World

Niger has closed its airspace until further notice citing the threat of military intervention from the West African regional bloc after coup leaders rejected a deadline to reinstate the country’s ousted president. The airspace was closed by the junta on Sunday “in the face of the threat of intervention that is becoming more apparent,” a

Another Russian warship listing in the water is probably not the image Vladimir Putin had in mind for his beloved Black Sea fleet – but it does demonstrate the increasing effectiveness of Ukraine’s sea drones. The last few days have seen two attacks on Russian ships, both reportedly carried out by Ukrainian unmanned vessels. In

A deadline for Niger’s coup leaders to stand down and reinstate the country’s elected president has arrived. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said on Friday its defence chiefs had drawn up a plan for military action if the junta, which has said it will not bow to outside pressure, did not comply

Ukraine is embroiled in a fight for its very survival as an independent state. Although Moscow is able to strike Ukrainian territory with impunity, the West will not allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike Russia across the border for fear of an escalation. But is this limitation preventing Ukraine from striking a potentially

Cats in Cyprus will be given human COVID-19 medicine after a feline mutation of the virus left thousands of the animals dead on the island. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which cannot be transmitted to humans, has been spreading among the island’s cats since January. It is not related to COVID-19 but can be treated with

Zambia’s football association has said it is “surprised” by misconduct claims made against women’s team head coach Bruce Mwape. It comes after allegations, first reported by The Guardian, that the manager had rubbed his hands over the chest of one of the players days before Zambia’s Women’s World Cup win over Costa Rica. FIFA confirmed

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to a further 19 years behind bars on charges his supporters have branded trumped up to keep him out of politics for even longer. The 47-year-old, who is President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest domestic critic, is already serving more than 11 years in prison for fraud and

President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger has claimed he is a “hostage” and that the entire Sahel region could fall to the Russians following the country’s military coup. Writing for the Washington Post, Mr Bazoum said he had been “illegally imprisoned” after all political activity was suspended by Niger’s military junta. He said that if successful,

Iran has announced a nationwide shutdown due to “unprecedented heat”.  A two-day national holiday will start tomorrow with governmental offices, banks and schools all closing. The health ministry said hospitals will be on high alert, as it warned the elderly and people with health conditions to stay indoors. Many cities and towns across Iran have

China is to limit the export of long-range drones over fears they are being converted for military use in Ukraine. Beijing says it will limit the export of some high-performance civilian devices due to the “increasing risk” that they are being used for “non-peaceful purposes”. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targetting

France and Italy have announced plans to fly their citizens out of Niger following a military coup in the country. It comes after Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the palace in the capital Niamey, detained elected president Mohamed Bazoum, and announced a new military government last week. The French Foreign Ministry in Paris cited recent violence

Niger is the latest country in the Sahel region of northwest Africa to experience a military coup. Since Mali’s armed takeover in August 2020, several neighbouring countries have seen a similar pattern emerge. Elected officials are overthrown amid growing dissatisfaction with the political regime, which is often accused of corruption and failing to fend off

No one has yet said they carried out Sunday’s devastating blast at a political rally in Pakistan, but the country’s Islamic State (IS) group has claimed to be behind several attacks in the area this year. The latest atrocity – which has left at least 40 people dead – happened on the outskirts of Khar,

Thousands of supporters of the military junta that seized control in Niger in a coup have marched through the streets of the capital waving Russian flags and denouncing former colonial power France. Demonstrators in Niamey converged on the French embassy and set fire to its doors, stoned the building and burned the country’s flags. Russian

A Morocco defender has made history by becoming the first player to wear a hijab while competing at a senior international tournament. Nouhaila Benzina wore the headscarf as she stepped onto the field against South Korea in Morocco’s second World Cup match. FIFA had imposed a bad on playing in religious head coverings for “health

Vladimir Putin has said an African and a Chinese initiative could serve as a basis for peace in Ukraine, but warned there are things that are “impossible to implement”. The Russian president also claimed Moscow had not rejected peace talks in comments made following the conclusion of the Africa-Russia Forum in St Petersburg. He told

A Ukrainian fencer has been assured by the Olympic authorities she can compete at next year’s Paris games after she was disqualified from a key ranking event for refusing to shake hands with a Russian she had beaten. Olga Kharlan was told by the international organising body it would make a “unique exception” by allocating

In a small flat on China’s east coast, a young woman is fighting a battle she cannot win. She lies trapped in bed and in her own body, the only sound from the room is the rhythmic mechanical breathing of her ventilator. At just 37, she has the rare disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which

India’s first openly gay prince has told Sky News his parents tried to make him have brain surgery to change his sexuality. Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil said he felt humiliated when his mother and father sought medical help to “convert” him after he told them he was gay. It comes after a Sky News investigation

While pressure builds on President Zelenskyy to deliver some form of progress with the Ukrainian offensive, he is not the only leader under pressure. Away from the battlefields, there is growing evidence that President Putin‘s authority and support base is waning as cracks start to form in the foundations of his regime. Is there a