After meeting with NATO leaders in Madrid, President Biden commented on Finland and Sweden's invitations to join the alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin "wanted the Finland-ization of NATO. He got the NATO-ization of Finland."

JOE BIDEN: Putin thought he could break the transatlantic alliance. He tried to weaken us. He expected our resolve to fracture. But he's getting exactly what he did not want. He wanted the Finland-ization of NATO. He got the NATO-ization of Finland. Let's think about this. That's what he thought.

Now NATO and Sweden are closer than ever to joining, and this will occur. We're more united than ever. And with the addition of Finland and Sweden, we'll be stronger than ever. They have serious militaries, both of them. We're going to increase the NATO border by 800 miles along the Finnish-Russian border. Sweden is all in.

The housing squeeze on the NSW south coast hit home for Eurobodalla Shire mayor Mathew Hatcher early this year, when his family's rent jumped by $150 per week.Mr Hatcher, who has run cafes and coffee vans for years, then began to hear locals' rising concern about the number of people sleeping rough through winter.

After 1,038 days on the road, the Warriors are finally home.Sunday's game against the Wests Tigers is their first at Mt Smart Stadium since Friday 30 August 2019, bringing an end to their nomadic existence enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Russia has flattened part of an apartment building while residents slept in missile attacks near Ukraine's port of Odesa that authorities say killed at least 21 people, hours after Russian troops abandoned the Black Sea outpost of Snake Island.Locals in the resort village of Serhiivka helped workers pick through the rubble of the nine-storey apartment block, a section of which had been completely destroyed in the early-morning strike.

Police investigating suspected doping by the Tour de France team Bahrain Victorious have seized more than 450 capsules of unidentified substances at a house in Slovenia during raids across Europe.Riders and staff had their homes raided and the team's hotel in Denmark was searched this week ahead of the three-week race which started on Friday in Copenhagen.

Protesters have broken into Libya's parliament in Tobruk and set a fire in front of the building to express their anger towards Libya's warring political parties, witnesses say.Security forces protecting the parliament withdrew from the site, the witnesses added.

French President Emmanuel Macron doesn't want an apology from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the handling of the submarine debacle, because he "is not responsible for what happened".Mr Macron embraced the new prime minister after he arrived at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Friday, for their first official meeting after Australia scrapped a $90 billion submarine contract last year.

Growing in confidence, Alex de Minaur believes "anything can happen" if he takes care of British wildcard Liam Broady and storms into the second week of Wimbledon for the first time.De Minaur's pulsating four-set comeback win over rising Brit Jack Draper on Thursday night was just the tonic after the Australian No.

It wasn't so long ago that Jason Kubler was down to the last 14 cents in his bank account.Now the self-confessed Australian tennis battler is house hunting after his life-changing month reached new levels with an inspired run from qualifying to the Wimbledon third round.

Australia's willingness to embrace Asian conditions and their readiness to think outside the box for solutions lies behind their turnaround on the sub-continent.Friday's 10-wicket flogging of Sri Lanka marked Australia's biggest win in Asia when forced to bowl first in 16 yearsIt also helped them retain the Warne-Muralitharan trophy inside two-and-a-bit days, with their fastest Test win in 20 years.

Yves Lampaert has taken the first yellow jersey, seven seconds ahead of defending champion Tadej Pogacar, as the 109th Tour de France started under clouds, both real and metaphorical, in Copenhagen.QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl's Belgian rider Lampaert won a damp and treacherous 13.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is leaning on Mark Philippoussis as the Greek ace plots to end Nick Kyrgios's rollercoaster Wimbledon campaign in a third-round show-stopper.After taking serving tips from Australia's former Wimbledon finalist at Melbourne Park in January, Tsitsipas has invited Philippoussis back into his inner sanctum ahead of Saturday's big-hitting showdown at the All England Club.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson could face scrutiny from the NRL after taking aim at the officiating of his side's 26-18 loss to Penrith.The Roosters had only 28 per cent of the territory in Friday night's game and were on the wrong end of an 8-3 penalty count but managed to keep pace with the reigning premiers on the back of strong defence.

Luckless St Kilda defender Hunter Clark has suffered another serious facial injury after a sickening collision with Saints teammate Dan Butler.The 23-year-old broke his nose on Friday night, taking some of the gloss off a vital win for St Kilda against Carlton.

Six candidates are vying for the South Australian seat of Bragg as voters go to the polls in a by-election forced by the resignation of former deputy premier Vickie Chapman.But the result of Saturday's ballot may not be known until next week, with more than a third of voters casting pre-poll or applying for a postal vote.

Heavy rains are set to once again batter NSW, with multiple weather alerts in place warning of potential flooding and landslips.Intense showers are forecast for metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra and parts of the Central Tablelands over the weekend, with the possibility of flash flooding.

Australia is on the precipice of the grim milestone of 10,000 COVID-19 related deaths, with more than 7000 fatalities reported in the last six months.Australia has reported 7677 deaths over the course of 2022, taking the country's total to 9930.

Carlos Sainz has kept crowd favourite Lewis Hamilton off the top of the timesheets in second practice for the British Grand Prix.The Spaniard produced a best lap of one minute 28.

Novak Djokovic is set to hear a famous old centre court refrain of 'C'mon Tim.' when he takes on a little-known wildcard on the next step of his seemingly unstoppable journey to a seventh Wimbledon title.

The World Health Organisation's Europe chief has warned that monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the last two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched on the continent.Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the United Nations health agency's decision last week that the escalating outbreak did not yet warrant being declared a global health emergency.

Cuban general Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Calleja, one of the country's most powerful men, has died of a heart attack, state media report.Lopez-Calleja, 62, was once married to former Cuban leader Raul Castro's daughter Deborah.