2019 was the second hottest year on record and ended the hottest decade in history, the European Union’s climate monitoring service said yesterday.

Americans travelling in China should avoid animals and contact with sick people as the country grapples with a mystery pneumonia outbreak, the US embassy in China said yesterday.

The Philippines is preparing to evacuate thousands of Filipinos working in the Middle East as regional tensions rise following the killing of a top Iranian commander by the United States.

Germany will withdraw some of its troops deployed as part of the anti-IS coalition in Iraq, the defence ministry said yesterday, in the latest fallout over the US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.

The number of wildlife estimated to have died in Australia’s wildfire catastrophe has skyrocketed to more than 1 billion, according to wildlife experts.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido and a rival lawmaker, Luis Parra, both claimed to be Venezuela’s parliament speaker on Sunday following two separate votes and accusations of a “parliamentary coup.”

Australia saw its first glimpse of respite after months of deadly fires this weekend when rain and cooler temperatures moved in.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday testified in his legal case against a Spanish private security firm that he claims spied on him while he was holed up in the Ecuadoran embassy in London.

A scorching heatwave intensified bushfires ravaging parts of Australia yesterday, and out-of-control blazes surrounding Sydney worsened under “catastrophic” conditions.

Russia hits out at the US decision to impose sanctions on companies working on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will transport Russian gas to Europe.

Here are the main points from Queen Elizabeth II’s speech in parliament yesterday setting out the British government’s legislative programme:

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday put Britain’s departure from the EU at the top of the agenda, as Queen Elizabeth II read out his plans for government in a parliamentary ceremony following a sweeping election win.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen yesterday warned that failing to rapidly negotiate a new trade deal after Brexit would hurt Britain more than it would the EU.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was seeking yesterday to outlaw extending the Brexit transition period beyond the end of 2020, as he prepared to put the EU divorce deal before MPs.

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, yesterday warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he could not keep Scotland in the United Kingdom against the country’s will.

It was a straight forward message: “Get Brexit done.” The mantra of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party during the national election campaign was aimed at harnessing voter frustration at a parliamentary logjam over Britain’s exit from the European Union. It worked.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party secures a majority in a landslide election victory, results showed on Friday.

It was a straight forward message: “Get Brexit done.” The mantra of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party during the national election campaign was aimed at harnessing voter frustration at a parliamentary logjam over Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Bangladeshi-origin candidates Tulip Siddiq, Rushanara Ali and Rupa Huq are were re-elected as parliament members in the UK national election.

The British pound surged more than 2% on Thursday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party looked set for a decisive election victory that markets believe makes an orderly exit from the European Union all but certain.