World

Human remains have been found in a New Zealand coal mine more than a decade after one of the country’s worst industrial disasters, police have said. Twenty-nine men were killed after a series of methane gas explosions ripped through the Pike River mine on the west coast of the South Island in November 2010. Two

Teenager Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted of all charges after pleading self-defence over the killings of two people shot dead during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The fierce, televised clashes between the prosecution and defence attorneys continued until the very end of this hugely anticipated, widely followed murder trial. Lasting just two

Ireland is introducing new COVID-19 restrictions including a midnight closing time for pubs, nightclubs and restaurants as the country battles a fourth wave of infections. The measures, which come into effect from Friday, will also see household contacts of those with COVID required to restrict their movements for five days, even if they have been

A “reckless and irresponsible” Russian weapons test has created more than 1,500 pieces of debris now endangering the seven crew aboard the International Space Station, US officials have said. Crew members were forced to take emergency measures on Monday after debris floated dangerously close by – and took cover in their docked capsules amid fears

After a week shivering in sodden woodland, the largest group of migrants stuck between the serried ranks of Belarusian and Polish border guards decided to move. We were en route to their camp but they had other plans. “It’s too cold and we are in a place that’s quite open, we have no protection from the

Austria is placing millions of people not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in lockdown as of today as Europe becomes the epicentre of the pandemic once again. Anyone over the age of 12 who has not been double-jabbed is now only allowed to leave their homes for work, school, exercise and buying essential supplies – with

Driving through the Bialowieza forest – next to Poland’s border with Belarus – a green light shines out from the porch of a house. The bulb throwing off a luminous hue into the darkness around. Pulling up to look, the owner comes out to talk. The green light is part of local movement offering help

The world was hoping for a lot from China at COP26. Or, at least, something. But there were no major new pledges from the world’s biggest polluter. That shouldn’t be a surprise: you only have to listen to the man who wasn’t there – President Xi Jinping. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible

A new draft climate deal has been published in Glasgow this morning as COP26 talks spill over and could last well into Saturday after passing the original deadline. Negotiators were given a new draft of the final agreement early on Saturday, which kept controversial phrasing on fossil fuel commitments. It calls on countries to accelerate

The Netherlands will return to a partial lockdown from Saturday amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, its government has announced. Under the three-week lockdown, bars, restaurants and supermarkets will have to close at 8pm, while professional sports matches will be played in empty stadiums. Stores selling non-essential items will have to close at 6pm, and

World leaders have reached the most significant climate change pact since the landmark Paris Agreement, following a turbulent two weeks of fraught negotiations in Glasgow. With a stroke of the gavel, COP26 President Alok Sharma has brought the talks to a close after almost 200 nations finally reached consensus on how to navigate the climate

A key commitment on fossil fuels has been watered down in a draft of the final agreement between nearly 200 nations at the COP26 climate summit – and the latest text has sparked a backlash from campaigners. An earlier draft text had stated that nations should pledge “to accelerate the phase-out of coal and subsidies

A promise to end fossil fuel subsidies must not disappear from a final COP26 agreement despite opposition, the European Union’s climate policy chief has warned. Major fossil fuel exporters including Saudi Arabia and Australia have been accused of trying to water down or remove a section in the draft version that calls for an accelerated

Clinical trials are starting for a new Ebola vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, designed to tackle the two strains responsible for nearly all outbreaks and deaths worldwide. The university has launched a Phase I trial to test the vaccine in human volunteers, with the first jabs taking place today. The study is currently recruiting

Two groups of migrants have reportedly managed to cross the border from Belarus into Poland, amid accusations that Belarusian forces have fired shots into the air near a makeshift camp. Poland’s Defense Ministry posted a video on Twitter with noises of what sounded like shots in a border area. The footage cannot be independently verified

At least 16 UN workers have been “detained against their will” in war-torn Ethiopia, while British nationals have been told to leave the African nation immediately. Since Ethiopia declared a state of emergency last week, the government has been able to arrest anyone suspected of being involved with a terrorist group without needing a court

A group of migrants have camped overnight on the far side of Poland’s eastern border in Belarus. Polish police posted a video on Tuesday, which showed the migrants were met with riot police and coils of razor wire, but officers said the situation overnight was calm. That followed a day of heavy tensions on the

The absence of President Jair Bolsonaro at the critical UN summit in Glasgow is not a problem, Brazil’s top climate diplomat has told Sky News. Asked if it was embarrassing that the President had not attended COP26, Paulino de Carvalho Neto said: “Not really. He had other things to do. We have a huge delegation

Satellite images have revealed that China has built mock-ups of US warships in its northwestern desert. The images captured by Colorado-based satellite imagery company Maxar Technologies dated on Sunday show the outlines of a US aircraft carrier and at least one destroyer that sits on a railway track. It comes as China has made a

A French police official has been injured after being stabbed with a knife in Cannes, the country’s interior minister has said. Gerald Darmanin tweeted that his attacker has been “neutralised”. He added that he would go to the scene of the incident later on Monday. Meanwhile, David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes, said in a