Editor’s Note: This listicle is part of a weekly series by The Ball State Daily News summarizing five stories from around the world. All summaries are based on stories published by The Associated Press.
Residents of an Indian village celebrate Kamala Harris' election win, Italy enforces lockdowns in four regions, U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson aims to build a relationship with Joe Biden, Guatemala copes with the aftermath of tropical storm Eta and Portugal and Hungary enforce curfews to combat the coronavirus' resurgence.
Firecrackers and prayers as Indians celebrate Harris' win
Waking up to the news of Kamala Harris’ election as U.S. vice president, overjoyed people in her Indian grandfather’s hometown set off firecrackers and offered prayers on Sunday. Groups gathered at street corners in Thulasendrapuram, a tiny village of 350 people, reading newspapers and chatting about Joe Biden and Harris’ victory before moving to a temple. Most of them had gone to sleep by the time Biden clinched the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes, making Harris the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be elected vice president.
Italy shuts down four regions as Europe tries lighter lockdowns
Italy enforced a partial lockdown in four regions beginning Nov. 6, aiming to stop the coronavirus’s resurgence. The new restrictions — which led to closures of a patchwork of nonessential businesses — allow a great deal more freedom than Italy’s near-total 10-week lockdown that started in March, but nonetheless brought recriminations from regional governments that feel unfairly targeted. In particular, the south, which was largely spared in the spring, chafed the most, despite concerns that its weaker health care system was especially vulnerable.
UK's Johnson, praised by Trump, seeks new UK bond with Biden
Boris Johnson’s famous charm worked wonders on Donald Trump, but he faces a tougher audience in Joe Biden. Britain’s prime minister promised Sunday to work with the U.S. president-elect to spread democracy, defend human rights and combat climate change, as he sought to woo a leader who sees the world very differently to the outgoing American leader. In an interview with The Associated Press in 10 Downing St.. Johnson stressed the strength of trans-Atlantic ties, saying the two countries’ “common global perspective” would be vital to shore up a rules-based global order that is under threat.
Guatemala digs through landslide where 100 believed buried
Guatemalan search brigades pulled the first bodies Friday from a massive rain-fueled landslide where at least 100 people are believed to be entombed, as the remains of Hurricane Eta moved across Caribbean waters, strengthening en route to Cuba. Governments worked to tally the displaced and dead, and recover bodies from landslides and flooding caused by Eta, now a tropical depression, that claimed dozens of lives from Mexico to Panama. Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei said he believed there were at least 100 dead in San Cristobal Verapaz, but noted that was still unconfirmed.
Portugal, Hungary hunker down against Europe's virus surge
Portugal and Hungary on Monday became the latest European countries to impose curfews against the resurgent tide of coronavirus infections and deaths lashing the continent and filing its emergency wards. But glimmers of hope emerged from France, Belgium and elsewhere that tough restrictions might be starting to work. Portugal, which like other European countries has seen new cases and hospital admissions surge in recent weeks, imposed a state of emergency and ordered some 7 million people — around 70% of its population — to stay home on weeknights from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. for at least the next two weeks.