The Dutch city of Deventer has been transformed into a 19th-century English city where 950 people in costumes brought characters from Charles Dickens’ books to life.

Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark has been crowned Miss Universe.

Jacksonville-based wrestling star Victoria Crawford (formerly Alicia Fox in WWE) is hosting a virtual event for wrestlers who want to make it big September 9-10.

Travelers are contenting with big crowds and flight delays on what is expected to be the busiest day of the Memorial Day weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power almost 25 years ago and since then he's eliminated nearly all independent media — a process he ramped up after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Officials say at least 10 people have died in wild weather in the eastern Australian states of Queensland and Victoria.

Hundreds of employees at independent bookstores, from Chapter One in Victoria, Minnesota, to The Cloak & Dagger in Princeton, New Jersey, will be receiving $500 holiday bonuses from author James Patterson.

A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch has appeared in an Australian court.

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrates his golden jubilee on Friday, marking 50 years since he ascended the throne on Sept. 15, 1973.

Dozens of people with flowers have come to say goodbye to an award-winning Ukrainian writer who was killed by a Russian missile attack on a popular restaurant in east Ukraine.

The Australian government has taken a major step toward implementing a key climate policy that would force chief greenhouse gas polluters to reduce emissions.

Australia has reported a record high of COVID-19 deaths, and its second-largest state declared an emergency in hospitals to cope with surging patient admissions and a staffing shortage due to the coronavirus.

Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has made the reporting of rapid antigen test results mandatory as it experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic.

The back-and-forth debate over unvaccinated tennis players being allowed to contest the Australian Open in January has heightened with the prime minister and a state political leader trading shots on points of difference.

Qantas Airways has brought forward its plans to restart international travel from Sydney as Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted tourists would be welcomed back to Australia this year.

Australia’s Victoria state has reported a jump of more than 50% in daily COVID-19 cases, which authorities largely blame on Australian Rules Football parties that breached pandemic regulations.

As her family members learned about her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis, she said many of them rushed to get the shot.

Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne, is going into a sixth lockdown, with a state government leader blaming the nation’s slow COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Australia’s cancellation of two infrastructure deals with China has prompted Beijing to accuse its leaders of a “Cold War mentality” and threaten a possible response.

Prince Philip’s life spanned a century of European history.

New Zealand is banning the export of live cows and other farm animals by sea due to welfare concerns.

Pedestrians wear masks as they walk on a street in the capital Victoria, Mahe Island, Seychelles Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. The president of the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles says he hopes enough residents will soon be vaccinated against COVID-19 to stop the spread of the virus, hoping to achieve herd immunity by mid-March by vaccinating about 70% of the population. So-called herd immunity is reached when enough people are protected through infection or vaccination to make it difficult for a virus to continue to spread. Seychelles’ first two positive cases were confirmed on March 14, 2020, in a couple from Seychelles who had returned from a trip to Italy. When they spoke with the AP last month, Pugazhendi and Lesperance said neither had a vacation since the pandemic had started, with Seychelles' tropical setting almost always in view.

United States' Serena Williams, right, serves to Russia's Anastasia Potapova during their third round match on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)MELBOURNE – The Australian Open will be allowed to continue but without crowds for at least five days after the Victoria state government imposed a snap lockdown starting Saturday in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantine hotel. Andrews said the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open could continue “because these people are at their workplace.”“It will be happening, but there’ll be no one there watching it," he said. Tiley said he's hopeful fans would be permitted back on site for the final four days of the tournament next week, provided the lockdown “has done its job.”AdThe Australian Open was the first Grand Slam tournament in a year to allow sizeable crowds. Under the initial plan for the Australian Open, the government allowed up to 30,000 people daily the first week at Melbourne Park, or about 50% of capacity.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley defended Djokovic for appealing to Australian Open organizers to ease restrictions so players could move to private residences with tennis courts. (Morgan Sette/AAP Image via AP)Two players are among the three latest COVID-19 cases that have emerged from testing conducted on passengers who arrived on charter flights bringing people to Melbourne for the Australian Open. More than 1,200 players, coaches, staff, officials and media arrived on flights in a 36-hour period until Saturday morning to prepare for the Australian Open, which starts Feb. 8. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said some of the cases linked to the tournament will be reclassified as “non-infectious shedding." The most heartening thing at the end in the chat there was a scroll of thank yous from all the stars and players," Tiley said, according to AAP.

He said the toughened distancing guidelines in the Seoul area will be enforced for two weeks starting Tuesday. Under the rules, nightclubs and other high-risk entertainment facilities must shut down and late-night dining at restaurants will be banned. South Korea reported 330 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, raising its total to 30,733, including 505 deaths. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:— Japan's Health Ministry says the daily tally of confirmed coronavirus cases hit a record for the fourth straight day on Sunday, at 2,508. Mask-wearing outdoors, which until now has been mandatory, is no longer required where social distancing is possible.

India's total number of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began crossed 9 million on Friday. There are two just active coronavirus cases remaining across Victoria, according to figures released by the health department on Friday. Three of the confirmed cases were a set of parents and their son. Confirmed cases from the two clusters rose to 15,329 on Friday. Sri Lanka’s total confirmed cases since March reached 18,841 on Friday, with 73 fatalities.

Another 1,168 new cases were reported Saturday, bringing Malaysia's total tally to 39,357 — compared to just 13,993 a month ago. It said he tested positive for the disease when he applied Wednesday to have his work permit renewed. The country has confirmed a total of 3,830 coronavirus cases, including 60 deaths. Szijjarto tested positive upon arrival in Thailand on Tuesday after his Cambodia visit. Hun Sen and four Cabinet ministers are in quarantine after they met with Szijjarto the same day he tested positive.

Victoria Houptman-Bryan joins demonstrators as they stand across the street from the federal courthouse in Houston, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, before a hearing in federal court involving drive-thru ballots cast in Harris County. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)HOUSTON – A panel of federal appeals court judges has rejected an eleventh hour Republican effort to bar Election Day drive-thru voting in Houston. The court hadn't been asked to invalidate votes already cast at drive-thru sites in the Houston area. “Hopefully it's all over now.”Attorney Jared Woodfill, a former Harris County GOP Chairman representing those opposed to drive-thru voting centers, noted that county Clerk Chris Hollins has shut down all but one of the county's 10 drive-thru locations for Election Day. "We have stopped the illegal voting on Election Day because Mr. Hollins has shut down drive-thru voting in all locations but one,” Woodfill said.

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)CANBERRA – Australia has recorded no new locally transmitted coronavirus infection for the first time in five months. There are 61 active cases left across the state, down from 70 on Saturday. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton urged Victorians to enjoy the Cup but to continue obeying guidance on mask-wearing and social distancing. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:— India has reported 46,964 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, in a sign of continued downward trend in infections. The latest asymptomatic cases include 15 in Akto country, which is near Shufu county, where all the previous cases were found.

(AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)MELBOURNE – Coffee business owner Darren Silverman pulled his van over and wept when he heard on the radio that Melbourne’s pandemic lockdown would be largely lifted on Wednesday after 111 days. Silverman was making a home delivery Monday when the announcement was made that restrictions in Australia’s second-largest city would be relaxed. But many that are left are reporting record demand from the city's pandemic weary residents, with some restaurants already fully booked a month in advance now that they are no longer restricted to takeout. You’re up, you’re down. You’re open, you’re closed.

The case number reported Tuesday is the lowest since India had 35,065 newly confirmed infections on July 17. Those counties have a daily average of at least 25 new virus cases per 100,000 residents. The seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths has also been climbing from 12 to 22 over the past 10 days. WHO’s emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan noted that 46% of all global COVID-19 cases last week were reported in Europe. ___ROME — Italy registered slightly more than 17,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday.

India's total coronavirus positive cases near 7 million with another 73,272 infections reported in the past 24 hours. The Health Ministry on Saturday put the total positive caseload at 6.97 million, second to 7.66 million infections registered in the worst-hit United States. The Health Ministry registered another 74,383 infections in the past 24 hours. The country reported 58 new cases on Sunday, raising its total to 24,606, including 432 deaths. The health ministry announced the move Sunday after three workers at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in the capital, Colombo, tested positive for the virus.

(AP Photo/Manish Swarup)Australia’s coronavirus hot spot, Victoria state, on Monday recorded its lowest number of new infections in more than three months as the nation’s second-largest city, Melbourne, further eased its lockdown restrictions. There were 28 new deaths recorded Sunday. — India’s confirmed coronavirus tally reached 6 million cases, keeping the country second to the United States in number of reported cases since the pandemic began. The Health Ministry on Monday reported 82,170 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, driving the overall tally to 6,074,703. Thailand on Monday reported 22 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 3,545, including 59 deaths.

(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)MELBOURNE – The health minister in Australia's Victoria state has resigned in the fallout from an inquiry into why security guards were used instead of police or the military at quarantine hotels. Victoria reported just one more coronavirus death as Melbourne’s new case average continued to fall. In other developments around the Asia-Pacific region:— India reported 85,362 new coronavirus cases, with infections slowing down this month. The Department of Health reported 2,747 new and recent infections, bringing the total number of cases to 301,256, with 5,284 deaths. Health officials say the annual Chuseok harvest festival that begins Wednesday and continues through the weekend will be a critical period in the country’s anti-virus campaign.

People gather at a so-called "Freedom Day" protest in Melbourne, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. Police in Australia's hardest-hit Victoria state are urging people to stay away from rallies protesting the lockdown in Melbourne. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)MELBOURNE The premier of Australia's Victoria state announced a slight easing of restrictions in Melbourne but the country's second-largest city will remain in lockdown until at least Oct. 26. State police charged a protester with assault after an officer suffered cuts to the head during an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne on Saturday. Scuffles between protesters and police resulted in more than 160 fines for contravening lockdown measures or not wearing a mask.

Japanese rescuers were searching Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, for the livestock ship carrying 42 crew members and 5,800 cows that a survivor said sank during rough weather a day earlier off a southern Japanese island, according to the coast guard. (AP Photo/Graham Flett)TOKYO Japanese rescuers found a second crew member and multiple dead cows Friday in waters where a livestock ship capsized and sank during stormy weather two days earlier, coast guard officials said. The man, whose nationality and crew status is unknown, was being taken to a hospital on the island, regional coast guard official Rena Uchinomiya said. The 11,947-ton ship, its 43 crew and 5,800 cows left New Zealand in mid-August heading to Tangshan on Chinas eastern coast. A Filipino crew member who was safely rescued late Wednesday told rescuers the ship stalled when an engine stopped, then capsized after being hit by a powerful broadside wave and sank, coast guard officials said.

Flinders Street Station is quiet during lockdown due to the continuing spread of the coronavirus in Melbourne, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. Victoria state, Australia's coronavirus hot spot, announced on Monday that businesses will be closed and scaled down in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE The coronavirus infection rate in Australias hard-hit Victoria state has been relatively flat in the past week, a state health official said. That is relatively flat over the last week, Sutton said. Overall, newly reported cases of COVID-19 in China remained level, with 37 reported on Friday by the National Health Commission.

But the latest lockdown in Australias second-largest city is far tougher. The Melbourne lockdown is not only hitting the local economy. After enduring a second lockdown of four weeks, tougher restrictions have been imposed on Melbourne residents for another six weeks. The premier also urged against panic-buying as he announced reductions in meat production across Victoria from late Friday. For many businesses, including Morts bookshop, the economic pain is not expected to end in six weeks when the restrictions are relaxed.

Australias hard-hit Victoria state was declared a disaster with sweeping new coronavirus restrictions imposed across Melbourne and elsewhere from Sunday night. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)MANILA Victoria state, Australias coronavirus hot spot, announced on Monday that businesses will be closed and scaled down in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said nonessential businesses will close starting late Wednesday in Melbourne, Australias second-largest city. The new restrictions followed Andrews on Sunday declaring a disaster in Melbourne and introducing an evening curfew for six weeks. Health authorities have said imported cases are less threatening to the wider community as they enforce two-week quarantines on all people arriving from abroad.

MELBOURNE Wearing masks became compulsory in Australias second-largest city Melbourne on Thursday as hot spot Victoria state posted 403 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths. A large majority of Melbourne residents appeared to be complying with the new mask requirement. As challenging well, I think its pretty simple, frankly but as challenging as some may find wearing masks, well see the benefits of that in the days and probably the weeks to come, Andrews said. South Korea reported 59 new COVID-19 cases as local transmissions and imported infections both rise. Newsom signed a $1 billion contract with BYD in April and the first masks began arriving last month after delays.

A woman wearing a face mask to help protect against the spread of the new coronavirus walks through a field of sunflowers at a park in Ansan, South Korea, Wednesday, July 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)MELBOURNE Australias coronavirus hot spot Victoria state moved to increase its available hospital beds Thursday and reported a record daily high of 317 infections. But we cannot be complacent and expect thats going to happen automatically.New South Wales, the only other state regarded as an active Australian virus hot spot, reported 10 new cases on Thursday. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: South Korea reported 61 new cases, most of them tied to international arrivals. South Korea has been requiring two-week quarantines on all passengers arriving from overseas since April.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said a man in his 90s died overnight while 49 remained hospitalized, including 15 in intensive care. Victoria, Australias second-most populous state after neighboring New South Wales, has been cut off with border closures by other states. All states and territories except New South Wales had eradicated community transmission of the virus, but Victoria-linked infections are spreading. Victoria hopes a second lockdown in Melbourne, Australias second-largest city with a population of 5 million, will curb the spread. South Korea has reported 35 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing its caseload to 13,373 infections and 288 deaths.

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)CANBERRA Australia's Victoria state on Friday reported the new daily record of 288 coronavirus cases, which also reflects a record number of tests exceeding 37,500. Sydney, Australias largest city, has been carrying a disproportionate burden of hotel quarantine that is currently paid for by the New South Wales state government. Victoria, to the south, has banned international arrivals after breaches of hotel quarantine in Melbourne were been blamed for Australias only widespread transmission of COVID-19. Morrison said other states are moving to charge for hotel quarantine as well given that Australia has been urging citizens for weeks to return as soon as possible. Outside Victoria, most of Australias COVID-19 cases have been detected in hotel quarantine.

But as most of the country emerges from pandemic restrictions, the virus has resumed spreading at an alarming rate in Victoria's capital, Melbourne. Australian citizens and permanent residents returning from overseas are required to spend 14 days in strict hotel quarantine. Genomic sequencing that identities which virus strains are circulating in specific clusters indicates the city's expanding outbreak is emerging from hotel quarantine guards and guests. Sydney, Australias largest city, which in the early days of the pandemic had the countrys highest number of daily new cases, chose to use police and the military to provide hotel security, with greater apparent success. State prison workers now oversee hotel quarantine and international travelers are no longer allowed to land at Melbourne airport.