World

The risk of political violence increases when people are unable to agree on facts, a leading author on disinformation has warned, as the US braces for more protests from Donald Trump supporters ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration. Professor Thomas Rid explained how information can be used as a weapon – by hostile foreign states and

Poisoned Putin critic Alexei Navalny has arrived in Russia, where he faces the threat of arrest. The Russian dissident flew back from Germany where he had been recovering after being exposed to the Soviet-era novichok nerve agent in August. The plane he was travelling on had been scheduled to land at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport but

Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of the Uganda presidential election with 58.64% of the total votes, according to the country’s electoral commission. The incumbent will now serve a sixth term as president of the east African nation following some of the worst pre-election violence since the 76-year-old took office in 1986. His main

India has began its ambitious project of vaccinating its 1.3 billion citizens – as it aims to administer 300 million jabs by August. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the voluntary vaccination programme at 3,006 locations across the country this morning. About 300,000 health workers will be vaccinated today and the numbers will increase as more

With shaking hands, broadcast live to the nation, a doctor administered Indonesia’s first COVID-19 vaccination. The recipient was President Joko Widodo, a man who hopes to get 181.5 million Indonesians vaccinated this year. It’s a huge challenge, almost three times the population of the UK and so far one of the largest rollouts in the

The Dutch government led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte has resigned over a childcare subsidies scandal. Mr Rutte, who leads the conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy as part of a four-party ruling coalition, stepped down following a cabinet meeting. In a statement, Mr Rutte said: “We are of one mind that if the

France is introducing strict new controls from Monday for anyone entering the country from outside the EU, including hauliers travelling from the UK. Prime Minister Jean Castex has said a PCR test with a negative result must be produced before entering France. The insistence on the PCR test, rather than the much quicker, but potentially

World Health Organisation experts have arrived in Wuhan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese state media has confirmed. The team of 10 virologists and other scientists will spend around a month in the Chinese city where COVID-19 first emerged over a year ago. After spending the first two weeks in quarantine, the

Italy’s biggest mafia trial in decades has begun, with more than 300 defendants linked to the powerful crime group, the ‘Ndrangheta, to appear amid high security. The prosecutor overseeing the case has been called a “dead man walking” by some members of the mafia – but insists he won’t be intimidated. Here’s the lowdown on

Alexei Navalny – a long-time critic of Vladimir Putin – has said he will return home to Russia after recovering from being poisoned, despite the risk of arrest when he arrives. The opposition politician announced on Wednesday that he will fly back on Sunday from Germany where he has been recovering after coming into contact

More than 170 individuals are being investigated over their involvement in last week’s riot at the US Capitol – and 70 have been charged. Washington DC’s top federal prosecutor says investigators are working towards charging people with assault and seditious conspiracy. The number of people who are charged over the deadly unrest is expected to

Unmarried mothers in Ireland faced a “brutally misogynistic culture” for decades, a minister has said after the publication of a report into the deaths of 9,000 children and babies. A five-year investigation by a judicial commission of investigation details how the children died at institutions for unmarried mothers and their babies between 1922 and 1998.

The Trump administration has re-designated Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism” – hitting the country with new sanctions just days before Joe Biden takes office. Barack Obama had removed the communist island from the list in 2015, in what was regarded as one of his biggest foreign policy achievements – helping to restore diplomatic

Pakistan has started a five-day vaccination campaign to try to protect tens of millions of children against polio. The coronavirus threat will make things more challenging than previous efforts, with workers having to wear masks and gloves as they go door to door around the country. It’s hoped 40 million children can be vaccinated and

Israel’s health minister has urged countries simply to “get out there” if they want to replicate his country’s vaccination success. Speaking to Sky News, Yuli Edelstein said that expert logistics, early procurement, close co-operation with the manufacturer and Israeli innovation had all been combined to make the country a clear leader in the global vaccination

A desperate relative hoping survivors will be found following a plane crash in Indonesia has urged people to pray for his family as he awaits news. Irfansyah Riyanto’s mother and father, as well as his sister and her two children, were all on the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ 182 which disappeared on Saturday. The Boeing