WASHINGTON // Barack Obama, the US president, stepped once more into the role of consoler-in-chief yesterday on a visit to distraught families of those gunned down in the shooting horror in Colorado.
While authorities gather evidence and the nation tries to fathom what drove the gunman to kill 12 people in a cinema in Aurora, Mr Obama was meeting loved ones struggling with pain and grief.
"We need to embrace them and let them know we will be there for them as a nation," Mr Obama said on Saturday during his weekly radio and internet address.
Aurora's police chief, Dan Oates, said that the families "need that kind of contact by our elected leader. It will be very powerful and it will help them. As awful as what they've been through and what they're going through has been, having the president here is very, very powerful".
On the brief visit, Mr Obama planned to meet authoritiess in Aurora, where the shots rang out at a multiplex cinema early on Friday. Twelve died and dozens were injured.
Among the dead were a six-year-old girl and a man who died on his 27th birthday - and a day before his wedding anniversary.
"I think the president coming in is a wonderful gesture," said Aurora's mayor, Steve Hogan. "He's coming in, really, to have private conversations with the families. I think that's totally appropriate."
Mr Hogan said that it "certainly means a lot to Aurora to know that the president cares".
Yesterday, police recovered a computer belonging to the gunman, James Holmes, which could provide clues to how he planned the massacre, a senior officer said.
After the Colorado stop, Mr Obama will fly to San Francisco, where today he will begin a previously scheduled three-day campaign trip that includes a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Reno, Nevada, fund-raisers in California, Oregon and Washington state, and a speech to the National Urban League convention in New Orleans.
The shock of Friday's rampage brought the sprawling and sometimes vitriolic presidential campaign to a virtual standstill.
Mr Obama cut short a political trip to Florida to return to Washington. His republican challenger Mitt Romney cancelled interviews. Both campaigns pulled ads off the air in Colorado as a mark of respect for the victims.
For Mr Obama, the unhappy task of articulating sorrow and loss has become a familiar one. Not 10 months in office, he led mourners at a service for victims of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood in Texas.
In January last year, he spoke at a memorial for the six victims killed in Tucson, Arizona, when a gunman attacked congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as she met constituents.
The following April, when about 300 people were killed in a multi-state series of tornadoes, Mr Obama flew to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to commiserate with residents whose homes were in ruins. A month later, he went to Joplin, Missouri, after a monster twister killed 161.
In between, have been countless private meetings with families of troops who fell in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For Mr Obama, the Colorado visit is his second in just over three weeks. Last month, he flew to Colorado Springs to share the pain of homeowners whose houses had been destroyred by wildfires.
He had already been a frequent Colorado visitor, no surprise given the state's key role in his re-election bid. He won the state by more than eight percentage points over Republican nominee John McCain four years ago. But no one expects that big a margin this time.
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
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THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets