At least 12 dead in India temple stampede

At least 12 people were killed and several others injured after a stampede at a religious shrine in India.

Putin tells Biden new sanctions could rupture ties

Russia's Vladimir Putin has warned his US counterpart Joe Biden that imposing new sanctions over Ukraine could lead to a complete breakdown in relations.

In pictures: World celebrates Christmas

People across the world are celebrating Christmas - one of the holiest times in the Christian calendar. However, for the second year in a row, there are smaller crowds at church services and other events because of the continuing coronavirus outbreak.

Omicron surge hits hundreds of flights in US

Airlines in the US are continuing to be hit hard by cancellations as a spike in Omicron variant cases causes global travel disruption over Christmas. A quarter of the more than 4,000 flights cancelled worldwide on Friday and Saturday were in the US, according to the website FlightAware.

Ex-India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh retires

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The 41-year-old last played for India in 2016, with his final game being for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April 2021.

Dozens killed in Bangladesh ferry blaze

At least 37 people have been killed and about 100 others injured after a packed ferry caught fire in southern Bangladesh, local officials say. The blaze on the three-decked vessel started mid-river near the town of Jhalakathi as it sailed from the capital Dhaka to the town of Barguna.

Omicron up to 70% less likely to need hospital care

People catching Omicron are 50% to 70% less likely to need hospital care compared with previous variants, a major analysis says. The UK Health Security Agency says its early findings are "encouraging" but the variant could still lead to large numbers of people in hospital.

Daily Covid-19 cases in the UK exceed 100,000 for first time

Daily Covid-19 cases in the UK have exceeded 100,000 for the first time, the latest government figures show. Some 106,122 cases were announced on Wednesday - the latest in a series of record-breaking days for infections.

WHO issues holiday warning over Omicron

"An event cancelled is better than a life cancelled," said WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that "difficult decisions" must be made.

Australia take 2-0 lead over England despite Buttler resistance

England's resistance was eventually broken as Australia completed a 275-run victory in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Needing to bat out the day for a draw with six wickets left, England defied expectation to take the game into the final session.