World

Alexei Navalny has become the latest in a string of deaths of critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Over his more than two decades at the top of the Kremlin, a number of Mr Putin’s opponents have suffered unfortunate fates – including being jailed, shot dead in the street, or poisoned with tea spiked with

Russia’s main election authority has banned an anti-war candidate from standing in the country’s upcoming presidential election. Boris Nadezhdin, a local legislator in a town near Moscow, was required by law to gather at least 100,000 signatures in support of his candidacy. But the Central Election Commission said more than 9,000 signatures submitted by Mr

The caretaker prime minister of Pakistan has told Sky News there is no attempt to “target a specific party or group” amid claims of pre-poll rigging and candidate harassment. Speaking on the eve of the election, Anwar ul Haq Kakar did acknowledge they couldn’t totally guarantee free and fair elections. “Absolute is a very relative

A group of the Middle East’s football associations has asked world football chiefs to ban Israel over the war on Hamas in Gaza, according to a letter seen by Sky News. But the Israeli Football Association has urged FIFA to keep politics out of sport and allow them to continue trying to qualify for the

Polling stations have opened in Pakistan in a general election which has already been marred by violence and allegations of fraud. On the eve of Thursday’s election, bombs struck two political offices in southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 30 people. Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed at polling stations to

A US drone strike in Baghdad has killed three members of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia, including a high-ranking commander, according to US officials. The drone strike hit a car in the Iraqi capital – and was in response to a drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan towards the end of January.

More than 100 dead cats have reportedly been discovered in a freezer or buried in a garden at a “house of horror” in southern France. Sixty-seven feline corpses were found in a chest freezer in a chalet next to the home and on the same grounds, it is believed. An animal protection group, called AEPA,

Taylor Swift’s lawyers have threatened legal action against a student who tracks the movements of her and other celebrities’ private jets. Jack Sweeney is the creator of social media accounts that log the takeoffs and landings of planes and helicopters owned by billionaires, politicians, and other public figures. His accounts gained traction at the start

China has handed an Australian writer a suspended death sentence – five years after he was arrested on suspicion of spying. Pro-democracy academic Dr Yang Hengjun was detained at Guangzhou Airport in 2019 accused of espionage for a country China has not publicly identified. Dr Yang’s sentence, which comes three years after a closed-door trial,

Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has died aged 82. Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba announced Mr Geingob’s death in the early hours of Sunday morning. “At his side was his dear wife Madame Monica Geingos and his children,” Mr Mbumba said in a statement. He had been diagnosed with cancer and publicly revealed his diagnosis last month. His

Since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine there has been a revolution in the role of military UAVs (unmanned air vehicles), which have enabled much smaller forces to prevail against the traditionally dominant military powers. Has drone warfare become the dominant military capability for the underdog? The first flight of a powered UAV was on 6

At least two people have been killed and 29 injured after gas explosion in Nairobi, according to reports. A local newspaper in the Kenyan capital said the blast happened in the Embakasi neighbourhood just before midnight on Thursday. Wesley Kimeto, commander in charge of police in Embakasi, was quoted saying on the Standard newspaper’s X

Storm Ingunn has battered Norway – with wind gusts of more than 120mph (193km per hour). Households in central areas on Thursday woke to find they were without power, while a bus was blown off a road northeast of Bergen. None of the 14 passengers on board were injured, police said. Some areas were flooded,

Donald Trump’s legal claim over allegations he took part in “perverted” sex acts and gave bribes to Russian officials has been dismissed by a High Court judge. The former US president, 77, had brought the data protection case in the UK after claims were published about him in the so-called Steele dossier before the 2016

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged around 200 prisoners of war from each side. Russia’s defence ministry said the swap involved 195 soldiers on each side – but President Zelenskyy said 207 Ukrainians were freed in Wednesday’s exchange. There was no immediate explanation for the different figures. Ukraine-Russia war latest – Putin’s US missile accusations “We

Cyber hackers working for the Chinese government are preparing to “wreak havoc” on the US, FBI director Christopher Wray is warning. Critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants, the electrical grid, and transportation systems are being targeted to cause “real-world harm” to American citizens, he will tell US politicians on Wednesday. Mr Wray will speak

Ukraine’s top general has reportedly refused a request from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step down amid an apparent long-running dispute between the two men. The Ukrainian president sought to have Valerii Zaluzhnyi moved into a new role, according to media reports. However the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces refused. Mr Zelenskyy’s office has denied reports the

Starbucks has cut its yearly sales forecasts and missed market expectations amid US and Middle East boycotts. The world’s biggest coffee chain told investors on Tuesday night there was a “significant impact on traffic and sales” in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Money latest: Most hated taxes revealed The impact was also

Robots said to be capable of natural conversations and understanding patient needs have been tested successfully in healthcare environments. The Spring (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) units greeted patients, answered questions and gave directions during initial trials at Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, in France. The robots, equipped with artificial intelligence, were also able

A militant group that’s among those suspected of an attack that killed three US soldiers is pausing operations to “prevent embarrassment” to the Iraqi government. Kata’ib Hezbollah is one of several factions American officials believe may have carried out the drone attack in Jordan. Three army reservists died and more than 40 were injured in