LISBON, Portugal — Portugal is holding a general election Sunday against a backdrop of corruption scandals and economic hardship that have eroded faith in moderate mainstream parties and could push a significant number of voters into the arms of a radical right populist party. A slew of recent corruption scandals has tarnished the two parties … Read more
SEOUL, South Korea — Thousands of senior doctors rallied in Seoul on Sunday to express their support for junior doctors who have been on strike for nearly two weeks over a government plan to sharply increase the number of medical school admissions. The rally came as the government said it would begin to take steps … Read more
SINGAPORE — A crack of thunder booms as dozens of screens in a locked office flash between live video of cars splashing through wet roads, drains sapping the streets dry, and reservoirs collecting the precious rainwater across the tropical island of Singapore. A team of government employees intently monitors the water, which will be collected … Read more
ISLAMABAD — Human Rights Watch said Monday that Afghanistan’s public health system has been hit hard following a sharp reduction in foreign assistance, coupled with serious Taliban abuses against women and girls, jeopardizing the right to healthcare of millions of Afghans. In a new report, the New York-based watchdog said this has left the “Afghan … Read more
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Weeks before Taiwan holds elections for its president and legislature, China renewed its threat to use military force to annex the self-governing island democracy it claims as its own territory. Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Wu Qian on told reporters Thursday at a monthly briefing that China’s armed forces would “as always take … Read more
LONDON — More than 100 Russian doctors signed an open letter published Saturday that demands the immediate release of an artist and musician who was sentenced to seven years in prison for swapping supermarket price tags with antiwar messages. The letter calling for Sasha Skochilenko to be freed was addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin … Read more
CANBERRA, Australia — A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak was ruled negligent in its duty of care to passengers in an Australian class-action case Wednesday. The Ruby Princess ocean liner left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for a 13-day … Read more
GENEVA — Switzerland’s anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party rebounded from searing losses four years ago to become the largest parliamentary faction after the election, official results showed, as two environmentally-minded parties lost ground despite record glacier melt in the Alpine country. Pre-election polls suggested that Swiss voters had three main concerns: Rising fees for the obligatory, … Read more
Kenya’s government has announced that it won’t renew a deal that saw Cuban doctors employed in Kenya while those from the East African country travelled to Cuba for specialized training ByEMMANUEL IGUNZA Associated Press October 11, 2023, 9:55 AM NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s government announced Wednesday it would not be renewing a 6-year-old deal that … Read more
LONDON — Scottish authorities on Wednesday approved a 2.3 million-pound ($2.8 million) pound drug consumption room, the first government-backed place in the U.K. where users can take illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin under the supervision of medical staff. Local officials in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Wednesday approved the facility, which had … Read more