The US presidential race remains highly competitive according to polls released on Sunday, just two days before Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are set to face off in their first—and potentially only—televised debate.

The latest polls indicate that Trump maintains strong support from about half of the voters, despite his status as a convicted felon and his involvement in efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

Read Also: Fuel Tanker Explosion Kills 30 In Niger State

Harris, who entered the race in July after President Biden’s unexpected withdrawal, has quickly shifted from being a relatively unnoticed vice president to a formidable candidate.

However, the polls suggest that she has yet to make significant gains, leaving the race too close to call.

A New York Times/Siena poll shows that 78-year-old Trump holds a narrow national lead over Harris, 48% to 47%, which falls within the margin of error.

US presidential elections are determined by state-by-state results rather than the overall national popular vote, making a few key swing.

The poll reveals that Harris, 59, holds a slight lead in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, while remaining tied with Trump in four other key swing states: Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona.

A separate CBS News/YouGov poll also finds Harris ahead by one point in Michigan and Wisconsin and even with Trump in Pennsylvania.

The election landscape has been turbulent, with 81-year-old Biden exiting the race due to concerns over his age, Trump narrowly escaping an assassination attempt at a rally, and rising fears that he might again refuse to concede if defeated in November.

Nevertheless, the latest figures show that both candidates have managed to maintain a steady base of support, leaving the nation nearly evenly divided.

Tuesday’s ABC News debate, the only one scheduled between Harris and Trump, could prove to be a critical moment.

Trump will likely face scrutiny to tone down his typical rhetoric as he goes head-to-head with Harris, who is striving to become the first female president in US history.

Harris will need to capitalize on the large audience during the debate to connect with Americans in a way she struggled to do as vice president and has had limited opportunity to achieve during her accelerated campaign.

With Trump now the oldest presidential nominee in US history, Harris is presenting an optimistic, future-focused vision, in stark contrast to Trump’s dire warnings that the country is headed for ruin without his leadership.

At the same time, Harris faces the challenge of debating Trump, who frequently makes false statements and thrives on provoking his opponents.

During his sole debate with Trump before exiting the race, Biden struggled to effectively counter Trump’s tactics.

Trump has already targeted Harris with racist and sexist remarks in his speeches, intentionally mispronouncing her name and labeling her as “crazy” and a “Marxist.”

A gunman was shot dead by German police on Thursday after opening fire near Munich’s Nazi-era documentation center and the Israeli consulate, the Bavarian Interior Ministry confirmed.

The state’s interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, reported that the suspect, armed with a rifle, fired multiple shots before police responded with deadly force.

Read Also: ‘I Regret Not Doing Yahoo’ – Actor Aremu Afolayan

The gunman succumbed to his injuries shortly after.

Authorities have not yet released further details on the incident or the gunman’s identity as investigation is underway.

More to follow……….. 

A Tunisian court has placed presidential candidate, Ayachi Zammel under arrest as it investigates allegations of ballot signature forgery, his legal representatives announced on Wednesday.

Zammel, 43, is one of only two candidates officially approved by the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) to challenge incumbent President Kais Saied in the October 6 election.

Read Also: Trump’s Family X Accounts Hacked In Cryptocurrency Scam

According to Zammel’s lawyers, the court’s decision followed an inquiry into charges related to presidential endorsements, leading the public prosecution to order his detention.

Zammel, who was apprehended on Monday, is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.

Zammel, a businessman and former parliamentarian, led the small liberal party Azimoun until August before stepping down to run as an independent candidate.

His arrest came just hours before ISIE finalized the list of presidential candidates, which includes Zammel, Saied, and former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui.

President Saied, who is running for a second term, initially assumed power in 2019 and has since strengthened his control through a significant power consolidation in 2021, governing by decree.

Human Rights Watch has urged ISIE to reverse its decision and adhere to the administrative court’s ruling, condemning the current electoral environment as tainted by political interference.

The organization reported that at least eight other candidates have faced legal or punitive actions in the lead-up to the election.

In reaction to the recent crackdown on opposition figures, nine political parties and nine human rights organizations have established the Tunisian Network for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms.

The final candidate list released by ISIE on Monday excluded three candidates who had successfully appealed an earlier disqualification.