Blood streaming from his right ear, punctured just moments earlier by a would-be assassin’s bullet, Donald Trump defied his protection detail’s best efforts to conceal him. He righted himself on the campaign stage in Butler County, Pennsylvania on Saturday, faced his simultaneously terrified and awe-struck supporters, and raised his fist in the air. “Fight,” he shouted to them.
The Secret Service whisked Trump into a nearby SUV and subsequently to the nearest hospital. Within a minute of the first shot being fired, the shooter, 20-year-old Pennsylvania man Matthew Crooks, was killed.
The attempt on Trump’s life marks an odious moment in America’s darkening political cycle. Hopefully, it will also be a sobering one for the American body politic. The country has witnessed an unacceptable rise in political violence in recent years, often characterised by so-called “lone wolf” attackers infected with extreme, virulent and conspiratorial ideologies.
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of conspiracists pooled their rage to attempt a violent insurrection at the Capitol; they were supporters of Trump, who had mentioned the need to “fight” no less than 18 times in a speech earlier that day. Trump’s repetition of that word after being shot on Saturday showed his remarkable fortitude and political talent; his supporters have never been more energised. But it was also a signal that more violence may lie ahead.
The American republic has withstood many attempts on the lives of its presidents in decades past. Sixteen commanders-in-chief have been the target of assassination attempts. Four have been killed as a result, and three injured (Trump is the third). Trump is also the fourth candidate in US history to have been shot. But after all previous shootings, brighter days eventually followed.
But the current moment in American democracy, nonetheless, stands out for its generalised disaffection. The public’s level of confidence in the current crop of politicians is abysmal; last year, a Pew Research poll found just 16 per cent of Americans trusted their government. As of April, the figure is just seven points higher. Americans are also polarising faster than their counterparts in other western democracies, a process fuelled in no small part by misinformation, political memes and social media.
Trump and his political rival, incumbent President Joe Biden, have run their race too often in the muck, and the fact the two men are the oldest presidential candidates in US history speaks to the lack of opportunity for strong talent in the lower political ranks to rise up. Mr Biden’s age has become so apparently debilitating in the past fortnight that many of his erstwhile supporters have called on him to bow out of the race.
In light of all of this, there is no shortage of academics who are ready to speak of America’s decline. But in the world’s richest and most powerful nation, violence, disaffection and, ultimately, decline need not be inexorable processes. America’s political climate is the product of choices made by its political class. These include choices to demonise their fellow citizens of different political stripes, to normalise cynicism, to forego civic-mindedness and to estrange national unity in the public discourse. The shooting of any politician, let alone a former president and presidential candidate, is the clearest sign possible that better choices must be made.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
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Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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