World

Israel’s military has confirmed the deaths of two men who were taken as hostages by Hamas on 7 October. “Today, the IDF informed the families of the two hostages Alex Dancyg and Yagev Buchshtab that they are no longer alive,” the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement on X. “Alex and Yagev were brutally

Western leaders have showered Joe Biden with praise for his efforts to bolster democracies against the rise of authoritarian powers after he bowed out of the US presidential race. But there will doubtless be anxiety behind closed doors at how his flip-flopping over whether or not to run again for the White House may have

Former president Barack Obama has stopped short of endorsing Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. Instead of backing the vice president, he said in a statement: “I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”

Donald Trump has called Joe Biden “the worst president in the history of the United States” following the announcement he has pulled out of the race for the next term at the White House. Mr Trump did not hold back as he made the statement in a brief phone interview with Sky News’ US sister

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has scaled back its policy over how government jobs are allocated following days of deadly protests. Violent clashes between students and the police and paramilitaries in most major cities in the country have led to the deaths of over 130 people. Thousands have been injured – with some of those

China and the Philippines have reached a deal they hope will end confrontations over a disputed territory in the South China Sea. The Philippines occupies the Second Thomas Shoal, which is also claimed by Beijing. The years-long territorial stand-off has flared repeatedly since last year – with increasingly hostile confrontations sparking fears of a larger

One week on, almost to the hour, Donald Trump received a hero’s welcome back to the campaign trail in Michigan. His security detail reinforced, the first rally since the attempted assassination taking place indoors. “I stand before you only by the grace of Almighty God. That’s true. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here,”

The virus that causes polio has been detected in sewage samples in Gaza, according to its health ministry. It said tests had been carried out with UNICEF and that the finding “exposes thousands of residents to the risk of contracting poliomyelitis”. It warned of a potential “new health disaster” if action isn’t taken. Polio mainly

Usha Vance is a lawyer, a Yale graduate, the Hindu daughter of Indian immigrants – and she could be about to become the United States’ “second lady”. She was thrust into the spotlight after her husband, JD Vance, was chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election. Almost immediately, she quit her

More than a dozen students have been taken to hospital after they became ill from eating extremely spicy crisps, reportedly given out by a fellow pupil “for fun”, officials in Japan have said. Rokugo Koka High School in Tokyo called for help on Tuesday lunchtime after 13 girls and one boy, all first-year students, complained

Rising sea levels caused by climate change are making the Earth “fatter” at the equator – slowing down its rotation and making the days longer.  As polar ice caps have melted, water has shifted from the poles to the equator, “significantly” increasing how oblate – or fat – the Earth is since 1900, and lengthening

British passengers – including some England football fans – have had to endure delays coming home from Germany after an “undefined odour” in the cabin forced their plane to turn back around. A Eurowings flight EW8470 to Manchester took off from Berlin at around 8am local time on Monday, only to return back to the

Rescue workers searching for missing British teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife have found a body and are trying to identify it, Spanish police have told Sky News. “Evidence strongly suggests” the remains are those of the 19-year-old, officers added. Police said in a statement: “The mountain rescue and intervention group of the Civil Guard has

An underground cave stretching tens of metres below an open pit on the moon has been discovered which could be a potential base for future astronauts, say scientists. This is the first lunar tunnel to be found which could be accessible to humans, according to researchers. The hollowed passage lies beneath a pit about 100

Israel’s military is investigating claims dozens of people have been killed in strikes on Gaza – as media reports say they were targeting the mastermind behind the 7 October attack. Hamas’s media office said at least 100 people were killed or injured in the attack on the southern city of Khan Younis, which hit tents

France’s sports minister has swum in the River Seine, with authorities hoping the move will show it is clean enough to stage swimming events at the Olympics. Amelie Oudea Castera took the plunge into the capital’s famous river, where she was joined in the water by Paralympic triathlon champion Alexis Hanquinquant, who won gold in

A 10ft-tall statue of the Greek god of the sea erected in Mexico has been “closed” and could be removed altogether because it offends the beliefs of local indigenous groups. The statue depicts a trident-wielding Poseidon appearing to rise from the sea metres from the beach near the town of Progreso, Yucatan. But Mexico’s environmental

Nappy makers in Japan are switching focus to the rapidly expanding adult market after births dropped to a record low. In the face of an ageing population, companies are targeting resources at this growth area. The number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth year running in 2023. Image: Pic: Reuters Japan’s population

A fight for better pay among workers at South Korea tech giant Samsung will now result in an indefinite strike, according to a top union official. A walkout over pay and conditions by members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) in the country began on Monday. But a row over the apparent effectiveness of

Former French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been charged with pressuring a witness who accused ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy of receiving illegal campaign financing from Libya. The former supermodel has been put on bail which stops her from contacting any of those involved in the proceedings with the exception of her husband, according to an official