Updated
Sri Lanka names new PM in bid to address growing crisis
By Alasdair Pal and Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lanka appointed a new prime minister on Thursday, as its embattled president seeks a way out of the country's worst economic…
Finland, worried by Russian invasion of Ukraine, moves to join NATO; Kremlin warns of response
By Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland must apply to join the NATO military alliance "without delay", its president and prime minister said on Thursday, in a historic…
Beijing denies lockdown rumours as Shanghai hunts elusive COVID
By Brenda Goh and Martin Quin Pollard SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) -Beijing denied it was heading for lockdown as panic buying gripped the capital on Thursday, while Shanghai combed the city for…
Ukraine appeals over worsening conditions in ‘medieval ghetto’ Mariupol
By Natalia Zinets and Max Hunder KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials issued dire warnings on Wednesday about the fate of civilians and the last fighters in Mariupol after weeks of…
Sweden plans to send NATO application next week, Expressen daily says
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Sweden's government plans to submit an application to join NATO next week, following neighbour Finland in re-writing its post-World War Two security policy in the wake of Russia's…
N.Korea reports first COVID outbreak, orders lockdown in “gravest emergency”
By Joori Roh and Soo-hyang Choi SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea reported its first COVID-19 outbreak on Thursday, calling it the "gravest national emergency" and ordering a national lockdown, with state…
EU seeks bigger role in Asia’s ‘theatre of tensions’, warns on China
By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) -European Union leaders said on Thursday that the EU wants to become a bigger actor in Asia, which they termed a "theatre of tensions", warning…
Pro-Moscow leaders of occupied region seek to join Russia, Zelenskiy slams ‘collaborators’
(Reuters) -The Russian-occupied region of Kherson in Ukraine plans to ask President Vladimir Putin to incorporate it into Russia by the end of 2022, Russia's TASS news agency reported on…
Biden seeks to keep China in focus by welcoming ASEAN leaders
By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis and Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden will host Southeast Asian leaders in Washington this week, seeking to show his administration remains focused on…
Ukraine pushes Russian forces back, restricts gas flow to Europe
By Pavel Polityuk and Jonathan Landay KYIV/VILKHIVKA, Ukraine (Reuters) -Ukrainian forces reported battlefield gains on Wednesday in a counterattack that could signal a shift in the momentum of the war,…
UK strikes new security agreement with Sweden and Finland
By Anne Kauranen HELSINKI (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said he had agreed new deals with Sweden and Finland to bolster European security, pledging to support both…
Give Ukraine peace a chance, says Italy’s Draghi
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and Europe need to work with Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict and forge a peace deal, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on…
