US President Joe Biden gave a high-stakes, fiery address to Congress late on Thursday in which he sought to challenge perceptions that he is too old for the job and convince Americans he deserves a second term in the White House.
Mr Biden, 81, also urged Americans to reject the “resentment, revenge and retribution” of his Republican challenger Donald Trump and tackled head-on many of the issues that have seen his approval ratings plummet, including the situation in Gaza and the Middle East, the economy and immigration.
Delivering the State of the Union, the annual speech for US presidents, Mr Biden appeared keen to project energy and alacrity. He joked about his age and often spoke in a thunderous voice while goading Republican hecklers.
Though the speech largely focused on domestic issues, Mr Biden addressed global crises including the Israel-Gaza war. He started his speech by highlighting the Republican-controlled House of Representatives' failure to fund Ukraine's military.
He said the US military would conduct an emergency mission to construct a temporary pier off the Gaza Strip to increase aid flows into the war-ravaged enclave, where more than two million people face starvation.
Mr Biden repeated his support for Israel, but said it needed to do more to get aid into Gaza.
“Israel must also do its part, Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the crossfire,” he said.
Mr Biden said more than 30,000 Palestinians had been killed since October 7, most of whom were not members of Hamas, seemingly confirming the Gaza health authority's tally that Israel has frequently played down.
“Thousands and thousands are innocent women and children. Girls and boys also orphaned, homes destroyed, neighbourhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. It’s heartbreaking," he said.
The announcement of the pier emphasised the intense political pressure Mr Biden is under for his steadfast support for Israel and highlighted how such backing could become a political liability in an election year.
Mr Biden bypassed Congress twice to expedite weapons sales to Israel and continues to reject demands – even from his own Democratic Party – to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
But his administration has grown increasingly frustrated with Israel as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the enclave.
“To the leadership of Israel I say this: humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip,” he said. “Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority.”
His stance on Gaza has drawn extreme anger from Arab and Muslim communities across the US, as well as from progressive Democrats and younger voters – key voting blocs in his coalition that helped put him in office in the 2020 election.
Outside the US Capitol on Thursday evening, dozens of protesters who called themselves the "People’s State of The Union" gathered and laid out a large Palestinian flag and a banner that read: “Biden’s legacy is genocide."
A recent poll by Data for Progress found that 67 per cent of Americans support a ceasefire in Gaza, and that voters broadly support conditioning aid to Israel.
Several of the domestic issues Mr Biden tackled appeared to be pitched towards younger voters, including scrapping “junk fees”, addressing climate change and hiking taxes on the super rich and corporations.
Immigration and the economy
During the more than hour-long address, Republicans interrupted Mr Biden several 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,” he said.
“I will not separate families, I will not ban people from America because of their faith,” he added in an apparent reference to Mr Trump's ban on people from Muslim-majority countries that the former president has said he would reinstate if he wins in November.
With Vice President Kamala Harris and Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, behind him, Mr Biden did not name Mr Trump, instead referring to him several times as his "predecessor".
Mr Biden, already the oldest president in American history, is campaigning for a second four-year term in the November 5 election. But he has been facing low approval ratings, and questions about his age and mental acuity.
Opinion polls show American voters are not excited about the probable Biden-Trump 2024 rematch, with Mr Biden trailing Mr Trump in polls.
Mr Biden touted the achievements of his administration over the past three years, which have included lowering inflation, creating more jobs and passing the infrastructure bill, a landmark bipartisan domestic spending agenda.
He also blamed Republicans for rejecting a bipartisan bill that would have strengthened rules along the US-Mexico border.
The bill also included $60 billion in funding for Ukraine, which Mr Biden says is critical for Kyiv to defend itself against Russia.
“Ukraine can stop [Russian President Vladimir] Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself,” Mr Biden said. “That is all Ukraine is asking, they are not asking for American soldiers.
“But now assistance for Ukraine is being blocked by those who want us to walk away from our leadership in the world."
He criticised Mr Trump for suggesting the US might not protect Nato allies who are not spending enough on defence from any Russian invasion.
“A former American President actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader,” Mr Biden said. “It’s outrageous. It’s dangerous. It’s unacceptable.”
The Republican-controlled House has refused to pass the legislation which already passed in the Senate, after Mr Trump pressured Republicans not to bring it to a vote and potentially hand Mr Biden an election-year win.
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20EduPloyment%3Cbr%3EDate%20started%3A%20March%202020%3Cbr%3ECo-Founders%3A%20Mazen%20Omair%20and%20Rana%20Batterjee%3Cbr%3EBase%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Recruitment%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2030%20employees%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20Pre-Seed%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Angel%20investors%20(investment%20amount%20undisclosed)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEric%20Barbier%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYoussef%20Hajdi%2C%20Nadia%20Benzakour%2C%20Yasser%20Drief%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nabil%20Ayouch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nisrin%20Erradi%2C%20Joud%20Chamihy%2C%20Jalila%20Talemsi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
