Hong Kong tears down ‘Pillar of Shame’ sculpture honoring Tiananmen victims
The artwork’s removal underscored the dramatic political changes in the city, where authorities have sharply curtailed freedom of expression since China imposed a harsh security law last year.
By Shibani Mahtani and David CrawshawDecember 22, 2021Madagascar’s police minister survives helicopter crash, swims 12 hours to shore
There were four people on the helicopter when it caught a gust of wind and began to plummet into the Indian Ocean.
By Erin CunninghamDecember 22, 2021Real-world data from U.K. suggests omicron is less likely than delta to send people to the hospital
Public health experts remain worried that a surge of a highly infectious but less virulent omicron variant could still flood hospitals with very sick patients.
By William BoothDecember 22, 2021Australia brings animal cruelty charges in mass koala deaths
The defendants, including a former timber plantation owner and an earthmoving business, are accused of causing unreasonable pain or suffering to the koalas by clearing their habitat.
By Maite Fernández SimonDecember 22, 2021Libya postpones presidential election at last minute amid renewed threat of civil unrest
The electoral commission has suggested a new date of Jan. 24 amid doubts over its powers to exclude some candidates.
By Siobhán O'GradyDecember 22, 2021South Africa’s huge omicron wave appears to be subsiding just as quickly as it grew
In less than a month, the country's omicron outbreak has gone from a near-vertical rise to a near-vertical fall.
By Max BearakDecember 22, 2021With Russian troops massing on the border, Ukraine’s Zelensky focuses instead on internal foes
Zelensky has targeted two of Ukraine's most powerful men: Billionaires Rinat Akhmetov and Petro Poroshenko. That focus risks dividing the country at a time when U.S. officials are warning that Russia could be planning a military attack.
By David L. Stern and Isabelle KhurshudyanDecember 22, 2021Once demonized, capitalist-style banking could be the future for socialist North Korea’s economy
In North Korea, commercial banking was once seen as the ultimate capitalist institution. But under leader Kim Jong Un, it evolved into a topic of fascination and debate as the regime’s top thinkers weighed how to adopt a robust commercial banking system of their own, research shows.
By Michelle LeeDecember 22, 2021U.S. moves to expand Afghan aid in hopes of easing humanitarian crisis
New measures loosen sanctions, aim to prevent economic collapse and mass starvation.
By Karen DeYoungDecember 22, 2021Mexico’s wheat fields help feed the world. They’re also releasing a dangerous greenhouse gas.
Farmers in the Yaqui Valley are driven to over-fertilize their crops, resulting in an explosion of nitrous oxide emissions with deadly and invisible consequences.
By Josh Partlow and Chris MooneyDecember 22, 2021AstraZeneca and Oxford making version of coronavirus vaccine that targets omicron
AstraZeneca said the teams “have taken preliminary steps in producing an omicron variant vaccine, in case it is needed.”
By Ellen FrancisDecember 22, 2021While omicron explodes around the world, covid cases in Japan keep plummeting and no one knows exactly why
Even neighboring South Korea is seeing a surge in cases, but in Japan every day only brings a handful of new infections.
By Michelle Lee and Julia Mio InumaDecember 22, 2021One person caught the coronavirus. China locked down 200,000 of their neighbors.
The extreme response underlines China’s hypervigilance as Beijing prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February amid new local cases of the omicron variant.
By Lily KuoDecember 22, 2021She escaped child marriage twice. Now she’s trying to save other girls from pandemic suitors.
The coronavirus pandemic has amplified the risk of a forced wedding for millions of girls.
By Danielle PaquetteDecember 22, 2021A dinosaur embryo, exceptionally preserved in an egg about to hatch, reveals links to birds
The oviraptorosaur embryo, named Baby Yingliang, was discovered after its fossilized egg sat for 15 years in a Chinese museum's storage.
By Amy ChengDecember 22, 2021Israel says it will become first nation to offer fourth coronavirus vaccine dose: ‘The world will follow us’
Amid concerns about the omicron variant, citizens 60 and older and other at-risk groups will be eligible.
By Shira Rubin and Lateshia BeachumDecember 22, 2021On volatile border between India and China, a high-altitude military buildup is underway
A tense standoff between the two armies is spurring a flurry of infrastructure and military buildup that’s transforming one of the world’s most remote and inhospitable regions.
By Shams Irfan and Gerry ShihDecember 22, 2021- Today's WorldViewAnalysis
Chile’s millennial president-elect is a sign of a very different ‘pink tide’
The new crop of leftists scoring wins across the region diverges from the socialist leaders of the 2000s.
By Anthony FaiolaDecember 22, 2021 Dubai princess gets record $720 million divorce payout
The court case and the award offer a window into the opulent living standards of Dubai's ruling family.
By Liz SlyDecember 21, 2021Three death row inmates hanged in Japan in first executions since 2019
The country has resisted calls to abolish executions, which take place by hanging.
By Maite Fernández SimonDecember 21, 2021