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Polish PM Donald Tusk declared NATO's greatest threat is its own internal disintegration, not external enemies, after the U.S. announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany following a public spat between Trump and Chancellor Merz.

Elsewhere, al-Qaeda-linked JNIM stormed a Mali prison near Bamako while blockading the capital in a move warned to risk a humanitarian disaster.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🛢️ Chinese tanker struck near Hormuz: A Chinese-owned oil tanker caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in what Caixin reported as the first such attack on a Chinese vessel, believed to be the Marshall Islands-flagged JV Innovation off the UAE coast. Hundreds of ships and 20,000 seafarers remain trapped in the Gulf after the U.S. briefly launched — then suspended — a ship-assistance plan following Iranian drone and missile strikes.

2️⃣ 🇵🇱 Tusk warns NATO is "disintegrating": Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared the alliance's greatest threat is its internal disintegration, not external enemies, after the U.S. announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany over the next 6–12 months. The pullback — accelerated following a public spat between Trump and German Chancellor Merz — also scraps a Biden-era plan to station Tomahawk missiles in Germany, though Berlin's defence minister said the move was expected.

3️⃣ 🇦🇲 Armenia deepens EU ties at landmark Yerevan summits: Armenia hosted back-to-back EU summits — described as the country's highest-profile diplomatic events since 1991 — yielding a connectivity partnership under the EU's Global Gateway strategy with expected investments of €2.5 billion, alongside progress toward visa liberalisation. The summits mark Armenia's clearest break yet from Moscow's orbit, building on legislation passed in March 2025 that formally launched an EU accession process.

4️⃣ 🌎 Guyana-Venezuela Essequibo dispute returns to ICJ: Guyana told the International Court of Justice that 70% of its territory is at stake in hearings over the resource-rich Essequibo region, which sits near major offshore oil deposits and contains gold, diamonds and timber. Guyana has sought ICJ affirmation of an 1899 border ruling largely in its favour, while Venezuela argues a 1966 agreement nullified that decision — a claim Guyana's legal team told judges has already been rejected by the court.

5️⃣ 🇷🇴 Romania's pro-EU government collapses: PM Ilie Bolojan was ousted in a 281-vote no-confidence motion backed by the Social Democrats and right-wing AUR party, less than a year after his coalition was formed, amid tensions over unpopular austerity measures targeting the EU's largest deficit. Pro-EU President Nicusor Dan ruled out a right-wing government, though analysts expect weeks of negotiations — with Romania's borrowing costs rising and the leu hitting an all-time low against the euro following the vote.

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Major Story

🇲🇱 JNIM storms Mali prison, blockades Bamako

Al-Qaeda-linked group JNIM attacked Kenieroba Central Prison, roughly 60km southwest of Bamako, which holds 2,500 inmates including at least 72 classified as high-value by the state, as Malian forces moved to repel the assault. 

The raid coincided with fighters burning food supply trucks heading to the capital and stopping traffic in and out of the city of four million, with a correspondent warning the blockade risks a humanitarian disaster across Mali. 

The attacks follow a coordinated JNIM and Tuareg separatist offensive on April 25–26 that killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara and at least 23 others, after which military leader Assimi Goita assumed the defence portfolio. 

The UN human rights office has since flagged reports of extrajudicial killings and abductions allegedly carried out by security forces, while several opposition figures have been detained on accusations of colluding with the attackers.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇸🇩 Sudan recalls ambassador over Khartoum airport drone strike: Sudan recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after its foreign minister cited "conclusive evidence" that a drone attack on Khartoum's civilian airport was launched from Ethiopian territory, with the UAE also implicated — both countries were formally held responsible and Sudan reserved the right to respond. The UAE, which Sudan cut ties with in May 2025 over alleged weapons supplies to the RSF, denied prior involvement in the conflict, while airport operations resumed hours after the strike with no reported losses.

2️⃣ 🌍 NATO chief says Europe has "gotten the message" on defence: Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged US frustration with European allies over their limited support for the Iran war, but said European nations were now stepping up — including pre-positioning minehunters and minesweepers near the Gulf ahead of the conflict's "next phase." The remarks came as Trump's planned withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany prompted calls from Kallas, Macron and von der Leyen for greater European defence autonomy.

3️⃣ 🚢 WHO flags possible human-to-human hantavirus transmission on cruise ship: Three passengers have died and seven cases — two confirmed, five suspected — have been identified aboard the Dutch vessel MV Hondius, with the WHO saying the Andes strain may have spread among close contacts onboard in a possible instance of human-to-human transmission. Some 149 people from 23 countries remain aboard under precautionary measures as the ship heads toward the Canary Islands, where Spain has agreed it may dock for further assessment.

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