Briefly

SWEDEN

Nation officially ends decades of neutrality

Sweden formally joined NATO on Thursday as the 32nd member of the military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader nonalignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe have spiked following the conflict in Ukraine that began in 2022. Days after Hungary followed key holdout Turkiye and became the last NATO member to sign off, Sweden ceremonially handed over accession documents to the United States.

JAPAN

Dragon Ball creator Toriyama dies at 68

The creator of Japan's hugely popular and influential Dragon Ball comics and anime cartoons, Akira Toriyama, has died at the age of 68, his production team said on Friday. First serialized in 1984, Dragon Ball is one of the bestselling manga franchises of all time and has spawned countless anime series, films and video games. News of Toriyama's death was a top trending topic on social media platform Weibo, with 450 million views.

CANADA

6 killed after mass stabbing in Ottawa

A 19-year-old student is charged with stabbing and killing six people including four children, with the youngest less than 3 months old, inside a town house in Ottawa. Police confirmed that the homicides on Wednesday are considered the worst mass killing in the city's recent history.

Agencies Via Xinhua