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22/08/2021

Ramstein, Germany – Afghan woman gives birth on US military jet

An Afghan mother gave birth while on board a US Air Force aircraft shortly before landing at the US military base of Ramstein in Germany, according to a tweet by the US Department of Defence.

14/08/2021

Kabul, Afghanistan – Taliban attack Mazar-e-Sharif — US marines arrive as Taliban edges towards Kabul

Ghani: Remobilizing troops a top priority
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is hoping to galvanize the country's armed forces as Taliban fighters edged closer to Kabul.

"In the current situation, the remobilization of our security and defense forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard," he said in a televised speech.

Ghani also said "consultations" were taking place to try and end the conflict.

"As a historic mission, I will not let the imposed war on people cause more deaths," he said, appearing somber and sitting before an Afghan flag.

"Therefore, I have started extensive consultations inside the government with the elders, political leaders, representatives of people, and international partners on achieving a reasonable and certain political solution in which the peace and stability of the people of Afghanistan are envisaged."

Mazar-e-Sharif vulnerable
The Taliban have launched a major offensive on the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, sparking heavy fighting on its outskirts, according to Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday in an attempt to rally the city's defenses, meeting with several militia commanders, including Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor. But that show of support appears to have come to nothing.

The commanders remain allied with the government, but some have come under increasing pressure to switch sides, if only for their own survival. Ismail Khan, a powerful former warlord who had tried to defend Herat, was captured by the Taliban when the insurgents seized the city after two weeks of fighting.

Taliban take Logar province
An Afghan lawmaker says the Taliban have captured Logar province, just 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.

Homa Ahmadi, a lawmaker form Logar, says that the Taliban now control the entire province.

US marines arrive as Taliban edges towards Kabul
The Taliban have tightened their territorial grip around Kabul, as US Marines returned to help with emergency evacuations from Afghanistan.

With the country's second- and third-largest cities now under Taliban command, Kabul has effectively become besieged, and may be just weeks away from falling.

Insurgent fighters are now camped just 50 kilometers (30 miles) away, leaving the United States and other countries scrambling to airlift their nationals out of Kabul ahead of a feared Taliban assault.

Taliban takes control of radio station
The Taliban have released a video declaring the takeover of the main radio station in the southern city of Kandahar, renaming it the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law.

In the footage, an insurgent said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Quran. It appears the station will no longer play music.

12/08/2021

Vicenza, Italy – European record temperature of 48.8°C registered in Sicily

A temperature of 48.8°C was registered in the province of Siracusa on Wednesday by Sicily's SIAS agency in what looks set to be a new European record. "If the figure is confirmed after the appropriate analysis, it could be the highest value ever registered on the European continent," said 3bmeteo.com meteorologist Manuel Mazzoleni. "That would beat the previous record of 48°C taken in Athens on July 10, 1977 and it would even beat the record of 48.5°C recorded at an unofficial station at Catenanuova in August 1999". Italy is currently baking in the Lucifer heatwave, which is expected to peak later this week. Scientists say the climate crisis is causing heatwaves and extreme weather events to be more frequent and more intense.

22/07/2021

New York, NY, United States – Gun that killed Billy the Kid to be sold

Sheriff Pat Garrett's revolver is expected to fetch up to $3 million. Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid has been frequently dramatized in American popular culture.

One of the most iconic guns of the American Wild West will go up for auction next month with the sale of the weapon that killed 19th century outlaw Billy the Kid, Bonhams auction house said on Wednesday.

According to Bonhams, Sheriff Pat Garrett's C**t single action revolver is expected to fetch somewhere between $2 million and $3 million (€1.7 million and €2.5 million).

Garrett used the firearm to gun down Billy the Kid in 1881.

Stuff of legend

Bonhams described the gun as "the most iconic treasure of early Western history" in the United States and said the revolver's current condition was "very good with traces of blue on barrel and cylinder flutes and other protected areas. Well worn grips."

"Now part of the American mythology, Garrett's friendship with the Kid, their mutual respect, and his subsequent hunt, capture, escape and death have become the stuff of legend," Bonhams' website says.

Billy the Kid remains one of the most notorious figures from the era, whose life and likeness have been frequently dramatized in American popular culture. His life story inspired songs, films and books, casting him as both villainous outlaw and unsung hero fighting for justice. In the 140 years since the outlaw's death, his fate has woven its way into the American imagination.

An orphan who went from petty crime to murders

Orphaned at the age of 15, Billy the Kid was first arrested for stealing food. He was detained once more for robbing a Chinese laundry but escaped shortly afterwards.

Born Henry McCarty, the Kid became a wanted man after murdering a blacksmith during an altercation in August 1877.

His notoriety soon grew, with media across the United States carrying stories of his crimes, before his capture by Sheriff Pat Garrett in December 1880.

In April 1881, the Kid was tried for and convicted for murdering Lincoln County Sheriff William J. Brady, but escaped jail, killing two deputies in the process.

After more than two months on the run, Billy the Kid was eventually shot and killed by Garrett. The outlaw was 21 years old.

The gun that took him down lies in the hands of Texas couple Jim and Theresa Earle, whose collection includes a number of Western fi****ms and other artifacts. Jim Earle passed away in 2019, and his family is now selling the cache.

08/03/2021

Hollywood, LA, United States – Harry and Meghan speak out about royal family split in interview

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have opened up about life in the British royal family in a tell-all interview with US television personality Oprah Winfrey.

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have spoken about the struggles of living in the royal family in a highly-anticipated interview with US television personality Oprah Winfrey, which aired at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT) on Sunday.

It was the couple's first major interview since announcing their split from the royal family earlier this year. The bombshell interview is set to intensify an already fraught row between the couple and the British monarchy.

What did they say in the interview?

On relations with the royal family:
• Meghan said the family and the people who run the institution are separate. She said Queen Elizabeth has always been "wonderful" to her, always making her feel welcome.
• Oprah asked whether Meghan chose to be "silent" or was "silenced," to which Meghan responded with "the latter." She added that while the palace was ready to lie to protect other members of the family, "they weren't willing to tell the truth to protect me and my husband."
• Harry said his father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls over his plans to step back from royal life.
• He said his father and brother, Prince William, were "trapped" in their roles and couldn't leave. He added that he feels sorry for them.
• Harry said his late mother, Princess Diana, would be "very angry and sad" at the way he and Meghan had been treated. He said she would want them to be happy.
• The prince revealed that he was cut off financially in the first quarter of 2020, but he received his mother's inheritance.
• Harry said he has a strong relationship with the queen. While his father is taking his calls again, it is his priority to heal that relationship.
• "My regret is believing them when they said I would be protected," Meghan said.

On racism:
• Meghan, who is biracial, said there were concerns about how "dark" her son, Archie, would be. She said that Archie would not be eligible for palace security as he was not a prince.
• Neither revealed who had voiced concerns over Archie's skin color, except to imply it was a family member.
• Harry said that not one member of his family had said anything about the racist articles targeting Meghan. "That hurts," he added.

On mental health:
• Meghan revealed that the intense pressure she faced led her to contemplate su***de.
• She said she had told the palace that she needed help for mental health concerns, but received no support.
• "I just didn't want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought," she said.

On the British press:
• Meghan denied British reports that she made her sister-in-law Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, cry during Meghan's wedding preparations.
• Oprah read headlines that showed a double standard in reporting between Kate and Meghan.

On their personal lives:
• The couple is expecting a second child, a girl, due in the summer.
• Harry said he "wouldn't have been able to" take a step back from the royal family without Meghan. She was his way out.
• "We've actually not just survived but are thriving," said Meghan. "It's greater than any fairy tale you've read."

Why is this a big deal?

Public interviews like these are not common for the British royals, who have remained tight-lipped on numerous issues through the years. With Harry and Meghan indulging in this "tell-all" conversation, there is a lingering fear that the royal family's image may be tarnished.

How has the royal family reacted?

Hours before the interview was aired, Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother, gave a televised address on Sunday. In an address to mark Commonwealth Day, the British monarch talked about the importance of "dedication to duty."

"Whilst experiences of the last year have been different across the commonwealth, stirring examples of courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty have been demonstrated in every commonwealth nation and territory," she said.

Service and duty have been much talked about after Meghan and Harry stepped back from their roles as senior royals. In a statement last month, they said, "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."

Reports have suggested that the palace will only respond if individual members of the family are attacked in the interview.

Harry and Meghan's split from royal life

The couple stepped away from royal duties in March 2020, complaining about the British tabloids' treatment of Meghan. They cited what they described as bullying and racist attitudes toward the duchess, who is biracial.

They now live in Montecito, California, where they are neighbors of Winfrey.

Buckingham Palace late last month announced that the couple had finalized their separation from the royal family and will no longer be working members of the British monarchy.

Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that it is investigating allegations that the duchess had bullied members of her staff — back in 2018 — forcing two of them to quit. However, critics have accused the British royals of keeping double standards over Meghan and Prince Andrew, whose serious allegations of interactions with underage girls were not addressed in public.

If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/

10/02/2021

London, England – Lying on arrival could mean 10 years in prison in England
By PAN PYLAS

Anyone arriving in England and found to have lied about a recent visit to a country on the British government's travel ban list faces up to 10 years in prison under new tough coronavirus border policies announced Tuesday.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that from Monday, residents of the UK and Ireland arriving in England from the places on the government's "red list" will have to purchase a “quarantine package” that costs 1,750 pounds ($2,400) per person and covers accommodation, virus testing and other items.

Individuals not abiding by the rules, including those arriving from a red list country without a hotel booked, also could be subject to a series of fines, he said.

“I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we’re dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we’ve faced as a nation,” Hancock told lawmakers. “People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk."

At present, there are 33 countries, including South Africa, Portugal and all of South America, from where travel to England is effectively banned largely because of concerns over new variants of the coronavirus.

However, British and Irish citizens, as well as all other UK residents, are permitted to enter provided they self-isolate for 10 days after their arrival.

From Monday, they won't be able to quarantine themselves at home, unlike those arriving from countries not on the “red list.” Instead, they will have to buy — through a dedicated online portal — a package that included accommodation, food, beverages and PCR testing for so-called “variant surveillance” on days two and eight of their quarantine period.

The “enhanced testing” regime, which is in addition to already-mandated pre-departure tests, will be a requirement for everyone arriving in England and anyone failing to do so will be fined.

Hancock, who has responsibility for health matters in England, said the booking system will go live on Thursday and that the government has contracted with 16 hotels, for an initial 4,600 rooms. The hotels involved have not been identified “for commercial reasons."

Those failing to quarantine in a designated hotel face fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($13,800.) The harshest potential penalty of up to 10 years in jail could be assigned to those people who lie about visiting any of the 33 countries on the “red list.”

“Anyone who lies on a passenger locator form and tries to conceal that they’ve been in a country on our red list in the 10 days before arrival here will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years,” Hancock said.

Scotland is tightening its rules on international travel further than England, confirming it will require people arriving on all direct international flights to enter quarantine hotels. Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said England’s approach is “not sufficient.”

Lobbying groups for the travel industry, one of the hardest-hit during the pandemic, said the new measures deepen a worsening 2021 outlook.

“Airports and airlines are battling to survive with almost zero revenue and a huge cost base, and practically every week a further blow lands,” Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, and Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK said in a statement. “Aviation-specific financial support is urgently needed to ensure our sector can get through the year.”

How long the measures stay in place will depend on the path of the pandemic and whether new virus variants negate the rapid vaccine rollout in the U.K. Already, some 12.65 million people have received their first dose, equivalent to around 20% of the adult population.

The British government is set to announce on Monday the next stage of its vaccination rollout beyond the four groups deemed to be at most risk.

The government is hoping that its rapid rollout of vaccines, in addition to its border measures and an ongoing national lockdown, will see the number of COVID-19-related deaths fall dramatically. On Tuesday, another 1,052 people were reported to have died across the U.K. after testing positive for the coronavirus, taking the total to 113,850, Europe's highest pandemic death toll.

19/01/2021

Washington DC, United States – US election: For Joe Biden, empathy wins the presidency

The US is in a state of crisis, both economically and culturally. Joe Biden won the presidential election because he seems to care, according to analysts.

When Joe Biden addresses Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, he often takes the time to express his sympathy. In the United States, around 400,000 people have died from the disease.

In late October, the now President-elect Biden talked about the coronavirus crisis while in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. "My heart goes out to every single person who has had to endure the agony of saying goodbye to someone they loved and adored over video chat, who couldn't gather their closest friends, even their close family, to grieve together at a funeral mass or funeral service," he said.

Biden aimed to send a message opposite that of outgoing President Donald Trump, who told Americans that they should not let COVID-19 "dominate" them and there was no need to "be afraid" of it.

Biden, on the other hand, has encouraged people to wear face masks and to take social distancing seriously, and he hasn't shied away from sharing grief with strangers. He knows what it feels like to lose a spouse, to bury a child — he almost quit politics because of it. Twice.

The first time was in the winter of 1972. He was only 29 years old when he decided to challenge Delaware's longstanding Republican senator. With family members filling many campaign staff roles and despite having little money, Biden won the November election. Just a few weeks later, he suffered a tragedy that changed him forever. His wife, Neilia, and their 1-year-old daughter Naomi died in a car crash that also left their sons Beau and Hunter badly injured.

Though Biden wanted to resign, he was persuaded to take office and was sworn in at the hospital where his sons were being treated. The young senator commuted between Wilmington and Washington. His sister, Valerie, moved into his home to help with the children. She stayed until 1977 when Biden married Jill Jacobs, with whom he had a daughter, Ashley.

Health care: It's personal

The second time Biden nearly quit politics was decades later. In 2015, Biden was vice president and working with then-President Barack Obama to pass the Affordable Care Act, which made health care accessible for millions of low-income families. While Biden was trying to ensure others got the care they needed, his oldest son Beau died of a brain tumor.

Biden, who had planned to run for president in the 2016 election, decided that he needed time at home instead to be with his family.

A few days before his time as vice president came to an end, Obama awarded Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "To know Joe Biden is to know love without pretense, service without self-regard, and to live life fully," Obama said.

The times are calling for a 'Slow Joe'

The fact that Democrats picked Biden as their presidential candidate — instead of one of the younger or non-white candidates who shared the debate stage with him — was not surprising, according to Mitchell S. McKinney, a University of Missouri professor whose research focuses on presidential debates and rhetoric.

"It's the times," says McKinney. "It's the context. It's what we're dealing with and grappling with as a nation."

He perceives Biden to be a "reasonable and steady-as-you-go, comforting, empathetic" politician — just the opposite of Trump, who likes to call his opponent "Slow Joe."

Biden's victory is a clear "indication of what the nation was yearning for now in terms of leadership," said McKinney. "We have done quite a pendulum swing from this most unorthodox, unpresidential president to one of the quintessential inside Washington [politicians]."

Biden is known for working well with people who might not agree with him. "He's a man of the Congress; he was around it a long time and he gets along with everybody," political analyst Bruce Buchanan told us.

"It's hard to find anybody in DC who really dislikes Joe Biden. He's got a reputation in Congress for years of working very well with Republicans and not being an ideologue and also of being a very likable, friendly fellow," said Buchanan, a professor at the University of Texas in Austin's department of government.

Progressive ideas might die along the way

Depending on the issue at hand, Biden might get caught between compromising with Republicans and pleasing progressive Democrats. While he never officially endorsed the Green New Deal, his plans to tackle the climate crisis sound very similar.

Kamala Harris, who will serve as vice president, co-sponsored the Green New Deal and called on Congress to implement a 10-year government-driven mobilization to decarbonize the economy. She has also backed job retraining and social and environmental justice.

Buchanan believes if Biden "pushes hard on something like climate change, environmental activism, there will be pushback." But on the other hand, he said, Biden is a "pragmatic politician."

This article has been updated with news developments.

09/01/2021

Washington DC, United States – Twitter permanently bans Donald Trump over Capitol violence

Twitter has permanently suspended President Donald Trump's account after the violence at the Capitol building. The company cited the risk of further incitement in its decision.

Twitter has announced it is permanently suspending President Donald Trump's account following the Capitol violence.

Twitter said late on Friday night that it was banning Trump's account "due to the risk of further incitement of violence."

"In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action," Twitter said in a statement.

The move comes hours after Trump gained access to his Twitter account after being temporarily suspended from the microblogging site on Thursday. The permanent ban keeps the president from using what was one of his most-common means of directly addressing the public and making policy as well as personal statements.

According to the Twitter statement, on Friday Trump tweeted:

"The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!"

This was followed by another tweet, where he announced that he will not attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

"To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th."

The social media platform said the two Tweets must be read in the light of broader events in the US and the ways in which the president's statements can be "mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence."

Twitter said it is suspending the account, which had more than 88 million followers, over violation of its policy against the glorification of violence.

"After assessing the language in these Tweets against our Glorification of Violence policy, we have determined that these Tweets are in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy and the user should be immediately permanently suspended from the service.

The ban applies to Trump's account. The official Twitter account for the president of the United States, , continues to exist.

Trump also banned on Facebook

Trump was also "indefinitely" banned from Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram on Thursday, with the pressure building on social media platforms to ban the outgoing president.

The call follows Wednesday's US Capitol storming, which saw pro-Trump supporters disrupting a joint congressional session in Washington DC to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's 2020 election win.

Whether it were matters of diplomacy or scathing attacks on rivals, Trump has used social media as his bull-horn throughout his presidency.

05/09/2020

Washington, United States – Trump says US won't cut funding to Stars and Stripes military newspaper

Trump's pledge comes months after the Pentagon said they would stop publishing Stars and Stripes by the end of September. Previously, a group of lawmakers urged Defense Secretary Mark Esper to reconsider its fate.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he won't allow the Pentagon to cut funding to the military's independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, following an outcry on the part of US lawmakers.

"The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to magazine under my watch," Trump tweeted. "It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!"

Circulation of the military paper was expected to stop at the end of September, after the Pentagon announced in February that it would halt $15.5 million (€13 million) in funding. The Defense Department had ordered the paper to stop publication by September 30, and dissolve the organization by the end of January.

Trump's tweet comes a day after The Atlantic reported that he had referred to Marines killed in World War I and buried in a cemetery near Paris, as "losers" and "suckers." According to the report, he also declined to visit the cemetery in 2018 because of concern that the rain that day would mess up his hair.

Trump, who has boasted about his record of helping US veterans, has strongly denied the report.

Earlier this week, 15 lawmakers — including Democrats and Republicans — wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, calling on him to reconsider the closing of the newspaper.

The letter warned that the department is legally prohibited from canceling a budget program while a temporary continuing resolution to fund the federal government is in effect. "Stars and Stripes is an essential part of our nation's freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that freedom," the senators said in the letter.

The Trump administration had not spoken out against the plan to shut down the paper before Friday. Esper had defended the decision to defund the newspaper earlier this year.

Stars and Stripes receives funding from the Defense Department but is editorially independent. The first newspaper called Stars and Stripes was briefly produced in 1861 during the Civil War, but the paper began consistent publication during World War I. When the war was over, publication ended, and restarted in 1942 during World War II, providing wartime news written by troops specifically for troops in battle.

18/07/2020

New York, NY, United States – Coronavirus Latest: US schools unlikely to fully reopen this year, cases surge

The United States has recorded another record daily caseload of coronavirus cases.

It is the third consecutive day the US has registered a record high, notching 77,638 new infections in the last 24 hours, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The US recorded 927 deaths over the past 24 hours, according to the figures from the Baltimore-based university at 8.30 p.m. EST (0030 GMT Saturday).

A key factor behind the country's death toll was Texas' record daily high of 174 deaths from the novel virus.

The United States is by far the hardest hit in the world, suffering 139,128 fatalities from a total of 3.64 million confirmed infections.

As California, Texas and Chicago laid out the criteria for reopening of schools on Friday, millions more children in the US learned that they would, most likely, not return to classrooms full time in the fall.

California announced strict criteria for school reopening, making classroom instruction unlikely for most districts. As per the rules, students above 2nd grade and the staff will be required to wear masks in school.

Texas has allowed public schools to remain closed well into the fall. Under the new mandate, schools can hold online-only instruction for up to the first eight weeks of the school year.

Chicago — the nation's third-largest school district — will see most children returning to the classroom just two days a week, while the other three days they will attend online classes under a tentative plan.

Many states in the country, especially in the Sunbelt, are struggling amid a spike in the coronavirus caseload.

California reported its highest 48-hour tally of confirmed cases with nearly 20,000 infections and 258 deaths in two days.

Florida registered 11,345 new cases on Friday and 128 deaths.

Texas recorded 10,000 new infections for the third day on Thursday and 129 new deaths.

Meanwhile, New York City is slated to begin a limited version of the fourth phase of statewide reopening from Monday.

Movie and TV crews will be allowed to film and professional sports teams would be able to play without an audience.

Zoos will see reduced footfall, while malls, museums and dine-in restaurants will remain closed.

16/06/2020

Berlin, Germany – Berlin says Washington benefits from US troops in Germany

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says the presence of US troops in Germany is central to both transatlantic and European security. He added that Germany had yet to be given details of any redeployment to Poland.

Germany's foreign minister on Tuesday voiced concern about the possible withdrawal of US troops, for possible redeployment to Poland.

Minister Heiko Maas said it was important for European and American security that US soldiers remain in Germany.

The comments came after President Donald Trump announced he would cut the number stationed in the country.

"We think that the US presence in Germany is important for the security not just of Germany but also for the security of the United States and especially for the security of Europe," Heiko Maas said while visiting Poland.

Trump said he would cut troop numbers because Germany was "delinquent" in contributions to NATO, also saying that it had treated the United States "badly" on trade.

Maas said he had not yet been briefed on how and when the redeployment might take place.

"Neither the State Department nor the Pentagon has been able to provide any information about this," he said, adding that any changes to Europe's security architecture "definitely need to be talked about."

Backup from Poland

At a joint press conference with Maas, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said he did not see a link between the boosting of US troops numbers in Poland and any withdrawal from Germany.

"I want to underline that these talks [with the US] have no connection with the recent US declarations and US-German relations concerning the presence of, or reduction of, US forces in Germany," he said. "From our standpoint, US forces in Germany also serve our security. We would want that presence in Germany to be continued."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also backed Maas on Tuesday, the eve of two days of video meetings between the alliance's defense ministers.

"What matters for me is that we maintain credible deterrence and defense, and that we maintain the strong link between North America and Europe."

Trump on Monday told reporters there were 52,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany and that he would bring that down to 25,000.

However, the Pentagon says there are only between 34,000 and 35,000 US soldiers permanently stationed in Germany. The overall number can only temporarily top 50,000 when deployments are being rotated.

Ironically, because of the coronavirus, there's a reasonable chance that Germany might come far closer to NATO's spending target of 2% of GDP for defense this year. That's because a considerable reduction in Germany's GDP seems likely in 2020. Its defense budget as such has risen only slightly in recent years, and equated to 1.22% of GDP in 2019.