World

Ukraine has said Vladimir Putin “needs to come back to reality” in response to the Russian president’s claim that he is ready to negotiate. Mr Putin had told state broadcaster Rossiya 1 on Sunday: “We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved about acceptable solutions, but that is up to them – we are not

Pele’s family are spending Christmas Day in hospital after the Brazilian football legend’s cancer progressed. A medical report earlier this week showed that the 82-year-old now needed care for cardiac and renal dysfunction, having been battling colon cancer since September 2021. He has been at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paul since 29 November.

The Taliban have banned Afghan women from working at non-governmental organisations in the country. The letter said female employees would not be allowed to work for NGOs until further notice because some had not adhered to the Taliban’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code for women. It added that failure to comply would mean the

Recent snowfall across several regions in Japan has killed 13, injured more than 80 and left more than 10,000 households without power, says authorities. By late Saturday afternoon, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency warned that more than 30 had been seriously injured and more than 50 sustained minor injuries. Along the coast in northern

Tragedy has once again struck Paris with three people dead and three others injured following a shooting. Here’s what we know so far about the incident in the French capital. Who is the suspect? A 69-year-old suspect, who was also injured, has been arrested after the incident and the Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an

Three people have been killed and four others injured after a gunman opened fire in Paris. A man aged 69 has been arrested in connection with the shooting at a local Kurdish cultural centre, the prosecutor’s department in the French capital said. He is known to French authorities and had attacked a migrant camp a

In a bunker below the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut, a jihadi commander with a half a million-dollar Russian bounty on his head, joins his men in prayer. Of the allies Ukraine has gathered in its war with Russia, among the most shadowy and deadly are the Chechens. They are some of Vladimir Putin’s oldest

A Shanghai hospital has told its staff to prepare for a “tragic battle” with COVID-19 as it expects half of the city’s 25 million people will get infected by the end of next week. It is two weeks since most zero-COVID restrictions were suddenly reversed in China, leaving the virus to sweep through the country largely

Sky News has unearthed evidence Russia has been abducting Ukrainian orphans and children in care. Allegations that the Russian military has been deporting children have been some of the most disturbing aspects of this nasty war. Sky News investigated reports Russians took children from two orphanages in Kherson. Our investigation found evidence supporting the claims

This will be a big moment in the war in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed world leaders and gatherings by video throughout the conflict but his visit to the US is the first time he has left the country since Russia’s invasion. There will be security risks but they should not be overplayed as

Female students have been banned from universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect, the Taliban has said. A letter, confirmed by a spokesperson for the higher education ministry, instructed Afghan public and private universities to suspend access to female students until further notice in accordance with a cabinet decision. The United States and Britain have both

A 97-year-old former secretary to the SS commander of Nazi Germany’s Stutthof concentration camp has been found guilty of being an accessory to 10,505 murders. In perhaps the last ever Nazi war crimes trial, Irmgard Furchner attended court in Germany for more than a year as prosecutors outlined their case against her. Judge Dominik Gross delivered

Even first thing in the morning the crematoriums were burning in Beijing. Plumes of smoke against the cold blue sky. Dongjiao crematorium to the east of the city was busy. Ambulances arriving, grieving relatives gathered round and a queue of vans carrying the coffins. It’s been reported that this crematorium has been specifically designated for

Argentinian fans have been celebrating through the night after their team won the World Cup in what some commentators have described as one of the best games in the history of the tournament. The side beat defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after drawing 3-3 after extra time in front of a 88,000-strong crowd in

Argentina have won the World Cup after a thrilling match which saw them take the lead and then lose it again twice before winning a penalty shootout, in what is already being described as one of the greatest finals in history. It was a special moment for Lionel Messi, who finally won the biggest prize

Qatar World Cup chief Hassan Al Thawadi says the tournament has changed perceptions of the region and transformed his country. He also insisted there should be recognition for improved workers’ rights after previously “unacceptable” conditions. Mr Al Thawadi told Sky News: “The progress will not end when the final whistle is blown.” Lusail – the

The deputy prime minister of Mongolia has defended his country buying almost 100% of its gas from Russia, saying that its position as a large landlocked country presents “a lot of problems and issues”. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan said that while Russian sources are important to ensure “continued supply with a reasonable

Thousands of tourists have reportedly been left stranded in the Peruvian city of Cusco along with hundreds of others in the area around the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu because of anti-government protests. The demonstrations were sparked by the ousting earlier this month of former president Pedro Castillo who is set to be held in

Ukraine is preparing for Russia to try again to invade from the north – maybe around the anniversary of its first, failed attempt to seize Kyiv last February, a top commander has said. President Vladimir Putin could even ultimately order millions of soldiers into the war as Russia’s offensive falters in the face of fierce

Russia has launched a “massive missile attack” on Ukraine, officials said, knocking out power and forcing people to take cover in bomb shelters across the country amid reports of fatalities and “colossal damage”. Authorities on social media reported explosions in the capital Kyiv, southern Kryvyi Rih and northeastern Kharkiv on Friday morning, as air raid