"NATO is broken,” says Ivo Daalder, not mincing his words. The former US ambassador to the transatlantic alliance believes that tensions between Donald Trump and European allies over the Iran war have thrust NATO, which turned 77 years old this month, into the "worst crisis” in its history.
Skip next section Lahm warns Germany risks falling behind like Italy April 7, 2026 Lahm warns Germany risks falling behind like Italy The 2014 World Cup winner Philipp Lahm has warned that German football could fall behind like Italy if outmoded tactical trends continue.
Skip next section Explosions reported on strategic Kharg Island April 7, 2026 Explosions reported on strategic Kharg Island Kharg is the most important export terminal for Iranian crude oil in The Gulf, a large share of oil production is shipped from there.Image: Planet Labs PBC/Handout/REUTERS Explosions have been reported on Iran’s Kharg Island the semi‑official
Taiwan's opposition leader Cheng Li-wun is on a rare visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping which as she says is for promoting cross-strait "peace."
Australian police have arrested the country's most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, on allegations of war crimes. The Australian Federal Police said a man, identified by local news outlets as Roberts-Smith, was charged over the killing of several unarmed civilians while on deployment in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.
Vietnam's Communist Party's Secretary General To Lam was unanimously elected by parliament as the country's president for a five-year term, making him the most powerful Vietnamese leader in decades.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached a deal with the administration of Donald Trump to join its third-country program, which would allow them to receive migrant deportees from the US. The Congolese Ministry of Communications said in a statement that deportees will begin arriving this month.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Monday said it now considers the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be his political successor. Kim's heir apparent, thought to be named Kim Ju Ae, has accompanied her father on several official occasions in appearances thought to be cementing her position.
Myanmar's new parliament elected Min Aung Hlaing as president on April 3, formalizing the junta chief's grip on power under the veneer of civilian rule.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister Kim Yo Jong on Monday said regret expressed by Seoul over a January drone incursion into the North as wise behaviour. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had earlier expressed regret to Pyongyang after a drone entered North Korea earlier this year, calling the act "irresponsible." What did Kim Yo Jong say?
Iran Deadline, Middle East War Escalation, Artemis II Trip Home Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
A man sits among buildings destroyed in a joint attack by Israel and the United States on April 6, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.