Key points Finland has ended the military non-alignment status it adhered to since 1945. Finland’s NATO accession has been spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ‘Great day for Finland, important day for NATO’ the country’s president said. Finland has made a dangerous historical mistake, Russia said. Sweden’s bid to join NATO is being delayed by Turkey, Hungary. Helsinki: Finland formally […]

Soldiers lower the Taiwanese flag during a ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, in August.Photo: Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg via Getty Images President Biden again vowed in an interview Sunday that American forces would defend Taiwan if China's military invaded the self-governing island— prompting the White House to stress that U.S. policy hasn't changed on the matter. […]

If you see purple gin and tonics and indigo-colored margaritas sprouting up on Denver menus this spring, it’s partly because bartenders want to make you a cocktail that shows team spirit. But it’s also because they’re obsessed with butterfly pea flower, a bloom that’s native to Southeast Asia and that can act like an all-natural dye, turning drinks a lovely […]

By JIM SALTER and SCOTT McFETRIDGE (Associated Press) GLEN ALLEN, Mo. (AP) — A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction and killing at least five people as a broad swath of the Midwest and South kept a wary eye out for further storms that could spawn additional twisters and hail. The tornado touched […]

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2018. Phot: Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) appointed his eldest son Khaled as crown prince last week, elevating him above an older generation of senior royals and ending the uncertainty about the kingdom's line of succession. Why it matters: It took MBZ 10 months to […]

A war fanatic who raised $25,000 (£20,000) to spend on Chinese drones for Vladimir Putin's army was hacked and will now receive a huge delivery of sex toys. "Z-volunteer" Mikhail Luchin placed an order with global online retail company AliExpress in a bid to support Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. But Ukrainian hackers with the Cyber Resistance Group intercepted the […]

A sex toy advert poking fun at Prince Harry's memoir has been banned – but not for making a jab at the royal. Well-known adult toy store Lovehoney had a digital billboard at London's Clapham Junction train station on February 8 of this year, displaying an image of a ball gag, a popular prop used in sexual play. "Silence is […]

By JOHN HANNA and ANDREW DeMILLO (Associated Press) TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas bill to impose some of the nation’s broadest bathroom restrictions and ban transgender people from changing the name or gender on their driver’s licenses cleared the Legislature by margins Tuesday that suggest backers could override the Democratic governor’s expected veto. Kansas Senate voted 28-12 with one […]

Photo: Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit Trash is not sexy, it's not fun — it's literally the stuff we want to forget about the moment we throw it away. But the truth is, according to Miniwiz founder and CEO Arthur Huang, nearly everything we use can be remade into something else, creating a true circular economy. Driving the news: […]