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US President Donald Trump on Monday told Russia to resolve its Ukraine war within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions as he laid out plans for new infusions of weaponry for Kyiv.”We’re very, very unhappy” with Russia, Trump told reporters as he met with NATO chief Mark Rutte in the White House.”We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 percent,” said Trump, adding that they would be “secondary tariffs” that target Russia’s remaining trade partners — thereby seeking to cripple Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.Trump and Rutte also unveiled a deal under which the NATO military alliance would buy arms from the United States — including Patriot anti-missile batteries — and then distribute them to Ukraine to help it battle Russia’s invasion.”This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO… and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield,” Trump said.Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, said Ukraine would get “massive numbers” of weapons under the deal.Trump launched a bid at rapprochement with Putin shortly after starting his second term in January, as he sought to honor his election campaign promise to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours.His pivot towards Putin sparked fears in Kyiv that he was about to sell out Ukraine, especially after Trump and his team berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in February.- ‘Assassin’ -But Trump has shown growing anger and frustration with Putin in recent weeks as the Russian leader, instead of halting his three-year invasion, instead stepped up attacks.Trump added of Putin on Monday: “I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy.”Last week, Trump had teased an announcement on Monday on Russia. He then announced on Sunday that he would send vital Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine to help it fend off escalating barrages of Russian attacks.Washington has also U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv.Rutte’s visit to the White House is the first since the former Dutch prime minister described Trump as “daddy” at a NATO summit in The Hague in June.Moscow has unleashed record waves of drone and missile strikes over the past few weeks, with the number of Ukrainian civilians killed or wounded in June hitting a three-year high, according to UN figures.Trump’s announcement on Monday came as his special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv to meet Zelensky.Zelensky hailed the “productive meeting”, saying they had discussed “strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, joint production, and procurement of defense weapons in collaboration with Europe.”The Ukrainian leader also said he was “grateful to President Trump for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries.”- ‘Better late than never’ -One Ukrainian soldier deployed in the war-scarred east of the country, who identified himself by his call sign Grizzly, welcomed Trump’s promise of fresh air defense systems. “Better late than never,” he told AFP.”Because while we are here defending the front line, our families are unprotected. Thanks to the Patriots they are giving us, our families will be safer,” the 29-year-old added.Russian forces meanwhile said on Monday they had captured new territory in eastern Ukraine with the seizure of two villages, one in the Donetsk region and another in the Zaporizhzhia region.Its forces also killed at least three civilians in the eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions on Monday, regional Ukrainian officials announced.In Kyiv, Zelensky also proposed a major political shake-up, recommending economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko take over as the country’s new prime minister.Svyrydenko said on social media that Ukraine was facing a “crucial time.”burs-dk/md/sms

Britain will welcome Donald Trump for an unprecedented second state visit in September, Buckingham Palace confirmed Monday, saying he would stay as the guest of King Charles III at Windsor Castle.The US president, “accompanied by the First Lady Mrs. Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from His Majesty The King to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from 17 September to 19 September 2025,” said a palace statement.The visit will come only two months after Charles, and his wife Queen Camilla, welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte to Windsor.Trump was invited by a personal letter from Charles, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed to him in February during a visit to Washington.Starmer has sought to woo Trump with a charm offensive to boost ties and gain better leverage for the UK in tough trade talks with Washington.A delighted Trump, who has long been a big fan of the British royal family, has called the invitation a “very great honour”, and opened the letter from the king in the glare of the world’s cameras.”This is really special, this has never happened before, this is unprecedented,” Starmer said in the Oval Office as he handed Trump the hand-signed letter from the monarch.”This is truly historic.”Security is likely to be tight for the September trip, after Trump’s earlier state visit in 2019 attracted large protests. The Stop Trump Coalition is already planning a large demonstration in London on September 17.The US president is widely unpopular in Britain, and a YouGov poll in March found that 78 percent of those surveyed had a negative view of Trump, compared to just 16 percent with a positive view.Britain rolled out the red carpet for Trump in 2019 when he met the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles’s mother. No foreign leader has ever had a second state visit.The Times daily said the king had however sought to put off the new visit until later in Trump’s second term, but “Starmer has gone against the wishes of the king” in bringing the visit forward.”The prime minister has expedited a full ‘bells and whistles’ visit in an attempt to capitalise on the president’s fascination with the royal family,” The Times said.- Canada concerns -Starmer will also meet with Trump this month when the Republican leader is expected to visit Scotland, where he has two golf resorts.The White House has not publicly confirmed the trip, but Downing Street said Monday Trump would be “visiting in a private capacity” and “the prime minister is pleased to take up the president’s invite to meet during his stay”.The devolved Scottish government said First Minister John Swinney would also meet Trump and it was working “on arrangements with partners including Police Scotland”.Trump’s threats against Canada have put Charles, who is the country’s head of state, in a delicate position.Trump has threatened to slap a 35 percent tariff on imports from Canada starting August 1 and has regularly mused that Canada should become the 51st US state.Reading the letter aloud in the Oval Office in February, Trump said he had been invited to the historic Windsor Castle, near London, one of the royal family’s ancient homes.Trump, whose mother was Scottish, said of Charles: “He’s a beautiful man, a wonderful man — I’ve gotten to know him very well, actually. First term and now second term.”Unlike Macron, who addressed the British parliament during his state visit last week, Trump is not currently scheduled to address the House of Commons which will be then on a break. During the French leader’s visit last week, Britain laid on a pomp-filled welcome, including a horse-drawn procession and a lavish banquet in the castle where the leaders hailed a new era in UK-France relations.

Donald Trump was reportedly expected to lay out Monday a fresh strategy for arming Ukraine as his special envoy arrived in Kyiv after weeks of the US president’s growing frustration with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.In a U-turn that has highlighted concerns in Kyiv over the consistency of American support, Trump said this weekend that he would send vital Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine to help it fend off escalating barrages of Russian attacks.Major US outlets like the New York Times and Axios reported Trump will announce a plan that also includes offensive weapons for Ukraine.Putin has refused to halt his more than three-year invasion despite being corralled into peace talks with Ukraine by Trump, drawing increasing scorn and anger from the US president.Moscow has also unleashed record waves of drone and missile strikes over the past few weeks, with the number of Ukrainian civilians killed or wounded in June hitting a three-year high, according to UN figures.The Republican has teased a “major statement” on Russia to be made later on Monday, with NATO chief Mark Rutte visiting the White House.In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Zelensky hailed a “productive meeting” with Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg.”We discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer,” Zelensky wrote on social media after the meeting.”This includes strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe,” he added. Zelensky also said he was “grateful to President Trump for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries,” in an apparent reference to the pledge of new Patriots.Washington had said earlier this month it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv but Trump has changed tack, criticising Putin for intensifying attacks as US-led peace talks stalled.- ‘Better late than never’ -Trump has also hinted he might be ready to slap sanctions on Moscow as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.When asked about whether he would announce any levies against Russia, Trump responded on Sunday: “We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?”Zelensky has called for fresh sanctions on Russia and countries that aid its war efforts.”It is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its unreasonable ambitions are curbed through strength,” Zelensky said. Asked what Europe expects from Trump’s announcement later Monday, a German government source said: “In concrete terms I think it means that from the US side, there will be approvals for the delivery of certain weapons.” “There is an expectation from the American side that there will be considerable financial contributions to this end from the European side,” the source added.One Ukrainian soldier deployed in the war-scarred east of the country, who identified himself by his call sign Grizzly, welcomed Trump’s promise of fresh air defence systems. “Better late than never,” he told AFP.”Because while we are here defending the front line, our families are unprotected. Thanks to the Patriots they are giving us, our families will be safer,” the 29-year-old added.Russian forces meanwhile said on Monday they had captured new territory in eastern Ukraine with the seizure of two villages, one in the Donetsk region and another in the Zaporizhzhia region.Moscow claimed to have annexed both almost three years ago despite not having full military control over them. Its forces also killed at least three civilians in the eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions on Monday, regional Ukrainian officials announced.In Kyiv, Zelensky also proposed a major political shake-up, recommending economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko take over as the country’s new prime minister to “significantly renew” the government’s work.Svyrydenko led negotiations on the US-Ukraine minerals deal that had triggered tensions between Zelensky and Trump after the Republican returned to the White House.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met Monday with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv and discussed air defence and sanctions on Russia during a “productive” conversation, the Ukrainian leader said.Kellogg’s visit — more than three years into the Kremlin’s invasion — comes as Russian forces killed three civilians in eastern Ukraine and launched dozens of long-range drones at targets across the country. The envoy arrived in Kyiv just one day after US President Donald Trump announced new Patriot air defence systems supplies to Ukraine, in a U-turn that has underscored concerns in Kyiv over the consistency of American support.”We discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer,” Zelensky wrote on social media.”This includes strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe,” he added. The Ukrainian president also called for fresh sanctions on Russia and countries that aid its war efforts, and urged US leadership on confronting Moscow.”It is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its unreasonable ambitions are curbed through strength,” Zelensky said. Washington said this month it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv but Trump has changed tack, criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin for intensifying attacks as US-led peace talks stalled.- ‘Better late than never’ -Trump said this weekend Washington would also supply Kyiv with more Patriot air defence batteries, but added that the United States would not pay for them.One Ukrainian solider deployed in the war-scarred east of the country, who identified himself by his call sign Grizzly, welcomed Trump’s announcement. “Better late than never,” he told AFP.”Because while we are here defending the front line, our families are unprotected. Thanks to the Patriots they are giving us, our families will be safer,” the 29-year-old added.Kellogg’s visit comes as the US president is set to meet with NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington later on Monday.Trump has said he would issue a “major statement” on the war on Monday.Russian forces meanwhile said on Monday they had claimed new territory in eastern Ukraine with the capture of two villages, one in the Donetsk region and another in the Zaporizhzhia region.Moscow claimed to have annexed both almost three years ago despite not having full military control over them. Its forces also killed at least three civilians in the eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions on Monday, regional Ukrainian officials announced.Moscow has stepped up aerial strikes on Ukraine over recent months, launching hundreds of drones almost on a daily basis.The Ukrainian air force said Monday Russia had launched 136 drones and four missiles at Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump is hosting the NATO chief in Washington on Monday after teasing a “major statement” on Russia’s war in Ukraine, with senior Republicans preparing an arsenal of sanctions against Moscow. Trump, seeking to negotiate an end to the three-year war, has expressed growing impatience with the Kremlin leader, and over the weekend announced a fresh weapons cache for Ukraine. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump said Sunday, referring to the air defense system. He did not specify how many weapons he would send, but added that he would make a “major statement… on Russia” on Monday, when NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will be in Washington.The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve NATO purchasing some US weapons to send to Ukraine.In a statement, NATO said Rutte will be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday and will also meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Rutte’s 10 am (1400 GMT) Oval Office meeting on Monday will be closed to media.”We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they’re going to pay us 100 percent for them,” Trump said.”It’ll be business for us,” he added.Trump also repeated that he was “disappointed” in Putin, as he grows increasingly exasperated with the Russian leader.”Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said on Sunday, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.Last week, Trump accused Putin of throwing “bullshit” at Washington on Ukraine, openly frustrated with the impasse on peace efforts.As he began his second stint in office in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, and held off on hiking sanctions, unlike Kyiv’s European allies.But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Ukraine.Trump has hinted he might be ready to slap sanctions on Moscow as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.When asked about whether he would announce any levies against Russia, Trump responded: “We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?” and repeated plans to meet with Rutte.- ‘Sledgehammer’ -Republican senators meanwhile are touting a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with a “sledgehammer” to use against Russia.The sanctions bill would allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS news.It “would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia,” said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.”This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war,” said Graham.Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet NATO’s Rutte on Monday.Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.”The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it’s time to do it,” said Blumenthal.Zelensky said the proposed bill “is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty”. The Kremlin has previously said that sending arms to Ukraine would only prolong the conflict.Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little appetite for ending the conflict despite pressure from Trump.Over the summer, Russia has escalated its offensive and advanced the front line, launching some of the largest missile and drone attacks of the war.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said Washington would send Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv and hinted at new sanctions on Russia, once again voicing displeasure with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.The US president’s announcement of the much-needed weapons for Ukraine came after he earlier said he would make a “major statement… on Russia” on Monday.The announcement could come amid a diplomatic flurry set for Monday, with the US special envoy starting his latest trip to Ukraine and Trump set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington. Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine has lasted for more than three years, with attacks intensifying this summer and US-led negotiations so far yielding no results to end the fighting.”We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump said Sunday, without specifying how many weapons he would send to Ukraine.”I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some because they do need protection,” he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve NATO paying the United States for some of the weapons it sends to Ukraine.”We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they’re going to pay us 100 percent for them,” Trump said.”It’ll be business for us,” he added.Rutte’s 10:00 am (1400 GMT) Oval Office meeting will be closed to media, and he is slated to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well.Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was “close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and missiles for them.”Trump also repeated that he was “disappointed” in Putin, as he grows increasingly exasperated with the Russian leader.”Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” said the disgruntled Trump on Sunday.Last week, Trump accused Putin throwing “bullshit” at Washington on Ukraine — openly frustrated with the seeming impasse.When he first returned to the White House in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, holding off on hiking sanctions unlike European allies.But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Kyiv.Trump has repeatedly voiced displeasure with Putin in recent days, and on Sunday hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.When asked about whether he would announce any sanctions against Russia, Trump responded: “We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?” and repeated plans to meet with Rutte.- ‘Sledgehammer’ -Earlier on Sunday, US senators touted a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with “sledgehammer” sanctions to use against Russia.The sanctions bill would allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS news.It “would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia,” said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.”This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war,” said Graham.”Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty,” Zelensky said about the proposed bill in an X post.Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet NATO’s Rutte on Monday night.Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.”The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it’s time to do it,” said Blumenthal.

Tesla will give its shareholders the option to invest in artificial intelligence startup xAI, billionaire owner of both companies Elon Musk said on his social media platform X.”It’s not up to me… We will have a shareholder vote on the matter,” Musk said in response to a social media user suggesting that the electric car maker take a stake in xAI, which recently acquired X.”If it was up to me, Tesla would have invested in xAI long ago,” the world’s richest man said.According to the Wall Street Journal, another company controlled by Elon Musk, SpaceX, will invest $2 billion into xAI as part of its $5 billion capital raise.Responding to an X user who cited the WSJ’s news story, Musk said that “it would be great” but would depend on “board and shareholder approval.”Since the launch of xAI — which developed the generative AI assistant Grok — Musk has floated the potential synergies between the AI start-up and his two crown jewels, SpaceX and Tesla.According to the Financial Times, the businessman is seeking a valuation between $170 and $200 billion for xAI in a new funding round.Launched in July 2023, xAI is hoping to catch up with its major generative AI competitors, OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude) and Google (Gemini). The start-up has invested heavily in a gigantic data center in Memphis, Tennessee, which Musk claims will become the “most powerful AI training system in the world.”He has purchased another plot of land nearby to create more data centers, which are essential for developing and running large-scale artificial intelligence models. According to Bloomberg, xAI is costing over a billion dollars every month as it builds upgraded models, with its expenses far exceeding its revenues.xAI’s virtual assistant Grok has been the source of a series of controversies. After an update on July 7, some of the chatbot’s responses praised Adolf Hitler and suggested that people with Jewish surnames were more likely to spread online hate.  On Saturday, xAI apologized for offensive posts, announcing that it had corrected the instructions that had led, according to the company, to these slip-ups.

Dark sci-fi office drama “Severance,” gritty hospital series “The Pitt” and buzzy teen murder saga “Adolescence” are expected to pile up nominations for this year’s Emmys when the contenders for television’s Oscars are revealed Tuesday.Nominees will be announced in a live-streamed ceremony starting at 8:30 am (1530 GMT), after which final-round voting begins for the 77th Emmy Awards, set for September 14.Here are five things to look out for:- Innie/Outie vs ER -After last year’s record-breaking 18 Emmys for Japan-set historical epic “Shogun,” this year’s competition looks to be more nuanced.Apple TV+’s “Severance,” in which employees of biotech company Lumon have their memories surgically separated between their “innie” work lives and their “outie” personal lives, looks to be atop most predictions.”It’s a really great show that is going to get… a ton of nominations,” Deadline awards expert Pete Hammond told AFP.”It’ll be stronger than it was” in its first season, added Hammond, who sees star Adam Scott as a sure bet for a best drama actor nod.”The Pitt” — HBO Max’s take on the travails of a Pittsburgh emergency room team during one 15-hour shift, covered effectively in real time — has won over critics and audiences alike. It stars “ER” veteran Noah Wyle.”It’s ER on steroids!” Hammond quipped.But Wyle’s chances to win for best actor are crimped by Scott and a shortlist of other performers including Oscar winner Gary Oldman in Apple’s dysfunctional spy drama “Slow Horses” or Pedro Pascal in HBO’s apocalyptic video game adaptation “The Last of Us.”In the supporting acting categories, the many stars of “The White Lotus” are expected to earn nominations.- Comedy crapshoot -In the comedy categories, perennial favorites “Hacks” and “The Bear” are expected to do battle once again. HBO Max’s “Hacks” — starring Jean Smart as a stand-up comedian who locks horns with her dysfunctional millennial assistant — won for best comedy and best actress in September last year.”The Bear,” a dark satire set in the Chicago restaurant world, took the top prize at the previous ceremony (held in January 2024 due to Hollywood strikes), and star Jeremy Allen White has two trophies for best actor.”The Bear” is eligible this time for its lackluster third season, but the recent launch of its fourth season — which has received excellent reviews — could work in its favor, Hammond says.”That may be what Academy members will be looking at when they’re actually voting for the season that wasn’t well reviewed,” he said.The comedy juggernauts are also facing a newcomer — Apple’s “The Studio,” a satire that eviscerates the film industry starring Seth Rogen, who also wrote and produced the show. There is nothing Hollywood loves more than a show about… Hollywood.- Is ‘Adolescence’ unbeatable? – In the limited series categories, Netflix’s “Adolescence” — which follows the case of a 13-year-old British boy accused of murdering a female classmate — is the wide favorite.”It’s close to a sure thing in terms of getting nominations across the board,” Hammond said, adding: “I don’t see what’s going to come up and beat it in the limited series category.”Breakout young star Owen Cooper is widely expected to earn a nomination for limited series supporting actor, and series creator Stephen Graham is a shoo-in for best actor.The four-part series was lauded for its production values, with each episode shot in one take.Another Netflix contender in these categories is “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” a true-crime saga about a pair of California brothers in prison for killing their parents, after what they say was years of sexual and physical abuse.Alfonso Cuaron’s “Disclaimer,” starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline, and “The Penguin,” with Colin Farrell as the comic book villain, are expected to win acting nominations.- Big day for Apple TV+? -In recent years, streaming services have led the charge for Emmy nominations, with traditional networks relegated to a handful of nods.With “Severance,” “The Studio,” “Disclaimer” and “Slow Horses,” Apple TV+ could have its best year yet.”Normally we see HBO and Netflix leading the thing,” Hammond said, but he predicted: “Apple is going to have the best year they’ve ever had in terms of nominations.”- From nominations to gala -Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Brenda Song (“Running Point”) will unveil the nominations on Tuesday.Voting members of the US-based Television Academy will then have a month to catch up on their viewing before final-round voting begins in mid-August.The September 14 gala will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze.

A congressional inquiry into the attempt to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally a year ago on Sunday lamented “inexcusable” failures in the Secret Service’s operations and response, and called for more serious disciplinary action.On July 13, 2024, a gunman shot the then-Republican presidential candidate during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear. One bystander was killed and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a government sniper killed the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.”What happened was inexcusable and the consequences imposed for the failures so far do not reflect the severity of the situation,” said the report released by the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.The dramatic incident energized Trump’s bid to return to the White House, with his campaign using a photo of him bloodied and pumping his fist as he was hurried offstage to woo voters.The report did not shed new light on the gunman’s motive, which still remains a mystery, but accused the Secret Service of “a cascade of preventable failures that nearly cost President Trump his life.””The United States Secret Service failed to act on credible intelligence, failed to coordinate with local law enforcement,” said the committee’s Republican chairman Rand Paul. “Despite those failures, no one has been fired,” he added. “It was a complete breakdown of security at every level — fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats. “We must hold individuals accountable and ensure reforms are fully implemented so this never happens again.”- ‘Mistakes were made’ -The Secret Service cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, according to the agency. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days’ suspension without pay, and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.Earlier this week, while reflecting on the assassination attempt, Trump said “mistakes were made” but that he was satisfied with the investigation.In an interview with his daughter-in-law on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump,” Trump said the sniper “was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn’t do that, you would have had an even worse situation.””It was unforgettable,” Trump has previously said of the events. “I didn’t know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There’s no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming.”On the anniversary of the attack, Trump told reporters “God was protecting me,” adding that he did not like to think “too much” about the assassination attempt.”It’s a little bit of a dangerous profession being president, but I really don’t like to think about it too much,” he said.

Donald Trump experienced the agony and the ecstasy of football on Sunday as he was booed at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup — even as he joined in some high-spirited celebrations with champions Chelsea.The US president was front and center as the winners took to the stage, grinning broadly in his red tie and clapping and jumping with the players as the jubilant Blues lifted the gleaming trophy, which he had presented to captain Reece James.But moments earlier, loud booing could be heard among cheers and applause as Trump walked onto the pitch for the presentation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino — before the music in the stadium was turned up.Earlier, the Republican billionaire was also applauded as he and First Lady Melania Trump arrived for the match at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City.But when a jumbotron screen briefly showed Trump saluting to the US national anthem, yet more boos could be heard in the giant stadium, before the camera quickly cut away.The scorn did little to dampen the president’s spirits as he handed out trophies to the star players including the Golden Ball for best player to Cole Palmer, followed by handshakes and medals to the defeated Paris Saint-Germain.He later called the crowd “tremendous.””We had a great time,” he told reporters as he landed at Joint Base Andrews outside the US capital Washington after the match. The Republican’s appearance at the game also came on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt that he survived at an election rally in Pennsylvania.Trump has made no secret of his desire to use this year’s club championship and next year’s 2026 World Cup as symbols of the “Golden Age of America” during his second term in the White House.Next year’s World Cup, the final of which will be held at the same stadium, will coincide with the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.Trump has even set up a White House task force to ensure next year’s championship — hosted jointly with Canada and Mexico — goes smoothly.- ‘He loves it’ -Trump has fostered a close relationship with Infantino, who has been a frequent visitor to the White House.The president has kept the Club World Cup trophy next to his desk in the Oval Office since the FIFA president dropped by in March.Infantino, who is no stranger to dealing with hard-nosed world leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2018 World Cup, thanked Trump for his support on Saturday.He said Trump had “embraced immediately the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup, and of course of the World Cup next year.”Infantino also joked that Trump “certainly loves as well the trophy” — whose gold-plated curves match the gilded makeover that the president has given the Oval Office.But Trump’s fondness of football, or soccer as he would say, is also personal.The president’s 19-year-old son Barron is a fan, as Infantino pointed out in a press conference at FIFA’s new office in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday.Asked if Trump liked the game, Infantino replied: “Well I think he does. In his first term as president of the United States, there was a soccer goal in the garden of the White House.”He then explained to me that his son loved football, and that he loved the game. And of course when you are a parent, you love what your children love, so I think that he loves it.”As a boarding school student at the New York Military Academy, Trump himself also reportedly played the game for a season.- ‘Go home’ -But in typical form, Trump has also mixed political controversy with his football fandom.Hosting Italian side Juventus in the Oval Office in June, he delivered a diatribe on transgender people in sports before asking the players: “Could a woman make your team, fellas?”Most of the players looked bemused before Juventus general manager Damien Comolli replied: “We have a very good women’s team.””He’s being very diplomatic,” said Trump.Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown — part of his “America First” policy — has meanwhile sparked fears that football fans will be discouraged from coming to the United States for the 2026 World Cup.In May, Vice President JD Vance said that fans would be “welcome to come… but when the time is up, they will have to go home.”