World

Vladimir Putin’s mounting problems in Ukraine make Russia’s use of a tactical nuclear weapon more likely, a senior US expert has told Sky News. Tactical nuclear weapons are designed to be used on a battlefield. John Bolton, a former US national security adviser and ambassador to the United Nations, said that the Russian president is

Police wrongly used tear gas inside the soccer stadium where at least 125 people died in a stampede in Indonesia over the weekend, an official has revealed. Chaos erupted at the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java, when fans of Arema FC began rioting and invading the pitch after their team lost. Hundreds of spectators

Ukrainian forces have made ground in Kherson, just days after Vladimir Putin claimed the region as part of Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the liberation of settlements Arkhanhelske and Myrolyubikva from Russia in his daily address. The Moscow-installed leader of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, described the situation as “tense” on Russian state TV. Russian military

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the death of Mahsa Amini “deeply broke my heart”. Speaking at a military ceremony on Monday, Mr Khamenei described the 22-year-old woman’s death in custody as a “bitter incident”. Ms Amini died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly breaking the country’s strict Islamic dress

Greece’s foreign minister says his country is open to talks with Turkey but only if Ankara stops its provocations. Nikos Dendias told the Proto Thema newspaper: “It is up to Turkey to choose if it will come to such a dialogue or not, but the basic ingredient must be a de-escalation.” The two historical foes

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck Japan’s Kyushu region, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The quake, which hit the country’s southernmost of its four main islands, was 25 miles (40 kilometres) below the earth’s surface. The United States Geological Survey describes an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 as moderate and an earthquake with a

Russian troops have pulled out of the city of Lyman in eastern Ukraine due to the risk they were being encircled by Ukrainian forces, the Kremlin has said. Lyman is in Donetsk – one of the Ukrainian regions that was annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a ceremony in Moscow on Friday. And Mr

Pakistan has launched a hotline for transgender people in an effort to protect them from discrimination and harassment. Salman Sufi, an adviser to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, revealed on Twitter that the hotline was live and ready to receive calls. The calls would be directed to top police officers and the Ministry of Human Rights.

There’s now a tangible fear among citizens in Ukraine that Russia may target the country with a nuclear strike, according to Kyiv resident and Ukraine War Diaries contributor Oksana Koshel. This week, the Kremlin annexed four regions in Ukraine, following referendums denounced by the West as a sham. The move has seen President Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin has railed against Western “dictatorship” as he declared Russian rule over four regions of Ukraine. It is the biggest forced occupation since the Second World War, amounting to 15% of Ukrainian territory. Russia has been “reborn and strengthened”, the Russian president claimed during a ceremony at the Kremlin. Following a series of referendums

The Finnish government has said it will ban anyone coming into the country with a tourist visa from Friday following thousands of arrivals after Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation order. Finland closing its border shuts off the last remaining direct land route to the European Union for Russians trying to avoid conscription into the war with Ukraine.

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their royal titles in the hope they can live a more normal life, it has been announced. The children of the monarch’s second son, Prince Joachim, will no longer be referred to as prince or princesses from 1 January next year. Princes Nikolai,

It’s not the first time Mitya has packed to leave Moscow this year.  He left for Uzbekistan in mid-March when the first rumours around mobilisation and the borders closing caused a mass exodus of Russians. Putin may have scored ‘strategic own goal’ – latest updates “I don’t think it’ll feel like a good place anytime

A US mountaineer has been found dead after she fell from the eighth-highest peak in Nepal. Helicopters located Hilaree Nelson’s body on the south face of Mount Manaslu on Wednesday morning, her tour company Shangri-La Nepal Trek confirmed. The 49-year-old was skiing down the 26,775ft (8,163m) summit with her partner Jim Morrison on Monday when

Qatar has called up hundreds of civilians – and summoned back diplomats from overseas – for mandatory military service to operate security checkpoints at World Cup stadiums. The conscripts are training to manage stadium security queues, frisk fans and detect alcohol, drugs or weapons concealed in ponytails, jacket linings or even fake bellies, according to

A lawyer facing charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a previous case linked to Kenya’s recently elected president has been found dead. Paul Gicheru had pleaded not guilty in February to eight counts of interfering with witnesses in a past case against William Ruto, who was charged with involvement in violence after Kenya‘s

Giorgia Meloni left it very late to vote. It was dark when she arrived at the polling station, and she was lit up by the flashes of cameras and phones. The limelight has found her. Four years ago, Ms Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party were also-rans in the last general election. Now, they

Italy’s Democratic Party has conceded defeat in the country’s election after an exit poll suggested far-right leader Giorgia Meloni’s alliance is leading the vote. The Democratic Party said it would be Italy‘s main opposition force after an exit poll indicated Ms Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party would win 22-26% of the vote. The right-wing coalition

Estonia has warned residents they will be banned from the EU if they join Vladimir Putin’s army, as Finland looks set to stop Russian tourists from crossing its border. On Wednesday, Russia’s leader – faced with a series of defeats in Ukraine – announced a partial mobilisation that could see 300,000 reserves called up to

Voting is currently under way in Italy to elect a new prime minister and parliament – but what happens next and will Giorgia Meloni be the new PM? When will we have the official results? The polls will close at 10pm UK time tonight and we will start having the first exit polls right after