Finland has claimed top spot in the World Happiness Report for the fourth year in a row. Canada has slipped in the rankings from 11th to 15th place. The UN's annual report says COVID-19 brought a year of fear and anxiety, loneliness and lockdown, illness and death, but has not crushed people's spirits. European countries occupied nine of the top 10 spots on the list of the world's happiest countries, with New Zealand rounding out the group. The happiest countries from previous years remained at the top, with the top five being Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Netherlands.

The White House says President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris plan to meet with Asian American community leaders in Georgia in the wake of this week's deadly shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlours. Atlanta police say "nothing is off the table" in their investigation into the recent massage parlour slayings, including whether the killings were a hate crime. Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said during a news conference Thursday that investigators believe 21 year old Robert Aaron Long had visited the two Atlanta massage parlours where four women of Asian des

Authorities say a 21 year old man has been captured hours after eight people were killed in shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlours. Cherokee County sheriff's Capt. Jay Baker said Robert Aaron Long of Woodstock, Georgia, was taken into custody in Crisp County on Tuesday night. Crisp County is about 150 miles south of Atlanta. Four people were killed at a massage parlour in Acworth. Shortly after, three people were killed at a spa in northeast Atlanta, while a fourth person was killed at another spa across the street. The killings came amid a recent wave of attacks against Asian Ameri

Four people in a suburban Detroit lottery club have won a $1.05 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot and will share $557 million after taxes. Officials made the announcement Friday, nearly two months after the Jan. 22 drawing. The winners chose the lump sum option, which means an immediate payment of $776 million. After taxes, it amounts to $557 million for the four. Their names weren't released. They have a lottery club in Oakland County called Wolverine FLL Club and had the single jackpot-winning ticket from the drawing. Their attorney, Kurt Panouses, says the winners plan to stay humble a

Japan fell quiet at 2:46 p.m. to mark the minute that an earthquake began 10 years ago, before setting off a tsunami and nuclear crisis that devastated the country's northeast coast. One survivor said Thursday that he fears people are beginning to forget the disaster. Carrying bouquets of flowers, many walked to the seaside or visited graves to pray for relatives and friends washed away by the water. Dignitaries and representatives of the survivors spoke at a memorial, but most watched the ceremony online or on television because of restrictions to slow the coronavirus pandemic. The magnitude

One of Saudi Arabia's most prominent political activists has lost an appeal that would have allowed her to travel freely after her release from prison. Loujain al-Hathloul had hoped to lift a five-year ban on travelling outside Saudi Arabia that the court imposed as a condition of her release last month. Her 1001 day detention drew fierce international criticism of the kingdom's human rights record. She also faces three years of probation. Her supporters say the court on Wednesday upheld the original sentence. Her yearslong travel ban underscores the government's efforts to manage dissent in

Buckingham Palace has issued a statement in the wake of allegations from Prince Harry and his wife Meghan that have rocked the British royal family. It's the first comment from the palace about the couple's allegations of racism within the Royal Family. Meghan, who is biracial, told Oprah Winfrey that the palace had failed to help her when she had suicidal thoughts. She also alleges an unidentified member of the royal family had expressed concern about how dark her baby's skin would be when she was pregnant with her son, Archie. A statement issued on behalf of the Queen says the issues raised

Oprah Winfrey's explosive interview with Prince Harry and Meghan reached an estimated 17.1 million viewers in the United States on Sunday. That's according to preliminary numbers from the Nielsen company. Winfrey guided the two as they discussed racism and dysfunction inside the royal family in a two-hour special on CBS. Nielsen said it had the largest audience for any prime-time entertainment special so far this television season. In the interview, Meghan said she considered suicide, while Harry said he and his family were "trapped" in an oppressive institution.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is steadfastly refusing to comment on the explosive allegations of racism and dysfunction inside the royal family made by Prince Harry and Meghan in a television interview. Asked about the interview at a coronavirus news conference, Johnson said he had "always had the highest admiration for the queen and the unifying role that she plays in our country and across the Commonwealth." But he said that "when it comes to matters to do with the royal family the right thing for a prime minister to say is nothing." In contrast, Keir Starmer, leader of the main oppo