World

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

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed and tens of thousands of residents evacuated as wildfires spread across part of the US state of Colorado. At least one first responder and six others were injured after the flames took hold following an extremely dry autumn in the region and a winter that has so far not

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

Men’s tennis world number one Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Serbia team for the ATP Cup in Sydney, casting further doubt on whether he will defend his Australian Open title next month. “Team Serbia will now be led by world number 33 Dusan Lajovic,” organisers of the team event said in a statement. There

A vocal pro-democracy website in Hong Kong has been shut down after police raided its office, froze its assets and arrested senior staff. Stand News said in a statement that its website and social media were no longer being updated and would be taken down. It said all employees have been dismissed. The outlet was

Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s daughter has joined those paying tribute to the late anti-apartheid hero, recalling the day he saved a young man from being burned alive as her “proudest moment”. Nontombi Naomi Tutu said she was shown video of a funeral on the outskirts of Johannesburg in July 1985, where mourners were beating and kicking

Two Save the Children staff members were among at least 35 people, including children, who were killed in Myanmar on Christmas Eve during an attack blamed on government forces. The charity said both men were new fathers who were “caught up” in the rampage in Kayah state while on their way back to their office

More than 100 British tourists have been denied entry to Austria after COVID rules were not updated before they left for their holiday, it has been reported. Some 110 Britons, most of whom are thought to have been going on a ski trip, flew into Innsbruck on Sunday, believing they only needed to have had

India’s government has blocked a charity founded by Mother Teresa from receiving foreign funds. The Missionaries of Charity, which runs schools, clinics, hospices and homes for abandoned children in India, had applied to renew its foreign-funding licence. But on Christmas Day, India’s home ministry said it had rejected the application due to “adverse inputs”. Image:

Russia’s Supreme Court has ordered the country’s most prominent human rights group to be liquidated. The court ruled that the group Memorial must be closed for breaking the law on foreign agents. The group says the lawsuit was politically motivated and has announced it will appeal the ruling before the European Court of Human Rights.

The year began with a promise.  “America is back,” proclaimed Joe Biden, taking its rightful place at the vanguard of the free world, making up for the sins of his predecessor. The Trump presidency had ended with a desecration. Americans had turned on their holy of holies, the high temple of their democracy on Capitol

2021 was the year that warnings on climate change went into overdrive. It was the year that scientists seemed to run out of patience. And it was the year that the consequences of climate change finally, indisputably, arrived at the doorstep of the western world. By summer, the UN’s special climate panel declared global warming