Trump and Harris attend 9/11 memorial after brutal debate

Trump and Harris attend 9/11 memorial after brutal debate
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (L) shakes hands with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (R) during a remembrance ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terror attack, in New York City on September 11, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 12 September 2024
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Trump and Harris attend 9/11 memorial after brutal debate

Trump and Harris attend 9/11 memorial after brutal debate

NEW YORK: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump shook hands Wednesday at New York’s 9/11 memorial to mark the anniversary of the attacks, briefly putting politics aside hours after they clashed in a fiery presidential debate.

The solemn display of unity was a stark contrast to the evening before, when the Democratic vice president forced the rattled Republican former president onto the defensive in a bruising televised encounter.

Any sense of harmony from the commemoration of the 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks is likely to be short-lived, with the US election still on a knife-edge with less than eight weeks to go, despite polls showing a crushing debate win for Harris.

The 78-year-old Trump came out swinging even before the ceremony, claiming — without evidence — in an interview with Fox News that the ABC News debate in Philadelphia was “rigged” against him.

“It was a rigged deal, as I assumed it would be, because when you looked at the fact that they were correcting everything and not correcting with her,” he complained — referring to pushback from the moderators to some of his brazenly false statements.

The debate was watched by 57.5 million Americans, according to preliminary figures from ratings agency Nielsen — more than the 51.3 million who watched the catastrophic performance in June that forced President Joe Biden out of the race.

Trump appeared to be in two minds about the Harris campaign’s call for a second debate. He initially said on social media “why would I do a rematch?” but later said he’d be ready for two more.

The rivals kept their animosity hidden at the Ground Zero memorial, however, in an extraordinary encounter that also included the outgoing president.

Biden, 81, looked on as Harris and Trump shared their second handshake in the space of a few hours — having had their first ever such greeting at the start of the debate, in an unexpected move initiated by Harris.

Wearing commemorative blue ribbons, they all then watched as the names of the almost 3,000 victims of the attacks on the Twin Towers were read out.

“We stand in solidarity with their families and loved ones. We also honor the extraordinary heroism on display that fateful day by ordinary Americans helping their fellow Americans,” Harris said in a statement.

She and Biden headed later to the site in Pennsylvania where a hijacked plane crashed on 9/11, with Trump following later.

During his visit, Biden briefly donned a red “Trump 2024” cap given to him by a Trump-supporting firefighter. The image went viral but the White House said it was a gesture of “unity.”

Biden and Harris later visited the site where another jet was flown into the Pentagon outside Washington in 2001.

The solemn atmosphere could not have been more different to Wednesday night’s debate.

Both candidates declared victory but it was former prosecutor Harris who landed blows on issues including abortion, and repeatedly managed to bait convicted felon Trump into angry remarks on past grievances.

Trump also boosted a debunked claim about migrants eating pet cats and dogs in Ohio, earning a correction from the ABC moderator.

A CNN snap poll said Harris performed better than Trump by 63 percent to 37, while a YouGov poll said Harris laid out a clearer plan by 43 to 32 percent.

US media and commentators broadly agreed Harris had come out on top — but that it may not move the dial much in a deeply polarized and entrenched electorate.

“I thought Kamala did a good job... and kind of gave us hope,” Tanya James, a retired teacher from Texas, said Wednesday outside the White House.

Ikaika Juliano, a musician from Florida, thought however that the Democratic contender “is fake.”

Harris meanwhile got a boost with pop megastar Taylor Swift offering her backing minutes after the debate. Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.”

But the race remains neck and neck going into the final stretch.

Harris heads Thursday to North Carolina and Trump is due onstage in Arizona, two of the half-dozen swing states expected to decide the election.


Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony as 47th US president

Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony as 47th US president
Updated 10 sec ago
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Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony as 47th US president

Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony as 47th US president
  • Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony moved indoors due to intense cold in Washington D.C.
  • The US flag over the Capitol will be flying at full-staff for Trump’s

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will be sworn in Monday as the 47th US president taking charge as Republicans claim unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country’s institutions.
Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, moved indoors due to intense cold, will begin at noon ET. But festivities started earlier when the incoming president arrived for service at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
The US flag over the Capitol will be flying at full-staff for Donald Trump’s swearing-in.
That’s despite an order from President Joe Biden that flags be lowered for 30 days following the Dec. 29 death of former President Jimmy Carter.
Addressing a packed crowd at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, Trump stayed consistent with the framing he often used in his campaign.
He criticized Biden’s term as a “failed administration” and promised to “end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment.”
“Tomorrow, at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline and we begin a brand-new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride,” he told supporters.
Trump’s inauguration on Monday is a sign of the changing tides, where mainstream entertainers, from Nelly to The Village People are more publicly, more enthusiastically associating with the new US administration.
Eight years ago, Trump reportedly struggled to enlist stars to be part of the swearing-in and the various glitzy balls that follow. The concurrent protest marches around the nation had more famous entertainers than the swearing-in.
There were always some celebrity Trump supporters, like Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan, Jon Voight, Rosanne Barr, Mike Tyson, Sylvester Stallone and Dennis Rodman, to name a few. But Trump’s victory this time around was decisive and while Hollywood may always skew largely liberal, the slate of names participating in his inauguration weekend events has improved.
Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Village People, Lee Greenwood all performed at a MAGA style rally Sunday. Those performing at inaugural balls include the rapper Nelly, country music band Rascal Flatts, country singer Jason Aldean and singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw.
Trump may be breaking a tradition on Inauguration Day. No heads of state have previously made an official visit to the US for the inauguration.
It’s not clear whether foreign leaders will attend the swearing-in ceremony or other events related such as inaugural balls.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni have spoken about being invited. The offices of Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña have also said they were invited and were planning to attend. The Salvadoran ambassador to the US said there had been an invitation to the country’s President Nayib Bukele, but he is not likely to attend.
Last month, Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, had been invited. Jinping is unlikely to attend and it’s not clear whether he would send another official.


UAE partnership gives boost to Philippines’ energy transition

UAE partnership gives boost to Philippines’ energy transition
Updated 20 January 2025
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UAE partnership gives boost to Philippines’ energy transition

UAE partnership gives boost to Philippines’ energy transition
  • Coal still accounts for over half of Philippines’ power generation
  • Cooperation with Masdar will provide up to 1 GW of clean power by 2030

MANILA: The Philippines is on track to achieve its energy transition goals following a $15 billion renewable energy deal with UAE’s state-owned energy firm Masdar to develop solar, wind and battery energy storage systems.

Manila has been working to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and aims to increase the share of renewable sources in the energy mix from around 22 percent currently to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

The deal with Masdar, which was signed last week in Abu Dhabi, will provide up to 1 gigawatt of clean power by 2030, with plans to scale up to 10 GW by 2035, according to the Philippines’ Department of Energy.

“This collaboration will significantly advance our goal of achieving 35 percent renewable energy in power generation by 2030,” Philippine Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said in a statement.

The new partnership followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s inaugural visit to the UAE last November, which saw the two countries signing various new agreements, including in investment, artificial intelligence and energy transition.

The deal with Masdar will not only increase energy security in the Philippines but also deliver “significant economic benefits” for the country as it creates new jobs and drives technology transfer, Lotilla said.

“Together, we are positioning the Philippines as a regional leader in sustainable energy.”

The project also marks Masdar’s entry into the Philippines’ renewables market.

The Southeast Asian nation has been exploring clean and sustainable options to generate power as the country regularly suffers outages and faces high tariffs. Coal is the main source of electricity in the Southeast Asian state, accounting for more than half of its power generation.


Indonesia opens carbon credit market to foreign buyers to help finance climate action

Indonesia opens carbon credit market to foreign buyers to help finance climate action
Updated 20 January 2025
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Indonesia opens carbon credit market to foreign buyers to help finance climate action

Indonesia opens carbon credit market to foreign buyers to help finance climate action
  • Initial carbon credit certificates up for trade are worth 1.78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
  • Jakarta has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, plans to build 75 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity

JAKARTA: Indonesia began offering carbon credit certificates for international buyers on Monday, as one of the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters seeks to raise funds to achieve its climate goals.

The move comes after countries agreed on the rules for a global market to buy and sell carbon credits at the COP29 climate conference last November, which its proponents say will mobilize billions of dollars into projects to help fight climate change.

Indonesia is ready to issue carbon credit certificates from emission reductions from a number of power projects on Java island worth about 1.78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said.

“The implementation of international carbon trading is a reflection of Indonesia’s commitment following COP29,” he said at a launching ceremony in Jakarta.

“It can be ensured that the emission reduction certificates issued by Indonesia are of high integrity … It is hoped that this will serve as (a) foundation for global climate action that (turns) ambition into action, aligning economic growth with environmental responsibility.”

Carbon credits are generated by activities that avoid or reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas. They can be purchased by companies or countries seeking to “offset” or cancel out some of their own emissions to help reach their climate goals.

Indonesia, an archipelago with the world’s third-largest rainforest area, is one of the world’s biggest polluters. It has pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2060, including by phasing out hundreds of coal-fired power plants and replacing them with renewables.

With goals to build around 75 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2040, the government plans to raise some of the required funds through carbon offset projects.

Monday’s launch was an “important milestone in our collective journey towards a sustainable future,” Nurofiq said.

Indonesia’s carbon credit market has attracted little interest after it was first launched for domestic players in September 2023.

Trading value as of December 2024 was 50.64 billion rupiah ($3.10 million), while trading volume reached 908,018 tons of CO2e, according to Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority.


Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim

Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim
Updated 20 January 2025
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Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim

Trial opens into UK stabbing spree that sparked riots over misinformation attacker was Muslim
  • Authorities blame far-right agitators for violence, including by sharing misinformation alleged attacker was Muslim asylum seeker
  • Unrest, which lasted several days, saw far-right rioters attack police, shops, hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques

LONDON: The trial of a teenager accused of killing three young girls in a stabbing spree last year that sparked the UK’s most violent riots in a decade is set to begin Monday.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, is due to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court, accused of murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year in Southport, northwest England.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed in the attack in the seaside resort near Liverpool on July 29, 2024.

Ten others were injured, including eight children, in one of the country’s worst mass stabbings in years.

Rudakubana faces a total of 16 charges, including three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing a blade days after the attack.

The trial is expected to last four weeks after pleas of not guilty were entered on his behalf.

The stabbings sent shock waves across the UK, triggering unrest and riots in more than a dozen English and Northern Irish towns and cities, including in Southport and Liverpool.

Authorities blamed far-right agitators for fueling violence, including by sharing misinformation claiming the alleged attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

The unrest, which lasted several days, saw far-right rioters attack police, shops, hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques, with hundreds of participants subsequently arrested and charged.

Rudakubana was born in Wales to parents of Rwandan origin and lived in Banks, a village northeast of Southport.

Despite being 17 years old at the time, restrictions on reporting Rudakubana’s name were lifted in August due to concerns over the spread of misinformation.

“Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum,” judge Andrew Menary said as he lifted the restrictions.

Taylor Swift, then in the middle of her Eras tour, wrote on Instagram that she “was completely in shock” the day after the attack on the dance class at the start of the school holidays.

The pop star reportedly met two of the survivors of the attack during her August shows in London.

The UK’s head of state King Charles III also traveled to Southport in August to meet with survivors, inspecting a sea of floral tributes laid outside the city’s town hall.

And Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William visited Southport in October “to show support to the local community,” Kensington Palace said. It was their first joint public engagement since Kate ended a course of chemotherapy for cancer.

In October, the suspect was charged with two additional offenses in relation to evidence obtained “during searches of Axel Rudakubana’s home address” following the attack, the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS), which brings public prosecutions, said.

The charges were for the “production of a biological toxin, namely ricin,” and “possessing information ... likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.”

The terrorism offense related to suspicion of possessing an Al-Qaeda training manual, although the attack was not treated as a terrorist incident.

Following speculation on social media related to policing decisions in the case, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said she realized the added charges could trigger fresh rumors.

“We would strongly advise caution against anyone speculating as to motivation in this case,” Kennedy was quoted as saying.

She urged people to be patient and “don’t believe everything you read on social media.”

Rudakubana has appeared in several hearings since the attack, often wearing a grey sweatshirt, and refusing to speak in all of them.

In the last hearing in December, he appeared via videolink at Liverpool Crown Court from high-security Belmarsh prison, in southeast London.

The Attorney General and Merseyside police have warned the press and public against publishing any material that risks prejudicing the trial.


Russia says captured two more villages in east Ukraine

Russia says captured two more villages in east Ukraine
Updated 20 January 2025
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Russia says captured two more villages in east Ukraine

Russia says captured two more villages in east Ukraine

MOSCOW: Russian forces have captured two more villages in east Ukraine, including one just a few kilometers from Pokrovsk, a key supply hub for Kyiv’s forces, the defense ministry said Monday.
Army units “liberated” Shevchenko and Novoyegorivka in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk respectively, it said. Shevchenko is around three kilometers (two miles) from Pokrovsk.