Sweden and Finland have the "full, total and complete backing" of the US in their decision to apply for Nato membership, President Joe Biden says. Both countries submitted their applications to be part of the Western defence alliance this week, marking a major shift in

The Israeli military is not planning to investigate the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, according to Israeli media, leading her family to reiterate their call for a transparent probe into her shooting. Israel’s Military Police Criminal Investigation Division

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was today sentenced by the Supreme Court to one year in jail in a 34-year-old road rage case. The cricketer-turned-politician must surrender and serve a year's "rigorous imprisonment", the court said. The Supreme Court gave its ruling on

More than 900 Ukrainian troops who were at Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steel plant have been sent to a prison colony on Russian-controlled territory, Moscow has said, as their fate remains uncertain. A foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said on Wednesday evening

The United Nations has warned that the war in Ukraine has helped to stoke a global food crisis that could last years if it goes unchecked, as the World Bank announced an additional $12bn in funding to mitigate its “devastating effects”. UN secretary general António

A 21-year-old Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian, in the first war crimes trial in Ukraine since the war started. Vadim Shishimarin admitted shooting a 62-year-old man a few days after the invasion began. He faces life in jail. The prisoner was brought

AG Perarivalan, one of the convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, who has been behind bars for 31 years, will be released, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday.  The verdict could pave the way for the release of other six convicts in the case,

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