The Australian cases were the latest indication that the variant may prove hard to contain. First discovered in South Africa, it has since been detected in Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Botswana, Israel and Hong Kong.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Omicron may spread more quickly than other forms, and preliminary evidence suggested there is an increased risk of reinfection.

Global authorities reacted with alarm to the new variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as scientists sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant.

South African scientists say some of the mutations are associated with resistance to neutralising antibodies and enhanced transmissibility, but others are not well understood, so its full significance is not yet clear.

Earlier this month, India identified 10 countries “at risk” that includes Europe, Britain, China, South Africa, and New Zealand, among others.

Early signs from diagnostic laboratories suggest the variant has rapidly increased in the most populated province of Gauteng and may already be present in the country's other eight provinces, they said.

WHO officials warned that the SARS-CoV-2 virus would keep spreading intensely as societies return to the social mixing and mobility of a pre-pandemic period in the run-up to the year-end holidays.

The Emiratis are keen to counter diplomatic clout enjoyed there by Qatar, according to the sources who declined to be name due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Russian troop movements near Ukraine have drawn concern from Kyiv and the United States that it might be considering attacking its neighbour.

Checker's "The Twist," which launched a new dance craze, was awarded the title in 2008 after separate chart runs in 1960 and again in 1962.

Beijing's censorship machine has allowed it to suppress the scandal domestically in China's tightly controlled cyberspace.

The trio are joined by last year's winner Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich, Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea duo N'Golo Kante and Jorginho.

The Homeland Security Investigations questioning follows initial allegations filed in three complaints by 185 migrant workers from Nepal, India and Myanmar against Goodyear Malaysia in the country's industrial court in 2019 and 2020.

Originally shot over 22 days in January 1969, the tapes offer a starkly different portrait of the Liverpool band in the months before their acrimonious split.

The vaccine was authorized for emergency use in people aged 12-15 years by the US Food & Drug Administration in May, and granted full approval for use in people aged 16 and above in August.

Government surveys have estimated that nearly 70% of Indians had been naturally infected by July, following a record rise in infections and deaths in April and May.

Thousands gathered for the latest rally in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, where Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party will seek to hold onto power in state elections due early next year.

An abrupt withdrawal of most foreign development support after the Taliban seized power has sent the economy into freefall, putting a severe strain on the banking system which set weekly withdrawal limits to stop a run on deposits.

The K-Pop band beat rival nominees Ariana Grande, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.

Just as Ambani, India's richest man, has disrupted the country's telecoms industry, the tycoon is intent on shaking up retail distribution, taking on US e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart Inc, expanding fast in India.