Year: 2021

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing Olympic officials say two foreign athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 in ongoing test events for February’s Winter Games, Officials also expressed sympathy for a Polish luge competitor who cracked a kneecap at the Olympics sliding center this week in a crash that has been blamed on human error. The two

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska says she’s running for reelection next year. Her decision to run again pits her against a primary challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Murkowski is the only Republican senator who voted to convict Trump at his impeachment trial earlier

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping emerges from a party conclave this week not only more firmly ensconced in power than ever, but also with a stronger ideological and theoretical grasp on the ruling Communist Party’s past, present and future. That lays the groundwork for him to take a third five-year term as party

By SAM MAGDY and SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Libyan leaders have reaffirmed in Paris their commitment to ensure the success of the country’s political process through long-awaited elections next month. Regional and world powers hope the vote will pull oil-rich Libya out of its decade-old chaos. France hosted an international conference on

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand says it would delay the reopening of nightlife entertainment venues to Jan. 15 despite pleas from the industry to make it sooner. A spokesman for the government’s COVID-19 administration cited concerns about ventilation and inefficient prevention measures in pubs, bars and karaoke joints. Starting in November, Thailand began reopening to fully

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A jury has recommended up to 28 years in prison for a Missouri man found guilty of killing his wife. The jury returned the recommendation early Friday only hours after Joseph Elledge was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Mengqi Ji. The judge will make the official sentence Dec.

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL AP Science Writer GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — No country will see energy needs grow faster in coming decades than India, and even under the most optimistic projections part of that demand will have to be met with dirty coal power — a key source of heat-trapping carbon emissions. The fundamental question for

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s disease control center is calling for people to cancel or avoid large events and to reduce their contacts as the country’s coronavirus infection rate hits the latest in a string of new highs. The center said Friday that Germany’s infection rate climbed to 263.7 new cases

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s preparations for the next coronavirus surge include adding thousands more hospital beds to avoid a situation like last summer when many COVID-19 patients were forced to stay home, even when they needed supplemental oxygen. Japan has the most hospital beds per capita in the world, but

By FRANK JORDANS, ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL and SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Going into overtime, negotiators at U.N. climate talks in Glasgow are still trying to find common ground on phasing out coal, when nations need to update their emission-cutting pledges and, especially, on money. Talks are at a “bit of a stalemate,”

By DREW COSTLEY and SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — In some parts of the U.S., the risks from climate change have intensified enough to raise a startling question: Should some populated places simply be abandoned to nature? One strategy that is gaining traction is so-called managed retreat, which is the

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Nearly two years into a global health crisis that has killed more than 5 million people, infections are again sweeping across parts of Western Europe. That’s in a region with relatively high vaccination rates and good health care systems but where lockdown measures are largely

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The outgoing Honduran president is due to start a three-day surprise visit to Taiwan amid worries by the self-ruled island that the next president of the Central American nation may break off relations and switch to diplomatic ties with Beijing. President Juan Orlando Hernández and his wife will meet Taiwan’s President

By DAVID RISING and SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian court has released five activists, including a prominent labor leader who has been a longtime critic of the government. The Phnom Penh Court of Appeals says it ordered the release of Rong Chhun and four others, but gave no immediate