PM Wong shocked to hear about assassination attempt on Donald ...

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he was shocked to hear about the assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump.

"I am relieved to hear reports that he is safe and recovering well. Our thoughts are also with the family of the deceased and those injured and impacted by the senseless attack," Mr Wong wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday (Jul 14).

"We should never resort to violence regardless of any differences of views."

Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, in what the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said was an assassination attempt.

The Republican presidential candidate had just started his speech when the shots rang out. 

Trump, 78,  grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium before Secret Service agents swarmed and covered him.

He emerged about a minute later, with streaks of blood on the right of his face. The Republican presidential candidate pumped his fists and shouted at the audience before he was escorted off stage.

The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. 

World leaders reacted with shock to the assassination attempt against the former US president at an election rally.

They spoke out against political violence and expressed their support for those affected by the shooting on Saturday, which killed one bystander and left two other spectators critically wounded.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply concerned by the attack on my friend", adding that violence has no place in politics and democracies.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also spoke out against political attacks, saying "we must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy".

Australia's Anthony Albanese said he was "shocked by the terrible scenes" at the Trump campaign event, expressing his relief that the former US president was safe.

"This was an inexcusable attack on the democratic values that Australians and Americans share and the freedom that we treasure," Albanese said.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Luxon echoed these views, writing "no country should encounter such political violence".

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and his wife Sara "were shocked by the apparent attack on President Trump".

"We pray for his safety and speedy recovery," Netanyahu added.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the attack.

"Once again, we are witnessing unacceptable acts of violence against political representatives," the bloc's top diplomat said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday he was "appalled by the shocking scenes" at the rally. "Political violence in any form has no place in our societies," he added.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was "appalled to learn about the shooting" and wished Trump a "speedy recovery".

"Such violence has no justification and no place anywhere in the world. Never should violence prevail," he said.