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By Joey Roulette GREENBELT, Md. (Reuters) – The powerful James Webb Space Telescope’s inaugural batch of images has opened a new chapter of cosmic exploration, but astronomers say the observatory’s most consequential discoveries may well be those they have yet to even imagine. Distant colliding galaxies, gas-giant exoplanets and dying star systems were the first …

Webb space telescope opens door to discoveries still unimagined Read More »

By Lisandra Paraguassu and Gram Slattery BRASILIA (Reuters) – The shooting over the weekend of an official in Brazil’s leftist Workers’ Party (PT) by a supporter of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has inflamed fears of more political violence ahead of a heated election in October. The local party official’s death was the most dramatic case …

Analysis: Lula in flak jacket, Brazil on edge as political killing mars campaign Read More »

By Uditha Jayasinghe, Devjyot Ghoshal and Waruna Cudah Nimal Karunatilake COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on Wednesday, hours before he was due to step down after a people’s uprising over a devastating economic crisis ended his family’s grip on the island nation. Later in the day, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe …

Sri Lankan president flees to Maldives, protesters demand prime minister’s ouster Read More »

By Kirsty Needham SUVA (Reuters) -Pacific island leaders welcomed a pledge by the United States to triple aid to the region to combat illegal fishing, enhance maritime security and tackle climate change, after decades of stagnant U.S. funding. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in a video address to the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva on …

Pacific island leaders welcome U.S. pledge to triple funding for region Read More »

By Devjyot Ghoshal COLOMBO (Reuters) – Barely hours after Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on Wednesday, hundreds of people were demanding the resignation of the prime minister as well and fighting street battles with riot police. “Ranil go home!” they chanted as they tried to storm the office of Prime Minister Ranil …

Sri Lankans storm prime minister’s office, demanding he quit as well Read More »

BEIJING (Reuters) -Searing heatwaves swept across China’s vast Yangtze River basin on Wednesday, hammering densely populated megacities from Shanghai on the coast to Chengdu deep in the heartlands. More than 90 red alerts, the most severe in a three-rung warning system, were active across China as of 3:30 p.m. (0730 GMT. Most were in the …

Heatwaves hammer millions in China’s populated Yangtze River basin Read More »

By Josh Horwitz SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Anxiety levels rose along with temperatures in Shanghai on Wednesday, as medical workers sweated beneath their hazmat suits while administering compulsory mass testing for COVID-19 in a city that recently emerged from a painful two-month lockdown. China’s commercial hub is battling an outbreak that has seen dozens of new infections …

Shanghai sweats over small, but stubborn COVID outbreak already hampering economy Read More »

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) – Conservative lawmakers will vote on Wednesday to narrow the field of eight candidates hoping to succeed Boris Johnson as party leader and prime minister, as rival camps trade barbs in an increasingly fractious contest for the leadership. Three of the 11 initial challengers for the premiership fell away on …

Eight hopefuls wanting to be next UK PM face first vote to narrow field Read More »

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency in his role as the acting president, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on Wednesday, leading to more protests amid an economic crisis. “The prime minister as acting president has declared a state of emergency (countrywide) and …

Sri Lanka PM declares state of emergency, curfew – spokesman Read More »