World

Russia may have stepped up the frequency and intensity of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital, but Kyiv’s air defences appear to be holding firm. So what is the military benefit of targeting urban populations, and why is Vladimir Putin doing so? Historically, wars were fought to destroy the enemy’s army and occupy its

China is drilling a hole in the desert more than 11,000m deep in order to study areas deep beneath the planet’s surface. The operation – reported in state media – started on Tuesday and is located in the Xinjiang region in northwest China. The drilling process will go deep into the Earth, penetrating more than

China’s Communist Party has warned about the potential risks of AI, a day after experts said it posed a similar risk as nuclear war and pandemics. A meeting headed by President Xi Jinping called for “dedicated efforts to safeguard political security and improve the security governance of internet data and artificial intelligence”, the Xinhua News

Jordan is preparing for a royal wedding this week with Crown Prince Hussein set to marry a US-educated architect.  The 28-year-old Sandhurst-educated prince is marrying Rajwa Alseif, 29, at Zahran Palace – where his father King Abdullah II and his grandfather, the late King Hussein, also married. Thursday’s ceremony is expected to include some of

Russia has blamed Ukraine for a drone attack on Moscow that it said caused minor damage to buildings and injured two people. The defence ministry said Kyiv was behind the “terrorist attack”, but Ukraine denied the claim. “Eight aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were involved in the attack. All enemy drones are hit,” said the ministry.

The Ukrainian foreign minister has expressed his support for a tennis player who was booed off the court at the French Open for refusing to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent. Marta Kostyuk was jeered by the crowd at the end of the first round match as she snubbed Aryna Sabalenka, whose country has supported

Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have joined world leaders in congratulating Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his election win. In a letter to president Erdogan celebrating his narrow run-off victory on Sunday, Mr Putin addressed the Turkish leader as “Dear Friend” and praised his efforts at strengthening Russian-Turkish relations. “From the bottom of my

The man who revels in his image as Turkey’s strongman took an early lead almost as soon as polls closed in the second round of voting for President. Celebrations began long before the official declaration. But in truth, the dye was cast some time ago, before the election. Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s demeanour even before campaigning

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared himself victorious in the presidential run-off election, with leaders from around the world congratulating him. Polls closed at 5pm local time (3pm BST) and while votes were counted fast, for hours it remained too close to call. At one point, less than a percentage point separated the incumbent from his

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will have been Vladimir Putin’s favourite in this election. A hard truth to swallow for his Nato allies who will have been hoping, albeit privately, for change. Mr Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule, economic eccentricity and waywardness within NATO have all caused deepening alarm among allies. His defeat would have been welcomed

F-16s are on the way to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden‘s approval of the move at the G7 conference will certainly provide Ukraine with some much-needed aerial firepower – but combat air power is heavily dependent on modern technology and some F-16s are vintage jets. When the F-16 Fighting Falcon first flew in the late

What are the big threats to our way of life? This question was a lurking preoccupation at the London Defence Conference this week, attended by the prime minister and the chief of defence staff along with academics and politicians from across the Western world. The immediate crisis is Ukraine, of course. There was general consensus

Iran has successfully launched a 2,000km-range (1,243m) ballistic missile, according to the country’s state media – two days after the chief of Israel’s armed forces raised the prospect of “action” against Tehran over its nuclear programme. With one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, Iran says its weapons are capable of reaching

Russia has accused the west of “growing involvement” in the conflict with Ukraine after releasing pictures of western-made military vehicles it claims were used in a border incursion. The images, which Sky News has identified as showing US-made Humvees, have been criticised by analysts as being “staged”, with suggestions the scene could have choreographed. Security

Millions of people in Mexico have been told to get ready to leave their homes as the country’s Popocatépetl volcano spews ash, rock and gas. Officials said people living downwind of “El Popo” should wear masks and cover their eyes but the country’s president played down the risk to life. The volcano, which lies in

A fire which killed 19 people at a secondary school dormitory in Guyana was deliberately set by a student, according to an official. The suspect – who is among the injured – was upset that her mobile phone was confiscated, investigators believe. She had been disciplined by the dormitory administrator for having an affair “with

Donald Trump has appeared in court via video link to receive a warning from a judge over evidence sharing in his criminal hush money case. It was his first appearance in court – albeit this time not in person – since his arraignment on 5 April where he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are to carry out new searches of a reservoir, Sky News understands. Officers will start work on Tuesday at the Arade dam, which is located about 50km from where the British toddler went missing in Praia da Luz in the Algarve, 16 years ago. British police will also

Ukraine has said its troops are still advancing on the flanks of the devastated city of Bakhmut, but that the “intensity” of their movement has decreased.  On Saturday Russia said it had completely taken the city but Ukrainian officials have said since then that Kyiv’s forcesstill control a small part. On Monday, Deputy Defence Minister

Flights to eastern Sicily were disrupted on Sunday after the nearby Mount Etna volcano began to erupt, tipping black ash onto runways and vehicles. Video from the scene showed smoggy looking cloud blanketing roads and flakes of dark, gritty ash scattered across car windscreens. Flights in and out of the port city and tourist favourite