World

United States President Donald Trump is allegedly considering withdrawing from NATO, the transatlantic alliance that has been a central pillar of Western security for decades. At a news briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the US and Israeli war against Iran as a “test” that the alliance had failed. Despite Trump’s pressure, NATO allies had declined to contribute military forces to the war, outside of defensive manoeuvres.

Beirut, Lebanon – Em Walid was in the clothing shop she owns in central Beirut when the sound of explosions rang out. She said the blasts were so intense that even street cats outside started running. This marked Israel's heaviest and deadliest air attacks on Lebanon in years.

Goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth earned Atletico Madrid a 2-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. The Catalan side had been dominating at Camp Nou before 19-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off for a foul from behind on Atletico forward Giuliano Simeone.

NASA has released a new historic photograph depicting Earth slipping below the lunar horizon, more than 57 years after the iconic "Earthrise" image was captured by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders in December 1968. This "Earthset" photo was consciously echoed by the Artemis II crew members from their Orion capsule during a record-setting flyby of the moon.

The White House has stated that the United States continues to reject any uranium enrichment inside Iran, with President Donald Trump allegedly refusing to agree to a “wish list” submitted by Tehran. Trump’s spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, suggested on Wednesday that the 10-point proposal put forward by Iran as the basis for a ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran differs from the plan published by the government in Tehran, casting doubt on the sincerity of the Iranian regime's overtures.

US Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to Budapest, echoed Hungarian government accusations that Ukraine is attempting to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections. Vance labeled Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's comments about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as "scandalous" and condemned them as unacceptable in international diplomacy, while also criticizing what he described as double standards in Western media coverage.

The Ecuadorian government has recalled its ambassador, Arturo Felix Wong, from Colombia, marking a significant escalation in ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two South American nations. The move was triggered by Colombian President Gustavo Petro's recent statements labeling former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas as a "political prisoner." This dispute is rooted in the controversial 2024 raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito, where Glas was apprehended after seeking asylum.

US and Israeli forces launched an attack on an oil refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf following the announcement of a 14-day ceasefire with Iran. Iranian television channel Press TV reported that this strike violated the ceasefire agreement. The attack caused a fire and explosions at the refinery, with firefighters and security services currently working to extinguish the blaze and secure the facility.

In Yemen's city of Taiz, a 14-year-old boy named Ibrahim was killed by a sniper while on his way to school. His mother, Umm Ibrahim, described the tragedy, asking, "Why did they kill my child, my source of strength?". The child was shot alongside his younger siblings, with the family and local residents blaming Yemen's Houthi rebels for the incident.

At noon on Monday, Asaad Nteel and his family were terrified when a group of armed men suddenly stormed their home in eastern Maghazi camp in central Gaza. There had been no prior warning. Family members quickly found themselves in the center of a gunfight between rival armed Palestinian groups, which are currently roaming the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel’s brutal war.

According to an investigation by the New York Times, the creator of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, who has been hiding under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, could be British cryptographer and CEO of Blockstream, Adam Back. Investigative journalist John Kerreyru presents a series of evidence pointing to a possible connection between the 55-year-old programmer and the legendary figure.

While US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with the destruction of “an entire civilization,” a covert diplomatic process was underway behind the scenes. Axios, citing eleven sources, reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei actively participated in the negotiations for the first time. Although even those close to Trump did not know how this process would end, Khamenei’s involvement was “secret and arduous” due to the risk of assassination by Israel, and he primarily communicated via couriers delivering written notes.