World

European hamsters are on the brink of extinction and could vanish entirely within the next 30 years, according to conservationists. The rodent, also known by its Latin name cricetus cricetus, has been named as a critically endangered species in latest listings from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Once a common sight across

Australia has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, and offered visa holders from the territory a five-year extension with a pathway to permanent residency, in response to China’s imposition of a national security law. The 10,000 Hong Kong citizens in the country on student or temporary work visas are likely to benefit from the

The World Health Organisation has recognised there is “evidence emerging” of airborne transmission of coronavirus, which could lead to changes of guidance on distancing. Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, the organisation’s COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said discussion was ongoing in response to evidence that shows some virus particles linger in the air

Thousands of protesters have clashed with riot police in the Serbian capital Belgrade after the country’s president announced the reintroduction of a lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases. Serbia went from one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe to a near complete reopening of the country at the beginning of May. Football and tennis

A suspected case of bubonic plague in China is being “well managed” and is not considered high risk, the World Health Organisation has said. Authorities in the city of Bayannur, in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, issued a warning on Sunday after a hospital patient – reported to be a herdsman – was feared

A dossier linked to former spy Christopher Steele accuses China of seeking to influence elite figures in British politics, business and academia. The report – compiled for a US-based film producer and human rights activist – also makes allegations of a spying risk to the UK posed by the technology firm Huawei. Mr Steele made

Israel’s government has ordered the immediate closure of bars, gyms, nightclubs, swimming pools and event halls after a spike in coronavirus cases. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was necessary because the country was close to requiring another total lockdown. “The pandemic is spreading – that’s as clear as day. It is rising daily… it

China has accused the UK of “trampling” on the basic norms of international relations – and said Britain’s offer of citizenship for Hong Kongers is a “gross interference in China’s internal affairs”. Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the UK, claimed Boris Johnson’s government “keeps making irresponsible remarks” about Hong Kong. A new national security law

There have been six curious incidents over the past couple of weeks in Iran. On the face of it, they are unconnected. But as conspiracy theories abound, what do we actually know? Could they be attacks? Who could be behind them and why? What happened? 26 June: An explosion at a weapons depot in Parchin

The Zimbabwean embassy in London has told Sky News that at least 37 citizens of the southern African country have died in Britain during the coronavirus pandemic. It is a revelation which underlines the damage COVID-19 has inflicted on immigrant communities in the UK. Officials said the vast majority of those who died were working

In the inky darkness, a tiny body wiggles in the sand. It’s 1am and the team and I are gathered around a small bamboo fence on a beach on the Thai island of Koh Samui. Inside the enclosure is a nest of 85 eggs from the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle and one of them has

The world has seen a record rise in coronavirus cases over a 24-hour period, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. The new record is 212,326, with the biggest rise in infections coming in the US, Brazil and India. The previous WHO record for new cases of COVID-19 was 189,077 on 28 June. In the

More than 200,000 people in northeast Spain have been put back into an enforced lockdown following several new outbreaks of coronavirus. Residents in the county of Segria, which includes the city of Lleida, in the Catalonia region, were told by authorities not to leave the area from midday (11am in the UK) on Saturday, and

A scuba diver has died following a shark attack off the coast of Queensland in Australia, emergency services have said. The 20-year-old man was injured in the seas near popular tourist hotspot Fraser Island at about 2pm local time (5am in the UK) on Saturday. Image: Paramedics were called to the scene but were unable