* Canada pushes against Russia and Denmark to claim the North Pole, but still must prove its continental shaft connects. * Chinese state media issues a list of the five "surprising benefits" of smog. * The U.S. poverty rate has reduced dramatically since 1967, but has stayed the same—15%
Does hindsight improve with age? People, ages five to 60, name their life's biggest mistake and what they learned.
Photographed asleep, sunbathers on the beach show how endearing—and universally human—we all can be when we just lie down and let loose.
* Ukraine sends interior troops into Kiev, where protesters still block entrances to some government buildings. * A trip through the periodic table partially explains why we value gold over almost everything else. * Nadine Gordimer: "What is missing in the general view of Mandela is his wit, his quick humor."
* Nelson Mandela, dead at 95 from a lung infection, "was, quite simply, a wonderful man." * Zakes Mda: Mandela was a man of contradictions, and his followers are trampling on his legacy. * Past and present Africa correspondents from the New York Times reflect on Mandela. * Prince William and the
During holiday family get-togethers, don't risk bringing up a topic everyone's hoping to avoid. Instead, bring a board game and circumvent all conversation. Here are 10 of the best from 2013.
* Majority of Americans believes the country should “mind its own business internationally.” * New research finds women's and men's brains are wired differently—women for socialization and memory, men for perception and coordinated action. * If you still have room in your mind for a Snowden profile: Janet
* Politico believes Chris Christie's "Rubensesque" girth is his best asset, helping him relate to working-class voters. * Ukraine's desire to be affiliated with the EU is more symbolic than practical. * Editor of the Guardian describes pressures and precautions after coming into contact with the
The hoax at the Andy Kaufman Award show led to speculation the notorious comic faked his death—a joke that wouldn’t have been out of character. When a fresh-faced Glamour editor mingled with him the year before he died, Andy talked about disappearing.
* Along with workers and money, the U.S. plains oil rush has meant a boom in cartel, drug, and other criminal activity. * Corruption watchdog says the world perceives Australia as declining alongside Syria and Libya. * How Thailand reached its current insanity. * Texting has rendered the humble period surly and aggressive;
