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.

Uber driver saves up for 8 years to build a genius expandable container home

Imagine dreaming of an expandable container home that can travel with you, unfolding into a comfortable living space quickly, and equipped with all the essentials.

That’s exactly what Kamal Kadhar dreamed of ten years ago, inspired by innovative designs he discovered online.

Despite lacking formal construction training, Kamal started a journey fueled by determination and passion.

Using his earnings from eight years of driving for Uber, Kamal built a compact yet expandable container home measuring 7.5 feet by 24 feet.

Kamal Kadhar during his interview about his expandable container home.

The beauty of his creation lies in its portability – it can be towed by a 4×4 vehicle, eliminating the need for cranes or forklifts.

Kamal’s journey began in a field outside Tiruchirappalli, a southern Indian city, where he constructed his first prototype.

What sets Kamal’s creation apart is its simplicity and resilience. He opted for mechanical winches instead of complex hydraulics to ensure ease of deployment in remote locations.

As Kamal describes it, the expandable container home is like an octopus – small when needed, expandable when necessary, and can withstand disasters like fires, hurricanes, or floods.

Kamal and a friend assembling his expandable container home prototype using winches.

The relocation process is as easy as moving a shipping container, making it legally transportable anywhere in the world using a 4×4 SUV.

The journey wasn’t without its challenges.

After investing almost a decade of hard work and facing financial strain, Kamal’s family was on the verge of giving up.

However, witnessing the prototype changed everything. Realizing the idea’s value brought relief despite the personal and financial sacrifices.

Kamal’s unconventional path involved learning everything from YouTube, combining his experiences as an Uber driver with visits to construction sites and apprenticeships at a builder’s shop.

The relocation process is as easy as moving a shipping container, making it legally transportable anywhere in the world using a 4×4 SUV.

The journey wasn’t without its challenges.

After investing almost a decade of hard work and facing financial strain, Kamal’s family was on the verge of giving up.

However, witnessing the prototype changed everything. Realizing the idea’s value brought relief despite the personal and financial sacrifices.

Kamal’s unconventional path involved learning everything from YouTube, combining his experiences as an Uber driver with visits to construction sites and apprenticeships at a builder’s shop.

His creative mindset was founded on his father’s small scrap metal shop, where he played with metal and aluminum, shaping the project to resemble a regular shipping container.

The main structure starts small at 7ft 6in and expands to 20ft.

The expandable container home uses built-in leg jacks so it could be assembled in anywhere.

The expandable container home takes less than 2 hours to build, with a foundation not required.

It can be adjusted on uneven surfaces using built-in leg jacks.

The roof opens with stainless steel hinges, both mechanical and electrical components, avoiding hydraulics for reliability.

The roof opens to add solar panels, maximizing power generation for personal use or resale to the government by connecting to the grid.

The sides expand mechanically, controlled by a hinge, making it easy to pull and open with just one finger.

Unfloding the foldable kitchen at Kamal's container home.

The kitchen, also expandable, is attached to the bathroom facility. Utilities run down the middle, and it’s designed to hook up to city sewage.

The living area is spacious, with a total interior size of 300 square feet, and the bedroom features a foldable bed.

This house has been tested in a remote village, and even non-professionals helped build it confidently.

You can expand it and adjust the interior to make it more spacious.

Setting up the Murphy bed.

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