— Russia recruits hundreds of African women with false job promises to assemble kamikaze drones in Tatarstan, fuelling a surge in aerial attacks on Ukraine.

— Canada and the EU have signed a sweeping defence partnership, pledging deeper cooperation on Ukraine, climate change, and technology as transatlantic alliances face new pressures.

— NATO’s Hague summit this week, compressed to one session to appease Donald Trump, agrees on higher defence spending. Uncertainty remains over the US commitment and Europe’s readiness to address new, ambiguous threats.

— Donald Trump said that United States strikes had crippled Iran’s nuclear programme, prompting threats from Iran and condemnation from Gulf states. While Russia and China have called for restraint, the next steps for the Middle East remain uncertain.

— US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites threaten to upend the liberal international order, raising fears of regional conflict, global instability and the erosion of long-standing diplomatic norms and treaties.

— Five years after Edward Colston’s statue fell in Bristol, debate lingers over whether toppling it truly changed racism and inequality, or merely shifted focus to statues and symbolism.

— The U.S. faces mounting concerns over President Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, as he breaks precedent, suppresses dissent, and leverages immigration and insurrection fears for political gain. Democracy’s future is uncertain, B. Jay Cooper argues.

— 34 European countries are intensifying roadside checks to target drink and drug driving, with Serbia highlighting a 24-hour crackdown and thousands of offenders already caught.

— Donald Trump marked his 79th birthday with a military parade in Washington, drawing cheers from supporters and fierce backlash nationwide for its perceived authoritarian overtones and extravagant pageantry. | Today’s Political Cartoon.

— Europe faces a crisis of confidence as its global influence wanes. With slow decision-making and digital decline, only empowered youth and institutional reform can revive its fading promise.

— Trump’s second-term diplomacy reveals bluster, not bargains. From stalled talks on Iran and Ukraine to empty proposals for Gaza, his ‘deal-making’ record looks more like bluff and retreat than strategic mastery.

— Trump has sent troops into California without the Governor’s request, fuelling unrest over ICE raids and sparking legal threats. This sets a dangerous precedent under the controversial Insurrection Act.