WORLD

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Omicron was officially announced on Tuesday as the absolutely dominant variant of COVID-19 in the United States, as the country is entering the third year of the pandemic, with more curing pills ordered from Pfizer while the federal government’s policies criticized as murky. OMICRON DOMINANCE …

Panama city | Xinhua | Panamanian authorities on Tuesday handed over to U.S. officials a former Colombian military officer implicated in the July 7 assassination of then Haitian president Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, according to the Panamanian National Immigration Service. Mario Antonio Palacios was detained Monday night at the Tocumen International …

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Oil prices climbed on Tuesday after the world’s major oil producers pledged to stick to their plan to gradually boost output next month. The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery added 91 cents, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 76.99 U.S. dollars a barrel on …

Frankfurt, Germany | Xinhua | The euro, a currency shared by 19 European countries, has won overwhelming support among the 340 million Europeans since it went into circulation 20 years ago. The idea of a single currency for Europe, which originated in 1970 when policy makers in Europe hoped to achieve …

Warsaw, Poland | Xinhua |  Several European countries have seen record COVID infections in the post-Christmas days. During the holidays, surging numbers and ramped-up restrictions have led to dissatisfaction and criticism among experts and citizens. CELEBRATION AND INFECTION France has seen a sharp increase since Christmas, with 208,099 cases detected …

New York, US | Xinhua | Over 2,000 flights have been canceled on New Year’s Day as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continued to upend airline operations during the holiday travel season in the United States. According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, 2,311 flights entering, leaving or within the United …

Jakarta, Indonesia | Xinhua | The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world’s largest trade deal so far, enters into force on Saturday. The mega free trade agreement has been applauded by the Asia-Pacific region as an important step toward deeper regional integration and a renewed worldwide momentum for free …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The Biden administration’s foreign policy has diminished the U.S. global standing with “repeated blunders,” Fox News has reported, citing foreign policy experts and lawmakers. “The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 drew global backlash after the Taliban swiftly seized control of Kabul,” said the …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject former President Donald Trump’s bid to block the release of his White House’s records requested in the ongoing probe. Lawyers for the select committee in a brief …

Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned on Wednesday that the more transmissible Omicron together with the currently circulating Delta variants might lead to “a tsunami of cases,” putting immense pressure on national health systems. Recapping WHO’s response since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Director-General …