A father and son have pleaded not guilty to starting a massive California wildfire that destroyed 1,000 homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee. David Scott Smith, 66, and Travis Shane Smith, 32, are charged with reckless arson over the Caldor fire which started on 14 August. Five people were injured and
World
Sir Lewis Hamilton has failed in his bid to win a record eighth F1 world title after a last-lap drama in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. After leading for almost all of the race, the 36-year-old British driver was overtaken on the final lap by championship rival Max Verstappen in controversial circumstances. It means Red
Foreign ministers of the world’s most powerful free nations converge on Liverpool this weekend for a meeting likely to be dominated by Russia’s threatening military build-up on the borders of Ukraine. The gathering comes days after Britain’s new head of armed forces issued a stark warning about the risk of war with Russia. Admiral Sir
Omicron coronavirus cases have surged by as much as 400% in some parts of South Africa – although the country’s health ministry has said there is mounting evidence the variant causes milder infection. South Africa reported more than 22,000 new infections on Thursday, a record during the fourth wave but still below the more than
As the world grapples with the challenge posed by the Omicron variant, scientists and residents in South Africa are coming to grips with the real-world impact of this worrying strain. This country has already seen two weeks of mass infection and the experience is generating the sort of anecdotal information and scientific observation that will
Australia, the UK and the United States will pay the price for their “mistaken acts”, after deciding not to send government delegations to February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, China’s foreign ministry has said. It comes after the countries announced diplomatic boycotts over human rights concerns. However, France on Thursday said it will not be boycotting
A full Russian invasion of Ukraine would be on a scale “not seen in Europe since World War Two”, the new head of the armed forces has warned. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin described as “deeply worrying” an escalating crisis over Ukraine – where a build-up of tens of thousands of Russian troops has raised Western
The man detained in Paris over suspected links to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is thought to be a namesake of the wanted suspect, a Saudi diplomatic source has told Sky News. France has 48 hours to verify the identity of the man arrested, with the Saudi Embassy calling it a case of mistaken
US president Joe Biden is anticipated to have the most difficult phone call of his presidency so far when he speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin at 3pm UK time on Tuesday. Mr Biden will warn that if Russia invades Ukraine as is feared, he will bring down the might of US sanctions on Mr
US President Joe Biden has spoken to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European leaders to share growing concerns about Russia’s behaviour towards Ukraine. Mr Biden, Mr Johnson, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Angela Merkel, and Italy’s Mario Draghi all “shared concern about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and Russia’s increasingly harsh rhetoric”, the White
Italians face tougher rules from Monday if they are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The ‘Super Green Pass’ will require vaccination, rather than including those who have received a recent negative test result, and it will be needed to attend sports events, concerts, theatres, indoor restaurants, and public events. The normal Green Pass, which can be
Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi has received a four-year jail sentence as a court delivers the first verdicts in a number of cases which could see her imprisoned for decades. The 76-year-old has been in detention since 1 February when the military seized power in a coup. Ms Suu Kyi has been charged
Belgian police used tear gas and water cannon on protesters in Brussels to disperse crowds demonstrating against new coronavirus restrictions. Thousands gathered to reject new measures introduced by the government on Friday, the third week in a row measures have been tightened, following a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Most of the protesters marched peacefully,
There is a little park in Addis Ababa with a bench and some flowers and a big red wall. It was built on scrap land by the manager of a local hostel, and there is a five-year-old who comes to draw every afternoon. Her name is Kidist, and she sketches on the wall with small
The tallest volcano on the Indonesian island of Java has erupted, killing at least one person and sending huge clouds of ash into the air. TV footage shows Mount Semeru in the Lumajang district of East Java spewing giant clouds of ash at around 7pm local time (12pm UK) on Saturday as villagers run for
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be investigated after he claimed coronavirus vaccines may increase the chance of contracting AIDS. Brazilian supreme court Justice Alexandre de Moraes instructed the country’s top prosecutor, Augusto Aras, to look into the accusation raised by a pandemic inquiry conducted by Brazil’s Senate. Mr Bolsonaro said in a live broadcast on
Lewis Hamilton has said he does not feel comfortable about racing in Saudi Arabia’s grand prix this weekend, as he expressed concern about human rights in the kingdom. The seven-times Formula 1 world champion will be competing in a night race around a street circuit in Jeddah. Hamilton said he had received a warm welcome on arrival,
A Sky News investigation has found antisemitic, racist and white supremacist material in podcasts on one of the most popular streaming services, Spotify. The company said it does not allow hate content on its platform. But we found podcasts totalling several days’ worth of listening promoting extreme views such as scientific racism, Holocaust denial and
Unvaccinated people in Germany are to be excluded from non-essential stores, cultural and recreational venues, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. In addition, parliament will consider making coronavirus jabs mandatory from February. About 68.7% of the population in Germany is fully vaccinated, far below the 75% minimum ministers are aiming for. The effort to get jabs
All WTA tournaments have been suspended in China over concerns for the safety of player Peng Shuai. The head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said it was taking the step after Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion, accused a former high-ranking government official in China of sexual assault. Peng dropped out of public view