World News Roundup: Mexican families fret over fate of migrants trapped in Texas truck; Ukraine tells NATO Russia wants to dictate future world order and more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the NATO leaders his country needed more weapons and money to defend itself against Russia, warning that Moscow's ambitions did not stop at Ukraine. Sweden, Finland on course to join NATO as Russia, China focus allies Sweden and Finland on Wednesday looked set for fast-track membership of NATO after Turkey lifted a veto on them joining, at a summit where the U.S.-led alliance is due to adopt a broad strategy focused on Russian and China for the next decade.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Mexican families fret over fate of migrants trapped in Texas truck

Before he began the journey that ended in disaster, Jose Luis Vasquez lived in a remote mountainous community in southern Mexico, where a single telephone connects a few indigenous families to the outside world, local residents said. Now the 31-year-old is in a hospital in San Antonio, Texas, after becoming severely dehydrated in a sweltering tractor-trailer truck in which at least 51 migrants died in the deadliest human trafficking tragedy in recent U.S. history.

Ukraine tells NATO Russia wants to dictate future world order

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO leaders on Wednesday his country needed more advanced weapons and money to defend itself against Russia, warning that Moscow's ambitions did not stop at Ukraine. He put the monthly cost of defending Ukraine against Russia's invasion at about $5 billion.

Russian missiles rain down on Ukraine as the West pledges enduring support

Russian forces struck targets in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine on Wednesday and intensified attacks on fronts across the country as NATO members met in Madrid to plan a course of action against the challenge from Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the NATO leaders his country needed more weapons and money to defend itself against Russia, warning that Moscow's ambitions did not stop at Ukraine.

Sweden, Finland on course to join NATO as Russia, China focus allies

Sweden and Finland on Wednesday looked set for fast-track membership of NATO after Turkey lifted a veto on them joining, at a summit where the U.S.-led alliance is due to adopt a broad strategy focused on Russian and China for the next decade. After talks in Madrid, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday agreed with his Finnish and Swedish counterparts a series of security measures to allow the two Nordic countries to progress in their bid to join the U.S.-led alliance.

NATO deal with Turkey greeted with caution and concern in Sweden

Sweden and Finland took a step closer to joining the NATO military alliance after Turkey's decision to drop its objections, but there may still be snags to overcome as some critics say the deal hands a foreign policy veto to Ankara. The three countries reached a breakthrough agreement after more than four hours of talks on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid on Tuesday.

After Hindu slain, police in northwest India ban public gatherings, suspend internet

Fearing outbreaks of religious violence, police in the Indian state of Rajasthan banned public gatherings and suspended Internet services a day after two Muslims posted a video claiming responsibility for slaying a Hindu tailor in the city of Udaipur. Two suspects were being interrogated by federal investigators on Wednesday, while state police were on guard against any unrest in the northwestern state.

Queen Elizabeth meets Sturgeon after new push for independence vote

Queen Elizabeth held a meeting with Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday, a day after the Scottish leader set out plans to push for a second independence referendum to break away from the United Kingdom. Buckingham Palace said the 96-year-old queen, who is spending the week in Scotland, had received Sturgeon as well as a Scottish Parliament official in Edinburgh's Holyrood Palace.

Citing Russia threat, Biden to ramp up U.S. forces in Europe

The United States will create a new permanent army headquarters in Poland and deploy additional land, air and sea forces across the length and breadth of Europe in response to threats from Russia, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday.

New U.S. warships will go to Spain, fighter jet squadrons to Britain, ground troops to Romania, air defence units to Germany and Italy and a wide range of assets to the Baltics, Biden announced at a NATO summit in Madrid.

Men will represent women at gathering for national unity - Taliban leader

A large gathering organised by the Taliban of Afghanistan's religious scholars and tribal elders will address issues of national unity and will be without female participants, the acting deputy prime minister said on Wednesday. Abdul Salam Hanafi told state broadcaster RTA that the gathering, the first of its kind since the Taliban took over last August, would start on Thursday.

'Impossible situation' for Sri Lankans struggling for petrol

Doctors and bankers were among the hundreds of Sri Lankans who marched on Wednesday to demand that the government resolve a severe fuel shortage at the heart of the worst economic crisis in decades or step down. Weeks of street demonstrations against cascading woes such as power cuts and shortages of food and medicine brought a change in government last month after nine people were killed and about 300 injured in protests.