday, Qatar has said. Dr Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said it had received a list of the civilians

The hostage release deal has been delicately structured after weeks of negotiation and many false starts. After ratification by Israel’s war cabinet, security cabinet and full cabinet, Benjamin Netanyahu now has the support of Israel’s security establishment. Some 50 hostages will be released, in phases, all with Israeli citizenship. Roughly 12 every day. We understand

A Eurovision winner who has been added to Russia’s wanted list says the Kremlin is lying about her and trying to “scare” her – as she voiced fears for her family’s safety. Ukrainian singer Susana Jamaladinova – who performs under the name Jamala and won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 – is accused by

Israel’s government has agreed to back a deal with Hamas for the release of some hostages in Gaza and a temporary pause in the fighting. The agreement involves swapping the hostages for Palestinian prisoners being detained in Israel. The prime minister’s office said the deal involves the release of 50 women and children being held

Yemen’s Houthis rebels have released a video showing armed men seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea. The video from Yemeni Military Media shows at least seven masked men, carrying what appears to be AK-47s, drop from a helicopter and land on the top deck of the ship. Israel-Gaza live updates The video

There’s a makeshift shrine like none other outside the Ayoub family home in southern Lebanon. Underneath a large picture of three little girls and their grandmother is a bright pink and white wreath of flowers. But there are also black charred children’s shoes, a singed pencil case and blackened schoolbooks, with the edges of each

Hamas could release a significant number of Israeli hostages “in coming days”, Israel’s ambassador to the US has said. Around 240 hostages were taken during Hamas’s deadly cross-border assault into Israel on 7 October, which prompted Israel to invade Gaza in an attempt to wipe out the militant group. Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael

Israel’s military has released a video of what it claims is a 55-metre tunnel used by Hamas beneath Gaza’s largest hospital. The footage, published on social media, is “more proof” that Hamas is using patients as “human shields”, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claim. The video, at al Shifa, begins with images of what is

The Shifa Hospital in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip is a “death zone” with a mass grave at the entrance and a “desperate” situation inside, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. A team of UN and WHO experts conducted a “high-risk operation” on Saturday to get inside the hospital, despite heavy fighting reported to be

The Hamas-run health ministry has claimed at least 50 people have been killed in an Israeli attack on a school in northern Gaza. The ministry claimed Israel attacked the UN-run al Fakhoura school, in Jabalia refugee camp, with at least 32 people killed in a separate attack on another building in the same camp, as

Fears over the safety of Palestinian civilians are growing as Israel suggests its bombardment of Gaza will shift to southern areas, having destroyed swathes of the north. Leaflets have been dropped by the Israeli military in some areas of the south, near Khan Younis, warning residents to leave as Israel declared the “next stage” of

Israeli troops are continuing their operation at Gaza’s biggest hospital, al Shifa, which has been a primary target of the ground assault. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) entered al Shifa on Wednesday as it believes Hamas’ headquarters are located underneath the hospital within a complex network of tunnels and operational offices. The Palestinian Islamist group

Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is doing all it can to minimise civilian casualties in Gaza but had “not been successful”. The Israeli prime minister was speaking to CBS when he made the comments regarding the thousands of reported deaths since his forces began their operation against Hamas. Mr Netanyahu laid the blame for the

One of the biggest challenges facing Israeli forces during their ground operation in Gaza is the huge network of underground tunnels used by Hamas. Hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80m (262ft) deep, the system is used for various reasons – including carrying out attacks, smuggling in goods and storing weapons. Israel-Hamas war live:

To see the column of people up close was quite something. Several hundred Palestinians, young and elderly, in a thin line facing south on the main north-south road that cuts down through Gaza. On a loudhailer, an Israeli soldier is issuing instructions in Arabic. They should move south, they are told, and they will be

When French President Emmanuel Macron called for a ceasefire last Friday, he said he was hoping the US and UK would follow suit. So far, they have not. There has been a marked shift in rhetoric in most Western capitals vis-a-vis how Israel is exercising its manifest right to defend itself, as the horrors of

Israel has launched an overnight raid on Gaza’s largest medical facility – al Shifa hospital – hours after the US backed claims it was being used by Hamas fighters. Israeli forces said they entered a “specified area” of the medical complex for a “precise and targeted” operation “against Hamas“. The raid came hours after the

Gaza’s hospitals have been a flashpoint of fighting, claims and counterclaims. Tens of thousands of people sought shelter in medical facilities after being driven from their homes by the risk of airstrikes. But many have fled elsewhere as hospitals ran out of fuel and power and the fighting circled closer. Al Shifa, the largest hospital