Ten people have been wounded and 26 are missing after a landslide in southern Norway, police said. One of the victims was critically injured and more than a dozen buildings were swept away early on Wednesday in the municipality of Gjerdrum, about 19 miles north of Oslo. The missing people were from homes in Ask
World
Bangladesh has sent a second group of Rohingya refugees to a remote island, despite concern from human rights groups. About 1,800 refugees were moved from crowded camps in Cox’s Bazar and housed overnight at a transit centre. They then boarded naval ships at Chittagong and set off for the Bay of Bengal on the island
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit Croatia, with reports of injuries and damaged buildings near Zagreb. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the tremor hit 28 miles southeast of the capital city. The same area was struck by a 5.2 magnitude quake on Monday. Croatia’s PM Andrej Plenkovic tweeted to say he was on his
Thailand has brought in a range of new restrictions after the country’s first coronavirus death in nearly two months. Bangkok betting businesses will be shut, while bars, nightclubs and music venues in the capital will be forced to close at midnight until 4 January. It comes as the government tries to contain an outbreak that
A Chinese citizen journalist who reported on the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan has been jailed for four years. A Chinese court handed the term to Zhang Zhan, 37, on grounds of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, her lawyer said. Zhan, the first person known to have been tried on those charges, was among a
Flanked by a police escort, a paramedic emergency vehicle, its hazard lights flashing, speeds through town towards the main hospital. An emergency Christmas delivery handed to medical staff. A small green refrigerated bag then hurried inside the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital, followed by two police officers. The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in the northern Italian
Europe has launched a vaccination programme that it hopes will end the coronavirus pandemic and allow a return to normal life. The European Medicines Agency approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on 21 December and the aim is for all adults to be vaccinated by the end of 2021. Some countries have called on doctors and nurses
George Blake – perhaps the most notorious double agent – has died, but his treachery was not the only scandal to befall Britain’s Secret Service in the 20th century. Blake’s double-crossing is often mentioned alongside the notorious Cambridge spy ring – another group of establishment Britons who leaked countless secrets to the Soviets. It was
South Korean officials have warned of a third wave of coronavirus, as a resurgence in cases continues over the Christmas period. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) recorded 1,132 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, which was the country’s second-highest daily increase after 1,241 on Christmas Day. South Korea has been seen as one
France has reported its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus variant which was first discovered in the UK, the country’s health ministry has said. The case is a French citizen who lives in England and had left London for Tours, France, on 19 December. He is currently self-isolating at home and is said to
The Notre-Dame cathedral choir has sung inside the gothic landmark for the first time since last year’s devastating fire – complete with hard hats and social distancing in place. The 20 singers also wore protective suits as they performed without an audience for the Christmas Eve concert. Members of the public are still not allowed
Like so many of us around the world, the people of Bethlehem have spent the year in and out of lockdown and they are spending Christmas under a strict curfew. It has been a devastating year, but Bethlehem is a town built on a story of faith. Its people have lived through huge challenges and
Brexit talks have continued through the night as hopes were raised that a trade deal could finally be on the brink of being agreed. Sources in London and Brussels told Sky News on Wednesday evening that an agreement could be close. Eric Mamer, the chief spokesman for the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,
The faster-spreading COVID-19 variant believed to behind a surge in cases in England has been detected in Ireland and Northern Ireland, officials say. This relates to the coronavirus strain first revealed by Downing Street last week, named VUI-202012/01 – not the second variant that has since been linked to contacts of travellers from South Africa.
Three police officers have been killed by a gunman who had taken his partner hostage in central France. The gendarmes had been responding to a report of domestic violence at a house in Saint Just, Puy-de-Dome, when the attacker began shooting at them. He then set fire to the building. After a lengthy stand-off, the
Germany has extended its ban on travellers arriving from the UK to 6 January, despite the EU telling countries to lift restrictions to allow essential journeys and minimise trade disruption. “The German government has extended its ban on air passenger flights arriving from the UK to Germany to a ban on all forms of transport