As of Saturday, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported from 12 member states that are not endemic for the virus, the UN agency said, adding it will provide further guidance and recommendations in coming days for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.

The travel bans have only symbolic impact but form part of a constant downward spiral in Russia's relations with the United States and its allies since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Cases have now been confirmed in countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, the United States and Australia.

Rutte, whose devotion to his old Nokia has chimed with his frugal public image, made the admission after De Volkskrant newspaper sought access to government communications during the COVID pandemic.

Sunak's inclusion is largely a result of his wife's wealth, but comes at a politically difficult time for the man in charge of Britain's budget as he faces pressure to increase support for households struggling with soaring energy bills and food prices.

"The applications you have made today are an historic step. Allies will now consider the next steps on your path to NATO," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said, after receiving the bids from the Finnish and Swedish ambassadors at the alliance's headquarters.

"The government has decided to inform NATO that Sweden wants to become a member of the alliance," Andersson told reporters a day after neighbouring Finland made a similar announcement.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Ukraine, Ghafur Akbar Dharmaputra, has passed away after being hospitalized for treatment in Jakarta on his return from Kyiv, where he had coordinated a massive evacuation effort of his fellow compatriots.

Former president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, said such a conflict with NATO always carried the risk of turning into a full blown nuclear war.

The World Health Organization said the leading hypotheses remain those involving adenovirus.

"We have a military doctrine - everything is written there," Alexander Grushko was quoted by state news agency RIA as saying.

The embargo, part of a sixth package of EU sanctions under discussion, is being resisted by some member states that rely on Russian oil to keep their economies running and are seeking guarantees of alternative sources.

Addressing massed ranks of servicemen on Red Square on the 77th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, Putin condemned what he called external threats to weaken and split Russia, and repeated familiar arguments he had used to justify its invasion - that NATO was creating threats right next to its borders.

The overnight attack in the village of Skovorodynivka in eastern Ukraine hit the roof of the museum, setting the building ablaze and injuring a 35-year-old custodian. The most valuable items had earlier been moved for safety, said Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Sinegubov.

"The German chancellor (Olaf Scholz) will hold the third video conference since the start of the year with his G7 partners," Christiane Hoffmann told reporters on Friday, noting that May 8 is a "historic date marking the end of World War II in Europe". 

Reacting to an explosive New York Times report on US support for Ukraine's military, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said it was true that the United States supplies Kyiv's forces with military intelligence "to help Ukrainians defend their country."

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday condemned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for making an "unforgivable and outrageous statement as well as a terrible historical error" and summoned Moscow's ambassador for "clarifications".

"As of May 1, at least 228 probable cases were reported to WHO from 20 countries, with over 50 additional cases under investigation," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.

The document does not provide any details of which individuals or entities may be affected by the measures.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that "epidemic" overweight and obesity rates are linked to over 1.2 million deaths annually across Europe, calling for swift policy changes to reverse the dangerous trend.

Pope Francis said in an interview published on Tuesday that he asked for a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to stop the war in Ukraine but had not received a reply.

"We will decide on that if the matter arises," he said in an interview with ZDF public television. "It would be unwise to do anything else."

Unregulated online content has spread disinformation and propaganda that have amplified political divisions worldwide, fanned international tensions and even contributed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a media watchdog warned Tuesday.

Russia on Monday launched a fresh assault on the critical Ukrainian port of Odessa as the United States warned that Moscow was preparing formally to annex embattled regions in the east.

The European Union warned member states Monday to prepare for a possible complete breakdown in gas supplies from Russia, insisting it would not cede to Moscow's demand that imports be paid for in rubles.

Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate more civilians from Mariupol on Monday, after dozens were finally brought to safety following weeks trapped under heavy fire in the strategic port city's Azovstal steel complex.

Police fired tear gas to push back black-clad anarchists who ransacked business premises in Paris

The EU will propose a phased out ban on Russian oil imports as part of a fresh round of sanctions against Russia.

Pelosi met Zelenskiy in Kyiv in the latest show of support for Ukraine's fight against Russia.

"We continue to monitor their nuclear capabilities every day the best we can. And we do not assess that there is a threat of the use of nuclear weapons and no threat to NATO territory," the official said.