World

The political party of Ecuador’s assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, has picked his replacement just a week before the election. Mr Villavicencio, 59, an ex-lawmaker and journalist with a track record of exposing corruption, was shot dead last week after leaving a campaign event in the capital Quito despite his own government-provided security detail. His

Vladimir Putin is the man who brought war back to Europe, by sending his tanks into Ukraine on 24 February last year. Little is known about the murky workings of the Kremlin and of Mr Putin’s state of mind – to his citizens, he is both “the old man” and the symbol of Russia. To

Hawaiian residents heard no emergency warnings before this week’s deadly wildfires. Official records show Hawaii‘s emergency sirens – part of the world’s largest outdoor public safety system – failed to trigger on Tuesday before the devastating blaze in the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. Survivors said they did not hear any

Further evacuations are being considered in Norway as flood waters continue to swamp houses and coat cars with mud in the south east of the Nordic country. Up to 2,000 people have already been moved away from their homes after days of torrential rain. Water levels in swollen rivers and lakes continue to grow. At

Catastrophic wildfires in Hawaii were sparked by a “worst case scenario” and are part of a global increase in extreme fires, experts say. The disastrous flames on the island of Maui have claimed the lives of more than 50 people and destroyed swathes of highly flammable landscape. It’s being called the “largest natural disaster” in

Russia has launched its first moon mission in almost 50 years. A rocket carrying a lunar landing craft blasted off from the Vostochny spaceport in the far eastern Amur region. Russia launches lunar spacecraft – war latest It’s expected to reach its destination on 23 August, the same day as an Indian vessel that launched

Joe Biden has declared Hawaii a disaster area, clearing the way for federal aid to help Maui residents and businesses recover from devastating wildfires. It comes after at least 36 people died due to wildfires driven by a dry summer and strong winds in the historic town of Lahaina. President Biden expressed deep condolences for

Malaysia’s government says it is banning all Swatch products that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer elements. Watches, wrappers and boxes are banned, with authorities warning anyone found with one promoting LGBTQ rights could be jailed or fined. Same-sex relationships in Malaysia, which is predominantly Muslim, are illegal. Punishments range from caning under Islamic

These images show the devastation wreaked by wildfires in the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina. Before and after satellite images of the town – on the island of Maui – show the devastating impact of the fire, with row upon row of burnt out homes and businesses. At least 36 people have died and more

Cats in Cyprus are being given human COVID-19 medicine in an effort to slow the spread of a feline mutation of the virus that has left thousands of animals dead on the island. Cats began getting the medicine on Tuesday, which coincidentally was International Cat Day. Speaking to The Guardian, Christodoulos Pipis, the government’s veterinary

Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been shot and killed by an unidentified gunman while at a political rally in Quito. The killing comes amid an alarming wave of violence in the country, with drug trafficking and violent killings on the rise. Incumbent president, Guillermo Lasso, suggested an organised crime gang was behind the killing.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has said he would welcome home refugees who escaped the country’s long-running civil war. In an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia, he blamed the country’s economic situation as the reason why refugees are not returning to their homeland, pointing to the “image of war” in Syria for the lack

Russia is planning to build up its forces at its western borders following Finland’s accession to NATO, the country’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu has said. The defence minister also noted Poland had already announced plans to strengthen its military, and that he expected significant NATO forces and weaponry to be deployed in Finland. Finland’s inclusion

Italy has said it will spend €2.9m (£2.5m) to tackle an invasion of aggressive crabs that is threatening the country’s role as one of the top producers of clams in the world – and potentially one of its signature pasta dishes. The blue crab, originally from the western Atlantic, has spread across several lagoon-like locations

The oil-rich country hosting the next UN climate summit, which this year said it was “running towards” a clean power future, missed its own green energy target, Sky News can reveal. The United Arab Emirates, which will host COP28 in Dubai in December, pledged in 2015 to generate 24% of its electricity from clean sources

A YouTube chef has been charged with murdering and dismembering a Colombian surgeon on a Thai island. Daniel Sancho Bronchalo has been charged with premeditated murder, which carries a possible death penalty, and with concealment of a body to cover up the death, said Surat Thani provincial police commander Saranyu Chamnanrat. The 29-year-old was taken

Niger has closed its airspace until further notice citing the threat of military intervention from the West African regional bloc after coup leaders rejected a deadline to reinstate the country’s ousted president. The airspace was closed by the junta on Sunday “in the face of the threat of intervention that is becoming more apparent,” a

Another Russian warship listing in the water is probably not the image Vladimir Putin had in mind for his beloved Black Sea fleet – but it does demonstrate the increasing effectiveness of Ukraine’s sea drones. The last few days have seen two attacks on Russian ships, both reportedly carried out by Ukrainian unmanned vessels. In

A deadline for Niger’s coup leaders to stand down and reinstate the country’s elected president has arrived. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Friday its defence chiefs had drawn up a plan for military action if the junta, which has said it will not bow to outside pressure, did not comply

Ukraine is embroiled in a fight for its very survival as an independent state. Although Moscow is able to strike Ukrainian territory with impunity, the West will not allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike Russia across the border for fear of an escalation. But is this limitation preventing Ukraine from striking a potentially