NATO: Leaders of the Nato military alliance agreed today on a massive hike in spending after pressure from US President Donald Trump, and expressed their “ironclad commitment” to come to each other’s aid if attacked.

The 32 leaders endorsed a final summit statement saying: “Allies commit to invest 5 per cent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.”

PAKISTAN: A landmine explosion killed four people and wounded a number of others in north-west Pakistan’s restive Kurram district today, police said.

The blast occurred in a forested area in Kurram, where sectarian clashes between Shi’ites and Sunnis Muslims left 130 people dead last year.

UNITED STATES: Democratic Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed a Bill into law on Tuesday that provides unemployment benefits to striking workers, following neighbouring Washington in adopting measures spurred by recent walkouts by Boeing factory workers, hospital nurses and teachers. 

Oregon’s measure makes it the first state to provide pay for picketing public employees — who aren’t allowed to strike in most states, let alone receive benefits for it. 

JAPAN: A Japanese court found a US marine guilty today of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa and sentenced him to seven years in prison, in a case that has triggered anger and safety concerns on Japan’s southern island, which has a heavy US troop presence.

Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton was found guilty of attacking the woman in the Yomitan village on the main Okinawa island in May.