US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reassured NATO member states that Washington remains committed to the military bloc, while insisting that members must drastically increase spending on their militaries.

Rubio made the remarks at NATO’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump had previously threatened to leave NATO if bloc members failed to increase their military spending. He has called for a huge hike to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) from the current 2% benchmark only reached by 23 of its 32 members in 2024.

“The United States is in NATO ... The United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been,” Rubio told reporters, dismissing doubts about that commitment as “hysteria.”

Trump’s ‘sledgehammer’ approach may cause trade wars – financial analyst
The US president is applying primitive tactics in both the economic and political issues he’s dealing with, Henry Johnston tells RT

US President Donald Trump’s tactics in both political and economic matters are very similar and are tantamount to using a sledgehammer for a problem that requires nuance, financial analyst Henry Johnston has told RT. On Wednesday, Trump announced a new round of sweeping tariffs on scores of trading partners, part of what he has branded his ‘Liberation Day’ plan.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged Washington’s trading partners not to retaliate against President Donald Trump’s latest set of tariffs.

Trump on Wednesday announced reciprocal tariffs on exports from countries around the world, part of what he has branded his ‘Liberation Day’ plan, raising fears of a global trade war.

Speaking to Fox News shortly after Trump’s announcement, Bessent said that the levies aimed to lay the groundwork for long-term economic growth.

“My advice to every country right now is do not retaliate,” Bessent said. “Sit back, take it in, let’s see how it goes.” 

He warned that retaliation would lead to escalation.

The initiation of mass firings of over 20,000 scientists and public health workers at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) marks a historic turning point in the collapse of American democracy and the Trump administration’s efforts to establish a fascist dictatorship in the United States.

“We’re not, but we should be.”

That was French economy minister Éric Lombard’s response to a question on March 1 asking if France is now in a war economy.

In June 2022, French president Emmanuel Macron addressed the country’s defense industry, four months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Everything has changed,” Macron said, arguing that a war economy would be necessary to ensure Europe’s collective defense against Russia.

On the first day of April in 2022, shocking videos began circulating on Ukrainian social media, showing the streets of Bucha, a town in Kiev region, strewn with dead bodies.  The “Bucha massacre” quickly became one of the most widely discussed and controversial chapters of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Western media immediately accused the Russian army of mass killings, while Vladimir Zelensky declared that these acts were not only war crimes but a genocide against his country's people.

By Petr Lavrenin

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new round of sweeping tariffs, part of what he has branded his ‘Liberation Day’ plan, raising concerns over a potential global trade war.

Washington is introducing customs duties on all countries based on the principle of reciprocity, Trump has announced, calling it a day of economic independence for the United States.

The president confirmed that the 25% global tariffs on cars and trucks will take effect as scheduled on Thursday, while duties on imported automotive parts is set to begin on May 3.

In his speech at the Rose Garden, Trump complained that “none of our companies are allowed to go into other countries.”

“That’s why, effective at midnight, we will impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles,” he declared.

Since the fall of the Syrian government on 8 December, the direction of the new interim administration, headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has become increasingly clear. Politically, militarily, and legally, Damascus now appears aligned with Washington’s long-standing vision of dismantling the Palestinian cause.

The German government plans to nominate Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as its candidate for the chair of the UN General Assembly during the 2025-26 session, media reports indicated earlier.

Just envisioning Annalena Baerbock as chair of the UN General Assembly drew a snap response from Maria Zakharova.

"How could someone with such a limited grasp of reality possibly lead the UN for an entire year? The number of diplomatic disasters she's provoked - thanks to her own ignorance of history, diplomacy, and well, facts - would be enough to make any sane person cringe,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

Israel's Netanyahu drops spy chief nominee under fire from Trump ally
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has back-peddled on his decision to appoint former navy commander Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit to the top post of the country’s Shin Bet security agency, following criticism from a key US senator. It was revealed that the former naval chief had penned an opinion piece criticising US President Donald Trump's policies on climate change.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Tuesday he had reversed a decision to appoint former navy commander Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit as security agency chief following criticism, including from a key US senator, Republican Lindsey Graham.

THE WESTERN WORLD (OLD EUROPE AND AMERICA) IS IN A FLUX WHILE TRYING TO PRESERVE ITS PERCEIVED HEGEMONY OVER THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE END OF EMPIRES IS NEVER PRETTY. NEW DECEPTIONS WITH SLOGANS SUCH AS "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" AND THE VISCERAL EUROPEAN HATRED OF RUSSIA — AKIN TO ANTI-SEMITISM GOING BACK TO THE DAYS OF MARTIN LUTHER — ARE USED TO MASK THE GREATER DESIRE TO OWN AND CONTROL THE HUMAN PLANET...

PRESENTLY, THE STICK IS IN THE HAND OF THE FORMIDABLE ENGLISH SPEAKING MIND, WITH LITTLE PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTION AND PLENTY OF LATENT AMERICAN AGGRESSION, HELPED BY THE ZIONISTS...

RomeCNN — At least 17 Tesla cars were destroyed after a fire broke out a

The US has condemned the prison sentence handed to veteran French conservative politician Marine Le Pen, who was found guilty of embezzlement and banned from running for president.

On Monday, a Paris court ordered Le Pen, the former head of the National Rally (RN) party, to serve four years in prison, of which two will be suspended, and banned her from holding office for five years. If not overturned, the verdict would effectively bar her from the 2027 presidential election.

Adam Entous of the New York Times just published a lengthy article that pretends to tell the true history of the war in Ukraine. I can summarize the massive story in one sentence — Ukraine would have destroyed the weak, incompetent Russians if only the Ukrainian generals had followed the guidance from the US military. If you’re looking for a signal that the war in Ukraine is on its last legs, this article is it. This is a ridiculous attempt to burnish the image of the Pentagon and US European Command as strategic and tactical geniuses who could have beaten the Russians if only those damn Ukrainians had followed their advice.