WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Tuesday that some men may feel “insulted” by his Democratic rival Joe Biden’s commitment to choose a woman as his vice-presidential candidate.
“He roped himself into a certain group of people,” Trump told Fox Sports Radio in an early morning phone-in interview.
“Some people would say men are insulted by that and some people would say it is fine,” Trump said.
Declaring that he wants a government as diverse as the country itself, Biden committed early in his campaign, in March, that he would name a woman on the ticket. He is expected to announce his choice this week.
Only two other women have been nominated vice presidential candidates — Sarah Palin by the Republican party in 2008 and Geraldine Ferraro by the Democrats in 1984 — and neither made it into the White House. No woman has won the presidency either.
In the radio interview, Trump praised his own vice president, Mike Pence, but said bluntly: “people don’t vote for the vice president, they really don’t.”
“You can pick a George Washington to be a vice president. Let’s pick up Abraham Lincoln, coming back from the dead. They just don’t seem to vote for the vice president.”
Donald Trump says men may be ‘insulted’ by Biden’s female VP pledge
Donald Trump says men may be ‘insulted’ by Biden’s female VP pledge
- ‘Some people would say men are insulted by that and some people would say it is fine’
- Only two other women have been nominated vice presidential candidates and neither made it into the White House
Peru declares an emergency and deploys the army as violence surges in the capital
- Authorities will restrict freedom of assembly and movement during the 30 days state of emergency
LIMA: Peru’s president declared a state of emergency in the capital Monday and ordered the deployment of soldiers to help police address a surge of violence, amid widespread outcry a day after the killing of a popular singer.
President Dina Boluarte’s government published a decree saying that the state of emergency will last 30 days, and authorities will restrict some rights, including the freedom of assembly and movement. That means the police and the army would be able to detain people without a judicial order.
Peru has seen an increase of killings, violent extortion and attacks on public places in recent months. Police reported 459 killings from Jan. 1 to March 16, and 1,909 extortion reports in January alone. But outrage crested after the killing Sunday of Paul Flores, the 39-year-old lead singer of the cumbia band Armonia 10.
In Congress, opposition lawmakers requested a vote of no confidence against Interior Minister Juan José Santiváñez for what they say is a lack of a plan to fight rising violence. The vote is expected to be discussed in the Congress’ plenary later this week.
Flores was shot to death early Sunday when assailants attacked the bus he and bandmates were traveling after a concert in Lima. Cumbia is a Latin music style that people dance to the rhythm of drums, maracas and other instruments.
The attack against the popular singer was not the only violent event over the weekend. On Saturday, an object exploded at a restaurant in the capital, injuring at least 11 people.
Boluarte’s government previously decreed a state of emergency in an attempt to stem the violence between September and December.
Indonesia lawmakers to pass bill allowing more military in government
- The new draft adds more state agencies to the list, including the attorney general’s office, the state secretariat, the counter-terrorism agency and the narcotics agency
JAKARTA: Indonesia is set to pass revisions to a military law this week that will allow armed forces personnel to hold more civilian posts.
The changes were approved on Tuesday by the house committee overseeing military, defense and foreign policy and according to lawmakers will be put to a wider vote on Thursday of parliament, which is controlled by President Prabowo Subianto’s coalition.
Prabowo, a former defense minister and special forces commander who served under Suharto and was once his son-in-law, has expanded the armed forces’ role since taking power in October after winning the presidential election by a big margin. The bill includes a change introduced into a later draft requiring military officers to resign before assuming civilian roles, said Gavriel Putra Novanto, who presided over the committee’s meeting.
Current laws allow active soldiers to hold posts in organizations such as the defense ministry and state intelligence agency.
The new draft adds more state agencies to the list, including the attorney general’s office, the state secretariat, the counter-terrorism agency and the narcotics agency, Gavriel said. It also extends sitting officers’ retirement age.
The latest draft of the bill has not been made available to the public. Prabowo’s office has denied it could usher in a second “New Order” era.
Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said the revision was necessary due to current domestic and geopolitical challenges.
Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, parliament’s deputy speaker, denied the bill was being rushed through and said lawmakers had been transparent.
Russia says repelled Ukrainian assault on Belgorod region
- The Russian defense ministry said: “A total of five attacks were carried out by the enemy during the day”
- “No crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation was permitted“
MOSCOW: Russia said on Tuesday that Ukrainian army units attempted a ground assault on the Belgorod region earlier but were pushed back, in what Moscow cast as an attempt to undermine ceasefire talks with the United States.
US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a phone call earlier, in which the Russian leader agreed to a limited deal to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy targets for 30 days but no full truce.
Ukraine used up to 200 fighters in the assault, as well as “five tanks, 16 armored combat vehicles and three demolition vehicles,” the Russian defense ministry said.
“A total of five attacks were carried out by the enemy during the day,” it added.
“No crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation was permitted.”
Kyiv did not immediately comment on Russia’s accusation.
Russia has accused Ukrainian troops of launching several incursions into its territory since launching its full-scale assault on Kyiv in February 2022, including the Kursk region, where fighting has been ongoing for months.
Five charged in European Parliament Huawei bribery probe
- The five were detained last week
- Four have now been arrested and charged with active corruption
BRUSSELS: The Belgian prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday that it has charged five people in connection with a bribery investigation in the European Parliament allegedly linked to China’s Huawei.
The five were detained last week. Four have now been arrested and charged with active corruption and involvement in a criminal organization, while a fifth faces money laundering charges and has been released conditionally.
The prosecutor’s officer did not disclose the names of those involved or give information that could identify them.
It said new searches had taken place on Monday, this time at European Parliament offices. The European Parliament did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.
Huawei said last week it took the allegations seriously. “Huawei has a zero tolerance policy toward corruption or other wrongdoing, and we are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times,” it said.
The prosecutors have said the alleged corruption took place “very discreetly” since 2021 under the guise of commercial lobbying and involved payments for taking certain political stances or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches.
Ramadan on patrol: Pakistani policeman balances duty with devotion in Islamabad
- Constable Malik Mohammed Ikram says iftar hour is particularly ‘unpredictable’ as they are often caught up in patrolling, chasing suspects or responding to emergencies
- The 47-year-old, who always wanted to contribute to society’s betterment, says iftar and sahoor are secondary and duty to the public comes first
ISLAMABAD: As the daylight fades and residents sit together to break their fast amid a call for Maghreb prayer in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, Constable Malik Mohammed Ikram breaks his fast with a date and water while on duty.
The 47-year-old, who has been serving in the Islamabad police for 18 years and is currently part of their Dolphin patrolling squad, says he is proud of efficiently carrying out his duty, which takes on a different meaning during Ramadan, testing not only his endurance but also his devotion to faith.
Ikram’s schedule remains the same during Ramadan as any other day of the year, with an eight-hour shift varying between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. or 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. But the fatigue feels different while fasting, he said.
“Indeed, performing our duties during Ramadan feels different,” he told Arab News, while on duty in Islamabad’s G-6 sector within the remits of the Aabpara Police Station.
“Nonetheless, it is our responsibility and our profession. We can choose to work with a positive attitude or do it out of obligation, so we try to do it happily.”
The capital city police department does not provide any formal iftar or sahoor meals but offers whatever it can to on-duty staff, according to Ikram. The policemen manage to have quick sahoor meals before heading out for duty on most days, and if not, they swing by a government mess or food stalls at the nearby G-6 market for a quick bite.
FASTFACT
According to Pakistani policeman Malik Mohammed Ikram, being patient is part of the job, particularly during Ramadan, as fatigue and hunger can flare up tempers that hamper their duty.
Ikram, who leads a team of three other cops, says the iftar hour is particularly “unpredictable” as they often break their fast with dates, water and fruit while being caught up in patrolling, chasing suspects or responding to emergency calls.
“If we’re on duty during iftar, we have to manage on our own,” he said. “If there’s a station nearby, we go there, but there are times when the adhan is being called and we’re going for some task.”
Ikram recalls how he received an emergency call from the police control room about an accident near Zero Point just as he was about to break his fast this month and had to rush to the site to respond to the situation.
“If we are having iftar and we get a call regarding an emergency case or an accident, we have to leave everything and respond to the call,” he explained. “We also need to report our response time to the control room, letting them know how long it took us to respond after receiving the call.”
He said he was able to save a young man’s life following that call from the police control room.
“I felt really happy from the bottom of my heart,” he said, reminiscing on moments like this that remind him why he joined the police force. “The life of the man was saved due to timely treatment.”
For policemen, being patient is part of the job, particularly during Ramadan, as fatigue and hunger can flare up tempers that hamper their duty, according to Ikram.
“Our profession and the nature of duties are such that anger cannot work here, and we have to be patient,” he said.
Recalling another incident, Ikram said they were stationed near a traffic signal in the G6 sector when his team signaled for two youths riding a bike to stop, but they sped up and were eventually stopped after a long chase.
“We verified and found out that their bike was stolen. That’s why they tried to flee,” he said, highlighting that his team calmly handled the situation even though it could have turned tense.
Ikram says he is often assigned to the Red Zone, a high-security area housing key government buildings, embassies and key institutions, where shifts can run up to 16 hours even during Ramadan, but he accepts it as part of his calling.
The officer, whose other family members have also served in the police, says he always wanted to contribute to society’s betterment, which was the reason he joined the force.
“If there is an emergency during Ramadan, duty comes first,” he said. “I took up this profession because firstly, it’s all about rizq (livelihood) — Allah had written our rizq in this profession. Secondly, it was my personal choice to join the Islamabad police.”
Looking back at his years of service, Ikram says he finds fulfillment in small yet powerful moments.
“Iftar and sahoor are secondary. Duty is our responsibility, and the government pays us for it. So, duty always comes first,” he said as he picked up his radio and moved on with the routine patrol while fasting.
