AP News Digest 7 a.m.

Obit South Africa Tutu (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

______________

TOP STORIES

______________

SOUTH-AFRICA-TUTU - Bells will ring at midday in Cape Town from St. George’s Anglican Cathedral to honor Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a day after his death. The bells at the cathedral, where Tutu urged South Africans of all races to work together against apartheid, will toll for 10 minutes at noon for five days starting Monday to mark Tutu’s life. The current archbishop asked everyone who heard the bells to pause for a moment and remember Tutu. Tutu’s body will lie in state at the cathedral in Cape Town on Friday before a requiem mass is held Saturday. By Andrew Meldrum. SENT: 380 words, photos.

IRAN-NUCLEAR — Iran is insisting that the United States and its allies promise to allow Tehran to export its crude as negotiations on restoring the tattered nuclear deal are to resume in Vienna. Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday that Tehran wants the upcoming round of talks to focus on achieving unfettered access to oil revenue. Tehran’s landmark nuclear accord with world powers granted the nation sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic program. 360 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK - The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers - but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping. Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to COVID-19, as the nation’s travel woes extended beyond Christmas. There was no clear indication when normal schedules would resume. But shoppers shrugged off the omicron variant, and holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years. By Bryan Gallion and Paul Wiseman. SENT: 950 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (sent)

MYANMAR — A court in military-ruled Myanmar has postponed its verdicts on two charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in which she is accused of importing and possessing walkie-talkies without following official procedures. A legal official familiar with the case says the court gave no reason for delaying the verdicts until Jan. 10. By Tassanee Vejpongsa . SENT: 740 words, photos.

___________________

TRENDING NEWS

___________________

OBIT-JEAN-MARC VALLEE — Director and producer Jean-Marc Vallée, who won an Emmy for directing the hit HBO series “Big Little Lies” and whose 2013 drama “Dallas Buyers Club” earned six Oscar nominations, has died. He was 58. SENT: 110 words, photos.

OBIT-JONATHAN SPENCE — The longtime Yale University professor and sinologist Jonathan D. Spence has died at age 85. The British-born scholar’s book “The Search for Modern China” became standard reading in his field. SENT: 790 words, photos.

__________________________________

MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

__________________________________

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Delta Air Lines says new pandemic-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport were behind the turning back of a recent flight from Seattle in midair. The move prompted a protest from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. SENT: 240 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTRALIA — Australia’s New South Wales state has reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases and confirmed its first death from the omicron variant. The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at an aged care facility in western Sydney. He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions. SENT: 320 words, photos.

______________

NATIONAL

______________

HISTORICAL MARKERS — Pennsylvania is undertaking a comprehensive examination of the stories told by its 2,500 roadside historical markers. The state has undertaken a review of the markers, prompted in part by the 2017 racist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.

THERANOS FOUNDER-FRAUD TRIAL — The jury weighing fraud charges against former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes will start their second week of deliberations Monday. Holmes faces 11 criminal charges alleging that she duped investors and patients by hailing her company’s blood-testing technology as a medical breakthrough when in actuality it didn’t work. SENT: 460 words, photos.

___________________

INTERNATIONAL

___________________

TURKEY-BULGARIAN TOURISTS — Bulgarian shoppers are crossing Turkey’s western border in packed cars and buses, taking advantage of a declining Turkish lira to fuel their own shopping sprees. Their first stop is the currency exchange and then it’s off to the markets and grocery stores in the northwestern city of Edirne. SENT: 470 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN-DESPERATE TIMES PHOTO GALLERY — The bitter cold of Afghanistan’s winter has small children huddled beneath blankets in makeshift camps. Sick babies in hospitals lie wrapped in their mothers all-enveloping burqas. Long lines at food distribution centers have become overwhelming as Afghanistan sinks deeper into desperate times. SENT: 490 words, photos.

___________________

ENTERTAINMENT

___________________

MEDIA-TOUGH YEAR — The metrics are ugly for many television, digital and print news organizations: after record-setting engagement numbers in 2020, many people are cutting back on news consumption. To a large degree, that was predictable with the presidential election, pandemic and racial reckoning providing constant headlines the year before. SENT: 850 words, photos.

FILM-BOX OFFICE - Even with some mighty competition from new Matrix and Sing movies and rising concerns over the omicron variant, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” stayed in the No. 1 spot, with $81.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday. SENT: 730 words, photos.

__________________

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

__________________

FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian shares are mixed at the outset of the last trading week of the year as countries grapple with the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant. Many markets were closed for holidays. Benchmarks rose in Shanghai and Bangkok on Monday but fell in Tokyo and Seoul. SENT: 410 words, photos.

__________________

SPORTS

__________________

WASHINGTON-COWBOYS — Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes, DeMarcus Lawrence returned an interception for a score and the Dallas Cowboys routed Washington 56-14. The Cowboys had already clinched the NFC East title with a Las Vegas win over Denver about an hour before kickoff. Dallas tied the franchise record for most points in a first half while taking a 42-7 lead. SENT: 890 words, photos.

STEELERS-CHIEFS — Patrick Mahomes threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, Byron Pringle caught two of the TD passes, and the Chiefs beat the Steelers 36-10 on Sunday to clinch their sixth consecutive AFC West title. The Chiefs improved to 11-4 and remained a game ahead of Tennessee for first place in the AFC with their eighth straight win. SENT: 850 words, photos.

____________________________

HOW TO REACH US

____________________________

At the Nerve Center, Shameka Dudley-Lowe can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.