European NATO members and Canada increased defense spending by 20% in real terms in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of a 19.6% aggregate growth rate. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presented the alliance's annual report in Brussels, lauding this as a “historic” increase, with Germany notably reaching 2.4% of GDP after years of sluggish growth.
The European Commission has released a report accusing social media platform Snapchat and four adult websites—Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos—of putting children's rights and wellbeing at risk by failing to enforce adequate age restrictions. According to the commission, underage users can easily access adult content on these platforms by merely clicking a button to confirm they are 18, without undergoing reliable age verification, a practice that allegedly breaches EU digital rules and could expose the companies to significant fines.
King Charles III delivered a historic speech at a state banquet welcoming Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to the UK, stating, "There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks." This comes in a year when the monarch is expected to face renewed pressure to issue a formal apology for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, amid growing demands from African and Caribbean nations for reparative justice.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has alleged that the United States is conditioning future security guarantees for Kyiv on Ukraine's complete withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region. In an interview with Reuters, Zelenskyy stated that the US is prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine agrees to leave Donbas. This assertion has been welcomed in Moscow, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commenting that a visit by Russian lawmakers to Washington could contribute to the "revival of bilateral relations," while Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly views control over all of Donbas as a prerequisite for a ceasefire.
A Los Angeles jury has found Meta (owner of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp) and YouTube (owned by Google) liable for harming a young user's mental health through addictive features in their products. This verdict could trigger a new wave of lawsuits against social media companies related to user well-being, reports The New York Times.
The online trend known as 'looksmaxxing,' rooted in misogyny, encourages socially isolated young men to undertake painful practices to gain beauty and status. This movement, part of the 'manosphere,' promotes toxic masculinity and hatred toward women, promising participants a higher 'sexual market value' and better life through rigorous self-improvement rituals. The trend comes with its own lingo, significant financial costs, and physical pain, including practices like 'starvemaxxing' (extreme dieting), 'bonesmashing' (using a hammer to reshape facial bones), steroid use, and plastic surgery.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday that it will reintroduce genetic gender testing to determine eligibility for female events, starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. This decision will allow only biological female athletes to compete in female category events, with their gender to be determined through a one-time gene-screening test.
A delegation of Russian officials has arrived in the United States for meetings with their American counterparts, marking the first such visit since relations deteriorated over Moscow's war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, "We hope that these first tentative steps will, of course, make their contribution to the further revival of our bilateral engagement." The visit underscores ongoing diplomatic efforts despite deep-seated tensions, as the US regime and its allies continue to impose sanctions and criticize Russia's actions in the region.
▪️ The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has declared a "moral and legal crusade" against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decision to strip Senegal of its African Cup of Nations title. FSF President Abdoulaye Fall labeled the ruling an "administrative robbery" and vowed that Senegal will not accept it, continuing to regard itself as the champion of Africa. This move highlights deepening tensions within African football governance and raises questions about the integrity of sporting decisions.
▪️ Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, also known as Toumba, one of the key military figures convicted of crimes against humanity for his involvement in Guinea's 2009 stadium massacre, has died in custody, authorities announced. The prison administration stated that he died early on Wednesday at the Samory Touré Military Hospital in Conakry, where he was taken late on Monday following a medical emergency. Citing his medical report, officials said he presented symptoms characterized by gastric swelling, abdominal pain, and constipation.
US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he will visit China on May 14-15 and meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping there. This would be the first visit by a US president to China in nearly 10 years. Trump also plans to host Xi in Washington DC later this year, but these visits were delayed due to US and Israeli military operations against Iran.
A survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has spoken publicly for the first time in a detailed interview with BBC Newsnight, recounting her alleged ordeal of being drugged and raped. The woman, referred to as 'Nicky', met Epstein at age 19 while working as a model. After giving him a massage at his Palm Beach, Florida mansion, he gave her water, after which she blacked out for hours and believes she was sexually assaulted by Epstein while unconscious.