World

Forty days of protest in Iran passed on Wednesday, with demonstrators making it clear their demands for change are as strong as ever. Tensions continued into Thursday, with anger over the death of at least one protester leading to attacks on official buildings. In Mahabad, the death of 35-year-old Ismaeil Mauludi prompted chaotic scenes as

Australia has become the first team to release a group statement criticising Qatar for its poor human rights record. Addressing the issue in a video, 16 players, including ex-Arsenal and Brighton goalkeeper Matt Ryan, took aim at the host nation’s treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community. “There are universal values that should define

As the Russians retreat from communities in the Ukrainian region of Kherson, residents have been left with reminders of their stay. Vast swathes of destruction afflicted places like Velyka Oleksandrivka, a quiet market town that would spend months on the frontline. The Russians were pushed out by the Ukrainians in the first week of October,

Vladimir Putin has watched military forces carry out nuclear exercises in Russia amid growing fears Moscow may trigger a major escalation in the Ukraine war. The Russian president oversaw the tests, which had been planned for some time, via video link from an office. During the exercises, the country’s nuclear forces carried out multiple practice

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has not received “a single cent” towards its $17bn fast recovery plan.  Addressing a Berlin conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction by video link, he also revealed Russian rockets and Iran-made drones have destroyed more than a third of his country’s energy sector. “Russia destroys everything to make it harder for us to

In the centre of Kyiv – protected by checkpoints, sandbags, soldiers and guns – stands the city’s military heart. It is here that we meet Oleksii Danilov, head of the country’s national security council – President Zelenskyy’s most trusted security adviser. Mr Danilov is not a shrinking violet. We speak for 20 or 30 minutes,

Russia has engaged in an unusual burst of contact with the West’s three nuclear powers to raise baseless claims about a dirty bomb plot in Ukraine, amid fears of further escalation. In the past 48 hours, Vladimir Putin’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, has spoken to his respective counterparts in the US, the UK and France,

Russian claims Ukraine could use a “dirty bomb” in the war have been branded “nuclear blackmail” and dismissed by the West. With its forces facing a string of battlefield defeats and a risk of being routed in the south, the Kremlin has pushed allegations that Kyiv could use such a blast on its own territory

The blackouts in Kyiv creep up on you. There is no Hollywood moment when the whole city goes dark or when the twinkling lights of a block of flats go out in unison. Instead, these cuts happen sporadically, with a sense of tiring unpredictability. The electricity will be cut from half a building, but not

History has been made in China after it was confirmed that President Xi Jinping will remain in power – breaking with a decades-long precedent that limits the terms of Chinese leaders. Having ruled China for 10 years already, he will now stay on for at least another five-year term – and he could, in theory,

Russian-installed authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson have ordered an “immediate” evacuation of residents, amid warnings of a looming Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture the city. In a Telegram post, authorities called on all civilians of Kherson to leave the city “immediately”, citing the “tense situation” and increased danger of shelling. While thousands of

When President Xi Jinping came to power 10 years ago, he had a very clear vision for China. He would return the country to its former glory, he would be unapologetic about its ascendant place in the world order, and he would make it strong, rich and stable. A lot of what he set out

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been shown firing a sniper rifle while visiting a training facility for reservists. Footage of the inspection of the military boot camp in the Russian region of Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, is thought to have been aimed at showing progress in rectifying problems with training and supplies. Russian TV showed

British and US intelligence says the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is on the ground in Crimea, supporting Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. America’s National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Iran had sent personnel to assist Vladimir Putin‘s troops in launching Iranian-made drones on Ukraine’s power stations and other key infrastructure. This includes members of a

A missile was released from a Russian aircraft near an unarmed RAF plane on a routine patrol over the Black Sea, the defence secretary has revealed. In a statement updating MPs on the war in Ukraine, Ben Wallace said the incident happened on 29 September and that Russia has acknowledged it took place in international

The Chinese consul-general accused of attacking a protester has denied the claims and said his alleged victim was “abusing my country, my leader”. Senior diplomat Zheng Xiyuan was pictured pulling Bob Chan’s hair before yanking him into the Chinese consulate in Manchester. Mr Zheng told Sky News that it was his “duty” and he was

Kherson residents have been boarding boats in an apparent evacuation as Russia claimed Ukraine is planning a major attack and President Putin declared martial law in four occupied regions. Russian media showed people in the city boarding ferries to cross from the right bank of the Dnipro river to the left. The Moscow-backed head of

There are days in Bakhmut that are more difficult than others – although no day is easy in this battered city.  Once home to 100,000 people, it’s now a military objective for the Russian army, the gateway to key industrial cities in eastern Ukraine. But the city has become a major obstacle for Russian generals,

A preliminary investigation of damage on the two Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea shows the leaks were caused by “powerful explosions”, Copenhagen Police has said. The force added officers investigated the “crime scenes” with assistance from Denmark’s armed forces and in collaboration with the Danish security and intelligence

The world’s first geological tomb for nuclear waste is rapidly taking shape more than 400 metres below the forests of Finland. Batches of lethally radioactive uranium will start arriving within two years for burial in the warren of tunnels carved into the bedrock. Other countries, including the UK, are considering plans to build their own