The European Commission announced an effort to strengthen the rights of L.G.B.T.Q. people in response to a wave of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. discrimination, especially by right-wing governments in Hungary and Poland.

Mr. Rawlings, after initial years leading the country with crackdowns, helped Ghana blossom into a stable democracy.

President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov memorialized his Central Asian shepherd with a 19-foot golden sculpture.

This first volume of the former president’s memoirs brims with warmth, humor and introspection.

And what else you need to know today.

Outbreaks of the coronavirus swept across many of Britain’s universities when students returned to campus this fall. Many arrived not knowing if they would be able to go home safely for Christmas without spreading the virus to their families.

South Africa will open its borders to all international travelers, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Wednesday, even as the number of new coronavirus cases rises in some parts of the country, leaving some officials concerned that a rollback on travel restrictions could invite a second wave.

With offices closed, tourism almost nonexistent and airports nearly empty, the pandemic has crushed New York City’s taxi industry, slashing revenue by 81 percent from last year, according to city data.

Scientists in at least half a dozen universities and research centers in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus — not because they were infected, but because they were studying the virus’s genetic material, and that contaminated their tests.

Maaza Mengiste spent years on “The Shadow King,” not only writing but also learning Italian, living in Rome and amassing an archive of historical photography that informed her book.