President Nicolás Maduro’s party and his allies have won in Venezuela’s legislative elections that were boycotted by the main opposition parties. The win gives Maduro control of the last major

China’s exports rose at the fastest pace in almost three years in November, as strong global demand for goods needed to ride out the pandemic landed the world’s second-largest economy

Large parts of the US state of California are facing a strict new lockdown, as Covid-19 cases surge across the state and the country. The stay-at-home order affects around 85%

US President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is being treated in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. The president wrote in a tweet: “Get better soon Rudy, we will carry

A resolution of the Gulf diplomatic crisis is in sight, with all nations involved “on board” and final agreement expected soon, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

Pfizer Inc has applied for emergency use authorisation of its coronavirus vaccine in India, media said on Sunday, the first to do so in a country with the world’s second-highest

A Chinese probe that landed on the moon transferred rocks to an orbiter Sunday in preparation for returning samples of the lunar surface to Earth for the first time in

Russia is starting its Covid-19 vaccination programme, with clinics in the capital Moscow inoculating those most at risk from the virus. Its own vaccine Sputnik V, which was registered in

US President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of nearly all US troops stationed in Somalia by January 15, according to the Pentagon. The nearly 800 troops represent a small

President-elect Joe Biden says Americans won’t be forced to take a coronavirus vaccine when one becomes available in the US. It comes as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for

At least 30,000 prisoners in Thailand have been pardoned, and 200,000 others will have their sentences reduced following a royal decree issued on the eve of the birthday of the

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has expressed optimism that the three-year boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations, including the kingdom, may be nearing an end. “We’ve made significant progress in

President-elect Joe Biden said Friday’s “grim” jobs report shows the economic recovery is stalling, and urged the US Congress to pass a coronavirus relief bill immediately and follow up with

Next year is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe and rich countries must not trample poor countries in a “stampede for vaccines” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, top UN

Britain will pay individuals who suffer any severe side-effects from Covid-19 vaccines under an existing programme, the government said on Thursday, ahead of a rollout of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine

A top US intelligence official stepped up the Trump administration’s harsh attacks on Beijing on Thursday, labelling China the biggest threat to democracy and freedom worldwide since World War Two

Hundreds of Ethiopian Jews have been airlifted to Israel – the first of several thousand waiting to emigrate there in a long-running saga. Most of their community has lived in

Outspoken Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been refused bail on a fraud charge amid a growing crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous city. Jimmy Lai

Record-high coronavirus infections and hospitalisations have been reported in the US, with fears they will not slow in the run-up to Christmas. On Wednesday, the country recorded its single-worst daily

The US House of Representatives has passed a law to kick Chinese companies off US stock exchanges if they do not fully comply with the country’s auditing rules, giving President