Jacinda Ardern

Jordan's King Abdullah II is shown speaking behind a microphone and wearing a dark suit.

‘Pandora Papers’ expose hidden wealth of global elite

Top of The World

Top of The World: A trove of leaked documents, referred to as the Pandora Papers, has revealed the secret assets of hundreds of world leaders. And, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced plans to walk back her government’s zero-tolerance strategy to the coronavirus pandemic. Also, American scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian have been awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine.

Author Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala poses for the camera in a dark blue outfit

WTO head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on vaccines: ‘We have to solve the health crisis if we want economic recovery’

Leaders
Two people are shown in shadow running toward an ambulance with red brake lights on in the rain.

Brazil exceeds 4,000 daily COVID-19 deaths, India sees record infections

Top of The World
US Capitol police with guns drawn stand near a barricaded door as members of a mob try to break into the House Chamber in Washington.

The world reacts to chaotic rampage at the US Capitol; China calls out US on ‘hypocrisy’; Biden victory confirmed by Congress

Top of The World
Three people are shown sitting on the ground in front of a long reflecting pool with the Washington Monument in the distance as the sun comes up.

US presidential contest remains undecided as world looks on; Poland indefinitely delays abortion ruling; The president of Kosovo has resigned

Top of The World
A woman leader holds up a COVID-19 chart card.

It’s official: Women are better leaders in a pandemic

Leaders

A new analysis of 194 countries found that women-led nations have a better handle on the coronavirus pandemic. Not only were infection rates generally lower; fatality rates were also noticeably lower, too.

Harris veep pick welcomed by diasporas; Scottish passenger train derails; New Zealand reimposes lockdown measures

Top of The World

Joe Biden’s selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate for the 2020 presidential contest is drawing attention from a wide range of groups. And, a passenger train derailed during storms on Wednesday in the Aberdeenshire area of Scotland. Also, in New Zealand, government officials are looking into the possibility that freight could be the source of the first COVID-19 infections in over three months.

A woman is shown sitting on a metal bench and holding three red roses while wearing a protective face mask.

Global coronavirus cases top 20M as Russia approves vaccine

COVID-19

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide topped 20 million, more than half of them from the United States, India and Brazil, as Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a vaccine against the virus.

The area where the statue of Edward Colston stood is seen

Symbols of ‘racist past’ topple amid global BLM protests; New Zealand reports no active COVID-19 cases

Top of The World

A statue of a British slave trader in the UK and confederate statues in the US have been toppled or defaced as protesters demand a reckoning on systemic racism. Some Minneapolis City Council members said they will “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department.” New Zealand has no active cases of COVID-19 in the country. Brasilia has become a new hotspot for the virus.

A woman, wearing a protective face mask and a jean jacket is shown walking past Notre-Dame Cathedral in the background in soft focus.

Some countries herald lifting of coronavirus lockdowns, but UK says not yet

COVID-19

Countries from Italy to New Zealand have announced the easing of coronavirus lockdowns but Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, back at work on Monday after being hospitalized with the disease, said it was too early to relax restrictions there.