World

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged around 200 prisoners of war from each side. Russia’s defence ministry said the swap involved 195 soldiers on each side – but President Zelenskyy said 207 Ukrainians were freed in Wednesday’s exchange. There was no immediate explanation for the different figures. Ukraine-Russia war latest – Putin’s US missile accusations “We

Facebook is 20 years old today. On 4 February 2004 Mark Zuckerberg launched ‘thefacebook.com’ from his Harvard dormitory. Two decades later, many users struggle to remember a time they weren’t scrolling through its news feed – or that of its social media sibling, Instagram. While allowing us to find long-lost friends and family, and supporting

Ukraine’s top general has reportedly refused a request from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step down amid an apparent long-running dispute between the two men. The Ukrainian president sought to have Valerii Zaluzhnyi moved into a new role, according to media reports. However the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces refused. Mr Zelenskyy’s office has denied reports the

Robots said to be capable of natural conversations and understanding patient needs have been tested successfully in healthcare environments. The Spring (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) units greeted patients, answered questions and gave directions during initial trials at Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, in France. The robots, equipped with artificial intelligence, were also able

A militant group that’s among those suspected of an attack that killed three US soldiers is pausing operations to “prevent embarrassment” to the Iraqi government. Kata’ib Hezbollah is one of several factions American officials believe may have carried out the drone attack in Jordan. Three army reservists died and more than 40 were injured in

Joe Biden has promised the US will “respond” to the attack on Tower 22, which left three US military personnel dead and dozens wounded. The problem is that the US has already been responding to attack after attack on its bases in the Middle East – and has nevertheless failed to deter them. There have

As early as tonight, President Joe Biden will authorise US military action in the Middle East. It is likely to be one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency. At stake, the credibility of American deterrence and the teetering stability of the region. Middle East latest: ‘Drone mix-up’ led to deadly attack on US

Japan’s SLIM spacecraft has regained power more than a week after it ran out of electricity after landing on the moon. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said it re-established communication with its lander late on Sunday, nine days after Japan became the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon. The Smart Lander

Ukraine would win the war faster if it had permission to fire British and other Western weapons against targets deep inside Russia, the head of the Ukrainian navy has signalled. Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa told Sky News the course of the entire conflict would have been very different had Ukrainian forces been allowed to use

Donald Trump has been ordered to pay $83.3m in a defamation case to a woman who accused him of sexual assault – with the former US president saying her allegation was a lie. The court said Trump should pay $18.3m (£14.4m) in compensation and $65m (£51m) in punitive damages to E Jean Carroll. Trump posted

An oil tanker is on fire in the Red Sea after a missile attack by Houthi fighters. In a statement, the ship’s owner Trafigura, which has offices in Britain, said firefighting equipment on board was being deployed to control the flames and the safety of the crew is its “foremost priority”. A spokesperson for the

Donald Trump gave evidence for just three minutes on Thursday in a defamation trial to determine how much he may owe a writer for calling her a liar after she accused him in 2019 of rape. E Jean Carroll, 80, is seeking more than $10m (£7.87m) in damages over his denials when he was US

Japan’s moon lander touched down with “pinpoint” precision, its space agency has said, after the country become the fifth in the world to successfully reach lunar soil. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), also known as the “moon sniper”, landed within 100m (328ft) of its target, out-striping conventional accuracy targets, it was announced on

Turkey’s parliament has approved Sweden’s application to join NATO – lifting a key barrier to its entry into the military alliance. The decision means Hungary is the only NATO member yet to ratify Sweden’s application after 20 months of delays. Sweden’s membership would enhance the military alliance’s defences in the Baltic Sea region facing Russia.

The children of dozens of same-sex couples in Italy could see the name of their non-biological parent removed from their birth certificates, an ongoing trial may soon rule. Last June, a state prosecutor in Padua, northern Italy, demanded the cancellation of 33 birth certificates issued to the children of same-sex couples in the city since

A 19th-century dispute, which has gone through decades of court procedures, has finally culminated in the Ram Temple. Consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this temple site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of the most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon. The city of Ayodhya in India’s most populous state

Today we launch a new show – The World with me, Yalda Hakim. From Monday to Thursday, between 9pm and 10pm, we’ll be sharing with you the most important stories of our times – exploring not just the headlines of the day but also what’s happening behind them. And what a time to be launching

A cat has died in Russia after being thrown from a train by its conductor. The ginger and white cat, Twix, was travelling with its owners when it escaped from its crate and a female member of staff threw it from the carriage, according to local media reports. She is believed to have mistaken it

Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer has said he “feels like things will never change” after alleged racist abuse was aimed at him in the closing stages of their 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday. Palmer, 27, was seen going to retrieve the ball from behind the goal, before sharply turning away and motioning towards match referee

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of not telling the truth about the key military aim of defeating Hamas by a member of the country’s war cabinet. Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose son was killed fighting in Gaza, also cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages and said there was “no