World

Kazakhstan’s president says he has ordered security personnel to open fire on “terrorists” without warning amid extremely violent protests in the former Soviet nation. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said up to 20,000 “bandits” had attacked the financial capital Almaty and were destroying state property, adding he had authorised the use of lethal force against them. In a

A former Australian Open quarter-finalist has warned that “caged” Novak Djokovic would be a fearsome opponent on court if he makes it out of quarantine. Like the Serbian superstar, Tennys Sandgren is not jabbed against COVID, but the American has chosen to miss his first Australian Open in a decade because of his vaccination status.

Novak Djokovic will have to wait until Monday to discover whether he can play in the Australian Open after being denied entry to the country over COVID vaccination rules. Djokovic faces deportation after his visa application was cancelled – having thought he could enter Australia through a medical exemption to avoid COVID vaccination. A court

Novak Djokovic has been denied entry to Australia by the country’s border force and faces deportation after his visa was cancelled amid a row over his medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination rules. But the tennis world number one and defending Australian Open champion is filing a federal injunction to try to stop the deportation, it

A third state of emergency has been declared in Kazakhstan – with the alert now raised in the capital Nur-Sultan – after violent protests broke out in several major cities. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the order “to ensure public safety, restore law and order, protect the rights and freedoms of citizens”, according to the Zakon.kz

A state of emergency has been declared in Kazakhstan following major protests over fuel prices. It includes a curfew running from 11pm to 7am, restrictions on movement, and a ban on mass gatherings, according to documents on the president’s website. It has also been announced that a price cap controversially removed on New Year’s Day

Tesla has been criticised for opening a new showroom in Xinjiang, the Chinese region where authorities are accused of widespread abuse against Uyghur Muslims. The US-based electric car maker, led by Elon Musk, announced the opening in Urumqi, Xingiang’s capital, on Friday, declaring on social media: “Let’s start Xinjiang’s all-electric journey.” But the move drew

Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro has said doctors are assessing whether he needs surgery after being admitted to hospital with abdominal discomfort. Mr Bolsonaro said in a Twitter post that he had started to feel unwell after lunch on Sunday and was admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo at 3am local time (6am in the UK)

Sudan’s prime minister has announced his resignation from the country’s military-controlled government following the reported deaths of two pro-democracy protesters. Abdalla Hamdok’s resignation comes less than two months after he was reinstated into power after signing a power-sharing agreement with the country’s military following the 25 October coup that derailed Sudan‘s transition to democratic rule.

An unidentified person has crossed the demilitarised zone into North Korea. The person was spotted using surveillance equipment on the eastern portion of the heavily fortified border on Saturday night, but South Korean troops failed to capture them. The DMZ stretches from coast to coast on the Korean peninsular. It is about 2.5 miles (4km)

A fire has broken out at South Africa’s parliament in Cape Town. Flames could be seen and a column of smoke rose into the sky early on Sunday morning. The blaze began in third floor offices and spread to the National Assembly chamber, local fire service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said. No one has been injured,

At least 12 people have been killed and 15 injured in a stampede at a popular Hindu shrine in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said. The crush in the early morning at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine came as a thousands gathered to mark the start of the new year. India’s prime minister Narendra Modi offered condolences

Tributes have been paid at the state funeral in South Africa of Archbishop Desmond Tutu – described as a “giant” in the anti-apartheid struggle who “lit up the world”. Tutu, who died aged 90 on 26 December, helped spearhead the fight against white minority rule and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 in recognition

Despite COVID curbs hindering celebrations, street parties and gatherings are still taking place across the globe as each country rings in the New Year.    New Year’s Eve plans have largely been muted or cancelled for the second straight year due to a surge in coronavirus infections – this time driven by the highly contagious

Vladimir Putin has warned Joe Biden that new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine would be a big mistake, according to the Kremlin. The Russian leader spoke with the US president for 50 minutes over the phone on Thursday. A build-up of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops and military equipment on the Ukrainian border has sparked

Britons wanting to return to their homes in EU countries after spending Christmas with friends and relatives in the UK will be able to pass through France after the government in Paris suspended a transit ban. Since 18 December, non-essential travel from the UK to France has been mostly prohibited in an attempt to tackle