World

Pope Francis has said the war in Ukraine was “perhaps in some way provoked or not impeded”. While condemning “the ferocity, the cruelty of Russian troops”, he said “we must not forget the real problems if we want them to be solved” – including the armaments industry among the factors that provide incentives for war.

All bridges to the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk are now impassable, making it impossible to get civilians out and humanitarian aid in. Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region, which includes Severodonetsk, said that Russians had destroyed two of the three bridges connecting the city with Lysychansk, and the third is old and unsafe. Mr

The Court of Appeal has ruled the first deportation flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda can go ahead tomorrow. Rights campaigners have argued that the government policy is inhumane and will put migrants at risk. But officials have said the strategy will deter people from making dangerous Channel crossings from France in flimsy small boats

Rwanda is a densely populated country of 13 million people and the capital Kigali is bursting with life and energy. With a compulsory monthly street clean and a ban on single use plastics, parts of the country are pristine and picturesque. The east African nation is now getting ready to welcome the first group of

Morocco has banned controversial British film The Lady Of Heaven over its “blatant falsification of established facts in Islamic history”. UK cinema chain Cineworld has already cancelled screenings of the film after protests over its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Lady Fatimah. Now the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre (CCM) has issued a statement to say

Maryna Berlizova is sitting on her low bed, a photo of her youngest daughter taped to the wardrobe and a pram in the corner, overflowing with baby clothes. She is absent-mindedly stroking her tummy and looking out the window of her mother-in-law’s small three-bedroom house she now shares with her children. In a few weeks’

The treeline gives a little respite from the blazing sun and cover for the soldiers on the frontline. A spotter crouches, binoculars to his eyes, scanning the woods in the distance for movement. The Russian forces are close. Each side knows where the other is; the Russians used to occupy this small camp until they

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered his ministers to do “everything in their power” to secure the release of two Britons captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine and sentenced to death. Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were captured in Mariupol in April during the intense fight for control of the port city and were

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has raised the issue of two British men sentenced to death by a Russian-backed court with her Ukrainian counterpart. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was said to be “appalled” by the sentences handed to Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and has ordered ministers to do “everything in their power” to secure their

Ukraine’s president says the fate of the Donbas hinges on “very brutal” fighting in Sievierodonetsk, a city that’s emerged as a key battleground in recent weeks. Russia is laying siege to the eastern city as it pursues its aim of capturing the sprawling Donbas region. “This is a very brutal battle, very tough, perhaps one

The head of an evangelical megachurch has been jailed for more than 16 years for sexually abusing three underage girls. Naason Joaquin Garcia, leader and self-styled apostle of the Guadalajara-based church La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) admitted two counts of forcible oral copulation involving minors and performing a lewd act on a

A fourth-grade survivor of last month’s Uvalde school shooting has told a hearing how she dabbed blood on herself and pretended to be dead after the gunman murdered her teacher and friends. Miah Cerrillo and the parents of multiple young Americans killed and wounded in recent mass shootings has testified at the US House Oversight

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blockade of its ports is having a direct impact on food crises around the world, say charities. The World Food Programme has highlighted the impact on Somalia in particular. Spokesperson Petroc Wilton told Sky News the war is making a terrible situation even worse. He said: “Food prices were already

Reports of heavy shelling near Izyum in the east of Ukraine suggests Russia is preparing to make a renewed effort on the northern axis, Britain’s defence ministry has said. In a tweet it said that Russia’s progress made through May on the southern Popasna axis has stalled over the last week and that the country

A US court has issued warrants to seize two luxury planes owned by Roman Abramovich under sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine war. The planes are a $350m (£280m) Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a cutting-edge aircraft used by many of the world’s top airlines – and a $60m (£48m) Gulfstream G650 ER. However, the chance

Ten months after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan and promised “amnesty for all”, data suggests they are the largest perpetrators of violence against civilians in the country – killing at least 341 people. Since 15 August 2021 – when the capital Kabul fell – the Armed Conflict Location and Event Project (ACLED) has recorded

Western unity is being strained by the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, the prime minister of Estonia has warned. Kaja Kallas has been nicknamed the Iron Lady of Estonia for her hard line with Russia. She told diplomatic correspondents in London: “The unity is always so very hard to keep. I am happy

The UK will send a “cutting edge” rocket system to Ukraine to help troops fight back Russia’s advance in the embattled east of the country, in defiance of a threat from Vladimir Putin. The M270 multiple-launch rocket system is now heading to the battlefield, despite Mr Putin’s warning that the provision of longer-range missiles would

Ukraine’s defence minister has said it is “possible” that the war with Russia could be over by the end of this year. Oleksiy Reznikov was speaking at an international security forum just hours after the war entered its 100th day. He said: “Russia continues to make efforts to occupy our entire state. “It is currently

Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions overnight after weeks of relative calm in Ukraine’s capital, the city’s mayor said. At least one person was hospitalised but no deaths had been reported as of early Sunday, Vitali Klitschko said. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said the bombardment was Russia resorting to “new insidious attacks” and hit