US President Joe Biden has called the Omicron Covid-19 variant a "cause for concern, not a cause for panic" a day after it was detected in North America. He said he saw no need for a new lockdown "for now... if people are vaccinated and wear their masks". Cases

Barbados has officially removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and become the world's newest republic. In an overnight ceremony in the capital, Bridgetown, Dame Sandra Mason was sworn in as president. The Prince of Wales and Barbadian singer Rihanna attended the event,

In the past week a heavily mutated Covid variant has been identified, rapidly labelled a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization and named Omicron. It has been detected in countries including the UK. It is a rapidly evolving situation. Omicron's genetic

The US will restrict travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries to try to contain a new coronavirus variant spreading there. From Monday, only US citizens and residents will be allowed to travel from the region. This follows a similar flight ban imposed by

Net immigration to the United Kingdom fell by almost 90 percent last year to its lowest level since 1993 due to the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit, official figures showed on Thursday. The Office for National Statistics released a first provisional estimate showing that 34,000 more

The UK and France will keep "all options on the table" as they try to stop migrants crossing the Channel. The UK prime minister and French president said trafficking gangs were risking lives, after 27 people died on Wednesday in the worst-recorded migrant tragedy in the

At least 45 people, including 12 children, have died after a bus crashed and caught fire in western Bulgaria, officials say. The incident happened on a motorway at about 02:00 local time (00:00 GMT) near the village of Bosnek, south-west of the capital Sofia. The bus was registered

Five people have been killed and more than 40 injured after a car ploughed into a parade in the US state of Wisconsin, police say. Footage shows a red SUV driving through a Christmas parade in the city of Waukesha, west of Milwaukee, at around 16:40 local time (22:40 GMT). Police

Sudan's ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is to be reinstated, after being placed under house arrest during a sudden military coup last month. All political detainees will be released as part of a new agreement between the military, civilian leaders and ex-rebel groups,

Israeli occupation forces shot dead a Palestinian man after he carried out a shooting and stabbing attack that killed an Israeli settler and wounded three others, including two police officers. The violence occurred on Sunday morning in the Old City, at the Bab al-Silsila (Chain Gate)

Fresh unrest has erupted in the Netherlands against new lockdown rules amid rising Covid-19 cases in Europe. People hurled fireworks at police and set fire to bicycles in The Hague, one night after protests in Rotterdam turned violent and police opened fire. Thousands of

US President Joe Biden has said he is angry after a teenager who shot dead two men during racial unrest last year in Wisconsin was cleared. The president expressed dismay at the verdict in a written statement after earlier telling reporters he supported the jury's decision. Kyle

US Vice-President Kamala Harris became the first woman to - briefly - be given presidential powers while Joe Biden underwent a regular health check. Ms Harris, 57, was in control for 85 minutes, while Mr Biden was placed under anaesthesia for a routine colonoscopy on Friday. Mr

Sex offenders convicted of multiple rapes in Pakistan could face chemical castration after Parliament passed a new legislation that aims to speed up convictions and impose tougher sentences. The bill is a response to public outcry against a recent spike in cases of women and children

The UN envoy for Afghanistan says the country is “on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe”, urging the international community to find ways to provide financial support to the Afghan people, who “feel abandoned”. Deborah Lyons said an estimated 60 percent of

Global wealth tripled over the last two decades, with China leading the way and overtaking the US for the top spot worldwide, Bloomberg reported. A report by McKinsey & Co. that examines the national balance sheets of ten countries representing more than 60 per cent of the

On the morning of 16 November, President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden. The two sides had thorough and in-depth communication and exchanges on issues of strategic, overarching and fundamental importance shaping the development of China-US relations and on

US President Joe Biden called for better and more “honest” communication between China and the US during a virtual call with Chinese President Xi Jinping where both leaders played up their close relationship. The two leaders were holding discussions over video conference at

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who married her partner Asser Malik last week, has addressed the "concerns" about marriage she had previously voiced to British Vogue. Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, the 24-year-old Pakistani women's rights activist

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit on Monday as tensions between the countries deepen. The competing superpowers surprised many last week by issuing a joint declaration to address climate change, at talks in Glasgow, Scotland. But