According to the military, National Guard troops are now carrying weapons while they are obedient to President Donald Trump’s orders to patrol the country’s capital.
According to a statement from the Joint Task Force-DC, “service members began carrying their service-issued weapon” on August 24, 2025.
The statement stated that only the troops are permitted to use force “as a last resort and only as a response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.”
The National Guard would either carry M17 pistols or M4 rifles, according to unnamed officials who spoke to Reuters.
One week after sending troops there, Trump made the announcement on Sunday, when he made the claim that there was “NO CRIME AND NO MURDER IN DC.”
Trump claimed in a similar post on Truth Social that he might “send in the “troops” to the Baltimore-arean community, which he described as “out of control” and “crime-ridden.”
Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, invited Trump to visit Baltimore and walk its streets, and he responded, “I would much prefer that he clean up this Crime disaster before I go there for a “walk.”
However, Baltimore Police Department reports a double-digit decrease in gun violence in July compared to the previous year. According to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, the city has experienced 84 homicides this year, the lowest number in more than 50 years.
Washington, DC, home to just over 700,000 people, is now home to tens of National Guard and federal law enforcement officers.
The National Guard is a reserve force that, according to the US Army, can be called on to respond to “counter-drug efforts,” foreign combat missions, and domestic emergencies.
During a rally along the U-Street corridor in northwest Washington, DC, on Saturday, people protest Trump’s use of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops.
Protests, fear and confusion from residents, as well as federal law enforcement officers, have been reported for their presence in the nation’s capital.
Despite the fact that official data indicates crime is down in the city, some Republican governors have sent hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, DC, which the president has described as being in the grip of a crime wave.
The president has the authority to take over policing in the capital for up to 30 days because it is not a state.
The district’s designation as a state has long been a top priority for many residents. After passing a bill through the then-Democrat-controlled House of Representatives in 2020, Democrats did not pursue it further.
Meanwhile, Trump’s push to send troops to Chicago was rejected on Sunday by JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois.
Lee Jae-myung, the president of South Korea, will make his first high-stakes visit to Donald Trump’s closest and most significant ally in Seoul.
After a one-day meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo, Lee arrived in Washington, DC, on Sunday ahead of an official working-level meeting at the White House with Trump.
The two heads of state will hold their first official meeting.
Following a trade agreement in July, Washington agreed to reduce South Korea’s reciprocal tariff from the initial proposal’s 25% to 15%.
The meeting is crucial for South Korea, whose engagement with the Trump administration was disrupted by domestic political turmoil, ignited by the brief declaration of martial law announced in December by the country’s impeached former president, Yoon Suk-yeol.
The unwritten July trade agreement, in which South Korea agrees to buy $100 billion worth of US energy and invest $350 billion in US economy, will be the subject of discussion.
Trump has mentioned that the outcome of their discussions will be determined as to whether those staggering sums will be directly invested in the US or be expected from South Korean businesses.
Accompanied by first lady Kim Hea-kyung, Lee will lead a delegation formed by the heads of South Korean top conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, SK Group, Hyundai Motor and LG Group.
According to the South Korean daily Maeil Business Newspaper, the four companies are the only ones known to have made a total of 126 trillion won ($91.02 billion) in direct investments in the US.
Lee and Trump need to be deliberate and direct in the discussions, according to Choi Yoon-jung, a principal research fellow at the Seoul Sejong Institute, because “South Korea is in a tough predicament in terms of trade with the US compared to the past.”
“It will be important for President Lee to explain how investments will be designed to serve US national interests and to remind Trump that the two nations are close trading partners who went through large ordeals to realise their Free Trade Agreement over two decades ago”, Choi told Al Jazeera.
The direction of the investment talks is likely to be “unpredictable,” according to Mason Richey, a professor of international politics at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS).
The White House’s investment portion of the agreement is likely to remain undetermined and subject to unanticipated adjustments, Richey told Al Jazeera. “Not only are the current 15 percent tariffs overwhelmingly likely to stay on,,” Richey said.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers under construction at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering facility on Geoje Island, South Korea, on December 7, 2018]Ahn Young-joon/AP]
Shipbuilding is one area of Trump’s desire to play catch-up with China’s naval fleet, which is leading in terms of sheer numbers and is also developing technology, according to analysts.
A partnership worth about $150 billion to help rebuild the US shipbuilding industry would be a key component of the tariff agreement with Washington, according to Seoul-based officials.
To that end, after visiting the White House, Lee will head to Philadelphia to visit the Philly Shipyard, which was bought by the South Korean company Hanwha Group last year.
Additionally, according to analysts, South Korea has shown an interest in becoming a partner in battery production and semiconductors, two other industries where Trump has clearly set goals to increase US capacity.
According to Choi, the South Korean government is also willing to take an active role in the “modernization” of its relationship with the US, which might include making more money to protect the region’s security and development.
Another major discussion point will be Seoul and Washington’s defence posture regarding the growing threats from North Korea, as well as the development of a strategic alliance to address the changing international security and economic environment.
The demand for US forces’ involvement in the Korean Peninsula to change has been growing for years, according to Jenny Town, director of the research program 38 North at Washington, DC.
Town noted that this evolution was especially significant as China’s power supply increased.
“The Trump administration is focused on how to maximise resources for US interests and priorities, so it is likely that some changes will be made during this term”, Town said.
According to her, “a number of factors will affect how drastic or dramatic these changes will be,” including the state of the domestic political system in the US, which provides checks and balances for executive decisions.
A US Senate defense policy bill for the fiscal year 2026 prohibits the use of funds to reduce the number of USFK troops to the 28, 500 currently serving members.
“This makes it unlikely that there will be an immediate change in troop deployment numbers in South Korea”, Choi said.
The main point of contention will therefore be how to match US interests with the troops’ job assignments. I believe that Trump might ask South Korea to participate in the Taiwan-related conflict by playing a bigger role in regional security.
Financial negotiations between Trump and Lee may also tip into security details, as the US president has regularly called for South Korea to pay more for the US troops stationed on its soil.
Since his first term as president, Trump has called the same question.
South Korea also paid the entire cost of building Camp Humphreys, the largest US base overseas, located 64 kilometers (39 miles) south of Seoul, which is located at an additional $1 billion.
Trump has said that he wants defence spending to reach closer to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) for all US allies.
South Korea’s defense budget currently accounts for 3.5% of GDP.
Seoul and Washington have long been at odds with one another about the transfer of wartime operational command, which refers to the transfer of control of South Korean forces from the US to South Korea during the Korean War.
Under the Lee administration’s five-year governance plan, Seoul hopes to have the transition happen by 2030.
On July 24, 2025, US President Donald Trump visits the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC.
Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister recently dismissed Washington and Seoul’s stated intentions to restart diplomacy in order to end Pyongyang’s nuclear program. The Trump-Lee meeting follows this.
Kim Yo Jong said that Seoul could never be a “diplomatic partner” with Pyongyang.
According to Town, Kim Yo Jong’s statements had “interesting nuances.”
“Her statements did open the door for the US to engage North Korea in order to improve overall relations,” Town said, “though she did reject any kind of denuclearization narrative as the basis for negotiations.”
“Kim suggested that there’s a reason for two countries with nuclear weapons to avoid confrontational relations. This raises the question of whether the US is actually interested in establishing a different relationship with North Korea without imposing denuclearization, and how its allies would interpret such a plan, Town said.
In terms of influence and security, the possibility of “Trump bypassing Lee in diplomacy with North Korea” poses a significant risk for South Korea in the future.
In contrast to today’s lack of contact between Washington and Pyongyang, Trump’s first presidential term featured a suspension of US military exercises with South Korea and three separate meetings between the US president and North Korea’s Kim.
Trump might also have a reason to give Kim a US hand in the friendship process by pursuing his Nobel Peace Prize.
The president of South Korea visits the White House annually for 11 days along with annual, extensive, large-scale joint military exercises between the US and South Korea.
During a visit to North Korea’s most advanced warship last week, Kim denounced the drills as rehearsals for an invasion of North Korea and “an obvious expression of their will to provoke war”.
A North Korean missile base that is undocumented is located 25 kilometers (15. 5 miles) from the Chinese border, according to Beyond Parallel, a project of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, which is likely carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the US.
Town added that this summit could feature Russia on its own.
“Lee may bring up the issue of how Russia’s relations with North Korea, especially their military cooperation, poses potential dangers to the alliance’s security interests”, she said.
Talks could be turned toward whether Russian President Vladimir Putin’s relationship with Trump might help to ease the situation, she said.
These international relations are strengthened by North Korea’s recent dealings with Russia, as reciprocal military exchanges for food, cash, weapons, and other goods have established a stable strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Furthermore, North Korea has shown an interest in strengthening ties with another of the US’s biggest rivals – China.
In the end, Choi said, “I believe Trump will keep making offers toward North Korea.”
Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York
In front of a raucous US Open crowd on Sunday, Alexandra Eala made Grand Slam history by making her first major-final appearance.
On her way to the Miami Open semi-finals in March, the Filipina defeated three Grand Slam winners in a row to reach one of the season’s breakout players.
The 20-year-old had previously lost three sets at the French Open and Wimbledon to never win a Grand Slam singles title.
However, Eala stunned world number 14 Clara Tauson in Flushing Meadows with a rousing victory in the grandstand, which was held at 11-11.
As Eala rallied from a set down to 5-1 in the third set, residents of Little Manila, a city in Queens that has a large Filipino community, packed the stands to cheer her on.
Eala is the first Filipina to triumph in an Open Grand Slam main draw match.
It is truly unique. World number 75 Eala said, “I take so much pride in being Filipino.
Eala became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles trophy after winning the US Open juniors title in 2022.
On her way to the Miami Final Four, she defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, current Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and former world number one Iga Swiatek.
She became the first Filipino woman to ever reach the top 100 of the world.
The 14th seed let her frustrations pour out at a crucial point in the third set as Tauson, a big hitter who can be wayward, held on unwaveringly.
The Dane complained that her opponent had hit the ball before it had crossed the net after Eala had scored two break points with Tauson with a lead of 5-4 in the decider.
As she argued with the umpire, Kader Nouni, the crowd booed her.
Eala remarked, “It was very challenging.
“She]Tauson is a huge player,” says I’m so happy I was able to dig in. “Undoubtedly not a draw for a first round, but I’m so happy that I did.
I believed that I had to exert all of my physical and mental fortitude.
Caspar Veldkamp, the foreign minister of the Netherlands, resigns after failing to impose sanctions on Israel for the atrocities committed in Gaza.
Slovenia imposed an arms embargo on Israel earlier this month along with Spain and Belgium.
Germany partially retaliated by stopping the sale of weapons to Israel that could be used in Gaza until “further notice.”
Italy suspended all new military exports to Israel in October, while the Netherlands also imposed a partial ban on parts for Israeli fighter jets.
Questions are raised, however, by Caspar Veldkamp’s recent resignation as Dutch Foreign Minister after his government refused to ratify sanctions against Israel.
Will this one decision cause the 27-nation bloc to experience broader political unrest?
Presenter:
Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Mpanzu Bamenga, a member of the Dutch Parliament and a champion for human rights,
According to a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US ambassador Charles Kushner was summoned after he allegedly complained to President Emmanuel Macron that Paris had failed to do enough to stop anti-Semitic violence.
Kushner addressed the open letter to The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, focusing on France’s criticism of Israel, which has been accused by prominent human rights organizations of staging a genocide in Gaza, and its plans to grant a Palestinian state.
He wrote that “publications that disparage Israel and encourage extremists, fuel violence, and put a Jewish community in France at risk” Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, to put it simply, in today’s world.
The ambassador received a prompt response from Paris.
France “strongly refutes these most recent allegations,” according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry on Sunday. The ambassador’s claims are untrue, the ambassador said.
According to the ministry, France is “fully committed” to combating anti-Semitism.
Kushner’s comments were also made against international law, with particular reference to diplomatic personnel’s obligation to refrain from interfering with state affairs, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
Additionally, they fall short of the trust that should be built between allies as a result of France and the United States’ transatlantic relationship.
The US State Department later responded, saying it supports Kushner’s assertions.
Ambassador Kushner represents the US government in France, according to US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott in a statement.
Israel has repeatedly displaced Palestinians in Gaza, where it has been systematically destroying the enclave of 2 million people, killing dozens of people each day.
France and other Western countries have made plans to recognize a Palestinian state in recent weeks while preserving their trade, diplomatic, and security ties with Israel.
Israel and its main ally, the US, have been infuriated by the decision, though.
Kushner, who was the father of former adviser Jared Kushner and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, was pardoned by Trump during his first term after being found guilty of tax evasion and witness tampering in 2005.
The ambassador’s letter comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week addressed a similar statement to Macron that also linked anti-Semitism to France’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
The office of the French president quickly retaliated against Netanyahu, calling his allegations “abject” and “erroneous” and promising that they “will not go unanswered.”
The French presidency stated that “this is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not conflation and manipulation,” adding that France “protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens.”
Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York
As they began their most recent bids to end America’s 22-year search for a men’s Grand Slam singles champion, Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz cruised into the second round.
With his US Open triumph in 2003, Andy Roddick became the last American player to capture a major singles title.
Fritz, who reached the championship match last year in Flushing Meadows, is the first American man to do so in 15 years. He has also been at the forefront of the drought.
Emilio Nava, who is seeded fourth in New York this year, defeated Fritz 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, while Shelton, who is sixth seeded, defeated Grand Slam debutant Ignacio Buse, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Two American men have been seeded in the top eight for the first time since the 2007 US Open.
In terms of American tennis, Fritz said, “We’re in a great position.”
We’re here for the long haul, we say.
Images courtesy of Getty
Shelton won the tournament’s inaugural game against the renowned Arthur Ashe show court, taking just over two hours to complete the victory.
The former semi-finalist is in strong form, having earlier this month won the Canadian Open’s first ATP Masters 1000 title.
Shelton remarked, “The US Open is the pinnacle of tennis for me and what I dreamed about as a child.”
For me, it is starting to feel like home.
Shelton and Fritz could potentially face off in the final four of New York after Shelton defeated Fritz in the semi-finals in Toronto.
Shelton, 22, remained cautious when questioned about his potential success at this year’s tournament.
He said, “For me, it is one day at a time, because once you start looking ahead of yourself you stumble over your own feet.”
“I’m looking forward to it because we’re here for the long haul.”
Fritz has also performed well in recent months, surpassing Jannik Sinner, who was competing for the title last year.
He won grass-court titles at Eastbourne and Stuttgart, which indicate that he can advance to the year’s final Grand Slam, where he reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and won them both.
Mensik makes an advance on the day of the opening.
Images courtesy of Getty
As play began on Sunday, teen sensation Jakub Mensik put forth a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 victory over Nicolas Jarry from Chile.
Novak Djokovic defeated Mensik in the Miami Open final to claim his first ATP Tour title in March, and he has twice advanced to New York’s third round.
After beating Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7) 6-2, qualifier Ugo Blanchet will take him on the next match.
