Donald Trump elected 47th US president

The Republican candidate has won at least 277 Electoral College votes, per The Associated Press.

Donald Trump has been elected to return to the White House as the 47th United States president.

The vote was called for the Republican candidate by The Associated Press news agency early on Wednesday. His victory has been met by international congratulations but is likely to add further uncertainty to a turbulent geopolitical situation.

Results showed Trump beating Vice President Kamala Harris in a race far less tight than expected as he triumphed in key battleground states.

Victory in Wisconsin after earlier triumphs in Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania saw the former president clear the threshold of the 270 Electoral College votes required to clinch the White House in Tuesday’s election.

Trump’s victory in those swing states currently sees him with 277 electoral votes against 224 for Harris. Polls had predicted a much tighter race, but it appears that anger fuelled the Republican’s remarkable comeback from defeat in 2020 and widespread condemnation of his refusal to accept the result.

That refusal sparked a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, and Trump was also convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.

However, his campaign, which has seen him demonise his political opponents, immigrants and many minorities, tapped into the frustrations of many voters in a bitterly polarised nation.

Speaking to his supporters as he declared victory, Trump claimed he had won “an unprecedented and powerful mandate”.

Anger and resentment

Scott Lucas, a professor of international politics at the University of Dublin, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s victory stemmed from frustrations that have been bubbling within the US public for years.

“There is anger and resentment in the US, which has been there for quite some time. It’s been a trauma since 9/11. It’s been there with the financial crash in 2008-2009. It was there in 2016 when Trump exploited it, and he exploited it again,” Lucas said, adding that Trump was able to do that because the “political system is damaged”.

Concern over the economy, and inflation in particular, under President Joe Biden was a major focus of the campaign.

That also encouraged opposition to the support Washington is giving to Ukraine in its war against Russia. Meanwhile, the failure to rein in Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon has angered Muslim and liberal voters.

Those complex geopolitical issues will test Trump, who is known for his simplistic claims of being capable of quickly solving such issues.

He has promised to end the war in Ukraine in a day, an idea that has Kyiv wary that it could face pressure to strike a deal to hand over territory to Russia. NATO allies, meanwhile, fear Trump will weaken the alliance’s mutual defence guarantees.

Trump is also a strong supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has boasted he will end the war with Hamas in Gaza in hours.

“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” Netanyahu said in a statement after Trump declared victory.

The enthusiasm in Israel also stems from the incoming president’s hawkish approach to Iran, which he is likely to reassert.

China is also braced for a more confrontational relationship with the US under Trump, who is expected to revive staunchly nationalistic trade policies, putting both allies and rivals on edge.

‘Much more dangerous era’

However, at home, supporters will look to Trump to put the focus on the welfare of US citizens while following through on promises to enact an agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government.

That will include plans to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history and use the Department of Justice to punish his enemies.

The result is that “we are going into a much more dangerous era for Americans and for the world because this will not be a coherent US policy for America but one pursued for Trump,” Lucas said.

9 things you should never plug into a power strip

When we think of the past, one of the first thoughts that runs through our mind is how people lived without electricity. Nowadays, we can’t even imagine a day without it because all of our appliances and devices run on electricity.

The truth is, however, that most homes don’t have enough power outlets to keep everything running and charged, so most of us rely on power strips without being aware that appliances that consume a lot of energy become dangerous fire hazards when we plug them into a power strip.

Although power strips are the thing to go to when it comes to charging your phone or power an entertainment setup, there are certain devices that should never be plugged into a power strip.

Air conditioners, space heaters, toasters, and other appliances that use high wattage can easily cause power strips to overheat, which can easily lead to a fire hazard.

Even before plugging anything into a power strip consider the ammount of power they support. This is usually listed on the product itself.

High-capacity appliances need to draw a lot of power through an electrical circuit to work. Keep in mind that an appliance does not need to be large in size to draw large amounts of power.

Below is the list of appliances that should never be plugged into a power strip.

1. The oven: Even though the oven is not used continually, it is a power-hungry appliance that should not be plugged into a power strip. In fact, it should be plugged into its own wall outlet on its own circuit.

2. Refrigerator: Refrigerators require a lot of power and frequently cycle on and off which can easily overload a power strip and cause damage. Much like the oven, refrigerators require a wall outlet dedicated solely to powering the appliance.

3. Washing Machine: When turned on, washing machines pull a lot of power. This is the main reason why these appliances shouldn’t share a receptacle with any other appliance or device.

Most washing machines use a max of up to 1400 watts, putting it dangerously close to the max load of most power strips. On top of that while working, washing machines are usually left unattended and work longer hours, at least an hour, which is long enough for a power strip to overheat.

4. Heating: Portable heaters should never be plugged into a power strip because most of them use 1,500 watts of energy on their high setting and they usually run for extended periods of time.

5. Microwave: Since they consume a lot of energy when used, most microwave ovens are plugged into their own receptacle and that is always a good practice.

6. Coffee Maker: Those who own a coffee maker are not fully aware of the power these appliances use, and this is why they should never be plugged into any sort of power strip or extension cord.

7. Toaster: You may think that browning up slices of bread or bagels doesn’t require a lot of energy, but the truth is that toasters use a lot of energy when in use and they should be plugged directly into the receptacle rather than a power strip.

8. Another Power Strip: Power strips are not meant to be used in conjunction with another power strip, although many people do exactly that. This, however, violates most safety codes because it can easily lead to overloading the electrical system.

9. Electronics (Computer, TV, Router): These types of electronic devices don’t necessarily use a lot of power on their own, but they are sensitive to surges and you can find yourself with a burnt out computer or TV very quickly if you plug them into a power strip.

If you want to protect these sensitive devices from power surges, opt for a power strip that functions as a surge protector.

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