Under the British government’s points-based immigration system -- which will come into force at the start of 2021 -- both EU and non-EU citizens will have to gain 70 points to be eligible to apply for a visa.

The UN is warning of an impending food crisis if swarms of locusts ravaging crops and pasture in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia are not brought under control. The insects have exploited favourable wet conditions after unusually heavy rains.

A truce agreement between the United States and the Taliban could lead to the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. More than 3,500 U.S. and coalition troops and tens of thousands of Afghans have died in the 18-year war.

Democratic candidates would lead President Trump in voting intentions if the 2020 presidential election were to be held today, with Michael Bloomberg claiming the largest numerical lead over Trump, according to Real Clear Politics.

The Democratic Party officially nominates a 2020 presidential candidate at its national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To secure the nomination a candidate needs 1,991 delegates.

A viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 71,000 people globally, as WHO specialists arrive in Beijing for a joint mission with Chinese health experts to tackle the epidemic.

With three billionaires campaigning to be elected U.S. president in 2020, political parties and outside groups are likely to break the previous spending record of $6.51 billion set during the 2016 election.

European aviation giant Airbus is planning to break its own record and boost aircraft deliveries to an all-time high in 2020, as rival Boeing continues to struggle in the aftermath of the 737 MAX crisis.

Popular trust in President Vladimir Putin fell to its lowest in six years in January despite the Russian leader’s approval rating remaining high, according to Moscow-based Levada Centre, Russia’s only independent pollster.

Scientists and researchers around the world are racing to understand the deadly new coronavirus that was first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, as the global number of cases surpasses 45,000.

Australia has identified 113 animal species which need “urgent help” after their populations and habitats were devastated by recent bushfires.

Most U.S. voters feel Donald Trump’s management of the nation’s debt load is on the wrong track, while only a third feel better off financially since Trump became president, according to an FT-Peterson poll.

Since former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg joined the U.S. presidential race last November, he has spent more than $58 million on digital ads, compared with President Donald Trump’s $39 million spent since January 2019.

Syrian government troops, backed by Russian air cover, have taken control of the strategic Damascus-Aleppo highway for the first time since 2012, following weeks of fighting that has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee.

Brazilian far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has unveiled a controversial bill that would allow commercial mining on protected indigenous lands, delivering on a campaign promise that shocked tribal leaders and environmentalists.

The new coronavirus first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan is similar to the one that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and there is evidence it originated in bats, new research suggests.

Christina Koch has set a new record for the longest continuous stay in space by a woman. Her 328-day mission is just 12 days short of Scott Kelly’s all-time U.S. record.

A European Space Agency (ESA) mission aims to make unprecedented observations of the solar surface, including the first-ever views of the sun’s poles.

A massive research effort is under way to understand why the Thwaites glacier is melting so fast. If it collapses, it could trigger catastrophic sea level rise, putting coastal cities around the world at risk.

Newly available data suggests China is now the world’s second-largest arms producer, behind the U.S. and ahead of Russia. China was omitted from previous rankings over its lack of transparency.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the leading greenhouse gas heating the planet. Six other gases are much more powerful but less abundant. In 2018, greenhouse gas emissions reached 51.8 billion tonnes.

Undefeated fighters Deontay Wilder of the U.S. and Britain’s Tyson Fury will do battle again in Las Vegas, with the victor hoping to take on British boxer Anthony Joshua to unify the heavyweight division for the first time since 1999.

After being lit in Olympia, Greece, the Olympic torch will travel to Athens on March 19 and begin its tour of Japan from March 26 to July 24, whereupon it will arrive at Tokyo’s New National Stadium, ready for the opening ceremony.

The 71st Formula One World Championship, comprising 22 races around the world, commences with the Australian Grand Prix and concludes in Abu Dhabi in November.

The high speed course follows the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, just a few minutes from the medina and the souks, with a series of high-speed chicane-punctuated straights.

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez will be defending his title as the 2020 MotoGP season begins at the Qatar GP in March, and concludes, after 20 Grands Prix, in Valencia, Spain in November.

England and Spain are represented by four teams apiece in the Champions League knock-out stages, while three teams each from Italy and Germany, and two from France, complete the Last 16 line-up.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medals are made from 72,000 tonnes of recycled small electronic devices and around six million old and unwanted mobile phones, collected across Japan over two years.

To mark its 60th anniversary, the tournament will be hosted by 12 cities across Europe for the first time, and kicks off with the opening match between Turkey and Italy, in Rome, with the showpiece finale at Wembley Stadium on July 12.

The southern hemisphere’s top rugby union club tournament gets underway. It comprises 120 matches played across three geographical conferences, based in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Five-time champions Sevilla face CFR Cluj of Romania, and Arsenal clash with Olympiacos. Other notable ties of the round include Ajax, Internazionale and Benfica, teams all eliminated from the Champions League.

The FIA’s regulations for the 2020 season include changes that will see a greater responsibility placed on drivers at the start of the race and an increase of MGU-Ks to three throughout the season rather than two. Other changes include the reinstatement of the traditional chequered flag.