When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, he was betting against the West.  The West — understood as Europe and the United States — would not have the mettle to save Ukraine, he surely surmised.…

BRUSSELS (AP) — Sweden’s flag was raised at NATO headquarters on Monday, cementing the Nordic country’s place as the 32nd member two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine persuaded its reluctant public to seek…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweden on Thursday formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader non-alignment with major powers as security…

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss weather service said Monday a heat wave has driven the zero-degree Celsius level to its highest altitude since recordings on it in Switzerland began nearly 70 years ago, an ominous…

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Spain will play for its first Women’s World Cup championship after Olga Carmona’s goal in the 89th minute lifted La Roja to a 2-1 victory over Sweden in the Tuesday…

SYDNEY (AP) — Spain failed to qualify for the first six editions of the Women’s World Cup, but once La Roja made the tournament in 2015 they’ve made a steady climb toward joining the global…

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Frequent rivals Sweden and the United States will meet once again at the Women’s World Cup, but this time the stakes are tremendously higher. The two-time defending champion Americans are struggling…

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — Rebecka Blomqvist’s second-half goal lifted Sweden to a 2-0 win over Argentina on Wednesday to advance the Blagult to a round-of-16 showdown with the United States in the Women’s World…

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO leaders agreed Tuesday to allow Ukraine to join “when allies agree and conditions are met,” the head of the military alliance said, hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskky blasted the organization’s…

Royce Smith knows a thing or two about soccer: playing goalkeeper and taking the field overseas.  The Iola native will head back to Sweden in March to begin another season of professional soccer, but this…