AFP USA

A decades-old book of cheerful, often lewd birthday messages has set off a political bomb in Washington — helping bring down the British ambassador and inflaming the most perilous scandal of Donald Trump’s presidency.Compiled to celebrate Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003, the three-volume book had remained secret for years.But his estate handed it over this week to Congress, which swiftly made its 238 pages public, offering a vivid window into the late sex offender’s well-connected world.Frequently referring to his playboy lifestyle, it also renewed long-running questions about what his elite associates knew of his alleged criminal activity with underage girls.The scandal proved too much for Peter Mandelson, a top British political operator fired Thursday from his prestigious post as ambassador to the United States.A 10-page entry allegedly submitted by Mandelson includes photos from his time with “best pal” Epstein in a tropical locale, apparently the financier’s notorious private island in the Caribbean.Epstein would sometimes disappear, “leaving you with some ‘interesting’ friends to entertain instead,” says a note, along with a photo of two women whose faces are obscured.British media then published emails from Mandelson, in which he offers support to Epstein after his 2008 conviction for procuring an underaged girl for prostitution, ultimately leading to his ouster.Other VIPs are peppered throughout. The most famous among them: Trump.- Political nightmare -For the 79-year-old Republican, the Epstein scandal is a political nightmare that refuses to die.Democrats have pounced since July, when Trump’s administration confirmed Epstein’s 2019 death was a suicide and deemed the release of more case files unnecessary — despite previously fanning conspiracies among fellow Republicans about a coverup.Trump now dismisses the saga as a Democratic “hoax.”However, under pressure from their own right-wing base, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives launched an investigation.That brought the birthday book to light, including Trump’s alleged note: a type-written message inserted into the sketched outline of a nude woman — with his signature for pubic hair.”May every day be another wonderful secret,” it reads.Trump and his allies claim the signature is fake. However, it bears striking resemblance to other documents he signed during the period.While the Wall Street Journal had previously reported on the existence of the letter — prompting Trump to file a $10 billion defamation suit — another note alluding to the president appears.”Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells ‘fully depreciated’ [redacted name] to Donald Trump,” reads the note, allegedly from businessman Joel Paschow, a longtime member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.The text accompanies a photo of Epstein holding an oversized check marked “DJ Trump.” Next to him is a woman who has been identified in US media as someone who dated both Trump and Epstein in the 1990s.The page before includes a sketch of Epstein handing little girls balloons in 1983, then several topless women massaging him in 2003 — apparently a joking reference to his grooming of underage women.- Other VIPs -The book features a bevy of other prominent people.Ahead of Trump’s alleged letter is a poem from Stuart Pivar, a wealthy chemist and art collector, lightheartedly remarking that Epstein was “up to no good” but had thus far “avoided the penitentiary.”Next up is a note from Harvard economist Henry Rosovsky, who died in 2022.”For the man who has almost everything, but never enough of these!” it reads, followed by two painted prints of breasts.A note allegedly from famed private equity investor Leon Black refers to a “Maxwellian delight.”This refers to Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who compiled the birthday book, and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls.Also included is a note from French model scout Jean-Luc Brunel, who would later be arrested in France on rape charges and whose 2022 prison death was also ruled suicide.Trump isn’t the only president to appear.A note from former president Bill Clinton praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity” at 50.

Two people misidentified online as suspects in the fatal shooting of right-wing US activist Charlie Kirk told AFP Thursday they were terrified by the misinformation targeting them, as the manhunt for the real killer continued.Michaela, who asked to be identified by her first name due to safety concerns, told AFP she became “really scared” as she was inundated with hate-filled messages and threats after her image circulated in posts that falsely named her as the shooter.”I’m getting witch-hunted online,” she said. “Some people want to enact vigilante justice on me.”The 29-year-old transgender woman told AFP she spent the day Wednesday in the state of Washington, where she lives and works as a paralegal. She said she has only been to Utah once, for an overnight stop in Moab while moving from Texas in May, and is not a student at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot.Screenshots shared with AFP of her bank transactions and iPhone location history confirm she was in Washington when Kirk was killed.Her roommate also corroborated her location, calling the rumors “insane.”- ‘Fits their narrative’ -Misinformation proliferates rapidly after major breaking news events, and transgender people have become a common scapegoat after US mass shootings.The high-profile assassination of Kirk, a polarizing figure with a massive following, kicked the search for information into overdrive. Multiple out-of-context visuals quickly spread online.In Michaela’s case, her profile image appears to have been erroneously linked to Kirk’s shooting because it was indexed in searches for another X user who posted about the Turning Point USA founder’s visit Wednesday to Utah Valley University. The user, whom Michaela said she does not know, had previously shared one of Michaela’s posts earlier in the week.”People on the right wing, obviously they want a shooter, and a trans person fits their narrative,” she said. “It’s pretty surreal to see how quickly it happened.”The FBI released pictures of a person of interest Thursday and also said the presumed murder weapon had been found, after two people taken into custody were later released.On Instagram, Michaela has frantically sought to clarify she is not a suspect and did not author the posts about Kirk’s Utah event. She has also contacted the FBI.But her picture has rocketed across social media, boosted by prominent accounts that have promoted Russian disinformation and the QAnon conspiracy theory.In direct messages reviewed by AFP, several people threatened to kill her, often using explicit language or anti-LGBTQ slurs.”You better watch out because we’re coming for you,” one message said.- Misidentified suspects -Across the border in Canada, another man was dealing with similar harassment.Michael Mallinson, a 77-year-old retired banker from Toronto, posted an article from a US fact-checking outlet on his LinkedIn “to set the record straight” after X users wrongly matched his photos to footage of a man who was initially apprehended by police.The hoax had started with an account impersonating a local news station in Nevada.Mallinson told AFP he learned of the misinformation about him when his daughter called in a panic, pleading that he delete his social media accounts to protect himself. She had received what he described as a “very nasty message” on Facebook.On X, hundreds more spiteful comments had been left under a photo he uploaded in May.”I have absolutely nothing to do with this,” Mallinson said, explaining that he has never been to Utah and had not heard of Kirk before yesterday. “I was horrified and shocked.”Mallinson said he deactivated his accounts, alerted police and has been emailing his friends and relatives the truth.”It’s my image, it’s my name, but it’s not me, and I don’t really know what to do,” he said. “I worry about longer-term ramifications. That stuff stays on social media forever.”

Belarus on Thursday freed 52 political prisoners, including an EU staff member, journalists, and dissidents — in a release mediated by the United States as Minsk seeks closer ties with President Donald Trump.Tens of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets in 2020 to protest what they called a sham presidential election in which Alexander Lukashenko secured himself a sixth term. Many were detained during a brutal crackdown and later prosecuted on what rights groups denounced as politically motivated charges.Trump has been pushing Lukashenko to free the more than 1,000 political prisoners rights groups say are still behind bars.Among those released on Thursday were Mikola Statkevich, 69, a veteran dissident who stood against Lukashenko in a 2010 presidential contest, said rights group Vyasna. He had been in jail for five years. Also freed was a staff member with the EU’s delegation in Minsk and nine journalists and bloggers, including a reporter for US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.”The United States welcomes the continued release of political prisoners in Belarus following President Trump’s engagement,” said a White House official.Brussels welcomed the release of its employee.”I’m glad our colleague Mikalai Khilo is among those freed,” said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. “Our work to free all political prisoners continues.”- 1,000 still in jail -Belarusian rights groups said more than a dozen people with foreign citizenship were among those released, including Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, German, French and British citizens.Most of those released had crossed the border into EU member Lithuania, where they were greeted by exiled opposition figures.   Images showed the men being released sitting on a bus at the border, their heads recently shaven.But Statkevich appeared to have decided to return to Belarus, despite his wife and allies attempting for hours to convince him to cross, independent outlet Zerkalo reported, citing his party member Evgeniy Vilskiy. “He refused. He believes that Lukashenko does not determine his fate,” Vilskiy told Zerkalo, adding that the activist was taken away in an unknown direction by unidentified masked men afterwards.  Lithuanian border guard confirmed to state broadcaster LRT that one person went back, without revealing their identity. There was no official confirmation from Belarus, where Statkevich potentially may face a renewed jail sentence.   In January, AFP spoke to Statkevich’s wife, Marina Adamovich, in Minsk. “I have the best husband in the world, with a capital H,” she said, adding: “My God, I wait for him every minute.” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on X on Thursday that he was “deeply grateful” for Washington and Trump’s involvement in the release.Lithuania has become a haven for Belarusians who have fled their country since 2020.”More than 1,000 political prisoners still remain in Belarusian prisons and we cannot stop until they see freedom!” Nauseda added.A Trump official, deputy special envoy John Coale, was in Minsk on Thursday, where he handed Lukashenko a personal letter from Trump, including birthday wishes.Coale said the US was lifting sanctions on the country’s state airline, Belavia, in images broadcast on Belarusian state TV.The White House later clarified it would be a “limited relief package” that would allow Belavia to “service and buy components for its existing fleet, which includes Boeing aircraft”.In June, 14 political prisoners were released from prison, including Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

The United States expects to resolve a bitter tariff row with India within weeks, an envoy of President Donald Trump said Thursday, as he voiced hope for keeping New Delhi in US good graces.India has seen outrage and a spike in anti-US sentiment after Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on some of its exports over purchases of oil from Russia, under Western sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.Sergio Gor, nominated by Trump to be ambassador to India, said he expected progress when India’s trade minister visits Washington next week.”I do think it will get resolved over the next few weeks,” Gor told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his confirmation hearing.Gor has risen quickly in the Trump White House after spearheading the quick vetting for loyalty of 4,000 appointees to run the US government.Despite his lack of formal foreign policy experience, Gor, a 38-year-old former fund-raiser for Trump, appeared prepared for his questions, deftly not replying to a senator’s question on India’s volatile relationship with Pakistan.Describing the tariffs as a “little hiccup,” Gor — also named to a broad position of Trump’s special envoy for South Asia — said of concern over India’s Russia ties, “We hold our friends to different standards.””I will make it a top priority to ensure that they’re pulled in our direction, not away from us,” Gor said of India.Gor noted that Trump, not shy about airing grievances with other leaders, has not personally attacked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a fellow right-wing populist.”When the president has been critical of India, he has gone out of his way to compliment Prime Minister Modi,” Gor said.Trump has accused New Delhi of fueling Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine by buying oil from Russia, its Cold War ally. Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro has even called it “Modi’s war.”Trump has not taken similar action against Russia itself and appeared peeved that Modi did not personally credit him for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following their conflict in May.India — maintaining a decades-old red line against outside intervention over divided Kashmir — has also rebuffed Trump’s overtures to mediate between the two nuclear-armed nations.- ‘Wrong direction’ -Politicians from across the US political spectrum have nearly unanimously supported warm ties with India, making Trump’s tariffs a greater jolt.US policymakers have eyed democratic India as a balance to the world’s other billion-plus nation, China, seen as the top long-term adversary to the United States. Modi recently paid a friendly visit to China, despite the two powers’ long animosity.Democratic Senator Tim Kaine told Gor that the United States should be “tough when we need to be, but balance that with a real understanding that we want to be close to India and we don’t want to push them in the wrong direction.”Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has used tariffs as a wide-ranging tool to address what Washington deems unfair trade practices as well as assorted other priorities.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC on Thursday that “India basically has to open their market, has to stop buying Russian oil,” when asked about trade talks.He added that “we’ve got a big deal coming with Taiwan, we’ll probably get a deal done with Switzerland.” Steeper tariffs took effect on both economies in early August.

The killing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump, marks a new milestone in an increasingly violent political scene in the United States.Officials are treating the gunning down of Kirk, 31, at a university in Utah as a politically motivated assassination — something that Trump has called a “dark moment for America.”The US president himself, known like Kirk for his divisive rhetoric, was targeted by a would-be assassin in July 2024 during an election campaign in Pennsylvania. He escaped with just a minor injury to his right ear but the attempted killing shook the United States, which has a long line of murdered presidents, politicians and activists.It’s a violent history that does not discriminate on either side of the political aisle. In June, a masked shooter killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband at their home. Another elected official and his wife were also targeted and seriously injured. And Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro — touted last year as a presidential hopeful — had his home set alight in April in an alleged assassination attempt. Kirk’s death in front of a crowd of hundreds has particularly shaken conservative politicians. Trump, whose own supporters attacked the US Congress in 2021 after his election loss, condemned political violence in a video address late Wednesday. But rather than calling for unity, he took aim at the “radical left” for rhetoric that Trump said “is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”And listing recent instances of political violence in the US, he notably did not mention the killing of Melissa Hortman. Trump’s finger pointing was repeated by other conservative figures including Elon Musk, who wrote on X: “The Left is the party of murder.”In the House of Representatives late Wednesday, Republican speaker Mike Johnson observed a silent prayer in tribute to Kirk.But even that led to conflict, as a loyal Trump lawmaker Lauren Boebert’s request that the prayer be said aloud was rejected by Democrats, who cited another shooting at a high school in Colorado on Wednesday. “You all caused this,” shouted Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, in apparent reference to Kirk’s murder. That dramatic scene seemed to show how Congress, much like American politics, has tipped into more extreme polarization, even on such a somber night. 

US authorities investigating the killing of right-wing youth leader Charlie Kirk released pictures Thursday of a man they were hunting, as Donald Trump paid tribute to a “giant of his generation.”Kirk, a 31-year-old superstar on the Republican right who was credited with helping Trump return to the presidency last year, was shot while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.The killing — described by the FBI as a “targeted event” — shocked a nation already reeling from political tensions half a year into Trump’s second term.Authorities acknowledged the gunman remained at large after having escaped initially into woodland.”We’re doing everything we can to find him, and we’re not sure how far he has gone yet, but we will do our best,” FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls told a media briefing.Authorities said the suspect was of university age and that they had quality video footage, yet to be released, identifying the man. The FBI also announced a reward of up to $100,000 for information.The FBI issued grainy photos of a person of interest — not yet a suspect — and asked for the public’s help identifying him. The pictures showed a man wearing a black baseball cap, dark sunglasses, and what appeared to be jeans, with a long-sleeved top emblazoned with a design including an American flag.Bohls said the presumed murder weapon had been found.”It is a high powered bolt action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled,” the FBI agent said.- ‘Dark moment’ -Reflecting the intensely political nature of the incident, it was Trump, rather than law enforcement authorities, who first announced to Americans on Wednesday that Kirk had died from the gunshot to his neck.Trump then addressed the nation in a video address on social media in which he cited a “dark moment for America.”Despite no public information about the shooter’s identity or motive, the president went on to suggest that the left wing was responsible — and to pledge a wide-reaching response.”For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing.”On Thursday Trump used a tribute to victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks 24 years ago to honor Kirk.”Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said, adding that he would be posthumously awarding the activist the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.- Shot in neck -Kirk was shot while speaking to the crowd and immediately collapsed in his chair.Students at the university described the ensuing panic — and their broader fears as political divisions deepen across the country.”It makes me feel like I should be very careful about expressing my political ideas,” said Samuel Kimball, a software engineering student, told AFP.Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, called the killing a “political assassination.”Kirk, who supporters have hailed as a “martyr” for conservative ideals, had an outsized influence in US politics.He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, his natural showmanship making him a go-to spokesman on television networks.Kirk used his enormous audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and gun ownership, and to spread carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.Three months ago, a Minnesota man shot dead a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in their home, and Trump survived an assassination attempt during his election campaign in July 2024.Vice President JD Vance was due to travel to Utah to meet Kirk’s family Thursday, a source familiar with the plans said, after he canceled a trip to New York to mark the 9/11 attacks anniversary.

Hundreds of South Koreans detained in a US immigration raid flew out on Thursday, after a stunned Seoul warned that the “bewildering” episode could have a chilling effect on future investment. South Koreans made up the majority of the 475 people arrested last week at a Hyundai-LG battery factory site in the state of Georgia, triggering a delicate effort to resolve the thorny situation between close allies.A specially chartered Korean Air Boeing 747-8I plane was seen flying out of Atlanta after South Korea said it resolved the standoff. President Donald Trump’s administration remained tight-lipped.Photographs run by the Yonhap news agency showed the workers smiling and waving as they boarded buses after days in US detention.South Korea is a staunch security ally and major investor for the United States, with its top companies pouring billions into developing factories and plants in America.South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called the raid “bewildering” and noted it could have a chilling effect on future investment.Lee blamed the raid on “cultural differences” saying that in South Korea, American nationals teaching English while on a tourist visa was not seen as “a serious issue”.After the detentions, South Korean companies “can’t help but question whether setting up a plant in the US is worth the potential risks,” Lee said.”This could have a significant impact on future investment decisions, particularly when evaluating the feasibility of direct operations in the US,” he added.Many South Korean companies have relied on bringing in their own workforce during project development periods, with industry sources telling AFP it is common practice to use visa workarounds to bring in skilled labour and avoid project delays.Lee said that for South Korean companies “when setting up facilities, equipment and factories, skilled technicians are essential.””Someone has to install the machinery, and the necessary workforce simply doesn’t exist locally in the US,” he said, adding that the companies had long relied on bringing in their engineers for short-term periods to train local workers.”But now, even that basic request is being rejected,” he said.Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meeting South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday, told him that the United States welcomed investment from Asia’s fourth largest economy, according to the State Department.The State Department also announced Thursday that Rubio’s deputy, Christopher Landau, would travel shortly to Seoul to speak both with the government and businesses.- Handcuff shock -Lee said Seoul was negotiating with Washington “to ensure that visa issuance for investment-related purposes operates normally.” This could include “securing additional quotas” or even creating a new visa category, he said, adding that he trusted the “US side will find a solution”.”But under the current circumstances, Korean companies will have little choice but to hesitate about making direct investments in the US,” he added.The operation was the largest single-site raid conducted since US President Donald Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown, a top political priority since he returned to office in January.The raid came less than a month after Trump welcomed Lee to the White House.Images of the South Korean workers being chained and handcuffed have caused widespread alarm, and Seoul has said it negotiated to make sure the workers were not handcuffed again as they were repatriated.The raid highlights lopsided priorities in the Trump administration, which is “actively bringing in large-scale production facilities while neglecting to train local workers,” said Kim Dae-jong, professor of business at Sejong University.”As a result, South Koreans are having to train the local workforce. Logically, the two sides’ workers should be allowed to work together, not be hindered from doing so,” he told AFP.But Cho Dong-geun, professor emeritus of economics at Myongji University warned that South Korean companies had long been aware of the visa problems. “It is regrettable that there was no earlier intervention to address these matters in response to President Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, as it should have been acted on more swiftly.”

US consumer inflation rose last month to its highest level since January, government data showed Thursday, although analysts believe that this will not deter the central bank from an interest rate cut next week.The data also underscored cost-of-living pressures on households as President Donald Trump’s tariffs filter through the world’s biggest economy, complicating the Federal Reserve’s role in maintaining stable prices.The consumer price index (CPI) picked up to 2.9 percent in August, accelerating from 2.7 percent on a year-on-year basis in July, said the Labor Department.The figure was in line with analysts’ expectations, as economists try to gauge if Trump’s duties will trigger a one-off price increase or lead to persistently higher costs.On a month-on-month basis, CPI rose 0.4 percent in August, the report said, also picking up from 0.2 percent in July.A measure of underlying inflation, stripping away the volatile food and energy components, was up by 3.1 percent from a year ago.”We are seeing some impact from tariffs, especially with higher prices on cars and clothes,” said LPL Financial chief economist Jeffrey Roach.He added that grocery costs also clocked their biggest jump since 2022, adding to consumers’ stress.Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed a 10-percent tariff on almost all trading partners and higher rates hitting dozens of economies.He has separately targeted sector-specific imports such as steel and autos, and economists warn that the cumulative effect will take time to reach consumers.- Rate cuts to begin -All eyes are on inflation numbers given their potential bearing on the Fed’s interest rate decisions.But the central bank is poised to start cutting rates at its next policy meeting from September 16-17 even with slightly hotter inflation, Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic told AFP.”The jump in initial jobless claims to its highest reading since October 2021 overshadows the importance of the inflation report,” she said, referring to a separate set of data released Thursday.The uptick signals that the labor market is losing steam “and reinforces that the Fed needs to start cutting rates next week.”International Monetary Fund spokesperson Julie Kozack told reporters Thursday that “some strains are beginning to show” in the US economy, with demand cooling and job growth slowing.”There is scope for the Fed to begin to lower policy rates,” she added at a press briefing, noting risks to the employment market.A rate reduction, which would be the first since December, will likely also be the start of a series of cuts, Bostjancic said.Traders widely anticipate that the Fed will lower the benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points at the end of its September meeting.While Trump has repeatedly pushed for lower interest rates, policymakers have kept levels unchanged this year as they monitored the effects of tariffs on prices.With employment weakening, however, the Fed might be inclined to make a cut to boost the economy, as opposed to keeping rates at a higher level when seeking to contain inflation.- ‘Middle-class squeeze’ -The August CPI boost however came as food, energy and shelter costs all increased.”The middle-class squeeze from tariffs is here,” warned Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long.”It’s troubling that so many basic necessities now cost more,” she added in a note, cautioning that “this is only the beginning.” While businesses stockpiled inventory in anticipation of Trump’s tariffs, allowing them to stave off some immediate price hikes, they will eventually have to replenish stock at higher import costs.”Coffee is up 21 percent from last August, audio equipment is up 12 percent and living and dining room furniture is up 10 percent. These items are directly impacted by tariffs,” Long said.Roach, the LPL economist, added that August’s inflation data may not change the Fed’s immediate plans for a rate reduction.But “it’s possible the Fed will hold in October if inflation expectations no longer look well-contained,” he said.

The gunman who shot dead US right-wing youth leader Charlie Kirk in a targeted killing remained at large Thursday but authorities said they have video images of the suspect and have recovered a “high-powered” rifle.Kirk, a 31-year-old superstar on the Republican right who was credited with helping Donald Trump return to the presidency last year, was shot while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.The killing — described by the FBI as a “targeted event” — shocked a nation already reeling from political tensions half a year into Trump’s second term.Authorities acknowledged the gunman remained at large after having escaped into woodland.”We’re doing everything we can to find him, and we’re not sure how far he has gone yet, but we will do our best,” FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls told a media briefing.Authorities said they had secured quality images of the killer, who was of university age.”We do have good video footage of this individual. We are not going to release that at this time,” said Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety.Bohls said the presumed murder weapon had also been found.”It is a high powered bolt action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled,” the FBI agent said.Two people initially detained for questioning were released after officials determined they had no connection to the shooting.- ‘Dark moment’ -Reflecting the intensely political nature of the incident, it was Trump, rather than law enforcement authorities, who first announced to Americans that Kirk had died from his wound.Trump then addressed the nation in a video address on social media in which he cited a “dark moment for America.”Despite no public information about the shooter’s identity or motive, the president went on to suggest that the left wing was responsible — and to pledge a wide-reaching response.”For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing.””My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity,” Trump said.- Shot in neck -Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to the crowd and collapsed in his chair.Students at the university described the ensuing panic — and their broader fears as political divisions deepen across the country.”It makes me feel like I should be very careful about expressing my political ideas,” said Samuel Kimball, a software engineering student, told AFP.Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, called the killing a “political assassination.”Kirk, who supporters have hailed as a “martyr” for conservative ideals, had an outsized influence in US politics.He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, his natural showmanship making him a go-to spokesman on television networks.Kirk used his enormous audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and gun ownership, and to spread carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.Three months ago, a Minnesota man shot dead a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in their home, and Trump survived an assassination attempt during his election campaign in July 2024.Vice President JD Vance was due to travel to Utah to meet Kirk’s family Thursday, a source familiar with the plans said, after he canceled a trip to New York to mark the 9/11 attacks anniversary.

New York on Thursday marked the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, 24 years after the plane hijackings that claimed almost 3,000 lives and forever changed the United States.Memorial events were held at Ground Zero in Manhattan where the World Trade Center’s twin towers were destroyed in coordinated attacks that also saw a jetliner crashed into the Pentagon in Washington.Another jet, Flight 93, crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside when passengers overran the hijacker and took control of the aircraft.This year’s gathering takes place against a febrile atmosphere following the killing of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.Vice President JD Vance had been due to attend events in New York but will reportedly travel to Utah in the wake of the killing.Kirk — a close ally of President Donald Trump — was shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.The United States has faced a rash of political violence in recent months, with the killing of Kirk following the targeted killing of a Democratic Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and the firebombing of a Democratic governor’s residence.New York is in the grip of a divisive mayoral election campaign in which socialist Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing off against former governor Andrew Cuomo and sitting mayor Eric Adams.New Yorkers go to the polls on November 4.Adams attended the ceremony Thursday alongside former mayor Rudy Giuliani who led the city through the tragedy.Trump has repeatedly attacked Mamdani, a Muslim and naturalized US citizen, calling him a “communist lunatic,” while one Republican lawmaker has called for Mamdani to be deported. Mamdani holds a 22 point lead in the race, according to the latest polling from The New York Times and Siena.”It was this horrific day that was also for many New Yorkers the moment at which they were marked an ‘other,'” Mamdani told The New York Times, describing the surge in Islamophobic attacks that followed 9/11.New York marked a citywide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. (1246 GMT), the time that hijacked Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.Places of worship across the city then sounded their bells to mark the impact as families of the victims read the names of those killed at ground zero. The official death toll was 2,977 including the passengers and crew of the four hijacked planes, victims in the twin towers, firefighters, and personnel at the Pentagon. The death toll excludes the 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers.