Former US president Donald Trump is bundled offstage by Secret Service agents after he was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Reuters
Former US president Donald Trump is bundled offstage by Secret Service agents after he was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Reuters
Former US president Donald Trump is bundled offstage by Secret Service agents after he was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Reuters
Former US president Donald Trump is bundled offstage by Secret Service agents after he was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Reuters

Trump urges US to 'stand united' after assassination attempt


Jihan Abdalla
  • English
  • Arabic

A day after surviving an assassination attempt, former president Donald Trump said on Sunday that his life had been spared by “God alone” and called for unity in the US as the country reeled from the attack.

The Republican presidential candidate was a few minutes into leading a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening when several shots rang out.

He ducked down behind the podium after a bullet grazed his ear, only to quickly stand back up and shout “Fight! Fight! Fight!” with a raised fist as Secret Service agents mobbed him.

The suspected gunman – identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks – had fired several rounds from a rooftop at the open-air rally. He was shot dead seconds later by law enforcement marksmen on the roof of an adjacent building. A spectator behind Trump was killed and two others were injured.

On Sunday, officials said the injured were in stable condition.

The Wall Street Journal, quoting sources, said that Mr Crooks had explosive devices in his car, which was parked near the rally.

“Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro identified the spectator killed as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore.

“Corey was a girl dad, Corey was a firefighter, Corey went to church every Sunday, Corey loved his community, and most especially, Corey loved his family,” Mr Shapiro said.

US media reported that the AR-15 type rifle that was used had been purchased legally by the gunman's father. Additional information about the gunman was not immediately released, but Crooks was reportedly a registered Republican who had also donated to a Democratic group.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said that he “was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear”. He ended the message with “God Bless America”.

President Joe Biden addressed the nation on Sunday after receiving an updated briefing from Homeland Security and law enforcement officials.

He said the assassination attempt on Trump is “contrary to everything we stand for as a nation”.

Speaking from the White House, Mr Biden announced that he had ordered a security review of what happened on Saturday, adding that there was still no information as to the motive behind the shooting.

“I've instructed that this investigation be thorough and swift, and the investigators will have every resource they need to get this done,” Mr Biden said.

“We must unite as one nation to demonstrate who we are.”

He said he would share the findings of the review with the American people and would speak from the Oval Office on Sunday evening.

Earlier, the White House announced that Mr Biden's campaign trip to Texas on Monday would be rescheduled.

Reports said the gunman was perched about 120 metres from Trump.

Questions are being asked about how prepared the Secret Service and local police were, with some spectators apparently noticing the gunman before law enforcement did.

Speaking to the BBC World Service's Weekend programme, senior Trump campaign adviser Stephen Moore said the shooting was an exceptionally close call.

“It appeared from the video that he’d only been grazed by this bullet but what’s so frightening to all of us is that if that bullet had been one inch further towards his head this would have been an assassination,” he told the show.

Mr Moore said, “Certainly Trump needs more protection – there’s a lot of inquiry now about whether the Secret Service was totally prepared”.

A witness told the BBC he had seen the gunman climb on to the roof of a low-rise building right outside the security perimeter with a rifle and that he had shouted to nearby police officers to alert them to the potential threat.

Police initially seemed confused and did not immediately respond to the warning, he said.

The shooting took place less than four months before the November 5 election, when Trump will face an election rematch with Mr Biden, a Democrat. Most opinion polls show the two locked in a close contest.

Republicans believe the attack and Trump's defiant response will send him on a glide path to victory over Mr Biden, who has spent weeks trying to convince members of his party that he is not suffering from cognitive decline.

“President Trump survives this attack – he just won the election,” Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden told Politico shortly after the shooting.

Trump's wife Melania on Sunday called on the nation to “ascend above the hate, the vitriol and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence”.

“America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one,” she said.

The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is scheduled to begin this week, during which Trump is expected to be named as his party's official nominee.

In his post on Sunday, Trump said he was looking forward to speaking at the convention.

“I truly love our country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our great nation this week from Wisconsin,” he said.

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Plan to boost public schools

A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.

It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.

Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.

Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.

The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

AIR
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Updated: July 14, 2024, 9:00 PM`