World

MARACAIBO, Venezuela  (Reuters) – It took accountant Anibal Pirela six days of travel and $7,000 to reach Austin, Texas from Maracaibo, the capital of Venezuela’s once-flourishing western oil state of Zulia.

(Reuters) – United Airlines and Delta Air Lines yesterday said they had each canceled dozens of Christmas Eve flights, as the spreading COVID-19 Omicron variant takes a toll on its flight crews and other workers.

TOKYO,  (Reuters) – Japanese and U.S. armed forces have drawn up a draft plan for a joint operation for a possible Taiwan emergency, Japan’s Kyodo news agency said on Thursday, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, amid increased tensions between the island and China.

(Reuters) – A Minnesota jury yesterday found former police officer Kimberly Potter guilty of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop when she mistakenly fired her handgun instead of her Taser.

(Reuters) – Four people were injured when a fire erupted yesterday at Exxon’s complex in Baytown, Texas, one of the largest refining and petrochemical facilities in the United States.

 (Reuters) – Four people were injured when a fire erupted today at Exxon’s complex in Baytown, Texas, one of the largest refining and petrochemical facilities in the United States.

GENEVA/JOHANNESBURG,  (Reuters) – South African data offered a glimmer of hope yesterday about the severity of the Omicron coronavirus variant, but World Health Organization officials cautioned that it was too soon to draw firm conclusions as the strain spread across the globe.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States yesterday barred two former Malta government officials and their immediate families from entry, citing suspicions of involvement in significant corruption.

(Reuters) – The United States yesterday authorized Pfizer Inc’s antiviral COVID-19 pill for at-risk people aged 12 and above, making it the first oral treatment and which can be taken at home, providing a potentially important tool in the fight against the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court agreed yesterday to take up disputes over the Biden administration’s nationwide vaccine-or-testing COVID-19 mandate for large businesses and a separate vaccine requirement for healthcare workers.

JERUSALEM,  (Reuters) – A South African study offered pre-Christmas good tidings about the severity of Omicron today as the fast-spreading coronavirus variant forces countries across the world to impose new curbs.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden announced yesterday more federal vaccination and testing sites to tackle a surge in COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant, and said 500 million free at-home rapid tests will be available to Americans starting in January.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has been ordered by the High Court in London to provide a British record of more than 554 million pounds ($733 million) to settle a custody battle with his ex-wife over their two children.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said yesterday that he and conservative Democratic Senator Joe Manchin were “going to get something done” on the president’s proposed social spending and climate legislation.

JERUSALEM,  (Reuters) – Israel announced yesterday that it will offer a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to people older than 60, amid concern about the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

COPENHAGEN,  (Reuters) – Former immigration minister Inger Stojberg, a main architect behind some of Denmark’s tough immigration policies, was voted out of parliament yesterday by her fellow lawmakers following her conviction in a rare impeachment case earlier this month.

LONDON/DUBAI, (Reuters) – Qatar plans to invest at least $10 billion in U.S.

ACCRA, (Reuters) – A brawl broke out on the floor of Ghana’s parliament late yesterday as lawmakers debated a proposed tax on electronic transactions that has divided the house for weeks.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – COVID-19 cases surged in New York City and across the United States over the weekend, dashing hopes for a more normal holiday season, resurrecting restrictions and stretching the country’s testing infrastructure ahead of holiday travel and gatherings.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain’s Supreme Court yesterday ruled to allow in part an appeal by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in a case over whether he or President Nicolas Maduro controls over $1 billion worth of Venezuelan gold stored at the Bank of England.