Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the collapse of the Soviet Union spelled the end of “historical Russia,” revealing he drove a taxi to make ends meet following the USSR’s fall.

This is going to be our new normal. The effects that we’re seeing from climate change are the crisis of our generation. We do see tornadoes in December, that part is not unusual, but at this magnitude I don’t think we’ve ever seen one this late in the year. But it’s also historic.” 

At least one patient has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday.

Boris Johnson yesterday faced fresh questions about alleged government breaches of coronavirus restrictions after a photo emerged of him at a Christmas event last year.

Countries have until the end of next year to ensure their climate commitments meet the Paris agreement’s cap on global warming. But who will check that their promises really do stack up?

The G7 yesterday said time was running out for Iran to agree a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions, and warned Russia about the consequences of invading Ukraine.

The Pacific territory of New Caledonia goes to the polls today for a third and final referendum on independence from France with campaigning marked by angry demands to call off the vote because of the Covid pandemic.

Mexico has urged Washington to rethink its migration policy after a horror road accident killed 55 undocumented migrants in a truck on a major transit route to the United States.

At the British general election in December 2019, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson campaigned on a pledge to “Get Brexit Done” -- and won by a landslide.

The West and its allies need to be united against authoritarianism, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said yesterday, as she hosted G7 counterparts with concern about threats from Russia and China.

The envoys of seven Western states plus the European Union urged Tunisia on Friday to respect “fundamental freedoms” and set a timeline for a return to democratic institutions.

Champion of press freedom Maria Ressa yesterday said there was “no brighter light” than the Nobel Peace Prize and told AFP that her award was “for all journalists”.

The BBC yesterday urged Iran to end what it said was a mounting campaign of threats and intimidation against its journalists and their families at home and abroad.

Hungary’s constitutional court yesterday struck down a bid by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government to challenge a ruling by the EU’s top court against Budapest’s harsh asylum policy.

A deadline set by France for Britain to grant licences to its fishing boats was set to expire yesterday with Paris threatening legal action unless a last-minute compromise can be found.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed a “convergence of views” with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday as the two men met for their first talks as leaders.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange yesterday moved a step closer to facing criminal charges in the United States for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information after Washington won an appeal over his extradition in an English court.

A sketch that has lain hidden for centuries under the thick layers of paint Rembrandt applied to create “The Night Watch” offers new insight into the Dutch master’s creative process, museum officials said Wednesday.

Olaf Scholz became Germany’s new chancellor yesterday after 16 years with Angela Merkel at the helm, pledging his centre-left-led coalition would offer a “new beginning” for Europe’s top economy.

Australia and Britain will join the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, their prime ministers said