World
Once Australia's COVID-19 hotspot, Victoria goes 28 days without an infection
Australia's second-largest state, Victoria, once the country's COVID-19 hotspot, said on Friday it has gone 28 days without detecting any new infections, a benchmark widely cited as eliminating the virus from the community. The state also has zero active cases after the last COVID-19 patient was discharged from hospital this… Read
S Korea braces for bed shortages as coronavirus cases near nine-month high
South Korea reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Friday, a level unseen in nearly nine months, as a third wave of infections spread nationwide, leaving authorities scrambling to provide more hospital beds. "The situation is extremely serious and acute, as all of the… Read
Trump says he will leave White House if Biden wins Electoral College vote
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, the closest he has come to conceding the Nov. 3 election, even as he reiterated his unfounded claims of massive voter fraud. Speaking to reporters on the Thanksgiving… Read
Pubs to stay shut in many areas of England under virus restrictions
Most people in England will continue to face tight restrictions on socializing and business after a nationwide lockdown ends next week, with pubs and restaurants ordered to remain shut in areas that are home to more than 20 million people. The government announced details on Thursday of three-level regional measures… Read
Merkel urges patience as German virus restrictions extended
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to remain patient with restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus, saying Thursday that with promising vaccines on the way, “there is light at the end of the tunnel.” Addressing parliament the day after agreeing with state governors on extending restrictions through at… Read
Trump and allies still refuse election loss
Monday seemed like the end of President Donald Trump's relentless challenges to the election, after the federal government acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden was the “apparent winner” and Trump cleared the way for cooperation on a transition of power. But his baseless claims have a way of coming back. And back.… Read
Britain defends slashing aid budget
Britain on Thursday defended cuts planned to its overseas aid budget after an outpouring of protests that it marks a life-threatening retreat on the government's ambitions to play a global role after Brexit. Breaking an election manifesto promise, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government says it needs to slash spending… Read
Quebec mosque shooter's 40-year sentence cut almost in half on appeal
A man who shot dead six worshippers at a Quebec mosque in 2017 had his sentence reduced to 25 years in prison Thursday when a Canadian court ruled it was unconstitutional for him to serve consecutive life sentences. Alexandre Bissonnette, who turns 31 next week, was sentenced in 2019 to… Read
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes flight in virus times
The balloons were in the sky and the marching bands took to the streets for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, but coronavirus restrictions meant it was without the throngs of people usually scrambling for a view. Instead of its typical path through Manhattan, this year's parade was… Read
Ethiopia to launch 'final phase' of offensive in Tigray region, says PM
The Ethiopian military will begin the "final phase" of an offensive in the northern Tigray region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday, after an ultimatum expired for Tigrayan forces to surrender. The government had given the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) until Wednesday to lay down their arms or… Read
