World

Eleven gold miners have been rescued a fortnight after they were trapped by an underground explosion in China, according to state media reports. It is not known how many others are still alive in the mine. State media footage showed the first miner to be rescued, a black blindfold across his eyes, being lifted out

The head of Lebanon’s main coronavirus hospital has said the country’s health system is close to collapse – with not enough beds, drugs, oxygen, ventilators or staff. In a stark interview with Sky News, Dr Firas Abiad said the government decision to relax coronavirus restrictions over a few fateful days at Christmas and New Year

Hundreds of people have reportedly been detained as a series of demonstrations in support of jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny begins across Russia. The gatherings, which police have declared illegal, are the first by Mr Navalny’s supporters since he was arrested last weekend on his return to Moscow, after spending five months in Germany recovering

AstraZeneca will cut deliveries of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union by 60% in the first quarter of the year, according to Reuters news agency. The company was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 EU countries by the end of March, an EU official told the agency. However, it

Japanese officials have denied claims the Tokyo Olympic Games are being cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 Games have already been delayed once, with the opening ceremony currently scheduled for 23 July this year. But according to The Times, local officials have conceded the event cannot happen because of COVID-19. Image: The current

At least 32 people have died and dozens more are wounded after a double suicide attack in Iraq’s capital. According to police in Baghdad, the explosions hit a commercial area in the centre of the city. Many of the wounded – of which there are at least 73 – are reported to be in a

At least two people have died following an “extremely loud” explosion in Madrid’s city centre – with rescue teams, firefighters and police sent to the scene. Spanish media reports said the blast took place in a building near a nursing home and a school – and videos and images shared on social media showed rubble

Donald Trump has left the White House after four years as US president but insisted: “We will be back in some form.” The outgoing president is heading to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Joe Biden prepares to be sworn in as America’s new leader in Washington DC. Speaking before boarding the plane, he told

The US State Department has declared that China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity in a campaign targeting Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.  In a statement, outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: “I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the

The first real-world analysis of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine suggests it is matching its performance in clinical trials, but raises serious questions about the UK’s decision to delay the second dose. Scientists in Israel – which is leading the COVID-19 vaccination race – have told Sky News that they are “very hopeful” having studied preliminary

Snow has fallen in the Sahara desert after temperatures dropped to -3C (27F). Karim Bouchetata recorded the rare event in Ain Sefra, Algeria, with thawing ice creating beautiful patterns on the sand. The Sahara desert, which covers most of Northern Africa, has gone through shifts in temperature over the past few hundred thousand years –

There is a road north of the capital, Kampala, that few Ugandans wish to follow. It is a rough, potholed track which leads to the home of the opposition leader, Bobi Wine. The 38-year old has not left his home since last Thursday, when he cast his vote in the general election. He came second

The 100 millionth coronavirus case has been recorded worldwide – just over a year since the first officially diagnosed case of the deadly virus. The total number of cases reached 100,032,461 on Tuesday evening (UK time), while at least 2,149,818 people have died after catching the illness, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Dominic Raab has called for the immediate release of Putin critic Alexei Navalny. The foreign secretary has joined a host of leading politicians who have condemned Mr Navalny’s arrest on his return to Russia, after he was poisoned with a nerve agent last year. Mr Raab said: “It is appalling that Alexei Navalny, the victim

Poisoned Putin critic Alexei Navalny has arrived in Russia, where he faces the threat of arrest. The Russian dissident flew back from Germany where he had been recovering after being exposed to the Soviet-era novichok nerve agent in August. The plane he was travelling on had been scheduled to land at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport but

Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of the Uganda presidential election with 58.64% of the total votes, according to the country’s electoral commission. The incumbent will now serve a sixth term as president of the east African nation following some of the worst pre-election violence since the 76-year-old took office in 1986. His main