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Five days after narrowly escaping assassination, Donald Trump accepted his presidential nomination on Thursday before an adoring crowd of supporters, the final act in his transformation of the Republican Party into the party of Trump.His brush with death has fuelled the growing quasi-religious fervour among the party faithful, elevating him from political leader to a man they believe is protected by God.“Trump, Trump, Trump” attendees roared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee when he appeared each night this week, his right ear bandaged, to listen to speaker after speaker intone reverentially about him and reference God’s hand in his survival from a would-be assassin’s bullet.Republicans are uniting behind him this week. With most dissent quelled and his grip on the party never tighter, Trump will be in a much stronger position than in his 2017-2021 term to follow through on his agenda if he wins the November 5 election.Untrammelled by the internal divisions that sometimes stymied him in his first term, Trump would be freer to pursue hard-edged policies that include mass deportations as part of a crackdown on illegal migration, aggressive trade policies, and dismissing government officials seen as insufficiently loyal.“You need a strong leader at the top,” said Bill Dowd, a 79-year-old lumber business owner who was a guest of the Colorado delegation in Milwaukee.“I’m a very, very big Ronald Reagan fan. Ronald Reagan pulled the party together also,” Dowd said.Dowd acknowledged that some of his Republican friends feared that Trump might try to abuse his power. He said while he did not share that fear he believed that dissent should not be stifled in any party.For Trump’s critics and political opponents, this is a dark and disturbing moment: they see the modern Republican Party as a cult of personality, a base from which Trump could pursue extreme policies and create America’s first truly imperial presidency, threatening the future of its democratic norms.“Donald Trump has called for the ‘termination’ of the Constitution, promised to be a ‘dictator’ ‘on day one,’ and now his Supreme Court justices say he can rule without any checks on his power,” said Ammar Moussa, campaign spokesman for incumbent President Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic rival.“Trump is a liar, but we believe him when he says he will rule as a dictator,” Moussa said.Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Democratic assertions that Trump threatens American democracy and could become an autocrat if re-elected were “fear mongering” and a “blatant effort to deceive the American people.”An unrestricted TrumpIn Milwaukee, nearly all of the 30 delegates, guests and elected Republicans interviewed by Reuters for this story acknowledged that their party had become the party of Trump but dismissed any suggestion that it had become cult-like.“I believe that President Trump is a transformational figure, a man of destiny who God saved from death on Saturday,” Louisiana delegate Ed Tarpley said. “He’s been given a special mission in our country. “Those interviewed said they wanted a President Trump who was not constrained by bureaucracy or Congress to execute his agenda. They were in favour of more expansive use of executive action — decisions made by a president that do not need congressional approval.They want nothing to stand in the way of his plans to deport millions of people in the country illegally and to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. In his first term Trump often complained of “deep state” bureaucrats he said were seeking to thwart him.“The president...must be allowed to implement his policies free of a bureaucracy resistant to them and unelected officials who do not agree with them,” Tarpley said.There are constitutional limits to what Trump can do through the power of his office, however, and any policies could still face lawsuits.Half of Republican respondents to a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week said they agreed with the statement that “the country is in a crisis and needs a strong president who should be allowed to rule without too much interference from the courts and Congress.”That was substantially higher than the 35% of Democrats and 33% of independents who agreed with the sentiment.Only one convention attendee interviewed by Reuters, a senior Republican from a southern state, said he was worried about a second Trump administration. He said he feared Trump would become an autocrat, fill government agencies with yes men, and seek revenge on his political enemies.Referring to Trump’s pledge to supporters that he will be their “retribution,” the Republican, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “That effort will be horrendous.”Trump was widely criticised for saying during the campaign that should he win, he will be a “dictator” — if only for a day, a comment he later said was a joke.Democrats have rebuked him for promising to pardon his supporters imprisoned for the deadly January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol that was triggered by his refusal to accept his 2020 election loss.Trump, who was convicted for making hush money payments to a former raunchy star and faces charges related to his efforts to overturn Biden’s victory, has threatened to use the Justice Department to pursue his opponents, including Biden.Former Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson said he was concerned about the lack of constraints on Trump in a second term.“The Department of Justice is probably the perfect example of that. Clearly, a President Trump would have a close hand at directing the activities of the Justice Department,” Hutchinson, a former governor of Arkansas, told Reuters.Making ‘Nixon blush’The implications of a second Trump term are profoundly disturbing for America and the world, said presidential historian Timothy Naftali, a former director at the presidential library of Richard Nixon, who resigned from office in disgrace in 1974 after the Watergate scandal.Naftali said a recent Supreme Court decision granting sweeping immunity to a president for most acts while in office, combined with a pliant Republican Party, means there are limited constraints on Trump should he act maliciously and exploit the office for his own personal power and political retribution.“He can gut the Justice Department and engage in a revenge tour that would make Nixon blush,” Naftali said.To be sure, Trump would not be the first president to test the limits of executive power. Leaders including former Democratic presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama have taken an expansive view of their authority.Even with the July 1 ruling by the high court on presidential immunity, Trump ostensibly would still be bound by the US Constitution’s separation of powers that reserves key functions to Congress and the judiciary.Lara Trump, the Republican National Committee co-chair and Trump’s daughter-in-law, acknowledged this week that governance by executive action — which can be overturned in the courts or by a successor — was not ideal.That’s why it was crucial for Republicans to hold onto the House of Representatives in November and take the Senate from Democrats, she said, “so we don’t have to rely on executive actions and we can actually see some lasting change.” — Reuters

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Supreme Court’s reversal of the four-decade-old “Chevron deference” doctrine is potentially one of its most anti-business rulings yet. The damage to companies – especially highly innovative firms – could be profound, with serious long-term consequences for the US economy.In essence, the recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo means that when Congress has been either silent or ambiguous on specific rules to enforce a statute, courts need no longer defer to executive-branch agencies’ interpretation of that statute. This may sound arcane, but the real-world effect is dramatic. Courts, rather than regulators, will now be the final rule-makers in the United States on everything from drug approvals and transportation regulations to food safety – all without the requisite scientific and domain expertise.Before this ruling, most US companies could simultaneously launch new products in all 50 states. The sheer size of this market, combined with a uniform set of regulations, created enormous economies of scale and allowed for an efficient allocation of capital. It is one reason why the US became such a powerful magnet for innovators.By restricting the executive branch’s ability to craft and enforce regulations, the Supreme Court has opened the door to the Balkanisation of the US economy. The rulemaking vacuum at the federal level will mean that important issues are increasingly addressed by the states. Instead of a large and cohesive economy of 330mn people subject to the same rule of law, the US will likely end up with smaller regional and state economies, often organised around ideology and local business interests. That might work for an issue like schooling; but for economic policy, it is a recipe for inefficiency. Massachusetts may wind up with completely different standards than Florida for household appliances, food that is deemed safe in Texas may be deemed unsafe in California, and so on.The abandonment of the Chevron doctrine ends the predictability that is essential for a healthy economy and stable capital markets. Virtually any rule previously imposed by a federal agency can now be contested. Judges and juries with no specialised training will rule on issues that were previously decided – or at least informed – by experts and scientific authorities. This matters because when an issue in dispute is put to experts, one can anticipate with a reasonable degree of accuracy what the outcome will be. That is not the case when the same question is left to judges and juries.Under Chevron deference, a federal rule might have been objectionable, but at least it was the same for all economic actors. Now, whenever a court finds a federal rule to be disagreeable, it could trigger a flurry of disparate rulemaking at the state levelInnovation will be the first casualty. Imagine trying to launch a new Food and Drug Administration-approved product in this climate of uncertainty. Claimants – perhaps bankrolled by a company with a competing, inferior product that’s already on the market – are now empowered to second-guess career scientists and challenge the product’s safety. Litigation always seems to favour incumbents over innovators.And the problem doesn’t stop there. Imagine if federal agencies decide, post-Chevron, that they lack the authority to create guidelines for the acceptable level of “forever plastics” in packaging. One state might respond by banning such packaging, whereas another state, home to many large plastics manufacturers, might ban the packaging favoured by the first state. Companies would then have to produce two different products or exit certain markets.The Supreme Court’s decision also could slow economic development. Very few business leaders consider the federal government to be efficient at approving large projects. But with the reversal of Chevron, litigation challenging federal permitting decisions could make the process even worse; it certainly makes the process less predictable.It is no accident that the least innovative industries in the US are those that are already regulated at the state level: health-care services, utilities, and financial services. State-level enterprises don’t enjoy economies of scale, because companies must offer different products in each state. Legislation and rulemaking at the state level is often even more opaque than it is at the federal level. When there is more state-level regulation, the US economy will come to look like Europe, where innovation is undermined from the start by the complexity of differing standards and requirements.The reversal of Chevron poses an existential threat to the core pillars of the American economic miracle: uniform rule of law and a cohesive national economy. The decision hurts businesses, especially entrepreneurial ones, and the downstream costs will be borne by all American workers and consumers. — Project Syndicate

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday said his country cannot yield or waver on its position in the South China Sea, but will find ways to de-escalate tensions in the contested waters.In his State of the Nation Address, Marcos said maritime disputes must be settled through diplomatic channels under the rules-based international order. “In the face of challenges to our territorial sovereignty, we will assert our rights and interests in the same fair and pacific way that we have always done,” Marcos said.Marcos’ remarks, which received a standing ovation from Congress, came after the Philippines said on Sunday it reached a “provisional arrangement” about its resupply missions to the contested Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. While neither China nor the Philippines provided details of the arrangement, Manila yesterday said it “will not prejudice our respective national positions”.“In our desire to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea to manage differences in a peaceful manner, we emphasise that the agreement was done in good faith and the Philippines remains ready to implement it,” the Philippines’ department of foreign affairs said in a statement. “We urge China to do the same.”The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed a “provisional agreement” with the two sides agreeing to jointly manage maritime differences and de-escalate the situation.China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippines maintains a rusty naval ship, the Sierra Madre, that it deliberately grounded in 1999 to reinforce its maritime claims. Manila regularly sends supply missions to sailors stationed at the shoal, turning it into a flashpoint with Beijing. During a mission last month, a Filipino sailor lost a finger after what the Philippine military described as intentional ramming by China Coast Guard vessels against its boats.China, which has maintained its actions in the waterway were lawful, reiterated its demand yesterday for the Philippines to tow away the grounded warship, and said it would not accept Manila shipping large amounts of building materials to the shoal.“Between now and when the warship is towed away, should the Philippines need to send living necessities to the personnel living on the warship, China is willing to allow it in a humanitarian spirit if the Philippines informs China in advance and after on-site verification is conducted,” the Chinese foreign ministry in a statement. The Philippine has previously said it was against informing China in advance about its resupply missions, which it maintains are lawful, and said this had not changed under the new deal despite the statement from the Chinese ministry.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani received today a phone call from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. During the call, the two sides reviewed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them. They also discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the latest developments in the joint mediation efforts to end the war on the Strip, in addition to several topics of common interest. HE the prime minister congratulated Lammy on his appointment as foreign secretary of the United Kingdom.

Iraqi authorities yesterday hanged 10 people convicted of "terrorism", security and health sources said. Under Iraqi law, terrorism and murder offences are punishable by death. A health official said 10 Iraqis "convicted of terrorism crimes and of being members of the Islamic State group were executed by hanging" at Al-Hut prison in the southern city of Nasiriyah.

The College of Education at Qatar University (QU) has announced the advancements of its Journal of Educational Sciences, a peer-reviewed periodical dedicated to publishing high-quality educational research.Spearheaded by Prof Hissa Sadiq, professor of educational sciences and editor-in-chief, the journal has solidified its reputation as a distinguished scientific platform since its inception in 2002.Published by QU Press, the Journal of Educational Sciences now issues three editions annually — in April, August, and December — up from its previous biannual schedule. This expansion reflects the journal's growing influence and the increasing number of submissions from researchers worldwide.The journal features authentic theoretical and applied research in both Arabic and English, covering a broad spectrum of educational fields.The journal's mission is to serve as a reliable source for disseminating authentic educational knowledge, adhering to international publishing standards and quality. It aims to enrich educational knowledge by providing a scientific platform for authentic research dissemination.By sharing successful educational experiences from diverse educational and cultural contexts, the journal strengthens communication networks among researchers globally, fostering collaborative research teams.The Journal of Educational Sciences has made notable strides in enhancing its academic stature. According to the ARCIF report (Arab Citation and Impact Factor for Arab Scientific Journals), an initiative of the Knowledge Database for Scientific Production and Content, the journal has met international accreditation standards, achieving an impact factor of 0.381 for 2023. This accomplishment underscores the journal’s commitment to high-quality research and its significant influence in the academic community.The journal benefits from the expertise of over 200 arbitrators from prominent Arab universities, ensuring rigorous review and high-quality published research.An editorial board comprising members from QU’s Faculty of Education and other Arab faculties of education oversees its operations. Additionally, the advisory board includes distinguished scholars from Arab and international universities, further elevating the journal’s academic rigor.In 2023, the journal received 142 research articles, accepting 89 with an acceptance rate of 63%. This highlights the journal's selectivity and commitment to publishing impactful research.

At least 55 people were killed in a landslide in a remote area of southern Ethiopia yesterday, local authorities said, warning that the death toll could rise. The landslide occurred around 10am following heavy rains in the mountainous area of South Ethiopia regional state. Women and children were among the casualties. Images shared on Facebook showed people using their bare hands to dig through the dirt in search of survivors.

Buoyed by foreign institutions’ increased buying interests, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) yesterday gained more than 60 points and its key index surpassed 10,100 levels.An across the board buying – particularly in the transport, banking and consumer goods sectors – led the 20-stock Qatar Index 0.6% to 10,120.68 points, recovering from an intraday low of 10,073 points.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 6.56%.The Gulf institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR3.34bn or 0.57% to QR585.36bn on the back of mid and small cap segments.The Arab individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 4,537 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan), valued at QR0.61mn change hands across three transactions.The local retail investors were increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign individuals were also increasingly bearish in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The Total Return Index gained 0.6%, the All Islamic Index by 0.45% and the All Share Index by 0.62% in the main market.The transport sector index soared 1.16%, banks and financial services (0.84%), consumer goods and services (0.72%), insurance (0.57%), telecom (0.26%), real estate (0.08%) and industrials (0.06%).Major gainers in the main market included Baladna, Nakilat, Beema, Zad Holding, QIIB, Commercial Bank, Dukhan Bank and Vodafone Qatar.Nevertheless, Medicare Group, Widam Food, QLM, Doha Bank and Alijarah Holding were among the shakers in the main bourse. In the venture market, both Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased significantly to QR54.59mn compared to QR32.04mn on July 21.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.49mn against net profit takers of QR2.07mn on Sunday.The Gulf institutions’ net selling declined marginally to QR7.53mn compared to QR8.22mn the previous day.However, the Qatari individuals’ net selling strengthened markedly to QR27.34mn against QR18.8mn on July 21.The domestic institutions’ net profit booking expanded noticeably to QR13.54mn compared to QR3.17mn on Sunday.The foreign individual investors’ net selling grew perceptibly to QR8.6mn against QR3.15mn the previous day.The Arab retail investors’ net buying weakened notably to QR1.95mn compared to QR3.37mn on July 21.The Arab institutions continued to have no major net exposure for the sixth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 12% to 98.81mn shares, while value shot up 18% to QR305.91mn and transactions by 42% to 13,003.The venture market saw 94% plunge in trade volumes to 0.04mn equities, 94% in value to QR0.09mn and 72% in deals to 15.

Moody's Ratings has affirmed QIIB rating at (A2/Prime-1) with a stable outlook, "confirming" that the bank has high liquidity, strong profitability and solid capitalisation.In its report on ratings’ affirmation of QIIB, Moody’s stated: "The bank has a strong profitability underpinned by its well-established Islamic assets with banking privilege, strong liquidity reserves, sound capital and good operational efficiency.“Moreover, the stable outlook of the bank rating on the long-term balances our expectations that the bank will maintain its strong profitability”.Moody’s added: "The bank has a resilient financing profile, supported by a privilege focused on retail, sound liquidity buffers and sound capital, as well the bank's position is fostered by a highly probable government support when needed."Commenting on Moody’s affirmation of QIIB rating with stable outlook, chief executive officer Dr Abdulbasit Ahmad al-Shaibei said: "We are pleased to maintain our high credit ratings. Moody's affirmation of QIIB at this rating reflects our outstanding performance, strong financial position, and alignment with the prosperity and growth witnessed by Qatar’s economy in various fields. Our financial strength is supported by Qatar's renowned regional and international economic position."QIIB maintains its key financial indicators, achieves stable growth, expands its customer base, responds to various competitive factors in markets, and benefits from the rich opportunities provided by the Qatari economy. The bank also responds appropriately to emerging market pressures and conditions. We were able to often turn challenges into opportunities. We are thus optimistic that the strength of our position and credit ratings will continue to achieve outstanding rates."Dr al-Shaibei noted: "Moody's expectation that QIIB will maintain its strong profitability reflects confidence, in comparison to our success in translating the plans and strategies approved by the bank's board of directors, which take exceptional care of the local market while benefiting from external opportunities that are of high feasibility."We are optimistic that the bank will continue its upward trajectory for various indicators and will continue to capitalise on the successful trends in the global banking market, especially in the digital transformation field where we have made significant leaps, and have had a tangible impact on increasing our operational efficiency."

India's annual economic report card has backed more Chinese investment in the country, even as investments worth billions of dollars from China suffer disruption due to increased geopolitical tensions between New Delhi and Beijing since 2020.India's chief economic adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said in the annual economic survey tabled in the Parliament yesterday, that to boost its global exports New Delhi can either integrate into China's supply chain or promote foreign direct investment (FDI) from China."Among these choices, focusing on FDI from China seems more promising for boosting India's exports to the US, similar to how East Asian economies did in the past."The report said choosing the FDI strategy "appears more advantageous than relying on trade" as it can arrest the growing trade deficit New Delhi has with Beijing, the top exporter for India.India has tightened its scrutiny of investments from Chinese companies since 2020, as relations between the two nuclear giants have soured after clashes between their soldiers on their largely undemarcated Himalayan frontier left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.Along with investments scrutiny, India has also virtually blocked visas for all Chinese nationals since 2020, but it is considering easing them for Chinese technicians, as it had hindered investments worth billions of dollars.Western countries are looking for alternative import avenues to reduce their reliance on China in global manufacturing and supply chains.India's net FDI inflow dropped by 62.17% to $10.58bn in 2023-24 (FY24), a 17-year-low, from $27.98bn the previous year, central bank data showed.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has honoured President of Qatar Chess Association, Mohammed al-Mudahka during the celebration of International Chess Day, which commemorates the founding of FIDE. Arkady Dvorkovich, FIDE President, presented al-Mudahka with a special shield as well as to the international master Jo Shen, the star of the Qatari national team and former world champion, who is financial secretary of the FIDE, in appreciation of their efforts in supporting and developing the game of chess in Qatar as well as at the continental and international levels.