Sri Lanka imposes curfew and blocks social media amid protests

Sri Lanka's government has blocked access to social media and imposed a 36-hour curfew, following protests against food and fuel shortages. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a notice prohibiting anyone from being on any public road, in a park, on trains, or on the seashore, unless they have written permission from the authorities.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan seeks fresh poll amid move to remove him

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the president to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections following an opposition attempt to remove him from office. It follows chaos in parliament over a no-confidence move against him.

Covid vaccines now available for five to 11-year olds in England

Parents and carers of five to 11-year olds in England can book a low-dose Covid vaccine for their children from Saturday morning. Jabs can be booked online and will be available from hundreds of sites from Monday.

Sri Lanka imposes state of emergency amid protests

A nationwide state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka, a day after protests outside the president's house turned violent. Protesters stormed barricades and have been accused of setting vehicles ablaze near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's private residence on Thursday.

Russia sets gas deadline for West

More than five weeks into Russia's war on Ukraine, Moscow has threatened to cut off Western nations from natural gas supplies - something that could affect energy prices across Europe. Vladimir Putin has followed through on weeks of threats by signing a decree that foreign countries must start paying for gas in Russian roubles or it will halt supplies.

Pressure grows for global deal to save nature

A global agreement to reverse the loss of nature and halt extinctions is inching closer, as talks in Geneva enter their final day. International negotiators are working on the text of a UN framework to safeguard nature ahead of a high-level summit in China later this year.

China plane crash: All 132 passengers and crew dead, officials confirm

Chinese officials have confirmed that all 132 passengers and crew died when flight MU5735 crashed on Monday in southern China. The China Eastern flight was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou when it nose-dived and crashed in a heavily-forested area in Guangxi.

Extreme weather warning systems for all 'in five years'

Early warning systems to protect the entire world from extreme weather and climate disasters should be rolled out within five years, according to the UN. Right now, around one-third of the global population has no cover while in Africa 60% of the population is unprotected.

Air disasters timeline since 1998

A chronology of major air disasters since 1998

Chinese plane carrying 132 people crashes in hills

A China Eastern Airlines plane carrying 132 people has crashed in mountains in southern Guangxi province. There were 123 passengers and nine crew members on board the Boeing 737-800, said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAA).