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By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Dutch health authorities say the omicron variant was already in the Netherlands when South Africa alerted the World Health Organization about it last week. Tuesday’s announcement is adding to fear and confusion over the new version of the coronavirus in a weary world hoping it had left

MADRID (AP) — Spanish fashion giant Inditex says the founder’s daughter has been named as the next chairperson of the company that owns Zara, Massimo Dutti and other clothing chains. Inditex said Tuesday that its board of directors named Marta Ortega to replace Pablo Isla, who has led the company since founder Amancio Ortega stepped

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Authorities say the bodies of four people were found in a northeastern Indiana home following a report of shots being fired inside the residence. Allen County sheriff’s Cpl. Adam Griffith says law enforcement responded about 9 p.m. Monday and medics confirmed that the four were dead just northwest of Fort

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s medical agency chief said Tuesday that it is ready to deal with the new omicron variant, and that it will take two weeks to have an indication whether the current COVID-19 vaccines will be able to deal with it.  Emer Cooke, the Executive Director

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Barbados has stopped pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II as it shed another vestige of its colonial past and became a republic for the first time in history. Several leaders, dignitaries and artists, including Prince Charles and Rihanna, attended a ceremony that stretched into

By CARLEY PETESCH Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Uganda’s army has launched joint air and artillery strikes against the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group in eastern Congo. Uganda People’s Defense Forces spokeswoman Brig. Gen. Flavia Byekwaso said via Twitter that the operations were carried out with Congo’s military against ADF camps. No further details

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency says China, Russia and Iran pose three of the biggest threats facing the U.K. in a fast-changing, unstable world. MI6 chief Richard Moore says the three countries and international terrorism make up the “big four” security issues confronting Britain’s spies.

PARIS (AP) — Dutch health authorities have announced that they found the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in cases dating back 11 days, indicating that it was already spreading in western Europe before the first cases were identified in southern Africa. Japan and France have confirmed their first cases of the new variant of