Violence, threats hang over Trump-Harris race after turbulent weekend ---AFP

Duelling campaigns set to march on with little interruption Washington: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Monday head into a newly intense phase of the US presidential campaign, with tensions heightened after a second apparent assassination attempt against the Republican former president. The Sunday arrest of a gunman on Donald Trump’s golf course came the same day as more bomb threats poured into Springfield, Ohio, a small Midwestern city at the centre of Republican-led conspiracies against immigrants. But the duelling campaigns are set to march on with little interruption, a day after the Secret Service confirmed one or more of its agents “opened fire on a gunman” located near the boundary of Trump’s Florida golf course, and that an “AK-47 style rifle” with a scope was recovered along with a GoPro video camera. The FBI said it was “investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.” US media named the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who had expressed support for Ukraine and had a lengthy arrest record. Authorities said they had not identified a specific motive or political ideology for the shooter behind the previous bid on Trump’s life, at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump was wounded in the ear in the July 13 shooting. Authorities on Sunday said it wasn’t clear whether a gunman actually fired a weapon in the direction of the former president before the Secret Service engaged the shooter. Harris and President Joe Biden both denounced the attack on Trump, with Biden saying “There is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country.” Vice President Harris, the Democratic nominee who will face ex-president Trump at the polls November 5, said in a statement Sunday she was “disturbed by the possible assassination attempt” and “thankful that former president Trump is safe.” The same day, Clark State College, in Springfield, announced it would hold classes virtually this week, after receiving bomb and shooting threats over the weekend. Bomb threats The move comes on the fourth consecutive day of threats of bombings and other violence that have targeted the local city hall, public schools and nearby college Wittenberg University, following racist rumours about local Haitian immigrants pushed by Republicans including Trump. What started as municipal growing pains in a rapidly growing city have morphed into allegations of an “invasion” by “illegal” Haitian newcomers, baselessly accused of stealing and eating people’s pets and causing a crime wave. Threats have hit hospitals, schools and municipal buildings since Trump declared the immigrants were stealing and eating resident’s pets at Tuesday’s presidential debate. Some Haitians living in the city have told AFP they are scared for their lives. ‘Hate’ for Taylor Swift Adding to the country’s acrimonious political atmosphere, Trump posted on his Truth Social website that “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Earlier this week, the superstar singer/songwriter posted a message on Instagram saying she would be voting for Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader.” Celebrity endorsements rarely carry enormous weight, but the hugely popular Swift is seen as being in a class of her own, with more than 400 million followers on Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms - 10 million of whom “liked” her Instagram post. It was not clear what Trump hoped to gain by attacking Swift, though he may calculate that any publicity is better than none. He has been criticised, even by fellow Republicans, for his recent association with conspiracy-minded right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has at times joined him on his campaign plane. The 31-year-old Loomer - who has called the September 11 terror attacks an “inside job” and said some of the country’s recent mass shootings were staged by Democrats - recently suggested that Swift had entered an “arranged relationship” with football star Travis Kelce “to influence the 2024 election.” There is no evidence to support any of those claims. The race between Trump and Harris remains tight across the battleground states that will decide the election.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UP Diliman Professors Share Scientists’ Procurement Struggles at Senate Hearing

By Harvey Sapigao Senate hearing of the revised procurement law (Photo credit: Senate of the Philippines) College of Science (CS) Dean Giovanni Tapang held up a little white device as he finished his presentation. “This is a ₱150,000 component,” he described. “Isa lang gumagawa nito sa buong mundo, pero ang hirap pilitin sila na magregister sa PhilGEPS,” he continued, referring to the requirement that foreign companies must first register to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) before they can sell products to local scientists. Marine Science Institute (MSI) Deputy Director Dr. Irene Rodriguez explained that the small device is a resin that filters metals in water. “May budget tayo,” she said, “pero ang problema ko ay ‘yung resin na ito.” This and other bottlenecks brought about by the procurement law, or the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184), slow down research and development in the country. UPD leaders were invited to the Senate he
Read more

How war is putting Middle East aviation at risk ---AL JAZEERA

The human suffering in Gaza is accompanied by losses that are undermining this vital industry With more than 40 years' experience in aviation, including a stint as chief executive Bahrain's Gulf Air and sitting on the International Air Transport Association's Board of Governors, Royal Jordanian’s CEO Samer Majali is someone who knows the industry in the Middle East – and its challenges – like few others. In an exclusive interview with The National yesterday, he spoke for many executives when he described how six months of violence in Israel and Palestine had hurt his airline and the region’s economy. While the human cost is, of course, the biggest, and Palestinian society is bearing the brunt of this war, its consequences are far reaching. The plummeting bookings, operational difficulties and financial losses being experienced by the aviation sector are being exacerbated by a widespread perception that the Middle East is in turmoil. “They lump the region as a homogeneous
Read more

Azerbaijan looks to enhance ties with Kuwait --- By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Azerbaijani Ambassador to Kuwait Emil Karimov stated that the strong and historical ties between Kuwait and Azerbaijan pave the way for further strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors. During an iftar held by the embassy for local media, the ambassador said “With a focus on tourism, food, and education, both countries are poised to enhance collaboration and mutual exchange of expertise.” He noted that 30,000 Kuwaiti tourists visited Azerbaijan during the past year. Regarding the trade between the two countries, the ambassador said that the volume of trade exchange for the year 2023 reached $665,000 and Azerbaijan is keen to increase trade exchange with Kuwait. He said the Kuwaiti side has expressed an interest in importing food products from Azerbaijan, signaling a desire to diversify its sources of agricultural goods and strengthen economic ties to enhance trade relations. To deepen cultural understanding and foster people-to-people connections between the t
Read more