The task force has been investigating both attempts, but it was the July shooting that dominated Thursday’s hearing [File]
| Photo Credit: AP

The acting director of the Secret Service said Thursday that the agency is “reorganising and reimagining” its culture and how it operates following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail.

Members of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on Trump’s life pushed Ronald Rowe on how the agency’s staffers could have missed such blatant security vulnerabilities leading up to the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At one point, the hearing devolved into a shouting match between Rowe and a Republican congressman.

Rowe promised accountability for what he called the agency’s “abject failure” to secure the rally in Butler, where a gunman opened fire from a nearby building. Trump was wounded in the ear, one rallygoer was killed and two others were wounded.

Another assassination attempt two months later contributed to the agency’s troubles. That gunman waited for hours for Trump to appear at his golf course in Florida, but a Secret Service agent thwarted the attack by spotting the firearm poking through bushes.

The task force has been investigating both attempts, but it was the July shooting that dominated Thursday’s hearing. Its inquiry is one of a series of investigations and reports that have faulted the agency for planning and communications failures. The agency’s previous director resigned, and the Secret Service increased protections for Trump before the Republican won the November election.

Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how problems so obvious in hindsight were allowed to happen.

Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, said it was “just wild to me” that at a time of tech advances, the Secret Service was using text messages and emails to communicate in real time about threats.

He also asked Rowe why so many things went wrong that day “yet nobody said anything.”

Rowe said the agency used to have a culture where people felt comfortable speaking up.

“I don’t know where we lost that,” he said. “We have to get back to that.”

Rowe said the agency is putting a much stronger emphasis on training — something previous investigations found was lacking — and on doing more regular reviews of events to see what went right and where improvements can be made.

“We are reorganising and reimaging this organisation,” Rowe told lawmakers. He said the agency needs to identify possible leaders much earlier in their careers instead of just promoting people to command positions because they have been around a long time.

The hearing was largely cordial, with members of Congress stressing the bipartisan nature of their work and praising Rowe for cooperating with their investigation even as they pushed him for explanations.

But at one point, Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon, a Texas Republican, faced off — shouting over each other as other members pleaded for order.

Fallon pulled out a photo of President Joe Biden, Trump and others at this year’s September 11 ceremony in New York and asked Rowe why he was at the event, suggesting it was to burnish his prospects at getting the director job permanently. Trump has not yet named his pick to lead the agency.

“I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11. Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe shouted.

“You wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get!” Fallon later shot back.

Rowe roared back: “You are out of line, Congressman. You are out of line!”

“You’re a bully,” Fallon said.

This was the task force’s second public hearing and the first time that Rowe has addressed its members in public. The panel has until December 13 to release its final report.

Rep. Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican, said the agency’s conduct during the July shooting seemed almost “lackadaisical.” He said some of the issues that went wrong that day were ”really basic things.”

“It speaks of an apathy or a complacency that is really unacceptable in an organisation like the Secret Service,” Green said.

The task force conducted 46 transcribed interviews, attended over a dozen briefings and reviewed over 20,000 documents. Members also visited the site of both assassination attempts and went to the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, to look at evidence.

Rowe said Thursday that the agency’s internal investigation, whose findings were released last month, identified failures by multiple employees. He noted that the quality of the advance work — the people who scope out event locations ahead of time — did not meet agency standards. He vowed accountability for those who fell down on the job.

Many of the investigations have centered on why buildings near the rally with a clear line of sight to the stage where Trump was speaking were not secured in advance. The gunman, Thomas Crooks, climbed onto the roof of one of them and opened fire before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

Rowe pointed to the failure to protect the building as the most glaring oversight that day.

He also was asked about the morale of agents and new hires. Rowe said applications are actually up this year — the agency made a net gain of about 200 agents during the past fiscal year, meaning both new agents were hired and veteran agents retained.

Washington:

Democrat Kamala Harris had a “cordial and brief” phone conversation Tuesday with US election rival Donald Trump to express relief that he is safe after an apparent assassination attempt, the White House said.

“Vice President Harris called former President Trump this afternoon to speak with him directly to express that she is grateful he is safe,” a White House official said in a statement.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump headed into a newly intense phase of the U.S. presidential campaign on Monday (September 16, 2024), with tensions heightened after a second apparent assassination attempt against the Republican former President.

The arrest on Sunday (September 15, 2024) of a gunman on Donald Trump’s Florida golf course came the same day as more bomb threats poured into Springfield, Ohio, a small Midwestern city at the center of Republican-led conspiracies against immigrants.

But the dueling campaigns are set to march on with little interruption.

Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee who will face Mr. Trump at the polls on November 5, said in a statement on Sunday that she was “disturbed by the possible assassination attempt” and “thankful that former President Trump is safe.”

The same day as the apparent assassination attempt, Clark State College in Springfield announced it would hold classes virtually this week after receiving bomb and shooting threats at the weekend. It was the fourth consecutive day of threats of bombings and other violence that have targeted the local city hall, public schools and nearby college Wittenberg University, following racist rumours about local Haitian immigrants pushed by Republicans including Mr. Trump.

‘Living in fear’

What started as municipal growing pains in a rapidly expanding city have morphed into allegations of an “invasion” by “illegal” Haitian newcomers, baselessly accused of stealing and eating people’s pets and causing a crime wave. Some Haitians living in the city have said they are scared for their lives.

Adding to the country’s acrimonious political atmosphere, Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social website that “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” The superstar singer/songwriter posted a message on Instagram after last week’s debate saying she would be voting for Ms. Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader.” Celebrity endorsements rarely carry enormous weight but the hugely popular Swift is seen as being in a class of her own, with more than 400 million followers on social media platforms .

It was not clear what Mr. Trump hoped to gain by attacking Ms. Swift, although he may calculate that any publicity is better than none.

He has been criticised, even by fellow Republicans, for his recent association with conspiracy-minded right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has at times joined him on his campaign plane. The 31-year-old Ms. Loomer has called the September 11, 2001, terror attacks an “inside job” and said some of the country’s recent mass shootings were staged by Democrats There is no evidence to support any of those claims.

The race between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris remains tight across the battleground States that will decide the election.

MEA ‘strongly’ deplores Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark on Indian Muslims 

India on Monday “strongly” deplored Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comment on the condition of the Muslim community in India. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs described the comment as “unacceptable” . Earlier Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei included India alongside Gaza Strip and Myanmar as one of the places where Muslims are suffering. In a comment sent out in the social media Ayatollah Khamenei referred to India, Gaza, and Myanmar and said the Islamic world should not remain oblivious to the condition of Muslims in these places.

Supreme Court to hear Kolkata doctor rape, murder case on September 17

The Supreme Court is scheduled on September 17 to hear a suo motu case into the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital even as protests continue unabated in West Bengal.

Mamata meets protesting doctors; Kolkata Police Commissioner, senior health officials to be removed

After a meeting with protesting doctors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that as demanded by them, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, the Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, North, and two senior officials of Health Department would be replaced. The meeting started at 6 p.m. and lasted for almost four hours; the doctors emerged from the Chief Minister’s residence just a few minutes before midnight.

Govt, BJP plan events to mark NDA’s 100 days in office

The NDA government and the BJP have planned events across the country including a blood donation camp in the national capital to mark the new dispensation’s 100 days in office on Tuesday (September 17, 2024).

Arvind Kejriwal’s search for a loyal replacement in Delhi is a political gamble 

Two days after he came out of jail on bail in the Delhi excise policy case, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared that he would be quitting the top post, having resolutely refused to do so while behind bars.

Meta bans RT and other Russian state media networks

Facebook owner Meta said on Monday (September 17,2024) it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks, alleging the outlets used deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations while evading detection on the social media company’s platforms.

India, U.S. discuss Indo-Pacific and Gaza matters in Intersessional Dialogue

Indian and American officials held the U.S.-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue on Monday (September 16, 2024) during which they discussed matters related to the Indo-Pacific region, Ukraine and Gaza, the State Department said in Washington.

After prolonged negotiations, BJP concedes chair of four Parliamentary Standing Committees to Congress

After prolonged negotiations, the Bharatiya Janata Party has conceded the chair of Department-related Standing Committees on External Affairs, Agriculture, Rural Development and Education to the Congress. A notification is expected shortly. In 2014, with the Congress tally at just 44 MPs, the party held the chair of parliamentary panels on External Affairs and Finance. External Affairs was then headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Finance by Veerappa Moily. Both sides have ceded space.

Tensions simmering in Manipur since March 2023, we kept the troops ready even before May 3: former Assam Rifles D-G 

Former Director-General of the Assam Rifles, Lieutenant-General Pradeep Chandran Nair (retd), said the only sincere attempt for a dialogue between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities in Manipur last year was derailed, when a video of two Kuki-Zo women being stripped and paraded by a mob surfaced on social media on July 19. In an interview with The Hindu, Lt.-General Nair said though the violence erupted around 2.30 p.m. on May 3, 2023, the State government requisitioned the deployment of Assam Rifles only at 8.30 p.m. as “they were still trying to figure out whether they can handle it [violence] on their own”.

Supreme Court to examine suggestions to stop ‘bulldozer justice’

The Supreme Court will examine suggestions from petitioners seeking relief from States bulldozing homes and private properties of undertrials, and frame pan-India guidelines. A Bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai had made it clear that the law did not permit retributory demolition of the properties of accused, who were still awaiting trial, or their immediate families.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls: Multi-tier security arrangements put up for first phase

Multi-tier security arrangements have been put in place to ensure free and fair Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police official said. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases. Voting for 24 seats will be held in the first phase on Wednesday (September 18, 2024), followed by polling for 26 seats in the second phase on September 25. The voting for 40 seats in third phase will be held on October 1 while counting of votes will be held on October 8.

Ball in BJP’s court to hold early polls in Delhi, no decision yet on next CM: AAP

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party said it has put the ball in BJP’s court by demanding early elections in Delhi in November, and now it is up to the Opposition party to decide whether it was prepared to face CM Arvind Kejriwal. Mr. Kejriwal will tender his resignation as chief minister on Tuesday and the process to choose his replacement will start after that, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, adding that there has been no discussion on who the next chief minister will be.

Adani Group says press release in circulation on its Kenya projects is fake

The Adani Group categorically stated that neither the Group nor any of its companies or subsidiaries have issued any press statements related to its ongoing projects and presence in Kenya. An Adani Group spokesperson asserted that certain “vested interests with malicious intent” are circulating “multiple fraudulent press releases”, including one titled “Adani Group Denounces Baseless Accusations and Threats”, related to the Group’s presence in Kenya.

‘One nation, one election’ not possible under present Constitution: Chidambaram

Congress leader P. Chidambaram lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre over the ‘one nation, one election’ issue, saying it is not possible under the present Constitution and requires at least five Constitutional amendments. Replying to a question on reports that the BJP-led NDA government would implement ‘one nation, one election’ within its current tenure, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have the numbers to place those constitutional amendments either in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.

Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since 1949, shuts down megacity

Tens of millions of people in Shanghai and across China’s densely populated east coast hunkered indoors as the strongest storm to hit since 1949 swept in, downing trees and disrupting transport across the region. Typhoon Bebinca landed early Monday morning in the city’s eastern coastal area, with wind speeds of up to 151 kilometres per hour (94 miles per hour), state media said. It is the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949, state broadcaster CCTV said shortly after Bebinca made landfall.

Man suspected in apparent assassination attempt on Trump charged with federal gun crimes

A man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump was charged with federal gun crimes, making his first court appearance in the final weeks of a White House race already touched by violence. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, faces charges of possessing a firearm despite being a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Additional and more serious charges are possible as the investigation continues and prosecutors seek an indictment from a grand jury.

TikTok heads to court over U.S. law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform

The U.S. government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court as oral arguments begin in a consequential legal case that will determine if – or how — a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country. Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Apple rolls out iOS with more customisation and control features

Apple has started rolling out its iOS 18 globally. Unveiled at WWDC earlier in June this year, the latest operating system has introduced a bunch of new features and tools including more control over the Home Screen and Control Center and a more intelligent Siri. While Apple hasn’t confirmed when the update will be available to install, it is estimated that it could drop at 10 30 PM IST for the eligible older generation models. Meanwhile, the new iPhone 16 series will be preloaded with the iOS 18 and will be available from September 20.

Emmys 2024: ‘Shogun’ makes history as first non-English language series to win Drama Series with a record-breaking 18 total wins

Shogun made history at the 2024 Emmys by becoming the first majority non-English language series to win Best Drama Series. The historical epic set in feudal Japan took home a total of 18 Emmys, the most ever for a single season of television. Anna Sawai, who won the award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, made history as the first Asian winner in the category.

West Palm Beach, United States:

The man arrested on suspicion of seeking to assassinate Donald Trump in Florida had no clear line of sight on the former president and did not fire his weapon, the US Secret Service said Monday.

“He did not fire or get off any shots at our agent,” Secret Service acting director Ronald Rowe told reporters, referring to suspect Ryan Routh who has been charged with illegal firearms possession in the case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A law enforcement officer walks after reports of shots fired outside Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Trump International Golf Club in Florida, U.S. on September 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Sunday (September 15, 2024) thanked the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement officials following an assassination attempt while he was golfing on one of his golf courses in Florida’s West Palm Beach.

The former president remained unharmed in what the FBI said was “an attempted assassination” while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally.

“THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes — It was certainly an interesting day! Most importantly, I want to thank the US Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated patriots, and, all of the law enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican nominee in the upcoming presidential election, SAFE,” the presidential candidate said.

Local authorities said the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Mr. Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope while the former president was golfing with donor Steve Witkoff when shots were fired, CNN quoted a source familiar with the development as saying.

President Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris were briefed and updated on the investigation.

Ms. Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate and Mr. Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, in a statement, said “violence has no place in America”.

Mr. Biden echoed that thought in his statement, adding that he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service “has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety”.

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), in his comments about attempts on Mr. Trump’s life, questioned why no similar threats were being made against Mr. Biden or Ms. Harris.

Mr. Musk’s controversial remark came in response to a query from an X user who asked why Mr. Trump was being targeted.

The Tesla CEO replied: “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing shock after the apparent assassination attempt, said: “Sara and I were shocked by the second assassination attempt against [former] president Trump and were relieved to hear that it too failed. But we should not rely on luck.”

“We send our best wishes to Donald and Melania along with our hopes that all measures will be taken to ensure that such deadly attacks on a candidate for the US presidency will be foiled in advance,” the Israeli prime minister added.

It was the latest jarring moment in the former president’s life following the July 13 failed assassination attempt on Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear.

The incident spawned new questions about Secret Service protective operations after the agency’s admitted failures in preventing the attempted assassination this summer.

It was not immediately clear whether the development would affect Mr. Trump’s campaign as he was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency on Monday night on the social media site.

Mr. Trump has had a stepped-up security footprint since the July assassination attempt.

Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security around former presidents varies according to threat levels and exposure, with the toughest measures typically being taken in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.

Mr. Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some other former presidents because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again.

Washington:

The United States Service has owned its failure to protect former president Donald Trump at an election rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.

A young gunman shot at Trump, 78, when he was addressing an election rally in Butler. Trump escaped the assassination attempt, as a bullet flew within a millimetre of him and one of them hit his right ear.

“The Secret Service takes full responsibility for the tragic events of July 13th. This was a mission failure. The sole responsibility of our agency is to make sure our protectees are never put in danger. We fell short of that in Butler. And I’m working to make sure that this failure does not happen again,” Acting Director of the US Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, told reporters at a news conference here.

The main role of Secret Service is to protect the President, the former presidents and their family members. Presidential nominees also get protection of the secret service.

Rowe said that the Secret Service will continue to cooperate with pending oversight investigations of the July 13 failure being done now by Congress, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, and the independent review directed by President Joe Biden.

“I am not waiting for the completion of those reports, and I’ve directed the Secret Service to take immediate steps to ensure our protectees are indeed safe. I am committed to pursuing accountability for the Secret Service’s failure in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“But let me be clear. If policy violations by Secret Service personnel are identified by the agency’s Mission Assurance Review, those individuals will be held accountable. They will be held accountable to our fair and thorough disciplinary process,” he said.

Giving the sequence of events of July 13, Rowe said at 5.30 pm, Trump arrived at the campaign rally via Secret Service motorcade, and at that time, he met with supporters in a secure backstage area within the protective site.

At 5.45 pm, a local Butler County Emergency Services Unit counter sniper team member texted the Secret Service counter sniper team leader about a suspicious person and sent two photos of the individual, later identified as the assailant.

At 5.53 pm, the Secret Service counter sniper team leader texted the Secret Service counter sniper teams that local law enforcement was looking for a suspicious individual outside of the perimeter lurking around the AGR building.

At this time, Secret Service personnel were operating with the knowledge that local law enforcement was working on an issue of a suspicious individual.

At 6 pm, former President Trump took the stage to begin remarks.

“Based on what I know right now, neither the Secret Service counter-sniper teams nor members of the former president’s security detail had any knowledge that there was a man on the roof of the AGR building with a firearm. It is my understanding that personnel were not aware the assailant had a firearm until they heard gunshots,” he said.

“At 6.11 pm, a member of the former President Trump’s protective detail contacted their Pittsburgh field office counterpart to inquire about the radio update that there was an issue local law enforcement was looking into near the perimeter.

“At 6.11 pm, the assailant’s first volley of three shots was fired, and within three seconds, the former president’s detail rushed the stage and covered Trump, shielding him with their own bodies,” Rowe said giving the timeline of the failed assassination bid on July 13.

“The fourth-through-eight shots took place over the next several seconds. Fifteen and a half seconds after the assailant’s first shot, a Secret Service counter sniper fired a single round that neutralised the assailant,” he said.

Rowe told reporters that this was a failure.

“We should have had better protection for the protectee. We should have had better coverage on that roof line. We should have had at least some other set of eyes from the Secret Service point of view covering that. That building was very close to that outer perimeter, and we should have had more of a presence,” he said.

“This was a Secret Service failure. That roof line should have been covered. We should have had better eyes on that,” he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

Presidential candidate Donald Trump said Saturday he will return to holding outdoor rallies with additional Secret Service protection, two weeks after he was injured in an assassination attempt at an open-air campaign event.

“I will continue to do outdoor rallies, and the Secret Service has agreed to substantially step up their operation. They are very capable of doing so,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

“No one can ever be allowed to stop or impede free speech or gathering,” he added.

His remarks came after the Secret Service reportedly encouraged Trump’s campaign to stop scheduling outdoor campaign events following his assassination attempt, opting instead for large indoor arenas.

Trump was wounded when a 20-year-old gunman shot at him during an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, killing one person and injuring two others.

The FBI confirmed on Friday that Trump was hit by a bullet, or a fragment of one — putting to rest questions over the nature of the injury to his right ear.

Investigators are still working to establish a motive for the attack, which marked another stunning chapter in the US election race and sparked heavy criticism of the Secret Service.

Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday after acknowledging that the agency had failed in its mission of protecting high-profile politicians.

She told a congressional committee that the Secret Service was alerted “two to five times” ahead of the attack about a “suspicious individual” at the rally, but was unable to locate him before he opened fire.

Perched on the roof of a nearby building, he was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper less than 30 seconds after firing the first of eight shots.

Trump has made the shooting a key part of his campaign pitch, telling supporters that he “took a bullet for democracy” and vowing to return to Butler for a “big and beautiful rally.”

On Saturday, the Republican and his running mate JD Vance were scheduled to hold a campaign event at an indoor, 6,000-seat hockey arena in the midwestern US state of Minnesota.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris — who is on track to become the Democratic nominee — was set to attend a fundraising event in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman receives a warm welcome from BJP women workers on her arrival, at the party headquarters, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Budget 2024: Nirmala Sitharaman signals shift from earlier trickle-down strategy to a slew of schemes

Presenting her seventh Union Budget and the first after this year’s Lok Sabha election, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23 unveiled a flurry of measures aimed at fixing the woes of unemployed youth, small businesses, and the middle class, and sought to strengthen the ruling NDA coalition’s bonds with support for multiple investment projects in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

Budget 2024: States ruled by non-NDA parties ignored, says Opposition; four CMs to boycott Niti Aayog meet

The Opposition slammed the Union Budget calling it an exercise in political jugglery to appease the BJP’s two key allies, Janata Dal (United) and Telugu Desam Party, while doing little to address issues such as high rate of unemployment and inflation. States ruled by non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties, the Opposition said, have been ignored.

Budget 2024: Stocks wobble on capital gain tax plan

The stock markets reacted negatively to the Budgetary provisions concerning additional tax burden on investors and closed in the negative territory led by losses in banking stocks after undergoing high volatility. The key benchmark indices recovered most of the lost ground in the second half of trading.

Trump assassination attempt: U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle steps down

The director of the U.S. Secret Service said on July 23 she is resigning following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the agency tasked with protecting current and former Presidents could fail in its core mission.

Y.S. Jagan approaches A.P. High Court seeking Leader of Opposition status 

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy filed a writ petition in the High Court (HC) praying for a direction to the A.P. government to designate him as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Assembly, in accordance with Section 12-B of the A.P. Payment of Salaries and Pension and Removal Of Disqualifications Act, 1953.

NTA will release final NEET results within two days: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 23 hailed the Supreme Court’s decision on the NEET-UG issue and announced that the final results of the medical entrance exam would be declared within two days. The merit list would be revised according to the observations made by the Supreme Court, he said.

Nehru Planetarium set for revamp, India’s space achievements to take centre stage

Nehru Planetarium is getting ready for a revamp by the year end, with its gallery set to feature by 2025 new interactive screens focusing on India’s latest space missions and developments in the field of astronomy. The planetarium has now teamed up with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to incorporate the country’s latest space missions into its shows.

Bombay High Court puts temporary hold on Indrani Mukerjea’s Europe trip 

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday passed an ad interim stay on a special court order that permitted Indrani Mukerjea to travel to Spain and United Kingdom until July 29. Ms. Mukerjea who is the prime accused in the alleged murder of her own daughter Sheena Bora, is currently out on bail.  

Sri Lanka apologises for forced cremations policy during pandemic 

Sri Lanka on Tuesday apologised for enforcing a “cremations only” policy during the Covid-19 pandemic, going against the religious sentiments of Muslims, as well as expert views that burials were safe. The government said the Cabinet approved a joint proposal from a group of ministers “to plead an apology on behalf of the government”, from all communities affected by the compulsory cremation policy during the pandemic, when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was in office.

Paris Olympics preview | Indian pugilists capable of landing medal-winning punches

The presence of two World champions, including an Olympic medallist, and two Worlds medallists in the six-member Indian squad brightens up the country’s prospects in the Paris 2024 boxing ring. After the dismal performance of the male boxers in the initial qualifying phase and the loss of the women’s 57kg quota place due to Parveen Hooda’s missed dope tests, the boxing scene looked better as Amit Panghal (51kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) notched up two quota places and Jaismine Lamboria reclaimed the 57kg slot.

Paris Olympics preview | Will the ‘nucleus of Indian sports’ live up to its title?

The health of Indian sports will largely depend on the contribution of Olympic medals by the shooters in the Paris Games. It may sound ironical that a sport that has brought nought from the last two Games in Rio and Tokyo, finds itself as the nucleus of Indian sports. There will be 21 shooters, the best from any country including China, competing for 27 medals. Can quality come from quantity? Can there be another gold medal from shooting, the way Abhinav Bindra won by asserting his mastery in air rifle in the Beijing Games in 2008.

Washington, United States:

Donald Trump said on Saturday nobody warned him of a problem in the lead-up to the former president’s rally in Pennsylvania when a would-be assassin shot him in the ear.

“Nobody mentioned it, nobody said there was a problem. I would’ve waited for 15, they could’ve said let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 5 minutes, something. Nobody said,” Trump told Fox News in an interview.

“I think that was a mistake,” he added. “How did somebody get on that roof? And why wasn’t he reported?”

The Washington Post on Saturday reported that top officials at the US Secret Service repeatedly rejected requests from Trump’s security detail for more manpower and gear at events before the attempted assassination on July 13.

The agency, which is responsible for Trump’s protection, denied these requests, saying at times that it lacked resources, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi has previously denied accusations that the agency had rebuffed requests for more security resources from Trump’s team.

In an emailed statement to Reuters on Sunday, Guglielmi said: “In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee.”

“This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee,” Guglielmi added.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is has testified before the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee that they “failed” and has take “full responsibility”.