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Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris

Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris
US vice president Kamala Harris and former US president Barack Obama attend an event to mark the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act in the White House on April 5, 2022. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Updated 10 October 2024
AFP
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Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris

Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris
  • America’s first Black president is hitting the campaign trail in the steel city of Pittsburgh
  • Obama’s trip to Pennsylvania is the first stop in what will be a month of campaigning for Harris
Updated 10 October 2024
AFP
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WASHINGTON: Former US president Barack Obama will bring his star power to Kamala Harris’s election campaign Thursday in a bid to get out the vote in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.
America’s first Black president is hitting the campaign trail in the steel city of Pittsburgh a day after Harris’s Republican rival Donald Trump charged through the must-win state.
The still hugely influential Democrat will be urging people to vote early in person or by mail as Harris looks to lock in as many votes as she can in a nail-biting race.
Trump rallied on Wednesday in President Joe Biden’s childhood hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania and will head on Thursday to the auto industry capital of Detroit in Michigan, another battleground.
Wooing blue-collar voters in the former coal mining town of Scranton, Trump vowed to “drill, baby, drill” for oil and assailed Harris on the economy.
Harris will head to yet another swing state, Nevada, to reach out to Latino voters but the White House said she would be kept informed throughout the day about Hurricane Milton.
The monster hurricane crashed into Florida late Wednesday with Biden warning that it could be the “storm of the century.”
Obama’s trip to Pennsylvania is the first stop in what will be a month of campaigning for Harris in the seven swing states where the 2024 election is likely to be decided.
The White House race remains neck-and-neck between Harris and Trump both nationally and in the battleground states, including Pennsylvania.
Harris’s campaign is counting on Obama, 63, who was president from 2009 to January 2017, to mobilize Black and young voters as she seeks the edge on November 5.
But Obama’s main message on Thursday will be to drive home the early voting message in an agonizingly close race.
Democrats have historically favored early voting over Republicans.
Trump has meanwhile frequently lashed out against anything except on-the-day voting, repeatedly blaming mail-in ballots for his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden, which he still refused to accept.
The Republican himself has also sometimes called early voting into question, despite efforts by his campaign to promote it.
“President Obama believes the stakes of this election could not be more consequential and that is why he is doing everything he can to help elect Vice President Harris,” Obama’s senior adviser Eric Schultz said in a statement.
Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama delivered rapturously received speeches backing Harris at the Democratic National Convention in his hometown of Chicago in August.
He portrayed Harris — America’s first woman, Black and South Asian vice president — as the political heir to his own trailblazing path.
Obama led the crowd in chants of “Yes she can” — a riff on the “Yes he can” chants from his own 2008 campaign — but warned that 2024 would “still be a tight race in a closely divided country.”
The ex-president has also pulled in more than $76 million for the Democratic ticket in this year’s presidential race.
The ex-president endorsed Harris, 59, after Biden dramatically dropped out of the White House race in July.

Topics: US Barack Obama Kamala Harris

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Fire at Chechnya petrol station kills four, including children

Fire at Chechnya petrol station kills four, including children
Updated 5 sec ago
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Fire at Chechnya petrol station kills four, including children

Fire at Chechnya petrol station kills four, including children
Updated 5 sec ago
“Unfortunately, four people died, including two children,” Russia’s emergency ministry said
Officials said the petrol station is on Grozny’s Mohammad Ali Avenue

MOSCOW: A fire at a petrol station in Russia’s Chechnya killed four people, including two children, emergency services said Saturday.
Authorities released images of more than two dozen firefighters extinguishing the blaze at an almost totally destroyed petrol station with burnt-out cars in Chechnya’s main city, Groznyy.
“Unfortunately, four people died, including two children,” Russia’s emergency ministry said.
It said the fire had been put out.
Officials said the petrol station is on Grozny’s Mohammad Ali Avenue, close to the center of the Chechen capital.
Social media videos showed a large explosion with flames going into the air.
Russia’s North Caucasus has seen several deadly blasts at service stations recently.
Last month, an explosion at a petrol station in the neighboring Dagestan region killed 13 people. In August 2023, a similar explosion killed 35 people in Dagestan and injured dozens.

Ukrainian recruiters descend on Kyiv’s nightlife in search of men not registered for conscription

Ukrainian recruiters descend on Kyiv’s nightlife in search of men not registered for conscription
Updated 10 min 22 sec ago
AP
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Ukrainian recruiters descend on Kyiv’s nightlife in search of men not registered for conscription

Ukrainian recruiters descend on Kyiv’s nightlife in search of men not registered for conscription
  • It is unusual for such raids to take place in the capital, and reflects Ukraine’s dire need for fresh recruits
  • All Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country
Updated 10 min 22 sec ago
AP

KYIV: Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance, local media reported Saturday.
Officers reportedly descended on Kyiv’s Palace of Sports venue after a concert Friday night by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy. Video footage aired by local media outlets appears to show officers stationed outside the doors of the concert hall intercepting men as they exit. In the footage, officers appear to be forcibly detaining some men.
Checks were also conducted at Goodwine, an upscale shopping center, and Avalon, a popular restaurant.
It is unusual for such raids to take place in the capital, and reflects Ukraine’s dire need for fresh recruits. All Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country.
Local reports said raids were also conducted in clubs and restaurants across other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Dnipro in eastern and central Ukraine.
Ukraine has intensified its mobilization drive this year. A new law came into effect this spring stipulating that those eligible for military service must input their information into an online system or face penalties.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said on Saturday that it struck a Russian-controlled oil terminal in the partially occupied Luhansk region that provides fuel for Russia’s war effort.
“Oil and oil products were stored at this base, which were supplied, in particular, for the needs of the Russian army,” Ukraine’s General Staff wrote on Telegram.
Russian state media reported that the terminal close to the city of Rovenky had come under attack from a Ukrainian drone and said there were no casualties and that the fire had been extinguished, but did not comment on the extent of any damage.
On Monday, Ukrainian forces said they struck a major oil terminal on the south coast of the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula.
Both sides are facing the issue of how to sustain their costly war of attrition — a conflict that started with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and that shows no signs of a resolution.
Ukraine’s aim is to impair Russia’s ability to support its front-line units, especially in the eastern Donetsk region where the main Russian battlefield effort is stretching weary Ukrainian forces.
Kyiv is still awaiting word from its Western partners on its repeated requests to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said 47 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed by its air defense systems overnight into Saturday: 17 over the Krasnodar region, 16 over the Sea of Azov, 12 over the Kursk region and two over the Belgorod region, all of which border Ukraine.
Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said Saturday that one person had been killed and 14 wounded in Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks over the previous 24 hours.
In Ukraine, the country’s Air Force said air defenses had shot down 24 of 28 drones launched overnight against Ukraine.
Zaporizhzhia regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said two women were wounded Saturday in Russian attacks on the capital of the southern Ukrainian region, also called Zaporizhzhia.

Topics: Russia-Ukraine Conflict Kyiv Ukrainian army

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Tribal clashes kill at least 11 people in Pakistan

Tribal clashes kill at least 11 people in Pakistan
Updated 12 October 2024
AP
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Tribal clashes kill at least 11 people in Pakistan

Tribal clashes kill at least 11 people in Pakistan
  • Vehicles were targeted in different areas of the district, leading to more casualties
  • Efforts were being made to secure travel routes and restore normalcy
Updated 12 October 2024
AP

PESHAWAR: Tribal clashes killed at least 11 people in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday and injured eight, including women and children, a local official said.
Tensions rose in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, after two people were critically injured in a shooting incident between rival tribes. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the shooting.
Vehicles were targeted in different areas of the district, leading to more casualties, said senior official Javedullah Khan.
Khan said efforts were being made to secure travel routes and restore normalcy. The injured were taken to a hospital.
Pir Haider Ali Shah, a former parliamentarian and member of a tribal council, said elders had arrived in Kurram to mediate a peace agreement between the tribes.
“The recent firing incidents are regrettable and have hampered efforts for lasting peace,” he said.
Last month, at least 25 people were killed in days of clashes between armed Shiites and Sunni Muslims over a land dispute. Although both live together largely peacefully in the country, tensions have existed for decades between them in some areas, especially in Kurram, where Shiites dominate in parts of the district.

Topics: Pakistan tribal clashes kurram district

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How Filipino content creator makes country’s natural heritage a TikTok hit

How Filipino content creator makes country’s natural heritage a TikTok hit
Updated 12 October 2024
Samantha Beltran
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How Filipino content creator makes country’s natural heritage a TikTok hit

How Filipino content creator makes country’s natural heritage a TikTok hit
  • Environment and travel writer Celine Murillo moved to TikTok platform in 2022
  • With 620,000 followers, she sheds light on little-known flora and fauna of the Philippines
Updated 12 October 2024
Samantha Beltran

MANILA: When Celine Murillo traded the bustling streets of Manila for the nature of Bicol region 400 km south, she began to use TikTok to share her journey — a decision that soon shot her to social media fame.

Almost three years later, Murillo’s account has over 620,000 followers. Filled with conversational content and tidbits in under two minutes, her content resonates with viewers of all ages who appreciate learning more about the plants and animals they see around them.

An experienced travel writer, she was creating long-form content for years. But the outreach was not yet enough to make a difference. It was her social media venture that changed it.

“For almost a decade, I’ve been creating stories about the natural world — written features, photo stories, and, ultimately, documentaries. While these have been fulfilling, I felt like they were reaching the people that already cared. There was this dread of being in an echo chamber,” she told Arab News.

“(I asked myself), ‘Where’s the audience? How can I make the message reach more of them?’ These were the questions I consistently mulled over. And the answer I came to was TikTok.”

It all clicked as Filipinos were eager to learn about their country’s rich biodiversity.

Murillo travels with her husband Dennis, who shoots and edits their content as they explore the Philippines’ natural wonders — from hiking in the mountains to documenting endangered species.

One of the videos about a yellow-vented bulbul, a common bird in the Philippines, has earned 12 million views, while the views on her series called “Saribuhay sa Salapi” (Biodiversity in Local Currency) range from over 1 million to 3 million views for each clip.

Celine Murillo and her husband and video producer Dennis during one of their field trips. (Celine Murillo)

With the number of her followers growing, Murillo realized there was great interest among Filipinos to learning about their own natural heritage — something that many were never introduced to, as the Philippines’ native flora and fauna was not a subject typically covered in school curricula.

“It makes me sad and a little angry that foreign species like lions and cherry blossoms are more known to Filipinos and more prominent in popular culture than our own local biodiversity,” she said.

“This should be taught in schools. This should be inculcated in our psyche.”

The lack of knowledge and awareness stems, according to her, from a systemic issue of long-held colonial narratives.

“For so long, all of our institutions forward colonial ideas. This is true in all aspects of our lives as Filipinos, even in the way we perceive our environment,” she said.

“We see nature as something to profit from, and ultimately exploit and abuse. That’s why I’m proud of my work because it has started a resurgence in interest, a remembering that our natural heritage is just as amazing and worthy of attention, that it’s inherently valuable, even without factoring in how much money we can profit from it.”

Living with indigenous communities and working, among others, with Climate Tracker Asia — a non-profit committed to enhancing climate journalism — Murillo has witnessed the situation on the ground and the fight of those trying to stop the destruction of the environment, which to her was linked to the continuing presence of “colonial systems” that “allow the wanton abuse and oppression of people, communities, and our natural treasures.”

She is trying to address this, making more people aware by sharing online the knowledge of experts, conservation institutions and grassroots groups she has learnt from.

“My work as a storyteller and communicator is built on the collective knowledge and experiences of scientists and Indigenous communities. I am a proud product of their legacies ... “I’m so happy that the online community is empowered to share their experiences, in the context of their cultural and personal history,” she said.

“I know my work in social media is barely scratching the surface, but I hope this will instill a sense of wonder to the viewer, and hopefully, this will turn into love. In time, we will collectively harness this love to create a better, kinder, more compassionate world.”

Topics: Philippines TikTok Celine Murillo

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Nuclear deterrence still at heart of great power strategy — experts

Nuclear deterrence still at heart of great power strategy — experts
Updated 12 October 2024
AFP
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Nuclear deterrence still at heart of great power strategy — experts

Nuclear deterrence still at heart of great power strategy — experts
  • While none of the countries possessing nuclear weapons have used them in war since 1945, the implicit or even explicit threat to do so is part of their arsenal
  • Moscow has repeatedly brandished the nuclear threat in a bid to dissuade the West from supporting Ukraine, which has been fending off Russia’s invasion since 2022
Updated 12 October 2024
AFP

PARIS: Nuclear-armed powers have no intention of giving up the atom bomb as part of their military strategy, experts said after the Nobel Peace Prize committee urged against any weakening of the nuclear “taboo.”
Awarding this year’s peace prize to Japan’s Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors pushing for a nuclear weapons ban, the committee said on Friday the atom bomb attacks on both Japanese cities in 1945 had led to a “nuclear taboo” which had, however, come under “pressure” since.
While none of the countries possessing nuclear weapons have used them in war since 1945, the implicit or even explicit threat to do so is part of their arsenal.
Moscow has repeatedly brandished the nuclear threat in a bid to dissuade the West from supporting Ukraine, which has been fending off Russia’s invasion since February 2022.
According to Alexander Gabuev, Director at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, it was “no coincidence” that Russian President Vladimir Putin made a nuclear threat on the eve of a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky about Kyiv’s possible use of missiles capable of striking Russian territory.
The Nobel committee wanted to send “a strong signal” to Russia, said Bruno Tertrais, political scientist at France’s Strategic Research Foundation.
Russia, he said, had “normalized,” even “trivialized,” talk of a nuclear weapons use since its invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin is not alone.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week his country would use nuclear weapons “without hesitation” if attacked by South Korea and it ally, the United States.
And in the Middle East, Israel, the region’s only nuclear-armed state, has vowed a “deadly, precise and surprising” response to Iran’s direct strike on Israeli territory on October 1.
Tehran, meanwhile, has significantly ramped up its nuclear program and now has enough material to build more than three atomic bombs, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Tehran insists its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and designed to produce energy.
“The logic of deterrence is firmly entrenched in countries that have nuclear weapons,” said Tertrais, adding however that the risk of atomic bomb use “is no greater now than five years ago.”
Standard nuclear doctrine — developed during the Cold War between super powers the United States and the Soviet Union — is based on the assumption that such weapons will never have to be used because their impact is so devastating, and because nuclear retaliation would probably bring similar destruction on the original attacker.
This is why China has never given up its “no first strike” doctrine, said Lukasz Kulesa, Director of Proliferation and Nuclear Policy at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
Other countries have also signalled that nuclear arms use would be a last resort while not ruling it out completely to maintain credibility in the eyes of opponents, said Kulesa.
But keeping a safe balance between threat and restraint can never be risk-free, he warned.
“There is always a possibility of failure. There is also a possibility of inadvertent escalation that can go all the way to the nuclear level,” Kulesa said.
Countries possessing nuclear weapons today are the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea.
Israel is also widely assumed to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons, although it has never officially acknowledged this.

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