World

Western officials have said they “hope and expect” Ukrainian forces to achieve success in a landmark offensive started this week against Russian-held territory in the south of Ukraine. The officials described the operation into the Kherson region, to the west of the Dnipro river, as “sensibly limited” and an “important” attacking moment for Ukraine after

Russia has scrapped plans to reopen a major pipeline that sends natural gas to Europe. The decision by Gazprom, a state-controlled firm, will make it more difficult for Europe to secure fuel ahead of the winter. Gazprom said the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would remain closed because of a leak in the main gas turbine,

Russia believes it can blackmail the West by attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to one Ukrainian military volunteer. The plant has been frequently shelled in recent weeks, with Ukraine accusing Russia of using it as a deadly strategic pawn, in a move that could lead to nuclear disaster. Kyiv and Moscow blame each

A man has pointed a handgun in the face of Argentina’s vice president – in what is being described as an attempted assassination. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was threatened outside her home in Buenos Aires – but she was not harmed and no shots were fired. Argentina’s president says the man pulled the trigger but

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Mikhail Gorbachev’s funeral because of his “work schedule”, the Kremlin has said. Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader and one of the most significant figures of the 20th century, will be laid to rest on Saturday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the ceremony will have “elements” of a state

The UK Disasters Emergency Committee has launched an appeal to “save and protect lives” as Pakistan deals with devastating floods. More than 1,100 people have died and 33 million people are affected after monsoon rains and melting glaciers destroyed houses, infrastructure and crops. The UN has appealed for $160m (£138m) to help alleviate an “unprecedented

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev had a “huge impact on the course of world history” who found his “own solutions to urgent problems”, Vladimir Putin has said. Expressing his condolences to his family, the Russian president said in a statement: “He led our country during a period of complex, dramatic changes, large-scale foreign policy, economic and

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has died aged 91 – with President Biden leading tributes and calling him “a man of remarkable vision” who helped avert the prospect of nuclear war. One of the most significant figures of the 20th century, Mr Gorbachev was known for ending the Cold War without bloodshed, but failed to

The UN is appealing for $160m (£136m) in emergency funding to help Pakistan deal with devastating floods. More than 1,150 people have been killed and nearly half a million displaced in the disaster. “Pakistan is awash in suffering,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a video message for the launch of the appeal. “The Pakistani

President Zelenskyy has warned Russia that his troops will “push them to the border” after Ukraine launched a counterattack to retake territory in the south. “We will push them to the border. To our border, the line of which has not changed. The invaders know it well,” said President Zelenskyy in his nightly address. Ukrainian

Ukrainian forces have begun an offensive operation against Russian troops in the Kherson region – a key, Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine, two Ukrainian sources have told Sky News. There have been growing expectations that Ukrainian troops were planning to launch an operation to recapture Kherson, which was the first regional capital that Russia seized

Widespread floods in Pakistan that have killed more than 1,000 people since mid-June may not have reached their peak yet, experts have warned. All four of the country’s provinces have been hit by the unusually heavy rains, with over 30 million people affected. Flash floods have swept away villages, crops, and 800,000 livestock, as soldiers

Two illegally-constructed skyscrapers near New Delhi have been demolished, with thousands of kilos of explosives razing them to the ground in less than 10 seconds. The apartment blocks on the outskirts of India‘s capital city were the tallest structures ever taken down in the country in such a short time. Thousands of people had to

Tens of thousands of people in Pakistan have been forced to flee their homes following deadly floods, as the country’s prime minister warned the “magnitude of the calamity is bigger” than expected. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in the floods since mid-June, which have been triggered by heavy monsoon rains. The latest destruction saw

Drones and rockets have been deployed in China to make clouds produce rainfall during a record-breaking heatwave and severe drought. The devices have been sowing silver iodide, which has a similar structure to ice, into clouds. Water droplets cluster around the particles, modifying the structure of the clouds and increasing the chance of rainfall. Image:

Residents near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are being handed iodine tablets in case of a radiation leak. The move comes two days after the plant was temporarily knocked offline because of what officials said was fire damage to a transmission line. Iodine tablets, which help block the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid