World

Russia and Ukraine have conducted a much-anticipated prisoner swap just ahead of the new year. Moscow’s defence ministry said each side freed 150 prisoners of war in a swap on Monday, although Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 189 of Kyiv’s soldiers had been brought home. It’s not immediately clear why there is a discrepancy in

What will 2025 mean for Gaza, Ukraine, trade wars and African tech? Our foreign correspondents set the scene for trends that will shape their region. From elections in the EU to a bombastic Trump presidency to climate disruption, 2025 is shaping up to be a bumpy year. But it’s not all bad news… Immediate, dramatic

Russia’s unconventional attacks against NATO “look like war” and allies must set new red lines that will trigger a retaliation if crossed, a former foreign minister has warned. Gabrielius Landsbergis, who stepped down as foreign minister of Lithuania earlier this month after four years in the post, told Sky News he did not believe the

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed, killing 38 people, was damaged while flying over Russia “due to shooting from the ground”, the country’s president has said. President Ilham Aliyev said he believed that the plane, which crashed around two miles from Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, was not shot down intentionally. However, he accused some

A 40-year-old man has died after a shark attack in Australia on Saturday evening. Church pastor Luke Walford was spearfishing with his family off the coast of Central Queensland when he was mauled by a shark. He died an hour and a half later, according to police. “He was attacked by a shark while doing

Elon Musk has backed Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in a guest opinion piece the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. The article, published online, prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest. In the article, Musk expanded on his post on his social media platform X last week claiming that “only the AfD can

Russian air defences may have shot down an Azerbaijan Airlines flight after misidentifying it, according to US military sources. Two unnamed officials who spoke to Sky News’ US partner NBC News said America had intelligence indicating Russia may have believed the flight was a drone and engaged its air defences. It added that this was

In Russia, size matters when it comes to family. Just look at the Asachyovs. Vera and her husband Timofey have eight children – from 18-year-old Sofiya to 18-month-old Marusya – and they’ve just been crowned Moscow Family of the Year. “It’s a great honour and joy,” Vera Asachyova told Sky News when asked how it

Israeli forces have raided a hospital in Gaza, ordering dozens of patients and hundreds more to evacuate, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry. The ministry said it had lost contact with staff inside Kamal Adwan Hospital, which is one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip. “The occupation forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would be open to peace talks with Ukraine in Slovakia “if it comes to that”.  Mr Putin said Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who this week visited the Kremlin, had offered his country as a location for negotiations as the war in Ukraine nears the three-year mark. The

An oil tanker transporting oil to Russia, which is suspected of severing power and internet cables in the Baltic Sea, has been seized by Finnish authorities. The ship, named by authorities as the Eagle S, was boarded by a coastguard crew that took command and sailed the vessel to Finnish waters, said Helsinki Police Chief

Donald Trump has suggested the US could take control of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal in a series of Christmas Day social media posts. The president-elect wished a merry Christmas to all on his Truth Social platform, “including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal”. In

Syrian officials say 14 of its forces, part of the group which toppled Bashar al Assad’s regime, have died in clashes with supporters of the ousted dictator. Another 10 members of the security forces from Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) were also injured after being ambushed in northwest Syria, according to Syria’s interior ministry. They

Ukrainians sheltered in metro stations on Christmas morning as Russian missiles and drones rained down on their cities. Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that he said sought to plunge his people into darkness. “Putin deliberately chose Christmas,” he said on Wednesday. “What could be more inhumane?” Russia’s defence ministry said it

The Albanian government plans to block access to TikTok for a year after the killing of a 14-year-old boy led to concerns about social media’s influence on children. Prime Minister Edi Rama said the proposed ban will start early next year as he particularly blamed the video-sharing app for fuelling violence and bullying, especially among

A memorial service has taken place in Magdeburg, Germany, for the victims of a Christmas market attack. At least five people were killed and more than 200 others injured when a car ploughed into crowds shopping on Friday evening. Image: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) at the memorial service. Pic:

The OSINT team at Sky News uses satellite images, video and publicly available data to verify and investigate breaking stories. Whether helping inform out coverage of conflicts in the middle east, or showing the scale of damage caused by hurricanes and floods, satellite images have been an important resource throughout the year. As 2024 comes

Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has been acquitted of kidnap and failing to fulfill his public duties. An Italian court has found him not guilty of refusing to let a migrant rescue boat dock in Sicily in 2019. The vessel, operated by the Spanish NGO Open Arms, was stranded in the Mediterranean Sea with

This annual TV marathon is Vladimir Putin’s happy place. He is centre stage, holding court and putting the world to rights.  The unusual format – part press conference, part phone-in – casts him as Russia‘s agony aunt-in-chief, fielding calls from ordinary citizens voicing their concerns and complaints. Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy on Putin’s call for

Vladimir Putin has said Russia should have invaded Ukraine earlier, in a national address spanning more than four hours. Russia began the conflict with its neighbour in February 2022 and at his annual televised news conference, Mr Putin claimed the war has made Russia “stronger”. The decision to invade “should have been made earlier” he