Four German state leaders whose regions host most US troops in the country have written to members of the Senate and Congress to try to stop the America's pullout plans.
The state premiers of Bayern, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate hope to block US President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw about 9,500 service members.
The letter was sent to 13 members of the Senate and the House of Representatives on defence and security-related committees, or who have expressed opposition to Mr Trump’s decision.
They included Utah Republican Mitt Romney and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons.
The letter said the US troop presence in Germany was important for geopolitical reasons and the bilateral transatlantic partnership.
The four western German states have had major America troop bases since the Second World War.
The towns that host the bases have started grassroots campaigns to stop the withdrawal plans.
Mr Romney and Mr Coons are among the senators who introduced an amendment to the fiscal 2021 defence spending bill in June, which would limit the use of funds to reduce the troop presence in Germany.
“The withdrawal of US troops from Germany would be a gift to Russia and that’s the last thing we should be doing,” Mr Romney has said.
German politicians and government officials have criticised Mr Trump’s decision from early June, which would cut US troop numbers in Germany by slightly more than a quarter.
"We therefore ask you to support us as we strive not to sever the bond of friendship but to strengthen it, and to secure the US presence in Germany and Europe in the future," the German leaders concluded.
Overall standings
1. Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 68hr 18min 36sec,
2. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) at 0:18.
3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.
4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.
5. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 1:17.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
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- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
