Five international stories of the week

<p>The Indiana State Department of Health opened COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to teachers and staff in K-12 schools March 15, 2021. Eligible people can schedule vaccine appointments online or by calling 211 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. <strong>Unsplash, Photo Courtesy</strong></p>

The Indiana State Department of Health opened COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to teachers and staff in K-12 schools March 15, 2021. Eligible people can schedule vaccine appointments online or by calling 211 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Unsplash, Photo Courtesy

Editor’s Note: This listicle is part of a 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.

China is easing birth limits to cope with its aging society, Turkish agents capture nephew of a US-based cleric overseas, the United Kingdom is vaccinating more people to fight the variant from India, Czech police call for indictment in the premier's fraud case and Germany and Slovakia arrest two people in trafficking raids make up this week's five international stories.

China easing birth limits further to cope with aging society

China’s ruling Communist Party said Monday it will ease birth limits to allow all couples to have three children instead of two in hopes of slowing the rapid aging of its population, which is adding to strains on the economy and society. The ruling party has enforced birth limits since 1980 to restrain population growth but worries the number of working-age people is falling too fast while the share over age 65 is rising. That threatens to disrupt its ambitions to transform China into a prosperous consumer society and global technology leader.

Turkish agents capture nephew of US-based cleric overseas

Turkish agents have captured a nephew of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen in an overseas operation and have brought him to Turkey where he faces prosecution, Turkey’s state-run news agency said Monday. Selahaddin Gulen, who was wanted in Turkey on charges of membership in a terror organization, was seized in an operation by Turkey’s national spy agency MIT, the Anadolu Agency reported. The report did not say where he was seized or when he was returned to Turkey. Gulen’s nephew however, was believed to be residing in Kenya.

UK surge vaccinations fight variant from India

British health authorities are aiming to vaccinate 15,000 people in one day at London’s Twickenham rugby stadium as part of a race to contain a fast-spreading coronavirus variant. The strain, first identified in India, accounts for a majority of new cases in the U.K., which is seeing a rise in infections after weeks of decline. Scientists say the variant is more transmissible than even the previously dominant strain first found in the U.K. but current vaccines are effective against it. Three-quarters of U.K. adults have had one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and almost half have had both doses.

Czech police call for premier's indictment in fraud case

Czech police recommended again on Monday that Prime Minister Andrej Babis should be indicted over alleged fraud involving European Union subsidies. Prague’s prosecution office said it has received the results of the updated police investigation into Babis’ possible involvement in the $2 million fraud. Prosecutors now have to decide whether to file charges against Babis or dismiss them. It wasn’t immediately clear when the prosecution might finish the reevaluation of the case. The file has 34,000 pages.

Germany, Slovakia arrest 2 in raids on trafficking ring

Two suspects were arrested in Germany and Slovakia in raids Monday on a group accused of smuggling Vietnamese into Germany and other European countries for large fees that they had to work off in massage parlors, brothels and other places, authorities said. Police in Berlin arrested a Vietnamese woman who lives in the German capital, while a Slovak woman was detained in Bratislava. They were alleged to be part of a larger group of suspects — several Vietnamese, one German and two Slovaks —that brought Vietnamese people to Europe on fraudulently obtained visas.

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