Latest news with #NATOSummit
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Video shows military dog reunite with former handler after retirement
The pair first met in 2021 and traveled the world together, "completing two dozen security missions, including assignments protecting Presidents Biden and Trump," American Humane Society (AHS), a nonprofit animal welfare organization, which assisted in the reunion, said in a news release. "Using Attila's extraordinary nose to detect potential threats, the team protected civilians, their fellow service members, and high-profile VIPs, including Presidents Biden and Trump," AHS said. Some of those missions included the 2023 United Nations General Assembly Summit, the 2024 NATO Summit, and the Inauguration of President Trump in January 2025. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Watch Attila reunite with Markert in an emotional reunion Video footage shared by AHS shows the family, consisting of Markert, his wife, 5-year-old son, 7-month-old daughter and two pet dogs -- Bear, a black German shepherd, and Mia, a Belgian Malinois -- welcoming Attila with cuddles and kisses to his new forever home on May 26 in Colorado Springs. Attila developed health complications after being separated from owner When Kameron Markert got reassigned to a new base in Colorado Springs in March 2025, he and Attila were separated after being together for almost three and a half years. When Markert left Fort Meyer in Virginia, he recalled "leaving half of his heart behind." However, soon after Markert left, Attila, despite being relatively young, was forced into an early retirement due to a series of health complications, including a cancerous tumor on his rear that had to be removed, along with renal and kidney diseases, AHS said. "Like many German shepherds, Attila also developed hip dysplasia," AHS said, adding Markert had rallied for Attila's disposition "to help ensure his continued health and safety." When the time for Attila's retirement came, Markert eagerly stepped in with the hope of giving Attila the comfortable retirement he deserved. However, transporting the animal over 1,500 miles from Virginia to Colorado posed a major logistical challenge, especially since the family had just covered a 27-hour cross-country drive with two young children for their move. From Virginia to Colorado Markert, who was aware of AHS' military program and knew of other handlers who had successfully reunited with their retired military dogs through the program, reached out to the organization for assistance. An AHS expert then "personally picked up Attila from Fort Carson and escorted him on a flight to Colorado, where the canine veteran enjoyed his own seat in the cabin of the airplane--all at no cost to the Markerts," the news release said. AHS said it will also fund Attila's veterinary care for the rest of his life, as part of the program. Markert also shared that while Attila "has always been exceptionally gentle and tender with his 7-month-old daughter," the German shepherd is "more playful and affectionate" with his son. "My wife is already 'mama' to him, he is so gentle with our kids, and he loves to play with our other dogs. He fits right into our family," Markert said. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Watch military dog who protected Trump, Biden reunite with former handler
Watch military dog who protected Trump, Biden reunite with former handler Attila, a 6-year-old German Shepherd, received an early retirement after developing a series of health complications, including a cancerous tumor on his ear. A military dog tasked with protecting President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden during high-profile events was reunited with his former handler in a heartwarming reunion over the Memorial Day weekend. Attila, a 6-year-old German Shepherd, was reunited with Army Specialist Kameron Markert after retiring as an elite bomb-sniffing dog in the U.S. Armed Forces, concluding a career that spanned five years. The pair first met in 2021 and traveled the world together, "completing two dozen security missions, including assignments protecting Presidents Biden and Trump," American Humane Society (AHS), a nonprofit animal welfare organization, which assisted in the reunion, said in a news release. "Using Attila's extraordinary nose to detect potential threats, the team protected civilians, their fellow service members, and high-profile VIPs, including Presidents Biden and Trump," AHS said. Some of those missions included the 2023 United Nations General Assembly Summit, the 2024 NATO Summit, and the Inauguration of President Trump in January 2025. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Watch Attila reunite with Markert in an emotional reunion Retired bomb-sniffing dog reunites with handler on Memorial Day Retired bomb-sniffing dog Attila reunites with his handler, Kameron Markert, in Colorado Springs after five years of service together. Video footage shared by AHS shows the family, consisting of Markert, his wife, 5-year-old son, 7-month-old daughter and two pet dogs — Bear, a black German shepherd, and Mia, a Belgian Malinois — welcoming Attila with cuddles and kisses to his new forever home on May 26 in Colorado Springs. Attila developed health complications after being separated from owner When Kameron Markert got reassigned to a new base in Colorado Springs in March 2025, he and Attila were separated after being together for almost three and a half years. When Markert left Fort Meyer in Virginia, he recalled "leaving half of his heart behind." However, soon after Markert left, Attila, despite being relatively young, was forced into an early retirement due to a series of health complications, including a cancerous tumor on his rear that had to be removed, along with renal and kidney diseases, AHS said. "Like many German shepherds, Attila also developed hip dysplasia," AHS said, adding Markert had rallied for Attila's disposition "to help ensure his continued health and safety." When the time for Attila's retirement came, Markert eagerly stepped in with the hope of giving Attila the comfortable retirement he deserved. However, transporting the animal over 1,500 miles from Virginia to Colorado posed a major logistical challenge, especially since the family had just covered a 27-hour cross-country drive with two young children for their move. From Virginia to Colorado Markert, who was aware of AHS' military program and knew of other handlers who had successfully reunited with their retired military dogs through the program, reached out to the organization for assistance. An AHS expert then "personally picked up Attila from Fort Carson and escorted him on a flight to Colorado, where the canine veteran enjoyed his own seat in the cabin of the airplane—all at no cost to the Markerts," the news release said. AHS said it will also fund Attila's veterinary care for the rest of his life, as part of the program. Markert also shared that while Attila "has always been exceptionally gentle and tender with his 7-month-old daughter," the German shepherd is "more playful and affectionate" with his son. 'My wife is already 'mama' to him, he is so gentle with our kids, and he loves to play with our other dogs. He fits right into our family," Markert said. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Trump's June 2025 schedule: Summits, celebrations, and more
June 2025 is slated to be a busy month for President Donald Trump. With important summits and a national celebration on the list, here are the confirmed events on Trump's schedule for next month. Also Read: Thousands sign petition to cancel Trump's birthday parade: Here's why Doubling down as the President's 79th birthday as well as the US Army's 250th anniversary, June 14 is a special day in Trump's calendar. To mark the momentous occasion, a multimillion-dollar parade is being organized in Washington DC- something that Trump wanted to do during his first term in office as well but ultimately canceled due to budget constraints. Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tanks and aircrafts are being deployed as part of the grand celebrations in the capital. 'President Trump will travel to the G7 leaders' summit in Canada from June 15 through the 17th,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a daily press briefing on Thursday (May 22). The summit marks the 50th anniversary of the first G7 Summit. Under Canada's presidency this year, the summit is being held in Kananaskis, Alberta from June 15 to June 17. The official website says, 'From international peace and security to global economic stability and growth, to the digital transition, today's global challenges and opportunities require us to work together to find shared solutions.' Trump's visit comes at a particularly distraught time in US-Canada relations with the President's repeated calls for the country to join the United States of America and become its '51st state." The imposition of heavy tariffs by the US has also been a serious point of contention between the two sides. However, Canada's newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney made a significant visit to the White House soon after his appointment in a meeting that was considered a step in the right direction. Also Read: Bernie Kerik cause of death: Ex-NYPD Commissioner had been unwell, recently hospitalized On April 4, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced that Trump would be attending the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague. 'I am pleased to announce that the 2025 NATO Summit will be held at the World Forum in The Hague from 24 to 26 June 2025. We are grateful to the Netherlands for agreeing to host this meeting for the first time,' said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. 'The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO and makes critical contributions to the deterrence and defense of the Alliance. At our Summit, Leaders will make decisions to continue to adapt and strengthen our Alliance for a rapidly changing security environment. Together, we are stronger and safer in NATO.' The announcement came soon after Secretary of State Marco Rubio's statement regarding the President's commitment towards the organization and desire to remain an active member of the alliance. Trump has, however, expressed his criticism of the organization in the past by blaming many member states for lack of sufficient defense spending as compared to the advantages they seek. His administration has also clearly signaled a strategic shift from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region. Trump's hopes of seeing the Russia-Ukraine conflict brought to an end in the summit also remain dim since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has received an official invite to attend yet. In February this year, Trump had secured a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom on special request of King Charles III. The letter was personally delivered by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. However, no official date has been announced for the visit as of yet.
UPI
6 days ago
- Business
- UPI
NATO head expects members to agree to spend 5% GDP on defense
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addresses a press conference following an informal meeting foreign ministers of member nations on May 15, 2025. On Monday, he said he expects member nations to agree to spend 5% GDP on defense spending next month in The Hague. Photo by NATO/UPI | License Photo May 27 (UPI) -- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that he expects alliance members to agree during next month's summit to a defense spending target of 5% of gross domestic product. Rutte made the revelation during the sixth and final day of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton, Ohio. "I assume that in The Hague we will agree on a hard defense spend target of 5%," he said. "Let's say that this 5%, but I will not say what is the individual breakup, but it will be considerably north of 3% when it comes to the hard spend and it will be also a target on defense-related spending." "We need this, because otherwise we can never, ever, ever reach the capability targets," he added. All NATO members have agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense by 2025, with no country yet reaching the 5% threshold. NATO spending by member nations has long been an issue of contention for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called for European nations to pay more, accusing them of relying on Washington for their defense. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has been calling for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5%. Of the 32 NATO nations, Poland spent an alliance-high 4.12% of GDP on defense last year, according to statistics from the security alliance, with Estonia second at 3.43% and the United States third at 3.38%. Eight countries spent below the 2% GDP on defense last year, with Spain coming in last at 1.28% GDP. The NATO Summit is to be held in The Hague from June 24-25, where world leaders and defense chiefs of alliance members will congregate to discuss pressing security issues and decide on the alliance's strategic direction.
Vancouver Sun
25-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Liberals hold first post-election meeting on the eve of new spring session
OTTAWA — Liberal MPs are holding their first caucus meeting in Ottawa since their election win nearly a month ago, on Sunday afternoon to set the priorities for the new legislature. The House of Commons will be back for four weeks before the summer break. During that time, MPs will have to elect a new Speaker, hear King Charles III read the Speech from the Throne and the government is expected to table legislation on its key economic priorities. Those include enacting a middle-class tax cut, which the government has said would provide a family of four up to $840 of benefits, and knocking down internal trade barriers. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged that those would be in place by Canada Day. But the Sunday caucus meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss internal matters. Liberals will have the opportunity to decide whether to adopt the Reform Act rules that would give them, amongst other things, the power to trigger a leadership review of their new leader, to expel or readmit a caucus member, or elect or remove a caucus chair. Several MPs said it is nothing against Carney, but that the move is informed by the lack of formal processes they had to expel former prime minister Justin Trudeau last year. Carney dodged questions about this possibility when asked about it a few days ago and simply said that these votes on the Reform Act will be taking place in caucus. Liberals will also have to decide who they will be supporting to run for Speaker. As of Friday, at least seven candidates — five Liberal MPs and two Conservative MPs — were in the running, but eligible MPs have until 6 p.m. to decide to remove their names. Carney, for his part, has a few busy weeks ahead of him after the start of the spring sitting. Carney will be meeting with the country's premiers in Saskatoon on June 2, will be hosting U.S. President Donald Trump and other G7 leaders in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, and will be attending the NATO Summit in the Netherlands from June 24 to 25. More to come. National Post calevesque@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here . Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
