World

Ireland’s new prime minister-elect Simon Harris says Irish unity is “a legitimate aspiration” but will not be his priority as incoming Taoiseach. In his first interview as Fine Gael leader, he addressed diplomatic tensions post-Brexit, adding that he sought “closer relations” with the UK. Leo Varadkar, who is due to pass the baton on Tuesday,

The body of an Israeli hostage has been recovered in Gaza, Israel says. Elad Katzir’s body was found by special forces in the southern city of Khan Younis, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said. He was taken hostage from his home in Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel, along with his mother on 7

The US is on high alert over the possibility of significant retaliation from Iran following a deadly airstrike in Syria, according to American officials. It comes after the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vowed “our brave men will punish the Zionist regime” after an airstrike on a building next to Iran’s embassy in Damascus killed

The first strike was a case of false identity; the second and then the third were “grave mistakes”. An Israeli investigation into the killing of seven aid workers, which has drawn outrage around the world, has found that incorrect assumptions, decision-making mistakes and violations of the rules of engagement had resulted in their deaths. “The

Israel has announced it is opening new routes for humanitarian deliveries into Gaza. The Ashdod Port is set to temporarily reopen, while the Erez Crossing into northern parts of the Gaza Strip will be accessible for the first time since the Hamas attacks of October 7. Israeli officials have also said they are planning to

The sex crimes trial of the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has been held up after the defence accused prosecutors of creating worldwide prejudice against him. Lawyers for Christian B, 46, told a German court that he could not get a fair trial on rape and sex assault charges because prosecutors had consistently

During the first months of the war in Gaza, deaths were counted through a network of computers connecting morgues across the territory. It was a system that, in the years beforehand, had won the trust of human rights groups, the UN and the World Health Organisation. But amid repeated Israeli attacks on hospitals and chronic

A series of videos have captured the moment Taiwan was struck by its most powerful earthquake in more than two decades. Several people have died, hundreds have been injured, and work is under way to rescue dozens trapped in or beneath collapsed or damaged buildings. The island’s earthquake monitoring agency said Wednesday morning’s quake was

A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of southwestern Japan – with power outages and people trapped in buildings in parts of Taiwan. Tsunami warnings were issued after the quake – which had an estimated magnitude of 7.7 – with residents in coastal areas of Okinawa urged to evacuate after it struck at 7.58am

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza described as “unforgivable” has killed seven aid workers, including three Britons. The incident “wiped out the operations team” of a major aid organisation, which is helping to feed half a million people in Gaza, according to a boss of the World Food Programme. Sky News’ Data and Forensics Unit looks

A British volunteer is among five aid workers who have died after an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to a Hamas-run government office. Nationals from Poland and Australia were also killed, as well as one Palestinian. They were employees for World Central Kitchen, which provides food for displaced Palestinians. Ismail al Thawabta, a spokesperson

Israeli forces have withdrawn from Gaza’s main hospital after a two-week raid, leaving behind destroyed buildings and dead bodies. The military said it had killed some 200 Hamas and other militants and detained hundreds more in clashes in the area of the hospital, and had seized weapons and intelligence documents. Hundreds rushed to the area

In the foothills of the Himalayas, two men lift their shirts to reveal wide scars on their bodies. Both aged in their 40s, they appear self-conscious – even embarrassed – but they want to share their story. The men – called Kanchha and Ram – sold their kidneys, driven by financial desperation. Kanchha is still

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will be fully sedated to undergo surgery for a hernia. The operation will take place after a meeting of his war cabinet this evening, his office has announced. The hernia was discovered during a routine checkup last night. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who is also deputy prime

An Iranian television journalist who was stabbed outside his London home on Friday has shared a defiant photo of himself in hospital – after a colleague at his broadcaster said threats towards its staff had “escalated dramatically”. Pouria Zeraati, a presenter at London-based broadcaster Iran International, was stabbed in the leg outside his home in

A hostage drama at a Dutch nightclub has ended after a man was seen kneeling and handcuffed by police outside the venue. Several people had been taken hostage in the town of Ede by a suspect who was reportedly armed with weapons and explosives. Following the hours-long stand-off, a man in a balaclava walked out

The largest crane on the US eastern seaboard has been drafted in to help clear the wreckage of Baltimore’s collapsed highway bridge. The crane sits on a barge and can lift up to 1,000 tons, Maryland governor Wes Moore said on Friday. It is one of at least two large cranes that will help clear

The head of one of Haiti’s most powerful gangs, and the de-facto head of a consortium of gangs that have brought Port-au-Prince to a standstill has told Sky News he would consider a ceasefire and talks on the political future of the country if they were included. But Jimmy Cherizier, known universally as “Barbecue”, has

More than 40 people have died after a bus veered off a bridge in South Africa and crashed down onto rocks some 50 metres below. The bus, which had a Botswanan registration plate, had a total of 46 people on board, including the driver. Only one child, an eight-year-old girl, survived the crash and is

Politicians in France are debating on a bill that would ban hair discrimination. The draft law would extend pre-existing measures to explicitly outlaw discrimination over texture, length, colour or style – particularly those with curly, coiled or no hair at all. If passed, it would make France the first country in the world to recognise