World

Beijing is rushing to contain a COVID-19 outbreak traced to a 24-hour bar known for its cheap alcohol and large crowds – with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns. The outbreak of nearly 200 cases was linked to the city centre Heaven Supermarket Bar – which had just reopened as curbs in

Morocco has banned controversial British film The Lady Of Heaven over its “blatant falsification of established facts in Islamic history”. UK cinema chain Cineworld has already cancelled screenings of the film after protests over its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Lady Fatimah. Now the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre (CCM) has issued a statement to say

Maryna Berlizova is sitting on her low bed, a photo of her youngest daughter taped to the wardrobe and a pram in the corner, overflowing with baby clothes. She is absent-mindedly stroking her tummy and looking out the window of her mother-in-law’s small three-bedroom house she now shares with her children. In a few weeks’

Screaming overhead and flying low to avoid detection, we watch as Ukrainian jets head to the frontline battle in Severodonetsk. In recent days it feels like there’s been a change of atmosphere here in the Donbas – a sense of urgency, a sense that the Russians have momentum. Driving through towns and villages here in

The family of a British man sentenced to death by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine have said they are “devastated and saddened” at the outcome of the “illegal show-trial”. Shaun Pinner was captured in Mariupol in April alongside fellow Brit Aiden Aslin during the intense fight for control of the port city. The pair were found

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has raised the issue of two British men sentenced to death by a Russian-backed court with her Ukrainian counterpart. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was said to be “appalled” by the sentences handed to Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner and has ordered ministers to do “everything in their power” to secure their

It’s blisteringly hot. We watch as dozens wait in line for the station gates to be opened, for their chance to get on a train to safety. We have seen over and over again since the start of the war in Ukraine. But it doesn’t get any easier. In the Donbas, Russian soldiers are bearing

Two Britons who were captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine have been sentenced to death, state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti has said. Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were captured in Mariupol in April during the intense fight for control of the port city, before appearing in court in the separatist

Ukraine’s president says the fate of the Donbas hinges on “very brutal” fighting in Sievierodonetsk, a city that’s emerged as a key battleground in recent weeks. Russia is laying siege to the eastern city as it pursues its aim of capturing the sprawling Donbas region. “This is a very brutal battle, very tough, perhaps one

Two Britons who were captured by Russian forces while fighting in Ukraine could face 20 years in prison, according to a video shared by Russian state media. Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were detained in April before reportedly appearing in court in the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The pair are understood to

A vehicle has driven into a crowd in western Berlin, injuring about 30 people, according to emergency services. One person died in the city centre incident involving a small Renault car, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported. A man believed to be the driver of the vehicle has been detained, Berlin police said. It is unclear whether

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blockade of its ports is having a direct impact on food crises around the world, say charities. The World Food Programme has highlighted the impact on Somalia in particular. Spokesperson Petroc Wilton told Sky News the war is making a terrible situation even worse. He said: “Food prices were already

Reports of heavy shelling near Izyum in the east of Ukraine suggests Russia is preparing to make a renewed effort on the northern axis, Britain’s defence ministry has said. In a tweet it said that Russia’s progress made through May on the southern Popasna axis has stalled over the last week and that the country

Western unity is being strained by the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, the prime minister of Estonia has warned. Kaja Kallas has been nicknamed the Iron Lady of Estonia for her hard line with Russia. She told diplomatic correspondents in London: “The unity is always so very hard to keep. I am happy

Ten months after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan and promised “amnesty for all”, data suggests they are the largest perpetrators of violence against civilians in the country – killing at least 341 people. Since 15 August 2021 – when the capital Kabul fell – the Armed Conflict Location and Event Project (ACLED) has recorded

The UK will send a “cutting edge” rocket system to Ukraine to help troops fight back Russia’s advance in the embattled east of the country, in defiance of a threat from Vladimir Putin. The M270 multiple-launch rocket system is now heading to the battlefield, despite Mr Putin’s warning that the provision of longer-range missiles would

More than 50 people are feared dead after gunmen opened fire on worshippers at a Catholic church in Nigeria. The attackers targeted the St Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo in the southwestern state of Ondo just as worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday, state politician Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole said. Authorities did not immediately release

Kyiv was rocked by multiple explosions overnight after weeks of relative calm in Ukraine’s capital, the city’s mayor said. At least one person was hospitalised but no deaths had been reported as of early Sunday, Vitali Klitschko said. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said the bombardment was Russia resorting to “new insidious attacks” and hit

Behind a straggly row of eucalyptus trees a monstrous pit has cleaved the countryside in two. Mountains of slag line the edges of a black hole and the largest trucks you’ve ever seen remove layers of earth to reach the precious commodity beneath: coal. We’re in Australia’s Hunter Valley, a region rich in natural resources.

Ukrainian troops have recaptured a chunk of the city of Severodonetsk – a main focus of the Russian offensive and the site of heavy fighting – it is claimed. Serhiy Hayday, governor of Luhansk region, said Ukrainian forces have retaken 20% of the territory they had lost in the factory city as the conflict in