Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the Nato alliance on Wednesday (May 18) at allied headquarters, setting in motion an accession process that is expected to take only a few weeks. “The applications you have made today are an historic step. Allies will now consider the

The defence chief of Myanmar's shadow government has called for international help to arm its resistance forces fighting the ruling military, requesting support similar to that being given to Ukrainians battling invading Russian troops. The people of Ukraine and Myanmar's

A new study blames pollution of all types for 9 million deaths a year globally, with the death toll attributed to dirty air from cars, trucks and industry rising 55% since 2000. That increase is offset by fewer pollution deaths from primitive indoor stoves and water contaminated with

Sri Lanka's new prime minister says the country is down to its last day of petrol as it faces its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years. In a televised address, Ranil Wickremesinghe said the nation urgently needs $75m (£60.8m) of foreign currency in the next few days to

Elisabeth Borne has been named the new Prime Minister of France, the first time in 30 years that a woman has held the position. Borne will replace Jean Castex in the role, the Elysée Palace said in a statement on Monday, becoming only the second woman ever to serve as Prime

More than 260 Ukrainian soldiers, many of them wounded, have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol, appearing to cede control of the city to Russia after 82 days of bombardment. Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said late

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he would not approve Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership if they sanction Ankara. “First of all, we would not say ‘yes’ to those who impose sanctions on Turkey joining NATO, which is a security

Wheat prices surged to a new record high in European trading on Monday after India decided to ban exports of the commodity as a heatwave hit production. The price jumped to 435 euros ($453) per ton as the Euronext market opened, up from the previous record of 422 euros reached on

An intense heatwave is sweeping through northern India with temperatures hitting a record 49.2C (120.5F) in parts of the capital, Delhi. This is the fifth heatwave in the capital since March. Officials in many parts of the country have asked people to take precautions as

A gunman has opened fire in a southern California church, killing one person and wounding five others before churchgoers detained the suspect and hog-tied him in what officials called an act of “exceptional heroism”. The shooting was reported shortly before 1:30pm on Sunday

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has lambasted health officials and ordered the army to help distribute medicine, as a wave of Covid cases sweeps through the country. More than a million people have now been sickened by what Pyongyang is calling a "fever", state media said.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was chosen as Somalia's new president on Sunday, returning to the helm for a second stint five years after he was voted out. Mohamud defeated the incumbent, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, in a runoff after three rounds of voting in an election that has been

By the end of Sunday, Somalis should know who their next president is, but this long-delayed vote only involves the country's 329 MPs and takes place in a heavily fortified area. The unusual circumstances highlight Somalia's security issues, as well as the lack of democratic

Rajiv Kumar took over as the new chief election commissioner on Sunday, a day after his predecessor Sushil Chandra retired. Kumar will oversee the upcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tripura,

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto said on Sunday (May 15) Helsinki will apply for Nato membership, as Sweden's ruling party holds a decisive meeting that could pave the way for a joint application. The president and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin are expected to submit a

On May 15, 1948, Israel was established as a Jewish-majority state at the expense of the forced expulsion of about 750,000 Palestinians. The day has subsequently been commemorated annually as Nakba Day. The word “Nakba” means “catastrophe” in Arabic, and

A day after Tripura Chief Minister Biplap Kumar Deb stepped down, BJP leader Manik Saha took oath as the eleventh CM of the northeastern state on Sunday (May 15) The change of guard was announced on Saturday, a year ahead of the assembly elections in the state. Saha was elected leader

Ten people have been killed in a shooting in New York state that is being investigated as a racially-motivated hate crime. An 18-year-old man wearing military gear was arrested after a stand-off at the scene in the city of Buffalo. The suspect entered a busy supermarket on Saturday

The BJP named state president and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Manik Saha as the new Chief Minister of Tripura after Biplab Kumar Deb submitted his resignation to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya at the Raj Bhawan in Agartala on Saturday. Deb, who had been to Delhi on Friday, said he would work in

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has submitted his resignation to Governor SN Arya ahead of state polls next year. Mr Deb made the announcement after meeting the governor at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday. "Party wants me to work to strengthen the organisation," news