Live updates: Follow the latest on Donald Trump’s inauguration
During Donald Trump's swearing-in for his second term as US president on January 20, those watching may notice a curious sight: some flags across Washington will be flown at half-mast.
This year, the presidential transition will take place during a national month of mourning for former president Jimmy Carter.
Why is the US flag being flown at half-mast?
When former presidents die, federal flag code states that the country marks the loss by flying the US flag at half-mast nationwide.
Mr Carter died on December 29, at the age of 100. Following Mr Carter's death, flags were lowered to half-mast for 30 days.
President Joe Biden ordered that “the flag of the United States be displayed at half-mast at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds” as a way to give “honour and tribute to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr, and as an expression of public sorrow”.
Mr Biden directed that the flag be displayed at half-mast for “all military posts and naval stations” across the US and its territories until January 28. The instruction also applies to US “embassies, legations, consular offices and other facilities abroad”.
The flag code was first issued in a proclamation by president Dwight Eisenhower.
Why are some flags half-mast and others full-mast on inauguration day?
Washington will see an array of US flags both full-mast and half-mast on inauguration day because of conflicting orders.
Mr Trump will be sworn-in at the US Capitol where flags will be at full-mast due to an order from House Speaker Mike Johnson, an ally of Mr Trump.
“On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-mast to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump,” he said in a post on X. “The flags will be lowered back to half-mast the following day to continue honouring President Jimmy Carter.”
The move is not unprecedented. President Richard Nixon raised flags for a day in February 1973 to honour the first American prisoners of war released from Vietnam during a 30-day mourning period ordered for president Lyndon Johnson.
However, Mr Trump will walk and travel through Washington where federal flags at half-mast are still under Mr Biden's order. The new president will also enter a White House with flags at half-mast.
Has Trump commented on the flags being lowered?
“The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at 'half-mast' during my Inauguration,” Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess!”
Mr Trump acknowledged Mr Carter's death was the reason the flags will be at half-mast during the inauguration. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it,” he wrote.
Flags flew at half-mast during President Nixon's second inauguration in January 1973, following the death of former president Harry Truman.
Trump inauguration 2025
When is Donald Trump's inauguration?
What happens at the swearing-in ceremony?
Who is going to Trump's inauguration?
Can Trump or anyone else put flags at full-mast?
Yes, Mr Trump or anyone else can display US flags at full-mast if they choose to. The flag code is viewed as federal guidance and not as law.
After being sworn in on January 20, Mr Trump is free to end Mr Biden's order and issue direction to display US flags at full-mast nationally and globally.
The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has also ordered that flags be flown at full-mast on inauguration day. “As we unite our country and usher in this new era of leadership, I ordered all flags to be raised to full-mast at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings for the inauguration of President Trump,” he wrote in a statement.
“While we honour the service of a former president, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming president and the bright future ahead for the United States of America.”
Towering concerns
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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Manchester United 0
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
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Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
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Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
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2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
