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For the first time in more than 30 years, tanks will roll through the capital of the United States.

The 250th anniversary of the United States Army could see hundreds of thousands descend on Washington DC to watch as 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rumble along the streets.

But, like almost everything Donald Trump is involved in, it has not come without controversy or criticism.

It wasn’t originally planned as a birthday celebration – the event had been in the works since before Trump was elected – but earlier this year the President announced his intention to add a massive military parade to the event, which would coincide with his own 79th birthday.

Speaking earlier this week, Trump said it is going to be a “big day”, adding: “We want to show off a little bit.”

Officials have estimated around 200,000 people could turn out, including protesters, plus 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft.

More than 1,500 ‘No Kings’ demonstrations have also been planned across the US, but the group has said it will not be holding events in Washington DC, in part to avoid a direct confrontation.

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It comes as the president warned that any protesters who rain on his military parade “will be met with very big force”.

Does the US typical hold military parades?

Unlike other countries, military parades in the United States are fairly rare, but Trump has made no secret of his desire for one.

The last time such a major display took place in the US it was in 1991, when tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s army from Kuwait.

Troops march over the Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., as they head towards the Pentagon during the National Victory Day Parade on Satur
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Troops march over the Memorial Bridge in Washington DC, as they head towards the Pentagon during the National Victory Day Parade in 1991. Pic: PA

During Trump’s first administration, he ordered the Pentagon to look into holding a display after a visit to France in 2017.

He was seemingly inspired after witnessing the country’s Bastille Day parade, and attempted to plan a Veteran’s Day parade for 2018. However, this was cancelled due to “ridiculously high” cost estimates.

Trump ultimately settled for a display of tanks and other armoured vehicles during a fourth of July celebration, named Salute to America, two years later.

Tanks parade past President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in 2017. Pic: AP
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Tanks parade past President Donald Trump, Melania Trump, President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in 2017. Pic: AP

What is happening on the day?

Saturday will start with a wreath-laying ceremony in the morning at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by an army birthday festival on the National Mall in DC. The festival will include equipment displays and military demonstrations.

The day will conclude with a military parade throughout the city, overseen by Trump.

After the parade, the US Army Golden Knights team will parachute in and present the president with a flag.

How much will it cost?

All the celebrations will cost the US Army between $25 million (£18.51m) and $45 million (£33.33m), officials told Reuters.

Preparations are underway in Washington DC for the celebrations. Pic: AP
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Preparations are underway in Washington DC for the celebrations. Pic: AP

These estimates include costs that will be born by the city of Washington, include litter clean up. The event will involve 18 miles of fencing and 175 metal detectors being installed in the capital.

The military has also begun taking steps to protect the streets from damage caused by heavy tanks, including laying down metal plates in some areas.

The Army said it will pay for any unexpected repairs if needed and has set aside several million dollars in case of damage.

Why is it controversial?

President Trump’s critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power, that is particularly wasteful as his administration seeks to slash federal spending.

Military vehicles are being transported to Washington DC ahead of this weekend's parade. Pic: AP
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Military vehicles are being transported to Washington DC ahead of this weekend’s parade. Pic: AP

The cost of the Army’s celebration is several million dollars more than it would have been without a parade, officials said.

Among the critics is California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been trading barbs with Trump since the outbreak of riots in LA.

“And we all know, this Saturday, he’s ordering our American heroes – the United States military – forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past,” he said.

Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom presents his revised state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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Among the critics is California Governor Gavin Newsom. Pic: AP

“This is his ego and making everything about ‘him’,” Senator Jack Reed, the top democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has also said.

But other officials have pointed out plans for the Army’s 250th birthday began before Trump won the presidential election, and it is not officially an event to mark his birthday – the dates just happen to be the same.

How will it compare to military parades around the world?

One of the criticisms of the parade is that it is a show of military might more often seen in authoritarian countries, such as North Korea, Russia, Iran and China.

This is because tanks in the streets are symbolically associated with these regimes, where they are designed to inspire nationalism and fear, whilst also promoting obedience – they often take place under the watchful eye of their country’s leader.

Russia holds its annual Victory Day parade on 9 May to commemorate the country’s Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. In recent years, it has been used to protect military strength during the Ukraine war.

A general view shows Red Square during a military parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025. Ivan Sekretarev/Host agency RIA Novosti/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
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Red Square during a military parade on Victory Day in 2025. Pic: Reuters

China holds a National Day parade on 1 October every ten years, or on key anniversaries, to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.

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In Iran, an Army Day Parade takes place in April, a month after the country’s Revolution Day celebrations.

North Korea's 2023 military parade. Pic: AP
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North Korea’s 2023 military parade. Pic: AP

North Korea holds parades on key dates like Kim Il-sung’s birthday, or the ruling party’s foundation day. Taking place in the country’s capital of Pyongyang, the display will often feature new weapons, closely watched by leader Kim Jong-un.

But not every country that holds a military parade is necessarily authoritarian.

Pic: MoD
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Pic: MoD

The UK holds its annual Trooping of the Colour every summer to celebrate the birthday of the British Monarch.

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Powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake causes tsunami in Russia’s Far East – with warnings issued for Japan, Hawaii and Alaska

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Powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake causes tsunami in Russia's Far East - with warnings issued for Japan, Hawaii and Alaska

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, causing a tsunami.

A tsunami of up to four metres (13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka Peninsula, leading to evacuations and damaging buildings, officials said.

Tsunami warnings have been issued for Japan, the Philippines, Hawaii and parts of Alaska in the US.

The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management in Hawaii has called for the evacuation of some coastal areas, writing on X: “Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected.”

The first waves in Hawaii are expected to hit at 7pm local time (6am UK time).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said waves of one to three meters (three to 10 feet) above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov had earlier said: “Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors.”

Follow latest: Tsunami live updates

Several people in the region sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister told Russia’s Tass state news agency.

“Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,” Mr Melnikov said.

Russia’s Tass news agency reported from the biggest city nearby, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, that many people ran out into the street, while cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed on roads and balconies on buildings shook noticeably.

Power outages and mobile phone service failures were also reported in the capital of the Kamchatka region.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko.

He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

A regional branch of Russia’s geophysical service has said that “significant, noticeable” aftershocks with magnitudes of up to 7.5 after expected to continue for at least another month.

Japan issued a tsunami warning, saying it expects waves as high as three metres to arrive along large coastal areas along the Pacific Ocean.

Waves off the coast of the Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan after the tsunami warning was issued. Pic: AP
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Waves off the coast of the Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan after the tsunami warning was issued. Pic: AP

It has ordered the evacuation of some areas.

The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands.

A tsunami warning also was extended to the US state of Hawaii, with the National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying a tsunami from the quake had been generated that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

A tsunami “watch” was issued for portions of the West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and was centred about 125 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000 along the coast of Avacha Bay. It revised the magnitude up twice from 8.0 and 8.7 to 8.8 earlier.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s disaster management agency has warned that the country’s coastal areas could expect “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore”.

In a national advisory alert, Civil Defence New Zealand said there was no immediate need to evacuate but said citizens should stay away from beaches and shore areas.

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Trump claims Epstein ‘stole’ Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago resort

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Trump claims Epstein 'stole' Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago resort

Donald Trump has claimed billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein “stole” prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre and other young women from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Ms Giuffre became a household name after she sued Prince Andrew for sexual abuse in August 2021 – saying he had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by his friend Epstein.

Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre but has repeatedly denied the claims and has not been charged with any criminal offences.

Mr Trump made his remarks about Ms Giuffre as his administration has faced growing pressure in recent weeks, including from within his “MAGA” base, to release files related to Epstein after he promised to do so during his 2024 presidential campaign.

The US president was speaking to reporters on Tuesday when he was asked about comments he made over the weekend about a falling-out with Epstein over employees taken from his business.

“He took people that worked for me. And I told him, ‘Don’t do it anymore.’ And he did it,” Mr Trump told reporters while on board Air Force One as he returned to the US from Scotland.

“I said, ‘Stay the hell out of here’,” the US president added.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts in 2001. Pic: Shutterstock 

Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, aged 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell at Ghislaine Maxwell's townhouse in London, Britain on March 13 2001

2001
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Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre in 2001. Pic: Shutterstock

Pressed about whether any of the employees he referred to were young women, Mr Trump said many of them worked in the spa at Mar-a-Lago.

“The answer is yes, they were in the spa,” he said. “I told him, I said, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa.’ … And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again.”

Asked if Ms Giuffre was one of the employees poached by Epstein, the US president replied: “I think she worked at the spa… I think so. I think that was one of the people. He stole her, and by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever.”

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Trump dismisses Epstein ‘witch hunt’

The White House said in a statement last week that Mr Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago because he was acting like a “creep”.

Epstein took his own life in a Manhattan prison cell in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

On Tuesday, lawyer’s for his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for recruiting young girls for the financier, said that they are open to her answering more questions from US Congress if she is granted immunity from future prosecution.

However a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee, which requested the interview with Maxwell, said the panel would not consider granting the immunity she requested.

Undated picture of Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein. File pic: US Department of Justice
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Undated picture of Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein. File pic: US Department of Justice

The former British socialite was interviewed inside a Florida courthouse by US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week.

Officials have not publicly disclosed what she said.

Mr Blanche had earlier said that Maxwell would be interviewed because of Mr Trump’s directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes in relation to the Epstein case.

Separately, Maxwell’s lawyers have urged the Supreme Court to review her conviction, saying she did not receive a fair trial.

They also say that one way she would testify “openly and honestly, in public”, is in the event of a pardon by Mr Trump, who has told reporters that such a move is within his rights but that he has not been not asked to make it.

File pic: AP
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Virginia Giuffre in 2019. File pic: AP

What had Ms Giuffre said about Mar-a-Lago?

Ms Giuffre, who took her own life in April, claimed Maxwell spotted her while she was working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago when she was a teenager in 2000.

She added that Maxwell hired her as Epstein’s masseuse, which led to sexual abuse.

She accused Epstein of pressuring her into having sex with powerful men.

Why is the Epstein case such a problem for Trump?

Rumours have circulated since Epstein’s death about who he may have supplied underage girls to and who visited his private island.

Some of those rumours quickly spiralled into conspiracy theories, which Mr Trump fanned the flames of during his campaign for a second term.

Mr Trump promised to release more Epstein files to the public if he was elected president for a second time – but is now facing a backlash from his voter base after carrying out a complete U-turn on the move.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs asks judge to release him on $50m bond as he awaits sentencing

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs asks judge to release him on m bond as he awaits sentencing

Disgraced hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked a judge to release him on a $50m bond as he waits to be sentenced for prostitution-related offences.

Combs’s lawyer has argued that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn are dangerous and noted that others convicted of similar offences were typically released before sentencing.

“Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct,” Marc Agnifilo said in a court filing on Tuesday.

“In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of John, and certainly the only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend.”

A “John” in the US is a slang term for somebody who hires a prostitute.

A spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prosecutors have previously insisted he remains a flight risk and should therefore not be granted bail.

The 55-year-old, one of the most influential hip-hop producers of all time, faces up to a decade in prison after he was convicted earlier this month of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

The charges relate to how he flew people around the US, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, for sexual encounters.

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Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after verdicts are read of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New
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Combs knelt at his chair and appeared to pray after the verdicts

Combs was cleared of three more serious charges – two for sex trafficking and one for racketeering conspiracy – following his landmark trial in New York.

A conviction on one of those charges could have put him in prison for life.

Immediately after he was acquitted of those charges on 2 July, Mr Agnifilo had asked that Combs be released on bond.

But Judge Arun Subramanian denied it, saying Combs at the time had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community”.

Combs is the latest celebrity inmate to be locked up at MDC Brooklyn, the only federal jail in New York City, joining a list that includes R Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell and cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.

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