World

Belarus’s main opposition challenger has revealed she will return home when the regime is ready for dialogue and is even willing to engage with President Alexander Lukashenko. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania after challenging the results of a disputed presidential election two weeks ago, told Sky News the momentum for change in her country

A prominent critic of Vladimir Putin has arrived in Germany for medical treatment, amid claims he became seriously ill after drinking a cup of tea laced with poison. Alexei Navalny, who remains in a coma after his condition deteriorated on Thursday, was transported from a Siberian hospital to Berlin on a special medical plane. The

The head of the World Health Organisation says he hopes the coronavirus pandemic will be over in two years. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 took two years to end, he said. “Our situation now with more technology, of course with more connectiveness, the virus has a better chance of spreading, it can move fast,”

Russian doctors say there is no evidence Alexei Navalny was poisoned and have banned the Putin critic from being transported abroad. The 44-year-old’s spokeswoman previously said doctors had caved to Kremlin pressure – but medics said the decision was made because he was not well enough. The long-time critic of President Vladimir Putin is fighting

Alexei Navalny is Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent and as such, no stranger to threats against his life. In 2017 Navalny was attacked by a pro-Kremlin supporter who threw a chemical substance in his eye, leaving him partially-blind, and last year he was rushed to hospital from his prison cell, again for suspected poisoning. Doctors

One of Russia’s leading opposition politicians is in hospital with suspected poisoning, his spokeswoman has said. Alexei Navalny, 44, a long-time critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is in intensive care in a hospital in the city of Omsk, according to Kira Yarmysh. The pro-democracy campaigner is unconscious and was placed on a ventilator, Ms

The European Union has threatened sanctions against those involved in electoral fraud in Belarus. European Council President Charles Michel said the bloc does not recognise the result of a contentious election which saw incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko claim 80% of the vote. “The EU will impose shortly sanctions on a substantial number of individuals responsible

Australia has ordered 25 million doses of Oxford University’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, the country’s prime minister said. “Under the deal, every single Australian will be able to receive the University of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for free, should trials prove successful, safe and effective,” Scott Morrison said on Wednesday. The vaccine, called AZD1222, is being developed

Three men on trial for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 have been acquitted in a surprise judgement. Hassan Merhi, Assad Sabra and Hussein Oneissi were all being tried, in their absence, along with a fourth man, Salam Ayyash, who was found guilty for his part in the assassination plot.

The US is to increase restrictions on Huawei to try to cut off all access to American technology for the Chinese company. Huawei’s access to US components and technology, including Google’s music and other smartphone services, was cut off last year. Those penalties were tightened in May when the White House barred vendors worldwide from

Lithuania is concerned at the possibility of Russia using the crisis in Belarus to intervene with military forces, its foreign minister has told Sky News. Linas Linkevicius said he personally doubted it would happen, but as military assistance had openly been discussed by embattled Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin, such a

Dominic Raab has said Britain does not accept the results of the “fraudulent” election in Belarus. The UK’s foreign secretary has called for an urgent investigation into the ballot’s “serious flaws”. Mr Raab also condemned acts of violence by the Belarusian authorities to suppress peaceful protests following the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. He said

Wearing a face mask is to become mandatory in public places in Italy overnight while nightclubs have been ordered to close due to a spike in coronavirus cases, according to reports. Masks will need to be worn where social distancing is not possible between 6pm and 6am, while the closure of nightclubs and dance halls

There is no escaping from the trauma in Beirut. Hospitals inundated with victims of the explosion are now filling with protesters injured by the security forces.  Firas Hamdan told me he was out on the streets protesting last Saturday, and while filming a live broadcast on Facebook he was almost killed. You can see the

Two men on death row in Thailand for the murders of two British backpackers have had their sentences commuted to life in prison. Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin, migrant workers from Myanmar, were sentenced to death in 2015 after being found guilty of murdering David Miller, 24, and murdering and raping Hannah Witheridge, 23. Their

The young man smiled as he recalled three days of brutal beatings by riot police in Belarus detention after protesters rejected the re-election of longstanding leader Alexander Lukashenko. He said it is his way of coping with the terror and injustice. So, too, is speaking out. Igor Kviatko, 23, told Sky News he was hauled