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Former President Donald Trump walks out of court during closing arguments of defamation trial
Donald Trump stormed out of closing arguments at his defamation trial Friday as a lawyer for writer E. Jean Carroll urged a jury to award at least $24 million in damages for the "storm of hate" caused by the former president.
Just minutes after attorney Roberta Kaplan began her closing argument in Manhattan federal court, Trump suddenly rose from his seat at the defense table and walked toward the exit, pausing to scan the packed courtroom as members of the Secret Service leaped up to follow him out.
The unexpected departure prompted Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to speak up, briefly interrupting the closing argument to note: "The record will reflect that Mr. Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom." He did not return for the reminder of the closing argument.
The walkout came only minutes after the judge, without the jury present, threatened to send Trump attorney Alina Habba to jail for continuing to talk when he told her she was finished.
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"You are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup. Now sit down," the judge told Habba, who immediately complied.
Roberta Kaplan and the judge are unrelated.
Trump, who was not required to attend the civil lawsuit proceedings, had appeared agitated all morning, vigorously shaking his head as Carroll's attorney branded him a liar who had incited a "social media mob" to attack her client.
"This case is about punishing Donald Trump for what he's done and what he continues to do," Roberta Kaplan continued. "This trial is about getting him to stop."
Nine jurors will start deliberating later in the day whether Carroll, a longtime advice columnist, is entitled to more than the $5 million she was awarded in a separate trial last year.
The final remarks from the lawyers come a day after Trump managed to sneak past a federal judge's rules severely limiting what he could say during his turn on the witness stand, which wound up lasting just 3 minutes. He left fuming that he hadn't been given an opportunity to refute Carroll's sexual abuse accusations.
"She said something that I considered to be a false accusation," Trump said, later adding: "I just wanted to defend myself, my family and, frankly, the presidency." The jury was told by the judge to disregard both remarks.
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A different jury last May concluded that Trump sexually abused Carroll in the spring of 1996 in the changing room of a luxury Manhattan department store. It also found that he defamed her in 2022 by claiming she made up the allegation to sell a memoir.
Trump, the Republican frontrunner in this year's presidential election, has long regretted his decision not to testify at that trial, blaming his lawyers for bad advice.
During her closing, Roberta Kaplan told jurors that the current case was not about a sexual assault.
"We had that case," she said, referencing the first trial. "That's why Donald Trump's testimony was so short yesterday. He doesn't get a do-over this time."
As she finished her argument, the lawyer urged jurors to support "the principle that the rule of law stands for all of us" by sending an unmistakable message to a man who "time and time again has shown contempt for the law."
She said the jury should award $12 million to repair Carroll's reputation and another $12 million for the suffering she has endured because of Trump's attacks. Then, she said an "unusually high punitive award" was also necessary against a man worth billions of dollars "to have any hope of stopping Donald Trump."
The jury in this new trial has been told that it is there for the limited purpose and jurors must accept the verdict reached last year. The current jury will only determine whether additional damages are owed for statements Trump made in June 2019 while he was president. The claims had been delayed for years by court appeals.
Carroll's lawyers seek over $10 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Habba has argued against damages, saying Carroll's association with Trump had given her the fame she craved and that death threats she received cannot be blamed on Trump's remarks.
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Carroll, 80, testified at last year's trial that she had a chance encounter with Trump at a Bergdorf Goodman store that was flirtatious and lighthearted until Trump cornered her in a changing room. Her claim that Trump raped her was rejected by last year's jury, though it agreed she was sexually abused.
Last week, Carroll testified that her career was shattered by Trump's statements about her claims over the last five years, most recently on the campaign trail for president. She said she bought bullets for a gun she inherited from her father and installed an electronic fence around her home.
On Thursday, Trump testified that he stood "100%" behind comments he made in an October 2002 deposition in which he denied Carroll's accusations, calling her "sick" and a "whack job."
Kaplan intends to instruct jurors Friday that the jury last year concluded that Trump had digitally penetrated Carroll in the department store, but the same jury did not find that he had raped her, according to how rape is defined under New York state law.
The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done.
Peter Haas says he looks forward to working closely with Bangladesh
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Wednesday (January 17, 2024) said he looks forward to working closely with Bangladesh in the coming months on issues of mutual importance.
He mentioned climate change, expanding business opportunities, and other areas of cooperation to advance the relations.
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"I look forward to working very closely in the coming months to advance our mutual interest," he told reporters after his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said it was an opportunity to talk about the future of the US-Bangladesh relationship.
Later, the Foreign Minister met EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley.
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World Insights: After 45 years, closer China-U.S. ties still depend on people
As the world counts down to a new year, the China-U.S. diplomatic relationship is set to welcome its 45th anniversary.
Back in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, held a historic meeting in San Francisco. Many, not just Chinese and Americans, are now hoping that the summit is a new starting point for bilateral relations."It is the convergence of many streams of goodwill and friendship that has created a strong current surging across the vast Pacific Ocean; it is the reaching out to each other by our peoples that has time and again brought China-U.S. relations from a low ebb back onto the right track," Xi said at the welcome dinner during his visit to California in November for the China-U.S. summit meeting and the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
FROM BUDDING TO BLOOMINGFifty-two years ago, a tiny ping-pong ball played a vital part in the budding rapprochement between China and America after more than two decades of estrangement.The real breakthrough in ties came with a public encounter between a pair of ping-pong players during the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships in Japan. Footage caught their friendly exchange, and the unexpected goodwill between the American and Chinese teams soon became the talk of the tournament and preluded a milestone visit leading to the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations."That seemingly small gesture had a huge symbolic significance," Gene Sykes, chairman of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, told Xinhua, adding, "The impact of this event went far beyond the realm of sports. It was the opening for a wide range of collaborations which spanned the scientific, cultural, artistic and educational domains."Today, this chapter in China-U.S. relations, known as "Ping-Pong Diplomacy," still resonates over half a century later. The goodwill, which thawed relations between the two countries, dispelled the specter of the Cold War and brought the two countries together, serving as a vivid example of cooperation trumping estrangement."History has demonstrated that building bridges is a much better strategy than building walls or digging moats" between the United States and China, said Tom Watkins, a former advisor to the Michigan-China Innovation Center."I still remember what 'Ping-Pong Diplomacy' was like between the United States and China in the early 1970s and I think we should try it again," said Stephen Mull, former U.S. acting undersecretary of state for political affairs.
STORYTELLERS, BRIDGE BUILDERSFriendship between people holds the key to sound relations between states, and people from both sides as storytellers and bridge builders can play their part.Their bond has laid the groundwork for bilateral ties, helped navigate the relationship through choppy waters, and will continue to work wonders in the years to come.Despite the tumultuous years in their relations, the Chinese and American peoples at the grassroots level are telling their own stories about each other and emphasize how critical it is to deepen their exchanges, no matter from the business, academic or cultural communities.U.S. opinion polls have shown that the younger generation has a different attitude towards China compared to the older generation, said Warwick Powell, adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology."The youths experienced the benefits of exchanges with people from all walks of life and understand that there is no reason why people from different parts of the world cannot find common ground and achieve things together in the interests of everybody," he said.Brooke Leonard, a 32-year-old ping-pong aficionado from Los Angeles, said he has gained so much fun from learning, playing and appreciating the sport. Besides making friends with many Chinese through this sport, he is now recommending it to his American friends and family.In southwest China's megacity Chongqing, a museum dedicated to the Flying Tigers stands to tell a touching tale of Americans and Chinese fighting side by side during wartime and of how grateful the Chinese people are for their bravery and sacrifice.In November, an over 30-member delegation of the Flying Tigers veterans and their descendants visited Kunming, the starting point of "the Hump," a vital airlift route over the Himalayas and the primary way the Allies supplied China between 1942 and 1945 in World War II.Today, memorials, exhibitions and events to honor that chapter in history epitomize the deep friendship between the two peoples that withstood the test of blood and fire. And more than 1,000 Flying Tigers veterans and their families have been invited to visit China.Americans, for their part, always remember the Chinese who risked their lives to save American pilots. Offspring of those American pilots often visit the Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall in east China's Zhejiang Province to pay tribute to the Chinese for their heroic efforts.From U.S. entrepreneurs visiting China, to "Bond with Kuliang: 2023 China-U.S. People-to-People Friendship Forum," and from the delegation of U.S. Flying Tigers visiting China, to the fifth China-U.S. Sister Cities Conference, the Chinese and American peoples have demonstrated good will and a firm friendship, injecting impetus into bilateral ties and cooperation.These heartening stories can help improve the ailing China-U.S. relationship. That is probably the best way to carry on the legacy in the new era.
"THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT"Martin Luther King, a leading figure of the American civil rights movement in the 1950s, once said, "The time is always right to do what is right."The whole world is watching the two major countries, hoping they will continue the positive momentum in their relations from the San Francisco summit and engage in more "maintenance work" regarding their relationship.There are numerous reasons to make the China-U.S. relationship work. Ordinary people on both sides want this. The world also wants this."As a planet, we are facing multiple challenges -- the need to nourish the hungry, manage climate change, sustain economic growth and job creation, and maintain global stability. We hope there will be a positive reset and improved relations between the two major countries," said Grant Kimberley, a sixth-generation soybean farmer and marketing director of the Iowa Soybean Association.The future depends on joint efforts from both peoples, particularly from the younger generation. For China-U.S. relations, the hope lies in the people, the foundation rests on the people, and the future lies with the youth.To increase bilateral exchanges, particularly between the youth, China has announced a plan to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. Meanwhile, a growing number of young Americans have joined the Flying Tigers Friendship Schools and Youth Leadership Program, launched by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation in 2022.These tangible efforts, step by step, have helped nurture the seeds of friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation on both sides."The more exchanges, whether they're educational, sports or music, or any kind of exchange between our two countries ... if we can learn to do that, I think we can break down barriers and open up communication that is just phenomenal," said Connie Sweeris, the American table tennis champion who took part in the ice-breaking trip to China in 1971."We have been partners in war, now let us always be partners in peace," said Mel McMullen, a Flying Tigers veteran.
Graduate Programs in the US: Guide for Bangladeshi Students
If you want to boost your chances of a great career, consider studying in the USA. Students from Bangladesh and other parts of the world can grab this opportunity and choose from thousands of graduate programs. This educational journey in the USA offers not just academic excellence but also opens doors to a successful future. Here is a detailed guideline for international students to find their desired graduate program in the USA.
Ways to Search for Academic Programs and Universities in the US
Before you start looking at universities in the US, define your criteria first, such as location, programs, and budget. This will help narrow down your choices and make your search more focused. After that, follow the following steps.
Start at the US Department of Education College Navigator
Begin your journey by visiting the US Department of Education College Navigator website. This comprehensive platform allows you to search for associate’s, bachelor’s, and advanced degrees (master's and doctoral), making it an excellent starting point for exploring a wide range of programs.
You can get a list of universities by applying different search filters.
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The American Center
Talking to someone who knows about studying in the US can be really helpful. In that case, you can check EducationUSA. EducationUSA is a network by the US Department of State, and they have three advising centers in Dhaka and Chattogram. You can visit one of these centers near you to get information. You may attend virtual webinars online to learn more about American universities.
EducationUSA offers precise and up-to-date information on all accredited US higher education institutions. Geared toward prospective students, the center provides comprehensive services for those aspiring to pursue higher education in the United States.
Further, EducationUSA offers step-by-step programs guiding students through the application process. Weekly seminars are conducted for each application step, and individual counseling with advisers is available to further support students in their educational journey.
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US Secretary of State outlined how they engage with govts, workers to protect labor rights: State Dept Spokesperson
The United States has said it will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society, other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of Bangladeshis, to ensure “free and fair” elections conducted in a peaceful manner.
“We do not take a position in favor of one party or the other. We want what the Bangladeshi people themselves want: free and fair elections which are conducted in a peaceful matter,” Spokesperson at the US Department of State Mathew Miller told reporters in a regular media briefing in Washington on November 20.
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The US State Department spokesperson again mentioned the attempt to draw him into Bangladesh’s internal issues, and reiterated that he is going to continue to refrain from doing so.
“So I appreciate the urge – the repeated urge, I should say – to try and draw me into internal Bangladeshi matters, but I am going to continue to refrain from doing so and just state, as I said before, that our goal for the election in Bangladesh is what it has always been: free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner,” he added.
Miller also said the US Secretary of State outlined how they engage with governments, workers, labor organizations, trade unions, civil society, and the private sector around the world to protect and promote respect for internationally recognized labor rights.
Read: US to hold accountable those who threaten, intimidate, attack union leaders, labour rights defenders, labour orgs
“We will continue to do that in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world,” he said.
“We condemn the recent violence against workers in Bangladesh protesting over the minimum wage, as well as the criminalization of legitimate worker and trade union activities,” Miller said.
He said they are also “concerned” about the ongoing repression of workers and trade unions.
“Our principle, as we have stated before, is that government must ensure that workers are able to exercise their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining without fear of violence, reprisal, or intimidation,” Miller said.
Read: It's up to Bangladeshis, their democratic system, says India about polls
Through their work in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world, the US State Department spokesperson said they are firmly committed to advancing those fundamental human rights.
Salman F. Rahman, US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya acknowledge the only means to change govt is through elections
Prime Minister’s Adviser for Private Industries and Investment Salman F. Rahman and US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya have acknowledged that in a democracy, the only means to change the government is through elections.
Rahman reiterated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's firm commitment to ensure that the upcoming national election of Bangladesh is held in a free, fair, and peaceful manner.
Under Secretary Zeya reaffirmed that the US does not support any particular political party, rather it is keen to see the continuation of democracy in Bangladesh.
They held a meeting on Friday (October 27, 2023) at the US Department of State in Washington DC.
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"Vital conversation with Salman F Rahman, MP on US-Bangladesh partnership. Looking forward to continued engagement on shared concerns, including delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza; free & fair elections in Bangladesh; and Rohingya refugee support," Uzra Zeya tweeted after the meeting.
They discussed a wide range of bilateral issues including further enhancing the existing economic partnership between Bangladesh and the USA.
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Adviser Rahman and Under Secretary Zeya also discussed recent conflicts in the Middle East, Rohingya issue and general election in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.
Uzra Zeya praised Bangladesh’s generosity for hosting over 1.2 million Rohingya population and assured continued US support for them.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Afreen Akhter and senior officials of Bangladesh Embassy and US State Department were present at the meeting.
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US Ambassador Haas discusses ways to expand exports, LCs issues with agribusiness stakeholders
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and the Agricultural Attaché of the embassy talked to agribusiness stakeholders during a dinner on Wednesday (October 25, 2023) night about ways to expand exports. During the dinner, the ambassador also noted challenges including securing letters of credit (LCs), US Embassy Spokesperson Stephen Ibelli said today (October 26, 2023).
The US Embassy Agricultural Attaché, other staff members, and the ambassador attended the dinner hosted by W&W Grains, an authorized Cargill Distributor (an American company), to meet with key private sector agribusiness representatives, the spokesperson said while clarifying “inaccurate reporting” regarding the dinner.
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In 2022, the United States exported over USD 900 million worth of agricultural products to Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s agribusinesses are valued partners of the United States as the country looks to provide products including soybeans, wheat, cotton and other items that contribute to Bangladesh’s economic growth – from livestock development to the readymade garment sector, said the embassy spokesperson.
Read: US to send pre-election assessment and monitoring team in early Oct: Peter Haas
A diplomatic source said several diplomats from other countries, including the charge d'affaires of the Singapore Embassy, attended the dinner.
Read more: Shared principles and ability to continually ‘form a more perfect union’ are the anchor of US-Bangladesh relations: Peter Haas
14-year-old wins award for developing soap to treat skin cancer
A 14-year-old school student has been termed "America's top young scientist" for creating a bar of soap that may be effective in the treatment of melanoma, a skin cancer that affects roughly 100,000 individuals in the United States each year and kills approximately 8,000.
Heman Bekele, a ninth-grader from Annandale, Virginia, was selected over nine other finalists for the award, reports The Guardian.
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“Curing cancer, one bar of soap at a time,” he said in his submission. “I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas,” he added.
He submitted his soap idea, "skin cancer treating soap," produced from ingredients that may reawaken dendritic cells that defend human skin, allowing them to combat cancer cells. Bekele stated in a video for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge that he believes "that young minds can make a positive impact on the world," the report said.
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Bekele's inspiration stemmed from his childhood in Ethiopia, where he saw people continually labouring under the blazing sun. “I wanted to make my idea something that not only was great in terms of science but also could be accessible to as many people as possible.”
Skin cancer is quite common, according to the American Cancer Society, with melanoma accounting for only 1 percent, yet causing the bulk of skin cancer deaths, the report also said.
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According to the association, melanoma rates have been significantly increasing over the last few decades, particularly among women over 50, and it is more than 20 times more prevalent in white people than in black people. At the same time, owing to breakthroughs in therapy, melanoma death rates have decreased over the last decade.
After receiving the award, Bekele told the judging panel that he hoped the soap would become a "symbol of hope, accessibility, and a world where skin cancer treatment is within everyone's reach."
Biden warns US democracy in peril from 'extremist' Trump
President Joe Biden issued one of his most dire warnings yet that Donald Trump and his allies are a menace to American democracy, declaring Thursday that the former president is more interested in personal power than upholding the nation's core values and suggesting even mainstream Republicans are complicit.
"The silence is deafening," he said.
During a speech in Arizona celebrating a library to be built honoring his friend and fierce Trump critic, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, Biden repeated one of his key campaign themes, branding the "Make America Great Again" movement as an existential threat to the U.S. political system. He's reviving that idea ahead of next year's presidential race after it buoyed Democrats during last fall's midterm election, laying out the threat in especially stark terms: "There's something dangerous happening in America right now."
"We should all remember, democracies don't have to die at the end of a rifle," Biden said. "They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn threats to democracy, when people are willing to give away that which is most precious to them because they feel frustrated, disillusioned, tired, alienated."
The 2024 election is still more than a year away, yet Biden's focus reflects Trump's status as the undisputed frontrunner for his party's nomination despite facing four indictments, two of them related to his attempts to overturn Biden's 2020 victory.
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The president's speech was his fourth in a series of addresses on what he sees as challenges to democracy, a topic that is a touchstone for him as he tries to remain in office in the face of low approval ratings and widespread concern from voters about his age, 80.
He used this line of political attack frequently ahead of last year's midterms, when Democrats gained a Senate seat and only narrowly lost the House to the GOP. But shifting the narrative in Washington could be especially tricky given that Biden is facing mounting pressure on Capitol Hill, where House Republicans held the first hearing in their impeachment inquiry and where the prospect of a government shutdown looms — a prospect Trump has actively egged on.
On the first anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters staged an insurrection, Biden visited the Capitol and accused Trump of continuing to hold a "dagger" at democracy's throat. He closed out the summer that year in the shadow of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, decrying Trumpism as a menace to democratic institutions.
And in November, as voters were casting midterm ballots, Biden again sounded a clarion call to protect democratic institutions.
Advisers see the president's continued focus on democracy as both good policy and good politics. Campaign officials have pored over the election results from last November, when candidates who denied the 2020 election results did not fare well in competitive races, and point to polling that showed democracy was a highly motivating issue for voters in 2022.
"Our task, our sacred task of our time, is to make sure that they change not for the worst but for the better, that democracy survives and thrives, not be smashed by a movement more interested in power than a principle," Biden said Thursday. "It's up to us, the American people."
Like previous speeches the latest location was chosen for effect. It was near Arizona State University, which houses the McCain Institute, named after the late senator, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee who spent his public life denouncing autocrats around the globe.
Biden said that "there is no question that today's Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA extremists." He pointed to Trump's recent suggestion that Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is stepping down from his post on Friday, should be executed for allegedly treasonous betrayal of him.
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"Although I don't believe even a majority of Republicans think that, the silence is deafening," Biden added. He also noted that Trump has previously questioned those who serve in the U.S. military calling "service members suckers and losers. Was John a sucker?" Biden asked, referring to McCain, who survived long imprisonment in Vietnam.
Then he got even more personal adding, "Was my son, Beau — who lived next to a burn pit for a year and came home and died — was he a sucker for volunteering to serve his country?"
The late senator's wife, Cindy McCain, said the library, which is still to be built, grew out of bipartisan support from Biden, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and her predecessor, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. She called it "a fitting legacy for my husband" and recalled how the Bidens introduced her to her future husband decades ago.
"I am so grateful for that," Cindy McCain said, her voice cracking.
Later Thursday, the Treasury Department announced $83 million in federal funds to help construct the 83,000-square-foot library near Papago Park.
Republicans competing with Trump for their party's 2024 presidential nomination have largely avoided challenging his election falsehoods, and Biden said Thursday that voters can't let them get away with it.
"Democracy is not a partisan issue," he said. "It's An American issue."
After the speech, Biden spoke at an Arizona fundraiser for his reelection campaign. The attendees included Brittney Griner, the basketball star who was arrested last year at the airport in Moscow on drug-related charges and detained for nearly 10 months.
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A number of candidates who backed Trump's election lies and were running for statewide offices with some influence over elections — governor, secretary of state, attorney general — lost their midterm races in every presidential battleground state.
Still, in few states does Biden's message of democracy resonate more than in Arizona, which became politically competitive during Trump's presidency after seven decades of Republican dominance. Biden's victory made the state a hotbed of efforts to overturn or cast doubt on the results, and some GOP candidates continue to deny basic facts on elections.
That's help reinforce other claims from Democrats about GOP extremism on other, separate issues, said Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to candidly describe the party's election shortcomings last year. Though Trump-animated forces in the party dominate public attention, many Republican voters were concerned about other issues such as the economy and the border and did not want to focus on an election result that was two years old.
Republican state lawmakers used their subpoena power to obtain all the 2020 ballots and vote-counting machines from Maricopa County, then hired Trump supporters to conduct an unprecedented partisan review of the election. The widely mocked spectacleconfirmed Biden's victory but fueled unfounded conspiracy theories about the election and spurred an exodus of election workers.
In the midterms, voters up and down the ballot rejected Republican candidates who repeatedly denied the results of the 2020 election. But Kari Lake, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, has never conceded her loss to Hobbs and plans to launch a bid for the U.S. Senate. Last year, Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters and Mark Finchem, who ran for secretary of state, also repeated fraudulent election claims in their campaigns.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who defeated Masters, said the importance of defending democracy resonates not only with members of his own party but independents and moderate GOP voters.
"I met so many Republicans that were sick and tired of the lies about an election that was two years old," Kelly said.
Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in next year's Senate race, said a democracy-focused message is particularly important to two critical blocs of voters in the state: Latinos and veterans, both of whom Gallego said are uniquely affected by election denialism and the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
"You know, we come from countries and experiences where democracy is very corrupt, and many of us are only one generation removed from that, but we're close enough to see how bad it can be," Gallego said. "And so Jan. 6 actually was particularly jarring, I think, to Latinos."
Bangladesh-US ties 'outstandingly cordial' but some trying to inject bitterness: Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has described Bangladesh's relationship with the United States as "outstandingly warm and cordial," but noted that some quarters are trying to inject bitterness into this relationship through lies.
The foreign minister said that the United States believes in democracy and human rights.
"So, there is similarity in our views and thoughts with the United States. In principle, the two countries have similarities. However, some individuals may not appreciate our development," Momen said, calling upon the Bangladeshi expatriates in the United States to be vigilant.
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He urged the Bangladeshi diaspora to take a stand, regardless of their political affiliation, to challenge those who lie about Bangladesh.
The foreign minister was speaking at a views-exchange meeting organized by the Bangabandhu Foundation in New York's Bangladeshi-dominated Jackson Heights on September 26.
The foreign minister said, "We have remarkably friendly relations with the United States. America believes in the same principles and values we believe in. Bangladesh is the country where we have fought for democracy. Although we won the popular vote, we were not allowed to form the government in 1971. Rather, genocide was unleashed on us, and then Bangabandhu declared independence."
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Momen said Bangladesh declared independence to establish democracy, justice, and human rights.
"Because of this, we had to sacrifice three million lives during the Liberation War. Nowhere in the world have so many people sacrificed themselves for democracy and human rights in such a short period of time. We are the only nation in the world that has made such great sacrifices for democracy and human rights," he added.
Referring to the replacement of the Digital Security Act, he said, the government accepted the suggestions provided by the United States as a friendly country.
Read Cyber Security Bill before making comments: FM
"The United States expects free and fair elections, and we are also committed to free and fair elections. But there are some people in our country who want to boycott the elections, they fear elections," the foreign minister said, referring to the opposition, that they are trying to thwart the election.
The foreign minister said Bangladesh is now the 35th largest economy in the world.
"If Bangladesh's current economic development continues, we will become the 26th largest economy in a few years. We have 17 crore people, so our own market is huge. That's why many people are interested in our country, because our per capita income has increased 5 times," he said.
Momen said the poverty rate has been reduced by more than half. "All these have become possible due to the implementation of goal-oriented measures of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."
Momen also said, "We are now self-sufficient in food. We are third in the world in fish and vegetable production. We are fourth in the world in rice production. Our agricultural land has shrunk, but food production has quadrupled. This has been possible due to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."
Momen said as Bangladesh is making progress, many people do not like the development activities of the country.
"We are an independent, sovereign country. Our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has given us a beautiful foreign policy. And this principle is 'friendship to all, malice to none.' We believe in this principle. We follow a balanced foreign policy," said the foreign minister.
Bangabandhu Foundation United States unit General Secretary Abdul Quader Mia was present at the event as a special guest. Other leaders including Moshiur Malek, Fakir Ilyas, Abdul Khalek Mia, New York Correspondent of Bangladesh Protidin Lovelu Ansar were present.