The largest solar storm in five years is scheduled to hit the Earth Thursday morning, threatening to unleash a torrent of charged particles that could disrupt power grids, GPS and airplane flights.

An Ontario public school board's decision to ban distribution of Gideon Bibles to its young students has unleashed a torrent of threatening calls and hateful emails directed at trustees.

Bombings across Iraq have killed 46 people, striking at police and Shia pilgrims in a torrent of violence that officials had dreaded in the run-up to a Baghdad meeting of the Arab world's top leaders, which the government hoped would showcase the nation's stability.