Jul 18 Virus transforms hajj in Mecca and future of the pilgrimage By Amr Nabil, Aya Batrawy, Associated Press The pared down hajj of this year and last due to the COVID-19 outbreak not only impacts the ability of people outside Saudi Arabia to fulfill the Islamic obligation but also the billions of dollars annually that Saudi Arabia draws… Continue reading
Jul 18 Merkel tours ‘surreal’ flood scene, vows aid, climate action By Geir Moulson, Associated Press Merkel toured Schuld, a village on a tight curve of the Ahr River in western Germany where many buildings were damaged or destroyed by rapidly rising floodwaters Wednesday night. Continue reading
Jul 18 In U-turn, UK’s Johnson to quarantine after COVID-19 contact By Jill Lawless, Associated Press British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will spend 10 days self-isolating after contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, his office said Sunday — reversing an earlier announcement that he would not have to quarantine. Continue reading
Jul 17 France: Thousands protest against vaccination, COVID passes By Constantin Gouvy, Associated Press In Paris, separate protest marches by the far-right and the far-left wound through different parts of the city. Demonstrations were also held in Strasbourg in the east, Lille in the north, Montpellier in the south and elsewhere. Continue reading
Jul 17 Watch 6:34 COVID-19 update: the delta variant, school openings and more By PBS NewsHour The COVID-19 delta variant has been surging worldwide and in certain areas of the U.S. What will this mean for school openings, and for children not yet eligible for vaccines? And how are vaccine efforts going in America? ProPublica reporter… Continue watching
Jul 17 Watch 9:10 ‘I have no future here:’ Yazidis struggle to rebuild their lives despite ISIS retreat By Leila Molana-Allen Seven years ago, a brutal attack by ISIS forced hundreds of thousands of Yazidis to flee their homes in northern Iraq. Many were eventually imprisoned, killed or sold into slavery. Now, despite ISIS’s retreat, Yazidi survivors say little has changed… Continue watching
Jul 17 Biz Markie, known for classic rap song ‘Just a Friend,’ dies By Associated Press Biz Markie, a hip-hop staple known for his beatboxing prowess, turntable mastery and the 1989 classic “Just a Friend,” has died. He was 57. Continue reading
Jul 17 Biden pledges appeal of ‘deeply disappointing’ DACA ruling By Associated Press President Joe Biden said Saturday that the Justice Department intends to appeal a federal judge’s ruling deeming illegal an Obama-era program that has protected hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation and he renewed his calls for Congress to create a permanent… Continue reading
Jul 17 Finns push for younger people to get vaccines By Associated Press Health officials in Helsinki, a city of 631,000 inhabitants, urged all those aged 16 and above, and those 12 to 15 who belong to a risk group, to get vaccinated. Continue reading
Jul 17 Key diplomats appear to snub Haiti’s acting leader By Dánica Coto, Associated Press Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph has been leading Haiti with the backing of police and the military despite the fact that Moïse had announced his replacement a day before the president was killed. Continue reading