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Leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has arrived back in Russia where he faces the threat of arrest, just five months after he nearly died after being poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. Mr Navalny, who announced on Wednesday that he planned to return, said he was “very happy” as he boarded a plane in Berlin bound for Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on Sunday. It remains to be seen what reception awaits him in Moscow. On Thursday, Russia’s prison service said he faced immediate arrest on his return.

Firefighters did not arrive at Manchester Arena until two hours after the suicide bombing, only one paramedic entered the blast scene in the first 40 minutes, and Greater Manchester police (GMP) did not declare a major incident until the following day, the inquiry into the terror attack has heard. The Manchester Arena inquiry, which resumed on Monday, moved to examine the response of the emergency services to the tragedy. The inquiry heard evidence about the deaths of two of the victims, John Atkinson, 28, and Saffie-Rose Roussos – at age eight, the youngest to die in the attack. “Most of those who died suffered injuries in the bombing that were, on the expert evidence, unsurvivable even with current advanced medical treatment,” said the counsel to the inquiry, Paul Greaney QC. But where Atkinson and Saffie-Rose were concerned, Greaney said: “A different response may have led to a different outcome.”

The migrant camp, Moria, on Lesbos was nearly burned down last year. It is unclear exactly how the fires started, but Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said the "incidents in Moria began with the asylum seekers because of the quarantine imposed". Some of the 35 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 had reportedly refused to move into isolation with their families. Mr Mitarachi did not say, however, that the fires were a deliberate act of arson aimed at destroying the camp. Michalis Fratzeskos, deputy mayor for civil protection, told ERT the blaze was "premeditated". Migrant tents had been empty, he said, and arsonists had "taken advantage of strong winds".

The largest migrant camp in Greece, on Lesbos, was burned down by fire. Fires broke out in more than three places in a short space of time, local fire chief Konstantinos Theofilopoulos told state television channel ERT. Some protesting migrants hindered firefighters who tried to tackle the flames, he said. The main blaze, which was initially fanned by high winds, was put out by Wednesday morning, although Mr Theofilopoulos said there were still some small fires burning inside some containers at the site.

Fires have destroyed Greece's largest migrant camp, an overcrowded facility on the island of Lesbos, leaving nearly 13,000 people without shelter. Some 20 firefighters battled the blaze at the Moria camp - designed for fewer than 3,000 people - as migrants, many suffering from smoke exposure, fled. Greece's migration minister said the fires "began with the asylum seekers", but did not elaborate. Police blocked roads from the camp to prevent migrants entering nearby towns. Many attempted to carry their belongings to the port town of Mytilene but access was cordoned off. Reports suggest many slept in fields after the fire. EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson has said she has agreed to finance the transfer of 400 unaccompanied teenagers and children to accommodation on the mainland.

Faced with the likelihood that his party will lose its Senate majority and fed up with a group of Republican senators pushing an effort to invalidate the Electoral College vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a stunning and searing rebuke of the President and many within the GOP. "The voters, the courts, and the states have all spoken," McConnell said from the floor of the Senate Wednesday afternoon. "If we overrule them all, it would damage our republic forever. ... If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral. We'd never see the whole nation accept an election again." The phrase ‘Et tu, Brute’ springs to mind!

There never has been a clearer case made out for the utility of law and lawyers than the so-called Salmond Inquiry in the Scottish Parliament. The “Committee on the Scottish government handling of harassment complaints” to give it its correct title, has thus far failed to unearth the truth about the machinations within the Scottish government quite simply because it isn’t equipped to do so. Inevitably there is strong suspicion that this Committee was given the job precisely because it would have insufficient expertise or powers to investigate adequately. The Committee members appear to have worked extremely hard at carrying out their task. But without counsel to their inquiry, indeed not even a legal assessor assisting them, they have no chance of digging to the bottom of this murky affair. The revolving door system for many witnesses is just pathetic. The witness gives evidence; the Committee subsequently discovers that it’s nonsensical and so recall that witness - in some cases more than once.

Russell T Davies has said he believes only gay actors should play gay characters. The former Doctor Who writer has said he only cast gay actors in his new channel 4 drama It's A Sin following the story of three young men in London in 1981 at the beginning of the HIV epidemic. Davies told Radio Times: “I'm not being woke about this but I feel strongly that if I cast someone in a story, I am casting them to act as a lover, or an enemy, or someone on drugs or a criminal or a saint. “They are not there to ‘act gay’ because ‘acting gay’ is a bunch of codes for a performance. This is Woke going Nuts.

Donald Trump will be remembered as the first president to be impeached twice. He insists that the election was stolen, summoned his supporters to Washington to protest the certification of the Electoral College vote, told them that only through strength could they take back their country, and Antifa mingled amongst the crowd who had been let in and agitated the trouble.

A man found guilty of a charge under the Terrorism Act of possessing weapons has been jailed for a decade with an extended period on licence “to protect the public” from him. Gabrielle Friel was found guilty of possessing the weapons at various locations in Edinburgh in 2019, including his home, a social work centre and a hospital, in circumstances which gave rise to the “reasonable suspicion that possessing them was for a purpose connected with terrorism”. The 22-year-old appeared via video link at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, where Lord Beckett imposed the 10-year sentence – backdated to August 19 2019 – with a five-year extension subject to licence.

EU leaders have arranged an urgent meeting with AstraZeneca executives after the company unexpectedly slashed its supply of vaccines to the bloc.The vaccine makers have blamed the EU's supply chain for their failure to deliver the promised 80million vaccines by the end of March as part of a £300million deal. AstraZeneca, which developed its shot with Oxford University, said on Friday they could only offer 31million vaccines in the first quarter, a cut of 60 per cent.

In new research based on a nationwide survey of 1,500 Americans, it’s found that years of racially targeted policing is leading people to question the fairness and legitimacy of the police, such that 40 percent believe that the police should be defunded. Regardless of respondents’ race, they find that concerns about the under-protection and over-regulation of Black communities may be threatening the public support that police fundamentally rely upon.

Shortly after 1 p.m. ET Wednesday hundreds of pro-Trump protesters pushed through barriers set up along the perimeter of the Capitol, where they tussled with officers in full riot gear, some calling the officers "traitors" for doing their jobs. About 90 minutes later, police said demonstrators got into the building and the doors to the House and Senate were being locked. Shortly after, the House floor was evacuated by police. Vice President Mike Pence was also evacuated from the chamber, where he was to perform his role in the counting of electoral votes. The barriers were actually moved for them, but why let a bit of truth get in the road.

The US Capitol is once again secured but four people are dead -- including one woman who was shot -- after supporters of President Donald Trump breached one of the most iconic American buildings, engulfing the nation's capital in chaos after Trump urged his supporters to fight against the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes that will confirm President-elect Joe Biden's win.

A long-awaited trade deal between the UK and the EU has been struck just days before the deadline. The treaty will apply from 1 January 2021 and take over from the arrangements under the transition period, which has seen the UK continue to follow most EU rules since Brexit day. Announcing the news, Boris Johnson said beating coronavirus was his "number one national priority" so he wanted to "end any extra uncertainty" by giving the country "the best possible chance of bouncing back strongly" in 2021.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described his post-Brexit trade deal with the EU as a "cakiest treaty", in an interview with the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg about barriers, exports, and the coronavirus tier system. MPs voted to approve the post-Brexit trade deal by 521 to 73 votes. The bill - which will bring the agreement with the EU into UK law - is expected to pass through all of its parliamentary stages by the end of the day. Boris Johnson was asked how he can justify his claim that people will now be able to do more business with the European Union:

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has apologised after she breached Covid rules by taking off her face mask at a funeral wake. A photograph published in the Scottish Sun showed the First Minister chatting to three women in a bar while standing at a distance but without wearing a mask. Under Scottish Government coronavirus rules, customers in hospitality venues must wear a face covering except when seated and must wear one when moving around. Ms Sturgeon was attending a funeral wake for a Scottish Government civil servant. She said: “Last Friday, while attending a funeral wake, I had my mask off briefly. This was a stupid mistake and I’m really sorry. “I talk every day about the importance of masks, so I’m not going to offer any excuses. “I was in the wrong, I’m kicking myself, and I’m sorry.”

The Queen has broadcast her annual address in the Christmas Message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. She acknowledged the “difficult and unpredictable times” of the past year, saying “there is hope in the new dawn.” She also paid thanks to the efforts of health workers and community volunteers in the UK and around the world. This Lady is a National Treasure and an Amazing Inspiration.

Captain Sir Tom Moore was knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle after raising more than £32m for NHS charities by walking 100 laps of his garden. Captain Sir Tom said it was "an absolutely outstanding day, I am absolutely overawed." "This is such a high award and to get it from Her Majesty as well - what more can anyone wish for? This has been an absolutely magnificent day for me."

"Black Out Tuesday" was held globally on June 2 in response to the death of George Floyd in the US, which sparked anti-racism protests across the UK. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets and a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled and dumped in Bristol Harbour, the same month the UK's coronavirus death toll mounted 50,000. Non-essential shops were permitted to open, crowds flocked to beaches amid balmy conditions and Leicester became the first area to have a local lockdown imposed following a spike of cases in the city. Elsewhere in June, a decision to extend the children's food voucher scheme into the summer holidays became the latest in a string of U-turns performed by the Government during the pandemic.

A grim milestone was passed when the hospital death toll reached 10,000 in early April, the same month concerns were raised about the situation in care homes and a lack of protective personal equipment (PPE) for healthcare staff. Sir Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party the day before the Queen addressed the nation, saying if we "remain united and resolute" in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, "we will overcome it". Later that month - as testing targets were made and PPE shortages dominated headlines - the Prime Minister told the country it was "passing through the peak" of the outbreak.

Manchester Arena bomb-plotter Hashem Abedi, 23, was found guilty of 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life in March, and was later handed a record 55-year jail term. Scores of major sporting and cultural events were suspended that month, along with local elections, as the UK's coronavirus death toll continued to rise. Experts and politicians accepted the virus could no longer be contained as the country moved to the "delay" phase, while Britons travelling abroad were urged to return, employees told to work from home and schools were closed.

Storm Ciara battered the country in early February, just weeks before mass flooding was exacerbated by Storm Dennis. Sajid Javid quit as chancellor in a dramatic reshuffle in February and was replaced by his former deputy at the Treasury, Rishi Sunak, in the biggest shock of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's shake-up of his ministerial team. Mr Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds announced they were engaged and expecting a baby, on the same day the Home Office's top civil servant Sir Philip Rutnam resigned, accusing Home Secretary Priti Patel of bullying.

While coronavirus may have dominated 2020, Brexit was back on the cards in early January and the UK formally left the EU on 31st January, beginning an 11-month transition period. No doubt influenced by Brexit, the term ‘Megxit’ was coined a week into the new year when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced plans to step back as senior royals. It was later revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that the UK's earliest known coronavirus death occurred in the week ending January 31, the same week the country's first cases were reported.

As revellers celebrated the start of a new decade last New Year's Eve, authorities in China confirmed doctors were treating more than a dozen cases of "pneumonia of unknown cause" in the city of Wuhan. This unknown virus, which would later be named Covid-19, led to a global crisis in 2020, with more than a million lives lost and the world facing one of mankind’s biggest challenges in the 21st century. Borders slammed shut, economies plunged and unprecedented peacetime measures were imposed on populations all over the world as global leaders responded to a health crisis which has changed the course of history.