Harris appeals to Gaza war critics as Trump intensifies violent rhetoric
Kamala Harris courted voters angered by the Gaza war while Donald Trump doubled down on violent rhetoric with a comment about journalists being shot as the tense US election campaign entered its final hours.
The Democratic vice president and the Republican former president frantically blitzed several swing states as they tried to win over the last holdouts with less than 36 hours left until polls open on Election Day on Tuesday.
Trump predicted a "landslide", while Harris told a raucous rally in must-win Michigan that "we have momentum -- it's on our side."
The 2024 race is going down to the wire, with more key states effectively tied at this point than in any comparable election. Over 77.6 million people have cast early votes, around half of the total ballots cast in 2020.
With the clock ticking, Harris, 60, spent the day in Michigan where she risks losing the critical support of a 200,000-strong Arab-American community that has denounced US handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
"As president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza," Harris said at the start of her speech at Michigan State University, noting that there were leaders of the community present.
But the rest of the speech was upbeat, with Harris spending more time on urging people to get out and vote than on attacks on Trump.
"We got two days to get this done," she said.
Earlier, Harris quoted scripture in a majority-Black church in Detroit, Michigan and urging Americans to look beyond Trump.
"Let us turn the page and write the next chapter of our history," she said.
Trump on Sunday zigzagged through Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia -- the three biggest swing-state prizes in the Electoral College system that awards US states influence according to their population.
The 78-year-old Trump, the oldest major party candidate in US history, added to his increasingly dark rhetoric by musing to supporters in Lititz, Pennsylvania, that he wouldn't mind if journalists were shot.
Discussing his near-miss assassination attempt against him in July, he said to laughter that to be hit again "somebody would have to shoot through the fake news -- and I don't mind that so much."
Trump called Democrats "demonic" and, despite no evidence of any meaningful election cheating so far, claimed that Democrats in Pennsylvania "are fighting so hard to steal this damn thing."
Adding to fears that he would not accept a defeat in 2024, Trump added that he "shouldn't have left" the White House after he lost his 2020 reelection effort to Joe Biden.
Trump meanwhile said in Macon, Georgia, that he had asked vaccine-skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who dropped his own presidential bid to support Trump, to work on "women's health" and "pesticides."
His comments came a day after Kennedy caused consternation by saying that a Trump White House would order US water systems to remove fluoride from public water supplies.
Later in another rambling speech in Kinston, North Carolina Trump said "we're going to have on Tuesday a landslide that's too big to rig."
The polls however show that the result is likely to be historically tight.
A final New York Times/Siena poll Sunday flagged incremental changes in swing states, but the results from all seven remained within the margin of error.
Harris got a boost Saturday as the final Des Moines Register poll for Iowa -- seen as a highly credible test of wider public sentiment -- showed a stunning turnaround, with Harris ahead in a state won easily by Trump in 2016 and 2020.
In the last hours, both candidates are desperately trying to shore up their bases, and win over any undecided voters.
Pollsters have noted an erosion in Black support for Harris.
But with abortion rights a top voter concern, her campaign has hailed the large proportion of women turning out among early voters. AFP
Deputy Prime Minister Singh leaves for Egypt
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Urban Development, Prakash Man Singh, today left for Cairo, the capital of Egypt, to participate in the World Urban Forum programme.
He is leading a Nepali delegation to the programme. The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, bid him farewell at Tribhuvan International Airport this morning.
DPM Singh is the high-level official to attend the programme in which more than 150 countries are participating.
The ministers related to urban development will be participating from other countries whereas Singh, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, is attending from Nepal, according to the Ministry of Urban Development.
DPM Singh will be addressing three sessions of the World Urban Forum, calling attention of the world on challenges Nepal is facing in the development of settlements, on the problems encountered in the face of climate change and on the achievements the country has made in terms of habitat development.
The World Urban Forum programme is taking place from November 4-8 in Cairo.
The Twelfth Session of the World Urban Forum WUF12 is convened by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) under the theme – 'It All Starts at Home: Local Actions for Sustainable Cities and Communities.' The WUF was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The first WUF was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002 and has been held around the world ever since.
Representatives of national, regional and local governments, academics, business people, community leaders, urban planners and civil society representatives will be among the thousands of people are expected to attend WUF12 which is co-organized by The Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
DPM Singh is accompanied by his spouse Srijana Singh, officials of the Ministry of Urban Development. DPM Singh and his delegation will return home on November 9.
PM Oli extends Bhai Tika best wishes
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has extended best wishes to all the Nepalis on the occasion of Bhaitika, the main day of the Tihar festival, the festival of lights.
He wished happiness and enthusiasm among all Nepalis on the occasion, saying Tihar is a glorious festival of the Nepalis that spreads light in the life of all.
Wishing for the happiness, peace and enthusiasm of all sisters and brothers, the PM believed that the Bhaitika ceremony will engender additional love and affection among sisters and brothers.
"Today is the last day of this year's Tihar. May the great festival of Bhaitika that fosters love and affection among sisters and brothers spread health, happiness, peace and enthusiasm in the life of all sisters and brothers. Best wishes of Bhaitika to all," the Prime Minister posted on the social site Facebook.
Govt will forward process to include Nepal Bhasa in curriculum: PM Oli
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the government would forward the process to include Nepal Bhasa in school-level curriculum.
After garlanding the statue of the founder of Nepal Sambat and national luminary Shankhadhar Sakhwa at Sankhadhar Sakhwa chowk, Madhyapur Thimi, today, Prime Minister Oli underlined that he personally and from the position of Prime Minister was ready to protect language, culture and civilization.
At a programme organized by Shankhadhar Sakhwa Foundation, he mentioned that some genuine demands of the Foundation would be fulfilled gradually as per the capacity of the state.
"The Foundation has demanded to include Nepal Bhasa as the secondary level optional subject in curriculum. It can be included in the curriculum as optional subjects like Maithili, Bhojpuri but it cannot be announced here today without making any decision", added PM Oli.
The Prime Minister shared that different initiatives are underway from government-level to protect Nepal Bhasa, stating that Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Nepal Television and Radio Nepal have started disseminating and broadcasting news in Nepal Bhasa in this connection.
Saying Bhaktapur is considered as the living museum, he said the government was committed to preserving the historical arts and culture here.
Similarly, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Badri Prasad Pandey, mentioned that Shankhadhar Sakhwa had given identity of patriotism and nationalism even at that time.
Likewise, Mayor of Madhyapur Thimi Surendra Shrestha shared that the municipality is organizing Madhyapur festival in the Nepali month of Poush in order to spread historical arts, culture and tradition of the district in the world.
On the occasion, PM Oli honored 63-year-old organization, Nhyajya Khala Thimi and leader of Nepal Sambat and member of Language Commission, Suresh Kiram Manandhar, with Shankhadhar Samman.



