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Counting is under way in Ireland's general election.But unlike the UK, it will take more than a few hours for all 174 seats to be filled - and much longer for a government to be formed. Here's three things you should look out for as the votes are being counted. Image: A first preference vote for Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonlad as ballot papers are counted at RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin. Pic: PA 1. The main parties' race to 88That's the number needed for a majority in Ireland's lower house of parliament, the Dail. But the three largest parties - Fianna Fail (FF), Fine Gael (FG) and Sinn Finn (SF) - have not fielded enough candidates to reach this, so they will be on the hunt for coalition partners.In the last election, FF wo...

Israel claims it has killed a Palestinian involved in the 7 October attack by Hamas.The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that it had carried out a strike in Gaza on a "vehicle with a terrorist that took part in the murderous 7 October massacre". The IDF said it was investigating claims that the person worked for the international humanitarian organisation, the World Central Kitchen (WCK)."The terrorist was monitored for a while by IDF intelligence and was struck following credible information regarding his real-time location," they said."We emphasise that it was a civilian unmarked vehicle and its movement on the route was not coordinated for transporting of aid." The World Central Kitchen provides food in conflict zones. Sky News has reached out to the WCK for c...

It had appeared to be a conflict frozen in time, but the operation launched with blistering speed by Syrian opposition fighters has turned all of that upside down.It is also a potent reminder of the complexity of the Syrian conflict. What was a stalemate has revealed that the regime of President Bashar al Assad may very well be standing on clay feet.Whether the rebel push continues its momentum and transforms into a wider offensive remains to be seen - but its significance politically and militarily is immense.Aleppo was once the country's largest city and was a key battleground in the civil war - it has also been a stronghold for the regime. Image: Rebels stand in front of University of Aleppo. Pic: Reuters What's happeni...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wide-ranging interview gives a window into the Ukrainian president's thinking on Trump, NATO and a possible end to the war.Speaking to Sky News's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, Mr Zelenskyy talked about what it would take to negotiate with Vladimir Putin, whom he branded a "terrorist". In this story, we look at five key takeaways from the interview, which can be watched in full here.NATO protection for part of Ukraine?Asked about NATO, President Zelenskyy said "no one has offered" Ukraine a place in the alliance, but he suggested that if an invitation was extended to the parts of the country that his military controls, this could end the "hot stage" of the war. This would be under the condition that the NATO invitation itself recognises Ukraine's internationally-r...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested to Sky News that he might consent to Russia temporarily holding on to occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a ceasefire deal.The Ukrainian president said such an arrangement could only be possible if land under his forces' control was taken "under the NATO umbrella" – allowing him to negotiate the return of the rest later "in a diplomatic way". The comments, made during an interview with Sky News' chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, have already caused a stir internationally. Here is what our correspondents made of it:Zelenskyy appears to blink first – Putin will be pleasedBy Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent I think Vladimir Putin will be a happy man following this interview. After being locked in a months-long stand-off over...

"The rain, the clouds, the lack of sun - I feel at home here," Nikita Vitiugov says. London, the chess grandmaster remarks, feels similar to St Petersburg, in terms of the weather, at least. One of the best players in the world, Nikita was once one of Russia's brightest talents. But after speaking out about the war in Ukraine, he says he can't risk going back. Now he plays for England and lives in London.Ukraine war: Follow latestWhile the era of the Soviet Union and America going to war over the chessboard to establish intellectual dominance is over, and players no longer attract the same fame and notoriety as chess titans Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer did in their heyday, chess is still a big deal in Russia. Image: Garry Kasparov playing...

Russian President Vladimir Putin fuels division within Europe "like an animal", Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned.Speaking to Sky News's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, the Ukrainian president described his Russian counterpart as "a killer" and "a terrorist". He said when world leaders are afraid, they communicate with their countries and other leaders and "divide the unity in Europe"."Putin understands this and fuels it like an animal," he said.Ukraine war latest: MI6 uncovers 'staggeringly reckless' Russian sabotage in Europe Image: Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to Sky's Stuart Ramsay Asked if it was unhelpful when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke directly with Mr Putin last month, Mr Zelenskyy said he did not support it...