Day: December 24, 2021

Omicron Reported in Japan’s Fukuoka; France’s COVID-19 Infections Top 100,000

TOKYO/PARIS — Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture has confirmed its first infection with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, its governor Seitaro Hattori said Saturday. The case was a result of possible community transmission as the infection route was unclear, Hattori told a news conference. France recorded a record high of 104,611

Canceled Flights Snarl Holiday Plans for Thousands

NEW YORK — Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights Saturday because of staffing issues tied to COVID-19, disrupting holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted nearly 1,000 canceled flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. Saturday, up from 690

Clashes in Northeast Somalia Force Thousands to Flee

MOGADISHU — Clashes between two rival factions of the security forces in a port city in northeast Somalia have forced hundreds of families to flee their homes, a local official said Saturday. The fighting has for several days rocked Bosaso, the commercial capital of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in