Trump speaks at a celebration to mark 250 years of US independence

President Donald Trump spoke on the National Mall in Washington DC, after severe storms disrupted July 4th celebrations.

Also in today's programme: Mali's army says it's repelled attacks by Islamist militants and their separatist Tuareg allies in several areas across the country; and, our reporter speaks to classical violinist and composer Nigel Kennedy known for his boundary pushing music.

Presenter Julian Worricker is joined by Timandra Harkness, a British writer, broadcaster and in her own words, a lapsed comedian and Jeremy Cliffe, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank in Berlin.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump holds Fourth of July rally, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence in Washington. 5 July 2026. Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)