Skip to content
Search
Please enter at least 3 characters.

Latest Stories

Donald Trump survives assassination attempt

Trump, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” cap, had just started speaking at his final rally before the Republican National Convention when the shots were fired.

Donald Trump survives assassination attempt

Donald Trump was struck in the ear during an assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally on Saturday, causing chaos and shock just before the US presidential election.

The 78-year-old former president was hurried off stage with blood on his face after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter and a bystander were killed, and two spectators were critically injured.


The Republican candidate raised his fist to the crowd as he was escorted to safety. He later stated, "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear."

US president Joe Biden, who is set to face Trump in the upcoming election, condemned the incident as "sick" and stated, "there is no place in America for this kind of violence." Biden later spoke to Trump, according to the White House.

The FBI identified the gunman, who was shot dead, as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. His motive is still unknown.

The US Secret Service reported that the shooter "fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside the rally" before being "neutralised" by agents.

Images showed the assailant's body on the roof of a low building where he had fired, causing panic among Trump supporters.

The FBI confirmed the shooting is being treated as "an assassination attempt against our former president, Donald Trump." The shooter is believed to have acted alone, but law enforcement officials have not released further details.

Witnesses reported seeing the gunman before the shooting and alerted authorities. Butler police responded to several reports of suspicious activity but provided no additional information.

Trump, wearing a red "Make America Great Again" cap, had just started speaking at his final rally before the Republican National Convention when the shots were fired. He grimaced and clutched his ear, with blood visible on his ear and cheek, then ducked as Secret Service agents surrounded him and escorted him off the stage to a vehicle.

"It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country," Trump said on his Truth Social network hours later. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening."

Video footage posted by his deputy communications director showed Trump walking unaided from his plane, though his wounded ear was not facing the camera. The New York Times reported that he was staying the night in New Jersey.

Police confirmed that a male spectator was killed and two were critically injured in the shooting.

The incident caused shock waves globally, with leaders from Britain, Israel, Japan, and other countries expressing outrage. Biden cut short a trip to his Delaware beach house to return to Washington for an updated briefing from security officials.

The attack has heightened political tensions, with some Republicans blaming Biden, and right-wing conspiracy theories spreading on social media. Possible Trump vice presidential pick JD Vance said Biden's "rhetoric" had "led directly" to the Trump attack.

Trump's campaign confirmed he would still attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee after a precautionary hospital checkup.

The convention will now focus on the shooting at the rally, which caused panic and screams among the crowd.

"Let me get my shoes," Trump was heard saying on the microphone as security agents helped him to his feet. He turned to the crowd, repeatedly raised his fist, and mouthed words that were not immediately clear, creating an iconic image. Agents then bundled him into an SUV.

"We saw a lot of people go down, looking confused. I heard the shots," said John Yeykal from Franklin, Pennsylvania, attending his first Trump rally.

US political figures, including former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, condemned the attack and stated there is no place for violence in politics. Billionaire Elon Musk quickly endorsed Trump following the incident.

The United States has a history of political violence. President John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his brother Bobby Kennedy was shot dead in 1968, and president Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.

(With inputs from AFP)

More For You

Starmer scraps NHS England to cut costs and improve care

Keir Starmer speaks with medical staff during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital in Epsom, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Starmer scraps NHS England to cut costs and improve care


HUNDREDS of millions of pounds could be saved and patient waiting lists reduced as prime minister Keir Starmer announced plans to abolish NHS England, the body overseeing the state-funded health system.

In a speech delivered in Hull, Starmer explained his decision to streamline the National Health Service's management structure: "I can't, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy."

Keep ReadingShow less
Early risers in the UK witness stunning Blood Moon eclipse

The lunar eclipse of Friday may not have been as dramatic as the total eclipses seen in other parts of the world

iStock

Early risers in the UK witness stunning Blood Moon eclipse

In the early hours of Friday morning, stargazers across the UK were treated to a partial lunar eclipse, with many enthusiasts rising before dawn to catch a glimpse. The celestial event, which saw the Earth's shadow partially covering the Moon, began at 05:09 GMT. Although only partial for most UK observers, it still presented a spectacular sight, with western parts of the country and regions further afield, such as the Americas and some Pacific islands, witnessing the eclipse.

For some, like Kathleen Maitland, the experience was magical. Stargazing from Pagham Harbour in West Sussex, she described the beauty of watching the Moon gradually darken and transform into a reddish hue, with the sunrise unfolding behind her. The eclipse gave rise to the so-called "blood Moon," a phenomenon that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, turning a dusky red as sunlight is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sangam Foundation celebrates Women's Day

From L- Reetu Kabra, Maya Sondhi, Shobu Kapoor and Meera Syal during Sangam Foundation's Women's Day celebrations.

Sangam Foundation celebrates Women's Day

HUNDREDS of women gathered for the International Women's Day celebrations of Sangam Foundation last week. Prominent actresses Meera Syal, Shobhu Kapoor and Maya Sondhi have attended the event, a statement said.

The British Asian celebrities shared their experiences of breaking into an industry rife with misogyny and prejudice. The industry veterans also talked about challenges they faced in a male-dominated field.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian tycoon Sudhir Choudhrie  backs Liberal
Democrats with £23,000

Sudhir Choudhrie

Asian tycoon Sudhir Choudhrie  backs Liberal Democrats with £23,000

BUSINESSMAN Sudhir Choudhrie has emerged as one of the biggest British Asian donors to the Liberal Democrats in the last quarter of 2024, according to the latest data from the Electoral Commission.

Choudhrie, currently an advisor on India to the leader of the Liberal Democrats, contributed on six different occasions to the party between October and December 2024, totalling more than £23,000. He contributed in a similar fashion in the previous quarter as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunak is ‘content in his MP role
and has no desire to move to US’

(From left) Rishi Sunak with wife Akshata Murty, and parents Usha and Yashvir Sunak

Sunak is ‘content in his MP role and has no desire to move to US’

RISHI SUNAK “loves being an MP” and has no intention of flying to California to begin a new life in America, as his enemies alleged during the general election campaign last year.

And, unlike Boris Johnson, he is not striving to be prime minister again, even though he is still only 44.

Keep ReadingShow less