World

Three British men are being held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan – including so-called “danger tourist” Miles Routledge who returned to the country after being evacuated by British armed forces less than two years ago. The other two men are charity medic Kevin Cornwell and another unnamed UK national who manages a hotel in Kabul. They

In the vast windswept cemetery on the outskirts of Dnipro low clouds drift and mist drizzles over the graves of the fallen in this war. There is no noise apart from the flapping of hundreds of Ukraine flags – blue for the sky, yellow for the wheatfields of this farming country. Mounds of freshly dug

Oscar Pistorius will not be released early from his 13-year-five-month jail sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a parole board has decided. The former Olympic and Paralympic athlete, known as the Blade Runner, had applied for parole after serving half of his jail term. Earlier, Reeva’s mother June Steenkamp told Sky News that Pistorius

At least 35 people have died in a well after a structure built over it collapsed at a temple in central India. Worshippers were gathering at the temple in the city of Indore in Madhya Pradesh state to celebrate the Hindu festival of Ram Navami, officials said. The well had not been used for several

Pope Francis is “progressively improving”, the Vatican has said, after he was admitted to hospital with a respiratory infection. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old – who had part of one lung removed as a young man – had rested well overnight. He ate breakfast, read the newspapers and was working from his room at

Pope Francis will need to spend “a few days” in hospital for treatment for a respiratory infection, the Vatican says. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old had complained of breathing difficulties in recent days and went to the Gemelli hospital for tests. The pontiff does not have COVID-19 but requires several days of therapy, he

More than 220,000 Russian troops and mercenaries have been killed or injured in Ukraine, according to the latest US assessment, Britain’s defence secretary has revealed. Ben Wallace also confirmed the first British tanks have arrived in Ukraine but said there is “still quite some considerable amounts of training to go” before Ukrainian forces are ready

The boulevards of central Paris were once again choking up with the fog of tear gas. But even through the haze it’s clear this is becoming a significant crisis for President Macron’s government. Tens of thousands of people marched on the streets as part of rolling demonstrations organised by the unions. But they soon deteriorated

Images of four victims of a shooting at a school in Nashville have been released. Six people, including three children, were all shot dead by Audrey Elizabeth Hale after the former student opened fire in the private Covenant School in the Tennessee state capital. The six victims have been named as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs,

Olympic chiefs have been urged by five of Russia’s neighbours to rule on Tuesday that all Russians should be blocked from competing at the Paris Games. The plea from the governments of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine is likely to go unheeded. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has been insistent in recent weeks

A pause – not a halt After hours hidden out of sight and in emergency negotiations with his coalition partners, Benjamin Netanyahu eventually bowed to the inevitable. As the sun was going down on an extraordinary day in Israel, news emerged that a deal had been struck. The party of Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would

The White House has urged Israel “to find a compromise as soon as possible” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his defence minister for objecting to judicial reforms, triggering widespread protests. Mr Netanyahu fired Yoav Gallant on Sunday – a day after Mr Gallant broke ranks as an increasing number of Israeli Defence Force

“Fire tourists” have been urged to keep away from blazes raging in eastern Spain after wildfire season arrived earlier than expected. Officials have said onlookers have been putting themselves at risk and disrupting efforts to extinguish flames. More than 500 firefighters, supported by 20 planes and helicopters, were battling a fire four days after it

Strikes on Iranian-linked bases will be met with an “immediate counter-response” after the reported deaths of 19 people in US attacks on Syria, an Iranian security spokesperson has warned. Keyvan Khosravi made the remarks after the US carried out a series of strikes on the east of the country in one of the deadliest exchanges

The Pope has updated the church’s rules for dealing with sexual abuse, expanding its scope to include lay Catholic leaders and spelling out that both minors and adults can be victims. It follows a landmark decree in 2019 that made it obligatory for all priests and members of religious orders to report any suspicions of

A super tanker anchored off the country’s coast and containing more than a million barrels of oil is “likely to sink or explode at any moment”, unleashing an environmental and humanitarian disaster, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Yemen has told Sky News. The FSO Safer was all but abandoned in 2015 as Yemen descended

Germany’s largest bank has become the focus in a new wave of selling across banking and wider financial stocks, less than a week after the forced takeover of Credit Suisse. Deutsche Bank shares were down 11% on the day at one stage, in volatile trading, after a sharp jump in the cost of insuring against

North Korea has tested a new underwater attack drone that can generate a radioactive tsunami, the country’s state media has claimed. The nuclear-capable drone was launched this week off the coast of Riwon County in South Hamgyong Province. It reached its target off Hongwon Bay, where it detonated its test warhead, according to the Korean

Gwyneth Paltrow’s accuser “deteriorated abruptly” after the US actress allegedly crashed into the back of him on the ski slopes, a court has been told. Terry Sanderson, 76, showed “all the typical hallmarks” of someone who had suffered a brain injury after the 2016 collision, according to radiologist Wendell Gibby, who carried out tests on

Prince William has made a secret trip to Poland to “personally thank” Polish and British troops supporting Ukraine. The Prince of Wales visited military bases in Rzeszow, just 60 miles from the border with Ukraine – the closest a senior member of the Royal Family has come to the war. For security reasons, the visit