NATO has started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million). Sweden also announced Tuesday it would contribute $275 million to a joint effort along with its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway to provide $500 million worth of air defenses, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and spare parts. Two deliveries of equipment, most of it bought in the United States, are expected this month, although the Nordic package is expected to arrive in September. The equipment is supplied based on Ukraine’s priority needs on...

 New Zealand’s air force said on Wednesday it had evacuated three people from a United States research base in Antarctica, in what it said was a high-risk operation in freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. One person requiring urgent medical care and two others needing medical attention were taken on the rescue flight from the McMurdo Station on Tuesday, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) said in a statement. The aircraft landed in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Wednesday morning. The statement gave no details of the medical emergency or nationalities. Andy Scott, a New Zealand Air Commodore,...

— Italy would tighten controls on the supply of gender-affirming medical care for minors, according to a draft law approved by the government that has triggered protests from transgender rights advocates. The measure, passed by the cabinet late on Monday but still subject to parliamentary approval, would regulate medicines such as puberty blockers and feminizing or masculinizing hormones for those under the age of 18 who are experiencing gender dysphoria. In a statement, the government said it was needed “to protect the health of minors” and introduce “effective data monitoring.” Gender dysphoria is the clinical diagnosis of significant distress that...

Heavy rain hampered rescue efforts in India’s Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on Wednesday, a day after sudden flooding and landslides killed four people and left dozens missing. Teams of army and disaster force rescuers struggled to reach Dharali village, a popular tourist spot that serves as a pit stop before climbing to the Hindu pilgrimage town of Gangotri, as landslides blocked a major highway and heavy rain continued to pelt the region, local media and authorities said. “The number of missing persons is unknown, however the relief efforts have continued through the night. We are trying to rescue people and take them to...

U.S. health officials issued a warning to travelers about a mosquito-borne illness being transmitted in parts of southeast China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is an outbreak of chikungunya in Guangdong province. Most cases have been reported in the city of Foshan. Most people infected with the virus develop fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, rash, joint swelling and other symptoms, the CDC said Friday in a travel warning. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after a person has been bitten by an infected mosquito. The CDC said most people recover in about a week, and...