World

China will host the world’s first half-marathon race between humans and robots. Dozens of humanoid robots are expected to join the 21km (13-mile) race in Beijing in April, according to local media. Around 12,000 humans will race robots from more than 20 companies in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area – also known as E-Town, in

The King delivered a speech to Holocaust survivors on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and said “remembering the evils of the past remains vital”. “It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long for the world,” he

The chairman of a coalition, which successfully lobbied Arab-Americans to vote for Donald Trump, has slammed the new president for his weekend comments on Gaza. “Arab-Americans for Trump firmly rejects President Donald J Trump’s suggestion to remove – voluntarily or forcibly – Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt and Jordan,” said Dr Bishara Bahbah, national chair

People in Belarus have started to vote in the presidential election, which is all but certain to extend the rule of Alexander Lukashenko. The authoritarian leader is expected to win as seventh term as leader in Sunday’s election, extending his 31 years in power in Sunday’s election. Citizens were pictured heading to the polls in

Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at a far-right campaign event in Germany where he urged supporters to move beyond their “past guilt”. Speaking via video link to a hall of around 4,500 Alternative for Germany (AfD) supporters in the central city of Halle, the world’s richest man said: “It’s good to be proud of

Four Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in Gaza have been handed over to the Red Cross. Hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and 19-year-old Liri Albag, were all serving with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) when they were captured. They are being freed by Hamas in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners,

The world’s largest iceberg is on a collision course with the British territory of South Georgia – potentially putting millions of penguins and seals in danger.  The trillion-tonne slab of ice, named A23a, broke free from its position last month and started drifting northwards. The “megaberg” – which is twice the size of Greater London

Conquering Mount Everest will cost climbers an extra $4,000 (£3,270) after Nepal hiked up fees for the first time in almost a decade. Nepal’s government has announced a 36% increase in permit fees, meaning they will go from $11,000 (£8,930) to $15,000 (£12,200) from September. Income from permit fees and other spending by foreign climbers

Ireland has delayed choosing its new prime minister after a row over speaking rights sparked angry scenes in the parliament. The Irish Parliament, called the Dail, had this morning convened to nominate a new prime minister, with Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin poised to take on the position. However, the process was pushed back hours

A family’s move from New Zealand to Australia went horribly wrong when they realised their cat had been left on the plane and flown back home. Mittens, an eight-year-old Maine coon cat, was booked on a one-way trip from Christchurch, in New Zealand, to Melbourne, Australia, on 13 January. Once they touched down in Melbourne,

A fire at a hotel in a popular ski resort in Turkey has killed at least 66 people, the country’s interior minister has said. Ali Yerlikaya added that at least 51 other people were injured in the fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya in Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains in northwest Turkey, around 185

Moments after taking office, the new president Donald Trump issued a flurry of orders ripping up rules to protect the climate and natural world. The broad roll back of climate policy, much of it advanced under Joe Biden’s previous administration, aims to maximise oil and gas production and lower household energy bills. Mr Trump vowed

Donald Trump will pull the US, the world’s second-largest climate polluter, out of the most important global treaty for tackling climate change for the second time. The White House announced the move to withdraw from the Paris Agreement shortly after Mr Trump’s inauguration on Monday. The decision would place the United States alongside Iran, Libya

Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States today – marking an astonishing return to the White House for the businessman and former reality TV star. Today’s inauguration comes after a tumultuous four years out of office that saw assassination attempts and several serious legal cases against the 78-year-old. Mr Trump will

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said a ceasefire in Gaza due to take effect this morning will not happen if Hamas fails to issue the list of the hostages up for release. A long-sought ceasefire for Gaza, where Israel has been waging a powerful military campaign for the past 15 months, was due

Iran has unveiled an underground naval base capable of taking on “enemies big and small”. Footage broadcast on state TV shows a large number of speedboats lined up in what appears to be an underground tunnel. It is reportedly part of a “secret” base built at a depth of 500m at an undisclosed location in

Hotel pools on Greek islands could be filled with seawater this summer as politicians try to combat the country’s two-year drought. Proposed new laws debated in the Greek parliament this week could pave the way for pipes to be installed connecting swimming pools at coastal hotels with the sea. The aim is to save shrinking

A police volunteer has been found guilty of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in Kolkata, India, last year. Sanjay Roy, 33, denies the charges and claims he has been framed. He will be sentenced on Monday, and it ranges from life in prison to the death penalty. Judge Anirban

A Pakistani neuroscientist held in US custody has told Sky News she has hope she will be freed after “new evidence” emerged which may suggest her innocence. Dr Aafia Siddiqui, 52, was once one of the most wanted women in the world for her alleged links to al Qaeda‘s leadership and was jailed for 86

Iran has broached the possibility of getting Russia’s help to build a nuclear power plant during talks in Moscow. President Masoud Pezeshkian travelled to the Russian capital to meet President Vladimir Putin on Friday, when they signed a 20-year strategic partnership treaty. It was Mr Pezeshkian’s first visit to the Kremlin since winning presidency last