December 2023
Combat in Gaza kills 15 Israeli soldiers, tests support for war
As Christmas Eve fell, smoke still rose over Gaza from the fighting, while Bethlehem in the West Bank was hushed, its holiday celebrations called off.
- Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy
Biden warns Israel it is losing support over war
The US president urged Benjamin Netanyahu to change his hard-line government and back the two-state solution.
- Updated
- Michael D. Shear
November 2023
Netanyahu, Hamas chief indicate truce and hostage deal close
The news is the most optimistic signal so far of a deal to pause fighting and free captives held in Gaza.
- Updated
- Hiba Yazbek
Largest Gaza hospital ‘not functioning’ amid Israeli assault
Hospitals in the north of the enclave, including al-Shifa, are blockaded by Israeli forces and barely able to care for those inside, according to medical staff.
- Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dan Williams
September 2023
WHO chief pushes China for ‘full access’ to solve COVID-19 origins
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he is ready to send a second team to probe the matter.
- Donato Paolo Mancini
May 2023
China scientist concedes Wuhan lab leak theory for first time
The comments are the first admission by a senior official that Beijing’s took the so-called Wuhan lab leak theory seriously after years of heated denials.
- Joe Leahy and Clive Cookson
January 2023
WHO calls for more data after China reports 60,000 COVID deaths
Beijing has released the first major toll since restrictions were lifted, but experts do not trust the figures, saying the actual toll is likely much higher.
- Updated
- Michael Smith
December 2022
Beijing braces for surge in severe COVID cases
China, which uses a narrow definition of what can be classified as COVID-19 fatalities, reported no new COVID deaths on Tuesday.
- Bernard Orr
September 2022
COVID-19 wave will be lower and slower: Sutton
Victorian chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton has softened his prediction of a repeat of winter’s crippling omicron wave.
- Tom Burton
July 2022
Monkeypox is spreading fast. Now kids are getting it, too
The widening monkeypox outbreak is sparking concern that the virus could spread among a surprising cohort particularly prone to transmitting contagious infections: kids.
- Madison Muller
WHO chief overrules panel to call monkeypox global emergency
The last time the WHO made a similar declaration was during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020.
- Deirdre Hipwell and Bryce Baschuk
May 2022
WHO boss Tedros gets up off the canvas for a second term
He survived a first-term assault from Donald Trump, who fumed that the World Health Organisation had kowtowed to China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Hans van Leeuwen
January 2022
Why omicron will not be the last strain
The speed and scope of the omicron wave sweeping the world means one thing is nearly certain, scientists say: more mutant variants are coming.
- Laura Ungar
Cases surge 71pc in a week as omicron ‘tsunami’ sweeps world
Health systems around the world are being overwhelmed by the speed and size of the latest COVID-19 wave even though deaths are lower, the WHO says.
- Jamey Keaten
December 2021
States shrug off surge in virus cases
Premiers continued to reopen despite business and community anxieties – and NSW’s prediction that it could face 175,000 cases a week by the end of next month.
- Tom Burton, Phillip Coorey and Patrick Durkin
Omicron variant now detected in at least 20 nations
Experts cautioned not to put too much stock in reports that the variant is causing only mild illness because the data is still sparse.
- Richard Pérez-Peña
July 2021
Virus still killing Americans faster than guns, cars and flu combined
After 10 weeks of global declines in COVID-19 deaths, the highly transmissible delta variant is driving a new uptick.
- Tom Randall
May 2021
US backs giving poorer countries access to COVID-19 vaccine patents
Drug companies warned that President Biden’s unprecedented step would undermine their response to the pandemic and compromise safety.
- Andrea Shalal, Jeff Mason and David Lawder
India, South America drive global cases to record highs
The average daily rate of new virus cases has been above 800,000 for more than a week, largely driven by the uncontrolled outbreak in India.
- Lazaro Gamio and Alexandria Symonds
March 2021
World leaders form a queue to shake up WHO
One group of 20-plus leaders revved up the campaign for a new treaty, while another just wanted to vent at a lacklustre mission to China.
- Updated
- Hans van Leeuwen