The US Senate on Wednesday voted to approve Finland and Sweden's accession to Nato, the most significant expansion of the 30-member alliance since the 1990s as it responds to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Senate voted 95 to 1 to support ratification of the two countries' accession documents, easily passing the two-thirds majority of 67 required to support ratification of the two countries' accession documents.
"This historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan US commitment to Nato, and to ensuring our Alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow," US President Joe Biden said.
Sweden and Finland applied for Nato membership in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which has repeatedly warned both against joining the alliance.
"I look forward to signing the accession protocols and welcoming Sweden and Finland, two strong democracies with highly capable militaries, into the greatest defensive alliance in history," Mr Biden said.
Nato's 30 allies signed the accession protocol for them last month, allowing them to join the US-led nuclear-armed alliance when its members ratify the decision.
"It will advance the cause of democracy," Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer tweeted after the vote.
"And it is all the more urgent given [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's barbaric, immoral and unjustified war in Ukraine."
Helsinki and Stockholm have been able to take part in Nato meetings and have greater access to intelligence.
But they are not yet protected by Article 5, the Nato defence clause stating that an attack against one ally is an attack on all.
The accession must be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members before Finland and Sweden can be protected by the defence clause.
Ratification could take up to a year, although it has already been approved by a few countries including Canada, Germany and Italy.
Mr Biden called Wednesday's vote the culmination of "the fastest Senate process for a Nato protocol since 1981".
Senators from both parties strongly endorsed membership for the two countries, describing them as important allies whose modern militaries already worked closely with Nato.
"The qualifications of these two prosperous, democratic nations are outstanding and will serve to strengthen the Nato alliance," said Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the foreign relations committee, urging support before the vote.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer invited the ambassadors and other diplomats from Finland and Sweden to the Senate to observe the vote.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley was the lone "no" vote. Republican Senator Rand Paul voted present.
Reuters contributed to this report
Results
Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).
Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.
Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.
Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.
Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.
Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)
Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)
Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.
Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.
Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.
Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.
Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Civil%20War
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Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
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The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.
Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
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Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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