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Scott Neuman Scott Neuman works as a Digital News writer and editor, handling breaking news and feature stories for NPR.org. Occasionally he can be heard on-air reporting on stories for Newscasts and has done several radio features.
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Scott Neuman

19-year-old lands in Belgium, becoming youngest woman to fly solo around the world

Zara Rutherford, 19, carries the Belgian and British flags on the tarmac after landing her Shark ultralight plane at the Kortrijk airport in Belgium, on Thursday at the completion of a record-breaking solo circumnavigation. Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP hide caption

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Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP

World

19-year-old lands in Belgium, becoming youngest woman to fly solo around the world

Zara Rutherford set off from Belgium in August to circle the globe in her Shark UL plane. Five months later, she landed back home, having landed in 41 countries on five continents.

19-year-old lands in Belgium, becoming youngest woman to fly solo around the world

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First aid flights arrive in Tonga after massive volcanic eruption and tsunami

Tongan Foreign Minister Fekitamoeloa 'Utoikamanu (right) is accompanied by Australian High Commissioner to Tonga Rachael Moore as they receive a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III aircraft delivering Australian aid at FuaŹ»amotu International Airport on Thursday. Handout, Australian Defense Force/AP hide caption

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Handout, Australian Defense Force/AP

World

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after massive volcanic eruption and tsunami

The eruption severed Tonga's single fiber-optic cable, rendering the Pacific archipelago offline and unable to communicate with the rest of the world. Flights brought bottled water and other supplies.

As tension over Ukraine continues, Russia says it has no plans to stage an attack

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov speaks at the Woodrow Wilson Institute in Washington, D.C., in November. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Europe

As tension over Ukraine continues, Russia says it has no plans to stage an attack

Amid diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a feared Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's embassy in Washington called to "end the hysteria," reiterating that Moscow plans no such military move.

Britain's Johnson faces growing calls to quit after throwing parties during lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing St. in London on Wednesday. Speculation over a vote of no confidence in his leadership mounts. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images hide caption

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Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The Coronavirus Crisis

Britain's Johnson faces growing calls to quit after throwing parties during lockdown

The prime minister has admitted to throwing "bring your own booze" parties at his official residence in London while ordinary Britons were told to stay away from unnecessary gatherings.

Fauci says COVID-19 won't go away like smallpox, but will more likely become endemic

Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical adviser and director of the NIAID, testifies at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill last week. Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images

Coronavirus Updates

Fauci says COVID-19 won't go away like smallpox, but will more likely become endemic

The White House's top medical adviser says the virus won't go away entirely. Instead, it should eventually hit a level where it "doesn't disrupt our normal social, economic and other interactions."

North Korea is testing hypersonic weapons. Should the West be worried?

This photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says a test launch of a hypersonic missile on Jan. 11. Korean Central News Agency/AP hide caption

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Korean Central News Agency/AP

World

North Korea is testing hypersonic weapons. Should the West be worried?

The tests of the fast and maneuverable class of weapons that purport to be able to evade missile defense systems, has garnered the attention of the White House, which responded with new sanctions.

Ukraine is hit by a massive cyberattack that targeted government websites

A laptop screen displays a warning message in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish that appeared on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine after a massive cyberattack on Friday. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters hide caption

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Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

Europe

Ukraine is hit by a massive cyberattack that targeted government websites

A message posted by hackers in Ukrainian, Russian and Polish warns Ukrainians that their personal data has been breached and to "be afraid and expect the worst."

Extreme weather in the U.S. cost 688 lives and $145 billion last year, NOAA says

A volunteer helps set up snacks at a cooling center established to help vulnerable residents ride out the second dangerous heat wave to grip the Pacific Northwest last summer, on Aug. 11, 2021. Gillian Flaccus/AP hide caption

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Gillian Flaccus/AP

Climate

Extreme weather in the U.S. cost 688 lives and $145 billion last year, NOAA says

In an on overview published ahead of its full report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that 2021 ranked the third costliest on record for such events.

There's chaos in Kazakhstan. Here's what you need to know

The burned-out administrative building in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, can be seen Friday. The country's president has rejected calls for talks with protesters after days of unprecedented unrest and vowed to destroy "armed bandits." Alexander Bogdanov/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Alexander Bogdanov/AFP via Getty Images

World

There's chaos in Kazakhstan. Here's what you need to know

A New Year's Day doubling of gas prices sent shock waves through the country, sparking deadly unrest that has engulfed the Central Asian nation. But the origins of discontent run much deeper.

France's Macron takes heat after saying he wants to 'piss off' the unvaccinated

French President Emmanuel Macron during departures at the end of an EU Summit in Brussels, last month. Macron told a French newspaper this week that he wanted to "piss off" the unvaccinating, drawing the ire of opposition politicians. Stephanie Lecocq/AP hide caption

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Stephanie Lecocq/AP

The Coronavirus Crisis

France's Macron takes heat after saying he wants to 'piss off' the unvaccinated

The French president made the remarks to a newspaper on Tuesday, causing opposition lawmakers to call a halt to debate on a new nationwide mandate.

Zero-gravity ballet: James Webb Space Telescope deploys sunshield and mirror

On Tuesday, engineers successfully finished deploying the James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield, seen here during testing in December 2020 at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, Calif. Chris Gunn/NASA hide caption

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Chris Gunn/NASA

Space

Zero-gravity ballet: James Webb Space Telescope deploys sunshield and mirror

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope successfully deployed its secondary mirror Wednesday after unfolding its enormous sunshield a day earlier.

Zero-gravity ballet: James Webb Space Telescope deploys sunshield and mirror

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Famed fossil hunter and conservationist Richard Leakey dies at 77

Richard Leakey, Kenyan wildlife conservationist, places a rhino horn to be burned at the zoo in Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic, in 2017. Leakey, known for his fossil-finding and conservation work in his native Kenya, has died at 77. Petr David Josek/AP hide caption

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Petr David Josek/AP

Obituaries

Famed fossil hunter and conservationist Richard Leakey dies at 77

Leakey made important contributions to our understanding of human origins through his fossil finds. He later gained fame for taking on poachers who threatened to wipe out Kenya's elephants and rhinos.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tests positive for COVID-19

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, pictured in Seoul, South Korea, in early December, has tested positive for COVID-19. Jeon Heon-kyun/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeon Heon-kyun/Pool/Getty Images

Coronavirus Updates

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tests positive for COVID-19

Austin, 68, tested positive on Sunday. He said that his symptoms are mild, and he was fully vaccinated and boosted in October. He plans to continue with key meetings virtually during quarantine.