International
Kamala Harris set to name running mate ahead of swing state tour
Kamala Harris set to name running mate ahead of swing state tour
WASHINGTON: A new poll confirmed Sunday that Kamala Harris — set to name her vice presidential pick imminently — has drawn level with Donald Trump, transforming a White House race that the Republican had been increasingly confident he was going to win.
As the November 5 election rapidly approaches, Harris has erased the growing lead that Trump was building before President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid.
According to the CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday, Harris has a one percent advantage on Trump nationwide — compared to Trump’s previous five point edge on Biden.
In the swing states that decide the Electoral College contest in US elections, Harris and Trump — who shocked the world with his 2016 presidential victory but was beaten by Biden in 2020 — are equal.
These are considered good numbers for a Democratic candidate who parachuted into the race only last month, when Biden bowed to mounting concerns over his mental acuity and ability at 81 years old to serve a second term.
But Harris, who is Biden’s vice president and the first Black and South Asian woman ever in the role, is in a sprint to define herself to voters before Trump does.
A big moment in that process will be when Harris announces her choice for running mate in a historic bid to become America’s first female president.
“It’s her first major decision that she’s making as an executive, so it tells you about her thought process,” Amy Walter, a polling expert from Cook Political Report newsletter, told CBS News.The CBS poll, which echoes numerous other surveys indicating rapid gains by Harris, shows that Trump is still favored by voters on the key issue of the economy.
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Only 25 percent said they expected to be better off financially if Harris wins, compared to 45 percent who said so about Trump.
However, when it comes to trust in the candidates’ temperament, the poll shows voters prefer the former California prosecutor to Trump, a convicted felon who has made a career out of publicly insulting those who oppose him — including while president.
The issue of cognitive health, which used to bedevil Biden, is now a liability for 78-year-old Trump, the poll found. Only 51 percent of respondents thought Trump is mentally capable for the presidency, compared to 64 percent for Harris.
The Democrats believe that if you “make this referendum on Trump rather than a referendum on the current state of the economy, then we have a real opportunity to win,” Cook said.
Trump was riding high politically last month after surviving an assassination attempt at a rally, then using the Republican convention to highlight his image of vigor against the physically frail Biden.
But with Biden’s dramatic exit and Harris’s fast start, he’s scrambling to recalibrate.
At a rally on Saturday in the swing state of Georgia, Trump called Harris a “Marxist” and a “radical left freak,” claiming she would cause an “economic crash.” On Wednesday, he shocked many when he told an audience of Black journalists that Harris had “turned Black” out of political expediency.
On Saturday, the Harris campaign said Trump was “scared” to debate her after he turned down a previously scheduled televised debate on ABC, while saying he’d be ready to debate her on Fox News — a network that has for years given him support.
Who will she choose as runningmate?
All paths to the White House run through a handful of swing states, and Harris will kick off her five-day run Tuesday in the largest — Pennsylvania — as she builds momentum for her showdown with Republican Donald Trump on November 5.
Expectations are that Harris will pick a white man to balance the ticket — and likely a moderate Democrat who would help counterweigh attacks on Harris from Republicans that she is too far to the left.
The three figures seen as heading the short list — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona — were all visiting Harris in Washington on Sunday, The Washington Post reported.
“At this moment, we face a choice between two visions for our nation: one focused on the future and the other on the past… This campaign is about people coming together, fueled by love of country, to fight for the best of who we are,” she posted on X.
Fresh from winning enough delegate votes to secure the Democratic nomination, the country’s first female, Black and South Asian vice president heads into the national convention in Chicago in two weeks in total control of her party.
In a campaign that is barely two weeks old, the 59-year-old former prosecutor has obliterated fundraising records, attracted huge crowds and dominated social media on her way to erasing the polling leads Trump had built before President Joe Biden quit the race.
Next on the agenda is a vice presidential pick, with an announcement expected any time before her rally Tuesday evening alongside the mystery nominee in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city.
The Keystone State is the most prized real estate among the closely fought battlegrounds that decide the Electoral College system.
It is part of the “blue wall” that carried Biden to the White House in 2020, alongside Michigan and Wisconsin — two states where Harris is due to woo crowds on Wednesday.
Pennsylvania is governed by 51-year-old Democrat Shapiro, a frontrunner in the so-called “veepstakes” shortlist.
Later in the week, Harris will tour the more racially diverse Sun Belt and southern states of Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina, as she seeks to shore up the Black and Hispanic vote that had been peeling away from the Democrats.
Just a month ago, Trump was in cruise control, having opened a significant lead in swing state polling after a dismal debate performance by Biden, with the Republican tycoon keeping the country in suspense over his own vice presidential pick.
Trump’s White House bid was upended on July 21 when 81-year-old Biden, facing growing concerns about his age and lagging polling numbers, exited the race and backed Harris.
Energetic and two decades younger than 78-year-old Trump, the vice president has made a fast start, raising $310 million in July, according to her campaign — more than double Trump’s haul.
While Biden made high-minded appeals for a return to civility and the preservation of democracy, Harris has focused on the future, making voters’ hard-fought “freedom” the touchstone of her campaign.
She and her allies have also been more aggressive than the Biden camp — mocking Trump for reneging on his commitment to a September 10 debate and characterizing the convicted felon as an elderly crook and “weird.”
While she has disavowed some of the leftist positions she took during her ill-fated 2020 primary campaign, Harris hasn’t given a wide-ranging interview since jumping into the race, and rally-goers will look for more detail on her plans for the country.
Meanwhile Trump and his Republicans have struggled to adapt to their new adversary or hone their attacks against Harris — at first messaging that she was dangerously liberal on immigration and crime, before suggesting she was lying about being Black.
Kamala Harris set to name running mate ahead of swing state tour
ARAB NEWS
International
Trump Rules Out Ceasefire Extension With Iran
Trump Rules Out Ceasefire Extension With Iran
US President Donald Trump has ruled out extending the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran beyond its current deadline, warning that failure in ongoing negotiations could lead to renewed military confrontation.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump said he was not in favour of prolonging the truce, stressing that both sides must move quickly to reach a binding agreement.
“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” he said, indicating that the situation remains time-sensitive as diplomatic talks continue under pressure.
The ceasefire, which is expected to expire on Wednesday evening, has temporarily eased tensions between Washington and Tehran, allowing both sides to regroup following weeks of heightened conflict and military escalation concerns.
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Trump noted that both countries had used the pause to “restock,” describing the truce as fragile and warning that it could collapse if negotiations fail to produce results.
He further suggested that the breakdown of talks could trigger a return to military operations, stating that he “expects bombing” to resume if diplomacy fails. According to him, the U.S. military remains fully prepared for any required action.
“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” he said, defending a strong negotiating posture.
The president also reiterated earlier warnings about targeting Iranian infrastructure, including strategic facilities such as transport routes and power installations, arguing that such measures would weaken Iran’s military logistics and operational capacity.
Despite his hardline position, Trump acknowledged that Iran’s population is “incredible,” while describing its leadership as resistant to compromise. He insisted that a negotiated deal could still allow Iran to “become a strong nation again” if it agrees to terms acceptable to Washington.
The comments come as senior U.S. officials prepare for further diplomatic engagements, with Vice President JD Vance expected to participate in upcoming discussions aimed at extending the ceasefire and reducing tensions in the region.
Trump also criticised Iran’s internal handling of unrest, referencing reports of violent crackdowns on protests, which he said further complicate efforts toward lasting peace.
The latest remarks highlight continued uncertainty surrounding the U.S.–Iran ceasefire negotiations, with global observers closely watching whether diplomacy or renewed conflict will define the next phase of relations between both countries.
Trump Rules Out Ceasefire Extension With Iran
International
Man Gets Three Life Sentences for Killing Couple, Drowning Their 1-Year-Old Son in US
Man Gets Three Life Sentences for Killing Couple, Drowning Their 1-Year-Old Son in US
A man in the United States has been sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison after pleading guilty to the brutal killing of a couple and their 1-year-old son in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The convict, identified as Jose Luis Rodriguez, admitted to three counts of first-degree murder, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said the case began on September 13, 2025, when 31-year-old Junior Cabrera-Colon was found shot dead. Days later, authorities discovered that his wife, Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, and their infant son, Jeyden Peguero, were missing, triggering a wider investigation.
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A week after the discovery of Cabrera-Colon’s body, police located the bodies of the missing mother and child in a wooded area. Prosecutors revealed that the toddler was found “partially submerged in a marshy area,” a detail that shocked investigators and the local community.
During court proceedings, prosecutors said Rodriguez confessed to killing all three victims. He allegedly picked up Peguero-Mancebo and her son, shot the woman, drowned the child, and later killed Cabrera-Colon.
The prosecution described the killings as premeditated and deliberate, stating that each act was carried out with intent and malice.
According to court records and reports by local media, Rodriguez claimed he had a personal relationship with Peguero-Mancebo and referenced financial disputes as a possible motive behind the killings.
The sentencing judge handed down three consecutive life sentences without parole, effectively ensuring Rodriguez will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Family members of the victims described the outcome as painful but necessary for closure, with relatives expressing gratitude that the case has reached a conclusion after months of emotional distress.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Pennsylvania due to its violent nature and the involvement of a young child, with prosecutors calling it one of the most disturbing family-related homicide cases in the region in recent years.
Man Gets Three Life Sentences for Killing Couple, Drowning Their 1-Year-Old Son in US
International
US Singer D4vd Faces Murder Charges Over Teen’s Death in Los Angeles
US Singer D4vd Faces Murder Charges Over Teen’s Death in Los Angeles
American singer D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, has been charged in connection with the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, in a case that prosecutors have described as one of the most serious and disturbing in recent years.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, led by District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, confirmed that the 21-year-old faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor, and mutilation of human remains.
According to investigators, the teenager was last seen on April 23, 2025, after visiting Burke at his residence in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. She was reported missing shortly after she failed to return home.
Months later, on September 8, 2025, authorities made a gruesome discovery when her decomposed and dismembered remains were found inside the front trunk of a Tesla vehicle linked to the singer. Police reportedly traced the vehicle after receiving complaints about a strong odour, leading to the recovery of body parts stored in a cadaver bag.
Prosecutors say the case includes several special circumstance allegations, such as murder of a witness, murder for financial gain, and lying in wait. They also allege that Burke used a sharp instrument to carry out the killing.
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“This is a parent’s nightmare,” Hochman said during a press briefing, describing the case as “brutal and horrific.” He added that the charges represent the most severe offences his office can prosecute.
Jim McDonnell, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, stated that authorities remain committed to ensuring justice for the victim and her family.
Burke was arrested on April 16, 2026, and is currently being held without bail. He is expected to be arraigned at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
If convicted, he faces either the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole, although prosecutors have yet to decide whether capital punishment will be pursued.
The singer’s legal team, led by Blair Berk, alongside Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, has denied all allegations. In a statement, they said evidence will show that Burke “did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not the cause of her death.”
The case has already had major consequences for Burke’s career. He cancelled his planned “D4VD Withered” world tour and was dropped from brand partnerships with Hollister Co. and Crocs.
D4vd rose to prominence in 2022 with his hit Here With Me and later released Romantic Homicide, a track whose title he previously described as metaphorical rather than literal.
The case remains ongoing, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
US Singer D4vd Faces Murder Charges Over Teen’s Death in Los Angeles
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