World

Access to Instagram was blocked in Turkey on Friday, in the latest example of a clampdown on websites in the country. The bar on access was in response to Instagram removing posts from Turkish users expressing condolences over the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, it has been reported. The Information and Communication Technologies

Three Americans freed from Russian prisons under a landmark exchange deal have landed back in the US. Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan were part of a deal which saw 24 people released in the biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War. They were welcomed on the tarmac at

High-profile people held prisoner in Russia – including British citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza and US reporter Evan Gershkovich – have been freed as part of a massive prisoner swap which has been hailed by President Joe Biden as a “feat of diplomacy”. In the biggest such exchange since the Cold War, a number of individuals have

The son of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman did not kidnap his father’s former partner, the family’s lawyer has said. Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were arrested last week by US agents after their plane landed at a small airfield in the US state of New Mexico. Zambada co-founded

The body of one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders has been found in rubble in the southern Beirut suburb attacked by Israel, two Lebanese security sources said, Reuters reports. Hezbollah previously refused to confirm Israel’s claim that it had killed Fuad Shukr, described as ‘the right-hand man’ of their leader Hassan Nasrallah, on Tuesday night.

At the start of the Gaza war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would go after the leaders of Hamas wherever they were, both inside Gaza and out. Israel has fulfilled its promise, killing the leader of the political wing of Hamas – Ismail Haniyeh – and it is a major

A loud blast has been heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, according to a Reuters witness. According to a security source, the blast was a strike that targeted a senior Hezbollah commander. Beirut has been on alert since a strike on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied

Britons have been urged to leave Lebanon and avoid travel to the country as tensions soar in the Middle East. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said events were “fast moving” and Foreign Office staff were working “round the clock” to help ensure the safety of UK citizens. It came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has denied launching a rocket which killed 12 children and teenagers at a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. Analysis by Sky News’ Data and Forensics Unit, however, shows the group was targeting a military base 2.4km (1.5 miles) from the site of the attack. Based on the

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term, the country’s electoral authority has said – despite several exit polls which had pointed to a decisive opposition win. The head of the National Electoral Council, Elvis Amoroso, said Mr Maduro had secured 51% of the vote, beating his opponent Edmundo Gonzalez, who won 44%. He

Olympics chiefs have undercut their advocacy of full gender equality – telling Sky News it would be too costly to have as many women’s teams as men’s sides participating in football. The gender gap has existed since women’s football was introduced into the Olympics in 1996 while men’s teams first participated at the Games in

The Israeli military says it has struck Hezbollah targets “deep inside” Lebanese territory and in southern Lebanon. “Overnight, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) struck a series of Hezbollah terror targets both deep inside Lebanese territory and in southern Lebanon, including weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Chabriha, Borj El Chmali, and Beqaa,

Three members of the US family gospel group The Nelons were among seven people killed in a plane crash in Wyoming. Kelly Nelon Clark, her husband Jason Clark, and their daughter, Amber Nelon Kistler died on Friday while taking a flight to perform on a cruise ship. Nelon Kistler’s husband, Nathan Kistler, family friend Melodi

When it comes to artistic swimming, Russia is an Olympic powerhouse. The national team has won every single event – team and duet – for the last six games in a row. But they won’t be taking any gold medals home from Paris. As a nation, Russia has been banned following its invasion of Ukraine.

A hockey player chose to have part of his finger amputated so he could compete at the Paris Olympics. Australian Matt Dawson, 30, badly broke a digit on his right hand after he was hit by a hockey stick during a training session in Perth two weeks ago. The impact left the top of his

The son of the notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been arrested. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was arrested alongside his father’s former partner, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with El Chapo. Zambada, who is deemed one of the most consequential traffickers in Mexico’s history, and Guzman Lopez were arrested