Violence broke out in Rome as anti-lockdown protesters threw flares and flash grenades at police, who fought back with tear gas and water cannons. Supporters of the far-right party Forza Nuova (New Force) were largely among the crowd of a few hundred in Piazza del Popolo, one of Rome’s famous landmarks. They were protesting against
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Eighteen people have been taken to hospital after a migrant boat sunk off the coast of France. A widespread rescue operation is searching for other passengers. A sailboat raised the alarm after it spotted the vessel – which was travelling in wind gusts of up to 18mph – in difficulty near Dunkirk. Customs and Navy
Australia has condemned Qatari authorities over “grossly disturbing” reports that women were subjected to invasive strip-searches before a flight from Doha to Sydney. The women, including 13 Australians, were searched in an ambulance after a newborn baby was found abandoned in a terminal toilet at Hamad International Airport on 2 October. Australia’s foreign affairs department
France has called on Arab nations to end “baseless” calls for a boycott of its goods – after French President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of the right to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The French foreign ministry also urged authorities in the countries to speak out against such protests in order to help French companies
Police in Belarus have fired stun grenades to disperse protesters ahead of a nationwide strike called by opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Ms Tikhanovskaya, who is in exile in neighbouring Lithuania, had previously set out a “people’s ultimatum” for President Alexander Lukashenko to step down by Sunday night, pledging industrial action if that did not happen.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Emmanuel Macron needs mental health treatment over his attitude towards Muslims – prompting France to recall its ambassador. Paris has described Mr Erdogan’s remarks as unacceptably rude, adding: “We are not accepting insults.” During a party meeting, the Turkish leader had said: “What is the problem of this
At least 18 people have been killed including teenage students following a suicide bombing at an education centre in Afghanistan. Another 57 people were wounded in the blast which struck in a heavily Shia neighbourhood of western Kabul on Saturday. Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Adrian said the attacker was trying to get into the centre
The president has cast his ballot in the US election, telling reporters: “I voted for a guy named Trump.” After voting in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr Trump also took the opportunity to attack mail-in ballots – warning that they can never be as secure as voting in person. Describing his experience at the polling
An attempt by Donald Trump to secure an election endorsement from the Israeli prime minister has backfired during a White House photo call. With reporters gathered in the Oval Office to mark the signing of a historic US-brokered peace deal between Israel and Sudan, the US president asked Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on speakerphone, if
The coronavirus second wave is spreading more quickly than the first outbreak in spring, a top French scientist has warned, amid a growing resurgence of the virus across Europe. “The virus is circulating more quickly… the resurgence of the pandemic started in August,” French government scientific adviser Arnaud Fontanet told BFM TV on Friday. He
Nigeria’s protests against police brutality are “the most important moment” in the country’s history, music star Burna Boy has told Sky News. His words come two weeks after protests began, sparked by a video showing a man being beaten, apparently by police officers from SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad). Since then, the End SARS movement has
Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony in a lawsuit related to her ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse activities has been made public. Transcripts of depositions by the British socialite over two days in 2016, amounting to hundreds of pages, are being released after a ruling by a US judge. Maxwell, 58, was interviewed by lawyers as part of
At least 12 people were killed when government forces fired upon protesters during anti-police brutality demonstrations in Nigeria, Amnesty International has claimed. Shots were fired at protesters by the Lekki toll plaza in Lagos on Tuesday night, causing injuries and an unknown number of deaths. Human rights group Amnesty has said an investigation has uncovered
Nigerian police have reportedly opened fire on protesters in Lagos after 12 days of demonstrations against police brutality. Two people are believed to have been shot after more than 20 officers started shooting at demonstrators in the city’s Lekki district on Tuesday, witnesses told Reuters. State officials have already imposed a 24-hour curfew on the
A convicted murderer, who killed a journalist on board his submarine, has been surrounded by police after trying to escape prison. Peter Madsen, 49, tried to flee Herstedvester Prison, where he is serving a life sentence for the murder of Kim Wall in 2017. Danish police have said a man has been arrested after an
Ireland’s government has agreed to return the country to the highest level of coronavirus restrictions from midnight on Wednesday. Cabinet ministers agreed with the measures to contain COVID-19 during a meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin. It means Ireland will go to Level 5 coronavirus restrictions – the most severe – which had been recommended