Thomas Watkins is Washington bureau chief at The National
March 08, 2024
US President Joe Biden had set limited expectations for himself before Thursday night’s State of the Union speech, as a series of gaffes and stumbles fuelled a narrative that he was too old for a second term in the White House.
The bar for an acceptable performance was so low that many Democrats would have been happy if Mr Biden had simply read the teleprompter for an hour without falling off the podium.
But instead of a senile old man mumbling through his lines, the 81-year-old Mr Biden come out swinging for a loud and pugnacious performance that his fellow Democrats saw as proof he has the stamina for a bruising eight months until the November 5 general election.
He turned the address, historically a sombre and solemn occasion designed to project political and national unity, into a rhetorical partisan hammer to bash his challenger Donald Trump and the Republican Party writ large.
Frequently shouting, he accused Mr Trump, who he never mentioned by name but referred to as his “predecessor” 13 times, of “bowing down” to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the former president said the US might not protect Nato allies who are not spending enough on defence from any Russian invasion.
“Wasn’t long ago when a Republican president named Ronald Reagan thundered, 'Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall,'” Mr Biden said.
“Now, now my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin: 'Do whatever the hell you want.' … It’s outrageous, it’s dangerous, and it’s unacceptable.”
Mr Trump, 77, had hyped what he promised would be a live stream of his retorts to the State of the Union address, but his Truth Social platform experienced frequent glitches and outages, and his one-line comebacks amounted to feeble projections of his own inadequacies.
“This was an angry, polarising, and hate-filled speech,” wrote the man who whips supporters into a frenzy at rallies and whose hate-filled rhetoric and election denialism fuelled an insurrection that sought to end the peaceful handover of power.
Donald Trump reacts to President Joe Biden's speech in real time. Photo: Screengrab
For the first two years of his presidency, Mr Biden refused to even mention Mr Trump, but as it has become clear that the November 5 election will be a referendum on the two of them he has sharpened his attacks.
“Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today,” Mr Biden said.
“My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. Other people my age see it differently.
“The American story of resentment, revenge and retribution – that’s not me.”
Mr Biden seemed to delight in goading Republican hecklers, who long ago abandoned any sense of decorum and frequently screamed at the President as he spoke about the economy, immigration and gun violence.
When he chastised the conservatives for cutting taxes for the mega-rich to the tune of $2 trillion, Republicans booed loudly at him.
“Oh no, you guys don’t want another $2 trillion tax cut?” Mr Biden said, smiling. “I kinda thought that’s what your plan was. Well, that’s good to hear.”
Republicans interrupted Mr Biden several other times and he pushed back quickly, seeming to relish the combative exchanges, particularly around the issue of immigration.
“I will not demonise immigrants saying they 'poison the blood of our country' as [Mr Trump] said in his own words,” said Mr Biden, who previously has accused Mr Trump of using Nazi-like rhetoric.
Opinion polls show American voters are distinctly unenthusiastic about the seemingly inevitable Biden-Trump 2024 rematch (it won't be certain until they are nominated by their parties over the summer), with Mr Biden trailing Mr Trump in polls.
Mr Biden, who beat Mr Trump in 2020 by more than seven million votes, says he relishes the idea of a November rematch and frequently expresses confidence his track record shows he is the man who can beat the former president once more.
But one night's decent performance does not a strong campaign make, and Mr Biden remains dogged by any number of perils, including crumbling support from progressives and Arab Americans over his handling of the Israel-Gaza war.
Marjorie Taylor Green, a Republican congresswoman from Georgia, frequently heckled Mr Biden as she wore a pro-Trump hat. EPA
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), EsekaiaDranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), JaenBotes (Exiles), KristianStinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), EmosiVacanau (Harlequins), NikoVolavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), ThinusSteyn (Exiles)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened. He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia. Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”. Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
GroupA: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Six large-scale objects on show
Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
Torrijos Palace dome
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
