India’s private school aspiration increasingly out of reach as inflation bites
By Manoj Kumar
NEW DELHI - Indian financial consultant Waqar Khan has seen his income drop by about a fifth since the coronavirus pandemic began. When his...
Pope defends media freedom, pays tribute to killed reporters
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday paid tribute to journalists who have died or been jailed in the line of duty, defending a free press and praising those in the media who courageously report on “humanity’s wounds”.
‘Surprise’ urban Malaysia floods drive pleas for climate action
KUALA LUMPUR — The damaged furniture and mud-caked walls left by floodwaters have now been replaced or cleaned in Elizabeth Chong’s family home, but lost forever are old photos and documents that gave a precious glimpse into her ancestors’ lives.
China COVID hard line eats into everything from Teslas to tacos
SHANGHAI — When Tesla’s Shanghai plant and other auto factories were shut over the last two months by emergency measures to control China’s biggest...
Hope fizzles for Japan’s ‘revenge spending’ splurge as inflation looms
TOKYO — Japanese mother of three Maiko Takahashi was never one to pinch pennies or accept hand-me-downs for her children even though circumstances for...
Russia’s Ukrainian quagmire providing tough lessons for China
HONG KONG/BEIJING — From countering a Western “information war” during a Taiwan conflict to using “shock and awe” to swiftly subdue the island’s forces,...
Moscow steps up assault in Ukraine’s south, eastern Donbas
DOBROPILLIA/KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s shelling killed and injured its own civilians in the southern region of Kherson, Russia said on Sunday, after pounding southern and eastern areas with missile strikes, while some civilians got away from a steel plant in besieged Mariupol.
Angelina Jolie visits Lviv, trip interrupted by sirens
LVIV, Ukraine — Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie visited the Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, going to the station to meet people displaced by the war with Russia before later leaving after air-raid sirens sounded.
Taiwan calls China’s COVID lockdowns ‘cruel,’ says won’t follow its steps
TAIPEI — China’s lockdowns to control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are “cruel” and Taiwan will not follow suit, Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Sunday.
New Mexico ‘megafire’ could more than double in size
TAOS, N.M. — A drought-driven wildfire in northern New Mexico exploded into a “megafire” of 100,000 acres, or 157 square miles, on Saturday and could still more than double in size, a fire official said.
‘Battle for Donbas’ critical for Russia, says British defense ministry
KYIV — The “Battle of Donbas” remains Russia’s main strategic focus in Ukraine, Britain’s defense ministry said on Friday, but it has suffered significant...
As living costs surge, climate change takes a backseat in elections
KUALA LUMPUR/MANILA/RIO DE JANEIRO — In the seaside town of Palo in the central Philippines, George Christopher Daga has watched torrential rain pour for...