World

Six people, including two police officers, have been killed in a gunfight at a remote home in Australia’s Queensland state. Constables Matthew Arnold, 26 and Rachel McCrow, 29, had called at the property to investigate reports involving a missing person. But when they approached the entrance, they came under fire from two heavily armed offenders,

The mother wept with relief as she cradled her newborn baby at the only maternity hospital still working in the Ukrainian city of Kherson. Yulia Khomchyk, 37, discovered she was pregnant after Russian forces had seized the regional capital during the first days of the full-scale invasion in February. But almost nine months later, a

The inside light of a car flickered in the darkness next to a cluster of large apartment blocks in the Ukrainian city of Odesa. A young couple, wrapped in furry dressing gowns over layers of clothes, were sat in the front seats, charging their mobile phones and enjoying a brief respite from the cold. Oleh

Vladimir Putin could use any peace talks with Ukraine as an excuse to rearm and recruit Russian troops, the foreign secretary has warned. James Cleverly told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday that negotiations need to be “real” and “meaningful”. The Russian president said on Friday that Moscow may have to strike a deal with

An armed suspect who allegedly killed his mother before taking two hostages in Dresden has been shot dead, police said. Officers said they were initially communicating with a 40-year-old German after he barricaded himself in a shopping mall with a child aged nine and a 38-year-old shop worker. Three hundred officers, including special forces, responded

Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final after beating Portugal 1-0. Each of the previous three African sides to reach a quarter-final were all eliminated at this stage – Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. It was a strong start for Morocco, scoring just

A middle-aged woman with a bright yellow hat stepped out of a white van close to the frontline Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, one of the most dangerous places on the planet. Smiling cheerfully, Liudmyla Bila handed out a jumble of supplies – from woollen socks and metal pans to dried noodles and cans of beans

Vladimir Putin has said Russia may have to strike a deal with Ukraine to end its war. Speaking at a news conference in Kyrgyzstan, the Russian president also admitted there had been problems in mobilising hundreds of thousands of conscripts to fight in the conflict. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks since launching

The risk of a miscalculation between Western and Chinese warships in the South China Sea is the highest it has ever been, an expert has said. With so many foreign navies sailing through what they see as international waters near China, the chance of Xi Jinping’s navy firing a misinterpreted warning shot is growing. Meanwhile,

US basketball star Brittney Griner has been freed in a prisoner swap, a US official has said. She had been imprisoned in Russia after being convicted in August and sentenced to nine years in prison. Ms Griner was detained in February when customs agents said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage

Around 3,000 police officers have carried out raids across Germany to stop an alleged plot by a far-right terrorist group to overthrow the government. Federal prosecutors said 25 suspected members and supporters of the Reichsburger group – the so-called Reich Citizens movement – were detained during the raids in 11 of the country’s 16 states

Standing by a makeshift stove at the bottom of a bitterly-cold ditch, the Ukrainian troops enjoyed a quick tea break. Suddenly there was a loud whistle and a crack as a Russian artillery round flew overhead and exploded in a field behind them. The soldiers barely flinched, hardened by months of war. Instead, their focus

China will now allow people with asymptomatic COVID-19 or mild symptoms to quarantine at home in another relaxation of its rules. Most COVID cases are asymptomatic infections and mild cases, with no special treatment required, the National Health Commission announced. Previously, people who tested positive for the virus had to isolate in overcrowded and unsanitary

Facing a serious challenge from ongoing widespread unrest, Iran’s government is blaming Kurdish separatists for inciting the unrest, an Iranian academic has said. Protests demanding the overthrow of Iran’s clerical rulers are now in their fourth month, which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman, while in custody of the morality police.

Explosions have been heard at two air bases in Russia – including at one which is home to bombers carrying nuclear weapons, according to reports. Three servicemen were killed and six others injured when a fuel truck exploded at an air base in Ryazan on Monday, reported Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. A plane