World

A loud explosion has been heard at an outdoor event being attended by Japan’s prime minister, according to local reports. Japanese media claims a pipe-like object was thrown at Fumio Kishida after he began a speech at a port in the city of Wakayama – and he was subsequently evacuated. According to NHK, he took

An exchange of more than 800 prisoners linked to Yemen’s long-running war began on Friday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said. Around 318 detainees were released on Friday, with a total of 869 expected to be released across a three-day operation. Dozens of former prisoners were greeted by family members, a marching band

At least one in every seven schools in eastern Ukraine was damaged or destroyed during the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Sky News can reveal. In a new report, shared exclusively with Sky News, the Centre for Information Resilience has verified 381 separate incidents in which Ukrainian schools, universities, orphanages and nurseries were damaged

Kim Jong Un “guided” the test of a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, according to North Korean state media. The new Hwasong-18 weapon will “radically promote” the country’s nuclear counterattack capability, KCNA reports. North Korea fired what appeared to be a new model ballistic missile on Thursday, South Korea said. The launch triggered a scare

Protesters have stormed the headquarters of luxury fashion label Louis Vuitton on the eve of an expected ruling on controversial pension reforms in France. Striking railway workers invaded the Paris headquarters of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) – which also represents brands including Christian Dior, Fendi and Givenchy – on Thursday. They joined demonstrators

A man has been extradited from Pakistan and charged with the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said. PC Beshenivsky was gunned down while responding to a robbery at a travel agent in Bradford in November 2005. The 38-year-old, a mother to three children and two stepchildren, had only served

A gruesome video appearing to show a Ukrainian captive being beheaded by a Russian soldier has been condemned by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The clip appears to show a man in green fatigues wearing the yellow armband typically used by Ukrainian soldiers. He is heard screaming before another man apparently uses a knife to decapitate him. Sky

The Ministry of Defence has refused to deny UK special forces have been operating in Ukraine after US classified military documents were allegedly leaked and published online. The claims have been widely reported after the documents were shared on Twitter and Telegram. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson has warned against taking allegations contained in the

The world economy is entering a “perilous phase” of low economic growth and high financial risk, the International Monetary Fund has warned in its latest set of assessments. The IMF, which is holding its spring meetings in Washington this week, downgraded its outlook for global growth and said its medium term forecast for economic output

The mother of two British-Israeli sisters who were killed last week in a shooting attack in the West Bank has died of her wounds, hospital officials said on Monday. Maia and Rina Dee, 20 and 15 respectively, were killed when their car was attacked on Friday in a shooting by suspected Palestinian assailants close to

The Dalai Lama has apologised after footage emerged showing him kissing a young boy on the lips and asking him to “suck my tongue”. The Buddhist spiritual leader’s office said he wanted to apologise to the boy and his family “for the hurt his words may have caused”. It said the 87-year-old “often teases people

Eight people are feared to be trapped under the rubble of two buildings that collapsed following an explosion in the south of France. TV footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the ruins as firefighters tried to douse the flames in Marseille. Sniffer dogs are searching for victims. The cause of the explosion is not

Nearly 20 military ships – about 10 Chinese and 10 Taiwanese – are involved in a stand-off near the Taiwan Strait’s sensitive median line, Reuters reports. China also conducted simulated attacks on foreign military targets off Taiwan’s southwest coast on Sunday, the agency said, citing a source familiar with the situation. It comes on the

Two British-Israeli sisters who died in a shooting in the West Bank have been named by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. One of the sisters was 15 and the other was 20, according to local media. Their mother was also seriously injured in the attack near the Hamra settlement – about 30 miles north of

China has begun three days of military exercises around Taiwan in retaliation for a meeting between the US House of Representatives speaker and the president of the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. A Chinese amphibious landing ship – capable of transporting troops, craft and vehicles – began live-fire drills in the seas facing the Taiwan