President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States is considering reducing the number of its troops in Germany, amid a row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war.
"The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
April 29 (Reuters) - A federal jury in Virginia on Wednesday convicted an Afghan man of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization in connection with the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 160 Afghan civilians.
But the jury deadlocked on whether his actions directly caused the deaths, sparing the defendant, Mohammad Sharifullah, from a possible life sentence. He still faces up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga did not immediately set a sentencing date.
April 29 (Reuters) - Iran has executed at least 21 people since the start of the war with the United States and Israel two months ago and has arrested more than 4,000 on national security-related charges, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday.
Turk said at least nine people have been executed in connection with protests in January, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges.
April 29 (Reuters) - Israel has begun taking control of aid ships bound for Gaza far from Israeli shores, Israeli army radio cited an Israeli source as saying on Wednesday.
The report did not specify the number of vessels involved or their exact location.
On April 12, a second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza sailed from the Spanish port of Barcelona, aiming to try to break the Israeli blockade.
(Reporting by Menna Alaa El Din and Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Chris Reese)
Jewish volunteers won widespread praise Wednesday for their quick action during a stabbing attack in north London, where police have arrested a suspect.
They were part of the Shomrim neighbourhood watch group, a 60-strong, non-profit volunteer group set up in northwest London in 2008 to boost security amid a spate of crimes and break-ins.
Two Jewish men were stabbed in the morning incident in Golders Green, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced as "utterly appalling".
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he discussed a possible Ukraine ceasefire in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We had a good talk, I've known him a long time," said Trump.
Trump, speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, said he suggested "a little bit of a ceasefire" in the war in Ukraine in his phone call with the Russian leader.
"And I think he might do that," Trump said, then asked reporters whether Putin had announced a ceasefire.
Top Iranian football officials have left Canada before the start of the FIFA Congress because of the behaviour of officials during immigration checks at Toronto's international airport, Iranian media reported Wednesday.
The global football body's gathering of member nation representatives will be held this week in Vancouver, the British Columbia city which is also hosting seven matches in the World Cup that Canada will co-host with the United States and Mexico this summer.
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON/DUBAI, April 29 (Reuters) - Donald Trump discussed how to mitigate the impact of a possible months-long U.S. blockade of Iran's ports with U.S. oil companies, a White House official said on Wednesday, as the U.S. president urged Tehran to "get smart soon" and sign a deal.
Tuesday's talks with oil executives followed deadlock in efforts to resolve the conflict, which has led the United States to try to squeeze Iran's oil exports with a naval blockade to try to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
By Nazih Osseiran and Haider Nour
BEIRUT, April 29 (Reuters) - More than 1 million people in Lebanon are expected to face a food insecurity crisis in the months ahead as a result of renewed conflict and mass displacement, a global hunger monitor said on Wednesday.
A new analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has found that 1.24 million will be unable to consistently meet basic food needs and will be forced to reduce the quality and quantity of foods consumed, or resort to harmful coping strategies to survive.
By Olivia Le Poidevin
GENEVA, April 29 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that attacks on healthcare facilities and staff are increasing globally, with a notable uptick recorded since the recent conflict in the Middle East began.
Before the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran at the end of February, attacks globally on such facilities and staff averaged about 3.7 per day, but that has now increased to 4.3, the WHO said.
