MILAN (AP) — Italian women are having dramatically fewer babies than ever during the pandemic, accentuating one of the world’s lowest birth rates. The Italian statistics agency ISTAT said Tuesday that in January 2021, 10 months after the start of Italy’s draconian lockdown, marked the lowest birth rate ever recorded, with a 13.6% decline. ISTAT
Continue ReadingBy KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The banking industry appears to have overdone it on overdraft fees. After decades of raking in billions of dollars from mostly poor Americans short of cash in their accounts, the biggest banks _ under pressure from lawmakers and regulators _ are slowly decreasing their reliance
Continue ReadingBy KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The banking industry appears to have overdone it on overdraft fees. After decades of raking in billions of dollars from mostly poor Americans short of cash in their accounts, the biggest banks _ under pressure from lawmakers and regulators _ are slowly decreasing their reliance
Continue ReadingBy Etant Dupain, CNN At least 71 people have been killed and dozens injured after a tanker transporting gasoline exploded in Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s second largest city on Monday, authorities said. The situation remains “critical,” Deputy Mayor Patrick Almonor said on Tuesday, who also extended an appeal for blood donations. Almonor said the fuel tanker exploded
Continue ReadingCNNEE (CNN Español) — El Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico confirmó este lunes el primer caso positivo de la variante ómicron, del coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, en una persona que recientemente viajó al estado de la Florida. La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) ha designado a la variante ómicron, originalmente referida como B.1,1.529, una “variante
Continue ReadingBy KATHY GANNON Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan survivors of an errant U.S. drone strike that killed 10 members of their family in August say they are frustrated and saddened that U.S. troops involved in the attack will not face disciplinary action. A hellfire missile had slammed into a car belonging to
Continue ReadingBy Faith Karimi and Deidre McPhillips, CNN On December 14, 2020, nurse Sandra Lindsay rolled up her left sleeve at a New York City hospital and became one of the first people in the US to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The vaccine was from Pfizer/BioNTech, and it had been authorized for emergency use only three
Continue ReadingATHENS, Greece (AP) — An unvaccinated Greek commentator and publisher has died of respiratory failure and resulting complications from COVID-19. The 71-year-old Giorgos Trangas’ death on Tuesday is focusing public attention on the large number of older people in Greece who remain unvaccinated as the country struggles with a spike in infections and deaths. Trangas
Continue ReadingLISBON, Portugal (AP) — A Portuguese and a Swedish company are joining forces to build in Portugal what they say will be Europe’s largest lithium conversion plant. Portuguese energy company Galp and Swedish electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt said Tuesday that their goal is for the plant to deliver enough lithium hydroxide to provide batteries
Continue ReadingLISBON, Portugal (AP) — A Portuguese and a Swedish company are joining forces to build in Portugal what they say will be Europe’s largest lithium conversion plant. Portuguese energy company Galp and Swedish electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt said Tuesday that their goal is for the plant to deliver enough lithium hydroxide to provide batteries
Continue ReadingBy DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Health Secretary Sajid Javid says the omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading so rapidly that it has the potential to overwhelm Britain’s hospitals. He says that has highlighted the need to strengthen restrictions and accelerate the delivery of booster vaccines. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is
Continue ReadingJuan Pablo Elverdin (CNN Español) — La Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia informó este martes que por la mañana se registró una fuerte explosión en una zona cercana al aeropuerto Camilo Daza de Cúcuta, capital del departamento de Norte de Santander. De acuerdo a la información oficial, criminales ingresaron al aeropuerto y, minutos después, detonó un
Continue ReadingAlexandra Ferguson (CNN Business) — El CEO de Coca-Cola James Quincey, un veterano de 25 años en la compañÃa, ha estado escuchando las quejas de los fans descontentos de las bebidas de nicho. “He recibido muchos correos electrónicos sobre Tab”, dijo Quincey a CNN Business. Las quejas se deben a la sorprendente decisión que tomó
Continue ReadingBy ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mixed in Asia as traders await the outcome of the last Federal Reserve meeting of this year. Hong Kong and Shanghai advanced while Tokyo edged lower after the U.S. Labor Department reported that inflation was still running high in November. Stocks on Wall Street
Continue ReadingBy FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Members of a new expert panel advising the German government on the coronavirus pandemic are holding their first meeting. The meeting Tuesday comes amid signs that government restrictions imposed in recent weeks are beginning to slow infection rates. Germany’s disease control agency reported 30,823 newly confirmed cases
Continue ReadingBy FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Members of a new expert panel advising the German government on the coronavirus pandemic are holding their first meeting. The meeting Tuesday comes amid signs that government restrictions imposed in recent weeks are beginning to slow infection rates. Germany’s disease control agency reported 30,823 newly confirmed cases
Continue ReadingWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Health ministry says that a Polish teenager who flew from Warsaw to China last week is continental China’s first person to test positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19. Ministry spokesman said Tuesday the teenager, who traveled with her mother, has been hospitalized in isolation. She shows no symptoms of
Continue ReadingBy PIERRE-RICHARD LUXAMA and EVENS SANON Associated Press CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti (AP) — Authorities say at least 75 people were killed and dozens more injured after a gasoline tanker overturned and exploded in northern Haiti. The blast occurred shortly after midnight in the coastal city of Cap-Haitien.  Early reports indicate that the tanker was trying to
Continue ReadingBY JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he has applied to be the next governor of Norway’s central bank in an appointment that would last for six years if he gets the job. The current governor of Norges Bank is retiring in early 2022 after holding the
Continue ReadingBy MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer says that its experimental COVID-19 pill appears effective against the omicron variant. The company also confirmed Tuesday that the pill delivered on promising early results in reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. The updates come as U.S. regulators are expected to soon decide on whether to
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