US Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned the shooting that took place at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sunday.

Donald Trump was playing golf in the vicinity as the gunshots rang out.

The Secret Service ferried Trump to safety and said it is investigating the incident as a possible assassination attempt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said an “apparent assassination attempt” on Trump was thwarted, with a man arrested and an assault rifle recovered.

Ric Bradshaw, Palm Beach county sheriff, said a Secret Service agent who was patrolling the course, spotted a rifle barrel emerging from a perimeter fence.

“He immediately engaged that individual, at which time the individual took off,” Bradshaw said.

It is unclear if the suspect shot first, fired a round at all, or whether it was only the agent that fired.

“We are not sure right now if the individual was able to take a shot at our agents,” Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, said.

SUSPECT NAMED

The suspect has been identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh. He was arrested after his car was stopped by local police.

Skynews reports that officers later searched the area where Routh was spotted and found an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two rucksacks and a GoPro.

The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden and Harris had been briefed and that they were “relieved” to learn of Trump’s safety.

In a separate statement, the Democratic Party presidential nominee said she was “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt” on the former president.

“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” she said.

“I am thankful that former President Trump is safe. I commend the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement partners for their vigilance.

“As President Biden said, our administration will ensure the Secret Service has every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary to carry out its critical mission.”

Biden said the suspect was in custody and commended the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies for their vigilance and efforts to keep Trump safe.

The incident comes about two months after the former president survived an assassination attempt during a rally.

The bullet grazed Trump’s ear.

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew has returned to earth after five days in orbit.

The US team was led by Jared Issacman, a billionaire, alongside Sarah Gillis of Space X, Anna Menon, and Kidd Poteet.

The historic mission saw the team reach the highest altitude than any other human in five decades. It also marked the first time such an endeavor has been completed by a privately funded and operated mission.

An event live streamed by SpaceX showed the Dragon capsule land off the coast of Florida on Sunday morning.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth,” SpaceX said on X

Returning to earth is among the most dangerous stretches of any space mission.

On its orbit back, the spacecraft reached extremely hot temperatures as it seared through the thickest parts of earth’s atmosphere because of the pressure and friction caused by hitting the air while still traveling around 17,000 miles per hour.

However, the crew was protected by the Dragon’s heat shield.

The spacecraft eventually landed in water before waiting rescue crews hauled it out of the ocean and onto a special boat known as the Dragon’s nest.

Final safety checks took place there before the crew disembarked from the capsule and began the journey back to dry land.

The US’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said the mission represented “a giant leap forward” for the commercial space industry.

Comoros President Azali Assoumani was slightly wounded in a knife attack Friday, the presidency said, adding that the attacker had been arrested.

“The President of the Republic Azali Assoumani was slightly wounded by a knife while attending the funeral” of a well-known religious leader, it said in a statement.

“His injuries are not serious, and he has returned home. The attacker is in the hands of the security services,” it added.

Government spokeswoman Fatima Ahamadael told AFP that the attack happened in Salimani-Itsandra, an area on the outskirts of the capital Moroni.

“Thank God, his life is not in danger,” she said, declining to give further details.

Witnesses told AFP that the attacker was a 22-year-old with no criminal history, who had joined the army in 2022. He was dressed in a boubou, and was in the room with the religious leader’s body, as mourners were paying respects, they said.

The knife injured the president’s hand, but the attacker was stopped by another mourner, the witnesses said.

A source close to the presidency, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The president has received appropriate care. He is out of danger.”

A second source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the attacker was a young “active-duty gendarme”.

No other details were immediately available.

After the attack, the neighbourhood remained tense, with gendarmes on the scene. Residents hurried home, sometimes pausing to whisper in small groups on the streets.

Azali, 65, a former military ruler who came to power in a coup in 1999, was re-elected president in January after a disputed vote was followed by two days of deadly protests.

He has been accused of growing authoritarianism.

In August, he granted new powers to his son, in a move that critics said was a step towards consolidating the family’s rule over the small African island nation.