World
Report: gov’t spyware targets phones of Al-Jazeera reporters
Dozens of journalists at Al-Jazeera, the Qatari state-owned media company, have been targeted by advanced spyware in an attack likely linked to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a cybersecurity watchdog said Sunday.
Congress seals agreement on $900 billion Covid relief bill
Top Capitol Hill negotiators sealed a deal Sunday on a $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package, finally delivering long-overdue help to businesses and individuals and providing money to deliver vaccines to a nation eager for them.
EXPLAINER: Are new coronavirus strains cause for concern?
Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease.
New strain of coronavirus: More EU nations ban travel from UK
A growing list of European Union nations and Canada barred travel from the U.K. on Sunday and others were considering similar action, in a bid to prevent a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England from spreading to the continent.
Berlin film festival postponed to later in 2021 due to virus
The annual Berlin International Film Festival is being put off this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and split into two parts later in 2021, organizers said Friday.
Analysis: For Republicans, profanity is suddenly scandalous
The definition of a scandal changes quickly in Washington.
Concern among Muslims over halal status of COVID-19 vaccine
In October, Indonesian diplomats and Muslim clerics stepped off a plane in China. While the diplomats were there to finalize deals to ensure millions of doses reached Indonesian citizens, the clerics had a much different concern: Whether the COVID-19 vaccine was permissible for use under Islamic law.
Large car bomb kills 9 in Afghan capital
A car bomb blast that rocked Afghanistan’s capital Sunday morning killed at least nine people, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.
Pandemic exposes the vulnerability of Italy’s ‘new poor’
The coronavirus pandemic did not produce Elena Simone’s first budgetary rough patch. The 49-year-old single mother found herself out of the job market when the 2008 global financial crisis hit Italy and never fully got back in, but she created a patchwork of small jobs that provided for herself and the youngest of her three children.
Deal on Fed removes obstacle to agreement on COVID relief
Top congressional lawmakers struck a late-night agreement on the last major obstacle to a COVID-19 economic relief package costing nearly $1 trillion, clearing the way for votes as early as Sunday.