Chinese social media reels over woman’s illegal surrogacy case
BEIJING/HONG KONG — A 22-year-old Chinese woman’s account of how she was lured into the country’s illegal surrogacy industry before suffering a miscarriage went viral on Chinese social media this week and raised heated debates over women’s rights and social…
Spy satellite images leads to the site of a historic battle in Iraq
BEIRUT — Declassified 1970s-era U.S. spy satellite imagery has led a British-Iraqi archeological team to what they believe is the site of a seventh-century battle that became decisive in the spread of Islam throughout the region. The Battle of al-Qadisiyah…
Debt-saddled Laos struggles to tame rampant inflation
Vientiane, Laos — Suffocating under a mountain of debt to China, communist Laos is struggling to tame rampant inflation, with food prices rising so sharply that a growing number of households are resorting to foraging. At a market in Vientiane,…
Health officials report first case of new form of mpox in US
NEW YORK — Health officials said Saturday they have confirmed the first U.S. case of a new form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo. The person had traveled to eastern Africa and was treated in Northern California…
Trump chooses oil industry executive as energy secretary
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, the founder of an oilfield services company, to lead the Energy Department, as his new administration continues to take shape. The transition team officially announced the choice on Saturday afternoon. On Friday,…
Researchers blame climate change for one fifth of dengue cases
paris — Climate change is responsible for nearly a fifth of the record number of dengue cases worldwide this year, U.S. researchers said Saturday, seeking to shine a light on how rising temperatures help spread disease. Researchers have been working…
G20 Social discusses goal of lifting 600 million people out of poverty by 2030
RIO DE JANEIRO — As Brazil prepares to welcome leaders from the world’s 20 largest economies for the Group of 20 summit, another event is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, one that brings global civil society to together for…
Protesters gather at UN climate talks in ‘global day of action’
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN — Hundreds of activists formed a human chain outside one of the main plenary halls at the United Nations climate summit on what is traditionally their biggest protest day during the two-week talks. The demonstration in Baku, Azerbaijan,…
Colombian conflict survivors turn forest heroes in search of climate change solutions
This waterway, a silent witness to the turmoil of the municipality of Mapiripán, has seen it all – the wildlife trafficking, the coca harvests that fuelled conflict, the human bodies left behind amid a heinous massacre and the relentless erosion…
Raising the roof: Building resilience through conserving historic homes in the Philippines
In July 2022, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake shook the northwestern Philippines, killing 11 people and injuring nearly 600 others. The quake and its aftershocks caused an estimated 1.6 billion pesos ($27.3 million) in damage to infrastructure and agriculture. Among the hardest hit…