Covid-19 infections in the greater Sydney area are approaching levels not seen since December 2022 as the JN.1 variant continues to drive cases throughout Australia, but hospital presentations and admissions have reduced since late 2023. The latest New South Wales Covid surveillance data published on Thursday shows that in the fortnight ending 6 January, community … Read more
GENEVA – The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, while hospital admissions during the month jumped 42% in nearly 50 countries … Read more
Two Russian missiles struck a hotel late on Wednesday in the centre of Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, injuring 11 people, one person seriously, the regional governor said. Pictures posted online showed many of the windows blown out and balconies destroyed with large piles of rubble in the street below. Emergency teams made … Read more
Everyone has seen the videos of people — presumably normal, functional members of society — inciting desperate mosh pits in Target or acting up in Starbucks over limited edition Stanley 1913 cups. On social media, Stanley collectors show off shelves of their rainbow-hued, stainless steel treasures or gush over stickers and silicone doohickies … Read more
Canadian ice dancing champion Nikolaj Sorensen, who is under investigation for alleged sexual assault, and his skating partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry have withdrawn from this week’s Canadian figure skating championships in Calgary, Alberta. USA Today reported last week that Canada’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner is investigating Sorensen over an alleged 2012 … Read more
German software giant SAP will pay more than US$220 million in fines to resolve U.S. bribery allegations involving payments to foreign government officials, the Justice Department said Wednesday. According to court documents cited by the Justice Department, SAP and unnamed co-conspirators provided bribes and other valuable enticements to South African and Indonesian foreign … Read more
NEW YORK – Walmart is joining the AI, drone and tech race. But delivering on the promise of a high-tech shopping future — where its rivals have failed — won’t be easy. The big box retailer held a keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the first time, featuring CEO Doug … Read more
Ecuador President Daniel Noboa said on Wednesday that his country was “at war” with drug gangs who are holding more than 130 prison guards and other staff hostage, amid a dramatic surge in violence that saw gunmen briefly take over a TV live broadcast and explosions in multiple cities. Noboa on Tuesday named 22 gangs … Read more
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren’t feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government’s performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows. “Very few Canadians would give the federal government a very good score at … Read more
NEW YORK – Video game streaming company Twitch said Wednesday it is laying off 500 workers as part of ongoing cost-cutting efforts. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy confirmed the layoffs in messages to the company’s users and staff, calling it an “incredibly difficult” decision. Wednesday’s announcement comes after Twitch laid off 400 workers in … Read more
