Nato defence ministers are meeting in Brussels to agree their next steps in dealing with the renewed threat from Russia.
The US Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, arrived in Europe saying he was not looking to start a new Cold War.
But, in reality, both Nato and Russia are stepping up their rhetoric and strengthening their military posture.
Last week President Vladimir Putin announced he was adding another 40 long-range ballistic missiles to his nuclear arsenal.
In return, Nato accused Moscow of “sabre rattling”.
The 28-member alliance is doing a bit of that too.
On a barren plain in northern Poland, Nato has been testing its new rapid-reaction, or spearhead, force for the very first time.
Its proper title is the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VHRJTF) – it is meant to be more nimble than its name.
It is a direct response to the crises in Ukraine, with the aim to have boots on the ground within 48 hours.
In the past, it would have taken the best part of a month to mobilise Nato forces to defend its own borders.
Greek PM Tsipras Faces Difficult Choices
Red lines – everyone has them, including Greece and its creditors.
Lines they can’t cross. Commitments they say they can’t break. But suddenly the red lines are everywhere.
A counter-proposal put forward by the creditor institutions, in response to Greece’s offer of budget reforms, is full of them.
Put simply, Greece has offered to meet its budget targets mainly by raising taxes rather than cutting spending.
But the creditors – and the IMF in particular – say that is unacceptable.
They see it as a squeeze of a different kind, snuffing out any hope of economic growth.
So there is still pressure for more cuts in the pension system, and the abolition of a larger number of subsidies.
The Greek government may think it has given significant ground in its latest proposal. The creditors appear to be saying think again.
So the mood goes from bad to good and back again. In terms of absolute numbers, the distance between the two sides isn’t huge. But the political gulf is significant.
And Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is caught between a rock and a hard place – between the promises he made to his voters back home, and the commitments the creditors insist he must respect.
Azelle Rodney Case Hears Police Officer Testimony
A former police marksman accused of killing a man during a surveillance operation was convinced the suspect had picked up a gun and was about to start shooting, a court has heard.
Anthony Long told the Old Bailey Azelle Rodney had “made a totally unnatural movement” which firearms officers were taught signalled an intent to open fire.
Mr Rodney was killed in Mill Hill, north London, in April 2005.
Mr Long, 58, denies murder.
Most Difficult Decision
Earlier, the court was told Mr Long had fired eight short-range shots in just over two seconds, six of which had hit Mr Rodney. He told the court his decision to open fire on Mr Rodney was “the most difficult decision I’ve ever made”.
He added: “If I got things wrong because it happened so quickly I apologise but Azelle Rodney did pose a threat.”
US Assures Francois Hollande They No Longer Are Spying On France
President Obama has assured his French counterpart Francois Hollande that the US is no longer spying on France.
Mr Obama spoke to Mr Hollande following reports on the Wikileaks website that the US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on successive French presidents.
The White House said after the two leaders’ phone call “we are not targeting and will not target” Mr Hollande’s communications.
French intelligence officials are due to travel to Washington for more talks.
Wikileaks reported that the NSA had intercepted communications from President Francois Hollande and former leaders Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac between 2006-12.
The allegations prompted a backlash from the French government, with Mr Hollande saying he would “not tolerate” acts that threaten France’s security.
He called two emergency meetings, the first with France’s top security officials and another with leading legislators.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged the US to quickly repair “damage” to its relationship with France.
The US Ambassador Jane Hartley was also summoned to the foreign ministry in Paris to discuss the latest claims, French officials said.
Buckingham Palace Maintenance May See Queen Move Out
The Queen may have to move out of Buckingham Palace to allow maintenance work costing £150m to be carried out.
It is one option being considered by the royal household, which says the palace needs new plumbing and wiring, with some rooms last decorated in 1952.
It comes as the Crown Estate, which owns property on behalf of the Queen, returned record profits of £285m to the taxpayer last year – up 6.7%.
Public funding of the Queen is expected to rise by £2m next year – to £42.8m.
Meanwhile, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has strongly denied reports the Scottish Parliament could cut its contribution to the monarchy by between £1m and £1.5m when further powers are devolved.
The monarch is paid 15% of the Crown Estate’s profits by the UK government – including from the Crown Estate in Scotland – under the Sovereign Grant formula launched in 2011.
The latest accounts show the Queen last year received £37.9m from the grant – of which she spent £35.7m. That figure will increase to £40.05m this year, and is expected to rise to £42.8m next year.