Queen Elizabeth to knight Tony Blair

Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister is to be knighted with the highest possible ranking in the New Year's Honours List, Buckingham Palace announced Friday.
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Hong Kong's statues are disappearing, but their symbolism may prove harder to erase

Depicting a heap of screaming faces and contorted torsos, the "Pillar of Shame" was not just a reminder of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre -- it was, for many, an emblem of free speech in Hong Kong.
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Biden told Putin there will be a 'heavy price to pay' if Russia invades Ukraine

President Joe Biden will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, several days after Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease an unremitting military crisis on Ukraine's border.
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Hong Kong authorities insist newsroom raids and arrests have 'nothing to do with media work'

Hong Kong authorities are defending the arrests of seven people linked to a pro-democracy publication in the face of growing international condemnation, with the city's leader insisting the police raids had "nothing to do with journalistic or media work."
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As Omicron spreads in India, mass gatherings spark fears of another wave

Doctors in India are bracing for a potential third wave driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, as cases rise and political leaders hold mass gatherings ahead of key elections.
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Alleged Chinese smugglers publicly shamed for breaching Covid rules

Police in southern China paraded four suspects through the streets for allegedly smuggling people across sealed borders in breach of pandemic control measures -- a controversial act of public shaming that triggered backlash on Chinese social media.
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Russian court shuts down Memorial Human Rights Center, day after sister group ordered closed

A court in Moscow ordered the closure of the Memorial Human Rights Center on Wednesday, in the latest blow to Russian civil society groups.
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Save the Children staff confirmed dead in Myanmar Christmas Eve attack

Two Save the Children staff, missing in eastern Myanmar after a deadly attack on civilians allegedly carried out by government soldiers, have been confirmed dead, the non-profit organization said on Tuesday.
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The cultural moments that defined 2021

Year two of the pandemic was, in many ways, just as challenging and weird as the first.
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Indonesia says it will turn away Rohingya refugees in stricken boat

Indonesian authorities will help repair a stranded boat packed with more than 100 Rohingya refugees off its coast, but will not allow its passengers to seek refuge in the Southeast Asian country and will turn the vessel away, officials told Reuters on Tuesday.
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Taliban bans women from solo, long-distance road trips in Afghanistan

The Taliban have banned women from taking long-distance road trips in Afghanistan on their own, requiring that a male relative accompany them for any distance beyond 45 miles, according to a Taliban official speaking to CNN.
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Deadly flooding in Brazil kills at least 20 and displaces thousands, leaving Covid-19 vaccines submerged

The death toll from floods and heavy rain, which has blighted the Brazilian state of Bahia since November, rose to 20 after flooding intensified over the weekend, causing two dams to burst and the displacement of an estimated 62,800 people, state officials say.
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Many Latin American countries now have higher vaccination rates than Europe and North America

Many countries in Latin America were hit with soaring Covid-19 death rates early in the pandemic, as coronavirus raged throughout the region. The tide is turning in many Latin American nations today, where vaccination rates are outpacing countries in Europe and North America and helping drive down deaths.
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Israel announces plan to double Golan Heights population, drawing condemnation from Syria

Israel said on Sunday that it intends to double the population of the contested area of the Golan Heights in the coming years, drawing the ire of the Syrian government.
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The pandemic pushed nearly 100 million people in poverty. They're struggling to escape

Dipali Roy couldn't afford to eat.
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Japan cancels dozens of flights due to snow

More than 100 domestic flights in Japan were grounded on Sunday due to heavy snow in the northern and western parts of the country, Japan's two biggest airlines said.
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Desmond Tutu, anti-apartheid leader and voice of justice, dead at 90

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Anglican cleric whose good humor, inspiring message and conscientious work for civil and human rights made him a revered leader during the struggle to end apartheid in his native South Africa, has died. He was 90.
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As the Taliban swept Kabul, one friend escaped. The other was trapped.

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Pope reflects on relationships in pandemic times

Pope Francis has dedicated a large part of his traditional Christmas message on Saturday to reflect on the pandemic and its impact on relationships.
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At least 16 people dead in Greek shipwreck

At least 16 people died when their boat overturned off the Greek island of Paros in the central Aegean Sea on Friday, in the third maritime disaster involving migrants this week, the country's coastguard said.
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Arrival of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Mali condemned by European governments

Sixteen European governments have issued a statement to "firmly condemn the deployment of mercenary troops" in the west African state of Mali.
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Afghanistan's first president wants the world to work with the Taliban

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai believes it is now time for the international community to work with the Taliban to prevent millions of people from starving to death.
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US intel and satellite images show Saudi Arabia is now building its own ballistic missiles with help of China

• Opinion: France's $19 billion weapons deal is sweet revenge
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A Chinese city found a Covid cluster. All 13 million residents are now under lockdown

• How long should you isolate if you're fully vaccinated but have Covid-19?
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Russia aims for January talks with NATO, US on security guarantees

Russia hopes to hold bilateral talks with NATO and the United States in January over security guarantees it is seeking from both, state media RIA Novosti reported Wednesday, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
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What can we expect from US-China relations in 2022?

2021 saw the elevation of Chinese President Xi Jinping as the country grows stronger and richer but moves further away from western democracies in ideology. CNN's David Culver takes a tour around the city of Beijing and reflects on what 2022 may have in store for the country's relations with the US.
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UN calls for investigation into allegations of rape during Sudan protests

The United Nations Human Rights Office said on Tuesday that it had received 13 allegations of rape and gang rape by security forces during protests in Sudan on Sunday, while opposition medics reported a second person killed.
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US special envoy for Iran warns of 'escalating crisis'

The time left to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran is running out and raising the risk of an "escalating crisis," the United States Special Envoy for Iran, Rob Malley, told CNN's Becky Anderson on Tuesday.
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Putin says Russia has 'every right' to 'react harshly to unfriendly steps'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country has "every right" to "react harshly to unfriendly steps" as the US and NATO continue to pressure Moscow over its aggression towards Ukraine.
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Chinese 'live-streaming queen' hit with huge tax evasion penalty

Chinese live-stream shopping influencer Huang Wei, known as Viya, has received a $210 million penalty for tax evasion and has been kicked off social media. It's the largest penalty ever imposed on a live-streamer, according to the Chinese state tabloid Global Times, and a sign of the Chinese government's pressure campaign on internet celebrities.
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English Premier League sees surge in Covid-19 cases with 77% of players double jabbed

The English Premier League has seen a sharp rise in new Covid-19 cases among players as the Omicron variant continues its rapid spread through Britain.
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Richard Rogers, Pritzker Prize-winning British architect, dies aged 88

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Rogers, whose landmark buildings include the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the 3 World Trade Center tower in New York and London's Millennium Dome, has died aged 88. Rogers "passed away quietly" on Saturday evening, his representative Matthew Freud of Freud Communications confirmed to CNN on Sunday.
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20 astonishing facts about the A380 superjumbo

Beloved by passengers for its spaciousness and comfort, but disliked by airlines because of its running costs, the Airbus A380 has already entered its sunset years, even though it debuted commercially just 14 years ago.
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Analysis: Xi Jinping has been taking on China's capitalists. That will change in 2022

One year ago, Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to spend 2021 reining in "disorderly" private businesses that were growing too powerful and taking on too much risk.
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Fearing torture and possible execution, Iranian powerlifter quit team in Norway and ran for his life

Athletes who are good enough to compete in the world championships are among the very best in their field. They dedicate their lives to the pursuit of their craft, they are proud to represent their countries, and they all dream of returning home with medals around their necks.
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Hong Kong sees record low voter turnout

Hong Kong's first "patriots only" legislative election witnessed a record low turnout on Sunday, reflecting a steep decline in civic and political engagement following Beijing's overhaul of the city's electoral processes.
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Watch: Spider interrupts Australian news conference

A huntsman spider interrupted Queensland's health minister as she held a briefing on the Covid-19 situation across the state.
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Death toll from Super Typhoon Rai climbs to at least 75 people in the Philippines

The death toll from Super Typhoon Rai has climbed to at least 75 people, local officials reported Saturday, after the storm wreaked havoc across the Philippines late last week.
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'We were cheated, framed, and scammed': Five suspected assassins say they're innocent

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Retiring Boomers, not lazy Millennials, are driving the labor shortage

Editor's Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN Business' Nightcap newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free, here.
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The market may be ignoring risk of Omicron shutdowns

Wall Street is getting nervous about what will happen to the economy next year.
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Opinion: Our device-driven lives depend on tragedy in the Democratic Republic of Congo

November in the Democratic Republic of Congo's southern region means one thing -- the rains are coming. Storms explode with biblical fury across the land, transforming desiccated bush into lush green forests, and clearing the thick haze of grit that has suffocated the mining provinces for months.
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Flash floods in northern Iraq kill 12 people

At least 12 people have died in flash floods caused by heavy rains overnight in northern and northeastern Iraq, Erbil mayor Nabz Abdulhamid told CNN Friday.
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Miss World 2021 postponed hours before finale amid Covid-19 outbreak

This year's Miss World competition, scheduled to take place Thursday in Puerto Rico, has been postponed after multiple people linked to the event -- including 23 of the 97 contestants -- tested positive for Covid-19.
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'Extremely rare' 17th-century painting of Black woman with White companion placed under export bar

A 17th-century painting showing a Black woman with her White companion has been placed under a temporary export bar to reduce the risk of the artwork leaving the United Kingdom.
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Bill to clamp down on products from China's Xinjiang passes Congress, will head to Biden

The US Senate passed legislation on Thursday to ban imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labor, part of Washington's continued pushback against Beijing's treatment of the country's Uyghur Muslim minority.
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Five children dead and four injured after wind lifts bouncy castle into the air

Five children died and four suffered serious injuries when they fell 32 feet (10 meters) from a bouncy castle lifted into the air by wind at a school event in Australia on Thursday.
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Tens of thousands evacuate as Super Typhoon Rai makes landfall in the Philippines

Tens of thousands of people have evacuated their homes in the Philippines as the archipelago braces for Super Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, which is expected to pass through the southern and central portions of the country on Thursday afternoon.
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Bali only received 45 international tourists in 2021 despite reopening

Destinations around the world have faced significant tourist reductions amid the coronavirus pandemic. But few have taken a harder hit than Bali, the Indonesian island long beloved of global travelers.
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Family finds deadly snake in Christmas tree

The venomous boomslang was first spotted by the Wild family's cats and stayed there for two hours until a professional catcher removed it.
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Dissident journalist jailed in Vietnam for 9 years for 'anti-state' acts

A court in Vietnam jailed a journalist and prominent dissident for nine years on Tuesday for anti-state activities, her lawyers and state media said, in a case that attracted the attention of international human rights groups.
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Miss Universe 2021 crowned

Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned Miss Universe 2021 on Sunday, marking the end of a controversial pageant hosted this year in southern Israel.
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Strengthening Tropical Storm Rai to hit the Philippines as a typhoon Thursday

Tropical Storm Rai is steadily strengthening east of the southern Philippines and is on the verge of becoming a typhoon. The storm is on track to reach the southern and central portions of the country Thursday.
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How dead chickens keep airplanes safe

Birds may be the undisputed masters of the air, but they've been at the losing end of airborne collisions since the dawn of aviation in 1905, when pioneer pilot Orville Wright reported the first bird strike.
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Chinese social media giant Weibo fined by regulator for publishing illegal information

Chinese social media platform Weibo Corp has been slapped with a 3 million yuan ($470,000) fine by China's internet regulator for repeatedly publishing illegal information.
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Ghana airport will fine airlines if they bring unvaccinated passengers to the country

The operator of Ghana's main international airport will fine airlines $3,500 for every passenger they fly in who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 or who tests positive for the coronavirus upon arrival, it said on December 13.
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Militant attack in India's Srinagar kills three police officers, injures 11

A militant attack in Indian Kashmir left three police officers dead and 11 others injured, according to local police.
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Champions League draw redone after error

Paris Saint-Germain will play Real Madrid in a star-studded Champions League last 16 tie after fixtures were re-drawn following a technical error.
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Meet CNN's Hero of the Year

• Hear Shirley Raines' emotional remarks after big win • Photos: 'CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'
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Inside 2021's 'CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute'

See highlights from the 2021 red carpet and ceremony honoring CNN's Top 10 Heroes and CNN's Hero of the Year.
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Israel Prime Minister met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed at his private palace in Abu Dhabi, according to Bennett's office.
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China's currency is having an even better year than the US dollar. Here's why

China is grappling with a slowing economy, yet its currency has rarely been stronger. The yuan is also outperforming the US dollar this year even as the Fed prepares to hike interest rates. So what gives?
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Parents of the social media generation are not OK

Last September, just a few weeks into the school year, Sabine Polak got a call from the guidance counselor. Her 14-year-old daughter was struggling with depression and had contemplated suicide.
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Telescope in Chile captures an image of one of the largest planets ever found

• 'I wanna go back': Michael Strahan after traveling to the edge of space
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Breathe easy with 0% APR until 2023

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People fleeing economic wreckage in the Middle East say they'd do it 100 times over

Four-year-old Azhi hobbles across a makeshift migrant center on the Polish-Belarusian border. Grabbing his mother's hand for support, he carefully tucks his legs under piles of donated blankets.
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Mary, Queen of Scots used 'spiral locking' technique to preserve secrecy of last letter before execution

Mary, Queen of Scots used a "spiral locking" technique to seal the last letter she wrote before her execution, indicating that she wanted the contents to remain secret, according to research published in the Electronic British Library Journal.
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What happened after a bishop told kids Santa doesn't exist

The bishop of Noto in Sicily stunned schoolchildren last week when he dropped a bombshell during an arts festival -- telling them Father Christmas wasn't real.
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Evergrande can't pay its debts. China is scrambling to contain the fallout

Evergrande has defaulted on its debt. Now Beijing is intervening to prevent a disorderly collapse of the indebted real estate group that could wreak havoc on the world's second biggest economy.
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Dozens killed in Mexico road accident as truck carrying more than 100 migrants crashes

At least 54 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a truck overturned in southern Mexico on Thursday, with most of the victims believed to be migrants from Central America, according to local authorities.
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India pays tribute to helicopter crash victims ahead of funerals with military honors

India was mourning the victims of a helicopter crash that killed 13 people including the country's top military official, as their funerals got underway on Friday.
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Boris and Carrie Johnson announce birth of baby daughter

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson have announced the birth of a "healthy baby girl," according to the UK's Press Association. The baby was born on Thursday morning at a London hospital.
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UN suspends food distribution in two towns in Ethiopia after looting

The World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended food distribution in Ethiopia's Kombolcha and Dessie towns after looting of supplies that staff were unable to stop due to intimidation, including being held at gunpoint, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
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Australian lawmakers blast Murdoch's 'troubling media monopoly' in new report

An Australian Senate committee on Thursday issued a scathing indictment of media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, calling it the country's "clearest example of a troubling media monopoly."
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Lego is building a new $1 billion factory in Vietnam

Toymaker Lego said on Wednesday it plans to build a new factory in Vietnam to keep up with rapidly growing demand for its colored plastic bricks among children across Asia.
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Costco has an innovative way to save 20%

Costco is searching for ways to make paying $60 for a membership every year worth more to online shoppers — and keep them away from Amazon.
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Nike will stop selling sneakers at one of America's largest shoe chains

You won't be able to buy Nike sneakers and apparel at one of America's largest shoe store chains in 2022.
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For the first time in 16 years, Germany has a new chancellor

Olaf Scholz has been sworn in as Germany's new Chancellor on Wednesday, bringing to an end Angela Merkel's four terms at the helm of Europe's largest economy.
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France frees Saudi man after mistaking him for one of Jamal Khashoggi's killers

French authorities have released a Saudi man detained on Tuesday, after mistaking him for one of the killers of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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Why millions of German residents can't vote

Editor's note: This story is part of CNN's commitment to covering issues around identity, including race, gender, sexuality, religion, class and caste.
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Japanese billionaire soars into space

Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire, soared into outer space aboard a Russian-built Soyuz capsule and rocket Wednesday morning, kicking off the first self-funded tourism mission to the International Space Station in a decade.
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Scottish oysters were on the rocks. Now a whiskey distillery is throwing them a lifeline

Professor William Sanderson, or Bill as he likes to be known, wades into the shallows of the Dornoch Firth as the sun breaks over the ragged skyline of the Scottish Highlands, turning the waters gold. Something in the water catches his eye and he stoops to pick it up. "This is a European native oyster," he explains. "They used to be very abundant in this site thousands of years ago right up to the 1800s."
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American productivity fell by the largest amount since 1960

US labor market productivity tanked in the third quarter. Paychecks grew and the number of hours worked jumped, but workers' output increased only at a moderate pace.
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Elon Musk doubles down on ending 'subsidies' as competitors now reap more benefits

Elon Musk has described electric cars as critical to fighting climate change, which he's said he believes could cause more displacement and destruction than all the wars in history combined. So you might think he'd support the federal government funding electric vehicle charging stations.
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Bitcoin's self-proclaimed inventor wins trial over stash worth $54 billion

A computer scientist who has claimed to be the inventor of bitcoin largely prevailed on Monday in a Florida jury trial over whether the estate of a former business partner deserved half of a bitcoin cache worth about $54 billion.
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Federal regulators are investigating the Trump SPAC deal

The shell company that is facilitating former President Donald Trump's return to Wall Street disclosed Monday that federal regulators are investigating the deal.
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Ukraine's defense minister warns there will be a 'bloody massacre' if Russia invades

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has told CNN there will be a "really bloody massacre" if Russia decides to invade Ukraine, and warned that "Russian guys also will come back in the coffins," amid heightened alarm about troop movements on the nations' border.
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Kenyan police officer kills six in shooting rampage, police say

A Kenyan police officer shot dead five people in a rampage through the capital Nairobi on Tuesday and then shot and killed himself, the police Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said.
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India signs trade and arms deals with Russia during Putin's visit to New Delhi

Russia and India signed a flurry of trade and arms deals during President Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, including one that will see India produce more than 600,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.
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Suspected car-ramming attack by Palestinian teen highlights rising tensions, amid questions over Israeli police actions

A 15-year old Palestinian boy suspected of deliberately ramming his car into an Israeli army checkpoint, injuring a security guard, has been shot dead, according to Israel's Defense Ministry. The security guard was taken to hospital where he was undergoing surgery. His condition is described as stable.
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3 more hostages released in Haiti, aid group says

Three more members of a group of 17 hostages kidnapped in Haiti in October were released Sunday night, according to a statement from the US-based Christian Aid Ministries.
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Aung San Suu Kyi faces two years in jail

Myanmar's deposed civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, faces two years in jail after her sentence was halved by the country's military, state media MRTV reported on Monday.
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Soccer club's uniform features a QR code

It's a football uniform with a difference -- it has a QR code which, when scanned, will direct users to a web page to learn more about the issues of sportswashing and alleged human rights abuses that surround the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
from https://ift.tt/3EwrXaD

Goldman Sachs cuts US GDP growth forecast for 2022 over Omicron fears

Goldman Sachs on Saturday cut its outlook for U.S. economic growth to 3.8% for 2022, citing risks and uncertainty around the emergence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
from https://ift.tt/2ZXMW7s

They bought a cheap house in Italy. Here's what they learned

Buying a cheap property in Italy is an attractive prospect for many travelers, particularly with the ever-growing number of towns offering up homes for next to nothing through regeneration schemes.
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All you need to know about the latest Omicron travel restrictions

Well. It was good while it lasted, eh?
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ITF 'does not want to punish a billion people' by suspending China tournaments in Peng Shuai row

The governing body of tennis, the International Tennis Foundation (ITF), has not suspended tournaments in China because it "does not want to punish a billion people," its president said Sunday.
from https://ift.tt/31Fbumg

US reluctance to lift sanctions main hurdle to reviving 2015 pact, Iran official says

The reluctance of the United States to lift all sanctions on Iran is the main challenge to reviving a 2015 nuclear pact, a senior Iranian official said on Sunday, as Western powers questioned Tehran's determination to salvage the agreement.
from https://ift.tt/3DmlEoU

Volcano rescue workers dig through thick layers of hot ash in Indonesia after Mount Semeru erupts

Rescue workers in Indonesia continued to dig through thick layers of hot ash and debris Monday to find survivors of a volcanic eruption that left more than a dozen people dead and thousands displaced in the country's East Java province, even as the volcano continued to erupt ash.
from https://ift.tt/3IolSzt

Canada is having difficulty following through with strict vaccine mandates

Canada's tight labor market is forcing many companies to offer regular Covid-19 testing over vaccine mandates, while others are reversing previously announced inoculation requirements even as Omicron variant cases rise.
from https://ift.tt/3ooSlh6

Stolen yogini goddess statue, once on sale at Sotheby's, to be returned to India

A stolen yogini statue, which was once on sale at Sotheby's auction house in London, will be returned to the High Commission of India to be repatriated.
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World's second tallest building tops out in Malaysia

The spire of a soaring 118-story skyscraper has topped out at over 2,227 feet above Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.
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Britain needs a 'booster for growth' as tax hikes threaten investment

Britain's economy needs much more investment. Business says it's unlikely to get it any time soon.
from https://ift.tt/3EsYmPw

UN and US condemn Myanmar military after protest reportedly turns deadly

At least five people were killed in Myanmar when a vehicle plowed into anti-junta protesters this weekend, according to local media. The attack took place in a Yangon township, news outlet Myanmar Now reported Sunday, citing protesters and eyewitnesses.
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See Indonesia's Semeru volcano erupt

Indonesia's Mount Semeru volcano in East Java Province has erupted. Authorities say thousands have been displaced due to the smoke and ash.
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Top Space Force official: China is developing space capabilities at 'twice the rate' of US

Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations for the US Space Force, said Saturday China is developing its space capabilities at "twice the rate" of the US.
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A museum sits between North and South Korea. The curator wears a bulletproof vest

Art has always had the power to be dangerous. But a newly opened art museum is taking that to another level.
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US and other countries 'deeply concerned by reports of summary killings' in Afghanistan

More than 20 countries, including the United States, issued a joint statement Saturday expressing deep concern over allegations of extra-judicial killings and disappearances of former member of former security forces in Afghanistan.
from https://ift.tt/3djf5sr

Banning US oil exports would be a 'gift to OPEC and Putin,' Big Oil CEO says

President Joe Biden has already launched the biggest intervention into energy markets in a decade. Big Oil is nervous he's not nearly done yet.
from https://ift.tt/3dg20jV

Europe unveils its $340 billion answer to China's Belt and Road initiative

The European Union has unveiled its €300 billion ($340 billion) alternative to China's Belt and Road initiative — an investment program the bloc claims will create "links, not dependencies."
from https://ift.tt/31kp1zJ

We know who is attacking us and we know how to get even, says Israel's cyber defense chief

On a nondescript office park in the desert town of Be'er Sheva, a "war room" filled with screens showing various maps, rolling information, and graphics inform around a dozen or so staffers, manning computers at the central heart of Israel's civilian cyber defense system.
from https://ift.tt/31xLatS

Militants kill at least 31 in central Mali, say local authorities

Militants killed at least 31 people in central Mali on Friday when they fired on a bus ferrying people to a local market, local authorities said -- the latest deadly attack in a region racked by violent insurgency.
from https://ift.tt/3rwn4Lj

US, European allies sound a pessimistic note as Iran nuclear talks break in Vienna

US and European officials sounded a pessimistic note Friday as the latest round of talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal concluded, saying that Tehran's maximalist demands and push to unwind previously agreed upon points are leaving them disappointed and concerned.
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US officials say humanitarian effort in Syria is another means to counter ISIS

United States special operations forces in northeastern Syria have been quietly visiting local villages to help provide medical care to communities which have seen little health care in the wake of years of war.
from https://ift.tt/3pocKSH

Taliban decree on women's rights, which made no mention of school or work, dismissed by Afghan women and experts

The Taliban released a so-called "decree on women's rights" on Friday that failed to mention access to education or work and was immediately panned by Afghan women and experts, who said it was proof that the militant group was uninterested in upholding basic freedoms for millions of Afghan women who have largely been constrained to their homes in recent months.
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Pakistan PM calls mob killing 'day of shame' for the country

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has called a violent mob killing of a Sri Lankan national on Friday "a day of shame for Pakistan."
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'It is torture': Canada's lower house passes passes bill banning conversion therapy

CNN's Bianca Nobilo speaks with Marci Ien, Canada's Minister for Women and Gender Equality, after lawmakers in the country's House of Commons unanimously passed a bill banning conversion therapy practices.
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9-year-old Afghan girl who was sold into marriage rescued after CNN report

Last month, CNN reported that Parwana and several other underage girls were being sold by their fathers so other members of their families could eat. After an international outcry as a result of CNN's story, Parwana was returned to her family due to the backlash from the community against the buyer. CNN's Anna Coren has the update.
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Didi's delisting could spell the end for Chinese stocks on Wall Street

The era of big Chinese companies heading to the United States to raise money may have just come to an end.
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Grab plunges 21% in biggest Wall Street debut by a Southeast Asian company

The Southeast Asian unicorn Grab had a rough first day on Wall Street.
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Facebook sold ads comparing vaccine to Holocaust

Facebook has sold ads promoting anti-vaccine messages, comparing the US government's response to Covid-19 to Nazi Germany, casting doubt on the result of the 2020 election, and even pushing political violence.
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Colombia seizes hundreds of tarantulas and insects bound for Germany

Hundreds of wild spiders and insects were seized by Colombian authorities on Thursday as they foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle the bugs to Europe, officials said.
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The rescue of Parwana: 9-year-old child bride is taken to safety in Afghanistan

Driving through a snow-capped mountain pass, the young mother huddles together with her six children in the backseat of a car after leaving their makeshift camp in northwestern Afghanistan.
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Sword-wielding man dressed as a ninja shot by French police

A man dressed like a ninja was shot by French police after he attempted to attack two officers with a sword in the western city of Cherbourg on Thursday, authorities said.
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Archbishop allegedly involved in 'intimate relationship' with woman resigns

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Michel Aupetit from the position of Archbishop of Paris following reports that Aupetit had a consensual "intimate relationship" with a woman.
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Abuse directed at London Hanukkah party bus investigated as a hate crime, police say

London Metropolitan Police are investigating a video that appeared to show a group of men spitting at group of Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah earlier this week.
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OPEC and Russia will pump more oil in January despite price plunge

Saudi Arabia, Russia and other leading oil producers have decided to stick with plans to increase supply in January despite a recent plunge in prices driven by fears of a new glut.
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A battle is brewing at the WTO. Here's why it matters for a global Covid-19 response

For the past year, member nations of the World Trade Organization have been deadlocked over a proposal made by India and South Africa to temporarily suspend intellectual property rights to boost production of Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics for low-income nations.
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US imposes new sanctions on Belarus

The United States imposed a wide new tranche of sanctions on Belarus in response to the migrant crisis on the border with Poland and ongoing human rights violations by the Lukashenko regime.
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Sexual violence and abortion restrictions in Paraguay are fueling an epidemic of childhood pregnancy: Amnesty

An epidemic of childhood pregnancy in Paraguay is being fueled by widespread sexual abuse and restrictive abortion laws, according to a new Amnesty International report.
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Suspected Chinese hackers breach more US defense and tech firms

A suspected Chinese hacking campaign has breached four more US defense and technology companies in the last month, and hundreds more US organizations are running the type of vulnerable software that the attackers have exploited, according to research shared with CNN.
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This city was named the world's most expensive for the first time ever

All over the world, it's been a tough year on wallets.
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Peng Shuai 'reconfirms' she is safe and well in second call with IOC, says Olympic organization

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) held a second call with Peng Shuai on Wednesday and said that the Chinese tennis star "reconfirmed" that she was safe and well given the "difficult situation" she is in, the sporting organization said on Thursday.
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Uber partners with Meta to launch ride-booking via WhatsApp in India

Uber wants to make booking a ride in India as easy as sending a WhatsApp message.
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India formally repeals controversial farm laws after year of protests

India has formally repealed three contentious farm laws that sparked more than a year of protests, nearly two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pushed into a rare policy reversal that saw the legislation withdrawn.
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US and South Korea to develop new war plan to address North Korean military advancements

The US and South Korea will develop a new operational war plan to address the threat from North Korea, senior defense officials said Tuesday, as the Pentagon shifts its focus to the Indo-Pacific region following its recently completed global force posture review.
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Harris condemns Russian test of anti-satellite weapon at Biden administration's first space council meeting

Leaders from all corners of the US government condemned Russia's recent test of an anti-satellite weapon on Wednesday at the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council under the Biden administration, calling for accelerating the development of rules and norms in space.
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WTA announces suspension of tournaments in China amid concern for Peng Shuai

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) chairman and CEO Steve Simon has announced an immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong.
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Four injured as old aircraft bomb explodes near Munich train station

An explosion has occurred near a busy train station in the German city of Munich, police said Wednesday.
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4 golfers test positive ahead of South African Open

Four golfers scheduled to play in the South African Open have been forced to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19, the tournament announced on Thursday.
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Ethiopia says it recaptured UN World Heritage site

Ethiopian government forces and their regional allies have recaptured the town of Lalibela -- a United Nations World Heritage Site -- from Tigrayan forces, the prime minister's office said on Wednesday.
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Here's how Omicron could make the supply chain mess worse

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is concerned the Omicron coronavirus variant will exacerbate pressure on the already stressed-out global supply chain.
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Biden should quickly revisit Omicron travel ban, says this CEO

Roger Dow, CEO of the US Travel Association, is questioning the logic of President Joe Biden's travel restrictions, imposed on South Africa and seven neighboring countries following the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
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Analysis: China's birthrate just hit another record low. But the worst is yet to come

China's birthrate in 2020 has hit another record low -- and there's no indication things are about to pick up anytime soon.
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'Unanimous conclusion' that Peng Shuai is 'fine,' says IOC member Dick Pound

Long-time International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound has said that the "unanimous conclusion" by those on a call with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai is that she is "fine."
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Nigeria on high alert as it confirms three cases of Omicron variant

Africa's most populous nation is on high alert as three people in the country have the newly identified coronavirus variant Omicron, a statement from The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed.
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