Tag: Biden

  • ‘Our golden age has begun’

    ‘Our golden age has begun’

    Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, justices of the United States Supreme Court, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and my fellow citizens.  The Golden Age of America begins right now.

    From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous and free. America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before.

    I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success, a tide of change is sweeping the country, sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before. But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America.  As we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens, while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair. We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home, while at the same time stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens, but provide sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions that have illegally entered our country from all over the world. We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders, but refuses to defend American borders or more importantly, its own people.

    Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina, been treated so badly. And other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago. Or more recently in Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defence. They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting, but we can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change. We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world. And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves, in many cases to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly.

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     My recent election has a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal, and all of these many betrayals that have taken place, and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and indeed, their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over. Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied, and we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government. Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250 year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way the journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one that I can tell you.

    Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom, and indeed to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again. Thank you. Thank you very much. That is why each day under our administration of American patriots, we will be working to meet every crisis with dignity and power and strength. We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity, safety, and peace for citizens of every race, religion, colour and creed. For American citizens, January 20th, 2025 is Liberation Day. It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country. As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society, young and old, men and women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, urban, suburban, rural and very importantly, we had a powerful win in all seven swing states, and the popular vote we won by millions of people

     To the black and Hispanic communities, I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote. We set records and I will not forget it. I’ve heard your voices in the campaign, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. Today is Martin Luther King Day and his honour, this will be a great honour, but in his honour, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true. Thank you. Thank you. National unity is now returning to America and confidence and pride is soaring like never before.

    In everything we do. My administration will be inspired by a strong pursuit of excellence and unrelenting success. We will not forget our country. We will not forget our Constitution and we will not forget our God. Can’t do that.  Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It’s all about common sense.

    First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country. Under the orders I signed today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities.

    As Commander in Chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions and that is exactly what I am going to do. We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before.  Next, I will direct all members of my cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation and rapidly bring down costs and prices. The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill. America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have, the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth and we are going to use it, and they use it. We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again, right to the top and export American energy all over the world. We will be a rich nation again and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it.  With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers. In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice. We will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago and thank you to the autoworkers of our nation for your inspiring vote of confidence. We did tremendously with their vote. I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families. Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.

     For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties and revenues. It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our treasury coming from foreign sources. The American Dream will soon be back and thriving like never before. To restore confidence and effectively is to our federal government, my administration will establish the brand new Department of Government Efficiency. After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I will also sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America. Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents. Something I know, something about. We will not allow that to happen. It will not happen again. Under my leadership, we will restore a fair, equal, and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law and we are going to bring law and order back to our cities.

     This week I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colourblind and merit based. As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.  This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate, with full back pay. And I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty. It’s going to end immediately. Our armed forces will be free to focus on their sole mission: defeating America’s enemies. Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen. We will measure our success not only by the battles we win, but also byy the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into. My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifie, that’s what I want to be, a peacemaker and a unifier. I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families. Thank you.

    America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the all and admiration of the entire world.  A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent. He was a natural businessman and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama after the United States, the United States, I mean, think of this spent more money than ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal. We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharge, charged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form. And that includes the United States Navy and above all, China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back. 

    Above all, my message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and vitality of history’s greatest civilization. So as we liberate our nation, we will lead it to new heights of victory and success. We will not be deterred. Together, we will end the chronic disease epidemic and keep our children safe, healthy, and disease free. The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons. And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars. Ambition is the lifeblood of a great nation and right now, our nation is more ambitious than any other.

    There’s no nation like our nation. Americans are explorers, builders, innovators, entrepreneurs and pioneers. The spirit of the frontier is written into our hearts. The call of the next great adventure resounds from within our souls. Our American ancestors turned a small group of colonies on the edge of a vast continent into a mighty republic of the most extraordinary citizens on Earth. No one comes close. Americans pushed thousands of miles through a rugged land of untamed wilderness.

    They crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the Wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted billions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand. If we work together, there is nothing we cannot do and no dream we cannot achieve. Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback. But as you see today, here I am, the American people have spoken. I stand before you now is proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do. In America, the impossible is what we do best. From New York to Los Angeles, from Philadelphia to Phoenix, from Chicago to Miami, from Houston to right here in Washington, DC, our country was forged and built by the generations of patriots who gave everything they had for our rights and for our freedom.

    They were farmers and soldiers, cowboys and factory workers, steel workers and coal miners, police officers and pioneers who pushed onward, marched forward, and let no obstacle defeat their spirit or their pride. Together they laid down the railroads, raised up the skyscrapers, built great highways, won two world wars, defeated fascism and communism, and triumphed over every single challenge that they faced. After all we have been through together, we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history. With your help, we will restore America’s promise and we will rebuild the nation that we love and we love it so much.  We are one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God. So to every parent who dreams for their child and every .

    Will America will be respected again and admired again who dreams for their future, I am with you. I will fight for you and I will win for you. We are going to win like never before. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly. ut we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before. We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage and exceptionalism. Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent and totally unpredictable. America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith, and goodwill. We will be prosperous. We will be proud. We will be strong and we will win like never before. We will not be conquered. We will not be intimidated. We will not be broken and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation. We will stand bravely. We will live proudly. We will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way because we are Americans.

     The future is ours and our golden age has just begun. Thank you.

    God bless America. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you

  • Biden pardons Milley, Fauci, others to protect them from Trump retaliation

    Biden pardons Milley, Fauci, others to protect them from Trump retaliation

    U.S. President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons on Monday to people who he felt would be targeted for retaliation in Donald Trump’s administration.

    Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and former White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci were among those who were pardoned.

    The pardon also covers all lawmakers who served on the congressional select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters and police officers who testified before it.

    Trump, who will return to the presidency, has repeatedly called for the prosecution of his perceived enemies since winning the White House in November.

    Biden praised public servants as the “lifeblood of our democracy.” Without mentioning Trump, he expressed alarm that some of them were subjected to threats and intimidation for doing their job.

    “These public servants have served our nation with honour and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in a statement.

    Trump in December backed a call for the FBI to investigate fellow Republican Liz Cheney over her role in leading Congress’s probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.

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    Fauci often clashed with Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic and his supporters have continued to attack the former senior health official.

    Milley was quoted in the book “War” by Bob Woodward, which was published last month, calling Trump “fascist to the core” and Trump’s allies have targeted him for perceived disloyalty to the former president.

    ‘I think nothing will change after Trump’s inauguration.

    Reuters reported in November that the Trump transition team was drawing up a list of military officers seen as connected to Milley to be fired.

    (Reuters/NAN)

  • Tinubu celebrates six Nigerian scientists, engineers honoured by Biden

    Tinubu celebrates six Nigerian scientists, engineers honoured by Biden

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated six Nigerian-born scientists and engineers recognized by U.S. President Joe Biden as recipients of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). 

    The honour, announced on January 14, 2025, celebrates early-career professionals who have made exceptional contributions to their fields.

    Established in 1996 by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the PECASE is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. government to scientists and engineers at the beginning stages of their careers. 

    This year, the awardees are affiliated with or funded by 14 participating U.S. government agencies.

    Among the 400 recipients are six Nigerians whose groundbreaking works have drawn global recognition. 

    They include Azeez Butali, the Gilbert Lilly Endowed Professor of Diagnostic Sciences at the College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, and Ijeoma Opara, Associate Professor of Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences) at Yale School of Public Health, Yale University.

    Also honoured are Oluwatomi Akindele, a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Eno Ebong, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, and Biology at Northeastern University. 

    Rounding out the group are Oluwasanmi Koyejo, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, and Abidemi Ajiboye, Executive Vice Chair of the Case School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu commended the six honorees for their remarkable achievements in science, technology, and engineering. 

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    He emphasized that their recognition reflects the vast potential of Nigerians to excel on a global scale, serving as an inspiration to millions.

    “These trailblazers represent the extraordinary talent and dedication that Nigerians bring to every field of human endeavor. Their accomplishments inspire renewed confidence in our nation’s capacity to compete and lead in the global arena”, President Tinubu said. 

    The President expressed hope that the honorees’ multidisciplinary expertise would contribute to advancing Nigeria’s development goals under the Renewed Hope Agenda. 

    He also underscored the importance of fostering collaboration between Nigerian experts in the Diaspora and institutions back home.

  • Biden, Xi agree humans, not AI, should control nuclear arms

    Biden, Xi agree humans, not AI, should control nuclear arms

    United States U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on Saturday that human beings and not artificial intelligence should make decisions over the use of nuclear weapons, according to the White House.

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    “The two leaders affirmed the need to maintain human control over the decision to use nuclear weapons,” the White House said in a statement. “The two leaders also stressed the need to consider carefully the potential risks and develop AI technology in the military field in a prudent and responsible manner.”

    An official Chinese government summary of the meeting echoed this point. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

  • Biden set to address nation after Trump’s decisive U.S. election win

    Biden set to address nation after Trump’s decisive U.S. election win

    U.S. President Joe Biden was set to address the nation on Thursday after a stinging election defeat for his Democratic Party at the hands of Republican Donald Trump.

    Trump staged a stunning political comeback which has reverberated around the world.

    Biden, who was replaced in July as the Democrats’ candidate in the race by Vice President Kamala Harris because of concerns about his mental acuity after a stumbling debate with Trump, will speak at 11:00 a.m. (1600 GMT), the White House said.

    Harris sought on Wednesday to console the voters who had hoped she would become the first woman to win the White House.

    She, like Biden, has promised to aid Trump’s transition between now and his inauguration on Jan. 20 but said she was not prepared to embrace his vision for the country.

    Trump’s campaign said Biden had invited him to a meeting at the White House at an unspecified time.

    Former President Trump’s victory, surprisingly decisive after opinion polls that had shown a neck-and-neck contest ahead of Tuesday’s election, underscored how disenchanted Americans had become with the economy – in particular the effect of inflation on their standard of living – border security and the direction of the country and its culture.

    Hispanics, traditionally Democratic voters, and lower-income households hit hardest by inflation helped fuel the victory.

    Harris’ campaign had sought to press the message that Trump was unfit to serve again as president, as a convicted felon and one whose false claims of voting fraud after his 2020 election defeat spurred a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol.

    This time, Trump prevailed in five of the seven battleground states to push him past the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency and was leading in the remaining two, Arizona and Nevada, where votes were still being tallied.

    He was also on track to become the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote since George W. Bush two decades ago.

    Republicans wrested control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats, ensuring Trump will control at least one chamber of Congress next year.

    It is not clear if they will retain their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, with dozens of races not yet called.

    U.S. stocks rallied to close at record highs on Wednesday after Trump’s victory.

    Investors expected lower taxes, deregulation, with a U.S. president who is not shy to weigh in on everything from the stock market to the dollar, although fresh tariffs could bring challenges in the form of a higher deficit and inflation.

    In the days and weeks ahead, Trump will select personnel to serve under his leadership, his campaign said on Wednesday.

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a prominent Trump donor, has been promised a role in his administration, as has former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson were seen as possible new entrants to his administration, while former Trump officials Robert O’Brien and Mike Pompeo could return to office.

    However, a source said on Wednesday that Dimon would remain at the bank and had no plans to join Trump’s administration.

    On trade, Trump is expected to revive policies he favoured during his first term, notably tariffs that he has called the “most beautiful word.”

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    That could set him on a collision course with China, which has the world’s second-largest economy, sow discord with allies, and roil global industries from automakers to chipmakers.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping sent Trump a congratulatory message and said he hopes the two powers will coexist peacefully and achieve win-win cooperation, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiywas among world leaders congratulating Trump.

    But Trump has been critical of Biden’s assistance for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

    He has said he could end the war in 24 hours but has not offered a detailed plan.

    The White House plans to rush billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine before Biden leaves office in January, sources said on Wednesday, hoping to shore up the government in Kyiv before Trump takes over.

    (Reuters/NAN)

  • Tinubu, Biden in 30-minute phone talk on UN seat, Gambaryan

    Tinubu, Biden in 30-minute phone talk on UN seat, Gambaryan

    United States President Joe Biden has thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the government for dropping the criminal charges against Binance Head of Financial Crimes Compliance Tigran Gambaryan.

    Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in February and later charged alongside his company, Binance, with laundering $35.4million, and tax evasion, which they denied.

    His colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan dual national who was Binance’s Africa regional manager, escaped from custody.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week withdrew the money laundering charges against Gambaryan.

    Biden called President Tinubu at about 4 pm yesterday for about 30 minutes.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, told reporters that discussions centered around Gambaryan’s discharge and other diplomatic matters.

    The minister said Biden expressed support for Nigeria’s quest for a permanent seat status on the United Nations Security Council.

    Tuggar said: “The call was about the collaboration between the two countries with regards to law enforcement and law enforcement agencies as well as the release of one of the suspects of the cryptocurrency exchange company that you are all aware of.

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    “In response, President Tinubu also thanked him and the U.S. for the partnership and collaboration in numerous areas and discussed the issue of collaboration with regards to security in Africa, in particular West Africa.

    “President Biden equally assured that this is a partnership that will continue.

    “He stated, at least twice, that the future of the world resides in Africa, which is why it was important for this partnership to continue.

    “The two leaders also discussed the issue of the permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council, and President Biden once again assured that the United States is committed to seeing Africa have two permanent seats.

    “He reiterated that he does not see any reason why one of those seats should not belong to Nigeria, given its position in Africa, its stature and importance.”

  • Biden thanks Tinubu over Gambaryan release in 30-minute phone call

    Biden thanks Tinubu over Gambaryan release in 30-minute phone call

    President of the United States, Joe Biden, has thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian government for dropping the criminal charges against Head of Financial Crimes Compliance at Binance, Tigran Gambaryan. 

    Gambaryan, a US citizen, was arrested on a business trip to Nigeria in February and charged with his company for laundering $35.4m and tax evasion, which they denied.

    This followed the escape from custody of his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan national who was Binance’s Africa regional manager, and had been arrested in Nigeria alongside Gambaryan.

    But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week announced that it had withdrawn the money laundering charges against Tigran Gambaryan to allow him to get medical treatment outside the country.

    However, to express gratitude on the development and a number of other matters of mutual interest, President Biden called President Tinubu at about 4pm today (Tuesday) and held a conversation, which lasted about 30 minutes. 

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who disclosed this to journalists at the State House, Abuja, said discussions centered around the recent discharge of Gambaryan and other diplomatic issues. 

    The Minister said Biden expressed support for Nigeria’ quest to get a permanent seat status on the United Nations Security Council, especially with the country’s leadership roles in Africa and peace-keeping efforts and sacrifices across the globe.

    According to Tuggar: “The call was about the collaboration between the two countries with regards to law enforcement and law enforcement agencies as well as the release of one of the suspects of the crypto currency exchange company that you are all aware of. 

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    “In response, President Tinubu also thanked him and the US for the partnership and collaboration in numerous areas, and also discussed the issue of collaboration with regards to security in Africa, in particular West Africa. 

    “President Biden equally assured that this is a partnership that will continue and he stated, as a matter of fact, not more than not just once, but at least twice, that the future of the world resides in Africa, which is why it was important for this partnership to continue. 

    “The two leaders also discussed the issue of the permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council, and President Biden once again assured that the United States is committed to seeing Africa having two permanent seats and also reiterated that he does not see any reason why one of those seats should not belong to Nigeria, given its position in Africa, its stature and importance.”

  • Biden, Israeli leaders, others mark October 7 attack on Israel

    Biden, Israeli leaders, others mark October 7 attack on Israel

    Global commemorations were held yesterday to mark the first anniversary of Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack on Israel.

    Israel’s President Isaac Herzog kicked off the event with memorials held to honour the victims and the hostages still in captivity in Gaza.

    Herzog began the day with a moment of silence at 6.29am – the time the attack began – at Kibbutz Reim, the site of the Nova music festival, where at least 370 people were killed by heavily armed Hamas fighters on October 7.

    Families of those killed attended the memorial, many of them crying, as Herzog met the crowd, an AFP correspondent reported.

    President Joe Biden also marked the event in a small White House ceremony accompanied by a prayer and a memorial candle.

    Biden stood in the Blue Room of the White House alongside First Lady Jill Biden and Rabbi Aaron Alexander, the head rabbi at Washington’s Adas Israel Congregation, as Alexander offered a prayer in both Hebrew and English.

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    The somber ceremony was to remember the 1,200 killed and 250 hostages taken when Hamas militants invaded Israel. The attack sparked a conflict in the area that continues to grow.

    The prayer, known as “El Malei Rachamim” — or “God of Mercy” in English — is a prayer for the soul of a person who has died that is recited during burial and memorial services.

    After Alexander finished the prayer, Biden lit a Yahrzeit candle, a memorial candle that is lit on the anniversary of a person’s death, at which point the ceremony ended with a moment of silence.

    Also, United States has spent at least $17.9 billion (£14bn) on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began, a record, according to a report for Brown University’s Costs of War project, released yesterday.

  • Biden to pass torch to Harris in bittersweet convention farewell

    Biden to pass torch to Harris in bittersweet convention farewell

    US President Joe Biden will give a bittersweet farewell address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, passing the torch to Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for November’s election.

    Less than a month after his stunning withdrawal and Harris’s astonishing ascent, Biden can expect a hero’s send-off from many of the same people who helped push him out due to concerns about his age.

    The 81-year-old is expected to say that Harris — America’s first female, Black and South Asian vice president — is the best person to finish the job he started of protecting American democracy from Republican rival Donald Trump.

    Harris is set to briefly appear with her boss on stage for his primetime speech in a symbolic moment designed to show unity among Democrats over his succession.

    One hangover from his time in office, however, is a huge planned protest in Chicago against the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

    Biden said on Sunday he felt “good, real good” about his speech, after spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in rural Maryland fine-tuning his address with top aides.

    Now a lame-duck single-term president, Biden will be all too aware that his legacy hinges on whether Harris can go on to beat Trump — and that if she doesn’t, many will blame him for clinging on so long.

    First Lady Jill Biden, 73, a staunch defender of her husband who was with him throughout the final stages of his fateful decision on July 21, will also take to the stage in Chicago.

    But there will undoubtedly be mixed emotions for the ageing president, who has watched Harris chase down Trump in the polls and enthuse voters in a way that he never managed during his time as candidate.

    Biden now also finds himself as the warm-up act for Harris, who will give her headline speech on Thursday in a slot that just a few weeks ago would have been his.

    He won’t be hanging around for her big night, and is instead heading off immediately after his speech to start a six-day holiday in California while the conference continues without him.

    Yet as he enters the final stretch of a five-decade political career, Biden will also be assured of a warm welcome from Democrats in Chicago.

    “I’m nostalgic,” said LaurieBeth Hager, a state representative from North Dakota in Chicago for the convention, hailing Biden as a “great president.”

    “I’ll have Kleenexes packed along with me tomorrow, but I also am amazed at the courage, political courage it took for him to make this decision.”

    Biden is still remembered fondly by his party as the man who beat Donald Trump in 2020, and then guided America out of the trauma of the January 6, 2021 pro-Trump Capitol assault and the Covid pandemic.

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    And while Biden’s initial determination to stay in the race despite a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June smacked of pride, there is widespread gratitude for his eventual sacrifice.

    Harris has managed to turn the White House race on its head since Biden stepped aside, reaching out to young, female and Black voters who had switched off from a battle between two elderly men.

    Former president Trump, meanwhile, has been sent into a tailspin by what he calls the “coup” by Democrats.

    Just over a month ago he seemed to be cruising to victory after escaping an assassination attempt, and then making a triumphant, ear-bandaged appearance at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.

    But he has since struggled to recalibrate his campaign to deal with Harris, falling back instead on personal insults and rambling speeches despite appeals from top Republicans to focus.

    While Democrats meet in Chicago, Trump will be crisscrossing the country, with rallies scheduled in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina and Arizona through the week.

    NEWSNOW

  • Biden announces plan to reform Supreme Court

    Biden announces plan to reform Supreme Court

    President Joe Biden has unveiled a plan to reform the United States Supreme Court.

    The reform is aimed at ensuring no President is above the law.

    The White House, in a statement yesterday, said the reforms would restore trust and accountability in the court.

    The reforms would ensure no immunity for crimes of a former president, term limits for justices, and a code of conduct for the court.

    “President Biden shares the founders’ belief that the President’s power is limited — not absolute — and must ultimately reside with the people. He is calling for a constitutional amendment that makes clear no President is above the law or immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office. This No One is Above The Law Amendment will state that the Constitution does not confer any immunity from federal criminal indictment, trial, conviction, or sentencing by virtue of previously serving as President.

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    “Congress approved term limits for the Presidency over 75 years ago, and President Biden believes they should do the same for the Supreme Court. The United States is the only major constitutional democracy that gives lifetime seats to its high court Justices. Term limits would help ensure that the Court’s membership changes with some regularity; make timing for Court nominations more predictable and less arbitrary; and reduce the chance that any single Presidency imposes undue influence for generations to come. President Biden supports a system in which the President would appoint a Justice every two years to spend eighteen years in active service on the Supreme Court.

    “President Biden believes that Congress should pass binding, enforceable conduct and ethics rules that require Justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. Supreme Court Justices should not be exempt from the enforceable code of conduct that applies to every other federal judge,” the White House said.