World

Two British men detained by Kremlin forces in separatist-held eastern Ukraine have been charged with “mercenary activities”, according to Russian state media. Dylan Healy, 22, and Andrew Hill, 35, were both reported to have been captured in April. Mr Healy, from Cambridgeshire, was working for British non-profit organisation Presidium Network when he was seized at

Two women have been arrested after trying to smuggle 109 live animals out of Thailand in their luggage. Officers discovered 35 turtles, 50 chameleons, 20 snakes, two white porcupines and two armadillos in their bags. The pair were trying to board a Thai Airways flight to India, and suspicions were raised following what was meant

There’s fighting everywhere in Lysychansk city, the last Ukrainian holdout in the east. The artillery sounds never stop as the city is pounded by the Russians. The city goes to sleep with the constant rumble of war. We can hear it above ground from the basement where we’ve spent the night sheltering with families. And

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has defended Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, insisting he would “take a bullet” for the Russian leader. Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday morning, Mr Ecclestone described Mr Putin as “sensible” and “a first class person” who “believed he was doing the right thing for Russia”. “Unfortunately he’s

The woman whose photograph of her burnt and screaming in pain became the image of the Vietnam War has had her final skin treatment, 50 years after an American bombing raid changed her life forever. In 1972, a photojournalist captured the moment the then 9-year-old Kim Phuc Phan Ti was seen running down a road,

NATO has confirmed that Sweden and Finland will be formally invited to join the military alliance as it vowed to “significantly strengthen” its “deterrence and defence” in a “new strategic concept”. It also warned Russia that it must “immediately” withdraw from Ukraine, condemning the conflict in the “strongest possible terms”. It added that Moscow’s invasion

The trial of 20 men accused of carrying out one of the worst peace-time terror attacks in Europe is expected to conclude in Paris later on Wednesday. The men, all suspected Islamic State terrorists, are accused of killing 130 people and injuring hundreds more in coordinated attacks on 13 November 2015. Within minutes of each,

The Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian shopping centre amounts to a war crime, according to the G7. On Monday, two air strikes in the city of Kremenchuk left at least 18 people dead and dozens injured. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said shortly after the attack that more than 1,000 civilians were inside the mall at

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned Russian forces as “scumbag terrorists” after their “calculated” missile strike on a shopping centre in Ukraine. The leader said the attack in the central city of Kremenchuk was deliberate, not a mistake, and those culpable “should have no place on Earth”. Earlier, he said more than 1,000 civilians had been

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he wants the war in Ukraine to be over by the start of winter, as he urged Western leaders to send anti-aircraft systems and increase sanctions on Russia. Addressing the G7 summit by videolink, Zelenskyy said battle conditions would make it tougher for his troops as they mount their fightback, and

Could the devastating natural disaster in Afghanistan be a turning point for a Taliban government in the midst of a crisis? After rowing back on promises around human rights when it came into power last year, the Taliban firmly lost all hopes of engagement and diplomatic discussions with much of the West, including the UK.

Ukraine’s capital has been attacked for the first time in three weeks by Russian missile strikes – as G7 leaders gathered in Germany with the invasion high on the agenda. A nine-storey apartment block was struck along with the compound of a kindergarten as officials said one person was killed and five others injured in

Two people have been killed and 14 wounded in a shooting at a nightclub in Norway’s capital Oslo. People were shot at a number of places in and near the London Pub, a popular gay bar and nightclub in the city centre. According to public broadcaster NRK, there are at least three crime scenes. Police

Eighteen migrants have died during an attempted crossing into the Spanish enclave of Melilla, Moroccan authorities have said. Around 2,000 migrants stormed a high fence that seals off Spain’s North African enclave in a violent-two hour skirmish with border officers. It marked the first incursion since Spain and Morocco mended diplomatic relations last month. Morocco’s

A commander of an elite unit of Ukrainian marines has told Sky News the majority of his best trained troops have been injured or killed. Speaking near the frontline, south of the city of Severodonetsk, company commander Oleksandr said a core of experienced soldiers who had been fighting together since 2018 have been lost. “My

The Prince of Wales has expressed his “personal sorrow” about “slavery’s enduring impact” and addressed the contentious issue of other Commonwealth countries cutting ties with the Royal Family in a speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda.  At the formal ceremonial event in Kigali, which officially starts the

EU leaders have accepted Ukraine and Moldova as candidates to join the bloc, opening a path to membership that’s likely to take a number of years. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that it was a historic moment and a “good day for Europe”. “Your countries are part of our European

NATO looks set to agree next week to the biggest overhaul of its defences since the Cold War, including a major expansion of a 40,000-strong force on alert to respond in a crisis. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – which is not in NATO – has triggered a fundamental rethink in how the alliance deters President

Russian hackers have launched cyber attacks on targets in 42 countries allied with Ukraine since Vladimir Putin’s war began, Microsoft says. The technology giant said the hacking attempts were successful 29% of the time, and data was stolen in at least a quarter of the successful network intrusions. Nearly two-thirds of the targets involved NATO

At least 255 people have been killed after a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in southeastern Afghanistan, officials have said. The quake struck about 27 miles (44km) from the city of Khost, close to the country’s border with Pakistan, and was at a depth of 31.6 miles (51km), according to the US Geological Survey. Afghanistan’s state-run news