Georgia starts hand recount of presidential race
ATLANTA — Georgia’s manual recount began Friday morning as election workers reviewed the first of nearly 5 million ballots to confirm the outcome of the presidential race. The recount started at 9 a.m. and will last until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, resulting in a new, official count in the race where...
Dutch govt bans New Year’s Eve fireworks to help hospitals
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A year overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic will not go out with the usual bang in the Netherlands after the Dutch government announced Friday it is banning the sale and use of most fireworks. New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands is traditionally celebrated with fireworks, with...
Vatican calling: Pope congratulates Joe Biden on election
It’s not exactly divine intervention, but even the pope considers the U.S. presidential race over. President-elect Joe Biden, a lifelong Roman Catholic, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Trump claims — without evidence — that the election was stolen from him through massive...
Polish bishops defend John Paul II after McCarrick report
WARSAW, Poland — Polish bishops defended St. John Paul II on Friday against evidence that he rejected reports that ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick slept with his seminarians, seeking to salvage a papal legacy that has been badly tarnished by his inaction on clergy sexual abuse. The head of the Polish bishops...
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits remote corner of Nevada
MINA, Nev. — A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck a remote corner of Nevada early Friday, shaking the desert and a nearby town, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake struck at 1:13 a.m. and was centered about 21 miles southeast of Mina, a town of about 155, at a...
11 killed as India, Pakistan trade fire in disputed Kashmir
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani and Indian troops clashed in disputed Kashmir, leaving 11 people dead, including three Indian soldiers, and wounding more than 30 others on both sides, officials said Friday. The fighting came amid increasing tension between the South Asian neighbors. In a statement, Pakistani military and government officials...
Drones light up Seoul sky, urge virus vigilance
SEOUL, South Korea — With masked spectators watching from below, hundreds of drones lit up the night sky in South Korea’s capital on Friday in a synchronized display to encourage citizens to remain vigilant against the coronavirus. More than 300 drones flew in the performance above Olympic Park in southern...
Germany criticizes new Russian sanctions over Navalny case
BERLIN — The German government on Friday criticized an announcement by Russia’s foreign minister that Moscow is imposing sanctions against German and French officials in response to EU measures taken over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny, a corruption investigator and longtime foe of Russian President Vladimir...
World covid roundup: Greek PM vows virus vaccinations will be freeVideo
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s prime minister says the government will provide the coronavirus vaccine, when it becomes available, to all Greeks free of charge. Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the comments while chairing a ministerial meeting about the government’s vaccination strategy for covid-19. Greece has seen a resurgence of the virus’s spread...
Measles cases reach 23-year high, with infections hitting 870,000
Measles cases reached the highest level in 23 years in 2019, and health authorities warned that many countries aren’t vaccinating enough people amid the covid-19 pandemic. The global total for confirmed measles infections rose to 869,770 last year, the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Court blocks small number of ballots in Pennsylvania over ID
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania judge sided with President Donald Trump’s campaign Thursday and ordered counties not to count a small number of mail-in or absentee ballots for which the voter didn’t submit valid identification within six days after the Nov. 3 election. The injunction issued by Commonwealth Court Judge Mary...
Top officials: Nov. 3 election most secure in U.S. history
WASHINGTON — A coalition of federal and state officials said Thursday that they have no evidence that votes were compromised or altered in last week’s presidential election, rejecting unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud advanced by President Donald Trump and many of his supporters. The statement from cybersecurity experts, which trumpeted...
North Dakota nurses don’t back positive asymptomatic colleagues working
BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota Nurses Association said it does not support a move to allow health care workers who have tested positive for covid-19 but do not have symptoms to remain on the job. Gov. Doug Burgum supports the idea as part of an effort to ease stress...
McEnany wears 2 hats as White House press secretary, campaign adviserVideo
WASHINGTON — A White House press secretary who refers questions to the White House? Kayleigh McEnany is wearing two hats, one as a Trump 2020 campaign adviser and the other as the White House press secretary, charged with articulating the administration’s policies and positions to the press and the public....
Don Young, Alaska’s sole member the U.S. House, tests positive for covid
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. Rep. Don Young announced Thursday that he has tested positive for covid-19, a day after winning his 25th term in the U.S. House. The 87-year-old representative made the announcement on Twitter. “I am feeling strong, following proper protocols, working from home in Alaska and ask for...
Justice Department: ‘Poor judgment’ used in Jeffrey Epstein plea deal, but finds no misconduct
WASHINGTON — A Justice Department report has found former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta exercised “poor judgment” in handling an investigation into wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was a top federal prosecutor in Florida. The report, obtained by The Associated Press, is a culmination of an investigation by the Justice...
Senate likely to vote on controversial Fed pick Judy Shelton next week
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s unorthodox choice for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Judy Shelton, could be voted on by the Senate next week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office said Thursday. The willingness of the Senate GOP leadership to bring Shelton’s nomination to the floor indicates that they likely...
Vatican calling: Pope congratulates Joe Biden on election
It’s not exactly divine intervention, but even the pope considers the U.S. presidential race over. President-elect Joe Biden, a lifelong Roman Catholic, spoke to Pope Francis on Thursday, despite President Donald Trump refusing to concede. Trump claims — without evidence — that the election was stolen from him through massive...
Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski positive for coronavirus
Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski has tested positive for the coronavirus. Lewandowski recently traveled to Pennsylvania to assist Trump’s efforts to contest the state’s election results. He said Thursday he believes he was infected in Philadelphia and he’s not experiencing any symptoms. Lewandowski appeared with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani at an...
Belarus rights group counts 900 cases against opposition
KYIV, Ukraine — A human rights group said Thursday that authorities in Belarus have brought more than 900 criminal cases carrying potential yearslong prison sentences against opposition figures and protesters in connection with the country’s challenged presidential election and the anti-government demonstrations that followed. The tally released by the Viasna...
Serious covid-19 outbreak threatens hundreds at Pa. prison for medically vulnerable
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — A serious coronavirus outbreak is unfolding inside the Pennsylvania prison facility for medically vulnerable inmates diagnosed with cancer or...
States ramp up for biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history
With a covid-19 vaccine drawing closer, public health officials across the country are gearing up for the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history — a monumental undertaking that must distribute hundreds of millions of doses, prioritize who’s first in line and ensure that people who get the initial shot return...
‘Erratic’ passenger on Philadelphia-bound flight taken to hospital
PHILADELPHIA — The cabin crew took “precautionary measures” after a passenger exhibited “erratic behavor” on an American Airlines jetliner headed to Philadelphia from Orlando, Fla., the airline said. Flight 2392 was approaching Philadelphia International Airport when the crew became aware of a passenger “exhibiting erratic behavior and making alarming comments,”...
Pennsylvania sees another record day, adds 5,488 new coronavirus cases
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health reported 5,488 new positive cases of coronavirus on Thursday, the first time the state has seen over 5,000 new cases in a day. The state has seen several days with record number of cases this week. There were 4,711 new cases on Wednesday and 4,361 on...
Sculpture restoration work draws laughs, memories in Spain
MADRID — Restoration work on a sculpture in northern Spain has resurrected memories of a restored Christ fresco in another Spanish city eight years ago that drew ridicule as well as tourists. The latest incident concerns a relief sculpture on the exterior of an ornate office building in the city...
