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The protests that erupted against China’s Covid Zero strategy represent one of the most significant challenges to Communist Party rule since the Tiananmen crisis more than 30 years ago. How Xi Jinping responds to it may end up being just as pivotal for the country’s future. From the capital Beijing to the far western outpost of Kashgar, Chinese residents frustrated by lockdowns and mass-testing campaigns have taken to the streets in recent days to urge change. In Shanghai -- stricken by a grueling two-month Covid clampdown earlier this year -- one crowd called for Xi to step down, defying the risk of a long prison term. Demonstrations ranged from a few people to street rallies of hundreds. (Murphy and Wilkins, 11/28)

China won’t likely make major changes to its Covid policy in the near future despite this weekend’s protests, analysts said. One of the reasons for public unrest was the local implementation of recent central government policy, they said. “Without a clear guidance from the top, local officials are inclined to play safe by sticking to the existing zero-Covid stance,” said Larry Hu, chief China economist at Macquarie. “It upset many people, who expect[ed] more loosening following the ’20 measures’” announced earlier this month. (Cheng, 11/28)

In addition to the human misery for the world's most populous country, the effects will be felt around the globe. Supply chains are likely to be disrupted, causing prices to rise in an already rocky global economy. (Allen-Ebrahimian, 11/26)

China’s state broadcaster is cutting close-up shots of maskless fans at the Qatar World Cup, after early coverage sparked anger at home where street protests have erupted over harsh Covid-19 restrictions. (11/27)

Mexico’s Public Health Department said Thursday that a worrisome outbreak of 61 meningitis cases in the northern state of Durango this month was linked to anesthetic procedures used at local hospitals. At least a dozen people have died and a dozen more are listed in serious condition because of the meningitis outbreak. (11/24)

Europe’s hottest summer on record likely resulted in more than 20,000 excess deaths in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, according to official data. (Millan Lombrana, 11/24)

Dr. Oleh Duda, a cancer surgeon at a hospital in Lviv, Ukraine, was in the middle of a complicated, dangerous surgery when he heard explosions nearby. Moments later, the lights went out. Duda had no choice but to keep working with only a headlamp for light. The lights came back when a generator kicked in three minutes later, but it felt like an eternity. (Karmanau, Mednick and Litvinova, 11/28)