World

Female students have been banned from universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect, the Taliban has said. A letter, confirmed by a spokesperson for the higher education ministry, instructed Afghan public and private universities to suspend access to female students until further notice in accordance with a cabinet decision. The United States and Britain have both

After taking the World Cup crown, Argentina returned home to Buenos Aires on Tuesday with the country declaring the day of celebration as a national holiday. Thousands of fans lined up in the middle of the night to try to get a glimpse of the Argentina football team that won one of the greatest World

Elon Musk will step down as Twitter boss – if he stands by his pledge to abide by the results of a poll asking users for their verdict on his tenure. The owner of Tesla and SpaceX set his poll in motion just after 11pm UK time, writing: “Should I step down as head of

Argentinian fans have been celebrating through the night after their team won the World Cup in what some commentators have described as one of the best games in the history of the tournament. The side beat defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after drawing 3-3 after extra time in front of a 88,000-strong crowd in

Argentina have won the World Cup after a thrilling match which saw them take the lead and then lose it again twice before winning a penalty shootout, in what is already being described as one of the greatest finals in history. It was a special moment for Lionel Messi, who finally won the biggest prize

Qatar World Cup chief Hassan Al Thawadi says the tournament has changed perceptions of the region and transformed his country. He also insisted there should be recognition for improved workers’ rights after previously “unacceptable” conditions. Mr Al Thawadi told Sky News: “The progress will not end when the final whistle is blown.” Lusail – the

One of Iran’s most famous actresses has been arrested and accused of “spreading falsehoods”, state media has said. Taraneh Alidoosti, star of the Oscar-winning film The Salesman, was detained a week after posting on Instagram about the first man to be executed over current nationwide protests, according to reports. The 38-year-old star wrote: ”His name

The deputy prime minister of Mongolia has defended his country buying almost 100% of its gas from Russia, saying that its position as a large landlocked country presents “a lot of problems and issues”. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan said that while Russian sources are important to ensure “continued supply with a reasonable

Ukraine is preparing for Russia to try again to invade from the north – maybe around the anniversary of its first, failed attempt to seize Kyiv last February, a top commander has said. President Vladimir Putin could even ultimately order millions of soldiers into the war as Russia’s offensive falters in the face of fierce

Ten people, including five children aged between three and 15 years old, have been killed in a fire near the French city of Lyon. Another four people were seriously injured in the blaze that broke out at a seven-storey residential block in Vaulx-en-Velin in the early hours of Friday. Neighbours reported hearing “screams of horror”

A 30-day state of emergency has been declared in Peru after the country’s president was impeached and a week of protests left at least eight dead. It gives police the power to search homes without permission and limits certain freedoms, including the right to assembly. Demonstrations have been ongoing since the ousting of former president

A boy has been killed in Montpellier amid clashes between France and Morocco fans following the World Cup semi-final. A statement issued by the local government office said the boy was “violently hit” by a car in the city, in the south of France, on Wednesday. He was transferred to the hospital, but died shortly

There are two places that can tell you just about everything about why people come from all over the world to northern France, and why they pay thousands of pounds to criminals just to get a place on board a flimsy dinghy. One is a migrant camp near the town of Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk. The

A group of 90 Ukrainian judges will undergo training, provided by the UK, to carry out war crimes trials for Russian soldiers. The first group of judges attended sessions at a secret location in the region last week, and more will follow in the coming months, as part of a £2.5m investment. In her first broadcast

US scientists have carried out the first ever nuclear fusion experiment to achieve a net energy gain, paving the way for a “clean energy source that could revolutionise the world”. During a landmark news briefing at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, officials revealed the successful fusion experiment had taken place last week. As