Nathalie Charles, even in her mid-teens, felt unwelcome in her Baptist congregation, with its conservative views on immigration, gender and sexuality. So she left.

A NASA spacecraft has officially “touched” the sun, plunging through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona.

NATO is not planning to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, the Western military alliance said on Tuesday, rejecting Russian accusations and a call by Moscow for a moratorium on this kind of weapons in Europe.

France said yesterday it could tighten border controls to protect against the Omicron Covid variant, which is infecting a huge number of people in Britain.

The UN yesterday said it had received credible allegations of over 100 extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August, with most carried out by the Taliban.

At least 50 people were killed when a gas tanker exploded in the Haitian city of Cap-Haitien yesterday morning, according to a local official, with overwhelmed local medics saying the toll was feared to rise.

Indian police are probing a charity started by Mother Teresa, officials said yesterday. Authorities in the western state of Gujarat told AFP they were investigating whether the Missionaries of Charity forced girls in its shelter home there to wear a cross and read the Bible.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a large rebellion among his Conservative lawmakers yesterday in a parliamentary vote over new restrictions to try to curb the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday urged China to cease “aggressive actions” in the Asia-Pacific, speaking during a visit to the region, as Washington seeks to bolster alliances against Beijing.

A truck carrying gasoline exploded in northern Haiti, killing more than 50 people and injuring dozens of others in the latest disaster to hit a country whose troubles deepened greatly this year.

The mayor of a small Brazilian city took polarizing politics to another level when he fought a cage match to settle a score with an ex-councilman.

The United States Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.

Russia said on Monday it may be forced to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe in response to what it sees as NATO's plans to do the same.

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.

A senior Yemeni military commander was among 28 troops killed in fighting between government forces and Huthi rebels for the strategic city of Marib, defence ministry sources said yesterday.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Abu Dhabi’s crown prince yesterday after becoming the first leader of the Jewish state to visit the United Arab Emirates, a year after the establishment of ties.

Three members of the Islamist group Hamas were killed and others injured in a shooting on Sunday in the Palestinian camp of Burj al-Shemali in Lebanon, the group said, blaming the bloodshed on rival forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority.

Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe in the Israeli city of Eilat early yesterday, with several contestants defying pressure to boycott in support of the Palestinians.

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.