Sri Lankan medicine shortage a death sentence for some, doctors say
COLOMBO — A shortage of medicine caused by an economic crisis in Sri Lanka could soon cause deaths, doctors said, as hospitals are forced to postpone life-saving procedures for their patients because they do not have the necessary drugs.
Beijing urges millions to keep working from home amid COVID outbreak menace
BEIJING/SHANGHAI -— Beijing authorities extended work-from-home guidance for many of its 22 million residents to stem a persistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, while Shanghai deployed more testing and curbs to hold on to its hard-won ‘zero COVID’ status after two months of lockdown.
With US help, Japan aims to go from player to power in space
TOKYO — Space is a key area of cooperation for Japan with the United States, its closest ally, amid heightened tensions with an increasingly assertive China, which itself aims to become a space power.
Australia’s new PM Albanese sworn in, ahead of Quad meet
SYDNEY — Australia’s Labor Party leader, Anthony Albanese, was sworn in as the country’s 31st prime minister on Monday, promising to bring the country together after a fractious election campaign as he vowed to tackle climate change and inequality.
Millions at risk as India’s severe heatwave exposes cooling gaps
NOIDA, India — As the scorching sun beat down on his fruit cart, Mohammad Ikrar dreaded another day of tossing out dozens of rotting...
What is on (and off) the agenda of the WHO Assembly?
GENEVA — More than 100 world health ministers will meet in Geneva next week for the first in-person assembly of the World Health Organization...
Ukraine top of the agenda in Davos as business leaders gather
DAVOS, Switzerland — Russia would normally have its own “house” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a showcase for business leaders and investors.
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WHO expects more cases of monkeypox to emerge globally
LONDON — The World Health Organization (WHO) said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands surveillance in countries where the disease is not typically found.
India trims tax on fuel, essential commodities
NEW DELHI — India on Saturday announced a series of changes to the tax structure levied on crucial commodities in a bid to insulate consumers from rising prices amid high inflation.
Australia’s next PM Albanese is a pragmatist who promises unity
SYDNEY — Anthony Albanese, who becomes Australia’s prime minister (PM) on Monday, is a pragmatic leader from a working-class background who has pledged to end divisions in the country.
Spain swelters as temperatures soar above May average
MADRID — People waved fans, glugged water and splashed themselves at fountains in Spain on Saturday as the country sweltered under unseasonably high temperatures pushing close to 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some places.
China cuts borrowing rate more than expected to revive housing sector
SHANGHAI, May — China cut its benchmark reference rate for mortgages by an unexpectedly wide margin on Friday, its second reduction this year as...