Closing argument: Kamala Harris makes appeal to ordinary Americans at site of January 6 insurrection


Jihan Abdalla
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Kamala Harris on Tuesday used the closing argument of her presidential campaign to present herself to US voters as the stark opposite of her Republican challenger Donald Trump.

Days before the election on November 5, the Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee addressed tens of thousands of people who had gathered at the Ellipse in Washington, urging them to cast their vote for her.

"If you give me the chance to fight on your behalf, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way," she said.

The crowd, which police estimated was 52,000 strong, chanted "Kamala" as she took the stage, joined by her husband Doug Emhoff.

During her speech, she made an appeal to ordinary Americans, pledging to honour "the dignity of work", and tackle the high cost of health care, housing and food.

The location of Ms Harris’s speech is no accident, as it is where Mr Trump gave a speech on January 6, 2021, right before a mob of his supporters attacked the US Capitol to try to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.

"This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power," Ms Harris said of Mr Trump.

On foreign policy, she said she would always uphold security, advance national interests and "ensure that the United States of America remains as we must forever be a champion of liberty around the world".

"America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind: more chaos, more division and policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else," Ms Harris said.

Ahead of the speech, people - many wearing t-shirts featuring Ms Harris's picture and carrying signs - queued near the White House.

"During [Mr Trump's] last administration, it was a very depressing, divisive time," Tanisha Jackson, an epidemiologist living in Washington who came to attend the rally, told The National.

"Just his temperament, pettiness and demeanor - the negativity during his last administration."

Ms Harris has been campaigning since July, after Mr Biden announced that he would no longer seek a second term in office.

Since then, her campaign has focused on promoting "joy", a message that she says stands in stark contrast to the negativity espoused by Mr Trump, who often rails against immigration, the economy and the status of America in the world under the Biden administration.

Bringing Ms Harris to the top of the ticket led to a spike in enthusiasm among Democratic voters.

But the war in Gaza, now more than a year old, and the Biden administration's near unequivocal support for Israel even as the Palestinian death toll exceeds 42,000, looms heavy.

"I wish that we could have been a bit more forceful against [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu," Eric Chancellor, who came from Virginia with his wife to attend the speech, told The National. "I think what's happening in Gaza borders on genocide, and Ukraine, same thing."

Progressives from the Democratic Party, as well as Muslim and Arab Americans, have been lobbying and calling on Ms Harris to signal that, should she win, she will break from Mr Biden on his support for Israel.

Many have been calling on Ms Harris to endorse an arms embargo on Israel, as well as commit to doing more to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon.

But Ms Harris has so far given little indication that her policies on the Middle East would differ from the current administration.

Still, Sophia O'Neal, who is originally from California but now lives in Washington, said that, with Ms Harris at the helm, there is an opportunity to continue to call on her to do more.

"What's happening in Gaza right now, the genocide, I want to make sure that voices that are calling for her to do more and hold Israel accountable for their actions are heard," Ms O'Neal told The National.

"And I think there's significant opportunity to push her on that in a way that does not exist whatsoever with Donald Trump."

Polls show the two candidates are neck and neck in the seven battleground states that will determine the election.

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)

West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)

Sunday

Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)

Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).

The%20specs
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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES

All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday
Sevilla v Levante (midnight)

Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (7.15pm)
Eibar v Valencia (9.30pm)
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (11.45pm)

Sunday
Girona v Getafe (3pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7.15pm)
Las Palmas v Espanyol (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Deportivo la Coruna (11.45pm)

Monday
Malaga v Real Betis (midnight)

Company%20profile
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FA%20Cup%20semi-final%20draw
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019

Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)

Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)

Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)

Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL

Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)

Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup

Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar

Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar

Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)

Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Fitness problems in men's tennis

Andy Murray - hip

Novak Djokovic - elbow

Roger Federer - back

Stan Wawrinka - knee

Kei Nishikori - wrist

Marin Cilic - adductor

Updated: October 30, 2024, 2:02 AM