WASHINGTON: Democrat Kamala Harris warned tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington at her biggest rally that her Republican opponent Donald Trump was seeking unchecked power as their tightening race for the presidency entered its final week.
Harris spoke on Tuesday evening to an outdoor rally estimated by her campaign to number more than 75,000 people at the spot near the White House where on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump addressed his supporters before they attacked the US Capitol.
“We know who Donald Trump is,” Harris said. She said the then-president sent an “armed mob” to the US Capitol to try to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
“This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power,” Harris said during what her campaign called her closing argument before a tightly contested Nov. 5 election.
More than 53 million Americans have already voted in the election, according to Election Hub at the University of Florida, in a battle that will decide who runs the world’s richest and most powerful country for four years.
Harris was flanked by American flags on stage and surrounded by blue and white banners that said “FREEDOM” with a well-lit White House behind her.
The crowd included older people and college students, people from overseas, from New York and from nearby Virginia. Many women came in groups with other female friends.
“It’s important that we do not go back to the horrible past policies under President Trump,” said Saul Schwartz, a former federal worker from Alexandria, Virginia.
“She is everything that I always wanted in a president. She is joyous. She is real, she is powerful. And she is a woman,” said Danielle Hoffmann from Staten Island, New York. “It’s time for you guys... to take a backseat because we’re driving right now,” she said, addressing men in general. Her husband, she noted, is a Trump supporter.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Tuesday showed that Harris’ lead had eroded to just 44 percent to 43 percent among registered voters.
Harris has led Trump in every Reuters/Ipsos poll since she entered the race in July, but her advantage has steadily shrunk since late September.
Trump and his allies have sought to play down the violence of Jan. 6.
Thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol, sending lawmakers fleeing for their lives after Trump’s address on the Ellipse, where as president in 2021 he told the crowd to “fight like hell” to prevent Congress from ratifying his loss.
Four people died in the ensuing riot at the Capitol, and one police officer who defended the Capitol died the following day. Trump has said that if reelected, he would pardon the more than 1,500 participants who have been charged with crimes.
“We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms,” Harris told the Washington crowd on Tuesday and urged Americans to put divisions behind them.
In Florida earlier in the day, Trump sought to move on from the racist and other vulgar remarks made by allies at his New York rally on Sunday.
Trump did not comment on the remarks made by speakers at the Sunday event where comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and disparaged Black Americans, Jewish people, Palestinians and Latinos.
Trump’s campaign had said previously that the comments about Puerto Rico did not reflect the former president’s views, but Trump on Tuesday called the New York event “an absolute lovefest” and said he was honored to be involved.
President Joe Biden drew ire from Trump’s campaign for remarks he made about the Sunday rally during a fundraising call on Tuesday.
According to a transcript posted by a White House spokesperson on X, Biden said: “the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”
Several news organizations cited the same quote but without the apostrophe.
Biden later posted on X, the social media site: “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage — which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.”
As Harris spoke in Washington, Trump visited a heavily Hispanic city in Pennsylvania, two days after Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico drew outrage at the New York rally.
The US Census Bureau says Puerto Ricans are the largest Hispanic group in Pennsylvania, a state that holds the highest number of Electoral College votes of the seven battleground states expected to decide the election.
“I’d like to begin with a very, very simple question: Are you better off now than you were four years ago? I’m here today with a message of hope for all Americans,” Trump said.
Harris, who would be the first female president, and Trump, seeking a return to office after his 2017-21 term, diverge on support for Ukraine and NATO, abortion rights, taxes, basic democratic principles and tariffs that could trigger trade wars.
On tariffs, Trump on Tuesday explicitly mentioned the European Union. “They’re brutal,” he said in Pennsylvania. “They sell millions and millions of cars in the United States. No, no, no, they are going to have to pay a big price.”
Harris warns of dangers of another Trump presidency in speech at Jan. 6 site
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Harris warns of dangers of another Trump presidency in speech at Jan. 6 site
- Harris issues warning at site where Trump urged supporters to march on US Capitol in 2021
- Campaign says over 75,000 gathered at event near White House
Indonesia arrests former trade minister in sugar import graft case
- Thomas Trikasih Lembong was named a suspect and arrested late on Tuesday by prosecutors from the attorney general’s office
- He is accused of giving the permit to a private company at a time when Indonesia had a surplus of sugar
Thomas Trikasih Lembong was named a suspect and arrested late on Tuesday by prosecutors from the attorney general’s office, accused of giving the permit to a private company at a time when Indonesia had a surplus of sugar, the office said.
“At that time, Indonesia did not need to import sugar but (Lembong) granted a permit to import 105,000 metric tonnes of raw crystal sugar,” prosecutor Abdul Qohar told a press conference.
There was no consultation with other state bodies or a recommendation from the industry ministry, he said, adding that the decision had led to losses of 400 billion rupiah ($25.42 million).
Qohar did not say what Lembong is accused of having received in return for the permit to the company, which authorities identified only by its initials, PT AP.
The attorney general’s office denied that its investigation had a political motive.
“I surrender everything to God Almighty,” media reported Lembong, handcuffed and wearing a pink detainee vest, as saying after the press conference.
Reuters could not reach Lembong or his lawyer to seek comment.
A former investment banker, Lembong was Indonesia’s trade minister between 2015 and 2016 and a close aide of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, for whom he often wrote international speeches.
But after leaving office in 2019, he became one of the staunchest critics of Jokowi’s government.
Lembong was a campaign manager in February’s presidential election for Anies Baswedan, who ran against the winner, defense minister Prabowo Subianto, widely seen as Jokowi’s preferred successor, who took office on Oct. 20
Indonesia’s sugar output in 2015 was 2.49 million metric tonnes, while consumption was 2.12 million.
Malaysian ex-PM Najib Razak ordered to enter defense in latest 1MDB trial
- The 1MDB scandal sparked investigations in the US, Switzerland and Singapore, whose financial systems were believed to have been used to launder the money
- Former prime minister began serving a 12-year jail term in August 2022 for offenses linked to the misuse of public money from former 1MDB unit SRC International
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court ruled on Wednesday that jailed former prime minister Najib Razak will have to defend himself against charges of abuse of power and money laundering linked to the scandal-wracked 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.
Presiding judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the prosecution had successfully established that Najib had a case to answer for on four counts of abuse of power linked to alleged bribes worth 2.27 billion ringgit ($517 million), as well as on 21 counts of money laundering.
“After a maximum evaluation of the evidence, I find that the prosecution has proven the ingredients of the charges,” Sequerah told the court.
Six years after first being charged, Najib was in court decked out in a navy blue suit on Wednesday, and appeared calm after hearing the decision.
The 71-year-old told the court he would take the stand in his defense at the trial, which is slated to get under way on December 2.
Each count of abuse of power is punishable by up to 20 years in jail and a fine up to five times the amount of the bribe.
Each money laundering count can incur a maximum fine of 5 million ringgit and imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
The hearing came just days after Najib issued an apology that the 1MDB scandal happened during his tenure, but maintained he had no knowledge of illegal transfers from the now-defunct state fund.
“It pains me every day to know that the 1MDB debacle happened under my watch as minister of finance and prime minister,” Najib wrote in a statement read by his son Mohamad Nizar last Thursday.
“For that, I would like to apologize unreservedly to the Malaysian people.”
Allegations that billions of dollars were pilfered from investment vehicle 1MDB and used to buy everything from a super-yacht to artworks played a major role in prompting voters to oust Najib and the long-ruling United Malays National Organization party in 2018 elections.
The 1MDB scandal sparked investigations in the United States, Switzerland and Singapore, whose financial systems were believed to have been used to launder the money.
The current case is one of five brought against Najib in 2018, and involves Tanore Finance Corp, which US authorities have said was used to syphon money from 1MDB.
Najib began serving a 12-year jail term in August 2022 for offenses linked to the misuse of public money from former 1MDB unit SRC International. The sentence was later halved by Malaysia’s pardons board.
His 1MDB audit tampering trial ended with an acquittal at the High Court in 2023.
Najib, the UK-educated son of one of Malaysia’s founding fathers, still has a pending case of criminal breach of trust involving 6.6 billion ringgit, as well as a money laundering trial involving 27 million ringgit.
The US Justice Department has said more than $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB between 2009 and 2015 by high-level officials at the fund and their associates.
Support sinks for Japan coalition after election blow
- Sunday’s snap election left the ruling coalition short of a majority for the first time since 2009
- Shigeru Ishiba has already indicated he will seek to govern a minority administration
TOKYO: Support has sunk further for Japan’s embattled ruling coalition, a new poll showed Wednesday, after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s party suffered its worst election result in 15 years.
Backing for the government nosedived to 34 percent, while its disapproval rating came to 51 percent, according to the survey by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily.
In Ishiba’s short honeymoon period after taking office on October 1, the same survey found 51 percent supported his cabinet against 32 percent who didn’t.
A separate poll by Kyodo News released Tuesday had 53 percent saying they did not want the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito to stay in power.
Sunday’s snap election left the coalition short of a majority for the first time since 2009 — when it was booted out of power for three years — 18 seats short of the 233 needed.
Ishiba has already indicated he will seek to govern a minority administration and seek approval from other parties to get legislation through parliament.
That expectation was reinforced late Tuesday when the head of potential kingmaker the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), which has 28 seats, ruled out joining the LDP in a coalition government.
“We will give all of our strength to achieve our policies and we will not join the coalition,” DPP chief Yuichiro Tamaki said at a press conference.
However, Ishiba is still courting other parties including the centrist DPP to secure parliamentary approval to remain prime minister in a vote reportedly slated for November 11.
To win their support, analysts said that Ishiba may agree to tax cuts and stimulus spending that the DPP campaigned on in the snap election.
Also likely seeking to become premier will be Yoshihiko Noda, head of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), whose seat tally rose from 96 in the last election to 148.
In a likely run-off vote, unseen in the past three decades, whoever wins the most votes will become the next leader, even if the person does not have a majority.
“The DPP is in an extremely strong position and holds a ‘casting vote’ that can decide the direction of political momentum,” Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute, said in a memo.
China, asked about Trump comments, says Taiwan could become a ‘discarded child’
BEIJING: China’s government on Wednesday implied that if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election he could ‘discard’ Taiwan given the United States has always pursued an “America first” policy.
Trump, the Republican candidate who is neck and neck in the polls with Vice President Kamala Harris, has made several comments on the campaign trail saying Chinese-claimed Taiwan should pay to be protected and accusing the island of stealing American semiconductor business.
Asked about Trump’s remarks earlier this month where said he would impose additional, massive tariffs on China if China were to “go into Taiwan” and remarks on Taiwan having to pay for protection, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Taiwan’s people had a clear understanding of US policy.
“Whether the United States is trying to protect or harm Taiwan, I believe most of our Taiwan compatriots have already made a rational judgment and know very clearly that what the United States pursues is always America first,” Zhu Fenglian told a regular news briefing, referring to a common expression Trump uses about prioritising US interests.
Taiwan’s people know that “Taiwan at any time may turn from a pawn to a discarded child,” she added, without directly using Trump’s name.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei.
Trump, in a weekend interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, repeated his claims about Taiwan “stealing” US chip business and needing to pay to be protected.
Taiwan Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei told reporters in Taipei on Wednesday he would not be commenting given the US election campaign was ongoing.
“I wish the United States well for a successful democratic election,” he added.
Taiwan received strong backing from Trump’s 2017-2021 administration, including arms sales, which have continued under the government of President Joe Biden.
The US government on Friday announced a news arms package for Taiwan worth almost $2 billion for missile systems, which, like all weapons sales to Taipei, angered Beijing.
“I sternly warn the Lai Ching-te administration that buying weapons won’t buy security,” Zhu said, referring to Taiwan’s president who China detests as a “separatist.”
Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.
Albania’s opposition blocks roads in a protest to demand a caretaker Cabinet
- The conservative Democrats led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha have long accused Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialists of corruption
TIRANA, Albania: Albanian opposition activists blocked major roads for several hours Tuesday in a nationwide rally demanding that the government be replaced by a technocratic caretaker Cabinet before the 2025 parliamentary election.
Lawmakers led hundreds of opposition supporters in rallies that blocked traffic at a main highway into the capital, Tirana, and at five other major roads around the country.
“Civil blockade, today or never!” was the motto of the protest on the website of the main opposition Democratic Party. In Tirana, opposition lawmakers parked their cars to block traffic for three hours. In other places, opposition supporters staged sit-ins at the roadside or burned tires.
The conservative Democrats led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha have long accused Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialists of corruption, manipulating earlier elections and usurping the powers of the judiciary.
Thousands of police were deployed to protect government buildings, traffic and the rule of law, and there were sporadic clashes between officers and activists before the rallies ended in the late evening.
The opposition activists lifted their blockades when their leaders pledged to take unspecified anti-government action later.
Democrats and their supporters in an opposition coalition have been holding protests over the arrests of Berisha and former President Ilir Meta in separate corruption cases, saying the charges are politically motivated. Another Democratic lawmaker, Ervin Salianji, has also been convicted of slander and imprisoned.
The Democrats have staged violent protests against the government since 2013, when they left power.
Albania holds parliamentary elections next spring, which Rama’s Socialists are poised to win, partly because the opposition is divided.
The United States and the European Union have urged the opposition to resume dialogue with the government, saying violence won’t help the country integrate into the 27-nation EU bloc.
In 2020, the EU decided to launch full membership negotiations with Albania. Earlier in October, Tirana started discussions with the bloc on how the country aligns with EU stances on the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption.
