Just days after a failed assassination bid against former US President Donald Trump, an armed man wearing a ski mask was arrested in the area where the Republican National Convention is being held, reports said.

The man was carrying a concealed AK-47 pistol in his tactical backpack, the Fox News reported. Officials also found a full magazine of ammunition inside the bag.

Prominent Republican politicians and officials are gathered at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee for the Republican convention this week.

“United States Capitol Police initially observed the suspect looking suspicious, wearing a ski mask and a large tactical backpack in the street,” the CNN reported quoting Milwaukee Police Department.

In a separate incident, a man – who was wielding two knives near the convention – was shot dead by the cops. According to the police, the man, identified by relatives as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe, was armed with a knife in each hand. The situation escalated when Sharpe charged at an unarmed individual, prompting the officers to open fire. Two knives were recovered from the scene.

This comes days after a 20-year-old man was gunned down for trying to assassinate the 78-year-old former president at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump survived with a nicked ear during his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday after Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at him. The attack left him with a bloodied face as the former president said the bullet pierced his “upper part of right ear”.

Donald Trump won formal nomination Monday as the Republican presidential candidate and picked 39-year-old Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.

While Trump is increasingly confident of a shock return to the White House — despite multiple legal problems and two impeachments during his first term — President Joe Biden is reeling from weak polls and Democratic concerns over his health.

The training of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been put on hold amid allegations of misuse of power and privileges. Ms Khedkar has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for “further necessary action”. Ms Khedkar was earlier transferred to Washim from Pune following accusations of manipulating disability and OBC certificates to gain entry into the civil services.

The General Administration Department of the Maharashtra government issued a directive stating, “You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.” The directive instructs Ms Khedkar to “join the academy at the earliest” but not later than July 23.

Ms Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, claims to be the victim of a “media trial” alleging that a misinformation campaign has been waged against her.

The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Ms Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is currently under investigation. These include certificates indicating visual impairment, which Ms Khedkar submitted under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.

Despite being referred by the UPSC for a medical examination at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ms Khedkar reportedly missed six appointments between April and August 2022. In August 2022, she applied for another disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune, but her application was rejected following medical tests.

Ms Khedkar’s troubles began when she was accused of demanding unauthorised perks and facilities while serving as an assistant collector in Pune. Allegations include using a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car, occupying the office of Pune Additional Collector Ajay More during his absence, and demanding office furniture, letterheads, a VIP number plate, a separate house, and a car. These perks are typically unavailable to probationary officers who are still in their 24-month probationary period.

Following these allegations, Ms Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector. This move was seen as a temporary measure pending further investigation.

An RTI activist from Pune, Vijay Kumbhar, alleged that Ms Khedkar’s father possessed assets worth Rs 40 crore, which would place the family well above the Rs 8 lakh annual income threshold for any reservation benefits.

Ms Khedkar has stated her willingness to testify before the expert committee, expressing confidence that the truth will emerge. “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out,” she said.

The Pune Police are also investigating Ms Khedkar’s parents in a criminal case involving her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, who was allegedly seen threatening individuals with a gun over a land dispute in a video. An FIR has been filed against the couple and five others in connection with this incident.

Ms Khedkar has lodged a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. According to an official, women police personnel visited Ms Khedkar at her residence in Washim, where she filed the complaint.
 

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