Today in News History
On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1855, Ned Hanlan, Canadian rower, academic, and businessman (died 1908) was born. In 1872, Emil Hácha, Czech lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Czechoslovakia (died 1945) was born. In 1888, Zygmunt Janiszewski, Polish mathematician and academic (died 1920) was born. In 1937, Robert McFarlane, American colonel and diplomat, 13th United States National Security Advisor (died 2022) was born. In 1943, World War II: Battle of Kursk: German and Soviet forces engage in the Battle of Prokhorovka, one of the largest armored engagements of all time. In 1992, Bartosz Bereszyński, Polish footballer was born. In 1998, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canadian basketball player was born. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. In 2014, Kenneth J. Gray, American soldier and politician (born 1924) passed away. In 2016, Goran Hadžić, Serbian politician (born 1958) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.
Merz tells Trump that NATO spending figures he used are not up to date
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has used a recent phone call with US President Donald Trump to clarify efforts made by Germany to increase its defence budget, government sources told dpa on Monday, reported dpa. Merz had called Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of US independence. The two leaders also discussed the NATO summit taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, which comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and other allies, as Trump has repeatedly criticized what he describes as an unfair sharing of the alliance's defence burden. NATO allies committed last year to raising defence spending from 2 to 3.5 of national gross domestic product by 2035, with another 1.5 to be spent on related expenditure such as infrastructure. But Trump has continued to complain, most recently on Thursday when he took to his social media platform Truth Social to slam other allies' defence spending as ridiculous, highlighting Germany in particular. The figures Trump used to base his claim on were similar to those in a NATO spending report released last year, but Trump did not give a source. German government sources said on Monday that Merz told Trump that the figures were no longer up-to-date. Last year, Germany, which plans to raise defence spending to 3.5 of GDP by 2029, eased its debt limit to unlock billions in loans to be invested in defence. According to German government sources, European NATO allies alone raised their defence expenditure by more than 100 billion over the past 12 months, with Berlin upping spending by around 25 billion to 124 billion.
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How other outlets are covering this story
Compare narratives across 6 related reports from 6 sources. Real Narrative News aggregates the coverage spectrum so you can see who emphasises what — bias tags reflect the outlet, not the story.
Coverage bias distribution
6 sources
Left 33%
Center 17%
Right 50%
Bloomberg
· Jul 7, 2026
NATO Agrees to $50 Billion in Defense Deals to Placate Trump
NATO allies have agreed to at least 50 billion in defense industry deals to show US President Donald Trump that Europe is heeding his spending demands. Melinda Haring, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, joined Balance of Power to discuss this as well as the war in Ukraine. She said Ukraine's strategy to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table is working. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yemen Press Agency
· Jun 23, 2026
Trump: United States spends huge sums on NATO countries despite they don’t support us
WASHINGTON, June 23 (YPA) – US President Donald Trump stated that his country spends “crazy” amounts on NATO, reaching 600 billion annually, a large portion of which goes to defend Europe against Russia. Speaking from the White House, Trump said that NATO countries do not support the United States despite it spending hundreds of millions []
Tampa Free Press
· Jul 2, 2026
Trump Threatens NATO Shakeup Over Billions In Unfair Spending And Lack Of Support
President Donald Trump has targeted several NATO allies over their defense spending just days before heading to the alliance’s summit in Turkey next week. The renewed pressure follows months of tension during which Trump openly considered withdrawing the United States from the treaty. Administration officials noted that criticism leveled against NATO intensified after multiple member [] Trump Threatens NATO Shakeup Over Billions In Unfair Spending And Lack Of Support
Associated Press
· Jul 7, 2026
LIVE: Defense deals are announced at NATO summit ahead of Trump's arrival
Watch live coverage of the NATO Defense Industry Forum where weapons deals are being announced in an attempt to convince U.S. President Donald Trump that the members of the military alliance are stepping up defense spending. #nato #live
Sky News Australia
· Jul 9, 2026
‘We’ve been treated unfairly’: Trump unleashes fury at NATO for abandoning the US
US President Donald Trump has called out NATO for not helping America earlier in the year in its war against Iran. “When they could have, they weren’t there for us, and we’ve been there for them – we spent over a trillion dollars over the last short period ... in order to protect these countries from Russia,” he said. “They haven’t treated us right ... we’ve been treated unfairly.” “We protect them, but they’re not there for us.”
The Daily Signal
· Jul 10, 2026
Success in Ankara and a Stronger NATO
The 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, concluded successfully, with messages of unity, support for Ukraine, increased spending by European NATO allies, and big agreements on coproduction of military systems, especially precision guided munitions. Ahead of the meeting, President Donald Trump was adamant that Europe needed to increase defense spending and take more responsibility for...
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Related coverage for "Merz tells Trump that NATO spending figures he used are not up to date": Bloomberg — NATO Agrees to $50 Billion in Defense Deals to Placate Trump. Yemen Press Agency — Trump: United States spends huge sums on NATO countries despite they don’t support us. Tampa Free Press — Trump Threatens NATO Shakeup Over Billions In Unfair Spending And Lack Of Support. Associated Press — LIVE: Defense deals are announced at NATO summit ahead of Trump's arrival. Sky News Australia — ‘We’ve been treated unfairly’: Trump unleashes fury at NATO for abandoning the US. The Daily Signal — Success in Ankara and a Stronger NATO