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NATO's future
Information: US wants to cut NATO support during crises

The US wants to reduce the number of warships and bombers available to support NATO countries in crises, according to information to the German Der Spiegel. The message about the cuts is said to have been conveyed to representatives of several member states during a meeting in Brussels last week.

Sources to Reuters state that this includes halving the number of bombers and that NATO will no longer be assisted with submarines. According to Der Spiegel, the US will provide more information about the cuts during a NATO meeting in early June.

US President Donald Trump has long criticized other NATO countries for not contributing enough to the alliance, according to him.

The situation in North Korea
North Korea has fired an "unidentifiable projectile"

North Korea has fired an "unidentifiable projectile" in the Yellow Sea off the country's west coast, according to the South Korean military, writes AFP.

The incident is said to have occurred on Tuesday, but has not yet been confirmed by North Korea. Otherwise, South Korea has been tight-lipped about the information.

The last time North Korea made a similar launch was on April 19 this year, when several short-range missiles were tested.

Bishop released after drug discovery – claims conspiracy

On Sunday, Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion was arrested in the western Czech Republic after police found four packages of drugs in his car, reports Euractiv. On Tuesday, it was announced that he was being released without being charged with any crime, writes Meduza.

The bishop now believes that the drugs had been planted in his car and that he is the victim of a conspiracy, reports The Guardian.

Hilarion leads a congregation in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary, which has a large Russian diaspora. The arrest was criticized by both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Foreign Ministry, which, according to The Guardian, summoned the Czech chargé d'affaires to protest the incident.

Pilgrimage to Mecca
Pilgrimage in pictures: “Hope God answers”

The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca reaches its climax on Tuesday with prayer on Mount Arafat. 1.5 million believers from all over the world are praying to God for mercy, forgiveness, blessings and health, writes AP.

– People have prepared their prayers and hope that God answers, says Egyptian pilgrim Mohammad Asal to the news agency.

Russian invasion  The fighting
50 countries condemn Russian threat against diplomats in Kyiv

Almost 50 countries condemn Russia after it called on diplomats and other foreign citizens to leave Kyiv ahead of planned attacks. This is evident from a joint statement at the UN, reports AFP.

The EU and several countries have also summoned Russia's ambassadors on Tuesday to protest the threat, according to Reuters. EU spokesperson Anitta Hipper writes on X that the threat constitutes an "unacceptable escalation" and promises that the Union's diplomatic representation will remain in Kyiv.