World
Rutte presses NATO allies as Trump demands concrete support over Hormuz
Mark Rutte has urged NATO capitals to consider rapid commitments to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump signaled he wants concrete support within days.
Reuters reported that Rutte briefed several allied governments following a meeting with Trump in Washington on Wednesday, held against the backdrop of mounting tensions within NATO over the conflict with Iran.
Diplomats said frustration is growing in Washington, but some allies have pushed back, noting they were not consulted before or after the outbreak of hostilities.
While NATO as an alliance is not expected to take a direct role in military action against Iran, there is willingness among member states to explore longer-term measures to safeguard shipping through Hormuz, particularly as diplomatic efforts with Tehran continue.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO, describing it as ineffective and warning he could reconsider U.S. membership in the 32-country alliance. He has also argued that European allies have relied too heavily on American security guarantees while offering insufficient backing for the U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran.
Although Trump announced earlier this week that strikes on Iran would pause under a two-week ceasefire, tensions have persisted.
Following his meeting with Rutte, Trump wrote on social media that NATO had failed to support the United States when needed and would likely do so again.
Rutte, who has cultivated a reputation in Europe for maintaining open lines with Trump, acknowledged the U.S. president’s dissatisfaction in a CNN interview, saying he could understand Washington’s concerns about burden-sharing within the alliance.
Meanwhile, early-stage international efforts are underway to address the situation in Hormuz. Britain is leading discussions among roughly 40 countries on a combined military and diplomatic approach to reopen and protect the vital shipping route. Emmanuel Macron said about 15 nations are considering steps to help restore maritime traffic.
However, officials caution that progress is likely to be slow. France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the strait cannot fully reopen without a durable agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Britain and Italy have also rejected suggestions from Iran that it could impose transit fees on vessels crossing the waterway.
Diplomats say discussions on Hormuz are proceeding separately from the recent White House talks, with European governments balancing the urgency expressed by Washington against the need for broader political conditions to stabilize the region.
“We understand the urgency from the U.S. side,” one diplomat said. “But the priority is not simply to respond to Washington — it is to ensure the right conditions are in place for a sustainable solution.”
World
Suspect dies after trading gunfire with officers near White House, Secret Service says
A gunman who fired at a White House checkpoint was shot by officers and died after being taken to the hospital on Saturday evening, the Secret Service said.
The man approached the checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, pulled a gun out of his bag and started shooting at officers, according to a Secret Service statement sent to Reuters. Officers returned fire and shot the suspect, the agency said.
A bystander was struck by gunfire, the statement said, but it did not make clear how badly the person was hurt. Another Secret Service statement, cited by multiple news outlets, said it was not clear whether the bystander was hit when the gunman began shooting or during the subsequent exchange of gunfire.
The shooting suspect was identified as an emotionally disturbed person, a law enforcement official told Reuters, adding that a “stay-away order” had been issued to him previously.
No law enforcement personnel were injured, the Secret Service said, adding that President Donald Trump was at the White House during the incident.
The shooting comes nearly a month after a gunman fired shots inside the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, prompting Trump and other officials to be rushed out.
World
One dead, 36 injured in explosion at New York dry dock
An explosion at a dry dock in New York City’s Staten Island killed one person and injured 36 others on Friday, as the blast occurred while firefighters were on the scene responding to a fire and attempting to rescue two people who were trapped, officials said.
Two firefighters were hospitalized, including a fire marshal who suffered a fractured temple and a brain bleed and was intubated, officials said. The other firefighter was in serious condition but had shown improvement, officials said, Reuters reported.
“This was a complex, fast-developing emergency situation,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters.
“First responders did what they always do: they ran towards danger so others could escape to safety.”
Officials did not provide details about the person who died except to say it was a civilian.
A comprehensive investigation would begin once the fire was completely extinguished, Mamdani said.
Firefighters had responded to reports of a fire in a basement and two workers trapped and were on scene when the explosion occurred, officials said.
The incident took place in the Richmond Terrace section of the borough of Staten Island, a part of New York City that is across the harbor from Manhattan.
World
Trump says US will send additional 5,000 troops to Poland
The United States will be sending an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, cited his relationship with Poland’s conservative nationalist president, Karol Nawrocki, as the reason behind his decision to send additional troops.
The announcement comes two days after U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters a U.S. troop deployment to Poland had been delayed.
The U.S. had been reviewing its troop presence in Europe and had long been expected to scale it back following demands from Trump that NATO take a larger role in the defense of Europe.
“Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump said in the post.
Trump hosted Nawrocki at the White House in May last year and backed him at a crucial moment ahead of the Polish election in which Nawrocki went on to defeat the candidate of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European, centrist party.
He met Nawrocki again at the White House in September, and said at the time that the U.S. could increase its troop presence in Poland and pledged to secure the country’s defense.
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