World

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing a widespread backlash after referring to Muslims as “infiltrators” during a campaign speech over the weekend.  Congress, the main opposition party to Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Monday reported the prime minister’s “deeply objectionable” comments to the Election Commission, saying they violated electoral law. The comments

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the crucial US aid package for Ukraine sends “sends a powerful signal” that his country “will not be the second Afghanistan”. After months of deadlock, Democrats and Republicans joined together in the US House of Representatives to approve a package – worth $60.8bn (£49bn) – to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s

Iran has said Israeli involvement in Friday’s attack is still to be established and dismissed the drones used as like children’s toys. Foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed they took off from within Iran and only flew a few hundred metres before being shot down. Israel hasn’t commented but is widely believed to be behind the

India’s election has kicked off with the first day of polling taking place in 102 constituencies, across 21 states and territories. With close to a billion people registered to vote in seven phases across 44 days, co-ordinating the election is a mammoth task. In the old town of Jaipur, Rajasthan – where temperatures are this

An Israeli missile has struck Iran, in response to the unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend by the Iranians. It seems an airfield outside of the city of Isfahan was targeted, but Tehran has played down the incident and has indicated it has no plans to retaliate. On the Sky News

Israel threatened a retaliation, and it came before dawn on Friday morning. We’ll see what unfolds in the coming hours, but early indications suggest they were limited strikes and on deliberately chosen targets – if that is the case, then this doesn’t appear to be the devastating response the Israeli war cabinet had warned of.

Iran has grounded commercial flights across parts of the country after reports of explosions. State media also said Iran fired its air defence systems after reports of blasts near the city of Isfahan. It remained unclear if the country was under attack. But tensions remain high in the wider Middle East after Iran’s missile and

A regional leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is being tried in court over allegations he knowingly used a Nazi slogan at the end of a speech. Former history teacher Bjorn Hocke, 52, is the leader of the AfD in the eastern state of Thuringia, and a powerful figure on the party’s

Nine suspects in Canada’s biggest ever gold heist have been named by police, who believe the stolen bars were melted down to buy guns. The theft of a cargo of 6,600 gold bars weighing 400kg and foreign currency, worth a total of more than C$22m (nearly £13m), has been compared to an Ocean’s Eleven film.

India’s wildly popular and divisive leader Narendra Modi is set to sweep to victory as the world’s biggest election kicks off. After a decade in power, pollsters predict a third win for the prime minister and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the back of economic growth and support from the Hindu majority. Mr Modi

Germany has arrested two men for allegedly spying for Russia, with one planning to carry out attacks in the hopes of sabotaging aid intended for Ukraine. The two German-Russian men were identified only as Dieter S and Alexander J, in line with German privacy rules, after they were arrested on Wednesday in Bayreuth. According to

As the Prime Minister’s car approaches, the chants of “Modi!” are deafening. His cavalcade moves at walking pace and as it nears, the people surge forwards with their phones out, snapping the moment for posterity. The atmosphere is carnival-like, with blaring music, drums and dancers in traditional Indian clothes. Narendra Modi, 73, has kicked off

China desperately needs its people to have more babies. The country is facing a demographic disaster and it’s a crisis for the economy. Put simply, there are not enough young people and too many elderly. Drastic times call for drastic measures. The latest one being employed by Chinese censors is to take down short online

The tiny Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands will be holding elections on Wednesday, but what is at stake is a lot more than just a potential change in leadership. China and the US will be watching closely to see who will be gaining power over the more than 900 islands making up the Solomon

Take the win, or strike back? The question exercising Israeli minds in the wake of Iran‘s missile onslaught and the focus of intense debate in Jerusalem. The outcome will decide the immediate fate of this region. A return to shadow war, or all-out escalation into something much more serious. Joe Biden and other allies say

Israel has said there will be a response to Iran’s drone and missile barrage over the weekend, as the UK and US urge Tel Aviv to not strike back amid concerns of a wider conflict erupting in the Middle East. Israel’s military chief Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said it is still considering its steps after

No military options come without complications and though the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are undoubtedly strong, they face many complications in considering whether, and how, to strike back against the barrage of drones and missiles Iran launched against them at the weekend.  Many strategic analysts in the IDF argue that the Iranian attack showed that

Pandas are not good at reproducing, especially when they are held in captivity. Now, their poo may help scientists understand why. Lots of animals struggle to mate in captivity. Cheetahs, polar bears, certain leopards and giant pandas all find it difficult to reproduce. Pandas, however, have it particularly hard. Females only ovulate once a year

The statistics of Sudan’s year of war are staggering. It is the largest displaced population in the world and the largest population of displaced children in the world. According to United Nations agencies…• More than 8.6 million people have been forced out of their homes• 25 million are in dire need of humanitarian assistance• 18

Iran’s ambassador to the UN has told Sky News that Israel’s promise of a significant response to Saturday’s attack is “a threat, not an action”. Amir Saeid Iravani was speaking exclusively to Sky’s James Matthews after an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Sunday. The day before, his country launched