World

Ireland will hold a vote in November on removing “outmoded” references to a woman’s place being in the home from the country’s constitution. The Irish government said on Wednesday that it will hold a referendum on Article 41.2, which says Ireland recognises that “by her life within the home, woman gives to the state a

Iran has secretly supplied large quantities of bullets, rockets and mortar shells to Russia for the war in Ukraine and plans to send more, a security source has told Sky News. The source claimed that two Russian-flagged cargo ships departed an Iranian port in January bound for Russia via the Caspian Sea, carrying approximately 100

Ukraine has vowed to avenge the death of a soldier it said was shot by Russian troops in a video that spread on social media. The video, which emerged online on Monday, purportedly shows the killing of an unarmed Ukrainian soldier. In a statement last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “the occupiers” killed “a

China’s foreign minister has warned of likely conflict should the US continue its “reckless” approach to relations with Beijing. Qin Gang said rising tensions between the two powers were the fault of Washington, with last month’s downing of a suspected surveillance balloon the latest flashpoint. The mysterious reconnaissance aircraft was taken out on the orders

Iran’s supreme leader has said whoever is responsible for suspected poisonings at girls’ schools should be executed for an “unforgivable crime”. More than 1,000 children have become ill since November in 25 of the country’s 31 provinces, according to officials and state media. “If the poisoning of students is proven, those behind this crime should

Beijing’s Great Hall of the People is magnificent. Based, as it is, in such a politically sensitive location looking out over Tiananmen Square, it’s normally impossible to film here – even taking your phone out can elicit close attention from the police. But not this weekend. Those accredited to pass beyond the closed roads were

The famous Prussian general Clausewitz famously opined: “No one starts a war or rather, no one in his senses should do so without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it”. Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine over a year ago initiated a

Norway’s government has apologised to reindeer herders following protests over a wind farm built on land they have used for centuries. Activists, mostly teenagers, started demonstrating a week ago and have blocked several government buildings in the capital Oslo. They say the presence of the 151 turbines violates the rights of the Sami people and

At least 43 people have died in a train crash in Greece, with the country’s prime minister saying the disaster appeared to be mainly down to “tragic human error”. The search continues for survivors after a passenger service collided with a freight train carrying shipping containers and travelling in the opposite direction but on the

At least 57 people have died in a train crash in Greece, with the country’s prime minister saying the disaster appeared to be mainly down to “tragic human error”. The search continues for survivors after a passenger service collided with a freight train carrying shipping containers and travelling in the opposite direction but on the

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given a televised statement criticising anti-government protesters after the previous defence minister and senior opposition figure Benny Gantz warned that the country was heading for civil war. The dramatic exchange happened after another day of demonstrations across Israel, some of which turned violent. Anti-government protesters blocked streets and rallied

Finland has started building a fence along parts of its 1,340km (832-mile) border with Russia amid security tensions with its neighbour over the Ukraine war. The Finnish Border Guard says the 200km of barrier fence will improve security and help stop disruption if Moscow decides to weaponise mass migration against Helsinki. Work began on the project

China has denounced the US over its TikTok bans, saying it has been “abusing state power”. Congress and more than half of US states have banned TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, following cybersecurity concerns. TikTok is used by two-thirds of American teenagers but there is concern in Washington that China could use its legal and

Most of us have at some point stopped to gaze up at the moon – but have you ever wondered what time it is up there? For those who have, their question may soon have an answer, as space organisations are considering giving the moon its very own time zone. Dozens of lunar missions, including

Besiktas fans threw thousands of stuffed toys onto the pitch during a match on Sunday to donate to children affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The Turkish Super League game against Antalyaspor was paused after 4 minutes and 17 seconds to allow fans to throw the gifts onto the pitch. The 7.8 magnitude

Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to de-escalate tensions and “prevent more violence”. Palestinian and Israeli delegations met in Jordan on Sunday in an attempt to reduce tensions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which starts on 22 March. In a joint statement, Israel agreed to halt new settlement approvals in the occupied

In the year since Russia launched a full-scale attack on its neighbour, Ukrainian troops have retaken huge swathes of territory and look to be preparing for a fresh counterattack. Armed with NATO battle tanks (and perhaps eventually F-16 fighter jets), will Ukraine’s armed forces be able to once again punch through Russian lines in the

Ukraine hopes to defeat Russia’s invasion this year but, unless the West provides sufficient weapons to achieve a decisive victory or Vladimir Putin gives up, this war is set to grind on. One year into a full-scale invasion intent on toppling the government and imposing a pro-Russia regime, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was standing firm on

China has called for a ceasefire and peace talks in Ukraine on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion. Beijing’s foreign ministry urged all parties to “avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions” in the hope of preventing the crisis from “deteriorating further or spiralling out of control”. Ukraine war live updates A paper published

In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders heralded a sanctions regime that would cripple the country’s war machine. Joe Biden claimed Russia’s economy would be “cut in half”, while Boris Johnson spoke of squeezing it “piece by piece.” A year has passed, but that great promise has been slow to deliver. Please