US President Donald Trump swept into NATO's Hague summit Tuesday, with allies hoping a pledge to ramp up defense spending will keep the mercurial leader of the military superpower committed to protecting them.

Trump joined leaders from NATO's 31 other members to kick off the two-day gathering with a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander in the ornate Orange Hall at his royal residence. The alliance hopes to keep Trump bound to its mutual defense vow by meeting his demand for a headline figure of five percent of GDP on defense spending.

But Trump refused to say he was committed to NATO's Article Five clause and protecting Europe in comments that will likely rattle his counterparts on the continent. To keep Trump on board, NATO members have thrashed out a compromise deal to dedicate 3.5 percent to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5 percent to broader security-related areas such as cyber security and infrastructure.

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During a state visit to Norway, French President Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath at the 'Normandieplassen' memorial in Oslo to commemorate Norwegian soldiers who fought during World War II.

Macron is in Norway to strengthen ties between the two countries in defence matters. It is the first official visit by a French president to the Nordic country in 41 years.

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US President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a staggered ceasefire beginning Tuesday that would bring about an 'official end' to the conflict. "It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE," Trump wrote Monday evening on his Truth Social platform.  

Trump's announcement came just hours after Iran launched strikes against an American military base in Qatar, which he described as "weak" retaliation for US strikes over the weekend against Iranian nuclear sites.

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Japan’s top government spokesperson has welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran announced by US President Donald Trump. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa made the remarks to reporters on Tuesday morning.

Trump’s announcement came after Iran launched a retaliatory attack on a US base in Qatar following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Hayashi said Japan believes that calming the situation quickly is of utmost importance. He added that the government strongly desires the resumption of dialogue between relevant parties. Hayashi said Japan strongly hopes that the ceasefire deal will actually be implemented.

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India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a meeting with China's foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. During the meeting, both sides reviewed recent developments in India-China bilateral relations and underscored the need to promote the overall development of the India-China bilateral relations, including by fostering greater people to people ties.

India’s NSA also emphasized the need to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations to maintain overall peace and stability in the region. Views were also exchanged on other bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. NSA Doval is visiting China to attend the 20th Meeting of the SCO Security Council Secretaries.

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French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, together with their economy and energy ministers, sign a multi-thematic cooperation agreement, notably concerning decarburization and defense. During a joint press conference at the National Museum in Oslo, the two leaders discuss tensions in the Middle East, the situation in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and with their desire to bring the Kremlin back to the negotiating table.

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French President Emmanuel Macron was officially greeted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre upon arrival in Oslo. The visit centers on strengthening defense cooperation between France and Norway, with a particular emphasis on security in the Arctic and the broader High North region crucial ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.

Earlier this year, France and Norway signed a letter of intent to enhance defense collaboration, including more joint maritime surveillance, cyber/space/intelligence cooperation, and hybrid‑threat resilience.

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The government has announced major structural reforms aimed at improving efficiency and reducing budget expenditures by streamlining ministries and agencies. As part of this initiative, significant reductions will be made at the management level.

For instance, the Ministry of Economic Development currently has 28 department heads, nearly half of whom hold overlapping roles. The ministry plans to eliminate approximately 10 of these redundant positions. Similar measures will be implemented across other Ministries to address structural duplication and eliminate inefficient roles.

While these reforms have raised concerns among civil servants, the government has clarified that the cuts will begin at the leadership level and will not target ordinary employees. According to S. Byambatsogt, Head of the Cabinet Secretariat, a decision has been made to reduce the total number of employees across the 16 ministries, currently exceeding 1,900, by approximately 20 percent as part of the government’s structural savings plan. 

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India' Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh met Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas Foreign Minister of the Republic of Mozambique in Maputo.

The two ministers discussed progress of bilateral relations and ways to further strengthen India-Mozambique ties. In recent years, India-Mozambique economic relations have steadily deepened and expanded mainly through greater involvement of Indian companies that have invested heavily in the energy resources of Mozambique.

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THOUSANDS of anti-war protestors have expressed their anger at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) military expansion and increasing defence spending ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in The Hague, Netherlands.
Organized by more than 20 civil society groups from over 20 countries, the demonstrators gathered Sunday afternoon at Koekamp Park near The Hague Central Station for a large-scale protest.
At the heart of the demonstration stood a striking symbol: a black paper “Trojan Horse”, dubbed the “ NATO Horse”. The structure was filled with mock weapons like landmines, missiles, and guns. Emblazoned in blood-red letters across its body were the words “Genocide”, “Death”, and “Destruction”, a grim visual statement of the demonstrators’ message.
“NATO says it will bring peace and security,” said protester Eevee Garcia. “But it’s actually hiding that it will bring more weapons, bring more war, and bring more devastation to the world.”
She emphasized the protest’s broader purpose, saying, “It’s very important for us to be here today to really highlight that the US is using NATO as a tool to further its aggression in different parts of the world, and we want to stand together with the people struggling against imperialism.”
The demonstration came in direct response to the NATO summit scheduled for 24-25 June in The Hague, where leaders of the alliance’s 32 member states are expected to discuss, among other items, a controversial proposal to raise national defence spending to five per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Niels Jongerius, a staff member at the Transnational Institute and one of the event’s organizers, noted the broad international turnout. “To us as a Dutch peace movement, and I think for peace activists elsewhere, it’s obvious that we always criticize what our governments do when it comes to warmongering,” he said.
He criticized NATO’s vast military footprint, arguing: “NATO is already the most militarized bloc in the world. Far over half of the world’s military expenditure is done by NATO and its member states.” — Xinhua

Source: GNLM