New 'bluster' from Trump? Germany faces new threat about reduced US military presence in Europe

MUNSTER, Germany (AP) — President Donald Trump has againthreatenedthat the United States could reduce its military presence in Germany, a key NATO ally and the European Union’s largest economy. Europeans have heard this before.

Germany Army Merz

Trump's social media post on Wednesday followed comments by Chancellor Friedrich Merz that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Tehran as it slow-walks its diplomacy over the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

Trump hasmused for yearsabout reducing America's military presence in Germany, and has recentlyrepeatedly railed against NATOfor the its refusal to assist the U.S. in its two-month-old war.

US military presence in Europe

U.S. allies at NATO have been waiting for the Trump administration to pull troops out since just after it came to office, warning that Europe would have tolook after its ownsecurity, and that of Ukraine, in future.

Depending on operations, exercises and troop rotations, around 80,000-100,000 U.S. personnel are usually stationed in Europe. NATO allies have expected that U.S. troops deployed after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in 2022 would be first to leave.

Germany hosts several U.S. military facilities, including the headquarters of its European and Africa commands, Ramstein Air Base and a medical center in Landstuhl, where casualties from U.S. wars in places like Afghanistan and Iraq are treated. U.S. nuclear missiles are also stationed in the country.

Ed Arnold, an expert in European security at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the U.S. gets a lot out of its presence in Germany — like logistics and support for Middle East combat operations — and was unlikely to withdraw.

Trump’s post is most likely “bluster,” he said.

“There is a difference between the military view and the political view,” Arnold said. “The issue with some of these threats is that they are not quite as galling as they were a couple of years ago.”

NATO and the German government did not immediately comment.

Merz, visiting troops at a military training area in Munster, northern Germany, on Thursday, did not directly address Trump’s comments, but alluded to “shoulder to shoulder for mutual benefit and in deep trans-Atlantic solidarity,” and said his government over the last year has “made great efforts to strengthen Germany’s security.”

RUSI’s Arnold said Europe is more concerned about issues like a U.S.redeployment of Patriot missile systemsand ammunition from Germany to the Middle East, and notifications to NATO countries such as Estonia that orders for American weapons will be delayed as the U.S. government is prioritized.

A senior Western official told The Associated Press they were not aware of any discussions between the U.S. and Germany or other allies regarding the possibility of troop reductions in Germany.

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The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, noted that Europe and Germany, which recently announced its new military strategy, is taking more responsibility for security on the continent.

LastOctoberthe U.S. confirmed that it would reduce itstroop presenceon NATO’s borders with Ukraine. The move to cut 1,500-3,000 troops came on short notice and unsettled ally Romania where the military organization runs an air base.

As Russia looks on, Iran war has had an impact

The U.S. administration informed the allies early last year that it has been reviewing its military “posture” in Europe and elsewhere. The findings of that review had been due to be made public in late 2025 but still have not surfaced.

However, the U.S. did commit to inform its allies in advance about any changes to ensure that no security gap is created at a time when Russia is increasingly confrontational.

Many European leaders believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin might try to launch an attack elsewhere in Europe by the end of the decade, especially if he wins his war on Ukraine.

The U.S.-Israel war on Iran only made the prospect of a withdrawal more likely, and a flurry of meetings has been held between administration officials, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European leaders since the conflict started on Feb. 28.

Over the last year, European allies and Canada have understood that they will have to provide Europe’s conventional defenses. The main U.S. contribution to NATO deterrence going forward will be the presence of American nuclear weapons and some troops.

Trump's Greenland fixation

The Trump administration has previously caused confusion in Europe with announcements of changes to defense support.

In September, plans to halt some security assistance funding to European countries along the border with Russiawere greeted with confusionas some Baltic defense leaders said they had not received official notification.

Beyond the uncertainty over U.S. personnel, the allies have gotten used to Trump’s outbursts, having weathered insults as “cowards” or hearing NATO branded as a “paper tiger” by their most powerful ally in recent weeks.

Repeated threats toleave altogether, or over things like defense spending, have inured them to social media posts that Trump might be considering some action or another.

The real damage to NATO unity was done by Trump’sfixation on Greenland, and his intent to annex the island, which is a semiautonomous part of ally Denmark, including sending family members and administration officials there.

Burrows reported from London and Cook from Brussels. Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

byAlpha World

in

April 30, 2026

New 'bluster' from Trump? Germany faces new threat about reduced US military presence in Europe

MUNSTER, Germany (AP) — President Donald Trump has againthreatenedthat the United States could reduce its military presence in Germany,...

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Golders Green attack victim accuses government of ‘not doing their job’ to keep Jewish community safe

One of the victims of a suspectedterror attack in Golders Greenhas accused the government of “not doing its job” as he describedthe horrific momenthe was stabbed in the chest.

Shilome Rand, 34,was stabbedalong with 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila, named locally as Moshe Shine, during what appeared to be an antisemitic attack on Wednesday. The incident, close to where four Jewish community ambulances were destroyed by fire in late March, triggered a huge police response and the arrest of a 45-year-old man, said to be a Somali-born British national.

Soon after the incident, Sir Keir Starmerdescribed the attackas “deeply concerning”, and said his government was “absolutely clear in our determination” to tackle such incidents.

However, it has also led to claims not enough is being done to tackle antisemitism, including from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who posted on X: “Words are not enough to confront this scourge.” Chief Rabbi SirEphraim Mirviscalled for “meaningful action” to tackle the “root causes” of antisemitism.

Speaking to ITV News from his hospital bed, victim Mr Rand also criticised the government.

He said: “People are really concerned, people are afraid, people are uncomfortable walking in the street, peopel are blaming obviously the government for not doing anything about what’s going on.

For updates on the attack and police investigation - click here for our live blog

"It's for the past few months really that our community is suffering from these type of attacks. And now it's going on and trying to take people's lives and it's really terrible."

He added: "The government, they are the ones that are able to take care of the problems. And they are not doing their job."

Mr Rand said he had been studying at a local synagogue when a man started running toward him.

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“I didn’t suspect anything and he just stabbed me in the chest. I was taken to the hospital,” he said.

He added: "He looked angry, he looked angry. You could feel it in his facial expressions, it was like he was out to get me."

Both Mr Rand and Mr Shine, who was attacked at a bus stop, are said to be in hospital in a stable condition.

Sir Keir has vowed that the government would address the causes of antisemitism, provide more funding for security at Jewish sites and tackle “malign state actors” linked to recent violence.

He is also expected to meet criminal justice agencies on Thursday to discuss the attack, and said he would visit Golders Green “as soon as possible”.

In London, counter-terrorism officers investigating the attack said they were also searching an address in the south-east of the city after it was reported the suspect had been involved in a prior “altercation” with another person.

A joint statement from detective chief superintendent Luke Williams, the regional basic command unit commander, and Barnet Council chief executive Cath Shaw said “significant number of officers” would be in the area to support the investigation.

“This gives police officers temporary powers to stop and search people in the area without needing specific suspicion, where there is a risk of serious violence,” the statement said.

“This is a preventative measure designed to deter further criminality. We were already deploying an increased number of Counter Terrorism Response Vehicles to respond to suspicious activity.”

They said there would be an “increased policing presence in and around schools, transport hubs, high footfall areas and faith venues”.

byAlpha World

in

April 30, 2026

Golders Green attack victim accuses government of ‘not doing their job’ to keep Jewish community safe

One of the victims of a suspectedterror attack in Golders Greenhas accused the government of “not doing its job” as he describedthe hor...

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Pete Hegseth lost his cool in front of Congress. It was a dramatic unraveling

Pete Hegseth is struggling: that much has been clear for a while.

When it comes to the Iran war and the updates he is tasked to provide, he’s most comfortable in front of a journalistic audience, where he can yell and berate people for “being negative” any time they ask anything that sounds too much like an actual question. But today, poor oldPete had to testify in Congressbefore the experts on the House Armed Services Committee. It’s a place where questions aren’t just allowed, but alsofollow-up questions.

And this is where he completely unraveled. Because follow-up questions really arePete Hegseth’s kryptonite.

Take, for example, an early exchange between him and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.). Now thatthe Strait of Hormuzis still closed (our blockade oftheirblockade), the economy is in freefall, and the nuclear arsenal of Iran still hasn’t been decimated, what’s the Pentagon’s strategy, Smith asked? What happens next?

Hegseth’s immediate response: “I take issue with the premise of the question.” He then attempted to launch into a rote response about “other administrations that cut bad deals,” but Smith interrupted, calmly: “OK. What’s the plan?”

Hegseth then talked about the courage and intellect of Donald Trump, and Smith asked over him: “What are we going todo?”

“You have to stare down this kind of enemy,” Hegseth tried, before immediately pivoting back to meaningless rhetoric. The back-and-forth continued for a while longer, with Smith reiterating his absurdly simple question and Hegseth absurdly refusing to answer it, before Smith eventually gave up and yielded.

In between this and another question, Hegseth made the absolutely incredible assertion that “the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans.” It was a misstep, and a costly one so early in the game.

Those very congressional members pressed him on it again and again over the next 40 minutes. By repetition alone, it became clear to everyone in the room exactly how foolish those words sounded — about as foolish as the deeply silly aside made by Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was tasked with referring to a valued member of the military as “an AmeriCAN, not an AmeriCAN’T.”

And then Rep. Smith returned, during another telling exchange provoked by a question about Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Trump administration predicted that Ukraine would have long lost the war by now, he said. That clearly didn’t come to pass. So what was missed?

“What we didn’t miss was thatBiden—” began Hegseth, before Smith interrupted, “You’re not going to answer the question?” Hegseth carried on reiterating some irrelevant Biden administration rallyspeak that ended on: “You guys don’t talk about that!”

“I’m asking you from a strategic standpoint,” Smith said, calmly, after which Hegseth floundered and then eventually conceded, “I think Ukrainians have shown great courage.” Unimpressed, Smith yielded his time.

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Hegseth is a man who perennially channels the energy and integrity of a protein powder commercial, but few Huel ads have played in the hallowed halls of Congress. At press briefings, the Secretary of Defense-or-War can retreat to his pre-prepared remarks about LETHALITY and WAR FIGHTERS and the COURAGE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP. But today, pressed calmly and continually by a bipartisan group on strategy and military expenditure, it became extremely obvious how out of his depth Hegseth is.

We provoke “unrelenting fear in our adversaries,” the former TV talking head insisted. “We fight to win in every scenario!” Our “war fighters” are “forging a lethal arsenal of freedom!”

The response was muted.

“Wish fulfillment is not a strategy,” said Smith, adding that “we have sidelined the entire world” and shoved aside traditional diplomacy “in favor of two real estate guys.” Both Hegseth and President Trump have shown “astounding incompetence,” caused “immense economic damage,” “misled the public,” and caused “political and economic disaster at every level,” said Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.).

And, in perhaps the biggest humiliation: “I’m a fan ofPulp Fiction,too,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). Later, when asking a question about vaccines, Moulton added: “This is a softball one for you. Don’t screw it up.”

Hegseth began to bare his teeth and shout. Asked about the length of the war, he pulled out manufactured outrage, talking about howhisgeneration served in Iraq and Afghanistan, andthatwas a quagmire, and “you stain the troops” by suggestingthiswar has been going on too long. “Who you cheering for?” he yelled, adding, “Your hatred for President Trump blinds you to the truth of the success of this mission!” In the quiet, unostentatious room, his words sounded flat, eerie, cult-like. They did not project the power he must’ve hoped that they would.

And then Representative Carbajal asked him how American taxpayers would be affected economically by the war in Iran, and Hegseth got into a full shouting match with him as he simply asked random questions back rather than answering the question.

“I get soundbites, but how about numbers?” Carbajal asked. Hegseth said something about the “horrible” management of California, the state that Carbajal represents.

“It used to be that that stuff worked,” said Carbajal, unimpressed. It doesn’t any more, he continued, because the Trump administration is bleeding out supporters after a cost-of-living crisis caused by the Iran war.

“I’m sad for all the people who voted for Trump. I’m sad because you betrayed them,” he concluded.

This is Pete Hegseth in his true form: slippery, defensive, wound-up. A handful of soundbites stacked up inside an ill-fitting suit jacket and passed off as a Secretary of Super Lethal War. Here is a man who cannot answer basic questions about what his decisions mean to the average American taxpayer; a man who is quick to call his fellow Americans adversaries and reluctant to talk specifics; a man who performs shockingly badly under pressure and becomes volatile in high-pressure situations. Just who you want in charge of the Pentagon.

And yes, it is a little satisfying to watch such a man unravel in the face of basic questioning. But it is, of course — when you zoom right out — deeply and unrelentingly scary.

byAlpha World

in

April 30, 2026

Pete Hegseth lost his cool in front of Congress. It was a dramatic unraveling

Pete Hegseth is struggling: that much has been clear for a while. When it comes to the Iran war and the updates he is tasked to pr...

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Shreveport has a message for America: Don't look away

SHREVEPORT — The Rev. James Green was in the middle of delivering a sermon at Union Mission Baptist Church No. 1 in Shreveport when he learned the unthinkable had happened.

That morning, a National Guard veteran shot two women and killed seven of his kids and one of their cousins. The gunman died after a police chase.

All of this unfolded on April 19 not far from Green’s church in Shreveport, a city of nearly 180,000 people near the Texas border in northwest Louisiana.

“It was worse than a kick in the gut," recalled Green, also a Shreveport city councilman. “It was like the wind being snatched out of me.”

As his community grappled with the aftermath of the shootings, Green spearheaded a domestic violence summit and hosted community vigils. The nation, he insisted, needs to “zoom in on domestic violence, because it happens every minute – every hour – of our lives.”

But some Americans, already beset with traumatic news amid deep political divisions at home and the wars in Iran and Ukraine, might choose to look away, partly to protect their own mental health.

“We’ve been talking about this in psychology for years, not just with mass shootings, but other incidents of trauma that are replayed over and over again, that we do have to take a healthy level of self-care,” said Apryl Alexander, director of theUniversity of North Carolina Charlotte Violence Prevention Center.

At the same time, Alexander said domestic violence should not be ignored.

“I’m hoping that people are not becoming numb or immune to this,” she said. “In order for us to think about solutions, we all have to be invested in really examining the underlying factors behind these incidents.”

Shreveport shooting is shocking but 'not an outlier'

Police have identified the gunman as 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, who served in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2013 to 2020 as a signal system specialist and a fire support specialist.

Before the shootings, he told his stepfather on Easter Sunday that he wanted to take his own life and that he was dealing with “dark thoughts,” the New York Times reported. At the time, he was reportedly struggling with a looming separation from his wife, who was gravely injured in the shooting. The other injured woman had previously sued him for child support and was granted joint custody of their child, Sariahh, in 2017, court records show.

Sariahh was among those killed in the shooting. The other victims were identified as: Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5.

Their deaths are part of a particularly horrific phenomenon called “family annihilation” in which people kill many relatives, sometimes an entire family. Between 2020 and 2023, such killings happened once every five days on average nationwide, according toan investigation by the Indianapolis Star,which is part of the USA TODAY network. Several high-profile cases have captured national attention, including those involvingAlex Murdaugh,Andrea YatesandElizabeth Diane Downs.

The attack in Shreveport was among the deadliest mass shootings since January 2024. In some ways, it was "not an outlier," said Walter Dekeseredy, who teaches sociology at West Virginia University and directs its Research Center on Violence.

“Good criminological research shows that it’s typically a man killing his wife or ex-wife and his children,” he said. “That’s the most common form of mass killing.”

Elkins' motives are not entirely clear, but Dekeseredy said leaving an abusive relationship can be the most dangerous time for a partner being abused. Black women are killed by intimate partnersat significantly higher rates than any other group.

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The shootings in Shreveport left some people wondering what support was missing for the family.

“What were the dynamics at this time for a person to escalate, obtain a firearm — and then again for these women to not be protected?” Alexander asked.

Awareness is crucial, but news can take a toll

Meanwhile, a growing number of people worldwide are turning away from the news, partly because they find it negative and depressing, according a 2025reportby the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the University of Oxford.

The more people follow news about violence and mass tragedies, the more likely they are to experience distress, according to E. Alison Holman, a professor in the school of nursing and department of psychological science at the University of California, Irvine.

Holman has found, for example, that people who followed the highest amounts of news media coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing reported higher acute stress than people who were directly exposed to the bombing. This stress, she said, can be compounded because Americans are exposed to a barrage of difficult news, such as therising death toll of the war in Iranand America'scost-of-living crisis.

“We call it cascading collective stress or trauma,” Holman said.

People who can identify with the victims are more likely to follow news about them, and that can set off a cycle of distress.

“It’s very important that people know what’s going on in the world around them, but don’t over-immerse yourself in that,” she said. “Don’t keep going back and looking at it over and over because that’s not good for your mental health and not good for your physical health, too.”

News coverage about the shootings in Shreveport could traumatize viewers, particularly those impacted by domestic abuse, Dekeseredy and Alexander said. But they also said it is crucial for people to understand the broader societal forces that fuel such violence.

“The rates of violence against women are so high in this country," Dekeseredy said, “that it tells you something about the way our society is organized.”

‘Why don't you lift Shreveport?’

On April 26, the choir at Green’s church in Shreveport performed “I Sing Praises to Your Name” as parishioners filed inside the sanctuary, umbrellas in hand. Eventually, they approached the altar, raising their hands.

"Why don't you lift Shreveport?” Green asked his flock. “Why don't you lift your neighborhood? Why don't you lift the Elkins family, the Snow family, the Pugh family? Why don't you lift your family and other families to the Lord?"

He cited Psalm 13, which encourages people to grieve but also to trust in God.

“No matter where you are in life,” Green said, “once you have an audience with the Lord, once you come into his presence, he will lift that burden.”

His parishioners immediately erupted in applause. Their hope was palpable as they hugged. Before they departed, they were given Amaryllis plants featuring red, trumpet-shaped flowers. Because they bloom in winter months, they can symbolize resilience and determination. The parishioners took them home so they could plant them as a way to memorialize Shreveport’s victims.

If you or someone you know could be a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available at 988.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Shreveport has a message for America: Don't look away

byAlpha World

in

April 29, 2026

Shreveport has a message for America: Don't look away

SHREVEPORT — The Rev. James Green was in the middle of delivering a sermon at Union Mission Baptist Church No. 1 in Shreveport when he ...

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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? crowns seventh winner of jackpot prize

It remains one of TV’s rarest achievements, butWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?has crowned its seventh £1m-winning contestant, bringing a six-year drought to an end.

Retired IT analyst Roman Dubowski was the lucky individual who answered all of his 15 questions correctly to win the jackpot.

Throughout his time in the hot seat, he had one near miss at the £1,000 mark, when he was asked the missing key ingredient in mayonnaise. But he whizzed through the remaining questions put to him by hostJeremy Clarkson, who branded him “an encyclopaedia in a shirt”.

He was left with two lifelines for the final question, including 50:50 and Ask Jeremy, in which contestants can ask Clarkson for his input.

After winning the cash prize, Dubowski, who had unsuccessfully applied twice before to get on the show, said: “I thought I was good enough to win, say, a five-figure sum because I’ve seen the show so much.

“I’ve seen very good quiz names not do so well because just one question can catch you out.”

Dubowski is the second winner under Clarkson’s watch,the first being Donald Fearin 2020, who was the first to scoop the jackpot after 14 years. During the Chris Tarrant era, there were five winners, including Judith Keppel (2000), David Edwards (2001), Robert Brydges (2001), Pat Gibson (2004) and Ingram Wilcox (2006).

ITVhas announced that a second contestant from the latest series is also set to win the full cash prize next month, bringing the overall tally to eight.

In September 2001, Major Charles Ingram was thrust into the spotlight after beingaccused of cheating his way to victory.

Ingram, a British Army major, was noticeably poor in the early stages of his participation on the show, answering the easiest of questions with uncertainty. However, the following day, while recording the second half of his appearance, he proved inexplicably successful and, despite apparently knowing little, got every answer correct. He ultimately took home a million pounds, becoming the show’s second-ever winner of the big money prize.

His cheque was rescinded after producers watched the episode back and detected a recurring cough in the audience, seemingly responding to the correct answers.

Could you have correctly answered Dubowski’s questions to become a millionaire? Here are his questions from the episode:

QUESTION 1 – £100: The planet Saturn famously has seven what?

A) Rings, B) Necklaces, C) Bracelets, D) Anklets

QUESTION 2 – £200: At which of these locations is ice hockey traditionally played?

A) Rink, B) Range, C) Court, D) Field

QUESTION 3 – £300: If you respond to an opponent’s attack with the same method, you are said to fight . . . ?

A) Fire with fire, B) Smoke with smoke, C) Embers with embers, D) Cinders with cinders

QUESTION 4 – £500: What is the name of the famous mansion in Memphis that was Elvis Presley’s home from 1957 to 1977?

A) Paisley Park, B) Graceland, C) The Troubadour, D) Dollywood

QUESTION 5 – £1,000: What is mixed with vinegar, mustard and oil to make basic mayonnaise?

A) Plain flour, B) Salted butter, C) Egg yolk, D) Double cream

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QUESTION 6 – £2,000: In the Harry Potter books, which term is used to describe a non-magic person?

A) Muggle, B) Moomin, C) Munchkin, D) Minion

QUESTION 7 – £4,000: Which of these fashion retailers was founded in Japan?

A) Zara, B) Uniqlo, C) Urban Outfitters, D) FatFace

QUESTION 8 – £8,000: Which of these major historic events took place in the middle of the 14th century?

A) English Civil War, B) Norman Conquest, C) Black Death, D) Wars of the Roses

QUESTION 9 – £16,000: Which of these sea creatures is not classed cartilaginous?

A) Shark, B) Ray, C) Dolphin, D) Skate

QUESTION 10 – £32,000: Which word refers to a metal that can be stretched out into a thin wire without breaking?

A) Sonorous, B) Conductive, C) Ductile, D) Lustrous

QUESTION 11 – £64,000: Which of these plays is part of the 20th century theatrical movement known as The Theatre of the Absurd?

A) Death Of A Salesman, B) The Glass Menagerie, C) The Seagull, D) Waiting For Godot

QUESTION 12 – £125,000: The Rhone river begins its journey in which mountain range?

A) Alps, B) Pennines, C) Carpathians, D) Pyrenees

QUESTION 13 – £250,000: Which of these figures from Greek mythology is not known for slaying a monster?

A) Theseus, B) Perseus, C) Adonis, D) Bellerophon

QUESTION 14 – £500,000: Presented in 1901, the first Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for the discovery of what?

A) Wireless telegraphy, B) X-rays, C) Cosmic radiation, D) Quantum mechanics

QUESTION 15 – £1,000,000: Used since 1876, which trademarked logo is described in the James Joyce novel Ulysses and depicted in works by Manet and Picasso?

A) Bass Ale, B) The Famous Grouse, C) Coca-Cola, D) Stella Artois

A – Rings. 2. A – Rink. 3. A – Fire with fire. 4. B – Graceland. 5. C – Egg yolk. 6. A – Muggle. 7. B – Uniqlo. 8. C – Black Death. 9. C – Dolphin. 10. C – Ductile. 11. D – Waiting For Godot. 12. A – Alps. 13. C – Adonis. 14. B – X-rays. 15. A – Bass Ale.

byAlpha World

in

April 29, 2026

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? crowns seventh winner of jackpot prize

It remains one of TV’s rarest achievements, butWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?has crowned its seventh £1m-winning contestant, bringing a...

Read More