World

Deep in the woods in eastern Ukraine, a tank unit has hidden itself underneath the trees.  Their giant machines, which include Soviet-era T-72s and a more advanced T-84 are protected by summer foliage in a luxurious stand, the plump leaves blocking out most of the light. Still, that is not enough to reassure the tank

Dozens of people have died and millions of homes are underwater following huge floods in north-eastern India and Bangladesh. At least 59 people have been killed according to the AFP news agency. Lightning storms have killed at least 21 people in Bangladesh, while the remainder were lost to floods, lightning and landslides in India, the

Evan Somers says he’s used to verbal abuse over his sexual orientation. As a young gay man living in Dublin however, he wouldn’t let it get in the way of him enjoying the vibrant nightlife. But in the early hours of one Saturday, that abuse turned into a devastating physical attack that has left him

Boris Johnson has said he hopes Ukraine will be able to host next year’s Eurovision song contest, after the country was ruled out due to the war with Russia. Ukraine won this year’s contest, but the event’s organisers said the 2023 edition could not go ahead in the war-torn country, with the UK being considered

A pensioner shot dead three guests at a church potluck dinner in a wealthy suburb of Alabama. Police said the 71-year-old man, who had previously attended services at the St Stephen’s Episcopal Church, pulled out a handgun at the event and killed three elderly participants, one of whom died in his wife’s arms. Another guest

Ukraine could become a member of the European Union after the EU Commission proposed it as a candidate, the first step on a long road toward membership for the war-torn country. Ukraine applied for membership in the bloc less than a week after Russia first invaded the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the news from

Russia has “strategically lost” the war in Ukraine and is a “more diminished power”, the head of the UK’s armed forces has said. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said Vladimir Putin had lost 25% of Russia’s land power for only “tiny” gains. And while Russia may achieve “tactical successes” in the coming weeks, he said any

The wife of a British journalist killed in the Amazon has said his family can “say goodbye with love” after his body was found. The remains of Dom Phillips and his companion, indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, were found near where the pair disappeared on 5 June, the Brazilian justice minister Anderson Torres said. A suspect

The main suspect in the killings of a British journalist and indigenous expert has confessed – and taken officers to the site where their bodies were buried, police have said. Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira went missing on 5 June on a remote stretch of the Itaquai River in Brazil. Police investigator, officer Eduardo Alexandre

Rumours constantly circulate about Vladimir Putin’s health – but is there anything to back up the claims? During a live session of questions and answers on Sky News with defence and security analyst, Professor Michael Clarke, one viewer asked: Is Putin really ill or is it just wishful thinking? Mr Clarke said speculation about Mr

More than 4,000 miles from the criticism and controversy of the proposal in Britain, Rwanda has spent weeks preparing for the arrival of asylum seekers from Britain.  This pristine, picturesque east African country, with its lush landscape and rolling hills, has accepted £120m to host the migrants. People involved in the policy are determined to

Pope Francis has said the war in Ukraine was “perhaps in some way provoked or not impeded”. While condemning “the ferocity, the cruelty of Russian troops”, he said “we must not forget the real problems if we want them to be solved” – including the armaments industry among the factors that provide incentives for war.

All bridges to the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk are now impassable, making it impossible to get civilians out and humanitarian aid in. Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region, which includes Severodonetsk, said that Russians had destroyed two of the three bridges connecting the city with Lysychansk, and the third is old and unsafe. Mr

Throughout the war in Ukraine, Russia has carried out consistent attacks on the country’s rail system. Ukraine‘s state-owned railway, Ukrzaliznytsia, is the country’s largest employer with over 200,000 staff across 233,000 square miles. During the war it has been a lifeline for millions of people who fled the country and has proved essential to Ukraine’s

Beijing is rushing to contain a COVID-19 outbreak traced to a 24-hour bar known for its cheap alcohol and large crowds – with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns. The outbreak of nearly 200 cases was linked to the city centre Heaven Supermarket Bar – which had just reopened as curbs in

Rwanda is a densely populated country of 13 million people and the capital Kigali is bursting with life and energy. With a compulsory monthly street clean and a ban on single use plastics, parts of the country are pristine and picturesque. The east African nation is now getting ready to welcome the first group of

Maryna Berlizova is sitting on her low bed, a photo of her youngest daughter taped to the wardrobe and a pram in the corner, overflowing with baby clothes. She is absent-mindedly stroking her tummy and looking out the window of her mother-in-law’s small three-bedroom house she now shares with her children. In a few weeks’

Screaming overhead and flying low to avoid detection, we watch as Ukrainian jets head to the frontline battle in Severodonetsk. In recent days it feels like there’s been a change of atmosphere here in the Donbas – a sense of urgency, a sense that the Russians have momentum. Driving through towns and villages here in

Canada is poised to become the first country in the world to require a health warning be printed on every cigarette. It follows the inclusion of graphic photo warnings on tobacco products’ packaging – a policy that started an international trend when it was introduced two decades ago. The UK introduced the same in 2008.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has raised the issue of two British men sentenced to death by a Russian-backed court with her Ukrainian counterpart. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was said to be “appalled” by the sentences handed to Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and has ordered ministers to do “everything in their power” to secure their

Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner are accused of being mercenaries, Russian state media says, and have been sentenced to death. They were captured in Mariupol in April during the intense fight for control of the port city, before appearing in court in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). It is understood they have admitted

It’s blisteringly hot. We watch as dozens wait in line for the station gates to be opened, for their chance to get on a train to safety. We have seen over and over again since the start of the war in Ukraine. But it doesn’t get any easier. In the Donbas, Russian soldiers are bearing

Ukraine’s president says the fate of the Donbas hinges on “very brutal” fighting in Sievierodonetsk, a city that’s emerged as a key battleground in recent weeks. Russia is laying siege to the eastern city as it pursues its aim of capturing the sprawling Donbas region. “This is a very brutal battle, very tough, perhaps one

Two Britons who were captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine could face 20 years in prison, according to a video shared by Russian state media. Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were detained in April before reportedly appearing in court in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The pair are understood to

A vehicle has driven into a crowd in western Berlin, injuring about 30 people, according to emergency services. One person died in the city centre incident involving a small Renault car, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported. A man believed to be the driver of the vehicle has been detained, Berlin police said. It is unclear whether

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blockade of its ports is having a direct impact on food crises around the world, say charities. The World Food Programme has highlighted the impact on Somalia in particular. Spokesperson Petroc Wilton told Sky News the war is making a terrible situation even worse. He said: “Food prices were already

Reports of heavy shelling near Izyum in the east of Ukraine suggests Russia is preparing to make a renewed effort on the northern axis, Britain’s defence ministry has said. In a tweet it said that Russia’s progress made through May on the southern Popasna axis has stalled over the last week and that the country

Western unity is being strained by the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, the prime minister of Estonia has warned. Kaja Kallas has been nicknamed the Iron Lady of Estonia for her hard line with Russia. She told diplomatic correspondents in London: “The unity is always so very hard to keep. I am happy

The UK will send a “cutting edge” rocket system to Ukraine to help troops fight back Russia’s advance in the embattled east of the country, in defiance of a threat from Vladimir Putin. The M270 multiple-launch rocket system is now heading to the battlefield, despite Mr Putin’s warning that the provision of longer-range missiles would

More than 50 people are feared dead after gunmen opened fire on worshippers at a Catholic church in Nigeria. The attackers targeted the St Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo in the southwestern state of Ondo just as worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, state politician Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole said. Authorities did not immediately release

Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions overnight after weeks of relative calm in Ukraine’s capital, the city’s mayor said. At least one person was hospitalised but no deaths had been reported as of early Sunday, Vitali Klitschko said. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said the bombardment was Russia resorting to “new insidious attacks” and hit

Behind a straggly row of eucalyptus trees a monstrous pit has cleaved the countryside in two. Mountains of slag line the edges of a black hole and the largest trucks you’ve ever seen remove layers of earth to reach the precious commodity beneath: coal. We’re in Australia’s Hunter Valley, a region rich in natural resources.

Ukrainian troops have recaptured a chunk of the city of Severodonetsk – a main focus of the Russian offensive and the site of heavy fighting – it is claimed. Serhiy Hayday, governor of Luhansk region, said Ukrainian forces have retaken 20% of the territory they had lost in the factory city as the conflict in