AP National News

BRUSSELS (AP) — Thousands of peaceful protesters have demonstrated in central Brussels for a third time against reinforced COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the Belgian government to counter a spike in infections and the emergence of the worrying omicron variant. A strong police presence was deployed on streets in anticipation of the crowds, given how previous

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s health secretary has refused to rule out imposing tougher COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas amid the rapid rise of infections and continuing uncertainty about the omicron variant. Sajid Javid said Sunday that the government was assessing the fast-moving situation and urged the public to be cautious as

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese have taken to the streets across the country in mass protests against a military takeover and a subsequent deal that reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok but sidelined the movement. Sudanese authorities tightened security in the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman, barricading government and

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister is warning against the spread of the new, highly infectious variant of coronavirus and urging people to vaccinate. Naftali Bennett told ministers Sunday that there was already community transmission of the omicron variant in Israel and a rise in the country’s coronavirus infection rate. The country’s health ministry has

By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The governor of an island province in the central Philippines says at least 72 people have died in the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai in more than half of the towns that managed to contact him, bringing the death toll in the strongest typhoon to batter

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — State TV reports that Iran has detected its first case of infection by the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The report Sunday comes as the new version spreads around the world and offers clues about what it may have in store. Omicron is may case less severe disease than other variants

VIENNA (AP) — Germany is tightening travel restrictions for people coming from Britain in response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant there. The country’s national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, added Britain to its list of “virus variant areas” late Saturday. This means anyone traveling from the U.K. to Germany must

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s pro-democracy movement has planned mass protests against a military takeover and a subsequent deal that reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok but sidelined the movement. Sudanese authorities tightened security in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman, barricading government and military buildings. Sunday’s demonstrations mark the third

By MALAK HARB Associated Press ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Internationally-known DJ David Guetta has defended his participation in Saudi festivals in an interview with The Associated Press. The French DJ is a resident of the United Arab Emirates and is performing Sunday at the MDLBeast Soundstorm music festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

By JAMES BROOKS Associated Press ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP) — Christmas is in full swing in Finnish Lapland, where venue operators happily report that visitors have returned in numbers approaching pre-pandemic levels. Tourists from elsewhere in Finland and abroad come to revel in the festive spirit at the sprawling Santa Claus Village theme park, take a

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, MAE ANDERSON and SYLVIA HUI Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — While restaurants in the U.S. and United Kingdom are open without restrictions and often bustling, they are entering their second winter of the coronavirus pandemic anxious about what’s ahead. They’re squeezed by labor shortages and skyrocketing food costs and the omicron variant

Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s military says two rockets have struck Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy. The military says the Sunday morning attack caused no casualties but resulted in some property damage. One rocket was destroyed by the U.S. embassy’s C-RAM defense system and another fell near a national

SYDNEY (AP) — Four people including two children have died after a light aircraft crashed into the sea near the coast of Australia’s Queensland state. Police say the four-seater Rockwell aircraft crashed off the end of a runway at Redcliffe, northeast of Brisbane. Divers recovered the bodies of two adults, including the 69-year-old male pilot,

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has apprehended four Palestinian suspects believed to have taken part in a deadly shooting in the occupied West Bank. The army said Sunday that its forces arrested the suspects in the northern West Bank village of Silat al-Haaretia, near Jenin. In Thursday’s incident, at least one Palestinian

NEW DELHI (AP) — A man has been beaten to death in the northern Indian city of Amritsar after he allegedly attempted to commit a sacrilegious act inside the historic Golden Temple, one of Sikhs’ most revered shrines. Media reported the incident occurred during the daily evening prayer Saturday when the man jumped over a

By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The governor of an island province in the central Philippines says at least 63 people have died in the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai in more than half of the towns that managed to contact him, bringing the death toll in the strongest typhoon to batter