Five years ago, it was a party. This time it felt more like a town hall reception after a marriage of reason. Two hours after French voters had handed their now 44-year-old president a second term, Emmanuel Macron's acceptance speech was already over and supporters were set to call it an early night beneath the Eiffel Tower. From abroad, many were asking: how can a 15-point margin turn into a sobering affair?

On a visit to Japan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lauded Tokyo's support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's attack. He also stressed close German-Japanese ties.

The British prime minister has faced calls to step down after breaking COVID lockdown rules. In Northern Ireland, polls suggest the Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein could win the largest number of seats.

As protesters tried to enter Mahinda Rajapaksa's residence overnight, police escorted him out on Tuesday morning. The flare up of violence has left at least five people dead and scores injured.

Finland will not be deterred by Russian threats from applying to join NATO, Finnish ex-Prime Minister Alexander Stubb says. He told DW that the country would be a major security asset for the alliance.

Mikhail Kasyanov, who served as prime minister under Vladimir Putin in the early 2000s, told DW he believed that the Russian president had "already started to realize that he's losing this war."

Sweden's government has decided to reverse decades of security policy and formally join NATO. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson announced the step. Finland's parliament votes on the same plan later.

Boris Johnson has again threatened to break post-Brexit agreements with the EU as victorious Sinn Fein accuses him of pandering to the DUP, which is blocking the formation of a government after recent elections.

Elisabeth Borne has been appointed France's new prime minister. The former transport, ecology and labour minister faces numerous challenges, with the most pressing priority being helping French households with the soaring cost of living. She will also need to tackle the thorny issue of pension reform as well as steer the country through a major energy transition. Plus, Moscow residents display mixed feelings after US fast food giant McDonald's announces it's pulling out of Russia for good.

Japan's GDP fell at an annualised rate of 1 percent in the first three months of this year as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus hampered consumer spending. Rising commodity prices also weighed on businesses in the world's third-largest economy. Plus, as unemployment remains stable in France at 7.3 percent, a steelworks factory in the northern city of Dunkirk is offering a cash bonus to employees to encourage them to recruit family members.

Australia could become a "renewable energy superpower," said incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He is due to be sworn in just a day before a Quad summit in Tokyo.

Colombia's electorate may put a leftist candidate in power for the first time in the country's history. Although many young voters support leftist Gustavo Petro, moderate candidates like Fico Gutierrez still pose a threat in the run-off.