UNITED STATES: Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at his country’s Nato allies today, announcing a six-month Pentagon review of US forces in Europe.

“This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defence of Europe,” he told his Nato counterparts in Brussels.

Mr Hegseth blasted European alliance members’ refusal to allow US forces access to their bases to launch attacks on Iran, calling it “shameful.”

CHINA: Beijing urged the Group of Seven Western nations today to stop using “small circle” rules to undermine the international trade order.

The warning followed the bloc saying that it aimed to reduce dependence on Chinese rare earth minerals.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference that China’s position on maintaining the stability and security of global supply chains for rare earth minerals had not changed. 

NIGER: Gunmen attacked the main airport in the capital Niamey early today, leading to an exchange of fire and explosions, witnesses and a local security official said.

Whether there were any casualties and who the attackers were was not immediately clear.

RUSSIA: Moscow was hit today by the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the war, with around 200 drones striking targets across the Russian capital.

Seventeen people were reportedly wounded, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.

Almost 100 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles were intercepted, said Russia’s Defence Ministry.