Kamala Harris tops Trump in latest Iowa poll, marking turnaround — Des Moines Register survey

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Democratic presidential nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Nov. 1, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 03 November 2024
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Kamala Harris tops Trump in latest Iowa poll, marking turnaround — Des Moines Register survey

  • Trump won Iowa in his past two presidential campaigns, by more than 9 percentage points in 2016 and 8 points in 2020
  • Nationally, Harris and Trump are seen locked in a tight race for the White House, with early voting well underway

WASHINGTON: US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has surpassed Republican Donald Trump in a new poll in Iowa, with likely women voters responsible for the turnaround in a state that Trump easily won in 2016 and 2020, according to the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released on Saturday.
The poll of 808 likely voters, who were surveyed Oct. 28-31, has Harris leading Trump 47 percent-44 percent in Iowa, which has been trending deeply Republican in recent years. It is within the 3.4 percentage point margin of error, but it marked a turnaround from a September Iowa Poll that had Trump with a 4-point lead, the newspaper reported.
“The poll shows that women — particularly those who are older or who are politically independent — are driving the late shift toward Harris,” the Register said.

 

Trump won Iowa in his past two presidential campaigns, by more than 9 percentage points in 2016 and 8 points in 2020.
An Emerson College Polling/RealClearDefense survey of a similar number of likely voters Nov. 1-2 had a starkly different result, with Trump leading Harris by 10 points. This poll also has a 3.4 percentage point margin of error.
The Emerson College survey had Trump with strong leads over Harris among men and independents, while Harris was performing well with those under the age of 30.
Nationally, Harris and Trump are seen locked in a tight race for the White House, with early voting well underway. Election Day is on Tuesday.
Whoever wins Iowa will collect six Electoral College votes. A total of 270 are needed to capture the White House. Both parties have been concentrating their efforts during the closing days of their campaigns on “battleground” states such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.


Nketiah and Eze on target on Palace party night

Updated 2 min 27 sec ago
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Nketiah and Eze on target on Palace party night

  • There was a carnival atmosphere at Selhurst Park
  • Palace’s FA Cup win means they will play in next season’s Europa League

LONDON: Eddie Nketiah scored twice on Crystal Palace’s party night as they celebrated their FA Cup triumph in style with a 4-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Tuesday.
Palace’s last home game of the season came three days after they beat Manchester City at Wembley to claim the first major silverware in the south London club’s history and there were euphoric scenes as they hit back to take the three points.
The carnival atmosphere was interrupted briefly when Wolves took the lead through Emmanuel Agbadou’s 24th-minute header but Selhurst Park was really rocking when Nketiah struck twice in the space of five minutes before halftime.
Ben Chilwell’s free kick deflected off of Agbadou’s head to make it 3-1 in the 50th minute and the noise in the stadium barely diminished when Wolves reduced the deficit with a glancing header from Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Twelfth-placed Palace, who made six changes to the side that started against City, brought on Cup final goal hero Eberechi Eze in the 81st minute and he put the icing on the cake with a clinical angled finish after a jinking run.
Oliver Glasner’s side have 52 points, the highest total Palace have collected in the Premier League, and they will end a momentous season at champions Liverpool on Sunday.
After the historic events of Saturday it looked like Palace might be suffering an FA Cup hangover when Agbadou’s header from a corner just about crossed the line.
Nketiah came off the bench at Wembley and had been on the fringes at Palace but he was given a start and took full advantage to score his first league goals for three months.
Three minutes after Palace fell behind, former Arsenal forward Nketiah received a cut back from Romain Esse and fired a shot past Wolves keeper Dan Bentley who could gave done better.
Nketiah was at it again soon after, guiding in a low cross by Ismaila Sarr for his 50th senior career goal.
“We’re buzzing, we’re happy and it’s a massive day for us. Our manager was keen to keep it going and keep the celebrations going. Everyone was firing and we got the win,” Nketiah said.
“The unity between the fans and the players is amazing and it will be amazing to have European nights here.”
It was a memorable night for Palace’s long-serving defender Joel Ward who wore the captain’s armband in his last appearance for the club after a 13-year stint.
Palace’s FA Cup win means they will play in next season’s Europa League.


Trump selects concept for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system

Updated 16 min 37 sec ago
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Trump selects concept for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system

  • Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has announced the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defense program — a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put US weapons in space.
Speaking Tuesday from the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.”
It’s likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a US official familiar with the program said.
Trump, seated next to a poster showing the continental US painted gold and with artistic depictions of missile interceptions, also announced that Gen. Michael Guetlein, who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations, will be responsible for overseeing Golden Dome’s progress.
Golden Dome is envisioned to include ground- and space-based capabilities that are able to detect and stop missiles at all four major stages of a potential attack: detecting and destroying them before a launch, intercepting them in their earliest stage of flight, stopping them midcourse in the air, or halting them in the final minutes as they descend toward a target.
For the last several months, Pentagon planners have been developing options — which the US official described as medium, high and “extra high” choices, based on their cost — that include space-based interceptors. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail plans that have not been made public.
The difference in the three versions is largely based on how many satellites and sensors — and for the first time, space-based interceptors — would be purchased.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that just the space-based components of the Golden Dome could cost as much as $542 billion over the next 20 years. Trump has requested an initial $25 billion for the program in his proposed tax break bill now moving through Congress.
The Pentagon has warned for years that the newest missiles developed by China and Russia are so advanced that updated countermeasures are necessary. Golden Dome’s added satellites and interceptors — where the bulk of the program’s cost is — would be focused on stopping those advanced missiles early on or in the middle of their flight.
The space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome “represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the US Space Force, told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday.
China and Russia have put offensive weapons in space, such as satellites with abilities to disable critical US satellites, which can make the US vulnerable to attack.
Last year, the US said Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon that could loiter in space for long durations, then release a burst that would take out satellites around it.
Trump said Tuesday that he had not yet spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Golden Dome program, “but at the right time, we will,” he told reporters at the White House.
There is no money for the project yet, and Golden Dome overall is “still in the conceptual stage,” newly confirmed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators during a hearing Tuesday.
While the president picked the concept he wanted, the Pentagon is still developing the requirements that Golden Dome will need to meet — which is not the way new systems are normally developed.
The Pentagon and US Northern Command are still drafting what is known as an initial capabilities document, the US official said. That is how Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland defense, identifies what it will need the system to do.
The US already has many missile defense capabilities, such as the Patriot missile batteries that the US has provided to Ukraine to defend against incoming missiles as well as an array of satellites in orbit to detect missile launches. Some of those existing systems will be incorporated into Golden Dome.
Trump directed the Pentagon to pursue the space-based interceptors in an executive order during the first week of his presidency.

 


Saudi program to train rural women in leathercraft

Updated 46 min 41 sec ago
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Saudi program to train rural women in leathercraft

RIYADH: The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Saudi Reef, has launched its first vocational empowerment training in leather industries for rural women in Al-Kharj governorate.

The program aims to promote entrepreneurship and support the national economy in line with Vision 2030 goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It provides rural women with practical skills in leather manufacturing to help develop their small businesses and improve the marketing of their products.

Majed Al-Buraikan, Saudi Reef assistant secretary-general for media and communication, said 15 rural women are participating in the training, which covers value-added leather production, design, product diversification, quality control, and business management.

The program includes training in business planning, cost management, marketing, and branding to help participants establish viable ventures, according to SPA.

Recently, the UN World Tourism Organization recognized Saudi Reef’s role in supporting sustainable development through its link with rural tourism.

Basmah Al-Mayman, UNWTO Middle East director, in a letter to Saudi Reef Secretary-General Ghassan Bakri commended the program for organizing rural tourism events in various regions of the Kingdom.

UNWTO expressed interest in collaborating with Saudi Reef on initiatives focused on sustainable community development and rural tourism.


Saudi Arabia to establish 7 new bee breeding stations

Updated 49 min 58 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia to establish 7 new bee breeding stations

RIYADH: The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has announced the establishment of seven queen bee breeding and nucleus colony production stations in regions selected for their suitability: Jazan, Asir, Madinah, Makkah, Hail, Tabuk, and Najran.

Construction is expected to be completed this year, with operations beginning in 2026. The facilities will add to the four existing stations in Abha, Baha, Qassim, and Riyadh, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The ministry said the projects will aim to preserve and strengthen the local bee strain and reduce reliance on imported colonies, as the Kingdom currently imports about 1.3 million nucleus colonies annually.

The stations will implement programs, including training in queen rearing and artificial insemination, along with promoting practical breeding techniques.

The initiative also includes guidance on advanced beekeeping methods and measures to limit the spread of diseases and pests associated with imported bees. Research will be conducted to support the maintenance and development of local strains.

The ministry said that the projects involve selective breeding based on research and may be offered for investment through beekeepers’ cooperatives or the private sector. Efforts will also be made to support and market the stations’ output.

In line with World Bee Day on May 20, the ministry has called for improving the knowledge and practices of beekeepers to help protect bee populations from disease, pests, pesticides, and environmental stressors.

It also referred to the launch of initiatives to encourage modern beekeeping, increase production efficiency, and support those working in the sector.

There are 25,644 licensed beekeepers in Saudi Arabia, producing 5,832 tonnes of honey from 1 million beehives. The Kingdom’s varied vegetation supports the production of about 20 types of honey, including sidr, talh, and samar.


Saudi authorities launch campaign on safe use of home medical devices

Updated 53 min 36 sec ago
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Saudi authorities launch campaign on safe use of home medical devices

RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has launched a digital awareness campaign to educate the public on the safe and proper use of medical devices and supplies intended for home use.

The authority aims to reach diverse community segments, providing essential awareness messages and practical guidance to enhance health safety in the home, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It highlighted the importance of purchasing home medical devices from licensed suppliers that offer warranties and after-sales services, including necessary maintenance.

The authority also urged the need to verify that the device has the required licenses and a valid marketing authorization certificate.

Given the wide range of available options and specifications, the authority advised consulting a qualified healthcare professional to select the most appropriate device for an individual’s condition.

It also highlighted the importance of reviewing usage and care instructions, and obtaining any necessary training before purchase.

General safety guidelines include ensuring instructions are available in both Arabic and English, retaining the purchase receipt, keeping devices out of reach of children and pets to prevent tampering, and following recommended calibration and maintenance schedules.

The authority called on the public to report any issues or incidents related to home medical devices or supplies through the National Center for Medical Devices Reporting at ade.sfda.gov.sa/Home/NcmdrReport or by calling the unified number 19999.