LONDON, May 25 — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today again pledged action to help tackle the cost of living crisis, without giving specifics on what his government was going to do to ease pressure on household finances.

'We're going to see pressures on on household finances. So what I'm saying to people is that we will continue to respond,' Johnson said at a news conference.

'The government is going to do everything we can to help people.' — Reuters

LISBON, May 25 — Portugal's DGS health authority confirmed 10 new cases of monkeypox today, bringing the total to 49 and equalling the number of confirmed infections in neighbouring Spain.

The two Iberian countries have been among the main hotspots of the recent outbreak of the usually mild viral disease outside its endemic areas in parts of west and central Africa.

DGS said all confirmed cases had been found in men, most aged under 40. All are in a stable condition and no one has been hospitalised.

Spain confirmed one additional case today. The region of Madrid, where nearly all of the country's infections have been detected and mostly linked to an adult sauna, was due to update its numbers later today.

Most of the infections detected globally so far in the outbreak have not been severe, and many, but not all, been reported in men who have sex with men. Symptoms include a fever and a distinctive bumpy rash. — Reuters

MOSCOW, May 25 —Russia's defence ministry said today that the port of Mariupol, the Ukrainian city which was taken by Russia after a three-month siege, is operating normally.

The ministry said that Russia is in touch with the United Nations, and that Moscow 'does not rule out the possibility of global talks to unblock Ukraine's ports.' — Reuters

VATICAN CITY, May 25 — Pope Francis today said he was 'heartbroken' by the shooting at a school in Texas that killed at least 19 children and two teachers, calling for greater controls on weapons.

The crowed in St. Peter's Square for his weekly general audience applauded his appeal, made a day after worst school shooting in the United States in nearly a decade. — Reuters

BERLIN, May 25 ― Germany's Health Ministry will ease Covid-19 entry rules for travellers from June 1, suspending a requirement for vaccination, recovery from the virus or a negative test, Funke media group reported today, citing the health minister.

“We will suspend the 3G rule on entry until the end of August,” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach was quoted as saying.

The new regulations still need to pass the Cabinet on Wednesday and will recognise all Covid-19 vaccines that are approved by the World Health Organisation even if not approved by the European Union, Funke reported.

Germany's coronavirus infections have been falling. The Robert Koch Institute registered 64,437 new infections yesterday, which is 21,815 lower than a week ago. ― Reuters

DUBAI, May 24 ― The death toll from a building collapse in the southern Iranian city of Abadan has reached 10, with some people still missing, the official IRNA news agency reported today.

The 10-storey residential and commercial building partly collapsed today, leaving at least 80 people under the rubble, according to state TV.

“After hours of emergency efforts, 30 people trapped under the rubble were extracted alive and taken to hospital to treat their injuries,” a deputy governor of the Khuzestan province told IRNA.

The number of people still trapped under the rubble remains unclear. ― Reuters