World

Syria’s military has said its joint airstrikes with Russia have killed at least 400 insurgents over the past 24 hours – as Vladimir Putin reaffirmed his support for Syrian President Bashar al Assad. The strikes are being carried out after insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al Sham and including Turkey-backed fighters launched a

Police in Australia have seized a record 2.3 tonnes (2,300kg) of cocaine from a motorcycle gang’s fishing boat that broke down off the coast of Queensland. The haul, worth around $760m Australian dollars (£388m), was being smuggled by the Comancheros biker gang, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commander Stephen Jay said. Detectives had been investigating the

In a West Bank clinic, the father of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy showed us where the bullet shot by an Israeli soldier entered his son’s neck and where it left his small body through his spine. Kareem Sharaab had been outside his home when the Israeli military entered his village in the occupied West Bank.

Syria’s president has said his country will “defend its stability and territorial integrity” after rebels reportedly took control of most of the country’s second-largest city Aleppo. In his first public comments since the start of the offensive, Bashar al Assad said the regime would defeat the “terrorists and their supporters”. In comments released by the

Georgia’s president has said the Caucasian country’s government is “not legitimate” as thousands of protesters gathered again in the capital after a halt to EU membership talks. The US State Department condemned the “excessive force” used against demonstrators and suspended its strategic partnership with the country after more than 100 arrests were made on Friday.

It had appeared to be a conflict frozen in time, but the operation launched with blistering speed by Syrian opposition fighters has turned all of that upside down. It is also a potent reminder of the complexity of the Syrian conflict. What was a stalemate has revealed that the regime of President Bashar al Assad

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested a ceasefire deal could be struck if Ukrainian territory he controls could be taken “under the NATO umbrella” – allowing him to negotiate the return of the rest later “in a diplomatic way”. In an interview with Sky News’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, the Ukrainian president was asked to respond to

Violent protests have erupted in Georgia over its ruling party’s decision to put talks on the country’s longstanding bid to join the EU back until 2028.  Police in riot gear used a water cannon, tear gas and pepper spray as they ordered crowds of protesters on the streets of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, to disperse. Pictures

There’s a veneer of normality to life in Ukraine’s major cities if you ignore the air raid sirens, the booming sounds of anti-aircraft fire, the threatening buzz of drones passing overhead, and the darkened streets of neighbourhoods taking their turn as part of rolling power cuts affecting all of Ukraine. As I say, if you

Israel’s military has said it has fired on “suspects” in southern Lebanon who were allegedly violating its ceasefire with Hezbollah. Israeli tank fire hit six areas within two kilometres of a strip of land demarcating the border between Lebanon and Israel, according to state media and Lebanese security sources. It comes after Israel and the

Hezbollah has vowed to continue its resistance to Israel after the ceasefire came into effect. Brokered by the US and France, the halt to fighting in Lebanon will see both Israeli and Hezbollah forces retreat. Its announcement was met by cheers on the streets of Lebanon, where people quickly began taking to the roads, streaming

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has begun. Commencing at 2am UK time (4am local time) on Wednesday, the deal marks a notable step forward in diplomatic efforts in the region. Previously such talks had floundered and failed to produce results – until this week. Read more:Analysis: Dark clouds hang over Middle EastExplained: Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been agreed, to celebrations in Lebanon but scepticism in Israel. Lebanese people are finally looking forward to some calm after months of heavy bombardment in the capital Beirut and across the country. An estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced and many towns and villages heavily damaged. Middle

Conor McGregor has spoken out after losing a civil rape case as a feminist march was held in Dublin. The MMA fighter was accused of raping Nikita Hand, who was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages on Friday after a jury at Dublin’s High Court found McGregor assaulted her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. Image:

Twelve British soldiers were injured in a major traffic pile-up in Estonia, close to the border with Russia, local media have reported. Eight of the troops – part of a major NATO mission to deter Russian aggression – were airlifted back to the UK for hospital treatment on Sunday after the incident, which happened in

More than a dozen people are missing after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, officials have said. The boat, Sea Story, was carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists of varying nationalities and 14 crew. Authorities are searching for 17 people who are still missing, the governor of the

Russian forces have reportedly captured a British man while he was fighting for Ukraine. In a widely circulated video posted on Sunday, the man says his name is James Scott Rhys Anderson, aged 22. He says he is a former British Army soldier who signed up to fight for Ukraine’s International Legion after his job.

The body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been found, Israel has said. Zvi Kogan, the Chabad representative in the UAE, went missing on Thursday. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office on Sunday said the 28-year-old rabbi was murdered, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror

The COP29 climate talks have reached a last ditch deal on cash for developing countries, pulling the summit back from the brink of collapse after a group of countries stormed out of a negotiating room earlier. The slew of deals finally signed off in the small hours of Sunday morning in Azerbaijan includes one that

Representatives of dozens of climate vulnerable islands and African nations have stormed out of high-stakes negotiations over a climate funding goal. The more than 200 countries gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, are trying to agree a new financial settlement to channel money to developing countries to both curb and adapt to climate change. The least developed

A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has said “justice has been served” after she won her civil case against the Irish mixed martial arts fighter. Nikita Hand has been awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages after a jury at Dublin’s High Court found McGregor assaulted her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor,

A second Australian teenager has died after being poisoned with methanol in Laos, bringing the number of people killed to six. Holly Bowles, 19, has died, according to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong, who said: “All Australians will be heartbroken by the tragic passing of Holly Bowles. “I offer my deepest

Arrest warrants have been issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence secretary Yoav Gallant by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The warrants are for alleged war crimes. Another warrant was issued for the arrest of Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri. This breaking news story is being updated and more details

Four people have died and six British backpackers are in hospital in southeast Asia after reports of suspected methanol poisoning. Simone White, 28, from Orpington in Kent, is among those who fell ill after being offered “free shots” in the Vang Vieng resort of Laos. Bianca Jones, 19, from Melbourne, Australia, two Danish women in

Ukraine has fired British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russia, a source has told Sky News. The UK and Ukraine have not yet confirmed the use of the Storm Shadow missiles in Russia but their deployment has been widely reported in British media. Image: A Storm Shadow cruise missile on display in June 2023. Pic: AP

Rafael Nadal soaked up the emotion of a memorable but bittersweet evening in Malaga as his professional career came to an end. The 38-year-old opted to make the Davis Cup Finals his last event having accepted last month that his body would no longer allow him to compete at the highest level. Spanish fans, some

Russia has been accused by European governments of escalating hybrid attacks on Ukraine’s Western allies after two fibre-optic telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea were severed. “Russia is systematically attacking European security architecture,” the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Poland said in a joint statement. “Moscow’s escalating hybrid activities against NATO

More than 100 politicians from 24 different countries, including the UK, the US and the EU, have written a joint letter condemning China over the “arbitrary detention and unfair trial” of Jimmy Lai, a tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner. The parliamentarians, led by senior British Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, are “urgently” demanding the immediate release of

The Kremlin has criticised President Joe Biden for adding “fuel to the fire” after giving Ukraine permission to launch US missiles into Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to… continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict.”

Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to begin firing US-supplied rockets deep into Russia – as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to push for “further support” for Kyiv at the G20 summit. Mr Biden’s policy shift means Kyiv will now be able to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for long-range attacks, two American officials have told

Joe Biden’s belated decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied, long-range missiles inside Russia will be cheered by Kyiv and will almost certainly prompt the UK to follow suit. But the stunning shift in US policy – just weeks before Donald Trump takes over as US president – will also trigger fury and fresh threats

Several people have been killed after Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since August. More than 200 missiles and drones were deployed, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as he condemned a “massive combined strike” on “all regions”. Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said “peaceful cities” and “sleeping civilians” were targeted. Ukraine war – latest updates

Ten newborn babies have died after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in northern India. The fire, which also injured 17 other babies, spread quickly through the ward in Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi city late on Friday, where 49 infants were being treated, according to state deputy