Melania Trump attends first official event in 3 weeks
Washington, June 5: US First Lady Melania Trump, who had not been seen publicly for the past 24 days, attended an official White House event with her husband President Donald Trump.
The event on Monday, a private East Room reception for more than 40 Gold Star military families, was not in and of itself an unusual activity for the First Lady of the US, reports CNN.
However, the First Lady's absence made her appearance all the more newsworthy.
In a statement on Monday night, Melania Trump said it was a privilege to welcome the military families to the White House, and she thanked them and military members more broadly for their service.
"To all those who have lost loved ones in service to our country, our nation grieves with you," her statement read.
"It is a solemn reminder that we, the American people, are able to live as freely as we do because of the selfless sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. We remain indebted to each of them and we honour them today, together, with their families."
The Gold Star event on Monday was closed to the press, with no opportunity for media photos or video, a decision made out of respect for the military family members, Trump's communications director Stephanie Grisham told CNN.
The First Lady's lack of recent viewings, prior to Monday's event, has created a storm of "where is she?" memes on the internet and speculation on her whereabouts.
Her last public appearance was on May 10 when the couple welcomed home three American hostages from North Korea at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
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I am back home: All England missed, Sindhu lands back in Bengaluru from Dubai
Bengaluru (PTI): Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star P V Sindhu, who was stranded in Dubai due to closure of airspace in the Gulf region, has returned to the country after pulling out of the All England Championships in Birmingham.
Sindhu posted on X to announce that she is back in the city.
"Back home in Bangalore and safe. The last few days have been intense and uncertain, but I'm truly grateful to be back to my house," she posted.
"A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and took such good care of us during a very difficult time. The empathy and professionalism meant more than words can say.
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"For now, it's time to rest, reset, and figure out the next steps," she added.
The former world champion was on her way to Birmingham via Dubai, when she was stranded after the flight operations were suspended in the Gulf region following the US and Israeli bombing of Iran.
Iran subsequently retaliated, hitting Dubai as well.
"Moments like these remind you how fragile normal life really is," she had posted on February 28 while revealing some details of her ordeal, which included an explosion near her place of stay.
She had described the experience as "extremely tense and scary moment" for her and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama.
Back home in Bangalore and safe 🙏
— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) March 3, 2026
The last few days have been intense and uncertain, but I’m truly grateful to be back to my house. A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and…
