World

Vladimir Putin says Russia will do everything it can to bring the Ukraine war to an end “as soon as possible”, despite the direction of the conflict swinging against his military in recent days. Russian troops have been routed in parts of the north east with thousands of square kilometres of territory liberated by defence

At least eight people have died after devastating flash floods likened to an earthquake swept through villages in central Italy on Thursday night. Three people are missing after deluges saw 40cm of rain dumped in the region of Marche. Local authorities said they were unprepared for the sudden “water bomb” to drop within just two

A mass burial site containing around 440 graves has been found in the Ukrainian city of Izyum after it was liberated from Russian control, a top police officer has told Sky News. Serhii Bolvinov, the chief police investigator for Kharkiv region, said all the bodies would be exhumed and taken away for forensic examination as

The Ukrainian soldier stooped over an ammunition box and picked up what looked like a giant, metal cork. ”Russian landmine,” he said. He walked to another discarded crate inside a large warehouse. “This is a mortar,” the serviceman, 39, said, holding up the deadly weapon, which was the shape of a stretched, grey-coloured balloon. The haul

A coalition of right wing parties have claimed victory in the Swedish elections, ousting the centre left bloc from power. Jimmie Akesson, who leads the nationalist and anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, said his party would be “a constructive and driving force” in rebuilding safety in the country, adding it was “time to put Sweden first”. The

A scrum of desperation surged around the Ukrainian relief truck in a town that was liberated from Russian control just days earlier. “Please give me an aid parcel son, I have a walking stick,” said one tiny, old woman, crushed up against the back of the vehicle as others tried to grab for help over

Ukraine’s military has a chance of removing Russian troops from all the territory they have claimed since February, a senior military analyst has told Sky News. Professor Michael Clarke said such a development would be a “huge victory” – adding that while recent gains in Kharkiv are important, retaking Kherson in the south would be

Ukrainian forces have retaken 6,000 square kilometres of their homeland – 3,000 of them in the past six days alone, it has been reported. And in his nightly address to his nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the “advance of our forces” was still continuing. His claims appear to be supported by renowned think tank, the

The Russian troops suddenly started shouting wildly and running around, before scrambling into their tanks and fleeing the tiny village in eastern Ukraine, one resident said. The chaotic scenes in Zaliznychne took place the day before a small group of Ukrainian troops appeared. “They asked me where the Russians had lived and where they hid

The far-right Sweden Democrats appear to be close to causing a huge upset in the country’s neck-and-neck election cliffhanger. The populist anti-immigration party, which emerged from the neo-Nazi movement in the late 1980s, has increased its polling at each of the past nine elections, and on Sunday looked to have gained 21% of this year’s

Russian attacks on critical infrastructure have left Kharkiv with a “total” power blackout, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, amid reports of “significant gains” by his forces in a regional counteroffensive. Donetsk has also lost all power, while Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk & Sumy regions are struggling with partial blackouts, President Zelenskyy tweeted on Sunday evening. The

Ukraine has used cunning and firepower to blast a devastating hole in Russia’s eastern front line. The prospect of a Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian-held positions in the south of the country had long been anticipated and talked about by both sides. But the sight of Ukrainian forces over recent days tearing down Russian flags and

Russia has ordered its troops to withdraw from two front line positions in eastern Ukraine in the face of a shock advance by Ukrainian forces. The retreat on Saturday marked the most significant gain for Ukraine‘s military since they defeated a Russian attempt to conquer the capital, Kyiv, back in March. Ukrainian forces, backed by

A bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth II sitting astride a horse marks the entrance to Ottawa’s Rideau Hall, a nod to a head of state and equestrienne who continued to ride well into her tenth decade. Canada was one of 15 sovereign states of which the Queen was monarch at the time of her death,

The prime minister of New Zealand has told how she was woken at 5am by a police officer shining a torch into her bedroom to tell her the news of the Queen’s death. Jacinda Ardern’s anecdote, and subsequent heartfelt tribute to Her Majesty, is one of many from the heads of Commonwealth nations. New Zealand

Leaders around the world have paid tribute to the Queen, with Joe Biden saying she was more than a monarch – “she defined an era”. As they did so, landmarks across the globe shone in red, white and blue or went dark as a mark of respect, and flowers and wreaths were laid at UK