Uncategorized

BEIJING (AP) — A week after China dramatically eased some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 containment measures, uncertainty remained Thursday over the direction of the pandemic in the world’s most populous nation. While there are no official indications yet of the massive surge of critically ill patients some feared, social media posts, business closures and other anecdotal evidence suggest huge numbers of people are being infected. In Beijing and elsewhere, […]

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The family of an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority who died last year after allegedly being beaten by Palestinian security forces said Thursday it has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the death. Nizar Banat was a harsh critic of the PA, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and had called on Western nations to cut off aid to it because […]

LONDON (AP) — British media: Former tennis champion Boris Becker released from prison ahead of deportation. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities on Thursday said one person was killed and 11 were wounded when Afghan Taliban forces fired mortars toward civilians near the southwestern Chaman border crossing, reflecting increasing tension between the neighboring nations. The latest violence follows a series of deadly incidents and attacks that have strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers in recent months. It was not immediately clear what preceded the […]

HONG KONG (AP) — The company that assembles Apple Inc.’s iPhones has announced it is easing COVID-19 restrictions at its largest factory in China that led thousands of workers to quit and drastically slowed production. Foxconn Technology Group said in a statement on one of its official WeChat social media accounts that it would end the so-called “closed loop” system at the facility in Zhengzhou, central China, that required workers […]

PARIS (AP) — A car in the southern French city of Montpellier “violently hit” and killed a boy as crowds celebrated France’s victory in the World Cup semi-final, according to local regional authorities. The driver fled the scene, but the vehicle was found nearby and police were investigating what might have caused the vehicle to strike the child, Herault authorities said. Video emerged on Twitter showing a car being driven […]

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s central bank Thursday raised its key interest rate by a quarter-percentage point, saying the move was “still needed to dampen inflation.” Norges Bank said inflation — which reached 6.5% in November — has “risen rapidly” and “is markedly above target.” The hike, which brought its key policy rate to 2.75%, was a slower pace than the U.S. Federal Reserve took Wednesday and Swiss National bank […]

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s central bank is expected to deliver its ninth straight interest rate hike Thursday, though it will likely be smaller than last month’s outsized increase as inflation shows signs of easing. Most economists expect the Bank of England to raise its key interest rate by half a percentage point, taking it to 3.5%. That would put it in line with the U.S. Federal Reserve, which hiked its […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all American households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter. After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available to all U.S. households through covidtests.gov starting Thursday, a senior administration official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the program. COVID-19 cases […]