US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago, pledging a “new way forward” for the nation.
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past — a chance to chart a new way forward,” Harris said. “And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans.”
She was later joined on stage at the Democratic National Convention by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and their families, holding their arms aloft while 100,000 red, white and blue balloons tumbled from the ceiling.
Photo: AP
Harris reached out to people across the political divide in the US, promising to bring economic opportunity and protect their personal freedoms.
“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,” she said.
Harris criticized former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
“We know what a second Trump term would look like,” she said, adding that he wanted to “pull our country back to the past.”
She laid out her personal story as a child of a single working mother, and her career as a prosecutor, saying she has the background and experience to serve the country, in contrast to Trump, who she said only works for himself and “his billionaire friends.”
She accused Trump of trying to “cozy up” to leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Harris pledged instead to “stand strong” with Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion and support NATO allies.
Regarding Israel’s war in Gaza, Harris called the scale of suffering in the Palestinian enclave “heartbreaking.”
She vowed to get a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and cheers erupted when she vowed “self-determination” for the Palestinian people.
People have protested throughout the Democratic National Convention seeking a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and several thousand rallied again on Thursday.
“I am proud to watch my partner Kamala Harris accept our nomination for president. She will be an outstanding president because she is fighting for our future,” US President Joe Biden, who was on holiday in California, wrote on X.
The navy has installed 13 Phalanx Block 1B close-in weapons systems on its warships, increasing their defensive firepower, a defense official said on Saturday. The systems cost the navy NT$10.16 billion (US$314.67 million), while eight additional Block 1A systems are being upgraded in the US and are expected to be delivered next year, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Phalanx system used by Taiwan to defend its warships and key radar installations is a radar-cued gun system capable of firing 4,500 rounds a minute at targets as far away as 1.5km, the official said. With their superior range of
RACE FOR CHIPS: The Dresden site would help Europe reduce its reliance on Asia for semiconductors, while Germany aims to produce one-fifth of the world’s chips by 2030 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday broke ground in Dresden, Germany, on its first European plant as the continent seeks to safeguard its chip supplies amid growing US-China tensions. TSMC chief executive C.C. Wei (魏哲家) attended the event, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the heads of Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors NV and Robert Bosch GmbH, which each hold a 10 percent stake in the venture. TSMC owns a 70 percent stake in the plant. “Together with our partners, Bosch, Infineon and NXP, we are building our Dresden facility to meet the
‘CLOSE TIES’: Former Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda also attended the annual Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific security and spoke of Taiwan’s importance globally China’s authoritarian expansionism would not stop with Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, calling for solidarity among the world’s democracies to check Beijing’s territorial ambitions. Taiwan is determined to become a decisive force for democracy, peace and prosperity, standing side-by-side with its democratic partners to confront authoritarian expansionism and protect shared values, he told the annual Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific security in Taipei. Authoritarianism is now a global challenge, Lai said, using as examples Chinese military expansionism, economic coercion and the use of hybrid warfare tactics such as cyberattacks and cognitive warfare. “We are all fully aware that China’s growing authoritarianism will
RECOVERY: Overall, average income across all age groups increased, climbing to a record NT$709,000 last year, on the back of an improved economy, the DGBAS said Taiwanese workers under the age of 30 last year, on average, earned an annual income of NT$545,931 (US$17,044), a new high, as the economy continued to improve, data released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed. That equated to monthly earnings of NT$45,494 per person, and marked an increase from NT$535,667 in 2022, the data showed. In addition to an improved economy, average incomes rose as the unemployment rate declined and the minimum wage rose, the statistics agency said. Overall, average income in Taiwan also hit a new record of NT$709,000 last year, up from NT$704,000 in 2022, the data