Real-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, 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, 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, 2021French police uncover 182,000 fake covid health passes
Using or selling a false health pass to dodge coronavirus restrictions for restaurants, bars and public transport is punishable by five years in prison and a 75,000 euro fine.
By Rachel PannettDecember 21, 2021Richard Rogers, high-tech modernist who won architecture’s Pritzker Prize, dies at 88
His unorthodox, inside-out designs for the Pompidou Center in Paris and Lloyd’s insurance headquarters in London transfixed the architecture world.
By Harrison SmithDecember 20, 2021U.K. omicron cases explode, while Boris Johnson faces new allegations of lockdown parties
Scientists are pushing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take tougher measures to slow the number of new infections driven by the omicron variant.
By William BoothDecember 20, 2021- Today's WorldViewAnalysis
Germany faces pressure to risk its energy future to get back at Putin. That’s a tough choice.
Less than two weeks into the new German chancellor’s tenure, the fate of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is an early test of German leadership in a post-Angela Merkel world.
By Anthony FaiolaDecember 20, 2021 On Ukraine’s front, a real war overshadows worries about a possible future one with Russia
In villages hit by shelling from Russian-backed separatists and in front-line trenches, the political dueling between in Moscow and the West can seem far away.
By Isabelle KhurshudyanDecember 19, 2021An ice cream man died of cancer. A funeral procession of ice cream trucks honored ‘the king.’
The jingles from ice cream trucks flooded the streets of southeast London in memory of Hassan Dervish, a 62-year-old man hailed by loved ones as the “king of the ice cream.”
By Timothy BellaDecember 18, 2021Highly vaccinated countries thought they were over the worst. Denmark says the pandemic’s toughest month is just beginning.
In a country that tracks the spread of coronavirus variants as closely as any in the world, the signals have never been more concerning.
By Chico HarlanDecember 18, 2021Is nuclear energy green? France and Germany lead opposing camps.
The French government wants to build new reactors. The German government wants to shut them down.
By Rick NoackDecember 18, 2021Ukraine’s foreign minister wants West to clarify its sanction threats to Moscow
Otherwise, "we’re just blah blah blah," said Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba.
By David L. Stern and Isabelle KhurshudyanDecember 18, 2021In a bad sign for Boris Johnson, Britain’s Conservatives lose Parliament seat they held for nearly 200 years
“Boris Johnson, the party is over,” warned Helen Morgan, the newly elected lawmaker of the Liberal Democrats, in the latest setback for the prime minister.
By Karla AdamDecember 17, 2021Russia broadens security demands from West, seeking to curb U.S. and NATO influence on borders
Putin’s far-reaching security demands have been repeatedly ruled out by NATO officials.
By Robyn Dixon and Paul SonneDecember 17, 2021Amid warnings to Russia over feared Ukraine attack, E.U. struggles over how tough to set sanctions
E.U. officials have not revealed details about possible sanctions under consideration. Finding common ground is the first challenge.
By Perry Stein and Quentin AriesDecember 16, 2021Kyiv keeping calm and carrying on even as Kremlin boosts pressure on Ukraine
Kyiv has bunkers and a civilian defense forces ready, but many in the city are skeptical that current threats from Moscow are any more serious than those before.
By Isabelle Khurshudyan and David L. SternDecember 16, 2021E.U. members must recognize familial ties of same-sex couples and their children, top court rules
The decision boosted the rights of same-sex parents across the continent.
By Maite Fernández SimonDecember 15, 2021German court convicts Russian in brazen Berlin assassination, links it to Moscow
German authorities have long suspected Russian agents were behind the execution-style killing in 2019, and two Russian diplomats were expelled over the case.
By Vanessa Guinan-BankDecember 15, 2021Tesla Model 3 fleet suspended by major Paris taxi firm after fatal accident
France's transport minister said there was no indication a technical fault was to blame for the incident involving a Tesla Model 3.
By Rachel PannettDecember 15, 2021Boris Johnson sees record rebellion from his own Conservative Party on covid policies
The British prime minister’s covid measures passed, but with support from the opposition Labour Party.
By William Booth and Karla AdamDecember 14, 2021