Revelations that FBI agents thwarted a plot by far-right militiamen to storm Michigan's capitol building and kidnap its governor have raised the stakes in what was already a tense United States presidential election.
The foiled plan to oust Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer followed months of sometimes-violent racial justice protests in US cities that in August led to the killing of two protesters by teenage militia member Kyle Rittenhouse in Wisconsin.
For many, the cocktail of racial hostility, political polarisation, widely-available assault rifles, economic hardship from Covid-19 and a Republican president whose re-election effort has featured vocal support for extremists, is a cause for concern.
The National spoke to analysts who said white supremacist groups are likely to assemble at polling stations and intimidate voters on November 3, but a bigger danger lies in any post-election debacle over disputed results and claims of voter fraud.
“The threat of violence from far-right groups is always there, but we’re now seeing a progression in rhetoric and public appearances and this incident in Michigan is a new low,” said Vegas Tenold, a researcher at the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-Semitism watchdog.
“We’re extremely concerned about violence and interference in the election.”
The FBI criminal complaint on the abduction of Michigan's governor reads like a Hollywood movie plot: fanatics huddled in a secret basement conspiring to storm government offices and stage a “treason” trial over Ms Whitmer’s strict coronavirus lockdown rules.
While the plan was foiled by an undercover agent, it has shone a spotlight on the growing presence and confidence of far-right white men, some with guns and military training, ahead of a contentious election.
Reports suggest the conspirators were linked to the Boogaloo Bois — a militant movement whose assault rifle-toting members attend protests wearing colourful Hawaiian shirts and believe the US is headed for a second civil war.
Other far-right groups include the Oath Keepers, an anti-government, gun-rights ensemble made up of former policemen and others, and the Proud Boys: self-proclaimed “western chauvinists” who are known for their Fred Perry shirts and anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric.
Far-right groups were once active on Facebook and Twitter but account purges by mainstream social media sites have seen them migrate to the instant messaging platform Telegram and uncensored online venues like Parler and Gab.
A Department of Homeland Security report this week warned that white supremacists have been behind more lethal attacks on US soil than any other movement these past three years and remain the country’s deadliest domestic terror threat.
The document outlined extremists’ “longstanding intent” to target racial and religious minorities, non-heterosexual groups, politicians, leftists and multi-culturalists, often in pursuit of a white, American ethnostate.
At the other end of the political spectrum is Antifa, an amorphous left-wing anti-fascist movement with a hardcore, armed “black bloc” contingent. Followers have spearheaded protests against police violence and racial injustice this past year.
Clashes between the rival groups have escalated. In August, Mr Rittenhouse, 17, allegedly shot and killed two leftist protesters and injured a third with a military-style rifle at a race protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He faces homicide charges and claims self-defence.
Last month, police shot and killed Michael Reinoehl, 48, a self-declared anti-fascist activist who was being pursued for fatally shooting a right-wing counterprotester during weeks of race rallies and politicised street clashes in Portland, Oregon.
President Donald Trump was asked to disavow the Proud Boys and other groups at his first televised debate against Democratic challenger Joe Biden on September 29. Instead, he urged members to “stand back and stand by” this campaign season.
Critics accused Mr Trump of signalling for Proud Boys to rally behind him in the event of a disputed election; the president has since denied any knowledge of the group and denounced white supremacists.
Still, Mr Trump regularly raises fears of voter fraud, especially over mail-in ballots, without offering evidence. Republicans are mobilising thousands of supporters to monitor polling stations for irregularities in Pennsylvania, Florida, Wisconsin and other toss-up states.
Mr Tenold described sizeable Proud Boys chapters in Florida and Pennsylvania that are likely to join the election-monitoring “Army for Trump”, as it is known. It remains unclear how many members these groups can deploy, he added.
"There are too many, but not as many as they'd like to think," added Mr Tenold, the author of Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America.
Thomas Zeitzoff, an American University associate professor who studies political violence and social media, said he expected more trouble at polling stations than in previous years, but was more worried about what happens afterwards.
Polls suggest Mr Biden leads Mr Trump by some 10 percentage points, but the high proportion of postal ballots being cast amid the Covid-19 pandemic could see results trickle in for days after November 3, particularly votes for Mr Biden.
"Unless there's a complete Biden blowout, we won't know the results on election night," Mr Zeitzoff told The National.
“We could see claims about absentee ballots and lawsuits being filed. I’m not worried about a civil war, but about tension on the streets and Trump using isolated incidents of shenanigans as a pretext to subvert the democratic process.”
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Saturday, July 8
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court (4pm)
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Timea Bacsinszky (19)
Ernests Gulbis v Novak Djokovic (2)
Mischa Zverev (27) v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 (4pm)
Milos Raonic (6) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (25)
Anett Kontaveit v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Jared Donaldson
Court 2 (2.30pm)
Sorana Cirstea v Garbine Muguruza (14)
To finish: Sam Querrey (24) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-5
Angelique Kerber (1) v Shelby Rogers
Sebastian Ofner v Alexander Zverev (10)
Court 3 (2.30pm)
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Dudi Sela
Alison Riske v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych (11)
Court 12 (2.30pm)
Polona Hercog v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Gael Monfils (15) v Adrian Mannarino
Court 18 (2.30pm)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Lesia Tsurenko
Petra Martic v Zarina Diyas
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
