Month: January 2022

By ISABEL DEBRE and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British Council says an Iranian employee arrested in Tehran has been acquitted by a court and is now in the United Kingdom. Aras Amiri was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2019 on widely criticized espionage charges. The British

By RONALD MONTOYA Edmunds 2021 was an unusual year for the automotive industry. While customer demand for new cars rebounded from the economic uncertainty of 2020, automakers found themselves unable to meet that demand because of semiconductor chip shortages and supply chain problems. So what should car shoppers expect for 2022? Much of the same,

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized for attending a garden party during Britain’s first coronavirus lockdown, but brushed aside demands that he resign for breaching the rules his own government had imposed on the nation. The apology Wednesday stopped short of admitting wrongdoing. It was Johnson’s attempt

By DAVID KEYTON Associated Press STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s government says it has earmarked some 6 billion kronor ($661 million) for a temporary scheme to help the most affected households across the Scandinavian country cope with high electricity bills this winter. Some 1.8 million households will likely get help footing soaring bills. Finance Minister Mikkel

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and FRANK JORDANS BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s president has called for a debate over plans for compulsory coronavirus vaccinations in the country, saying such a drastic measure needs to be thoroughly justified. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has backed calls for a vaccine mandate and lawmakers are expected to begin debating a bill later

By HASSAN BARISE Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A large explosion outside the international airport in Somalia’s capital has killed at least eight people and wounded nine others. Dr. Abdulkadir Adam with Medina hospital shared the toll with The Associated Press. Witnesses at the scene said a passing U.N. convoy appeared to be the

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is increasing federal support for COVID-19 testing for schools in a bid to keep them open amid the omicron surge. The White House said Wednesday the administration is making a dedicated stream of 5 million rapid tests and 5 million lab-based PCR tests available

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus infections in the last week globally jumped by about 55% although the number of deaths remained stable. In its latest weekly pandemic report issued on Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said there were about 15 million new COVID-19 cases last week and

By DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has reiterated warnings that Russia is facing a new surge of coronavirus infections because of the highly contagious omicron variant. He said Wednesday that “it’s obvious that we are in a very difficult situation today in a situation on the verge of possible new

By ALICE FUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s legislature has convened for the first time since elections last month that were held under new legislation ensuring that only “patriots” who have proven their loyalty to Beijing could run as candidates. The 90-seat Legislative Council is now completely dominated by Beijing’s allies. Leading

BEIRUT (AP) — Austria’s foreign minister says the European Union wants to help Lebanon escape its economic meltdown – but only if the country’s leaders clean up Beirut’s affairs. Alexander Schallenberg listed some of those reforms Wednesday after meeting his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut. He says Lebanon should reach a deal with the International Monetary

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) — With life in Kazakhstan’s largest city starting to return to normal after anti-government protests turned violent, relatives of the thousands arrested in the unrest are seeking to learn the fate of their loved ones. About 12,000 people are in custody following the unprecedented violence in the Central Asian nation. In the

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Victims of torture in Syria and human rights activists say they hope the upcoming verdict in a landmark trial will be a first step toward justice for countless Syrians who suffered abuse in the country’s long-running conflict. A court in the German city of Koblenz is scheduled

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States and NATO have rejected key Russian security demands for easing tensions over Ukraine. But the allies and Russia also left open the possibility of future talks on arms control, missile deployments and ways to prevent military incidents. The decisions came at a meeting of

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s fragile governing coalition is facing a crisis over tree-planting on disputed land in the Negev desert. Bedouin residents on Tuesday protested the planting by a quasi-governmental organization. Some protesters hurled stones at vehicles on a highway near Beersheba, blocked the railway line and torched a vehicle. Police said two officers were

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court says it will take up a petition seeking prosecution of several saffron-robed Hindu religious leaders for allegedly making highly provocative speeches against Muslims at a closed-door meeting last month. Three Supreme Court judges issued a notice to the Uttarakhand state government that they

By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press MUREHWA, Zimbabwe (AP) — The number of pregnancies among girls and teenagers in Zimbabwe rose dramatically during the pandemic. Zimbabwe has long struggled with such pregnancies and child marriages because of lax enforcement of laws, poverty, and cultural and religious practices. But COVID-19 intensified the situation. The country of 15

By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press MUREHWA, Zimbabwe (AP) — The number of pregnancies among girls and teenagers in Zimbabwe rose dramatically during the pandemic. Zimbabwe has long struggled with such pregnancies and child marriages because of lax enforcement of laws, poverty, and cultural and religious practices. But COVID-19 intensified the situation. The country of 15

By KRISTEN GELINEAU Associated Press SYDNEY (AP) — The omicron variant of the coronavirus has swept across Australia despite its high vaccination rate and strict border policies that kept the country largely sealed off from the world for almost two years. Those measures turned Australia into a virtually COVID-19-free utopia at the start of the

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer HONOLULU (AP) — The Sony Open is a reunion of sorts for three No. 1 amateur players in the world. The mentor is Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama. Joining him at Waialae this year are Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima. Matsuyama is their inspiration. Both remember watching Matsuyama win the

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese minister assigned the task of containing COVID-19 while steering the world’s third largest economy toward growth says Japan must learn to coexist with the coronavirus. Daishiro Yamagiwa said Wednesday he is confident he can carry out that precarious “balancing act.” Japan had managed to

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) — A segment of a 110-year-old Florida Keys bridge has reopened to pedestrians and bicyclists following a $44 million restoration project. Rehabilitation construction on the oft-photographed 2.2-mile span of the Old Seven Mile Bridge began in late 2017.  Nicknamed “Old Seven,” the iconic bridge was completed in 1912 as part of Henry

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean rescuers have resumed their search for six missing construction workers believed to be trapped at a collapsed construction site in the southern city of Gwangju. About 10 vehicles were destroyed and dozens of nearby households and shops were forced to evacuate Tuesday afternoon following the partial collapse of

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mixed in Asia after the latest report of surging prices in the U.S. appeared to keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates in coming months. Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul were lower while Hong Kong and Sydney advanced. U.S. futures declined. On

By JOHN RABY Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice continues to experience moderate symptoms of COVID-19 a day after he tested positive for the virus. Despite being sick and isolating at home, Justice kept in constant communication with his staff during the day Wednesday. Several economic development announcements were made

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Twin panda cubs have made their first public appearance before devoted fans in Tokyo, but they will be on display only briefly for now — over three days — due to a spike in COVID-19 cases driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant. The twins, male cub

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press Democrats are speaking out against school closures even as the omicron variant of COVID-19 puts additional pressures on public schools. That stance risks drawing the anger of some teachers unions and their support for Democratic candidates. Around the country, scattered teachers unions have called for closures, and

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — The late Sen. Harry Reid has been remembered at the U.S. Capitol as a “legendary leader.” And President Joe Biden has paid silent tribute as Reid lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Reid spoke softly but carried the “force

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer Novak Djokovic’s bid to get around rules requiring players at the Australian Open to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is still in limbo. Two panels approved his request for a medical exemption, based on having tested positive in the past six months for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The COVID-19 surge caused by the omicron variant means once-reliable indicators of the pandemic’s progress are much less so, complicating how the media is able to tell the story. The Associated Press is telling its journalists not to rely too much on skyrocketing case counts

By ED WHITE Associated Press FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A judge has heard arguments from lawyers for Michigan’s former health director who wants involuntary manslaughter charges dismissed in the Flint water crisis. It’s been a year since former Gov. Rick Snyder and others were charged for their alleged roles in the switch of Flint’s water