Here are some of the stories making global headlines today.
22 men own more wealth than Africa’s 326 million women, Oxfam says
Global inequality is “out of control” because of biased economic systems that exclude many women while allowing billionaires to amass huge fortunes that do little for society, according to Oxfam International.
Trump vs. Thunberg: The climate crisis could dominate Davos
US President Donald Trump and environmental activist Greta Thunberg are getting top billing at Davos this year as the conference for global elites turns its attention to the climate crisis and sustainability.
Prince Harry expresses ‘great sadness’ following news he and Meghan are no longer working members of royal family
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, expressed “great sadness” Sunday evening in his first public statement since Buckingham Palace announced he and his wife, Meghan, would give up their royal titles and would not represent the Queen as working members of the royal family.
Coronavirus spreads to Beijing as China confirms 139 new cases over the weekend
China has reported 139 new cases of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus, including a third death, as the outbreak spreads beyond the city where the virus was first identified.
New York Times editorial board endorses Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar for Democratic nomination
The New York Times editorial board on Sunday endorsed Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, a potentially meaningful boost for the two female senators left in the race with less than a month before the Iowa caucuses.
Singer-songwriter David Olney dies on stage at age 71
David Olney, whose music was recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Steve Young, Emmylou Harris and others, died of an apparent heart attack while performing on stage in Florida Saturday, according to a statement on his website. He was 71.
Robert De Niro honored at SAG Awards
Robert De Niro reserves his right to speak up, so that’s exactly what he did in his SAG Awards speech on Sunday night.
China has announced a new plan to crack down on most single-use plastics by 2025
The Chinese government has announced a new plan to crack down on plastic pollution across the country by 2025, including a ban on single-use plastic straws and bags.
Hank Azaria says he will no longer voice Apu, 3 years after ‘The Simpsons’ character came under scrutiny
After 30 years as a controversial Indian-American character on “The Simpsons,” Hank Azaria has announced he will no longer voice the thickly accented Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.
Damien Hirst medicine cabinet bought for under $800 could sell for millions
Written by Lianne Kolirin, CNN London A work by Damien Hirst originally bought for under $800 could fetch more than $2 million when it comes up for auction in London next month. The 1989 piece “Bodies,” which has an auction estimate of £1.2 million-£1.8 million ($1.6 million-$2.3 million) is a doorless medicine cabinet packed with everything from Optrex eye drops to Dioralyte rehydration sachets.
Africa’s richest woman ‘ripped off her country’
Leaked documents reveal how Africa’s richest woman made her fortune through exploiting her own country, and corruption. Isabel dos Santos got access to lucrative deals involving land, oil, diamonds and telecoms when her father was president of Angola, a southern African country rich in natural resources.
Is it better to be the eldest child? – BBC Reel
There are lots of stereotypes about the eldest child, youngest child and middle child – but are there really birth order characteristics? Follow BBC Reel on Twitter for all our latest videos and exclusive content.
How the world came to run on coffee – BBC Reel
In just a few centuries, the world has developed a two-billion-cups-a-day habit. Made On Earth – a new series by BBC Future and BBC World News – looks into the everyday items that have shaped global trade routes and left a lasting imprint in cultures around the world.
What has Donald Trump actually achieved on trade?
Is Donald Trump anything more than, as he once put it, “Tariff Man”? The US president uses the tool against trading partners to fight battles from “unfair” steel price practices to France’s digital tax on tech giants. Most prominent has been his trade war with China which has raised border taxes on almost $500bn of annual trade.
Meghan Markle’s husband speaks out about royal family split, kindly asks everyone to step off
“Harxit” may not really roll off the tongue the way “Megxit” does – but Prince Harry would like to make it clear that the decision to bail on being royalty was actually his, thank you very much.
Facebook apologetic after a ‘technical issue’ calls China’s leader ‘Mr. Shithole’
More like Egg-On-Your-Facebook, amirite? Facebook is striking an apologetic tone after Burmese text posted on the website showed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s name as “Mr. Shithole” in an English translation. The social network is blaming the error on a tech foul-up. “We fixed a technical issue that caused incorrect translations from Burmese to English on Facebook.
New 3D-printed electric scooter propels you underwater at 12 mph
Diving into the ocean is as easy as… riding a scooter. Sounds absurd, but here we are. Another underwater electric scooter made its debut in Germany on Saturday after a lightweight, handheld e-scooter made a splash at a water tank at the CES tech show.
Watch a SpaceX rocket break apart in a test that clears the way to crewed missions
On Jan. 19, SpaceX performed its final test before putting astronauts in its Crew Dragon capsule by intentionally aborting a Falcon 9 rocket launch shortly after liftoff.
Photos show staggering snow pile-ups in Canada after historic weekend blizzard
It’s been a long, cold weekend of hunkering down for people living in eastern Canada. A powerful blizzard dumped a record-shattering amount of snow on the province of Newfoundland across Friday and Saturday. After moving through the northeastern U.S. at the end of the week, it developed into a powerful weather event known as a “bomb cyclone.”
