In a safe house in Myanmar, resistance is growing. Quietly, in the gloomy light, a group of men raise their hands in a three-finger salute. Traditionally a sign of defiance and support for pro-democracy protesters, for these men it symbolises so much more. Once police or soldiers, they now plan to fight the forces they
World
Coronavirus variants have been renamed with letters of the Greek alphabet following criticism of the way they have been labelled up until now. Under a new system revealed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Kent variant will now be known as Alpha, the Indian variant as Delta, and the South African variant as Beta.
In a ramshackle corner of a war-ravaged state, the sound of joy and youthful exuberance fills the air. We’re in a town called Bor, which occupies a waterlogged stretch along the White Nile in the northeastern part of South Sudan. The noise takes us to a school called Sunlight Primary with 10 corrugated metal classrooms
The UK economy will grow even faster than expected this year and next, but it is nonetheless expected to suffer the most long-term economic damage of any of the seven major industrialised nations following the pandemic, the OECD has warned. In its six-monthly Economic Outlook, its comprehensive assessment of the state of the global economy,
Israel’s opposition parties are moving closer to reaching an agreement that could mean the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 years in power. Naftali Bennett, leader of the small Yamina party and a kingmaker following elections held in March, said he would join a diverse collection of opponents to form a unity government and
The daughter-in-law of Conservative grandee Lord Ashcroft has been arrested after a police superintendent was shot dead in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Michael Ashcroft’s son Andrew, was found on a dock near where police Superintendent Henry Jemmott’s body was discovered in the town of San Pedro early on Friday. Police Commissioner Chester Williams
Spain’s postal service has been accused of racism after issuing a set of unequally priced skin-coloured stamps. State-owned Correos Espana introduced the set of four stamps on the anniversary of George Floyd‘s death, saying the “Equality Stamps” would “send a message against racial inequality”. The stamps are priced differently, with the lightest colour costing €1.60
The Irish government has set out its plans for re-opening the country over the summer – including the adoption of a COVID-19 certificate so that people can travel abroad more freely. Taoiseach Micheal Martin confirmed the details on Friday evening following a cabinet meeting to sign-off on the proposals. Live COVID updates from the UK
Syria’s President Bashar al Assad has been re-elected with 95.1% of the vote, according to officials in the country, as the West denounced the vote as illegitimate. Officials said 78.6% of eligible voters cast their ballot – but in a country where many are displaced after a 10-year conflict, this figure has been questioned. Areas
Novoshakhtinsk is a nondescript former mining city on Russia’s border with Ukraine. It is not the place for a day-trip. But six days a week, two or three buses pull up to the local community centre and passengers pile out clutching documents. They are all residents of the separatist republics of Eastern Ukraine and they
The biggest reforms to the global taxation system in a century are edging closer to reality, with the group of seven leading industrial economies now on the brink of agreeing to a global minimum corporate tax rate, insiders have told Sky News. The unprecedented plans could mean the UK raises billions of pounds in taxes
There is a 40% chance that global temperatures will reach 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years – and the odds are rising. The 2015 Paris climate accord set a goal of keeping temperature rises under that threshold to prevent the worst effects of global warming. Last year the UN World Meteorological Organisation
Cyclone Yaas has made landfall on India’s east coast with gusts of nearly 100mph, tidal waves and heavy rain leaving many areas flooded. More than 1.1 million people have been evacuated from areas in the storm’s path as India continues to deal with a devastating surge in new cases of COVID-19. The cyclone had already
A young woman detained along with dissident journalist Roman Protasevich has appeared in a video recorded at a Belarusian detention centre. Sofia Sapega, a 23-year-old a Russian citizen, was with Mr Protasevich, 26, when Belarusian authorities forced their Ryanair flight to land in Minsk, instead of its scheduled destination in Lithuania. Russia’s foreign ministry said
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said America will reopen its consulate in Jerusalem – as he also pledged to rally international support to rebuild Gaza. The consulate’s reopening will restore ties with Palestinians, which were downgraded under President Trump’s administration. Mr Blinken said it would be “an important way for our country to
The father of a journalist detained in Belarus says his son was forced to appear in a video admitting to organising anti-government protests and that he appeared to have been beaten. Roman Protasevich was arrested after authorities in his native Belarus forced his flight to land in the capital Minsk on Sunday. Mr Protasevich, 26,