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A large fleet of NATO ships has arrived in Plymouth.

Nine frigates and mine countermeasure ships docked at Devonport today, causing some disruption on the Torpoint Ferry during the morning rush hour.

During their stay, the crews will take part in operational sea training and meet with Royal Navy commanders and civic leaders.

The ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) and Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) are due to stay at Devonport for a week.

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During that time they'll be taking part in the Royal Navy's world-renowned Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST).

SNMG1, led by Norwegian Navy Commodore Ole Morten Sandquist, is due to arrive with the Norwegian flagship HNoMS Roald Amundsen and fellow SNMG1 ships, Belgian frigate BNS Louise-Marie, German tanker FGS Spessart, and Spanish frigate ESPS Reina Sofia.

Commodore Sandquist said: "Our mission is first and foremost to provide NATO with a continuous maritime capability for operations and other activities in peacetime and periods of crisis and conflict,

"During the upcoming period, we will support FOST as a mock opposing force the ships undertaking their certification training.

"We are looking forward to working closely with our allies in an advanced warfare training environment."

The mine sweepers, led by Estonian Navy Commander Johan-Elias Seljamaa, arrives at Devonport with the Estonian flagship ENS Admiral Cowan and British minehunter HMS Ramsey, Belgian minehunter BNS Narcis, Dutch mine countermeasures vessel HNLMS Schiedam, and Norwegian minehunter HNoMS Hinny.

Since the change of command on January 14, with Spain handing over command to Norway, SNMG1 has led and participated in exercises off the coast of Norway.

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Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) is one of four standing maritime forces composed of ships from various allied countries.

These vessels are permanently available to NATO to perform different tasks ranging from participation in exercises to operational missions.

They also serve as a consistently ready maritime force as a part of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).

SNMG1`s main area of operation is to the North Atlantic, including the Baltic Sea.

Its main objective is to provide immediate maritime capability to the NATO Alliance, enhancing maritime situational awareness, demonstrate solidarity, conduct routine diplomatic visits, exhibiting forward presence and contributing to operational inter-operability among allied naval forces to support greater regional security and stability.

The Royal Navy said that training, exercises and port visits, within a multinational force, NATO forces demonstrate its capabilities and readiness.

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Plymouth welcomes large fleet of NATO ships - Plymouth Herald

Estonian army scouts from 1st Battalion practicing their defensive maneuvers during Exercise SIIL/Steadfast Javelin in 2015. NATO Photo

While NATO remains unprepared to defend its most exposed states, positioning three American armored brigades in or near the Baltics would be a good first step in providing more effective deterrence against possible Russian moves, three experts in international security told the House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land subcommittee Wednesday.

David Shlapak, senior international research analyst at RAND Arroyo Center, said its war games show a collapse of NATO defenses in 36 to 60 hours of a Russian invasion of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania without new steps being taken to deter Moscow.

The war games projected a seven- to 10-day warning of possible attack.

Deterrence would be enhanced if the three armored brigades and four other brigades of lighter forces from a number of NATO countries coupled with necessary artillery and logistics support were equipped and positioned to respond.

Rotational forces and prepositioned equipment are not a credible deterrent against a re-energized Russian threat. Later, in answer to a question, he said, Were still forward postured to defend the Fulda Gap in Germany not the Baltic nations.

The logistics supply link is now 1,000 miles longer than it was when the Soviet Union existed and before NATOs expansion eastward.

That respite, ladies and gentlemen, is over, Shlapak said.

His colleague at RANDs Arroyo Center, Timothy Bonds said even with prepositioned equipment movement of forces takes time and requires air, sea support to a continent engaged in fighting and across a contested Atlantic.

Andrew Hunter, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, added, The threat is especially potent from Russia now. In recent years, it has built up Anti Access/Area Denial capability that is sophisticated, layered and integrated. Moscows ground combat systems also have been modernized, especially in indirect fires and artillery where it has an edge of the United States.

What the United States and its allies would face in Europe, they soon could be facing in other trouble spots. Russia is likely to export these systems, Hunter said.

If rotational brigades were to be the deterrent, as current plans exist in the European Reassurance Initiative, it hit the ground forces hard, both the Army and the Marine Corps, Bonds said. He said there are now nine armored Brigade Combat Teams in the Army with a 10th about to be fielded. Using the rotational math of the Defense Department that would mean, while that one brigade would be in Europe, a second would have just rotated back to its home station and the third would be training for the deployment.

Bonds said those numbers hold even with the projected growth of the Army to 540,000 soldiers on active duty and 200,000 Marines on active duty. He added it also takes time to train these new soldiers and Marines and requires more funds to ensure the equipment they have is modern and investments are being made in future systems.

Having a heavy armored brigade stationed in Korea and another in Kuwait complicates the Armys rotational problem.

US Soldiers, assigned to Lightning Troop, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, load Stryker Fighting Vehicles on rail cars at Rose Barracks railhead station, Vilseck, Germany, Jan. 7, 2016. US European Command Photo

The Army also has seen the greatest cuts in modernization programs and investments in research and development to field new systems since 2008.

Bonds said some of the shortfalls in deterrence, such as indirect fires and artillery, can be made up by capitalizing on investments European allies and partners have made in niche capabilities.

As for meeting the 2 percent of gross domestic product being spent on security threshold, the allies need to focus on where that money is being spent, he said.

Bonds said investments by the United States and allies to meet possible Russian aggression should be directed into precision long-range fires, sub-munitions that can break up mass assaults and short-range air defenses.

The war games had Russian forces advancing at 5 miles per hour. Shlapak said precision long-range fires are needed to force them to slow down and operate in different ways.

Shlapak also focused on air defenses. American ground forces have not come under air attack since 1950, but would face advanced Russian missile systems and aircraft good enough to stay in the fight even after a NATO response.

When asked how long the seven brigades could hold out against a Russian attack in the war games, he said 28 days, sort of Bastogne-like, referring to the World War II Battle of the Bulge that slowed a German advance until American reinforcements could arrive.

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Panel: NATO Unprepared to Defend Baltics from Russian Land Attack - USNI News

German troops are part of Nato forces which have been deployed across the region with a task force led by British soldiers set to watch the border in Estonia later in the year.

Now German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has said his nations armed forces would maintain a presence in Lithuania for as long as needed.

Mr Gabriel added: The military potential that the Russian Federation has built up here at the border is completely irrational in my view because there is zero threat emanating from these countries.

While the 1000-strong military force led by 400 Germans are set to be joined in the region by troops from the US, UK and Canada, they are still dwarfed by the huge Russian military buildup on the border.

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Ministry of Defence

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But the Kremlin has fired back, claiming they were defending the Russian border from Nato aggression and continuing a sweeping program to update their armed forces.

After the German deployment in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Aleksey Meshkov claimed Natos actions gravely increase the risk of incidents.

He added: For the first time since World War Two we see German soldiers along our borders.

It comes as Sweden plans to reintroduce conscription next year for both men and women amid rising tensions with Vladimir Putin's Russia.

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As military activity increases in the Baltic region in the wake of Moscows annexation of Crimea in 2014, Sweden has struggled to find volunteers to fill its ranks.

Public broadcaster SR said the decision to bring back the draft comes after an official investigation found the military only recruited 2,500 troops annually despite needing 4,000.

Up to 4,000 people will be called up for military training in 2018 and 2019 from January 1.

Defence ministry spokeswoman Marinette Radebo said conscripts will be selected from 13,000 people born in 1999.

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Ms Radebo told the BBC the decision to reintroduce conscription was sparked by the change in our neighbourhood... Russian military activity is one of the reasons".

After undertaking psychological and physical tests, the troops will serve for nine to 12 months with the long-term aim of encouraging them to join the military permanently or the reserves.

Local governments have also been urged to step up contingency planning for a future war.

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German minister blasts Putin's 'IRRATIONAL' military build-up as NATO standoff continues - Express.co.uk

National Post

John Ivison: Wanting to ditch reputation as NATO's cheap date, Liberals looking at ballistic missile defence: sources National Post This absurdity has resulted from the Liberal government's desire to ditch Canada's reputation as the cheap date of NATO by increasing the percentage of gross domestic product it spends on defence from 1 per cent to 1.2 per cent, in line with a ... and more »

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John Ivison: Wanting to ditch reputation as NATO's cheap date, Liberals looking at ballistic missile defence: sources - National Post

Speaking to Congress on Tuesday, Trump said NATO members must meet their financial obligations to the alliance. "And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that," he said.

"In fact, I can tell you, the money is pouring in," Trump added. "Very nice."

It's true that NATO countries are increasing their defense spending, but it has little to do with Trump. In fact, the changes have been in the works for years.

The big commitment was made in 2014, when all members that were spending less than 2% of GDP on defense promised to move toward the official target.

"All allies made a pledge ... to stop the cuts in defense spending, and to gradually increase spending towards the goal of 2% of GDP within a decade," a NATO official said Wednesday.

Related: The U.S. already spends more on defense than any other country

It's working: The alliance increased overall defense spending for the first time in two decades in 2015.

Last year, 22 of 28 NATO members increased their defense budgets. When the U.S. is removed from the equation, the group increased its spending by 3.8% in real terms in 2016.

Still, the alliance has a long way to go. Only five of NATO's 28 members -- the U.S., Greece, Poland, Estonia and the U.K. -- meet the 2% of GDP spending target.

The rest lag behind. Germany spent 1.19% of its GDP on defense last year, France forked out 1.78%. Canada, Slovenia, Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg all spend less than 1%.

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Fear of Russian aggression is driving some of the recent spending splurge. Latvia, which shares a border with Russia, increased its defense budget by 42% in 2016. Its neighbor Lithuania boosted its outlays by 34%. Both, however, are still below the 2% threshold.

-- James Masters and Nadine Schmidt contributed reporting.

CNNMoney (London) First published March 1, 2017: 7:49 AM ET

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NATO countries are spending more on defense but Trump can't ...

In his first major speech to Congress on Tuesday, President Donald Trump assured U.S. allies that he is committed to NATO, but some of his fellow Republicans have been blocking a Senate vote to expand the alliance for months.

The delay of the Senate's consideration of Montenegro's accession to the alliance has fueled questions about whether Trump's administration and his party will stand up to Russia despite the president's desire for better relations.

Moscow opposes any further expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

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Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic with a population of 650,000, hopes to win the approval of all 28 NATO allies in time to become a full member at a summit in May. By late February, it had been approved by 24. Members see Montenegro's accession as a way to counter Russia's efforts to expand its influence in the Balkans.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has twice voted in favor of Montenegro, first in December and again in January.

But objections by Republican Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee have blocked a vote in the full Senate.

At a September hearing, Paul questioned the wisdom of angering Russia by allowing a tiny country that could not play a significant role in defending the United States to join the trans-Atlantic alliance.

With his image projected upon a huge screen, U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

"I think we need to think this through, and we need to have a little bit more of a debate," he said then.

On Wednesday, Paul said he still objected.

"I'm not so sure what they add to our defense. So I'm not so sure it's a great idea that somehow Montenegro's going to defend the United States," Paul told Reuters.

A spokesman for Lee said the senator objected only to the Senate considering the matter with a quick voice vote, saying he wanted a roll call so every member's position would be recorded.

Lee has not made his opinion on Montenegro's accession public, the spokesman said.

Roll Call

Asked if a roll call vote would be scheduled, a spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he had no updates to provide. If there is a Senate vote, Montenegro's accession is expected to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic told Reuters last month that he had been assured that the Senate would ratify his country's accession by May.

Trump has called for closer ties to Moscow and criticized NATO as obsolete. In his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, he reaffirmed support for the alliance, but said he expects U.S. allies to pay more of the cost of their own security needs.

Montenegrin officials blame Moscow for an extended campaign intended to prevent the country from joining NATO. Last month, they said they had evidence Russia was involved in a plot to overthrow its government during an election last October, an accusation Moscow dismissed.

The charges echoed assertions by U.S. intelligence that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

Trump could still keep Montenegro from joining by refusing to formally deposit the country's Protocol of Accession. Doing so would signal a significant rift with his own party in Congress.

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Trump Supports NATO, But Senate Holds Up Expansion - Newsweek

Washington Times

Is Germany Serious About Defending Itself, Europe, And The West? Time For Europeans To Run NATO Forbes Only four of the European members currently spend at least 2% of GDP on the military, NATO's admittedly arbitrary standard. They include just one of the three Baltic nations which profess to be so concerned about potential Russian aggression. Only one ... Despite Trump claims, NATO defense dollars not exactly 'pouring in' yetWashington Times German Minister Calls Trump Demand On NATO Spending 'Unrealistic'RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty German foreign minister voices skepticism on NATO spending targetPOLITICO.eu Benitolink: San Benito County News -Local 10 -Reuters all 39 news articles »

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Is Germany Serious About Defending Itself, Europe, And The West? Time For Europeans To Run NATO - Forbes

TALLINN, Estonia --Dozens of men and women in camouflage gather in a school gymnasium, readying equipment and weapons for a hypothetical battlefield.

They may look like soldiers, but as CBS News Elizabeth Palmer reports, theyre actually ordinary civilians with day jobs, but they are also volunteers in the Estonian Defence League, a kind of citizens militia.

CBS News watched as the members trained in an annual exercise -- more than 13,000 of them -- a civilian resistance force ready to rise up if Estonia is attacked.

Right now, they believe their aggressive neighbor to the east -- Russia -- is enemy number one, especially after its invasion of Ukraine.

Why do they do it?

Definitely because Russia has had some rather offensive rhetoric, and we just saw what happened in Ukraine, nobody thought its possible, volunteer Erin Alaryklin told Palmer.

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Russia denies having any embarrassing information about President-elect Donald Trump. The country is objecting to the Senate testimony of his sec...

He was referring to Estonias aggressive neighbour to the east, Russia, which, in the past 10 years, has invaded both the Republic of Georgia and Ukraine.

Many Estonians worry their country could be next.

So, lets say, five years ago, nobody even thought -- if you said something like that, you were the crazy person, Alaryklin said. Now, its like, it happened in Ukraine, it happened in Georgia, why not here?

Estonia does has a professional military, too. It was on display last weekend in an Independence Day parade; a clear demonstration of the fact that this small country spends big on defense.

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Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. has been drawing down its military presence in Europe. But at the main docks in Bremerhaven in northern G...

Its a fully paid-up member of the NATO alliance, and that buys it powerful friends. This year, U.S. soldiers deployed to Estonia were part of the parade. American troops have taken part before, but this year was the first time U.S. tanks also rolled through Tallinn.

Over the course of the next few weeks, 1,000 British troops are expected to join the U.S. NATO contingent (about 200 troops) in Estonia. The U.K. is deploying a similar number of forces this month to other Balkan states.

American tanks on the streets of the Estonian capital send a powerful message to the people here; that the U.S. will stand by its NATO allies. They also send a clear signal to the Kremlin.

Estonians over the age of 25 remember well that their country was actually ruled by Moscow during 50 years of occupation by the Soviet Union. It all ended in 1990, and the parade over the weekend honored those who died in the multiple struggles for Estonian independence.

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Meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration fully supports the alliance. But Pence also echoed...

No one in the country, which has a population of about 1.3 million -- roughly equal to that of New Hampshire -- is prepared to see it threatened again, especially by Russia.

Estonia is not alone, Estonian Defense Minister Margus Tsahkna told Palmer. We are sending the message to Russia very clearly that we are able to speak the same language as Mr. Putin does - and its language that we are ready to fight.

Staying ready means constant training. On Saturday, near the town of Voru, women volunteers in the local chapter of the Defence League were in class, learning to use GPS equipment. Once theyd grasped the basics -- they took to the forest for a field test.

For Ruth Maadla, the Defense League is about comradeship, learning new skills, and keeping fit.

She doesnt really expect the Russians to invade, but shes happy to be part of the force thats communicating Estonias message to the neighbors. She thinks its good to have the message.

That message to Russia is loud and clear: Estonia is spending record amounts on its military, it has the full backing of the U.S. and NATO, and the civilian Defence Leagues had never had more volunteers.

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With volunteers and US tanks, Estonia tells Russia it's "ready to fight" - CBS News

By Calvin Woodward and Christopher S. Rugaber Associated Press March 01, 2017

WASHINGTON President Trump boasted in his speech to Congress that new money is pouring in from NATO partners, which it isnt. He also took credit for corporate job expansion and military cost savings that actually took root under his predecessor.

A look at some of his claims Tuesday night:

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TRUMP: Speaking of the NATO alliance, Our partners must meet their financial obligations. And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that. In fact, I can tell you the money is pouring in. Very nice. Very nice.

THE FACTS: No new money has come pouring in from NATO allies. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made a strong case before allied defense ministers at a NATO meeting last month, pressing them to fulfill their 2014 commitment to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. He and other leaders said the allies understood the message and there was some discussion about working out plans to meet the goal.

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Only five of the 28 member countries are meeting the 2 percent level, and no new commitments have been made since the NATO meeting.

Germanys foreign minister said Wednesday he is skeptical about his countrys plans to increase defense spending, saying it could raise concerns in Europe by turning Germany into a military supremacy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her country will meet its commitment to raise defense spending by the 2024 deadline. In any event, the commitment is for these nations to spend more on their own military capabilities, which would strengthen the alliance, not hand over money.

* * *

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TRUMP: According to the National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs Americas taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.

THE FACTS: That report says immigrants contribute to government finances by paying taxes and add expenditures by consuming public services.

The report found that while first-generation immigrants are more expensive to governments than their native-born counterparts, primarily at the state and local level, immigrants children are among the strongest economic and fiscal contributors in the population. This second generation contributed more in taxes on a per capita basis, for example, than did the rest of the population in the period studied, 1994-2013.

The report found that the long-run fiscal impact of immigrants and their children would probably be seen as more positive if their role in sustaining labor force growth and contributing to innovation and entrepreneurial activity were taken into account.

* * *

TRUMP: Weve saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the F-35 jet.

THE FACTS: The cost savings he persists in citing were secured in full or large part before he became president.

The head of the Air Force program announced significant price reductions in the contract for the Lockheed F-35 jet Dec. 19 after Trump had tweeted about the cost but weeks before he met the companys CEO about it.

Pentagon managers took action even before the election to save money on the contract. Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the aerospace consulting firm Teal Group, said there is no evidence of any additional cost savings as a result of Trumps actions.

* * *

TRUMP: Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs.

THE FACTS: Trump is taking credit for corporate jobs decisions that largely predate his election. In the case of Intel, construction of the Chandler, Ariz., factory referred to by Trump actually began during Barack Obamas presidency. The project was delayed by insufficient demand for Intels high-powered computer chips, but the company now expects to finish the factory within four years because it anticipates business growth.

Some of the job announcements have come after companies, such as the wireless carrier Sprint, reduced their numbers of workers.

More important, even as some companies create jobs, others are laying off workers. The best measure of whether more jobs are actually being created is the monthly employment report issued by the Labor Department, which nets out those gains and losses. The department will issue its report for February, the first full month of Trumps term, on March 10.

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TRUMP: His budget plan will offer one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history.

THE FACTS: Three times in recent years, Congress raised defense budgets by larger percentages than the $54 billion, or 10 percent, increase that Trump proposes. The base defense budget grew by $41 billion, or 14.3 percent, in 2002; by $37 billion, or 11.3 percent, in 2003, and by $47 billion, or 10.9 percent, in 2008, according to Defense Department figures.

* * *

TRUMP: We will provide massive tax relief for the middle class.

THE FACTS: Trump has provided little detail on how this would happen. Independent analyses of his campaigns tax proposals found that most of the benefits would flow to the wealthiest families. The richest 1 percent would see an average tax cut of nearly $215,000 a year, while the middle one-fifth of the population would get a cut of $1,010, according to the Tax Policy Center, a joint project by the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute.

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TRUMP: A White House fact sheet on the nations infrastructure issued with his speech describes a desperate need for improvement of public infrastructure in poor condition. It cites a report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association that more than 55,000 bridges are structurally deficient.

THE FACTS: Trump and many Americans love to complain about their highways and bridges, but data show that the country isnt that bad off when compared either with its global counterparts or the recent past.

The World Economic Forum ranks the United States seventh out of 138 countries for its transportation infrastructure, ahead of countries such as Germany, Spain, Canada, Britain, and China. Countries ahead of it on the list are smaller, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands.

By the nations own measurements, bridges have improved over the past decade or so. The trade association for road builders, using government data, indeed says there are 55,710 structurally deficient bridges those carrying more traffic than they were designed for. But that number represents a 34 percent decline since 2002. And the share of miles driven on national highways with pavement offering good ride quality rose from 50 percent in 2002 to 57 percent in 2012.

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Trump jumps the gun on NATO, jobs claims - The Boston Globe

WASHINGTONIn his first major speech to Congress on Tuesday, President Donald Trump assured U.S. allies that he is committed to NATO, but some of his fellow Republicans have been blocking a Senate vote to expand the alliance for months.

The delay of the Senate's consideration of Montenegro's accession to the alliance has fueled questions about whether Trump's administration and his party will stand up to Russia despite the president's desire for better relations.

Moscow opposes any further expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic with a population of 650,000, hopes to win the approval of all 28 NATO allies in time to become a full member at a summit in May. By late February, it had been approved by 24. Members see Montenegro's accession as a way to counter Russia's efforts to expand its influence in the Balkans.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has twice voted in favor of Montenegro, first in December and again in January.

But objections by Republican Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee have blocked a vote in the full Senate.

At a September hearing, Paul questioned the wisdom of angering Russia by allowing a tiny country that could not play a significant role in defending the United States to join the trans-Atlantic alliance.

"I think we need to think this through, and we need to have a little bit more of a debate," he said then.

On Wednesday, Paul said he still objected.

"I'm not so sure what they add to our defense. So I'm not so sure it's a great idea that somehow Montenegro's going to defend the United States," Paul told Reuters.

A spokesman for Lee said the senator objected only to the Senate considering the matter with a quick voice vote, saying he wanted a roll call so every member's position would be recorded.

Lee has not made his opinion on Montenegro's accession public, the spokesman said.

ROLL CALL

Asked if a roll call vote would be scheduled, a spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he had no updates to provide. If there is a Senate vote, Montenegro's accession is expected to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass.

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic told Reuters last month that he had been assured that the Senate would ratify his country's accession by May.

Trump has called for closer ties to Moscow and criticized NATO as obsolete. In his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, he reaffirmed support for the alliance, but said he expects U.S. allies to pay more of the cost of their own security needs.

Montenegrin officials blame Moscow for an extended campaign intended to prevent the country from joining NATO. Last month, they said they had evidence Russia was involved in a plot to overthrow its government during an election last October, an accusation Moscow dismissed.

The charges echoed assertions by U.S. intelligence that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

Trump could still keep Montenegro from joining by refusing to formally deposit the country's Protocol of Accession. Doing so would signal a significant rift with his own party in Congress.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; editing by John Walcott and Jonathan Oatis)

LONDON Britain's upper parliamentary house dealt a defeat to Theresa May's government on Wednesday, voting for a change to her Brexit plan that says she can only trigger divorce talks if she promises to protect EU citizens' rights.

KABUL/DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan An Islamic State offshoot based near the Afghan-Pakistan border is expanding to new areas, recruiting fighters and widening the reach of attacks in the region, members of the movement and Afghan officials said.

SEOUL South Korea and the United States agreed on Thursday to strengthen cooperation on financial sanctions against North Korea, the finance ministry in Seoul said, after Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile test last month.

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Trump touts support for NATO, but expansion languishes in Senate - Reuters