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Donald Trump backs NRA in gun rights pitch after Texas school shootings

Former President Donald Trump rejected tighter gun control after a Texas school shooter killed 19 children and two teachers, telling a National Rifle Association meeting that solutions include mental-health care and training teachers to carry concealed weapons.

“The existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law-abiding citizens who know how to use their weapon,” Trump said in a speech in Houston. “The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens.”

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He also took swipes at Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican, for dropping out of the NRA convention and Democratic mayors whose cities are suffering from gun crime.

Trump’s stance meshed with the defiant mood of the meeting, held days after the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that has renewed anger and political recriminations over Washington’s paralysis on gun control.

Several hundred protesters rallied outside the meeting venue earlier Friday.

While President Joe Biden suggested after Tuesday’s shooting that Americans should “stand up to the gun lobby, Trump said he’d keep his commitment to the NRA, one of his major supporters.

The group was the largest outside financial backer of his 2016 campaign, spending $31 million to help elect him, and it spent $16.6 million on his re-election campaign in 2020, according to OpenSecrets.

Measures suggested by Trump included early vigilance over young people’s mental health, dealing with “broken families, single points of entry at schools and to let trained teachers “conceal carry.

“Our schools should be the single hardest target country in our country,” Trump said.

But one of the biggest cheers came when he said that if the US spends some $40 billion to arm Ukraine, it should also “do whatever it takes to keep American children safe.”

Convention speakers, including Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and NRA head Wayne LaPierre, cast the Uvalde shooting as the act of an individual “monster.”

Gun-control laws across the US haven’t stopped “madmen from carrying out evil acts,” Abbott said in a video message.

That didn’t prevent Trump from taking a dig at Abbott for canceling his in-person appearance to give a news conference in Uvalde, where he voiced anger about the bungled police response at Uvalde.

“Unlike some I didn’t disappoint you by not showing up,” Trump said.

Earlier in the day, a festive mood reigned on the exhibit floor where NRA members browsed among vendors hawking everything from silencers and high-capacity rifle magazines to switchblades and do-it-yourself gun kits.

Even so, firearms, accessories and knives weren’t permitted in the hall because the US Secret Service was handling the event with Trump speaking.

Trump spoke at the last NRA convention in 2019, held before a two-year break in meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He’s a vocal supporter of gun rights and often mentions in his endorsements of candidates that they back the US constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms.

After two mass shootings left more than 30 people dead in 2019, Trump said he wants “meaningful background checks. But he also said he’d ensure the NRA’s views are “fully represented and respected.” No legislation was enacted.

The former president has been endorsing candidates running in this year’s midterm elections and has teased plans to run for president again in 2024 – and he did so again Friday in Houston.

He hasn’t made a formal announcement, citing campaign finance restrictions once he does.

Read more:

Uvalde school police chief faulted in Texas school shooting response

Police acknowledge ‘wrong decision’ in delay in confronting Texas school shooter

Biden to console families in Texas school shooting, press for action

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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