World

Police in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands are asking for the public’s help to identify 22 women and girls who they believe have been murdered. The bodies were discovered across the three European countries between October 1976 and August 2019. “Most of the 22 victims died violently, and some were also abused or starved before

It has been said the only glue that holds Russia together is the memory of its great victory over Nazi Germany.  The country is vast and diverse. There is no ideology, no ‘ism’ to believe in any longer. No rule of law, no system of government beyond gangster kleptocracy, no Stalin or Lenin or any

Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, has been detained, local media has reported. Mr Khan is said to have appeared in court in Islamabad on corruption charges. Footage online, verified by Sky News, shows Mr Khan being led into an armoured vehicle by security forces. The 72-year-old was ousted from power last year,

Israel has bombed the Gaza Strip overnight, killing three senior commanders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group. Various sites linked to the organisation were also taken out, including a rocket factory and a facility to produce concrete for tunnels. At least 12 people were killed and 20 injured, according to the latest figures from

Ukraine is preparing carefully for a new counter-offensive against Russian forces because the assault is “very important” and must “demonstrate success”, the prime minister has said. Denys Shmyhal told Sky News that the long-awaited operation would only be launched when the time is right but he gave no indication when that might be. With Russian

Russia launched dozens of drone strikes across Ukraine on the eve of a holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Kyiv’s mayor said Russia had fired 60 Iranian-made kamikaze drones at Ukrainian targets, including 36 at the capital. All drones had been shot down but debris hit apartments and other buildings, injuring at least five

Iran has executed two men accused of blasphemy, as a rise in death sentences handed out by the ruling regime continues. The streak of executions, including members of ethnic minority groups in Iran, comes following months-long protests over the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by the country’s morality police. So far

At least 27 people have died following a fire in a gold mine in Peru – the deadliest mining accident in the country for decades.  The fire broke out on Saturday and photos on social media showed dark plumes of smoke pouring out of the mine. The local government said a short circuit sparked the

The US has experienced more mass shootings than days so far in 2023, with thousands dead as a result. There were at least 191 in the first 127 days of the year, with the latest in a busy Texas shopping mall leaving nine people dead, including the suspected gunman. On average, the US has seen

Drones have been part of the military inventory for decades, but the war in Ukraine has seen a massive escalation in their exploitation. Does this herald the start of a new era in modern warfare, and will the rapid development of AI lead to the inevitable dawn of drone wars? Unmanned flight predates manned, but

Grenada is showing increasing interest in becoming a republic, with the country’s prime minister hoping it will be under his leadership. In an interview with Sky News, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell spoke about republicanism, the Commonwealth, and the relationship the island nation has with the UK ahead of the King’s coronation. When asked if

Former US president Donald Trump has described his civil rape trial as a “political attack”, based on the “false accusations” of a woman he describes as “a fake”. He repeated his denials of the charges of rape and defamation by author E Jean Carroll, as he played golf at his Trump Doonbeg resort in Ireland’s

Ukraine has said it has shot down more than a dozen Russian-launched drones in the early hours of Thursday morning. The 18 drones were among 24 launched in pre-dawn attacks across Ukraine, with a number aimed at Kyiv – all of which were destroyed alongside an unspecified number of missiles, city officials said. Administration officials

The home of Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been searched by police investigating COVID-19 vaccine cards allegedly being falsified. The cards of Mr Bolsonaro, his family members and his advisers had been changed, according to local media reports. During the coronavirus pandemic, the country‘s former far-right president was a vocal coronavirus vaccine sceptic who doubted

Iran has seized a second oil tanker in Gulf waters in a week as tensions with the US increase. The US Navy said Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after it had “forced” the Panama-flagged tanker Niovi to change course. The American military published pictures of small vessels surrounding

Security is being beefed up in Moscow and several Russian regions have announced they are scaling back this year’s Victory Day celebrations due to fears pro-Ukrainian saboteurs could target the festivities. The holiday – marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany during the Second World War – is one of the most important in the

More than 100 people have been arrested in Germany, Spain and Italy after a three-year investigation into a powerful Italian mafia group. Italian and Belgian investigators believe the suspected members of the ‘Ndrangheta organised crime group, smuggled close to 25 tonnes of cocaine between October 2019 and January 2022. The group is also accused of

Dutch police who arrested a man on suspicion of drink driving discovered he had a driving licence naming him as “Boris Johnson”. The fake Ukrainian document featured a picture of the former prime minister, as well as his correct birthdate of 19 June 1964. However it is valid until December in the year 3000. A

Australia has banned recreational vaping and tightened other e-cigarette laws in a huge crackdown on the tobacco industry as it tries to stop the rise in teenage vaping. The government wants to ban all disposable vapes, which often come in fruity flavours popular with young people, ban the import of non-prescription vapes and limit nicotine

A ceasefire in Sudan has been extended for three more days despite continuing reports of heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur. The truce between Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and military had been due to expire at midnight, but the US and Saudi Arabia brokered a new deal.