World

Vaccines could be less effective against a new COVID variant that UK scientists are “deeply concerned” about, says the health secretary. Sajid Javid said B.1.1.529 could also be more transmissible and has banned travel from six African countries as a precaution. Here’s what we know so far. How concerning is the variant? It has 32

More than 25,000 people have made the perilous journey to the UK in small boats this year with politicians on both sides of the Channel under fresh pressure to prevent people putting their lives at risk. In the summer of 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel promised action to limit the

A major general from the United Arab Emirates being sued by two Britons over allegations of torture and mistreatment has been elected as the president of Interpol. Ahmed Naser al Raisi, an inspector general at the UAE’s interior ministry, will serve a four-year term at the International Criminal Police Organisation after winning a vote in

The UK will base hundreds of tanks and fighting vehicles in Germany and rotate more troops on exercises through the country barely a year after withdrawing a large Cold War-era presence. The mini U-turn – part of a major modernisation plan for the army unveiled by the defence secretary on Thursday – will see Germany

The European Union drugs regulator has authorised Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children aged from five to 11. It clears the way for jabs to be administered to millions of school children on the continent amid a new wave of infections sweeping across Europe. It is the first time the European Medicines Agency (EMA)

More migrants have made the dangerous journey across the Channel today, less than 24 hours after 27 people died when their boat capsized off the coast of Calais. A group wearing life jackets and wrapped in blankets were seen huddled together on board a RNLI lifeboat before disembarking in Dover on Thursday morning. It comes

A new variant of the coronavirus with a “constellation” of mutations has been identified in Botswana. Designated as B.1.1.529, scientists are still unclear whether existing antibodies would react well to the variant – which has 32 spike protein mutations. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, branded the mutations “really awful”. Live COVID updates

South Korea is launching a taskforce to consider making the consumption of dog meat illegal after the country’s president offered to look into ending the practice. The number of restaurants that serve dog meat in the country have fallen as younger people generally find it a less appetising dining option and pets are growing in

Sweden’s first female prime minister has resigned after less than 12 hours in the job following the collapse of the coalition her party had formed. Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson stepped down in the wake of the Green Party’s decision to quit their two-party coalition due to parliament’s rejection of the budget bill devised by the

UN nuclear inspectors have warned part of their surveillance of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons programme has gone dark. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said his inspectors are close to being unable to “guarantee” they know the size of Iran‘s stockpile of enriched uranium after a fruitless trip to Tehran produced no results. Mystery

Istanbul’s sky is as gloomy as the mood in the households and on the streets of Turkey. It may look like business as usual but for many the recent developments have taken a toll. Prices had already hiked during the pandemic. Packaged goods shrunk and prices increased but there was not a single empty shelf.

At least 24 migrants have drowned while trying to get to the UK across the Channel in an inflatable dinghy, a French official has said. Several others are thought to be injured after their boat capsized off Calais this afternoon, as they tried to cross the world’s busiest shipping lane. “Strong emotion in the face

Three German parties have agreed a deal to form a new government that will end the era of the longstanding chancellor, Angela Merkel. Olaf Scholz, of the centre-left Social Democrats, is poised to replace her and said the new government would not seek “the lowest common denominator, but the politics of big impacts”. He emphasised

An Iraqi people smuggler has told Sky News that officials are helping migrants cross borders illegally, sometimes in exchange for bribes, and huge risks are being taken to send people to the UK. Speaking in northern Iraq, the smuggler revealed details behind the network that sends thousands of migrants to Europe every year, and admitted

A Norwegian Christmas advert that shows Santa getting a boyfriend has prompted both widespread praise – and lots of tearful reactions. The commercial for Norway‘s postal service, Posten, shows a relationship developing between the two men over a number of years. It was produced to mark 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in the country.

Russia has demanded that more than a dozen foreign technology companies, most of them American, open offices in the country by the end of this year or face sanctions and potential bans. The country’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor issued the demand on Monday and listed Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok among the companies being targeted.