World

A prisoner in Alabama is set to become the first inmate in America to be gassed to death with nitrogen after the US Supreme Court declined to halt his execution. Convicted murderer Kenneth Smith is set to be executed on Thursday after his legal bid to have the method declared unconstitutional failed. Smith’s survival following

The chief executive of an American airline company has said internal checks found “many” loose bolts on their Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes. Ben Minicucci, the head of Alaska Airlines, told Sky News’s US partner network NBC News that he was “angry” about an incident on 5 January when a panel on one of the

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

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

Warfare is a brutal and unforgiving undertaking.  However, the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of its people and its national interests, so military capability is a cornerstone of national capability. But, military forces provide options and are a means to an end – not an end in itself – and when all

An online predator who blackmailed dozens of women around the world into performing sexual and degrading acts, including child abuse, has been jailed for 24 years. Anthony Burns, originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk, used multiple online identities when engaging with the women on the internet. On one occasion he posed as the head of a

Japan hopes it is about to join an exclusive club of just four other nations that have successfully executed a “soft” landing on the moon. Its garden shed-sized Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, isn’t the biggest, or most ambitious robotic mission to our satellite – but it’s bidding to be the most precise

Iran and Pakistan have accused each other of harbouring terrorists.  Fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force undertook a series of coordinated and targeted strikes using extended-range munitions against seven terrorist hideouts in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran. Follow live: US hits more Houthi targets – Pakistan explains Iran strikes In a statement,

Detectives investigating the disappearance of a Royal Navy sailor more than 37 years ago are searching a car park in Gibraltar after receiving new information. Simon Parkes, from Bristol, was last seen in December 1986 when the ship he was serving on, HMS Illustrious, was docked in the territory. His disappearance has previously been part

China has criticised the UK, US and other governments for congratulating the winner of Taiwan’s presidential election. Beijing accused several nations of “interfering in China’s internal affairs” after world leaders sent messages to president-elect Lai Ching-te following his victory on Saturday. China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and considers it a breakaway

Denmark has a new king following the historic abdication of the country’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Margrethe II. Thousands of people converged on central Copenhagen for the succession where the 83-year-old passed on the throne to her eldest son with the signing of a declaration in parliament. King Frederik X is now the head of Europe’s

Iran has condemned US and British military attacks on Yemen, calling them “a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty”. Britain and the US have started launching strikes from the air and sea against military targets linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen, in response to the movement’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea in support

Rishi Sunak will visit Kyiv today as he announces a new package of military aid, security assurances and humanitarian support. Mr Sunak will sign a UK-Ukraine Agreement on Security Cooperation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – committing the UK to provide intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training, and defence industrial cooperation. The UK will

Two tech giants are battling it out for the title of the world’s most valuable company. Microsoft had overtaken Apple for the first time since 2021 to become the world’s most valuable firm by market capitalisation – which measures the value and number of a company’s shares. Money latest:‘Huge announcement’ on car finance could see

An oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman was boarded by “unauthorized” people in military uniforms on Thursday morning, an advisory group run by the British military and a private intelligence firm warned. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO), which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, said the incident began early in